Chapter 290: Breaking In (1/2)

The next day.

It was almost noon when I woke up in our base in the Town of Departed Spirits. We continued the ceremony until late into the night, so I woke up much later than usual. Sebasu was in charge of keeping watch, so I greeted him first before having the food left over in the Bon Festival Shelf for breakfast.

It would be a waste just to throw the food away, and besides, eating the offering is part of the ceremony too, as it holds the meaning of eating with the deceased or sharing food. While I was leisurely enjoying my meal, Remilie-san and Schieber-san returned.

Welcome back. [Ryouma]

!!

Youre awake, I see. We checked the area for a bit, and your spell yesterday appears to have been quite effective. We would have had to spend another day subjugating undead depending on how much their numbers have decreased, but from what weve seen, we can go straight to the central tower without problem. [Schieber]

Oh? I did think it was rather quiet. So the undead around the tower have pa.s.sed on too. [Ryouma]

The miasma in town has gotten a lot thinner too, so the number of undead here has definitely fallen dramatically. Even the remaining undead arent wandering around. Theyve basically turned into just corpses and would at most just look at you. But even if theyre just corpses, theyre still littered on the ground, so we might still have to deal with them, but at least theyre not a threat anymore. [Remilie]

In that case, Ill have my goblins and grave slimes take care of the remaining undead. [Ryouma]

Now that I think about it, does feeding them to the grave slime count as burial? Or is it more like when close relatives eat the cremated remains? Or maybe its more like Bird Burial wherein the corpse is fed to carnivorous birds. Though I suppose in this case it would be more apt to refer to it as Slime Burial. In any case, Im sure its much better than just leaving them out to dry.

Thank you for the food. [Ryouma]

As I listened to them talk about the town, I finished eating, and when the sun was high up in the sky, we started our plan. Just as weve discussed beforehand, the goblins and the grave slimes took care of the undead, while we headed for the central tower. Nothing attacked us along the way, and we were able to get to the tower without any problems.

Theres still some of that unpleasant feeling from the miasma lingering here. [Ryouma]

Its right at the center of the town, and its also where the execution site is located. Not to mention, the smoke last night couldnt get into the tower too, right? [Reinbach]

As such, it was decided that we would be purifying the miasma first before making our a.s.sault. I went through the usual preparations, then I started the purification.

That spell sure is convenient. [Schieber]

What would you normally do when you have to remove miasma? [Ryouma]

Wed burn it if we could since thats the quickest method, but if thats not enough, then wed have to call in a specialist. [Schieber]

Exorcists and Shamans refer to mages that specialize in subjugating undead and counteracting miasma. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience in their field, so you can expect them to do a good job. I know a thing or two myself, but its nothing compared to them. [Remilie]

Remilie-san specializes in fighting with her Shadow Magic, so its probably out of her expertise. I can purify miasma too, but Im mostly just groping about.

Its probably a good idea to learn more about miasma for the sake of my grave slime research. [Ryouma]

If youre interested in that field, then I could introduce you to a Shaman thats on good terms with the Jamil family. Remilie, what do you think? [Schieber]

Youll be able to do more things if you know more, and its safer too, but we need to careful when picking the teacher, or Ryouma-chan might be too much for them to handle. [Remilie]

After all, Ryouma-sama can already use a spell that rivals a specialist. Theres no guarantee that the teacher wont be tempted by that, so well need to make sure that its someone that can be trusted too. After all, mages are quite pa.s.sionate about magic. [Sebasu]

There should be many people that want to be employed by the duke. To be chosen from out of all the candidates requires a lot skill, so Im sure itll be difficult to find one thats not pa.s.sionate about their field. Im sure there are people similar to Magic Otakus too.

We chatted while the smoke entered the tower, and before long, shadows appeared at the smoky entrance. The miasma clad undead were easily dealt with by the reliable adults.

Ah. [Ryouma]

But then trouble happened.

Ive done it now. [Remilie]

When I glanced at her, I could see her looking at her staff with a sad expression.

Is something the matter? [Ryouma]

I did think it wouldnt last for much longer, but looks like its finally reached its limits. [Remilie]

When she said that, I looked at her staff and noticed a large crack running along its sides.

You did say that you needed the Everlasting Darkness (Herb) to make a new staff Will you be alright? [Ryouma]

It wont affect me that much in combat. I can use magic plenty fine without a staff. It wasnt something amazing in the first place. [Remilie]

It was something she received from her parents on her coming-of-age, so she must have treasured it simply because of the memories

Ryouma, can this be burned too? [Remilie]

Or so I was thinking when she suddenly suggested to burn it.

Umm Isnt that a memento of sort? [Ryouma]

Thats right. I got it when I first became a royal court mage. Back then a lot happened, and I was down and weak So I found myself sending a letter back home on a whim. Id selfishly run away from home, so I wasnt actually expecting an answer, but when my parents, who never even tried to leave the village, actually came, I was really happy.

But its already broken, so theres no point even if I regret it, you know? Just because the staff is gone doesnt mean the memories are too. Even something Id carefully used in the village Id use as firewood once its no longer usable. [Remilie]

I see. [Ryouma]

You cant become a perfect adult right away just because someone told you that youre an adult now, right? At that time, you might be an adult in terms of age, but it will still take some time for you to actually grow up. This staff is a gift from my parents to support me until Im able to become a fully independent adult. Its not something that a proper adult should be using. [Remilie]

Judging from the slightly embarra.s.sed expression on her, I guess that staff must have been something akin to the training wheels in a childrens bicycle. The reason it was able to last until now seems to be because she didnt use it regularly.

Court mages could get the funds for their supplies or order-made staves from the nation, so she must have used that instead for work. Otherwise, this staff would have long reached its limit.

If it can help, then feel free to use it for fuel. But of course, if its inconvenient for your ceremony, then theres no need to go out of your way to use it. [Remilie]

I dont think it will be a problem. [Ryouma]

Were not making offerings this time around, and even during Obon, Ogara, a dried hemp stalk with the skin peeled off, is burned. The image I need for the spell is just the ceremonial bonfire too, so that part wont be a problem either.

When I told Remilie-san that, she suddenly closed her eyes as though she was trying to remember something, then when she opened them next, she broke her staff and threw it into the fire. Under the heat of the fire, the staff crackled and popped, and as the fire quickly spread, it quickly ashened from the sides and gave rise to a great deal of smoke.

Lets proceed after this finishes burning. The miasma inside has gotten a lot thinner, so Mana Perception should be more effective now too. [Remilie]

Alright. [Ryouma]

We stopped talking after that and enjoyed a moment of silence.