《She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (WN)》 Prologue Prologue ¡¾VR¡¿ Virtual reality, it had been half a century since it was developed. Now it has be an indispensable technology for the world economy. School could be attended from home virtually by using the inte on a personalputer. Without the danger of going to and from school, and with the cost of maintaining the school buildings, schools in real life were reced by their VR counterparts. In addition, businesses used virtual reality in order to greet customers. Also, since documents were reced by electronic programs, there were no longer any costs. It was also better to rent a server for thepany because the cost to maintain a server was overwhelmingly cheaper to maintain than a building for a headquarters. With the exception of physical needs, virtual reality technology could satisfy everything. As a result of this, virtual reality continued to evolve rapidly. Certainly, there was no reason for the game industry to not keep an eye on this technology. Although fairly expensive equipment was still needed, it was bing pretty widespread, so much that it was often given as a present on a person¡¯sing of age celebration in most households. As time passed, multiple exclusive VR games were released. Sakimori Kagami was one such youth to be presented with VR equipment on hising of age celebration. He enrolled in a normal high school, graduated from a normal university, and worked in a normalpany. He worked from home using the VR equipment he received on hising of age celebration. During his break, he ate food prepared by his mother and returned to work right after. There was nomuting time to deal with and overtime was practically nonexistent in small businesses. He spent every day without any particrints. There was an online game called ¡ºArk Earth Online¡». The start of the game was very quiet and the closed beta had finished before anyone had noticed. Sakimori Kagami became aware of such a hidden online game after he had grown familiar with the workload and had time to spare. It was from amercial aired at midnight. Themercial had no sound or movement, with only an ess code for VR that had been projected for fifteen seconds. He had started the equipment out of curiosity, and a title named ¡ºArk Earth Online¡» floating in white appeared. There were only two lines after it. Open Beta start Download Those were the only letters. He did not dislike that attitude of no ttery. While thinking this, he selected the ¡ºYes¡» in order to start the download. There was no texture for the background either, just a general character font. He did not know what sort of game this may be. As though Kagami was attracted, he moved his right hand a short distance to y. If he was pushed to say exactly what it was, he would say that an invisible force hadpelled him to move that short distance to y. The instation waspleted in 15 minutes. When he immediatelyunched the game, the background of the home screen appeared with CGparable to that of the real world. Excited at that turn of events, Kagami proceeded to create his avatar. Thus, Sakimori Kagami began his everyday addiction to ¡ºArk Earth Online¡». ¡ºArk Earth Online¡», it has been four years since its official release. Advertising rted to the game, even in game magazines and the Inte were practically non-existent. However, posts on the Inte had spread the news of the game. So, the game had quite a few yers, close to that of leading online games. It was even weird that it would get that many yers considering itsck of inte presence. Kagami who had started ying from open beta was famous and regarded as a veteran yer. The content of the game was a standard fantasy setting. However, there was an overwhelming amount of freedom and it received a great deal of poprity. There was only one mysterious point for the online game. Its management. The game was only updated two times during the four years it has been in operation. The developer¡¯s identity was not known and there was no official homepage regarding its policies. However, the game had an overwhelming charm to it. Various yers were in agreement that it might be better that the developers took a hands-off approach. Nevertheless, Kagami was one of the people who had an optimistic view of it. It had appeared to be almostpleted from the moment when he started ying. It was not an exaggeration to say that bugs were nonexistent in this game. Rather, it had been a good decision that unskilled people did not tamper with the game. That day, Kagami was to subjugate a crowd of monsters that had appeared near the border of the country he had belonged to. Such a subjugation mission was amon thing, the country had a turn system where Kagami and other yers take their turns. This time, it was Kagami¡¯s turn. Using a tower as a base, hezily left for the national border. In the real world, a ringing sound from a call could be heard. At the same time, his little sister¡¯s high-pitched voice could also be heard. In fact, this sound was to inform him that it was time for dinner. After logging off temporarily to eat dinner, he once again ces the VR equipment on his head and dives into virtual reality again. After trying to start the game from the home screen, he noticed that there was an iing mail. He opened the mail and examined its contents. The VR money he had bought for Ark Earth Online was about to expire. When he began the game, he had purchased 1,000 yen and incidentally one month after that, he had bought an additional 2,000 yen. Ark Earth Online, just like other online games had microtransactions. Although it is like that, there weren¡¯t any items nor armor that can be used in-game. There are, however, support items that one can obsess over. One such item was ¡ºVanity Case¡»that could be used to change the appearance of one¡¯s avatar. It was not an exaggeration to say that every yer bought this item. Naturally, Kagami had also bought this. One ¡ºVanity Case¡» costs 500 yen, yet it was only something you use to reset the appearance of an avatar. The reason for the poprity of this item was because of the abundance of options to choose from. At the beginning of the game, there were thousands of choices to choose from officially, but using a ¡ºVanity Case¡» to reset gave you tens of thousands of choices to choose from. All yers now log in with a shoddy avatar and use a ¡ºVanity Case¡» to reset their appearance. It was to the extent that it was nowmon sense to do so. The avatar which Kagami had made was the figure of a magician who exuded dignity. He had white hair with a white beard that had a close resemnce to an experienced magician. Obsessed, Kagami spent no less than one day creating it in the guise of that figure. And the name of the avatar, the first name turned out to be the same as a much-loved headmaster magician appearing in a world-famous movie; an adventure starring a magician returning a ring. The name was Danbulf. The ss was a summoner. He had chosen to be a magician as soon as he joined the open beta, but he had no clue on how to learn new magic skills, so he only used ¡¾Magic: me¡¿, the spell he started with, and other than that he just used his cane to attack. Despite leveling up, he didn¡¯t learn any new magic skills automatically. In addition to that, there were no instructions or tutorials that instruct and help the yers. In the game, he was just suddenly spawned in the world and that was it, but exploring everything by himself was fun too. However long he searched for a method to learn magic skills, in the end, he was unable to do so. Because of that, he had reset to choose a different magic ss at the start of the official release of the game. Expert Summoning Arts be avable once you enve the soul of a defeated enemy with a contract. Summoning Arts became possible afterpleting a ss-exclusive quest. The difficulty of the ss-exclusive quest was high, but Kagami was able toprehend it from the method that was posted on a bulletin board. Because of that, he became a summoner. When the game officially released, there were a lot ofints regarding theck of description. However, a yer by chance shook the game by bing an emperor. That is, a yer can establish a nation if the conditions are met. Be a king, develop a town, and raise an army. Besides that, invade foreignnds, construct forts for defense, hire mercenaries and other simr things. yers were excited by the fact that they could create their own stories with their own hands. In addition, major events caused by yers will be added to the arc chronology that can be browsed from the menu. After this happened, people were able to enjoy a variety of ystyles. There were those who burned with ambition to establish a nation, those that longed for government positions, those who loved freedom and adventure, those who created secret societies, and those who became merchants and assassins. Because of this,ints gradually subsided. Furthermore, the freedom in the game wasn¡¯t limited to that degree alone. For example, there were many kinds of items such as weapons, armor, and medicine that even included the legendary ss. But on top of that, it was also possible to create totally new items depending on the creativity of the yer. They were even able to create things beyond the legendary level. You could say that you could do anything in game that you could also do in reality. For some yers that were totally addicted to ying the role of a cksmith, they will be known under the name of a skillful craftsman by the yers. For example, one sword had been traded for millions. For those who choose to do carpentry, some yers developed building technology and some had even built castles as well. The yers who were obsessed with digging undiscovered hot springs, and are now managers of hot-spring resorts. A friend of Kagami¡¯s thought of teaching fencing and opened up a dojo in order to teach. What kind of skills are possible? What kind of things are possible? yers challenged a variety of things, anyone could be sessful. People said that there were no limits to the system in sight. People were able to invent new sports, people were able to realize their romantic dreams of pirates, there were people who collected information single-handedly, and there were even those who sold information while walking on a tightrope of danger. Also, there was a person who created lists of skills that were divided by ss. They visited yers who created original skills and summarized it in a book for those who wished to learn the details of the skills. The book was published as a skill list book, and it became a huge bestseller. He amassed a great amount of wealth. As a matter of fact, Danbulf is a great man who developed some special skills as well. One is a skill that he made from trial and error to make up for the weaknesses of a magic ss. What was the skill? It was a second ss. Kagami¡¯s main ss was a Summoner, in addition to that, he had another magician ss that was called the Sage. This was a ss that specialized in close-quartersbat. In order to acquire the ss, various training methods were used. From being struck by a waterfall, hanging upside down from trees for a day, walking against a storm, and various other things. By the way, one month since the game was released, someone was able to find a way to acquire magic skills. A magic catalyst was paired up with a piece of magic paper with a magic circle drawn on it. Then, magic experts had to use ¡¾Magic: me¡¿ to burn it. The problem was that many catalysts were needed and the paper itself hardly appears. It was eventually found in the end, though It was not simple to learn after all. In addition to the vanity case, another microtransaction that Kagami had purchased was a ¡ºFloating Continent¡». It was the size of a schoolyard with a track that stretched to be about a hundred meters for onep. He built a house, cultivated a field and made a manufacturing facility. It was a convenient item that can be used for most things. Because it was possible to travel by flying through the sky, it was used as a vehicle that ignored the geography of thend. Kagami built a cheap residence and used it as a warehouse. This ¡ºFloating Continent¡» costs 2,000 yen. This meant that he had 500 yen remaining which was about to expire. Kagami only had thought of buying a ¡ºVanity Case¡» and a ¡ºFloating Continent¡» from the beginning but because money could only be bought for every 1,000 yen, the remainder was 500 yen. As expected, due to the fact that it was 500 yen from four years ago, there was not a great deal of regret for Kagami. Kagami nevertheless had a tendency to be frugal and felt that it would be wasteful so he opened the microtransaction list. Exclusive room that could be used as a convenient tool that costs 1,000 yen: ¡ºAdvanced Smithy¡», ¡ºAdvanced Alchemy Room¡», ¡ºAdvanced Sewing Room¡», ¡ºAdvanced Craftsman Room¡», ¡ºAdvanced Kitchen¡», ¡ºAdvanced Woodworking Room¡». Terrain building features, etc. went for 2,000 yen. ¡ºFloating Continent¡», ¡ºGolem Fort¡», ¡ºSwan Lake¡», ¡ºHouse of Brick¡», ¡ºHouse with Butler¡», ¡ºHouse with Maid¡», ¡ºOld Castle¡», ¡ºNoble Mansion A¡», ¡ºNoble Mansion B¡», ¡ºSpiral Tower¡», ¡ºRich Field¡». The only other thing in this line up was ¡ºVanity Case¡». There was no other choice than the ¡ºVanity Case¡». You must charge a minimum of 1,000 yen. This is the world of adults. The adult world is dirty. Kagami felt that it was wasteful to just let the money expire so he purchased a ¡ºVanity Case¡». His VR money bnce became 0. In order to aplish his subjugation mission, Kagami logged in. He opened the item column by operating his bracelet type terminal and it contained the ¡ºVanity Case¡» that he had purchased earlier. Incidentally, this bracelet type terminal was one of the first additional items that were included in the two updates of the game. Up until then, menu maniption was done with keys that floated in mid-air. Suddenly raising a hand in town or duringbat and moving your fingers through the air on a menu invisible to everyone looked really off-putting, and many yers wished it could be changed as it ruined the immersion, so it was updated to the current interface. ¡ºVanity Case¡», it had been four years since he hadst used one. It was a small box that had the appearance of acquered casket. Kagami stared at the small box as he recalled those days in nostalgia. At the start of the open beta, it was not possible to create an avatar that matched his tastes. It was already a distant memory, the memory of a brown-haired young man with a nd appearance who overcame open beta. You can choose from nearly ten times the amount of options aspared to the start of the game by using the microtransaction ¡ºVanity Case¡». The moment he saw thements on that, he hastily bought the ¡ºVanity Case¡». Kagami immediately used the ¡ºVanity Case¡» and eximed with joy in virtual reality. This was because he was able to use all theponents he wanted. He produced the best avatar by paying particr attention to detail. And thus he created ¡ºDanbulf¡». Kagami at that time, had only been able to think of creating the best avatar he could create in his head. He could not remember now what other features there were. With a little interest, Kagami used the ¡ºVanity Case¡» to open the avatar creation screen. As for theponents, it was possible to narrow down the search by searching for impression categories such as ¡ºLively¡», ¡ºReserved¡», ¡ºConfident¡», ¡ºTimid¡», and other various impression categories such as ¡ºMysterious¡», ¡ºSolemnity¡», ¡ºMncholy¡», ¡ºCheerful¡», and the like. As expected, if one were to go down one by one, it would take you all day. While Kagami was looking at the parts list, he felt the renewed conviction that ¡ºDanbulf¡» was still the best after all. There was probably no one that could exceed this avatar. After all, he created his ideal male image. While Kagami was gazing at his former achievement of manliness in great satisfaction, he noticed one character disyed on the menu. It was a character that showed the avatar¡¯s gender. Then suddenly a thought appeared in his mind. He was able to perfectly reproduce his ideal male image. Then, how about his ideal image of a woman? When he changed the sex from a man to a woman, ¡ºDanbulf¡» changed to a young girl. A small feeling of embarrassment was felt. Although it was just a game, he stared fixedly at his female appearance and was unable to say he was not ashamed. With an effort to contain his slight feeling of shame or rather excitement, he chose parts one by one. One by one he examined the parts sorted in ¡ºConfident¡». At this point, Kagami¡¯s preference was greatly revealed. How much time has passed since he had begun creating his ideal female image? When Kagami stared at the avatar which he had just finished satisfactorily, a call from his younger sister alerted him to breakfast. When he operated the bracelet terminal menu to confirm the time, it showed that it was 9 o¡¯clock in the morning. Thinking that there was no problem because it was Sunday today, Kagami immediately afterward was attacked by an intense feeling of sleepiness. When he tried to touch the menu for the purpose of logging out, the world cked out for him and Kagami fell asleep. Chapter 1: Basics of Summoning Arts Chapter 1: Basics of Summoning Arts Oh, that¡¯s right. I fell asleep before logging out. Organizing the thoughts in his head, Kagami recalled having slept after getting the breakfast call. Kagami then pinched his forehead while looking up at the sky. He didn¡¯t know how long he had slept. However, he judged that it was unlikely to have been a long time because his little sister Mayu had not woken him up yet. Shutting his eyes and then opening them widely to clear away the strong feeling of sleepiness, he found himself in the middle of a meadow enclosed by forest. Unknown flowers were scattered here and there, and over in the distance, a magnificent mountain range could be seen. And among the mountains now, several faintly shining silver towers could be seen peeking through. The scene was an already familiar one inside the game. Standing still in the meadow, he ced a hand on his jaw while a question came to mind. He did not notice the sense of incongruity at this time. For one thing, ¡ºFalling asleep¡» in an online game was a famous saying. It is a saying indicating that an avatar that falls asleep in the so-called game will not show any reaction. Currently, aftering back from falling asleep to the present conditions, the expectation is that there was a problem with the system. VR equipment was designed to automatically shut down when falling asleep and cut off the power. However, the ¡ºLinked Silver Towers¡» were visible among the mountains, no matter how you looked at it. There was no way for Kagami to have been mistaken, because out of the nine towers, one of them was his base. Was there a bug? While falling asleep may be an unusual event, he decided to stop thinking about it. It was because there was something else amiss, and no matter how he thought about it, that was way more important, namely¡­ There was a fragrance. Whenever the wind blew, a grassy-smell crossed under his nose giving off a sense of incongruity. VR technology had advanced so much that the sense of touch could be reproduced. Even as such, neither taste nor smell could be reproduced on a practical level currently. Yet, clearly his brain recognized the scent when he breathed through his nose. Then he attempted to tear off the grass at his feet and chewed it. The bitter and astringent taste spread throughout his mouth, causing his expression to warp. He spat it out along with arge amount of saliva and wiped it with the back of his hand. His tongue was stimted to an annoying level by the taste and even saliva was carefully reproduced. While thinking that he could not understand herbivores, he raised his head to examine the surroundings. In the vicinity of the enclosure, there were creatures that looked like children with blue ears and noses that wielded faintly shining knives. They were not blue in the face but rather had an actual blue face. Oh, that¡¯s right. He remembered that he hade to subjugate a hoard of monsters near the national border. He figured he could leave all the thinking for when he was done cleaning them up. Its appearance had been seen many times since his beginner days, a standard monster called a ¡ºGoblin¡». It can¡¯t be helped that they were not a formidable enemy, but because it was his turn, he focused on the enemy. ¡¾Summoning Magic: Dark Knight¡¿ It was one of the first summoning skills he learned, and it was also his favorite armor spirit summoning skill. Summoners used artificial spirits that dwelled in objects created by people and natural spirits that came from the natural world. Although natural spirits were the stronger of them, artificial spirits that dwelled in man-made objects were easier to use and get closer to. The ¡ºDark Knight¡» he had summoned earlier was the soul of a soldier that had died in the battlefield which was now dwelling in a suit of armor. The spirits who stayed in armor that had been used by a person who fought for themselves became ¡ºDark Knights¡» while the spirits that dwelled in armor used by those to protect others were called ¡ºHoly Knights¡». Armour spirits belong to the lower-ss summoning category. However, the Dark Knight that had been used for convenience continuously gained strength,parable to that of a higher-ss summon. The grassy ins concealed the shining formation, and a knight with arge build gradually rose from it. The jet-ck armor radiated a cold chill, which shook the body with such an effect as that of a sinister ck me. There was no face, only two red lights that floated in the dark space. If one were to look back at the night and see such an intimidating thing, a man would scream and run away. The sudden materialization of the unfamiliar knight caused the goblins to stop and raise their voices to intimidate it. Here, a sense of incongruity was born again. For a goblin to act in such a way should not be possible. Goblins had always been brave, not knowing their ce, they would rush to kill whoever approached them. Now, no matter how you look at it, the goblins in front of him were feeling ¡ºFear¡». However, it was no use worrying about it now, so he gave a cleaningmand to the Dark Knight. And that ce in the next instant turned into a massacre. Each time the ck longsword flew, a storm was stirred and five to six goblins were reduced to chunks of meat scattered about here and there. The goblins¡¯ voices of intimidation gradually transformed into shrieks of despair. Even though some began to retreat from this hell, the ck Knight showed no mercy andpleted the order of extermination. The affairsted for no more than two or three minutes. The wind gently blew over the meadow that was now dyed in the blood of monsters. No one would think that the scene of the massacre right before them was an illusion. Were there about 100 goblin corpses scattered about? Little by little, heposed himself in the midst of the scene and reconsidered everything that had caught his attention. The taste and smell, and then the memory of the goblins¡¯ actions. Was this perhaps¡­¡­ He arrived at one answer. Did it finallye? The third update! Indeed, he couldn¡¯t believe it immediately. In order to reproduce the five senses, research was being carried out on the world-wide level. Though it was unbelievable that such technology would leap ahead to be used in a game, there was no other exnation that made sense. As one would expect, Arc Earth Online¡¯s management always surpassed expectations. Most likely, the reason that ¡ºFalling asleep¡» did not activate a shutdown was because of the version update. Aftering to an understanding, he turned his gaze to a sign of something approaching the meadow from deep within the forest. He was able to roughly grasp the direction and number because of a skill from his second job and that skill is ¡¾Life Sensing¡¿. The problem was that it could not distinguish between allies and enemies. The number that appeared numbered around 50. He expected that it was goblin reinforcements. The Dark Knight stood silently next to Kagami, surrounded by 100 silent bodies. Even if 50 goblins from the famous elite unit hade, it wouldn¡¯t pose a problem. It was to be expected of one of the Nine Sages to be able to deal with them swiftly. Gradually, the signs grew louder and sounds of marching could be heard clearly. Goblins did not march in groups and would probably not march in order. If that held true, there was a high possibility that these weren¡¯t the signs of goblins. Since the subjugation of the demons near the area of the national border wasplete, he returned the Dark Knight. At the same time, the vanguard appeared from within the forest. It was an order of knights. Engraved on their shields was their national coat of arms which showed arge tree with a moon that signaled that they belonged to the ¡ºArkite Kingdom¡». It was the Arkite Magic Knights. They had those characteristic features on their armor and shields. The armor that reflected light like that of a mirror which blended in with the views of the surroundings. And, the shield that boasted a high defense against the breath of monsters. Although it was an elite order among the knights which belonged to the Arkite Kingdom, he wondered why they would be this close to the border. There was little doubt that the person at the head of the vanguard was the Knight Commander. The following knights were held back with one hand and he took a step forward. The Knight Commander¡¯s hair was in a swept-back style that had a small quantity of white hair mixed among the ck. The many scars on his visage were evidence of his long military service. The red mantle he wore around his back was proof of amander. He was an elegant and handsome man, but not to the level of Danbulf. ¡¸This was¡­¡­ a fierce battle. What on earth happened here? Did you happen to see anything, little girl?¡¹ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Themander spoke those words while looking at Kagami. But because of his choice of words, Kagami was sure he couldn¡¯t have been talking to him, so he turned to look around him, finallying to the conclusion that themander probably had the ability to see spirits. However, the problem was that he was actually unable to see the spirit. The magician ss was able to see every kind of spirit and the warrior ss was only able to see fighting spirits. Even though he was very much a magic knight, a knight was still a knight. It was a warrior ss. Danbulf was an elder of the Silver Linked Towers and a summon master; there should not have been a spirit visible to a warrior ss that was invisible to him. ¡¸It must have been scary for a littledy like you to be in such a ce as this. But worry not, you are safe now.¡¹ While saying that, themander ces his hand gently on Kagami¡¯s head. ¡¸Rx, we magic knights have arrived, we will ensure your safety.¡¹ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.!? (What¡­¡­?) Kagami was astonished. Danbulf was created by himself to be a solemn man of about the height of 190 cm. There was no more humiliation than to be treated as a child andforted. More than anything, he could not hide his surprise that he was looking up at themander. When subtracting Danbulf¡¯s height, was thismander a giant or something? He thought that there was enough of a difference in height to make it seem like it. And just now, to call Danbulf a littledy. With a manner full of dignity, he shook off the hand ced on his head and red at the knight. ¡¸What littledy? What fool do ¡­¡­ you¡­¡­..¡¹ He looked around for the source of the bell-like voice. Including the captain in front of him, there was no one around that could have sounded like¡­¡­ a girl. ¡¸You seem to be upset. Littledy, here have some water. Can you drink?¡¹ Once again saying littledy, themander held out a leather bag that contained water. His facial expression made it clear he was worrying wholeheartedly.1 No matter how one looked at it, themander didn¡¯t seem to be the type to utter jokes while smiling. Based on that thought, Kagami lowered his gaze. His eyes were glued to the armor of themander at the same time. ¡¸This¡­¡­¡­..!¡¹ Again, a pretty voice reached his ears. What kind of joke is this. The Order of the Magic Knights¡¯ official equipment, the clear mirror armor. The surface reflected light like a mirror, it could be said it was already a mirror in itself. His appearance was reflected, when his right hand moved the left hand moved as well. There was no confusion, the girl that was reflected on the armor of themander matched his actions. It could no longer be called imitation, but the same body. And that girl had a familiar appearance as well. The silver hair that came down to her waist, the ¡ºStrong-willed eyes¡», the look of innocence on her face, those slightly red cheeks, and that tiny nose. Only the equipment that Danbulf was wearing at the time was intact, clearly only the contents had changed. It was the girl he had built as his ideal woman using the ¡ºVanity Case¡».
  1. Nomad: Seems the past TLer somehow mixed up ËÅ and ͬ¡­¡­¡­wtf
Chapter 2: Exposed Preference Chapter 2: Exposed Preference Why did this happen? In Kagami¡¯s head, in order to fully recall the memory he had before he had awoken, he went at full throttle. Meanwhile, themander who was distracted by the girl¡¯s confused appearance, summoned together his subordinates. He split several of his subordinates up into groups to search for and to exterminate the remnants of this terrible spectacle. He also directed a search for an acquaintance of the girl. The appearance that Kagami saw, was that of his ideal female image that he had created at the time. What on earth is this? Thinking back on his memory, he was sure that when hepleted his ideal female image that he did not save it. He had canceled it and then logged out. He could not recall anything more. He felt that he did it before he logged out. He had a hunch that he had canceled it before he had slept. Furthermore, he was sure that he had canceled it. He remembered that he had been called to breakfast, but from then on, his memory grew hazy. Kagami made up his mind to open up the status screen by operating the bracelet terminal menu. At the bottom of the disy, various information about the avatar was disyed.
Name:Danbulf Gandadoress:Summoner / Sage
Affiliation:Arkite KingdomJob:Silver Linked Tower Elder (Summoner)
HP:1210/1210MP:4390/4390
Strength:5 +20Stamina:6 +15
Mana:51 +10Dexterity:7 +15
Agility:6 +37
There did not seem to be any problems. Nothing seems to be missing, nor had he logged in with a different avatar. It was the status of Danbulf that he had for over four years. Although the numerical values might look lowpared to other games, there was arge difference between one point of status in this game. The general strength and stamina of an adult male were 4. In other words, with the strength stat of 8, a person would have two times the strength of an average adult male. A person that has the strength stat of 10 could be considered an expert soldier. When Kagami disyed the following page of the status screen, his shoulders dropped and his hope had beenpletely lost. Head: Moonlight Stone Circlet Neck: Ark Exile Super Z Ne Abdomen: Sage¡¯s Robe (Summoner) Arms: Almighty Gloves Legs: Sage¡¯s Robe (Summoner) Feet: Pegasus Boots Ring finger: Mars Ring There was no problem so far. The equipment was top tier, Incidentally, this equipment was awarded to him by the king of the Arkite Kingdom when he became an Elder of The Silver Linked Towers. This equipment was custom-made by the leading craftsmen yers exclusively for Danbulf. The problem was of the avatar disy. On the status screen was the figure of a girl that he had created himself wearing the equipment. Up until now, a dignified Danbulf had shown his imposing appearance here. What was this? Kagami began rolling up the hem of his robe and watched as the part of the equipment column in the status screen which showed abdomen and legs changed to ¡ºEmpty¡». After ascertaining the exposed body while ying with his robe with one hand, he coiled a finger to feel the texture of the gently fluttering supple silver hair around him. There was enough breasts that it spilled out from his small palms, and his skin was a fair porcin color. He had two modestly plump legs that stretched from a reserved butt. It was not a mistake, this was the body that he had made as a manifestation of his ideal that was made possible with the ¡ºVanity Case¡». At this point, Kagami¡¯s preferences were exposed. ¡°Oooooiiii! Oi oi oi! What do you think you are doing!?¡± Themander grew panicked at the sight of a girl¡¯s body and wrapped his red mantle around it in order to cover it. In addition, the surrounding knights¡¯ gazes lingered for but an instant on the immodest girl¡¯s appearance before they steeled themselves and looked away. A bit NSFW ¡°Good grief, a youngdy should not show their body off like that. Although it is not a problem as my knights are sincere and honest people, one should not be careless in this regard.¡± You need not react excessively to this. Although Kagami thought so, whether or not these knights were all yers or not he admired their reactions. It was possible for a yer that had enough fame to have NPC attendants. Though Kagami thought that the surrounding knights were themander¡¯s attendants, he judged that he was wrong. This was because NPCs should not react that way. Although Kagami did not want to admit it, as regretful as it was, she decided to ept the current situation. Where did she go wrong? The fact of the matter was that she had confirmed the character reset. This was most certainly because of the upgrade. Given this conclusion, she had decided to buy another ¡ºVanity Case¡» in order to restore her appearance. Even though it was only 500 yen, she had to buy 1,000 yen. Adults were dirty. Squirming about under the mantle in order to put on her robes, she once again checked the status screen and confirmed that the avatar on the menu had the Sage¡¯s Robe (Summoner) equipped. ¡°Is that an operator¡¯s bracelet? Was the youngdy an adventurer?¡± Themander who was trying to put on the returned mantle muttered this as he looked at the arm of the girl. The operator¡¯s bracelet. They were words that were unfamiliar to Kagami. There was no doubt that the item themander was referring to was the terminal, as it was evident in his gaze. However, there was no need for him to ask about it. As long as one were a yer, anyone would have this. It was a funny question because adventurers referred to yers anyways. The Order of Knights was an elite magic unit, thus it was unlikely for him to be an amateur yer. How many decent yers would be curious enough to join a small kingdom such as the Arkite Kingdom anyways? Kagami doubted that they had never seen one before. ¡°If you were to inquire whether I was an adventurer, I would say that I am.¡± She had not yet grown ustomed to her own voice. It was too sweet of a voice, a tone that until now had a sense of difort for her. He had started with a formal tone of voice to suit Danbulf from the start of the game. As a matter of course, Kagami began to roley to fit his dignified appearance. Now that it had been four years, he was ustomed to his tone of voice already. Familiarity was a frightening thing, it felt out of ce with her appearance of a girl on the surface. Her unwillingness to change her tone of voice was something of a mystery. It was not possible for her to change it so suddenly. However, it was not particrly troubling, thus she abandoned the idea to change her tone of voice. ¡°Is that so? You were an adventurer? You came to hunt with friends and encountered this mob of hobgoblins? What misfortune¡­¡± Hobgoblin? She said that while looking around, her neck felt heavy with the pull of her hair. This was because her hair was contained within the robe at the time. Immediately noticing this, she brushed her hair upwards. After that, looking at the scattered corpses, she recalled that it was like that. Hobgoblins were a subspecies of goblins that inhabited ces such as the mines, and that they were much stronger than normal goblins because of the metal weapons they used. Goblins were green and Hobgoblins were blue. Recalling this, she nodded. However, for Danbulf, the difference was negligible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, yourpanions will surely be found.¡± Themander continued to encourage her. yers who would go so far for thorough roley were unusual. However, there was no meaning even if she was encouraged. ¡°There are nopanions. I am the only one.¡± ¡°I see, so the youngdy was alone. Well then, did you happen to see the adventurers who defeated the hobgoblins? An adventurer with this much ability, we¡¯d like to thank them by all means.¡± At this time, Kagami decided to show off the Dark Knight. If that was the case, it was simple to show them. ¡°This is the person who did this.¡± With the words ¡¾Summoning Magic: Dark Knight¡¿, a ck knight appeared close by when the skill was activated. ¡±This¡­. This is!?¡± ¡°What is this guy!?¡± The surrounding knights became vignt and whipping out their swords while taking some distance. ¡°This is¡­ Is this by chance the art of summoning?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This guy cleared away the monsters.¡± When themander heard the words of the girl, he instructed the surrounding knights to stow away their swords. With a look of admiration, he looked up at the ck knight. ¡°This guy is a rare summon¡­¡­.was youngdy the summoner? This guy is a rather formidable swordsman.¡± Although armour spirit summons weren¡¯t unusual, perhaps the reason why themander said such a thing was that it was rare for a summoner to use such a low-ss summon nowadays. So it could be said to be unusual in a sense. ¡°Yes, this is a favourite summon of mine. Aside from that, why are the elite magic knights in this sort of ce?¡± Leading apany of elite knights near the border could cause a bad misunderstanding to neighboring countries, for example. The Arkite Kingdom did not like aggressive wars. The Order of Knights acted as military strength for national defense. Kagami did not know the reason why such a valuable strength was dispatched. In the first ce, Kagami who was an Elder of The Silver Linked Towers should have heard of big movements in neighboring countries. ¡°Ah, information that monsters have moved to the vicinity of the border arrived, and we were dispatched for a subjugation mission.¡± The subjugation of the demons in the vicinity of the border. This was a duty that Kagami had justpleted. If it was the people of the Arkite Kingdom, all of them were supposed to know of the duty system. Then howe the elitemander of this country didn¡¯t know? The doubt passed through Kagami¡¯s mind again. ¡°I guess you might not have heard of it since you¡¯re an adventurer. Ten years ago, there was a war with the demons who fell from the sky, it was called the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. Ever since then, the rate at which herds of monsters appear has increased almost twice.¡± ¡°Ten years ago¡­¡­. what?¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know it. Hmm, well, it was ten years ago so you must have been two or three years old back then, youngdy. No wonder.¡± In the first ce, even closed beta had not begun a decade ago. The time in ¡ºArk Earth Online¡» was the same as in real-time. Kagami had not heard of the story of a fierce battle with demons in the setting. At the start of the game, the Ark Calendar was September 1, 2112. It was the same as the date on Earth. And it was now September 14, 2116, in the Ark Calendar, which was four years from the start. It was impossible for it to have been a decade ago, even in the Ark Calendar. Chapter 3: Hero of the Past Chapter 3: Hero of the Past Kagami operated the bracelet terminal and opened the menu. This type ofmand menu was seen often in Sci-Fi systems of anime and movies that appeared in space; It was only able to be seen by the person in question. To others, it would only look like the person was staring into space. The history that Kagami had selected from the chronological table of the menu disyed its contents. However, Kagami stared only at one figure as she had lost the capability for speech. It was the ce where the newest event had been written: The second prince was born on April 23, 2146 of the Ark Calendar in the Mirstone Kingdom. He was named ¡¸Atolzade¡¹. It was so. It was not the content that had astonished Kagami. Though the Mirstone Kingdom was not familiar, it could have been some small country that a yer had founded somewhere. The problem rather, was the number of years. When she checked the current time in a bit of a panic, what was disyed in the upper right corner was Ark calendar 3:12 PM, May 12th, 2146. This was a strange thing no matter how one thought of it. This was because 30 years have passed since ¡°now¡±. Re-examining the history, she found events that she had not known anything about were there. And a decade before as was mentioned before, on June 24, 2136, the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries war broke out. Kagami at first thought that it was iprehensible. If there was an update, it was supposed to have been written in the chronology. As a test, she went back to the oldest point of the chronology, September 1, 2112 when Ark Earth Online officially released. The decoration was written grandly. Even the two updates were listed. However, she did not see the description for an update that should have only urred yesterday. Although Kagami knew that there had been an update only a year ago, she nevertheless looked. If this was not because of an update, Kagami¡¯s mind welled up with anxiety at the same time as this thought. If this was not the result of an update, then what was the taste and smell of grass from just now? She then looked up and closed the menu. ¡¸Could I have some water? I won¡¯t finish it.¡¹ She called out to themander who was staring with great interest at the Dark Knights she had summoned. ¡¸Hmm. Oh, it¡¯s good.¡¹ When she received the pouch filled with water from themander, she poured the contents through her small lips to her throat. The water was lukewarm containing a dose of salinity that¡¯s wet to the tongue. ¡¸Here is the water. Thank you.¡¹ She returned the pouch, and ced a hand on her throat. It was obvious that taste and thirst were not a part of ¡ºArk Earth Online¡». Still, something was wrong. She was anxious because the five senses were too realistic. Although it was possible to drink recovery medicines before, as far as taste and thirst went, something felt off. However, the current situation was nothing but vague and it was impossible to keep up with. Even when taking off one¡¯s robe or putting it on, the feeling of cloth rubbing against the skin was a reality. Up until the present, VR technology was in the research stage with the five senses. That said, in its own way, electrical signals and electromaic pulses could be reproduced. It was to the extent that a person could feel it in VR, but the feeling of pain was suppressed with a limiter. For the current situation, however, it was too realistic. As one would expect, not revealing a single word about the advancements of technology was not possible. That¡¯s to say that the rapid advancements of technology that was just produced recently, should not be possible to be reproduced here. While Kagami was calmly thinking about this, he dismissed the theory he had made at first about the update. In VR, the reproduction of this was still impossible. When she drew an impossible conclusion, it was immediately discarded. It was highly unlikely that it was reproduced to that extent. However, from the current situation, it was not entirely possible to deny itpletely. So this really is reality. This had been the kind of thing of urban legends, whispered ever since full dive type VR games came out with the VR technology. The reasoning was that the game world was real and that it existed slightly apart from the real world. And also that any yer could be caught in that world. Of course, Kagami had not believed such rumours, but she had imagined it. And the current situation was very simr to what she was experiencing right now. She shook her head to deny it as a chill ran through her spine. She looked towards the heavens as she banished such ridiculous thoughts. It may just be a bug but she concluded that she would pay it minimal focus when Kagami stopped thinking. The answer would not appear even if she thought further. ¡¸Commander Graia, a hobgoblin hideout has been discovered! Eh, who is this person?¡¹ When the group that searched the forest returned, in an instant, their smiling facial expressions retreated and only tension remained. That was because standing beside themander called Graia was a knight with a strange appearance of red eyes and a shiny dark face. Although they realized that the ck knight posed no danger to everyone, they could not help but be vignt. Its existence had an overwhelming feeling which intimidated them. ¡¸Ah, this ck swordsman here is¡­¡­¡­ what this youngdy here summoned. Be relieved because it is not harmful.¡¹ ¡¸Is this a summon skill? It was also a very rare ss, wasn¡¯t it? Then is this guy an armour spirit? Although I have heard the stories before, I did not think that it would have an aura of intimidation to this extent.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I was also surprised when I saw it for the first time.¡¹ After that, Graia exined the situation to the group that came back. The hobgoblins here were defeated by the Dark Knight. The girl was alone voluntarily and she had nopanions. As such, he would call back the toon that went to search. While the knights were having such an exchange, Kagami noted the respect that existed between the two. They were saying that summoners were a rare ss. Certainly speaking, only a small number of people sought to gain this ss. By the way, the mostmon one was that of the warrior monks. It was a ss that dealt with the art of recovery and support. It was easy for many to understand why it was such a popr ss. There were good skills avable at the start. If the magician had ¡¾Magic: me¡¿, then warrior monks had ¡¾Monk Skill: Heal¡¿ as well as ¡¾Monk Skill: Protect¡¿. The initial skill of the summoning ss was called ¡¾Carved Seal of the Contract¡¿. This was the skill that allowed you to summon spirits with which you had defeated. It was not a skill that had any attack strength, and this summoning skill was misunderstood to be an advanced technique. This was the mostmon cause for theck of summoners. It was not that difficult to defeat a spirit if you were able to ask an acquaintance or even employ a mercenary. However, in order to form a contract with a spirit, one had to naturally do it alone. yers had to pledge not to use 100% of a spirit¡¯s stamina. Of course Kagami went through the same road. She had bought arge amount of medicine, arge amount of explosive-base items, and had fought an armor spirit for two hours on the ¡ºAncient Battlefield¡» and just barely managed to contract with the spirit. It was the Dark Knight she had a deep attachment to. It was not just because of the convenience of it or that it was her first summon, but because it had be apanion she had spent a long time with. However, this was not something anyone could just do. Those who had hunted for the basic knowledge of the ss on the bulletin boards tended to avoid the summoning ss because of the degree of difficulty involved. That said, that did not mean there were no summoners. Or rather, it was due to that Danbulf yearned to paint over the negative perception the summoning ss had. There were those yers who saw his heroic sagas on the bulletin board and chose the summoner ss. However, the two knights of thepany talked in such a way that they had just seen a summon for the first time. For some reason, summoning skills were in rpse and became unpopr again. This was not a situation Kagami could ignore as someone who had reached the peak of the summoner ss. ¡¸Speaking of which, I did not hear the name of the youngdy. I am Graia. Graia Astor¡¹ While thinking about the huge task thatid before her, that was poprising the summoning ss again, Graia had asked for her name. Kagami felt ufortable with the question. Thismander¡¯s conduct would be amonce in reality. To ask for the name of another person. One would introduce himself. It was natural when interacting with someone for the first time. In truth, she was quite willing to introduce herself. However, this was in game. By examining an object within an avatar¡¯s sight, it wasmon sense that the other party¡¯s name would be disyed overhead. If there was a need to ask for one¡¯s name, it would be to ask about how to pronounce their name. With that, Graia gave his name. It was not a lie because when Kagami examined him, his name disyed as Graia Astor. In this way it was readily apparent that a name can be seen immediately without asking for it. Calling to mind certain assumptions, Kagami attempts to test them out. ¡¸You can just check it, don¡¯t you understand?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmmm¡­¡­. Although I am sure that at your level of skill, you would be pretty famous, but I am not able to remember your appearance. I am sorry. Is there one among you who knows who this is?¡¹ To themander¡¯s question, everyone shook their head side to side. ¡¸Hmmmm, I see¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹ Kagami heard that among some yers, there were apparently those that thought it was rude to appraise people without the other party¡¯s permission. They would only do so if they got the other party¡¯s consent. Although it could be said that by simply examining Kagami who had her appearance changed so much, people should still know the name of Danbulf as it was the name of one of the most important figures in the Arkite Kingdom. However, there were only so many people that could have such a famous name. Kagami¡¯s assumption was that those people here were unable to appraise. It was something like that. Themon sense of a yer was not there, and their thinking was too out of ce. If they were not yers then¡­¡­. there may need to be a change of perception, as Kagami thought of this, she ced her hand on her chin and muttered ¡¸Hmm.¡¹ Based on recently collected information, she assembled a hypothesis. The improbable theory gradually became more possible in her mind. Kagami shivered a little when remembering the theory from earlier, and dismissed the hypothesis which led to thatbyrinth of thought ¡¸We are really sorry, youngdy. For us whose only strong point is in the sword, we are not that familiar with those of other profession.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? Oh no, it is not like that. She felt guilty for worrying them.¡¹ Graia misunderstood that the girl¡¯s silence was because of shock. To be recognized as a yer, Kagami thought of taking actions only a yer would do. Therefore, she tried to select the log out button from the menu, which would confirm that this was a game. However, it was not possible to do so. On the contrary, the system entry itself had disappeared. She quickly reformed her earlier hypothesis. She could definitely feel her five senses working. The reality was that there were no yers, she was unable to log off, 30 years had seemed to pass, and there was no update. Reproducing all five senses was impossible for today¡¯s current technology. If that was the case, no one knew who was a yer except themselves. The system did not recognise the forced exit code in order to log out. And since the game world did not differ by one second from reality in the four years he had yed, that could only mean one thing, it was now thirty years in the future. Supposing that the development money was the same as an average national budget, then there should have been an announcement when implementing this technology. This world resembled the real world more and more. The hypothesis that was shoved into the corner of her head was gradually resurfacing. If basing it on that, this world would be an extension of another world. She asked another question: ¡¸Then do you know of a person named Danbulf?¡¹ Turning it over, she asked about herself as if she had be a part of the past. ¡¸Of course. There might not be a single person in this country who would not know the name of Danbulf.¡¹ ¡¸Right, everyone? ¡¹ he continued with that line of thought and all the knights nodded saying that it was only natural. Through this answer, she found that a person named Danbulf existed. Next, Kagami tried to verify if this Danbulf had been yed by him 30 years ago, or whether it was just a person with the same first andst name. ¡¸What sort of person was he like?¡¹ Although she said what kind, she was not aware of what country this was. If you were speaking of ¡ºDanbulf¡», he was a hero from about 30 years ago who had taken an active part in the ¡ºTurbulent Days¡». He was an Elder of The Silver Linked Towers, was he not? He was a sage feared by other countries. They referred to him as an army himself. The timing and the title of the Elder of the Silver Linked Towers matched the facts. Ah¡­.. she was truly embarrassed. Unfortunately, she had acquired two household names. This was the price for being too enthusiastic of Danbulf. ¡¸He¡­¡­. was a hero.¡¹ ¡¸It is so. In the war after the nation was founded, it was said that Danbulf secured a chance for victory by hindering the progression of the the enemy forces. There was also talk about a toonposed of the Elder¡¯s summons plunging the enemy camp into chaos. In addition, he was the developer of a refining technology. He was even heard to have used the strength of two sses at the same time. It was not like there was only ¡¸Danbulf¡¹, there were many other stories about other sages. Come to think of it, nowadays, knights are sent to eliminate demon nests found in the vicinity of the border. Back when Danbulf was present before, there was a story that the sages of the Silver Linked Towers took turns to annihte the demon nests.¡¹ The history Graia was talking about was the same as the memory Kagami had. Kagami called off the war, developed a second ss, and also devised research technology. These were all done by the former Kagami, there was no mistake about that. ¡¸Hmm, so that is the case. Then, do you know of Danbulf¡¯sst moments?¡¹ ¡¸Lord Danbulf¡¯s death? I have never heard the talks of his death. In the first ce, 30 years ago on a certain day, he went to subjugate demons who showed up near the border. No one has ever seen him since. Because Danbulf would not be defeated by mere demons, a search was conducted by the country at the time. However, I heard that he was never found. Have you not heard of such a thing?¡¹ ¡¸I see, it was like that after all?¡¹ An answer the same as the memory of Kagami came back. She was connected to that time. In other words, Kagami was convinced that this was the same world 30 yearster. Although she does not know the reason, she stopped to calm down and think. Kagamipleted organising her situation. The current problem now was what happened if she gave his name as Danbulf, who was a famous name in this country. Danbulf had a solemn and dignified figure who was a veteran summoner and an Elder of The Silver Linked Towers. And ording to the story just now, he was a hero. Such a hero had now be¡­¡­¡­¡­. an ideal girl. She imagined the cold eyes that would be turned upon him when he returned to his original appearance, and Kagami shivered with the crisis that she was in. She could do nothing now but lie. This was the idea Kagami decided on. She thought this way because Graia was seemingly unable to use appraise. She chuckled to herself that no one would ever know. It was a cunning attempt to save her reputation and honour. Kagami came up with an alias. The hero who disappeared 30 years ago has appeared and became a girl. That theory would never be believed right away. Moreover, if she desperately tried to convince them that she was Danbulf and they asked her why she turned out like this, she could not afford to answer that she was creating her ideal female image. That would give a fatal blow to her image. Giving the alias a little thought, she appropriately converted her own name. ¡¸Is there something about Lord Danbulf?¡¹ ¡¸No, it does not matter now.¡¹ And so, she gave her name. ¡¸My name is Mira. Mirror ¨C > Mira This is Simple.''>1 I am still a beginner that is not aware ofmon things.¡¹ She spoke while holding her hand against her chin, but because Danbulf¡¯s beard was missing, she felt anxious for her future.
  1. Kagami -> Mirror ¨C > Mira
This is Simple. Chapter 4: Joint Battle Chapter 4: Joint Battle ¡¸Lady Mira, is it? I will remember it. However, you said this is a summon? That is to say summoners are quite amazing, aren¡¯t they!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing much if it was only to this degree.¡¹ ¡¸This fellow is ridiculous. To acquire a summoning skill which was not inferior to hobgoblins, you must have had a really good master.¡¹ ¡¸ Hmm, well~ I suppose so~¡¹ There are no such masters in the first ce, but I¡¯ll just pretend that there is. It became troublesome for Mira to think of an excuse so she had answered positively. The Dark Knight that had been kept out until then was made to return. Graia disappointingly lifted his gaze from the location of the Dark Knight. Meanwhile, two groups came back from reconnaissance of the woods. ¡¸Report. There are no signs of others in the vicinity. With regards to thepanions of that youngdy there, they have either already fled the surrounding area, or¡­¡­¡¹ One of the toon leaders found it difficult to report the contents of his report. However, it was an imaginary fear. Mira stared at the toon leader with a guilty feeling. However, the toon leader misunderstood the nce, and exuded a cheerful air. ¡¸Nay, I¡¯m sure that it is alright, youngdy. It is very likely that they managed to get away. It is because hobgoblins arecking in agility stats. They are surely safe.¡¹ To say that they were safe so many times, this toon leader must have had a very conscientious character, almost to the point that one would think he was not acting. Basically, havinge to this, she was having an internal conflict of this being a game yet not a game.1 And though she couldn¡¯tpletely abandon the idea that these were roleying yers or NPCs, thesepletely human reactions2 caused her to feel quite shaken. It was just that the existence of the bracelet terminal supported the idea that this was a game. Although she had heard Graia¡¯s words that adventurers all carried the same thing, it was still very vague evidence and this worried her. In other words, evidence that this was a game only existed in Mira¡¯s head. ¡¸Report. Inside the hobgoblin¡¯s fort, a number of high-ss archgoblins have been spotted. However, we were able to confirm that there are at least 150 hobgoblins. They are thought to be the same number located in the inner premises.¡¹ ¡¸Even for the weakest variety, there are 300. But for there to be a higher-ss species as well¡­.. We had better wait for reinforcements then.¡¹ ¡¸Well, now that you mention it¡­..¡¹ ¡¸What is it? ¡¹ Themander hesitated to speak a little, then he opened his mouth gravely. The words caused a hugemotion among the group of knights. ¡¸Begin to prepare battle formations against the hobgoblins. It seems the invasion is near.¡¹ Graia¡¯s face grimaced for a moment, and revealing a sigh, he crossed his arms as he made his decision. ¡¸Is that so¡­.. well there is no time to wait for reinforcements. We must somehow do it ourselves.¡¹ Pondering a bit, the figure of the Dark Knight whom Mira had summoned appeared in Graia¡¯s head. That overwhelming air of intimidation which caused even hobgoblins to be frightened. Also, judging from the traces of the fierce battle that took ce here, the Dark Knight¡¯s true strength was not inferior to a hobgoblin¡¯s. Graia estimated that to be so. Unexpectedly, the conclusion that Graia had reached through his own suppositions, was actually quite different from reality. Graia, when he first heard that the Dark Knight had killed them all, he had imagined a fierce harsh battle. Who on earth could fight with multiple opponents continuously without pause, the result was that he thought this the result of a grand battle. The fact that Mira had dealt with 100 opponents at the same time, let alone in a span of two to three minutes did not cross his mind. Rather, it did note to mind because he thought it was impossible. It wasmon sense for the elite Arkite magic knights who were dispatched to the front of battles to fight alone. The fighting method that a summoner would use to fight did not cross their minds. ¡¸Well then, Lady Mira. Would you lend us a hand as an adventurer here? It may be usefulter on to earn the knights¡¯ gratitude.¡¹ Their smiles ceased, Graia¡¯s knightpany protested at his decision. Graia was keeping an eye on Mira¡¯s summoning. Even if the odds were one-to-three for the knights, it would be unlikely for them. They had strength worthy of that of an elite. However, this time there were arge number of opponents. The danger had surely increased by six folds. This was where Mira came into y. The summoned Dark Knight would bear the brunt of the enemy. There was no danger in dying because it could simply return. It was even better qualified as a diversion because of its dreadful appearance. And then, while the hobgoblin¡¯s attention was distracted, the knights would use a pincer attack to dramatically decrease their numbers. Their chances of victory would skyrocket should they be sessful. This was the n that Graia made up. ¡¸Hmm, well that¡¯s fine. Then shall we go?¡¹ ¡¸ Oh are you willing to do this? It is very kind of you. You will bepensated for this.¡¹ Mira epted the request. Although there was some self-interest mixed in when she epted the request from Graia, she felt that she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep well if something happened to the people she just met. What was her basis for thinking this? Not long ago, she had used ¡¸Examine¡¹ to get a glimpse of his status.
Name:Graia Astolss:Holy Knight
Affiliation:Arkite KingdomHometown:Arkite Kingdom, Lunatic Lake Capital
HP:1440/1440MP:143/143
Strength:8 + 2Stamina:10 + 1
Mana:5Dexterity:7
Agility:7 +2
His stats did not amount to much after seeing this. Looking around a little, themander, Graia, had the highest status value. Mira assessed that his strength and stamina were rather low. What?! The correction value of the equipment is basically non-existent! It is too low. Although it looks great, there¡¯s nothing more than the basic performance and status on the armor he is wearing. There did not seem to have been any reinforcement items used on this. Mira¡¯s first impression was that amander would have decent equipment, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case here. ¡ó©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤¡ó The sounds of footsteps mixed inpletely with the murmuring of the stream flowing closeby. The Millette Forest was located in the southeast of the Arkite Kingdom border. The Arkite knights advanced jointly in order to observe the surroundings. After moving for a while, Mira and the group exited into an open space. Situated on a slightly elevated cliff was a cave which had standing trees enclosing its perimeter. A short distance inside were an overflowing amount of blue-faced hobgoblins standing in a line. A red-faced archgoblin in the vanguard raised its voice with an incoherent sound. Anyone could tell that they would soon be marching. Graia signalled each squad to split from their toons and hide in the shade of the trees. Each group surveyed the opponents and held their breaths. The hobgoblins exceeded 300 as the report stated. There were only 15 archgoblins in sight. They had the premonition that it was going to be a tough fight. That¡¯s if the knights were the only fighting force however. Mira was lurking in a corner of the thicket that surrounded the front of the fort. With 10 reliable knights which included Graia. The strategy was for the concealed Mira to summon the Dark Knight in the face of the enemy. It would be nice if the diversion drew up to 50 but 30 was good as well. It would prove to be a great sess if the other goblin forces revealed a gap. Thepany of knights had two groups stationed on the cliff top and another two groups on the sides of the fort. If the surprise attack reduced the number of goblins on the left and right sides, the Dark Knight would be expected to head to the entrance of the Goblin fort for cover. When they showed their backs, Graia would lead his 10 men to make an assault from behind. This was the strategy that Graia had nned. He directed all the knights to do battle. He asked Mira to order the Dark Knight to act violently and attract their attention. While feeling the sensation of sweat running down the hand that gripped his shield, Graia touched the worn sword hanging off his waist. He was waiting impatiently with bated breath for the signal from the detached force. The other knights felt the same way, with their bodies bent low, they turned their gazes to the area where the detached forces waited with deep slow breaths. The knights swallowed down their killing intent but this only served to increase their fighting spirit. The ambiance that surrounded them did not detract from their elite image. However, Mira felt out of ce in that situation. Although she felt ufortable with the sharpened tension, she sat cross-legged with her right hand caressing her chin while staring intently at the songbird pecking at the nut in front of her. She observed it skillfully jostling the nut in order to eat it. The songbird pecked a hole in the seemingly hard nut. When Mira was reflecting on the songbird¡¯s all too realistic behavior, she felt something suddenly flicker. ¡¸It came, the signal. Fourth and Fifth squad deploymentplete.¡¹ ¡¸Second squad¡¯s signal came.¡¹ ¡¸This group as well. Third squad deploymentplete.¡¹ All of the deployed squads¡¯ signals have been received. Graia closed his eyes momentarily and exhaling deeply, gripped his sword to confirm its presence. ¡¸Alright, Lady Mira. Please summon it.¡¹ Mira who had been floating around in her thoughts looked back at the voice in a panic, her gaze hastily removed from the songbird. ¡¸Ok, then let¡¯s move along.¡¹ The emergence point for the summoning technique was decided to be a short distance away from the fort on a hill. ¡¾Summoning Skill: Dark Knight¡¿ The ck knight who appeared to be d in jet-ck mes quickly caught the attention of the goblins with its overwhelming presence. The sudden appearance of an unidentified party caused the goblin force to disy bewildered expressions. While raising their voices with an incoherent sound, the goblins raised their weapons without breaking formation. Mira, who was surveying the goblins, revised her outdated ideas about goblin behavior. Then, the goblins slowly switched their ranks and soon after, twenty hobgoblinsmanded by an archgoblin began to run towards the Dark Knight. At first nce, they seemed to have been following themand of the archgoblin leader to attack. But judging from the manner in which they started charging and the order, it seemed that they were not working together. ¡¸There¡¯s only twenty, it¡¯s not enough for a distraction but there is no helping it.¡¹ Graia quietly muttered. If there were only such a small number then they would be able to clean it up immediately. However, a situation urred which exceeded Graia¡¯s imagination. The ck Knight who held the sword by its side suddenly crouched and spang off. Rather than a normal jump, it crouched so low that it almost kissed the ground and leapt off with immense force.
  1. TL note: Rather, her recognition of both
  2. TL note: Overflowing with ¡®humanness¡¯
Chapter 5: Return Trip Chapter 5: Return Trip Without even time to scream, the ck mass closed the distance and the unfortunate quick-footed hobgoblins were soon torn to pieces and sent flying through the air. It arrived all too soon before the eyes of the ten trailing hobgoblins. Without any time for them to take a stance, the ck longsword had already scattered their entrails and bodily fluids around, while the eyes popped and tumbled around on the ground. The Dark Knight caught up to thest group containing the archgoblin. With a reverberating dull metallic sound, the archgoblin raised its voice mixed with uneasiness. The archgoblin was wearing heavy clothing, so although it was on the slower side, it had the strength to persist. The archgoblin was particrly crafty in that it surrounded itself with hobgoblins to raise its own survival rate. However, it was a foolish idea before an armor spirit filled with murderous intent. If one wanted to survive, there was no choice but to run in the opposite direction the instant one faced it. The ck Knight whose momentum had not dropped even the slightest bit passed through thest group while mowing them down. This all took ce in an instant. The hobgoblins had be lumps of meat without even understanding what had happened. They had worn death instead of armor. In the end, not only the fast footed hobgoblins ran out of luck, all the goblins that had been perceived as an enemy by the walking disaster had simply ran out of luck. ¡¸Whoa,e on. Tell me this is all a lie.¡¹ ¡¸Commander¡­¡­..what in the world is that.¡¹ Graia with both eyes opened wide stood still as the tragedy unfolded before his eyes. The ck Knight who had won easily over a goblin toon did not cease moving. Shaking off Graia¡¯s expectations, it dashed towards the fort with its momentum intact. A ck assassin¡¯s dagger approached the goblin fortress. In the face of absolute death, the goblin fortress fell into a state of panic. One goblin after another ceased to exist, leaving only dead husks that coloured the scene. Unable to move, the deployed forces waited on the cliff with nk surprise and eyes opened wide to the tragedy unfolding before their eyes. They were knights. Oveing the battlefield time and time again, they were proud of the skills they possessed. Up until the present, they had never before encountered a demon that inspired such dread. However, they prided themselves in mustering up the courage in their hearts toe back and secure victory. As for fear, those who knew it were able to ovee it. However despite all that, veteran warriors with long military service had their hearts and minds shaken by fear of the ck God of Death below. They did not want to stand in front of that. Such hopeless fear grasped their hearts and minds, and hung over their pride like a finger. It was not fear anymore, it was a curse. Their hearts and minds broke. Just imagining standing in front of that sword cut off all their hopes. Every swing of that ck me extinguished a light of life. However, there was no need for the knights to get involved. The goblin¡¯s force showed no resistance nor were they able to run away as a single swing of a sword changed their path to one leading straight to hell. The Dark Knight who finished the execution bowed to Mira and returned to ck fog. At the same time, the knights timidly advanced in formations to begin inspecting the fort. ¡¸That thing, what was it?¡¹ Graia¡¯s party was walking from the wooded area towards the fort in a cautious manner. Before long, they joined the other troops. They received a report that there were no surviving remnants of the goblins forces in the interior of the fort. Mira and the knight troupe turned to walk towards the capital of the Arkite Kingdom, the Lunatic Lake. When the subject of the Dark Knight¡¯s strength came up, the knights smiled wryly and were relieved from the bottom of their hearts that it was not an enemy. Mira gave off the sense that such unnatural strength wasmonce. ¡¸I never would have thought that its true strength was like that.¡¹ ¡¸Our turn never came.¡¹ ¡¸When I thought about what could have happened at that time, I felt relieved. Miss Mira is amazing.¡¹ ¡¸So cute.¡¹ ¡¸You¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Err, um¡­. that is¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, I wonder just how strong it was.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, yes. That¡¯s right. If it was an adventurer, I would guess that it would be as strong as the ¡ºGenji¡»the Strong Hammer or ¡ºKazari¡» of the Crimson Scorched Earth?¡¹ ¡¸No, not at all, it surely wouldn¡¯t go up to legend ss.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸There cannot be such a monster that would willingly form a contract.¡¹ ¡¸I know right~?¡¹ Hahahahah! While the conversation talking about Mira was getting heated up, said person was talking with Graia about the country¡¯s present situation. Mira obtained information about the current situation of the Arkite Kingdom. Right now, eight of the nine Elders who were keystones of the national defense were absent. Each of the towers had delegated representatives. Also, Mira confirmed the fact that Danbulf had not been alone in his disappearance thirty years ago. In less than one year, all the nine Elders of the Silver Linked Towers had disappeared. Soon, however, the master wizard ¡ºLuminaria of Cmity¡» had returned from her disappearance ten yearster. Based on Luminaria¡¯s advice, this affair had been discussed behind closed doors by the upper echelon of the country. They officially announced this as the Elder disappearance case. Until then, those especially talented researchers who had served as aides to the Elders acted as their representatives. Even so, there were still big differences between them and their predecessors so there was a limit to the responsibilities they could bear. Mira, in addition, called up the chronology from the menu and reviewed the description from twenty years ago. Certainly, the Arkite Kingdom had announced the Elder disappearance case. Elder Luminaria. This name sounded familiar to Mira. When Ark Earth Online officially released, she had one close friend who she had a friendly rivalry with. She had brilliant crimson long hair simr to that of a rose with a strength of will to match. She had the appearance of a model with an abundant chest and tall figure that matched that of a model. It was a figure that anyone would look at. She was the embodiment of men¡¯s dreams. This was the Luminaria that Mira knew of. And because the yer inside was a man, he was a guy who told dirty jokes without hesitation. An ufortable feeling was born anew in her mind. Luminaria also disappeared, although she suddenly came back 20 years ago. Her situation of having disappeared 30 years ago was the same as Danbulf. In other words, the yer that was Luminaria and the yer that was Danbulf suddenly disappeared at the same time and reappeared. Although, the time that Danbulf and Luminaria reappeared was different. They both disappeared at the same time. Though, one of their appearances had changed. In Mira¡¯s mind, the next ce to go to had been decided. Luminaria was in the same situation as herself, so there was a strong possibility of her being the yer that Mira knew of. She may learn something if she spoke with her. Her destination was the ce where the silver towers were located, Arkite kingdom¡¯s greatest town, the ¡ºSilver Horn¡» where all their magic and military affairs were gathered. They advanced on a woond path between the trees and before long, they arrived at two forking roads. On the left path was the road to Arkite kingdom capital, ¡ºLunatic Lake¡». On the right path was her destination, Silver Horn. ¡¸Well then, be careful when returning.¡¹ ¡¸It is safe here, while I would have liked to say this line, Lady Mira had the strength to protect herself. I could not say this at all.¡¹ Whileughing out loud, he stroked Mira¡¯s head. Grimacing at the burden on her neck, Mira brushed his hand off and said ¡¸Stop treating me like a child.¡¹ The surrounding knights gazed at the heartwarming scene. ¡¸Because this was a special case, the reward will not be through the guild. Please visit me at Lunatic Lake when you finish your errands. I will talk to the guards to let you through.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmmm, well then I wille visit you when I have free time.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I will be waiting.¡¹ Saying so, the knights left through the left road, and Mira went towards the right road. Red began to seep into the blue sky peeking through the gap between the trees. When she confirmed the time from the menu that floated in space, she determined it to be past 5:00 pm. ording to memory, she had walked about an hour on foot from the Silver Horn Crossroads. She had not yete halfway through the journey. However, that was simply because Mira had constantly stopped to view anything of interest. She carefully observed the butterflies suck nectar from flowers with great interest and she dug up earthworms causing her to twitch her face. And with fatigue that had not been felt in-game up till now, she took several breaks. When Mira closed her menu, she felt a bit hungry and remembered the apple pie that she had been keeping in her item box. When she ced her fingertip on the icon within the box, a tiny icon began to grow in substance. It continued to grow until it was full size and materialized in her palm. Mira squinted at the thing that had appeared on her palm. It had already been one week since the apple pie had been ced in the item box. Although this was something which she had created 30 years ago as confirmed by the description, she could not detect an abnormality. Although she hesitated a little to bring her small nose close, a fragrant smell of vani beans extended to her nose. At the same time, her stomach growled. Mira made up her mind and with a wide open mouth, bit into the pie. A crunchy texture and sour apple taste greeted her mouth at the same time, taste was clearly simted. Then she opened the item box again and retrieved ¡ºAppure¡». This was an item that every magic ss always had on hand. It would be no exaggeration to say that it was a prevalent item. It was a drink that was effective in raising MP recovery speed that had apple and milk in it. She put her lips on the amber white liquid that had a faint sweet scent of apples. ¡¸So good¡­¡­¡¹ Her thoughts leaked out unintentionally. The two foods had excellent texture and taste.There also was no issue with the feeling of food going down her throat. However, although Mira had never eaten apple pie up until now, shemitted the excitement of her first taste in memory. Although ¡ºAppure¡» was not an item that could be seen in reality, Mira has be fond of its good vor and taste. ¡¸Fuuu.¡¹ Mira leaked out a long sigh. She looked up to the sky at ease and gazed at the clouds drifting by. The breeze rocked her hair and the sensation of that green scent tickled her nose. A moderate feeling of fatigue came upon her in proportion to how much she had moved. In addition, the appetising ¡ºAppure¡» and apple pie contributed to this pleasant feeling as well. Whether she willed them or not, she experienced a diverse sense of reality. When this much circumstantial evidence had been prepared, the more carefully one tried to understand the present situation the more one could not exempt the chance that it was reality. Therefore, for the time being, Mira had epted this as a fact. She would act based on the assumption that this was reality. Even if that wasn¡¯t actually the case, it would only be a funny storyter on. If that was the only loss, then it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. However, it would be toote to deal with the troubles if something did happen, thus she assumed the possibility that it was real. She may really die if she gets killed and may never get back up. People who ignored their bad feelings may end up having bad endings waiting for them. First of all, as a person who had lived in this world for twenty odd years, Luminaria may know something. It was her top priority to meet her. She returned her attention to the road ahead and stepped forward. Just when she was feeling fatigue from walking through a crossing and was about to hurry, it appeared. Drool dripped down from the sharp canines protruding from its gray body. Mira recognized the figure which had approached slowly and raised a low growl. It was called a saber dog, which was called the first hurdle for beginners. There were a lot of yers who were made to suffer from its agile movement and strong attack strength. The surroundings were the territory of this saber dog. There was no one around and a weak-looking girl was walking alone on a forest path this far away from a town. It was so foolish that it looked almost suicidal. Those who only looked at her appearance were unable to judge Mira¡¯s true strength. At most, they would only be able to guess that she was a magician from her robed figure. Although they may think that she was a magician, the contents were still that of a developing little girl. Had adventurers been passing by, 9 out of 10 of them would have jumped in at that time. All that was reflected in the eyes of the saber dog. It judged from her small stature that she was weak. As for the monster named saber dog, its length was well over one meter. Even for adults it would be dangerous without any preparation. The hunter¡¯s thirst for blood reflected in its eyes and it carefully judged the distance between them to not let its prey escape. Mira thrust out her right hand towards her opponent. And a feeling identical to that of a skill¡¯s activation was felt at that moment. The saber dog¡¯s pupils were now dyed in obvious fear and its body was crushed into arge red flower from its impact with many trees. After all, the opponent was a lower ss monster that was notparable to hobgoblins. The skill Mira used was an initial skill of her second ss ¡¾Sage: Shock Wave¡¿. It was merely a technique to send a shock wave forward, but if an expert on Mira¡¯s level were to use it, weaker beings would be sted away. ¡¸It looks like there¡¯s no problem.¡¹ Because Mira was capable of using summoning arts, she used Sage Magic only as an experiment. And the experiment gave her the conviction that skills were able to be used in the same sense as the game. Mira roughly brushed away the sparks that had fallen onto her and she hurried away without looking back. Chapter 6: Silver Towers Chapter 6: Silver Towers The day sets and countless stars shone in the sky. It was a night sky that differed from the scene in ¡ºArk Earth Online¡». For a city dweller, it was a scenery that would make them instinctively exim in admiration. Atst, Mira finally arrived at her destination which was the city of Silver Horn. Mira waved her hand at the gatekeeper while she passed through the gates that were wide open. For an instant, she was engrossed at the sight of the reformed town. ¡¸It¡¯s not surprising that the city changed after thirty years had passed. ¡¹ Mira muttered this in order to convince herself. However, it was only natural for it to change. The wall that surrounded the city grew taller and wider. The town had grown over three times the size of the one in Mira¡¯s memory. Only the nine towers, also known as the ¡ºSilver Towers¡»that symbolized the town, still rose in the center. This proved that this city was indeed the Silver Horn. Mira aimed at the towers which were on the far end from the entrance. With a sigh, she marched through the busy main street that¡¯s bustling with people heading home from work. Mira¡¯s form flickered like fire from the illumination produced by the street lights. Coupled together with her childish features, it made for a very strange sight in the eyes of the popce. Although the person herself did not notice, those people who caught Mira in their view called out in worry over a little girl walkingte at night. Everyone turned their heads as one would be captivated by that alluring beauty. It may have been inevitable. Mira¡¯s appearance was created under the pretext of an ideal female image, because of that, everyone that encountered her had their breath taken away. Naturally, the maker herself was the same. She was as spellbound by her avatar as the onlookers. Had it been midday, knights would have surely broken up the crowds of admirers. Arge gate set in a wall of about 4 meters blocked the way ahead of the main street. Lit by moonlight, the figures of the Silver Linked Towers stood out majestically. It caused her to strain her neck to look up. The towers that made a circle and lined up from the front in a clockwise rotation were the ¡ºTower of Magic¡», ¡ºTower of Saints¡», ¡ºTower of Onmyoji¡», ¡ºTower of Exorcists¡», ¡ºTower of Summoning¡», ¡ºTower of Necromancy¡», ¡ºTower of Sage¡»,¡ºTower of Forbidden Arts¡», andstly, the ¡ºTower of Concepts¡». In order to enter the grounds of the Silver Linked Towers, one must go through this gate. However, it wasmon knowledge that the gate had been enchanted with special authentication magic to prevent outsider¡¯s entry. In order to enter, one must receive a pass from the administration bureau of the Silver Linked Towers. Another way was to prove that you were a researcher belonging to the Silver Linked Towers by presenting a silver key. Thest pass was for the Elders of the Silver Linked Towers. They had tower master keys which were engraved with nine canes. Because this gate existed, there was no need to post people to watch the front of the tower. And Mira naturally possessed one such tower master key. When Mira advanced in front of the gate like she had always done, she noticed something unusual. Up until now, the gate was like an automatic door that would open simply by approaching it, but right now the gate did not show any response. Mira tried to advance the same way as before, but she moved back in a panic after she had almost collided with the gate. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ She unintentionally muttered this while looking up at the gate, she jumped away and approached again. However, the gate remained closed like an endearing child who did notugh at a clown. It remained firmly shut before Mira. ¡¸This is strange.¡¹ Mira muttered this again and tried to remember how to open the gate. A pass, a silver key, and a tower master key. She was the Elder of the Summoning Tower who held a tower master key. When she remembered this, she opened the item box which disyed the column that the important thing was kept in. Mira confirmed that there was the tower master key in the item lists and removed it. It was not the type of key which twists and slides. It had the shape of a card. Nine towers were engraved on a silver base and only one of them shone with gold. The shining tower showed who it was that owned this tower master key. Mira understood this to be the same as the one in her memories. When she was rubbing her chin with her fingertips, suddenly the gate opened without a sound. ¡¸This is¡­¡­.. aha¡ª that¡¯s right.¡¹ When she returned the tower master key to her item box, the gate closed. It opened when she took it out again. It was valid but apparently because it had been in the item box, it went unrecognized. When Mira had noticed it, she had already repeated this several times as she yed with the gate. Although some things had changed and they were a bit puzzling, one thing she understood was that there would be no problem. When Mira passed through the gate, she grabbed and threw the tower master key into the item box.1 Thewn spread over the premises and the sporadic researchers exiting the towers watched her walk about in a hurry. Although the curfew had passed long ago, the researchers did not seem to mind. Because as many as thirty years have passed since the age Mira knew of, Mira was a little worried. However, because this ce had not changed at all ¡ªperhaps due to their blind devotion to keeping this ce the same¡ª she was half-shocked and half-relieved. The nine towers drew a very long circle on the spacious grounds. Graia had talked about Luminaria, the Elder who studied magic. This would mean that she might be at the top floor of the Magic Tower, which served as the Wiseman¡¯s room. Mira began to walk towards the tower in the front. Several magicians gazed at Mira¡¯s retreating figure from behind. The little girl fascinated them and even made some have unpardonable thoughts. The keys were not necessary for the gate of the tower so Mira entered with no trouble. The interior was aplete atrium. The tower had a feeling of freedom and as a result of facilities being piled on top of one another, also had a doughnut shape. The spiral staircase that led to the top connected all the floors. Whenever the number of people increased, extensions were put in, and before anyone had noticed, it had reached 30 floors. As one would expect, climbing up to such a height on stairs would take time. That was why, two years after the tower had been built, a Concept Magic had been applied in the center of the tower that acted like an elevator for the sake of convenience. Yes, this tower was built by yers. This was because there had not been a suitable time to do this during the early days. The method of acquiring that technique had not yet been established back in those days as well. yers who selected magicians from the start could only use the skills they acquired during the initial phase. While that was fine in the beginning, it would only be a hindrance to a party once they graduated from the beginner status. It becamemon sense for magicians to end up being out of ce when suddenly, the first founder of a nation appeared. Then began the founding age where the rush for territory led to frequent wars. yers who became kings employed other yers as mercenaries with high rewards and yers that belonged to those countries participated in the war. Since too many yers signed up for the war, one person must bring at least 10 NPCs in order to participate. Large countries grew when their yer citizens multiplied. From there, lots of money were made and these countries used this to attract elite yers to win wars. Such a situation spread across the continent and it gradually began to be seen as a problem. Also, when the difference between that of therge and small countries grew, the situation urred in which as soon as a small country was founded, it would be invaded and transformed into a vassal nation. It became difficult for new nations to rise. In a world that had be chaotic, the yers who served as kings assembled for one meeting where they signed a treaty. ¡ºNational Power Ranking System¡» The agreement between nations was called this. To determine the rank of a country, its possessions, economic strength, military strength, and various other factors were examined. In addition, yer participation in wars were restricted based on this. The best feature of this treaty was that in low-ranked countries, maximum yer participation in wars were allowed. yers that could participate in wars were elected at random. In this limited national framework, mercenaries were limited. 70% of the participants in the war must be citizens of that country. As a result, NPC soldiers¡¯ values went up, while at the same time, individual yer¡¯s true skills affected the war situation in arge way. And by this treaty, magicians totally lost their ce. Five NPC soldier slots were taken up for a magician yer. It became impossible for one to win a war if one chose a useless magician. Thus, the persecution of magician yers progresses in this way underneath everyone¡¯s notice. In addition, various limits were imposed on yers who did not belong to a country. There were also various benefits from a country that one could not receive. First of all, the penalty of death was atrocious. When one died, all the items in the item box were lost. Furthermore, if one suffered from a weakened state, it would take a full day to recover theirbat potential. Also when traveling across national borders, the toll fee wasn¡¯t low either. If they belonged to the country, items were not lost and recovering only took a few minutes. In addition, toll fees were at the level of tips and government-owned facilities could be used free of charge. But of course, there were not always good things as national tax was still collected but the benefits were great. All yers chose one among three countries at the time they started. Although these countries were called the Three Beginner Countries, they had the limitation of being forced to leave once one reached a certain rank. In the beginning, this brutal setup stirred up various reactions from the yer base, but gradually it was just treated as another part that made up ¡ºArk Earth Online¡». That was how the public consensus shifted. Incidentally, it was the founding of a country that made that matter inconsequential. In other words, if one could receive the benefits from being affiliated with a country after one got out from the Three Beginner Countries, one would certainly jump at it. The Arkite Kingdom located in the southeast of the continent was born during such chaos. In the agreement, a provision banned countries from picking wars with newly founded countries for four months. Though there were norge countries in the surroundings, there were a great number of small to medium countries, and it was likely to be easy prey. However, the fate of the country did not run out. King Solomon of Arkite Kingdom and Danbulf were friends from open beta. Although magicians were in a difficult position at the time, Solomon invited Danbulf to his country. After that, when the magicians heard about a country that epted magician yers, they flocked to Arkite Kingdom in order to pursue their rights. Because the yer named Solomon had known Danbulf for a long time, he knew of the struggles magicians had to experience. For that reason, an ambition to improve their situation was grasped. When Solomon began to ept all magicians, a certain interesting phenomenon began to ur. That was an information exchange between fellow magicians. Under normal circumstances, the process of acquiring skills was difficult to understand. If one discovered an art that no one but yourself knew of, then one would have absolute superiority on that art. This was an era where information was sold for a high price. However, friends who gathered there taught the acquisition method and effects of the skills to each other. Although Solomon himself had given up on the war, his nation had not. For the Arkite Kingdom who had epted all those expelled from their countries, the magicians gave up their dominance in order tobine their strengths. Solomon found that there was a chance at victory. When he loaned a part of the territory for skill research, the gathered magicians built nine facilities for every kind of skill. This became the prototype for the Silver Linked Towers. This was the moment in which a group was born that possessed the power to prevent even the best of countries from invading the small country that was the Arkite Kingdom. In this world, it was an event thirty years ago. While indulging in such deep emotion, Mira stepped into the elevator and aimed for the Wiseman¡¯s Room on the top floor. This elevator was different from a real elevator in that a thin round stone with a painted magic square bobbed up and down within a thin transparent tube. The passage of the elevator stretched to include the stairs on every floor. Its appearance was simr to that of a fish bone. This reached a point that the elevator was now called Fishbone. Again, this event urred thirty years ago.
  1. Silva: is the gate a toy to you? Think of the shocked plebeians who watched the gate open and closes repeatedly
Chapter 7: Danbulf’s Pupil Chapter 7: Danbulf¡¯s Pupil The top floor of the Tower of Magic was called the Wiseman¡¯s private room orboratory. Furthermore, it also contained the aide¡¯s room. When the transparent film which blocked the back and front of the elevator lifted, Mira stepped down from the front. When she traversed the circr corridor formed from a translucent tube, she found herself before theboratory door. ¡¸Hey, Luminaria. Are you there? Answer me!¡¹ Mira made a small fist and pounded on the door repeatedly.1 In the corridor of the tower, the echoing screams of the door seemed to exceed the sound of the little girl¡¯s voice. Since the time the person named Luminaria became an Elder, she would often stay in theboratory. In other words, this was the most likely ce where she could be found. For that reason, Mira immediately knocked on the door of theboratory with the expectation of Luminaria kicking open the door while saying ¡¸Have some moderation!¡¹ The usual situation did not ur so she stopped her fist and strained her ears to listen carefully. ¡¸Away huh.¡¹ On rare asions, she could be found doing an experiment in a nearby forest that¡¯s difficult to reach. (This fellow is a guy who can¡¯t read the atmosphere.) Mira muttered this in her mind and ced her hand on her chin in careful deliberation. ¡¸Who is this?¡¹ While pacing back and forth in front of the door thinking whether she should wait for the master of the tower to return, the voice of a calm woman suddenly sounded from the rear. And Mira was familiar with this voice. Indeed, it was a beautiful secretary woman with shoulder-length blond hair that matched well with her spectacles. Her blue eyes that were filled with suspicion were turned towards Mira. ¡¸Oh, Litaria, it¡¯s been a long time. As for Luminaria, do you know where she has gone?¡¹ The beautiful woman whom Mira called Litaria was the aide of an Elder. In order to assist the Elder with their research and misceneous duties, NPCs were dispatched by the country. In other words, Litaria was the aide for Luminaria. And she was of the elven race and since they possess long lifespans, they remained youthful for a very long period. Depending on the person, it would be like a dreame true to be an elf. However, yers in Ark Earth Online were unable to choose the race because it was an exclusive race for the NPCs. In addition, famous races such as Dwarves, Halflings, Sirens, Werewolves, and Giants; as well as various other races like the Meou Tribe who are simr to humans except for their cat ears and tail, and the Gardia tribe with their robust bodies exist too. ¡¸Who are you? In order to enter this floor, one must use the elevator, other ways of approach are nonexistent. Only a select number of people know the way to the top floor.¡¹ Wearing a tense atmosphere, Litaria¡¯s eyes were filled strongly with precaution. ¡¸Well, I am¡­¡­ oh, that¡¯s right¡­.¡¹ Mira just recalled that she did not have her dignified appearance. It was not possible to ask Litaria to ¡¸Examine¡¹ her status. There was no guarantee that one would believe her if she introduced herself as Danbulf. To a person who knew of her original appearance, being seen as a little girl would be most unbearable for Mira. However, it would only be a trifling thing if Luminaria was the other party. First of all, Luminaria would enjoy ¡°such a thing¡± more than anyone. In case the topic of her appearance was brought up, she could speak with confidence that she was cute. Mira came to find Luminaria to ask her about the current situation. This oue was unexpected. Being told by Litaria, Mira recalled that in order to reach the Wiseman¡¯s Room via the elevator, a certain procedure was needed to operate it. Only a limited number of people who knew of this procedure would be able to go to the top floor so that fans would not intrude on the Elder. Of course, as one of the Elders, Mira had agreed with this. Therefore, it was doubtful how a little girl had managed toe to this floor. It was a cause of concern for Litaria. In order to not reveal her true identity, she could not say that she was the Elder of the summoning arts passing by to visit the Wiseman¡¯s Room. Mira traced her jaw with her fingertips as she pondered. She was unable to reveal her true identity, having said that she must provide justification for knowing how to operate the elevator toe up to this floor. She had toe up with a convenient excuse that would allow her to go in and out freely in the future. And then, one good idea crossed her mind. ¡¸You, do you know Danbulf?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I know him. He is the Elder of the Summoning Tower.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is so. I am Danbulf¡¯s apprentice. I was ordered by my master to pass on some messages to Lady Luminaria in his ce. I am to convey this message ande back.¡¹ ¡¸Lord Danbulf¡­¡­!? If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s reasonable¡­¡­.. Er, however, I never heard about Danbulf taking care of an apprentice like you before.¡¹ The expression of Litaria reflected obvious excitement when she heard his name. This was because she proimed herself the pupil of the Wiseman that had disappeared thirty years ago. It was natural for her to be excited. ¡¸That is so. I became his apprentice after he disappeared thirty years ago.¡¹ ¡¸After he disappeared?! If you are his pupil, then that means Lord Danbulf has returned?!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes it¡¯s like that. For certain reasons, he is unable to move right now. So I came instead.¡¹ ¡¸I see, Lord Danbulf is¡­¡­ But what kind of situation could render him immobile?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­¡­ um, it¡¯s like that.¡¹ Because it was an iplete idea, Mira would be troubled if she were asked for details. Then she hit upon a suitable excuse. It was an action that she had frequently done when she was still Danbulf. If this world had seeded in conventional history, this might work. ¡¸In order to train a newly summoned spirit, he had to stay inside the Town of Phantasmal Beast.¡¹ ¡¸¡­ Again with a newly summoned spirit. As expected of Lord Danbulf. Just when we thought that he¡¯s disappeared, he¡¯s been training spirits in the Town of Phantasmal Beasts; I see even that part of him hasn¡¯t changed. Then it can¡¯t be helped that he can¡¯t move away. Ahhh, Lord Danbulf. I hope to see you soon.¡¹ Though it was a desperate excuse, Litaria nodded because the story had been convincing. Apparently, her former actions remained in this world as a memory somehow. Mira gained conviction of this. Why did this excuse work? This was because the Town of Phantasmal Beast was a famous hunting ground for yers. Although nobody lived in said town, great varieties of monsters and phantasmal beasts dominated the ruins of the ancient town. The more monsters one killed here, the more blessings could be obtained which increased the growth rate, recovery speed, and rare item drops. Due to the variety of monsters that appeared here, high ranking yers were known to use this as their hunting fields. The problem was that the blessing would be reset upon leaving the town. That being the case, it wasmon sense for yers that hunted in the Town of Phantasmal Beast to stock up arge quantity of recovery items and secluded themselves in hunting. ¡¸Ah¡­. it is like that. So, where is Lu¡­..Lady Luminaria?¡¹2 ¡¸Is that so. At present, Lady Luminaria is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Nonono¡­¡­¡­.I shouldn¡¯t, it¡¯s wrong. While that certainly sounds like what Lord Danbulf would do, anyone who knows Lord Danbulf well could im to be his apprentice. Do you have evidence that you are who you im to be?¡¹ Litaria went beyond respect and worshipped Luminaria and Dunbalf who supported the country together. The hint that Danbulf was alive made a bright light burst out from her expression but she smoothed it over in a panic. She had still yet to confirm the truth regarding the previous matter. ¡¸Is there any evidence? Let¡¯s see¡­¡­¡­ is this easy to understand?¡¹ After having thought a little, Mira took out evidence that only Danbulf would have from the item box. Of course, it was the silver card on which nine canes were carved, the tower master key. ¡¸This is¡­¡­ The master key of the Tower of Summoning! Then, you really are Lord Danbulf¡¯s¡­.. Oh name¡­. may I have your name if that¡¯s okay with you?¡¹ ¡¸I am Mira. Litaria, I would like to hear where your master is. Is Lady Luminaria not here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Lady Luminaria as of now has gone out to Lunatic Lake. She is not likely to return until tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, is that so? Then there is no helping it. Shall Ie to visit again?¡¹ If she wasn¡¯t here, then there was no point to remain any longer. Mira considered it to be troublesome to go towards Lunatic Lake at the present moment. If she was going to return tomorrow then her conclusion was that it would be better toe back at that time. ¡¸That¡¯s right. It is night already, will you not spend the night in my room? You can stay until Lady Luminariaes back. Also, please tell me various things about Lord Danbulf if possible!¡¹ Litaria¡¯s expression abruptly changed as she approached. Mira vigorously retreated until her back bumped against the door. Litaria only wanted to hear stories about Danbulf, but as for Mira, the thin excuse she used would go up in mes. It was not wise to prolong the story because she did not know when a fault would appear. She intended to run away promptly. In addition, Litaria was a beautiful woman despite being a familiar face. Even if Mira may look like a girl, she remained a man on the inside full of lustful desires. In conclusion, she couldn¡¯t let her reasonings be destroyed here. Rather than the pride of Danbulf as a person being at stake here, it was more of a feeling to want to look good to a person who loved him. Even though the present situation was that they both were the same sex, it was not the problem. ¡¸No, besides I have other engagements to attend to. Allow me toe back again tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so it is like that¡­¡­. Then it doesn¡¯t have to be tonight. Miss Mira, just a little bit, won¡¯t you tell me what happened thirty years ago? Please tell me what Lord Danbulf has been doing up until now.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe next time, I¡¯ve been ordered by the master to take care of some tasks.¡¹ When she finally shook off Litaria, Mira jumped into the elevator to descend to the first floor. If she was questioned for details, there was sure to have been some contradictions. For example, if she was asked about how she became his apprentice. It was because she did not think about the details. Mira reflected on the excuse that she established. She looked up in regret at the thing she said herself. The sudden change in Litaria was unexpected. She let out a big sigh while leaning against the transparent tube. ¡¸I should have a more intellectual impression.¡¹ She knew that Litaria was an NPC, but she did not remember her personality to be like that from her memories. Her impression was that she ought to have been more secretary-like. Thirty years have passed, perhaps that was the source? Mira ced her hand on her chin as she smiled wryly and passed by looking at each floor. She arrived on the first floor in approximately ten seconds. Taking the opportunity to get psyched up, she passed by the researchers saying, ¡¸Do your best!¡¹ As for Mira, it was one of Danbulf¡¯s habits to yell like this. To the abrupt encouragement of a little girl passing by, although they did not understand Mira¡¯s purpose, several researchers got psyched up to greet their all-night vigil. Mira left the Tower of Magic and entered the Tower of Summoning. Because Luminaria would be back tomorrow, there was one thing that she wanted to confirm by then. It was not necessarily a lie that she had business to attend to. The business was to confirm the state of the room she had been using as a base. If it had not changed from before, she would be able to use it, ordingly she would also be able to spend a night there. The Tower of Summoning had the same structure as the Tower of Magic. The inside of which was silent and as bright as the morning from the flickering light powered by concept magic. Mira narrowed her eyes a little at the radiance while she operated the elevator to go to the top floor. She considered regting the quantity of lightter. It was different from the Tower of Magic in that it passed each floor without connecting to the stairs. When she noticed not a single researcher was in sight, she recalled the words the knights had said: ¡¸It was the first time I have seen a summoner, they are unusual.¡¹ The number of summoners had obviously decreased. Mira felt a certain feeling simr to that of seeing off a retiredpanion. She felt slightly disconste.
  1. TLN: poor door¡­. a person 6x as strong as an adult male is pounding on you
  2. She initially called her name without honorifics and only added themter.
Chapter 8: Mira and the Wiseman’s Room Chapter 8: Mira and the Wiseman¡¯s Room The top floor of the summoning tower. The structure was identical to that of the Tower of Magic, the cement of the room was identical as well. Mira straightforwardly made her way toward a private room. A red carpet was spread over the corridor and ck armor that looked simr to the Dark Knight was put on disy. They were items that were presented to Danbulf for his distinguished services in the war he had participated in. However, there were very bitter feelings attached to the two names he gained from this, though few people knew of it. Two suits of armor stood at the entrance of the private room. When she looked at the suits and armor, she figured she must have left them here for thirty years already. Mira reached out with her hand to the massive ck door. ¡¸Oops, I forgot about that aspect.¡¹ She suddenly recalled that and stopped. While thinking that she could not get used to this, Mira held up the tower master key she had taken out from her item box. Then, as if pleased with the return of its master, a small clicking sound reverberated from the vicinity of the doorknob. When she went through the door, a chill shed through her body. Mira had entered the private room but she felt a sense of difort. When she first entered the room, she had taken off her boots. Because there was no shoe rack in the entryway, she had left them by the entrance. Although she did not take off her boots in the game, now that it had be a reality, she could not rid herself of the habit of taking off shoes when inside a room. When she became barefooted, she advanced indoors to a familiar sight. The carpet made from the pelt of a magnificent magic beast upied 80% of the floor. Although the soft pelt shone with a golden sheen, it was very sturdy. Even if one was to practice judo throws atop the carpet, no wound would be sustained. This rare item had taken all the Elders of the Silver Linked Towers to obtain when they participated in the subjugation carnival of the magic beast king. This was Danbulf¡¯s share of the Magic Beast King¡¯s fur which the craftsmen had processed. It was a high-quality material from a king-ss monster that could be made into first-ss equipment. When Danbulf asked to make it into a carpet, the first-ss leather processing workman asked more than several times, ¡¸Is this really okay?¡¹ They were aware that it would be a really regrettable decision to make this high-ss pelt be a mere carpet. The memorabilia had a certain meaning, it prostrated itself on the ground as if to show obedience. In addition, essories that Danbulf had collected were scattered around. She knew each and every one of them by sight. However, certain items were ced slightly differently from what she remembered. ¡¸Is this because of Mariana?¡¹ For Mira, there was only one person that she thought of that could cause this sense of incongruity. She was the aide of the Elder of the Tower of Summoning, Danbulf¡¯s aide. It was a simple story, after all, there were only two people who were able to enter this private room. Only two people held the tower master key, the Elder or their aide. The main person in this room was absent for thirty years. Then the remaining person would be Mariana. Mira expected that Mariana, her aide, would clean it as usual. Mira was aware that Mariana was an NPC. Among the many rooms, a lot of them were storage spaces. When she came home from hunting, she irresponsibly stuffed the spoils inside. When she next logged in, the items were sorted into each storage by type and the mess was cleared up. After having be an Elder. Danbulf had never once tidied up. The methodical and meddlesome nature of Mariana reminded him of a childhood friend heroine from a romanticedy. The source of the ufortable feeling was Mariana moving around the small essories every month. She was allowed to do that to a certain extent because she¡¯s the type that dabbled in geomancy and fortune telling. Mira¡¯s expectations had hit the mark. Mariana had been Danbulf¡¯s aide for thirty years and she had never missed a day cleaning the room or maintenance of the essories. She believed that her master woulde back one day. Wondering whether she had been doing this for thirty years, Mira was a little worried about Mariana. However, to make it to tomorrow, she scanned through her memories for a bed to rest her tired body. When she was ying this as a game, she logged out and slept in her futon whenever she became sleepy. However, the situation now was different. Because it was not possible to log out, she had no choice but to sleep here. Since she had never used the bedroom in the past, she did not remember where it was. Mira understood that it was natural to have many rooms within the private room. Thus, she checked every door to make sure she did not miss it. The first room was a collection room. Rare items from around the world were collected and they formed a line in the room. The second room was a refinement room. Wisdom and materials concerning refining technology that Danbulf had developed overflowed from this room. For Mira, however, it was merely a workroom. The third room was a storeroom. Experimental weapons, defensive armaments, and refining goods were beautifully disyed. Items suitable for Danbulf¡¯s character were scattered irresponsibly. If Mariana saw this room, she would have fainted. And the fourth room was a restroom. At the same time, Mira was reminded of some business she had yet toplete after she came to this world. She became stiff from a familiar physiological phenomenon which rose from her lower abdomen. She did not forget. She only wanted to forget. The symptoms were like ripples that had been noticed even before her arrival in Silver Horn. However, Mira did not want to admit it because it would not be possible for her consciousness to go back if she did it with a girl¡¯s body. However, it mattered not even if one somehow endured it. Rather, it was worse for the body the more she endured. In actuality, when all the equipment and preparations in order to do it wereid out right before her, everything that she tried to ignore as much as possible came out like how an object submerged in the Dead Sea would rush to the surface. It seemed like she was nearing her limit. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do this.¡¹ Mira steeled herself and closed the door of the restroom. After a brief moment, the sound of flowing water could be heard. (Luminaria wouldugh wildly at this.) She smiled wryly imagining what kind of expression Luminaria would make at that time. When Mira looked back at the restroom, she unconsciously ced her hand on her abdomen. ¡¸Well, this is normal. That is the natural course of action for anyone who used the toilet.¡¹ It is natural for anyone who doesn¡¯t have it to use that bowl, Mira muttered to convince herself. The expression of Mira who had passed the most severe mountain pass for the first time was so bright as to be refreshing. Though there were some wicked feelings within, she had a vigorous mental strength and a healthy body to begin with, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. To be honest, she was even a little excited about it. She assumed a defiant attitude in order to justify herself. After that, keeping up with that momentum, Mira strode into the fifth room. She took a bath after taking off all of her equipment in the bathroom and bing naked. (It takes a long time to bathe when one¡¯s hair is so long.) After basking in a hot bath, her fatigue had more or less been removed and her feeling of drowsiness had somewhat eased. She hung her towel in an appropriate ce and lowered her small bottom on a leather sofa and immediately opened the item box. The purpose was to confirm if she had any casual dress included. After having gotten out of the bath, the blood and dirt attached to the robe was noticeable. Mira was not a neat freak. Still, she was unable to bring herself to wear the robe until after she washed it. When she looked at the list, one of the icons caught her attention. It was a quest reward called ¡ºCelestial Maiden¡¯s Raiment.¡» This item was the special equipment she got when she cleared ¡ºLegend of the Celestial Maiden¡» which was the quest for a Sage. The item¡¯s effect was the strengthening of the Sage¡¯s exclusive skill. Because the appearance did not suit Danbulf too much, it was stuffed into the storehouse. She was considerably obsessed with the appearance of equipment in the age of Danbulf. She chose appearance over the effects for his majestic magician. Because it was her creed, she could not bring herself to equip it even if it had high performance. However, she considered how Mira looked right now. This was a genuine wless gown with frills. If it was with her current appearance of a little girl now, then it may possibly match her. There was no time like the present, Mira took out the celestial maiden¡¯s robe from the item box and wore it. At first nce, the clothes were norger than the size of a baby doll. The hem of her skirt reached near Mira¡¯s calves and the sleeves stopped short in the middle of her upper arm. The cloth reflected a light pink color and it had a smooth and silky surface. It was a cloth that was worthy of the name celestial maiden. Consequently, not only Danbulf would balk at wearing this equipment, all the other male avatars would as well. ¡¸Hoh~ This is quite excellent.¡¹ The window isted the room from the dark night that ruled outside. The figure was not distinct but the reflection was enough to confirm her appearance. Mira substituted the window for a mirror and smiled admiringly at the sight of the girl d in a dress. Although the smile contained a bit of carnal desire, Mira¡¯s expression mirrored that of a rogue. Yet it still remained that of an innocent smile. After that, Mira found the bedroom that she had originally been looking for after checking every single room. Alternatively, had she not found it, she could have dragged several robes from the warehouse and casually threw them on the sofa as a makeshift bed. They were things used by Danbulf. The decoration and coloring were gorgeous, they were robes that exuded dignity and luxury. They were her favorite robes. Although Mira thought about doing theundry, she thought of leaving it to Mariana and decided to leave them scattered around as always. Mira leaned against the window while gazing at the distant streetlight. She let out a small yawn. After that, she began to feel sleepy and ced a hand on her waist to stretch lightly. She confirmed the time from the menu. It was past 10 pm. It was as expected, although she had originally started off strong walking in the forest, a certain fatigue had umted in her small body. She had temporarily kept herself awake by bathing. Mira opened her small mouth to yawn again while wiping both her eyes with the back of her hand. At any rate, the purpose Mira was here now was not only to confirm what had happened to her base but also toe and meet with Luminaria, one of the yers that was in the same situation she was in. However, if the person did note tomorrow, Litaria would tell her. Mira concluded that there was little to be done in the present circumstances. She was attracted to the bedroom and copsed on the bed. A gentle opposing force pushes back the small body of the girl. The bed was made by Mariana every day, who was longing for the return of her master. ¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó¡ó Lunatic Lake was the capital of Arkite Kingdom. Near its center, bordering on a crescent moon-shapedke was the Arkite Castle where the king lived. King Solomon finished putting the business of the day in order and entrusted his whole body to the back of a leather chair. He kicked the desk which had the stacks of documents he had just finished. In reaction, the chair with wheels carried Solomon to the window with a light rattling sound. The source of the magic light was the silver bracelet Solomon had on. Solomon touched the bracelet on his left arm and looked at the empty space. On a screen projected onto the empty space which was only visible to its owner, characters coded in white and gray appeared, ¡¸Danbulf¡­¡­..¡¹ Solomon confirmed the screen every day. And now, the name of Danbulf was shing in white. Solomon raised his head and turned the chair. He immediately shifted his attention to the window thatid to his back which the dark and quiet night ruled. He was hoping to see Silver Horn city beyond the distant mountain. It was the town of heroes for the country. While reminiscing of a chance encounter in that city in days long gone, the sound of knocks on the door returned Solomon¡¯s awareness. ¡¸Enter.¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ The man who opened the door and bowed was one of the heralds of the Arkite Kingdom. The man advanced one more step and took out a piece of paper. When Solomon urged him to continue with his expression, the herald expanded the paper and read the contents out loud. ¡¸I will report. This is a regrly timed report from Graia of the magic knight order: I discovered a fort of hobgoblins in the vicinity of the border, the enemy¡¯s force was approximately three hundred in number. With the strength of an adventurer girl, we sessfully cleared the area. I am on my way back now, but I hope for a suitable reward when the adventureres to visit Lunatic Lake. The name of the adventurer is Mira, a beautiful little girl with long silver hair.¡¹ Solomon received the report, but he showed a frown at the messenger, seemingly not understanding the content. This was because the Hobgoblin army had a force of three hundred, it was of considerable scale. He had sent fifty elite magic knights, but it was not possible for them to have been able to wipe out that many. If the captain was Graia, he would have almost certainly waited for reinforcements. However, without doing so, he enlisted the help of an adventurer. A question appeared in his mind of why he had forced the subjugation. However, Solomon was certain that he had a reason for doing this. Graia was a man that he could ce that much faith in him. Solomon thought, ¡®Was there a reason for him to push through with the subjugation? Or does it have anything to with the enlisted adventurer¡¯s strength?¡¯ For now, however, the matter did not hold any significance. He breathed out once and abandoned that line of thinking. He took the report from the hands of the herald to read it with his own eyes. ¡¸Is there something else?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, speak.¡¹ ¡¸Lady Litaria, an aide from the Silver Horn¡¯s Tower of Magic contacted us with magic transmission. I was told that a girl named Mira introduced herself in her district as the apprentice of Danbulf.¡¹ ¡¸An apprentice of that fellow¡­?¡¹ Solomon dropped his sight down to the screen of the bracelet. The name of Danbulf was disyed there. This name which had been disyed as grey for thirty years until yesterday. It was the name of his friend, a hero of bygone times, it had turned white. Then, a girl who introduced herself as his apprentice appeared. And there was also the adventurer who had subjugated the hobgoblins with the magic knights. They both had introduced themselves with the name of Mira. ¡¸There¡¯s no way this was just a session of coincidences.¡¹ Solomon¡¯s eyes which had just been exhausted from the clerical work just a little while ago regained their light. A joyful shine took over the weariness in his eyes. ¡¸Send a messenger to the Silver Horn as soon as possible. Tell them to invite the adventurer named Mira courteously. I leave the choice of the messenger to you.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly. At once.¡¹ When he took his eyes off the herald, the herald left the room and folded the report. Solomon stared at the window at the distant town with the tower again. The jet-ck mountains which absorbed the moonlight contrasted with theke that symbolized the Lunatic Lake around the castle. Theke shone with an ephemeral light. Chapter 9: Magical Girl? Chapter 9: Magical Girl? Still early in the morning as the sounds of birds singing filled the air. A carriage noisily dashed down the main street of Silver Horn at full speed. Residents watched as the carriage, adorned with the heraldry of the Arkite Kingdom, headed towards the Silver Linked Towers. Mira stirred as the early morning sun shone across her eyes as sheid on the canopy bed. Yawning, Mira stretched as she woke up with disheveled clothes. However, Mira sleepily threw herself back into the bed and turned away from the sunlighting from her window. She soon slowly dozed back to sleep. As her consciousness faded, the stillness of the room, devoid of even the sounds of birds chirping as it was located on the top floor of the tower, was broken as a rhythmic chime yed across the floor. Mira reluctantly awoke from a discordant shout that shattered the silence. As she woke up, she looked around and saw an unfamiliar yet luxurious room around her. Still half asleep, Mira questioned where she was. ¡¸AHH¡­¡­.¡¹ Mira unintentionally squealed as she remembered yesterday¡¯s events. At the same time, she felt a sense of loss as she looked down muttering ¡¸My manliness¡­¡­.¡¹ while considering her appearance. With an unfamiliar small body, Mira slid to the edge of the bed to sit. Then, Mira noticed her gorgeous legs, peeking from under her clothes. The light shining through the curtains like a spotlight made her legs appear whiter, leaving Mira speechless. With red cheeks like that of an adolescent boy, Mira softly touched her skin and gazed at it to check. It was the soft skin of a girl, and her sense of touch confirmed it. The sensation made her recognize yesterday¡¯s events that led her to now, causing her to be fully awake. ¡¸¡­¡­..However, what was the sound that woke me up?¡¹ Mira now fully awake, noticed the mysterious rhythm was still ying. Tap tap tap. While listening carefully, Mira could make out something banging on a hard object with distance voices in the background. Mira got up from the bed to investigate what was going on. Uponing closer to the source, Mira could finally make out what was being said. ¡¸Mira, won¡¯t youe out? Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Litaria, is the apprentice of Danbulf really here?¡¹ The voices seemed to be a familiar elegant voice of a woman and an unfamiliar voice of a man. ¡¸I am certain. She carried the tower master key for the Tower of Summoning. Also, someone saw a girl with silvery hair entering this towerst night. That means that she should have surely spent the night here.¡¹ ¡¸However, could she have not left to go to a hotel after that?¡¹ ¡¸It is not necessary to stay at a hotel because she has the tower master key. Everything is already here and because I clean every day, there shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong.¡¹ In addition to the woman¡¯s voice from outside, there was another girl¡¯s voice. Mira realized that the noise was someone knocking on the door and a man and two women were calling to her. Mira opened the door to find out why the woman¡¯s voice was vaguely familiar. While rubbing away the remaining sleepiness away with the back of her hand, Mira confirmed the figure of the other party by looking up a little, ¡¸What, Mariana and Litaria?¡¹ She nced at the two familiar people. Mira stood up straight upon seeing a man wearing a military uniform with an armband embroidered with Arkite Kingdom heraldry on his right arm. ¡¸You are¡­¡­..?¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira! Just what clothes are you wearing!¡¹ ¡¸You, please look the other way!¡¹ Mariana stared stupefied at Mira who had just emerged from the door almost naked and revealed her captivating skin in front of the man¡¯s eyes. At the same time, the maid with twintails that glittered like sapphires forcibly turned the man in military uniform away. He had been ogling Mira¡¯s body which was visible from her thin clothes. With a thud, the man prostrated and stared at the floor. While Litaria pushed Mira back into the room. ¡¸What on earth was that!?¡¹ Mira was set down on the leather sofa while Litraria closed the door. She was just forced to return to the room. With a perplexed feeling, Mira questioned Mariana why she was returned to the room. ¡¸It is because of you. Even if this is the Wiseman¡¯s Room, it is wrong to leave the room with such an appearance when there¡¯s a visitor.¡¹ While showing a little anger, Mariana admonished Mira¡¯s clothes. Mira recalled what she was wearing and lowered her eyes. Her clothes were certainly the Celestial Maiden¡¯s Raiment, nheless they could not be called anything but underclothes. In addition, she noticed that they were almost transparent. First of all, she usually dressed carefreely when she was in her own room and she only had abat robe prepared as a change of clothes. The Sage¡¯s Robe she originally wore was meant forbat. And if someone was to ask her if she had any other robes there werefortable to wear, her answer would be no. After all, those robes were meant to be worn outside and she didn¡¯t intend to wear those in her private room. ¡¸Unfortunately, I have no good clothes.¡¹ ¡¸For now, at least cover your body with this. While your chest is almost nonexistent, there is a chance for you to be attacked by a ????? pervert.¡¹ Mariana picked up a red and ck robe from the sofa and dressed Mira. Mira pulled out her head from the cor of the robe and noticed that the size of the robe did not match her at all. Even the tips of her fingers did not leave the sleeves. In fact, the cor width was just right for Danbalf, but for Mira, the cor was too wide and left arge opening across her chest. Although it was nothingpared to being naked, it was still a bewitching appearance nheless. ¡¸It¡¯s too big.¡¹ ¡¸Because it is Lord Danbalf¡¯s, it was unreasonable to expect that it would fit your size.¡¹ Litaria unfastened her hair ornament which she had used to pin the neckline. The hair ornament had a red ribbon and Mira¡¯s breasts were decorated in a girlish way. ¡¸Stay still¡­¡­¡¹ It was her favorite design robe too. Mira dropped her shoulders having had her dignity fade away because of that one hair ornament. ¡¸Miss Mira, is it true that you are an apprentice of Danbulf?¡¹ While Mariana was straightening Mira¡¯s cor, she stared intently into Mira¡¯s eyes as if clinging to a thread of hope. ¡¸Ah, yes it is like that. Mariana, I heard about you from my master.¡¹ Mariana approached with a hanging breath. Her hair and eyes were the color of sapphire. Her size was simr to that of a human and she had a pair of wings like that of a butterfly. Her wings shook lightly as she approached. These wings were proof that she belonged to the fairy race, which kept their appearance as that of a human child even when they were grown up. They used their wings to catch atmospheric mana rather than wind to fly in the sky. Mariana was the only one of the fairy race to be Danbulf¡¯s aide. ¡¸I¡¯m d to hear that. Oh, Lord Danbulf¡­¡­..¡¹ As she made an expression of relief, her eyes moistened and several tears trickled over her reddened cheeks as if to cool them down before falling. Mira lost herposure seeing the girl suddenly start crying, and wanting to do something, almost unconsciously she extended her hand towards the girl¡¯s cheek. But before touching the cheek, Mira understood the meaning of the girl¡¯s tears, she retracted her hand and with no better idea what to do with it, put it on her own chin. Mariana shed tears for Danbulf who had suddenly disappeared. Mira hesitated to touch Mariana because she had guilty feelings for deceiving Mariana. Mira was touched by the tears and she thought of something to say to stop them. Let¡¯s at least reveal the truth only to Mariana. However, she decided not to. How would it go if she exined it? Would she believe that Danbulf had be a girl? Would Mariana ept her? Wouldn¡¯t she be shocked? Although Mira had thought of her as only just an NPC up until now, Mariana had just cried for Mira¡¯s sake and became a person with a sense of self, which was why Mira still didn¡¯t know how to act towards her now. The thoughts of the selfishness of not wanting to be rejected by a girl who adored herself fought with the desire to not cause anxiety to her. Then she swallowed those thoughts that had begun to appear and fell into silence. She chose to remain silent with a selfish excuse. Mira stared silently at her hand hidden in the sleeve with miserable feelings. Litaria moved forward and gently wiped Mariana¡¯s cheek while whispering, ¡¸It¡¯s okay.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m fine now.¡¹ Mariana breathed out to sort her feelings and settle her mind. It was then, a familiar sound reverberated indoors. ¡¸Um, Miss Litaria, Miss Mariana. Is it alright already?¡¹ After a while, the muffled voice of a man could be heard. The man in the military uniform that Mariana had forcibly turned around had regained his senses. He resumed to carry out the duty he had been given by the king. ¡¸Yes, we will go after this.¡¹ Litaria replied to the voice. She returned her gaze on Mira, the original purpose of their visit. The person in question had stretched out on the sofa and was currently shaking her sleeve. ¡¸Going? What business do the kingdom¡¯s soldiers have with me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I reported to King Solomon about my meeting with Mira the other day. The person outside is a messenger that hase to guide you to the capital to meet the king..¡¹ ¡¸Oh, is it Solomon¡­¡­?¡¹ King Solomon of the Arkite Kingdom. He was the yer that founded this country. Furthermore, he was the person who had invited Danbulf to live in this country. As for Mira, he was one of the friends who he had a longer association with than Luminaria. However, Litaria and Mariana could not know such a thing, so Mira¡¯s attitude came off as disrespectful by calling King Solomon by his first name. However, it came from an adolescent who was stretching herself on the sofa, so it instead came off as a heartwarming feeling instead. In addition, Mira had used the same tone as Danbulf when saying those words, so it looked like a child imitating the parents. But Mira was not aware of any of this. ¡¸Lady Luminaria as well, she has not yet left Lunatic Lake, I think it is possible to meet her after the meeting.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, is that so? If that¡¯s the case, then I will go immediately.¡¹ The possibility of Solomon being a yer was as high as Luminaria. Mira realized this and decided to ept the summons. Soon after, she stood up from the sofa. However, when she went towards the door, Litaria and Mariana stopped her. ¡¸Please wait, Miss Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Ugh, what did I do this time?¡¹ ¡¸Although we put a robe on you, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can go out as is.¡¹ Litaria uttered these words and dragged her hand out of the sleeve. In other words, the current condition of the robe was not suitable. ¡¸Miss Mira, please keep still. I will fix it immediately.¡¹ Although it seemed to Mira that Litaria¡¯s eyes sparkled suspiciously, she was soon captured without time to escape. After that Litaria joyfully pulled out arge quantity of ribbon out of nowhere and Mariana rolled up her sleeves. Mira offered some resistance to the two¡¯s pushing and prodding, but she was soon turned into their dress-up doll. ¡¸The problem is her underwear.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¹ The two had just finished straightening out Mira¡¯s appearance. Recalling Mira¡¯s appearance when she came out with the Celestial Maiden¡¯s Robe, they wondered what to do with it. At the same time, a chill traveled up Mira¡¯s back, she had been turned into the maid¡¯s dress-up doll. She did not want to think about what would be of her body. At least for now, she had a robe covering her body. In the beginning, she was almost half-naked. She did not recall wearing any sort of underwear. In other words, Mira was without any bra or panties. The two maids could not allow a girl in their presence to be in such a state. Mariana pondered a little and then thought of something. ¡°There was that. Please wait just a minute,¡± she said. She opened the door to the bathroom where Mira had charged in with a defiant attitude fromst night. After a while, Mariana returned with something in hand. Mira did not recognize the clothes on sight but she could see that they were made of white fabric. Nevertheless, she traced her memories feeling that she had seen something simr to this before. ¡¸Mhm, this is just right. Well, Miss Mira.¡¹ Litaria urged Mira to raise both her hands. Mariana forcibly made Mira wear it with an ¡°Excuse me,¡± ignoring Mira¡¯s will. After Mira wore the clothing, she remembered what the shorts were. It was an undergarment frequently seen with the Gothic and Lolita style clothes. ¡¸Why is such a thing in my¡­¡­¡­¡­.no in my master¡¯s room¡­¡­.¡¹ Somehow she squeezed out those words. She questioned how an item like that appeared in the first ce. Although she was sure that there were essories ssified as undergarments, Danbulf did not have such a hobby in collecting women¡¯s undergarments before. She did not remember cing such a thing in this room either. Speaking of undergarments, she had collected the seven-colored loincloths from the River Ascent Festival. ¡¸Lord Danbulf¡¯s private room has a big andfortable bathroom as expected.¡¹ ¡¸Well it is certainly splendid¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s my1 spare clothes.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡­.¡¹ In that instant, Mirapletely lost the will to resist. She hung her hand as she was turned into aplete dress-up doll. Her robe was decorated with a lot of ribbons. The hem of her skirt was interwoven so that it red up. On her sleeves, ribbons were coiled into bows. One look would make anyone mistake her appearance for a magical girl. Litaria and Mariana nodded to each other satisfied at their work. However, inversely proportional to their satisfaction, Mira¡¯s expression stiffened as bitter smile was built upon bitter smiles. ¡¸Well then Miss Mira, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸The messenger is waiting for you.¡¹ ¡¸I want to change clothes.¡¹ ¡¸He cannot wait any longer.¡¹ ¡¸Although it was you who kept him waiting.¡¹ ¡¸It is bad manners to have such an appearance.¡¹ ¡¸While that may be true¡­¡­¡¹ Mira gave up the idea because she could not find the slightest hint to outsmart these two. She lowered her eyes and nced at herself dressed in a robe like that of a magical girl. ¡¸Then let¡¯s go.¡¹ Litaria led the way and opened the door. The man in the military uniform stood there in an upright posture just like when she first saw him. Though, his cheeks were slightly red. After Mira left the private room while Mariana closed the door calmly. When the man saw Mira in a robe filled to the brim with ribbons, he was surprised at the change. He recalled in his mind Mira¡¯s appearance not too long ago which had most of her body showing and felt a little excitement at that. Mariana noticed this quickly and scowled silently at the man like a dragon. The man who was standing upright flinched somewhat and bowed while lightly clearing his throat and cing his right hand on his chest. This was the method of bowing for the army in the Arkite Kingdom. Mira¡¯s expression cramped slightly at the same time. That is to say, this military-style etiquette was conceived by Danbulf, Solomon, and Luminaria when they were thinking about how to get the perfect mood going and to lose some stress. This military salute was something everyone thought up together when they were ted after the Arkite Kingdom turned around the desperate situation and won the first war. If it was a time of war, the atmosphere and feeling when all the soldiers were saluting together were spectacr, but if it was just for Mira, then she could not suppress her embarrassment. ¡¸This is the first time I have met you, I am Garret Astor who serves the Arkite Kingdom as the Deputy Head of the tank corps.¡¹ ¡¸I am Mira.¡¹ ¡¸You are Lord Danbulf¡¯s apprentice, Miss Mira I assume? I was ordered to deliver a message from the king to you.¡¹ ¡¸Everything is already settled. Miss Mira has already agreed to go meet the king.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, is that so. Thank you very much. The carriage has been prepared in front, let us go at once.¡¹ When the man said this, he regained his serious expression, Mira was guided to the carriage. ¡¸See you soon, be careful on your journey.¡¹ ¡¸Miss Mira, please allow me to hear about Lord Danbulf in the future if possible?¡¹ ¡¸Hm¡ªmm, well then. Let¡¯s talk about it next time.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. I will be waiting.¡¹ ¡¸Yes,ter then.¡¹ While Mira was climbing into the carriage, she waved farewell to the two. She then began to rack her brains on how to exin about Danbulf the next time they meet.
  1. Mariana¡¯s
Chapter 10: On the Carriage Chapter 10: On the Carriage Inside the forest that continued from Silver Horn to the Lunatic Lake capital, one carriage dashed on a paved public road while letting out the sound of wheels and horseshoes. The carriage had two swift horses. It was called the Express Carriage1 because it was for the exclusive use of VIP in urgent cases. It was not originally a thing used for pickup, but King Solomon wanted to meet Mira early. While being jolted in such a carriage, Mira looked at the scenery flowing outside the window. ¡¸I say this is amazingly fast.¡¹ She was enjoying her first experience on a horse-drawn carriage. asionally in-game, she used the Floating Continent to move long distances. She couldn¡¯t open the menu to use it now though. This was because themand to use the Floating Continent disappeared from the menu column of the system. ¡¸However, it is doubtful whether the Floating Continent would be usable in the current world.¡¹ Like the present situation she herself found herself in, she considered it more realistic and was not troubled by it. She decided to enjoy her current state as a girl. A little less than two hours after leaving Silver Horn, Mira was not able to calm down and her eyes were swimming. The cause was due to the physiological phenomenon she faced the other night. The short and quick vibration of the carriage, in particr, continued to give a further sense of crisis in her abdomen. For that reason, Mira was unable to bear it and she poked her head out to the coachman. ¡¸Excuse me, is there a privy near here?¡¹ ¡¸Kawa shop huh? I have not heard of such a thing. What kind of items does it sell? I will buy it soon if you are willing to tell me because we are going to reach Silver Wand in the mountain district soon.¡¹ ¡¸No, it is not a shop¡­¡­.. Well, I dare say it¡¯s a pheasant ¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Pheasant, is it like chicken? Incidentally, that reminds me that I haven¡¯t had breakfast yet. I understand, we are slightlyte, but when we arrive at Silver Wand, let¡¯s have breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, that was a joke just now! Privy then privy.¡¹ ¡¸Uh huh¡­¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry, there is no such shop like that in Silver Wand.¡¹ ¡¸Listen! Toilet, restroom, bathroom, things like that! Ah¡­¡­ geez. It¡¯s fine here, stop! I¡¯ll just finish up under the shade of that tree!¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­..Ah¡­..Ahh! So it was that sort of thing!¡¹ She would have been able to hold it in longer if it had been the body she had in the past. However, she was rapidly approaching the limit of the body that had now be female, Mira instinctively felt it. As it was now, she would wet herself. She poked the back of the coachman several times in impatience to urge him to stop while pointing at a suitable ce in the forest. Mira jumped off before the two horses had stoppedpletely and she walked slowly and carefully over to the tree. She tucked the skirt of the robe up under the shade of a suitable tree. And now, she stopped moving to see the underwear that concealed the lower half of her body. However, her hands froze but both legs were still shaking like a newborn deer as they continued to stomp the ground restlessly. (How do I take these off????) Contrary to her feelings of impatience, the undergarment Mira was forced to wear for the first time was tied in ce with rubber. Although it was well-deserved, it prevented Mira from lowering it by force as it was stuck on her hip bone. It urred to her to just tear the thing off, but at thest moment, she reconsidered. As one would expect, she was not able to tear a borrowed item. However, any more and she would wet the borrowed plum blossom silk fabric. That caused her fretting to elerate. Mira failed to pull it off sideways by using her fingers to try to stretch it at her waist. While feeling the urine starting to pour out from inside her body, she caught sight of a thin string. She then smiled wryly at her panicked state which had kept her from noticing such a natural thing. The string wasced in a bow knot in the vicinity of her waist. She would have been able to understand at once if she had been calm. It was no wonder however, the processing in her brain had slowed down because she had not grown ustomed to her new body and it was the first time she had been in such a situation. It was not a big deal if she understood it, but she had finally understood it just before she reached the critical point. She hastened to unfasten it from her knees and squatted. At the same time, she was filled with a sense of liberation. Mira was greatly relieved. Having done the act a second time, Mira was under the impression that she had perfectly mastered this body. However, she was made to notice the difference in a hurry. When she finished her business, she was about to stand and wear the undergarments, when she recalled that girls had to wipe that part beforehand. (What should I do?) In her carelessness, she had not prepared paper, not to mention anything that could rece it. She opened the item box just to make sure, but it only held food. There were only some refining crystals and material items included. When she shut the menu, she began looking for something that could be used as a substitute. Within the forest, small creatures emitted some soft sounds from the treetops. Grass grew in abundance, and various multicolored flowers peeked their heads through the underbrush. Mira looked briefly and plucked a fairlyrge white petal and used it as a substitute for paper. ¡¸She hasn¡¯t finished yet, I have to wait.¡¹ While paying attention to the area Mira had plunged into, the coachman was not able topose himself. It was then the girl emerged from behind the man. He was somewhat startled by Mira¡¯s voice, his body stiffened with a guilty conscience. ¡¸I am sorry.¡¹ His apology carried two different meanings. ¡¸Errr¡­ For the time being, let¡¯s go have breakfast at Silver Wand.¡¹ ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Apparently, Mira had not noticed. The man believed this and ran the carriage again while feigning tranquility. It was approximately one hour from the restroom uproar. The journey was going well and the carriage was about to arrive in Silver Wand soon. However, it was only the journey that had gone so favorably, as for Mira, she had faced an unimaginable adversity. (Oh god, is that what I think it is? That flower¡­¡­¡­) Inside the carriage, Mira writhed atop the seat in pain that she had never experienced before. She was in agony from the burning pain inside her private parts. When she had begun to feel difort, she thought it was something peculiar to that female-specific ce. However, the sense of difort gradually became too awful to endure and she confirmed the source of the pain. She then realized the cause of the pain. She arrived at the answer, that single petal. Rather, Mira thought that was the only thing that could have caused it. She could not imagine that it was caused by woman-specific symptoms. She guessed this and opened the item column to confirm whether she could do something about this. And then, one medicine was taken out from among the items in reserve. It was a treatment medicine called ¡ºVersatile Ointment Medicine¡» that recovers abnormal status and heals some wounds. When Mira stooped down to curl up in the corner of the seat, she felt some resistance on doing it. However, she applied the ointment and waited for the effects to appear. The guess was proved right after a short time, the symptoms due to the poison of the petal recovered from the detoxification of the ointment. Mira ¡ª with a feeling of relief ¡ª fell down on the seat and murmured to herself. ¡¸Please, no more~¡¹ It was approximately ten minutes from the petal disturbance. When the carriage gradually stopped, the coachman peeped his face out from the driver¡¯s box. ¡¸Miss Mira, we have arrived at Silver Wand. Will you go to a dining room? Or, shall I buy anything?¡¹ Mira thought for a bit. ¡¸Well then, I shall trouble you and go to a dining room.¡¹ As usual, she answered promptly. In the first ce, she had been living a life where most things were satisfied in virtual reality. It was unusual to walk under the sky. It was an age where everything was delivered to your home, not to mention shopping, even work was done in VR. But now, this world is different. She walked through the woods in person and was jolted in a carriage. You could say for sure that these were real first experiences. It was overwhelmingly inconvenientpared with conventional life. However, Mira was now starting to feel that all of this was fun. Mira felt that people¡¯s minds were narrowed too much by the conveniences. Thinking that she wanted to experience many things, she got off from the carriage under the blue sky. Silver Wand. It was located in a valley in the mountain range located between Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn. It was known as a town that had people whose upations were agriculture, forestry, and mining. Because it was a juncture between the capital and the country¡¯s greatest military strength, the trade had made it a prosperousrge town. The ce Mira was now at was a parking lot in themercial area of the town. Several carriages were stopping on the grounds of the widewn and they queued up for the stables. ordingly, they performed horse care and feeding. The parking lots were naturally charged. They charge every hour. Because the district where the Express Wagon stopped was a parking lot for the the exclusive use enclosed by a hedge, it didn¡¯t cost anything. In other words, it was a carriage for a VIP rted to the imperial family or noble. Therefore, It was impossible to not be the focus of people in the vicinity of the parking lot. A man who worked as the manager of this ce took notice of the girl and the man in a military uniform and was in turn speechless. This was because he knew the man who guarded the girl, Garret Astor, well. It was not only the manager of the parking lot who knew this man in the military uniform. There was no one in this town that did not know of this tank corps vice-leader. That kind of big shot, would not work as a bodyguard for amon girl. If it was an aristocrat, at most it could be an aristocrat with blood ties to the royal family. Needless to say, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the girl who was with the big shot of the kingdom¡¯s forces. Mira had white skin and fascinating silver hair, strong-willed eyes and d in a robe full of ribbons. It was an appearance that made everyone at a loss of words. Rather, mere words could not begin to describe the girl. Everyone¡¯s sight was snatched away and they could only gaze at the girl silently. The town of Silver Wand was surrounded by mountain scenery. Mira looked up into the sky while greatly stretching to loosen up her body. While chasing a bird that flew across her vision with her eyes, she transferred her gaze to a bird that flew out from the woods and chased it further. Her body naturally spun around, but the person in question didn¡¯t notice at all. Time returned to the manager of the parking lot when he heard the voice of Garrett asking him to take care of the horses somehow. Garret noticed the nces from all around and scowled to turn them away. Mira was convinced that they were jeering at her and when she was thinking of trying to escape their gazes, Garret returned from his conversation. ¡¸I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Does Miss Mira have anything in particr she wants to eat?¡¹ To Garret¡¯s inquiry, Mira responded ¡¸Whatever you rmend is fine.¡¹while hiding herself in the shadow of hisrge body. At any rate, she poked his back to make him leave this ce faster. ¡¸Well then, let me guide you to my favorite haunts.¡¹ The appearance of the girl pressing Garret impatiently overflowed with the warmth of a parent and a child. At the same time, people viewing that scene began wondering who on earth the girl was to be escorted by the vice-leader of the tank corps. However, they all came to the same recognition, thisdy must surely be high-ss. Up until now, they had never encountered such a beautiful girl before. Mira and Garret left the parking lot and entered the main street using a small path. They arrived in front of a diner that also served as an inn. ¡¸This way please. It is a small ce, but the taste is guaranteed.¡¹ Mira looked up at the wooden building. The name of the shop was written inrge letters, ¡ºTwilight Street Pavilion¡». As often as it was seen in the Western movie, one was able to perceive the interior with the saloon-style door. With Mira¡¯s height, she was unable to see the interior and could only see the ceiling. ¡¸You decide to show up after so long and you go and call it small. Being quite rude, are we?¡¹ When the two looked back at the sudden voice of a woman from behind, they saw a woman in her 20s with a shopping basket in both hands scowling at Garret. She was a simple but beautiful woman who had shoulder length chestnut brown hair which peeked out from her bandanna. She had a white and blue apron dress which was embroidered with ¡ºTwilight Street Pavilion¡». She was a helper in this shop. ¡¸Oh, Sherry. Long time no see.¡¹ ¡¸Geez, seriously, you really should show up a little more¡­¡­ wait, who¡¯s that adorable child over there!?¡¹ Sherry ced the shopping basket aside as she looked at Mira, who was looking up at Garret and in a natural flow, ced her hand on her head and stroked it. ¡¸You, stop this!¡¹ Mira brushed off Sherry¡¯s hand and judged that she was the type of female who would treat her like a child. She substituted Garret for a shield and hid herself. ¡¸Kyaa¡ª¡ª~! She¡¯s so cute¡ª¨C~!¡¹ Hiding behind Garret, Mira showed a vignt look. She was like a small animal and this awakened Sherry¡¯s motherly instincts. ¡¸This person is Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Hee¨C~, lil¡¯ Mira he says. Adorable~. Lil¡¯ Mir~a.¡¹ Sherry¡¯s expression loosened even more as she sidled up to Mira. ¡¸Sherry. Mira dislikes this, please leave and go over there.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡¹ Mira continued speaking as she hid in the shadows. Her appearance had only elerated the outburst, but Sherry controlled herself trying her best to not be hated. ¡¸Hey, hey Garret. Tell me honestly, what are you doing with Mira?¡¹ ¡¸I am in the middle of sending her to Lunatic Lake, but we did not have breakfast.¡¹ ¡¸So we stopped here to get a nice meal.¡¹ When Sherry recovered her shopping basket, she opened the swinging door and guided the two people in. ¡¸Hey, let¡¯s wait until the counter seat bes vacant. ¡­¡­..Is Mira still angry?¡¹ Sherry stared at Mira who was hidden in Garret¡¯s shadow with a slightly sorry look. She had yet to drop her vignce. ¡¸I do not think that Miss Mira would get angry at this sort of thing.¡¹ Garret was right, Mira wasn¡¯t angry. She was only ashamed that she was treated like a child. However, the woman¡¯s face looked lonely so Mira came out from Garret¡¯s shadow against her will. ¡¸Do not treat me like a child.¡¹ She only conveyed these few words. However, to Sherry, she saw a girl trying to act like an adult. She was driven by an impulse to hug her with all her might, but she shook it off in a moment. ¡¸Lil¡¯ Mira is adorable!¡¹ Right after Sherry uttered these words, she threw down the shopping basket and jumped with vigor. Mira was hugged tightly. Because it was a direct expression of love, she could not forcibly shake it off. Mixed with a sigh she murmured, ¡¸This was the result of making my avatar like this¡­¡­¡¹
  1. The raw says ǧÀïñR܇, which means thousand miles carriage if tranted literally.
Chapter 11: Continuation of the Carriage Journey Chapter 11: Continuation of the Carriage Journey Mira finished eating at the Twilight Street Pavilion and received a strawberry milkshake from Sherry to quench her thirst. The taste of the milk was sweet and the acidity of the strawberry was blended skillfully. For Mira, the taste andpatibility of it were perfect such that her expression naturally loosened. Of course, Sherry was making sure that she would not miss that moment. She embraced Mira closely with a squeal: ¡¸Lil¡¯ Mira CUTE¡ª¡ª~!¡¹ Having received the strawberry milkshake, Mira understood that no matter what was said to Sherry, it would be useless, causing her topletely give up. Watching the two of them, Garret smiled while he was chatting with Varga, who was the manager of this inn and Sherry¡¯s father. ¡¸So, when will you get hitched with Sherry¡¹ Varga jokingly said even though theughter did not reach his eyes. To this, Garret could do nothing but smile wryly. Long story short, this was the reason why he doesn¡¯t drop by this inn much. The man named Varga had the same hair color as Sherry¡¯s short hair and despite having a rugged body that was tempered in the mountains, he made very delicate dishes. The contents of the meal the two of them ate were a chicken sandwich with roasted vegetables and chicken in between two slices of white bread. Garret had remembered the earlier conversation with Mira about pheasants. Sherry also brought a tart pudding and fed it to Mira. These were both Varga¡¯s works and his obsession with details on the visuals overflowed, not to mention the taste. As a guide for Mira, Garret had put his own personal feelings aside and rmended this inn. ¡¸Then shall we go soon?¡¹ Garret waited for Mira to finish gulping down the strawberry milkshake and stood up after drinking his herbal tea. ¡¸Ehhh, you should stay and rest for a while longer.¡¹ Sherry pouted, who had yet to look away from Mira even once time since they entered the store, pouted her lips. ¡¸Although we would like to, we cannot. Despite how it looks, I¡¯m still in the middle of a job.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let us go quickly.¡¹ Mira sensed that this was a good opportunity to escape from Sherry¡¯s hands and stood up from her seat. ¡¸Aah, my Lil¡¯ Miraaaa!!¡¹ The moment Sherry looked away, Mira slipped past her side. While staring lonesomely at the girl¡¯s back, Sherry started to clean on the counter. She was thinking that she would have been a popr poster girl to draw in customers for the shop. ¡¸Thank you for the delicious meal. I wille back some other time.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for the treat.¡¹ ¡¸Come again. Also, youngdy, I¡¯ll prepare more strawberry milkshake for when youe.¡¹ Even while she straightened the ribbon-covered robe, Mira reacted to the words ¡°strawberry milkshake¡±. ¡¸Mmm, I may perhapse by when this girl is not around.¡¹ After thinking for a short moment, Mira drew the very baseline ofpromise. ¡¸Lil¡¯ Mira is so cruel¡­¡¹ ¡¸She goes out approximately before noon to shop. That would be a good time to visit.¡¹ ¡¸Hohooh, I will try to keep that in mind.¡¹ ¡¸Father as well?!?!¡¹ Sherry, who was overwhelmed, staggered unnaturally to the counter from the reality that she had no allies. When they made it back from Twilight Street Pavilion, the two people went straight back to the parking lot. Mira climbed into the carriage before she was seen. The two horses were well taken care of by the manager and were happy. When they fixed the harness in ce, they neighed with plenty of strength while not showing the slightest bit of fatigue. Garret hastened to fulfill his duty by starting up the Express Carriage. However, the instructions were to escort her courteously and since she needed breakfast, he had to put up with it despite wanting to hurry. They originally were to pass by Silver Wand but they took a break to eat breakfast. Garret felt a little pressed for time and while holding the reigns, he made the horse-drawn carriage run. Mira had no way of knowing this and looked around the street of Silver Wand from the window of the carriage with great interest. (This town must have been made over thest 30 years.) Mira didn¡¯t have a town named Silver Wand in her memories. While feeling the flow of time, her mind leaped at the freshness of the scenery passing by. When the carriage moved out of the main street and left town, they headed to a road in the forest. They continued straight ahead on the road and before long, they arrived at an open space. In front of them, there was a towering cliff reinforced with countless stone blocks and the public road, which led into a semi-circr hole in the middle of it. Mira, who was inside the carriage, first thought they left the forest to travel under the open sky, but was surprised by the scenery turning dark all at once. She was able to see the walls of the stone from the window which lead into the interior when the light from the entrance gradually grew dimmer. Based on this location and situation, as well as the ringing in her ears, Mira concluded that the carriage entered a tunnel. However, in the mountain between Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn, she didn¡¯t remember a tunnel in her memories and poked her head into the driver¡¯s box. ¡¸Mm, this tunnel sure is amazing. When was this built?¡¹ ¡¸The Benedict Tunnel? If I am not mistaken, Solomon ordered the construction of this tunnel 30 years ago. I heard that it waspleted in five years.¡¹ ¡¸Hooh, is that so?¡¹ (That guy. So he is working properly huh?) When Mira looked in front of her, she understood that the tunnel was lit up by burning the light source at equal intervals with Concept Magic. Although it was somewhat dim, there was enough light to read a book. It was inconvenient toe and go between Lunatic Lake and Silver Horn because they were separated by the mountain range. Since the Floating Continent could not be used and the only means of transportation was by carriage, this tunnel could be said to be indispensable for transportation. Mira also picked up some information from Garret¡¯s words. They were Solomon¡¯s orders from thirty years ago. In other words, Solomon was living in this world for 30 years when Danbulf disappeared. The only thing left, was to confirm whether it was the yer called Solomon, or not. After passing through the mountains there would not be much time left until they arrived, so Mira sat back down in the seat to watched the monotonous scenery. The clunky sound of horseshoes, dull scenery, full stomach after a meal, as well as rocking akin to a cradle. Because of these various factors, Mira¡¯s head started to shake as she dozed off. When they passed through the tunnel, a sky filled with blue spreads out in front and in the distance, ake shaped like the crescent moon could be seen reflecting the sky¡¯s color. By the middle part of theke, there was the Arkite Castle where the Arkite Kingdom¡¯s King Solomon lived, and surrounding it, spread the capital city of Lunatic Lake. The carriage carrying Mira left the forest that stretched to the foot of the mountain. It passed by at full speed across the Rageddo teau as the evening twilight descended. There were countless numbers of nts and bare rock in the meadow. Small animals would sometimes lurk there and their asional face would pop up from the gaps to peek at the departure of the carriage. Mira rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand when she was woken up by the light of the setting sun. She rolled to her opposite side in order to escape from the light. She yawned a tiny bit after that and ced her arm on the window frame with her hand on her chin. While looking at the flowing scenery slowly fading into the distance, she took out ¡ºAppure¡» to quench her throat and tipped the bottle. The wind which entered through the window made Mira¡¯s silver hair flutter. It caressed her warm body which had just woken from a nap. ¡¸Hooh, this ce is huge.¡¹ Mira who had moved her gaze forward expressed a voice of admiration as she saw the big cityscape snuggling up to the crescent moon-shapedke as they pressed forward. The capital city Lunatic Lake seen in the distance from the Rageddo teau had a circr defensive wall surrounding it in the shape of a full moon, which enclosed everything including theke itself. The town had grown farrger than the one in Mira¡¯s memory. Eventually, Mira found a big building which stood out the most and made her peek out at the coachman¡¯s seat yet again. ¡¸Excuse me, what is thatrge building in the city?¡¹ ¡¸Thatrge building?¡¹ Mira pointed towards the town as she called out to him. Seeing her joyful expression beside himself, he also turned energetic and confirmed what was she pointing at. The big building which first caught her eye was in fact the Arkite Castle which was enshrined in the center. However, it would be hard to believe that Mira would ask such a rudimentary question. The fact was that there were four buildings excluding the castle that Garret could see which would fit the description of a big building. In East, West, South and North directions from the middle, about in the mid-way between the outer walls of the city and the Arkite Castle, there were several eye-catching facilities. Anyone who lived in Lunatic Lake knew them. ¡¸Aah, they are the Five Pir Institutions.¡¹ ¡¸Five Pir Institutions?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, they are institutions proposed by King Solomon which became the basis for their n. They began to be constructed at around the same time as the Benedict Tunnel. The Southern facility is a waste disposal facility, in the East, there is the Arkite Academy, in the North, there is the Medicine Research Center, and in the West, there¡¯s the Craftsmen¡¯s Workshop Department. Together they are called Five Pir Institutions.¡±¡¹ ¡¸Hohoh, I see, mm.¡¹ The name and locations were based on Onmyo¡¯s five pirs ideology of trees, fire, earth, metal, and water. This idea which could be seen in a capital city like Kyoto being Solomon¡¯s idea was very much like him, Mira thought, convinced. Solomon was a geomancy lover. This began from a certain event when he was ying in-game. After that, he studied it with zeal and often exined to Mira stuff like increasing money luck or work luck whenever there was an asion. Solomon was the cause of Mariana being obsessed with geomancy. Satisfied, Mira returned to her seat and once again put an arm on the window¡¯s frame to support her head. She watched flocks of migrating birds fly around leisurely at this time of the year, and once again sipped from the ¡ºAppure¡» she opened earlier. The weather was good and currently, the hignd scenery could be seen from the rocking carriage. There was nothing to be perplexed about, if anything, the current situation could be categorized as a ¡°happy¡± one. That¡¯s what Mira gradually started to think. When the bottle of ¡ºAppure¡» was empty, it was ced at the corner of her feet and two new ¡ºAppure¡» were taken out. Mira peeked out towards the coachman¡¯s seat and rmended it to Garret with a ¡¸Want to drink?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thank you, Miss Mira.¡¹ For a moment, Garret was engrossed in the innocent smile and atmosphere of ady that Mira wore and received the ¡ºAppure¡» in a fluster. ¡¸May I know the reason you joined the army?¡¹ Mira casually asked. She was in the mood to chat. ¡¸The reason I entered the army?¡¹ Garret mumbled ¡¸Well¡­¡­..¡¹ while he drank the ¡ºAppure¡». This exquisite vor had a soothing feeling to it which seemed to heal his spirit. ¡¸This, this is delicious.¡¹ He leaked these words reflexively. Mira answered with a ¡¸Isn¡¯t it?¡¹ while exuding a triumphant air. ¡¸I guess it was my father¡¯s influence.¡¹ ¡¸Hou. Does your father serves in army as well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Although saying so is embarrassing, he was my aspiration. He is themander of the first magic knight corps. I wanted to enter the magic knight corps because of my father originally.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a good son. I¡¯m sure your father would rejoice if you told him that.¡¹ ¡¸No no, as expected I cannot say such a thing face to face. Please keep this is a secret, Miss Mira.¡¹ He ced his finger to his lips. The expression of Garret as he said that it was secret was very gentle and Mira could tell he loved his father. Although it was a gesture like that of warning a child, Mira tolerated it as she could feel some warm emotionsing from him. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s good. Your father must be a lucky person.¡¹ ¡¸You that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I would want to have a dutiful son like you if I were a father.¡¹ ¡¸In Mira¡¯s case, you would not be a father but a mother?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so it seems¡­¡­.¡¹ As Garret pointed out, Mira fell silent and reply with a bitter smile. Mira, in conclusion, said ¡¸Well then stay devoted.¡¹ Saying these words, she patted Garret¡¯s head in retaliation and returned to her seat. Seemingly ashamed ¡¸Yes. however, this.¡¹ Mira showed a big smile when she got Garret to say this. Not a father, but a mother. Although she did not think about this at all, that would indeed be the case if she became a parent. Be that as it may, that act would be required. She could not imagine herself being embraced by someone. Mira abandoned the idea since she did not want to do it. She did not hate children, if anything, there was a time when she wondered what would she y with her child if she had one, or how would she name it. Now that Mira recalled it, it felt like a talk of distant past. Even if she did not be a full-fledged parent, it was enough that she properly watched over the children, Mira kind of realized. When that timees, she would think of it. For the time being, she decided to enjoy her new, second life in a new way. Concluding so, she drank ¡ºAppure¡» from the second sk all at once. Chapter 12: King Solomon Chapter 12: King Solomon The carriage that Mira was riding gradually slowed down, until it finally stopped in front of the massive gate that leads to the capital. When looking down from the teau, one could only see the walls as a circle that surrounded the capital. However, if one saw the walls up close, it would convey an overpowering feeling that splendidly denoted the Arkite Kingdom¡¯s focus on their national defenses. Mira leaned out of the window of the carriage. ¡¸It really is huge¡¹ she said as she looked up at the walls. The difference in size between the walls from now and 30 years ago had made her excited. How much has the capital changed? As Mira shook off the various thoughts going through her mind, she decided that she would enjoy the new changes in the world. The gate where the Express Carriage had stopped at was not the front gate of the Arkite Kingdom. It was actually a special gate that acted as a passage for carriages that led straight to the imperial castle. When Garret exchanged some words with the gatekeeper, the big gate opened while letting out a solid and dull sound. When the gatekeeper raised his hand, he had sent a signal. The bell located at the top of the gate rang out high in the sky. Then a bell tolled in response to it from a distance away. It told of the arrival of the Express Carriage far and wide. There were 5 intersections in total that crossed the carriage pathway. Each time, a military escort woulde out and begin to stop traffic with a ck and yellow stick. The Express Carriage was a special vehicle used for the country¡¯s important missions and therefore, it had to be treated with suitable dignity. ¡¸I say, this is a surprising reception.¡¹ While leaning out of the window of the carriage, Mira despondently muttered at just how big a deal this was. She saw the military escorts lining up in regr intervals on either side of the intersections. The carriage slowly started to move, then gradually picking up speed. It reached its maximum speed in a few seconds and the scenery of the town rapidly receded to the rear. The residents of the town had eyes full of curiosity from seeing the Express Carriage running at full speed. When their eyesights caught the appearance of Garret serving as the coachmen, they guessed that this was an important matter. However, at the same, they caught a glimpse of a girl covered in ribbons from the window and were captivated. All their interest in that instant was taken away by that fleeting figure. As the scenery outside the window slowly overflowed with liveliness, Mira stared at one especiallyrge building. It was one of the Five Pir Facilities, the Craftsmen Workshop Department. Seeing this grand building, reminiscent of an old German structure, Mira decided to schedule a sightseeing tour around the capital. While being jolted in the carriage, the speed of scenery changing outside the window had slowly decreased. They stopped gently near the castle gate in front of the imperial castle. ¡¸Did we finally arrive?¡¹ Mira who had been keeping still stretched in order to loosen her stiff body. She stealthily dropped the empty bottle of ¡ºAppure¡» that she had finished drinking near her feet. ¡¸Thank you for bearing with me, Miss Mira.¡¹ Garret opened the cabin¡¯s door and bowed, then extended his hand as to escort Mira out. ¡¸Good work.¡¹ ¡¸But this is unnecessary.¡¹ While saying so, Mira gently brushes Garret¡¯s hands away before leaping off to the ground. The Imperial castle she looked up at was not different from the one in her memory. Half assured and half disappointed, Mira lowered her gaze. An instantter, she turned speechless. The cause for that was waiting in the back of the slowly-opening gate, a far grander wee than the one at the carriage road. On both sides of the passage from the castle gate to the Imperial castle were knights standing in a line with raised swords before their eyes. Their swords remained steady and lined up behind them were knights holding spears in their hands. Further behind them, soldiers lined up in regr intervals were holding banners. ¡¸This is quite over the top¡­ isn¡¯t it.¡¹ ¡¸This just shows how much King Solomon rejoices at your visit, Miss Mira.¡¹ ¡¸That guy¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of Lord Danbulf, he is a hero of this country. This much is natural when weing his apprentice.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm-mm, such is life.¡¹ ¡¸That is certainly so. Then Miss Mira, let us go.¡¹ When the two moved away from the carriage, the castle attendants brought the Express Carriage to the stables. As Garret escorted Mira across the gate, the sound of a drumbeat shook her eardrums intensely. The group of knights nted their swords and protruded their shields with the country¡¯s coat of arms engraved on them. From between them, the knights in the second row raised their spears diagonally creating an arch leading from the castle gate and inside the castle. ¡¸This too is quite¡­ mm.¡¹ ¡¸It actually feels good for me¡¹ Being able to escort Mira in the middle of such a grand weing ceremony made Galet smile happily. ¡¸Really you, good grief.¡¹ A carefree expression began to be revealed on Mira¡¯s face. She had a favorable impression about Garret¡¯s personality. She praised Solomon for finding a good subordinate like this. The two encouraged by the pleasant melody yed by a drum and fife orchestra moved forward until they passed the arch and entered the castle. Two pce guards stood by the entrance. They bowed and said, ¡¸We will guide you to the throne room.¡¹ Because Mira did not like standing out that much, she was relieved that it would be a little quieter now. When the pce guards opened the door the throne room, an elegant scent of flowers drifted out. Lying on the floor inside were carpets, starting from the closest one there were ck, blue, green, red, and white carpets at equal intervals. There were five people inside the throne room. And the person standing out the most was the boy who sat on the throne that rose several steps above. He had golden eyes and green hair which nearly reached his eyes, on top of his head he had a crown decorated with countless jewels. At first nce, he looked out-of-ce, but his figure on top of the throne wearing a luxurious outfit was surprisingly natural and showcased his thirty years of experience ruling a country. A seemingly mischievous expression was worn on his face as he stared at Mira. This boy was the king of the Arkite Kingdom and a friend of Danbulf, he was King Solomon himself. There was no difference in Mira¡¯s memory. His appearance was the same as thest time she had seen him although his clothes seemed somewhat more gorgeous than previously. In front of King Solomon, standing on a step lower was a knight who had an aura of strength and a hooded magician in a ck robe. The magicianid his eyes on Mira smiled with a soft expression. On the other hand, the knight, seeing that hero Danbulf¡¯s disciple was a mere little girl, only sighed with great disappointment. Garret took a step forward and kneeled. ¡¸I have brought the Elder Danbulf¡¯s disciple, Miss Mira.¡¹ He reported and saluted. ¡¸Good work. You may stand back.¡¹ Standing with a stately dignified air next to the throne, the name of the man who spoke was Suleyman. He was an elf with a handsome face and blonde hair. Garret moved to the side with an ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you Lady Mira. I am Suleyman, King Solomon¡¯s aide.¡¹ ¡¸I am Mira.¡¹ Mira shifted her gaze to Suleyman and answered briefly. On the side, Garret panicked greatly at Mira¡¯s unchanged attitude in the presence of the king. However,pletely unaware of Garret¡¯s feelings, Mira crossed her arms, put a hand on her chin and used ¡¾Examine¡¿ on Solomon. However, no information floated into Mira¡¯s view when she gazed at Solomon. When she shifted her gaze to Suleyman instead, she could confirm his full name and status. (What does this mean¡­¡­?) ¡¸To start with, I would like to confirm whether you truly are Lord Danbulf¡¯s disciple, do you mind?¡¹ While Mira was lost in thoughts wondering about the difference between the two, she was brought to reality by Suleyman¡¯s voice ¡¸Ah, I do not mind.¡¹ When Mira pulled out the Tower Master Key from the item box and stepped up to hand Suleyman the item with a ¡¸Here it is¡¹, the knight suddenly leaped forward, unsheathed his sword and aimed the point of the sword at Mira along with a shout; ¡¸Not a step further! Enough of your disrespectful behavior, girl!¡¹ He was Reynard, the head of the Arkite Kingdom Imperial Knight Guards. Just before the audience with King Solomon, he was told not to mind it even if the other party did not know some etiquette. Therefore, he endured it when she did not kneel or when she did not use respectfulnguage. However, he was unable to tolerate it anymore when she approached the king without permission. Mira did not know this, but there was a certain distance up to where one could approach the king. The distance was decided by rank. For guests, the regtions were that they must not step any further than the ck section of the carpet excluding special cases. ¡¸What, I would not be able to pass it along if I do not approach.¡¹ ¡¸You should hand it to the pce guard who waited next to you!¡¹ Solomon and Danbulf used to stand shoulder to shoulder, and from Mira¡¯s perspective, she only came to meet a friend. Since all she had in her head was talking with him for a little, she failed to realize the importance an audience had. (What a pain.) Mira spoke the same way she used to back then, but seeing the knight¡¯s angry expression she realized the situation waspletely different. Mira did not have the slightest clue as to how one would conduct themselves on such official asions. Troubled, she pinched the tip of the sword with her finger and presented the tower key to the knight. ¡¸Is that so? I am sorry. Well, you¡¯re already here, pass this for me.¡¹ ¡¸Girl¡­ just how rude can you be¡­ Stand back!¡¹ The enraged knight pulled the sword in his hand with strength. Despite all that, the sword which the girl was pinching did not move an inch. Reynard had a shocked expression on his face. ¡¸Reynard, bring it.¡¹ The voice of the boy rang out briefly. ¡¸But Your Majesty. This girl is too disrespectful!¡¹ ¡¸I told you from the start, have I not? This is within predictions. Or do you intend to keep me waiting further?¡¹ Reynard visibly withered under Solomon¡¯s gaze. Although Mira was the one in the wrong, she felt bad for him. However, when she thought back to his attitude when he snatched the tower key, she dismissed that. When Mira released the pinched tip of the sword, Reynard red at the slender white arm that peeked out the robe. He concluded that a dubious art had been used and his precaution towards Mira thickened further. Meanwhile, seeing that the situation has calmed down, Garret secretly heaved a sigh of relief. While Mira returned to her original position, Solomon received the tower key from Reynard and confirmed that it was certainly the key to the Tower of Summoning. ¡¸Certainly, there is no doubt this is Danbulf¡¯s belonging. There is no room for doubt if this was passed from a master to disciple.¡¹ Solomon said so and passed it to the guard who delivered it to Mira. Once Mira received the tower key, she puts it away in the item box. She looked away from Reynard who was still ring at her. ¡¸Now that we have confirmed it, let us change locations. Disciple of Danbulf, I would like to hear the story of your master who had been absent for thirty years, do you mind?¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I do not mind.¡¹ Mira answered the timely offer promptly. ¡¸Well then, my office should be good. We will be able to talk more calmly there. Everyone else can go join the banquet now.¡¹ When Solomon said this, Reynard took a step forward again. At the same time, a wry smile appeared on Mira¡¯s face. ¡¸Your Majesty. Even if she is Danbulf¡¯s disciple, it is still dangerous to leave you two alone when we know nothing of her true character. Please, I would like you to let me apany you!¡¹ Reynard nced at Mira¡¯s face while he proposed to Solomon with a deep bow. (The situation isn¡¯t progressing, huh.) While Mira was aware that she was an unknown existence to him, she was still appalled by Reynard¡¯s fanatic loyalty and could only shake her head dismay. ¡¸Reynard, are you suggesting that I am inferior to such a young girl?¡¹ Solomon became d in a powerful aura when he spoke to Reynard. Despite his young appearance, King Solomon had governed the country for thirty years, and that was not without reason. This was a world where the fate of the country was decided not just by politics, but mostly by martial prowess. As someone who continued to rule one of the countries in this world, Solomon¡¯s strength was well-known by everyone. ¡¸No, not at all! It is just that this girl uses some suspicious arts, we should be prepared in case of an emergency.¡¹ Mira did not have any idea as to the suspicious art Reynard hinted at. It was no wonder, Reynard was only mistaking it for an art. He had the superior physique and selfishly concluded that he could not be defeated by a delicate girl in strength. The reason for Mira¡¯s strength was the buffs from all the equipment she was wearing, but she herself did not know what he was talking about, so she could not refute it. ¡¸Your name is Mira, isn¡¯t it? Do you have the intention to hurt me?¡¹ ¡¸Why would I do something like that? I only came to talk to you.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s answer, Solomon smiled seeming to be having a little fun. ¡¸So she says. There are many things I wish to speak to her about as well. Will you not heed my order, Reynard?¡¹ ¡¸However, in the unlikely event that something were to happen to Your Majesty, I¡­¡­.¡¹ Reynard clenched his fist tightly. However, the magician who had been keeping silent until now interrupted the back and forth exchange. ¡¸Then how about this. Reynard and I shall stand guard in front of the office. If anything happens we only have to rush in. Lady Mira aside, not even Lord Danbulf would be able to do anything to King Solomon before we intrude. How about it?¡¹ ¡¸Ngh, nhhh¡­I guess.¡¹ ¡¸Then let us do that. I actually wanted to join the banquet too, but because Reynard is like that, I guess I have no choice but to keep Reynardpany. The two of us should be enough, don¡¯t you think?¡¹ The magician who suggested this ced his hand on Reynard¡¯s shoulder while smiling. ¡¸That¡¯s a good idea, Joachim. Sorry for troubling you. Let us try to hold another banquet in the near future.¡¹ Solomon nodded strongly and took a breath before standing up. ¡¸No, no, not at all, I do not deserve this. I will have Reynard treat me.¡¹ ¡¸Nghh¡­¡­..¡¹ Reynard could not say anything but grimace. ¡¸Then, shall we go?¡¹ When Solomon said this, the three began walking down the corridor leading to the office. Chapter 13: The Meetings Chapter 13: The Meetings The king¡¯s office was located on the fifth floor of the imperial castle, where it overlooked theke. Currently, Mira and Solomon were alone inside of it. The king¡¯s close aides knight Reynard and spellcaster Joachim remained on guard in front of the door. The office was surrounded by bookshelves filled with various documents on the history and technology of this world. Solomon sunk into his leather chair. Mira took a nce around the room after taking a sit in the corner of the sofa which was half-buried under documents. ¡¸This ce sure is cluttered.¡¹ ¡¸There is too much work, I barely had the time to tidy things up.¡¹ Although the other party was a girl, Solomon spoke casually in a manner unthinkable of a king. Mira too had alreadypletely forgotten the difference in status. ¡¸Pheew, we can finally talk in peace.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm, indeed.¡¹ After saying so, the two sat up and exchanged mutual nces. ¡¸First of all, is it fine if I could verify one thing?¡¹ Solomon raises his forefinger while staring at Mira. ¡¸Mm-mm, what is it?¡¹ Mira answered while moving the documents on the sofa to her feet in order to stabilize her position and be morefortable. ¡¸You¡­¡­ you¡¯re Danbulf, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ The moment these words were spoken, the documents in Mira¡¯s hands dropped to the floor. Mira¡¯s eyes widened with surprise as she turned to stare at Solomon. She was just in the middle of thinking of how to speak with Solomon while retaining her image and not receive too much damage to her dignity as a human. As a result of this one-sided question from Solomon, Mira waspletely taken by surprise. After skipping any needless probing, Solomon made a mischievous expression filled with confidence. That expression was the same as that of the Solomon she knew, which was more than enough to convince her. This boy in front of her was doubtlessly the very same friend with whom she used to work with. Although she did not know the reason, it sped things up. It was not necessary to deceive him here. Mira disregarded her image and concluded that she should first grasp the current situation. She left the documents she had dropped and sat deeply on the sofa again. ¡¸Mm-hm, I¡¯m surprised you noticed.¡¹ Mira affirmed it shortly. Hearing those words, Solomon grinned widely. He covered his mouth and started to chuckle, but he would burst intoughter every time he nced at Mira. ¡¸That appearance, youpletely changed!¡¹ ¡¸There are various reasons for this¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Even though your appearance had changed. Well, you are you after all. A lolicon.¡¹ ¡¸Just leave me alone.¡¹ Seeing his reaction, Mira grew sulky and red at him with a sour look. Solomon suppressed hisughter and once again looked all over Mira¡¯s body before giving his seal of approval. Mira, however, just pouted and turned to the side with pursed lips. At first nce, one would not think that the two were the top duo of the country, the top magician and the country¡¯s highest authority, the king. Meanwhile, the two who stood guard in the corridor heard the sounds emanating from the door. They experienced a sense of relief after hearing the sound ofughter from the king who had notughed for a long time. How many years had it been since King Solomonstughed like this? ¡¸First of all, could you tell me? This world¡­ what is it??¡¹ Mira posed the most simple, straightforward question. Solomon who finishedughing arranged the information in his head and summed it all up in one phrase: ¡¸I don¡¯t know.¡¹ ¡¸You don¡¯t know? You are saying that you spent 30 years in this world and you know nothing!?¡¹ Hearing this answer, Mira opened her eyes wide with surprise. ¡¸That¡¯s right. To be precise, I know that this world exists as reality and not a game, but I don¡¯t know whether it exists somewhere in the far cosmos of Earth we were born on, or if it¡¯s inside some other universe based on differentws, or even some different kind of world beyond ourprehension. We still haven¡¯t learned anything like that.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But either way, this is reality is it not?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no doubt about that. I spent thirty years with my consciousness clear, so all this being a dream is out of the question, if it was, what kind of horrible daydream would this be?¡¹ Solomon shrugged his shoulder and nced at a part of the bookshelf which stored the summarized events that had urred during thest thirty years. Upon seeing how many were books were piled up, he praised himself, ¡¸I sure did my best.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I still can¡¯t help but consider this is a dream.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s reasonable since it has only two days for you, but unfortunately, this is reality.¡¹ Two days, hearing these words Mira recalled the question she wanted to ask even more. ¡¸By the way, Solomon. How did you know that I was Danbulf?¡¹ Mira didn¡¯t seem to recall that she had given any hints. If anything, the excuse of getting the tower master key from her master was kind of forced, but even so, Litaria and Mariana were convinced by it. Above all, it was almost impossible to predict that the person missing for thirty years would suddenly appear now. However, Solomon clearly guessed it right. Mira was convinced that there was a good reason for that, so she asked for an answer. ¡¸Mmm, that¡¯s right. It would take too long if I went into detail so I¡¯ll simplify it. First, I received a report that a summoner girl named Mira with a monstrously strong Dark Knight had lent her assistant to the Elite Magic Knights. After that, I also heard that a girl called Mira who introduced herself as Danbulf¡¯s disciple showed up at the towers.¡¹ ¡¸You guessed it with that alone?¡¹ ¡¸No. I received this information yesterday after I confirmed my friend list. Your name which appeared offline for the past thirty years had turned online.¡¹ ¡¸So it was the friend list?¡¹ Of course, there was no way Mira would not know of this. It was a list that allowed yers to confirm whether or not a registered friend was ying the game. There was one thing that puzzled her to no end, it was that she did not know where the friend list was essible from. If it was possible to open it, she would have thought of checking it already. However, she did not do it because the friend list was among the options in the system menu that disappeared. However, Solomon said he confirmed Mira to be online via the friend list. ¡¸The friend list button disappeared, how did you check it?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see. You came just yesterday so you only know the way it used to work back when it was a game.¡¹ Solomon said so and touched the bracelet on his left hand. A menu showed up as he pressed the switch. While continuing to hold his finger in ce, a window different than the menu was disyed, though it was only visible to the operator. ¡¸You should do it this way. Try it.¡¹ Mira imitated the way he pressed the menu button for a prolonged amount of time. As a result, a different window appeared. ¡¸Hohou¡­..This is¡­¡¹ The entries were lined up from top to bottom as follows: ¡ºFriend List¡»,¡ºMap¡», ¡ºSkill¡», ¡ºGuild¡». ¡¸I have not seen this option before¡­.¡¹ When Mira muttered this, she selected the ¡ºMap¡» option that appeared in the window, but the screen turned pure-white and nothing changed. ¡¸Hey Solomon. What is this map? I don¡¯t remember an option like that existing before.¡¹ She did not understand how it worked just by trying it, so she thought it would be faster to ask. Solomon closed his window and turned his gaze towards Mira. ¡¸The map is a new option that has been added. If you have a map in the important items column of your item box, you are able to easily disy it through this option.¡¹ ¡¸Hou, so that¡¯s how it works? That is convenient is it not?¡¹ Mira received an exnation and understood the convenience of the new option immediately. A map function was a very important thing for games with a big world to y in, but there was none for Ark Earth Online. The closest resemnce would be the rough sketches of the world map sold in the three initial countries, and even that was a very expensive item for the neers. Afterward, the yers began to create detailed maps by themselves, but that still required them to frequently take out the local map to check up on it. Of course, it also didn¡¯t have the convenient function of marking the yer¡¯s current position. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it? If you have a map, you should move it to the important items category.¡¹ As she was told, Mira immediately opened the item box, but she did not have any map. ¡¸Oh right, I left all of them on my flying ind.¡¹ ¡¸Oh my. That is extremely unfortunate.¡¹ What was the flying ind? It was the billing item called Floating Continent that Mira bought for 2,000 yen. Thinking that carrying all the maps in the item box would make a mess of it, she kept them inside a treehouse on the Floating Continent. After all, whether it was a dungeon, abyrinth, or some other field, she mostly traveled by using the Floating Continent. She would only pick up the required map before getting off. Now, her way of doing things backfired on her. There, Mira recalled something else. ¡¸Now that you mention it, the billing item option can¡¯t be found.¡¹ When she said so, Solomon made a meaningful smile and spoke in a voice as if casting a shadow on something. ¡¸It seems that the billing item option has disappeared. Along with the message box, log out, and shutdown options.¡¹ The billing item option was where all the cash items were managed, and that¡¯s inclusive of the Floating Continent. If that option was gone, it meant that the Floating Continent was no more. ¡¸Whaaaaaat¡­¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸I was also disappointed at first. I had left sacred swords of all colors on the Floating Ind¡­¡­ Ah, when I recalled all the good items that were lost¡­¡­¡¹ And like that, the two stared into emptiness under the moderate lighting of themps as they recalled all the lost items. The shadow the two casts on the wall was much like their hearts at the moment, unreliable and shaky. ¡¸Anyway, weren¡¯t you too hasty in summoning me based on those facts alone?¡¹ Although the wound was still deep, Mira managed to regainposure. ¡¸Perhaps, but the timing was too good. And it¡¯s not that hard to guess why your appearance has changed. You used the Vanity Case, right?¡¹ After sealing the wounds of the past, Solomon once again faced the reality before him. ¡¸That¡¯s right. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have used it despite having bought it¡­..¡¹ ¡¸You were so obsessed about your looks to the point that you even took screenshots and thought up cool poses in it. I thought you really liked that elderly avatar of yours, so why did you change him?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, that is¡­¡­ a long story.¡¹ Beginning with that, Mira exined from the time she received the mail with notification of the expiring ount bnce and how the only thing that could be bought with 500 yen was the vanity case. She dodged the part where she wanted to make an ideal female character and exined that she tried making a character simply out of curiosity. ¡¸And then you turned like this, eh.¡¹ That sure was unfortunate, Solomon added and his face was slightly dyed with pity. ¡¸Mm-mm, although I don¡¯t recall finalizing it as I fell asleep in the middle of it.¡¹ ¡¸Huh. It is unusual for you to fall asleep like that. It¡¯s clear that you got too absorbed in the character creation.¡¹ ¡¸Before I realized it, I had pulled off an all-nighter.¡¹ Mira noticed that she made a slip of the tongue here. Solomon was an acquaintance for a very long time, he had already begun to sense that Mira had been deceiving him. To prove it, he raised the corners of his lips in a grin. ¡¸Looks like you made this Mira character of yours very seriously.¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­It is my best masterpiece¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸Uh-huh, say it again. You lolicon.¡¹ Solomon smiled like a kid who seeded in a prank, but this smile of his had twisted into a ck grin. Incidentally, the two had revealed their preferences to each other in the past, such as the idols they liked and which characters they loved. Therefore, they understood each other¡¯s tastes very well and Solomon was able to easily discern the straightforward reason for Mira¡¯s current appearance. Although Mira had shared her tastes by giving examples of other characters, her current appearance was custom made from head to toe by herself. Somehow realizing that her appearance was the incarnation of her fetishes, Mira helplessly threw herself back at the sofa. ¡¸Solomon. Do you not have a vanity case?¡¹ Mira spoke, clinging to hope. ¡¸I do, here it is.¡¹ Without making any meaningfulments, Solomon immediately took out an oriental ck box out of his item box. It was without a doubt the vanity case. The glossycquer painted on the box was too distinctive to mistake it for something else. Mira stared dumbfounded at the box for an instant, then abruptly stood up and charged at Solomon. ¡¸Hand it over!!!!!¡¹ ¡¸Whoa!¡¹ Being leaped at by Mira, Solomon fell over along with the chair. Furthermore, her clothes¡¯ ribbons got caught on some small articles on the table which fell down and made a loud noise before rolling on the ground. ¡¸Your Majesty, did something happen?!¡¹ Quickly responding to the loud noise, Reynard opened the door without any hesitation, but he was faced with a scene beyond his imagination. The two were entangled with one another. Mira was riding on top of Solomon and leaned forward, holding his hands which in turn held the Vanity Case. Although Mira appeared to be the assaulter at first nce, Solomon¡¯s posture was also a problem. The hands he protruded to support Mira¡¯s body had splendidly grasped the two bulges on Mira¡¯s chest and his leg had rolled up the robe¡¯s skirt to expose Mira¡¯s lower half. ¡¸No, there is no problem.¡¹ Although Solomon said so while pretending to be calm, anyone could tell that there was definitely an abundance of problems. ¡¸You ???????, you finally showed your true colors!¡¹ Naturally, Reynard immediately went berserk. Joachim, who was supposed to cool his head, had popped his head into the room a littleter. ¡¸Now now, Reynard. Let¡¯s settle down and observe the situation calmly. Come on, look. At first nce, it seems that Mira had pushed him down, but look at King Solomon¡¯s hands as well. He is firmly massaging it.¡¹ As he was told so, Reynard confirmed that for himself. His eyebrow twitched as he anguished. ¡¸Yes, I can certainly see that¡­¡­ But ¡­¡­!!¡¹ Reynard attempted to refute, but Joachim stopped him with his hand and revealed his deduction. ¡¸From how I see it, they must have lost their bnce while they were ying together, and that leads us to the current situation. That must be how it is! I thought King Solomon had no interest in women, but it turns out that he preferred someone with a matching appearance. I understand it all now. With this, the Arkite Kingdom¡¯s future is secured.¡¹ As he admonished Reynard, Joachim made a smile that suggested he was enjoying the situation. ¡¸But, Joachim. With such a young girl, will others ept it?¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s none other than the disciple of Danbulf, there is no better status than that.¡¹ ¡¸Nggh, certainly.¡¹ As the two decided what was happening and came to a conclusion all by themselves, Mira and Solomon finally realized what situation they were in. Mira was sitting on top of Solomon and leaned forward with their faces in close proximity. Solomon felt the ultimate soft sensation with his hands. This, plus Reynard¡¯s and Joachim¡¯s words led them to the answer. Then, after taking a look at each other, the two kicked off powerfully to take distance from each other. ¡¸Wait, you guys. This is a misunderstanding!¡¹ ¡¸Indeed, I agree. I was only caught up when Mira fell down, it was not for the reason you were thinking.¡¹ The two corrected their posture with great haste and attempted to make excuses. However, they had no persuasive strength for Joachim and Reynard who had seen their states a while ago. ¡¸Ah, Your Majesty. Please make sure act in ordance with sense of morals.¡¹ ¡¸For the kingdom¡­¡­. For the heir¡­¡­¡¹ Joachim said something unnecessary and Reynard started imagining the future as he left the room and closed the door behind himself. ¡¸¡­¡­.We¡¯re having an emergency meetingter¡­¡­¡­¡¹ ¡¸You sure have it hard.¡¹ ¡¸You aren¡¯t unrted either, are you.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t have any problems as long as I use the Vanity Case to turn back to how I was.¡¹ Rather than thinking of how to clear up the misunderstanding, it was easier to go back to her usual appearance. That was what Mira said while pointing at the vanity case in Solomon¡¯s hand. ¡¸Ah. It is impossible. Did you forget that this was a billing item?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I remember that. It¡¯s true that we can no longer buy any more of these items, so it¡¯s really precious, I¡¯m aware of that. If you let me use it I promise I will do anything in my power for you. So¡­¡¹ Looking like a kitten aiming for its prey, Mira extended her hand towards Solomon¡¯s hand. ¡¸The rule of billing items. It is not possible to transfer it to others.¡¹ Solomon extended his hand with the vanity case to Mira while saying so. ¡¸But I can take it just like this, look¡­ hey, what¡¯s going on?¡¹ Mira attempted to receive the vanity case from Solomon¡¯s hand, but her hand just passed through the object as though it was a three-dimensional hologram. Chapter 14: Discussion Chapter 14: Discussion ¡¸What is the meaning of this?¡¹ Looking at how her hand passed through the ck box, Mira¡¯s face drew near while closing and opening her hand. ¡¸As you can see. Even when this game became a reality, the former rules still apply. This vanity case is not transferable so I can¡¯t give it to you. The same goes for soul-bound items like your master key; you can¡¯t even steal them.¡¹ ¡¸Do you mean that the only way is to get a vanity case myself?¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. And you should know that it¡¯s impossible with billing items.¡¹ ¡¸What a disaster¡­¡¹ After the brief conversation, Mira fell down on the sofa. An emotion resembling resignation took control of her head and she finally began to think at full power what excuse to make for her current state. ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t there be any exceptions?¡¹ Only lifting her face, Mira clung to thest ray of hope. ¡¸I haven¡¯t heard about any during thesest 30 years.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ This answer which was backed by a historical basis had utterly shattered her remaining hope. Turning herself on the sofa, Mira closed her eyes retreating into the world of delusions dreaming of her past magnificent appearance. ¡¸I¡¯d like to help with this but I¡¯m out of options here.¡¹ ¡¸Do you really think like that? In your heart, you must beughing about me, right? The view of Mira rolling on the sofa full of negative thoughts made her look like a sulking child. ¡¸Oh no, of course not. It¡¯s not like you forgot about this country in those two days, have you? Protected by you all, this country was able to stand equal to others. But now, the wisemen that supported this country have gone missing, did you know that?¡¹ He was talking about Arkite Kingdom¡¯s greatest incident where all the wisemen have disappeared within a year since Danbulf¡¯s disappearance. ¡¸Yes, I heard about it from Graia. It¡¯s like everybody vanished at the same time. However, I also heard that Luminaria returned twenty years ago, so I stopped by the towers.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, so that¡¯s why you were at the towers? Well, if you know that much then I¡¯ll jump straight to the point, what do you think would happen to this country without the strongest shield that you guys were?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Leveraging the support of the nine wisemen, the Arkite Kingdom never once partook in any aggressive wars, thus avoiding conflict with foreign countries. With rich and fertilends, there was no need to stealnds of others and the kingdom could focus on defense, thanks to which it also became possible to establish trade with other countries. However, the country lost those pirs. The public announcement was made twenty years ago when Luminaria returned. Even if she was one of the Nine Wisemen, supporting the whole country by herself was beyond her powers. As a result, the other countries who wished to im the profitablends have increased their campaigns. While there was no full-fledged war, frequent skirmishes gradually exhausted the country. That was the present situation of the Arkite Kingdom. Even if it was just one, the return of one of the Nine Wisemen would have granted the country an immeasurable influence. Even more so if it was the ¡ºOne Man Army Danbulf¡» who singlehandedly suppressed the neighboring country¡¯s chivalric order of five thousand knights. ¡¸This is my opinion as the king, but you are this country¡¯s hero. The influence of your existence alone is tremendous, but we can¡¯t grandly spread the news that you turned into a loli, can we.¡­.¡¹ ¡¸W¡­ well.¡¹ ¡¸While I understand that you are the same person so your skill did not change, the impression ispletely different. It might not have been a problem if you originally have such an appearance, but the image of you carved in this country¡¯s history is that of a majestic veteran mage whose appearance was well suited for the title of wiseman.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Even now I can proudly say that it was the supreme masterpiece.¡¹ Hearing Solomon praise her image of a perfect man, Mira¡¯s mood improved, she affirmed what he said and looked at Solomon happily. ¡¸And what will happen to the image if it was known that he turned into a girl like this?¡¹ Mira imagined it as she was told, a case when a respected person who called himself Danbulf turned into a girl of such tender age. ¡¸¡­Feels unreliable.¡¹ Murmuring that, Mira understood the position in which she had ced herself. ¡¸You said it. I would be really d to announce that Danbulf has returned to the country but I can¡¯t show your current appearance to the public. People don¡¯t know about the existence of vanity cases.¡¹ ¡¸How about making an announcement without showing me?¡¹ ¡¸That will be difficult. It¡¯s a hero¡¯s return after thirty years, the country would have to host a grand party to celebrate and it wouldn¡¯t work without the main guest. And when things calm down, other countries would definitely send spies.¡¹ ording to Solomon, a party and celebration would be an inevitable course of events if Danbulf returned after thirty years. Spies seeking to confirm the truth would alsoe, and if they found out that Danbulf was not there, Arkite would lose trust. However, from the moment Solomon met Mira, he had no intention of announcing Danbulf¡¯s return. There was a more important issue, to ry it, Solomon approached the sofa Mira was lying on. As he stood by her side, hidden behind Solomon¡¯s smile was a serious look in his eyes, Mira corrected her sitting posture and looked up suspiciously. ¡¸And here I have a proposal for you.¡¹ ¡¸So, what is it?¡¹ ¡¸I want to announce you as the pupil of Dunbalf after you get a nationally acimed achievement.¡¹ Solomon¡¯s proposal was for Mira to earn enough achievement. Prematurely announcing that the girl was Danbulf himself would likely generate confusion in the people. Even if they believed in the unlikely story, she wouldn¡¯t have that much influence due to her appearance. Additionally, immediately appointing the position of a wiseman to Danbulf¡¯s disciple would put her in a tough spot instead as she was nothing more than a girl without any aplishments despite being a hero¡¯s disciple. If the highest-level title was granted on a whim, what would the rest who worked hard for that title think about it? But it was another matter altogether if she piled up great achievements for the country. ¡¸I can¡¯t say that it will work for sure, but I think it¡¯s worth a try. Rather, I want you to do it.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I understood your point. So, what exactly do you want me to do?¡¹ When Mira asked this, Solomon took a deep breath and crossed his arms. Then with a serious attitude, he made a slightly troubled expression. ¡¸Danbulf¡­ No, I¡¯ll call you Mira from now on to prevent any leaks.¡¹ ¡¸Fine, feel free to call me as you like.¡¹ ¡¸So, Mira. The thing I want to ask you to do is to find everyone.¡¹ ¡¸Who do you mean by everyone?¡¹ Mira put a finger on her chin and asked him to exin. What exactly did he mean by ¡®everyone¡¯? Mira couldn¡¯t understand that at first but based on the context she eventually made the connection. She furrowed her eyebrows and made a really aggravated expression upon reaching the answer. ¡¸Aren¡¯t Luminaria and I the only wisemen in this world?¡¹ ¡¸Nope, if anything ¡ª you are thest one.¡¹ ¡¸What?¡¹ ¡¸I believe I just told you how the friend list works, right? Try to look at it yourself.¡¹ Mira operated the bracelet and disyed the hidden window in response to that. Upon opening the friend list, she found the names of her past friends with whom she was close to. Obviously, the names of Solomon and Luminaria were disyed in white. And once she found the names she was looking for, she made a verynguid expression as she stared at them disyed in white. ¡¸Everyone is online.¡¹ ¡¸It seems that way.¡¹ ¡¸Then why are they not here?¡¹ ¡¸If I knew that, I wouldn¡¯t have begged you for that.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a difficult task. I have no idea where to look for them. Towers aside, they¡¯re not the type of people to stay in one ce.¡¹ ¡¸I agree that it takes time. But if it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d like to find half of them within this year.¡¹ Half of them within this year. Without any ideas as to why Solomon ced such a limit, Mira asked a question. ¡¸Finding half of them within this year sounds like quite the hurry. Without any leads, searching for them is definitely a task that can¡¯t bepleted within a year or two.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. But no matter what, we still need them within this year. You barely managed to appear here in time. I have no other ways besides betting on this chance.¡¹ Solomon was well-aware that it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Therefore, he wanted to leave it to the one who had the highest chances of aplishing it. His expression with furrowed eyebrows¡ªshowing that he was tired from the bottom of his heart¡ªreally did not fit him. Though, Mira realized this based on the way he spoke and from his expression that he was at his wit¡¯s end. ¡¸So why? Can you tell me the reason why we have to hurry so much?¡¹ After Mira asked this, Solomon picked up a single document file from a bookcase. He ced it on the table next to the sofa and opened it. This file recorded the war chronicles from ten years ago. Mira recalled the conservation with Graia in the corners of her mind. After a certain battle, the rate at which monsters appeared had increased. ¡¸So it¡¯s the Defense of The Three Gods¡¯ Countries, huh¡­¡¹ After ncing at the description, Mira muttered the title of the file. ¡¸You heard of it?¡¹ ¡¸Mm-hm. It¡¯s about ten years ago, right? Graia said the number of monster attacks increased after that.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. Ever since everyone disappeared, I had to dispatch the chivalric order. From that, the military costs are nothing to joke about and we simply couldn¡¯t ignore them. ¡¸So, how is this rted to your reason? It¡¯s already in the past, no? So what, you want to dispatch me again and exterminate the monsters just to avoid having to spend military funds?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, well. That would greatly help but we have a more pressing issue.¡¹ While saying so, Solomon turned some pages and stopped at a certain point. It was a page titled ¡ºLimited Armistice Treaty¡». ¡¸Hmm, and that is?¡¹ ¡¸You probably don¡¯t know this because you were absent but the Defense of Three Gods¡¯ Countries was a battle that scoped far beyond all wars we have experienced in the past. If I say that the kings and pope of the Three Initial Countries directly took control, you should easily understand, right?¡¹ ¡¸Impossible¡­ Those immovable kings moved?¡¹ Mira¡¯s astonishment had good reason. The Three Initial Countries were the starting location of this game. It meant that they existed before yers founded their own countries and guaranteed the safety of new yers. Even during the country-founding rush, there was no country who would dere war against the Three Initial Countries. Forparison, the NPCs of those three countries had enough power to easily wipe out even the top yers. When even the kings of those three countries themselves came forward, it¡¯s easy to perceive the scale of things. To digress a little, the nickname ¡ºimmovable kings¡» that Mira mentioned was given to them because no one has ever seen them in action. ¡¸Even the title ¡ºDefense of Three Gods¡¯ Countries¡» reflects the amount of effort put in by the Three Initial Countries at the frontlines. This war involved the entire continent. It all started from arge army of demons who flew in from the sky. They mostly attacked the three countries but when their reinforcements arrived, they started to scatter to other ces. Because the scattering demons attacked countries indiscriminately, the damage obviously expanded at a colossal scale and many small countries were destroyed. It was really cruel.¡¹ Talking about the cruelty with a warped face due to anguish, Solomon certainly disyed a king¡¯sment about the nation. Answering ¡¸Is that so.¡¹ to Solomon while still notpletelyprehending the situation in her mind, Miramented for her close friend. ¡¸Well, even if ten years had passed since that great war, with that much impact, you surely can tell what happened after that.¡¹ ¡¸Everyone¡¯s hands were full with reconstruction works all over the ce, I believe.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why all countries made the Limited Armistice Treaty to restrain each other. Summarizing the contents, all military actions were prohibited for ten years.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ In other words, all countries for the time being were proposed to focus efforts on restoration to put everybody on decent starting grounds because they weren¡¯t in a state to hold a proper war. ¡¸And you want to say this treaty ends soon?¡¹ Based on the context of the conversation, Mira pointed at the time limit. It meant that the deadline is almost up and the time of wars will start after the treaty ends. Without the main force of the Arkite Kingdom ¡ª The Nine Wisemen ¡ª someone will surely take advantage of this opening. The abundant, richnd would give them a lot of benefits and there was no other country as versed in spells as Arkite Kingdom, if they took over the country they would be make a lot of that knowledge theirs. ¡¸Honestly speaking, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that we¡¯re being protected by that treaty Even if it isn¡¯t enough topletely deter them, I at least want enough military power to protect ourselves. I¡¯ll say it one more time. Mira, will you go find everyone?¡¹ Taking a breath after closing the file, Mira returned a serious look to Solomon. The answer was already set in her heart. ¡¸Very well, I¡¯ll undertake it.¡¹ Hearing that, Solomon broadly smiled ¡¸Thank you. ¡¹ Chapter 15: Luminaria of Calamity Chapter 15: Luminaria of Cmity ¡¸That said, do you have any ideas as to their locations? You can¡¯t simply catch those guys without any clues.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that is certainly true but at least one is easily predictable.¡¹ Just like Mira said, The Nine Wisemen were a bunch of entric guys who never stayed in one ce. While Mira was busy figuring out how to fulfill her end of the promise, Solomon¡¯s words caused her to remember a particr person. ¡¸You¡¯re talking about Soul Howl, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I believe it¡¯s better to start with him.¡¹ ¡ºSoul Howl The Great Wall¡» was the Elder of the Tower of Necromancy, a guy who loved undead girls to an abnormal extent. ¡ºAncient Temple Nevrapolis¡», it was a dungeonmonly called the ¡¸underground cemetery¡¹ by the yers. In the past, when they adventured there, Soul Howl called that ce a paradise. That dungeon filled with arge number of undead monsters was truly a holynd to him. It was well worth checking for Soul Howl if he was online but not at tower. ¡¸The underground cemetery is a bit far away. I would love to use the Floating Continent but¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll aid you with it. Although, I can¡¯t dispatch neither Express Carriage nor the Housing Carriage for this top secret mission.¡¹ ¡¸Express Carriage? Housing Carriage? What are they?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, the Express Carriage is the carriage you were riding on the way here. It was quite fast, right? It uses spell braces to decrease the burden on horses to the limit, you see. They are our country¡¯s fastest carriages.¡¹ Saying so pridefully, Solomon puffed up his chest with a smile. ¡¸It was surely fast. Though it doesn¡¯t evene close to the Floating Continent.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯tpare that to a cheat item. Now you should understand how broken it was.¡¹ For reference, the speed of the Express Carriage was 25 km/h. Compared to that, the Floating Continent traveled at 500km/h. Express Carriage was quite fast considering the technology of this world. Therefore, just like Solomon said, the Floating Continent was a cheat item. ¡¸The Housing Carriage loses in speed to the Express Carriage, but we put effort into adding residence space inside it. Simply speaking, it¡¯s a carriage version of a camping car.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, that¡¯s quite nice.¡¹ Mira imagined herself rxing on the bed, sipping on an Appure while watching the scenery outside move as the carriage gently pressed forward. ¡¸By all means I would love to ride on that Housing Carriage.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll let you ride it one day.¡¹ ¡¸How stingy of you. You could at least let me ride it to the underground cemetery.¡¹ ¡¸I wish I could do that, but like I said before, it¡¯s a top secret mission. Both the Express Carriage and Housing Carriage are custom-made for things involving the country, such as weing royalty and simr stuff. You will most likely gather lots of attention wherever you go.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯d rather pass on that.¡¹ ¡¸Right? Well, I will prepare a normal carriage for you.¡¹ While they were talking like this, a noise suddenly came from outside. Immediately after, ignoring Reynard¡¯s pleas to stop, a single woman opened the door of the office with so much strength it nearly broke. That person who snatched away Mira¡¯s and Solomon¡¯s gaze, was a woman wearing a white and blue robe, and had extremely attractive proportions of her body and beautiful facial features. It was a beauty that would steal anyone¡¯s gaze. This beauty had a deep crimson hair that looked like it was burning, her b?o?o?b?s? were unimpeded from asserting themselves as they shook. She nced at Solomon with her crimson eyes which did not lose to the color of her hair, then poured her gaze at the girl. ¡¸What happened all of a sudden? It is not the appointed time yet.¡¹ Completely changing his manner of speaking and adjusting it into one full of dignity, Solomon fixed his gaze on the beauty who had entered the office. At the same time she heard these words, she closed the door with a strong momentum. Being hit in the head by the closing door, Reynard made an expression of anguish as he staggered and tears appeared in his eyes. Seeing him like that, Joachim put a hand on his shoulder andforted him by saying, ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, saying anything to that person is pointless.¡¹ ¡¸I heard a girl calling herself Danbulf¡¯s disciple came, so I went to the audience hall to take a look at her, but I found no one. And when I wrung up a guard nearby he told me you moved to the office, so I came here.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Well, in any case I was going to bring her to you.¡¹ With these words, Solomon walked to Mira¡¯s side. ¡¸This girl is Danbulf¡¯s disciple, Mira.¡¹ Introduced like that, Mira did not stand up from the seat or said any greeting, she just stared at the woman standing in front of the door, smiling bitterly at how the woman did not change, then reseated herself on the sofa. ¡¸So, it was her? By the way, Your Highness Solomon, should you be speaking this way?¡¹ The way of speaking as pointed out by the beauty, was one he used when speaking with friends, not the speech mannerism with a self-important tone fitting for a king. The two had decided that when there was someone together with them, they would act in appropriate manner. ¡¸Ah, there is no problem. I mean, this is Danbulf himself. So you can speak normally, too. It¡¯s been many years, but I still can¡¯t get used to you speaking this way.¡¹ While saying this, Solomon made a mischievous smile. ¡¸W¡­ w-w-wha¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, it¡¯s been a long time, Luminaria. At least for you. It had just been two days for me.¡¹ Retaining a rxed posture on the sofa, Mira just raised one hand in a greeting. Luminaria. It was the name of one of the Nine Wisemen and the only Elder whose whereabouts were currently known. ¡¸I see. Danbulf, huh. You¡¯ve finallye here¡­¡¹ Luminaria stared at Mira¡¯s whole body as if inspecting her. Then seeing the adorable appearance of the girl, she clearly recalled the time when she had a discussion with Danbulf on their preferences. Mira¡¯s appearance perfectly matched the characteristics she heard back then. Seeing her best friend unchanged, Luminaria was both happy and amused, and she burst out intoughter. Hearing theughing voice leak out slightly through the closed door, Reynard had covered his ears, and together with Joachim, they nodded to each other. Luminaria sometimes changes into apletely different person. That was the rumor whispered in the castle, which was correct in a sense. After rolling about withughter, Luminaria once again captured Mira in her sights. She grinned and made a meaningful expression. ¡¸This means you finally realized how wonderful this is, right? A woman¡¯s body is great, isn¡¯t it? Did you y with it to your heart¡¯s content yet?¡¹ And while the first thing she said were really indecent words, Luminaria¡¯s glossy lips with their ends raised in a smile were so alluring that they turned even such words into part of her charm. ¡¸Don¡¯t lump me together with you. It was an ident, so to speak, not my will.¡¹ ¡¸And yet, that¡¯s some first-ss finishing touches you got there. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to pass this off as an ident, y¡¯know?¡¹ ¡¸Ugh¡­ It¡¯s a long story. Hmph.¡¹ Mira briefly exined the whole story starting from the mail notice about the expiring web money and ending with today¡¯s situation. ¡¸I got the vanity case for exactly the same reason. Though I haven¡¯t used it.¡¹ Once Mira finished exining, Solomon said that he bought the vanity case for the same reason of not wanting to waste the money. ¡¸In which case, I¡¯m the same.¡¹ Said Luminaria as she took a vanity case out from the item box. Mira red at Luminaria hatefully while she was toying with it in her hands. In a sour mood, Mira pursed her lips sulkily and lied down on the sofa. ¡¸I wonder why I don¡¯t have one.¡¹ ¡¸Because you already used it, duh.¡¹ Mira¡¯s heart was gouged by Solomon¡¯s blunt words and she growled before facing up and threw her four limbs out like a kid throwing tantrums. ¡¸But well, at least you should be d that it wasn¡¯t a joke character. The ideal female image, was it? It¡¯s better than getting something you have absolutely no attachment to or is not your ideal, a silver lining in a dark cloud, isn¡¯t it. From my perspective, this world bing real was a lucky happening. This world¡¯s the best. I mean, starting from day one I yed to my heart¡¯s content.¡¹ Luminaria made a refreshing smile with her pretty face. If one ignored what was inside, she would definitely steal hearts of many men and unfortunately, the only ones knowing her real identity were the two that were here. Staring coldly at Luminaria who did not change in the least, Mira scooped up a certain question that came to her mind. ¡¸By the way, this has been bothering me since just now, but¡­ Solomon, you were here thirty years, Luminaria was twenty, right? So much time has passed but you two certainly don¡¯t look like you aged at all.¡¹ At first nce, nothing looked out of ce for Mira since it had just been two days for her. However, it was inexplicable for the two to remain the same as back then as they hade to this world at different times from her. Even if one overlooked Luminaria, the same couldn¡¯t be done for Solomon. It was impossible for a human to retain a boy¡¯s appearance for nearly forty years. ¡¸Speaking of which, it¡¯s be so obvious to us that I forgot to talk about it.¡¹ ¡¸And it¡¯s one of reasons why this world is the best.¡¹ To settle down in ce, Solomon pulled his office chair with wheels next to the sofa, but as if it was for firste first served, Luminaria sat down on it and crossed her youthful legs to show them off. ¡¸To put it simply, it looks like we ex-yers are different from the normal people who used to be NPCs.¡¹ ¡¸What is the difference?¡¹ ¡¸Yup. First, it¡¯s about inspecting, did you try to inspect me or Luminaria?¡¹ She actually tried to inspect Solomon in the audience room but no information was shown. Trying again, this time she gazed intently at Luminaria who wriggled around in a disgusting manner. However, no information appeared within the sight. ¡¸Nothing shows for you two. It worked for Suleyman and Graia however.¡¹ Hearing that, Solomon made a boyish smile and sat on the sofa by Mira¡¯s legs as she lied on it with her arms and legs spread. ¡¸It¡¯s likely that inspecting ex-yers is impossible. That¡¯s the first difference. By the way, when I first saw you I tried inspecting you but didn¡¯t see anything, so I knew you were an ex-yer. You proimed to be Danbulf¡¯s disciple the moment he came online and had the appearance of a loli in Danbulf¡¯s taste. Even if it wasn¡¯t me, other people would realize it with that much evidence.¡¹ Solomon exined it while correcting the robe¡¯s edge that became a skirt, covering Mira¡¯s legs to hide her bloomers. ¡¸In other words, it can act as basis for judgement.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. We can¡¯t be certain that everyone you¡¯ll be looking for from now on did not change their appearance. But at the very least you can tell whether someone is a yer or not.¡¹ ¡¸However, with their personality like that, we have other things to base on other than their looks.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly. I have confidence to tell Luminaria apart even if she changed her appearance.¡¹ ¡¸Agreed. It would be hard to find another pervert like this.¡¹ After taking a nce at Luminaria who stared at her own legs in rapture, the twoughed meaningfully. Being called a pervert, Luminaria red at the two, but then for some reason her expression suddenly changed. ¡¸In other words¡­ we¡¯re so close that you can tell me apart even if I changed my appearance, right?!¡¹ Giving an unexpected reply, Luminaria dived into the sofa like doing a body press. Solomon quickly avoided her, but thepletely exhausted Mira, with a small surprised cry, was mercilessly hugged by Luminaria. ¡¸My friend!¡¹ ¡¸Hey, stop it, Bakanaria! Sto¡­ Where are you touching!¡¹ Luminaria¡¯s wiggling hand treated Mira¡¯s body as a sacrifice for itself and started creeping around her limbs as if to inspect her. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fin¡­ngha!¡¹ Luminaria assaulted Mira like a certain evil magistrate¡¯s impression, but along with a bursting sound, she let out a voice that gushed out from deep inside her and flew in the air, then with all the momentum she hit the ceiling before falling back down on the floor. Mira who lied face up on the sofa, had protruded her right hand up towards the ceiling. She had fired the Sage spell ¡¾Shock Wave¡¿ at Luminaria from point-nk. ¡¸Putting life on the line to cop a feel, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ Solomon spoke indifferently towards Luminaria, who slowly got up and responded with a thumbs up, ¡¸Still worth it.¡¹ Fixing her disordered robe, Mira got up and stared coldly at Luminaria with a warning,¡¸Next time ¡ª I¡¯ll include Magic Eye.¡¹ After that, Luminaria, having nothing to do with her dubiously prepared hands, began to pick up the scattered paper on the floor. ¡¸Mm, what an admirable attitude.¡¹ ¡¸Oh you, I just like when it¡¯s clean, you see¡¹ ¡¸Then please take care of those as well.¡¹ Taking advantage of the moment, Solomon pointed at a desk full of scattered documents, to which Luminaria nodded without a word. Chapter 16: The Latest Technologies Chapter 16: The Latest Technologies ¡¸To continue what we were talking about earlier, thergest difference between yers and NPCs is in our appearances. As you can see, we don¡¯t seem to age.¡¹ While saying this, Solomon spread his arms to show his appearance. Like Mira and Luminaria, his appearance was carefully constructed with vanity cases. ¡¸So that¡¯s why you haven¡¯t aged even after thirty years, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I can¡¯t tell for sure as we still don¡¯t know a lot of things but it looks like either we don¡¯t age at all or our appearance simply doesn¡¯t change with age. I still don¡¯t know if we have a lifespan at all, though it¡¯s not like we have any way to confirm it without waiting for another 40-50 years.¡¹ The fact that there was no aging means the body wouldn¡¯t deteriorate with age, thus the skin¡¯s tension was preserved. Arge part of the reason why Luminaria praised this world as the best lied in the perpetual youth of that form. After all, if you were a handsome guy or a beauty, you would remain like that forever. Judging from this exnation, the unchanging appearance was not a property of this world, just a privilege of former yers. For Mira, however, ¡°lifespan¡± was more important. While certainly it was too early for anyone to die naturally within these thirty years, but what about death from other factors? In the game, when monsters defeated the yer, they¡¯d respawn in a weakened state in the country or ce they were linked to. It only applied when it was still a game though. Does it still work now, in reality? That¡¯s what bothered Mira. ¡¸By the way, what happens when you die in this world? Do you still respawn with the status penalty?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡¹ Hearing this question, Solomon folded his arms and pondered about with a troubled expression. Gathering his thoughts after a short pause, Solomon lifted his face while saying ¡¸I don¡¯t know for sure.¡¹ ¡¸Honestly, I haven¡¯t heard about the death of any yers yet but it¡¯s rted to the fact there aren¡¯t many yers. There is also the possibility that this information is being restricted. However, this is just my personal opinion but¡­ you would probably die.¡¹ He spoke indifferently, but was as serious as he could get. As long as it¡¯s reality, it¡¯s definitely not a strange thing. Although Mira hoped that this was not the case, she understood that things wouldn¡¯t be so convenient and so, she smoothly epted those words. ¡¸Mm, you said ¡°probably¡± just now, do you actually have some basis for that?¡¹ ¡¸That would be the friend list. I told you I check the friend list every day, didn¡¯t I? Because, well, all of you tend to appear unexpectedly. But you see, there was a downside as well. Even when the friend list showed the yer as online, I can¡¯t tell their location.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon stopped his monologue and closed his mouth to moisturize his lips. His voice vanished from the room for a while and the room went silent. Only the sound of papers being bundled by Luminaria could be heard. She was still tidying up things. ¡¸One night when I checked my list like usual, one of the yers went offline. Ever since then, he hasn¡¯te back.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ If we assumed that being present in this world makes you appear online in the friend list, then bing offline could only mean one of two possibilities. The first possibility was that they somehow managed to log out. The other, they simply disappeared from this world. In other words, they died. Trusting Solomon¡¯s logic, Mira decided to act even more carefully. ¡¸Putting whether we die or not aside, honestly speaking, the primary cause of death would be through battle, right? It¡¯s hard to think we would die like that. With our strength, even if we were to face a stronger opponent, we could certainly run away, so be it the Magic Beast King, Demon Lord, or Dragon God, we always have a way out.¡¹ While still in the middle of tidying things up, Luminaria sat down on the table charmingly and spoke. Certainly, from these three¡¯s perspective, it was not that big of an issue. Ever since the official release of the game four years ago, they used various means to be the strongest in the world. It was not easy for them to be caught off guard by someone. ¡¸Mm, certainly. It¡¯s as you say.¡¹ ¡¸Also this is just the worst case, so let¡¯s put this topic aside for the time being. We have neither a need to know the answer, nor any humane way to do it right now. I think we should just take extra precautions.¡¹ Returning to his smile, Solomon confirmed what time it was in the menu of his bracelet. ¡¸Now then, since we¡¯ve already gathered, we might as well put work aside and eat dinner together. Just like back then.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Well, that¡¯s fine. Do you have any other task?¡¹ ¡¸That will be a surprise.¡¹ With those words and smiling like he had something in mind, Solomon walked out the door of the office. ¡¸I¡¯ll show you how much this world has advanced!¡¹ Luminaria jumped down from the table and made her way towards the door. Following them, Mira stood up and left the office. To get away from the unbearable nces of Reynard and Joachim, she quickly slipped into the shadow of Luminaria. The five of them went down several staircases while moving through the corridor. Silence gradually took over and only the sound of footsteps, coldly echoing from the cold gray walls, resounded in their ears. When Mira went down, by her count, the tenth set of stairs, she saw arge steel door with guards standing on each side. Recognizing Solomon and Luminaria, the guards reported ¡¸Nothing abnormal sire¡¹ with the usual military salute. ¡¸Good job.¡¹ Solomon made a short nod as he switched into his king mode. Luminaria did the same. ¡¸Everyone has already gathered.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯ll begin soon. Your highness, can you tell us who she is?¡¹ The guard looked at Mira. ¡¸This person is Danbulf¡¯s pupil, Mira. Her skills could prove helpful in an experiment we¡¯re going to do, so I brought her along.¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s the pupil of Danbulf? My apologies.¡¹ After that, the guard pushed a card-shaped key on the door and a white corridor appeared behind it. Mira followed Solomon and Luminaria. Suddenly, the Middle Ages scenery changed to a cutting edge-looking scientific institution. This scenery reminded Mira of a certain foreign space station she saw on TV once. (It looks like they¡¯re having some fun.) Considering the deep basement, strong door, and the experiments, the first thing she thought about was a secret research institution. ¡¸We are here.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon stopped before arge door and it slowly opened by itself. ¡¸Hooh, this is quite amazing.¡¹ A huge white space opened behind it. Its size wasparable to a domed stadium. This space was filled with countless machines and there was arge conspicuous object in the front. It had a clunky main body and a long, horizontal and cylindrical part attached to it. In front of the various gauges around it, there were people wearing white robes. Near the main body, figures dressed in oil-stained aprons were discussing something. ¡¸We were waiting for you, King Solomon.¡¹ Counselor Suleyman appeared from the side of the door. With a nod, he moved next to Solomon. ¡¸Thanks for the hard work, everyone.¡¹ At this voice, everyone stopped, turning their faces to him and deeply bowed. After they finished paying their respects, their attention focused on the unknown girl standing near him. Being weak to attention, Mira instantly tried to slip behind Luminaria¡¯s back again, but she quickly grabbed her shoulders and put her in the front. ¡¸This girl is Mira, Danbulf¡¯s pupil. She inherited his skills, so they should be useful in today¡¯s experiment.¡¹ While everybody around expressed their emotions, a noble stepped forward. ¡¸Such a girl is a¡­ May you allow me to greet her?¡¹ ¡¸Fine, go ahead.¡¹ After Solomon¡¯s permission, the nobleman walked to Mira and knelt. A man about 60~70 years old with silver-gray hair and deep wrinkles on his face showed Mira a gentle smile. With that mature calmness and masculine expression, his looks were more suitable for the title of king than Solomon. A gorgeous costume without excessive adornmentspleted the refined outlook. ¡¸d to meet you. I¡¯m Edward Corse Steiner, I¡¯m greatly honored to see the pupil of the hero, Danbulf.¡¹ With his greetings, Edward took Mira¡¯s hand and ced a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Mira was so impressed with that refined gentleman¡¯s manners that she did not even brush him away. Furthermore, she was fascinated by his manners. After all, this was the ideal form Mira pursued. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Looking at Edward¡¯s retreating figure, Mira reaffirmed her devotion: ¡¸As expected, authenticity is magnificent¡¹. Luminaria silently chuckled behind her. (Edward? I feel like I had met him somewhere before) While musing at the gentleman¡¯s manners, Mira tried to find where she heard Edward¡¯s name in her vast sea of memories about Ark Earth Online to no avail. ¡¸Well, preparations are over. Let¡¯s start the first stage.¡¹ Returning to her senses at that voice, Mira, following some busily moving researchers and engineers, looked up at the giant mechanism in the middle of them. ¡¸Could it be a¡­ cannon?¡¹ Muttering that, Mira looked at a ck pipe that protruded like a gun barrel. ¡¸That¡¯s right. And it¡¯s not a simple cannon¡¹, Luminaria gently smiled in a feminine manner. A few of the researchers had quickened heartbeats looking at this Elder¡¯s sisterly charm while Mira, knowing the insides, moved away with some indescribable feelings. On the edge of her vision, some device was being prepared far away in the direction of the cannon¡¯s barrel. (What is that?) Gaping at the sight, Mira slightly tilted her body, showing her smooth and shiny silver hair and countless shaking ribbons on her shoulders. ¡¸Hey, I¡¯m being observed.¡¹ ¡¸What? It doesn¡¯t matter, just set that stuff up.¡¹ ¡¸No, but, well, that¡¯s¡­¡¹ ¡¸Just what¡¯s wrong with you?¡¹ At the end of Mira¡¯s sight, a researcher and an engineer who were doing somest adjustments on the device, noticed the adorable girl gazing at them. ¡¸Wasn¡¯t that Danbulf¡¯s pupil¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, little Mira.¡¹ ¡¸No, no! Little is a bit rude.¡¹ ¡¸But no matter how you look at her, it¡¯s little Mira. What would you call her otherwise?¡¹ ¡¸Something like Miss Mira?¡¹ ¡¸Miss Mira¡­ In some sense, that fits her too.¡¹ The researcher broadly grinned and the engineer nodded, expressing agreement. Despite the stupid talk, their pace of work sped up. Mira¡¯s attention made them enthusiastic. ¡¸Preparations areplete. We¡¯re ready at any time.¡¹ The only engineer who had a red hat reported it. He designed the main section of the cannon and was in charge of today¡¯s experiment. Looking at the cannon again, Mira already expected the firing test. Judging by looks though, it wasn¡¯t just any simple cannon. As there was already a cannon that shot simple shells in the game epoch. It was a generic weapon made by yers with the cksmith skill. However, it didn¡¯t need the size, or the countless indicators connected to it. (Well, well, what are they going to show?) Happily cuddling her chin, Mira waited for the result. Researchers stood on alert by the gauges connected to the cannon and nobles were lined up at the wall watching over the experiment. ¡¸Start the experiment!¡¹ ¡¸Starting the experiment!¡¹ At the loud signal of Solomon, the lead engineer started the main mechanism, repeating the order. The room was filled with a high-pitched sound of a motor and pointers on gauges started to shake. The nobles caught their breath, Reynard and Joachim stood in front of Mira and the other two just in case, then looked at the great cannon vigntly. ¡¸5 seconds till the first stage¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­¡¹ Mixing with the increasing sound of the countdown, a noise simr to an electrical discharge could be heard. ¡¸2¡­. 1¡­Ready!¡¹ ¡¸Fire!¡¹ Responding to Solomon, the lead engineer pushed a lever. At this second, thunder apanied with a sh of lightning tore the space. This torrent of destruction crashed into a curtain of light generated by the device installed in front of the cannon. The impact caused the room to shake and it soon burst into an explosion. Everyone in the room was entranced for a moment from the destructive power of the cannon, which was enough to blow away the device producing the light curtain. This power was clearly above any cannons in the past. Mira¡¯s eyes shined at the impressive figure of the new cannon. ¡¸Amazing, amazing!¡¹ Luminaria put her hands on Mira¡¯s shoulders and leaned her face to her side. ¡¸This is a technique born and developed during the 30 years you were missing. It¡¯s the ord Cannon made with magical engineering.¡¹ With those words, she looked up at the ord Cannon which demonstrated enough strength. Chapter 17: Refining Chapter 17: Refining As the ord Cannon¡¯s firing test had safely ended with sess, all researchers and engineers started to analyze the data they gathered. Apanied by Solomon, the main members including Suleyman and the engineers spread out the blueprint of the ord Cannon on the desk of the development room. Thereafter began the discussion about its usage and mass production. Quickly withdrawing herself from the tortuous discussion about state affairs, Mira started to look through various things lined up on some shelves. She couldn¡¯t recognize a single thing there, however. ¡¸Now, Thomas. Since we were able to safely activate the first stage, I hope there were no problems?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. We are capable of controlling the recoil now. I believe it will be able to deliver the minimal expected war results.¡¹ Solomon nodded with satisfaction at that confident answer of the lead engineer, Thomas. ¡¸By the way, what are the ns in regard to mass production? With this much power, my Wesley family is more than willing to provide the investment.¡¹ Following him, the rest of the nobles expressed agreement. ¡¸Speaking of¡­¡¹ With those words, Thomas presented one document on the table with a discouraged face. This document had detailed information about the ammunition and power source of the ord Cannon. ¡¸Just as we have written here, one shot requires a single Refined Gem and two Magic Sealing Stones.¡¹ Following that, Thomas exined the principles of the ord Cannon design. In summary, the Refined Gem would serve as the ammunition and the Magic Sealing Stones as the power source of the ammunition. The Refined Gem was an artificial material created through energy refining. It had the properties of gathering energy with extreme ease. On the other hand, the Magic Sealing Stone was a generic term used for materials that contained a specific amount of magic power inside. The ord Cannon extracted power from these Magic Sealing Stones, amplified it and fired. The Refined Gem served to grant directionality for the power which was amplified to the limit. In other words, it was used as a lightning rod to gather all the power into a single point. The Refined Gem pulled these raging energy towards itself until it reached the bursting point. At that point, all the energy stored within would be released all at once and soared forward. The bigger the Refined Gem was, the longer it took until it was destroyed, which consequently increased the shooting range. And one more thing, to activate the ord Cannon, another lightning-elemental Magic Sealing Stone was required. Basically, this cannon runs on electricity. ¡¸And thus, there is no problem in regards to mass production of the device if we have everyone¡¯s support, but these Refined Gems and Magic Sealing Stones are a problem.¡¹ After saying so, Thomas heaved arge sigh. The problem Thomas presented was the supply of Refined Gems and lightning-element Magic Sealing Stones. There were several people with the required skills to produce Refined Gems in the Arkite Kingdom. Still, they were only capable of crafting middle-grade ones. The supply of Magic Sealing Stones was barely enough to operate the cannon too. However, even with such limits, the ord Cannon was powerful enough to show such a great performance. There would be no issues with mass production, however, as they could somehow manage the ammo supply. But it would only be enough to disy the minimum capability of the ord Cannon. Thomas, who devoted long years of his life to the development of the cannon, red at the document with the frustration of being unable to allow his child to disy its full potential. ¡¸That can be resolved with this.¡¹ While Thomas made a clouded expression, Solomon joyfully ced some gems on the table, some of which were shining with a faint light. ¡¸These are¡­ Turquoise and Moonstone, I believe. And are those¡­ Magic Sealing Stones? But, Your Majesty, I believe these aren¡¯t of too good quality, so how would they resolve the problem?¡¹ Turquoise and Moonstone. They were one of many gems born in nature that had the characteristics of easily gathering energy so they were used not only for decoration but also for many other things. As for the several faintly shining stones, they were gems that already had power dwelling inside them ¡ª Magic Sealing Stones. The gems lined up by Solomon weren¡¯t that special ¡ª justmon gems. Therefore, multiple people in this ce were puzzled by Solomon¡¯s words. However, everyone gathered had already had a chance to see him act suggestively like this multiple times, so they quietly waited for the exnation. ¡¸Okay,e this way~¡¹ ¡¸What? What this time!?¡¹ A confused girl¡¯s voice rang from a corner of the room. Everyone turned their eyes to her. At that sight, Solomon quietly burst intoughter. The reason was that Mira was carried by Luminaria in her arms and struggled like a child to get free. After she was ced down in front of the table, she pursed her lips and red at Luminaria, but more importantly, she noticed everyone¡¯s gazes were concentrated on her. ¡¸So, what is it this time?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry, but I have a request.¡¹ With a smile that didn¡¯t make him look sorry at all, Solomon took several gems from the table into his hands. ¡¸Mira, can you turn these into Refined Gems?¡¹ On the hand he extended to Mira, there were two Turquoises and one Moonstone. Everyone in the surroundings poured their gaze at the hand. ¡¸Hm? Is that all you want?¡¹ Mira extended her hand to receive the gems, but her hands were already holding the awkward-looking model robots she picked up from the shelves. A blue robot in the right, a red one in the left. They werebeled as bining robots¡» and Luminaria grabbed her right in the midst of her attempts tobine them. ¡¸¡­.¡¹ ¡¸Umm¡­ I¡¯ll take this for now.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Mm, please do so.¡¹ In the middle of unspeakable silence, Suleyman humbly offered a hand. Mira quietly answered and passed the awkward robots to him along with a clunky sound. Once Mira received the gems with her now-free hands, Luminaria carried arge board over. She ced it on top of the table with the aid of some robed magicians. ¡¸A Refining Board huh?¡¹ After looking at the board with countless shapes and symbols drawn on it, Thomas said the board¡¯s name. Refining Board was a magic tool used to refine items. Drawn on it were shapes signifying disassembly,bining, alteration, conversion, andpression, which together formed a circle. ¡¸Are you going to start refining now? Doesn¡¯t it take a while?¡¹ Edward posed a question. When one gets more experience in refining, they could make use of that experience and understanding to reduce the crafting time. However, even the best refiner in the Arkite Kingdom required 30 minutes to make a single Refined Gem. Other nobles and experts with the know-how of refining nodded to express their agreement with Edward. ¡¸Well, you will understand once you see it. All right, Mira. Do it please.¡¹ ¡¸Good grief, and I was so close to find out how it worked.¡¹ Mira groaned aint and stood in front of the Refining Board. Reflected in the corner of her vision was Suleyman holding the two robots she passed to him. She was interested to find out how theybined, which was why she wanted to finish this quickly. Putting the gems on top of the Refining Board, she ced both hands in the designated locations. After a moment, the circle started to glow. Precisely manipting the way she poured magic power into the circle and the multiple shapes on the board, she disassembled the stones. Thereafter, she extracted just the main characteristic of these gems andpressed it to form a different material altogether. Shortly after beginning, Mira removed her hands from the Refining Board. ¡¸AH! You shouldn¡¯t let go during¡­!¡¹ Thomas spoke in panic, but at the sight of a whirl of light flowing from the Refining Board, he stopped moving and gasped. ¡¸T- this is¡­¡¹ Once the light died down, arge transparent stone had reced the multiple gems that were once on top of the Refining Board. Making an expression as if he saw something unbelievable, Thomas moved his head so close to the transparent stone that it nearly made contact. ¡¸A Refined Gem¡­ Impossible¡­ for one of such quality to be made that in such a short time¡­¡¹ It was no wonder Thomas was surprised. Mira made this Refined Gem in less than a minute. ¡¸I said she¡¯s Danbulf¡¯s pupil, have I not. Mira has seeded all of his abilities.¡¹ Solomon said while puffing up his chest as if it was his own aplishment. Rather than seeding it, Mira was Danbulf himself so it was natural that she could do it. However, since that was a secret, this was a good way to exin, as such Mira affirmed it instead of denying. The ¡¾Refining¡¿ skill was personally developed by Danbulf. This skill was all about extracting, fusing, and affixing power. The skill made it possible to extract elemental power or stat boost from the gems and attach it to a piece of equipment to reinforce it or vice versa. Each gem had its set capacity, but bybining several of them together, it was possible to make a Refined Gem like this. These Refined Gems were more valuable and useful due to the higher capacity of power they could hold. Mira could be called the pioneer of this technique despite her changed appearance. She had more experience and understanding of the process than anyone and it led to higher efficiency, proportionally reducing the required time. ¡¸I did hear that the Refining techniques were created by Lord Danbulf, but I did not think that even his pupil would be this skilled.¡¹ Thomas moved his gaze from the Refined Gem to Mira. The girl within his sight might have been the person capable of allowing the ord Cannon to utilize its full potential. When Thomas realized that, a feeling simr to excitement arose from the bottom of his heart and filled his body. ¡¸Then Mira, while you¡¯re still at it, can you fuse these with the Refined Gem?¡¹ Solomon gave three Magic Sealing Stones to Mira, at which she answered with ¡¸Mm-hm¡¹ and ced those stones at the designated spot before she started to refine again. This time as well, it did not take even a minute for the power of the three Magic Sealing Stones to be extracted and poured into a newly-made Magic Sealing Stone. Refining was capable of affixing power like this into the Refined Stone to create an even bigger Magic Sealing Stone. ¡¸Is this enough?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you.¡¹ Solomon delightfully nodded, taking the newly created Magic Sealing Stone. After the refining, the stone was shining with new strength and clearly contained considerable power. ¡¸I believe she should be able to solve all our issues with the the Refined Gems and Magic Sealing Stones.¡¹ With those words, Solomon gave the Magic Sealing Stone to Thomas. ¡¸Yes, of course, this should be enough.¡¹ Thomas answered with a smile, cautiously holding the gem on his palm. While everybody started to discuss about the military use of the ord Cannon, Mira grabbed the robots from the table and began to y with them at the corner of the room. Seeing that, a man in a robe came to her. ¡¸Little Mira, can¡¯t you please make some time for me?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m busy now soeter.¡¹ Mira answered while gazing at the joints of the robots with passion. The man in the robe, with a slightly troubled face, leaned over her and pleaded ¡¸Can you please work something out?¡¹ After a sigh Mira turned to this man. He was a handsome young man in a ck and blue robe. He had shiny gold hair dropping to his shoulders and a good-looking face. Moreover, Mira recognized that face. ¡¸Creos?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you know me?¡¹ Of course, that was his first meeting with Mira. Creos was a half-light spirit and half-elf attendant of the Tower of Summoning. Due to a special ability of the light spirits, he eliminated the need to think about light even in dark dungeons. For that reason, he was often dragged along by Danbulf. ¡¸That¡¯s right. I happened to hear about you from my teacher.¡¹ She knew him by face but because she let it slip without any consideration, Mira chose a simple excuse. Creos answered with a pleased face,¡¸So that is why you know me.¡¹ ¡¸Then, once again. I am Creos, the vice-elder of the Tower of Summoning.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ They exchanged simple greetings. Right after that, Mira recalled one word Creos had said. ¡¸Speaking about that, I heard from Graia that after the Elders disappeared, the vice-elders took over the work instead. Looks like you were one of them.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it was almost forced on me. I was rmended because I was with Danbulf for the longest of time. Honestly, the rest of the vice-elders were in a simr situation.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s how it went.¡¹ Mira remembered that she dragged Creos along due to his utility. But she also understood that it was a good decision to choose him. Even if they were judging by strength, Creos, who constantly apanied her in all those dangerous fields, was probably the strongest attendant in the Tower of Summoning. It should be the same for the rest of the vice-elders. If one kept getting dragged through the highest level fields, they would be stronger no matter whether they like it or not. ¡¸By the way, is it fine for you to not take part in this discussion? It should be an important weapon, right?¡¹ Saying that, Mira pointed with her eyes at Solomon¡¯s group having a discussion at the table. ¡¸It should be fine. After all, as vice-elders, we came here just to look at the performance.¡¹ ¡¸By ¡°we¡±, do you mean that all the others are vice-elders too?¡¹ Mira looked again at the figures of the magicians near the wall. Just like Creos, they were without any particr interest and were busy with their own things. ¡¸The important discussion has already concluded and they are already discussing the mass production of the weapon. That is the domain of King Solomon and the nobles.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why you came to talk with me?¡¹ Saying that, Mira returned her eyes to the robots in her hands and resumed trying to rotate and bend the parts to find the ce tobine them. After that, they continued their light conversation but in the end, because Creos switched to grumbling about how absurd Danbulf¡¯s decisions was to drag him through all of those ces, Mira only pretended to be paying attention with a bitter smile. Chapter 18: Learning a Skill Chapter 18: Learning a Skill ¡¸By the way, are you still using the ¡ºThunderscale Tiger¡» as your main?¡¹ Unable to bear with theints that were directed to her past self any longer, Mira attempted to change the topic by mentioning the name of the strongest summon that Creos had. ¡¸Can it be that you heard of my ¡ºThunderscale Tiger¡» from Danbulf as well?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­mm-hm, indeed.¡¹ At this point, Mira gave up and decided to attribute all of her knowledge to her ¡°master¡±. ¡¸Oh dear, that is quite embarrassing. Looks like he talked a lot about me.¡¹ ¡¸Right, I heard a lot about you.¡¹ Hearing that, Creos happily smiled. Despite grumblingints, it all came from his respect and affection for Danbulf. Creos was happy that this wiseman talked so much about him with his pupil. ¡¸As you have heard, I am still mainly using the ¡ºThunderscale Tiger¡». But since Master Danbulfst saw it, it is much stronger now.¡¹ ¡¸That surely sounds promising.¡¹ ¡ºThunderscale Tiger¡» was ranked in the upper-middle-ss amongst summons. Having even more strength should make it a reliable battle force. ¡¸Making a contract with ¡ºThunderscale Tiger¡» was really hard. But you know, Master Danbulf had said this¡­¡¹ And so, Creos started a passionate speech describing how great the Wiseman Danbulf was. Even though he was dragged along only because he was handy, Creos still told his impressions like ¡¸Back then, he did it for me¡¹ and ¡¸It was a great lesson for me¡¹. Mira, being affected by an awkward feeling of guilt, was busying herself by just sitting there silently with a fixed expression. asionally, she would respond just so she could be seen as paying attention to him. ¡¸Being trained like that back then, I ended up managing the tower in Master Danbulf¡¯s stead.¡¹ Satisfied, Creos nodded with a feeling of aplishment after ending his long story. From Mira¡¯s perspective, they were just some nostalgic scenes on the level of ¡¸Oh, I remember something like that happening¡¹, but from the perspective of Creos, it was an epic tale about Danbulf. Once Mira finished listening, she¡ªatst¡ªbrought up her doubt from the time she went into the Tower of Summoning. ¡¸By the way, when I stopped by the tower, it was utterly desertedpared to the Tower of Magic. Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ You surely touch the spot where it hurts. Certainly, right now, the number of summoners is extremely low.¡¹ ¡¸So, it¡¯s just like I thought.¡¹ When she visited the tower, she thought that visiting at night might be the reason, but after getting confirmation from Creos, it was clear that the Tower of Summoning faced a shortage of people. Looking down in sorrow, Mira recalled the old times and began to feel she must do something about it. ¡¸Since you¡¯re a pupil of Danbulf, you must have made your first contract through the same method, right?¡¹ To ovee the struggle with her first contract, Danbulf spammed potions and all of her avable bombs. However, Mira knew that Creos was talking about another method. As the Elder, she developed it herself to help her juniors at the tower. ¡¸Hmm. You mean using Refined Equipment and Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s it. Some time after the disappearance of Master Danbulf, we still continued toplete our contracts without problems. But shortly after, we ran out of the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones and even our Refined Equipment broke¡­ Even the Refining technicians from the castle could not make such high-ss tools as Master Danbulf. So eventually people who were unable to make a contract appeared.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­ mm-hm, I see.¡¹ The method Mira developed back then was simr to spamming consumables but was tuned up for better efficiency. Potions were substituted with Refined Equipment to greatly increase stamina and instead of throwing bombs, they would use elemental Magic Bomb Sealing Stones that matched with the enemy¡¯s weakness. Thanks to that, it made a drastic difference in the difficulty ofpleting the first contract. But because of the dependence on Danbulf, they could no longer use this method after his disappearance. Even though there were a handful of people capable of using Refining techniques, time andbor costs made the price of Refined Equipment went straight through the roof. It quickly became beyond the means of the new summoners. Moreover, without help from the absolutely charismatic elders, the Tower of Summoning became deserted. ¡¸Fine, then for the meantime¡­¡¹ Lifting her head, Mira reached for the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones she had in her inventory. Gathering the stones that were scattered on the floor, she offered them to Creos. ¡¸I think it¡¯s enough to defeat opponents for about 20 people.¡¹ ¡¸Tho¡­Those are the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones!? And that grade¡­ It is the same as the ones from 30 years ago¡­ No, even higher¡­ Is it really alright for me to ept those?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s all I can do right now.¡¹ ¡¸But haven¡¯t you gotten all of those stones from Master Danbulf for self-defense?¡¹ (Indeed, it could be used for that.) The Magic Bomb Sealing Stones could be used as a trump card in emergency cases. Assuming that Danbulf gave these stones to his pupil for defense could be a reason why Creos was holding his cravings back. ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ve got the Dark Knight from my master. Also, if he was here, he would not ignore the situation with the tower as well.¡¹ ¡¸That obsessed with summoning Master Danbulf certainly would not ept the current state of things at the tower.¡¹ Muttering that, Creos epted the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones from Mira. ¡¸Thank you. Thank you, Mira. I will immediately contact the neers who gave up on Summoning as soon as possible.¡¹ A grin covered the young-looking face of Creos. Being frustrated with the current state of the tower, Creos himself was constantly trying to do something. But even though several people finally managed to make some contracts recently, his methods were still full of problems and they couldn¡¯t fully resolve this situation. As a result, young people who wished to be summoners left the tower with their dreams shattered. For Creos who saw their backs as they left, these Magic Bomb Sealing Stones were worth more than hundred-carat diamonds. ¡¸Mm-hm, please do so. Also, ept this too.¡¹ Understanding his devotion to the tower, Mira decided to give one more farewell gift to Creos who already lost himself in delight. She took a ring from her finger and a ne from her neck and passed them to Creos. ¡¸T-¡­ this is¡­¡¹ ¡¸This equipment increases your physical strength and power. It should be enough to stand on equal footing against a low-ranked opponent.¡¹ ¡¸Is it really fine to ept such valuable things?¡¹ ¡¸It definitely is. If my master wants to protect something, I would also protect it as well. In return, I¡¯m entrusting the tower to you, Creos.¡¹ ¡¸Putting the honor of the vice-elder at stake, I will do everything to make the tower prosperous once more!¡¹ Being in euphoria, he nodded and stared straight into Mira¡¯s eyes with a strong resolution. ¡¸Well then, we shall conduct the second stage of the experiment in five days, at the same time.¡¹ Once Solomon closed the meeting with those words, the Nobles and the vice-elders left the development room with salutations. ¡¸Seems like it¡¯s over. Well then, farewell Little Mira and thank you. I will contact everyone as soon as I can. Looks like it will be getting very busy.¡¹ ¡¸Mm-hm, take care on your way back.¡¹ After a deep bow, Creos quickly left the room and followed the rest. His steps became light and the rest of the vice-elders, noticing that, tenderly looked at his back in surprise. It was not a secret for them that Creos was worried about his tower, but having their hands full with their own towers, they couldn¡¯t offer much help. Considering how often Creos was gloomy up until now, it had been a long time since he was in such high spirits. It was obvious what caused him to be in such a good mood¡ª new hope for the Tower of Summoning. However, without knowing the content of their talk, the rest of the vice-elders assumed Creos became cheerful after talking to Mira because of his love for children. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s already time for dinner.¡¹ ¡¸What are we having tonight?¡¹ The discussion between Solomon and Luminaria made Mira wonder how luxurious a meal is for a ruler of a country. ¡¸Can I join you?¡¹ Mira asked while turning her face back. ¡¸Of course. We were going to invite you anyway. There are still a lot of things to talk about.¡¹ ¡¸Little Mira, you can look forward to it. You surely never had such a feast before.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds promising.¡¹ Holding the robots that had been transformed to the extreme, Mira became even more joyful at those words. Then, noticing that Mira was making some rustling sounds in the corner, Luminaria quietly approached and peeked at her hands with a grin. ¡¸What the hell is that?¡¹ Witnessing the clusters of weird objects in her hands, Luminaria instantly blurted in her original tone. Bringing her face closer, she fixed her eyes at the object in Mira¡¯s hands. ¡¸Abining robot as you can see! I almostbined it, wait a bit.¡¹ Smiling like a kid without worry or boredom, to the point she even looked the part, Mira dered like a young boy before further changing the robot¡¯s form. ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s going on here?¡¹ Worrying about them, the chief of development ¡ª Thomas ¡ª came near and saw the reason why they sat down there. ¡¸Ah, the ¡®Hyper Combining Lord Vulcan¡¯? Where did you find it?¡¹ ¡¸It wasying somewhere on that shelf.¡¹ Mira pointed at a shelf in front with a finger. ¡¸That¡¯s where it was. I already considered it lost.¡¹ Thomas nostalgically looked at the muddle in her hands. ¡¸So, it means they are yours?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than that being mine, it is made by me.¡¹ ¡¸Oh~! You have a pretty good hobby there, hm?¡¹ ¡¸Rather than a hobby, it has already be my work. And although I tried my best, it is a failed project: due to a design error, it won¡¯tbine.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­ did¡­.you¡­ say..?¡¹ At hisst words, Mira awkwardly turned back with a disbelieving expression and stared at Thomas who was trying to disguise his embarrassment with a smile. ¡¸Yo-¡­ you see, when I made thisbining mechanism, the width was a little bit off. Fixing it requires disassembling the whole thing so I put it aside toter fix it. I then identally lost it.¡¹ Due to a face full of anger that he wouldn¡¯t possibly think is possible for that cute girl, Thomas, stuttering in his answer, slowly lowered his body. ¡¸What did you saaayy!!¡¹ This scream was heard from the outside of the room. Feeling relieved after he somehow managed to calm Mira down with a promise to give her the fixed robots, Thomas received the Hyper Combining Lord Vulcan from Mira. Grumbling about the lost time, Mira got up and instantly frowned in response to a certain unexpected sensation. Yes, amon physiological phenomenon. Mira turned around and wanted to ask for directions, but she stopped for a second. In a basement of an unknown castle, it would be faster to ask if one didn¡¯t know the location. But the thing she was going to ask would certainly light a strange sparkle in the faces of Solomon and Luminaria. She knew their personalities all too well. Nheless, trying to find it without any hints could lead to the worst possible situation. That¡¯s why Mira quietly brought her face to the ear of Thomas. ¡¸Where is the nearest toilet?