The blinding flash or spectacular explosion never reached my eyes. That was to be expected. Such phenomena only follow when there's something to explode.
What could possibly be beneath this groundwater-filled foundation that would cause an explosion?
-Rumble rumble rumble...!!
But there was vibration. The shockwave following a massive destruction was now filling the cavity beneath this ground.
Ivan turned around, still gripping his axe.
"...!!!!"
Elfihera was shouting something, her face a cocktail of terror, rage, and bewilderment.
Ah, audio blocking.
But he had no intention of removing it. Though there was no explosion, the blast itself would be reverberating throughout this cavity. Noise beyond a certain threshold disrupts concentration.
"Cast a protection spell."
Ivan spoke clearly to the elf before resuming his stance.
Rumble rumble rumble, the earth groaned deeply. Crackling fissures appeared in the ground beneath his feet.
"It's about to collapse."
"...!!! ...!?!"
He was someone who had learned lip reading. He could tell at a glance that the elf was desperately spewing profanities.
His concern was whether she knew how to cast a protection spell, so anything beyond that wasn't worth his attention.
He stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Elfihera's waist.
"!!!?!"
Was this your plan all along?! Rapist!! You ordinary human!
He wasn't sure what the last word meant, but it was probably some elvish insult.
"Protection spell."
Ivan answered briefly, then,
"And don't close your eyes."
He threw himself toward the cliff below.
"If you see the flow of magic, don't lose sight of it. Do what you need to do. Everything else is my responsibility."
He wasn't sure how much impact a protection spell could withstand. Beolgrin's had been sturdy enough to block even one strike from the Seven Dragon Generals.
Even if it wasn't at that level, it should at least be able to block small pebbles hitting their bodies.
Believing this, Ivan looked up at the ceiling as he felt a strange floating sensation above the dark precipice.
-Rumble rumble rumble...!!
Another earthquake struck, and the epicenter that had been creating precarious cracks finally burst.
Soil and massive boulders began pouring down the cliff after them.
Don't close my eyes...?
Elfihera glared at this crazy old man-monkey (he was neither) while trying to wipe away her tears.
Wind battered her face. Her once-proud hair was now filthy with dirt and dust, slapping against her face with each gust.
Ugh, urgh!
It was hard even to breathe in this situation—the explosion echoing throughout the cave, the endless fall beneath her feet, the floating sensation. It was nearly miraculous that she had even managed to cast the protection spell.
There was no way she could muster any more concentration than that.
"How could I possibly do that?!"
Because no human with even a shred of knowledge about the mysteries and wisdom of magic would dare say such a thing. This stupid monkey...
-If you're even half as excellent as your father, your skill is already beyond question.
'Ah....'
This human claimed to have stood on the same battlefield as her father. Nothing in his shabby appearance inspired any confidence.
She had followed him here only because of the guarantee from the eldest son of the Eastvelpen viscounty.
It was obviously a lie, but she had agreed to it thinking she could at least set a political trap for the heir to the Privy Council. That was the extent of her resolve.
But seeing this situation, the thought that it might be a lie didn't even cross her mind.
Someone capable of stopping such destruction with their bare body would have been more than qualified to stand by her father's side during the last racial war.
Which meant...
'Your father would have easily accomplished something like this.'
That's what he meant. That he trusted in her abilities.
Just as she had trusted Oswald Eastvelpen's guarantee and followed.
This man was watching her, believing in the abilities of "Beolgrin Grikenkos's daughter."
'Father could have done it, Father could have...'
Elfihera struggled to keep her eyes open. Though the wind was mercilessly lashing at her face, she painfully raised her tear-filled eyes.
She was an elf.
An elf of the Kalion Archipelago, the most noble race in this world, and the most powerful race.
And among those elves, she was the daughter of Beolgrin, one of the greatest wizards since the mythic age.
Recalling what her father always used to say in her childhood.
-Magic is the study of turning fantasy into reality.
-Elfihera. Magic builds a stairway to heaven for mortals who tread the earth.
-So, establish your mental image.
"Heaven..."
Elfihera muttered, glaring at the high ceiling of the cavity where the sky should be.
