Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Amber's eyes lit up when Eldarin said Finn could help Kaian.

[You're certain about that, right?]

[Have I ever lied to you?]

"Haah..."

Amber visibly relaxed.

[Thank goodness there's a way.]

In truth, Amber had been confused ever since Eldarin threw Kaian into Twofold Lake.

Twofold was a sacred lake that had accumulated mana for so long that it developed a will of its own.

But just as its name suggested, Twofold possessed two contradictory aspects.

It saves those who are dying...

But drains the life force from anyone who enters while still healthy.

That was the nature of Twofold Lake.

So the fact that Kaian was still breathing meant his condition had been severe enough to threaten his life.

In such an urgent situation, Amber had been unable to understand why Eldarin was arguing with Finn.

At least until now.

I don't know exactly how yet...

But all I need to do is play along with Finn, right?

Flutter.

Finn was still fussing loudly while flying around Amber's shoulder.

"Ugh, this is bad!"

"My hair is a disaster!"

"What do I do?"

"Should I make another flower crown?"

Amber placed Finn gently on her palm.

Her eyes sparkled.

[Finn! I'll make you a flower crown!]

[I'll combine autumn flowers. It'll look beautiful.]

[And I'll use warm wind to dry your hair.]

Finn knew how skilled Amber was with her hands.

Her eyes immediately brightened too.

"Really?"

"Would that make me look okay?"

Then Twofold joined the conversation.

[I don't think you need to worry about your hair.]

"You old hag."

"Are you going to insult my hair again?"

[Tch. Look carefully.]

[That child is unconscious.]

[He won't be in any condition to look at your hair.]

"Huh...?"

Finn blinked several times.

Then she suddenly screamed.

Only now did she understand what it meant that Kaian had been placed inside Twofold Lake.

"Eldarin!"

"Are you insane?!"

"Are you trying to kill him?!"

Finn grabbed Eldarin by the collar and shook it.

Or rather...

Finn herself was the one being shaken around.

"Handsome men!"

Flap.

"Are global!"

Flap.

"Assets!"

Flap flap.

"I told you to take good care of him!"

Eldarin answered calmly.

"I brought him here precisely because I'm trying to take care of him."

"I'm trying to save that dying brat."

"Hah!"

"Sure."

"If you throw him into Granny Twofold, she'll heal him."

"But then what?"

"The moment he recovers, Granny will kill him again!"

"You know that!"

Amber bit her lip.

Finn was right.

If someone dying entered Twofold, the lake restored that person's life.

Once they recovered...

Twofold drained that same life away again.

That was Twofold Lake's dilemma.

Finn shouted with tears forming in her eyes.

"No human has ever entered Twofold and come back alive...!"

"There has."

"Exactly! There has nev..."

"Huh?"

Eldarin answered firmly.

"There has."

"One person."

"He walked into Twofold with his own feet."

"And later walked out safely with those same feet."

"I witnessed it myself."

Everyone fell silent.

They immediately understood who Eldarin meant.

One of the First Heroes.

The only person capable of uniting the other four heroes.

Ilias Promethion.

The man who had almost become Eldarin's companion.

And the man whose loss had driven her into seclusion within Eldargrove for the past seven hundred years.

None of them had ever imagined Eldarin would speak of Ilias again.

Eldarin continued calmly.

"With our current magic, we cannot interfere with that child's inner world."

"His inner world has become extremely unstable and is violently rejecting outside mana."

"If we force our way in, he could truly die."

"And even if we're lucky..."

[...He'll fall into an even deeper coma.]

Amber calmly finished the thought.

Eldarin nodded.

"So we give up on interfering through magic."

"Instead..."

"This time, we interfere through mana."

"Through Granny Twofold."

Finn frowned.

"What is she talking about?"

"Amber, explain it so I can understand."

[Hmm...]

Amber thought for a moment.

"To put it simply..."

[Lady Twofold's power isn't magic.]

[It's not something she stores as Mana Matter and then Realizes.]

[It's a special power created by mana itself after accumulating for an extremely long time.]

[That's why she's called a sacred lake.]

"A special power?"

"You mean that terrifying ability where she saves dying people and kills healthy ones?"

A scheming smile appeared on Eldarin's face.

"That isn't Twofold's only ability."

Finn recoiled in midair at the sight of Eldarin's smile.

"Ugh!"

"That scared me."

"Can you smile normally for once?"

"Ahem."

"Anyway..."

"When a mage inside Twofold passes between life and death, a road forms."

"A road?"

"What kind of road?"

"A road into that mage's inner world."

Amber finally understood.

[You're planning to follow the path Lady Twofold creates and enter Kaian's inner world directly!]

"Exactly."

Eldarin nodded.