¡¹ She whispered. But she picked the wrong person. Hearing her, Thomas pointed at a door. ¡¸Well, you need to exit here, then turn right until the end. After that, turn left and you will find it near you.¡¹ Thomas, without any delicacy, told the location of the toilet with big gestures. Of course, Solomon and Luminaria knew about a toilet in that direction. In other words, they immediately understood what Mira sought from his words. Mira, obviously exposed to their looks, rushed out of the development room. Mira stopped moving after reaching the toilet at full speed. She found that there were two entrances with thebels ¡ºMen¡» and ¡ºWomen¡», which blocked her path like a barrier. After a little confusion, Mira made up her mind and walked towards the women¡¯s toilet. She was grinning a bit but she hadn¡¯t noticed it. However, a woman dressed in a white robe suddenly appeared from the door. Assaulted with a feeling of guilt, Mira recklessly changed her course and crashed into a wall. ¡¸Ah! Are you okay? Wait, you are Mira! Mira the pupil of Danbulf, right!?¡¹ While supporting the staggering Mira, the woman quickly recognized her. An impressive figure draped entirely in a robe filled with ribbons and long shining silver hair that adorned her head. It was impossible to forget that cheeky yet cute dolly face. ¡¸Going to the toilet? Are you fine going alone? Do you need any help?¡¹ The adorableness of Mira almost made the woman in the white robe unable to control herself. But no matter who looked at it, this attitude looked like she was caring for a precious little sister. ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I can do it alone.¡¹ Escaping from her hands, Mira quickly jumped into the women¡¯s toilet. ¡¸Oops, I ended up entering the forbidden garden¡¹ muttered Mira with unclear emotions in this space that¡¯s unusually filled with individual stalls. Then, pushed by some irreversibly increasing sensations in her abdomen, she opened the door of a stall. Afterpleting the task, Mira approached the sink to wash her hands with a smile. All the while repeatedly nodding to herself ¡¸I grew a little bit more.¡¹ Then, looking around for something to wipe her hands, she saw the reflection of a little girl in the mirror right in front of her. Gazing at that figure, she muttered ¡¸I am so cute ?.¡¹ The first time Mira saw herself was in the reflection of light on the armor of the magic knights. The second time was in a window dyed by the night. Arge proper mirror specially made to reflect a figure reflected her charm much more clearly, to the point she became enchanted with her prettiness. Unable to find any towels at all, Mira wiped her hands with the sleeves of her robe. And while she was looking at the mirror, she absentmindedly touched her face. Following her chin, she moved her fingers from her lips to the back of her neck and lightly stroked the beautifully swaying silver hair. ¡¸Wee to this side of the world, myrade.¡¹ Foolishly immersed in her own world, Mira abruptly stood up straight and turned her face towards the atmospheric female voice. Luminaria was there, with a self-satisfied grin on her face. ¡¸Since when have you been here?¡¹ ¡¸Since I am so cute ?.¡¹ Mira instantly charged up her Sage skill ¡¾Ground Shrink¡¿but Luminaria vanished in the air like a phantom and opened the distance. ¡¸Whoa, what was that? I haven¡¯t seen that movement before.¡¹ Mira was attracted to that vanishing-like strange movement. She didn¡¯t know of any skill that could produce a simr effect. ¡¸While you went missing, progress was not limited in magical engineering. It was a whole thirty years, battle skills rapidly advanced with each day too.¡¹ Executing her skill, Luminaria vanished and reappeared repeatedly like a phantom. Looking at that, Mirapletely forgot about her recent embarrassment and filled her thoughts with that new skill. ¡¸It is an evasion skill developed a little over eight years ago, ¡¾Mirage Step¡¿. The effect is, well, you can see it for yourself.¡¹ While saying that, Luminaria kept moving, leaving phantom shadows behind her every step. ¡¸The requirements for learning it are: having mana and acquiring the blessings of both light and water, I believe.¡¹ ¡¸Oh! Then I can learn it too, right? Teach me!¡¹ Hearing that she already met the requirement, Mira urged Luminaria. ¡¸Eh~? What should I do~? I can¡¯t simply teach a product of long history for free~¡¹ Luminaria disyed a hesitating appearance. He, no, she already knew about Mira¡¯s remarkable obsession with skills since those bygone days. ¡¸Fine then, Solomon should know it too anyway.¡¹ Mira flew past Luminaria with those words when she was called out from behind. ¡¸What do you think this is?¡¹ Turning her face back at this voice, Mira saw a single book that Luminaria pulled out from her inventory. The cover said ¡ºEncyclopedia of Skills, Year 2146 Edition¡». ¡¸Ca.. can it be..¡¹ An Encyclopedia of Skills, the best-seller filled with countless skills of great varieties, a book made with Publication skill. Of course, being obsessed with skills, Mira had one too but it was ¡ºEncyclopedia of Skills, Year 2116 Edition¡», out of date by 30 years in this world. It was no wonder that Mira couldn¡¯t take her eyes off from that book. In the four years of the official release, yers discovered lots of skills. Considering the 30 years of development, the amount of knowledge in that book should be immeasurable. ¡¸There aren¡¯t many publishers now so you can¡¯t buy that book no matter how much you pay. What if I said I¡¯m going to give it to you?¡¹ ¡¸What do you want?¡¹ Mira got straight to the point. This book was just a bundle of already known information for Luminaria, but she understood how attractive it was for Mira. If Luminaria brought it here, there was no way she could give it for free. It was too obvious from her very suggestive words. ¡¸I¡¯m d you understand. Don¡¯t worry, it is not that hard for you. I heard from Solomon that you are going to look for those guys. I want you to get two items for me along the way.¡¹ ¡¸So, what are they?¡¹ ¡¸The first one is the Crimson King¡¯s Sword and the second is World Tree¡¯s Ash.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Those things are quite rare. Though, not to the point I can¡¯t find them. However, it should be the same for you as well. There is no need to specially ask me, right?¡¹ ¡¸As you already know, I can¡¯t move from this country now. Putting aside the ord Cannon, if I happen to cross the border, it can provoke other countries. You know, I¡¯m famous here.¡¹ Saying so, Luminaria puffed out her abundant chest and raised the corners of her mouth in a bold smile. ¡¸That makes sense. It was quite realistic even from back then but now that it has be a reality, it is indeed easier for me to move.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m begging you. Do it and this book is yours.¡¹ ¡¸Well, why not. But even if you try to hold a sword, isn¡¯t magic faster and stronger? Also, why do you even need the ash for? I believe it was an alchemical material. You said that being a jack of all trades doesn¡¯t suit you at all, right?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not going to use either in normal way. It¡¯s just a catalyst for me.¡¹ Luminaria was a sorcerer and the best one at that. No matter how rare the items were, the Crimson King¡¯s Sword could only show its true value only in the hands of a high-level swordsman. Sorcerers wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. For a simple me element attack, the magic ¡¾Twin ze¡¿ would be way more efficient. And considering that Luminaria was bad with delicate work, she never cared about alchemy to begin with, so it was unknown why she would need the World Tree¡¯s Ash which was a material for Secret Stone of Purification. ¡¸Catalyst you say¡­ Could it be, a catalyst for a new spell?!¡¹ ¡¸Yes. A while ago, I found a pentagram I have never seen before. After using ¡®analysis¡¯ on it, I found that it required those two items as catalysts.¡¹ ¡¸To think that even new spells are discovered, thirty years of progress sure is amazing. Wait, you just said ¡®analysis¡¯? What is that? The catalyst for sorcery was mostly found by burning anything in sight. So you can get information on the catalysts by using this ¡®analysis¡¯ on them?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. It¡¯s a new ability developed from the appraiser, ¡¾Spell Analysis¡¿. Of course, it¡¯s written in this book too.¡¹ Saying that, Luminaria brought the book to Mira¡¯s face. That instant, Mira extended her arms and grasped the mirage. ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ ¡¸You are the same as you were thirty years ago. It¡¯s thirty years too early for you to win against me. So, what is your decision? I will give this book to you if you bring the catalysts to me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll ept it.¡¹ After turning around towards where Luminaria moved to with Mirage Step, Mira answered with a sparkle in her eyes. ¡¸But I have one condition.¡¹ ¡¸What? Travel expenses or some items? Solomon will get everything ready for you.¡¹ ¡¸No, just teach me how to use that phantom step.¡¹ Mira looked up at Luminaria with her eyes full of hope. This made even the experienced Luminaria¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡¸You¡¯re quite good at abusing your appearance. Well, why not. I¡¯ll teach you as an advance payment.¡¹ That¡¯s how the training session of two ¡°maidens¡± began in the women¡¯s toilet. Chapter 19: Another Conflict Chapter 19: Another Conflict The two¡¯s training session had been going on for so long that Solomon¡¯s aide, Suleyman, started to look for the missing Mira and Luminaria. As he approached the women¡¯s toilet calling for them, he only received noisy voices instead of an answer. As he dared to peek inside, he was met with the sight of them both leaving afterimages all over the bathroom. At the thought of himself being too tired from working, Suleyman shook his head while pinching his forehead. Coincidentally, a female scientist who happened to visit the toilet at this time inwardly called him a pervert. Though as soon as she entered the women¡¯s toilet, she also became stupefied by the sight of Luminaria, the Elder of the Tower of Magic, inside. With thatst intrusion in their training, Luminaria chose to call it off, bringing an end to an extended toilet visit. As a result, Mira sessfully learned ¡¾Mirage Step¡¿. Obviously, her technique was still rough due to theck of experience but it could be easily fixed with frequent practice. Together with Solomon, they went to arge banquet room and ate dinner. However, the presence of the usual servants prevented them from talking about anything other than daily topics. Dinner was plenty bountiful and gorgeous, with Mira being the most excited about it, asking ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± all the time. That behaviour befitting that of a child tickled the motherly instincts of one of the maids and she began to fuss around her exining the content of the dishes and wiping her mouth. And Luminaria got her turn after the meal. She offered to enter the bath and after hearing ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m quite exhausted. A long bath sounds nice to me.¡± as an answer, she quickly snatched Mira away. Left to himself, Solomon went to the men¡¯s bath alone. ¡¸Why do we have to enter the bath together?¡¹ ¡¸Why wouldn¡¯t we? The bathtub isrge enough and since we finally met again after such a long time, let¡¯s do some naked skinship!¡¹ Mira and Luminaria stood in the changing room of arge bath. Contrary to Luminaria, who¡¯s already finished folding her clothes and cing them on the shelf, Mira was still struggling with her robe, which was adjusted by Litaria and Mariana. ¡¸Good grief. Let me help.¡¹ Luminaria approached Mira and with experienced hand movements began to untie one ribbon after another. At the same time, two voluptuous buns, a fine result of a perverted fixation, were right before Mira¡¯s eyes. Unable to withstand that sight, Mira averted her gaze to the side. Thanks to Luminaria¡¯s effort, twenty ribbons were lined up on the shelf. The rolled-up robe full of ribbons returned to its original form. As thest ribbon at the chest section was loosened, the cor opened up to her shoulders. At the sight of the moderately bulging breasts of Mira peeking out from underneath, Luminaria beamed a smile. ¡¸Not too big and not too small, that¡¯s just like you.¡¹ ¡¸Drop that subject already¡­¡¹ Mira pulled up her robe to move to a corner of the room and started to undress after a moment of squirming. Underneath the strange magical girl-like robe, Mira was dressed in the Celestial Maiden¡¯s Raiment and bloomers. That sight alone made Luminaria resume her attack once more. ¡¸Mixing a see-through negligee with such old-styled bloomers¡­ You just came here yesterday and are already disying such growth. With that pace you¡¯ll reach my level really soon.¡¹ Thebination of the immature yet bewitching see-through garment with the apparently far from eroticism bloomers was a discovery for Luminaria. Though only someone like her would possibly find such a strange concept in it. Throwing her robe at that pervert, Mira hurriedly took off the rest of her clothes and ran into the bathroom. Luminaria carefully folded the robe, put it on the shelf and followed her inside. The bathroom was luxurious and dazzling, very fitting for the castle of the king. Hot water from a reservoir filled therge bathtub, ascending through a fountain at the middle and with gravity¡¯s effect, rained down like a shower all around. This bathroom was open to the country¡¯s guests. For that reason, many things were deliberately ced inside which contributed to the overall appearance of an otherworldly country, making Mira fully enjoy the feeling it gave off. ¡¸This is ridiculous! This indeed is ridiculous!¡¹ Amazed by that sight, a giggling Mira moved to y beside the fountain and under its waterfall. In no time, her hair was soaked and clung to her skin, as droplets of water trickled down her soft skin and fell into the bath. In this absurdly expensive bathtub spa which screamed overkill, Mira kicked the overflowing water around, running here and there and was fully enjoying herself. ¡¸Looking at that, her behavior does match her current appearance. Though he was childish to start with anyway. However, are you really fine with that, Danbulf?¡¹ Muttering to nobody in particr, Luminaria fondly chased Mira¡¯s frolicking appearance with her eyes. Once she¡¯s rested enough after her share of fun, a refreshed Mira returns to the changing room and wipes herself with a towel. The clothes left on the shelf were taken away and there was a new change of clothes in their ce. As soon as Mira took the change of clothes and unfolded them, she froze in ce. No wonder, it was a sky blue one piece dress with frills. Something that wasn¡¯t ordered by Solomon or Luminaria but brought by a castle¡¯s maid doing her best to pick out, thinking it would be the best fit for Mira. s, the problem did not end just there. Something that was overshadowing a mere dress was right next to it. They were a pair of white panties decorated with ribbons. Although they were scarcely decorated, it was all the more reason that this article had a possibility of drawing even more of Mira¡¯splete charm than ever. It was like the panties were telling her there was no need for unnecessary things, simple panties were all you need, that it¡¯s enough to reach enlightenment¡­ or rather, to fulfill some personal tastes. Mira desperately opened her inventory in hopes of having something else instead but as she already confirmedst night, she once again realized there was no escape. ¡¸What, still hesitating? Just give up. There will be more than this and making a reaction each time only makes you tired.¡¹ Luminaria said as she came back from the bath and changed into her prepared clothes. She instantly understood the situation by looking at the frozen Mira holding the dress and panties. ¡¸But¡­¡¹ As Mira muttered that, she gazed towards Luminaria and widely opening her eyes, red and pointed at her robe. ¡¸How did you get a robe?¡¹ ¡¸I often stay here so there are plenty of spare clothes for me.¡¹ ¡¸Then can you lend me some please? This is really too much for me.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way my size would fit you. Besides, it does suit you so calm down and put it on. Or do you want me to help?¡¹ Luminaria sidled up to Mira with a suspicious smile. ¡¸No thank you!¡¹ Leaving those words behind, Mira escaped to the opposite side of the changing room and after making arge breath to gain determination, put her head through the dress. Feeling ufortable with her wet hair cramped inside the dress, Mira forcibly pulled out her shining silver hair with a hand. And what remained, was a pair of panties. Inside Mira¡¯s head, began the war between no-panties faction and give-up-on-something-important faction. Due to how short the one piece¡¯s skirt was, the give-up-on-something-important faction was on the offense. But the no-panties faction desperately protected the remnants of Danbulf, and his ¡°manliness¡±. However, this war between conflicting factions was put to an end all-too-soon by the hand of a certain person. ¡¸Are you still on that?¡¹ Luminaria said, simultaneously taking the panties from Mira¡¯s hand, squatted down and held them near Mira¡¯s legs. ¡¸Here, lift a leg.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ wait¡­¡¹ ¡¸Come on, do it already.¡¹ Luminaria urged Mira to get on with it already, poking her leg. Mira reluctantly lifted one of her legs and passed it through one side. Far from over, Luminaria pressed on, ¡°Hey, now the other one.¡± A resigned Mira lifted her other leg and finished having panties put on, reliving the experience she had with the bloomers. Even though she felt as if something important was lost, Mira left the changing room as if she reached enlightenment. Having received a message from Solomon to meet at his office through the maid watching over the changing room, both reached out to the office with Luminaria¡¯s lead. As Luminaria knocked on the door, Suleyman opened with ¡¸We had been waiting for you.¡¹ He then left the office after letting them in and silently closed the door. ¡¸Excuse me for the trouble.¡¹ Languidly tossing the documents he had in hand to a corner of the table, Solomon leaned back on the chair, nced over and gasped. ¡¸You look beautiful.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it really suits her.¡¹ Solomon and Luminaria were all smiles seeing Mira in the dress. Solomon did not specifically order the maid what kind of dress to bring to Mira. He only ordered her to bring an outfit that would fit Mira the best. This maid presented simr cute dresses to her little sister each payday and that¡¯s precisely why Solomon ordered her to do it. ¡¸Hmph, quit it already. Also, are you alright? You look tired.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I am indeed tired, even with Suleyman having helped me this much.¡¹ ¡¸Is he that good?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m horrified just thinking what would have happened if he wasn¡¯t here.¡¹ With a small chit chat, Mira, as if she was drawn to it, turned to the sofa and dropped her whole weight on it. ¡¸Alright, about the things we¡¯re going to do now.¡¹ With that preface Solomon took a single sheet of paper from the table. It listed the amount of Refined Gem and Magic Sealing Stones needed for the following experiments with the ord Cannon. ¡¸The experiments with the ord Cannon require 30 Refined gems and 35 lighting-attribute Magic Sealing Stones. I also want you to make me, water, earth, ice, wind, and light Magic Sealing Stones, 5 of each. Can you do it please? All the materials are ready.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. It¡¯s quite a lot. What rank of the Magic Sealing Stones do you need¡¹ ¡¸As high as possible but with the materials we have so far, third grade would probably be the limit.¡¹ The rank of Magic Sealing Stones corresponded to the amount of power contained inside. Grade 1 was the highest grade and Grade 7 was the lowest. Furthermore, due to the limits and rarity of the materials, Grade 1 Magic Sealing Stones were quite scarce. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m fine with it. However, it might be faster to just get them from the Tower. As for the Refined Gems, there should be more than you can possibly use in the storeroom as well as a reasonable amount of Magic Sealing Stones.¡¹ ¡¸Well damn. Just as expected of you. If you hade earlier, the research would have progressed much further. It could even be alreadypleted by this time.¡¹ ¡¸If you needed it, you could just ask Mariana. I left the storeroom management to her so she can enter without me being around.¡¹ There was a storeroom in the private rooms of the Tower and to enter, one needed to pass the private room. Only the Elder of the tower and their aide can enter. Basically, even without Danbulf, they could have asked Mariana to bring something from within. That¡¯s what Mira meant. ¡¸Erm¡­ about that. One time I tried to ask if there were any Refined Gems or Magic Sealing Stones in the storeroom and in the case there were some, if I could get some.¡¹ ¡¸So you already did it. What, did you already run out of them?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, well you see¡­ she had no intention of listening to me at all. It belongs to Danbulf and she will not give anything away, even to me. Master Danbulf will definitelye back and my mission is to keep everything in the Tower as it is until that day so he won¡¯t be inconvenienced once he returns. ¡­She cried when she said that. I could not force her with an order.¡¹ ¡¸As he said, I was with him that time, but seeing that stubbornness it felt like she intended to protect it with her life.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s why¡­¡¹ Mira once again thought about Mariana, who waited for her return for such a long time. (I should at least tell her about it.) A sorrowful looking girl with sapphire-like hair casting her eyes down came to mind. Most likely the only who could make her raise those eyes was Mira herself. Leaving a girl crying like that, was far from Mira¡¯s image of an ideal man. When she realized that, Mira decided this was more important than a brief moment of shame. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s how it is. The amount I specified earlier should be enough for now. All materials are in the refining room, I will guide you thereter.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. Then I will make it all before I sleep.¡¹ ¡¸If our refiners were to hear those words, they¡¯d pass out.¡¹ Luminaria who was sitting on top of the desk supported her body with her both hands and twisted her upper body to the side and said that with a really blissful smile. Refiners in this castle were working tirelessly around the clock and Mira¡¯s demonstration of refining speed would definitely make them pass out without any hope for recovery. ¡¸¡­I will send an order to bring the materials and a Refining Board to your bedroom instead.¡¹ With that scene in mind, Solomon said he¡¯d prefer her to quietly refine alone. Answering with ¡¸I don¡¯t mind,¡±¡¹Mira took the Appure from her inventory and had a sip. ¡¸But you know, if you need it so much, then wouldn¡¯t it be better if you turned self-sufficient?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that would be for the best, but it seems like they are having hard time improving their technique, and the production can barely keep up. Do you have some good method maybe?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it depends on their efforts. Do you have paper and a pen?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, err. Here.¡¹ Solomon got a fountain pen from the table and some parchment from a shelf before giving them to Mira. ¡¸Wait a minute.¡¹ After taking them, using the nearby table as support, Mira drew figures and symbols on the parchment. ¡¸Well, something like that. Show it to those refinerster please.¡¹ ¡¸H-mm. What¡¯s this, I can¡¯t understand it at all.¡¹ Snatching the parchment from Mira, Luminaria made a wry face after ying a staring contest with the figures and symbols drawn there. Then she quickly raised a white g and pushed the parchment onto Solomon. ¡¸This is¡­ hmm. I do understand it is rted to refining, but that¡¯s all. I just need to show it to them, right? Alright.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I leave it to you.¡¹ The figures and symbols Mira drew on the parchment were the schematics of a new Refining Board she invented and designed a while ago. She scribbled it quickly, especially mentioning abbreviated fine details on the margins. Unbeknownst to Mira, her notes would have made an enormous effect on magic engineering but that¡¯s a story for another time. ¡¸Having that out of the way, let¡¯s talk about tomorrow. Arrangements for the carriage are already done, you can depart for the underground cemetery at any time.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a bit too fast? I¡¯d love to do it slightly slower and rest up more.¡¹ ¡¸Do you? Fine, you can freely stay here if you wish. I specifically made early arrangements for your sake.¡¹ ¡¸For my sake?¡¹ Mira threw a dubious nce at Solomon. She couldn¡¯t think up any reason for an early departure. ¡¸Yeah. If you stay here any longer, my maids will be delighted. I don¡¯t think you will be so d though.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that? What are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸I heard from the chief maid that after seeing your robe, they were very excited and inspired. It looks like all the maids are now making an outfit for you.¡¹ ¡¸I leave at dawn tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Haha. I got it. Then I will tell them.¡¹ There was no way that any outfit inspired by a strange magical girl-style costume would be decent. Mira promptly decided to run away. ¡¸They have weird hobbies¡­¡¹ After letting out an astounded remark, Mira made a small yawn. ¡¸Oh, is it bedtime already?¡¹ Fiercely staring at the teasing Luminaria, Mira¡¯s eyelids actually started dropping due to sleepiness. ¡¸A lot of things happened today.¡¹ Drinking thest bit of Appure, Mira yawned again and widely stretched. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s leave it here for now. It was fun to talk again after a long time.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I managed to get plenty of information so it was worth the triping here.¡¹ ¡¸Since Luminaria and I still have something else to discuss, the maid stationed outside of the door will show you to the bedroom.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, I got it.¡¹ Mira left the empty bottle on the sofa, stood up and walked to the door. ¡¸Good night then.¡¹ ¡¸If you¡¯re to get up early, I rmend you keep it moderate when ying with yourself and get proper sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Do not mix me up with you. Good night.¡¹ Under the gazes of a slightly smiling Solomon and the grinning as usual Luminaria, Mira left with a farewell. Chapter 20: The Elite Maids Chapter 20: The Elite Maids As the sun ascended, the castle began bustling with life all around. Mira also woke up, having slept in her underwear as a result of ignoring a rabbit¡¯s sleepwear that was prepared along with a note. On the previous night, shortly after she was guided to the bedroom by one of the maids, the Refining Board was delivered along with an assortment of various refining materials. As she had promised, Mira made all the Refined Gems and Magic Sealing Stones that Solomon asked her for. It just took her a little over 20 minutes for all of them, being that a feat that would very likely be enough to make the royal refiners pass out if they ever knew about it. Still drowsy, Mira went to the toilet and copsed on top of the bed as she returned. At that moment, the forgotten rabbit pajamas shifted around and covered her hand. ¡¸What¡¯s that¡­?¡¹ Shaking away the foreign substance on her hand, Mira recognized some bouncing rabbit ears reflected in her slightly opened eyes and jumped off the bed. A sheet of paper that fell at her feet caught her attention. When reading the words ¡ºWe prepared the nightwear for you. Please don¡¯t hesitate to wear it. From all the maids¡» Mira was ovee with unfathomable fear. Solomon¡¯s words on the day before resounded in her mind, all about the maids totally focused on their new duty of making her outfits to wear to the point of being exceedingly fast at it. This was just the beginning. With great haste, Mira opened the menu to check the time. It disyed 8:45 AM. It was already toote for the departure. Having been unaware of her fatigue from the carriage trip, she got careless and rxed too much in this high-ss bed. Nothing but warning bells resonated inside Mira¡¯s rmed mind as it started to turn its gears rapidly thinking for the next step to take. A subtle and silent knock on the door forcibly stopped the process. ¡¸Good morning, Miss Mira. I brought your attire.¡¹ A rather eager female voice called her through the door, bing just like a death sentence for Mira. (She certainly brought it!) As fast as she possibly could, Mira looked around the room for any options or alternatives, but s, there was nothing to wear other than the rabbit pajama and her cute dress. She was desperately looking for any solution but her time quickly ended. ¡¸There is no answer. Is she still sleeping? The breakfast will get cold so I muste to wake her up and bring her the attire now. Yes, I must.¡¹ After a short monologue in a monotone voice, the bedroom door was finally opened. The first thing catching the maid¡¯s attention was Mira¡¯s small and round bottom. In a split second of panic, Mira for some reason thought about thrusting her head into the bed. That was all. She was like an ostrich sticking her head under the covers and leaving her body exposed. ¡¸M-i-s-s M-i-r-a. Good morning.¡¹ The maid trotted towards Mira and gently rolled up the high-quality down nket, renewing her greeting to a wryly smiling Mira with a grin. ¡¸Y¡­yea. Morning.¡¹ ¡¸I am the maid appointed to take care of you from now on. My name is Lily. I am looking forward to working with you.¡¹ ¡¸A.. ah, is that so.¡¹ A real-looking magical girl costume that Lily held in her hands made Mira, who was ashamed of her own ridiculous actions, grab her head in anguish. The attire brought by the maid was based on mixing white and ck colours with a degree of moderation in how much clothing it used, giving it all a feeling of a gothic lolita dress. Complementing the concept base, it had a short ck red skirt, a sleeveless white one-piece, and a coat resembling a robe opened on the front. Completely bypassing her will, Mira was dressed as such in a very lovely outfit, having the number of drills and ribbons further increased.The only wish she was granted was the use of in panties instead of frilly ones that¡¯d have finished the whole style. Her request of trunks was shot down instantly Following on, the maid brought Mira to the only area in the whole castle where men were forbidden to enter; the maid¡¯s section where countless maids had been waiting for Mira, surrounding her. ¡¸Here, Miss Mira. Lift your arms please.¡¹ Holding onto a measuring tape, Lily started giving orders to Mira whose eyes lost their light as she blindly started following the maid¡¯s orders like a marite. First thing they measured was her bust as while it¡¯s alright for panties to be slightly loose, a wrongly sized bra could cause many problems. With that reasoning brought up by Lily, Mira could only resign to her fate muttering ¡¸Do whatever you want¡¹ and stood still as she was told. Even though this issue hadn¡¯t hit Mira yet as she didn¡¯t have any sort of intense activity yet, she did feel the rubbing of her previous clothes several times. When Lily and the rest of the maids in a slightly intimidating way told her that if she were to leave it be, it could be very painful and as such, Mira gave up on resisting. ¡¸Such a beautiful shape, I¡¯m jealous¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡¹ Right after finishing the simpler measurements, Lily walked behind Mira and gently wrapped her twin bulges with her hands for a more urate measure. (How long will this torturest¡­) Ignoring the will of an absent-minded Mira, Lily gave some quick instructions after grasping the details of her breast size and the maids quickly followed up bringing a perfect fit bra. ¡¸How does it feel, Miss Mira? Does it hurt? Do you feel tight anywhere?¡¹ ¡¸No. I just can¡¯t calm down with it.¡¹ ¡¸Then it should be fine. Everybody feels like that for the first time.¡¹ As the maids finished, Mira was feeling a slight pressure on her chest and sighed at her looks. The maids took full responsibility in taking care of a very important guest who was unconcerned about the ways of fashion. Despite their obvious enjoyment, there was nothing to say against their professional and skillful coordinated work. As the maids finished measuring all of Mira¡¯s sizes, not just her bust, they started getting worked up about what would be an even more perfect outfit than the one they had made with eye-measurements. Mira at this moment was still clueless about the main event that was waiting for her on the next visit. With the maids seeing her off, Lily brought Mira to the dining room for breakfast. Abination of bread and soup, sd, fruit juice, and other simrly light and well-bnced food managed to bring Mira back to her senses. A magical girl was happily sipping fruit juice in a corner of the dining room while an auntie from the dining room delightfully watched over her; such a scene made Lily break out a smile. The outfit suited her better than expected and it naturally gathered attention. When Mira finished drinking the fruit juice, she finally lifted her face and noticed all the eyes focused on her. (What is.¡­ Is this the ¡®being stared at¡¯ feeling?) Mira tried to show her wariness to the people around looking at her but s, her flustered appearance and her restlessly looking around only stirred the women¡¯s desire to protect that innocent and pure creature. That behaviour kept reminding Lily of a cute and small animal, making her squirm in delight. Meanwhile the men, only used to the resilient-looking castle maids, werepletely entranced by her, pondering if girls could really be creatures as cute as Mira was. In any case, not used to this much attention, it was being obtrusive to Mira and her self-consciousplex kept making her think they wereughing at her strange looks. As they were leaving the dining room, Lily pacified Mira while leading her to the office, although the words precisely used due to her cute appearance only dealt the finishing blow to her psyche. ¡¸King Solomon, I brought Miss Mira here.¡¹ Knocking on the door, Lily presented Mira. ¡¸Alright,e in.¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ Receiving Solomon¡¯s permission, Lily quietly opened the door, bowing and allowing Mira in, then slowly closed the door, staying outside on duty. ¡¸Hey, g¡¯morning.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, morning.¡¹ Returning the greeting, Mira threw herself on the sofa, lookingpletely drained of energy. As he took a look at her outfit, Solomon could only repress hisughter by covering his mouth while his shoulders shook uncontrobly, all the while receiving Mira¡¯s intense re. ¡¸Have you slept well?¡¹ ¡¸Yea, I slept so well I couldn¡¯t escape from the maids.¡¹ ¡¸You do look very pretty though. Just as expected from my royal maids.¡¹ ¡¸Even though I¡¯d have been fine with a normal robe¡­¡¹ Mira fluttered the edge of the skirt while sulking. Indeed, it was hard to believe such a masterpiece was made in a single night. ¡¸Speaking ofst night, it seems you did what I asked you.¡¹ ¡¸Yea. Ah, about that, I left it behind in the room.¡¹ ¡¸A maid delivered everything after you left the room. Now we can continue our valuable experiments for a while. Thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t thank me for such little things.¡¹ Mira blushed, looking away from Solomon as she answered. She was indeed excited at making them. ¡¸Ah, that reminds me, I should give it to you while I haven¡¯t forgotten about it.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. What is it?¡¹ With those words, Solomon threw a pouch towards her. Mira caught it and something was jingling inside. ¡¸It¡¯s money, money. Do you remember Graia, the officer of the Magic Knights Order? I heard from him that you helped suppress some monsters. It¡¯s the reward for that.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that so? But I already have more than enough money that I can go without worrying about it.¡¹ ¡¸Really? Do you have it stored somewhere in the warehouse of the Tower or what?¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? I have it with me here¡­¡¹ As she was speaking, Mira paused for a moment to try and retrieve some money. She tried to take out 100 Rils but nothing came out. Incidentally, Ril was the unit of currency in this world. ¡¸Ah, have you noticed? Now take a guess why that happened.¡¹ Solomon showed her a mischievous smile. Mira shivered at the thought. As she hurriedly tried to check her bnce in the menu, the number that¡¯d indicate so vanished without trace. ¡¸Where did all my money go?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the same as the floating continent, probably swallowed by the waves of the digital world. A majority of yers believe that money, unlike items, wasn¡¯t actually in the inventory, so it was categorized as somethingpletely different. As it was managed by the game system but it ceased when this stopped being a game, it took with it everything inherently tied with it. That¡¯s the most usible and believable reason.¡¹ ¡¸What.¡­My 200 million¡­¡¹ ¡¸You stashed quite a lot on yourself huh¡­ Well, I was the same at that time¡­¡¹ Once again since the case of the floating continent, Mira and Solomon could only stare at the sky in silence with their hearts hollowed out. ¡¸In short, you can¡¯t use any money that isn¡¯t physically on your hands so here is 100,000 Rils for the time being as a reward. Use it sparingly. You¡¯re good at that, right?¡¹ There were several different coins in the pouch. One gold coin, 3 mithril coins, 3 silver coins, 4 cobalt coins, and 10 copper ones. A gold coin was equal to 50,000 Rils, mithril to 10,000, silver to 5,000, cobalt to 1,000, and copper to 100 Rils. £¡100,000¡­ Just a mere 100,000¡­¡¹ ¡¸Just leave it be, it will be easy for you to earn money quickly. I already got over it and managed to¡­¡¹ Because the game system didn¡¯t allow the theft of money, while the death penalty only applied to inventory items, there was absolutely no reason to store any money in the storeroom, and as such, that habit backfired when the game turned reality. ¡¸Speaking of that, I remembered something now. Have you tried to use the item box since you came here?¡¹ Solomon recalled the changes he faced 30 years ago that he already started to forget. ¡¸Several times. Is there anything wrong with it?¡¹ ¡¸Looks like you haven¡¯t noticed it yet.¡¹ Leaving those words in the air, Solomon took a fountain pen from the table and threw it to Mira. She caught it and held it before her eyes. It looked like a normal fountain pen, just more finely-crafted and more expensive-looking as it was used by the king. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Try to put it in the item box.¡¹ While pondering about the reason he said that, Mira tried to put the fountain pen into her inventory as she did with many other of her items, but the pen simply fell onto the floor. ¡¸What does this mean?¡¹ Staring at the pen rolling on the floor, Mira nced at the inventory. It definitely wasn¡¯t full and there was no visible problem with it. Not understanding the situation, she turned her gaze to Solomon. ¡¸I already told you that money was managed by the game system, right? Apparently, inventory items were also managed by this system.¡¹ Picking up the pen, Solomon opened his own inventory. ¡¸By the game era ssification, fountain and quill pens were misc items, swords and armour were equipment, gems and metal ingots were materials.¡¹ ¡¸A long time ago, yers made a research facility to rify thews governing this world and they have done a lot of experiments since that time. As they concluded, the items themselves were automatically ssified and sorted by the game system and as the item box suggests with its name, it can¡¯t contain anything not ssified as an item.¡¹ As he was speaking, Solomon took a book from the shelves and held it towards Mira to show her. ¡¸Now, as the game system does not work anymore, this fountain pen is not a misc item and this book is not a written item. This means you can¡¯t put them in the item box. On the other hand, all the stuff that is already in the item box already possesses a ssification so there is no issue there.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s rather annoying. Do you mean I can¡¯t travel empty-handed anymore?¡¹ This revtion could only bring Mira to tears as she was going to be looking for problematic children and all the goods required for the journey would certainly grow to be unwieldy. ¡¸However, half a year after the item box became useless, we found a ground-breaking method.¡¹ ¡¸Eh? And what is that method?¡¹ ¡¸In short, you just need to do the work of the game system manually. The research team found the ¡¾Concept Magic: Itemization¡¿. By using that skill, you can ssify the item¡¯s category, thus allowing it to be put into the item box.¡¹ ¡¸You mean to say with that skill I can use the item box just like before?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, just like it was. It¡¯s really simple so I¡¯ll be teaching it to you now.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, please.¡¹ 30 minutester, Mira smoothly learned the Itemization skill. Using it on the fountain pen, she confirmed she can now ce it into the item box and nodded in satisfaction. Concept Magic was a category for all the skills that didn¡¯t belong to any specific ss. There¡¯s a lot of convenient skills like the Itemization skill in it and anyone could use them as long as they have mana. The magic to illuminate a room was also part of the Concept Magic, but Mira just used Creos instead for convenience¡¯s sake. After some more testing of the new skill, Mira returned to the sofa for a rest. ¡¸Well, about the underground cemetery then. Unlike before, all the dungeons are now managed by the United Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡¹ Solomon moved the discussion towards the mission he entrusted to Mira. ¡¸United Adventurer¡¯s Guild? What¡¯s that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an organization that was created shortly after the game turned reality to prevent the deaths of ordinary people and novices without enough strength trying to go into dungeons.¡¹ ¡¸Oh¡­ stuff like that? And the real goal is to keep all the treasures in the dungeons for themselves, right?¡¹ ¡¸There was a little incident once. ¡­A child died.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. That exins it¡­¡¹ Mira somehow understood it. Dungeons were fields that spread towards the inside or the underground instead of the open air. With treasures lying inside, these ces were full with various monsters and wild animals that were stronger than its regr counterpart on the outside, making them very dangerous. Despite the danger the dungeons and monsters inside them posed, the promise of treasure was so attractive it lured people in who then just fell prey to the darkness and never came back out alive. In the game era, nobody cared about it at all, but now that it had be a reality, incidents like that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. A child was trying to obtain a special material required for a medicine that his ill mother needed thus he entered the dungeon on his own. By the time the next morning came and he was still nowhere to be seen, a group of adults delved in the dungeon to look for him. The only thing they were able to find was scattered parts of the half-eaten body of a young boy holding a flower in his hand. As the mother heard of his fate, she passed away shortly after. This world had definitely be a reality. What were once NPCs, the original inhabitants of the game world, are now real people with human hearts and all apanying feelings with them, including about death. When a yer knew about what happened, he proposed and created this organization that¡¯d manage the dungeons and prevent the same thing happening again. That¡¯s how the ¡¸United Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¹ came to be. As one required a permit to enter dungeons from then on and the requests for ingredients from within piled up too much, the Guild started assigning those requests to skilled people. While gradually bingrger and helping to suppress monsters that became a national problem, it got the right to ce various offices in each country. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s what we have to deal with now. Of course, you will be in the Spellcaster Union. Here is a rmendation letter.¡¹ Solomon walked up to Mira with an envelope in his hands and gave it to her, smiling. ¡¸So, I can enter with this?¡¹ epting the rmendation letter, Mira briefly looked at the envelope and quickly itemized it to store it into the item box. The rmendation letter was ssified as a written item. ¡¸No, it¡¯s just a rmendation. Only adventurers that belong to the guild can enter dungeons and there is a ranking based on the difficulty of the dungeon. The underground cemetery is rated as C or higher. There are a lot of different requests at the guild now andpleting them proves your strength for the next rank promotion. That¡¯s such a simple model of how the guild works that it now seemed strange how there was no simr system back in the game era.¡¹ ¡¸It does make sense raising the rank to ept more difficult missions. Those games were fun too.¡¹ Mira became livelier after discovering something that was that close to a game-like system. ¡¸This rmendation letter proves your identity and strength. Newly registered adventurers are originally starting at rank G but this should be enough for a direct promotion to rank C. However, that¡¯s as far as I can get you to even with my standing as a king.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. Well, it should be enough. I only need to register with it, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Additionally, there are two windows in the guild, one for the warrior¡¯s union and the other for the spellcaster¡¯s one. As the names suggest, it¡¯s divided by sses they are working with.¡¹ ¡¸There should be a guild branch office in this city too, right? I will go register right now.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, there is one. Actually, the guild has offices in most of the cities. There is one in a city close to the underground cemetery where I¡¯m going to send you with the carriage too. Are you sure about that? It takes almost a day to issue the adventurer¡¯s ID.¡¹ His smile implied something and Mira felt a tick of anxiety from it. ¡¸Ah, only a day? Then I¡¯ll be staying here for another¡­¡¹ Before even finishing her sentence, Mira suddenly recalled the nightmare that happened this morning. If she were to give them another full day to their own devices, who could imagine what masterpiece the maids woulde up with. Now understanding what Solomon meant, Mira started nning what to do now. She could spend a night at an inn but the probability of being caught as she went back to the castle to take the carriage would be high. Even if the carriage waited outside the city, a maid could be waiting with it so it¡¯s not an option either. After much thought and concern about it, Mira came to the conclusion that postponing the journey a single day would prove to be fatal in any situation, thus she decided it was best to leave immediately. ¡¸Please prepare the carriage right now.¡¹ ¡¸Ha ha ha. All arrangements are already done. You can leave at any time.¡¹ Mira eagerly stood up and left the office with Solomon. Along with Lily, they arrived at a stable inside the castle. There were two horses and a carriage that was a sizerger than the previous one. Waiting next to it was a stableman, a maid holding arge basket and a bag, and Garret who served as the coachman the previous time. ¡¸Oh, Garret? What, are you serving as my coachman again?¡¹ ¡¸Good morning. Yes, if you don¡¯t mind, let me serve you again.¡¹ Momentarily charmed by Mira¡¯s even further polished appearance, Garret bowed to hide his smile. ¡¸Well, fine. I¡¯m feeling at ease with you too so I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ Mira returned a smile with those words. Garret blushed and happily answered ¡¸I look forward to working with you.¡¹ ¡¸Then, take care.¡¹ ¡¸Yea.¡¹ Exchanging a short goodbye with Solomon and after a tight embrace with Lily, Mira entered the carriage. As she got in, another maid brought a basket and a bag, leaving them inside. ¡¸Take care of yourself and have a good day, Miss Mira. There is a meal inside the basket and spare clothes inside the bag.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­ yea. Well, thanks.¡¹ The maid got off the carriage after bowing to Mira. Without thinking nor wanting to think about the contents of the bag, she stared at it following up with yet another sigh. Chapter 21: United Adventurer’s Guild Chapter 21: United Adventurer¡¯s Guild It had been three days since they departed from the capital of the Arkite Kingdom, Lunatic Lake. Mira smacked her lips at the local cuisine she tasted on the way in a mountain vige and by this point, she finally started getting used to carriage travel. By now, the carriage went through the gates of the Requiem City of Caranach located next to the rank C dungeon, ¡ºAncient Temple Nevrapolis¡» and entered the main street. ¡¸Have we reached there yet?¡¹ Popping her head out the carriage¡¯s window, Mira took a nce around the lively street. As it was a little past noon, people were taking a pause from their workces and massed into restaurants for lunch. ¡¸Yes, thanks for your patience. I will be apanying you to the inn.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, I¡¯m relying on you.¡¹ Amidst the noise of hooves, Mira returned to the carriage and sat down. At a nce, the carriage looked like amon and modest wooden carriage, but with resin wheels which dampened the vibrations and a spring incorporated into the axis for increasedfort. This kind of quality also applied to the interior arrangements. The seats werefortably soft, so much that it was possible to have a good sleep despite the carriage being on the move and the table ced inside had small cavities to increase stability in a situation of emergency braking. All in all, it made up the appearance of a typical carriage without cutting on function andmodity, the incognito carriage ordered by Solomon. While taking in the remainder of the scenery, they reached the premises of arge 3-story building, entering its wooden stable. Guiding the carriage towards the designated spot covered from the sun, Garret parked and was approached by the inn¡¯s stable administrator. ¡¸Wee. Will you be staying here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we will.¡¹ ¡¸Very well. I will contact youter about the management of the carriage and horses.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ The administrator gave a ticket to Garret and stepped back with a salute. ¡¸Miss Mira, we have arrived. Let us check in first.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ Calling her from the perch, Garret jumped off the carriage and opened the door. ¡¸Pardon me.¡¹ He moved fast enough that, as he opened the door of the carriage, Mira was still stretching on the seat. Mira lightly hopped off the carriage and followed behind Garret as they both walked towards the reception desk. The inn¡¯s name, ¡®Summer Lantern¡¯, was engraved on arge marble next to the entrance when Garret opened the door and entered inside with Mira. The interior was closer to a hotel rather than an inn. While maintaining their professionalism, the busy uniformed workers hurriedly but calmly walked back and forth behind the front desk. On the other side, sitting next to a window, myriads of adventurers in various splendorous robes and armors spent time together at where it seemed to be a resting area. Thebination of a western hotel interior with the Middle Ages fantasy concept provided an indescribable atmosphere to the ce. There was a garden in view outside the window with neatly arranged trees and a flower garden along with kids running around. ¡¸This is quite a luxury.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a Caranach inn after all.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t it expensive though? I don¡¯t have that much money.¡¹ Along with that answer, Mira held her hand over the waist pouch the maid gave her. This pouch, which also matched her ck outfit, contains the reward money she obtained before. ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t worry about that, King Solomon is covering for all the expenses of this journey.¡¹ Garret answered, adding a sly smile. ¡¸I also wanted to stay here at least once,¡¹ he merrily murmured. ¡¸Good grief, were you such a person?¡¹ Lured by him, Mira couldn¡¯t help but return a smile. Having no particr goal in mind as Garret was busy checking them in, Mira spent her time ncing over the various furniture and paintings near the entrance. She wasn¡¯t aware, though, of how she became an object of attention and admiration of the adventurers staying in the inn. In spite of that, as it would be expected of a high-ss inn, their customers were easily able to conceal the direction of their interest. After having the formalities properlypleted, Garret and Mira were led by an employee towards the designated room they were assigned to. The room they received belonged to the average ss for the inn but inparison to the ones they had frequented before, it was more than sufficient for what would be seen on a high-ss inn. It¡¯d have been unfair to darepare the room to the apartments of the Towers. ¡¸Alright then Miss Mira, I have an assignment to finish so let us meetter at dinner.¡¹ ¡¸Ok.¡¹ ¡¸To reach the Spellcaster¡¯s Union, go out of the inn and turn left, proceed straight ahead and you¡¯ll find it soon enough.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸And if a stranger approaches you, you mustn¡¯t go with him¡¹ ¡¸Umm¡­s-sure..¡¹ ¡¸In case you get lost, you need only ask the people wearing a white and blue armor regarding the best inn in the city to be given the directions on how to get back here.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯ll be fine so go away already.¡¹ The more Garret continued, the more his words became closer to instructions that¡¯d be given to a child. As such, Mira promptly interrupted and urged him with a poke to go already. Garret couldn¡¯t help but worry about her, but as he already heard about Mira¡¯s strength, he reluctantly went to his room. Unlike Mira, Garret was staying in a regr room on the bottom floor. While Mira was happy he worried that much about her, she wanted him to address his way of treating her like a child. Left on top of a table in her room, Mira found a memo listing the various tips and services of the inn such as ¡®leave the key at the front desk when you go out¡¯, ¡®call service with the bell next to the entrance¡¯, and the times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Briefly reading the note, Mira left the room and after leaving the keys at the reception desk, departed towards the Spellcaster¡¯s Union. ¡¸I believe he said to turn left.¡¹ Turning left as she left the inn, Mira walked forth. Along the way, she still found many people roaming on the main street. However, it wasn¡¯t as many as before as the traffic had died down since she came. Despite that, it was still bustling enough with people going back and forth to various ces, so Mira chose to stay by the edge of the street to avoid drawing attention. ¡¸Hmm, is it here?¡¹ Just like Garret told her, going straight forward for a bit she found two simrly-lookingrge stone buildings before her. With their signboards on the doors, the left one indicated it was the Warrior¡¯s Union while the right one was the Spellcaster¡¯s. As Mira was about to reach for the door after checking the signboards, a troubled voice came from the neighboring building. ¡¸I beg you! I heard everybody here is strong. Please!¡¹ The door of the Warrior¡¯s Union opened and a boy about 10 years old jumped out as if he was being thrown away. A muscr man d in some kind of metal armor walked out after him, sporting a troubled expression on his face. It seems he¡¯s the one who took the boy out of the building. ¡¸We¡¯d be d to hear you out but right now the highest-ranked adventurer among us is D. We can¡¯t grant your wish,d.¡¹ Just for a moment, Mira thought that the boy was being bullied, but it proved to only be an adult troubled about how to deal with a selfish boy. Other people kepting outside to calm the desperate boy. Currently having no business whatsoever with the Warrior¡¯s Union, Mira opened the door of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union. The interior of the Union was well-organized with reception desks lined up into a single row, while arge bulletin board and chairs were ced in front of them. Momentarily overwhelmed with the scenery which at a first nce could be mistaken for a government office, Mira looked around. The majority of people here were magicians and even then, while that majority wore robes, some unbelievable figures also appeared around them. ¡¸Is it¡­normal?¡¹ Mira¡¯s attention became focused on what the girls that seemed to be about 15 to 18 years old around the room were wearing. However and wherever you looked, they were magical girls. When Mira first wore the robe designed for a magical girl and again with her current Gothic magical girl dress, she was genuinely concerned about mocking nces directed at her as she thought nobody would be wearing such attire. However, she has now found there were several more girls wearing simrly styled clothing. Just from the fact she wasn¡¯t alone in wearing these clothes tugged strongly at her heart, along with immeasurable relief at the proof of not being the only one with such unique clothes. Sporting an expression as if she was freed from a weight on her shoulders, Mira walked towards what seemed to be the reception desk, there was only one amongst all the othersbeled with ¡®Registration of New Adventurers¡¯. Reconfirming the resemnce with government offices because of how the reception desks were designed in dealing with different tasks, Mira quickly found her way towards the one dealing with her case and started a conversation. ¡¸Do you have some time now? I would like to apply to the union.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I do. Are you here for new registration, miss?¡¹ ¡¸Yea, that¡¯s right.¡¹ The woman attending Mira showed her a smile on a beautiful face along with long blond hair tied in a ponytail with a ribbon. A namete hanging from her neck read ¡®Eureka¡¯. Startled for a moment at her smile, Mira nodded while regaining her calmness. ¡¸Then fill this form, please.¡¹ After a careful examination, Mira remembered the rmendation letter she was given and put it on top of the form. ¡¸I have a rmendation letter with me.¡¹ ¡¸Rmendation, you say? Allow me to take a look.¡¹ Holding the rmendation letter in her hands, Eureka halted as soon as she turned it around and read who was the backer. Registering with a rmendation letter wasn¡¯t thatmon but it wasn¡¯t that rare either. Eureka herself already received several rmendation letters from nobles registering their private guards in the union to obtain valuable items in dungeons or from high-rank adventurers who rmended neers with good potential. This letter, however, was clearly different. She judged that the girl before her was a magician due to her appearance and for these magicians, looking like a weak or short girl mattered nothing as in most cases, magical power couldn¡¯t be measured by the physical appearance. With those thoughts in mind, she considered it could be a rmendation from any high-rank adventurer or even from a noble family aiming to register their daughter. Her assumption was thetter by how Mira was dressed in such a cute way and wished to know the noble family she came from. Her shock came from the name of the referee being neither of those possibilities. The referee turned out to be Solomon. The king of the Arkite Kingdom, King Solomon himself. ¡¸I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, wait here for a moment!¡¹ With her smile vanishing from her face, Eureka dashed into the depths of the building. She never heard about any rmendation letters directly from the king, let alone seeing one. With how much significance this letter had, she saw herself unable to judge it and decided to ask for instructions from the union chief. Left behind without understanding what was happening, Mira took a pen from the desk and started on filling in the required fields on the form. ¡¸I apologize for making you wait.¡¹ Havingpleted filling the form and looking around the room, she looked towards where she was being called from. As she turned around, she was met with Eureka¡¯s usual and calm smile. ¡¸I filled it, is that enough?¡¹ Eureka took the papers, checked for any skipped fields and nodded. ¡¸Yes, there are no issues here. However, about the rmendation letter, miss, can I ask you to proceed towards the union chief¡¯s room?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Mira epted, thinking that a sudden promotion to Rank C requires a verification by the union chief himself. After letting another employee take charge of the reception, Eureka led Mira upstairs to the third floor towards the chief¡¯s room. At her knock, a quiet elderly voice answered ¡®Come in.¡¯ ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ Eureka opened the door and entered with Mira behind her. As it would be expected from the chief¡¯s room, it was arranged with fine taste, adorned with soft furnishings without being extravagant,plementing the coloring of the room. Arge bookcase stood behind the desk, containing arge variety of books, showing off the thirst for knowledge that the owner of the room, the union chief, had. ¡¸My apologies for all the trouble to get here. I am Leoneil, the chief of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union.¡¹ Introducing himself as such, the union chief, Leoneil, stood up and bowed to Mira. His aged wrinkles around his face ented his mature andposed aura. Moving towards the desk for receiving guests, Leoneil sat down while also suggesting Mira to sit. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ With a short answer and a pause, Mira introduced herself and sat down where she was indicated. An office clerk brought in tea and sweets in a timely manner from a side room of the office, bowing after presenting them on the table and returned to the same room he came from. ¡¸Mira is it?¡¹ Strongly observing the girl in front of him, Leoneil epted from Eureka the form Mira filled after asking for them. Looking down at the papers; Mira¡¯s name, ss, and country fields were all filled. ¡¸Are you perhaps the rumored pupil of Danbulf?¡¹ He had asked as if he knew it already. As the chief of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union, Leoneil gathered information about the general state of the country and any news that¡¯d spread around the kingdom. He was so focused on information gathering that he even had a department solely created for that objective. Between all the various pieces of information he gathered, it included the rumor of the sudden appearance of Danbulf¡¯s pupil along with the description of how the beautiful silver-haired girl looked like. With that knowledge, reaching the conclusion that the summoner girl who named herself Mira was, in fact, Danbulf¡¯s pupil was a simple matter. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t expect the rumor to reach this far.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I can now understand why King Solomon gave you a rmendation letter.¡¹ Despite still being surprised by that fact, Leoneil quickly epted it. He put the paper on the table and ced a seal on it. He thought of arranging a test to adequately assess if she was strong enough for Rank C but deemed it unnecessary due to the king¡¯s rmendation and being the pupil of a famous hero. On the other hand, the receptionist Eureka couldn¡¯t follow the flow of the conversation and forget about keeping her professional smile, she was only able to dumbfoundedly stare at Mira. ¡¸Wait, wait, excuse me for a moment! That ¡®Danbulf¡¯ you said is about THE Danbulf, right?¡¹ Despite being aware that it¡¯s rude to interrupt them, she was unable to stay still without confirming what she thought. ¡¸Yes, the hero Dunbalf. The pioneer of refining techniques and the country¡¯s hero since founding times. The one who was called Danbulf the Army.¡¹ Leoneil spoke as if it was obvious who they were talking about. Mentioning the name of a war hero and a Wiseman of the towers who has been missing for a whole 30 years with his pupil in the conversation was too strong of a shock for Eureka. It felt unreal and even Leoneil would have taken more time epting all this if he didn¡¯t have the information beforehand. Repeatedly mulling over those words in her mind, Eureka¡¯s smile spread all over her face, far brighter than before. Having the suspicion that if he left her alone, the city would be filled with rumors about this, Leoneil ordered her to keep this confidential and handed over the sealed papers. ¡¸I¡¯ll let you handle the formalities.¡¹ ¡¸Ye, yes! Leave it to me!¡¹ Lively answering with a cheerful voice, Eureka carefully took the papers with both hands and after ast nce to Mira, she left the room to finish the registration procedure. ¡¸We are finished with the registration then. From here on, it¡¯s a personal matter of mine so it¡¯s alright if you want to go now but if you have time for it, would you please keep mepany for a while?¡¹ The verification required for the rmendation letter was done, however, Leoneil had an interest in many other things about Danbulf that Mira should know about as she hasn¡¯t revealed himself or anything about him until now. ¡¸Hm. Well, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ With the status of the chief of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union, he had ample influence. Thus, Mira agreed with the consideration that doing so would improve rtions and in the future lead to various advantages. The two of them sat on the reception seats. With the information she remembered hearing from Mariana and Luminaria, Mira kept the conversation going. She said she doesn¡¯t know if Danbulf¡¯s still in the Town of Phantasmal Beast; she is able to summon a dark knight with strength on par with Danbulf¡¯s one and various other simr things, keeping to answers that wouldn¡¯t cause her any issue. Along with small and timely breaks in between, she took small bites of her cake and sips of the herb tea. Having in full view Mira¡¯s genuinely delightful manners, Leoneil received her nod in eptance when he offered seconds. ¡¸That was a wonderful feast. See youter.¡¹ ¡¸The adventurer ID will be ready by tomorrow, you can get it at the reception desk.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, understood.¡¹ With the guidance of the clerk that brought the second serving of cake from inside the room at the side of the office, Mira left with Leoneil looking at her back. She was undoubtedly hiding something, but he couldn¡¯t feel any ill intent. While she looked like a cute girl filling her mouth with the cake and having some cream stuck on her face, her gestures and choice of words gave an impression far from a child. With the conviction that having lived with Danbulf was enough of an exnation for that, he sunk in his seat, opening the rmendation letter. ¡¸Si~gh. Unlimited ess huh.¡¹ After throwing the rmendation letter on the desk, he faced upwards. On the paper that danced to the corner of the desk, there was a sentence that requested issuing a pass for the forbidden area that was the Primal Forest. Chapter 22: Rank C Chapter 22: Rank C The morning after registering to the Spellcaster¡¯s Union, Mira was going through a challenging endeavor while naked from the waist up. She took off the bra Lily made her wear and didn¡¯t know how to put it back on. After a continuous struggle for several minutes, she realized what she was doing. Disgusted at herself, Mira just gave up on wearing the bra, tossing it onto the bed and wore the dress. ¡®I have another errand today. I will see youter, Miss Mira.¡¯ Garret left after breakfast with those words and a package while Mira, sipping on her Banana Au Lait, started thinking for a while on where she¡¯d be going. The Ancient Temple Nevrapolis dungeon wasmonly called ¡®underground cemetery¡¯. Just as the nickname indicates, all six floors of the dungeon were underground. The dungeon was digging into a mountain and had carved statues on the sides of the path. Overall, it was a magnificent view for a tourist spot if not for the monsters roaming around. On the other hand, the presence of those same monsters was what brought prosperity to the town thanks to the actions of high-ranked adventurers. In order to enter, one had to go through arge hall that could be used for festivals. Generally, monsters wouldn¡¯t spawn there although on some asions, monsters from the lower levels would ascend, including spirits that don¡¯t have a physical body, thus it wasn¡¯t safe to rest there unless people had considerable skills. There was an altar in the middle of this hall, containing the mechanism that would open the way to the first floor of the dungeon. With each deeper floor, monsters grew stronger to even pose enough of a challenge for high-level yers at the 5th level that they couldn¡¯t lower their guard. As she finished recalling the basic details of the dungeon, Mira drank what remained of her Banana Au Lait and headed over the Spellcaster¡¯s Union after a brief rest. On her way, she looked around the streets, checking out both people and buildings. Among the people in regr armor and robes she used to see in the game and the girls wearing magical girl clothing from the day before, there were also other rather shy individuals that¡¯d ordinarily catch your attention. American ninjas, sword-maniac samurais who seemed to hunt for more swords, and sisters covering their faces with a Hannya mask. There was so much happening before her eyes that Mira didn¡¯t know anymore where or what to retort. (Maybe I am normal after all.) With nothing to be scared of in a city where such people were walking around, Mira continued on filled with confidence and swinging her arms in relief, forgetting the fact it was her general appearance gathering more attention than her outfit. Arriving at the union, right after entering Mira ran towards the receptionist she was more familiar with from yesterday, Eureka who was busy with some paperwork. They weren¡¯t as far as acquaintances go yet but it was certainly easier talking with her than any other unknown person. ¡¸Do you have some spare time?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, wait a minute, please.¡¹ Having been called, Eureka moved the papers to the side and lifted her gaze, looking ahead. She was met with the sight of Danbulf¡¯s pupil, Mira. ¡¸Oh! Ah, Mira! Good morning! Erm, are you here to get your Adventurer¡¯s ID?¡¹ Flustered for a moment, she quickly returned to herself and recalled the purpose of Mira¡¯s visit. ¡¸Yeah. Is it done?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we already issued it. Wait a minute please.¡¹ As she said so, Eureka stood up and brought a file from a shelf behind the desk. ¡¸Here it is. Check it please.¡¹ She held a card from the file in front of Mira. Name, ss, and rank were all written down on this card. The name read Mira, with summoner as the ss, and due to the rmendation letter, the rank was set at C right away. With that, all conditions for the underground cemetery were clear. ¡¸It seems fine.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, since you are at Rank C, we are allowed to lend operator bracelets. Do you wish to borrow one?¡¹ Eureka took a silver bracelet from the file and put it on the desk. Needless to say, it was an extremely familiar thing for Mira. ¡¸Nhm, you mean this?¡¹ Mira rolled up her left sleeve as she talked and showed a bracelet on her thin white wrist. For a moment, Eureka fell silent in astonishment but had immediatelye back to herself and affirmed. ¡¸¡­Ahh, you¡­ already had one!?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ Remembering who Mira was, the pupil of a hero, Eureka convinced herself that such an important person already owning a bracelet wasn¡¯t strange. The operator bracelet Eureka pulled out was a replica of the original yer¡¯s operation terminal. Although the functions were limited to the item box and map. The production cost of these replicas was especially high and required a skill not listed in the Encyclopedia, so not many people could afford to have one. Despite that, due to its overwhelming utility, active high-ranked adventurers of Rank C or higher could apply to receive one from the Guild. ¡¸Just as expected from Dunbalf¡¯s pupil. It¡¯s probably better I get used to treating you like so.¡¹ With a tinge of anxiety, Eureka reminded herself to keep in mind at all times this girl was the pupil of a hero. Pulling herself together, she opened the file again and gave a sheet of paper to Mira. ¡¸This here is a summary of how the Union works. Missions are assigned a rank and you are unable to ept missions ranked higher than you. You may participate in group missions even if they are higher than your rank but that¡¯s at your own risk and discretion. Additionally, dungeons are limited by rank. They are managed by the union departments in the closest cities, so feel free to go there when you need a permit to enter them. There are penalties for breaching the entry rules so please be careful. Lastly, subjugation missions require you to deliver the necessary number of soul stones in the request. If for any reason you were unable to deliver that amount, it will be counted as a failure even if you didplete it. Do you have any questions?¡¹ ¡¸A permit is required¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s current goal was a dungeon and judging by the conversation, without a permit there would be a penalty. ¡¸I wish to enter the underground cemetery after this¡­the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, how can I get the permit?¡¹ ¡¸All of a sudden!? ¡­well, the reception desk to the furthest right from the entrance handles the dungeon management so you can get your authorization there.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Slightly twisting her body, Mira looked over at the right side of the reception desks. While there were a lot of people around the central ones, the right side pertaining to the dungeon management was moderately empty. ¡¸Also, the use of union facilities is basically free. Food, drinks, and other consumables are discounted. In the case that you damage the building or furniture, the repair costs will be deducted from your reward so please use them with care.¡¹ Finished with the required exnations, Eureka pulled out a leather case with the same size as the card from her pocket. It was a very cute cardholder, designed in pink color with a wand and ribbons drawn on it. ¡¸It is a present from me. Please use it for your Adventurer¡¯s ID.¡¹ ¡¸Ye¡­ yea. Thanks.¡¹ Overwhelmed by the girly design, Mira couldn¡¯t just refuse Eureka¡¯s proof of goodwill, thus she meekly nodded. Seeing her actions being epted to that point, Eureka, happy as none can be, quickly ced Mira¡¯s ID inside the card case and happily handed it over with a blooming smile. Mira could only just ept it with a rather dry expression. ¡¸The union chief also wants to give you something. As today he¡¯s going to be busy preparing, he wants you toe back again tomorrow when you have some free time.¡¹ ¡¸Something to give me?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I don¡¯t know what is it but it seems to be an order from King Solomon.¡¹ ¡¸From him?¡­ It doesn¡¯t sound that good. Well, fine. I only have toe here tomorrow, right? ¡¸Yes, please.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Mira had no clue what she would receive from the union chief but considering it¡¯s an order from Solomon, it¡¯d probably be something rted to the mission. ¡¸With this, all formalities are finished. Moreover, only I and the union chief know about your situation, so if there¡¯s something you need, feel free to ask me.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll remember that.¡¹ ¡¸And afterward¡­¡¹ ¡¸What, do you have anything else?¡¹ Looking like she had a hard time talking about it, Eureka with sparkling eyes vigorously reached out her hands. ¡¸Please let me have a handshake!¡¹ Eureka mustered up all her courage to finally ask for that, bowing her head. Up until now, she had to handle all matters as professionally as her position required as an employee of the union. However, now that her duties are finally finished with that, she wasn¡¯t able to stay still with how much her personal desires were bothering her. Eureka was a huge fan of Danbulf, so much so as to even flood her home with all Danbulf-rtedmercialized goods. During her long vacations, she went to Silver Horn and spent her time off on pilgrimages to look up at the Silver Towers. Eureka couldn¡¯t avoid falling into pure bliss, having the pupil of a hero who hasn¡¯t been heard of for so long standing right in front of her. If other fellow employees knew about the situation she was in, they¡¯d probably be impressed by self-control to perform her duties as they knew how much she loved the hero Danbulf. ¡¸Is this enough for you¡­?¡¹ Overwhelmed by her energy, Mira offered her hand. As she did so, Eureka gently but strongly squeezed it with both her hands as if to engrave the sensation in herself. Moreover, she was so moved that it even brought her to tears. ¡¸Thank you for that. I will never wash this hand again!¡¹ ¡¸It would be preferable if you still washed it.¡¹ Unaware of how much of a Danbulf¡¯s fan Eureka was, Mira slightly drew back with her answer. Even if she did not understand it at all, she considered it should be alright as long as Eureka was happy about it. ¡¸Good luck with your adventurer¡¯s life. Thank you for using our services!¡¹ All set and sent by Eureka, Mira left and walked towards the desk that handled the permission to enter the underground cemetery. ¡¸I would like a pass for the Ancient Temple, can I get it here?¡¹ Arriving at the desk, Mira asked straight away about it since she was looking at the namete saying ¡®Dungeon Permits¡¯. ¡¸Yes, this is the desk for it.¡¹ Mira felt that voice being oddly familiar for some reason so she looked up. Eureka was there. Due to hearing Mira mention something about the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, Eureka temporarily swapped ces with the woman assigned to this desk by pleading with all her might. Somewhat baffled at seeing her here, Mira started filling the required paperwork to ess the Ancient Temple. Once done with the formalities and paying a 1,000 Rilsmission, she received the pass for the dungeon from a very excited Eureka in the form of a card with some drawn figures on it. At the same time, Mira received an exnation on how to use it. Firstly, touch the barrier stone at the entrance with the card to remove the projected barrier and enter. The barrier will be restored 10 seconds after the card is moved away from the stone. A card can only be used once to enter and she¡¯d need to fill out the documents again to request another pass. As for leaving the dungeon, there wasn¡¯t anything special about it, she¡¯d just need to walk out through the barrier. Once the card has been used, use the recycle box in the union to dispose of it. Nodding at each instruction line, Mira left the union after another handshake with Eureka. After walking out, Mira thought of putting the pass inside the lovely card case she received from Eureka and opened it. She pondered if she should be doing some sightseeing in the town before the dungeon or just head there straight away. On that moment of thought, a noise came from the Warrior¡¯s Union. ¡¸Fine then! I will go alone!¡¹ Along that shout, the door opened and a boy jumped out the building, running in Mira¡¯s direction. While the boy had tears in his eyes and had his sight down in frustration, Mira was upied looking at her card case while storing the pass, hence it was inevitable what would happen. ¡¸Aaargh!¡¹ ¡¸Gah!¡¹ The boy bumped head-first into Mira while she, on the other hand, managed to stay on her legs despite wavering from the impact. ¡¸What the!¡¹ Mira reflexively scowled at the one who bumped into her. Looking at the grumbling boy who fell on the ground, her anger cooled down. She walked up to him and helped him up with both of her hands. ¡¸Are you alright,d? Does it hurt anywhere?¡¹ Approaching the boy, Mira nced at him and gently asked, wiping his tears with her sleeves right after. ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m sorry for bumping into you.¡¹ The boy quickly bowed and answered politely, stringing Mira¡¯s admiration at his educated behavior that she ended up patting his head while answering with ¡¸It¡¯s fine¡¹. ¡¸How about you, are you hurt anywhere?¡¹ Mira was slightly startled at that questioning from somewhere else as she then saw a woman¡¯s face appear before her. The woman was dressed in light armor with a contrast of white and green, and a slim sword was equipped at her waist. She seemed to be a long-eared elf with ck long hair and droopy eyes. Looking at that woman, the boy looked away in irritation. ¡¸Ye¡­ yea. I¡¯m fine.¡¹ ¡¸Really? I¡¯m d.¡¹ Judging by her figure, appearance, and equipment, Mira decided to try and inspect her, thinking she was reasonably strong. From what she got, her name was Emera. She had a high MP and dexterity with reasonable HP stats, and adding up the equipment bonus, it was a bit better than that. Inparison to the stats that Graia, themander of the magic knights, had, Mira concluded they were on par in strength. ¡¸Who are you though? Thisd was crying before falling down right? Do you perhaps know anything about that?¡¹ If he only cried after the fall, Mira would have sent him home with an Apple au Lait without worrying too much about it. However, with how red and swollen his eyes were, they revealed he was crying much more and for longer than that. With an unforgivable re for making a child cry, she turned towards the elf woman. ¡¸Oh¡­ For some reason, I¡¯m being treated as the viin¡­ Well¡­ To start with, I am Emera and I belong to the Warrior¡¯s Union, Rank C, generally ssified as a high-rank adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm. I¡¯m Mira. I have just joined the Spellcaster¡¯s Union.¡¹ ¡¸Wow. To be an adventurer at that age. Magicians seem to be really amusing.¡¹ ¡¸Rather than that, do you know what happened?¡¹ Looking up at Emera, Mira wiped the still flowing tears of the boy. ¡¸Don¡¯t stare at me like that. This big sister will feel hurt.¡¹ Looking like she¡¯s been emotionally hurt, Emera hung down her brows. If she resembled anything, she¡¯d look like a shy big sister. As Mira didn¡¯t have a habit of hurting women, she softened her expression and started to think that Emera didn¡¯t actually make this boy cry. ¡¸Err, if you registered in the union, you should have heard about the dungeon permissions, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yea, paying a 1,000 Rilsmission, you can get a pass. Dungeons are assigned ranks and to enter you must have the same rank, are you talking about that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes. About that¡­¡¹ While Emera was speaking, the boy noticed the card case lying on the ground. ¡¸Ah, excuse me. It¡¯s my fault.¡¹ After apologizing, the boy picked up the card case and judging by the lovely design he understood that it should belong to Mira. However, as he took a brief nce at the cards, he changed his expressionpletely. ¡¸Big sis! Is big sis at C rank!?¡¹ The boy wiped what remained of his tears and looked at Mira with his eyes full of hope. Without understanding what was going on, Mira nodded with relief, content as long as he stopped crying. ¡¸Yea, I am.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ no way!? You said that you just entered the union! After the registration, shouldn¡¯t you be at Rank G!?¡¹ Emera was even more shocked than the boy. That reaction was normal as receiving Rank C right after registering at the Guild was unheard of before. Even with rmendation letters, she knew that they would get Rank E at best. Emera rushed to peek at the card case the boy held in his hands. She indeed confirmed that Mira¡¯s Adventurer ID indicated she was Rank C. ¡¸What¡¯s going on¡­ It¡¯s genuine¡­¡¹ With her eyes wide open, Emera stared at the pass for the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis and just like with Mira¡¯s ID, she confirmed it was also genuine. However, even if one managed to fake the rank written on the license, the union did manage all of the adventurers¡¯ information and faking one¡¯s rank would not work when asking for permission to enter a dungeon. ¡¸The pass to the Ancient Temple¡­ a genuine one¡¹ As Emera said that, she suddenly noticed her mistake. Panicked, she nced at the boy who was looking at Mira with a stronger shine in his eyes and bowed to her. ¡¸Big sis, please take me along to the Ancient Temple!¡¹ Chapter 23: Common Sense Chapter 23: Common Sense Mira was surprised by the sudden request of the boy, he was so desperate that Mira began to wonder what drove him to go to such an extent. She thought to herself that she¡¯d fulfill his wish if that was what brought him to tears. ¡¸Hm, tell me your reasons.¡¹ When Mira said that, the boy finally raised his head. His expression mixed in both anxiety and expectation, but he nodded strongly with anticipation. ¡¸At the deepest part of the Ancient Temple, I heard that there is a mirror that allows you to speak with the dead. Please take me there!¡¹ ¡¸A mirror that allows you to speak with the dead¡­huh. Was there such a thing?¡¹ In the game, Mira didn¡¯t run through the Ancient Temple so often. During those times, the Nine Wisemen would usuallyy waste to the dungeon in the name of ¡®adventure¡¯ or only visited it for certain quests. ¡¸Looks like he¡¯s talking about the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror. I heard about it too, I remember my friend gleefully told me about meeting his mother that died long ago.¡¹ ¡¸Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror?¡¹ As she searched through her memory, Mira recalled a quest. It was about a viral disease that was prevalent in the past beginning to surface again, and this high-level quest required them to find a cure. To finish this quest, the yer had to travel around the continent to find the long-lost medicinal records. However, because nobody knew their exact location, the quest required them to call upon a king from the past and ask him for the location. In order to do that, there was a need to visit the Ancient Temple of Nevrapolis, and the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror was introduced there. While taking a trip down the memoryne, Mira recalled thatrge antique mirror. It was just an object for the event, but since the game had be a reality, it was an object that could actually be used now. Mira updated her knowledge in regards to the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror. ¡¸My father and mother were adventurers. But five years ago they got a mission and still haven¡¯t returned. I waited for them at my grandfather¡¯s home. Butst week, people from the guild said that my missing father and mother are dead.¡¹ Mira silently listened to the story told by the boy, who had tears and snots covering half of his face. After he finished with his words, Mira proceeded to gently wipe his tears. Though there was a single point that did not make sense in his story, so Mira threw a nce at Emera to seek an exnation. ¡¸Well, you see, ording to union¡¯s regtions, when somebody breaks contact and goes missing during a mission, they are treated as dead after five years.¡¹ While waiting for the agitated boy to calm down, Emera supplemented. ¡¸And that¡¯s why they suddenly dropped this bomb on thed that his parents died?¡¹ Mira did not know how tofort him and simply looked at the crying boy. ¡¸You got the pass to the Ancient Temple, right? Please take me with you. Please.¡¹ The boy shut his eyes for a while before opening them widely to show his determination and bowed his head. Without thinking much, Mira ced her palm on his head and gently patted it. ¡¸Yea, alright. If you¡¯re that desperate to go there, I will bring you with me.¡¹ Mira nodded while beaming with a wide smile. She genuinely wanted him to meet his parents after he was suddenly told that they were dead. ¡¸Thanks, big sis! My name is Takuto.¡¹ ¡¸Yea, I¡¯m Mira. Leave it to me.¡¹ The boy¡¯s smile shone as he clung to Mira who embraced him. However, there was someone else here who was really against it. ¡¸No no no. Noooo way! It¡¯s a Rank C dungeon, you know!? How are you going to possibly bring an inexperienced boy inside?¡¹ Tearing the boy away from Mira, Emera was shaking her head. Only high-ranked adventurers were allowed to enter Rank C dungeons. There was no way they could bring an unknowledgeable child there. Previously, the boy was kicked out of the Warrior¡¯s Union because he was constantly begging the Rank C Emera to go with him into the Ancient Temple, but she firmly refused him every time. Of course, her decision was not wrong. The task had the difficulty of a Rank C dungeon. It was not a ce to bring along people who were unable to defend themselves. ¡¸Why not? As long as he doesn¡¯t fight, he should be fine.¡¹ Mira carelessly dered that as she imagined the path until the fifth floor. She decided that a single child wouldn¡¯t pose a problem there. ¡¸It¡¯s not so sim-¡­. I have no idea how strong your group is, but the Ancient Temple is out of the question. It¡¯s way too dangerous.¡¹ Emera gave a warning with a stern face. However, an outrageous revtion awaited her. ¡¸Umm, I was actually going to go in solo.¡¹ Silence descended upon them. Emerapletely froze, unable toprehend the meaning of those words. Her mouth was twitching as if she was going to say something but then, she burst into anger at Mira¡¯s absurdly reckless and stupid remarks. ¡¸Nonononono, there¡¯s just no way! That¡¯s not a ce you can go alone! It looks like you just registered in the guild today, but how can you be so reckless! Even if you avoid battles as long as possible, a Rank C dungeon is not a ce you can go with just two members, with only one of thembat-capable!¡¹ Emera raised her voice and frankly scolded Mira. The bypassers looked at the source of the voice, and upon recognizing the famous high-ss adventurer Emera, they opened their eyes wide. She had the image of a bright and gentle big sister and they had never seen her so angry before. While bearing the full brunt of her anger, Mira was in anguish due to the loud voice right next to her. On the other hand, faced with the violent objection, the boy started crying again. Seeing that the boy had resumed crying, Mira scowled a little and red at Emera. ¡¸It¡¯s only impossible for you.¡¹ With that refutation, Mira grabbed the boy¡¯s hand, embraced him and started to walk away. Being told that, Emera couldn¡¯t raise any more objection since it was true that it would be difficult for her to reach the fifth floor of the Ancient Temple while protecting the boy. Having said that, however, Emera still couldn¡¯t believe it even if the girl in front of her said she could do it. Even after she warned them that much, Mira made such a deration so casually. Emera could get it off her head about the fact that Mira had just registered in the guild and yet was granted Rank C on the fly. A magician couldn¡¯t be judged by their appearances, that was themon sense of this world. However, Emera couldn¡¯t tell how strong the girl before her was. She couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility that Mira was merely a fool overestimating her own strength. It was impossible to tell, and it seemed like Mira wasn¡¯t going to entertain her either. Emera rushed out to Mira and grasped her shoulder. ¡¸Wait.¡¹ ¡¸What? Do you have anything left to say?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m going with you!¡¹ As an adventurer herself, Emera couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how much strength did Mira possess for her to be this unfazed by the ancient temple. And if it was just overconfidence on her part, she couldn¡¯t just leave her be. That¡¯s why Emera decided to go together with them. In the worst case scenario, she was ready to let them escape using all her medicine and tools. After Emera decided to go with them, they went to a cafe to discuss the details. The cafe was called ¡¸Cafe de Choct¡¹. This store was famous for its cocoa and chocte cakes. ¡¸Mira, you¡¯re a magician right? Which ss are you?¡¹ First of all, Emera started by probing into Mira¡¯s strength. They were going to the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, which was filled with so many undead monsters that it wasmonly known as the ¡®underground cemetery¡¯. Considering the perks of that ce, if Mira was a high-ss Holy Mage or an Exorcist, herpatibility would be great and it would be justified if she was confident. ¡¸I¡¯m a summoner.¡¹ Mira answered promptly before stuffing her cheeks with the cafe¡¯s special, Choctic Overlord, that she was treated to by Emera. The chocte sponge cakes were interposed with chocte mousse that had raw chocte inside, and on top of the chocte cream there was some bitter chocte sauce. While not too sweet, it still hid the potential to make any sweet-tooth moan; it was not bad for a special dish. The size was close to a whole cake, so she ate it together with Takuto who was sitting next to her. From time to time Mira used the napkins that the table was equipped with to wipe the cream off Takuto¡¯s cheek. While watching the two act like friendly siblings, Emera¡¯s expression froze over. Speaking of Summoners, they already were considered an endangered species. Due to the high difficulty threshold, Emera heard there were not many new Summoners. That was why Emera hadn¡¯t had a chance to form a party with any summoner since she became an adventurer until now. The only summoners she knew were the elites serving at the Silver Towers, and they weren¡¯t a good point forparison. ¡¸Umm, I don¡¯t know too well, so¡­are Summoners¡­strong?¡¹ She was trying to get a grasp of Mira¡¯s strength but ended up knowing even less, so she made the simplest question there is. And these words had triggered Mira¡¯s pride and devotion to Summoning. At the same time, Mira recalled the words said by Creos, substitute elder of the Tower of Summoning. He said that Summoning was on the decline. And ording to how Emera put it, even she, a high-ss Rank C Adventurer had yet to see a Summoner inbat. Understanding just how much Summoning had declined, Mira looked up above her and prayed toward the heavens. However, she did not lose her spirit. She nned on reviving the dignity of Summoning with her own hands. ¡¸You¡¯ll see once the timees.¡¹ Mira chuckled meaningfully. Contrary to that however, Emera only became more uneasy as she muttered to herself, ¡°once the timees and you lose, it¡¯ll be toote.¡± After the two finished talking for the time being, they left the Cafe de Choct. ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s go. You know the way right? I shall let you lead the way.¡¹ Squinting her eyes in the bright daylight, Mira looked up at Emera. The location of the Ancient Temple was listed on the back side of the pass, but it was faster to ask somebody who knew the way. With that thought, Mira gazed at Emera like she was asking the most natural thing. However, Emera¡¯s expression froze over again. Then she held her head for the nth time in anguish. Takuto was also equally surprised at Mira¡¯s statement. ¡¸Wait, waait! We¡¯re going to a C-rank dungeon, right? There¡¯s no way we can go there without any preparations. At the very least let¡¯s spend today preparing!¡¹ Emera told her the obvious thing. It was only natural to make sure one was fully-prepared before entering a dungeon. And preparations for a high-level dungeon could easily take up to a week. That¡¯s why neither Emera nor Takuto ever considered that they would be going today. ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped then. Let us depart tomorrow in such case.¡¹ Mira was going to finish the task today, so it was troublesome, but if Emera could be convinced with that, she agreed to put off the departing until tomorrow. From there on, Emera started to show her real skill as a high-ss adventurer. They went around various stores to buy the required medicine and tools. Just in case, she bought high-ss medicine. Compared to that, Mira waspletely in sightseeing mode. The only item that she bought was an insect repellent. Takuto learned how to use tools and medicine from Emera. This too, was just in case something happened. ¡¸Mira, are you really going to be fine?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m fine. I was going to go there from the start so all the necessary things are already here.¡¹ With those words, Mira rolled up her left sleeve. There on her arm was the operator terminal, which was called the operator bracelet here. ¡¸I hope that¡¯s the case¡­¡¹ Not persuaded yet, Emera anxiously bought more medicine and tools just in case. Mira only apanied her due to her mood. She made an excuse that she had bought everything, but in fact Mira¡¯s item box was already full of various medicine and tools, so in a way it wasn¡¯t wrong. Once they had all consumables prepared, led by Emera they went to buy food items this time. In the corner of the main street, there were various shops selling food lined up and from among those, Emera headed straight for one. ¡¸Ohh, Eme? Wee. Going off somewhere again?¡¹ The ce she headed to was a store that she had frequented. It was a store that dealt with food for adventurers run by a well-built granny. Lined up inside there were various processed foods as well as seasonings. The granny weed Emera with a wide smile as she put the goods on the disy, making Emera burst into a smile as well. ¡¸Yes, to the Ancient Temple tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Hohoh. Going after big fish this time? Considering your guild, I shouldn¡¯t worry much but take care about yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Not wanting to worry her, Emera did not say anything about bringing Mira and Takuto. However, the granny looked with curiosity at the two that came together with Emera, alternating between their faces. ¡¸Are they your children?¡¹ ¡¸Of course not!¡¹ While the old woman made a mischievous smile, Emera denied with her face beet red. While the two acted like in some home drama TV show, on the side Mira curiously looked at the lined up goods. In the meanwhile, Emera bought processed meat, freeze-dried vegetables, and fruits in cans. The next ce they headed for was an armament store. Inside the store there were metallic armors and several customers took them in their hands to check the state they were in. ¡¸By the way, Mira, it seems you don¡¯t carry any weapon; what weapon do summoners use?¡¹ Emera saw that Mira had an Operator¡¯s Bracelet so she thought the weapon might be inside the item box. However, a weapon was something carried within hand¡¯s reach just in case. Naturally, Emera too, had a sword by her waist at all times. ¡¸I don¡¯t have any. Summoning itself is a weapon, after all.¡¹ ¡¸Heeh, is that so.¡¹ While what Mira said was not wrong, it wasn¡¯t as though all Summoners were like that. There were many who held a staff to improve their maximum mana and speed of recovery. It was one thing that Mira¡¯s skill as summoner was beyond ordinary, but she also had Sage as a secondary ss. Sage was specialized in bare-handedbat so holding a staff would make her unable to make full use of the second ss, as such she did not hold any weapon. However, Emera didn¡¯t know anything about such circumstances or Summoners themselves, so she was convinced by what Mira said. The main reason for hering to the armaments store was for inspecting Emera¡¯s equipment and to prepare armor for Takuto. It was a C-rank dungeon. Even if he wasn¡¯t going to fight, it was bad to leave him with a casual outfit. By the way, the entire sum was paid by Emera. It was one thing that she wanted to show her dependability as someone older, but at the same time she earned enough that an armor for a child was an insignificant expense for her. ¡¸Phew, I guess this is it. Normally it takes longer to prepare, though.¡¹ Finally done with the shopping, Emera sat down on a stone fence that surrounded a square with arge monument. The sun had already set and street lights illuminated shone on people as they returned home after work. ¡¸About the ns for tomorrow, are you fine with gathering at 10 AM in front of the union?¡¹ ¡¸Yea.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Please take care of me!¡¹ While responding to her, Mira sat down next to Emera, Takuto stood in front of the two and bowed deeply. Emera still couldn¡¯t shake off her remaining anxiety, but she intended to do something about that from here on. ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s alreadyte so let¡¯s call it today. Mira, Takuto, where are you staying?¡¹ ¡¸I live in grandpa¡¯s house in the backstreet behind the union.¡¹ ¡¸I am¡­what was the name again¡­¡¹ After Emera mentioned that, Mira recalled that she hadn¡¯t heard the name of her hotel-like inn. However, she did remember what Garret said to her in case she was lost. ¡¸If I remember correctly, it¡¯s the best inn in the city or something like that.¡¹ Touching the chin with her finger Mira answered vaguely. Hearing that, Emera made an expression not that of surprise, but apletely astonished one as she put a hand on her cheek. Takuto looked at the two in alternation and tilted his head wondering what happened. ¡¸Wait¡­ you mean there?¡¹ As she sighed, Emera pointed with her gaze toward arge building brightly lit by the street light. The brightly-lit building was the inn ¡°Summer Lantern¡± which looked different from how it looked during the day, being very showy now. ¡¸Ohh, that ce. To think it was this close, mm.¡¹ Chasing after Emera¡¯s gaze, Mira recognized the building whose atmosphere changed despite being still the same familiarly-built inn. ¡¸Fine¡­I won¡¯t be surprised anymore. Yes, nothing will surprise me.¡¹ Letting her gaze wander, Emera slowly stood up and took Takuto¡¯s hand. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll take Takuto home. Mira, you go back straight to the inn, understand?¡¹ Warning Mira, Emera moved her head next to Mira¡¯s and looked straight into her eyes. ¡¸Ye¡­ yea. I¡¯ve gotten hungry after all, I¡¯ll go back right away.¡¹ While saying so Mira stood up and then leaned back to move away from Emera. She was unable topletely hide her perturbation from suddenly being approached so close by a beauty. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s great. Well then, see you tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, see you tomorrow. You too, Takuto, see you tomorrow. Make sure to sleep well today.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, thanks, big sis. See you tomorrow. I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Mm-hm.¡¹ After exchanging farewells, Mira nodded in response to Takuto¡¯s smile, then turned around to start walking towards the inn. Emera did not move right away, she waited to confirm that Mira entered the ¡°Summer Lantern¡± before taking Takuto and heading in the direction of the union. Chapter 24: The Party Formation Chapter 24: The Party Formation It was the morning after the day Mira promised to go to the Ancient Temple. Before going out, she procured a lunch box in the inn¡¯s dining room. After the girl dressed as Gothic Lolita had left the inn, the staff started a heated discussion, trying to guess her identity. Opinions like her being a noble¡¯s daughter, a concealed member of royalty, or the hidden child of some powerful adventurer were flying around, and from time to time nearby adventurers would join the dispute. Mira herself wasn¡¯t aware that she had be the center of such exaggerated attention. The sky was clear, it would have been a perfect day for a pic. While enjoying the gentle sunlight of the morning, Mira advanced to the appointed ce, the front of the Union. Since it was alreadyte in the morning, shopping housewives and armed adventurers could be seen standing among the scattered crowd of people on the main street, who were going to work. As Mira advanced, excited about this possibility to disy the true strength of summoning, she noticed that a crowd had gathered at her destination ¡ª a squared ce in front of the Union. ¡¸What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Muttering that, Mira sat down on a bench in front of the spellcaster union. She tried to find Emera and Takuto among the crowd, but couldn¡¯t see them. Thinking that she hade a bit too early, she retrieved some ¡ºAppure¡» and took a gulp. 15 minutes had passed since Mira arrived in front of the Union. The clock in the menu confirmed it was 10 AM. It was the appointed time. But, the two of them hadn¡¯t showed up yet. ¡¸Late. They¡¯rete.¡¹ Mira dropped aint, while sending a look to her surroundings. She could see that the strange gathering still crowded the square. Is there some kind of morning sale or, maybe, street performance going on? Thinking that this couldn¡¯t be the worst way to kill some time, Mira decided to find out, but just then a familiar boy, that tried to push his way through the crowd, jumped out in front of her. But, stumbling over the legs of people, he dropped the 2 copper coins he had in hand and started to chase them. ¡¸What, you were already here, Takuto?¡¹ Saying that, Mira, who was heading into the direction of the crowd, picked up the coins and called out to the familiar looking boy ¡ª Takuto. ¡¸Ah, good morning, Big Sis Mira! Thanks.¡¹ Getting the coins, Takuto greeted Mira with a friendly smile. ¡¸And I don¡¯t think you would be here alone. Where¡¯s Emera?¡¹ ¡¸Over there.¡¹ Takuto answered while pointing at the center of the crowd. Mira thought that if Takuto hade out of the crowd, he should have done so earlier, so she wouldn¡¯t have wasted her time there. ¡¸Big Sis Emera, Big Sis Mira was waiting over here!¡¹ Takuto turned towards the crowd and, running into it, raised his voice to call out to her. A short whileter, the ck-haired elf Emera appeared pushing her way through the crowd. ¡¸You¡¯rete, Mira. How long do you n to keep me waiting?¡¹ Saying that, Emera puffed out her cheeks. But Mira thought that Emera had been dilly-dallying with the crowd while she was waiting, so she just shrugged. ¡¸Don¡¯t be stupid. It¡¯s me who was waiting. I was sitting on this bench all the time.¡¹ A short silence followed. Then Emera¡¯s eyes started to wander around, and while smiling wryly, she joined her hands in apology. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t expect that such a crowd would gather.¡¹ Emera tried to make an excuse. But when Mira, noticing something odd in that, opened her mouth, ¡¸Is this the Mira you told us about?¡¹ A huge man shot her a nce from behind Emera. His massive metal armor had a blunt silver color and a scarlet bell design was shown on his gauntlets. A huge hammer, about the same size as the man himself hinted at an extraordinary physical strength. Still, he was good looking, his short red hair and the red stubble around his mouth made him look somewhat wild. And, using that moment as a signal, two more people showed their faces. ¡¸Wow, she¡¯s absurdly cute!¡¹ With those words, a woman lined up at the right side of Emera, while her purple robe lightly swung up. Her blue eyes, settled behind blue-framed sses, were shining with lust. The sleeve of her robe, too, had a scarlet bell embroidery. At first nce, she gave off the feeling of an intellectual, but her actions ruined that. Her hair, which extended a bit past her shoulders, was green; and a cane with a length of about 1 meter was ced on her back. ¡¸Really? Where? Ah, spotted the beauty! Though I¡¯d rather she were 5 years older.¡¹ This time, a man in light equipment lined up on the left side of Emera and passionately looked at Mira from head to toe. He had brown hair and earrings, his green bandana, too, decorated by the scarlet bell embroidery. He had a handsome face and was tall, two daggers hanging at his waist, and was wearing a ck jacket and khaki trousers. At a nce he seemed to be an easy-going man. ¡¸Who are they?¡¹ Asked Mira, who was troubled due to being exposed to their attention, and nced at the three, who, judging by their actions, were acquaintances of Emera. ¡¸The best members that I could pick in my guild, ¨¦catte Carillon!¡¹ Emera answered with confidence. ¡¸Rather, nobody else was free today.¡¹ ¡¸Why¡¯d you tell her?!¡¹ Emera angrily grabbed the easy-going man by his cor and started to shake him. In response, the man repeated ¡¸Sorry, sorry,¡¹ without any trace of feeling guilty. ¡¸I am Asbar. Nice to meet you, miss. ¡¹ The huge man said while smiling cheerfully. With his stern look, it was hard to expect such friendliness from him. ¡¸I¡¯m Fra. Best regards.¡¹ Said the woman with purple robe while adjusting her sses. Then she smirked and presented her hand, requesting a handshake. ¡¸Ye..yeah. I¡¯m Mira. Best regards.¡¹ Thinking that the first impression this woman gave her was wrong, Mira reached out with her right hand. ¡¸Cute as expected!¡¹ The same moment Mira shook her hand, Fra broke into a broad smile and started squirming while releasing a mushy voice. ¡¸Lil Mira, ahh~ Lil Mira. Your cheeks are really squishy~¡¹ With those words, Fra started poking Mira¡¯s cheeks. Mira tried to get away, but got caught by her hand and couldn¡¯t get out of range. She shook her head to resist, but Fra, not minding that, continued poking her cheeks. ¡¸Do something, Emera!¡¹ Emera who got called out released the easy-going man and turned her head. And then, leaking out a sigh and a wry smile, she dropped a hand on Fra¡¯s head, causing stars to appear before her eyes. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Mira. I did ask Fra to do her best in restraining herself.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d prefer if she were topletely restrain herself, not just trying to do her best.¡¹ Fra, who was holding her head with her hands, got pulled away by Asbar. That made Mira recall Sherry, a waitress of Silver Wand, a shop in the vige she hade by on the way to the Arkite Kingdom. ¡¸I am Zeffard. You can call me Zef.¡¹ The easy-going man that named himself Zeffard silently approached and, while matching her line of sight, broadly smiled. That carefree behavior unexpectedly left a good impression on Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira. So, why are they here?¡¹ ¡¸They are here to help us!¡¹ They hadn¡¯te up in yesterday¡¯s conversation, so Mira asked while giving those three a nce. But Emera answered like it was a matter of course. She had talked to these three after escorting Takuto home, trying to sweep away all the anxiety that had built up within her. A 3-man party going to a C-rank dungeon left her with nothing but worries. And there was no particr reason to not take more people with them. When she had decided to go into the Ancient Temple, she immediately went to get some help from any free members of her guild. ¡¸Hm, well, fine. Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll leave the directions to you.¡¹ Mira didn¡¯t mind having some extra members. Also,pared to having only the beauty Emera aspany, she surely could calm down easier, if there were male fellows like Asbar and Zef apanying them. Mira took Takuto¡¯s hand and tried to set off, but when she looked at the main street in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but open her eyes wide in astonishment. For some reason, her surroundings were crowded. The people she had seen at the square were now crowded around this ce. Apparently, the guild that Emera was part of, was the reason for this crowd. They were famous high-level adventurers, and if four members of ¨¦cate Carillon gathered in one ce, there was no way they wouldn¡¯t gather attention. They had arrived in front of the Union earlier than Mira. After finishing with some business in the Union, they had been waiting at the square and surprise, people had gathered around them, creating this mysterious crowd. Once the origin of that crowd left and gathered around Mira, there was no way the crowd would just stand still, and needless to say, the same phenomenon happened again. ¡¸Emeraaaa, you¡¯re fantastic!¡¹ ¡¸Fra, scold me please!¡¹ ¡¸Zef, don¡¯t get too cocky!¡¹ ¡¸Asbar, please take me with you when you go out drinking next time!¡¹ ¡¸Is this cute girl a new member?¡¹ ¡¸Zef, be careful at night.¡¹ Hearing that the attention of this noisy square was about to gather on her, Mira hurried to hide behind Emera. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go. Everybody, follow me.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, ma¡¯am.¡¹ Emera vigorously lifted her right hand and proceeded to the north side of the main street. Only Zef responded to her. Asbar smiled wryly and Fra didn¡¯t take her eyes away from Mira. Feeling some difort, Mira casually hid behind Asbar. Takuto, still holding her hand, followed her. As Emera started to move, the crowd made way so as not to block her path and started cheering them on, once they had passed by. Mira was impressed by the fact that high-level adventurers were treated as famous people. Leaving the Requiem City of Caranach and proceeding to the mountains located north of it took them about 20 minutes. After they came out of the woods, they could see the destination, the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, greeting them with a dignified appearance along with some carved statues. ¡¸Well then, finally we¡¯re here.¡¹ ¡¸This once again is quite the magnificent view.¡¹ While Emera was trying to bring the group together, Mira waspletely in tourist mode. The difference in their attitudes was quite obvious. Their group stopped in front of the Ancient Temple. While it¡¯s rare, there had been urrences of monsters lurking around the ritual hall right next to the entrance, so they took precaution. ¡¸Fine, I¡¯ll go check it.¡¹ After saying that, Zef slipped inside the temple without making a sound. Shortly after that they could hear an ¡¸It¡¯s clear¡¹ing from inside. The group proceeded inside the ritual hall and they all sat down. After everyone had taken a rest, Emera started to speak. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s confirm our goal. Our destination is the Hall where the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror is situated, at the fifth floor, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you told us about the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror. But as you approach closer to the fifth floor, the monsters be much more troublesome and numerous, will we really be fine? Together with that miss and boy?¡¹ ¨¦cate Carillon managed to beat this dungeon several times. After careful preparation, a party of major members would go inside and clear the dungeon till the fifth floor. Compared to those times, of course they had improved their skills, yet there were only four of their main members here, and the kids required extensive protection. It couldn¡¯t be helped that Asbar was worried. ¡¸Hmm, we¡¯ll see if you can say that again once we¡¯re done. I will show you how little you know.¡¹ Mira said while carelessly throwing out her chest. She thought that if they were getting so much attention, this would be a good chance to make the world recognize the power of summoners. ¡¸Well, well, then we¡¯ll look forward to it.¡¹ With those words, Asbar, thinking that she was at the age of wanting to act like an adult, prepared himself to grab her and run away if they were to encounter any danger. The other three members thought the same. ¡¸Me and Asbar will be the vanguard, and we will be positioning Mira and Takuto between us, Fra and Zef will guard the rear. Everyone got that?¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ ¡¸Fine, fine~¡¹ ¡¸Well, why not.¡¹ ¡¸Yes! Thank you all!¡¹ Everybody replied while the four members of ¨¦cate Carillon began to check their weapons. Asbar examined the handle and tie of his hammer, Fra, in addition to her cane, lined up several cards. Zef smeared his daggers in something resembling oil. And Emera took a saber out of her item box in order to equip it at her waist, moving the sword she had worn there before into the item box. ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t this the leader¡¯s sword?¡¹ Asbar asked once he saw it. At the same time, everybody turned to face Emera. ¡¸Yeah, it is. It¡¯s the Nevrapolis after all, so after hearing the reason, he lent it to me. It should help us considerably.¡¹ With those words, Emera unsheathed the de. This double-edged sword cast a faint white light, revealing that it wasn¡¯t amon sword. ¡¸Oh, a light spirit sword? You have some interesting stuff.¡¹ Mira said, looking at Emera¡¯s sword. The faint light is a trait of the light element. And, even amongst light elemental swords that were rare to begin with, this one seemed to have somewhat particr details. The most popr light elemental sword ¡ª holy sword ¡ª is made by a cksmith through swapping water with holy water and fire with sacred fire. There are several different methods, but the designs of holy swords and divine swords are unique, and everyone can tell at a nce that they¡¯re no simple swords. But the sword that Emera held in her hand was a mediocre saber. Even though it emitted pale light, it didn¡¯t seem unusual. But that only applied to non-magicians, the top magicians could easily see what happened around the sword. ¡¸How did you know it? It¡¯s the leader¡¯s saber, I borrowed it.¡¹ Speaking those words, Emera put the sword back in its scabbard and the shining particles around it quickly disappeared. Those shining particles were the reason Mira said it was a spirit sword. A spirit sword is a sword that received the blessing of a spirit, and so the exact effect depends on the spirit. It doesn¡¯t have to be a sword, and so these weapons are usually called spirit arms. The effect can be attached to any arms, and magicians can see a glimpse of this power. Just like warriors are able to see battle aura, magicians can see spirits. That¡¯s why they can see the spirit power in swords. It ismon knowledge for magicians. And the top magicians can even see a lot of spirits with precision. Emera, Asbar, and Zef simply thought that she¡¯s a well-informed girl, but for Fra it was different. She couldn¡¯t see the light particles that proved the spirit¡¯s force in the sword. And without seeing them, it¡¯s hard to tell that it¡¯s a spirit sword at a nce. This girl saw the remains of a light spirit, which even the high-level adventurer Fra couldn¡¯t see. At that moment, Fra started to suspect that Mira was no ordinary girl. ¡¸We¡¯re going to rely on you.¡¹ Asbar grinned and, putting his hammer back, stood up. ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me. Let¡¯s go!¡¹ Following Emera, who was brimming with energy, everybody got up and went to the altar, the entrance to the first floor of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. Mira took out her card case from the item box and, remembering what she was told when she got it, pushed the pass against the barrier crystal surrounding the altar. ¡¸Finally. Is there any interesting loot here?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t forget why we¡¯re here. We have to escort them to the Hall of the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror first.¡¹ ¡¸Fine, I got that.¡¹ Passing through the swaying, thinned barrier, Asbar earnestly warned Zef, who was jumping down thedder. Assured by that, Emera, Fra, and Takuto passed the barrier, and Mira followed them upon returning the pass into the card case. A few moments after they descended the stairs, the barrier returned to its former strength and small birds started to sing inside of the once again empty ritual hall. Chapter 25: Ancient Temple Nevrapolis Chapter 25: Ancient Temple Nevrapolis A caution from the Author: Some depictions are not suitable while eating. After descending the stairs, the group, relying on the faint light of a swayingmp, proceeded along a dim corridor. ¡¸That is quite a useful thing you got there.¡¹ Mira muttered, looking at thenterns hanging from the waists of the group of four. A sphere floated at its core which was held in ce by metal braces. It emitted a pale radiance that eerily illuminated the dark passages of the temple. ¡¸I heard you¡¯ve already prepared everything, so I didn¡¯t take you to the adventurer¡¯s supply store. Honestly, I have no idea how you would manage without even getting antern.¡¹ Saying that in shock, Emera stared at a sphere that was shining brightly on top of Mira¡¯s head. This light orb illuminating their surroundings was made by Mira¡¯s Concept Magic. ¡¸Magicians can always use an illumination spell. That should suffice.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you¡¯re right, but is it fine for you to waste mana on illumination when you don¡¯t know what¡¯s lying ahead?¡¹ Fra agreed with Emera. They just entered the dungeon and could expect numerous battles ahead. And she is using mana on something that could be reced by antern, no magician would ever think of doing that. Illumination using Concept Magic requires recasting it over and over or it would fade. Also, it won¡¯t light up the whole area so some darkness still remains. Therefore, Dunbalf always brought Creos along. With his power as a Light Spirit, he could illuminate everything. Mira, intently watching the barely visible corridor, mused about bringing Creos here. ¡¸Such a spell doesn¡¯t cost me anything. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­ if you say so.¡¹ Emera didn¡¯t know much about magic and consented, assuming that Mira had some kind of ss bonus. And Fra simply believed the words of Mira, knowing that she could see traces of spirits invisible to her. Actually, sses didn¡¯t have any bonuses. But Mira already managed to fully restore her mana. She trained to raise her magical power, so her mana limit and recovery speed became unimaginable for normal adventurers. They proceeded while talking about things like that until they reached a small room at the end of the corridor. The air had be damp and silent darkness surrounded them outside the reach of their lights. They could hear nothing but their own breaths, footsteps, and the sound of their armor scraping against itself. Emera opened a map on her Operator¡¯s Bracelet and started walking towards the next room. Monsters should start appearing soon. Leaving behind the first room after the stairs, they proceeded along the corridor for a while. Another room-like space opened up at the end of the corridor. Knowing that in the Ancient Temple, monsters would begin to appear from the second room onwards, Mira used a summoning skill to prepare for battle. ¡¾Summoning Magic: Holy Knight¡¿ When she set the location for the summon next to her, a shining circle of light illuminated the corridor. ¡¸What¡¯s with that light!?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Because of the sudden sh brighter than the dimnterns and the light of the illumination spell, Emera and Asbar, who were leading the way, turned around. There they witnessed how a pure white knight took form from the light. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry if I frightened you. This fellow spirit is my summon.¡¹ Mira briefly announced while patting the waist of the white knight. The knight who had suddenly appeared had a huge shield, which was able topletely cover his 2-meter build, as well as a shining silver longsword in his other hand. And the most peculiar trait was his full-body armor. Its color was a pure, shining white, and flickering red lights could be seen behind the helmet covering his face. ¡¸Is it a spirit¡­?¡¹ ¡¸It feels amazingly powerful.¡¹ Emera and Fra stared at him in awe. The knight gave off an overwhelming sense of intimidation and security at the same time.. ¡¸How cool!¡¹ ¡¸So this is summoning magic? That¡¯s incredible.¡¹ Zef examined this Holy Knight, who was calmly staying still, from every side. He was a scout, but he was in awe of the Holy Knights, the embodiments of protection. Asbar fixedly stared at the white knight before him while recalling what Emera told him earlier. The fact that Mira became a C rank immediately after her registration. Of course, at first, he thought that Emera went senile or perhaps she was just dreaming, but after he learned that Mira got a pass and was going to enter the Ancient Temple the next day, he had no idea what was happening anymore. And after witnessing the Holy Knight with his own eyes, he realized her strength. His instincts told him that this knight was more powerful than him. Asbar assumed that getting C rank from the start requires at least something on that level. The sheer limitless abilities of summoners slightly terrified him. Mira then ordered the Holy Knight to protect Takuto, keeping away the malice that came from all directions. The Holy Knight is an Armor Spirit specializing in protection. Therefore, when ites to protecting, he even surpasses high-level summons. This was the reason she brought along Takuto to this dangerous ce. Only one of the Nine Wisemen or somebody rivaling them could defeat Mira¡¯s Holy Knight that was devoted to defense. After ensuring Takuto¡¯s safety, the group arrived at arge hall. Suddenly, Asbar tightened the grip on hisrge hammer, while cautiously scanning his surroundings. ¡¸Wait, I sense some presences.¡¹ Zef looked to the left, moved closer to Mira and Takuto and prepared both his daggers. Asbar ced himself between Mira and the creature closing in on them, while Emera immediately closed the map and stood next to him. Finally, the sound of something dragging across the ground broke the silence.. Slowly but surely something approached them. Asbar and Emera kept their eyes on it while preparing their weapons. Zef observed their surroundings to guard their nk against any surprise attacks. Fra, maintaining aposed face, stared towards it while grasping the staff in her hands. ¡¸Ghouls, huh.¡¹ Their silhouettes appeared, revealing their forms as they approached the light. Their wriggling bodies roughly resembled a human shape. After showing a bit of disgust at first, Emera and Asbar quickly calmed down and engaged the ghouls with weapons in hand. Zef stayed alert further behind, and the Holy Knight covered Takuto with his giant shield. The vision is terrible. It has been a long time since Mira, who had gotten used to Creos so much, saw monsters appearing from the dark. She strained her eyes, but due to Asbar¡¯s back being in the way, she couldn¡¯t see well. Standing on tiptoes, she swang left and right, yet she couldn¡¯t grasp the whole fight happening at the front. ¡¸Ew¡­ What¡¯s with that stench¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, what¡¯s that smell?¡¹ Mira frowned at the stench that gradually filled the air. Next to her, Takuto, who could also smell it, answered while pinching his nose. ¡¸Of course, it¡¯s their smell.¡¹ With those words, Zef pointed to the ghouls ahead of them with his eyes. The stench that Mira smelled as if something was rotting. Monsters consisting of half-rotten meat obviously didn¡¯t return to life and the process of decay didn¡¯t just stop. They were always decaying just to crumble down someday and infect another corpse. Afterprehending Zef¡¯s answer, Mira fixed her eyes on a ghoul, which emerged behind the even more disgusted Asbar. ¡¸Ough¡­!¡¹ With dull, unfocused eyes, the creature gazed at its prey; a rotten tongue was hanging out its wide-open mouth,cking any lips. Its face was bony and the scalp that started to peel off barely had any remaining hair. Its body was covered in wounds and infested by worms crawling out of its rotten flesh. This hideous creature barely maintaining its human form made the very air they inhaled seem rotten. This overly realistic disy made Mira feel intensely sick. But when her eyes met Takuto¡¯s, she somewhat overcame her nausea. ¡¸I¡¯ll do it.¡¹ With that, Fra took a step backward and released the Magic: Crimson me skill she prepared. Magic power gathered in the cane that she lifted and with a quick sh, produced a me vortex that engulfed the ghoul. The raging crimson hellfire burned away its skin, consumed its legs, and caused the ghoul to copse. Then the me covered its back, causing its intestines to burst into mes while scattering ash all around. In the end, the me cremated the ghoul, purifying the pitiful corpse possessed by evil, burning it to ash and erasing the stench. The ze that painted the surroundings bright red slowly faded out, and two more ghouls, who were outside of its range, started advancing once more. However, now Emera and Asbar jumped forward and tore one of them to pieces and smashed the upper half of another, sttering around flesh and worms. Even undead monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to move after such destruction. ¡¸Looks like it¡¯s over.¡¹ These few moments were enough to make Mira realize once more, that this wasn¡¯t a game anymore. Due to the realistic depiction, even in the game, she couldn¡¯t look at the ghouls when she first encountered them. However, after some time it wasn¡¯t a problem anymore. But in reality, when the grotesque disy of rotting corpses was apanied by this smell, it was impossible to get used to it even if you had built up a resistance. They broke up their formation and Takuto showed his face from behind the Holy Knight¡¯s shield, while still pinching his nose. The cremated ghoul was fine, but a rotten smell started to waft from the ghouls dismembered by Emera and Asbar. Mira frowned again at that stench. ¡¸Takuto, did you drink the medicine?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I did.¡¹ Takuto answered Emera¡¯s question in a nasal voice. ¡¸Then it shouldn¡¯t be that bad.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s natural. We¡¯re used to it, but for Takuto, it¡¯s the first time. The medicine helps, but it¡¯s not enough for a neer.¡¹ Zef answered Emera¡¯s doubt while stroking Takuto¡¯s head. ¡¸Well, now that you mentioned it,¡¹ Emera muttered in agreement, thinking back to her first encounter. ¡¸Wait, what¡¯s that medicine you are talking about?¡¹ Mira became interested in what they were talking about, still covering her mouth and nose with her sleeves, trying to endure the nausea. ¡¸Of course, the anti-smell potion¡­ Wait, Mira, you don¡¯t have it?¡¹ ¡¸Anti-smell? Never heard about it.¡¹ ¡¸To put it simply, this medicine takes really bad smells and makes them stink only slightly bad¡­ or something like that?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s kinda oversimplified, but she¡¯s right.¡¹ No wonder Mira didn¡¯t know about it. Anti-smell medicine works on the sense of smell, partly numbing it. While it can¡¯tpletely remove it, it can still protect you against really foul smells. There was no sense of smell in the game so nobody thought about creating this effect back then. But now, in reality, the rising demand for such medicine was only natural. The new inventions in this world are amusing. I wonder what else I haven¡¯t seen yet. In the first real adventure she had since she came here, Mira was excited by the gradually expanding sense of reality. However, in reality the stench did not go anywhere. Takuto boldly released his nose, trying to get used to it. With the medicine it was somewhat bearable. This time something shed in Mira¡¯s mind. It was about the deeper parts. They were in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. The sacrednd of the undead, their paradise. Even the first ghouls were this bad. Even more of them would spring outter, and she recalled the huge zombie ¡ª Giant Ghoul ¡ª on the third floor. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how bad that would be. At this moment, Mira abandoned the idea of a normal adventure. Distancing herself from the group, she held out her right hand. ¡¾Summoning Skill£ºBinding Arcana Circle¡¿ When Mira invoked the skill, a blue magic circle about her height in size emerged in front of her hand. But Mira didn¡¯t stop there. After securing the magic circle, she turned her hand to the left. ¡¾Summoning Skill£ºBinding Arcana Circle¡¿ A second magic circle appeared. The slowly spinning circle was called Binding Arcana Circle. This specific summoning skill could strengthen the summons near it, giving them various benefits. The effect increased with each circle and improved the efficiency of basic abilities, reduced the mana cost and increased additional effects. However, Mira was not going to strengthen the summons. The Binding Arcana Circle was a prerequisite for another skill. ¡¸Mira, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Well, you will know soon enough.¡¹ Briefly responding to Emera¡¯s question, Mira reached her hands into the circles. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¾Summoning Skill£ºRosario Summoning Circle¡¿ When Mira touched the two circles, they simultaneously started to change, releasing sparks. Wondering what was going on, the five in the group only held their breath. Larger two-fold magic circles appeared from the gathered light. The crimson shining circles overflowed with a different, stronger magic power. Noticing that presence, Fra was so charmed she forgot she was thirsty. And then, the preparations were finished. Everything was ready for the special summoning circle to call a high level summon. ¡ºI ask you to name yourself, maiden soaring in the skies, the one who uses a sh of light as a sword to banish evil.¡» Mira whispered that to one of the magic circles. Not limited to summoning, all spells at a higher level required exclusive chants. And the words she whispered were one of the chants for high-level summoning. ¡ºMy name is Alfina, the sword that swore fealty to her master.¡» A voice answered from the other summoning circle. This meant that the summoning waspleted without any problems. The five people behind them looked around for the source of this voice. Quickly noticing it came from Mira¡¯s side, they turned to her. ¡ºCome forth,¡¾Summoning Magic£ºValkyrie¡¿.¡» Mira proimed thepletion of the high-level summoning and the summon circles shone even brighter, answering to her magic. ¡¸What is it, what¡¯s going on!?¡¹ ¡¸What a terrific magic pressure¡­what is it this time?¡¹ Emera covered her eyes to protect them from the dazzling light. Squinting, Fra gazed towards the source of the light in a daze. The rest of them lost their words due to the sight before them and simply stared at it. The summoning circle next to Mira disappeared with a bright sh. Then the remaining circle sped up its rotation, and the inner and outer circles moved apart. ¡¸Answering your summon, I¡¯vee forth. It has been a long time, my master.¡¹ A woman emerged from the pir of light. Her beautiful figure was d in light azure armor, gauntlets, and greaves. Adorning her head was a shining golden circlet and her blue hair that flowed like the wind blowing across the ins was tied behind her back. The sword at her waist was contained in a scabbard as azure as the armor, and a solemn light leaked from it. A woman who could proudly call herself a battle maiden suddenly appeared in front of them. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s been a long time, Alfina.¡¹ Replied Mira, fixedly staring at Alfina. The summoned valkyrie, Alfina, kneeled in front of her, showing her respect. ¡¸My master, it seems like your appearance changed quite a lot.¡¹ After sweeping her eyes over Mira, Alfina spoke those words. ¡¸Yes¡­ we-well, a lot happened.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it seems so.¡¹ Since she anticipated this, Mira managed to hide her excitement and keep up her facade, yet she certainly didn¡¯t expect the change to be so extreme. In the game, there was no dialog outside of answers to direct orders. However, the valkyrie before her, Alfina, clearly could speak and had her own will. Mira confirmed that, confident that her expectations came true. It clearly was not strange considering that this was now reality. She was happy rather than surprised. There were many intelligent creatures among the summons that Mira entered into a contract with. Valkyrie was one of them. This meant that other summons could speak too. It was a godsend for Mira who was often acting alone. ¡¸What have you been doing until now, Alfina?¡¹ Since she already called her, Mira decided to ask her, driven by her curiosity. ¡¸I was mostly training with my sisters. We worked hard so we would be ready to get summoned by master at any time.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. As expected. You are reliable.¡¹ ¡¸I am honored by your praise.¡¹ Mira broke out in a smile, now that she knew, she wouldn¡¯t be lonely while traveling on her own. ¡¸Hey¡­ Mira, who is that woman?¡¹ Emera stared in amazement at the sudden appearance of the valkyrie who gave off an unusual atmosphere and stepped forward to question her. Fra was stunned by the overflowing magic power and Zef couldn¡¯t take his eyes off this beauty. ¡¸She¡¯s Alfina, a valkyrie.¡¹ When Mira replied, Alfina stood up and turned to Emera. ¡¸Are you friends with my master? My name is Alfina. I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance.¡¹ She bowed before them. Her figure was so graceful that Emera hurriedly said: ¡¸Nice to meet you too,¡¹ while bowing clumsily. ¡¸Still, she¡¯s pretty. Or rather, she doesn¡¯t have any simrities with that knight. After all, she can speak.¡¹ Asbar came to his senses. Even though he was still ogling Alfina, he muttered in admiration. He felt that Alfina¡¯s presence was on a whole different level and was astonished by the difference in power. ¡¸Of course. Do you finally understand the power of summoners?¡¹ Bragging a bit, Mira threw out her chest, folding her arms. She was sure that for now, this was enough to aplish her mission of showing off the power of summoning skills. ¡¸Master, what are your orders?¡¹ Alfina turned around and kneeled again, waiting for instructions. To that, Mira gave an order thatpletely blew away all the expectations and worries of Emera. ¡¸Exterminate all the monsters from here until the fifth floor!¡¹ She wasn¡¯t going to look at those grotesque ghouls again. And eliminating everyst one of them was enough for that purpose. That¡¯s what Mira thought. ¡¸As you wish.¡¹ Alfina unsheathed her sword and leaped into the depths of the Ancient Temple, leaving behind a trail of light. Chapter 26: Dark Aid’s Mirror Chapter 26: Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror The party was looking at the direction Alfina dashed off to. With that taken care of, Mira¡¯s eyes started shining and she soon got rid of the ghoul¡¯s afterimage. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going.¡¹ Saying that, Mira pointed ahead of them. Takuto hurried to her side and grabbed her hand. Following after him, Fra moved next to Mira and started leaning her body against her. Emera, Asbar, and Zef were still dumbfoundedly gazing in the direction Alfina had disappeared to. ¡¸Did you see that too?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I did. That was ridiculous.¡¹ ¡¸I just think it¡¯s amazing.¡¹ The three of them witnessed the fighting spirit that oozed off of Alfina, who unsheathed her sword and dashed away. Upon entering a battle stance, everyonepared the strength of their fighting spirit to hers. Warrior sses can feel it, and the three of them felt that Alfina¡¯s strength far exceeded everything they had seen before. They couldn¡¯t help but nce at Mira, who was still puffing out her chest from pride. Who in the world was that girl, that even such a strong summon as Alfina would call her master? ¡¸It seems that summoners really are amazing. I am greatly impressed from witnessing such a demonstration firsthand.¡¹ ¡¸Who are you?¡¹ Mira stared at the woman, Fra, who had been talking to her. She waspletely different from earlier. The face she showed when teasing Mira disappeared without a trace; her eyes, resembling the night cosmos, were silently directed at Mira. Mira couldn¡¯t remember anybody who looked that smart, that¡¯s why this Fra was aplete stranger to her. ¡¸Haven¡¯t we been together from the start? What are you saying now all of a sudden.¡¹ Fra answered while pushing up her sses. ¡¸Hey, Emera! Fra went weird!¡¹ The strange behaviour of Fra, who patted her head with a smile, forced Mira to ask Emera for help. ¡¸Eh? What¡¯s wrong?¡¹ Emera finally woke up from her dazed state and came closer. ¡¸Fra is weird. She¡¯s kinda too calm or perhaps too smart. Anyway, she¡¯s weird.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s why.¡¹ Quickly grasping the situation, Emera approached Fra and suddenly hugged her. ¡¸The hell, Emera? Quit it now.¡¹ With those words, Fra easily brushed her hands away and broke free. ¡¸So, what are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸Mira, try doing the same thing.¡¹ ¡¸Wha.. why would I do that?¡¹ Mira showed clear signs of hesitation. There was no wonder in that since Emera basically told her to hug this wise beauty Fra. And, while she wasn¡¯t against this idea, she was unsure if it was fine for her to do such a thing, so she couldn¡¯t gather enough courage. ¡¸Hey, just do it and you¡¯ll understand everything.¡¹ Emera lost her temper and, grabbing both of Mira¡¯s hands, forcefully made her embrace Fra from the front. ¡¸Whoa, Emera, what are you¡­aaaaah!?¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh so cute, Lil Mira! You wanna cuddle this big sis? You do, right? Here,e closer!¡¹ It happened instantly. Fra broke out of her cool intelligent demeanor and embraced Mira, who was flying directly onto her chest. Then she brought Mira to her cheeks and began enjoying Mira¡¯s tenderness. ¡¸What¡¯s going on¡­!?¡¹ This sudden change caught Mira off guard. She was wary of Fra after they met, but since there had been no further actions taken, she waspletely unprepared. ¡¸Fra adores cute girls. She¡¯s usually calm andposed and we can rely on her to keep our rear safe. But, as you can see, she easily bes like that.¡¹ ¡¸Then simply exin that in words!¡¹ ¡¸I thought that it would be faster this way. Ehehe.¡¹ ¡¸You fool¡ª!¡¹ Mira¡¯s scream pointlessly echoed within the subjugated dungeon. But nobody answered her. The members of ¨¦cate Carillon, eyes full of condolence, showed no intention of doing anything. Only Takuto showed his little adherence by firmly holding her hand. Mira was finally set free when Frapleted recharging herself with adorableness. About 10 minutes had passed since she entered that state. During this time, Zef began scavenging the remains of the ghouls for peculiar drop items. He wasn¡¯t particrly picky, so the sorting of the monster drops was his specialty. After that, the group finally started moving. They entered the passage beyond the area where they had met those ghouls and went on to the next hall. Not a soul could be found here, only piles of ash had been scattered around. ¡¸I don¡¯t feel any presence around here.¡¹ Checking the hall just to be safe, Zef turned back and told them he couldn¡¯t find any monsters. The group entered the hall and Zef continued to scout the area. Then he found something shining in one of the piles of dust before him. ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t that a magic stone?¡¹ With those words, Zef picked up a marble-sized purple gem lying in the ash. Noticing that, Asbar kicked the pile of ash, confirming that another gem was lying inside and started looking around the hall. ¡¸Could all that ash be the remains of monsters?¡¹ There were over ten piles of ash in this 24-square meter room. Mira picked another magic stone out of the ash. ¡¸Hmm, it seems like they¡¯re still dropping the items they should.¡¹ Undead monsters were one of the primary sources for the magic stones. These stones contained the magic power required to move their bodies, and that magic power could be used in various fields, which is why there was a demand for them. It seems that even in reality, the monsters of the underground cemetery are still dropping the magic stones. Formerly, a lot of yers had been farming this dungeon¡¯s monsters for their magic stones. It got so popr to the point that the yers began to refer to the term ¡¸grave visiting¡± as excessive hunting in this dungeon. While Mira was busy with reminiscing about that, Zef managed to gather all of the gems lying around in the piles. In total, he found 14 gems. ¡¸I¡¯m thinking, could all this be the work of Alfina?¡¹ ¡¸In these circumstances, who else could have done this?¡¹ ¡¸Then why did they turn to ash? Wasn¡¯t she armed with a sword? Is she able to cast fire spells or something simr?¡¹ ¡¸Unless she¡¯s a high-level sorcerer, she can¡¯t burn thempletely to the point that only ash remains. Yet, there is no trace of such high-level magic being used, so I don¡¯t think she is a sorcerer.¡¹ Fra dismissed Zef¡¯s guess. As Zef mentioned, Alfina had a sword. All the corpses should have received sh wounds, yet the closest thing to corpses they could see were the ash piles scattered here like dust. It¡¯s impossible to burn them to ashes without using a really strong me spell, but when such spells are used, residues after their usage remain. Unable to find such residues, Fra decided that was not the case. Everybody tried to figure out what happened, and after some time they looked at Mira. ¡¸Mira, please give us an answer.¡¹ Zef asked for an exnation with a wink and Mira started to talk. She first stated the reason why she chose Alfina from among her countless summons. ¡¸It¡¯s because her weapon is a magic sword that has been forged out of condensed light. Each time she shes at a fiend, it releases a sh of light that burns them down. Every monster here is undead, so there¡¯s nothing that can stop Alfina.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve never even heard about such swords¡­¡¹ Emera looked at the dust piles around her with sparkling eyes. Half of the reason for her talking the chief of ¨¦cate Carillon into lending her his sword was because she had wanted to try it. Emera had a weakness for any kinds of rare swords. ¡¸I see. I¡¯m amazed that you are able to summon someone with such a weapon.¡¹ Asbar started to respect summoning even more. The conquest of the rank C dungeon, the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, went far easier than Emera expected¡­ perhaps, it was wrong to even call it ¡¸conquest¡¹ now. The greatest danger of the dungeon ¡ª monsters ¡ª had been reduced to mere piles of ashes, which Zef eagerly scavenged. The most adventurer-like thing they had to do was Emera checking the way with the map in rooms that had several exits. ¡¸And for what exactly did we tag along? To loot the magic stones?¡¹ Zef uttered that while he finished gathering the drops. Zef himself didn¡¯t care about it that much, but the leader of the group ¡ª Emera ¡ª felt uneasy. They thought they would be escorting Takuto until they reached the Hall where the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror was located. It was their n, however, Mira had proven to them that she could do it alone. Allowing kids to go into a rank C dungeon alone, where even high-level adventurers were forced to be careful, was out of the question. Now smiling wryly, Emera understood that even after imposing herself on those two with such a reasoning, she hadn¡¯t even gotten a second chance to use her spirit sword yet. ¡¸So, how¡¯s the leeching?¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t remind me of it!¡¹ This had hurt Emera, but she couldn¡¯t say anything to refute it. After that, they advanced into a hall in the center of the third floor. There they spotted thergest pile of ash so far. And the source of that pile of ash was the main fear of Mira, which resulted in her resorting to use summoning, a giant ghoul. And now Zef was looking through those remains, scattering them around. ¡¸Whoa! A magic crystal!¡¹ Zef raised a palm-sized gem he found in the ash up. The members of ¨¦cate Carillon, who didn¡¯t show any concern until now, instantly turned to face him. But that was no wonder. Magic crystals are a terribly rare drop, obtainable only fromrge undead monsters. ¡¸Amazing! Show me, show me!¡¹ ¡¸What, really?¡¹ ¡¸We really got lucky.¡¹ Emera fully recovered upon hearing this and charged at Zef. Asbar gazed at the gem in his hands from far away. As for Fra, though her expression remained the same, her cheeks were flushed. Takuto had no idea what all the fuss was about and just showed a happy smile, trying to match the atmosphere here. And Mira, just being herself, mused about the rarity of this drop as if that wasn¡¯t her problem. A bitter they finally reached their goal, the fifth floor, where the hall containing the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror was located. The scenery around them didn¡¯t change, they couldn¡¯t see a single monster, just piles of ash. However, their numbers and size clearly increased, speaking of Alfina¡¯s valor. Imagining that, Emera and Asbar let out a gasp. Normally, they would have been the one to bear the full brunt of those monsters¡¯ attacks. ¡¸Extermination isplete.¡¹ Alfina was waiting for them in the hall. There were no signs of her getting tired, and not a single scratch showed on her armor. ¡¸Mm-hm, good work. As expected of you, Alfina.¡¹ ¡¸Your words of praise are an honor for me.¡¹ Mira held her hand over Alfina who was kneeling before her. ¡¸You deserve some rest.¡¹ With thatmand, a magic circle enveloped Alfina, turning her figure hazy and eventually got dismissed. This somewhat solemn and respectful sight made everyone only be able to look, unable to interject anything. Just Zeff alone appeared very disappointed. The design of the fifth floor was extremely simple. After going down the stairs and passing through a corridor, they came upon arge square-shaped hall with a passage on each side. Excluding the passage that led to the 4th floor, there were only three other passages. The left one led to a storage room, and the one in front led to the lowest floor. In other words, the Dark Aid¡¯s hall Takuto wanted to visit was the passage to the right. Emera checked with the map and turned right. Zef who was scavenging through the ashes followed the group with a little distance. ¡¸So, it would seem we have arrived.¡¹ They opened a copper door at the end of the passage and arrived at a room which had mysterious paintings on the walls. Mira did not forget this abnormal scenery and stared at the familiar antique seen in the back. Emera and Asbar looked around the room, but there were no monsters or piles of ash lying around. Only a single mirror. ording to Mira¡¯s knowledge, no monsters should appear in this room. Faintly lit up by the light ofnterns, the eerie silhouettes of the mirror made them doubt whether it had any other effect beside showing the deceased. Then suddenly, the door opened behind them along with a loud sound. ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Why are you huddling together over here? Have you found what you were looking for?¡¹ When Zeff caught up with them and called out, Emera twitched, surprised by the sudden sound. ¡¸W-we found it. It¡¯s that, THAT!¡¹ After responding like that, Emera blushed with shame and pointed at the mirror in front. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that great, Takuto? Now you can meet your parents again.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thanks to all your efforts. Thank you very much.¡¹ After confirming the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror, Zeff rejoiced as if it was for himself and put a hand on Takuto¡¯s shoulder. Takuto responded with a smile while shedding tears. ¡¸Come on, go to them.¡¹ Mira released his hand and lightly pushed his back. Takuto took another step and nodded, saying ¡¸Yea!¡¹ and called the names of his parents in front of the mirror. Although it required some connection with the dead or items strongly rted to them, the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror was extremely simple to use ¡ª it was enough to call their names while thinking of them. Recalling the faces of his parents he faintly recalled, Takuto called out towards the mirror. ¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡¸Have they appeared already?¡¹ While everyone watched with their breaths abated, Emera was unable to bear her impatience and asked. However, she was immediately red at by Fra, so she shrugged and stepped aside dejectedly. ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡¸Only he is able to see them?¡¹ Unable to bear the silence, Asbar asked that. But nobody was going to answer, so he could only stare at Takuto¡¯s back. ¡­¡­.. ¡¸Takuto¡­¡¹ The first one to notice the change was Mira. She trotted closer to Takuto and gently brushed his hair. Seeing that, the four wondered what happened and moved forward, but Takuto had raised his voice crying, then clung to Mira seeking warmth. ¡¸Dad¡­ Mom¡­!¡¹ Receiving his tears that gushed forth like a broken dam, Mira gently patted his back. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong? Were saying farewells so sad?¡¹ Hearing those words, Takuto shook his head, then he looked up with teary eyes and responded, ¡¸Dad and mom don¡¯t want to meet me.¡¹ He said and cried again. It seems that he couldn¡¯t meet them. Emera and Fra put their hands on his shoulders and tears could be faintly seen on their discouraged faces. Asbar was flustered because he didn¡¯t know what to do. He opened his item box and tried to find some sweets or drinks. As for Zeff, he stood in front of the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror and stared at it with anticipation. ¡¸Lyrica.¡¹ Zef whispered this name. It was the name of his little sister that passed away earlier due to an illness. Unintentionally, this word left his mouth. ¡­..¡ª¡ª! A pale light appeared in the mirror and in the next moment, a girl was reflected in it. She was about 15-16 years old. She wore a red one-piece and brown hair split into two braids. With a friendly smile, she looked up towards Zef. ¡¸No¡­ way¡­¡¹ Without a doubt, it was his sister Lyrica. She hadn¡¯t aged after dying and was wearing her favorite one-piece and the hair style he remembered so well. The same appearance as the one he hadst seen when she was alive was shown in the mirror. ¡¸Lyrica¡­ Lyrica!¡¹ Zef involuntarily clung to the mirror and called out her name. ¡¸Bro¡­ther?¡¹ The girl in the mirror doubtfully responded to his words. Zef confirmed that she could hear him and all the feelings he held until now exploded. ¡¸Forgive me, Lyrica. I wasn¡¯t able to save you, I¡¯m sorry! If only I had returned home faster, you¡­¡¹ Zef¡¯s voice turned hoarse midway and his apology blurred. Despite that, Zef continued to raise his voice together with the words ¡¸forgive me¡¹ mixed in from time to time. The one to stop Zef while all his emotions were spewing out of him was Lyrica herself. ¡¸Brother, why are you apologizing? Have you done anything wrong?¡¹ ¡¸I¡­ couldn¡¯t save you. If only I had returned home earlier, you would still be alive.¡¹ Zef continued to yell his confession. The only person who knew the circumstances, Asbar, started to walk towards Zef with a scowl. Right at the moment when Asbar was going to say that it wasn¡¯t Zef¡¯s fault, ¡¸It¡¯s not your fault! I died because of a disease. Not because of you! I haven¡¯te here to hear your apologies. I wanted to thank you!¡¹ The girl inside the mirror scolded her crying brother, Zef. She was upset. He apologized for such a stupid reason. And he was still ming himself. ¡¸Brother!¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes!¡¹ Hearing Lyrica¡¯s angry voice, Zef reflexively straightened his posture. Noticing that, Lyrica started smiling. ¡¸Ly¡­ Lyrica?¡¹ ¡¸You haven¡¯t changed at all.¡¹ ¡¸Ehh..a..ahh.¡¹ While Lyrica was still alive, she would scold Zef whenever his mischiefs were going overboard. A lot of time passed since then, yet his body still remembered her voice. ¡¸I died because of an illness. Don¡¯t me yourself.¡¹ ¡¸But, Lyrica,¡¹ ¡¸No buts. I know that you were doing it for me. That¡¯s why I want to thank you. I love you, brother.¡¹ With those words, Lyrica¡¯s image slowly started to blur. It seemed time was up. ¡¸Me too! I love you too!¡¹ Zef yelled to the disappearing shadow of Lyrica. The instant after that, everyone felt like they saw the girl smile faintly. Chapter 27: Mira’s Goal Chapter 27: Mira¡¯s Goal Zef wordlessly moved away from the mirror and closed his eyes, probably donning a face worse than Takuto¡¯s. He may not even be able to answer if anyone called him. Exchanging nces of understanding, everyone chose to let him be the time he needed. ¡¸Well, the mirror does work.¡¹ Mira returns to the original topic as they¡¯ve just proven the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror shows the deceased to the caller. ¡¸In that case, why didn¡¯t it work for Takuto?¡¹ Emera, having in mind how it didn¡¯t work the first time with Takuto, voiced out her concerns. It was made clear that Takuto¡¯s parents didn¡¯t appear as they were all able to see Lyrica when Zef called her while there was nothing at all on the mirror with Takuto. ¡¸Could it be that it didn¡¯t work because he called them both together?¡¹ Starting to build a hypothesis, Fra suggested that the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror may only be able to summon one deceased person at a time and because Takuto called both of his parents, nothing happened. ¡¸It¡¯s not entirely impossible.¡¹ In consideration of that possibility, Asbar looked at Mira and she nodded, gently bringing Takuto back in front of the mirror. ¡¸Now try to call only one of them, either dad or mom.¡¹ Takuto nodded and filled his mind with the image of his mother. ¡¸Mom! Lyne!¡¹ Takuto put all his feelings into this call. ¡­¡­. Yet the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror continued to remain unchanged. ¡¸Dad¡­ Ashley ¡­¡­ father ¡­¡­¡¹ Takuto¡¯s eyes started overflowing with tears as no matter how much he called, nobody appeared. With the thoughts of his parents not wanting to meet him filling his mind, he was ovee with great sorrow. ¡­¡­. ¡¸Hick¡­¡­sob¡­¡­sniffle¡­¡­¡¹ Takuto¡¯s reflection in the mirror, albeit gloomy, still presented a sliver of hope. He thought they¡¯d be able to meet again after his parents left on a journey when he was younger. He kept on living with his grandfather fearing that his memories would fade, especially when the report came saying they died and sank him in despair. When he heard the rumor about there being a mirror that¡¯d allow someone to meet with the deceased, he hoped to see them again but it was all in vain as he spent all this time to get to the mirror and his parents were never reflected. ¡¸Looks like they won¡¯te out¡­¡¹ The moment Takuto heard those words from Asbar, he started to cry. Asbar was flustered when he thought he made him cry while Mira, in panic and unsure of what to do, tried to calm Takuto by embracing him. Takuto managed to calm down thanks to her warmth although tears were still flowing and he couldn¡¯t speak yet. ¡¸I wonder why it didn¡¯t work now.¡¹ Emera inspected the mirror circling all around it, hoping to find anything exining what was happening but there were no traces or hints about what would cause that. ¡¸Doesn¡¯t seem to be because of the one-at-a-time limitation.¡¹ ¡¸And it¡¯s not broken.¡¹ Fra looked at the mirror, touching it while Asbar joined her after recovering from his fluster before. They kept thinking to the fullest, looking at the scratchless smooth surface. Mira was also thinking about it. The Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror was a quest item that allowed one to meet with the deceased, but because the game was now real, it wasn¡¯t bound to the system as it was shown with Lyrica. Then why didn¡¯t Takuto¡¯s parents appear? Is it possible they don¡¯t actually want to meet him? Mira rejected that possibility though, there aren¡¯t any parents who¡¯d do this to their children who want to meet them so much. Then why? Mira came to the simplest and most believable conclusion about it. ¡¸Aren¡¯t they still alive?¡¹ Everyone could only freeze over and slowly look at Mira and Takuto after hearing that possibility. In the first ce, they came to the hall in order to have Takuto meet his parents, or so did the members of ¨¦cate Carillon believed. However, Mira¡¯s guess meant the end of their mission, with that answer resounding deeply in their thoughts. ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right. Didn¡¯t it all start when they were thought dead after five years passed? They may be still alive.¡¹ Fully convinced with that answer, Emera pushed away all her worries and merrily ran up to Takuto. ¡¸Been missing for five years ording to the Union¡¯s rules, that¡¯d indeed exin it all.¡¹ ¡¸There were such rules? Then it¡¯s not like anyone has found and confirmed their bodies.¡¹ It was the first time Fra and Asbar, and even Zef heard anything about that. Emera told them there was a boy who wants to meet his deceased parents, and a newbie rank C girl is going to take him along, so she was worried about them and asked for help. That was all she said. ¡¸Takuto.¡¹ Mira released Takuto from her embrace and looked straight in his eyes. Perhaps sensing her seriousness, he looked back at her. ¡¸Listen carefully, you know that the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror shows deceased people, right? In other words, it doesn¡¯t show anybody who is alive. Have you got it, Takuto? It means your parents may be alive.¡¹ Takuto had already given up all hope to see his parents again, but hearing that they may actually be alive brought back the light in his darkness filled heart, the words resounding deep within. ¡¸But¡­ Grandpa says they are dead, that I should give up.¡¹ Despite hope shining again in his heart, he remembered his grandfather and the five years he¡¯s been raising him for. He had never seen him make that kind of face before when he said that to Takuto and he started sinking once more. ¡¸But people in the Union say they¡¯re missing, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸Then couldn¡¯t it be possible? I mean, nobody actually saw the death of your parents and the mirror doesn¡¯t reflect them either. Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re most likely alive?¡¹ Mira followed up with a gentle smile. ¡¸If they¡¯re alive, you¡¯ll meet them for sure.¡¹ ¡¸So, Lyne and Ashley is it? If I happen to meet them, I¡¯ll tell them about you.¡¹ ¡¸They are alive for sure, the mirror proved it. Isn¡¯t it great,Takuto?¡¹ It looked like Asbar was unexpectedly easily moved to tears as he was holding the corners of his eyes. While Fra wrote on her notepad ¡®To look for Takuto¡¯s parents¡¯. Lastly, leaning over to match Takuto¡¯s height, Emera took out a towel and gently wiped his remaining tears. ¡¸That¡¯s right, boy. You should hope they¡¯re alive. Kids shouldn¡¯t show such a face, smile more. Your dad and mom would prefer it.¡¹ Zef nced at his face while speaking. His eyes were still red, but Takuto was already calming down and tried his best to smile. Zef gently brushed his head. ¡¸Sure, thank¡­ you¡¹ Takuto managed to answer with the best smile they have seen from him, even though he was still sobbing. He was sincerely grateful that everyone chose to apany someone they didn¡¯t know through his selfish desire and take him to such a dangerous ce. Everyone else nodded and brushed his head, epting his gratitude. When the atmosphere calmed a little bit, Mira looked at Zef, remembering something. Whether affected by the current situation or not, he seemed to get over his past trauma. The scene where Zef cried so much shed back in her mind,pletely different to the first impression she had of him. ¡¸By the way, Zef. Are you alright now?¡¹ Everyone turned to Zef as she asked him. Suddenly being turned into the center of attention, Zef nimbly winked and lifted his index finger. ¡¸I¡¯m back!¡¹ He loudly dered. There were some shadows still on his expression but it wasing back to his usual. Knowing about his situation, Asbar was worried about him, but was relieved seeing how he currently was. Zef, voicing out the feelings he kept bottled inside of him managed to regain his usual demeanor. That¡¯s why, with a serene face, he gently bid farewell to his sister, floating in his mind. Mira approached him and tiptoed to reach his head with her right hand. ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Mira?¡¹ Her hand touched Zef¡¯s head amidst his confusion. ¡¸I¡¯m d for you too. I have no idea what exactly happened, but it seems your heart is now clear.¡¹ Zef¡¯s mask broke due to her actions and feeling sincerely relieved, he muttered a ¡¸thank you¡¹ quiet enough that only Mira heard it. For a while, Zef let Mira spoil him. She obviously looked younger than him, yet he felt some motherliness hidden in her. ¡¸Well, the task is over, how about returning?¡¹ Emera found the right moment to say that after they ate lunch in the hall since monsters do not appear here. ¡¸Ah, the oue was unexpected, isn¡¯t it a happy end?¡¹ ¡¸For Takuto it¡¯s just the beginning I guess.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I will work hard to be an adventurer like you all, and then I will look for dad and mom myself!¡¹ Zef became his usual self and Fra gently grinned while Takuto happily proimed his future ns. ¡¸Speaking of unexpected, so was your case, lolicon. I wondered what to do about you, but I¡¯m relieved you¡¯re past that now.¡¹ ¡¸What? I think I just heard a super unexpected worde at me. Was I just hearing things?!¡¹ ¡¸Asbar, it looks like you already knew about Zef. I had no idea! I am the vice-captain yet I don¡¯t understand the worries of the members!¡¹ From the impression of Mira cheering Zef up, Asbar used an appropriate word to make a new nickname for him. Zef tried to argue but inwardly shrugging it off, his protest quickly came to an end. On the other hand, Emera was really worried about hercking skills as the vice-leader. Nobody cared about that though, nobody ever thought a vice-leader should have a grasp of the sorrows of the party members. ¡¸What an amusing bunch¡­¡¹ Themotion made her put on a wry face, yet it felt somewhat pleasant. ¡¸Well, since you are already going to return, can¡¯t you bring Takuto along? I still have some business on the 6th floor.¡¹ Mira thought at first toe back the next day after bringing Takuto back. However, with so many party members with her and the monsters all dealt with, there shouldn¡¯t be any danger so she could leave Takuto in their care and wrap up everything today. ¡¸Speaking of that, your pass to the Ancient Temple started everything.¡¹ Emera recalled the order of events. Takuto begged Mira to take him along into the Ancient Temple because she herself started mumbling about the pass. It meant that bringing Takuto to the Dark Aid¡¯s hall wasn¡¯t her goal, and she had another reason toe here. ¡¸What, missy, you had business to do on the 6th floor?¡¹ ¡¸The 6th floor? I heard that only a castle stands there, and that even monsters don¡¯t appear. There is nothing there.¡¹ ¡¸I heard that too. Thousands of people came here, but nobody found anything on the 6th floor.¡¹ As Fra and Zef said, the 6th floor was a bit special in this dungeon. Instead of the usual scenery there was till the 5th floor, the stairs ran along the walls and led to a vast underground space where there stood arge castle surrounded by ake. But, that wasn¡¯t the most peculiar about the 6th floor. The problem was its reason for existence. There was none, however. The only thing that seemed like it would have a meaning, the castle,cked any interior designs nor did it have any furnishings. Far from that, rooms did not even have doors and all ces that looked like they could have treasure were all open and empty. No treasures, no monsters, no events. A self-proimed archaeologist yer examined every corner of the castle just toe to the conclusion its existence was meaningless. However, Mira had business in such a ce. Zef had no idea what she could want in that empty ce. ¡¸It seems interesting so I¡¯m going with you.¡¹ Expressing his wish to tag along, everyone¡¯s gazes quickly pierced him. ¡¸I knew it, you¡¯re a loli¡­¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t remember him being like that.¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t give Mira to you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m not!¡¹ Zef nearly screamed, but his voice did not reach anyone¡¯s heart. ¡¸You all saw it, right. Mira¡¯s ability. I¡¯m just curious about the business that she has, I was thinking there might be something there, that¡¯s all. I have absolutely no feelings I need to be guilty of.¡¹ After making such excuses for about 10 minutes, Zef managed to make them half-believe him and it was true that they were curious about Mira themselves. Since Mira wanted to go to the 6th floor, something might be there, such an expectation was born in their hearts. ¡¸So, Mira, how do you feel about us going together?¡¹ Emera sought Mira¡¯s agreement while she was busy drinking and eating in a corner of the room with Takuto. ¡¸Fine then. I don¡¯t exactly know what is ahead and want you all to return, but¡­ Well, it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡¹ She was going to meet one of the nine Wisemen, Soul Howl of The Great Wall. Considering his nature, his hobbies weren¡¯t exactly good and at the worst, it could cause them trauma, but after thinking about it once, she concluded that in case any problems arose, she could just have them on stand-by. Mira herself came to enjoy being with them and thought that it wasn¡¯t that bad to stay together with them for a little bit longer. Although Soul Howl had terrible hobbies, he definitely wouldn¡¯t go as far as assaulting people. The difference here is that when someone would make a haunted house with various gimmicks in it, he would make one where real corpses are hanging from above. Mira opened the door to the 6th floor. From this point on, monsters no longer appeared and after walking past the passage, they would arrive at the 6th floor. A while after they walked through the passage, they reached the upper part of the underground cave. Most of the cave¡¯s floor was raw bedrock, and by the shore on the right there were stairs carved from the rock itself. However, these stairs did not look too reliable despite being quite wide. ¡¸Woohyoo! So that¡¯s how it looks like.¡¹ Zef timidly peeked inside. The 6th floor was illuminated by countless crystals shining on the dome-shaped walls. Mira ceased her spell light and the rest of the party extinguished the fire in theirnterns. ¡¸Well, well, I wonder how he¡¯s doing.¡¹ Muttering to herself, Mira took Takuto¡¯s left hand and proceeded downstairs. ¡¸S-¡­so hiiigh~~¡­¡¹ ¡¸It certainly is high.¡¹ ¡¸The leader would probably faint in here.¡¹ After Emera took a little peek down, she followed Mira, sticking to the wall. Asbar already put on a wry smile but quickly regained hisposure and started descending the stairs. Fra knew a concept magic that reduced falling speed so instead of faltering, she had spare time to worry for the leader of the ¨¦cate Carillon. Zef was fine with the height and was primarily busy teasing Emera. Chapter 28: Necromancy Chapter 28: Necromancy ¡¸I hope you are ready!¡¹ ¡¸Does it look like I am!?¡¹ The second she descended to the 6th floor and got her feet on solid ground, Emera went to punch Zef with a fiendish look. It was the oue of his non-stop teasing until now. Though Emera wasn¡¯t exactly acrophobic, she just somewhat disliked high ces. ¡¸They sure are noisy¡­¡¹ Mira nced over them with a wry smile and moved her eyes to the center of the area, where a giant castle towered before them. There was no ce that fit Soul Howl better than this castle. Mira knew that with a single nce. ¡¸Fine, let¡¯s leave them alone and head to the castle.¡¹ Saying that to the rest of the members, she started walking on the rocky ground. It was rugged, but couldn¡¯t stop her progress. ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡¹ Agreeing with Mira, Asbar loudly hailed the pair who were noisily ying tag near theke. Judging by the asional screams, it wasn¡¯t clear if they heard him. Now that they were closer, the sight of the enormous castle overwhelmed Asbar and Fra. Contrary to them, Takuto was looking around with gleaming eyes ¡¸Although there isn¡¯t much else here, this in itself is something worth seeing.¡¹ A cold lump of stone in the shape of a castle. It was enormous, despite the walls having no visible joints. If only it was on the surface instead of in the depths of amonly farmed dungeon, it could have be a famous tourist spot. Though it could just as easily be a hideout for a group of thieves. Mira entered the castle through the open gates. Arge staircase stretched in front of her, shining crystals set into the walls. They were the only thing decorating the unadorned corridors. ¡¸Well then, can you all wait for me here? The rest is kind of confidential.¡¹ She couldn¡¯t take them any further. There was no way she could let any adventurer know that she was about to meet one of the Wisemen under the order of the king. Another reason was because she could not find the golems she expected to be guarding the castle, considering Soul Howl¡¯s personality. The title ¡ºGreat Wall¡» was not just for show, the entrance of the castle could be considered too narrow for them. And since the sixth floor did not seem dangerous, she decided to part with them here. ¡¸Hmm, confidential?¡¹ Asbar wondered what this was about, but didn¡¯t want to ask directly. Fra was the same, although in a different way, as she descended into her delusions about Mira¡¯s secrets. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but I will leave Takuto to you..¡¹ With that Mira ced Takuto¡¯s palm in Fra¡¯s hands. Most likely thanks to that, Fra was able to hold herself back despite being on the verge of going berserk. ¡¸Yeah, no problem.¡¹ ¡¸Take care, Big Sis Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ After gently patting Takuto¡¯s head, Mira ascended the stairs. After seeing her off, Asbar and Fra decided that they could freely roam the first floor, since her secret business was upstairs. Mira immediately began to look for a room with a certain facility. She hurriedly peeked through the doorless entrances and found it in the sixth room. She entered the room and looked at the stone chair that had a hole in its center. It looked simr in shape to a Japanese-style toilet. ¡¸Hmm¡­ This should work.¡¹ Inside the room with no doors, Mira lowered her underwear and raised her skirt as she crouched. Looking to the side she could see the long corridor, so if someone was here, she would immediately be in the line of sight. While still nervous, Mira finally let out a sigh of relief. After finishing, she promptly took toilet paper from her item box. Through a lesson learned with regards to poisonous flowers, Mira had made sure to carefully stock the paper. Lastly, due to theck of a flush, she used concept magic to flush the toilet in its ce. Wiping her washed hands against the hem of her robe, Mira used the Sage skill, ¡¾Life Sensing¡¿ to try and locate her objective. But it did not detect anybody except the three people downstairs. Life Sensing had limits and its sensitivity dropped the further away the target is from the caster. Furthermore, as one of the Nine Wisemen, Soul Howl could very easily hide from her so it did not necessarily mean he was not here. Mira headed up to thest floor. She considered calling out to him, but changed her mind because the people downstairs could hear. Calling him names like ¡¸Expert on Zombie Chicks¡¹, ¡¸Afterlife Pervert¡¹, ¡¸Battle Gentleman¡¹ was an option too but it could ruin both their reputations instead so Mira decided to search manually. After getting to the top floor Mira cast ¡¾Life Sensing¡¿ again just to be sure. ¡¸Oh, this reaction.¡¹ There was an extremely weak response. However, it was so weak it would have gone unnoticed if she was not paying attention. Only after getting closer did she manage to feel it. It was so fragile it seemed like it would disappear at any moment. Nobody except for Soul Howl could possibly be in such a ce. Carefully hiding her presence, Mira started getting closer to it and since she was here, she decided she was going to surprise him. The ce where the response originated was in therge hall on the top floor. The throne room. Mira pressed herself against the wall outside to the throne room and carefully peeked in to find the perfect moment. ¡¸What in the world?¡¹ Mira, who expected to find him surrounded by zombie maids, was greeted by an unfathomable sight. The almost insane state the throne room was in made her take a small step back. Like a concert hall, there were countless chairs lined up facing the throne. Mira approached one of them and brought her face closer as if to peek in. ¡¸Are they not functioning?¡¹ Mira touched the cheek of the woman in a maid uniform that sat in the chair. Cold, no trace of life or warmth. Closed eyes, closed lips, none of it carried any emotions, she was simply there. ¡¸It seems like his fetish has gotten even worse.¡¹ Mira scanned the surroundings while being slightly disgusted. Women with both western and eastern features dressed in a variety of maid uniforms upied all the chairs in the room. The embalming was done perfectly, as expected of Soul Howl. However, all of them were dead and could not have been detected with Life Sensing. Mira concentrated again and felt the response further ahead, from the direction of the throne. There Mira found a very different existence. Two thrones side by side. Mira¡¯s eyes were drawn to a woman sitting on the queen¡¯s one. She was a pretty woman with ephemeral but distinct facial features, dressed in a beautiful and elegant dress. Her long indigo hair reached down to the waist; her skin was too white, even pale. She looked to be about 17-18 years old. Mira stood as she looked at her face with fascination. She sat with closed eyes, her lips forming a smile. Mira tried to call out to her but, despite having a life response, this woman showed no signs of life. Confused, Mira reached for her hand but instantly pulled away as soon as she touched her skin. ¡¸She¡¯s frozen¡­¡¹ The skin of this woman was cold as ice. ¡¸Soul Howl, where are you?!¡¹ Unable to understand anything anymore, Mira reluctantly called out to him. However, a dozen seconds passed, another dozen, but there was no answer. Mira gave up and went to look for clues herself. She started looking in a room behind the thrones and fortunately got what she wanted. This room was filled with papers scattered everywhere. Encyclopedias and manuscripts were piled up on a desk in the middle of the room, and there were countless hastily-written notes on the pieces of paper scattered on top of the table. Thinking it could be used as a clue, Mira took some of the papers to examine. ¡¸Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree?¡¹ Mira whispered the answer she got from examining the papers and piled up documents. The Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. It was capable of recovering any and all debuffs upon use, heal any wounds, and making death itself irrelevant, removing even the death penalty. Furthermore, it was a legendary item considered to be one of the ultimate defenses against the archenemy of the human race, devils. However, there was no word of anybody actually obtaining this artifact. Thus, amongst yers it was rumored to be an unimplemented item; nobody knew even if it was a drop item or a treasure from some dungeon. The Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree existed only in the lore. (Why would he research such a thing?) While it surely had exceptional effects, the situation where one of the Nine Wiseman would be forced to use such a thing would barely ever happen. Then why? While Mira was contemting it, the frozen woman she saw earlier shed in her mind. She returned to the throne room and thoroughly examined this woman from the head to toe. Feeling a little guilty, Mira calmed herself saying that it was all for finding the truth. ¡¸Nothing here?¡¹ The examination finished with Mira being unable to find anything special so she started considering other possibilities. But when Mira looked at the woman again, one thing came to mind. Since the woman was sitting, Mira has not checked her back. Mira carefully and slowly tilted the woman bit by bit to reveal a red stain on her back. The stain spread across her dress. But it was not blood. It wasposed of symbols and shapes lined around a six-pointed star with the letters ¡®XV¡¯ in the center. Those symbols were familiar to Mira. The weird circle engraved on her back was a seal. It was known as the curse of theherworld or the blessing of a devil and meant only one thing: an unquestionable death. There was previously an event called ¡®The Shadow of the ck Wings¡¯. It was set around saving a knight marked with a simr seal, but he ultimately died. Every yer knew about this event since it was the premise for the first sh with the devil race. Mira could clearly recall that due to the impression it left on her. These memories were connected to the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Soul Howl wanted to remove this seal with the power of the chalice. Since this seal existed exclusively for the event, no spells or potions could dispel it. If a yer was asked for the one thing that had the possibility of removing it, any of them would respond with the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Mira herself also concluded that nothing else could work. She looked at the woman again. Despite being frozen, she was alive since she had a life response. Mira had no knowledge of such a spell but it should definitely be one of the necromancy skills. Thirty years have passed so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if somebody had found a spell with a simr effect. And Soul Howl probably stopped her time while she was still alive and left to look for a way to help her. ¡¸Still, for a living woman huh¡­ Perhaps he has changed a little too.¡¹ Remembering the obsessed-about-undead-girls Soul Howl, Mira bowed to the woman on the throne and left the throne room. The mission target was not in the underground cemetery but she had found traces of him. She looked around the castle, collected materials that could be clues in her item box, and returned to the first floor where everybody was waiting for her. At the castle entrance, Emera and Fra were huddled together with pale faces and Asbar¡¯s face also didn¡¯t have the best color. Zef and Takuto, who were ying cards, noticed Mira descending the stairs and waved her over. ¡¸What happened here?¡¹ Called by Mira, Emera and Fra turned their empty gazes to her. ¡¸Really, what¡¯s wrong?¡¹ With a bit of a wry smile Mira looked away from them, and immediately after, received Takuto who rushed at her ¡¸Wee back, Big Sis Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Were you a good boy?¡¹ ¡¸Yup!¡¹ Takuto nodded with a full-face grin. Saying ¡¸Really?¡¹ Mira patted his head. ¡¸Mira¡­ nothing¡­ special¡­ is supposed to be here¡­ right?¡¹ Emera, unable to hold it in anymore, clung onto Mira, disregarding the age difference. ¡¸Wait, what exactly had happened?¡¹ ¡¸Dead maids¡­ a lot of dead maids¡­¡¹ Emera voiced the situation while Mira was trying to make some guesses. It seems they found maids simr to ones in the throne room. Moreover, a lot of them. ¡¸You don¡¯t need to worry. It¡¯s just necromancy.¡¹ ¡¸You mean this necromancer lives here?¡¹ Still sitting, Asbar turned to face Mira. Also looking for the answer, Fra who was sitting nearby lifted her head too. ¡¸There is evidence that he was here, but it looks like he isn¡¯t right now.¡¹ ¡¸Judging by your words, could it be that your errand had something to do with this necromancer?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. But there is no reason to worry. His hobbies are as bad as you saw but he¡¯s a good guy.¡¹ Despite her words, it was absolutely mindblowing for them. Generally speaking, necromancy does not deal with corpses. It deals primarily with souls. And necromancers can attach this soul, an energy chunk containing pure force, to a golem or corpse. Also, necromancy was officially recognized as one of the nine masteries. So the people of this world didn¡¯t really think of it as some inhuman, immoral, or heartless skill. That said, it did have a dark and eerie image. After Mira exined to them it was just necromancy, Emera, Fra, and Asbar quit digging deeper. ¡¸Necromancy¡­ I wonder if I can use it¡­¡¹ Impressed by the beautiful maids, Zef half-seriously muttered that. ¡¸For now, let¡¯s eat. I¡¯m hungry.¡¹ Stroking his stomach, Zef sat down. ¡¸Hmm. Sure.¡¹ Hearing him, Mira noticed she got hungry as well and agreed. The rest of the members half-heartedly agreed too and started to take the food and utensils from their item boxes. ¡¸Hey, vice-captain, you too.¡¹ ¡¸Haah¡­ It would have been better if we hadn¡¯t actually found anything here.¡¹ Emera muttered with a sigh when Zef called her. They finished lunch and were resting with tea. With all the shopping they did the other day, the lunch made by Emera and Fra was good. And as for dessert, the apple pie from Mira got good responses. Everybody¡¯s mood brightened up. ¡¸This ce is really cozy for some reason. Even though it¡¯s a dungeon.¡¹ ¡¸Speaking of that, we¡¯re still inside of a dungeon aren¡¯t we.¡¹ ¡¸Oh yea, we are. How do I say it, I wonder what¡¯s up with this ce?¡¹ Hearing Zef¡¯s words, Fra and Asbar too, had once again grown conscious that this was a dungeon and asked the same question. However, there was no one who knew that. Mira did not know what meaning was there behind this ce either. ¡¸All right, my business here is done. Let¡¯s go back.¡¹ Mira drank the remaining tea all at once, then acting just the opposite of Zef who was lying aroundzily, she stood up. Mira more or less achieved her goal here. She could not meet Soul Howl, but instead, she acquired hints regarding his possible destination ¡¸Sure, let¡¯s return. No matter how safe it is, we¡¯re still on thest floor of a dungeon.¡¹ After cleaning up from lunch, Emera readjusted the sword on her waist. ¡¸Riiight.¡¹ ¡¸True. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸And up we go.¡¹ Along with Emera¡¯s words, other members also stood up and started to confirm their weapons while groaning and stretching themselves to loosen their bodies. Takuto stood up and hastily reserved his spot beside Mira. After leaving the white castle, they proceeded toward the stairs to the upper floors. Just as on their way here, the way was lit by the light of crystals so they could clearly see the way. ¡¸Wait, it feels like there¡¯s somebody over there?¡¹ With those words, Zef stopped and stared at theke. The round-shapedke looked like it was gouged out from solid rock with a spoon. It was a truly mystical sight to behold, what with theke glittering by reflecting the light of crystals back up. ¡¸Are you sure? As long as monsters don¡¯t appear here, even the curious adventurers won¡¯t bothering down here.¡¹ Asbar said while looking at theke. The swaying light on theke surface could actually be mistaken for somebody when seen with peripheral vision. Zef himself started to believe it, but his face stiffened at Mira¡¯s next words. ¡¸No, something is really there.¡¹ Mira immediately looked around theke with ¡¾Life Sensing¡¿. Putting his personality aside, Zef was still a scout, that¡¯s why Mira checked the slight possibility and confirmed it. ¡¸Hey hey, what the hell is there in a ce like this?¡¹ ¡¸What do you mean by something, there are no monsters in here, right?¡¹ Asbar tightly gripped hisrge hammer, Emera unsheathed her sword and turned towards theke. The skill ¡¾Life Sensing¡¿ was capable of detecting life signal but couldn¡¯t tell exactly what it was, it only identified if there was something alive or not. Emera and others grew nervous due to the abnormal presence. If it was something that had an ill will, they could not show their backs to it. To confirm it, Asbar and Emera took a step towards theke, and at that moment¡ª¡ª ¡¸Wha¡ª!¡¹ Arge water pir arose from theke. A pitch-ck shadow thrust out of the pir lit by crystal¡¯s light andnded in front of them. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ What the hell¡­¡¹ ¡¸Impossible¡­ why in a ce like this?!¡¹ Asbar and Emera raised their voices in response to the identity of the shadow. It waspletely ck. Although it had physique simr to that of a human, its surface felt inorganic and shiny ck ws extended from its four fingers. The face looked like a noh mask and had no nose, just eyes and mouth twisted creepily. Finally, the most characteristic parts were its twisted horns, as well as the bat-like wings extending from its back. The creature that appeared in front of them looked like the ones that threw this world into chaos 10 years ago. ¡¸It can¡¯t be¡­ A devil¡­¡¹ ¡¸They were supposed to be exterminated 10 years ago¡­¡¹ Zef¡¯s eyes were filled with shock as he muttered. Fra too gaped at the ck creature in front of her. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this. Why is there a Devil here?¡¹ Devils, the absolute enemy of mankind. The Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries was a war against the demon army led by devils with the survival of mankind at stake. And it was believed that humankind won the war and eliminated the devils. However, in front of their eyes was without any doubt, one of the devils. For just an instant, the seal on the woman seen in the castle appeared in the back of Mira¡¯s head. Maybe this Devil had something to do with that. However, since the details of the seal werepletely unknown, there was no way to prove this possibility. Devils were known to be extraordinary creatures, unlike normal monsters. Thus, in the game, they appear only on the missions concerning the Three Gods Countries. Each one had a court rank, and the weakest one was a baron of third rank who had strength equal to a yer who just climbed up high enough to be considered high-ranked. Mira immediately summoned the Holy Knight and charged him with Takuto¡¯s protection. She then pushed his back with a word of warning, ¡¸Takuto, go hide in the castle.¡¹ Takuto probably felt the tension filling the air and with a light nod went to the castle along with the white knight. ¡¸To think I would meet humans in such a ce, how fortuitous of me. You shall be a splendid offering.¡¹ At the same time a muffled voice sounded as if spoken inside water, arge scythe had appeared in the Devil¡¯s hand. Seeing the obvious hostility, Emera and Asbar frowned. ¡¸Damn!! He wants a fight after all!¡¹ With a frustrated voice, Zef pulled out his dagger and took a low stance behind Emera and Asbar. Fra started to prepare a spell behind them. In such a situation, Mira calmly inspected the devil. Since it was totally unheard of to meet a devil in such a ce, she checked his strength. It was a natural habit of any yer. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Earl of third rank, huh. Guys, can you fight him?¡¹ From the bottom up to the Devil¡¯s ranks, there were baron, viscount and earl. Each one further divided into three ranks. Unless something had changed, at the very least it required a party of six high-ranked adventurers to beat an earl of third rank. Asbar had already seen devils like the one before them. Once, when he had just be an adventurer, ck clouds covered the sky and a swarm of devils rained down from it. Even now he could clearly recall it. Adventurers being trampled over, among them were people Asbar looked up to. Now, was he stronger than those adventurers back then? After thinking up to that point, Asbar shook his head to shake off this question he posed to himself. In any case, there was no escape. ¡¸If you mean to match him, it¡¯s straight down impossible. At best we could buy some time.¡¹ Asbar answered with a bitter look while keeping an eye on the devil. Then, he suddenly recalled the sight of heroes sweeping Devils from the town, the backs of those who possessed power beyond humans. ¡¸Hmm, I see.¡¹ Looking at the distorted faces of Asbar and Emera, Mira realized that the four members of the ¨¦cate Carillon were no match for this enemy. (Have I fought seriously ever since I came to this world?) When this was still just a game, she had beaten devils up to the Duke of 3rd rank. But at that time, she still had the proper equipment and medicine prepared. Right now, however, she had yet to get used to reality and had given some of her equipment to Cleos, so there were reasons for concern. She was full of anxiousness. Having little experience inbat in this reality-turned world, she had yet to resolve herself to fight battles with her life at stake. Mira herself thought of slowly getting used to this world. How much could her skills reach, how would this new body respond. She nned to take time to investigate it. What Mira had now, was the experience and skill she had gathered up when it was a game, just the knowledge. Based on this alone, the Devil in front was not an opponent strong enough to be wary of. ¡¸Step down, guys. I will fight.¡¹ She said in a low, powerful voice and stood in front of the two. Although they knew each other for a short time, there was no doubt Emera and others were good-natured people. If she acted like usual, she could protect herrades. Wishing for that strongly, Mira resolved herself. Chapter 29: Wiseman vs Devil Chapter 29: Wiseman vs Devil ¡¸But Little Mira, you¡¯re going to fight against a devil. We know you¡¯re strong, indeed¡­ but still!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. At least let us buy you some time to summon Alfina.¡¹ Emera held her breath while Asbar tightly grasped his hammer and told that to Mira who was going to fight the devil. But Mira said without giving them a nce: ¡¸I doubt there will be enough time for that!¡¹ Then she summoned a Dark Knight before her. A high-pitched metallic sound instantly rang out. The next moment, Emera and Asbar saw the Dark Knight holding back the devil¡¯s scythe with its sword. ¡¸He just¡­¡¹ Asbar was drenched in cold sweat. Emera, unable to react in time, could only lift her sword after it happened. This sh clearly demonstrated the gap in strength with the devil. ¡¸Step away already!¡¹ Once again, Mira warned the members of the ¨¦cate Carillon. ¡¸But then¡­¡¹ As adults, not only Emera, but Asbar as well couldn¡¯t just leave all the fighting against the devil to a little girl. However, the enemy was out of their league and even if they tried to distract him by buying some time for everybody to escape, judging by that strike, they probably wouldn¡¯t evenst a couple of seconds. ¡¸You two, let¡¯s retreat back to the castle!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s better than staying here.¡¹ While Asbar and Emera hesitated, someone called them from behind. When they turned back, Fra waved at them, looking impatient. However, when they tried to argue, Fra shouted: ¡¸We¡¯re getting in the way here!¡¹ She saw it. The magic power rising from Mira, overpowering even the enormous amount of energy the devil released. At her words, Emera and Asbar looked at Mira again. Her small back that seemed sorge told them that Fra was right. ¡¸Sorry, Miss. We are leaving it to you!¡¹ ¡¸Mira, run away if it looks like you won¡¯t be able to win. We¡¯ll somehow hold him back!¡¹ With that they joined Fra and Zef and ran to the castle. At that time Asbar felt that her back, though still small, reminded him of the heroes he once saw. ¡¸Guess I¡¯m just seeing things,¡¹ Asbar muttered and convinced himself that he just got taken in by the atmosphere, so he rejected that thought. ¡¸No matter where you run, mere humans can¡¯t get away from me.¡¹ Revealing a smirk, he shed his weapon against the Dark Knight¡¯s while jumping away. He didn¡¯t put all his strength into the blow, but it was enough to make him recognize the Dark Knight, who stopped it, as a worthy opponent. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with the greetings, strong one. I am Wolfton Bane. A third-rank Earl from the Valnares Soul Hunting Knights.¡¹ This time the devil kept his distance from Mira without looking away and deliberately gave a formal greeting. Despite being a devil, Wolfton was a knight who held a sense of pride and nobility. That said, a devil¡¯s sense of pride wasn¡¯t epted by humans since it was inhuman and cruel. ¡¸My name is Mira. I¡¯m a summoner, as you can see.¡¹ Mira, pointing at the Dark Knight with her eyes, then faced Wolfton to return the greeting. ¡¸Hahahahaha, a summoner. Then it will be over after I cut down this knight.¡¹ Without finishing the conversation, Wolfton kicked the ground and jumped, putting gravity and his own weight into a blow against the Dark Knight. This time, there was a dull metallic ng and the sound of something breaking. The Dark Knight parried the blow by lifting its sword, but the ground couldn¡¯t withstand the force and copsed under its feet. The Knight lost its bnce and Wolfton wasn¡¯t going to miss this opportunity. As hended on his feet, Wolfton made a half-turn, his scythe soared and sharply pierced the Dark Knight¡¯s body, sending it flying. ¡¸Hehehehe! Is that all?¡¹ Wolfton kept rotating, his face expressing pure joy. His scythe closed in on the girl like the de of an executioner. But the only thing his dark de pierced was a single rock. The girl who stood there a moment ago vanished from his eyes. ¡¸Where did she go?!¡¹ ¡¾Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Refined Impact¡¿ Wolfton¡¯s head was spinning, his face deformed with a crack and his huge body taking off to the sky. The moment Wolfton turned away, Mira sneaked under his chest and hit him with a Sage Art. A powerful multyered shockwave was unleashed into the stomach of the careless Wolfton and brought him down. (Hmm. That was so-so.) Checking effects of the blow, Mira lightly gripped her fist. The feeling she got while fighting was almost the same as before. Her reach became shorter, but she could just take half a step further. And with her smaller body, concealing herself in the shadows became a lot easier. That¡¯s what Mira learned from the first hit. What Mira was worrying about the most, was the difference in physiques. The air resistance and wind pressure. But even though it changed, it wasn¡¯t enough to hinder her movements. Moreover, she could feel the presence and flow of the air with her five senses, which caused her intuition to give very sensitive reactions. The very basis of Mira¡¯s strength were the many and varied techniques that she has acquired andpiled together to turn into strength, as well as the experience and skills she had gathered. And what made her gather all those factors, was nothing else but Ark Earth Online itself. That game was realistic to the point ofckingmon sense, and had a world that was affected by yers to an impossible extent. From the beginning, experienced martial artists or karate champions could already keep up with mid level monsters or yers. Therefore, it was a system that not only made people stronger, but also improved their real skills as well. In fact, there was a powerful warrior who fought monsters in-game with his fists turning from aplete amateur into a high ranker in the national karate tournament. Although he eventually lost due to hisck of physical strength. That¡¯s why Mira who was good at close range fights as a Sage Art fighter also had world-ss fighting skills, discounting herck of muscles. Indeed, it was more than enough. Just by doing it the same way as always, she could fight the devil. Mira took another deep breath and changed her thoughts. She remembered how she did it in game and was applying it to the fight. ¡¸You wrench, what did you do?!¡¹ Wolfton angrily yelled at Mira after he twisted his body in the air andnded. ¡¸I just gently touched you. Why are you so angry, brat?¡¹ As Mira casually said that, she felt like she returned to her time as Dunbalf. When her pleasantplexion changed to a fearless smile, mes erupted from the scythe to demonstrate Wolfton¡¯s anger as he charged at her. ¡¸Lass, don¡¯t underestimate me!¡¹ Mira just kept dodging the burning scythe swings with her footwork, sidestepping left and right. She felt uneasy at the beginning, but her movements kept her at a safe distance and she gradually gained the upper hand. She had the skill that had permeated her body and the experience that backed it up, both of which turned into her strength. As she regained her posture, Mira kept dodging the scythe with the minimum movements and naturally made use of Wolfton¡¯s openings to punch him. After enduring all her weak hits, Wolftonpletely lost himself. That wasn¡¯t strange. His opponent was a petite child and to add to that, a woman. His noble devil¡¯s pride did not allow him to lose in 1-on-1bat to a human who they considered to be an inferior race. With a loud roar, he twisted the scythe and released a sh with all his might. Mira effortlessly avoided it, causing the great scythe to pierce the ground and scattering crimson sparks. Retaining her momentum, she changed her stance and moved around the devil to kick the back of his knees. Wolfton lost his bnce and Mira was able to run up his defenseless back to hold his horned head with her right hand. ¡¾Sage Art ¨C Earth: Crimson Grasp¡¿ Mira concentrated her mind and released raging mes that wrapped around his head. ¡¸AHHH!¡¹ Wolfton¡¯s eyes were filled with madness after he managed to get up from rolling on the ground, covering his burnt head. ¡¸Hmm. I had a feeling these simple attacks wouldn¡¯t work.¡¹ No matter how many punches she exchanged with the devil, due to his tough skin, Mira felt like she barely even hit him. On the contrary, her fist was red and throbbed with pain. However, this was just natural as she had passed her equipment for closebat strengthening to Cleos, so her own physical strength wasn¡¯t much different from your typical mage. Most of the Sage Arts were affected by one¡¯s physique, though Mira couldpensate a lot of it with her magic power. Still, having low muscle strength made her attack power to be lower than expected. Originally, the battle style of Sage Art users disyed its true worth bybining closebat with Sage Arts. Mira was going to use this fight as a martial arts practice. But now her punches didn¡¯t work so there was no reason to try any further. Also, thanks to her high magic power, she could actually do damage. ¡¾Secret Sage Art: True Eyes¡¿ Mirapletely regained her sense forbat she had as Dunbalf and used a secret Sage Art to awaken her true eyes. She shortly closed her eyes and after opening them again, her pupils had an even purer shade of blue, as clear as the sky. Upon activation, she received buffs to all stats and a bonus to her Sage Arts. Mira¡¯s magic power skyrocketed even further and reached the eyes of Fra, who watched over the fight from the castle. Fra reflexively copsed, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of magic power she never felt before. ¡¸What happened, Fra?¡¹ Said Emera as she reached out to Fra who suddenly copsed. ¡¸Thanks. It¡¯s just¡­ the atmosphere around Mira has changed. It became stronger¡­ and deeper.¡¹ Everybody there silently gasped upon hearing her words. The fight between Mira and the devil became even fiercer. Still angered, Wolfton returned to his senses. He d both of his arms with ck mes as he attacked in waves with his ming scythe. When the scythe was swung down and Mira avoided it, the ck mes burst to pursue her. ¡¾Sage Art ¨C Earth: Wind d¡¿ To counter the ck me, Mira wrapped her hands in wind and repelled the ck mes that had pursued her before slipping in beneath the Devil to deliver a palm heel strike. Immediately after that, the power of wind she was d in was released to create a storm of turbulent whirlwinds and vacuum that blew Wolfton several steps away. ¡¸Nu~o~o~o???!¡¹ However, ignoring the damage, Wolfton swung his scythe upwards. His wound was shallow enough to not affect his movements. He sharply cut through the storm, leaving a trail of mes right before Mira. But Wolfton wasn¡¯t finished yet. He reached out with his other hand, attacking directly with the ck me. ¡¸Huh! You aren¡¯t half bad, brat!¡¹ Mira crossed her arms and received the attack with her winds while staring at Wolfton with her clear blue eyes. ¡¸How much are you going to mock me,ss?!¡¹ Wolfton shouted in anger and leaped backwards. His magic power immediately swelled and proportionally to that, the ck me on his arms had covered his entire body before gushing forth towards the ceiling. ¡¸Forget about souvenirs. I¡¯ll burn you right here!¡¹ Wolfton roared and dashed towards Mira, d in a jet ck me. But with her true eye, Mira could clearly see the fast approaching devil who had enough speed to smash through the bedrock. ¡¸Turn into ashes!¡¹ The ck ming scythe approached her, but Mira shouted: ¡¸I refuse!¡¹ ¡¾Sage Art Step: Ground Shrink¡¿ Without any preparations, Mira instantly moved below his chest and punched him with ¡¾Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Refined Impact¡¿. ¡¸Wha..!?¡¹ The ck mes scattered and Wolfton took off to the skies. Though with an anguished expression, he quickly repositioned himself using his wings. The damage itself wasn¡¯t so bad. His body, strong as expected from a devil of his rank, allowed him to be confident in his defense. The average devil, however, wouldn¡¯t even be able to move after receiving all of these attacks. ¡¸Lass¡­ how did you do that?!¡¹ Even though the attacks barely worked, he couldn¡¯t stay calm when a human child was ying with him like that. Wolfton ground his teeth while staring toward the ground. But what he saw there for a moment made him shiver. ¡¾Sage Art Step: Sky Stride¡¿ Mira closed in on him as if she was climbing stairs. ¡¸Curse you!¡¹ He had no time to take a swing. Wolfton took the handle of his scythe and promptlyshed out to drive her away. But Mira jumped even higher to avoid his desperate strike and looked down on him, touching his head from an upside-down position. Although her skirt was lifted up and everything from her thighs to her belly could be seen, Mira did not care about that in the least as she concentrated her consciousness on her hand. ¡¸How about this?¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­.!¡¹ ¡¾Sage Arts ¨C Earth: Furious Grasp¡¿ A lump of energy formed inside her palm, then she released it as a raging shockwave that rampaged to blow Wolfton¡¯s head away. This overly violent force threw Wolfton, who was unable to stay in the air, to the ground below. The rock crumbled with a loud noise and a momentter Miranded on the ground. Her pupils were focused on the ck devil crawling out of the rubble. ¡¸Who would have thought there would be a human like you.¡¹ Even after receiving two strikes of high-powered close range Sage Arts, the devil didn¡¯t show any signs of significant damage. His sturdiness clearly was abnormal. (I didn¡¯t know such tough devils existed.) However, Mira still didn¡¯t show any concern and fixed her eyes on the devil. ¡¸But it doesn¡¯t work! I can¡¯t even feel it! These weak attacks can¡¯t do anything to my trained body!¡¹ Wolfton dered to keep up his willpower. The Sage Arts themselves indeed worked to some extent, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make him worry about his body. ¡¸It was a good match, but it¡¯s about time to end it, brat.¡¹ ¡¾Hidden Sage Art: Magic Eye Release¡¿ With these words, Mira activated a skill that dyed her right eye ck and changed her pupil to a golden color. The change in her now magic-filled eye made it seem like an ominous moon shining in the pitch-ck night. And under the gaze of that eye, Wolfton felt like her gaze alone could pierce him. He unconsciously shivered, feeling the superiority of the girl in front of him. (Impossible¡­ Me feeling fear¡­. It can¡¯t be!) ¡¸YOU IMPUDENT LOWLY HUMAAAAAANNNnn!¡¹ Wolfton yelled and pointed at Mira with all of his ck mes concentrated on the scythe. However, the instant after that, the scythe suddenly slipped out of his hands and Wolfton noticed an abnormality with his body. (This is¡­nghh¡­paralysis!? Impudent, impudent!) ¡¾Eye Sage Art: Evil Paralyzing Gaze¡¿ A high-ss Sage Art that paralyzes the opponent you¡¯re focused on and furthermore crushes him from the inside. The condition is to keep the magic eye¡¯s gaze on your opponent for a specific amount of time. That was the reason Miranded some distance away to keep him inside her field of vision. ¡¸Nuooooooh!¡¹ ¡¸As expected from a devil. I can¡¯t keep it up long enough.¡¹ From his fingers, to his arms and shoulders, the paralysis gradually left Wolfton. Devils as a whole have a high resistance to status effects. He was paralyzed despite that just due to the sheer amount of magic power Mira possessed. Of course, Mira was aware of that. Her aim was not the damage to his internal organsbined with the paralysis. She just wanted to buy some time. No matter how much Mira dominated him, dealing with that excessive toughness was hard. It would take quite a lot of time to break his armor with her own strength. ¡¸However, it¡¯s already over.¡¹ The next moment Wolfton felt a dreadful presence behind him. But the paralysis was not over yet, so he could only grind his teeth when a jet ck de suddenly pierced his chest along with drops of a ck liquid. ¡¸Guohh¡­ Impossible!¡¹ Blood spouted from Wolfton¡¯s mouth and he turned around despite the paralysis affecting him, showing a look of confusion on his face. The ck knight that he thought he had defeated at the beginning stared at him with deep red eyes. Although Mira¡¯s fists couldn¡¯t deliver any effective blows, her Dark Knight¡¯s de was sharp enough. Still, due to the hardness of Wolfton¡¯s body, it was necessary for the ck knight to gather strength for an attack to pierce him. That was the reason for using paralysis. ¡¸Why¡­ when did he¡­?¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way my Dark Knight would fall that easily.¡¹ Mira calmly approached him. Her steps were small but each of those steps engraved her assured victory into the ground. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to be defeated¡­ like this.¡¹ ¡¸Haven¡¯t I told you already? I am a summoner.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­ indeed.¡¹ Standing in front of Wolfton, Mira gazed at him with her true eye and her magic eye. Looking at those eyes, Wolfton faintly smiled. His face showed contentment that he fought a true warrior and lost. The Dark Knight pulled out the great sword and poised it to the side. ¡¸¡­Splendid¡­¡¹ With thesest words, Wolfton¡¯s head was beheaded by the ck knight, spraying ck liquid into the air. The ck body fell to the ground, and beside it was Wolfton¡¯s head, looking up to the heavens with a satisfied smile. Chapter 30: Proof of Strength Chapter 30: Proof of Strength ¡¸What strength¡­¡¹ Asbar, who had seen the whole fight between Mira and the devil from the castle, muttered unconsciously. The others also didn¡¯t know what to say upon witnessing that her strength was in another dimension. ¡¸Amazing, Big Sis Mira! That¡¯s so cool!¡¹ Except for Takuto. Gazing in adoration at Mira who had won the battle against the devil, he ran up to her. Upon seeing the Holy Knight follow Takuto and faithfully fulfilling his orders, the members of ¨¦cate Carillon returned to themselves and dashed to Mira. ¡¸I want to be as strong as Big Sis Mira too!¡¹ About the time they reunited with Mira, Takuto said that with shining eyes. ¡¸Ohh, I see. As long as you hold onto those feelings, you can surely be strong.¡¹ While getting praised by this innocent child, Mira started grinning and stroking Takuto¡¯s head. Not a single trace of the ominous magic eye remained, as her eyes had returned to their usual color. By now her figure had nothing inmon with when she fought the devil, she looked exactly like a girl her age should. At first the guild members were taken aback, but they were curious about the spectacle that unfolded before them. After all, they had just witnessed Mira¡¯s crazy disy of her strength which could even overwhelm the legendary enemy of humanity, the devil. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what to say, but anyway, thank you, Mira. You saved us all.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, who knows what would have happened if it had been alone.¡¹ ¡¸I haven¡¯t done anything worth the praise. After all, I am the one who dragged you all into this.¡¹ Emera firmly believed Mira saved their lives, but Mira originally nned toe here alone. And that means she dragged everybody into a battle with the devil that happened to be here, so she rejected the gratitude by shaking her head. ¡¸Putting that aside, Mira is he strong. Is your strength rted to your instant promotion to rank C?¡¹ Suddenly Zef voiced the real question that everyone was thinking about, without any warning. Even though everybody wanted to know it, Asbar and Fra assumed there were some circumstances that made her keep it a secret, so they were very much astonished and stared at Zef. The one under their gazes looked at Mira. He had no idea about her circumstances, but was sure she wasn¡¯t a bad person. It was only intuition, but usually Zef¡¯s judgement of a person was urate. And not only Zef but also the rest of the party saw how Mira had been taking care of Takuto. Mira who stood next to Takuto was a nice big sister and her grown-up manner of speaking was really adorable. ¡¸Hmm, sure¡­ I guess telling you can¡¯t hurt¡­¡¹ After pondering about Zef¡¯s words and considering the talk with the chief of the magician¡¯s guild, Mira concluded that they would find out anyway. And in that case, instead of inventing excuses when they start to ask for details, she could just tell them the excuse she¡¯s been using up until now, which should save her time and would be consistent. Because she¡¯s the pupil of a hero, the devil was not a match for her. Really, it should convince anybody who knows about the valor of Danbulf. ¡¸Then¡­ the reason why Mira is so strong is¡­?¡¹ As expected from her, or perhaps disying a natural reaction, Emera as the most curious of them fixedly stared at Mira¡¯s face, waiting for her to continue. Feeling the beauty¡¯s gaze left Mira disturbed and confused. ¡¸Erm, yeah¡­ Do you all know a person named Danbulf? I¡¯m his pupil. Thus, I¡¯m going on errands instead of the master who can¡¯t move around due to certain reasons.¡¹ Together with the exnation of her strength, she hinted at the reason why she¡¯s here, since they would probably ask that anyway. She thought that even if somebody would ask for details after hearing that she¡¯s here instead of one of the Nine Wisemen, she could just tell it¡¯s confidential. Mira was preparing herself for the reaction, but that reaction was unexpectedly in. ¡¸A pupil of Danbulf¡­. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so strong.¡¹ ¡¸The wiseman with an alias of the ¡ºOne Man Army¡»¡­ And you¡¯re his pupil? I see.¡¹ Emera and Asbar, seemingly convinced, readily swallowed her answer. A battle of unbelievable scale had unfolded in front of them. And the traces of it could still be seen all around. Considering that power, it could easily be one of the Nine Wisemen, a legendary adventurer or the suprememander of the Three Initial Countries. They would rather doubt any other exnation for Mira¡¯s strength, since that would not have been convincing. After all, considering what they saw with their own eyes, they had no reason to doubt it and even if they tried, that doubt itself couldn¡¯t exin anything. Therefore, rather than thinking about her rtion to Danbulf, they just took her words as truth. ¡¸A pupil of Danbulf¡­a Wiseman.¡¹ Contrary to Emera and Asbar, who calmly epted that exnation, Fra repeated those words over and over. Fra had seen that overwhelming strength with her own eyes, so she barely doubted it. She even had some premonitions of that before the fight with the devil. But, unlike Emera and Asbar, Fra was a magician and knew that such a thing never happened before. None of the Nine Wisemen took in any pupils at all. All the magicians at the Silver Towers were only researchers and, while they could ask the wisemen to teach them something, that was the most they could do. Not disciples, nor even students. And obviously there was nobody who got all the skills through private training with any of them, as far as she heard. Before the Nine Wisemen disappeared, there were no rumors about pupils, and the only one who had returned, Luminaria, definitely didn¡¯t have any pupils too. Keeping in mind that she couldn¡¯t exin her strength otherwise, Fra started considering the existence of the first pupil of the wiseman in history. ¡¸That¡¯s cool! Of course, I know. Even I¡¯ve heard of that name. And you are a pupil of such a famous man. Little Mira, you¡¯re so cool!¡¹ As the most carefree of them, Zef showed his admiration with gestures. Then, further contributing to the fuss, he added while staring at the Holy Knight who stood at the side: ¡¸Looking at him again, that dignity is something!¡¹ For Zef, the fact Mira defeated a devil and thus saved them all mattered more than whose pupil she was. And Mira definitely was really strong. Just that. In a good sense, he couldn¡¯t read the atmosphere. As for Takuto, he knew who Danbulf was, but that knowledge was only limited to the ¡°hero of tales and picture books¡±. Compared to that, Mira was a hero right in front of him that defeated the devil and his eyes shone in awe when he looked at her. Mira, anticipating questions, prepared for answers like ¡¸Yeah¡¹ or ¡¸No¡¹ but it wasn¡¯t needed, so she happily took her rest without having to exin further. She was expecting questions because, to begin with, the Nine Wisemen still counted as missing. And anybody could im to be the students of someone famous with unknown status. But everybody here epted her story without even considering that or asking for any form of proof. For Mira¡¯s viewpoint, it was strange, but for the rest it was the only usible exnation of her strength. After all, her strength was that aberrant. ¡¸Strange, you all believe me so easily.¡¹ Disappointed, Mira finally said that. ¡¸Eh? You lied!?¡¹ Just having calmed down with that exnation, Emera started to urge Mira again, getting too close to her. ¡¸No, I didn¡¯t. Also, you¡¯re too close.¡¹ Mira slightly shook her head and averted her eyes. Her face began to redden. ¡¸I mean, my master is missing now. And nobody wonders about that.¡¹ ¡¸AH, I see.¡¹ Emera nodded in understanding. ¡¸There are some theories about their disappearance, of course. They could have gone to the demon realm,or have killed each other in an epic discord, or even have been called to heavens by some god. But those are just jokes popr among some people. For everyone else, the Wisemen are hiding somewhere in this world, far away from worldly affairs. And the appearance of a pupil isn¡¯t that strange now that three decades have passed since then.¡¹ She wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that. As she finished, Asbar, ncing Mira from head to tiptoes, said ¡¸And also, miss, your fighting style exactly matches one from stories my father told me about the Wisemen.¡¹ Following that he started to grin. For him this was the main reason to believe Mira¡¯s story. ¡¸My father too often told such stories!¡¹ ¡¸And mine too. Right after he noticed that I had the potential to be a magician, he often read me stories about the Nine Wisemen.¡¹ ¡¸Well, of course he would. Rather, I don¡¯t think anybody born in this country hasn¡¯t heard about them.¡¹ Following Asbar, the other three agreed and started to recall those stories. They were very simr to Mira¡¯s fight. ¡¸Stories?¡¹ As Mira tilted her head, Emera began recounting the details. They were talking about stories themed on the Nine Wisemen, very popr among the entire Alkite kingdom, young or old. And in those sagas, Danbulf was depicted as a hero able to control a thousand of summons, but among them one story was the most popr. That story told about how he mastered both the summoning and sage skills, a practice mostly unheard of for a summoner as they don¡¯t normally engage in closebat and let their summons fight. Danbulf dashing headlong intobat with his summons. Every child loved that story. Thatmon knowledge from childhood led them all to outright believe Mira¡¯s story. ¡¸I had no idea such stories were around¡­¡¹ Emera briefly, yet passionately retold the content of the stories. Takuto got excited as well, and due to him cheering ¡¸Cool, cool¡¹ Emera got a little side-tracked. ¡¸Mira, that¡¯s only just the prologue! The saga about your teacher, Danbulf, isn¡¯t over yet!¡¹ Getting more and more caught up in the moment, Emera swung her fist up. Immediately after, Fra used a hard part of her stick to smack it into Emera¡¯s belly. ¡¸Emera, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s return first. I don¡¯t want to dy the report about the appearance of a devil.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­. you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s return¡­¡¹ Crouching and holding her belly, Emera answered in a muffled voice. When she got up unsteadily, some tears appeared in her eyes. ¡¸I was the one who asked, I should have stopped her in the middle of exnation.¡¹ Mira spoke up for Emera, thinking that Emera wouldn¡¯t have to suffer if she had stopped her earlier. ¡¸Not at all, Mira! You shouldn¡¯t worry since it¡¯s Emera¡¯s fault!¡¹ ¡¸Oohh!?¡¹ Fra raised her voice so much that it almost seemed to break when she pulled Mira into her embrace. At the same time, she put her face in Mira¡¯s breasts and started to rub against them while breathing heavily, which obviously in turn led to her falling to the ground after receiving a chop from Emera. She reaped what she sowed. Right before Fra copsed, Emera snatched Mira from her and put her back down on the ground. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry about her.¡¹ ¡¸She was normal just a moment ago¡­¡¹ ¡¸Perhaps she lost control of herself as soon as she started to rx.¡¹ ¡¸How troublesome.¡¹ Saying that, they watched Fra writhing while happily rolling around the ground and shouting ¡¸She was sooo fluffy!¡¹ ¡¸Such a disappointment.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s one of Fra¡¯s charms too.¡¹ Asbar sighed and Zef argued back, justifying everything with beauty. ¡¸Still, you can use both Summoning and Sage skills just like Danbulf did, right? That was amazing.¡¹ As Fra wasing to her senses, Emera began her passionate speech. Indeed, it was Danbulf¡¯sbat style, deviating from thebat used by any other decent summoner. ¡¸Sage, huh¡­ you quickly disappeared and then reappeared. It was so cool.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing special.¡¹ ¡¸I too couldn¡¯t follow her with my eyes from time to time. Can all the Sage fighters do such insane movements?¡¹ ¡¸No idea about others. But it¡¯s nothing special.¡¹ ¡¸And you ran in mid-air too, right? We have some Sage fighters in the guild, but I don¡¯t think any one of them can do that.¡¹ ¡¸The Sky Stride is amon Sage skill. It¡¯s nothing special.¡¹ Mira was a highly skilled Sage fighter too, and coupled with the splendid visuals it seemed like a supernatural spectacle. The actual battle was way more intense than in those stories. And the vivid scenes of course had been engraved into their minds. ¡¸Sages are amazing!¡¹ An excited Emera said, voicing everyone¡¯s thoughts. Along with her words, the members of ¨¦cate Carillon changed their minds about the Sage mastery. The pupil of a wiseman, while being a summoner, could do so much with the Sage skill. And those Sage skills overwhelmed the devil. Of course they were fascinated. ¡¸¡­What did¡­you say?¡¹ She had nned to show off the power of her summoner skills, but in the end only the Sage was judged. Mira gazed into space as she tried to find where she had gone astray. ¡¸Hey, isn¡¯t that stuff pretty nice?¡¹ While Mira was hoping to be able to recover the reputation of summoning on their way back, Zef called out to them from afar. When everybody turned to look at him, they saw the remains of the devil and his weapon by Zef¡¯s feet. ¡¸Nevertheless, he got done in quite bad.¡¹ Asbar said that while tracing the scars all over the devil¡¯s body. He lightly hit it with the back of his hand and gasped at the unbelievably robust armor. He wasn¡¯t sure whether his full swing would be able to leave even a single scratch on it. With the same feelings Emera put her hand on the hilt of her sword and swore to herself she would double her training starting from today. Reflected in her eyes was a scenery that seemed to belong to another world, urging her to improve until one day she would be able to fight on the same level. Contrary to the group that was surrounding the body in admiration, Takuto hid behind Mira¡¯s back as soon as he saw the devil. Mira gently stroked his head, repeatedly saying ¡¸Don¡¯t worry¡¹. ¡¸So, about this stuff. It¡¯s a bit too heavy to carry for me.¡¹ Struggling, Zef lifted the scythe with both hands and carried it to Asbar. Receiving it, Asbar¡¯s face instantly distorted. ¡¸Woah¡­ It¡¯s really quite heavy!¡¹ With those words, he grabbed the scythe with both hands and made arge swing. Along with a high-pitched metallic sound, the de pierced the ground. ¡¸How is it? Think you can you handle it?¡¹ ¡¸This one is too heavy for me. And I never used a scythe before. To begin with, this scythe belongs to the miss who defeated the devil. Well, she doesn¡¯t seem to need any weapon at all, but it should at least yield quite a price if sold.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. And there are magic stones and magic crystals too. Mira got quite a haul. Can I get one tenth as payment for collecting items?¡¹ Zef made a joke while smiling. Aside from the first few ghouls they killed, everything else had been defeated by Mira and so those items belonged to her. Zeff also knew it, and no other member would say anything about it. But Mira was different. ¡¸What? Usually such stuff is evenly divided. Since I¡¯m bad at math, I leave that to you.¡¹ Her words rendered the minds of the members of ¨¦cate Carillonpletely nk. The gathered magic stones and the devil¡¯s weapon, even without estimating anything, it was clear that this would yield quite a fortune. And everybody here thought of Mira as the owner. But the owner herself told them to split it as if that was the most obvious thing to do. It wasmon among adventurers to split the loot after defeating monsters together, but after learning of Mira¡¯s strength, they all didn¡¯t have any doubts they had only been tagging along with her. ¡¸But, it was your summon that defeated them.¡¹ ¡¸Aren¡¯t we a party though?¡¹ Puzzled, Mira looked at Emera who had tried to exin the situation. Mira wanted to do it this way from the beginning, because it was ingrained in her asmon sense of a yer. And, since Mira disliked disputes about drop items, she always thought that splitting them evenly between all party members would be the most ideal approach during party battles. While looking at each other, both Mira and Emera tilted their heads. Takuto joined them with that, without knowing what they were talking about. ¡¸Being so generous is another great side of Mira!¡¹ With those words Fra jumped at Mira and hugged her, prompting Mira to demand Emera to stop her with an annoyed nce. Emera showed a bitter smile as she dropped another chop on Fra once again. ¡¸Mira definitelycks allmon sense.¡¹ ¡¸I agree.¡¹ Asbar gave a big nod to a half-amazed yet gently smiling Emera. ¡¸After all, I¡¯m not short on money.¡¹ If necessary, she could just ask Solomon for more. ¡¸Well, she is staying at the Summer Lantern inn, so it must be true.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, right, you mentioned something like that.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes, I did. And I¡¯m kinda envious that she doesn¡¯tck any money.¡¹ Emera, with a distant look in her eyes, recalled the best inn of Requiem City of Caranach. They had visited the Summer Lantern Inn only once, as a victory celebration. They had eaten a lot of borated dishes and enjoyed the clearly different interior and furnishings, notparable to that of cheaper inns. Emera started to recall the night she spent there with her friends, feeling like a princess. Asbar and Zef also thought back on that time, but the first thing that came to their minds was Emera¡¯s smiling face thatsted all night long. Apparently, Emera hadn¡¯t noticed that due to her feeling as if she were a princess, her expression had ckened back then. ¡¸Err, are you really sure about that?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. Also, if you have someone in your guild that is able to use that scythe, you can give it to them.¡¹ She wasn¡¯t able to equip it, but since it was still a rare weapon it would be a waste to not give it to somebody who could wield it . That was yet another unspoken rule back from when she was a yer. When a piece of equipment dropped, it would go to the one who had the highestpatibility with it. Mira had always done so and had no intention to change that now. Mira¡¯s words once again caused everyone to be surprised. Emera was dumbfounded, Asbar smiled wryly and Zef startedughing. And Fra, who had only just recovered from Emera¡¯s chop, tilted her head, shooting a confused look at the different reactions. ¡¸We haven¡¯t appraised it yet, so we don¡¯t know the exact amount, but even just that thing alone is worth a fortune you know?¡¹ ¡¸Equipment is best given to those that can use it, even more so if it is someone you know. Since I don¡¯t have any use for it, do you have anyone in your guild that might be able to use it?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s too heavy for me, but there is a Darkness Knight in our guild and he should be able to use it, I guess.¡¹ Asbar said, not understanding why she would give a first-ss weapon used by a devil to someone who wasn¡¯t even here. ¡¸Ohh, a Darkness Knight. In that case it should be okay to give it to him.¡¹ ¡¸No, wait. It would be a great addition for our guild but we can¡¯t just ept that. This is to much.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. I am grateful for your proposal, Mira, but, you know, we can¡¯t feelfortable receiving it like this.¡¹ No wonder Emera and Asbar hesitated. It was one thing that adventurers were very careful about money, but this case was on another level. Mira had no need for the scythe, and was not very troubled when ites to money either. Additionally, she couldn¡¯t get herself to like the idea of selling it. After all, she was also worried that the scythe might end up in the hands of a bad person. And if you give such a powerful weapon to a viin, the damage would be disastrous. It¡¯s possible that her loot would be used for something bad. That¡¯s why she believed passing it on to Emera¡¯s guild would be the best. They hadn¡¯t been together for long, but she could already tell that everyone in that party was without a doubt a good person. That they hade here because they had been worried about a child was more of a prove than anything else. And since their guild was famous, it should be easy to trace what they were doing. ¡¸As for me, I don¡¯t want it to end up in the hands of a bad person if I get bad luck when selling it. Thus, I¡¯d have less to worry about if it ends up in the hands of a trustworthy person, don¡¯t you think so too?¡¹ Mira said so and turned her gaze from the great scythe to Emera. Receiving that look, although astonished, Emera¡¯s expression had gradually changed to a bright one. She responded to the trust that could be felt in those words. ¡¸I got it! I will take care of it!¡¹ After saying this, Emera held Mira¡¯s hand and they looked at each other with eyes containing a strong will. ¡¸Are you serious? Missy got a point there, but we only just met her today!¡¹ ¡¸Well, he¡¯s right. I mean, you know, this is way too fast, right?¡¹ ¡¸I won¡¯t do anything that would betray Mira¡¯s trust.¡¹ Fra said without hesitation. In contrast, Asbar and Zef were happy too, but still chose to say something reasonable. They were thinking about Mira¡¯s future, but she herself was perfectly aware about it. ¡¸If something happens, I¡¯lle and take it back myself.¡¹ Mira smiled daringly, forcing the members of ¨¦cate Carillon to ept her proposal. Chapter 31: Return Trip Chapter 31: Return Trip ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll keep it until we get back to the guild.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, take it please.¡¹ Emera used the Concept Magic: Itemization to the scythe and stored it into her item box. ¡¸Whoa, it barely fit in.¡¹ ¡¸Not surprised considering that weight.¡¹ Looking over the remaining capacity, Emera was baffled by how little she had left. The Operator¡¯s bracelets,mon among adventurers, were lent by the union. Their capacity depended on the items that were stored inside and of course therger the item, the more capacity it took. Emera¡¯s bracelet held up to 200 kg and coupled with the things that were already in there, the scythe almost exceeded the capacity. Asbar held the scythe before and he wasn¡¯t surprised by that, knowing how heavy it was. Mira was still confused since there was no capacity limit back when it was a game. ¡¸What, you have maximum capacity on your bracelets?¡¹ Mira looked at Emera¡¯s bracelet. It had almost the same design as her own, maybe a bitrger. ¡¸Yours don¡¯t have any, Mira?!¡¹ ¡¸SERIOUSLY?!¡¹ ¡¸You can put in all you want?!¡¹ Zef joined the conversation after Emera and Asbar. Since he casually gathered drops, the bottomless item box was a dream for him. Being showered with questions, Mira opened her inventory from all the pressure. At a nce it seemed to be filled with many small things, nothing particrly heavy, everything bundled up would weigh just about a hundred kilograms. Even in the case of there being a limit unlike in the game, she hadn¡¯t reached it yet. ¡¸Let¡¯s see, there aren¡¯t that many things to tell.¡¹ Mira answered with that possibility in mind. Emera¡¯s party calmed down, remembering she became an adventurer recently and thus didn¡¯t have much equipment in the first ce. However, Fra still found a point of rebuttal. ¡¸When you got it from the union, they should¡¯ve exined about the limit I believe¡­¡¹ Everyone was in agreement to her thoughts. ¡¸She¡¯s right. Haven¡¯t they told you?¡¹ Despite being directly asked by Emera, Mira still had her own operation terminal from the game era instead of an operator¡¯s bracelet managed by the guild. Obviously nobody told her about it. ¡¸Ahh¡­ you know¡­ I¡¯ve got it from my master. He never told me anything except how to use it.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Fine then.¡¹ Everyone was convinced by the setting of being a disciple. ¡¸Even then, what¡¯d happen if you reached the limit at the worst moment? Why don¡¯t we confirm it now?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. Let¡¯s check it.¡¹ Mira agreed with Fra¡¯s suggestion and thought about putting in lots of things when she returned to the Arkite¡¯s castle. Mira picked up the scythe, putting it into her item box to confirm that it fits and returned it to Emera. Around the time they finished checking the item box, Zef noticed something was happening. ¡¸Whoa!? Look, it¡¯s on fire!¡¹ Everybody turned around to witness the devil¡¯s body engulfed in dark mes. ¡¸What happened? Have you done something!?¡¹ Asbar rushed forward, stopping next to the fire and asked Zef. ¡¸No, I did nothing. It suddenly started.¡¹ Shaking his head, Zef could only stare at the me, fascinated by theplete eradication of the devil when the fire suddenly rose in front of them. ¡¸There¡¯s no need for concern, these are thest moments of a devil.¡¹ With a reassuring expression, Mira exined to them that after a certain time after their defeat, devils perish engulfed in ck mes and once the fire goes out, what remains¡­ ¡¸Hmm. There¡¯s something still there.¡¹ Zef cautiously poked the leftover ck remnants. When a devil dies, the mes of the underworld dwelling within them burns everything to ashes and only the most resilient parts can withstand through it. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think there¡¯d be this much left.¡¹ epting Mira¡¯s words, Zeff decided that was just how Devils were and started to collect Devil¡¯s materials. Once they wrapped up everything, everyone walked back upstairs. The monsters didn¡¯t respawn yet so they didn¡¯t have any troubles on the way back to the first floor. Except for Zef, the rest of the group took deep breaths of fresh air once they walked out through the barrier. ¡¸Haa¡ª! The moment when you leave the dungeon is the best.¡¹ Emera took a deep breath while stretching herself. They weren¡¯t technically outside yet as this was the ritual hall of the dungeon serving as the entrance but the air was much fresher and cleaner than the stale dark dungeon. As Asbar and Frica rxed, Zef muttered ¡®It hurts¡¯ while holding his hands against the palm marks on both of his cheeks. He teased Emera again as they went upstairs from the sixth floor. Takuto silently watched Mira standing next to him with great respect and strong will dwelling in his eyes. ¡¸We actually managed to finish much earlier than expected, let¡¯s return before sunset.¡¹ Emera concluded the dungeon delving with herst words, looking at the crimson light peeking through the openings of the temple of the slowly setting sun. The walk from the temple to the city took twenty minutes. The original n was to make camp somewhere in the middle floors but with Mira¡¯s excellent performance, it ended very fast, leaving the whole array of provisions and medicines in the item boxespletely unneeded. Parting from the temple and leaving the row of statues behind, they took a forest road on the way back. With an early owl letting a faint sound far in the distance, the group were walking through the forest when a sudden gust of wind passed through, followed by a ck cat seemingly chasing that wind.1 ¡¸Mira has white¡­!¡¹ Fra¡¯s eyes were drawn to Mira¡¯s rolled up skirt due to the wind, even ignoring her own robe. Despite the wind taking them by surprise, Fra captured a nce of Mira¡¯s in white panties and drew closer to Mira. With a shiver, she hid behind Asbar and threw a nce at Emera, implying her to ¡®Do something about her¡¯. With a silent understanding nod, Emera sighed together with a trained head chop on Fra. ¡¸She doesn¡¯t mean bad, you know?¡¹ She still cared about herpanion enough to exin her intentions, though it was still met with Mira¡¯s shaking head, making a point that her intentions and whatnot wasn¡¯t the problem here. ¡¸Err¡­¡¹ While Emera dragged Fra back with her, Takuto softly spoke, looking at Mira. ¡¸Hmm, what? Did something happen to you?¡¹ Mira asked Takuto, looking at him from behind Asbar and after a moment of hesitation, he looked back at her. ¡¸Before that wind blew I saw a woman. She looked like she¡¯s chased by somebody and I got worried.¡¹ Mira eximed ¡®Whoa¡¯ as he said that. ¡¸Takuto, have you seen that?¡¹ ¡¸Ye, yes. Ermm, it was a woman that had a hair simr to Alfina¡¯s.¡¹ ¡¸Well, well. It seems like you have some magic qualities. The one who passed before us was a wind spirit.¡¹ Right before the st of wind, a wind spirit actually passed across the group. For this reason, Fra predicted this wind gust and locked her eyes on Mira¡¯s skirt, aplete waste of talent. ¡¸Me¡­a magician¡­¡¹ Takuto was delighted all around, repeating her words. He admired Mira and owed her so much, now he had a chance to be a spellcaster like her, he was excited at the news. ¡¸In any case, it seems a ck cat chased her but why?¡¹ Mira put a hand on her chin and fumbled through her memories as she said that but she couldn¡¯t think about any creature other than elemental eaters. And since they always looked like actual monsters, it was hard to mistake them for a ck cat. While Mira was in her thoughts, the trees to the right shook and the wind spirit appeared again. The moment she saw her, Mira stepped in and caught the ck cat behind the spirit. ¡¸Hmm, what¡¯s that¡­¡¹ This cat was lighter than it appeared. It meowed, looking up to Mira as if it was trying to tell her something. ¡¸Oh my, I feel some magic from this cat.¡¹ Havinge back to life, Fra said so while taking a look at the cat in her hands. Mira inspected the cat to confirm her words. ¡¸This one¡­ is a shikigami?¡¹ The words ¡ºShikigami: Nyanmaru¡» appeared over the ck cat. Shikigami arepanions controlled by onmyoji masters and they exist in a lot of forms, from the usual animals to fantasy creatures. ¡¸Still¡­this one¡­¡¹ The meowing ck cat was wriggling in her hands, trying to push her away with its paws. Cute. Keeping in mind that everybody was looking at her, Mira held herself back just before breaking into a smile, but the cat¡¯s cuteness wasn¡¯t going to stop and Mira didn¡¯t notice that Fra, who pretended to look at the cat in the hands, was actually staring at her chest. ¡¸Hey¡­¡¹ With a gentle whirl of wind, a whisper of a girl tickled their ears and at the same time, the cat twisted its body with a meow, slipped out of Mira¡¯s hands and dashed behind her. ¡¸Ah¡­ She returned.¡¹ Takuto gasped, noticing her presence while Mira was busy wryly smiling at Fra again for doing her things, still staring at her chest while ignoring the cat, she then turned back towards the wind spirit. ¡¸Wha..what are you going to do with the cat!?¡¹ The wind spirit peeked from the tree shadows and cautiously asked Mira and Fra while keeping Nyanmaru in her embrace. They were first confused due to thinking the ck cat was chasing her but it all became clear afterward: they both knew each other and were on good terms. ¡¸Eh¡­ We don¡¯t mean harm to the cat.¡¹ ¡¸Then¡­ It means¡­ you came to bully me, right!?¡¹ With a sudden scream from the wind spirit, the air around them began to rustle and a small whirlwind surrounded everybody. ¡¸Hey, what¡¯s that? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ ¡¸Mira and Fra! Did something happen!?¡¹ Since Emera, Asbar and the rest of the warriors couldn¡¯t see spirits, they didn¡¯t know who Mira was speaking to, but feeling that the whirlwind was raging dangerously strong, they grouped together, getting themselves ready. ¡¸Apparently the wind spirit thinks we¡¯re bullying this cat.¡¹ ¡¸Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re in trouble?¡¹ Fra talked in a calm tone but Zef became nervous about it. ¡¸Can you wait for a moment? I thought Nyanmaru was chasing you and I held him to make him stop.¡¹ Mira started exining after showing the cat was fine, still calmly looking at the wind spirit¡¯s chest. Spirits were usually friendly to people and didn¡¯t refuse to talk. ¡¸Did you say Nyanmaru?¡¹ The spirit inclined her head, confirming part of Mira¡¯s words. ¡¸It¡¯s the name of this shikigami¡­ You didn¡¯t know?¡­¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹ Mira introduced everyone and exined everything about the situation, the part about thinking that the wind spirit was being attacked by the cat, holding him to help and the cat¡¯s name being Nyanmaru. It seemed like the cat and the spirit had been ying tag. ¡¸Ahh¡­well, that¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸No, I should apologize since I wedged myself in without knowing the circumstances.¡¹ While Mira was continuing her exnation, the whirlwind slowly faded off and as she ended, the wind spirit apologized, holding Nyanmaru in her hands. Mira apologized too and they sincerely smiled at each other. ¡¸So this cat¡­ Nyanmaru is actually a shikigami.¡¹ ¡¸Nyaaun.¡¹ ¡¸By the way, do you know the owner of this shikigami?¡¹ ¡¸No, I met Nyanmaru when scary people attacked me. It became dangerous but Nyanmaru saved me and I don¡¯t think there were any onmyoji¡¯s around. Since then, Nyanmaru sometimes shows around to y but I never saw his owner.¡¹ The speech of the wind spirit was expressive, she disyed fear when she spoke of how she was saved there was a sparkle in her eyes. Mira wryly smiled at the overacted expressions and pointed out something that seemed out of ce. ¡¸Hmm, if there was no spellcaster nearby then this means Nyanmaru is an autonomous shikigami. Still, you said some people attacked you?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. When I was bathing in moonlight at the bank of ake, they suddenly surrounded me. They were scary looking armed people and I got startled and ran through the woods when Nyanmaru jumped in and drove the scary people away.¡¹ ¡¸Attacking a spirit, what a scum¡¯s deed!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, indeed.¡¹ Fra was fuming after hearing the story as for spellcasters like her, spirits were very important existences, she couldn¡¯t hide her anger towards people that¡¯d harm spirits. For the rest of the group, although they didn¡¯t really know what was happening, they understood Fra¡¯s view and remarked as it was unusual for her to have such a reaction outside of being because of a cute girl. Spirits of nature like the wind spirit were unlike monsters in the sense that they wouldn¡¯t hurt people unprovoked, in fact all the opposite, they were known as very kind creatures willing to help anyone in trouble and providing various blessings. Killing any one of them only causes the wrath of all the spirits and no rare items would be dropped either. Though that was all just in the game, now in reality she wasn¡¯t sure there was anything she didn¡¯t know. Thinking about what could possibly be valuable enough to go as far as hurting spirits, Mira felt a deep hatred for human greed. ¡¸I am very grateful to Nyanmaru. Also, this is something I heard from a friend, but apparently ourrades are being assaulted all over and kidnapped.¡¹ ¡¸Are there other groups attacking spirits?¡¹ ¡¸It seems so. I was lucky to be saved by Nyanmaru, but they¡­¡¹ The wind spirit tightly hugged Nyanmaru with trembling arms. Her face was full of sorrow and praying for the safety of her friends. (If it happens in many ces, then it must be some scum who makes a living by hunting Spirits, or doing of someone who uses them for trade.) Mira drew some spections based on the words of the spirit: There was some kind of way of using Spirits that she did not know, and their worth rose with it, which is why people dealing in trade with them existed. Just like the Wind Spirit in front of Mira, almost all Spirits were beautiful, so there could be people who kidnapped them to admire or keep as pets. Other than that, there was a possibility of using their powers for military purposes. With that said, Spirits had no mercy against those who harmed them. Even if a Spirit was captured, if it fought back seriously they were capable of easily erasing a small vige. Spirits were a lump of power to such extent. However, based on what she said, Mira could imagine they came up with a method of capturing Spirits. Now that thirty years had passed since the game turned into reality, it was not surprising to her that technology that did not exist had since been developed. Especially since she did see one thing that gathered the knowledge of magic engineering, the ord Cannon, with her own eyes. Technological progress could bring about the potential to overturnmon sense in this world but it can also be a monster. (And I severelyck information¡­) However much effort she put in trying to figure it out, Mira had juste to this world. Facing the problem of still missing much of the information of these thirty years, Mira heaved a grand sigh and gave up on thinking for the time being. ¡¸In other words, you have friends other than Nyanmaru.¡¹ Suddenly Mira raised the edge of her lips in a grin and smiled towards the Wind Spirit mischievously. ¡¸Of course I do¡ª¡¹ The upset wind spirit restlessly stamped her feet and puffed out her cheeks. Thenughter rang out nearby. ¡¸Oh, Mira why did you suddenly start joking?¡¹ Fra wasughing, covering her mouth with her hand. She was still angered about the people attacking spirits but seeing a sulking wind spirit in front of her was relieving. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not like anything changes from our talk here. I don¡¯t know how far this information got spread but it seems we should report to the Union. I¡¯ll also warn any spirits I meet on the way since it¡¯s all I can do now.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, sure.¡¹ The opponent¡¯s identity was unknown. If it was an entire organization, a fair amount of preparations would be necessary Mira thought that it would be best to ask Solomon, who seemed like he would already know about this problem. Putting the attackers¡¯ case aside, Mira looked at Nyanmaru. Despite not being hostile, spirits held considerable power which wasn¡¯t something an ordinary human could match. If they attacked knowing she was a spirit, it meant they had enough power to fight a spirit. Otherwise, they would know better than to attack an opponent that had strength far beyond that of a human. But in such a case, there arose one more question. Those attackers who were strong enough to fight with a spirit were disposed of by Nyanmaru. If it was capable of winning against the people who attacked the Spirit, it could be said that Nyanmaru, a shikigami, possessed power beyond that of a spirit. This meant that the owner must have possessed even greater power than that. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Nyanmaru, huh¡­¡¹ The name of the shikigami reminded Mira of someone she knew. It was one of the Nine Elders, the elder of the Onmyoji Tower, suzerain Kagura of the Seven Stars. Among Onmyoujutsu existed multiple ones that used shikigami like Nyanmaru, but among them, the most versatile shikigamis were called the ¡ºFour Holy Beasts¡». Even extremely famous sacred beasts like Vermillion Bird Suzaku, ck Tortoise Genbu, Azure Dragon Seiryuu, and White Tiger Byakko could be used by high-level onmyoji. Additionally, there were two kinds of shikigami, autonomous and manual. Autonomous ones could think and act by themselves while thetter were directly operated by onmyoji. And when someone had acquired a shikigami, they were capable of naming them. This was the reason why Mira was reminded of Kagura Her Genbu was Kamekichi, Seiryuu was Nyorozou, Suzaku was Piisuke and Byakko was Gautarou. If Nyanmaru was added to that, there would be nothing off about it. Kagura also had other shikigami, but they all had simr names. (Still, it can¡¯t be¡­) Of course, it could be a pure coincidence. It was possible there were other people with simr naming sense to Kagura¡¯s. That said, considering the power of Nyanmaru, it must be quite a powerful onmyoji. In which case, it was possible that as an onmyoji, they could know something about Kagura, who stood at the top of onmyodo, even if it was just a rumor. In the end, it was mere spection, but they had absolutely no information on the wisemen other than Soul Howl. In which case this could be a good starting point, and if they reeled in some luck, they could catch something. Well, it was better than nothing so Mira put this information in a corner of her mind.
  1. Silva: I guess there¡¯s no zombie attack in the webnovel
Chapter 32: Solomon’s Gift Chapter 32: Solomon¡¯s Gift Stars were shining in the calm sky after the sun had sunk below the horizon, leaving behind an afterglow. As night slowly crept into the forest, the sounds of formless insects could be heard from within the darkness. ¡¸It has be quitete, is the talk over yet? Should we go back soon?¡¹ As the voices of Mira and Fra trail off, Emera spoke out at a seemingly good time. ¡¸Is that so? Then let¡¯s go back.¡¹ ¡¸Ehhh, that¡¯s right. It should be fine since Miss Wind Spirit has Nyanmaru.¡¹ Listening to Emera, the two nced at their surroundings which had be pitch ck, then finally towards the Wind Spirit. ¡¸Take care.¡¹ ¡¸Miss Wind Spirit, please be careful¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you! All of you, please be careful on your way back as well.¡¹ Mira waved goodbye while Fra bowed with both of her hands. The wind spirit took Nyanmaru¡¯s hand and went back with a flutter. On the way, Mira gazed at Nyanmaru. It was safe to think that this shikigami was guarding the Wind Spirit. Although in a situation where the assants werepletely unknown, it was hard to think it would be over after chasing them away just once. Nyanmaru¡¯s owner either left the autonomous shikigami to protect the Wind Spirit or possibly using it as a bait to lure out the assants. It was just a spection, and there was no way for Mira to tell now which one was it. Although Mira was worried, they wouldn¡¯t fall so easily if the Wind Spirit and Nyanmaru were tobine their powers. However, it¡¯s best to always be prudent as the magician¡¯s true intentions were unknown. At the very least, Nyanmaru¡¯s master shouldn¡¯t be too far away. There may be some information at the Union. Averting her eyes away from Nyanmaru, Mira organized the information she obtained. (I¡¯ll be quite lucky if I could even get a hold of a small clue.) Takuto, who was listening from behind, had begun walking towards Caranach alongside Mira and Fra. ¡¸Based on the talk from earlier, could Takuto have the aptitude of a spellcaster?¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mentioned it, I wonder.¡¹ From Fra¡¯s words, Mira remembered something and gently gazed back at Takuto with a smile full of expectations. Looking closely, the various status of Takuto appeared. As expected from a child, many ones were lined up but his magic was at six. Considering that the average of the general public was four, six meant that he had a very promising future. However, Mira sighed after confirming his status. Only the affiliation with the Arkite Kingdom appeared under the ss section. (Even when I inspected it, it would still be unknown¡­¡­ that is to say, some trigger is needed for one to be a respective ss.) Mira stroked Takuto¡¯s head, just knowing he had talent was good enough. All magicians possessed a characteristic that allowed them to see spirits. Takuto¡¯s current spellcaster ss had yet to be known. After all, if it was a yer, they would be able to choose a ss first, but what about the residents of this world? Mira pondered. ¡¸How are the aptitudes of spellcasters determined?¡¹ Having juste to this world, Mira asked Fra who seemed to know more about it. ¡¸Well¡­¡­ There are various methods, but the fastest one is to get checked by the Union.¡¹ ¡¸Hoh¡­ that ce also does such a thing? I have some business there, so do you also want to go and get them checked?¡¹ ¡¸I want to go!¡¹ When Mira asked, Takuto answered with a big nod. By the time they reached the Requiem City of Caranach, the sky was already covered by pitch-ck darkness, with only a few spots of lights shining through it. The surroundings were decorated with the smiles of people parading in a bar after their workday had ended. ¡¸That was tiresome, I¡¯ll return after taking Takuto to the Union.¡¹ After arriving at the big square, Mira held Takuto¡¯s hand and led him to the Union. ¡¸Waiiiit, Little Mira wait! Come back soon or I¡¯ll get lonely!¡¹ Emera grabbed Mira¡¯s hand almost as if in a panic. Behind them, the other three had different facial expressions which indicated that it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡¸That¡¯s right, Little Mira. We haven¡¯t distributed the items, nor celebrate yet.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yes. We should definitely throw a party after this grand adventure. The MVP this time is that youngdy after all.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right. I want to talk to Little Mira a lot more.¡¹ There weren¡¯t any problems with the cost, but Mira was much more concerned about the fuss it will cause. Trying to refuse would likely make them chase her to the ends of the world until she epts it, at least for Emera. ¡¸Hmm¡­¡­ well, that should be fine. Unexpectedly, it¡¯s quite fun to be with you guys.¡¹ While remembering all of the idle conversations they exchanged along the journey, Mira replied with a smile. ¡¸That smile is like one million volts!¡¹Fire: A critical hit! The wild Fra fainted''>1 Raising a strange voice, Fra, as if struck by lightning, copsed with an ecstasy filled expression. Thatmotion attracted the bypassers¡¯ attention, so they hurriedly left the ce, leaving only Fra behind. After a while, the people in the za finally took notice of Fra of ¨¦cate Carillon, Emera and the others. ¡¸We¡¯ll head over to the Spring Snow Inn that¡¯s on the left side of the main street. Be sure toe over after your business with the Union is done. You absolutely muste.¡¹ Emera and the other members were swallowed up by the crowds of people while saying so. Mira, apanied by Takuto, opened the door to the Spellcaster¡¯s Union. Completely opposite from the darkness of the night, the bustling Union was illuminated by brightly shining lights. Adventurers were rushing to the reception desk to settle their requests and to get more requests for tomorrow. In the meanwhile, Union members were also running around. ¡¸It looks quite busy.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡­¡¹ After seeing this hustling and bustling scenery, Mira and Takuto looked into each others¡¯ faces.2 For the time being, Mira retrieved her used permit and threw it in the recycling box in the corner of the Union. ¡ºThank you. You¡¯re very kind.¡» The voice of a cute girl resounded from the recycling box, and while it was unknown how did it work, a hand-sized girl appeared on top of the box, then smiled before disappearing as if nothing happened. ¡¸What was that¡­¡­¡¹ While Takuto happily looked at the recycling box with interest from various angles, Mira only muttered with a wry smile. ¡¸Ah, Miss Mira!¡¹ Turning around towards the excited voice of a woman, standing there was the figure of Eureka that was holding onto some documents. ¡¸O-oh, Eureka?¡¹ ¡¸Could it be, have you already gone to the Ancient Temple?¡¹ ¡¸Uh-huh. I¡¯ve already done that, so I¡¯m just recycling.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? Thank you very much. By the way, that child?¡¹ Eureka asked while referring to Takuto who clung to the recycling box. ¡¸We met from various circumstances, but anyhow he is likely to have the aptitude of a spellcaster. I heard that it could be checked here.¡¹ After Mira exined so, Takuto, who was listening to the conversation, took a bow in front of Eureka. ¡¸Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Takuto. I want to be a spellcaster like Big Sis Mira.¡¹ Saying so with an expression filled with eagerness but also expectations. ¡¸Takuto, I¡¯m Big Sis Eureka. Nice to meet you¡¹ While saying so, Eureka returned a gentle smile. ¡¸Since you¡¯re Mira¡¯s acquaintance, let¡¯s start the examination at once. Also, the thing we spoke of the other day has been prepared, will you receive it today?¡¹ For just a moment, Mira wondered what was this about. But after a moment, she recalled that when she was registering as an adventurer, they said they have something Solomon-rted to pass to her.3 (Come to think of it, something like that did happen.) ¡¸Mm-hm, I guess I will take it.¡¹ ¡¸Alright. Thene this way.¡¹ While holding the documents, Eureka walked ahead to lead them. Mira took Takuto¡¯s hand and followed after Eureka. ¡¸Miss Mira has arrived.¡¹ Knocking on the Union chief¡¯s door, Eureka¡¯s voice resounded. ¡¸Oh! Enter, enter.¡¹ From inside the room, an excited voice could be heard. ¡¸Well then, Little Takuto,e here. While Big Sis Mira is talking, we should go test your aptitude.¡¹ Eureka leaned forward to match Takuto¡¯s height and extended her hand to him. Takuto quickly nced at Mira. ¡¸I might take some time, go on.¡¹ Mira let go of his hand and lightly stroked Takuto¡¯s head. ¡¸Okay!¡¹ Takuto nodded energetically and was taken by Eureka to the spellcasters¡¯ aptitude examination room. ¡¸Please excuse me.¡¹ Mira opened the door after calling out. Entering the Union chief¡¯s room, Leoneil weed her while cheerfully tipping a ss towards the youngdy. ¡¸Hmm, you seem to be in a good mood.¡¹ While saying so, Mira sat in the chair opposite of Leoneil. A bitter, the secretaryid some tea and cake on the table in front of Mira while barely making any sound. When Mira came the other day, the two chatted and hit it off well. As such, they learned that both of them were bad with formalities and had decided not to care about such things. Also, Mira shrewdly requested the secretary to serve some cake and tea whenever shees. ¡¸Well, take this for now.¡¹ While putting some cake into her mouth, Mira nced at Leoneil who was looking at two things ced on the table. One was a ck card and the other was an envelope. ¡¸Is this the thing you said was rted to Solomon?¡¹ Mira asked while cing her fork beside her te and taking the card. The surface of the card was ck and smooth like ss, and engraved on the back there wereplicated symbols and magic circles. ¡¸That is a pass for restricted areas.¡¹ ¡¸Restricted areas, you say?¡¹ Mira directed her gaze from the card to Leoneil who had unfolded a map onto the table. On it was the scenery of Ark Earth Online¡¯s Schm?gfen region and its surrounding inds. ¡¸Do you know of the Tenma Labyrinth dungeons?¡¹ ¡¸Tenma Labyrinth? I am aware of it¡¹ Tenma Labyrinth. That was the nickname of multiple dungeons existing in this continent which had a very peculiar nature. Mira has visited them countless times, so she naturally nodded. ¡¸Then this talk will be quick. That ce was shrouded in mystery for a long time now, but recently the number of mysteries has increased. And now, it has been designated as a special restricted area.¡¹ ¡¸Mysteries? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ Unlike normal dungeons, all monsters that appeared inside were subspecies and they were stronger than their basic counterparts. In addition to that, from the treasure boxes or the boss in the deepest part of thebyrinth, sometimes one could receive items that had ¡°Tenma¡± in the name. That was the reason why thesebyrinths had been collectively called the Tenma Labyrinth, but Mira instead showed interest in the mysteries that were mentioned by Leoneil. ¡¸Apparently, it seems that the treasure of this dungeon would reappear after some time has passed.¡¹ ¡¸Hooh¡­¡­ so¡­¡­¡¹ So what? Is what Mira was about to say, but resisted from it. As a game, it was natural for dungeon treasures and items to respawn. If that was not the case, the unique items that could be acquired in that dungeon would be limited to a single one, and a fight over such an item would break out. However, Leoneil said that it was mysterious. In other words, it wasmon sense that a treasure box in this world was a one-time thing. As a result, one could infer that Tenma Labyrinths were abnormal. ¡¸In short¡­¡­ something has happened due to the ever-respawning treasure?¡¹ ¡¸As expected of Lord Danbulf¡¯s pupil, it is exactly so. Because of the rivalry topete for the treasure, under the pretext of avoiding any incidents, it was sealed as a restricted area. Well, there was a fairly strong bacsh to this, of course.¡¹ Leoneil smiled wryly after he said his piece, then pointed to a single area on the map, which was the center of the forest spreading southwest of the Arkite Kingdom. ¡¸That pass is for the Tenma Labyrinth that¡¯s inside the ¡ºPrimal Forest¡». I¡¯m not sure of the reason why King Solomon requested me to give it to you and because of that, I had a really hard time issuing it.¡¹ Leoneil said so with a frown, but he seemed to be in a really good mood. ¡¸From the look of things, you must have charged him well for this.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I just requested some financing, that¡¯s all.¡¹ As their gaze crossed, Mira said ¡¸He¡¯s already got plenty of troubles on his head, don¡¯t bully him too much.¡¹ She was genuinely worried about her friend and brought this topic to an end. After taking the card in one hand, her other hand went towards the sealed letter. ¡¸What is this?¡¹ There was no way she could see through it, but Mira raised it up as if trying to peer into it. ¡¸That letter was delivered this morning by a wyvern, it¡¯s addressed to you. It was sent by someone named Lily, do you remember anyone like that?¡¹ When Mira retraced her memories, she arrived at the thought of one woman: The maid who came to wake Mira up in the morning in Arkite Castle. At the same time, a chill ran down Mira¡¯s spine. ¡¸Ye-¡­ yeah¡­ I know them.¡¹ ¡¸Somehow, you don¡¯t seem happy. A woman Lord Danbulf¡¯s disciple is bad with, huh, this makes me curious.¡¹ While saying so, Leoneil¡¯s mouth turned into a grin. Although Mira had no idea why Lily went out of her way to send the letter, she had a hunch it was nothing good and decided not to read it here, so she instead threw it inside the item box. ¡¸Changing the subject, could I ask you something?¡¹ Mira washed down the cream with her tea while saying so. ¡¸Ah, I don¡¯t mind. If it¡¯s something I can answer, then go ahead.¡¹ Leoneil nodded lightly and Mira promptly opened her mouth to speak. ¡¸Do you know the people are targeting the spirits?¡¹4 One of his eyebrows twitched as Leoneil breathed out a sigh. ¡¸That is a painful question to answer.¡¹ ¡¸You seem to know then.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, about ten years have passed since the matter hase to light. I don¡¯t know where you¡¯ve learned of it, but it¡¯s rather troublesome. I¡¯ll tell you what I know, however, don¡¯t reveal too much.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, of course.¡¹ When Mira looked straight ahead after answering, Leoneil began talking about everything he knew. First of all, the number of assants were quite significant. There had been lots of damage inflicted in many parts of the continent. However, it was still unknown why they were attacking the spirits and in addition to that, one of the assants identified themself as ¡ºChimera uzen¡». ¡¸Chimera uzen, huh¡­¡­ I wonder what their true intentions are.¡¹ Mira said so while her back sank into the sofa and looked up towards the ceiling. ¡¸Well, they certainly aren¡¯t a good person.¡¹ The spirits would asionally help other people, so why would they attack spirits who were on good rtions with humans? In any case, they shall not be forgiven. The opinions of the two people were in line with each other. ¡¸There¡¯s one more thing I want to know about, may I?¡¹ ¡¸The location of the attacks?¡¹ After Leoneil replied, Mira returned with ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹ and nodded. From the very beginning, Mira spoke about the general events that took ce. The wind spirit was helped by Nyanmaru after getting attacked. The assant, who was powerful enough to win against the spirits, was probably repelled by the shikigami controlled by an Onmyoji Master hiding in the shadows. ¡¸Was there such a thing?¡¹ ¡¸I would like to get information about the Onmyoji Master, do you know anyone who¡¯d be familiar with them? That person should be someone influential and as such, it should be easy to figure it out.¡¹ ¡¸An onmyojutsuparable to a spirit. The Silver Towerses to mind right away, but I¡¯ve heard that the spellcasters rarelye out. When ites to an Onmyoji, there must currently be an influential one somewhere nearby. Though, it would be different if they came to the Union secretly.¡¹ The Silver Towers was the biggest existing spellcasters organization on the continent, with all of the spellcasters being top-ss. Therefore, the towers¡¯ spellcasters were all influential people that wereparable to the spirits. Also, it could be said that the towers have umted all knowledge regarding magic. In other words, as a ce that refines magic, the spellcasters who pursue research there rarely go outside. At best, they could carry out an experiment in the vicinity of the open space. ¡¸Hmm, I see.¡¹ ¡¸Well, either way, if you can help us with this matter, I¡¯ll give you the information as soon as it arrives. If Lord Danbulf¡¯s pupil helps us, it¡¯s likely that we¡¯ll finally make some progress after ten long years. I hate to say it, but I¡¯ll be expecting much from you.¡¹ With a smiling face that didn¡¯t suit him, Leoneil nced towards Mira. His eyes shone as if a powerful card was obtained. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not something I can overlook. I will help you, but I still have some business to attend to, so rather than rumors, I¡¯d rather get some solid evidence.¡¹ Noticing the troubled look on Leoneil, Mira gave a light warning. Good verified information was needed to head in the right direction. ¡¸That¡¯s too bad. Well, that should be fine. I¡¯ll work with the intelligence personnels like a horse. But before that, we will look into the Onmyoji. Is that good enough?¡¹ Leoneil made a remorseful expression as he looked up towards the sky. With that, the investigation of the Onmyoji would proceed with no questions asked. Whether it was by chance or by fate, Nyanmaru¡¯s master was present during the attack on the spirits and prevented it under wraps. Although the possibility was low, the information that Mira brought might shed some light on the assants. ¡¸Hmm, that should be fine. Right now, it may be better to investigate from a different approach.¡¹ If Nyanmaru¡¯s master was an adventurer, they would be caught by Leoneil¡¯s searchwork sooner orter. However, Mira had one other purpose. There¡¯s a possibility that it could be connected to one of the nine wisemen. If it was rted, both the spirit kidnapping and Solomon¡¯s request could bepleted at the same time. Mira secretly sent some encouraging words to Leoneil¡¯s secret agents in her mind.
  1. Silva: Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!! It¡¯s super effective! Fire: A critical hit! The wild Fra fainted
  2. Silva: And here we jumped from v3c2 of the Light Novel back to v2c17
  3. Refer back to Chapter 22 of the Webnovel
  4. Silva: And now this is where it divert from the Light Novel again. In the Light Novel, Mira asked about the Devil instead.
