"I want to test whether I have the qualities to beco a ’Knight’... I an a more precise test. You know, that’s my dream."
Sar’s voice was low, as if he was thinking of sothing. After hearing his words, Nike fell silent as well.
Dreams... everyone has them. But for the vast majority, that’s all they ever are: fanciful thoughts confined to sleep.
"Looks like we’re almost there, just up ahead."
Walking for an indeterminate amount of ti, Nike, who carried the torch, suddenly stopped.
In the flickering light of the fire, they both could vaguely see the deep, bottomless crater ahead.
The light from the torch wasn’t much help, making it impossible for them to discern the depth or the expanse of the hole. But if soone more knowledgeable were in their place, they would never dare to approach this pit.
A teor crater this close to Turingen City that had blasted such a large pit should have made a noise loud enough for the whole city to hear. But the reality was that, aside from Nike, who happened to see the fleeting streak of light, hardly anyone noticed the fallen fire teor.
"Hiss— Hey, Nike, you might really have found sothing incredible."
With a look of surprise, Sar lowered his voice instinctively, "There are actually Fallen Stars... I’ve heard that there could be sothing called a Star Core inside them. Even if there isn’t one, the shell could sell for a lot of money."
"Stop gawking, let’s go down and take a look."
Sticking their pitchfork into the ground, they began to carefully climb down the massive crater wall.
The soil around them was sowhat loose, not at all like the compact ground one would expect from the impact of a teorite, and on several occasions nearly made them tumble down.
However, after several hours of effort, they luckily reached close to the bottom of the pit without incident.
"Be careful... Damn, the torch is dying out."
Cursing as the light from the torch grew dimr, Nike threw it aside and continued on.
Fortunately, the weather was clear. By the Moon Light, they could barely make out each other’s whereabouts...
"— Damn it, move—!"
"Ah—"
With a misstep, Sar brought Nike down with him, and they both tumbled further downwards.
Thud—!
Along with a muffled sound, the two of them collided at the bottom of the pit.
"Hiss... I told you to be careful!"
"Of course I was careful; do you think I wanted to fall down? If you’d brought an extra torch, this wouldn’t have happened."
With stubborn retort, Sar struggled to stand. In the hazy Moon Light, he began to survey their surroundings.
It wasn’t as he expected; there was no giant teorite, nor any sense of heat. They were simply at the top of a purely earthy pit, as if it had been sliced down to form a conical hole.
There was nothing around them, except a bit further away there was a faint reflection...
"A gemstone?"
Nike excitedly exclaid, "Is that a gemstone from a star, fallen out? My God, so the stars really are made of gemstones, I thought that was just fanciful imagination from bedti stories!"
"Stop talking nonsense; those aren’t gemstones. Look carefully, they’re transparent!"
Sar walked closer. His vision was slightly better, so he could see a bit clearer.
It wasn’t so massive gemstone, but a thin layer of an oval crystalline substance. It appeared gemstone-like, but was actually slowly ’lting’.
Although he didn’t know what it was, Sar had an ominous premonition. A fire teor fallen from the sky, an illogical crater, fantasy-like and magnificent crystal—none of it seed normal.
Moreover, according to so ancient legends from the North... a star’s fall was no good on.
"Wait, there’s soone inside, do you see that?" Experience new stories on empire
Sar’s face suddenly changed as he shouted.
As they ca closer, illuminated by Moon Light, he could barely make out sothing beneath the crystalline layer, a humanoid figure.
It appeared to be a young man—perhaps a teenager, definitely not very old. He was handso, with skin unmarked by labor, draped in a silver-white robe. Gold patterns adorned the garnt, resplendent with nobility and refinent.
"A living person, great Goddess of Wisdom... Could what you saw not be a teor but a gravely injured... Nike, what are you doing?!"
"Clank—!"
The pitchfork struck the transparent crystal wall, and in the reflection of the Moon Light, Nike’s smile seed sowhat ferocious: "What else would I be doing, of course I’m opening it up!"
"I don’t care who he is, but now he’s my Spoils of War. Do you see these clothes? I’ve never seen such exquisitely made garnts, just a sleeve of it could be worth five—no, fifty Gold Coins (note 1)!"
"But—"
"No buts. Don’t you want to be a Knight? If this really is a powerful being who’s badly injured, your chance has co!"
Clank—
Another hit, and the crystalline layer began to crack. Nike seed encouraged, but Sar feared the crack wasn’t entirely his doing.
Regardless, they had co together, and if today’s deed were to be discovered, neither could escape... Gritting his teeth, Sar joined in the pounding, just like before, what if?
Clank—
Clank—
Clank—
...
With each strike, ti slowly passed, the sky began to brighten with Twilight, the crystal shell grew thinner, and cracks multiplied.
Reviews
All reviews (0)