"If we cannot solve the problem from outside..."

"Then we enter the place where the problem exists."

"So if we follow the road Granny opens and enter his inner world, we can save him?"

"Then hurry up!"

"Why are we still sitting here?!"

Finn began rushing Eldarin and Amber.

"Yes."

"We do need to hurry."

The road should have opened the moment Kaian's body touched Twofold Lake.

Now...

Anyone who wished to enter Kaian's inner world simply had to immerse themselves in Twofold.

"But there is one problem."

"What?!"

[Neither Eldarin nor I can enter Lady Twofold.]

[We possess physical bodies.]

In other words...

The instant Eldarin or Amber entered the lake, Twofold's dilemma would apply to them as well.

Finn looked at Amber in confusion.

"You have a physical body?"

"Since when?"

"Aren't you the spirit of the tree house?"

Amber pointed at herself.

[This ball-jointed doll.]

[It has mana circuits inside.]

[That's why I can freely use magic despite being a spirit.]

[As long as I'm inside this doll, Lady Twofold will recognize me as a physical being.]

"Then just leave the doll."

[I can't anymore.]

[My consciousness has synchronized with this body too deeply.]

[If I forcibly separate myself now, my sense of self could be damaged.]

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"If neither Amber nor Eldarin can go in..."

"Who's supposed to enter Granny?!"

At that moment...

Eldarin and Amber both looked at Finn.

Finn quickly moved away from them.

"What?"

"Why are you suddenly staring at me like that?"

Eldarin smiled kindly.

"The one capable of walking Twofold's path must meet several conditions."

"They must have no physical body."

"They must possess a clear consciousness."

"And they must not be capable of freely using magic through their own will."

Eldarin's smile grew.

"There is exactly one such person here."

Their gazes burned even hotter against Finn.

Finn laughed dryly.

"Haha..."

"Don't tell me..."

"You're serious?"

"You want me to go inside?"

"You can do it."

[Finn! You can do it!]

"NO!"

Finn screamed and flew over their heads.

Flutter!

"Granny will hate me going inside!"

"She'll definitely attack me too!"

"You're both made from water mana."

[Exactly! Spirits are the purest beings, nearly identical to mana itself.]

[Lady Twofold surely won't mind.]

Finn deliberately ignored Amber's sparkling eyes and glanced toward the lake.

[Old hag!]

[Say something!]

[...]

Twofold remained silent.

Finn ground her teeth.

Twofold was clearly thrilled that Eldarin had come to ask for her help.

She was simply keeping quiet so she would not earn Finn's resentment.

You thousand-year-old snake of an old hag...!

Eldarin and Amber continued pressuring her.

"Didn't you say handsome men are global assets?"

"Help preserve one, Finn."

[Finn! Help us!]

[If you don't, I'll tell Kaian everything about how you feel about him!]

"You...!"

"You insane women have teamed up against me!"

Even Fulgor blinked its lights at Finn as if pleading.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Finn grabbed her short hair in agony.

Finally...

She gave up.

"Ughhh!"

"Fine! I get it!"

"I'll go in!"

"Good spirit."

"But I have a condition."

Finn's eyes burned fiercely.

Perhaps entering Twofold and rescuing Kaian really was the true adventure she had always dreamed of.

And adventures needed rewards.

"His name is Kaian, right?"

"If he survives..."

"I'm staying beside him for the rest of his life."

"Until the day he dies."

Eldarin frowned slightly.

Finn refused to back down.

Her voice became even firmer.

"If Kaian leaves Eldargrove, then I'm leaving Eldargrove too!"

"Fine."

"Even if you refuse, I won't...!"

"Huh?"

"What did you say?"

"I said fine."

Finn's eyes widened.

Eldarin had captured her every time she attempted to run away in the past.

Finn had never imagined she would agree so easily.

She even began stuttering from surprise and happiness.

"R-Really?"

"You're really okay with it?"

"You're old enough now."

"I can't keep holding you here forever."

"Do as you please."

"YES!"

Finn happily zipped around above Twofold Lake.

Flutter flutter flutter!

"Granny!"

"You heard that, right?"

"I'm going in!"

"Wait for me!"

"Don't kill him yet!"

Twofold remained silent.

Finn did not care in the slightest.

She even landed happily on top of Eldarin's head.

"So?"

"What do I do once I'm inside Kaian's inner world?"

"I'll put everything I have into it!"

Eldarin answered without hesitation.

"Erase his mother."

For the first time since anyone could remember...

The endlessly talkative Finn went silent.

With her mouth shut, Finn's naturally cold and haughty features became almost alluring.

Several seconds passed.

At last, she forced out a voice.

"...What?"

"What did you just tell me to do?"