Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Volume 24, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Color Illustrations
jnovels.com
Prologue
Chapter 1: In the Holy City Tonerico
Chapter 2: Return
Chapter 3: The World outside the Castle
Chapter 4: Search
Chapter 5: Already Too Late
Chapter 6: Sacred Flames of Darkness
Epilogue
Afterword
Bonus Short Story
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
Prologue
In the Holy Kingdom of Almada, inside the labyrinth of the Holy Capital of Tonerico, Rio and Sora had just arrived on the eleventh floor, where they found themselves at a dead end with nowhere to go.
Elsewhere, deep within the labyrinth, there was a giant magic circle drawn in the center of a spacious room. A young child in white clothing stood in the room; their eyes were hidden behind long bangs, making it hard to determine their gender, and they didn’t seem any older than ten years old.
The child was grinning in delight while staring up at the ceiling, when a man closely resembling the ambassador of the Proxia Empire, Reiss Vulfe, appeared out of nowhere, dressed in pure-white robes.
“Good evening.”
“Oh, it’s you. Long time no see.”
“I’m in need of a golem, so I came to pick one up... What are you looking at?”
“There’s someone rather interesting here. No, someone very interesting. How’s the outside world been lately?”
“It’s rare to hear you express interest in the outside world.”
“Yeah, it just hit me out of the blue. It might even have something to do with why you’re here to pick up a golem...” The child finally looked away from the ceiling. “Right, Fenris?”
They turned to the man who resembled Reiss with a mischievous grin. Fenris fell silent in thought.
“The two people of interest have sneaked into the labyrinth. They’re exploring the eleventh floor right now,” the child continued, returning their gaze to the ceiling.
“Oh, I see...” Fenris made a look of understanding.
“Hmm? Did that information just remind you of something?”
“Just reaching the eleventh floor requires a party of hero-class veterans, or someone at the level of a legendary hero. And you said those two are exploring the eleventh floor—not fighting or fleeing, but exploring,” Fenris explained.
“Yes, they completely wiped out the monsters on the floor,” the child said with a shrug. “They’re now combing the area for a path to the twelfth floor.”
“In which case, only a handful of candidates come to mind. There are three people I consider to be extremely dangerous out there... No, now there are four. Two of them must be here.”
Although Fenris didn’t say whom he was thinking of, there were apparently four people that he was wary of.
“Oh? So there are another two monsters still out there.”
“The world is a big place, after all. There might even be others I am unaware of.”
“Well, that’s fair. Okay, tell me more about the two on the eleventh floor right now, then. I know one is the disciple of the Dragon King, but I can’t figure out who the boy is. He looks like a human in his midteens.”
“The Dragon King’s disciple, and a boy in his midteens? I knew it...” Fenris rubbed his chin in contemplation, then sighed tiredly. “If you know that much, you should be able to predict the rest, no? A disciple would never willingly obey anyone besides their master,” he added.
“Are you saying he’s the Dragon King? No way. I’d never mistake him for someone else. And even if his disciple is still alive, there’s no way the Dragon King himself could still be,” the child said with excitement, surprised to hear Fenris’s words.
“Of course, I don’t believe the Dragon King is alive either. But if the boy on the eleventh floor is who I think he is, then there’s no doubt the world considers him a transcendent one.”
“...”
“He most likely used his powers and caused the rules of god to activate, marking him as a transcendent one. Despite still being a human, that is.”
“Unbelievable... No human could possibly withstand the use of transcendent powers. Even a hero assimilated with an upper high rank spirit would die.”
“Indeed. But his status as a transcendent one is an unshakable fact. As is how he lived in regular human society until just recently.”
“Hmm. You sure seem to know the boy well,” the child said, interested in Fenris’s information.
“I just so happen to have some ties to him. Quite a lot happened before he became a transcendent one...”
“It sounds like you’ve been having fun while I’ve been in the labyrinth, Fenris.”
“If what I just said sounds fun to you, then I’m baffled.” Fenris sighed in exasperation.
“We finally have some competition. I was getting bored of being the only one to move any pieces in this one-sided board game. Now it’s getting interesting,” the child said in a pleased tone.
“Our plan isn’t just some board game.”
“Duty and enjoyment can coexist. Indeed, it is enjoyment that motivates us to do our duty.”
“Your opponent might be the Wise God Lina, though.”
The child frowned blatantly at the mention of Lina. “If the Dragon King is back, then I suppose it wouldn’t be strange for her to be in the picture as well... Although I thought she died alongside the Dragon King.”
“I have yet to confirm her being alive. But that goddess’s presence keeps popping up. It’s possible that she prepared something against us a thousand years ago.”
“That woman’s ability to see the future has always been such an annoyance. And she certainly always has been a shrewd one.”
Despite what the child was saying, the look of delight was returning to their face. It seemed they couldn’t hold back their excitement after all.
