Once again, the trail to Claudia-san’s whereabouts has vanished.
—But this situation was already factored into my plans.
I had anticipated the possibility of being unable to reach her and prepared my next move accordingly.
This was, in fact, the true purpose of my coming here. While the distance from Driessen Town made it difficult, now that we’ve come this far, it should be manageable—or so I hope.
「Please…」
I pulled out the Tree God Sword and, as usual, plunged its tip into the ground.
「W-What are you doing?」
「This is his way.」
Gien-san looked puzzled, but Lawrence-san, who understood the Tree God Sword’s power, explained.
Despite his outward demeanor, I could sense that Lawrence-san genuinely trusted and understood me, which was reassuring.
For Lawrence-san, Claudia-san seemed to be even more important than we had imagined, so we absolutely needed to pinpoint her location.
The tip of the Tree God Sword extended countless roots underground, spreading out and exploring the surroundings.
A wide-area search.
This was another of the Tree God Sword’s hidden abilities.
…Still, hasn’t it grown even stronger than before?
I’m grateful, of course, but its heightened responsiveness is almost unsettling.
After a while, one of the roots caught something.
「—It seems we’ve found her. She’s heading west from here. The distance isn’t far, so with Simone’s flight speed, we should catch up to her quickly.」
「R-Really?!」
「As expected of Bale-san!」
Cheers erupted from Lawrence-san and Charlotte. Even Martina and the others looked relieved now that Claudia-san’s location had been determined.
—However, there was something bothering me.
The presence detected by the Tree God Sword… wasn’t alone.
It didn’t seem like an enemy, but who was with her?
I reported this to everyone, but when Kiara carelessly muttered, 「Could it be that person is also trying to elope with her?」 it caused Lawrence-san to lose his composure, delaying our departure slightly.
Still, that possibility seemed the most plausible.
For now, we head toward her.
Leave a Reply