I Became the Youngest Summoner in the Strongest Guild

16. Arcana Online

I had an eerie feeling and a bad thought crossed my mind.

C-could it be that the chicks sold me out!?

"Peep! Peep!"
"Peeep!"

I guess not.

They're spreading their tiny wings, threatening to protect me.

"Welcome."

A creepy appearance and a blunt voice.

When it grinned again, the chicks got scared and hid behind my legs.

Didn't you just say you'd protect me?

"Hello? Why are you here?"
"It's the will of the heavens."
"What? The will of the heavens?"
"That's right."

What on earth is this about?

When I ask why they're here, they answer it's the will of the heavens, but what should I say to that?
Is this some kind of cult...?

"Then do you know anything about the strange sound that's been heard?"
"That too is the will of the heavens."
"Huh?"
"The time has come."

After gesturing for me to step back, they prepared something.

They took out various items from their subspace as if preparing for a ritual.

When they finished preparing and knelt down, at that moment.

They muttered strange words in a loud shout.

"Our father who art on earth..."

As I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut, crying out in pain from the sound loud enough to burst my eardrums.

Suddenly, it became quiet.

When I opened my eyes again, there was nothing left, as if a huge gust of wind had swept through.

An empty clearing.
Yong-yong burping.

A blue window popping up.

[Quest Clear!]
Your goodwill with the Forest residents has increased.

I stared at the blue window with a dumbfounded face, then looked at the chicks hiding behind my legs, and they were both unconscious.

Hugging the two unconscious chicks, I crawled back out through the passage, and the sun was setting.

It feels like I just went in.

While I was dusting myself off, Mellin unni appeared.

"Where have you been!?"
"I just solved the noise problem and came out."
"Huh? What do you mean?"

I told Mellin unni about the hidden passage location, and she was surprised and said she'd report it to the village.

When I said I'd tell the Elder about the noise problem, she guided me back to the village.

Come to think of it, Mellin unni seems fine?

"Are you okay, Mellin unni?"
"Once I fall asleep, I wouldn't wake up even if someone carried me away."

We arrived at the Elder's house, and I explained what happened today.

After hearing the story, the Elder thanked me.

"Thank you so much. We've been suffering so much from not being able to sleep."
"Noise from upstairs... I mean, noise problems are very stressful."
"We're a clan that lives quietly, so it was really hard for us."

The Elder even showed tears while thanking me.

Since it was late, they told me to stay in the village for the night, and Mellin unni guided me to the guest lodgings.

Entering the lodgings, there was a bed along with necessary items.

She closed the door and left, telling me to rest comfortably.
I lay down on the bed that looked hard, but it was more comfortable than I thought.
Suddenly, I recalled what happened earlier.

What could it have been, really?

*
*
*

"It's here, Elder."
"Thank you."

I guided the Elder to the place the traveler had shown us.

Was it because it was such a tiny hole that we couldn't find it until now?

The Elder summoned a spirit and sent it inside, and after a while, the spirit returned from a different place.

"There's an entrance over there."

Following the Elder towards the entrance, we discovered why we hadn't found it until now.

"It's a barrier."
"To think we didn't know there was a barrier all this time..."
"We could only find it because the caster has died. If they were still alive, we wouldn't have discovered it even now."

The Elder broke the barrier with their power, and following the passage inside, we found the clearing the traveler had mentioned.

Just as we were about to step into the clearing.

"Stop."
"What's wrong, Elder?"
"It's dangerous to go any further."

Hearing those words, I looked closely at the clearing and something seemed off.

The density of magical power was on a different level compared to other areas.

This is like the concentration when a dragon uses its breath.

And not just any dragon, but a Lord-class one at that.

How on earth did they come back alive from a place like this...?

We couldn't approach any further, so we stopped the search and returned to the village.

And the Elder called me quietly.

"Please give 'that' to the traveler."
"Are you sure?"
"Think of it as an investment for the future."
"I understand, Elder."

*
*
*

When I woke up in the morning and was tidying the bed, something felt missing.

What's missing? As I checked, I couldn't see the two chicks?
I looked at Yong-yong, and it tilted its head.

