/
àŒș Sun – Claiomh Solais (5) àŒ»
South of El Rath Kingdom,
The granary and the most important place of the kingdom in terms of economy that connected trading routes to the archipelagoes as well as the islands beneath was under total control of the traditional Dunareff Family.
That was why it was common for the large festivals of the south to be hosted by the Dunareff.
After the Winter festival and the praying ritual of a good harvest was the Spring social meeting. Wearing the new dress she got for this Spring, Marie was getting a shoulder massage from one of her maids.
“Egogo
 my shoulders.”
“Hmm? My dear daughter, does your shoulder hurt? Do you want your daddy to give you a massage?”
“Hmm
 I’m fine!”
“
!!”
Marie was already an adult at 19 years of age. She was more than old enough to feel slightly uncomfortable by her dad’s touch but Duke Marde was nonetheless shocked.
“T, this has never happened until last year and yet
!”
“Oh my. Come on dear. Marie is old enough to know men already.”
“Honey? W, what do you mean by that?”
Hearing the words of his wife, Duchess Elencia, the duke widened his eyes in shock.
“It’s been half a year since our Mari has been going out with Young Lord Korin. I’m sure they have already—”
“Mom?!”
Despite Marie’s attempt to stop her, Elencia said things that normally shouldn’t be said to a daughter with a bright smile on her face.
“Don’t worry about contracepti—”
“Come on! Don’t say that mom! I, I am not
 like, in that kind of relationship with Korin yet
 I mean
!”
In order to fight against the senseless comments of her mother, the blushing girl constantly poked her on her sides. However, Elencia wasn’t the only enemy she had.
“What? Sister. Are you still not going out with him?”
Second daughter, Yennefer Dunareff.
“Big Sister. I thought we were expecting a cousin already.”
Oldest son, Eric Dunareff.
“Huh? Weren’t there stories about how they had done everything already?”
“Isn’t she getting married immediately after graduation?”
The twins, Lily Dunareff and Robert Dunareff.
“Sister
 Are you marrying the Knight?”
Third son, Barg Dunareff.
“Kyaha!”
Last one was the 2-year-old fourth daughter, Hilia Dunareff.
They were a friendly family of 3 sons and 4 daughters of the harmonious Dunareff Family but the only downside was that Marie had to be bombarded by questions and attacks from all sides whenever certain topics were brought up.
“Ahkk, be quiet! Korin and I are gradually climbing up in an ethical
 maybe not that ethical
 but still, we are slowly advancing our relationship!”
“Marie? Why can’t you say ‘ethical’? Didn’t you promise your daddy?”
“Mari, my cute girl. Look at your mom.”
“Y, yes?”
“You need to have as many children as me. I am looking forward to having a bunch of grandchildren.”
“W, we have Doggo already
”
“Doggo is cute too. Come here, Doggo.”
Elencia called Doggo, who had been drinking from the wine fountain, dashed up on its four legs. When she reached out, the dog-human wearing a tailor-made 2.4 meter-long branded coat rested its chin on her hand.
“Hurry up and make siblings for your Doggo.”
“Ugh
!”
“H, honey? What are you saying?”
She immediately gave him a slap to the mouth as Duke Marde then shut his mouth.
“You won’t find many boys like that. If you stay still doing nothing, you never know when someone will snatch him from you.”
“Hmm
!”
Marie was rather convinced by her words because there was already a very strong competitor.
Hua Ran.
She was a living Jiangshi girl, who was a demi-human just like her. Despite being aloof and seemingly uninterested in all the happenings of the world, she suddenly started roaming around Korin.
It was probably because of that incident just like herself.
『Sister. You don’t like me, do you?』
That was an open declaration of war. After an intense battle of nerves, Marie and Hua Ran perceived one another as an enemy.
‘Wait!’
The Spring meeting would end in another 3 days. Korin had left a mark of his position while telling her to come find him by the Solar Eclipse on the 8th of February, so she had to depart some time soon.
