Chapter 196
“I will follow Your Highness’s decision.”
Isaac answered immediately.
“Me too.”
Reno added right after.
“Are you worried about it getting dark?” Killis was the only one who responded differently.
“That’s part of it.”
“If that’s the concern, there’s no need to worry. We can use light magic to illuminate the path.”
Killis had not only guessed my thoughts but also provided a solution—reassuring, but there was another problem.
“What about this map? Can any of you make sense of it?”
I showed it to everyone. The map the guards had given us was far from ordinary.
There were no compass markings or clear indicators—just beautifully streaked lines of various colors.
It resembled marbling art, where oil and water repel to create patterns, or like a child had spilled paint haphazardly.
In short, it looked more like an abstract painting than a functional map. And in this world, standard maps were similar to what I knew.
“It’s certainly not a conventional map. It seems more like artwork,” Killis remarked.
“Right?” I agreed, but this wasn’t something to dismiss lightly. We needed to decipher it to reach our first destination.
Though I’d read extensively to prepare for the Trial, none of the books had pinpointed where other races lived. Only that elves resided near the World Tree.
“I sense faint traces of mana, but nothing concrete. Do any of you recognize it?”
“I don’t either,” Isaac admitted.
“Hmm…….”
Unlike Isaac, who shook his head, Reno stared intently at the map. After scrutinizing it with unusual seriousness, he scratched the back of his neck.
“Well, I’m not certain, but I might have a clue.”
“What is it? Go ahead and tell us.”
“It’s just…… Could everyone gather close first?”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ve already cast a soundproofing spell to prevent eavesdropping,” Killis interjected swiftly.
He’d cast it so quickly I hadn’t even noticed the environment change—impressive.
Unlike me, Reno seemed to sense it and nodded.
“Good. Then I’ll explain. This map appears to be written in the language of spirits.”
“Spirit language?”
“Yes. Essentially, only spirits can fully comprehend it. My spirit companion just told me so.”
“That makes sense. Elves are typically attuned to spirits, so this method aligns with their ways.”
A map encoded in spirit language…….
“Does that mean we can figure out where this leads?”
“Most likely. Though I’m still inexperienced, so it might take some trial and error.”
“That’s fine. Just having a lead is a huge advantage already.”
Honestly, I felt lucky. Having Reno, who could communicate with spirits, was a stroke of fortune. Without him, we’d have been hopelessly lost.
And if spirit language could only be deciphered by those who understood spirits…….
‘I have an edge over Meliana.’
A slightly petty sense of triumph bubbled up. Just as I was calming my excitement, the inn door creaked open behind us. Though the soundproofing blocked internal noise, external sounds still came through.
Turning, I saw Meliana and her Guardians stepping out. They’d changed from their palace attire into practical travel clothes.
With hooded cloaks draped over them, they looked like wealthy wanderers. Mounting her horse, Meliana locked eyes with me, snorted, and urged her group forward.
They left the inn in an instant—decisive and without hesitation.
“Princess Meliana is departing first.”
“Yeah. But she doesn’t have anyone who can communicate with spirits, does she……?”
“Don’t dwell on it. She might be seeking clues elsewhere before setting off,” Killis reasoned.
Was that it?
His explanation was plausible, but unease lingered.
Whether it was Meliana’s demeanor earlier or just a gut feeling…….
“Somehow, I think she already knows something.”
Of course, that was just my intuition.
“What should we do?”
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.