“Getting back on topic,” Fenris said. “The boy possessing the same power as the supposedly dead Dragon King has brought his disciple to this labyrinth. This could potentially be an extremely bad situation.”
“Normally, it would be impossible to enter the twelfth floor without my permission, but there’s a chance he may use the Dragon King’s power. I’m not a fan of skipping straight to the final boss fight—but should I eliminate them now?”
“No... As long as they remain on the eleventh floor, there’s no need to make the first move,” Fenris said.
“How prudent of you. We’ve got several golems sleeping there, and if I accompany you as the custodian of the labyrinth, the rules of god will be weakened to an extent. You should be able to fight with a decent portion of your original strength, Fenris.”
“If he has complete control over the Dragon King’s abilities, then we will risk suffering extensive damage. The situation is startling, but not something to panic about just yet. We should first gather information regarding how much of our plan they are aware of. That is, if they don’t descend to the twelfth floor first,” Fenris suggested.
“I see. Leave it to me, then,” the child offered eagerly.
“What exactly am I entrusting to you?” Fenris asked with a brief sigh.
“Gathering information, of course. We need to know what they’re up to, right?”
The child smirked fearlessly.
Chapter 1: In the Holy City Tonerico
Around the time Fenris and the child were having their conversation in the depths of the labyrinth, Rio and Sora finished their search of the several-kilometer-wide eleventh floor.
“There doesn’t seem to be a path to the twelfth floor after all,” Rio said after they met up at the entrance of the floor again.
“Sora couldn’t find any path downwards either. Please accept Sora’s apologies.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. If there’s no visible path, then either the path is invisible, or the eleventh floor is the bottom floor of the labyrinth.” Rio smiled at Sora gently.
“Shall we try digging through the wall?” Sora asked, clenching her right hand into a fist.
Rio looked around at the huge floor they were on. “If we’re going to dig, we need to be sure there’s a room on the other side. If we dig blindly, we could risk the floor caving in on us.”
That being said, testing every nook and cranny sounds exhausting too.
In order to know whether there was any cavity on the other side of the wall, they would have to send essence through it. However, on top of being several kilometers in diameter, the eleventh floor’s ceiling was several hundred meters high. Rio sighed at the thought of the daunting task.
But the eleventh floor of the labyrinth was untrodden territory for mankind. Since they had come this far, they couldn’t turn back without carrying out a proper investigation of the area. There could still be a hint as to why the Wise God Lina had made the Dragon King reincarnate somewhere in this place where the Divine War began...
“All right. Let’s use our spirit arts to check if there are any cavities on the other sides of the walls or floor. It may take a while, since it’s such a big space, but...”
Thankfully, they could make camp by placing the stone house down, making it possible to search over multiple days.
“There’s no need for the Dragon King to perform such tedious tasks. Leave it to Sora!”
“I can
“But...”
“It’s fine. I want to work on it together with you, Sora.”
“R-Really?! Okay, then! Let’s do it!” Sora replied cheerfully, happy to hear that Rio wanted to work together with her. Thus, the two of them began their careful search of the eleventh floor.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, in the depths of the labyrinth...
“It seems they don’t know how to reach the twelfth floor after all. But they haven’t given up looking for it yet,” the white-robed child explained as they stared at the ceiling. It was almost like they could see exactly what Rio and Sora were doing. Just what could those eyes hidden behind that long fringe see?
“The problem is whether they’re searching because they’re sure there’s a twelfth floor, or they’re searching because they don’t know if there’s a twelfth floor.”
“Right. If Lina were the one who ordered them here, they would know how to get to the twelfth floor. If they give up like this, then it means they don’t know there’s a twelfth floor at all.”
“That’s a good point... Either way, we can only watch for now,” Fenris said with a sigh.
“I may be a shut-in, but you’ve got things to do. Right? You can leave them to me and return to your own job, Fenris.”
“Things would be so much easier if I could...”
“Hey now, are you saying you can’t trust your adorable little sister?”
“You still don’t know anything about him. He wasn’t an easy opponent to deal with even before he became a transcendent one.”
“So you’re worried I’ll mess up and ruin the plan. Hmph...”
“Considering your personality, you’ll try to meet him as soon as I look away.”
The girl in the white robe laughed without shame. “Aha ha. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to choose the right location when that happens.”
“Don’t tell me... Are you going to find him outside?” Fenris asked, eyes widening in surprise. It was rare for his little sister to step outside the labyrinth.
“Of course. Going to see him in the labyrinth would just arouse suspicion.”
“Hmm...” Fenris made a contemplative face, reconsidering the suggestion.
“Besides, it wouldn’t be that bad of a move to make contact with them outside the labyrinth, don’t you think?”
“You’d be substantially weakened outside the labyrinth yourself, but...”
“First you were worried I’d mess up, now you’re being overprotective of me. I guess you do love your little sister after all.”
“Your presence is essential to our plan.”
