Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 97

“Come on, Star, No!”

 

Eileen trudged on, clutching at Star, who bared his fangs as soon as they entered the woods, and the flailing deadwood. Orgen chuckled and followed after them.

 

“You think you can reach the boss monster with that?”

 

“I’m concentrating! I said no, no, uhhh!”

 

“Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew! Chew!”

 

‘Don’t get swept up. Don’t get swept up.’

 

Eileen walked slowly toward the center of the forest, feeling Star’s emotions as they surged through her.

 

It was more than just dislike, it was a sharp, raw emotion that bordered on instinctive revulsion.

 

‘Is it really because Star is a divine beast that he hates demons, and if so, why hasn’t the saint seen him?’

 

By the time the cold sweat had soaked through her clothes, Eileen had reached the center of the forest. A grotesque creature with countless eyeballs stuck to a withered black tree was chained to a rock, making a sound like boiling water.

 

[Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

 

“Ew, that’s awful.”

 

“Grrrr, that’s one of the nastier looking creatures I’ve ever seen, but it still managed to hold back its strength to get here. Albert’s teaching skills must be good! Ping-ping.”

 

“Ping.”

 

Orgen called out, and a supreme earth spirit in the form of a salamander appeared above his head.

 

“If I get rid of that rock, he’ll go on a rampage. Take him out. As for the base beast, I’ll take care of the core, but if history is any indication, Star will find it.”

 

“Right now?”

 

“Right now!”

 

Without pausing to catch his breath, Orgen cleared the rock. He seemed so pleased with himself that Eileen gritted her teeth and turned to the demon.

 

“Star!”

 

“Chew!!!”

 

As if it had been waiting for this moment, Star puffed itself up. It was at the same time that dozens of ancient trees, bathed in a faint golden glow, covered the sky, forming a giant dome over the forest.

 

“What is that?”

 

The dome was large enough to be seen by Rosalia, who was boredly waiting outside the forest for Orgen and Eileen to emerge.

 

“Isn’t this a bit much?”

 

Orgen, staring at the wall of dead trees that blocked out the light of the morning sun, held his tongue as the dome of dead trees curled around him in an instant and charged at the demon.

 

The demon was pulverized, unable to protest even once. It didn’t matter where the core was. It was pulverized into powder, and no part of it was left intact.

 

“Chew!”

 

Star jumped up and down with pride, as if finally relieved. Eileen heaved a sigh of relief, finally feeling lighter, and picked Star up.

 

“This should be good enough for the real thing, right?”

 

After a quick glance around the desolate forest landscape, Orgen smirked.

 

“Yes, if you aim as accurately as you are now, not a single demon will be able to touch you. Now that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

 

The wall of dead trees that had covered the ceiling disappeared, and the morning sun streamed back into the forest, and the two of them emerged from the woods with a lighter heart. Rosalia was waiting for them at the entrance.

 

“Wow! I thought the whole forest was blown away.”

 

“I almost did.”

 

Eileen scratched the back of her neck, averting her eyes in embarrassment.

 

“That must be a relief, Mr. Orgen.”

 

“Relief, relief! I’ll have to feed the rest of the kids meat after practice!”

 

Eileen and the others would no longer be able to avoid combat. It had been decided that starting with the next slaughter, the students of the special classes, the apprentice mages of the tower, and the apprentice priests of the temple would all be appropriately distributed to their duties.

 

It was the least Orgen and Rosalia could do for the young souls they were about to send into battle.

 

Eileen stood still for a moment, watching the two proud strangers walk away. Rosalia’s red hair swayed from side to side in time with her steps. It was so different from the lifeless, limp figure in the coffin.

 

As she stood still, the question that had been lodged in Eileen’s mind for some time reared its head once more.

 

‘If this isn’t a reincarnation in a novel, what is it?’

 

In truth, Eileen might know the answer; there was a single keyword that had been running through her mind since the moment she’d seen the look in Aire’s eyes at the ball not long ago.

 

‘Regression…’

 

Her soul, forged by a long career as a reader, screamed it. But if this world was real and not a work of fiction, Eileen wasn’t sure if the act of reversing time was even possible.

