Chapter 10.5
Matis devoured the dried soup mixed with water and jerky that Eldis offered. Even though he consumed three portions at once, Eldis didn’t say anything. Instead, he only looked at him with pitying eyes.
“Wuuwung.”
Lirameki howled once and settled down, bending its knees inside the cave. By then, the sunset had faded and the moon was rising over the navy blue night sky.
Eldis judged that it would be better to stay inside at night since Lirameki wasn’t going outside. Although this was the holy land, there might be unknown monsters or mechanisms that turn wanderers into ghosts at night.
“I don’t know how to repay this kindness.”
After being treated by Eldis, Matis lay on his side on the cave floor and spoke to Eldis. Eldis didn’t mind conversing in this lonely moment. So he responded to Matis’s conversation in a gentle tone.
“It’s fine. You don’t need to repay me. But I have a request.”
“Anything you say. I will unconditionally obey the words of Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
At those words, Eldis gave a bitter smile, then answered again.
“Don’t attack Lirameki no matter what happens. And…”
“And?”
“Don’t carelessly collect trees or grass from the holy land unless Lirameki permits it. You shouldn’t even touch a single stone.”
“I understand. Is there anything else you wish to say?”
“If you meet the Lirameki you attacked before, apologize to it.”
“…Yes. I will certainly do so.”
Matis hung his head with a gloomy face. He was paying dearly for coming to the holy land without any information. Eldis didn’t want to push him further, but he opened his mouth to finish what he had to say.
“And… don’t go outside this cave at night. If you lose your life by not heeding my warning, I will stand by and watch. I came to this holy land with a purpose, and because my life is also precious, I cannot lose it trying to save someone who does what they’re told not to do.”
“…Yes. I’ll keep that in mind. And… if there’s anything else you wish to say, please tell me. I will engrave it in my heart.”
Eldis smiled gently.
“That’s all for now. I’ll add more if necessary. By the way, why did you lose your sword? What mistake did you make to lose your sword?”
“Well…”
Matis glanced at Lirameki cautiously and then sighed deeply. But with a resigned expression, he began to explain his story in detail.
“…I crash-landed on this island without any information. My aircraft malfunctioned during flight, so I jumped out with a parachute, and the place I arrived was this holy land.”
“I see…”
“Originally, I was planning to cross the Ailan Mountain Range, said to have been born from a dragon’s spine, to travel around the continent. As you know, the Ailan Mountain Range has a magical barrier that prevents climbing on foot. But I thought I could cross the barrier if I went high enough where the air is thin.”
“I see… But it malfunctioned?”
Matis nodded his head dejectedly.
“My mistake was assuming that the magical barrier was a simple spell. The moment I crossed the magical barrier, all the devices on the aircraft stopped working. I barely managed to escape from the aircraft… I jumped into the air without bringing any food, water, or sleeping bag.”
“…I see. And then?”
Matis continued carefully.
“After falling into the middle of the holy land, I immediately encountered Lirameki. Thinking it was just a white deer, I considered it food and attacked. But the moment I stabbed my knife into its back, Lirameki ran away, and a sand lion appeared in its place.”
Eldis kept his mouth shut. However, from what he could see from the corner of his eye, Lirameki seemed to have no interest in Matis’s story. It just buried its elegant muzzle against its chest and kept its eyes closed.
“And… as you saw. At first, I tried to resist, but there was a limit to what I could do with my bare hands. After 3 days in that state, I became too exhausted to do anything. So, thinking it was my last moment, I cried out for help. And as you know… Your Highness, the Crown Prince appeared.”
‘3 days…’
He had heard about the disappearance 6 months ago. But according to Matis, he had arrived on this island 3 days ago. Eldis gently asked to further confirm his suspicion.
“Do you remember the day you crash-landed?”
Matis nodded.
“That day was… January 28th, if I remember correctly. It’s winter outside, but seeing the continuous spring weather here convinced me this was the holy land, so I’m certain.”
‘Time flows arbitrarily here… This might be a place where space and time are mixed up.’
It was fortunate that he had been friendly to Lirameki from the beginning. Otherwise, he would have wandered around the holy land without properly facing the trials. And time would have flowed arbitrarily, causing him to suffer from not meeting Resena for a long time.
“Matis. I have something to tell you. Listen carefully and don’t be surprised.”
“Yes. Please speak, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Eldis spoke calmly.
“This place seems to be where space and time are mixed up. The day I entered this place is today, August 20th.”
“Yes… WHAT?!”
Matis, who screamed, seemed to realize his voice was too loud and covered his mouth with his hand. Seeing this, Eldis spoke in a soothing manner.
“The day your disappearance was reported was 6 months ago. While you were paying the price for harming Lirameki, 6 months had already passed. Seeing this, it seems Lirameki, as the guardian of the holy land, also has the power to control space and time.”
“That can’t be…”
“Be sure to apologize when you meet the Lirameki you tried to harm. Although Lord Sernaus is the god of warriors, he wouldn’t think kindly of disturbing Lirameki of the holy land. Moreover, since Lirameki is the divine beast of light, there’s a high possibility it will accept if you apologize. But if you persist here and waste more time, you might use up your predetermined lifespan and die here.”
“…Ah, ah, I understand. I, I will definitely apologize!”
“Good.”
Feeling mental fatigue creeping in, Eldis burrowed into his sleeping bag. Although he missed Resena terribly, all he had was the portrait she had given him.
Eldis took out the small portrait and gazed at it endlessly. He felt disappointed that the painting couldn’t fully express Resena’s beauty. Thinking that someday he would like to make a sculpture of Resena, Eldis kissed the lips of the portrait.
‘Resena…’
After mumbling in his mouth, Eldis tucked the portrait into his bosom and tried to sleep. Although he was curious about what creatures roamed around at night, he needed to preserve his strength to properly face the trials.
That’s how the first day passed.
***
“It seems Eldis went through an incredible adventure.”
At those words, he laughed cheerfully.
“If I were to tell all the things I experienced in the holy land, words would not be enough. And I myself never thought I would experience such things there.”
“Hah… And it’s also incredibly amazing. To think that the divine beast Lirameki guided you through the holy land… And even meeting Matis who transcended space and time… It’s all hard to believe.”
“But it’s all true. And the legend of the holy land was right. I went there to surpass my own limits, and the holy land supported me to accomplish things befitting that purpose.”
Eldis slowly caressed Resena’s cheek and spoke affectionately.
“And now I’ve come to make a wish to Resena. Because I’ve overcome the trials of the holy land. Now, Resena, are you prepared to grant my wish?”
Resena firmly held Eldis’s hand with both of her hands and said kindly.
“Yes. I’m ready.”
“Then…”
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