Of course, it would only take 2 weeks on a wyvern so there was plenty of time left but for some reason
 she was struck by an ominous feeling.
After becoming a vampire, Marie had gained a sixth sense that far exceeded the capability of a woman’s intuition. Her senses were warning her that something bad was about to happen – to her romantic battlefront that is.
“M, mom
!”
“What is it?”
“Can I leave now?”
“Good luck, my girl.”
Elencia waved her hand with a wide smile on her face, and Marie sprinted off. She was already far away before Duke Marde could even say anything.
“Let me borrow a wyvern
 No! Actually, I’ll use a Hresvelgr!!”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“N, no! Where are you going, Marie! Holidays are supposed to be spent together with your family!”
Marie’s brothers and sisters chipped in after Duke Marde’s scream.
“It’s fine~ dad. She can just make a new family there.”
“A Grade 1 Knight brother-in-law huh
 I’m going to brag about it to my friends.”
No one was on the duke’s side. Under the full support of her mother and her siblings, Marie jumped onto Doggo.
“Let’s go, Doggo
! Time to go find your daddy!”
“Knn
!”
Even though she had wasted some time because of the Winter Festival and the Spring ceremonies, she would be there in no time on a Hresvelgr.
“Alicia
 is the only one in the East so it should be okay! Korin said he was busy too
!”
What Marie hadn’t expected until then was the engagement of the oldest daughter of the Arden Family.
****
When was the time Alicia was motivated to learn the sword?
At the start, she was just following the steps of her admired older sister, and next, she was bewitched by the sword. On the first day she cut a human, she found herself smiling.
That gave her goosebumps. She was afraid of herself – she remembered the time when she was floundering her arms inside a black and tranquil ocean.
Just like that, she had been turning away from her talents and she only opened her eyes back up because of the advice and assistance of a boy. After picking up her sword again, she was in the process of slowly understanding and accepting the fiendish nature of her talent.
❰Domain Severance – Eight Dancing Swords❱
『KUKIKIKIKIKIKI—!!!』
That was when she came across another being who had talents that were as fiendish and frightening as hers.
It was a demonic beast and yet
 it was well-versed with swords. Unlike those that recklessly swung their weapons around, that monster clearly knew and understood the way of the sword.
Sword Fiend.
With just one encounter, she understood that that monster was a fiend of the sword just like her. That wasn’t the end – that beast was stronger than her, and was at a level she could not reach.
‘
Scary.’
She was scared of that talent. Because she knew about the evil nature of that talent more than anyone else, she was all the more frightened by it.
Since the monster was one that would be bewitched by the act of slicing things apart, Alicia instinctively realized that it would be inevitable for them to have another clash.
Despite not being fond of fighting, even she drooled just from imagining about a battle to the death against that monster so there was no way that a mere beast would be any less expectant of it than herself.
‘We will definitely try to kill one another’
She had to learn how to cut that monster down, because otherwise, she would be the one ending up dying.
– Slam
!
“Uhk
!”
A sharp sword grazed past her side. Pressing down on the bloodstained uniform, Alicia took a step back.
“Is that everything you have?”
The old man with a wild appearance gazed down at her with a haughty expression. Alicia looked back at her grandfather in fear.
He was as enormous as Mt. Tai that was too much to fight against.
Even though he was her family member who cared for her the most when excluding her older sister
 and was even kinder than her at times, sometimes, she still got goosebumps when interacting with him.
“Your basics are as awful as always, my granddaughter.”
“I got
 a lot better though.”
“Do not ever think that your standards are the same as mine.”
The Sword Emperor said while gazing at the horizon. The scope of his vision was already different from that of normal people.
“However, that was a lot faster than I thought. To think you would ask me to teach you the sword.”
“Grandpa. That demonic beast
”
“In my heart, I consider it as my disciple. Huhu, but it probably thinks of me as a stepping stone.”
