Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 45

Saturday morning.

 

Eileen climbed into the carriage with Cordelia, Felix, and Lucian as they headed out into the streets. Due to the Academy’s location in the center of the island, they had to use the central bridge to travel outside.

 

“It’s a beautiful day.”

 

“It is.”

 

A cool breeze seeped through the open windows. Eileen stretched languidly as she gazed in rapture at the ripples on the vast lake that resembled the ocean.

 

“I wish every day was like Saturday.”

 

“I know. Oh, and I’d also like to look at some training wooden swords, is there a good place?”

 

“There is one, but it’s for wood burglars, isn’t it?”

 

“The wooden swords we use at the academy are…”

 

Lucian and Cordelia began a heated discussion about training swords. Eileen shook her head in disbelief as she watched the two of them, who seemed to get along better than anyone else at times like this.

 

“Two Wings of Gaudium.”

 

Even if they hated it, it was certainly the most fitting name for them.

 

“They’re like brother and sister.”

 

Felix said to Eileen, who giggled softly inwardly.

 

“Eileen, I don’t think you should get too close to the lake.”

 

“Why?”

 

A puzzled Eileen looked back at him, and Felix leaned down and whispered in her ear, as if sharing a secret.

 

“What the hell, why are you so close?”

 

Flinching as his breath touched her neck, Eileen started to back away, but he continued.

 

“They say there’s a monster living in the lake.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Eileen’s expression quickly cooled at the unexpected news. Felix, who had spoken up, was about to panic.

 

“…Is it because the monster story is too boring?”

 

“Not really.”

 

Eileen scratched her cheek in embarrassment. She had actually seen a monster in the lake about eight years ago. It had been a real exhaust monster that produced venom and tentacles.

 

Cordelia even tore that thing to pieces. I don’t think whatever’s out there is going to be any scarier than that.

 

“No. I mean, there’s probably 99 of those stories in school, the kind where you’d get in trouble if you knew the 100th, right?”

 

Felix’s face turned grim as Eileen’s response was not what he expected. If he had ears, they would have drooped.

 

They’ll be kids if they still like to talk about this stuff.

 

Eileen smiled slightly as she looked back and forth between Lucian’s excitement over the sword and Felix’s sullenness. If she had been excited by these two for a moment, she must have been mistaken.

 

 

***

 

 

Lucian’s recommendation of a pasta place was good enough to satisfy the chef of Gaudium, whose palate had been tamed by the chef. Felix’s recommendation for crepes was no different.

 

“I ate too much.”

 

“I think you’re overdoing it. Now we’re going to see the wooden swords, can you keep up?”

 

“I’ll sit here by the fountain.”

 

Eileen sat down at the fountain, congratulating herself for coming in a thick cardigan to cover her stomach. As Lucian and Cordelia disappeared into the alleyway of workshops, a satisfied-looking Felix sat down next to her.

 

“Do you want me to cast a lightening spell on you?”

 

“I’m not that heavy.”

 

Eileen flicked a playful glance at him as he spoke, then looked up at the sky. The weather was still nice.

 

“Felix, don’t you have other things to do? If you can’t go because of me, you can go. I have good security here.”

 

“Sitting with you is important, Eileen.”

 

Felix smirked and shrugged. Eileen watched him amused, and was about to say something when a strong spray of water blew in from the wind, soaking her cheeks and clothes.

 

“Ah, water.”

 

Felix reached out to ward it off. Without thinking, Eileen looked in the direction of the splash and froze.

 

A bronze fountain. A sunny day. Water flying.

 

It was a memory of a day.

 

 

***

 

 

“Sister Cordelia!”

 

“Sis, look!”

 

Two children, both about six or seven years old with lemon-yellow hair, were running around the fountain.

 

The spray was cold, and they reached out their fern-like hands to catch the rainbows that occasionally frosted the fountain.

 

“Watch out, kids, you’re going to fall into the fountain.”

 

Cordelia rushed over and snatched the child who was reaching into the stream.

 

“Sis, can’t you show me that again now that there’s no one around? You just turned into a water nymph!”

 

“Me too! I want to see it!”

 

The children chirped, clutching at the hem of Cordelia’s skirt. Cordelia, who was taken aback by the puppy-dog look up at her, called out to Lynn.

 

“Wow!”

