The train was racing towards its destination.
Outside, the view revealed a vast sky with clouds floating above.
The dazzling sun and thin layer of clouds shone brightly. As expected, the train successfully caught up to the floating island in the sky.
─ Kiiiiiing!
The train made a loud noise as it docked.
I woke up Pina, who was dozing off, and we got off together.
‘The Salt Desert.’
As I stepped on the ground, I heard splash and the sound of crystals scattering.
White scenery surrounded us. The ground looked like the cracked shell of a turtle.
A salt desert floating in the air. This was the place where the Pantos Shrine had been built.
“Thank you for your convenience, Professor Dennis.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. If it’s a request from Licht, I have to oblige.”
In a calm tone, Dennis spoke as he looked over the vast desert.
Was it no longer surprising that an academy student had captured the Demon King?
“…You don’t have any plans, do you?”
He smiled at me, a perfect sign of trust.
After solving the issues related to the Celestial Demon, Dennis’s eyes returned to their original blue color.
He had completely quit drinking. His hands didn’t shake, and his gait was steady.
Most importantly, he had become a father.
“Plans… I wish I had some.”
Sighing and scratching the back of my helmet, I vented to Dennis.
The valley trip ended badly due to the Demon King’s attack.
Even if no one was hurt, we had faced divine powers.
“You don’t need to be so humble. If you weren’t around, we’d all have met our end.”
In addition, the other students were split into groups to travel where they wanted to go.
Should we call it a diversion tactic? Or perhaps it was to preserve memories of a school trip while recuperating.
With such a maneuver, surely we could avoid the Hero Church’s pursuit.
Their target wasn’t the academy students, nor me, but Pina Grancia.
“Pina, do you see the structure way over there?”
“Yeah… Licht. Hiiik.”
At the end of the rippling hills stood a tower-like structure.
I pointed to her, indicating the destination where she gleamed in her glass armor, reflecting sunlight.
“That’s the Pantos Shrine.”
The tomb where the god of emotion sleeps.
Who would think of building a shrine in the desert, made of sand and dust, to house a spirit?
Before Emperor Rock unified the four nations, each country worshiped their own gods.
The shrine of Tardun that we visited before was an example, just like the Library of Truth was located in the depths.
In the game, shrines shared some common traits.
The Library of Truth was originally a place where skills could be learned on different routes.
The shrine of Tardun housed potions that enhanced swordsmanship.
I thought there’d definitely be a clue about Pina at the Pantos Shrine.
“The white tower.”
Right from its name, it’s the Hero of Affection. No matter what anyone says, it fits better than rationality or will here.
“Always be careful, Hero of Conviction.”
“…Aren’t you putting too much pressure on me?”
Dennis patted my shoulder and even cast a protection spell on me.
A magic circle made of droplets spread and then vanished into the air.
“It seems like Her Highness trusts you more than the guards, Licht.”
Dennis chuckled playfully, perhaps sensing the pink atmosphere flowing between Pina and me.
Or maybe it was a form of respect for me after dealing with the Demon King.
Now that I think about it, the guards who had been protecting her since the valley trip were nowhere to be seen.
“Pina, speaking of which, where are the guards?”
“I told them not to follow me… in case they got caught.”
I curiously asked Pina, noting that her clothing in the valley had been quite radical. She might have been stopped while trying to perform CPR.
Now we were stepping above the clouds.
Even though we were high up, there was no altitude sickness; the sky’s salt desert was only hot.
The best course of action would have been for Dennis to accompany us and protect Pina.
But his schedule was already full.
Off in the distance, a blonde boy and a red-haired girl could be seen.
“Licht! Why are you trying to leave us behind? That’s so rude!”
“Yeah! Helmet guy. Are you trying to be alone with Pina again?”
Kainel and Ariel came panting as they ran over.
It seemed they had followed as soon as Pina and I made ourselves scarce.
With these two, it should be enough.
Kainel, awakened as the Hero of Light, and Ariel, the fiery Mage, were more than capable.
Having already taken down the Demon King, it was better for the students’ safety too.
If Dennis left the academy, there might be major trouble.
“Well then, we’ll be off, Professor Dennis.”
I took Pina’s hand and stepped onto the sweltering salt desert.
