Today, we planned to first head to Gaien’s workshop to get a detailed briefing from Kagali before heading to the Sacred Mountain. I wanted everyone to listen to Kagali’s information in case of any complications, but I didn’t want Alice to stay at the inn alone, so I was bringing her along for now. With the archspirit—or whatever that being was—dwelling in the mountain, things could get tricky, so I figured we should be as well prepared as possible.
We were about to leave the inn when Tida stopped us.
“Miss Ellie!”
“Good morning, Tida.”
“Morning! You’re about to go to the Sacred Mountain, right?”
“Yes, after regrouping with the person who hired my services.”
“I-I see...”
“Is something wrong?”
“Not really... It’s just that...”
Tida was being evasive. I looked at her in suspicion.
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
“Okay, okay. I’d like you to take me with you.”
“What’s gotten into you? You told me yesterday that you absolutely didn’t want to come.”
“Well, in the meantime, I received a divine revelation.”
“A...revelation?”
Was that her way of saying she’d gotten new orders from the Grand Sanctuary?
“You don’t believe me,” Tida said.
“Who said that? Anyway, what’s your objective?”
“Apparently, there’s something evil in the depths of the mountain. My God-given mission is to destroy it.”
“I see. In that case, we’re headed to the same place. I know you make an excellent party member, so I’d be glad to have you join us.”
Gaien’s workshop turned out to be located under the store Kagali usually tended to. After she pressed on a few spots on the wooden counter, a gap opened in the flooring and a stairway appeared. When we descended the stairs, we found ourselves in a large workspace.
“Isn’t it dangerous doing this sort of work underground?” Lunoa asked.
“Not at all. The flames we use for the furnace were bestowed upon my master by the archspirit. Just adding mana to them makes them heat up, and they don’t produce any harmful smoke.”
“In other words, it’s of the same nature as the fire one can create using magic,” I said. “There’s also no risk of an oxygen shortage, in that case.”
“Are magic flames special?” Lunoa asked.
“To be accurate, only the flames that are directly created by magic are.”
Misha chimed in. “What does that mean?”
“When you create flames using fire magic, you’re not creating real fire, but rather mana in the form of flames. As a result, they do not require air to keep on burning. However, objects that come in contact with magic flames can catch on fire. The resulting blaze will consist of real fire, so you must be careful.”
This was one of the recent discoveries by the researchers of the Northern Continent. I wasn’t sure if Gaien and Kagali knew about it, but they must have felt it intuitively.
Suddenly, Alice spoke up. “Okay. I got it.”
Just as I turned around to see who she was talking to, I heard Kagali scream a warning.
“Wait! It’s dangerous!”
I’d only taken my eyes off Alice briefly, distracted by my explanation to Lunoa and Misha. During that time, she had approached the furnace and was now reaching into the flames.
“Alice!” I screamed as her hand grazed the small fire.
✦ ✦ ✦
The flames flared up, engulfing her in an instant. I was ready to use magic to douse them, but somehow, despite Alice being surrounded by an inferno, the temperature didn’t seem to have risen. The fire wasn’t spreading to her hair or clothes, and Carol, who was still on Alice’s shoulder, did not seem bothered by it either. I’d never seen this sort of magic.
Alice seemed surprised by the fire, but her eyes were focused on something else. She kept nodding, as though she were conversing with someone I couldn’t see. After a few seconds, she nodded once more with a resolute look on her face. Then, she turned to me.
“It’s all right, mama. I just need to help out for a bit. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
“Kyui!”
The flames swelled once again, and Alice was gone.
◇◆☆◆◇
There are several cities within the empire that have large dwarf populations, but the one with the longest and richest history is, without a doubt, the capital of the Hephaest Marquessate. There, the smoke coming from the many smithies mingles with the steam of the hot springs and rises above the small stone buildings, as the delectable aroma of traditional dwarven stir-fry wafts through the air. The streets, which have retained the strong character of the Dwarf Kingdom of old, will undoubtedly evoke nostalgia within the hearts of every visitor. Once a prosperous mining town, the capital of the Hephaest Marquessate now thrives as a retreat where visitors can discover breathtaking historical sites before having a relaxing soak in the city’s famous hot springs.
A writer for a popular travel magazine reread the draft he’d just written before taking a bite out of the hearty dwarven stir-fry he’d just been served. The Marquess of Hephaest himself had commissioned the article, and his editor in chief was especially enthusiastic about the project. He’d been promised a hefty bonus if this article was a hit.
Needless to say, the prospect of that extra money motivated him greatly. He started rereading from the top once again. He’d keep polishing his text until the deadline.
— A scene from the life of Claude Tyler, content writer working exclusively for the travel magazine Empire Map, three days before his deadline.