Abandoned Regional Capital
Aneford Region
Tarse
January 25th
Year 1055 (51st General Calendar)
This Regional Capital, having been abandoned a good 40 years earlier, was desolate, its streets silent and buildings crumbling.
Dust drifted through the abandoned market square two girls walked through, their eyes fixed on the distant City Lord's mansion.
On the left was a teenager with straight chestnut-coloured hair tied up into a ponytail. Her piercing blue eyes scanned the city around them as she walked with a floating orb by her side.
She was wearing a black polo neck jumper, with a similarly coloured pair of shorts and leather boots all underneath a long brown jacket.
Beside her was soone she could call her best friend, a young woman with golden blonde long hair. She tied into a side ponytail with a ribbon on the left side, and hair strands hanging on either side and most of her bangs swept to the right side.
She too had blue eyes, along with visible eyebags under them that showed an obvious lack of sleep.
She was wearing a black turtleneck shirt with a grey undersleeve, a grey mid-thigh length skirt and black leggings under simple black leather flat shoes.
Together, they pushed through the broken gates and overgrown garden of the City lord's mansion and entered the building.
When they reached their target, the dim main hall, they both reacted with surprise as it was not as empty as they expected.
There, in the centre, sat a lone figure on a simple chair, eyes closed in stillness, as if waiting—or lost in thought.
The quiet around him felt heavy, as the girls imdiately got into battle-ready positions.
They could sense the aura of a Living Legend coming off this unknown figure, after all.
Finally, the man opened his eyes and looked at the two of them, before calling out their nas.
[Laurene Hayes, and Eliza Lane.
Would you kindly lower your weapons? I bear no hostility towards you.]
Turning to Laurene, the man continued.
[I believe you should understand my words are not lies.]
"…"
Laurene's remained silent, eyes narrowing at the words of this unknown man. He had an unremarkable appearance, with simple short brown hair and eyes.
For him to look at her before saying that, then it was either this man knew about her supposed 'Lie Detection' skill, or…
'On the off chance that he knows about my eyes…'
Seeing that Laurene still had her guard up, the man's expression finally changed, becoming a confused one.
[Weird…He told that if I said that, you would understand I'm not lying.]
"…who's he?"
Seeing her finally speak, the man's eyes brightened up and he gave a short answer.
[He is the reason I am here.]
After speaking, he tapped his leg on the ground and imdiately, a magic circle manifested in the centre of the hall, its rings expanding outward to encompass the entire hall.
Seeing it, both Laurene and the silent Eliza revealed clear shock.
To understand the reason for this, one would first have to know why they are here.
The two of them were here because of Evan. In the 'Back Up Plan' he'd left, he had requested that certain magic circles be drawn in certain locations all across the Desert Country of Tarse.
They had co here because of that, however, the circle they had co here to draw…was already drawn!
The magic circle this unknown man had just revealed was the sa one Evan had told them to draw.
"…how?"
Eliza muttered under their breath and in response to this, the man finally stood up. Seeing the two of them take an instinctive step back, he sighed and spoke.
[I believe I said I bear no hostility. I am just a ssenger who is here to deliver a ssage…]
His gaze focused on Eliza as he continued.
[…to you, Eliza Lane.]
Taking a light bow, he introduced himself.
[I am a High-Rank Spirit of the Earth Attribute and I bear the na, Eithwack.
And under my temporary contract with the Hero, Evan Eris, I am to inform you that this location, as well as five other locations across Tarse…]
A hologram map appeared in front of him, with five cities circled as he continued.
[…already have their magic circles drawn. As such, you do not need to do that yourself.]
"Hold on a second, Mister!"
Eliza interjected before the man could say anything else. The man's words made no sense. Evan was the one who told them to co here.
Laurene, however, was silent. That was because every single word out of his mouth had been the truth and nothing but the truth.
"…how did Evan tell you this?"
[Evan Eris told this in person after he finished drawing this magic circle on the floor.]
Eithwack gestured to the circle they were standing atop as he spoke, slight confusion entering his eyes before he continued.
[I have no idea what he's using it for. He only told , and I quote:
"I am going to save, Liz and Laurene the stress of having to draw these very complicated circles.
When they co here, just tell Laurene to check the circles in these locations with her eyes, confirm if they are still in working conditions and renew the preservation spell on them."
Those were the words he spoke.]
Again, silence filled the hall.
Sothing wasn't adding up. Evan had told them to co to draw these circles, but he had drawn them himself already?
'According to that Light Spirit, Evan recorded that video a month before we ca to Tarse, so he could have co here within that month to draw these magic circles…'
Laurene looked down on the magic circles, her Mystic Eyes active while Eithwack spoke.
[If you are going to check the magic circles, please do so as I cannot proceed to the next action I am obligated to take if you do not do so first.]
Hearing his words, Eliza glanced up from the magic circle and asked with narrowed eyes.
"And what action is that?"
[To pass a certain item to you, Eliza Lane.
As I stated twice earlier, I am not hostile towards you and I do not desire to bring harm to you in any way, shape or form, directly or indirectly.]
Eithwack turned to Laurene and waited for her to look up at him before speaking.
[Evan Eris repeatedly ntioned that I should say this to you, Laurene Hayes. As if I did not, you would be and I quote "Suspicious as fuck.".]
Now that sounded like sothing Evan would say.
Laurene activated Venus, the floating orb magic catalyst, and pulled out the sample circle image she had. She ran the crosscheck to find any discrepancies and discovered there were none.
The circles were the exact sa thing.
But while checking the circle on the floor, she saw sothing off.
"huh?"
Her Mystic Eyes of Truth were reading into the Truth of the circle and telling her all she needed to know about it. Because of this, she discovered sothing that didn't make sense.
"Is there sothing wrong?"
Eliza asked this and Laurene slowly looked up before saying.
"…this magic circle…is over two decades old?"
"…haaa?"
Eliza let out a dumbfounded sound.
Laurene deactivated her Mystic Eyes, cleaned them with her hands, and then reactivated them to check the circle again, but the age of 21 years was still there.
It's just that it had been preserved with magic which was renewed every year, thus preventing it from deteriorating.
"…you said Evan drew this himself, right?"
[Yes.]
Eithwack nodded in affirmation to Laurene's question. Still with an incredulous gaze, she asked again.
"When did he draw it?"
[21 Years ago.]
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