*
After getting off the train, Pina’s reaction was strange.
She kept staring at my forehead and then quickly turning her head away when I caught her eye.
I wondered what had happened while I slept. She was back to hiccupping again.
Just a moment ago, she had tried to keep her distance while talking to Dennis.
‘…But we’re holding hands right now.’
I felt greedy.
Now it felt disappointing to let go, and comforting to be close.
When did my feelings grow this big?
My body wandered ahead of my heart.
I was now walking toward the shrine, hand in hand with her.
“Licht… it’s hot…”
No matter how much we walked, all I could see was white sand dunes.
The sweat pouring from my helmet felt almost cruel.
Whoever said the salt desert was beautiful? Without rain, this dry desert was a surprisingly unromantic place.
I should have brought some water. I didn’t know it would be this hot.
In the game, it was just a debuff causing some health loss, but here it felt all too real.
As my consciousness blurred due to the heat, I needed to find an escape.
At that moment, water appeared before us. More accurately, a clear puddle was visible.
It shimmered with a gentle turquoise hue, forming an oasis.
“Don’t drink it, Pina.”
I pulled her back just as she reached for it.
How thirsty must she be? She threw off her glass helmet and lunged for it.
That had too much salt; drinking it would only make her thirst worse.
Not for consumption. It was riskier than drinking poison, really.
“Ariel, do you happen to have any World Tree leaves on you?”
I gasped as I spoke. Each word felt like a struggle.
Ariel handed me a sparkling leaf.
“Here, Helmet guy.”
It was a leaf maintaining the bright green color of foliage; it came from the World Tree where the elves lived.
“Pina, could you transfer the magic clinging to me… to this?”
Combining it with the branch I got from Kuer and blending it with Dennis’s specialty, water magic, could lead to something impressive.
“…How?”
“Think of it like weaving threads on a loom; you’ll reconstruct the magic.”
It would make for a great weapon.
In the original Night Heart, Ariel’s staff was likely made in a similar fashion.
“Got it… Licht… I’ll try.”
As I asked Pina, her small hand began to disassemble the magic circle.
Her glass magic method was similar; she twisted the magical spell like this.
The prophesied hero.
In truth, it was hard to grasp that Pina Grancia wasn’t just talented but a genius.
Now she concentrated, her golden eyes sparkling,
Furrowing her brow as if she was in deep thought.
‘How could this naive girl be the prophesied hero?’
To me, she looked like an ordinary girl. One burdened by many worries and keeping her distance from others.
It was still too early for the world’s darkness to stain Pina’s pure heart.
“…Is this how it’s done?”
Pina reconstructed the magic circle, knitting the branch and leaf together.
Then, just like in an RPG, a staff with spiraling patterns of wood was created.
“With this, you can purify the water, Ariel.”
I handed the completed staff to Ariel.
Since it contained the World Tree leaf, it should be held by her, an elf, rather than Pina.
The World Tree was surely more than just a tall tree.
No matter how salty the oasis might be, it would cleanse the water in an instant.
At that moment, I felt someone tugging at my sleeve.
“….”
With enchanting white wolf ears and a tail swaying enticingly, Pina Grancia was silently seeking something from me.
A silent request. She could ask for praise with words, but—
“Well done, Pina.”
“Hoho, it was no big deal for me.”
I gently stroked Pina’s hair.
I made sure not to mess up the part with the rose ornament.
If you work hard, you should be rewarded.
*
How long had we been walking?
A large, long shadow loomed ahead of us.
The towering salt tower that seemed to touch the sky. The Pantos Shrine was gradually coming into view.
“We’ve arrived.”
We reached the shade and caught our breath together. The murderously oppressive heat felt like it could melt us away.
Was this how frogs felt when thrown into boiling water?
“So this is… the Pantos Shrine.”
In front of the long tower were stairs leading down.
I felt lucky to have a place to escape the sunlight just as a message popped up.
[Welcome to the Pantos Shrine.]
The status window displayed a welcoming message.
Unlike the previous shrines we had visited, this one was suddenly giving off a foreboding feeling.
Just as I was about to take another step before more messages appeared.
[Entry limit is 2 people. Lee Soo-hyun.]
Two people?
That wasn’t a rule before, was it?
