Chapter 62 - Beyond New Horizons [1]
"…"
"…"
'I'm about to turn into a lobotomized patient at this rate.'
It has been one day since I left Trestkania… with Scarlett somehow.
We said goodbye and all to each other, but because today was the safest day to travel to another nation, I had to make haste early in the morning.
There are so many things I don't know about this world that I feel ashamed to be its creator.
But anyway, nothing bad has happened so far, thanks to Orion's advice.
To minimize the risk from external factors, we’ve been using underground railways to avoid unnecessary encounters with others.
This may seem obvious, but we live in a post-apocalyptic world; the threats here aren't zombies or horrific diseases or whatever— but rather creatures that could skewer me before I have a chance to utter a word.
If this world weren't highly advanced in both magic and technology, humanity would have long since been wiped out.
"…Scarlett," I called her name.
'What is it, Mistress?" Without delay, Scarlett activated autopilot as she drove the vehicle forward and kneeled, ready for my command.
For someone who tried to kill me… I can’t help but remember the sensation of her blade brushing against my neck.
"I'm going to take a leak, so let’s stop here."
"Understood, Mistress." She nodded her head.
The situation was already awkward enough, but her serious expression made things worse.
"…G-Good." I stepped out of the vehicle, keeping my eyes on Scarlett.
—Tap Tap Tap…
We had been driving for what felt like hours.
My original intention was to go alone, but Scarlett, the Ashen Witch, accompanied me, leaving me with little to do.
All I had been doing was sleeping, eating, scouting, and looking for ways to pass the time.
Occasionally, I used my phone to connect with people back in Kleinford since there was still a signal.
The first thing I saw was Camellia giving me the middle finger while chokeholding Erina.
‘What a chaotic bunch,’ I chuckled as I recalled that image sent to me.
—Tug...
After finding a secluded spot, I took off my pants to tend to my needs.
"Mmm... I'll never get used to this." I grimaced, unable to accept the fact that I had become a girl.
The past events felt like a dream, especially the fact that I had become a woman, of all things.
If I hadn't invented the magic spell <Cleanse> to help me tidy myself up, I would have gone crazy by now.
"Fooo..." I took a deep breath, taking in all that happened regarding Scarlett.
Scarlett… she knows my identity, just like Erina does.
It's almost impossible for anyone to identify me unless they have <Soul Locus>, which only Erina possesses.
Did Erina tell her who I am?
Lost in thought, I was about to close my eyes to focus when suddenly, someone appeared beside me. My heart nearly stopped in shock.
"W-What the—what are YOU doing here?!" I yelled.
It was Scarlett, standing by the entrance to the washroom, observing me without an ounce of shame.
"I cannot leave you alone without any security, Mistress."
"That's beside the point!" I pointed at my pants, which were already on the floor.
“I'm. Taking. A. Piss! I'm taking a piss! Got it?!" I repeated my statement twice to etch it into her brain, hoping it would work.
But due to her stubborn nature, my words seemed to gloss over her head.
"You can resume your obligation while I remain by your side—"
"Are you serious right now?!"
With every 'order' I give her, she finds a loophole for the most obnoxious reasons.
"Agh! Fine, if that's the case…!"
—Ving!
Past the point of annoyance, I built a wall made of Ichor to prevent Scarlett from entering the washroom.
—DING DING DING!!!
I heard constant banging from outside the barrier.
And If I listened closely enough... I could hear Scarlett's voice, begging me to open it.
If it were anyone else, I would have ignored them.
But against the Ashen Witch?
My gut was telling me she would cut through it any moment now.
'Ah… I want to go home already.' I sighed in despair.
It's too late to back out now, I have to accept my fate for the entire journey…
As Scarlett will be with me throughout my entire trip in Trestkania.
—Cackle Cackle!
It was anticlimactic, but nothing happened since we started travelling through the underground tunnels.
Eventually, I asked how Scarlett knew about my true identity, and my guess was correct—
Erina had told Scarlett to convince her to come with me, and Scarlett accepted without a second thought.
As much as I want to complain about how she withheld my secret so easily, Scarlett was an important asset who could turn this journey from treacherous to a little road trip.
