“Eeek! Hey, no matter what, leaving something that important to me is …”
Dilaila who had caught the attention of the entire expedition team tried to refuse in a panic, but Shane interrupted her.
“We’re not planning to leave everything to you. We don’t think you’re that extraordinary.”
“…Oh, that’s a relief. But was that last part really necessary?”
“But Dilaila, it doesn’t change the fact that your role is important. As you know, the earth here is connected to the plants in this area which have a strong willpower.”
“Ah, that’s true.”
“From now on, I will be modifying the magic circle created by the elves. I plan to shift its focus from the trees to the soil. You need to enhance your assimilation rate with the earth here accordingly.”
“No matter what, isn’t this too sudden for me … ugh. Fine, I’ll give it a try.”
Though it was an overwhelming request, Dilaila soon changed her mind and decided to follow Shane’s instructions.
She was an adventurer before being a student after all. And she had an obligation to follow the team leader’s commands.
And just like that, Shane began to focus on modifying the elves’ magic circle, while Raviata approached Dilaila who was sitting on the ground and trying to connect with the earth.
Since she received Shane’s request earlier, Raviata sat down next to Dilaila and began to lecture her about the elements.
As a renowned fire mage, Raviata possessed highly refined knowledge about elements.
“Just as each person has different tendencies, nature also has different tendencies. Fire isn’t just fire, and the earth isn’t just earth.”
“Oh…”
“You’ve probably never experienced anything like this outside. Your affinity with the elements must be exceptional compared to any other race.”
“Ye-Yes, that’s true.”
Just like Raviata said, the earth here was different from that outside.
The earth of the Great Mezaiya Forest, which had coexisted with trees for a long time, was favorable to Dilaila but did not approach her with blind trust like the outside did.
“But here, it’s different. The elves have built a connection with the nature here over a long period of time, and that trust is established.”
Raviata continued her explanation.
“However, there’s something you’re mistaken about because of your innate talent.”
“Mistaken?”
“Yes. The underground race possesses more than just elemental affinity.”
“……?”
“In ancient times, the underground people were the masters of the earth. Even the elves set aside their pride and maintained close relations with them because when it came to the earth, the underground race was unrivaled. Do you know why that is?”
“Um… I’m not sure.”
“Elves excel in affinity in many ways. By aligning their magical patterns with nature, they become one with the environment they inhabit. This is why elves live well not only in forests but also in deserts and snowy plains. So why did they maintain relations with the underground race? The reason is simple. It’s all because of dominance.”
“Dominance?”
“Yes, dominance. Do you know why the underground race is special? The power of elemental dominance is unique to a specific race. That’s why humans understand elemental affinity but not dominance. So far, only one human has ever possessed dominance.”
Raviata continued. She was thinking of Shane who recently had the power to dominate the dark element.
“If it’s a specific race, then could it be?”
“Yes, dragons. The only race with absolute dominance over elements. While the underground race’s dominance falls short of that of dragons, it doesn’t mean dragons managed the earth better than the underground race did. Affinity and dominance. The underground race are the only ones who possess both of them.”
“Well, it’s hard to believe. That the underground people were greater than dragons…”
Dilaila wasn’t lacking in confidence.
But the name “dragon” carried a significant weight.
However, Raviata shook her head and said,
“I told you. Though dragons have tremendous elemental dominance, they lack affinity. That difference created the results we see. It’s like the concept of the carrot and the stick. In that sense, elves had to rely on the underground people for the land where trees grow. If the underground people exerted their dominance, the trees would have withered and died in no time.”
“Ah…”
It didn’t take long for Dilaila to understand Raviata’s words.
“I think I’ve found a way.”
When Dilaila who had been pondering and thinking on her own said that with a clear smile, Raviata was slightly impressed.
Although this was a trait of her race itself, it was not common for people to understand the trait of their own race, which they had lived without knowing until now, just by hearing about them.
And it’s not just her.
Besides Dilaila, Klein and Anais also had considerable talents.
Raviata grew increasingly curious about Shane’s identity. How did he manage to gather such remarkable talents around him?
Meanwhile, Anais was organizing the situation in her mind.
Anais was a quick-witted woman.
She could read the momentum flowing through people, and thus, she quickly noticed the subtle changes among Dominic and the Imperial Guard Knights from the moment they reunited with the expedition team.
As a result, Anais’s ears grew increasingly sensitive.
She didn’t miss a single word they said. And in her mind, she pieced together the various pieces of information and gradually formed a picture of her own goals.