 

“It’s a huge rainbow!”

 

Lynn circled the lake, spreading the water, and a huge rainbow formed over the fountain. The children cheered and clapped. The bright red color of their cheeks showed that they were truly excited.

 

“Oh, come on, Moe, let’s go in the snow!”

 

The boy’s pupils were slits. An exasperated Cordelia tucked the hats on their robes deeper into their faces.

 

“It’s stuffy.”

 

The child’s mouth pouted out from under the robe. Smiling embarrassedly, Cordelia patted the child’s head on top of the hat.

 

“I’m sorry, I’ll go back and play with the rest of you.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay. But you’ll come see us next time, right?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Cordelia smiled at him. It was a smile as clear and sweet as a rainbow. The two children obediently took Cordelia’s hand and walked away.

 

 

***

 

 

“Cordelia.”

 

Eileen looked up at the fountain with a sinking feeling. The memory that flashed through her mind now was of one of those rare moments when Cordelia was happy.

 

Which made it all the more sad.

 

‘He killed them. He killed them in the end!’

 

From the looks of things, it had to be them. The children, another reptilian Suyin with a bright smile and lemon-colored hair.

 

‘Where are they now?’

 

It had been a long time since the original story, but if Laquerta was at the Academy now, the children must be here.

 

“Eileen, are you feeling sick, do you want me to get you some digestive medicine?”

 

Felix looked at Eileen, who was looking a little tired and worried, but she shook her head.

 

“I’m fine, I’d rather walk around the neighborhood, can you show me around?”

 

“Sure. Where do you want to see?”

 

“Over there, for starters.”

 

Eileen’s hand pointed in one direction. It was the direction Cordelia and the children had disappeared in the previous memory.

 

 

***

 

 

“Deep in the mountains. Who comes and eats there?”

 

“Demons wake up at dawn, rubbing their eyes~”

 

“Will you both shut up.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The duke was walking down the hallway of the imperial palace. His dark robe, like his hair, and his furrowed brow made his eyes look even sharper than usual.

 

‘He’s acting like this, even in the middle of the night. The crazy Herero siblings…’

 

Derek, who had followed the Duke to assist him, clucked his tongue. The stalwart knights and investigators of the imperial court, who were said to have lost their cowardice in exchange for great power, were unscrewed today.

 

They wore their violet hair braided in one braid and two braids, the man with one braid was known as the First Alio and the woman with two braids was known as the Second Olivia. Their pale, piercing eyes contrasted with black pupils, making them look even more like madmen.

 

“Well, at least it’s an emergency!”

 

“That’s why you called us into the conference room!”

 

“Even though you told us to get lost every day!”

 

“Grrrr.”

 

Derek cursed inwardly as he watched the Duke’s brow furrow.

 

“Please shut up!”

 

But if they kept their mouths shut, they wouldn’t be called lunatics.

 

“What if the demon really does come back to life?”

 

“How does a dead demon come back to life?”

 

“Then what would the demon do with its life?”

 

“Doesn’t it want to become a demon, or is it going to make the next demon himself?”

 

Derek stared at them with a vacant, half-given-up gaze as they continued to talk dangerously down the hall.

 

The rising tide of demons and their bizarre cults was making things even more dangerous than they already were.

 

“So, fanatics, I hear you equate the Hero’s Clan with gods?”

 

“If that’s the case, then why do you keep wandering around near the source of the demons?”

 

“Isn’t it because you want to see the hem of his clothes?”

 

“Ew! It’s not like he’s some kind of stalker. That’s the worst!”

 

*Quack*

 

The loud popping sound stopped the Herrero siblings in their tracks. The duke, unable to stand the commotion any longer, crushed one side of the floor. Slowly pulling his foot out of the crater, he glared at the Herrero siblings wordlessly.

 

“Shut up!”

 

“I will!”

 

The Herrero siblings’ mouths dropped open in response to his murderous gaze.

 

“Imperial vandalism!”

 

Barely able to swallow the last words they wanted to say, they stood in front of the grandly decorated great hall, where the imperial chamberlain stood guard and bowed politely to them.

 

“Are you all here?”

 

“Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince will be arriving shortly.”

 

The duke nodded and the doors to the conference room slowly opened.

 

All eleven Transcendents and three Sages of the Empire were there, including the duke.