I'm sure Erina did this out of concern for me.
—That doesn’t change the fact that I won’t hold a grudge, though.
‘Hopefully, I’ll make it by then in a few days…’ I wandered into my thoughts.
Now that we are close to the borders, we have to travel above ground tomorrow since there are no more underground railways.
—Crackle Crackle...!
At night, the two of us are camping near the exit of the railway.
If someone were to ask me, "Why aren't you taking an airborne vehicle if it's this safe?"
Well, that’s the issue—the only types of Eldians I encountered outside of the Aleph Dimension were on the ground.
The key point about Eldians is that they are more active at night and tend to travel in packs.
If we were to make enough noise to attract the Eldians, I would find myself facing a hail of ballista bolts in the afterlife.
There was one more variable that made this method of travelling much more dangerous:
"To think the Eldians have evolved..." I shuddered at the mere thought.
Such a concept wasn't supposed to exist until now.
I considered giving them the ability to evolve, but seeing how humanity was already struggling, I'd have to resort to making the power scaling even more ridiculous.
Unfortunately, even my bad luck extends to another world.
—Vrr… Cackle Cackle!
The bonfire flickered gently, casting an orange light that warmed us against the evening chill.
Our mattresses were on soft marble flooring, making it comfortable to lie down without any issues.
We met all the requirements for a good night's sleep… but I couldn't, due to one factor that overshadowed everything else.
Anxiety and uneasiness.
Throughout this entire trip, I had been searching for a topic to discuss, but Scarlett was too uptight and burdened with guilt to engage with me.
And me? I don't have much to talk about other than recalling memories I'd rather forget from the past.
It seems nothing ever goes my way with people, and it's quite frustrating.
—Crackle…!
There was someone else besides me who wasn’t lying down; she stood silently on guard.
Scarlett was there to protect me from any intruders.
As a result, her eyes were baggy from staying on guard every night.
“…Ugh,” I groaned, unable to close my eyes because of her.
We had been travelling together for a few days, but I had yet to see her take a break.
I decided it was time for me to take matters into my own hands.
"Enough, Scarlett, I order you to let me take guard duty today," I insisted.
"But, Mistress...!"
"An order is an order, Scarlett."
"…I understand." Scarlett lowered her head and went into her tent to sleep.
I only relaxed when she finally disappeared, allowing me to lie down and enjoy some rest.
Her stubbornness in fulfilling her duty without fail reminded me of how I used to be back then.
On the same night, silence enveloped the railways.
No words were exchanged between them; it was a master-servant relationship.
From her behaviour, manners, and familiar personality, Scarlett already had an inkling of who Aria Cyth was.
Her last name itself stood out, hinting at a connection to her master.
If Erina hadn’t revealed her identity, Scarlett would have never known that the person she had attempted to strike down was her master—a grave sin punishable by death.
It didn’t matter that her master had transformed into a girl, completely unrecognizable.
As long as she was alive, Scarlett would fulfill her duty once more, willing to sacrifice her limbs if ordered.
"Lord Gael..." Scarlett thought, reflecting on the man who had taken her in when she had nothing.
When the First Cardinal Sky descended, Gael Historia suffered severe injuries.
During the Second Cardinal Sky, he fell into a coma as he was one of the last remaining war heroes of a past era.
...Then there's Kuro, who also disappeared at the hands of an external force that felt infinitely sinister.
From the very beginning, Scarlett felt like a failure—someone who didn’t deserve to live.
No matter how hard she tried, it was a cycle of failure that drove her to the brink of insanity.
She felt sick of herself, a self-hatred that couldn't be extinguished.
To atone for her sins, she abandoned everything to fulfill her purpose.
She was willing to protect Aria with her life, even if it meant selling her soul to the devil.
—Vroom…!
Even more days have passed.
This marks our fifth day of travelling along the borders.
We are close to the borders of Trestkania; just a little farther, and I can finally say goodbye to these monotonous days.
There's not much to see in this region since we are now in local areas.
The once lush nature, filled with trees and greenery, has turned a pale gray, completely devoid of life.