“Why aren’t you killing it?”
“Because it is one that can reach the level of Thousand Swords.”
“
It’s my first time hearing about that level.”
“Of course, because I made it.”
“
”
“Those who reach that stage will easily cut the heavens and the world! The literal god of swords! I want to lay my eyes on such a swordsman.”
The more she heard about his worldview, the harder it became to understand him. Was he leaving a monster like that aside just because of something like that?
“I
 don’t really understand what you’re thinking, grandpa.”
“You do not need to understand it. It is just an obstinate wish of an old swordsman
 that cannot be understood by anyone whether it be family or comrades.”
The Sword Emperor then pointed his sword at his granddaughter. His sword had just slashed past his grandchild’s thighs and waist and was dripping with the blood of his own family.
“What is there to question? The world is a survival of the fittest. Even ignorance can only be permitted for the strong.”
“Uhk
”
Alicia stood up with a grumble. Although she couldn’t understand the madman in front of her eyes, she still needed his help with the sword.
“I shall make you into a fiend yourself. A fiend of swords! Kill the monster, use it as a stepping stone and reach a higher level. Become my true successor
!”
“You senile old man
!”
“Hoho. Taking after your sister now!”
The fight continued. From the side, it looked more like a battle of life and death than a simple duel.
****
On a starry night, Alicia carried her exhausted body and headed to the empty plot of land where the final task was taking place.
“It grew a lot,” she said.
“Yeah.”
Korin Lork replied with his eyes still on the oak tree that was growing in that vacant plot of land.
It had been 4 days since the final task had been announced. Just like what Uzkias said, the oak staff that they buried as a sapling was growing at a rapid speed to reach the heavens.
“But it’s not fast enough. I’m sorry to say this to Yuel, but our speed is nothing in comparison to the one being grown by Dumnorix.”
“Then
 what’s going to happen then?”
“Well, it’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Korin said while munching on a beef jerky that he received after asking the druids of Findias. He nonchalantly offered her one.
“Aht. Thank
”
“Sword Emperor that old man is not going easy on you, is he? You’re going to bleed to death before we even get to climb the tree.”
“
”
While looking at the side of his face as he munched on a beef jerky, Alicia pondered to herself.
What exactly was this person fighting against? Why did he bother crossing the border to carry out the tests and trials of druids?
She had no idea what the ultimate goal he had his eyes set on was, but one thing was certain when looking back at everything he showed her over the past year.
Everything was about helping people.
Even when he was stopping the enormous boar from escaping, and even when he was alone fighting against Professor Fermack who infiltrated the Academy
 Also, when he was standing off against the undefeatable demi-human of an Unbreakable Vajra Body.
In the end, none of those were for himself and were all a part of a process of him trying to help other people. He was like a hero of justice that could only be seen in fairy tales these days.
How
 and why was he so tenacious?
He was someone she couldn’t understand, just like her grandfather the Sword Emperor.
“I see you are hard at work, this late at night.”
That was when a cracked voice echoed from behind. Surprised, Alicia quickly turned around.
Behind was an old man with a gloomy countenance that was wearing a robe over his entire body. Unlike the Sword Emperor who was like a scorching active volcano, he was like the tranquil forest of dawn.
“Dumnorix.”
Lawmaker, one of the top elders of druids, who was currently acting as Dun Scaith’s assistant – he looked directly at Korin with old murky eyes.
“Korin Lork. The Spear of the Queen. I wanted to have a conversation with you at least once.”
“Why, to persuade me into becoming your ally?”
As if he was talking to a 10-year-long friend, Korin started talking to his enemy. That strange social skill of his was another element of Korin that Alicia couldn’t understand.
“Of course not. I am here to etch into my eyes the foe that we will have to go against some time in the future.”
The old druid gazed up and down as if he was intrigued by the human called Korin Lork. Alicia wondered, how would Korin appear in the eyes of this druid who was as old as an ancient tree that was about to rot away?
