[Eden v1] Chapter 2: The person whom the girl is waiting for (1)

Here's part 1 of Chapter 2. Part 2 is freaking long, so it will probably take me days, maybe even over a week before I can be done with that.

We have the introduction of a few characters in this chapter. One of them is Meimel, a Priestess. Her full name is Meimel in Carnation. It may be a little confusing to some due to the 'in', so I'll just highlight it now. Also, Run is Meimel's Sennenshi. Both of them have confusing English names.

The other is Syun-rei, probably my second most favorite character in the series up till volume 3.

Also, I've found the 'true' spelling of the floating continent. Instead of Ouvie Kurea as coined out by Drkmerc, it is actually Orbie Clar. As such, I've made the necessary changes to the text.

With all that said, enjoy.
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Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>, two hundred and eighty seventh story-

*Ka*...... A strong and firm footstep rang through the passageway.

"Northern side of nature sector, Park Number Four? That is no more than ten kilometers away from the Third Living Sector."

"............ Mmm."

"There has been a lot more reports on Yuugenshu breaching Hyouketsu Kyoukai recently."

"............ Sorry, Leon."

The rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly stopped.

"There is no need for Syun-rei to apologize, since I am existing for that very reason."

Swaying his pure white coat, the teenage boy named 'Leon' turned backwards.

Soft yet determined. The teenage boy of these two traits has a handsome face that makes both males and females turn back to take another look at him.

His stout figure is coupled with a height of over hundred and eighty centimeters tall. There is no excessive fat or flab to be seen on his well-trained body. The figure of his makes one think of a well forged blade.

"The floating continent will not be able to survive without the Priestesses or the Queen. So please be more confident of yourself, Syun-rei."

"............ Mmm."

After giving a wry smile to the black-haired girl who was sticking tightly to his back, the silver-haired boy took a turn at the passageway, while regulating his pace to match that of the girl's.

"In any case, let us report that to the other Priestesses. Who is currently around?"

"............ Ymy and Meimel."

"Run should be informing Meimel about it, so we are left with Ymy huh- hmm?"

Leon stopped walking. The teenage girl, who had been hiding behind him all these while, had suddenly tugged the sides of his coat. That is her habit, which means she has something to say.

"............ Ymy is currently training. She is at the Training Level at two hundred and seventy sixth-story...... it should be done soon."

"Is that so. Then it can't be helped. We shall just wait until then."

—Strange?

While sticking tightly to Leon's back, the girl named 'Syun-rei' was bewildered.

The teenage boy, who is her personal guardian, is one of the best swordsman of the floating continent, as well as the most well known training fanatic. She had originally thought that he will be sweating it out in his personal training room, until Ymy's training is over.

"I will have to inform Ymy such an important news as quickly as possible...... I'll just go to the training room later."

Leon gave a sigh. Perhaps he was thinking about the same thing.

The place he was heading to was not the elevator of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>, but the spiral staircase for emergency use. It was probably so that he can more or less exercise his body by climbing the stairs.

"Syun-rei, do you want to take the elevator instead?"

Upon facing that question from Leon, Syun-rei considered for a moment. No, she had pretended to consider.

Her answer had been decided all along.

"............ I'll be with Leon."

In a rare sight, Syun-rei went to his front, and showed a light smile - the two of them are inseparable. That's right, that is the relationship between her and him.

The five Priestesses who entrust their lives and their everything to their guardians, so that they can focus on praying.

And the strongest guards that put their lives on the line to protect all these, the Sennenshi.

Priestess Syun-rei, and her guardian, Sennenshi Leon.

Along with the neat pacing and sound of footsteps, the two of them walked down the spiraling stairs of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> together.

***

A world of ice.

At a temperature tens of degrees below zero, where all time of life stops. Without any need of special machines, the temperature was maintained purely by the azure ice which filled the room.

A silent space, where even air would not flow.

"It has been thirty-six hours since the activation of the barrier. The training ends here.

It has been hard on you, Priestess Ymy Ele Soufflenictole."

A mechanical voice came from the ceiling that gave off a blinding light.

*...... kra...... pra...... kura......*

The azure ice which filled the room began to crack.

A hair-like crack of merely a few millimeters. It gradually widened. Initially, it was just on the surface of the azure ice, but it spread into the interiors of the ice as well-

The huge azure ice, which covered over an astonishing area of thousands of square meters, cracked open. The small pieces of ice that flew into the air became smaller and smaller.

*Pacha*

On the leftover waters on the ground, stood a girl with light-golden hair, that is close to a full brilliance of real gold.

"............. Fu......"

She looked into the ceiling, extended her arms out wide, and took a deep breath.

Her body had been frozen for thirty six consecutive hours. In that frozen state, the body stops breathing as well, and it will not breathe if one does not do so deliberately.

After a few repeated breaths, she inhaled in yet another deep breath.

"Co...... Colddddddd!!"

Hugging onto her wet naked body, Ymy cried out.

"So cold...... I am...... nearly....... frozen!"

The barriers of ice that were created out of the shinryoku from her body.

For a barrier spell that locks down 'Yuugenshu', even if it is of a simplified form for training purposes, it still brings about a huge burden on the physical and mental state of the caster.

"....... It feels so terrible every single time."

The body's shivering had not stopped.

