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El Ragneil and Caranazion were continents cut off from each other by the natural wall created by the Great Vortex.
It was impossible to traverse through the Great Vortex by a boat or a ship. Its trajectories and currents were impossible to navigate, and neither was it possible to fly through its aerial expanse because of the constant, raging storm.
Even from a distance, Jiwoo could see the storm’s vigor. Just looking at the lightning flashing between the dark clouds, she knew that it was not a place that should normally be approached without any consideration.
Beyond Caranazion, the other continent, as well as the front of the storm, could not be seen.
Standing atop a cliff, Jiwoo admired the rumbling sky.
If she weren’t thinking she was jumping into it, the natural scenery wasn’t just scary, but it was even wonderful. Then she asked cautiously.
“Hey Helka. Can you really get past the Great Vortex?”
“Yes.”
Helkainis also answered with a short word and ended it like that.
They’re not going to commit suicide, right?
Looking at Jiwoo, who was still worried, Callandein spoke softly.
“This isn’t even the actual Great Vortex. It’s just a small storm that’s a product of it.”
“Just a small storm? This one?”
“Yes. This is also a fairly quiet period. I think that the Great Vortex will be difficult even for Helka.”
Lanceil, who was standing close to Jiwoo, also put a hand on her shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t worry too much. Helka brought us over here even with all the contamination on the land—he’s in a better condition now. And even if it becomes dangerous, I’ll protect you.”
Jiwoo looked around. A group of about thirty people were all looking this way as if they were relying on her completely.
When Jiwoo met their eyes one by one, everyone nodded and smiled brightly. It was quite a light smile when thinking that there’s a real possibility that their cherished Elandos could be cured.
She knew it even if they didn’t convey words. They’re telling her not to worry.
“Everyone’s ready!”
Tevon shouted from behind.
Behind him, another group was waiting. It seemed that they were going to go over together this time.
There were not as many of them as she thought, but the expressions were different. Most of them were looking forward to being able to return to their hometown, and some had a bitter or regretful look on their faces.
A few were even crying. Rather than crying just due to overflowing emotions, they looked very sad.
“Why are they crying?”
“Well…”
Enciertes answered Jiwoo’s question.
“It’s because they lost many comrades after they survived for a long time after coming to Caranazion. They must feel it’s a pity… It would have been nice if it had been a little earlier.”
“Ah…”
“The wizards who brought them here must have already died. They must have killed those wizards with their own hands.”
Helkainis carried the contamination of the land and came over here. Right before this group killed Helka as he had insisted, Jiwoo came to this group and he was able to survive. If they had met Jiwoo a little later, they would have been in the same situation as them.
When Jiwoo said that she could cure him, she even suffered from the group’s attitude, which became desperate even while harboring hostility towards outsiders. Enci said with a dark face.
“…We were lucky.”
What kind of weight were they carrying on their back to cross the continent? If they fail, they return to the land where they have struggled to achieve nothing and wait for the day they’d die. It felt like her shoulders were weighed down by a new sense of responsibility.
Jiwoo asked in a trembling voice.
“Then what if I fail?”
“It was a problem that had not been answered for a long time. Even if the cause was known, there was no solution. Perhaps staying in Caranazion for a longer period of time won’t make us come up with a solution.”
“But…”
Enci shook his head.
“It would be nice to just… die in my hometown.”
“…I see.”
Jiwoo glanced at the other group again. Unlike this group, who only showed unconditional liking for Jiwoo, to the other group, Jiwoo was just a mere outsider—one who they had no interest in or respect for in the first place. They would not hesitate to kill her if they’d cross paths.
Since the wizard named Helkainis was the one speaking, they seemed to believe it for now, but they didn’t seem to have high expectations in the first place. They seemed to accept the fact that they were going back to their hometown rather than that.
As Jiwoo was making a complicated expression, Helkainis called her name.
“Seo Jiwoo, please help me.”
“What? Do you need my help?”
Helka took off the black hood he always wore. The wind from the storm over the cliff blew his fine black hair.
Helka called Jiwoo and held his hand tightly. Gently stroking the back of his hand, Jiwoo smiled and joked as she looked blankly behind the storm for a while.
“Helka, did you just want to hold hands?”
“……”
No, maybe it was real.
Helka reached out in the air without saying a word. Following his graceful gesture, the storm dissipated in an instant. It looked as if a spoonful had been removed from the storm with a round spatula.
“Let’s go now.”
Helkainis stretched his feet over the cliff into the air. Jiwoo had walked through the air with him before, so she followed him fearlessly.
She seemed to be moving forward on foot, but she did not feel the hard ground beneath her feet. Like floating in water.
After walking for some time, with a gesture from Helkainis, the storm ahead was cut into another hemisphere. Despite the fact that it was a transfer that cuts through a huge storm, the essence was a fairly ignorant method.
“Are we going to keep walking like this?”
“Yes. You can rest now.”
Helka must have been concentrating on magic, but he let go of Jiwoo’s hand and even kissed her on the forehead.
“Now, come here.”
As Lanceil was following them, he pulled Jiwoo into his embrace and carried her. She was now used to this, and so she settled comfortably in his arms.
“It shouldn’t take too long since it’s accelerated. We’ll have to walk for a day or two.”
“Really?”
It was true. It seemed that they hadn’t walked too far, but it was far from the cliff she was standing on before. Like they had teleported in the blink of an eye.
“Yes. You can close your eyes. Helka blocked out all the sounds.”
Indeed. It was so quiet that she could hear the person next to her talking in the middle of a storm.
She saw the lightning that appeared from time to time from the strong winds and the large clouds colliding, and she watched as the turbulent seawater at the bottom flowed. There was no noise, and as she felt so safe beside them, it felt like she was looking at a wondrous painting from afar.
Tevon, who was walking beside her, said casually.
“When we came over to Caranazion, it was really noisy.”
“That’s how much Helka’s condition improved a lot.”
“You can still hear well, but it must have been more painful.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Callandein was usually very talkative, but he was unusually quiet today. While others exchanged small talk and a few short conversations, he only stared at the ground and was lost in thought.
Enciertes, who had been quietly following him, tilted his head to the side.
“We haven’t been there in a long time. I wonder if anything has changed? How was its last appearance?”
“Don’t talk to me. I’m busy.”
“Huh? What are you busy doing?”
Enci glared at Callan as he straightened his hair.
“I’m the one who’ll plan the dress, the jewels, and the wedding itinerary. There’s got to be someone here who can help.”
“……”
So, Enci, the least helpful person in the field, kept his mouth shut. A smile came out of Callan’s pouting appearance as his ears tilted at an angle.
“Oh, Seo Jiwoo. You can talk to me. If there’s anything you want, just tell me. Alright?”
“Alright.”
Jiwoo giggled and glanced back. Another group followed safely along.
And, Caranazion was now far in the distance.
The other tribe, who had no attachments to Caranazion, only looked forward and walked away. But Jiwoo, as a human being, had lived here for quite some time, so she kept looking back. It seemed that a piece of her heart still lingered in Caranazion.
Through the storm that had lifted, came the last appearance of Caranazion.
She thought it was just a huge continent that restrained her, but it looked really small from a distance.
As Helkainis kept moving forward, the safe zone in the back was gradually taken away.
Caranazion’s appearance was again covered by a storm of seawater and whirlwinds.
Jiwoo closed her eyes.
And said goodbye.
Farewell, Caranazion.
Take care, Aleph Kaarbaude.