Pylons have drained the nutrients from their surroundings, causing this strange phenomenon.
If an area has been affected by a Domain for years, it becomes permanently uninhabitable.
With six years having passed, it’s estimated that 50% of this planet is now a barren wasteland.
'...I’m bored,' I muttered under my breath.
I've been doing nothing for the past few days, and it's driving me crazy.
Paired with an overly loyal servant who barely talks—it sucks.
I also can’t even go on a tangent by myself.
—Vooom…!
Sitting in the back of the car, I decided to experiment with Ichor, creating random things to practice <Form> more efficiently.
"And… there!" I exclaimed as I finished moulding a figurine of a character from a show I used to watch a lot.
"Never mind, this looks horrible," I muttered, shaking my head and sighing.
While I’ve become proficient enough to manipulate it like liquid, my skills with details still need improvement.
"Eh, I'll probably get better over time." I absorbed the Ichor back into my arm.
Scarlett, who was driving, glanced at what I was doing. She tried her best not to stare, but I noticed her keeping an eye on me.
"You curious?"
"...No, I am not—"
"—Yes, you are. Now ask me what you want to say."
As strict as it sounds, the only way I could interact with her was by putting a little pressure on her.
"How did you do that, Mistress?" Scarlett finally asked.
Seeing me manipulate matter to such a high degree had piqued her interest.
"Oh, this?" I said, demonstrating as I manipulated the Ichor from small to large quantities, shaping it like clay.
"…Yes, that is indeed a wonderful talent." She nodded her head.
It was just a brief moment, but I caught a glimpse of her smile.
“Hehe, do you want me to make you something?” I asked, smiling in return, as this was our first time interacting properly.
Just like the gauntlets I created for Camellia, I could make a sword for Scarlett.
Her Magic Art, <Explosion>, involved using her sword as an outlet to let her magic run rampant, made of mythril.
Unlike mythril, the Ichor has specific restrictions on accepting external magic.
To clarify, I have a pure mana core, which lifts all restrictions for me.
For others, magicians of this era possess impure mana ley lines, and as a result, the Ichor naturally rejects them.
But if mana travels inside the Ichor internally, such as through expelling mana, it is acceptable.
This is why when Camellia tries to control the Ichor with <Telekinesis>, she fails.
In contrast, Camellia has no issues using gauntlets made of Ichor while expelling her immense mana at a rapid pace.
If someone as powerful as Scarlett could harness this ability, it would be devastating.
“There is no need, Mistress. I cannot accept such a thing—”
—Ving… BOOM!!!
The car made a violent, sharp turn before coming to a complete stop.
“What the—mugyah!!!” I squealed, unable to react in time, and my body flew forward as I hadn’t put on my seatbelt.
Thanks to my habit of surrounding myself with a protective ball of Ichor, I emerged unscathed.
“Scarlett! What happened?!” I peeked out the window to see why she had stopped so abruptly.
"—They're here." She held her hand to her side to stop me from opening the door.
From the situation, I didn’t need any explanation once I heard the rumbling underneath.
They're coming.
—Thud! Thud!
I expected Scarlett to prevent me from joining her; however, she remained silent, knowing what I was capable of.
—Shing!
—Kachick!
We readied ourselves without hesitation.
—Thump Thump…
Loud footsteps crept by, growing louder with every second.
There was not one or ten—it was more than I had ever had to fight head-on.
—THUMP THUMP THUMP!!!
As the steps grew louder, a horde of Eldians charged at us at full speed.
These Eldians were smaller than the ones I had encountered in Arcadia; they bore animal-like qualities rather than humanoid features.
I felt the strands of my hair stand on end as I steeled myself against the crisis before me.
The Eldians have evolved, just as Erina had said.
These were the new evolution of those creatures: the lowest of the low, yet still considered a world-ending threat to humanity.
Those who Rot, or the Rotten—the lowest of the low.
Eldians that spread like a pandemic and bred like a hive mind, devouring everything in their path.
From this point on, the events that unfolded were no longer under my control.
In game-like terms;
It was as if we had finally reached the DLC content, surpassing the main game.