“Really? Then as someone with the exact same thoughts about how we will be killing each other soon, let me ask you a question.”
“Please do speak. O Queen’s Spear.”
“Aren’t druids like, environmentalists that love the forest and spirits? Why are you helping with the ‘Advent of Paradise’ when it’s going to kill countless people?”
It was her first time hearing it. Alicia was shocked by their extraordinary goals as well as the fact that Korin Lork was trying to fight against them.
“The word, ‘love’, is a bit misleading. We druids are just one with nature.”
“Then why would you
”
In the middle of her speech, Alicia instinctively realized after receiving the ancient-tree-like gaze of Dumnorix. Even though he didn’t do anything, she still felt her life being threatened.
“So tell me, why can’t one, that loves the forest and spirits, wish for the death of humans?”
“??!”
She felt a chill running down her spine. Korin seemed to have felt something similar as he gave a frown from the side.
They could not feel any emotion from Dumnorix. The man who was as old as a rotting tree had an incomprehensible aura to him.
“Humans are beings that destroy nature, and that will only accelerate over time.”
“
Sounds exactly like what a normal environmentalist would say.”
“You are not wrong. I might perhaps be just a little bit more extreme and wicked though.”
His lips contorted in a strange and unbefitting manner.
“It is okay for there to be less humans.”
Alicia gulped from his spookiness. It was a very simple solution to protecting nature that even he himself considered wicked. Maybe it wasn’t incomprehensible that bards singing about harmony with nature and the spirits would hope for the downfall of humans.
Even though her grandfather was a madman, these people were worse. They were continuing on with their evil deed despite being aware of its wickedness.
Right when Alicia was feeling repulsed and even frightened by Dumnorix’s comments, Korin said after grabbing onto her trembling shoulders.
“Watch me, Alicia. I am going to kill all these evil bastards.”
“M, Mr. Korin
”
Despite his murderous declaration, Dumnorix chuckled as if he was looking at the cute tricks of a young grandson.
“However, that won’t happen just yet. And at least for now, you are destined to fail.”
“How confident.”
The two of them glanced at one another’s staff sapling.
In spite of Yuel’s continuous and heartfelt care, Korin’s staff only grew by about 10 meters. That was magical enough already, but comparisons were subjective as always.
“
”
Dumnorix’s staff was already 30 meters tall. It was roughly 3 times faster than their own already, and that pretty much explained how this competition was going to end up.
“It is a huge problem that you do not have the red rowan fruits but more importantly, will you even make it in time for the Solar Eclipse in 2 weeks?”
“There’s no need to even wait for the Solar Eclipse. It’s about time to climb up.”
“Mhmm?”
Korin said while confidently standing up. Under the skeptical gaze of Dumnorix, he took out a bottle from his bag.
It was a bottle
 that contained some finely ground specks of gold.
“Uhh, Mr. Korin? Is this the same as the one you used during the staff task?”
Alicia asked while recalling their second trial. Korin had taken out his hidden move back then when they were struggling to find an oak tree with a mistletoe.
“What
 is that?”
Even a druid who had been living with nature for centuries could not recognize it. That was nothing strange though, because the original form of this golden powder was the one and only hidden piece in the world that never existed before, and will never exist again after this.
“Watch on. Now this is magic.”
Opening the lid of the bottle, he poured a generous amount on the sapling like a farmer pouring compost on his crops.
– Kuruk! Kururuk
!
The staff sapling reacted immediately. After absorbing the golden fertilizer, the sapling wriggled and—
“Let us watch the miracle brought forth by the fertilizer made with a Yellow Gold Mandrake.”
—Along with a large shriek, the tree began to rapidly soar towards the sky.
『Yellow Gold Mandrake Fertilizer』
-> Assists with the growth of magic plants.
-> Creates a circular field of mana regeneration, recovering 185 per minute.