Embracing magical power to reach the heavens.
"Earth..."
Standing on the red dust of the ground, yet with a straight heart. Therefore.
Human. Setting a mortal's mental image straight and taking one more step forward on the stairway of will toward the sky.
Heaven, Earth, Human. The Three Elements. The process of unifying the trinity of will is the foundation of magic created by Beolgrin.
"Kyaaaaaaah!!"
Just as she was visualizing the spell, a massive falling rock plunged toward her head.
She frantically twisted her body to avoid it, but it was futile. She was in the middle of a precipice. She was falling.
There wasn't even time to cast a levitation spell. The protection spell couldn't block a falling rock of that size!
She was going to die.
Intense fear clouded her vision. The mental image she had struggled to form while gathering magical power scattered.
She could only sob in terror as she watched death approach.
And then.
-CRASH!!!
The axe blade cut through the air. With just that single strike, the boulder shattered into countless pebbles that scattered weakly in all directions.
She was still trembling with the fear that lingered in her body as pebbles rained down around her.
Then, a low and calm voice—so out of place in this situation, and therefore all the more clear—rang in her ear.
"Establish your mental image. Weave the magic, and find the magical power in this space."
"But, but how am I supposed to do that! I, I... I...!"
"Elfihera."
"Hic...?"
A firm hand was wrapped around her waist.
On her slender, nimble waist that could be fully embraced with one arm, firmly and steadfastly, as if to drive away the terror that made her whole body tremble.
Without realizing it, Elfihera was sobbing as she leaned against this warm body.
The voice continued. A low, husky, and gentle voice.
"Embrace fantasy and make it reality."
"That... saying..."
"Forget the thought of being Beolgrin's daughter. You are complete enough on your own, Elfihera. Look at yourself, and build your mental image upon the earth."
"You... you..."
"Everything else is not your role. Your safety, your life, your fear. Entrust all of that to me. That's my role. You just need to do what you can do."
That's all I expect from you.
Everything else is my responsibility.
In her shaking vision, only those fiercely burning blue eyes were looking straight at her.
"Just as I believe in you, you should also believe in me. As Beolgrin did. I have never failed in my duties, even in front of your father."
"Y-your name... at least your name."
Somehow, Elfihera felt that even in this situation, she would feel reassured if she could at least hear this man's name.
Ivan turned his gaze indifferently. Striking away another falling rock, he whispered softly.
"Ivan."
"...That's a really uncreative alias, you know."
"I know."
"Humans..."
Ivan is the most common name in Krasilov. From peasants to nobles, it's such a common name—even outdated now—that even serf families wouldn't give it to their children.
But that was enough. Elfihera smiled with relief.
Entrusting even her life, simply believing.
All I need to do is find a single strand of magical power.
It's not difficult. If even this is difficult, the name of Beolgrin—no, the name of elves—would weep.
Elfihera. Flower of the fairies. If she had received such a name from the greatest man in Kalion, she had to prove herself worthy.
She weaves magical power.
Establishing her mental image, building a stairway to heaven.
Feet on the ground, rising will, toward the great heavens.
The source of magic's mystery is always the sky. Seeking the ancient wisdom that lies beyond that sky.
Weaving magical power to see the principles of the world.
Forming the fantasies, vague imaginations, and mental images of mortals at her fingertips and shaping them into reality.
"I... can see it!!"
"Where?"
"Ahead, straight ahead...!"
"Where straight ahead."
"The entire front!! Right in front of my eyes!!"
-Whoooosh....
A powerful gust felt even as they fell. The great waves and fantastical winds revealed by the magical power tousled her thoughts.
How could she not have noticed this? No, that's not it.
This is the kind of magic that reveals itself only to those who can perceive it.
"My goodness... such scale... such intricacy...!!"
A blue magical curtain was rippling right in front of her.
Faced with this overwhelming spectacle, the complete opposite of the dark precipice, Elfihera stared blankly, forgetting even to blink.
"Excellent."
Ivan's voice briefly echoed above her head.
Soon, Ivan launched himself between the shattered rocks.
Elfihera, cradled in his arms, let out a shrill scream as she trembled at the approaching magical power.