Chapter 33: Takuto’s Aptitude Chapter 33: Takuto¡¯s Aptitude It was decided that the whole Union would be notified about the attacks on the spirits. After Mira was assured she would be updated if anything else was discovered, she voiced another question she had. ¡¸By the way, do you believe all of the devils were exterminated?¡¹ The devil that appeared on the sixth floor. ording to Emera and the others, devils should¡¯ve already been killed; so going through that floor should have been rather uneventful, but a devil did appear there. Leoneil was rather well-informed, so Mira wanted to know how much he knew about the topic. ¡¸¡­From that question, I assume you found something then.¡¹ After a brief moment of silence, Leoneil arrived at a conclusion and replied as such. It was obvious he knew something and Mira was also able to guess that it was a rather serious matter from his expression and tone. ¡¸I didn¡¯t just find something, I ran into one on the sixth floor of the Ancient Temple.¡¹ ¡¸An actual devil?! ¡­Are you serious?¡¹ After raising his voice in shock, he paused for a bit before he asked with a low voice. ¡¸Yes, and a third rank earl no less.¡¹ ¡¸Were you okay?¡¹ Leoneil continued asking, his voice turning more hesitant. Mira pointed to herself with the fork she was holding before she grinned and replied. ¡¸Does it look like I wasn¡¯t okay to you?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see. That makes sense.¡¹ Leoneil lookedpletely dumbfounded upon learning that, as if he could barely think of something so simple. It was said that all devils were exterminated after the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, so the fact that they were still appearing afterward was not announced officially yet. But ording to Leoneil¡¯s intelligencework, there had been sightings popping up here and there. Most boiled down to seeing a vague silhouette that resembled one, but even when they came from an A-rank adventurer, Leoneil would never be this surprised. In the end, no matter how many reports came in, after a thorough investigation, it was always confirmed that they were either someone falsely seeing something or variations of monsters that looked simr to devils. However this time, he was dealing with someone else. This was Danbulf¡¯s pupil, as well as someone weed and trusted by King Solomon of Arkite Kingdom. On top of that, she also knew the rank of the devil. ¡¸And well, what happened with that devil then? Were you¡­ actually able to defeat it?¡¹ A devil was a rather powerful being, not to mention she encountered an earl-rank one. But she is also the sessor of a hero, so his expectations were high. ¡¸Yeah, it was a valuable experience.¡¹ Mira nodded in response as she reminisced about the sensation she felt during the fight. It was her first true fight in what was the real world for her now. That was truly an experience that reinforced the thought that all of this was real in her mind. It was impossible to express how valuable that experience was in showing the difference between now and the time when she was just ying a game. ¡¸I see¡­ So you defeated it, I expected no less from you.¡¹ He was pleasantly surprised to find that his expectations were indeed correct as he praised her. Mira then summarized the events, and once she had eaten two whole cakes, she left the Union chief¡¯s office. ¡¸Now then¡­ where was Takuto brought to, I wonder?¡¹ Mira muttered to herself as she nced at the countless doors, lined on the hallway made of beautiful and calming wood. She had already entered the chief¡¯s office before she saw where he had been taken to. Without other options, Mira decided to activate Life Sensing to search for him, but everywhere she looked, there were too many life signals so she was unable to single him out. After a final look around, Mira decided that it was best if she just waited for him and returned downstairs. The Union¡¯s first floor was a hall crowded yet somewhat silent, but when Mira walked down the stairs, everyone continued to be silent. The reason, Mira¡¯s smile as she entered the hall. She was looking forward to knowing what Takuto¡¯s affinity was, and if it was Summoner, she began thinking of how many things she could teach him, as well as to make sure he had items to form contracts with, and things of that vein. She also reminisced her times as a beginner as she dreamed about an undecided future. Mira¡¯s smile was beaming, like a mother caring for the innocence and purity of her child. Seeing that, everyone stood still as if frozen in time at the sight of that angel. She sat down in one of the corners of the hall,pletely oblivious to her surroundings, there she took out the letter from Lily and opened it. ¡¸Hum¡­ what does this mean?¡¹ There was only one sheet of paper inside the envelope, with the following written on it: I forgot to tell you. F 9, 20, 2117 L 8, 11, 2126 K 6, 18, 2132 A 1, 14, 2138 D 5, 12, 2146 And nothing more. (Is this some sort of secret code¡­?) Mira stared questioningly at the piece of paper when she noticed Solomon¡¯s stylish signature on the lower right corner. That signature was one they hade up with when they were together before and as far as she knew, it was impossible to tell it reads as Solomon. In other words, it was a signature only Mira would be able to understand. (Hmm. Either way, it¡¯s safe to assume this was not penned by Lily.) Mira ced the paper on herp as she took a sip of apple ale while chanting ¡¸Sugar, sugar¡¹ to herself. She was following her belief that she required sugar for her brain to work when she needed it to, although she hadpletely forgotten that she had eaten plenty of cake just moments before. From time to time, her gaze shifted to the stairs, wondering if Takuto wasing or not. At the same time, her thoughts began wondering about his affinity again, her eyes shifting to the wall directly in front of her with a bundle of papers hung on it. (It¡¯s quite the odd feeling to see the calendar of a fantasy world.) The top half of it had some drawings while the days and months were inscribed on the bottom half. It was a really basic calendar. ¡¸Oh, so that¡¯s what this meant¡­¡¹ Mira had figured out the meaning of the numbers and letters on the sheet of paper. Solomon was just sending her additional information about the request she was taking at the moment. The letters were initials and the numbers were the dates they appeared in this world. The current date was the 19th of March, 2146. Mira had entered this world on the 12th, so the D corresponded to Danbulf and the 5, 12, 2146 corresponded to the date. Normally she would know something like those dates, but the people she was looking for were the outstanding Nine Wisemen. If there was any major event or special situation in this world since the day they appeared, there was arge probability that the Wisemen were rted to it. With that in mind, Mira took another nce at the letters. (Frone, Luminaria, Kagura, Artesia, and me. He said he always kept an eye out every day, so the ones who aren¡¯t written here probably have been in this world since before him.) Mira stared at the paper for a bit longer, but realized there was no more information concealed in it. She stood up thinking of going back to Leoneil to ask if he had any more information, but then she saw that Eureka wasing down together with Takuto at the same time. ¡¸So you were here.¡¹ Eureka¡¯s lips bloomed into a smile when she spotted Mira. After they had checked his affinity, they headed to the chief¡¯s office, but Mira had already left by then, so they looked around the third floor first. ¡¸These are Takuto¡¯s spellcaster affinities.¡¹ Saying so, Eureka handed his results to Mira. When she read through them, her shoulders sank in disappointment. The results were really detailed, but in short, there was only Magician, Monk, and Onmyoji Master listed as sses he was apt for. Mira¡¯s dreams crumbled and shattered into small pieces. ¡¸So you can¡¯t be a summoner¡­¡¹ ¡¸They are all easy to learn sses. We also measured his mana capacity, and it was quite higher than the average. He has a really promising future ahead of him.¡¹ Eureka added that while Takuto ran up to Mira¡¯s side. ¡¸Does this mean I¡¯ll also get to be like Big Sis?¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3072 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1531 words
Editor(s): Fire
Takuto said with a smile. Seeing him in a happy mood, Mira simply couldn¡¯t continue being disappointed because of his aptitude. ¡¸Yes, if you work hard enough, you¡¯ll be quite a fine spellcaster.¡¹ Mira smiled broadly as she gave a big nod. When Takuto heard that, his heart was overflowing with hope and his smile became much wider. ¡¸Anyway, thank you for troubling yourself to help us out, you have my gratitude.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ ¡¸No need for that, really. I¡¯d even go to somewhat absurd lengths to aplish anything you ask of me!¡¹ Being a big fan of Danbulf, Eureka was really devoted to anything his disciple, Mira, would ask from her. All she asked as a reward was to shake hands with Mira, the shine in her eyes concealing her ready-to-die resolution. Mira replied with a strained smile. Now that their business at the Union was over, Mira and Takuto left it behind. As they walked through the city illuminated by streemps, Mira tried to recall Emera¡¯s words. ¡¸Ah¡­ what was it again? Spring¡­ something inn, was it?¡¹ While rummaging through her uncertain memories, Mira took Takuto¡¯s hand as they walked past the crowds that seemed to say the night was only just starting. (If I recall correctly, take a left after going out¡­ was it? Either way, I¡¯ll find it soon enough if I search for ¡°Spring¡±.) She started looking at the first word of every sign that hung on the streets as they walked. After a while, a lone shadow approached the two. ¡¸Good evening. What are you doing here sote?¡¹ A man wearing a light white and blue armor spoke after appearing in front of them. He also smiled to look less intimidating. ¡¸Hmm? And who are you?¡¹ ¡¸Good evening.¡¹ Mira looked puzzled at him, tilting her head a bit while replying coarsely, while Takuto bowed respectfully to the young man. The man was a guard from the Caranach division of the Arkite Police Agency, he was basically a police officer. His armor had the insignia of Arkite engraved on it, so it acted as his uniform. That also meant that him speaking to them was to be expected. Mira and Takuto walking through the city after the sun had set would look like two siblings who might have gotten lost. So the man also thought of that. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I startled you. I¡¯m Guard Evin of the National Police Agency. May I get your names please?¡¹ He did not look fazed by Mira¡¯s reaction and proceeded to introduce himself. A guard from the Police Agency. Mira realized that Solomon had even introduced an institution like that to keep the public order. But since she had never encountered anyone from it before, she tilted her head even more. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ ¡¸And my name is Takuto.¡¹ ¡¸Mira and Takuto it is then. So tell me, why are you two out at this hour? Are you lost? If that¡¯s the case I can take you home.¡¹ When Evin said that, Mira was finally convinced. Objectively speaking, anyone seeing her and Takuto wandering around the city in the middle of the night would think that. After all, if she saw a pair like that, she would have acted the same way as him. Seeing the passion for his job burning in his eyes, Mira began seeing the young man in a more favorable light. ¡¸We aren¡¯t lost, but we¡¯re searching for the inn where our friend is waiting for us. It¡¯s called the Spring something, does that ring any bells?¡¹ ¡¸I see, that exins things. And hmm¡­ An inn with Spring in the name, could it be the Spring Snow Inn?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that one, yes. That¡¯s what its name was.¡¹ As soon as she heard him utter those words, the name of the inn was salvaged from the depths of her vague memories and she nodded in approval. ¡¸Then I know where it is, it¡¯s just a little further from here. I¡¯ll apany you there.¡¹ Evin smiled again and walked to Mira¡¯s empty side, taking hold of her hand and started walking forward. Mira waste to react to her hand being grabbed so suddenly, but his amiable aura soon dispelled her hesitation and she kept hold of the young man¡¯s hand. And like that, he guided them to the Spring Snow Inn without letting go of her hand. ¡¸Ah, Mira is here. Over he¡­ re?¡¹ Emera was standing at the entrance of the inn, eagerly waiting for the two to arrive. She first saw the two emerge from the crowd on the street and began waving her arms and calling them, but then she saw the figure of a guard leading them by the hand. No matter how she looked at them, they looked like lost children. ¡¸Pfft! Mira has been brought back home!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not ittt!¡¹ Emera shouted inside the inn with a loud voice, then Mira shouted with all her might to deny it. But that caused everyone¡¯s attention to shift towards her, so she hung her head in shame and hid in Evin¡¯s shadow while pulling Takuto with her. ¡¸Well,te at night is stillte at night, so you shouldn¡¯t be out ying until this hour.¡¹ After guiding them to their destination, Evin gave those parting words to the two, bowed to Emera and the others, then turned around and left. ¡¸¡­He only mistaken us with something else, that¡¯s all.¡¹ When Mira looked inside the inn, she was assaulted by the gazes of Emera and Zef, shining with suspicion. She tried to make an excuse, but it had zero effect convincing them. ¡¸Sure sure, I understand.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s only been half a day, but you¡¯re part of us now, we understand, seriously.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good then.¡¹ Zef and Emera kept giving quick nods as they spoke. They had met not too long ago, but Mira¡¯s face lightened up hearing that they understood. In the end, she never noticed that they seemed to be concealing something. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s hurry up and go go go.¡¹ As Emera said that, she took Mira¡¯s hand and pulled her inside the Spring Snow inn. The interior of the inn was made of wood, the first floor serving as the dining room and reception. There were many wooden tables and chairs of simple but sturdy construction arranged inside the room. Chairs were upied by guests who were just eating and enjoying thest hour of the night. ¡¸Ohh, thedy and the kid, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹ From a table that was slightly bigger than the others and ced in a corner of the room, Asbar raised his voice and waved to them. ¡¸Mira, over here.¡¹ Fra had appeared behind Mira at some point, and snatching her away from Emera, led her to a seat. Fra tried to sit beside her, but then, Emera had already sat there and looked Fra in the eyes while grinning, her eyes burning with the passion to protect Mira. Fra then attempted to sit on the other side of Mira, but Takuto, who Mira had still been holding the hand of, was already sitting there, looking around the inn with enjoyment. In ast-ditch effort, Fra sat on the seat opposite of Mira, staring intently at her so at least her cuteness would be burnt into her eyes. When everyone had sat down, Asbar took it as the sign to call a waiter. ¡¸Let¡¯s start by getting something to drink.¡¹ Emera spread the inn¡¯s menu on the table for everyone to see. ¡¸Takuto, is there anything you want to drink?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like some orange juice.¡¹ Mira asked him and he replied as such. Their exchange was the same as that of siblings that got along well. Asbar smiled seeing them, then simply said ¡¸Arge beer.¡¹ even before a waiter arrived at their table. Afterward, Emera, Fra and Zef made their orders, and Mira asked for two sses of orange juice. The waiter repeated their orders for confirmation before leaving. As soon as they were alone, Zef began speaking. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s distribute the items we got now. Let¡¯s start with this one.¡¹ As he spoke, he put 64 Magic Stones on the table, as well as one Magic Crystal. ¡¸I¡¯ll ask again, but is this really okay?¡¹ Emera was still hesitant considering the situation they were in, so she looked at the Magic Stones and then to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ve already talked about that topic.¡¹ ¡¸I know, but¡­¡¹ ¡¸Our second-inmand is really serious about these things, y¡¯see. Though, I also don¡¯t know what to do in this situation.¡¹ Emera nced at their spoils of war with a confused look. She had just tagged along and somehow made thousands in ie. It would be obvious she would keep asking for confirmation over and over again. The other members also understood how she felt, so they remained silent and waited for her to make the final decision.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3104 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1569 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ During the moment of hesitation, the waiter came back carrying the drinks they ordered in a tray and spoke to them with a bright voice. ¡¸Let¡¯s start by drinking in celebration.¡¹ Emera took the drinks from the waiter and distributed them. When everyone had their sses, their eyes fixated on Mira. Takuto grasped the situation, so he held his ss with both hands and looked at Mira, without taking a single sip of it. ¡¸Eh¡­ what, do I have to?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, you were the MVP of the day after all.¡¹ Mira was not used to being in the spotlight in situations like that so she felt a bit nervous, but she did not dislike being in that position so she nodded. ¡¸Umm¡­ well then.¡¹ Mira lifted her ss forward, and everyone else followed her lead. ¡¸Then, tomemorate Takuto¡¯s aptitude as a Magician, Monk and an Onmyoji Master, cheers!¡¹ ¡¸Cheers! Wait, you¡¯re celebrating that?!¡¹ ¡¸Hahahaha! That¡¯s a good cause for celebration right there, cheers!¡¹ ¡¸Cheers for Mira!¡¹ ¡¸Cheers! I just noticed that you can never tell anything from Mira¡¯s expression!¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ Uhm, thank you very much!¡¹ Everyone raised their voices freely and hit their sses with each other. Asbar then quickly emptied hisrge mug andughed heartily. Emera gave in herself and smiled widely as she drank from her ss. Mira turned to look at Takuto, who was all smiles now, and patted his head. Fra watched that with eyes full of envy. Zef slumped forward and reclined his shoulder on the table before he saw the person who approached the table and waved his hand. ¡¸You seem quite lively here.¡¹ Instead of the waiter, a man with long red hair and d in a light in crimson armor was there. He appeared to be in his twenties with chiseled androgynous features to the point where he could be mistaken for a woman if his voice had not been heard. ¡¸Is the girl there the rumored disciple?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this is Mira. The kid beside her is Takuto.¡¹ Fra replied to him and the man¡¯s gaze was directed straight at Mira, then after a soft smile, he made a slight bow. ¡¸I¡¯m the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon, my name is Sero. It seems you¡¯ve been taking care of my members, you have my thanks.¡¹ ¡¸No need to thank me. Having them made the trip far more enjoyable than going alone.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? I¡¯m d then.¡¹ Sero smiled as he replied, the tone of his voice the same as if he was replying to apliment to his family, but there was someone else there who was even happier than Sero. ¡¸Miraaaaaaaaa, I never imagined such words from you!¡¹ Emera turned her eyes towards Mira, her face deeply emotional in a way inexpressible by words. Even though she had been useless during their adventure, Mira still said her presence was enjoyable, which filled her heart with a fuzzy shyness and delight. ¡¸I also had fuuun!¡¹ ¡¸Wha-?!¡¹ And there was someone else who was even happier than Emera, who crawled down the table and emerged climbing on Mira¡¯s legs. Seeing her suddenly appear there made Mira instinctively lift her foot and kicked Fra straight in her stomach. Sero had a strained smile as he saw Fra¡¯s skillful disy of her ability to faint with apletely blissful expression before Asbar pulled her legs and managed to tear her off from Mira¡¯s legs. ¡¸Could it be that Fra troubled you like this during your trip as well?¡¹ ¡¸In great amounts.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Well, I don¡¯t really mind.¡¹ During that short exchange between Mira and Sero, Fra was ced back on her seat. Looking at Fra who¡¯s struggling to breathe normally, Mira realized that she could be quite a beauty if she could only keep quiet, but thinking about that only made her sigh simrly to Fra¡¯s breaths. By then, only Emera was still really emotive, her cheeks burning as a strong smile overpowered her lips. ¡¸By the way, are those today¡¯s earnings? It¡¯s quite a hefty amount.¡¹ Sero spoke in admiration, his eyes ncing at the Magic Stones ced on the table. Such an amount would normally be impossible to gather in just a single day. ¡¸Almost everything was defeated by Mira, but she keeps saying we should split it between everyone. That¡¯s quite a generous act, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? And there¡¯s even a Magic Crystal. All of this would sell really well.¡¹ If it was split fairly, most of it would belong to Mira. And the approximate value of that would definitely be above a million Rils. That was enough to maintain a regr household for four months. Even if Mira would im what was rightfully hers, everyone else would be satisfied with it and would not raise a singleint but Mira still insisted that it should be shared equally. That behavior was something that still remained ingrained in her from the days when she yed this as a game and felt likemon sense for her, but seen from another person it looked simply like extraordinary friendliness. ¡¸Oh, that reminds me, there were weapons as well.¡¹ ¡¸The reaping scythe. It was something that enemy dropped, but we decided you¡¯d give it to that dark knight you¡¯re acquainted with, right?¡¹ ¡¸A scythe? What is that about?¡¹ ¡¸Umm¡­¡¹ When Sero expressed his curiosity, Emera took the scythe the demon had dropped out from her Item Box. It was too heavy for Emera to hold, so as soon as it was out it fell to the floor with a loud ng. ¡¸¡­This really looks ominous.¡¹ As Sero said that, he held the handle of the pitch-ck scythe and lifted it up. From what Mira could see, his arm had the same qualities as Zef¡¯s, but while the sturdy Asbar had trouble holding it after swinging it twice, Sero had no trouble holding it with one hand. The scythe had appeared to be rather heavy, so Mira began wondering just how much strength Sero had as she focused her eyes on him. ¡¸Hm¡­?¡¹ She involuntarily eximed in surprise. She could not see Sero¡¯s stats. If what she had heard from Solomon was true, then that meant people like Sero used to be yers. ¡¸What is it, Mira?¡¹ Fra, who was looking intently at Mira so as to not miss a single word or action she might do, realized the change in Mira¡¯s conduct so she raised her voice. ¡¸Eh, oh, nothing. I was just thinking how incredible it is that he was able to lift up that scythe with so less effort.¡¹ That reminded Mira that she had forgotten to ask Solomon how to deal with past yers, so she had to lie and say she was surprised by his strength. She could simply not say that she was shocked to find another past yer without knowing the situation surrounding him. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s our leader for you. He¡¯s simply this amazing.¡¹ Asbar was also hearing their exchange, so he proudly eximed that. After him, Emera and the others also began to praise their leader in front of Danbulf¡¯s disciple. ¡¸I¡¯m nowhere near what they im I am.¡¹ The person himself had a forced smile as he denied it with humility. It was not that Sero believed he was weak, but he was keenly aware that there were people who far surpassed him, as well as how extraordinary those people who decided to go higher were. So he truly meant what he said. But for Emera and the rest, his strength was still a force to be reckoned with, so he had to be humble enough not to let the praise get to his head. ¡¸Leaving all that aside, this is still quite the item you¡¯ve got.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s our current dilemma. I¡¯ve concluded that it¡¯s best if someone like Emera and your guild, who can be trusted and wouldn¡¯t use it for anything evil keep it. So if you know of anyone who could use it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s your reasoning¡­ Though, if I may add, is it okay for you to trust us after only one day of meeting us? How are you certain that we won¡¯t give it to someone who has wicked ns?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I can only trust you on that. It¡¯s true it was a short time, but I got a liking for Emera and the others. And even in the off chance something happens, I¡¯m willing to take responsibility for it.¡¹ Mira replied as such while she looked straight into Sero¡¯s eyes. He was able to sense her determination and will in her eyes, so he nodded decisively. ¡¸Thank you for trusting my friends so much. I¡¯ll take care of these matters from now on.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll trust in you.¡¹ The members of ¨¦cate Carillon stood still holding their breaths as they watched the interaction between Sero and Mira unfold, finally rxing when they came to an agreement. Afterward, Mira called the waiter again and ordered new drinks, and they drank again, apanied by Sero this time. Chapter 34: Bargaining Point Chapter 34: Bargaining Point As the food began being served, everyone, the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon included, began eating what they liked the most while livening up the room, though most of their conversations revolved around the Ancient Temple. Zef spoke about Alfina and how she struck him, Emera about how she was able to use the Spirit Sword only once after finally obtaining it, Asbar about Mira¡¯sck ofmon sense as an adventurer and the incredible gap between her appearance and actual strength, Fra about how she could not get enough of Mira¡¯s cuteness, and more stories like that. Mira also felt slightly jealous of how beloved Sero was by them. From time to time she would get asked for confirmation on the stories, to which she would always assent with a short sentence, except when someone said ¡¸Mira is only mine and mine alone.¡¹ which she denied vehemently. Mira kept listening to their merry conversation while turning to wipe Takuto¡¯s mouth from time to time or to order extra drinks. By the end of the conversation, the topic went back to the distribution of the loot since apart from the Magic Stones, they still had all of the items obtained from the devil. In the end, they figured that they could not leave the remains of a devil on a table in the dining room overnight, so they would take it and split itter inside their rooms. When they were done splitting everything, their food and drinks had already started being digested, but then a man opened the door of the inn. Asbar turned around incited by the sound of the bells of the door, there, he saw a familiar face. ¡¸Is that you Killick? You came at just the right moment!¡¹ That man named Killick was another member of ¨¦cate Carillon. He wore a ck-matted armor and with a face devoid of any expression, it was hard to read his emotions, but when he heard Asbar¡¯s voice, his lips twitched into a smile for a split second. That difference was so subtle that it would be impossible to tell unless two pictures were taken at the moment it happened and after, but for someone who had known him for as long as Asbar had, it was clear Killick was in a good mood. ¡¸What is this right moment I came in at, Asbar?¡¹ Killick walked up to the table and asked in an incredibly monotonous voice. ¡¸There was this item we had while splitting the loot that would¡¯ve been perfect for you. I was nning on giving it to you once we were back.¡¹ After he said that, his eyes shifted to Mira as if pointing at her. Killick followed his gaze and turned around, the single spellcaster girl flooding his vision. ¡¸Cute¡­¡¹ Killick muttered with a voice so low no one could hear him. Mira was stuffing her cheeks with a tart at that moment, but when she felt that gaze on her, she gulped down everything flustered. ¡¸I see, you must be the dark knight Emera and the others told me about, yes?¡¹ Mira had only heard about him once, but what she heard about him matched his current appearance, so she asked that. ¡¸It¡¯s true that I¡¯m a dark knight, but¡­ Asbar, what does this mean?¡¹ ¡¸It means you¡¯re in luck today.¡¹ Asbar stood up, patted Killick on the shoulder a few times then took the scythe from Sero and held it in front of Killick. ¡¸This is¡­? I can feel a strong energy in it, but what is this?¡¹ Seeing the ck scythe being held in front of him, his eyes opened wide. He could sense a fragment of something like a wriggling fire exuding from it, a type of energy only a dark knight that endowed his body in the darkness could feel. ¡¸This is one of the spoils of war that that young girl got. She said she wouldn¡¯t use it and that we should give it to someone who would. In our guild, only you look like the one able to use something like this, so try holding it for a bit.¡¹ As Asbar said that, he pushed the scythe towards Killick and had him hold it. Killick instinctively received it and held it in his hands, the immense power coursing through his body made all his hairs be erect. ¡¸How is it? Do you think you can use it?¡¹ Being told that, Killick took a step back and held the scythe with both hands. His built-up magic power began mixing with the scythe¡¯s before it returned to his body and began seeping into him. ¡¸I¡­ can feel quite a strong power from it, but I can probably use it.¡¹ Mira watched over him as he replied and seeing his situation, she released a soft sigh of admiration. Even though Asbar had such a rough time maneuvering it with both hands, Killick was now swinging it with such precision he could easily cut through the smallest of particles. ¡¸Well, what do you think girlie? He looks like he can use it and I can vouch for his personality as well, he might look like a dark personage, but in truth, he¡¯s a softhearted man that even donates to orphanages.¡¹ ¡¸Huh¡­ Asbar, how do you know about that?!¡¹ Killick became slightly flustered hearing that and it seemed he was about to drop the scythe. His donations to the orphanage were because he also grew up in it, so he wanted to return the favor to the priest there and secretly made donations, but the reply to his question was different. ¡¸Everyone knows about that, y¡¯know.¡¹ Zef replied with a smile, then the other members of ¨¦cate Carillon there all made big nods, looking gently at Killick. His original deadpan face quickly crumbled as he flushed red, but that was enough to convince Mira that he was a good man to possess the scythe. ¡¸This is good. So you¡­ Killick, take good care of it. Devote yourself to mastering it, and work hard to fulfill the dreams of even more children.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t that great? She approved of you.¡¹ ¡¸Err¡­ I can tell just by holding it, but this is quite a valuable item. Is it really good if I take it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. It is best for the world and its people to put it to use in this way.¡¹ The scythe clearly outssed any weapon he had held to date, so Killick felt hesitant when holding it, but hearing his question replied and the way the girl looked straight at him, he epted her gaze and fixed his posture. ¡¸Thank you very much. I vow I shall never do anything that goes against your will.¡¹ epting Mira¡¯s wishes head-on, Killick bowed respectfully to her without wavering, even though she clearly looked younger than him. The other guests in the inn nced at Killick because of that, but after a short moment, they all returned to their original conversations. On the other hand, Emera and the others just smiled knowing that it was just like Killick to act that way. ¡¸Uh¡­ Yes. You¡¯re¡­ wee?¡¹ Mira was lost for words after witnessing Killick¡¯s extremely serious manners. After giving that vague reply, she stuffed her cheeks with tart to mask her embarrassment. ¡¸Leaving that aside for now, I feel indebted after receiving such a fine item. Is there anything I can give in return?¡¹ After carefully storing away the scythe in his Item Box, Killick asked Mira. ¡¸Something in return¡­¡¹ Mira had given it away purely because she had no use for it, so having to think of something in return bewildered her. But she also did not want to let Killick down, his eyes were burning with determination now, which waspletely different from the deadpan look he had when he entered the inn. ¡¸That¡¯s true. As the guild¡¯s leader, I¡¯d also like to give something back. This event has increased our fighting strength by quite a bit after all.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm.¡¹ Being cornered by the ¨¦cate Carillon leader Sero as well, Mira was even more lost for words. When it came to Sero, she could not build an unpaid debt with him and leave it at that. Emera and the others were also of the same feeling, so they all had their eyes focused on Mira. Feeling all those intent gazes on her, she realized she could not get away by saying something vague either. So when she began thinking if there was anything at all she could request, she recalled that there was one thing from not too long ago she could ask about. ¡¸If you insist so much, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, anything you say.¡¹ Sero nodded and agreed without waiting for Mira to give the details. She had a strained smile wishing they would at least wait until she exined what she wanted as she took a piece of paper from a sealed envelope.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2974 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1506 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸I¡¯d like you to investigate if there were any major events, incidents or urrences a few days around the dates I¡¯ll give you. Do you think you can do that?¡¹ ¡¸So collecting information? We have some members who excel at gathering intelligence, so I believe we should have no problems. Tell us the dates.¡¹ Replying as such, Sero took out a pen and some pieces of notepaper he always kept in his pocket to write down poems when they entered his mind, then waited for Mira to speak. ¡¸September 20th, 2117, June 18th, 2132, January 14th, 2138. Those are the dates. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s something really trivial. If anything happened, I want to know it.¡¹ Shortly after Mira finished speaking, Sero¡¯s writing hand also stopped, then he repeated the dates for Mira to confirm them. When Mira confirmed there were no errors, Sero returned the pen and paper to his pocket. ¡¸I¡¯ll give this information to the best intelligence brokers in ¨¦cate Carillon so they can take care of it. And while I don¡¯t know the meaning of these dates, I promise I won¡¯t let this information leak anywhere.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯d be d if you did so.¡¹ She did not believe that they would be able to make a connection all that easily, but this involved the most important personages in the Arkite Kingdom, the Nine Wisemen. It was not the same as asking a run-off-the-mill guild to do the investigation, while it was also a nice way to conceal the information as opposed to having a bad run with the nation¡¯s information brokers. Or at least so thought Mira. With the negotiations over, they returned to their lighthearted stories and conversation, until the bell of the inn¡¯s clock rang to indicate it was already 8 o¡¯clock. It was the first time for Mira to hear that sound, so she lifted her face and looked around until she found that it was indicating the current time. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s already thiste? Takuto, it¡¯s already prettyte, did your grandfather tell you by what time you should be back?¡¹ After Takuto had been separated from his parents, he was staying at his grandfather¡¯s house. Mira recalled that so she asked him, but Takuto¡¯s reaction seemed somewhat off. He had been enjoying himself until a moment earlier but now his eyes danced around awkwardly. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me you left without saying anything?¡¹ When Mira asked again, Takuto¡¯s body twitched and he looked at her. His reaction alone told her that he had left without telling anything to his grandfather. And that led to the next problem, if his grandfather found out he had left with some adventurers and entered a C-rank dungeon with them, there was no parent or guardian that would pardon him. Mira began scratching her chin as she heaved a sigh, then peered straight into Takuto¡¯s eyes. He seemed to realize he was in the wrong as well, as his shoulders sank. ¡¸You know, when you found out your parents had died, you weren¡¯t the only one suffering, your grandfather must¡¯ve been suffering just as much if not even more.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡¹ ¡¸And in the middle of such a time, you leave and cause him even more worry. Do you want to make your grandfather grieve for you as well?¡¹ He did not reply, only shaking his head left and right. ¡¸Exactly. Now, when you go out, you have to tell him exactly where you¡¯re going, can you promise me that?¡¹ As she said that, she gently smiled and patted his slumped head. ¡¸Yes!¡¹ He engraved those words into his heart before he nodded and replied. Mira then told him ¡¸Good boy.¡¹ and hugged him. Embraced by that warmth, Takuto imagined his mother from deep inside his memories. ¡¸Sisterly Mira mode activateddd¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t ruin the mood now.¡¹ Fra¡¯s breath became ragged as she watched the two, but Emera held her back skillfully. ¡¸This is usually not like Fra but sometimes Mira gives off some really mature vibes.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, what¡¯s with that, you lolicon? Are you trying to excuse your own dirty tastes?¡¹ ¡¸Huhh? Are you still trying to drag on with that narrative?!¡¹ Zef spoke with eyes too rxed for his own good, which prompted Asbar to instantlye up with another title for him, the disgrace of which made Zef hang his head down in shame. ¡¸I¡¯d like to know more about this whole thing now.¡¹ ¡¸Zef, I thought you likedrge breasts?¡¹ Sero and Killick also jumped on the bandwagon, revealing his inclinations without reserve. As a result, Zef¡¯s new shameful title would be known throughout all members of ¨¦cate Carillon in just a matter of days. ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll go take Takuto back home now.¡¹ Saying that, Mira stood up together with Takuto, but a voice quickly made her stop. ¡¸Girly, there¡¯s still one type of loot that hasn¡¯t been split yet, what should we do about that?¡¹ Hearing that, Mira remembered that the remains of the devil were still left without being split. Though those were materials that she did not need, so she could just say that she did not have to receive anything, but then everyone would try to stop her and get her to take something. ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll first see Takuto off and return after that.¡¹ ¡¸In that case, I can take him.¡¹ As soon as Mira mentioned that, Sero stood up from his seat. Having heard about the distribution of the devil¡¯s remains, he offered to take Takuto so Mira could stay. ¡¸Err, but still.¡¹ When everything started, she had promised she would bring him back herself, so she could not let Sero, who was an outsider until a few moments ago, take care of it. But when Mira thought that far, Killick also stood up. ¡¸I¡¯ll also go. I don¡¯t know how much worth it will be, but I hope my help can repay my debt at least by a bit. Not to mention that if I¡¯m together with our leader, we¡¯ll bepletely safe.¡¹ That did guarantee Takuto¡¯s safety, but Mira was still hesitant¡­ ¡¸But Mira, if you go, then you might get confused for someone else and guided by the police back here.¡¹ Emera was just trying to tease her a bit, but that brought Mira¡¯s memories back, which made her hang her head down low and give them her permission. ¡¸Big Sis Mira, Big Sis Emera, Uncle Asbar, Big Sis Fra, and Big bro Zef, thank you very much. There isn¡¯t much more I can do now, but I promise I¡¯ll return the favor in the future.¡¹ Takuto stood up, then began bowing to each and every one of them. He would never forget this day, and it would mark the beginning of his life towards bing a splendid adventurer like those he was seeing that moment, he swore so in his heart. After his long goodbye, he lifted his face, which now looked a little bit more mature, with signs of gratitude and a strong will in it. ¡¸See you around Takuto.¡¹ ¡¸If you want to be an adventurer, I¡¯ll teach you a bunch of things next time we meet.¡¹ ¡¸If you decide to be a magician, I might be able to teach you a few things as well. Feel free toe and ask anything anytime you want.¡¹ ¡¸Uncle¡­¡¹ Emera and the others walked closer to Takuto and took turns patting his head. That made his face return to a more childish one for a moment, a smile appropriate for his age spreading on his lips. ¡¸And well¡­ tell your grandfather that your parents are alive, I¡¯m sure that¡¯ll make him happier. Also, you have been deemed apt for three paths as a spellcaster. I can¡¯t say much myself, but you have talent. If you decide to pursue any of them, you can visit the tower. You¡¯re always wee there but don¡¯t forget to talk about it with your grandfather first.¡¹ With thosest words, Mira patted his head as well, he replied with his biggest smile and replied with ¡¸Yes!¡¹. For Takuto, everything had been thanks to that single girl. Mira sometimes did not listen to reason and acted rashly that made Emera get anxious so she brought herpanions, and at some point, he was surrounded by such amazing people. So with his heart filled to the brim with gratitude and happiness, Takuto left that ce. Leaving Mira behind, Takuto left while apanied by that man shrouded in darkness like the night who also had received arge present earlier, as well as the leader of the well-known guild ¨¦cate Carillon until he was home. Once they had exined everything to his grandfather, Sero and Killick headed back towards the Spring Snow inn, when an angry scream like that of thunder resounded behind them.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3056 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1585 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Mira! Don¡¯t only wee Takuto but me too!¡¹ As soon as Takuto left, Fra lost her mind at the unbelievable words Mira had spoken to him. Namely, that he could go visit her at the tower any time he wanted. The Nine Towers were the most influential magic research facilities in not only Arkite Kingdom, but of the entire continent. Saying that it was a privilege to enter one of them was an understatement. An average adventurer would getughed at if they tried to enter the Linked Silver Towers. It was a den of entric and extremely proficient people who spent day and night working there. Danbulf was the top-ranked member there, and Mira was his disciple, adding to that the fight against the devil they witnessed, it was obvious she would have permission to let whoever she wanted in. Fra was not one to have a say in the matter, but from the way Mira had told Takuto he was always wee there, Fra could guess Mira already had quite a strong influence on the tower. Not only that, but Fra was a spellcaster herself, so the Linked Silver Towers were obviously a ce she dreamt of arriving at, almost like a Ma of sorts. ¡¸Miraaa, I want to have at least a quick look around. Pretty please with a cherry on top~?¡¹ As opposed to the lustful eyes which Fra had turned on Mira¡¯s way until then, this time her eyes were filled with the desires and jealousy of a spellcaster. ¡¸Alright alright, I¡¯ll do it so leave me alone now!¡¹ Fra had been acting like a predator about to pounce on her prey. but now she looked satisfied having a tight hold on her prey, not letting it go. Although Fra was not directly touching Mira, she knew Fra would not budge until she got her way, so she gave in to her demand. ¡¸I love you Mira!¡¹ Now that Mira had granted her permission, Fra was taken over by her emotions and leaped onto Mira, but Emera had guessed that would happen and intercepted her. In the end, the matter was settled with her having the same amount of favor as Takuto. Their feast came to a close, then they all went to Zef¡¯s room further down on the second floor of the Spring Snow Inn. ¡¸Alright then, now¡¯s time to continue sharing the spoils.¡¹ Zef began taking the devil¡¯s drops from his item bag and piled them up on the table. There were two twisted horns, eight ws with a dark aura emanating from them, pitch-ck hide, and two wings. They all had a sinister appearance, and Emera pulled back slightly thinking there might be a curse on them. But since Fra would have been able to tell if something was amiss on the items, she knew she was being unnecessarily cautious. ¡¸Seeing all of this again¡­it looks somehow hard to believe.¡¹ ¡¸I know. The magic power infused in the ws alone is already amazing by itself. Judging from its attributes it seems to be on the fire element spectrum, so the spell devices made from these would be quite powerful.¡¹ While Asbar sighed as he looked over the drops, Fra took one of the ws and looked closely at it as she said that. The one who reacted first to those words was Emera who was cautiously watching from a distance. ¡¸Like a ming magic sword¡­!¡¹ Emera had an abnormally high attachment to different types of swords, so she let her emotions control her much more than necessary as her eyes shone looking at the ws piled up on the table. ¡¸So let¡¯s start by deciding how we¡¯ll share these¡­Mira, are you sure it¡¯s okay for us to keep these? We really were nothing but dead weight when acquiring them.¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­I know.¡¹ They were asking the same question once again. When Emera heard Zef ask that, her mind returned to reality and she stopped dead in her tracks. They alone would have never been able to win against the devil. Not just that, but if Mira had not been with them back then, at this moment only their cold bones would remain buried inside a secret underground graveyard. ¡¸You¡¯re asking that too much. If it bothers you that much, then just make sure to remember what I requested earlier. I don¡¯t mind how small it is, I want any sort of information I can get. There¡¯s nothing else I desire more than that.¡¹ Hearing her reply, Zef and Asbar looked at each other and shrugged seeing they kept getting the same reply. They had written down the dates back when Sero was there, so they had always nned on keeping their word. ¡¸Leave it to us then!¡¹ Emera¡¯s eyes were shining again. ¡¸Anyhow, take anything you want first, we¡¯ll split whatever remains between us.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hum, okay then.¡¹ Replying so, Mira took a nce at the table. The devil¡¯s hide was really useful when added to armor items, and while there were no limits to what items it applied to, armor normally decreased movement speed and physical strength, limiting the wearer¡¯s mobility. Now that this world was Mira¡¯s reality, that caused a bigger impact on her than before, and since Mira¡¯s stats were roughly the same of any other spellcaster in those aspects, she figured there was no need for the hide. It could have been used as an additive to her robe, but since Mira focused more on her looks, she had never worn something like that. Though her current clothes were not that different either. The devil¡¯s ws were incredibly well suited to make magic tools or weapons with spells imbued in them. The wings weremonly used to reinforce magic tools and weapons as well, but there was one drop which suited Mira¡¯s needs more than all the others, namely, the horns. ¡¸Then I guess I can take these.¡¹ Saying that, Mira picked up the two horns. ¡¸Are you sure that¡¯s all you want? You don¡¯t have to hold back. Even if we get a single item it would be more than enough for us.¡¹ After choosing the horns, Mira pulled her hand back not needing anything else, but Asbar interrupted her asking that. As devils were thought to be exterminated, drops from one would be traded for high prices. These days it was thought that the only way to find those was on ancient battlefields, old ruins, or the underground. But the drops they had there had been freshly harvested from a devil, so that made them all the more valuable. ¡¸This is enough. The rest would be more than I could handle.¡¹ The horns she had chosen were obviously of a high value as well, but more than anything, they worked the best with the type of refining skills Mira used. ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re really okay with it then I guess that¡¯s it. Anyway, time for us to split this up then.¡¹ Seeing that Mira was convinced she did not need anything more, Zef said that as he turned to look at the table. Just as he did, he saw a hand jump out and take hold of the devil¡¯s ws. ¡¸Emera¡­¡¹ Zef, Asbar, and Fra all shot cold stares at Emera, the second inmand of ¨¦cate Carillon. Ever since the idea of a ming magic sword got in her head, she had been impatiently staring at the ws waiting for an opportunity to snag them. She was almost acting like a puppy that was told to wait before being given something. ¡¸Huh¡­I mean, it¡¯s fine now, right?¡¹ As soon as the topic became sword types, Emera would change from her reliable older sister character to one oblivious to anything else. When they were done splitting everything up, the results were as follows: Emera took six of the ws, Asbar the hide, Fra the wings, and Zef took two ws and a small piece of the hide. ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s high time I head back now. This was a fun experience.¡¹ Mira said that once she found a suitable moment for it. Emera and the rest grouped together to thank her. That was a sudden development for Mira, so she remained silent watching where things would go. ¡¸It¡¯s only thanks to you that we¡¯re still alive now, so let us express our gratitude again. Thank you.¡¹ Emera said with an almost startling smile. ¡¸Thank you, Missy. You didn¡¯t only save our lives, but you even gave us all these things.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, Mira. I promise we¡¯ll repay this debt one day. Maybe you can tell us how to contact-¡¹ ¡¸Same goes for me, thanks to you I was also able to let loose on many fronts. Thank you.¡¹ Emera silenced Fra before she could finish her sentence, and Zef filled that gap instantly. Being thanked that way once again, Mira felt embarrassed and could only let her eyes wander around incessantly. ¡¸It was nothing big, you need not to thank me this much.¡¹ Saying that, she turned her sideways looking away. But her cheeks were flushed red, her lips smiling more than her words made it seem. ¡¸Mira¡¯s so cutee!¡¹ Of course, Fra was unable to contain herself seeing that, and with that their exchange came to an end. Chapter 35: Scarlet Bell Chapter 35: Scarlet Bell A day passed after she headed towards the Ancient Temple. She had been unable to find the person she was looking for, but she had found a lead. The duties imparted to her by Garrett and Solomon had beenpleted, so as soon as preparations were over, she would have to return to Arkite Kingdom. But those preparations would take some time, so Mira headed towards Caranach to kill some time. ¡¸Good morning, Mira.¡¹ A voice called her as soon as she left the Summer Lantern. Suspicious, she took a quick look at the person. It was a figure that easily blended into the surroundings, wearing in clothes and a broad hat pulled down to eye-level. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you. Good morning. Quite the coincidence¡­ or I presume it¡¯s not?¡¹ The person was the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon. He was resting his back on a wall, but then he lightly pushed himself forward and walked closer to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting since quite early in the morning. There¡¯s something I wanted to talk to you about.¡¹ His voice concealed not a single speck of malice and it was clear he was speaking truthfully. Mira began thinking what his goal was and figured it out almost instantly. And it was something Mira herself wished for. ¡¸You mean to talk about how both of us are former yers?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. I¡¯m d the conversation is moving swiftly.¡¹ Confirming her suspicion, Sero smiled free of worry. If a regr woman was exposed to his excessively charming features, they would probably forgo their morals rather quickly. Since he was also on the androgenous side of looks, it even caused a faint throb in Mira who had no interest in men. Apart from Solomon and Luminaria, Mira did not know of any other former yers, so she was d to find one more. Last night Emera and the others had been around, so there was no chance to talk about that. ¡¸Should we go somewhere else then? It wouldn¡¯t be wise to discuss something like that here.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, let¡¯s go to my favorite ce.¡¹ After a quick look around, Mira saw the street bing more lively with people and Sero agreed with her. They promptly began walking away and since Sero did not know at what time Mira woulde out of the inn, he had begun waiting since early in the morning, skipping breakfast. He did mask it out a bit by drinking the marble juice he happened to have stashed in his item box, but he still wanted to grab something solid now. Sero¡¯s favorite ce turned out to be Caf¨¦ de Choct. It was the caf¨¦ where they had a meeting with Emera when they first met. As soon as they entered, they ordered a blended coffee and caf¨¦ auit, the oriental breakfast set and a Choctic Overflow. Then, they walked through the sparse crowd of people enjoying their time there one hour before they headed to their workces and sat down in one of the corners of the caf¨¦. ¡¸You¡¯re starting the day with quite the feast.¡¹ ¡¸One can never have enough sweets after all.¡¹ Sero looked surprised seeing everything Mira ordered, but she just replied with a rather girly phrase. Since she had a sweet tooth, that was the only thing she could strongly rte with other girls, even if all their other courses of action were sometimes a big mystery to her. ¡¸You have quite the peculiar taste as well though. I¡¯m surprised there exists an oriental menu in this world.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s because the owner of this ce is a former yer.¡¹ When he said that with a careless tone, Mira¡¯s eyes went round and she stood up to take a look around the caf¨¦. ¡¸She¡¯s back home right now. Or well, I say home, but this is more like a branch of the main caf¨¦, so she rarely visits.¡¹ ¡¸Humm. There¡¯s a lot of us around then¡­¡¹ In that case, since she did not really investigate other people as much, there was a possibility that there were more former yers between the friends she had made before. As Mira began wondering just how many former yers were living in that world now, her caf¨¦ auit arrived before the main course, so she took a sip from it. ¡¸From the way you speak, I guess you haven¡¯t been here for a long time?¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, it¡¯s only been around a week.¡¹ ¡¸So that was the case after all.¡¹ Most of the former yers in that world were people who excelled at one particr thing. Be iting up with war strategies, being an adventurer or a knight, or working to streamline the production of some item. And ording to Emera¡¯s report, she had managed to beat a third-rank Earl devil, which was quite a feat even for former yers. While he could probably win against one too, it did not mean he would get out scot-free like she did. It was pretty much confirmed that a lot of former yers had begun appearing in that world, so Sero had decided to bet on that conjecture when approaching her. ¡¸You figured it out really easily.¡¹ ¡¸There were plenty of precedents for that. But that aside, you said you were Danbulf¡¯s disciple?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ yes, that is correct.¡¹ Former yers had a high chance of personally knowing Danbulf. So if she said one wrong thing and her identity was revealed, it could be quite costly to her dignity and public image which she wanted to avoid at all costs. ¡¸That¡¯s surprising, I don¡¯t remember hearing or knowing of someone like that back in the game¡­ Did you perhaps know Danbulf in the real world?¡¹ ording to Sero¡¯s memories, when this world was still a game, there were no other yers who had the same fighting style as Danbulf, but maybe there was and they just did not show up in major battlefields, or maybe they simply did not have enough strength to appear publicly yet. But if she had unpolished skills when she entered this world, it was virtually impossible for her to rise up to the level to defeat a devil. All of this meant she had to already be powerful before appearing here. If she was that powerful before, then she would have been a high-ranked yer in the battlefields or events. However, he had no information or recollections about any girl who could fight with the same style as Danbulf in all of Arkite or around the Nine Wisemen. So if no one knew even rumors about her in the game, the only option left would be a real-world acquaintance. That type of fighting style was not something one could simply imitate. The first step was to be a Sage as a second ss just like Danbulf did, then learn all the skills he had required. The requirements to be able to learn a subss were not widely known, so that was another reason why it was notmon. In the past, Danbulf had said he got it by chance, but it wasmon practice in online games to obfuscate the way to obtain powerful skills. Sero would have hid it too, and most other yers as well. But Mira had acquired such a powerful skill. In other words, she was close enough to Danbulf where she was let in on the secret. She was probably a real-life friend, or maybe a rtive or even his lover. In gaming terms, she would basically be an IRL friend. ¡¸Or heh, maybe you¡¯re Danbulf himself.¡¹ Thest option popped up in his mind, but heughed it off as a joke. If that was actually the case, then the entire Arkite Kingdom would be celebrating merrily since another one of the Nine Wisemen had returned. Seroughed remembering how that had been the case when Luminaria returned before. Mira sipped her caf¨¦ auit again, trying her best to fake a smile to appear calm. (That¡¯spletely correct though! But how should I reply?! No no, the way he said that sounded like he was just joking. Should I justugh about it as well then? Or should I say that he¡¯s right but with a joking tone? What should I do¡­!) Mira resisted the urge of rolling around the ground while holding her head as she continued debating with herself. It did not take much longer before Mira formed a decision and replied. ¡¸¡­That¡¯s impossible, we¡¯re IRL friends. He told me all sorts of things in the real world. We also didn¡¯t interact that much in-game, and I sparsely logged in, so it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if you never heard about me.¡¹ Her story was a bit of a stretch, but she tried to remain calm as she improvised a story that would not raise too many questions. At the same time, she decided to use the same terminology he had. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s what happened.¡¹ Sero did not seem too doubtful and epted that story. He still remembered about the Vanity Case, an item bought with real currency that could change one¡¯s appearance, but Danbulf had been well-known as someone who was prideful and obsessed about his personal appearance to exaggerated lengths. He ced much more effort into his looks than on his skills and it was said he easily had at least a hundred magnificent robes. It was impossible for a person like that to change his appearance into what was basically the opposite of his looks. That preconception also helped him believe her story. (It seems¡­ that he believed it¡­?) Mira carefully examined Sero¡¯s face and was unable to find any traces of doubt. From that, she figured he had believed her and she was able to calm down. Soon after, the rest of their order arrived. She felt that if he questioned her further, he would begin noticing holes in her story, so she hurried to take arge spoonful of the chocte cake that arrived like a gift from heavens at the perfect moment, and stuffed her mouth with it. As the two ate for the next few minutes, they spoke happily about memories they had from back when this world was just a game for them. ¡°By the way, how was it for you when you arrived in this world? And how¡¯ve you fared up until now?¡± Amidst their conversation, she had begun using the samenguage as the Nine Wisemen, so she quickly switched topics before she slipped up. At the same time, that was something she had been curious about, she wanted to know what kind of life a former yer had found in this world.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3741 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1893 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Let¡¯s see, there was almost no time difference for me since I arrived like ten days after the First Day. Ah, since you just arrived, do you know of the First Day?¡¹ ¡¸No, it¡¯s the first time I hear that term.¡¹ ¡¸Well, all the former yers in this world were ying Ark Earth Online on September 14th, 2116. Of all the former yers I¡¯ve met, the ones who were here the longest appeared here on that same day of the ingame calendar. So that date is what we call the First Day.¡¹ ¡¸September 14th huh. It was that date in the real world when I came here as well.¡¹ Revisiting her memories, she remembered the date at which she received that email informing her of the expiring credits, which was one day before the 14th. ¡¸It¡¯s been thirty years since then, but the people who arrive now were still transported in that date.¡¹ ¡¸It does appear that way.¡¹ Saying that, Mira tried to picture how spending all that time here would be, but since her imagination was failing her, she quickly gave up on it. ¡¸At first I felt really perplexed. Out of the blue, the air felt much more rich, got actual wounds when fighting monsters and felt unbearable pain. Without knowing what was going on, I tried to log out only to find the option for it was gone. That really started driving me crazy back then. I ran away to a nearby town and stood dumbfounded there. There was no one I knew nearby and I felt alone without salvation. But then a woman spoke to me. It wasn¡¯t a friend or a former yer freaking out like I was, but a female NPC who I had never paid any attention to before.¡¹ Sero continued his narration with a distant look on his eyes. ¡¸Apparently I was in quite a miserable state, so she worriedly came to check if everything was alright. Of course, that was the first time I saw an NPC act like that, so it was quite a surprise.¡± ¡¸But to be honest, I felt so lost at that moment that I just indulged in her care. I stayed at her home for some time after that, helping with whatever household chores I could, or clearing the monsters that appeared in the highway not too far from there.¡¹ ¡¸Around a year passed like that, until I noticed that I had been greeting the other people in the town like regr people without thinking much about it. That was the moment when it all sank in and I epted everything as being real for me. At the same time, I thought that there had to be much more I could be doing there.¡¹ ¡¸When I thought that, I couldn¡¯t sit still anymore and began teaching the youngest people in the town everything I knew about how to fight so that the number of monsters could decrease.¡¹ ¡¸Quite some time passed since then, but once things had calmed down around there, I decided to go on a trip. Searching for other yers in the same situation as me was one of the goals, but I also had other more shameless ns in mind, I wanted to be of use to people. The way the people in the town smiled at me helped to blow away all the negative and despairing feelings I had, and I wanted to see more of that, I wanted to make them even happier. They had epted someone like me, so I wanted to repay that debt to the people in this world. It might be all pure self-satisfaction on my side, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to not do anything.¡¹ He paused for a moment, bringing his coffee with a calm smile on his lips, then he looked at Mira with earnest eyes. ¡¸I started my trip with such a self-satisfying reason, but it was almost funny how quickly I found out how other former yers were doing. Apparently that town I was staying at was rather secluded in the countryside, so after crossing over a mountain, I arrived at a slightlyrger city. There was a United Adventurer¡¯s Guild branch there, so I checked it out. When I entered, I randomly ran into one of my friends inside, which startled me with how quickly it happened.¡¹ ¡¸That friend told me about a lot of things that were going on. About many events that happened around, as well as things that were changing now. As a result, I realized that the United Adventurer¡¯s Guild was where I wanted to be, so I registered almost immediately. After that I epted requests one after another and continued traveling around, it was during that time that I also met my otherpanions. You know the two of them, Asbar and Emera. For a while it was just us three working together, but slowly more people began tagging along with us, so I decided that it was time to found the guild you currently know of.¡¹ That was how ¨¦cate Carillon was founded. It had been the fruit of people flocking to Sero, impressed by his ideals. Sero had called it self-satisfaction, but not just anyone would have gotten as far as he did. Even Mira was impressed by him as she followed his story. At the same time, she formed a faint idea as to why he was telling her all of this. ¡¸Now we have more members and we expanded the guild as much as we could. But even then, we can only reach what is in front of us and can¡¯t save anyone who is further away. It didn¡¯t matter how much we struggled, even if we tried to take hold of a hand that was a bit too far away, it would just slip away time and time again. It¡¯s so frustrating and annoying that I kept wishing there was someone who could reach further than we can.¡¹ Sero looked utterly frustrated, and after a short pause during which he reaffirmed his decision, he spoke again. ¡¸Mira, would you want to join our guild?¡¹ With simple words, but all of his thoughts contained in them, Sero asked her. (Hmm, so it dide to this after all.) Mira washed down the sweetness lingering in her mouth with her cafe auit, then looked straight into Sero¡¯s eyes. She could see how serious he was from his expression. His eyes made it painfully clear just how much he regretted not being able to save more people, and how much he suffered because of it. At the same time, she could tell he truly meant everything he had said before. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I still have other things I have to do.¡¹ But Mira still had not fulfilled her promise to Solomon, that she¡¯d find his lost friends, which was also rted to their ability to protect the entire kingdom. From his story, Mira knew Sero was a splendid person, and that the people who surrounded him all had the same mindset. But that was not a reason for her to discard a promise she made with her best friend. ¡¸I see¡­ I somehow could tell you¡¯d refuse, but I figured I could give it a try anyway. The things you have to do are rted to the dates you mentioned before, are they not?¡¹ Sero¡¯s voice sounded devastated, but he smiled without letting that pull him down. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct. And well, while I can¡¯t join your guild, if I find anyone during my travel who needs help, I assure you I¡¯ll help them. Is that eptable?¡¹ When Sero heard that, a satisfied smile overtook his lips as he bowed saying thanks. ¡¸Like I assured you before, if we find anything we¡¯ll contact you.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll be counting on you. Also, I¡¯ll be leaving today so pass on my farewell to the others.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ After they both finished their food, they walked out of Cafe de Choct and went their own ways after a simple goodbye. Their paths were different, but their hearts faced the same way. (Now then, I assume Garret is about done preparing now.) Her stay in Caranach had been short, but she had gone through many experiences there. Mira walked back to the Summer Lantern as she looked at the city around her. It was still quite a while before noon. On the street, she crossed paths with adventurers, soldiers and housewives with baskets on their arms, haggling with all their might. Seeing the lively spectacle formed by the people of that city, her mind rxed and she leisurely kept walking until she suddenly opened her eyes round at something and stopped dead in her tracks. She had spotted a shop detached from the other buildings. It had many items on disy, and quite a number of people visited it showing that the shop was flourishing. Mira waltzed closer to the shop, her eyes focused on one of the multiple items on disy. At the same time, a strained smile upied her lips as she regretted her own shallowness for not being able to think of something so simple. In front of the shop, with both arms outstretched and a fairly simplified design whenpared to the original article, was disyed what was obviously a Sage¡¯s Robe. (I should be allowed to wear fluttery clothes like these without repercussions. I¡¯ll just buy anything that appeals to me!) Thinking like that, Mira checked the price of the robe on the shelf it was hung on. There it was under the name of Sage¡¯s Robe Replica, costing 5¡¯000 Rils. That was the expected price given that it had no special effect added to it, so Mira began looking through the different colors avable, finding the one she was most used to wearing, the Sage¡¯s Robe (Summoner) Replica, and after checking the quality of the fabric, she took it and triumphantly headed to the counter to buy it. Trying to calm her hurrying feet that were about to trip at any moment, Mira hugged the robe she just bought and quickly walked towards the Summer Lantern. For a moment she almost activated Ground Shrink and Sky Stride without thinking, but she barely managed to stop herself since doing that would have attracted too much attention. When she finally arrived at the inn, she barely greeted anyone as she entered and ran to her room. There she took off all her clothes except for her panties. She hadpletely given up on wearing bras. Now that she hade this far, she could not hold back anymore. A bright smile filling her face, she slid her arm into the Sage¡¯s Robe Replica. Since she was in the best room of the best inn in Caranach, there was obviously a body-sized mirror there. When Mira saw herself on it, she quickly nodded to herself. ¡¸I truly look cool.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself, smiling more, then she lightly rearranged her hair. The store where Mira had found that replica was called ¡®Speciality Market from the Moon and Silver Towers, Caranach Division¡¯. In other words, it was a store selling collective goods from the Arkite Kingdom. However, Mira had not thought about one thing. Namely, why had there been a robe that fit her child-like body in that store? Chapter 36: Report Chapter 36: Report Three days after she had left the Requiem City of Caranach, Mira arrived at the capital of Arkite Kingdom, Lunatic Lake in the middle of the day. Nostalgia filled her heart as a maid guided her to Solomon¡¯s office. At first, she was slightly afraid she would once again be surrounded by the maids and be used as a dressing doll, but she rxed seeing that she arrived at the office without any of that happening. After knocking on the door and waiting for a reply, the maid opened the door together with an ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ When Mira entered the office, she heard the door silently being closed behind her. ¡¸Wee back. It¡¯s been around a week, I guess. And well, did you find him?¡¹ Only Mira and Solomon were inside the office. Solomon¡¯s tone was the one he used amongst friends as he asked Mira, while at the same time throwing away the papers he was working on. ¡¸Lamentably, he was not there but I found some traces. I¡¯m positive those should prove to be a valuable lead.¡¹ Saying that, Mira opened her item list and took out a few select items she had found inside the castle of the Ancient Temple. Solomon roughly pushed the remaining papers to the corners of his desk, then began examining some of the items Mira had begun piling up there. ¡¸The rules to reincarnate an undead bird? And this is the method to cremate an immortal king, the location of the four season¡¯s spirits¡­ Just what is he trying to do?¡¹ ¡¸I think you¡¯ll know once you see this.¡¹ Unable to arrive at an answer with the initial information Mira gave him, Solomon knitted his brow as he received the next item from Mira, examining it. It was a list detailing the effects of different medicines and healing items when applied to a Carved Seal of the Death. There were all sorts ofmon items in the list, as well as high-level ones, but most of them had not been sessful. There was only one item that had nothing written in the results field, the Brilliant Chalice. Having been in this world for thirty years and having enjoyed it as a game for some time before that as well, Solomon was able to arrive at a conclusion with that information alone. ¡¸Could it be that he¡¯s looking for the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I believe that¡¯s the case.¡¹ Mira nodded while replying in agreement. Afterward, Mira told Solomon what had happened on the sixth floor of the castle in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. ¡¸Could it be a dear person to him¡­¡¹ ¡¸Presumably.¡¹ Their talk finished, they stayed in silence as they thought and worried about their good friend, Soul Howl. While they did not know what kind of change had happened to his mental state, it was clear that Soul Howl was wandering around everywhere, looking for the Brilliant Chalice. ¡¸Since I couldn¡¯t find him there, I guess it means he found some sort of lead and is continuing with his search. If we want to find him, I think it¡¯s best if we figure out the secret of the Brilliant Chalice from these items and then follow his footsteps. What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸That sounds like a good idea.¡¹ The first step would be to figure out the ces Soul Howl wanted to visit, then check each and every one of them. That was all they could do in their current state. Once the two arrived at that conclusion, they looked bitterly at the pile of items. ¡¸Well, I feel like I¡¯ll break down if I have to go through all this information. I think I should call someone more suitable for this job.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon held the bell standing on his desk and let it ring twice. However, there was no sounding from it. Solomon did not look bothered by that, as he turned his attention back to the items. ¡¸Hey, is that a bell to call someone? I didn¡¯t hear anything at all.¡¹ The bell on the desk looked like a miniaturized version of a church¡¯s bells, supported by pirs with the bell itself hanging off a string. Solomon said he was calling someone and moved as if he was ringing it, but Mira heard no metallic sounding from it or any sound at all for that matter. ¡¸Hm? Ah, it¡¯s a Calling Bell. It¡¯s basically a magic tool, its sound is only audible to the person I want to call. Its range is about one kilometer and the person I just called is¡­¡¹ ¡¸His Majesty Solomon, how can I serve you today?¡¹ While Solomon was still exining, theposed voice of a man rang from the other side of the door. Mira had heard that voice before. ¡¸There¡¯s something I wanted you to help with,e in.¡¹ Solomon¡¯s voice changed to a king¡¯s voice and beckoned the man to enter. ¡¸Excuse me.¡¹ The man opened the door and bowed. He was a blonde elf wearing a butler¡¯s outfit, with a chic long ck coat over it. He was Suleyman, Solomon¡¯s aide. Seeing him again, Mira remembered what his abilities were. He specialized in the knowledge of ancient history and spirits. Since his skills were mostly focused on knowledge rather than practical abilities, it was a type of abstract skill that could be ssified as more of a type of rare item. Knowledge in itself is something that if one¡¯s brain allows it, it can be remembered. Sources of information included both books and other people. But unless someone was extremely curious about a given topic, information on anything was so vast that it was practically impossible for someone to know everything about it. But there was one person who had studied all of that information to an even higher level. That person was Suleyman. ¡¸Wee back, Mira. Have there been any favorable developments?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we were able to find a lead.¡¹ As soon as Suleyman entered the room, he saw Mira and gracefully greeted her. Receiving his words, she turned to look at the table. Suleyman followed her gaze and found arge pile of documents at the end of it. ¡¸So that¡¯s what you mean with a lead. It looks like quite arge amount of documents.¡¹ ¡¸As you can see, apparently one needs knowledge of ancient times and spirits to really understand these documents. That¡¯s why I called you. We want to find out different ces with this, as well as directions to them. If needed, I grant you permission to look through the A-rank Royal Library.¡¹ During those thirty years, Suleyman had shown his talent at deciphering books and sorting information with anything that required his knowledge many times. And while his fighting skills were about the same as that of an average person with a bit ofbat training, when it came to desk work, there was no one in all of Arkite Kingdom that could stand at the same level. ¡¸Understood. If my knowledge can be useful for anything, I¡¯ll give my body and soul to arrive at a favorable conclusion.¡¹ Not only was he Solomon¡¯s aide, but he was faithful and loyal to him as well. Cheerful that his knowledge would be of use, he took the countless documents from Solomon and ced them on a transporting magical tool, then left the office in high spirits saying ¡¸I¡¯ll be heading to the library now.¡¹ Seeing all that y out, Solomon smiled satisfied. ¡¸Now it¡¯s only a matter of time until we get results.¡¹ ¡¸You did a nice job pushing it all on to him.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d prefer to say that I put the right person to the right task. After all, it¡¯s my job to put people to use.¡¹ Mira shrugged seeing that Solomon was still the same he had always been, then threw herself on the couch that had pretty much be her favorite ce. She twisted her body on top of it, searching for a ce that would feel nice to sit on, then she opened her items list to take some apple ale out. As she did that, her eyesnded on the entry for the devil¡¯s horns. ¡¸Ah, I almost forgot. There¡¯s one more thing I wanted to tell you, is that alright?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? I don¡¯t mind. What happened?¡¹ Mira was still lying t, only her face turned towards him. Solomon was tidying up the papers he had pushed to the corners of his desk as he replied. ¡¸Well, there was a devil on the lowest floor of the underground graveyard. Do you know where that could¡¯vee from?¡¹ ¡¸¡­A devil, you say?¡¹ When he heard that one word, Solomon¡¯s expression turned grim for a second. ¡¸Yes, it appeared out of nowhere. It was a third-rank Earl. It decided to attack me, so I defeated it. Why was there a devil down there?¡¹ ¡¸I see, it makes a bit of sense though.¡¹ After a brief pause, Solomon pushed the papers away once again, then took a tightly sealed file from a drawer. Mira wondered what that was and stood up, looking at the file Solomon had just opened. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how much you know about this world, but the devils were said to have been exterminated in a war ten years ago.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I heard that much.¡¹ ¡¸You adapt quickly, huh. But well, as you saw, the truth is that there are still remaining devils lurking underground, I heard they seem to be plotting something. These are the reports on that matter. They epass the ces they attacked and the traces they left.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon took out multiple documents from the file and lined them up. They all had Top Secret stamps on them. ¡¸Hmm, Top Secret I see.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, because everyone believes they have been exterminated. Only the top brass of other countries and unions know they¡¯re still alive.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s the situation¡­ Maybe I should¡¯ve silenced them then¡­¡¹ Learning from Solomon that the matter was much more important than she had imagined, she began thinking about Emera and the others. Hearing Mira¡¯s mutter, Solomon¡¯s expression changed entirely. ¡¸Wha¡­! Did you tell anyone about this?!¡¹ Solomon jerked his face upwards, looking desperately at Mira who was standing beside the table looking at the documents. Mira replied, finding it strange how impatient Solomon looked to hear the answer. ¡¸Don¡¯t fret that much. And I didn¡¯t tell anyone. There were other people with me when the devil attacked.¡¹ With that as a preface, Mira quickly told him how she met Takuto and then Emera and the others. How she guarded them until they arrived at the Dark Aid¡¯s Mirror, then on the sixth floor she searched for Soul Howl. She only found more clues, so they headed back, and on their way back the devil appeared there. Mira told the story from start to finish and Solomon seemed convinced as he stood up nodding. ¡¸I see, I have a rough idea of the situation now. I guess I just have to give them a warning. You said it was the guild ¨¦cate Carillon and the young Takuto, correct?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s it. Emera, Asbar, Fra and Zef. Also their leader Sero.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll go over there to inform the Union about the situation, wait for a moment.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon left the office and headed to themunications room. That ce had equipment that made it possible to have bteralmunication at long distances. That was another fruit produced by Magic Engineering topensate for theck ofmunication introduced when the game disabled the global chat feature. Since Solomon was gone and Mira was left alone, Mira took the documents on the desk and sat down on a chair, leisurely reading them.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3967 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 2027 words
Editor(s): Fire
The first eyewitness report was in the West Continent, the appearance of a dark person with horns inside the forest ravine above the cliffs, it The first witness report came from the west of the continent. There was a troop of knights training in the woods and one of them saw a ck figure with horns observing them from a cliff. As soon as the knight saw the figure, it disappeared. Due to how far away it was, it was impossible to tell with full certainty that it was a devil. Mira skimmed through other reports and saw that the biggest part of them were the same, easily faked stories. There were only a few sparse credible ounts mixed in there. Finishing her quick check on the documents, Mira stood up and walked to the window to kill time by watching the scenery of the capital. (This is quite the luxurious vantage point.) Below that massive ss window was the crescent moon-shapedke that was the center of the Capital City Lunatic Lake. The city grew around theke, so from Mira¡¯s standpoint, she could see the lively city panning out across her view. But since the castle was in the middle of the city, that was only half of it. Heaving a sigh of admiration, Mira¡¯s eyes focused on the one building that stood out amongst the rest. From what the driver Garret had told her, that was Arkite Academy, one of the Five Pir Institutions. (It¡¯s even more majestic than the university I went to.) Mira smiled bitterly seeing that school building that stood like a pce, reminiscing of her college life filled with meetings and farewells. The Arkite Academy. It consisted of threerge buildings, though it was not as big as the royal pce. The white and yellow building was for the new students, the red building for senior students, and the ck one for specialized studies. Because of Arkite¡¯s characteristics, there were many departments in the academy focusing on different types of spells as well, more so than in other countries, so on that front, it was the best in the entire continent. With that, there were many exchange students from other countries there and the nearby inns would always be upied by the sons of nobles in a specific age range. That was Arkite Academy, the ce anyone who aspired to be a spellcaster would wish to attend to. (Oh right, I wonder if Takuto is going to school.) Takuto¡¯s carefree smile popped up in Mira¡¯s head. He was like a little brother she always wished she had. As she imagined him working hard to be a spellcaster, Solomon returned to the office. ¡¸Did it go well?¡¹ ¡¸It seems everything is alright.¡¹ Mira was still leaning on the window, only turning her head a bit to ask him that. Solomon looked relieved as he grabbed his chair and sat down on it. ¡¸I spoke with the leader of the Union, he said there¡¯s not even rumors about a devil around the city.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. I also don¡¯t believe them to be the kind of person to bber about it randomly.¡¹ Emera and the others were high level adventurers, they should be aware of the effect that kind of information would have if it spread, and their leader, Sero, did not give the impression of someone that willingly causes chaos, at least from what Mira noticed while talking to him. After hearing Solomon¡¯s reply, Mira smiled in relief realizing they could be trusted that much. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s that. I hope you won¡¯t tell this to anyone else as well. There¡¯s already a lot of rumors and stories out there, so any first-hand ounts would be quite the definitive evidence.¡¹ ¡¸I understand. But from what you say, I gather you also don¡¯t know why the devil appeared on the sixth floor?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we don¡¯t have enough information for that. We still don¡¯t know for sure what they want or why either. But well, I guess at least I should send a team to investigate the sixth floor of the underground graveyard. I¡¯m curious what a devil wanted down there.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds like a good idea.¡¹ All she had learned in the Ancient Temple was rted to the Wiseman Soul Howl. She had not taken any time to see if there was anything there rted to the devil. So if the ce was properly investigated, they might find something useful. Mira agreed with his idea and left the window to sit on the sofa, leaning back on it and stretching. ¡¸Anyway, the clothes you have now resemble your robe but are slightly different as well. Did you buy a replica?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I found one in Caranach.¡¹ Solomon looked at Mira pleasantly loosening her body and her clothes caught his eye. In reply, Mira stood up with a boastful expression and puffed her chest. The robe replica was made of cheap materials and had a in design, it was much inferiorpared to the original. But the colors and shapes were identical, so it filled the only important requirement of looking good on the outside for Mira. ¡¸I see, I see. It does suit you really well.¡¹ She looked like a little girl ying make-believe, pretending to be one of the Nine Wisemen she looked up to. His words were filled with that sentiment as Solomon grinned. ¡¸I know. Wearing the style of clothes I¡¯m so used to is the best after all.¡¹ Oblivious to Solomon¡¯s actual thoughts, Mira put on a triumphant face as she fell back on the sofa with her limbs outstretched. At the same time, she remembered that she had left the original back at the tower. After she went to the toilet for the first time in that body, she strengthened her resolve and barged into the bathroom. Her Sage Robe had been dirtied with the blood of goblins and other substances, so she had left it in the dressing room. (Going back to the tower to get it back is up is now in the list then.) Thinking that, she began nning what to do from now on. Going after Soul Howl would require figuring out where he was going from the documents she gathered. That was the only hurdle they had at the moment. In that case, she could start by getting everything she needed from the warehouse in the tower. Then, her thoughts switched to what happened on her way back from the Ancient Temple. She had found a clue that might lead her to another one of the Nine Wisemen. ¡¸Oh right, oh right, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to ask from you, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, what is it?¡¹ As soon as Mira asked, Solomon agreed to reply, lightly kicking his desk as he remained in his chair, letting the momentum from the kick carry it to the window. Solomon spent most of the time absorbed with paperwork, so a conversation with a friend from thirty years ago was just what he wanted. ¡¸This is something I heard not too long ago, but apparently there have been cases of spirits being attacked? Do you know anything about that?¡¹ She had also asked Leoneil in Caranach¡¯s Spellcasters Union, but since Solomon was the king, he probably knew even more. When Solomon heard the question, he looked a bit shocked and surprised as he replied. ¡¸Heh, so you even heard of that¡­ Of course I know. As far as the information we have goes, it all started around nine years ago in the thick forest north of Grimdart, almost all of the spirits living in those woods disappeared.¡¹ ¡¸Almost¡­ all of them?¡¹ The Grimdart Empire was established on the north of the continent, a country revering the God of Justice. It is one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries and is also referred to as the Land of Knights. Further north from there, arge expanse of dense forest exists, around three timesrger than all of Arkite. Such arge forest is a rare urrence by itself and it was normally inhabited by a rather high number of spirits. ¡¸It¡¯s such arge area so we obviously couldn¡¯t search through all of it, but the ces where the spirits were known to live in werepletely devoid of them now. At that time, no one knew what caused it and Grimdart spearheaded the investigation of the cause. But as time passed, simr stories came from all the countries around there. At first, it was thought to be caused by arge outbreak of Elemental Eaters or some subspecies of them¡­ but one day, a research team that was sent to investigate the remaining spirits found a group of people trying to capture the spirits. The group were armed-like knights and were carrying many captured spirits trapped in cages of some sort.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph¡­ So the damage is quite extensive then.¡¹ From the Wind Spirit¡¯s words, quite arge number of spirits were being attacked. With Solomon¡¯s story, she knew that the damage was quite extensive and a cruel situation. On top of that, the research team that found the armed group did not have many members able to fight, so they deemed it reckless to engage inbat and decided to return with that information. ¡¸All the countries are looking into it on their own now, but we still have no idea why they are targeting the spirits like that. We investigated ve trading routes as well, but there were no spirits listed anywhere. All we found out is that the group attacking them calls themselves Chimera uzen.¡¹ ¡¸But anyway, it¡¯s quite incredible that you already know about this matter. Who told you about it?¡¹ This was another serious matter which was not made public yet, but it was not as heavily guarded either. The Union¡¯s A-rank adventurers were informed of it and there was a bounty for anyone who could offer any useful information. Solomon figured it was one of the members of the guild Mira mentioned, but her reply waspletely different. ¡¸I met a Wind Spirit on my way back. That¡¯s how I heard about it.¡¹ ¡¸Heh¡­ a Wind¡­ Spirit huh¡­¡¹ Mira said that nonchntly, but Solomon seemed to be taken aback as he slowly replied. Solomon was of the warrior ss, so he could neither see nor talk with spirits. He was aware of the possibility of Mira talking with one, but her reply still came entirely out of the left field. ¡¸A ck cat shikigami was ying with it too.¡¹ She added that with a yful tone, then proceeded to tell the entire story. How the Wind Spirit told her about the other spirits being attacked. How it had been attacked too, but the ck cat Shikigami: Nyanmaru saved it. How the shikigami is still at the Wind Spirit¡¯s side now, guarding it. When she told most of it and finished her story, both Mira and Solomon took notice of the same points. ¡¸Nyanmaru¡­ it reminds me of Kagura, I wonder if there¡¯s some connection.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. The Wind Spirit didn¡¯t meet the caster. But well, I have no leads on where to go from there, but maybe it¡¯d be interesting to look into it more? Though, I did tell the leader of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union in Caranach about this as well, so they¡¯re investigating there as well.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. An Onmyoji Master that can fight against Chimera uzen does pique my interest. If you have told Leoneil already about this, that will make things move faster. I¡¯ll call himter and give him more spies to look into this.¡¹ With the sunlight peeking through the window shining on him, Solomon smiled as if he had thought up a joke and began rocking on the chair enjoying himself and making its back squeak. That was thest thing Mira wanted to ask Solomon, so afterwards, they just engaged in idle chatter, non-important topics. But spending time talking randomly with a friend from so long ago was something truly worthwhile for Solomon who had been so swamped with work. Chapter 37: Lily’s Reapparition Chapter 37: Lily¡¯s Reapparition They chatted for around one hour when a consul came with arge number of documents. That made Solomon¡¯s face go from a bright and cheerful smile to a clouded and dull one in an instant. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s better if I excuse myself now then.¡¹ Mira figured it would be bothersome if she remained there for longer so she stood up. Solomon shot a quick look at her. ¡¸You¡¯re not interested in a king¡¯s work?¡¹ ¡¸Does it look like I could do anything with it?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true.¡¹ Solomon hunched over. Mira did want to help if she could, but the paperwork had always been a weak point for her, so it was not just a matter of interest. ¡¸We have so much to work off from to figure out where Soul Howl went, so we should have something in a few days, Suleyman is really efficient. About the onmyoji master¡­we don¡¯t have anything at all, so I¡¯ll contact you if anything new happens. I guess that¡¯s everything for now?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sounds good.¡¹ After a full review of the entire mission, Solomon reluctantly began going through the documents on his desk. ¡¸You¡¯ll be free for a few days, do you have any ns in mind?¡¹ ¡¸I think I¡¯ll go sightseeing now that I have the chance, then I¡¯ll return to the tower.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see. I¡¯m really proud of this city, so enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content. And ah, I¡¯d be d if you could bring me any Magic Sealing Stones you might have stashed up.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, if I remember.¡¹ Solomon grinned saying that, while Mira shrugged yfully as she replied that. She had nned on doing that all along after all. After a short good-bye, Mira left the office. Mira then began walking left and right in the corridor, trying to remember the way to the exit. Shortly after, the door beside the office opened and Lily came from it. It was the maid that woke her up that time she stayed in the castle overnight. ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh!¡¹ Mira instinctively let out a high pitched sound while Lily¡¯s face brightened up. ¡¸It has been a while, Mira. Have you finished your business here?¡¹ As a highly trained maid, Lily bowed respectfully to Mira, her face smiling happily as she lifted her face afterward. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m about to go back.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so. Then are you free at this moment? Thebined efforts of us maids just produced our best masterpiece to date!¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­I guess it¡¯s fine.¡¹ Mira had already guessed that would happen the moment she saw Lily. Unable to refuse a girl looking at her that way, Mira nodded instantly in an attempt to get over with it as soon as possible. She guided Mira down the hallway and entered a room at the end of a corridor. After picking up the finished clothes, she went further inside the room. That ce was a sewing room, with many clothes hung around and balls of yarn filling the ce. It was a room in one of the corners of the castle as a part of the production department. The sewing room was really quiet. Mira began feeling nervous as she nced at the countless maid clothes hung on the wall. Those clothes were not all the same though, each had their own charms and were one-of-a-kind. (The third one from the right on the second shelf¡­or no, better the one under the shelf and four to the left¡­) Mira appraised those clothes with a serious look. In her mind, she had fun imagining Em, or Fra wearing the different clothes. ¡¸Do you also have an interest in maid clothes?¡¹ ¡¸Wha-?! Oh, err, well. I don¡¯t dislike them.¡¹ Mira¡¯s body shook at that unexpected voice from behind, and in confusion, she confessed her thoughts. ¡¸Then would you want to try wearing some?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡¹ After calming down a bit, Mira promptly rejected her. There was no point in it if she was the one wearing them. ¡¸Is that so. If you ever wish to wear one please let me know. I¡¯ll sew one with whichever design you like best.¡¹ Lily looked somewhat disappointed, but there were no signs she would give up on the idea. Mira momentarily imagined herself wearing a maid costume, praising herself for how good it would be to look at. ¡¸Now then, please direct your attention here. This is the robe set made exclusively for your use!¡¹ When Mira saw the clothes Lily spread in front of her, she was lost for words. Her initial expectations of seeing clothes that strictly followed the Goth Loli Magical Girl trend had been dashed entirely, and in a good way. ¡¸Hohh¡­ Hoh hoh hoh!¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes were fixated on the clothes, devouring them with her gaze, and she nodded multiple times. The general design of the clothes still followed the Goth Loli pattern, but the striking frills and ribbons were removed, and instead there were embroidered shapes in key parts of the clothes. But more importantly, those cute and stylistic clothes resembled the Futuristic Magical Girl style she once held an interest for. Described briefly, it looked like the clothes the young leader of a spellcaster group would wear. A ck and white sleeveless dress and a ck coat with a purple stripe on it. ¡¸Is it to your liking?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, this isn¡¯t bad at all.¡¹ The clothes were just in line with Mira¡¯s tastes. The unexpected reveal and her thoughts on how this was one level above the other clothes she wore before filled her mind, so she forgot those clothes were meant for her and she replied honestly. ¡¸I¡¯m d that is the case. That night I gave you the prototype, his Majesty Solomon told me of your tastes.¡¹ ¡¸So that happened.¡¹ If Solomon was involved, then it made sense that it was made ording to her tastes. Not only that, but it was together with him that they explored the world of Futuristic Magical Girls. And when Mira thought about it a bit more, she realized that those clothes resembled a lot those worn by a character Solomon had rmended to her. ¡¸That guy¡­he even mixed in some of his own tastes¡­¡¹ After looking at the white leather belt merged with the dress, Mira shifted her attention to the coat, which was shorter on the front side, so even when it was closed, her legs would show. That was entirely based on Solomon¡¯s tastes. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s get you changed right away.¡¹ Saying so, Lily took Mira to a corner of the sewing room that was covered by a curtain and handed her the clothes. ¡¸Do you require any help with it?¡¹ ¡¸No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡¹ Lily offered her help with a bright smile, but Mira refused as she took the clothes and walked into the curtains. That space was used as a changing room, it had arge mirror in the main wall, with shelves on the sides and multiple hangers. Mira took off her clothes and put them on the shelf, then took the new robe and slid her hand into its arms. ¡¸It fits you splendidly!¡¹ ¡¸I-is that so?¡¹ When Mira was done changing and showed herself, Lilyplimented her excitedly. Mira was also nowhere nearly as annoyed as she made it seem as she moved her limbs while looking at herself. The army of highly trained maids had worked hard making it, so it fit perfectly to her body and there were no hindrances to her movements. ¡¸I¡¯ll brief you on its functionality then.¡¹ Saying that, Lily dragged Mira in front of a table with a lot of pieces of paper on it. ¡¸First things first, these are the names of everyone who worked to make your personal magic robe set.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of them¡­¡¹ As she said that, Lily showed Mira a piece of paper with many names, starting with Solomon and Luminaria. There were so many Mira gave up on reading them all and just skimmed ahead, spotting the name of Thomas, the developer of the ord Cannon somewhere in there as well. ¡¸Next is this one. As the title suggests, your clothes were developed with magic engineering, so this details its functions.¡¹ ¡¸Magic Engineering¡­? Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡¹ When Mira heard the word ¡®engineering¡¯, she instantly pictured arge cannon as she looked down at her clothes. Lily replied that there was nothing to worry about as she proudly shook her head. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. Rather, we worked so hard to make this so the least you can do to return the favor would be to be our dress-up¡­err, try out some clothing for us.¡¹ ¡¸Hm¡­? Did you say dress-up something?¡¹ ¡¸I said no such thing?¡¹ Mira red doubtfully at Lily trying to amend her words flusteredly. She just looked away and feigned ignorance. Mira was not really interested in pressing the matter further, so she just let it go as she returned her gaze to the paper. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll exin a bit more. First, the most important thing. There¡¯s a small box in the belt of the dress, you can store Magic Stones and Magic Sealing Stones of any element in there.¡¹ As she said that, Lily opened Mira¡¯s coat slightly, then reached for the ck buckle of the white belt and opened it. After that, a small opening,rge enough for stones to go through, appeared there. ¡¸Hohohh. Now that¡¯s something fancy.¡¹ Mira yfully opened and closed the buckle multiple times as she muttered that.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3596 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1913 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸That device is the origin of all the magic used by the robe set. Using the magic power stored in the stones as fuel, it can produce many different effects!¡¹ Lily proudly began exining to Mira, though she had only helped with selecting and judging the fabric, so all the magic-rted knowledge was ryed by Thomas through her. She normally never touched any topics rted to magic, so in preparation for this day, she had asked Thomas day after day to teach her and be her master. ¡¸Now, about the different effects. First of all, the robe set received a fire and ice resistance treatment. Though if subjected to extreme temperatures the effect will degrade so be careful.¡¹ ¡¸Though when used in conjunction with magic stones the effect is reinforced. The fire resistance apparently is strong enough to ward off the mes from a Hellfire Bird. It also has self-repairing capabilities, though there¡¯s also a limit to that, if it tears up too much, it won¡¯t be able to recover¡¹ ¡¸If you use Magic Sealing Stones, their elements will also affect the type of offensive and defensive effects of the robe set.¡¹ She was able to exin everything without messing up. When she was done, she turned an expecting look at Mira, who was just acting as usual in a Mira-like way; stroking the clothes in a deeply interested manner. ¡¸Hohoh. There¡¯s a lot to them.¡¹ Mira was truly amazed, her expectations had been vastly exceeded with the functionality of the clothes. There were some points she was still confused about, but it had quite an assortment of interesting functions. Her Sage¡¯s Robe also had extra functionality built into it, but the Magic Robe Set was also made to a high standard. From what she had seen so far, it was possible that the Magic Robe Set with all its effects activated would have higher defensive attributes than the Sage¡¯s Robe. But when it came to an actual battle, the Sage¡¯s Robe would turn the tides towards victory, and more importantly, it was well designed. Though the Magic Robe Set had a charm of its own. As Mira repeated the different functions of it in her head, she started gaining a liking for them as well, so she figured she could just switch between these and her old clothes from time to time. (I¡¯m really curious about the effects of different Magic Sealing Stones, as well as the fire and cold resistance.) ¡¸Still, something like this sounds really expensive, is it really okay for me to take it?¡¹ Equipment that was overloaded with so many functions normally went for quite expensive prices. Realizing that, Mira turned a questioning look towards Lily. ¡¸Of course. Luminaria covered all the costs herself. It was built under the orders of her and His Majesty Solomon, so it¡¯s yours.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­¡¹ Neither of those two had told her anything about that. Mira forced a smile as she realized that all the fuss she had gone through was caused by her two good friends, but then she broke into a happier smile. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to thank themter.¡¹ They had organized all of that in secret, so it would be boring to thank them directly. Instead, she reaffirmed her determination while deciding to buy them some nice presents when she had the chance. (Though well, today is for sightseeing. I¡¯ll think about that tomorrow.) Vowing to work harder from the next day onwards, she left the sewing room together with Lily. After that, she was brought to the maids¡¯ chambers, where the other maids had been waiting to unload all their affection on her. Everyone there had been involved with manufacturing her clothes, so she had no excuse to refuse them as they yed with her hair, trying different styles on her. At the same time, Mira was fully entranced by the maids¡¯ specially crafted sweets, so overlooking the noise around her, she enjoyed a fulfilling snack time. It was already noon, slightly past lunchtime, but because of all the sweets she ate, Mira¡¯s stomach was full. Once released from the maids¡¯ chambers, Mira exchanged a short greeting with the gatekeeper of the castle and headed out into castletown to sightsee. The people from the castle had been briefed by Solomon as to Mira¡¯s identity, so she was free to go basically anywhere. Thinking where to go first, Mira recalled the academy building she had seen from Solomon¡¯s office. The imposing building had piqued Mira¡¯s curiosity, even though she saw it from a long distance, so she decided to head there first as she began looking around her. ¡¸Where was it again¡­¡¹ Since the city was sorge, she was unable to find any clues from the homogenous buildings around her, so she began walking while constantly looking around. Soon after, she spotted a guard patrolling the city just in front of her. When the guard saw that cute girl with long silver hair parted around her shoulders, his heart leaped. But he soon realized she was the wiseman¡¯s pupil that had been weed with so much fanfare a week earlier, so he hurried to greet her politely. ¡¸Could you please tell me the way to the academy?¡¹ With a short run, Mira approached the guard that appeared there like a miracle to save her and she asked while looking up at him. ¡¸Lady Mira, of course. Just cross the bridge behind that corner, then follow the main street and you should see it to the left-hand side.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh I see. Thank you.¡¹ Mira turned her body to the direction the guard pointed, then turned her head back to express her gratitude before breaking into a short run towards the academy. The guard praised himself for dealing calmly with the situation as he watched her and the dangling twin tails behind her fade into the distance, a rxed smile on his lips. Theke shaped like a crescent moon was the mainndmark of Arkite Kingdom. The inner area surrounded by theke was home to the high-ss districts of the city, with bridges connecting to themon districts. Mira was swiftly crossing through one of those bridges. The bridge was around ten meters wide, built of orange stone bs arranged into a straight ne. Streetmps sculpted in refined shapes were ced in regr intervals along it, fully realizing the appearance proper of a bridge connecting to a high-ss district. Theke was rather wide, so it took Mira around twenty minutes to cross to the other side, reaching at the entrance of themon district. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you Lady Mira? Do you have any business here in themon district?¡¹ A guard spoke to her. He was guarding the gate between the district and the bridge. The gate itself was notrge, only wide enough for a single carriage to pass through at a time. There was also a small booth to the side for the guard. ¡¸Yes, I just want to sightsee a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see. It is a very beautiful city after all. I¡¯ll open the gate then, so stand back a bit.¡¹ Saying that, the guard entered the booth and the gate slowly began to open. The scenery behind the gradually growing gap had a clearly distinct air to the cityscape of the high-ss district. It was more crowded and looked much livelier, clearly showing it was the capital of the kingdom. Mira waved at the guard while crossing the gate, entering into the eastern district of the capital of Arkite Kingdom, Lunatic Lake. Arge street went straight out in front of her. ording to the guard¡¯s directions, if she continued straight through it she would find the academy, so she took him on his word and walked forward following the street. Like any otherrge street, it was lined with varied shops selling a multitude of wares. Since it was close to the academy, there were lots of stationery stores, as well as other misceneous stores. But what struck her the most was the overwhelming amount of stores specializing in magic wares. No matter where she looked, she saw at least one of them. The term magic wares covered a wide spectrum of products, but it mostly referred to tools used together with spells. Things like canes that could be used as weapons, catalysts that helped spellcasters use certain types of magic, charms for onmyoji masters, holy stones for saints, or holy water for exorcists. They also sold Magic Sealing Stones or different types of medicines, or manufacturing tools and materials. Anything that had any sort of magical property was considered a magic ware. The stores along the main street held countless items like that. Mira waltzed forward, curiously looking at the items on disy from the stores, happily fulfilling her n of sightseeing and taking her time before moving forward. Many of the items were known to her, but every now and then she would spot something new and entertaining. She would always ask the shopkeeper what those unknown items were, some of them would reply smiling, others would be nervous, and others would exin with a kind voice. After taking her sweet time window shopping, Mira finally arrived at her main destination. ¡¸It¡¯s sorge¡­¡¹ She said without thinking. Just like she had said, Arkite Academy upied arge area of around the same size as an average airport. There were threerge buildings color coded for the different faculties arranged like a square with an open side. There were other multiple buildings, way smallerpared to the three big ones, strewn around the area as well. Since Mira had originally been a grown adult, her conscience made her feel like she was doing something wrong by staring at the academy openly, so she walked closer to the gates and peeked her head around the corner to observe that way. Although she was oblivious to the fact that doing that made her look all the more suspicious. In the front courtyard, Mira saw students practicing some form of martial arts. Some were practicing in pairs while others ran around the courtyard. There were around thirty students of around ten to twenty years in age, wearing in shirts and short pants that were easy to move in and one adult that was presumably the instructor. They were in the middle of a physical education and hand-to-handbat ss. Further away there was another ss, this one with two instructors, a male and a female one, standing in front of a formation of sixty students in robes. The entire courtyard was sorge that even with that many students on it, they looked like a small number of people. Mira looked at them with a pleasant smile. The ce was stupidlyrge for an education facility, but it was clear it was an academy. ¡¸That¡¯s youth for you.¡¹ It had been six years since he graduated from college, so seeing this made Mira mutter absentmindedly while filled with nostalgia. ¡¸Are you interested in the academy?¡¹ Hearing that sudden voice from her blind spot, Mira¡¯s body instinctively jolted as the shady feeling that inundated her consciousness earlier was reactivated at full force. With stuttery movements like a rusty mechanism, Mira fearfully turned around. A woman with cat ears and arge bag hanging on her shoulder was there, her back slightly bent as she looked down towards Mira with a gentle smile. Chapter 38: The Academy Event Chapter 38: The Academy Event The cat-eareddy who appeared in the front gate had shoulder-length chestnut hair, glittering green cat eyes and a round face, her amiable smile giving her an innocent appearance. There were many other races apart from humans in that world. Just like Em was an elf, or Mariana a fairy, thatdy was part of the Meou Tribe. Visually they were not too different from humans, though they never grew as tall, only having cat ears and a tail as difference. They were excellent at spotting moving objects and had quick reflexes, as well as good night vision. ¡¸Ah, sorry if I startled you. I¡¯m Hinata, one of the instructors of this academy. And you are?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ The Meoudy introduced herself as Hinata. Her appearance was more on the cute side than beautiful as she smiled. Mira thought she had already grown used to seeing Meous, but seeing Hinata smile like that made her heart beat faster for a moment. Given that Mira currently had the appearance of a young girl, Hinata showed her a more defenseless and honest expression. Since Mira had barely ever encountered that expression in the past, it always caught her off-guard. ¡¸So you¡¯re Mira. That¡¯s a really cute name.¡¹ Hinata¡¯s smile turned even cuter as she looked more closely at Mira, examining her clothes. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that one of those popr Magical Girl clothes? Do you want to be a spellcaster?¡¹ Still smiling, she asked casually. Arkite Academy was known as the best ce for anyone who wanted to learn the ins and outs of being a spellcaster. Hinata¡¯s first impression of Mira was that of a young girl aspiring to be a spellcaster in the academy. ¡¸Not really, because I already am one.¡¹ Completely clueless as to the impression her appearance instilled, she gave the unexpected reply. When Hinata¡¯s guess was mistaken, she knit her brows slightly with a questioning look. ¡¸Oh really now? I¡¯m sorry. But ah, can I ask what type of spellcaster you are?¡¹ Trying to gloss over her mistake, Hinata asked again. Mira was not bothered by it, instead standing upright and proudly replying: ¡¸I¡¯m a summoner.¡¹ As soon as she heard the reply, Hinata¡¯s smile froze over. Summoners were known as the least performing ss in the academy, sometimes referred to as a useless set of skills with no future. ¡¸I see¡­ Mm, well, hang in there.¡¹ Hinata truly believed that being a summoner was no reason to belittle oneself as she encouraged her. After all- ¡¸I¡¯m also a summoner. I¡¯m actually the summoning instructor of Arkite Academy. Right now the situation is¡­well, you already know that. But Creos is working hard, even if it costs his sleep, to perform the old methods to form contracts. Apparently, there¡¯s a really high chance of sess too, so¡­let¡¯s just do our best.¡¹ Hinata was a summoner, just like Mira. That also exined why an instructor like herself was walking around outside the academy during ss hours. The way things were now, all of the students with an affinity for summoning that also had one for another ss would go with that one, and if they had no other option, they would ditch the summoning sses and take regr studies and graduate that way. There was plenty of prestige attached to graduating from Arkite Academy, so they did not need to take sses for a useless skill. Because of all that, there would only be summoning sses two or three times a week. The only students being stubborn ones who did not want to give up on their affinity for being a spellcaster, or those who attended only out of in curiosity. That meant that Hinata had a lot of free time outside of sses, so most of the time she would end up running errands for other instructors, or going to buy supplies or helping with anything she could. ¡¸Hmmm. So it also happened here.¡¹ From what Hinata had said, Mira could guess that the decline of summoners had even reached the academy. That would end up influencing future talents as well. But she also found out that Creos had put the things she left him to good use. By now, with that equipment and a Magic Bomb Sealing Stone, it would be a simple matter to learn how to summon a Dark Knight and a Holy Knight, the fundamentals for a summoner. After that, their improvement would depend solely on how much they trained their summoning skills. ¡¸The number of students capable of summoning an armed spirit has been increasingtely too, though only one at a time due to safety concerns. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t take much longer before our time to shinees.¡¹ Hinata spoke with a fervent voice while Mira knit her brows with aplicated expression while groaning lowly. A Magic Bomb Sealing Stone was plenty to defeat an armed spirit, but without anyone to help with that, their use carried some danger. Equipment to reinforce one¡¯s endurance and physical strength couldpensate for that, but they only had one set. On top of that, they could not expose students to danger. That was why Creos was epting volunteers, one at a time, to let them form contracts with armed spirits. With that hope in sight, many people wanted to volunteer, but most of them were still waiting for their turn. ¡¸I wish there was something I could do as a summoner myself.¡¹ Saying that, Mira brought her left fingertips to her chin, closing her eyes in deep thought. Was there anything she could do for the next generation? One thing was to mass-produce the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, but that would require a decent sum of money. At least Solomon and Creos could help with figuring something out on that front. The problem was the body reinforcing equipment. It would be best if she could put some together with things she already had, but they would have to be strong enough to resist armed spirits. The only one she had like that, was already in Creos¡¯ possession, though there might be some left in the tower. ¡¸Mira! Miraa!¡¹ The next option would be to build them from scratch with Refining, but when her thoughts reached that far, her shoulder was violently shook and her mind returned to reality. ¡¸Wha¡­ what happened?¡¹ When Mira opened her eyes, she saw Hinata looking at her from close up. ¡¸This! Isn¡¯t this an Operator¡¯s Bracelet? The symbol of a high-level adventurer?¡¹ Saying that, Hinata held Mira¡¯s left hand while she stared with round excited eyes at the bracelet in Mira¡¯s arm. ¡¸Well, yes?¡¹ Technically it was something else, but exining that would be too troublesome so Mira just replied affirmatively. Since being an adventurer did fulfill the conditions to have an Operator¡¯s Bracelet, she figured it would be fine to simplify it that way. ¡¸At the moment I formed contracts with Dark Knight, Holy Knight, Smander, Dryad and Wyvern. Did you form contracts with anything more than those?¡¹ Mira did not understand the reason behind that question, but seeing her eyes full of expectation and hellbent intent, Mira instinctively replied with Yes. When Hinata heard that, her cat-like eyes lit up having found a secret weapon and held Mira¡¯s hand with both of hers, kneeling in front of her. ¡¸I beg you. Please help me.¡¹ Since she was kneeling, her height was lower than Mira¡¯s, so her eyes were upturned as she asked. A sight like that would normally not affect Mira at all, but this time it was different. Hinata¡¯s cute cat ears kept folding back and up again. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you need help with, but just leave it to me!¡¹ From the earlier conversation, Mira could only guess it was something rted to summoners, so she agreed to help, pitying her descendants. Almost pulling her hand, Hinata invited Mira into the academy grounds, heading straight into a building inside the center faculty. During their way there Hinata exined what was happening. Apparently, a monthly event called the spell examination was going on that day. It was essentially what its name suggested, and ording to the results, the avability of different instations and budget for magic wares for each faculty would be decided. The examination was split into categories for the different sses, where each would disy the skills they learned. While the examination technically did not rank all the different faculties, it did assign points to each, which then could be considered a type of ranking. And every month, the summoners would rank the lowest. The reason for that was that each time Hinata was the representative of the summoners, and due to her limited skillset there was not enough variety and it became repetitive. On top of that, the academy did not have other summoners avable for it. That was why she had asked if Mira had formed more contracts than herself. In other words, it would be enough if Mira could summon anything more than the five names she had listed. But when Mira heard the whole story, she decided that was a prime opportunity to restore the dignity of summoners, so she began thinking of the highest level summonings she had, and weeded out the showiest ones. (I have to show them summoners are the strongest. In that case, I could go with the Dragon Emperor Isenfald, he was an honest and good child after all. Though if I want to go with a really showy one then maybe the Rainbow Spirit Twinklepum¡­but¡­hmm¡­ The more I think about it the harder it is to choose¡­hmmm.) ¡¸By the way, is it really okay for an outsider to participate in an academy¡¯s event?¡¹ After a lot of thinking, Mira realized that and asked her. Was it really okay for an adventurer that was not a student there to show up in an event that would decide how things would go the next month?
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3490 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1772 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a problem with that. The idea behind the examination is to show the potential of a given set of skills, so even if an outsider can demonstrate something really incredible, then it¡¯ll show what future students could do.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, so that¡¯s how it works.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, that¡¯s how it works. I¡¯ll go update who the representative will be, so wait here for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ Mira was led into a room in therge building, where she sat down on a couch and began looking around. The floor was covered in a gray carpet, the walls were painted white, one of them having an analog clock showing it was 4:20. The ceiling was not too high up, with a white orb giving off its faint light to illuminate the room. As far as she could see, it was arranged like a safe guest room. Though there was a whiteboard left in one corner of the room, so maybe it was something more. Mira took out her usual apple ale from her Item Box and heaved a deep sigh after one sip. ¡¸I¡¯ll also have to do my best.¡¹ She muttered to herself as she thought of how Creos was working hard while giving up his sleep time. As she did, her face looked more like the elder of the Tower of Summoning. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ By the time she had thoroughly enjoyed her apple ale and finished it, and the clock showed 5:10, Hinata returned. ¡¸You¡¯re registered now. I¡¯ll look forward to seeing you there.¡¹ ¡¸Well, just trust in me.¡¹ Mira was full of confidence as she stood up, following Hinata to the location where the examination was taking ce. They were in a waiting room in a corner of the hall. The participants were there, wearing robes and apanied by helpers. One of the participants noticed Hinata and turned towards her. ¡¸Well well, look who¡¯s here, it¡¯s the best summoner this ce has. You look pretty confident for someone who was thest in arriving here.¡¹ The young man wore a red robe, a clearly mocking smile covering his delicate features. Hearing him, the other participants also turned towards her, some of them looking at her with pity or sympathy, or just in disgust in others. Hinata just waved and asked Mira to follow her while pulling her hand towards an empty seat. The man in the red robe clicked his tongue, then when he saw the magical girl sitting beside Hinata he knit his brow. ¡¸Hey little girl, that seat is only for participants.¡¹ He spoke with a disdainful smile, his assistant standing beside him having a simr expression. The other participants in robes began whispering things like ¡®You better don¡¯t pick a fight with him¡¯, ¡®What ack of respect¡¯, or ¡®Now she¡¯s done it¡¯ and other variations, though none of them had the same scornful expression as the one in the red robe. From those reactions, Mira could feel that the ill wind blowing against summoners was worse than she had imagined. And also that there would always be someone who found joy in ridiculing summoners anywhere she went to. ¡¸I-it¡¯s okay. She¡¯s the representative this time.¡¹ Just a moment earlier Hinata was enjoying herself talking with Mira, but now her lips were sealed into a straight line. Mira could feel her trembling in frustration, but whether it was the right thing to do or not, that was the result of their actual strength. There was a clear hierarchy of influence there. ¡¸I see. All types of learning institutions will be the same. Always filled with mediocre people who can¡¯t measure their own strength and im to be the best as their only way of gaining validation.¡¹ ¡¸What was that?¡¹ After a nce at the man in the red robe, Mira called him mediocre. Being called that by a summoner, the lowest ranking ss ever, whose numbers were less than insignificant, a slight darkness manifested in the man¡¯s eyes. ¡¸She¡¯s just a child, she hasn¡¯t matured yet.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, all the more reason for me to say something. It¡¯s an adult¡¯s duty to teachmon sense to a brat who doesn¡¯t know what she says.¡¹ ¡¸Hey now, stop it already.¡¹ Paying no attention to the girl in a white robe sitting nearby, the man¡¯s pride was hurt as he red at Mira, trying to intimidate her. The man in the green robe then tried to restrain him, but that made the man in the red robe contort his face even more. Hinata was growing more distressed as the situation escted. She had not expected Mira to speak directly against him. ¡¸Quite grandiose words for the person with the leastmon sense in this room. Even a goblin would know better than you.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, shut it already. Just who do you think I am!¡¹ ¡¸An adult that doesn¡¯t behave like one.¡¹ ¡¸You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!¡¹ Unable to contain his rage anymore, the man jumped on his feet driven by his emotions. Hinata¡¯s body twitched seeing that, which made the man¡¯s lips contort into a twisted smile of derision. ¡¸Thanks for waiting. Please proceed to the hall now.¡¹ As the air grew tenser, a door opened and a senior female student who worked as staff for the examination called the participants. The man in the red robe shot a murderous nce at Mira, then clicked his tongue as he left the room. (Well, I was also an adult that didn¡¯t behave like one though.) Mira drooped her shoulders disappointed in herself while Hinata bowed to her in apology. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I made you go through that¡­¡¹ Hinata tried to force a smile while saying that when a white shadow appeared to her side. Mira looked up to see what it was, and saw the girl in the white robe standing close to Hinata. ¡¸Mary¡­¡¹ Hinata turned to look at her too before saying that. The girl referred to as Mary looked like she was just slightly below twenty. She had long, light blue hair, with ornaments in the shape of a cross fastened to it in the middle. She looked like a quiet girl. ¡¸You should¡¯ve known this would happen, Miss Hinata. What were you thinking bringing a girl like her to stand alongside him?¡¹ Contrary to her appearance, her voice was stern as she reprimanded Hinata. Then she turned to look at Mira and said ¡®Don¡¯t pay attention to him¡¯ with a smile. Mira stood up while just saying it was not a problem. ¡¸Also, is she really going to be your representative?¡¹ ¡¸Mira is a high-rank adventurer, and she has many more summoner contracts than I do.¡¹ Hinata never intended for Mira to go through that, so her ears were t against her head while her tail hung lifelessly. ¡¸Even if she¡¯s an adventurer¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind at all, so you don¡¯t have to worry. The same goes for you Hinata.¡¹ Mira interrupted Mary before she could finish and smiled at the downcast Hinata. Mary forgot the rest of her sentence as her interest in Mira grew, she looked like there was much more to her than her appearance suggested. (I wonder what it is about this girl. There¡¯s the way she speaks too, but she just doesn¡¯t seem to act like a young girl.) While thinking that, Mary smiled while remembering King Solomon. Maybe they were some sort of partners. ¡¸Either way, he acted really confident, that guy. Who is he?¡¹ After acting like everything was fine, Mira asked about that man in the red robe. There had to be a reason for him to act so arrogantly. ¡¸Well¡­¡¹ Hinata¡¯s ears sprang up a little as she quickly exined who he was. His name was Kairos Beltran. He was part of a well-known spellcaster family in the Arkite Kingdom and the son of Marquis Alphonse Beltran. His arrogant attitude aside, that meant he did have some skill as a spellcaster. Not only that, but ever since he began participating in the examination he would always end up in first ce, so he developed a habit of looking down on everyone else. (He¡¯s your run-of-the-mill idiot noble then.) Mira sighed to herself. Now that she knew that there were nobles like that in Arkite as well, she considered consoling Solomon the next time she had a chance. After a slight dy, they crossed the door and came out to arge, circr space that could be described as a colosseum. The ground was made of dirt that had a nice springiness to it, surrounded by a wall around three meters tall. Outside of it, there were rows of seats, upied by a few dozen people in nice clothes. The air there was fresh and calm. A man wearing white was standing in the middle, and on the other side of the entrance stood a mannequin wearing armor like a knight. The ceiling was a dome with a loose curvature. The light came from four light orbs floating in midair on the four cardinal directions of the dome, their position illuminating every angle and making shadows basically non-existent, only slightly visible on the walls. The representatives that entered before were standing along the wall, though only Kairos directed an irritated look at them. Mira, Hinata and Mary went to the wall opposite to where Kairos stood. In the end, in front of them stood only him and his assistant. Seeing that made Miraugh internally, but Kairos saw it differently. He believed they had learned their lesson and did not dare to stand in the same ce as the mightiest spellcaster that was himself. But that would bepletely irrelevant soon. There was a more pressing matter, Mira had expected the examination grounds to be muchrger than that. The space given for their performances was roughly fifteen meters in diameter, including the seats it reached twenty. Mira felt agitated as she examined her surroundings, measuring it with her gaze and realizing small was not enough to describe it. Chapter 39: The Spell Examination Chapter 39: The Spell Examination The man in white gave a brief exnation of the rules. It was mostly meant for the guests watching the examination unfold. Each representative was given five minutes to disy their skills. Offensive skills would have to be targeted on the armored mannequin, that was wearing armor reinforced for the asion. The referees of the event were members of the country¡¯s instructorsmittee, nobles that invested in Arkite Academy, expert researchers and the principal. Apart from them, members of the student council, academy staff and graduates could also watch. The scoring system took into ount the difficulty of the spells, their efficiency and casting speed, recently they had also started scoring ording to appearance as well. The basis for that was that many spellcasters only had a shallow understanding of their spells, so even if they could cast a high level and difficult spell, if they were unable to show it off nicely then it was clear their understanding wascking. The examination would determine which areas of the spellcasters¡¯ education would get more focus, as well as give an idea on how to divide the budget avable between faculties. Hinata had also mentioned they decided who could use the training facilities and for how long, but that was only a secondary effect of giving strong faculties more priority. Influential nobles, merchants and adventurers were invited to the examination. If someone showed a lot of promise with their skills, there was also the chance of gaining a sponsor from them, who would provide hefty financial support moving forward. Representatives for the examination would get selected by rmendations, and if there were multiple candidates, the representative would be chosen through an exam. If there was no one qualified, then an instructor would take the ce of representative. In other words, Hinata had been the representative so many times because there was no student who could qualify. This time, Mira had entered through Hinata¡¯s rmendation. Any spellcaster was able to use Concept magic, so that department had a fixed budget, which also meant that Concept magic was not included in the examination. ¡¸Now then, the order of participants will be decided by the scores of thest examination, going from high to low. First representative, please walk forward.¡¹ The man wearing white was in charge of running the examination, so he invited Kairos to step forward. A momentter, Kairos walked to the center while saluting the audience. At the same time, pping erupted from the guests. Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on the red robe, those who knew him were excited wondering what he would show them this time, those who came for the first time out of curiosity wanted to know what would happen. ¡¸Last time, he scored an overwhelmingly high score after a magnificent performance of water magic. He¡¯s the representative of the wi¡¯s faculty, and I myself, am looking forward to what kind of spells he¡¯ll show us today.¡¹ After directing those words to the audience, the man in white began walking towards the edge of the hall. Halfway there, Kairos called out and stopped him. ¡¸Wait a moment, not just st time, he scored¡¯, but ¡®just like always, he scored¡¯, right?¡¹ ¡¸Y¡­yes. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡¹ ¡¸Be careful next time.¡¹ That interaction was done in a low voice, so neither the audience nor the other participants were able to hear it, but from the man in white¡¯s face Mira was able to guess it was somethingpletely worthless and felt pity for him. Kairos muttered ¡®that¡¯s why I hatemoners¡¯ under his breath as he turned to face the armored mannequin. His magic was mostly focused on offensive fire spells. In raw numbers, the fire he could produce was top ss amongst other spellcasters. All that magic would end up directed at the armored mannequin. ¡¸I¡¯m Kairos Beltran, representative of the magician¡¯s faculty and most prominent representative of the academy. I¡¯ll show you all I have for this examination. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives toe here.¡¹ Kairos bowed politely to the audience as he said that. There was no one who really knew why he pretended to be the representative of the academy, but the other representatives had already given up on that since he always did that, while Mira paid no attention to that at all. (Maybe I should call Alfina then? But no, she will act all sulky if I treat her like a museum exhibit. In the worst case she might even break through the ceiling¡­) ¡¸Ngnhh¡­.¡¹ Mira kept thinking about which of her high level summons would look showy enough for the examination. ¡¸Now bear witness to the true form of magicians!¡¹ Kairos raised his voice, slid his left foot half a step back and pointed his right palm to the mannequin. The magic power he had developed concentrated on his palm as a magic circle floated in front of it. ¡¸Consume anyone who dares stand in your path, hellfire from the heavens!¡¹ As he said that, the magic ring began glowing red, then a small crimson me sprouted from his palm and gradually grew bigger. When the mass of fire was asrge as a head, he released it towards the mannequin as the tips of the mes trailed behind. Not an instantter, it split into countless fireballs that rained onto their target. A thunderous st apanied the collisions, leaving the mannequin scorched and with a few remaining mes decorating the armor. The audience raised voices of admiration at the scene they had just witnessed. The loud noise left a ringing tone in Mira¡¯s ears which distracted her, so she frowned while directing her gaze to the center of the hall. Kairos was looking at the audience while waving his hands, showing his disy was barely starting before preparing for his next spell. This time, he amassed magic power in both of his palms. ¡¸It looks like you enjoyed that demonstration. I invite you to witness my banquet of mes now!¡¹ His mood had been lifted by the audience¡¯s reaction, so he raised his voice even louder as he struck his hands out in an exaggerated pose. ¡¸Armies of fire dazzling in the sky, obey your king and obliterate your enemy!¡¹ Once again, magic circles floated in the air as he spoke, then a fan of fireballs spread out around him, and once they were a determined size they all flew one after another to attack. With a thundering sound, the lumps of fire collided against the ground, wall, and mannequin, creating instant explosions that sent smoke and sparks flying through the entire hall. (Such an unrefined skill¡­ His aim and timing arepletely random. If he wanted to attack an entire area then Magic: Incandescence would¡¯ve been much more efficient.) Just like Mira had pointed out, Kairos¡¯ magic was quite poor when it came to efficiency. It would have worked with low level monsters, but in an actual fight with real stakes, it would have been useless. But the judges of the examination were lost for words seeing the firestorm glittering like a meteor shower. It was a scene that no regr human being could recreate, only possible by the skills of a magician. A banquet of mes was an apt description for it. But for Mira, it was just like a party organized by a noble without sparing any expense. If the luxurious parts were stripped off, it would go as well as a balloon filled with gold in a rush of greed. His magicpletely disregarded efficiency or practical use, it only focused on making it pleasing to the eyes. Barely ten years had passed since the Limited Armistice Treaty and this was the current state of the examination. When Kairos¡¯ disy was done, the judges each gave him their scores. They would be talliedter on, together with the scores of the other representatives, and then released as a list, but with one exception, they all gave him almost full points. Kairos returned to his spot confident and pridefully, only turning to show a smirk to Hinata and Mira. The former was alreadypletely depressed, so her ears drooped down even more. Kairos¡¯ mood improved upon seeing that, so he went to the wall, satisfied. After that, the remaining representatives stepped forward to the center following the order of thest examination. The second representative used Monk Magic. In his demonstration he first used Monk Skill: Shield Skin on himself, a spell that negated any attack of a given element, then let the assistant attack him with a spell only toe out unscathed. Afterward, he used Monk Skill: Arc Gate to attack the mannequin, a skill that unleashed a powerful sh of light. It was a quite simple disy, but the bright shes of light left a good impression on the judges. The third representative was an onmyoji master. The first disy was Cosmic Skill: Nature Collection ¨C Bush Thicket and Forest. An instantter, the hall was covered by trees. Afterward, Cosmic Skill: Fire Collection ¨C Madder Foxes was used, which created multiple fox cubs of fire that began running through the forest, drawing many paths before jumping on the mannequin and exploding. The fourth representative was a Sage, starting off with Sage Art ¨C Earth: Fire d, which covered the sage¡¯s hands with mes before a martial arts demonstration while the fire followed the fists, drawing crimson arcs in the air. To finish, a blow was dealt to the mannequin while releasing the mes at the same time as Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Shockwave was activated, at such a close range that caused an explosion that sent the mes scattered all around. The fifth representative was an exorcist. Taking a bottle of holy water and opening it, it was thrown straight up in the air. As soon as Barrier Art: Exorcist Formation was activated, the bottle was broken into pieces which fell around together with the holy water inside of it. The ces touched by the holy water began building up holy power until a thin membrane was formed around. Next, multiple bottles of holy water were thrown at the mannequin while activating Exorcist Holy Rule: Blue Fire of Atonement. Blue mes spurted from the ground and covered the whole mannequin while flickering silently. The sixth representative was a Forbidden Arts user. Starting off with Forbidden Art ¨C Vermin: Spider, the physical traits of a spider were transferred to the user, which were used to bind countless threads on the mannequin, followed by Forbidden Art ¨C Demon: Hellhound, which made ws of fire grow from both hands. Those ws burned the threads which served as makeshift fuses that transferred the fire to the mannequin, which was soon wrapped in crimson mes. The seventh representative was a Necromancer. Necromancer Skill: Stone Doll created a life-sized golem that was sent to attack the mannequin. With the loud noise of the impact, Burial Skill: Rebirth Meld was used to change the golem into a column of fire that scorched the entire area.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3217 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1515 words
Editor(s): Fire
After the disys from the other seven representatives, the armored mannequin that suffered so many attacks seemed to remain unchanged, waiting in the hall for the next representative. It was finally the time for thest representative, the summoner Mira. ¡¸Summoner representative, please step forward.¡¹ The man in white called her, his voice echoing through the hall. Hearing that, Mira lifted her face and finally decided what she was going to summon. (Alright, I¡¯ll go with her. I¡¯m slightly worried¡­ but I guess that¡¯s the most fitting here. Probably¡­) ¡¸Mira¡­¡¹ As Mira stepped forward, Hinata watched her with worried eyes. Mira turned back, looking at the anxious Hinata. ¡¸No need to worry. Something like this is mere child¡¯s y for me.¡¹ Saying so, Mira smiled trying to push aside her worries. Her breath caught seeing Mira¡¯s confident smile, before she began scolding herself for looking so discouraged even though she was supposed to be an instructor. ¡¸Okay, I¡¯m counting on you!¡¹ Her encouraging words reached Mira¡¯s back as she walked to the center of the hall. The man in white moved back to a corner and the eyes of the audience all focused on the young girl. A forced smile overtook Mira¡¯s lips as she was not used to being the center of attention, then she waved her right hand casting Summoning Skill: Binding Arcana Circle in midair. A stir raced through the audience. Binding Arcana Circle was a high level skill to strengthen summons that only summoners of the upper ss could use. Even the summoner instructor Hinata looked wide-eyed at it. She was aware of its existence, but she regarded it as a divine skill that she would never obtain. In other words, that was a skill that no one in the academy could use. Almost everyone present had never witnessed something like it, and Mira had cast it without breaking a sweat. The principal, instructors, researchers, and graduates all awaited with expectations for her following moves. Mira lowered her right hand, transforming the Binding Circle into a Summoning Circle. As soon as she was done with that, multiple shrieks came from the audience. The Summoning Circle had begun expelling an insurmountable amount of magic power, which pulsated and wriggled. ¡¸Is that¡­ a Rosario Summoning Circle?!¡¹ Seeing that unexpected scene, the principal sprung on his feet. His eyes were filled with surprise, looking with respect at the young girl effortlessly casting those spells. ¡¸Hey¡­ what¡¯s up with her? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be a summoner?¡¹ ¡¸She should be. I¡¯m not certain, but I think that¡¯s a high level summoning circle.¡¹ One of the nobles asked his butler sitting with him, the butler replied with a trembling voice. The butler had once been present in a battlefield, and he had witnessed Danbulf using high level spells there. His fading memories had been recolored vividly with the scene in front of him. The magic circle he had seen then while they prepared for battle resembled the one he was seeing now. From other seats, simrly confused voices were raised. On the other hand, Mira faced the summoning circle without a single care as her lips pronounced some lines. ¡®If you can hear my voice and if my thoughts reach you, I pray for you to wake up. I want to hear your voice, I want you to sing for me. So I may hear that voice that¡¯s sweet like a bell once more, I wish you to be here.¡¯ Summoning Magic: Diva As Mira finished her chant, the summoning circle began glowing brightly like the sun, before shattering into many pieces like a pane of ss. The falling shards turned into small stars as they fell, masking the presence that had already appeared there. An ephemeral girl with white skin and d in thin sky blue clothes, her glossy light blonde hair falling down her back like high-quality silk. Her eyes showed a strong will, a sharp look that contrasted with her cute facial features. ¡¸Ah, we finally meet again, Master.¡¹ The girl that appeared from the summoning circle said that with a sweet and rxed voice, instantly recognizing the girl in front of her as her master. Her eyes glistened as she looked at Mira after her polite greeting. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Leticia.¡¹ That girl was called Leticia. As the name of the spell suggested, she was a Diva, a high ss spirit that ruled over songs and melodies. ¡¸I was so lonely all this time¡­ Master, did you¡­ shrink?¡¹ ¡¸Not quite, rather than shrinking it¡¯d be more appropriate to say that I changed a lot¡­¡¹ ¡¸Is that so¡­? Ah, that reminds me, I finishedposing your song.¡¹ Leticia had tilted her head a bit, but she quickly lost interest in the topic, as she began humming while smiling like an innocent child. ¡¸? ? ?~¡¹ (Maybe this wasn¡¯t the best choice after all¡­) After her long deliberation, she chose Diva, but now she was starting to worry. Leticia had a rather soft appearance, so her presence without context felt rathercking. Back when this was all a game, she also acted the same way when she was summoned, talking carelessly without caring about her surroundings and humming short songs. That also reminded Mira of the contract event back then, bringing an ironic smile to her lips. But Mira aside, the audience was focusing solely on Leticia. There was therge amount of magic power she possessed, but the melody she was humming evoked something they had never felt before, resounding deeply in their hearts. ¡¸Ahh, we can do that another time. Rather, could you y the Green Forest¡¯s Melodia?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do as you request, Master.¡¹ Leticia swayed her body from side to side as she abruptly stopped humming to follow her master¡¯s orders. On the other hand, the audience as well as the other representatives felt like they had been woken up from a dream, as they shot disappointing stares at Mira, questioning why she had thought it was a good idea to stop her. But the next instant, all of those people who med her cursed their own rashness. Obeying her Master, Leticia formed wings of magic power that looked like rainbows that waved behind her, producing countless different tones. As opposed to the earlier humming, there wereyers piled on top ofyers of sounds, forming a tightly woven harmony. Leticia added her own voice to that song. Her voice was graceful, but really powerful as it shook the air, as if a goddess was announcing her oracle. As opposed to Dark Knight or Alfina, Leticia mostly focused on giving support from the rear lines. Her songs had healing, inspiring, and multiple other effects. The song she was singing now, the Green Forest¡¯s Melodia was a song to recover mana, or in other words, it recovered the soul. In the current world, a rxing and easing effect was also added to it. After around five minutes since Leticia began singing, the song reached its conclusion. The guests all stood up and pped loudly, showing their heartfelt admiration for the two girls in the center of the hall. (Looks like it was quite a sess. Though, that reminds me¡­) As the torrent of cheers still showered on them, Mira recalled how the disys from the other representatives went. They first showed something, then they attacked the armored mannequin before finishing. She figured that was how the examination was structured as she watched, so she gave her next order to Leticia, who was waving to the crowd and thanking them for their appreciation. ¡¸Leticia, use the Requiem of Fury on that armored mannequin.¡¹ As soon as Mira said that, Leticia replied with¡ª ¡¸I¡¯ll do as you request, Master.¡¹ ¡ªand turned to face the armored mannequin, an unusually low note escaping her lips. The audience stopped their cheering to watch what would happen. After a moment of silence, they saw the mannequin torn apart with a bursting sound, the remains of it strewn around the hall. ¡¸What¡­ just happened?¡¹ After one of them somehow managed to wring out those words, those who had recovered their sense, or rather, the bare minimum needed to think, turned their heads to the principal in search of answers. The mannequin that had survived the attacks from the other seven spellcasters had been destroyed, leaving no trace of its former appearance. They had never seen a spell with such arge amount of destructive power. The principal was shivering, unable to contain his emotions any longer as he eximed ¡¸Incredible!¡¹, voicing the thoughts of everyone present there. Another torrent of apuse followed, Mira realized her disy wasing to an end so she thanked Leticia for her work before sending her back. Before vanishing, Leticia protested that she had not performed her master¡¯s song yet, but Mira said to leave it for another time in a more calming environment, which satisfied Leticia who left after nodding with a smile. Chapter 40: A Snippet of the Army Chapter 40: A Snippet of the Army Amidst all the apuse, only one person looked irritated at the young girl standing in the center of the hall. It was Kairos. He could not pardon her, a summoner, the lowest ss of spellcasters, for showing a more striking disy than himself. ¡¸Everyone, wait a moment.¡¹ Losing his temper, Kairos ran to the center of the hall and broadly waved his hands up. Seeing him, everyone stopped to see what was going to happen. When Kairos saw that all the noise praising someone other than him stopped, he snickered while looking at the audience. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think this is a bit strange? The representative was suddenly changed on the day of the examination, then this child that doesn¡¯t look like she belongs in the academy shows up. Do you think someone like her would be able to use skills that not even instructor Hinata seems to know?¡¹ (¡­What is he talking about?) To Mira, he was talking gibberish, but it was different for the judges. They had witnessed something fundamentally different to the prior summoning disys they had seen. It had been incredibly eye-catching, but after Kairos¡¯ words, a ripple of suspicion passed through them. ¡¸Now that you mention it¡­ was that really summoning magic? Weren¡¯t summoners those who made a ck knight fight against a white one?¡¹ One of the judges asked that. He was one who had only seen Hinata¡¯s disy in the past, and part of the new generation that was unaware of the past might of summoners. All the judges that had been suspicious after Kairos¡¯ speech were all younger ones in their twenties. Those judges made up around half of them, so if they issued a penalty it would leave a noticeable dent in Mira¡¯s score. ¡¸If there was a summoner who could cast more powerful spells than the instructor here in Arkite Academy, the best school in the entire continent, then they could only be from the tower. So to think that this child can do that obviously sounds suspicious. Probably someone like instructor Hinata got fed up with being thest ce every time, so she found herself a child with good looks to deviate our attention while she did something secretly. I¡¯m sure all of you remember well how the past summoner examinations went.¡¹ After Kairos¡¯ added that, the judges turned questioning stares at Mira. In her mind, she stomped her feet, enraged thinking that summoners were seen as such a low level ss that instigation like that worked. As Mira¡¯s actual strength kept getting doubted, a middle aged man loudly pped his hands, focusing the attention on himself. ¡¸If you¡¯re willing to say so much, what do you think about settling this with an actual match instead of a visual examination?¡¹ The person who had made that suggestion was the principal. There was a short moment of discussion, but then someone agreed with the idea. Soon after all the judges had decided unanimously, a special match would be held for the examination, Kairos who had protested pitted against Mira. A fifteen minute break was granted in preparation for the match. But no one of the audience left during that time, they were all talking with each other in excitement for the irregr match that would happen. ¡¸So troublesome¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for everything. I feel like I keep bothering you all the time.¡¹ Mira returned to the wall as she muttered that, while Hinata hung her head in apology. At the same time, one person walked up to them. ¡¸Well well, I¡¯m sorry it came to that. But I didn¡¯t think I would be able to control the situation otherwise.¡¹ That person was the principal, the person who came up with the idea of the match between the two. His tall body was d in a grey robe, some of the wrinkles on his brow marked in an apologetic look. As soon as Hinata and the other representatives saw him, they stood upright before bowing to him. He returned the greeting in a quick motion before looking at Mira again. ¡¸Excuse me if I¡¯m a bother, but could youe with me for a moment?¡¹ He attempted to smile as he said that. After a deep breath, Mira went ¡¸Well, I guess I can,¡¹ to which he replied with a simple ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ before returning to his seat. The principal regretted the way the examination had evolved to be. The way the examination had lost its original intent, and how it catered to nobles that knew nothing about spells. But many of the nobles investing in the academy were¡­unaware of the disturbing times of thirty years ago, which also applied to arge part of society. That stifled the development of new spellcasters as well, which eventually led to the current state of the academy. It was not just the principal who was impressed this time, those who had lived long enough also had been touched by the magnificent disy. They felt like they had been transported back in time when the Nine Wisemen were still together. That was enough for the principal to gauge Mira¡¯s power. He realized even he was no match against that girl. This also reminded him of a rumor he had heard, that Danbulf¡¯s pupil had surfaced. (Her appearance matches the rumor, and her strength is certain¡­) He wanted to be sure. So he decided to probe her strength even more now that he had a chance to. If it was truly her, then maybe she would be able to change how things were in the academy. With that in mind, he hatched a n. He wanted to break down the image of the current generation of spellcasters, which Kairos embodied, and show what a real spellcaster was, one efficient in every regard like the ones back when Arkite was in its prime. He also hoped that it would rekindle the joy of improving themselves. Wishing that all of that could be aplished, he suggested the match. ¡¸Take him down in one shot.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re our only hope.¡¹ ¡¸Do it for all of us.¡¹ When the principal was done talking to her about those things, one of the other representatives approached her and told her that. Following that, the rest of the representatives also did the same, encouraging her while releasing all the pent up anger they had. All of them had the responsibility of shaping the stance of the different sses in the academy for one month. It was hard to believe what Mira had done, but they could tell she was not a fake. Normally Kairos would have noticed that as well, but his pride of being the strongest in the academy had clouded his judgment. If he truly paid attention, he would notice that there was a gap between their power like there was distance between the heavens and earth, but he decided to look away. ¡¸Just leave it to me.¡¹ Saying that in return, she walked towards the hall once again. The break time was over and the two faced each other in the center of the hall. The man in white stood between the two as a referee, exining the rules. In short, it was simply to fight fair and square. The conditions to win were to incapacitate the opponent or make them lose their will to fight. The referee was in charge of deciding when one had given up. Any lethal action was forbidden. There normally was never a match like this in the examination, so the rules for tournament matches had been used. ¡¸Someone should watch over instructor Hinata. I won¡¯t stand it if she attempts something shady again.¡¹ Kairos urged, to no one in particr, to look over Hinata, in a purposefully loud voice for everyone to hear. If she moved even a single muscle, he nned to use that to me her. After he said that, his assistant moved to stand beside Hinata, just as they had arranged beforehand. (Now she¡¯s practically finished. I can just have to take it easy, tie myself with this and it¡¯ll be the end for her. I don¡¯t know what she was doing earlier, but it¡¯s her fault for getting cheeky as a summoner.) Kairos shot a nce at his assistant, who nodded lightly in response. He had one more n up his sleeve. Kairos did not want to simply beat Mira, but make her look like she was cheating and single-handedly drive the reputation of summoners into the ground. He was currently holding onto a magic tool called Cursed Chains. The n was to release it onto himself a moment before winning, while his assistant would call out Hinata for doing something. After all, he was sure that Hinata would try to stop the match if Mira was on the losing end. A ck darkness covered his eyes as he envisioned how he destroyed them. ¡¸Now then, the special examination match will begin. First, bow.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2981 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1406 words
Editor(s): Fire
Kairos bowed elegantly, while Mira recalled how Leticia acted and held the hem of her skirt as she curtsied. A small wave of noise passed through the audience when they saw her cute act. Mira always preferred to be on the battlefields, so she was hardly aware of the formalities involved in matches like these. Unaware that there was no difference between men and women in this situation, Mira decided to imitate Leticia who she had seen earlier. The man in white looked at both of them, then took a couple of steps back to the determined distance and lifted his right hand. ¡¸Get ready¡­ fight!¡¹ As soon as the signal was given, Kairos moved. He leaped back and began focusing magic power on his hands. ¡¸Armies of fire dazzling in the sky, obey your king¡ª?!¡¹ As Kairos chanted in a calm and loud voice, six Dark Knights surrounded him in the blink of an eye, holding their six ck swords against his neck. ¡¸What¡¯s-!¡¹ Shivers ran down the audience at that sight. Even though they had a full view of all their movements, this was something they could notprehend. What happened was basically the preliminary storage of magic power and chanting. Kairos had jumped back to focus his magic power, but during the moments he was in the air and until hisnding, a magic circle appeared, which gave form to the ominous-looking Dark Knights, who swung their swords immediately. Some people had looked away for just an instant, and when they looked back, they saw the circle of des immobilizing Kairos. And not a single person had understood Mira¡¯s preliminary preparations. (What¡¯s¡­ what is this, what happened?! Where did thesee out from! It was her, it was that instructor!) With his neck surrounded, Kairos turned his head as much as he could and red where Hinata was standing. There he saw Hinata and the other representatives, all looking as shocked as the audience. And his assistant was wide-eyed as he fervently shook his head from side to side. (Dammit! What is this? What did this brat do!) Kairos red irritated at the girl in front of him, but Mira paid no attention to him at all, ignoring him as she walked over to the referee who was standing stiff in shock and poked him to announce the result. ¡¸What is your verdict on this?¡¹ When she said that, poking at his cheek, the man in white finally returned to his senses and lifted his right hand. ¡¸The winner is the summoner representative!¡¹ After he announced that, only a few ps came in return. The audience was still in shock, the younger ones trying toprehend what happened. On the other hand, the older ones praised Mira from the bottom of their hearts. ¡¸Don¡¯t screw with me!¡¹ With the match decided, Mira let the six Dark Knights go. Now freed, Kairos raised his voice with a look of anger. ¡¸What is it, Kairos Beltran? Is there something you¡¯re not satisfied with?¡¹ The entire hall went silent as the principal¡¯s calm voice echoed. But Kairospletely forgot to mask his feelings as he continued to shout without thinking. ¡¸No matter how you think about it, that was impossible to do! She did not even prepare for it and she supposedly cast six summons simultaneously! Were you even looking? It¡¯s impossible for her to do that alone! It¡¯s obvious, there¡¯s someone helping her! She has a helper somewhere! Where are you hiding! Show yourself already!¡¹ Everyone in the audience shot cold stares at Kairos, who kept shouting around. The Dark Knights she had summoned had a strangely intimidating appearance that made their hair stand on end just by looking at them. Even if there was someone helping her, they would need to assemble enough summoners to aplish that, and that was impossible even for the academy instructors. Not to mention that summoners were rare enough in this age. Anyone who thought about it for more than a second would notice those were just an arrogant person¡¯s delusions. ¡¸You coward! Who do you think I am?! I¡¯m¡­!!¡¹ But Kairos refused to admit his defeat and continued toin. What happened before he could finish his sentence left the audience speechless once again. In the blink of an eye, just like before, Dark Knights appeared out of thin air like ghosts. ¡¸U¡­ Uwahhh!!¡¹ Kairos trembled in fear and tried to run backwards, but his feet got caught and he fell on his rear. Twenty Dark Knights with theirrge swords ready turned their forty red-glowing eyes to look at him. ¡¸So many¡­¡¹ The principal muttered in wonder. Summoning so many Dark knights simultaneously and at such a speed was a very difficult skill to master in itself, but the Dark Knight¡¯s reflexes to jump into action as soon as they were summoned took it to another level. It was all out of the ordinary. ¡¸With this, you should finally ept it, yes?¡¹ Having burnt through her mana so quickly, a slight feeling of exhaustion assaulted her body as she scratched her chin. There were many steps involved when summoning something. First, the location where the summoned entity should appear had to be chosen. That could be chosen from a circle around the caster which grew in size as the caster grew stronger. Mira was able to summon anything inside a twenty-meter radius around her. Next was choosing the entity to summon. That was done immediately after choosing the ce where it should appear. Once the entity was chosen, the mana required to summon it was spent. With that done, it was possible to trigger the summon at any moment. Thest step was to give orders, what the entity should do after being summoned. Those were the basics, but that was simply how regr summoners did it. Mira had tweaked that process a bit to fit her style. From the spell theories she had spent time developing, she had been able to summon Dark Knights that were in the middle of an action. Being able to simplify spells was the gateway any spellcaster could follow to reach higher ces. In other words, the way spells were cast could also be a limiting factor, which was something anyone could notice regardless of knowledge, but to truly make use of it one probably had to get rid ofmon sense. That was only the gateway to a new world, and those who had followed that path as far as they could go, were the Nine Wisemen. When Mira changed her methods a bit and attempted to select multiple ces for a summon to appear, she found out she was able to summon multiple entities simultaneously, and once mastered it led to her current skills. She was also well aware of the threat of multiple Dark Knights swinging their swords down at the same time. ¡¸Magnificent.¡¹ The principal stood up as he praised her, which made the rest of the audience snap back to reality and showered the girl with apuse. Afterwards, the judges began counting the final scores, while Kairos and his assistant vanished from the hall as everyone waited for the results. Mira was warmly weed back by the other representatives, who began questioning her about her actual strength. That was an obvious reaction from them, and Mira began debating on using her usual excuse when a certain person visited the examination hall. ¡¸Oh, did the examination end already?¡¹ ¡¸It appears that way.¡¹ The visitors were a man and a woman. The man was a young handsome elf with shoulder-length glistening blonde hair and wearing a blue and ck robe. The woman wore a red hood that gave her the striking appearance of a magical girl, and also had blonde hair. Both of them had well proportionate features, but the mood in the hall changed more dramatically than that alone deserved once they entered. The principal and instructors hurried to walk down into the hall, while the rest of the audience looked nervous as they all stood up with their backs straight. Even Hinata and the necromancer representative¡¯s attitude changed considerably. ¡¸Hm? Isn¡¯t it you, Creos?¡¹ Mira nced at the elf and greeted him saying it had been a while. The man nced at Mira¡¯s direction and was colored by surprise as he walked closer with a smile on his face. ¡¸Mira! I heard you were back, but I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you in this ce.¡¹ Saying that, he bowed to Mira who was together with the other representatives. Ever since Danbulf disappeared, he had been working in the Tower of Summoning as the vice-elder. ¡¸Oh, you two know each other?¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3890 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1969 words
Editor(s): Fire
The girl in the red hood peeked out from Creos¡¯ side, staring at Mira for a moment before saying ¡¸Oh, she¡¯s cute¡¹ with a smile that quickly vanished into her deadpan. Mira felt like she had seen her before, but could not remember where, so she returned her gaze back to Creos, awaiting his reply. ¡¸That reminds me, we weren¡¯t able to talk that much that time. She¡¯s Amaratte, an attendant just like me, but she¡¯s in charge of the Tower of Necromancy. Also, this is Mira, the girl I told you about before.¡¹ Creos introduced the red hood girl as an attendant of the tower, then introduced Mira to her. Hinata and the representatives watched their conversation dumbfounded, mostly questioning how they were able to talk so normally. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s you. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Amaratte.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Amaratte took a step forward as she greeted Mira, then she walked until she was just in front of Mira and examined her clothes. ¡¸These look really well-made by the way. Could you tell me where you got them from?¡¹ Amaratte was slightly taller than Mira, so she leaned her body slightly forwards as she looked more closely at Mira¡¯s magic robe set. She was also caught inside the magical girl craze, so she was deeply interested in Mira¡¯s clothes that resembled that style, but were arranged in a more elegant and stylish way. ¡¸Hm, this? Lily¡­err, a maid in the castle made them.¡¹ ¡¸So it came from The maid Lily in the castle. Maybe I¡¯ll go ask her for a set for me as well. Thank you Mira, it was very valuable information.¡¹ Amaratte straightened her back with a smile, then walked towards the principal who called for her in a corner. ¡¸Let¡¯s talk a bit moreter, Mira. I¡¯ll go greet someone there for a bit. Also, there¡¯s a lot of things I want to tell you, so I¡¯d be grateful if it could be right after this.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, I also have things to ask you so that sounds good.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks. I¡¯ll be going now.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm.¡¹ After that exchange, Creos followed Amaratte going to the principal. The principal had already started talking with her about something. When Creos left to join those two, Hinata was finally released from the umpteenth stressful situation that day and began interrogating Mira. ¡¸Why! Why are you acting so chummy with Creos?! Or rather, how do you know each other?!¡¹ Hinata voiced the questions she had one after another without regard to a sensible order. But none of the other representatives stopped her since they all wanted to ask the same. ¡¸Something happened before, it¡¯s nothing to get so excited about. Rather, was it okay for you to stay silent without greeting him?¡¹ When Mira mentioned that, Hinata¡¯s ears sprang up, the other representatives also went ¡¸Ah-¡¹, they hadpletely forgotten about their own presence from the shock. They all hurried to go to the same ce as the principal. Mira sighed watching them and then took out some apple ale. The two had decided to check up on the examination since they were close. Creos had just returned from instructing the aspiring summoners, while Amaratte had finished some business at the castle and had some stuff to do at the academy now. All those important personages entering had caused a bit of amotion, but the score counting proceeded without a hitch. And the result? The summoner ss shone brightly in first ce having earned the highest score ever recorded from the examination so far. That marked the end of the examination event, after which everyone went back to their respective workces. Mira was together with the two attendants, sitting on a couch in the guest room of the academy. Sitting in front of her were the amused Creos and Amaratte with her straight-face. At her side, suffering trying to wrap her head around the reason why she was sitting with them, was Hinata. (Whyyy, why can Mira remain so calmm.) Hinata was still a spellcaster aside from being an instructor, so those two people in front of her felt like celebrities standing far above her position. She felt she was worth so little she could not look straight at them and wanted to just fall on her knees. Her hands were trembling from nervousness as she brought a teacup to her lips. ¡¸Ishhot!¡¹ The herbal tea had been brewed just moments before so it was still hot, making Hinata raise her voice instinctively. Mira handed her a ss of water as she tried to calm down her ears and tail that stood upright. ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Hinata received the ss and slowly sipped the water to cool down her tongue. Then she remembered the situation she was in again and impatiently began looking around. Creos had an entertained smile as he watched Hinata, while Amaratte¡¯s eyes glistened as she held a hand to her lips covering her grin. ¡¸Are you okay, Hinata?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m pfine.¡¹ When Creos asked her, Hinata¡¯s ears twitched as she replied while biting her tongue. Mira grimaced a bit seeing her, and took one of the cookies left on the table and shoved it into Hinata¡¯s mouth. ¡¸Now now, Hinata, why are you nervous?¡¹ ¡¸Pheww¡­¡¹ Hinata quickly chewed the cookie and washed it down with water. ¡¸Seriously Mira, I think it¡¯d be more apt to ask how you can remain so calm.¡¹ Some of her stress eased, Hinata asked Mira. She really wanted to know how Mira was able to keep soposed in front of two vice-elder. ¡¸Even if you ask that¡­¡¹ As Mira spoke, she tilted her head. She had always been distant from social matters and things like that, so she was unsure how to reply. She was aware of the basics, but then again, the king was her best friend and Creos used to work under her. Somehow the whole situation felt a bit odd. (I should think this through when I have timeter.) Mira began thinking that she would need to make somepromises if she wanted to keep her rtionships peaceful with other people. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that too much. I¡¯ve told you this many times, but we¡¯re merely momentary stand-ins, so don¡¯t think about it too much.¡¹ ¡¸B-but¡­¡¹ ¡¸What, he already told you that before?¡¹ Even though Creos honestly meant those words, Hinata wanted to say it was impossible for her to just change her personality after admiring him since she was a little child, but then Mira chimed in, leaving Hinata¡¯s thoughts at a standstill. No matter how many times she was told that, she was incapable of changing herself in front of someone she admired so much. It was an unpardonable act for her. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorryyy.¡¹ Unable to bear it anymore, Hinata fell prostrated on the floor. Creos forced a smile while Mira took hold of Hinata¡¯s scruff and plopped her back on the couch. ¡¸What a dilemma. I myself would prefer to talk more casually, we still have to discuss the summoners¡¯ lessons and other ns after all. She seems fine talking with you, but I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s bad about me.¡¹ Creos said that with a hint of sadness in his voice, while Hinata¡¯s ears fell down in apology, but then she reacted to the way he worded it. ¡¸Eh? Is there something about Mira that I should know?¡¹ She tilted her head, throwing a puzzled look at Mira, wondering why he had used her as aparison. Mira was a cute girl that possessed a deceiving power as a summoner. If she thought about her power alone, then Mira was someone she would have to bow down to, but Mira was an adventurer, and adventurers valued freedom above everything, so she was unrted to her issue. Some adventurers who reached really high ranks would be able to have more authority, but those were few and far in between. ¡¸You see, Mira is Danbulf¡¯s pupil. She¡¯s quite possibly stronger than me.¡¹ As Creos said that, he shot Mira a nce mixed with a bit of envy, but when Hinata heard that, her brain finally shut down entirely.Fire: F lmao">1
  1. Fire: F lmao">Silva: F for Hinata Fire: F lmao
Fire: F lmao"> Chapter 41: Attendant, Pupil and Instructor Chapter 41: Attendant, Pupil and Instructor In the end, it took a few dozens of minutes for Hinata to be conscious again. During that time, Mira talked with Creos about the summoning lessons they gave at the academy, how to ration the materials they had to make Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, and other topics like that. Creos epted her suggestions with a lot of interest and thanked her, assuring her he¡¯d work earnestly to help her out with her goals as well. After that Amaratte asked her multiple questions about her magic robe set, which Mira answered to the best of her capabilities. When Amaratte heard about the way Magic Stones interacted with Mira¡¯s clothes, her eyes glittered as she examined them even more closely. In the end, she only seemed to calm down when Mira promised her she¡¯d ask Lily if she could make one for Amaratte as well. Hinata¡¯s brain resumed its functions when the three were still talking, but she was unable to interrupt a conversation between the vice-elder and Danbulf¡¯s pupil, so she just observed them silently. (She¡¯s Danbulf¡¯s pupil?! I never heard he had one. But she can use those kinds of spells, and Creos was the one who called her that¡­ Ah! Would that mean that Danbulf did retire after all? Just so he could focus on teaching his pupil. Also, I guess the way the school budget will get divided is also set now, thanks to Mira¡­ Maybe I shouldn¡¯t address her so casually though, but Creos already does it¡­but he is Creos after all. Should I call her Lady Mira then? That¡­sounds strangely fitting, maybe because of the way she talks. She always seems to try to sound impressive. Amaratte¡¯s clothes look like that popr magical girl style, I think? They¡¯re really cute clothes. And Mira¡¯s¡­or Lady Mira¡¯s have a different air to it, but maybe they¡¯re the same style. Maybe I should¡­no, they won¡¯t look good on me. And actually, why am I here in the first ce?!) After her thoughts wandered around like that, Hinata remembered that she was really out of ce around them. Even though he had said that he was just a temporary vice-elder, that did not change the fact that he was one of the most prominent spellcasters of the continent. Ten years ago during the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, he had been in the frontlines together with Luminaria fighting against the devils that attempted to invade Arkite. And he imed the girl sitting in front of him was even stronger than himself. Mira¡¯s power had been imprinted into her mind. Hinata was sitting together with three spellcasters who could be entrusted with protecting the country, so it was impossible for her to be calm. ¡¸Hmm, seems more body reinforcing equipment sets will be needed to proceed efficiently after all.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t want to put the students in danger. Things got better since we started using the one you left with me, but there are so many students that it keeps taking a lot of time. I tried putting some equipment together myself, but none were strong enough.¡¹ Their conversation went a full circle and they were talking about the students¡¯ progress again. The main points were how efficiently they could move forward and the difficulty of forming contracts. ¡¸Oh, were those equipment infused with body reinforcing attributes?¡¹ ¡¸Mostly power enhancing and physical reinforcement. But the stats were nowhere high enough so they weren¡¯t safe at all.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Then maybe I could do something with that.¡¹ After thinking about it for a bit, Mira concluded that she might be able to make something with some Refining. As long as there were multiple sets of equipment, she would be able to condense and enhance their effects if they were too weak. ¡¸Really?!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, just leave it to me.¡¹ Creos asked to make sure, his voice filled with expectation, and Mira replied confidently. To Hinata, the entire conversation felt like it waspletely unrted to her. The four of them left the guest room and headed to the storage room of the summoner¡¯s faculty, going to the building for technical studies to reach there. The ornate lights and furniture left in some of the ces brought to mind more of a noble¡¯s mansion image than a school. Creos and Amaratte taught Mira about the history of the academy, exining to her what the different items she showed interest in were, even if they looked out of ce for a school. Hinata followed behind them, looking clearly nervous. When the students around saw the group, they would hurry to salute while keeping close to the walls. Creos would always apologize for making a ruckus with a rxed voice when he passed. Because of his gentle demeanor and the fact that he never used his position as leverage made Creos beloved not only by the students, but the average citizens as well. It was not just Creos who was like that, all the other vice-elder were humble and did not abuse their position, even if they had their respective entricities. But because of that, a portion of the nobles also shunned them, they would constantly stereotype them saying that the vice-elder always spoke one way, or that they would react in a certain way. As a result, there were many nobles in the country with haughty attitudes. As soon as the group left, the students began discussing with each other. ¡¸I¡¯ve seen instructor Hinata before, but who was that other girl with them?¡¹ ¡¸She was really cute.¡¹ ¡¸I like Amaratte, but that girl wasn¡¯t bad either.¡¹ ¡¸Well, who is she though?¡¹ There was not a single one who knew who she was, so they only threw theories around. Creos¡¯ secret daughter, or someone else¡¯s sister, a new student, a researcher from the tower, or maybe a fellow magic girl enthusiast like Amaratte. There was not much reasoning behind their guesses, but the students still had fun tossing ideas around. All the storage rooms for the different faculties were located in the basement of the technical studies building, so once they reached down there to a dimly lit room, Creos stood still while Hinata went to borrow the key from the staff room and opened the door. The storage room had been carefully maintained, not a single speck of dust in sight or stale smells. There was only the scent of paper and metal. Hinata had been the one diligently sorting and cleaning it. Since it was from her faculty, that was the good use she had found for her free time. ¡¸Hinata, could you bring all the jewelry I brought here before?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, just wait a moment!¡¹ Her ears and back straight, Hinata quickly ran to one corner of the storage room. As she did that, Creos took a board that was leaning against a wall and ced it t on the center of the room. There were multiple inscriptions of symbols and shapes on it, forming a magic circle. It was a Refining Board. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ Hinata ced a box she was carrying on top of the board. Inside there were multiple rings and nes, there was nothing special about their shapes or materials, but they all had special properties. ¡¸And¡­these too.¡¹ Saying that, Creos emptied a small bag from the storage room on top of the board. There were countless crystals of Turquoise, Moonstone, and others. Materials necessary for Refining. ¡¸Hmm, let¡¯s make this quick then. Is it okay if I use up all these jewelry?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Receiving Creos¡¯ consent, Mira lined up the crystals on designated ces of the board and started the process. Creos and Amaratte had already seen something like that back when they all were together in the castle for the ord Cannon, so they watched her with admiration. On the other hand, Hinata did not understand what was happening. As far as she knew, Refining was something that took considerable amounts of time toplete, and that was what she taught as well. At least half an hour would be necessary to convert multiple crystals into Refined Gems. And the main use of Refining was to condense or extract the attributes infused into equipment. Mira had already converted multiple crystals into Refined Gems, and was moving into the next step, which entailed extracting the superior effects from the jewelry and storing it inside the Refined Gems. Doing so would create a Magic Sealing Stone with a stronger attribute. The process was not perfectly efficient, but after repeating it a few times the attributes would get really strong. She had already gone through ten nes, turning them into sand while the Refined Gems stored their attributes. (This¡­this is Refining? I¡¯ve seen it many times during practice, but this lookspletely different! The pile of sand keeps growing bigger¡­ Wait.) ¡¸I¡¯ll do this.¡¹ Saying that, Hinata interrupted Creos who had started cleaning the sand, taking it all from his hands. Creos reacted with an ¡¸Oh, she took it¡¹, while Amaratte monotonically advised him to think about Hinata at least a bit. Creos was a very thoughtful person by nature and always attempted to do as much as he could alone, but when he was around someone who admired him as much as Hinata, it would be impossible for her to let him do that. Amaratte had told him to keep that in mind multiple times, and he had attempted to remember it, but it was hard for him to change his nature so easily. Around half an hour passed since Mira began Refining. All the jewelry had been turned into sand and their attributes stored inside twenty Magic Sealing Stones on top of the board. ¡¸She¡¯s really amazing after all.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I agree.¡¹ They had seen it once before, but Creos and Amaratte still were impressed by her. Hinata saw how calm the two vice-elders were in front of such an umon sight, so she began changing what she thought wasmon in her mind. ¡¸These ones have the power enhancing attributes, and these physical reinforcing attributes. Now we just have to find equipment that can endure storing them.¡¹ ¡¸Equipment hmm¡­ Ah, if I remember correctly there should be something around here¡­¡¹ Creos looked like he had remembered something as he headed to the biggest shelf in the storage room and searched there, taking out multiple metallic pieces and various types of tools. A pile of misceneous items built up at his feet until he finally reached a box stored at the end of the shelf, which he carried with him. The box was small enough to be covered by his two hands. When he ced it on the board and opened it, the contents turned out to be inconspicuous rings and nes. Those were the results of Creos¡¯ work when he attempted to find a solution for their problem teaching new summoners. But as they literally had been left on the shelf, they had been failures, but now they might prove useful.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3875 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1847 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸They¡¯re nothing to show around proudly, but since they¡¯re made from pure gold I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll serve as a good basis.¡¹ Gold had the highest capacity to store Refined attributes, so it was a very useful material to create Refined equipment. Just like Creos had said, they would be plenty as a base for the Refining Mira needed to perform. ¡¸Hmm, you have a point. I¡¯ll infuse it into these then.¡¹ Saying that, Mira received the rings and nes, Refining them one after another. As the attributes were transferred into the jewelry, the Magic Sealing Stones gradually lost their colors, until they crumbled into dust. The transferral continued without a hitch, Refining twenty pieces, after which the equipment wasplete. ¡¸Thank you, Mira! With this, multiple students will be able to form contracts at the same time, thank you very much!¡¹ Creos kept thanking her as he took the Refined equipment with a happy smile. This was also something that Hinata appreciated. She had no idea what she had been witnessing, but at least she knew enough to understand that they had seeded in creating equipment that would help summoners form contracts. ¡¸Lady Mira, as a summoner instructor, let me express my gratitude as well.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hinata, did something happen to you? You¡¯re sounding all kinds of weird.¡¹ ¡¸Not at all. I¡¯m very much calm.¡¹ The shock from learning Mira was Danbulf¡¯s pupil left Hinata unable to decide how she should address Mira, so her internal turmoil showed in her voice. ¡¸Hmmm, I guess it¡¯s really my fault.¡¹ Creos grimaced as he said that. He realized the truth he mentioned to the oblivious Hinata had been the source of her current behavior. ¡¸Hmmm. But I don¡¯t have any actual position as opposed to Creos, I¡¯m but a mere adventurer. There¡¯s no reason at all to stiffen up.¡¹ Mira spoke with a rxed expression, and Hinata remembered what caused all of that when Mira mentioned her being stiff. Creos had already chastised her about how foolish it was of her to refuse to change her attitude. After a moment of deliberation, Hinata finally steeled her resolve as she spoke again. ¡¸Mira¡­¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Mira smiled as she responded to Hinata¡¯s call. Being an instructor, Hinata had a weakness against the smile of a child. After her face brightened up for a moment, Hinata returned to her senses as her ears sprung up. ¡¸Thanks, Mira. I¡¯ll also do my best teaching my sses.¡¹ Seeing how Mira looked satisfied with that, Hinata sighed in relief knowing she had made the right choice, then after reinvigorating herself, she thanked Mira again. ¡¸Well, I also couldn¡¯t allow myself to overlook the situation here. If you ever need assistance with anything, feel free to contact me.¡¹ Mira was ready to help with anything she could. As a summoner, she was also worried about the future of her kin. Hinata, on the other hand, had yet to realize she had just made a stronger connection than anyone else in the other faculties. ¡¸What are you going to do afterwards, Mira?¡¹ As they ascended from the basement to the first floor, Creos asked that. Mira began thinking while keeping the examination in the back of her mind. Maybe it was because of the thirty year gap, but there were many skills on disy at the examination which she had never heard about. There were others which she remembered working differently, so Mira got excited to learn more about that, even while taking into consideration that the representatives might have just been inexperienced. All in all, she was obviously keenly interested in all the changes that had happened during thest thirty years. ¡¸I¡¯d like to keep looking around the academy, if that was possible.¡¹ When Creos heard that, he began saying ¡¸In that case-¡¹ before stopping. He had nned on saying he would apany her and show her around, but then he remembered what Amaratte had told him. ¡¸Err, instructor Hinata. You don¡¯t have any sses today, right? So could you show Mira around?¡¹ He smiled as he asked that of Hinata, whose face lit up realizing she had just received a direct request from Creos. Hinata had plenty of time, she could count the hours of ss she had during a week in her hands. Though thanks to Creos¡¯ efforts that would soon change for the better. ¡¸Leave it to me, I¡¯ll make sure to carry it out.¡¹ Hinata replied with an energetic voice, her ears also standing up in high spirits. When they returned to the first floor, they parted ways with the two tower attendants. Creos kept thanking Mira until he left the academy grounds, while Amaratte reminded her time and time again to speak to Lily about her, before saying ¡¸Adieu.¡¹ and heading to another academy building. Once the two were out of sight, Hinata fired herself up as she turned towards Mira. ¡¸Mira, is there any ce you¡¯d like to visit? I¡¯ll show you anywhere you want.¡¹ Hinata¡¯s ears and tail fidgeted restlessly, so Mira mentioned the first ce she wanted to visit with a soft voice. ¡¸I¡¯d like to see a disy of skill, something like a mock fight.¡¹ ¡¸Skills and mock fights, huh. Then maybe the practical training ground would be good. The students of the magic faculty are using it right now though.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, isn¡¯t that just perfect though? Can you take me there?¡¹ The magic faculty brought Kairos to mind immediately. Even though his magic was mostly just for show, it did possess some originality to it. It could be said that thirty years hadrgely changed the appearance of skills. Mira was intrigued by that, so she urged Hinata to take her there. ¡¸Okay, it¡¯s this way.¡¹ Saying that, Hinata took Mira to a training building adjacent to the technical studies faculty. The training building was almost asrge as half the academy, and was located straight past the technical studies faculty when entering from the academy gates. Its appearance resembled a gym, and voices from students and rumbling from spells could be heard from outside. The two entered the training grounds through the front entrance, a lobby that resembled an event venue greeting them inside. There were countless seats arranged there, and even a shop where students drenched in sweat would go to buy something to drink. ¡¸Oh, instructor Hinata. Can I help you somehow? The summoner faculty isn¡¯t scheduled today.¡¹ From inside the lobby, a middle aged man appeared and walked towards them while saying that. On his average, in face, everything that showed was a puzzled look and a bit of nervousness. But rather than that, something else sprang into Mira¡¯s attention. (He¡¯s wearing a tracksuit, an actual proper tracksuit. That¡¯s so nice¡­ there are no other clothes with as much freedom as that.) The middle aged man was wearing a blue tracksuit. Tracksuits were good to exercise, or to wear at home, maybe even to go do some light shopping. Mira thought of them as unusually useful clothes. ¡¸Ah, instructor Siegfried. Good day, I know we aren¡¯t scheduled today, Mira here wanted to see the academy so I was just showing her around.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s why.¡¹ Saying that, the man referred to as instructor Sigfried turned his gaze to the girl standing beside Hinata. (Siegfried in a tracksuit¡­ pfft) Somehow that hit Mira¡¯sughter nerve, so she looked away while trying to contain herughter, a really unttering image floating in her mind. ¡¸And that reminds me, instructor Hinata. My name is pretty long, so you can just call me Sieg.¡¹ ¡¸I know, but you¡¯ve still been an instructor here for way longer than I have, I¡¯m just a neer.¡¹ Hinata replied with a reserved tone. This was not the first time they had an exchange like that. Siegfried insisted on being called by a nickname, while Hinata refused out of respect. Siegfried lowered his shoulders in dejection, turning to look at Mira again. She was pretending to be looking at the building around, avoiding eye contact. ¡¸Err, you said you wanted to see the academy? But as you can see, the magic faculty is carrying out their practice at the moment, is that okay? I think it could get a bit dangerous for a young girl like yourself.¡¹ He kept looking at Mira as he said that. What he said was true, most of the spells used by magicians were attack spells, so it could be dangerous to watch. Then again, none of that would pose any real danger to Mira, and Hinata was aware of that having seen her in action, but Siegfried only had his first impression to go by, so he wanted to avoid exposing a cute little girl like Mira to danger. ¡¸No need to worry about that. Mira is quite strong herself.¡¹ Hinata confidently replied that way, puffing her chest like she was talking about herself. That made Siegfried remember something he had heard just earlier. ¡¸Ohh, could she be that girl that was suddenly swapped in as summoner representative and took the first ce?¡¹ Saying that, Siegfried quickly moved closer to Mira and extended his hand to her. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Mira. I¡¯m Siegfried, an instructor of the magic faculty. I¡¯m a bit vexed that we lost, but you worked well.¡¹ ¡¸M-mhm. It was nothing special.¡¹ Siegfried spoke to her with an amiable smile, wearing a tracksuit. Still trying to restrain herughter, Mira shook his hand back. She was still a bit hesitant thinking what to do, given that because of her the magic faculty had been relegated to second ce. But Siegfried was just as happy for her, energetically shaking her hand before turning to Hinata satisfied. ¡¸Well well, congrattions instructor Hinata. Creos seems to be hard at work as well, so it¡¯s just going to keep getting better for summoners!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you very much.¡¹ Hinata thanked him happily for hismendation. Seeing her smile like that, Siegfried¡¯s cheek blushed red. Siegfried had always been worried for Hinata, seeing how the standing of summoners was weak and she had to go through many hardships. Mira noticed that reaction in him, and figured he had actually fallen for Hinata. That also made her understand why he was so happy even though his faculty had lost. He probably had been really worried seeing how depressed Hinata was after ending up in thest ce on every examination as well. ¡¸But well, if it¡¯s her who wants to see, then it should be alright.¡¹ Mira¡¯s strength was real. Now convinced of that, Siegfried let them pass to watch. ¡¸Thank you very much, Sieg¡­fried.¡¹ Hinata bowed to him, then entered into the training grounds together with Mira. Seeing the two of them off, Siegfried sighed deeply realizing he still was unable to have an effect on her. Chapter 42: Academy Visit Chapter 42: Academy Visit The training grounds were extremely lively. There was the young spirit of the students and their efforts, but the energy released by their spells also contributed to the heat. The students were separated into groups of two in the arena filled with the energy of youth, one facing another training in practicalbat skills. ¡¸Youth is such a wonderful thing!¡¹ Mira sat in one of the corners of the ce entertaining herself watching them. They were magicians pitted against magicians, shes and ming zes popping up everywhere, a strong wind from shockwaves hitting her while the ground rumbled. Normally a scene like that would never happen in reality, except in the academy. To Hinata, it looked like just an average ss. But when she saw how entertained Mira looked, she felt uneasy and began wondering just what kind of life she led while being a pupil. It was not normal for someone of her age to be forged and tempered by the hero Danbulf and get so strong. Hinata imagined she had never gotten any leisure time, just practicing skills day and night. (Maybe that¡¯s why she wanted to see how the academy is¡­? But she looks free now, so she¡¯ll finally be able to live as she likes. I¡¯ll make sure to teach her a bunch of fun things.) Hinata¡¯s eyes narrowed a bit in a gentle manner while looking at Mira from the side, her decision pumping her up even more. While Hinata kept worsening her misconception by herself, Mira watched with deep interest how the students used their spells. They were practicing a type of spell that could be used as a feint. The fireballs the students sent to each other were of two types, ones swelled up before exploding while the others shrank before vanishing. They wouldunch countless vanishing fireballs with only one real one mixed between them. Others also attempted to distract their opponent with fake fireballs in an attempt to make them move a certain way. Sometimes they changed the attributes of the fireball, and other times they switched targets. Mira observed the arena like that. From what Mira recalled, that spell appeared to be Magic: me, a very basic one. As far as she knew, all it could do was create a fireball that could beunched at an enemy to attack, nothing more. Mira had never seen ones that could vanish in mid-air. ¡¸Hm, Hinata. Is that spell they¡¯re using ¡ºme¡»?¡¹ Figuring it was faster to just ask, Mira asked Hinata who was getting excited beside her for some reason. In reply, Hinata nodded before speaking. ¡¸That¡¯s correct. ¡ºme¡» is the most basic spell for magicians after all. Training like this, they are able to really build it into their muscle memory while mastering the basics.¡¹ Since Hinata was a summoner instructor, she barely had any sses which meant she spent a lot of time helping other faculties, so she garnered a lot of knowledge from all parts of the academy. Hearing that reply, Mira knew she had not mistaken the type of spell, but there were some points she was still dubious about. ¡¸Some of them vanish in mid-air while others explode, are they using two different spells?¡¹ When Mira asked that, Hinata tilted her head and mulled about her question for a bit before answering. ¡¸Mira, do you know the fundamental process to cast a magic spell?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. Selection, aim, consumption, and activation, yes?¡¹ The fundamental process of casting magic. Thatprised a series of events taken before a spell would get activated. First, one had to select which spell to use, then designate where that spell should go, consume the required amount of mana, andstly the spell was activated. It was slightly different to the process taken by summoners, and the process also changed when chanting was involved for high level magic skills. ¡¸Oh, you know about magicians as well as about summoners. But that¡¯s correct. What you¡¯re seeing is what happens when less mana than required is spent before activating the spell. If less mana is spent, the spell won¡¯t be able to manifest itself and vanishes, so if that amount is regted correctly then the spell will only appear as a shape without substance, so it can be used as a feint or diversion.¡¹ Now that Hinata was finally able to talk like an instructor, she exined with a proud tone. ¡¸I see. I¡¯m surprised there were techniques like that!¡¹ That exnation left a deep impression on Mira. Attempting something like regting mana spent was an impossible feat back during the game days. It was either all of it or nothing. Every time a spell would beunched, it would use up the exact mana cost, without exception. Now that everything had turned into reality, even that had be feasible, so it was obvious that spellcasters would explore all their new possibilities. ¡¸Then, what would happen if a summoner attempted to do that?¡¹ Mira asked with eyes full of expectation. When Hinata heard the question, her ears fell down and a shadow covered her smile, her lips slowly moving to reply. ¡¸Only a part appears¡­like a head¡­or an arm¡­or a leg¡­and then it vanishes.¡¹ So basically a portion of the entity would appear for an instant before vanishing. If time perfectly, it could be used as a form of shield, but other than that, summoning an unmovable object for an instant would only be a waste of mana that would not even work as a bluff. ¡¸Is¡­that so¡­¡¹ Hearing that reply, Mira hung her head slightly disappointed. But since it was a new skill she had never heard of before, Mira decided to try summoning a Dark Knight just to get the feel of that type of mana consumption. ¡¸Hmm, let¡¯s try half- nay, even less than half of the regr amount.¡¹ Mira stood up and searched for an empty space without any people around. ¡ºSummoning Magic: Dark Knight¡» Just so she could feel how it worked, she attempted to perform a regr summoning while limiting her mana. A magic circle smaller than usual appeared, and the intense presence that came from it manifested as only the Dark Knight¡¯s head. When Hinata saw that head she raised a small shriek before the head vanished. (So this is how it feels to limit mana. It isn¡¯t as hard as it sounds.) With that small experiment, Mira got the hang of limiting her mana. It was basically pretending to cast a less expensive spell before changing it, so it was simply like learning abination of two spells for Mira, who had already learned countless of them. That had been simple enough, so Mira began thinking of what other things she could try with that knowledge. She had that personality that would never stand still if there was something she wanted to try. ¡ºSummoning Magic: Dark Knight¡» This time the Dark Knight¡¯s arm holding a massive ck sword appeared from the magic circle. What Mira had attempted was to picture the part that would appear while summoning, and it went just like she had thought. (Looks like this went well too, now¡­) ¡¸Hinata, this could get a bit dangerous so could you step back a bit?¡¹ ¡¸Eh? Ah, alright.¡¹ Even though Mira had only been summoning parts of a Dark Knight, the strongly ominous aura it gave off had terrified Hinata, who stepped back not just a bit but a lot. From those experiments, Mira slowly began building a process for a new skill. So she nced to another empty space and formed a magic circle to fill it. [Summoning Magic: Dark Knight] Obeying Mira¡¯smand, another arm holding arge ck sword appeared from the small magic circle. However, this time it looked somewhat different, the arm was holding the ck sword high up in the air. ¡¸Huh!¡¹ Hinata inadvertently eximed seeing that. The arm swung therge sword down and pushed it into the ground an instant before vanishing. ¡¸Hmm, that was a sess.¡¹ Seeing her experiments seeding, Mira muttered that while stroking her chin. Meanwhile, Hinata ran forward driven by her doubt after seeing such a surreal scene, examining the ce where the ck arm had appeared. Arge scar was left on the ground there, proving it had been all real. The summoning process started by designated the spot for the entity to appear, selecting which entity to summon, consuming mana, and activating. That was enough to summon a Dark Knight or other entities. But that was only summoning it, afterwards there was still a need to give it orders like attacking or defending. Doing that was basically another spell in itself, and when limiting mana it would vanish before there was an opportunity to give any orders, so it would only appear still for a moment and vanish. But it was different with Mira, she had mastered the advanced ability to give orders at the same time as designating a location, so the orders were given even before the entity appeared, which also allowed her to let the arm swing the sword as soon as it came out of the magic circle. ¡¸Mira, what was that just now?!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s still dangerous there.¡¹ Seeing Hinata run in there surprised, Mira warned her that she was still experimenting and looked to another empty space. ¡ºSummoning Magic : Dark Knight¡» The following scene was pushing the boundaries of surreal for Hinata. Six arms appeared forming a circle, all swinging their swords down at the same time towards the center of the circle. The impact was tremendous, lifting a massive cloud of dust like an explosion, and at the same time, the source of that dust vanished, leaving only a crater behind. It was no longer just Hinata who stood speechless watching that experiment, the students who were training not too far away had also caught sight of it and remained amazed at that destructive power. Ever since the Dark Knight head had appeared, some of the students had started looking towards Mira¡¯s direction. An object releasing an ominous amount of magic power had appeared out of the blue, so they would obviously be interested in it. The scenes that followed got thempletely entranced, and then they realized, the girl in front of them was the representative that got first ce in the examination. Hinata being with her was also a clue. The students of the magic faculty had already heard about the examination results, and they were all secretly happy that the infamous Kairos had been defeated. They did have a slight gripe with being in second ce, but the annoyance brought about by Kairos¡¯ haughtiness was way more detested, so they could live with being second ce. The girl in front of them was the one who had defeated Kairos in a single strike. Coupled with her cute appearance and her poprity quickly skyrocketed. But Mira was stillpletely oblivious to all that. (If I experiment with this a bit more, I might be able to use it in an actual fight. Hmm¡­ mana regtion¡­ Now that the game systems are gone, I feel like my possibilities only keep increasing. I should try a lot more things when I have the chance.)
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3988 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 2130 words
Editor(s): Fire
Mira had received a good impression from her experiment, so she wrote it down in her mental list as her next topic for research. Mira turned around to see if there was anything else she would be able to learn from the academy, but when she turned around she saw all the students were looking at her, which made her take a step back. Noticing a bit toote that she was the center of attention, Mira hurried to run away from the training grounds. The students remained dumbfounded as they saw Mira running off into the distance, while Siegfried thundered. He swore that next month they would defeat that girl and take the first ce. Some of the students had a lot of questions in their minds, wondering if that really was a summoner. All the summoning they had seen until then was in a lower leaguepared to Mira, but they had all seen her power so it was impossible to deny, and they returned to their training. They wanted to at least surpass what they had just witnessed, no matter how many hours of training it took. Having seen Mira¡¯s power, they focused on Siegfried¡¯s voice and redoubled their training, without giving up. They really did not want to give up just then. That was what former spellcasters were like. They would follow Luminaria¡¯s guidance and catch up with their power, the scene that unfolded in front of them only motivated them to work more so they could reach that goal. After Mira basically ran away from the training grounds, Hinata showed her how the spellcasters lived in the academy. The academy taught conventional topics, as well as ways to learn lower level spells, different types ofbat and industrial science, it was a ce where all the knowledge of the continent was condensed. The students would choose the topics they were interested in and learn that. There was also the technical studies faculty where they could get even better at a multitude of subjects, so the academy proved to be the best school for any aspiring spellcaster. There was a lot of research being performed on spells as well, new spells Mira did not know about would constantly be discovered, and other times skills would bebined to develop a new one as well. The spells Kairos used also fell into that category, hebined existing spells in a way that enhanced their appearance. The spells produced that way were called [Compound Skills]. Mira constantly asked questions to Hinata, as her eyes glittered seeing the current spells, how they were evolving and the recently discovered ones. Hearing her ask what this or that was, how it was used, how it was cast, and things like that, made Hinata¡¯s teacher heart throb, imparting on her the detailed knowledge she had gained by helping everywhere when she was free. In the magic faculty, research on Compound Skills was performed with enthusiasm. In the saint faculty, they were getting ready for a pilgrimage to the holynd. They would visit the temples of all the deities in the world so they could learn more about Monk Skills. The onmyoji faculty had a shortage of Spirit Leaves which were needed to create charms, so all the middle level and above students were stumped. In the exorcist faculty, they were developing holy water guns with Magic Engineering, using it to create a high air pressure that wouldunch the magic water forward. The forbidden arts faculty had discovered that a spellcaster¡¯s aptitude was not the only thing affecting how they could adapt to the forbidden arts, but their personality affected that as well, so they were investigating to what degree that effect mattered. In the necromancy faculty, they were researching how golems could manipte objects, as well as creating tools for them. In the sage faculty, they always taught hand to handbat to all the new students, so now everyone had a well-toned body there and were currently learning armedbat. The concept faculty was researching ways to manipte the weather, as well as skills to create light sources to grow nts. In the summoner faculty, as Mira already knew, Creos was busy inviting more aspirants, and each day he would take them to the Ancient Battlefield to form contracts with armed spirits. As they visited all the faculties, Hinata spoke about them with expertise. When the tour was over, the academy had entered after school hours and everything was bathed in a red hue. There were clubs just like in any regr school, who were doing their activities now. On the yard, the track team was letting the sweat of youth flow freely, while other students were in their respective ssrooms illuminated by the setting sun, passing the time as students should. ¡¸A single day is definitely not enough to see everything, but what did you think?¡¹ ¡¸I think spending time here was really worthwhile. Thank you, Hinata.¡¹ Hinata asked that while feeling slightly nervous, but Mira replied satisfied and with a smile. ¡¸I should be the one thanking you for what you did in the examination. You can have this as a thank you.¡¹ As Hinata said that, she extended her hand, a silver ring on her palm. When Mira saw it, she took Hinata¡¯s hand and slowly closed it. ¡¸Everything I did was only for the future of summoners. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡¹ ¡¸But I asked you to do that¡­¡¹ ¡¸In that case, you can show me around next time we have a chance. There are still more things I want to see.¡¹ Mira said so with a smile. Hinata began thinking of how Mira was while they walked around the academy, then she recalled how Mira was acting when they first met. She was just peeping at the academy from afar. ¡¸Yup, you can count on me! I¡¯ll show you around as many times as you want!¡¹ As Hinata¡¯s tail and ears sprung up, she decided she would get permission to show Mira even the portions of the school that were off-limits. ¡¸See you around then.¡¹ ¡¸Bye-bye. You can drop by anytime.¡¹ With that, they parted ways. Mira went away walking through the middle of the schoolyard, while Hinata muttered ¡¸Thanks¡¹ to her back before running back to the summoner faculty with high spirits. Mira had seeded in creating more body reinforcing equipment, so starting tomorrow more people would be joining Creos¡¯ summoner tour, so she had to get ready for that. That way she was certain she would be able to help Mira fulfill her dream. Even though she was an instructor herself, Hinata ran through the hallways with sparkling eyes. Completely oblivious to Siegfried who attempted to invite her to an incredibly alluring dinner. As Mira walked through the yard, she nced at the students carrying out their club activities, then she turned her gaze upwards to the crimson bathed sky. She had only nned on taking a quick look at the academy, but things happened one after another and now the day was almost over. Now that the mantle of the night was about to cover her, she no longer felt like going to see another ce. A bit after she crossed the main gates, Mira began wondering what she would do now. It was then that a figure ran out of the shadows until it caught up to her. ¡¸You¡¯re still here.¡¹ It was a girl with a monotone voice and wearing a red hood. It was Amaratte, one of the nine tower attendants. She had finished her business at the academy and was also heading home. ¡¸Well yes, as you can see.¡¹ Mira sounded a bit surprised, but Amaratte paid no attention to it, instead leaning down her back and looking more closely at Mira while tilting her neck. ¡¸By the way, Mira. Are you perhaps an advocate for the no-underwear movement?¡¹ After observing Mira¡¯s chest closely, Amaratte looked up at Mira¡¯s eyes from the position she was in and asked ¡¸Or are you into this sort of thing?¡¹ as she pulled up Mira¡¯s skirt. ¡¸You have these on though.¡¹ Amaratte stood back up as she smiled with a slight hint of disappointment, her eyes seemingly interrogating Mira. On the other hand, Mira shrugged lightly,pletely unfazed that her skirt had been lifted. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how to put it on.¡¹ She replied honestly. Hearing such an unexpected reply, Amaratte smiled slightly. The people around them were really confused after the sudden upskirt, but the two of them noticed nothing. ¡¸Is that so. Then I¡¯ll teach you myself.¡¹ As soon as she said that, Amaratte began unbuttoning her top, which Mira hurried to stop. ¡¸What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡¹ ¡¸I told you, I¡¯ll teach you. I¡¯ll take mine off, then you observe how I put it back on.¡¹ It was an iprehensible offer. Amaratte was basically telling her to look at her bare chest for a continuous period of time. In another situation, Mira would dly take her up on that, but the ce was way too bad. There was no way she would allow a young girl to expose her chest in a ce with so much traffic. Mira refused vehemently, and then said she would ask Lily next time, which finally managed to convince Amaratte. ¡¸I hope you won¡¯t forget my request for her as well.¡¹ ¡¸I know.¡¹ Mira softly waved her hand as she replied to Amaratte who had grown attached to the clothes the maid group had built. An instant after she looked somewhat pleased, Amaratte activated Necromancer Skill: Rock Bear, which made an enormous stone-shaped bear appear in front of Mira. ¡¸Now then, until we meet again.¡¹ Saying that, Amaratte jumped on the back of the bear, which calmly walked into the traffic and left the academy behind. The other passers-by did not seem bothered by that sight at all and just moved on. Mira saw Amaratte off dumbfounded by how sudden everything was, which also cemented in her the difference between the game and reality. It was the same with the valkyrie Alfina and the spirit of sound Leticia, before she would have never been able to hold a conversation with them. There were many things which were impossible before but now could be done. What Amaratte just did was also like that, namely riding on top of a summoned entity. The reaction from those around also suggested that was something necromancers did regrly. (If I did that I might be able to forget worrying about my feet.) There were no summoned entities that counted as mounts, but that was only during the game period. Many of her summons should be able to support her weight if she chose to ride them. She figured the only way to find out was to try, but then Mira thought about Amaratte once again. Mira would probably stand out more and cause a befitting reaction from the people around. She had always been bad at dealing with those situations, so she forced her throbbing desires to calm down and decided to try it out the next time she was in an isted ce. (What should I do now.) Mira had learned so many new things that she wanted to sort her thoughts out first. And time kept ticking as she stood there idly, so she decided to start by securing a ce to sleep. The first ce she thought of was the castle. They should be able to arrange a bed for her to stay one night. But she had finally arrived in a world of fairy tales, so the idea of staying in an inn attracted Mira a lot more. If anything, she wanted to stay in a regr inn. One simr to the one ¨¦cate Carillon used, one where the tavern and inn were a single building, the type she was most used to. Until now, Mira had slept in her personal room in the tower, a guest room in the castle, camping outside in a carriage of the king¡¯s secret service, and in the Summer Lantern that was akin to a luxury hotel rather than an inn. All of those ces were a far cry from an average inn. (I¡¯ll just stay in the first inn I find. That¡¯s the real way to enjoy an adventure.) Mira almost held a desire to spend a night in an inn like those depicted in stories; idle chatter with the shopkeeper, a bustling dining room, an inn with those qualities. The sky was already ck when Mira ran to find an inn like that. Chapter 43: First Ride Chapter 43: First Ride Mira spent the night in a small inn she found not too far away from the academy. The inn was built out of wood on stone supports, giving a warm appearance but also had its own character. As small as it was, it had a unique presence. The owner was a well-built middle-aged man who was running the inn together with his wife and two daughters. Just like what Mira had wished for, the first floor was the dining room where dinner was being served at that moment. Even though the inn was ratherpact, the food was exceedingly delicious and she also managed to aplish her goal of chattering with the owner. Mira felt some pity for him after he unrestrainedly grumbled about how he felt like he had a weak presence when being surrendered by three women there, even though Mira looked younger than his daughters. The day after Mira checked the current standpoint of her skills, Mira woke up to the birds frolicking on the rooftops. As her drowsiness slowly faded away and her mind got clearer, she thought about her ns for the day. (There¡¯s still a lot of ces I haven¡¯t seen yet, so perhaps¡­) The urrences from the day before reyed in her mind. Mostly the figure of Amaratte riding a Rock Bear and going away. A new passion started boiling inside Mira at the same time, new experiments she could try which were impossible before. Now that staying in amon inn was checked on her list, her next priority was to try mounting a summoned entity. Being used to it by now, Mira finished her preparations and left the room while wearing her magic robe set. As she walked down the stairs, the scent she smelled grew stronger together with her expectations until she arrived at the dining room. There were other people who were not guests of the inn enjoying their breakfast there too. It was especially in the mornings when they had the most clients. Seeing the entire family working hard to meet the demand, Mira felt an indescribable warmth that rxed her cheeks. That ce was called ¡¸Moonlight Diner/Moon Breeze Manor¡¹, thest night the owner exined that Moonlight Diner referred to the dining room, while Moon Breeze Manor was the inn. When Mira asked why they split it like that, the owner exined that he was mostly in charge of the Moonlight Diner, while his wife managed the Moon Breeze Manor. His daughters did a bit of both. ¡¸Business is already quite thriving.¡¹ As Mira recalled their conversation fromst night, she sat down at the bar and spoke to the owner. ¡¸Oh, good morning, Mira! And well, it¡¯s almost peak hour here after all.¡¹ The owner spoke while smiling cheerfully. Mira returned a ¡¸Good morning¡¹ as she tilted her head seeing the muscat ale that appeared out of nowhere, puzzledly looking at the owner. ¡¸It¡¯s a treat since you¡¯re so cute, just keep it a secret from my wife and daughters.¡¹ He looked around trying to watch out for them, smiling while telling her to keep it secret. Muscat ale was the inn¡¯s specialty, and the owner remembered how Mira had ordered five sses one after another. Since she appreciated their original items, he felt generous with her. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll take it then. Thanks.¡¹ As she tipped the ss against her lips, the delightful taste of sour muscatbined with sweet milk spread through her mouth. The breakfast menu consisted of bread with strawberry jam, pumpkin potage and bacon with eggs, a very breakfast-like meal. Mira delightfully ate it, and halfway through, one of the owner¡¯s daughters wiped the smudges of jam on the side of her lips. Luxurious meals were good to eat, but simple andmon ones like this suited her better. Thinking about more average things like that, Mira drank her muscat ale. Finishing her meal, Mira departed towards the gates leading towards the outskirts of the city. She wanted to experiment with her skills, so she needed arge and open area. Her main use of riding a summoned entity was to travel faster, which meant that something that could fly for long distances would be best. Also, to summon something like that, she needed a lot of space. After walking for around an hour, the walls surrounding the capital city of Lunatic Lake came into view. In front of her, arge metal gate that rose as far as she could see stood half-open. That gate would be closed at night, and then opened again in the morning. When she arrived there, it was in the middle of being opened. Mira¡¯s body fidgeted restlessly as she waited for the gates to finish opening as they caused a deep rumbling sound. Close to Mira, there were other people waiting to go outside; merchants and adventurers. Some of them stood with their mouths half-open, looking up at the gate absentmindedly. Others looked slightly exasperated that the gates were still not opened. As soon as the gates were open and the gatekeepers gave the signal to pass, everyone started moving. Mira moved with the flow, going outside with them and then continuing to walk for some distance until she found arge grass-covered in with scarce people. That region was known as the Muscat Meadows, which was to the east of Lunatic Lake. As its name implies, there were countless muscat orchards around the ce. As a fresh and sweet breeze blew on her, Mira walked deeper into it until she reached a ce devoid of any human presence. Two hours had passed since she left the inn. (I won¡¯t stand out if I¡¯m this far out.) She had found a clearing inside some woods. Mira nodded to herself after looking around. There would be no problem if she summoned entities that would normally attract a lot of attention now that she was surrounded by trees and a considerable distance away from the main road. Trying to restrain her excitement, she struck her right hand forwards with the palm pointing ahead. Summoning Skill: Binding Arcana Circle As Mira moved her hand, four binding circles floated in the ces where her hand had been. She then turned her body around for a full circle and touched them with her left hand, converting them into Rosario Summoning Circles. ¡®O ck born in the bowels of the earth, yearning for the light beyond. White born amidst the heavens, yearning for the faraway azure. Thine beginning was a bird, trailing through the immacte blue. Thine beginning was a dream, reminiscing the memories of valiants strewn into the spiral of rebirth. Longing to transcend the eons of time. Thine bundled wings d in dreams. Take to the heavens once again, my beloved child.¡¯ As Mira chanted with a clear voice, the summoning circles began glowing and floating higher in the air, ovepping with each other and creating a halo shining high above. The halo increased in diameter as it became the catalyst to call him forth, piercing through the sky with the sound of silver scales. Summoning Magic: Emperor Dragon Isenfald An enormous amount of mana was channeled into the halo, distorting the space there before arge tail, thick like a tree trunk, appeared there. The tip of the tail was sharp like a de, slowly moving inside the light with the life it had just been imbued with. Following next, two hind legs with ck talons appeared, a torso covered in silver scales, arms, wings, neck, andstly, the gilded head of the Emperor Dragon manifested itself, who turned to look at Mira. The light shattered as the supreme ruler of the skiesnded in front of Mira, lowering his ferocious head while clearing his throat. He brought his face close enough to her that she could feel his breath, closely examining Mira¡¯s body before looking at her with round eyes. ¡¸Father¡­ since when have you be my mother?¡¹ As opposed to his appearance, the Emperor Dragon could be a handful with his mischievousness. He raised his long neck as he asked that. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a really long story¡­ I would prefer if you avoided broaching that subject.¡¹ ¡¸If fath¡­ mother wishes it so, I won¡¯t ask again. I¡¯m d I also have a mother now.¡¹ Saying that, the Emperor Dragon narrowed his eyes and nestled close to Mira while humming. He looked like a child being spoilt by his mother, and Mira actually was something like a parent to him. He was originally an egg Mira found inside some ruins in the Valley of the Dragons. After many difficulties, she managed to hatch and raise it, until it eventually became the Emperor Dragon humming in front of her. ¡¸I¡­ I see. But¡­ mm¡­ I guess that¡¯s fine.¡¹ Mira rxed her eyes as she caressed the face of the dragon, at least where she could reach. He was set on calling her mother, which rubbed her in the wrong ways, but once she put that aside, her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the dragon with a wingspan that crossed thirty meters. Any fan of fantasy works would dream at least once about flying on the back of a dragon. Thinking that she had an opportunity to make that a reality now, she was obviously excited. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Isenfald. Have you been well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve been in good health, but it was hard being unable to meet mother. I thought perhaps you had forgotten about me.¡¹ With a gentle voice, Mira attempted to converse with him. Isenfald rxed his body in relief, replying with a sad tone as he snuggled against Mira. ¡¸Were you always this clingy?¡¹ Mira attempted to push him back a little whileforting him as he tried to move his body closer. Isenfald always had a straightforward disposition, but she did not recall ever spoiling him to make him like this. ¡¸When mother was still father, I looked up to you. A father teaches love through discipline, a mother teaches love through kindness. That¡¯s why I never did this. But now you¡¯re mother, it should be alright now.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm¡­¡¹ Mira kept getting pushed down by Isenfald until she was eventually lying down on the ground while looking at the sky, reminiscing through her memories with him. As soon as he hatched from the egg, she subjected him to a spartan training. Normally that would have been excessive, but as they trained, Mira also hammered into him that philosophy. At the time she only did that for appearances, without much thought, but he had remembered everything she said. And now that she had be a mother, he was looking for that love he never received. (I feel like I taught him that¡­ Hmm, at the time I was really into things like that, but I guess I¡¯m reaping what I sowed back then¡­)
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3593 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1771 words
Editor(s): Fire
Isenfald behaved like a spoiled child with the young girl, opposite of his appearance as Emperor Dragon suggested. Mira had a strained smile as she recalled the pictures she had Luminaria take as screenshots, with Danbulf in an imposing pose, Isenfald spreading his wings magnificently and the tower illuminated by moonlight in the background. ¡¸You¡¯re still a troublesome child, even after all this time.¡¹ Mira gently caressed him as she said that, but a silver glow suddenly covered his entire body. ¡¸Hm, what happened?¡¹ Mira lifted her hand from him and narrowed her eyes as the light attacked her retina, waiting for the light to weaken before cing her hand back. Once the light was gone, a young man appeared there. That man was so handsome that calling him a prince would not be enough, and his overall figure was so perfect it could only be described as a god or an angel. She was left dumbfounded trying toprehend what had just happened when the young man¡¯s face that still had traces of infancy turned into a smile and he leapt on her. Completely naked on top of that. ¡¸Mother. I can receive all your love if I change into this shape.¡¹ That low and calm voice was the same as Isenfald¡¯s, who had been lying against her just moments before. Mira was barely able to peel off that young man that hugged her tightly while giggling happily. ¡¸Are you Isenfald?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s me, mother.¡¹ That handsome young man replied with a bright smile, he was Isenfald. Mira had never expected he would be able to morph like that, so she stared wide-eyed at his brand new appearance. (I guess it makes sense for dragons in a fantasy world to be able to morph into a human body. Which means there might be others who can also change appearances. I¡¯m looking forward to that.) Thinking like that, Mira patted Isenfald¡¯s head, who while looking like a young adult, still behaved like a little child. (This feels a bit too unsettling after all¡­) Not happy at all with being embraced like that by a good-looking man, Mira sighed while cursing her past self. But even then, Isenfald was like her son, who she had raised with all her heart. Even if she wanted to retract her past words and resume his spartan lifestyle, it was still a fact that she had abandoned him for thirty years, whether or not she could control it. So while she thought of a way out of the situation, she let him do as he pleased. After spending time with him for a while, Mira found a good moment to talk to him. ¡¸By the way, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask of you. Is it alright?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, mother. Just tell me what you want.¡¹ Isenfald replied as his golden eyes sparkled even more. After never being summoned for such a long time, he was more than d being of any use to her. ¡¸I¡¯d like to ride on your back and fly through the sky. Can I do that?¡¹ As soon as Mira asked that, Isenfald looked surprised for a moment before being all smiles with joy. ¡¸But of course. Letting you fly with me is like a dreame true!¡¹ Isenfald rejoiced to the point of jumping around a bit, after which the silver glow enveloped him again and he turned back into a dragon. He then pressed his body against the ground while his tail swung around like a puppy¡¯s. ¡¸You can hop on now, mother.¡¹ Isenfald put his left hand¡­ left paw forward, which Mira used as a foothold to climb on his back. His body covered in countless silver scales spread vastly in front of her, which she seemed to check one after another while excited for finally being able to do this. ¡¸Let¡¯s go now!¡¹ Isenfald also had been almost unable to contain himself as he stood up, making Mira¡¯s view get much higher. This felt like an earthquake to Mira, who lost her bnce and hurriedly grasped some scales that stood out to maintain her bnce. ¡¸Don¡¯t move so suddenly.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry mother. But I couldn¡¯t hold myself back any longer.¡¹ Even though she had scolded him, Isenfald¡¯s voice still rang cheerfully. Mira could almost feel the joy exuding all over his body, so she looked for a good ce to sit while thinking there was nothing much she could do to control him. ¡¸Well, Isenfald, you can fly now.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, mother!¡¹ Mira tried to contain her excitement as she said that, and Isenfald held nothing back as he spread his wings, lowered his body and jumped into the air at the same time as he began pping his wings. The trees surrounding the clearing were hit by a strong gale, pushed back together with slightly bothersome cracks as they nced at the supreme ruler of the sky. Seeing her viewpoint get higher and higher with each p, Mira was unable to contain her excitement any longer. ¡¸Good, good, Isenfald. You¡¯re the best!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also feeling the best!¡¹ Unable to contain herself anymore, Mira patted the ground¡­ Isenfald¡¯s back under her, as she looked all around her. Isenfald was rejoiced for being praised by his mother so he flew even higher, eventually getting high enough that Mira caught her breath being able to almost see over the horizon. There were mountain ranges, forests, viges, cities, old castles, ancient trees growing tall into the sky, and the blue sea surrounding it all. Her eyes could see everything. As opposed to the real world filled with man-made objects, this world was vast and seemed to coexist with nature. (This experiment waspletely worth it with this sight alone¡­) Mira carved into her mind the shape of the world she was living in now before turning her eyes towards the Linked Silver Towers. Since his summon had led him all the way up there already, she could just use it to head to her next destination. ¡¸Isenfald, let¡¯s head to the tower now.¡¹ Saying that, she pointed towards the magic city of Silver Horn. Isenfald epted themand together with a gleeful roar. He slowly changed the angle of his pping so they would move forward rather than staying still in mid-air, while a soft glow came off his wings. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, mother!¡¹ After saying that, it only took him an instant to move faster than the speed of sound. They reached the mountain range separating Silver Horn and Lunatic Lake in the blink of an eye, moving at a supersonic speed and leaving a shockwave behind, the scenery moving at a breakneck speed below them. All the while, Mira was only holding onto him with her bare hands. ¡¸Wait whaa¡ª!¡¹ Mira¡¯s body suddenly felt more light, like the ground had been removed under her or she had stepped on a pitfall. Ahead of her, she saw Isenfald turn into a small dot in the distance while the floating sensation of freefall assaulted her body. She tried to hold her clothes and hair to keep them from going too wild as she sighed depressedly. (That makes sense¡­ if he starts moving at supersonic speeds this was bound to happen¡­ I should¡¯ve told him to fly more slowly.) Since Isenfald was the summon most adapted to the sky from the ones she had, she summoned him without thinking, forgetting about a simple and reasonablew of physics blinded by her excitement. Namely, inertia. As she fell, she used [Sky Stride] to slow down her speed, while Isenfald¡¯s figure became bigger as he returned from the other side of the mountain range. ¡¸Mother! I¡¯m truly sorry!¡¹ He was almost leaving a trail of tears behind as he slowed down under Mira and letting his mother fall on his back. He slowly turned his head around to look at Mira. Seeing his sorry and disheartened look, Mira broke into a smile. ¡¸Well, it was obvious that would happen. I was having too much fun so itpletely slipped my head.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry motherrrr.¡¹ Her words sounded more apologetic than scolding, so Isenfald apologized again with a crying voice. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Just make sure you fly slowly now.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, mother!¡¹ After that fall, this time he elerated more gradually, flying towards the tower at a more reasonable speed. After crossing over the mountain range, Isenfald flew high above Silver Wand, the town Garret had rmended for its stores. The ground appeared to move slowly under them, but in reality, they were traveling faster than even an Express Carriage, so Mira had to hide behind Isenfald¡¯s neck to avoid the wind pressure. (It¡¯s really cold¡­) At the height they were, the air was considerably colder than on the surface. Even if she could avoid the winding from the front, she was unable to protect herself from the one hitting her sides. With her body trembling, she closed her coat, which only gave her a momentary relief. (I should get a better outfit against the cold next time I try to fly.) As Mira thought that, she caught sight of the nine towers near Isenfald¡¯s neck. Now that she thought about it, she had only been there the first day she awoke in this world, which meant she had not seen Mariana since then either. (I¡¯ve only been thinking of ways to hide it, but maybe I should confess everything to Mariana¡­) After Solomon told her about it, the way Mariana had spent those thirty years was always on her mind. She had been waiting for Danbulf to return for all that time. If Mira could return to her past appearance then everything would be alright, but Vanity Cases could not be traded between people, and there was no way for her to buy a new one now that the world had be reality. In other words, there was virtually no way for her to be Danbulf again. There was no way of leaving Danbulf secluded in the Town of Phantasmal Beast forever either. And by telling her everything, Mira would be able to get her to rest assured as well. No matter how she looked at it or thought about it, she could not continue deceiving the girl who had done so much for her in the past. Riding on top of her son, feeling her current world affecting her whole body, Mira resolved to do one thing. Chapter 44: Confession Chapter 44: Confession ¡¸By the way, how has your life been these past years?¡¹ As they flew together, Mira suddenly got curious about that and asked Isenfald. That was another thing that changed since this world became reality. Back when things were still a game, summons never had any type of background story. They simply appeared when called and disappeared when sent away, but Mira knew things had to be moreplex now. ¡¸I was staying in Dragon City with my friends, of course. That¡¯s also where I learnt to transfigure into human form. Apparently less energy is needed to maintain that form, so it¡¯s like a power-saving mode.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, I see. So you learned that in the Dragon City¡­¡¹ Mira paid extra attention to those two terms she had never heard before. A Dragon City never existed during the game period, but the name was self-exnatory enough and it had to be a city with a lot of dragons. As far as transfiguring went, she could see the effect in front of her, but other than that, she had no clue what it could do. After all, if she knew, Isenfald¡¯s transformation would not have been such a big shock. ¡¸Who exactly taught you that transfiguration thing?¡¹ She had never heard of an ability that turned dragons into humans. The transformation part hadmon elements with Forbidden Arts, but the requirements for it and the fact a dragon had used it remained a mystery. After all, the nine branches of magic were known to be only usable by humans, except for rare cases like Creos who was part human. Types of monsters, spirits or demons with any form of sentience had their own skill trees. In other words, there was the possibility that it was a skill exclusive to dragons, but Mira still had no idea why a dragon would need to take human form. Then again, thirty years had passed so maybe it was a newly discovered skill, but Isenfald mentioned someone who taught it to him, so that was another point of interest. ¡¸Hmm¡­ that was quite a long time ago. A human girl came to Dragon City out of the blue, I forget her name, and she spent some time living there, speaking freely without fearing us in the slightest.¡¹ ¡¸Then one day, our feeding grounds were getting exhausted and we keptining about theck of food, and that¡¯s when she said that it was time to go on power-saving mode.¡¹ ¡¸We couldn¡¯t understand what she meant, but if she knew how we could keep living with the meager food we had, we were all ears. The method turned out to be transfiguration. In human form, a lot of our strength gets limited, but the food we consume is proportional to that, so it helped us get through those times.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ When Isenfald was done telling his story, Mira kept thinking about that woman. Since she used terms like power-saving mode, it was quite possible she was a former yer. On top of that, since she was human, that skill had a high chance of being one any ordinary person could use. But there was still the problem that Isenfald, someone who could not use ordinary skills, was using it. Then, there was the possibility it was one specifically made for dragons, but then it made no sense that a human had taught it to them. Either she had found a skill even dragons could use, or she had knowledge about dragon skills. Though it could always be somethingpletely different. Either way, she possessed information that not even a former yer like Mira knew about. (That¡¯s one more thing I want to ask Solomon now.) Mira¡¯s heart beated faster just thinking about all the new things she had yet to see in this world. ¡¸After that, since Mother never called me even after many years, I ventured out and wandered from one human settlement to another searching for Mother.¡¹ ¡¸Hngh¡­ sorry.¡¹ Thinking about how much Isenfald had worried about her, Mira mumbled an apology. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind since I¡¯ve reunited with Mother now, but can I ask where Mother has been all this time?¡¹ Isenfald¡¯s question rang uneasily, but Mira had no way of answering it. After all, thirty years had passed as soon as she closed the customization menu. ¡¸To be honest, I¡¯m not really sure myself. When I came to, thirty years had passed.¡¹ She had no other way of putting it, so she just spoke straight from her memories. Isenfald tilted his head curiously hearing that, only adding ¡¸I guess weird stuff happens sometimes¡¹ before purring again. For Isenfald, those thirty years of absence meant nothing now that he was back with her. Mira nced far towards the horizon while listening to him, wondering if she should summon everyone she could just to greet them. The trip from the capital city of Lunatic Lake to Silver Horn normally took two days, unless when going on an Express Carriage. However, flying with Isenfald shortened it down to two hours. They spotted a small clearing in a forest near Silver Horn and decided tond there. As they got closer, the massive shadow of the Emperor Dragon became more defined as he slowly made his descent. The wind from his wings spread like ripples through the treetops, making flocks of birds escape while crying gloomily. The sunlight reflected off Isenfald¡¯s silver scales as he reaffirmed his footing before raising his left arm. ¡¸We¡¯ve arrived, Mother.¡¹ ¡¸Nice job. You¡¯re a good child.¡¹ Mira walked down his back, using his left arm as adder, and relished the feeling of solid ground she had missed for two hours. Then she began petting Isenfald¡¯s snout. He narrowed his eyes while purring happily. (Going from one ce to another should be a piece of cake now. I just have to get a fur coat and it¡¯ll be perfect.) ¡¸Mother, will you call me again?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll probably end up needing your help for a lot of random things, so I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, Mother!¡¹ As Isenfald¡¯s voice thundered, his body was covered by a faint light. Mira was sending him back. His figure slowly faded like mist as he returned to the Dragon City. ¡¸From here, it¡¯ll take around thirty minutes on foot, I reckon.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself as she pictured the terrain she had seen from the sky before setting off towards a thick part of the forest that should take her to the road she was looking for. When she reached that road, she simply followed it until its end, the nine towers visible from far away. Her guess had been correct and she arrived at the main street of Silver Horn half an hour after she began walking. There she postponed her original goal as she looked into each and every one of the stores built along the street. (I can¡¯t believe mana water has be this cheap. And huh, there¡¯s stardust fruits in this store like some sort ofmon item¡­ Thirty years is quite a long time, huh. I wish I had been here for the ride¡­) Mira looked at all the items offered. Some things were half the pricepared to the old days, others had be even more expensive, and even some rare items that were only traded in exchange for other rare items were now lined up on shelves. The more she looked at the stores, the more she felt it was better if she just forgot the sense of value she had developed before. By the time she had a grasp on the general cost of items now, after asking in one store after another, two hours had passed since she arrived at Silver Horn.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2924 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1445 words
Editor(s): Fire
It was already past noon, so Mira entered a caf¨¦ to satisfy her hunger, eating a sandwich while watching people walk on the main street through the window. Then she ordered some cocoa which she drank while she saw how people of many tribes were passing on the street. There were many spellcasters mixed with the locals, so Mira felt pleased seeing how the city was prospering with tourists as well. When Mira left the cafe, she looked at the nine towers that appeared to be near, but in reality, were still pretty far away. (I guess I should get going.) Having decided that, Mira pushed aside the temptation from the stores and headed straight towards the Silver Linked Towers. The towers were located in a different district than themercial one, but since it was still daytime, there were tourists there as well. When Mira arrived at the open space in front of the towers, it was already peak time for tourists, so the whole ce was swarmed. They were of all sorts of races, and even some spellcasters with high-level equipment were scattered between them. Amongst them, Mira spotted some children running around. They had some sort of wooden batons and were ying something. After shouting a nonsensical chant and a swing from the baton, a man who appeared to be the father of the child copsed on the ground with exaggerated motions. The kid, who now held his baton high up with a triumphant look¡­ was wearing a Sage Robe replica. Seeing him, Mira recalled that time some days before when she herself bought a replica and walked around pridefully wearing it. (Those were just make-believe clothes!) Mira¡¯s mind froze from terror after realizing the truth. Her face spasmed knowing it was something obvious if she gave it enough thought, her vacant eyes turning to the heavens knowing she had looked just like those children ying around. Mira departed in a short run trying to push the shame away until she reached the gates leading into the towers¡¯ premises. There were many tourists there as well, gazing up at the gates while voicing their admiration. She knew people were going to see her, but she figured they would forget about it soon enough, so she took out her tower master key and walked up to the gate. As the gate slowly and silently opened, amotion began among the crowd of tourists. That much was understandable, the only people who could open the gate like that were researchers or aides, vice elders, or the Nine Wisemen themselves. Anyone else would have to submit an application to enter, and permission would be granted for only one visit. The researchers working in the towers were all first-grade spellcasters and were said to have enough influence in the country to bepared to nobility. Vice Elders had even more power, while the nine wisemen were said to be on the same level as royalty. Not even powerful nobles could enter their of those people so easily. They had to possess some amount of power in foreign matters as well before being granted permission, but opening the gate by oneself was apletely different matter. Mira was oblivious to how the towers were seen in the present day, so she had casually turned the key without thinking about it too much. However, sensing the sudden change behind her, she tilted her head, trembling to feel all the stares digging into her. (Did I¡­ do something strange again¡­?) It was not obvious on her face, but her mind was greatly stirred. Just as a drop of cold sweat ran down her cheek, Mira ran through the gate. When the gate was closed, all the tourists cheered wildly, having had the honor of witnessing the gate opening for the first time in their lives. Someone imed he caught a glimpse of what was behind the gate, then someone else said they met eyes with a researcher of the towers. As those ims started making the rounds between all the tourists, those who had witnessed it first-hand felt even happier, while those who could not cursed themselves. Inside the premises, the Nine Towers stood in shining silver, so tall they vanished up into the sky. Because of their appearances alone, tens of thousands of tourists came to look at them every month. Once upon a time, they had great importance in matters rting to the military, and now they still represented an important sight-seeing area for the country. The number of tourists increased especially after the Limited Armistice Treaty was signed. Mira walked past multiple researchers immersed in their work as she headed straight towards the Tower of Summoning. Many researchers did turn to look at the girl entering the tower. They recalled hearing about Danbulf¡¯s pupil, and there was this cute girl with silver hair entering the Tower of Summoning. Normally they only held an interest in research, but the name of Danbulf made them think about the Nine Wisemen as a whole, and they began talking about the exploits of those legendary personages amongst themselves. Even if they focused on different subsets of spells, the Nine Wisemen appeared to live in a different ne of existence for the researchers, and that was also the reason why the people there held no contempt against summoners. They shouldered the wills of the old spellcasters that once worked hard to improve each other¡¯s skills in the towers. And that will would be passed onto future generations as well. ¡¸So that¡¯s Danbulf¡¯s pupil. It would be nice if she manages to bring summoners back to their former glory.¡¹ One of the researchers muttered that. He had worked with Creos in the past, trying to find a new way of forming contracts with the summons. That research bore no fruit in the end so he still had regrets about it, but when he heard about Danbulf¡¯s pupil, he decided to ce his hopes on her. Inside the first floor of the Tower of Summoning, Mira walked straight through the deserted hall and took the elevator to the top floor. As the elevator climbed up the floors, Mira took multiple deep breaths to calm down her stressed emotions until she walked out to the top floor full of determination. She decided to forgo entering her personal room and went straight to the aide¡¯s room. She wanted to tell everything to Mariana first. For thirty years Mariana had firmly believed in Danbulf¡¯s return, diligently keeping watch over all his possessions. Even if she was convinced Mira was Danbulf¡¯s pupil, handing her all of his personal items straightaway was a bit too much. If Mira asked for it, Mariana would probably obey, but Mira wanted to stop lying to her. But more than that, Mira wanted Mariana to rest assured.1 When Mira raised her right fist to knock, the door of the office next door opened and Creos walked out with his golden and smooth hair swaying in the air. ¡¸Oh, hey, Mira. Do you have some business with Mariana?¡¹ Creos walked towards her with a bright smile, guessing the situation from Mira¡¯s hand raised to knock on the door. ¡¸More or less, yes.¡¹ ¡¸I see, well, once you¡¯re done with that, could youe talk with me too? I want to talk about the academy some more, as well as ask some things about Danbulf.¡¹ ¡¸I guess that¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll see youter then¡­¡¹ Saying that, Mira turned to look at Creos, thinking it was good luck he was also there. The matters of the Academy Creos had mentioned, as well as the problem with the current summoners, were things best dealt with by someone who had been in direct contact with Danbulf. ¡¸Hello, do you need- Ah, it¡¯s Lady Mira.¡¹ As the two conversed in front of the aide¡¯s room, the door opened. Peeking out of it, with eyes glistening like sapphires, twin tails, and a maid dress, was Mariana. The only people who could go all the way to the top floor of the towers were those who knew how to operate the elevator, or a guest of theirs. Apart from her, the only person who stayed in the Tower of Summoning was Creos, but since she heard a conversation, it meant that there was a guest of some form. If they had business with Creos, they would not talk in front of her room, so Mariana figured they wanted to talk with her as well.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2963 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1316 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Mariana. I have something important to tell you today, do you have time?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m free. What do you want to talk about?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s something a bitplex, so let¡¯s go somewhere we can sit. Creos, youe too.¡¹ As she said that, Mira took out the tower¡¯s master key. Mariana looked at it with yearning eyes,ing out of her room while agreeing with Mira¡¯s request. ¡¸You want me to hear too? Alright then. Maybe the office would be a good ce. I just got some really good tea leaves after all.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that sounds good.¡¹ Creos replied that, his voice sounding a bit boastful as he opened the office door. Mira stored the master key back in her Item Box and entered the office together with Mariana. Mira took a sip of the amber-colored drink Creos had made, while he and Mariana sat in front of her. A mellow and refreshing scent spread through her mouth, escaping with a sigh through her nose. Creos smiled seeing that before taking a sip of his own with a prideful look. Looking at both of them reacting that way, Mariana also lifted her cup to take a sip, nodding satisfied afterwards. ¡¸Now then, about the reason why I¡¯m here¡­ I¡¯m not good at sugarcoating things, so I¡¯ll be really straightforward¡­¡¹ With that preface, Mira ced her cup on the table. (I wonder what they¡¯ll think after hearing this¡­ that it¡¯s me in another body¡­) Mira interrupted those thoughts, not wanting to imagine anything bad. After a deep breath to regain her earlier momentum, she spoke again. ¡¸I¡¯m not his pupil. I¡¯m Danbulf himself.¡¹ She spoke earnestly and directly. Her eyes were directed straight at them, full of determination. On the other hand, the two looked at her with vacant faces, like they were still chewing through Mira¡¯s words, trying to understand the meaning of them. Creos¡¯ face looked the most dumbfounded at that unexpected sentence. ¡¸Umm¡­ so in other words, you¡¯re not Mira, but you¡¯re actually Danbulf?¡¹ ¡¸Mira was just a name befitting of this appearance I thought of. Though I understand it might be a bit hard to believe right now.¡¹ Creos¡¯ gaze wandered all over Mira, observing her closely before groaning in confusion. At his side, Mariana was silent for a moment while she processed Mira¡¯s words, then her mind rebooted. ¡¸Do you¡­ do you have anything that could serve as proof?¡¹ When Mariana was finally able to say something again, she asked the question anyone would ask in such a situation. No matter what Mira imed to be, that was not enough to prove her words as truth. So instead if she could show something only Danbulf could, there would be no need to say anything else. ¡¸Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­¡¹ Mira also understood that it was a reasonable request, so she scratched her chin as she thought of something to prove her im. Something that would prove without room for doubt that she was Danbulf. The tower¡¯s master key was something only the Nine Wisemen possessed, but she had already inherited that, so that would be useless now. Following that line of thought, any item that could be transferred was also out. In that case, an item that could not be transferred could work, like one only obtainable through microtransactions which only existed amongst former yers. But then any former yer could easily possess that too, so that was also useless. Showing them Danbulf¡¯s power could work, but since she imed to be his pupil, it was obvious she would have simr strength. No matter what crazy and powerful entity she summoned, it could easily lead to the conclusion that she was an excellent pupil. She had to find something that would identify her as Danbulf, looking through the list of her items, her stats, something. (I could try summoning Alfina and let her dere that I am me¡­ But no, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to force her to say that. Words alone will never serve as proof¡­) Closing all the menus she had opened, she looked back at the two timid faces in front of her. Even if she spoke about her memories with them, there was still a chance they were stories she heard from her master. Mira slowly became aware of how hard it was to find proof of one¡¯s identity. There had to exist something that was only for her, only for Danbulf. Repeating that inside her head, she nced at Mariana who looked at her with expecting eyes. (Mariana¡­ fairies¡­ Mariana the fairy¡­) An instantter her mind was illuminated by a proof that felt like a divine revtion. ¡¸That! There¡¯s that!¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira¡­?¡¹ Mira sprung up on her feet and walked in front of Mariana, leaning in front of her and lifting her right palm. ¡¸The Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection. You can only grant that to one person in your entire life, right? So if you can renew your protection here, that should be enough proof.¡¹ Mariana¡¯s breath caught when she understood what Mira was getting at. A Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection was something fairies could grant to only one person who they decided to trust for the rest of their lives. It was a special type of contract that was closer to an oath. The actual effect brought by the Divine Protection changed between different fairies, but it was impossible to break or retract the contract once formed. However, its effect would wear off after some time. After the bond was formed with a fairy, the effect wouldst for around three days, after which it would need to be renewed so the effect was restored. In other words, being able to renew the Divine Protection would mean that Mariana had been bound to Mira in the past. Mariana had given her Divine Protection to Danbulf, so if the renewal worked, it was definite proof that Mira was him. ¡¸I see. I remember Mariana granting Danbulf her Divine Protection. So if that manifests on Mira, then it would mean¡­¡¹ It would mean that the girl in front of them truly was Danbulf. At the same time, Creos¡¯ face twitched as he realized that all theints he shared with Mira had been him digging his own grave. His nervously trembling hand took his cup and drank all its contents while telling himself to remain calm. ¡¸I¡¯ll try.¡¹ Mariana¡¯s small lips trembled as she ced her left palm against Mira¡¯s. Mira also felt nervous, but some seconds after their palms met, they began to glow. ¡¸¡­Hmm.¡¹ They had seen that glow countless times before, it was a sign the Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection was being renewed. Creos finally felt the most dangerous time hade, so he looked around trying to form an escape n. The glow began focusing on the back of their hands, forming a feather shape there. ¡¸The renewal¡­ was a sess.¡¹ Mariana looked at her hand with round eyes, then pressed it against her chest in an endearing manner. Mira caressed hers with her left fingertips before saying ¡¸Well, what do you think¡­¡¹ in response, Mariana¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Mira recalled the first time she met Mariana after this world became reality, her tears of that time when Mira was unable to touch her and be honest with her. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Saying so, Mira¡¯s hand moved to Mariana¡¯s cheek to stop the tear trickling down. Mariana looked happy, although slightly embarrassed, and gently ced her own hand on top of Mira¡¯s. ¡¸We finally meet again.¡¹ She said with a bright smile. Her tears of joy kept trickling down, being caught one after another in Mira¡¯s hand.Fire: Ah diabetes is nice''>2
