Foreigner Volume 7, Chapter 116

Volume 7 Chapter 116, Magic Sword ~ 24

　The next morning.

　Satoru and his party are ready for their departure. After breakfast, Satoru first applied the 【Grant Goods】 art, which is basically composed of arts to counter Leia's 【Life Force Absorption】, to one of Liz's ornaments, a hair clip. Of course, he also carefully engraved 『to S』 on it using the corkscrew tip of a Swiss Army knife and took a picture of it for 【Detection】 using a cell phone.

　The arts to counter Leia's 【Life Force Absorption】 alone is almost the best defense that can be given by the art given to the equipment. It is because of this equipment that Rico was able to resist the mental art applied by the Elder Bauers in the village of the World Tree. For Liz, who has neither offensive nor defensive capabilities, this piece of jewelry is a lifeline.

　The keyword was also caged in the art that enabled the construction of a water-based defense wall. But Leia thinks that there will be few opportunities to use it. It is hard to imagine a situation in which Liz would use it unless everyone was cornered. Because it is hard to imagine a situation where there are three people with insane powers, Satoru, Leia, and Solor.

　In addition, the hair color change that Satoru requested is emerald green after listening to Liz's opinion. It suited her so well that he suspected that her hair color had originally been that color.

　While Satoru was working on the various tasks, everyone was getting their equipment ready, and Leia was removing the magic power from the seed of the World Tree, which had been under her care for several days. The tree, which had glowed dimly in Leia's hands, quickly shrank in size and eventually returned to its original seed. It is a very mysterious seed of a tree.

「Master, this is enough?.」

「Yeah, that's good enough」

　One person, Solor, who had been away from the seed's magic extraction by Leia's hand, flew in with a decent-sized tree in her hand. Using her 【Flying】 art, she went to the outer edge of the crater and picked up a tree of a suitable size. For what purpose ― needless to say. To make a grave for Reine de Ruíjs, who had died heartlessly in this place.

　Of course, a grave is not much to build. Normally, the body would be left in the forest and a tree would be planted in its place as a memorial.

　However, this place is surrounded by a crater and will eventually sink to the bottom of the lake. So he gave up planting trees and put up a tree as a grave marker. Of course, Satoru himself intends to 【Preserve】 and 【Hardening】 the tree so that it will not decay.

「Mom ......」

　Satoru stares intently at the profile of Reine's daughter, the half-elf Liz, as she brushes away the branches and gently caresses the tree. Leia, as well as Rico, sensed that their Lord had not yet completely recovered from his suffering, as if he did not want to miss her every move. He did not avert his eyes from the mourning that Liz was doing, and probably has deep regret in his own heart.

「Onii-san」

「Hmm?」

「Can I borrow that knife on your hip for a moment?」

「...... Ahh」

　After some hesitation, Satoru hands over the knife sheathed with the receiver of Rico's 【Communication】 in the sheath. Pulling out only the knife and returning the sheath, Liz crouched down and dug something out with the tip of the knife at the base of the tree.

　The elves are friends with the forest, so they would not normally damage a tree. Except for a dead tree like this. They are grateful for the blessings of the forest, and the dead tree is used with care. This grave marker that she is pointing to now is also a dead tree.

　He immediately knew what Liz was digging for. It was dug in faltering letters that she had just learned.

『Reine de Ruijs here she sleep.』

　Satoru closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. He did not know the etiquette for the dead in this world, so in his own way, he closed his eyes and held his hands together in mourning for the repose of Reine's soul. While Liz was carving letters with a knife, Satoru continued to do so.

　For a little over one hour (40 minutes), no one could speak to Liz as she continued to dig hard. Even the lively Rico and Minerva are unable to speak, swallowed up by the heavy atmosphere that their Lord is emitting.

　Finally, the sound of digging in the wood ends. Satoru opens his eyes and kneels down with his palms folded. He speaks in a small voice to the gravestone so that no one can hear him.

　Turning her eyes to Satoru, Liz smiles apologetically, and suddenly, she tucks her long emerald green hair back around her neck, applies the knife, and slashes it at once.

「!!」

　Everyone gasped, except Solor, at Liz's sudden action. Liz's abundant long hair was cut off at the collar, and she shook her shortened locks. Her hair, no longer affected by the ornaments, returns to its original black-green color.

「Phew.」

　After shaking her head and savoring the lightening sensation, Liz buried the detached hair under the tombstone.

「Sorry, Mom. I'll just leave this here.」

　It was not just the hair that was buried. There are many emotions packed in there.

　Satoru was surprised but never took his eyes off Liz.

　Leia gives a small sigh as she gazes at Satoru.

　Unfortunately, it seems that Liz has gotten over her conflict ― although there is still some wavering.

　Then there is Satoru's problem. If this girl can be a medicine, then good, and It is Leia's duty to guide her so that she does not become poison, and to keep her distance and discern.

　Taking one long strand of hair in her hand and wrapping it around the tombstone, Liz stroked the cut part once more.

「I've decided to join Onii-chan until the end of his journey.」

　Liz spins the words as if her mother is really there. Rico's voice is calm but full of emotion, and she sniffs as if she has been caught up in it.

