SWNOVELXO Chapter 58
I stepped out of the room and walked down the corridor.
The girl quietly followed the Black Goat without saying a word.
As I passed through the corridor and went outside the hideout, an astonishing view unfolded.
Anyone seeing it for the first time couldn’t help but be mesmerized.
The black sun floating in the sky and the red sky looked so incredibly surreal.
Not to mention, the cries of monsters echoing from all directions.
This was no place for humans to inhabit.
Yet this was the hideout where the girl had been staying for the past six months.
They were living together inside a gate that not even she knew the name of.
The Black Goat stopped walking.
The girl, who was following behind, was the first to speak up with a question.
“Are we training today too?”
“Yeah. Let’s get started.”
That was all that was needed.
She already knew what needed to be done.
She had been consistent in her training for the past six months.
The girl nodded and replied, “Yes, teacher.”
The training was simple.
They just had to defeat the monsters inside the gate.
The duration was until the teacher said to stop. That was it.
When she first started training, the girl couldn’t handle it well.
She often returned empty-handed, failing to catch even a single monster.
However, as days passed, the girl gradually improved.
She learned how to use her abilities and began to grow stronger.
She managed to take down monsters that seemed impossible to defeat, and as time went on, it became easier.
Now, six months later, she had successfully defeated all the monsters that existed in this gate.
Only one remained.
Once she defeated the boss guarding the inner mana core, it would be over.
The girl picked up a stick that had fallen on the ground.
“Well then, I’ll be off.”
She bowed her head slightly in greeting and moved forward.
Unless she shattered the mana core, the monsters would regenerate over time.
So, the inside of the gate was the perfect training ground to hone practical skills.
The monsters, who had been waiting for an opportunity to attack since earlier, began to lurk in the shadows.
They had to seize the chance now that the absolute powerhouse, the Black Goat, was absent.
Yet the girl was not intimidated in the slightest.
It was only natural.
The monsters before her were not even a challenge, having been faced dozens of times before.
A horde of monsters charged forward with terrifying roars.
At the same time, brilliant light began to radiate from the girl’s body.
*
Two hours later.
The Black Goat sat on a rock, leisurely absorbed in wood carving.
One hand held a piece of wood, the other wielded a carving knife.
Through delicate work, what was once a blunt piece of wood gradually took on the shape of a vivid animal.
The completed wooden sheep was admired by the Black Goat through his mask.
He murmured quietly, “It’s time.”
Finally, was he getting to say goodbye to this dreadful scenery?
No matter how much he tried, he simply could not adapt to the sight of the black sun and red sky.
The sky should simply be blue with a bright shining sun.
At some point, the cries of the monsters became silent.
That only meant one thing.
The Black Goat waited calmly.
Soon, responding to his patience, a familiar sound of footsteps echoed from afar.
The girl’s figure began to appear over the horizon.
In her hand dangled the grotesque head of a monster.
The Black Goat rose from his seat and spoke.
“You defeated the boss.”
“Yes, teacher.”
Not a single scratch was visible on the girl’s body.
However, looking at her considerably tattered clothes, it likely wasn’t an easy battle.
She must have used her abilities.
Nevertheless, the important thing was that she had conquered the gate all on her own.
In other words, the girl had perfectly achieved the goal of her training.
“Good. The first test is over.”
Now, it was time to venture outside the gate.
“Is it only half a year until we go to the temple?”
He had no inkling of what kind of trouble might have occurred while he was away.
He only hoped that they had managed to stay quiet, as he had asked.
It wouldn’t be long before it was time to actively get involved.
The Black Goat shook off his thoughts and spoke to the girl.
“Go break the mana core and bring it back.”
“…”
However, the girl didn’t respond right away.
Instead, she hesitated, taking her time.
The Black Goat asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Um, teacher. Do we really have to close this place?”
“Is there a reason we need to keep it open?”
He was meticulous in every matter and would leave no trace behind, so there was almost no chance of being caught. Still, there was no reason to leave a place where they had lived for six months.
But it seemed the girl thought differently.
“This is our home. Of course, we might not need it once we leave… But still, is it really necessary to destroy it?”