  1. Silva: That¡¯s one hell of a difference from Reid in Hero¡¯s Daughter. Mira made a mature choice!
  2. Silva: Poimy, it¡¯s so fluffy Fire: Ah diabetes is nice
Chapter 45: After the Confession Chapter 45: After the Confession It took a while for Mariana and Creos to calm down after Mira told them the truth. When the two had managed to ept the situation, Mira exined how she became like that. The source of it all had been a certain item with a special property. That item was shaped like a box, and after she opened it, she turned into her current appearance. She would need another one like that to return to her original form, but it was uncertain if she would ever be able to get one. She also added that she was afraid the two of them would despise her if they knew who she really was, so she kept quiet about it. The first one to speak afterwards was Mariana, her voice filled with a hint of indignation. ¡¸I would never despise Lord Danbulf for something as worthless as that. I never expected you to be that kind of person.¡¹ ¡¸Same goes for me.¡¹ Creos mentioned his alignment with Mariana¡¯s words as he drank his fifth cup of tea. ¡¸We fairies would never judge a person for their appearance. No matter how you look, you will always be Lord Danbulf for me, and I¡¯ll never stop serving you with my life.¡¹ ¡¸Me too, I don¡¯t care about that at all¡­ Or rather, you look less frightening now so I¡¯m d about that.¡¹ After Mariana¡¯s assertion, Creos also agreed with it even though his sentence ended on a low note. But his eyes showed he was serious about it. ¡¸But hmm, a box that can change your appearance¡­ Maybe it¡¯s a type of artifact.¡¹ Creos closed his eyes, deep in thought. Even amongst the most powerful Magic Wares, there was none that could physically change one¡¯s appearance. If an item capable of causing such a miracle existed, it had to be a relic handed down by the gods themselves, also known as an artifact. Even back when it was a game, a couple of artifacts had already been found. They were generally rewards for really long andplicated quests, or drops from uber-legendary monsters, but even then there was nothing like the Vanity Case. In a certain way, that was close enough to the truth. An item granted by the gods¡­namely, an item obtained directly from the developers through microtransactions. Either way, saying that this world used to be a game and that she bought an item with a currency called yen was something Mira could not prove at all, so it was needless information now that this world became reality. ¡¸It probably was one. I still was careless with it.¡¹ Keeping all of that in mind, going with the artifact exnation would be enough while not continuing to lie. It was an item that could do that kind of miraculous magic after all. It was an easy to understand way of putting it. ¡¸And onest thing, don¡¯t tell anyone about this matter.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ ¡¸Eh, why? If we told everyone that Lord Danbulf returned to his seat amongst the Nine Wisemen, the future summoners will be able to rest assured.¡¹ Mariana epted her request straight away, but Creos still wanted to ask why. Telling everyone about it was a sensible option, but Mira still recalled Solomon¡¯s words. Even if everyone epted her as Danbulf, her image was too different from his¡¯. Creos and Mariana were the closest to her so they epted it rather quickly, but there was no guarantee it would go as smoothly with other people. But more importantly, there were things she could only do in her current state. If she returned to her seat as a Wiseman, it would be much more difficult to randomly go out, which means her search for the other members would be impossible. She did want to recover her old title, but it was still not the best time for that. ¡¸Hmm, well¡­¡¹ Mira reorganized her thoughts a bit before deciding to tell them even more. She could trust the two of them, and by telling them they would probably grow even closer. Their rtionship would be a bit different, bing an actual rtionship between people now. ¡¸There are two other people who know my identity, namely Solomon and Luminaria. And Solomon asked me to search everywhere I can for traces of the missing members.¡¹ ¡¸What, you mean the remaining Wisemen?!¡¹ That was apletely unexpected turn of events for Creos. The disappearance of the Nine Wisemen was said to be Arkite Kingdom¡¯s most serious incidents, and as far as he knew, there was no news of any ongoing search for them. They were the country¡¯s strongest people, but they did not even attempt to search for them. There were many rumors going around as to why that was the case, the most epted theory being one that started amongst top-ss adventurers. That theory was very simple, the reason why no one searched for them was because they simply were not in this world anymore¡­ There was much credibility behind that theory, so it was widely epted as the truth. Creos had also heard that story. But now he heard that the leader of the country, King Solomon, and one of the Nine Wisemen, Danbulf, were currently searching for those remnants. In other words, that meant the rest of the Nine Wisemen were still somewhere in the world. ¡¸If I take my old spot again, I won¡¯t be able to finish this job. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to leave everything to you two for a while longer, is that fine?¡¹ ¡¸But of course! If that means all the Nine Wisemen will return, then I¡¯ll dly do my part.¡¹ Creos was shaking with excitement after hearing Mira¡¯s story, remembering how it looked when everyone was together. That time was considered the golden age of the Silver Linked Towers, but as a spellcaster himself, he felt ovee with joy knowing things could go back to how they were. ¡¸Either way, I guess you¡¯ll be going away again now?¡¹ Mariana asked with a low voice. When Mira heard her, she remained in silence for a moment. She had just returned, Mariana had received her with tears of joy, but now she was going to leave her behind again. But even then, these were matters that would heavily affect the future of the entire country so she could not abandon her mission. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for saying such a selfish thing.¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s strained face, Mariana could guess her internal turmoil so she apologized immediately after and smiled saying it was not a problem. But her eyes exposed her loneliness. ¡¸I understand how you feel, Mariana. But this is something important for the entire country. And Danbulf will be here with us now, it¡¯s different from before. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get to be happy soon.¡¹ The ¡®we¡¯ Creos spoke about meant the three of them, Wiseman, aide, and vice-elder. All the Nine Wisemen were entric oddballs, but their aides and vice-elder were people they trusted wholeheartedly. Creos seemed to be saying that to himself, turning to Mira with a smile to see if she agreed with him. ¡¸Exactly, and I promise I¡¯lle back as often as I can.¡¹ Mariana and Creos nodded in relief hearing that. Mira picked her cup and drank from it again, even though the tea was already somewhat cold. Her travels from one ce to another would prove to be tiresome so she smiled wryly, but her heart felt like it was being filled with something warm. ¡¸Still¡­¡¹ Muttering that, Creos turned aplicated look at Mira. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Puzzled, Mira asked him that. Hearing that, a reassured, if not somewhat amusing smile overtook Creos¡¯ lips. ¡¸It feels a bit too strange to call you ¡®Lord Danbulf¡¯ while in your current appearance. We¡¯re also supposed to keep that secret, so is it alright to keep calling you Mira?¡¹ ¡¸Hngh¡­¡¹ Mira frowned while debating with herself. What Creos said waspletely true. If they were going to keep it a secret, then calling her Mira was important so her identity would not get leaked by ident. ¡¸Hmm, you do have a point¡­ Alright, as long as I have this appearance you shall refer to me as Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Alright then, Mira.¡¹ Deciding to stop any source that could cause her identity to be exposed, Mira told them that. Creos epted it without problems, though 90% percent of his decision was because of the disconnect with her appearance, while the remaining 10% were to keep the secret. ¡¸Is that good for you too, Mariana?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m okay with that.¡¹ As she replied, Mariana caressed the feather shape on her hand. It was proof they were connected through the Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection. In front of her was that person she held most dearest, who she had formed that oath with. For a fairy like her, that was more valuable than anything in the world. A name change seemedpletely trivial inparison. ¡¸But well, that¡¯s about the extent of things. I¡¯ll be away from home for a bit again, so take good care of the tower.¡¹ ¡¸You can count on us.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do all I can to keep things in order.¡¹ Mariana and Creos sounded somewhat happy while also serious as they nodded. An instantter, a sound like a very loud bell pierced their ears. ¡¸Hm, what¡¯s that noise?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the rm for an urgent magicmunication!¡¹ Creos hurried to the office¡¯s desk, opened a ck box on it and twisted a lever of the mechanism inside. ¡¸This is vice-elder Creos.¡¹ ¡ºI¡¯m Jozu from Silver Horn¡¯s border patrol. I¡¯m calling to ask what the towers¡¯ orders are in case of an emergency.¡» A distressed male voice, although slightly distorted, rang in the room. It sounded exactly like a voice through a phone. Mira and Mariana remained silent listening to what that voice had to say. ¡¸Well, tell me what happened.¡¹ ¡ºAround three hours ago, we received a report from a citizen who imed to see a giant dragonnding in an area nearby. One of our patrols went to search the area, but we found no dragon. However, in a clearing inside the forest to the northwest of Silver Horn, we found traces left by somethingrge. We searched the area around that clearing but were unable to find the source of those traces. We thought it might have been a mistake by the witness, but we just received information from Silver Wand saying that they saw arge dragon flying high up in the sky and heading our way. We currently believe both witnesses saw the same dragon. But no one saw a dragon leaving from here, so there¡¯s a high possibility there¡¯s still arge dragon that excels at camouging itself hiding somewhere near. This is all we were able to aplish within our capabilities. If there¡¯s anything more that can be done, we would like to request the towers¡¯ cooperation.¡» ¡¸A dragon you say¡­ Since it was seening from Silver Wand, it might have also passed near Lunatic Lake¡­¡¹ [Yes, that¡¯s very possible.] Creos was aware that Lunatic Lake came into view if one climbed up the mountain range near Silver Wand. With that in mind, he formed a first guess and nced straight at Mira.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3870 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1881 words
Editor(s): Fire
In reaction, Mira quickly looked away. Her whole body began fidgeting as she lifted the cup back to her lips only to realize that it was already empty. ¡¸¡­¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s reaction, Creos¡¯ hunch was pretty much proven correct. ¡¸Leave the least number of people possible in the scene until we contact you again, the rest can return to the city. Also, who else has been filled in about this situation?¡¹ [Understood, we¡¯ll proceed as ordered. Lady Luminaria is the only other person aware of this.] ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll contact Luminaria myself. The rest of you can return now.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ After thest word rang, the office was shrouded in silence once again. ¡¸Mira, you were in Lunatic Lake until yesterday, right? How did you travel here?¡¹ As Creos closed the ck box, he looked very slightly irked, but he also looked at Mira with very inquisitive eyes. His face seemed to say he already knew everything. ¡¸Well¡­ ah¡­ err¡­ you see¡­¡¹ ¡¸Ah, could it be that¡­¡¹ Seeing that interaction between the two, Mariana also realized what happened and giggled slightly. That was the breakpoint for Mira, as she hung her head down and replied with a resigned voice. ¡¸I tried¡­riding Isenfald¡­¡¹ ¡¸So it really was Isenfald¡­ It makes sense he would create such amotion.¡¹ Back when Danbulf dragged him around everywhere, Creos had met Isenfald countless times. He remembered howrge he was, his overwhelming presence, and his brave character. If a beast like that was seen near a human settlement, it was obvious everyone would get rmed. Mira was also aware of that and that was why she summoned him inside a forest away from Lunatic Lake. But that effort had been nullified by a whim of the world. As soon as people saw an existence that dwarfed theirs by such a magnitude, they became afraid of even the darkness of night. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell Luminaria about all this. And you try to be more careful next time, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s sulky appearance, Creos felt a bit more reassured as he stood up and left the office behind. (That call came in just the perfect moment. Thanks to it I can run away before Mira confronts me about all theints I made. But in either case, to think she would try riding on Isenfald. Her reckless nature has not changed at all. Things will probably get more entertaining around here.) Creos headed to the Tower of Magic in a very gleeful mood. ¡¸You really haven¡¯t changed in all this time, Lady Mira.¡¹ Mariana smiled as she reminisced how Danbulf used to be, reckless in more than one way. Mira on the other hand med herself only for not being careful enough. (I¡¯m sorry Isenfald. I might not be able to call you as leisurely as I thought from now on.) When she saw him off, she said she was going to rely on him a lot moving forward, but seeing the development of things it seemed she was not going to be able to summon him as much as she thought. She apologized in her mind and decided to fill him in once she went to an isted ce away from people. Isenfald was herrge and cute child after all. Mira and Mariana were left alone after Creos departed. For whatever reason Mira felt somewhat nervous now, so she took hold of her cup again, only to remember it was already empty. When Mariana saw that, she said ¡¸I¡¯ll serve you some¡¹ while standing up and holding their two cups. She went to one corner of the office where Creos had set up a magic device exclusively to make tea. Seeing Mariana like that, Mira¡¯s face rxed a little. (We look just like a newly-wed couple!) But in their case, it was ambiguous who would be the husband and who the wife. Like always, Mira busied her mind with worthless thinking. If anyone else saw them like that, they would look more like a well-behaved older sister and a rambunctious little sister. ¡¸Here you go, Lady Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Mariana left the cup on top of the table. Mira thanked her and then took the cup to her lips. ¡¸Phew¡­¡¹ The scent of tea filling her nostrils calmed Mira down. She then looked at Mariana sitting down in front of her. ¡¸You¡¯ve been cleaning and keeping watch over my room and things while I was away, right? I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble.¡¹ ¡¸No need, it wasn¡¯t troublesome at all. It¡¯s just the life I chose for myself.¡¹ Mira apologized after recalling what Solomon said, about how Mariana had been waiting faithfully, convinced that her master would return one day. But Mariana waved it off with a smile, as if she would do it all over again if needed, and then the two began talking about all the memories they had together. While Mira emotively listened to Mariana talk about her life during thest thirty years, Creos returned after cleaning up themotion. ¡¸I¡¯m back. Luminaria and I managed to cover up the dragon story so there¡¯s nothing to worry about now.¡¹ Creos reported to them, smiling more seeing the two enjoying their conversation. ¡¸You seem to be having fun. Can I join you too?¡¹ Saying that, he picked up his cup that was left on the table and went to make tea with leaves from another shelf. ¡¸I would also love to join your little group here.¡¹ Mira turned around at the unexpected female voiceing from behind her. There she saw, looking at her daringly, a beautiful woman with long crimson hair and wearing a red Sage Robe with ck lines. ¡¸What do you want from this family reunion?¡¹ Mira spoke jokingly to that beautiful woman who already knew her identity and could be called her best friend. In response, Luminaria hugged her from behind. ¡¸Gramps, did you forget the face of your granddaughter?¡¹ She grinned as she brought her face closer, her nose almost touching Mira. ¡¸I see you told them about you, I guess you were able to build up some courage,¡¹ she whispered into her ear. She let go of Mira immediately after and went to receive a cup of tea from Creos. After a sip of tea, Luminaria smiled even more, satisfied with the taste. ¡¸Given today¡¯s reunion is such a special asion and should be celebrated as such, I¡¯ll be treating you all to a feast for dinner. The idea sounds just perfect to me after all.¡¹ Deciding everything on her own without giving them even a chance to object, Luminaria told them to assemble in front of the Tower of Magic at 6:30 pm, then left in a hurry so she could get everything ready. ¡¸She¡¯s as forceful as ever, huh¡­¡¹ Mira grimaced after Luminaria left, though she also felt d. As they waited for the appointed time, they resumed their reminiscing conversation together with Creos. ¡¸I thought everything was done in good faith, I¡¯m sorry Creos.¡¹ ¡¸Not at all¡­it really was nothing¡­¡¹ The flow of the conversation naturally leads them back to theints Creos had spilled before, so Mira had to apologize like that. Mariana was stillpletelyposed, but he felt thoroughly ashamed, an unknown type of sweat drenching his body as he constantly refused to let Mira apologize. At the appointed time, the three from the Tower of Summoning went to the Tower of Magic. Since the vice-elder and aide were together like that, they stood out whether they wanted to or not. There were researchers that came to greet them, while some even handed over prototypes of Magic Wares they hoped would help with the revival of summoners, shortly exining their use. As far as Creos could see, they had some use but not enough to be able to form a contract with a summon. They could help, but there was not much that could be gained with them. Mira was once again reminded that this ce was still the same as before. ¡¸Sorry for the wait. Come on in.¡¹ The tower door opened vigorously and Luminaria made her appearance, inviting them to pass inside the tower. ¡¸Where? I thought we were going to eat somewhere?¡¹ ¡¸We can¡¯t talk freely in amon restaurant. I heard a lot of things happened during yourtest adventure and I want to hear all about it.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, so that was it.¡¹ What happened during hertest adventure. In other words, she wanted to hear about the spirits and the devil. The three followed Luminaria inside the Tower of Magic as she led them to the top floor and into her personal room. The furniture in her room was nothing too fancy, though it was well built. There was a really big contrast between Luminaria as a person and her room. Then again, she never was one to be concerned with furniture or interior design. All her furniture had been selected by her aide who knew what kind of person she was after all. Her aide really knew how to do their job even when it came to Luminaria¡¯s personal life. That aide herself, Litaria, was just finishing with cing all the food on the table. Everything they were going to eat that night for dinner had been prepared by her. ¡¸I¡¯ve really been looking forward to this. I can finally hear Danbulf¡¯s stories from you, Mira. This will be fun.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­yes. Well,ter¡­ I guess¡­¡¹ Thest time Mira was in the Tower of Magic, she promised to do that before departing. Remembering that, Mira was unable toe up with anything to say now. As the group of friends ate dinner together, Mira became the main guest talking about her travels. She spoke about Soul Howl¡¯s footprints, the appearance of devils officially said to have been exterminated, the abduction of spirits that was still being kept secret from the public, and other topics that normally would never be mentioned in a public ce like a restaurant. While they were all engrossed in her entertaining stories, only Litaria looked at Mira with judging eyes. Figuring it was about time she knew, Mira disclosed her true identity to her, which Mariana and Creos corroborated. Litaria froze with a vacant smile as she attempted to understand and it would take many minutes before she was able to think properly again. Apart from that, Mira also spoke to Luminaria about the incident in the academy, making sure to thoroughly scold her. Next, they also spoke about the revival of summoners, and Mira even made Luminaria promise she would help Creos while Mira was away. Meanwhile, Creos just kept producing that weird sweat from earlier. In return, Mira would procure another set of catalysts for Luminaria. Namely catalysts of three types, melted snow crystals, pale dragon scales, and icicle shards. Mira could do nothing but agree to those terms, and so they continued their conversation loaded with state secrets, leaving aside Litaria¡¯s struggling mind trying toprehend what she heard. Chapter 46: The First Night Chapter 46: The First Night When their dinner that evolved into a council of war was over, Mira and the rest returned to the Tower of Summoning. It was already past ten, so Mira yawned inundated by a sense of lethargy. (I¡¯ll just take a bath and head straight to bed now.) Thinking that, Mira took her master key out to open the door of her room, but Mariana opened it ahead of Mira. ¡¸Oh, thanks, Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing.¡¹ Mariana gave a short reply, making it seem unimportant. But her face showed how much she missed even doing something as simple as that for her master, her expression filled with happiness. ¡¸I¡¯ll go prepare some things for my summoning training tomorrow and then sleep. Good night Mira and Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, is there anything I could help you with?¡¹ ¡¸Not really, it¡¯s nothing big that could warrant your help. It¡¯s just going over tomorrow¡¯s schedule.¡¹ ¡¸I see, good night then. I¡¯ll leave the tower in your care then, though I still don¡¯t know for how long.¡¹ ¡¸You can count on me!¡¹ Creos asserted confidently before heading to his office. Mira saw him off and then went straight to her changing room. ¡¸You can go to your room to rest too, Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸It looked like you were about to take a bath, so I¡¯ll wash your back.¡¹ After opening her dresser, Mira turned around and spoke to Mariana. She was sticking to Mira¡¯s back, with a gaze that said it was the least she could do. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to go that far.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll wash your back.¡¹ ¡¸No, like I said¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll wash your-¡¹ ¡¸Okay okay. If you insist¡­¡¹ Mira resigned herself, unable to break through Mariana¡¯s strong will that refused to give up. (If she just wants to wash my back I guess it¡¯s nothing bad. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t refuse if I really wanted to.) Even if she was her aide, asking that much of her was something Mira felt ufortable doing, but since Mariana wanted that herself, there was no reason to deny her either. Mariana on the other hand, had amassed such arge need to serve her master that now she wanted to do even the most trivial tasks for Mira. Mira took her Robe Set and coat off, while Mariana helped her from behind by folding the clothes and cing them on a shelf. When Mira began taking her inner one-piece dress off, Mariana helped her again, making the process much smoother than when Mira put it on. By then Mira was only wearing her pants, which also came off quickly and she entered the bathroom. Mariana stayed behind sorting Mira¡¯s clothes, after which she also reached to the cuffs of her own clothes. In the end, Mira¡¯s bath time waspletely taken over by Mariana. Mariana was almost naked as she fervently took care of everything. Knowing she did that only because of her immense trust, Mira forced herself to look away to avoid seeing her in a different way. If she paid too much attention to the presence behind her, all of Mira¡¯s nerves would begin going haywire while her ability to make thoughtful decisions decreased. ¡¸I¡¯ll wash the front too.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Mira agreed to anything Mariana said, eventually leading to Mariana washing Mira¡¯s entire body. She felt Mariana touching her back and arms, something colliding against her shoulder every so often, while she caught glimpses of pink skin through the corner of her eyes. The ticklish feeling of having her body washed stung her nerves and making her stiffen, while she barely managed to hold onto her sanity. At the same time, Mira thought about how she never realized how cute Mariana was, almost forced to notice because of the situation. When she was done, Mira said nothing of returning the favor, just mumbling something about being tired as she almost fled from the bathroom. In the dressing room, she found a thin and simple robe ready for her to change into. (That¡¯s Mariana for you¡­) Mentally thanking Mariana¡¯s thoughtfulness, Mira wore the robe and sat down on the couch in her room, sipping her wonted apple ale. While fiddling with the soft robe, Mira¡¯s thoughts began focusing on summoning magic. After a short while, Mariana came out of the bathroom, wearing a simr robe to Mira¡¯s and her face slightly flushed. ¡¸I¡¯ll wash these before I sleep.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, thank you.¡¹ In her hands, Mariana held her maid uniform as well as Mira¡¯s carefully folded Robe Set and underwear. Hearing the word ¡®wash¡¯ and Mariana holding clothes, Mira recalled her Sage¡¯s Robe. ¡¸That reminds me, I think I left a robe here thest time I came.¡¹ ¡¸That one is clean and stored in my room. I¡¯ll bring it here shortly.¡¹ Saying that and bowing, Mariana left to wash those clothes and bring the already washed Sage¡¯s Robe from her room. (I guess I should get ready for bed now.) Stretching once on the couch, Mira stood up. After Mira was done with everything and had just lied down on her bed, Mariana returned, robe in hand. ¡¸This should be it.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Mira received the carefully folded Sage¡¯s Robe. Then she noticed Mariana was holding one more thing. The outside was made of cloth and had many cute ornaments, with a cylindrical shape and it looked soft as she embraced it. ¡¸What are you holding there?¡¹ ¡¸A pillow.¡¹ Mariana replied matter-of-factly. Mira¡¯s guess had been spot on, but she still idiotically asked why she brought that when the reason was painfully obvious. ¡¸Wait, you want to sleep here?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸But umm, sleeping together with a girl is a bit too¡­ A man and a girl I mean.¡¹ ¡¸But you¡¯re a girl too now. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s really a problem?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm.¡¹ Put that way, it did not look as bad as before. But when Mira thought about it more, she knew sleeping with a cute girl like Mariana would result in a mental conflict with her lust all night long, and Mariana was someone she would never touch as she desired. But Mariana¡¯s point of view was different. She was ready to devote her soul and body to Mira. Her Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection was like a physical manifestation of that feeling, Mira was not only someone she had to serve, but a partner in a whole different sense. ¡¸Do you dislike sleeping in the same room as me?¡¹ Mariana asked, her eyes looking down, in a slightly dejected and sad tone, while Mira¡¯s brain still struggled trying to catch up with reality. ¡¸Not at all. It¡¯s just¡­umm.¡¹ That was not the case, so Mira denied it immediately. It was more that she was ashamed of her lustful thoughts. If Mariana had told her about this beforehand, she would have been able to prepare mentally. But now that she had said that much, she had also lost the opportunity to refuse Mariana¡¯s wish. So Mira steeled her resolve and told Mariana it was okay to sleep with her, shifting her body a bit towards the left of the bed and moving her pillow. Mariana ced her own pillow on the empty space beside Mira¡¯s before gracefully slipping inside the bed. ¡¸I¡¯m so d we could meet again.¡¹ Mariana muttered with a quivering voice as theyy side by side. Hearing that, Mira turned around and noticed Mariana¡¯s eyes were slightly moist. (She¡¯s been waiting for thirty years after all¡­)
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2683 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1231 words
Editor(s): Fire
Mariana had asked to sleep together with Mira out of the blue. Thirty years, words alone were not enough to convey just how long that was. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Looking at the canopy adorned with a paradise of ornaments, Mira voiced yet another apology. Just as she said that, Mariana¡¯s hand brushed against Mira¡¯s abdomen. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ Feeling the unexpected touch, her body twitched as Mira looked at Mariana. When her head turned around, she found Mariana¡¯s face just in front of her. That brought her more confusion while Mariana¡¯s hand went further down. (What is¡­what¡¯s happening right now?!) ¡¸Lady Mira¡­just one more time.¡¹ As Mariana muttered into Mira¡¯s ears, her hand moved past her waist and grabbed Mira¡¯s right hand. Then, after closing her moist eyes, a faint glow came from inside the bed. ¡¸O-oh, that¡¯s what you wanted.¡¹ Feeling relief while also a slight disappointment, Mira grasped Mariana¡¯s hand and brought it between their faces, trying to dissimte her wild feelings. After looking at the feather mark on the back of their hands, they looked at each other again. ¡¸Were you thinking I wanted something else?¡¹ ¡¸Uh¡­not really.¡¹ Mira evaded her nce while Mariana giggled a bit while holding her hand a bit more firmly. The Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection was proof of a very strong bond. Mariana renewed it time and time again, each time smiling happily. Meanwhile, Mira scolded herself internally because she only could think impure things. Mariana was very pure, and only wanted to be with Mira in a pure way. Receiving proof of that once again, Mira noticed her feelings being cleared away like a sunny sky. ¡¸Lady Mira.¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing.¡¹ Saying that, Mariana smiled childishly. ¡¸What¡¯s that about now?¡¹ ¡¸I just wanted to try saying that once.¡¹ Afterwards they spoke under the faint light, about theirtest interests, what they liked to do and what they disliked, and just idle chatter. Eventually, they slept, without really noticing who fell asleep first. The next morning, Mira woke up feelingpletely refreshed. Her mind was clear even barely having woken up, her cheeks slightly flushed when she thought about what happened before they slept. ¡¸Hm, is she up already?¡¹ Looking beside her, she found a vestige fromst night, Mariana¡¯s pillow. Next, she opened the menu from her bracelet and checked the time, it was slightly past eight. After stretching, Mira looked out the window through which the morning sun entered the room, taking a look at the morning scenery outside. Slightly narrowing her eyes, she got her fill of watching that lively cityscape. Then she noticed a slight noiseing from the living room. Everything seemed to signal a good start for the day. Attracted by that noise, Mira opened the door of her bedroom. ¡¸Good morning, Lady Mira.¡¹ Mariana was in her maid attire while preparing breakfast, greeting Mira the same way as she always did. A faint scent wafted from the table, where tableware for two wasid. Seeing this morning scene she had longed with for so long, Mira stood still oblivious to the passage of time. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ Mariana saw how Mira looked at the table with an adoring look, so she asked what happened. Hearing her, Mira¡¯s mind was pulled back to reality. ¡¸Oh¡­it¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry. Good morning.¡¹ Mira looked away trying to y it off, then ran away with the excuse of washing her hands. As she stood in front of the sink and tucked her robe sleeves, she tried to calm her feelings noticing she had gotten too carried away imagining a married life together with Mariana. When Mira was done washing her hands, she found Mariana waiting for her while holding the clothes she had washed. ¡¸Lady Mira, let¡¯s get you changed.¡¹ Not giving Mira time to say anything, Mariana handed over Mira¡¯s pants, so she did as told and put them on. Then Mira took off the robe she was wearing, and when Mariana saw her naked body she added: ¡¸By the way, I was unable to find your upper garments when I searched through theundry. Do you not wear them?¡¹ The only underwear Mira wore before entering the bathst night, as well as now, was only her pants. Thinking that could be troublesome, Mariana decided to ask her about it. ¡¸I never understood how to wear that. Though I do own some.¡¹ ¡¸Do you have any with you right now?¡¹ ¡¸Mhm.¡¹ With that short reply, Mira took out the basket with her clothes from her Item Box. The basket contained multiple changes of underwear, divided into two parts. Clean ones and used ones. (That reminds me, I forgot to take out theundry from here.) ¡¸Are these the ones you¡¯ve used already?¡¹ When Mariana peeked inside the basket, she immediately noticed multiple pants crammed into a separate space. All of them with rather in andmon designs. ¡¸Yeah, could you take care of them?¡¹ ¡¸Of course.¡¹ Replying like it was the most obvious thing, Mariana took them out, carefully folding them before bringing aundry basket from the dressing room. ¡¸Do you have any other used clothes?¡¹ When Mariana asked that, Mira opened her Item Box and took out the early prototype of the Magical Girl dress she used, as well as the Sage¡¯s Robe replica, which she had itemized and stored outside the basket. She did not have any particr need for them anymore, but the prototype had been a gift from the maids, while the replica would probably make a child happy if she gifted it, so she was keeping them still. ¡¸I¡¯ll let you take care of these too then.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly!¡¹ Mariana took them and ced them together with the rest of theundry. Then she searched through the basket and found a couple of bras. ¡¸The sizing¡­seems to be just perfect.¡¹ ¡¸The maids of the castle chose them for me.¡¹ Mira also mentioned how they taught her to wear them, but she promptly forgot how. Hearing that, Mariana stood up while holding one. ¡¸I¡¯ll teach you how, then.¡¹ Mariana¡¯s forceful attitude overpowered Mira, so she obediently let Mariana show her. Even though wearing them felt strangely ticklish and embarrassing, even Amaratte had noticed herck of underwear, so now Mira decided to pay attention to Mariana¡¯s exnation. Mariana would put them on Mira, and then she would have to take them off herself so she would get familiarized with how it was attached to her. That repeated dozens of times until Mira finally grasped how to wear a bra. When Mira thanked her for it, Mariana smiled happily knowing there was at least one thing she had been able to teach Mira. When they were done with her underwear, Mira put on her Magic Robe Set and then sat down with Mariana to enjoy their breakfast. As Mira entertained her pte with some cocoa as dessert, the sound of a bell rang at short but consistent intervals. That sound repeated countless times like some sort of notification. ¡¸What¡¯s that sound?¡¹ Just as Mira asked that, Mariana stood up. ¡¸It¡¯s the bell for Magic Transmissions. I¡¯ll go pick it up.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2667 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1339 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸What¡¯s that sound?¡¹ Just as Mira asked that, Mariana stood up. ¡¸It¡¯s the bell for a Magic Transmission. I¡¯ll go pick it up.¡¹ Saying that, she opened a cab beside the door, seeing inside the same device as the one Creos used the day before when they received that emergency call. Mariana pulled the lever on the device and the connection was established, a single sound like a pluck resounding through the room for an instant. ¡¸This is the Tower of Summoning. I¡¯m the aide Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸This is aide Suleyman from Arkite castle. Lady Mira should be present there, correct?¡¹ They were calling because a part of the documents Mira brought had been decoded, so they had decided where she should go next. Mira had to return to the castle first though, since they would tell her the details there. When the call was over, Mariana looked slightly lonely. ¡¸Are you going already?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯lle back as soon as I¡¯m done. Thank you, Mariana. As long as you think of me, this ce will always be my home.¡¹ Slightly embarrassed, Mira voiced the feelings she had been made aware ofst night. Mariana nodded slightly and approached Mira, taking her right hand. The light of the Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection shone as they smiled at each other. If Mira wanted to return to the castle, flying there would be the fastest route. But it was really cold up in the air, so together with Mariana, she searched through the storehouse for something to keep her warm. Then Mariana found the perfect coat for her, it was extremely soft and white like pure snow. It was made to Danbulf¡¯s measurements though, so it was a bit on therger side for Mira, but since she was only wearing it to protect herself against the wind, it should be fine. Next, they went to the Refining room, where Mira prepared some elemental Magic Sealing Stones as a gift for Solomon, as well as some Magic Bomb Sealing Stones that could be used to form contracts with the summons. (Seriously, if he has something so useful tomunicate while being miles apart, he could¡¯ve just told me where to go already. Is there a reason why I have to be present there? Or he just wants to get the Magic Sealing Stones faster¡­) Figuring that was something quite usible, Mira gathered all her things. ¡¸You should try to hurry now.¡¹ Creos said with an impatient voice trying to urge her on. ¡¸I would¡¯ve liked to at least teach her how to tie her hair though.¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­I guess we should leave that for next time.¡¹ Mariana¡¯s voice rang woefully saddened, her hand holding countless ribbons. When Mira was done preparing for the trip, Mariana wanted to fix her hair before she left. Just as she asked Mira what hairstyle she wanted, Creos visited her room and said that he was about to go to the academy, so they could go together. The Magic Transmission was currently set up in a way that made it audible throughout the entire top floor. Since it was never used for personal reasons, it was more useful that way. Because of that, Creos also could hear from his office that Mira was going to the castle, so he figured they could go together and came to see how Mira¡¯s schedule was. Mariana looked at Creos with a scornful look. A chill ran down Creos¡¯ spine as he jumped on the elevator and invited Mira to follow him. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll be going now.¡¹ ¡¸Have a safe trip.¡¹ Mira felt slightly embarrassed as she said that, while Mariana smiled heartfully. Creos only tilted his head, trying to guess what could have happened between the two since they were acting differently thanst night. When they were out of the Tower of Summoning, they went to a bizarre carriage ced beside the tower, without any horses attached. The carriage was smaller than a regr one and seemed only one person would fit in it. It was made of wood and metal, with a window and doors. Creos stopped beside it. ¡¸Well Mira, you know going with Isenfald isn¡¯t something you should really do.¡¹ As he reprimanded her again, he set his summoning spot on top of the carriage. ¡¸I know¡­¡¹ She replied in a pout, still thinking of another summon that would be able to carry her in the air, but before she could reach a decision, Creos activated a spell. [Summoning Magic: Garuda] A magic circle appeared forming a whirlwind, at the same time, particles of light like rainbows shot up from the top of the carriage, until they condensed in the shape of arge bird. ¡¸Ohh¡­Garuda. You¡¯ll go riding on Garuda?¡¹ ¡¸No, I¡¯ll be riding inside of this. Garuda will only carry the wagon with me inside.¡¹ Mira asked as she looked up at the bird,rger than a small house, while Creos called the carriage a ¡®Wagon¡¯ with a prideful tone. In other words, it was the aerial equivalent of a horse carriage. It could be called a bird carriage. Though Mira was still debating if the ¡®car¡¯ part of ¡®carriage¡¯ really made sense if it flew through the air. ¡¸Ohh! That makes sense. With something like that, the cold would not matter at all, and my butt would not hurt either!¡¹ When she peeked inside the wagon, she saw a small table as well as afortable seat. She got the impression it was a veryfortable space to be in. Mira jumped inside the wagon and tried sitting in it, constantly repeating ¡¸So nice, so nice.¡¹ ¡¸Normally it was meant to be used by only one person, but since you¡¯re rather petite we should be able to fit somehow. Do you want to try?¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s behavior, something akin to paternal feelings welled up inside Creos as he smiled kindly. ¡¸Is that okay?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯ll probably work out fine.¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s innocent face sparkling as she asked that, Creos said that they would find out what would happen as he too boarded the wagon. Mira pulled herself to a corner, making just barely enough space for another person to fit in. Creos sat there, closing the door as he added, ¡¸Seems like we fit without problems.¡¹ ¡¸Take us to Lunatic Lake.¡¹ Creos knocked on the wall as he said that, shortly followed by the sound of wind hitting the sides of the wagon. ¡¸Are we flying? Are we flying yet?!¡¹ Mira glued her face to the window and looked outside, the nts and flowers outside swaying under the wind. Then the wind grew even stronger and the wagon was lifted into the air, the passengers feeling a slight floating sensation as the scenery began appearing lower and lower. Mira kept staring outside at the scenery appearing further away with each p of Garuda¡¯s wings. Looking at Mira like that, Creos could feel none of the past solemnity attributed to Danbulf, but he felt a different sensation, like a desire to protect her, which created a new reason to swear his loyalty to her. ¡¸Ohh! The tower looks so small already! This is so nice, so nice! What should I do to get one for myself?¡¹ ¡¸A wagon you mean? Well¡­¡¹ Mira finally separated her face from the window a bit to ask him with a face full of expectation. Creos¡¯ response was telling her to calm down and sit still for a moment, then he told her that the castle¡¯s mechanics had built it, so if she needed one she could just go ask them to make one for her. She decided that as soon as they arrived she would do just that, full of enthusiasm, then she took out two bottles of apple ale and gave one to Creos, after which they enjoyed their calm air trip. Chapter 47: The Next Mission Chapter 47: The Next Mission On top of the walls surrounding the castle of the capital city of Lunatic Lake, a barrier that stretched up into the sky was raised, so it was impossible to simply enter it while flying. As such, the wagon carrying Mira and Creosnded in an open space in front of the castle¡¯s main gate. The guards standing watch there had seen the wagon countless times before and knew it meant vice-elder Creos had arrived, so they stood with their backs straight. After Creos stepped out of the wagon, a young girl with glistening silver hair followed him. The guards were not expecting that so they looked at her curiously, but then they realized it was Danbulf¡¯s pupil, so they quickly readjusted their postures. ¡¸Thank you, it was a delightful trip.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d I could help you.¡¹ After thanking Creos, ¡¸You worked hard too¡¹ she said while looking up at Garuda. Whether Garuda understood the meaning of those words or not, it still chirped shortly in response. ¡¸Anyway, take care now, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Same goes for you, good luck with everything.¡¹ Creos hoped for Mira¡¯s safety in her mission, while she entrusted him with nurturing all the new summoners. During their trip, Mira selected some Magic Bomb Sealing Stones from the ones she brought from the tower, giving them to Creos since they would prove useful when forming new contracts. They were quite numerous, so Creos happily epted them and reinvigorated his will to work hard today. Creos then climbed back inside the wagon and went towards the academy. Mira saw him off before she entered the castle. Inside, some maids standing by guided her into a reference room. ¡¸Lady Mira, we¡¯ve been awaiting you. Please follow me.¡¹ In the reference room, Lily took over from the other maids and led her further inside the castle. The reference room had walls painted white, an atrium near its entrance, and further inside it was divided into three floors. There were metallic shelves arranged in an orderly fashion, documents amassed from all over the world separated in their respective categories. Mira was led into a room further inside the first floor. Solomon was waiting for her there. ¡¸Thank you, you can leave us alone now.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Lily bowed politely and before leaving she whispered into Mira¡¯s ear, ¡¸Come tell me what you thought about the clothester.¡¹ There was a ridiculouslyrge wooden table in the center of that room, with countless books and documents ced on top of it. Solomon took one of them and opened it in front of Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I had youe all this way. I probably would¡¯ve been able to tell you the ce through the transmission, but the ce is a bit¡­ But anyway, I want you to look at this first.¡¹ Saying so, Solomon took a piece of paper from his pocket and ced it on top of the other documents. It was a drawing or some sort of blueprint, its silhouette resembling a person. ¡¸What¡¯s this¡­? A robot?¡¹ ¡¸Something like that, I guess. It¡¯s being developed under the name of Protean Doll for now.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ pro¡­tean doll, huh¡­¡¹ Mumbling theplicated word, Mira looked at the documents. There were two different blueprints there. Both had a simr shape and size, but the rightmost one had a moreplex interior. ¡¸And oh, the one to the left is called Stalwart Doll, that one finished development more than ten years ago.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I thought both were the same thing.¡¹ ¡¸Well, their basic form maybe. But I want you to pay attention to the right one, that¡¯s also what I wanted to show you here.¡¹ ¡¸You mean thisplicated looking one, right?¡¹ As Solomony down more documents, he exined its functions in simple terms. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with the Stalwart Doll. It¡¯s a self-driving mechanism that was developed with Magic Engineering by the engineer¡¯s union. They¡¯re meant to be deployed in dangerous areas or where humans normally can¡¯t go, it¡¯s probably easier to understand if you just think of them as the robots we had in our former world.¡¹ With that exnation concluded, Solomon pointed to the other blueprint. ¡¸And this one is the Protean Doll, a new one being developed based on the Stalwart Doll but focusing onbat abilities.¡¹ ¡¸So it¡¯s like a new generation of the old model. But anyway, how does any of this rte to me being called here?¡¹ When she heard Magic Engineering was involved, she thought they were asking her to do something Refining rted, so she asked to be sure. In reply, Solomon¡¯s gaze lowered a bit as he sighed once. ¡¸To bepletely frank, we¡¯ve run into a roadblock developing the Protean Doll. Research about weaponizing a Stalwart Doll is something pretty much every country is doing. In other words, even if we simply attached some weapons to it and called it a day, they would never hold a candle to the numbers arge country could produce. At most, they would serve as a deterrent against monster attacks, which would have its uses, but if we stop at something like that, which any country could do, then that will also change how other countries see us. Here in Arkite we still want to add a special touch to ours.¡¹ In truth, all countries were conducting experiments with weaponized Stalwart Dolls. Some used them to patrol the country borders, or as reserve troops in case of an emergency. They also had developed some especially to fight with monsters, and it was a very active project all around. Arkite had also been researching the matter since quite a while back, but they kept everything secret, progressing under the shadows. ¡¸Hmm¡­I guess it makes sense that everyone would want to research that. And the reason you called me here is rted to that special touch you mentioned. Would Refining something do the trick?¡¹ Mira could guess the special touch would be some added effects imbued through Refining. But Solomon shook his head in reply. ¡¸No, it has nothing to do with Refining. It¡¯s just that something we really need can be gathered pretty close to your next destination.¡¹ Saying so, he handed her a list with item names. The list was rather long, but most of the items were onesmonly used in the fabrication of magic wares. ¡¸Now listen, this matter is secret, top secret.¡¹ ¡¸The Protean Dolls we are researching are capable of casting spells, or at least that¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to aplish. We are at thest step of aplishing that, building a mechanism capable of casting spells. But that¡¯s also where we ran into our roadblock. Thanks to Luminaria we have been able to make itpose magic, but the magic energy to carry it out is stillcking.¡¹ ¡¸This list is the result of many many experiments. While we still can¡¯t produce nearly enough magic energy, the items in the list showed at least some positive reaction.¡¹ Then Solomon pointed to a certain part of the list. The item listed there was called ¡®Glimmering Seed¡¯. They were a special type of seed that would sometimes grow out of trees throughout the entire world, regardless of their species, and emitted a faint glow. They had very goodpatibility with spells from any ss and weremonly used as the foundation for magic wares. Because of their high affinity with pretty much anything, they were also used as substitutes for multiple other items. ¡¸Glimmering Seeds, ording to our tests, showed the highest output of magic energy. Though it was still not enough to cast a spell, so it¡¯ll still take a while before they can be put to practical use.¡¹ After hearing that, everything began to click inside Mira¡¯s head. The Glimmering Seeds had shown the strongest reaction during the experiments, and Mira recalled hearing of another item that was even superior to Glimmering Seeds. Those were called ¡®Founding Seeds¡¯. A precious item that could only be obtained from the Allfather Gopher Tree, said to be the originator of all trees in the world. After eons, the trees evolved to their modern appearance, but their Glimmering Seeds were something like a tribute to their originator. The Founding Seeds had amassed all the former might of trees before they became diluted and separated in species, so they were used only for really high ss magic wares. ¡¸So in the end you just want me to go get you some Founding Seeds.¡¹ As she said that, Mira took out the pass to restricted areas the chief of the Spellcasters Union Leoneil had given her, and ced it on the table. The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest, which meant the first and original forest. As its name suggested, there was vegetation from really old times growing in thebyrinth, including the tree said to be the originator of all other trees. ¡¸That¡¯s correct. It seems you¡¯ve finally caught on. I originally nned on letting you go there whenever you had time to go there, but since you¡¯ll be visiting a lot of ces I figured I¡¯d fill you in on this as well.¡¹ ¡¸I see. And what did you find out from the documents I brought?¡¹ They had taken a really long-winded detour talking about the Dolls, but Mira¡¯s main goal was still following the steps of Soul Howl. When Mira brought that topic up again, Solomon red at another document. ¡¸ording to those documents, the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was an item obtainable after following a lot of steps, though they weren¡¯t steps like gathering ingredients and making it, it was the reward of a really long quest, apparently.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ I remember hearing a lot of rumors about the Chalice, but so it was a quest item.¡¹ There were many arguments about it back during the game era, though the most trusted theory said that it was the reward of some quest, and that the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was in the same league as artifacts. ¡¸Calling it a quest item¡­is not quite correct.¡¹ Solomon closed his eyes as he sorted his thoughts before continuing to speak. ¡¸Apparently it¡¯s a rather unique item that can¡¯t really be ssified as a crafted item, drop, or quest item.¡¹ There really were no words to urately describe what the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was, so Solomon began his exnation by throwing that fact out. First, the chalice was an item obtainable after following a long and arduous process, but it was not to create or build one, it waspleted after satisfying multiple conditions. As for what those conditions were, most of them had not been deciphered yet, but the first steps were known now, so they called for Mira.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3713 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1885 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸So, what are those conditions?¡¹ ¡¸The first condition, which also counts as gathering the basis for the Chalice, also has its own conditions, but it¡¯s basically gathering the root of a sacred tree that is more than three thousand years old. The sacred tree of that age closest to us, or should I say, closest to the underground graveyard where Soul Howl was is in-¡¹ ¡¸Past the Primal Forest. The elder of the Forest of Praying Children¡­I guess.¡¹ Sacred Tree was a term used to refer to any tree that after living for long enough, had be able to house divine energy, and were revered as gods. There were multiple of those that were older than three thousand years throughout the continent, but it was a safe bet going to the closest one to the underground graveyard since it was hard to believe Soul Howl would go through the cumbersome task of going to another farawaynd. Which meant going to the Forest of Praying Children on the southwest part of Arkite. The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest was also in that area, which is why Solomon said it was just the perfect opportunity. ¡¸That¡¯s pretty much it. Since it¡¯s the first condition he probably isn¡¯t there anymore, but you might be able to find more traces of him, or maybe even learn something from the elder, which would put you right behind him.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess so. Also, if you had told me about the Founding Seeds after I returned from visiting the elder, I would¡¯ve gotten annoyed at you for not telling me earlier.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m aware of that much. Either way, we¡¯ll need a few for our experiments, as well as some spares, so please bring around ten if you can.¡¹ Since they were still experimenting, there was a chance the Founding Seeds would not be of use either, so Solomon settled for a more reasonable quantity. Still, Mira frowned hearing that number, feeling it would be a pain to get them, but it was hard to me her. Even back during the game era Founding Seeds were very valuable, so trying to trade for one took a lot of courage even for top yers. So no matter if she was one of the Nine Wisemen, Mira still felt reluctant having to gather so many. ¡¸Such an unreasonable request¡­¡¹ ¡¸If it makes you feel better, ever since I ran out of people with ess to restricted areas I¡¯ve been trying to buy up any I could find. But if you think it¡¯ll take too many days to get them, just five would be enough.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously¡­ But alright, I¡¯ll gather as many as I can.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, it¡¯ll be a big help.¡¹ Deciding it was the least she could do to thank him for her clothes, Mira decided to agree to it. Solomon thanked her and ced ten mythril coins in front of her. ¡¸This is your budget for this mission. If you need anything during your travels, you can spend this for it. Or if you want, you can also spend it on a new replica. Since we¡¯re in the capital now, you should be able to find replicas of even more signature outfits you used to wear apart from the robe.¡¹ Saying that, Solomonughed like a mischievous child. Seeing that, Mira finally understood what he meant when he said the replica suited her the day before. ¡¸You knew about it but didn¡¯t tell me anything.¡¹ ¡¸Isn¡¯t a pupil trying to look like her master a cute sight?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t want to look like that!¡¹ As she began talking back like that, they began a game of catch around the table. A third person would definitely think they looked like small children like that. ¡¸Anyway, here, a small present.¡¹ Theyughed all the time they ran, and when they were done, Mira ced the Magic Sealing Stones she brought from the tower on the table. There were almost a hundred of them, so Solomon happily stashed them into a bag. ¡¸Well, thank you so much, I should be fine having so many of these. You¡¯re really a big help, is there anything I could give you in return?¡¹ ¡¸Not really¡­though actually¡­¡¹ Since Solomon was her good friend, there was no need to return the favor. But since he offered something, she had no reason to refuse either so she began thinking and came up with something. ¡¸Maybe something like a small carriage, I think it was called a wagon? That Creos used to fly while being carried by Garuda. I really want to have one for myself. He told me the mechanics here made it.¡¹ ¡¸One of those? Sure, sounds good, very good, I can easily make that happen. Do you have any requests about how it should look inside or any extra equipment?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, what should I ask for¡­¡¹ Mira asked how much she could ask for, and Solomon exined to her the limits of what could be modified. Then they spent around twenty minutes talking about it and they decided on the rough outline of the design. It would be made out of a strong material resistant to wind and rain, and the interior was going to be highly customized to Mira¡¯s tastes. At the end of their conversation, Mira found out that technological advances had evolved much more than she imagined, so the resulting wagon would be a sight to behold. In a way, it felt like they were talking about making a new secret base, so both of them got really into the conversation. Since they had spent a lot of time in a secret base in the past, that made it even harder for them to stop. ¡¸I¡¯m sure something really interesting wille out of this.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡¹ The two grinned like innocent children looking at each other. Then they only discussed how long it would take to build it and how she would be notified about itspletion, when Mira spoke again reminded of something. ¡¸Speaking of which, a lot happened. I told Mariana, Litaria and Creos about my identity.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I won¡¯t pry too much, but I trust those three enough. Thanks for telling me.¡¹ The aide Mariana and vice-elder Creos from the Tower of Summoning, and Luminaria¡¯s aide Litaria. They were all trustworthy people without a shred of suspicion on them. Solomon approved of them, so he had no problem with Mira telling them, and also decided that he would contact them if he ever needed something rted to Danbulf. ¡¸Lord Solomon, it¡¯s almost time.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, got it.¡¹ A man¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door. Solomon walked up to the door and replied shortly while changing his tone of voice. There was still a lot of work left for him to do, and he had taken up to an hour off to have this secret meeting with Mira, so now he only had a few minutes before he had to continue working. ¡¸Time sure flies by. Anyway,stly, I want to give you this.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s this?¡¹ Mira took the bundle of papers Solomon gave her and leafed through it. ¡¸I don¡¯t think you have one yet, so put it inside the Important tab, it epasses all the territories around the country.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡¹ The bundle of around ten pages was a map of the surroundings of Arkite Kingdom. The Forest of Praying Children she was headed to was also included in it. Mira quickly put the map into the ¡®Important¡¯ tab of her Item Box, and tried opening the Map menu. On top of her bracelet, a map was disyed like a floating window. ¡¸This wille in handy.¡¹ ¡¸If you need more maps, stores in big cities should have them, so just buy some. Even if you know your way through most of the continent, there are still ces that might change as you travel.¡¹ Solomon began putting away all the papers lying on the table while he thought about the stories he heard from a former yer that was living as an adventurer. It was hard to say that his life had been boring, being king for thirty years, but sometimes he still wished he could go out and go on adventurers himself. So one of his favorite pastimes was hearing stories from a former yer who was aware of Solomon¡¯s situation. Talking with Mira was also very enjoyable to him for the same reason. ¡¸And onest thing, take this too.¡¹ Solomon took out something from his pocket and showed it to Mira. It was a b of metal with an intricate design carved into it, having the national emblem of Arkite shining in silver as well as the number nine, all surrounded by a ring. ¡¸What¡¯s this?¡¹ Taking it into her hands and looking at it, she flipped it and saw a magic circle engraved on the underside, which made her tilt her head even more. ¡¸Some type of Magic Ware?¡¹ Mira thought that after seeing the magic circle, but Solomon shook his head. ¡¸That¡¯s a medal. You brought back leads on the whereabouts of Soul Howl, who is an essential personage for the country, so I¡¯m conferring this award onto you.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon ced his hand on top of the medal Mira was holding. ¡®In the name of Solomon, thou shalt be granted this¡¯ In reaction to his words, the magic circle engraved on the medal began glowing. ¡¸That¡¯s a Concept spell to transfer ownership. It serves as proof that I gave you the medal.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I still feel like a medal is a bit too much though.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m also giving it to you since it signals that the Kingdom of Arkite recognizes your social position, which should be of use to you. In your next mission, you might have to prove your rank to ess certain information or enter certain ces, and you should be permitted to most of it by showing this medal.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, there was also such a reason. I¡¯ll make good use of it then.¡¹ Mira fiddled with the medal as she nodded satisfied with that reason. ¡¸Well then, have a safe trip! I¡¯m looking forward to your souvenirs.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯ll be going then.¡¹ Mira had met Takuto and the ¨¦cate Carillon guild in her trip to Caranach. Now Solomon was curious what would happen to her in her next mission as he watched, with only a bit of jealousy, how she walked away with a grandiose gait while her silver hair swayed behind her. (Should I also try using a Vanity Case¡­) ¡¸Lord Solomon, the envoy from Alispharius has arrived.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡¹ As he replied, his earlier demeanor akin to a child vanished and he regained the countenance of someone who spent thirty years as king. (Well, I can¡¯t just abandon my duties though.) Solomon held the documents under his arm and left the room that was now shrouded in silence. Chapter 48: Swordsman Chapter 48: Swordsman After parting with Solomon, Mira checked the distance to her next destination on the map again. Meanwhile, one maid was spying on her from behind a column. It was Lily. She had wanted to hear Mira¡¯s thoughts on the Magic Robe Set, so she finished her duties twice as fast as usual to get more free time and had since been waiting there for Mira to finish talking with Solomon. (Ahh, the way her coat moves is just as we imagined. Her thighs peeking out every now and then look perfect as well. The skirt isn¡¯t too long nor too short, and it moves easily with the hem swaying at a nice rhythm. It¡¯s all just as we nned.)1 Lily observed every little detail of the Robe Set¡¯s movements as Mira walked. But that did not go on for too much longer, the strange aura surrounding her had been noticed by the other people at the castle, who were all staring at her, and Mira had followed those gazes to find Lily as well. ¡¸What are you doing?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Err¡­ observing the passage of time¡­ would be urate enough, I guess?¡¹ As Mira shot her a doubtful stare, Lily walked out from behind the pir and gave an enigmatic reply while striking an enigmatic pose. ¡¸What does that even mean?¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s put that aside! It¡¯s almost time for lunch so would you want to eat with me? I¡¯d love to hear your thoughts on your clothes as well.¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, I had told you we could talk. Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡¹ Mira closed the map and checked the time. It was barely a few minutes past noon. When Mira nodded in agreement, Lily quickly led her to the maids¡¯ quarters, almost rushing her to get there. ¡¸Why are there so many of them..?¡¹ Mira was currently surrounded by more than a dozen maids in the dining hall. ¡¸Do you have any problems moving around?¡¹ ¡¸Did you notice any wrongly sized parts?¡¹ ¡¸We tried to make the interior cloth as nice to the touch as possible, but how does it feel?¡¹ Bombarded by the ever-increasing questions, rather than having lunch, Mira was currently being stalled from trying out the fruit-topped french toastid in front of her, which scent kept teasing her nose. Unable to refuse to answer them, she replied one question after another, taking a bit more than an hour since she arrived at the dining room for her to finally be able to eat. To end her meal, Mira cleared her throat with some milk coffee and exhaled a sigh. Almost all the maids had returned to their work locations, leaving only Lily there who had already finished her duties. That became a chance for Lily to speak a bit more about herself, mentioning how she had a younger sister that attended Arkite Academy, while her father had passed away during the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. ¡¸That reminds me, I met this vice-elder called Amaratte. She seemed oddly interested in my attire.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, Lady Amaratte you say?!¡¹ As Mira ced her milk coffee cup on the table, she recalled the incident with Amaratte and mentioned her. While Mira lookedpletely disinterested, Lily was the opposite, looking surprised but happier than anything as she leaned forward towards Mira. ¡¸Yes¡­ also, she mentioned that she would like to order a set for herself as well. Would that be possible?¡¹ ¡¸But of course. We¡¯ve been eyeing Lady Amaratte since¡­ err. Tell her that if she¡¯s fine with us handling it that we¡¯ll dly take her order!¡¹ Lily¡¯s eyes were set aze, but only for a short instant. She quickly looked moreposed again as she epted the order with a triumphant tone. Since Amaratte always had an uninterest expression, they were always hesitant to ask if she would be interested in their clothes. But now that Mira had ryed her wishes to them, giving them permission to proceed, there was nothing that could stop Lily and the other maids. ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll tell her you said that then.¡¹ ¡¸Is it really okay to ask that from you? Then please tell her toe by whenever she has time so we can measure every nook and¡­ err, we can get her urate measurements. ¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ With that, Mira stood up, thanked her for the food, and left the dining room. Meanwhile Lily ran off to tell everyone who would be involved to form a meeting to discuss Amaratte¡¯s clothes. (This doesn¡¯t feel quite right after having experienced being in that wagon¡­) Mira was inside the small forest that separated the castle walls from the high ss district, slightly further away from the castle¡¯s main gate. She was taking out her fur coat while looking at the azure sky above, reminiscing about her aerial trip inside the wagon carried by Garuda. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to bear with this until mine is finished.¡¹ She muttered to herself as she assigned a summoning spot in front of her. [Summoning Magic: Pegasus] The magic circle in front of her floated up towards the sky, letting thunder and lightning fall down, and then after a bright sh, the white figure made its appearance. Lastly, the magic circle shattered, the fragments taking the form of winds andpleting the appearance of the winged horse Pegasus, the carrier of thunder. Pegasus folded his wings and neighed slightly, and the moment his eyes spotted Mira he turned his face away. ¡¸Hm¡­?¡¹ Albeit some exceptions, any summon that generally did not require a Rosario Summoning Circle was unable to speak. And even if they did possess speech, if there was something they wanted to convey they would show it through their attitude first. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, have you been in good health?¡¹ Mira walked closer to him, trying to look at his face as she spoke to him, but Pegasus would avert his eyes and then turn his face the other way. Even without words, Mira could guess what Pegasus¡¯ attitude meant. It reminded her of the times when her little sister would get mad. ¡¸Are you mad at me?¡¹ Mira asked, trying to confirm her hunch. In response, Pegasus turned to look at her, though his face still showed he was in an ill mood. His eyes showed the loneliness from not seeing her after so long, as well as irritation at being left aside for so many years. Even if she was unable toprehend all of his feelings, it was clear enough that he was angered. (I¡¯ve always spoiled him after all¡­ this much should be expected after not meeting for thirty years¡­) ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. It might sound like I¡¯m making excuses, but I wasn¡¯t here in this world during those thirty years. I only came back recently, so I¡¯m really sorry I couldn¡¯t contact you earlier.¡¹ Mira apologized earnestly like that. A momentter she felt something strike her small frame. Pegasus had butted his head at her. Mira simply fell back, while Pegasus let out another guttural neigh like a cry and rubbed his head on her chest. He closed his eyes filled with sorrow, letting outrge tears fall.2 Mira was slightly taken by surprise with the suddenness of it all, but she resisted the ticklish feeling knowing Pegasus had missed her and wrapped her arms around his neck, dearly caressing his mane.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2855 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1427 words
Editor(s): Fire
After a while Mira felt like enough time had passed like that and stood up, looking straight at Pegasus. ¡¸There¡¯s a favor I want to ask of you. Can you let me ride you while you fly?¡¹ As soon as Mira asked that, Pegasus¡¯ eyes opened wide and shone brightly, moving closer to her again before pushing his snout between her legs trying to urge her to mount quickly. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯ll let me mount you? Good boy.¡¹ Mira patted his head gently before she put the coat on and mounted on Pegasus¡¯ back. When he felt her firmly straddling his back, her warmth passed onto him, he spread his wings wide. He was ready to take off, so he turned his head back as a way to ask where they would go. ¡¸Well Pegasus, fly towards this direction.¡¹ Mira gently stroked his mane as she pointed west-southwest, towards the Forest of Praying Children. Pegasus neighed loudly in acknowledgment and began pping his wings up and down, gradually speeding up. When the sound of the wind being fanned away by the wings got to its loudest, there was the slight sound of hooves striking the ground and Mira¡¯s body felt affected by increased gravity as they shot up towards the sky. Since this time there was nothing obstructing her view below, like with Isenfald, she could clearly see the castle¡¯s main gate and the open space behind it. ¡¸Good, good. This seems like it¡¯ll be ratherfortable as well.¡¹ Thanks to the fur coat, the cold that bothered her so much before was negated as well. But being able to see the scenery below her was also something she was happy about, since Isenfald¡¯s body was sorge it made it hard to look below the other time. Pegasus was in a very good mood as he ran through the sky as well, leaving a trail of electrified particles behind them as a manifestation of that, which looked like a river of light even with the sun overhead. Mira wrapped her arms around Pegasus¡¯ neck and looked back at Lunatic Lake, turning smaller into the distance with every passing second. She could also see the academy and the Five Pir Institution, which made her start to think which she should visit first the next time she was there. They flew for a few hours, during which Mira would sometimes check her map and make minute adjustments to their course. They had already crossed over arge mountain range, but since Mira was not used to riding yet her legs began hurting, so theynded at a small vige they spotted from above where she went to a small diner to enjoy the feeling of solid ground. (Hmm. At this pace I might arrive at my destination tonight, with the help of Pegasus.) As Mira joined the scarce other customers there, her attire made her stand out more than anyone else. But since she had a bracelet that showed she was a high-ranking adventurer, no men were courageous enough to approach her. This vige was rather isted from major cities, and there were no hunting grounds or famous dungeons nearby, so it was rare for a high-level adventurer to visit, so everyone just limited themselves to observe her from a distance. Meanwhile, Mira was focused on her map, seeing how far she had traveled and making simple calctions to know how much longer it would take her to arrive there. The results she arrived at were that she would get there at around ten in the evening. Being in a forest at night meant that one¡¯s sight was almostpletely dark, so it would be easy for her to go past the ruins. But more importantly, Mira was in no mood to work until sote. She slowly sipped on some mixed berry ale while searching for any good lodging spots near the forest. (This ce seems the best, I should be fine if I stop there.) She had found a ce around two hours away if she flew with Pegasus, a vige close to the Forest of Praying Children. The Forest of Praying Children covered a vast expanse ofnd, and the sacred tree she was looking for was deep inside it, so waiting for the next day was inevitable. Mira¡¯s breaksted thirty minutes, then she paid, washed her hands, and left the vige. Since it was a small vige that could even be described as rural, the toilet was a pittrine, and when she caught a glimpse of the pit when she was done there, the sight reminded her slightly of the underground graveyard. Flying again, Mira saw the sun slowly setting down the horizon, while the stars began to twinkle, a sight which made her let out voices of admiration. Not muchter she saw the pitch-ck forest with tree canopies that swayed in the wind like living beings, and near there the glimmer of multiple artificial lights, the fires lit to illuminate the vige where she had decided to spend the night. Pegasus used those lights to orientate himself as he descended,nding on a nearby grass meadow where Mira thanked him before sending him off. The ce felt toorge to be called a vige, but too small to be considered a city. When Mira checked its name on the map, it was listed as Hunters¡¯ Vige. When Mira opened the door of the only inn in that vige, a soft bell rang and ¡¸Wee!¡¹ said a cheerful man. The inn also worked as a restaurant, and seeing all the customers inside, it was safe to say it was a prospering business. The customers¡¯ clothing and equipment made it easy to assume they were mostly adventurers, a number of which stopped eating and reflexively turned to look at the neer. Feeling all those curious stares on her, Mira quickly approached the counter. The owner of the establishment looked like a sensitive house-husband, as opposed to the worker who first weed her. ¡¸You look like quite an unusual guest. How many are with you? And are you going to stay for the night or only eat here?¡¹ Mira sat down at an open spot at the counter. ¡¸I¡¯ll stay for the night, I¡¯ll also have some food. Only for one person though.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, only one? That a girl like you came to such a remote ce like this can only mean that you¡¯re a spellcaster¡­I¡¯ve always been interested in those.¡¹ The man sitting to her side overheard the order and turned to look at her, speaking with an admiring voice. The young man had a long sword fastened to his back, while his respectively toned body was concealed by a ck leather coat. His facial features had good proportions as well, a friendly smile on his lips. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry for butting in like that. I¡¯m Alfeil, a swordsman as you can see, though I always aspired to be a spellcaster.¡¹ As he introduced himself, Alfeil looked incredibly jealous of Mira. Every time he would meet a spellcaster during his adventures, he would speak to them like that. ¡¸By the way, can I ask what type of spellcaster you are?¡¹ He was still smiling as he asked that. He seemed a bit too over-familiar, but Mira feltfortable seeing his carefree expression, so she stuck her chest up proudly as she announced: ¡¸I¡¯m a summoner!¡¹ Hearing that, the adventurers surrounding them all stopped speaking, turning around with pitiful and grim stares. Seeing that reaction, Mira slouched her back and sighed knowing it would still take some time before the summoners were revived. But there was one person who showed a different reaction. ¡¸If you came this far alone, then summoners must be really amazing!¡¹ Alfeil had an even more longing look in his eyes as he praised Mira. As he stated, Hunters Vige was not a ce a lone novice adventurer could ever get to. When the other adventurers heard Alfeil, they also realized that much and raised voices of admiration. ¡¸Alfeil, could you let the young girl order what food she wants first? I¡¯m sure she must be hungry.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh right, I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Seeing how everyone was acting, the owner noticed it would take a while before the conversation died, so he interrupted them to show Mira the menu. ¡¸Thank you¡¹ she said while taking it, ordering a set of fried chicken with herbs and honey ale.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2739 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1346 words
Editor(s): Fire
Alfeil was truly enthusiastic about spellcasters. He spoke at length about Concept Magic that could be very useful even for mundane tasks, and also happily showed off all the magic wares he owned, which he used as a substitute for spells just so he could feel a bit like a spellcaster. He had magic wares of all sorts, but most of them were Active Magic Wares. They could only be used a limited number of times, but since they did not need any mana to function, they were highly valued amongst adventurers. It was impossible for a magic ware to activate a high-level spell, but most low-level ones were usable through them, with the exception of summonings, onmyoji shikigamis or necromancy, no magic ware could activate even a low-level spell of those kinds. That was a fact Alfeil deeplymented. By the time Mira¡¯s order was ready, Alfeil¡¯s interest had shifted entirely to summoners, which not many pursued and he was unable to try through magic wares. He really wanted to see a powerful summoner in action. The surrounding adventurers grimaced seeing a young adult begging a younger girl countless times saying ¡¸Please show me!¡¹ while lowering his head. But those who arrivedter knit their brows thinking him a pervert, not knowing what he wanted to see from the young girl. Finishing her dinner, Mira went to the training grounds of Hunters¡¯ Vige together with Alfeil. It was already night so their surroundings were dark, but one of Alfeil¡¯s magic wares illuminated their path. He exined that the training grounds could be used by any adventurer or hunter who wanted to practice, so Mira should be able to use her summonings as much as she wanted there. ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re that interested I guess I can show you.¡¹ Mira spoke with a self-important voice, d that someone had finally recognized a summoner. But her posture remained extremely calm as she activated a summon, a Dark Knight shrouded in an imposing air appearing from a magic circle ahead of them. ¡¸Ohhh! Did you just summon this? It¡¯s so ck, and looks so strong!¡¹ Alfeil was excited seeing a summon for the first time in his life, running up to it and looking at it in awe. Then he turned around to ask. ¡¸Can I try having one match against it?!¡¹ His eyes were full of expectation, shining like those of a puppy that was presented with a treat, which made it clear just how depressed he would be if she refused. ¡¸Well, go ahead if you want.¡¹ Hearing that, Alfeil jumped with joy. At the same time, Mira looked more intensely at him, discerning his strength. She was able to grasp that as a swordsman he was first ss, but his magic power was below average. That made her uneasy regarding his resistance against magic attacks. All there was left to see was if he had the necessary ability to live up to his stats. Alfeil took a couple of steps back from the Dark Knight and unsheathed his sword, the de glittering silver while carrying a particr coldness to it, and Mira was also able to see the power of a spirit residing in that sword. (Oh¡­ an ice spirit, I see.) As Alfeil gently held his sword ready, his appearance gave off a more serious impression,pletely different from before. Mira could tell he was cutting off his emotions in preparation for battle. That change, as well as the intimidating air surrounding him now, showed her that he had mastered the sword more than his stats indicated. ¡¸As they say, a wise falcon hides its talons, or however that went, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Right back at you, to not flinch even an eyebrow after seeing me like this, makes me wish I¡¯d know at least a bit of the extent of your power already.¡¹ The twoughed a bit, then Mira walked back until she found a wall to rest her back on. Meanwhile, Alfeil took multiple deep breaths while firmly grasping his sword. ¡¸Let¡¯s begin then.¡¹ As soon as Mira said that, the Dark knight threw the sword in its hand high up into the air, pulling another sword from a small floating magic circle and pointing it towards Alfeil. When the first sword reached its peak it began descending while turning in the air, creating a whooshing sound. A momentter the sword appeared out of the darkness of the night. Illuminated by the magic ware¡¯s light, it left a ck trail before it stabbed the ground. With that as a signal, Alfeil lowered his body and darted ahead. He held his sword to the side, the silver de shining like a sh of light as the distance between the two decreased in the blink of an eye, and then the ice sword was swung aiming towards the Dark Knight¡¯s torso. He went on the offensive as soon as the match started. His speed was certainly first-ss, and as a result, the Dark Knight was pushed onto a defensive position, stopping Alfeil¡¯s sword with its ck de so his sword could not reach its body. (He is plenty strong as well¡­ maybe even more than Emera. But his speed is more striking, he might even be faster than my Dark Knights.) Mira objectively measured Alfeil¡¯s strength from far away, trying to figure out how much of the Dark Knight¡¯s power she should show. Still resisting Alfeil¡¯s sword, the Dark Knight forcefully swung his de. That was done with so much force that Alfeil was unable to resist and was blown into the air. ¡¸It¡¯s strong, this one is strong!¡¹ Alfeil eximed, unable to contain his excitement. After a quick dance with his feet he killed the momentum, his face glimmering with a devilish smile. There was a ng of two swords again, the moment Alfeil had regained his posture the Dark Knight had swung its sword on him. That impact was stronger than anything he had felt before, which led to a grunt of agony escaping his mouth. But even then, he was still smiling. Their des were locked only for a few seconds, sliding the tip of his sword a moment before he absorbed all the momentum from the Dark Knight¡¯s de and shing at the now defenseless side of its body. His movements were certain, the de drawing an arc in a sh and piercing through the Dark Knight, the force brought by his two hands greatly increasing his power as he sliced the Dark Knight¡¯s body in half. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you can do much better than this. Please,e at me seriously!¡¹ As the dust raised by the fight was still in the air, Alfeil spoke to Mira without turning around. Like he had said, that Dark Knight was still not using all its power. Now that this was reality for Mira, her actions could determine the life or death of someone else, so Mira would not allow herself to carelessly go all out against someone whose abilities were still not fully determined for her. ¡¸Have you fought with all your strength and still lost recently?¡¹ Mira asked that to finish her assessment. In response, Alfeil shook his head. ¡¸Not really recently. Thest time was around five years ago.¡¹ Watching his back as he replied, Mira realized something. Alfeil was in a quest to find strong opponents. From his attitude, she could guess he had challenged multiple other people in the past, and won every time. But he was still not satisfied with his strength, so he kept looking for other strong people. Mira could rte with that restless desire. He was simply looking upwards, stretching his hand in an attempt to reach even higher ces. ¡¸Sorry for not taking this seriously. In return, I¡¯ll let you taste something from five years ago.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ exactly what I want!¡¹ The corner of Alfeil¡¯s lips twitched upwards while an icy fog began covering his de like a breath.
  1. Fire: All ording to keikaku
  2. Silva: Oof, I almost cried
Chapter 49: Elder Chapter 49: Elder The Dark Knight standing in front of Alfeil would not crumble away, even after receiving violent hit after violent hit. Rather, it started to heal itself with the magic power it had amassed. Mira held her hand towards the Dark Knight, creating a magic circle simr to the one she used to summon it, which began to envelop the Dark Knight from its feet up. ¡¾Summoning Skill, Change: Dark Lord¡¿ The change was unexpected. Armor Spirits were spirits that began living inside man-made equipment. The way they lived was directly influenced by how they were used afterward. Those made in order to take revenge on someone would eventually be Dark Knights. Some of them, once their original objective was aplished, would join Mira and pursue their innate nature, ughter, which also counted as their only reason to exist. If they went on that path for long enough, they would acquire an even more appropriate appearance. With the changeplete, the Dark Knight had a clearly different presence, the very essence of its being had changed. Its entire body was shrouded in darkness even under the soft light of a magic ware, and its helmet, gauntlets, greaves and the rest of its armor had countless des poking out. An appearance made with the sole intent of sending its enemies to the afterlife. It held tworge swords, one in each hand, but even if it were to lose them, it could always defeat its foe with its head, arms, feet, or even body. That was the message its new appearance heralded, though in exchange the armor had be thin. This cruel appearance, however, was mostly meant to infuse fear on its opponents. Alfeil was lost for words seeing the changed Dark Knight. He had noticed the one he fought earlier was holding back, so he pleaded to confront one at its fullest. Now the Dark Knight was serious, and it was just as he wished. But Mira¡¯s skills had greatly surpassed his expectations, he could feel it, the entity in front of him was out of this world. Because of that, his body trembled, his hair stood raised, and he thanked the gods for gifting him this day. He had always aimed at an unreachable goal, but this was a revtion of what woulde after that. He forced his joy back and dashed ahead. There was no need for a signal this time, proper manners in a situation like this indicated that the weak one should start attacking while the strong side would take it head-on. With a yell to build up his courage, he prepared to unleash his ultimate attack. The de came down on the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder, lightly grazing its armor before shing with a de. But the Dark Knight had not used one of itsrge swords to defend himself, it was simply one of the des covering its body. Therge ded armor began moving, its hands grasping a sword each ready to attack, but never defend. They were the embodiment of a will to destroy. From the first signs of movement, Alfeil was able to predict the path of the swords, so he held his sword ready to protect himself. He felt the impact spreading through his entire body, like a violent storm about to blow his arms off. Alfeil felt his wrists go numb, but he still mustered the willpower to hold onto his sword. The ck armor moved again. Alfeil¡¯s face contorted in agony but still forced himself to brandish his sword. He wanted to taste more of those blows, even if it was for just a moment longer. After Mira sent the Dark Knight away, only Alfeil was left in the center of the training grounds, his limbs spread out as he looked at the sky. But his face was bright and satisfied, his shoulder moving up and down with every breath. ¡¸Ahh¡­ I couldn¡¯t even leave a dent on it¡­ but it feels good. Hahh¡­ by the way¡­ I haven¡¯t asked what your name is yet.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Mira¡­ huh. And so, how did I do?¡¹ In Alfeil¡¯s eyes, Mira was already someone he respected and appreciated, having shown him a new goal to aim for. Mira was caught slightly off guard by how polite his tone was now, but she decided to ignore it as she walked up to him and left some apple ale beside his head. ¡¸You put up quite a fight against my special card, and you¡¯re probably above a regr Dark Knight. But you¡¯ve still got some ways to go.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ By the way, do you think I still have room to improve?¡¹ He listened carefully to each word Mira uttered and kept them to heart, then he looked up at her and asked the one question he wanted answered the most. Since he had never lost in five years, that meant he had been unable to find someone who could correctly measure how strong he was. ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m not really a swordsman though, so I can¡¯t really reply urately. Though well, I guess it only depends on how much effort you put into it? I know an idiot just like you, and that person was able to defeat my Dark Lord multiple times.¡¹ ¡¸They defeated that thing, and many times at that¡­ Do you think I can be like that person?¡¹ ¡¸Like I said, that¡¯s entirely up to your efforts.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ That¡¯s true, if I work harder then I¡¯ll also get better. I¡¯ll get even stronger than that person one day.¡¹ His eyes as he looked at Mira were aze with determination. ¡¸Would you let me fight against you again when I get stronger?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I¡¯m curious how far you¡¯ll get.¡¹ ¡¸Ahahah, I¡¯ll make sure it ends differently than today.¡¹ After that, they spoke about how they could keep in contact, and Mira mentioned that since they were both adventurers, they could get in touch through the Union any time. Then Alfeil said he would definitely reach out to her when he was strong enough for their rematch. He just smiled afterwards, but then at one point he sprung on his feet, returned his sword to its scabbard while looking away, as if hiding something, and then his gaze kept loitering around, evading Mira¡¯s. ¡¸What happened-¡¹ ¡¸Nothing! Nothing at all, instead thanks for everything. I¡¯ll go practice my swings a little before going back, and thanks for this too!¡¹ Standing up like an unwinded coil, Alfeil picked up the apple ale and gulped it down in a single breath. At the same time, his cheek took a red hue. The reason for that was very simple, he had obtained a full-blown view of Mira¡¯s underwear when she stood next to him. Mira was oblivious to it all, assuming he just wanted to practice with his sword again and being impressed by his dedication. Alfeil still had a pure mind that could only think about the sword. Parting ways from the training grounds, Mira went ahead and returned to the inn. The number of customers had decreased by that time, but Mira went straight to the counter and ordered some herb tea and a honey tart. ¡¸You took longer to return than I expected, did something happen?¡¹ The owner asked Mira as he poured the herb tea into a cup. ¡¸At first I thought he just liked seeing different spells, but he turned out to be ridiculously obsessed with fighting. As soon as I summoned a Dark Knight he insisted on fighting it.¡¹ Mira shrugged saying all that, but she also had an entertained smile on her lips. She knew someone who was just like him, focusing solely on what they enjoyed, so he reminded her of that person. That person was someone who also liked swords. ¡¸Ahh, so that¡¯s what happened. Though well, if you go back in time enough, you¡¯ll see that his appreciation for spells alsoes from his obsession with the sword. Apparently, it all started when he fought against a spellcaster and was unable to connect a single attack.¡¹ The owner recalled the story Alfeil told during one of his passionate outbursts as he ced the herb tea and honey tart in front of Mira. That made Mira curious about who that spellcaster was. If he always was so obsessed with swords, then he must have been considerably strong even back then. But if he was utterly defeated, then that spellcaster must have been an exceptional person. ¡¸I¡¯m curious to hear more about that story.¡¹ Mira poked randomly at her tart as she muttered that, urging the owner to keep speaking. The owner took a moment to think about it, sorting his memories before speaking again. ¡¸Well, that spellcaster story happened around five years ago or so. At the time, there was a really interesting rumor going around these ces. Someone who worked gathering medicinal herbs imed he saw an unknown humanoid monster in some mountain while he was working. It was a very terrifying monster, so he prepared himself to nevere back. But then suddenly a woman wearing a foreign dress with a long slit came down from atop the mountain and defeated that monster in the blink of an eye. ording to that worker, she was a sage who spoke with a funny ent while the monster died in burning red mes.¡¹ By that point, it was easy to conclude that Alfeil fought against that sage and lost. An overwhelming defeat at that, which meant their difference in strength had to be extreme. ¡¸That does sound like an excellent sage.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why Alfeil packed his things as soon as he heard that story and departed that very day to meet her. At the time, Alfeil wanted to challenge anyone who was touted as strong. Around a monthter he returned the way he is now, as a swordsman that deeply admires spellcasters. I really wonder how their fight went.¡¹ Concluding his story, the owner began washing the dishes. Mira would gradually sip some of her herb tea, then take a piece of sweet honey tart, all the while thinking about that mysterious sage, finally deciding to keep a mental note about her. After that, they changed the topic and had a lighthearted conversation. The owner also spoke about how this vige started as a settlement of hunters who earned their livelihood thanks to the Forest of Praying Children. Since one would have to go deep inside the forest to find strong foes, adventurers had to spend a lot on food rations before entering, which helped his business a great deal. And those who wanted even more of a challenge would stay at a fortress built inside the forest, which was managed by the shopkeeper¡¯s son, who apparently was the strongest warrior of the vige after the unpredictable Alfeil.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3886 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1965 words
Editor(s): Fire
Quite happy at herself for being in contact with the people¡¯s lives, Mira thanked the owner when finishing her meal and went to her room, and while nning how the next morning would go, she fell asleep. The next morning, she woke up just a moment before breakfast time was over. She hurried up, gathered her things, ate breakfast and bought a stash of sweets before leaving Hunters¡¯ Vige. The Forest of Praying Children spread far below her as she flew high up in the air. A thin mist covered the distant horizon, while a tree grew tall piercing the clouds as if trying to destroy Mira¡¯s sense of distance. That was the sacred tree. With that sight in front of her, she restlessly fumbled around her bosom. Because of how much she hurried that morning, she felt she had not tied something correctly. As she relentlessly fought against that terrible fate, she tried to remember everything Mariana taught her. When she was finally able to affix everythingfortably, her eyes were assaulted by the impressive view that could only be described as mesmerizing and fantastical. (Why did I get so desperate earlier¡­?) Mira was filled by a sudden feeling of helpless emptiness, but a feeling of aplishment after looking at her bosom and seeing the trees below her quickly overtook it, muttering ¡¸Well, at least it¡¯s perfect now¡¹ to herself, trying toprehend this new feeling. It felt like she was under a spell, flying for two hours straight towards the sacred tree but not appearing to be any closer. Given the pain on her groin, she would constantly switch positions on top of Pegasus, just straddling him in the beginning, then kneeling on his back, going a bit backwards, or lying face down, though in the end, she found hugging his neck while letting her body lie perpendicr to Pegasus the mostfortable. It was already past noon, the sun still shining brightly. Far in the distance, Mira could even see the hazy outline of Grimdart¡¯s castle walls, said to be thergest of the entire continent. Having flown over the forest for almost five hours, Mira finally reached the foot of the sacred tree, its branches and leaves cutting off all of the sun¡¯s light. But her surroundings were strangely bright, thanks to gently glowing particles that kept falling from above like snow, fragments of mana from the sacred tree. It was also thanks to that mana that the trees closest to the sacred tree¡¯s roots could grow without needing light. On top of that, everywhere that mana reached constituted a sacred ground surrounding the tree. Pegasusnded near that solemn-looking sacred tree, Mira jumping from his back to the ground and gazing upon the wall in front of her. The particles of light that vanished into the ground illuminated countless unnamed flowers that grew densely together. Those flowers faced the visitor from the sky with curiosity, the young girl who showed no fear even in a dark ce like that. Pegasus noticed the eerie appearance of that ce and pressed his head against Mira in worry, but she told him not to worry and sent him back, turning to look at the sacred tree that grew like a tall wall in front of her. ¡¸Elder, there¡¯s something I wish to ask of you. Could you show yourself?¡¹ She spoke. In response, she felt a breeze like a murmur pass by her cheek, while the trees behind her began to sway. That rustling gradually spread throughout the entire sacred grounds, and then it all stopped at the same time turning silent, not even the sound of leaves brushing against each other audible. Mira had been through a simr situation before, it was a sign that the owner of the Forest of Praying Children, the tsukumogami of the sacred tree, Ryokuinshio no Mikoto had descended. Looking around, Mira saw that the countless particles of light that were descending had all vanished, her surroundings plunged intoplete darkness. There was a sound, the sound of the ground as something moved. There was a presence, nearing her from behind. A momentter, the shadow of the girl was cast on the wall. Mira turned around to see a floating ball of light,rge enough she would need both arms to embrace it. It revolved around Mira for a moment, as if observing her, then it fell on the ground in front of her. The next changes started slowly, first as a small bump on the ground, from which a bud grew. Then the bud grew like a tree at an incredible speed, reaching roughly Mira¡¯s height before slowly taking a human shape. The entire change took around ten seconds, a somewhat human-looking but also somewhat inorganic-looking elder covered in a robe of leaves. ¡¸What do you seek?¡¹ A low and muffled voice came from the elder. His eyes shining with suspicion as they focused on Mira, which coupled with his appearance made him look very eerie. Mira had only seen him once in the past, so even she felt somewhat hesitant to continue. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for my rudeness, but I¡¯d like to know if there was a person who came here looking for your roots some time in the past. If you remember anything, please tell me.¡¹ Hearing her question, the elder kept staring at her as he rummaged through his memories. Having his vacant eyes focused on her, Mira felt slightly ufortable, but waited patiently for his reply. After a while of that, there was a sudden outburst of light around them. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ Mira turned around and saw three other balls of light like the earlier one sinking into the ground. The ground there also bulged up, buds came out, and each became a different figure. The three figures surrounded Mira, a woman wearing a robe made of cherry blossoms, a man wearing armor made of bark, and a young girl covered only by vines. ¡¸I remember that person. It was the first time someone asked for that, so he left a deep impression. I can¡¯t remember how long ago it was, but since he asked to have some of my roots, I gave them to him.¡¹ The one speaking was the woman in the cherry blossom robe, with a feminine and kind voice. ¡¸I also remember him. He was that person who brought us a lot of delicious fertilizer in exchange. I wonder if we¡¯ll see him again¡­¡¹ The vine girl said with an underdeveloped voice while floating in mid-air, navigating through the vines. ¡¸Can you keep it down? Our guest looks bothered.¡¹ With a grave voice, the man in bark armor reprimanded the girl, who descended to the ground with a pouting face. As opposed to the other three figures, the girl¡¯s vines served little purpose as clothes, leaving many cespletely exposed. Mira had already grown ustomed to seeing many of those on herself, but as soon as the girl showed her back, Mira looked away, and the man had noticed that. Meanwhile, Mira also tried to sort what she had just heard. First, there had been a person who came there in search of the roots, which had been granted to him in exchange for something else. But the timeframe was unknown. Then there was also the fact that the person was the first one to look for the sacred tree¡¯s roots, which meant an eighty to ny percent possibility it was Soul Howl. ¡¸Hmm, so you¡¯re sure someone like that came here?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed.¡¹ Mira asked for confirmation, and the elder replied with a vacant expression. As he spoke, Mira also felt a tremor below her feet, and after a moment a root many timesrger than Mira¡¯s body emerged from the ground. ¡¸So he took them from here¡­ I see.¡¹ That root was unnaturally cut on the tip, and while it was too dark to see too clearly, Mira could still notice the cut marks. They looked rather old as well, which indicated just how long ago Soul Howl began to move. ¡¸I think that might be the person I¡¯m looking for, would you mind describing his appearance?¡¹ Having confirmed her first objective, Mira asked for any extra information she could gather. The elder looked straight at Mira as he deliberated something. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ he had ck hair, but a mask covered the area around his eyes.¡¹ The man in bark armor fished out his appearance from the bottom of his memories. He could not remember anything else, and the other three also said that was all they recalled. ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s him.¡¹ ck hair and a mask. Soul Howl had ck hair, so that was one point inmon unless he changed his appearance. As for the mask, Mira already had a hunch. Soul Howl always strived to create a suspicious persona for himself, so a mask could have easily been part of his act. ¡¸Lastly, though it¡¯s not really that important, did he tell you anything else?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I did ask what he wanted my root for, and he said, err¡­¡¹ ¡¸He wanted to carve out a cup. And also something¡­ck¡­he needed something ck. That¡¯s what he said.¡¹ The elder¡¯s thoughts seemed to stop in the middle of his speech, so the woman finished his sentence, and the girlpleted the vague part. ¡¸Something ck, was it¡­ Hmm, I think I get the gist of it now. You have my deep gratitude, Ryokuinshio no Mikoto. It¡¯s probably nowhere befitting enough for you, but take these.¡¹ As she said that, Mira took out the sweets from her Item Box and offered it to them. Since they were deities, a suitable offering was needed. A god born out of nature normally preferred man-made offerings rather than something taken from nature, which was why Mira bought such arge amount of sweets in the vige. ¡¸Human sweets!¡¹ The girl jumped forward and happily took the sweets. She threw some in her mouth and happily munched away. Seeing how the girl liked them more than Mira expected, she was d to know she made the right choice with them, storing the remaining sweets away. The girl continued snatching one sweet after another from the bunch Mira gave them, but the man took ahold of her vines, restraining her. Basically reprimanding her, since a god should never be seen engrossed with an offering made to them. The woman, man and elder did not act as cheerful as the girl, but enjoyed sweets as well and looked happy as they epted Mira¡¯s offering. ¡¸It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve tasted a human offering. Though as far as I¡¯m concerned, I would¡¯ve been more than satisfied if you excreted just a little over there. I¡¯m sure the magic power inside you would¡¯ve produced some magnificent fruits.¡¹ The elder that until then had barely spoken a sentence or two now spoke atrge of an outrageous topic. In simpler terms, he was suggesting that the fertilizer produced by the body of someone as powerful as Mira would be just as special. A god born from nature that had lived for countless ages was not delicate with its words. As further evidence of that, the woman and the man both nodded in assent. The only exception was the girl, who could only think about sweets. Meanwhile, Mira felt relieved from the bottom of her heart that she prepared those sweets. If not, she might have been forced to do what they suggested just around that same time. In the end, Mira only gained the conception that gods could truly be scary beings. Chapter 50: The Paradise of Small Animals Chapter 50: The Paradise of Small Animals After talking with the elders, Mira knew that Soul Howl had been there. In other words, the decryption of the documents was urate and he was attempting to find the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. If she followed that lead, she was sure to eventually catch up to him. Mira thanked the elders and prepared to leave that ce. As she turned around, the young girl who had been the most enthusiastic about the sweets, took a fruit from one of the trees and gifted it to her, saying it was the fruit produced with the offering made by the person who came in search of the roots. With her business thereplete, Mira headed to her next destination to fulfill the item search asked for by her good friend. The ce she was headed to now was pretty close to the sacred tree, around one hour away by foot. Still, she summoned Pegasus like it was the obvious thing to do, who appeared worried that entire time as he approached Mira and licked her cheek for a while. Once Pegasus had calmed down, she rode on him for around ten minutes until they reached the nearestke to the sacred grounds. There was a clearing between theke and the forest, which was filled with countless flowers, forming an oasis for small animals. There was also a small mount of rocks at the side of theke, from which a waterfall flowed down creating a pleasant ambient noise. Mira forgot the passage of time as she looked at that scenery, her senses tingling by the sweet scent of flowers and the forest. (Was this ce always this gorgeous¡­) In Mira¡¯s memories that ce was much duller, so she once again could feel directly how the passage of thirty years greatly affected a ce like that. As Mira and Pegasus stood in that paradise-like clearing, a small animal that resembled a squirrel with golden fur approached the two, climbing up Pegasus¡¯ legs and reassuringly lying down on his back. That was almost like a trigger for all the remaining animals nearby to gather around the two, mostly getting closer to Pegasus. This took Mira by surprise, but she quickly smiled seeing how they climbed on Pegasus, making him look like an adorned Christmas tree. He did not seem bothered by it either, as he let more and more animals climb on him. This was all because Pegasus was a sacred beast, so animals felt the safest and calm in the sacred aura surrounding him. Mira also spotted a small blue rabbit on Pegasus¡¯ back. Those were called Pure Rabbits, and their fur was famous for being a good luck charm. Though more importantly, their round eyes and plump body made them extremely cute creatures. They were fierce contenders for the first ce in Ark Earth Online¡¯s cutest creature rankingdder. This was also the first time Mira saw a Pure Rabbit in person. They were known to be really careful and shy, normally only being observed from afar. Mira had only seen them in screenshots in the past, so now her eyes were nailed on that cute creature. (To think they would look like this up close¡­so plump and fluffy¡­) With her mind drifting away, Mira instinctively reached her hand out to it, but an instant before her fingertips would touch it, the Pure Rabbit jumped off scared and hid between Pegasus¡¯ legs. ¡¸Uh¡­¡¹ Facing that blunt rejection, Mira froze in ce, her hand still outstretched. But a momentter Pegasus neighed, as if trying to say something. After that, the Pure Rabbit hesitantly came out and showed itself in front of Mira. ¡¸Did¡­ you tell it something?¡¹ Seeing that, Mira turned to look from the plump creature to Pegasus, who struck his head out as if asking to be praised. ¡¸Good child.¡¹ Patting his head once, Mira turned back to the Pure Rabbit. Its blue ears were moving from one side to another, as if scanning the surroundings. By then Mira could not hold herself back anymore and she reached out to the blue furball, enjoying its softness as much as she could. The warmth passing to her hand made it clear that it was a live creature just like Mira was. Mira tried to pet it as gently as she could to not startle it, which she aplished as it understood she held no ill will against it and snuggled against her hand. That was too cute for Mira to handle, as she gently embraced it and cradled it in ecstasy. Not too long after Pegasus neighed loudly while the Pure Rabbit leaped out of Mira¡¯s bosom in a hurry while squeaking, only to go in front of Pegasus and lie against the ground in a submissive pose. ¡¸¡­What did you say this time¡­?¡¹ Mira could notprehend what happened so she just tilted her head. ¡¸What happened, Pegasus?¡¹ Saying that, she began stroking his mane, to which Pegasus replied by pressing his head against Mira¡¯s chest. (Hmm. I don¡¯t get it.) As she petted Pegasus, she looked around, seeing that the small rabbit was still prostrated while squeaking. She still wished to enjoy its furry touch some longer, but also knew that if she picked it up, she would be unable to let go. Mira knew that she would be able to y with it for all eternity if the situation allowed for it, but she hade there with a specific goal in mind, so she could not afford to get too distracted with the little animals of the forest. Still feeling a bit dissatisfied, Mira carried all the animals on Pegasus¡¯ back to the ground and sent him away. As soon as she did that, the animals gathered around her instead. They had realized she was Pegasus¡¯ boss. As she headed to the small rocky mountain that held the entrance of thebyrinth, they all followed her. ¡¸Don¡¯t follow me. I¡¯m going to a dangerous ce now.¡¹ But they could not understand her words, as the hyperactive golden squirrel found itself right at home on Mira¡¯s shoulder, while the Pure Rabbit kept looking at her with round eyes begging for a hug. Mira knew she could not enter thebyrinth like that, but she was also just barely resisting the temptation of the animals. [Summoning Skill: Cait Sith] She decided to call for an intermediate to sort things out. A small magic circle appeared in the air, and quickly after a small cat with wizard clothes jumped out of it. It spun three times in mid-air beforending on its feet, holding up a card that came out of nowhere with 10.0 written on it. A rain of confetti also sprung out from the magic circle an instant before it vanished, adding an extra touch to that artistic performance. ¡¸Meow meow meow! I was called so heow I am! It¡¯s been a while so I tried adding some meow to my entrance. How meowny points do I get, chief?¡¹ ¡¸Six at most.¡¹ ¡¸What did you meow-!¡¹ As he spoke in an exaggerated manner, the writing on the card changed to speed lines implying shock. That small touch made Mira giggle.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2775 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1273 words
Editor(s): Fire
The fairy cat Cait Sith was one of the few low-level summons that could speak. His abilities were ill-suited for directbat, but excelled when it came to scouting, given that he could obtain information even from animals. In other words, he could interact and talk with animals. ¡¸What the meow! Chief, you¡¯ve turned meownto a girl! And a splendid one at that, worth ten full points!¡¹ Cait Sith looked up at Mira, jumping from side to side while waving around a sign with 10.0 written on it. The animals who had closely followed Mira all took a few steps back, weary of Cait Sith¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡¸You all ept it so easily¡­but that doesn¡¯t matter. First lieutenant, I have a job for you.¡¹ ¡¸What is it, chief!¡¹ Cait Sith stood with his back straight and legs together, saluting Mira while the sign behind him changed to ¡¸Snap!¡¹ ¡¸I want you to tell all these animals here that I¡¯m heading to a dangerous ce, so it¡¯s best if they stay behind. Can you do it?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll aplish that even if it costs meow life!¡¹ He replied with a confident and ready for battle pose, the sign reading ¡¸With the help of the gods¡¹. He then leaped into the group of animals while meowing, then meowing even more as he spoke with them. After some time of that happening, they seemed to understand as they slowly dispersed from there. Lastly, Cait Sith climbed on Mira¡¯s body and spoke to the squirrel on her shoulder, who also understood and jumped down before climbing up a tree. ¡¸Meowssionplete.¡¹ ¡¸Good job.¡¹ Cait Sith jumped off Mira¡¯s shoulder, doing three flips beforending on his feet and striking a military salute. After Mira congratted him on his sess, she picked him up into a hug, using him as a recement for all the animals that were gone now leaving her alone. ¡¸It¡¯s ticklish meow.¡¹ As he spoke, he happily flopped his legs around while the sign had ¡¸More!¡¹ written on it. Mira scratched the kitty¡¯s chin as she walked towards the small rocky mountain. The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest was beyond a cave in that small rocky mountain beside theke. Mira walked into that opening on the rock with Cait Sith riding on top of her head. Past the entrance, there was a sudden slope downwards, its width barely enough for an adult to pass. Mira¡¯s steps on the rocky floor reverberated coldly through the entire cave as she moved forward. Going further inside, even the sound of the waterfall became more dim, only audible as a distant echo and the light from the sun could not reach them either. But there was a light illuminating Mira¡¯s path, thanks to Cait Sith. He was using one of his abilities, Cat Searchlight which let his eyes shine like a spotlight, and since he was on top of Mira¡¯s head, it would always shine towards wherever she turned to look at. ¡¸Something smells fishy here, there¡¯s a suspiciously dubiously meowly spell here¡­¡¹ They continued walking down the slope for ten minutes, during which the slope¡¯s angle decreased until it was apletely t corridor, at the end of which Cait Sith red ahead while speaking. The corridor ahead was illuminated by a multitude of light-emitting medallions etched into the walls like light bulbs. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I think this is supposed to be the barrier of this ce.¡¹ The ground just a few steps ahead had ¡¸Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest, Managed by: Adventurer¡¯s Union, Caranach branch¡¹ written inrge letters. As Mira whispered to Cait Sith, she patted his back with one hand while the other took out the permit given to her by Leoneil from her pocket. ¡¸Ohh¡­ so this is¡­¡¹ ¡¸Meow meow meow? The spell¡¯s effect is dimeownishing.¡¹ The moment Mira held the permit in her hand, it began glowing while the nearest medallions¡¯ light became dimmer. Mira was unable to decipher the exact mechanism of the barrier, but she listened to Cait Sith¡¯s words, given he had a strong sensitivity to that type of spells, and trusted it was safe to walk forward. As she walked, the medallionsing ahead would lose their light, while those behind her regained their brightness. Helped by Cait Sith¡¯s light, she easily crossed that corridor and slowly the cave became brighter. Continuing further along that path, Mira reached arge open space, covered by a small but very dense jungle. The ce appeared to be illuminated by sunlight, but looking above only revealed a ck ceiling. However, the burly rocky walls were covered by a type of vines that emitted light from the ends of its branches. The nts under that light were luscious green, while multiple unnamed flowers bloomed vigorously all over the ground. Looking ahead, Mira could seerge trees growing into the distance, a sight that could leave anyone without breath after walking through that dark cave for so long. ¡¸Chief, we¡¯ve just discovered uncharted territory!¡¹ Cait Sith jumped down from Mira¡¯s head with a ¡¸meohow-¡¹ and shouted in a firm voice while pointing at the jungle. Of course, this was neither a remote region nor uncharted territory. ¡¸Thanks for your help so far.¡¹ After returning the permit to her Item Box, Mira held out her hand ready to send him back. ¡¸An adventure is still waiting for meow!¡¹ With an emotional tone, Cait Sith fell on his face begging Mira. The sign also had a message on it, ¡¸Please have some merry meow¡¹, expressing just how much Cait Sith wanted to explore that ¡®uncharted territory¡¯. And even the typo showed just how distressed he was. ¡¸I really can¡¯t win against you¡­¡¹ This was the first time a summon refused to be sent back, which Mira made a mental note of as a new reaction she might encounter, and rxed the hand she had stretched out. ¡¸Thank you for being undeowstanding, chief. I¡¯ll follow you even to the grave.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t follow me there¡­¡¹ ¡¸Even then meow!¡¹ He threw a sign up into the air that had ¡¸Lifelong loyalty¡¹ written on it, jumping up himself after it and doing a flip. When hended, his attire had changed into one suitable for an adventure. The sign came downter,nding on his head with a message saying ¡¸Preparationsplete, but my heart is broken¡¹ as it rolled over his face and fell t on the ground leaving that as a sort of dying message. ¡¸Well¡­ let¡¯s get going then.¡¹ Mira scanned her surroundings, cutting off a piece of a vine leaf that grew the size of a small child, and with the cut leaf in hand, she began walking along the side of therge space. ¡¸It¡¯s impolite to leave meow behind!¡¹ Cait Sith jumped on his feet and hurried to follow behind Mira. Mira and Cait Sith walked along the rocky walls, a distance from the jungle, until they reached arge cave that created a path further inside. That was the true entrance to the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest. The cave was also sloped with the ground slippery like ss, which meant that once one step was taken down, it was impossible to climb back up. That applied for every passage to the different locations of the Tenma Labyrinth, there was a different path to enter than to exit. Mira let Cait Sith on her shoulder, tapping on his head to illuminate the passage. ¡¸It¡¯s pitch ck ahead.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2695 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1270 words
Editor(s): Fire
Cait Sith pointed his bright eyes forward, sitting on Mira¡¯s shoulder with legs dangling in front. He was not holding the sign anymore, his front paws holding him firmly onto Mira having already guessed what she was about to do. Mira grinned as she held the leaf she cut earlier against her rear and sat down. (This is always exciting no matter how many times Ie here.) The cave ahead obviously had a resemnce to a slide. So Mira smiled happily as she dragged her hips against the ground stopping at the start of the slope. ¡¸Let¡¯s go!¡¹ ¡¸A neow adventure starts!¡¹ Mira impulsed herself forward and flew down the steep slope. The ground was very slippery which elerated her descent even more while Mira was slightly taken aback by a speed higher than she expected. (This was really fun in the game but¡­ in reality, it¡¯s a bit¡­) She could feel the air pressure building up in front of her and centrifugal forces pushing her body threatening tounch her flying every time she turned a corner. The turns were very simr each time, but that did not matter as every time they passed one they would get even more scared. The darkness did not help either, as they could never anticipate any iing turn and would be all the more impactful. ¡¸Chief, I¡¯m about to pee meowself!¡¹ ¡¸Hold it back!¡¹ As the downwards slope turned left and right like a rollercoaster, Cait Sith would cry every time. Somehow hearing him helped Mira remainposed as well. Around five minutester, they saw the light at the end of the slide. Mira was suddenlyunched forward into a bright light at the end of that fall which felt like an eternity to her. As she flew through the air, she had to squint her eyes due to the blinding light. Drawing a parab in the air, gravity finally overpowered her momentum and she began to fall again, colliding clumsily with the ground. ¡¸Meomph!¡¹ She fell on her backside, but someone else had alreadynded ahead of her, Cait Sith who fell from Mira¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Oops sorry. Are you okay?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m meowlright. You don¡¯t weigh much as a girl, chief.¡¹ Mira jumped a step back while Cait Sith unsteadily stood up and began hopping from one foot to another, showing he was fine. At the same time, a sign appeared out of nowhere with ¡¸Being squeezed by a girl¡¯s butt is any man¡¯s dream¡¹ written on it. The two turned to look at the ce they had arrived at, arge green expanse that dwarfed the earlier jungle filled that space, illuminated by a simr light as the earlier room. That scene spread far into the distance, covered by abnormally twisted trees. Mira and Cait Sith hadnded on one of those trees. Behind them stood a tall wall of rock that vanished into the darkness above, while countless vines covered the trees. From afar the cries of some wild beasts could be heard, but if those were ignored it was a rather calm ce. ¡¸It¡¯s a neow world! We discovered a neow world meownside the uncharted region!¡¹ Cait Sith looked around while an indescribable feeling filled his heart, taking out a sign that read ¡¸Cait Sith Exploration Party¡¹ and thrust it down in front of him, but the wooden ground was too resilient and the sign fell unbnced with an empty noise. The first lieutenant watched sadly as ity t on the ground. (Now then, I wonder how many I can find¡­) Mira searched a nearby ce, and once she verified her objective was nowhere to be seen there, she began walking to another area. Cait Sith followed after her, warily looking around. They jumped from one tree to another as they advanced through that ce filled with intertwined trees as Mira continued her search, finally finding one of those items on the ground almost hiding under some leaves. A seed of a strong green color that appeared to pulsate with light,rge enough to fit in one¡¯s hand. A Founding Seed that Solomon had requested. ¡¸Finally one of them¡­¡¹ Mira picked up the Founding Seed, muttered to herself while sighing, looking around for a moment before resuming her search. The Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest, a ce named as the first forest that ever existed, was strictly speaking not a forest. It was merely a portion of the countless branches from the Gopher Tree which gave birth to all trees. In other words, all those thick branches intertwined in front of them were all part of the same Gopher Tree, which also meant that there was a chance for a Founding Seed to appear anywhere in that space. But the spawn points were not fixed, so it was not as easy as it seemed, and years backrge groups of yers wouldb the ce in search of them. As Mira recalled those times, she sighed again while reaffirming her grip on the Founding Seed. ¡¸Chief, how meowny of those do you need?¡¹ Cait Sith asked after he climbed on Mira¡¯s shoulder and pointed at the Founding Seed she was holding. Mira turned to look at him, recalling the ss of summon he was. ¡¸Around nine more. But I can only find them by searching randomly so it honestly is just a pain to find them.¡¹ She made it sound like an idleint, but it still had an effect on Cait Sith as he crawled along Mira¡¯s arm to sniff and lick the seed before jumping down to the ground and looking around with his nose held high. ¡¸I sense a simr item in that direction!¡¹ Cait Sith spoke enthusiastically as he pointed to a ce a couple of branches away from their current spot. But on the other hand, his face looked off, his tongue out with round eyes, the sign he held reading ¡¸It tastes like X¡¹. ¡¸Oh¡­ You can tell?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a very particr seed. For someone as meowself, who¡¯s mastered the ways of tracking, this is a piece of meow!¡¹ Holding his rotund toe beans in what resembled a thumbs-up sign, his eyes glistened pridefully, although his tongue was still hanging out. ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s amazing first lieutenant.¡¹ Mira quickly embraced Cait Sith to hold him up, then activated Sky Stride to run to the branch he pointed at. ¡¸It¡¯s someowhere around here.¡¹ Cait Sith spoke from inside Mira¡¯s embrace, his eyes following along the branch they stood on. Mira checked under some of the vine leaves covering the branch and sure enough, she found a Founding Seed there. Before then Mira had always thought of Cait Sith as simply a reconnaissance scout, but now her eyes were open to a whole new set of abilities he could use, so she held him up with both hands asking where the next one was, rejoicing at the changes brought by this reality. ¡¸Where¡¯s the next one?!¡¹ ¡¸Uhh¡­ meow¡­! That way!¡¹ As she dangled him from one side to another, letting his gaze reach a wider radius, the sharp tracking skills only he had mastered gave another result, which was promptly illuminated by Cat Searchlight. ¡¸Alright! Good job!¡¹ Seeing how much easier it had be to gather the Founding Seeds thanks to this new discovery, Mira¡¯s mood was lifted as high as it could. As a reward, and maybe because of the kitty¡¯s lovely appearance, she praised him lengthily while constantly petting all over his body. Chapter 51: Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest Chapter 51: Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest With Cait Sith¡¯s guidance, Mira was able to gather half the quota of Founding seeds in a shorter span of time than she expected. Seeing she would finish faster than scheduled, she was in a good mood as she jumped from branch to branch with light steps. ¡¸Danger. I sense someowthing dangerous¡­¡¹ After he had sniffed out the sixth Founding Seed and they headed to where it was hidden, they appeared from above them. Cait Sith red at it with a watchful re as if trying to fend it off with that alone, hiding further inside between Mira¡¯s neck and shoulder. ¡¸So it came.¡¹ Mira muttered as she looked at the monster blocking their way. There was a type of monster known as treemen that appeared inrge forests. Their bodies were entirely made of wood but in a humanoid shape. On top of that, since this was a Tenma Labyrinth, the monsters that appeared there were all of a different subspecies. The monsters in front of Mira were a part of a subspecies of treemen, with skin of bark and a skeleton of wood, covered in ligaments and muscles made by intertwined ivy and vines, forming a rather burly silhouette. That subspecies was known as Niltreant, monsters with a far more unsightly appearancepared to any regr treemen. The vines visible through some gaps in the bark covering them moved and wriggled without effort, moving the creatures closer to their prey. Every movement they made was apanied by cracking sounds as they raised their hands pointy and sharp like spears against Mira. ¡¸Stay still for a while.¡¹ Saying that, Mira held the scruff of Cait Sith, picking him up and then dropping him inside the bosom of her dress. ¡¸Roger that, chief!¡¹ Inside Mira¡¯s dress, Cait Sith moved around to find afortable spot before peeking out with his head and saluting, his tail up and straight as well. ¡¸Mm¡­ you don¡¯t have to reply like that, and don¡¯t move your tail so much, it tickles.¡¹ Saying that, Mira twisted her body in an attempt to push his head down again while his tail continued brushing against her soft skin. ¡¸Copy that.¡¹ With that response, Cait Sith pulled his tail curling it against his body, but the situation around them also changed at the same time. There were three Niltreants in front of them, one of which had just leaped forward to attack Mira. Noticing the iing attack, Mira held her arms around Cait Sith who still had not hidden inside her dress yet, protecting him as she jumped back. At the same time, the Niltreant followed her movements and adjusted the trajectory of its spear-like arms in an attempt to follow the shortest path to its prey, ending up piercing into the ground. Its first attack being evaded, the monster turned its head trying to find Mira again, but its arm would not be able to move again. A multitude of ck arms appeared like a mirage on its back, each and every one of them swinging a ck sword onto it. The attack shattered the bark, wood and vines, sending a green liquid sshing away. (Their strength seems to remain the same in that state.) Those were proper Dark Knight attacks. Mira¡¯s first practical test of Partial Summoning in battle had worked wlessly. But Mira did not have much time to relish her victory, as the remaining two Niltreants saw their fallenrade and began running with somewhat human but also awkward movements, crackling noisesing from their limbs. One of them leaped high into the air with all its limbs dangling around. But that attack ended the same way as the previous one. They were trying to attack Mira from up and down at the same time, but before the one in the air could enter an offensive stance, arge white shield appeared in front of it and destroyed its momentum. [Sage Art ¨C Earth: Crimson Grasp] The remaining Niltreant was forced to fight a hopeless battle without aid from itsrades. All of its attacks were aimed carefully, but they could only hit air or were stopped by a small white hand, slowly pulling the Niltreant down into a scorching hell. That humanoid monster eventually turned into ck ashes, copsing in front of Mira. The remaining Niltreant, the one who collided with the Holy Knight¡¯s shield, clumsily stood up before it was cut in half, from the top of its head straight down, copsing like a puppet that was cut off from its threads and staining the ground green. The ck arm that made that cut vanished before its body hit the ground. (This is actually very useful¡­) They would only appear for an instant, but the multiple ways a partial summoning could be used made Mira¡¯s experimenting heart stir. However, their short lifespan also added some limits to that. Still, she found they would be perfect for simr situations to her current one where there was not much space to move around. ¡¸I expected no less from you, chief!¡¹ Sensing the danger was gone, Cait Sith jumped out from Mira¡¯s bosom. The sign also read ¡¸This was needed to survive¡¹. ¡¸Anyway, where did you say the next one was?¡¹ They had been attacked while searching for the Founding Seeds, and they were still surrounded by a very irregr forest of branches. Cait Sith had been guiding her around until then, so she asked him for the location of the sixth seed again, to which the first lieutenant responded by jumping onto the remains of a Niltrant and searching through it. When Mira was about to ask what he was trying to do, Cait Sith nimbly took out something from inside the remains. ¡¸Found it!¡¹ Eximing that, Cait Sith held his hands up, holding something that looked like a bundle of ivy and vines in them. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯re also good at looting.¡¹ That item Cait Sith held was the drops from Niltreants, also known as Nilt Cores. Basically the Niltreant¡¯s heart, they held all the magic power needed to make the Niltreant move, as well as the sap that regted that. They could be used to craft other items as well. Cait Sith handed the Nilt Core to Mira like some form of offering before he ran off to the other remains. In the end, Mira obtained two Nilt Cores, since it was impossible to retrieve one from the Niltreant that burned to ashes. Next, Mira let the unexpectedly hardworking Cait Sith1 climb on her shoulder as they headed to the location with the next Founding Seed. Around one hourter after they entered the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest, and by the time Mira¡¯s stomach began feeling somewhat empty, she had already gathered the ten Founding Seeds Solomon had requested. All thanks to Cait Sith¡¯s great efforts. By the time Mira defeated the umpteenth Niltreant, she began getting the hang of using partial summoning out of something akin to muscle memory. Around them there were many ck stains everywhere as well, the remains of the poisonous fruits some Niltreants would throw. While Niltreants were a subspecies of treemen, they too were divided into three types. Those who had arms like spears, others that threw poisonous fruits, andstly those who could throw poisonous fruits as well as conifer leaves. Mira had also gotten used to Cait Sith running to their bodies to scavenge Cores. So far, Mira had remained in the outer edge of the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest. As one headed towards the center, even more valuable items could be found, but the monsters would also grow proportionally stronger. The very center was home to powerful foes that could make even someone as strong as the Nine Wisemen struggle, at least if it was someone alone. But even then, Founding Seeds could be found in every area of the forest, so there was no need to go that deep inside. ¡¸I¡¯m pretty much done here, so it¡¯s about time I go back.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3093 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1582 words
Editor(s): Fire
Cait Sith climbed back on Mira¡¯s shoulder to his usual spot. Since the entrance and exit were in different locations, they had to search for their way out now, but since the ce was like a very irregr forest, any regr person would lose their bearings almost instantly, making justice to thebyrinth part of the location¡¯s name. But since Mira had been there many times before, she knew how to find the exit. She narrowed her eyes and looked around, trying to find andmark. ¡¸Hmmm¡­ I can¡¯t find it. First lieutenant, can you see a blue flower anywhere?¡¹ ¡¸A blue flower? I¡¯ll try searching for it.¡¹ Since she was unable to find it herself, she asked Cait Sith for assistance. He epted the request, the sign changing to ¡¸Searching¡­¡¹ and his eyes turning round as he looked around, carefully examining every branch, every leaf, anything that hid under the vines, everywhere he could. ¡¸I meownd it. It¡¯s over there!¡¹ Atop Mira¡¯s head, he signaled with the light of his eyes to a certain location. ¡¸Good job,¡¹ she said, lightly caressing his chin before leaping towards that direction. After crossing over a couple ofrge branches, she saw the blue flowers as well. They sprouted from a thick vine, with four blue petals asrge as a hand. As long as she could find those flowers, it would not take her much longer to find the exit. There was a peculiarly sweet scent surrounding those flowers, which bloomed in regr intervals as if signaling a path. And if she followed them, she would arrive at the exit. Mira looked around for a bit and quickly found the direction she had to follow. When seen from above, one would notice that the blue flowers were arranged in the shape of a teardrop. The pointy end faced the exit, so no matter which side she followed them she would eventually get out, though depending on where she started following one side could take much less time than the other. (Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter which in the end.) At first, she debated on which way would be faster, but since she had no way to determine where in the teardrop shape she was, it was impossible to know. So the fastest way was simply to start moving. Stopping her thoughts, she decided to follow to the left like she always did. As Mira moved forward, following the flowers, she would encounter more Niltreants, which she used as test subjects for partial summoning practice. After crossing a few dozen branches, she found an old-looking chest. ¡¸Chief, treasure!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s a treasure chest indeed.¡¹ Cait Sith¡¯s eyes twinkled as he held the sign high up, a suspenseful line written on it: ¡¸Will the treasure chest they found in the uncharted territory bring them hope or despair¡­?!¡¹ On the other hand, Mira recalled what the chief of the Spellcasters¡¯ Union told her. The reason why the entrance to the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest had been restricted and banned. The reason was that chest in front of her. Even if the contents were taken, the chest would reappear after some time. A respawning chest was nothing out of the ordinary for a game, but it was considered a very strange phenomenon now that the world had be reality. Mira slowly held her palm towards the chest. [Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Shockwave] When she activated her Sage Art, a gust of wind bellowed from her hand, hitting the chest an instantter and carving countless cuts into the front of it. ¡¸It looks safe.¡¹ ¡¸That was quite rowdy, chief.¡¹ While Mira looked more rxed around the chest, Cait Sith jumped down to the ground, his legs giving under him from the impact and making him copse. ¡¸You should let me check if chests are safe¡­¡¹ He barely managed to lift his upper body, looking at the chest while a red light came from his eyes. He used the sign as a cane to support his body, ¡¸Time to prove my worth¡¹ written on it. ¡¸It seems to be safe!¡¹ ¡¸I know. I just tested it earlier.¡¹ He somehow recovered his liveliness as he turned around and announced to Mira, but fell down again when he heard her reply. The sign had something written on it again, reflecting his current mood. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ ¡¸But well, I guess that means you can also investigate chests now. I don¡¯t remember you having that skill before, so that¡¯s pretty amazing.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the fruits of thirty years of training!¡¹ Cait Sith hung his head in dejection, but when he heard Mira¡¯spliment, he sprung on his legs and ran to the chest, ¡¸Training will never end¡¹ written on the sign. There were two types of chests that spawned in Tenma Labyrinths, treasure chests and monsters. It was extremely easy to tell them apart, one simply had to attack them like Mira had done. If it was a treasure chest, nothing would happen, but a monster would change into its true form and attack back. There was no reaction this time, so it was safe to assume it was a treasure chest. ¡¸Hmm, these look like some sort of wood shavings.¡¹ The moment they opened the chest to check what it had, its contents turned to sand and vanished without a trace. Mira did not seem bothered by that, instead picking up a handful of some wood shavings and examining them in her hand. ¡¸Meoweoweoweow¡­ this¡­ this looks like a fragment from the World Tree.¡¹ Cait Sith climbed up Mira¡¯s shoulder and said that after staring at the shavings. ¡¸Ohh, you can tell?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve seen pictures of them in books before.¡¹ When Cait Sith mentioned that, Mira also remembered seeing something simr. Shavings from the World Tree, they were mostly used as an ingredient for strong healing potions, but it could also be used as material for equipment, which would increase its healing attributes, as well as producing items that had a strong resistance against poison, paralysis or curses. Because of that, they were highly valued amongst high level adventurers. (The World Tree¡­ huh. That reminds me, Luminaria wanted some ash of that for a catalyst or whatever. I wonder if I can get some by burning these¡­) Mira had been asked to find catalysts for magic knowledge by Luminaria in the past, as part of a trade for the Encyclopedia of Skills. One of those items was World Tree¡¯s Ash. The item itself was exactly what its name suggested, but Mira had never tried burning the shavings to get it, so she was unsure on whether she should try. (Well, I guess it¡¯s best if I show her first.) In the end, she decided to show her the shavings and see if she wanted to try burning them, so she stored the shavings in her Item Box. There was a good chance it would work, but she did not want to recklessly try it without proof, so she stored them aside for the moment. After that they did not encounter any more chests, only fighting against more Niltreants before arriving at the exit. ¡¸It¡¯s rare to see people here. Are you looking for something?¡¹ ¡¸Meow! It spoke!¡¹ The ce they arrived at following the blue flowers was a rocky wall with arge hole in it. Passing through it led to a space covered in mud walls, with those shining vines covering the ceiling and making it as bright as daylight. There was also a smallke to the side, covered with leaves simr to lily pads. There was no trace of therge trees that appeared everywhere in thebyrinth, reced by flowers of a multitude of colors filling the space. In the middle of that ce was the way out of the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest. ¡¸We want to go out.¡¹ Mira replied that way, looking up at the guide that would take them out, towering in front of them. Cait Sith remained on Mira¡¯s shoulder, his mouth open wide in shock. There was a giant blue flower in front of them. Its petalsrger than a house looked more vibrant than the blue sky, while a mellow herb-like scent filled the air. Bathed under the light from the vines overhead, that flower looked both beautiful and imposing. ¡¸I see, I see. Then I might be of help to you. If you bring me a source of energy, I¡¯ll take you back to the surface.¡¹ The flower supported by a stalk many times thicker than Mira replied as such, its petals swaying in sync with its words. Its voice prated deep into the ground, resounding all around them. That source of energy it mentioned was another particr feature of Tenma Labyrinths. Not only were the entrance and exit different, but there was always a particr item needed to go out, though it was not particrly hard to find that item. As long as one was strong enough to fight the creatures of thebyrinth, one would easily find it. ¡¸Would this be enough?¡¹ Mira took out a Nilt Core and offered it. Items dropped by monsters of a Tenma Labyrinth also counted as the item needed to exit it. ¡¸That¡¯s plenty. Drop it inside theke, I¡¯ll lead you to the exit afterward.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2886 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1378 words
Editor(s): Fire
Mira ced Cait Sith inside her dress again before doing as the flower had told her, throwing the Core inside theke. Ripples spread from the ce where it sank, while the Core began emitting a faint light. ¡¸I can see you already have one, let¡¯s be on our way then.¡¹ Saying that, the blue flower bent its giant stalk and wrapped its petals around Mira as if eating her. ¡¸Meow is-?!¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll carry us to the exit now.¡¹ Cait Sith noticed his surroundings get dark all of a sudden, so he grasped the first thing he could in a fluster, which ended up being Mira¡¯s bra. She had already gotten used to having it on, but once it was pulled away from her chest she felt a strange feeling of difort. Though, she knew she would be taking it off soon anyway, so she decided to ignore it and focus on remembering how to proceed. The whole room began rumbling, theke was now covered in ripples while the light shining from the ceiling also swayed in unison, and then the blue flower that had Mira inside of it was sucked into the ground below. Though in reality, it was slightly different. The blue flower had plunged into the ground while holding onto Mira, moving through the earth while shaking violently, until after a while, it stopped out of the blue. Mira still had the momentum of the earlier movement, so she was sent flying as if being vomited, her rear falling on a hard stone floor. ¡¸Couldn¡¯t you be a bit more gentle?¡¹ Mira stood up, massaging her behind as sheined through her teeth. The blue flower ignored her entirely. ¡¸Through this river, you¡¯ll be back outside. Farewell, odd-looking visitors.¡¹ After saying that, it dove back into the ground. The ce was arge space inside rocks. A river flowed through the center, and at the end of it was a speck of light shining into the cave. There was also a phosphorescent moss throughout the ce that shed some light on the darkness. ¡¸So this adventure is abeowt to end. It¡¯ll be painful to be apart again¡­¡¹ Cait Sith jumped out of Mira¡¯s bosom and spoke while looking at the river. The sign he held read ¡¸The adventure ends with the return.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s always next time. I¡¯ll be relying on you again when the timees.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that!¡¹ Hearing that, Cait Sith jumped happily into the air, swinging around the sign that changed to ¡¸Adventure is the only path to the promisednd¡¹, lookingpletely delighted. Mira smiled seeing Cait Sith¡¯s cute act, then began taking her clothes off. Putting her coat away, she took off the dress and then her underwear. She ced everything into her Item Box. She made no efforts to conceal any part of her white skin. ¡¸Let¡¯s go, first lieutenant.¡¹ ¡¸To the ends of the world!¡¹ With that, the girl and the cat jumped into the river. ¡¸Meow¡­ forgot¡­! Can¡¯t¡­ swim¡­ meow!¡¹2 That river with a spot of light at the end was the source of the waterfall andke near the entrance of the dungeon. Pulled by the flow of water and gravity they quickly fell into theke, where Cait Sith shouted that while tightly holding onto the sign, which read ¡¸World¡¯s best lifeguard¡¹. A bit NSFW Theke itself was rather shallow and Mira could more or less stand in it with her head out. ¡¸Don¡¯t get so scared.¡¹ Mira held Cait Sith¡¯s scruff and let him ride on her head, slowly waddling her way out of theke. The sun had already begun setting so there was faint darkness looming over the forest. Stepping out of theke, the fully naked girl held her hair and squeezed the water out of it. Seen from afar, that scene looked both charming and somewhat ephemeral. 3 A bit NSFW Next, Mira took out arge basket from her Item Box where she stores anything clothing-rted. When she attempted to take a towel from it, she heard something moving close by, and Life Sensing showed a reaction from atop the rocks. The forest was full of animals so there were countless other signs, but that one on the rocks was the only one staying still as if trying to hide itself. ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ Mira red at the rocks as she shouted, which made the entity realize there was no point in hiding so it came out. It was a man wearing a pitch-ck cloak. His arm was well-honed and muscr, a ck cloth wrapped many times along his forearm. He wore long sses, while the lower part of his face was covered by a mask. In short, he looked almost like a ninja. He looked rather wary, firmly clutching something against his back while looking cautiously at Mira before turning to look at the basket lying near her. ¡¸¡­You.. .aren¡¯t a¡­ spirit?¡¹ ¡¸A spirit? What part of me makes you think that?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Address the chief properly!¡¹ The man seemed to rx a bit hearing that, but then he red at Cait Sith who peeked out from behind Mira¡¯s feet. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a cat fairy..?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I summoned him.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Chief is a very streowng summoner!¡¹ That made the man loosen up entirely, looking away embarrassed. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. You were beautiful like a spirit, so I mistook you for one.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, I see. But that makes it even weirder, why were you so wary? Spirits are docile creatures.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Unlike Chief, spirits are really gentle!¡¹ Mira internally nodded at the idea that he understood the charm of her appearance, praising her to the point ofparing her to a spirit, but she was even more suspicious of the man which prompted that question. The man raised his brow just a little, but he quickly erased that expression from his face. ¡¸I know, it¡¯s just that just earlier I identally stepped into the territory of a short-fused spirit and it started chasing me around.¡¹ Saying that he sighed dramatically pretending he had a rough time. Mira nodded hearing that and took out the towel from her basket. ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened. Sounds like a sticky situation.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s right! Meow a blockhead!¡¹ ¡¸You stay quiet for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸Understood¡­¡¹ Mira lightly dried herself with the towel before covering Cait Sith with it. (Spirits are free creatures. They don¡¯t have territories or things like that, so that sounds like a childish excuse. He¡¯s hiding something.) ¡¸So, what are you seeking in this kind of ce?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just collecting some medicinal herbs and fruits. I was just about to head back.¡¹ Saying that, the man lightly knocked on a bag filled with something hanging on his waist. ¡¸Hmm, I see. You got this far in, so I¡¯m certain you found a lot of good stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, a lot. But anyway, have you seen any spirits around here?¡¹ ¡¸No, I haven¡¯t. Why do you ask?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d like to avoid getting close to any if they are nearby.¡¹ He spoke like it was the most obvious thing, though his attitude made it obvious he had an interest in spirits. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll go back to a vige around here, so see ya!¡¹ He appeared to be cutting the conversation short in a hurry as he turned around and ran back into the forest. As he ran, Mira saw an eerily shaped dagger hanging behind his waist. The man was nothing but suspicious, even his appearance, though his wariness for spirits looked to be true. But more importantly¡­ ¡¸Hmm, I think it¡¯s best if I investigate this a bit more closely.¡¹ Tracking him with Life Sensing, Mira saw the man take a sharp turn and head in apletely different direction while running faster. ¡¸I¡¯ll see youter,¡¹ she said, sending Cait Sith back, his helpless cry from inside the towel suddenly cut off.
  1. Silva: how nice, a pet that auto-loot for you. I also want that
  2. Silva: lool
  3. Silva: Too good to not link an image here, uhehe.
Chapter 52: Resistance Organization Chapter 52: Resistance Organization Wearing only her underwear, Mira returned the towel to the basket before storing it and running into the forest without hesitation. From what she had seen, the man appeared to be versed in scouting skills, so she blended into the forest hiding herself entirely and pursuing him with Life Sensing alone and not with her eyes. As she ran, she took out the Robe Set from her Item Box and put it on. She also had the Wiseman¡¯s Robe in there, but she had taken quite a liking to the Robe Set already. Life Sensing kept showing reactions from the multiple animals living in the forest. There wererge spots at the edge of her range, really far away. Sometimes she would sense something high in the sky, which would fly past her while cutting through the air. There was also a human presence, which moved into the distance as if running away. Out of those countless spots, she only focused on a single one, that of the man she pursued that was nearing the border of the area she could sense. As she remained hidden, she took a look around her, her view invaded by all the nts and animals that she could not see when she passed above there flying. There were herbs with handy medicinal properties, beautiful fruits that were actually an ingredient to make venom for arrows, trees with resilient trunks that could be used to make defensive gear. That fantastical forest offered a trove of material for all sorts of things, and amidst all that Mira concealed her steps among the noises of the other small animals as she deftly passed between the trees. After a considerable time pursuing him, her surroundings became unnaturally silent as she arrived at ake. It was smaller than the one next to the entrance of Primal Forest, with countless purple flowers floating on its surface. There was a solemn appearance to that whole ce. Mira watched from between the trees as the man approached theke, only her face peeking out. (That¡¯s a¡­spirit.) There was a spirit near the center of theke. It had rather childish features, which made it clear that it was still a young spirit. Its hair was long, covering its body in a translucent blue, and it wore a thin dress with a slight glow. It almost looked like it was wearing nothing, not too far off from how Mira looked earlier. That spirit girl was jumping around over the purple flowers, happily ying around. There were many butterflies flying around her as well, to which she would reach out and smile. The man leaned down, keeping a low profile, just a step away froming out of the forest and bushes. (What is¡­ he attempting to do?!) That movement felt really out of ce, which filled Mira with a hard to describe feeling of difort, so she attempted to call out to him, but she was toote. Since he was still at the very limit of Life Sensing¡¯s reach, her voice would not reach him, and while she tried to get closer the man had started already. He reached for the dagger on his hip with one hand and held it with a backhand grip as he darted towards the spirit. ¡¸Keh¡­I won¡¯t make it!¡¹ Even with Ground Shrink Mira was unable to get to theke in time, the man¡¯s dagger already in a downwards path to the spirit¡¯s back. Then a high-pitched noise broke through theke. Mira frowned and looked away instinctively, but when she hesitantly looked up, she did not see the spirit convulsing in agony as she expected. Amidst the fluttering butterflies, the dagger with weird glowing inscriptions moved erratically. A long naginata was struck between the man and the spirit, which had deflected the dagger, and after trembling a little it swung at an incredible speed like lightning. The man somehow managed to parry that swing with the ck dagger, but the momentum inherited from it made him tumble over theke¡¯s shore until he was still. However, he had not fully evaded the naginata as his mask fell down to the grass below. Taken by surprise by the sudden noises behind her, the spirit hurried to go further into theke. (Who¡¯s that¡­?) Seeing the spirit was safe, Mira retreated back to the trees¡¯ shadows and observed from there. The person who had intervened was a man wearing a simr outfit to a Shinto priest. He had ck hair, red and purple traditional robes, and the naginata he held had a pentagram etched into it. There were yellow braids woven into his forelocks, which swayed in front of his eyes as he stood on top of theke. ¡¸I see you¡¯re from Chimera uzen. I want to ask you a couple of questions.¡¹ ¡¸And I guess you¡¯re from the Fifty Bells¡­good job getting to this ce.¡¹ Their voices were loud enough for Mira to hear as well. The man standing on theke, the man holding the dagger, they red at each other while maintaining a set distance, and judging from the tense air between the two it was easy to tell they both were considerably powerful. (So this really was rted to Chimera uzen. Still, who is that? The man called him Nifty Bells or something like that. I guess they¡¯re something like their opponents.) As Mira tried to process everything she heard, the two men jumped at each other at the same time. As the traditionally robed man ran, he leaned forward and touched the surface in front of his feet. [Charm Skill: Water Dragon] There was a charm in the man¡¯s hand, which made theke¡¯s water rise up at an rming rate, towering into a whirlpool in the shape of a snake letting a spray of water fly everywhere. The man in traditional robes¡¯ path drew an arc to the right, while the water snake arched to the left, ready to attack from both sides. The man with the dagger looked at both of them, taking out a small bottle from his pocket and holding it ready. As the naginata was swung down, its path was blocked by the dagger, sparks flying from their contact. At the same time, the man with the dagger threw the bottle he concealed in his hand behind him. The moment the bottle touched the Water Dragoning from his blind spot, an explosion of sand happened together with a thunderous noise. ¡¸And earth element bottle?!¡¹ That alone was enough to entirely neutralize the dragon, which turned back into a paper charm and fluttered down. The traditionally robed man looked frustrated at that, guessing the identity of that item. Behind the man with the dagger, a mount of sand filled with water was formed, with the charm on top of it. He jumped back to it, and without looking at it stuffed the charm into his pocket before lunging forward to settle the matter then and there. ¡¸We know there¡¯s a lot of onmyoji masters in the Fifty Bells, so we¡¯ll obviously be ready to counter them!¡¹ A sharp and numbing pain spread from the dagger, which pierced all through the robed man¡¯s left arm until it stopped. But he did not even show that pain on his face as he activated the charm in his hand. [Cosmic Skill: Third Nature Collection ¨C Eight Soul Trigrams] The magic power spewing forth from the charm upon activation coiled up the dagger man¡¯s left arm. He red at the robed man in annoyance, leaping backwards a long distance. When hended, the magic power covering his arm faded. ¡¸What a bothersome fool¡­¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2958 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1585 words
Editor(s): Fire
The Eight Soul Trigrams of onmyoji masters. A skill that allowed the user to replicate the pain they felt onto their opponent. Its effect was strongest the closest one was to the target, so it was possible to evade it by running away like the man of the dagger did. His actions clearly showed he was knowledgeable when it came to onmyoji masters. Even though he had jumped back so quickly, the skill had already caused a strong effect on him, cold sweat forming on his body from the intense pain while he held his arm against himself. But that was only for a short while, that had only been a reflexive action against the sudden pain that assaulted him. Still, that moment was all the man in robes needed. [Cosmic Skill: Third Water Collection ¨C Water Mirror] The robed man quickly formed the signs for the skill, while his opponent merely red at him. The charm that pointed at the target of the skill was not affixed to the man with the dagger¡¯s body. Still, a cold chill ran through his back all of a sudden, he could feel an unknown entity wriggling very close to him, so he focused his attention on that. It was clear the skill had been activated, and the man with the dagger leaped back even more in a fluster. ¡¸Is this¡­ the Water Dragon charm?!¡¹ A clone of the robed man appeared behind him, restraining him, leaving him no option but to re at the other robed man in front of him. He remained looking like that at the robed man, who showed no change in his poker face. (So he managed to restrain him somehow¡­) Chimera uzen¡¯s members had to be strong enough to overpower spirits, since capturing them was their objective. Judging from the man¡¯s concealing get-up, it was easy to imagine he was part of a secret corps unit. His strength was also fitting for such a role. On the other hand, the robed man had been prioritizing restrain and capture, using the Water Dragon as a distraction to get him uninterested in the charm, then activating Water Mirror, a skill that created a clone made of water, which obviously possessed a considerable mass which made it hard to escape once restrained. The robed man was prepared for all of that, but Chimera uzen was still shrouded in mystery, it did not matter how dangerous things got, obtaining any form of information from them was necessary. In the end, the strategy was a sess, the charm hidden close to the man with the dagger was activated creating a water clone, which then restrained him. Even though the robed man had a deep wound on his arm, he had seeded in capturing his opponent. Or at least he thought so. He first looked back to theke, confirming that the spirit had escaped and was not close to them anymore. But then he realized his naginata had fallen to the ground. ¡¸Did you¡­ use paralyzing drugs¡­?¡¹ ¡¸Precisely.¡¹ His whole body began feeling numb, falling to his knees as he forced his voice out. His face was cramped from the paralysis while his eyes stared vacantly, until finally his concentration was weakened and all his activated skills were dispelled. The now released man with the dagger smirked with a malicious glint in his eyes, passing his dagger from one hand to another as he approached the downed robed man. ¡¸I¡¯ll end your suffering shortly.¡¹ Saying that, he swung the dagger down with a swift movement he was clearly ustomed to. The de, so dark it appeared to swallow the light surrounding it, swung down, but its path was interrupted by a pure white shield that appeared out of the blue, raising a high-pitched ng. ¡¸What was¡­ that?!¡¹ His eyes round in shock, the man with the dagger felt someone behind him, but when he tried to turn around it was already toote. Before he could see anything, his body was sent flying high into the air by what felt like a strong shockwave. ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve been paralyzed. Wait a moment.¡¹ The white shield covering the robed man disappeared, and instead he saw a girl with silver hair wearing a dress and coat with primarily dark colors. Her clothes were pushed back from the shockwave, but she did not seem to mind that as she checked the man¡¯s status. When the fight seemed entirely lost, Mira stepped in to help the robed man. She did not know if he was part of the Fifty Bells¡¯ Union, or even what that was, but Chimera uzen was an organization that Mira clearly thought of as an enemy. So it was easy for her to decide which side to help. ¡¸You¡¯re-¡¹ Before he could finish his sentence, Mira was gone. A momentter, he heard a pained moan together with some sort of explosion outside of his field of view. The ck dagger fell and thrust itself into the ground, next its owner also appeared, his wrists restrained by Mira while his hands had burn marks. ¡¸Dammit¡­ I thought you said you were just a summoner. What are you even doing?¡¹ He scowled at the girl he had seen in the otherke surrounded by flowers, provoking her through his teeth. ¡¸I¡¯m the one wondering what you¡¯re doing here. I thought you told me you¡¯d go back to a vige.¡¹ ¡¸I just got lost for a bit!¡¹ Mira had an expression of having seen through everything already, so the man looked even more flustered as he forced himself off Mira¡¯s grip, barely bearing the pain from the burns on his hands, and putting some distance between the two. He leaned forward so his tool bag was out of Mira¡¯s view and took out a small bottle that served as his trump card, hiding it in his palm. ¡¸You really like making things moreplicated than needed, huh. I just want to talk with you for a bit.¡¹ ¡¸I have nothing to tell you. I have no reason to, anyway.¡¹ His eyes were dark and sharp as he focused on Mira. He clearly had an intent to kill her, but Mira returned the gaze without care, closing the distance between the two in an instant with Ground Shrink. Seeing his opponent vanish, the man immediately focused his senses all around him. That was the best method of dealing with Sages who could appear anywhere around him during a fight, even in the most unexpected ces. From the limited skills he had seen her use, the man assumed Mira was a sage, and a rather powerful one at that. He grimaced at himself, feeling like he had fallen right in the palm of her hand since the moment they met, with her making him believe she was a summoner, the worst ss. He also believed now that she was part of the Fifty Bells, so he was thinking of a n to get rid of her. The bottle he had taken out earlier was an electricity element paralyzing bottle. If it was broken, it would attack the movement nerves of all living things within a certain radius, rendering them unable to move. He would obviously also be inside that area of effect, but he was already prepared against it, his clothes being resistant to lightning and paralysis. Thus, the effect on him would be minimal and he would be able to move much faster than anyone else. He grasped the bottle with just a little less strength than needed to break the bottle, and before he could finish, Mira appeared right in front of him, her outstretched palm d in whirlwinds that mercilessly cut anything she targeted. But the man bore with it, holding back the pain from all his limbs that appeared about to be torn off him. He almost loosened his grip and let the bottle fall off, but then he steeled himself and managed to shatter it in his hand. ¡¸I¡­ win¡­!¡¹ Certain of his victory, bolts of lightning running wild around him, a wicked smile overtook his face, his raised cheek obstructing the flow of blooding down from his head. Then his body felt the effect from the shattered bottle, his muscles contracting like cramps and he fell on his back. But that was only for a very short moment, his extremities regaining their control short seconds after. He had specialized himself in recovering like that, regaining control of his body faster than anybody else. That was his trump card to win any confrontation. But before the numbness was entirely gone from his body, it all changed into intense pain. ¡¸Guh¡­ ah..AHHH!¡¹ Unable to stand the pain, he screamed as loud as he could. Then a white and slender foot pried his hands open. The fragments from the bottle were still in his right hand, the ss shards embedded into his skin and stained with blood. ¡¸I knew you were hiding something.¡¹ Mira stood imposingly on him, firmly stepping on his arms as if pinning him down to the ground. Her eyes observing the vestiges left on his hand had a golden shine to them. Those were Magic Eyes. Together with [Eye Sage Art: Evil Paralyzing Gaze], she had himpletely under her control, being able to even dictate if he should remain alive or perish. ¡¸Why¡­ why can you move¡­¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2850 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1470 words
Editor(s): Fire
The man was looking at Mira almost from directly below her as he asked that. The paralyzing bottle¡¯s effect should have reached her as well. But she was not wearing any specialized gear like he was, so it was strange for her to stay unaffected. The man red at her in disdain, but she did not seem to be bothered in the least as she lifted her right hand showing him the back of it. Given their positions, the back of her hand was in shadows and hard to see, but when the man looked at it, he seemed satisfied while also somewhat hopeless as heughed vacantly. ¡¸Hahah¡­! A divine protection¡­ are you serious¡­¡¹ The man had seen the shape of a feather softly glowing in the shadow. It was Mira¡¯s bond with Mariana, the proof she had a fairy¡¯s divine protection. Fairy¡¯s Divine Protections had many different effects, depending on the fairy that granted them. The power of those effects would also vary depending on the strength of the bond. Mariana¡¯s Divine Protection offered resistance against status ailments. And the effect granted to Mira gave herplete resistance to any type of unnatural status. A paralysis bottle was considered a rather high level source of paralysis, but even it would be thwarted by the Divine Protection. So all in all, he really could not take that lightly given he relied on those bottles as his trump card. And because of that Divine Protection, Mira felt confident in charging head-on even without knowing what he was hiding in his hand. ¡¸I don¡¯t know who you are, but you really saved me there. Thank you.¡¹ The robed man¡¯s paralysis had finally started fading out, so he walked over to Mira with wobbly feet. ¡¸No need to worry about it. I heard you called him part of Chimera uzen, so as a fellow spellcaster I couldn¡¯t stand aside and not do anything.¡¹ Replying so, Mira looked away from the man under her and to the robed man. Her eyes had already returned to her usual translucent blue ones after using Magic Eyes. ¡¸Anyway¡­ who is she? I heard him call you something bells, is she also part of yourrades?¡¹ Alongside the robed man, there was another person there, a woman wearing a white mountain priestess¡¯ attire. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, which somehow gave her a more noble-like appearance, as opposed to her clothes. ¡¸Yeah, she¡¯s a friend. Like you heard, we¡¯re part of the Fifty Bells Union. I¡¯m Blue.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m White.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry we can only give you code names after how much you¡¯ve helped, but I hope you can understand the situation we¡¯re in.¡¹ The man called himself Blue, while the woman was White. Mira surmised those were their assigned code names when dealing with outsiders, not like she cared either way. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Introducing herself, she looked to her feet again. Therey the man, whose paralysis-resistant gear had been greatly overpowered by Mira¡¯s Magic Eyes and now vacantly stared up Mira¡¯s skirt. ¡¸So, what shall be done with him?¡¹ She lightly kicked his head as she turned back to Blue and White. ¡¸If you don¡¯t mind, would you let us take him captive? We¡¯d like to take him to our headquarters and interrogate him about a lot of things.¡¹ That was Blue¡¯s reply. Mira appeared to think about it for a short moment before giving her answer. ¡¸Your headquarters you say? Would it be alright if I go along with you then?¡¹ The Fifty Bells¡¯ Union, an organization that was made to fight Chimera uzen. Then there was Nyanmaru, the shikigami Mira encountered protecting a spirit on her way back from the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. Mira thought there might be some sort of rtion between them. ¡¸The headquarters¡­ Well, you pretty much saved my life so I¡¯d love doing that, but I¡¯m nothing but an underling, so I can¡¯t promise anything. However, I¡¯ll pass through a ry camp before returning to the headquarters, so I¡¯ll tell the higher-ups there as much as I can about you. Would that be enough?¡¹ He did owe her a lot, but since they had barely met, it was impossible for him to take her to such an important ce like their headquarters. Blue had a slight dispirited frown as he replied, promising to do as much as he could. ¡¸That would be very appreciated.¡¹ Mira knew that¡¯s how things would go with any organization, so she epted the offer and handed them the man she was standing on. The two Fifty Bells¡¯ members worked very efficiently, wrapping the man in a cloth envelope covered with symbols in less than a minute, tying that to a pole and carrying him on their backs. The symbols on the cloth were known as sealing charms, and if someone was enveloped by them their general abilities would be reduced to a tenth. They weremonly used to capture and transport people. They all left theke and headed to the ry camp, going through the forest and bushes. After a while of walking, Mira finally recalled something she had noticed. ¡¸Oh right, White. It felt like you appeared out of nowhere earlier, where were you before?¡¹ When Mira asked, the two smiled at each other before talking about the earlier events. ¡¸We normally operate in groups of two in the Fifty Bells Union. We have been following this man for a few days already, always tailing him. Then today, we saw you talking with him. We had been observing from far away to not be noticed, so we couldn¡¯t hear what you spoke about, but we thought you might be one of hisrades so we separated to watch you two.¡¹ ¡¸Blue followed him, and I stayed back to watch you. But for some reason when I followed you, every time I was a certain distance away from you, you¡¯d turn around towards my location. At first, I thought you were just really perceptive, but now I know you¡¯re also a sage, so you probably were simply noticing my presence with Life Sensing. When I had a rough idea of the area you could sense, I followed from outside that radius. But because of that, I was alsote to notice something was happening with Blue.¡¹ Blue hung his shoulders in dismay after the hardships he went through, while White pouted. Meanwhile, the captured man let his already vacant eyes stare even more emptily into the distance, hearing he had been followed for so many days. ¡¸By the way, I already noticed from the range of your Life Sensing, but you seem to be quite the sage.¡¹ White turned around to look at Mira with a deeply curious look. Mira¡¯s clothes were entirely based on the trendy Magical Girl style and fit her well, which made White pout even more at her own in clothes that made her look like she belonged in an isted shrine. ¡¸Actually no, I¡¯m a summoner!¡¹ Feeling a sense of deja vu, Mira stated that again. White replied with a ¡¸Huh?¡¹ while tilting her head, while Blueughed thinking it was some sort of joke. After using so many sage skills, it was hard to me them for thinking that way. Tired of having to go through this all over again, Mira summoned a Dark Knight in front of them. But since she said nothing beforehand, to Blue and White it looked like a ck humanoid monster had spawned, getting into position to fight it so swiftly it showed just how much they trained for that sort of situation. ¡¸Ah¡­ That¡¯s Dark Knight, my summon.¡¹ As soon as she had summoned it, she wanted to say that was proof she was a summoner, but the two reacted so quickly she could not get a word between them, so only now she mentioned it. The Dark Knight responded as well, meekly walking to Mira¡¯s side and standing there proving her words. ¡¸Seriously¡­ you almost gave me a heart attack.¡¹ ¡¸You should warn us beforehand if you want to do something like this.¡¹ The two took a few steps away from the overwhelming Dark Knight and loosened their stances. ¡¸Mm¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¹ Mira pouted as she apologized, wanting to say ¡¸But I told you I was a summoner first¡¹ but swallowing the sentence. But the true victim there had been Chimera uzen¡¯s member. He had been dropped on the spot when the Dark Knight appeared, by chancending on top of a bug nest, so he was forced to watch bugs crawling all over his helpless body without being able to wipe them off. Chapter 53: The Fifty Bells Union Chapter 53: The Fifty Bells Union The sun had set and the forest was shrouded in darkness and nocturnal animals starteding out. It was even darker amongst the trees, where Mira and the others were walking, but it was so bright around them it did not bother them. Blue and White heldnterns, while Mira added a Concept Magic light of her own. ¡¸But¡­ still. Abination of sage and summoner, it¡¯s kinda like¡­ you know¡­¡¹ ¡¸The legendary Danbulf, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah yeah. Are you a big fan of his or something, maybe?¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s my master, so I obviously employ the same fighting style.¡¹ Blue and White were talking rather casually, so Mira also added that in a very casual voice. ¡¸That¡¯s interesting. Then Kagura of the Seven Stars will be my master.¡¹ ¡¸And the Grasping Meilin is mine.¡¹ That was their reaction,ughing heartily about it while Mira let her shoulders hang while sighing. ¡¸Now you two are taking it too far.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t be so serious.¡¹ ¡¸You would end up losing to us if that was the case after all.¡¹ Both did not seem to believe Mira when she said she was Danbulf¡¯s pupil, so she decided to not give it too much importance andugh it away. Instead, she focused on gathering as much information as she could before they arrived at the ry camp, at least about less important things that Blue and White would be willing to reply. From what they told her, Mira learned that Chimera uzen had started acting all around Arkitetely, and while the numbers were still vague, they were believed to be rather numerous. They possessed weapons made specifically to capture spirits, but where the spirits would end was still unknown. That meant that capturing a member like they had just done would be incredibly helpful, so they might even get a special reward for it. The ry camp was set up to the side of a river with crystal clear water, its bedpletely visible. There were manymps all around the camp, which consisted of tworge tents. The tents were supported by four trees on each corner, so they looked very sturdy and well built. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re finally back. And who might those two be?¡¹ In the center of the camp, there was a simple open me to cook, and around it three tables and six chairs. A man was sitting on one of them, grilling some meat when he noticed the arrivals. ¡¸Well, this here is Mira, who helped us a great deal. And he is a member of Chimera, we managed to capture him thanks to Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Someone from Chimera?! That¡¯s awesome!¡¹ Saying that, the man stood up in a good mood. He looked like a healthy middle-aged man, wearing sturdy golden armor with green ents, and two straight swords dangled from his hip. His head was shaven, a speck of stubble around his mouth, and his eyes were of a light brown color. His skin was on the darker side, making it clear he was part of the Gardia Tribe, who had even more strength than their appearance suggested. People who met him for the first time might think he was a scary person, but in reality, he cared deeply for others. The man looked at Chimera uzen¡¯s member who was being carried by Blue and White, then looked at them with aplicated look. ¡¸He looks very calm. Is he really alive?¡¹ ¡¸Apparently he¡¯s paralyzed. She infused him with a great deal of paralysis, so he won¡¯t be able to move for a while.¡¹ ¡¸Ohoh. That¡¯s really cool.¡¹ White replied like that, and the man took another look at Chimera¡¯s member, astonished at his state considering the anti-paralysis gear he had. Then he stood upright and walked over to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m Red, though it¡¯s not my real name. It seems we owe you a lot, so let me thank you as well.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira. And I just happened to be near when things happened. I also have some stuff I¡¯d like to discuss with you, so I came along here.¡¹ Red introduced himself and held his hand out, which Mira shook. His grip was firm, but it also transmitted just how thankful he was. ¡¸Do you mean with us personally or with the Fifty Bells? Though well, we should deliver this man to ourmander first. So I hope you don¡¯t mind if we leave our talk forter?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fine.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s reply, Red thanked her and turned to look at the restrained man again. ¡¸Blue, help me carry him to ourmander, I also have a report due. Also, I just got my hands on some gourmet meat and was grilling it, so White, if you wouldn¡¯t mind giving Mira here a feast.¡¹ Adding that, Red pointed at the grill. ¡¸Understood!¡¹ White replied energetically while Red picked the man up and carried him to the other tent to the left. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s eat now that it¡¯s just us. I¡¯ve been wanting to try that meat for a while too.¡¹ Saying that, White quickly walked to the grill and began turning around the piece of meat, raising a very pleasant smell. The meltedrd from the meat dripped down to the mes creating a satisfying sound, and White urged Mira to get closer, unable to wait any longer herself. ¡¸Hurry, let¡¯s eat all of it before theye back!¡¹ ¡¸I think that¡¯s asking too much from me¡­¡¹ Mira followed her and sat down close to the fire, but when she saw the piece of meat being grilled, she realized it was a bit toorge just for the two of them. ¡¸You don¡¯t like meat?¡¹ ¡¸I do like it.¡¹ That was not quite Mira¡¯s point, but White seemed to not care as she took a knife and began cutting into the meat. ¡¸Here you go, and there¡¯s plenty more if you want.¡¹ After cing a te with a piece of meat in front of Mira, she cut another one for herself and happily stuffed her cheeks with it. ¡¸Tashtyy!¡¹ As White ate the meat, she rubbed her thighs together while raising her voice. Seeing her act that way, Mira¡¯s stomach began rumbling as well, so she took her fork to the meat. As she chewed it, Mira felt its vor expanding through her mouth, and just a few bites of it were enough to make anyone satisfied with having tasted real meat. Feeling that unexpected rich vor, Mira also let a ¡¸delicious!¡¹ escape her mouth as she reached for more and more bites. ¡¸By the way, why were you in a ce like that?¡¹ Saying that, White stuffed thest piece of meat down her throat. Mira had also eaten quite a lot of it, but eighty percent of it was in White¡¯s stomach. ¡¸I was just gathering some items. A friend asked for some stuff, so I went to get them.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Are you done getting that stuff then?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I have everything I needed.¡¹ Mira stretched, reclining her body on the back of her chair while talking about random things with White. ¡¸Still, you¡¯re the living example of never judging a book by its cover. Not only are you a summoner, but you¡¯re also a sage on top of that.¡¹ White was also a sage, so she was curious to see how strong Mira was, after witnessing only a bit of her power. Even if Mira mainly focused on being a summoner, her sage skills were nothing to joke about. ¡¸Well, I guess so. Though I¡¯m mainly a summoner.¡¹ ¡¸Still, you¡¯re really amazing since you already activated your innate senses at such a young age. I haven¡¯t heard much about summonerstely, but I¡¯m d to know there are still people like you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, many things happened. But what¡¯s that innate sense thing you mentioned? I don¡¯t remember ever learning such a thing¡­¡¹ As they spoke, a new term popped up in their conversation, ¡¸innate sense¡¹. But Mira had no recollection of hearing that before, though considering she was away for thirty years, it made sense that new techniques were developed in that time. Though it was still weird that she would be making use of something she never heard before. She tried going through her memories just in case it was something she forgot, but it was still apletely new term for her. ¡¸Err, you use sage skills topliment your summoning, right?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct..?¡¹ ¡¸But you only made it your secondary role after you had awakened your innate sense, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­uh?¡¹ ¡¸Huh..?¡¹ It felt like they were talking in differentnguages, mostly because they had argely different understanding of the matter. They silently looked at each other with their necks tilted, trying to figure out where the misunderstanding was between them. ¡¸Could you tell me what that innate sense thing is? I might be able to understand what you mean if I know that.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds like a good starting point.¡¹ Saying that, White began exining what innate sense was. In short, it was something oddly simr to Mira¡¯s Second ss, though different in essence, and as Mira had assumed, it was something developed during thest thirty years.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3306 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1630 words
Editor(s): Fire
A spellcaster with highpatibility to multiple sses awoke their innate senses, they were able to use skills from a different ss to their main one in a supportive manner. Magicpatibility signaled one¡¯s ability to mold and shape magic, and settling on one ss determined the way magic power would manifest from one person. The act of settling on one ss could be performed in different ways, normally set in stone through the first skills and spells one learned, or by the ss one was the mostpatible with. Those who were onlypatible with one single ss also learned the same way, or they could forgo sses overall and settle with Concept Arts. But being able to modify a part of one¡¯s magic power from that set ss and reverting it to the raw and flexible way it was at birth, was called awaking one¡¯s innate senses. That meant a portion of their magic strength in their main ss would decrease, but they would gain ess to so many more skills that it majorly expanded their power as spellcasters. However, that was still using only a portion of their overall magic power, so the supportive ss could never be as powerful as the main one. A very poprbo was being mainly a magician with some saint skills on top, or the other way around. After hearing White¡¯s exnation, Mira pondered about it in silence. Mira¡¯s Second ss had no downsides like that at all, she practically doubled her magic power by gaining a second ss. Though maybe theck of a big enough mana pool to maintain both sses could be considered a downside. ¡¸Hmm, I see. Though I¡¯m quite proficient with Sage Arts as well.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s funny how you learned that without even knowing the official term.¡¹ ¡¸Things like that can happen sometimes.¡¹ ¡¸I guess so.¡¹ White nodded slightly at Mira¡¯s response, quickly focusing on Mira¡¯s Magical Girl style clothing. Her eyes were filled with some jealousy, but Mira did not seem to notice at all as she looked away into the forest. Blue and Red came out of the tent, Red immediately running to the grill, looking around in the search of something before ring at White. ¡¸So you wolfed down all of it¡­¡¹ ¡¸It was really tasty.¡¹ ¡¸I did not expect such a good taste either.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­ I see, that¡¯s good to know¡­¡¹ Red sat down, hanging his head in disappointment after being unable to try even a bite of the meat he cooked with so much effort. ¡¸Mira, do you have a moment?¡¹ Blue remained at the entrance of the tent, calling out to Mira. She turned around, seeing that he was beckoning her toe while holding the tent open. ¡¸Our leader will talk to you directly about our base.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯ming.¡¹ Mira nodded and stood up, heading to the tent Blue was in front of. Behind her, White took out a piece of meat she had hidden and ced it in front of Red. He thanked and praised her greatly before starting to cut into the meat, while a devilish smile overtook White¡¯s lips. When Mira entered the tent, arge man that was sitting in it stood up and weed her. Inside the tent, there was in bedding for three, as well as chairs and a table, and tools to maintain equipment in one corner. Close to that corner was a square cage, with Chimera uzen¡¯s member inside, who was still wrapped up and heaving deep sleeping breaths, probably because of a drug he was forced to smell. The man who stood in the center of the tent was even taller than Red as he examined Mira. But in contrast to his muscr body, he wore white robes with divine inscriptions, clothes favored by saints. ¡¸I¡¯m Silver, leader of the Multicolor troops of the Fifty Bells. First of all, let me thank you for rescuing Blue, you have my gratitude.¡¹ His voice was low and bassy as he said that and bowed to her in a disy of gratitude. His hair was trimmed short, a circlet holding a gem adorning his head. His face had strong and deep features, like that of a monk that attained enlightenment. ¡¸It was nothing big. Either way, if I had never run into that man, Blue and White would have remained together. If they fought together against him I¡¯m sure they would¡¯ve won.¡¹ It was true she rescued him, but it had also been her fault that Blue and White split up. But Blue shook his head. ¡¸This was no mere victory. As soon as a Chimera member realizes they¡¯re on the losing side they flee. If he saw the two of us together he would¡¯ve run away instantly. ¡¸But we fought one-on-one at first. Only when I got paralyzed did you act, and from the looks of it, you could resist that attack, though even I was taken by surprise at how strong it was. Being able to turn that mistake into this result was truly important.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, is that how it happened.¡¹ As Blue had said, Chimera uzen members were really quick at retreating, so this was the very first time they had been able to capture one. ¡¸Thanks to you, we¡¯ve found a very important source of information. Now onto the next topic, Blue tells me you want to visit one of our bases, can I ask why you want that?¡¹ That was a very reasonable question, so Mira replied honestly. ¡¸I¡¯m looking for someone. The other day I met a shikigami ying with a spirit near Caranach. Apparently, the shikigami had protected the spirit from Chimera uzen, your enemy. I¡¯m looking for the master of that shikigami. I¡¯ve learned that you¡¯re an organization fighting against Chimera uzen after meeting Blue, so I have reasons to believe the person I¡¯m looking for is one of your members. Does a shikigami named Nyanmaru ring any bells?¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s entire reasoning, Silver and Blue began thinking about that name. But they could not remember hearing that name before, so they groaned while sighing. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I heard that name before.¡¹ ¡¸Same here.¡¹ They both apologized, though Mira never had many hopes either way, but still thought it was worth asking about. ¡¸I see,¡¹ she said with a quick nod, figuring it would be better if she asked in a bigger base. ¡¸Though from what you¡¯ve told us, I think there¡¯s a high probability that shikigami¡¯s master is amongst our ranks, even if I can¡¯t guarantee it. Now then¡­ I¡¯ll do as Blue suggested. We¡¯ve seen you in action, so even if we decided to hide, it wouldn¡¯t mean much against you, so we¡¯ll trust you.¡¹ ¡¸First, our organization was made to fight against Chimera and normally try to hide from the public, our forces divided into fourrge groups.¡¹ ¡¸We here are part of the Multicolor troops. We have the most members and we¡¯re in charge of monitoring Chimera uzen¡¯s movements as well as ensuring the spirits¡¯ safety.¡¹ ¡¸Then there¡¯s the Bellerophon toon. They¡¯re a specialized group that gets dispatched from the headquarters to a given ce in the continent depending on the information gathered by the rest of us.¡¹ ¡¸Then we have what we call the ambassadors, though they¡¯re more like awork of information. We have one member in every country and they ry all the information we gather back to the headquarters.¡¹ ¡¸Lastly, there are the Hidden. They don¡¯t form actual groups and act more independently, but as they are alone most of the time, they have the best individual skills.¡¹ ¡¸If the person from your story is a member of the Fifty Bells, and worked by fending off Chimera with a lone shikigami, I can easily imagine them being someone from the Hidden.¡¹ Silver spoke in detail about the Fifty Bells¡¯ hierarchy in their fight against Chimera uzen, in part to show he trusted Mira, in part because he did not want her to go snooping around and learn a lot of half-truths from dubious sources about them. She was of the same mind about the identity of that person after hearing Silver¡¯s exnation, but she also felt she would need to ask someone in a higher position to know more. ¡¸But that means you¡¯ll really have to go ask at an actual base. Only a small portion of the higher-ups know details about the Hidden. As much as I want to help you, there¡¯s nothing more we know of.¡¹ Blue said that while turning to look at Silver, his eyes asking if it was okay to take Mira to their base. ¡¸I¡¯d love taking you there, but we can¡¯t really leave this ce. There¡¯s always the probability someone mighte here looking for theirrade that suddenly vanished.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡¹ Hearing Silver¡¯s response, Blue understood what he meant as he replied in a low voice. There were still spirits in the forests, so Chimera uzen would be back there, either to capture those or to find out what happened with theirrade, so the group could not let go of a chance of finding even more members. Mira also understood that. ¡¸Hmm, you have a point. But then what are you going to do with that man? If you¡¯re going to take him to another base I could go along.¡¹ Mira spoke while looking at the man sleeping inside the square cage. Their objective was ultimately to take him to their base for interrogation, so she wondered if she could apany them.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3156 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1500 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Everything has its process. First, we have to inform them that we captured someone, then they¡¯ll probably hurry to send someone to pick him up.¡¹ ¡¸I see. More or less how long will that take?¡¹ ¡¸Around three to four days, assuming it goes like in the past.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ If it was only one day she might have stayed there to wait, but that was a bit too long for her to sit idly without doing anything. So Mira thought of another way. ¡¸Then could you tell me where it is? I¡¯ll go there straight away.¡¹ If she knew where to go, she could always go there on her own. But Blue had been so secretive about it so far that it was not something he could divulge so easily. Mira knew that as well, which is why she asked to tag along instead of flying directly there on Pegasus, but now there was no other option for her than to go alone. ¡¸Hmm¡­ so far I feel like I can trust you like Blue does, but that¡¯s still something I can¡¯t tell you. Even if I feel that way, I can¡¯t let emotions drive my decisions.¡¹ Silver was their leader, so he could not let emotion take over the decisions he made while shouldering so much responsibility. Still, he still owed her the life of one of his subordinates, so he was really conflicted as he replied in that way. ¡¸Well, I can understand that.¡¹ What he said was true, or rather, anyone suitable to lead a group of people had to reply that way. But this was a lead Mira had to follow, so she pondered if there really was no other way. ¡¸But it¡¯s only thanks to her that we got this far. Is there really nothing we can do, sir?¡¹ Blue insisted more, getting slightly annoyed. He wanted to repay Mira by all means possible. ¡¸Hmm¡­ we need to give her something to prove we trust her¡­ something more than just my word that would convince the higher-ups¡­¡¹ Something that showed tangible trust. In other words, some form of certificate that showed Mira was a trustworthy person at first sight. Silver muttered to himself in an attempt to find a way, mistaking Mira¡¯s pondering pose for her feeling in distress. When Mira caught those words, she recalled an item Solomon gave her. ¡¸Oh right, would this serve as proof?¡¹ Saying that, Mira took out a metallic te. It was the medal given to her that showed the Kingdom of Arkite¡¯s emblem, the number 9 and the pattern of a ring engraved in silver. ¡¸A medal¡­ can I take a closer look?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, go ahead.¡¹ Having seen the magic circle on the backside of the medal, Silver asked for her permission to examine it, and when it was given he took it in his hands. ¡¸¡­!¡¹ Silver¡¯s expression changed instantly. His eyes were wide open as he turned it around and around multiple times confirming it was legitimate. ¡¸This is the first time I see one of these¡­¡¹ ¡¸So, does that help?¡¹ Silver mutteredpletely astonished when Mira asked that. He waspletely overtaken by shock, but Mira somehow made his thoughts flow again as he nodded firmly. ¡¸Yes, of course. Or rather, I can¡¯t possibly refuse anything after seeing this. I really want to avoid making enemies with Arkite.¡¹ Silver carefully returned the medal. Mira tilted her head at Silver¡¯s exaggerated expression, but still felt relieved knowing the medal helped her situation. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you where the headquarters are instead of just a base, and I¡¯ll also write you a letter of introduction, that¡¯s the most I can do for you.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, your headquarters you say. Is that really okay?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s really hard to say if a mere base will have the knowledge you want, and with the proof you¡¯ve shown me I can only point you towards the headquarters.¡¹ She would be pointed towards the headquarters and not a base, to the ce where everything rted to the Fifty Bells converged. On top of that, she was getting a letter of introduction. With all of that, she would probably be able to gain even more information than she expected at first. Satisfied with that result, she nced once over the medal before returning it to her Item Box. (Well, this worked even better than I expected. It came in handy faster than I thought.) ¡¸Wait a moment, I¡¯ll get it ready.¡¹ Saying that, Silver took out paper and ink from arge bag and began writing the letter. ¡¸Whew, I¡¯m d you got something from this. At least I was able to repay my favor.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying, there was nothing for you to repay.¡¹ ¡¸It still bothered me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep in peace otherwise.¡¹ ¡¸Your lifestyle sounds harsh.¡¹ ¡¸I get told that a lot.¡¹ Blue shrugged it off while joking about it. The two continued chatting randomly while Silver got the letter ready. ¡¸I¡¯ve marked the spot on this map, and here is the letter.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you, you¡¯ve been really helpful.¡¹ Mira thanked him as she received the map and letter from Silver. ¡¸I¡¯m also d to know that even young girls like you care so much about the spirits. That we met like this was also thanks to them, so let¡¯s protect the spirits with all our might.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe we should let her join the Fifty Bells then? At least I would wee her.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll think about it.¡¹ After that short exchange, Mira left the tent with a smile on her lips. When she was out of Blue and Silver¡¯s sight, Blue turned to Silver and spoke about something that had been bothering him. ¡¸By the way, was it really a good idea to go into so much detail about our organization? And then even go as far as telling her where the headquarters are.¡¹ Silver forced a smile hearing Blue¡¯s question, replying while he returned the writing tools to the bag. ¡¸We have seen how good she is when fighting against Chimera. Instead of half-a?s?s?e?d?l?y hiding information, it was best to be honest and upfront so maybe she considers joining us. I think she cares enough about spirits for that. And you saw that medal as well, that¡¯s nomon item. It had the emblem of Arkite engraved in it, a 9 symbolizing the towers, and the ring pattern unique to King Solomon. All of thatbined means that she¡¯s someone with absolutemand under the Nine Towers. Or put simply, King Solomon and Arkite guarantee the honor of the medal¡¯s owner, and she works directly under King Solomon¡¯smand. That¡¯s the meaning of that medal.¡¹ ¡¸Woah¡­¡¹ So Mira was someone under direct orders of the Kingdom, and going against her wishes was the same as refusing King Solomon¡¯s orders. ¡¸I guess she¡¯s in direct talks with Arkite, or rather with King Solomon. So he¡¯ll probably also hear everything that happened here.¡¹ ¡¸Our organization is still being kept a secret in most ces. Shouldn¡¯t we have told her to keep silent about us then?¡¹ ¡¸But we never had a member of Chimera in our possession before, so things will change greatly now. No matter how stubborn he is about keeping silent, I¡¯m sure ourmander will make him spill everything. That will set many things in motion, so things will change around us as well. Even if we don¡¯t gain many allies, having people we can rely on will help a great deal. As you probably know, Arkite is known as thend of spellcasters. If they hear about our dilemma I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll help us¡­ or at least Mira will.¡¹ Silver was sure their achievement carried such a heavy weight, and it would impact their rtionship with Chimera uzen all the more. If they could find out what happened to the kidnapped spirits, who had ordered them to do that, and if there was a country behind them; Chimera uzen¡¯s reaction would also change. In the worst case, they might be even more aggressive, in which case having a country support the Fifty bells would be necessary. And the first country Silver thought of was Arkite, or rather, there was no other option. Even suggesting that Mira might be carrying a fake medal would paint a bright red target on his back while losing a chance at joining hands with a powerful country. So the medal had to be real, and he had to tell Mira the location of their headquarters and introduce her through a letter. Saying that, Silver built up the fighting spirit in his body, while Blue nodded strongly after finally understanding the state of affairs, before ring at the man sleeping inside the cage. Chapter 54: Nocturnal Visitor Chapter 54: Nocturnal Visitor The first thing Mira heard aftering out of the tent was a couple of lively voices. ¡¸I chopped the veggies.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, put them in this bowl.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m done washing the pan.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m almost done setting things up here, hold onto it for a bit longer.¡¹ There were four people there. Red, White, and two others Mira had not seen before. They were all around Red, who was manning the grill, and Mira felt a bit out of ce seeing how busy they appeared, but then one of them spotted Mira in front of the tent and ran to her. ¡¸I guess you¡¯re Mira? I¡¯m Green, nice to meet you! It¡¯s alreadyte though, is it alright if she stays with us for the night?¡¹ Green was a woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair. She smiled brightly as she spoke with a cheerful and high timbre voice. Her body was covered in a coat with reinforced patches in vital spots, and some of the many dozens of weapons concealed inside peeked from the seams. ¡¸Hmm that¡¯s indeed true. I¡¯ll spend the night here, thank you.¡¹ If she flew away as soon as she was out of the Tenma Labyrinth then she would have been able to reach Hunters Vigete in the night, but if she headed out now, she would get there at dawn the next day. Thinking about it for a moment, eventually she nodded to Green and thanked her for their hospitality. ¡¸Of course she can stay if she wants!¡¹ ¡¸But we only have beds for us¡­what should we do about that?¡¹ The other unknown person spoke, a woman with anguid-sounding voice that currently held a knife in one hand and a halfway cut rotund vegetable in the other one, which resembled a pumpkin. That woman was slightly taller than Mira, but her body was much more robust. The unkempt dark red hair and thick eyebrows made it obvious to Mira that she was a dwarf. ¡¸Also hi Mira~ I heard about you from White, I¡¯m-¡¹ ¡¸Wait, I¡¯ll try to guess!¡¹ Before the dwarfdy could finish her introduction, Mira stopped her and went through the names she had heard already. (They all seem to use colors as code names, they are called the multicolor toon after all. I¡¯ve met Blue, White, Red, Geren, and their leader Silver. So I guess colors like Gold and Silver are reserved for high-ranking members, which would leave¡­) Mira continued thinking which colors were missing there. She could think of a couple. (ck¡­ that¡¯s not really a feminine-sounding name. Then Pink¡­ hmmm, not really, as pretty as it is, it¡¯s not colorful enough. What color would fit her carefree appearance¡­) She arbitrarily thought of rules for the names, trapping herself in her own thoughts as she fished out a response from amongst her mistaken beliefs. ¡¸You are Yellow!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Purple.¡¹ Mira announced with unfounded but absolute confidence, but the correction was a color that had not even popped up in the corner of her mind. ¡¸¡­that¡¯s not fair.¡¹ Something seemed to crumble into small pieces inside Mira as she cowered in shame under the light ofmps dispelling the darkness of the night. ¡¸¡­What happened to Mira?¡¹ When Blue came out of the tent, she found Mira curled into a ball, hiding in the shadows of the lively preparations happening around. That took him by surprise, and once he recollected his thoughts he asked White. ¡¸To put it somehow, she¡¯s like the detective that announced the perpetrator was in the room, when in fact he was far away.¡¹ ¡¸What does that even mean¡­¡¹ Blue¡¯s brows lifted at the quizzical response that exined nothing, even though Mira¡¯s back twitched hearing that. ¡¸Basically, she¡¯s ashamed of something she brought upon herself.¡¹ Recalling Mira¡¯s confident expression from earlier, White took her fingertips to cover her lips as she chuckled before telling the whole story to Blue. ¡¸Well¡­ that certainly sounds embarrassing. I wonder why she thought of Yellow.¡¹ ¡¸Same.¡¹ Mira had seeded in spicing up Blue and White¡¯s usual boring conversations. Hearing their entertained voices, Silver came out from the tent as well, quickly being informed of Mira¡¯s mishap. At first, aplex expression took over his face, remembering the existence of that medal, but when he saw Mira¡¯s curled up body, he burst outughing without caring about it anymore. ¡¸Now now, littledy. Dinner is no time to be sulking around, and what happened is no reason to feel so ashamed. If you heard Blue¡¯s war stories he¡¯d be in a far worse state than you are now, but he chose to live without care, just look at him standing up straight with that cheeky smile.¡¹ Silver approached the corner Mira was hiding in, speaking in a low voice only she could hear. She slowly lifted her face hearing him and turned to look to where he was pointing. Blue stood there, manning the grill with a rxed face. ¡¸Now listen, he might look that way now, but there was this time¡­¡¹ Silver told her stories of Blue¡¯s past, and when Mira heard all of it she finally stood up with a clear expression. ¡¸Even if it¡¯s a bit embarrassing, that was nothing inparison to other stuff I¡¯ve done.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t think that something so small is reason to be embarrassed around us.¡¹ Silver smiled happily, Mira standing at his side while Blue also spoke kindly to her. ¡¸Silver, Mira, we¡¯re about to start soe here.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, we¡¯ll go in a bit.¡¹ Red finished the preparations at the grill and called out to the two who were sitting at the side of the tent. Silver raised one hand signaling he was on his way, while Mira nodded quickly. When everyone was together, Blue handed Mira a cup. ¡¸Let¡¯s start with a toast, you sit on your usual spot sir, and Mira you go to Green¡¯s side.¡¹ Mira took the cup, then Green ced her hand on Mira¡¯s shoulder and took her to the side with all the other females. There was arge circr grill on top of the fire, with many tes with raw food on them around it. Everyone was standing in a circle, and when Silver was in his spot, Red took the lead speaking. ¡¸Today is a very important day for us, now that we¡¯ve captured a member of Chimera. This was aplished thanks to Blue and White, as well as the much-appreciated help received from Mira. Now to celebrate the asion, I¡¯ve gone all out gathering the best meat around here, so enjoy as much as you want. Cheers!¡¹ ¡¸¡¸Cheers!¡¹¡¹ Their synchronized voices resounded through the night sky as they raised their cups and lightly hit them against each other. The collisions made some drops spill onto the grill, creating a sizzling sound that only made the moment all that better. Next, everyone began cing their favorite ingredients on the grill filling the surrounding area with a mouthwatering smell and cheerful voices. After the celebration was over, it was time to put everything away before calling it a night, and everyone went to their respective tent. The tents were separated into one for females and one for males. Mira felt like she had eaten too much as White guided her wobbly feet towards the females¡¯ tent when something happened. ¡¸Hm¡­?¡¹ They heard the sound of grass rustling from somewhere hidden under the darkness of the forest, as well as a pair of eyes that spied on them. ¡¸It¡¯s something small, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, looks that way.¡¹ The two instantly activated Life Sensing to figure out what it was, but they only got a small reading, so assuming it was just a small animal living in the forest, they opened the tent. But just when they were about to enter inside it, the thing came out of the forest and darted in a straight line towards Mira. ¡¸You are¡­!¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3043 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1470 words
Editor(s): Fire
It had a slick shape that could easily run away if it felt endangered, but it still approached Mira¡¯s feet. It was the rabbit with blue fur, a Pure Rabbit said to bring good luck. It looked up at Mira, pleading to be carried with soft cries. Mira could not resist it and knelt down to embrace it in her arms. ¡¸Is that a Pure Rabbit? I¡¯ve never seen one before. I only heard that they¡¯re really shy so it¡¯s rare to see one. But this one looks used to people.¡¹ White spoke as she peeked over Mira¡¯s shoulder to see the animal, but when the rabbit noticed White was looking, it became frightened and scurried inside Mira¡¯s chest. At the same time, White looked dejected, noticing it was not used to people after all. Pure Rabbits normally would never let themselves be seen, or even less approach someone, but this one seemed to feel reassured in Mira¡¯s arms as it squeaked happily while indulging in Mira¡¯s care. ¡¸Did¡­ you follow me all the way here?¡¹ There was only one Pure Rabbit Mira recalled being friendly with her, the one she found before entering the Tenma Labyrinth. Thinking about that, Mira immediately summoned Cait Sith. A small magic circle appeared, a multitude of kittens jumping out to perform a line dance before exploding into confetti leaving only Cait Sith in the center. He remained in his finishing pose, turning only his head in expectation towards Mira. ¡¸Hmm, not too bad. 8 points.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s meow highest score so far!¡¹ The cat in wizard clothes held a ¡¸I¡¯m so moved¡¹ sign high with both hands, while someone spoke behind Mira. ¡¸Who¡¯s this cute kitty¡­¡¹ White¡¯s eyes glistened as she looked at the cat that suddenly appeared there. Cait Sith looked surprised at first, then resting his elbow on the sign while saying ¡¸You have good taste¡¹, the sign glowing with ¡¸¡¯Tis everyone¡¯s idol¡¹ written on it. ¡¸But anyway, first lieutenant, can you be my interpreter for this bunny?¡¹ Saying that, Mira showed the Pure Rabbit she held to Cait Sith. ¡¸Peowsy of cake.¡¹ Cait Sith announced pridefully while thumping his chest. ¡¸Let¡¯s do this then¡¹ Mira patted his head before starting to converse with the Rabbit through Cait Sith, asking why it was there. After their talk, Mira was slightly worried, while also gently petting the blue rabbit¡¯s head. The Pure Rabbit had really followed Mira all the way there, lying in wait until most of the people around here were gone before showing itself. As to why, it simply wanted to be with Mira. That made Mira¡¯s heart melt, but also worry terribly. Thinking about it objectively, Mira would constantly be flying from one ce to another to aplish her mission, and that included going to really dangerous ces. In other words, she could not take the Pure Rabbit with her all the time. ¡¸I¡¯m really happy you think of me that way, but I¡¯ll often go to dangerous ces¡­ so I might not be able to protect you properly, so this isn¡¯t really¡­¡¹ Cait Sith tranted Mira¡¯s words to the Pure Rabbit, and when it heard them it looked down, the hopeful glint in its eyes vanishing as it squeaked in a more sad tone. Its ears also plopped down, the happy appearance it had earlier crumbling into dust as it rolled its body into a lonely ball. Mira¡¯s heart was split in two. She knew she would end up going to ces where she had to be very careful toe out alive, so it would be hard to keep watch on the Pure Rabbit at the same time. So thinking that one mistake on her end could end the life of a creature that got so attached to her made her feel even more heartbroken. ¡¸Couldn¡¯t you just leave it with someone you trust to watch over it during those times? I also leave my little Pinya at a friends¡¯ ce when I go out. And ah, Pinya is my kitty, she¡¯s even cuter than that cat there.¡¹ ¡¸Meow did you say?!¡¹ White spoke with a sweet and indulging voice, showing how fond she was of Pinya. Still, the unexpectedparison at the end caught Cait Sith off guard and he drooped his head while the sign read ¡¸That¡¯s a bit excessive¡¹. But that still made Mira aware of that possibility, there was nothing saying she had to be with the rabbit all year round, so she had plenty of other options. Cait Sith helping withmunicating with the little animal also helped to make the process seamless, as opposed to a simple owner-pet rtionship most people would have. Thinking it through, Mira told her conditions to Cait Sith, so he could pass them on to the Pure Rabbit. In short, the Pure Rabbit would not apany Mira all the time, but it could stay at her home as long as it pleased. There was someone else living there as well, so it would have to listen to her as well though. But on the bright side, they would be able to spend a lot of time together every time she was back from a mission. Thest bit was purely Mira¡¯s desire, if possible she would want to be with the creature all the time, but since she wanted to avoid putting it in danger it was best if it stayed at her home. Those were her conditions for the rabbit. When Cait Sith finished tranting all of that, the Pure Rabbit raised its head and jumped into Mira¡¯s chest. It squeaked happily again, rubbing its face against her. ¡¸Those are good conditions, and I¡¯ll listen to anything that person says so please take me with you, it says meow.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d everything could work out.¡¹ After Cait Sithmunicated the Pure Rabbit¡¯s reply, White was teary-eyed for some reason as she nodded firmly. Mira thanked Cait Sith and sent him back, then hugged the Pure Rabbit that had just be her beloved pet and walked into the tent together with White. Green was there getting the beds ready, but when she saw the blue rabbit she silently ran over and grinned as she looked at it from up close. This time it entirely trusted Mira¡¯s care as it did not shake nor try to escape as the two others petted him to their hearts¡¯ content. Purple, on the other hand, had already fallen asleep before Mira came into the tent. She hadpleted her duties earlier than anyone else that day, so halfway through dinner, she had reached her limit. Now she was happily snoring away the weariness. ¡¸I only need a bit of space, I have plenty of high-quality pelts, so I¡¯ll make do with them for the rest.¡¹ The Multicolor toons moved in small groups, so they always packed the bare minimum necessary so they could quickly relocate if necessary. That meant they had no equipment ready for any guests, so Mira had no choice but to borrow a bit of space from someone else. White and Green looked more than pleased to oblige with that. Mira had the pelts she used to warm herself up during her flying trips, wrapping herself in it as she curled into a tight space left in the tent. The sleeping space for the other girls could hardly be called a bed either, it was more like an oversized sleeping bag made with an emphasis onfort. Fitting two adults in one would have been a bit too tight, but with Mira¡¯s petite frame there would be no problem in getting her inside. ¡¸Nights get really cold during this season.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and if you sleep in a cramped ce like that your body will be all sore tomorrow. Come sleep inside here with me, it might look a bit wonky but it¡¯s actually reallyfortable.¡¹ White and Green kept inviting her like that, but Mira firmly shook her head. She still felt a certain guilt when thinking about sleeping together with a woman. Eventually, the two gave up and let Mira sleep the way she wanted. She took her coat off andid down in the pelts. It was not the mostfortable way of sleeping, but she still fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. The Pure Rabbit followed her too, cuddling against her. When her rxed breaths filled the tent, White and Green gently carried her into one of their sleeping bags, careful to not wake her up. The Pure Rabbit noticed that, looking up at her body being carried, and tottered after her. Once she was inside White¡¯s sleeping bag, it quickly secured the spot next to her.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2959 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1511 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸¡­It took it¡­¡¹ The blue rabbit had imed the space to Mira¡¯s side, plopping on the very middle of the sleeping bag. Because of that, White and Green ended up having to sleep in the same sleeping bag, pretty much hugging each other to fit in. After the night was over and the sun once again shone brightly outside, Mira woke up naturally and looked around with anguid gaze. ¡¸Ah¡­ I slept here¡­¡¹ She muttered as she recalled how she came to spend a night in the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s camp, but something felt off about the exact spot where she woke up. She recalled going to sleep in a corner of the tent, wrapped in pelts, but at some point, she had been transported to a ce with a soft mat under her. The Pure Rabbit was also there, still sleeping happily, but White, Green and Purple were absent, though their voices could be heard outside, talking in a low whispering tone. (They worry too much for no reason.) A soft smile sprouted on her lips as she put on the coat she had folded beside her pillow, happy and thankful she had a pleasant wake up time, and carefully got out of the tent while being careful not to wake the Pure Rabbit. The women were preparing breakfast, but they all stopped when they saw Mira. ¡¸Oh, good morning. Did you sleep well?¡¹ White spoke as she began straightening Mira¡¯s disarranged hair and clothes. ¡¸Good morning Mira, breakfast will be ready soon. Is there anything you dislike in here by the way?¡¹ Green was holding a bowl with many ingredients as she greeted Mira. ¡¸Good morning, there¡¯s a shower over there, so feel free to use it.¡¹ Purple pointed to a conical-shaped tent hung on a branch a few paces away from there. ¡¸Mm, Morning. I slept really well thanks to you all. Also, I¡¯m fine eating anything in there.¡¹ As Mira replied, Purple handed her arge towel. ¡¸There¡¯s a towel hanger inside, so just leave it there when you¡¯re done showering.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, thanks for everything.¡¹ Thanking them, Mira went to take a shower. The tent was of bright green color, and the interior was split into twoyers. There was a changing room and the actual shower. Mira took her coat off, then her dress andstly her underwear, cing them on a simple shelf that was there. There was a lever for the shower, and when pulled water would drop from a hole in the roof of the tent. Mira used it until enough water came down, which was pleasantly warm. The tent was only dimly lit, but Mira¡¯s soft white skin still shone brightly. The drops of water trickled down her hair and face, spreading out from her neck to her arms and chest, continuing downwards. There were still traces of infancy in her appearance, but her limbs also had a moredy-like appearance to them, creating a wondrous scene covered in steam. As the drops of water fell on her body, the vestiges of sleepiness were washed away and Mira stretched out as far as she could. The sound of water drops hitting the floor seemed to be intermittent, bing louder and then lower again continuously for as long as Mira stayed in the shower. When Mira was done thoroughly washing her body, she took the towel lent to her and dried her entire body while relishing the satisfying feeling of fabric against her skin. Then she opened her Item Box and took out her clothes basket from it, selecting the underwear that spoke to her the most at the moment and wore it. Finally done changing, Mira came out of the shower tent and found the rest of the members all around the firece. ¡¸Oh, sorry. Did I keep you all waiting?¡¹ That was Mira¡¯s first reaction, but White turned around and denied it. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, the men are still all half asleep. But isn¡¯t your hair still all drenched? You should dry it more carefully.¡¹ Saying that, White made Mira sit on a chair before standing behind her andbing through her hair with bare hands, the strands slowly drying up as the fingers passed through them. Feeling the slight weight of wet hair pulling down on her head was gone, Mira gently touched her dried hair and only felt a soft warmth remaining there. ¡¸Hmm¡­ was that some form of concept magic?¡¹ As Whitebed Mira¡¯s hair, she asked that. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s exactly it¡­ You never used it?¡¹ ¡¸No, this is my first time seeing it.¡¹ White had used one of themon life skills, which included skills useful to dry hair or clothes, purify water, create lights, and many other simr ones. Most of them had been developed in thest thirty years, since wet clothes or hair were no issue when everything was still a game. But that also meant that Mira was unaware of mostmon life skills. ¡¸It¡¯s best if you dry your hair quickly, having wet hair in cold weather can make you sick. Not to mention your hair is so pretty it¡¯s a waste if you don¡¯t take better care of it.¡¹ Thest bit was something White added in a murmur, mixed in with a sigh. She was jealous. After oveing the weird sensation, Mira began curling her hair around her finger while thinking. (Concept Arts huh¡­ something like that does sound really useful. I guess I just have to figure out how to learn that¡­) Concept Arts were a set of skills separate from all the other sses in existence of Magic, Saint, Sage, Onmyoji, Necromancy, Forbidden Arts, and Exorcist Arts. But the way of learning them had no consistent way, some even spontaneously bing usable for a spellcaster. For example, creating a light orb was one of the skills Mira knew how to use, and became usable after she spent around ten hours inside a dark ce with only the light of a torch. They ranged from really simple requirements to mind-meltingplex ones. But that defined the essence of Concept Arts, and made it the skill tree with the most spells out of all the sses. ¡¸So, about that skill-¡¹ ¡¸You definitely should learn how to dry your hair. If you want¡­no, I¡¯ll make you learn it.¡¹ When Mira was about to ask for the requirements to learn the skill, White interrupted her, ready to do it. She simply could not bear thinking Mira being careless could end up ruining such beautiful hair. Faced with White¡¯s enthusiasm, Mira could only nod instinctively. In the end, it became a full-on lesson on many more skills on top of simply how to dry hair. ¡¸So to wash my scalp I¡­ then to rinse it¡­ to dry it I just-¡­ also when sleeping I can-¡­and when my rabbit needs a bath¡­¡¹ When White¡¯s lesson was over, Mira remained staring nkly into space, constantly repeating something under her breath like a brainwashed zombie. At the same time, her hair was being rearranged into two braids to either side of her head, making her look like an actual princess, and behind that stood White with a wide and proud smile having granted Mira that look. By that time the men were pretty much all awake as well, and seeing Mira¡¯s empty eyes they could easily piece together what happened. But they chose to pretend they saw nothing and breakfast started. Halfway through, something darted out of the womens¡¯ tent. The men took stances ready to defend themselves, but the blue blob ran up to Mira¡¯s feet and squeaked at her. ¡¸Ohh, you finally woke up.¡¹ Saying that, Mira petted its head and carried it to herp, quickly losing herself in petting it. White and Green also snuck their hands whenever there was an opening, while Purple hesitantly reached out to the soft fur. The men watched from afar. ¡¸So that¡¯s the Pure Rabbit I heard about earlier. I guess it really dide to bless us with good luck.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s so blue¡­ it kinda makes me feel like we have a connection.¡¹ ¡¸It truly looks so plump and tasty.¡¹ Thest one was Red, but it made everyone present turn around and stare daggers into him, White being thest one to turn against him, while Mira was just one step before using her Magic Eyes. ¡¸It was just a joke¡­¡¹ He looked around flustered, fearing for his life, before grabbing a bit of leftover sd and holding it in front of the Pure Rabbit¡¯s nose. ¡¸Here, I bet you must be hungry. Eat as much as you want.¡¹ The Pure Rabbit¡¯s nose moved up and down as it began eating those leaves. Everyone there seemed to melt watching that cute creature eat, though Red was the only one who sighed heavily in relief having almost passed out before. Chapter 55: Reunion Chapter 55: Reunion ¡¸Thanks for your help.¡¹ ¡¸We should be thanking you.¡¹ ¡¸Good luck finding that person.¡¹ After they were done eating and cleaning everything, Mira thanked them for letting her stay overnight and for the information they provided. Silver thought she had done more for them, while Blue wished her well in her travels. Mira thanked all of the people there, then summoned Pegasus, mounting on while hugging the Pure Rabbit and they flew off in a magnificent sight. Blue and Silver watched as the flying horse faded into the distance, lightninging out of its wings as they pped. They firmly believed that once the definitive battle came, she would be the perfect trump card. (I hope everyone in the headquarters can properly receive her¡­) Blue secretly wished with all his heart. Mira traveled for a few hours, riding through the sky with the sacred tree standing in all its glory behind her. It was already past noon when she arrived at Hunters Vige, where she ate ate lunch at the only inn in town. She had a sandwich of fried chicken with fragrant herbs, cheese, and vegetables, with a ss of honey ale to the side. Meanwhile, the Pure Rabbit was on top of the table eating a carrot. Mira would look at it every so often, her cheeks appearing to melt every time. (This ce¡­ it¡¯s the Forest of Four Seasons. They built their headquarters in the ce known as the holynd of spirits¡­ that¡¯s quite an achievement in itself.) As Mira stuffed her cheeks with the sandwich, she spread out the map she got from Silver, curious to see where the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s base was located. The Forest of the Four Seasons was located in the center of the continent, where three mountain ranges converged and formed a basin between them. It was said that the spirits of seasons live in that forest as well, so the forest is also sometimes referred to as the forest of spirits. Many spirits that are closely tied to the seasons also end up settling down there. (It¡¯s still pretty far if I went there now¡­) The forest was located a long way north from where she was, and it would take her many days to get there even if she traveled on Isenfald. If she went there now, she would take longer to return with the information about Soul Howl, the Founding Seeds, as well as everything she learned about the Fifty Bells. Thinking about it for a while, Mira decided it was best to just return and report everything. ¡¸By the way, did Alfeil already leave?¡¹ Putting the map away, Mira licked her finger that had some sauce stuck to it before talking to the owner. ¡¸Yes, the day after you left he gathered all his things and went off somewhere. He looked happier than I¡¯ve ever seen him before.¡¹ Mira replied with a short ¡¸I see¡¹ as she finished drinking her honey ale, looking forward to the day when she would meet him again. ¡¸You still have customers at this time? I was wondering whose voice I heard. And wait, aren¡¯t you just a child? Were you forced to be an adventurer or something?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, wee home.¡¹ Mira turned around to see who was talking, seeing a young man carrying a bagrger than his body. When their eyes met, he smiled kindly and walked inside the inn. ¡¸That¡¯s my son Rattray. I think I told you about him before.¡¹ Mira followed him with her eyes when the owner exined who he was. When Mira spent a night there, the owner had mentioned he had a son who was currently staying in a fortress. Mira slowly recalled the details of that conversation, her curious eyes following the young man, remembering he was described as the second strongest person in the vige after Alfeil. The owner¡¯s son, Rattray, wore a simple and light armor made of multipleyers of leather, and his hip was lined with a single-handed ax. They all had marks of constant use, even having patches where the repair had been made. And his overall skill appeared to be just on par with Alfeil, neither being stronger or weaker. (He is just like he was described.) Thinking that, Mira¡¯s gaze kept following him, until their eyes met again. Rattray¡¯s reaction was to keep aposed face while- ¡¸Dad. I think that girl just fell for me, what should I do?¡¹ He earnestly asked the owner. ¡¸Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I heard you were the next strongest one after Alfeil, so I was just curious.¡¹ Mira immediately tried to mend the misunderstanding, which left Rattray speechless for a second, before he reacted to a certain name. ¡¸This¡­ no, next time I¡¯ll win!¡¹ His thought seemed to be boiling as he exined that, flexing his muscles and going wild. Mira still did not know what kind of rtionship those two had, but that sentence and reaction alone gave her a good idea. ¡¸By the way, why are you curious about that? Does that mean you like strong men?! Listen,st time I lost¡­ no, I just let my guard down a tiiiiny bit, but I¡¯ll win next time. You still have time to change targets.¡¹ Hearing Rattray¡¯s quite foolish conclusion, the owner had a strained smile as he pushed a mug with honey ale across the bar. ¡¸Son, calm down a bit. This girl is a spellcaster, and Alfeil was curious about her so they ended up fighting and she won.¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­ that can¡¯t¡­¡¹ Rattray¡¯s hand that had caught the mug and was carrying it to his mouth stopped moving, his eyes focusing more on the girl that was sitting at the bar. Her youthful yet beautiful face, silver hair that seemed fit to receive an angelic halo, and her white thin legs that peeked out of a short skirt. Everything was more beautiful than anything he had seen before, but he knew how much of a maniac Alfeil was when it came to fighting, and he could not see anything that indicated that this girl could beat him. ¡¸A spellcaster¡­ you have no reason to lie to me¡­ but first there was that sage he lost to, and now this¡­ It doesn¡¯t sound right.¡¹ It wasmon for a spellcaster¡¯s real strength to not be reflected by their appearance. Rattray had only experienced Alfeil¡¯s strength before, so he could not understand how this girl won as he downed the honey ale mug in frustration. ¡¸But anyway. I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, is that a Pure Rabbit¡­ or am I drunk already?¡¹ Rattray spoke as he examined the blue rabbit eating beside Mira. It looked extremely cute, biting with all its might at a carrot with its tiny mouth. ¡¸Yes, it is.¡¹ As Mira replied, she slowly petted its back. ¡¸So it really was one,¡¹ he said, his eyes twinkling with joy, but seeing how intimate it seemed to be with Mira, he gave up the idea of trading his spoils of war for the animal, and instead asked ¡¸Can I pet it too?¡¹ To which Mira nodded in response, and things quickly devolved into a grooming session for the Pure Rabbit. ¡¸By the way, you barely made it on time today. It¡¯s about toe after all.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I ran into a lot more prey than usual so I kinda lost track of the time while I hunted. But well, on the bright side this should fetch me quite a sum.¡¹ As he spoke, he lifted his heavy backpack with one hand. Inside were the hides, fangs, ws, and all sorts of spoils from the animals he hunted while staying at the fortress. ¡¸What wille?¡¹ Mira was curious what thest half of the owner¡¯s sentence meant, about somethinging. But just as she asked, a very lively and busy noise came from outside.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2631 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1222 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Looks like it¡¯s here already. I think you¡¯ll get it if you see it for yourself, it¡¯s really lively and fun.¡¹ The owner smiled gently as he said that, trying to convince her with a proud tone. Rattray fastened his backpack to his shoulders again. ¡¸Either way, I¡¯ll be going there now.¡¹ Saying that, he quickly left the establishment. Mira slowly stood up, muttering to herself ¡¸Looks like they¡¯re having fun out there.¡¹ She told the Pure Rabbit to stay inside before following Rattray. For Hunters Vige, that was the only day every month that they would stay up all night to feast. The only street of the vige was already crowded with people. When Mira saw all those people moving around busily, she quickly understood what was happening. (This is a merchant caravan. I understand now, he came back today so he could sell everything he got to them.) Multiple merchants came out of the many carriages lined up, disying their wares on shelves. As Mira watched that unfold, her eyes found Rattray. He had already started to offer his items to a man, presumably a merchant, who wore well-made clothes while inspecting with impressed eyes what was offered to him. ¡¸Oh¡­¡¹ Then, Mira recognized someone she knew standing close to the merchant. Without thinking, she ran up to the carriage he was standing in, giving instructions to the other travelers. ¡¸Hey Sero! What a coincidence seeing you here.¡¹ He was a tall man with striking long red hair. Sero, the leader of the ¨¦cate Carillon guild she had met in the Requiem City of Caranach. Hearing his name being called, the young man turned around and saw the cute girl speaking to him, which quickly made a smile sprout on his lips. ¡¸Mira! You¡¯re right, fancy meeting you here.¡¹ Sero looked surprised, but also d as he returned the greeting, and an instant after the entire carriage seemed to jolt around. ¡¸Mira?!¡¹ With that loud voice, Fra shot out of the carriage. But before getting too far, Emera caught her from behind and restrained her, her evil hand never reaching Mira. ¡¸You¡¯re still all the same.¡¹ ¡¸Been a while, Mira. Just hold on a bit.¡¹ Emera quickly greeted her before turning around and going inside the carriage, and after doing something there she came out again. ¡¸I never thought we¡¯d run into you here.¡¹ ¡¸Same here. Is it only you three here?¡¹ After Emera¡¯s bright voice came back, Mira smiled back at her while looking around. All she could see were merchants hard at work, vigers shopping from them, as well as other hunters trying to sell their items like Rattray. ¡¸Zef came too, though he¡¯s not here right now.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ Hearing he was not around at the moment, Mira tried to look a bit further away, but she could not find anyone who looked like him. Not too long after, Fra appeared from inside the carriage once again. ¡¸Mira is here¡­ I really wasn¡¯t dreaming!¡¹ Seeing the girl she was so obsessed with, Fra slowly approached her while somehow keeping calm, constantly watching Emera¡¯s movements. ¡¸Mira, can I cuddle you?¡¹ ¡¸No.¡¹ Fra already had her arms spread wide open, but when she heard Mira¡¯s instant rejection she froze still for a moment, and then her arms dangled lifelessly. Sero apologized for her behavior, while Emera carried Fra back inside the carriage. ¡¸And so, why did you alle here?¡¹ With that set of events over, Mira asked that, and Sero pointed to the merchant Rattray was negotiating with. ¡¸We were hired as guards by him, we¡¯re supposed to go with him all the way to the Ozstein territory, in the eastern side of the continent.¡¹ The merchant looked at them through the corner of his eye, so Sero lightly waved at him to signal Mira was not someone he needed to worry about. ¡¸I see, so you¡¯re guards for a merchant. That sounds so adventurer-esque and amazing!¡¹ That was a type of work she had some recollection of, so she looked with excited eyes to Sero. He understood how she felt, so he happily smiled back while saying ¡¸I know, right.¡¹ ¡¸But then, why are you here?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, a friend asked me for something. I¡¯m about to head back now.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That time we met you had some business in the Underground Graveyard too, where did you go this time?¡¹ ¡¸I went to the Elder and Tenma to¡­ sorry, the rest is supposed to be secret.¡¹ Knowing she was Danbulf¡¯s pupil, Sero was deeply interested in Mira¡¯s travels. Though it was all pure curiosity, without any ulterior motives. Mira figured it was fine to tell him the locations, though the actual reasons were supposed to be a state secret. ¡¸Tenma? I heard it¡¯s quite tricky to get permission to get there.¡¹ Sero also had no reason to pry further, but he was still a bit shocked to hear she went to a Tenma Labyrinth, a ce with rather strict entry rules. ¡¸My friend knows how to pull certain strings. But I always have to do all the heavy lifting.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds like an interesting person alright. Though considering you¡¯re the pupil of one of the nine wisemen¡­ I can imagine who it could be.¡¹ Having pretty much figured out who Mira¡¯s employer could be, he added ¡¸Looks like you have it rough.¡¹ Mira just replied with a nod and a long sigh. The merchant then approached them. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but it¡¯ll take some time to settle negotiations here. Could you please go tell the guards they¡¯re free to do as they please for now?¡¹ He spoke to Sero. He had finished verifying that Rattray¡¯s wares were of high quality and alsorge in number, so it would take a while to settle on an appropriate price. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll do it right away.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks again.¡¹ Hearing Sero¡¯s response, the merchant entered one of the carriages together with Rattray, presumably to go more in-depth with the negotiations. ¡¸Well, looks like we have some free time now. Since it¡¯s so rare for us to meet, do you want to join us too, Mira?¡¹ Sero spoke with a bright smile that would leave any woman smitten. But Mira just muttered ¡¸Hmm, let me think-¡¹ when a shadow darted out from the carriage again. ¡¸I approve as well! Let¡¯s talk lots and lots. We also have to tell you what happened with Takuto after all!¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s fine then¡­¡¹ Fra decided to use Takuto as a bargaining chip. Though either way, they were people Mira had wished to meet again so she epted, while also feeling a bit sorry for Fra seeing how desperate she was. The ce they chose for their break was the inn, since Mira¡¯s Pure Rabbit was still waiting for her there. Sero and Emera went to inform the other guards about the break, while Mira and Fra went there ahead. As soon as they crossed the door, the Pure Rabbit jumped into Mira¡¯s arms, having waited for her alone. ¡¸Mira, that rabbit¡­¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s cute isn¡¯t he?¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2619 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1218 words
Editor(s): Fire
Fra watched the Pure Rabbit being hugged by Mira, half jealous and half envying her, only muttering ¡¸Not fair¡­¡¹ while falling face first on a table. After a while, Fra recovered her usual energy, and Mira pestered her to speak about Takuto. From what she told her, after Mira left, some of ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s members were constantly watching over him. ¡¸So in the end, he became an apprentice member of ¨¦cate Carillon, and with me in charge of him, his grandpa also gave his consent. In part because of his trust in our guild¡¯s belief, and also because he felt reassured knowing he could be a saint that could help many people, so everyone is on board now.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see¡­ I feel like I pushed all of this onto you, but thanks. Take good care of him.¡¹ Hearing Fra, Mira couldrgely understand how Takuto was faring. Fra was taking care of him, and she even gave him all the learning materials she had used when small, so he was learning the basics already. Takuto wanted to be a saint that could help and heal his friends, and now spent his day as an apprentice with ¨¦cate Carillon. Mira missed Takuto¡¯s innocent smile as she listened to Fra, only bowing to her in the end. Seeing that older sister-like aura emanating from Mira, Fra was about to reach her limit holding back when Sero, Emera and Zef entered the inn. ¡¸Woah, it really is Mira! She looks even cuter than before.¡¹ When Zef saw Mira with her tied silver hair, and her clothes finished with a more refined design, he spoke his honest impression. But as soon as he did, the two girls stared daggers at him. ¡¸So he never got rid of that side¡­¡¹ ¡¸Please stop looking at my little Mira with those eyes.¡¹ Hearing those thornful sentences, Zef copsed on the ground while saying ¡¸That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡¹ Meanwhile, Sero also said ¡¸That¡¯s true, she does look cuter than before¡¹, agreeing with him, but there were no hurtful sentences hauled his way. Noticing that, Zef hung his head even lower. After everyone was done greeting each other, the ¨¦cate Carillon members all ordered a ratherte lunch. While they waited for that to be done, they kept talking about random things, and spoiling the Pure Rabbit. Zef had heard that the fur from a Pure Rabbit brought good luck, so he begged Mira to give him at least one single hair. She told him if any fell out while she petted it he could keep them, and she began gentlybing through its fur with her slender fingers. Luckily enough, she ended up getting enough strands for all members of the guild, including Takuto. ¡¸I¡¯ll bear full responsibility for carrying it to him when we¡¯re back.¡¹ As Fra received her share of the fur, she also managed to seed in holding Mira¡¯s hand. After all her failed attempts, Fra¡¯s skills were slowly starting to show the fruits of her training. ¡¸By the way, you said you¡¯ll be going west. Does that mean you¡¯ll have to go through the Forest of Praying Children?¡¹ If they wanted to get to Ozstein on the western side of the continent from Hunters Vige, they would have to go through the forest, or take a really long-winded detour. So the forest route was the most sensible choice, though at that time there was a high chance that wicked parties were scouring through the forest. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s the n. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow morning, and should be out of the forest in a few days. Why do you ask¡­did something happen in there?¡¹ Sero detailed their ns, but asked why Mira was so curious about their exact route. ¡¸Did Emera tell you about the wind spirit we met on our way back from the Ancient Temple?¡¹ ¡¸She did, as well as Chimera uzen. We also got many reports about them from the Union.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. That makes things easier then.¡¹ When she told Solomon about the attacks on spirits, he said he would let adventurers rank A or above know about them, so they could lend a hand. In other words, Sero was at least rank A as well. Though Mira had guessed as much, so she was not surprised as she nodded. His usual demeanor and confidence were befitting of that rank. ¡¸I ran into people from Chimera uzen yesterday, inside the forest. I met members from an opposing organization as well. For now, we captured one member from Chimera, though that organization is taking care of the rest¡­ But the problem is, it¡¯ll take some time to transport that captive, and in the meantime, there¡¯s a high chance more people from Chimera wille to the forest to rescue theirrade. Either way, they¡¯re really dangerous fellows so I figured I should warn you at least.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened there. I wasn¡¯t expecting that at all, but it¡¯s true we should watch our step then. Thank you, Mira.¡¹ Chimera uzen, a group with the malice and tools necessary to hurt spirits. One could never be too cautious when being somewhere they could be around. Sero decided tomunicate that information to the merchant, suggesting he investigate if there were any sketchy people amongst the other travelers. Sero brought a cup of herbal tea to his lips, sipping it together with a long breath as he knit his brow. ¡¸I wish I had something to tell you as well, to be honest¡­but I still haven¡¯t found out anything about those dates you gave me the other day.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind that. I¡¯m not expecting results that quickly either way.¡¹ Sero had moved all the spies and scouts he had to see if they could figure out anything about those dates, but so far he had not received any positive reports. But Mira apparently was not expecting any new leads so quickly either, so he decided not to worry too much as he drank his third ss of honey ale. Still, they had such a chance meeting, and she had provided valuable information for their future travel, so Sero felt like he owed her something in return. Thinking about that, he remembered something. ¡¸By the way, do you like the fantasy genre?¡¹ He asked her. Mira had only been in that world for a few days, so he figured maybe some distraction would help her cheer up if needed. ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce if I didn¡¯t.¡¹ In other words, that was the reason she started ying that game. She was there because she yearned for a world with magic. But that was something only Mira and Sero were aware of, while Emera and the rest would tilt their heads in confusion at some of the things they said. ¡¸I¡¯m d then. Then instead I¡¯ll tell you three rumors I heard recently.¡¹ ¡¸Rumors you say? Now that sounds interesting.¡¹ When ites to fantasy worlds, simple rumors could be much more exciting than in the old real world. Sero had a serious, yet somewhat childish face as he spoke about the first rumor. Chapter 56: Rumors Chapter 56: Rumors ¡¸I¡¯m not sure when it started, but there are stories about it near Cadiasmite Ind. Supposedly there¡¯s a ghost ship there.¡¹ Sero leaned his body closer to Mira as he spoke in a low voice. ¡¸Oh¡­Oh oh oh! That does sound interesting!¡¹ Cadiasmite, that was the name given to a small ind near the western shore of the continent. It was an ind close to the Schm?gfen region, and with the naval country of Vali at its helm, it housed the Cadiasmite Allied Nations¡¯ navy, said to be the strongest naval army of the continent. ¡¸This is a prettymon story amongst sailors, and a captain I met around ten years ago first told it to me. Apparently, during twilight, a deep mist shrouds sailing ships and the ghost ship appears out of it. Those who have seen it all describe it the same, they were surrounded by mist and then an old galley appeared sailing alongside their ship.¡¹ ¡¸Some also said they saw a jolly roger hung on the mast, and a man, probably the captain, standing on the deck wearing red clothes.¡¹ ¡¸There have been many more stories built on top of that. Some say that if you follow the ship it¡¯ll lead you to a pirate¡¯s treasure, others say that the souls of those who drown at sea are trapped in the ghost ship and forced to wander aimlessly forever as crew. I also heard some believe the ghost ship houses legendary weapons and armor long lost to time.¡¹ ¡¸I also heard rumors that it¡¯s just a secret experimental weapon of Vali, though I¡¯d prefer to think there are legendary weapons in it. I¡¯m a warrior after all.¡¹ ¡¸I also think that!¡¹ Thest bit was just Sero being yful, but Emera seemed to fully believe it as her eyes twinkled thinking of legendary treasures. ¡¸It¡¯s all just rumors though.¡¹ Sero looked a bit troubled as he ended with that. Fra looked somewhat bored, forcing herself to smile while looking up to the ceiling together with Zef. Legendary weapons. Emera was too excited thinking of possessing a legendary sword, losing herself in her delusions oblivious to the reaction she received. ¡¸That story does make me curious though. Before, I would have gone straight there to check it out, but now¡­ it¡¯s a bit different.¡¹ ¡¸I know what you mean. It has been intriguing me for a while too.¡¹ In the real world, rumors of ghost ships were always hoaxes, but in this world filled with all sorts of fantastic phenomena, a rumor like that held much more credibility. That change inmon sense made Sero and Miraugh between themselves, their imagination running wild with ghost ships. ¡¸Now onto the next rumor.¡¹ Ordering a second serving of honey ale and herbal tea, Sero continued talking, his face showing he was genuinely enjoying himself. ¡¸After the sea,es the sky. This is a story believed to be true amongst those using flying ships- Yes, what is it Mira?¡¹ Before he was done, Mira raised her hand hearing a word she did not recognize. Sero understood her signal instantly and asked with a simr voice to a teacher. ¡¸I never heard of flying ships before, are they really..?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, they are ships that can fly through the sky. They were created thanks to thetest advancements in magic engineering, or well, they started production around three years ago. Though the manufacturing costs are also quite expensive, so there¡¯s only five currently in use in the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, Antis, and Nirvana, each country having one.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh¡­rge countries are always ahead like that.¡¹ The Three Gods¡¯ Countries were the original starting ce for yers, and boasted thergest number of inhabitants and military forces of the continent. Then there were two more countries that stood alongside them, the kingdom of Antis and the Nirvana empire. Two countries founded by the most distinguished yers. ¡¸They might be more produced once their size gets reduced. But anyway, this rumor came from one of thergest flying ships.¡¹ ¡¸Apparently it all started when they attempted to transport a very heavy load with the flying ship. The skies were clear and it was the perfect day to set sail. Everything went well until halfway through its route, when it suddenly got thrown amidst a violent storm.¡¹ ¡¸Inside the storm, the sky was ck as if it was night, and the only light they had were the lightning shes that appeared every so often. They were hit by very strong wind and rain, and as the entire crew worked their hardest to get out of the storm, that made its appearance.¡¹ Sero made a short pause then, the owner had just brought him the refills he asked for. ¡¸You adventurers seem to know all sorts of stories, I always love hearing you talk about them.¡¹ Leaving the mug and cup on the bar, the owner smiled with an entertained and curious smile. ¡¸Ites with the job, I guess. Though maybe I just seek them out of fun, since I also love stories.¡¹ Saying that, Sero took the cup to his lips and smiled back at the owner. It was like they had formed some form of connection, the owner also heard all sorts of stories thanks to his job, given that he constantly encountered adventurers that stayed in his establishment, who he would end up talking with. So as time passed, he would also be captivated by the dream-filled tales befitting of adventurers. After a light bow, the owner returned to his post. Sero held the cup in a presumptuous way, gantly bringing it back to his lips. Mira seemed to mirror him in that action, also drinking from her ss. Everyone from ¨¦cate Carillon had gotten curious about Sero¡¯s stories as they listened attentively, though only Fra was more focused on constantly moving her seat closer to Mira while no one else noticed. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s continue where we left off. I think I told you all the backstory so let¡¯s continue from there.¡¹ ¡¸When they were about to pierce through the storm clouds, everyone working hard on their duties, a bolt of very bright lightning went off deep inside the storm. It was hard to see from all the rain and wind, but the lightning illuminated the dark and thick clouds for an instant, and there the silhouette of a castle could be seen. It was not just one or two people who saw it, but the entire crew.¡¹ ¡¸The silhouette of a giant castle floating somewhere in the sky, shrouded in stormy clouds. It did not happen just one time either, but it was seen again multiple times throughout different ces. ¡¹ ¡¸Could that be the¡­!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, a castle in the sky, Mira.¡¹ The second rumor was about a floating castle. Those were verymon plot devices in fantasy stories, but hearing one could exist in that world she inadvertently stood up, and Fra followed shortly. The two quickly ran outside the inn. ¡¸If there really exists a floating castle, then I¡¯m sure there are magic records we¡¯ve never seen before stored in it.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s an unexpected reaction. You¡¯re finally starting to sound like an actual spellcaster.¡¹ That Fra could react that way was hard to imagine for Mira, having only seen a different side of her before, but she still took that opportunity to tease her about it. Soon after Emera also came out of the inn. ¡¸She always acts crazy when you¡¯re around, but Fra is usually pretty serious about her craft.¡¹ She also followed up on Fra, but then she grabbed Fra¡¯s hand that was about to reach Mira and twisted it. The sky they saw was dotted with white clouds, and Mira got excited thinking there could be a castle hidden in one of them. Meanwhile, Fra¡¯s cries of pain came from her side. After imagining all sorts of things hidden in the clouds, the three returned inside the inn. Mira then took the chair that somehow appeared much closer to her own and ced it a distance away, then sat down. Fra also sat down at her side, and Mira just dramatically hung her head in silence. ¡¸Ever since I heard that I also tend to look at the sky all the time.¡¹ Sero smiled as he said that to Mira. Now that she knew about that, she felt like the next time she would travel with Pegasus, she would want to go even higher than before. Imagining all that, her lips slowly formed a smile. ¡¸The onlymon factor from all the eye-witnesses was the sudden storm. They were all thrown into a storm, and inside of it saw the castle. I guess that storm is there to protect it from intruders.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that sounds possible. That has to be it.¡¹ The two nodded at each other, then began imagining how the castle would look past the storm, floating in all its glory. They then started exchanging ideas of how it would be up there, and at first the other members felt left out, but eventually the conversation influenced them as well, and the five of them now fervently discussed how their ideal castle in the sky would look like.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2962 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1399 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Looks like we got a bit too carried away. Let¡¯s talk about thest one.¡¹ The castle in the sky had turned into a magnificent pce sealing an ancient beast, while buried below it remained the holy sword of a legendary hero. The library was lined with shelves full of magic tomes from eons ago, the treasure housing piles of gold and silver, and the garden had a fountain that regrly produced drops of life essence. The five had finished picturing a castle like that, when Sero, slightly embarrassed with himself, steered the conversation back to the rumors. ¡¸Thisst story is something I heard from an adventurer I know, so more than a rumor it¡¯s a recount of his experience. He usually works in the northern regions of the Ark continent, but one day he had some business over in the Mirage Shrine. First, he bought a gyroscopicpass crystal from a miner, and then went through the Oljato dessert on his way to the shrine, but apparently, that crystal was of bad quality and halfway through his journey it stopped working.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds like he had a really rough time then¡­¡¹ Mira felt sorry for Sero¡¯s friend adventurer. After all, she had been through a simr situation before. The Ark continent was arge chunk ofnd to the west, separated from the maind by a channel. That ce was called the colonialnds by yers, since it was mostly upied by countries founded purely by yers. The Oljato desert was in the southwest part of that continent, and the Mirage Shrine was somewhere in it, a sacred temple that is impossible to locate with a map. The only way to get there is by using a certain tool called the gyroscopicpass crystal that can point the user in the right direction. Though high level yers knew that those crystals could fail every once in a blue moon. ¡¸I know. Apparently, he also was pretty distressed, though he had been in the desert for a while, so he figured he might be close enough to find the shrine by eye, but after wandering around for a while he decided to go back¡­ But he stepped into sand hell, and eventually was entirely sucked into the desert.¡¹ ¡¸Sand hell¡­ he really has the worst luck¡­¡¹ Sand hell was the name given to certain ces with quicksand in the Oljato desert. If an adventurer could not get out of it before getting sucked inside, they would be forcefully taken into a dungeon of ruins underground. Mira felt like the adventurer Sero was talking about had the worst luck imaginable as she continued drinking her honey ale. ¡¸I also thought the same and triedforting him, but heughed it off and took a yellow chunk from a bag. When I asked what that was, he told me he picked it up after he got through the sand hell. Apparently, it didn¡¯t take him to the underground ruins, but instead to arge city inside a huge opening underground, and everything there shone in a golden color. At first he was confused and couldn¡¯t understand where he was, only staring at that sight. But then a ck figure appeared far away and began chasing him. A cold chill ran through his body and he began running away from that shadow, and before he noticed he appeared beside ake in an oasis. All he could bring as proof from there was that chunk, and after getting it checked it was made out of pure gold. He started calling that ce the Golden City, and tried going there again but he never managed to.¡¹ ¡¸The Golden City¡­ I really wonder what that ck figure was¡­ ¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re curious about?¡¹ Hearing that story, Mira was the most curious about that mysterious ck figure. It seemed like it had appeared to stop Sero¡¯s friend from entering the Golden City and chased him out, almost like a guardian of some sort. And when it came to guardians, summoners were the best to deal with them. ¡¸Maybe I could form a contract with it.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh I see, so that¡¯s what you want to do.¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes sparkled at the idea, and when Sero saw them he realized Mira was truly a pure breed summoner. Guardians were a type of spirits that lived in a certain ce to protect it. And all spirits were candidates to form contracts with. ¡¸That sounds nice, a Golden City. If I found a ce like that I would never have to be hungry again in my life.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder if they make golden equipment somewhere?!¡¹ ¡¸I wish I could have a golden library too.¡¹ Just like it happened with the floating castle, everyone started talking about their wishes. There was no one stopping them this time, so they all spoke about their desires until lunch was over. Having enjoyed the rumor talk, Mira and the rest walked out of the inn. The Pure Rabbit was sound asleep in Mira¡¯s embrace. The street in Hunters Vige looked even more lively than before, showing that before, the crowd was not fully formed yet and that the real deal started now. ¡¸Well then, Mira. Let¡¯s meet again sometime.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll miss you so much¡­¡¹ ¡¸See you!¡¹ ¡¸Goodbye, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯m d we could meet after so long. Take care in your travels.¡¹ Break time was over, so after a short goodbye, Sero and his group returned to the other guards. It was very possible they would randomly meet again somewhere, so the usual feeling of emptiness after someone leaves was absent in Mira as she waved at them, only wondering how they would meet again in the future. After that Mira looked for a suitable ce and summoned Pegasus, mounting on its back and leaving Hunters Vige. The lively noises became distant and soon she could only hear the wind and Pegasus¡¯ wings pping in the air. Below her grasnds stretched out into the horizon, while behind her the sacred tree stood covered in a thin mist. Her view was filled with the blue sky, her eyes drawn to anyrge clouds as she went on her way back. A few hours after they left Hunters Vige, Mira was sitting down amidst the grasnds, her back leaned against Pegasus as she looked at the map. (It should be fine if I present my report tomorrow.) Having flown every day for long hours, her body had a lot of built-in exhaustion, and her descent to the grasnds to rest had alreadysted twenty minutes. The Pure Rabbit was beside her, frantically licking her fingers out of worry. No matter what she tried, the exhaustion would not leave her, and she figured that even if she returned straight ahead she would arrive at night, so it was best if she took her time to get there. Seeing how beat up Mira was, Pegasus also moved a bit, surrounding her small frame with its neck. Mira began stroking its neck, seeing how kindly it was treating her, and reclined her body even more while holding the Pure Rabbit in her arms. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I have to spend some more time like this.¡¹ Saying that, shepletely gave her body onto Pegasus, who moved its wings to cover her. Feeling the pulsing warmth from that, Mira was able to rest easy. Almost an hour passed after that and Mira woke up from her nap, and she could see many small birds through the white feathers. Noticing Mira was awake, Pegasus spread its wings, and Mira saw birds of multiple colors all taking off at the same time and flying around them. But even with so many of them, none of them chirped, surrounding Pegasus inplete silence. All Mira could hear was the rustling of the wind. ¡¸You gathered quite a number of them again.¡¹ She began stroking Pegasus¡¯ mane, thinking back to the Forest of Praying Children, even though there had been way more animals back then. ¡¸You really are a popr one,¡¹ sheughed. Pegasus seemed to be happy as it neighed, happily rubbing its face on Mira¡¯s bosom. The Pure Rabbit stayed on herp, looking at her face reservedly.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2995 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1495 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸It¡¯s okay, I was just a bit tired.¡¹ When Mira exined that, Pegasus replied by neighing loudly. After that, the stillness filling the in was broken as all the birds began chirping at once. They were all small birds, but since there were so many of them together the sound was rather loud, which helped dispel the remaining lethargy in Mira. ¡¸Everything¡¯s alright now, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡¹ Saying that, Mira lifted the pure rabbit into her arms. The blue rabbit let out happy squeaks as it buried itself in Mira¡¯s bosom. ¡¸I think I¡¯ve spent enough time doing nothing. Let¡¯s take off again, Pegasus.¡¹ Her tiredness and sleepiness gone, Mira stood up, which also made all the birds perched on Pegasus to fly away. She then sat on Pegasus¡¯ back, who slowly rose to its feet. Birds all around them took off and danced around them before vanishing into the sky. The white-winged horse ran through that mesmerizing sight simr to a rain of petals. As the sun set, the tourists swarming the za in front of the Silver Linked Towers diminished in volume. Miranded near that za, after which Pegasus became much more clingy and Mira had to soothe him for a bit before sending him back. Crossing through therge gate, the nine towers that extended up into the sky came in sight. The Sacred Tree still had a more imposing appearance, but this was still a magnificent scene to behold. Seeing that filled her with a sense of returning home, so she proudly filled her chest with air and walked just a bit faster. When she reached the Tower of Summoning, she looked to its side and saw the wagon was gone. (Hmm¡­ guess Creos isn¡¯t home.) Mira could not wait to unt her own customized wagon when she got hers, but she also lowered her gaze a bit. It was best if she only thought about that after it was made, so instead she held the pure rabbit and held it up towards the tower. ¡¸This will be your new home from now on.¡¹ It seemed to understand Mira¡¯s words as it squeaked with excitement, and then Mira carried it with her to her room up in the tower. She opened her room with the tower¡¯s master key, threw her coat to a couch and ced the pure rabbit on top. ¡¸Stay still for a bit.¡¹ Saying that, Mira quickly ran to the toilet. Soon after the sound of water flowing came from there. Mira walked out of the toilet with a satisfied smile having finished her business, then turned to look at the door leading to the changing room and bathroom. ¡¸Maybe we can rx together there for a while.¡¹ Mira picked the pure rabbit up and seeking the warmth andfort of a bath she extended a hand to the changing room¡¯s door and opened it. ¡¸Wha-?!¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira, wee-¡¹ ¡¸Sorry!¡¹ Mira quickly shut the door closed out of confusion. Still, herpletely unprepared eyes still had the figure of Mariana wearing only underwear imprinted on them. Feelings of guilt started to mix with more colorful ones in her mind, so she quickly put a stop to her brain. ¡¸Lady Mira, wee home.¡¹ Mariana had been unable to finish her greeting earlier, so she opened the door again without much care and bowed to Mira. She smiled happily after raising her head, her cheeks slightly flushed from the bath, her blue hair slightly bunched together, and her body wrapped in a white robe. ¡¸Mm, I¡¯m back.¡¹ That smile quickly brought Mira back to reality, and after returning the greeting Mariana¡¯s eyes noticed the blue rabbit Mira was holding. ¡¸What¡¯s the story behind that rabbit?¡¹ Mariana looked straight at the rabbit and slowly reached out to it. The pure rabbit seemed slightly hesitant at first, but then it noticed that the divine protection Mira had felt the same as Mariana¡¯s presence, so it nuzzled its head against her hand. ¡¸It followed me from the forest¡­ is it okay if we keep it here?¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice sounded almost like that of a child asking something from her mom. While Mira was the master of the tower, Mariana was in charge of everything while she was gone, so treating her in that way was to be expected. ¡¸But of course. I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of it while you¡¯re gone.¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate that a lot, thanks Mariana.¡¹ Some time passed in silence, then Mariana walked into the changing room again and took her robe off. ¡¸Wh-what are you doing..?!¡¹ Mira hurried to look away, resisting her internal urge to peek again. Just beyond the corner of her eyes, Mariana stood in her underwear, just like Mira had seen her earlier, and replied with a highly motivated voice. ¡¸It seemed you were about to take a bath, so I¡¯ll wash your back.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Oh¡­ um¡­ thanks¡­¡¹ Once Mariana set her mind to help with something, there was no stopping her. Mira had learned that much from herst visit, so she spared her the useless arguing and nodded submissively before walking into the changing room. Things went just likest time, Mariana assisting her with undressing before carefully folding the clothes and adding them to theundry basket. ¡¸Is there anything else you wish to have washed?¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, I almost forgot about that.¡¹ As Mariana ced Mira¡¯s underwear in the basket, thest pieces of clothing she had on, Mariana turned to Mira to ask her. That reminded Mira to take out her own basket, from which she fished out her used underwear before throwing it in theundry basket. ¡¸That¡¯s all of it, thanks.¡¹ With that, Mira attempted to walk into the bathroom while carrying the pure rabbit, but Mariana stopped her by calling her name. ¡¸What happened to your hair?¡¹ Her tone sounded just a bit harsh as she walked up behind Mira and touched her hair beautifully tied. White had arranged Mira¡¯s hair when she also taught her how to use more Concept Magic. ¡¸Oh, that. This girl called White tied it of her own will while I was traveling.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Mariana untied her hair, replying with a low voice as she pursed her lips in a slightly bad mood. But Mira was still doing everything she could to avoid looking directly at Mariana, so she did not notice that change. When Mira entered the bath, Mariana insisted on washing Mira¡¯s hair and every corner of her body. The sponge she used felt softer and smoother thanst time, small bubbles and foam covering Mira¡¯s body. All the exhaustion Mira had built during her travels began to release from thatfortable touch as she fully rxed her body. Mariana smiled delighted seeing that, slowly letting warm water run down Mira¡¯s body to wash off the foam. Then it was the pure rabbit¡¯s turn, which both girls took care of together. The rabbit was either used to water or simply did not mind it, so Mira protected its ears as Mariana gently washed its blue fur. ¡¸And that¡¯s it. Lady Mira, do you have any ns for dinner?¡¹ Mariana asked her while arranging Mira¡¯s hair, whobed the pure rabbit¡¯s fur. ¡¸Not yet. Could you make something for me?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. I¡¯ll start preparations now, and you can stay here and rx.¡¹ Only when Mariana asked that Mira noticed how empty her stomach felt. Mariana quickly tied Mira¡¯s silver hair before epting the new request with a melodic voice. Mira quickly nced at Mariana walking away in high spirits to prepare dinner, then Mira walked to the center of therge bathroom. There was a bathtub made of ck augite there. That was a particr type of stone that reflected light in curious patterns reminiscent of a starry sky, which gave it a prized appearance that attracted many, making it a very high-quality material for furnishings. She filled that bathtub with warm water before sitting in it, a bit of water overflowing from the edge. ¡¸Now this is heaven¡­¡¹ The water temperature was a bit higher than usual, which felt like small needles poking slightly at her body. Mira enjoyed that feeling the most, so she let out a satisfied sigh as she rested in the water. The bathtub was veryrge and could have fit ten more people even if all of them had their legs outstretched. Mira stretched her limbs as far as she could, the ck bathtub increasing the contrast with her body and silver hair. ¡¸Ahh¡­ this is the best.¡¹ She let that sense of freedom permeate her body, holding apple ale in one hand and humming to herself. Mira and the pure rabbit spent an hour of pure bliss there. Chapter 57: Name Chapter 57: Name Might contain some mild graphic yuri descriptions Mira took a bath towel and wiped her very slightly burned skin before wrapping it around her pure rabbit, who pushed its head out of a small gap and squeakedfortably. She gently ced the rabbit bundle on one of the shelves and then opened the basket she had left in the changing room. Inside she found a rabbit onesie, a baby¡¯s doll, and other simr trinkets, which Mira pretended to ignore as she pushed her hand further inside where the underwear was stored. (Hm? Did they increase somehow¡­ ah, it must be because of what Mariana washed the other day.) She was starting to run out of underwear sets she liked, so she mentally thanked Mariana as she took out a pair of panties and returned the basket to her Item Box. Wearing only that, Mira began untying her hair when she recalled the Concept Magic White had taught her. (¡­Yeah, let¡¯s try drying it.) White had taught her many more things that time, including how to do her hair, all of which began to resurface in her mind, but she pushed everything to a corner of her memory while focusing only on the Concept Magic. ¡¸Ohhh..!¡¹ As shebed her hair while applying the skill with her hand, individual strands of beautiful glossy hair came loose. She then tried it on the pure rabbit as well, who quickly looked like a soft cloud in the blue sky. It was a skill solely focused on making life easier, a skill that felt very human. As Mira used it, she felt like she was watching an epic movie unfold in the magic academy. The realization of a fantasy, and the discoveries brought forth by research into skills that were not devoted to war. Thinking of all that, Mira was impressed all over again. Mira wore the robe left for her there, and together with the pure rabbit left the changing room. The living room was filled with the particr scent of spices, dinner was already cooked, and it just needed to be served. Mariana was just cing everything on the table when Mira came out. ¡¸Lady Mira, dinner is almost ready so please sit at the table.¡¹ ¡¸Alright. Also, I saw you put the clothes fromst time back in my basket, thanks.¡¹ ¡¸No need to thank me, I¡¯m just doing my job.¡¹ Thanking Mariana, Mira walked closer to her, examining her hair. Mariana¡¯s hair was of a glistening blue, just like a sapphire, and with every movement it would flutter around. After checking what she wanted, Mira walked away looking a bit disappointed and sat on a couch. The pure rabbit followed her and jumped on herp, curling up. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ Mariana tilted her head while asking that, Mira¡¯s actions looked somewhat odd. Her hands kept moving though, pouring ck tea onto a cup with apletely natural motion, showing just how used she was to that action. ¡¸Oh it¡¯s nothing, I just learned this skill to dry hair. So I thought that maybe I could do that for you if yours was still wet. But it looks like you already dried it yourself.¡¹ Mira replied and brought the cup to her lips, while Mariana took her apron off and quickly ran to the changing room like it was the obvious thing to do. ¡¸Huh, what happened?¡¹ Mira called for her from behind, Mariana replied while turning around. ¡¸I¡¯ll wash my hair again.¡¹ Saying that, she opened the changing room¡¯s door. ¡¸Wait wait wait¡¹ Mira tried to hurriedly stop her, picking up the apron and handing it to her. A bit NSFW ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I guess dinner takes priority.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I mean at all.¡¹ Mariana took the apron, fastened it on her and resumed getting things ready for dinner. Mira could only force a smile watching her. ¡¸But you never touch me except for things like that. I want to feel you more, I want you to touch me more.¡¹ Mariana spoke with a low and lonely voice, looking away as she exposed her true feelings. She wanted Mira to have more direct contact with her. Her heart still recalled the warmth of her hand when she wiped away the tears Mariana shed. But after that, she never felt that touch again, and then Mira offered to touch her hair without any suggestions from Mariana. She was fully aware that talking in such a way to her master was very disrespectful, but her desire was toorge to keep quiet. After all, thirty years was such a long time that mental restraints could easily fade away. Hearing that, Mira also realized something. She had felt Mariana¡¯s touch in the bath or in bed many times already, but all of those times it was only Mariana doing it. Still, thinking about touching a girl like that made Mira awfully conscious about certain things, and even she was surprised she had wanted to dry Mariana¡¯s hair. Even more considering how aware she was of her existence. Mira followed Mariana with her gaze. Watching a girl so devoted to her brought forth an impulse to hug her lovingly, while also increasing the desire to protect Mariana with all her might. ¡¸Lady Mira?¡¹ Noticing Mira¡¯s gaze, Mariana looked straight back into her eyes. ¡¸Ah, no, it¡¯s just¡­¡¹ Mira felt lost for a bit, her gaze wandering around before she reaffirmed her thoughts and focused on Mariana again. All the emotions welling inside Mira were condensed into a single feeling. It was not the most resolute of thoughts, but Mira was aware it existed inside her, and filled her chest with warmth. ¡¸I know¡­ I might have been a bit distant.¡¹ Saying that, Mira slowly reached for Mariana¡¯s cheek, feeling her warmth spread through her palm. Mariana also slowly closed her eyes, cherishing that touch. ¡¸This is the second time.¡¹ A bright smile sprouted on Mariana¡¯s lips as she muttered. Mira¡¯s hand was touching the cheek of the girl in front of her. When she moved her fingers slightly, Mariana reacted like it tickled her and both looked each other in the eyes. (¡­Why do I feel like I¡¯m crossing too many barriers?!) As Mira looked at Mariana, she realized she had leaped through many steps leading to a moment like that. Usually, the first step would be holding her hand or patting her head, and she realized that was where she should have started. But the first time Mira had touched her was to wipe her tears, so she instinctively touched her the same way again. Still, gently caressing a girl¡¯s cheek like that was a pretty bold act. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s eat before it gets cold!¡¹ Trying to mask her internal struggle, Mira quickly put her hand away and sat on the couch again. ¡¸Yes, of course.¡¹ Mariana bashfully brought her own hand to cover the spot where Mira¡¯s palm was, dearly keeping the lingering heat for as long as possible, then resumed getting things ready in higher spirits than before. The food Mariana prepared and brought to the table looked extremely exquisite, making Mira feel like she had just walked into an expensive restaurant. ¡¸This looks amazing.¡¹ ¡¸I just had really good ingredients.¡¹ They spoke while Mariana cut a beautifully seared steak. As she had exined, everything used to make that dinner was of high quality as well. ¡¸It really looks perfectly done.¡¹ Even with her limited cooking knowledge, Mira could tell from the steak¡¯s cross-section that it was good, her mouth watering just from looking at it. Other than the steak, there was also a colorful sd, an amber-colored soup, small pieces of bread andrge cuts of steak. There were also some vegetable sticks for the pure rabbit. ¡¸Please enjoy.¡¹ When everything wasid out, Mariana bowed indicating Mira could eat, who promptly stabbed a piece of meat with her fork and carried it to her mouth. (So tasty! I never understood what people meant when they said the food melted on their tongues, but I guess this is it!) ¡¸Mm, it¡¯s delicious.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2267 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1278 words
Editor(s): Fire
Mira stopped herself from blurting out her true feelings of delight, pretending to stayposed. But all she could control were her words, since a really wide smile adorned her cute face showing just how much she enjoyed it. ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Hearing and seeing Mira like that, made Mariana smile as well as she nodded slightly before grabbing a napkin and cleaning Mira¡¯s lips. Mira said that was something she could do herself, but Mariana shook her head and insisted on doing it for her. ¡¸And so, aren¡¯t you eating as well? Let¡¯s eat together.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ve already eaten.¡¹ Mira¡¯s suggestion was shut down instantly, but Mariana was still in a very good mood throughout the meal, constantly spoiling Mira with any little thing she could. Mariana¡¯s care, or maybe her very nature, made her care about every single thing, which included the pure rabbit who remained in Mira¡¯s arms enjoying a good time with them. After Mira filled her stomach, the sound of silverware being washed filled the living room, while Miray down on the couch staring at her map. (I never thought traveling could take this long without a floating ind. I can¡¯t go too far or it¡¯ll be toote in the night before I arrive at a good city. Or maybe I¡¯ll even have to camp out in the open.) Mirapared the distance to the Forest of Praying Children and how long it took her to get there to calcte how long it would take to travel to the Forest of Four Seasons where the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters was located. Taking into ount rest and sleep breaks, it would take around three days to finish the trip. Thinking about that made Miray limp and lifeless on the couch. (I feel like my body won¡¯tst if I have to ride for three days straight.) That was something Mira had also noticed on her return trip from the Forest of Praying Children. While flying on Pegasus was fast, traveling for even half a day like that ced a heavy toll on her body. She had no confidence at all that just a few dayster she would be able to travel like that for three days without rest. (Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to postpone that visit. I¡¯ll go once my wagon is made.) If the wagon was made the way Mira wanted, she waspletely sure she could stay inside it for an entire day without problems. Thinking of her ns after she got her wagon, Mira started daydreaming about her travels through the sky, staring at the ceiling as she hugged the pure rabbit on top of her. ¡¸You think that would be great as well, don¡¯t you?¡¹ She spoke to the blue rabbit happily squeaking in her arms. At the same time, Mariana had just finished washing the dishes and her face peeked from beside the pure rabbit. That caught Mira off-guard, whose rxed expression quickly stiffened up. ¡¸By the way, Lady Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Y-yes?!¡¹ Mira sprung up hearing Mariana¡¯s voice, sitting upright with the pure rabbit on herp as she gently petted its back. She desperately tried to figure out how to pretend she was not acting like a little child spoiling their pet, but there was no way of erasing the past. Either way, Mariana did not seem to care. ¡¸What¡¯s the rabbit¡¯s name?¡¹ She asked somethingpletely unrted to Mira herself. But that also made Mira think, she had never given the rabbit a name. ¡¸Oh right, I haven¡¯t thought about that yet¡­ hey, do you have a name?¡¹ They both stared at the rabbit, who seemed to understand their question and replied by shaking its head. ¡¸Ohh, did you see that? It just told us it doesn¡¯t have one!¡¹ Excited by that smart reaction, Mira held the pure rabbit up and showed it to Mariana. When Mira tried asking the same thing, the rabbit once again replied by shaking its head. ¡¸What a clever little one.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s really smart.¡¹ She ced the pure rabbit on herp again, clearly amused by the current situation. Mariana watched her act like that with a gentle gaze and a kind smile. Mira had entirely forgotten to maintain her persona. She stared at the blue rabbit on herp, who also looked back at her and squeaked happily. A momentter it turned its head and began licking Mira¡¯s fingers that were wrapped around it. (Ahhh, why do you have to be so cute!) Mira had returned to her usual self for a second when she had to struggle again to maintain a serious face, when she shouted out the name that popped up in her head. ¡¸How about Pyonsaemon!¡¹ Hearing that, Mariana looked at her with the most emotionless eyes she ever had for Mira, and even the pure rabbit looked away realizing that was the name she thought for it. ¡¸Forget about that, I was just a bit distracted.¡¹ Maybe because she had spent some time with Blue, an onmyoji master, Kagura¡¯s personality had leaked into Mira¡¯s thoughts. Mira grimaced at herself for getting influenced by Kagura¡¯s naming sense, even though she was nowhere near her, and thought about a different name. ¡¸What name would be good though. Pyonnoshin¡­no, I¡¯m just kiddingg¡­ hmm¡­ pyon¡­ rabbit¡­ blue¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s gaze focused more on the blue rabbit while constantly groaning at herself. Meanwhile, the pure rabbit looked at her with eyes full of expectation. Then at one point, Mariana interrupted again with another question. ¡¸Also, is it a boy or a girl?¡¹ Since Mira¡¯s first suggestion ¡¸Pyonsaemon¡¹ sounded masculine, she assumed the rabbit was a male, but it looked more round and with shorter ears than the usual description of pure rabbits she had heard. ¡¸¡­I wonder which?¡¹ Even the thought of finding that out had never crossed Mira¡¯s mind, her head slowly tilting to one side as she stared at the pure rabbit. Mariana¡¯s head also started tipping along with Mira. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s faster if we check it out.¡¹ Saying that, Mira turned the pure rabbit upside down on herp before grabbing its legs and spreading them apart. But everything was covered in fluffy tufts of fur, so it was impossible to tell. That was when Mariana leaned forward and began checking from closer. ¡¸Can you try being a little more gentle?¡¹ Mariana said that while calming down the pure rabbit that had been suddenly turned around, gently checking if it was a male or female. ¡¸It¡¯s a girl.¡¹ When they freed the pure rabbit, she stood up on her hind legs and ced the front ones on Mira¡¯s stomach to support herself, looking up at Mira. ¡¸Is that so¡­ then, maybe Pyonko- No I¡¯m kidding okay?¡¹ The pure rabbit had turned around in dejection again. Mariana also stared coldly at her, so Mira quickly forgot about that and began thinking of a better name. ¡¸What would be a good name though. Pyo-¡­ hmm. Blue Rabbit, Footsteps of Luck, Blue Thunder, Blue Trail, Noriko, Aomarimo, Alive or Alive¡­¡¹ As Mira thought of a new name, she enumerated the other names given to the pure rabbit by yers years before. The pure rabbit remained looking at Mira with her rotund and cute eyes, her ears shaking a bit every so often when she squeaked. Seeing that cute creature in front of her robbed Mira of her ability to focus, making her pet the head, ears, back and legs of the pure rabbit.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2641 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1280 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Umm¡­ Lady Mira..?¡¹ That low whispering voice made Mira snap back to reality. ¡¸I swear I¡¯m actually thinking of a name. I just need to research things like this a bit to figure out her true name.¡¹ She quickly made up an excuse and looked up. When she saw Mariana¡¯s face, Mira realized she looked like she was trying really hard to hold something back. Mira had thought maybe Mariana was looking at her with cold eyes again, but seeing that was not the case she sighed in relief before checking what Mariana was looking at. ¡¸¡­You can touch her too if you want, no need to hold back.¡¹ ¡¸Okay!¡¹ As soon as Mira gave her permission, Mariana nodded vigorously and began petting the pure rabbit. Soon after a bright smile overtook her lips. ¡¸By the way, have you decided on a name already?¡¹ Since Mariana had leaned down to the same height as the pure rabbit, her eyes were turned up when she looked at Mira and asked. That alluring position made Mira¡¯s brain freeze for a few seconds, until she deviated her gaze and replied ¡¸not yet¡­¡¹ with a wavering voice. ¡¸Calling her without a name will be a bit tricky for a while, but you don¡¯t have to think of one right away. A name received from an important person is a very prized treasure after all. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy with any name you give her, as long as you think of it with all your heart.¡¹ Mariana¡¯s fingers traveled through the blue fur like ab as she spoke. Her face looked very gentle, like a mother taking care of her child. The pure rabbit seemed to enjoy that a lot as she closed her eyes, squeaking for slightly longer as if agreeing with Mariana¡¯s words. ¡¸Hmm¡­ that¡¯s still a heavy responsibility.¡¹ A name is like a treasure. Mira had never thought of it that way, and Mariana seemed to have one hidden emotion throbbing in her heart when she said that as well. Mira pulled her thoughts together and looked at the pure rabbit again. ¡¸Ah, look at all this.¡¹ Mariana muttered as she picked all the fur that stuck to her hands and piled it up on her palm. It was of a very vivid blue color, and even one single strand stood out on Mariana¡¯s hand. ¡¸Hmm, I guess it got stuck on you while you were petting her. You can keep it, they say it brings good luck.¡¹ ¡¸Can I really keep it?¡¹ ¡¸Of course.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, I¡¯ll make sure to treasure it.¡¹ In a way, Mira would end up having more fur than she knew what to do with, so she had no problems giving it away. She watched how Mariana happily stored the blue fur inside a handkerchief while her mind still thought about a name for the pure rabbit. When Mariana looked at Mira again, she noticed something else. ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s a lot of it all over your clothes too.¡¹ Mariana said while pointing at Mira¡¯s robe, it was covered by many blue strands. They had probably gotten stuck there from how long Mira held the pure rabbit on herp. ¡¸I wonder if cleaning will get harder in the future¡­¡¹ Whether Mira was home or not, Mariana would be the one in charge of cleaning everything. That was part of an aide¡¯s work. Mira was slightly hesitant to look at Mariana thinking about that, but she gently picked up all the blue strands. ¡¸I guess this ce will be blessed with a lot of good luck in the future then.¡¹ She smiled saying that. Mira was captured by her attitude for a bit, before snapping back to reality and nodding quickly saying ¡¸That¡¯s true!¡¹. Mira gently patted the blue rabbit¡¯s head, when a certain name floated in her head. The pure rabbit was a blue rabbit that brought good luck. ¡¸I got it! Your name will be Fortuna! And your nickname will be Luna!¡¹ The name of a goddess of good luck popped up in a corner of Mira¡¯s mind. After announcing the name, she turned to look at Mariana. ¡¸Fortuna. That¡¯s the name of a goddess known amongst fairies. It fits perfectly for her.¡¹ Hearing her decision praised, Mira eximed ¡¸I know!¡¹ as she happily picked up the pure rabbit and held her high. The rabbit also understood what Mira said, showing apletely different reaction to the rejection she showed hearing Pyonsaemon, instead squeaking happily receiving that valuable treasure from Mira. (Somehow that was really tiring.) Finally relieved from that stressful task, Mira yawned and let her body lie limp on thefortable couch as her eyes closed, but soon after she felt a hand shaking her shoulder. ¡¸Lady Mira. If you want to sleep, go to bed. You could catch a cold if you sleep here.¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­ ah, right. You¡¯re right.¡¹ Mira had already started falling into her dream world, so she put Luna to the side on the couch and stood up with unsteady movements. Then Mariana carefully guided her through the preparations for bed. Luna followed them the entire time. Once she was ready for bed, Mira hugged Luna to sleep with her and went to the bedroom. ¡¸¡­You want to do that tonight as well?¡¹ ¡¸If you hate it then I¡¯ll sleep elsewhere¡­¡¹ Mariana¡¯s voice turned lower really quickly. ¡¸Mm¡­ it¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ There was only one bed, with a cushion and two pillows on it, one of which was the same Mariana had used the other night. Behind Mira, Mariana had also started getting ready for bed herself. Mira did not hate sleeping with her, she actually enjoyed it. She was simply not used to sleeping together with someone else. ¡¸I have to go to the castle tomorrow in the morning, so let¡¯s sleep soon.¡¹ ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Saying that, Mira ced Luna on the cushion, switched the ces of the two pillows andy down on them. Mariana did not think much of that,ying down as well. Seen from above, Mira was on the right side of the bed, and Mariana on the left. ¡¸Ah¡­ Lady Mira¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mm, you know, we didn¡¯t renew it again. So¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s cheeks flushed red and her gaze wavered around, though the lights were turned off and the moonlight filtering through the window was not powerful enough to show it. Below the nket, Mira had stretched her right hand out and held Mariana¡¯s left hand. Mariana¡¯s Divine Protection could only be renewed by Mira holding Mariana¡¯s left hand with her right, so Mira had changed the location of their pillows so they could do it while lying looking up. ¡¸That¡¯s true, let¡¯s do it then.¡¹ It was hard to see from theck of light, but the warmth of Mira¡¯s hand was all Mariana needed to know what was happening. Mariana was not ignorant to rtionships between men and women, she even was aware of certain behaviors Mira showed from time to time. But it was hard to say she fully understood them, but she firmly believed that her body and mind belonged to Mira. And that was a feeling that superseded gender. She was happy Mira treated her like ady, but she also wanted to be pursued. A soft light shone between the nkets. Feeling the warmth of Mira¡¯s hand, Mariana closed her eyes, praying that that warmth would never go far away again. Chapter 58: Promise and Report Chapter 58: Promise and Report The bright sunlight passed through the bedroom¡¯s window in the tower, slowly dispersing the drowsiness filling it. The girl¡¯s disheveled silver hair glistened under the light as she slowly rose. (She¡¯s already awake, even though it¡¯s so early.) Mira looked to her side, only seeing an empty pillow. On the other side, Luna was still sleeping on her pillow, curled into a ball and breathing slowly. She smiled a bit watching Luna, and then opened the menu of her bracelet to check the current time. (Oh, I just woke upte¡­) It was already past 9:30am. Mira closed the menu and stretched out, then got out of bed and headed to the living room. On her way there, she spotted a certain outfit left on a small table. Clothes with a very familiar design on them. (It¡¯s so well made.) She picked it up and held it in front of her, it was her Magic Robe Set. Mira decided she might as well put it on, sliding her arms through the sleeves, but a knock on the door stopped her, soon after which Mariana in a maid outfit peeked her head through the door. ¡¸Good morning, Lady Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Good morning.¡¹ ¡¸Let me help you.¡¹ She understood exactly what Mira was about to do, so she came at the perfect moment to help. Without waiting for Mira to ept or reject her help, she approached Mira and quickly began helping her get dressed. Mariana was also very willing to make Mira¡¯s hair, taking two almost transparent blue ribbons and tying her hair to each side. Watching her already cute appearance be enhanced with those twin tails, Mira looked quite satisfied with herself when she stood in front of a mirror. Mariana was also quite happy with the result, mostly because she was able to touch Mira¡¯s hair a lot. They spent some time in front of the mirror, and turned around and smiled looking at each other. Luna woke up just when the girls were about to have breakfast, which was the best way a pet could wake up. After everyone ate, Mira exined her next ns to Mariana. She would first report her findings to Solomon, and depending on how the decoding of Soul Howl¡¯s traces went, she could have her next destination set already. If it was a very distant ce, it would be a considerable amount of time before she came back again. Mira felt bad about that, but Mariana told her to not worry and just smiled, though there was slight loneliness hidden in it. Still, Mariana would not grieve any more, knowing her master would definitely return again was enough to keep her motivated. Seeing that Mariana did not mind it too much, Mira felt more relieved and looked at the mark on the back of her hand, being made aware of how strong that bond was. ¡¸It¡¯s time for me to go now.¡¹ Mira said standing up, having finished a cup of ck tea after breakfast and petted Luna¡¯s fur for plenty of time. Before she left, Mariana went to get a basket from the kitchen and handed it to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ve prepared lunch for you as well, make sure to enjoy itter.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thanks.¡¹ Mira thanked her as she took the basket, mindlessly patting Mariana¡¯s head. That act happenedpletely naturally and without hesitation, which surprised even Mira. But it also meant that a wall that stood between the two had crumbled, and as Mira saw Mariana smile happily under her hand, she knew that was the best decision they could have taken. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave the rest in your hands.¡¹ Mira hugged Luna tightly and then gave her to Mariana, who received her carefully and bowed to Mira. ¡¸Take care.¡¹ While it was a short exchange, and both of them were girls, the endearing tone of Mariana¡¯s voice made it sound like a wife that was used to seeing her husband off like that. But Mira was still oblivious to that, as well as the slight pout on Mariana¡¯s cheeks who was still expecting to be hugged. Noticing that would be Mira¡¯s future homework. Mira walked out of the tower and got ready to take off when she saw the tower standing next to hers, which made her remember something. That was the Tower of Necromancy, and Mira had promised Amaratte something. After talking with Lily, the maid, she said that Amaratte coulde to the castle any time to get her measurements taken. (I almost forgot about that.) Mira decided to take care of that before she left for the city and entered the Tower of Necromancy. When everyone noticed that a young silver-haired girl entered the Tower of Necromancy, their gazes all focused on her and stayed silent. As opposed to the Tower of Summoning, there were quite a few people working day and night in research there. Being made painfully aware of that fact, Mira¡¯s shoulders drooped as she headed to the top floor. Everyone watched her go, starting to murmur amongst themselves ¡¸She¡¯s that girl¡¹, not even wondering why she hade there, instead talking about rumors they heard about her power, as well as her appearance. When Mira reached the top floor, she used Life Sensing to figure out that there were people in both the aide¡¯s room and the office. Since Amaratte was the vice-elder, it made more sense for her to be in the office. With that conclusion in mind, Mira opened the door of the office. Soon after she felt someone approach her, it was Amaratte without her usual red hood. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s Mira. I guess you came because of that favor I asked, seeing you came all the way here.¡¹ Amaratte smiled softly seeing Mira, quickly realizing why she was there. Mira nodded, while at the same time wondering how it was possible that Amaratte¡¯s appearance could change so much by simply removing the red hood. ¡¸Lily looked quite excited to work with you as well. They would like to measure you, so they wanted to know at which time you¡¯d be free.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Thank you, Mira. Maybe I¡¯ll go today even.¡¹ Saying that, Amaratte smiled broadly, something that seemed impossible from the first impression Mira had of her. Next, she went to a shelf next to the door and took a small package from it, ¡¸here¡¯s your reward¡¹ she handed it to Mira. ¡¸It was nothing big, there¡¯s no need to thank me.¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not just to return the favor. Take it as my appreciation, and something I thought would fit you perfectly.¡¹ ¡¸Fit me? What even is in there?¡¹ ¡¸Hehehe, check itter. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡¹ Mira looked at the package for a bit before storing it in her Item Box. ¡¸That¡¯s all I had to say, see youter,¡¹ she said while walking into the elevator and going down to the ground floor. ¡¸She has white almost translucent skin and silver hair. ck is the perfect match for that. You think so as well, right Charlotte?¡¹ Amaratte asked someone else, and a tall woman walked out of the aide¡¯s room. She wore a thin ck outfit, reminiscent of a mourning dress, and had almost too perfect facial features. Her right eye was covered with an eyepatch, while her right one was ck and hollow-like, appearing brittle in a weird way. The woman called Charlotte was the Tower of Necromancy¡¯s aide, from a vampire tribe known as Daylight Walker. ¡¸I can¡¯t really agree with you on that. I still believe white would be a better choice.¡¹ Charlotte¡¯s gaze followed Mira as she went down the tower, clearly ascertaining her opinion. Her pupil wavered like some sort of spirit, still following the silver-haired girl even though she was luded by a wall. ¡¸Oh, our opinions differ once again.¡¹ ¡¸Not even you can change my mind on that.¡¹ They smiled eerily at each other, contradicting auras welling up around them.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3013 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1585 words
Editor(s): Fire
When Mira was outside that tower, she went straight towards the Tower of Magic. She had to visit Luminaria next to ask if the sacred tree wood shavings she had could be used as a recement for World Tree Ash. ¡¸Heyyy, Luminaria! Are you there? Please responddd!¡¹ Mira spoke loudly as she violently battered the door of Luminaria¡¯s room. As the loud banging spread around, the door was swung open by a bright red figure. ¡¸When are you going to learn?! Though I have to admit I kinda missed this!¡¹ She sounded annoyed, but also somewhat d as Luminaria lowered the leg she lifted to kick the door. ¡¸I know that much, that¡¯s why I decided to go all out today.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that¡¯s very¡­ I guess not really thoughtful of you actually.¡¹ Mira spoke while puffing up her chest, but Luminaria grabbed her cheeks with one hand and pulled her closer, though it was not with much force and only for show. ¡¸So, what do you need?¡¹ She gently pushed Mira¡¯s head away as she let go of her face, then reclined against the door frame as her forelocks danced in front of her face. Mira began browsing through her bracelet. ¡¸You asked for something like ashes of a sacred tree, yes? This is what I was able to get.¡¹ She took a portion of the sacred tree shavings she had and gave them to Luminaria. Mira spoke of ashes, but instead Luminaria received some wood shavings. Still, Luminaria could hardly think Mira would give her some misceneous items when talking about something else, so she asked to confirm her suspicion. ¡¸Are these World Tree Shavings?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, exactly. Maybe you can use them to make ashes? I¡¯ve never heard of someone doing that before, but maybe it could work? At least it¡¯s a possibility.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s what you had in mind. Still, I wonder if that would really work. I¡¯ve never tried it either, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll know if we ask at the Crafter¡¯s Union. That ce is filled with weirdos who have no qualms experimenting on any item no matter how rare it is, so I¡¯d bet they¡¯ve tried it.¡¹ World Tree Shavings had many varied uses, as well as very strong properties, but it was still very rare toe by and pricey. On the other hand, World Tree Ash had only one use, as an ingredient for a unique item called Secret Stone of Purification, so there was nowhere as much demand for it as the shavings. It was still possible to get the ashes, but they were much rarer to find, and there was no point in having them unless someone really needed a Secret Stone of Purification, so no one would waste such a rare ingredient as the shavings to produce an almost useless item. ¡¸The Crafter¡¯s Union? First time I hear of them.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s also the Farmer¡¯s Union and the Fisher¡¯s Union, you know.¡¹ ¡¸Things are really starting to be like our former world here. At this rate, we might even get something like the United Nations soon.¡¹ Mira said with a dryugh, drooping her shoulders, but Luminariaughed saying ¡¸There¡¯s already something like that.¡¹ When Mira asked what she meant, Luminaria gave a brief exnation. There was a group called the ¡®Rising Sun Committee¡¯, created secretly by the leaders of all the countries founded by former yers. Since they all were not originally from this world, they held modern pacifist morals, and now that this world stopped being a virtual one and was reality, they decided they had to put a stop to the warring games from the past and try to spread those ethics throughout this world. All of the members introduced themselves with their real names, and agreed on that n. Antis, the biggest yer made country, took the lead of the group, inviting the other countries for the first meeting they had which ended with them banning any form of war deration. Thanks to that, wars had gotten much less intense after that, though there were still a few cases. Those were caused by the remaining countries, ruled in the past by NPCs, which were much harder to influence by the former yers. The Rising Sun Committee members called them Primeval Countries, which were much more numerous than those led by former yers. There was arge gap between the ideology of former yers who all held modern Japanese ideals, avoiding wars as much as possible; and those who lived their entire life in this world. As a result, some of the yer-ruled countries that were surrounded by Primeval Countries would constantly get harassed by them whenever they showed weakness, in some cases leaving them with rather deplorable lifestyles. As a result, some of them ended up getting fed up with those constant attacks and ended up returning fire. So the Rising Sun Committee¡¯s agreement was amended, stating that only war between two countries led by former yers was banned, while it was highly dependent on the situation when it came to Primeval Countries. ¡¸From what I heard, they¡¯re still constantly trying to find ways to make other countriesply. Though for that they need to get rid of the source of conflict first. There are those who fight over territorial disputes, or economic reasons, others just to survive or to get better living conditions. They¡¯re not exactly bad reasons, but it still feels wrong. It would be so easy if we could just get together and be friends, but ideologies, history, geography and other invisible evils get in the way. Though well, in the end, I¡¯m not really the best at this kind of things, to be honest.¡¹ ¡¸Same here, I just trust Solomon will do a good job.¡¹ The two spoke in a lively tone at the end of their conversation, though Mira secretly thanked Solomon for taking care of all those things. ¡¸Anyway, if these can be used to get ashes, then nextes the Crimson King¡¯s Sword, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yup, good luck out there!¡¹ They parted ways after that. Luminaria immediately called Litaria and told her to contact the Crafter¡¯s Union. Mira went to the elevator, where she began rummaging through her memories to picture Arkite¡¯s location on the map. If things were still simr to the past, then there were many Primeval Countries near Arkite. (It¡¯s taking a while to sink in, but that¡¯s what war means now. Once the fighting starts, people will truly die. And we need to stop that from happening¡­) As Mira left the Tower of Magic, she was made aware once again of just how heavy and important her current mission was. Summoning Pegasus, Mira left the towers and Silver Horn behind. A few hourster she arrived at the castle in Lunatic Lake, the capital of Arkite. She quickly greeted the guards keeping watch at the entrance, then entered and began looking around for someone who could point her to Solomon¡¯s current location. As was fitting for the royal castle in the capital, the ceiling was decorated with chandeliers, walls covered with paintings, sets of armor lining the corridors illuminated by nearbymps, and the floor covered in a magnificent red carpet with detailed embroidering. Mira marveled once again at the luxurious building as she walked through it. (Even the entrance is this magnificent. I wonder who painted that on the wall though.) One of the paintings caught her attention, making her wonder if it was made in good taste or bad, arge painting portraying ake with half-naked spirits. They were all female, drawn as they ran along the water, imbuing the picture with a strong sense of motion. Then there was another painting, this time in a smaller frame, disying a girl covered only by a thin piece of cloth holding hands with an angel flying in the sky. In her previous world pictures like these would have been considered mundane illustrations, but here they were disyed in gorgeous frames. As she observed those paintings, her mind thinking of misceneous things, she noticed a familiar face further along the corridor. Suleyman was pushing a trolley loaded with countless books. ¡¸Oh, hello Suleyman. You came at the perfect moment.¡¹ Mira ran up to him while saying that, which made Suleyman stop and turn to look at her with a smile. ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Lady Mira. Wee back.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯m back.¡¹ He let go of the trolley and quickly bowed to Mira. She also returned the greeting before taking a quick look at the books he was transporting. The titles were very diverse and varied, but there was onemon trait between them, they all were about historic events from long ago. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m pushing so many things on you. I¡¯d love to help you, but I¡¯m really bad at decoding things like that.¡¹ ¡¸No need to worry about that, I¡¯m actually grateful to you. I never thought a day woulde when all my knowledge on history and spirits would be of use to His Majesty Solomon. But now I feel fulfilled every day, and all thanks to everything you¡¯ve brought back from your travels.¡¹ A friendly aura irradiated from Suleyman as he spoke, d from the bottom of his heart. Hearing him, Mira was reminded of how he always had a positive personality like that.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3075 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1523 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸Are you going to report your new findings now, Lady Mira?¡¹ ¡¸That was the n. So tell me, where¡¯s Solomon right now?¡¹ ¡¸At this time he¡¯s usually in his office. Let me take you there.¡¹ Suleyman started taking the trolley to an inconspicuous corner so he could leave it there while he guided Mira, but she felt bad for interrupting him while he worked. ¡¸No, it¡¯s fine. You look pretty busy as is, and I remember the way there anyway.¡¹ Saying that, she turned to look towards the direction of the office. ¡¸Alright then. I¡¯ll be over in the reference room for the time being, so if you need me for anything feel free toe by.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, sorry for holding you here.¡¹ Leaving the entrance behind, Mira went upstairs towards Solomon¡¯s office, while Suleyman pushed the trolley going to the side. ¡¸Here, the things you wanted.¡¹ After a brief greeting, Mira threw the Founding Seeds she got from the Tenma Labyrinth Primal Forest on the desk. ¡¸Wow, this is great. You even got ten of them, thank you very much.¡¹ Solomon checked the Founding Seeds, thanking her, surprised to see she had brought more than he needed at that moment. He then took out a box from a drawer and stored the seeds inside it. ¡¸You see, my First Lieutenant found most of them. He knew exactly where to search for them. It was my first time seeing him use an ability like that, but it helped make searching for them much easier.¡¹ Mira plopped down on the usual couch, proudly talking about her Cait Sith. ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s quite a useful ability. But if you can find them so easily, then I guess I can always ask you when I need more, that¡¯s good to know.¡¹ ¡¸Eh¡­ well, I guess I can if I¡¯m somewhere nearby.¡¹ Mira forced augh as she stretched her legs out. Solomon looked at her with gratitude, before continuing into the main topic ¡¸And so, how did it go?¡¹ ¡¸I have the elder¡¯s ount. Soul Howl is definitely trying to get the Brilliant Chalice.¡¹ ¡¸Well, in that case, we should eventually run into him if we continue tugging on these leads then.¡¹ Solomon was also considering the possibility that Soul Howl only gathered the materials but never proceeded to actually do something with the Brilliant Chalice. But from the traces Mira had found, they were certain that they were going in the right direction towards Soul Howl. Following the traces had not been fruitless, which brought Solomon a great deal of relief. ¡¸Mm, I also checked the roots he carved, and it looked pretty old. Though the elder said he did not remember how long ago it happened, so knowing that much I think we should move faster here as well.¡¹ Mira had no technical knowledge on how to determine the age of such a cut, and even if she did, it would not be of much more use considering the irregr growing rate of a sacred tree. But if Soul Howl¡¯s preparations were going favorably, then it was safe to assume that he hadpleted the preliminary requisites. ¡¸That¡¯s true. To be honest, I was expecting the elder to remember when that happened, they¡¯re supposed to be all-knowing deities after all. But well, I¡¯d love to move faster with our own preparations, but we need some very specific materials for that.¡¹ Solomon also had other things to worry about than just Soul Howl, so he always tried to find as many shortcuts as possible. But in their current situation, there was nothing pointing to a concrete direction, so all they could do was follow his steps in order hoping to find any information that way. ¡¸Hmmm, well, I don¡¯t know if this is rted in any way, but when he left the sacred tree he apparently mentioned needing something ck.¡¹ ¡¸Something ck?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and then¡­ something about shaving cups.¡¹ ¡¸Shaving¡­ huh. Maybe he meant something ck to carve a chalice from the roots. But what would that something be¡­¡¹ Solomon tilted his head trying toprehend that nonsensical information, muttering ¡¸ck¡­ shaving, ck¡­¡¹ to himself. Mira leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling as she also tried toprehend what that meant, also repeating ¡¸ck¡­ ck¡¹ in a low voice. ¡¸Either way, there are other people who can figure that out better. This still counts as new information, so let¡¯s call a specialist.¡¹ Solomon quickly gave up, taking out the bell he used in the past and let it ring. A few momentster there was a knock on the door and Suleyman made his entrance. ¡¸Suleyman, how far did you get with decoding?¡¹ Solomon spoke, forcing his voice to sound deeper and with moremand. ¡¸Ourtest findings tell us that a certain naturally urring object is needed to prepare the roots. Also, apparently, it needs to be done in a very specific ce for it to work, but we have no information rting to that ce at all, which is leaving us a bit stumped.¡¹ Suleyman exined where they were at, hanging his head at the roadblock they encountered. ¡¸I see. I don¡¯t know if this will be of any help, but we just earned some bits of information directly from the elder, passed on through Mira there. Apparently, he needed something ck to shave or carve the roots, does that say anything to you?¡¹ ¡¸Sorry to bother you with how busy you are, but we have no idea how to proceed.¡¹ ¡¸No need to worry, this is also part of my duties. It¡¯s an honor for me to be summoned here.¡¹ He smiled happily, even though he had been called to load more work on him. Mira then ryed everything she heard from the elder to Suleyman as well. After that Suleyman remained silent, his face stern as hebined that new data with everything he already had. Some time passed and the blurry mess began to clear up in his head. ¡¸I get it now. Thank you, Lady Mira, I know where you should go next.¡¹ His minutes of pondering gave him the conclusion, his face clearing up as he announced. ¡¸Really? That¡¯s amazing.¡¹ ¡¸Well, don¡¯t leave us hanging Suleyman, where is that ce?¡¹ ¡¸Excuse me,¡¹ he said, pulling a map out and spreading it on top of the desk. It was a map of the entire Ark Earth continent, housing the Three Gods¡¯ Countries and Arkite. Suleyman pointed at a mountain range on the northern part of Alispharius, an eastern country in the continent. ¡¸I believe the ce is in this abandoned city.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, and why there?¡¹ ¡¸Let me exin. First, we already knew that a naturally urring item was necessary to process the roots, and considering how resilient they are, that narrowed down the options of what items to use. The next clue was that it could only happen in a very specific ce, but we had no leads as to its location, but from how it was described, it¡¯s easy to surmise that it¡¯s the only ce where the roots could be processed. But when Lady Mira mentioned something ck, that was enough to narrow the possibilities down a lot.¡¹ ¡¸I remember there¡¯s this special ce in that abandoned city, called the Crystal Temple. The deepest room in it is this special ce, with slits letting light in, and if you take one of the ck brittle crystals growing there and expose them to the light, they turn white and capable of cutting through even the hardest gems. I presume carving the roots there should be possible as well. The white crystals also turn back to ck after a few minutes, so it¡¯s impossible to take any outside, which means that¡¯s the only ce where the roots could be worked on.¡¹ When Suleyman was done exining, Mira and Solomon both nodded, convinced. ¡¸That¡¯s true, the elder¡¯s roots are so hard that not even steel can cut through them. But a white crystal would definitely do the job. Good work, Suleyman.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re too kind, sir.¡¹ Suleyman bowed respectfully to his king. Then Solomon recalled another matter from earlier. ¡¸And so, tell me, if there were any traces left from the carving of the chalice there, could you find out how old they are if you could research them yourself?¡¹ ¡¸From traces like that..? Well, I can¡¯t say for sure, that ce is the Abandoned City after all, though it¡¯s inside the temple¡­ so there should not be any deterioration due to wind or rain. If they¡¯re well conserved, I could give a rough estimate.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. It¡¯s decided then.¡¹ Hearing Suleyman¡¯s reply, Solomon nodded deeply and then turned to look at Mira again. It was easy for her to know what Solomon meant, she shrugged, stretched on the couch and waved her hand in agreement. Chapter 59: Means of Transportation Chapter 59: Means of Transportation ¡¸Well, guess you¡¯ll be heading to the Abandoned City in the Sky next. Considering the distance, this will take quite a while again.¡¹ Suleyman left the office, returning to resume his work decoding the texts. Meanwhile, as soon as he left, Solomon returned to his more casual tone of voice, which made Mira curious. ¡¸This¡¯s been bothering me for a while, but you changed your voice to sound deeper earlier, yes? But I thought you knew Suleyman for a long time now, so he¡¯s almost like a rtive. Is there really a need to do that?¡¹ Mira was thinking about Mariana and Cleos when she said that. She had known those two when the world was still a game, but they remembered everything that happened back then. That should apply to Suleyman as well, so there was no real reason to act differently in front of him. Hearing that, Solomon sighed, technically what Mira said was true, but it was moreplicated. ¡¸At first I didn¡¯t care much about how I spoke, I was just myself all the time, but then Luminaria scolded me. She said that now that everything is real, I should take things more seriously than before. For that, I should start giving off the appearance befitting of a king, and that my manner of speech was a big part of that. I decided to ask Suleyman for advice, and he seemed really happy about me changing, he told me he¡¯d personally supervise my words to make sure I spoke correctly. Since then, I always have to speak that way or he gets mad at me.¡¹ ¡¸What a loyal personage.¡¹ Solomon shrugged,ughing dryly at his helpless situation. Mira smiled, entertained, she could easily imagine that happening, knowing how Suleyman was. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s get back on topic. Why does the Abandoned City in the Sky have to be so far away¡­¡¹ As Mira said that, she recalled her past travels flying. The views were breathtaking, she did not feel cold if she wore a coat, and it was much faster than going on a horse carriage, she could travelrge distances in a much shorter time. But the only downside was that Mira could onlyst for so many hours riding Pegasus. ¡¸How¡¯s the wagon doing? Do you think it¡¯ll bepleted soon?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s made out of very specialized items, I think I hyped it too muchst time we spoke and didn¡¯t think of that, so it¡¯ll take quite a while longer.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, I see.¡¹ All her problems would get solved once she had the wagon of her dreams, but in the meantime, she would have to make do with Pegasus. Then again, Pegasus always seemed very excited to carry Mira as they flew through the sky. Mira also found that fun, but there was nothing she could do to avoid getting exhausted. Just the day before she had gotten so tired she needed to take a nap in some grasnds. Mira turned to look at the ceiling, her body reclined against the couch. In her mind, she was dreaming of how nice it would be to fly through the sky on a couch like that. ¡¸You look quite disappointed, did something happen?¡¹ Solomon noticed something was off about Mira, asking her if everything was alright. Mira stayed still, only moving her head slightly to reply. ¡¸Lately I¡¯ve been riding Pegasus to go from one ce to another, but when I have to cling to him for many hours I get really exhausted. And now I¡¯m going all the way to the Abandoned City in the Sky, which is going to be quite the ordeal for an old man like myself, I wish you were more careful about your elders.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s what¡¯s bothering you. I get how that would be faster, but yeah, holding onto Pegasus for so long sounds tiring. But hey, it¡¯s been a while since you spoke that line about your age, though nowadays it¡¯s amusing in apletely different way.¡¹ Still, Solomon thought seriously about her concerns. He took out a map and spread it on his desk, telling her ¡¸How about this?¡¹ Mira stood up and walked over, looking at it from the side. ¡¸This looks like a normal map¡­ though this, what¡¯s this highlighted line?¡¹ The map showed the northeastern regions of the continent, with the Holy Land of Alispharius at its center. There were short descriptions and names for the regions, and a strange line that spread through many of them that stood out a lot. Certain points of the line had circles on them as well, with the name of a city to the side. Solomon pointed at one of those circles, located past the mountain range to the north of Arkite. ¡¸This is a map of the continental railroads. If flying gets too tiring, you can always travel onnd. This is the closest station city, Silverside. You could take the train there and go all the way to Alis, then continue from there on Pegasus to minimize exhaustion. It¡¯ll take you three or four days to arrive at Alis, but the cities on the way there all have plenty of inns where you could stay.¡¹ As he spoke, Solomon pressed his index finger against the map, moving it from Silverside along the line all the way to the station city in Alispharius, where he lifted his finger from the map and made it jump to the Abandoned City in the Sky. Mira looked astounded at the map, reading the names of all the cities the railroads went through, until she finally gathered her thoughts and looked at Solomon. ¡¸A train, you said?!¡¹ There was no such means of transportation thirty years before. yers had their floating inds, while the natives only knew of horses and boats. Mira was shocked at how much technology kept evolving there, but she also began chuckling to herself, eventually mming the desk out of excitement. ¡¸That¡¯s good, that¡¯s so good, a masterpiece! Who would¡¯ve thought there would be a train here already. But I guess I was too narrow-minded seeing there¡¯s already flying ships here!¡¹ ¡¸No way, you already know about the flying ships. Now I have one less interesting story I can tell you about.¡¹ Mira spoke very excitedly, but Solomon seemed rather disappointed seeing she already knew of the conglomerate of new technologies that were the flying ships. Once Mira calmed down, she looked attentively at Solomon and asked for more details. He nodded and exined more details as briefly as possible. The continental railroads were another product of Magic Engineering, the first line being constructed to connect all of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. The duty of managing the railroads was given to station cities, independent from the Three Gods¡¯ Countries and located on protected territories. The railroads became quite popr, which created a booming economy for those station cities. ¡¸You seem quite familiar with that topic. But well, guess I¡¯ll take the train to Alis, and then¡­ that reminds me, there¡¯s another ce I have to visit.¡¹ Her mind excited about the train trip, Mira recalled that other clue she got by chance, so she took out a map from her Item Box andy it on top of the route map. ¡¸What¡¯s this..? I see a marker on the Forest of Four Seasons.¡¹ This time it was Solomon who asked the question. He could see a red mark on the center of the continent, where many mountain ranges merged at a single point. Solomon was unable to think of anything of interest to them at that point, so he turned a puzzled look at Mira. ¡¸I told you about Chimera uzen before, yes? I ran into one of their members the other day.¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2872 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1472 words
Editor(s): Fire
After that Mira told Solomon what happened after she left the Tenma Labyrinth. How she followed him through the forest, how he tried to attack a young spirit at theke, and how an onmyoji master came to help the spirit. That rescuer was part of an organization fighting against Chimera uzen, and agreed that Nyanmaru¡¯s master was likely one of hisrades. After talking with his superiors, Mira was given the location of their headquarters. ¡¸Though I really have to thank you for giving me that medal, it helped prove my position, and so they even gave me the location of their headquarters!¡¹ Miraughed giddily about everything, but Solomon was impressed as he looked at the red mark. Not because Mira had been able to use the medal so quickly, but because something he gave her was of so much use to her. He was also surprised when he heard the name of the resistance organization Mira had encountered. ¡¸Are you sure they said they were from the Fifty Bells?¡¹ Solomon asked again, which made Mira knit her brows quizzically as she replied. ¡¸Yes, what about it? Is something wrong?¡¹ She asked in return, and Solomon nodded before cing a pamphlet on top of the maps. The title on the pamphlet read ¡®Let¡¯s protect the spirits¡¯ environment¡¯. ¡¸Protect their environment, huh. Is this something like an environmentalist¡¯s pamphlet? What about it?¡¹ Mira took the pamphlet and began looking through it. Inside there were many pleas to prompt people to care more for conservation efforts, as well as addresses for donations. But there was something about those addresses that caught Mira¡¯s attention. The organization collecting donations across all of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries was the Fifty Bells Association. ¡¸What does¡­ that mean?¡¹ ¡¸It should be obvious enough. The Fifty Bells is an organization that was started as a charity to protect the environment and is known all throughout the continent. They¡¯re quite active as well, they¡¯re currently watching over the northern Grimdart forests as well, where almost all the spirits were captured in the past, so that everything is well-kept for the day when the spirits return. They¡¯re trying to diminish the harm caused by theck of spirits, and are constantly nting new spirit trees. They¡¯re doing the same in other ces as well, so they¡¯re a trustful organization that has shown actual results. I¡¯m sure they have plenty of representatives in this city as well.¡¹ ¡¸But that¡¯s all they show to the public. If what you saw and heard is their true essence, then everything we know about them is just a facade.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t think they had a public side like that.¡¹ Through their conversation, Solomon learned the true face of the Fifty Bells, while Mira learned what their public side was. But both could see how both sides coexisted, no matter how much they cared for the environment, the spirits would never return unless they got rid of the root of the problems. And Mira had met some of their members tasked with aplishing that. ¡¸I haven¡¯t looked too much into them so I can¡¯t say for sure that¡¯s how they operate, but from what you¡¯ve told me it sounds very likely. But it makes sense if you think about it, for such a big charity organization, a group like Chimera uzen would definitely be the worst scum on the earth for them. So it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they have armed troops ready to counterattack. But if they did that, then they would be an armed organization, which would get investigated by authorities from many countries, so keeping their peaceful charity facade is a really good tactic to operate freely.¡¹ By using their environmentalist front, the Fifty bells had been able to spread throughout the continent. Like Solomon said, even if they made their goal of fighting Chimera uzen public, acting as an armed organization would have stopped their spread in many ces. Mira also understood that much, closing the pamphlet and cing it on the desk again. ¡¸Still, I wonder which side is their true one. Are they trying to conserve the environment for spirits, or are they trying to exterminate Chimera uzen? Though from what you¡¯ve told me it doesn¡¯t seem like they mean any harm, or rather, if that¡¯s how they operate, maybe it would be interesting to increase our contribution to them.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, you were donating?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. Protecting the environment also protects spirits, and spirits are the friends of spellcasters. It would be inconceivable for our country out of all others to not support them.¡¹ ¡¸You have a point there.¡¹ Arkite was a kingdom known as thend of spellcasters. Even if the Fifty Bells was a group of mercenaries, supporting people who cared for spirits, the good neighbors of humans, gave a good impression to both the people in and out of the country. Or rather, because they were known in that way, there was no way they would not support them. And now that Solomon knew how they operated behind that public facade, he could see them defeating Chimera uzen one day, which would mean only good news for everyone who supported the Fifty Bells. Solomon went through the castle¡¯s monthly expenses, calcting how much more he could afford to donate. That also gave him another idea, they had seen Mira¡¯s medal, and they had to know it meant Mira was in direct contact with the king. Yet they still revealed their hidden side as a mercenary group, and even gave the location of their headquarters. Solomon decided to think of that as a message to him, and in response, he would increase the amount of money he donated to show he was willing to cooperate with them. After that, they only had to wait for them to directly contact the king. Realizing Mira had once again brought him a very valuable present from her travels, Solomon smiled to himself as he looked at the map with the location of their headquarters. ¡¸The Forest of Four Seasons has a multitude of spirits living in it, so it makes sense to ce their headquarters there, they¡¯ll have a lot of power to defend those spirits if the timees. They¡¯d only need a reliable form of moving in and out from there, and it¡¯s the perfect base.¡¹ ¡¸I know, without their headquarters there, the Forest of Four Seasons would be the perfect hunting grounds for Chimera.¡¹ The Forest of Four Seasons was considered a paradise for spirits, sometimes regarded as even a sacred ce. But since it was so full of spirits, in a way it would also be a paradise for Chimera uzen. Now that the Fifty Bells had their headquarters there though, it was impossible for them to just waltz in and pick as many spirits as they wanted. The difficulty of transportation aside, it was the perfect location for the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. Then Mira began thinking of other things. She had two different destinations, both were to the north of Arkite, but one of them was on the eastern side of the continent, while the other was quite a distance away from there. This time it would be impossible to reach one right after the other as she had at the Tenma Labyrinth. ¡¸By the way, where do you suggest I go first? The Abandoned City in the Sky or the Forest of Four Seasons?¡¹ As for her, Mira was nning on waiting until she had her wagon before going to the Forest of Four Seasons, but just in case she decided to ask for Solomon¡¯s opinion, who reclined on his chair before answering. ¡¸Hmmm¡­ maybe better go to the Abandoned City in the Sky first? It¡¯ll take quite some time to figure out the age of the wood shavings you¡¯ll hopefully find there, so you could use that time to visit the forest.¡¹ He smiled, voicing his suggestion, and Mira nodded, realizing she would have much less idle time spent waiting that way, but then she turned a sharp gaze to Solomon. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you just trying to make me ve off harder?¡¹ Thinking about Solomon¡¯s suggestion, Mira realized he was prioritizing shortening her free time, so she tried to question Solomon, who smiled broadly, almost in a mocking manner. ¡¸Who cares? You¡¯ve never been one to stay still for long. And traveling on a train doesn¡¯t sound too bad either, does it? Each station city has its own charm, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy traveling through them. They even have lunch sets that are unique to each station, so that¡¯ll keep you busy.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s true¡­ now I¡¯m looking forward to that as well!¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2719 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1385 words
Editor(s): Fire
Being told of all that, Mira began picturing how her travels would be. Looking at the scenery through the window, eating the station¡¯s meals, it did not sound like a bad experience, so Mira felt excited again. ¡¸Alright then. I¡¯ll take your advice this time.¡¹ ¡¸You should see how much this world has developed. And ah, I¡¯ll also tell Leoneil in Caranach about our earlier conversation. He¡¯s been doing his best trying to find the mysterious onmyoji master, but all he found were simr rumors all over the ce, like dummies ced to divert attention, so he¡¯s having a hard time sifting through all of it. Though I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll try harder if he finds out that someone who doesn¡¯t specialize in gathering information like you is getting more results than him.¡¹ As Solomon said that, he narrowed his eyes in a wicked way. Mira had only found out about the darker side of the Fifty Bells by chance, but she had still stayed a step ahead of Leoneil gathering that information, so Solomon could not wait to see his face when he found out that a young and uing adventurer had gotten further than him, who prided himself in finding out everything faster. Solomon was already giddy just imagining how far he would go, even if it meant sacrificing his dignity, all to beat Mira and find an even bigger scoop. ¡¸Also, they told me to keep all this as secret as possible, hopefully, you can limit yourself about it as well.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that. They kept everything under wraps really well until now, so they must have thought everything through. They saw your medal, and still gave you the location of their base, so I think it¡¯s safe to assume they knew fully well that I¡¯d hear about it from you, and maybe even hoped for it. If anything does get leaked though, it¡¯ll be my responsibility so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹ ¡¸What, is that medal something like your autograph?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s best to say it¡¯s something you can only get directly from me.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon added ¡¸Take good care of it¡¹ while stretching as far as he could, while Mira stored the map away and threw herself on the couch again. ¡¸But anyway, we¡¯ve been talking for quite some time and I¡¯ve worked up a big appetite. It¡¯s almost time for lunch now, do you want to grab something with me?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, time sure flies by. But well, I already have lunch so don¡¯t worry about me.¡¹ Solomon continued clearing up his desk, while Mira smirked and ruffled through her Item Box to take out a basket. She held the basket with a proud and satisfied look, cing it on the table in front of the couch with exaggerated motions. Solomon¡¯s eyes seemed like they were about to pop out as he watched astounded. ¡¸Is that¡­ the legendary wife¡¯s bento?!¡¹ ¡¸Exactly!¡¹ Mira replied instantly, albeit slightly embarrassed. That was the basket Mariana had given her before she left the tower. She nced tauntingly at Solomon, then opened the basket. ¡¸It looks like a lot of care went into making it.¡¹ Solomon peeked into the basket impressed. The contents were well bnced, very colorful, and were overflowing with the love poured into making it. ¡¸I know right, but I won¡¯t give you any.¡¹ Mira quickly jumped to hog all the love for herself, to which Solomon could only droop his shoulders disappointed and tell a maid to bring his lunch to the office. After a short wait, a maid came with the food, and the two chatted while they slowly chewed through their meals. When they were done eating, tea from high-quality leaves befitting the ruler of a country was served. Having finished that, Solomon checked the time and seemed to remember something. ¡¸I almost forgot, there¡¯s only one train going from Silverside to Alis, departing a bit in the afternoon.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon stood up and began looking through a shelf for something. Mira watched him do that without much interest, opening the menu of her bracelet. It was already half an hour past two, the train was about to depart at that time, if it had not already left, and ording to the map she had seen earlier, she could only reach Silverside by the evening if she left immediately. In short, it was impossible for her to get there on time. ¡¸So there¡¯s only one train per day? That sounds like a rural area¡¯s ride.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s pretty often for this world actually. When the railroads began to operate, there was usually only one train leaving every week.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, I guess it¡¯s still a pretty novel concept here, so it is what it is. But exactly what time do you mean with noon?¡¹ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯m not too sure. It¡¯s only a rough time frame and keeps changing depending on the situation. And found it.¡¹ Answering Mira¡¯s questions, Solomon pulled out a pamphlet from the shelf and threw it towards Mira. Itnded square on herp, and she began leafing through it to see what it was. ¡¸Is this a timetable?¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much. It¡¯s a rough schedule of departures and arrivals, make sure to check it.¡¹ Mira looked through it, searching for the departure times for Silverside. After a few pages, she found it. Rightne 8am, and leftne 12~3pm. ¡¸That¡¯s quite arge interval.¡¹ ¡¸It seems they¡¯re still struggling to maintain a schedule that is exact to the minute, but it¡¯s still really nice we have ess to it at least.¡¹ ¡¸Either way, even if I went right now, I would only be able to leave tomorrow.¡¹ Mira closed her menu and the pamphlet, then sipped down thest bits of high-quality tea andy down on the couch. ¡¸Then you should get ready to leave on tomorrow¡¯s train. If you go now, you¡¯ll arrive there at night, so you can just sleep there and be close enough. As I mentioned, the station cities have many inns, so you¡¯ll definitely have a pleasant night there.¡¹ As Solomon spoke, he approached Mira and dropped three gold coins on her chest. ¡¸These are the funds for your current mission. I¡¯ll look forward to your results.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Well, at least I¡¯ll do the bare minimum.¡¹ Solomon winked in a meaningful way as he said that, which Mira responded to with a re, before searching through her chest for the coins, which she then stored in her waist pouch. ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll get a move on then. If I¡¯m not making it on time, I might as well enjoy my night there as much as possible.¡¹ Mira slowly rose up from the couch and rearranged her clothes. She had decided she was going to spend that night over in the station city, given that if she left that moment, she would arrive there at the perfect time to go to bed, and the next day she would have plenty of time to sightsee and get on the train. Traveling like that made Mira feel the best, as she already started dreaming of what she would have for dinner in the inn. ¡¸That sounds good. There¡¯s still a considerable distance between here and Silverside, but most of the inns there are built around the station, so if you head straight there you¡¯ll know where to go.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, got it. See youter then.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, bye-bye.¡¹ Mira opened the door and waved her hand as she left. Solomon watched as she left, readjusting his sitting position and resuming his duties as a king surrounded by many books. Wanting to be able to rx as soon as possible, Mira quickly left the castle behind, then on the clearing in front of the main gates, she summoned Pegasus and flew towards Silverside. She was going really far away this time, and it might take more than a week before she was back. Mira watched the cityscape turning smaller in the distance, watching with a yearning look as she decided that next time she would go sightsee around the Five Pir Institution. Chapter 60: Night Stay Chapter 60: Night Stay Two hours had passed since Mira left Lunatic Lake. She was currently looking at the sky while standing on a grassy hill with a stream flowing nearby. She had relieved herself in the stream, and was replenishing the lost hydration with apple ale. The sky was a distant blue, with specks of clouds that slowly changed shape like ydough in the hands of children. There was a gentle breeze caressing Mira¡¯s cheek like a gentle hand,pleting the scene of a calm afternoon. Shey with her back against Pegasus, the wind whispering into her ears as birds and small animals gathered around them, which Mira petted and let her heart at ease. ¡¸So peaceful¡­¡¹ Mira waspelled to voice those thoughts, which Pegasus agreed to with a neigh, followed by many chirps. It was so peaceful there that even the multitude of small animals gathered there were calm and quiet. Mira enjoyed an entire hour like that before she climbed back on Pegasus¡¯ back and they took off. The sky turned a bright orange before the sun vanished behind the horizon, shrouding the sky in darkness. Stars overtook the sky as its rulers, twinkling asnterns were lit on the ground as well. Under that dim light, Mira spotted arge building that stood out in the distance. ¡¸We¡¯re getting close now.¡¹ Mira spoke to Pegasus, clinging to his neck while her eyes focused ahead. The darkness made it hard to make out any railroads, but the number of lights told her it was a rather lively city. Silverside was arge city, though not as big as the capital Lunatic Lake. Most of its sess was due to the station built there. When Pegasus arrived at Silverside, they headed straight towards therge building. Mira had wanted to walk around and get acquainted with the city first, but since they arrivedter than expected she decided it was best to just search for an inn. The building was expertly constructed with wood, iron and stone, arge sign reading ¡®Silverside Station¡¯ on its front. Theynded to the side of it and Mira jumped off Pegasus¡¯ back. The flying horse began rubbing his snout against her face as she thanked him for his work and sent him home. As Mira walked towards the road, she noticed a crowd was forming, everyone suspicious of the sudden appearance of a pure white pegasus there. To escape, Mira used her sage skill Ground Shrink and mixed in with the crowd,ing out as just a regr passerby on the other side as she approached the front of the station building. There was what looked like a reception desk with a ¡®Thest train has departed¡¯ sign on it, but there were still a lot of people inside the station. While the station itself was out of service until the next day, the stores inside were still open. Mira peeked inside to see how it looked there. She saw a lot of peopleing and going from what looked like arge shopping center. ¡¸What era are they living in here¡­¡¹ The entire building was made of stone, iron and wood, but the structure was more modern, having two floors packed with stores. The customers all had very varied clothing as well, giving Mira the feeling she had wandered into some form of amusement park rather than amon station. The stores wereid out all along the building, and the many lights made the interior look like it was still the middle of the day there. But Mira turned her back to that spectacle of light and crowds, walking away from the station. (I can always explore the rest of the station tomorrow, I¡¯m too tired now. I have to find an inn soon and call it a night.) All the stores inside the station had piqued Mira¡¯s interest, but her exhausted body had more agency. The area in front of the station was also filled with streetlights, showing people of all races and upations moving from one ce to another. Some hurried home after a long day of work, others were in merry groups celebrating the night that was only starting, and then there were travelers looking for an inn to pass the night. Time seemed to flow differently for everyone at the station. Mira followed a group of travelers, quickly finding the brightly illuminated sign of an inn. And not just one, but almost all the buildings surrounding the station appeared to be inns, even further into the city. ¡¸There¡¯s even more than I imagined¡­¡¹ Solomon had told her there were many inns there, but this was even more than Mira had anticipated, which made her speak her thoughts without noticing. Not only were they numerous, but there was a lot of variation in the buildings as well. Some lookedpact andfortable like rooms in a dormitory, while others had morevish designs akin to pces. It was like an entire district of inns, all trying to stand out in their own way. This was fun for her as well as she looked at each individual building while slowly walking through the streets. The first one she saw had a subdued style, which seemed to attract the most guests as the lobby was full of people, while ¡®No Vacancy¡¯ signs hung outside. The second inn had many barrels piled up outside. Mira¡¯s knowledge of the fantasy genre quickly told her that it was your regr adventurer¡¯s inn, with the first floor being more like a tavern. The guests inside were high spirited young men drinking and chattering loudly. The smell of alcohol and sweat could be felt even outside the door, so Mira passed by quickly. The third one looked like a pce. The employees as well as the guests visible in the lobby all had a high aristocratic air to them, so that was a quick pass for Mira as well. The fourth one looked more like a restaurant proud of its food. Hung outside was a ¡®Today¡¯s Chef¡¯ sign, together with a beautifully framed picture. Mira was curious seeing many familiar items on the menu, but that vivid photograph interested her more. It was not a screenshot, it was an actual photograph. Mira was impressed all over again by how that world¡¯s technology was advancing as she walked to the next inn. Before getting there, she caught a glimpse through the window, seeing most of the clients were female, which made her think they were there to meet the chef rather than to stay for the night. The next inn was essentially the opposite of the fourth one. Mira only needed to see all the employees wearing maid outfits and the male clientele in a passionate frenzy to run past it. The sixth inn had music as its main theme. They had an exclusive orchestra ying catchy songs that got Mira tapping her foot to the rhythm. There was also a ¡¸Troubadours Wee¡¹ sign outside. Mira waited by the door until the song was over before going to the next inn. At the next building, Mira found herself in front of what looked like a traditional Japanese hotel. There was a neatly tiled roof all around the building,pleting the traditional look. Hung from the roof were many papernterns with ¡®Starry Moon¡¯ written vertically on them. Mira instantly fell in love with the ce and opened the sliding door as if in a trance. Even the dry rattling of the door sounded satisfying. The entrance had a ck stone floor, but then there was a wooden step onto a raised tatami floor that covered the entire lobby. There was also a scent identical to soft rush1 in the air, which made Mira take a deep breath and sigh with nostalgia. (This is the ce!)
