Chapter 11: Departure to Elira

After having lunch at a small diner near the vegetable stall, we decided it was time to begin our journey to Flogas, the town near the Dragon's Graveyard.

The mission was urgent, and any delay could bring serious consequences.

“Did you two at least ask permission or tell Aunt Iris about this?” I asked as we walked toward Elira's northern gate.

“Guildmaster Rion already informed my mother,” Lily replied.

“We were planning to stay here for the night and leave tomorrow, but it’s safer if we set out sooner,” Reimei added.

“What do you mean by that, Reimei?” I asked.

“Our path to the Dragon’s Graveyard takes us through the Great Forest of Estir, one of the three great forests in our world, Mazal,” Reimei explained.

“And Flogas lies just beyond it,” Lily added.

“If Flogas falls and Zombie Dragons or other undead spill into the Great Forest Estir, it’ll only be a matter of time before crossing it becomes as dangerous as the Black Forest itself,” Reimei said gravely.

“Not to mention, Great Forest Estir is the main source of food for many villages in the Seres region,” she continued.

“You’ve got a point. We really should deal with this as soon as possible,” I agreed.

“Our journey across the Great Forest Estir will be manageable as long as we’re well-prepared,” Reimei assured.

“Still, it’s easy to lose your way in such a vast forest.

Our only guides are the two suns, Protos, the northern sun, and Teros, the southern.”

“And we can only travel during the day,” Lily added.

“Because there’s no sun to guide us at night?” I asked curiously.

“That’s part of it,” Reimei said.

“But the real reason is that far more dangerous monsters prowl after dark”, Reimei added.

“Don’t worry. As long as we set up camp properly, we’ll be fine,” Lily said.

“Well, if you two are ready, Janbo and I are good to go,” I said.

“But before we leave…

Can we stop by Doctor Eve’s place first?” Lily suggested.

“Of course. But on second thought… Reimei, Lily you should both tell your loved ones that we’ll be leaving on this journey,” I suggested.

“But…” Lily almost protested.

“We’ll be gone for at least a week, maybe longer,” I cut her off before she could argue.

“…Fine. I’ll go see my mom before we leave Elira,” Lily said with a resigned sigh.

“Reimei?” I asked, looking at her.

“I’ll go with Lily. I’ll also tell my little brother after we stop by Doctor Eve’s,” Reimei replied.

With that decided, we headed toward Doctor Eve’s place, located at the southern edge of Elira.

Thanks to our quick pace, it only took a few minutes to arrive.

Janbo and I waited outside while Lily and Reimei went in.

A short while later, they emerged carrying several bundles of brightly colored potions.

“Raki, here, this one’s brewed from Solaria leaves. I asked Doctor Eve to extend its shelf life and strengthen its effectiveness,” Lily said, handing me two orange-colored vials.

“Thanks,” I replied.

“We also got some healing supplies and antidotes,” Reimei added, showing me a handful of potions in different hues.

“Should I hold onto them?” I asked, eyeing the dozen or so bottles.

“Please. Our magical pouches are already full,” Reimei admitted.

“Of course,” I said, storing them away.

“I can’t help but envy that ability,” Lily murmured, watching me put the healing supplies and antidotes on the Divine Gacha inventory .

“It feels like something beyond magic… almost like the work of a god.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

God Chameleon himself was the one who put that feature in my phone, I thought.

“We should get going,” I said quickly, trying to change the subject.

“Janbo and I will wait at Elira’s northern gate,” I said after we walked back to the Moonlight Inn.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t leave without us, Raki,” Reimei replied as she and Lily stepped inside.

Normally, I would have gone with them, but I wanted to drop by and confirm something with Guildmaster Rion.

I hadn’t even taken more than a few steps when Rion himself appeared before me.

“So, you’re about to set out for the Dragon’s Graveyard,” he said, his voice cold as he matched my stride.

“Yes. We’re preparing to leave Elira,” I replied.

“It’s considerate of you, letting your companions see their loved ones before the journey,” Rion remarked, though his tone carried an edge of irritation.

I frowned. “So what do you want from me, Rion?”

