Chapter 76

Aidan's worries were fortunately soon dispelled.

A message from Pencilia revealed that Marivelle had already returned home.

It stated that the lake's water had melted, and they were investigating the cause, following the instructions of the local investigator.

It seemed that something had indeed happened, but they were not told not to go.

There was a subtle hint that they should not stay too long.

Furthermore, at the end, it was added:

—Stay by Aila's side and do as you are told.

This felt like Cynthia's intention. The handwriting was Rias's, but it was hard to imagine Rias saying such a thing.

Aila and he had said they would go together, but he never expected to be told such a thing.

Aila must have some kind of ability, Rias had once told Aidan. Because it was based on his own failure, Aidan had never asked for the meaning of those words.

Cynthia and Rias must know something.

Aidan thought he would ask them about it later.

With his worries gone, the journey to Lake Haginoru became an unexpected and delightful bonus for Aidan.

The unprepared road was interestingly varied and had a charm beyond just passing through.

He found rare plants and animals, and the scenery for camping was beautiful.

He also had many conversations with Aila.

Aila was also good at cooking. Knowing that Aidan disliked herbs, she cooked the meat of a beast with wine to remove the gamey smell. It was so delicious that Aidan even looked forward to cooking time.

Aidan thought he would never forget this journey. It might be just another ordinary march for everyone else, but for him, it was surely a special journey that would never come again.

And a few days later.

The cheerful atmosphere gradually faded as they approached Lake Haginoru.

—The air felt heavy.

It was hard to describe, but the change was subtle.

It felt hard to breathe, and there was a sense of oppression.

When they reached the lake, the knights went to exchange information with the local investigator.

The man who claimed to be the investigator came to Aidan and bowed.

He said that there were no results yet.

"Isn't something strange?" Georg said, but the investigator tilted his head.

"What do you mean by strange?"

"Was the air this stagnant? Even in winter?"

A mist was rising from the lake, which didn't seem like the air of a winter morning.

When asked, Orenzia also looked around.

"It feels oppressive."

The forest was unusually quiet. There was no sound of birds flapping their wings. It seemed as if the animals were holding their breath and hiding.

The investigator was at a loss.

"There has been no change in the lake. The livestock is restless, but there has been no change in the village. If anything, the fish can't be caught. However, among the knights who came this time, some feel a sense of unease. But it's a feeling, and hard to explain."

There was no reaction from the magic detection device, and they were at a loss.

Aidan dismounted from his horse.

If it wasn't unbearable, it was hard to put into words. Since it was Aidan's first time here, he would have accepted it if someone said it was always like this.

Aila also dismounted and walked steadily towards the lake.

"Aila... Don't get too close to the lake, it's dangerous."

Aila didn't answer.

She stopped a little before the lake and raised her hand.

"———Eh?"

Aidan watched the scene in disbelief.

A light slowly rose from Aila's body.

The source of the light was undoubtedly close to magic, but it didn't match any magic he had seen before.

It was an incredibly powerful force, and a soft, sacred light.

The light enveloped the surroundings.

To those without magic, it would have been completely incomprehensible. But Aidan could clearly feel the ripple in the air.

The light gradually spread over a wide area.

In an instant, the light disappeared, and the air around them became pure and clear. The oppressive air was gone without a trace.

"Right now—"

Just as Aidan was about to speak—

The surface of the water in front of him rippled.

The almost frozen surface of the water shook violently.

Sensing something, Aidan squinted and instinctively moved in front of Aila.

The water rose—no, something huge was emerging from the water.

It stretched its long neck high into the sky from the surface. A tremendous splash of water flew around, reaching even Aidan and the others, who were quite far away.

What appeared was a form that could only be seen in ancient legends.

A giant dragon covered in silver scales. It had no wings, but instead, multiple fins were wriggling.

—Leviathan.

It was larger than any beast he had ever seen, stretching to the size of a house, and its scales shimmered with a rainbow hue as it moved.

It was a terrifying beauty that left him breathless and unable to move.

Before he could react, Leviathan showed no interest in anything on the water's surface and quickly submerged back into the depths.

It seemed as if it had only stretched its body on the surface.

No one moved or spoke for what seemed like an eternity.

The surface of the water was now calm, as if it had all been a dream.

But the reactions of the group confirmed that it wasn't an illusion.

"—Did you see that?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"What was that...?"

Only a few quiet whispers of fear could be heard.

Aidan looked at Aila.

She must know something. But Aila only looked at Aidan and smiled.

"Something amazing came out."

"More than amazing..."

Leviathan lives in Lake Haginoru.

But as before, it would probably be impossible to find it no matter how thoroughly they searched.

It was a creature beyond human comprehension.

A massive block of magic. If it wanted to, it could turn an entire territory into a wasteland in an instant.

"It's okay. It went back to sleep."

"Did it? It's sleeping?"

"Ancient creatures are all in a deep, deep sleep."

When Aila said this, it didn't sound like a fairy tale.

"Did you wake it up because it was awake?"

"Not just it, but the beasts in this area were affected. It was awakened by that."

"Affected...? By what?"

"Hmm... Something dark, like a spreading darkness, something bad."

Aila's words were abstract.

But he could understand. If the unpleasant, oppressive air surrounding the lake was that, then it must have been something bad.

"—Why did it happen?"

"I don't know. But it's gone now. Everywhere."

"I see..."

Hearing that didn't bring him any relief.

It could naturally occur again at any time, or it could be something done by someone, and its true nature was unknown.

"Can I report this to my parents?"

"Of course. But I can't explain what happened."

"Okay."

Still, it would be good to sort out what was happening in this place.

Something was happening.

Aidan looked at the calm surface of the lake.

It was just a quiet winter lake.

In the end, Aila returned to the capital with him.

When asked if she didn't need to return to the winery, she said she would go to her home in the capital first. She said it was because there wasn't much to do during the winter and she was bored.

Aidan was also worried about parting ways and thought it would be better if she was in the capital in case he had questions.

He dropped her off just before the capital's Grapetown and then returned home. The horse was to be kept in Pencilia.

It was a bit smaller than the warhorses but had become quite friendly with the other horses during the journey, and there was no need to rush it back to the winery.

When he arrived at the house, Rias and Cynthia, who had been informed, came out to greet him.

It had been about 20 days.

This was the first time he had been away from home for so long, and even though it was just that period, it felt incredibly nostalgic.

Aidan dismounted from his horse and greeted them.

"I'm back."

"Welcome back. I'm glad you're safe. ——"

Cynthia seemed a bit hesitant. She had a lot to talk about, but she wanted him to rest first.

"I'll just get ready. I'll report first."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I also have a lot of questions."

Cynthia and Rias exchanged glances.

"Then, I'll wait for you in Father's study."

It was soundproof, spacious, and equipped with a reception set, making it perfect for a long conversation.

Aidan nodded and went to prepare.