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2656 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1329 words
Editor(s): Fire
A soft orange light illuminated the pearl-like flowers arranged near the entrance, as well as the corridors leading further inside. Mira fell in love with the interior design as well, as she took her shoes off and changed into the indoor slippers prepared for guests there, before heading to the reception desk. ¡¸Wee to the Starry Moon, enjoy your stay.¡¹ A woman standing behind the desk greeted her with a polite bow and a gentle smile. She had ck hair and ck eyes, which fitted her traditional attire perfectly, her beauty only bringing her closer to the ideal beauty of ancient Japan. Mira was fascinated by her, so she fixed her posture to stand upright while making a stern face. ¡¸A room for one, please.¡¹ Charmed by that beautiful woman, Mira struck a pose. The receptionist simply said ¡¸Wait a moment please¡¹ as she leafed through the register and took a quill pen. Mira was still oblivious to the fact that in her current appearance, her ¡®poses¡¯ looked only as a young girl trying to appear taller. ¡¸Please write your name and upation here.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ Mira, still trying to put on airs, took the pen and wrote down her name, then debated a bit on what to write as upation but she settled for adventurer. The receptionist then took the register back and nced through it. ¡¸I see you¡¯re an adventurer, may I see your registration card? The inn¡¯s policy asks us to check them.¡¹ Saying that, the receptionist extended a tray to Mira. She nodded and searched through her waist pouch, taking her documents out and freezing instantly. Eureka from the Spellcaster¡¯s Union in Caranach had given the card to her, protected by a cutesy leather case. That girly essory was a death blow to Mira¡¯s desperate attempts to look cool. Flustered, she tried to hide it and take the card out, but the receptionist spoke in a gentle voice ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t need to take it out all the way¡¹. Mira hesitantly ced the opened card case on the tray so the card and cutesy patterns were visible. The receptionist looked at the card, wrote something down in the registry, then carefully closed the card case and returned it to Mira. ¡¸That concludes the registration. We offer two services, the special one including dinner and breakfast for 20¡¯000 Rils, and the regr one for only the room at 12¡¯000 Rils. Which would you prefer?¡¹ ¡¸The special one please.¡¹ Mira gave her preference while hanging her head in shame, knowing her cutesy case had been seen. The receptionist kept smiling, writing something down in the register. ¡¸We operate with an advance payment system here, is that alright for you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ Mira nodded slightly as she returned her card case to the pouch, fishing out the leather bag with her money this time. From it, she took two mithril coins and ced them on the tray. The leather bag Mira used as a wallet was the same one she had gotten from Solomon the first time he gave her money. It gave a very different impression than the card case, but Mira no longer noticed that. ¡¸Thank you for your business. That waitress there will take you to your room, enjoy your stay with us tonight.¡¹ The receptionistdy said with a deep bow which made her glossy hair fall forwards, and when she raised her head it all flowed back into ce. She had smiled the entire time, which made her refined appearance much stronger. ¡¸Follow me, I¡¯ll guide you to your room.¡¹ A Meou waitress walked up to Mira, her traditional attire fitting her better than Mira would have imagined. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ The waitress picked up Mira¡¯s shoes from the entrance before nodding to Mira and entering a room nearby. There were lockers for shoes in there, with a keyhole and something written on top. The waitress opened the ¡®Sky¡¯ locker, ced Mira¡¯s shoes in it, and closed it with a key. ¡¸This is where guests leave their shoes. The locker keys are the same as the rooms¡¯, so when leaving make sure to take your shoes and leave the key with the receptionist at the entrance.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ Having all of the shoes stored in a single room was their way of keeping the overall look of the building more tidy. In a way, it resembled the shoe racks of a school. The corridor leading to the guest rooms was different from the entrance, appearing to continue endlessly like the dark deep sea. Every certain distance there was a paperntern hung, the fire inside it wavering ever so slightly in silence. The tatami floor felt nice on the feet, the columns supporting the ceiling painted with a shinycquer that produced bright highlights inside the darkness betweennterns. Even the paper sliding doors and fusuma were neatly decorated, all working to cohesively increase the traditional Japanese feeling of the inn. Even in her previous world, Mira found it hard to find any ce that epassed that ambiance as well as this, which gave her even more hopes for her stay there. The waitress had ribbons and bells decorating her tail, which swung from side to side as she walked. Mira¡¯s eyes followed that movement as they walked, until eventually, they reached the ¡®Sky room¡¯ where Mira would spend the night. The waitress opened the fusuma, which revealed a wooden sliding door behind it. ¡¸Huh, interesting to see a second door behind the fusuma.¡¹ ¡¸Having a corridor lined with fusuma is a beautiful sight, but offers little protection against burry. That¡¯s why we have secondary doors.¡¹ ¡¸That makes sense.¡¹ The waitress exined that to Mira as she turned the key on the wooden sliding door. Mira peeked past her to see the rest of the corridor, the decorated fusuma creating a colorful scene against the light of thenterns, which proved the waitress¡¯ reasoning. ¡¸Please leave your indoor slippers here before entering.¡¹ The waitress pointed at a ce with a stone floor right behind the door. Mira did as told and then stepped inside the room. Mira¡¯s room was truly a Japanese room through and through. It was around ten tatami mats in size, with an borate wooden table in the middle which held an assortment of Japanese confectionery. There were some short chairs of green color, and on the wall, a scroll painting of a waterfall surrounded with blooming flowers was hung. On every corner, Mira found something to fuss about, but even the window that showed the world outside looked more like a screen disying an animated fantasyndscape. ¡¸Do you wish to have dinner now?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯d like to freshen up a little first. Does this ce have a bath?¡¹ It had been so long since Mira went to a ce like this so she wanted to be in the best shape, mentally and physically, before enjoying the food. The waitress replied with an enthused voice. ¡¸All rooms have a private bathroom, but I would rmend visiting our bathhouse. We consider it the highlight of our inn.¡¹ Saying that, she opened a cab in the room, which contained towels, soap, and everything needed to take a bath. ¡¸Ohh, a bathhouse, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Feel free to use these items when visiting it. I can guide you there if you wish to go right away.¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s go there then.¡¹ Mira had no reason not to visit a bathhouse, it did fit with the aesthetic of the entire ce after all. They exited the room, and after closing the lock the waitress said ¡¸This will be the key to your room and shoe locker, so make sure you don¡¯t lose it¡¹, handing the key to Mira. She nodded and stored it in her waist pouch, then she followed the waitress¡¯ swinging tail again.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 2779 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1380 words
Editor(s): Fire
There were many guests enjoying their time in front of the bathhouse. Everyone wore bathrobes, and the satisfying sound of ping pong balls bouncing could be heard all around. Nearby there was also a souvenir shop, as well as arge map with theyout of the inn. All of that brought a slight sense of homesickness, though the rxing atmosphere was stronger. Amidst all that stood a lone confused girl. Mira. She was standing in front of an entrance with a bright red ¡®Women¡¯s bath¡¯ sign,ughing vacantly at her ownck of consideration. This was a bathhouse, which meant it was divided between male and female baths, and she was a girl now, so she was obviously going to get taken to the women¡¯s bath. But Mira was still not ready to be thrown into a bath full of naked women. Even if she went in, Mira knew she would be unable to rx there, her eyes dancing from ce to ce driven by lust. She was getting worried as to how that would end when the waitress handed her a basket with a towel and other items. ¡¸Well, enjoy yourself now. Dinner will be ready when you return to your room.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, thanks ¡¹ The waitress bowed and smiled as she watched Mira. That was thest nail in the coffin, Mira had no way of turning around and getting away from there anymore. She rearranged her stray thoughts and forced herself to go through the entrance. The changing room wasrge, with an entire wall covered with wooden lockers for clothes. Hung from the ceiling were more papernterns, ¡®bath¡¯ written on them. Their light shone entuating the skin tone of the women there. There were all sorts of women there, young girls that were only starting to develop as women, girls at their prime, women who were fully mature, and even a few elderly women. Mira¡¯s legs froze as soon as she got there, her eyes wandering around for a short moment before she hurried to seclude herself in a corner. Each locker was numbered, and the empty ones had a key on them. It was a verymon sight in any bathhouse. Mira opened one of them and shoved the basket inside before she began undressing. (Mmm¡­ I can¡¯t feel at ease here.) There was a lot of buzz around her, she could hear rtives talking, friends happily chattering with each other, high-pitched screams that reminded her of Fra, and the pure and subdued voices of innocent girls. It felt like a detached and feminine world. After Mira had stashed her underwear in the basket, she took out the towel and soap before closing the locker. The key had an stic loop attached to it, which she could use to fasten it to her bare arm. With all that done, she ran towards the bath in an attempt to escape that ce. ¡¸Woah¡­¡¹ The waitress had called it the highlight of the inn, and at first nce, Mira understood why. What surprised her the most, was that the entirety of the bath also had a tatami floor. Those were extremely rare even amongst expensive resorts, so this was Mira¡¯s first time being in one as well. And there was more. Further inside, next to the bath, was arge Japanese garden with vivid flowers, giving a colorful scenery to the bath. The soft light of papernterns did not disturb the coloring of the garden either, letting it shine elegantly in the night, letting anyone whoy eyes on it feel at ease. This was apletely new experience for Mira, while also feeling oddly familiar, which left her standing still in awe. There was steam permeating the air everywhere, warming it up and moisturizing one¡¯s skin. There was also the scent of soft rush in the air, which mixed with the scent of soap gave the air a refreshing feeling. Additionally, there was the sound of running water and the voices of girls frolicking in the air. Mira slowly walked forward, looking around at the washing ce until she found a spot for herself. As a disy of the advancements in technology, there were silver faucets and showerheads there. Mira began washing herself while feeling thankful she got there after so many advancements had been made, and once clean, she felt like hopping happily to the next ce. The bath itself wasrge like a pool, with arge rock the size of an adult protruding in the middle, and from its top flowed warm water. Small children yed around it, hugging the rock, or trapping the water flowing down with their hands,ughing happily all the while. Watching that made Mira calm down as well as she slowly entered the water. ¡¸Hold it! If you enter like that your hair will get messed up!¡¹ A voice came from behind, and Mira felt someone tug back on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a tall and leandy, who smiled softly. She had light purple hair, cut short. She looked like she was in her early twenties, her face showing she had a strong mind. ¡¸Ah right, I forgot.¡¹ Hearing her words, Mira recalled that in public baths it is bad manners to let one¡¯s hair inside the water. Mira undid the twin tails Mariana had tied, then looked up at the youngdy, only to quickly look away. While thatdy was beautiful, her bountiful chest attracted Mira¡¯s gaze much more. The other women in the bathhouse also looked at her chest with envy and jealousy, so it was clear she had gotten much luckier than the average girl. Mira was at a loss not knowing how to properly tie her hair up, but after mulling over it for a short moment she had an epiphany and wrapped her hair around her neck. She figured that since the hair was above her shoulders, it would be fine that way. ¡¸Thanks for your advice.¡¹ She turned around and tried to go back in the water, but the youngdy once again grabbed Mira¡¯s shoulder. ¡¸Wait wait wait waittt. There¡¯s no way you can enjoy your time like that, let me do it for you.¡¹ Thedy half forced Mira to get closer and undid the hair around her neck, skillfully tying it up. ¡¸I have a little sister you see. She has long hair just like you, so I would often help her like this. Ah, can I use this ribbon?¡¹ Her voice took a softer tone, probably as she thought of her sister. Mira nodded and handed over the ribbon that tied her twin tails earlier. ¡¸Now you just get this over here and¡­ there, you should be okay now.¡¹ Her beautifully arranged hair was fastened with the ribbon. Mira felt it with her hands, looking satisfied with the result. ¡¸Mm, this feels much morefortable. Thanks.¡¹ Mira turned around to thank her, but she quickly found herself face to face with the embodiment of motherhood. ¡¸You¡¯re we-eh? What happened?¡¹ Thedy tilted her head noticing Mira was acting strange and restless, and when she followed Mira¡¯s wavering gaze¡­ ¡¸Ahh, I get it now. You¡¯re also a bit precocious I guess.¡¹ ¡¸Huh?! How did you arrive at that?!¡¹ Thedy found out what made Mira so ufortable, so she leaned forward and examined Mira¡¯s chest from closer. Meanwhile, Mira was confused as to how she had arrived at that conclusion, her gaze wavering around even more. ¡¸I can see why it would bother someone your age. But don¡¯t worry! If they¡¯re this size at your age, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll grow much bigger in the future.¡¹ Thedy stood upright again, cing her hands on Mira¡¯s shoulders while reassuring her for the future. ¡¸Ahh, mm, thanks for that¡­¡¹ Thinking about it more, it was obvious no one would think a girl as cute as Mira was ogling someone¡¯s chest. With thatte realization, Mira replied in relief while also staring at her chest and forcing herself to keep her next thoughts silent. (Though I¡¯m already the embodiment of perfection now!) Thinking that, Mira puffed her chest with confidence.
  1. Silva: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juncus_effusus
Chapter 61: Aselia’s Worries Chapter 61: Aselia¡¯s Worries After that nicedy helped Mira tie her hair, she triumphantly stepped into the bath. Her feet were enveloped by warm water, steam rising up her body and letting her body rx. She carefully waded through the many women soaking there, looking for a ce where she could look at the garden from closer. ¡¸This is so well made¡­¡¹ The Japanese garden had a pond in the middle, arranged next to the bath as a visual attraction. In key spots it had stonenterns carving out the darkness of the night, like small pockets of light. The clean pond had many colorful fishes swimming in it, surrounded by mossy rocks and pine trees. The trees were surrounded by a bamboo fence, which created a masterfulbination of colors. There was the ng of a sozu1 as well, which rhythmically disturbed the otherwise silentndscape before quickly vanishing like a bubble being popped. Mira watched and listened to the garden for a while, until she looked around to change her position a bit. ¡¸Woah?! When did you get here?¡¹ Thedy that had tied Mira¡¯s hair was standing next to Mira, which made her shriek out of shock. Thedy was looking at Mira with protective narrow eyes, her lips turning into a kind smile when their gazes met. ¡¸I was here from the start, I was starting to wonder when you¡¯d notice.¡¹ Her smile broadened as she spoke. Mira tried her hardest to somehow restrain her lust, turning around and cing her left arm along the bath¡¯s edge and rxing her body. ¡¸I see, do you need something?¡¹ ¡¸Not really? It¡¯s not like I wanted something from you, but you looked quite lonely so I didn¡¯t feel like I could leave you on your own, or I kinda wanted to protect you¡­ I guess?¡¹ In truth, thedy loved her little sister immensely, and Mira somehow awakened those memories and the two began ovepping in her mind. Still, they had barely met moments before, so thedy still felt hesitant to offer to wash Mira¡¯s back or help her arrange her hair and things like that. As she debated about that, she noticed something shining on Mira¡¯s wrist, which changed her gaze entirely. ¡¸Wait, isn¡¯t that an Operator¡¯s Bracelet? Are you a high level adventurer or something like that?¡¹ She bent her body forwards, her eyes focused on Mira¡¯s left wrist. ¡¸Hm? Ah, yes, that¡¯s correct.¡¹ Mira was still getting used to calling it an Operator¡¯s Bracelet, so she was confused at first, until eventually her memories caught up and she nodded. That bracelet was the only garment Mira was wearing in the bath, so it made sense that it stood out. Hearing that response, thedy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ve heard so many things about those. Apparently, they¡¯re really handy? I¡¯m just a D rank adventurer, but if I work a bit harder I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to a C. But that¡¯s so nice, I wish I had one as well¡­¡¹ Her eyes wandered across Mira¡¯s innocent and young face, observing her young features. When she had seen enough, she looked straight into Mira¡¯s eyes, her gaze shining hopefully. ¡¸Well, then do you want to¡­ err, wait, I¡¯m Aselia. What¡¯s your name?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira, in and simple.¡¹ Thedy realized she had not introduced herself yet. She called herself Aselia, and Mira replied while looking away at the garden. ¡¸Mm, got it. So Mira, could you please tell me what your ss is?!¡¹ Aselia was even more curious about Mira now, stepping closer and looking straight at her as she asked that. She was so close Mira could feel her breath, which began triggering certain emotions in her which she tried to restrain by looking at the garden, ¡¸Summoner¡¹ she said after a short moment. That was a reply Aselia had never expected, so she stood silent for a while before she spoke again. ¡¸Ohh, a summoner? I¡¯ve never met another one before, I wonder if there are more like you?¡¹ She was honestly surprised. Aselia had heard of the current state of summoners, and how new ones could barely get anywhere. But she was d to hear that there were still some at higher levels, which also showed her she had more things to learn about the world. ¡¸Oh yeah, I¡¯m a holy knight by the way!¡¹ When Aselia said that, Mira was reminded of her friend. ¡¸Oh, a holy knight? You¡¯re the same as Solomon.¡¹ Arkite¡¯s King Solomon was also a holy knight. Mira meant that as an off-hand remark, but Aselia grinned like a child when she heard that name. ¡¸You could tell? You see, when I was small my mother would always tell me stories about His Highness. I¡¯ve always looked up to him, so I decided I would follow in his footsteps as well.¡¹ Her body twisted around fidgeting as she said that, half-trying to hide her embarrassment. Aselia had been raised with bedtime stories about Solomon, which got ingrained in her head so much that she considered him an existence above the nine wisemen. Eventually, that evolved into an aspiration, which shaped her life leading to this point. ¡¸Ohh, so you really admire him¡­ He had a really unique fighting style, are you also doing that?¡¹ Mira recalled Solomon¡¯s violent fighting style, which seemed very unlike a regr holy knight. She was worried his influence had made Aselia stray from the path of holy knights. ¡¸I do want to be like that one day, but I¡¯m nowhere near strong enough yet.¡¹ At least Aselia was aware of the pitfalls, but Aselia¡¯s eyes turned sharp as she looked at Mira. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯ve noticed you talk about His Highness in a very casual manner¡­ You should learn better manners when addressing royalty, especially if it¡¯s His Highness Solomon!¡¹ That was very good advice, manners had to be thought of asmon sense. Even if it was Solomon, and even if Arkite was not the biggest country, any spellcaster knew about Arkite, and he stood ruling atop it, so he had to be treated with the utmost respect. Any regr person would see him in that way, though Mira saw him as her yful, loud and very anxious friend. Her thoughtless way of addressing him was only a fruit of their close friendship. (His Highness Solomon¡­ It just feels weird to say that¡­) ¡¸It¡¯s not that easy¡­¡¹ Mira imagined her own voice calling him formally, but the bizarre way it sounded made her voice her thoughts. That only made Aselia re at her more sharply, her eyes filled with apletely different type of shine. ¡¸Why do you sound so¡­ familiar? With him. Do you actually know him? Though nah, no way in hell! ¡­right?¡¹ Her voice sounded half-joking, but her eyes were serious. Aselia was never going to let Mira go until she gave her a clear answer, firmly holding her shoulders and bringing her face so close their noses were almost touching. Mira could notst too long standing so close to a naked woman, her eyes going round as she quickly shook her head vertically. ¡¸I¡¯ve known him since before he became king. He¡¯s more like my friend.¡¹ Aselia¡¯s assertiveness had made it impossible for Mira to hide the truth any longer, as she spilled everything. But Aselia was not convinced, her brow knitting as she stared doubtfully at Mira. ¡¸His Highness Solomon became king thirty years ago. There¡¯s no way someone who looks like you is even older than that.¡¹ ¡¸Hey, doesn¡¯t that apply to Solomon as well though?¡¹ Like Mira had said, throughout his reign Solomon had maintained the appearance of a young boy. ¡¸Oh right¡¹ muttered Aselia, her eyes looking all over Mira¡¯s body. ¡¸But as far as I can see you¡¯re just a regr human. You have no special features like fairies or elves do¡­¡¹ Her first thought was that Mira could be of a race with a long lifespan, but there were no such defining features on Mira¡¯s body. Elves had their long ears, fairies had wings, all known races with long lives had visible features like that, which were absent on Mira. ¡¸Excuse me for a bit.¡¹ Aselia leaned forward and said that while prying up Mira¡¯s mouth with her fingers. Thest race she thought of were vampires, but their staple long fangs were absent amongst Mira¡¯s white teeth as well. Seeing all of Aselia¡¯s doubts, Mira began wondering to what race her, Solomon and Luminaria belonged, given that neither of them could age. But the answer woulde to her in just a few more seconds. ¡¸Hmm, so¡­ does that mean that you¡¯re a celestial just like His Highness?!¡¹ Aselia was overtaken with shock, barely controlling the volume of her own voice. That was the first time Mira had heard of celestials, so she just looked confused. ¡¸That¡¯s it, right Mira?!¡¹ ¡¸Calm down a bit. What does that word you keep repeating even mean?¡¹
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3241 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1662 words
Editor(s): Fire
Somehow Mira had managed to push Aselia¡¯s hands away from her shoulder and taken a few steps back to voice her question, but Aselia rushed after her even while Mira tried to desperately keep her at bay. When Aselia¡¯s brain processed the question, she stood still and just uttered a confused ¡¸Huhh?¡¹ as her eyes went up and down Mira¡¯s body. ¡¸Well, celestials are the people who started appearing after the time when His Highness Solomon came to us. They look just like humans, but have long lifespans and never age. I heard the kings of many countries are celestials as well. There¡¯s also a lot of them among high-level adventurers or famous engineers. Some also say they¡¯re messengers sent by the heavens to help humanity.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, so that¡¯s what celestials are.¡¹ Mira decided to assume it was just former yers that were called celestials. It was obvious people would start questioning someone if they did not age or change in appearance after thirty years. That was no mere long life, and they were obviously no regr humans either. Mira figured that exining it as them being a new race was more reassuring than suspecting they might be some form of transfigurated monsters, though she still felt like it would have been an annoyingmotion when it happened. Mira¡¯s assumption was mostly correct. Former yers had been suspected at one point, but given that most of them worked hard to help the people, themon folk itself decided to name them godsent people, and the term celestial stuck throughout the world. That also had the effect of making the celestials a venerated race that was epted by most people. ¡¸So, are you one or not?¡¹ ¡¸I guess I am. I¡¯m not really sure though¡­ If you want proof that I know Solomon I have something though.¡¹ Mira figured it was best if she showed her the medal Solomon had given her. She had heard that it was proof of a direct rtionship with him after all. Aselia was extremely curious as she closely examined the medallion, turning it around and looking all over it, and when her eyes found something interesting they turned wide as she spoke. ¡¸Woah you¡¯re right. His name is engraved here. I guess this means you¡¯re a celestial after all.¡¹ The medal had Solomon¡¯s name written in ceremonial letters that proved its authenticity. Mira would have never thought much about it, but Aselia was a maniac when it came to Solomon, so that much felt likemon sense to her. Thanks to that, the medal was absolute proof that Mira was telling the truth. With a slightly reluctant movement, Aselia returned the medal. ¡¸This is my first time seeing one of you from so close. Your skin is so pretty, and you¡¯re really cute. Celestials really are something else.¡¹ Aselia quickly regained her high spirits as she looked at Mira. Knowing that Mira was a celestial just like Solomon made her respect Mira on a whole new level. And considering the long life she had, it would be easy to believe that Mira knew how Solomon was before bing king. ¡¸Mira¡­ I mean, Lady Mira, I have a favor to ask of you. If you have any knowledge of His Highness Solomon before his days as king, could you please tell me how he trained?¡¹ Aselia¡¯s words stiffened and became much more formal, and when she was done with her plea she bowed on her knees, her head almost touching the floor, even though they were inside a bath. The other women in the bath noticed that strange behavior and turned severe gazes towards Mira. ¡¸You don¡¯t have to exaggerate so much for me to tell you. So please stop doing that!¡¹ Mira forcefully pulled out Aselia from underwater as she agreed to her request. But Aselia seemed to have missed the response as her head was underwater, as she tried to plunge back in as soon as Mira had pulled her out. Mira had to carry her under her arm to stop her from doing that. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you everything you want, so please stop already!¡¹ Mira repressed the whirlpool of emotions circling through her mind, the result of feeling Aselia¡¯s soft skin like a plump balloon all over her body, as she shouted loudly. ¡¸Really?! I mean, will you do that for me? You have my gratitude!¡¹ ¡¸Also speak like you did when we first met. Even if I am a celestial like you said, I¡¯m still just an adventurer. I¡¯m not much different from you.¡¹ As she spoke, Mira turned to look at the garden again in an attempt to hide her cheeks that turned like the leaves in fall. ¡¸Okay, got it. If you really want that, I¡¯ll do it. So tell me, how did His Highness Solomon train?¡¹ Aselia sat on the bath, attentively looking at Mira to not let any word she said go unheard. Her eyes were full of expectation, though there was a slight hint of shade in them. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind telling you, but why do you want to know? Your attitude tells me it¡¯s not just mere curiosity. Also, to be honest he used to have a rather in fighting style in the past.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, well¡­ to be honest, I¡¯ve been worrying about how to progress. I¡¯ve gotten to the upper limits of a D rank, and I feel like everything keeps going wrong now. Look at this, or here¡­ here too, and on this side as well. I¡¯ve been spending a lot on medicine, but my requests don¡¯t end well either.¡¹ As she spoke, Aselia pointed at different scars on her body. Mira had also seen scars on her shoulders and sides, but the other ces were too close to certain spots so she stopped looking for scars. ¡¸I mentioned this before, I became a holy knight because I looked up to His Highness, buttely I¡¯m at a loss at what to do to be strong like him.¡¹ Her eyes looked down while her face clouded over. ¡¸Like Solomon, you say. He¡¯s pretty much a heretic, so I don¡¯t think you should really take him as an example.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I¡¯ve heard that from a lot of other holy knights in the past. But I still like His Highness the most. That¡¯s why I would love it if you could tell me at least a bit.¡¹ For Aselia that was the only ideal she clung onto. Rank C was like a barrier of entry for anyone to be considered high rank, and Aselia felt like there was arge wall between her current D rank and C. That was a beast that could not be ovee with only power or only knowledge. To cross from D to C rank, one had to sessfully fulfill a request that tested both at the same time, and Aselia was struggling with that. ¡¸Alright alright. So if you look up to Solomon so much, does that mean you have an elemental sword as well?¡¹ ¡¸Of course! My fighting style is based on his after all, a specialized type of elemental release. Though I only have a Crimson Sword for now¡­¡¹ ¡¸A Crimson Sword, huh.¡¹ A Crimson Sword was a verymon elemental weapon, a regr short sword with a fire attribute. Even beginners could use it without effort, and they were very resistant. Her particr fighting style was heavily influenced by the type of weapon she held, but a Crimson Sword should be powerful enough in most cases. Mira tried to picture how Solomon used to be years ago, and thenpared that to Aselia. ¡¸You said you¡¯re struggling to improve, but exactly what do you find hard?¡¹ There were no issues with her weapon of choice, so her skill could be the issue. To figure that out, Mira began asking her questions, which Aselia replied with a forced smile, trying to hide her low spirits. ¡¸I feel like my sword has be harder to swingtely. I feel like I¡¯ve hit hard enough, but it never manages to finish off my target so I end up getting counterattacked, and I lose¡­ Ahhh why does that always happen?! It was never like that before!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, your swings you say¡­¡¹ Thinking of her consecutive losses made her feel frustrated, making her puff her cheeks and ssh water around. Mira held a hand over her eyes to protect herself from the flying drops of water while she thought of the different effects of elemental release, the essential skill of holy knights. Elemental release was an ability that expanded thetent attributes of a weapon, making them more powerful for a limited time. In the case of Crimson Sword, it changed the de into a ming edge that burned through its target. ¡¸I¡¯ve been thinking about that for a while already. I¡¯m starting to think that my sword has gotten dull. I¡¯ve used that Crimson de since I started as a holy knight, so maybe I should throw it away and get a brand new sword.¡¹ ¡¸Hohh, as long as you get something that¡¯s better than a Crimson Sword that sounds like a good idea. Switching equipment can be enough to make a difference sometimes. Do you have any recement in mind already?¡¹ Since elemental release was directly connected to a weapon¡¯s inherent attributes, a stronger weapon would also show a more powerful reaction through elemental release. A sword of fire was a rathermon and mundane effect, so some searching could easily produce a better weapon. But Mira had still not ruled out that her own skills might becking, so until she found out the definitive source she refused to approve any suggestion. When Aselia heard Mira¡¯s question, she puffed her chest and spoke proudly.
Author: Ryuusen HirotsuguOriginal Source: SyosetuWord Count: 3207 characters
Trantor: NomadEnglish Source: Re:LibraryWord Count: 1607 words
Editor(s): Fire
¡¸A spirit sword! I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a better option than that.¡¹ Those were swords that housed a spirit and they had strong synergy with a holy knight¡¯s elemental release. Her idea was right, if she got her hands on a spirit sword, her power as a holy knight would increase many times over. But those were also very hard to find, so it was far more sensible to search for a different solution. ¡¸A spirit sword¡­ I can see how that would make you stronger, or more like that¡¯s any holy knight¡¯s endgame, but you won¡¯t get one just because you wish for one, you know?¡¹ Not only spirit swords, but all spirit arms were created when a good-willed spirit decided to impart a weapon with its power. In a way, it was like having a spirit take a chunk out of itself and store it in the weapon. Usually, the only way of getting that was by having a long and close rtionship with a spirit, or getting extremely lucky. ¡¸I know, I also thought so at first, but let me tell you a secret¡­¡¹ Saying that, Aselia moved her lips close to Mira¡¯s ear, whispering to her to reveal the secret. ¡¸I heard there¡¯s this shop near a port in Ozstein that frequently has spirit arms in stock. And they sell them at only 70% of the regr market price.¡¹ She sounded extremely happy as she whispered, and when she was done she hopped back while giggling happily and fell back into the water. ¡¸I¡¯ve been saving up for a while. The only expensive thing I¡¯ve ever owned was my old Crimson Sword, and the requests Ipleted were more than enough to sustain me so far. I can¡¯tplete the high-level ones, but I can get through most of the low-level ones. I¡¯m on my way to that shop now, I¡¯ll go as close as I can on the train, then I¡¯ll see how I get there.¡¹ As she spoke, she kept grinning like a child that could barely contain her happiness. ¡¸I never heard of a shop like that, but the times have changed a lot.¡¹ It was possible to buy spirit arms with money as well, but given the scarcity of them,bined with their strong attributes, they always were sold for extravagant prices. There were times when an elemental weapon could outperform a spirit arm of the same price, but the spirit arms still kept their high prices, saying the spirit¡¯s power had a different feeling to it. Spirit arms also carried a fragment of the spirit¡¯s personality. So if the spirit loved flying through the air, then elemental release would grant the wielder faster and swifter movements. A grumpy spirit could create a spirit weapon with destructive attributes, or in the case of defensive gear it could create a violent knockback when hit. That extra value also added to the spirit arms¡¯ appeal. That was also something that synergized with holy knights. Those special quirks could also be empowered or manipted through elemental release. Solomon had demonstrated that for Mira in the past, so Mira was well aware of how much a spirit sword could change her power. So if Aselia had the means of obtaining one, there was no reason to stop her. She would truly be one of the strongest holy knights that way, coupled with her fighting style. But Mira was also worried that Aselia was cing too much value on her sword. Usually, holy knights were supposed to be a more defensive ss. Aselia was looking at her with slightly upturned eyes, but Mira looked at her body again. There were small scars everywhere, many in areas that would usually be covered by her shield. She had mentioned she kept getting hit by counterattacks, she kept considering her sword as the issue, and her fighting style was heavily influenced by Solomon. Knowing all that much, Mira thought that Aselia was neglecting her own defense too much. A shield was an essential item for holy knights, but Aselia had said her Crimson Sword was her only expensive possession. ¡¸By the way, what type of shield do you currently use?¡¹ Mira decided to clear that point up. There was a chance she already had a good enough shield, but she had to be sure. ¡¸My shield? Err, I bought a kite shield from a weapons dealer before I departed.¡¹ She looked confused, tilting her head as if that was a weird thing to ask. Mira just nodded to herself as everything cleared up in her mind. The usual fighting cycle of a holy knight specialized in elemental release involved first, stopping an iing attack with an elementally released shield; those attributes would cripple the enemy, and only then the knight would strike with a sword. That was the essence of that fighting style, everything else is built upon those basics. Solomon had also started that way. ¡¸So just in case, does that shield have any special attributes?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s a prettymon one, so it doesn¡¯t have any. Why do you ask that though? Is something weird about that?¡¹ Aselia could not understand what Mira was getting at, so she looked at her trying to figure out what was going through her mind. It looked like Aselia needed to fix her style starting from the basics. For that, Mira traversed through her memories trying to remember everything Solomon did until he found his current skills. Knowing his history should serve as a blueprint for her to reach simr results. ¡¸From what I remember, before Solomon got an elemental sword he began by obtaining an elemental shield. It was quite a long time after that when he got his first sword.¡¹ ¡¸Huh? But if you try to picture him¡­¡¹ Aselia found it hard to believe what she had heard. As she went through all the pictures and stories of Solomon she had heard, she began to even consider Mira was just making everything up. But she was hardly to me for that. If Mira had not known Solomon for as long as she did, she would have also thought that was a bad joke. The association between Solomon and swords was just that strong. ¡¸I know what you mean, but I swear this is the truth. Solomon only got to his current self by mastering the basics of a holy knight first.¡¹ ¡¸The basics of a holy knight¡­ I see. I¡¯ll trust you as a celestial. How would you say I¡¯m doingpared to him though?¡¹ Aselia meekly epted those words, a part of her realizing that Mira had a point when it came to her skills, so she slowly processed everything Mira said. In the end, she still had a question for Mira. ¡¸Hmm, I haven¡¯t really seen you in action so I couldn¡¯t tell you. I can¡¯t help with that, but I know that if you want to follow in Solomon¡¯s footsteps you should get an elemental shield first rather than a spirit sword. We fought together many times in the past, and before he settled on his current skill set he always prioritized his shield.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ I see, that makes sense. There have been many times when I also wondered why I even have a shield.¡¹ ¡¸Honestly I¡¯m surprised you even got to your rank like that¡­¡¹ With all the wounds Aselia had suffered recently, she had started to question that in a corner of her mind. But she had been so focused on making her attacks stronger that she never considered stopping, retreating a few steps, and going back to the basics. But finally, she had found the light at the end of that dark tunnel, granted to her by a celestial that personally knew the person she adored so much. The way she talked about his past had made Aselia yearn for her goal all over again, and everything she had turned a blind eye to was now shining brightly guiding her into the future. ¡¸I don¡¯t know if you know these details¡­ but do you know what His Highness Solomon¡¯s first shield was?¡¹ Aselia held her hands together as she asked again. That movement entuated a certain valley in her body, which made Mira¡¯s lust kick into high gear again, but she quickly pulled herself together and replied. ¡¸It was a Red Gem Shield, if I remember correctly.¡¹ Mira had apanied Solomon the day he obtained his first elemental shield, full of excitement. The Red Gem Shield was a unique drop from a specific monster, its main element being fire. When Mira mentioned that, she remembered with nostalgia how everything went down. That shield had eight different attributes in total, and she had helped him awake all of them. Once that was done, Solomon was quite a foe to stand against. ¡¸A Red Gem Shield¡­ that was how he started¡­ mm, thank you, Mira. I¡¯ll try to find one for myself as well!¡¹ Aselia announced in the bath. Her face looked determined, filled with a stronger fighting spirit than ever before. ¡¸Well, I won¡¯t stop you, though those are quite low on the elemental shielddder. I¡¯m sure a better one would fit you better with your current skills.¡¹ ¡¸I want the same one as His Highness Solomon!¡¹ Her voice rang refreshingly clear. Mira had nothing else to suggest, so she just cheered good luck for her, then snickered to herself thinking of how she would tease Solomon with this present.
  1. Silva: A s¨­zu is a type of water fountain used in Japanese gardens. It consists of a segmented tube, usually of bamboo, pivoted to one side of its bnce point. At rest, its heavier end is down and resting against a rock. A trickle of water into the upper end of the tube umtes and eventually moves the tube¡¯s centre of gravity past the pivot, causing the tube to rotate and dump out the water. The heavier end then falls back against the rock, making a sharp sound, and the cycle repeats.
Chapter 62: Japanese Style Chapter 62: Japanese Style Mira began feeling dizzy after a while, probably due to their long conversation. She stood up and went to a corner to wash herself, grabbing a small stool and wood bucket on her way. After she filled the bucket with hot water and soaked a towel in it, she noticed her hair suddenlye loose. ¡¸What is it, do you still need something?¡¹ Mira turned around and looked up, seeing Aselia carefully folding the ribbon that once held Mira¡¯s hair in ce. Looking at her from below also entuated her bountiful breasts. ¡¸Well, you did tell me a very valuable story. Washing your hair and back is the least I can do to return the favor!¡¹ Their conversation had gone into many tangents as they spoke, but Aselia¡¯s first reason to approach Mira had been an ovep between Mira and Aselia¡¯s little sister. That reason was still valid now, but Aselia chose to find an excuse instead. She had a very different personalitypared to Mariana, but somehow Mira thought they sounded simr, mostly due to the slightly high tone with which they spoke to her. Then again, Mira also enjoyed having someone else washing her hair, so she had no reason to refuse Aselia¡¯s offer. ¡¸Do as you wish.¡¹ Hearing Mira consent, she happily grabbed a nearby shower head and began washing Mira¡¯s hair. Her fingers seemed used to that action, the tips barely touching Mira¡¯s scalp, which tickled slightly but also felt pleasant making her close her eyes. That way, Aselia could satisfy her sisterly desires, while Mira could rx and not worry about anything. With her body fully washed and cooled down, Mira entered the bath again, silently staring at the garden. The bamboo beats sounding in regr intervals gave a strong Japanese ambiance to the bath, which Mira relished until she started feeling light-headed again. One hour and a half passed since Mira arrived at the bath, she finally felt satisfied. (I guess it¡¯s time to get out and grab dinner.) Mira timed her steps to the next beat of the bamboo, which Aselia also imitated going out of the bath together with her. When Mira began wiping her body with a towel, Aselia violently rubbed her body with a towel which she moved around like a nunchuck, finishing as soon as she could. After that, the two left that room together. When they reached the changing room, Aselia sped through the other clients, heading to a locker in a corner of the room. Mira went to arge mirror that was ced there, carefully watching herself as she dried her hair with concept magic. She was impressed all over again seeing how quickly the water evaporated. (What a bizarre sight.) Her hair that moments before was soaked wet and was a disheveled mess, transformed into silky strands in just a few seconds. She lightly flung her hair, which fluttered in the air like powder snow beforending on her luscious skin. Her eyes were focused on the mirror, watching her bewitchingly cute appearance, as she gently moved some strands of hair to the front to cover her chest. Then she nodded in satisfaction. ¡¸Man, am I sexy.¡¹ It was like she had discovered herself anew. Next Mira took off the key to her locker and opened it to get a towel. The fabric felt reallyfortable, which she enjoyed the most through her soft after-bath skin. ¡¸Oh, you haven¡¯t changed yet?¡¹ Aselia had changed as fast as she could, and now she appeared in front of Mira again, holding a small basket under her arm. She was wearing a soft violet yukata, which was not fastened around her waist exposing more of her skin, which to Mira looked even more lustful than when she was naked. ¡¸Ah¡­ mm, not yet¡­¡¹ After a quick nce at Aselia, Mira looked away and took her basket from her Item Box, fishing out underwear from it. When Aselia saw that basket appear out of thin air, like it was some trick, she got extremely excited again. ¡¸That¡¯s so cool! You took that out of the Item Box from your Operator¡¯s Bracelet, right? That¡¯s amazing¡­ I want to have one soon too¡­¡¹ After a while Mira returned the basket to her Item Box, her cheeks slightly flushed as Aselia caressed her silver bracelet. To Aselia, a rank C adventurer, the Operator¡¯s Bracelet was something akin to a proof of higher levels, and in a way, it was the embodiment of her goals. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯d like to change now.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, sorry sorry.¡¹ Hearing that, Aselia let go of Mira¡¯s wrist, ¡¸I¡¯ll get one soon too¡¹ she said while taking a step back. Mira had given her a tangible goal, so she was more motivated than ever, smiling broadly while shaking her fist in the air. Mira liked her motivated spirits, silently rooting for her in her mind. ¡¸Huh? You won¡¯t wear a yukata?¡¹ Seeing Mira take her usual dress from the locker, Aselia asked her puzzled. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t really own one, you see.¡¹ Hearing that, Aselia quickly ran to the other side of the changing room, towards arge shelf ced there. She looked through whatever was there, picking something up and returning with the same swiftness with which she had left. ¡¸I think this is around your size.¡¹ She handed Mira a yukata of a light green color. ¡¸Are you sure I can use this?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, they¡¯re there for you to use.¡¹ Those were clothes provided by the inn, ced in the changing rooms. Aselia exined that not only were there yukatas of all sizes, but some had small modifications to amodate people of other races, like Meous with their tails. Mira put the yukata on while being impressed by the service provided. (Anyway¡­ how do I put this on?) Mira was visiting a rather unique inn, so wearing a yukata during her stay made perfect sense. The only problem was herck of knowledge on how to wear those traditional Japanese robes. Figuring she could just wear it like any bathrobe, Mira flung it around her and stuck her arms through the sleeves. Aselia had picked well, the yukata fitting Mira¡¯s frame perfectly without being too long or too short. Then she wrapped the band around her and fastened it with a belt. ¡¸Wait, it¡¯s the other way around.¡¹ Saying that, Aselia stood in front of Mira and carefully fixed Mira¡¯s yukata, straightening the wrinkled sleeves and other parts while she was at it. She finished it by tying the belt around her again, then she took a step back and looked at Mira. ¡¸Alright, that¡¯s how it should look.¡¹
This chapter is tranted by Mamoritai and is only a ceholder. It will be reced by Re:Library¡¯s version when the trantors and editors caught up to this chapter. We will update you on the progress on our weekly update.
She smiles at the workmanship and gently strokes Mira¡¯s head. The gesture had the impression of a Onee-chan and for Aselia, it was an unconscious action. Despite beingpletely treated like a kid, Mira didn¡¯t push the hand on her head away but she sighed as if it was okay for a long time sensation and the calm atmosphere of Aselia. (Some things just don¡¯t work. I¡¯m an adult, you know.) (Mira) After changing clothes and leaving the dressing room, there are a souvenir shop and table tennis. The guests, who rxed after the bath, weren¡¯t doing anything. They just spent a moment of coffee. This is where the light of thenterns shines and Mira feels lost in a different space. Whether it is the original world or the current reality or its boundary. Under such circumstances, she picked up a familiar piece with a stick on a round t te. (This ispletely table tennis¡­ The owner here is definitely a former yer) (Mira) The concept of a ryokan that is based on the good old-fashioned ssics of the original world, called the interior of a Japanese. And a ssic table tennis table is definitely the work of those who know it. Mira enjoys the benefits of not only the technology but also the wonders of the original yers in the cultural field. ¡ºYes, Mira-chan. This is my gratitude. This is the best for bathing¡»(Aselia) Aselia returned from the shop in a sprint and gave out one of the purchased bottles as she said so to Mira. ¡ºOh, that¡¯s nice!¡»(Mira) In the bottle Mira received, it was written ¡ºMilk Coffee¡» in brown letters. This is also a ssic after bathing. ¡ºOh, do you want to y table tennis?¡»(Aselia) Aselia keeps an eye on the racket that Mira has in her hand and squints like a hawk that finds a prey. ¡ºNo, that¡¯s not why (~nja ga~na~)¡»(Mira) Aselia disappeared even before Mira finished and returned with a racket. ¡ºDo you know how to y?¡»(Mira) ¡ºOf course. I¡¯m pretty strong!¡»(Aselia) Aselia picks up the racket and swings lightly. Tworge mountains sway due to crustal movements along with the sound of the sharp wind. Aselia looked happy, Aselia turned to Mira with an innocent smile. ¡ºHave you yed it before, Mira-chan?¡»(Aselia) ¡ºUmu, that¡¯s right. However, you are quite familiar with this ce. you know how to wear a yukata, Do youe here often?¡»(Mira) Yukata, hot milk coffee and table tennis, none originally existed in this world. But Aselia is already familiar with the ce. Mira felt good that Aselia is familiar with the culture of her country. ¡ºThis is my first time staying at this ryokan. But the Japanese style ismon¡»(Aselia) ¡ºJapanese Style¡­¡»(Mira) ¡ºI like the Japanese style. It¡¯s kind of like a unique emotion, so it¡¯s really calm. I know not only yukata but also kimono. My teacher taught me. Ah, my teacher is the person who taught me the Japanese ceremony.¡»(Aselia) Aselia speaks with a cheerful expression whether she likes it. Mira is surprised at whether the culture of her country is infiltrated as a Japanese style, but she is slightly happy with the familiarity of that culture. She feels like she met a foreigner who loved Japan. ¡ºNow, Mira-chan. Let¡¯s drink before it¡¯s cold. It¡¯smon to put your hands on your hips and drink a lot¡»(Aselia) Mira Saying, Aselia takes that pose. Then, urge Mira to do the same with her gaze. When she smiles with a bitter smile in her pure line of sight, Mira takes the same posture as Aselia¡¯s familiar pose. Both legs spread with the shoulder-width, putting left hand on hip and drinking coffee milk all at once. (This feels wrong¡­) (Mira) With a slight resentment to the teacher who taught Aselia the Japanese style, Mira drank the sweet coffee milk. ¡ºMira-chan, too, will get on the train tomorrow?¡» (Aselia) ¡ºUmu, Souja~ yo~ (that¡¯s right)¡»(Mira) ¡ºAs expected. Which way are you going?¡»(Aselia) ¡ºI¡¯m going to Alice. What will you do? Have you decided to get a shield instead of a spirit sword?¡»(Mira) The two girls talk about what they will do while putting away the empty bottles into the collecting case at the store. Most of the guests staying in front of the station were railway train users, and Aselia also nned to take a flight to ¡°Oz Stein¡± tomorrow. However, she got a source of information that there are stores where spirit swords are sold. Aselia after talking to Mira decided to get a red shield instead of a spirit sword. So for now, she doesn¡¯t have to go to that store anymore. ¡ºSolomon-sama¡¯s home territory, I¡¯m going to Lunatic Lake. I¡¯ve heard that there is a market for attributed equipments. I may find it if I search there¡»(Aselia) ¡ºHuh, was there such a ce?¡»(Mira) Mira, who hasn¡¯t looked around the capital yet, smiles happily and adds that market to some sightseeing (waiting list). ¡ºMay I ask you to tell me the story of Solomon-sama when I get to rank C?¡»(Aselia) A little conservative, but with the utmost thought, Aselia asked. ¡ºI~ja~rou~ (It¡¯s fine). Then, if you be C rank, as a celebration, I¡¯ll teach you how to train the way he had been doing¡»(Mira) ¡ºReally!? Hooray! I¡¯ll do my best!¡»(Aselia) When Aselia expresses joy throughout her body in response to an unexpected response, Mira¡¯s concentrate somehow nailed to the exposing cor. ¡ºBy the way, Mira-chan is traveling alone, right?¡»(Aselia) ¡ºUmu, Sou~ja~ na~ (Yeah, that¡¯s right)¡»(Mira) Mira responds by slightly diverting her gaze to avoid unnaturalness. Even Mira, who has gradually been getting used to breasts, seems to be unable to talk while still staring. ¡ºDo you go to Alice on request? Are you okay by yourself?¡»(Aselia) The ability can be judged from the standards guaranteed by the union called C rank. And Aselia knows that Mira, who is a celestial race, is older than her. But Aselia is stimted by her Onee-san¡¯s heart, she asks Mira so. Mira simply stated without worrying. ¡ºShinpai mu~yo~ja (Don¡¯t worry). I¡¯m not losing to younger people¡»(Mira) She had such an invincible smile. ¡ºSee you again!¡»(Aselia) ¡ºUmu, Mata~ Itsuka~ ja~ na~ (Yeah, we meet again someday)¡»(Mira) Once again, after Aselia got the agreement to keep contact via the union, she ran away refreshingly with her motivated eyes shining brightly. Mira reminds her to put a shield textbook in her baggage and read it carefullyter. After Mira sees Aselia¡¯s lively appearance going away, she stands in front of the sketch on the wall and res at it. (Where was my room¡­?) (Mira) Because she was followed Aselia to the middle of the ce, she didn¡¯t remember the directions at all. She was looking for the ce¡ºBetween the sky¡» written on the key of the room she received. Finally, Mira learns the path to the room and starts walking. When I returned to my room, Nakai-san was in the middle of preparing the meal on the table. Then Nakai-san greets Mira. ¡ºWee back. The meal will be ready soon, so please wait for a moment¡»(Nakai) ¡ºUmu¡»(Mira) While saying so, Nakai-san moves the tableware from the tray. Mira sits in front of the table and waiting. The containers show vibrant colors, they are all pottery and have the beauty that can be enjoyed even by amateurs. Dishes are lined up such as bowls, pickles that are not affected by temperature, and eggs. Mira sat and looked at the middle of the room where preparations were going on, then a voice came from outside and the main characters were carried in. It starts with tempura, miso soup, boiled food, and white rice. Mira was thrilled by the many dishes that invite nostalgia. It has a gorgeous assortment of dishes, and it is a wonderful assortment of items that are not ashamed of the Japanese name. ¡ºDo you need a description of the food?¡»(Nakai) ¡ºUmu, please!¡»(Mira) After the meals are prepared on the table, Meow (race) Nakai asks Mira so. Mira responds immediately to it. There¡¯s a concern about what kind of ingredients are being reproduced in this world. ¡ºFrom here. Eggs made from garden bird¡¯s eggs with smoked ck tuna broth. Next to that Frost Bison meat with soy sauce, sugar, it¡¯s a dish called Yamato boiled in ginger.¡»(Nakai) Nakai-san gradually improved in tone, it was as if she had made the dishes by herself, lining up her thoughts on each dish and her feelings at cooking. After that, the Meow Nakai, who began to get more excited, started to talk about things that were not rted to the dishes. A freshly-picked, fresh-fished style flower shape is difficult in this store far from the sea, and the dried fish is delicious but the life is not as good. Only until when the other Meow (Race) Nakai brought food in, she was forced to suspend. ¡ºPlease enjoy your meal slowly. If you ring that bell after eating, we wille to collect the tableware. Well then, please excuse us¡»(Nakai) Nakai sat down, bowed elegantly in a straight posture then she went out of the sky room with the other Meow race. Immediately after that, from the other side of the door, ¡°How many times have I told you not to do it?¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± voice rang. When she heard about a bell, Mira turned his eyes on it, there was a hanging scroll with the word ¡°peace of mind¡± in a light color. Aside from that, there was a bell in the same shape that Solomon used when calling Suleiman. After confirming that, Mira wiped the table with a cloth. (¡°peace of mind¡±¡­! It¡¯s not a word to write on the scroll!) (Mira) Mira blew the miso soup in her mouth while pondering about the hanging scroll that seemed ridiculous. After that, there was no problem, Mira enjoyed a peaceful time while enjoying Japanese food after a long time. After pouring hot water from a metal container into the teapot together with the tea leaves, she poured it into the teacup and enjoyed it with a rxed expression. When she was satisfied with the scent of the tea leaves spreading through her nasal passages, she sipped a lot of it and stuck her tongue out. ¡ºHot¡­¡­¡»(Mira) Mira exhales in the cold air after the meal. She rang the bell with her fingers, she couldn¡¯t hear the sound but there was certainly sounds, and after a while, two Nakai came to collect the tableware. ¡ºThe futon wasid in the next room. Please call me with the bell when you get up in the morning. I will bring in the breakfast¡»(Nakai) ¡ºUmu, I understand¡»(Mira) Meow Nakai sits next to the door of the next room, lightly opens it and shows it to Mira. It seemed that they have prepared a bed. A futon wasid on the tatami mat. A quilt with a gorgeous dragon design. It seemed to befortable. When Nakai finished putting the tableware away, Mira sipped the second cup of tea. Mira Mira stretched greatly. ¡ºLet¡¯s sleep¡»(Mira) When she stood up and opened the bathroom door, there was a Japanese-style toilet. Mira impressed with the Japanese style so far, and raised the hem of her yukata. Afterpleting the work, Mira was steadily preparing to go to bed with the amenity toothbrush prepared in the bathroom. After everything, she went into the futon and lied on her back, turn her face and gazed out the window with the wooden frame. There¡¯s no noisete at night, but in the sky, a star that seems to be congested blinks. When she meditated, this time would be wrapped in silence. There was a slight smell of incense, and the water sound slightly resonated in her ears. Wrapped in a light and soft nket, Mira¡¯s breath begin to y a restful tone. Chapter 63: Travel Companion Chapter 63: Travel Companion
This chapter is tranted by Mamoritai and is only a ceholder. It will be reced by Re:Library¡¯s version when the trantors and editors caught up to this chapter. We will update you on the progress on our weekly update.
In the morning, when the sun shines like a haze, Mira is slumbering in the tatami room with a faint Japanese sign. Suddenly, she hears the sound of a bell that melts into the sky. ¡ºNuo¡­ Nani~ no~ oto~ ja (what is that sound)?¡»(Mira) Mira still has her face buried in the nket. The sound resonated over and over, it could be heard from the outside. And when the sound stopped. ¡ºWe will give you information on Continental Railway operations. The left circuit line departed from Woodholm Station at 8:15. The estimated time of arrival at this station is 12:45. I Repeat ©¤©¤¡»(Broadcast) It was the broadcast that was sent from the station to convey the status of the railway operation. Since the arrival time of the railway isn¡¯t urate in minutes as in Japan, it is broadcast to the whole city. After listening to the broadcast, Mira opens the menu and checking the current time, it was written as 8:30. (Remaining 4 hours and a little) (Mira) Mira stood up from the nket, walked lightly to the window. She rubs her eyes on the back of her hands and has a panoramic view of the outside. The cityscape where many people of various races and costumese and go in the morning sun. As she looks up, you can see therge station and many people whoe and go like a kite at the entrance. Mira looked at the waves of such people vaguely recalled the night when she arrived at the station. When she arrived at the silver side, the station yard I looked from the sky wasrge and it would take a lot of time if she looked around on foot. Before getting on the board, Mira was really excited to go for sightseeing, she moved away from the window and took off the yukata. She washes her face in a washroom that is simr to a hand watershed, a Japanese-style toilet, and change into her magic robe set, ¡ºThat¡¯s right, that¡¯s right¡»(Mira) While whispering, she rang the bell with her finger. She remembered Nakai saying that with this as a signal breakfast would be carried in. After changing clothes, sip tea and sit on a cushion. Mira doesn¡¯t do anything in a tranquil hour but leans and drinks. ¡ºHow peaceful¡»(Mira) The so-calledzy-around appearance. ¡ºGood morning. I bring breakfast¡»(Nakai) While calming down, Mira heard the voice came from the hallway. Mira stood up, unlocked the door and weed the Nakai in. The breakfast arranged on the table is a ssic Japanese food that is thoroughly studied and well prepared. Mira sat down and confirmed that this breakfast was also delicious. After receiving instructions on cooking from the same Nakai asst night, Mira started mixing natto first. After Mira is satisfied with the breakfast, she grabs the ribbon that had been tying her hair the other day and start tying it in front of the mirror. She can¡¯t tie her hair well like Mariana did. (Nuo¡­ The twin tails are the most cute) (Mira) Mira is struggling, thinking about what she should do because of her ideal appearance. About three weeks aftering to this world, she started to get used to herself. After trial and error, Mira has somehow decided on her hairstyle, and Mira is excited about her appearance. She was ready and looked around the room to see if there were anything left behind. After getting lost a little, Mira found the counter. Passing in front of the shoebox room on the way, seeing the uptown entrance and returning the bag. Because the shoebox and room key are the same, it was exined that she had to collect her shoes before returning them to the counter. ¡ºSewa~ ni~ natta~ (I have been taken care of)¡»(Mira) Mira has changed her own shoes, returns the key to the counter. ¡ºThank you for using our Ryokan¡­ By the way, Dear customer, it seems that it¡¯s hard to tie, but are you nning to go out with that hair?¡»(Receptionist) The receptionist receives the key with a sales smile, looks uneasy about Mira, and asks Mira as she cannot be patient. Mira leans slightly and touches her hair to see if it works. She didn¡¯t solve anything in particr and pondering about the attitude of the receptionist. ¡ºI¡¯m going to do that, but something strange?¡»(Mira) Mira has no idea, so she asks back. Then the receptionist ¡°May you excuse me for a moment?¡± gently smiled as she brought the mirror in the counter. Unlike the sale smile, it was a full expression of motherhood. Then the receptionist took off Mira¡¯s hair ribbon. Mira wasn¡¯t aware of it, her hair only looked fine from the front, there was a position where it was devastating gathered up and down and that was obvious from others. While worrying about the difference, Mira let the receptionist arrange her hair again. The appearance in the mirror is certainly so impressive that after finishing, the receptionist can brush Mira¡¯s silver hair with her fingertips, the condition of Mira¡¯s hair flutters like silk. ¡ºThis is all right¡»(Receptionist) ¡ºThank you. It took a lot of time¡»(Mira) Mira left the Ryokan, ¡°Star Moon (Hoshi Tsuki) Manor¡± passing with the cheerful smile of the receptionist. Mira headed straight to Silverside Station and looked up again at therge building. It is about the same size as the school building seen at Arkait Gakuen and stands majestically in the sunlight. Mira entered the premises from the entrance of the busy station. The store continues to the depths like a shopping street, but the front is lined with people who seem to be the staff of the station, and there is a counter written as the reception. Mira heads to one of the railroad reception. ¡ºCan I ask a question?¡»(Mira) ¡ºYes, please ask me anything¡»(Receptionist) The Receptionist responds with a smile to the girl, who shook her twin tails and peeked at the slightly higher counter. It was a slightly more polite response than usual. But Mira feels that the job requires to be kind. ¡ºI want to use the train, but I¡¯d like to know how to get on¡»(Mira) ¡ºUnderstood. First of all, I will exin the ticket. There are three types of tickets for each seat ss, everything is sold here.¡»(Receptionist) The Receptionist answers the question with a smile and puts three tickets on the tray so that Mira can see it. The colors are white, pale blue, and red. The material wasn¡¯t paper, but a material simr to a dungeon permit. ¡ºFrom here, economy ss, premium ss, first ss. One piece is required for each station, and the price is 5,000 riffs, 10,000 riffs, and 20,000 riffs.¡»(Receptionist) ¡ºHum, one at one station ¡­¡»(Mira) (It seems that the system is slightly different from the original world) (Mira) Mira looked at three tickets. The difference is the letters written as color. Economy ss is easy to imagine. However, Mira, an ordinary household, has a longing for the words premium ss and first ss. ¡ºI want to go to Alice Farius, how many train stations from here?¡»(Mira) ¡ºFrom the silver side, there are five stations. It¡¯s a total of 25,000 riffs in economy ss¡»(Receptionist) Mira is pointing at the first-ss ticket to the receptionist who answers with a smile. ¡ºOkay, five of these please¡»(Mira) Mira put out ten Mithril coins equivalent to 100,000 riffs on the tray. The Receptionist is a little amazed, but she immediately regains her smile and checks the fee. ¡ºYes, certainly. This is the first-ss ticket. Please check it¡»(Receptionist) ¡ºUmu¡»(Mira) Mira receives 5 small tickets and puts it into her waist pouch. When the Receptionist watches Mira¡¯s gesture, she talks. ¡ºFirst ss tickets are expensive, so it¡¯s best not to show them in public¡»(Receptionist) That¡¯s why she reminds Mira. Mira is convinced that this is true. ¡ºThat¡¯s right, I will be careful¡»(Mira) Upon receiving the advice, Mira shifted the waist pouch slightly toward her abdomen. Then she thanked Receptionist and looked forward to how much the first ss would be. Mira went out to the streets where the shops lined up. As Mira checks the time on the menu, it¡¯s a little over 9 o¡¯clock. Mira remembered that the arrival time of the train was in thete 12 o¡¯clock, she could spend time for now. When she actually stepped in, she thrilled in front of arger section of the station premises than expected. Stores line up in twoyers like a shopping street that handles misceneous products, and when shees here, it feels like she can find anything here. The remaining time is 3 and nearly half an hour. Mira jumped to the nearest store to enjoy shopping until it was time. The first sign is ¡°Moon and Silver Tower Specialty Products Silver Side Station¡±. It is a souvenir shop. The store isrge and has many customers, so it seems to be thriving. ¡ºNu ¡­¡»(Mira) Nine kinds of child-sized robes are lined up in a prominent ce in the store, and Mira who sees them jerks slightly. It is, of course, the sage robe replica. Mira looks so spectacr because it is neatly arranged, but Mira focused on the stock. (Why there are only three replicas of my robes¡­) (Mira) There are five or more items on disy, including exhibits and replicas folded in stock. There is clearly a sense of discrimination in the Luminaria robe. (It must have been sold ¡­ I¡¯m very popr ¡­) (Mira) She told herself so strongly, and Mira left the scene. After passing through the sewing-rted shelves, the shelves with the grocery items continues further. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the food that you can enjoy in each region is a ssic souvenir. Mira went through the products that seemed a little expensive. The first thing she saw was a ssic cookie. The one sold here is a muscat cookie made from flourished muscat grown in the kingdom of Arkite, with a jam in the center of a in cookie. The sweet and sour taste of a jam that shines beautifully like emerald is a popr dish. Next to it is Muscat Candy and Muscat Drink. Mira goes to the next shelf. The souvenirs that can be said to be ssic are also arranged in the area of ??the shelf. A pennant was written with nine wise men, a pin badge engraved with the two names of the nine wise men and King Solomon, a minintern written with the kingdom of Arkite, a capital Lunatic Lake model with craftsmanship, and a silver tower with craftsmanship Figurine. When Mira checked it, only things that were difficult to handle were gathered in one ce. However, contrary to Mira¡¯s perception, the area has the most customers. Mira left the souvenir shop after purchasing six hundred riffs of Muscat cookies. The next store Mira visited was a bookstore. Perhaps because it¡¯s popr, there are many well-dressed customers such as a surgeon, the man of the muscr warrior who seems to be with him is looking at the shelf with a cool expression. Mira picked up a book that had been stacked. On the cover page was written ¡°Introduction to Magic¡±, and the content was an introduction to the title, such as a magical catalyst for beginners¡¯ learning and so-on. If you look at it, you can find introductory books on all the techniques. Thest pagees with an introductory pamphlet for Arkite Gakuen, which will convey your willingness to learn more. Gently returning to the stack, Miraughed at the martial arts instruction book ced next to the book. This is also an introductory book that describes the basics of weapon handling such as swordsmanship and martial arts. Of course, if you open the backmost page, you will find pamphlets for each dojo. (I¡¯m so sad ¡­) (Mira) (T.N: No summoner book) Mira is going deeper into the store, rather than being impressed. There are books such as monster encyclopedias and botanical illustrations, as well as heroic encyclopedias for tourist information. There were picture books on the back shelf. There is also a children¡¯s literature headed by the story of the nine wise men who Emera spoke passionately at the lowest level of the ancient temple Nebpolis, as well as novels of multi-sama genres. Furthermore, there are various adult titles that are out of reach of Mira, and the customers and clerk in the store are watching over Mira¡¯s back reaching desperately. Many others who leaked an unsatisfactory sigh in the figure of the girl who gave up and lowered their hands, rushed to the girl and stepped on the book at the next moment. (Nuu~¡­ I made people worried) (Mira) Mira was infidelity, but she found an incredible book in the far corner. It¡¯is not an adult noble literature. There were mass entertainment andic books. Such a culture will be influenced by the former yer. Naturally, there is no title that Mira remembers and all covers are fresh. (There are so manyics for the first time ¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to excavation!) (Mira) Excavation work. In other words, find an interestingic that suits you. Mira picks up from one end and takes a nce at the cover and synopsis. The girls seemed to be in a good mood on theic bookshelves, was distracted by the thought, people were finally relieved. Eventually, Mira picked up a number of remarkableics and bought a map of the surrounding area of ??the Alice Farius saint country. Look around many other stores. Aimed at adventurer-branch of Dinoir Shokai, which sells various useful tools, is worth seeing, and there are many other souvenir shops, general merchandise stores, and medicine stores continue on. Everything was different from the standard items, and it was something that could be enjoyed by just looking. It was around when Mira started to go around with this and that. A familiar bell sound jumped into Mira¡¯s ear as she escaped from a store clerk. ¡ºI will inform you about the operation of the Continental Railway. The left cirction line is running smoothly towards this station. It will arrive one hourter. Repeat ©¤©¤¡»(Broadcast) ¡ºOne hour ¡­¡»(Mira) When Mira hears the announcement and confirms the time, she resumes visiting the store. As if the broadcast was signaled, people flowed from the nearest stairs to the secondyer. There are many restaurants on the upper floor. and there are many shops selling Station lunch and shops specializing in Station lunch. Many typese together but the fragrance stimtes the belly as Mira walks in the whole area. The blissful moment of pecking the Station lunch in front of the passing scenery. When she noticed, Mira began to examine the many Station lunch on the eaves. The first is a Western-style restaurant with a bright pastel atmosphere. It is usually run as a restaurant but sells Station lunch at the storefront before the arrival of the railway. The contents are mainly meat, fish, and vegetable sandwiches, and the colorful content seems to be popr among women. In fact, there are many female customers. When Mira escapes out of the woman group, she goes to the next store. In the secondyer, where the number of people gradually increases, Mira visited a shop called ¡ºPoka Poka Bento¡». This shop only handles Station lunches and the variations were mainlymon such as fried lunch boxes, paste lunch boxes, grilled meat lunch boxes, and meatball lunch boxes. Because it is cheap andrge in volume, the customer base is mostly adventurers, and hard warriors and others are buying two paste lunches. (Bento looks delicious just by looking at it. It has a mysterious charm.) (Mira) Mira came to the next store while pulling her hair. There are many high-end stores, many of the products are borate. Omelet lunch with demice sauce, roll cabbage lunch cooked in tomato soup, scotch egg lunch with herbs, etc. ¡ºThis is craftsmanship¡»(Mira) Mira looks at a sample of a semi-cooked omelet rice bento. She brings the tip of her nose close to the edge, her cheek melts due to the scent of Demigrass sauce and butter. But there may still be better Station lunch. Mira put omelet rice in one of the candidates and headed to the next. Unknown to Mira, the sales record of the omelet rice was raised by the customers who witness the smile of an angelic girl that day. The next store was very simr to Moon Star Manor, where Mira stayed overnight. Probably based on the Japanese-style form. The goods sold by the kimono-welding salesgirls, it was a little different from the ssification of Station lunch which is just rice balls with various ingredients. There are more than ten kinds of ingredients, and side dishes are garnished with pickles and tea. For tea, the container and contents were sold separately. (Here as well, fried chicken ¡­) (Mira) Rice balls are prepared in many kinds, from ssic to those with a different world sense. It seems to be prosperous. The store next to it is the same line as the rice ball store. The products we were selling were Station lunch (mainly cooked rice) such as mushroom rice, bamboo shoot rice, and chestnut rice. The apanying side meals also make it stand out in an iron te. (Boiled bamboo shoots eaten in the countryside were exquisite) (Mira) Memorize the second candidate and peek into the next store, and then next store. Even the cheapest of the high-ss Station lunch restaurant is 2,000-riff. The charcoal-grilled restaurant that offers abundant skewers, a fast food ssic burger restaurant, and a sushi bento that has three types of Shochiku plums. Many stores as such continued further. And Mira looked into the dozens of ssic restaurants for the Been. The cheapest one is 500 riffs, and the highest one is 1,300 riffs. Speaking of its contents, it is a lunch box thatbines white rice with many side dishes. In a sense, it is aplete form of Station lunch, which is simple but packed with many side dishes and can be enjoyed with both the tongue and eyes. There are many side dishes that Mira is familiar with, which give Mira a sense of security on the first railway trip in the world. Mira stuck to the sample and confirmed the difference due to price differences. There are various types and numbers of cheap and high, side dishes, but there are major differences in the main meat and fish. The cheaper ones are white fries, but when they get higher, they change to salmon grilled and mini hamburgers. Meals that are packed in lunch boxes. Atst, Mira decided to buy a lunch box with the highest price. Chapter 64: Cedric Di Noir Chapter 64: Cedric Di Noir
This chapter is tranted by Mamoritai and is only a ceholder. It will be reced by Re:Library¡¯s version when the trantors and editors caught up to this chapter. We will update you on the progress on our weekly update.
¡ºWe inform you of the operation of the Continental Railway. The left cirction line will arrive at this station shortly. Please note that the stop time is one hour from arrival. ©¤©¤Repeat¡»(Broadcast) After purchasing the Station lunch, Mira went down further, the broadcast echoed on the premises. ¡ºFumu, it¡¯s about time¡»(Mira) Mira looks at the guide map while holding a paper bag with a box lunch box, and walks toward the center through repeated broadcasts. At the same time, adventurer-like people began to move as a lump. Because economy ss is free seating, good seatse with a firste-first-served basis. As she goes through a wide corridor made of marble, the passage is divided into straight and right turns. Mira nces at the wooden signboard hung from the ceiling and turns right. In the middle of the passage, there was a silver pir that was as wide as three Mira who joined hands. As Mira approached, a part of the pir opened, and a man wearing a uniform of the station staff stood there, looked at Mira. ¡ºFrom here on, the Car will be dedicated to the first ss. Are you sure you want to check the ticket?¡»(Station Staff) He seems to be a middle-aged man around fifty, he speaks gently to Mira with a smile without prejudge. (I wonder if this is the ticket gate ¡­) (Mira) Mira takes a first-ss ticket out of her waist pouch and passes one of them. After checking the ticket, the station staff pressed a special stamp on it and returned it to Mira. ¡ºSince there is a ticket confirmation in the car, please present the ticket with this mark. Then have a good trip¡»(Station Staff) ¡ºUmu¡» (Mira) The ticket is engraved with a sign like a hologram, and the letter ¡°Silver Side¡± emerges with the light. (How borate) (Mira) Mira looks at such a ticket with interest and then returns it to her waist pouch. Beyond the ticket-gate is the first-ss waiting room. Leather sofas and chairs are provided, and well-dressed men and women are rxing in each ce. Arge space well-decorated by vibrant and a firece without fire quietly. Mira puts her breasts up a little and sits down on a nearby sofa. At the same time, curious eyes are poured into the girl. Everyone in the first-ss waiting room must have good standings. There are aristocratic children, butlers, good merchants, executives of the organization, etc., and all of them offer escorts with appropriate strength. The girl who appeared there was so beautiful that even if she said to be the royal family, people would believe right away. But there is not even one butler, maid, guardian, or adult. It would be inevitable that the mysterious girl wearing a fashionable outfit gathers attention. Mira feels a little ufortable, she rolls up her left arm sleeve and opens the menu. Currently at 12:37. After confirming the time, she tries to take out an Apple Au Lait. (Nuo¡­ The number is running out) (Mira) Every time something happened, Mira took out an Apple Au Lait from the inventory, she didn¡¯t pay attention that it was already running out. Then a gentleman man walks to Mira, who was thinking about buying Apple Au Lait somewhere around the ce. ¡ºGreeting, youngdy¡»(gentleman) ¡ºUmu, greeting¡»(Mira) Returning the greetings, Mira nces at the man. He wears a grayrge bag in his hand, he looks young and has no characteristics of a long-lived species. Slightly reddish maroon hair leaks out of a deep green Tyrolean hat. Behind the man was a male and female escort wielding swords. Mira thinks that a man, who calls out to a beautiful girl like herself without any context, is suspicious. ¡ºExcuse me for the sudden. I am Cedric, who works for the ¡°Grimmdart¡±pany¡»(Cedric) ¡ºMira~ja (The name is Mira)¡»(Mira) Cedric introduces himself as if to exin. Mira rxed a little and replied briefly. Behind Cedric, two of the escorts nod. A tall and strong man was standing proudly but the woman smiled slightly when she met Mira¡¯s eyes. ¡ºThen, Nani~yo~ ja (What do you need)?¡»(Mira) After confirming the escort¡¯s ability, Mira turns back to the man and asks him while looking up. ¡ºI just saw your operator¡¯s bracelet by chance and Mira-sama appears to be a senior adventurer. The adventurers who use the first ss are rare so I want to speak with you. No, it¡¯s my bad habit that I want to hear when I¡¯m curious¡»(Cedric) ¡ºFumu, so that¡¯s why¡»(Mira) ¡ºYes, only advanced adventurers ride in the first ss, they are those who are extremely disliked to have contact with others or have circumstances¡»(Cedric) ¡ºSo, You were worried about me. But sorry. I don¡¯t have any circumstances. It¡¯s my first trip with the railroad, I was just a little inspiring¡»(Mira) ¡ºIt¡¯s also great. You know how to use money¡»(Cedric) In response to Mira, Cedric raised the tone of the voice by a semitone and took a palm-sized case out of the coat. ¡ºPlease take one¡»(Cedric) Cedric handed out one card saying so. The group name Di Noir group, the coat of arms of the horse and the eagle, and the name of the man, the letter is Cedric Di Noir, were there. ¡ºDi Noir ¡­ It¡¯s an unheard name¡»(Mira) When Mira receives the card, that is, the business card, she traces what is written on it and says what she thought. ¡ºHaven¡¯t you heard of it? This was what I did but I was self-confident. Actually, ourpany mainly deals with products for adventurers, but as long as you can enjoy money like you, I thought that you would definitely like our products as well.¡»(Cedric) ¡ºI see. Products for adventurers¡­¡»(Mira) Hearing Cedric¡¯s words, Mira recalls a rxed odor used by the Emera. The tools that were created for the demand of the real world, they are recognized as one of the major changes in this world. ¡ºOh, did I get you interested? Then, as a sign of being acquaintance, allow me to give Mira-sama a promising new product from Dinoir Firm¡»(Cedric) Cedric opened his bag, took out something that was astonishingly big to show off. It was about one tatami size, covered with a blue cloth on the front, the back was made of ck and durable material. At first nce, it looks like a thick te but it¡¯s well decorated, and if you look closely it looks like a bag. ¡ºWhat is this (nan~ja)? Rather, is the bag an item box?¡»(Mira) Certainly, he brought something big out of the bag. However, Cedric doesn¡¯t wear the armlet of the operator, so he can¡¯t use the item box function. However, the operator¡¯s bracelet with the function of the item box is made by people. If so, it would be possible to make a bag with that technology. Mira focuses more on the bag in Cedric¡¯s hand than on the new product lying in front of him. ¡ºYes, that¡¯s right. It is a diversion of the operator¡¯s bracelet technology used by advanced adventurers. Well, it¡¯s a custom-made item, so there¡¯s only one in this world¡»(Cedric) ¡ºHo~u, a custom-made product¡»(Mira) Operator bracelets are used by adventurers in the form of rentals, but their production costs are considered great. Cedric must possess great influence to have such an expensive product in the form of a bag as his personal belongings. But Mira doesn¡¯t know much about it, so she doesn¡¯t realize how precious it is. ¡ºRather than that, I want you to pay attention to this new product¡»(Cedric) ¡ºThat¡¯s true. What is this (nan~ ja?)?¡»(Mira) ¡ºThis is thetest sleeping bag¡»(Cedric) A new product that keeps you safe on the ground. When Mira turns her gaze at the mysterious object, Cedric puts his hand on the cut (hole/zipper) with a good expression. After a little lifting and turning, the blue te-like object quickly changed to look like a bed mat and the other part changed its form like a pillow. ¡ºHo~u¡­ this is rather interesting¡»(Mira) ¡ºYou seem to be interested. Allow me to exin in detail¡»(Cedric) So Cedric began to talk about the new product scheduled to be released a monthter, the features of sleeping bags for advanced adventurers. ¡ºAs you can see, this sleeping bag is out of the question for normal people to carry around. No adventurer will use such a bulky thing. But what if they can use the item box? I was interested in the operator bracelet used by senior adventurers. It is no exaggeration to say that this bag was made to verify its convenience. I was impressed with such wonderful technology and nned to make it a business¡»(Cedric) A new product that Cedric thought of that was made for adventurers, assumed the use of item boxes. As for production, Mira can only remember refinement. That¡¯s not because it¡¯s useful to people but because it was a result of her simple thought and action. Mira naturally listened to Cedric¡¯s insatiable attitude as a merchant. ¡ºI gathered information relying on a lot of messengers. What would adventurers want? And the first sleeping bag was developed. This is for promising adventurers like Mira-sama¡»(Cedric) Cedric after making his long introduction started talking his business to enumerate the features of the new sleeping bag. Since the capacity of the item box depends on the weight, it must be thoroughly reduced in weight. Certainly, it was possible to lift even for someone as small as Mira. Next, cleanliness. Cedric gave a demonstration and disassembled the sleeping bag for each part. You can wash each part individually. Then, next was the insect repellent process that Cedric noticed from the information of the adventurers. This is the most annoying problem for female adventurers. It would certainly not befortable to have a grotesque insect in your sleeping bag when you wake up in the morning. Cedric has incorporated an insect repellent device that uses a magic tube as a power source that the Dinoir Company handles. Cedric demonstrated but there wasn¡¯t visible to the eye. It was a in impression. ¡ºI¡¯m confident but how does this sleeping bag look from Mira-sama, a very promising adventurer¡¯s POV?¡»(Cedric) Afterpleting the exnation, Cedric changes his facial expression and turns his ears to not miss a phrase. On the other hand, since Mira has never had an adventure like an adventurer, she smiles and talks. ¡ºFu~mu~, it seemsfortable¡»(Mira) ¡ºThat¡¯s true! As expected of Mira-sama. I promise afortable sleep that never disappoints you!¡»(Cedric) Mira can¡¯t say anything because she has never been forced to do anything. Mira tried to continue but after seeing Cedric¡¯s delight quickly responded to the word ¡°looksfortable¡±, she couldn¡¯t speak anymore. Mira swallows her words and confirms the feel of the sleeping bag. The surface is covered with a strong cloth and when she put her hand through the gap, the cloth is soft andfortable. The bottom is stic and certainly better than a cheap sleeping bag. ¡ºIs this really okay?¡»(Mira) ¡ºOf course. If it can be used at a ry point (advertising) for other adventurers, etc.¡»(Cedric) ¡ºI see (Naruhodo~ no~u), something like that¡»(Mira) Currently, Cedric was on a round tour of the continent by rail and visiting adventurer societies across the country. His purpose was to advertise new products, especially to famous adventurers who were going to be his customers. Then, a beautiful girl who is an advanced adventurer and has good money to ride the first-ss train. Maybe he doesn¡¯t have enough advertising personnel to prosper so much. That¡¯s why Cedric called Mira directly. Mira herself felt overwhelmed somehow but she was thankful to receive it as there was no particr condition. ¡ºAt Dinoir Co., we also sell other products. Meeting Mira-sama here is something like fate, so I would like Mira-sama to have a handful of products that ourpany that I proud of. And this is a special coupon¡»(Cedric) ¡ºNu¡­ Well, I may remember when I need it¡»(Mira) The female escort was slightly jerking her cheeks from the side. ¡ºThe train will arrive at No. 7 left cirction line soon. Dear customers, please make sure that you don¡¯t cross the white line¡»(Broadcast) A bell sounds as a reminder following a familiar broadcast. The tone inspires Mira¡¯s expectation and Cedric has a (business?) smile on the girl. ¡ºThis must be the first time Mira-sama gets on the railroad. How about looking at the moment of arrival once? I have seen it several times, but it was very powerful¡»(Cedric) Afterpleting his missionary activities, Cedric told Mira about experiencing the surprises he had learned as a person, not as a merchant. ¡ºHoho~u, if you say so, let¡¯s see¡»(Mira) Cedric and the female escort woman have a soft smile. Mira is also interested in that like a child. ¡ºWell then. Thank you for the sleeping bag¡»(Mira) ¡ºYes, see you again. Pleasee to any of our stores if you need repair or refill magic tubes for repellent insects then it¡¯s running out, we will handle them.¡»(Cedric) Mira waved her hand as if she was in a hurry and jumped to the tform from the back door of the waiting room. Cedric sees the back of the impressive girl and confirms his bag stock. (I just gave it over but what about the results?) (Cedric) Cedric began to consider further new products while feeling a strange sense of aplishment in this fateful encounter. Mira went to her tform where the train hasn¡¯t arrived yet, she raised her impression out of the sight beyond her imagination. The sky-covered arch was far enough to look up, and the top of the tform partitioned for the first ss was cut off like a cliff, and in front of it, the thick white line from the broadcast was visible on the floor painted ck. (I feel like the scale is too big ¡­) (Mira) It is a vast ce where you can believe that it is a warehouse for military weapons. Mira feels a sense of difort in the space that is quite different from the impression of the station in her memory as she ponders whether the train is reallying. When waiting for the arrival of a train with a station employee wearing a uniform, the sound of a high-pitched bell sounds. A heavy rumbling sound, simr to that of a whisper, began to cover the inside of the tform as if it was crawling through the air. Mira still couldn¡¯t see anything past the partition that separates the premium ss but she felt with her skin that something was approaching with overwhelming pressure. A powerful but some warm whistle sounds from far away. Soon after, it appeared into the tform with the sound of thepressed air erupting and the scoring of the metal. It was indeed a lump of iron. The wind film struck by the body rolls backward and passes as if stroking the tform. The girl¡¯s silver hair ys like powder snow in the sky, and flies undisturbed with the train in front of her. ¡ºIs this a train ¡­?¡»(Mira) Arriving at the tform, its ck body bes more prominent. The overall shape is simr to a steam lotive. Even though a ck chimney stopped at the top, a little steam was still rising. But the size is unusual. It was like having a wheel on a three-story condominium. ¡ºLeft cirction line, the train will departure at 14:00, one hourter. Please be careful not to bete. Repeat¡­¡» (Broadcast) At the same time as the broadcast, the door of the car body opened with a noise and a beautifully decorated girl descended as if flying. ¡ºI¡¯m first. So Gordon, what will we ride next?¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) ¡ºYes, Mdy. It¡¯s a carriage from this city¡»(Gordon) ¡ºCarriage again!? I¡¯m sick of it¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) A white-haired gentleman called Gordon follows a girl who speaks loudly. The carving (scar? wrinkles?) is deep with the seasons (aged?), it was full of the charm of a man different from youth. ¡ºWhat are you¡­(doing)?¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) ¡º¡­¡­¡­¡­¡»(Mira) ¡ºI¡¯m talking to you. Y~O~U!¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) ¡ºNu, do you mean me?¡»(Mira) Suddenly, the girl screams before Mira. Her eyebrows were picked up and she seemed to be slightly angry. Mira now nces at the girl. The girl¡¯s long blonde hair is rolled up on the side, she is wearing a frilled outfit, standing like a wealthydy. ¡ºYou looked at me a while ago. I hate that. Can you stop it?¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) The blonde girl says that with her arms crossed and her chest bent. Mira ponders to her words. (What are you talking about ¡­?) (Mira) Mira didn¡¯t remember watching at all until the girl talked. She traced her memory just before and remembered her actions. And she got the answer. ¡ºOh, I didn¡¯t look at you at all. I was watching that person. He is so handsome that I can¡¯t help but admire¡»(Mira) Mira was watching Gordon refraining behind the girl. The old gentleman was close to her ideal (Gandalf), and his decorations are suitable for the age, such as monocrs, and ents of casual essories, somethings that she still wants to do even with a young girl body like Mira. ¡ºWha¡­ what¡­¡»(Side-Drill Blonde Noble Girl) ¡ºOya, me? It¡¯s an honor when I am told by such a beautifuldy like you.¡»(Gordon) Gordon thanked Mira like a gentleman and softly smiled while gently calming (cheering?) the shocked nobledy. ¡ºI¡¯m sorry if I caused you trouble because I was interested. Well then, I bid you adieu¡»(Mira) After Mira returns with a small bow, she passes by the side of the two and gets on the train. At that time, the scent that slightly wraps Gordon praises the tip of the nose and admire its perfection. (Is it a perfume just now? Slight incense that not too strong. That¡¯s wonderful.) (Mira) Gentlemen not only decorate themselves but also care about others. Mira notices that and, at the same time, crawls her neck and turns her nose to check her body odor. ¡ºU~mu, I don¡¯t know¡» (Mira) The staff members waiting in the car stared awkwardly at the appearance of Mira turning her clothes around and checking. Chapter 65: Railway Travel Chapter 65: Railway Travel
This chapter is tranted by Mamoritai and is only a ceholder. It will be reced by Re:Library¡¯s version when the trantors and editors caught up to this chapter. We will update you on the progress on our weekly update.
¡ºCan I collect my ticket?¡»(Railway Staff) One of the staff spoke to the girl, who had no sign of returning from checking her body odor until now. Mira finally noticed it and raised her face, she handed over the stamped ticket without dy. (Doing such a thing in front of the staff¡­ They might think of me as a pervert¡­) (Mira) ¡ºThanks. Do you have a request for left and right car?¡»(Staff) ¡ºNu, is there something different?¡»(Mira) ¡ºYes, the left vehicle has many majestic mountain ranges, and the right vehicle has a spectacr view that extends far beyond¡»(Staff) ¡ºI see, so that¡¯s how it is¡»(Mira) After checking the continental map she knew in her brain, Mira replied with ¡°the right car¡±. There was no reason there, she just somehow chose the right. ¡ºUnderstood. Then I will guide you to your room¡»(Staff) ¡ºUmu¡»(Mira) Guided by the clerk with the sales smile on his face, Mira goes up the staircase with a marvelous shade of marble. (This is also gorgeous again) (Mira) Mira revived from her embarrassment and took a look again at the first-ss car. The walls are white like the skin of a young child, no furniture is found. Instead, a craftedmp illuminates the back and the carpetid in the passage is as if roses wereid and dyed the floor in vivid red. It is the same as the thoroughness of a royal castle. ¡ºYour room is on this side¡»(Staff) ¡ºU~mu, thank for your hard work¡»(Mira) The staff member goes through the hallway and gets to the front of the door where the grain is clear, he opens the door with a special card key, lightly bowing and using his hands to wee Mira in. Mira steps into her room. ¡ºThe top floor of the first ss is a yroom. In addition to y, there are restaurants and so on. Well then, please enjoy your stay¡»(Staff) With a polite and calm voice, the staff went away without the sound of the door closing behind. But Mira doesn¡¯t really care much about the sound (noise) but is awe at the sight that spreads in front of her eyes. ¡ºAs expected of the first ss!¡»(Mira) The first thing she noticed was a big outlook as if the entire wall had been removed. She can get a panoramic view of the sky and the tform of the station. The room is also in good condition with a solid table, the leather sofa just like Solomon¡¯s office. When Mira nced, there was another door, which was a restroom. It¡¯s so bright that she can¡¯t imagine it being on a train. There is a familiar bell on the table and Mira understands that it¡¯s for calling an attendant. Mira put the curtain lunch box she had on the table and started checking the room in earnest. There are many drinks on the shelves, all of which are charged separately, but the corresponding items are lined up. Mira had no knowledge of it, so she thought it would be a kind of event price. There are other rail-rted documents such as price lists and route maps, famous stories and Bibles on the shelves. Afterpleting the confirmation, Mira sits down on the sofa and takes out the curtain lunch box from the paper bag. However, she stopped her hand and looked towards the window. (It would be better to watch the flowing scenery after all¡­) (Mira) Mira thought so, put the lunch on the table, open the menu, and check the time to departure. ¡ºThirty minutes ¡­¡» (Mira) It was a delicate time to wait. Mira opened up the item section to took out an Apple au Lait in order to soothe her slightly aching abdomen ¡ºNu~, this is¡»(Mira) The first parcel in the appropriate ce in the item column. Mira received from Amaratte before departure. Mira doesn¡¯t even leave the vehicle, takes out the package with Apple au Lait and puts it on the packaging. ¡ºThat girl, what does she want me to do¡­¡»(Mira) Out of the open wrapping paper were pants with a slightly transparent side, a totalce camisole with a cup, and ck adult underwear with a set of knee socks and a garter belt. After denationalizing herself wearing the bewitching design, Mira resealed the wrapping paper and put it in one corner of the item box to hide. After that, she doesn¡¯t do anything, just looks down on the tform and watch Cedric get on for a while. And the bell that she is familiar with is ringing along with the broadcast. ¡ºLeft cirction line will now depart. Please grab on a nearby handrail because it will shake. Repeat ©¤©¤¡»(Broadcast) When the broadcast was over, the sound of the bell rang as well as the bells around the town. In addition, the whistle raises its voice and informs the departure. Rhythm is engraved as a cylinder pushed up by a huge steam sings, and the body changes from static to dynamic. The wheels go up are modted from the Andante and when the tempo is raised, it eventually reaches Presto. While listening to the pleasant tone, Mira was looking at the city flowing from a high point of view. (T.N: So many katakana, forgive me if there are mistakes for the true English words for steam-train refer) (The figure looked heavy but it¡¯s unexpectedly fast) (Mira) The train travels on the rails at an unimaginable speed. Immediately the scene below the window flowed backward which made it not visible anymore. In a few minutes, the silver side was projected backwards, and the train quickly jumped out into a region full of nature. The area around the rail is leveled and managed by human hands, but it¡¯s slightly off, there is still an area with ??monsters and animals. The car body is specially processed to avoid animals, and it makes the wind noise louder than just running. If you look side by side, it will look like a giant iron beast. In Mira¡¯s field of view, the border between blue and green can be clearly seen, and the infinitely transparent sky blue has a white color without itchiness. From time to time, Mira¡¯s eyes chased after the birds flying up to the sky and finally, she picked up the inner lunch box. ¡ºIt¡¯s an unbearable moment.¡»(Mira) With a smile, Mira opens its lid. The scent that was trapped in the moment spreads all over her nasal cavity. Atst, she enjoys the scenery she wants to see from the window. When Mira ate a side meal, chewed white rice in her mouth, she tried to reach out for a drink but then she stopped. ¡ºApple au Lait would not fit!¡»(Mira) Apple auit that melts the acidity of apples moderately and harmonizes the sweetness of honey and milk. Mira wasn¡¯t usually worried about eating and drinking, but this time she shows hermitment. Mira regrets having forgotten to buy tea at the station, after picking the Apple au Lait, she puts it back and stands up. (There were a lot of drinks in ce. I wish they had tea) (Mira) Mira was reminded that drinks were ced around here and headed to the shelf. The shelves for paid beverages wererge, and the bottles lined up like a mosaic. ¡ºUmu~¡­¡» (Mira) Mira searched for tea but couldn¡¯t find it. There was only liquor. Mira thinks for a moment and picks up an Ale or Wine from Apple Me. She checked the price list, put a silver coin on the tray and returned to the table. (Speaking of which, this is my first Wine since I came to this world) (Mira) Mira thought so as she was pouring ale into a ss. She cheered alone, raised the ss and enjoyed the journey with the scenery and lunch. ¡ºOur train will arrive at Riverfall Station soon. Please be careful not to leave anything behind¡»(Broadcast) ¡ºNuo~¡­¡­¡»(Mira) The girl lies on the sofa, wakes up and lifts herself up with the voice of the car broadcast. ¡ºThat voice ¡­¡»(Mira) Mira¡¯s warm cheeks have pink color. She turns her gaze out of the window without thinking as if she fell asleep. There is the figure of herself lit by a faint light floats in the air and the back is filled with the darkness (reflection from ss). The train travels without getting lost in the darkness without the moon and the stars, it begins to slow down and arrive at the next station. ¡ºThank you for your ride. The next left cirction line is scheduled to depart at 9:00 tomorrow morning¡»(Broadcast) Mira has no luggage, she quickly put away the three empty bottles and listens to the in-car broadcast while looking at the town underneath. Even on ate-night, the ce was bright as if daylight had settled. Mira looked up and the passengers got off the train. As she passes through the station, she can see a square that is slightlyrger than the Silverside. There are countless inns here in front of the station, and there are some inns with strange signs that stand out. ¡ºWhere should I stay today?¡»(Mira) Once the people overflowing from the train go out to the za, they will spread from there looking for an inn. Mira didn¡¯t retighten the loose cheeks and slid into it. About 20 minutes since she started searching for inns. Mira checks in at an inn with a theater. The main theater was adjacent to the cafeteria. It was an inn with a slightly grown-up atmosphere where she could enjoy a meal while watching a y. There is a stage that goes up at the end of a cafeteria reminiscent of a ssical party venue, where there is a y every night. The reason why Mira chose this inn is that today¡¯s performance is a story rted to the nine wise men. She was wondering how she wasmunicating. Mira is now sitting near the center of the cafeteria and has been waiting for the drama to begin. When the audience seats start to fill up and the vacant seats be inconspicuous, the ce gradually begins to calm down. After a while, when the meal was carried, the Narrator moved to the stage, the light that filled the cafeteria was turned off and the apud can be heard all at once. ¡ºTrucking back Over 30 years ago, persecuted surgeons were living in one country and connecting their lives. This is the story of the heroes who will be revered as Nine Sages with respect and awe in the future.¡»(Narrator) In a narrative tone, the man¡¯s introduction tightens the spot at once. As the performance started, the curtain rose as the ce fills with musical notes, and the youth wearing the king¡¯s costumes and the nine others wearing robes were standing on the stage. ¡ºAs expected they are going to attack again. Then we will take the initiative. The battle this time will be a prelude to make our name spread throughout the continent. I¡¯ll show them the power of Art Masters (Elders) (He talks in the old profoundnguage)¡»(Solomon¡¯s Actor) ¡ºAs our king wishes¡»(9 Sages¡¯ Actors) A young man who acts as the king sharply narrows his eyes and shakes his right hand. Nine people answer with all their voices as they give a bow with the right hand on their chest. This is a military ceremony of the Arkite kingdom. This time, the first game of the Arkite kingdom, which made the name of the 9 Wise men known throughout the continent, was a drama of the Elder Ward Defense Battle. And this first act is developed in the scene where the king and theter nine wise men challenge the first game and n the strategy. Mira was watching the stage with high excitement while cutting the meat into the ces. (Solomon¡¯s words when they first dered war weren¡¯t that dignified!) (Mira) The actual words of Solomon are ¡°Uwa, they are reallying after all. What should we do? Everyone is doing their best, but isn¡¯t the front line in a tough spot with just the 9 of you, sages? The soldiers are not growing up much, Uuuu~¡± (Umu~, The actual military ceremonypared with the y¡­ This is how the youth¡¯s dream is¡­) (Mira) In addition, the nine Sages are set by vigorous members when they win the Elder War defense, we didn¡¯t get into shape yet at that time. However, there¡¯s no reason to tell that truth that unless they are (friend) yers. Mira enjoyed the stagefortably, the battle filling with imagination was the best part of the y. The drama is one of the showcases of Act, where Danbalf¡¯s Holy Knight maintains the front, and Luminaria falls from the back. The scene that shows the power of the Sages the most during defense warfare. (I¡¯m so cool!) (Mira) The stage is developed with the surgical tools and music developed for the stage. But Mira was more focused on the performer of Danbalf. Whether the age of the actor is of the elder age, he is a veteran and suits the role. His every move was brilliant and yed the role of a skilled Sage. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that he looks more of a Sage than Mira, which was Danbalf herself. Mira sends cheering to the Actor with the Danbalf role. The performer then casually returns to Mira with a smile. It¡¯s a stunning flow thates from a solid margin and umted experience. Speaking of Mira, she was able to meet the ideal image of a man twice, and she was in good spirits. The y ends with apuse. In the cafeteria where the lights returned, Mira ate the dessert cake with a full smile. On the stage, the orchestra that swelled the y is now ying a gentle song as the water flows. It will calm down gently while leaving the lingering finish of thest scene. After finishing eating the cake, Mira tried to take out a drink and then frowned her eyebrows. ¡ºNuo~¡­¡­ That ¡¯s right¡»(Mira) Mira remembers that her stock is running low as she squeezes the empty bottles of Apple au Lait. Then she got up with both hands on the table, she approached the cafeteria and spoke to the chef there. (T.N: When you remember something, you might m your hands on the table and get up) ¡ºMay I have a bit of your time? Do you handle Apple au Lait like these bottles here?¡»(Mira) With that said, Mira puts the Apple au Lait bottle she drank earlier on the counter. After a long time, a woman who was washing turned her face to Mira¡¯s voice. ¡ºAre you okay?¡»(Bartender) ¡ºNu?¡»(Mira) ¡ºYour face is red, is it fever?¡»(Bartender) The woman is worried, she tries to check Mira¡¯s forehead. However, she doesn¡¯t feel particrly hot. Mira tilted her head. ¡ºI am very healthy. More importantly, are you handle Apple au Lait?¡»(Mira) ¡ºWe don¡¯t handle Apple Apple. But we have Sweet Berry, which is delicious around here.¡»(Bartender) ¡ºOh, do you sell it in bottles? How much is it?¡»(Mira) Mira, whose voice is slightly higher than usual, points to the woman when she picks up the bottle. The woman finally came up with the reason why Mira has a red face. ¡°Ah, she is drunk.¡± ¡ºWe are selling it, but today¡¯s portion is already sold out. The bottles will be sold for 200 riffs tomorrow morning, you can pre-order them. What will you do?¡»(Bartender) The woman talks gently to Mira like cute mischief child rather than a hangover guest. Mira opens the item column and checks the stock of Apple auit then raises her face. ¡ºI will ask for 20¡»(Mira) ¡ºYes, twenty. Then pleasee to pick it up tomorrow¡»(Bartender) ¡ºUmu~!¡»(Mira) Mira returned to her room after she ordered a Sweet Berry au Lait to rece Apple au Lait. The woman wrote 20 Sweet Berry au Lait on the order form. The room she stays today is very mediocre but simply furnished. After returning, Mira goes straight to the shower, takes off her clothes, and bathes in hot water from her head. Mira, who is more uplifting than usual because of intoxication, had a sweet smile on her appearance in the mirror. Early in the morning, Mira wakes up to be hangover halfway through the broadcast of the train¡¯s operation information, which leaves about an hourter. When she gets up from the bed without wearing a single string, she clearly recognizes the reverberation of the dreamy sound with the consciousness of being intoxicated, as if she was floating in the heat. ¡ºOne hour ¡­¡»(Mira) Mira sowed, collected the loose clothes and picked up underwear from her bag. Mira dressed up and went down the stairs to the cafeteria. Then it became a battlefield. Most of the people in the cafeteria are passengers on the railroad, and like Mira, they are listening to the broadcast and rushing into the cafeteria. Mira received 20 Sweet Berry au Lait that had been ordered at the counter and handed over 4 thousand riffs with breakfast. Twenty minutes left until departure. After sewing out the waves of peopleing and going in front of the station, Mira goes to the station. (It¡¯s really crowded) (Mira) Riverfall Station is wider than the Silver Side and is divided into multiple blocks. There are souvenir shops near the entrance. While trying to get a small miracle, Mira looks for a store that sells Station Lunch. Then, at the store near the campus, she managed to purchase chestnut rice and green tea, then she rushed to the waiting line. Unlike the economy ss, which is still crowded with passengers, the first ss is much calmer. Mira was able to get on in the remaining five minutes, gave a ticket before being told by one of the staff in the car. ¡ºThank you for using us today. There are left and right vehicles. Do you have any preference?¡»(Staff) ¡ºThat¡¯s right, I will use the left¡»(Mira) ¡ºUnderstood. Then I will guide you to your room¡»(Staff) This is only her second time but Mira responds as if she is a regr. The staff looked at her with a smile. From the left vehicle, an unmanned ce is confirmed in the back of the wide rail. Unlike the first ss, it¡¯s made of stone as it is, and it is a simple but vast space, and it¡¯s not difficult to imagine that it will overflow with that many people in time. The rails on the front were thick like a log, and it seemed to represent the strength of the train on board. (If it¡¯s so big, the foundation will be suitable) (Mira) With a different waiting time than yesterday, Mira spent time until departure, following the station staff from time to time visiting unattended rooms. The train departs from Riverfall and arrives at the next station, Baloche City, in less than five hours. While the stop time was only one hour, but it was short to visit the premises, Mira mmed the books on the bookshelf. (Well, is it a special feature of the station town¡¯s inn? Isn¡¯t it fun to try out a good inn?) (Mira) While thinking so, Mira was on the way back to the sofa with the book in hand, then she heard the sound of hitting the door faintly. Mira opened the door and the attendant who led her to the room stood there. ¡ºExcuse me. We have arrived at Beloche City, will Dear Customer go to the next station?¡»(Staff) ¡ºYeah, that¡¯s the n ¡­ oh, I see¡»(Mira) As Mira answer, she recalls the purchase of a ticket. One ticket is equivalent to one station, and one more ticket is required to go to the next station. ¡ºI have the ticket but do I have to get out and stamp it?¡»(Mira) After taking the first-ss ticket from the waist pouch, Mira asked so. ¡ºNo, if you have it, you can leave it there.¡»(Staff) The attendant answered so gently. In response to this, Mira asks about the next station and gives out the ticket. ¡ºHave a nice trip¡»(Staff) As the attendant walks away, Mira spreads the book on the sofa and starts looking for an inn that fits the taste at the next station. Eventually, the train started to move, and two dayster, Mira arrived at thend of the Alice Farius Holy Land. (¥¢¥ê¥¹¥Õ¥¡¥ê¥¦¥¹: Arisu Fariusu) Chapter 66: The World is Compassion Chapter 66: The World is Compassion
This chapter is tranted by Mamoritai and is only a ceholder. It will be reced by Re:Library¡¯s version when the trantors and editors caught up to this chapter. We will update you on the progress on our weekly update.
Alice Farius Holy Land. It¡¯s a great country that worshiped the goddess of charity, one of the three gods that are believed in the Shmegofe (¥·¥å¥á¥´©`¥Õ¥§: Shumeg¨­fe) region. The station street in this country is younger than the capital city, but even as a newfound city, it was full of momentum because it was the gateway from the railway. Furthermore, there is only the only sacred country. Everywhere in shops, private houses, there are engraved signs that represent the goddess of charity, and you can see several churches just by walking around. Mira arrived at the station street Holy Gate the night before and spent the night at the hotel in front of the station. From one ce to another, the bell tower of the cathedral is missing, and there are no buildings, including the station, beyond the height of the bell tower. Mira looks at one of these churches and wonders if she will be able to learn Sacred Art (Holy attribute skill/magic) in a newly built one. Anyway, she will surelye to this country someday. There are so many ces in the Alice Farius Holy Land about Sacred Art. This time, Mira ns to ask about the substitution of the tower of Martial Arts. And then, when she moves to a less crowded ce, she summons her Pegasus. Pegasus emerged from the magic circle, rushed into Mira¡¯s chest immediately after looking around. Pegasus presses his face longer than usual. Recently he was summoned every day but then he was worried because Mira stopped suddenly for the past few days. However, Mira doesn¡¯t realize his feeling and ends up just stroking him like a spoiled child. Pegasus wasn¡¯t immediately noticeable because it was a less crowded ce and the pure whiteness of the city. However, in the Alice Farius Saint Kingdom, Pegasus is regarded as an angel of God, and people gradually begin to gather. It was shortly after that Pegasus with a girl took off from a path full of birds. Under Mira¡¯s eyes, a grasnd reflecting wind waves spreads out in full view. And in the far front, a muddy mountain range continues to the edge of the horizon. The destination of this time, the abandoned city of Tenjo, is in a basin beyond the mountain range. Pegasus traveling to the north on the station street Holy Gate with Mira on his back is visibly in good spirits. He doesn¡¯t chase the birds away while flying with Mira. At first, there are only a few of them, but now there are countless birds gathered flying around. And they cross the sky like an orchestra parade. ¡ºToday, there are a lot of apanying people. This is also going to be a fun trip¡»(Mira) Pegasus is happy when Mira says so casually. Then the birds began to form a formation for each species, widened their wings, fluttered high in the sky, flipped and glide. A rare joint air show was held on the spot, such as formation flight that could not be destroyed even if the formation was changed in small increments. ¡ºIt¡¯s amazing!¡»(Mira) Mira sends a kite to the birds that swim freely to y. Pegasus confirms that Mira is in a good mood and he shines his wings strongly. The overflowing light glitters like gold powder and spreads to the surroundings, the sound resembling the sound of a bell, melts into the sky, and soaks in the birds. It was the blessing light given by the spirit beast. It was given by Pegasus as a reward that pleased his Lord. ¡ºIt was a beautiful light. So you can do something like this?¡»(Mira) Mira, who has never seen a spiritual beast provide blessing, thought it was also a Pegasus-style y with birds. As a result of Pegasus felt even better with his master¡¯s word, he sprinkled the light of blessing even more. The blessing of birds became stronger, and Mira doesn¡¯t know that they will get well for generations. As Mira approached the mountain range and gradually deepened the forest, the number of monsters swirling over the sky increased, so Pegasus scattered the birds a while ago. Now Mira and Pegasus are just flying to jump over the stunning high mountains. It was a steep slope that would kill you if you fall and deviated from the regr route to the abandoned city. But Mira thought there would be no problem if she flew over on the Pegasus. (This is okay ¡­) (Mira) However, the precipice continues to be high, and the forest at the foot of the mountain looks blurry. The higher the altitude, the colder she can feel on her skin through the clothes. It is one of the three major mountain ranges of the Earth continent and it¡¯s even higherpared with how Mira saw it from afar. The top of the mountain was still invisible through the clouds and looked down on Mira as if to reject everything. From such a harsh situation, Mira finally leaned back to Pegasus with a slight headache. ¡ºPegasus, let¡¯s go back¡­ Would you please go down first?¡»(Mira) Mira tells Pegasus with her distorting expression and a hurting head. Then when Pegasus realized it, his eyes became sad and more painfully than Mira as he drove down to the forest. When Pegasus descended in a slightly open area of ??the oak forest and wrapped Mira on his wings, the ring rainbow veil overflowed from the wings. The light that covers a part of the gloomy forest in a sh is Pegasus¡¯s greatest healing power. The surrounding particles of light will heal the wounds by removing the darkness of the animals that live in them. However, there was no dramatic change in Mira¡¯s symptoms but she was slightly rxed. ¡ºI feel a little easier. Thank you¡»(Mira) Said Mira, touching Pegasus¡¯s neck. Mira has some symptoms but she thinks the symptoms will heal if she returns to the t ground and rests in a forest of stable environment. After that, when she calms down, she thinks about what to do after this. Abandoned heavens cannot be reached from the sky. What remains is a regr route through the dungeon from the ground. But when Mira started to make ns. ¡º(What¡¯s wrong, what happened!?) Nan~ja~nan~ja,-d¨­shi~tan~ja!?¡»(Mira) As Pegasus was panicking, he began to shake Mira¡¯s body violently with his face and mouth. Mira opened her eyes and looked around thinking of an emergency, but Mira¡¯s eyes only saw a dreamy forest somewhere with an aurora. When Mira fully wakes up, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, Pegasus has a sigh of relief and buries in Mira¡¯s chest. ¡ºFu~mu, you are still such a spoiled boy¡»(Mira) For a while, Mira rested on Pegasus again and slowly rxed on the spot until she recovered. (If I go through the dungeon, I might need a passport ¡­) (Mira) The road leading to the abandoned city is a dungeon called ¡°Stairway to the Sky¡±. If all the dungeons were managed by the union, it was necessary to have a passport issued. Then it will be necessary to return to the town where the union is located. The light from Pegasus calms down and the forest is back to its usual gloomy air. That¡¯s when Mira got back on track and was looking for a nearby city by expanding the map. From the gaps between the trees, there are the signs appear and disappear slowly but at a constant tempo. When Mira checked it using Bio-Sensing, she was able to confirm two reactions that were asrge as humans. (What are people doing in such a ce? Are they adventurers, maybe? Chimera usen or Isuzu Federation? Or they could be hunters) (Mira) Pegasus spread his wings walks in front of Mira. If you listened carefully, the footsteps were approaching straight to this ce with a clear outline are now. ¡ºThis is truely¡­¡»(ck-Armored Man) When the footsteps approached the distance Mira can see, one of the main footsteps rushes and jumps out of the forest, he speaks in awe in front of Pegasus who standing there. The man wore a ck-armored armor on his body and had a bloody red sheath sword on his waist. It¡¯s a figure that was just like a spear model. He may be one step before middle age but his face is rugged like a shaved rock. But he has rounded eyes in awe, his humanity might not bad. However, Pegasus, who has nothing to do with that, twists himself to protect Mira while scolding the man. ¡ºHey, don¡¯t start running suddenly. ¡­And did you see, he is on guard now?¡»(Intelligent-looking man) ¡ºMu~, my bad¡»(ck-Armored Man) Another man behind the swordsman man, wearing a weapon that emphasizes lightness. His leather armor is green like a crinkled tree, protects only the critical point, and the quiver is lowered on the waist. You can see some feather arrows, but there are dozens of arrows that are thick and long to shoot with a bow. At first nce, he looks like a hunter and has calm eyes that make him feel intelligent even with a ferocious face. ¡ºHe looks like about to attack. Did you do something?¡»(Intelligent-looking man) ¡ºNo, I¡¯m just impressed with this godly appearance¡»(ck-Armored Man) ¡ºI heard that Pegasus has a mild temper¡»(Intelligent-looking man) Two men exploring the situation by exchanging words in front of Pegasus, a threatened threat. Then, in their ears. ¡ºWho are you?¡»(Mira) Yes, a little hallucinating voice like ying a ss bell came out of nowhere. ¡ºThis voice is¡­ is it Pegasus-sama?¡»(ck-Armored Man) ¡ºNo¡­ behind him¡»(Intelligent-looking man) The Intelligent-looking man notices the girl standing behind as he salutes Pegasus to pay respect. The ck-Armored man, who was standing in front of Pegasus, was in apletely blind spot, but after he was told he noticed there was certainly a girl there. ¡ºSuch a¡­ Heavenly Maiden¡­¡»(ck-Armored Man) Even though in a gloomy forest where moths are piled up, the girl has a lustrous silver hair that seems to bounce, white skin that can even be touched, and its beautiful, pretty face. And above all, she stands beside the Pegasus like some now of the human world. ¡ºNo, I¡¯m Mira. I¡¯m an adventurer. And what about you two?¡»(Mira) While the young maiden touches the Pegasus to soothe him, the girl goes one step further and asks. It was a dreamy voice that strikes the eardrum clearly. ¡ºMy name is Heinrich. I¡¯m also an adventurer.¡»(Heinrich) ¡ºGilbert. I¡¯m¡­ like a schr?¡»(Gilbert) Three people finished self-introduction and started talking again. (He is obviously a samurai. Heinrich isn¡¯t a name that suit him¡­) (Mira) (T.N: Raw is Samurai) Pegasus rxed vignce with the two men¡¯s attitudes but was still worried about Mira as he spread his wings. Gilbert agrees with that figure. Originally, the reason why the mild Pegasus was so alerted was based on the intention of simply protecting his master, the girl named Mira. ¡ºI¡¯m sorry to make you surprised. While we were aiming for our destination, we just saw the light suddenly expanding in the forest and came to confirm the cause.¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert exins that he isn¡¯t hostile while raising his hands slightly. His word is certainly something that Mira remembers and she thinks that the light they saw was definitely the healing light scattered by Pegasus. ¡ºThat¡¯s how it is. Was that lighting from him?¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºYeah, that¡¯s right. Looks like he tried to cure me¡»(Mira) After answering Gilbert¡¯s question, Mira gently embraced her arm around Pegasus¡¯s neck. The Pegasus sprinkles and pampers, Heinrich shifts his gaze to the girl with a thin and long sigh. ¡ºAs expected of Pegasus-sama¡»(Heinrich) Heinrich is awe as if to be convinced. ¡ºTrying to cure? With how strong that light is, it must be really serious. Are you all right now? I have some medicine so I¡¯ll share it¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert suggests that the amount of light that was shining dazzlingly even from a distance may have been to cure a really serious injury with a mysterious expression. But of course, Mira was not injured. So, she felt a little awkward ¡ºOh, I¡¯m not injured. I just tried to get on the Pegasus and cross this mountain, but I felt sick on the way. I just got off and took a break. He just tried to take care of me.¡»(Mira) ¡ºFlying mountains? What a mess¡­ It¡¯s probably a kind of altitude sickness. This mountain is over 3,000 meters above sea level. It¡¯s reckless to fly over.¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºAltitude sickness¡­? Well, I forgot.¡»(Mira) The altitude of the mountain range that surrounds the abandoned celestial city is about 3,500 meters. If you ride Pegasus, you will go up to thin air with an overwhelmingly faster speed than normal climbing, so it was inevitable when you neglected measures. Mira has visited the abandoned city many times. This is because once she enters the area, she can ride directly on the floating ind. However, this experience became a trap and there was not enough recognition about the altitude. Now that it has be a reality, elements are intermingled, making the former general exception. ¡ºI don¡¯t understand well but if you want to cross the mountain, why not go through the tunnel that connects the sacred roads? If you are an adventurer, tolls and taxes will not be a big deal¡»(Heinrich) Heinrich¡¯s policy was to leave Gilbert with the difficult conversations, but it¡¯s clear to anyone that it¡¯s quicker or easier to cross a high and steep mountain from above or just tunnel through the ground. Therefore, Heinrich said the words that came to mind. The answer returned to that question was beyond the expectation of Heinrich but in the category of Gilbert¡¯s expectation. ¡ºMy destination is not the other side, but the abandoned city. If it was flying, it would be quick. Speaking of that, do you know where the union of the city issued the ¡°Stairway to the Sky¡± passport?¡»(Mira) Mira thought that an adventurer in the area would definitely be more familiar than her. ¡ºIf it¡¯s ¡°Stairway to the Sky¡±, the Rowin union is the closest to the southeast. But the required rank is B, but is it okay?¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºNan¡­ ja~ to~¡­ (What¡­)!?¡»(Mira) In thest word of Gilbert, Mira has a half-finished face. Mira¡¯s current rank is C, which is just taken for the dungeon pass, so no work has been done to raise the rank. Even with Solomon¡¯s power, the limit is C. Mira, who was cut off the way to go, hangs down like a flower. Just as it is difficult to move up from D to C rank, there is a corresponding challenge to go from C to B. It ¡¯s not an easy road. When Gilbert learns that Mira may becking in rank, he notices her arm. It¡¯s an operator¡¯s bracelet. ¡ºIs Mira-san rank C?¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºYeah, that¡¯s right¡»(Mira) When looking for something and Gilbert says so, Mira raises her gaze. Then Gilbert points to Heinrich. ¡ºI¡¯m also C rank, but Henry (nickname) is A rank. We are also nning to ¡°Stairway to the Sky¡±. He already has a passport. We can piggyback if you like¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert¡¯s proposal was a ship. Mira tried to jump in immediately, but after a short break, she raised doubts about the incredible truth. ¡ºI¡¯m thankful for the offer, but is it really good?¡»(Mira) ¡ºOh, as you can see, we are both warrior sses. No matter how many ranks A there is, I thought I was a little impatient to challenge the B rank dungeon. Apparently, Mira-san is an Art Master. Furthermore, you are C rank. It¡¯s much better than just going with two people.¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºFumu~ I see.¡»(Mira) The reason that Gilbert said is certainly straightforward. Unless Gilbert himself misleads the ranks. Nheless, for Mira, who has nothing to do so far, taking that idea is another option. ¡ºSpeaking of which, what kind of Art Master are you? If you¡¯re a magician or a saint, it¡¯s very helpful.¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert sends his gaze to Mira as he hopes. How many times will she see it? Mira answered the question as usual. ¡ºThe summoner!¡»(Mira) Dered. The sound of a longsting insect resounded from nowhere, and the voice of a ridiculous bird passed through the sky. ¡ºI see. Summoner, is it? So you made a lot of effort to reach C rank. Maybe the Pegasus is a summoning technique?¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert suddenly bes crisp, but he finds a possibility in the form of a spirit beast snuggling up with Mira. For Pegasus, it¡¯s because it has the power of A rank. And Mira¡¯s words answered that possibility. ¡ºYeah, that¡¯s right¡»(Mira) As Mira gently touches and slides the surface of the Pegasus, the Pegasus flutters the wings as if clearing the mist, embodying that joy. The appearance of a spiritual beast that is quite nostalgic was reminiscent of Mira being the only sorcerer. ¡ºI see, I wondered how it was, but it looks like there are no problem.¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºIt¡¯s amazing to summon Pegasus-sama¡»(Heinrich) When Gilbert turns his gaze to Pegasus again, he adds a safe color to his expression. Heinrich was grateful whenever he met with Pegasus. ¡ºAt least you can protect yourself¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºIt¡¯s unnecessary worry. I can protect all of us just fine¡»(Mira) ¡ºAs long as you are reliable¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert gave up and shrugged his shoulder lightly as he recalled the rumors that recently flowed, his face slowly changed into smiling with Mira¡¯s confident invincibility. ¡ºI¡¯ve got the story together. Let¡¯s go. From here, it¡¯s about 30 minutes to the ¡°Stairway to the Sky¡±¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert looks around and uses the map function to mark the appropriate point and calctes the time required to reach the destination dungeon. ¡ºFumu~, it¡¯s a subtle distance¡»(Mira) That said, Mira turns her hand to Pegasus to send him back. Immediately after that, Pegasus pushed back Mira¡¯s hand as if to refuse it. ¡ºMu¡­,nan~ja, d¨­shitan~ ja¡­ What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡»(Mira) Every time Mira tried to the Pegasus, he turns to the left or to the right to dodge. ¡ºUmu~. You are really a spoiled boy. However, there are three people now, we can¡¯t ride on your back¡»(Mira) Mira crawls at Pegasus¡¯s ears as she says so, but no matter how Mira says, Pegasus just shakes his head. Heinrich was watching the scene from the side and talked. ¡ºMaybe Pegasus-sama suspected the two of us? I can get the feeling of worrying about his Lord.¡»(Heinrich) Mira looks at the Pegasus¡¯ eyes and waits for his response. The Pegasus stared at Mira to affirm it. Its eyes are not like a child who is hungry for affection, but a sapphire that shines like a strong will. When Mira asked ¡°is that so?¡±, Pegasus nodded. ¡ºWell certainly. In such a forest, one loli (youngdy) and two unknown men. To be honest, it¡¯s a suspiciousposition from anyone. I understand his worries.¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert leans against a nearby tree with his arms crossed and says so. ¡ºHmm, was that reason? But don¡¯t worry about that trivial thing. Even both of them together still are still no match for me. You know?¡»(Mira) Mira speaks powerfully as she touches Pegasus¡¯ head with her hand. In other words, both Gilbert and Heinrich aren¡¯t a threat. That¡¯s what it means. Gilbertughs at how to persuade ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have to worry about it¡±, but Heinrich, who had the pride of a samurai only in his skill, wasn¡¯t silent. ¡ºI won¡¯t keep silent on that remark. Pegasus-sama certainly has the ability to do so, but you are overconfident in your skill. What can you do alone against the two of us?¡»(Heinrich) (Good grief, stop making the situation moreplicated now) (Gilbert) While thinking so, Gilbert looks up to heaven as Heinrich¡¯s bad habit came out. Samurai men hate being able to look down on their arms whether they are lying or joking. Heinrich, whose rocky face was even stronger, bowed once again when he met eyes with Pegasus despite such an attitude. ¡ºFumu~, surely your arm looks good. And if something goes wrong, what do you want to do to me?¡»(Mira) (T.N: Mira¡¯s phrase can be used for a perverted meaning as well) Immediately after he was convinced that Heinrich¡¯s abilities, which were confirmed lightly, were above average, Mira returned a joke. ¡ºAbout that, I¡­¡»(Heinrich) Heinrich began to exin by moving his hands suspiciously while peeking at Mira, who looks like a heaven girl at first nce but slowly turns to a little devil. ¡ºHarry. You arepletely frustrated¡»(Gilbert) Gilbert sighs, calls out to keep his friends from behaving shamefully. Although he is trying to hide his obvious grin. ¡ºWha¡­ What did you say?!¡»(Heinrich) Heinrich, who had been imagining how to manage Mira in his brain, is brought back to reality. And in the figure of Mira with a devilish smile, Heinrich showed a missing face that could only be described with dots and lines. (Staying with this guy seems to have a lot of fun!) (Mira) Gilbertughs at how much delusion Heinrich has developed from Mira¡¯s joke. Mira points to them and this time speaks to Pegasus in a low voice. ¡ºSee? They look like no bad guys. So please be assured¡»(Mira) Pegasus judged the two men safe but he was reluctantly being sent back by Mira. ¡ºWell, please rest assured I don¡¯t swing that way¡»(Gilbert) ¡ºMe too!¡»(Heinrich) Heinrich shouts as if biting Gilbert. ¡ºMira-dono, I only suggested the most likely general view¡»(Heinrich) ¡ºI know, I know. Samurai are strict and serious.¡»(Mira) Mira follows that and nces at Heinrich who started making excuses. ¡ºYes, that¡¯s right! I just hope you understand. Even if I¡¯m losing this sword, I guarantee the safety of Mira-dono.¡»(Heinrich) (T.N: In case you don¡¯t know, for Samurai, their katana is the life and soul) Heinrich raises his voice while putting his hands on the sheath. Thus, Mira had the means to enter the stairs to the sky, the road leading to the abandoned city. Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (1) Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (1) Having met a group of two who were also nning on going to the Abandoned City in the Sky, Mira decided to go with them. The way to arrive there was through a dungeon called the Staircase to the Sky, located around half an hour away from her current location. Mira checked her map to make sure it was there before she turned her eyes to the sky, aware of the ease of riding a Pegasus. The sky spread broadly, filled with a slight haze giving it a light blue appearance, the birds disappearing from her view almost inviting her to join them. ¡¸Well, now that everything is in order, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ Gilbert spoke first, Heinrich replying shortly to him. Mira lowered her gaze to observe the two of them, and after inspecting them for a while, she made a summoning. ¡¾Summoning Magic: Garuda¡¿ Arge magic circle sprouted between the two men, rising up like a column of light. It then fractured and the fragments danced in the air as if enveloped in a whirlwind before a warm breeze came from it, spreading through the surroundings below. Seeing that transformation and having felt a sudden change in pressure, Gilbert and Heinrich looked up to see what had happened. There they saw arge ominous looking bird, its feathers fluttering in the gentle breeze, glimmering like a rainbow or precious stones depending on the angle, which calmly looked down at them. ¡¸Is that¡­ a monster?!¡¹ ¡¸No, those feathers¡­¡¹ Heinrich reached to the sword on his hip as he fixed his pose, while Gilbert simply narrowed his gaze observing it more attentively. Mira was about to raise her voice to stop Heinrich who still seemed about to draw his sword, but before she could say anything, Gilbert put his hand on top of Heinrich¡¯s. ¡¸Henry1, don¡¯t bother with that. This was probably summoned by Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously?!¡¹ Gilbert turned to look at Mira seeking her agreement. Heinrich did the same after a long and deep breath, and Mira replied with a short ¡¸Exactly¡¹ as she lowered her gaze slightly. ¡¸So that was it. You summoned it so out of the blue, it scared me a little.¡¹ ¡¸From what I can see that¡¯s a Garuda, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¹ She had once again proceeded with the summoning without any prior warning and scared them, just like when she met with Blue and White. Though in contrast to their reaction that time, now she could not boast about her own ability, instead having to calm herself down. ¡¸I figured flying there would be a speedier option.¡¹ Saying so, Mira walked closer to the Garuda, as tall as the trees surrounding them and as big as a small house. Looking up at it, she raised her voice. ¡¸Have you been in good spirits? It¡¯s been a while.¡¹ There was no response from the Garuda to Mira¡¯s words, its shar eyes like a falcon¡¯s resting on her. The tense feeling in the air only increased as it stood still, silence filling the void left by the passing gust. (Might it¡­ have forgotten me, I wonder?!) A somewhat hasty thought filled her mind as she sought for words. ¡¸Well¡­ then¡­ Us three had desired to mount on you¡­ But ah, no need for concern if you are against it. We can not be too overbearing now¡­¡¹ A careful and formal tone took over Mira¡¯s voice as she stared at it. But barely a few secondster, it lowered its body resting on the ground, bringing its neck closer to Mira. Its eyes implying they could get on its neck. Mira realized its intentions and turned around after a deep breath. ¡¸Now then, shall we cross through the skies heading there?¡¹ The silent uneasiness had been lifted far beyond the clouds.2 Thirty years ought to have been a long enough time to forget, but the Garuda was far from erasing it from its memory, it just had a rather calm character. Most of the monsters Mira had summoned until then were on the stronger side, so she thought it would show some sort of reaction if it was summoned again, but it only looked like it had forgotten about it. But it was only that Mira had not noticed, that the Garuda, able to bend wind to its will, had surrounded itself in a spring breeze-like, manifesting that way the feelings of joy it felt for meeting again.3 ¡¸We are in your care then.¡¹ Saying so, Mira clung to the garuda¡¯s neck and climbed up, her hands ruffling through its feathers. ¡¸I would be greatly pleased if you could make haste there.¡¹ ¡¸This is my first time flying.¡¹ A smile seemed to crack through Heinrich¡¯s stone-like face as he walked closer to the Garuda in high spirits. At the same time, Gilbert was silently astonished at how useful summons could be. When Heinrich reached out to climb on it, the Garuda raised its head and stood upright. ¡¸Wh-wh-wh¡­ Mira-dono. What does this mean?¡¹ Heinrich¡¯s head snapped up at such an angle it looked painful. ¡¸I do not know. What happened, Garuda?¡¹ Mira was sitting on its shoulders, about to ask it to lean down again so the remaining two could climb up as well, but before she could say a word, it slightly leaned to one side, and in an instant it had moved its tree trunk-sized leg and skillfully taken hold of Gilbert and Heinrich with it. ¡¸Nooo! What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, so it only wants its master to ride it. It is said they are calm creatures but really prideful after all.¡¹ While Heinrich was freaking out, Gilbert calmly arrived at that informed conclusion. Not long after, the Garuda standing on one foot pped its wings, the surrounding trees rustling loudly as it took off as if leaping into the air. ¡¸What an incredible view.¡¹ Heinrich forgot his current state, his head turning around to take in the view filled with green spreading in front of him for the first time, the wind blowing against him feeling both wild andforting. The feathers in the Garuda¡¯s wings shining in rainbow colors as they pped through the air, looking like condensed light being released as halos behind them. ¡¸Listen now, Garuda. Our destination is the Staircase to the Sky. It is over there.¡¹ Riding a Garuda had a different feel than riding a Pegasus. Its feathers felt soft like the fluff on dandelions, but was sturdy enough that it would not fall off even when grasped tightly. Mira used those feathers as makeshift reins as she guided it to the right direction with one hand. That quickly made it turn and change its trajectory, heading towards the direction Mira had pointed to as it pped its wings more vigorously. ¡¸I feel like I¡¯m about to be its next meal.¡¹ Gilbert muttered, his eyes just staring unfocused at the passing forest below, the wind hitting him without mercy. Some minutester they arrived at a cave breaking open the rocky surface. They had arrived there in an awe-inducing timepared to just walking there, but as soon as Mira got off the Garuda and sent it on its way, she lowered her gaze as she apologized with a low ¡¸Pardon me¡­¡¹ ¡¸No need for that. It only messed my hair a bit.¡¹ That was Gilbert¡¯s reply as he tried to arrange his disheveled hair from the wind. Heinrich did not seem to mind it that much either, taking it as simply a rare experience, now focusing more on double checking his equipment before heading into the dungeon. There was a small clearing behind them, the forest beginning really closely, and in front of them was a tall mountain that stretched up like a sheer cliff rising high into the sky. The mountain¡¯s surface was unforgivingly rough if someone attempted to climb it, but to contrast it, a cave opened its entrance there as if weing them. The moaning sound from the wind echoing from inside the dark opening that continued on so far not even the light could reach its depths. That was the entrance to the Staircase to the Sky dungeon. ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Gilbert spoke while staring at the cave while Heinrich finished checking the equipment and stood back up. The three headed inside the cave, Heinrich leading the way as their vanguard. The air inside clung to their skin, cold and sticky. Their path drowned in darkness that theirnterns and magic could dispel only slightly. The cave was neither too wide nor too narrow, the surrounding walls giving a slight ashen color as their lights softly grazed them.
  1. Nomad: I have no idea what the past TL used to be, but it¡¯s Gilbert¡¯s nickname for Heinrich I assume (¥Ï¥¤¥ó¥ê¥Ò /¥Ï¥ê©` )
  2. Nomad: Not entirely sure about this sentence
  3. Nomad: holy fk how do I make this less convoluted
Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (2) Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (2) ¡¸Shall I rely on you moving forward?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. The dungeon only starts further inside after all, so me and Henry should be enough. You and I should try to economize on mana too though, that way we will be able to jump into action as soon as it¡¯s needed.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, just one of us is enough to handle things for now.¡¹ They continued down the cave for half an hour more. From time to time a monster attempted to attack them, but Heinrich¡¯s sword slew them in a single hit. Every time he swung his sword it left a shining after-image like a crescent moon, a cold wintry wind following after it. Heinrich had boasted his skills were top ss, and it was showing now. He had excellent hearing on top of that, so he reacted to the slightest noise and cut down whatever caused it, clearly showing he was a true warrior. Mira could only observe him in admiration. The three eventually arrived at the end of the cave without any problems. That ce was arge space, which made the darkness get heavier while the reach of their lights seemed to get shorter. It only reached a few paces in front of them anyway, but it was enough to outline clearly man made objectsid in front of them. And those objects were the fragments of a destroyed gate. The gate seemed to be embedded into the bedrock, with one half still standing and in a closed position, the other lying t on the ground. There were also those barrier crystals they were familiar with set in each corner of the gate. ¡¸Well then, are you all ready?¡¹ ¡¸Yes.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m always ready.¡¹ While the two replied, Heinrich pulled out their pass. While she gave her natural reply, Mira walked in front of the barrier and stood there. At the same time Gilbert gave a slight nod and Heinrich pressed the pass against a crystal. Soon after the barrier shook like a soap membrane hit by the wind. After seeing that, Mira crossed the barrier with Gilbert and Heinrich following behind. As soon as they had crossed the barrier, the air around them felt clearly different to that in the cave. The wind also felt different, as if it had started from a ce far far away from there before arriving. The Staircase to the Sky. That was the name given to the path hidden among the mountains that led to the Abandoned City in the Sky. It was a hazardous dungeon that spanned roughly ten floors of steep stairs. There were flickering blue mes lit around the entrance, casting light on the evenly spaced stairs carved out of the rock that continued further inside. That scene did not look heavenly or not even rted to the sky at all, but gave an eerie feeling like descending to hell. (Ah, it was this kind of ce now that I think about it¡­) This ce was always included in the normal route, but Mira let a deep sigh out, as if only the sight of the stairs had already exhausted her. ¡¸Well then, the true deal starts here. From what I heard it¡¯s a pretty long path, so if you get tired just say so. I¡¯ll do the same. Supposedly the stairs are safe from monsters, but on the next floor they spawn in hordes, so tiring ourselves on the stairs would be our doom by the time we arrive at the next floor.¡¹ ¡¸Hum, I shall keep that in mind.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Heinrich had a lot of stamina, just like his appearance suggested. Even after all the monsters he fought in the cave, his breath was still perfectlyposed. And even faced with the stairs, he was not moved in the slightest. On the other hand, Gilbert was grimacing seeing it was worse than he had imagined, while Mira feltpletely defeated. One hour after their climb began, the slow and heavy metallic thuds repeated time after time as they reverberated through the stairs. ¡¸Phew¡­ We¡¯ve climbed a lot already. We should be arriving at the first floor any time now. It would be good if we took a break here.¡¹ ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Gilbert gave the signal to rest and quickly sat on the ground. Heinrich also untied his sword from his waist and slowly sat down. The soft breeze was cold, but it felt like a blessing for Gilbert and Heinrich who were bathed in sweat. And then, Mira said the following: ¡¸Hum, this is taking so long. What a troublesome ce.¡¹ As she calmly dered that, she jumped down from the shoulder of the Dark Knight standing by. Mira had magnificently avoided having the physical stress climbing with her feet meant. If she rode on one of her summoned units, then she could just ride it up the stairs. Thinking that, she summoned a Dark Knight since they seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of stamina, and rode on its shoulder. Once she ordered it to begin walking, she had seeded in creating a stair-climbing machine that could go on forever. She had much less stamina than her twopanions, but now she was able to keep up with their pace. When Mira asked if they wanted to ride as well, they turned to see her sitting on the shoulder of the Dark Knight and instantly shook their heads. While they knew a Dark Knight had a well built body, only Mira could ride on its shoulder as a girl with a petite body. They were adult men though, so apart from being carried, lifted or riding piggyback, there was not much more they could do. It might have been more efficient, yes, but they still wanted to keep a certain image. ¡¸By the way, what interest do you hold in the Abandoned City in the Sky?¡¹ Mira asked them while they rested, eating some of their rations and drinking water. Hearing her, Gilbert flushed away some of the bacon in his mouth with water and replied. ¡¸I think I told you before, but I¡¯m a schr.¡¹ And with that, he began exining his goal. ¡¸My speciality is botanics. So I wanted to study therge woods adjacent to the Abandoned City. And Henry is mypanion for that, helping with many things.¡¹ ¡¸Hum, I understand now.¡¹ Just as Gilbert said, there was a vast forest surrounding the Abandoned City in the Sky which seemed to eat away at the mountains around. And since its ecosystem was isted from the rest of the world, the nts and animals there had evolved independently giving the forest a wondrous appearance. ¡¸Though if I had to be more precise, I want to investigate a weird phenomenon in that forest. And here¡¯s where I want to ask something, do you fly on a pegasus on a daily basis? If you do, then was there ever a time when you saw a hole in the forest that looked like it was scooped out with a huge spoon?¡¹ As he spoke, Gilbert put his hands together as a sort of shovel or spoon. If there really was a hole like that in the forest, it would have been easy to spot from the sky. If anything, since she had been searching for the Aerial Castle, she saw nothing but clouds everywhere. ¡¸Well, I guess daily is a good enough assessment¡­ but an unnatural clearing¡­ I don¡¯t recall spotting anything resembling that. Is that rted to the weird phenomenon you mentioned?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, exactly. For now we call that phenomenon ¡ºEarth Eater¡». Though it¡¯s a shame you never saw it, but let me exin.¡¹ At first Gilbert looked exhausted and taken aback, but an instantter a sharp grin like that of a beast that just found new prey spread on his lips and he began talking with enthusiasm. Seeing that, Heinrich just muttered ¡°My condolences¡± from besides him as he began his routine check of his equipment. ¡¸It all started around twenty years ago. One of therge forest in northern Grimdart vanished overnight. The only thing left was a crater like the one I described earlier. The dimensions¡­ well, the radius was roughly five hundred meters in every direction. And that region also happened to be a good ce to grow high quality Honey Apples and other fruits.¡¹ ¡¸At the time that caused a huge uproar. Some said the spirits were going insane, or that the gods were ying pranks on them, some even said there was an invasion from a different world.¡¹ ¡¸But well, as it turns out, that wasn¡¯t the only ce affected by that phenomenon. It has almost be a frequent urrence all throughout the continent. In the mountain woods of Ostein, the Sweet Berry prairies that spread in southern Arisphalius, the forest for praying children in the south of the continent, and many more forests and prairies disappeared overnight everywhere.¡¹ ¡¸And now I want to uncover the mystery of that phenomenon.¡¹ ¡¸Earth Eater, huh. What a mysterious phenomenon.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, doesn¡¯t it get you excited? And just a few days ago I heard that in the forest near the Abandoned City the same thing just happened. And since I happened to be this close already, I just had no choice but toe here today.¡¹ Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (3) Chapter 67: Staircase to the Sky (3) Gilbert had always been easily excited when it came to his research. He sprang to his feet and took out his research notes from his chest pocket, it¡¯s pages were filled with random lines all around the pages without any cohesive order. It was one of those notebooks only the author knew how to decipher. As he spoke about his goals, thoughts and theories, he shoved that notebook on Mira¡¯s face. Mira did not know that prodding a bit at him would stir him up so much, but Gilbert¡¯s words clung to her like a snake without letting her go and making her listen to his lecture. ¡¸And then, after all my research I arrived at a certain conclusion. Everything had started one year before the incident in northern Grimdart. Are you aware of what had happened around that time?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡¹ ¡¸Then I¡¯ll tell you about it!¡¹ ¡¸Oh, you don¡¯t have to bother yourself.¡¹ ¡¸The source of everything was the floating ind in the southern part of the Earth continent-¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t handle this anymore!¡¹ That fastidious lesson was already taking close to the same time they had spent climbing up the stairs and Mira was unable to take it anymore. She climbed back up on the Dark Knight and attempted to escape. ¡¸But I didn¡¯t even get to the main point.¡¹ Gilbert crossed his arms slightly displeased. Heinrich noticed the lesson was over, so he put his maintenance tools away and raised his voice. ¡¸So you¡¯re done now? Let¡¯s continue climbing then.¡¹ And he stood up as if nothing had ever happened. ¡¸It¡¯s the same with you and her, why does no one seem to get interested in this stuff?¡¹ ¡¸I think it¡¯s just a bit too annoying, and too long. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re really meant to be a teacher.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm.¡¹ The two exchanged words in their usual attitude, then ran after Mira to catch up with her. Not too far away they caught up with Mira, then began ascending together. Gilbert tried to continue his earlier exposition, but Mira only gave vague replies without really paying attention to him for the next ten minutes or so. Then, they arrived at the next floor, arge space that spread as far as they could see. The first floor was arge slope, dotted with piles of rocks that served as fortresses. Red lights like that of bonfires flickered throughout the ce, but they were not enough to light up everywhere, and dark presences seemed to lurk in the corners. Just as they had expected, there were countless numbers of monsters there. Mira used her Biological Sensing to see how many there were, and she counted at least thirty. But they had no way to avoid them if they wanted to reach the stairs leading to the second floor. ¡¸Now then, shall we get rid of them?¡¹ After jumping down the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder, Mira said that. ¡¸Yeah. We managed to arrive quickly thanks to your respectable Garuda, but we still have a long time to go. Gil¡¯s lecture also ate our time away, so we should try to move faster.¡¹ Heinrich replied as he unsheathed his sword. But he stopped moving after that, only turning his head to give Gilbert a signal with his eyes. ¡¸I guess I gotta do that. But whatever, let¡¯s just do it like always. Mira-san, just stand back and watch for now.¡¹ Saying so, Gilbert took out one arrow from the quiver on his waist. Yet he did not have a bow to shoot that arrow with, nor did he take one out from his Operator¡¯s Bracelet. The arrow Gilbert was holding was a thick one, which he held in his right hand while his right foot slid half a step back, then brought the arrow to the side of his face and held it behind his ear. He had a perfect throwing pose after that. Mira watched his actions in expectancy. His body seemed to swell up for an instant, bing aunching pad for the arrow and sending it far away, past the flickering bubbles of red light, finally causing hitting something and causing a ssh like that of a fountain. Soon after a second and third arrow were thrown, Gilbert¡¯s arm turning into a ballista. Each of them whistled through the air like falcons closing in on their prey, their heads piercing through the monsters. All of the arrows hit their marks, piercing through the heads or necks of monsters, severing them of their lives in an instant as if out ofpassion. Some bear-like monsters roared in hatred seeing their kin being in like that, but a momentter their own heads were pierced and their voices silenced in an instant. ¡¸What a magnificent sight.¡¹ The arrows in Gilbert¡¯s quiver were throwing weapons known as hand arrows. They were fired using one¡¯s bare hands, so there was no need to have a bow. They were a really simple weapon. While Mira was taken aback seeing Gilbert y one monster after another, Heinrich was firing up his fighting spirit. ¡¸They seem to have noticed us. Henry, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Just leave the rest to me!¡¹ After the arrows had imed the souls of more than ten of theirrades, the monsters finally noticed where that destruction came from and they charged all at once towards the three as their roars filled the space. The bits and pieces of their killing intent that crossed through the long distance painted the atmosphere in a crimson hue as the distance between them turned into a battlefield. Heinrich then sprang forward to face them. With a diagonal sh, he cut from the shoulder down to its sides the nimble monster that resembled a tiger who was running ahead of all the others. It only took Heinrich an instant to pick up his pace again. He then turned the de in his hands, shing through the next monster in the reverse direction as earlier, then he held his sword to his side and channeled his fighting spirit. Once he had channeled it to his maximum, the glint from his swings turned into sharp des which flew through the air and fell upon the monsters. As they allbined, they became like a small typhoon, the monsters caught in that storm being lifted into the air and being cut into small pieces that it was impossible to tell what their original body was. ¡¸Hoh, quite simple skills, but I have to admit they are well mastered.¡¹ Having seen Heinrich¡¯s sword skills, she muttered in slight awe. Just like there were certain skills only mages were able to use, there were simrly exclusive skills for the warrior sses. But since they only fought with weapons, all they had involved their fighting spirit and it¡¯s application. For them, fighting spirit was analogous to what mana is for a mage. It would start rising when a fight was about to start, and only increase the longer the fight was carried on for. It was the only power warriors could actually use. Applying that fighting spirit meant channeling that driving force into more physical effects once it had risen enough. And the application Heinrich had used was a reallymon one and was considered one of the basics, but it was obvious he had put special care in mastering it. If he applied the fighting spirit he had built up to a simple thrust, it would extend the hit and give it such a piercing strength it would be able to cut through the bedrock. It was also possible to change the fighting spirit into mes, which manifested along the de, or also use it to strengthen one¡¯s own body for some time. There were a multitude of applications like that, and it was even possible toyer them andbine them together, which led to many warriors to focus on their own style of fighting. And application¡¯s effects would also increase the more they used it, and Heinrich had just demonstrated how strong a single attack could eventually be. ¡¸I also have to strive to do better then!¡¹ Mira got motivated to do something herself and she almost ran off too, but she stopped just an instantter. And it was not that there was something like flowers she did not want to trample on in front of her or anything like that, but she had just been thinking about all the past events. (Phew, that was close. I was just about to make Meilin even more famous.) If she used her sage skills, those two would start talking about how incredible sages were. And after enough past experiences, Mira had learned her lesson so she stopped her feet just at the right time. Then, she gave the Dark Knight who had been standing by silently its first order in a long while. ¡¸ughter them all!¡¹ As if replying to that cold voice, the darkness enveloping the Dark Knight thickened, it¡¯s red eyes like flickering embers turned a deep crimson, and a momentter, it leaped forward like a cannonball. The only thing that could be heard afterwards was the slight quivering of throats that expired before a scream could be formed. The Dark Knight was not fighting the monsters with a de, but it was crushing them with its own body. After dominating the scene with such a massacre, the Dark Knight¡¯s presence seemed somewhat unfit for that kind of battlefield. ¡¸It might not look that way, but you¡¯re pretty nasty, you know.¡¹ Gilbert muttered with a bitter smile after witnessing that scene. ¡¸Just what is¡­¡¹ Heinrich had ran forward trying to show off, but he also stood still in shock seeing the Dark Knight in action. ¡¸I can¡¯t permit myself to fall behind!¡¹ A couple minutes passed since the battle began. The one man and one entity quickly overpowered everything else in the battlefield and the fight was over. Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (1) Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (1) ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s it for the first floor. I heard the monsters only get stronger the higher we go, so we shouldn¡¯t let our guard down though.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. No matter what tries toe at us, I¡¯ll cut them down.¡¹ Gilbert spoke first as he collected the arrows he had thrown, Heinrich replying to him with a matter of fact tone. The Staircase to the Sky was a dungeon split into ten floors, the strength of the monsters increasing with every floor. The first floor had D-rank or barely C-rank monsters, but when they got their pass for the dungeon they had to possess the skills to deal with the B-rank monsters that spawned in the highest floors. ¡¸Though well, Mira-san has better skills than her appearance suggests. We can probably go through this dungeon fairly easily. Summoners are really amazing after all.¡¹ Gilbert voiced his honest opinion as he stuffed the bloodied arrows into his quiver. And while he did not say anything more, Mira stoodpletely still as if hit by thunder, then after rapidly blinking for some seconds, she literally flew towards Gilbert. ¡¸What did you just say right now?! Could you, could you say it one more time!¡¹ ¡¸Wha¡­ what¡¯s this all of a sudden? That you were stronger than I thought?¡¹ The girl one head shorter than Gilbert stared at him with twinkling eyes, like a girl whoid eyes on a ferris wheel for the first time in her life. Gilbert moved aside trying to evade her as he repeated what he had said a moment before. But those were not the words she was seeking for. She raised her fists as if protesting and nagged at him once more. ¡¸Not that, thest thing! What did you say?!¡¹ ¡¸Thest? Hmm, that summoners are amazing, that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that!¡¹ As he finally hit the bullseye, a smile that reminded one of arge flower bloomed in Mira¡¯s lips as she kept repeating ¡¸Exactly, exactly.¡¹ It was the moment her beloved summonings had been recognized. ¡¸I have no idea what just happened, but let¡¯s just keep moving forward. We might have gained some time thanks to you letting us fly here, but we might end up losing time if we loiter around too much here.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert turned around and began climbing the hill. They both were aware the main culprit of that was Gilbert and his lecture, but neither said a thing as they moved forward. Further deep inside the floor, the stairs carved into the rock walls came into view, leading up high into the next floor. It was the beginning of another long and arduous climb for them. And all of them sighed at the same time. Mira sent the Dark Knight bathed in blood back, then summoned a brand new one and climbed to its shoulder. The two men and the one entity put their feet on the first step of that staircase that seemed to continue so far it faded out of view. Apart from Mira¡¯s unexpected strength, Gilbert and Heinrich were also able to stand on their own as they passed through the second and third floors without hitches. Arge wall of monsters was waiting for them in the fourth floor, but even there Gilbert¡¯s raised armunched arrows that pierced through it, Heinrich crossing through that opening and ughtering what he could, while Mira¡¯s Dark Knight crushed the throats of the monsters howling in madness. At their current pace, climbing the stairs took them way longer than going through the floors themselves. ¡¸With this we¡¯ve conquered the fourth floor as well. I guess we¡¯re pretty much back on schedule now. Let¡¯s go up to the fifth floor and pass the night there like we nned.¡¹ Gilbert checked the time and said that as he butchered arge monster together with Heinrich. The Staircase to the Sky was only illuminated by that faint and flickering blue light, so it was easy to lose track of the time inside there. Therge monster was barely in Mira¡¯s view as she opened her menu and checked the time herself. It was 8pm. ¡¸This meat over here looks pretty good.¡¹ ¡¸The shoulder huh. It does have a nice color.¡¹ They had in many monsters on their way there, but they had left them there without really checking their bodies. Those had not looked good to eat, and they wanted to move on as quickly as possible. However, thatrge monster was different. It looked more or less like a cow, or in more fantasy oriented terms, it was like a minotaur. It¡¯s flesh was known to be edible and many adventurers liked it. After the fight was over, Gilbert walked over to it as he said ¡¸Guess I found tonight¡¯s dinner.¡¹ Mira¡¯s mind was only flooded with thoughts of how resilient the people in that world were. ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s do it.¡¹ Gilbert wrapped the meat from the monster in arge cloth, then stored it in the Item Box of his Operator¡¯s Bracelet. After they had finished butchering the monster, only its bones remained, lying on the ground. It was almost like they hadmitted a perfect crime. And the three culprits walked away without turning once, their well humouredughter resounding through the space as they headed towards the fifth floor. They arrived there half an hour after they left the fourth floor. That one was arranged in a more narrow space, as opposed to the past floors. A stone obelisk was erected in the middle of it, a ming red fire burning on its peak. The ground around it was lit in an orange hue, without any monster spawn points in view around it, which made it look like a good spot for travelers to stop around. If one listened a bit more closely, only the low murmur of a stream of water could be heard. The fifth floor of the Staircase to the Sky was set up as a resting spot. ¡¸Alright, we arrived at the fifth floor without problems. Let¡¯s sleep here for tonight.¡¹ Gilbert sat besides the obelisk, took a full-blown camping set from his Item Box and prepared the tools used to cook. ¡¸That was quite the workout. This is the first time in my life I¡¯ve climbed so many stairs in a single day.¡¹ Even Heinrich who boasted of his high amount of stamina looked tired as he unfastened his sword and plopped heavily on the ground, then lying on his back and stretching his arms out. ¡¸What now? So pathetic. My rear would be crying in pain if I did that.¡¹ The corner of her lips lifted into a sneer, Mira jumped down from the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder and stood besides Heinrich. Heinrich raised his voice saying that happening was obvious, but as soon as he finished his lips were sealed again. As soon as he had looked up, he saw something being released from gravity¡¯s grip, spreading out and showing the sacred domain that spread under it, a speck of pure immacte white that appeared like a sh. With such a view that no mortal words could ever attempt to describe in front of his eyes, any words he tried to form oscited between calmness and lust, freezing his tongue for just a moment. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ After sending the Dark Knight off, Mira tilted her head seeing Heinrich unable to stay calm as he lifted his upper body and sat again. He replied saying it was nothing as his eyes danced around as if chasing an imaginary bug, then he stood up again and ran away saying he was going to help Gilbert. Still¡­ he waspletely useless as far as cooking went, so he was tasked with bringing water, which was also not needed after he went a few times, so a few minutester he had nothing to do so he just sat down again. ¡¸Your attitude has been quirky since a while ago. Is there something angering you? If you don¡¯t tell us what is bothering you we will never know.¡¹ Mira walked towards Heinrich as she said that, sitting in front of him with her legs crossed. From there, she gazed, or rather peeked straight into his eyes. Feeling like her eyes were piercing through her, his guilt started piling up until he bowed forward and confessed. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry,dy Mira. When you jumped down from the Dark Knight earlier¡­ I well¡­ you could say, I saw your underwear. I¡¯m truly sorry!¡¹ He was literally bowing down to the ground. And since he was wearing his helmet, it gave off an even stronger feeling of respect. Mira took a second to take in what he had said, then she turned her eyes towards her own lower body and the short dress that reached above her knees, basically a mini-skirt. And then she finally understood as sheughed. ¡¸So that was the reason. You have no reason to worry. You should feel bad for having seen it, it¡¯s really not that big of a deal.¡¹ As she said that, she hit her lower body with the palms of her hands. Seeing her act like that, Heinrich calmed down a little. ¡¸You¡¯re mistaken in that. The underwear of ady is something forbidden. As for me, I think a dress that short is nothing short of outrageous. But I¡¯m not in a ce to tell you that, so the most I can tell you is to take good care of yourself!¡¹ Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (2) Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (2) ¡¸Ah¡­ I see¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ Like before, Mira felt nothing in particr for having her underwear seen. In the first ce, there was nothing femenine about her behavior at all, so that only made her indifference increase all the more. So even though Heinrich was so serious about it, Mira did not think it was such an important thing. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Miss Mira. Henry can sometimes be really stubborn.¡¹ Gilbert walked closer to them together with those words. Hisplexion looked clearly refreshed, apparently enjoying Heinrich¡¯s awkward behaviour around women. ¡¸How do I say it better then¡­ If there¡¯s someone as beautiful as you, then there will be just as many people with lowly desires. And if that causes a problem, it¡¯ll already be toote to take action.¡¹ ¡¸But I¡¯m sure you saw it as well, how Miss Mira¡¯s strength is top notch. And she¡¯s an adventurer on top of that, she should be entirely capable of protecting herself.¡¹ ¡¸Hnng¡­ You have a point.¡¹ Starting from the first floor on, Mira had demonstrated she was strong enough as a summoner. Just the Dark Knight alone had enough of a presence to shock Heinrich, so it was hard to imagine someone would be able to escape unscathed if they tried to cause Mira some sort of trouble. ¡¸In either case, it¡¯s dinner time. The meat should be nicely roasted by now.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert pointed to the obelisk and the small makeshift kitchen he had set up, with a stove made of a pipe with fire in the center and lumps of meat with metal skewers through them grilling on it, drops of fat falling to the fire below and rising as flickering specks of crimson light. Just seeing that made it obvious they were ready to be eaten. ¡¸Hoh, this looks actually good to eat.¡¹ Under the orange light, the pieces of meat took a clearly grilled color. Mira could almost smell that color and she quickly stood up with a grin on her face. Since the hem of her skirt was getting closer to his view, Heinrich also hurried to stand up and sighed as his already strict face turned more stiff. The meat of thatrge monster was different than its origin would suggest, and while it was somewhat tough, it had a pretty striking vor and went well together with the vegetable soup Gilbert made. They ate while chatting merrily, and once they were done eating Gilbert¡¯s cooking, they had some of Mira¡¯s Apple au Lait for dessert. Most of their conversation was about Gilbert and Heinrich¡¯s past adventures, but at some point they also began talking about Mira¡¯s summoning skills. ¡¸But still, it¡¯s somewhat weird. The way our society works, I would¡¯ve heard at least something about a summoner with skills like yours, Mira. But I don¡¯t remember hearing anything apart from that story about Danbulf having a pupil.¡¹ As Gilbert said that, his eyes turned to Mira as if prying for an answer. Most of it was out of curiosity though, but the remaining reason was to test if his deduction as a schr had been right. ¡¸Wasn¡¯t Danbulf one of the Nine Wisemen though? I¡¯m sure whoever was iming that was just another impostor.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the thing, there are rumors about that rumor, saying that this one is real. And they also say that his pupil is a really cute young girl.¡¹ There had been countless mages in the past who imed to be pupils of one of the Nine Wisemen. But none of them had the skills to back their ims, and all of them disappeared as if they were a bubble that was popped. Heinrich also knew of that, so he had dismissed thosetest rumors as just another fake, but Gilbert had gone a bit deeper and heard sides who imed it was actually true. The rumors also stated that many well known personages supported the story, including people from the well known guild ¨¦cate Carillon, king Solomon of Arkite, and the attendants of the wisemen Creos and Amarette. ¡¸So it was true huh¡­ But still, what does that have¡­¡¹ Before he could finish his sentence, Heinrich also realized what Gilbert was thinking and trained his eyes on Mira. ¡¸Stories like that truly spread too fast. But indeed, that is me.¡¹ Mira puffed her chest slightly as she replied with a hint of pride. Heinrich opened his eyes wide in surprise, instinctively examining her body from top to bottom, but as soon as his eyes reached her thigh peeking from under her skirt he deviated his gaze. On the other hand, Gilbert did not show much of a reaction knowing that his deduction had been correct, though a smile did sprout on his lips seeing Heinrich¡¯s flustered actions. ¡¸Now I¡¯m just curious what the person everyone has been talking about is doing here, but I don¡¯t want to pry too much so I¡¯ll leave it at that. In either case, you being here made our path much easier, so I should try to be careful to not bother you.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert began cleaning the wooden utensils they had used to eat. ¡¸I don¡¯t know about being a pupil or not, but at least that Knight you summoned was much stronger than any of the fakes that showed up before.¡¹ With his eyes glued to Mira¡¯s upper body, Heinrich spoke while recalling the Dark Knight she sent to fight earlier. Apparently all the people who had imed to be pupils before had only average skills as far as being a mage went. But after fighting together with her, Heinrich felt like there was a whole new world to summoners he had never heard about. That had probably been the reason why Gilbert had also guessed she might be the pupil everyone was talking about. While he was still talking, Mira felt an uncontainable urge filling her lower body as she twisted her legs. ¡¸I suppose it was expected, but there really is no restroom around here. There is no choice but a corner around here after all¡­¡¹ She turned her head looking around for a good ce. And while Heinrich obviously remainedpletely silent, Gilbert pointed to a certain corner of the floor. ¡¸There¡¯s a stream of water running around there, so that ce should be good.¡¹ After saying that, he turned around and looked away from the direction he had pointed towards. ¡¸I see. I¡¯ll be on my way then¡­ Do not dare to peek though.¡¹ ¡¸Th-there¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that!¡¹ Heinrich immediately replied while raising his voice a tad bit too much, before he strained his face, covered his eyes and turned to face the same direction as Gilbert. (He¡¯s really easy to tease, huh.) His overly innocent reaction wasical for others, as Mira and Gilbertughed softly. After Mira finished her business in the river, the two males went for simr reasons, after which Gilbert went to a ce upstream to wash the cooking utensils. Heinrich returned to Mira¡¯s ce first, and after ncing at her lying with her legs sprawled out, he began preparing his own bed. Though that only meant pushing away some of the small rocks on a patch of the ground. When Gilbert returned from washing dishes, the two began discussing something. ¡¸I took the first turnst night. Is it okay to just skip over hers though?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll handle things like we nned at first, so we¡¯ll take turns just the two of us. After all, you¡¯d be unable to sleep if she was awake, right?¡¹ Gilbert replied as he took out a can with grounded coffee beans and a cup, while waiting for water to boil. ¡¸That¡¯s true. In that case, we¡¯ll do like you said.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm? What are you bbering about there?¡¹ As Heinrich nodded violently, Mira asked what was going on after she heard her name mentioned in their conversation. ¡¸We¡¯re talking about our turns taking the night watch. It¡¯s nothing you should be concerned about.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, we¡¯ll be the ones keeping watch.¡¹ Night watch basically meant one person staying awake keeping watch for any dangers while the others slept. (I see, I guess something like that does appear necessary.) Mira decided to keep that one more piece of advice about her current reality in mind, considering she expected to camp out at night many more times in the future. Though she did not know who would be keeping watch if she was alone. As that newfound problem rose in her mind, Mira arrived at one conclusion. ¡¸Shall we let see if he can take up a turn as well then?¡¹ As she spoke that, a magic circle began floating besides her, an armor reflecting the orange lighting materializing from it. It was a Holy Knight. Standing besides her, the Holy Knight without a will of its own raised its huge shield that stood like a tower in front of it, as if that was all it existed for. Contrary to summoned creatures like a pegasus, a trait of summoned armed spirits like the Holy Knight was that there was a time limit for how long they could remain active. The mana used to summon one, was then transferred as the mana pool the armed spirit could use, which also decreased every time it was harmed or resurrected, and when it eventually reached zero, the spirit would vanish. There were other reasons why a spirit could vanish, namely the summoner sending it back, or it running out of its staying time. Its staying time was something that could be regted at will though, ¡¸I extended his staying time, so he should remain with us until tomorrow morning.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. He gives off a pretty different aura than the ck one from before, but I¡¯m assuming this knight is fairly strong as well?¡¹ Since the Holy Knight¡¯s main purpose was to defend, the way Heinrich saw it, it looked somewhatcking in strength. As far as Gilbert went, his gaze was focused on its shield, a while after which he nodded satisfied. He had heard about them before, and that therge shield a summoned Holy Knight wielded concealed its true strength. ¡¸Well, wanna try squaring off with it then?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, go ahead. That sounds entertaining.¡¹ Hearing Gilbert¡¯s suggestions, Heinrich¡¯s face lit up with fighting spirit as he walked to a ce separated from the center of the floor in a good mood, unsheathing his sword there. ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t turn down a match! This is a duel now!¡¹ The two parties got ready to face each other and waited for Gilbert to give the signal to start. Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (3) Chapter 68: Lesser Demon (3) Heinrich¡¯s swings against the Holy Knight only increased, but itsplete defense blocked all of them. In the end, no matter what he tried, his attacks were never able to reach it. ¡¸Should¡¯ve expected as much¡­ from the pupil of a wiseman.¡¹ Having his sword skills renderedpletely useless, Heinrich sat down dispirited. None of his attacks, from beginning to end, had yielded any sort of result against the Holy Knight. However, from Mira¡¯s point of view, things were a bit different. The Holy Knight specialized in defense, but that was not the only thing it was capable of. It had counterattack measures, but Heinrich¡¯s attacks were so frequent he gave it no room to focus on anything apart from defending. ¡¸Do not feel too bad about it. You did a splendid job cornering my Holy Knight into such a defensive fight.¡¹ Heinrich¡¯s shoulders sank like a deted balloon as Mira ced her hand on them, almost like a parent consoling a child, and she spoke to him. Even though her hand was just touching the rough armor covering his shoulder, her warmth still prated through it, and once he felt it, his stone-like face turned red as if it was melting from the heat. ¡¸Is¡­ Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, that was a magnificent disy of swordsmanship.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see I see!¡¹ He raised his voice as life returned to his eyes, looking up and lifting his arms to the sky in high spirits. Seeing his friend act not as annoyed as one would expect after beingplimented by a girl like Mira, a wry smile floated on Gilbert¡¯s lips. ¡¸In either case, it was able to fend off my attacks so well, so it should be able to keep watch without problems as well.¡¹ Heinrich spoke with a triumphant air as he looked up at the Holy Knight. His earlier dejection had vanished without a trace, a burly smile showing on his face now. ¡¸Well, that much is true. Now that that matter is settled, we should sleep soon. We have to arrive at the Abandoned City before the sun sets tomorrow.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert took off his leather armor and quiver, then took a sleeping bag out which he spread on the ground. Heinrich did the same beside him, taking his armor off and cing it on the ground together with his sword, then brushing some small stones away on the ground to ce his sleeping bag. As Mira watched them do that, she was reminded of what happened in Silverside station. She had gotten a brand new sleeping bag from someone who gave airs of being a merchant there. (Seems that wille in handy faster than I thought.) As it was arge and bulky one, she went a few paces away to take it out. When therge sleeping bag fell on the ground, a gust of wind was raised by it which reached the backs of the other two. The fifth floor was a turning point in the stairs, with the entrance and exit side by side. That made the cold air that stung like thornsing from the upper floors flow directly to the lower levels, leaving the center of the floor untouched. So when Gilbert and Heinrich felt wind on them after getting used to the warm environment, they obviously turned their heads to the direction they felt the winding from. When they saw that out-of-ce object there, their gazes shifted to its owner, Mira. ¡¸Mira, what is that thing?¡¹ Moving a step or two closer, Heinrich leaned over it and asked with a deeply curious stare. The sleeping bagying there magnificently was at least asrge as a mattress, and the top was covered with a blue cloth. Even Mira was like them, taking a second to understand what she was looking at. ¡¸This is¡­ my sleeping bag. Although this is my first time using it.¡¹ ¡¸Is that really a sleeping bag? It doesn¡¯t look like one at all.¡¹ Even after she replied, Heinrich still was curious about it, his eyes almost digging into it as he got close enough to touch it. ¡¸That¡¯s what I first thought as well. I got it from someone handling adventure gear from¡­ some and suchpany. Said it was all new things that were not yet on sale.¡¹ Mira spoke full of herself, though she had forgotten the name of the seller. But after hearing her, Gilbert rummaged through his mind, arriving at the name of apany that was known by almost anyone in that world. ¡¸Hmm, so new gear from apany that specializes in adventurer gear. Was it the Dinowahlpany maybe?¡¹ ¡¸Ohh yes, that is correct. That was the name.¡¹ After digging through her memories trying to remember the name, she recalled it the instant he mentioned it. After that she reached into her waist pouch and took out the business card she received. Gilbert looked at it with keen interest. ¡¸Thedrick Dinowahl. The son of the Dinowahl family huh. You¡¯ve met some more interesting personages here. But does that mean this thing is more like a prototype then?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯m so jealous. Can I touch it?¡¹ Having seen the business card, Gilbert spoke impressed. From his side, Heinrich¡¯s innocent voice came out, obviously affected by drowsiness. ¡¸Mhm, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ The warrior-like attitude Heinrich had built until then, was crumbling once more. But Mira spoiled him with a warm smile, finding his attitude somewhat adorable. After receiving Mira¡¯s permission, Heinrich took the sleeping bag and began feeling the inside and outside, checking every nook and cranny of it. Being privileged enough to touch an item that was not for sale yet, Heinrich¡¯s interest in the sleeping bag was endless. ¡¸The surface is pretty smooth and feels really good to touch. It¡¯s also surprisingly soft.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. It¡¯s still a brand new item after all.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder what the inside is like.¡¹ Having said that, he turned his face to Mira as if asking for permission. ¡¸Feel free to check it.¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate it¡­ though, how should I go around doing that?¡¹ He had confirmed it was a sleeping bag from touching it, but he had no idea how to open it so he knit his brows slightly as he asked Mira again. Mira bent her body forward a bit and pointed with her finger to a p in the sleeping bag. ¡¸You can open it with that. Try it yourself.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, this here? Let¡¯s see.¡¹ Following Mira¡¯s instructions, Henrich reached inside the p and held the bump he found there, sliding it to the side. As he did that, the blue cloth appeared to be split into two as one half turned over, revealing its true appearance as a sleeping bag. ¡¸Hohoh, so it turns like this. The interior feels pretty warm and is really soft as well. It definitely would feel great to sleep in it.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, exactly. But ah, it¡¯s still brand new, so don¡¯t treat it too roughly.¡¹ Seeing Heinrich so excited about it, Mira pouted a bit as if nning something, but then smiled mischievously. ¡¸Sure sure. I won¡¯t do anything stupid. Ohh, it¡¯s pretty deep too. I could easily sleep in here as well.¡¹ ¡¸If you stretch it out so much, you will tear it.¡¹ Mira twisted her lips watching how he opened the sleeping bag wide and checked the interior. Seeing their interactions, Gilbert took a deep breath. ¡¸Mira-san, I think you should give him a break by now. Henry is really dense, so he doesn¡¯t realize anything you¡¯re implying.¡¹ And stopped the conversation going between the other two. ¡¸Hmph, I was just starting to get in the mood, but well, I assume I enjoyed myself enough.¡¹ Mira replied as such as she turned a blind eye to the dense man examining the sleeping bag with a serious expression. Soon after he noticed something was going on and he lifted his face to look at them. ¡¸Hm? Did something happen?¡¹ ¡¸Well, some of the stuff you said earlier, they could be taken in a really different way.¡¹ Half exhausted, Gilbert informed him of that. Hearing that, Heinrich stood silent for some time, only knitting his eyebrows a bit, but in the end was unable to grasp the true meaning of those words. Seeing him like that, Mira once again shed an innocent smile. After that, Heinrich asked her to tell him how the sleeping bag felt, and then he slipped inside his own sleeping bag. Mira took her coat off and folded it beside her pillow, then wrapped herself inside a nket, the soft fur enveloping her reminding her of thefortable embrace of her mother. Eventually Mira and Heinrich fell asleep, Gilbert was still awake, staring at the Holy Knight watching over them, and once he felt it was trustworthy enough, he slowly closed his eyes. Chapter 69: Gatekeeper (1) Chapter 69: Gatekeeper (1) The next morning after the night they spent in the Staircase to the Sky dungeon, Mira woke up at around 8 o¡¯clock, greeted Heinrich who woke up earlier than her, then went to the small stream to wash her face. Once she was done with that, she returned to an already prepared breakfast. It was still the same meat they had had the night before, but it was still good to eat. (Quite a peculiar thing to have meat in the morning like this.) Mira looked down at her body, and as she rubbed her stomach with her hands, she muttered to herself with a deeply emotive voice ¡®That¡¯s youth for you¡¯. After some dy, Heinrich also joined them in eating, chewing through it like a bear that was woken up in the middle of hibernation. ¡¸Breakfast is the main source of energy for a day after all.¡¹ By the time he was done eating, his sleepiness had also worn off, and his usual stern yet approachable appearance returned. After that they put away their sleeping bags and camping items before heading towards the sixth floor. ¡¸Alright, our goal is to arrive at the Abandoned City before the sunset. Also, starting from this floor, all the monsters are B rank, so don¡¯t lower your guard.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m itching to go at them already.¡¹ A cold wind crept down from upstairs. In the middle of the staircase, the multiple echoes from the windyered on top of each otherposing an eerie melody that resounded all around them. But the three ignored it, knowing it was the wind blowing from upstairs, and continued with their climb. Roughly one hourter they were on the next floor, and after wiping out the monsters in it, they continued with their ascent. Between the sixth and ninth floor, the number of monsters became considerablyrger, and they also acted with better coordination between them. But there was still none that could stand on the Dark Knight¡¯s path, and the outliers fell as they trembled in front of Heinrich¡¯s de or their roars were silenced by Gilbert¡¯s arrows. A calm hunter that slowly shaved down their backline, a warrior that had honed his skills past that of any high ss adventurer, and the highest rank a magician could reach, a Wiseman. Those three together formed a group that could not be stopped by simple brute force. Especially when it concerned Mira, this was barely a distraction for her. Roughly six hours passed like that since they left the fifth floor. They were getting really close to the tenth floor of the Staircase to the Sky. The tenth floor was somewhat narrower than the floors they had encountered so far, and they could not see any monsters on it. The floor was illuminated by lights that flickered like broken light bulbs, their cold light only reached certain ces, giving the ce the appearance of a puzzle where not all the pieces were visible at the same time. That unsettling light was arranged all around the walls surrounding the floor, the shes of light unable to reach the center of the floor, only showing deceiving outlines of it. There was no sense of regrity to the flickering, each of the lights looking like they had been isted from the rest. ¡¸It was about time. Let¡¯s make a battle n first. Also, Mira-san, do you know about this boss?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m aware of it.¡¹ Sitting on thest step of the staircase, Gilbert asked Mira. She jumped down from the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder and sat on the step as well, replying while she stretched her legs. To be exact though, rather than knowing about it, she had defeated it countless times. ¡¸Then this will go smoothly. We have to wait until the boss starts moving before anything we try does something to it. Once it does, it will cast down lightning to attack us. During that time we will take cover, and when it leaps downs to attack us that way, that¡¯s when we knock it down. Does that sound good?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m already itching to fight it, but I have no objections.¡¹ The n Gilbert came up with was a sure-fire way to defeat the boss of the Staircase to the Sky. It¡¯s lightning attack was really fast, but if they kept moving they would be able to dodge it. If none of its lightning hit them, the boss would attack from the air gliding down towards them, and that was their best chance at dealing damage to it. This time however, there was someone present who could go above and beyond that method. ¡¸No, there¡¯s no need to take cover. I¡¯ll head out to hit it straight on, you two can stay back and prepare yourselves.¡¹ Mira spoke nonchntly like that with a deadpan face, then bringing the Sweetberry ale she was just served to her lips, her cheeks loosening up feeling the bittersweet taste filling her mouth. Hearing her, Gilbert recalled the pegasus and garuda she had summoned in the past. With that alone he was already impressed by Mira¡¯s actual strength, so her current suggestion would probably be able to rival that of waiting until the boss was in mid-air. ¡¸I see, you might be onto something there, and it will be faster too. We¡¯ll go with your suggestion then.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, just trust in me.¡¹ That concluded their strategy meeting, and after a short break Heinrich took the lead heading towards the center of the floor. After one, two, and three steps. The closer they got, the flickering surrounding them also elerated. While before they could only tell vague contours shing there, now there was a better defined afterglow which gave the scene one more dimension. And the thing standing in the darkness, was neither white or ck, but a gray color. As they drew even closer, its size became more obvious. The three of them turned their heads to look at it as it stood towering above them, around three times taller than Mira. A couple of steps more and they were inside the central area. As soon as they arrived there, the blinking became so rapid it seemed to be buzzing, and then it suddenly vanished leaving only a bright afterimage in their retinas. Darkness filled everything. A disembodied voice permeated the air and darkness around them, and then a slight metallic ng rang out. As if recently dead, or just sleeping, something resembling a surging presence was definitely there. Darkness entuates a person¡¯s innate fears, and the flow of time gets jumbled up, making it hard to tell if a couple of minutes had passed, or just one, or maybe even just a couple of seconds. Then, as sudden as it had vanished, a white blueish light filled the floor. Having grown used to the dark environment from earlier, the bright flood of light attacked their defenseless eyes, piercing straight to their brains. Heinrich narrowed his eyes as he kept them focused forwards. At the same time, Gilbert covered his eyes with one hand while the other reached for his quiver. Mira slowly opened her eyes she had closed until then, training them on the gatekeeper of the Abandoned City in the Sky. In front of them stood an eerie stone statue in the shape of something between a scrawny goat and an old woman. One hand held a stone spear, the other a stone shield. Its back had wings like a bird¡¯s growing out of it. ¡¸Don¡¯t lower your guard now.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert took a few steps back. After that, a murmur like voices from a housete in the night escaped from the statue. Next, its whole body began gradually trembling, then cracks ran through it, chunks of stone flying out. Under that grayyer, a lustrous ck hide peeked out, spreading through the whole body like spots of ink soaking into a cloth. The stone fragments rained one after another covering the ground like rough snow. Arge fragment that looked like a te then fell to the ground, sending smaller fragments flying everywhere. That had been theyer covering its face. After that, it opened its blue eyes that had remained closed until then, and roared loudly as if its throat was split open, the noise filling the whole floor and making their chests resound with it. Once the roar was over, the stone armor that still covered its lower body burst open, and the boss of the Staircase to the Sky, Gargoyle Keeper spread its wings and leaped into the air. ¡¸It¡¯s just like we were told. Then, Mira-san, we¡¯re counting on you.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, just ready yourselves as best as you can.¡¹ Gilbert took a throwing arrow in his hand as his eyes attentively followed Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s movements. Heinrich was also ready, holding his sword with both hands while the tip pointed towards his enemy. The boss just kept soaring through the air as it pped its wings. As soon as it moved its hand with the stone spear d in lighting, Mira herself began floating in the air. ¡¸Wha-?!¡¹ Gilbert¡¯s focused stare crumbled, his eyes opened wide like a fish¡¯s. After all, this time she was not being aided by a pegasus or garuda, but it was just herself as if she had jumped up there. On his side, Heinrich stood with his mouth opened and showing no signs about closing it. However, she seemed oblivious to their reactions, as she kept her eyes focused on Gargoyle Keeper while running through the air. Each of her steps led her higher up, closing in the distance between her and her opponent. Gargoyle Keeper switched its target to Mira who was almost besides it now, pointing the tip of its spear towards her. A sh of light filled blinded their eyes, and a rumbling sound as if the whole floor was shaking resounded around them. The lightning attack had been stronger than Heinrich had pictured, and while hearing a high pitched ringing noise remaining in his ear, he pulled himself back together. Gilbert frowned as he tried to make out Mira¡¯s figure somewhere. If a lightning like that hit her, she would end up with more than just a few scratches. He also began regretting he had not tried to talk her out of her idea more. In the end though, his worries had been entirely unfounded. Arge white shield was floating in front of Mira. It looked like a an illusion floating there, but there were sparksing out from the front side, as if showing proof of what had happened moments before, For a moment it felt like time had stopped, only the fading echoes from the rumble earlier remaining in the air. Everyone who was there, Gilbert, Heinrich, and even Gargoyle Keeper seemed entranced by that noise. But there was just one person there who was already making the next move. After confirming she had covered herself from the attack, Mira jumped over the shield, and without caring about her fluttering skirt, she stuck her feet to the shield. And that in the short span of time before the partially summoned Holy Knight would vanish again. By the time Gilbert had grasped that much and was wondering what she was trying to aplish, her figure vanished as if a scene from a film had been cut. That had been due to the Sage Skill Ground Shrink. The only conditions to activate it were that the caster¡¯s feet stood on something solid. Having used the shield as a foothold, she headed straight towards Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s chest. Then, from point nk, she shot her fist towards it. Her fist was d in raging and stormy winds, an attack using Wind d. Gargoyle Keeper was still busy retracting his arm with the stone spear after its attack, so it was unable tounch another lightning right after so it just tried to protect itself with the stone shield, but it was unable to fully cover itself. The surface of the shield was chipped away as if by a ne as the des of wind carved into it, eventually shattering. But having sacrificed its shield for it, Gargoyle Keeper frantically pped its wing trying to escape Mira¡¯s iing fist, finally seeding in going up and increasing the distance between them. Chapter 69: Gatekeeper (2) Chapter 69: Gatekeeper (2) However, that evasive maneuver had been so unexpected that Gargoyle Keeper had to brake again so the impulse would not make it collide with the ceiling of the floor. The small window that created for Mira, even though it had been shorter than a breath, proved to be fatal for Gargoyle Keeper. After a bright blue glow, six long pitch ck swords manifested, surrounding Gargoyle keeper, and with the speed of thunder they struck it. It was unable to dodge again, and as it lifted its arm, it received the ck swords that seemed coated with destruction itself. Six shrill metallic ngs resounded, the des piercing through the ck skin and sending it falling down with such a force as if gravity had doubled. That hit had been incredibly overwhelming, but Gargoyle keeper still attempted to somehow resist the ck swords as his arm reached out. Realizing there was nothing his arm could aplish, it loosened up and hung down. Its eyes then turned towards Mira, staring at her with annoyance. But that was not a simple bluff, its eyes housed its trump card, namely, its lightning. All of Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s will converged in its eyes. But an instantter its body awkwardly rotated to one side and began falling like a bird that exhausted all of its strength. ¡¸Here ites!¡¹ ¡¸Now¡¯s our turn!¡¹ Out of the six swords that had pierced through it before, one had teared apart one of Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s wings. Gilbert had been watching the fight unfold, and once he noticed Gargoyle Keeper was falling, he ran out to confront it. Heinrich turned his head to both sides to loosen up a bit before he ran as well. With a low thud, the ck lump collided with the ground. That caused damage all over its body, but its eyes still red upwards, searching for the intruder that had dared throw him to the ground. The two men running towards it did not register in his eyes. In its mind there was only the small fist and arm that had created such a violent gale, the ck swords that vited its body, and the girl with silver hair that flowed like a waterfall. Having captured Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s attention to such a degree, Mira allowed Gilbert and Heinrich to release their strongest attacks without concern. Gilbert took three arrows and held them up, then threw them all at the same time. They flew straight like a ray of light, piercing andpletely destroying the arm that held the stone spear. Receiving the unexpected hit, its posture crumbled again and its knee gave in. Heinrich made his entrance then, silently holding his sword high in the air looking like an executioner. He steeled his spirit for just an instant before he swung down. The de left an afterimage reminiscent of a half moon and only stopping millimetres away from the ground. But the resistance he had felt on his swing confirmed that he had in through Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s torso. Its corpse fell down, multiple white cracks running through it and turning it into a pure white dust that piled on the floor. Its eyes still held that blue glow, but they did not have a focal point anymore, only watching its own demise. With that, the fight to conquer the boss of the Staircase to the Sky, Gargoyle Keeper, came to an end. ¡¸Where¡¯s Mira?¡¹ After checking the aftermath, Heinrich looked up searching for the person who had been their most valuable asset in that fight, Mira. His eyes met with a pure white angel descending from above. ¡¸Seems you were able to stop it, yes? Good job.¡¹ ¡¸It was really easy thanks to your efforts.¡¹ Miranded without raising a sound, the scent of sweet berries wafting from her. Gilbert came to meet her, his lips in a strained smile seeing Heinrich staring up with an idiotic face. ¡¸The way you soared through the sky, was that a Sage Art?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that is indeed so.¡¹ ¡¸Then, what was that shield that appeared out of nowhere?¡¹ ¡¸That was simply a summons.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see. I had heard that the Summoner Wiseman Danbulf also employed some Sage Arts, so I guess his disciple would obviously use both as well.¡¹ Gilbert was deeply knowledgeable about the skills of Spellcasters, so considering it was said she had been taught by Danbulf, he concluded that her skills were also that of the Wiseman. And he was simply astonished that she had such developed skills already, considering she was only the disciple, and her master was known for being the strongest Spellcaster in the entire continent. After that, Gilbert went and took out the stone spear and blue gems from the pile of white sand. ¡¸This is your share.¡¹ Saying that, he threw the stones, which drew a parab in the air before uratelynding on Mira¡¯s palm. Inside the gems, something that resembled silent lightning went off from time to time. Gargoyle Keeper¡¯s eyes were known as lightning orbs, gems that housed the force of strong thunder and could be forged into other items. Something like that was incredibly valuable for Mira. ¡¸Is that truly fine?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the justpensation for the work you did. This spear is enough for us.¡¹ As he spoke, he poked at Heinrich with the butt end of the spear, pulling him back to reality. Pretending he had listened to the entire exchange, Heinrich began shaking his head as much as he could, trying to disguise his blush. ¡¸We¡¯re finally at our destination.¡¹ With those words, the three looked up at the heavy and closed gates in front of them. They reached almost all the way up to the ceiling, and due to the many years it had stood there, the engravings on it had faded, only the rough shape of a person discernible out of it. But the intimidating auraing from it was fitting for the gates protecting the Abandoned City in the Sky, an ancient city. To the side of the gates, a chunk of metal that resembled a somewhat malformed box was ced. Gilbert walked up to it and thrust the stone spear into the hole in the very center of that box. At first, a grinding noise like that of a coil resounded from inside the hole, then the entire box began to groan and a tremor like a small earthquake was felt through the floor. The box housed some sort of mechanism. When the stone spear was used to activate it, multiple streaks of light spreaded through the wall like a peacock¡¯s tail. Then at one point, it all disappeared as if it had seeped into the wall, and the markings of a person on the gate faded away and instead a wolf looking at the moon appeared. That moon shone like the true moon would, and then a crack ran vertically through it, and with a dull noise, the gates began opening. A streak of cold light passed through the gap in the door, shining a thin line of light, sharp like a de, on the floor. Mira was standing right in the middle, so the sunlight hit her first and she had to narrow her eyes to flee from it. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going then.¡¹ Saying that, Gilbert began walking towards the open gates. Heinrich nodded and gave a short reply before following him. Mira wentst after them and they exited the dark dungeon and resurfaced under the bright light of the sun. The Staircase to the Sky¡¯s exit was located on an elevated tform, and there was a long row of stairs leading down from it. Behind them, as if carved out of the rocky mountains, stood the gates, already closing together with the noise of something being dragged on the ground. Gilbert and Heinrich stood still, taking in the scenery from that elevated ce and only able to sigh without uttering any words. Past the stairs, they could see streets with houses lined on them that resembled a group of fossilized mushrooms continuing as far as they could see. There was no sign of people, or of any living thing for that matter. It was a weird ce, devoid of any intervention by sentient beings for a very long time, but the greenery still seemed hesitant to invade it. ¡¸The sun is still out. We arrived earlier than originally nned.¡¹ ¡¸Mainly because of Mira¡¯s help on speeding up the final fight.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I can only be thankful for that.¡¹ With the sun still on the corner of his eye, Gilbert took his map and checked their current location. (This ce still looks exactly the same as it wasst time.) Gazing at the familiar cityscape, Mira slowly shifted her eyes to the furthest parts. Her goal, the Crystal Temple was there. ¡¸We arrived quickly, but we still need to discuss how we¡¯ll go about exploring the ce. But first thing first, we should set up a camp for today, then we can check out the surroundings more easily.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that sounds reasonable.¡¹ Gilbert began preparations forter, and began searching through the map for a suitable ce for a camp. At one point, he stopped and turned around to look at Mira. ¡¸By the way, what are you going to do now? We¡¯ve arrived at the Abandoned City, so are you going to head straight to the ce you wanted to visit?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, let me think.¡¹ Being asked by Gilbert, Mira took some time to ponder over things. Her goal was to get to the Crystal Temple, and collect shavings off the roots of the sacred tree Soul Howl had left. That was a task much easier than challenging the Staircase to the Sky. If she headed there with a Pegasus now, it would barely take half an hour. Considering the hardships it took to get there, it almost felt like the reward was nowhere near enough. On the other hand, for Gilbert and Heinrich this was only the start. They would start investigating that mysterious phenomenon with chunks of forest suddenly vanishing. ¡¸I¡¯m already here, so I want to witness that phenomenon or whatever you will be investigating.¡¹ That was Mira¡¯s answer. That phenomenon was not an in-game event, but an act performed by the real world. She had only arrived to that world not too long before, but she had already encountered acts from the real world many times, so she was interested in this new case as well. ¡¸So you¡¯re curious about Earth Eater as well? That¡¯s awesome. I¡¯ll tell you everything I¡¯ve found out so far then!¡¹ Feeling like he had finally gained a like-minded person, Gilbert¡¯s face lit up as he began talking about the ces with confirmed cases and their climates, but he did not go too far before Heinrich interrupted him. ¡¸Now¡¯s not the time to talk like that. We have to find a ce for our camp first.¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, that¡¯s true. Well then, we can leave our talk for ater date.¡¹ ¡¸I wish you would spare me the misfortune of being subject to your lectures again¡­¡¹ With that, the three began their descent through the stairs, the wind hitting their shoulders as they headed to the streets of the Abandoned City in the Sky that resembled a failed ss sculpture. The sky blending into their view was of a refreshing and pure blue, the clear and silent atmosphere almost soaking into their bodies. Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (1) Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (1) Throughout the abandoned buildings there were multiple stained white crystals scattered about. Those were the Sky Crystals which at one point helped the city escape the darkness of night. There was a time when the Abandoned City in the Sky was instead known as the City of Light, always filled with light from early morning tote in the night without exception, and that made even the souls of the people there more bright. Those crystals, the symbol of the city, did not only help with dispelling darkness, but also kept evil at bay, making the city a holy site. They held the special feature of retaining and amplifying any light, and when surrounded by darkness, that light was released. That history was the result arrived at by entric yers who spent time reading all the pieces of literature strewn around. But now it was impossible to witness the glory that light held back in those days. The old crystals that once lit up the city hadpletely lost their glow. ¡¸This ce looks good from what I¡¯ve seen. We¡¯re close to the forest here as well, so let¡¯s set up camp here.¡¹ After wandering around the city district that faced the forest in search of a ce in a convenient spot, the group finally found arge white building that would serve for their purposes. There was a statue that resembled a decaying quadruped and a round sphere tumbled around, and the building itself was a nice amount taller than the surrounding buildings, a pointed roof on top. It did not seem to have any major fissures or cracks from outside, so just like Gilbert had said, it would be plenty for their goals. They still had to check the interior however, so they entered the building. Arge room greeted them inside. Multiple marble benches were arranged one after another inside, as if they were praying at something, and further inside there was the main symbol of that building. Arge statue built out of crystal. The furniture and utensils that adorned the interior walls were of an ashen color and had decayed with time, as if they had forgotten their original color themselves. Only the statue seemed left as it was from that old world, shining without fading away. (Ughh¡­ Isn¡¯t this the Crystal Temple already?!) Seeing that statue with crystal orbs held high in its hands as if some sort of offering, Mira checked the map. Doing so, she confirmed that their current location was, in fact, the Crystal Temple. Considering a temple was an important building, it made sense that it was built more sturdy than the other buildings. Mira thought about finishing her business right then, but then she figured that if they were going to camp there, she could go do it at any moment. If she were to collect the shavings at that moment and leave, it would still be possible for her to arrive at the closest town before night was over, but it was already past six, and her rear had already been tired from sitting during the endless climb through the stairs, so she did not want to punish it even more sitting on a pegasus. What she wanted to do was really simple and could be done at any moment, and she was still curious about the weird phenomenon happening in the forest. ¡¸Well, our camp is all set then. Should we go take a look around the ce we¡¯ll be investigating now?¡¹ After Gilbert had examined the interior of the temple and confirmed that it was a safe ce, he said that with a slightly excited voice. Their actual investigation would start the next day, but he was unable to contain his excitement being so close to what would be his first sight of it. Heinrich had known him for so long, he already was ready to leave with him. ¡¸Hmph, are you leaving already?¡¹ Mira was already sitting on one of the benches, drinking some sweet berry ale while taking deep breaths to expel all the pent up exhaustion she had built up. ¡¸Yeah, though it¡¯s just a quick look at it. If we leave now, we should be able to be back by sunset. I really want to avoid being out in the forest at night after all.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, it still looks like a far ce. Maybe I should let you ride with Garuda again? That ought to make it faster.¡¹ Gilbert and Heinrich¡¯s faces clouded over as soon as she said that. They had recalled how they were carried away like some sort of prey the day before. ¡¸Ah, no thanks. This forest has a different ecosystem than that of the surface, so I want to walk and check that as well.¡¹ ¡¸Nothing I can do to help then.¡¹ It was true that the forest adjacent to the Abandoned City in the Sky was surrounded by a mountain range, isting it from the outside world and allowing for independent evolution. There were many materials that could also only be harvested there. His reply convinced Mira, so once she was done with her drink, she stood up from her seat. Gilbert and Heinrich only sighed without speaking any more words. Half an hour after they left the Crystal Temple, they crossed through the city devoid of any signs of life and arrived at the start of the forest closest to them. The serene winding from the forest felt somewhat cold as it caressed their cheeks. The rustling of leaves from the trees sounded almost as if the trees were chattering and gossiping with each other. ¡¸There should be no dangerous creatures here. Almost all of the carnivores are just small ones. Though from time to time a flying dragon might appear, so don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ After that simple warning, Gilbert headed into the forest while guiding the other two behind him. The sunlight that managed to pierce through the treetops reflected off leaves, giving off the appearance of a school of fish with glistening scales. They could feel other creatures there, but none showed themselves, only making voices, or they would see something spring up and quickly disappear in some nook of the forest. Men¡¯s hands had never touched that ce, so they pushed their way forward through paths that were never a path before. ¡¸This is Salt Grass. I had heard about it, but to see so much of it growing on the wild¡­ Oh, these particr speckles, this must be a Spirot tree. The fruits look fairly ripe too. This is amazing. These rare fruits would never be sold in a market. We should take a few when we¡¯re going back.¡¹ Inside the solemn vegetation, he alone kept running around enthusiastically as if his personality had changedpletely. His reason to reject the Garuda flight did not seem as much of a lie now, his mood had only kept bettering ever since they entered the forest. ¡¸When you said we would be back before it was dark, you did take into ount these little detours of yours, yes?¡¹ ¡¸He didn¡¯t, probably¡­ Now that he¡¯s like this, there¡¯s no telling if things will go as nned.¡¹ Heinrich and Mira felt like they had been abandoned inside a ravine as they watched how Gilbert climbed up a tree like a monkey. A bit more than an hour had passed since they entered the forest. And as they delved deeper into the forest, past the branches and treetops, they caught a glimpse of arge empty clearing. The first one to notice the density of the foliage fading away was obviously Gilbert. ¡¸I saw it, it¡¯s over there!¡¹ As if driven by instinct, he darted off running. Mira and Heinrich looked at each other and shrugged helplessly, then they followed Gilbert who was already starting to fade in the distance. In the middle of the forest, the shrubbery and trees growing thickly together suddenly cut off, giving way to arge and unexinable crater. ¡¸Hoh, so this is the Earth Eater. It¡¯s more incredible than I had pictured.¡¹ The view did look like the mark a giant spoon would have left after gouging out a chunk of the forest. On the exposed earth, they could clearly see strata like the annual rings of a tree, and in the bottom there were crumbs of mud that seemed to have fallen there afterwards. Just like with all the previous cases, the hole was massive, spanning around 500 meters in diameter, the far end of it covered by a slight white haze illuminated by the sun. Apart from the damage done by the Earth Eater, there was nothing else disturbed in the scenery around them. In a way, that also exined how Gilbert had arrived at the conclusion this event had taken ce recently. ¡¸There was a point toing here after all! It¡¯s incredible that we¡¯re here so soon after it happened. We¡¯ll do the full investigation tomorrow, there¡¯s a lot of things that can only be checked while we¡¯re here. But I¡¯ll go fetch a sample real quick, wait for a bit!¡¹ Gilbert sprung like apressed spring, without waiting for a reply of any sort, and jumped down into the crater. ¡¸Hey, when he said we¡¯d be back by sunset, it also included the time needed to gather this sample, yes?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s obvious, it wasn¡¯t.¡¹ Seeing Gilbert with a small bottle on his hand, running around inside the crater, Mira slowly looked away and heaved a deep sigh. Heinrich felt nervous, realizing that Gilbert would take a long time and would leave him alone with Mira, so he sat at the border of the crater and began some small talk. They mostly spoke about more personal things, Mira greatly expanding on her made-up backstory of being a Wiseman¡¯s disciple, and then Heinrich spoke pridefully about his past exploits as a warrior. Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (2) Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (2) ¡¸By the way, I noticed your swordsmanship is quite refined. Where did you acquire those skills?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, well, I used to go to a dojo in the kingdom of Yamato.¡¹ As their conversation progressed, Mira recalled his fighting in the Staircase to the Sky. There was something familiar in the way he charged forcefully into the enemies and defeated them in a single strike. ¡¸Yamato huh¡­ Do you know of a man named Yamabuki then?¡¹ ¡¸Of course I do. He¡¯s the master of the Yabuyama Rikka itto-ryu dojo, and my teacher. The fact that even a spellcaster like you knows his name goes to show how great he is.¡¹ (Hmm, so it would seem I encountered his disciple as well. Fate can be such a fickle thing.) A smile floated on Mira¡¯s lips when she heard that reply, reminiscing of her old friend. Yabuki was a warrior that enjoyed challenging things to masochistic levels, going as far as challenging dungeons naked with nothing but a sword to test his swordsmanship. They had met inside of a dungeon, Mira doing a challenge of her own, testing how far she could go fighting with only a Dark Knight. When they met, they felt a connection akin to that of two drug addicts. Together they went together wondering if they would make it to the boss. ¡¸I hope he¡¯s still in good health.¡¹ Her eyes focused far away on the horizon and muttered with nostalgia. Seen from someone else¡¯s eyes, she looked like she was thinking about someone very dear to her, and Heinrich could only stare at her stupedified. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I made you wait. Let¡¯s head back before it gets dark.¡¹ As the two of them kept conversing, Gilbert came back from collecting his sample. His face was lit up like that of a child who received a new toy as he emerged from the crater. Hearing him, Heinrich hurried to look away from Mira and sprung up before stretching his body. ¡¸It looks like schrs are the same just the same as researchers, getting really absorbed into what they do, though their respective fields may differ.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m terribly sorry for that. I try to be careful, but this time it was a bit too much.¡¹ ¡¸It doesn¡¯t particrly bother me. I decided on my own ord to follow you here. Not to mention that I don¡¯t dislike people like yourself.¡¹ His voice did not sound apologetic or regretfully in any way. Watching him, Mira was reminded of the researchers in the tower. They would also only have eyes for their research and ignore everything else just so they could continue with it. Gilbert was a schr, but he somehow resembled those researchers as well. Mira smiled seeing him, acting like a parent spoiling a child, and said she did not dislike that. ¡¸Mira might say that, but it¡¯d be better if you watched your surroundings a bit more too. We said we¡¯d be back before it was dark, but now I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll make it.¡¹ Heinrich gave his opinion as he looked up at the sky. The other two followed his gaze, seeing the sky beginning to turn scarlet. The lowest clouds were illuminated by the setting sun, giving the sky an uneven appearance, as if the surface of Mars was right there. ¡¸We¡¯ll be back after sunset, it seems.¡¹ They were already really close to the sunset. Mira peeked sideways to Gilbert who stoodpletely silent and raised one suggestion. ¡¸I can be of use here, if I summon Garuda¨C¨C¨C¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no problem if we get back a bitte. We don¡¯t have to bother you more than absolutely needed.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and I remember the way back. If we head straight back it shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡¹ Returningter than nned would not kill them. Not to mention that the two men had already suffered a serious amount of mental damage from being carried like prey by Garuda, so they instantly deflected to thend route and quickly headed back into the forest. ¡¸It¡¯s really no burden at all for me though.¡¹ Her words only reached her own ears as she chased after the other two. The group went back through their past steps in the forest, with Gilbert on the lead. He used his knowledge as a botanist as much as he could, using multiple trees, which to the untrained eye looked exactly the same, asndmarks signaling they were on the right path. He did not get deviated from their path like he had done the first time, continuing to walk forward. Only from time to time he would kneel down to cut different types of grass and stash them in a bag, or take a stone and throw it at the trees, making their fruits fall and then picking them up. ¡¸Tonight¡¯s dinner will be magnificent.¡¹ His harvesting did not slow down their return. Watching him walk through the forest like an expert, Mira let out a short ¡¸That looks fun¡¹. In the end however, they were unable to return on time, so the two men took outnterns and fastened to their hips. Mira summoned a light orb that floated around her, dispelling the darkness of the night from their path. But even then Gilbert moved forward surely and without hesitation, crossing through the dark and silent forest. The Abandoned City in the Sky lookedpletely different from the time they left it. The moonlight only barely illuminated the contours of the houses, the ruins looking like hunched over old men in the dark. But when they looked up, the sky was filled with stars like scattered beads. It looked like a city seen from afar, each of the stars shining like lined up street lights. It was almost as if it was a snapshot of the Abandoned City before its demise, which was lifted into the sky. When they approached the Crystal Temple that served as their current base, there was light trickling out from the entrance. It was very faint, but of a warm hue that seemed reliable even under the darkness of night. The source of that glow, was the statue inside the temple that served as its symbol. That statue was built out of Sky Crystal and was thest remnant of the light that once filled the Abandoned City. ¡¸We should prepare the food first. I¡¯ll get everything ready so wait a moment.¡¹ After they entered the temple, Gilbert began taking out all the fruits and herbs he had collected in the forest, as well as the leftover meat from the day before and his cooking equipment. Heinrich just gave a short knowing reply as he sat down and began his usual maintenance of his equipment. Mira had nothing in particr to do, so she just sat down on one of the benches and rested her chin on her hands. After a long sigh to relieve some of her fatigue, she closed her eyes. Only a short while after she heard a noise akin to drops of water falling down, just like rain. She stood up and went to check if it was actually raining, even though the stars had been so visible just moments earlier, but only dry and cold air brushed against her face, with no signs of water. Gilbert was still preparing the fruits and herbs and Heinrich kept polishing his de with a piece of cloth until it was shiny like a mirror. Both acts that would not make noises like rain. ¡¸Hey, did you hear anything that sounds like rain?¡¹ Hearing her question, Gilbert stopped what he was doing and stood still paying attention. ¡¸That sound is probably from a water fountain. I saw one over there when we looked around the ce earlier.¡¹ Gilbert gave a convincing reply while he used the tip of the knife he was holding to point to a passage that lead to another floor on the building ¡¸Hoh, a water fountain huh.¡¹ Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (3) Chapter 70: Abandoned City in the Sky (3) Hearing Gilbert¡¯s reply, a single memory resurfaced in Mira¡¯s mind. She had been there one time in the past because of an event, which required her to gather some Purified Water, cleaned by the light filling the Crystal Temple. It was not a major event, so she did not think of it instantly, but when the fountain was mentioned, she remembered it. Thinking of that, she turned her eyes down to her body. Her ck coat was almost gray from all the dust that had gotten on it, and the ces closest to her feet were covered with mud. It was obvious she would be in that state after spending a night in a dungeon, and then taking a walk inside a forest right after. (Thinking of that, I haven¡¯t bathed yet.) Seeing herself reminded her of that, and while she was not a clean maniac, she still felt ufortable in her current state, so she decided to go wash herself. ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯ll go there for a moment then.¡¹ Saying that, she turned towards the direction Gilbert had pointed to earlier. ¡¸Hey hey hey, where are you going thiste?¡¹ Heinrich had been so focused on his de that he hadpletely missed the earlier conversation and only reacted when Mira mentioned she was going somewhere. ¡¸There¡¯s apparently a running water fountain around there, so I¡¯ll pay it a visit.¡¹ ¡¸A water fountain, huh. Hmm, I wonder if it¡¯s drinkable?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is. I already checked the water quality.¡¹ Gilbert replied to Heinrich¡¯s question. Mira also recalled that the Purified Water was edible, so Gilbert¡¯s reply was true. ¡¸Should we use some of it in our food then? I can bring some if you want.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡¹ When Heinrich suggested that, Gilbert threw him an empty pot. It flew in a straight line instead of a parab, and Heinrich catched its handle with a single hand. Watching that interaction that looked like rehearsed acrobatics, she could tell for how long they had been together. The light from the statue did not reach inside the passage, so Mira relied on the light orb she created with Concept Magic to illuminate the corridor, which shone like the shedded skin of a giant snake as she advanced to the direction she heard the watering from. Reaching the end of the corridor, and crossing the remnants of a door that had already lost its purpose, she arrived at the room containing the fountain. The fountain had a circr shape, its diameter around three times asrge as Mira was tall. In the center of it there was a pyramid with four sides with a sphere on top, water pouring out from its tip. The water flew around its edges, sticking to the sphere and dripping down through small holes on it and making a bubbly noise as it fell down. That fountain appeared to have a glow of its own as well, the glow changing and moving with the waves like the light from a slide projector. It was full of charm, though of a different typepared to the crystal statue. ¡¸What a mysterious ce.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know.¡¹ The view made the two feel like they were looking at the sun from the bottom of the sea as they exchanged words. ¡¸I¡¯ll take some of the water for now.¡¹ Still taken aback by that surreal sight, Heinrich sunk the pot inside the water of the fountain. ¡¸This should be about enough.¡¹ The pot was filled up to around two thirds when he took it out of the water. An instantter, he could not muster a single word more, or any noise for that matter, only letting the pot fall from his hands while he tried to look awaypletely flustered from the half naked girl at his side. ¡¸Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-why are you undressing?!¡¹ When he was finally able to squeeze out some words again, his voice was high in pitch. Given that he had zero experience when dealing with women, he ducked down to pick up the pot and covered his face with it. ¡¸Why, you ask? I¡¯vee here to take a bath, it¡¯s obvious I would have to undress for that.¡¹ She had still not developed the self-consciousness of a girl when dealing with other people, so she replied with apletely indifferent voice as her hands carelessly reached her underwear. ¡¸Couldn¡¯t you just have said that earlier?!¡¹ After catching a glimpse of Mira¡¯s alluring figure from the edge of the pot, Heinrich was unable to endure staying there any longer so he ran away from the fountain as he shouted like that. ¡¸Hmm, maybe I teased him a bit too much.¡¹ Mira murmured that while feeling a bit guilty, but then a somewhat childish but also bewitching smile overtook her lips. The water was not freezing cold, but slightly lukewarm when she stepped into it, then using the inn amenities she borrowed to wash herself. Afterwards she took the sorcerer robe set she had been wearing and put it into the water and began washing it. When Mira was feeling refreshed enough, she wore her underwear and dress again, but held her coat in her arms as she returned to the camp. She had used Concept Arts to dry her clothes and hair, and some of the heat from that still remained on them. ¡¸This has quite the delightful smell already.¡¹ After taking some whiffs from the air, she happily mentioned that. Gilbert was already cooking the monster¡¯s meat and other ingredients, the smell of which was so good Mira¡¯s stomach was already starting to rumble. ¡¸The herbs I collected have a particr smell to them already, butbine them with a good method to cook them and it takes it to a whole new level. When these Pecot leaves arebined with meat, it gets rid of any foul odors and helps to digest it.¡¹ Gilbert was also knowledgeable about the culinary properties of nts, so he exined that with an eloquent tone. Mira only knew basic stuff like grilling, boiling and frying different things, or basically, any male¡¯s general cooking knowledge, so Gilbert¡¯s skills were deeply appreciated by her. Heinrich had been silent until then, but when he looked at Mira, he remembered something and while his face turned beet red, he took the pot and just said ¡¸I¡¯ll be going to get some water then!¡¹ and left for the fountain. (Humm, seems the impression was too strong.) Thinking that, she nonchntly took out her sleeping bag from her Item Box and ced it on the floor. Then she lied on top of it, without entering inside. Considering its resilience, it would work as a good carpet thought Mira. It was asrge as the bed she had at home, and it felt asfortable. (This truly is a good item. I shall express my gratitude to Thedrick if I meet him again.) With those thoughts circling her mind, she hadpletely switched to her homestaying mode. Still lying down, she took out the manga book she had bought in Silverside Station, passing a rxed andid back time while turning from side to side until the food was ready. When Heinrich returned from gathering water, he got agitated again seeing that Mira had gotten toofortable and had exposed her skirt again. Gilbert onlyughed. ¡¸The food is ready!¡¹ The water had been thest ingredient toplete the soup and dinner was ready, so Gilbert spoke to the other two. ¡¸We¡¯re having a feast tonight.¡¹ ¡¸Imend your cooking skills.¡¹ Heinrich put away all the swords he had taken out, Mira turned her book over, with the pages still open, then the two walked over to Gilbert serving the food, and sat close to him. With that, the night ended with a disy of closeness like that of a family for the three of them. Chapter 71: Mission Complete (1) Chapter 71: Mission Complete (1) Their night inside the Crystal Temple of the Abandoned City in the Sky passed, and the sun was already slowly illuminating more spots of the ground. Gilbert and Heinrich were about to start their preparations to begin their actual investigation of the Earth Eater phenomenon that had shown up close to there. At the same time, Mira was going to head into the depths of the temple to gather the items she hade there for, and with that their respective goals would be aplished. And in other words, it was time to say goodbye. ¡¸I feel like I burdened you two with many troubles.¡¹ Mira spoke to the two as she extended one hand to them. Gilbert had just finished checking the tools he would use for the investigation, so he firmly shook her hand back. ¡¸The same goes for us. If you hadn¡¯t been with us, we would¡¯ve had a tougher time going through the Staircase to the Sky. The fact that all the medicine I had prepared remained untouched is a happy miscalction from my part.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I feel like I was forced to endure certain stimuli, but I also am d I was able to meet you.¡¹ Heinrich blushed a bit as he replied, but his words were genuine. He also faced her straight on and shook her hand. ¡¸Well, I hope you remain in good health then.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks, same to you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll pray for your safety.¡¹ With those words, Gilbert and Heinrich left the Crystal Temple and headed into the forest. It had been a short time, but Mira had enjoyed theirpany. After watching them fade into the distance with a smile on her face, Mira headed back into the temple. Mira began descending the floors underground, which would lead her to her goal. The light from her Concept Arts shone nkly on the old, inanimate and expressionless stone walls. The sound of each of her steps on the stone stairs were repeated multiple times, fading into the darkness deeper inside. She had already gone two floors down, and was on her third one. That floor held the deepest room of the Crystal Temple, the Chamber of Intersecting Light Crystals. Mira was just one room away from it, in the Room of Purification. In the center of that room, so enveloped in darkness it was almost suffocating, stood an altar. It looked like it had been built by gouging out a spot in one of the pirs holding the ceiling, and in its center it held a single orb of stained crystal. With only the light from the Light Orb helping her, Mira arrived at the altar. There, she pressed down on the Crystal orb. As she did that, she felt like something had fallen in ce under her hands. A secondter the device was activated and a dull sound like that of countless moles digging randomly through the floor and hitting the walls resounded from all around the room. The noise crept up the walls, finally converging on a single spot and then something that sounded like a leather bag being dropped. After that, a slight breeze like a sigh blew into the Room of Purification. Mira left the altar and headed deeper into the room. There she encountered a wall built with stone blocks, an unnatural gap opened on it. The gap was big enough for a grown adult to pass through, and as she walked into it, she felt a gentle wind on her. A scent like that of a summer thicket, but also somewhat mossy, was mixed into the wind. The passage inside that gap was as wide as the entrance, continuing deeper and deeper. Mira kept walking further inside it without any hesitation, until she finally could start seeing some light trickle from the other end. ¡¸That was strangely long.¡¹ Grumbling that idleint to herself, Mira entered the deepest room and the source of that light. The Chamber of Intersecting Light Crystals looked exactly like its name suggested. The chamber was around ten meters long and wide, the ceiling almostpletely covered in crystals, and a lump of crystals asrge as Mira scrunching down stood in the center of it. Thick rays of white light could be seen, shining like pirs from the ceiling and directed towards the lump in the center. From inside the crystals, something that resembled thin shattered ss grew like branches pointing to the corners of the room, their tips shining more brightly like spots of sunlight. ¡¸Where is it now¡­¡¹ Mira began walking through the countless streaks of light filling the room, heading to the lump of crystals in the center. Certain spots on the floor had small lumps of a short grass-like moss growing on them, and from time to time drops of water would fall from the ceiling. Lured in by the light shining onto the lump of crystals, she reached her hand towards it, a gentle warmth like that of direct sunshine touching her in return. That was the light that could turn ck crystals into white ones. Thinking how to find her objective the fastest, she figured that the chances of it being close to that light were the highest. Mira pulled her hand away from the light, then squatted down and began removing the gravel, dust, and moss covering the floor. She spent longer than she wanted going in a full circle around the lump of crystals in the search of the shavings, she then put her elbows on the lump and closed her eyes, her fingers running along her chin and muttering a low grunt while frowning. She had found nothing that resembled the shavings she was looking for. But refusing to go back empty handed aftering that far, Mira squatted down again. At that moment, a strange looking patch of moss entered her view, it was taller and looked like the head of a child that just cut his hair short. Betting on that small ray of hope, she reached towards the moss, it peeled away like the bark of a rotten trunk, and under it she saw a pile of scraps that looked too fresh to be mere shavings. They had a scent simr to that of the forest of praying children, so Mira was certain that they had to be the shavings of the sacred tree. (Will these be enough to ascertain the era, I wonder.) The shavings were supposed to help infer the date when Soul Howl had visited that ce, but from the looks of them they looked like they had been made just the day before, even the grain of the wood was still visible, so Mira felt a bit unsure. But it was impossible they had been ced there just the day before, considering the moss that grew like a wig on top of them. (Well, these things are out of my area of knowledge, so I should just do what I¡¯m tasked to.) Mira quickly stopped thinking about the minor details and took out the bag she had been given and shoved the whole mount of moss with its contents into it. After a bit of searching she found another mount, so she also shoved that one inside the bag. With that, she left the Chamber of Intersecting Light Crystals without looking back at it once and returned to the Crystal Temple. ¡¸Coming here was just a bother after another though.¡¹ Now that her only goal of collecting those wood shavings was aplished, she had nothing else to do so she mounted on her pegasus and left that silent and grave-like city under her, going back to the stairs they had descended before entering the Abandoned City in the Sky. That was because she knew there was a one-way shortcut to return close there. When the stairs were just in front of her, she dismounted the pegasus and sent it home, then she walked to the side of the stairs. A dark hole,rger than Mira, was there, hidden under the shadows of the stairs. Inside the hole, there was arge dome-shaped room that housed a magic circle. Mira stepped into it without hesitation, and after a few seconds the magic circle began glowing. A floating sensation, as if gravity had just been halved inundated her body, and both the floor and she herself began sinking down. Ten minutester she had arrived at the lowest floor. Chapter 71: Mission Complete (2) Chapter 71: Mission Complete (2) The room she found herself in was empty apart from the magic circle she had just used. There was only a passage that led away from it and the sound of a water stream conducted inside through it. She walked through it, her steps reverberating on the walls. Once outside, it seems she came out of a hole to the left of the broken gates inside the cave. The shortcut to quickly go out was connected to the entrance of the Staircase to the Sky. Mira summoned her Dark Knight, and paying no heed to the monsters popping out of the darkness to attack her, she left the cave. When she was in the forest outside, a warm breeze blew over her, giving the sensation that it was melting away the coldness from earlier. A strong grassy scent attacked her nose, and while at first it was almost making her choke, after a deep breath, it turned into theforting smell of spring. But once she gets above the treetops, that scent should disappear. Mira climbed up on the back of the pegasus again and took to the skies above the forest that seemed to be enveloped in green mes while heading towards the nearest town. ¡¸What shall we do now?¡¹ A couple of minutes had already passed since she had left the forest surrounding the mountain range and was already above grasnds that extended away from it. Mira began pondering about the next steps she should take. She had two options, one was to simply return to the Station City, or go sightseeing the three strongest countries of the continent under the pretext of checking how much they had advanced. She muttered her question into the void, but once she checked the money remaining in her waist pouch, her decision was already made. (It¡¯s good to take a break every now and then. I¡¯m already here, so going to check how things changed in thirty years should be okay.) Telling herself that excuse, she changed course towards the capital of the Holy Land of Alispharius, the Holy City of Ridel. Mira began reading her manga while flying on the pegasus, and almost two hours of flyingter, she caught sight of the Holy City of Ridel like a mirage in the distance, but it looked bigger than she remembered. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I should be going in¡­ the right direction.¡¹ The map confirmed that that city was the capital of Alispharius. As Mira began smiling, her heart was filled with excitement. Seeing how the world had changed in thirty years¡ªby now, this had be Mira¡¯s main hobby. The highway leading to the capital was really wide, which was obvious considering the volume of peopleing and going into the capital of one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. Even though she was still in the air, she could see people everywhere she looked. As she got closer to the city, the highway seemed to be as filled with people as it could be, their lively voices were somewhat audible for her already. Shended in the middle of one of the prairies around the city, somewhat distant from the main highway, and from there, she entered the highway. Once she arrived at the main gates, she looked up at them while clearly feeling the liveliness around her. (It¡¯s even more wondrous when seen up close.) The pure white gates, the borders built out of stones that fit into each other perfectly, and the opened gates glinting with silver. There were many guards lined around it wearing sses, watching over all the pedestrians going in and out. But Mira¡¯s eyes were not drawn to the gate itself, they went further inside, to a curtain of light that spread like a defensive wall. That was the change in the city that differed the most from her memory. The wall that once protected the entire city was further inside from the gates now, spreading to the sides, and a new barrier created with new arts took upon the role of the old wall. The barrier swayed in the wind like a curtain in summer, a faint rainbow-like light emitting from it, giving it the appearance of a frail soap bubble. But as far as Mira knew, the Three Gods¡¯ Countries were an absolute existence. There was a story from around the time when the yer¡¯s own countries began being popr. As they increased their military and began fighting each other, the strongest of them dered war on one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, Grimdart. It ended inplete and utter defeat while Grimdart was left unscathed. After that, all of the countries decided that they would never wage war against any of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. That was just how superior those three countries werepared to any other. When Mira took quests from Alispharius herself, she was able to catch a glimpse of that power. Knowing that she was witnessing something made by one of those countries, her curiosity was piqued. ¡¸Hey hey, is it okay for me to ask a question?¡¹ Before she crossed the gates, Mira escaped the flow of people and approached one of the guards standing along the gates. ¡¸What happened, little girl?¡¹ His voice rang like a cold bell, but was also calm andposed, his face frowning just a little as he replied to Mira. ¡¸What is that wall of light thates out of the gates? Is that another defensive wall?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s called the Rampart Barrier. Only the top brass knows the details, but apparently it¡¯s an application of both Magic Engineering and Exorcism.¡¹ As he replied, his eyes wandered to the old barrier inside, as if expressing his respect to it. Mira followed his gaze, at the same time seeing the buildings that stood in that new district of the city. They were all white, while treetops of some trees scattered through the city were peeking out on some ces. ¡¸I see. Magic Engineering seems to be such a broad subject.¡¹ ¡¸Well, they even made flying ships by now after all.¡¹ His gaze returned to Mira, a friendly smile appearing on his lips. Mira just said ¡¸You have a point.¡¹ as she turned to look up at the sky, watching as some birds flew away from the sun and turned into dots in the distance. Crossing the gates, Mira took a nce at the new district while admiring the differences from the old city she knew. Alispharius had always had a religious air to it, so they used the color white a lot. From a quick nce, she could see that most of the buildings were made with white stones, the only other colors being added in was by different types of wood. One of the biggest changes in the city was that there were many Grimward trees nted here and there around the city. Grimward was a tree revered as a sacred tree in Alispharius which blossomed into vivid purple flowers during summer. In Mira¡¯s memories, it was only nted on parks or along big roads, but now she could see it between regr one or two-story houses, or even in some gardens. It was almost so frequent she thought the green might stand out a bit more than the white after a quick nce. (Looks about right for one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, it¡¯s always moving forward.) Keeping those thoughts to herself, she left the main street and began walking around, enjoying the surroundings whileparing them to her memories. Since that was a residential district, there were many children ying in high spirits. There were boys with neutral voices that had still not cracked attempting to climb up the Grimward trees as a test of courage. Girls lumped into small circles, ying and talking with dolls. But just some secondster, the boys would sit down on a bench, and the girls would run around happily. Everyone, the housewives gossiping under the trees, the artisans giving it their all working on their crafts, or even the regr citizens she crossed paths with, they all looked brimming with life in Mira¡¯s eyes. Chapter 71: Mission Complete (3) Chapter 71: Mission Complete (3) The lively and bright voices of those people were so intense that it almost made the surrounding colors fade inparison. And while it was a bit boisterous, it was also rxing in some way. Captivated by that gentle environment, Mira did not realize that she had already walked through the entire residential district and was entering the merchant district now. More than half of the scenery was also covered in white, but the people wore clothes of all sorts of colors. The flow of people was higher there, but they were all in a good mood, children running around filling the gaps between the adults. There were many youngdies carrying baskets, but there were barely any men, armed adventurers or travelers. All in all, it was a very peaceful ce. The merchant district was filled with such a sense of liveliness that it was obvious that it was a ce designed for the residents. As opposed to the shops built for outsiders right at the entrance of the city, the ones here are specialized in houseware and daily necessities. There was a strong sense ofmunity there, so it felt like everyone was a big family together. As Mira kept walking forward, she spotted multiple grocery and meat stores. Faced with multiple scents that triggered her stomach into rumbling, she offered no resistance and began stuffing her cheeks with easy to eat stuff like skewers or small dishes to satisfy her stomach. As she kept wandering around without any specific goal, she followed some children and arrived at a certain shop. Its doors were wide open and many people, mostly children, constantly entered and left. ¡¸What is this store?¡¹ Muttering to herself, she peeked inside the building which resembled a white warehouse. There was a counter there with ady wearing an apron manning it. The children would approach her, give her some money, and in return she would give them a palm-sized rectangle of some sort. One of the walls was covered with encased shelves that disyed their wares. As Mira looked through all of that, the flow of children entering and leaving did not stop. Mira took a step back and looked around, this was the only store that was mostly visited by children throughout the merchant district. Curious as to what kind of store that was, Mira followed the children and entered herself. The rest of the interior of the building was made of white stone, giving a striking impression of cleanliness. Further inside, there were countless tables and chairs lined up. As if performing some sort of rite, the children were sitting at the tables facing each other. Many of the tables were surrounded by groups of children like that, their bustling voices filling the store. Seeing the children¡¯s bursting energy, Mira was reminded of old times she had long forgotten. Days when being alongside a friend was enough to make her feel fulfilled. Filled with nostalgia and deeply emotive from watching the children, Mira¡¯s eyes began dancing around the scene,nding on a grown woman who sat with an air of dignity, who soon beganughing together with the children surrounding her. (Is that someone¡¯s custodian?) That was Mira¡¯s first thought, but seeing her sit there without much care made Mira more curious. To learn who that was, Mira approached one of the tables surrounded by children. The children were in high spirits, deeply focused on what was happening on the table, so Mira was unable to see the table through them. Mira could only stand outside, circling around the table while stretching her neck trying to catch a glimpse of the center of the table. (Nngh¡­.I can¡¯t see.) Giving up on that table, she began surveying the rest of the store. There were many other tables there, some without such arge crowd around them. She wanted to know what they were doing. Many had tried to invite her to join them, but she focused on finding a table with less people so she could watch. (Could these be¡­) Two boys were sitting on a table facing each other, holding something like ying cards spread into a fan in their hands. The table had a heap of cards, arge sheet with drawings and designs on it, and more cards ced on top of it. It was a trading card game. In the era Mira once lived in, trading card games were all done in Augmented Reality, using toy-like props to set things up, and ying out fun card battles like those seen in animes. What she had seen was enough to convince her that her guess was correct, even though the design on the table or the rules were all entirely foreign to her. (A trading card game huh, that brings me back.) A smile floated on her lips as she watched the table highly interested. However, she did not realize that the boys¡¯ hands had stopped, taken aback by the out-of-ce cute girl that had suddenly appeared there. ¡¸Nngh¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes were focused on a single card, her brows slightly knit as she grunted without warning. Wondering what had happened, the two boys looked up and down between Mira and the table, before returning their gazes to the cards they held in their hands. The card that had caught Mira¡¯s attention had a drawing depicting a person together with a name. The name read ¡ºRikka Petal Heinrich¡». It was a card of the warrior she had been together with until that very morning. (Without mistake, this is him¡­ He¡¯s been illustrated in quite the gant fashion.) Mira then looked at the other cards, seeing monster ones depicting goblins and ghouls. Still oblivious to the attention from the boys and curious to see what other cards there were, Mira began circling the table. She saw the second-inmand of Grimdart¡¯s Knight Order who she had encountered during a quest before, as well as the priest of Alispharius. But the card that caught her attention the most was that of Fist King Kojiro. That was the name of a very well-known yer. (Is this trading card game entirely based on this world, perhaps?) Having gained all the information she wanted, she raised her gaze and looked around the store once again. Doing so, she finally understood exactly what kind of store that was. Looking past the children who avoided her gaze, she saw the shelves housing the most valuable cards lined one at a time. And thedy at the counter was selling packs of five cards. It was a trading card shop. (That a game like this is bing popr¡­ Is this something other yers started as well, I wonder?) Mira was in high spirits, as if she had gone ten years back in time. She headed to the card showcase and began searching for a certain card. If there were cards of old yers, then there also had to be a card for her, who was one of the Nine Elders that were so well-known there even were ys about them. ¡¸Hmph, Creos.¡¹ The card disyed highest of all was of someone she recognized. She began walking along the shelves, searching as much as she could, but in the end, she was unable to find Danbulf or any of the Nine Elders. Chapter 72: Card Game (1) Chapter 72: Card Game (1) It did not seem like there were cards based on the Nine Elders. Feeling somewhat depressed after being unable to find a card of herself, Mira left thest shelf and headed to the counter. The packs sold there were made of paper envelopes. There was also a sign indicating that they cost 200 Rils, and the envelopes that had colorful designs on them. They were also ced in a way that invited one to pick them up. ¡¸Hoh, let¡¯s see.¡¹ Mira took one of the packs and on the front, it had a drawing of the leaders of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries which she remembered. There was also the name of the game printed inrge letters: Legend of Astelia, below it there was also the caption: The Three Gods¡¯ Heroes. As she looked along the counter, the other packs had the same Legend of Astelia title, but there was a lot of variation in the subtitles. They weremonly known as booster packs, and they looked quite simr to those she was once familiar with and used to buy, so she began smiling again as she remembered those times. (It seems to be really popr.) She turned the pack around, seeing some simple text written there: Be a god andpose a new legend with the world¡¯s heroes in your deck. The writing wasrge and exaggerated, and below it there was an indicator stating that the cards contained in the pack had an average rarity of seven. Then again, it was the kind of thing that would get children excited and Mira knew that very well. With a calm expression, Mira returned the pack to the counter, but then the pack that was beside it caught her eye. It had the subtitle: The Nova Spellcasters. The drawing was of a woman with long crimson hair, a bountiful chest and seductive red eyes. It was clearly Luminaria. (It¡¯s her without a doubt! In that case there should be a card for me as well!) If Luminaria, one of the Nine Elders, had a card, then Mira ought to have one as well. Thinking that, she took the pack and spoke to the clerk behind the counter. ¡¸Hey, can I ask you something real quick?¡¹ The clerk was shuffling through a book and sitting on a chair behind the counter filled with game mats, cases and other merchandise. When she heard Mira, she lifted her face. She had somewhat ashen hair and rather attractive features, but the bags under her eyes as if she had stayed up all night dulled them. ¡¸What do you need?¡¹ After cing a bookmark on her book, she looked straight at Mira. Hernguid eyes looked as sleepy as earlier, but her lips curved upwards somewhat, so at least she looked ready to attend a customer. ¡¸Well, I wanted to know if Danbulf is included in this pack?¡¹ Saying that, Mira ced the pack on the counter. If the card game had been invented by other yers like she thought, then the cards inside each booster pack would vary depending on the series, while also being somewhat random inside a series. So if she wanted to get a certain card, she would have to just keep buying the correct type of packs. ¡¸Danbulf? He¡¯s one of the Nine elders, so he should be in there. These other two should also have him.¡¹ The clerk had looked a bit unreliable, sitting idly behind the counter, but she was knowledgeable about the game and replied to Mira instantly. Afterwards, she also picked out two other packs from behind the counter andy them in front for Mira to see. They had the subtitles ¡ºA Lively Wind¡» and ¡ºA Tumultuous Epoch¡». Mira quickly nced at them before saying: ¡¸Then can you give me fifty of each?¡¹ Mira asked nonchntly as she fished through her waist pouch for something. The clerk was taken aback just from hearing that. 200 Rils for each pack multiplied by fifty, then multiplied by three for the different series gave a total of 30,000 Rils. That was much higher than the allowance a child would receive. As far as the clerk recalled, the only people who made those kinds of purchases were adults who got too invested in the game, or more older people who wanted to unt in front of their grandchildren. However, the clerk still told Mira to wait a moment and began counting the packs one after another and piling them up on the counter. After all, as long as Mira paid, there was no problem for the store to sell that many. The mountain of fifty packs from three different series looked out of ce in a store aimed mostly at children. Multiple people looked at the counter wide eyed when they noticed it. In more colloquial terms, that was known as being a ¡°whale¡±.1 ¡¸That¡¯ll be a total of 30,000 Rils.¡¹ When the clerk uttered those words, a wave of exmations came from the children. Yet Mira was oblivious to the fact that she had been the source of that noise. She thought it was just their usual liveliness and high spirits. After a quick nod to the clerk, Mira took out a gold coin which was worth 50,000 Rils. ¡¸Ah, let me get 20,000 Rils for change then.¡¹ After a short moment, the clerk gave her two mithril coins. She continued looking at Mira, her eyes both admiring and examining as they went over Mira¡¯s features again. In the end, she arrived at the vague conclusion that she had to be the daughter of some rich personage, but she did not press the matter any further. ¡¸Thank you for your patronage.¡¹ She just said that line in a robotic tone. Holding the paper bag containing all 150 packs in her arms, Mira surveyed the zone with the tables wanting to quickly check the cards. There was an empty table near one of the corners of the room, so she headed in that direction. In her way to the table, a childish sense of superiority filled her as the children looked at her with envy and curiosity, some even saying things like ¡¸That¡¯s so cool¡­¡¹. When she arrived there, she let the bag fall on the table and took a seat. (Now to see if I can find myself.) A feeling of wishfulness filled her, as well as a vague certainty, like the nervousness and expectation one felt moments before a lottery was drawn, an exciting feeling she had not felt since she was a child. She began taking the packs out of the bag, just like a lottery, and checked their contents after breaking their seals. It was a rare urrence for someone to buy such arge amount of packs, so a lively crowd of children had already formed around Mira, raising their voices like in a festival with Ohh¡¯s and Ahh¡¯s every time she took a card out. 150 packs was a considerable amount, so it took her around half an hour to open all of them. (Hmm, that¡¯s quite the disappointing conclusion.) Using the experience from her former days, sheid down all of the 750 cards cleanly divided by rarity level on the table. And on the right side of all of that was the single rarest card she had gotten. (Who is this? I¡¯ve never heard of this person!) The card was the triple rare Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice card. It¡¯s rarity was in third ce from the top, but she still had not found her aim, Danbulf, or any of the Nine Elders for that matter, not even their aides.
