Three days after the investigation team’s meeting. Martina and the other members of the investigation team, under the protection of the First Knight Order, were actually witnessing the miasma pool.
“This is the miasma pool… I’ve never seen anything like it in my entire life,” one of the team members commented.
“Monsters are truly being created from it. What a strange sight,” another added.
“It doesn’t seem to be floating in the air, but rather connected to the ground. There may be some effect on the ground beneath it. Alternatively, the land’s geology could be what’s generating the miasma pool. There are also instances where the alteration of the soil can create special substances…” a researcher observed.
“There don’t seem to be any changes in the plants for now. We won’t know for sure without analyzing their composition,” another researcher remarked.
The researchers freely examined the miasma pool, each beginning their own analysis based on their expertise. Martina watched them from a short distance, intently staring at the miasma pool and tilting her head in thought.
“Martina?”
It was Lambert, who had noticed her unusual behavior.
“Did you notice something?” he asked.
“…Lord Lambert, have the plants and rocks around the miasma pool been moved at all?”
“Which plants and rocks are you referring to? The weeds growing nearby?” Lambert asked.
“Yes.”
“Some may have been moved naturally, but we haven’t intentionally moved anything,” Lambert replied.
Upon hearing Lambert’s answer, Martina fell silent with a serious expression. She observed the miasma pool from various angles, extending her hand in front of her face, as if measuring something.
“What is it?” Lambert asked.
“Lord Lambert… it’s possible the miasma pool is gradually expanding.”
Martina’s words echoed strongly, reaching the ears of everyone present. In the silence that followed, the only sounds heard were the cries of a monster that had appeared from the miasma pool and the sound of nearby knights swinging their swords.
When the monster perished and the area fell silent again, Martina slowly opened her mouth.
“…When I came here the other day, I observed the miasma pool from this position. At that time, the yellow flowers on the weeds visible over there did not touch the miasma pool, even when they swayed in the wind. But now, when the wind blows, the left petals of those flowers brush against the miasma pool. Also, the branch of the tree over there to the upper left is clearly getting closer to the miasma pool.”
Hearing this explanation, both the researchers and the knights were momentarily struck silent, shocked by the possibility of the miasma pool expanding. But just as much as this fact shocked them, they were equally stunned by Martina’s extraordinary ability.
“Martina… could it be that you not only remember what you read in books, but also everything you’ve seen?” Lambert asked cautiously.
“No, not everything I’ve seen. But if I focus on remembering something, I can recall it perfectly. I made sure to remember the miasma pool clearly, so I am certain that it has changed,” Martina replied.
Everyone, who had thought they understood the extent of Martina’s otherworldly abilities, were now even more astonished by the new revelation. The researchers spoke with voices filled with both admiration and disbelief.
“It’s really unbelievable.”
“Martina’s talent should be recorded for future generations.”
“That’s a truly enviable ability. Anyone involved in geological research would wish for such a skill. To be able to remember everything you see while traveling the world…”
“It’s amazing to be able to remember the shapes of plants without needing to draw them!”
Martina smiled at the praise, though there was a serious glint in her eyes. Seeing this, Lambert also grasped the gravity of the situation and turned the conversation back to the miasma pool.
“Can anyone make any guesses based on the fact that the miasma pool is expanding?”
“Well… if it’s expanding, then it must be growing, right? That means there could be some sort of energy source fueling it,” one researcher suggested.
“That’s a very plausible theory,” another researcher agreed. “If it’s growing by absorbing something, then removing the source might cause the miasma pool to disappear. However, we don’t know if the source is solid, liquid, or gas, or if it’s nearby or far away…”
With no immediate conclusions forthcoming, the group fell silent, only to be interrupted again by the appearance of another monster. This prompted everyone to turn their attention back to the miasma pool.
“Anyway, we need to eliminate it soon. If the miasma pool is growing, the monsters it spawns might also grow larger,” one of the knights observed.
“That’s definitely a possibility,” another knight agreed.
“Then let’s return to the investigation,” Lambert said.
The group spent about an hour continuing their investigation of the miasma pool. Several days later, they reached a consensus to try eliminating the miasma pool, marking the conclusion of their initial investigation.
