"Because Antares is not a monster that can be defeated by the strength of adventurers alone," Hermes spoke softly, "The key to subjugating it lies in the divine weapon, Spear of Artemis."
Everyone walked out of the room and arrived at the high platform of Babel Tower.
"So in the end, was it you who pulled out that spear, Shirou?", Riveria asked softly.
"Yes," Emiya nodded and reached out to lightly grasp the silver-white spear hanging behind him.
Hedin glanced at him, "Antares requires the power of that spear to be killed, so in battle against it, you need to land the final blow."
The dark elf Hogni walked past him, "Warrior bearing the flames of destiny, the chaotic fate has already gathered in your palm. We shall tear apart the black clouds of the void and open for you the eternal gate to the sanctuary."
Emiya: "…Excuse me, what does that mean?"
Hedin translated: "What he means is, 'Young hero, we will open the path to victory for you.'"
"Oh… um, anyway, thank you," Emiya thanked Hogni, but the dark elf only averted his gaze with a face full of cold indifference.
"Don't be nervous, boy," Friana said, "If you can't control that spear when the time comes, just use our magic to forcibly fire it."
She walked behind Emiya and reached out to rub the boy's red hair: "Don't treat this as some heavy responsibility, just see it as a normal adventurer's commission."
However, while she was speaking like a reliable adult, her height, significantly shorter than Emiya's, forced her to quietly stand on her tiptoes just to properly ruffle his hair. Seeing this scene from behind, Ryuu couldn't help but smile.
The young and somewhat naive Ryuu had no knowledge of the true identity of this "Thousand-Year Sage Staff." She also failed to notice the immense magical power deliberately controlled within the Friana, instead mistaking her for a younger fellow elf.
This laid the groundwork for the intense special training Ryuu would undergo in the following days.
Riveria also nodded, "Ultimately, a mission like this should never have been placed on the shoulders of a child like you. These troublesome matters should have been our responsibility as adults."
As she spoke, she shot Hermes a warning look, making the Traveler God let out an awkward chuckle.
Emiya: "Speaking of which, how exactly are we traveling to the Great Tree Sea? Why aren't we using Orario's city gates? Instead, we're here…"
Hermes: "Because there's a faster mode of transportation… here it comes!"
"I am… GANESHA!"
Accompanied by hearty laughter, the male god descended from the sky, landing precisely on the high platform. Following him were several flying dragons.
"These flying dragons have been raised by the Ganesha Familia since they hatched from their eggs, so anyone can ride them with ease."
Ganesha gave a thumbs-up, "Feel free to use them."
Hedin: "Six in total, huh? Not enough for each person to have one."
Emiya and the five elves, along with Hermes and Artemis, made for a total of eight people.
Ganesha: "Apologies, at the moment, this is all we can deploy. However, two of them are very strong, so carrying two people each won't affect their speed."
Indeed, two of the dragons were noticeably larger than the others, with dual saddles designed for two riders.
"I shall ride with 'Orion'… with 'Emiya-kun.'"
"I will ride with Shirou."
The goddess and the elven girl spoke at the same time.
"I should be the one to teach Emiya how to use the goddess' spear," Artemis stated.
"If we ride together on the same dragon, I can protect Shirou," Ryuu refused to back down.
"Goddess, when you said that just now, your body shrank back slightly, and you instinctively avoided my gaze… That was a lie, wasn't it? The use of that spear doesn't actually require any guidance at all,".The useless elf radiated an astonishing aura.
It was clear that Artemis was not skilled at lying; her physical reactions were so obvious that even the useless elf could see through her.
"Ugh… but I…"
"Enough arguing. The elven girl will ride with me,".Friana spoke up, "As for the boy… Lady Riveria, you are the strongest among us. You should ride with him."
Riveria, who had been watching Ryuu and the goddess argue, "Huh? Me?"
"If not… then Hedin, you ride with the boy."
"No, of course I can," Riveria responded reflexively.
At the same time, Hedin had already taken a step forward and spoken proactively, "No problem, I will protect him well."
Whether out of personal intent or the goddess' wishes, Hedin didn't mind spending more time with the boy.
"I'll do it instead," Riveria took a slight step to the left, blocking Hedin's way.
The reason for doing so was simple. Maintaining a good relationship with Shirou Emiya, the "Sword King" who could forge mythological swords, was a strategic priority for the Loki Familia.
[Gale] had instantly slain the high-level adventurer [Man Killer] with a sword forged by him. [Pristine Garden] had transformed from a fragile magic swordsman into the Familia's most durable Level 5 simply by wielding one of his blades.
It was hard to imagine what the monstrous members of the Freya Familia would become if they got their hands on his weapons.
'No matter what, we cannot let him drift toward the Freya Familia.'
'Yes, this is for the Loki Familia's sake,' Riveria told herself this.
Seeing himself blocked by the Elven Princess, Hedin did not insist further. He merely gazed at Emiya with deep, unreadable eyes.
With the team assignments finalized, Hermes called out: "Depart! Destination—The Great Tree Sea!"
"Asfi and the others are probably getting impatient. We need to hurry."
The flying dragons soared through the sky, the wind howling, cool air brushing past their faces.
