The request this time was to help with the search for a certain ruin that the Sheep Horn clan had been leading the excavation work on.
Even though it was an ancient ruin, it appears that it was not a labyrinth-like place, but rather a ruin built by a completely unknown civilization – in other words, an architectural style that even the members of the Sheep Horn clan who had gone down that path had never seen before.
Apparently, the magical mechanisms that were used to preserve some ruins that had been working for hundreds of years have deteriorated and stopped working, and now, it appears that the ruins have collapsed due to the passage of many years. No artifacts have been found, and only three rooms filled with sand and dust have been discovered inside the ruins.
However, given the size of the ruins, it was said that it was highly unlikely that there were only three rooms inside.
In addition, it seemed that a mysterious magical force that could not be traced to its origin was being felt inside the ruins, and it was thought that there were probably still more rooms hidden deep inside, possibly due to some kind of magical influence.It sounded quite interesting. The fact that it was completely unknown was especially wonderful.
Besides, there would be no member of the Sheep Horn clan that wouldn’t be excited by this.
“Another long trip, Master?” (Emu)
“I guess so. I don’t know how long I’ll be away, but I think I’ll be gone for a while. Well, now that we have that airship, it’s a lot easier to get around than before, so that’s a big help.” (Eldogalia)
There was no particular problem with leaving Emu, who was still a child, on her own.
Although she was not the first disciple, she had been receiving instruction for a long time, so she was also at a level where she could handle the housework.
“I see.” (Emu)Eldogalia also got the hint from her apprentice, who sounded a little lonely.
Perhaps it was because of what they felt with that family.
It was not surprising.
Like Disciple #1, Emu also lost her parents when she was old enough to understand, and was taken in by Eldogalia.
There were not many children like that, but it was not uncommon either. Life in this world could be harsh.
When Layla was around, Emu could depend on her, but after she left, Emu put on a brave front and said, “I’m not a child anymore!” but there were many times when Eldoglia saw her looking lonely.
Unlike Disciple #1, who was aloof but good at keeping her distance from others, this child was not good at socializing.
Recently, she became friends with Illuna and the others, and had made some close friends, but until then, she had never really played with anyone.
It appears that she didn’t get along with the other children because she was smarter than them, but the children from Illuna’s family had thoroughly different values, so they were different in everything, including their way of thinking, and that was why Emu was able to get along well with them.
The loneliness she felt from Layla’s absence must have faded with time, but seeing that family today must have brought it all back.
Eldogalia smiled and spoke to her second apprentice.
“That’s right, Emu. It’s about time you went out on a field trip too. How about it? Would you like to come with me on this archaeological survey?” (Eldogalia)
“Is that okay?” (Emu)
“Yeah, it would be a bit early for other kids, but I think you’ll be able to make good use of it if you go now. In this kind of thing, experience is everything.” (Eldogalia)
“Yes, I’ll go! I want to go to the ruins!” (Emu)
Eldogalia continued speaking, smiling at her apprentice, who seemed to have suddenly shaken off her drowsiness and was nodding her head vigorously.
“I’ll be leaving the village at the latest by the end of the week, so you should be prepared for that too. I’ll contact the school for you, so make sure you’ve done any assignments you’ve been given by then.” (Eldogalia)
“Okay! I can’t stay like this, I have to get ready by doing all my boring homework right away!” (Emu)
“No, I think you should go to bed for today… Oh, she’s gone. Even that child is steadily being contaminated by our clan’s values… is it too late?” (Eldogalia)
Even if she was a child, she was still part of our clan.
As she was raised seeing us, it’s probably inevitable that she would grow up like this.
Thinking about the figure of Disciple #2, who would surely wake up feeling groggy tomorrow, Eldogalia couldn’t help but smile wryly, and then turned back to her desk.
