Once we got our hands on the mysterious metal plate, we decided to head back to the tower.

　When we got back to the chapel, we found that Solstice

Um, hold on a second.

　rustling sound

　He begins to fish through his own backpack.

　Eventually, he pulls out a thick bundle of paper from it.

　The girl's sister asks.

'What's that?'
Lectoris gave me a report on the divine script.

　The girl replies proudly.

(.........do you carry it around with you?)

　Does it weigh that much?

'I'd like to be able to study whenever I have the time~'

　Solstice is lighting a lantern while saying such things.

　Sa, as expected of a hardworking genius girl.

''Well.........''

　Then Solstice sits down on the floor and shines the lantern light on the mysterious metal plate and compares the engraved 'divine letters' to the report.

　Then he runs his brush across the blank paper, checking each letter one by one.

　The three of us watched in silence.

　........

　Shhhh, shhhh, shhhh.

　The only sound inside the chapel was the sound of the brush running with Solstice.

　Has it been about 15 minutes?

Phew.

　Eventually, Solstice exhaled heavily and wiped her forehead with her arm.

　We stared at his profile.

　I ask.

'Did you finish deciphering it?'
Yeah, I'm sorry.

　Solstice replied, laughing.

　Oh, great.

(That's Solstice!)

　I held my gaze.

Hmph, you can respect me~?

　The girl genius is holding her nose high.

　Iltimina and Kilt laughed at that.

'And what did it say?'

　Mr. Kilt asks.

'Oh, yeah. 'Just a minute,'

　Solstice was a little flustered and picked up the three sheets of paper she had deciphered.

　Flipping.

　As I flipped through it.

Those were the coordinates on this metal plate.

　I said.

(Coordinates?)

　Mr. Kilt's fingers indicated a triangular metal plate, confirming it.

'So this is like a treasure map?'
That's what I mean.

　The girl nodded.

But I don't know if there's any treasure in there.

　He added.

　And.

It says, 'From my mother's cradle, lead me northward to 7276, eastward to 3869, the ancient city forgotten.'

　He tells me that.

　But.

　My mother's cradle?

　A forgotten old city?

　You will guide me?

(What does that mean?)

　I nod my head.

　And, noticing this, Illtimina opens her mouth.

"'Mother's Cradle' would be this tower that would be a safe zone in this forest.

　Ah..........

''I don't know what the 'Forgotten Ancient City' is, but it's a destination. I think that's where 'lead me', which means take this metal plate with you.
Yeah, I see.

　So that's what it is.

　I'm convinced of that, and Iltimina-san smiles gently.　

　Although Solstice was taken aback by the fact that "You're not very perceptive, are you?

　Kirt-san shows me the numbered portion of the paper.

What are these numbers in units?
Pharoah, it's the distance unit used in the divine realm. I'll try to convert it to a maid now.

　Shh. Shh.

　Soltis runs his brush across the blank area of the paper.

　A formula is written, and

Hmmm, that's about 26,000 and 14,000 maids.

　And.

Over a straightaway, that would be about 30,000 meh, maybe less.

　I said.

　Thirty thousand maids, or 30 kilos.

(Thirty kilos through the depths...)

　If we were to travel through the forest, it's not a distance we can make a round trip in a day.

　For sure, there will be a battle with the Skeleton Kings at night, right?

''Hmm, 30,000...''

　Mr. Kilt also gives me a difficult look.

(Hmmm.)

　I thought for a moment and said.

"Do you want me to hold you all up and fly through the air?

　They look at me.

"Can you do it?
''I guess. Because the 'divine Armor' has been perfected and its performance has improved.
Okay.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

'Then let's trust Merle to try it that way.
Yes, sir.
Are you sure it's safe?

　Iltimina answered immediately, and Solstice looked a little uneasy.

(Hmm, let's do our best.)

　Get into the spirit of the mind.

　Then we climbed up to the watchtower once.

　Whoa ....

　The wind blew through the forest.

　I looked around at the great forest below me and checked my direction.

'The sun's over there, isn't it? The sun's over there, right? The time is about noon, so the north is that way.

　Solstice's little finger pointed to one side of the forest.

　We looked in that direction.

On the opposite side of the Toggle Cliffs, deeper into the forest, we could see nothing but the trees.

　We couldn't see anything from here except the trees.

(Is it a matter of angle?)

　Maybe as we get closer, we'll see something that will be our destination.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

'Alright then, let's get ready to go, shall we?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Okay.

　So we walked back to the chapel and carried our bags on our backs.

　Then we walked out of the tower and gathered at the top of the hill.

"Merle.
Yes.

　Kirt-san told me to take out a rainbow-colored sphere - 'Divine Armor' - from my pocket.

''Coro, please.''

　paan

　In response to my wish, the iridescent sphere shatters into particles of light.

