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CHAPTER 285: EACH ONE’S RESOLVE

TN: Sorry for the long wait. To compensate, we’ll upload two chapters today.

「A change in how we are, huh……」

Nelfie murmured softly, paused for a beat, then went on.

「With Aun’s explanation just now, it finally makes sense. In that case, I need to re-examine my own ‘bloodline roots’. What it means that I carry dark-elf blood. And what was left behind in my home village――I want to know that.」

Her words were calm, but they carried firm resolve. In the depths of her eyes burned a light that hadn’t gone out even after all these long years.

I don’t know the details, but I do know Nelfie’s hometown, that dark-elf settlement, met a gruesome end. On top of that, her reunion with the only other survivor from there—her brother, No-Face—had been nothing like the kind of meeting she’d wished for.

And now she was choosing, of her own will, to face down the hardest part of her past. Everyone here understood just how much courage that took.

After a few seconds of silence, Drake picked up the thread of the words and the atmosphere that carried that resolve.

「……I think I kinda get it too, y’know. My homework’s ‘attributes’…… and beyond that, I feel like it’s this ‘direction my soul’s supposed to take’, or something like that.」

Among us, Drake’s one of the two best at handling magic, right up there with Kinu. For a guy that confident to call it a ‘homework assignment’ meant something had pushed him to see things that way.

「I really felt it back in that theater labyrinth…… Sometimes my power just goes wild and I can’t keep it under control. And I’ve started to think maybe the true nature of the ice attribute I inherited isn’t just destruction, y’know?」

At his words, Quelebre, who’d been silently lost in thought until now, slowly narrowed his eyes and spoke.

「Hmm…… That sense of yours is not a bad one at all, Drake. Thou art indeed strong. In terms of raw potential and talent alone, thou wouldst rank among the finest in all the history of the dragonkin. ……But it is also true that, as thou art now, thou still canst not see far enough ahead. For thee—who hast inherited the ice dragon’s magic core from me—to move on to the next stage, it would not be a poor idea to learn the ‘source’ of the other attribute dragons as well, I think.」

「The other attribute dragons……？」

「Wind dragon, earth dragon, wood dragon, water dragon, thunder dragon, and fire dragon. Unlike me, those fellows are pure and simple monsters. Which is precisely why there is much they can give thee that thou canst not gain from me. A journey to visit each dragon and seek out the origin of its attribute――hast thou any interest in such a thing?」

「Oh, hell yeah! That sounds perfect for me right now!」

Hearing that, Shinku’s lips curled faintly upward and she spoke up.

「In that case, I shall accompany Drake. I myself have yet to find a clear ‘challenge’ to tackle, but I do understand that I still have much room to grow. On top of that, to draw out more of this weapon’s latent potential――【Dorenkoi Dosukoi】――I’m keenly aware that I lack a variety of experiences.」

So Nelfie will head for her old home, the dark-elf village. Drake and Shinku will go to the lairs of the attribute dragons……

If I factor in the destinations I’ve been thinking of for myself, that means the three of them and I will be parting ways here for a while. The moment I realized that, my chest tightened.

We’ve been through some seriously intense times together. We’ve laughed together, entrusted each other with our lives, and survived battle after brutal battle.

Now those comrades were choosing different roads so they could each look their own selves in the eye. And that sight filled me with this fierce, overwhelming pride.

「Got it. ……As for me, I’m thinking of heading to the Bukyo Kingdom. I’ve got things I want to confirm with Gramps face-to-face.」

「Mm. I’m going with you, Aun. My next evolution will probably be 【Nine Tails】. To become a being people call legendary, I have a feeling that ‘emotion’ as a trigger is going to be important. By your side, I want to re-examine the feelings I hold, and the feelings other people carry……」

Kinu’s gentle voice made our eyes meet without thinking. In her gaze there wasn’t a single drop of hesitation.

「In that case, it seems we’ll each be spending some time in different lands, facing ourselves in our own ways.」

「Yeah, pretty much! Next time we meet, I’ll be all evolved and come back a big-shot of a man, you’ll see!」

There was no question that everyone’s destination was going to be a harsh place.

I had no idea where Nelfie’s hometown even was, but if Drake and Shinku were aiming for the attribute dragons’ lairs, they’d be flying all over the entire Sphin Continent.
Even with flight and return teleports and every other travel method they had, it was going to take a long time. At this rate, it might be over a year before we all gathered again.

Even so――there wasn’t a trace of doubt on anyone’s face.

The ‘paths’ they’ve chosen aren’t something forced on them by anyone. They’re proof of a ‘resolve’ they decided on for themselves.

Feeling that, I think my shoulders finally loosen a little.

A quiet aftertaste of resolve wrapped itself around the room.

It was a gentle, somehow warm moment.

……But that stillness didn’t last long.

「All right, then――」

Just as I was about to nail down our plans from here on out, the entire dungeon gave a faint tremor.

It was like the prelude to something beginning to move.

Right after that, Urs’s panicked voice burst into my head via telepathy.

≪E-everyone! The egg’s starting to crack!! G-get to the fifth floor of Phantom Castle, quick!!≫