She then recalled the proposal Dominic had made to her last time.
Justice.
The word that the Knights of Judgment and Dominic’s Imperial Guard Knights always spoke to Anais was justice.
However, for some reason, the justice they spoke of felt different to Anais.
What exactly it was? She still didn’t know.
For a long time, the picture she had been painting was questioning her.
What is justice?
Though she didn’t know exactly what justice was, Anais knew one thing.
The very fact that the picture she was painting asked such a question was enough to sow seeds of doubt in her heart.
“Klein.”
“Brother?”
At Shane’s call, Klein stopped what he was doing and turned his gaze toward him.
“It seems you have grown a lot during this time.”
“…No, I haven’t.”
Although he had indeed achieved significant growth, Klein shook his head.
It wasn’t just out of humility.
The more battles he fought, the more Klein realized his own shortcomings.
It wasn’t simply a lack of strength.
In fact, he had an abundance of strength.
No enemy could stand against Klein’s sword, and even the beetle-type monsters couldn’t boast of their defenses in front of his blade.
Despite this, Klein realized what he was lacking as time went on.
It was skill.
Having overflowing magical power and knowing how to use it efficiently were two different things.
Until now, he had never felt such a pressing need to improve.
Outside, he could always fight in wide-open terrain, and the goblins he had encountered didn’t even require his full strength.
He could display some power against trolls, but even then, he had never fought with all his might.
But this place was different.
In the narrow terrain, the insect-like monsters that charged while spewing acid were each a threat, and the agility of the monsters emerging from within the ground was something he had never experienced with any other creatures.
Even amidst this, Klein’s power showed his ability to take on a hundred foes, but the more he fought, the more he felt his skills were not enough.
He knew he could do better, yet he couldn’t.
He had never felt the need until now, but once he was forcibly separated from Shane, he pushed himself harder and reached that result.
“You’ve finally hit a wall.”
From Shane’s brief words, Klein immediately grasped an underlying meaning.
“A wall…”
Klein who had never particularly felt a wall before lacked the experience to break through it on his own.
“Klein, what do you think magical power is?”
“Magical power, you say?”
That question would be difficult for anyone to comprehend.
Klein was slightly hesitant at the sudden question and he started to speak.
“Until now, it felt like a solid fortress wall protecting me.”
And that wall was lined with sharp thorns, ensuring that any approaching enemy wouldn’t just be repelled but utterly defeated.
“But now, I’m not so sure.”
A solid fortress wall.
But walls don’t move.
Klein had only recently realized this fact.
Anyone who understood Klein’s feelings might just curse and call him crazy.
That’s how much Klein’s control over his magical power made others realize what true talent was.
But Klein himself thought differently.
“I always thought it would move as I wished, but it seems that’s not the case.”
When he heard this, Shane gave a slight smile.
“You called it a fortress wall, yet you want the wall to move, Klein.”
“Ah… haha.”
With those words, Klein also realized his metaphor was flawed and laughed quietly.
“Klein, your problem is that it’s hard to get proper advice from anyone else.”
“Why… is that?”
“Because there’s no other genius like you in the world.”
“Hmm…”
Klein grew embarrassed by the straightforward compliment he received from his brother and scratched his nose. Yet Shane wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.
Klein’s talent was unparalleled, even among geniuses.
However, a bird born alone and noble cannot learn to soar to the sky without companions or family to guide it.
Klein, this particular bird, didn’t even know how large his wings were, let alone how to fly.
So even if he wanted to fly, he couldn’t.
“When was the last time you measured your magical power?”
“About eight years ago, I think.”
At nine years old.
Even then, Klein’s talent which could not be explained by theory was already blooming.
The purity of Klein’s magical power was beyond anyone’s imagination. The specially ordered mana measuring tool had reached its limit when measuring Klein’s mana.
And now, after all this time?
Klein was like an eagle who didn’t know how high it reached in the sky.
“Don’t be too impatient. There will be an opportunity soon.”
“An opportunity…”
“When that time comes, don’t worry and unleash all your magical power. Then you’ll understand what I mean.”
“…… Understood. Thank you for the advice, big brother.”
“No need for thanks. It wasn’t really advice.”
Shane was merely giving a heads-up about something that would inevitably come, and then he turned his attention back to the task of modifying the magical patterns.
With this, the preparations were gradually coming to an end.
The long exploration of the Great Mezaiya Forest was almost ready to be completed.
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