Perhaps the girl had developed some attachment to this desolate environment.
After a moment of contemplation, the Black Goat nodded and replied.
“Alright. Then let’s set off right away.”
“Yes. …Thank you, teacher.”
“There’s no need to thank me for something trivial.”
The two began to walk toward the entrance of the gate.
As always, the Black Goat led the way, and the girl followed silently in his footsteps.
After receiving his permission, for some reason, the girl’s expression brightened significantly compared to before.
She even found herself humming a little tune without realizing it.
The Black Goat didn’t bother to point this out.
The two walked quietly under the red sky.
*
Of course, this wasn’t the first time stepping outside the gate.
The inside of the gate was not a suitable living environment for humans.
Lacking resources and facilities overwhelmingly, there was a need to periodically go outside.
Yet the girl felt strange about the world outside the gate.
A blue sky and radiant sunlight.
Even though she knew this was normal, it still struck her as magical each time she saw it.
So, she often found herself staring up at the sky in a daze.
“Teacher, shall we stop by the village?”
“Do you want to?”
“Well… I’m fine either way.”
Despite saying that, deep down she hoped they would go to the village.
Whenever she went to the village near the gate, she always felt excited.
Especially enjoying delicious food at a restaurant or buying snacks at the market, or even getting milk from a store…
The Black Goat spoke in a calm tone.
“Then let’s stop by.”
“Yes.”
The girl secretly smiled.
The village wasn’t large. It would actually be correct to describe it as quite small.
If there had been a larger city nearby, they would have built their hideout somewhere else.
A rural village surrounded by valleys.
The only public transportation was a round-trip bus that operated once a day.
The roads weren’t even well-paved, so cars could only access the entrance of the village.
In that village, the two outsiders attracted quite a bit of attention.
Of course, thanks to their frequent visits over the past six months, wariness had lessened considerably.
An old man who spotted them greeted them warmly.
“Ah, the heroic teachers! You’ve returned! Are you still holed up in the mountains training?”
“Yes.”
“Indeed. Haha! It’s such a relief knowing strong individuals are near the village.”
The old man didn’t suspect the Black Goat’s appearance at all.
Through the goat mask, an illusion spell made him appear as an ordinary man.
“Did you come to buy food again today?”
“No, today we just plan to eat and leave.”
“…That’s a bit disappointing. But it can’t be helped.”
Since the two usually consumed quite a bit in the village, the old man could only feel disappointed.
In fact, the first reason they were able to diminish the villagers’ wariness was due to their lavish spending.
The two headed to their usual restaurant.
As an appetizing aroma wafted from outside, the girl sniffed eagerly.
Upon opening the door and stepping in, the owner greeted them cheerfully.
“Ah, it’s been a while! Come on in!”
“Two servings of sundae soup, please.”
“Got it! Please sit and wait a moment!”
As the owner stepped into the kitchen, the girl whispered quietly.
“Do you think it’s okay not to mention that today is the last day?”
“Not really.”
“…Got it.”
The girl looked a bit disappointed.
However, that sentiment vanished the moment the ordered sundae soup came out.
“Enjoy your meal~.”
“Thank you.”
After transferring all the sundae to her plate, the girl slurped down the soup.
The Black Goat merely observed her silently.
“Do you really have to eat it that way?”
“But I don’t like sundae.”
“You could have just ordered it without.”
“No way! That changes the taste. You have to eat it like this.”
The Black Goat didn’t pry further.
Regardless, the girl was thoroughly satisfied with her sundae-less sundae soup, and she was able to enjoy her last meal out.
Without informing the villagers, the two quietly left the village.
On the way to the temple.
The girl harbored some expectations.
Having heard from her teacher occasionally, she had built up some fantasies about the temple with its comrades.
What kind of place could it be?
What kind of people would be there?
As she anticipated, when they finally arrived at the temple.
The girl’s heart was instantly betrayed.
Bang!
Crack!
Whoosh!
Boom!
Amid sounds as if a natural disaster had struck.
The temple was on the brink of destruction, burning and crumbling from the earthquake.
“Let’s settle this here! You little lizard!!”
“The sea I desire. You foolish, muscle-brained cat!”