"You didn't eat them, right?"
"Kyuuung!?"
"I'm sorry for doubting you! I know you didn't, but snakes eat chicks too, you know?"
"Kyuuung!"
"I'm really sorry!"

It got angry, saying it only eats magic stones, but since it was my fault, I was forgiven on the condition of giving twice as many magic stones as usual.

By the way, it told me that the two chicks left at dawn.

After Yong-yong finished its meal, I opened the door and went out, and Mellin unni was waiting in front of the door.

"Have you been waiting until I woke up!?"
"No, that's not it. I just got here."
"That's a relief."
"Three hours ago."
"That's not 'just'!?"

As I stared at her with a dumbfounded look, she chuckled and handed me a box.

When I asked what it was, Mellin unni told me to open it.

I opened the box, and inside was a tiny seed.

«Seed of ???»
I don't know what it is.

I feel like I've received something like this before?

I asked what it was, but she didn't answer.

With an ambiguous answer that I'd know when the time comes, she said she'd guide me out of the village.

Following Mellin unni towards the village exit, I saw other elves, and they all looked refreshed as if they had slept well for the first time in a long time.

Mellin unni, who guided me to the village exit, waved goodbye, so I waved back and headed towards the city.

On the way to the city.

I saw a familiar bear running from the distance.

"Groan!"
"Bear! I missed you so much!"
"Groan!"
"You're saying to keep my promise? O-okay."

I took out a magic stone from my inventory and gave it to the bear, but its expression...?

"Groan!"
"A bigger one!? I don't have any, you fool!"

This guy's quite picky.

It grumbled while eating the magic stone, then told me to ride on its back.

At least it's loyal.

"Groan!"
"You want two more when we arrive!? Are you a thief!?"
"Groan!"
"You're telling me to get off if I don't like it!? You really are a thief!"

We compromised on one, and it agreed to take me to the city.

It's quite comfortable if I think of it as a taxi.

It took half a day of exhausting walking to get here, but the return trip didn't take long at all.

Near the city, I gave it one magic stone, and the bear disappeared with it in its mouth.

It's quite precise with calculations.

As soon as I entered the city, I headed to the information guild to report.

I entered the general store and was guided by an employee to the request room, where Erica unni was waiting.

"Did our pretty one come back safely?"

[Quest Clear!]
Reward will be given.

I only received experience points, excluding the magic stones I got as an advance.

And I took out the item I received from the Forest residents.

"Do you know what this is?"
"Hm? Let me see."

As she examined the seed, her expression was unusual.

"You received this from the Forest Clan?"
"Yes."

After looking at it for a while, she handed it back to me.

"So what is it?"
"I don't know!"
"What!? Then why did you look at it so seriously!?"
"To look knowledgeable!"

She laughs and says how could she say she doesn't know right away when she has an image as the head of the information guild to maintain.

Just as I was about to return to the hotel.

"Are you interested in the black market?"
"The black market?"
"They also hold auctions."
"Auctions!?"

Finally, a back alley event has appeared!

A black market and auctions.

It smells a bit illegal, but how can I resist this!?

"I'll go!"
"Then take this."

«Black Market Ticket»
A ticket that allows entry to the black market.

"You can use both the black market and the auction with one ticket, so don't lose it."
"Thank you, Erica unni!"

I thanked Erica unni and went outside to check the schedule, and it's tomorrow.

With the gold I've saved up, I should be able to buy at least one decent item, right?

*
*
*

I was tapping the table in the request room. Tap. Tap.

I wonder what the Forest Clan was thinking when they gave it to her.

Well, when have those elves ever acted according to my thoughts?

It's the first time I've seen someone so interesting just by watching.

Moreover, judging by how interesting and event-prone she is, it seems I've grabbed the right string?

As the head of the information guild, I always need to eliminate stagnation and grab the right lifeline.

From my perspective, it's not just a lifeline, but a golden lifeline.

I organized the information while drinking a cup of sweet cocoa.

"Classify all information related to Yuna as confidential."
"Understood, Master."
"Make sure the bugs can't approach, please."

*
*
*

[Main scenario quest conditions have been met.]
[CHAPTER 1: Protect the World Tree.]
[Time remaining until invasion begins: 719 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]