　It swirls around me, forming four large metal wings on this back.

(First, holding three of them...)

　Two wings spread out and wrapped around the three of them.　

'Oh?'
Well.
Hey, don't you dare touch me!

　Sa, I didn't touch it.

　Impatient with Solstice's words, he held the three of them with his rainbow-colored wings.

　Von.

　The two remaining wings unfold wide.

'Then let's go.'
"Mm.
Please.
Don't crash.

　I don't.

　I chuckle.

　Then I quickly tighten my expression and look up at the blue sky.

'Yup.'

　With a shout, he flapped his metal wings.

　Bafu.

　A cloud of dust rises and our figures float up into the sky.

(The direction is that way.)　

　He leaned his body in that direction, remembering his position from the watchtower, his iridescent wings glowing.

　Vo'on.

　And so our figures flew off into the distance of the forest.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　We flew over the forest, leaving a rainbow of afterglow in the blue sky.

　We've been flying for about an hour now.

　Since I'm holding the three of us on my wings, I've been keeping my speed low for safety's sake.

(.........but is it about time?)

　I think we've been flying for about thirty kilometers now.

　Right below me, the three of them, hugging their metal wings, are also running their gaze into the forest below.

　And.

Is it...?

　Suddenly, Illtimina muttered.

'I see something in the forest over there.

　As he said this, he extended a white finger.

　We stared at it too.

(Ah.)

　It's true.

　I'm seeing something gray in the trees of the forest.

(It's a stone building.)

　But its outer walls are crumbling and tree branches are passing through the building.

　It looks like an abandoned building.

　And.

'Wait!　There's another one there.

　Solstice spoke up.

(What...?)

　If you follow the destination indicated by the girl's little fingers, you can see that, indeed, there was a gray structure there as well.

　No, that's not all.

　If you stopped in the air and looked around, there were several similar objects hidden among the trees in the forest throughout this area.

　What is this...?

Looks like a ruined ancient city.

　Kirt-san said in surprise as he rolled his golden eyes.

(...............In the middle of a forest like this, there was a city?

　I'm speechless.

　The other three just stare at the city below them, too.

"..........
..........
..........
..........

　We were stunned for a while by the blue sky.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　Eventually we landed on the roof of the largest building we could see.

　Von.

　The four wings are turned into particles of light and returned to a rainbow-colored sphere.

(Thanks, Coro.)

　He thanked her and tucked it away in his pocket.

　Solstice approached the edge of the roof and looked around at the sprawling ruined city.

'I can't believe it.... It's the great ruins of an undiscovered ancient Thanatos magic dynasty!　This is a huge, huge find!

　He sounds excited.

　Mr. Illtimina murmurs calmly.

'Is this the place the metal plate was indicating?'
Probably.

　Mr. Kilt nodded.

　There was a large hole in the roof of the building.

　It was easy to imagine that the branches of trees from the Aldoria Great Forest and Deep Forest were growing out of that hole, and even the inside of the building had been invaded by vegetation.

　This is now an ancient city that has been swallowed up by the forest more than halfway through.

(............)

　What is it?

　I feel a strange, hot feeling in my chest.

　It's a sensation that's coming from somewhere else, not here.

　Jarry.

　My feet naturally moved on the roof.

'Merle?'

　Noticing me walking suddenly, Illtimina-san calls out to me.

　I said.

'Something's calling me.'
What?
What?
What do you mean?

　The three of them look dubious.

　I shake my head.

"I don't know. But I have to go.

　I answer, buoyed by the heat, and move through the branches that reach the roof to another building.

　In a hurry, the three of them come after me.

'Hey, hey, Merle?'

　Solstice calls out to me.

　But I don't answer.

　I just focus on the heat being delivered to my chest, trying to feel the source of it.

　Thump, thump.

　We walked over the rubble steps, across a bridge of tree branches, and through the ancient city.

　The three of them followed me as I followed.

Shouldn't you stop?
Mmm....

　Solstice asks, and Mr. Kilt lets out a distressed voice.

　But.

We'll just have to trust Merle in here.

　Iltimina said that in a voice that had no hesitation.

(Thank you, Iltimina.)

　I thank him in my heart.

　And so the four of us continue on through the ancient city.

　Eventually.

In here.

　We arrived in front of an old temple-like building.

　A heavy door with a tangle of tree branches and ancient patterns was closed.

'.............'
..........
..........

　I stepped forward as the three of them watched.

　With a small hand, I touched the door.

　And with that small impact, the stone wall supporting the huge door collapsed, as if some kind of balance had been lost.

　Rattle, gaggle.

　Debris fell and a cloud of dust danced in the air.

　When the dust cloud settled, the door on one side was crawling at an angle, leaving a gap just wide enough for a single person to pass through.

　...as if we were invited in.

Let's go.

　Without turning around, I told the three of them, and I walked into that temple.