  1. Fire: We¡¯re whaling now, fellow gacha yers
Chapter 72: Card Game (2) Chapter 72: Card Game (2) From the crowd of children watching in envy, a boy walked forward. He was a well-known yer in the store, so the other kids moved aside to let him pass. ¡¸H-hey, was there a card you wanted? Maybe we can trade if I have it.¡¹ His voice had not cracked yet and it had a straightforward tone to it, but it also sounded like he pitied Mira somewhat. Hearing him, Mira lifted her face. The boy had ck hair trimmed into a bob cut and wore a knitted hat. He looked slightly older than Takuto who she met in the Requiem City of Caranach. His cheeks had a red hue to them as if he was embarrassed, but his face overall gave off the same lively impression his voice had. (Hmm, a trade huh. Considering all the cards I have, that sounds possible¡­ and I just wanted to take a look at it.) ¡¸Do you have Danbulf¡¯s card?¡¹ As soon as he heard Mira¡¯s question, his face clouded over and his shoulders dropped. His hopes of showing off to a cute girl had just been dashed. ¡¸Danbulf is, y¡¯know, one of the Nine Elders. Even if I had it, all the rare cards you have here wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡¹ The boy shook his head after looking over the cards Mira had lined up on the table and replied curtly to Mira. ¡¸Hohh, so the Nine Elders are that rare to find?¡¹ ¡¸Well of course? They are legendary cards after all. This is my first time seeing someone buy so many booster packs in one go, but this isn¡¯t nearly enough.¡¹ As he spoke, the boy pointed at the empty packs scattered around the table. One of them was turned upside down, the back showing the rarity scale of the contents, legendary being the rarest one. ¡¸And y¡¯see, they say that there¡¯s only one legendary card per thousand packs.¡¹ The other children nodded in affirmation, some adding ¡¸I gave up on finding one.¡¹ or ¡¸One must be a legend themself to find a legendary card.¡¹ and other things of the same vein. ¡¸One in a thousand packs sounds like quite the fierce odds. But hearing that only makes me crave to see it even more.¡¹ With chances so low, and if luck was not by her side, there was the possibility she would be unable to find it even if she bought all the packs in the store. Though, human nature made that an even bigger incentive for her to want to see it. ¡¸If you just want to see one, I can show you. I have one of the Nine Elders, though he¡¯s not Danbulf.¡¹ As Mira collected the envelopes with her lips pursed into a pout like a small bird, the boy spoke to her with a prideful and slightly nervous tone. The fact he had found such a rare card, coupled with his skills at the game, exined why he was respected so much by the other children. ¡¸Hohoh, now that¡¯s wondrous. Can I see it?¡¹ Feeling the admiring and expectant gaze of a girl so cute she could capture the heart of anyone at first sight, the boy¡¯s thoughts became wildly derailed while embarrassmentparable to standing naked in public washed over him. Not to mention that since Mira was sitting, her eyes were naturally upturned. He forgot how to breathe for a bit, and in an attempt to hide the redness of his face, he loudly eximed ¡¸Of course!¡¹ in reply. Probably from some sort of habit, the boy began biting his lips as he took out a box that fit nicely in his hand from the pouch fastened to his waist. The box was of a red color and had Legend of Astelia written in golden letters. It was a case for cards and most of the other children also had simr ones of different colors. ¡¸Now, watch closely.¡¹ The contents of the case were divided into different sections and as he ceremoniously grasped one card with his fingertips, he slowly pulled it out as if he was unsheathing a sword. With the same attitude as that of a professional chess yer making a move, he ced the card in front of Mira, another wave of exmationsing from the children surrounding them. The legendary card lying on the table had a gilded border, giving off an even more special shine than the triple rare card Mira had found earlier. The drawing on the card depicted a man d in pitch ck clothes and robes that covered his entire body with the exception of his eyes, giving off the appearance of a ck mummy. Under the picture, ¡®Elder Valentin of the Shadows¡¯ was written in golden letters. ¡¸Hohh, so it¡¯s Valentin. They really outdid themselves to make him look cool.¡¹ Holding the card in her hands to look at it, nostalgia from remembering the person himself filled her, a bittersweet smile taking over her face as if she was reminiscing of a person dear to her who was now far away. The boy standing in front of her was unable to take his eyes off her, seeing her expression suddenly turn so much more mature. His mouth remained half open, his thoughts in a turmoil facing the vague feelings of one¡¯s first love. (So I¡¯m ranked as highly as him. ¡®Twas a shame I was unable to see it, but I¡¯m satisfied just from knowing it exists.) ¡¸You showed me something incredible, you have my gratitude.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sure. This is no biggie at all though.¡¹ While that exchange happened, Mira held the card up and returned it to him. The boy forced his consciousness to return to him and took the card back, but due to his flustering mind, his fingers inadvertently touched Mira¡¯s hand. The warmth the boy felt ran from his fingertips and had spread all throughout his body before concentrating on his cheeks. His fingers trembled as he returned the legendary card back to the case, his face red like a ripe apple. (Now what am I supposed to do with these?) Her original goal had been different, but Mira had been able to see one of the Nine Elders at least. Now her concerns were about the 750 cards lying on the table in front of her. Mira had never been much of a card gamer, focusing more on the collecting side of things, and now after buying all of those cards, she did not feel like ying. When she looked back up, she saw all of the kids who were interested in the game. This felt like a perfect resolution for Mira¡¯s problem, so she began reordering her cards. She had already split them nicely earlier, so this pass was done in around ten minutes. She arranged them and had put one copy for each card in a paper bag, leaving the duplicates on the table. ¡¸You all, if there¡¯s a card you want, feel free to take it.¡¹ She said that while pointing to the roughly 500 cards remaining on the table. The crowd reacted in surprise but no one stood forward to take a card, the children just exchanged nces and murmured if she was being serious. ¡¸What are you saying now? It looked like you left all the duplicates here, but if you have three of these in your deck, you can win any match. Also, these are rare enough that it¡¯s better if you have multiple of them.¡¹ The boy began speaking while pointing to different cards, split into skill cards or the more rarer weapon cards. His earlier embarrassment was mostly gone now that the topic had switched to one he excelled at, his voiceing out clearly and well enunciated. He was probably right and there were many cards like those mixed into the duplicate bunch, but it mattered nothing to Mira since she had no intention to actually y the game. Chapter 72: Card Game (3) Chapter 72: Card Game (3) ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s not like I even know how to y the game. Soe and take anything you might need. Just don¡¯t start fighting for them.¡¹ When she said that, some kids were finally convinced that they could take them and began speaking to those beside them. That made even more of them to get convinced. ¡¸You know, I really think they¡¯ll start fighting. Just from a nce and anyone can tell that there are really useful cards here.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm¡­ is that so?¡¹ When the boy told her that, she realized that a firste, first serve system would eventually lead to fights between the children. So Mira took a rare card, then faced the crowd. ¡¸Is there anyone here who wants this card?¡¹ She asked the children. When they heard her, all the ruckus calmed down. A secondter one of the children said ¡¸Me¡¹, then a simr voice rang out from another part of the crowd and it was soon followed by others. (So many of them want just this single card already. My first idea was really not suited for this after all.) ¡¸Then, everyone who wants it can decide who gets it by ying rock paper scissors. The one who wins gets the card.¡¹ Once she said that, she began wondering if they even knew about rock paper scissors in this world, but before she could think too much about it, the children were already facing each other and energetically ying it out. Mira was unaware about it, but that was another game past yers had created in that world during thest 30 years. The card shop soon became a rock paper scissors tournament which quickly decided the distribution of the rarest of cards. That left the umon andmon cards remaining, but not many were interested in those, so anyone who wanted them could take them. With time, the children were either satisfied with what they received or got bored, so they thanked her and began leaving the table. In the end, only the boy that had spoken to her first remained there. ¡¸If you don¡¯t need the remaining cards, you can leave them in that box over there. Anyone can take the cards from there.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I see.¡¹ When Mira asked him what she could do with the remaining cards, the boy replied while pointing to a ck box that stood in one of the corners of the shop. It was like a recycling box for duplicate or useless cards. With the cards in her hands, she headed towards there and looked into the box. There were already around a hundred of them already there. She put her cards into it while remembering the days when she herself looked through boxes like those for cards. ¡¸Thank you for helping me so much, kid.¡¹ When she was done with that, she turned to the boy and patted his head with the smile of a grandfather spoiling his grandson. The boy stood confused at her sudden action, staring at her arm with his mouth half open. His thoughts wandered at a leisurely pace until he finally understood what she was doing. ¡¸I-it was nothing special!¡¹ He had started calming down, but his cheeks were once again flushed red. He red straight at her out of instinct, but as soon as their eyes met, he looked away and let his eyes wander around randomly in confusion. He still had not developed the courage to look straight at her. Mira however, did not heed any attention to his actions, they were the same as when she first met him after all. She just thought they were the actions of a restless boy. ¡¸Well then, I have to go before the sun sets.¡¹ With that quick goodbye, Mira began walking towards the exit. The boy watched her and seeing how she appeared to be more distant with every step she took, he raised his voice without thinking. ¡¸Hey-!¡¹ Something seemed to interrupt his voice, leaving him unsure if she had heard him or not. But she did, as she stopped her steps and turned around. ¡¸What is it, did something happen?¡¹ Her silver hair flowed behind her. Feeling her gaze like a cold spring breeze again, his heart began racing, but this time he managed to control himself. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­ Marian¡­ and you?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, now that you mention it, I didn¡¯t tell you my name yet. I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re¡­ Mira¡¹ The boy, Marian, muttered her name as if trying to digest it. Then, following the feelings that made him wish their encounter was not limited to that single day, he continued speaking. ¡¸Mira¡­ are youing tomorrow as well?¡¹ Hearing that question, Mira quickly remembered her following ns. She would be heading to the Holy Gate of the Station City to spend the night there. Then, depending on her schedule, she would be leaving towards the Arkite Kingdom at around noon. Until then, she would be sightseeing around the Station City and maybe buy some souvenirs for Solomon and the others if she could afford it. Which meant that she would already be gone from that city the next day. ¡¸I¡¯m leaving the cityter today. I won¡¯t being tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Hearing her reply, Marian hung his head down as he muttered with sadness. But a momentter he reaffirmed his spirit and lifted his face before he reached to his waist pouch and took out his case, then taking a card out from it. ¡¸I¡­I¡¯ll give you this! So¡­¡¹ So don¡¯t forget about me. He wanted to finish the sentence like that before he stopped. For him, this was the utmost he could do to express his feelings. But Mira tilted her head, unable to understand the feelings of the boy offering her such a rare and hard to acquire card out of the blue. She was satisfied having seen it, so there was no meaning for her in possessing it. So the only thing she could think of now, was that she could not possibly take something that was so important for the boy. ¡¸What are you saying, I don¡¯t-¡¹ She was about to tell him that she had no reason to take it when she finally realized Marian¡¯s feelings. His nervous behavior, his face lit like the sun in a bright red, and his will to give his most important possession to a girl. Those were the actions of a boy who was trying to show off in front of a girl he had fallen for. (I see now. It makes sense that a young boy would get so confounded after meeting a beautiful girl like me.) ¡¸Isn¡¯t that card really important for you? I can¡¯t take it. But I really appreciate the sentiment.¡¹ As Mira spoke, she extended her hand and ced it above Marian¡¯s. Feeling that sudden movement, his eyes quickly turned to their hands and his mouth began opening and closing like a fish¡¯s as he tried to find something to say, but his mind waspletely nk, so all he could say in the end was ¡¸Ahh¡­¡¹. ¡¸Grow up healthy, Marian. Listen to your parents, and value your friends a lot.¡¹ ¡¸I know! Don¡¯t talk like my grandpa now.¡¹ Mira took a step back as she smiled mischievously while saying that, in reply, Marian raised his voice just like any child would, but then averted his eyes feeling the approaching farewell. ¡¸Well then, I have to go.¡¹ ¡¸Come back sometime. I¡¯m always around here after all!¡¹ ¡¸If I get the chance.¡¹ Mira waved as she headed out the store. Marian stared intently at her until she was out of sight, as if trying to burn her image into his eyes. ¡¸I¡¯m quite the devilish woman.¡¹ Muttering that to herself, Mira climbed on her pegasus and flied away from the Holy City of Ridel. Chapter 73: Memoirs from The Journey Back (1) Chapter 73: Memoirs from The Journey Back (1) Since thest train had already departed from the Station City of Holy Gate, Mira had to spend a night there. The next day, she woke up early in the morning and began walking around the station, looking for souvenirs while waiting for the train that departs at noon. As it was the Station City of the Holy Kingdom of Alispharius, the entire building was white and the interior design resembled that of a temple, giving the ce an air of purity. However, the interior was already filled with travelers and people moving around since early in the morning, making the ce appear more lively. Amidst that, the sound of a bell rang before an announcement about the state of the trains was broadcasted. A train had arrived on the leftne. Mira had arrived there on a train in the leftne as well, and that train would be heading towards Grimdart. Her way home was in the opposite direction, so she could simply ignore that announcement. (This ce has some rather lively noises.) Mira watched an onrush of passengers to the tform as her ears caught the trio of noises formed by the steam whistle, the bell and the low rumble of multiple people walking at the same time. Seeing as most of the people in the station had boarded the train while leaving the buildingsrgely empty, Mira decided to use that moment to look at the different shops. The first store in line was a souvenir store. Whenpared to the souvenir store of the Station City of Silverside in Arkite, which was closest to this one, the items sold were entirely different. Since this was inside the Holy Kingdom, most of the items were holy books or charms with holy symbols engraved in them. ¡¸Even things like these are being sold as souvenirs¡­¡¹ Muttering that to herself, Mira took a small statue of a goddess of love in her hand and began examining it closely. The statue had peachy-colored hair and a multipleyered angelic dress, as it represented a goddess of love, the statue¡¯s face was that of a beautiful woman with a warm smile like a sunny day in spring. The carving was most exquisite and the workman¡¯s skill was apparent in multiple ces. It was a really well-made idol. She then tilted the statue a bit, muttered ¡¸They¡¯re white huh¡¹ to herself, then returned the statue to its ce before heading to the food section. One of Alispharius¡¯ most well-known produce was pure white peaches, so there were many pastries and drinks made with that on disy. (What should I buy¡­) After a look around the store, she picked up some pure white peach cookies, jam and juice of all types for everyone who helped produce the magic robe set. Afterwards, she chose souvenirs for Mariana and Creos, then some for Solomon and Luminaria, andstly some for herself as well. In total, all she bought added up to around 80¡¯000 Rils. When that was done, she just wandered around window shopping. While she was inside a bookstore, she looked around to make sure no one else was there before standing on her tiptoes trying to reach a high shelf, then she bought the follow-up volumes for the manga series she had liked out of thest batch she bought. She was really enjoying her leisure life to its fullest. As time passed, people slowly began to assemble in the station once again. When the announcement saying that there was one hour left before the train in the rightne arrived was broadcasted, Mira took it as her signal to head to the lively food aisle. ¡¸It¡¯s all white.¡¹ The white staple of the Holy Kingdom applied to even their food. She took a look around the entire ce to burn it into her traveling memories, then she bought an unusual lunch box of raw spring rolls and then added some tea she bought for 200 Rils to it. Once she had everything she needed, she began heading towards the tform only to notice she had forgotten to buy tickets. She had been so engrossed in getting souvenirs that it hadpletely slipped her mind. (Oh right, oh right.) She checked her menu to see how much time she had left, and seeing there was still more than enough, she calmly headed to buy her tickets. She lined up at the counter of a gentle lookingdy and waited for her turn. There were a couple of people ahead of her, but when her turn arrived, she began rummaging through the leather bag she used as a wallet and spoke to thedy. ¡¸I¡¯d like to buy tickets.¡¹ Since Mira¡¯s head barely peeked out from the corner, thedy thought she was a girling for an errand and unknowingly rxed her expression. ¡¸Which type? Economy, premium, or first ss?¡¹ ¡¸First¡­¡¹ As Mira counted the 100¡¯000 Rils for the fare, her hand stopped. She no longer had enough money to pay for it. (Hmphh, I spent too much¡­) Mira pouted as she examined the interior of her wallet. Mira began thinking about the card game, then the souvenirs and everything she bought. ¡¸Ah, I meant, five economy tickets please.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, that¡¯ll be 25¡¯000 Rils.¡¹ After calcting how much she would need to stay in inns for three days during her trip back, Mira bought five economy ss tickets. ¡®This is an announcement from the continental train. A train is about to arrive on the rightne, the stoppage time is one hour so please take the due precautions to board on time. This is an announcement from the¡­¡¯ As soon as the announcement was broadcasted, everyone in the station crowded together and moved as one towards the tform. Mira slipped into that crowd and arrived at the tform with them. (Hohh¡­ So this is the entrance to the economy ss section¡­I assume?) The entrance waspletely different to that for first ss. Due to therge influx of people, the economy entrance had multiple parallel divisions with devices to check the tickets almost automatically. Everyone was split into around ten lines, separated by the pir-like devices, and crossing that they finally arrived at the tform. The tform was around the size of an average school¡¯s main building, the ceiling, walls and floor covered in white stone tiles. Mira was still trying toprehend her surroundings as she was moved on autopilot joining one of the lines. There were so many people around her that she could barely see a few meters ahead of her. Mira hesitantly walked forward, her mind filled with uncertainty just like when a student joins a new ssroom and has to sit waiting for the teacher to arrive. Ten minutes passed since she began lining up. Mira was able to see that those ahead of her were sliding their tickets into a slit on the pirs that resembled the marks of an axe on a tree. That was enough for her to understand what to do, so she rxed her stiff shoulders, took out the tickets from her waist pouch and waited for her turn to arrive. (It should be pretty much the same as an automatic ticket gate.) She was convinced that someone must have used the entirely automated train stations of the real world as reference when building these. The line moved forward and it was finally Mira¡¯s turn. She kept telling herself that she just had to do the same as everyone else and it would be fine. The slit was located on a somewhat high spot, so it was hard to reach for Mira who had to lift her arms to slide her tickets in. When she did, there was a faint glow and something like a magic circle was engraved on the tickets. (Hm. I wonder what this means now.) Mira stared at the ticket, observing the faint magic power concealed in it, but she was pushed from behind and she exited the ticket gates and ended on the tform. The tform itself was built out of bare stone, and while it gave off a simple impression, it was around 400 meters from one end to the other. It was muchrger than the first ss tform. When she took a better look at it, she saw that the station¡¯s employees had made a barrier with a rope, separating the tform in two. The rope was of course, also white. (It looks really lively.) One side of that separation was stillpletely empty. Once the train was there, there could be up to a thousand people boarding anding out from the train, so that separation would help divide the flow of people to agilize the movement. The station¡¯s staff raised their voices while ordering where people should go. Mira could feel the bodily heat from all those people around her as she followed the staff orders and crossed to the other side of the white rope. Soon after she heard the steam whistle blowing from far away and slowly getting closer. Every time the whistle blew, it would sound louder until eventually it was so strong it seemed to shake all the air inside the building. The steel lotive, shaped like the helmet of a warrior that kept moving forward with nothing that could stop it, entered the station. As it braked, the shrill sound of steel rubbing against steel reverberated inside the tform, as if announcing the triumphal return of a king. Afterwards the rest of the train wagons made their entrance as well. The presence of those ck frames was truly overpowering, and while their movements seemed slow and dull, they still caused strong currents of air that wildly distorted the clothing and hair of those present. ¡¸It¡¯s quite long¡­¡¹ When it stopped everything went silent, only a low grazing noise left. Mira muttered to herself in awe, looking at the train from one end to another standing like a sturdy wall in front of her. There were ten wagons in total. The one in the front was the first ss one, then two premium ss, and the remaining seven were all economy ss. While Mira kept admiring that incredible scene, there were passengersing out one after another seemingly endlessly from the train. The entire tform was covered with people in the blink of an eye. That sea of people was then divided into two streams, one of which began leaving through an exit. People continueding out of the train for a few dozens of minutes. There were so many people there that Mira once again felt crushed, but after her experience with the crowd earlier, it was much more bearable now. ¡¸Please listen to the staff¡¯s instructions, don¡¯t push and board the train in order.¡¹ The station¡¯s staff began giving orders in a loud voice. She felt like she was participating in arge event and she followed the orders as closely as she could. The doors of the economy ss wagons wererge enough for at least three adults to enter side by side at the same time. There were also two doors per wagon, one on the front and one on the back. Following the staff¡¯s instructions, Mira boarded the fifth wagon through the front door. Once she crossed the door, she was greeted with a dank smell that was like a mixture of wood and iron. There was also a set of stairs there since the economy ss wagons were divided into three floors. Thinking the scenery would look better from a high ce, Mira nimbly climbed the stairs. Chapter 73: Memoirs from The Journey Back (2) Chapter 73: Memoirs from The Journey Back (2) The seats inside the economy ss wagon were arranged in rows of three on each side and with every four rows, there was a passage on the sides. It was the same arrangement as the seats in a ne, but the materials used were wood and fabric, so it resembled more of the waiting room of a mansion. People were taking seats at a rapid pace already, but Mira was still able to catch one beside a window. Twenty minutes passed during which more people boarded the train. At that moment, Mira caught sight from the corner of her eye ady with blonde hair standing in the corridor. ¡¸Is it okay if I sit beside you?¡¹ Thedy spoke to the charming girl with an appearance that rivaled that of cherry blossoms in full bloom, who was sitting with her cheek pressed against the window. Her appearance suggested she was in herte teens or early twenties and she wore a white and blue apron dress as well as a white cape that swayed behind her. There were also multiple ornaments sewn into her clothing which looked more like highlights than simple ornaments. It gave her get-up a bizarre look that would fit in perfectly beside the White Rabbit in Wondend. ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Mira turned her gaze from the window to thedy and replied with a clear voice. She then stretched a bit and pressed herself a bit more against the window, increasing the already sufficient space in the seats. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s action, thedy resisted heaving a sigh before she sat down beside her. When she did that, the fluttering of her clothes caused a sweet, fruity scent to reach Mira. ¡¸You know, you¡¯re pretty cute.¡¹ Thedy said that as she turned to look at Mira with a friendly smile. ¡¸Obviously.¡¹ Mira replied with a slight smile. Her own appearance had been Mira¡¯s best masterpiece, so she was never afraid to feel proud about it in front of others. But when Mira looked closer at thedy¡¯s face, the light passing through the window reflecting on her eyes and glistening like gems, her hair interwoven with the sunlight, Mira was fascinated herself. ¡¸Ahahah, you¡¯re pretty funny. I¡¯m Theresa, what¡¯s your name?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Mira, huh. Ah, can I take a picture of you?¡¹ Theresa smiled innocently as she lowered a bag from her shoulder and took a box-shaped object from it. It had a protrusion in the center housing a lens covered with a lid which Theresa then uncovered. ¡¸Hoh, is that a camera?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it is. Does it bother you?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really mind.¡¹ Mira was aware that photographs could be taken in that world, but she was still interested since this was her first time seeing a camera, hence she consented to it. Theresa smiled as she eximed ¡¸Thanks!¡¹ and took the camera. Then she put it just in front of her face. ¡¸I¡¯ll take one now~¡¹ When Mira heard that, she faced the camera and tried to strike a cool pose like she used to do during her time as Danbulf. ¡¸Ah, just try to act normal if you can.¡¹ Seeing Mira acting in such an ungirly way, Theresa frowned while slightly bewildered. ¡¸Hmph¡­¡¹ Having been captured in a photograph while not in her signature pose, Mira looked slightly displeased. ¡¸I got some really nice pictures now, thank you.¡¹ Theresa smiled brightly as she expressed her gratitude, looking honestly pleased. Mira did not smile, as she usually looked calm and serious that used to create a more striking figure after all. ¡¸I¡¯m the public rtions manager at Magical Knights. We have an exhibit soon, feel free toe check us out if you want.¡¹ She stashed the camera back in the bag, ced it on herp and fixed her sitting posture. Then she smiled and said that to Mira with a slight tilt of her head. ¡¸Magical Knights huh¡­ First time hearing that name.¡¹ Mira replied to her as her gaze escaped outside the window once again. ¡¸Err, it¡¯s the clothing brand that¡¯s trending at the moment, we focus mostly on Magical Girl style clothes, just like the ones I¡¯m wearing right now.¡¹ As Theresa exined, she spread her arms so her clothes were more visible. Urged on by her, once Mira took a better look at it, she remembered seeing multiple people wearing simr clothes in all the cities she had visited, so it was obviously a popr design. (I see, so that¡¯s where all of that came from.) Mira was amazed, almost blown away at how that trend had managed to spread to almost all cities, even if that was their goal in the first ce. ¡¸Your clothes also have a simr style, but are they custom made? I¡¯ve been intrigued by them for a while now.¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s pretty much it.¡¹ The robe set Mira was wearing had been made by the maids of the castle who had used the Magical Girl look as a basis. So in a way, they were of the same style. ¡®The train on the rightne is departing now. Please be mindful of swaying in the train, so hold onto the handrests if needed. The train on the rightne¡­¡¯ Time flew past while they were engaged in conversation, and after the chime of a bell, the announcement of the departure of the train was broadcasted. The ambience inside the economy wagons was much more boisterouspared to first ss, and many adventurers could be seen inside it. Some passengers seemed to be first-time riders as they began celebrating like in a festival as soon as the train began moving. Feeling inertia gently pressing her body against the seat, Mira continued listening to those voices that were loud but not to the point of being annoying. A short while after the train departed, the two continued talking about clothes. Though rather than a conversation, it was mostly Theresa speaking while Mira just nodded and kept her going. Hearing more of the story of the Magical Girl trend in that world was something Mira was interested in knowing more of, given that she stillcked a lot of knowledge about it. ¡¸That looks really tasty.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not giving you any.¡¹ Theresa muttered with her mouth watering as she saw Mira take out her spring roll lunch box, her eyes filled with jealousy. Mira shot her down instantly, hugging the lunchbox and turning around as if hiding it before taking a bite out of one of the rolls. Theresa had already eaten her own lunch and was now reluctantly scraping off thest remains from the corners of her box. ¡¸Seriously¡­ Alright, you can have this.¡¹ Mira saw from the corner of her eye how Theresa began looking like a puppy with its ears down and licking an empty bowl, after which she decided to offer her some of the muscat cookies she had bought at one point earlier. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Theresa took the cookies instantly and without hesitation, looking even more like a happy puppy now. (This looks really peaceful.) Looking out from the window, a forest filled the scenery, going further away and disappearing in the distance. The sky was mostly clear with a few specks of clouds sprinkled around as if put there by short brush strokes on a painting. In contrast to that, the interior of the train was still really noisy and there was the smell of alcohol wafted in the air. ¡¸I heard Fuzzy Dice appeared somewhere around Grimdart!¡¹ It was impossible to discern who had said that out of all the concurrent voices, but Mira still caught a name she had heard not too long ago. That voice was also soon overtaken by a shrill voice, but Mira remembered where she saw that name, and took out the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice card. ¡¸By the way, do you know this person?¡¹ Saying that, she showed the card to Theresa who was still stuffing her cheeks with cookies. Theresa quickly nodded, still chewing on the cookies, and then began searching for something in her bag. ¡¸Of course I know him. That¡¯s the awesome Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. He¡¯s really poprtely, there was even an event surrounding him recently.¡¹ Finally gulping down the cookies, Theresa replied as she took out a notebook from her bag, then searched for a picture in it to show Mira. The picture was of a group of around ten people, all wearing a simr costume to that in the card and wearing carnival masks. It was basically a group cosy picture. ¡¸So this is¡­¡¹ In the center of the group stood none other than Theresa. Mira was unsure what to say as she looked at everyone there, a wrinkle forming on her forehead. ¡¸Well, I see. But well, what kind of person is he?¡¹ In the end, Mira decided to not inquire about the picture, but instead showed the card more prominently and asked. ¡¸You don¡¯t know him? Well, he doesn¡¯t show up too much around here so it makes sense¡­I guess. Well then.¡¹ With that, Theresa began exining. ording to Theresa, knowing things about him was almostmon knowledge. Though, there were still a lot of points that were shrouded in darkness, and there were not many who knew the details. But that was another reason why he was so popr. What Mira learned after fishing through the many rumours and fabricated stories, was that the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice fell into the category of chivalrous thief. ¡¸A thief who punishes corrupt and viinous people sounds like quite an entric personality in itself.¡¹ ¡¸Some say that he contributes a lot to an orphanage. I adore him so much!¡¹ Theresa¡¯s voice increased in pitch like that of a maiden in love as she began pping with her legs. Seeing her acting like that, Mira returned her gaze to the card, then looking away and deciding that a woman¡¯s mind was still a big mystery to her. After that there was just some idle chatter between the two as the train continued its ride. By the time the sun was setting and the presence of night began creeping into the train like some sort of mist, they arrived at the next station. They were in the Station City of East Bad, the closest one parting from Holy Gate. Mira and Theresa went their separate ways from the station square there, Mira going in a search for an inn. Judging from the remaining money she had, her avable budget was below 10¡¯000 Rils. She had searched for inns so many times in the past that she was already used to it, so she quickly decided to stay on one called The Flowing Song, attracted by the stories sung by troubadours at the dining room. With that, the night grewte. Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (1) Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (1) After a night in the inn, a broadcast announcing the state of the trains woke Mira up instead of an rm. She then quickly prepared her things and left towards the station. There were many other travelers who began flowing out of the inn at the same time as her, but fully using the mobility granted by the sage ss, Mira was able to quickly grab hold of a window seat in the third floor of an economy ss wagon. As people gradually filled the train, the refreshing and warm presence brought by the morning sun quickly dispersed, reced by the chattering and noise of people. (They¡¯re so young¡­) As she watched how the tform on the leftne was now empty, Mira focused on the voices with a profound look on her face. ¡¸Is it okay if I sit here?¡¹ The clear voice of a man rang in her ears, clear enough that it could be easily distinguished from all the background noise. When Mira turned to look around, she saw a man holding a lute on his hand, and a woman with a hat pulled low almost covering her eyes. The seats on this train were box seats arranged in a way that two would always face each other, and the man was pointing to the seat in front of Mira. He wore a reddish brown coat, his face had naturally amiable features and his lips seemed to naturally form a smile at all times. His eyes were round and slightly drooped down, enhancing the look on his face even more. He seemed like a really friendly person, if not somewhat naive. On the other hand, the woman wore a white hat in a shape that seemed to imitate the look of cat ears. Long jet-ck hair wasing down from it which looked so delicate that even a breath could make it sway. With that said, her eyes looked empty and unfocused and while she did have well-proportioned features, her whole appearance had a sullen air to it like a cloudy night in spring. ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ After a quick nce at the two, she replied and tucked down her legs which she had stretched to her heart¡¯s content earlier. Since someone had asked to sit near her, Mira began looking around wondering if the train was already that full, and while there were still many people boarding the train, she could see that there were multiple seats leftpletely empty still. Seeing that, Mira wondered why they had gone through the trouble of asking her to sit with her if there were still so many other empty seats around. As if he had read her mind, the man plucked a string on his lute and then began exining to Mira. ¡¸I think you probably can see from my appearance, but I¡¯m a troubadour. My name is Emilio. Whenever I travel, I always like to meet new people and talk with them, so I¡¯m also interested in learning about you if you don¡¯t mind. There isn¡¯t much I can do in return, but I can y some music during a portion of this long trip if you want. What do you think?¡¹ Mira did not really have a reason to refuse. She had only thought of looking outside the window or read some manga during the five hours of the trip after all. ¡¸I don¡¯t really have any interesting stories, but if that¡¯s enough, then I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much. I ept any story no matter what it is.¡¹ Emilio expressed his gratitude and smiled more, then took the woman¡¯s hand and carefully sat down with her while watching her every step. ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ The woman said in a low voice, almost like a murmur. Her face was obviously a smile as she looked at Emilio, but to Mira, it looked like it was just something ephemeral and would vanish at any moment. ¡¸She¡¯s Rihanna. We¡¯ve been friends since we were small and now we travel together.¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ After Emilio introduced her, she put her palms on herp and said that with a beautiful voice like the chirping of a bird. But her eyes were not focused on Mira at all, instead looking at the empty seat beside her. A momentter the chime from the bell rang again to announce the departure of the train and the train began moving. Mira turned to look outside again, enjoying the moment the heavy train slowly sped up. At the same time, Emilio held Rihanna¡¯s hand and looked outside with an intense stare, as if trying to burn the scenery outside into his eyes. ¡¸Today¡¯s weather is really nice. The sky is clear and it looks almost as if we could see beyond the horizon. The rainy season is almost upon us, but it really doesn¡¯t look that way yet. There¡¯s one lone cloud up there. It almost looks like a sheep that got lost from its herd. It¡¯d be nice if it finds its way back soon. Thend looks vibrant as well, it looks like it¡¯s trying topete with the sky. Green against blue, continuing for as far as our eyes can see.¡¹ Emilio described the scene in front of his eyes as if he was talking about a piece of art. With that, the short trip alongside the troubadourmenced. ¡¸And so, what kind of story would you like to hear?¡¹ ¡¸Anything is fine. Something you experienced, something you heard, something you saw, or even just what interests you. Just anything you wish to talk about.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, in that case¡­¡¹ As the train swiftly moved forward on the rails, Mira turned her gaze from the window to Emilio. He wanted to hear a story from Mira, but Mira did not know what to talk about with a troubadour. Then he said she could talk about anything she wanted. He was looking for the small episodes in people¡¯s lives. Not heroic tales someone would narrate full of emotion, but the small stories that adorned the small corners of the heart. Those were the stories Emilio wanted to turn into songs. Since she had been told to talk about anything, Mira began talking about unimportant stories. Avoiding anything that rted to her duties or secret matters, she began talking about how she met the adventurers from ¨¦cate Carillon, how Heinrich was so easy to tease, or how she allowed her emotions to run crazy and she bought arge amount of cards. She just spoke about anything that popped into her mind at that time. Emilio listened to her stories seriously with a look of true interest while smiling from time to time and ying a short tune on his lute. Rihanna¡¯s face would sometimes take a motherly, if not characteristically femenine look herself. ¡¸Thank you very much, that was really worthwhile to listen to. In return, if there¡¯s a song you¡¯d like to hear, feel free to request it. Or if instead you¡¯d like to know something, you can ask as well. I¡¯ll reply as best as I can with my knowledge.¡¹ When Mira paused her narration, the two spoke about how they had been wandering around the continent for around a year. Since they had visited so many ces, they knew about many different stories from all over the ce. Emilio spoke the most about that, while Rihanna only sprinkled a few words here and there. Hearing Mira¡¯s story, Emilio was able to guess that Mira was looking for something through her travels, so he offered to share any information he knew. For Mira, that was the best thing he could have offered. So she took out the letter she had received from Solomon at the Union and went over the numbers again. ¡¸Then, could you tell me if you know of anything that happened in any of the dates I¡¯ll say? It doesn¡¯t matter how small or big of an asion it was.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I don¡¯t mind trying.¡¹ ¡¸Here it goes then, September 20th, 2117; June 18th, 2132; and January 14th, 2138.¡¹ After Mira read out loud the dates at which the Nine Elders appeared in that world, Emilio began pondering about them while lightly scratching at the body of his lute, a habit he had of doing every time he was in deep thought. At that point of the trip, the economy ss wagons had calmed down a bit from all the chattering, but it was still rather lively and every now and then, a few voices would sound louder again, before receding like waves. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, no matter how hard I try to remember, I can¡¯t think of anything surrounding the first two dates.¡¹ Having finished his thoughts, he plucked a string and said that, then plucked again when he finished his sentence. ¡¸Hmm, I gather you do know of something that happened on thest date then?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s nothing really important, but there¡¯s one thing I do remember. The 14th of January in 2138 was just one year after the Armistice Treaty was signed, right? And if I remember correctly, some days after that anniversary, I heard that an orphanage had been built to adopt a few dozens of orphans left by the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. The ce was a small town without a name somewhere in northeastern Grimdart.¡¹ The existence of that orphanage was a story that had left a strong mark in Emilio¡¯s memories, even with all the stories he regrly heard. There was even a hint of deep respect as he spoke about it. But such a story would also be considered quite unimportant normally and not given much attention. It was something that happened far in the countryside of a tiny town. In Emilio¡¯s case however, that expression of kindness left a strong impression in him, so that was the first thing he remembered. ¡¸An orphanage, huh¡­¡¹ Muttering that, Mira looked down at the piece of paper again. The corresponding line read A 1, 14, 2138. The A was the initial of a name, and there was only one Elder whose name began with A. (Artesia, huh. That does sound like a really usible scenario. Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (2) Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (2) The Elder of the Tower of Saints, Mira¡¯s rival, Artesia. After having a miscarriage in the past, she became extremely indulgent and fond of children, and from what Mira remembered, she would go as far as building an orphanage for children forced to live in the streets. Adding to that the fact that she is very powerful in this world, as one of the Nine Elders, she could obviously take it upon herself to rear the lives of ten or twenty children. ¡¸Would you look at that, you just told me something really useful.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s really nothing much, I¡¯m just d I was of help.¡¹ Mira thanked him for telling her such valuable information and in reply, Emilio began plucking on the lute strings again, his heart pounding at the fact that someone had liked a story that had left such a strong impression in him. His plucking turned into a song and soon a cheerful piece that seemed to show his actual feelings filled the wagon. The song was rather pleasant and Mira began letting her mind wander with it as well, rxing her shoulders and letting her body sink deeper into her seat. At one point her gaze suddenly met Rihanna¡¯s. There was still some of that cloudiness left from when they met, but she was also smiling slightly, like a night-blooming cereus. She enjoyed Emilio¡¯s song, so she inadvertently let the moon shine on her lips. Rihanna¡¯s hand was also tapping the rhythm on her thigh and if the two of them were seen from a distance, they might look like a married couple that had been together for a long time. As the music kept warming her mind, like a recently lit firece, Mira began pondering more about Rihanna¡¯s gaze. It was empty. It almost looked like her eyes had been simply ced there, not to see anything, but simply to face one way or another. (Could this person be¡­) Mira began observing her eyes more closely, then waved her hand to see if there would be any reaction, but Rihanna showed none, simply keeping on with the rhythm of the lute. An ufortable feeling began creeping into her mind as Mira turned her gaze back to Emilio. Emilio noticed Mira¡¯s questioning eyes switching to him from Rihanna, and guessed what she was thinking. Bringing an end to the lighthearted music from his lute, he nodded slightly. ¡¸Yes, as you¡¯ve noticed, Rihanna¡¯s eyes can¡¯t see.¡¹ As he said that, he gently took hold of Rihanna¡¯s hand. Rihanna took his hand and nestled her shoulder against him. ¡¸So that truly was the case.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the aftermath of an illness she fought.¡¹ ¡¸That must¡¯ve been hard¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s heart constricted after realizing the painful truth behind the darkness hidden in Rihanna¡¯s smile. A rare disease had been the source of it. Getting it treated meant that she also lost her sight and afterwards, her spirit crumbled and everyone would only speak to her out of pity. But there was just one person who spoke to her of other things. That person was Emilio. He was her childhood friend and had be a troubadour following his father¡¯s lead. He would sit beside the depressed Rihanna, ying his lute and singing adventurous bads day in and day out. As the days passed, Rihanna began reacting from time to time. She would say things like ¡¸You¡¯re off-tune.¡¹ or ¡¸You¡¯re fumbling your words.¡¹ They were all rather sharp remarks, but he would keep repeating the same part until it sounded good. Things continued like that until Emilio had sung about all the stories he knew. ¡¸I want to make my own songs now. So I¡¯m going to travel.¡¹ When he said that, Rihanna just turned around and said ¡¸Do whatever you want.¡¹ But when she heard his next sentence, she turned around and pointed her unseeing eyes at him. Emilio had said ¡¸I want you toe with me.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re always hearing my half-baked songs and point out any mistakes straight away. My songs will never beplete without you.¡¹ At first Rihanna shook her head refusing, but Emilio kept insisting until he seeded in taking her with him. After that they traveled in the train wherever they could and made that time into songs. That was how they met Mira as well. ¡¸But thanks to that, I get to touch Rihanna like this without any consequence.¡¹ Saying that in a yful manner, Emilio stretched an arm and wrapped it around Rihanna¡¯s shoulder, then began moving his hand as if he was trying to take something off her. Rihanna said nothing, only pinching his hand in return. ¡¸Ouch ouch ouchhh.¡¹ ¡¸I guess you reap what you sow.¡¹ Having his flesh twisted like that, Emilio cried in pain, single-handedly sedimenting the aura of a married couple they already had. The effect was tranted to the lute as well, which began ringing in dissonant tones. ¡¸Anyway, let me y something tomemorate our meeting.¡¹ Recovering in an instant as if nothing happened, Emilio began plucking at the strings once again with one hand while holding Rihanna¡¯s hand with the other. This time it was not in the yful manner from earlier, but it was like a ceremony of sorts, as if he was transmitting his feelings directly to her. As the lute produced those warm melodies, Emilio joined in with his clear voice and sang together with it. The song he yed so lovingly was truly celebrating their meeting, as well asying the bittersweet path the two of them would be leading in the future. It was a song about the times Emilio and Rihanna spent when they were young, the story of a small adventure the two had before Rihanna fell ill when they both could see everything in the same colors. Their childish and slightly mischievous tale ended and the lute¡¯s notes began fading out before ending the song with a high pitched note from a single string. At the same time Mira began pping and other people scattered throughout the wagon who were also listening joined in with more ps. ¡¸That was a good song. It reminded me of the time when I was still small.¡¹ ¡¸Err¡­ thank you very much.¡¹ Emilio was befuddled as to what Mira could mean with ¡¸When I was still small¡¹, but he still appreciated the sentiment. ¡¸Hey Rihanna, what happened just now?¡¹ Looking a bit to the side, Mira saw Rihanna hanging her head low trying to hide her eyes. Her shoulder was shaking slightly as if trying to resist something without lifting her face at all. Then finally, a tear fell onto herp and hands. She was crying. The tears fell without stopping, assembling on the back of her hand. Emilio put his hand over hers, grasping it tightly as if protecting it from the tears. ¡¸What is it Rihanna? I¡¯m sorry if you disliked that song.¡¹ He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently spoke to her, almost in murmurs. Mira was rather confused seeing the sudden tearsing from her. ¡¸I¡¯ve changed. I¡¯m not the same as back then, I can¡¯t see the same world as you. Not even that, nowadays I¡¯m nothing but a burden on you. If I wasn¡¯t with you, you¡¯d easily be able to go see even more of the world. I don¡¯t want to be a bother to you anymore.¡¹ That was Rihanna¡¯s confession. After one year of traveling together, Emilio had always been escorting her. Not even that, it was almost to the point of taking care and protecting her from everything, it was just really exhausting work. Emilio had a dream, to travel through the entire world and then make a masterpiece that would be sung everywhere. He always spoke about it and it still held true to this day. But Rihanna felt like she was just hindering him from achieving that goal. As long as he had to watch over her, he would be unable to travel everywhere he wanted. But Emilio would never cast her aside, she was fully aware of his kindness since she knew him since they were small. That was why she gave in to his suggestion, but giving in also slowly began piling up guilt like mud in a corner of her heart. And now that mud was overflowing. ¡¸Now I can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re not with me and there are even times when I hate how you keep talking about a world that I can¡¯t see anymore. But in the end, I feel the worst about myself for thinking that way in the first ce. If I stay with you, I¡¯ll definitely be a horrible person¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s why¡­you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore.¡¹ Tightly closing her eyes, epting the fact that she might be hated, Rihanna listed all her regrets one after another. But what she heard next, after resolving herself and stiffening her body, was the sound of the lute. At first it was lone notes that seemed to be trying to prepare a speech, but the melody slowly grew moreplicated, then Emilio joined with his voice. The song was about the days he had spent with Rihanna. How the days they spent without doing anything special were happy times for him, how being with her made him happy, telling her that being at her side was enough for him. It was the type of song that the listener might get embarrassed hearing, but Emilio just continued with it. When the song was over, only thest notes remained ringing in the air. Before theypletely faded out, Emilio slipped into them and muttered something. ¡¸Back in the day I never understood what a love song was, but now I do. And that¡¯s thanks to you. Because you were with me, my horizons have broadened.¡¹ Large tears that seemed about to break apart fell from her eyes. Emilio hugged her shoulder and tightly grasped her hand. (For a moment I thought that would turn into a fight¡­ but it seems she¡¯s calmed down now.) Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (3) Chapter 74: If You Could See Love (3) After seeing her lose her temper after suddenly starting to cry, Mira felt a bit out of ce, but she became relieved after seeing them hug each other. Rihanna was still crying, but her tears now were different, they seemed warmer somehow. ¡¸No, I really shouldn¡¯t. I know you¡¯re a very kind person and you¡¯d never abandon me, but that¡¯s why I shouldn¡¯t just give in.¡¹ Saying that, she pushed him back as if trying to resist something. Her limbs were trembling, conflicted and afraid of throwing her feeling of guilt away. She turned her vacant eyes straight at him, countless tears dropping from them. ¡¸I¡¯ve never once thought of you as a burden, and I¡¯m happy just being able to help you. So, it¡¯s really nothing you should be worried about.¡¹ It had subsided for a moment, but their discussion resumed again. Mira was unsure on how to react since she always had problems talking in matters of love or romance. She would just remain silent and hope that if they did decide to go their separate ways, at least it would not be in a ce that would leave such a bad aftertaste like this. But considering the matters involved, there was no telling how things would go. In either case, the first thing Rihanna should do would be to calm down. It was obvious she was letting her emotions get the best of her. Mira decided to deploy a Binding Arcana Circle on the empty seat beside her. Seeing the soft glow of the magic circle, Emilio closed his mouth and looked at it instinctively. Mira rolled back the Binding Arcana Circle and morphed it into a Rosario Summoning Circle, then in a chanting voice, Mira spoke: ¡ºIf you can hear my voice and if my thoughts reach you, I pray for you to wake up. I want to hear your voice, I want you to sing for me. So I may hear that voice that¡¯s sweet like a bell once more, I wish you to be here.¡» When her summoning voice reached the magic circle, a sparkling shine like fragmented sunlight came forth from it as the High-ss Spirit Leticia, skillful in songs and melodies since her time in the academy, materialized from it. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Master.¡¹ Once her eyes met with Mira¡¯s, she said that together with a cute smile. On the other hand, Emilio stood dumbfounded looking at her, while Rihanna felt bewildered suddenly hearing an unknown voice from so close. To top it off, the other people in the wagon, mostly men, began stirring up noise again at the sight of Leticia¡¯s sudden arrival and her scantily d body. ¡¸Umm, Mira. Who is this¡­¡¹ After a moment of confusion during which it seemed he had forgotten how to speak, Emilio asked as he looked at Leticia. ¡¸She is Leticia. If you¡¯re a troubadour you should know about her, she¡¯s a spirit of sound.¡¹ After she said that, Mira turned to Leticia and quickly requested a song. The song¡¯s name was ¡ºNocturne of Lovers¡». It was a songposed to express the grief of two lovers who were unable to meet each other. ¡¸Your request will be fulfilled promptly.¡¹ After her reply, harmonically ovepping melodies beganing forth from her wings, then her singing voice that¡¯s soft like a whisper but still clearly projected resounded through the wagon. Seeing the solo concert that suddenly began, all the other passengers stopped talking and listened in silence with their minds charmed by her. ¡¸So this is the song of the sound spirit called the Oracle of Harmonics¡­¡¹ Amongst the troubadours, sound spirits were regarded almost as gods. When Mira exined who Leticia was, Emilio felt like it had to be some sort of joke, but after hearing her performance, it cated all doubts in his heart with overwhelming certainty. Unconsciously, Emilio began shedding tears as the music prated deep into his heart and those colorful melodies painted with their tones everywhere they could. ¡¸Sound¡­ spirit? This song is truly beautiful.¡¹ Rihanna¡¯s eyes could not see Leticia, but the song had poured into her heart that was shrouded in darkness, slowly releasing gentle beats there. (It looks like that managed to calm her down a notch or two.) Her mind lost in the song, Rihanna¡¯s hand began tapping the rhythm on herp once again. On the other hand, Emilio took out a piece of paper and began writing something down. His expression looked serious but also slightly embarrassed, and from time to time, his eyes would shift to Rihanna with a kind look on them. When Leticia¡¯s performance was over, the wagon was filled with ps and cheering. Some passengers from the floor below came up wondering what was going on and just stood there with their heads tilted. ¡¸Thank you so much, thanks a lot.¡¹ The spirit with a voluptuous body and thin clothes smiled brightly as she looked around, waving her hand in return to the ps. A really puzzling scene if one were to watch only the end of it. ¡¸Alright! I got it!¡¹ As the wagon was still filled with cheering for Leticia, only Emilio said something else as he lifted the piece of paper high in the air with a satisfied look on his face as he nodded. ¡¸What did you do?¡¹ Rihanna asked after distinguishing Emilio¡¯s voice through all the other voices around them. Emilio gently took her hand and replied, ¡¸A song for now and times toe.¡¹ Emilio looked straight at her as he said that. He let go of her hand and took hold of his lute before beginning to y again. Like before, it started with just the lute before Emilio joined with his voice. His words were full of strong emotions even with all the noise around, the isted versesing one after another like frames in a slideshow. His new song, filled with his feelings for Rihanna flowed nicely and felt good. Then at one point, a new melody took over, the inspiration for which hade from Leticia. All the sound coalescing one after another formed a beautiful harmony which elevated his singing all the more. This song was one he had made by simply putting all the emotions he felt during his train rides and the sceneries he saw until then together. As if it had been around him all that time, always circling him, even in the sceneries that floated in his mind when he closed his eyes. A song which represented that. The end of the song arrived. There was pping again, this time for Emilio. There were many passengers, so Emilio looked a bit embarrassed as he bowed in thanks. ¡¸Your songs are beautiful after all.¡¹ ¡¸That was a very pretty song~¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you came up with something nice.¡¹ He looked d after beingplimented by Rihanna, indebted for beingplimented by Leticia, and embarrassed beingplimented by Mira. He said ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ while apanied by the plucking of his lute. ¡¸I was able to write this song because you were with me.¡¹ Saying that, Emilio took hold of her hand again as he put his other hand on her shoulder. He looked straight into her eyes, even if they could not see him back, he still stared into them. ¡¸I saw the world this way because you were with me. It doesn¡¯t matter how colorful a scene is. If you¡¯re not with me, all the colors will fade and grow dull. That¡¯s why I want to be with you forever.¡¹ Those were the honest feelings Emilio had been amassing until now, since even before they went traveling. Atst, his feelings were finally transmitted to Rihanna as well. ¡¸But there¡¯s still your dream! I can¡¯t allow myself to hinder you from it, that¡¯s why!¡¹ Even then, Rihanna pushed his hand away and turned her head, telling him to cast her aside. But her face expressed her powerlessness as well as her true feelings and how much she actually wanted to be close to him, fear caused by her conflicting will. Herck of sight put her at a heavy disadvantage. But Emilio ignored all the excuses Rihanna came up with, already resolute in his decision as he held her shoulder with more force and smiled trying to remind her of all the happy memories they shared. ¡¸I don¡¯t know the hardships of not seeing as well as how insecure you must feel. But please listen to my feelings. I¡¯ll repeat it as many times as I have to, I want you to be with me. I¡¯ve always been by your side and if you can¡¯t see anything, then I¡¯ll just sing to you the things my eyes see. So please listen to me. I want you to always be here listening to my songs.¡¹ Emilio kept telling her of his pure and honest feelings. He then took his lute and slowly began to sing. This time he was improvising, a very simple andmon, but still very sweet song in which he kept telling her he wanted to marry her. Leticia began singing as well, ying a hymn. It was one of the typical wedding songs in that world. It was a song that soundedpletely different from Emilio¡¯s improvisation, but somehow through her powers as a sound spirit, they mashed well together and sounded like a single, cohesive song. The two songs revolving around each other like a double helix of warm and gentle melodies. Mira¡¯s Mood: I feel like listening to Horie Yui ¨C ?Kimi no soba ni (At your side)! Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (1) Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (1) After thest notes of the sudden concert, the wagon returned to silence. The feelings poured into the song were so straightforward that it was almost embarrassing if one paid too much attention to it. But when the song was over, no one raised their voices, all their eyes were just focused on a single blind girl. ¡¸¡­Ther¡­¡¹ A few words trickled from her mouth, so faint that their meaning remained unknown. Her plump and peachy lips were still trembling while trying to convey her words. ¡¸Rihanna. I love you. That¡¯s why I want to be with you.¡¹ He had repeated those words countless times during his song, but Emilio said them again, stressing every word as if to carve them onto her heart. ¡¸I want¡­ to be together¡­ I want to stay with you!¡¹ Her voice quivered, unsure for a brief moment, but then she shouted, throwing away her anger, her anguish, and her powerlessness. An instantter, Emilio was hugging Rihanna. As he pulled her closer, the distance between their lips decreased, as if they were pulled towards each other, until they touched. A momentter, the wagon was filled with apuse and cheering which came so naturally, it almost seemed like it had been arranged beforehand. Hearing all that, Rihanna grasped the situation she was in and hung her head down as she blushed a bright red. Emilio took hold of her hand, grasping firmly but still gentle, and loudly replied with ¡¸Thank you!¡¹ ¡ºIn half an hour, the train will arrive at Rock Field station. Make sure to take all of your belongings when disembarking.¡» Amon sense of unity filled the wagon as that monotone broadcast rang. It served as a signal for everyone to return to their seats while sending a few words to the couple¡¯s way. Some congratted them, others seemed slightly envious, but in general, they all had a good time. ¡¸Well, you worked hard.¡¹ ¡¸But Masterrrrrr~ I still want to sing more for Master!¡¹ Since she had already served her purpose, Mira attempted to send Leticia away, but she wriggled her legs while protesting. ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s a lot of people around here, so next time.¡¹ ¡¸Ughh~ I¡¯ll make sure you keep your word.¡¹ Saying that with a pout, light enveloped Leticia¡¯s body as she disappeared back to her ce, together with the cries of a group mostlyposed of men. Emilio who had his hands full dealing with Rihanna until then was freed a little as he vehemently questioned Mira. ¡¸By the way, that person just now was a diva, right? Does that mean you¡¯re a summoner?¡¹ Sound Spirits were entities akin to deities amongst troubadours. She was reminded of that fact when she saw how Emilio was looking at her with a meek and timid expression, awaiting her answer. That also felt like a good opportunity for her. She leaned her body against the window, resting one elbow on the sill with her chin atop her hand. At the same time, she spread her legs open, cing her free hand on her thigh. Narrowing her eyes which gave her aposed air around her, the most imposing posture she knew wasplete. ¡¸That¡¯s correct. You certainly witnessed an example of my summoning skills right now. Quite breathtaking, was it not?!¡¹ ¡¸Divas are high ranked spirits, so if you were able to summon one¡­ You¡¯re really amazing!¡¹ Emilio praised Mira as the top notch performance of the spirit still echoed in his ears. Mira rxed her body more, her limbs spreading further apart, pleased in the effect she had produced. This was one step forward towards the revival of summoners. ¡¸You mean that other tune that wasbined with your lute earlier? It was really beautiful, though I like your lute better.¡¹ ¡¸Rihanna¡­ Thank you. I also like you better.¡¹ Their hands were still intertwined. Emilio looked at her as she turned her head as well, her unseeing eyes returning the gaze. There appeared to be something like a barrier firmly cast around the two. Mira did not intrude in their domain of love, instead maintaining her pose as she idly sipped on some sweet berry ale, her pride only slightly hurt. (I swear, youngsters these days. They just kissed and now they want to go at it again?! This is outrageous, truly outrageous!) There was a part of her that wanted to congratte them as well, but she continued to watch the two absorbed in their own world half out of jealousy. Eventually the couple came out from their own little world. Afterwards, they told stories of their travels, tasty food they had, or what inns were not well-known but really good to stay at. At around that time¡­ ¡¸Excuse me, we¡¯re checking all of the passengers¡¯ tickets.¡¹ Saying that, six officers entered the wagon and began checking the tickets of every passenger one after another. Every station would ce a seal on the tickets when boarding which would then be collected when disembarking. If one were to stay on the train until the next stop, they instead would either get another ticket sealed or pay for a new one. The officers were already used to doing that, so they moved swiftly until one of them arrived at the row with Mira and the rest. ¡¸Can we check your tickets please?¡¹ The officer said with a smile on his face. Emilio went first, showing him his and Rihanna¡¯s tickets and said ¡¸We¡¯ll disembark here¡¹, the officer thanked him and looked over at Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ll continue here.¡¹ Mira mimicked what the other passengers were doing and handed him the sealed ticket as well as a new one. ¡¸Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy your trip.¡¹ The officer said that as he put a seal on the new ticket and returned it to Mira, then proceeded to the next row of passengers. ¡¸Mira, where are you going?¡¹ ¡¸To a station called Silver Side if I recall correctly.¡¹ Emilio casually asked her in an attempt to resume their conversation. Mira had been examining the new seal that was shaped differently from that of the earlier station, then replied as she put it in her waist pouch. ¡¸You two will be disembarking here, yes? Then that means this is our farewell.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s true. Somehow it feels more lonely than usual.¡¹ Emilio had already spoken with dozens, perhaps hundreds of people. He had grown attached to many of them as well, but was always aware that they would eventually say goodbye. But this time, he was uneasy, filled with arger sense of loss unlike before. It was maybe because he had connected with her in a different way or because she had given him a chance to express his feelings, but Mira had left a stronger impression in him. ¡¸If fate wishes it, we will meet again.¡¹ Seeing how Emilio was struggling to cope with the farewell, Mira told him expecting to cheer him up. Hearing her, Rihanna turned her head around for a bit trying to focus it on Mira and nodded epting her words ¡¸For some reason, I feel like we will meet again.¡¹ She gently rxed her face, saying that in a tone that made it clear she firmly believed the words she said. Emilio nodded fervently as well, agreeing with her. ¡¸I also think so. I¡¯m sure one day, somewhere.¡¹ He looked at Mira for a moment, carving her figure into his mind while imagining how they would meet again, as his hand slid naturally to his lute and began ying. A slightly mncholic but filled with hope tune rang out. Shortly after that, the train began decreasing in speed. They had arrived at Rock Field, the station on the border of Alispharius. ¡¸Well then, really thank you very much, Mira. It was thanks to you and the diva¡¯s support that I was able to build up my courage.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just d I was of help. Though, all of that was inside of you already, so make sure to treasure those feelings.¡¹ ¡¸Of course.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, thank you Mira.¡¹ It was a special day for them. Their hearts have finally connected in their way to Rock Field. As they began descending the stairs of the wagon, Emilio had a refreshingly happy expression. Rihanna also looked different from the time when she boarded, as she bowed onest time, she was smiling brightly like a summer day in June, the sun in her face had finally moved on to the next season. (Her appearance changed quite a bit in thest five hours.) Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (2) Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (2) A new phase was starting between the two as they left, their hands locked tightly like the gears of a clock. She saw them off as she thought that, then began thinking what inn she should use and othermon thoughts like that as she sat down again. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she felt like the seats were more empty now as she nced out the window. Emilio¡¯s confession and how his feelings were replied to kept reying in her mind, making her think how sometimes scenes directly out of a TV drama could happen in reality. Reminded how this was reality now, and that everyone here were leading actual lives, Mira looked down at her slender hands, touching them to let the feeling confirm she was alive, then deciding to print every story, past and present, into her mind. As the departure time approached, the train became filled again, two new people sitting in front of her. One of them was an experienced adventurer, apanied by aplete novice one. The beginner looked out the window and reacted excitedly seeing everything from a high viewpoint, but the experienced one scolded him and said to not cause a ruckus, then apologized to Mira, but she replied that she did not mind and then exchanged a few more casual lines. When the train departed, the scenery stretching out far away from the window began panning by. The green grass spread out as well, seemingly dissolving into the blue sky far in the horizon, drawing a fragment of a transparent rainbow there. Two nights from then, Mira arrived at the Silver Side station, which was the closest one to Lunatic Lake. There she stayed one night at the Starry Night Manor inn, which was more expensive than the average inn, but it was Mira¡¯s favorite. The next morning the broadcast announcing the state of the trains rang. Mira was still fast asleep, and since she had just gotten back, she found the noise too bothersome so she hugged her nket and returned to the world of her dreams. After repeating the same process for at least three times more, Mira finally crawled out of her bed and used her fingertip to tap the bell used for ordering breakfast, then began herte morning preparations. The day¡¯s breakfast was made up of dishes she was very familiar with, so she dly chewed through it, then topped it off with a ss of green tea. With that done, she left her room. ¡¸Thank you for your patronage.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thanks for having me.¡¹ The receptionistdy had been the same each time she came there, so when Mira spoke to her, she dly agreed to arrange her hair into cute twin tails, which dangled behind her as she left the establishment. Mira waspletely full of herself with how perfect she looked, but when summoning Pegasus she always looked for a ce devoid of people. She was still looking around for a good ce when- ¡¸Excuse me. I presume you¡¯re Danbulf¡¯s pupil Mira, can you spare a few minutes?¡¹ A man who was seemingly waiting for her in front of the inn called her as soon as he recognized her and came running. ¡¸That is me indeed, but who are you?¡¹ His appearance suggested he was still one step before entering his midlife, but he had slight wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, and when he bowed as he spoke earlier, the hair on the top of his head was thinning in a way reminiscing of a field with failed crops, so it was hard to determine his actual age. He wore a snappy butler¡¯s suit, which was ck just like his hair. ¡¸I was about to exin that, but there¡¯s a lot of people in these streets so shall we find a calmer ce to talk first?¡¹ Looking around, bothered by the crowded street, he suggested that. Since he was aware that Mira was a wiseman¡¯s pupil, she figured he had something important to say so she nodded. The two left the crowded main streets and walked until they were in a more secluded ce where they faced each other again. ¡¸Sorry for making you follow me all the way here, but I¡¯ll answer your question now. I¡¯m employed by a certain person, who happens to be a wiseman¡¯s pupil just like you are. I have a letter to deliver to you, but basically it¡¯s an invitation to meet together. The details are written on the letter, but I hope you can meet up with my master.¡¹ The man iming to be working for a wiseman¡¯s pupil bowed as he said that. ¡¸A wiseman¡¯s pupil? Are you saying there¡¯s another one apart from me? Then, whose pupil is he?¡¹ After a nce at the man¡¯s head, she asked that. From the information she had gathered so far, none of the wisemen had pupils, and even if there was one, Solomon was sure to have known about it. So Mira wondered who it could be as she stared daggers at the man. ¡¸I¡¯m terribly sorry. My master is incredibly reserved and dislikes using power to aplish any means, so I can¡¯t reveal either of their names. I know this is really rude, if you want to know more just read this.¡¹ With that, the man took out a carefully sealed letter from his pocket and offered it to Mira. ¡¸Hmm, I guess it¡¯s someone who already retired then.¡¹ Either way, she would know which wiseman it was once they met. And excited at the prospect of another pupil, or to be precise, the only pupil¡¯s existence, Mira epted the letter. ¡¸If you¡¯ll excuse me now.¡¹ With thosest words, the man bowed deeply before disappearing back into the crowd. Mira watched him go, then carelessly opened the letter there. ¡ºPlease excuse this sudden and ill-mannered letter. When I heard there was another pupil just like me, I was unable to contain myself and decided to contact you. Due to certain circumstances I cannot show myself in public. I am deeply aware of how much of a nuisance this is, but I would love it if we could meet at the ce detailed below. Location: The abandoned garden on the southwest of Silver Side I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡» The letter read like that. Mira returned it to its envelope and stashed it away in her waist pouch before taking out a map. (Hmmmm, an abandoned garden, huh. ording to the letter it should be somewhere around here¡­) Back when she was in this world as a game, Silver Side did not exist, so she was unusually slow at grasping the cityyout as she took guesses at the rough location of the garden. (Either way, I wonder what kind of person it is. It would be nice if it could be a cute girl.) If she was an actual pupil of a wiseman, then there was also a high possibility they would know where the missing wisemen could be. That they refused to show themselves in public still bugged her, but if it was true, then she might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Mira summoned Pegasus on a back alley, then mounting it flew towards the garden. The abandoned garden was the ruins from a vi owned by a feudal lord, which once went through a phase of prosperity before it fell to ruin. Though it all happened even before the past Mira knew. About ten minutes passed as she flew while keeping a close eye at the map. She arrived at a thin forest, with trees scattered like stubble. In the center of it, a fallen down mansion that was rotting. The abandoned garden spread out behind it. Mira indicated Pegasus to slowly decrease the altitude until shended on the backside of the mansion. Pegasus brought its face closer to her as she petted it, then Mira finally looked around the garden. Back when the ce was in its prime, the garden would have looked splendid with all sorts of luxurious decorations, which would have been costly just to bring to such a remote location. But now the ce had no resemnce to its former self, overgrown with unknown weeds that took the ce for themselves and spread their roots even on the paved paths. Abandoned was a fitting adjective for the ce. ¡¸Now, where is it?¡¹ Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (3) Chapter 75: Waiting in the Garden (3) Mira took out the letter again and read its content. It only mentioned the abandoned garden, there was no word as to where in it to wait. The garden wasrge enough that walking from one side to the other could take around twenty minutes. She tried to take another look around, but the weeds under her and the trees interrupted her view. However, through the gaps in the trees she still caught sight of a small hill built of stone that could be used as a vantage point. Even from this distance it had made its presence be clearly felt. ¡¸Alright Pegasus. Let¡¯s head to that little mount.¡¹ Mira climbed back on Pegasus saying that. Pegasus neighed happily as its body elevated over the treetops. That ce was built differently than the other paved ces, given that it was not overrun by greenery yet, though there were stone bricks scattered around it. Once upon a time, it would have been the perfect ce to spend a good time looking at all the beauty around it, but now it gave off the impression of being stranded alone in the corner of an unknown world. (Well, if I stand here they should be able to see me. I was invited here so that¡¯s the least they should do for me.) As far as she could see, there was no one else there. After sending Pegasus off, Mira sat down at a fallen down stone pir lying close there. It was not pleasant to sit on, but it was the best substitute she had for a chair. Other than that, there was only the mount of rubble scattered about. With sweet berry ale on her hand, she thought how long it had been since thest time she spent leisurely like that, watching the blue sky, listening to a random bird chirp or just the greenery that seemed to be wafting around. When the calmness began making her feel sleepy, her surroundings suddenly got bathed in an ephemeral rainbow like an aurora. ¡¸What¡­ a barrier?¡¹ Given how suddenly it happened, Mira jumped on her feet and looked around. After a better look at it, there was something like a bubble around the entire mount. Mira¡¯s eyes stared doubtfully at it as a metallic tter rang moving closer to her. The noise came from behind her, so she turned around to see what it was. There she saw a full set of armor with a sword and a shield. Using Life Sensing she was able to ascertain there was a living being inside it, as to who it was, she only knew it was not an armed spirit. The sections of the armor had a silvery glint, entuating its presence even more, though there was not even a hint of the wearer¡¯s gaze behind the face te. Its appearance, polished and ready for battle, looked eerily out of ce in the garden covered in nature, like an apparition that crawled out of the depths. Facing the armor, Mira took out the letter and showed it to it. ¡¸Am I right to assume it was you who sent me this?¡¹ After she asked, the armor stopped walking in reply. ¡¸That is correct.¡¹ A heavy male voice replied from the depths of the helmet. There was no tonality in that uninterested reply,pletely opposite to the impression given off by the letter. His attitude was enough to convince Mira of a hunch she had. ¡¸You mentioned you were a wiseman¡¯s pupil, but your getup doesn¡¯t suggest you¡¯re a spell caster at all.¡¹ Saying that, Mira red at the armor covering his body. Even if the excuse that he did not want to show his appearance remained true, there were way morefortable options avable. But the armor made it clear he had the intention to fight her at least. By then it was dubious whether he was a spellcaster at all. ¡¸Yeah, that was just an excuse to lure you here.¡¹ He pointed his sword filled with enmity at her, his attitude showing he had no intention to hide things anymore. Even though his face was covered, his voice made it clear he had a twisted smirk of satisfaction at that moment. ¡¸You¡¯re quite the schemer, I see.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do anything to return the shame you inflicted on me!¡¹ Mira looked around bored, anguid sigh mixed into her words. When the man saw how Mira showed no unrest at having a sword pointed at her, then even reprimanding him as if he was a mischievous child, the man raised his voice in anger. (Hmm, shame? Something must have happened to him¡­) Mira had been in that world for only a few days, so she had no recollection of being tricked into going somewhere like that out of a personal grudge. Stillpletely clueless about the situation, Mira investigated the armored man a bit more¡­but all she found out was that the man¡¯s stats were closer to that of a spellcaster, though there were no leads as to his name. ¡¸Who are you? What did I do to you? There must be a reason why you targeted me like this, yes?¡¹ There was a chance he had the wrong person, or that his resentment was unjustified. Thinking that, Mira asked him with a dark tone, ring at the sword before shifting her gaze to the helmet. ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s true. You can¡¯t really see my face like this. I¡¯ll show you then! And you better remember what you did to me! And curse the day you did it!¡¹ His voice trembled in anger as he screamed, he clearly loathed Mira to an extreme extent. Then, with the hand holding his shield he opened his face guard. Inside the helmet, his sunken blue eyes were filled with hatred, oblivious to his surroundings and only focused on Mira. His lips were crooked into a sharp intoxicated smile. Mira stared at his face contorted in madness as she scoured through her memories. ¡¸Are you sure you haven¡¯t mistaken me for someone else? I don¡¯t remember seeing you before.¡¹ Mira scratched her chin while furrowing her brow, she really had no recollection at all of seeing him before, so she figured he was mistaken. But when the armored man heard that, his entire body jolted and he mmed his sword into the ground, screaming in indignation. ¡¸Don¡¯t screw with me! You can¡¯t pretend you just forgot about how you humiliated me during the academy¡¯s examination event!¡¹ ¡¸Hm? The academy¡­ you said?¡¹ When the armored man mentioned that, Mira tried to recall her memories of the time. The examination event, that was an event where the students of the Arkite Academy put their skills on disy. When Mira remembered that much, the rest of her memories of that event flowed into her mind. ¡¸Ohh, I remember now, I know. So you are that spell caster kid from that time.¡¹ The man was the representative of the spell caster faculty, Kairos. They had met in the past, but she could not remember his face at all. But that was to be expected from Mira given that she nevermitted the faces of worthless opponents into her memory. And Kairos had been as worthless as could get, so she had forgotten his face as well as his name. All she really remembered was that there was an idiot from the nobility who rushed everything. That was something that happened more than two weeks earlier. Kairos had always gotten first ce in the examination, but Mira, the representative of the summoner faculty that usually ended deadst, had smashed through his achievements and pride in an instant. Now he was back, his devious n in effect. Chapter 76: Kairos’ Plan (1) Chapter 76: Kairos¡¯ n (1) On top of the crumbling hill, the magician Kairos, wearing a full set of armor stood ring death at the summoner Mira, who carelessly brushed off his stance. ¡¸From what I recall, that examination was executed fair and square. And in the first ce, you dug your own grave so you have no reason to hold a grudge against me.¡¹ In the end, his match against Mira in which she utterly defeated him had been the cause of his scorn, even though she had not used any underhanded methods. In Mira¡¯s eyes, the way he boasted of his skills even though they were non-existent made him a lower existence than stray dogs, since those at least could bite after barking. ¡¸So you¡¯re saying I should allow you to insult me so much! I had to take the first ce, but then a measly summoner like you appeared!¡¹ Every time he had a dream of that time, he was tormented by the Dark Knight¡¯s red eyes. But Mira, the one who caused that, hadpletely forgotten the event. Realizing that much, a vein popped up like a worm inside his forehead as his anger reached a new high. In other words, Kairos was unable to ept a summoner, the ss he had been looking down at the most for his entire life, beating him, and then leaving such a mental trauma in him. (Hmm, he¡¯s quite the tiresome person.) ¡¸And so you want payback? There¡¯s a limit to just how clueless about reality you can be, that examination should have taught you as much. What a pitiful sight.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t talk crap like that! You just appeared out of nowhere and messed everything up, and then even imed to be a wiseman¡¯s pupil. Because of you I was branded a failure thatcks even basic perception. It¡¯s all your fault!¡¹ His shouts began cracking as he struck his sword into the rubble besides him driven by his emotions. As soon as he did that, his de gave off a crimson sh, after which a shrill noise shook their eardrums and bodies as the rubble shattered into small fragments. There was not even a scratch on the armor from the st, instead Kairos merely lowered his face guard to avoid the flying rubble. His hatred seemed to manifest in his posture from inside the armor as he chuckled seeing the shattered stones. ¡¸What do you think of my power? It¡¯s quite the splendid addition wouldn¡¯t you say? I¡¯ve cast a barrier on this area so no spells can be used inside it. It doesn¡¯t matter how much you excel at your craft, you¡¯re merely a child without spells.¡¹ Reassured by the mes of the explosion of his own overwhelming power, Kairos¡¯ raging emotions from Mira¡¯s demeanor calmed down. (Oh? A barrier to seal skills. I saw something simr in the traps of dungeons, but I guess magic has developed enough to recreate it.) Admiring the barrier spread around the small hill like a bubble, Mira was made aware of how much thest thirty years had changed this world. She decided to put it to the test and attempted a summoning, but there was no sign of it, showing her spells were sealed indeed. ¡¸You¡¯re a spell caster, yes? So isn¡¯t it a bit backwards to seal spells since you yourself will need them?¡¹ There was no way it was so convenient as to only seal one¡¯s opponent¡¯s spells. Since it was a barrier, the effect was applied throughout all its interior. In that case, Kairos¡¯ spells should be sealed as well. Mira guessed the rough conditions of the barrier as she tried asking him for details, even though his armor made it really hard to assume he was a spell caster. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it obvious seeing me? This sword, shield and armor are all spirit arms. And you just witnessed the might of my sword, I don¡¯t need my spells. The spirit arms¡¯ power is at full swing inside the barrier. So as long as I have these, anything you try will bepletely futile.¡¹ The sword he had was a fire spirit sword. His armor and even the knight¡¯s shield he had were infused with spirit magic. But Mira had noticed that from the start, so it was nothing surprising to her. What amazed her was that Kairos, a spellcaster from Arkite Kingdom, also known as thend of magic, had decided to cast aside his skills and rely on weapons. Though it did not matter how high the attributes were, he was still using a sword. As a spellcaster he was not used to physicalbat, so how useful the sword would be was still in the air. ¡¸What¡¯s with that look? It seems you still don¡¯t fully understand the situation you¡¯re¡­ in!¡¹ At the end of his sentence, he swung the spirit sword. The air resistance manifested as a crimson glow around the de, before being flung off as a me that collided with the rubble beside Mira. A roaring noise came from the collision followed by a heatwave that passed through Mira. The air around her felt scorching hot while the crimson remains of the fire burned for a while, once everything burnt out, only Kairos¡¯ughter reverberated from inside the armor. (So it¡¯s like I thought¡­ was that a voice I heard right now?) At the same time as the fire was released, Mira heard a bitter voice full of hatred and resentment. She had heard a simr voice when he struck the rubble with his sword earlier as well. Because of the explosion she had been unable to ascertain if she heard correctly, but this time she was sure she heard a spine chilling low groan this time. ¡¸Did you see the power of my spirit sword now? Just a gentle graze from it will send your frail body flying away. This is the true difference between our strength. Luckily for you, I know of a thing calledpassion.¡¹ Kairos was surprised himself by the power of the spirit sword, but the sense of power soon consumed him as he let out a low chuckle. His gaze then began crawling like a worm along Mira¡¯s petite limbs, swallowing saliva as he imagined what her cries would sound like. ¡¸If you bow down and apologize to me now, I might let you be my servant.¡¹ Driven by his lust, he acted arrogantly as he looked down at Mira, taking a golden ring out of a leather bag fastened to his hip and threw it to her feet. It was a cor. There was a seal carved on it, the same design used by the Fifty Bells Union in their clothing. ¡¸Put that on your neck. I¡¯ll spare your life if you do that.¡¹ Kairos was convinced that if the situation was so against Mira, she would obey in a heartbeat. But Mira merely nced at it, stepped with her left foot closer to it and kicked it away with her right foot. After flying for a moment, the ring hit straight into Kairos¡¯ greave with a slight metallic noise. ¡¸I refuse. Let me offer you something too though, I¡¯ll let you off if you admit this is only a childish prank.¡¹ Mira looked straight at Kairos as she said that, without squinting or ring, just looking straight at him. When he heard her, his lust was morphed into pitch ck hatred as he raised his sword, driven by his emotions, and swung it without regards to posture, swordsmanship or any target. ¡¸You littleeeEEE!!¡¹ Kairos¡¯ voice could barely be called speech anymore, it was like a fire had been set deep in his lungs which expelled all the air in them, rushing out of his throat as a scream. As he screamed, Kairos swung his sword down striking into the ground. The arc drawn by his swing gave birth to mes, which condensed into a hellish fireball that seemed like the manifestation of his anger that flew towards Mira. Its aim was off, but the raging fireball spread out to cover arge area in front of it. The destructive power of the fire was such that if a spellcaster with sealed spells got caught in it, they would be unable to survive safely. The violent shockwave that resulted from it hit against Kairos, pushing him back and making him fall on his rear. ¡¸Hahah, AHAHAHAHAH! I told you! This is what happens when you go against me. Ahah, ahahahahah!¡¹ Chapter 76: Kairos’ Plan (2) Chapter 76: Kairos¡¯ n (2) In Kairos¡¯ mind there was a turmoil of overwhelming power, ck murderous intent that tinted all his emotions, and the slight pang of guilt for having taken the life of another person. His face froze, everything changing into a force that began dragging him into the abyss. ¡¸Hmmm, it does carry a lot of raw power, but only that. It would¡¯ve ended badly if it hit me though. But do you understand what you just did?¡¹ The air was heated up by the ze while Kairos made his emotive disy, but a cold andposed voice seemed to froze the air. He was unable to see Mira through the gaps in his helmet. He heavily stood back up, his body struggling to move under the weight of the unfamiliar armor. Once on his feet, he held his sword and shield close to his body as he turned his head around. The girl was standing on the left, looking at him with a sharp and reprimanding face. Seeing her, seeing her eyes, seeing her existence itself, the guilt in Kairos began welling up. ¡¸Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!¡¹ For a moment the dark feeling of being a murderer had set in, taken over his mind, but then he felt a slight relief seeing he had not killed her. Those conflicting emotions brought chaos inside him, which then transformed into fear. Kairos began swinging his sword with all his might, as if trying to drive away an invisible nightmare. With every swing a barrage of mes was released, but they would only hit Mira¡¯s afterimages. ¡¸****, ****, ****!¡¹ Forgetting even his original goal, he mindlessly continued swinging around, but Mira evaded everything with Mirage Step. Once the sts went through one of Mira¡¯s illusions, she appeared somewhere else. Spells were sealed, but physical abilities still worked. On top of that, while Kairos continued swinging non-stop, Mira had slowly decreased the distance between them. When he saw her getting gradually closer to him, he began trembling and retreated a few steps, but his arm would not stop swinging. (That spirit sword¡­or should I say shadow?) Amidst the sts, Mira heard the resentful voice, this time she was sure she had not misheard. Paying more attention to that voice, as much as its tone made her want to forget it, she thought of one possibility. Spirit arms were divided into two groups irrelevant of their other stats, light and shadow. It depended on the type of spirit infused in the arm, but it also depended on the user¡¯s thoughts, positive thoughts made light spirit arms, and negative ones shadows. Most of the spirit armsmercially avable were of the light kind, since in most cases the spirits would give their blessing out of their own will. But in the case of shadows, the blessing would be given forcefully and full of anger, as a means to inflict harm on others. The mes given off by Kairos¡¯ sword had a voice full of resentment mixed in with them. That was the reason why Mira figured it was a shadow. Spellcasters had the trait of seeing and talking with spirits to varying degrees. That was also possible with spirit arms, but this was the first time Mira experienced something like that. But she did not hesitate or find it strange, she understood what it was right away. The voice made that awfully obvious. Seeing all the mes filled with a negative presence flying by, Mira slowly decreased the distance between them. Kairos continued taking steps back, tripping on the rubble and falling over as his armor rang like a huge bell. ¡¸Why won¡¯t they hit?!¡¹ As he swung his sword, his fear turned into annoyance. Standing up and reaffirming his posture while his armor rang loudly, he screamed shrilly as if tearing his throat. At the same time as his emotions peaked, the entire armor began pulsing like a heartbeat with the spirit¡¯s energy in reply to his anger. ¡¸Nghn¡­ Are all of these shadows?¡¹ The spirit power that suddenly began overflowing from the armor wafted in the air before converging into the sword. A spell began enveloping the area around him, trying to spread the madness. All of the spirit arms Kairos had were shadows. Just one would have been suspicious, but since all of them were that way, it could not be coincidence, and Mira had a hunch as to why that was the case. (I have to question him about the origin of these.) At first she only wanted to give him a streng earful for what he had done, but as she thought of all the questions she wanted to ask him, she was left watching as heughed maniacally while being swallowed by the growing spirit power. A whirlpool of different elements was formed with the sword in the middle. It was still a bit shaky, but as it grew it looked more like a full fledged typhoon. After a quick look at that dangerous sword with an undetermined amount of destructive power stored in it, Mira sighed and drooped her shoulders before she charged towards Kairos¡¯ chest. (Dammit! What was that speed?!) Kairos had his hands full trying to control the raging power that was going berserk, so he could only grind his teeth realizing he was unable to swing down his sword on the head of that hateful girl that had just appeared in front of him. The elements were beginning to condense, but they were still unstable, Kairos being in a simr situation to holding an umbre in the middle of a storm. Mira could not let that chance go, so she quickly charged towards him while striking her slender arm forward, punching his torso. The unfortified punch of a spellcaster was unable to do anything against metallic armor. But the attack was enough to catch the attention of the chestte spirit for an instant, which destabilized the sword even more. At the same time a thin red streak ran down Mira¡¯s hand, the armor spirit had counterattacked. ¡¸Pff ahahahahahah! There¡¯s no way your scrawny arms can do anything to this armor! You can¡¯t win this time!¡¹ Kairos had be impatient after none of his attacks did anything to Mira, but after her punch he was reminded of how overwhelmingly advantageous his position was. Her attacks would be futile, and if even a single of his attacksnded, it was a guaranteed kill. The situation had not changed. He had already won the moment Mira was trapped inside the barrier. Kairos was ted seeing the blood trickling down Mira¡¯s hand. (My victory is still certain! I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing, but once this sword isplete I¡¯ll only have to strike her down and everything will end. It¡¯s only a matter of time, and while I wait this imprable defense of iron won¡¯t budge. It¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll make that summoner regret everything!) Kairos¡¯ face inside the armor contorted like an incarnation of hatred. ¡¸You¡¯re aware of whose pupil I am, yes?¡¹ But as he saw the girl¡¯s face through the slits in his helmet, there was not a single trace of fear in her. Her fist was still struck forward, her eyes looking straight at his face with a gelid stare. Even though there was a wall in the shape of a face guard between them, Kairos relived the despair he felt during the examination event through her eyes. It was only the next day that he found out she was Mira, the pupil of the wiseman Danbulf. But his hatred for her beganter. ¡¸You¡¯re Danbulf¡¯s pupil, aren¡¯t you? The one on top of all summoners, who makes up for his biggest weakness, his body¡¯s frailty, with Sage skills. Of course I know. And from your movement I can guess you can also use Sage skills, but as long as you can¡¯t use spells you can¡¯t even tickle me.¡¹ While trying to control the sword, Kairos had slowly regained hisposure and sense of superiority against Mira, even though he still could not deal the decisive blow. But she justughed off his reply before she spoke again. ¡¸Hmm, so you don¡¯t know. Sixty percent there.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh? What did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Sixty percent. There¡¯s one more thing. My master was also the creator of Refining skills.¡¹ Mira said while rolling her eyes, almost looking down on him. To Kairos, that looked like she was ridiculing him. ¡¸So what?!¡¹ Chapter 76: Kairos’ Plan (3) Chapter 76: Kairos¡¯ n (3) Unable to hold himself back with her attitude, Kairos put the unprepared sword aside and swung his shield up. Since the shield was also a spirit arm, it would cause plenty of damage when used as a weapon. But right after, a moment before Mira¡¯s fist would collide with the armor, she sent a small stone the size of a marble flying with her thumb. ¡¸Wha-¡¹ Before Kairos could finish asking what that was, the stone flew straight at his shield without missing its mark, releasing a strong shockwave with a huge amount of energy unthinkable of a stone so small. It sent the shield flying upwards while pulling at Kairos¡¯ arm. The impact felt like his arm was being ripped off, his shield breaking and flying away from him. With the shield gone, he was freed from the impact and fell back to the ground. The spirit shield was supposed to be safe from those attacks, but the effect kicked in a bit toote. A second after he hit the ground, the remains of the shield with no semnce of its former self fell too, as if a revtion of the future also awaited him. When he reached that impossible realization, Kairos desperately looked around for Mira. But there was no need for that, Mira was standing right in front of him. This time it was Kairos¡¯ turn to look up at her, as he stilly on the ground. Mira was clearly looking down on him, her eyes cold. In her hand, he could see a glimpse of multiple Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, the source of that unexpected destruction. Magic Bomb Sealing Stones were a product of Refining. They stored elemental power and then released it all at once when activated. ¡¸Damn ittt, the hell¡¯s up with you!¡¹ His ragged voice came out as he dragged himself back. But Mira heeded no attention to him, her eyes focusing on another spot. Kairos followed her gaze to see. She was looking at his right hand. The spirit sword he gripped was internalizing all the elemental power around, distorting light like a mirage. It waspletely unbothered by the earlier disturbance, just like the calm before a storm. (I still have this. I can still win! I¡¯ll just knock her measly pebbles away!) Just a nce at its odd appearance was enough to tell that the energy the de assembled was abnormal. And Kairos¡¯ shaken heart seemed to sync with it as it calmed him again. When he thought of snatching the victory for himself with this overwhelming power he had felt for the first time, it pushed away all the fear in his heart. (I guess I was too wishful to think I could pull through this without any danger, so that leaves only one option for me.) Mira was also aware that the sword was dangerous. Even if she had the magic resistance to damp an elemental attack that vastly surpassed what a regr person could do, that sword when used correctly would cause obvious damage. Because of that, she could only think of one option. The instant Mira¡¯s gaze shifted to a point beyond him, Kairos sprang to his feet by instinct as a deep grunt came from his throat, readying the sword in his hand. The distance between them was around five meters, but because of her sage skills, he knew she could leap onto him in an instant. In that case, his only option was to attack without hesitating before she could react. Thinking that, he struck while she was standing still. The sword released the power it had amassed, seemingly reading Kairos¡¯ intent. The swerving de like a mirage was gradually tinted ck. Its shape looked unnatural, like a sr eclipse, like the jaws of a wolf that devoured any and all light. The pulsating sword released a loud roar, leaving the impression in Kairos that it was leading an entire army that would award him victory. Then for an instant, something else happened. A swirling gale like a hurricane appeared above Kairos, the violent winds snatching the sword from his hands like diving punishment on a rogue beast. The source of that instant storm were the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones Mira threw. When Kairos was possessed by the immense power concealed in the sword, he stopped paying attention to what was happening in front of him and severely underestimated the threat from the stones. His eyes had only been focused on her feet, trying to avert the possibility of her getting closer while ignoring what her upper body did. ¡¸Why¡­ why why whyyyyyyy!!¡¹ Nothing went the way he wanted. He began screaming like a child throwing a tantrum as he searched for his sword. When he saw it, he found it had been blown away a considerable distance away from him, but the sword still had that ck glint to it. Kairos broke into a run trying to regain his sword. His armor let heavy metallic ngs, but his feet were surprisingly quick. But his hopes would once again be entirely dashed. As his feet stepped forward looking for salvation, they were overtaken by an explosion as if he had stepped into a minefield. He fell down rolling miserably before ending on his back and looking up at the grey sky. (What¡­ why¡­?!) Even though his feet were supposed to be covered by spirit armor, all he could feel was a burning pain that wrecked his nerves and mind. His vision was blurry and dark as he reincorporated his upper body and checked what happened with his legs. He saw them covered in dirt, followed by the smashed and crumbling tassets, cuisses and greaves. When he hesitantly looked up again, he shuddered seeing Mira walking to himpletelyposed. ¡¸Damn it, damn it all! That¡¯s it, get her!¡¹ Kairos screamed as he dragged his legs while increasing the distance with Mira. In response, two figures jumped out from blindspots in the rubble. They came from both sides towards Mira, wearing ck clothes and ck masks, holding daggers treated in a way to dull their reflections. They ran towards Mira while holding their bodies close to the ground, looking like the stretched shadows produced from a light that fell down. When those silent and mute twin snakes were about to swing their des efficiently and without hesitation, a thundering explosion enveloped them and they were sent flying and rolled on the ground like tattered cleaning rags. ¡¸So they were yourst resort? What a foolish n.¡¹ Mira did not stop walking towards Kairos, lowering the arms she had just stretched out, until she was standing right in front of him and looking down at his face. It was impossible to discern his expression through the helmet, but she could not feel any will to fight from the man shaking making the armor tter. Mira had entirely broken through Kairos¡¯ n. Barriers that sealed one¡¯s spells were rathermon in high level dungeons, so it was impossible for a spellcaster at the level of the Nine Wisemen to be unaware of countermeasures, not to mention experience being alone fighting multiple foes under those circumstances. Mira had been through countless battles like that, time and time again, to the point there was no novelty to them anymore. She had also been aware of the ambush from the start. The first time she used Life Sensing, she had seen three readings included the armored man. There was not a single shred of surprise in their attack. ¡¸What the hell, what is up with you¡­¡¹ Kairos could only mumble hesitantly before finally realizing just what kind of people the Nine Wisemen, the heroes of Arkite were, namely- ¡¸You¡¯re a monster.¡¹ Seeing the girl iming to be a wiseman¡¯s pupil in front of him with an apathetic expression, Kairos could only scoff at himself. Chapter 77: Mira’s Questioning (1) Chapter 77: Mira¡¯s Questioning (1) In the vantage point of the abandoned garden, covered by a spell sealing barrier, there was an armored man with his legs smashed and two men with their ck clothes tattered and looking almost grey, lying on the ground. The only person standing was the girl with long silvery hair and aquamarine eyes, scratching her chin while looking at the armored man. (I should deal with that sword first.) Mira turned to look at the sword that still contained elemental power that was about to go out of control. She casually lifted it and released all its energy towards the sky. The torrent of energy amassed from various spirits sprang up like a rainbow, though in contrast to that bright appearance it was apanied by grieving howls of resentment. When that energy, only meant for destruction, collided with the sealing barrier, it was able to realize that purpose. The barrier covering the entire area vanished in an instant. ¡¸That¡¯s two birds with one stone.¡¹ The dangerous sword had been taken care of, and now there was no need to go out of her way to figure out how to disperse the barrier. Mira looked at the blue sky above, as she raised her right hand that suddenly felt less heavy. After releasing all that elemental energy, the spirit sword crumbled leaving only the hilt behind. The remains, clumps of iron with a burned appearance, fell to her feet. His weapons and armor were all shadow spirit arms. Remembering how they all seemed to sync up and fuse into a single elemental de, Mira turned back to look at the armored man. ¡¸Now then, I have a lot of questions for you. I hope you reply honestly.¡¹ Kairos, the armored man, was lying down facing upwards. Mira ced her left foot on his right arm while resting her right knee on his torso, restraining him. Then with her free hand, she knocked on his helmet just like someone would knock on a door. ¡¸What is it¡­¡¹ Kairos spat out,pletely resigned to his fate. There was no strength left in his shoulder and his eyes were unfocused, apparently looking at a spot far, far away. ¡¸Where did you get your hands on these spirit arms?¡¹ Mira asked in a low voice while pushing with her left hand on the forehead of the helmet, ring at his eyes through the gap that created. On the other hand, Kairos looked puzzled for a moment when he heard the question. He had expected her first question would be something on the lines of why he did all of that, or who those two ambushers were, or how he would repay her for everything. Instead, she was asking details about spirit arms that had beenpletely useless against a pupil of a Wiseman like herself. When he pondered about the question a bit longer, his vagrant conscience seemed to return, and with that, he noticed. As she restrained him, she was no longer holding those stones that had wrecked his spirit arms. ¡¸I dunno!¡¹ His conscience had returned that much, bringing back his arrogance. But it was not enough to realize that while the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones were gone, her spells were usable again. He was not aware yet that the situation could turn much worse for him. ¡¸I swear, this kid¡­ It¡¯s futile to resist any longer.¡¹ Hearing his reply, Mira¡¯s shoulders sank in exhaustion and she began thinking how to punish him. Having to keep his helmet open was bothersome too, but spirit arms had a property that inhibited forceful dismantling, so if anyone was taking them off him, it would have to be himself. But even if she mmed his helmet and ordered him to take it off, he did not seem to be the type to obey. Then there was the option to do it with a spell, now that she could use them again. But a spell strong enough to destroy spirit arms would be too powerful to use with Kairos still inside, otherwise the interrogation would escte to an execution. Mira looked around for other options, then her eyes stopped in a certain ce as she grinned while chuckling slightly. ¡¸This is your only chance to speak, you know?¡¹ ¡¸I dunno!¡¹ She asked ast time before doing things by force, but Kairos had convinced himself she would never do anything more to him, so he replied instantly. As soon as she heard him, her hand began moving away from his face. Her hand went down his chest, moving even further down reaching his lower body where the armor had been shattered by the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. A feeling of fright slowly crawled into his mind and seized control of his senses, filling them with uneasiness. That uneasiness then began taking a more palpable form, going from palpable disgust to a primitive emotion pulling at his nerves, like the plucking of strings from an instrument, then turning into in agony. ¡¸Ahhhh stoppppp! It¡¯ll break! It¡¯s going to breakkkk!!!¡¹ Even if he tried to resist, he was unable to escape from Mira¡¯s grip. Cold sweat poured forth from every pore in his body as his naiveness turned into regret, his shouts sounding like the growls from a provoked beast. As Mira went through her options, she realized the Dark Knight¡¯s sword would literally split the armor in half, while her Sage Arts would dismember him, both uneptable for an interrogation. At that point, she saw his lower body, the armor shattered and offering little protection. There was one spot there where she could inflict plenty of pain on him, even with her average physical strength. With a slight coldness, Mira took that one spot between her thumb and index before tightly squeezing. Just like she predicted, that was enough to make him yield. ¡¸Then speak frankly. Or else¡­¡¹ As she said that, she slowly but surely decreased the gap between her index and thumb. She let it go before starting again, so in reality it was not that painful. But Kairos was violently nodding, the armor nking as he did that. ¡¸I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll tell you everything! So please stopppp!¡¹ He stopped as the fear of a potential future firmly took root in his mind. ¡¸As long as you understand.¡¹ With that, Mira loosened up her grip. The metallic ttering form Kairos¡¯ stiff body also ceased at the same time. ¡¸Then I¡¯ll ask you once again. Where did you get these spirit arms?¡¹ ¡¸From a merchant.¡¹ ¡¸Ohoh, and where is this merchant from? And did they tell you where they got these?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know.¡¹ Kairos replied inly and disinterested, but as soon as Mira heard that, her fingers acted as if they were about to squeeze with full force. A cold shiver that seemed to contract his spine ran through his back as Kairos raised his voice agitated. ¡¸It¡¯s true! I¡¯m not lying! That merchant is Mother¡¯s friend, so I bought them through her. Mother is the one who knows all the details!¡¹ It was impossible to see his expression through the armor, but his voice gave away that he was desperate. (Not his father, but with his mother. Hmm, I¡¯ll have to look into the details when I¡¯m back. Solomon should be able to find something if I tell him about this.) Chapter 77: Mira’s Questioning (2) Chapter 77: Mira¡¯s Questioning (2) A single shadow spirit arm was rare, but that merchant had sold an entire set. The worst possibility shed in Mira¡¯s mind. All of the spirit arms ssified as shadows were said to be the death agony of spirits. That merchant alone had amassed so many of those rare items. Mira could tell there was something fishy going on, and there was one more adventure she could talk to Solomon about. Muttering to herself about those things, Mira began thinking how to deal with Kairos. As rotten as he was, he was still nobility. If she did as she pleased, there was a high chance it could bring her many problems which Mira did not want to deal with. That left her with only one option, bring up the issue with the appropriate people and let them handle the rest. Realizing the first thing she needed to do was return to Lunatic Lake, Mira looked at the other two men in ck aside from Kairos. Her attack had been so powerful that they were still on the ground. The two were obviously important witnesses, so she could not leave them there. There was only one way to aplish that, so Mira stepped away from Kairos and summoned Garuda in front of her. ¡¸¡ª!¡¹ Kairos let out a shrill shriek seeing that ominous bird, while Garuda merely nced at him with an annoyed look. Kairos¡¯ breathing paused when he noticed its giant beak,rge enough to swallow an entire person. He thought she was nning on feeding him to that beast, but his fear was unfounded. Yet, he had plenty of time to taste that feeling. ¡¸Garuda, I¡¯d like to ride you again, together with this person here and those two lying there.¡¹ Mira tapped at Kairos¡¯ armor with the tip of her shoes before pointing at the other two men with her gaze. Garuda nodded silently and lowered its neck in front of Mira. She climbed on it, her view bing higher as she felt the scent of greenery and a warm spring breeze around her. Afterwards, it carelessly grabbed Kairos and the two men in ck like an eagle carrying its prey, just like that other day, and it spread its wings, taking towards the sky. Flooded by the feeling of being dropped in mid-air and not having solid ground under his feet, Kairos¡¯ conscience slowly faded away. A few hours after Garuda began flying, well past noon and entering the time for snacks, they arrived at the capital city of Lunatic Lake. Garuda gave off a wholly different presence than Pegasus, but the Wiseman aide Creos would often arrive boarding a wagon together with it so the guards were used to seeing one. But this Garuda had a particr air to it, and there were people trapped between its ws which raised suspicion. The gatekeeper was guarding the entrance like usual and noticed that there was something slightly off with this Garuda thatnded in front of the castle. Garuda leaned down to the ground, a silver-haired girl jumping down from its neck. That was enough for the gatekeeper to understand what was going on. She was the pupil of Danbulf, one of the Nine Wisemen. Those in the castle who knew of her, knew exactly what to expect from her. She had already left a strong impression after arriving mounted on a Pegasus, but it felt obvious she would do the same with a Garuda. ¡¸Wee back, Lady Mira. Are you nning to meet His Majesty Solomon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡¹ The people in the castle considered Mira to be a prime candidate to be a future Wiseman, and also knew she was a good friend and confidant of the king. Solomon had made that clear so Mira could move around without restrictions. ¡¸By the way, what happened with those three people?¡¹ The gatekeeper asked as he looked at the three people Garuda had thrown on the ground, one in full armor and two in tattered ck clothes. ¡¸The one in armor is a noble or something called Kairos. The other two are his underlings I believe. There was some confusion and he started holding a grudge against me, so he lured me out to attack me, but it didn¡¯t really go his way.¡¹ Mira knocked on the armor with her fingertips as she bluntly exined the situation. As the guards listened to her story, they turned looks of scorn to the three men, before changing into the same look of disgust as seeing garbage. Kairos had already built a bad reputation in the past, his father held a high position as one of the magicians of Arkite, and he himself boasted of his magic skill, so he abused his influence using it against anyone he did not like. Now the fact he attacked a lone girl as a group of three had been added to that. ¡¸Since he¡¯s nobility I figured things would get tricky if I took matters into my own hands, so I brought them along for now. Could you bring someone who has a better idea of what to do with them?¡¹ ¡¸Certainly. I¡¯ll go find someone so just wait a moment.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, and thanks.¡¹ After a military salute, the gatekeeper ran inside the castle. Another guard turned to look at the three men clutched in Garuda¡¯s ws. ¡¸There¡¯s no end to the rumors about him, but I guess his time to pay his tab finally came.¡¹ The guard did not seem to feel a shred of pity for him as he said that, he actually sounded rather relieved. ¡¸Hohh, so he¡¯s that well-known already?¡¹ ¡¸Well, his skills are quite something, and he uses all the power at his disposal against anyone who goes against him. Thanks to his father¡¯s influence, he also inherited some power so not many people talk about it publicly. My son attends the academy as well¡­ but as you see, I¡¯m just a measly guard and I can¡¯tpare with the influence I have.¡¹ ¡¸I see. But well, hopefully this will be the end of that. Tell your son to rx and fully focus on his studies.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll tell him it was all thanks to you!¡¹ The guard smiled brightly as he replied. She had not seen thating, but Mira had also restored some peace to the academy. Her name was mostly unknown at that moment, but it would slowly pass from mouth to mouth as time passed. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ As they kept talking, the other gatekeeper returned bringing with him a trustworthy person. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Mira turned around as she said that and saw Solomon¡¯s aide Suleyman, wiseman Luminaria wearing an eye catching red, and multiple guards. ¡¸I heard you were attacked or something like that? Can you tell us more details?¡¹ Suleyman nced at the three men brought by Garuda, then bowed to Mira and said that. Mira nodded back and shortly rted what happened. ¡¸I had heard about you participating in the examination, and to think that would cause this¡­ there¡¯s a limit to how much of a grudge someone can hold. There¡¯s a case to be made on whether using your full power on the examination could be considered foul y, and I know there are things that are hard to grasp for you. But resorting to a personal attack because of that is clearly taking things too far.¡¹ After hearing everything, Suleyman let out a deep sigh like it was the most tiresome thing he had ever gone through. The examination was an event where people disyed the potential of a given ss, so technically Mira¡¯s participation was allowed, but given to the scoring system of the event, she would obviouslye out on top. Strictly speaking there were no problems and the regtions did not prohibit such a situation, but it did get really close to crossing the line into cheating territory. And for Kairos, she had crossed that tacit line. ¡¸By the way, do you still have that letter you say he used to lure you?¡¹ ¡¸I should have it stored in my pouch¡­ here, found it.¡¹ After fishing through her waist pouch, Mira took out the letter and gave it to Suleyman. It was one more item that could be used as evidence. ¡¸Next, we¡¯ll listen to the ount from these three. Let¡¯s go to the interrogation room.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Saying so, Mira let Garuda go, releasing the three men. Kairos remained sprawled in the ground, carelessly dropped from the ws, but the two men in ck had woken up. However, seeing Luminaria in front of them, they lost any will to escape and remained silent, pretending to still be asleep. Suleyman took the lead entering the castle, while the guards picked up the three men and carried them. Mira and Luminaria followedst. ¡¸By the way, do you have so much spare time that you decided toe oversee this yourself?¡¹ Chapter 77: Mira’s Questioning (3) Chapter 77: Mira¡¯s Questioning (3) Mira asked her in a low voice, only loud enough for her to listen. Because of their height difference, Mira¡¯s head was turned up to look at Luminaria, so Luminaria plopped her hand on her hair before replying. ¡¸That¡¯s not it at all. I heard my dear friend got attacked so I had toe see what happened.¡¹ Luminaria moved her face closer then, replying in a sad voice as her other hand caressed Mira¡¯s cheek. ¡¸Oh? And your actual reason?¡¹ ¡¸I just had to know why a group of men would attack a lone girl.¡¹ It was clear she was hiding something at first so Mira pressed further, so Luminaria replied that way while smiling broadly. Even after thirty years her personality was the same. That brought a sense of relief to Mira, though she also had a thin smile thinking of how excentric she could be. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s too bad. He wasn¡¯t skilled enough to go that far.¡¹ Continuing their lighthearted conversation, they walked deeper inside the castle. After receiving the three men and finishing the preparations in the interrogation room, the investigator opened the doors and bowed to Mira¡¯s group. ¡¸Please,e in.¡¹ After crossing the iron doors, they entered a narrow room without any windows or decorations, only having a multitude of restriction and binding tools prepped around. There was barely any light inside, and once the doors were closed the oppressive feeling increased. The interrogation room looked isted from the natural world, shrouded in anxiety as the lights flickered brightly, as if reminded of their duty from time to time. ¡¸First of all, we should take that armor off him. Though we¡¯ll have to wake the other two up before they can give us their ount of the story. Luminaria, could you help with this?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I¡¯m not used to limiting myself but leave it to me.¡¹ Answering to Suleyman, Luminaria took one step forward, getting closer to one of the men in ck propped against a chair. When he heard Luminaria¡¯s reply, his uneasiness rose so he slowly opened his eyes pretending to wake up. ¡¸Wait, he¡¯s awake. There¡¯s no need to do anything with him.¡¹ A silent but desperate cry escaped his throat as his face contorted. His face was turned down, but he could see the lightning silently sparking between Luminaria¡¯s fingers. ¡¸Me too.¡¹ Almost instantly like a chain reaction, the other man also opened his eyes and reported his state. Luminaria stared coldly at the two, and they violently shook their heads to show how awake they were. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s only him then.¡¹ Saying so in a disinterested voice, Luminaria ced her hand on Kairos¡¯ helmet. There was a sh before the intermittent snapping sound of electrical sparks after a short-circuit crossed along his body, making him jolt and convulse like a spring doll. ¡¸-?!!¡¹ Kairos¡¯ mind snapped back to reality together with a toneless scream, unable to tell if Luminaria¡¯s hand had been on him for a few seconds or just an instant. Once her hand was off him, stillness returned to the room, save for Kairos¡¯ ragged breath. The two men in ck were stiff, cold sweat pouring from their bodies as they realized they had also been moments before going through the same experience. ¡¸Where¡­am¡­I?¡¹ Enduring a feeling like having ss shards stuck between the fibers of his muscles, or being under the influence of anesthesia, Kairos looked at the uncertain floor extending in front of him, hard to see with the bits of light that could make it through the slits in his helmet. ¡¸This is the interrogation room in Arkite Castle.¡¹ With a cold voice, different to the one he had been using until moments earlier, Suleyman replied. Kairos looked up following that voice, seeing Suleyman, then his nemesis Mira to the side, and the Wiseman Luminaria who any magician would know at a nce. ¡¸Have you regained your senses? Then we¡¯ll proceed with the questioning. I would be very grateful if you could reply honestly from the start.¡¹ Suleyman had an unusually cold stare as he spoke to the three. Luminaria was amusing herself by releasing random bolts of electricity from her fingertips, while Mira alone still looked exactly the same as in any other situation, though for some reason it was her who looked the most ominous there. ¡¸You really aren¡¯t pulling any stops this time.¡¹ The door opened and a single man entered while saying that. More light entered the room dispelling some of the ustrophobic aura, but something else increased the pressure on the three men. The person who had just entered the room was none other than King Solomon himself. For an instant pure fright filled their expressions, as if they had been walking on a dark passage only to step on a skull. Normally an important person like the king would never step inside the interrogation room. His underlings would carry out the interrogation and then present the findings to the king. But for some reason this time, the king had decided to go there out of his own free will and with his own feet. And while his first exmation still echoed in the room, he turned to speak directly with Mira. ¡¸When I thought you were finally back, you get involved in another mess. There¡¯s never a shortage of stories to tell about you.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve avoided it this time. It was something he decided to do on his own.¡¹ They spoke with the same attitude as any old friends would. She was acquainted with the king, and they were in friendly terms on top of that. And he had directly targeted someone like that. Now that the fires of revenge blinding him had finally burned out, Kairos finally understood what kind of serious personage Mira was. Yes, only now. ¡¸Anyway, why are you here?¡¹ There was not even a hint of nervousness in Mira¡¯s voice as she addressed the king. ¡¸What, I just wanted to hear your story as soon as possible. We should leave the interrogation to those used to carrying them out. I also want to talk with you after all.¡¹ As he spoke that way, the people used to carrying out interrogations he mentioned referred to the investigator, Suleyman, and Luminaria. It happened by chance this time, but it was said that once the three of them were together, there was not a single person whose mouth would remain shut. The investigator was in charge of properly restraining, Suleyman asked the questions, and Luminaria was the personification of absolute terror. ¡¸His Majesty, from what I heard so far these men are being used of nning the assassination of a wiseman candidate, which directly affects state matters. Do I have permission to use first-degree measures to interrogate them due to those charges?¡¹ Solomon had appeared at apletely random moment, but Suleyman realized that was just perfect to aid with the interrogation, so he asked without caring that the three men could hear him. ¡¸As one of the Nine Wisemen, I support his request.¡¹ Luminaria understood what he wanted, so she raised her right hand with the palm outward up to her chest. A cold fire seemed to burn in the eyes of the pair. ¡¸You have my permission.¡¹ Solomon replied casually. Kairos had no idea what any of that meant as he readjusted his seating on the ufortable chair. The two men in ck had plenty of experience with higher matters, so they just muttered ¡¸Impossible¡­¡¹ as a coldness like their blood freezing overtook them. Mira was just as clueless as Kairos, but she understood when it was exined to herter on. First-degree interrogation measures could only be used on people used of nning or carrying out the assassination of someone rted to the royal family, or those whomitted treason against the kingdom. The king also had to approve of their use on a case-by-case basis, and only if someone with the status of duke or higher, wisemen included, also supported the notion. The measures included any type of damage that could be directly inflicted on the used, or in other words, it allowed the use of torture. Once Kairos heard what that meant from the men in ck, his crying and supplicant voice begging for forgiveness could be heard until the door was closed and silence returned to the hallway. There, Mira and Solomon chatted friendly as they headed towards the usual office. Chapter 78: From Now On… (1) Chapter 78: From Now On¡­ (1) ¡¸Did you enjoy your train trip?¡¹ When they entered the office, Mira headed straight to the couch and let her body sink in it, while Solomon slowly sat on his chair while asking with a lively voice. ¡¸Yes. The scenery looked almost still, but with time it would slowly change and it looked amazing. The people I would meet randomly also were all lively and I could tell they were living through the same moments as me. Traveling is truly an incredible thing.¡¹ As Mira recalled the different moments, she rted them straight away. If she considered traveling time alone, flying in a straight line with Pegasus was the fastest option, but going by train had much more charm to it. That was another of the reasons why she felt it was much more different from traveling at full speed between the floating inds she used before. ¡¸I see, I see. That¡¯s good, as long as you fully enjoyed it.¡¹ Remembering how bewildered she was at the sudden changes of being away for thirty years, Solomon felt happy seeing that she was now enjoying the world he had been living in for so many years, though there was a slight hint of loneliness in his voice as well. ¡¸But that aside, were you able to check out the thing we spoke about?¡¹ Because of that, he wanted to protect his home even more. That was Solomon¡¯s most important goal, and for it, he would let even his best friend work hard. In exchange for that, he was ready to give her anything she might ever need. ¡¸Yes, I found it. Though it was quite different from how I imagined it.¡¹ And understanding all that, Mira upied herself with it all the more. Mira stood up from the couch and took out the leather bag with the archaic wood shavings she had gathered during her mission, cing the bag in a small spot empty from documents on the desk. After peeking into it, Solomon took out a pinch of the woodshavings, which while covered in moss, still had a lot of fresh contrast in the grain. ¡¸I see. They certainly look different from how I imagined them. I would believe it if I was told they were cut just moments ago. But I guess that¡¯s the sacred tree for you.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think they¡¯ll be useful?¡¹ ¡¸Probably. My scientists are good at what they do.¡¹ Solomon returned the shavings into the bag and closed it. Then replied to Mira with a boastful look as he pictured the talented people working under him. Either way, Mira had fully aplished the mission he had entrusted to her, so the rest would be handled by other people. ¡¸Oh right, that reminds me. Since I went all the way to Alis I decided to buy a few gifts before returning.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, did you now? Show me, I want to see what you got me.¡¹ With the short mission report done, the two quickly returned to their friendly chatter. There was not enough space for more items on the desk, so Mira lined up the things she bought on the table in front of the couch. Solomon stood up allured by them and gazed at the table with deep interest. ¡¸Pure-white peaches, huh. That¡¯s their staple product after all. But you also bought a lot of other stuff.¡¹ There were pure-white cookies and jam, candy, juice, steamed buns, tarts, and many preserved foods in sugar. But they were not all edible products. Mira took one of those and gave it to Solomon. ¡¸This one¡¯s for you.¡¹ ¡¸Hehh. So they even sell these as souvenirs. Thank you, I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡¹ His gift was a bonsai of the holy trees, Grimwoods, that grew in Alispharius. Solomon took the pot and ced it on the table, rotating it and looking at it from all sides, seeing how the branches grew. ¡¸There were a lot there, but there were only two which caught my eye.¡¹ As she said that, she held another bonsai in her hands. She ceremoniously ced it on the table and looked at it just like Solomon did with his. Then the two continued talking about bonsais. It was said that each flowerpot built its own little world. The two friends held a deep interest in that, and from time to time they bonded over that. Spending time like that, unaware of the flow of time around him, made him remember with nostalgia the long gone past. Eventually the happenings from half a year ago made their way into the conversation and bonsais fell out of the topic. Then Mira piled up a bunch of the gifts she bought. ¡¸Could you give all of these sweets to the people who worked to make my clothes?¡¹ ¡¸I see, I was starting to wonder what you¡¯d do with so many of them, but that¡¯s what they were for. I wouldn¡¯t mind, but I think they¡¯d be happier if you delivered them personally.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, is that so¡­¡¹ ¡¸If you go to the maids¡¯ chambers, you can probably round up all the people involved with your clothes one after another.¡¹ ¡¸¡­The way you said that bothers me a bit, but well, that makes sense. I¡¯ll give it to them personally.¡¹ The maids¡¯ chambers, a forbidden garden only women could enter. Mira had started to get used to the¡­privileges of her body, and when she heard Solomon¡¯s suggestion she began feeling like going there herself. ¡¸But ah, I was also involved so I can take one, right?¡¹ Before he had finished his sentence, Solomon had already taken one of the boxes, opened it and stuffed his cheeks with a pure-white peach bun. After all, almost all the expenses for the materials used in Mira¡¯s clothes hade from Solomon and Luminaria¡¯s pockets. ¡¸Talking about gifts from othernds, there was another story I wanted to tell you.¡¹ ¡¸Another story? Outside of your mission?¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much yes.¡¹ After speaking with Solomon about her travels, she recalled one encounter she had. Mira took one bun and sat on the couch again. ¡¸I met a fan of yours in one of the inns I stayed at.¡¹ ¡¸A fan? Now that¡¯s ttering. Was it a girl?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and quite the well equipped one at that.¡¹ ¡¸Well equipped, huh. Oh the hardships of being a popr man!¡¹ Mira reminisced of those overwhelming and fascinating lumps of meat that filled her vision, which tied in with the mental image Solomon formed from her words. Their thoughts were consumed by that symbol of motherhood no men would ever resist. It did not matter whether they wererge or small, there was a meaning to them all. That was the philosophy of the two of them, both could fulfill their dreams regardless of size. Though they did sh with Luminaria plenty of times when it came to that topic. ¡¸I think she said her name was Aselia. She said her yearning for you drove her to bing a holy knight.¡¹ ¡¸Hehh, now that¡¯s an honor.¡¹ Solomon spoke happily, seating on the couch with Mira as he extended his arm to the box with buns. ¡¸But there was a slight problem. She kept imitating your current style, it did not look all that holy knight-esque to me.¡¹ ¡¸My current style¡­you said. Now that¡¯s a problem alright. I¡¯m not really one to talk, but I¡¯m definitely not a good sample of a holy knight.¡¹ ¡¸I think the same. I tried telling her some stories of your beginnings, but she seemed to like you to quite an extent. She was really lively as she said she would start over by learning how to use her shield properly.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see, but really, thank you. To think a moment woulde to my life where I attract women, not too shabby if I say so myself.¡¹ After that they both continued eating their buns. They were the perfect size to stuff one in a mouth, and they had a nice springy texture. The pure-white peach inside was sweet and seemed to melt in their mouths, whichbined perfectly with the bean jam¡¯s taste and texture. One could go on eating one after another without noticing. As they continued chatting while eating those buns, they heard a knock on the office doors. ¡¸Enter.¡¹ Washing down the buns with pure-white peach juice, Solomon said once he could speak. The ones behind the door were Suleyman and Luminaria, who finished the interrogation. ¡¸That was quick. And so, what happened?¡¹ ¡¸Their reactions were quite tame. The two underlings also didn¡¯t seem to have a strong sense of duty, as they spilled literally everything rted to the attack on Mira.¡¹ Chapter 78: From Now On… (2) Chapter 78: From Now On¡­ (2) After entering the office, Suleyman quickly bowed before talking about everything they found out rting to the situation with Mira being attacked. Kairos himself had admitted it was all because of the grudge he held after the incident during the examination, but the main problem was what caused the situation to escte to the point it did. The head of the Belran family, Marquis Alphonse Belran was away from home in a faraway ce to perform some investigation, which meant his wife was currently in charge of leading the house. She was a very doting woman and would give in to any of her son¡¯s whims. Alphonse had a more reasonable mindset, but since he was away and he was unable to restrain her actions in any way, the situation had reached its current point. ¡¸And about that sealing barrier, apparently it was a prototype smuggled out from a Spellcaster Army¡¯s warehouse where it was being kept. The device was left where it was activated, so we sent a group to retrieve it.¡¹ After exining the situation, Suleyman appended that sentence. Solomon replied with a quick Thank You, then looked at the buns and cleared his throat. Now that Suleyman was present, he had to reassume the demeanor of a king, he could not allow himself to slip. ¡¸If that was a prototype, I guess that means it was made here. I¡¯m quite pleased to find out you¡¯re producing things like sealing barriers.¡¹ Without caring about Solomon, Mira took another bun and threw it in her mouth. After thoroughly chewing it, she washed it down with pure-white peach juice. Her cheeks brightened feeling the sweet vor of peaches spreading all over her mouth. Solomon nced at her through the corner of his eyes, then looked at Suleyman standing straight upright looking like he had a steel rod instead of a spine. That sight reminded him of a teacher watching over an exam. ¡¸Well, to be honest that was meant to be some sort of insurance for the future. We are a country of spellcasters after all, so if our spells were sealed it could easily spell doom for us. So if we studied how those barriers are formed, we could research countermeasures. The prototype that was used was one of the products from that research.¡¹ As he exined, Solomon stood up from the couch and walked away in an attempt to resist the buns¡¯ temptation, sitting down at his office chair again. There were still arge amount of gifts on the table, so he decided he would thin them out a bit when he was free. ¡¸That makes sense. You¡¯re really thinking about a lot of things.¡¹ Muttering that, Mira threw another bun into her mouth. ¡¸Well, even if I look like this I¡¯m still the king.¡¹ Was Solomon¡¯s reply, which caused Suleyman to narrow his gaze at him. Those eyes were judging Solomon for talking in such a self-deprecating manner even while being the king. ¡¸Right. Then, what about the spirit arms?¡¹ Trying to gloss over that, Solomon moved into the next topic, which was also the information Mira thought most valuable from the incident. ¡¸It appears the mother was the only one involved in their acquisition, neither of the three possessed any information.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, are you sure?¡¹ ¡¸Luminaria revised the information with them, so I believe they hid nothing.¡¹ Suleyman inly stated the gathered information. Solomon was convinced that was all they could learn from them, while Mira wondered just what they had done during the interrogation. At some point, Luminaria appeared beside Mira and took one of the buns like it was the most natural thing to do. Solomon and Luminaria both had to readjust their manners to appear in public, but Suleyman¡¯s judging gaze was less stern with Luminaria. ¡¸Then we¡¯ll just have to ask the Marquis¡¯ wife directly. Suleyman, send her a letter for her toe tomorrow at noon.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly.¡¹ ¡¸And one more thing. These are the wood shavings I mentioned before, take them to the research team.¡¹ Solomon lifted the bag that had been left on his desk, giving it to Suleyman who walked over to receive it with both hands. After taking it, he checked the contents. ¡¸This looks ratherplicated to fully understand. I¡¯ll get it analyzed right away.¡¹ Looking at one of the shavings, covered in ayer of thick moss which hinted at its age, Suleyman said that, though his attitude showed he was more than willing to work on it, as opposed to how his words sounded. ¡¸If you¡¯ll excuse me now.¡¹ Now that he was done with his report of the interrogation, Suleyman left the office to proceed with his duties. ¡¸Still, that was really unfortunate.¡¹ Luminaria spoke as she held a bottle of pure-white peach juice on her hand. ¡¸Truly troublesome indeed. He had a rather haughty attitude when I saw him in the academy, but are you sure you¡¯ve been keeping good watch over the things happening there?¡¹ Mira was aware that altercations were unavoidable in any ce where people got together, like in the academy. But Kairos¡¯ behavior was extremely oppressive, abusing his status as a noble even against an instructor like Hinata. Luminaria would have never remained passive if she saw something like that happening there. ¡¸Well, I relegated everything rted to the academy to the past attendant¡­¡¹ Luminaria began chewing on a bun as she added ¡¸but research is all he thinks about¡­¡¹, with a slightly displeased tone and narrowing her eyes looking at some distant point. Just like how Creos was the attendant of the Tower of Summoning, the person with the most influence in all the other towers were currently attendants, and they oversaw all the faculties of the academy, examining their teachings and ns. The Tower of Magic was the only exception to that, their wiseman, Luminaria, was avable and could take over those duties, but doing so could create an imbnce with the other towers as they would be clearly superior. That led to Luminaria hesitatingly impose those duties back to the former attendant. That former attendant was just a researcher however, so even if he kept the Magic Faculty in his mind, he would often seclude himself because of his duties as an attendant, so anything rted to the students would be too much for him to keep track of. As a result, the fruits of his research led to the faculty¡¯s skills skyrocketing, the students there gaining power others had not seen there before, but that also caused many to be arrogant just like Kairos. ¡¸Creos frequently visits the academy. From what I could see walking together with him through it, the students looked tightly united. After this incident I¡¯m certain kids like Kairos will be less relevant, so all the other students who were being held back by them will be able to rise in strength themselves. You don¡¯t necessarily have to take charge of everything, but maybe just visit it from time to time?¡¹ Mira recalled that time she walked around the academy together with Creos, Hinata and Amaratte. She recalled how they treated the two attendants with utmost respect, and the straightforward and juvenile envy with which they looked at her. The people the students could admire, those who were at the level they wanted to reach, they were right in front of them, they could be seen walking amongst the students, just that was enough to infuse them with plenty of motivation to strive forward. Mira had experienced something simr when she was a student, she remembered that feeling very well, but her words had a different tone to them, she spoke like she was a parent watching over the backs of her children. ¡¸Well, either way it¡¯ll have to be after this whole situation blows over. But I¡¯ll visit them sometime if you say so.¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t forget to do it regrly enough.¡¹ After gulping down a bun, Luminaria spoke about the changes and checking on things with a disinterested voice, but Mira insisted that the matter was really important and had to be supervised constantly. In reply, Luminaria just repeated ¡¸I know, I know¡¹, the entire exchange happening in front of King Solomon who could hold her ountable for it in the future. ¡¸So you¡¯re talking about the academy huh. I¡¯ve only known what I learn from the written reports, so maybe I should go with you to visit it.¡¹ Solomon reached out for a bun himself as he piggybacked onto Luminaria¡¯s decision. ¡¸That¡¯s a good idea. There¡¯s things you can only be aware of once you see them for yourself.¡¹ Mira nodded as she recalled her visit to the academy again. Though she failed to realize what kind ofmotion would arise if the king and one of the nine wisemen visited the academy. Either way, that was not Mira¡¯s business anymore. ¡¸That reminds me, what is that examination they have supposed to be? I could count on my hands the number of spells that would actually be useful inbat.¡¹ Chapter 78: From Now On… (3) Chapter 78: From Now On¡­ (3) The performances during the event that would be the origin of the attack incident reyed in Mira¡¯s mind. She clearly remembered very few spells that would be useful in a fight against monsters. She had assumed that was the current style of spellcasters, but Solomon and Luminaria looked at each other before their shoulders sank. ¡¸That examination isn¡¯t something we were involved with when it began. The instructors started it to respond to the demands of a group of influential people who had no connection to spells.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there were many iterations of it before it became the disy of students¡¯ abilities it is today. Its original purpose was to show the students¡¯ skills and adaptability to an event like that as well as the instructor¡¯s teaching capabilities. As things went in that direction, the attendants of the towers, who all had their own way of doing things, decided to not get involved with it. So their absence in deciding how to carry the examination out was just assumed.¡¹ After Solomon began talking about it, Luminaria added more context to it. At first the examination did not weigh much importance in the academy, but as time passed, more people got interested in it, and eventually its results bled into more serious affairs of the academy. ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened.¡¹ Even if the tower attendants were in charge of nning the courses for the academy, how they would be taught was entirely up to the instructors. The instructors¡¯ skills were also maturing as they taught in the academy, so the regr examinations also served as a tform to show how creative they could be. ¡¸But either way, I feel like they¡¯re taking it a bit too far nowadays. The one who dragged it into its current direction also being the ringleader of today¡¯s incident. Given some time, it should soon go back to normal.¡¹ Saying so, Luminaria began opening another box of pure white peach buns. Solomon was already looking impatiently at her, waiting for the moment the box¡¯s seal would be open. Watching them enjoying the buns so much, Mira smiled thinking how it was worth it to buy them, though when the box was open, she was the first one to snatch a bun. ¡¸Oh, right. This one¡¯s for you.¡¹ After a while of the three of them happily eating buns on the couch, Mira searched through the gifts ced on the table, grasping the love goddess statue from the bunch and handing it to Luminaria. ¡¸Oh, thank you. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see something like this. Things have really changed from how they used to be, but it¡¯s quite detailed¡­ and they¡¯re white¡­¡¹ Turning the statue around and looking at it from different angles, Luminaria praised its workmanship that hammered down even the smallest details. Then the two girls¡¯ gazes met and they nodded at the same time. ¡¸That reminds me, Leoneil told me something. It seems he was slightly frustrated you beat him to the punch, but his information was quite interesting as well.¡¹ ¡¸Hohh, now that¡¯s something that interests me.¡¹ After drinking all of his pure white peach juice, Solomon stood up satisfied and walked to his desk. There he pulled a few papers from the stacks he had, it seemed to be the report he received from Leoneil. ¡¸He says he was able to determine a group of adventurers with ties to Chimera uzen. After observing their movements, he was apparently able to find amon pattern between them.¡¹ As Solomon spoke, he went through the pages to double check he was saying the right thing. Since Leoneil was the leader of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union, it was easy for him to find adventurers involved with Chimera uze, though it could also be called an abuse of authority. ¡¸And what was themon pattern?¡¹ ¡¸It seems adventurers from that particr group have been asking for permits to enter certain dungeons time and time againtely. Those dungeons being three, the Libra Fortress, the Sheltered Library, and the Mirage Maze.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯ve been to all of those ces many times in the past, but what is it that interests them in those ces? As far as I recall, there¡¯s nothing tying them together.¡¹ The dungeons Solomon mentioned were all ssified as highly difficult, and Mira had been to all for them for various reasons in the past. This meant she was familiar with all of those ces, but she could not think of a singlemon feature in all three of them. It could be argued Chimera uzen might be in them for different reasons, but those dungeons were not even home to spirits. ¡¸Well, you¡¯ve never been one to study history or things like that after all. Those three have some past connections, actually. Though, I only know that from Leoneil¡¯s research since he studied those areas really in depth. It seems you being ahead triggered a certain side of him.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon looked at the papers with a juvenile smile befitting of his appearance, though there was also a slightly more mature and thoughtful hue to it. He looked pleased that Leoneil was working harder than he expected. ¡¸So, what is this connection you speak of?¡¹ Mira grimaced at Solomon¡¯s usual demeanor as she pressed him to continue. At the same time, Luminaria began looking through the pile of gifts Mira bought, seemingly already aware of what would follow in the conversation. ¡¸First, the Libra Fortress. You know how that was the ce where the ancients fought the king of monsters?¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t remember when it was, but I think I heard that during a quest.¡¹ ¡¸ording to some records, spirits lent their power to the ancients for that battle.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, so that¡¯s where spiritse into the picture.¡¹ There were traces of ancient records scattered throughout the whole world which always painted it in a certain way for Mira. She never thought of them as more than a backstory to build a setting, but those traces had gained a tangible form now and literally shaped the world she was in. They were painting Mira¡¯s reality in new colors now. ¡¸It is said that the spirit that led all those spirits during that battle was the Spirit King Symbiosanctius himself. He manifested there andmandeered the battle in the Libra Fortress.¡¹ ¡¸The Spirit King? That¡¯s quite an important one to show up.¡¹ ording to history, that battle ended in victory for the ancients. However, information about the Spirit King wascking at best. ¡¸Then, the Sheltered Library. There¡¯s a lot of books and other documents from the ancients stored in there, including some that talk about the battle I just mentioned.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see. But if you search deep enough you can find anything there.¡¹ The Sheltered Library was an enormous dungeon that went quite deep underground. It was filled with wandering guards that protected the books stored there. It was said that the ce contained all the history until recent days. It obviously was not all just history though, there were multiple books on misceneous knowledge as well. However, the archives themselves and the dungeon were in separate locations, and a special permit was needed to enter into the archives. ¡¸Andstly, the Mirage Maze. They probably have no interest in the dungeon itself, but in what is past it.¡¹ ¡¸Past the Mirage maze? What was it again¡­ I think I remember something like a stone circle?¡¹ Mira tried remembering thest time she was there which was quite a long time ago so her memories were muddied, but she could remember the characteristic stone towers arranged as a circle. ¡¸You mean the Ancient Ring Gate. The ce said to be connected with the Spirit Pce.¡¹ ¡¸Was that ce known for something like that?¡¹ When Mira was there, her goal was to suppress a strain of Elemental Eaters that had started nesting there. But with the new information she had just gained, it did not take a genius to figure out why a type of monster that fed on spirits would attempt to live there. ¡¸Taking into ount Chimera uzen¡¯s past movements, Leoneil arrived at a deeply intriguing conclusion.¡¹ Solomon returned the papers together with the bunch, then stayed with a stern face for a while before delivering his next sentence. ¡¸Chimera uzen¡¯s next objective is the Spirit King.¡¹ Chapter 79: Unveiling (1) Chapter 79: Unveiling (1) ¡¸That¡¯s a bit hard to believe so suddenly.¡¹ Any spellcaster held some form of a connection with spirits, and as the Nine Wisemen were at the top of them, they understood what spirits were better than anyone. The King Spirit Symbiosanctius, it was said his power was akin to that of a god, his presence alone emanating a power capable of distorting his surroundings in the real world, so he normally stayed inside a phased out realm referred to as the Spirit Pce. ¡¸That¡¯s also how I felt at first. You can just look at Antis for example, it¡¯s said that they possessed power like a fragment of a god, and yet you saw what happened when they waged war against the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. If the Spirit King is even more simr to a god, then it¡¯s not a being that can be approached by humans.¡¹ Antis was a country that possessed multiple high ranking generals with power simr to the Nine Wisemen, and boasted of thergest territory and army out of all the countries founded by yers. But even after being superior to the other countries, they were utterly defeated once they attempted to touch the divine power residing in the Empire of Grimdart, one of the corners of the Three Gods¡¯ countries. If the Spirit King was not a mere fragment but a god itself like Luminaria suggested, then history proved he was not a being that could be approached with mere weapons. ¡¸But well, attacking spirits is already quite reckless in itself, so going after the Spirit King would normally never ur to anyone. But we¡¯re talking about Chimera uzen here, and they already proved they can be that reckless, and they probably already have a n to deal with the Spirit King.¡¹ Solomon plopped down on his leathered chair and crossed his arms while knitting his brow, ring at the papers on his desk. There was a clue as to what their n was on the report detailing the Libra Fortress. When the Spirit King manifested himself, the surroundings would get distorted. So when it was investigated how he had managed tomand a battle in the fortress without affecting anything, it was found out that they built a special control room to contain his influence. If that room was reverse engineered, then it could be repurposed to build a cage for the Spirit King himself. That was as far as Leoneil¡¯s investigations had found out. ¡¸From what we know, they¡¯re really watchful people who turn around and run away as soon as things turn against them. But if this n works, then their sess is pretty much guaranteed.¡¹ ¡¸So far our intel suggests they¡¯ve already researched how to build a cage to contain the Spirit King, or that it¡¯s already being built. That¡¯s why they¡¯re trying to find a path into the Spirit Pce now.¡¹ ¡¸If they were able to seed and became able to use the Spirit King¡¯s power however they want, then their power would be the same as that of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, if not stronger. We can¡¯t just watch idly.¡¹ After mentioning how Chimera uzen was going after the Spirit King, Solomon quickly summarized the contents of the report and the conjectures it arrived at. ¡¸Even if it¡¯s a one in a million chance, it¡¯s not something we can just ignore without doing anything about it.¡¹ ¡¸You have a point.¡¹ That entire conversation was purely based on possibilities and guesses formed from the information they had. But even then it would carry too serious implications for them to ignore it. Mira nodded in agreement instantly. Seeing that, Solomon smiled as he pulled a letter from one of the drawers in his desk. The envelope was of very high quality and it had a wax stamp firmly sealing it. With the letter in his hand, Solomon walked with a light gait until he stood at Mira¡¯s side, where he ced a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a really obvious fake smile. ¡¸If I remember correctly, your next destination is the headquarters of the Fifty Bells League. So while you¡¯re there, please give this to the upper management there to request for their aid.¡¹ ¡¸So it really came to this¡­¡¹ Since Chimera uzen was so spread out, having members even amongst adventurers, they needed more than just information about the group, but manpower to go against them as well. Their best bet at that was the Fifty Bells League, who already held hostility against Chimera uzen. Solomon did not know how much information they had, but the information the Union Leader had gathered by abusing his authority would definitely serve a good present for them. Solomon thought that with that, they would officially be allies with the league which would benefit both sides, so he wrote the letter detailing everything they knew about Chimera uzen and formally expressing his wish to cooperate. He chose Mira to be the special envoy delivering the letter. She had already met a few of their members before and possessed a letter of introduction, so she was the best candidate. Mira was aware of all that, so she received the letter while only grumbling ¡¸I get no time to rest¡¹ to herself. ¡¸I also have some good news though. Your own exclusive wagon was finished yesterday! Time for apuse.¡¹ After saying that, Solomon alone pped his hands. The wagon he was referring to was an equivalent of a carriage made for birds, just like the one Creos used while being carried by his summoned Garuda. It had begun construction as a reward for Mirapleting a special mission, and she was really interested in it ever since it started being nned, so it was heavily customized for her. ¡¸It¡¯s finally done!¡¹ Those were good news indeed, as Mira leaped to her feet energetically in contrast to her earlier lifeless pose sprawled on the couch. Her expression showed she was clearly delighted as well. ¡¸A wagon? You mean those things you use to fly around? That¡¯s nice, that¡¯s so nice, being an evoker¡­¡¹ Luminaria remembered how Creos would arrive at the castle in one from time to time, so she ruffled Mira¡¯s hair while filled with deep envy. ¡¸Just leave it be, don¡¯t be such a bad sport.¡¹ Mira ignored her provocation and smiled broadly, thinking about it as her privilege as the superior one as she rebutted Luminaria. Evokers were a subset of spellcasters who could call forth entities. Summoners were the leading ones, followed by Necromancers and Onmyoji masters. Now that the shackles of the game were gone, evokers had gained a lot more diversity with their skills. One of those being the wagons. For instance, if a necromancer learned how to create a really fast golem, then they could possess a new form of transportation that only cost the mana spent to travel from one ce to another whenpared to the expenditures of maintaining a horse carriage. As a result, evokers had be much more useful in recent times. ¡¸Ahh,e on, make a vehicle that magicians can also driveee~¡¹ Pushing Mira¡¯s head away, Luminaria threw herself on the couch with a sulky demeanor as her hair spread out all around her. She looked just like a child that had gotten tired of sulking and demanding something. Though her voluptuous body that jiggled as she lied down was one a child would never possess. ¡¸Eventually, eventually it might happen.¡¹ Solomon replied to her halfheartedly as hebed Mira¡¯s severely disheveled hair. The majority of spells used by magicians focused on creatingrge fires, and there was none that would be effective at propelling a vehicle forward. He had thought about using their fire to power a steam engine, but that was still quite low on his list of priorities. ¡¸Would you like to see it?¡¹ Having finishedbing Mira¡¯s hair, Solomon smiled pridefully as he asked that, probably because he was very confident in the quality of the wagon. ¡¸But of course.¡¹ Seeing that, Mira¡¯s expectations grew as she instantly stood up. ¡¸That sounds interesting, I¡¯m going too.¡¹ A little bitter, Luminaria said that as she stood up. Since they would be leaving the office, Mira picked up all the remaining gifts, which Solomon watched with reluctance. Solomon exined that Mira¡¯s exclusive wagon was stored in the same warehouse as the horse carriages. As they walked down the hallway, a spellcaster wearing a blue robe turned to look at the three of them with her lips pursed up. At the same time, a hesitant grunt came from Luminaria. ¡¸Lady Luminaria! I finally found you!¡¹ The spellcaster perked her shoulders up as she moved through the hallway with long strides. Her eyebrows were slightly nted upwards giving her a serious appearance, but now that she was in a bad mood her eyes looked even sharper, clearly showing her anger. ¡¸Did something happen?¡¹ Once the spellcaster was in front of them, she performed a military salute. Solomon was confused as he asked her what this was all about, and she replied after bowing to him. ¡¸Excuse me, His Majesty. Today we had scheduled a group training exercise, so¡­ Well, Lady Luminaria is our leader, and if she¡¯s not present we can¡¯t begin the exercise, so I was looking for her inside the castle.¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, I remember seeing a petition for that.¡¹ Chapter 79: Unveiling (2) Chapter 79: Unveiling (2) Solomon recalled the request he received, they had asked for permission to use a special training ground forrge groups. He did not remember what day it was for, but when he looked backwards to ask Luminaria if it was today, she only heaved a very deep sigh like she waspletely exhausted. ¡¸I assume Lady Luminaria is busy with something important now? I¡¯ll go look for Joachim instead then.¡¹ The spellcaster thought something important hade up given that Luminaria was together with the King, and Mira, who had been the center of all the gossip happening around there. But as reality would have it, Luminaria¡¯s reason to be with them was nowhere near important enough to relegate her duties. ¡¸We were pretty much just going to y around now, so don¡¯t worry about bothering her at all.¡¹ Saying that, Mira turned to Luminaria and signaled her to go with her gaze. ¡¸That¡¯s true, you can take her.¡¹ Solomon was of the same mind as he turned his chin telling her to go. ¡¸Okay, I knoww. I¡¯ll go with her so stop that already.¡¹ Luminaria pouted saying that, then she whispered ¡¸Let me ride on it next time¡¹ to Mira¡¯s ear, before telling the spellcaster ¡¸Let¡¯s go¡¹ and putting her hand to the spellcaster¡¯s shoulder and departing with her. ¡¸She looks really busy.¡¹ ¡¸I know how she acts sometimes, but she¡¯s working hard. Though if you find anyone else her workload should decrease as well.¡¹ ¡¸Even if you say that¡­ All we know so far are some vague clues about Soul and Kagura¡­ And oh right, there was a story I heard.¡¹ As Mira saw Luminaria off, grimacing seeing how her hand slowly went down from the spellcaster¡¯s shoulder until it reached her lower body and started fondling there, Mira recalled the story the troubadour Emilio had told her about an orphanage. ¡¸Hmm? What kind of story?¡¹ Solomon looked less bothered watching the spellcaster nestling her body against Luminaria as one would have thought, Mira asked him with a refined look on her cute face if it was really alright for Luminaria to do that, Solomon just said ¡¸It¡¯s a bit surprising how less that affects her public image¡¹, remaining as a spectator himself. Mira replied with ¡¸It almost makes me jealous¡¹ as she remembered the couple of Emilio and Rihanna, of whom she talked with increased jealousy. ¡¸If I had to put it somehow, it can¡¯t be anyone else but her. But you don¡¯t know where that ce is, correct?¡¹ ¡¸No, he only mentioned it was a small town without a name in northeastern Grimdart.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s pretty far. It would be pretty troublesome to just investigate the ce.¡¹ The northeastern part of Grimdart was a vast area, so searching there for a ce without a name to go off would prove to be hard. On top of that, the search for the Wisemen was a state secret, so finding an excuse to send people to such a small town was another problem. As Solomon spoke, his head kept thinking of what to do about that situation. ¡¸If I ever go somewhere near that area I could search myself.¡¹ Mira could tell what Solomon was thinking about, so she offered to help him herself. As they spoke, they had moved along the hallway and down the stairs, and now that they stood in front of the warehouse door, their conversation came to a stop. There was a warehouse for carriages on both the eastern and western side of the castle, the western side was for nobles, the eastern one for the army and regr people. The one Mira and Solomon had gone to was the western one. Whening directly from the castle, one would enter the warehouse on one of the corners where most of the repairs and renovations would be performed, as well as some new fabrications. The ce was made of stone and was reallyrge, so from time to time other items that were not carriages would also get repaired there. There were multiple luxurious carriages left to be repaired there. ¡¸Is that you, His Majesty Solomon? And could that be Lady Mira with you?¡¹ The management room that also counted as a break room was located right in front of the door connecting the warehouse with the castle. The manager in charge of the western warehouse and stable tumbled as he leaped out of the room, seeing the king appear so suddenly, and knelt in front of him while also naming the girl he recognized only because of the description he heard about her. ¡¸Yes, she¡¯s Mira, Danbulf¡¯s pupil.¡¹ ¡¸Nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Doug, the manager of the stable. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡¹ The manager spoke with a thick voice like the sound of arge conch. He was a member of the Gardia race in the prime of his age, his body well toned to the point where each muscle could be seen moving individually, and his darker skin entuated his healthy appearance even more. He was wearing work clothes simr to an apron which left most of his body exposed, the upper half of his body being basically naked. Even while knelt down, Doug stood at the same height as Mira. With his face just in front of her, she saw his dark red beard, while his head was cleanly shaven, but his face had a gentle appearance, making him look like a smiling daruma doll. ¡¸If Mira is apanying you, I assume you came to unveil that one?¡¹ The exclusive wagon that had been finished just one day before. The workers had put their hearts and souls into making it, so Doug¡¯s eyes shone with pride as he asked that. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct. I¡¯m sorry we bothered you during your break, but could you bring it here?¡¹ ¡¸Right away, sir.¡¹ Doug stood up and saluted before calling other workers there and running into the warehouse while making his magnificent muscles work. His manly back lookedrge and rigid, but had a liveliness to it that resembled that of a young child. The word of who was there passed around, and it only took an instant for the entire workshop to turn bustling with activity as if there was a fire somewhere. Everyone helped to clear some space from materials and tools, throwing everything into the corners and clearing the center. When the signal was given, the warehouse doors were open and a white wagon appeared, pulled along by the workers. It looked like an elongated box with triangles on the narrow sides, with four gilded wheels. Its height was pretty high, but the door handles were ced rather low, so Mira would be able to reach them without trouble. The overall design was pretty simple, but it also somewhat resembled an armored vehicle. ¡¸Well Doug, exin everything to her.¡¹ ¡¸Right away.¡¹ Around ten workers with dirited faces but filled with youthful vigor stood lined up in front of the wagon, smiling and with their chests puffed awaiting for someone to say something. In response to Solomon¡¯s request, Doug stepped forward and began exining the different features of the wagon and the materials used to build it. His voice rang easy and enjoyable, while the workers¡¯ movements made it clear they were proud to have been involved in its creation. Doug¡¯s exnation began with how the braces and shafts had been made to support both flying and being pulled on the ground. Then he moved onto the poles and hangers for storage on the outside of the wagon, the venttion holes and airtight zones, quality of life improvements like springs on the axles to diminish rattling, and other more technical features. The frame of the wagon had been made of an advanced alloy of Mythrium, which was easy to manufacture, had a strong resistance to changes in temperature while being light, and was bing really popr in construction works, but the shafts for the summoned entity to attach to were made of an even stronger material. He continued talking about more advanced technicalities. His deep involvement in its creation, as well as his knowledge as a worker, and more importantly the excitement from the other workers made even Mira get caught up in his exnation. There were multiple times she felt like she could rte with them. ¡¸Now pleasee closer and take a look inside as well.¡¹ Once he had exhausted all his knowledge on the outside of the wagon, it finally was time for the main course so he opened the doors broadly. ¡¸I¡¯m intrigued by how the interior looks.¡¹ Infected by Doug¡¯s high spirits, Mira replied as if she was another worker there, peering into the interior of the wagon from the opened doors. The interior was brand new, foreign to the presence of any person before her, filled with a strong yet familiar scent of soft rush which filled Mira¡¯s nostrils. The interior was snug andpact, but it also was made in a Japanese style just like she had requested. As soon as she entered she saw the frames made of ck stone, and arge window that would let as much sunlight as she wanted to get in. But more importantly, there was the feature she had wanted the most, there was a kotatsu with pillows in arabesque patterns ced there, and instead of mandarins, a pot with a nt with a multitude of leaves on top of it. ¡¸I can only say this is way better than I was expecting.¡¹ Mira felt like she had been transported back to Japan the moment she crossed the door, so she voiced her thoughts in a straightforward manner. When the people around heard that, some of them raised their fists with a bright expression and eximed ¡¸Alright!¡¹ without being too loud. They were probably the ones who built the interior. Mira took off her shoes and lifted one of her white legs poking out from her skirt, cing one foot on the tatami mat. It was soft but had structural rigidity to it, it was the same feeling she was familiar with. Once her other foot joined the first, she slowly looked around. Next to the kotatsu there was a small purple chair, in front of a closet with sliding doors painted with light shapes of flowers. On the other side, towards the front side of the wagon, there was a small door. The wagon could also be pulled like a regr carriage, so that door led to the driver¡¯s seat. Mira could not contain herself as she kept looking from one side to another inside the wagon, until her eyes finally stopped at the closet and she opened it. The closet was divided in two floors, the top one was empty while the lower one had a futon stored in it. Chapter 79: Unveiling (3) Chapter 79: Unveiling (3) ¡¸Ohh, a futon. Does this mean I can sleep inside as well?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct. If you move the table to the side, you should have enough space toy it down.¡¹ Mira turned around to ask that, and Doug happily replied as he stood smiling watching from outside. That futon had been built specifically with Mira¡¯s height in mind. ¡¸We thought there would be a time in the future when you have to camp outdoors. You can add as much furniture as you may need as well, but that¡¯s something you can enjoy doing yourself. What do you think? It¡¯s like a moving house, or maybe a secret base would sound better?¡¹ Solomon¡¯s face peeked below Doug¡¯s, a childish smile on his face. The wagon had been designed more as a transportable ce where she could live rather than a mere vehicle. It was any man¡¯s dream to have a space only for himself after all, so that was the main focus of the wagon. ¡¸Mhm, it¡¯s the best!¡¹ After closing the closet, Mira replied satisfied as she walked around running her fingers along the wall adorned with white brushstrokes. Doug was feeling just as satisfied as well. (It looks much more rxing than my house with my wife.) Thinking that, Doug began nning on building something simr for himself. Once she was done looking at everything, Mira sat on the small chair to check how it felt. Just as she did that, the nt on top of the kotatsu entered straight into her view. ¡¸By the way, what nt is this?¡¹ At first nce, it resembled a Japanese morning glory, but it had no flowers. It was just inside a small white nter spreading its leaves along a mesh set up on it. There were no particr features to the leaves, but since there were no other furnishings apart from the kotatsu and the chair, it was weird that only this nt would be added, so Mira asked that. Doug promptly gave her an answer. ¡¸That nt is called Thin Mist Grass, and it grows wildly mostly near volcanic zones. This type has been bred to excel at photosynthesis and air purification, so even if you werepletely isted inside there, as long as you had light, it would produce enough air for one person to breathe.¡¹ ¡¸That sounds truly useful.¡¹ In other words, it was a natural air purifier. Thinking how thoughtful they were to add it there, Mira poked at the Thin Mist Grass leaves while saying ¡¸Nice to meet you¡¹ to it in her mind. ¡¸They are really easy to breed too, and the light equipped with the wagon is enough to activate it. You can read more in those papers over there. It¡¯s pretty much the wagon¡¯s manual, so make sure to look at it.¡¹ After Doug mentioned that, Mira turned to look again and saw a few papers beside the pot, so she nodded while saying ¡¸Alright.¡¹ and then stood up. ¡¸Next you should find a ce to park it. You can go outside with it when we¡¯re done looking at it. You can¡¯t just leave it here all the time after all.¡¹ After Solomon said that, Mira jumped out of the wagon and the workers promptly got to work moving it. ¡¸A ce to park it, huh. I can¡¯t just turn it into an item and store it in my Item Box? That sounds like a faster option.¡¹ As they followed the wagon being pulled away, Mira asked that. Solomon quickly began shaking his head. ¡¸That¡¯s one thing you can¡¯t do. Wagons get categorized as vehicles, so they¡¯re not regr items. Apparently there are other items that can¡¯t go inside there either, depending on their size and weight.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, so it¡¯s not as all-purpose as I thought.¡¹ As the two conversed like that, the wagon crossed therge gates of the workshop and was carried outside. The sky had already begun turning into the colors of dusk. When Mira looked around, she spotted the stable just beside there. Further along that direction was their current destination, the parking lot which was filled with multiple small sheds lined up which stored the carriages. It felt like a scenery of only carriages one after another as far as she could see. ¡¸This will be the exclusive shed for your wagon, Lady Mira.¡¹ The shed she was led to was the furthest to the left. It looked quite simr to the other sheds, and the workers pushed the wagon inside. ¡¸The next time you arrive in it when going to the castle, it¡¯ll be carried here, so make sure you remember this ce.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll remember it.¡¹ Solomon and Mira stood in front of the shed with the wagon, their arms crossed and watching with rxed faces how that dream had materialized. ¡¸His Majesty, Lady Mira.¡¹ Doug called to them from behind. His earlier excited tone was gone, sounding more calm and serious now. When Mira and Solomon turned to see what he wanted, they saw all the workers lined up in a straight line with only Doug standing in the middle and one step in front. ¡¸It would be no exaggeration to say that this wagon was the best product we¡¯ve ever built to this date. We¡¯re convinced we¡¯ve all been able to better our skills through this experience. You two have our most heartfelt gratitude for believing in our skills, trusting us by letting us pour everything we had into this project. Thank you.¡¹ Doug brought an end to his speech like that and bowed to them, the men behind him followed suit before joining their voices in a loud ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹. When they lifted their faces again, the ce was filled with awkward manly smiles. (¡­How curious. We asked for this without much thought, as a casual request, so I wasn¡¯t expecting them to thank us like this. Or rather, it should be us thanking them for fulfilling all our requests.) ¡¸You worked well. I want you to keep working like that for this country¡¯s future.¡¹ ¡¸We will wholeheartedly spend all our strength to aplish that.¡¹ Solomon proudly looked at the workers before saying that, to which Doug replied magnificently. ¡¸What do you think about the workers of my country? They¡¯re amazing aren¡¯t they?¡¹ Solomon spoke triumphantly as the corners of his lips lifted. Mira had already met other workers before, and thinking of them too, she agreed saying ¡¸Yes, they¡¯re amazing.¡¹ After that, they still spoke about how the maintenance for the wagon had to be carried out, if they would be allowed to gather data from it given that it was basically a conglomerate of new technology, only finishing by the time the sun had set. ¡¸I think I¡¯ll call it a day now. It¡¯s already sote.¡¹ Once the two of them were the only ones left in the parking lot, Solomon returned to his usual tone of voice. Mira looked at the lights around them absentmindedly, wandering her eyes along the walls of the castle, heading up towards the sky and the Milky Way running along it like a crack of light in the sky and only replied with ¡¸That sounds like a good idea.¡¹ After that Solomon returned to his office to wrap up the work he had left, while Mira decided she would hand out the gifts she had left before the day was over and headed to the maid chambers. She actually felt like a pervert sneaking into the girls¡¯ dormitories, but in reality, there was no problem. When she asked for directions to reach the maids¡¯ chambers, everyone kindly guided her. When she arrived there and crossed the ¡®no men allowed¡¯ sign, there was still no one who stopped her. It was perfect. (I somehow feel like there¡¯s a really good scent wafting in the air.) Mira strutted along the maids¡¯ chambers looking like she owned the ce as she looked for Lily or someone she knew. After a short while, the situation became just the way Solomon had described. As the word spread that Mira was there, all the maids began crowding around her, and amongst them was obviously Lily. After they took Mira to the break lounge, Mira ryed how she went all the way to Alispharius, and then ced all the gifts she bought on the table saying they were a token of gratitude for everyone involved in making her magic robe set. Lily promised she would take some to the people who were not present there as well. Next, the maids that had finished their duties took Mira to the bathroom with the water fountain where she had been before, to relieve the fatigue built up during the day. With Lily in the front, the maids all went straight to squeeze Mira, causing a bit of a nuisance for her, but since Mira had already gone through a number of experiences, her old appearance of only being toyed around was gone and now her eyes were shining. Once they were done with the bath, Mira was given a change of clothes since her magic robe set was put on theundry to be washed. It was a simple sky-colored one-piece dress made to let the materials shine their best. Dinner was being held in a lounge beside the office, and while they headed that way together with Lily, they ran into Luminaria who was also going to join them for dinner. Since Mira had been in the bath before, Luminaria noticed the way her cheeks and jaw hung loosely and somewhat full of lust, so she mumbled ¡¸Did you have fun?¡¹ to Mira¡¯s ear, to which she replied with ¡¸To my heart¡¯s content.¡¹ A dark, cker than coal tar smile spread on both their lips after that. That day¡¯s dinner was carried on by letting the maids and servants stay outside, so the three good friends spent a good time being reunited after so long. They began talking about random idle topics, then switched to more tough state-rted stories, and then to how the development was going for the doll made with the glittering seeds she had harvested once. They also sprinkled some talks about the other yers between the idle topics. From how animated they all were, it was impossible to guess that this was in fact a dinner overloaded with top state secrets. Chapter 80: Maiden’s Flight (1) Chapter 80: Maiden¡¯s Flight (1) The dinner reunion of the three friends came to a close after Luminaria drank to the point of beingpletely drunk. It appeared as though the training she had conducted earlier that day had troubled her a considerable amount as she was unable to let go of her drink. After Luminaria was taken away by a maid, Lily guided Mira, who was also quite drunk, to her bedroom. ¡¸It¡¯s always in times like these when having a strong resistance to alcohol can be a bit of a problem.¡¹ Solomon said that in a pouty voice as he headed back to his office to finish the work he had left. As the sunshine made its way through the cracks of the curtain, spreading like a thin mist dispersing the vestiges of night, it slowly enveloped the girl sleeping soundly and raising drowsy sighs. The busy hours of the morning passing by, the maids who had finished their first duties gathered in the lounge as one of them approached the girl sleeping defenselessly. ¡¸Mira, it¡¯s morning already. Mira~¡¹ The maid softly spoke into the girl¡¯s ear, shaking her exposed white shoulder. A dyed ¡¸Hnng¡­¡¹ came from the girl, her eyelids lifting just a tiny bit. Through that gap, she saw the blurry embroidery of the canopy and Lily¡¯s face smiling at her like the gentle light of the moon. ¡¸Good morning, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Mmm¡­ morning.¡¹ Raising her upper body, Mira fought the drowsiness pulling her eyes closed like weights as she returned the greeting. ¡¸What time is it?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s currently 10:40am.¡¹ Ignoring Mira¡¯s sleepy state, Lily lifted the sheets and nkets, putting them aside to reveal Mira¡¯s body d in a ck negligee. That ck-colored high-quality silk increased the contrast with her silver hair and shining white limbs. That marvelous sight was the result of Lily¡¯s crime, giving in to Mira¡¯s intoxicated state the night before and forcefully changing her clothes. Lily was unable to pull her eyes away from Mira¡¯s cute and alluring appearance, promptly getting everything ready for her to get up from bed. ¡¸What, it¡¯s thatte already¡­?¡¹ Figuring it was the alcohol¡¯s fault she felt she had barely slept, Mira hurried to get herself ready for the day. Once she was done getting up and grooming herself, she changed into the Robe Set that had just been washed. When she got to that point, she looked puzzled at the negligee which she did not remember seeing before, but knowing Lily, she easily guessed what had happened and decided to just let it go. Next, Lily guided her to the dining room. It was way past the time for breakfast so not many people were there. There were only those who were preparing lunch, and a few maids taking a tea break while pocketing sweets. ¡¸Wait here for a moment.¡¹ Lily said while taking her to a chair. Mira did as told, and soon after, multiple maids swarmed around her. ¡¸Mira, thank you for your gifts.¡¹ ¡¸It was really tasty.¡¹ ¡¸I could feel how much you care about us.¡¹ They were the maids who had tried the sweets Mira had given Lily. Mira just smiled softly while saying ¡¸I¡¯m just d you all liked them¡¹. ¡¸We also wanted to say this yesterday, but thank you so much for bringing Amaratte to us. We finally were able to take her measurements. All thanks to you!¡¹ Lily added that as she poured a cup of ck tea. She was talking about Amaratte, the Necromancer vice-elder, who had expressed a deep interest in Mira¡¯s clothes and had asked her to talk to Lily and the maids who made it. The maids already had been targeting Amaratte as a candidate to make clothes for, and Mira had finally created a bridge for that to happen. Because of that, their appreciation for Mira had spiked. ¡¸That was nothing at all.¡¹ Replying that way, Mira carried the teacup to her lips, eating breakfast while being spoiled by the maids. Once she was done eating breakfast, Lily gave her arge basket. Lily had heard from Solomon that Mira would leave to a faraway ce again, so she prepared food rations that shouldst for a couple of days. She could only be grateful to how useful the Item Box was. From the weight of the basket, Mira could feel how much love and care Lily had poured into filling it. Thinking of how she was indebted to Lily again, Mira gratefully received it and then left the dining room. Their break time over, Lily and the maids got busy with their duties as they saw Mira off who went to visit the office onest time before leaving. ¡¸Hey there, good morning. Did you sleep well?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it was veryfortable.¡¹ Solomon put the paperwork down and looked at Mira, who headed to sit on her usual ce on the couch and replied with a cheerful voice. As was known for the king, there was no trace of a hangover or alcohol on him and he moved with ease. ¡¸I¡¯m d then. And sorry for changing the topic, but here, your reward for aplishing your mission.¡¹ Saying so, Solomon took an envelope he had on his desk and threw it towards the couch. After drawing a curve in the air, the envelopended near Mira together with a slightly metallic sound. ¡¸Ohh, I was just about to run out of money.¡¹ Mira picked up the envelope to check the contents. It had six golden coins, or 300¡¯000 Rils. ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to the next souvenirs.¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that now¡­ Though, well, I will bring something if it catches my attention.¡¹ Solomon made it sound like he was trading money for gifts, but Mira sighed and just epted it. For him, the stories and gifts Mira brought back were enough to stir his adventurous heart, given that he was unable to go on trips like that himself anymore. It felt like opening a bottle filled with experience. ¡¸Anyway, were you able to determine the age of the traces?¡¹ As she spun the now empty envelope around, Mira recalled the wood shavings and asked about them. ¡¸The report came in a little while ago. It will take some time to get any concrete answers, but it will be possible, it seems.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I guess it was worth bringing them then.¡¹ If nothing hade out of that weeklong trip, Mira was ready to return to the tower and cry into Mariana¡¯s shoulder. But the castle¡¯s researchers were proficient enough that they would find results given enough time. ¡¸That¡¯s that, so you can rest assured and head to the Fifty Bells Union headquarters.¡¹ As if that was not enough, Solomon grinned as he added that. Mira let out a disgruntled sigh and stood up. ¡¸It always ends like this¡­ Either way, I guess I¡¯ll be going then.¡¹ Mira ced her hands on her hips while stretching her back, moving her head to rx her neck. Solomon wanted to point out how none of her movements fit her appearance, but he was not one to talk, so he resigned himself to just shaking his head. ¡¸Have a safe trip! And thank you for everything.¡¹ Hearing him say that behind her, Mira replied waving her hand silently as she left the office. A bit before she was gone, she remembered about Kairos and wanted to know what happened to him in the end, but it was nothing important enough for her to turn back. The attack itself had been nothing major for Mira, and Solomon would deal with it in an¡­ appropriate manner. Chapter 80: Maiden’s Flight (2) Chapter 80: Maiden¡¯s Flight (2) Mira continued down the castle hallway, half running on top of the red carpet with golden embroidery. It was finally time to try out her newly finished wagon in a trip. She was in unusually high spirits as she headed to the parking lot, like a childing back from a toy store after buying a toy they really wanted. The workers in the area that served as workshop and storage looked up to see her, a young girl that was out of ce in an area usually upied by stern and loud workers. ¡¸Good morning!¡¹ One of the workers turned at her and greeted her with a very loud voice. It came so unexpectedly for Mira that her shoulders twitched in surprise, but she quickly calmed down and returned the greeting. But that was only the beginning, roused by that loud greeting, the other workers moved closer to greet her too, and soon, there was a choir of greetings around her. They had all been waiting for her. Before, they called her wagon their best masterpiece to date, and her being there meant that they would be able to see it take to the skies, so they crowded around her to witness that. ¡¸¡­Good morning.¡¹ Overwhelmed by all of it, Mira returned the greeting hesitantly. ¡¸You¡¯re going to depart now, right?!¡¹ Out of the worker crowd, the manager Doug came out and looked at Mira full of expectation. At the same time, the workers turned silent as they waited for her reply. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll get it ready for you then!¡¹ As soon as Mira replied, the workers raised cheers as they dispersed everywhere. They were also nning on taking notes from the wagon¡¯s performance and not only to watch. The workers passionately shed their sweat, engrossed in their work, as Mira walked to the parking lot just outside of the workshop. The workers took out multiple tools, some powered by Magic Engineering, as well as pinwheels to measure the wind strength and cameras to capture the moment the wagon took off. The wagon itself was also carried to an open space by the workers. ¡¸Alright, Mira, everything is ready.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, thank you.¡¹ Thanking the workers who brought the wagon, Mira looked at it again, her new vehicle, and/or secret base. The white exterior reflected the sunlight, making it appear even more bright. Because of the simple ornaments and reinforced appearance, it looked like the carriage a legendary battle goddess would take to war. Mira looked at it full of pride, thinking what she should summon. (Hmm, I guess Garuda would be the best option after all. The others can be¡­ a bit too noisy. Creos also uses Garuda often, so it should be familiar with this type of work as well.) Once she had decided, Mira summoned Garuda next to the wagon. A column of light sprouted from the magic circle, a gust of wind blowing forth from it before the brightly-colored prey bird appeared. This Garuda was slightlyrger than the one Creos summoned. It glistened with the lights of a king, entrancing all the workers who stopped what they were doing to look at it. Everyone there was also able to grasp what kind of person the Wiseman¡¯s pupil was. ¡¸Garuda, I have a favor to ask from you, is that okay?¡¹ After Mira asked that, Garuda looked straight at her, lowered its head to the ground as if prostrating itself in front of her. As silent as Garuda was, that was still a disy of loyalty and high respect. That posture made it clear that Garuda would follow any orders she might give. When Mira spoke, the workers came back to their senses and they promptly measured Garuda. They wanted to keep the information of the Garuda carrying the wagon in their records as well. ¡¸Good child. And well, this is my request. I¡¯ll be going inside this wagon, while you pick it up and fly with it. Can you do that for me?¡¹ Mira caressed Garuda¡¯s beak as her eyes pointed at the wagon near them. Understanding Mira¡¯s word, Garuda stood up and lifted the wagon with its beak, returning it to the ground once it knew the weight of it. The wagon was more or less asrge as amon carriage, and the materials had been chosen for their low weight, but Garuda still wanted to make sure it was something it could fly with. Garuda looked at Mira again, moving itsrge head up and down like a nod, saying that there was no problem, while a refreshing and clear breeze came from it. It was happy to get assigned a new job. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on then.¡¹ In reply to Mira, Garuda spread its wings, proud of its own strengths. Mira felt reassured by that and climbed inside the wagon. Shoes were strictly prohibited inside the wagon, in the room replicating a traditional Japanese-style. The tatami floor could be felt much more clearly when barefoot, the softness of which made Mira rx her cheeks. Next, she opened the door leading to the driver seat and peeked out of it to give orders to Garuda. There were braces there to attach to horses, but those were not needed now. She looked at Garuda standing by in front of her and gave it her orders. ¡¸Our destination is the Forest of the Four Seasons. It¡¯s¡­ that direction from here.¡¹ As she spoke, Mira thought about the location of the forest and pointed towards it. Garuda understood the ce she meant and the wind going across the open space grew stronger. Once it had finished deciding on a flight path, it prepared itself to take off. ¡¸Miraa, have a safe trippp!¡¹ ¡¸Take caree!¡¹ The workers had seen Creos¡¯ wagon many times before, so they could tell Mira was about to depart from the strong winds. They screamed as loud as they could so the wind did not drown out their voices, while continuing to record all the data they could. ¡¸Thanks, I¡¯ll be on my way then!¡¹ Mira replied, waving her hand and thinking how all the people in this country were so kind. An instantter, Garuda pped its wings rising into the air, taking hold of the wagon from both sides and flying towards the sky. The workers cheered happily, looking Mira off until the wagon became a white dot in the sky that mixed with the clouds. ¡¸We won¡¯t get there in a single day, so if you feel tired we can rest at any time.¡¹ When Arkite Castle became as small as a scale model, Mira spoke to Garuda before returning inside the wagon. The scent of soft rush1 greeted her there, which she inhaled deeply and looked at the scenery outside the window, taken in by it so much, she almost forgot to exhale the air filling her lungs. (It looks quite different from here.) The panoramic view from atop Pegasus or Garuda had apletely different feel to the scenic view from inside the wagon. With the window acting as a physical barrier between her and the terrain outside, it felt like a moving painting. Adding that she could move freely now, Mira thought this was the most luxurious view she ever had as she sat on the small chair. After that, Mira spent some time sipping on sweet berry ale while enjoying the luxurious view, lost in thought pretending to search for castles atop clouds. Once she had finished drinking one bottle, she ced the empty bottle atop the kotatsu and the papers ced on one of the corners entered her vision. Doug had said that it was the manual for the wagon. Mira grabbed the documents and started looking through them. (That there are schematics added is really going the extra mile.) There were detailed exnations for all the varied features and functions of the wagon she would be using often going forward. Seeing that, Mira cheered herself on as she attentively read through the entire manual. Every part of the wagon had a description there, like how the suspendedmp used Magic Stones to lit up, just like how the Kotatsu used them to warm up. There were details on how to regte the brightness and heat as well. About the Thin Mist Grass growing on the top, it said she had to water it once every three days, and that adding ashes from charcoal every now and then helped it grow as well. The light from themp was enough for it to grow. There were also details on how to install additional furniture, and a notice on how the earthquake resistance worked.
