Chapter 35 — Recruitment vs. Going Solo
Even the fiercest beast cannot survive after its central brain is severed.
As the massive Crystal Turtle finally collapsed, Elias let out a small, satisfied smile.
Old Shorty really had no luck…
A thousand years ago, the Crystal Turtle she wanted for soup slipped away thanks to Aivis' stubborn protection.
This one was corrupted by some strange magic—completely inedible.
Even if he did want to stew it for her, she'd probably accuse him of poisoning her anyway.
With that resigned thought, Elias stepped closer to the corpse, calm eyes sweeping over the giant shell as if searching for something…
As he suspected, the turtle must have eaten something extraordinary to erupt with such unnatural magic.
"In that case—"
"Then I'll ask you something!"
Julie suddenly jumped in front of him.
Her overwhelming… physical presence blocked half his field of vision.
Elias: (´-ι_-｀)
"…Could you… step back a little? Your 'hard-earned accomplishments' are kind of an obstruction."
Julie obediently took two steps back, planting her blood-stained battle-axe into the soil. Her deep brown eyes burned like a lion sizing up its prey.
She had realized something: that little finger snap Elias used to shatter the barrier—
That was no ordinary attack magic.
"That was a Barrier Analysis Spell, wasn't it?"
"Elias, am I right?"
Elias tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.
"That was obvious. You had to guess?"
"Captain Julie, forgive my bluntness, but… how did someone like you even pass three rounds of the Trials eight years ago?"
"…I admit it."
Julie took a deep breath and spoke frankly:
"Back then, I happened to be paired with two extremely strong teammates. Their help got me through the third round by pure luck."
"So when Lady Serie deemed me unqualified due to my… flat chest, I had no complaints."
"As for you—"
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Elias's pale face. Something unreadable stirred in her pupils—like she couldn't see through him no matter how she tried.
"Elias… I only now realized that although I remember your face, I have no memory of seeing you use magic."
"During all three rounds, you vanished the moment the trial began—
and the next time anyone saw you, you were already standing with the group that cleared it."
"When I later heard Lady Serie marked you 'unqualified,' I thought you were just another weirdo.
But after witnessing what happened tonight…"
Julie looked toward the slain Crystal Turtle, her thoughts racing.
"If I'm not wrong…"
"The moment you arrived—
the very first instant your eyes landed on the turtle—
you had already begun analyzing its Crystal Barrier."
"But what I didn't expect was that in just five minutes, you managed to complete the full analysis."
"That kind of terrifying speed… rivals the Great Mages who hold the Holy Emblem."
"Elias—!!"
Julie swung her arm in a wide arc, the bloody axe-tip pointing straight at his chest.
"Join my mercenary corps!!"
Elias: (ᇂ_ᇂ|||)
"No."
Julie: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ
"WHY?!"
"You're insanely strong! If you join us, we'd make a fortune together!"
Elias: (ರ_ರ)
"My strength is my strength.
Given that… why would I split earnings with you instead of working solo?"
Julie: (´-ι_-｀)
"…That… actually makes sense."
"But regardless—!"
Julie perked up again, her eyes sparkling as she pointed dramatically at Elias.
"Whenever you change your mind, the Great Axe Mercenary Corps will always welcome you!"
"And remember—five years from now, during the Trials, you better cover me!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Without waiting for Elias to respond, she burst into wild laughter and strutted off the battlefield.
Left alone in the cold moonlight, Elias could only shake his head.
What a troublesome woman…
Anyway… where's that stone?
He resumed his search.
Soon, ten meters behind the Crystal Turtle's corpse, he found a strange rock pulsing with a dark-purple glow.
"Oh? Even after going through the Turtle's digestive tract, it still retains magical residue?"
"So this is the source of that strange aura."
Hm? What's that vibration…?
A faint tremor rippled through him. Elias reached into his cloak and drew out the Skull Dagger—the war trophy Vramé had given him.
As if resonating with the stone, the Skull Dagger pulsed with the same eerie dark-purple light, its blade trembling.
"The Demon King Army General's dagger… reacting to this rock?"
"…A magical resonance?"
Elias slowly looked up, gazing toward the far north through the silver moonlight.
"Just who could this be…?"
---
Northern Continent — Oisthes
Inside a massive manor, a thin shadow stood before a tall window.
"…Gone."
A dead-silent night.
The shadow's gaze drifted south.
"How amusing. It lasted only three days… and was already wiped out."
"The blonde elf hasn't left the city."
"The Holy Emblem (Staff of Heaven) puppets are still fighting on the northern front."
"Then was it… the orange-haired woman?"
"Or someone even stronger?"
With a whisper, the shadow sank into the void.
"We'll have to accelerate the plan."
---
Within the Void:
In a golden prison of light, a dark silhouette stood outside the cage, staring expressionlessly at the prisoner trapped within.
"Your endurance impresses me, young lady. But continuing this resistance benefits neither of us."
"Give up. Lend me your body. Your spirit will be transferred to a paradise—beautiful, peaceful, like a perfect heaven."
Inside the cage, the girl—pale, trembling—still glared back with fierce resolve.
"Don't waste your breath."
"No matter what you do, I will never surrender my soul to some low-grade demon scum!"
"…Low-grade, is it."
The shadow raised its hand, magic gathering—dense, chilling, overwhelming.
"But low-grade methods… are often the most effective."
——"Ungh!"
——"Aaaaaaaaah!!!"
---
Holy City — Strahl:
In a lavish manor, beneath a glittering crystal chandelier, a middle-aged man in military uniform paced in agitation.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he rushed forward.
"Priest! How is she? Has my daughter's condition improved?!"
The priest holding a holy scripture lowered his head with regret.
"My apologies. The young lady has remained comatose for months. We still cannot identify the cause.
At the moment, I can only sustain her life through magic… nothing more."
"How… how could this be…"
The man stumbled back, devastated.
"It was supposed to be her birthday… how did things end in such tragedy?! Has the Goddess abandoned us?!"
"Please! Don't say that! Your daughter is pure and kind—surely she remains under the Goddess's protection!"
"But even so…"
"—Father."
A graceful voice rang out.
Descending the staircase was a young girl—radiant, poised, smiling as if she had simply taken a pleasant nap.
The man and the priest stared, dumbfounded.
"Daughter…! You're awake!"
She smiled gently.
"It's all thanks to the priest's magic… and the Goddess's blessing."
"And you as well, Father."
She touched the gemstone hanging at her chest.
"The birthday gift you gave me…"
"'Tear of the Azure Sea, wasn't it?'"
"I truly love it."
As she lifted her gaze, her eyes shimmered—
and in them flickered a faint, unmistakable dark-purple light.