Chapter 28: The Canopy of Spirits

The next morning, Rowena and I were having breakfast in the dining hall of a waystation at the foot of the Adel Hills.

The tea, said to be a local specialty of the area, had a refreshing fragrance.

The sweet-and-tart berry tart served with it paired perfectly with the crisp pastry, and it was delicious.

After finishing our meal, we prepared to head toward the waterfall.

Although we had heard that the road was well maintained, we decided to hire a guide just to be safe.

“Oh, since it rained yesterday, you might see something rare if you’re lucky,”

said the kindly-looking older guide with a broad grin.

Just as he had said, the path to the waterfall was beautifully paved with stone.

As we walked, the guide occasionally explained about the unusual plants growing along the roadside and the animals that lived in these hills, mixing in jokes as he spoke.

Besides us, several other groups—families and travelers—were also heading toward the waterfall.

After walking for a while, a distant rumbling sound began to reach our ears.

Goooooo…

It was the tremendous roar of water, vibrating through the air.

The moment we passed through the trees and the view opened up, I involuntarily held my breath.

What lay before us was not a wall.

It was a gigantic curtain of water pouring down from the heavens.

Its height was not extraordinary.

But the waterfall stretched unbelievably wide.

From one end of my vision to the other, everything was a white, foaming cascade.

The heavy rainfall from yesterday had increased the volume of water, which now crashed against the rock face with overwhelming force.

Fine droplets of spray turned into mist, filling the entire area.

“What do you think, sir? Impressive, isn’t it?”

The guide began explaining excitedly.

“Normally the water’s much lighter. It slides down the rock face like a delicate veil—like a maiden’s veil, you might say—so people call it the ‘Veil of Spirits.’ But when the water swells like this after rain, we locals call it something else.”

The guide puffed out his chest proudly.

“—We call it the ‘Canopy of Spirits.’”

A canopy.

It truly was a sight worthy of that name.

Bathed in sunlight, the spray shimmered in rainbow colors.

The sheer beauty and power of it left me speechless.

(This waterfall wasn’t among the sights the knight told me about…)

That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Of course.

Even the knight couldn’t have seen every wonder in this world.

I could still search for landscapes no one had discovered yet—with my own feet and my own eyes.

That was my journey.

At that moment, Rowena beside me tugged repeatedly at the sleeve of my cloak.

When I looked at her, her eyes were sparkling just as brightly.

Without words, she tried desperately to express her amazement at the breathtaking sight before us.

That evening, after returning to the inn, I opened the notebook the knight had given me while the excitement still lingered.

I wrote down the events of the journey and the grandeur of the “Canopy of Spirits” before I could forget them.

But somehow, this notebook didn’t feel quite right for recording that kind of emotion.

It was meant to be practical—a place to write plans and information.

(That’s right… I forgot to buy a notebook in Norest for recording memories.)

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

For now, I would write it here.

With that thought, I began moving my pen across the page.

When we returned to Norest, the first thing I would do was buy a new notebook.

After all, the memories of this journey were only going to keep growing.