  1. Fire: Type of nt
Chapter 80: Maiden’s Flight (3) Chapter 80: Maiden¡¯s Flight (3) Before she noticed, the red hue of the setting sun had filled the wagon. Having read through the entire manual, Mira looked at the silver and antiquatedmp hanging from the ceiling. It was a light developed through magic engineering. It used Magic Stones as its energy source, which she had gotten plenty of in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. Mira stood up, ced one Magic Stone ording to the manual¡¯s instructions and turned the brightness knob. After she did that, a warm me appeared inside themp, reflecting off the silver umbre around it and illuminating the room in a warm orange color. That light alone was enough to change the mood inside the room, and once she had tweaked the brightness to her liking, she looked around. Doing so, she caught sight of the Thin Mist Grass, which was releasing, as its name suggested, something that resembled a thin mist. That was something the manual also had described. As opposed to other nts that only released oxygen, the Thin Mist Grass also had a neutralizing effect on gases and poison. That effect manifested itself during photosynthesis, and the amount of thin mist indicated how effective it was. She decided to check another detail she saw in the manual, so she grabbed the kotatsu table and lifted it, turning it upside down. There she saw countless glyphs and numbers inscribed. That was a Refining table made in the way she had described in the note she gave Solomon. A piece of paper was stuck to the center of it. ¡®You should be able to make Magic Sealing Stones on the fly with this. I might ask you for some the next time we meet, so good luck. -Solomon¡¯ were its contents. Mira grimaced reading it, before crumpling the paper into a ball and throwing it inside the empty sweet berry ale bottle. (Well, it¡¯s still useful to have around either way.) Before, she would have to cling on with her entire body to not fall down while flying, but now her entire body was free and she had a lot of time in her hands. Realizing that, Mira quickly sat in front of the Refining table and took out two items from her Item Box. The devil¡¯s horn she had gotten before and the loot from Gargoyle Keeper, the lightning orbs. Mira began Refining using those two items. The first step was to make Refined Gems. The devil¡¯s horn had an unusual amount of magic power infused in it which was easy to extract, so it was a reallymon ingredient with a lot of uses, but most of those were useless for Mira. The sole fact that it could be turned into Refined Gems was the only important use for her. In the end, the devil¡¯s horn produced fourteen high-quality Refined Gems. (Devil horns are really good after all!) Normally multiple jewels were needed to create just one Refined Gem, but a single horn could produce this many, and of a very high-quality, so Mira could not think of any other more beneficial use for them, or rather, she felt it was a waste to use them in any other way. Either way, that was only the very first step. Next, Mira took the lightning orbs and prepared them for Refining. After some time of arduous work, out of the fourteen Refined Gems, three turned into high-quality lightning Magic Sealing Stones, and two high-quality Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. The power of the lightning orbs was really strong given that they produced so many high-quality stones. It was also because of that reason that Danbulf once farmed Gargoyle Keepers recklessly. She was already aware that Magic Bomb Sealing Stones could also be used when her spells were sealed, and not only for traps, so she made them as insurance for cases like that. These ones were more than five times as strong as the ones she had used in her fight with Kairos, so they were rather dangerous items. (If someone thinks they can win against me by sealing my spells, I¡¯ll win in a single strike with these. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be shocked out of their minds.) Holding the high-quality Magic Bomb Sealing Stones in her hand, Mira spoke to herself while an ominous smile took over her lips. Afterwards, she put the leftover Refined Gems and the stones she made into her Item Box to clean up some space, then she took a deep breath as if she had finished a long workout and looked out the window. It was already night, with the sky shrouded in darkness. The sky was filled with countless stars, the moon shining in front of the Milky Way, a bright halo surrounding it, shining like a watchful eye over the earth, fervently trying to overpower the stars. Themp inside the wagon was bright enough that it felt like it was still daytime inside. Mira had only noticed it was night then, so she checked her menu and saw it was a little before eight o¡¯clock. She gazed at the scenery under her as she thought it was about time to call it a day. Grasnds covered by the darkness shook gently with the wind there, and when the angle was just right, they reflected the soft moonlight, and further along there was a long river that gave off the appearance of a scaly dragon crawling on the ground. Mira ordered Garuda tond next to that river. When she stepped out of the wagon, a calming noise simr to that of a rainy night hit her eardrums. At the same time, the grassy scent of the ins filled her lungs, while the feeling of freedom and loneliness that could never be felt in the inhabited areas assaulted her. After a deep breath, Mira turned around and struck her hand out to touch Garuda. ¡¸Good work. You must be tired, yes? Let¡¯s rest here.¡¹ Hearing that, Garuda gruntled softly and spread its wings broadly. It appeared to be saying this had been nothing, so Mira felt reassured and rxed as she sent it back. ¡¸Now then¡­¡¹ Muttering to herself, Mira looked at the ins stretching far away under the moonlight, then she turned around and walked towards the river. Once she had taken care of her business there, she summoned a Holy Knight to keep watch outside as she returned inside the wagon and prepared dinner. She ate a deep-fried hot dog dripping with tartar sauce Lily had included in the basket. The other items in the basket were all favorites of Mira, Solomon definitely had some input in choosing them. As she chewed with her cheeks stuffed, Mira smiled happily just like Lily had imagined she would. When she was done eating, Mira looked out to the grass swaying silently under the soft moonlight. Thanks to the wagon, she was able to have more free and pleasant time. She was probably going to spend a lot of time traveling in the wagon in the future, so that also meant more idle time. (Since I have the chance now, I might as well do that after such a long time.) Mira had still to decide on anything concrete, so she just stood up and exited the wagon. On the ins devoid of people, there was only the rustling of the grass and the river, together with the scent of the nts. Other than that, there was the low rustling of clothes and the ragged breath of a girl, fading into the darkness. Those noises repeated faster, turning more intense until it ended with the noise of something cutting through the air. Lowering her fist, Mira took another deep breath and changed her stance. She was training her martial arts corresponding to her Sage ss. It was something she had picked up back when she was still Danbulf and had only used while moving in the floating ind. She did not have many chances to put it in practice as ofte, so she felt like she was falling behind, but now was the perfect chance for it. These martial arts had been passed on to her from Meilin, one of the Nine Wisemen, who had grown up in an actual dojo, and while it had aplicated name Mira could not remember, it appeared to be really famous. Since she had been away for so long, there were many moves she was uncertain about, so now she was practicing them from the beginning again. (It¡¯s slowly starting to get hot here.) When she had practiced her third stance, Mira noticed her body getting hot. She looked around but could not feel any other presence, there was only the moon looking at her from high up in the sky, and the silent Holy Knight. Seeing that there was no problem with it, Mira took off her magic robe set until she was only wearing underwear, then resumed her training as she felt the soft breeze cooling her off while making the grass sway at the same time. Once she was done practicing all her stances, it was time to train on the fundamentals set in this world. Which meant moving to the rhythm of the Sage ss. She ran through the air, kicked off the ground and leapt into the air, and exercised like that to let her body get used to the movements. At the same time, Mira recalled a skill that did not exist before, partial summoning. That was something she had done during the fight with Gargoyle Keeper, and could bebined with her current training to create a foothold. Keeping in mind that she could try doing that againter, Mira resumed her training. Later, she washed off the sweat in the cold river, which also helped cool down her warm body. When she was done soaking, she returned to pick up the underwear she had left at the river¡¯s shore, took out a towel from her bag and wiped her body before she returned to the wagon. The traditional room weed her back, filled with a slight warmth, which together with the exhaustion from working out filled her with a sense of aplishment. Those feelings soon guided her to feel sleepy. ¡¸Hm.¡¹ She thought of just sleeping that way, but as she reached inside her bag for a new change of underwear her hand stopped. She kept both her used and clean underwear in the bag. (Ugh¡­ I forgot to ask Lily to help with this¡­) Usually Mira only wore really in underwear, but now she only had some rather provocative ones left. ¡¸Well, I guess there¡¯s no other choice.¡¹ But Mira had started getting used to things like that recently. In the end, she wore a white translucent one with plenty ofces, a rather mature one, which made her inadvertently droop a side of her lips into a lewd smile. And wearing only that, she jumped inside the soft futon and quickly fell asleep. Chapter 81: Commander (1) Chapter 81: Commander (1) The morning after Mira departed towards the headquarters of the Fifty Bells Union, she decided to eat breakfast outside the wagon, like a pic to mix things up a little. Once she was done, she climbed back into the wagon and took for the skies. Mira had told Garuda to rest if needed, but since flying required around the same amount of effort as breathing for it, there was no need to rest at all. Flying continuously without a hitch like that, they had already covered half the trip, and they arrived at their destination ahead of schedule. The trip had gone smoothly, and Mira used that free time to read someics, or study more about summoning. It was a rather rxing time for her. The sun began setting without any important events happening, only a circr section peeking out of the horizon. As the sunset sky turned darker, thest slivers of light shone from the sun. When the sun had set entirely, the moon filled the night with its light as Mira¡¯s stomach began rumbling. Outside the window, Mira saw a tall cliff like a wall in her way, illuminated by the moon. ¡¸Did we arrive already?¡¹ Mira¡¯s face peeked through the door leading to the driver¡¯s seat. An imposing mountain range spread on both sides, with a sheer cliff impeding her route to the front. It formed a striking view, dark mountains apanied with a starry sky behind them. It was the Four Treasures mountain range which surrounded her destination, the Four Seasons Forest. ording to her clock, the time was a couple of minutes past 7 pm. It was still rtively early, so Mira considered crossing it then, but she also thought they might find it strange for her to visit at night. In the end, Mira let Garudand on the shore of ake near the foot of the mountain to spend the night there. Summer had already started, but the night air still felt cold, the wind blowing down from the mountains caressing her like smooth silk. The next morning Mira, still half-asleep, went to wash her face in theke reflecting the mountains like a mirror, which seemed to be embracing her all around. ¡¸Sigh.¡¹ After washing the remaining drowsiness away, Mira looked at the natural wall surrounding her, the tall and sheer cliffs that seemed about to release an avnche shining white under the morning sun. They left a different impression from the one they gave off at night. Mira turned around and headed back towards the wagon when she spotted three ck lumps a distance away. After a closer look, they were Night Raiders, a type of tiger-like monster. They were nocturnal and hunted in packs, the Union had categorized them as C-rank due to their strength. Looking around a bit more, Mira spotted the Holy Knight she left keeping guard. Its shield stood tall, and its sword was drenched in blood, proof that it had swiftly aplished its duty without waking Mira up. (He¡¯s looking really reliable.) Having witnessed the usefulness of the Holy Knight once again, ¡¸Good job¡¹ she said, fully aware it could not understand her, and sent it away. When Mira was done eating breakfast and getting everything ready, she finally set her gaze on the peak of the mountains. The cliff was d in clouds like mist, and further up there were traces of snow. The peak was higher than even the Abandoned City in the Sky, but Mira felt confident in the wagon. She was sure it would take her up there. Mira climbed inside the wagon, peeked out the driver¡¯s seat and summoned Garuda to take her all the way to the Forest of the Four Seasons. As the wagon went up in altitude, Mira checked that the airtight seals were closed correctly in the way the manual described. That way, even at the altitude she was going to, the Thin Mist Grass would keep the air clean and she would not suffer from altitude sickness. The cliffside seemed to move down at a quick rate as Mira looked out of the window, smiling brightly as if she was bidding farewell to a foe. Around twenty minutes after she started her ascent, the wagon finally rose above the mountains, while Mira looked at the scenery outside with a triumphant look. Seen from above like that, the mountain range with snow specks looked like it split into four, with arge basin in the center. It almost looked like the remains of a humongous giant that tried taking hold of the earth from space, only to leave its petrified hand and forearm there. In the very middle of it all, surrounded by the steep mountains, there was an unusually colorful forest. That was the Forest of the Four Seasons where the Fifty Bells Union had its headquarters. But seen from above, Mira could not see a building like that, all she saw was a forest with argeke in the middle. Mira walked away from the window and spoke into a tube installed beside the door leading to the driver¡¯s seat: ¡¸Garuda,nd on the shore of thatke.¡¹ Her voice traveled perfectly through the tube and reached Garuda, who slowly began its descent towards theke. The forest trees soon filled the window, their treetops swaying from the air pressure of Garuda¡¯s wings while multiple small animals dispersed towards all directions seeing the unexpected visitor. The ce Garuda chose for itsnding was a small grasnd devoid of trees between the forest and thergeke the size of a small vige. Once she was certain the wagon was on solid ground, Mira opened the door and stepped out, inhaling the fresh air and breathing slowly as she looked around the forest. The Forest of the Four Seasons really made justice to its name. There were colorful nts in full bloom like in spring, others growing full of strong green leaves like in summer, fruits maturating like in fall, and others remaining as small buds in wait like during winter. They grew everywhere making the forest have barely any space for other things. To a point it looked chaotic, but the colors repeated everywhere created some form of cohesion in the forest¡¯s appearance. In a way, it was the forest equivalent of a prose poem. (This sight impresses me no matter how many times Ie here.) Beholding the Forest of the Four Seasons, Mira was filled with the same feelings as past times. Spirits then appeared from theke, the sky, and the forest, surrounding Mira. (Looks like a wee, albeit not a warm one.) The spirits Mira usually encountered in the forest always had a pleasant expression, given that Mira would help them every so often with random things they needed. But the dozens of spirits surrounding her now had a different look to them, their eyes like ss marbles had a sharp gaze like they were judging Mira, keeping as far away from her as they could, wary of getting closer. Chimera uzen was still on the loose, and their main enemies, the Fifty Bells Union, had their headquarters in the forest. Taking that into ount, it was not hard to imagine the spirits in the surrounding areas would be briefed about that group. Then Mira, who had suddenly dropped out of the sky, was both an intruder and someone subject to suspicion. Mira was aware of that much, she knew they would clearly be wary of her, but Garuda could not stay still seeing its master held in such contempt. The air seemed to freeze as the wind vanished, even the slight rustle of leaves stopping. The only noise that remained was that of Garuda¡¯s thick ws like tree trunks digging into the ground. It stood beside its master, ready to protect her as it held its wings spread wide while ring around. The spirits gasped seeing how the air itself seemed to obey the creature¡¯smands and its overwhelming appearance. ¡¸Garuda, they are on our side.¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice rang calm andposed amidst that stillness. After she said that, she struck her hands up towards Garuda, who calmed its imposing aura as if someone was returning a sword to the scabbard, and lowered its beak to let it rest on Mira¡¯s hands. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry.¡¹ Saying so, Mira sent Garuda away, also thinking that would help the spirits realize she was not trying to attack them. When Garuda¡¯s imposing figure vanished, the spirits seemed to calm down as the spiritual energy that was surrounding them softened. Mira looked around to make sure things were going well before she bowed towards the spirit that looked the strongest. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for appearing out of the blue like this.¡¹ Hearing Mira, the spirit took a step closer and bowed back to her. ¡¸Excuse our rudeness too, we rarely see visitors, you see.¡¹ The spirit that appeared to be the head of the group looked like a long-haired apparition. She wore a white cloth, while her waist-long hair had a bright green color, like leaves under sunlight. Her facial features peeked out of that hair, while her voice sounded femenine, but with a deep timbre. She had lost the usual friendliness spirits held for humans. Even if never exposed to human contact, spirits were amiable by nature, so hearing her brought the name of Chimera uzen up in Mira¡¯s mind again. That was probably another effect of the group¡¯s existence. ¡¸Are you the leader of this group?¡¹ ¡¸Indeed. That you can tell just by looking at me makes me think you aren¡¯t just amon spellcaster.¡¹ The green-haired spirit replied after Mira asked. When Mira heard that, she tilted her head, she could tell simply because she had seen bigger energy particles floating out of the spirit, so it was no big deal for her. ¡¸First of all, I don¡¯t mean you any harm. I heard the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s headquarters were here, and I wanted to talk with them.¡¹ From what she had seen so far, there were spirits there, but no human presence. The ce looked like any random ce in the middle of nowhere. The spirits seemed aware of that, but Mira still continued with her introduction and went straight to the point of her visit. When the spirits heard her, they started murmuring among themselves. They sounded disturbed as all their eyes focused on the green haired spirit, full of wariness. ¡¸Where did you hear such a thing?¡¹ ¡¸From someone I met in the Forest of Praying Children, they were called silver or blue-something. This is the letter of introduction they gave me.¡¹ Chapter 81: Commander (2) Chapter 81: Commander (2) Mira pressed the letter onto the spirit¡¯s hand. ¡¸This looks genuine¡¹ she muttered after examining the signature and wax seal. ¡¸Please wait a moment.¡¹ She nced at Mira saying that, then her figure blurred like a vanishing mist disappearing from there, leaving only a refreshing scent behind. At least half the spirits there had been rescued by the Fifty Bells Union after being attacked by Chimera uzen. After those heartless attacks, they concealed their usual friendly behavior and became more doubtful. Still, it was hard to actually change their true nature in such a short timespan. Once they had no reason to believe Mira held ill will against them, the spirits looked at her with much curiosity. But because of their past scars, they still kept their distance, only looking from far away. Around ten minutes after the green haired spirit vanished, arge bird with scarlet wings descended from the sky. After a closer look, Mira saw there was a woman wearing traditional clothes, being carried by the bird¡¯s legs. When the woman¡¯s feet touched the ground, the bird appeared to be engulfed in mes before vanishing as smoke. All that was left, was a charm in the hand of the woman. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this? What¡¯s happening?¡¹ The woman asked the green haired spirit that had returned at the same time. ¡¸I have no idea¡¹ she replied, unable to grasp the situation herself. Theke¡¯s shore had turned into a concert hall, the music and singing brought by Leticia, Mira was the host, while the audience consisted of the spirits and animals of the forest. When Mira saw how the spirits¡¯ wariness was not dispelled yet, as they refused to move closer even though someone they were deeply curious about was standing there, she thought about ways to better the situation. The way it was, the heavy atmosphere felt like mud covering the otherwise marvelous scene with a brilliant blue sky. That was how Mira figured that if humans were not weed, maybe a fellow spirit would be able to establish a better rtionship. As a result, things ended up this way. That invisible wall between them had been crossed as Leticia¡¯s quirky ¡®Song for Master¡¯ filled the space, the beats of the song seemingly synchronizing with the heartbeats of those present. Meanwhile Mira had sessfully gained a harem of spirits around her. The woman in traditional clothing slipped the charm inside her pocket as she pushed her way through the crowd of spirits until she was facing the silver haired girl leaning against a wagon. ¡¸So you¡¯re Mira, I assume. I¡¯ve been told about you, could you show me the medal as proof first though?¡¹ ¡¸Sure¡­ this is it.¡¹ Mira replied and handed her the medal. The woman inspected both sides before returning it to Mira while thanking her. ¡¸That¡¯s proof enough. Let me introduce myself, I¡¯m thence corporal patrolling the Forest of the Four Seasons, Acadry.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ The woman called herself Acadry. Her clothes were mostly green in color, and after closer inspection it seemed tock the amount ofyers of a regr kimono and looked more like a ninja suit with long sleeves. Her long ck hair tied together at the back of her head increased that impression. ¡¸I heard the rough outline of things from General Silver. I think it¡¯s best if you meet our superior to talk in more detail.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s a suggestion I wouldn¡¯t even dare ask for. I¡¯ll gratefully take you up on that.¡¹ Mira¡¯s first goal there had been to find out if Nyanmaru¡¯s master was part of the Union, but after this turn of events it seemed that delivering Solomon¡¯s letter to the high-ups of the Union woulde first now that she had been offered an effortless meeting with the leaders, so she immediately agreed to it. ¡¸Err, then¡­¡¹ Acadry turned to look at Leticia, who had been singing that song she never could before in an endless loop. She turned to bid farewell to the audience of spirits, who cheered by using their powers to create something akin to fireworks, like any spirit would, and was sent away with a satisfied and pleased look. ¡¸Shall we get going then?¡¹ When Acadry asked Mira that, the gathered spirits just said ¡¸Bye bye.¡¹ to her and dispersed inside the forest. The spirits smiled in a wondrous and charming way, as if they had recovered from those deep, hard to heal wounds inflicted by humans that always cast a shadow on their smiles; just as kind as they used to be. A true smile from a spirit which Acadry had wished to see again. Thinking about that wish again, Acadry turned her face to theke and smiled to no one in particr. ¡¸By the way, is it alright if I leave this wagon here?¡¹ After bidding farewell to the spirits, Mira asked as she gently hit the wagon standing majestically on theke¡¯s shore. ¡¸Hm? Ah, sure. No problem. Either way, let¡¯s get going.¡¹ Acadry nodded a bit more energetically than needed, she was still thinking it was unusual for someone to have such an impact in the spirits¡¯ mood. But she also felt invigorating seeing that her wish could eventually be true, so she guided Mira along theke¡¯s shore towards the headquarters¡¯ entrance. They walked for a couple of minutes before Acadry stopped, still on theke¡¯s shore. The wagon was still visible to their right. ¡¸Wait a moment.¡¹ Saying so, Acadry took out a crystal bell from somewhere and made it ring towards theke. It produced a clear sound like ss, which vanished into the wind without echoing, but the effect it had was quite impressive. From the shore, a line stretched towards the center of theke. It looked like a straight line formed by two small waves colliding. As soon as that line receded back flush with theke¡¯s surface, the water seemed to break apart as if a giant invisible board had been inserted into it. Mira let out a small sound of wonder seeing that, realizing that even something like the story of Moses she had heard once was fully possible in this world after witnessing that scene. ¡¸Follow me. It¡¯s a bit hard to see, but there¡¯s steps here so mind your feet.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, got it.¡¹ The scene in front of Mira could be described as water kept flowing on both sides, like an endless waterfall, or a curtain moving in the wind. The stair was of a translucent blue that seemed to melt into the water, and there were many drops sshing around as well, which fell like rain. As they went down the stairs, the drops in the air turned from blue into a form of white spray, and after going down for around three minutes, the sound around them became louder like the roaring of a strong current. When they reached the end of the stairs, a small gate greeted them. (Did we go all the way down to the bottom of theke?) Mira peeked out the border of the stairs, to see the waterfall continuing to fall below them. The bottom of theke was still ways down, covered by a shallow basin that through some means kept receiving the endless waterfall without overflowing. The gate was only halfway down theke, like it was suspended there. Acadry brought the crystal bell against the gate, then pushed on it with her palm. The gate opened with a low, heavy and metallic sound, and Mira was led inside. Mira saw a small city past the gate. The city looked like an ancient Japanese city, the houses werepact and resembled the style used in Kyoto during the Heian period. But the inhabitants looked foreing, spirits with colorful hair and clothing wandering around, which quickly broke that first impression. (This is quite an odd sight.) The entrance was located on a tall ce, like a lookout tform, and Mira was able to look at the entire city at a nce. Doing so, certain stone columns struck her as being strangely out of ce, they were ced at regr intervals all over the terraformed city, goin up as if trying to pierce something in the sky. There were a dozen pirs, their height taller than the gate¡¯s location, and ncing up at them one could see the water covering the city which served as its sky. The sun shone from further away than theke¡¯s surface, blurring through the thick wall of water and reaching the city like a gentle drizzle of light. Looking at the ground, one could see a projection of the waves above that morphed and twisted like a willful kaleidoscope. Acadry then guided her down a spiral staircase that went down to the city. They headed towards thergest building in the city, Acadry giving brief exnations of everyndmark they passed by. The people they passed by included other members of the Fifty Bells Union, other helpers, as well as spirits kept safe there. Juvenile spirits were especially weak, so they were heavily guarded. That much was clearly obvious, given that no matter where Mira looked, she would always see young spirits that appeared to be almost naked. It was a sight that was almost damaging to her morality. The helpers were mostly technical workers. Working together with spirits would improve the quality of one¡¯s work, so this city was also rather popr with craftsmen. Chapter 81: Commander (3) Chapter 81: Commander (3) As they walked through the city, Acadry would greet some armed men and women they passed by, probably members of the Fifty Bells Union. When they were in the inner parts of the city, people had already heard stories about Mira so they started talking to her as well, asking if she was that girl who helped capturing one of Chimera uzen¡¯s members. But there was something that caught Mira¡¯s attention even more, adults happily walking with spirits, hand in hand. When she asked Acadry what that was about, she replied that it was a verymon sight there. Some spirits and humans felt an attraction to each other, so they got together. Acadry enthusiastically dered that even if they were of different species, their love still got across. As they conversed they kept walking until reaching the deepest part of the city. Given the ancient Kyoto appearance of the city, the ce they arrived to looked exactly like the Heian Pce. There was a roofed mud wall surrounding the pce, but the front side was open wide. The two guards posted there greeted Acadry when they arrived, and past them there were multiple buildings visible. Acadry began talking with the guards, while Mira peeked behind them from every possible angle, her inner Japanese spirit aroused. ¡¸Mira, let¡¯s go to the main pce first.¡¹ ¡¸A-alright. I¡¯ll follow you.¡¹ When Acadry was done talking and she gained permission to pass, she spoke to Mira while repressing a giggle seeing how excited she was acting. Mira replied by nodding with an awkward smile. The different buildings inside therge rectangr roofed mud wall were surrounded by mud walls of their own. Mira followed behind Acadry as she took a turn. The number of people and spirits Mira saw around decreased after they crossed the gate, and the Greater Inner Pce was shrouded by a solitary air of solemnity. Acadry took another turn to the right and they arrived at a second gate, the footsteps of the two being the only noise breaking the stillness. Past the gate stood the main pce in all its glory. They took their shoes off at the entrance and walked down a wooden hallway until they were in front of the audience hall. There, Acadry¡¯s duty wasplete after she opened a sliding door and took some steps back before sitting on the floor. ¡¸Go on, Mira. The Commander is waiting for you.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for guiding me.¡¹ When Mira walked past the door, she encountered arge corridor. To the end of it, there was arge room with a wooden floor and white walls. There was an elongated low table in the center of the room, a cushion to sit on prepared in front of it. On the other side, there was someone already sitting, with two assistants sitting in front facing each other. ¡¸Please sit down.¡¹ One of the assistants told her with a smile. Mira did as told, sitting cross legged on top of the cushion Mira sat down, with that person being in front of her. The person had purple clothes and a form of white conical hat covering the entire head. That hat covered the upper body of the person, so it was impossible to see their face. But Mira had a strong hunch that that person was the leader of the Fifty Bells Union. (I guessed as much, but it really seems to be a former yer.) Judging from the scenery that resembled the Heian architecture she had a feeling that would be the case, and after closer inspection she was certain now. ¡¸First of all, wee to the headquarters of the Fifty Bells Union. I¡¯m Uzume, the currentmander of the union. And you¡¯re Mira, correct? Thank you for your efforts in capturing that member of Chimera.¡¹ It was still impossible to see her face through the white cloth, but her voice sounded femenine. At the same time, Uzume saw through Mira, realizing she too was a former yer. ¡¸It was nothing much. All I really did was butt in when I saw a conflict between you two.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re quite humble, I see¡¹ Uzume said with a slightugh. ¡¸By the way, your letter of introduction mentioned you¡¯re looking for someone who might be one of our members. Can you tell me more about that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it was something that happened around three weeks ago. I met a shikigami protecting a spirit.¡¹ That had been her original goal for visiting the Fifty Bells union, following the leads left by looking into the name of that shikigami in hopes it would shed light on the whereabouts of a wiseman. After a short preface, Mira narrated what happened in her way back from the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis in her way to the Requiem City of Caranach. ¡¸Caranach, huh. Tell me one thing before I tell you what I know, why are you looking for that person?¡¹ When Mira was done talking, Uzume asked her that. Even if Mira had gained their favor once, if she nned on harming Uzume¡¯srade she would not tell her anything. But Mira wanted nothing of that sort. ¡¸I just want to ask them some things. I¡¯m searching for another person as well, and I believe they might be rted in some way. All I have to go off is the shikigami¡¯s name, so everything is still a bit uncertain for me. But since that¡¯s more than nothing, I¡¯m just following the bits of information I can get.¡¹ ¡¸I see, searching for one person in a quest for another. That¡¯s quite a messy situation.¡¹ ¡¸The person I¡¯m looking for is also rather messy.¡¹ Mira spoke sincerely without hiding anything, so one of the assistants turned to look at Uzume with a curious look. Uzume kept looking at Mira, as if peeping inside of her, before she rxed her shoulders and nodded to the assistant. ¡¸Alright, wait a moment.¡¹ Saying that, she epted the documents one of the assistants offered her. ¡¸If I remember correctly, there were multiple members near Caranach during that time frame. You mentioned the shikigami was named, so that means it was an onmyoji master. That narrows it down to one of these two.¡¹ Uzume flipped through the documents rting to their members, checking who was there during that time and finding the information about those two onmyoji masters that were present in that area. ¡¸Oh, there are two, huh. Then is one of them the kind of person that would give a shikigami such a ridiculous name like Nyanmaru?¡¹ If they found no one, then the conversation would have been over then and there. But there were two candidates so Mira¡¯s chances went up. So to narrow it down, Mira finally mentioned the shikigami¡¯s name that had brought her all the way there. At the same time, the two assistants trembled, turning a hesitant look towards Uzume. ¡¸Nyanmaru¡­ ridiculous?¡¹ Uzume took the questioning role again, her voice clearly deeper than earlier. Hearing her, the assistants shook even more. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s such a simple and bizarre name without any originality. It only serves to represent one characteristic of the shikigami.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there is someone like that. But still, is it really ridiculous? It sounds like a good name to me¡­¡¹ As Uzume leafed through the documents she found one onmyoji master that used a shikigami named Nyanmaru. When Mira heard that, her spirit lifted a bit. ¡¸Ohh, there is?! Where are they now? Can I meet them?¡¹ ¡¸I think they¡¯re out somewhere in Grimdrart. But seriously, is it a ridiculous name? You don¡¯t think it¡¯s cute¡­?¡¹ Mira kept asking more things in hopes she would be able to meet that person, but Uzume seemed more focused on asking about Nyanmaru¡¯s name, while her voice had lost its original dignified tone and sounded more girly. Themander of the Fifty Bells Union mmed her palms on the floor as she leaned forward to re at Mira through the white cloth. (She seems awfully hellbent on that¡­) Her extremely botherednguage and her annoyed behavior. Somehow they felt nostalgic to Mira, like they reminded her of someone. Looking at her for a bit longer, her figure ovepped with that of someone else. ¡¸Just in case, I know someone who also used the names Kamekichi, Nyorozou, Piisuke and Gautarou, what do you think about those?¡¹ ¡¸They are easy to remember and very cute, they¡¯re lovely names! Hanamaru too!¡¹ As Mira mentioned the shikigamis she remembered, Uzume raised her thumb adding one more. Her voice was spirited, showing she honestly meant what she was saying. Looking straight at her, Mira thought about an unlikely but very convenient possibility. ¡¸The cat caf¨¦ siege.¡¹ Mira muttered that like some sort of incantation. Those words were enough to bring up memories of a questionable time together with some people. The effect of them was almost immediate. Uzume stood up like she had been hit by lightning, coughing once before silently sitting down again. ¡¸You two, can you leave us alone for a bit?¡¹ She said with a monotone voice. Her two assistants stood up, bowed, and left the room without making a sound. ¡¸Mira¡­? Or should I say¡­ grandpa?¡¹ In reaction, Uzume asked the girl in front of her, thinking back on the only person who knew of those words. (I expected this much eventually, but this is much faster than I thought it would take.) ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Kagura.¡¹ While her sensitivity to shikigami names had been a clue, the displeased way in which she struck the floor with her palms had been the definite give-away. That was one of Kagura¡¯s habits Mira was familiar with. The two old friends finally reunited in the deepest part of the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s headquarters, inside the main pce built after the shape of the Daidairi in the Heian Pce. Chapter 82: Kagura (1) Chapter 82: Kagura (1) ¡¸So you used a Vanity Case. You look the opposite of what I¡¯m used to seeing so it really took me long to realize, sheesh.¡¹ Since there was no more reason for Kagura to maintain a persona, she stretched her legs rxedly while throwing away the cloth above her head. As she did that, her ck glossy hair like obsidian fluttered in the air. ¡¸You¡¯re at fault too for wearing that cloth. If I had been able to see you from the start talking would¡¯ve been much easier.¡¹ Kagura showed no signs of having used a Vanity Case, her face was exactly as Mira remembered it once the white cloth was off. Her bangs were arranged in a fringe cut, while her eyebrows looked like a thin brush stroke above her ck round eyes. Her eyshes were long, while her lips formed a slight pout. At first look she appeared like the daughter of a rich family in ancient Japan, but because of her rxed posture, it also seemed like that rich family entrusted everything to an older sister while spoiling her. ¡¸Well, I also happen to be famous around these parts. If it came to light that I¡¯m one of the Nine Wisemen some people would get rather suspicious of me, so I¡¯m keeping that a secret. The only people who know who I am are those two who were here earlier, and three others¡­ and you too now, grandpa.¡¹ Kagura¡¯s voice sounded boastful as she nodded while looking straight at Mira. ¡¸So you go under the name of Mira now, huh. Grandpa is Mira¡­ Thinking about that makes me feel kinda weird, to put it somehow.¡¹ ¡¸Feel free to call me anything.¡¹ ¡¸Grandpa¡­ Mira¡­ Hmmm¡­ both are so different.¡¹ Kagura used to call her grandpa back when she had Danbulf¡¯s appearance. There was something about her that seemed offpared to before, like the feeling of a brand new brush, so she leaned forward getting closer and narrowed her eyes. ¡¸And so, what do you need from that person?¡¹ ¡¸That person?¡¹ Kagura red at Mira as if she was looking at a rival. But Mira had just been filled with relief having found one of the Nine Wisemen, so she had no idea what Kagura meant, repeating her words in her mind multiple times. ¡¸You said you were looking for someone, little Nyanmaru¡¯s master.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, you meant that. But I don¡¯t need to meet them anymore. When I heard that name, I immediately thought that was the type of name you woulde up with. And it was you I was looking for, so I basically took a shortcut.¡¹ Saying so, Mira also took a more rxed posture whileughing off the matter with the onmyoji master. Nyanmaru¡¯s master was a girl who Kagura had watched over directly. They had only known each other for a short time though, so it was very hard to call her a true wiseman¡¯s pupil. When that girl made her contract with the ck cat shikigami, Kagura had told her, ¡¸This is Nyanmaru.¡¹ Since Kagura had said that, the girl could obviously not refuse that, so she named the shikigami Nyanmaru. As a result, when Mira met the shikigami it called itself Nyanmaru. ¡¸Hmm, is that so. What did you need from me then?¡¹ Kagura had a strong attachment to that girl, so when she heard Mira was not looking for her, her hostility disappeared and she calmed down. ¡¸Solomon asked me to. I heard there¡¯s a treaty or an armistice or something like that, but there¡¯s a chance a war might happen next year. And since we¡¯recking in defenses, I was sent off to search for you since you never returned.¡¹ Mira continued talking, without noticing Kagura¡¯s change in attitude at al. ¡¸So that was it.¡¹ The Nine Wisemen were a pir in the defense of the country and were heroes that had helped grasp a victory many times. Kagura was aware of that much. ¡¸Although now that I found you, from the look of things you won¡¯t be able to return right away.¡¹ As Mira spoke, her head turned looking around the room, before stopping on the door the two assistants had gone through. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯ll be a bit hard to abandon them.¡¹ After establishing such arge institution as a response to Chimera uzen, she could not leave being their leader, and she would never allow herself to do that either. ¡¸Still, I¡¯m quite surprised you managed to create such arge institution. I never saw you as they type to take the initiative, But I guess people change.¡¹ Blue and White, the Fifty Bells Union members Mira had met in the Forest of Praying Children, the pamphlets Mira had shown Solomon, and the harmony with which the headquarters went along with the spirits of the Forest of the Four Seasons. Mira felt a strong admiration for her recalling all of those things she had seen. When Kagura heard that, she recalled her original motives. How the Fifty Bells Union came to be, and her current driving force. ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no way I would ever forgive them.¡¹ Kagura¡¯s voice rang heavy, trembling like a scream even though it was only a murmur. At first, Kagura wanted to return to Arkite Kingdom. But she did not want to go back, or rather, she had a reason why she could not return. The Fifty Bells Union, a charitable organization that protected the forests, spread throughout the entire continent and recognized by most countries. But in reality it was an armed organization built to resist Chimera uzen¡¯s prosecution of spirits. It had been more than ten years since it all began. Kagura had gone through a simr experience to that of other former yers. After a moment of nkness, they realized they stood in this world that became reality. The ce where her new life began was inside therge forest on northern Grimdart. There were no other people around her, only endless trees and nature spreading as far as she could see, a ce isted from civilization. Kagura¡¯s entire body felt odd and uncertain, her five senses stimted to a degree impossible by a virtual world. Unable toprehend the situation, she decided to walk to the nearest city and ask there what happened. To do so, she decided to teleport to the flying ind she had bought with real money, but puzzlingly enough she was unable to. The option to teleport was gone from her menu. There was another change she noticed then, the option to log out was also gone. She was deep inside a forest without anyone who could help her, and all her private messages to friends remained unanswered. It was then that Kagura realized she waspletely alone in the middle of nowhere. Her only saving grace was that all her umted experience was not wasted in this situation. Since she was one of the Nine Wisemen, her powers were befitting of the name, so no matter what monsters lingered so deep in the forest, none would pose a danger to her. Even if she ran into hostile people, she would be able to defend herself without problems. But while she deliberated like that, time kept flowing, the sun beginning to set. Given that the forest¡¯s trees covered arge portion of the sky, the darkness of night arrived there earlier. A hint of twilight was visible, then the next moment the sky was ck and shrouded the forest in darkness. With such a dense darkness ahead, even the lights produced with Concept Magic were like candles, making orienting oneself very confusing. Completely lost as to what to do, Kagura walked around for many hours. What she found out at the end of it, was that while it felt like a dream, this was all palpable reality. And she was stuck in an unknown forest without a ce to go to. Kagura took multiple deep breaths, as if trying to empty her lungs, crouching down while hugging her head, filled with an iprehensible feeling that was not quite irritation or uneasiness. As she did that, a silhouette peeked out from between the tree branches. It felt like a passing sensation, but out of the rustling of the wind, chirping of birds and critters, a meaningful voice asked: ¡¸What happened?¡¹ Kagura looked towards the direction of the voice out of instinct, raising a shriek at what she saw there. After all, she had just seen a human face peeking at her beside a tree, illuminated by the unreliable light of her Concept Magic. But Kagura was not the only shocked one. The owner of that voice also screamed while tottering back and falling on a bush. Sitting there, she shook her head before hurrying to stand up and hide behind the tree again, her face peeking out. Chapter 82: Kagura (2) Chapter 82: Kagura (2) Kagura had only caught a glimpse of her, but that was enough to know her identity. The many particles of light floating around her like long hair, the singleyer of cloth covering her that looked in but also of high quality, but more importantly, its friendly appearance. That was one of the spirits living in the forest. But Kagura was hesitant. This was the first time a spirit had approached her of its own will. Before that she had only heard them repeat reassuring lines while healing her in a fight during special quests. Thinking of how unusual this was, Kagura looked at the tree again, seeing her face peeking out, smiling as she waved her hand. Her actions were something she had never seen before, but her friendliness was the same as usual. Either way, thinking about it would make her feel even more uneasy about her current situation, so she stopped those thoughts and tried to reply to the spirit. Kagura spoke a simple greeting, at which the spirit came out from its hiding spot and asked many questions one after another. ¡¸Are you hurt?¡¹, ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous here¡¹, ¡¸Are you alone?¡¹ In response, Kagura spoke about her current situation. How she was unable to use her ride anymore and could not go home, so she was at her wits end. After she was done talking, she heaved another deep sigh. The spirit pitied Kagura after hearing what she was going through. Then she introduced herself as Reesha and told Kagura that monsters usually wandered those ces so it was best if they went somewhere safe. Kagura nodded, introducing herself, and then followed Reesha into the forest until they reached argeke. The forest opened up a short distance from theke, while the surface of the water reflected the starry sky. There was also arge shadow looming under that soft light. It was only one but almost the size of a small house, like a hogrger and fatter than a person, with two long fangs that were stained red with the blood of their prey. It was a monster, a Great Lance Boar. Kagura readied herself to confront it, but Reesha smiled and said that hog was her friend. Hearing that, Kagura took a closer look and saw it was lying on the ground in a rxed manner. It opened its eyes and saw Kagura, ¡¸What¡¯s this? We have a guest?¡¹ it asked in a low and slightly conceited voice. This world had a certain concept named spiritualization. When an animal spent enough time together with a spirit, it would develop certain traits, like being able to use some powers or the ability to speak. That would normally only happen in key moments during quests though. Kagura introduced herself, and the boar said to call him Multicolor whileughing. Reesha had named him that, and he liked the name. Reesha reclined herself against Multicolor and invited Kagura to join her. Kagura sat down beside her. ¡¸You can sleep here tonight. Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll take you to a human settlement.¡¹ Reesha said with an innocent smile. Kagura thanked her, then let her body rest against Multicolor¡¯s warm and soft, although slightly lumpy, belly. With a starry sky overhead, they all fell asleep together. The next morning, Reesha fulfilled her promise by taking Kagura to the closest city. Since Reesha was a wind spirit, she used her powers to carry Kagura through the air. They departed from quite deep inside the forest, so they had to take many breaks to rest in-between, taking longer to arrive at their destination, but by the time the sun was setting they were there. Theynded on the outskirts of the city and Kagura thanked Reesha multiple times, without forgetting to tell her to thank Multicolor as well. The time they spent together had been rather short, but Kagura still thought she owed Reesha an immeasurable favor, so before parting ways she promised to return the favor properly one day. The city Kagura had arrived at was called Green Gate and was located on the northern border of Grimdart. Since that still fell inside the territory of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, it was a rather prosperous city and it was quite possible she would be able to collect enough information there. After staying there for a month, Kagura had a firm grasp on the current situation. This world was the same as Ark Earth Online, which had turned into reality around ten years earlier, with many yers being thrown into it out of the blue, just like her. There had also been a considerable amount of change during those ten years. Knowing all that, Kagura decided it was best if she returned to Arkite for the time being. Grimdart was located in the northern part of the Earth continent, so it would be a long trip without her flying ind, but she had calcted ahead enough to know that. However, before leaving the city she turned to look at the forest. She wanted to thank Reesha and Multicolor for helping her one more time before she left. After buying arge amount of presents, Kagura mounted on Piisuke, the Vermillion Bird, and headed to thatke where she spent a night. When Kagura arrived at theke of her memories, she was lost for words. It lookedpletely different from how she remembered it. The trees surrounding it were all fallen, as if a hurricane had passed through, branches scattered around everywhere. Theke that had reflected the stars so beautifully before, was now muddied and covered with leaves, like it was rejecting the light from the sun. For a moment, Kagura thought she had gone to the wrong ce, but then she started running. On theke¡¯s shore there was a small mount of dirt and grass. From it, the root of a broken fang was sticking out. Kagura had not mistaken the ce, this ruinedke was the same where she spent that rxing night. When she got closer, the mount shook a little. At the same time, Kagura¡¯s eyes were open wide while her lips trembled, flooded with fear that made her want to run away, pretending everything was a lie. The mount there was the Great Lance Boar named Multicolor. He was covered in wounds, cuts from sharp des, and even some des stuck out making him look like a pin cushion. Kagura¡¯s mind refused toprehend what she was seeing, frozen at the cruel change forced on Multicolor. As she stood still, ¡¸Is it¡­ Kagu¡­ra?¡¹ a low, conceited, and intermittent voice reached her. It was hoarse, mumbled and without much definition, but she still heard it. Kagura¡¯s face jumped up hearing that, then she rushed to apply all the healing medicine she had at hand while asking Multicolor what happened. His breathing was really weak, but he steadily used it to speak to Kagura. Some people came to attack them out of nowhere and attempted to take Reesha with them. He tried to fight them and defend Reesha, but he was no match for them. His voice was sad, full of bitter regret, and after pleading Kagura to help Reesha, life faded from his eyes. Kagura spent the rest of the day crying. She had only known them for a day, and really interacted with them for half a day, but Reesha and Multicolor had reached out to her when she waspletely alone which left a deep mark in her heart, so for Kagura, they were her very dear friends. The next day, her eyes red and swollen from all the crying, Kagura dug arge hole on the shore of theke. In hopes of letting him rest at least a bit more peacefully, she pulled out all the des stuck in Multicolor¡¯s body, washing his body of all the blood, and then burying him. When Kagura returned to the city, she resumed her collection of information. This time in regards to people who would attack spirits. Slowly she met like-minded people, which turned from a party to a guild, increasing its reach even more until finally bing the Fifty Bells Union. A strong determination was shown in Kagura¡¯s eyes as she looked straight at Mira. Mira had yet to realize the lengths of Kagura¡¯s feelings, but the way she spoke about never forgiving the people who did something like that, made it clear that they were far stronger feelings than anything Mira had felt in the month she spent in that world. ¡¸You really have a veryplicated history here.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and I feel bad about Solomon, but I can¡¯t return until I finish this.¡¹ Chapter 82: Kagura (3) Chapter 82: Kagura (3) Kagura¡¯s eyes were set aze with determination. It all had started with the abduction and murder of her friends, but now she wanted to protect and rescue those around her. She did not let the hatred consume her and instead stood strong to move forward. ¡¸You have a point. Either way, we can¡¯t let them do as they please.¡¹ Mira was also of the mind that Chimera uzen should not be allowed to continue harming spirits, the good neighbors of humans. Even the spirits she had met in her way there would have been taken by Chimera uzen if it was not for the organization Kagura founded. That was just how important the Fifty Bells Union was now. ¡¸But well, after all this time, it shouldn¡¯t take much longer. It¡¯ll all be over soon enough.¡¹ Her eyes looked calm like water, but concealed a burning determination as she added ¡¸I guess I can thank you for that as well.¡¹ She was talking about that man from Chimera uzen Mira had helped to capture. A few days after Mira parted ways with Blue and the others, the Fifty Bells¡¯ transportation unit arrived and took the man to the headquarters. There, Kagura herself made sure to make him talk, spilling all the information he had on Chimera uzen. The man turned out to be at the bottom of the member hierarchy, so the information he knew was limited to the working spots of the group and their passphrases. Anything in regards to the leaders or what happened to the captured spirits was unknown to him, so that was something that needed more investigation. ¡¸It¡¯s hard to say we know all their hideouts, but we have the locations of a couple of them. Some were already abandoned when we arrived there, but if we capture just one or two more members, they¡¯ll give us more leads. We¡¯rebing through the known locations at the moment, which will decrease their overall strength and we¡¯ll be able to crush them in one final swoop.¡¹ Kagura spoke of her ns while trying to restrain her excited voice. They were destroying one base after another, slowly chipping away at their strength. Because of how big and influential the Fifty Bells Union was, they had more than enough manpower to aplish a feat like that. On the other hand, Chimera uzen was shrouded in mysteries and they moved undercover all the time, which also made their escapes easier. ¡¸Hmm, does that mean you know where their main base is as well?¡¹ Kagura¡¯s excitement was harder to contain as blood began rushing to her face, but when Mira asked that, everything was gone in an instant as she plummeted down like a toy with a spring that snapped, her upper body lying face t on the table. ¡¸They seem to be very diligent on that aspect. Aplishing a minor role for Chimera only grants permission to walk around small bases. But if we go after enough of them we should find leads to a bigger one. Either way, destroying their bases will help decrease their attacks on spirits.¡¹ ¡¸Well, you have a point there.¡¹ The bases known by underlings were only those filled with other underlings. So even if many of them were raided, getting to arger one was still hard. When Mira heard that much, she recalled the letter from Solomon. Her unexpected encounter with Kagura made it slip from her mind entirely. ¡¸In that case, do you think this could be of any help?¡¹ Mira stood up and walked closer to Kagura, who only rotated her face to ask what with anguid face. Since the table was rather low already, and Kagura¡¯s body was resting on it, her viewpoint was also low, so she could see Mira¡¯s legs and the hem of her skirt right in front of her. That made her blurt out asking if she had Danbulf¡¯s this or Mira¡¯s that whileughing. ¡¸What in the world¡­ This is more important.¡¹ Mira plopped down beside Kagura and struck out the sealed letter she had been entrusted with, almost poking Kagura¡¯s cheek with it. Kagura snatched it with a dejected look and looked at the sender name. ¡¸Oh, a letter from Solomon? For me?¡¹ ¡¸For the head of the Fifty Bells Union, to be precise.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, I see.¡¹ With that short answer, Kagura ripped open the seal and read the letter. Its contents were basically the same conversation Mira had with Solomon about the Spirit King. Chimera uzen was targeting the Spirit King. The clues that led to that conclusion was the information gathered by the Union and the three dungeons. At first, Kagura was calm and silent while reading it, but her face slowly turned more serious while the blood flow increased. Her gaze was piercing and fixed on the letter, as if it would poke a hole through it at any moment. When she was done reading it, she mmed the letter on the table. ¡¸The Spirit King¡­ I see, so that¡¯s what they wanted.¡¹ The movements of Chimera uzen that the Fifty Bells Union had observed further supported that conclusion, which made Kagura smile daringly. She had just found a new way out. ¡¸Did that help you?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, very much so.¡¹ Seeing how much her mood had bettered, Mira asked her that, to which Kagura replied without even attempting to hide her excitement. ¡¸The letter also said that if needed, I was free to employ you in any way I wished, grandpa.¡¹ After that, she also added, ¡¸I¡¯ll be looking forward to it¡¹ with the gaze of a predator eyeing its prey. ¡¸Wait¡­ what?¡¹ Knowing that meant it would take longer before she could catch a break, it was Mira¡¯s turn to fall face first on the table, but she still showed a sign of agreement with her hands. Her top priority right then was to stop Chimera uzen without wasting any time. Once everything was done, she was only going to be able to rest while she traveled inside the wagon, so she made a mental note to make a listing of all the things she wanted to carry inside it. ¡¸It¡¯s best if we move as soon as possible. I¡¯ll call an urgent meeting with all the leaders present here. There I¡¯ll introduce you as a helper too¡­and that reminds me, why are you called Mira instead of Danbulf?¡¹ While the Vanity case could change one¡¯s entire appearance, that did not include one¡¯s name, or rather, it was incapable of doing that. So Kagura finally got curious as to why she went around as Mira now. ¡¸Well, this and that happened, so it was a mess.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that must have been a mess.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, you understood? That¡¯s a really useful expression!¡¹ ¡¸Of course, I understood nothing at all.¡¹ ¡¸That makes sense.¡¹ After their nonsensical exchange, Mira exined how she kept everything about her past a secret to protect herself, and then how Solomon mentioned that was a perfect cover for her search of the Nine Wisemen without raising suspicion. ¡¸You seem quite enthusiastic about your work to do that much¡¹ replied Kagura in the end, half in doubt and half convinced that she was being honest. ¡¸This is a very important mission, but you don¡¯t really look very reliable in that form, even though I know your help will aid us a lot. Do you have any title we could use? At least to deceive our members. Like saying that you¡¯re a special envoy from Arkite, or Solomon¡¯s close associate. Something impactful that represents you well.¡¹ Kagura was well aware of Danbulf¡¯s true strength, but the other members they would be working with would need to trust Mira with their lives. If they knew Danbulf was with them, they would follow without hesitation, but Danbulf¡¯s whereabouts had been a mystery. But Mira knew of a very handy title she could use. ¡¸Hmm, a title you say. Lately I¡¯ve been going by as Danbulf¡¯s pupil.¡¹ When Kagura heard that, she looked up and down along Mira¡¯s body before cackling out loudly as if gunpowder had been set aze in her mouth. ¡¸What¡¯s up with calling yourself your own disciple! I would have never thought of saying something like that! But to be honest, that¡¯s not bad. Let¡¯s go with that.¡¹ Having decided what Mira¡¯s position would be when Kagura introduced her to the other members, the meeting that would seal the fate of the Fifty Bells Union was called. Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (1) Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (1) In a room inside the main pce, key members of the Fifty Bells Union were reunited around a low table. The leader of the entire Union, Kagura aka Uzume was there, together with the strategist andmanding officers of the main toons, the leaders of the multicolor troops, supervising representatives, and two Hidden members. An urgent meeting had been organized to talk about the information Mira had brought to them. Mira herself was waiting in a separate room though. Kagura trusted her entirely, and she worked directly under King Solomon, but it would still take some time to exin who she was to the other members. While she waited, Mira went from being puzzled at the sight of a traditional Japanese style toilet, tasted Japanese confectionery after what felt like ages, all while chatting with Acadry. She told Mira more details of the time Nyanmaru¡¯s master spent with Kagura, and how she had no way of refusing to name the Shikigami ¡¸Nyanmaru¡¹. Acadry also mentioned that therge eagle shikigami with scarlet wings that carried her to meet Mira was called ¡¸Piyonoshin¡¹ for a simr reason. With a sigh, she added in a murmur ¡¸I really respect her, but still¡­¡¹ with a distant look on her eyes. Mira had no idea what to add to the conversation, so all she did was nod in agreement. Some timeter, a man came into the room to call Mira into the conference room. The room was very simr to the one Kagura had been in earlier. The only notable difference was the low table that was shaped like a square. The leaders sat around it, their appearances befitting of the architectural style, and when Mira entered the room, they all looked at her. Mira felt a bit bewildered at first, but Kagura beckoned at her saying ¡¸Over here¡¹ while waving her hand. As Mira moved through the room, so did all the gazes on her. Kagura kept pressing her toe closer, making Mira sit at her side. ¡¸This girl is the envoy from Arkite that delivered the information I just ryed to you all. And as most of you are aware of already, she¡¯s also the person who helped capture that member of Chimera uzen.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ After Uzume¡¯s introduction, Mira simply named herself. Voices of admiration came out from those present, mostly after Uzume mentioned how she was the one who helped capture Chimera uzen¡¯s member. News of that had spread quickly throughout the entire Fifty Bells Union and everyone praised her great deed. After all, the raids on Chimera uzen bases urring that very moment were thanks to her. With that benefactor in front of them, everyone present was itching to know just how strong she was. ¡¸Not only that, but she¡¯s also the pupil of Danbulf, one of the Nine Wisemen.¡¹ When Uzume added that, everyone fell silent. But that was only for a short moment, one of Uzume¡¯s assistants that knew she was Kagura decided to believe what she said. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard of many phony pupils in the past¡­ But if Uzume says it¡¯s true, then I¡¯ll believe her. As long as she helps take down Chimera.¡¹ An aging man sitting closest to Uzume, with a moustache that Mira liked, approved of Uzume¡¯s im. Hearing that, the rest of the members also agreed with him and looked at Mira with admiration. After showering her with appreciation, they began introducing themselves. ¡¸I¡¯m Mizar, themanding officer of the Bellerophon toon.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Alioth, strategist of the same toon.¡¹ Both of them were part of the Bellerophon toon, themanding officer Mizar wore in leather armor. He appeared to be in his forties, his wrinkles starting to be obvious on his brow as he looked straight at Mira. Alioth was the same man that had spoken earlier saying that he trusted Mira was telling the truth. He wore a in robe, while his lustrous silver hair wasbed back. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about you, apparently you helped the Silver toon quite a bit. I¡¯m Kongou, leader of all the multicolor toons.¡¹ He had dark skin and was almost twice as big as the rest of them, he was part of the Gardia tribe. His white hair was cut short, while his stubble covered half of his face like a faint coat of snow. He smiled cheerfully as his small eyes followed Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m Cophin. You could say I¡¯m something like an ambassador in charge of listening to all the countries.¡¹ Cophin waved as he introduced himself. He wore the regr clothes of that world, pants and a shirt, though he also added a coat on top. He looked the youngest out of everyone in the room, with exception of Mira, but his actual age was hard to tell given that he was an elf with a long lifespan. ¡¸I¡¯m Hebi of the Hidden.¡¹ ¡¸Sasori of the same.¡¹ The two Hidden members wore clothes that could pass off as any random adventurer in the streets. Hebi had a white robe, while Sasori wore a breastte made of insect husks. Both of them were girls, Hebi had long ck hair and a piercing stare, while Sasori was part of the Meou tribe and had a bob cut pink colored hair and a friendly smile. ¡¸Well, I think that concludes the introductions. Let¡¯s go back on topic.¡¹ When everyone had calmed down, Uzume resumed the meeting. Her voice rangpletely different from what a cute young girl¡¯s would, catching everyone¡¯s attention and focusing it back on Chimera uzen. ¡¸About the three dungeons mentioned earlier. Let¡¯s send a few elite troops to them as well.¡¹ Mira¡¯s information had already been passed on to them, so they called Mira so she could listen to their ns regarding that. ¡¸That was valuable information, indeed. If we seed in capturing one of their higher-ups, they¡¯ll begin counterattacking as well. But on the topic of that information, I believe it would be best to investigate a bit more? From what you said, it¡¯s still a guess that they might be targeting the Spirit King. It might be some form of trap to lure us somewhere.¡¹ Mizar voiced his doubt. That Chimera uzen was targeting the Spirit King was only the conclusion came upon after investigating their movements, so he was afraid their guess would bepletely off the mark and they would fall into a very well nned trap. His point was valid, so all the varied faces surrounding the low table fell into pensive silence, only their breaths audible. But Alioth voiced another theory. ¡¸I can see what you¡¯re trying to get at, but everything we found out ourselves also supports that theory.¡¹ The strategist of the Bellerophon toon, Alioth. He was the brains of the Fifty Bells Union and one of the few that knew Uzume¡¯s true identity. He had earned an immense amount of trust from the other members, so when he said that, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him. Even Mira looked at him, curious to know what he was going to say. ¡¸Well Alioth, tell us what you know.¡¹ ¡¸So¡­¡¹ Uzume urged him on, so he took out a folded paper from his pocket and spread it on the table. When unfolded, the paper wasrger than his both arms outstretched, and on it was drawn a map of the entire continent, with multiple marks all over it. ¡¸As you¡¯re all aware, we¡¯re currentlyunching surprise attacks on all of Chimera¡¯s bases, and we¡¯re gathering arge amount of new documents and information from them. The marks on the map represent those ces. We already found more than fifty of them, and the number just keeps growing. Following their usual trends, Chimera is quick on their foot, so even after raiding all these bases we¡¯ve only captured a low number of people. However, this still represents a loss in their power. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before we capture all of them.¡¹ ¡¸That much is true. It¡¯s not much, but the attacks on Spirits are starting to decrease in number. But on the other hand, the members of my toon keep crying about not having time to even catch a breath!¡¹ Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (2) Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (2) After Alioth went over their current situation again, Kongou, the leader of the multicolor toons, responded with a smile that was filled with pride. The raids on Chimera uzen bases were mostly carried out by his toons, so there was an influx of new transfers to his troops. Since now they were actually attacking Chimera uzen instead of simply investigating them, slowly they shaved off Chimera¡¯s fighting strength. So even theints he mentioned were mostly meant jokingly and his smile became broader. ¡¸Anyway, going to the main point. We¡¯ve been enjoying a really good increase of momentum as of now, and that¡¯s directly hitting them. But I wouldn¡¯t trust that they¡¯ll let this happen so simply. From what we heard, the movements of those adventurers sympathizing with Chimera only began to stand out recently, and it was also only recently that we began attacking their bases. But if they were to gain the Spirit King¡¯s power now, the tides would bepletely overturned. I¡¯m sure they have a n to counterattack if their new power were to surpass ours, and maybe that n is already in motion. Or at least that¡¯s what I think.¡¹ When Alioth finished his speech, Uzume nodded and spoke while looking straight ahead. ¡¸Yes, we¡¯re currently further ahead than we¡¯ve ever been. But we can¡¯t ignore the fact that they¡¯ll put up a fight eventually.¡¹ As far as pure man-power went, Chimera was at a disadvantage, which they recognized and thus only ran away. But at this rate their hands and feet would be tied, so they must have been thinking of a way to overturn the situation in one fell swoop. ¡¸While there¡¯s a possibility we could seed, it would still involve a considerable risk.¡¹ Mizar spoke with a stiff expression. He was talking about the dungeons mentioned in the letter Mira delivered. Those ces were too dangerous even for the current top adventurers, which meant that the Chimera uzen members sent there would need to have quite a considerable amount of skill and power. And considering how important this was for Chimera uzen¡¯s very existence, there had to be members with ties to the higher management amongst them. So now Uzume¡¯s target would be those members. If done well, it could lead to the discovery of Chimera uzen¡¯s headquarters which had eluded them so much. As Mizar had said, it was a risky but meaningful n. Alioth was unable topletely rule out the chance of everything being a trap, but he believed that it was worth following through no matter the dangers. Everyone was also of the same mind, so the conversation shifted to who would be suitable to carry out a mission with so many variables. ¡¸If the people we send aren¡¯t strong enough, things could go badly. We don¡¯t even know their numbers, and we¡¯ll be investigating multiple ces at the same time. I would go myself, but I can¡¯t leave here. Either way we should send the best we have, so who will it be?¡¹ Cophin looked around before his eyes fixated on Uzume. If they really wanted to capture the Spirit King, the Fifty Bells would need to send people twice as powerful as Chimera. This was potentially the most important mission for the Fifty Bells Union as well, so they really had to choose selected members out of their elite forces. The other members followed suit and all looked at Uzume, who lightly licked her lips and took a deep breath before talking. ¡¸I¡¯m thinking of grouping all Hidden members and sending them to the dungeons.¡¹ When they heard that, their tense faces rxed. ¡¸That sounds fitting.¡¹ ¡¸True, they¡¯re more than capable enough.¡¹ Alioth and Mizar voiced their support for Uzume¡¯s decision, and the four remaining members also were in ord. ¡¸Of course they are!¡¹ Uzume¡¯s face lit up like a child that was awarded full points after a test. The attendees¡¯ hearts were racing, worried she would say she wanted to go herself. Uzume had a tendency of wanting to go out every time something happened, and getting her to think sanely was part of the other members¡¯ duties. They thought the same would happen this time, but somehow it seemed she was able to appoint suitable people. ¡¸Where are all the Hidden currently?¡¹ As soon as Uzume asked, Alioth ced some marks on the map. Apparently he was also informed of their movements. ¡¸ording to the report I received yesterday, currently they should be around these areas.¡¹ There were a total of ten marks. Adding to that the two Hidden members present in the meeting, it made a total of twelve. Uzume stared at the map for a moment before adding three marks of her own. ¡¸The Libra Fortress, Sheltered Library, and Mirage Maze are in these locations. I think there will be no problems with the Library and the Maze, if everyone goes to the closest dungeon they should arrive there in a day or two. All we¡¯ll have left is getting permission to enter the dungeons¡­and a way to deal with the Fortress.¡¹ Looking at the map, she was correct. All the Hidden markers weren¡¯t too far away from the three new markers. The only problem was that on top of being dungeons, permission from the Union was also required to enter them. Alioth looked over the map while trying to think of something, nodding to himself countless times before he spoke. ¡¸These members should be more than qualified to pass as rank A. If they get that verified, entering the Library and Maze will be easy enough. On the other hand, no matter how I look at it, it would be way faster to send people to the Fortress from here.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, but Hebi and Sasori¡­I don¡¯t feel confident sending only them.¡¹ There would be groups of five going to the other two locations, while only two would be in charge of the Libra Fortress. They were certainly strong, but since the enemy was shrouded in mysteries, it was hard to tell if only two would be enough. Sasori and Hebi were present, and were proud of their skills, but due to the importance of the mission they recognized the danger and how unsafe it would be, so they said nothing in return. ¡¸If I remember correctly you¡¯re staying at a C rank. So someone with an A rank should apany you to enter.¡¹ When Alioth added that, Hebi and Sasori silently nodded. Heinrich, who Mira met on her way to the Abandoned City in the Sky, was also a rank A adventurer. It was hard to imagine he would want to help out so suddenly, but the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s headquarters were visited by many adventurers who sympathized with them, so choosing a suitable one from them should be enough. For thest matter Uzume turned to look at Mira again. ¡¸By the way¡­ Mira. I heard you came to the Forest of the Four Seasons from the sky, but how exactly did you get there?¡¹ In response, Mira looked up from the map while repeating the question in her head before replying while striking a pose. ¡¸I rode in a wagon, carried by Garuda whomst I summoned.¡¹ ¡¸Just as I imagined! If you have a summon that can fly and isrge enough I guess something like that is possible. I¡¯m somewhat jealous.¡¹ Uzume imagined a carriage pumpkin carriage straight out of fairy tales and pictured herself flying while riding it. Onmyoji masters did have simr enough shikigamis, but none was as big as Garuda, so either riding on or clinging to them was all they could do. So Uzume was truly jealous of Mira who could ridefortably and even like some sort of princess. ¡¸By the way, how many people can ride on your wagon?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, let me think¡­ around three I guess.¡¹ Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (3) Chapter 83: The Fifty Bells Meeting (3) Mira pictured the interior of her wagon as she replied. If she sat inside with two others arranged in the interior, it would befortable enough. But if one more person entered, she could imagine it being too crowded. ¡¸So three people, huh. Are you registered in the Union?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I am. But I¡¯m still at rank C, so I can¡¯t get permission to enter either.¡¹ Mira could guess what she was trying to aplish, so she stated her rank at the same time. Uzume reprimanded her in a low voice so only Mira could hear ¡¸It should¡¯ve been easy enough for you to get a higher rank, grandpa¡¹, then looked at the two Hidden members sitting together. ¡¸Then we have no other choice. Hebi, you stay here. We¡¯ll find a rank A adventurer to help get permission and they¡¯ll go with Mira and Sasori. They¡¯ll all travel in Mira¡¯s wagon so it takes the least amount of time. Would that be good?¡¹ She spoke like everything was already decided, herst request for confirmation being mostly directed to Mira and Hebi. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Alright.¡¹ Mira replied knowing she could not back off aftering this far, but Hebi¡¯s reply and nod were slightly dyed. Still, she appeared to be in a foul mood being left out, fiddling with her long ck hair while pressing her lips into a straight line. This was a very important mission that would heavily impact the course things would take in the future, all Hidden members were taking part in it except her, and the only reason for that was a vehicle without enough capacity. It was a direct order from Uzume, who she deeply respected, but it still took her a moment to ept it. Kongou could not bear seeing her like that, so he reluctantly raised his voice, trying to find appropriate words. ¡¸Err, we¡¯re truly keeping in mind that Chimera will also send people just as strong, right? It¡¯s a rank A dungeon, so the monsters will also be just as strong. I could understand this decision if it was simply an investigation, but aren¡¯t three people a bit too scarce to pit against an unknown number of opponents?¡¹ Hearing Kongou, Hebi instantly lifted her face and nodded before continuing where he left off. ¡¸This is our most important mission. Sess is of utmost importance. Sending three people could be dangerous, so I wish toe too.¡¹ Hebi¡¯s voice sounded younger than her appearance as she stated with a monotone voice. Although every time she finished a sentence she would strike the table with both her hands to stress her words. By then, a slight gap had formed between Uzume¡¯s and the other member¡¯s thoughts. It was simply based on their perception of their fighting strength. Uzume was considering Mira their strongest asset, since she was aware that Mira was one of the Nine Wisemen, but the other members only knew her as the pupil of a Wiseman, so the extent of their knowledge was limited to what they heard of her. While they knew she was stronger than a highly skilled Spellcaster, they assumed she was at best at the same level as the members of the meeting. ¡¸That¡¯s true. This is our most important mission since we were established as an organization. I still feel a bit iffy about relying on a messenger for something of such importance¡­ but Lady Mira seems to agree in cooperating, so maybe she¡¯s already in some sort of agreement. Still, even if she¡¯s the pupil of a Wiseman, I don¡¯t feel confident in relying on her without knowing the extent of her power.¡¹ Mira hade as a messenger from Arkite, but now she was being involved in the Fifty Bells¡¯ most important mission. She was already the benefactor that had given them a chance to strike back, but her trustworthiness was still uncertain, and the leaders of the Fifty Bells Union were very skeptical people. But they realized from theirmander Uzume¡¯s attitude that she had full trust in her. Uzume was also Kagura, one of the Nine Wisemen who were established in Arkite. Maybe she trusted her because she was a messenger from that country, or because of her attachment to her formerrade Danbulf. That was how Alioth saw Uzume and Mira¡¯s rtionship. He looked at the letter from Solomon that was left on the table, thinking that maybe something in it spoke more about Mira, then he shot a probing stare towards Mira whose stance was being tested. She returned the stare, examining him back as their eyes met. He wanted to see if he could grasp the extent of the wiseman¡¯s pupil¡¯s power through her eyes, but now he wondered if the opposite was happening, if she was trying to test them, see if they were worth receiving her help. ¡¸There¡¯s no need to be concerned about that. I can guarantee her alignment as well as her might. If she were to unleash her full might here, I would be the only one left standing after ten minutes.¡¹ Alioth, Mizar and Kongou knew Uzume¡¯s identity, so they instinctively turned to look at Mira finding it hard to believe. The rest of the members also looked at her after some dy. Mira imed to be the pupil, but in reality she was the wiseman himself. Uzume knew the strength of everyone present, so if she could vouch for her so much, then it had to be true. On the other hand, Mira had been staring at Alioth since he looked like an old man just like her ideal appearance, so she was seeing if there was anything she could learn from his looks. But then she felt everyone¡¯s stares on her, which gave her an odd feeling as if her body was bing transparent. ¡¸Hmmm, I feel like that¡¯s exaggerating a bit, though I have no intention of falling behind youngsters that easily either. And you mentioned the Libra Fortress? The monsters there should pose no problems to me, the only thing I¡¯m concerned about are Chimera¡¯s elite or whatever you called them.¡¹ Mira¡¯s reply was not a t out denial of Uzume¡¯s im. Hebi frowned a bit, while Uzume stuck her face up pridefully as if she had been given an award. The other members remained silent, trusting Mira was telling the truth seeing Uzume¡¯s confident reaction. But there was one person whoter reacted to her words. ¡¸I have some knowledge regarding that.¡¹ Sasori raised her voice to respond to Mira¡¯s inquiry. ¡¸There was one time when I came across one of the higher-ups of Chimera. Or well, I say higher-up but I have no way of proving their actual position, but their character was clearly different from any other underling we¡¯ve met. But either way, I would say we were an even match. Though if they had not run away I would¡¯ve won!¡¹ Sasori mentioned her experience while barely concealing a boastful tone. But since her power was still a mystery to Mira, it still did not serve as aparison. Sasori was aware of that much, so she continued speaking, unable to hide from her face just how curious she was about Mira¡¯s own strength after Uzume vouched for her so much. ¡¸It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t believe Uzume, but I would still like to verify Mira¡¯s strength myself. I¡¯ll fight her, and so everyone will be able to rest easy, and I think Hebi will be able to let the matter go as well.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that sounds like a good idea.¡¹ Alioth was of the same mind, the mission was very important so being extra careful would only get them closer to sess. Uzume understood how the rest of the members felt, but she was still convinced Mira would emerge victorious. ¡¸Alright, fair enough. Can youe with us for a moment?¡¹ Uzume asked Mira as she internally prayed Sasori¡¯s confidence would not get shattered as a result of this. ¡¸Sure.¡¹ For Mira, this was a good opportunity to learn how strong Chimera¡¯s elite were, so she also agreed to it. A break in the meeting followed as everyone headed to a garden in the center of the inner pce. Chapter 84: Sasori of the Hidden (1) Chapter 84: Sasori of the Hidden (1) There was no wind, the waving light that passed through theke¡¯s surface that appeared like the shadows of a myriad of marbles illuminating their surroundings. The Fifty Bells Union was located below ake, looking all around like an aquarium. In the very center of that ce, in the courtyard of the inner pce where the higher ups would get together, a silver haired girl and a Meou holding daggers on both hands faced each other. (The Wiseman Danbulf stood atop all summoners, which means she probably also mostly fights with summons. But I remember hearing stories that he also could fight in close quarters as a sage, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange to imagine he taught her pupil how to do that as well. But either way, if I keep arge distance between us then I¡¯ll easily be taken down by her summons¡­ and I¡¯m not suited for long rangebat anyway.) Since she could not read anything off Mira¡¯s appearance, Sasori delved deep into the well of her memories, trying to fish out everything she knew about Danbulf as she formted her strategy. ¡¸Preparations on both sides appear to be done. Then,mence~¡¹ Uzume¡¯s voice sounded disinterested as she gave the signal, but Sasori did not waver and leapt forward immediately. She would be at a disadvantage if she was too far away, so it was best for her to close in from the beginning so she would be engaged in close quartersbat, which she excelled at. That was her strategy, and she possessed the agility to make that possible, as her body flew towards Mira like an arrow fired from a bow. Sasori was close enough to attack barely an instantter, swinging her dagger with the speed of lightning. If her attack reached Mira¡¯s neck, the match would be settled. The dagger closed in on its target, but the moment it would touch it, Mira¡¯s figure became dim and vanished like a mirage. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Sasori stood dazed raising a confused grunt, but shortly after she turned around and elerated again. She realized Mira used Mirage Step and had sensed Mira¡¯s new location. (I should expect that much from a proficient pupil.) Mira on the other hand, realized Sasori was considerably strong since she had to use Mirage Step already. At the same time, she was reminded that Sasori was someone handpicked by Kagura. Seeing her react so quickly and follow her presence made it clear she had undergone arduous training and had plenty of real world experience, as opposed to that spoiled noble Kairos who simply chased after the illusions. When Sasori was close enough for her dagger to reach, she drew a straight line with it in an instant, a thrust to cross that short distance as quickly as possible. But her de was unable to reach Mira once again, arge shield that appeared out of nowhere blocking the dagger¡¯s path, Sasori¡¯s body colliding against it shortly after as well. ¡¸What¡¯s- where did thate from?!¡¹ Sasori carefully looked at the shield that appeared so suddenly while trying to keep her surprised mind calm, but then the shield vanished. Next Mira who was supposed to be behind the shield also vanished. Keeping her thoughts in check, Sasori searched for her presence. But at the same time, she felt a weird chill like that of a bug walking down her neck, so she leapt backwards as the ground she just left was torn open as if hit by a sledgehammer, apanied by a thunderous sound that shook her body and innards. (That was a sage¡¯s¡­Shockwave!) Sasori was able to identify the spell used, and from the traces it left she could tell where it was cast from. Careful about any following attacks, her head turned upwards. Mira was up there, having used the partially summoned shield as a smokescreen while she flew above Sasori¡¯s head using Sky Stride. Mira noticed her attack had caused a reaction, but was also astonished at Sasori¡¯s reaction speed. The spell had been cast from her blindspot, but she was still able to dodge it an instant before it hit. This was a strategy she hade up with during her wagon trip, and seeing promising results, she made a mental note about it. ¡¸I can still reach!¡¹ While Mira mused about those things, Sasori reinvigorated herself as she thrust her dagger upwards. At the end of it, a small tornado was formed that took the shape of a snake with jaws wide open and protruding fangs, which rushed towards the girl standing in mid-air. When it was close enough, Mira took hold of it and crushed it with her hands d in wind from Sage Arts, looking down at Sasori while smiling. (She¡¯s better than I thought. This will be a good opportunity to proim a summoner¡¯s power.) Parrying the following two tornados, Mira smiled happily at her opponent. The snakes, losing their target, dispersed into the air, thepressed air they were made of causing a whirlwind that enveloped the garden making the nts and Mira¡¯s skirt flutter. Thanks to that, the sacred grounds that were barely concealed under a shadow became exposed, to which Cophin replied with cheering. But his cheer was quickly drowned by Hebi. Mizar and Alioth decided to avoid meeting the same fate and pretended to look away from the sanctuary that had just been ouwed. Kongou added in a low voice ¡¸She¡¯s more mature than her face lets on¡¹ as he joined his hands in prayer seeing how Cophin was being chased around to be punished further. While all that happened, the match continued between the two girls. As Sasori sent more tornados from her dagger, this time they dissolved in midair. But the third tornado had not lost its fang yet, concealing a curved de inside of it. That de normally was loaded with venom, but since this was not a serious battle, it had none. Still, Sasori believed that if ittched on Mira she would win. The de closed into Mira¡¯s feet as if sucked into them. In part, Sasori was afraid of targeting somewhere near Mira¡¯s face, but more than that she had seen what Mira could do with her bare hands to her favorite spell, so she wanted to attack an area Mira¡¯s hands would hardly reach. ¡¸Again?!¡¹ A high pitched ring resounded as the de shattered and its fragments fluttered down like leaves. Seeing that imprable shield pop up out of nowhere again, she yelled in an annoyed voice. A secondter the shield and Mira vanished. Earlier when Mira used a shield as smokescreen, she had summoned a second shield which she used as a foothold together with Ground Shrink to jump above her opponent¡¯s head. Since Sasori felt Mira¡¯s presence almost instantly, she turned around the second the shields vanished. That acute perception and reactions were highly praised and weed by Mira. ¡¸Geh¡­¡¹ Sasori¡¯s cheek twitched as she grunted. She was confident in her reaction times when she focused, but Danbulf¡¯s summons which she was the most afraid of kept appearing. At the same time, Sasori slowly noticed just how different fighting Mira waspared to what had learned from other summoners which she knew. (And she even got two of those¡­ If I remember correctly summoners always go through a process of location, selection, consumption and release¡­ And that was supposed to take at least two seconds for even the most basic summons, at least that¡¯s what they told me!) Sasori mentally screamed at her summoner friends before knitting her brow in thought. In front of her stood white and ck knights, red eyes aze as they protected their princess. (Wait no, fighting a decent opponent like her makes me want to go all out. I have to calm down, I should only be showing what a summoner can do.) Behind the two knights, Mira scratched her chin while ncing at the audience, reprimanding herself before continuing. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get serious now.¡¹ After Mira said that, the Dark Knight left a dim afterimage as it charged ahead at high speed. It¡¯s target was obviously the Hidden girl. Sasori was shocked at that inhumane figure and movements, eximing ¡¸Uwah, that was close!¡¹ as she epted Mira¡¯s challenge. The ck sword swung tearing through the air like a relentless storm, which Sasori evaded as she tried to fill any opening with her daggers. She could tell the difference in their weapons and knew that even attempting to parrying the sword was useless, so her strategy revolved around evasion while trying to find a good opening. But her opponent was an ephemeral creature that maintained its body through mana, so as long as that mana was not depleted any wound would get healed. Seeing all her strong attacks be nullified like that, Sasori frowned annoyed. Since Sasori was friends with other summoners, she had knowledge about them, so she onlyined instead of getting dispirited, since someone who was unaware of how summons worked would think they were immortal and lose confidence. Still, Sasori was starting to regret her earlier decision, evading attacks constantly without a moment¡¯s rest, the Dark Knight recovering from any damage faster than she could even think about it. Sasori continued attacking three more times, all the while swiftly dodgin its attacks, when the perfect opportunity presented itself and she swung her dagger. She attacked with all her might, creating a deep wound all along the Dark Knight¡¯s torso that exceeded the regeneration speed. The Dark Knight¡¯s body crumbled like ss, the fragments splitting into small particles before vanishing. Seeing that invigorated Sasori, who watched it vanish with a smile. But that was very short lived as her gaze became sharp again and she ran away, or at least attempted to. ¡¸That can¡¯t¡­¡¹ She thought she had just defeated it, but a Dark Knight stood right in front of her. She instinctively jumped backwards, desperate to increase the distance between her and the Dark Knight. She had convinced herself that she only had the Holy Knight left to deal with, the Dark Knight¡¯s strong and powerful attacks making her forget the true strength of summoners. As long as they had mana left, they could rebuild their fighting strength. Sasori had heard from her summoner friends that summoning a strong entity needed time and chanting. So if a summoner was engaged in close quarterbat it would be impossible for them to utter a word, even less chant, effectively sealing away their strongest powers. But lower ss summons could be summoned in around two seconds, and they had a different physicalposition to stronger ones. But Mira¡¯s Dark Knights were so well-trained they overcame the limits of lower ss summons, which is why Sasori was convinced she was fighting a higher ss summon. Even though for Mira they were nothing but receable pieces she could summon as many as she wished. Chapter 84: Sasori of the Hidden (2) Chapter 84: Sasori of the Hidden (2) As Mira peeked at her through the Dark Knight¡¯s side, she appeared to be judging her abilities, though she also had a devilish smile as if enjoying something. On top of that, summoners would normally try to buy as much time as possible to chant, but Mira showed no signs of even trying to do that. Her attitude was basically telling Sasori that she did not need to use any high level summons. Sasori felt indignated by that, but seeing the Dark Knight and Holy Knight in front of her, she could onlyugh at herself. So that¡¯s what the pupil of the continent¡¯s strongest spellcaster looks like. She had never felt like she was pretentious about her own skills, but seeing Mira she was made aware that she had been overconfident. (I wonder how far it can go!) Forgetting about her original objective, Sasori ran against the Dark Knight motivated by a feeling of being able to spar with someone stronger than herself. The battle grew more intense as Sasori used every hand she had to take down the Dark Knights. But every time one would fall, another would be summoned. Sasori was still motivated, but the exhaustion from the prolonged fight started catching up to her and her movements became duller. Still, using the skills she had honed through the years, she took down the twentieth Dark Knight. (It¡¯s getting a bit too repetitive by now¡­ why am I fighting in the first ce though¡­?) As if someone was giving her an extra serving every time she finished her te, every time she defeated a Dark Knight another would appear. Sasori was thoroughly tired but she still kept her mind calm, sighing seeing the Holy Knight standing further back without a single scratch on itself. The five people watching the match looked at her with a pitiful look knowing it was too much for her, and other onlookers did the same. (She¡¯s quite good, very good even. I¡¯ll try chaining my attacks next.) Since this world became reality for Mira, she had been nning new strategies and imagining how they would work out, and now she had a chance to actually put them to practice. Many things worked out differently than expected, but she still gained important experience from it. ¡¸This is only the beginning!¡¹ Mira was in a drunk-like state, excited beyond her mind being able to test many more skills than before this was reality. Seeing her like that, Uzume grimaced as she was reminded of a scene from years ago. ¡¸T-that can¡¯t¡­!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s voice quivered in despair. Mira had gotten carried away and summoned five Dark Knights at the same time. If Sasori was pitted against a single one she was able to fend for herself, but this was far beyond her limits. ¡¸I give up!¡¹ Even while announcing her surrender, Sasori¡¯s voice was clear andposed. Her daggers were already on the ground while she lifted a white handkerchief as a manner of white g. ¡¸Hmm¡­ well, that¡¯s fine. But what do you think? Summoners are really cool, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ Mira climbed up to the Holy Knight¡¯s shoulder and stood with her chest up in a needlessly proud manner. She felt satisfied thinking that summoners would get plenty of recognition after she defeated the Fifty Bell¡¯s elite so easily. But as reality would have it, she was slightly mistaken. The founder andmander of the Fifty Bells was Kagura, one of the Nine Wisemen, so she obviously knew how Danbulf was, who she trained together with so they could polish each other¡¯s skills. At the same time, she was aware of how useful summoners could be and stressed that throughout the organization, even the summoner friends of Sasori were fellow members. Basically everyone there held a different opinionpared to themonly touted ¡®summoners are outdated¡¯ idea the general popce had. As a result, she left a different impression on them. ¡¸Well, summoners are rather¡­ well, strong I guess.¡¹ ¡¸So that¡¯s what happens if you rely on stereotypes a bit too much.¡¹ Mizar began speaking while carefully choosing his words, Alioth also grimaced as he agreed with him. ¡¸Ahahahahahahah! She¡¯s so presumptuous!¡¹ Without any hesitation, Cophinughed as he spoke the words everyone was thinking but decided to leave tacit. No one med him for it, and everyone agreed with him as well. ¡¸What¡­ was that¡­?¡¹ Mira¡¯s expression froze over after being greeted by apletely different reaction than she expected. ¡¸So that¡¯s how summoners are, and that¡¯s how your personality is¡­¡¹ Kongou muttered that while adding that at least their fighting power had increased considerably, looking with a pitiful expression at Mira standing on the Holy Knight¡¯s shoulder. With the match over, they all headed back to the meeting room. As they walked, Kongou rted to Mira his unfiltered impression of the earlier fight, that she had been like a cat toying with a featherless chick. Sasori¡¯s shoulders sank realizing that it was impossible for her to counter a summoner, while Uzume tried to console her saying that Mira was just an exception amongst summoners. Mira was puzzled seeing those two, unable toprehend Sasori¡¯s feelings while also trying to find new ways to preach a summoner¡¯s might. Momentster the group arrived back at the meeting room, where they each were served a cup of tea from a varied assortmentid on the table. When everyone was seated, Alioth cleared his throat and began speaking. ¡¸It was surprising seeing how much Mira overpowered ourrade Sasori while using only low level summons. I think it¡¯s fair to assume that Uzume¡¯s assessment of us being unable to stand against her was rather urate.¡¹ Uzume responded with a quick ¡¸I told you so!¡¹ with a smug face. That reaction was born from her old friendship amongst the Nine Wisemen. ¡¸I have no doubts about her fighting strength. I think we can rely on her.¡¹ Mizar emptied the contents of his cup in one go, then nced at Sasori resting exhausted in her chair before announcing he had no objections. Now that everyone had seen the extent of her power, no one doubted she would be able to handle the Libra Fortress. Only Hebi hung her head looking somewhat conflicted. The match had been caused by Mizar¡¯s pity for Hebi in the first ce, since she expressed she did not want to stay back. But he no longer took her feelings into consideration when speaking. It was not like Hebi had doubted Mira¡¯s skills, she was simply dissatisfied with being left behind during the Fifty Bells Union¡¯s most important mission since its foundation. Her earlier outburst had also avoided talking about Mira¡¯s skills and only focused on her desire to go along with them. ¡¸What is it, Hebi? Still not convinced? I¡¯m pretty sure we can trust her though.¡¹ Seeing Hebi¡¯s state, Kongou spoke to her. In response, she lifted her face and slowly looked at Uzume through the corner of her eyes as she replied. ¡¸I have noints about her. I just can¡¯t ept¡­that I won¡¯t go with them. I¡¯m the only Hidden left aside.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­¡¹ Kongou finally understood her true feelings when she said that. They had agreed that all the Hidden would be taking up this mission, but Hebi alone was not going to participate simply because the vehicle would be above capacity. Any other reason, even if rted to ack of skill, would have been more eptable for her. Kongou crossed his arms as he grunted, deep in thought. Then looking with resolute but caring eyes he asked to confirm something. ¡¸That wagon you mentioned is one of those vehicles pulled by a summon, correct? None of us has seen it yet so I wanted to ask, is the three person limit due to weight constraints?¡¹ ¡¸No, the weight should pose no problem. It¡¯s a matter of space, three people sitting down would make it rather cramped already.¡¹ Mira did not believe Garuda would have problems carrying more people. The first time it tried carrying the wagon it had been able to lift it with a single leg after all. So, she replied that it was more of a space constraint. When Hebi heard that, she leaned her body towards Mira as if about to jump on her. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind if I have to stand. Just give me a spot where I won¡¯t be a bother. I don¡¯t mind hanging on the outside either, just please let me go.¡¹ Hebi¡¯s forearms were on top of the table supporting her weight, her eyes about to cry if her request was denied as she pleaded Mira. ¡¸Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡¹ With Uzume also asking from beside her, Mira pictured the inside of the wagon again. Then she attempted to ce herself, Hebi, Sasori, and an unknown rank A adventurer (hopefully a girl), like an imaginary harem in there. Chuckling at the thought that they would be somewhat cramped as well, Mira decided there would be no problem at all. ¡¸Well, it might be a bit crowded but if you both have no problem with that, you cane!¡¹ ¡¸¡­Umm, anyway, that means Hebi can go as well.¡¹ ¡¸Many thanks.¡¹ Uzume gave Hebi permission to go, but only after sighing seeing Mira¡¯s face filled with an almost disgusting hint of having an ulterior motive. Hebi lowered her head in thanks, almost hitting the table with her forehead. With that, the group heading to the Libra Fortress was settled as a four man squad, and the meeting moved onto discussing the actual strategy they would employ. The n was settled after an hour of discussion, the members dispersing and hurrying to make the necessary preparations and briefing their subordinates. The only ones left were Mira and Uzume. They put all the nning aside and instead began talking about what they had done ever since they arrived in that world. They had gone through a rollercoaster of events there, but their conversation was mostly rxed and friendly. Halfway through they also began talking about the foundation of the Fifty Bells Union. Mira¡¯splexion turned warm as if she was hearing the story of her grandchild, andter simply said ¡¸You can count on me too.¡¹ It had been many years since they had seen each other, and Mira¡¯s voice and appearance had changed entirely, but when Uzume, or rather Kagura, heard that, something akin to a bright bonfire was reanimed deep inside her heart. The invisible bond they had forged in a virtual world had resisted the passage of time and could still be certainly felt. Trying to hide her embarrassment, Kagura replied with ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Chapter 85: The Helpers (1) Chapter 85: The Helpers (1) Deep below ake, a young girl and a person covering her face with a white cloth walked out of the pce that served as the Fifty Bells Union headquarters. They were Mira and Uzume, who were going to a ce where adventurers who helped the organization gathered, in search of a rank A adventurer who would apany Mira. Only a rank A adventurer would be granted permission to enter the Libra Fortress dungeon, so they needed to find one to take Mira¡¯s group inside. As they walked, two inhabitants of the submarine city greeted them. Since Uzume was themander of the Fifty Bells, being greeted was nothing special, though the way they talked to her was ratherx. ¡¸You¡¯re wearing white again, Uzume¡¹ and ¡¸Hello Uzume, and you too cute girly¡¹ they said. Uzume lightly waved back at them while replying with a few words of her own. The city was inhabited by members of the Fifty Bells as well as other adventurers, engineers, merchants, and guards, who all sympathised with their ideas. The two they had crossed paths with were part of thattter group, who understood the organization¡¯s goal and thoughts, so they wanted to lend a helping hand. For them, Uzume was not theirmander, but simply someone who cared deeply for spirits. Hence there was no difference in position between them and could interact on the same level. After the greetings, the two girls left the main entrance of the pce and took a left turn and walked up to thergest building in that direction. It had a green tiled roof and white walls, the columns supporting them painted red. That building also brought to mind the Heian architecture, and with the surface of theke swaying further above it all made Mira feel like she was on a sightseeing trip. ¡¸Let¡¯s see if we find anyone.¡¹ Hoping to find a rank A adventurer there, Uzume pushed the door open with high spirits. As soon as she did that, a crowded noise poured out from the gap in the door, as if the building was breathing through there. The building was a ce for helpers to pass time while waiting for something to do, as well as a bar. There was a step leading up to the dining room, everyone sitting directly on the tatami floor as they happily chatted with each other. Their mood was also influenced by the recent reports of how well things were going against Chimera. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s Uzume. You have work for someone again?¡¹ A man who appeared to be the owner of the ce greeted Uzume, waving his hand from the kitchen adjacent to the door. ¡¸Yes, for a very important mission.¡¹ Uzume¡¯s gaze behind the thin white cloth turned stern as she replied, walking up to the step and raising her hands to attract attention. ¡¸Everyone attention pleaseee-¡¹ At the same time she pped her hands above her head. The noise subsided almost instantly like a receding wave, countless stares shot their way afterwards. ¡¸Ohh, my time to shine has finallye!¡¹ Out of the messy crowd, someone raised his voice in anticipation and many others followed his example. When those looking for a job had all assembled in front of Uzume, she quickly summarized who she wanted. ¡¸I¡¯ll be taking one A rank adventurer. Even better if you¡¯re ahead of other A rank ones.¡¹ Everyone there had already gone through something simr before, so as soon as they heard that those who did not meet the requirements walked back while half-jokingly voicing theirints. At the same time, those who did meet the requirements took a step forward. There were both males and females, their ages ranging from some in their twenties to some who had passed the fifty mark. The final tally was five men and three women. Mira let out an impressed ¡¸Ohh¡¹ as she looked at those eight people. Since they were rank A, that meant they were at around the same level as Heinrich who she had met not too long before. There might be a slight difference in their actual skills, but she could build a decent idea of their strength. And using Heinrich as a basis, let her know that all of them would be plenty strong for their needs. As strong as they were, they were still standing by in that building, which meant they wanted to help the Fifty Bells. ¡¸This mission will be carried out in the Libra Fortress, do any of you have any experience with that dungeon?¡¹ Uzume looked at each of them as she asked with a satisfied look. ¡¸I do. I went there around ten years ago.¡¹ One of the eight replied, a man with a mature appearance, his silver-gray hairbed back. His face was well marked by his age, his manly features well defined while his toned body was on par or even better than younger men. He wore rather light clothes, so his muscles stood out even more. (That¡¯s a magnificent figure¡­) He was only starting to age, so he gave off a different feeling to that old gentleman Mira had once met on a station¡¯s tform, but his age was rather close to Mira¡¯s ideal so it still left an impression on her. If she had to put it in other words, it was like aparison between motion and calmness. This adventurer embodied lively motion. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s decided then.¡¹ Uzume snapped her fingers as she said that, and the adventurer nodded vigorously. The remaining seven hung their heads in slight disappointment and dispersed. ¡¸If I remember correctly you¡¯re Arlon, right? Good to have you.¡¹ Uzume struck her right hand forward as she recalled the man¡¯s name. He grasped her hand firmly and shook it. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s indeed me. And well, what business do you have in the Libra Fortress?¡¹ His participation decided, Arlon asked that. Uzume lifted her index finger and spoke with special emphasis. ¡¸This mission is extremely important. We¡¯ve received some crucial information, which isn¡¯tpletely verified yet but is very likely. And this also represents an opportunity we can¡¯t allow ourselves to let go.¡¹ With that preface, Uzume outlined the main parts of the mission. How they believed Chimera uzen¡¯s next target would be the Spirit King, and how the Libra Fortress was connected to that. Arlon was not the only one listening, the remaining seven as well as those who did not meet the requirements listened quietly. ¡¸The Spirit King, you say? What lousy individuals.¡¹ When Uzume was done talking everyone fell silent, and after a moment Arlon turned the thoughts everyone held into words, spoken with a scornful voice. His voice resounded through the room like the first bubbles of a pot of water about to boil, after which the voices of everyone else resounded with damning shouts against Chimera uzen. ¡¸Silence!¡¹ With that single word, the ttering room turned silent again. When Uzume saw everyone had calmed down, she silenced her own boiling thoughts and continued speaking. ¡¸We won¡¯t let them do as they please. We aren¡¯tpletely certain the story is true, but if it is, then there¡¯s a high chance influential people inside Chimera will show up. Capturing them is our mission. If everything goes ording to n, then we might obtain even more valuable information from them.¡¹ ¡¸That does sound like a very important mission, if not the most important one to date. And so, who am I going with? Since I¡¯m the only adventurer being recruited, I guess you only need me for the entrance pass. Am I going with a group of Hidden or something like that?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, with Sasori and Hebi, as well as this girl.¡¹ Chapter 85: The Helpers (2) Chapter 85: The Helpers (2) After Uzume mentioned the names of the two Hidden girls, she pointed at Mira, who was already being stared at by Arlon. That made everyone else¡¯s eyes focus on her as well. Mira¡¯s eyes briefly met Arlon¡¯s, which took her by surprise so she looked away, only to see that there too were eyes looking at her, making her realize she was the center of attention. Mira had stopped paying attention to Uzume halfway through, so her current state took her by surprise, but it quickly got to her head as she proudly smiled. ¡¸Sasori and Hebi you said? That sounds good, though I don¡¯t remember seeing this girl before. Though well, I guess I don¡¯t need to know anything besides that she¡¯lle with us.¡¹ Arlon was staring intently at the girl wearing a trendy Magical Girl attire. Their mission was of utmost importance, and Uzume was the most aware of that, so he knew she would never select someone with half baked skills. That was a trust he had developed by being there for many years. ¡¸Her name is Mira. She¡¯s the benefactor who helped capture that first member of Chimera, and is also the wiseman Danbulf¡¯s pupil. Make sure to support her well, Arlon.¡¹ Uzume nodded fully confident in Mira, but a murmur spread through the rest of the room. Arlon was respected as being one step ahead of all the adventurers there, so they expected him to be the main strength of the group, but he was relegated to supporting Mira. On top of that, she imed to be the pupil of a wiseman who had not shown himself in decades. ¡¸Hmm, sounds interesting.¡¹ But Arlon sounded entertained, smiling as he epted the mission. He turned to look at Mira again, curious to see just how strong she was to have managed to convince Uzume that she was a wiseman¡¯s pupil. To tell Arlon all the details, the three went up to the second floor of the bar, where a meeting room frequently used to ry missions onto helping adventurers was located. They each picked the seats they felt mostfortable in, and after a short pause Uzume began speaking again. She exined how they were almost certain that Chimera uzen was targeting the Spirit King, even though they had no direct proof, but she mentioned how they arrived at that conclusion, and also how Arkite Kingdom and the Spellcaster¡¯s union were also involved in the matters now. Arkite was known as the kingdom of spellcasters, while the Spellcasters¡¯ Union could track the movements of adventurers. Given that spellcasters have a high affinity with spirits, they officially marked Chimera uzen as an enemy. Because of all that, Arlon knew he could trust them as a source of information. With that preface over, Uzume finally spoke about the details of their mission. Arlon would nod in approval every so often to show he was listening to Uzume, while Mira simply sipped on the all-seasons ale she saw in the bar. The conversation continued into where they would go, means of transportation and the rest of the group. Then she mentioned what kind of firepower they expected the enemy to have, as well as their predicted paths. Lastly she mentioned that capturing enemy members would be handled by the two Hidden. ¡¸I guess getting my gear ready is all that¡¯s left now. When are we leaving?¡¹ Having heard all the details, Arlon sorted all the information in his head while also thinking of everything he would need to prepare before departing. ¡¸Tomorrow at nine in the morning!¡¹ Uzume had been looking at Mira, happily tipping her ss to her lips, so she looked away and replied with a sharp voice. ¡¸There¡¯s barely any time before then. I guess it¡¯s just that important to go.¡¹ Even if they knew that Chimera uzen was visiting those dungeons regrly, they did not know exactly when they would show up. In the worst case, they could end up having to lie in wait there for multiple days before anything happened, though that was still better than arriving after Chimera had finished their business in the Libra Fortress. That was also the reason why they had to leave as soon as possible, and Arlon could understand that much so he stood up. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯ll also give you this.¡¹ Uzume also stood up and handed him a blue piece of paper that was shaped like a card. ¡¸Ohh thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡¹ Arlon happily epted it. ¡¸Anyway, we¡¯ll all group up in the usual ce tomorrow morning.¡¹ ¡¸Alright.¡¹ With thatst short reply, spoken vigorously, Arlon returned to the room he was staying at to gather everything he needed for the trip. Mira and Uzume also left the meeting room shortly after him. ¡¸Do you have everything you need, Grandpa?¡¹ Kagura stopped shortly after leaving the bar that also served as a gathering ce for adventurers, asking Mira that. ¡¸Hmmm¡­ I should have enough medicine if needed.¡¹ Mira scrolled through the emergency supplies tab in her Item Box as she replied, afterwards taking a certain item out and showing it. ¡¸I also have this one left, so I should be safe even if it gets too dangerous.¡¹ She dangled the item, a crystal filled with a viscous pink fluid, as she spoke. That was an Echo Drop, an item of the highest grade that could fully heal one¡¯s body when used. It worked wlessly even now that the world was reality. ¡¸If I remember correctly, you¡¯ve been here for less than a month, right? Then I guess you also haven¡¯t gotten seriously injured yet.¡¹ ¡¸Well, pretty much. Is there something wrong with that?¡¹ Mira replied as she returned the Echo Drop to her Item Box, but as soon as she finished Kagura began knocking on Mira¡¯s head with the back of her hand. It was nothing strong, but Mira still felt a slight pain. ¡¸What are you doing so suddenly?¡¹ Mira raised her voice while pouting, but rather than stopping, Kagura began striking Mira¡¯s cheeks with both hands. ¡¸Now tell me, how much damage do you think you received from that?¡¹ Mira was ring at Kagura for hitting her so many times, but Kagura¡¯s voice was slightly low and entirely serious, so Mira rxed her sharp expression. ¡¸Hmm¡­ around ten points in both cases I guess.¡¹ Still unable to understand what Kagura was getting at, Mira concentrated on the lingering feeling on her head and cheeks and replied with so. When kagura heard that, she sighed in an exaggerated manner, then lifting her hand and forming a circle with her index and thumb, saying ¡¸The correct reply is zero.¡¹ ¡¸As someone who has been in this world for longer, let me teach you grandpa. First, whether something is considered damage or not relies solely on whether it caused asting effect. Something light like I did earlier, which has no impact whatsoever to your health, causes zero damage. Though if I kept doing it for long enough it might have a very slight effect.¡¹ After a short pause, Kagura pinched Mira¡¯s cheek and said ¡¸This is also zero.¡¹ Mira red at her, but Kagura just continued talking. ¡¸In other words, receiving damage means you get closer to death. When this was a game, any damage we received simply decreased a numerical value, our hit points. Now that this is reality, if half of your body is wounded, pain and other effects can render you unable to continue fighting. This also means that if you¡¯re at death¡¯s door, you won¡¯t be able to simply chug some medicine.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­¡¹ Chapter 85: The Helpers (3) Chapter 85: The Helpers (3) It was an obvious fact that now that the world was reality, pain from wounds, as well as blood loss, would cloud one¡¯s mind. (That¡¯s true. It doesn¡¯t matter how effective medicine is if I don¡¯t get to use it.) ¡¸You have a point. I¡¯ll be careful.¡¹ Mira realized there were parts of her that still considered this a game, so she listened seriously to Kagura¡¯s words and internalized them. Next Kagura took out a small bottle with a yellow liquid from her own Item Box and showed it to Mira, who was still reflecting on her thoughts. ¡¸That¡¯s where this magic medicinees in handy. If you take it before a fight, it numbs your sense of pain and diminishes bleeding, which is incredibly useful for people used to the game like us.¡¹ After she said that, Kagura returned the sk to her Item Box while Mira¡¯s eyes were fixated on it. ¡¸If you use it, your movements won¡¯t be impeded by wounds or poison, so you¡¯ll be able to fight like before. Though it only tricks your body into acting that way, so only think of it as a way to gain an opportunity to use actual medicine.¡¹ That magic medicine Kagura showed her was something produced by former yers. Because they were not used to feeling much pain while fighting, having it increased many dozens of times more than during the game made them afraid of battles to an extreme degree. That made a portion of yers to entirely opt out of fighting altogether. But since they lived in a world where monsters roamed freely, there were times when fighting was unavoidable. Thus, that medicine was developed and yers were able to push their fear back like during the game era, and even though it was still pricey everyone regarded it as an essential item to have at all times. There were times when that medicine alone could define the oue of a confrontation between two equally skilled parties. ¡¸How much do those cost?¡¹ Mira immediately understood the value of a medicine like that and asked its price while mentally counting the money in her possession. ¡¸One sk goes for 200¡¯000 Rils. Any moderately sized store should sell them.¡¹ ¡¸One for 200¡¯000 huh. Considering its effects that could be considered cheap even¡­¡¹ ¡¸The price has gone down over the years. The first time I got one, they were sold for 500¡¯000. On the other hand, other powerful healing medicines have increased in price many times over, tens of times in some cases even,pared to the game era. Though considering how they¡¯re directly connected to one¡¯s life now, I can¡¯t reallyin.¡¹ Like Kagura said, medicine, especially those that could bring back someone from the brink of death, had spiked in demand. That was because former yers were buying them in bulk. Some people also hoarded them as a form of insurance, and since their ingredients were rare, there was a constant outage of stock in the market. ¡¸Anyway, medicine aside, will you have enough food? Depending on how things go, you might be there for a week or so.¡¹ To answer Kagura¡¯s inquiry, Mira opened her Item Box and checked all the food she had at hand. After ncing at all the items, she exhaled a long breath. ¡¸I only have mixed berry ale left.¡¹ Hearing that reply, Kagura took out another blue card like the one she gave Arlon earlier. ¡¸Then you can have this. This is a coupon we give, you can exchange it for a week¡¯s worth of supplies in the market here. Eating is also needed now, as opposed to how it was back then, so it¡¯s best if you always have some emergency rations on you, grandpa.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s true. I¡¯ll dly make use of it then.¡¹ As Mira took the coupon, she thought back on how randomly she had been living until then. She also thought about Gilbert who she met on her way to the Abandoned City in the Sky, he carried a cooking set with him and would forage for ingredients to feed himself. Living to feed oneself like that was a fundamental part of being an adventurer for many, and cooking sets like he had were also sold inrge numbers. ¡¸I¡¯m not really good at cooking, but I guess having some cooking utensils would be good either way.¡¹ Mira only felt confident boiling, baking or frying something simple, though she also had a faint idea of how to make curry. She only could make things that did not require too many ingredients. ¡¸Our Item Boxes are different to the ones given by the Spellcasters¡¯ Union so there¡¯s no limit to the things we can put in them. You can just stock up on packed lunch boxes and it¡¯ll be fine.¡¹ Kagura rolled up her left sleeve and pointed to her bracelet as she said that. ¡¸Ohhh¡­ that¡¯s true. And it also sounds way easier.¡¹ Mira sounded surprised as she replied. She knew that food in her Item Box would not rot, or at least was faintly aware of that. On the other hand, the Operator¡¯s Bracelets given out by the Union would not be able to preserve food, or at least that¡¯s what Mira understood from Kagura¡¯s sentence. Thinking about that, Mira also recalled what Emera who she met in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, bought for food. She also owned an Operator¡¯s Bracelet, but would only select ingredients with a long shelf life. (So this was even more useful than I thought.) There were also weight limits on other Operator¡¯s Bracelets. Mira turned to look at the bracelet of shining silver on her left arm, wondering if it really was a mere terminal. ¡¸I¡¯ve been wondering this for a while, but what exactly is it? Originally it was an item to interact with the game¡¯s systems directly, but I thought those systems have been inactive for a while now?¡¹ Even if she tried to remove it, the bracelet of cold shining silver would stay there like it was part of her. Mira poked at hers as she asked that, to which Kagura replied with a ¡¸I really wonder that too¡¹ as she returned her sleeve to its former position, ¡¸Though¡­¡¹ she continued. ¡¸In simple terms it could be considered an Artifact, the predecessor whichid the base for the current Operator¡¯s Bracelets.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t really refute that idea.¡¹ Artifact was the name given to items granted by the gods. She had never expected to hear the same excuse she used to exin the Vanity Case, but there was no other way of putting it so she gingerly epted it. ¡¸Anyway, things like that are better left to the experts. Focus on preparing instead, there¡¯s a lot of situations where brute force won¡¯t help you.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s response, Kagura nodded satisfied and then pointed her finger down the street. ¡¸If you keep going straight ahead you¡¯ll arrive at the market. Come back when you¡¯re done shopping. I¡¯ll return to that building where we first met.¡¹ Saying that, she turned around and pointed to another direction, towards the pce. Mira followed that finger with her eyes and replied with an ¡¸Alright.¡¹ Kagura then returned with a gant gait while greeting the other people in the streets, which Mira watched from behind before heading towards the market. Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (1) Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (1) Below the water dome which reflected the blue sky like an aquarium in whimsical shapes, one location stood out with a higher transit of peoplepared to the rest. That was the market, where many merchants sold items indispensable for both adventurers and amon person¡¯s daily life. There was clearly also arge group of merchants who supported the Fifty Bells. The entire market street was filled to the seams with shops, which had signs ced in front to make it easier to know what they all sold, and there were also smaller stalls scattered around. Mira walked down that street while constantly looking around. (This looks like a very prosperous ce.) The people passing alongside Mira had very varying appearances, giving the entire ce the same feeling as some sort of festival. She could see members of different races, Meou, Gardia, dwarves and elves, as well as more rare species like fairies, dragonborns, and demons. Their clothing was also very varied, some having practical armor or worn out equipment, if there was a way to describe all of them, they looked like arge conglomerate of adventurers. There were others who wore more colorful and peculiarly shaped native costumes, or engineers wearing their distinctive aprons. On top of that, there were some wearing shirts, pants, and even the asional track suit. Mixed between that varied flow of people, there were also spirits floating around. The coupon Mira obtained from Kagura was quickly turned into arge quantity of food. After she stored it all, wondering if she really needed so much, she began strolling around leisurely, looking at different weapon and medicine shops, seeing how they had changed since the game era. From a certain stand, a particr scent wafted into the sea of people. When it reached Mira, she stopped walking and turned towards its source, walking up to that stand. (Huh, isn¡¯t that¡­?) The scent was stronger there, and as she looked inside she saw that young spirit she met in the Forest of Praying Children, the same who was chasing a butterfly around thatke where she first met someone from the Fifty Bells. Now it was ying around, chasing the particr pattern of light on the ground which came from the sun passing through theke¡¯s surface. Mira felt relief seeing the young spirit, knowing it had been safely guarded by the Fifty Bells after she left it back then. It was then that Mira felt an impact from behind which sent her falling to the ground. ¡¸What was that?¡¹ She lifted her head and looked around. ¡¸Ahhh I¡¯m so sorry! Really¡­¡¹ There was an immediate reply from behind her, then she felt a pair of arms hoist her by the sides and pick her up. When Mira turned around, she saw a woman with light purple braided hair and a robe of bright and pale colors. The woman, who had a rather young looking face, continued apologizing while desperately dusting off Mira¡¯s clothes. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it was nothing.¡¹ As she spoke. Mira stared intently at the woman¡¯s face. Something felt off, or rather, she felt she had seen that woman somewhere before, or at least someone simr. Once the dusting was over, the woman looked straight at Mira before squeezing her in a hug. ¡¸What are you-?!¡¹ While feeling an inexplicable lump of something soft pressing against her face from across the robe, Mira was shocked from the sudden hug, instinctively attempting to escape the embrace. ¡¸Ah, sorry. I suddenly felt like¡­¡¹ The woman pulled her arms back, though they still loitered in the air emptily wishing to hug Mira. Meanwhile Mira thought more about the sensation she felt on her cheek and also drooped her shoulders in regret. A man then hesitantly spoke to those two who looked at each other with dejected looks. ¡¸Lyne¡­ I finally found you, and what are you even doing?¡¹ The woman called Lyne replied with ¡¸I ran into her¡­¡¹ and then seemed to remember something as she ced her hand on Mira¡¯s body. Her touch was gentle while a white glow enveloped her hand. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Are you hurt? I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡¹ That glow on Lyne¡¯s hand was something produced from Monk Skills. As she touched Mira¡¯s body, even the slight bruises that really did not bother her vanished with a slight glow. The man was able torgely guess what had happened, so he poked at Lyne¡¯s head once she was done healing Mira. ¡¸Were you walking around while looking at spirits unaware of your surroundings again? Seriously¡­¡¹ He appeared to have guessed correctly, as Lyne simply nodded without making excuses, apologizing after while bowing to Mira. But as soon as she lifted her head and saw Mira, she once again hugged her tightly. ¡¸What should I- do with her?¡¹ This time she did not resist the embrace, but she asked the man while looking at him out of Lyne¡¯s arms. This time she had no ulterior thoughts though. Mira had noticed a certain sadness in Lyne, so she decided to let her do as she pleased. ¡¸You can¡¯t do that, Lyne.¡¹ The man spoke softly like whispering, and Lyne slowly and reluctantly let go of Mira, heaving a deep sigh afterwards. He appeared to be in his early thirties and had a rather lean body. His hair was golden like ripe rice straws and was cut short. He only carried some light equipment, and two swords dangled on each side of his hips. He had almond eyes, as well as slender sses, which overall gave him a reserved and intelligent appearance. Either way, he was a rather handsome man as well. ¡¸I¡¯m Ashley, and she¡¯s my wife Lyne. It seems she¡¯s been a bit rude to you, so I apologize for her.¡¹ He bowed after introducing himself, looking honestly sorry for anything that might have happened. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. It seems she has her reasons too.¡¹ Her actions had beenrgely unexpected, so there was no harm in Mira getting curious about her, and it was hard for her not to after seeing the two apologize so many times. ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Ashley bowed again, looking slightly pained as he continued talking. ¡¸As I mentioned, we¡¯re a married couple, but we also have a son who should be turning ten this year. But because of certain reasons we haven¡¯t been able to see him in many years now. It seems that has affected her greatly as now she always gets distracted seeing infant spirits, or she impulsively hugs children who would be around the same age as him. She¡¯s run into people countless times before as well, and I try to talk to her about it every time¡­¡¹ As he said that, Ashley gently held Lyne against him. His actions were like those of someone protecting something, or protecting her of something. ¡¸That sounds like aplicated situation¡­¡¹ Lyne would get easily distracted when seeing young spirits, thinking about her own son, and would run into people, and because of a simr reason she had hugged Mira only because of her young appearance. Knowing about her situation now, Mira felt some pity for her, as well as curiosity to know more about them. There had to be a reason why they could not meet their beloved son after such a long time. ¡¸I hope I¡¯m not being too bothersome or nosy, but could you tell me more?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re not a bother at all.¡¹ Hearing Mira, Ashley nodded without hesitating, slowly letting go of his wife before plopping a hand on her head. ¡¸Lyne is a half elf half spirit.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh¡­ I see.¡¹ Hearing that, Mira looked at Lyne again, and when she noticed that stare, Lyne spread her arms wide with a bright as if inviting Mira to jump into her arms. It appeared that Lyne did not mind at all if they spoke about her either, so having confirmed that much, Mira turned back to look at Ashley. Meanwhile Lyne silently let her hands go down again while hanging her head down. Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (2) Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (2) ¡¸I don¡¯t know if you heard this before, but half spirits are born with special abilities, and Lyne was born with the ability to attract very strong spirits to herself. That obviously caused her to be targeted by Chimera, so shortly after we were taken in by the Fifty Bells and we¡¯ve been here since then.¡¹ Saying that, Ashley turned to look around at that city built below ake, while also scoffing at himself for being too weak to protect those who he loved. ¡¸But they haven¡¯t given up on taking her yet and they deployed an observationwork shortly after, so we don¡¯t know where their eyes might be. If we carelessly go out and they happen to see us with our son, they¡¯ll know who he is, and knowing how they act, they¡¯ll probably do something with him so Lyne does as they wish. That¡¯s why it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t interact with our son until this battle is over.¡¹ Ashley also longed to see his son, so he could sympathize with Lyne¡¯s actions as he ced a hand on Mira¡¯s head. As Ashley had mentioned, those born from a mix of spirits and another race would inherit peculiar powers. And out of all of them, Ashley got one which was incredibly useful for someone like Chimera uzen to aplish their goal faster. Because of that, Lyne was relentlessly pursued by them. Even when she was being brought to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters they were attacked countless times. As a result, they were unable to take her son as well, while also not allowing a shred of evidence of their rtionship to be noticed. Now that Mira knew the circumstances they were in, she silently let them pat her head. ¡¸Heyy, Ashley and lyne! And the youngdy is with you as well.¡¹ Arlon spotted the three, who looked like a happy small family from afar. He was there to buy supplies as well, and apparently Ashely and Lyne weremon acquaintances with him as they greeted him in return. ¡¸I guess your wife went into another of her episodes.¡¹ Arlon nced at Mira, whose hair waspletely disheveled from all the patting, before looking at Ashley who had a moreposed look. The way Lyne would blindly follow young spirits before running into someone else, or the way she would hug children as soon as she saw them were a well known urrence there. Since Mira fit perfectly into the appearance Lyne seeked, Arlon could guess exactly what happened. ¡¸But these hardships won¡¯tst much longer. We¡¯re about to head on a very important mission which should greatly change the situation, and even the end of all this might be near. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll meet your son soon.¡¹ Arlon dered that with a confident voice, which took Ashley and Lyne by surprise, who looked at each other before eximing ¡¸Really?!¡¹ with a very hopeful voice. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s true. A very strong helper has arrived to lend us a hand as well. Do you know who that young girl is?¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, I haven¡¯t even asked for your name.¡¹ Ashley spoke as if just remembering something, looking straight at the silver haired girl, while Lyne looked at her with passion as well. Having their attention focused on her, Mira puffed her chest and pointed at her cheek while saying ¡¸I¡¯m Mira¡¹ with a prideful voice. ¡¸You¡¯ve probably heard how there¡¯s a lot of Chimera members being capturedtely? That was all thanks to her, and she¡¯s strong enough that even Uzume recognizes her strength. Knowing all that is really reassuring, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ Arlon ended his sentence with a bright grin. He was normally a calm andposed person, so him smiling was a rare sight. Seeing that, Ashley and Lyne could only smile as well. ¡¸That¡¯s good to know. She does sound really dependable!¡¹ Ashely spoke in delight after his eyes went round with admiration. Uzume or Kagura was themander of the Fifty Bells Union, and everyone under her respected and admired her power, some even feared it. Because of that her criteria to judge someone¡¯s power was really picky,mending only a handful of A rank adventurers who were at the top, or people withparable skills. After staring at the silver haired girl d in cutesy clothes, Ashley looked up towards the sky covered with theke¡¯s surface,ughing vacantly at just how many surprises that vast world held before heaving a deep sigh. ¡¸You can trust me. And I vow that I¡¯ll make all of this end shortly, so just bear with it for a little longer.¡¹ Mira was still too young to understand just how hard it was for a parent to be unable to meet their son, but she knew more than enough how hard it was for a child to be away from their parents. Mira was aware of the risks involved with promising something important like that, but she just had to say that. ¡¸We¡¯ll see him shortly, just a little longer¡­¡¹ Lyne closed her eyes in relief after staring at Mira for a long while, having heard her promise without a speck of doubt. Then she brought her hands together against her chest, as if protecting something very dear to her. Ashley put his hand on Lyna¡¯s shoulder, turning to Mira and Arlon thanking them silently by lightly bowing to them. ¡¸You heard her, I¡¯m sure knowing this was the best news you could hear.¡¹ With that, Arlon nced onest time at the couple before leaving towards the market to finish his preparations for the next day. His eyes during hisst look were sharp, but filled with kindness, like the shine of a knight¡¯s sword. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s about it. Just do everything you can do inside here in the meantime.¡¹ Mira could guess how they might feel, being unable to leave the headquarters, so she said that before going on her way as well. Ashley was also known to Chimera uzen, so he could not go out either, as much as he wished to be part of missions that went outside. In the end, he and Lyna remained there as they saw Mira off, praying in their hearts. The street lights were barely starting to be lit when Mira headed back to the pce, walking while thinking about Ashley and Lyna. (Hmm¡­ Ashley and Lyna. I feel like I heard that somewhere before.) She felt a certain familiarity with those names, but no matter how much she prodded at her vague memories nothing came out. Having finished almost all of her shopping, Mira returned to the inner pce, where a maid then led her through an inner corridor, at the end of which the Fifty Bells Unionmander¡¯s personal room was located. Kagura was waiting inside, wearing a in andpletely different getup as before. ¡¸Somehow you look more like your old self now.¡¹ Mira was the first one to speak, seeing Kagura¡¯s new attire. ¡¸I mean, I feel way morefortable in these.¡¹ Kagura, wearing a red tracksuit, lifted her eyes from the papers in front of her and looked at Mira. ¡¸So, did you finish your preparations?¡¹ ¡¸Pretty much.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Kagura replied shortly while standing up, grabbing a cushion from a mountain of them in a corner of the room, and cing it to the side of her table. ¡¸I want to hear stories from grandpa now.¡¹ As she returned to her earlier spot, Kagura spoke with the same curious look of a small child. ¡¸I also had some things I wanted to ask you.¡¹ Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (3) Chapter 86: The City Below a Lake (3) Mira had also been wanting to ask something simr, wondering what kind of lifestyle Kagura led in this world. They were thinking the same, so Mira sat down in front of Kagura and they began talking. After that they spoke at length about their various experiences in that world. Mira could only tell stories from thest month or so, while Kagura had a whole decade to pull from. Mira heard even more details of the foundation of the Fifty Bells Union, while also getting Kagura to promise she would return as one of the Nine Elders of Arkite when everything was resolved with Chimera uzen, and Kagura made Mira promise she would help with everything she could to aplish the Fifty Bells¡¯ goal. After that the conversation delved into more mundane topics, and by the time Kagura began pressuring Mira to talk about Luna, the Pure Rabbit she brought to the tower, a maid came to announce the bath was ready. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll go take a bath then. I hope you¡¯ll fill me in with everything about Lunater.¡¹ Saying that, Kagura headed to the bathroom first. As soon as the door she left through was closed, a profound stillness filled the room. That made Mira take another look around the room. There was a circr table in the middle, while multiple bookshelves were ced against the walls and a conicalmp was hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. There were some nts growing in one corner, Thin Mist Grass that was activated by themp. (It¡¯s a pretty well-kept room.) That was the impression Mira got since she had seen Kagura¡¯s real room in the past. She idly stared at the misting from the corner when she randomly remembered what she did the night before. (I have nothing else to do, so I might as well go do that before I take a bath.) Deciding that, she jumped on her feet and left Kagura¡¯s room. After loitering around for a while trying to find her way, Mira finally arrived at the garden where she faced Sasori, which was slightly illuminated by the light bleeding from the corridors. Shortly after an orb of light appeared and dispelled the remaining darkness, thanks to Mira¡¯s Concept Magic. Standing on ocre colored ground, Mira took a deep breath and readied her stance to start training. A considerable amount of time had passed since Mira started training when Sasori came to the garden, curious since it usually was much darker at that hour. There, she saw Mira moving around with a dexterity unimaginable from a spellcaster, a silver afterimage following her as she darted through the air. (Isn¡¯t that¡­ Mira? Is she practicing some form of martial arts? Her movements look a bit like Enha¡­) At first it looked like she was simply practicing a defined set of movements, but then every once in a while she would weave in summoning or sage attacks, forming an unpredictable and powerful pattern of attacks. ¡¸Who would¡¯ve guessed you could move like that as well. Is that any particr style?¡¹ Driven by her curiosity, Sasori climbed the hedge around the garden andnded inside without making a single noise, then asking with intense eyes. ¡¸Well, yes. Though I¡¯ve forgotten its name.¡¹ Sasori was silent like a cat, which surprised Mira as she replied. ¡¸I see¡¹ said Sasori, lowering her shoulders in disappointment. ¡¸Did you learn that from Danbulf as well?¡¹ ¡¸Well¡­ pretty much.¡¹ In reality it had been Meilin, the Sage Wiseman who had taught her that. Her reply had a pretty bad tone to it, but Sasori did not seem to mind, instead changing the topic while looking genuinely enthusiastic. ¡¸By the way, do you want a partner to train with? I can help you if you¡¯re training your body.¡¹ Saying that, rather than preparing herself to train she leaped into the air, doing an entire flip beforending at the appropriate distance from Mira. Considering how little preparation she had before jumping, that just went to show how much power her legs had. Mira was already well aware of her strength though, given that she had defeated more than ten Dark Knights in directbat. As long as physical strength went, she was probably even stronger than Mira. ¡¸Hm¡­¡¹ Mira took another breath, looking at Sasori in front of her, before lifting the corners of her lips into a smile. ¡¸I¡¯ll take this as an opportunity to learn a thing or two then.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s words of assent, Sasori¡¯s face lit up. She threw all the concealed weapons she had on her to the ground. ¡¸That¡¯s what I should be saying.¡¹ With that, their sparring began. Mira used no spells, while Sasori put her skills and weapons aside, fighting purely with their physical strength. Their training continued until a maid came to tell them the bathroom was avable. The two had been so engrossed in their sparring that the moment they heard the maid both copsed. Mira fell back on her knees, looking at the sky while wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeves. Sasori¡¯s back bent forwards, her shoulders moving up and down with every breath as she looked at the drops of sweat falling down to the ground, ignoring all of the sweat still clinging to her body. After that Mira followed the maid to the bathroom, and Sasori followed her like it was the most obvious thing to do. The bathroom of the inner pce was entirely made of stone, looking almost like a cave. The bathtub wasrge and filled with hot water, big enough to easily fit ten people. The sound from the drops of condensed steam that fell from the rustic ceiling was overpowered by the noise of a stream of hot water that resembled a waterfall. Overall, the water produced a pleasant tone that filled the entire room, together with the humid air that cling to one¡¯s body like a thin piece of silk. ¡¸Hmhm, she has a nice and lean body!¡¹ Her view was slightly obstructed by white steam, but Mira still observed every corner of Sasori¡¯s body while nodding to herself satisfied. As their bodies soaked in the bathtub, they began talking about habits or openings they noticed in each other during their training, their voices more enthusiastic than the water was hot. The bathroom was a wondrous ce that let people be themselves, but the voices in this one spoke of things with no charm, but were loaded with plenty of passion. Some time after their exchange of opinions reached its peak, their bath time came to an end when one of them was unable to suppress the cry of hunger of their stomachs. After that they bid each other a good night and Sasori returned to her personal room. On the other hand, Mira put on the bathrobe readied for her and was taken by a maid to Kagura¡¯s room. When the maid opened the door, a scent wafted out which aroused Mira¡¯s stomach even more. Kagura¡¯s table was filled with colorful and well made tes of food. ¡¸Hurry hurry.¡¹ On the other side of the table, Kagura was sitting wearing her tracksuit, urging Mira to sit down. She had been waiting for Mira to finish bathing, so she was also really hungry. ¡¸Even the food looks magnificent here.¡¹ Seeing that feastid in front of her, Mira imed the empty cushion and sat on it, nimbly like a cat. Afterwards she looked straight at Kagura, the master of that room. Kagura had a weing look for her friend she dearly missed, even though she had a different appearance now. Their dinner began after a toast in celebration of their reencounter. Chapter 87: Their New Trip (1) Chapter 87: Their New Trip (1) After having dinner with Kagura, Mira was led to a room in the inner pce where she spent the night. The next morning she had an ichiju gosai breakfast, a traditional breakfast that included one soup bowl with five side dishes. Afterwards she met up with Sasori and Hebi, before heading to the tower that indicated the exit of the headquarters together with Kagura who was seeing them off. The tower was tall, with spiral steps that made Mira feel exhausted just from looking at them, but she quickly followed after the other three girls who began climbing them. When they reached the top of the tower, which held the gate that connected the headquarters to theke, they saw Arlon was already there. The little equipment he wore was reinforced with gold, exuding an aura of confidence. ¡¸Good morning Arlon.¡¹ ¡¸Oh hey, morning.¡¹ When Kagura, mostly known as Uzume there, greeted him, he turned from watching the sky waving above to look at the four girls, smiling as he returned the greeting. That ce wasmonly used as the meeting point whenever the Fifty Bells had missions. ¡¸Now this is quite the wonderful lineup.¡¹ Arlon said in an entertained tone. In front of him stood the verymander of the Fifty Bells, two of their elite members, and to top it off the pupil of a wiseman. He was so hyped for this mission that he ended up waking up really early that morning. On the other hand, Sasori smiled confidently, while Hebi muttered ¡¸He¡¯s big¡¹ after ncing at Arlon. She was worried about the capacity of the wagon. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go over the n onest time.¡¹ Uzume quickly assumed a more serious face as she reviewed their mission. ¡¸Your first destination is the Libra Fortress. You¡¯ll get there by flying on Mira¡¯s wagon. There your objective will be to capture Chimera uzen¡¯s higher ups. Is everything clear so far?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, no questions from me.¡¹ Arlon replied as such, and everyone else nodded in ord. After a short pause, Uzume continued while looking at Mira. ¡¸You¡¯ll have Garuda carry the wagon, correct?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, exactly!¡¹ Summoning spells were not only useful in battle, but also to carry things like wagons, so hearing that fact stated, made Mira stick out her chest pridefully. Uzume knew Mira, or rather Danbulf very well, and she also remembered Garuda¡¯s demeanor and appearance, which made her feel somewhat uncertain. ¡¸You have to stop by Sarut¡¯s Union first to gain permission to enter, so try to look like a regr carriage after that. If you go all the way there with such a conspicuous bird, you¡¯ll stand out too much and Chimera might suspect something.¡¹ She quickly limited Mira¡¯s ability to show off her summoning. ¡¸Okay, I understand¡­¡¹ Mira slouched her back like a small kitten, replying dejectedly to Uzume. ¡¸Wait, better yet, travel bynd as soon as Sarutes in sight. One can never be too careful with Chimera after all.¡¹ Mira only grunted slightly in assent, sighing knowing that it would still take a long time before the resurrection of summoners. ¡¸We don¡¯t know when Chimera¡¯s higher ups will show up, so you¡¯ll probably end up having to spend quite some time in there. During that time, Sasori and Hebi will be standing watch, while you and Arlon try to save energy to fight in your best shape when the timees.¡¹ ¡¸Roger that.¡¹ Arlon replied instantly, turning to look at Mira afterwards. From the way Uzume spoke, he could tell she had absolute trust in her, which made his expectations from her grow even more. ¡¸I feel confident in yourbined strength when ites to fighting. But as far as restraining them is concerned, I¡¯ve given Sasori and Hebi some binding devices to take care of that, so just focus on knocking them out.¡¹ Uzume¡¯s voice sounded almost like a suggestion, and was directed straight at Mira. ¡¸Hmm, so you¡¯re basically saying that I should just focus on fighting.¡¹ When Mira understood what she was trying to say, she smiled slightly. After all, this would be a good chance for her to show the power of summoners after being belittled for so long. Sasori had been briefed on it all beforehand, so she confidently said ¡¸We¡¯ll take the rest¡¹ to Mira. Hebi was silent, but she still nodded vigorously as well. ¡¸And that¡¯s it, good luck out there!¡¹ With those parting words, Uzume sent the four away. She firmly believed they were the most suitable people for the mission, so there was not even a shred of doubt in her face. After climbing through the steps surrounded by water like an aquarium, they were greeted by the soft air of the Forest of the Four Seasons. The morning mist still lingered around, its white contrasting with the shade between the trees, like it was the breath of the forest itself. But there was no gloom to it, simply filled in a solemn calmness. (This is a really nice ce.) The scent from the forest was pleasant as well, while the spirits that sometimes peeked out blessed the four heading to their mission. The slightly warm feeling that gave Mira felt somewhat nostalgic and reassuring. ¡¸This is quite a warm farewell.¡¹ ¡¸Well, they know we have their best interest in mind, and we¡¯re all friends here.¡¹ Sasori waved back at the spirits as she spoke to Mira. There were two types of spirit blessings. Ones thatsted forever, and others that only applied for a limited time. The first ones would normally be gained by being close to a spirit, and usually enabled the receiver to learn some special and unique skills. Thetter were given by spirits on a whim. The blessings Mira and her group received were all of the momentary type. As Mira felt blessings pile upon others on her, she could clearly feel their gentleness and warmth, making her decide even more firmly on taking down Chimera uzen. As they continued walking along theke¡¯s shore, they arrived at the wagon, which was swarmed by children. ¡¸Oh¡­¡¹ ¡¸Look at that, they found a new yground.¡¹ They were all spirits from the forest, hanging from the braces of the wagon, climbing to its roof and jumping down, all whileughing and smiling brightly. The white wagon stood out inparison to the blueke and green forest, so it was quickly turned into one of the spirits¡¯ favorite ygrounds. It took them some time to peel off all the spirits clinging to the wagon, only for the spirits that followed the four to take their ce. Still somewhat reluctant, Mira handed to a responsible-looking spirit the small spirit that kept clinging to her. When that was taken care of and she regained herposure, Mira opened the wagon door with an exaggerated manner. Sasori quickly ran to her side, looking inside and raising an ¡¸Ohh!¡¹ of admiration. That lured Arlon who also peeked inside. Chapter 87: Their New Trip (2) Chapter 87: Their New Trip (2) ¡¸This is my first time seeing an eastern-style wagon. It looks really nice andfortable.¡¹ ¡¸This is unexpected.¡¹ Arlon quite liked the calm appearance of that style of buildings, so he was impressed by how faithfully it was replicated on a smaller scale inside the wagon. On the other hand, Hebi had envisioned the wagon as somethingpletely different, so she was slightly taken aback. Sasori had just spotted the wagon¡¯srge window and was already looking forward to the sights from it. ¡¸Take your shoes off over there first.¡¹ After Mira said that, Sasori and Arlon immediately took their shoes off as told and jumped into the wagon, their eyes sparkling like a child¡¯s. The wagon had been made for Mira¡¯s exclusive use, so with Arlon and Sasori inside, it was already a bit crammed. Then when Hebi entered, her face looking honestly sorry, she went to a corner and stood against it. ¡¸Hm? Is something wrong?¡¹ Feeling something was off with the way Hebi clung to the corner, Arlon asked her, but she remained silent so Sasori had to exin what happened instead. Originally, only three of them would go on the mission since the wagon was notrge enough, but Hebi pleaded to go along with them. So now she was probably trying to be as less of a bother as possible. Arlon looked satisfied after hearing that, but Mira still felt a bit distressed seeing Hebi like that. ¡¸Hebi, help me hold the other end.¡¹ Saying that, Mira bent down and held one of the sides of the kotatsu. ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Hebi nodded and imitated Mira¡¯s position, taking hold of the opposing side. Then, at Mira¡¯s signal, they lifted it and carried it to a corner. ¡¸There should be a bit more space now.¡¹ The kotatsu was in the very center of the wagon, so once it was moved to the side, it made the whole ce appearrger. Mira looked proud at the oue of her idea, before looking out through the driver¡¯s seat to prepare everything for their departure. At the same time, Arlon finally had a moment to realize how different he was in staturepared to the three girls, looking at them as he slowly sat down, reclining against the wall. When Mira was done getting everything ready, she ced her chair at the side of the kotatsu. Soon after, it felt like gravity had increased for a moment inside the wagon. ¡¸Uwah! We¡¯re going up!¡¹ Sasori had imed a spot against the window, looking outside at the colorful forest that gradually grew distant while she raised her voice happily. ¡¸It¡¯s slightly scary even.¡¹ Intrigued by Sasori¡¯s words, Arlon stood up and went to look out the window as well, saying that after looking outside. Hebi was sitting on her knees nearby with her head facing down but she tried to catch a glimpse through the corner of her eyes, her pupils dazzling when she saw the world spreading far and about outside the window. Around four hours after they took off, the city of Sarut came into sight ahead of them. ¡¸We¡¯re getting closer to Sarut.¡¹ Hebi reported that to Mira, who was sitting leisurely on her chair. ¡¸I see, let¡¯s start going down then.¡¹ Mira sulkingly stood up, pushed her way through the other three and peeked her head out of the driver¡¯s seat again to give Garuda the order. The wagon then began its slow descent,nding on a grassy in a short distance away from the road. (Now then, who could pull it from here on out.) The reason why they had to continue onnd for the rest of the trip was to not alert Chimera uzen. That meant that whichever summon that took over pulling the wagon also had to be inconspicuous, so Mira had to think about her options. (Griffon¡­ would stand out too much¡­ Pegasus could work, he looks like a regr horse when he folds his wings after all. He¡¯s not that suited fornd travel, however, so he might get too tired a bit too quickly. If I had to choose one with goodnd mobility, Umgarna would be the best¡­ but that one looks like a giant snake that could swallow a horse whole, so it would also stand out way too much.) ¡¸What happened, Mira?¡¹ She remained standing up, constantly nodding to herself. Arlon was starting to wonder why they stopped moving, so he decided to ask her that. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing much, I¡¯m just struggling to think of a way to move the wagon without standing out too much.¡¹ ¡¸So that was the problem.¡¹ The girl he was talking to was the wiseman Danbulf¡¯s pupil after all. He also remembered Garuda¡¯s glistening wings he had caught a glimpse of, so he could see how that was a difficult decision to make. As Mira fell into deep thought again, Hebi spoke nervously from the side ¡¸If you need something to pull the wagon, I can take care of it¡¹, seeing an opportunity to make herself useful. ¡¸Oh right, you¡¯re a necromancer.¡¹ Arlon didn¡¯t doubt her one bit as he said that with a knowing face. ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡¹ Seeing Hebi¡¯s resolute stare and hearing Arlon¡¯s sentence, Mira figured that a necromancer would be of use in their situation. Hebi shortly thanked her before she opened the door to the driver¡¯s seat. She normally had apletely expressionless face, but now she had a faint smile, happy that she could be of assistance. When Hebi was outside, she activated a skill that created a four-legged golem. Mira was curious how she would take care of things, so she peeked out the door. There she saw the golem, with four lizard-like chubby and round legs sprouting from its body, and three tails that ended in hooks. It was quite a bizarre sight for her so she turned with a questioning look to the other two inside the wagon, wondering if a golem like that would really be fine, but Arlon and Sasori looked calm and unbothered by Mira¡¯s worries. She knew there were still many things about the world she was not used to, now that it was reality, so she decided it was best if she also did not worry about it. That skill Hebi had used was a recently developed one, made to pull things and other simr use-cases that required brute strength. Because of its usefulness, it had be quite widespread, being used by adventurers, merchants, and even nobles. Onmyoji masters and summoners also had skills that could aplish simr tasks, but the necromancer one was considered the safest. As such, a pulling golem wasmonly seen in travels, so it was perfect to keep a low profile. Mira turned to look outside again and the wagon slowly began moving. The golem had hooked its three tails onto the wagon braces, easily pulling it along. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll let you take care of it then.¡¹ Chapter 87: Their New Trip (3) Chapter 87: Their New Trip (3) Seeing how reliable and sturdy the golem looked, Mira said that. Hebi replied with a short but energetic ¡¸My pleasure¡¹ while nodding. The wheels began rattling while a pleasant swaying spread through the wagon. Theirnd trip felt calm and easy in a different way than the air one was, Mira had only been thinking about speed when flying, but she realized that hearing that rhythmic rattling did not feel that bad either as she nced at the scenery outside the window. Their trip was uneventful until they reached the city of Sarut at around noon. Hebi had looked up the address of the Union beforehand, so she carefully led the golem through the city. They were going through a rather well-known street, lined with shops, the street full of people and other carriages. As Mira looked out the window, she saw multiple other carriages being pulled by simr golems, which finally made Hebi¡¯s reasoning click in her head. Most of the buildings in Sarut were made out of wood, whilerger or more important ones were made of stone. It felt like she was going through the set of a western movie, seeing many buildings with borate designs replicating that style. The entire city was like that, maintaining a certain harmony of wood and stone that formed a peculiar scene. While Mira was entranced by the scenery, they arrived at a two story stone building. The entrance looked like that of a pce, with the symbol that represented the Union throughout the continent carved in it. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll be going then.¡¹ Arlon got ready to disembark the wagon since he had to go request permission to enter the Libra Fortress. The paperwork took around five minutes to finish, and when Hebi saw that Arlon was back and everything was in order, she put the wagon in motion again. After that they went to arge inn. It was known for having a really good stable and garage, which Hebi had researched the day before to have a ce to safely store the wagon while they were gone. If they took the wagon into the dungeon and Chimera uzen arrived afterwards, they would be very easy to spot which would put them on rm. Even small things like that had to be taken into consideration for their mission. After a few words with the clerk currently in charge, Hebi followed his directions and took the wagon to their garage. Next she discussed things like payment and the days they would leave the wagon there. While that discussion happened, the other three disembarked the wagon. The building was made of wood, and there were many other carriages of varying sizes already there. The clerk that guided them in also wore a workers suit that had seen a lot of use, showing he also diligently performed any maintenance needed on the carriages. Seeing all of that, Mira felt reassured leaving her wagon there. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ ¡¸I feel bad for letting you take care of everything instead.¡¹ Hebi came back from arranging everything and handed the wagon¡¯s parking card to Mira, who replied in that way. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind.¡¹ Hebi¡¯s reply was monotone, but her face looked slightly d, as well as a bit bashful. Sarut was frequently visited by adventurers, as Mira could spot many groups of them, who looked visibly strong all around her. In other words, there were many parties of adventurers there. Mira had no qualms at rating in her mind everyone she saw, all the while following Hebi who confidently took the lead for the group. After a while, Hebi took a turn away from the main street. There, they saw many carriages lined up one after another. Looking more carefully, there were also many parties of adventurers there, discussing something with the drivers of the carriages before hopping into them. ¡¸Ohh, a stagecoach.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s mutter, Hebi turned around and slightly shook her head. ¡¸That¡¯s not quite right. This is a stop for taxi carriages. It¡¯s more expensive than a stagecoach, but the carriages can be individually rented. They¡¯remonly used as transportation for adventurers. I believe this is the best way for us to travel.¡¹ Stagecoaches woulde and go from certain given destinations in regr time intervals, picking up people on their way there. In other words, they were the equivalent of busses on that world. Taxi carriages on the other hand, would take a single person or a party to a given destination, and had also be amon means of transportation. Mira¡¯s group was carrying out a top secret mission for the Fifty Bells, so they had to minimize their interactions with other people as much as possible, while also trying to not stand out, so using a taxi carriage was perfect for them. ¡¸Ohh, a taxi. That would certainly be the mostfortable way of getting there.¡¹ Since they had no idea who could have ties with Chimera uzen, a taxi would allow them to rx so it was currently their best bet. Hearing Mira¡¯s approval, Hebi quickly plunged into the lines of carriages in high spirits. A few minutester Hebi had arranged things with one of the drivers, finding the best carriage out of the ones there, so her gait was also triumphant as she returned to bring Mira and the rest with her. The many carriages passing through the streets were varied, so much so that it was almost hard to ssify some of them as carriages. Some were pulled by the obvious horses, but there was variation in size and build even there. Then there were those pulled by bulls with magnificent horns, or those pulled by hogs that snorted vigorously, as well as some pulled by golems. All those factorsbined defined a carriage¡¯s speed and reach, so they would be chosen depending on one¡¯s destination. Since the Libra Fortress was surrounded by rocky mountains, the group had to choose one fit for that terrain. The taxi Hebi found had two drivers, and was pulled by two golems that were even bigger than the one Hebi had used earlier. After the group boarded the taxi, which also had a considerable speed on top of strength, and headed into the mountains, Hebi hesitantly kept turning to look at Mira. For some reason, ever since they had boarded the carriage she had barely spoken a word. Hebi was growingly uneasy, wondering if the carriage she had chosen was not of Mira¡¯s liking, or if her forcing her way there had Mira miffed. (There were so many golems there, even some shikigamis¡­ but why wasn¡¯t there a single summoning¡­) Mira was resting her chin on the window frame, looking at the trees and nts bing smaller and sparser as they went deeper into the mountains, lost in thought wondering if summoning had also be withered like the nts out there. It did not take much longer for Arlon to notice something was happening between the two and spoke to them. Hebi¡¯s insecurities were quickly swept away as Mira exined that she was not displeased with her, but that as a summoner she felt saddened to not see a single summoner driving a carriage. Meanwhile Arlon mentioned that summoners that could summon flying entities like Garuda would hold way more important duties, and stood at a higher pointpared to a taxi carriage driver, which made Mira feel better for a while. After that the group posed as a party of adventurers, ending their trip with no issues and arrived at the Libra Fortress. Chapter 88: Libra Fortress — First Floor (1) Chapter 88: Libra Fortress ¡ª First Floor (1) Stepping down from the taxi carriage, the three went up a path through the rocky mountains, their destination appearing in their view soon after, carved into a cliff. There were a few unknown nts sprinkled here and there around it, and to its left there was argeke, while a pitch ck abyssy to its right. The Libra Fortress was located just between thatke and abyss. The fortress was a castle of unrefined construction and ashen color, surrounded by a wall that went from theke to the abyss. Throughout the years its color had faded, but it still retained its imposing appearance, the winding from above blowing strongly all throughout the ce as if it was pushing the intruders away. A long time ago that was the castle of a king, known as the Undefeated. It was also the ce where thest battle was carried out during the great war between men and monsters. The walls posed an imprable defense, tall that even giant monsters had to look up to see its end. But the war had affected it greatly as the main gate said to be impregnable had been greatly warped out of shape. ¡¸It¡¯s so big.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s truly a veryrge building.¡¹ Sasori eximed that as she looked up at the walls standing there in front of them. Mira just took a quick nce at the fortress, then focused on Sasori¡¯s tail that kept swaying as if dancing, replying to her in a gentle voice like she was talking to her granddaughter¡¯s innocent mutterings. Sasori at first had a great desire to sightsee the location, but when they entered a small fort near theke she quickly calmed down. There they continued further inside until they reached stairs leading down to the dark bowels of the fort that were sealed off by a barrier. Currently it was impossible to open the original entrance to the fortress, so this secret passage, originally built as an emergency exit, was the only way to get inside. (Let¡¯s see what they can do.) As an A rank adventurer, Arlon had visited the Libra fortress once in the past. At the time he had joined a six-man party to explore the fortress, and he was at the frontline showing off his skills. But now Uzume had asked him to be Mira¡¯s support instead. There were also two Hidden members with them now, and from the rumors he heard in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters he couldrgely guess their strength, but when it came to Mira, a wiseman¡¯s pupil which was something no one had seen before, there was no way for him to gauge her strength. He was very curious to witness someone who could be called a genius, who was on a different levelpared to him who had dedicated a lot of time to training himself and bing stronger. Doing that, he would be able to see techniques and strategies regr people would be unable toe up with, which he could implement as wellter on. He always thought of himself as a hard working in man with no talents, who always wanted to get to a higher level, without realizing that simply being able to watch someone more skilled fight while picking up and understanding their way of fighting was a talent itself. They passed through the barrier set by the Union, following a narrow path inside. The path was only wide enough for two people to barely be able to stand side by side, and was supported by stone pirs and blocks. The ce was dark, while the air felt humid like the air during the rainy season. As they walked, the light fastened to Arlon¡¯s hips would shine on groups of ck bugs that would scuttle away from the light. Every time that happened, Sasori would groan in difort, while Mira scowled sympathizing with her. When the echoes from her voice would vanish, their footsteps would fill the ambience. That went on for a while until they reached a small room. As the light of thentern flooded the room, they saw rotting stands for candles affixed to the rock wall, and nothing much else. That was the secret room to hide the hidden passage. ¡¸Now then, which one was it again¡­¡¹ There was still a secret door hidden amongst those simple features of the room. Arlon muttered to himself as he unfolded a piece of paper andpared it with the wall, looking for the hidden device to open the door. ¡¸It¡¯s gotten really easy over the years.¡¹ Because of its constant use, there was a spot on the wall that was clearly more worn out than the rest, due to the frequent times it had been touched, which Arlon pressed while sighing. Afterwards there was a soft rumble as a part of the wall folded like a door, a soft breeze blowing into the room. (It¡¯s been a while since I came here as well.) As they stepped past the door, they saw multiple paths that intertwined with each other going further away. That was the first floor of the Libra Fortress, aplicated maze that held the small secret room in it¡¯s very center. ¡¸It¡¯s fine if I stand back and rely on you all to fight, correct?¡¹ Arlon asked just to confirm, and a loud ¡¸Of course!¡¹ came from Sasori, Hebi also silently braced herself, nodded, and created a golem. Meanwhile Mira knew this was her time to shine as a summoner, so she took her coat off and summoned a Dark Knight, which she quickly evolved into a Dark Lord. The evolved, macabre creature stood at Mira¡¯s side, like a knight that sold his soul to a demon to protect the girl. It¡¯s de covered armor was shiny, as if a coat of blood was covering it. ¡¸Ohh, is this an evolved summoning?¡¹ Sasori was still getting ready to fight when she saw the Dark Lord and said that. The Hidden were ustomed to carrying out solo missions, so she had to learn a great amount of information about various fighting styles and spell sses. She had only heard stories about evolved summonings, so she was very curious to see one in person as she walked right up to the Dark Lord. ¡¸Be careful.¡¹ The Dark Lord was literally covered in dangerous weapons, like a hedgehog without any charm. Mira told Sasori to be careful, as she observed it in a daze from so close it would be hard to slip a piece of paper between her face and one of the des. Meanwhile Arlon frowned as he red into a piece of paper. ¡¸You look rather preupied.¡¹ Mira said that as she walked closer to him, standing on tiptoes to peek at the piece of paper he held. ¡¸I remember seeing this many times in the past, but I must be getting old. I can hardly tell the different lines apart now.¡¹ Arlon looked at Mira¡¯s head for a while before exhaling another sigh, scowling at himself while pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. The piece of paper had a map of the maze thatprised the first floor of the Libra Fortress, the correct path to take was outlined in red. Apart from that, it also had notations on importantndmarks. The entire thing was drawn by hand, mapped out by former yers who walked through the maze in the past. Back when Mira was Danbulf, those maps were only traded between yers, but dungeon maps were widely avable for adventurers in general in any store nowadays. The map looked much more detailed than back then, but the Libra Fortress had always been a challenging ce to map out. (I feel like everything is much narrower now as well¡­ I guess it¡¯s the age¡­) Chapter 88: Libra Fortress – First Floor (2) Chapter 88: Libra Fortress ¨C First Floor (2) Mira looked at the map, detailed with even dead ends and needless routes, then looked away blinking rapidly, then looked again to find the main route out of the maze. The corridors were around three meters wide, with torches of an unknown material scattered in regr intervals throughout them, which emitted a blue light. The stone walls seemed to embrace the stillness of the ce, showing no signs of aging even after standing there for centuries, only narrating the countless fights that happened between them. The Libra Fortress was veryrge, and was divided into three different sections that all served a different purpose. The furthest section was cut off behind a wall taller and sturdier than the one Mira¡¯s group had seen earlier, which was said to fend off even the strongest of monsters. The middle section was a reallyrge open space behind the main gates, which was now littered with remains of trenches, rusty weapons, and crumbling defensive walls. That was the ce where the battle got the most intense during that war of old. Then the front section, which was divided into four floors, the upper one housing the control room where the Spirit King was said to have descended. ¡¸Leave this to me, I¡¯ll go in front.¡¹ Hebi said that to the two who kept groaning over the map and moved ahead with her golem. On her hand, there was another map, which only showed the main route without much else added. Mira and Arlon looked at each other for a moment, their shoulders lowering before they broke into a smile and followed Hebi. Around ten minutes after they started walking, Hebi¡¯s golem stopped dead in its tracks before a corner. ¡¸Enemies.¡¹ As soon as Hebi finished saying that word, the golem broke into a run creating a loud noise as if its feet were digging out the floor, before swinging its roughly shaped fist against the whitish green smoke that had sprouted from the corner. ¡¸It packs quite a punch, huh.¡¹ That smoke was a monster called Knight Ghost. Normally creatures without a body had a strong resistance against physical attacks, but the golem¡¯s punch caused considerable damage on it. That made the Knight Ghost spread out, turning more transparent, vanishing into the air and reappearing further away from the group and escaping the fist. The monster was taking the form of an armored knight, but there were parts of the armor chipped away, presumably due to the earlier punch it received. ¡¸I brought some Astral Gel just in case, but it looks like it won¡¯t be needed.¡¹ Seeing the state the monster was in, Arlon returned his ax to his belt, while his other hand put a small bottle back into his puch. The ax shaped like a crescent moon with a jade sheen dangled in a dejected manner, being robbed of its time on stage. ¡¸It appears so.¡¹ Mira agreed with him as she watched over Hebi¡¯s battle. A monster without a physical body, or in other words, phantom type monsters had a strong resistance against physical attacks, but that is where the item Arlon had could help. Once a coat of that gel was spread over one¡¯s weapon, it would nullify the resistance of the monster. Though it was still possible to defeat those monsters without the gel, it would simply be very inefficient. As Mira and Arlonmentated on the events, the straight jab from the golem collided with the Knight Ghost and shattered it into pieces which vanished into the air. A second one appeared, which was restrained by the golem while Burial Skill: Rebirth Dissolve was cast on it, obliterating the monster. Some sparks still remained in the air as Hebi created a new golem and turned around with a proud look. But Mira, who Hebi had wanted to impress the most, was much more interested and focused on all the items Arlon had brought with him. After all, there were many items she was seeing for the first time. Seeing that, Hebi hung her shoulders discouraged. ¡¸You¡¯re taking this way too seriously, you know?¡¹ Seeing Hebi¡¯s almost desperate attempts at standing out, Sasori spoke to her. ¡¸You¡¯re still worried since you forced your way in even after Uzume said only three of us woulde, right? So you¡¯re trying to take the lead and be as useful as you want.¡¹ Sasori had seen many signs that pointed at that being the case. Particrly the matter with the carriage had stood out, though that could simply be her being considerate, but when it came to her fighting it was way too obvious. ¡¸It¡¯s not that. This mission is important. So I have to do this.¡¹ Sasori exhaled out of worry, wondering just how stubborn Hebi could get, before poking at her cheeks. ¡¸Then rely on us all the more. We¡¯re all tasked with it after all.¡¹ Hebi¡¯s mouth remained shut after Sasori said that, and she only nodded quickly. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ Mira had just finished discussing how to proceed after that with Arlon when she turned around and saw the two like that. Sasori and Hebi quickly shook their heads saying it was nothing, so Mira proceeded to the matters at hand. ¡¸This is just to be safe. It almost never happens, but there¡¯s a small chance that a monster capable of casting curses spawns.¡¹ Saying that, Mira gave the two some pieces of paper with something written on it, though it was so scribbled it was impossible to read. Those were magic charms to nullify a certain amount of curses, a fearsome debuff some high level spiritual monsters could cause. Their use cases were very limited though, so they were not in the average adventurer¡¯s toolbox. ¡¸Ohh, thank you.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks.¡¹ Sasori epted hers and closely examined it, filled with curiosity, before storing it in her side pouch. Hebi carefully took hers with both hands, cing it dearly in the inner pocket of her robe. Those charms had been left forgotten in the depths of Mira¡¯s Item Box, but she remembered about them when Arlon showed her all the items he had prepared. The highest level phantom enemies could nullify almost perfectly any physical attacks, but they were the weakest against spellcasters, so Mira¡¯s group was perfect to deal with them. Spellcasters were so effective in fact, that back during the game age spellcasters would sometimes be referred to as the Ghost B_sters. Mira had also been there when they were at their highest, so for her, those charms were a bit like a relic from those times. Though either way, there was nothing much to worry yet since they were still on the first floor. As Hebi led the way, every so often a group of Knight Ghosts would get in their way, so Hebi¡¯s golem would stand like a wall between them and the group, while Sasori ran along the wall and quickly took the monsters down together with the Dark Lord¡¯s countless des. Arlon stood back, obviously entertained, though still carefully watching every movement they made. Mira also kept pushing the Dark Lord to show off. (So she can also run on walls. I wonder how long she trained to be able to do that.) Chapter 88: Libra Fortress – First Floor (3) Chapter 88: Libra Fortress ¨C First Floor (3) The Knight Ghost groups they encountered began numbering more than ten members when Mira took particr attention to Sasori¡¯s mobility. The corridor was only three meters wide, with a stone golem and a Dark Lord covered in des fighting in it already, but she easily jumped amongst them moving from one ce to another. Her movements were swift like a spider¡¯s on its web, and the precise attacks she performed like that were urate like a scorpion¡¯s. ¡¸By the way, Sasori. Where did you learn to move like that?¡¹ They had progressed well past half the maze, theirbined attacks were getting more borate and Sasori¡¯s speed kept increasing. Now she was not only running on the walls, but her feet could even stick to the ceiling as she ran. I did not remember any skill like that during the game period, so Mira was the most interested in this skill out of all the newly developed ones. ¡¸Back in Karasawa, my vige. It¡¯s a tradition there to teach that skill to everyone when they turn a certain age.¡¹ Sasori was in the frontline, but she jumped to the ceiling, walked a few steps back andnded beside Mira as she replied. ¡¸So you¡¯re telling me that everyone in your vige can jump and run like you?¡¹ Another Knight Ghost could be seen fading into nothing after being in further ahead, as Mira turned to Sasori and asked another question. ¡¸Mmm, not quite. Everyone can walk on walls or ceilings, but everything after that needs more specialized training. Depending how much talent someone has also dictates if they get to learn more advanced skills. Also, apparently I¡¯m the most talented person in the vige.¡¹ Sasori smiled pridefully after adding thest bit, then jumped back to the ceiling and walked forward. Mira watched her with deep interest, feigning calmness as she finally asked what she really wanted to know. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯d like to try doing that too, could you teach me?¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes continuously peeped at Sasori.. ¡¸Mmm, since I was the best in the vige they gave me a lot more liberty with things like this, but they told me, or rather begged me to never teach anyone this skill, so I¡¯m really sorry.¡¹ Sasori jumped down to the ground again and patted Mira¡¯s head as she apologized. ¡¸Hm, that¡¯s too bad.¡¹ Mira ignored her disarranged hair that covered her eyes as she muttered that while pouting. But Sasori looked happy seeing Mira like that, the person Uzume had recognized as a wiseman¡¯s pupil was showing interest in her personal skills. ¡¸But maybe if you go visit Karasawa they might teach you there. As long as you prove yourself to the elder. I think I remember exceptions like that happening before.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, ohhh! Are you sure?!¡¹ It was very rare, but there had been times their secret skills had been taught to outsiders. As soon as Sasori recalled and mentioned that, Mira showed an instant reaction. ¡¸Yeah, at least I was told so. Though being approved is rather hard.¡¹ ¡¸As long as there¡¯s a possibility it¡¯s best to attempt it. So anyway, where¡¯s this Karasawa vige?¡¹ Mira smiled happily as she continued making questions. ¡¸Err, it¡¯s in the very middle of the western Grimdart forest. The continental train station of Foresthide is probably closest to it.¡¹ ¡¸In the middle of the forest, huh. I remember that ce being really remote, but I guess the train gets even there now.¡¹ ¡¸Long ago it was a small and hard to find vige, though they also treated it as a hidden vige, but now it¡¯s a rather modern ce. I¡¯ll show you where it is when we¡¯re done with the mission.¡¹ The railroads had beenid almost throughout all of the Earth continent. There had obviously been deep forests and mountain ranges in the way of its construction, but after many hardships they seeded in passing through them, eventually reaching ces like the Karasawa vige and allowing easier transit with the rest of the world. At first the people there had a couple of problems with that, but in the present everything had calmed down. ¡¸A hidden vige? That sounds interesting.¡¹ Mira added visiting the Karasawa vige to her list of ns for after her mission wasplete, even though she had no way of knowing when that would be. At the same time, she began pouring more mana into Dark Lord, which activated a special ability in him that made the des throughout its body emit a ck mist that was quickly sucked into its main body before it charged into arge group of Ghost Knights and defeated all of them in an instant. Mira already had a huge pile of ns she left forter, so she figured it was best if she finished her current work as soon as possible, not holding back anything anymore. As a result, that lump of raging darkness went crazy as if devouring the many monsters appearing in front of them. Sasori and Hebi had no way of inserting their attacks inbination with that overwhelmingly brutal creature, so they stood dumbfounded there, while Arlon stood further back while happily muttering ¡¸So this are the kind of people still hidden out in the world.¡¹ After that, with all limits holding Dark Lord back gone, as soon as a monster showed itself in front of them, it was gone. Sasori¡¯s face seemed to have a constant cramp seeing how crazy that was, having attempted to beat Mira in a fight before, while Hebi realized she would be of no use fighting so she focused all her attention on guiding them through the maze. Thanks to their overwhelming fighting power and swift guidance, they quickly got out of the maze and reached a crossroads outside of it. That was the ce where most of the different sections of the Libra Fortress came together, the path splitting into one leading up, other down, and two to the sides. If they made no turn, they would reach the middle floor, which was also the ce the fortress¡¯ main gate led to. To the left was a ce where monsters named Legion Ghouls would spawn during a certain quest. The right would lead them to the cliffside the fortress was built on. With the correct equipment, it was possible to descend from there to an underground field. Going down the stairs and then taking a right turn would take them to the shrine for the right side of the Libra scale shape. Though as far as Mira knew, that ce was only used for certain quests. (The control room is up these stairs, if I remember correctly.) An unreliable light illuminated all the paths. Mira looked at the stairs leading up. Their objective there was to capture an influential member of Chimera uzen. But they had no idea when the enemy would show up, or where, though they had already hatched a n for that while they traveled in the wagon. Since they were trying to get to the Spirit King, it was best to wait in the ce most rted to him. In other words, the control room upstairs. The four did not even look at the other paths before they took the stairs. Chapter 89: Libra Fortress – Second Floor (1) Chapter 89: Libra Fortress ¨C Second Floor (1) There was a small room surrounded by stone walls, shrouded in a stillness that was broken by slight tremors in the floor. The second floor of the Libra Fortress appeared devoid of life, having not a single soul to take notice of those rhythmical tremors. As they got closer and stronger, a metallic ng could be heard together with them, making the floor and walls shake with the movement of a heavy mass. When those sounds became the loudest, a ck knight¡¯s silhouette covered in des and a humanoid shape that shone like iron appeared, bringing with them light that illuminated the small room. They were the Dark Lord Mira summoned and Hebi¡¯s golem. The two walked until they were in the room¡¯s center, then a group of people walked up the stairs behind them and entered the room. The room had other doorways that led to more rooms, all of them looking the same as the entrance. The boorish walls had no form of decoration to them, except for the blue mes characteristic of dungeons. There was no way of orienting oneself inside there, so if someone was dropped inside a random part of the building they would be utterly lost. The second floor of the Libra Fortress consisted of hundred identical rooms, connected by narrow passages, and there was only one correct path through them that would lead to the third floor. A spell was cast on the maze during the great war of the past, which was still active and made it so that taking one wrong turn would make the trespassers walk in circles until they arrived at the entrance again. ¡¸First we go right.¡¹ Saying that, Hebi quickly made her golem move towards the corridor to their right. She held another map in her hand, showing a grid of ten rows and ten columns representing the maze, with the correct route highlighted in red. ¡¸R-L-L-R-F-R-F-R-L-L-R-F was it? That brings back memories.¡¹ When the yers first arrived at the second floor, they were stumped by the ridiculous difficulty of going through it, but a couple of dedicated and curious yers continued working on mapping it until they finally figured out the right route, selling maps of it for a decent amount. Hebi held a map like that, at which Mira looked while remembering the sequence that was repeated amongst the Libra Fortress Explorers like a chant. With the golem leading the way, the group followed after. They followed Hebi¡¯s instructions, going right, left, left, right, front, right, and front to go through the rooms. As they moved, they encountered another type of monster that was one step above the Knight Ghosts, Elementors. Those were simr phantom type monsters, but they had a specific element imbued into their bodies. Still, the phantasmagoric ck des, iron fist specialized in destruction, two daggers that swept in every time there was a chance, and an ax with a coating of magic power, made quick work of them. ¡¸Now this is more like it.¡¹ Arlon spoke with a voice full of emotion. While they moved through the first floor, he had stepped aside from all fighting, but now that they were in the second floor he took the lead swinging his axe to his heart¡¯s content. He had been observing the movements of the other three and the two creatures so far, so now he started linking his own attacks with them. That was Arlon¡¯s most powerful weapon, being able to thoroughly examine others and adapt his fighting style to them. Every swing of his axe felt like he was still learning what kind of response he got from the monsters. With him, their fighting power increased even more and they breezed through the groups of monsters and stepped into the next room. ¡¸Hm, what¡¯s that¡­¡¹ Mira noticed something in the room and silently muttered that. ¡¸A sword? Did someone leave it here?¡¹ Sasori spoke as she jumped down from the ceiling. In the very center of the roomy a lone unsheathed sword. Most of it was dark and red from rust, but the edge itself was still in good state, sharp like a beast¡¯s fangs starved of blood. But what was most noticeable was its guard, shaped like the head of a lion. It covered most of the grip, which could protect the user, and even be used for certain attacks. All the rooms they had passed through looked all the same, and even were symmetrical, but this one was clearly different with the presence of the sword. Mira had entirely devoted herself to being a spellcaster so she did not even know what that type of sword was called, but she knew it was a rather powerful one, simply because it had made it all the way to the Libra Fortress¡¯ second floor and was left there untouched. ¡¸Well, looks like we just hit the jackpot.¡¹ Arlon had a hunch about what the sword meant, so he happily said that while looking at the girls. ¡¸It¡¯s just more bothersome.¡¹ Mira also had the same hunch, replying in an annoyed voice as she watched the sword float up into the air. Beside her Sasori¡¯s ears and tail shot straight up, shocked at the sword¡¯s sudden movements, though she tried to mask her surprise by assuming a fighting stance. The usually unexpressive Hebi had a slight smile on her face as she took out a dagger from her pocket. Its de had a wavy appearance, covered in sanskrit characters. It was clearly a cursed dagger. As the four reacted in their own ways, multiple clumps of something that looked like dark mist formed around the room and began joining together in the center of the room, on the sword, showing that it really was not a mere forgotten sword. The mist in the center swelled up like a balloon, its color turning darker into a ck orb. Even though it was still floating in the air, the orb appeared to be very heavy, starting to pulsate sending ck waves through the room. Those beats made it look like a demon¡¯s heart, each pulse like hits of a hammer pushing its true body into the real world. Eventually the sphere began changing shape, stretching and contracting like a molten ss sculpture. It stretched up into the air, the four watching as it grew even taller than Arlon, when together with a wet noise something forced its way out of the ck clump. The four¡¯s eyes were drawn into that figure then. ¡¸It looks like a magic type.¡¹ ¡¸Hoh, you can tell just by looking?¡¹ Mira scoured through her memories to recall the different features that identified that creature, while Arlon continued ring at it while eximing in admiration. ¡¸The warrior types arerger, and more importantly they have five fingers.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see.¡¹ Chapter 89: Libra Fortress – Second Floor (2) Chapter 89: Libra Fortress ¨C Second Floor (2) The ck creature expelled from the orby lifeless on the ground, like a stillborn child. Its shape resembled that of a human skeleton, but there was one major difference, it had no fingers, or hands for that matter. Arlon looked at its forearms, and he noticed theck of fingers Mira had mentioned. At the same time, the ck skeleton slowly stood up, but its behavior had an eerie ent to it, as if time was being rewinded for it, or like a fallen marite being picked up by its strings. Because of that, the whole scene had a surreal hue to it, but when its skull turned to look at the four visitors, its empty eye sockets had a sinister fire in them, full with bloodlust and indicating it viewed them as enemies. It stood with a crooked stance, reaching with his right arm up into the air. In response, the ck clump that still floated overhead stretched into an ellipse, then thinned into something akin to a string that trickled down on the skeleton, covering parts of it like ragged clothes down to its torso. That was a monster born from the melding of multiple phantoms, gaining a particr power to inhibit and possess other objects. It was called ¡°Legion Wraith¡±, one of the strongest monsters that spawned in the Libra Fortress. Whenever they were defeated, they would drop a weapon befitting of their type, but they only had a 10% chance of spawning. That exined Arlon¡¯s earlier reaction, saying they were lucky. He had heard a lot about Legion Wraiths before, and he had a firm belief that their current group would easily be able to defeat it. ¡¸¡­!¡¹ A faint, almost inaudible shriek came from the monster, but as low as it was, it still conveyed a mad and violent intention. As soon as they heard it, Hebi jumped to her golem¡¯s back, calling out to Sasori to follow, whose tail stood upright with bristled fur. ¡¸It¡¯sing.¡¹ Arlon felt the air around him change in an instant, so he jumped behind the Dark Lord, hiding in its shadow while ring at the center of the room, taking a small bottle with a transparent fluid out from his pouch. Mira looked at herpanions to ascertain they knew how to deal with the monster before focusing on its movements.. A mere instantter the Legion Wraith raised a vengeful scream while lifting its fingerless hands up into the air. Crimson mes formed on the end of them, quickly forming arge fireball held above its head. That was the Legion Wraith¡¯s opening attack, a one hit kill that covered the entire area around it, which killed everyone in the group that first encountered one back during the game phase. The fireball illuminating the room in a red glow grew up in size exponentially, eventually reaching the same size as its caster before vanishing for an instant, after which a bright sh inundated the room giving it the appearance of an overexposed photograph while the air itself seemed to tremble as it burned in hellish mes. What followed felt like the breath of a fire dragon, giving their surroundings a humid and unbearably warm feeling. ¡¸So excessive.¡¹ After the white shield vanished into thin air, Mira appeared from behind it. ¡¸I had heard about this before, but it was stronger than I imagined.¡¹ Stepping away from the Dark Lord¡¯s side, Arlon looked at the scorched walls. The small bottle he held was empty now. ¡¸Thank youuu~ Wait.. .you three immediately reacted knowing that would happen. Was I the only one who didn¡¯t know..?¡¹ Sasori hesitantly looked from behind the golem, heaving a sigh of relief seeing the other three were safe. ¡¸I obviously prepared for everything.¡¹ Hebi spoke with her usual deadpan as she repaired the golem that was cracked all over. Mira had the attack pattern and timing beat into her subconscious from past experiences, so she partially summoned the Holy Knight¡¯s shield at the precise moment the mes went past her. Arlon had heard about the Legion Wraith¡¯s attacks from his friends, so he had a water element bottle ready to bolster his resistance to fire, while using the Dark Lord as a shield. Hebi had thoroughly studied anything pertaining to the Libra Fortress before leaving, so from the start she created a golem with stones resistant to fire, and Sasori had simply relied on Hebi¡¯s genius to get through it. Once the destructive wave had passed, the four came out and stood in front of the monster as if nothing had happened. The echoes from the opening attack still lingered in the air as both sides jumped at each other like a dam breaking. The Legion Wraith began shooting multiple small fireballs in quick session like a machine gun from both of its arms. Arlon jumped to the side, calmly looking at the monster¡¯s face through the barrage of attacks, pouring more fighting spirit into his battle axe. Sasori easily dodged all the attacks, jumping from one side to another through the rain of fireballs, and returning fire in the shape of disk shaped des. With heavy footsteps, the golem charged straight ahead while receiving blows to its face,yers of stone being peeled off it with loud noises, but its body still remained intact. Hebi stood mounted on its back, holding a cursed dagger in her hand. (Normally it only used the Gatling Gun attack near the end of the fight, but I guess some things have changed since back then.) Mira stood one step behind the frontline, observing all the differences with her knowledge of the game, while giving attack orders to the Dark Lord. The Legion Wraith continuously attacked in a mad daze, but the des that came flying and embedded themselves in its shoulder threw the ritual out of order, so it stopped moving its hand for a moment, and no one present would let that opening go. Arlon had been carefully watching from a low stance in wait of a good opportunity, and now he darted ahead at full speed. There was not a speck of wasted energy spent on his movement gained from all the experience he had absorbed, but as the strongest monster of an A rank dungeon, the Legion Wraith¡¯s eyes still followed his movements. But it did not react, or rather, it could not react since there was a ck deing at it from ahead at breakneck velocity. An instantter a snap like that of shattering ss resounded through the room. The noise of the Dark Lord¡¯s sword colliding with the barrier the Legion Wraith desperately formed in front of it. The monster had judged the biggest threat came from the Dark Lord, so it focused its attention on defending that attack. Next it wanted to get rid of Arlon, the second threat, with its usual repertoire of attacks, but before it could do anything the barrier shook like a wave on a water surface. The Dark Lord was an embodiment of ughter, so it would never back off after having one attack thwarted. As a result, the Legion Wraith had to look out for its attacks again, which gave Arlon the best opening he could ask for. Chapter 89: Libra Fortress – Second Floor (3) Chapter 89: Libra Fortress ¨C Second Floor (3) Arlon went straight ahead, unleashing an attack with all his might. All his fighting spirit was focused on a severing pattern, and when his axe touched the Legion Wraith¡¯s thigh, it cut through it like a saw. Having lost one of its legs, the Legion Wraith reacted by resuming its fireball attack, but Arlon was no longer in front of it, having run away a distance before carefully looking back at the monster. The Legion Wraith appeared to be kneeling as it irritatedly looked around the room. As it did, it saw a giant with a body of inorganic matter stomping on the body part it had just lost. The golem¡¯s incredible strength was clearly visible even under the dim lights, but its violent nature was even more obvious. A momentter the golem reformed its body into a more blunt shape as it charged against the Legion Wraith, the sound of bones breaking clearly resounding through the room. ¡¸So the bones are weak against physical attacks¡­¡¹ Mira had a nted smile as she watched bone and stone fragments flying from the collision. The golem lost almost no momentum after colliding with the Legion Wraith, resulting in them being sent flying against the wall with incredible force and making the room shake. The ck skeleton wasrgely broken, appearing like a pile of rubble, but it still kept moving. Its fingerless arm was struck forward into the golem¡¯s torso, but it was pushed away by a cracked stone arm and the fireballs shot an instantter collided with the ceiling like fireworks that failed tounch properly. mes rained down, like a red curtain of light that fell to mark the final act of the fight. The golem moved again once the mes burned out, its cracked arm pushing harder against the Legion Wraith. ¡¸I¡¯ll finish it.¡¹ Hebi said as she grasped the dagger, her curse tool, and darted ahead with a speed no unlike Sasori¡¯s. Next she muttered something, which caused magic power to be concentrated on the golem¡¯s right arm, and soon after the pressure from it against the Legion Wraith caused it to shatter together with a part of the monster. The ck skull had its jaws wide open, a hurtful and thick grunting out of it like a lump of ck mud. It sounded unbearably pitiful, but there was no one there who paid attention to it. Mira had heard the same sound countless times before, and the other three had long moved on from being affected by the cries of their enemies. Thus, thest strike on the Legion Wraith was just as merciless, striking from the bottom of its chin towards the top of its head. The two fires in its eye sockets vanished instantly, the ck skeleton quickly turning brittle like ashes, as if it never had been anything more, and turned into small particles that vanished in the air. The shrill sound in the room also stopped then as silence returned to the room. Hebi had been expressionless since the fight started, but the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly as she watched the soft shine of her dagger like an afterglow of the fight. (I guess that weapon made the Wraith glow like that as it died.) Mira had seen countless Legion Wraiths die in the past, but the body would always quickly turn into sand and silently scatter on the ground. But this time something slightly different had happened. The particles that once formed the skeleton emitted a soft light, which was then sucked into the dagger. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ Arlon noticed how intently Mira looked at the unknown dagger and the unfamiliar phenomenon. She assumed it was once again something developed during thest thirty years. ¡¸It¡¯s just that I never saw a weapon like that dagger before.¡¹ Hearing Mira, Arlon followed her gaze and spotted the dagger, ¡¸Ahh, Hebi¡¯s¡¹ he said with a knowing expression. ¡¸If I recall correctly, those were called mys¡­ something daggers. I heard they¡¯re reallymon amongst necromancers¡­¡¹ Arlon fell silent after that, knitting his brow a bit while grunting, unable to remember anything more. ¡¸Hey! Hebi! What is that dagger you have again?¡¹ Eventually Arlon gave up on trying to remember so he decided to ask her directly. In reply, Hebi proudly looked down at the dagger before replying, still smiling and in a good mood. ¡¸This is a Mystic Dagger. It¡¯s a tool to extract mourning souls and seal them. They¡¯re useful to perform more advanced rituals.¡¹ She held the dagger high for a moment so the two could get a good look at the de before stuffing it back in her pocket. Thanks to that fight, Hebi had been able to add the ¡®conglomerate¡¯ feature from the Legion Wraith to the buffs to her disposal when using her skills. That unexpected addition put her in a good mood, so she ended up speaking more than usual. Mystic Daggers were a required tool to perform the rituals developed and poprized in thest couple of years, though it only had an effect in particr monsters with souls simr to the Legion Wraith. ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s a rather interesting item then.¡¹ Having heard Hebi¡¯s exnation, Mira appeared impressed. Hearing that, Hebi¡¯s mood kept bettering as she excitedly created a new golem. This golem¡¯s arms wererger than the earlier one, thick like a tree¡¯s roots. ¡¸This is how a stone golem looks with the added ¡®strong arm¡¯ buff. There are other simr ones to empower the legs for example.¡¹ After saying that, Hebi took out a small bottle with a green liquid which she gulped down while grimacing. That was a potion to recover mana, though it had a rather bitter taste. ¡¸So necromancers have been advancing as well.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself as shey a hand on the golem with burly arms. (Maybe there¡¯s something simr we could create for summoners.) Looking at the golem, Mira began thinking about the summoners¡¯ future again. ¡¸Oh right, almost forgot.¡¹ Arlon jumped, having remembered something and went to pick up the sword that fell at the feet of the golem. That was the object that housed the Legion Wraith, a weapon with special properties. ¡¸So it really is a Beast King¡¯s Red Fang. This will make for a nice memento.¡¹ He grinned as he pointed the sword towards the ceiling, the de changing from blue to ck depending on how the light hit it. Being rewarded greatly for their efforts, there was no foe left in the Libra Fortress that could pose a danger to the four. The new, stronger golem worked harder than the earlier one as the group easily broke their way through the second floor. Chapter 90: Libra Fortress – Third Floor (1) Chapter 90: Libra Fortress ¨C Third Floor (1) The group took a simple break after they finished climbing the stairs. Mira sat on the knee of a kneeling Dark Knight while sipping on some mixed berry ale. Arlon sat on the ground while gulping water from his canteen. Those two had experience going through the Libra Fortress so they were rather rxed. On the other hand, this was Sasori and Hebi¡¯s first time there, so they kept looking around restlessly as they had a small bite. ¡¸I was surprised the first time too, but they¡¯repletely harmless. No need to be so wary.¡¹ Arlon spoke to the two worried girls as he turned the now-empty canteen upside down and shook it. ¡¸But there are monsters all around us, are you sure this is safe?¡¹ ¡¸Feels odd.¡¹ Sasori ate a cookie with her left hand while her right firmly grasped a dagger, her sharp eyes constantly looking around. Meanwhile Hebi had retreated between the golem¡¯s legs, shielding herself with it. ¡¸All monsters that reach here, even Legion Wraiths, turn around and go back when they reach this ce. The uneasiness barrier cast in this ce is simply too strong.¡¹ Arlon smiled slightly as he looked around, understanding how the two felt. In front of them were many knights with unsheathed swords and nk faces running around in sync like the gears of a clock. That was a vestigial spirit art from the war with monsters from eras past, images that confused any monster that attempted to pass through. ¡¸A barrier¡­ I heard about that before, but it still makes me feel uneasy.¡¹ Saying that, Sasori took a round te and threw it to one of the images, passing right through it without making as much as a noise from the air, eventuallynding at the feet of another knight, raising a high pitched sound as it collided with the gray floor. ¡¸See,pletely safe.¡¹ Arlon grinned as he heard the echoes from the ng fading away. ¡¸I guess¡­ so. But let¡¯s go anyway!¡¹ The spirit magic cast on the floor was really well made, so the knight projections reacted to anything resembling an attack and now approached the group with infuriated expressions. Since they were mere images there was no physical harm that coulde from them, but their appearance was as impactful as the Dark Lord¡¯s, so Sasori¡¯s tail stood straight up as she quickly got on her feet. Seeing her like that, Mira reminisced about her first time there, looking up at the tall ceiling above them. The Libra Fortress¡¯ third floor upied enough space to reach a theoretical eight floor, consisting of arge three dimensional maze. There were stairs heading to all directions, crossing and splitting into different paths like a spider¡¯s nest. Amidst that chaotic scene of countless stairsteps crossing each other, there stood a square room in the very center of the room, supported by columns that almost looked like small towers. Now that the maze was three dimensional, it posed infinitely more chances for the group to get lost. ¡¸We go up these stairs, then keep going straight until we reach a turn to the left leading down. The path has some turns though¡¹ Hebi deciphered aplex diagram of the three dimensional maze and pointed out the correct route. Going upstairs was too tiring for Mira, so she was sitting on a Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder again, straddling its neck while crossing her arms in a haughty manner simr to a princess. Arlon walked right behind Hebi, peeking into the map while frowning seeing howplex it was. On the other hand, Sasori had been almost teary eyed after being seen with hostility by all the illusory knights, her tail unable to retract and curl up and her lips pressed into a straight line as she red at them. But as they kept walking, she slowly began to rx, her tail starting to sway from side to side while she waved at the knights. Once they got used to them, the illusory knights posed no threat at all, but there was more to the Libra Fortress¡¯ defenses. Sprinkled here and there, in mid-air or along the stairs they could see spherical barriers that distorted the light and sight like lenses, and if one walked into them, it would utterly confuse and disorient them. Looking up, there were more knights walking up and down the stairs, even some that walked on the underside of the stairs, giving the feeling that they were trapped inside an optical illusion. It was no exaggeration to say this third floor was the main attraction of the Libra Fortress. And with the added thorough protection it had, monsters would never spawn in or dare step into it. At first sight, the ce did not look too dangerous, but it was a dungeon that had been investigated by many early explorers. Hebi was in the lead of the group, but sometimes it appeared like she vanished, only to appear again a few steps ahead. The three dimensional maze was filled with optical tricks that distorted the visitors¡¯ vision, but as long as they followed the map there was nothing to worry about. After walking through countless stairs, corridors, and the small square room hung in the middle of the room, the group stopped walking at a downwards path, where the stairs turned upside down. ¡¸ording to the map this is the spot.¡¹ Hebi checked the map many times over, but she still sounded unsure as she dered that. ¡¸It¡¯s always hard to tell from looks alone.¡¹ Arlon frowned as he looked at the underside of the steps ahead of them. ¡¸I can vaguely remember something like this, but I can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡¹ This had never been a ce Mira visited regrly during the game period, but her fuzzy memories were still clearer than the optical illusions of the third floor. The ce where they had stopped looking like any other in the maze, but when it came to their progression it was only around a fifth of the way. ¡¸Should I go down there to make sure?¡¹ Sasori leaned over the edge of the stairs and looked down, seeing herself wave back at her like she was looking at a mirror. ¡¸Sounds good to me.¡¹ ¡¸Gotta give it to you.¡¹ ¡¸Go ahead.¡¹ Sasori spoke without much thought, but the other three were so indecisive they instantly jumped at Sasori¡¯s suggestion and put her on the lead. It was hard to see what was below them, due to the barrier that distorted the light and space, on top of the crossing stairs that looked like tightly woven mesh. But that also meant that it was possible to drastically shorten the travel distance by jumping down on the correct path. Going through the intended route of the third floor normally took an entire day, so if they took their time and leisurely went through it, Chimera uzen could still use a shortcut and get to the end before them. Since they had no idea when they could show up, it was best if they got to the end as soon as possible and got everything ready for an ambush there. In other words, they had to use and abuse all shortcuts avable. The three looked expectantly at Sasori, her a cramped smile overtaking her face as she regretted blurting that so confidently. All the shortcuts were detailed in the map, but their eyes still tricked them into doubting everything. Even Hebi had checked the map countless times and thought they were in the correct spot, but she still felt unsure about jumping down. Arlon had been in the dungeon before, but that time he went through the full route without skipping anything, so he knew nothing about the shortcuts and simply looked down the stairs indecisively. Mira had more experience with that part of the dungeon, but maybe because of the hassle the Libra Fortress posed, or because she had not been there in a long time, or maybe both, her memories were too muddied to say with certainty that they were in the correct ce. ¡¸Even if we can¡¯t rely on our eyes, your voice should reach us. Once yound try to describe what you can see.¡¹ Hebi looked at the map a few more times, eventually nodding at Sasori to assure her they were in the correct ce. ¡¸Aw¡­¡¹ Everyone was dead set on having Sasori scout ahead, to which she could only respond with an awkward smile that was reflected back at her by a reflection. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll go then!¡¹ Still, she quickly managed to steel herself before jumping down with a loud ¡¸Hyah!¡¹ The remaining three watched as she appeared to sink into her own reflection, staying silent while waiting for her voice. ¡ºUwah, it was closer than I thought! I totally didn¡¯t expect this!¡» Chapter 90: Libra Fortress – Third Floor (2) Chapter 90: Libra Fortress ¨C Third Floor (2) While it was impossible to see anything below them, her voice still rang clear to them. ¡¸Looks like everything¡¯s fine so far.¡¹ Arlon rxed his shoulders as he stood upright saying that. Mira, who was leaning over the edge to look down, also straightened her back as she agreed with him, climbing on a Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder afterwards. ¡¸How¡¯s the situation there?¡¹ Hebi looked slightly relieved, but she instantly rid her face of emotion as she spoke to Sasori below. ¡ºOhhh, I can¡¯t see a thing above me but I can hear you. This is so crazy weird-¡» ¡¸Hurry.¡¹ ¡ºOkayyy. Let¡¯s see, I fell onto a stairnding, so I guess we¡¯re in the right ce. There¡¯s stairs going down, and after a corner there¡¯s stairs going up. The ones going up get split into two stairs further away. Does that sound like the correct ce?¡» Thanks to Sasori¡¯s description of what she saw, Hebi could tell where she was. She sighed in relief seeing that the description matched the route marked in the map, and she nodded in approval. ¡¸Looks like we¡¯re at the correct spot. We¡¯ll jump down, so watch out above you Sasori!¡¹ ¡ºAlright!¡» After Arlon warned her, Sasori replied instantly. The group waited a couple of seconds after that, and then Arlon quickly jumped down, followed by Hebi who appeared to simply step into the void, vanishing down below. (What a lively walkthrough.) Before that, Mira had always ventured into the Libra Fortress¡¯ third floor alone, so now she smiled happily as she jumped down together with the Dark Knight. ¡¸Now we go up the stairs, then the right path at the intersection.¡¹ Soon after reaching thending, Hebi quickly checked where to go next and departed in that direction. ¡¸More or less how much time did we save?¡¹ ¡¸Around six hours.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s a lot.¡¹ As they spoke, Arlon walked right behind Hebi, peeking at the map from her shoulder. ¡¸We¡¯ll be there in no time then.¡¹ Sasori realized it was best if she also pretended not to see, acting like Arlon and Hebi as she followed them with a forced tone. In the very center of thending was Mira, lying on her side with her spine arched back as she rubbed her rear with teary eyes. That was the result of the fall. Sasori had said it was a rtively short fall, but it still packed quite a punch. It was like a fall from the second floor of a house, so for someone with a trained body it was an easy jump. Sasori was very used to physical stress, Arlon had a very well built body, and Hebi had trained enough, so all three were fine from the fall. Mira had her sage skills so a small fall like that ought to not bother her either. The problem stemmed from the Dark Knight she was sitting on. While it had a humanoid shape, some of its actions were quite different to those a human would take, like not needing to bend one¡¯s knees to absorb the impact from a fall. As a result, all the momentum from the fall was directly transferred to Mira, who was sitting on the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder. The other three were a bit worried seeing her like that, but her appearance was so pathetic and clumsy they could not think of a single reassuring word, so they opted to turn around and walk away, pretending to not see her writhing in agony. The group moved up the stairs, and a while after they went through the right path Mira revived and caught up to the three of them as they slowly went up the stairs. ¡¸There are two more shortcuts ahead.¡¹ ¡¸So we¡¯ll get there in time for dinner.¡¹ Hebi spread the map to look at it as she spoke, while Arlon once again used that opportunity to peek at it from behind as he spoke. All that was purely an act to make things seem natural so their adventure could resume without issues. Hebi was still as expressionless as always, so there was nothing off about her. Arlon¡¯s movements were a bit stiff, but overall he yed his part really well too. ¡¸That is right. I am looking forward to dinner.¡¹ The only issuey on Sasori. Rather than simply being a novice, there was not a single shred of acting ability in her, so coupled with her nd, tasteless andpletely devoid of life sentence, it was enough to annihte any hopes of fooling Mira, the sole reason they were acting in the first ce. Yet she smiled with peerless confidence, believing she had fulfilled her role wlessly. Though either way, Mira had probably already realized that the three were trying to make her feel more rxed around them by pretending they had not seen her earlier. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s keep moving then.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, let¡¯s.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a left turn ahead.¡¹ After that they remained silent for a while. They had silently agreed to not speak of that incident again. ¡¸Hebi is amazing. Her cooking is too.¡¹ Except Sasori, who continued her monotonous acting. ¡¸I see. I¡¯ll be looking forward to that¡­¡¹ Mira forcefully hid a grimace that tried to form on her lips as she replied to Sasori, who was still oblivious to the fact she was making the situation worse. Meanwhile Arlon and Hebi refused to turn around, their eyes glued to the map as if their lives depended on it. Around four hours passed after Sasori exposed her overly-confident acting skills. During that time the group had already passed through the second shortcut, continuing their trip while taking short breaks every once in a while, and now they had reached the third shortcut. ¡¸This is thest one. ording to the map, down here is the tform at the feet of therge stairs leading to thest floor.¡¹ They were in anding where six different stairs leading up and down converged, Hebi stood at the only side without a stair and said that was the ce. ¡¸Ohh, is that ce so close already?¡¹ Arlon had been through that maze once in the past, and he still remembered how he walked for almost an entire day just to get through it. At the same time, he went to the ledge and jumped down, already used to that motion. ¡¸So it¡¯s finally over, I really want to eat already¡­¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s all you¡¯ve been saying.¡¹ Her acting aside, Sasori appeared to actually be hungry as he urged the group to move forward. Hebi resigned herself to sighing and replying with ¡¸Will curry satisfy you?¡¹ before walking off the ledge. ¡¸I love you!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s tail sprung to life as she eximed while smiling brightly, leaping off from where she was. Mira came down from the Dark Knight¡¯s shoulder to follow them down below, but just as she was about to jump down the ledge she stopped instinctively. (That reminds me¡­ I think it was best going down from the left side here.) A faint memory from her past experiences crossed her mind. She walked as far left as she could, and then she finally jumped down. As she passed through the refracting barriers, therge tform below came into view. An instant after it became visible, shended on the round tform, the Dark Knightnding with a muted thud behind her. Therge tform at the feet of the stairs leading to thest floor was thest defense line where the decisive battle was fought. The entire ce was made of stone, ruins and vestiges of the war scattered around it narrating the battle. There were countless watchtowers to protect against a monster invasion, filled with rotting ballistas in them. Even though the entire ce was ruined and broken, it did not look deste in the least. Instead it was an impressive sight, as if the courage of the warriors that gave their lives protecting that ce still permeated the air. Mira hadnded on top of one of the watchtowers, which stood at around ten meters tall and offered a clean view of the location. A bit to the side of it were the other three members who jumped first. Arlon was hunched over and holding his back, covered in cold sweat while trying to resist something. Sasori kept jumping a little while saying ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect that¡¹, and Hebi was in a simr pose to Arlon, her eyes slightly watery. Thest shortcut jump was around three times taller than the previous two, so it was impossible to evade feeling the fall. Only jumping on the watchtower like Mira did would allow one to jump down safely. Mira descended the spiral staircase from the tower to reunite with the other three, a restrained smile on her face. ¡¸Sorry¡­ I only remembered that after you all jumped.¡¹ Arlong and Hebi remained motionless, as if rooted in ce while in that unnatural pose. Only their eyes turned slightly to Mira in protest, to which Mira responded with that excuse and looked away and towards the stairs. Chapter 91: Sky Denizens (1) Chapter 91: Sky Denizens (1) At the end of the three-dimensional maze stood the Libra Fortress¡¯ final defense line, stairs leading to thest floor at the end of it. The stairs were around ten meters wide, its edges worn down on certain spots as if something veryrge and heavy was transported on them. Mira and her group had just finished climbing those stairs. A long corridor stood open in front of them, lined with bonfires that illuminated the path deep inside, their mes dancing around as if inviting them. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to see stairs again in a long while.¡¹ Heaving a sigh, Arlon spoke while looking back at the stairs stretching long behind them to the tform below. Sasori and Hebi nodded silently, sitting on the floor with their backs against each other after enduring the long climb together. On the other hand, Mira had found an even easier way to pass the time, summoning a Holy Knight, having it hold itsrge shield t and sitting on it. That position was so rxing that she was even about to fall asleep, so all in all, there was not even a shred of physical exhaustion on her. ¡¸sses with utility spells like that must be awfully convenient.¡¹ Arlon grumbled as he watched Mira jumping down from the shield with a proud smile. But when Hebi heard that, she quickly spoke against him. ¡¸That belief is mistaken. Normally one would preserve mana while there are no monsters around.¡¹ Hebi stared daggers at Arlon as she exined. Ever since her golem had vanished, its time limit reached, Hebi had kept walking without summoning a new one. Meanwhile Mira had summoned Dark Knights and Holy Knights as she pleased, going as far as using the Holy Knight¡¯s shield as a seat, all without a single care about her mana. That was because she had a veryrge mana pool, while also having a high mana regeneration rate, both of which were many orders of magnituderger than that of an average person. ¡¸Ahh, now that you mention that. I saw her using those skills all the time so I figured there was no catch¡­ but Mira, how are your mana reserves looking?¡¹ Arlon frowned as he looked at her, and even though Mira had done almost no exercise, she was stretching in an exaggerated manner like aborer at the end of the day, loosening up her body. ¡¸She¡¯s a special case.¡¹ As Hebi continued, she turned a jealous stare towards Mira. ¡¸Ohh, guess she isn¡¯t a wiseman¡¯s pupil for nothing.¡¹ Arlon turned to look at Mira as well, impressed as he recalled how she was introduced to him. She was at the ledge, drinking her mixed berry ale like an old man sipping tea. ¡¸Mm?¡¹ Still exhausted, Mira noticed a blue light further ahead inside the corridor. Wondering what it was, she straightened her back and squinted. An instantter a guttural and deep rumbling came from ahead, sting against them like a strong gust while the corridor trembled. ¡¸What was that noise?¡¹ Arlon stood up instantly, looking ahead warily. Sasori and Hebi also promptly took defensive positions as their eyes fixated on the corridor, where the noise came from. ¡¸Monsters shouldn¡¯t spawn here.¡¹ Past the corridor was thest room inside the Libra Fortress, and as Hebi had said, it was a floor where no monsters spawned. Mira and Arlon also remembered it being that way, but the sound had clearly emanated from there. As the four of them watched, the blue light appeared again, quickly shing before another shockwave passed by them. ¡¸That was clearly some form of explosion. Think it was magic?¡¹ ¡¸I can sense magic traces. It was magic.¡¹ Arlon muttered after seeing the light, and Hebi nodded in agreement. ¡¸In other words, there¡¯s already someone there. Do you think Chimera gave us the slip?¡¹ Sasori stomped on the ground continuously, ring ahead ready to dart into action. Even though they had moved as fast as they could, there had always been the chance that Chimera uzen had been there earlier than them. Now it could be a very disadvantageous fight, and everything depended on how it went. Still, there was one little baffling detail. ¡¸Maybe, but what are they fighting against, I wonder?¡¹ The light they had seen was clearly one from a fight. But past the corridor no monsters should spawn, so it was impossible to know what Chimera could be fighting against. ¡¸Let¡¯s go!¡¹ Sasori had reached her limit standing still and ran ahead of the group. Hebi followed shortly after that. Arlon first checked all the items he usually used, took a deep breath and then ran as well. His eyes had a sharp gaze filled with fighting spirit, focused on a spot further away than Sasori and Hebi¡¯s current position. ¡¸We can still strike while they focus on their other enemies.¡¹ Mira sent the Holy Knight away, running on the air so as to not make any noise as she caught up to Arlon. There was arge open door at the right side of the end of the corridor. Sasori and Hebi were already there, peeking into the room with confused faces. Mira caught up to them and also peeked from behind them. The room appeared to be flooded, as if it had rained in there for a short while. But at the same time there were blue mes burning there, writhing along the floor while making a crackling noise. (What¡­ is happening here?) When Mira saw that scene, her eyes went round with her lips pursed into a t line just like the two that came earlier,pletely lost for words. ¡¸What¡¯s going on¡­¡¹ When Arlon caught up to them, he also seemed confused at the scene. That was thest floor atop the Libra Fortress, where the strategy room was located, and five people were there. Though Mira and her group all looked at only one person. It was a man, standing amidst that sea of blue light. He had a tall and slender body, d in long purplish red clothes with some strange characters engraved in it. His left arm was armed with a sharp and thin sword, while his right had a crossbow. His gaze was sharp, silver rings around his gray eyes as he silently stared down at the rest of the people lying on the ground. ¡¸Was there an internal conflict?¡¹ Their clothing was very varied, so it was impossible to tell they were a single unit from it. If anything, the four lying on the ground were pierced by crossbow arrows, and their open wounds still smoked as if they had been burning earlier. Everyone began suspecting there had been a power struggle amidst Chimera¡¯s ranks, but just then one of the men, one only wearing lightweight equipment, stood up and approached the standing man from behind, his feet unsteady as he attempted to attack. His motion was rather swift as he took out a familiar looking ck dagger, but his wounds gave them a sluggish feeling, almost like the scene was ying in slow motion. That dagger was aimed straight at the standing man¡¯s blindspot, and everyone watching thought it would meet its mark, but at thest second, the standing man¡¯s figure vanished like a mirage, and an instantter the wounded man wasunched into the air in an impossible pose together with a cracking sound. The wounded man could not do anything more after that. The thin sword pierced through his chest, a fountain of blood sprouting from the wound and raining red drops onto the blue below, where it all burned without leaving a trace. A nose stifling stench of iron and ashes filled the ce as the man carelessly retrieved his thin sword. He did not seem to pay any attention to the blood spraying on him, his eyes fixated on some faraway spot. His expression appeared dark like a new moon, and cold like that of an ice sculpture. When the corpse finally fell on the floor, the ck dagger fell and rattled on the ground. Hearing that, the man turned to look down, and the instant his eyes fell on the ck dagger a violent fire filled them, his feet starting to stomp on the dagger many times, losing the calm aura that had surrounded him earlier. But that change did notst long, the emotions quickly vanished from his face as it froze over again. He then began checking on the other bodies, piercing them with his sword to ensure they were dead. ¡¸That¡¯s the Sky Denizens¡¯ emblem.¡¹ When the man turned around, Hebi eximed that seeing the special design on his back. ¡¸The Sky Denizens?! Why would someone from there-¡¹ Arlon had heard that term before. And for a moment he frowned wondering why one of them would be there, but he quickly realized the answer. He hade there with a simr objective as Mira and the rest. But there was one crucial difference, whether Chimera would be left alive or not. Unable to wait patiently, Arlon took a step out to check one of the bodies just in case, but the man in long clothes quickly intercepted him. ¡¸You¡¯re with them?¡¹ His voice was mostly calm, but it carried a hint of anger as he trained the crossbow on his right hand towards Mira and the rest. ¡¸No, not at all. There¡¯s no need to threaten us, we¡¯re not your enemy. Replying as such, Arlon slowly walked in letting the man clearly see him, offering his weapons up without concealing them. Sasori and Hebi also stepped in then, trying to show they had no hostility towards him. (Sky Denizens¡­ I feel like I heard that before, but where was it?) Chapter 91: Sky Denizens (2) Chapter 91: Sky Denizens (2) She had heard the term before, but she could not remember what it meant. But it was clear that the man in long clothes was rted to them, and from Arlon¡¯s actions she understood he was not their enemy, so after a short dy she also appeared behind the group. The man looked at the four who just entered the room, his gaze gelid as he appeared to be measuring who they were. ¡¸You don¡¯t look like regr adventurers though¡­who are you?¡¹ He believed them a bit, easing his wariness somewhat as he pointed the crossbow away and towards the ceiling. Though his left hand still gripped the thin sword ready for any eventuality. Arlon took one step forward, looking around the room before pointing at one of the bodies lying at the feet of the man. ¡¸Those are from Chimera, right?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yes, they are.¡¹ The man looked down, seeing the bloodstained face of the dead man, his eyes filled with resentment, hatred and anger; a mix of all negative feelings as he spat out with a voice full of scorn. (So my guess was correct.) Hearing that, Arlon felt somewhat disappointed, though he did not show it in his expression. Their objective was to capture Chimera uzen¡¯s members alive, but that was impossible now that they were in that state. ¡¸You asked who we are, and in short we¡¯re here to capture these people. That should tell you enough.¡¹ Arlon made no efforts to conceal his annoyance, sighing as he wished that at least one of them was still alive enough. Outside interference being present during the mission had been ounted for, and seeing the man¡¯s expression, as well as the fact he was part of the Sky Denizens, made it easy to guess why he was there. But due to the importance of the mission, which could be said was the most important one in the Fifty Bells¡¯ history, made Arlon¡¯s reaction understandable. But the man did not seem to be bothered by Arlon¡¯s annoyed voice, simply thinking for a short moment. ¡¸¡­Ah, I see. You¡¯re from the Fifty Bells.¡¹ Having understood where the group of four came from, the man sheathed his sword and rxed his stance. They had different means, but both organizations had the same objective. That was the rtionship between that man and the Fifty Bells. Seeing all the hostility vanish from the man, Arlon stepped deeper into the room while Hebi and Sasori followed behind him. (What a monumental sight¡­) Mira looked at all the corpses on the ground, covered in blood and with partspletely burned off, their faces contorted in anguish, before looking away frowning. She had figured she would eventually see human corpses when she decided to join the fight against Chimera, but she had never expected the first ount would be this gruesome sight. ¡¸Well, I guess our mission has failed.¡¹ Arlon had checked each of the corpses in hopes there was a slim chance one would still be alive, but eventually he had to resign himself as he red at the man. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sorry for that.¡¹ The man in long clothes apologized, though his voice carried no hint of remorse as he tried to walk past them to the exit. ¡¸Oh right, you can have this as my apology as well, there¡¯s something those bastards told me.¡¹ Just when he was about to step out of the room, the man stood still, still facing away from the group as he spoke. ¡¸Their main base is somewhere in Sentopolly, apparently.¡¹ With thosest words, he silently left the ce like a gust of wind. The room was left mostly silent, except for a disturbance in the air that sounded like a murmur. But to Mira that soft wind seemed to carry a sorrowful voice. ¡¸That¡¯s quite vague information. But well, at least it¡¯s better than nothing.¡¹ Arlon shook his head in disappointment, but he still took a piece of paper from his pocket and wrote down the newly gained information. ¡¸We would¡¯ve gotten a more precise location if we captured them alive after all¡­¡¹ Sasori looked around, muttering in a low voice before squatting next to one of the bodies. ¡¸We can¡¯t go back empty-handed, so let¡¯s see if we can get anything else here.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, things might look bad but if we search carefully we might still find something useful.¡¹ Returning the paper to his pocket, Arlon was of the same mind and began searching through one of the nearby bodies. ¡¸I¡¯ll go search inside.¡¹ Hebi decided two people was enough to search the bodies, so she went to the control room located further inside the floor. ¡¸I¡¯ll help you.¡¹ Mira quickly decided to go there as well, running after Hebi and passing her, racing to the control room. Between searching a building and bodies, unless one had extreme tastes anyone would choose the former. In the center of the control room stood arge stone table, broken down chairs littered around it. Further inside, where the Spirit King was said to have stood while directing the armies, there was an area with multiple pirs arranged in a line across the room. At first nce it looked like some sort of cage. (What are these holes? I feel like I remember some orbs that went in them.) Mira felt that weird fact popping into her mind as she looked at the pirs further inside the room. There was usually nothing much to do in that room, Mira had only been there two or three times in the past while everything was a game, so she did not remember much about it. But the fact that those pirs were there to restrain the effect of the Spirit King was something obvious at first nce. That was also the first ce Hebi went to investigate, examining the weird holes and mysterious writing around there. Mira walked along the pirs, slowly remembering the times she was there in the past. But then she finally remembered what had been bothering her just a few minutes earlier. ¡¸By the way, who are the Sky Denizens? I feel like I heard of them before, but I can¡¯t remember anything.¡¹ Standing still, Mira scratched her chin as she asked that. Hebi was leaning forward, closely looking at the holes in the pirs, but hearing Mira she stopped and ran up to Mira. ¡¸The Sky Denizens are one of the groups that venerate spirits as deities, though they are a pretty small group. They¡¯re actually part of the Fifth Anima tribe, and while every tribe has a high respect for spirits, the Fifth Anima go as far as having a spirit as their chief and live together with them. There are also the Earth Denizens, Sea Denizens, Fire Denizens, and Moon Denizens.¡¹ Hebi ended up telling her even more information than Mira asked for. But when she heard all of it, Mira¡¯s hazy memory finally became clear. ¡¸Fifth Anima! Now I remember, I finally know where I heard that. And now because of them Chimera are in that state, huh.¡¹ There had been a quest back in the day where she had to fight alongside tribes that venerate spirits. But at the time only the biggest tribes took part, while smaller ones like Fifth Anima, or the Sky Denizens, were only vaguely mentioned as an existing group during some random dialogue. Intrigued by how far that vague lore went, she dug around looking for more information until she stumbled upon a close friend whose proud smile was still burned in her memory. That friend told her everything she wanted to know, including the Sky Denizens. That way Mira understood the lineage of the man in long clothes, while also knowing what brought forth the destruction she saw earlier. ¡¸To them, Chimera uzen are like demons straight from hell. That¡¯s why they deserve nothing but death penalty for their sins.¡¹ As Hebi said that, she closed her eyes in displeasure since they were unable to capture anyone alive. ¡¸Those are some radical beliefs. And they even have the skills to aplish that¡­that¡¯s tricky.¡¹ Mira frowned, the sight of the previous room floating in her mind again. They had no way of knowing what rank those four Chimera uzen members had, but at the very least they were powerful enough to reach thest floor of the Libra Fortress. But then a single man ughtered them single-handedly, and that without receiving any obvious injuries. He truly was a strong foe. Hebi nodded, thinking the same way as Mira. Then after some thought she opened her mouth again. ¡¸But something¡¯s puzzling. That man had the priests¡¯ emblem on his cheek, but killing is taboo for Fifth Anima priests. They normally have a specialized group to deal with heretics that disturb their order. Dealing with those four would normally be a job for that group.¡¹ A priest that breaks taboo. For a religious tribe that was an inconceivable thought. If Hebi¡¯s knowledge was correct, that man¡¯s ughter was a simr crime to thosemitted by Chimera uzen. ¡¸Humph¡­ Perhaps it was something he just had to do, no matter the means.¡¹ ¡¸Maybe. Still, it¡¯s out of our mission¡¯s scope.¡¹ ¡¸True, you¡¯re right.¡¹ That man clearly had a hatred and disdain for Chimera uzen deeply ingrained in his being. After only seeing him for such a short moment, Mira felt like there was a different emotion driving him than religious piety. After that their conversation went silent, mostly out of prudence, and the two went back to searching through the control room. Chapter 92: Conjecture (1) Chapter 92: Conjecture (1) After Mira and Hebi thoroughly looked through the control room without finding any usable leads, they returned to the earlier room, where the two searching the bodies were, expecting them to have found anything. Back in the strategy room, Arlon and Sasori were squatting down while discussing something. ¡¸So, did you find anything of use?¡¹ Mira spoke to Arlon, while Sasori began talking to Hebi. Arlon looked at her for a bit before replying ¡¸Yeah, look at this¡¹ before looking at the ground again. The items carried by Chimera were allid down there. Three ck daggers with strange carving on them, many small bottles with liquid in them, cloth with magic circles drawn on them, eight maps, and a pass to enter the dungeon. Mira took one of those maps in her hand. ¡¸There¡¯s eight of them, but they¡¯re all copies of the two same regions.¡¹ Those maps were much more detailed than those used during the game time, so Mira struggled identifying the region at first, but after squinting a bit it finally clicked with her memories. ¡¸It appears so. One of them is of here, the Libra Fortress, the other one-¡¹ ¡¸The Mirage Maze.¡¹ Before Arlon could finish, Mira recalled a dungeon with a simryout to the map and finished the sentence with a sharp glint in her eye. ¡¸Exactly. And they had one copy each. Also, here are their permits.¡¹ As he spoke, Arlon showed her the cards lying on the floor. ¡¸All four of them had one?¡¹ Mira asked as she picked up one of them. If they were acting as a group, only one of them needed to have the permit after all. ¡¸Yeah, one permit for every member. Though considering how unique their way of operating is, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s too weird. These four were probably assigned the same mission independently.¡¹ ¡¸That makes sense. It would stand out less as well.¡¹ ¡¸Precisely. Anyway, how did it go on your side? Found anything?¡¹ Arlon¡¯s eyes were brimming with expectation as he asked, but Mira just had a strained smile as she plopped down next to the gathered items and shook her head. ¡¸Nothing much, to be honest. Only the fact that the orbs that should be embedded on the pirs are gone, I guess. Though it¡¯s hard to say if it was them who did it.¡¹ Replying like that, Mira returned the map and heaved a pouting sigh. ¡¸Hmm, the pirs¡­ pirs¡­¡¹ Hearing her, Arlon began muttering that to himself. Then after pondering for a while he took out a bundle of papers and handed it to Mira, saying ¡¸Look at this.¡¹ Mira took it and quickly nced at the pages. ¡¸Is this a sketch of those pirs?¡¹ All the pages had drawings of a ce she was familiar with. It was a sketch of the control room she was in earlier with Hebi. There were many pages, starting with a bird¡¯s-eye view of the room, to sketches from different angles and viewpoints, all throughout many pages. On top of that, everything was numbered neatly and the bird¡¯s-eye view listed from where each drawing was made. ¡¸It seems so. I don¡¯t remember much about any orbs being here, but if those pirs are connected to the Spirit King then there has to be some form of connection between the two.¡¹ Saying that, Arlon took out another bundle of papers, quickly leafing through it. There he found another sketch of a simr pir. ¡¸There are simr drawings in this one too, huh.¡¹ Mira peeked into the second set of sketches Arlon held,paring it to the one she was handed earlier. They appeared to be drawn by different people, the artstyle and viewpoints differ vastly, but both were numbered in a simr way. ¡¸Yeah, and we found two more. I¡¯m not sure what meaning these sketches hold, but now that we have them we might have stopped something from happening.¡¹ ¡¸Seems that way.¡¹ Their use was still hard to pinpoint, but since Chimera uzen was targeting the Spirit King, they had to serve some purpose with locating him. Mira returned the sketchbook to the other items found, then took another one to look through it. They all were drawn in different ways, but all of them contained at least one sketch of the pirs. In other words, that was the most important ce. ¡¸Hmm, I¡¯ll go check something out.¡¹ Mira took the drawings and headed back to the control room. Arlon could sense she was on to something, so he silently followed her, full of expectations. After a quick look around, Mira began cross checking the room with the drawings. She matched the numbers to the bird¡¯s-eye view and stood in those spots. Spending a few minutes doing that with the different drawings, eventually she said ¡¸I see now¡¹ to Arlon, a big grin on her face. ¡¸Did you notice anything?¡¹ ¡¸Only a vague guess.¡¹ Arlon seemed in a good mood as well, Mira sitting on the floor as she replied. ¡¸Put inly, these drawings were made to triangte the exact position where the orbs went.¡¹ Mira looked straight at Arlon, who sat down in front of her, then went back to looking at the sketches. ¡¸The position of the orbs you say? So there was some special meaning to where they went?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. It was easy to notice with how much emphasis they ced on them, this is my forte after all. From what I can tell, those pirs all represent different spirits.¡¹ ¡¸They represent spirits? I figured there was some form of meaning to them, but I still don¡¯t get it.¡¹ He groaned as he examined the drawings more, knitting his brow as he focused. Arlon had the incredible talent of memorizing anything he saw once, but since he was unable to see spirits this was a tricky subject for him. Then again, bettering that knowledge was why he began helping the Fifty Bells. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s understandable. At first I also had a hard time grasping this, but the more I look at it the more familiar it seems.¡¹ She could understand why Arlon had a hard time getting it, so she resumed exining with a proud voice. As a warrior, there were invisible things to Arlon, but Mira as a summoner had seen them countless times in the past, and wondered about them each time. ¡¸By the way, do you know about the Skill Tree?¡¹ Before plunging into the actual topic, Mira prefaced it with that question. A Skill Tree was somethingmon in games, an easy way to disy manyyers ofplex skills all linked together. ¡¸Skill Tree? I feel like only smart people useplicated words like that, but I never heard of it.¡¹ That system was also partly present in Ark Earth Online, but apparently Arlon had never heard of it. Hearing his response, Mira muttered to herself ¡¸So he really didn¡¯t know¡¹, spreading out one of the drawings in front of them. ¡¸So in simple terms, it¡¯s a way to easily visualize how low level skills lead to higher level ones. With that in mind, take a look at this.¡¹ At the end of her sentence, Mira pointed at the hole in the pir of one of the sketches. ¡¸Summoners gain the power of spirits that one made contracts with, and the order in which those contracts are made can be drawn out like a Skill Tree. If you look at the holes in this pir, they ovep with the shape of a Skill Tree. Though there are still many paths that I don¡¯t know myself, since I haven¡¯t formed contracts with all the spirits out there.¡¹ Chapter 92: Conjecture (2) Chapter 92: Conjecture (2) Having exined that so far, she stood up and walked to the pirs touching one after another while saying ¡¸This one is for wind spirits, this is for fire, and here¡¯s water.¡¹ ¡¸And this, this, and this, I have no clue!¡¹ Lastly she pped in frustration at thest three ones. She could not stand the thought that as a summoner, a ss that closely worked with spirits, there were types she had no knowledge on. Arlon could somewhat understand what Mira was trying to say, but at least he could see why Mira would be so frustrated, while also being surprised at how much Mira was actually familiar with. If she knew those spirits, it meant that she had a contract with them. So in other words, Mira already had a huge number of spirits under hermand. ¡¸Still, there¡¯s so many of them¡­¡¹ Arlon muttered, earnestly d to learn all that. That exined the holes in the pirs, but Mira¡¯s exnation still continued after that. After discussing and exchanging ideas for a while, they settled on the theory that the position of those orbs were more important on the barrier around the Spirit King than simply having the orbs present. Whether they had stolen all the orbs, or fabricated replicas, without the correct location the barrier was impossible to deploy. That was probably when they realized the importance of those holes, so they sent members back to check where everything went. All those sketches of the pirs made more sense that way as well. With that theoryplete, Arlon and Mira returned to the strategy room and told Hebi and Sasori all of it. ¡¸There were four sets of drawings, so they must have wanted to have multiple references. Probably because they expected our interference.¡¹ Arlon finished the exnation with that, looking around at the four scorched bodies, saying ¡¸I guess they didn¡¯t expect that though¡¹ while grimacing. ¡¸They were all needed, but also expendable in a way. I guess Chimera still makes everyone work independently even if multiple people have the same mission.¡¹ Understanding why there were four sets of sketches, Sasori spoke like that as she walked up to the closest corpse and looked down at it. That scorched corpse was still fresh. The same went for the other bodies, showing they had all been killed at around the same time. They were given the same mission, went to the same ce at the same time, and were all killed by the same person. As a result, all of their preparations and sketches never reached Chimera uzen and they were stuck without the means to fully seal the Spirit King. ¡¸What should we do? If they never receive the sketches, they¡¯ll send new people. If we wait long enough, we might be able to capture those.¡¹ Arlon spoke as he looked at the girls. Their mission there was to capture someone with a high rank in Chimera uzen. But that had failed the moment a third party entered and killed their target. How they would proceed was something the four had to decide and agree on. It would probably take some time before Chimera realized that their mission had failed and they sent a new group of members. Maybe even days, when the due date for the sketches passed. They could try to capture whoever would receive the sketches instead of wasting time sitting in the Libra Fortress doing nothing. As to where that delivery would happen, the permits and maps gave them a pretty clear idea. ¡¸We probably should go to the Mirage Maze. Since they already had permits to enter there, my guess is they were headed there next. So we could go there in their ce and take care of the rest.¡¹ Mira picked up all the sketchbooks, her lips twisting into a dark smirk that gave off apletely different aura to her usual self. ¡¸Yeah, that sounds good. Might be our best chance too.¡¹ Arlon also smiled like Mira,ughing in a cunning way. Meanwhile Hebi had already picked up a map of the Mirage Maze to learn the best route through it. ¡¸I think there are already five of our members going there. Maybe we should let them handle it?¡¹ The Spirit King¡¯s pce was said to be at the very end of the Mirage Maze., and that was one of the three dungeons where the Fifty Bells had sent the Hidden. Sasori knew that, so she decided to trust her otherrades. ¡¸It¡¯d be easier to do that, but I feel like the situation has advanced more than expected. They were supposed to deliver the sketches straight to the Mirage Maze, which means they¡¯re done with all preparations there and are one step away from the Spirit King.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, and from what we¡¯ve seen here, they¡¯re trying to harness his power to themselves. Mira is right, if they¡¯re on thest step of their n this is more important than we thought, and they probably have a considerable number of guards in the Mirage Maze.¡¹ Arlon also picked up a map of the Mirage Maze and looked through it. Chimera uzen¡¯s n had moved ahead a lot, and it was very possible that the sketches were the only missing pieces to finish it. Mira, Arlon, and Hebi had been able to see that much from the found items. ¡¸So uhh¡­ you¡¯re saying that they¡¯re amassing all their fighting power there, so only five members won¡¯t be enough to fight them?¡¹ Sasori quickly understood what they meant, and briefly surmised everything while asking for thest bit of confirmation from Mira and Arlon. ¡¸Pretty much.¡¹ Arlon replied affirmatively, taking another sketchbook in his hand ¡¸Though that¡¯s assuming there were only four of these.¡¹ Bringing another possibility to light. ¡¸If they left the four here as a decoy and there was one more, then there¡¯s still one sketchbook that will get into their hands.¡¹ If they got rid of the sketchbooks, they had probably made a dent in Chimera uzen¡¯s ns. Though considering how careful they normally were, it was hard to tell how far ahead they had nned. Maybe there was even one sketchbook that had already made its way to their hands. Or at least that¡¯s what Arlon was thinking about now. Mira looked at the four bodies scattered through the floor, then thought about how they got to that state. ¡¸That sounds possible, but I think it¡¯s rather unlikely there was a fifth.¡¹ ¡¸Hoh, why do you think that?¡¹ Hearing Mira, Arlon asked, full of curiosity for her reasoning. ¡¸That man from the Sky Denizens. When he realized we weren¡¯t his enemies, he gave us valuable information. I asked Hebi about him earlier, and apparently he¡¯s a priest, and killing is taboo for him. Yet he still stained his hands with blood.¡¹ There was no fifth one. Mira¡¯s certainty came from one ce, as she recalled the man in long clothes, he asked them ¡¸Do you still remember his face?¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see. If even one had managed to slip away, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the time to talk to us.¡¹ He had a cold, ice-like stare with a sharp gaze. That face Arlon recalled had enough bloodlust to convince him he would never let anyone go. ¡¸So that¡¯s it.¡¹ Mira watched with a smug smile as Arlon noded convinced, impressed with her deduction. Having their next objective set, the group disposed of the items gathered. Sasori used a mallet of white wood to crush down the daggers used to harm spirits into fine powder, then Hebi used her Necromancer skills to set the bodies aze, while Arlon threw the sketchbooks into the fire that caused. While the three were busy with that, Mira went to the control room and stood in front of the stone table. That was an emergency device to escape the fortress. To use it, one had to possess the blessings of at least five spirits, and as far as she could see, the device had not been used in a long time. That was something else she had looked for while examining the control room either, and the fact it had not been used was another reason why she did not believe there was a fifth. Chapter 93: Chance Meeting (1) Chapter 93: Chance Meeting (1) The starry sky was starting to show itself by the time the group left the Libra Fortress. Their next destination, the Mirage Maze, was further east from their current position, past a mountain range. It was a considerable distance that would take atst a day to traverse even if they went flying with the wagon. The people in Sarut were getting ready to sleep for the night when Mira and the rest arrived there, taking the wagon to the outskirts of the city to start their new journey. Traveling that way would lead them closer to their destination in the shortest time possible. They spent a few hours flying towards the east, the night turning deeper as they creeped into the next day. Shrouded in that darkness, the wagon crossed over the mountain range and began to descend,nding on the shore of ake in the very center of a tree grove growing at the foot of the mountains. The inside of the wagon posed such a calm space, so sleeping there was really easy. Except that the wagon had been designed for a single user, and as there were four people in it, it felt a bit constricted as they flew. Thus, Mira and the rest decided to make camp to pass the night. Even with how crowded it was, the inside of the wagon looked like a ratherfortable ce to rest rather than out in the open, but Arlon was very used to traveling like that, while Sasori and Hebi had specialized in solo missions, so they felt more at ease knowing they were sleeping on solid ground. Mira summoned a Holy Knight to keep watch while they slept and stationed it to the side of the wagon. Then she went inside the wagon andid her bed out, where she quickly fell asleep while raisingfortable snores. Sasor and Hebi went to the wagon¡¯s roof to ce their sleeping bags, while Arlon settled on the driver¡¯s tform. The surface of theke beside which they slept appeared calm and silent, reflecting the distant starry sky above like a pure mirror. The night looked so deep it appeared to suck in one¡¯s consciousness, gently melting together with the stars. Then, a disturbance had sent ripples through that clear mirror, a shadow slipping out and creeping towards the wagon. Eventually the shadow stepped inside the area guarded by the Holy Knight, but for some reason it did not react in any way. The shadow finally passed beside the Holy Knight, sidestepping Arlon who slept on the driver¡¯s tform and entered inside the wagon. A falling sensation overtook Mira as she slept, the thin veil of dreams quickly breaking from her mind. As her eyes slowly opened, she saw the ck sky with flickering stars, and a well dressed youth with ashen hair. Her brain struggled toprehend her current situation, until eventually her face turned sour and she red at the man carrying her in his arms like a princess. ¡¸Who are you? Are you trying to kidnap me?¡¹ Mira spoke with anguid voice, her mind still half asleep. Hearing her, the man noticed Mira had woken up and beamed a bright and kind smile to her. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.¡¹ He replied with a slight nod. That made Mira look at him with even more suspicion. That was an obvious reaction, it was impossible to not be suspicious of someone who carried people away in their sleep. He was aware of that as he deviated his gaze a bit, but his face showed no remorse, just an ufortable andplex expression. ¡¸Anyway, can you let me down now?¡¹ Saying that, Mira began to swing her legs in protest. ¡¸Careful!¡¹ Feeling Mira¡¯s body start to slip away, he quickly tightened her arms around her. At the same time, a woman darted from behind the man and hurried to grab Mira¡¯s legs and hold them up. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, but please bear with this for a while longer. We¡¯re in the middle of theke, so if you get away from him you¡¯ll just sink in.¡¹ The woman clung to her legs as she almost begged her to stay still. She wore a dress that looked made of feathers, and her blue hair appeared translucent. But the most striking feature was that her hair emitted a familiar glow. ¡¸The middle of theke, you said?¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice rang unsure as she looked around with a puzzled expression, stopping her resistance after seeing the woman¡¯s particr hair. At first she had thought her surroundings were pitch ck, but after a closer look she realized there was a dark ultramarine blue color spreading all around her, and the sound of soft waves could be heard from all directions. ¡¸It seems you¡¯re telling the truth. And you¡¯re water spirits, I presume?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m Anlutine.¡¹ ¡¸I could guess as much, and then-¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m one as well. My name is Worthramble.¡¹ Mira turned to look at the man carrying her, Worthramble, and he introduced himself with another nod. They were both spirits, heralded as the kind neighbors of humans. Mira had stopped resisting as soon as she noticed that could be the case, given that a spirit would never harm a person except for extremely rare situations. ¡¸I see. It still feels a bit strange though, I can¡¯t sense a spirit¡¯s presence from you.¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes went from his hair to his face and the part of his body she could see before saying that. There was one defining feature of spirits, small particles of light that constantly flew off their bodies. That was clearly visible on Anlutine¡¯s hair. But no matter where Mira looked, she could not see that on Worthramble. That was the reason why it took her a while to realize he was a spirit. ¡¸As a spirit I¡¯ve been givenmand over stillness. So concealment and seclusion are my forte, though due to certain circumstances I¡¯ve gotten in the habit of always hiding my identity.¡¹ He had a forced smile as he exined, but when Mira heard that, she reacted by opening her eyes wide in amazement, her face quickly turning into one of delight. ¡¸So you¡¯re a Stillness Spirit? This is the first time I hear about any spirit like that! I¡¯m really surprised.¡¹ Mira raised her voice in gleeful joy, expressing her honest thoughts as she ced her index on her chin and added ¡¸After another look there¡¯s definitely a dignified air to you.¡¹ ¡¸You never heard of us..? Though that makes sense, even my own kin constantly tells me Ick presence¡­¡¹ In contrast to Mira, Worthramble was clearly feeling more mncholic. Maybe it was because of the set of abilities granted to him, but he did not stand out even amongst spirits. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s put that aside for now. I assume you had some business with me, so tell me what you need.¡¹ The joy of meeting a new type of spirit had put her in such a good mood that she was ready to answer any question they might have for her. ¡¸So¡­ about that.¡¹ Worthramble spoke in a hesitant voice while hanging his head with a pained expression. At the same time, their surroundings suddenly turned unnaturally bright, making Mira squint from the sudden change in light. But her eyes quickly got used to it since the light was not very powerful. As Mira slowly opened her eyes again, she gasped seeing the scenery in front of her. They were in a small space, around thirty feet in diameter. But what surprised her the most was that further inside that cave-like space stood a half-excavated shrine. Apart from the shrine¡¯s entrance, it was entirely covered in mud and lumps of dirt, but it still had an imposing appearance, not showing any signs of wear from the passage of time. ¡¸What¡¯s this ce? I thought you said we were in the middle of theke? This ce looks like it¡¯s underground.¡¹ When Mira asked that, Worthramble turned around and pointed to a puddle on the ground. ¡¸To be precise, this is a cave that spreads out from inside theke. Me and An use our powers to conceal the entrance, so not anyone can get in here¡­¡¹ He spoke as he walked towards the shrine, and only let Mira down after they passed the entrance. ¡¸¡­but we can¡¯t fight against someone more powerful than us. That¡¯s why we brought you here, please help us rescue our friend.¡¹ Chapter 93: Chance Meeting (2) Chapter 93: Chance Meeting (2) He had a serious expression as he looked further into the depths of the shrine. Anlutine who was standing close by also had a rather bitter face as she looked towards the same ce. ¡¸Your friend, you said?¡¹ Saying that, Mira noticed something at the very end of the shrine. There was something akin to a ck mist floating there, and reclined against the main feature of the ce, a podium,y a skeleton gripping a sword. ¡¸There, that¡¯s her.¡¹ Worthramble spoke with a pained expression as he looked at that. ¡¸You asked me to rescue her, but from the look of things, isn¡¯t it a bit toote for that? Or did you mean in the sense of letting her soul rest or something like that.¡¹ Rescuing usually meant keeping someone alive, but now that she had be a skeleton that was impossible to aplish. But seeing how bizarre everything had been so far, Mira decided to ask for rification with a questioning tone. ¡¸Not at all, she¡¯s in perfect shape. Our friend is that sword.¡¹ ¡¸The¡­ sword?¡¹ As she had thought, the problem was more intricate. The sword held in the skeleton¡¯s arms had many small details etched into it, and while it was unsheathed there was not a single speck of rust on it. Anyone could tell it was a special sword from a nce. ¡¸So your friend is imbued into a Spirit Sword?¡¹ Weapons that remained in use for many years could sometimes house a spirit, which for instance gave a sword a sharper andsting edge. ¡¸Technically it¡¯s a bit different, but thinking of it that way isn¡¯t too far off the mark.¡¹ ¡¸What a roundabout way of exining things.¡¹ It was something simr to a Spirit Sword, but there was something odd about it. Mira decided to think about it that way, though her eyes were still filled with curiosity as she looked at Worthramble. ¡¸Her name is Sanctia, and that¡¯s the Holy Sword Sanctia.¡¹ He seemed to deeply regret the fact he was unable to do anything to help his friend Sanctia, mentioning her name while gritting his teeth. ¡¸Holy Sword Sanctia? Hmmm, I¡¯ve never heard of that one before.¡¹ Many things had changed in the world since it became reality, most of which were still unknown to Mira. This was probably one of those as well, so thinking that Mira returned an even more interested look to the sword. ¡¸It¡¯s been quite a long time since we started hiding this ce, and she was only brandished once, so that might be why she¡¯s not spoken about more.¡¹ ¡¸That makes sense.¡¹ That gave more context as to why Mira never heard of her, so she nodded understandingly. Any form of special sword, be it a holy or demonic sword always had a tale attached to them. Be it that it in hundreds of thousands of monsters without rusting or breaking, or that it was used to gouge a dragon¡¯s heart, or that it had been bathed in the blood of multiple generations from a royal family, or even more humorous stories. Everyone knew that certain swords had stories like that. It did not matter how powerful a sword was, if those stories were forgotten, there was no way of awakening their true power again. But that also meant that there might be countless swords like this one scattered throughout the world without anyone knowing of their existence. Mira stared at the sword that proved that very point, feeling guilty about the excitement she felt despite the discouraged look of her spiritpanions. ¡¸And so, I guess you want me to somehow get rid of that ck stuff to rescue her?¡¹ Mira pointed at the ck mist wriggling in unnatural patterns as she asked. The podium was bathed in a light without a source, which washed away any shadows on it. That was a light made through a spirit¡¯s power, and was something familiar to Mira. While the area around the podium seemed brighter than the rest of the shrine, there was something darker there as well. The ck mist surrounding the area where the skeleton hugging the swordy. ¡¸Yes, precisely. That¡¯s a curse that eats away at spirits, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t get close to her. Sanctia managed to bury herself deep inside the sword, which somehow manages to keep her safe, but I don¡¯t know how much longer she canst¡­¡¹ Worthramble looked earnestly disappointed in how useless he was, his face clouding over as time passed. Watching him through the corner of her eye, Mira took a deep breath and stretched her back. ¡¸So how do I rescue her? Should I just destroy that skeleton?¡¹ When Mira asked that, Worthramble was left speechless for a moment, before sharply turning his head and asking ¡¸You¡¯re okay fighting it?¡¹ with a hurried tone. He thought they were still exining the situation to her, but Mira was already preparing to fight, which took him by surprise. ¡¸That¡¯s why you brought me here, yes?¡¹ Meanwhile Mira seemedpletely free of worry as she replied in that way. ¡¸That¡¯s true. But when alive, that skeleton was a cruel fiend that ended more than thousand lives. I was convinced you¡¯d refuse once you knew all the details, so sorry for acting so surprised.¡¹ Seeing Mira¡¯s unfazed stance, he seemedrgely relieved, but his earlier mncholy returned to his face as well. ¡¸Hmm¡­ sounds like a rather powerful foe. But if the worstes to happen, at least I guess I won¡¯t feel a thing before I¡¯m gone.¡¹ Even though her words were grim, Mira smiled defiantly as she began walking towards the skeleton. When she was halfway through the lit area around the podium, she felt a clear change in the air around her. The squirming mist traveled along the floor, ckening it while it seemed to search for prey. The two spirits quickly flew off to escape it, moving to the beams along the ceiling where the mist could not reach. ¡¸We can¡¯t really support you in battle so we¡¯ll watch from here, but in case you decide to retreat, give us a signal and we¡¯ll do everything we can to take you away.¡¹ ¡¸Got it!¡¹ Worthramble seemed saddened as he said that, before stopping one step away from the ck mist covering the floor. In the game, there was always a certain perimeter before a boss fight before the fight would start, called the activation area. The boss would only awaken when someone crossed it, and it was usually very easy to spot by sight. Mira stopped just before what she believed was the activation area, testing if such a thing still existed now that everything was real. Looking at the podium again, she saw the skeleton erect itself with an ominous air around it, but it did note to attack her, remaining still with its weapon ready. (Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯s fair to say it still works.) The skeleton stood still, but its empty eyes appeared to be pointed directly at Mira. It looked like it was measuring the distance, ready to lunge at her once she took a single step forward, as if the fight had already started.. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Seeing that it did not attack her straight away, Mira took that time to investigate her opponent, but she quickly gasped instead while knitting her brow. Trying to look at its stats¡­ gave her nothing that could measure its strength. During the game, yers could seemon stats of anything by focusing their gaze for long enough. Now, that was still possible except when investigating another former yer. But for some reason, Mira could see nothing about the skeleton in front of her. (I hope this isn¡¯t some bad joke like that being the end of a former yer. Either way, my goal here doesn¡¯t change, I¡¯ll just have to ask the two for more details afterwards.) With those thoughts in her mind, Mira summoned a Dark Knight and two Holy Knights, and red back at her opponent with unidentifiable strength. (It might be someone with immeasurable strength, so I better don¡¯t hold back either.) All she knew came from the spirit, who mentioned it was someone who took thousands of lives. Mira stretched again before finally stepping inside the ck mist. Chapter 94: The Battle at the Podium (1) Chapter 94: The Battle at the Podium (1) As soon as Mira¡¯s feet entered the activation area, the ck mist expanded in an instant, covering the entire floor. ¡¸Eh¡­ what¡¯s happening?¡¹ There was one more change. As soon as the Dark Knight and Holy Knights were touched by the mist, they broke down like something had corroded them. ¡¸That mist is a curse that consumes spirits. Summoned spirit arms are probably affected as well.¡¹ Mira heard someone say from above. A spirit consuming curse. Because of it, the stillness spirit Worthramble and water spirit Anlutine had been unable to get close enough to rescue their friend residing inside the holy sword. And from what they had seen, the curse even affected summoned spirits. Mira pouted as she red at the skeleton. If he started attacking, she would be unable to fend off a close range fight, and since she was still unaware of the holy sword¡¯s power, she wanted to avoid that at all costs. Yet the skeleton remained still. It was much more wary and attentive than before, but it appeared Mira was still out of range. Seeing that, Mira once again set some summoning spots around her. Spirit ss summons would be useless against the ck mist, so Mira thought of the most suitable ones from other sses that could help her. Summoning Magic: Galum Summoning Magic: Awne Summoning Magic: Popotwise Three magic circles of different sses appeared, Mira¡¯s reliablerades appearing from them. Arge wolf crawled out of the whirlpool of mes and stood next to Mira, then from the ring of light in the air came a small owl that perched itself on Mira¡¯s shoulder. At the same time, luscious greenery covered the floor and walls of the shrine. The wolf, Galum, had a body around three meters long, covered in ck fur, and his tail was thicker than Mira¡¯s arm. He looked intently at the skeleton, identifying it as their enemy, and then turned to look at his master, Mira. After he looked at her face for long enough, Galum turned to look ahead again. While his master¡¯s mana and presence remained unchanged, Mira¡¯s appearance looked like apletely different person. ¡¸Master, you look so cute. Are you trying out a new look?¡¹ A voice reminiscent of that from a young girl rang beside Mira¡¯s ear. Galum also nodded thinking the same. The source of that voice was the owl, Popotwise. With the curious name of the wise Popot, it was one of the rare low level summons that were able to speak, just like Cait Sith. ¡¸I guess you can call it that. But really, where did you learn a term like ¡®new look¡¯ anyway?¡¹ ¡¸I learned a lot of new words, and also studied more magic. Was I good?¡¹ Popotwise spoke while blinking her round eyes and tilting her head from one side to another. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯re quite the clever girl!¡¹ Having so much cuteness in front of her, Mira could not resist cuddling Popotwise to her bosom and petting her head, praising her like she would a granddaughter. Popotwise narrowed her eyes in joy, while Galum watched that with jealous eyes, before letting his tail stand upright and releasing roaring mes from it. Noticing that sudden red glow and heat, Mira turned to look at Galum, her gaze following the mes up until she saw the two spirits standing on the ceiling being heated up by the fire. ¡¸Now now Galum, don¡¯t be so impatient.¡¹ Mira quickly tried to calm down the excited Galum, heaving a sigh of relief after seeing the two spirits protected behind a film of water. Meanwhile Galum hung his tail and head down, crying like a little puppy. ¡¸Still, that was really amazing. I see you¡¯ve been hard at work as well, good boy.¡¹ Once the mes were stopped, she gently caressed his snout with a curious look on her face, realizing he had just shown a skill she had never seen before. Hearing that, Galum regained his spirits hearing his efforts being praised, the wagging of his tail sounding like a heavy object being waved through the air at high speed. A short momentter, a vine crawled up Mira¡¯s body and between her and the other summons. At the end of the vine stood Awne¡¯s doll-like figure with a flower on her head. ¡¸You look good as well.¡¹ Mira told her, to which Awne replied by moving the flower on her head closer to Mira and letting out a sweet scent. Awne expressed her emotions through the scents of the flower. The game was unable to recreate any scents or smells, so Mira only got to truly experience that now. (A sweet scent represented deep affection, if I remember correctly. But really¡­ this is such a nice scent¡­) Mira was deeply knowledgeable about all sorts of summons, so she started to recall Awne¡¯s details while she breathed in more of that sweet scent. Their reunion after so many years quickly filled the ce with harmonious voices and sounds, while the two spirits stood confused up in the ceiling. ¡¸Anyway, it¡¯s been a while since we all saw each other, but do you still remember how ourbination goes?¡¹ When Mira asked that, Galum and Awne nodded, while Popotwise replied with ¡¸Time to kill monsters!¡¹. It had only been a few weeks for Mira, but her summons had waited thirty years before being summoned again. Mira felt unsure if they still recalled theirbined attack, but from the look of things there was no problem with that. ¡¸Then let¡¯s do it just like in the past!¡¹ Mira gave them the signal and the air surrounding all of them changed drastically. Galum faced straight ahead and lowered his body, letting out a strong growl like an earthquake while ring at the skeleton. Awne vanished back inside the greenery, sending countless vines straight at the podium. Then Popotwise took off from Mira¡¯s shoulder, taking hold of one of the vines and flying straight at the skeleton. Due to his origin, Galum was ridiculously strong against undead enemies so he was the main source of damage, Awne filled the ce with lush greenery that negated the unnatural grudge from the dead permeating the ground. Lastly, Popotwise, who was used to hunting under the veil of darkness and night, easily analyzed the fight status and reacted ordingly to fight off the curses. That was Danbulf¡¯s exclusive battle formation against the undead. Popotwise¡¯s voice rang announcing everyone was in position, then Mira gave the order to attack and Galum charged on. Galum inched closer to the skeleton with a steady stride, his ws ready to dig in, but he was forcefully stopped. A barrier of light came from the holy sword the skeleton held,pletely thwarting the lightning fast ws. But that was not enough to dissuade Galum, who growled again before swinging his front legs with more force. A grating sound like scratches on ss resounded, but the barrier remained unscathed. As that continued, the skeleton began to cackle. A jeeringugh intoxicated by the power of the holy sword. That was purely the power hidden in that sword, but that also brought forth carelessness. Mira ran up behind Galum, using his back as a step before jumping high into the air to release Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Refined Impact The whirlpool of violent energy overpowered the barrier of light,ing from slightly behind the skeleton andnding a clean hit. The strong impact shaking its entire body made the skeleton lose its bnce. As he fell he swung the holy sword towards Galum¡¯s ws, which deflected the attack and sent the weapon and its holder into the air. An instantter the skeleton stopped in mid-air, caught by the long vines, which pulled at its feet mming the skeleton against the floor and took a firmer grip of it there. The skeleton red at the vines holding its feet, using the holy sword to free them. That action was done almost by reflex, so it was a swift motion. But that still created enough of an opening. Galum had stepped just in front of the skeleton¡¯s eyes and nose, wing through it with an upwards motion that gouged even a bit of the earth with it. The sword was still busy swinging against the vines so it was unable to create the light barrier, so the skeleton had no way of defending against Galum¡¯s ws. There was a loud noise as a result of the impact. Another set of ws dug into the skeleton,unching it even higher into the air. Even when on solid ground the skeleton was unable to stand upright, so fixing his posture was nigh impossible now that he was in mid-air, having as muchmand over itself as a leaf in the wind. Mira was waiting for that in the air, circling around behind it with Sky Stride and holding the palm of her hand against the back of the skull. Sage Art ¨C Earth: Crimson Grasp Mira focused her magic power and unleashed a skill. A thundering noise and a red sh of light shook the entire podium as the skeleton wasunched downwards and crashed against the floor with a muted thud. ¡®me Barrage!¡¯ Not even an instant passed before countless fireballs rained down on the ce the skeleton hit. That was Popotwise¡¯s magic attack. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s quite a sturdy one.¡¹ Chapter 94: The Battle at the Podium (2) Chapter 94: The Battle at the Podium (2) Miranded on the opposite side where Galum stood to encircle their enemy, muttering to herself in annoyance. Theirbined attack was impossible to defend against or dodge, and any middle ss enemy would¡¯ve been blown to smithereens by that point. But the skeleton stood up again as if nothing happened, no damage visible anywhere on its bones. It was a foe more powerful than she had imagined. But that also brought a slight smile to the corners of her lips. The skeleton had Galum to the front, Mira behind, and Popotwise above. It looked around to confirm where everyone was, and then darted ahead towards Galum. Galum leapt backwards while swinging his ws in counterattack. The skeleton held the holy sword to the side, forming the light barrier to stop the ws from touching it, but its feet did not slow down and it charged with all its momentum against the wolf. That strong kick sent Galum and all his raw strength flying into the air. Seeing that, the skeleton held the holy sword with both hands and took one more step ahead. Their roles had reversed from before, and now it was Galum who had his torso exposed as his body moved through the air. And when the skeleton was about to thrust the sword into him, both its arms stopped dead in their tracks. Awne¡¯s vines had grabbed the skeleton¡¯s arms. But it onlysted a short moment, even though the skeleton possessed no muscles, it still had an unworldly strength and quickly tore itself away from the vines. Still, that short moment was all Galum needed to save himself, while also giving Mira and the others an opening. ¡®Stone Barrage!