「So watch over me.」

「.........」

　Satoru closed his eyes again, and Leia, Rico, Minerva, and Solor mourn the unfortunate death of the elf woman in their own ways.

　Leia suddenly remembers. When she first met Liz and Reine, this odd connection might cause a tremendous change in Satoru's state of mind. She had such fears.

　Indeed, it gave. But it was in a totally unexpected way. The impact of Reine's death was tremendous.

「May Reined de Ruijs become part of the forest under the guidance of waters and the wind. Seiqu de paraluña.」

　Finally, Liz muttered something like that and stood up. Leia approached Satoru, who glanced at her, and whispered in his ear.

「...... an ancient elvish spell」

「Meaning?」

「『You are with the forest.』」

　Satoru's sigh of exasperation. For the elves, for whom the forest is their friend, returning to the forest is the best form of return.

「...I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.」

「All right, then, I'll do the art.」

　Satoru walked up to the grave marker and applied the 【Preservation】 and 【Hardening】 arts in his imagination. When the marker eventually sinks to the bottom of the lake, it will still be here, undamaged.

　Satoru stares at the grave marker, stroking it as if to say something to it. He does not say a word, wondering what is going through his mind. Perhaps he is making a vow ― Leia thinks so. A vow to protect Reine's dead daughter, Liz.

　Satoru, who was forcibly summoned to this world by Leia and had no connection with her, communicated with Leia, called for Rico's growth, had a child with Minerva, had a follower named Solor, and gained a being to protect named Liz. Even the well-informed Leia did not know whether this was a good thing or not.

　Satoru, who had been praying for a while, stood up and looked back at everyone.

「We will be walking for a while. It may be hard, but you will have to be patient, got it?」

　Instantly, Minerva becomes down.

「....... Minerva says sorry. It's because she can't go back to her original form.」

「That's not true. I've been having too much fun. Don't worry about it.」

　In fact, from the Dragon's Back where Leia was to this region, according to the map, Satoru had traversed a third of the continent. He spent about 35 days on the move. If he had been on foot, it would have taken him three seasons, if not a year. The reason he was able to cut that short was unquestionable because of Minerva's presence, but he had the feeling that he had had a good time. It was simply a blessing that he had the best means of transportation in the world at the very beginning of his journey. He was also feeling a sense of compassion for Minerva, who had made his life so much easier, and he couldn't say that it was her fault.

　Leia and Solor dived into Satoru's shadow as usual. If something happens, it can be dealt with immediately, and Leia is the 【Immortal King】 who cannot be so exposed. Solor initially planned to walk with Satoru, but when Leia begged her to talk to her about something, they decided to dive into the shadows together.

　Even though equipment to counter 【Life Force Absorption】 has been developed, it is still too risky to put a properly living person in the shadow, so there is no option to put, for example, Liz or Minerva in the shadow. When Satoru's outburst, Leia pulled Liz into the shadow, Liz lost consciousness, but 【Life Force Absorption】 was not the only cause of the loss of consciousness. The 【Shadow Diving】 of the 【Immortal Family】 is originally not for those who are still alive. If a living being with a soul is put in the shadow, it will be swallowed, regardless of whether it is food or something else that has already lost its soul. Leia had taken great pains to treat Liz when she placed her in the shadow so that she would not be swallowed.

「If you're in a hurry, why don't you just use 【Shukuchi】 to get there? Minerva can do it, and Satoru can hold Liz, no?」

　Of course, it uses magic power, but it is reasonably fast when moving in using【Shukuchi】. The magic power is also limited, so it is not possible to keep moving with it all the time, but now, considering the presence of the magic stone, it is possible to move easily for half a minute. However, Satoru shook his head.

「No. I don't know how it will affect the conception of Minerva, but I want to walk in this crater at least ....... I want to chew on what I've messed up.」

「......Hmm」

　Satoru doesn't think that the child in her belly, which even now is affecting the mother's body, will be affected by the 【Shukuchi】, but he wants to crush even the slightest possibility. Besides, this place is a place of reflection for Satoru. Rico understands her Lord's intention to tighten his grip. Rico nodded at the sound of Satoru's strong will.

(I'm off, mother.)

　Finally, Liz turned around. At that moment, she thought she saw her mother's figure like a shimmering shimmer on the gravestone, and she stopped for a moment.

　It couldn't be. Her soul was broken, and there was no way that Reine could have seen her. It was her own desire that made her look that way, even though she knew it was.

　She was encouraged.

　Because the face of Reine that came to mind was smiling.

「Liz」

「Yes, sorry. I'm coming.」

　In response to Rico's voice, Liz also leaves the grave marker.

　―Don't look back.

　Liz told herself that as hard as she could. She's leaving the place where she lived with her mother for about a year. To be honest, there is nothing left of the place, but what is painful is painful. She was kicked out of her hometown and finally decided to live in this place.

　But she made up her mind. She had decided to follow Satoru on his journey, even though she had received Reine's  【Last Word】.

　Wiping away her tears, she looked forward.

　From now on, her new life would begin.

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