He smirked. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I want knowledge, how to deal with the undead more effectively,” I said plainly.

At that, his lips curled into a smile.

“You’ve realized it, haven’t you? Dragons are immune to fire, one of the undead’s greatest weaknesses.”

His gaze sharpened. “Especially dragons born near Flogas. Creatures of flame… even after death, they still resist it.”

I stayed silent, listening as his words aligned with what I’d already suspected.

“You’re sharp,” he continued.

“You figured that out just from knowing Flogas is a dragon-tamer town. That much was clear from the documents I gave you earlier.”

“So, if fire doesn’t work, how do we kill them?” I pressed.

“The answer is holy magic,” Rion replied.

“But Lily can’t use holy spells, if I recall,” he added, his tone growing colder.

“And Reimei’s blessed arrows? They’ll be effective against the smaller zombie dragons. But against the larger ones, the most it can do is slow it down”, Rion stated

“Defeating those zombie dragons will depend on whether you can find a powerful priest… or use the mysterious power you have, Raki, Chaleon’s hero,” Rion added.

“But don’t bother searching for a priest here in Elira. None remain, not while I’m around,” he said with a sly grin.

This guy… really something else. I just hope the rest of the so-called demons in this world aren’t as cunning as him, I thought.

“It’s almost laughable… a demon wielding holy magic,” I said flatly.

Rion smirked. “Perspective, Raki. That’s all it is.”

As we neared the northern gate, his eyes shifted to my armor.

“It’s been centuries since I last saw gear like yours,” he remarked.

Then, as if suddenly remembering, he added, “I’d best be going. Kayla won’t be pleased if I linger too long.”

He handed me a silvery-white tome. “I’m sure this will prove useful,” he said before walking away.

The book gleamed faintly in my hand. A tome, by the looks of it. I tried opening it, but the cover didn’t even budge.

“Raki, Janbo!” Reimei’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. She was walking toward us, Lily at her side, her eyes slightly red.

Startled, I quickly stored the tome away before they noticed.

“So, what did you two talk about?” Reimei asked as she approached. Her gaze shifted toward the figure disappearing in the distance. “That was Guildmaster Rion, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. We discussed the mission he gave us,” I replied.

“He suggested we either find a priest or someone capable of using powerful holy magic.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult. We might find one in the Great Forest Estir,” Lily said.

She gave a small shrug. “Honestly, I’m terrible at holy magic, and Reimei’s blessed arrows can only do so much.”

“Wait!…you’re saying there are settlements inside the Great Forest of Estir?” I asked, surprised.

“Of course,” Lily replied.

“There are a few scattered communities hidden within”, Lily added.

“It should be marked on the map Guildmaster Rion gave you,” Reimei said.

“But all I see here is the Great Forest of Estir,” I replied, frowning at the parchment.

“Did you try channeling magic into it?” Lily asked.

“What do you mean?” I tilted my head.

“Take the map out again and pour some magic into it,” Lily suggested.

“Great Forest Estir, map,” I whispered, and the parchment instantly materialized in my hands.

It had always seemed odd to me, an entire map filled with nothing but green, with only Elira and Flogas as landmarks.

But as soon as I pushed magic into the parchment, the surface shifted.

Symbols, trails, and settlements bloomed across the page, the once-blank forest transforming into a fully detailed region.

“It’s a magic map,” Lily explained.

“Very rare. It records every place its owner has visited”, Lily continued.

“I’m surprised Guildmaster Rion would lend us something so valuable,” Reimei remarked.

“That’s… not exactly like him,” Lily added, glancing at me knowingly.

“Whatever the reason, we should keep moving while the suns are still up,” I said.

“Bau! Bau!” Janbo barked in agreement.

“One day, you’ll tell me everything about you,” Reimei whispered as she walked beside me.

Someday… I’ll tell her, I promised myself as she walked past me to join Lily.

“We should be able to reach the Blue Swamp before Protos sets,” Lily said.

“And the fish there is delicious,” Reimei added with a small smile.

Looks like they already have their travel plan laid out, I thought, trailing behind the two of them with Janbo walking at my side.