Shirou Emiya sat at the front of the dragon, gripping the reins with both hands, his body slightly leaning forward, feeling the powerful flaps of the dragon's wings. From his stable posture, it was clear that the height and speed were not affecting him much.
Riveria sat behind him, resting her right hand lightly on the boy's shoulder to prevent any sudden dragon movements from causing him to lose balance. Her gaze occasionally swept over Emiya's back as she pondered how to start a conversation.
"Are you getting used to riding a dragon?", Riveria asked.
Shirou's voice was calm, "It's fine. Although it's my first time, it's not hard to control."
Riveria nodded slightly, relaxing a little.
She had been worried that someone of his age might be afraid of flying dragons, but Emiya's composure put her at ease.
She lightly patted his shoulder, signaling him to relax.
"Alicia really likes the sword you forged," Riveria remarked.
"I'm honored," Emiya replied softly, his tone earnest and sincere, "Alicia and I have fought side by side. Being able to help her makes me very happy."
As the dragons cut through the sky, the sunlight filtering through the clouds bathed them in golden light. Riveria felt the wind whisper past her ears and instinctively leaned in closer.
"Do you like… elves?", Riveria asked in a quiet voice.
Shirou's response was direct, "Yes, many of my important friends are elves."
Riviria changed the topic and began sharing her past adventure stories and experiences as an adventurer with Emiya.
Emiya listened attentively, occasionally asking questions at key points. Unknowingly, the distance between the two seemed to naturally close as they conversed.
The wyvern moved swiftly. Although its pure speed couldn't surpass a Level 6 adventurer, by flying over various terrains, it still saved a significant amount of time.
However, even so, reaching the Great Tree Sea on the other end of the horizon would still take at least half a month.
On the first night, after a full day of flying, the adventurers temporarily stopped at a small town in the mountains.
This town belonged to a small, little-known country. Due to its remote location, it had practically become the domain of a few native families who ruled over it.
It was a closed-off town completely different from the labyrinth city of Orario. One with little contact with gods, Familias, blessings, or adventurers.
When they landed here, a minor incident occurred. Simply put, a member of a local family coveted their group's wealth and the beauty of their goddess. Failing in an attempt at coercion, they later conspired with the inn at night to drug their food.
The adventurers' response was quite simple—violence.
At Hedin's command, Hogni, like a beast unleashed, resolved everything with an unstoppable storm-like force.
Not many people were actually killed, but the manner of their deaths was shocking. Instant steps across hundreds of meters, slashes too fast to see the black sword in his hand.
After swiftly dealing with the main culprits, the town mayor promptly stepped forward to apologize to the adventurers. Friana accepted their compensation on behalf of the group, bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.
These veteran adventurers handled such matters with great efficiency. Clearly, their long years of combat had honed skills beyond just fighting monsters.
However, this incident sparked a conflict between Goddess Artemis and Friana, the elf who held the dominant voice among them. The goddess believed the problem could have been resolved without killing, while Friana had an entirely different opinion.
"If we act now, only a few main culprits need to die to resolve the problem. The longer we delay, the more people will end up dead."
"Your leniency will only embolden them. If these people are allowed to incite and gather others to cause trouble, then in the end, I might have to erase the entire town with magic to put an end to it."
For some reason, Friana's attitude toward Goddess Artemis was particularly severe.
Hermes observed this and could only smirk inwardly.
'This mage must have noticed something.'
"Kindness without understanding will only lead to painful consequences."
"Life is precious. Precisely because of that, do not be so arrogant as to think you can bear the weight of all lives."
A god's pure goodwill, when applied to the lower world's beings, could instead bring about great calamity.
The Thousand Year Sage Staff left the goddess speechless, even making her look sorrowful, as if something had struck a deep pain within her heart.
What was most difficult for Goddess Artemis to accept was that no one present sided with her.
Neither the First-Class adventurers, nor the fellow god Hermes, nor even the youngest among them, Emiya. All agreed more with the Thousand Year Sage Staff than with her.
The first night was not a harmonious one between the goddess and the adventurers.
Watching the lonely and sorrowful figure of Goddess Artemis, Emiya felt a ripple in his heart. However, before he had the chance to dwell on it, an event occurred that left him with no time to think about such things.
Friana first turned to Hermes, "Lord Hermes, you didn't forget to bring the Unlocking Potion and Update Potion, did you?"
Hermes: "Ahem, the Update Potion is explicitly forbidden by the Guild…"
"So, did you bring it?"
Hermes: "I did~"
"Good. We travel during the day, but we won't let the nights go to waste."
Friana said, "Starting tonight, every night when we're not on the move, we'll conduct special training for the boy… Hedin, Hogni, I leave this to you. Time is tight, so go straight into real combat training."
Hedin lightly adjusted his glasses, "No problem."
Hogni: "…Understood."
Emiya: "Huh?"
'I have to fight the Black-and-White Knights? Are you serious?'
"Don't worry, kid, Princess Riviria and I both have healing magic."
The Thousand Year Sage Staff patted Emiya's shoulder, "Go all out. With our magic, even if you have just one breath left, we can bring you back."
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