“Sure, we can go with that. So, how about it? Will you leave it to me?” The white-clothed girl looked questioningly at Fenris, who solemnly nodded. “Very well... You would indeed be more suitable than me.”
“Then it’s decided. First, let’s find out if he’s truly the same Dragon King as a thousand years ago.”
◇ ◇ ◇
Roughly one hour later, in the Holy Capital Tonerico, inside the official office of Pope Fenris Tonerico...
“Goodness...” The white-robed Fenris sat down in his chair with an annoyed sigh.
“Do you have a moment, Your Holiness?” A young woman wearing elegant white robes walked through the open door. Her name was Anna Mendoza, and she was a high priestess who served as the pope’s secretary. There was a large bundle of documents in her arms.
“You may enter.”
“Thank you very much for your hard work on the sealing ceremony over these past few months,” she said.
“Yes, I am very tired. I must return to the sealing ceremony soon, so I would appreciate the time to take a break.”
“You must not. There are multiple items that came up during your absence which require your attention. Please check them.”
“This is why I didn’t want to return...”
Judging from their conversation, Fenris had been absent from the palace for the past few months, but it was unclear what exactly the sealing ceremony was.
“Explain the situation briefly, Priestess Anna,” Fenris said with a bright smile.
“Gladly, Your Holiness. The highest-priority matter to address would be the recent occurrence of rampant embezzlement among priests...”
Anna began happily explaining the matters detailed in the documents. Her eyes were sparkling with the overflowing respect she held for Fenris.
Meanwhile, Fenris listened to Anna’s words with quiet interjections such as “Hmm” and “I see” every now and then. He accepted the documents she handed him and glanced over the pages while thinking to himself.
What bad timing it is to have my return overlap with his arrival here... Or should I be grateful that he’s here while I’m also in town?
He looked out of the window in thought.
As long as he and his disciple are here, the defenses in Galarc should be much weaker. Now would be the best time to deploy the golems I retrieved, but...
The Wise God Lina’s smirking face flashed across Fenris’s mind. What if it really was Lina behind Rio’s actions right now?
Her ability to see the future meant she would have predicted this situation. She would also have been aware of how Fenris would move once he realized the enemy’s strength was split. It was possible she had set up a trap against him.
That goddess truly is an annoying opponent to deal with... If I hadn’t been reminded of her face just now, I would have launched an assault on the Galarc Kingdom without hesitation. If things went well, that would have eliminated Celia Claire and his contract spirit in one go.
Pope Fenris sighed regretfully at his own indecision.
“Umm, Your Holiness...” Anna paused in her explanation and looked at Fenris.
Fenris looked away from the window and back at Anna. “Is something wrong?”
“With all due respect, you seemed to be distracted by something outside the window...”
“I was merely thinking of some things as I was listening. I have narrowed down the departments that would have had a hand in the embezzlement of large donations,” Fenris replied, setting the documents down on his desk. The income and expenditure of each department was written on the paper. Fenris marked the departments that required further investigation and returned the document to Anna.
“Y-You’re amazing as always...!”
“All I looked at was which departments had sloppy calculations and unrealistic numbers. It’s customary to turn a blind eye to those who pocket a small portion of the offerings, but I will go around the departments and remind them not to go too far. You can observe the situation to see if it improves after that and act accordingly.”
“Yes, Your Holiness! Moving on to the next matter...”
“Please make it quick,” Fenris said with a sigh.
I’ll just have to keep an eye on the situation until the information gathering is done. It’d be troublesome if they ran into each other in town, so I’ll get Renji to return to the Proxia Empire for now.
He returned to gazing out the window, staring at the townscape of the Holy City.
◇ ◇ ◇
By two days later, in the afternoon, Rio and Sora had searched every inch of the eleventh floor’s walls and ground using their magic essence, but in the end, they’d been unable to find the twelfth floor. They left the eleventh floor and returned to the surface.
“The sunlight sure is bright...” Rio mumbled, holding a hand up to cover his eyes.
The inside of the labyrinth was illuminated by glowing walls and ceilings, but it was nowhere near as bright as the sun. And their extended stay there probably made the sun seem even brighter.
“Oh no, the Dragon King’s precious eyes... Please don’t look straight at the light. You may harm your vision.”
“Aha ha... I’m fine. I’ll get used to it soon enough.”
“That aside, how could that woman make the Dragon King stay in such a dark and damp place for two whole days...?”
“It wasn’t Lina’s fault we stayed there.”
“No! It’s all Lina’s fault! She made you reincarnate after a thousand years and didn’t bother leaving any proper hints. That’s so inconsiderate of her! She made you waste all your time coming here,” Sora ranted angrily.
Indeed, if the Wise God Lina had intended on making Rio do something with the Dragon King’s power, she should have left some kind of clue as to what it could be. That being said, she was the one who knew what the future entailed. Perhaps she’d had a reason not to leave any clues behind.