 

“There.”

 

Her question, then, was an act of complete impulse.

 

“Is there any way to turn back time?”

 

Rosalia and Orgen stopped in their tracks.

 

“Huh?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Eileen blurted out, embarrassed by her own words, and added some gibberish.

 

“No, I’m just curious, since there are gods and saints, I wonder if regression or something like that is possible! Oh, didn’t you say before that there are also time spirits?!”

 

At that, Orgen crossed his arms.

 

“I’m sorry. Well, there are references to the Elementals of Time in the ancient texts, but for some reason the Contractor is not on record, but they do exist, judging by their constant appearances in myths and texts, so I suppose it’s safe to say they do exist, but I’m not sure if they can turn back the clock on the world. If they are divine beings, like the stars…”

 

The elementalist’s curiosity was piqued by this intriguing question, and Orgen began to ponder it seriously, but Rosalia suddenly threw up her hands.

 

“No! No!”

 

“Huh?”

 

Rosalia said, puzzled.

 

“The fate of the world is an unchangeable promise of the world, and if you make what was into what is not, you don’t know what will fall through the cracks!”

 

Eileen’s entire body tensed at the words of Rosalia, the guardian of fate, the one with gypsy blood in her veins.

 

“Something will fall?”

 

“Oh, yes. You’re cutting a chunk out of the waist of properly flowing time and forcing it to rewrite itself, and while time in this world is gone, time in another will continue to flow, so who knows what might happen in the gap? Who knows? Maybe a soul from another world will get caught up in it?”

 

“The other world is too far gone.”

 

Orgen chuckled steamingly, but Eileen couldn’t help but laugh along.

 

A gap in the world, created by what was and what was not. Something had fallen through the gap.

 

“No way.”

 

Her stomach rumbled. Eileen staggered closer and grabbed Orgen’s arm.

 

“I need a favor.”

 

“Eileen, have you become unwell?!”

 

“I need to see the hero, Aire!”

 

“What?”

 

Orgen’s face hardened. He couldn’t understand why she was suddenly talking about Aire.

 

“We must mee…”

 

Eileen’s face was white with cold sweat. She looked like she could collapse at any moment, but the determination in her eyes was so intense that Orgen finally nodded.

 

“Okay, I’ll tell him.”

 

She was always a grown-up, even if she pretended not to be, and there had to be a reason she wanted this much. Orgen decided to give her the benefit of the doubt this time.

 

 

***

 

 

“Relax, everyone! You’re doing great!”

 

The children, who had gotten a chance to practice under Orgen’s guidance, headed into the forest to hunt demons. With Russo, Amanda, Albert, and the rest of the faculty chaperoning them, they were able to gain real-world experience.

 

“Damn.”

 

One of the boys muttered nervously. As they practiced together, the differences in their skills became apparent. Some killed demons with the ease of a fly swatter, while others barely managed to take them down, with wounds all over their bodies.

 

The boy bowed his head as he watched the demon he’d worked so hard to slay fall to the tip of Cordelia’s blade. He felt helpless, and hated himself for feeling inferior even in this situation.

 

“We need to move again.”

 

A hand wrapped around the boy’s shoulder.

 

“You’re doing great!”

 

“Professor Albert?”

 

“You’re doing so well, just look ahead! You just knocked that thing down, giving the kid behind you a chance to catch his breath.”

 

A warm hand patted the child on the back a couple times.

 

“Look closely at the creature. See the flesh between its head and body? Try again.”

 

The boy hesitated, then lunged at the beast again. It wasn’t easy, but he was able to slay it with much more ease than before.

 

“Professor!”

 

Albert smiled vaguely at the flushed boy and walked over to instruct another student.

 

“Albert, you don’t know the horror of having a powerful spirit, of having to live the rest of your life in inferiority!”

 

One person. One person. A voice echoed in Albert’s mind as he tended to the children. The voice, cold and full of anguish, screamed in a venomous tone.

 

“Ian…”

 

He squeezed his eyes shut tightly.