The next day――

Sofia and I, along with Eina and Phili—and Richard, who controls monsters—gathered and began our journey to the Western Edge.

The monster Richard controls is shaped like a dragon. We’re traveling on its back, and it’s quite comfortable because it uses a barrier to block the wind. Plus, it’s incredibly fast, so at this rate, we should reach our destination in a few days, even with breaks along the way.

“Once the sword is made, will it finally be the final battle with the Demon King?”

Sofia spoke, and I nodded.

“Currently, the Demon King’s movements are restricted thanks to Garuku and the others… During this time, we have to do everything we can.”

“Even so, it means we can’t let our guard down until the very end, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

I replied, shifting my gaze to Phili. He was sitting, looking restless.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no. It’s just, I’m wondering if I should even be here.”

“Phili himself has experience defeating two of the Five Great Demons. I think you should be confident.”

“But that was only with everyone’s help.”

He’s so humble… Sofia and Eina are the same in that regard, too.

None of them, including Sofia, probably think they reached this point solely by their own power. Even as humans with the Sage’s Bloodline, there’s a limit to individual strength… That’s why they have such a strong will to train themselves further to defeat the Demon King.

“Lord Ruon, what should we do next?”

Sofia asked further.

“One of us three will wield the sword, but… what should we do after that?”

“There’s nothing but relentless training. At Sofia and the others’ current pace, if they train a certain amount from now on, they should reach a level where they can defeat the Demon King.”

The aftermath of defeating two of the Five Great Demons simultaneously accelerated the story’s progression. The monsters appearing in the Demon King’s Castle are undoubtedly the demons who were acting with the Demon King… In that case, it might be a bit difficult at this stage.

Even if I provide all the support I can, it’s the Demon King’s headquarters. I intend to prevent a situation where I can’t protect them, but it’s better to be fully prepared.

“I’ve asked King Kanan for his cooperation in creating the sword. Utilizing the material obtained from Corona, humans and spirits will combine their strength to create the sword… It will definitely be a power that can counter the Demon King, so the rest is up to Sofia and the others’ efforts.”

“We will strive to master it.”

Eina and Phili echoed Sofia’s words with similar expressions. I nodded in understanding and asked Richard.

“Let’s land somewhere suitable and rest for today.”

“Understood. At this rate, we’ll arrive soon enough.”

“Alright… and Garuku.”

“What is it?”

Young Garuku appeared on my shoulder.

“About Corona…”

“I didn’t interact with her much, so I can’t say a lot.”

“I agree.”

Lefin appeared beside Sofia and spoke.

“Corona herself kept her distance from other spirits.”

“Was there a reason?”

“Perhaps to protect the Sacred Tree… or rather, to avoid unnecessary contact and prevent any friction.”

Hmm, will the discussion be easy or difficult? Either way, we won’t know until we make contact.

“By the way, is she friendly?”

“I wonder… it’s hard to judge, but she’s certainly not aggressive.”

I’m relieved about that… but I don’t think we’ll end up fighting at this point.

I had various anxieties, but I decided not to think too deeply about it until we arrived.

A few days later, we reached Western Edge without any obstacles. The isolated island, separated from the continent by the sea, was covered in trees, like an ancient forest teeming with lush growth.

“It’s magnificent.”

Richard remarked, looking down from above. I agreed in my heart and spotted the coast.

“Richard, over there.”

“Understood.”

We began our descent. At the same time, I felt magic power seeping into my skin.

It was probably the power emitted by the Sacred Tree… a deep magic power that seemed to envelop everything. I had felt various magic powers firsthand before, but this one was different from all of them, with a presence that even felt motherly.

“It’s incredible…”

Sofia murmured. When we finally landed on the coast, we saw a path leading into the forest directly ahead.

“Richard, please wait here.”

“Understood. Be careful.”

Nodding at his words, I led Sofia and the others down to the coast.

As we approached the entrance, I could feel an even denser magic power. The path was somewhat obscured by trees, and there was little sunlight. I’ll need Light Magic.

“Alright, let’s go.”

After using illumination magic, I began to walk, leading the way. Sofia and the others followed behind, and we entered the forest, leaving Richard behind.

I could hear the rustling of leaves. Given the amount of magic power here, I would expect monsters to be around, but none appeared at all.

“It’s awfully eerie.”

Phili spoke. He had his hand on the hilt of his sword, but realizing there was no sign of monsters attacking, he slowly let go.

“Garuku, does Corona know about the situation on the continent?”

When I suddenly asked, Garuku appeared on my right shoulder and replied.

“She probably knows. The fact that no monsters have appeared might indicate a lack of hostility.”

“And the reason we’ve come here…”

“She probably doesn’t know that far. If Corona had dispatched duplicates or subordinates, the Spirits would have noticed.”

Then, perhaps she interprets our visit as coming to ask for cooperation in a battle.

Without a single battle in the forest, we continued to advance through it. We couldn’t be entirely unguarded, but since we understood there was no hostility, our pace was relatively quick.

Before long, we finally arrived at the island’s center. There, a particularly large tree stood.

It was huge, assimilated with the forest, but not overwhelming. However, it was definitely emitting a much denser magic power compared to the other trees—

“—You’ve finally arrived.”

At that moment, a voice spoke. Looking, I saw a young girl standing at the base of the great tree.

A woman in a white robe. She looked to be in her late teens. Her hair was a brilliant white, standing out remarkably in this place of natural green.

Should I describe her face as cute rather than beautiful? She had a peculiar charm, yet exuded a strong presence.

“I thought my turn was over since the big war ended.”

However, her tone was somewhat sharp… or rather, she gave off a somewhat haughty impression.

“Are you Corona?”

“Yes, I am.”

The Spirit—Corona—responded to Sofia’s question.

“To be honest, I don’t have a name… but if you’re going to call me that, I suppose I’ll go along with it.”

“—It’s been a long time, Corona.”

Then Garuku spoke. Corona’s eyes widened instantly.

“Oh, Garuku. What a cute appearance you have.”

“This is a duplicate. I’ve come to talk this time.”

“Hmm… but do you need my power?”

“Of course. It wouldn’t have been strange for Book to come sooner, but various circumstances aligned, making this the right time.”

“Oh, really? But since you’ve come at this stage, it seems like it might not be necessary.”

“Not at all. In fact, you will play a central role in this battle.”

“…Oh?”

Corona’s voice rose with interest. She seemed quite engaged, so it looked like she would easily agree to talk, but–

“I will explain the situation. Lord Ruon, may I speak of your matters as well?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“It seems you have complicated circumstances. I’m interested because I don’t have any information about you.”

“Then–“

Garuku began to explain to Corona.