With her pale white lips, she quickly walked into the showering room, which was separated by a door.

Upon opening the door, the scent of body soap, together with the warm mist of water, brushed past her hair. At the same time, waters of moderate temperature began falling down from the shower head on the ceiling.

*Shaaaaaa*...... The sounds of the water spray, similar to that of a rain, were comforting to the ears.

Ymy closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of her ice-cold body gradually regaining its warmth.

—Sheltis.

—How are you right now?

Are you living fine in the living sector? Do you still train your sword-play everyday, like you did two years ago? Or have you been living the life of a commoner ever since you had been exiled from Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>?

"But...... What was I doing? I was actually thinking of things like these during such an important training."

She shook her head, and picked up a bunch of her dripping wet hair, then stared into the misty, shiny gold hair for a long while-

"Fufu- It feels different to shower in the day-"

A door at the end of the changing room slowly opened.

"...... This lazy voice, is it Meimel?"

She stopped her showering and turned her body. In front of her, stood a beautiful tall lady.

Her emerald green hair cascaded down past her back like a bunch of fine threads. Her grey eyes that were looking at Ymy were filled with gentleness as well.

"I am still showering."

"Ara ara- isn't that Ymy? Sorry- it seems like I have entered the wrong showering room or something—?"

A woman whose slender figure was paired with a light-colored ceremonial robe - Meimel. Similar to Ymy, she is one of the five Priestesses of the floating continent.

"...... Can you please enlighten me - this is my personal-use training level, my personal-use training room, and my personal-use showering room. So how exactly did you manage to get to the wrong place?"

"Don't say it like that. As your senior Priestess, I do hope to share the troubles that my juniors are facing - isn't it better to chose a place like this where we will not be interrupted by someone else, when we are talking about your private matters?"

"Sharing my troubles?"

Upon being asked by Ymy, the senior Priestess gave a know-it-all smile,

"It seems like you are still not too used to barrier-type spells yet - your body was nearly frozen by a mere thirty-six hours of training, right?"

"...... I have always been working hard."

"Well- actually, that is what I am most curious in."

Meimel touched her beautifully shaped chin with her fingertips, and did a pose suggesting that she was deep in thought.

"In actual battles - during the times when you were really supporting Hyouketsu Kyoukai, Ymy had actually performed really well. So why is it only during your training, do your art of Hyouketsu Kyoukai become rough, and you burn a lot of physical energy?"

...... Ymy could not rebut.

Meimel in Carnation is the second Priestess in ranking. Being the Priestess most well-versed in barrier arts out of the five Priestesses, she could naturally see past all that in a single glance.

"The key to the barrier-type spells lies in being in a peaceful state of mind. You will have to suppress your inner feelings, and maintain a quiet state that surpass that of a plant or a rock. However, it seems like Ymy is distracted during training."

"N...... Nothing of that sort!"

Ymy shook her head in a hurry, and wiped away the face of the teenage boy from her mind.

Maybe that was really how it was. Despite it not being obvious, she did suddenly think of that boy during her training from time to time...... She was troubled by a confusing feeling.

—Sheltis, do you still remember the reason of me being a Priestess?

—It is because you had always been by my side, that I am able to hold on until now.

"In...... In any case, I am fine! In the real situations, I'll put in my all!"

"Mmm...... I guess. As of now, there had been no problems regarding your concentration during actual combat."

After shifting her white fingers away from her chin, Meimel said yet again,

"Alright, let us not talk about that. I say, Ymy. Recently-"

Upon being stared at by Meimel who was putting on a strange smile, Ymy could not help but to take a step back.

"Wh...... What?"

In actual fact, she had noticed that Meimel had been eyeing her body for quite a while now. The look from her eyes seems suspicious, or rather, lewd-

"Fufu, compared to the barrier-type spells, your development in 'that area' is much more significant-"

"...... Wait...... Wait a second, where are you looking at!"

She covered her breasts in a hurry, but the Priestess in front of her just seemed to get happier.

"What's wrong with that? Syun-rei had said that Ymy's body has been developing really fast recently, and she is rather envious about it."

"Syun-rei will not say things like that!"

Ymy stopped drying her hair with her towel for a moment, and felt a sense of helplessness.

...... Sigh- She is actually a really beautiful girl, if only she will shut her mouth and stop talking.

She has a gentle and charming face, as well as a slender and well-toned body. Her powers as a Priestess is rather exceptional as well. If she were to stand there and to remain quiet, she will be an absolute beauty. Just that she will be like that, once she opens her mouth.

"Well, do you have anything else?"

"Mhmm- Syun-rei was waiting for you outside of this room. She had went back to her room, after waiting for quite a while. It seemed to be something important, so you better hurry over."

Ymy had no idea how to reply.

The Priestess in front of her does have a rather strange personality, but she has always spare a thought for others, without them knowing - just like now. However, no matter what, she should not have chosen to barge in at time when one is bathing.

"What's wrong?"

"No, nothing."

Ymy turned her head to a side, then walked into the changing room that Meimel was in. After putting on her robe in a flash, she once again turned towards the senior Priestess behind her.

"See you Ymy. Well then, I shall take a shower too-"

"That's fine, but please use the shower room at your own level."

After chasing away Meimel who was about to remove her clothes, Ymy locked the door securely.