¡¯ The skeleton had been kept still for less than a second, just a mere instant. But Popotwise still used it as best she could, unleashing a rain of countless stones onto the skeleton. Though rather than stones, the projectiles traveled at high speeds just like bullets, posing even more of a threat than arrows would. The skeleton seemed to realize that as well, as it pulled the sword to its side again to form the light barrier. The stones collided with the barrier one after another without rest, creating a sound simr to that of andfall that masked other silent footsteps. The skeleton only noticed those when a soft and warm breath blew on its back. But that was toote, Mira grinned behind it and held its skull in her hand. Sage Art ¨C Earth: Lightning Grasp As soon as the skill was activated, a purple sh blinded their eyes as a thunder roared. It was truly like a bolt of lightning, and while the sh faded quickly, the thunder kept echoing inside the shrine. That skill was meant to cause mass destruction by unleashing an inhuman amount of electrical energy at once, and the intensity and power of it made Anlutine hiding in the ceiling beams get teary eyed. Carrying more power was not the only difference it had from Crimson Grasp or Furious Grasp, there was one more effect to it. There was no knock off or recoil to it. Which meant Mira¡¯s hand was still on the skull. It was mostly used when one had the next attack nned already, though it also meant that a counterattack from the enemy could easily follow as well. The skeleton carefully lifted his sword up, ready to swing down just in case, and quickly turned around. The swiftness of its motion showed there was still no damage inflicted to it. Before the sword was swung down, Galum roared loudly as hetched onto the skeleton, fiercely biting and shaking it around, his sharp fangs biting as deep as he could. The wolf¡¯s jaws mped down on the skeleton like a vise, which it tried to shake off by violently moving around and emptily swinging the holy sword around, but Galum¡¯s strength and courage did not give up as he kept a firm grip on it. As a grating sound came from between the fangs and bone, eventually a small crack appeared. As soon as that happened, the skeleton shrieked loudly and pointed the holy sword straight up. As it did that, countless glowing swords manifested in the air. The glowing swords emitted a strong light, as if the sun was condensed in them, and when the skeleton lowered its hand they all fell at high speeds. ¡¸Hmmm? Now that¡¯s an inherent skill.¡¹ Mira jumped out of the way to evade the falling light swords before observing the scene, muttering to herself full of curiosity. Inherent skills were peculiar skills unique to certain weapons. Most holy and demonic swords, as well as famous weapons, had some sort of inherent skill, and as they were further developed there came a moment when mastery over the inherent skill could be more important than mastering the weapon itself. The falling swords like a meteor shower appeared to be intent on showing they were entirely controlled by the holy sword, moving ording to the movements of the skeleton¡¯s hand holding the sword. The storm of light swords hit Galum, which made him rx his jaws just enough for the skeleton to escape his grasp. Galum looked slightly saddened that his prey had escaped, looking at Mira for forgiveness before turning towards the skeleton again and growling to provoke it again. (It managed to escape Galum¡¯s grip even. It really is a powerful foe.) When Mira heard a holy sword was involved she expected the opponent to put up a fight, but this was much more than she thought. After checking Galum for any wounds he had, she carefully applied Summoning Skill: Charitable Healing Hand to him so he could recover. Though to be precise, she was repairing a protective barrier Galum had applied, rather than taking care of wounds. One of the features of summoning a beast was that they could never be injured as long as they were fighting in a summoned state. The summoning circle used for them had that programmed into it, as well as a forced undoing of the summon if the barrier was broken. That was also the reason why Mira felt confident in letting them fight against powerful enemies. As soon as he had recovered, Galum dashed towards the skeleton and swung his ws against him. His attack moved at a formidable speed, everything happening the same way as all his past attempts, but when the skeleton saw the iing attack it reacted differently. Rather than deploying the light barrier, it held the holy sword at a nted angle and skillfully parried Galum¡¯s ws. Having lost their path, the ws only cut through air before theynded on the floor and dug into it, while the skeleton used the holy sword as fulcrum to turn around and dug its knee into the side of Galum¡¯s head. Galum¡¯s defenses cracked and hisrge ck body was sent flying with a strong impulse. Without losing an instant, a fireball hit the skeleton from his blind spot. That was Popotwise¡¯s magic that always activated at the perfect moment. But the skeleton caught the fireball with its hand, squeezing it into nothing while shrieking. Mira also charged against its unguarded back, but the skeleton quickly jumped and turned around, looking straight at Mira as it raised the sword above its head. (It learned how to fend us off really quickly. It might be even more powerful than that devil.) Mira grimaced seeing how the skeleton had learned to predict her attack pattern and negate it, while alsoparing its behavior and swiftness to the devil she once fought. She then activated the Truth Eyes of a deep azure color, manifesting a towering white shield between her and the skeleton. As soon as the skeleton had both feet on the floor, it swung its hand with the sword down, a sh of light running through the de as it cleanly cut through the white shield, which shattered into countless particles of light. The strong impact sent those particles straight towards the ce Mira had been standing in, the rain of light destroying everything it touched. But Mira¡¯s body was nowhere near that ce anymore. Such an attack was not something easy to evade, so the skeleton was certain it had hit Mira, but seeing she had vanished left it confused. But it quickly regained itsposure as it looked around, calmly trying to find her objective. Still, what he saw instead was a fireballing at it from one side and Galum¡¯s fangs from the other. It had been so focused on finding Mira all its other reflexes were too slow to deploy the barrier for both attacks. As a result, it had no option but to lift the sword, using the barrier to protect against Galum¡¯s jaws which posed the biggest threat, and catching the fire ball in its palm again. Only that this time the fireball wasrger than thest one, which sent a violent jolt down its arm. At the same time it could not allow itself to create even a small opening for Galum, so it was essentially pinned in ce there. ¡¸I finally got you.¡¹ Two small hands grasped one of the skeleton¡¯s outstretched arms. The owner of those small hands, Mira, whispered that with a wicked smile as her hands glided up the arm holding the holy sword. Sage Art ¨C Earth: Furious Grasp Times Two Activating the skill imbued Mira¡¯s hand with more magic power than she had unleashed so far. Her small hands sent out violent shockwaves of destruction that shook the entire shrine. All that concentrated power was focused on a small point, which enhanced its destructive properties even more as the skeleton¡¯s arm shattered into small pieces. The holy sword, now separated from the skeleton¡¯s body, fell onto a bush created by Awne. At the same time, the fireball contained in the skeleton¡¯s other hand was deflected and flew straight up into the ceiling where it dispersed. A bright red light illuminated the shrine, and the skeleton heaved onest shriek as the fireball thundered in the distance. Chapter 95: The Spirits’ Reunion (1) Chapter 95: The Spirits¡¯ Reunion (1) The fight happening inside the shrine entombed in a cave below theke was nearing its end. Having lost an arm, the skeleton began spewing out the spirit devouring ck mist from all over its body, running berserk overtaken by rage. Mira quickly stepped back, while Popotwise also flew away to keep a distance and only peek at the scene from a hidden ce. Only Galum kept exchanging blows with the skeleton. Since it lost its cool, the skeleton¡¯s attacks were all repetitive and easy to predict, so Galum had an easy time sneaking in attacks and vanishing before it could counterattack. All the skeleton could do was shriek while mindlessly swinging its arms around, never hitting anything solid. Eventually the skeleton copsed on the ground after a powerful blow from Galum¡¯s ws. From the ground, the skeleton¡¯s vacant eyes caught a glimpse of the holy sword that had fallen amongst the greenery around, which lit a dark fire in its eyes. The skeleton squirmed trying to reach the sword, his movement looking like that of a drug addict separated from his addiction, every movement erratic and crazed. But before its hand could reach, Awne¡¯s vines took hold of the sword and dragged it deeper inside the greenery, hiding it from the skeleton¡¯s view. Still, that was not enough to stop it, it staggered onto its feet and ran towards thest spot it had seen the sword in. Everything it could see was the sword now, leaving its back defenseless against Galum. Arge crimson column sprouted forth, swinging horizontally against the skeleton together with a roaring sound. It was Galum¡¯s me covered tail. He quickly turned his body around, increasing the speed at which the zing column traveled. Once the collision happened, the column exploded against the skeleton, sending mes flying everywhere. The impact sent the skeleton flying until it collided with the wall further inside, cracking it and sending tremors throughout the shrine. ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s a really powerful attack.¡¹ Mira was impressed as she muttered to herself, watching how the limp skeleton copsed on the ground, before going to pet Galum¡¯s snout. In response, he growled pleased while quickly swinging his ming tail. ¡¸I get it, I get it, but please calm down already.¡¹ Mira waved away the bright embers floating from his tail as she watched the skeleton. The fire spreading through the podium area slowly died down, and at the same time silence returned to the shrine. But that was soon broken by a couple of dry sounds. It had stood up. Even after being relentlessly attacked by Galum before being sted away by that explosion, which would have killed almost anything, it still managed to get on its feet. But soon after its skull began to wobble, the cracks riddling its torso showed just how much damage it had sustained. Mira then looked at the holy sword held by vines, making sure it was safe before looking at the skeleton again and heaving a deep sigh before stepping forward. ¡¸That was tougher than expected, but it seems we don¡¯t have to worry about the sword anymore. No need to hold back now.¡¹ When Mira said that, Galum and Popotwise stepped back a considerable distance, while the greenery began to move again. From the lush green grass and bushes vines sprang forth, firmly wrapping around the skeleton¡¯s bones and impeding further movement and resistance from it. The skeleton began to shriek and moan again, trying to tear itself apart from the vines, but the cracks all over its bones had debilitated it to such an extent it was impossible for it to get away. And that was pretty much a fatal oue for the skeleton. Mira slowly put her palm forward, a Binding Arcana Circle manifesting in front, which soon turned into a Rosario Summoning Circle. That was usually the preparations needed to summon a high level entity, but there was something slightly different this time. ¡®Radiance of the seven seas, unknown to time and shining brightly from beyond the sky, don¡¯t let your heartbeat end nor your breath cease, so rise up again to manifest your brightness, dawn of time filling all realms!¡¯ Summoning Spirit Magic: Cherubim Heart As Mira chanted, the lighting from the summoning circle increased, turning to a red hue before spitting out crimson mes. The mes contorted wildly as if willingly controlled by some entity before quickly taking a humanoid shape. That was the shape Mira¡¯s mana gave to the Great Spirit of Fire Demiurgos. Summoning Spirit Magic, a skill that allowed one to summon a greater spirit and borrow their power for a very short time, which usually exceeded anything a person could do by a veryrge margin. The humanoid of mes mimicked Mira¡¯s actions, turning straight ahead and extending its crimson arm towards the skeleton. An instantter scorching orbs flew andpletely wrapped around the skeleton. The fire did not burn red, but a bright white like a small sun. A low bellowing reminiscent of a blizzard came from it, and while the orbs shined extremely brightly, no one else could feel any heating from them. That was entirely due to the nature of the skill. Summoning Spirit Magic: Cherubim Heart would envelop a given area in scorching mes, but anything outside the area would be unaffected, and the smaller the area the stronger the mes became. But the mes did not discriminate against anything inside the area. The area Mira had designated for the attack was the smallest it could get, which also meant the mes were at their most powerful. The podium shone brightly while the messted. Afterwards all there was left was the floor covered in greenery with a perfectly circr spot cut off, filled only with ashes and a strong burnt smell. ¡¸Well, looks like it wasn¡¯t able to resist this much.¡¹ Not even the bones had been able to keep their shape after being submitted to that overwhelming heat. Confirming that, Mira smiled wide. Where the skeleton once stood, there was only a small amount of ck ashes, and a few remains of the mist, but there was no sign of the main body. Mira had won. To hammer the point home, Galum raised a victorious howl beside Mira, while Popotwise begged Mira to praise her. Awne also crawled up Mira¡¯s body and reclined against her chest. ¡¸Mm, you all did really well.¡¹ She praised the three of them, adding ¡¸Good job¡¹ before sending them back. Garlum kept barking happily until thest second, Popotwise¡¯s wings fluttered happily, while Awne seemed bashful while wriggling around. ¡¸Thank you so much for rescuing our friend.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ As soon as the greenery vanished like an illusion, Worthramble and Anlutine came down from the ceiling. They both stood in front of Mira and deeply bowed in thanks to her, their faces overtaken with joy. ¡¸No need to thank me. Now go and talk to your friend again.¡¹ Saying that, Mira smiled at them before turning her gaze towards the holy swordying on one of the corners near the podium. Just as they had wished, their friend had finally been released. Mira thought they should be happier about that, rather than waste time thanking her. The two bowed to Mira once again seeing how much she cared, and then happily ran next to the holy sword. ¡¸Sansan!¡¹ ¡¸Sanctia, can you hear me? Everything¡¯s alright now.¡¹ Anlutine dearly hugged the sword, while Worthramble gently touched the handle while calling out to her. A change began to happen. Particles of light began to float off the de, as if it had been awoken from a deep slumber. Soon after the holy sword shook slightly, and the particles of light shed brightly. When the light subsided, a woman stood next to the sword, as if she had been standing there the entire time. ¡¸Oh! The mist is gone!¡¹ The woman raised her hands while eximing with a lively voice. ¡¸Sanctia!¡¹ ¡¸Sansan!¡¹ Worthramble was ovee with emotion as he grasped her hands, while Anlutine began to cry of relief and hugged her. Clearly that was her, Sanctia, the spirit residing inside the holy sword. ¡¸It feels like it¡¯s been ages!¡¹ Sanctia was still trying toprehend everything that happened, pleasantly surprised as she smiled brightly and tightly hugged the other two spirits. (An emotive reunion is the best ending for this.) Chapter 95: The Spirits’ Reunion (2) Chapter 95: The Spirits¡¯ Reunion (2) The three spirits showed slightly differing emotions, but they all seemed genuinely happy so Mira smiled seeing everything was resolved. ¡¸Thank you so much for rescuing me!¡¹ When Sanctia heard what Mira had done, she turned towards her and loudly thanked her, before hugging her tightly. ¡¸Ah, sure. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay.¡¹ Sanctia was a spirit residing inside a weapon, so that influenced her attire giving her an armor simr to a valkyrie, so the hug only pressed Mira against her solid iron breastte, which mixed some disappointment into her reply. ¡¸I¡¯m Sanctia. I¡¯ll never forget what you did!¡¹ After hugging Mira for long enough, Sanctia took a few steps back and bowed while expressing her gratitude again. Sanctia wore armor that mostly looked white, with some pieces of blue fabric and golden ornaments. She heavily resembled a holy knight, her blonde hair cut short emphasizing that solemn appearance. But her personality was much more cheerful, which caused a mismatch to her calm appearance. Though in a way that only helped make her worry free smile all that more notorious. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira, and this really was no big deal.¡¹ Mira waved off her insistent gratitude, but her eyes were focused intently on her, studying the first holy sword spirit she had seen while gently scratching her chin. ¡¸No really, thank you. I don¡¯t know what we could ever do to repay this favor, but if there¡¯s anything we could do for you, just ask.¡¹ Worthramble was also quite overjoyed, walking to Sanctia¡¯s side and speaking with an enthused voice. ¡¸Hmm, if you insist¡­¡¹ Mira muttered, mulling over anything she could ask for. ¡¸Could these be of any use? They all possess a valuable historical value.¡¹ A voice came from deeper in the room, and from there came Anlutine carrying a heavy looking box. She ced the box in front of Mira and opened the lid, saying ¡¸You can take them if you want.¡¹ The interior was filled with gold and silver in all shapes. It was the spitting image of what anyone would imagine hearing the word ¡®treasure chest¡¯. ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s quite something. This could easily be worth more than a hundred million¡­¡¹ Mira was taken aback seeing that marvelous and luxurious treasure shining brightly in front of her. But it was just mere treasure, shapes of gold and silver. There were no artifacts with interesting properties, or equipment Mira could viably use during her adventure, so Mira had no use whatsoever for the treasure. ¡¸Hmm, if you want to give me some form of treasure, I¡¯d be more interested in the holy sword.¡¹ Looking through the contents of the box, Mira looked up and turned towards Sanctia. Mira¡¯s eyes were burning with interest, which surprised Sanctia as she reacted by saying ¡¸Eh, me?¡¹ while tilting her head. ¡¸I thought you¡¯d say that. She owes you her life, so I guess it¡¯s just fair to demand that much.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. You were saved thanks to her, so that¡¯s the least you can do.¡¹ Worthramble and Anlutine looked deste, but they had already expected something like that would happen, so they both hugged Sanctia. ¡¸Make sure you don¡¯t cause trouble for Mira, don¡¯t follow strangers around, and never be picky.¡¹ ¡¸Sansan, good luck. Just don¡¯t forget about us.¡¹ They muttered to her, tears slowly flowing from their tears. In a way, they resembled an old country couple seeing their daughter off as she left for the city. Anlutine continued giving her advice while Worthramble walked towards the pedestal, grabbing something from there. (Hm? What¡¯s happening?) Mira had trouble understanding the scene unfolding in front of her, but when Worthramble approached her with the item he picked up she finally understood. ¡¸Please take good care of Sanctia.¡¹ Saying that, Worthramble offered the scabbard he was holding to Mira. It was exquisitely made, had the same colors as Sanctia¡¯s armor, and was clearly a befitting vessel for a holy sword. Mira silently looked at it. If she took the scabbard, that would mean epting to be the next bearer of the holy sword. But she was a summoner, she had no use or skills for a holy sword. So there was but one way to respond. ¡¸Ah¡­ no, I¡¯m just a spellcaster. I don¡¯t need a holy sword.¡¹ Hearing Mira refuse the sword, Worthramble stared vacantly, his brain struggling toprehend Mira¡¯s words. ¡¸Huh? But earlier you said you¡¯re more interested¡­¡¹ He stuttered, slowly repeating Mira¡¯s earlier words trying to find what he had misunderstood. Anlutine and Sanctia, a few steps behind, also tilted their heads with quizzical looks, question marks almost floating above their heads. ¡¸I get it now. So that¡¯s what you thought I meant. My apologies, I didn¡¯t word that correctly. What I meant is, I¡¯m way more interested in the spirit of the holy sword, in other words, in Sanctia herself.¡¹ She finally understood what they were thinking from Worthramble¡¯s actions, so she apologized before looking at Sanctia again. Between a holy sword resting in an underwater shrine, or just the spirit living in said sword, as a summoner, Mira held the most interest in thetter, even though it was her first time seeing either of them. ¡¸Sanctia herself, you said?¡¹ Her speaking manners aside, Mira was a very beautiful girl. Bing aware of that, Worthramble began imagining a certain garden of lilies filled with femenine love, plunging his mind into a territory he had never thought of before. ¡¸Eh, me? But¡­ why¡­ though mm, just be gentle please.¡¹ The subject of the matter had also reached that same conclusion, her cheeks flushed red as she nodded in a surprisingly submissive manner. ¡¸Did you hit your head too hard inside the sword?¡¹ Mira red at Sanctia, who was looking at her with longing eyes, before sighing in exasperation and starting to exin everything. ¡¸I¡¯m a summoner, and you¡¯re the spirit of the sword, correct? But you¡¯re also a type of spirit I¡¯ve never encountered before.¡¹ Mira walked closer to Sanctia as she spoke, standing right in front of her with glistening eyes, her eyes lips twisting into a smirk. ¡¸You don¡¯t want to test if we can form a contract? I¡¯m really curious to see if I could summon the spirit of a holy sword. You wouldn¡¯t want to find out yourself as well? I know you do.¡¹ She was seeking her agreement, or rather, she was forcing her to agree as Mira bombarded Sanctia with questions. ¡¸Err¡­ I¡¯ve never done that before, so I don¡¯t know, I guess¡­¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a first time for everything. This is truly interesting. Are you not intrigued yourself?¡¹ Mira¡¯s mind was too far gone, holding Sanctia¡¯s shoulders firmly prodding her with a really wide smile. ¡¸You¡¯re starting to scare me!¡¹ Mira was much more passionate than anyone else when it came to summoning rted topics. Overwhelmed by Mira¡¯s intense passion, Sanctia hesitantly turned around, seeking help from her friends. But Worthramble and Anlutine increased their distance from the two, washing their hands off the matter saying it was Sanctia¡¯s opportunity to repay the favor. ¡¸Look, it¡¯s like fate brought us together here. Let¡¯s just see if it works or not. It¡¯s worth a try, right?¡¹ Maybe it was impossible to form a pact with the spirit of a holy sword, but they would never know unless they tried first. Thinking of the possibility, Mira kept urging Sanctia to try it for the first time in her life as well. ¡¸Okay¡­ let¡¯s do it. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work out well, but I¡¯ll try my best!¡¹ Sanctia still could not understand why Mira was so insistent about it, but seeing she would not back down, Sanctia decided to give in and nodded with a nervous look on her face. Chapter 96: Summoning Contract (1) Chapter 96: Summoning Contract (1) ¡¸Then let¡¯s form a contract!¡¹ Mira¡¯s mood only improved hearing Sanctia agree to her petition, so she quickly extended her palm towards her and activated Summoning Skill : Carved Seal of the Contract. The starting skill of the summoner ss, used to form new contracts. Mira moved closer to Sanctia, her hand glowing softly. Worthramble and Anlutine watched from afar, nervous about the oue. Sanctia remained still, her hands sped together in front of her chest while she gently pursed her lips. Eventually Mira¡¯s palm touched Sanctia¡¯s cheek. A summoning contract could only be made if both parties agreed to it. If the spirit did not wish for a contract, then the light would vanish from the summoner¡¯s hand, indicating that the contract failed. But Mira¡¯s hand kept glowing even after she touched Sanctia¡¯s cheek. Instead, the glow increased, eventually starting to give off bright shes, as if a strobe light had been turned on inside the shrine. ¡¸Ohh, it usually never shes this brightly!¡¹ Mira said, her voice full of excitement while she narrowed her eyes to see through the bright light. Depending on the spirit, the reaction to the light could vary a great deal. It usually depended on the might and abilities of the spirit, but this reaction was a first for Mira as well. ¡¸Is that the light of a contract?¡¹ Worthramble muttered curiously as he watched them. After a moment all the light focused on a smaller region, forming a magic circle around Mira and Sanctia. The circle then shattered into many glowing particles, which were all absorbed into Mira¡¯s hand. ¡¸I-is it over?¡¹ Sanctia¡¯s lips trembled slightly while her cheeks remained flushed red. She had her eyes closed the entire time, so she had no way of telling what happened around them. ¡¸It was a sess!¡¹ ¡¸Wha-?!¡¹ Letting go of the confused Sanctia, Mira raised her hand high into the air while shouting happily, rejoicing that the contract was sessful. Hearing that surprised Sanctia, and after her shoulders jolted slightly she gently lifted her eyelids to peek around her. ¡¸A sword spirit. I¡¯ve been looking for one for so long!¡¹ Mira was ecstatic having gained a new skill, so without waiting she dered a spot to summon and quickly activated it. Summoning Magic : Sanctia As soon as she cast it, a white magic circle began floating in mid-air. It slowly began warping, as if it was being pulled into itself, and then shattered into many prismatic shards. From them, Mira¡¯s newfound power showed itself. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ this..?¡¹ It fell to the ground with a metallic sound. She had been expecting an armed spirit of a higher level than a Dark Knight or Holy Knight, but she picked up the result with a confused look. All she had summoned was a lone sword. And after closer inspection, it was a perfect copy of the holy sword. Still, the original sword stilly at Sanctia¡¯s feet, so it was not like Mira had summoned the sword itself. All in all, it was a truly mysterious result. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹ All her earlier enthusiasm was gone in an instant, her expectations dashed. Holding the sword, Mira turned to look at Sanctia, looking for an answer. ¡¸Even if you ask me, I don¡¯t really¡­¡¹ Sanctia spoke hesitantly, Mira¡¯s inquiring stare showed so much doubt as if she was even questioning if this was not a different type of possessed sword. ¡¸I don¡¯t even know how to use a sword¡­¡¹ Mira sighed as she muttered that, looking at the sword while at a loss on how to proceed. (Well, either way I just learned how to cast it. Maybe if I keep using it, it could evolve into an actual knight.) Mira began thinking of options, though she still had no idea how she would reach that point. All she knew about sword fighting was that she was indeed holding a sword, other than that she was aplete beginner. She had always been a spellcaster, so mastering a sword was virtually impossible for her anyway. ¡¸Hmm¡­ let¡¯s try this instead.¡¹ When she began to think of how to train with it, she got another idea. To put it to the test, she summoned a Dark Knight. The three spirits increased their distance from her, holding their breath, while Mira made the Dark Knight let go of its usual grand sword and instead let it hold the summoned sword. (Hmm, proportionally the sword looks too small, but I guess it¡¯s fine.) Seeing that the Dark Knight was firmly grasping the new sword, Mira ordered it to give a few swings. Following the orders given, the Dark Knight quickly moved to the center of the room to swing the sword there. All it did was swing the sword up and down continuously, but it created a clear sound as the de cut through the air, leaving a bright afterimage after it. ¡¸This is amazing!¡¹ There was a clear difference in how the Dark Knight swung the summoned sword as opposed to its usual one, looking more sharp and even creating a particr sound and shine. Mira was impressed, realizing just how much of a difference the summoned sword made. And then, the prismatic afterimage exploded. A bright sh and a high pitched plosive sound filled the room. ¡¸What was that?!¡¹ Blinded from the sh, Mira slowly opened her eyes, turning to Sanctia with an inquiring stare again. ¡¸That¡¯s one of the holy sword¡¯s powers! By focusing manyyers of my magic power in the air, they resonate and explode like that!¡¹ The summoned sword had the same properties as the original item. Noticing that, Sanction proudly exined what happened, smiling happily while adding ¡¸I didn¡¯t know summoning magic could do something like this.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, so it¡¯s like the holy sword itself? That¡¯s amazing!¡¹ The summoned sword had activated one of the powers of the original. Seeing that, Mira ran to the Dark Knight and took the sword back from it, holding it up in her hands. ¡¸Hahh!¡¹ Mira amassed all the power she could, shouting as she swung the sword down. The de traveled down silently, carried by gravity, and then collided with the ground together with a ng. There was no colorful afterimage, nor an explosion. The sword required a lot more than Mira¡¯s strength to be swung. ¡¸¡­¡¹ Mira stared silently at the sword in disappointment, then turned to Sanctia once again searching for answers. ¡¸Err¡­ you know, I¡¯m a holy sword. It¡¯s not like just anyone can swing something like that properly. You¡¯re a summoner, right? So it¡¯s not your fault, you know?¡¹ Sanctia stated one obvious fact after another, desperate to wash her hands off the matter. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Well, in any case, I got a new skill, so I¡¯m happy enough with that.¡¹ Either thanks to Sanctia¡¯s reasoning, or through simple resignation, Mira rxed her face and looked at the summoned sword with pride. ¡¸This was a first for me, so please take good care of it.¡¹ Sanctia looked at the summoned sword with an endearing look, as if she was looking at her child, her cheeks reddening softly. ¡¸As long as it¡¯s easy enough to use¡­¡¹ Saying that, Mira sent the sword away while sighing. ¡¸Now then¡¹ she muttered, grinning as she walked towards Worthramble. Chapter 96: Summoning Contract (2) Chapter 96: Summoning Contract (2) ¡¸You said you¡¯re a spirit of stillness, yes?¡¹ ¡¸Well, yeah¡­ why?¡¹ Worthramble forced a smile as he quickly realized that Mira¡¯s target had switched from Sanctia to himself. ¡¸This is my first time meeting a spirit of stillness, so is it correct for me to assume that means you¡¯re an elemental spirit?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡¹ Spirits that usually lived among nature were ssified as elemental spirits, given power over natural phenomenons and elements. Hearing his reply, Mira looked at Worthramble more intently, her smile broadening even more. ¡¸Earlier you mentioned you¡¯d do anything if I saved her, right? In that case¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, if it¡¯s in my power to do so.¡¹ The spirit of stillness replied, his eyes firmly focused on Mira, who had gotten so close her nose was almost touching him. ¡¸Okay, then I want you too.¡¹ Mira nodded deeply hearing his reply, gradually extending her hand until it touched his cheek. A small light began glowing, it was the light of a contract. Then a magic circle appeared, but it quickly faded away. ¡¸Hmm, it worked. Though it looked much more subdued.¡¹ As opposed to the contract with Sanctia, the contract with the spirit of stillness was way less shy, as if his element was represented by it. ¡¸Yeah, I can see that¡­¡¹ He agreed with her, feeling slightly let down after witnessing the extravagant contract that happened earlier. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on.¡¹ Still, Mira had felt a clear response from the contract, knowing it had been sessful. Then struck her hand forward with a satisfied smile. ¡¸Me too.¡¹ He shook her hand, quickly regaining hisposure after enduring Mira¡¯s usual odd behaviour. He appeared used to that kind of situation, probably due to his innate element. ¡¸But still, only after forming the contract I noticed, but are you actually a high level spirit?¡¹ ¡¸I guess you can say that.¡¹ Every time Mira formed a contract, the spirit¡¯s details and spells used to call them when summoned shed in her mind, just like a dream she had long forgotten. For high level spirits, a chant was always necessary. High level spells in general could bring forth much more power than any regr human could ever muster, so a chant was a way to enhance one¡¯s magic power to a higher level making casting them possible. It was definitely not just for show. ¡¸But well, the term stillness is so vague I have no idea what you do. What kind of powers do you have?¡¹ Mira asked him full of curiosity, but he just sighed in disappointment saying ¡¸I guess it¡¯s not the most obvious name.¡¹ ¡¸It might sound amazing, but he and his powers are surprisingly mundane.¡¹ Sanctia teased him from behind, and after Worthramble red at her for an instant he started exining in detail what abilities he had. As his name suggested, he was able to create silence anywhere at demand. That not only meant silence in sounds, but also affected lights and magic. So for instance, he was able to erase all sounds in a given space, conceal items, and erase any magic aura or presence surrounding someone. In other words, a spirit of stillness was perfect for any stealth operation. ¡¸Ohh¡­¡¹ When he finished exining, Mira began thinking about it. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s really mundane after all¡­¡¹ Seeing Mira did not say anything more, Worthramble looked down in dejection again. But Mira smiled again looking at him. ¡¸Isn¡¯t it amazing though? I thought you would only be able to control sounds, but you can actually do a lot more!¡¹ Having thought about all the different uses she could give to the stillness spirit¡¯s abilities, she realized he could be very useful, which made her even happier realizing she had made a great find that day. ¡¸Do you really think so? Thanks.¡¹ Hearing her talk so impressed about himself made him rx his expression and act a bit more happily. With that done, Mira turned to thest spirit present there. Feeling that gaze, Anlutine hugged her own body while her face looked nervously at Mira. ¡¸Well, looks like everything has been taken care of down here. Do you mind taking me back to the ce we came from?¡¹ The shrine was deep inside an underwater cavern. To get there, one needed the help of a water spirit like Anlutine who could get someone under theke, so Mira asked her to be able to return to the surface. ¡¸I thought you¡¯d want to form a contract with me as well.¡¹ She looked very relieved in a way. ¡¸I¡¯ve already formed contracts with water spirits before, so I don¡¯t need more.¡¹ Hearing her reply, Anlutine seemed satisfied, sighing in relief, though she also looked somewhat left out. ¡¸Really, thank you so much for saving me.¡¹ ¡¸I just happened to be in the right ce.¡¹ At the end of the cave, just before leaving into theke, Sanctia hugged Mira before parting ways. Mira scowled, feeling her solid breastte, but seeing Sanctia¡¯s smile made her feel satisfied. After that there was a short discussion, mostly Mira protesting about being carried like a princess again, but eventually they returned to theke¡¯s surface. ¡¸What¡­ are those?¡¹ Looking up into the sky above theke surrounded by trees, there were countless glowing spots, moving like they were adrift on heavenly waves, so they could not be stars. ¡¸Those are migrating fireflies. At this time of the year they fly in big groups like that and go to the north.¡¹ ¡¸I see. What a marvelous sight.¡¹ Usually Mira would be asleep at that time, so she would have never been able to see that sight, but now she smiled luckily. ¡¸But still, we got this close and they¡¯re all still sleeping. Your powers to make us quiet is truly something else.¡¹ After Mira had enjoyed the dazzling night scene, she went back to the wagon, passing beside Arlon who was sleeping soundly on the driver¡¯s tform, then checked on Hebi and Sasori cuddled on the roof of the wagon, surprised that none of them had noticed her at all. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing big to keep them asleep like this.¡¹ Saying that, Worthramble opened the Wagon¡¯s door without much care. ¡¸Still seems really useful.¡¹ Even Arlon who had shown really good reflexes so far showed no change. But Mira was very surprised seeing Worthramble¡¯s powers in person. ¡¸Well, ¡¯till we meet again, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, take care of yourself and the other two.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll make sure they stay safe.¡¹ With thosest words behind him, Worthramble closed the wagon¡¯s door and went straight back to theke. Mira watched as the two spirits vanished inside the forest, then cleaned her dirtied clothes and slipped back inside her bed. Not long after her deep breaths could be heard vanishing into the dark night. Chapter 97: Convergence (1) Chapter 97: Convergence (1) ¡¸The sun is shiningg, wake uppppp-¡¹ A vague muffled voice sounded, but it gradually grew louder and clearer until it pierced inside Mira¡¯s mind. ¡¸Hngh¡­ what is it?¡¹ Mira had gotten less sleep than usual thanks to helping the spirits, so even as her eyes opened she was still sleepy after opening her eyes, which prompted her to hug her nket and curl into a ball. ¡¸Hey now! It¡¯s really bright outside already so it¡¯s time to depart!¡¹ Sasori was like the opposite of Mira, already full of energy as she shook Mira¡¯s body to hurry her on her feet. ¡¸Why so noisy early in the morning¡­¡¹ Unable to keep sleeping in silence, Mira erected her upper body and turned to look at the modern Japanese style clock on the wall. It was already slightly past six in the morning. She then turned to look out of the window, daybreak had already passed, and the surface of theke dazzled with bright spots reflecting the morning sun. That glittering scene made Mira squint her eyes, before she rubbed them with the back of her hands. ¡¸Mm¡­ it¡¯s still too early.¡¹ Muttering that Mira fell on her side again, but Sasori quickly shook her body while pleading ¡¸Wake up, make us flyy.¡¹ That was the main reason why Sasori was so desperate to wake Mira up. Without her, no one could summon Garuda to make them continue with their journey. ¡¸Alright, alright.¡¹ They were still a considerable distance away from their destination, so Mira figured that even if she was unable to continue sleeping now, she would be able to catch some more rest while they traveled, so she crawled out of her bed and stood up. ¡¸How¡¯s it going? Is the littledy awake yet?¡¹ At the same time, Arlon peeked through the window. ¡¸Ah¡­ Sorry!¡¹ He instantly turned around and fell on his knees, realizing he had made the gravest mistake of his life. His eyes had captured all of Mira¡¯s alluring bare figure, only covered by a mere piece of ck underwear. Hearing him, Sasori threw a pillow to his head. The soft blow made Arlon lose his bnce, falling from the wagon face first onto the ground. Some time after that short bout, the four finished their morning preparations and took off towards the Mirage Maze. Thanks to Garuda, there were no setbacks as the group headed there, until a few hourster when Garuda began calling out. ¡¸Hm, what¡¯s going on?¡¹ Hearing that, Mira woke up and made her way through Sasori and the rest, opening the driver¡¯s tform door. They were very high in the air, but thanks to Garuda¡¯s power the wind felt calm, and it was easy to gaze into the distance. ¡¸Huh, what¡¯s that?¡¹ Ahead of them, there was a giant tornado just in the path they were taking. Everywhere else the sky looked calm and beautiful, but that one spot ahead of them was covered by a raging storm threatening all life. It was clearly not a natural phenomenon. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Arlon peeked from above Mira¡¯s head, but he quickly saw what was ahead of them and asked a quizzical ¡¸The heck is that?¡¹ ¡¸Where did thate from?¡¹ ¡¸Baffling.¡¹ Sasori and Hebi also came after Arlon, wondering simr things as him. Though there was hardly anything else to say seeing something so bizarre. ¡¸Wait, isn¡¯t that exactly where the Mirage Maze is?¡¹ There were grassy ins spreading far away below them, with a small river going through them. Following the river upstream, a white snowy mountain range could be seen. Arlon was able to identify that location, speaking as he looked at where the tornado hit the ground. ¡¸Hm¡­ you¡¯re right. This ce does look familiar.¡¹ Mira also looked more carefully and agreed with Arlon¡¯s assessment. The tornado was at the very entrance of the Mirage maze, or probably enshrouding the entire dungeon. At first nce, it was clear the violent tornado would be hard to get through, effectively sealing and blocking the Mirage Maze from the outside. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that really bad for us though?¡¹ Sasori¡¯s face clouded over the more she looked at the tornado. This bode very bad news for them if this was a sign of Chimera uzen being there. And considering they usually liked to cover all their movements and were always sthealty, it was easy to assume this time they purely wanted to keep people away from there. In other words, they had reached the point where they did not care if they attracted a lot of attention to themselves as long as they got to their target. They had to hurry, anyone could tell there was not much time seeing that. ¡¸I heard Garuda has the power to control the wind, do you think that could help in any way?¡¹ Arlon looked at Garuda pping its wings above them as he spoke. Garuda did have a power like that, thanks to it the wagon did not sway under the wind and the trip wasfortable, but looking at the strong tornado ahead, Mira shook her head. ¡¸There¡¯s a limit to how much it can take. If we plunge inside there we¡¯ll lose control.¡¹ If it was a smaller, natural tornado, it would have been possible. But a man-made tornado of an undefined magnitude was beyond Mira and Garuda¡¯s powers. ¡¸Ah! Mira,nd on that spot where the river makes a sharp turn.¡¹ Sasori seemed to notice something, pointing at a certain spot on the river¡¯s shore with her finger while telling Mira tond there. ¡¸Hmm, alright.¡¹ Mira looked in that direction and told Garuda tond on the spot Sasori had pointed at. As they got closer to the ground, the gusts from Garuda¡¯s wings violently shook the grass below and created ripples on the river before the wagon stopped. When they touched the ground, Sasori jumped off the wagon and unsheathed a dagger, which she promptly struck into the ground. She then wrapped a yellow piece of cloth around the dagger¡¯s handle, then ran into the forest nearby with her hands lifted up for a while before she lowered her right hand. ¡¸What kind of ritual is that?¡¹ Mira also jumped off the wagon after sending Garuda home, and seeing Sasori¡¯s puzzling movements she asked Hebi while knitting her eyebrows. ¡¸That¡¯s a signal for ourrades. Saying this ce is secure and we want to talk with them.¡¹ Chapter 97: Convergence (2) Chapter 97: Convergence (2) That was a signal they used among the Hidden. After exining that, Hebi also went towards the forest and gave a different signal. When Mira asked what that one meant, Hebi exined it meant ¡¸the other two are friends.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re saying your allies are somewhere inside that forest?¡¹ There was no sense to give signals if there was no one to see them, so there had to be other Hidden members in the forest. But as far as Mira could see, there were no people inside the forest, even when observing with the sage skill Life Sensing, she could not find anything inside its range. ¡¸Considering how close we are to the Mirage Maze, I¡¯d assume there would be members stationed here.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ If they got to talk with the Hidden group sent to the Mirage Maze, they would get a better idea of what the situation was around there. A stream flowing behind them, the sound of rustling leaves in the wind, and the short cries of hawks above them. All around them there were the calming sounds of nature, but Mira only looked at the raging tornado in front of them. Soon after she noticed the shadow of a tree moving, but it felt offpared to the wind direction. Then a silhouette emerged from those shadows and scuttled along the ground until it stood in front of Sasori. ¡¸That¡¯s quite the dramatic entrance, Sasori.¡¹ The man spoke as he looked at the wagon he had seennd from the sky, but his eyes showed signs of exhaustion. ¡¸I knew it was you, Kumo!¡¹ Sasori referred to him as Kumo. He was another member of the Hidden, wearing a camouge coat and with short hair, as well as well carved facial features that overall gave him a strong appearance befitting of a soldier. ¡¸I recognize Hebi over there¡­ but who are the other two?¡¹ He took a nce at the other people traveling with Sasori, his gaze fixating on Mira and Arlon. Kumo saw the man was clearly a warrior, and the little girl had to be the summoner whomanded that monstrous Garuda. ¡¸They¡¯re the helpers for our mission. The big dude is Arlon, and the small girl is Mira.¡¹ Sasori jumped back to where Mira and Arlon stood, roughly introducing them with pride in her voice. ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Arlon.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Arlon had a sharp gaze as he looked at Kumo, curiously examining his features while smiling broadly and introducing himself. Meanwhile Mira contorted her lips into a twisted smile as she arrogantly mentioned her name. ¡¸They give quite an impression, I have to say.¡¹ Seeing Arlon¡¯s impressive appearance, clearly showing how much experience he had, and then Mira who looked frail enough but had mastered incredibly powerful spells, Kumoughed loudly as he replied. ¡¸Wait, wasn¡¯t Mira the same person who helped capture the first Chimera member? Is this her?¡¹ As he stored their names, Arlon and Mira, in his mind, he quickly realized he had heard one of those names in the past. Usually Chimera uzen would prioritize fleeing at any costs, even if it meant abandoning the spirits they hunted for. But one day they managed to capture one of their members thanks to the hand of a helper. Ever since that incident, the Fifty Bells had been able to quickly change course from investigating to a full out assault against Chimera uzen. All members had heard the name of that helper, Mira. ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s her.¡¹ Sasori nodded in reply, and Kumo looked at Mira with impressed eyes before nodding softly saying ¡¸I see¡¹. She had a rather cutesy and normal looking appearance and clothing, but she was able to summon beasts like a Garuda. Kumo could see anyone, including Chimera uzen, lowering their guards and taking her lightly. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m pretty sure HQ told me your group went to the Libra Fortress, why are you here? Please don¡¯t tell me you came to the wrong ce.¡¹ ¡¸Well, quite a lot happened there actually.¡¹ With that preface, Sasori summarized their experience in the Libra Fortress. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why you decided toe here.¡¹ When Kumo heard the entire story, he looked over at the four before muttering in understanding. ¡¸Yup, that¡¯s about it. Now this has been bothering me for a while, but what even is that?!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s voice gained a stronger tone as the sentence went on, and in the end she pointed to the giant tornado further away. ¡¸T-that¡¯s¡­¡¹ Kumo nced at the tornado, a defeated look on his face as he sighed and waved to the forest. A few secondster, a woman dressed like a monk appeared from another tree shadow. ¡¸I just have to exin what happened, right?¡¹ She had clearly been listening in to the conversation, but she looked just as exhausted as Kumo as she began talking about the tornado. The tornado was already there when their team arrived there. And as Mira and the rest had guessed, it was not a natural urrence but an artificial phenomenon. They had been trying to find the source of the tornado the entire time until the Libra Fortress group arrived, but had found nothing helpful. A part of Kumo¡¯s team had also tried various ways of going through the tornado, but so far nothing worked. Sasori asked for more details on the methods they tried, all valid for situations like these and very varied. The only reasonable option left was to spy on any Chimera uzen members that might enter into the Mirage Maze and see the path they take. But they had been unable to spot anyone getting anywhere close enough to warrant an investigation, so Kumo¡¯s group was truly stumped. ¡¸Hmm. Either way, there¡¯s no use sitting idly here. Shall we go take a closer look?¡¹ Everyone felt cornered knowing everything that happened, but hearing Mira¡¯s suggestion, they immediately departed with her. ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s do that.¡¹ Now that they had four more minds thinking of the problem, chances were they could figure something new out. But for that, everyone had to examine the tornado from closer. Sasori realized that much and nodded, following Mira. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s something to do at least¡¹ said Arlon as he also went after them. Hebi had been right behind Mira the entire time. Kumo and the other Hidden could tell how reliable those four sounded, so they also followed behind them in silence. Chapter 98: Inside the Tornado (1) Chapter 98: Inside the Tornado (1) As the group got closer, the unnatural features of the tornado became more apparent. Due to its artificial source, the wind forming the tornado moved in a specific pattern, barely going off track as it revolved, which made it impossible to find a gap to cross it. But at the same time, theck of irregrity made it possible to stand even as close as twenty meters away from it without feeling its effect. From up close, the sky looked darker, covered by the tornado. The low bellowing of the wind sounding like the breath of a dragon poised for attack.. ¡¸Looks like there¡¯s no way in from here.¡¹ Seeing all its features, Arlon sighed while giving up on crossing the imposing wall of wind. The tornado was just as powerful as any naturally urring one, not something a mere adventurer or a small group of any type of people could overpower. ¡¸Yeah, I know.¡¹ Kumo had a sour smile as he stood at Arlon¡¯s side, recalling everything he had attempted the past days. ¡¸I guess we can¡¯t really run through this fast enough either.¡¹ ¡¸This is more force than my Rock Golem can take too.¡¹ Sasori and Hebi also observed the tornado while discarding their ideas. It was truly beyond their abilities. The four of them came together and began exchanging ideas, trying to find a way tobine their abilities to somehow make it through. Mira stood a few paces behind them, vaguely listening to them while scratching her chin, her eyes focused on the tornado. The tornado fending off any intruders with powerful wind had Chimera uzen written all over it. And while Mira¡¯s group stood brooding over it outside, it was obvious that something else was happening inside. Standing there doing nothing meant they were constantly falling behind Chimera uzen, but there was no progress in the four¡¯s conversation, so they were stuck there. (I guess I might as well try something.) Mira thought that as she walked forward, looking at the tornado one step in front of Arlon and the others. ¡¸I might be able to somehow squeeze through. Can you all keep watch out here?¡¹ She turned around and looked at the perplexed group to say that before turning to the tornado and slowly walking forward again. ¡¸Wait wait, we tried literally everything we could. You can¡¯t just walk-¡¹ ¡¸Really?! If you can, then please find a way to dispel the tornado from inside as well!¡¹ Kumo tried to stop Mira, baffled at her acts, but Sasori interrupted him and spoke excitedly to her. Even with thebined efforts of multiple Hidden members they had been unable to cross the tornado, but rather than giving up knowing that, Sasori decided to ce her trust on Mira. ¡¸I was thinking of stopping their scheme first¡­ but I¡¯ll think about it.¡¹ Assuming Chimera uzen were the people behind the tornado, the casters had to be in some safe area, most likely past the wind barrier. But it would mean nothing to find them if Chimera uzen aplished their goals in the meantime. Mira knew as much, so she only promised to think about it, though she still spoke with a confident tone. ¡¸But like I was saying-¡¹ ¡¸Considering the tornado¡¯s size, it¡¯s safe to assume that it needs a lot of casters to keep it active, so they¡¯re probably somewhere open rather than inside the dungeon.¡¹ Kumo tried to stop Mira again, but Hebi interrupted him. From the sliver of Mira¡¯s abilities she had seen on their way there, she believed Mira might actually have a way to break past the tornado. ¡¸This is a tool to seal the powers of negative spirits. Just throwing it at them should be enough.¡¹ As she spoke, Hebi reached inside her pouch for a spherical object the size of her palm, which she handed to Mira as if their hopes rested in it. ¡¸I see, so I should just throw this to wherever the source of the tornado seems to be.¡¹ While the tornado was clearly artificial, making one of such magnitude was no easy task. At the very least a spellcaster with abilitiesparable to a wiseman was necessary. But there were other ways of creating a phenomenon like that. Namely, spirits. Considering Chimera uzen were behind that, it was easy to conclude they were using the power of spirits in some way, most likely forcefully and against the spirits¡¯ will. ¡¸At least try to do it.¡¹ Saying that, Hebi looked at Mira with a pleading and pained expression. Mira took the sphere and firmly grasped Hebi¡¯s hand, adding ¡¸Leave it to me¡¹ with a wide smile. ¡¸What even¡­¡¹ After being interrupted twice, Kumo gave up trying to understand what was happening, feeling left out of the loop amongst those three. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t really understand that girl¡¯s power until you see it first hand.¡¹ Arlon patted his back exining that, in an attempt tofort him, but that only showed he too was inside that loop. ¡¸But still¡­¡¹ Kumo hunched down in doubt, watching that girl wearing trendy Magic Girl type of clothes. Kumo had a healthy amount of pride in the abilities of him and his group, but theirbined efforts had been of naught. And now he watched Mira calmly im to be able to cross the tornado. He wanted to trust in Sasori and Hebi¡¯s confidence, but it was still hard for him to believe someone he met for the first time. ¡¸You see, I never give up until I¡¯ve tried everything I have. So I¡¯m sorry but I have to see how far I can go.¡¹ Chapter 98: Inside the Tornado (2) Chapter 98: Inside the Tornado (2) Mira looked at Kumo, understanding what he was trying to say, but she smirked as she dered she was not going to change her mind. He was taken aback by that, looking away while saying ¡¸Alright alright, do whatever you want¡¹, sighing as he turned to look up at the tornado again. ¡¸Hm? What happened? Your ears turned red.¡¹ ¡¸Nothing.¡¹ Arlon poked fun at him for his reaction, making Kumo pull his hood down and look to the side. ¡¸Anyway, time to give this a try.¡¹ She had gotten as close to the tornado as possible without being blown away when she finished her sentence. Mira prepared to cast the skill that would let her cross the tornado. Resonant Summoning: Sylphid As soon as she uttered those words, a magic circle appeared below her feet and rose into the air, as if enveloping Mira before it shattered and dispersed like wind. That was a skill with a different effect than anything she had used before. (Hmm, my body feels really light. I guess this is how it feels when activated in reality.) Mira felt something enveloping her body, a power different to her own. At the same time, it also gave her the conviction that it would let her cross through the tornado. As quickly as she noticed that, she broke into a run, plunging into the raging winds of the tornado. The remaining members of the group had seen that skill for the first time, but they saw a clear opportunity there. If Mira seeded, then the tornado would vanish soon. They had to be prepared for that, so Kumo quickly ran back to the other members of his group to inform them. ¡¸What did she just do?¡¹ Arlon, Sasori and Hebi stayed close to the tornado, watching the spot where Mira had vanished. ¡¸Unknown.¡¹ Arlon had a puzzled smile, but Hebi replied with her usual deadpan face, only disturbed by a slight glint in her eyes. ¡¸I wonder what would happen if Mira fights with all she has.¡¹ Added Sasori, making the three of them tremble imagining that. The loud roaring wind and an immeasurable pressure was all that could be felt inside the tornado, but to Mira it felt like she was running against a soft breeze. The wind would rather go around her rather than against her. That was due to the summoning she had performed earlier. A resonant summoning, rather than manifesting a spirit, it momentarily granted the summoner the powers of a spirit. With it, Mira had obtained the powers of wind spirit. Being a high level skill, it was hard to maintain a resonant summoning for more than a minute, and it also consumed arge amount of mana. But at the same time it had many upsides as well. Mainly, Mira was unaffected by wind now, so she was able to traverse through the tornado without issue. No matter how strong and wild those winds were, they could not touch Mira. When she got through the tornado, she saw a scenery covered in ancient ruins. Those buildings had been carved into the rocky mountains, showing whoever inhabited this region ages ago had an exquisite workmanship, as well as methods that had been lost to time and exceeded anything known. (From up close this ce looks even more breathtaking.) Walking through the road leading between those rocks, Mira was ovee by a feeling of wonder. She had visited that ce countless times as a game, but now that everything had gained a sense of mass, it left a much stronger impression in Mira¡¯s mind. (They don¡¯t seem to have a lookout.) She surveyed the ruins again, but was unable to sense any living being around them. They truly ced all their confidence on the tornado. Then it was best if she found the source quickly, but she had been looking around the entire time without finding any ce likely to be the source. If she could not see anything at first nce, then they were probably somewhere hidden between the ruins, so Mira went closer to them. ¡¸I guess I have no other option left.¡¹ Having walked through the ruins in vain, she realized she was running out of time. Her search being futile, she decided to call someone more suitable for that job. ¡¸Chief, you needed someowthing?¡¹ After a glowing magic circle appeared and vanished, Cait Sith appeared sitting in aid back manner, resting his shoulder against the sign reading ¡®Elite Cat Troop #1¡¯. He was mimicking a rebellious pose which he had learned from some unknown source. ¡¸There¡¯s so much to improve on your act, but regardless, listen carefully First Lieutenant. I need you to investigate the origins of the tornado surrounding this ce.¡¹ Mira paid little attention to Cait Sith¡¯s entrance, waving it away as she quickly exined the current issue to him. ¡¸Leave it to meow, Chief.¡¹ The sign he had been used to rest his body against had transformed into a de, which he brandished while smiling with confidence. ¡¸Getting it to touch this should be enough to stop it.¡¹ Trying to do everything properly, Mira gave the sphere she got from Hebi to Cait Sith. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll take care of the goods.¡¹ Skillfully Cait Sith received the sphere, holding it with his paw as he materialized a cloth which he used to fasten the sphere to his back. ¡¸I¡¯m counting on you then.¡¹ With that, Cait Sith darted towards the ruins while saying ¡¸Let¡¯s deliver this wrecking ball!¡¹ in high spirits. The sign he carried on his back read ¡®Watch out, demolition zone¡¯. ¡¸Well, I should get going as well.¡¹ Mira saw Cait Sith scurry away for a while before muttering to herself. She summoned Pegasus, who silently walked up to her to receive pats and cheek rubs. Then the two looked at the biggest gate amongst the ruins. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, but let¡¯s do this.¡¹ She climbed on his back, and Pegasus neighed happily before pping his wings and they flew towards the gate. Chapter 99: The Mirage Maze (1) Chapter 99: The Mirage Maze (1) The Mirage Maze was located past one of the gates in those rocky ruins. Many connected vertical corridors formed part of it, more than a hundred in total. They were really wide and tall, open to the environment at the top, essentially going all the way up to the summit of the mountain. Mira was currently riding on Pegasus, flying straight up the first corridor. It almost felt like she had already gained more altitude than the appearance of the mountain suggested from outside. (I can¡¯t see anyone here either, not even monsters.) She was constantly looking for familiarndmarks, but that led to her noticing there was no living soul apart from her there. An easy conclusion was that Chimera¡¯s higher ups had gone through and killed all the monsters, but even that solution had a problem. There were no bodies left either. (Did they clean up all the bodies? Or maybe¡­ hmm, either way, bizarre scenes seem very fitting for them.) Chimera uzen always struck her as a rowdy crowd, so it was hard to imagine they would be kind enough to clean up the ce, but Mira had another hunch. Over Killing. In other words, using an excessively powerful attack to ughter monsters which left not even ashes. With that in mind, Mira decided to proceed with more caution. Not too long after she found thendmark she had been looking for. Amongst countless circr columns supporting the structure lining the corridor, there was one square pir that seemed to be trying to blend in with the others. ¡¸That¡¯s it, Pegasus. Go through the passage behind that column.¡¹ Mira leant against Pegasus¡¯ neck and pointed at the square column. Pegasus nodded slightly and swiftly changed course as if he was galloping through the air. The corridor that followed for a few hundred meters still conserved most of the texture from the original rocks, but it was also adorned by beautiful superficial carvings. It was rather narrow, Pegasus barely fitting with his wings stretched out, but he disyed his excellent flying skills and proceeded through it without dropping speed. Not muchter they were out of the corridor, only toe out to an identical space as the one they were in earlier. Though it was not the same ce. Mira had been there before, so she was not fazed by the simrities, calmly telling Pegasus to go down this time. Simr to the Libra Fortress, the Mirage Maze had only one correct path that needed to be taken to reach the deepest room. But the maze was easier than the fortress, the columns gave a very easyndmark to follow. Mira once again carefully looked at her surroundings as they went down, looking at all the columns. At the same time, she confirmed that just like before, there was no human or monster there. The second vertical corridor had the sameyout as the first one, though that applied to the rest of them as well. Everything seemed to loop around, only opening up once the required conditions had been met. ¡¸Hm?¡¹ Mira spotted a ck stain, so she ordered Pegasus to get closer so she could examine it. ¡¸It looks like a burnt spot.¡¹ Hundred meters down, there was something left on the corridor. From close up, it was clear that it was the charred effect left by something extremely hot. Mira had a hunch as to what caused it. Sometimes when going down those corridors a giant spider-like monster would spawn. It was quite strong as far as mid-bosses went, and Mira could easily presume that stain was the remains of a fight against that monster. ¡¸Hmm¡­ looks like they¡¯re packing quite a lot of firepower.¡¹ At least one of Chimera uzen¡¯s members that passed through there had the power to charr the corridor¡¯s wall like that. (This really has to be an important event for them.) Mira looked up at a ck circle up above in the sky, thinking of the strong foes standing there. They continued their descent, Mira looking at the columns around until she eventually found the nextndmark. ¡¸Pegasus, go through there next.¡¹ Mira pointed at a triangr column this time, and Pegasus quickly followed her orders and flew through a dark passage. That passage continued for a few hundred meters as well, and once out they were in another vertical corridor with lighting in through the top. Mira ordered Pegasus to go up again, and he did as ordered, not questioning her even though their surroundings looked exactly the same as before. Halfway through their ascent, Mira spotted a ce missing a column, and quickly ordered Pegasus to go through it. The third passage was even longer than the previous ones. Some time passed while they flew through it, and the passage widened, the chiseled walls turning rougher. It was almost like they had identally happened upon a natural cave. They continued moving forward, until eventually they saw a light ahead of them. It was sunlight leaking in through the exit. (We¡¯re finally here.) Whoever was there, they had to be a powerful group. As the light grew stronger, Mira climbed down from Pegasus and activated Life Sensing to have an advantage when dealing the first strike. (There¡¯s only one?) Life Sensing showed only one reaction. Mira had expected many high ranking members from Chimera to be there, so that caught her off-guard. But that also meant that whoever that lone person was, they were powerful enough to clear the entire Mirage Maze on their own. Mira cleared her mind to focus and climbed back up on Pegasus to fly the remaining distance until they were out in the sunlight. That was thest room in the Mirage Maze, also known as the Ancient Circr Gate. Rough rocks supported by columns surrounded the ce, forming a conical opening, which gave the ce a simr look to a crater. At the other end from where Mira stood, at the foot of broken down stone stairs, was a knight wearing shy armor and a viking-like helmet that covered his eyes. To his side stood a gray warrior whose body was covered with a ck mist. Near themy a coffin, as well as the remains of the guardians of the Spirit Pce. ¡¸What happened¡­ either way you¡¯ll pay!¡¹ Mira had considered the possibility that someone other than Chimera uzen was in there. But from the look of things, she quickly figured they were her enemies and charged on to attack. ¡¸Huh?!¡¹ The knight seemed to notice something and turned around. His movement was swift, showing he had really good reflexes. But he was not fast enough. Mira charged into the knight and activated Refined Impact from zero distance onto his chest, while Pegasus¡¯ lightning pierced through the warrior. The sound of the impact and thunder mixed in the air, reverberating many times. ¡¸Hoh, that¡¯s quite resilient.¡¹ There was still a soft rumbling echo, but Mira¡¯s voice rang clear. A hint of admiration and interest mixed in her tone. The knight was propelled a few meters back, but he had resisted Mira¡¯s favorite attack without a scratch. His armor was more resistant than the devils from the past. That was the reason she had voiced her interest in that way as she stared intently at the man. (Hm¡­ is it because of that helmet¡­?) Former yers had the ability of checking the basic stats of an opponent. But a couple requirements had to be met, ording to Solomon. It was impossible to investigate a fellow yer, and their face had to be visible when checking. ¡¸So the Fifty Bells¡¯s on my *** already¡­ At least they sent a cute one, and hey, you got here faster than I expected. So that¡¯s a shocker.¡¹ The knight spoke with a coarse tone, nced at the warrior whoy charred, and smiled brashly. Under the shadow of his helmet, Mira noticed a pair of eyes ring sharply at her. ¡¸I assume that means you¡¯re Chimera¡¯s pup?¡¹ With the blue sky overhead, Mira looked back at the man, smiling slightly. Chapter 99: The Mirage Maze (2) Chapter 99: The Mirage Maze (2) ¡¸A pup? Now that¡¯s a great name for one of the three heads.¡¹ The man rxed his shoulders and smiled amused, then slowly unsheathing his sword. ¡¸Hmm you call yourselves Chimera, and you said three heads, so I guess you¡¯re more like a goat then.¡¹ A chimera was a mythological creature with the head of a lion, the head of a goat protruding from its torso and a snake head for its tail. When Mira heard him mention three heads, she got to that conclusion seeing the horns affixed to the man¡¯s helmet. ¡¸Oh c¡¯mon, don¡¯t take it so literally, or at least think of me as a snake if anything.¡¹ ¡¸Heh, sadly I know someone more befitting of that name.¡¹ Mira replied to him, and as soon as her mouth stopped moving a bolt of lightning hit the knight head on. Pegasus had attacked again. ¡¸Huh, that¡¯s weird.¡¹ The man looked up to the sky, confirming there were no clouds, and then turned to look at Pegasus. Even hit by lightning, he looked unfazed, not a single scratch or burnt spot on his armor. (I didn¡¯t expect him to barely react to Pegasus¡¯ lightning. I wonder if he¡¯s that powerful, or if it¡¯s his armor doing some work. Either way he¡¯s more dangerous than I thought.) ¡¸That¡¯s an admirable defense you have there. Or is it something you stole from the Spirit King?¡¹ Mira inquired trying to clear her curiosity, which the manughed away. ¡¸I wish that was it, but he¡¯s one stubborn pain in the ***. Either way, it shouldn¡¯t take too much longer.¡¹ Saying that, the man turned around, looking up the broken stairs he had behind him. Mira followed his gaze, spotting a vase with intricate patterns carved into it. (So I¡¯m still on time. But only barely.) Further up above the vase, there was a gate far up in the sky, small particles of light falling from it like snow, gathering into small clumps in the air. ¡¸Just a few more.¡¹ As he spoke, the man lifted a hand into the air. In response, the light particles fell quickly and were sucked into the vase. ¡¸Hmm, so that¡¯s the setup you¡¯re using¡­¡¹ He had already started channeling the Spirit King¡¯s power away. Apparently the sketches of the control room were not essential to grab that power. Still, the Spirit King¡¯s power was so immense that it was impossible to take all of it at once. It was also so powerful that controlling it was no easy feat. That made their method rather inefficient, so the Libra Fortress¡¯ data was necessary to speed things up. Mira had deducted that much from the scene in front of her, which proved she had arrived on time. ¡¸No matter, I won¡¯t let your schemes seed.¡¹ Mira smiled slightly saying that, before ring at the man while Pegasus neighed loudly and also prepared for battle. ¡¸Try if you want!¡¹ The man also smirked and swung his sword in arge arc, the track left by the de¡¯s tip glowing red before creating a tidal wave of bright mes. That de was a fire spirit sword. The mes it gave birth to were powerful like the breath of a dragon, heading straight towards Mira. (What an overwhelming power.) A momentter the fire collided with Mira¡¯s Holy Knight¡¯s shield, being split into two torrents of mes. The entire area was sent up in mes instantly, a zing wind going past Mira¡¯s cheek. ¡¸This fire¡­ it¡¯s clearlying from a Shadow. Those are rare, but funnily enough I remember encountering another weapon like that not too long ago.¡¹ The roaring mes around her sounded like grievous cries. Mira ced her fingertips on her chin as the White Knight turned red-hot and began to melt. ¡¸Now I want to ask one more thing.¡¹ Mira summoned another Holy Knight and red at the man¡¯s sword. A Shadow. Spirit Arms were very rare, and amongst them Shadows were even more rare. Kairos had attacked her wearing multiple of those, which nted a certain suspicion in Mira. Now merely a couple of dayster, she was seeing another one. There had to be a connection there. ¡¸Well, I dunno what you wanna ask, but don¡¯t expect I¡¯ll tell you anything.¡¹ ¡¸Fair enough.¡¹ Mira¡¯s words were like a signal for the Holy Knight, which brandished its sword and leaped towards the man in the blink of an eye. While Holy Knights were specialized in defense, they were no slouches at attacking either. Technically they were at the same level as Dark Knights. The arc its sword drew was clean and sharp. ¡¸You¡¯re too straightforward.¡¹ The man smiled as he easily parried and deflected the Holy Knight¡¯s attack with perfect precision. The Holy Knight did not relent, swinging its sword down again, but the man held his sword diagonally and kept it at bay. With a high pitched metallic sound, the Holy Knight weighed down onto the man. ¡¸So just a low level one is this heavy already. What a pain¡­¡¹ His smile turned sour as he measured Mira¡¯s power through that low level summon. But the corner of his mouth was quickly raised again. He was using his left hand to help support the weight by holding his sword¡¯s de, but he let go and held it to the side. His hand began glowing, and the warrior that had fallen to Pegasus¡¯ lightning rose up again and began running towards the Holy Knight, slicing its fundamental feature, the shield, in half. In a way, rather than cutting it looked like the warrior¡¯s sword ate through the Shield. ¡¸Is this a simr phenomenon to whatever was around Sanctia?¡¹ The warrior¡¯s body was d in a ck mist, which gave a simr feeling to the skeleton she had seen under theke the night prior. The mist surrounding that skeleton was a curse that consumed spirits, and seeing what happened to the Holy Knight it was clear this warrior was simr. (Things just got worse.) The Holy Knight was an armed spirit focused on defense, but it was erased without effort, so any other simr spirit would be useless. Still, it was a situation Mira had already encountered before. The mist warrior stood next to the knight, protecting him. Seeing that did not surprise Mira, who smiled boldly. ¡¸I knew it, you¡¯re a necromancer. And you aren¡¯t the first spellcaster I¡¯ve seen recently who wears such superfluous armor.¡¹ The mist warrior was a golem formed through necromancy. Mira already had a hunch the knight was a necromancer, given she knew since before entering that space that Life Sensing gave only one reading. Mira looked at the ck mist squirming eerily as she caressed Pegasus¡¯ mane. ¡¸Take him out for me.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s order, Pegasus neighed loudly and kicked off the ground flying into the sky. Pegasus reached his top speed in a matter of seconds, approaching the mist warrior at breakneck speed to kick him far away from there, before elerating again to pursue him. Whenever Pegasus went into a fighting mindset, it was hard to contain him, his speed and strength befitting of the title horse of the skies. It was a very different behavior from his demeanor when Mira rode him. ¡¸The heck is that? What a beast.¡¹ The knight watched as the mist warrior slowly rose to his feet again, scoffing at Pegasus¡¯ violent attacks. ¡¸What do you mean? He¡¯s a clingy and gentle child.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s response, the man could only add ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t spoil him so much¡¹ while shaking his head. ¡¸Anyway, now we¡¯re evenly matched.¡¹ Mira looked around, making sure the surroundings were clear before affixing her eyes straight at the man. ¡¸Never in my life did I think I¡¯d hear that from a summoner.¡¹ The man smirked again as he thrust his sword forward and red back at Mira. ¡¸What an annoying personage.¡¹ Saying that, Mira puffed her cheeks as if she was pouting. But in contrast to that childish reaction, her eyes were locked watching every movement he made. Chapter 100: Wiseman vs. Head (1) Chapter 100: Wiseman vs. Head (1) In the end of the Mirage Maze, Mira and the man faced off in front of the Ancient Circr Gate. Their eyes were locked together, staring at each other. The instant their gazes shifted, the fight went from entirely silent to swift movements. Three Dark Knights appeared around the man, swinging down their swords at him. Mira had started with multiple summonings at once. ¡¸I noticed before, but you¡¯re very fast.¡¹ The man looked slightly surprised seeing three ck heavy swordsing down on him from all sides, but he stopped them with his sword, before unsheathing a second sword from his hilt and swinging it around like a soft stroke, cutting through all the Dark Knights. ¡¸Sadly for you, my golem isn¡¯t the only one that can y spirits.¡¹ The three Dark Knights shattered into small particles that quickly vanished in the air, while the man returned his two swords to their scabbards. Mira had only been able to see it for a short moment, but one of them was covered in a ck. mist. ¡¸So that¡¯s one more thing I¡¯ll have to question you about.¡¹ She had heard that ck mist was a spirit-devouring curse, and she held a strong disdain for the man controlling it in front of her. Chimera uzen and the ck mist both were connected to spirits in some way, so Mira felt there was a deeper rtion between the two. ¡¸Well, I still have no reason to tell you anything though.¡¹ The man snickered saying that, lifting his spirit sword high up in the air and swinging it down towards Mira. A bright red trail followed the sword, which then shot arcs of mes straight ahead. Mira stopped the mes from reaching her with a Holy Knight, activating another summon she had nned while surrounded by mes diverted by the shield. Since the man had justunched an attack, Mira let another Dark Knight swing its sword from his blind spot. ¡¸Is that all you know to do?!¡¹ Either due to his acute perception, or the powers of his spirit sword, the man was immediately aware of the Dark Knight¡¯s presence and turned around while clicking his tongue, leaning to a side to dodge the ck sword. Then he took a step forward, unsheathed the mist sword and sliced through the Dark Knight¡¯s torso. The mist turned the Dark Knight into dust, and before he could pull his arm with the mist sword back, a ck sword appeared and swung against it. That ck sword appeared with such a timing that the man could not evade it on time, the de hitting his arm. A dull metallic ng resounded, and shortly after the ck sword vanished. ¡¸What was that freaky arm that just appeared?! Is that something summoners can do? Don¡¯t go scaring me like that now.¡¹ The attack had connected, but the man just red at the air, before returning the mist sword to its scabbard as if nothing had happened. His gauntlet was also a spirit arm, strong enough to resist an attack from a Dark Knight. ¡¸Now that¡¯s just great, it didn¡¯t even leave a scratch.¡¹ When the mes died down, Mira stood beside the crumbling Holy Knight and looked at the man¡¯s arm before muttering to herself. But opposite to her cynical words, her lips formed a twisted and entertained smile. ¡¸You say that, but your face seems to say something else.¡¹ The man noticed that much and remarked that while crossing his arms, chuckling at Mira. ¡¸Of course it does, it¡¯s such a cute face after all.¡¹ Saying that, Mira tilted her face to the side, resting her cheek on her palm while striking a pose. ¡¸Maybe you have a point, but you¡¯re definitely not my type¡¹ he spat out before breaking into a run to attack again. ¡¸Hmph, you don¡¯t have an eye for quality then.¡¹ His heavy equipment belied the swiftness and speed of his movements. Mira stood still waiting for him, summoning Dark Knights one after another. The man swung his mist sword at them, ying them as he passed. It was hard to believe he was a spellcaster considering his physical skills. ¡¸You still have mana left?¡¹ It took a short time for the man to stand in front of Mira, three Dark Knights standing as ast line of defense. ¡¸We¡¯re just built differently.¡¹ These Dark Knights were slightly unlike the earlier ones, moving to surround him as if calcting the ideal distance, before swinging their swords in order. But the man countered that perfectly. He blocked the first attacks with his spirit sword, following it with a sh of his mist de before turning around and doing the same with the second Dark Knight behind him. Two Dark Knights were down, leaving only one standing. That one swung down as well. The man turned around, holding his spirit sword up to block the iing attack with a movement he had already gotten familiar with, and then held the mist sword with a firmer grip. Before he could swing it though, a loud and shrill metallic noise was produced between the man and the Dark Knight, followed by a bright sh. That was Sanctia¡¯s power. Thest Dark Knight was not holding its usual ck sword, but instead it had the summoned holy sword. ¡¸What the hell?!¡¹ The holy sword¡¯s power flicked the man¡¯s spirit sword away, while the sh blinded his eyes. That was the first time the man showed a moment of hesitation, after appearing to have an imprable armor so far. But that was something Mira had been nning all along. No matter how hard the Dark Knight¡¯s sword hit his armor, it caused no damage. After continuous attacks, that would lower his attention towards the swords. ¡¸Alright, time to end your endless yapping.¡¹ He was blinking constantly, trying to regain his vision, but it was still not enough for him to see where Mira was. Even her voice sounded like a distant echo in his ears. The man understood he was vulnerable, so he quickly assumed a defensive stance. He knew his armor could withstand the simultaneous attack of all Dark Knights, and then some. But if he let dozens of attacks rain carelessly on him, the armor coulde apart at the seams, which he wanted to avoid at all costs. But that was a miscalction on his part. Mira had run right up to him, looking at his face from below his chest. A smirk on her face as she turned her golden magic eyes towards his stiffened face. ¡¸Try to stop this!¡¹ She stood with her feet apart to stabilize her center of mass, striking her right palm against the man¡¯s chest. Inherited Sage Art: Windmill of the Full Moon A strong wind seemed to explode from her hand, blowing strongly against the man. ¡¸What the-?!¡¹ The wind enveloped his body, carrying it up as the gusts of wind pierced through the air. That violent wind easily brought him to an altitude only to blow down smacking him on the ground, repeating that multiple times. Mira had caused what could only be described as a dragon-like tornado. Roaring loudly and scurrying on the ground, baring its fangs and ws to destroy anything in its path. Even Mira¡¯s arm was subject to those cuts. (This hurts more than expected¡­ inherited skills are definitely too extreme.) Mira nced at her bloodied arm, her brow knitting in pain. Inherited Sage Arts. While very powerful, they had the side effect that even someone as trained as Mira would suffer coteral damage from their immense force. But that also made them all the more powerful. Mira was prepared for the consequences, unleashing that cruel indiscriminate wind that carved out everything in front of her. Chapter 100: Wiseman vs. Head (2) Chapter 100: Wiseman vs. Head (2) ¡¸Guh¡­ that was unexpected¡­¡¹ After being swept away by the strong gale, the man was flung against the broken down stairs at the end of the Ancient Circr Gate. He used one of the steps as support as he lifted with wobbly feet, his face contorted in pain and his body posture unstable.. ¡¸Seems that worked a bit.¡¹ Mira said as she picked up the mist sword that had fallen off his hand, throwing it to the other side. His armor had been able to nullify a Dark Knight¡¯s attack, as well as Pegasus¡¯ lightning. It was easy to conclude that it had a strong defense against elemental attacks then, which made it nearly imprable. But sturdiness alone was not enough to face Mira, it took much more than that to take down one of the Nine Wisemen. No matter how hard the armor was, or rather, because it was so resistant, the wearer would receive a considerable amount of damage by being flung to the ground inside it. ¡¸Oh hey, it seems they¡¯re done over there.¡¹ Mira was looking a bit to the side, where Pegasus had just used his hind legs charged with lightning to kick the golem to pieces. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think it would end like this¡­ guess I got greedy and missed my window to escape.¡¹ There were still low thuds from hoofs that could be heard. The man gave into his pain, falling to his knees as he watched how his golem was turned to dust. His eyes had a slight hue of resentment mixed with awe, which he looked at Mira with. ¡¸I can see why having such powerful tools can cloud your judgement.¡¹ Mira slowly approached him as she spoke, but soon after she was stopped by Pegasus. When the winged horse saw Mira¡¯s arm covered in cuts from the earlier gust of wind, he hurried to spread his wings and cast a healing light on her. ¡¸That¡¯s enough, thank you.¡¹ She told him as she leaned down and used her fully healed arm to pick up the spirit sword. ¡¸This is quite something as well.¡¹ she scowled at the man before throwing it behind her as well. ¡¸So I was too cheeky huh, I guess you¡¯re right.¡¹ The man chuckled in resignation, seeing that not only Mira had powerful attacks, but also the means to heal herself. He crawled up the steps, taking hold of the vase at the top and peering into it. It was filled with many specks of light flying around like fireflies. (There isn¡¯t much¡­but I guess I have no other options left. It should be enough to kick things into motion though. I¡¯ll have to inform them about our change in ns.) He mulled over his current situation, as well as what to do afterwards as he stashed the vase inside a bag fastened to his hips. Then he slowly raised his right palm and focused mana into it, raising a golem. ¡¸Mm? This one looks different from the earlier one.¡¹ The newly formed golem looked more animalistic, as opposed to the humanoid one from before. But its limbs looked thin and without ws, making it unlikely it was created to attack her. Mira pondered what the reason behind it was while Pegasus stared at it warily. The golem walked on four legs approaching the man. ¡¸This one is meant only for easier transport.¡¹ As he spoke, the golem walked up to the open coffin next to the stairs and tucked itself in it. The man closed the lid after that and slowly struggled to fasten it to his back and stood up. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, but you won¡¯t leave this ce so easily.¡¹ There was a five meter tall nted rocky wall surrounding the Ancient Circr Gate. The man headed towards it and calmly began climbing it, which Mira looked at with her Magic Eyes. (Hmmm¡­ I see. Looks like I¡¯ll have to hurry a bit here, and it¡¯ll be rougher than I expected.) The Magic Eyes¡¯ curse was negated by the spirit armor, but as she kept imbuing it with it, the armor was slowly overtaken by the curse, making the man¡¯s movements more sluggish. The man seemed to notice something was happening to his body, which made him look up at the sky in frustration before taking one step forward and turning around. ¡¸You know, you still have time if you want to run away.¡¹ The man said that as he took out a small silver tube from his belt, holding it up so Mira could see it. His face did not look threatening, instead looking particrly calm, like a man ready to discard everything for an heroic deed. ¡¸What¡¯s that?¡¹ Noticing the change in his attitude, Mira stood still and looked at the silver tube. It was around the size of his thumb, a thin string dangling from one end of it. ¡¸This is called a fuse.¡¹ The man smiled eerily, holding the stringing out of the fuse with his other hand and pretending to pull on it. In a way, that was a warning for Mira to stay away. ¡¸A fuse? And what do you n on doing with it? It won¡¯t be of much use without any explosives lying around.¡¹ While she had never encountered one herself, Mira had heard about fuses before. Fuses were only worth their value when paired with suitable explosives. So a fuse alone would never be enough to cause an explosion. Mira knew that much, so her questioning eyes moved up and down looking all over the man¡¯s frame, seeing if he had any concealed explosives. Noticing that, the man smiled even more widely. ¡¸Oh but there are, explosives that is.¡¹ He looked down at the ground ¡¸This entire ce is soaked with the Spirit King¡¯s power¡¹ he continued, raising the fuse a bit higher. ¡¸And this is a spirit bomb¡¯s fuse.¡¹ He concluded his exnation. His face was brimming with confidence, showing just how powerful that bomb could be. ¡¸A spirit bomb..?¡¹ That term had a rather unpleasant ring to it, which made Mira re at the man. At the same time, the worst possible scenario yed through her head. ¡¸Yes, precisely. A bomb full of spiritual power, or in some cases, made of spirits themselves.¡¹ He seemed very interested in Mira¡¯s reaction, the corners of his lips twisting upwards even more as he spoke, pretty much proking Mira. ¡¸Are you serious?!¡¹ Her worst assumptions became reality. Hearing the man speak as if spirit lives meant nothing, treating them like tools, Mira exploded in rage. The man sneered at her reaction, prodding her by pulling the string out. At the same time, he smirked gleefully. ¡¸Tell me how powerful it feels afterwards!¡¹ Before Mira could jump away, the man threw the fuse to the ground. The silver pipe bounced up with a slight metallic click, small white sparksing out from both ends. As soon as Mira saw that, she instinctively summoned three Holy Knights, evolving them into Holy Lords and forming a strong defense around her. Not a secondter all the air around her seemed to get vacuumed out, a high pitched ringing filling her ears as her eyes were blinded by a white light. Chapter 101: Ashes (1) Chapter 101: Ashes (1) The bright sh washed out even the light of the sun, a heat wave spreading out together with a destructive shockwave. It was hard to imagine anything could be brighter than that light, apanied with a low rumble like the bellows of hell, and pressurized air with more force than a tidal wave. Mira felt that repeat many times, blowing everything around her apart. ¡¸So this¡­ is the Spirit King¡¯s power¡­¡¹ Eventually the destructive waves passed. Mira peeked out between Pegasus¡¯ wings, unharmed, muttering to herself in an annoyed voice as she surveyed the surroundings to see the damage caused by the spirit bomb. The sky looked as blue as ever, but everything else had changed drastically. The remains of the guardian spirits in before she got there had vanished without trace, the broken down stairs stained a bright white. Around them all the ground had been covered in pale ashes as well. Mira felt like she was in an alien world, stranded there alone in an instant. ¡¸Just the little power leaking through from the Spirit King¡¯s Pce caused all this¡­¡¹ The Holy Lords with shields thick as a castle wall that stood in front of Mira had aplished their duty. While half their bodies had been scorched and covered in ashes, their backs remained unscathed, not even a single speck of ash behind their feet. ¡¸Good job.¡¹ Mira gently touched their backs and sent them back. The ashes that were stuck to the Holy Lords fell freely, but before they could hit the ground a strong gale swooped them up together with the surrounding ashes. The particles suspended in the air danced around like snow during a blizzard, so Pegasus used his wings to cover and protect Mira. ¡¸Alright, I hope the hunt went nicely.¡¹ Mira looked up with hopeful eyes, watching a huge bird of prey through Pegasus¡¯ feathers. That was a Garuda Mira had summoned as soon as she noticed the man was nning on escaping, making it fly around unnoticed behind him. Her n had been sessful, as Garuda ced a bloodied coffin it held in its ws in front of Mira, and leaned down to give her something it held in its beak. ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s¡­ Mm, good job.¡¹ That was the vase inside a small bag. Garuda had snatched it away together with the coffin. The way the man, one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads, had nned his emergency escape was to rely on the extreme resistance of his armor to protect him as he used the powerful spirit bomb to propel himself away from there. The st had been so powerful he did take a considerable amount of damage, but his n had seeded. There was only one point he failed to include, the existence of Garuda. He was attacked while still in mid-air, and wounded as he was, fighting back was impossible. That resulted in the loss of the precious vase with the Spirit King¡¯s power, and his coffin which he used as a decoy. ¡¸You both outdid yourselves today.¡¹ Mira had the vase, the coffin, and the mist and spirit swords. The head had managed to escape, but she had been able to stop him from stealing the Spirit King¡¯s power. The other items there should also prove valuable to unravel the mysteries surrounding Chimera uzen. Once Mira looked at all that, she thanked her summons and sent them away. After that Mira picked up the two swords and ced them next to the coffin. Any spirit sword was usually a powerful weapon, but this one was a Shadow made by Chimera uzen. From the information gathered so far, it was clear that spirits had been ughtered to produce it, so no one in the Fifty Bells would want to use it. Mira was also more interested in the ck mist sword. There was that sword, the golem shrouded in ck mist, and the skeleton she had seen in the shrine under theke. After fighting with them, Mira was convinced they were all the same. (They said that was a curse that ate away at spirits.) That was the wording used by the spirit of stillness Worthramble: A curse. Such a description heavily implied there was someone who had cursed spirits. And even if it happened to be a natural phenomenon, somehow Chimera uzen had managed to control and shape it. Mira pondered about it for a moment, but her thoughts got nowhere so she quickly gave up. First she had to figure out exactly what the ck mist was, it was impossible to arrive at any conclusion without knowing that. Then her attention focused on the coffin. It was closed with a lock, which could damage everything if she forced it open, so she decided it was best to carry it back and let a specialist handle it. With that decided, Mira thought of how to carry it back. The coffin appeared to be out of the scope admitted by her Item Box, so she tried to pick it up to carry it herself, but she could not get it to even budge. That meant she would have to summon Garuda again and let it carry it out of the dungeon. But before she could do that, the ashen world surrounding her transformed in an instant. ¡¸What?!¡¹ She turned around flustered, seeing the sky covered in myriads of glistening particles, and behind her arge city colored like a rainbow spread out. To the front, a majestic pce that glistened like many gems stood imposing. It was like she had been transported to a dream-like kingdom floating in clouds. ¡¸Did I¡­ die?¡¹ Surprisingly enough, that was not a strange conclusion to arrive at. The particles of light seemed to fall down and settle, letting countless rays of light from above pass through. Such a scene could only be possible in a world above mortal knowledge. Mira felt confused by the drastic change to her surroundings, making her walk around in circles out of desperation. But she did not have to wait too long for an answer. ¡¸Sorry for shocking you like that.¡¹ At the same time as that voice spoke, the gates of the pce opened. From behind the gates a robust man with a noble and heroic air to him appeared. Wearing white robes, he stood three times as tall as Mira, giving him an extremely imposing figure. ¡¸What is going on¡­¡¹ Mira had never seen that man before, but she realized who it was from just a nce. His aura, her instincts, and the current situation, pointed all at a single name. Spirit King Symbiosanctius, the being standing atop all spirits. ¡¸I saw everything unfold. I, Spirit King Symbiosanctius, thank you for your valiant efforts to protect the vestiges of my power.¡¹ The Spirit King walked forth, standing closer to Mira where he bowed. Though even with his head down, his face was still at a higher spot than Mira¡¯s. ¡¸Anyone would¡¯ve done that.¡¹ Mira felt blessed to be thanked by the Spirit King himself, but she replied with her usual arrogant manners. ¡¸Anyone, huh.¡¹ For Mira, helping spirits, the good neighbors of humans, was something she thought was obvious. The Spirit King understood that much, muttering that in a low voice while smiling kindly, even though he was one of the most powerful beings in existence.. ¡¸Of course. Also, apparently there¡¯s some of your power inside this thing, you should have it back.¡¹ Saying that, Mira took out the strangely shaped vase and opened it, letting the light particles trapped inside float free. ¡¸Oh?! This is¡­¡¹ As soon as the lid was gone, a torrent of light came out of its opening, as if a blocked waterfall had just been freed. Mira was taken aback seeing that, wondering just how many of those particles could fit in such a small vase. After a while the flow of particles receded, and when it stopped the vase crumbled to dust. Then all the released particles elerated like shooting stars being absorbed into the Spirit King. ¡¸That¡¯s some power, alright.¡¹ Seeing that, Mira grimaced, recalling the spirit bomb and the destruction she had somehow resisted. ¡¸Thank you again, I¡¯ve collected all of it.¡¹ Once the particles of light were all gone, the sky looked still again, particles twinkling without moving. Anywhere Mira looked, there was a breathtaking sight, so she settled on looking up. ¡¸Anyone would¡¯ve done that¡¹ she repeated. ¡¸I see, I see.¡¹ Said the Spirit King, his eyes gentle like an old man looking at his grandchild. ¡¸I¡¯ve noticed my children seem to love you dearly as well.¡¹ The Spirit King noticed the many spirit blessings Mira had received over the years, smiling pleased. At the same time, ¡¸Oh, that reminds me¡¹ he seemed to recall something. ¡¸The reason I¡¯ve summoned you here. I¡¯ve seen how you fight against those fiends, and it¡¯s my wish to lend you my hand.¡¹ ¡¸What?!¡¹ That suggestion was the best news Mira had heard in a long time. That man d in spirit arms showed an exceeding amount of power. And considering the existence of a spirit bomb, it was obvious to conclude they might have other simr weapons as well, their power and shape still unknown. The help of an entity even more powerful than that was the best thing Mira could ever ask for. Chapter 101: Ashes (2) Chapter 101: Ashes (2) ¡¸I saw you using my daughter¡¯s power when fighting earlier.¡¹ ¡¸Hm..? Who¡¯s your daughter?¡¹ He spoke like it was a well known fact, but Mira was only confused and asked for details. Apparently he had a daughter, and Mira had relied on her when fighting. But for Mira, this was the first time she even heard the Spirit King had a daughter. ¡¸Sanctia. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve met her.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ I met her just a while ago! I¡¯m pretty sure she was a spirit sword though¡­¡¹ Mira remembered Sanctia as the spirit living inside a holy sword. As far as Mira knew, spirit arms like that, started with a peculiar item, which eventually developed sentience. If that was the case with Sanctia as well, then it was impossible for her to have any connection to the Spirit King. Then came another idea, maybe the Spirit King referred to all spirits as his children? But Mira was quickly proven wrong. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you saw her sword itself. That was a weapon made by carving a bone from one of my fingers. Sanctia was also born when that happened.¡¹ As he spoke, he raised his left hand so Mira could see it. His pinky looked unnaturally short, proving that that was where the holy sword came from. ¡¸I never imagined she was a sword that belonged to the Spirit King¡­¡¹ That was also a far better reason to call her his daughter,pared to the vague reasoning Mira had thought up. There was a very deep connection between Sanctia and the Spirit King, which made her an even rarer holy sword. A sword made by the Spirit King, an almost godly being that stood above all spirits. Even amongst all the tall tales Mira had heard rted to holy and demonic swords, that sounded even more incredible. That was more than just a holy sword, godly sword was a more fitting name for it. All that obviously made Mira surprised. ¡¸Usually humans have no way to use my spiritual power, but as you found my daughter, who is connected to me, it¡¯s possible for you to channel a portion of my power through her.¡¹ After exining that, the Spirit King raised his right hand and gestured towards Mira, which made her clothes slip off her shoulders. ¡¸Huh?!¡¹ Even her underwear had slid off andy at her feet, the unexpected feeling of being naked taking her by surprise. ¡¸I¡¯ll grant you my divine protection. Stay still for a moment.¡¹ After saying that, the Spirit King brought his fingertips to the pit of Mira¡¯s stomach, a warm sensation filling Mira afterwards. ¡¸Thank you! I really appreciate your blessing!¡¹ Mira quickly got over the shock, stayingpletely still and happily epting it. A spirit¡¯s divine protection always had a specific shape, imprinted with an invisible ink to the receiver¡¯s body. The Spirit King¡¯s was the same, a pattern being carved onto Mira¡¯s body. But the only difference was that while they usually only upied a small space, this time she felt it run throughout her entire body, like the roots of a tree spreading in the earth. ¡¸This is on a whole different level!¡¹ Mira eximed happily as she looked at the shapes extending all the way to the tips of her extremities. ¡¸You should be able to channel a considerable amount of my power through Sanctia with my divine protection. It might take a toll on you at first, but once you master it you¡¯ll do fine.¡¹ He removed his hand, speaking as if entrusting her with something very important. Then he raised his left hand and slightly flung it, making her clothes move as if their time was in reverse, floating and reattaching to her body. ¡¸By the way¡­ how was my daughter? Is she doing fine?¡¹ He stood upright, and seemed to fidget a bit before ncing at Mira and asking that. There was still a dignified and solemn air to his presence, but his face was that of a worrying parent at that moment. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about her. She¡¯s surrounded by friends and living happily.¡¹ She had been in danger before, spending a long time locked up and threatened by the ck mist, but that situation had been resolved already, so Mira decided there was no need to mention it. She only rted how she was afterwards, freed and back with her friends. ¡¸I see, that sounds good indeed.¡¹ The Spirit King smiled gently, like a good natured old man. ¡¸Thank you,¡¹ he said in a low voice. ¡¸Anyway, I also have something I¡¯d like to ask. Can I?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Ask ahead.¡¹ Remembering thest few days, Mira remembered something she had been curious about, and the Spirit King seemed earnest in answering her question. ¡¸¡­the man I fought earlier, his sword and golem. They had a strange property that erased spirits. Do you know what exactly that ck mist is?¡¹ Mira omitted the encounter in the shrine under theke, assuming it was the same thing that Chimera used. ¡¸Yes, I do. Those are the remains of the demon¡¯s consciousness, lingering even after death. A very despicable curse.¡¹ He closed his eyes as he replied, speaking as if reminiscing memories from a past long gone. ¡¸Demons? You mean this kind?¡¹ As she asked, Mira gestured by lifting both her index fingers and holding them next to her ears, recreating a well known pantomime of a demon. ¡¸Yes, those demons with two horns.¡¹ The Spirit King smiled amused at Mira¡¯s funny expression, then he told her about the demons. Thousands of years ago, maybe even hundreds of thousands of years ago, there existed a race opposite of spirits, known as demons. By destroying and ravaging nature willfully, they thrived and increased their numbers, which led to even more destruction. That obviously put them in direct opposition to spirits, who lived in and protected nature, leading to constant bickering between the races. At first they found a solution to their issues by letting spirits live far away in segregation, where demons would not attack. But once the demons ran out of nature to ravage in their allocated location, they marched into spirit territory. Things escted quickly after that, a full out war between the races starting. The present world showed perfectly well who won that war, but it was still a very gruesome and painful victory. Much greenery had been lost, the spirit poption shed down considerably. Faced with that crisis, the Spirit King decided to risk altering the order of the world, casting a forbidden spell which made the demons unable to survive anywhere. Demons no longer had a way to sustain themselves, eventually going extinct. But before they vanished, all demons held a strong hatred and loathing for spirits. That conviction remained in the world in the shape of a curse. Such was the tale told by the Spirit King. ¡¸Demons, huh. I didn¡¯t know spirits had such a story¡­¡¹ For Mira, that was an exceedingly ancient story, and one she could hardly imagine. She was simply shocked by how strenuous the stakes were. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s been a long time since then. In any case, you asked about the curse. My spiritual power, and Sanctia¡¯s true power together should be able to destroy it. I¡¯d be very thankful if you could destroy any remains of that curse you find, in a way it¡¯ll finally bring closure to my past.¡¹ ¡¸She can actually do that? Alright then, I vow to destroy all of it!¡¹ Hearing Sanctia held the secret to destroying the dangerous curse that disabled all spirits, Mira went into a happy mood and eagerly promised to take care of it. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll leave my daughter in your hands then.¡¹ The Spirit King said in a serious tone, looking straight into Mira¡¯s eyes. ¡¸With all my might!¡¹ Mira also straightened her back and looked back at his eyes, replying energetically. ¡¸Also, before I forget. Come back once you¡¯ve mastered my divine protection.¡¹ ¡®I can see why my daughter chose her¡¯, thought the satisfied Spirit King, seeing how much she loved spirits. Then he seemed to recall something adding thatst sentence, which made Mira jump as soon as she heard it. ¡¸Seriously?! I swear I¡¯lle back then!¡¹ Mastering his divine protection meant when Mira got used to channeling the Spirit King¡¯s power. It was easy to conclude he was telling her that once the day came, he would grant her even more abilities. Mira understood as much, almost making her jump in happiness as she happily agreed to it. ¡¸Hmm? Why do I feel like you sound more excited and happy about that?¡¹ The Spirit King spoke in a yful tone, watching how Mira¡¯s attitude had changed. ¡¸You¡¯re imagining things. I love spirits more than anyone.¡¹ Mira yed it off, posing confidently for the Spirit King to see. The Spirit Kingughed a bit, satisfied with his interview with Mira. ¡¸Well, see youter then¡¹ he softly touched her head. The world around Mira changed instantly, just like before, and she returned to the Ancient Circr Gate. Chapter 102: Spoils of War (1) Chapter 102: Spoils of War (1) ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s Mira!¡¹ ¡¸Chief!¡¹ Mira¡¯s surroundings were white, as if covered by snow, and only the bloodied coffin in front of her stood out from the background. She began pondering how to transport it again when she heard voices behind her that sounded out of ce. ¡¸Ohh, Sasori. And First Lieutenant¡­ you¡¯re still alive, I see.¡¹ Turning around, she saw Sasori walking towards her with a rxed gait, Cait Sith affixed on her shoulder and holding his usual sign. This time, it had ¡®An emotive reunion filled with tears¡¯ written on it. ¡¸You¡¯re too cruel to meow!¡¹ Mira¡¯s words pierced straight through Cait Sith¡¯s heart, who fell backwards from Sasori¡¯s shoulder and rolled on the white ashes covering the ground, leaving a line behind as the ashes stuck to his fur turning him white. ¡¸At least it seems you took care of the tornado outside.¡¹ Saying that, Mira picked him up by the scruff, getting him away from the ashes. At the same time, Cait Sith began shaking his body to shed off all the powder stuck to his fur, while raising the sign triumphantly, ¡¸Mission Complete¡¹ written on it. ¡¸Meow took them all down!¡¹ Saying that, the ashes got into his mouth and he went into a coughing fit. Mira gently patted his back, and saying ¡¸Good job¡¹ she quickly sent him away. Before he vanished, he turned a pleading look to Mira while the sign changed to ¡¸We need more representation!¡¹, but Mira was not looking at him anymore, instead going to meet the Fifty Bells¡¯ members who were arriving one after the other. All she heard was a sad cry from Cait Sith which was cut off short. ¡¸So, Mira. What¡¯s the current situation?¡¹ When everyone gathered, they looked at the strange sight of the Ancient Circr Gate covered in ashes before Sasori asked that, representing the question in everyone¡¯s minds. ¡¸Well, a lot of things happened.¡¹ With that, Mira told about the man from Chimera uzen, the mist that ate away at spirits, the retrieval and restoration of a part of the Spirit King¡¯s power, and how the man fled after dropping the spirit bomb. ¡¸A bomb? Are you alright?¡¹ When Mira finished telling the story, Sasori¡¯s first reaction was to ask that. Seeing everything covered in ashes, anyone could guess just how powerful the st had been, and Mira had been standing right in the center of all that destruction. So it was more shocking than anything to see her without a scratch. ¡¸Pretty much, just look at me.¡¹ But Mira pushed Sasori¡¯s worries aside, smiling proudly as she twirled around. Seeing Mira was still her usual self, Sasori looked at their surroundings again. Everything had been burned away and turned to ashes, only the columns and broken down stairs particr to the Ancient Circr Gate remaining. ¡¸You were alright after all that¡­¡¹ Sasori muttered in disbelief. In a way, that white scenery was beautiful. But something about that shade of white felt unsettling, like an impure and inert emptiness. ¡¸Are these the swords you mentioned?¡¹ Arlon peeked from beside Sasori and asked while looking to the side of the coffin. The two swords from Chimera uzen were ced there, one of them covered in a bizarrely wriggling ck mist. ¡¸They are, indeed. One of them is a spirit sword, the other is the cursed one that annihtes spirits.¡¹ ¡¸A sword to get rid of spirits, huh. So they weren¡¯t satisfied with weakening them, so they went and created such a thing.¡¹ Arlon made no efforts to conceal his anger, leaning over the swords and watching the ck mist from closer. ¡¸Also, the coffin contains a golem with simr properties, though it¡¯s locked. I tried carrying it back, but it¡¯s too heavy for me. Can one of you take care of that?¡¹ Mira¡¯s physical strength was simr to that of any average spellcaster, so she asked for help while enviously looking at Arlon¡¯s arm, bulging with muscles. ¡¸A golem that destroys spirits? That¡¯s interesting.¡¹ Arlon firmly gripped the handles on the coffin and effortlessly lifted it up. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s lighter than it looks. There should be no issue getting this back to base.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, amazing! I knew your muscles weren¡¯t only for show.¡¹ Mira hit Arlon¡¯s burly arm many times with her palm as she spoke, while Arlon lifted the coffin and held it over his shoulder, ¡¸Of course¡¹ he said, smiling as he flexed his muscles. He was also proud of the body he had trained for so many years. ¡¸Huh? This is just a regr sword.¡¹ To their side, Sasori had picked up the spirit sword and tried to swing it once. Usually when a spirit sword was swung, the arc drawn by the de would produce some sort of effect in the air, but nothing happened when Sasori swung it. ¡¸What was that?¡¹ Mira had witnessed the sword¡¯s power with her own eyes, enormous mes flying after her. So she looked at the sword in disbelief. The sword was the same one she had seen the man use before, that workmanship was unmistakable. But as she looked at it more carefully, she noticed that the particles that usually floated around a spirit sword had vanished entirely. Chapter 102: Spoils of War (2) Chapter 102: Spoils of War (2) ¡¸You¡¯re right, it¡¯s turned into a regr sword. What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹ Mira muttered confused, moving even closer to look at the sword. Then her eyes shifted to the ground near them, to the sword with ck mist wriggling around it. The sword that erased spirits from existence. The two swords had been right next to each other until moments before. Probably the curse of the ck mist hadpletely devoured the spiritual power residing in the other sword. Thinking of that possibility, Mira recalled how during her earlier fight, the man would always return the ck mist sword to its scabbard after attacking. ¡¸I¡¯m guessing this caused that.¡¹ The swords¡¯ owner was aware of the effect one would have on the other, so he only exposed the ck de when he needed it. Thinking of that, Mira kicked the mist sword away with disdain. As it rolled away on the ground, Kumo jumped to the side, as if evading some disgusting object. She red at Mira after that, to which Mira responded with an apologetic ¡¸Sorry sorry.¡¹ ¡¸So it can even get rid of the spirits living in a sword.¡¹ Arlon looked at the mist sword for a bit, then turned his eyes to the former spirit sword with a regretful look. That was because regardless of its source, spirit arms were all powerful weapons. ¡¸Hmm, can I take a look at that?¡¹ Arlon seemed to notice something, cing the coffin on the ground and taking the sword off Sasori¡¯s hands. He closely examined the de, wrinkles forming in his brow. ¡¸What is it, Arlon?¡¹ Sasori peeked from the side to see what Arlon was doing, the sword¡¯s guarding off, and then the de detaching from the hilt. ¡¸Ohh, amazing.¡¹ he said, his voice getting louder. He gave the hilt and guard to Sasori, then continued examining the de. ¡¸And this is¡­ I see, I get it now.¡¹ As he muttered, Arlon¡¯s face was overtaken with joy and surprise. Everyone was confused by his actions, he alone rejoicing at his find as he turned around and showed everyone the de. It was a specialty de that had been built independent of the rest of the sword. Different to most mass produced swords that were all made in one shape, this was a unique de made by a specialist. Swords built with parts like that had different qualities depending on the makers, but they usually cost many times more than an average sword, so they were rare toe by. Sometimes a specialist would also be in charge of making the hilt and guard, many of the most famous swords being made by thebined work of multiple masters. But there were some cksmiths that had enough experience to be able to create such masterpieces on their own. Usually des had the name of its creator engraved at the base of the de. And Arlon had found that in the former spirit sword. The name was Gregor, a renowned cksmith. ¡¸It¡¯s said that there¡¯s no elemental swords superior to those built by this man. Last I heard he was staying at his workshop in Sentopolly. I¡¯m starting to think that was no mere coincidence.¡¹ Arlon was talking about one of the members of the Sky Denizens they had met in the Libra Fortress. He had told Mira¡¯s group that Chimera uzen¡¯s main base was located in that same city. And now the sword used by one of Chimera¡¯s Heads was also made in Sentopolly. Both sources of information pointed at the same ce, so there had to be something going on there. ¡¸So you¡¯re thinking that since Chimera had this sword, Gregor made it for them?¡¹ Hearing what Arlon said, Sasori asked the first question that was in everyone¡¯s minds. The issue was that they had no way of knowing where Gregor¡¯s allegiancesy. With their current information, it was impossible to tell if he was a supporter of Chimera uzen, or if he simply sold the sword to someone who happened to be a member. If he supported them, then that would mean that arge part of their weapons were all crafted by a master before being turned into spirit arms. Which would mean there were potentially many more high ranking Chimera uzen members who had gear tricky to fight against, as Mira had proven earlier.. ¡¸It¡¯s hard to know that much, but asking him directly is probably the best way to find out. From what I heard, Gregor makes all his swords with a specific user in mind, and he only picks them from amongst his closest friends and rtives.¡¹ Saying that, Arlon looked at the sword with a bit of jealousy. It was not easy to get Gregor to build a unique sword like that, so any de with his name engraved would be the envy of all warriors. ¡¸I see. Then that Gregor character should know a lot about that man I fought earlier.¡¹ Mira nced at the name engraved in the de for a while, then looked up at the sky, as if tracing the steps of that man who was sent flying away by the st of the spirit bomb. That sword Arlon was looking at had been made specifically for the man Mira had fought. So if they traced his footsteps back, the sword could lead to a lot of personal information about one of the Heads of Chimera uzen. ¡¸I feel like we¡¯re getting closer to the final battle.¡¹ While the Head had escaped, they had seeded at obtaining some information. Chimera uzen had been shrouded in a mist of unknowns for a long time, but their outline was finally starting to be clear. Everyone present there could feel that much. That was a good enough result to consider the Fifty Bells¡¯ strategy sessful. Chapter 103: Patronager S (1) Chapter 103: Patronager S (1) The fight in the Mirage Maze over, Mira¡¯s group returned to her wagon and headed back to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. Kumo¡¯s group stayed back, examining the remainder of the Mirage Maze in case there was anything else left there. The sun had already begun to set as the four began discussing what to do after that. Though as far as reporting their findings to headquarters was decided. They all were ready to go to Sentopolly, but they still had to decide who went to investigate what part. As they were engrossed with their conversation, they suddenly heard the ringing of a familiar sounding bell. ¡¸Wha-! What¡¯s that?!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s tail sprung up and fuzzed up, her eyes darting around her while clinging tightly onto Hebi¡¯s robes. It appeared she could not handle loud noises. ¡¸That sound¡­¡¹ Mira walked past her and pulled open the sliding paper door of the closet, which concealed the source of the ringing, which made the sound be louder while Sasori¡¯s tail began twitching. ¡¸I wonder when he put this in here.¡¹ She opened a box ced there, finding a ckmunications device inside. It looked the same as the one she had seen in her tower. It was shaped simrly to a phone, so the way to use it was quite intuitive. Mira took the receiver and held it to her ear. ¡ºAh, you finally picked up. Hello~ can you hear me?¡» The noisy bell stopped and a familiar sounding voice rang through the wagon. It was Mira¡¯s good friend Solomon. ¡¸Eh? What?! Who¡¯s voice is that?!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s eyes peeked out from Hebi¡¯s robes as she asked that in a low voice. ¡¸Amunications device? That¡¯s incredible.¡¹ Arlon quickly connected the dots, hearing an unfamiliar voice and seeing the device Mira held in her hand. He was aware of its functionality, as well as it¡¯s high price. ¡ºOh? I hear a lot of other voices. Hellooo, are you theree?¡» ¡¸I can hear you. I¡¯m with the guys from the Fifty Bells.¡¹ Mira turned to look at herpanions as she replied into the device. ¡ºAhh, I see. I get it, I get it. So you¡¯re traveling together with them. Alright so¡­ hello everyone there, I¡¯m Patronager S, I¡¯ve provided Mira with pretty much everything you can see her use, nice to meet you.¡» Arlon smiled hearing the rather casual introduction, while Hebi was still busy exining whatmunication devices were to the scared Sasori. ¡¸So, what do you need?¡¹ Mira opened the closet wide and sat on the upper half, her feet dangling as she rxed her body. ¡ºDo you still remember that incident from a while back? With that grudgeful kid.¡» ¡¸Yeah, I still remember.¡¹ He was talking about Kairos, the student at the academy who had attacked Mira while covered in shadow spirit arms out of a grudge. Mira had just fought someone in simr attire, so she quickly knew who Solomon was talking about. ¡ºHeh, you actually do? Now that¡¯s surprising. That makes things easier though. We figured out where his spirit arms came from.¡» ¡¸Ohh that was fast! Where did he get those?¡¹ Considering Mira¡¯s unreliable memory, her response was unexpected. Solomon¡¯s voice sounded very surprised through the phone. Mira did not seem bothered by that reaction, her interest lying entirely on the information regarding those weapons. They had found a strong link between shadow spirit arms and Chimera uzen, so whatever information Solomon had would prove to be valuable. There was no better moment to hear that, so Mira urged Solomon to continue. ¡ºYou sound more interested than I expected. But anyway, lemme exin everything in order so you understand where my help came in handy.¡» With that, Solomon exined how he interrogated Kairos and his parents. First they gathered all the spirit arms and figured out that they were bought from different people. The family had no direct ties with those merchants, but they all seemed to be part of three merchant groups that had a great deal of spirit arms stocked up. As Solomon looked more into that, he found something inmon amongst those three groups. They all were under the umbrage of the Melville Trading Corporation. Until a decade ago, they were merely average members of the corporation, but in recent years they had garnered more authority and were close to being the three biggest groups under the corporation. The Melville Trading Corporation mainly dealt with weapons, so they tried tracing the source and movements inside those three groups and found some bizarre things. A portion of the weapons that passed through the corporations would transform into spirit arms somewhere along the way. In some transactions more than half of the items change. But as the corporation passed them along to the three groups, the spirit arms trickled down one after another so it did not stand out. Those details were a bit dubious though, as it all happened internally in the corporation and would need to be investigated more. ¡ºThe thing is, this Melville Trading Corporation is looking pretty suspicious already. And then I began to wonder if it might have some connection to the stuff you¡¯re investigating as well.¡» Considering how suspicious everything was, Solomon closed his report off by mentioning a possible link between the corporation and Chimera uzen. ¡¸So things are looking even darker.¡¹ Replying that way, Mira also told him of everything she had found during hertest mission. Including what she saw and heard in the Libra Fortress and Mirage Maze. She was pretty much leaking top secret information about their mission, but Arlon and Hebi had no interest in stopping her, and Sasori figured she had no reason to stop her either since herpanions remained still. ¡ºI see, that does seem to paint them that way. Not to mention Sentopolly is also really close to where the Melville Trading Corporation¡¯s main offices are located. They¡¯re soaked in suspicion.¡» When Mira told him everything, Solomon seemed convinced. ¡¸I didn¡¯t realize they were near each other. But that does sound dodgy.¡¹ ¡ºI know. They¡¯re in the Roseline Dukedom, which is also a powerful merchant country, though most of their nobles are also merchants and are embroiled in a political power struggle at the moment. Here¡¯s the thing, the owner of the Melville corporation, Elvis Melville, is next in line to be their reigning duke. Kinda a funny name don¡¯t you think?¡» A humorous voice filled the wagon. But it seemed everything he said was true, as Arlon muttered to himself ¡¸Now that¡¯s interesting.¡¹ In a few short years the corporation had grown to the point of taking the reins of their country, and Chimera uzen seemed to linger in its shadows. There were plenty of reasons to investigate them further. ¡¸Is that all you had to say?¡¹ ¡ºYup, that¡¯s it.¡» ¡¸That¡¯s rare. You usually go on a bunch of tangents.¡¹ Solomon had gone through the trouble of sneaking amunications device into the wagon, and then used it to call her out of the blue. Mira thought he would have another bothersome quest for her, but she felt slightly let down learning there was nothing of the sort. ¡ºThis was a small warning just in case. At this point we only have a vague connection between Chimera and Melville, so it¡¯s hard to say who¡¯s working under the orders of who. So in case you were to defeat Chimera and they turned out to be the underlings, Melville might discard them like a lizard¡¯s tail and scurry away to find new servants.¡» ¡¸Hmm, so they would start all over again.¡¹ Losing Chimera uzen would weaken the corporation, but since they were the source it was highly likely they held all the skills and knowledge necessary to restart a group like Chimera uzen. So as long as they still stood, they could continue with their n as many times as necessary. Chapter 103: Patronager S (2) Chapter 103: Patronager S (2) ¡ºAnd if it¡¯s the other way around, the corporation¡¯s profit margins will take a hit, but they¡¯ve grown to the point to sustain themselves without the help of a parent group. So in a way they might even take it as a chance to discard a ck past, or if they possess Chimera¡¯s know-how they might be the new parent.¡» ¡¸So in other words, as soon as we identify the link between the two we have to destroy them at the same time.¡¹ ¡ºPrecisely.¡» That was a usible theory. If they were connected, then there was no point in destroying one side if the other remained untouched. They had to clip their roots and take out both Chimera uzen and the Melville Trading Corporation at the same time. ¡¸Though hmm, how are we supposed to find that link?¡¹ At first Mira thought of ways as well, but soon after she reclined her body back into the closet and covered her face with a soft nket. Even before she finished asking Solomon she had already given up and left him alone to figure it out. ¡ºI¡¯d say infiltrating their offices would be best. You could search for all sorts of things there, registers of their deals with Chimera, or how they produce those spirit arms, you just have to search for anything like that and you should seed.¡» ¡¸Will it truly be so easy, I wonder.¡¹ Holding the receiver to her ear, she replied while slowly cocooning in the nket. ¡ºWell, I can¡¯t really know how easy it¡¯ll be, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be worthwhile to try.¡» ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡¹ Mira¡¯s head peeked out of the nket as she nodded slightly. Other than that, her feet dangling freely were the only parts of Mira not covered, Arlon and the others watching herzy disposition with warm smiles. ¡ºAnyway, if you find any concrete proof, please share it with the Eabates Corporation. I¡¯ll tell them to be ready for it.¡» ¡¸So issues between trading corporations get solved by trading corporations, huh.¡¹ ¡ºPretty much. There¡¯s no issue with you all fighting against Chimera uzen as an armed organization, but the Melville Corporation is still next in line for Roseline¡¯s throne. If you handle it poorly, you could turn an entire country against you. I believe the best way to handle this, both considering their future and your social standing, will be to make their ties to Chimera clear and let the legal system handle it. That¡¯s where Eabates, second in line for the throne, should help.¡» As Solomon exined, even if it was for a righteous reason, attacking the next duke of a country was almost the same as dering war on that country, which was prohibited by the Limited Armistice Treaty. Even if it was done under the name of the Fifty Bells, attacking the Melville corporation was still a vition of the treaty. But if they provided concrete proof to the Eabates Corporation, they would be able to get rid of Melville without having to reach for arms, through the due legal process. At the same time, that would rid them of thepetition for the throne, securing Eabates¡¯ position as the next regning duke. ¡¸And you¡¯ll be in his debt that way, I see.¡¹ Mira also understood Solomon¡¯s ulterior motives, grinning inside the dark closet. ¡ºAh, was it that obvious? I¡¯ve known him for a while, but I figured this was a good opportunity to do something.¡» ¡¸I feel like you¡¯re running your mouth a bit too much now. Did you forget there¡¯s three others with me here?¡¹ ¡ºDon¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m merely your mysterious Patronager S. There¡¯s no harm if they hear my bbering.¡» Solomon¡¯s entertained voice rang through the wagon, while Mira sat up and looked at the others with a dubious stare from inside the closet. ¡¸I¡¯m a bit miffed that it sounds like we¡¯re just being used, but we don¡¯t really have any other option. If we want to take the Melville Trading corporation down, we¡¯ll have to go along with that n.¡¹ Arlon nodded profoundly as he replied. The Fifty Bells stood as an outside charity organization, while Eabates was arge corporation with much influence in Roseline. They were obviously the corporation with more power when handling whatever proof they could provide, and would have a stronger effect as well. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. So we just have to find that proof, pass it on, and our mission will beplete, yes?¡¹ After Arlon, Hebi also nodded in ascentment, which prompted Mira to ry their response, lying down in the closet again. Sasori still had a very confused face. ¡ºAs far as Chimera goes though, I can assure you you can fight to your heart¡¯s content.¡» Solomon dered, his voice full of confidence that could be felt even through the phone. In a way, that also showed a glimpse of the power he possessed as king. ¡¸Alright. Then we¡¯ll first go find that Melville Trading Corporation. And ah right, there was something else I forgot. K 6 18 2132 is their founder.¡¹ As she spoke, Mira took out a piece of paper from her pouch and read what sounded like code from it. Those numbers and letters were the same she had obtained from Solomon before, which contained the the initial of each wiseman followed by the date when they appeared in that world. So Mira was telling Solomon that the founder of the Fifty Bells was Kagura. ¡ºI see, that makes sense. Thanks for telling me.¡» He seemed to understand what Mira meant, his voice sounding pleasantly surprised from the other side of the phone. ¡ºI¡¯ll look more into that myself, but feel free to keep investigating. Anyway, I¡¯ll contact you again if something happens.¡» With that new information, many ideas began pouring into his head, so he quickly finished the conversation and hung up without waiting for a response. He was always like that, acting as soon as he had an idea. ¡¸You all heard him. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I agreed to that without consulting you more.¡¹ Mira returned the receiver into the box and closed it, then peeked out from the closet again. ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Sounded like a goodpromise.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, noints here. We can¡¯t really ignore them without first confirming whether they¡¯re connected to Chimera or not now.¡¹ Hebi and Arlon were on board. And they sounded quite willing at that. They felt that information came from a rather credible source. Not because of concrete evidence, but because they had a vague idea of who they had heard speak. There were many clues for Patronager S¡¯s identity. First the very existence of amunication device in the wagon, which was an extremely expensive item. Mira seemed unaware of its presence until it began ringing, which meant the caller had ced it sometime Mira was not around the wagon. That was enough to narrow down the possibilities of his identity a lot. On top of all that, he was someone with the authority to trace transactions around arge trading corporation, knowing which items went to who. That was no easy feat even for nobles Then the fact he would benefit from an amicable rtionship with the potential new ruler of a country. Lastly, when Mira arrived at the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters she mentioned she had been sent to aid them under direct orders from Arkite Kingdom. ¡¸Man, it feels like he was just toying with us pretending to be anonymous.¡¹ Arlon muttered to himself. Solomon had never mentioned his true name, but the way he spoke with Mira sounded like he had no intention to really hide his identity, almost making it obvious on purpose. In the end, that made Arlon and Hebi feel certain they knew who he was. Which meant that not only would the Eabates Trading Corporation be in Solomon¡¯s debt, but the Fifty Bells¡¯ as well. Though that was still advantageous for them. Solomon had pretty much handed them the knife to slit their enemies¡¯ throat, so as vexed as Arlon might feel, he had no reason to ignore his help. ¡¸Though now we have two ces to visit, Sentopolly and Roseline.¡¹ Spoke as he jumped out of the closet, sliding back its door behind her. Trading favors and quantifying them was something she held very little interest for, so in her mind she only thought of it as having more ces to investigate. ¡¸Yeah, I guess we¡¯ll have to split into two groups.¡¹ Arlon smiled slightly seeing Mira¡¯s nonchnt attitude and made a suggestion. The four then gathered again and resumed their discussion, keeping the new information they had obtained in mind. Chapter 104: Westwards (1) Chapter 104: Westwards (1) Mira and her group arrived at the city sunken in theke, which housed the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters, where they went to report the mission¡¯s results to theirmander Uzume. ¡¸Seeing the results alone it can be considered a failed mission then.¡¹ Uzume sat across the wooden room, arge table ced between them. Hearing the report, she first addressed Mira. ¡¸Considering the situation I can¡¯t me you for that, but getting too engrossed in a fight while forgetting everything else is something Gra-¡­ I mean your master, had the bad habit of doing. I wonder if he taught you that as well.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ sorry.¡¹ ¡¸I fear something simr might have happened to the time when he had to fight against the yer Killer Leviard, but he enjoyed it so much he casually let him go as a sparring partner.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ pretty much what happened¡­¡¹ The power of the spirit bomb made it hard to imagine a way to stop Chimera¡¯s Head from escaping. But if Mira had been more careful from the start, her vast toolkit might have contained something to avoid reaching such a state in the first ce. Mira and Uzume had known each other for a long time, so Uzume knew Mira¡¯s personality very well, and while she spoke in a roundabout way, she still pointed out Mira¡¯s fault. In response, she meekly lowered her shoulders and looked down like a small puppy. ¡¸Though well, I fear that if anyone else challenged him, they wouldn¡¯t have made it back in one piece, so it¡¯s alright. But you said you brought this in his stead?¡¹ Moving on, Uzume turned to look at the coffin and ck sword ced in the room. They were the items snatched from Chimera uzen¡¯s Head. ¡¸Yes. I believe the demon¡¯s ck curse that destroys spirits is the source of Chimera¡¯s power. It should be worth researching more.¡¹ Usually spirits had very resilient bodies, making capturing them a difficult task. Yet Chimera uzen had proved time and time again they were capable of doing it. Their secret to do ity there, a curse that put them at an advantage when confronting spirits. If they investigated that sword, the Fifty Bells would be able to know its specific properties and maybe even find ways to counter its effects. ¡¸Demons¡­ huh. That sounds quite ominous.¡¹ Uzume leant back and spread her arms on the ground, looking at the ceiling. Mira had also told them the story of the demons the Spirit King had ryed to her. There was no trace of their existence left in books or legends, a piece of history erased from the world. ¡¸I was also shocked when I heard that.¡¹ Mira still recalled how she felt when hearing that, muttering emotively. But there were three others there who felt a different way. Arlon, Sasori and Hebi, rather than being surprised at learning there used to be a demon race long lost to time, they were more shocked Mira had gotten a personal audience with the Spirit King. The Spirit King was a powerful entity akin to a god. As far as records went, only two persons had gotten to speak with him in all of history. And that in the ancient times of the battle against devils. One of them was the current chief of the human race. The person who went to request aid from the Spirit King and devised a strategy with him, the legendary king Hannibal Ex Earth. The other was the great hero Forsythia, who sacrificed his body to channel the Spirit King¡¯s power and y the devil army king with it. There had been no one else, before or after, who had spoken directly with the Spirit King. If Mira was telling the truth, then her encounter was a rare urrence since milenia, and her name would be written down in history. But to Mira, the event was simply ¡°surprising¡±, Uzume also did not seem too bothered by it, the two of them being more amused by the demon¡¯s story. Arlon and the two others just waited in silence for Mira and Uzume to finish their conversation, which seemed tock a certain amount ofmon sense. In regards to their mission, they only had to wait for the members sent to the Sheltered Library to return. It would not be too surprising if they returned with a captured Head, but they decided to not keep their hopes up too much. When Mira¡¯s report was over, they also spoke of the information obtained through Patronager S. Since Mira¡¯s group had nothing to do until the other group returned, they decided it was best to make good use of that information and depart on a second mission the next day. The Fifty Bells¡¯ higher ups gathered to discuss that mission, deciding to send Mira and Arlon to Sentopolly to investigate Chimera uzen¡¯s main base and the owner of the spirit sword that had lost its power, while Sasori and Hebi would go to Roseline and infiltrate the Melville Trading Corporation. With their roles decided, they split up during their free time before heading out, getting everything they needed from themercial district. Mira had nothing to prepare though, so instead she went to the courtyard and trained how to use Sanctia untilte at night. The next day the group met up again, even though Sasori and Hebi had their own mission. Together, they left the headquarters and took off westwards. More than half of the continent¡¯s west side was covered with wastnds, greenery bing spottypared to other areas. But in return, mineral deposits were vast and numerous there, the production of metals and rare resources flourishing, so the people living there had just as good and varied a life as anyone else. Below the mountain range extended one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, Ozstein, which they flew over for an entire day before calling it a night. The next morning they took off again, and near the evening theynded on an inconspicuous rocky mountain, a few kilometers away from Roseline. Sitting still in the crammed wagon for hours on end was exhausting, so they needed a short break. Though Sasori and Hebi also decided to get down there. ¡¸We¡¯ll be on our way now then.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, good luck with your mission.¡¹ ¡¸Break a leg.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, see ya then.¡¹ Sasori and Hebi were nning on sneaking into Roseline that night. The two stretched a little in front of the wagon and then changed into adventurer gear before leaving under the cover of the night. After seeing them off, Arlon and Mira began preparations for dinner. Though Arlon was the only one doing all the cooking. Mira merely summoned a Holy Knight to keep watch over them and handed Arlon all the ingredients she felt like eating. Theyplemented each other surprisingly well. Dinner done, they prepared to sleep, Arlon in the driver¡¯s seat and Mira inside the wagon. At daybreak, they resumed their journey to Sentopolly. Hourster, when the sun was starting to set, arge city came into sight far in the horizon. Beyond it the sea could be seen, silent wavesing and receding. There was less than ten kilometers between them and the city. Theynded before the wagon became visible to lookouts in the city, and after pondering for a while Mira summoned Guardian Ash. A bright red magic circle appeared on the ground, a gray bear appearing from it as it grew bigger and vanished. It was a sacred beast, also known as the guardian bear. The bear was almost asrge as the wagon, armed with sharp teeth and ws, but his eyes looked gentle as he looked at Mira. ¡¸Ash, you look as good as always.¡¹ Mira greeted thepanion she had neglected for thirty years, gently touching his body that was almost twice as tall as her. Soon after therge beast turned around at a speed unimaginable from his size and licked Mira¡¯s cheek. A clear sign of affection. Ash seemed more than willing to aplish the task given to him by Mira, happily pulling the wagon after him and clearing the remaining distance in less than an hour, a speed that seemed disconnected from hisnguid bear appearance. Sentopolly was an emerging country that focused on trade. It had only one city, but it was just as lively as any city of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. There were no walls around Sentopolly, the city still growing as there were many buildings in construction out in the wilderness. The road leading to the city¡¯s heart was fournes wide, many merchant and adventurer carriagesing and going. Mira¡¯s wagon joined that crowd from the side and traveled with them into the city. Given theck of walls, there was also no gate leading into the city. Only a few defense posts and checkpoints were scattered along the road. The people they passed by all looked with interest at Guardian Ash. But as much as Mira¡¯s wagon stood out, they passed through all the posts without issue. Chapter 104: Westwards (2) Chapter 104: Westwards (2) Some time after they entered the city, Mira went out to the driver¡¯s tform where Arlon was, looking at the scenery from there in amazement. Sentopolly had a more modern cityscape. In simple words, there were many tall buildings. Most of them were at least five stories high. The city itself was nned neatly, therge roads and smaller alleys giving easy ess to most ces without being superfluous. The central area of the city was filled with many stores, surrounded by a ring of inns, which were surrounded by a second ring of smaller stores. Mira nced at the map Arlon held,paring it to the scenery in front of her. She was taken aback seeing howrge and developed it was, while surprised at the mix of fantasy and modern styles. ¡¸What happened, Mira? Did your senses get overloaded?¡¹ Arlon readjusted his grip on the reins, leading them towards an inn with parking space, while he spoke to Mira who stayed with her mouth agape. ¡¸Ah¡­ not quite. I¡¯m just surprised to see a city like this exists.¡¹ As Arlon folded the map and stashed it in his bag, Mira¡¯s mind began working again, letting her reply while she looked up towards the sky. Usually it looked blue, just like it did in either world. But at night, there was nothing simr in the stars, or the moon looking back at her. ¡¸I was also surprised the first time I came here. From what I heard, they used Antis as reference when building this city.¡¹ ¡¸Antis, you said?!¡¹ That was an unexpected statement, but Mira could see what he meant. Mira was currently in the Earth continent. Crossing the sea to one side was the Ark continent, which was another giant mass ofnd. It housed many high level dungeons, as well as the biggest yer-made countries, the Kingdom of Antis to the north, and the Nirvana Empire to the south. Antis was also a ce housing many former yers like Mira, so it made sense they would pursue a modern look familiar to her. And if Sentopolly was based on that, then in a way Mira was currently looking at a snippet of Antis here. (It seems those guys over there are doing quite well.) As fellow prominent yers, Mira had many friendships in Antis. Reminiscing those days, she opened her friends list and checked the names there, making sure they were white before smiling and looking at the sky again. Artificial lights illuminated the structures built in the image of the ce where Mira grew up, which created a thin veil of whiteness that washed off many stars. Seeing even small details like that replicated here, Mira forced a wry smile. Sentopolly was arge city. The avenues crossing through the different districts were all one-way streets, their direction changing at every intersection. White arrows drawn on the t stone in regr intervals showed the current direction. ording to Arlon, having to turn at every crossing to not go against the traffic was annoying at first, but once one got used to it it made things easier. Around half an hourter, they arrived at the inn Arlon suggested. It was an eight story building, shaped like a hotel out of the early to mid 20th century. But looking to the side, Mira saw what resembled a rococo pce. The center of the city was like that, littered with traces of different past cultures, with the only difference being that all buildings were lived in. There was almost a perfect fifty fifty proportion between the number of modern buildings and those modelled after old ones. Surrounded by what looked like a theme park built intermingled with a city, Mira ordered Ash to take the wagon to the underground parking lot. The inn had a rather bizarre name, The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence. Staying in separate rooms would interrupt the flow of information between the two, so they decided to rent arger room and quickly discussed their n. They decided to rest for the night and go visit Gregor¡¯s workshop the next day. Visiting him at night would be too rude, and his workshop was more than likely already closed either way. Their meeting was over in just a few minutes, after which Arlon went to the dining room on the second floor to get something to eat and drink. Meanwhile Mira headed straight to therge public bath, ted to enjoy a bath after days of not having one, while also being able to entertain her eyes. Once her body and mind were refreshed, Mira went to the second floor, taking a deep breath as she took a sweeping nce at the ce. ¡¸What an odd inn.¡¹ Rather than a dining room, it was more like the restaurant section of a mall. There were many small shops serving food and drinks lined inside the inn, which was an odd and interesting sight for such a ce. So far Mira had always taken an inn as a ce offering bedding and food, but this ce was more like a building renting different spaces, letting others in charge of providing the meals. At the same time, that gave them a second influx of revenue from the space rented to restaurants. Anyone could pick whichever ce piqued their interest, including some shops that resembled pubs and mainly served alcoholic drinks. That variety made the inn popr amongst all sorts of customers. (Hmm, what do I feel like having today¡­ Omelette rice sounds good, burgers too. Fried chicken or cutlet wouldn¡¯t be bad either. Skewers and a drink, a pot of stew for one¡­ there¡¯s all sorts of things here. Oh, there¡¯s even a boxed lunch store. There¡¯s something for everyone here!) Mira stepped into the crowd of clients swarming around the shops, ncing at the samples put forth at the entrance of each of them, consulting her stomach about each of them. After a while of strolling around, she finally decided on one shop and walked through the banners hung on its entrance. ¡¸Wee!¡¹ One of the workers inside greeted her, and once she was in front of the counter she looked at the menu and made her order. ¡¸Can I have arge set of this teriyaki double cheeseburger? And a melon soda for the drink. And oh right, also ketchup for the potatoes.¡¹ ¡¸Certainly! Will you eat here or take out?¡¹ The ce Mira chose was the king of all junk food shops, a burger joint. It was obviously a ce created by a former yer, the inside of the shop awakening a slight sense of nostalgia in Mira. After taking a look around, Mira nodded and said ¡¸Here¡¹. Having paid for her meal, Mira was given a numbered ticket and she sat down at a window-side seat. The other customers¡¯ gazes followed her, a beautiful girl that did not look at all like the type of person who would pick junk food. More than half the clients were adventurers, their curious stares focused on the young girl who was about to fill her cheeks with a burger that seemed too big for her small lips, as well as her silver hair and upper chest with exposed white skin that would entuate any drop of sauce that might fall. But Mira was oblivious to all those stares, thinking only about the junk food she would have after so long. After a few minutes, a waitress came, holding a tray with Mira¡¯s order. The presentation was slightly different from what she was used to seeing, the burger and potatoes on nice tes instead of being wrapped in paper bags, and even the drinks were served in actual sses. It was something one would usually see in an expensive and fancy burger joint. Mira quickly held the burger and bit into it. It was muchrger than her lips, but that only helped to spread that nostalgic vor throughout her mouth. (This is it, this is the vor!) Mira had a blissful moment as she smiled satisfied, her legs instinctively lifting straight while she made a happy ¡¸Mmm~¡¹ sound. She bit into that vor she was once used to, relieving the memory, paying no attention to the sauces sticking to her face around her lips. The sight of Mira enjoying the burger to its fullest was different to that of girls that looked like young princesses who had been there before, brimming with an innocent aura. That seemed to have an influence on the other clients passing by the window, leading to immensely increased sales for that day. Chapter 105: Sentopolly (1) Chapter 105: Sentopolly (1) Mira and Arlon spent the night in Sentopolly, the only city in that trading country. The next morning they ate breakfast and went out to look for Gregor¡¯s workshop. The sword held by one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads had been made by that master cksmith, so they wanted to inquire about its details. Arlon had visited that workshop many times in the past, so Mira relied on his knowledge and just followed him through the city, constantly looking at all the buildings around them as they walked. She looked like a country girl visiting the city for the first time. ¡¸Mira, be careful to not stay behind too much.¡¹ Arlon stopped and turned around, warning Mira who had stopped to look at disy windows. Even though it was still early, or rather, because it was still morning, the streets were filled with people going from one ce to another. So if they were separated, the crowd would make them lose sight of each other quickly. Knowing that, Arlon constantly turned around to make sure Mira was following him, but even then he noticed an increasing gap between them. He even tried to match his pace to hers, but she kept stopping to look around. ¡¸Oh, sorry sorry¡¹ she said in a rushed tone, though she did not seem to say it seriously. ¡¸I feel like you¡¯ll get lost any moment now. Should I hold your hand just in case?¡¹ As Mira trotted back to him, Arlon stretched his right hands towards her with a grin. ¡¸Uh¡­ I¡¯m good. I won¡¯t do that again.¡¹ Mira shuddered at the prospect of having to hold hands to not get lost like a little child, so she made sure to stick right behind Arlon from then on. The workshop was further into the city, on the side that faced the sea. As the two walked through the carefully nned city districts, they arrived at a cliff behind a tall metal fence. Past the fence, was Sentopolly¡¯s other face. The western end of the continent was a three hundred meter tall cliff bordering the sea, against which the city had been built. But Mira saw that behind the fence, there were man made terraces on the cliffside, each about twenty meters tall all the way down to sea level. Those terraces were filled with smaller houses and shops. Everything Mira had seen so far were the districts of the city built for outsiders and visiting adventurers. Past the fence was where the residents of Sentopolly lived. ¡¸This is always a sight to behold, no matter how many times Ie here.¡¹ Arlon took a right turn and began walking along the fence, looking at the sea as he spoke. ¡¸It¡¯s really something else¡­¡¹ Mira was astonished seeing that. Unlike the city behind them, the buildings on the terraces had a more calm and subdued feeling to them, looking more like an actual fantasy cityscape. The ce that once was merely a cliff, was now lived in and even held spots of greenery. Mira had only known how the ce used to look years before, so seeing such changes felt miraculous. The lowest terrace was the widest, housing arge pier with many ships anchored, as well as countless warehouses and even arge wholesale market. Looking to the sides, Mira noticed that where the buildings stopped, the terraces also ended abruptly and turned into a natural cliffside again. She could hardly imagine the technology used to terraform that ce, but the scenery gave her a clear feeling that the city was still expanding. She watched that incredible cityscape as they walked along the fence, eventually reaching a set of stairs that would take them down to that part of the city. As they began descending the carefully carved stone stairs, Mira felt like the air itself changed abruptly, prompting her to stop and turn around while looking up. She could only see the blue sky and white clouds, the lively city she left behind no longer in sight. Following Arlon¡¯s guidance, they descended a fair amount of steps before walking a bit to the side where Gregor¡¯s workshop was located. The magic swords crafted by Gregor had the reputation of having no equal, but in contrast with that fame, his workshop was rather small. ¡¸I was expecting arge building like one of the Union¡¯s offices, but this is ratherpact.¡¹ They stood in front of the building, the sound of a hammer and anvil rhythmicallying from inside while white smoke escaped through the chimney. It was built out of bricks, simrly to a regr house, and Mira voiced her thoughts. ¡¸I can see why you¡¯d think that, though I heard he has around a hundred simr workshops scattered throughout the continent.¡¹ ¡¸Seriously?!¡¹ ording to Arlon, making magic swords required arge variety of ingredients, some of which could only be found in very specific locations. Gregor had visited most of them, getting a workshop in the ce and researching everything before leaving to another ce. At the same time, he always had disciples at hand, of which the best ones would take over the workshop after he left. Considering the number of disciples needed to keep his many workshops open, it was clear Gregor also excelled at teaching and imparting his knowledge. He was now in Sentopolly, continuing with his work while also teaching to more disciples. ¡¸I wish I could order something¡­¡¹ Muttering that, Arlon waited for the hammer beats to stop before knocking on the door. ¡¸Yes hello, do you need something?¡¹ A few momentster a young Gardia man opened the door, his chest covered by a leather apron ckened with soot. Seeing him, Arlon peeked past his shoulder and asked ¡¸Is master Gregor home?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry. He finally epted an order a few days ago, so he¡¯s gone somewhere and secluded himself toplete it.¡¹ That man was one of Gregor¡¯s disciples. Since Gregor would only rarely ept an order, and only from people he was close with, he would pull no stops to create a unique sword whenever he epted one. To aplish that, he would first seclude himself in some secret spot, designing a sword that would fit perfectly in the hands of his client. The location of that secret ce was kept from his disciple, so all he knew was that it was somewhere outside the city, though not too far away. Apparently it was also a ce with good scenery, since Gregor enjoyed feeling surrounded by nature when he worked. Still, none of his disciples ever got to find out where it was. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t be of much help, I don¡¯t even know when he¡¯lle back.¡¹ Chapter 105: Sentopolly (2) Chapter 105: Sentopolly (2) The disciple forced a smile, displeased with theck of information he could provide. Whenever Gregor was out immersed working, the disciple would keep the fort at the workshop, but now he was useless there, not even knowing when his master would return. ¡¸Oh I see, sorry for disturbing you at such a busy time.¡¹ ¡¸No worries, I wasn¡¯t of much help anyway.¡¹ The man bowed slightly and returned into the workshop, the rhythmical nging of metal resuming shortly after. ¡¸What awful timing toe here¡­¡¹ Gregor almost never epted orders, but he had done just that a few days before they arrived. That meant he would be away from home for a while impeding the verification or refuting of his involvement with Chimera uzen. Arlon could only chuckle despite himself at the extreme bad luck they had. ¡¸Well, I guess we just have to search for him if he isn¡¯t home.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. But we have another ce to investigate, so maybe we should separate for that.¡¹ Gregor was not the only person they were there to investigate. Their first lead connected to Sentopolly was the fact that Chimera uzen¡¯s main base was located there after all. Before starting the big hunt for Chimera uzen¡¯s base, they had chosen to inquire about Gregor first, given they knew the location of his workshop. But that had been fruitless. Now they had two ces to find, though luckily they had a few hints as to where Gregor might be. He was outside the city, but not too far away. And it was a ce with breathtaking scenery. ¡¸You can fly on some of your summons, right Mira? Maybe you should go search for Gregor then, I can only walk around so it¡¯d take too long if I went.¡¹ As he spoke, Arlon took out the former spirit sword from the cloth it was wrapped in and offered it to Mira. ¡¸True, I¡¯ll take care of it then.¡¹ Mira nodded and took the sword, storing it in her Item Box. She then summoned Pegasus and climbed on his back to take off. ¡¸Hohh, is that the holy beast Pegasus? You really are full of surprises.¡¹ Arlon muttered in an entertained voice. He had seen one of such beasts before, but the one Mira summoned stood taller and more dignified than that one. Hearing him, Mira puffed her chest and happily dered ¡¸I know I¡¯m amazing like that¡¹ while Pegasus neighed in sync with her. ¡¸Alright, good luck with your search then. I¡¯ll go check up on some friends and informants I have, maybe they know something.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, hopefully you find something.¡¹ After that exchange, Mira took to the skies. Thanks to that enhanced mobility, she quickly circled around the entire city in search of Gregor. He watched with a bit of envy the speed at which Pegasus and Mira left, then went to search for his contacts to see if he could get any leads on where to look for Chimera uzen. With that, both of them got busy with their searches. Seen from the air, the residential area of the city looked like a ce out of European fantasy, and past the metal fence themercial district was a beautiful mix of modern day buildings and rococo architecture. The city was very broad as well, making it hard to believe the city was still in development. The country had existed for merely two decades, but the city was no inferior to the capitals of nations with a rich history. It was almost hard to believe all of this had been built by mere humans. Mira soared from the residential district to themercial one, heading north from there. Below her she saw countless buildings about five storeys tall, chock-full of stores, and every once in a whilerger business buildings stood out, as well as smaller brick buildings. Themercial district was not only filled with people, but also held a varied assortment of all types of items. Around those stores was a ring of inns which housed the many visitorsing to Sentopolly. Looking there Mira even spotted a branch of the Moonlight Manor inn where she once stayed. Mira forced the curiosity of knowing what was being sold down there out of her mind, a hint of disappointment filling its spot as she flew out of the city. Her eyes quickly darter around, trying to find ces where Gregor might be as soon as possible. She was still far away from giving up. Using her mobility advantage to its fullest, she quickly checked different ces. The small forests growing in the wastnds, aroundkes, atop small hills that allowed her to have a sweeping view of the surroundings, the border of cliffs that gave panoramic scenes of the sea. She went anywhere that would make her feel truly surrounded by nature. A couple of hours passed since her search began. The sun was already setting, disappearing beyond the sea far in the horizon, a red hue overtaking the western sky before the darkness of night reached it. The clouds floating above were illuminated orange on one side, only a thin strip of them visible with the gray rest melding into the dark sky. The sky looked like a reflection of Sentopolly. As night arrived, themercial district was bright with lights illuminating the streets, while the small houses in the residential area only showed tiny specks of light through their windows. A city with such contrasting sides was a mismatched and bizarre sight, but that only made it more interesting. Seeing that change in Sentopolly, Mira decided to go for onest round. Unlike the streets, illuminated with artificial lights, the wilderness outside was shrouded in darkness, so if she found any spot of light there, it was highly likely a person was nearby. Hoping for Gregor to have a visible fire in the open, Mira took another look around. But her wish remained unanswered, her eyes unable to find a single speck of light outside. Under the starry sky, Mira finally gave up and returned to the city. Back at the city, Mira flew over the brightly illuminated streets in search of the inn she spent thest night in, desperately looking for any familiarndmark. Eventually she found a sign she was familiar with. It was the logo of the United Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Not only that, but there were both the marks of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union and Warrior¡¯s Union there. They were all on a sign in front of a white five stories tall building, adventurer-like people going in and out of it. Business seemed to be going well there. Watching them for a while, Mira had an idea. Gregor was famous as the best cksmith making magic swords, so all adventurers ought to know his name. So anyone who met him outside of the city would remember it, even if it was a passing nce, which would be enough to give Mira a direction in which to search. With that idea, Mira quickly made Pegasusnd on the Union¡¯s rooftop. Chapter 106: Hectic Occurrences (1) Chapter 106: Hectic urrences (1) After jumping down the rooftop andnding safely on the street, Mira walked into the crowd of adventurers in a nonchnt manner. The street in front of the Union was filled with adventurers who had just finished their business there. Looking up, she could see the lights of the building nearby, and the twinkling stars barely visible far away. The Union was built in a modern style, but everyone going into it had fantastical costumes, making the scene look out of ce, but the longer she watched the funnier it looked. Ignoring all the people who were looking up wondering what had just fallen from the sky onto the rooftop, Mira quickly walked into the Union. The first floor was arge hall with many long benches ced in it, so it was used as a meeting ce for adventurers. Going straight across the entrance was a set of wide stairs, with a map of the ce to the side, as well as an information desk. Theyout was simr to most other Union buildings, but the aesthetic was changed to fit with the exterior appearance. Mira walked through the rows of benches, smiling to herself seeing groups of adventurers calmly chatting with each other, heading to the map. (Ohh, they¡¯re really making good use of all the space they have.) ording to the map, the second floor was used by the warrior¡¯s guild, the third floor was reserved for spellcasters, the fourth was used to sell and buy random materials, and the fifth floor was an infirmary. Thosest two floors were much wider than those of the Union in the Requiem City of Caranach. Seeing how many people visited the ce, it made sense to expand those areas. Thinking that after a sweeping nce at the entire hall, she began climbing the stairs. But barely a few steps up, she stopped. The person she was looking for, Gregor, was a master cksmith. While most adventurers would know of him, she had more chances of finding a clue amongst the warriors. Her thoughts settled after that, Mira finally resumed climbing until she reached the second floor. The ce looked quite different from Mira¡¯s image of a Warrior¡¯s Union. She had expected the ce to be filled with scarred men, axes hung on their backs and chins covered with stubble. Reality was so different that she eximed a surprised ¡¸Oh¡¹ after a quick look inside. There were around forty or fifty warriors there, but only two or three looked the way Mira expected. There were knights that would garner cheers from crowds, subdued and taciturn warriors, dagger users wearing only light armor, and even a few warrior girls wearing magical girl clothes. There was something almost dazzling about that crowd. Mira had also expected the younger and immature ones to be locked in constant fights and discussions, but the entire floor was almost silent. Considering the design of the building, it almost felt like they were all detained in a police station. Figuring she had been wrong in her impression of warriors, Mira began looking for people with swords who looked like they knew Gregor, specifically those with strong arms who would seem interested in obtaining a powerful sword. Even then, she had not noticed that the floor had indeed been bustling with voices right until the moment she appeared there. She did notice some of the men were looking at her though. (Hmm, I guess it¡¯s odd to see a spellcaster in the Warrior¡¯s Union.) That thought was enough for Mira to ignore those stares, something she was ustomed to, figuring it was a natural reaction to her ss. Not bothered by the attention, she walked onwards looking for stronger warriors, until¡­ ¡¸Mira, is that you?¡¹ Someone called to her from behind, the voice sounding familiar to Mira. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s actually you.¡¹ Turning around, Mira saw Emera, the owner of the voice Mira remembered. Emera was a friendly adventurer, as well as ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s assistant leader, who had traveled with Mira when she went to the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis following Soul Howl¡¯s tracks. They had met again some timeter in Hunters¡¯ Vige, when Mira returned from the Elder¡¯s forest. ¡¸I knew it. I¡¯d recognize your back anywhere.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯d never forget your voice either.¡¹ Mira smiled as Emera happily ran towards her. ¡¸Anyway, why are you even here in the Warrior¡¯s Union?¡¹ Emera dragged her to one of the corners as she asked that. Spellcasters had no way of epting requests outside the Spellcasters¡¯ Union, so realistically there was no reason for her to be there. A spellcaster would only be seen there if they needed something unrted to a request, so Mira¡¯s constant staring around the ce made Emera curious. ¡¸Hmm, well, you see¡­¡¹ Emera was both a swordswoman and a friend Mira could talk to easily. She was a perfect candidate, so Mira decided to both exin why she was there, while also checking if she knew anything. Mira told how she was trying to meet with a cksmith called Gregor, but he was not at his workshop, and looking around was fruitless as well. Since Gregor had a reputation as a master crafter of swords, now she was trying to find a warrior who might know something more about him. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. Do you know anything, perhaps?¡¹ Her exnation concluded, Mira appended thatst question. In response, Emera¡¯s countenance seemed to brighten up as she eximed ¡¸I know him!¡¹ ¡¸In fact, I just got back from seeing him!¡¹ She continued with a proud voice. As she went into more detail, it turned out Emera was that rare client of Gregor. She had asked him to craft something with the devil parts she had obtained during her travel with Mira. Emera had spent thest few days together with Gregor in his hidden workshop, showing him how she used her sword. Apparently he did that with all his clients to familiarize himself with their habits and weight distribution, making sure his creations were perfectly suited to them. Gregor¡¯s swords were made to enhance as much as possible the natural talents of the owner, so those practice sessions were an important step to achieve that. ¡¸So you know where Gregor is right now? Could you tell me where he is?!¡¹ Having such surprising results from the first person she asked, Mira encroached on Emera while asking for the location. ¡¸Umm¡­ I do know. But why would a spellcaster like yourself look for a cksmith?¡¹ When they had spoken before, Mira had boasted proudly about how she had no need for weapons, which was something Emera remembered vividly, so she was very curious to figure out what was happening. ¡¸There¡¯s something I want him to take a look at. It shouldn¡¯t take much time.¡¹ It was nothingplicated, so it should not interfere with the creation of Emera¡¯s sword. Implying that in her reply, Mira insisted on getting a reply. ¡¸I see. Well, alright, I¡¯ll take you there. But can we do it tomorrow? Before I left Gregor told me he would focus on getting the design done as soon as possible, so if I go back so quickly I might disturb him.¡¹ Still curious to find out what Mira wanted to show Gregor, Emera agreed to take her there. Though she never had the intention of refusing Mira a favor in the first ce. Rather, she was even slightly excited thinking Mira was gaining an interest for her field as a warrior. Chapter 106: Hectic Occurrences (2) Chapter 106: Hectic urrences (2) ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind that.¡¹ It was already dark outside, so forcing her to lead the way through a wastnd at night was asking for too much. Mira nodded while giving her reply in a serious tone. ¡¸Let¡¯s go tomorrow then. Where should we meet? Or actually, have you decided where you¡¯ll spend the night already?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m staying at uhh¡­ I think it was called The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence. It actually had an incredible dining hall.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s where I¡¯m staying as well! Wait a bit until I¡¯m done here, we can go back together!¡¹ It turned out Emera was staying in the same inn as Mira. She ced her hands on Mira¡¯s shoulder, telling her to stay there before she darted to the Union¡¯s front desk. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ Mira spent that time looking at the different adventurers visiting the Warriors¡¯ Union. When Emera returned, her business finished, they left the building together. The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence was located not too far from the Union. Considering the way the inn operated, letting the guests freely choose meals to their liking, it was very popr amongst adventurers. ¡¸Still, I wasn¡¯t expecting to meet you in these distantnds.¡¹ Having a friendly rtionship with Emera and her guild, Mira happily spoke with her. Sentopolly was a majormercial hub in the western edge of the continent. At night the streets and stores were brightly illuminated, visited by adventurers that had just returned from their jobs. It was slightly different from the scenery Mira had seen earlier that day, when she mostly saw regr people and merchants popting the streets. In a way, rather than being merely lively, the streets seemed bustling with activity now. The two girls walked down those streets, constantly moving to avoid colliding with the many people there. ¡¸I guess there¡¯s some higher power connecting us!¡¹ Emera replied in a happy voice. While it sounded like a joking sentence, the tone of her voice belied a wish for it to be true. After that the two spoke about what happened to each of them after their encounter in Hunters¡¯ Vige, near the Elder¡¯s Forest. Mira mostly spoke about her first experience traveling in the continental railroads, focusing on thefort of the first ss carriages. Emera sounded jealous of her, saying she had traveled many times in economy ss, but only one time in premium ss. When Mira finished boasting about her trip, it was Emera¡¯s turn to update Mira on what happened on her side. Leaving Hunters¡¯ Vige, Emera and her group continued guarding merchants all the way to Ozstein, only to continue traveling westwards until they arrived at Sentopolly a few days before Mira. At that point Emera¡¯s voice became more ted as she narrated how Sero, the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon, introduced her to Gregor and arranged for him to craft her a sword. Emera had a stronger than average passion for swords, her eyes twinkling as she spoke just like Mira¡¯s did while talking about summoning. They continued chatting happily until they arrived at the inn. The ce was popr amongst adventurers, a bright sign lit up at the entrance reading The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence. To Mira, it looked like an average modern building, but to the inhabitants of this world it had a bizarre construction. ¡¸Ah-¡¹ As soon as they reached the entrance, Emera instinctively took a defensive stance. Mira followed her gaze wondering what had happened, finding two other members of Emera¡¯s guild there, Fra and Zef. They had also been in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis back then, and had arrived at the inn just a moment before Emera and Mira. ¡¸Ohh!¡¹ Zef had also spotted Emera, noticing Mira right after and started walking towards them waving with an innocent smile. But at the same time¡­ ¡¸Ish Miwwaaa!¡¹ With a shrill shout, Fra pushed Zef aside as she charged towards the girls, her pupils turned into hearts. The way she ran was no longer that of a spellcaster, but that of a vicious beast. In the past, Fra had assaulted Mira countless times, but each time Emera had been able to hold her back. Expecting the same to happen again, Mira was rxed, until her body trembled at the sight in front of her. Using every muscle in her body, and with impable timing, Emera aimed a hit on the crown of Fra¡¯s head with the hilt of her dagger, but Fra turned her head to the side and evaded the attack at thest instant. Fra¡¯s quick reflexes and judgment, coupled with her tenacity, had managed to thwart Emera¡¯s attack. And right after¡­ ¡¸Hahh! This smell, Miwa¡¯s smelll!¡¹ Fra dashed past Emera and embraced Mira, her arms circling around her body while she dug her head into Mira¡¯s chest and took aggressive deep breaths. ¡¸Please do something already!¡¹ Fra¡¯s hands began wriggling around Mira¡¯s body, while the other people around the entrance began looking at them curious by the loud noises. At the same time, Mira yelled desperately to Emera, who this time did not miss andnded a clean hit on Fra¡¯s head. ¡¸Umm¡­ sorry for that.¡¹ The group had entered The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence, where Emera disposed of Fra¡¯s body on a nearby couch before returning to Mira with apologetic eyes. ording to Emera, that was the first time Fra had ever managed to dodge her attack. Apparently Fra¡¯s desire for Mira had not dwindled in the least, instead increasing by the day. Those powerful desires had led to this incident, or at least that was Emera¡¯s awkward theory. Meanwhile Mira was busy wiping off Fra¡¯s drool from her chest. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s alright¡­¡¹ ¡­If only she didn¡¯t act like that. Mira kept the rest of the sentence to herself, only sighing as she watched Fra¡¯s limp body trying to move like a zombie. ¡¸Either way, been a while Mira. It really is a coincidence to meet again in this corner of the continent.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, it really has been some time. I¡¯m just¡­ d you¡¯re doing well¡­¡¹ Zef greeted her in his usual casual manner, which Mira tried to respond in like, but was distracted trying to avoid Fra¡¯s intense stares. That small conflict resolved, the four happily celebrated their reunion. Even Fra seemed happy with the dose of Mira she had gotten, and acted normal from then on. That only counted her actions though, her eyes still burning with passion every time she looked at Mira. ¡¸You should join us for dinner too, Mira. Who knows when we¡¯ll meet again, and Sero¡¯s here as well after all.¡¹ Zef invited Mira to eat with them. Eating together for such a rare asion was a natural course of action with no ill intentions. But Fra standing just a few paces away, nodding furiously at the suggestion, was a demon of impure intentions incarnated. But either way, meeting and having meals with people from far away was also part of the charm of the adventurer¡¯s life. ¡¸That does sound like a good idea, we should celebrate the asion.¡¹ Mira also had something she wanted to talk about with Sero, so she nodded readily. Chapter 107: United Strategy Meeting (1) Chapter 107: United Strategy Meeting (1) In the second floor of The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence, an inn in Sentopolly, Sero and Asbar sat on a couch ced in the waiting room next to the many food shops lined along the hall. ¡¸We brought a special guest!¡¹ Zef was in the lead of the group that just arrived, raising his voice towards his friends. ¡¸Oh, fancy seeing you here.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh! Now that¡¯s a surprise!¡¹ Zef¡¯s loud voice attracted a few onlookers, while Sero and Asbar turned to him and smiled in pleasant surprise seeing Mira. ¡¸You seem to be doing well. Though this was thest ce I thought of meeting you in.¡¹ Mira was also happy to see them. The man with short wild red hair was Asbar, who had also been with her in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. On the other hand, in contrast to Asbar, with long red hair and androgynous features was Sero, the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon. He was also a former yer like Mira. ¡¸I wasn¡¯t expecting this as well, though this city tends to gather people from all ces. Maybe this type of chance reunions are moremon than we think.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a usible theory. Where there¡¯s variety in wares, there¡¯s variety in people. Not to mention this region has plenty of dungeons.¡¹ The city had plenty of inns and restaurants. And from what Mira had seen, there were people from all races and upations visiting the city. As a trading city, there was a constant flow of people andmerce from all the continent passing through Sentopolly. On top of that, that region was rich in dungeons, making it the perfect ce to gather gear and quickly go hunting nearby. That made it a good city to visit for adventurers. ¡¸Anyway, what kind of business brings you here, Mira? Is it rted to the dates you showed me before?¡¹ Those dates Sero mentioned were the clues Mira had asked them to investigate, which should lead her to the location of the Nine Wisemen. As for her current business, she was helping one of those Nine Wisemen, who also happened to be the leader of the Fifty bells, defeat Chimera uzen so she could return to Arkite as a Wiseman. It was rather cumbersome to exin in simple terms. ¡¸Hmm, in a way, I guess¡­¡¹ After mulling it over, she gave that vague reply. But then she appeared to remember something, raising her voice to exim ¡¸Oh right¡¹ while taking out the paper with the dates she had shown Sero. ¡¸You can ignore one of the dates I gave you, June 18th 2032. I¡¯ve already solved that one on my own.¡¹ That day was when the leader of the Fifty Bells Uzume, also known as Kagura of the Seven Stars, hade to this world from the game world. For good or for worse, it seemed that every time a powerful entity like a Wiseman appeared in this world, some sort of conflict started, which served as clues to track them down. Kagura had been found almost by chance, but was found nheless so there was no need to look into that date anymore. ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll strike it out then.¡¹ Saying that, Sero took another piece of paper from his pocket and drew a line on it. ¡¸As for the details of my presence here, I¡¯m not sure if this is the best ce¡­¡¹ Taking a look at her surroundings, Mira said ¡¸You decide¡¹ before leaning towards Sero and whispering the outline of Chimera uzen¡¯s existence into his ear. As well as how one of the Sky Denizens had imed their main base was in Sentopolly. Hearing that story, Sero¡¯s face turned more serious. ¡¸I see. We can¡¯t know where they have ears and eyes, so it might be best to talk about it somewhere else. Still, I¡¯m very interested in this story so let¡¯s go somewhere more private. I want to know more.¡¹ Having an idea of what they were dealing with, Sero stood up. The matter had not been made public yet, but on the higher political levels and positions in Unions, Chimera uzen had already be a serious threat. If they were allowed to continue harming spirits, there mighte a day when the spirits would turn against humans and demand revenge. On top of that, the source of all that, Chimera uzen, still roamed freely outside thes of justice, escaping like some sort of ephemeral cloud. After hearing that their main base was located near the city, Sero was filled with a burning conviction, given he sympathized with humans and spirits alike. ¡¸Let¡¯s go then.¡¹ There was another reason why Mira wanted Sero to know about Chimera uzen. All the information she and Arlon possessed was that it was located somewhere in the country, which made it almost impossible to search for it in a short time frame. On top of that, Chimera had startedrger scale movements as ofte, so the longer the search took the less advantage they would gain. Luckily enough, Sero¡¯s group was one Mira found trustworthy, knowing they would help if she gave them the information. Sero was clever enough to understand that was what Mira hoped for as well. To discuss the matter more privately, the six stood up and headed to the stairs heading for Sero¡¯s room. ¡¸Oh, Mira. You¡¯re already here?¡¹ Arlon had juste back and they bumped into him on the stairs. He looked very tired and worn, probably from walking around excessively. ¡¸Yes, and you came at the perfect moment. Come with us.¡¹ Mira smiled at the perfect timing of his return while pointing upstairs. Arlon had been out all day trying to find leads to Chimera uzen¡¯s base. Since they were going to talk about that group anyway, Mira figured it would make things easier to have Arlon report his findings at the same time. ¡¸Hm? Yeah, sure.¡¹ Arlon took a nce at the people standing with Mira and nodded, before turning to look up the stairs again. The group sat around a table in Sero¡¯s room, located on the fifth floor of the inn. As the leader of a famous guild, his room was considerablyrge, having space left even with seven people there. Though the furnishings were rather in. ¡¸Let me introduce him first, he¡¯s Arlon, an adventurer aiding me in my current mission.¡¹ Mira waited until Emera poured tea for everyone and then raised her voice to introduce Arlon. When she was done, all eyes moved from her to Arlon sitting beside her. ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Arlon.¡¹ Arlon looked back at the gazes focusing on him, speaking in aposed manner. ¡¸And these people are¡­¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s Sero, the leader of the ¨¦cate Carillon guild, and the rest are his members.¡¹ Mira was about to introduce the rest of the people there, but Arlon interrupted her, already aware of who they were. ¡¸What, you know of them already?¡¹ ¡¸Well, they¡¯re really famous. Though I¡¯m more surprised they¡¯re your acquaintances.¡¹ Arlon reclined his back against the chair, crossing his arms while replying matter-of-factly. He was also taken aback by Mira¡¯s broad connections, thinking of Patronager S as well. ¡¸We¡¯ve known each other from a past incident. And well, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t consult with you first, but I was thinking of telling them about Chimera¡¯s base. I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll lend us a hand once they know everything, but what do you think?¡¹ Mira had only asked for his approval after deciding on sharing the information. Usually that would be a bad idea without Arlon¡¯s consent, as they were a team of two, but Mira had already told Sero a portion of the information. Arlon just gave a short ¡¸That sounds like a good idea¡¹ and approved of it though. ¨¦cate Carillon was a very well known guild amongst adventurers, in no small part thanks to their humanitarian values and honor. That happened because Sero¡¯s personality was that way, and he had sought simrly minded people to form his group. Considering the Fifty Bells¡¯ position against Chimera uzen, ¨¦cate Carillon would easily sympathize and be powerful allies. And that would be possible thanks to Mira¡¯s incredible connections. As for their current mission, the multiple members of the guild would make the search much easier. Having spent an entire day walking around without rest, Arlon was ready to bow down to the ground if it meant getting their help. ¡¸I¡¯ll exin the situation then.¡¹ Wielding thest shreds of strength still in his body, Arlon told them everything there was to know about the Fifty Bells. ¡¸I¡¯ll definitely help!¡¹ As soon as Arlon finished his exposition, Fra raised her voice. As a spellcaster, she was especially sensitive when it came to spirits, so hearing Chimera uzen¡¯s actions she was the most willing to fight them. ¡¸I¡¯ll help as well.¡¹ After Fra, Emera also offered her help. She was a kind person that would offer her help free of charge to a couple of children entering a dungeon. And her amiability was no different in regards to spirits, so she was determined to fight against Chimera uzen. ¡¸Hearing a story like that, I can¡¯t stay behind either.¡¹ ¡¸I can¡¯t call myself a man if I ignore this.¡¹ Zef and Asbar were also willing to participate. They truly were all of a single mind in that guild. ¡¸You¡¯ve heard them. ¨¦cate Carillon will lend its full support to the Fifty Bells.¡¹ Once everyone had expressed their willingness to help, their leader Sero confirmed their participation. ¡¸Ohh nice. I appreciate that.¡¹ Chapter 107: United Strategy Meeting (2) Chapter 107: United Strategy Meeting (2) Arlon looked extremely relieved, knowing he would not have to run through the entire city alone. An alliance forged between the Fifty Bells and ¨¦cate Carillon, they began discussing their strategy moving forward. Their main priority was to not alert Chimera uzen, so they were as cautious as possible as they discussed how and where each of them would investigate. Halfway through the meeting they took a break to eat dinner, and then continued their discussion untilte at night. ¡¸Anyway, we just got to meet each other, so what do you say we take some bonding time in the bath? It should be pretty empty at this hour.¡¹ With everything decided and their meal over, Zef stood up and said that. It was already a bit past ten in the night. But the bath of this inn was always open except during cleaning, so it was actually better to go therete at night since it would be less crowded. ¡¸That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯re already brothers in arms after all.¡¹ ¡¸Right, so what do you say, Arlon?¡¹ Asbar also stood up in agreement, while Sero nodded in approval. Chatting while taking a bath, as well as other various ways of bonding wasmon practice amongst adventurers that would work together. ¡¸I¡¯m in, of course.¡¹ Arlon replied like it was the most obvious thing and followed them to the bath. Fra watched them go, a suspicious grin on her lips. While it was customary for adventurers to talk in a bath, Fra noticed she had yet to take one together with Mira. ¡¸Well, this looks like a good moment for us to bond as adventurers as well, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡¹ She turned around and said that, hiding what her true intention was. But her eyes were entirely focused on Mira, filled with lust and making it obvious what she was thinking. But only a momentter a rope wrapped around her and tied her to the chair, Emera¡¯s swift restraining skills at full disy. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go to the bath as well then.¡¹ After confirming there was no ck to the rope, Emera calmly invited Mira. ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Mira concealed the strange glint in her eyes and stood up. She knew not to be so careless as to let her true emotions show on her face, so she forced herself to remain calm unlike Fra. She pretty much acted like a little girl excited for the holidays instead. ¡¸Please wait for me! I swear on my life I won¡¯t do anything, pwetty please!¡¹ The two left the room as Fra cried loudly. The chair began rattling and fell down, but even then continuous ¡¸I swearrrr!¡¹ could be heard. It was an extremely pitiful sight, even for Mira who was the direct target of her attacks, Though Emera looked somewhat baffled. ¡¸Alright, you heard her. I think that¡¯s enough, right?¡¹ Unable to watch anymore, Mira said that. Emera sighed and began loosening the rope around Fra, apologizing half heartedly. ¡¸I hope you keep your word.¡¹ ¡¸I swear by all that¡¯s holy and sacred.¡¹ Emera¡¯s voice still sounded sceptic, but Fra knelt like a knight and swore with the most serious face she had shown so far. Mira and Emera, as well as the calmed down Fra, went down to the first floor of the inn. There was arge hall on the opposite side of the front entrance, popted by a handful of people wearing bathrobes rxing now that it waste at night. All the gift shops around there had already closed, though those selling drinks were still open. It was a slightly lonesome sight, but also oddly captivating. The bath was obviously divided between men and women, and the eyes of the men standing there were all directed passionately towards the women¡¯s bath. Mira ignored all of those stares and walked with certain steps, opening the doors and taking a quick nce behind her before entering that holy garden. That was a ce secluded from the presence of men, yet Mira possessed the power to enter effortlessly, and her eyes and smile as she looked back seemed to belittle those men saying ¡®this is the difference between you and me.¡¯ As Mira began undressing in the changing room, she looked at Emera and Fra to see how they looked without clothes. Obviously enough, her eyes met Fra¡¯s, but only for an instant before she averted them, making it seem like it was just a coincidence. But this was Fra, so it most definitely was not a coincidence. Afterwards her eyes kept dancing towards Mira¡¯s direction, trying to catch a glimpse of her. Mira never had any strong emotions about being seen naked, so in truth she did not mind being looked at by her. In a way, it was almost exciting for her, the only issue was Fra¡¯s intense desire to constantly touch her, which had gotten to the point of being annoying. When Mira was done undressing, she carefully watched Emera and Fra finish as well before heading into the bath. Fra seemed to be the type of girl that looked thinner when clothed, her chest looking more impressive than Emera¡¯s now that she was naked. There was nothing much to be said about the bath itself, it was built essentially like a somewhat modern bathhouse, it was built of stone and one of the walls had flowers in a forest painted on it. The wall in front of the entrance was lined with shower heads to clean oneself, and the left side had a sauna section and buckets. There were things that could have been better, but it was enough for Mira to feel at ease and rx. It was decently sized as well, easily fitting around thirty people at the same time, but considering the time there were only a handful of girls in there now. ¡¸The water feels so nice.¡¹ ¡¸I know~¡¹ Mira spread her limbs and rxed her body in the water, and Emera replied to her in an aloof voice. A distance in front of them was Fra, isting herself as she simply soaked in the water, her eyes teary ever since Emera took her sses away before she entered the bath. ¡¸Still, I wasn¡¯t expecting to find you together with Arlon, who¡¯s known as the undefeated man of a thousand skills.¡¹ Emera spoke with a surprised voice. Apparently Arlon was pretty well known amongst adventurers. His unflinching and resolute attitude, as well as his strength and experience had caught the eyes of many throughout the continent, leading to him receiving many invitations to work directly under the government of a few countries. ¡¸I didn¡¯t know he was such a big deal.¡¹ Impressed, Mira replied that way, but then ¡¸Not as big as yourself, though¡¹ Arlon¡¯s voice came from the other side of the wall. Looking more closely it became obvious there was a narrow gap atop the wall separating the men and women¡¯s baths, like in most bathhouses. ¡¸What do you mean? I¡¯m merely an adventurer.¡¹ ¡¸I guess, let¡¯s leave it at that then.¡¹ Standing up, Mira raised her voice a bit and replied towards the wall, Arlon¡¯s replying shortly between chuckles. Right after that Mira took a small stool and bucket and headed to the ce with the shower heads, but before getting there she raised her gaze and noticed someone looking from above the wall. The face of that someone, Zef, quickly turned from a lewd and lecherous expression to a dead serious one as he looked back at Mira. ¡¸What, you¡¯ve been peeping from up there? So childish.¡¹ Mira grinned as she ced the stool and bucket down. Zef was acting just like a young teen during a school trip, but she was impressed he had actually managed to get a look. ¡¸Ah¡­ well¡­ they¡¯re quite big, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡¹ His voice suddenly sounded much more polite, almost as if this was the first time they were talking to each other. ¡¸Oh right, you mentioned you prefer them big, yes?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s correct, they¡¯re only good when they spill from my hands.¡¹ With a wicked grin, Mira put her hands to her chest and made a manner of lifting her breasts, to which Zef replied with foolish honesty and saluted. ¡¸Well, just be careful no one else finds you then.¡¹ Mira could understand the dreams and aspirations behind Zef¡¯s actions, so she silently cheered him on, while also warning him. Though she still felt superior given she was inside that sacred realm he was trying to get into. ¡¸I appreciate your thoughtfulness.¡¹ He replied politely while bowing slightly, but his face froze over an instantter. He noticed Emera standing with a bucket in her hand, her face full of indignation but her eyes tracking him like a hunter aiming at prey. Zef tried toe up with an excuse, but before he could say anything a dry knock sounded through the bath, followed by many shrill cries. (Rest in peace.) Mira wished Zef well in the afterlife after his face disappeared behind the wall. ¡¸Miramira, we¡¯re supposed to get closer with each other today, so let me help you.¡¹ Emera walked up to Mira, talkingpletely normal as if she had not killed someone a second before. She quickly stood behind her and began washing Mira¡¯s hair. Apparently washing each other¡¯s hair was also an adventurer tradition. Emera washed Mira¡¯s hair, Mira washed Fra, and then Fra took care of Emera. While Fra had her hair washed, she obviously looked the happiest. With that, they all were satisfied with that night¡¯s events. Chapter 108: Gregor (1) Chapter 108: Gregor (1) A bit past early morning, everyone except for Mira and Emera went out to search for Chimera uzen¡¯s headquarters as they had decided the night before. The remaining two would go in a different direction to find Gregor, who might have yet another clue. ¡¸I think this ce should be good enough.¡¹ Mira led the way to a parking lot near the inn, where she searched for a rtively empty spot to summon Pegasus. ¡¸Woah, it¡¯s a pegasus¡­ so cool.¡¹ As the white horse elegantly stepped out from the magic circle, his wings spread out, Emera stared agape at his imposing figure, before turning to Mira and asking ¡¸Can I touch it?¡¹ Mira replied that she should ask Pegasus himself, so Emera turned to him and repeated her question, which was answered by a slight nod. As Emera stroked Pegasus¡¯ mane, her face brightened up in happiness, looking like a maiden living in her dreamworld. ¡¸Alright that¡¯s enough, we should get going now.¡¹ Saying that, Mira climbed on his back. ¡¸There¡¯s two of us this time, thanks for helping¡¹ she told Pegasus, which was replied with an energetic neigh epting of this new mission. Hearing that, and seeing Mira already on Pegasus¡¯ back, Emera¡¯s eyes began to shine. ¡¸Can I really ride with you?!¡¹ Emera asked full of expectation as Mira pulled herself a bit forward making space behind her on Pegasus¡¯ back and pointing to it. ¡¸It¡¯ll be faster this way.¡¹ That simple sentence made Emera smile more widely than ever before. While Emera usually only had eyes for swords and daggers, in truth she admired heroism above everything. That admiration had seeded her interest in weapons and tools a hero would use, and also spread to the kind ofrades a hero would have and would be sung about in legends. And a pegasus was a famous recurring character in such tales. They were said to only allow those they approved of to approach them, not to mention riding them. Now, there was a pegasus standing in front of her, and her lifelong dream of riding one was also about to be fulfilled. ¡¸I¡¯ll appreciate that very much.¡¹ Respectfully bowing to them, Emera took Mira¡¯s hand and climbed behind her. ¡¸Let¡¯s go then.¡¹ Hearing Mira, Pegasus spread his wings wide and they slowly rose up into the sky. As they reached a decent altitude, Emera noticed the high viewpoint she gained, while also feeling the warmth from below her, wind caressing her ears, and the scent of the sea nearby. So many things felt different when flyingpared to riding a regr horse that Emera could only constantly look around while admiring the scenery she had dreamt of for so long. ¡¸Thank you so much Mira!¡¹ Saying that in a loud and happy voice, Emera hugged Mira from behind. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into you, but could you at least point us to the direction where Gregor is staying?¡¹ Mira could not understand why Emera would thank her like that, looking utterly puzzled, only asking where their destination was. Meanwhile Pegasus seemed rather disgusted with how close the two riders seemed with each other, but they did not notice that at all. ¡¸We¡¯re so high up! This is amazing, I never imagined it would feel this way to fly!¡¹ As they flew towards Gregor¡¯s hidden workshop, Emera kept getting amazed at the sight from up there and loudly voiced her impression. ¡¸I know, it¡¯s really impressive.¡¹ Emera was right, the view from a pegasus was a breathtaking sight, but Mira was acting more protective and careful than usual having Emera up there with her, so she replied in a moreposed manner. They left Sentopolly and flew along the coastline for a while before Emera pointed to a spot near the cliff edge. Pegasusnded near that spot, and looking at the cliff they noticed an opening carved onto the cliff wall. Getting closer, they also saw stairs leading down there. ¡¸This is rather ominous¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know what you mean¡­¡¹ The stairs looked like they had been made out of the cliff itself, and were barely one meter wide making them look extremely dangerous. Even Emera was scared of them, clinging to the cliff as she began descending the steps. They stood at a considerable height above the sea underneath, making it easy to feel dizzy hearing the waves violently hitting the cliff below, so far away it was hard to see clearly and only the sound traveling up. Mira had not much to fear, given she could run through the air with her sage skills, but such a sheer cliff still gave her a sense of vertigo and fear when she tried to look down. A strong salty breeze hit them as Emera fearfully went from one step to the next. Mira followed closely behind. At the end of the stairs, a narrow cave awaited them, only wide enough for one person to go through at a time and heading into the cliff and directly away from the sea. Emera¡¯s steps became more regr and confident as she walked inside the cave, Mira also speeding up to keep up with her. They had walked for around ten meters when they reached a door. Illuminated by a soft light, it looked no different from any door one would find in the city, making its presence inside the cave all the more mysterious and curious. ¡¸This is it, Gregor¡¯s secret workshop.¡¹ Emera turned around to say that, then turned back towards the door and opened it without hesitating. (I see, this exins why I couldn¡¯t find it from the airst night.) Mira had searched all around Sentopolly from high up in the air, so a cave in a cliff was obviously hidden from her that way. Knowing she had wasted an entire day that way, Mira could only smile despite herself. Beyond the door was another cave, but unlike the first one, it was much wider. The ceiling was still at the same height, but there was around four or five meters of space to the sides. There were many stands with swords of all shapes and sizes here, but those swords were unlike anymonly found in stores, even an amateur being able to tell they were all custom made. ¡¸Good morning.¡¹ Emera greeted the white haired man sitting in front of arge drawing board hung on the far end of the cave. After a short dy, he turned around, and once he saw Emera slowly rose on his feet. He wore a very used ck boiler suit, and the wrinkles on his face made it clear he was already past seventy years old. He was the master cksmith Gregor. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re here. Let¡¯s check your grip today!¡¹ A smile spread on his face marked with wrinkles as he began looking through the swords in a nearby stand. Momentster his hands froze and his face turned to Emera again, staring at the other girl standing with her. He narrowed his eyes and slowly approached them. ¡¸Hmmmm? Who¡¯s this girl?¡¹ Looking up and down at Mira, Gregor asked while frowning. ¡¸Her name is Mira. She said there¡¯s something very important she needs to talk with you about.¡¹ With that brief exnation, Emera took a step back. Meanwhile Mira kept staring at Gregor. He had perfectly white hair, but it was overgrown and unkempt, and his attitude was rather indolent. Gregor clearly put his craft first and only took care of himself as an afterthought. He was a far cry from Mira¡¯s ideal old gentleman, but she thought there were a few things she could learn from his passion for his work. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira, there was something I wished to show you, if you give me a moment.¡¹ Chapter 108: Gregor (2) Chapter 108: Gregor (2) Saying that, Mira took a step forward and took out the sword wrapped in cloth. It was the sword one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads had used as the basis for a spirit sword. Since the sword had Gregor¡¯s signature engraved on it, Mira hade all this way to ask him about it. ¡¸A sword? But why would a spellcaster want to show me a sword? If you want me to appraise it then bad luck, I¡¯m too busy now.¡¹ Gregor did not seem very interested in it, pushing it away. All Gregor wanted was to make swords for those worthy of having them. ¡¸Now, now, don¡¯t say that before you¡¯ve seen it. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll look familiar to you.¡¹ Not minding Gregor¡¯s disinterested attitude, Mira began undoing the cloth covering the sword. First the hilt became visible, then the crossguard, andstly the de was revealed. It was a magnificent sword. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ how did youe to possess that?¡¹ As soon as he saw it, Gregor¡¯s attitude changed. His brows knit together and he red at Mira. ¡¸Ohh, I knew you had seen it before.¡¹ Mira prodded him further, making Gregor narrow his eyes before looking at the sword with a longing expression. ¡¸Of course. It¡¯s a sword I made.¡¹ As soon as Gregor uttered those words, Emera let out a surprised shriek and ran over to the sword, looking at it from very close up. But then she felt Gregor¡¯s and Mira¡¯s disapproving stares on her and retreated. It had been confirmed Gregor was the maker of the sword. That meant the next question would have even more weight. ¡¸Could you tell me who you made this sword for then?¡¹ Gregor¡¯s swords were highly customized, always made with every small measure in mind, making sure they would feel at home in their owner¡¯s hands. They were good swords so anyone would be able to use them sessfully, but only the original owner could utilize them to their fullest. And considering this sword came from one of Chimera uzen¡¯s head, it did not make much sense for him to use a sword that felt inferior in his handpared to others. That meant the man Mira had found at the end of the Mirage Maze was most likely the original owner of the sword, and Gregor had to be very familiar with him. ¡¸And what do you gain by knowing? What¡¯s your goal with all this?¡¹ As he spoke, Gregor turned a sharp look to Mira, almost as if his eyes were holding a dagger next to her throat. No decent workmen would ever leak their customer information, the only exception being when there was a more important reason behind it. Mira was fully aware of that. Looking straight into Gregor¡¯s eyes, Mira held the sword by its hilt, lifting the de between their eyes as she grinned. ¡¸To snuff out Chimera¡¯s head.¡¹ She gently rotated the sword to reveal her eyes glinting more sharply than the de. Chimera uzen being referred to as simply Chimera wasmon. And Gregor had heard about them before, from conversations with adventurers he knew. They were the group constantly harming spirits. Usually workmen like him had little contact with spirits, unlike warriors and adventurers. But when one wanted to enhance their work to its fullest, interaction with spirits was required. The blessing of certain spirits could greatly enhance one¡¯s abilities to judge their creations after all. In his long life as a swordsmith, Gregor had obtained the blessing of a couple of such spirits, so he held them in high esteem. Chimera uzen¡¯s actions were thus inexcusable for him. ¡¸Tell me more.¡¹ Gregor sat on a nearby chair and crossed his arms, waiting for Mira to speak. ¡¸Alright.¡¹ With a short reply, Mira ced the sword in the stand in front of Gregor and exined how she obtained it. How she fought one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads in the Mirage Maze, who was a necromancer using that sword as well as wearing armor made with shadow spirit arms. The man had escaped after the fight, but Mira believed the sword could be a clue to his identity, so she hade to ask Gregor. Mira exined all of that as quickly as she could. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Hearing all that, he barely uttered a word and took the sword from the stand. Looking at the de, he heaved a long sigh and closed his eyes as he reminisced about the past. After a while he slowly opened his eyes and returned the sword to the stand with a pained expression, sitting heavily on the chair again and crossing his arms, his eyes staring nkly at the air as he began to speak. ¡¸This sword¡¯s owner is called Gregorius. He¡¯s my son.¡¹ As he spoke, his eyes seemed to turn from those of a skilled smith to those of an average old man traversing his memories. The tone of his voice sounded almost like a confession as he narrated his past. He had made the sword thirty years ago, for his son Gregorius who had just been instated as the second inmand of the archeological researchmittee of Ozstein. Gregorius was a necromancer, so as a spellcaster he was unable to use the fighting spirit of warriors, so swords were merely for decoration or self defense for him. There was a fundamental difference between him and how warriors relied on swords for their life. For Gregor, people who thought of swords that way were not worthy of possessing one. But there was only one time he went against that belief. The only time in his career as smith he made a sword for self-protection rather than daily use. And that sword was now in Mira¡¯s hands. ¡¸So he¡¯s still alive¡­¡¹ Muttering that, he looked at the sword in the stand, his eyes showing a hint of fatherly relief. Some years after the archeological researchmittee was founded, they all disappeared together with a group of guards in some historic ruins. Later investigations found only a handful of corpses from the members, while the rest had never been found. But now one of them, Gregorius, had resurfaced as a head of Chimera uzen. Even if he had never actually seen him, the sword was proof enough for Gregor. The scuffs and small reparations made on the sword could have been only caused by his son. ¡¸But to think that he¡¯s now¡­¡¹ Many thoughts swirling in his head, he drooped his shoulders and stood up. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll take the day off¡¹ he said as he went on unsteady steps to lie down on a simple bed. His long lost son he had thought was dead had be one of the leaders of a group harming spirits. As a father, that was probably a very harsh revtion. Realizing that much, Mira took a nce at the sword on the stand and turned around, ¡¸Thank you for your time¡¹ she said before walking away. ¡¸Mira, you obtained that sword fair and square, right? Shouldn¡¯t we take it with us?¡¹ Since Gregor was taking the day off, Emera had nothing left to do there either. She followed Mira, but looked at the sword left on the stand with regret as she asked in a whisper. ¡¸I¡¯ve obtained everything I needed from it, so I have no reason to take it.¡¹ Mira had absolutely no interest in Gregor¡¯s only self defense sword, but Emera kept looking behind with regret until they reached the door. Gregor¡¯s swords were made entirely to the user¡¯s measurements and habits, so it could be hard for someone else to get much advantage from them. But they still had value outside their usability. They were treated as works of art. Like the long history and beauty behind the Mona Lisa, the thorough workmanship of one person to make the perfect sword had a lot of value. So while the actual owners of those swords almost never parted ways with them, collectors throughout the continent would go in a frenzy whenever one was on sale. Emera calcted that even that self defense sword could easily get auctioned for more than a hundred million Rils. Yet Mira left it behind saying she simply had no use for it anymore. To Emera, that sounded like she was not right in the head. ¡¸I guess some things never change.¡¹ Mira might not be crazy, but that was something Emera could imagine her saying. She had already seen a glimpse of that side of Mira when they fought together in the past after all. Chapter 109: The Fate of the Archeological Research Committee (1) Chapter 109: The Fate of the Archeological Research Committee (1) Mira had visited the famous master cksmith Gregor following the lead provided by the sword of one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. That led to the discovery of the name of the sword¡¯s owner, Gregorius, who was also Gregor¡¯s son. He had also been a necromancer, making it almost certain he was the man Mira had fought. This was the first time she had obtained any information about the identity of Chimera uzen¡¯s higher ups. Leaving Gregor¡¯s hidden workshop behind, Mira and Emera returned to Sentopolly to report their findings. One hour past noon the group would regroup in Sero¡¯s room to report their findings from investigating the city the entire morning. Mira and Emera were the first ones to arrive, so they began getting things ready for lunch while they waited for the rest. Though they were not cooking, merely going to the restaurants inside the inn to buy meals for ten. By the time that was done, the rest had arrived and they could eat lunch while talking. Arlon was the first to report his findings. He had gotten in contact with some adventurers he knew, as well as Union staff to ask if they knew of any shady locations where criminals were likely to gather; it was a rather roundabout investigation. Though if he was more direct and asked about Chimera uzen¡¯s headquarters it would have easily gotten from person to person all the way to Chimera, defeating the purpose of their stealth investigation. There was simply no other way to gather information. There was another goal for those questions though. That organization had remained in the shadows for many long years, so it was hard to believe they would ce their headquarters somewhere easy to figure out. That meant that any ce that easily came up as a shady ce was unlikely to also house Chimera uzen and could be removed from the investigation. ¡¸Later in the afternoon I¡¯ll go to the pier as we decided. That¡¯s it from me.¡¹ He quickly wrapped his report up and reached out for a thick and juicy burger sitting on the table, stuffing it in his mouth and loudly eximing ¡¸That¡¯s delicious¡¹ without being bothered by the sauces dripping from his mouth. No one else had touched their food while he spoke, Mira being the only exception by drinking some Caramel au Lait. But Arlon¡¯s actions sparked a new unspoken rule in the group. Only those who finished their reports could start eating, a senseless and bizarre conviction that everyone agreed to silently. After that everyone rushed to the next one to report the findings of their own investigation, making the meeting more entertaining. Asbar and Fra had looked around the outskirts of the city, checking for any suspicious ces around there, while Zef investigated the flow of people walking through the streets. So far no one had found any truly valuable information. Eventually it was Mira and Emera¡¯s turn. Mira took a look at everyone who had started eating already, and then began rting the story Gregor had told her. It was almost certain that the head of Chimera uzen they had met was Gregor¡¯s son. He had been the second inmand of the archeological researchmittee of Ozstein, but he and the entiremittee had vanished a few years after its creation. ¡¸I¡¯m quite intrigued by those ruins they were investigating. Later in the afternoon I n on investigating where that was.¡¹ With that closing remark, Mirapleted her short report and reached out for a piece of fried chicken. ¡¸Weren¡¯t those the ruins known as the Graveyard of War Memorials?¡¹ While Mira stuffed her mouth with fried chicken, Zef spoke while holding a potato fry. ¡¸You know the ce?¡¹ Mira washed down the remaining chicken with Caramel au Lait and then leaned her body forward towards Zef, her eyes twinkling with expectation. ¡¸Well, archeology is one of man¡¯s passions after all.¡¹ Saying that, he threw the potato fry in his mouth and ced his hands on the table, a juvenile smile on his face as he detailed his knowledge. The western side of the continent where Ozstein and some other countries are located is halfway upied by barren wastnds, but countless ruins were known to be buried there. The researchmittee was sent there to uncover all those ruins, all their members cherry picked from the archeology academy¡¯s best. Their work progressed swiftly, tenrge ruins being unearthed in the first years. The summer of the sixth year after themittee¡¯s formation, they all vanished in a single night while they investigated the tenth ruin, located in the dukedom of Roseline. Those ruins had been known as the Graveyard of War Memorials. ¡¸No one knows exactly what happened there, the academy was baffled and could onlye to the conclusion they had been somehow spirited away, but I believe they aren¡¯t telling the whole story. Maybe they had found an incredible weapon, and to keep it secret they erased everyone present. After all, they did find blood stains that could havee from them.¡¹ Finishing the story, Zef picked up a couple of potato fries and reclined on his chair. Emera was the one who reacted the most hearing all that. ¡¸Maybe they discovered an ancient magic sword?!¡¹ She spoke with an enthused voice. Simr to Zef¡¯s passion, any time a conversation mentioned powerful weapons, her mind would interpret it as strong swords. ¡¸I said that¡¯s only a theory. The most widely epted one is that the ruins were booby trapped and they weren¡¯t careful enough. That¡¯s also Roseline¡¯s official exnation of the event.¡¹ ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ Hearing that other theory, which sounded much more realistic as ruins sometimes had those kinds of traps, Emera looked dejected and slowly retreated to her seat. ¡¸Hmm, now that¡¯s suspicious. Roseline also has some involvement in our current issue.¡¹ Mira scratched her chin as she spoke. Melville, the most likely sessor for the throne and also the owner of apany with alleged ties to Chimera uzen was also from Roseline. Their official ount of the event said everyone had perished from the trap, but Mira had met Gregorius, the second leader of themittee, as one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. ¡¸I know what you mean. I was honestly surprised when I heard your findings, and if their second inmand is still alive, then maybe¡­¡¹ Zef spoke with excitement in his body, like he was talking about his dreams. Then he also exined how the Graveyard of War Memorials looked now. With all the different theories floating around that ce, Roseline decided to build a strong barricade around the location and put a strong guard around it. Their reason for that was to stop any illegal digging of the ce, and to avoid having another ident caused by traps inside. But ording to Zef¡¯s contacts in the ce, the guard around the Graveyard was incredibly strict, almost as if they were trying to hide something. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll go investigate there then.¡¹ It was likely the Graveyard of War Memorials held some secret, or rather, they had so much information pointing to the same ce, so they had no option but to investigate there. Knowing that, Mira instantly appointed herself for that role. ¡¸Well, you can go there flying so you¡¯re probably our best chance anyway.¡¹ Arlon supported Mira¡¯s decision and slowed down the rate at which he ate the remaining food. Roseline was a neighboring country to Sentopolly, but even then traveling there bynd could take around two days, flying as Mira did could shorten that to just half a day. The longer their search took, the more likely it was their enemy would catch wind of their actions, so moving swiftly was definitely best. ¡¸I can see how flying would be faster, but what I¡¯m worried about is how she¡¯ll infiltrate the ruins. Just look at her, she stands out like a sore thumb.¡¹ As he spoke, Zef nced at Mira. She still had the juvenile cuteness of a child, but there was also a more mature and adult charm in her eyes. Her long silver hair also reflected a lot of light, giving her an almost angelic appearance that would stand out even if she tried to hide in a crowd. She had started to get used to it and forget just how much she stood out, but this time she still had kept it in mind. ¡¸No need to worry about that. I have a n.¡¹ Mira replied filled with self confidence. A n to infiltrate the ruins, she had been waiting for an opportunity to use her newly obtained abilities, so now she was excited to do it as she grinned happily while puffing her chest. ¡¸I guess it¡¯ll be perfectly fine after all.¡¹ Asbarughed seeing her like that, understanding there had never been a reason to worry. Zef just muttered ¡¸Just how overpowered can she get¡­¡¹ to himself. ¡¸Ahh, Mira¡¯s boastful face is so kyuuut!¡¹ Chapter 109: The Fate of the Archeological Research Committee (2) Chapter 109: The Fate of the Archeological Research Committee (2) Meanwhile Fra acted as usual, looking entranced at Mira acting confident. Sero had to grimace while apologizing for her constant attitude. ¡¸By the way, where is this Graveyard of War Memorials located? I can¡¯t find it anywhere.¡¹ While everyone was busy talking about random things, Emera had been checking the maps they had of Roseline and neighboring areas, and then looked at Zef while her eyebrows knit together. It was clear she had still not given up the idea of an ancient magic sword. ¡¸Ah, well¡­ the location itself is supposed to be somewhere in northwestern Roseline, though apparently you can¡¯t enter from the surface.¡¹ Zef then exined that the Graveyard of War Memorials had no specific entrance, only a set of catbs leading to it. It was arge structure buried deep underground, sealed from the outside. The only viable way of getting there was to crawl through the tunnel the researchmittee had excavated, the only entrance of which was heavily guarded. ording to Zef¡¯s friends, there was no way of sneaking past them and going inside no matter how skilled at stealth one was. ¡¸Hmm, I see. And where is that tunnel located?¡¹ Hearing how things were there, Mira asked for the location of the tunnel. ¡¸That¡¯s the issue. He refused to tell me no matter how I asked.¡¹ Saying that, Zef leaned his neck back over the chair and stared helplessly at the ceiling. He did not know the location either. Though considering Roseline was in charge of guarding over it, if she searched enough there she ought to find a lead. ¡¸Well, I guess I have no option but to search there.¡¹ ¡¸Well, sure I guess that works. At least you seem confident enough.¡¹ Since Mira had no big issue with it, Arlon nodded in support of her decision. Some of theirrades had already arrived there, so if Mira regrouped with Sasori and Hebi she ought to find the tunnel without much effort. ¡¸Alright then, I¡¯ll depart towards Roseline this afternoon. I¡¯ll leave the search for Chimera¡¯s headquarters to you.¡¹ Their new roles decided, Mira closed the conversation that way. Everyone from ¨¦cate Carillon nodded in approval withoutint, looking confident with their abilities. They only discussed small details after that, and once all the food they had bought was eaten, they went out to work again. Once everyone had dispersed through the city, Mira headed to the shop section on the fourth floor of the Union building. She wanted to buy a map of the areas between Sentopolly and Roseline. As she walked up the stairs, hearing the ce filled with the loud voices of adventurers, she was reminded of the train stations. The fourth floor was filled with shops, just like the restaurant section of the Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence, all of which offered different products for adventurers. (I wasn¡¯t expecting it to look like this at all¡­) She had been expecting the ce to be run entirely by the Union, but once she arrived there she noticed they were all private stores renting spots up there. It almost looked like a regr mall, rather than a ce dedicated for adventurers. The bustling fourth floor left such a strong impression on Mira that she immediately forgot her actual goal and ran to the nearest shop to see what they had. (Hmm, that brand sounds familiar.) Mira tilted her head as she saw the sign in front of that store, which upied almost forty percent of the floor¡¯s area. After almost a minute she finally raised her head as she remembered an encounter from a certain day. That time she was riding the train for the first time, and the man she met before boarding, Thedrick Dinowal. The store in front of her was named ¡®Dinowal Store, Sentopolly branch¡¯. A famous franchise of stores selling items for adventurers. (Hohoh, so this is one of his stores. It looks quite interesting.) The store floor was wooden and the walls were painted white. The shelves were lined neatly throughout the store, filled with all varieties of items. Seeing them Mira smiled happily and walked to the furthest one, wanting to check each and every one of them in order. As the most sessful store franchise, the Dinowal stores always had something useful for any adventurer. They had things like rms for camping outside, which would ring whenever a monster entered inside a given area, or specialized pans that could generate heat by themselves without needing fire. But they also sold small form factor stoves, and easy to set up smokers. There were also moremon items like insect repents and deodorants. It was easy to see just how much the life of adventurers had evolved in thest thirty years. Once she saw that much, she grabbed a shopping basket and began actually shopping. (Ohh, so those are Magic Batteries.) As Mira headed to the cashier, she spotted a shelf filled with blue cylinders shaped simrly to triple A batteries. On top of the shelf there was a sign with bright colors, reading ¡®Magic Batteries for 3¡¯000 Rils¡¯, and ¡®Each with thebined power of two medium Magic Stones!¡¯. All the magic devices sold in the store were powered by those batteries. (3000 Rils huh, then¡­) Seeing the price, Mira turned around and went back to one of the devices she had seen earlier to read its detailed functionality. She was looking into a Magic Water Filtration Device. It could filter river, sea,ke, and pond water, or even urine in extreme cases into drinkable water, and was one of Dinowal¡¯s most prominent products. It used Magic Batteries or Magic Stones for power, and a single battery could power it to produce up to a hundred liters of water. (So a hundred liters for three thousand Rils, that means one liter costs thirty Rils. Hmm, I can see why it¡¯s popr.) No matter where the water came from, that device provided a safe and reliable way of getting drinking water. Water was a necessary supply for adventures, but due to its weight it was tricky to carry, but a filtration device solved all those issues. Such a device would obviously sell a lot, and even while Mira read the details three had been bought already by other adventurers. (This shoulde in handy.) Deciding that, she picked a green colored one and ced it in her basket. Walking towards the cashier again, she picked three Magic Batteries and put them in the basket as well. She still added a couple of other items to the basket, including deodorant, which brought her total close to 100¡¯000 Rils before she lined up to checkout. ¡¸Hello, how may I help you?¡¹ After a few minutes it was Mira¡¯s turn. She ced her basket on the counter and waited for the total price to be calcted when she recalled something. Searching through her pouch, Mira fished out her cute wallet and looked for the piece of paper she had received together with Thedrick Dinowal¡¯s business card. ¡¸I have a coupon ticket, can I use it here?¡¹ She handed the cashier the coupon ticket Thedrick had given her. ¡¸Let me check¡¹ she replied and turned the ticket around, and after looking at it for a bit she held it over a device. (Maybe it won¡¯t work¡­) After a moment Mira began feeling uneasy. ¡¸Everything looks to be in order, we¡¯ll discount twenty percent from your total.¡¹ Saying that, the cashier resumed counting Mira¡¯s items. There were no issues with her coupon ticket. Once that was done, Mira paid around 80¡¯000 Rils, and the coupon ticket came together with her change. Mira chuckled seeing it there, the ticket could be used multiple times. Seeing how useful that was, and everything she was able to get, she decided that any time she needed something she would go to a Dinowal store. Thedrick¡¯s n with her had worked perfectly, and Mira left the Union building with a wide smile. A few minutester Mira rushed back to the Union building and went to the bookstore in the shopping floor to buy the maps she had been looking for in the first ce. Chapter 110: Roseline (1) Chapter 110: Roseline (1) Mira took off riding Pegasus and left Sentopolly behind, running through the air above the wastnds for a few hours. The sun was setting and stars started twinkling in the sky like sparks. The stars had been bright every night since Mira had arrived in that world, but tonight they were brighter than ever. It was only second to the sky she had seen from the Abandoned City in the Sky. ¡¸Look at this wondrous sky, Pegasus.¡¹ Seeing that breathtaking scenery, Mira spoke entranced. Pegasus neighed and nodded, electric spark-like particles emanating from his tail and trailing behind them. Some time after they admired that scenery, a spot of light became visible far away where the sky met the horizon. The Lucion river that came from therge southern mountain range stretched out in front of them, and Irene, the capital of Roseline, stood by its bank Hidden by the veil of darkness, Miranded in an empty back street, thanked Pegasus and sent him away, then walked out to the main street acting like she had always been there. Mira was in the mainmercial district of Irene, which was brightly illuminated even at night. The fire providing that light was produced by spirits, so it was unusually bright and made the streets look like it was still daytime. That light invited people to walk out at night, so the streets were just as lively as in Sentopolly, even though the buildings were nowhere as grandiose. (This ce looks quite different as well.) The people in the streets were of arge variety of races, most of which seemed to be in a good mood as they shopped. That much was still the same as what Mira remembered, but other than that Irene was muchrger, dwarfing the size she had in mind, and was more densely popted. The main street was around ten meters wide, both sides lined with countless stores, and the street itself sprinkled with carts. But that did not slow the flow of people at all, the ce packed like a crowd watching an event. Mira walked along the street, from time to time peeking out of the crowd to see the stores. Eventually she spotted the main Melville store, which she instantly went to visit, purely out of curiosity. (Hmm, so these are the people supporting Chimera.) The store specialized in selling weapons and armor. From daggers to battle axes, from leather armor to full body knight-like thick armor. Any adventurer of the warrior ss could walk in there and suit up without issue. The store was built with wood and stone, making it look rather subdued and simple, though it was filled with adventurers. From what she could see, their skill level covered the entire spectrum, from the lowest ranks to the highest, and all of them searched for equipment suitable for them. (Hm, what was that back there..?) As she observed the store, she noticed something odd. An adventurer, who looked like a high ranking one, walked down a set of stairs that had a ¡®No Unauthorized Entry¡¯ sign in front. Mira knew the only possibly authorized personnel of the store was the staff, but as she pondered that yet another adventurer approached the stairs. (Was that an entry pass or something?) Mira saw the adventurer show a card to one of the store workers before walking in. That gave her a certain idea of what could lie beyond those stairs, a restricted section of the store selling dubious goods, essentially a ck market. Given the Melville corporation was already helping a group like Chimera uzen, them doing other shady stuff was easy to imagine. ¡¸Hey you, can I ask you something?¡¹ Thinking of that, Mira walked straight towards that worker and raised her voice. ¡¸Yes, how may I help you?¡¹ Thedy turned around, leaning down with a smile and speaking with a soft voice once she saw who was talking to her. ¡¸I just saw a few people passing by, what¡¯s down there?¡¹ As she spoke, Mira pointed to the stairs with the sign. ¡¸It¡¯s a ce where they sell specialized weapons for exclusive members, apparently.¡¹ Thedy followed Mira¡¯s finger with her gaze and replied, though her reply did not sound too convinced. Mira tried to ask for more details from her, but apparently only the upper management of the Melville Corporation, and the rtives of the owner handled the business down there. No one in the regr store knew what type of weapons they sold down there, or how the members registered. ¡¸Hmm, I see. Sorry for taking your time like this.¡¹ ¡¸No worries, feel free to ask anything else if you need help.¡¹ After that Mira left the store and looked up at the building from the street, smiling to herself feeling like she had finally found some dirt on them. While she still had found no information about the Graveyard of War Memorials, her main objective, she walked through the city feeling pleased knowing she had unearthed some suspicious activity in the Melville corporation so quickly. Keeping those thoughts to herself, she began visiting all the other stores she could find around. Her appearance to others looked only like a young girl with a curious mind, garnering warm looks from those around, though a few also scolded her telling her to return home before it got toote. It was gettingte at night when Mira reached the other side of themercial district. There was arge crossing there, and past it started the residential district. The lights there were dimmer, making it seem like that portion of the city was wrapped in a dark veil, and it was so silent it felt like the opposite world to themercial district. (I wonder where that Graveyard of War Memorials is.) It was like Mira had reached the end of a happy dream, and as she stared at those dark streets she remembered her original objective. Leaving the lights and bustle behind, she began checking any alleys that looked suspicious. The alleys were all dark,pletely different from the streets she had been in earlier, and everyone she saw seemed to be hiding something. If themercial district was the bright side, its stark shadows lived in the back alleys. Idle thoughts in her mind, Mira wandered aimlessly through those streets. If someone like Zef who was enamored with history did not know the location of the Graveyard of War Memorials, then it was probably something kept secret from regr people. It would be faster if she went to a history schr or the city management to ask about it, but she would need to be very careful to do that. If she asked some random person it could easily spark rumors that someone was looking for the Graveyard of War Memorials, which would quickly reach Chimera uzen¡¯s ears and raise their guard. That was the reason why Mira had decided against that from the beginning. Summoners had gained a lot of advantages with the changes to the world, so she would have a lot more options. Still, she wanted to find at least one more clue, so she kept visiting the back alleys. ¡¸Hey girly, would you like five of these?¡¹ A voice spoke to her from behind. Turning around, she saw arge man, and instantly knew what he wanted. The moderately overweight man wore a well made coat, and seemed to be a rather wealthy individual. His eyes seemed to be licking Mira as he stared at her while waving a silver coin in his hand, and no matter how burly it looked, it was obvious how lustful and excited he was. Even Mira felt ufortable facing him and had to take a step back. Chapter 110: Roseline (2) Chapter 110: Roseline (2) ¡¸Ah¡­ I¡¯m not someone like that, sorry but you¡¯ll have to look for someone else.¡¹ Saying that, Mira turned around and walked further away. As she went further away, the onlookers around them began shouting ¡¸Ohh he got dumped¡¹ whileughing loudly, though a few also cheered him on to keep on trying. Apparently those guys had been betting on whether he would seed or not. That was one of the reasons why so many people were cheering him on to keep trying with Mira. Theirments ranged from ¡¸you¡¯ll have to cough up more dough if you want to get her¡¹ to ¡¸it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t get involved with him girly, just go home¡¹ and ¡¸someone stop him before he hurts her¡¹. ¡¸You¡¯re an odd lot. Usually in these situations the guys would surround the girl and go all ¡ºHeheheh, you have a really nice body, do you want to y with us?¡» and get all aggressive.¡¹ Mira stopped, turned around, and said that. The overweight man had followed her a while still trying his luck. ¡¸But that¡¯s illegal. If we do that, then we won¡¯t be able to trade in this country anymore.¡¹ The guy looked like a stereotypical sex offender, but he stopped and spoke like he was perfectly sane. A momentter he seemed to notice something however, as he opened his eyes wide. ¡¸Wait, are you actually trying to say you¡¯re into that type of guy?!¡¹ Mira¡¯s unbothered response had been really unexpected, so the man looked at her with an even more sleazy look and gripped the coins tightly, his eyes dancing up and down her thighs peeking out from her short skirt. ¡¸Not in a million years.¡¹ Mira stepped back increasing the distance between her and the man even more, rejecting him in a swift blow. Then she pointed to his hand and said ¡¸Doesn¡¯t that count as a crime as well though?¡¹ Forcing himself on someone was obviously a crime, but remunerated prostitution was probably also penalized. He looked confused for a bit, and following Mira¡¯s gaze he quickly bent over and spoke quickly. ¡¸This is a natural reaction okay! There¡¯s nothing I can do about it, and I¡¯m not touching it or showing it in public!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s not what I meant, I¡¯m talking about the money.¡¹ Even though he looked like a pervert, Mira still took pity on his ridiculous reaction as she exined herself. But the man eventually understood what she meant and looked at the coins in his hand, his cheeks flushing red as he cursed himself. At the same time a barrage ofughter came from the onlookers. ¡¸I heard it¡¯s banned in some countries, but here it¡¯s regarded as a legit form of trade, so no need to worry about that. What do you say then? I¡¯ll be as gentle as you want, and I¡¯m sure I can make you feel good too.¡¹ As he spoke, he produced two gold coins and offered them to Mira. ¡¸That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it¡¹ came the voices from the rest, while a few also got closer saying ¡¸I¡¯m sure I can do a better job than him.¡¹ ¡¸I see, trading huh. Well, bad luck but I¡¯m not for sale. Sorry but look somewhere else.¡¹ Different worlds had different customs. Making a mental note of all the new things she was learning, Mira gently pushed the coins away and rejected him with a smile. Then she looked at all the onlookers, said ¡¸I¡¯ll see you around then¡¹ and left that ce. They justughed at the interesting encounter they had witnessed and entertained themselves with their bets. Only the overweight man was different, staying still muttering to himself ¡¸My little angel¡­¡¹ while burning into his memory the feeling of Mira¡¯s fingers on his hand. Mira brushed away without much concern anyone who approached her, only sometimes scolding them as well. From time to time she would see open shops in the alleys as well, though there were no signs outside. They all sold items that were not exactly illegal, but existed in a grey zone they could not disy openly. A couple of them also dealt with information. Mira had overheard people talking about that ce while she was wandering through themercial district, so she went there afterwards. It was like an undergroundmercial district. Unlike the exterior, there was barely any light there and the alleys were mostly silent, though there were still some people visible so it was not entirely barren. Still, the people she saw all fell into only one or two categories. The shady items they looked for: materials smuggled from the army, stolen goods, and looted items from the ruins. Mira was there for something simr, she was checking if she might be able to find something stolen from the Graveyard of War Memorials. If she did, she could also ask the seller for the location of the ruins. Interrogating the seller ought to be easy as well. Information was considered a tradeable item in Roseline, so no matter what the surface might be like, once she was in the underground market she would be able to get anything she wanted as long as she paid the price. The only issue was whether any item that came from the Graveyard of War Memorials existed, and if it was genuine or not. Back in that part of the city there was no guarantee for the quality of items, so a good eye was also needed. ¡¸Ah yeah, we do. They¡¯re on the shelf over there.¡¹ Mira had asked the owners of all the stores she visited for that, and after a few dozen shops she finally had hit a positive reply. When she checked the indicated shelf, she had a strong feeling they were the real thing. The small shelf held a ss bottle, which was filled with a small quantity of a ck substance reminiscent of mist. ¡¸So, what do you think? Real pretty those ck mist stones, and quite decently sized too. Usually those go for 250¡¯000 Rils, but I¡¯ll always cut a deal for a cutie like you so you can have them for 200¡¯000 Rils no questions asked.¡¹ The tall andnky shop owner put on a business smile while saying that. It was hard to say whether that price was actually cheaper than it¡¯s real value, that was another spot where having a good eye helped. But Mira was not there to buy items like that, she wanted information from whoever procured them. ¡¸That¡¯s quite the pricetag-¡¹ could you tell me who brought these here though? Before Mira could finish her question¡­ ¡¸Hey, I told you I¡¯d buy that. Why are you trying to sell it to someone else?!¡¹ A female voice thundered into the shop. ¡¸Wait, Mira? Why are you here?¡¹ The raging voice quickly lost its edge and turned into a confused murmur. Hearing her name, Mira turned around and saw Sasori, one of herrades who was tasked with infiltrating Roseline. Apparently she had hit the same lead as Mira and wanted to buy the ck mist stones. In the time she had taken to go out and get money to buy them, Mira had arrived there. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s a long story.¡¹ Saying that, she turned to look at the shop owner, who hid behind the counter afraid of Sasori, and suggested she and Sasori talk somewhere else. But even sote at night there were always people walking down the streets and it was impossible to find a ce without listening ears, so talking about their secret matters would be tricky. ¡¸Hmm, where should we talk¡­¡¹ As Mira surveyed their surroundings, Sasori suggested they go to the inn she was staying in at. ¡¸It¡¯s kinda expensive, but it¡¯s worth it. There¡¯s barely any shifty people there, and I wouldn¡¯t be worried about someone listening in.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that makes sense.¡¹ An inn should provide an environment for them to talk at length without worrying about their surroundings. Agreeing to Sasori¡¯s idea, Mira followed her back into themercial district. Chapter 111: Stillness (1) Chapter 111: Stillness (1) By chance, Mira had run into Sasori in the back alleys of Irene, the capital city of Roseline. The two went to Sasori¡¯s inn, arge building made of solid rock which offered a safe ce to talk in secret. The city had four majormercial districts, Sasori and Hebi had stationed themselves in one built next to the major street in the biggest district. Though as far as Mira could see, Hebi was still not back for the night. They were in the room at the end of a hallway on the third floor, Sasori and Mira sitting with a table between them while Mira exined everything she had found out about the sword. The sword they had obtained from Chimera uzen was indeed made by Gregor as a congrattory gift for his son Gregorius when the archeological researchmission was founded. Gregorius was second inmand of themission, which investigated the different ruins scattered around Ozstein. But during one of their expeditions to a certain ruin, the entiremission vanished. ¡¸That ce is apparently called the Graveyard of War Memorials. Apparently those bottles with ck stuff we saw in the store came from there.¡¹ Exining the affairs so far, Mira took out two bottles of Mixed Berries au Lait and offered one to Sasori. ¡¸Thank you¡¹ she said and took a sip from it together with Mira. ¡¸So if I¡¯m getting this right, you¡¯vee here to investigate that Graveyard of War Memorials ce?¡¹ ¡¸Precisely. But I still haven¡¯t found out where it is. I was trying to figure out who brought that bottle to the store earlier, and get them to tell me where the ruins are.¡¹ After saying that Mira downed the rest of the bottle and sank into her chair while looking outside. The sky was dark, but the city was still bustling with life. ¡¸So that¡¯s why you were in that store.¡¹ Understanding the reason why Mira was in the city as well, Sasori smiled confidently and offered her help. As soon as she had gotten inside Roseline, she had started looking for any concrete evidence of the Melville Corporation¡¯s dealings with Chimera uzen. The first thing she noticed while snooping around was how strict the guards all around the corporation were. While it was true that Melville was next in line for the throne so a degree of strictness made sense, to Sasori it looked excessive in the extreme. There was one specific facility that was more heavily guarded than the rest, with all the guards always on high alert. When she looked into it, everyone imed it was a warehouse of expensive products, but she had never seen anyone carry something resembling that in or out of the zone. Smelling something was off, Sasori tailed one of the guards who left the ce, following him all the way to that shop in the alley. Andter she would also find Mira in that same shop. After bribing the shop owner, she learned the guard had sold off some pebbles covered in a ck mist. Thinking those pebbles could help their investigation, she went to look for Hebi to get enough money to buy it off, and when she returned Mira was there. ¡¸I see¡­ that building you mentioned does sound like a fishy ce.¡¹ There was a suspicious building managed by the Melville Corporation, who already had a connection to Chimera uzen. On top of that, a guard had gone from that building to an underground store to sell something he imed came from the Graveyard of War Memorials. Putting all that together with the information gathered from Sasori, a devilish smile overtook Mira¡¯s lips. ¡¸It¡¯s close, I can smell it. Can you feel it too?.¡¹ Thinking about it for a bit, Sasori also reached a simr conclusion as Mira. ¡¸But still, I¡¯ve never seen a ce more guarded than that. With enough time I might be able to sneak in, but I don¡¯t even know the interioryout¡­¡¹ There was no one more skilled than Sasori at infiltration in the Fifty Bells, but even she felt unsure with all the unknown variables surrounding that building, so she was hesitant to proceed. As far as Sasori had seen, the entire area was under heavy surveince at all times, and they even had magic rms set everywhere that would go off if they detected an intruder. It was hard to imagine a way to get inside unseen. ¡¸Surveince and magic, huh. Now that¡­ that sounds so fun!¡¹ Sasori was deeply concerned, and Mira was the exact opposite as she stood up excited. ¡¸It¡¯s time, and I didn¡¯t even have to wait that long. I can finally try that out now.¡¹ Mira said with a crazed grin as she formed a Rosario Summoning Circle. ¡ºClose their eyes, ears and mouths. My only desire, to be a transparent lull, unbeknownst to any reaction. Calming stillness and solitary silence are my onlypanions, my body one with the nameless wind. Plunge all creations into the depths of silence.¡» Summoning Magic: Silent Once the magic activated, the summoning circle vanished without a sound, leaving only dust behind. ¡¸Huh? You summoned something, right?¡¹ It almost looked like the spell had failed, but this was Mira casting it, there had to be something somewhere. Sasori looked around the room trying to find anything that might have changed, but then noticed that Mira was gone. ¡¸Wait, Mira? Where are you?!¡¹ Her sudden vanishing put Sasori in a frenzy, who desperately searched throughout the entire room for her, but unable to find her she hung her head and cried ¡¸Mira¡­¡¹ in a quivering murmur. Seeing Sasori like that, Mira grinned triumphantly. ¡¸I¡¯m right here.¡¹ Hearing Mira she turned around and quickly shrieked ¡¸Fwha-?¡¹. Mira had appeared right behind her, even though she was sure no one was there, and on top of that someone she did not know was standing beside her. ¡¸Hello, I¡¯m Worthramble, a spirit of stillness.¡¹ Worthramble smiled in a friendly manner as he introduced himself to Sasori, who stood in shock with her tail fuzzed up and standing upright. The summoning had not failed, instead, Mira decided a demonstration of the spirit¡¯s power would be a better way to exin her n. Mira then exined the powers of a spirit of stillness in simple terms. They had formed a contract not too long ago, so his abilities were a bit limited. Though his standout ability, Perfect Suppression, could be used from the get go. Perfect Suppression could hide one¡¯s physical appearance, sounds, presence, and even magic profile. Its effects extended to an area of around three meters around Worthramble. Not even one¡¯srades would be able to see those inside the area, though if Worthramble was told beforehand he could make certain people notice them. And if they were inside the area, it was possible to talk with each other as well. ¡¸Technically we¡¯re still hidden, but he¡¯s letting you see us right now so we can talk.¡¹ Chapter 111: Stillness (2) Chapter 111: Stillness (2) Her exnation over, Mira sat down on a nearby chair and took out a piece of ck cloth rolled into a ball from her coat. As she unrolled it, it became a pair of leggings. ¡¸Ah, those are mine!¡¹ Saying with a shocked voice, Sasori¡¯s eyes snapped to a corner of the room. There were two beds there, and arge opened bag was ced on top of one. ¡¸Huhh¡­ I¡¯d swear I left that closed and on the floor.¡¹ With a light trot Sasori went to the bed and looked at the bag. It was the one she used to store the bare minimum of clothes when traveling, and when she checked the contents she verified one of the leggings she had put there was gone. It was clearly the one Mira held while smiling suspiciously. ¡¸This is also part of the demonstration. You didn¡¯t notice I was looking through your bag, yes?¡¹ Mira rolled it up into a ball again and threw it to Sasori, smiling satisfied with herself. The powers of a spirit of stillness extended to more than just a person, they could also conceal someone¡¯s actions. But since Mira¡¯s contract was still recent, it could only hide simple things like searching through someone¡¯s bags and stealing their underwear. ¡¸That¡¯s amazing! I didn¡¯t notice you doing that at all!¡¹ Sasori was astonished hearing that umon stealth method, and that Mira had done all that while she was searching the room for her. Sasori was well versed in stealth methods, as well as how to counteract them, but even then as she searched through the room, she was unable to even sense Mira rifling through the bag. Not just Sasori, but anyone she knew would be very shocked hearing of such a skill. ¡¸I know I¡¯m amazing. But wouldn¡¯t you say this will make it easy to get inside that secret building?¡¹ Sasori returned her leggings into the bag, then proceeded to close it and open it shortly after while nodding strongly. ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m sure this will work.¡¹ She took her underwear out from the bag again. Doing that was not an exaggerated motion, but it was very hard to miss regardless. If she had been fooled by it, she was convinced the spirit of stillness would be able to get them inside that fortified building. ¡¸Anyway, was there any reason why you went for underwear specifically..?¡¹ Worthramble muttered from a distance in an unsure voice, feeling awkward that his first job was to aid an underwear thief. Still, Mira and Sasori seemed quite happy with their conversation. It was stillte at night, but the streets were filled with light and people. Mira, Sasori, and Worthramble jumped from rooftop to rooftop, quickly moving through the city without anyone noticing. Sasori took the lead, guiding them from themercial district to the alleys, and from there to the slums which were filled with many appalling taverns. They were going quite far away from the center of the city. They reached what looked like a red-light district, and as they moved through it Sasori suddenly stood still while ring at something. Mira was about to ask what had happened when- ¡¸You stupid baldie! phead! I hate you!¡¹ Sasori began insulting one of the adventurers walking a few steps in front of them. Due to Worthramble her voice could not be heard by anyone, but Sasori did not mind that as she added a few more insults. ¡¸Ahh, that felt good! I¡¯m loving this power.¡¹ The adventurer walked past them, not noticing anything, while Sasori stuck her tongue at him to mock him. ¡¸What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden.¡¹ Mira sighed as she said that, adding ¡¸Come on, we should keep moving.¡¹ ¡¸You see, that guy kept catcalling me yesterday. He even tried touching me, I felt so ufortable!¡¹ Apparently that adventurer was another sex offender. Sasori frowned while thinking back to her experience and then red at his back. ¡¸Take this! You smooth headed baldie!¡¹ Sasori picked up a small pebble from the ground and threw it to the man¡¯s head with all her might. The moment the stone left her hand, Worthramble eximed a short ¡¸Ah-¡¹ The stone flew straight towards its target, hitting right in the adventurer¡¯s hairless head. When it hit, the man quickly turned around. Sasori grinned thinking that he could not see her thanks to Worthramble. ¡¸That¡¯s quite the way to approach me. You really should learn to be an honest kitten.¡¹ A slimy smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips as he began walking straight towards Sasori. ¡¸Huh? What? Why?¡¹ Seeing things did not go as nned, Sasori began losing herposure. Meanwhile it was obvious what the man was thinking from his face as he began running towards her. ¡¸I¡¯ll give you all the attention you need, my little kitten!¡¹ ¡¸Get away from me you freak!¡¹ Sasori shrieked and ran away as fast as she could. She even used the acrobatic skills she had shown in the Libra Fortress, using everything she had to escape as fast as possible. But the man would not give up so easily, and thinking faster than his appearance would suggest he plunged into the crowd of people in the most efficient route, slowly getting closer to Sasori. ¡¸What are they even doing? Such a bunch of idiots¡­¡¹ Mira muttered to herself as she saw the two vanish inside the red-light district. More than ten minutester Sasori jumped down from a nearby roof, looking thoroughly exhausted, but still watchful of her surroundings. Once she was protected by the veil of Perfect Suppression, the first thing she did was scream ¡¸Why?!¡¹ with teary eyes to Mira. ¡¸You see¡­¡¹ Mira exined what happened in simple terms. Sasori¡¯s attack had broken the barrier around them. Walking, talking, and hurling loud insults to random people were no issue for Perfect Suppression to handle, but any deliberate act done against a target outside the area hidden, or essentially interacting with someone who wasn¡¯t hidden, just like Sasori had done, would reveal their presence and nullify the barrier. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. If you do something stupid and needless that¡¯ll happen.¡¹ ¡¸Tell me that¡­ sooner¡­¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s exnation of the situation, Sasori hung her head in grief. ¡¸I was nning on telling you before we reached the building, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to do something like that on the way there.¡¹ Their mission would only start in earnest once they reached the mysterious building. The trip there was simply for Sasori to experience a bit of what it felt to be concealed. She had gotten carried away, and thus paid for it. They waited for a while until Sasori recovered her strength after running with all her might, and they resumed their night trip to the building. Chapter 112: Infiltration (1) Chapter 112: Infiltration (1) Mira and Sasori¡¯s objective was in a walled off section in the city outskirts. Inside there were many storage facilities. ¡¸So far everyone ims this is a warehouse for Melville¡¯s most expensive merchandise, no one I spoke to even suggested something about ruins.¡¹ They stood on the roof of a building outside the facility, looking at the entire area that was big enough for a small vige to easily fit inside. Sasori¡¯s voice was subdued and quiet, she had prided herself in being able to gather reliable information anywhere, so she felt disappointed in herself for not noticing they were hiding something more inside there. ¡¸It¡¯s still a conjecture, we have no concrete proof yet. And if we¡¯re correct, I¡¯m sure you would have reached a simr conclusion with enough time. You did find those ck mist stones after all.¡¹ Even if Sasori had not run into Mira in that store, she would have bought the ck mist stones and investigated its origins, and eventually learned about the Graveyard of War Memorials. Not to mention that the reason they had marked the warehouse facility as a target so quickly was thanks to Sasori¡¯s investigation. With Mira cheering her up, Sasori quickly recovered herself and announced ¡¸Get ready Melville, we¡¯reing for you.¡¹ ¡¸They im to have valuable items inside, ce heavy guard without suspicion, and sessfully hide what they¡¯re truly doing. That¡¯s essentially the opposite of my methods.¡¹ Worthramble spoke behind the two, looking with an entertained gaze at the facility. The group jumped down from the roof and walked towards the facility. The gates were wide open, with armed guards stationed on either side. To the sides of the entrance, Mira saw what looked like parabolic antennas mounted on ss balls lined up along the wall. She had never seen those devices before, so Sasori exined they were magic sensing rms. They walked straight to the main gates, but the guards did not react at all. Momentster they were so close they could hear the guards talking with each other. The guards were talking about dinner. One was saying how he wanted to eat fried chicken until he dropped, another wanted a vor rich ramen, and another wanted some pork cutlet with rice. Then an odd sound came from Mira¡¯s group. She turned around and saw Sasori averting her gaze. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s see if our magic signatures are hidden as well as your stomach rumbling.¡¹ Saying that, Mira continued walking to the gate, Worthramble and Sasori right behind her as they crossed between the guards. Nothing stopped them, and the rms were not triggered. Mira and her group had gotten inside safely. ¡¸Amazing! They did not notice at all!¡¹ Sasoriughed happily after walking right in front of the guards without them seeing her. ¡¸Only because you didn¡¯t do anything needless this time.¡¹ Meanwhile Mira smiled teasingly while poking fun at the way Sasori threw a stone at someone before. The response was a silent pout. ¡¸I wonder where the entrance to the Graveyard is.¡¹ Trying to gloss over that event, Sasori switched topics. Looking around again, they saw multiple brick buildings around. They were divided into groups of five, evenly spaced inside the walls. It was still night, but there were street lights everywhere so it was not too hard to make out the shape of the buildings. The ground was paved with t stones, and further away they could see many guards patrolling the area. On top of that, they were shrouded inplete silence, which gave thenterns bobbing on the guards¡¯ hips in the distance a ghastly appearance. ¡¸You said you saw a guarde out of a warehouse to sell the stones. Do you remember which building that was?¡¹ Mira looked around, seeing that all the buildings were built identically and asked Sasori. If they searched them one by one trying to find the entrance to the ruins, it would be daytime before they finished. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I was watching the front gates that time so¡­¡¹ If those stones had just been excavated and sent to be sold, then whichever building the guard left had the entrance. But Sasori was the only lookout so it was impossible for her to watch over the entire area, so she decided to just observe the peopleing and leaving, since that was much easier to keep track of. ¡¸I guess we have no option then.¡¹ Mira muttered in a defeated voice, but then raised her head again and looked around. ¡¸What happened, Mira? Is there an enemy?¡¹ Seeing Mira act that way, she readied herself to fight just in case. ¡¸No, it¡¯s just that something¡¯s been bothering me about the guards¡¯ movements.¡¹ She spoke as her eyes tracked one of thenterns moving far in the distance. Sasori did the same, looking around and focusing on the movements of the guards. A few momentster she suddenly said ¡¸Ah, I see¡¹, noticing the same thing Mira had seen. After that the two jumped to the rooftop of a nearby warehouse, followed by Worthramble, and looked far into the distance. ¡¸It might be worth taking a look.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s what you meant.¡¹ Worthramble also noticed the same thing as Mira and Sasori. Their destination decided, they jumped back down and ran straight towards it. The odd thing they had noticed was the guards¡¯ patrol route. There were many guards there, enough to easily cover the entire facility, but for some reason ever since Mira¡¯s group had gotten inside, not a single one had gotten anywhere close to them. Maybe that was because they were still close to the front gate, so the couple guards watching the entrance could also watch over that area, or whoever was tasked with patrolling there had just passed through. But Mira¡¯s suspicion was proved right when they went up to the roof and watched the light of thenterns in a certain direction, giving them a target. There were the guards on the entrance, and then arge unguarded area, with the rest all focused on a single spot. There had to be a reason why only that region of the facility was being protected like that. When they reached the part of the facility under heavy surveince, they began to peer through the small windows on the buildings to check what was inside. All that was only possible thanks to Perfect Suppression. Little light from the streetmps passed into the warehouses, but it was enough to show they were all filled with wooden crates. They looked like regr warehouses, only the amount of crates being different from the usual. ¡¸Hm, this one looks different.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, this doesn¡¯t look like a warehouse.¡¹ After checking inside multiple warehouses, they found one that clearly stood out from the rest. There were no wooden crates inside, but tables. That building was not used for storage, but as a living space. Mira looked inside with Life Sensing, and apart from the guards patrolling outside, she got two readings. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s like a break room for the guards.¡¹ Sasori guessed after looking through the window for some time. That was a very likely idea, given that the ce had to be watched over the entire day and night, it made sense to have a ce for them to rest and switch turns near their workce. There were probably multiple ces like that in key locations. ¡¸That would make the most sense, but somehow I¡¯m not convinced.¡¹ There was one thing that had caught Mira¡¯s attention, something that called into question whether this truly was a ce for guards to stay in. There was someundry hung on a corner of the warehouse. When Sasori asked what made her doubt the usage of the building, Mira pointed to it. ¡¸Look at that, I can only imagine a female wearing those. Especially those panties. They have a bunny stamp behind, only a young girl would wear that!¡¹ It was dark and hard to see, but Mira dered like a seasoned detective while pointing at a juvenile looking set of underwear. There might be some female guards there, but certainly no children. ¡¸Are those¡­ panties? And only girls of a certain age use them?¡¹ The response to Mira¡¯s confident discovery waspletely unexpected. ¡¸But of course¡­ right?¡¹ Chapter 112: Infiltration (2) Chapter 112: Infiltration (2) Mira¡¯s confidence began wavering. She was still getting used to the lifestyle of this world, so she doubted herself thinking that maybe older women also wore panties with stamps. But in truth, the issue was Sasori being unaware of what proper underwear looked like. Because of that, stamps being a thing for children did not register in her mind. ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve only worn one type of underwear, just like what you took out of my bag in the inn.¡¹ Mira then thought back to the events in the inn. She had taken out what looked like short ck leggings from Sasori¡¯s bag. But for some reason it seemed those were the only type of panties Sasori knew about. ¡¸I see, you¡¯ve got lots to learn then.¡¹ Mira looked at Sasori with a disapproving look and continued talking about a theory she came up with by herself. Even if underwear is covered by other clothes, it still imparted a certain charm when a woman knew what she had hidden. That was why girls had to pay extra attention to the underwear they wore. ¡¸Then you¡¯re also wearing panties like that?¡¹ Mira¡¯s passionate speech seemed to have an effect on Sasori, as she asked with curiosity. Sasori had been trained forbat since she was small, so she had never really developed a femenine side. Still, her friends had always told her simr things, and now that Mira had also spoken about simr topics, she felt like it all boiled down to underwear. Apparently femininity started with panties. ¡¸Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯m way too old to wear such childish things, I only use more sexy ones.¡¹ With baseless confidence, Mira grinned and lifted her skirt. Her white thighs shone brightly under the soft light of the moon, while the sacred realm usually concealed by her skirt became visible. In contrast to her white skin, she wore a ck set of panties with a suggestive design. ¡¸Woah, that¡¯s incredible. It¡¯s so different from mine. Do you think I¡¯ll be more charming if I wear something like that as well?¡¹ She leaned down and examined Mira¡¯s underwear from closer, touching and being astonished at the difference with her own, slowly being tainted by Mira¡¯s ideology. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s the basis for it at least. Can you already tell?¡¹ Mira nodded strongly, pushing Sasori further down that path. No one there could tell if that was a good idea or not. After that the two agreed to go shopping for underwear together and moved forward. Even if that building was being lived in, as far as they could see it was unrted to the ruins. Worthramble followed them from a distance, his face stiff in an awkward and speechless expression. ¡¸Oh, this one doesn¡¯t look like a warehouse either.¡¹ The next building they checked also did not look like a storage space. There were no wooden crates inside, only a rectangr hole in the center of it, and it was brightly lit like daytime inside. ¡¸You¡¯re right, and there¡¯s guards there too. That¡¯s suspicious.¡¹ Sasori narrowed her eyes as she looked at the guards posted there, smiling cunningly. This was the first ce that seemed to be worthwhile to investigate, so they went around to the entrance and Mira grabbed the door handle. ¡¸Ah!¡¹ Sasori freaked out and raised her voice seeing Mira do that. There were guards inside so they would notice if the door suddenly opened. But no matter whether she pulled or pushed, the door did not open. It was locked. ¡¸You almost gave me a heart attack.¡¹ Sasori sighed in relief. Seeing that, Mira noticed she had forgotten to tell her the true extent of the spirit of stillness¡¯ power. Not only did it cover opening and closing bags, but opening doors was also possible without dispelling Perfect Suppression. Once Mira exined that much, Sasori tried to push her embarrassing memories away as she looked at Worthramble. ¡¸I see, I guess we¡¯re fine then¡¹ she said in a sad voice. ¡¸Well, how shall we proceed now?¡¹ No matter how well Perfect Suppression concealed them, they would be unable to get past the door without a key. ¡¸This is a really borate lock.¡¹ Sasori held a long and thin metallic stick in her hand and muttered that while testing the lock. ¡¸I don¡¯t think I can do this¡¹ she stood up and red at the lock, giving up after a moment. Sasori was also a seasoned lockpicker that had once opened a royal treasury. With no key or picking methods left, the front entrance was a bust, so they went around the building trying to find a rear entrance, but even that was fruitless. ¡¸I guess that leaves only onest resort left.¡¹ Mira walked to the door and raised her right hand. ¡¸Ast resort? What are you thinking of doing?¡¹ Sasori thought Mira was about to blow off the door and the lock together with her fist, but all she did was to lightly ce it on the door. ¡¸What if we knock and wait for someone to open the door from inside?¡¹ Saying that, she lightly waved her fist mimicking a knocking action. Her reasoning was like this: There were guards inside the warehouse, so if she knocked someone woulde open the door. They would aim at that moment and slip through unseen. ¡¸True, that might actually work¡­¡¹ Trying to find a key without knowing who had it was an impossible task. And using destructive force would inform all the guards about their presence,promising their entire mission. But a knock would not stand out, and if things went well they would just think they had misheard. ¡¸Are you sure it will work though? What if they just open the door a little and peek out? We won¡¯t be able to pass through.¡¹ It was a simple and effective n, but there were ways it could fail as well. Sasori knew there was a chance the door would be barely opened, and they would not be able to pass through without making their presence obvious by pushing the door against the guard. Hearing that, Mira acted like she expected that response and slid her hand into her pouch with a grin. ¡¸That¡¯s where thises into y.¡¹ Saying that, she took out something from the depths of her pouch, which would be thest piece toplete her n. ¡¸You think you can bribe them? They¡¯re stealing from ruins so I guess it makes sense for them to be greedy, but a silver coin won¡¯t be enough.¡¹ Mira had taken a single silver coin from her pouch, which was worth 5000 Rils. But Sasori grimaced, that amount was nowhere enough to buy a guard like that. But Mira still looked confident as she waved her index finger in denial, ¡¸that¡¯s not quite it¡¹ she said while inviting the other two to follow her to a nearbymp. ¡¸This is how we use it!¡¹ With an exaggerated motion, Mira ced the coin right below the light. Then she returned to the door and looked proudly at the coin glimmering on the ground. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s your n.¡¹ Sasori nodded as she finally understood what Mira wanted to do. If someone looked from the door, they would immediately notice the silver coin, and any greedy person would quickly go pick it up. Even if money was not a motivation for them, they would get curious about it and get closer regardless, that was the power of money. ¡¸Well, we just have to knock now and lure them out.¡¹ Sasori walked up to the door, and then Worthramble warned them. If they wanted the people inside to hear the knock, he would need to dispel Perfect Suppression for an instant, so everyone had to be very watchful for their surroundings. ¡¸Understood.¡¹ Sasori nodded, and then noticed a spot of light about to turn the corner. A guard with antern was getting closer. ¡¸Let¡¯s wait a moment, the patrol is here.¡¹ They waited for the guard to pass through, who strolled through the middle of the road while yawning. He turned the corner, passed them by, and walked away, but then¡­ ¡¸Oh, today¡¯s my lucky day, a silver coin for me.¡¹ He stopped and looked around, then leaned down and pocketed the coin glittering under the light, then walked away with light steps. ¡¸My silver coin¡­¡¹ Mira looked at the guard in disbelief. She looked sad in earnest, her eyes teary. Sasori and Worthramble were at a loss at how to react to that. Chapter 113: Spirit Magic Appliances (1) Chapter 113: Spirit Magic Appliances (1) They watched as the light of the guard who had picked up the coin vanished behind a warehouse. ¡¸Umm, I¡¯ll provide the next one, alright?¡¹ Sasori took out two silver coins from her pouch with shaky hands and handed them to Mira as she spoke in a kind voice. Mira nodded softly in reply. Sasori looked around to make sure no other guards were around, then ced one coin below themp. Now they only had to raise the attention of someone inside the warehouse before the next patrol passed there. When whoever opened the door saw the coin, they would go pick it up and Mira¡¯s group would enter the building. They had already verified the effectiveness of that method with the guard that passed earlier. Sasori walked to the door and looked around onest time. Listening more closely, she could hear lively voicesing from inside the warehouse, they were too muffled to really understand words, but they sounded quite entertained. ¡¸Alright¡­ I¡¯ll knock then! I¡¯m going to knock okay!¡¹ Sasori raised her knuckles ready to knock and spoke to Mira, who stood still staring at the coin under the light. Somehow she had still not fully processed what had happened. ¡¸Miraa, heyy, I¡¯m gonna knock~¡¹ With no other options left, Sasori gently shook Mira¡¯s shoulder and spoke directly into her ear. That seemed to finally bring Mira back as she slowly turned around and nodded, though her face still looked sullen. With no guards in sight, Sasori momentarily stepped out of the protection of Complete Suppression and knocked twice on the door. There was an almost immediate response. The voices inside went quiet, which prompted Sasori to knock again, this time slower but more loudly. ¡¸Who was that? Is someone out there?¡¹ A curious voice rang from inside the building. The first step of the n had worked perfectly. Hearing that, Sasori quickly returned to the concealing area and the three waited on the sides of the door. ¡¸Go look.¡¹ ¡¸Nah, that sounds like pain, you check who it is.¡¹ The four guards inside began discussing who should open the door. At the same time, a soft glow appeared from one corner of the building. That meant another patrol was getting closer. (They¡¯re supposed to be guards but they don¡¯t seem worried in the least!) Usually careless guards were a godsend for Mira when infiltrating somewhere, but this time it became her strongest foe. Knowing the second coin might get taken as well, she started feeling restless. But then ¡¸You¡¯re the closest to the door, you go¡¹ came from inside, the guards deciding who was checking. The iing guard was getting dangerously close and would turn the corner soon. ¡¸Huh, there¡¯s no one here.¡¹ The door opened in time and a guard looked outside. Now they had to wait from a distance until he noticed the coin. Considering how close the patrol was, if it took a second too much everything would fall apart as both would notice it at the same time. The man stuck his head out from a gap in the door and looked to the sides, looking straight at Mira and Sasori who were next to the door, but he did not notice them as they were hidden under Worthramble¡¯s magic. ¡¸Ohh?¡¹ The guard raised his voice and opened the door wide, trotting out towards the streetmp. He had spotted the coin faster than the patrol. ¡¸Now¡¯s our chance, let¡¯s go.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah!¡¹ Not wasting a moment, Mira and Sasori quickly passed through the door, sessfully infiltrating the warehouse. ¡¸Ugh, it¡¯s so bright here.¡¹ The building had a stone floor, and the center had a rectangr hole with stairs leading underground. Just like they had guessed, there was nothing inside that resembled a warehouse, but even then it had three more guards stationed inside. On top of that, even though it waste at night, the entire ce was as bright as during daytime. ¡¸Hey, what are you doing?¡¹ Everyone turned around hearing the voice outside, the patrol was talking to the warehouse guard. He was probably wondering why the guard had left the building. The response was truthful, he had seen a coin on the ground. Hearing that, the patrol put his hand inside his pocket pretending to look for something. ¡¸Ahh, thanks for finding it. I lost it a while back.¡¹ Saying that, he half forcefully took the silver coin from the other guard¡¯s hand. Walking away, he muttered ¡¸tonight¡¯s been fruitful¡¹ under his breath. ¡¸Don¡¯t lie you little weasel! That was mine!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m pretty sure I provided that coin¡­¡¹ Knowing she could abuse Complete Suppression, Mira yelled angrily at the patrol, then Sasori corrected her in a low voice. Meanwhile the guard stared at the patrol in annoyance. Since he was patrolling that area it was possible he had dropped the coin, but the guard knew that that specific patrol was a big gambler, and had lost everything he had a while back, so it was very unlikely he possessed a silver coin, not to mention a 100 Rils. But the guard could not reallyin, given he was outranked. ¡¸Hahh, I swear. Anyway, there was no one out here, maybe it was just the wind or some stupid bird.¡¹ The guard returned into the building, mming the door behind him in a foul mood and locking it while clicking his tongue. ¡¸Well, that happens sometimes. Still, that was pretty sad out there.¡¹ The other guards had heard the whole exchange, so one of them tried to sympathize with him, the other two said simr things in half mocking tones. ¡¸I wish that stupid gambler would be homeless already.¡¹ The guard said in displeasure and threw himself onto a chair in a corner of the room. ¡¸Hopefully yeah¡¹ the others said as they returned to their own posts. There were chairs in each of the corners of the building, where the guards would sit and pass the time reading books and looking bored. They seemed hungry for any type of distraction to pass the time. None of them had noticed the intruders at all. Mira looked satisfied at that, and then noticed a spherical object hung from the center of the ceiling. At first nce it looked like a simple light emitting orb. (I can sense a light spirit¡¯s power inside that thing.) The entire warehouse was illuminated without a single spot shrouded in shadows. Mira had seen something simr in a light spirit¡¯s power, so she stared at the orb that replicated it. But she also realized she was more convinced about a spirit¡¯s presence than usual. The circumstantial evidence pointed to a spirit of light, but something in her mind told her about its presence the instant shey eyes on the orb. It was an ambiguous feeling like intuition, but somehow Mira¡¯s mind firmly believed in it. This was the first time Mira was feeling like this, as if a sixth sense had awoken inside her. And she knew it was a sense specific for spirits. (For some reason I feel much closer to spirits than before¡­ I wonder if the Spirit King¡¯s blessing had anything to do with this?) Chapter 113: Spirit Magic Appliances (2) Chapter 113: Spirit Magic Appliances (2) Mira quickly reached a possible origin of this new sensation, the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. Either her body had gotten slightly attuned to it, or it simply took some time to manifest itself, but whichever way there was little point to ponder about it now. ¡¸Sasori, there¡¯s a spirit of light trapped inside that thing there, aremps like thatmon nowadays?¡¹ Mira pointed to the orb and asked. As far as Mira knew, only Spirit Arms had the power of spirits imbued in them, but as time had passed maybe it had spread to moremon tools as well. That it was Mira¡¯s first time seeing this did not mean it was umon. But Sasori cocked her head and replied slightly confused. ¡¸There¡¯s a spirit in that light? No one would use spirit magic for something so mundane.¡¹ Saying that, Sasori refuted the usage of spirit magic inmon objects. There was constant conflict in this world, and spirits were a powerful ally. It was way too wasteful to use them for something like that. ¡¸Hmmm, I see.¡¹ ¡¸Though wait, I think Uzume once told me about someone born from a spirit of light and an elf, who was hired as something like a walkingntern.¡¹ ¡¸I¡­ I see¡­¡¹ Sasori added that anecdote, which Mira tried to brush off as she looked away from the orb of light. Uzume was themander of the Fifty Bells, and her true identity was the wiseman Kagura. The person she was talking about was most certainly Mira, or Danbulf as she was known back then, and the half elf half spirit of light who was treated as a walking source of light was the vice-elder Creos. (I should probably try to be kinder to him when I get back¡­) Hearing that story from someone else she felt like she really had been a cruel master in the past, and maybe it was a bit toote to change that. ¡¸But well, if that light is made with spirit power, then this ce is even more suspicious. We already had leads about a connection between Melville and Chimera, and now we found an object with the power of a spirit sealed in it here. That pretty much settles it.¡¹ While Mira looked dested, Sasori¡¯s lips twisted ferociously as she red at the light hung on the ceiling. Usually spirit power was incredibly strong, so it would never be used for something so menial, and Chimera uzen were the only ones who would ever dare do something so baffling. Anyone with enough knowledge in those matters would be able to find the clear connection between Melville and Chimera uzen. ¡¸I guess there¡¯s little reason to believe they don¡¯t have some rtionship now. And we found this faster than I expected as well.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, right. This is the entrance.¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice was resolute as she looked around before grinning while staring into the hole in the center. Sasori followed her gaze and peered down into the darkness and agreed with her. The warehouse was empty except for the hole in the center, which continued down far below, the walls showing naked earth. The Graveyard of War Memorials was said to be awork of catbs entombed underground. That meant this hole had a very high likelihood to be the excavated entrance to it. With that in mind, the two girls nodded and stepped down thedder. Since there was amp with the power of a spirit of light atop the entrance, even after they descended for a couple hundred meters, the stone bs ced for steps were still brightly lit. From what they could see, there were still a hundred meters left for them to go down. ¡¸It just keeps going¡­¡¹ When they reached the end of the steps, a straight horizontal tunnel vanished into the distance. There was light all along it as well, but it was so long the end was out of their view. Seeing that, Sasori sighed loudly. Twenty minutes of walkingter, they reached a dark wall stopping their progress. ¡¸What¡¯s going on here?¡¹ It was a bizarre sight. At first nce it looked like a pitch ck wall, but the border of the tunnel looked like it kept going. Sasori knit her brows looking at it and hesitantly reached out to the wall. Once her fingertips reached it, they continued moving forward without any resistance. ¡¸I guess this is as far as that light could illuminate?¡¹ Pulling her hand back and seeing none of the darkness remained on it, Sasori looked ahead while saying that. She had been surprised there was light all the way down there, but this seemed to be the limit even for a spirit of light. Even though behind them everything was brightly lit, in front of them everything was dark. Mira stepped right next to the shadows and used Concept Magic to create a light and see what happened. At first some of the darkness was dispelled, showing the contours of the corridor ahead, but then Mira and the rest gasped. Everything that had been shrouded in darkness was ck. Their path there had been carved into gray stone and dirt, but ahead of them the floor, walls and ceiling were all ck. ¡¸The Graveyard of War Memorials are buried catbs, right? I guess this is where they actually start.¡¹ ¡¸It seems that way, at least.¡¹ The air itself felt different inside the ck tunnel. Noticing that, the two girls smiled at each other. With things getting progressively more suspicious, they felt like they were inching closer to unraveling the secrets of Chimera uzen. ¡¸Then maybe there¡¯s another reason why the light ends so abruptly here.¡¹ Mira said that looking at the abrupt way the light cut off. She felt like rather than it being out of the spirit¡¯s range, there was something there blocking it from continuing. ¡¸Umm, can I say something?¡¹ As the two girls looked into the darkness, Worthramble, who had been silent until then, spoke up. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s the matter?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, but it appears I can¡¯t apany you further than this.¡¹ When Mira turned around, she saw Worthramble had a worried look on his face. ¡¸Are you sure..?¡¹ Seeing him like that, she knew there was a serious reason why he refused to walk forward. After a bit of pondering, she nodded in understanding, having an idea of what had happened. ¡¸You can sense that curse further inside, yes?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. I have more than enough experience with it, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more of it ahead.¡¹ Mira voiced her guess, and Worthramble confirmed it. That was also the reason why the light had cut off so suddenly, the curse did not allow it to go on. In other words, Worthramble could not enter, and Mira would be unable to summon any spirits inside. ¡¸Wait, does that mean we won¡¯t have Complete Suppresion¡¯s protection from now on either?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the gist of it.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ It was deep in the night, but there was no sure way of telling if anyone was inside. Sasori looked moody, realizing the easy part was over. Usually she would be excited to show off how good her stealth skills are, but having experienced Complete Suppression even for such a short time, she deeply regretted parting ways with it. ¡¸Well, no way around it then. See you when we get out then.¡¹ Saying that, Mira sent Worthramble away and walked forward without a care in the world. If there was anyone inside, she would be able to notice them with Life Sensing. And if they had any sort of sensors ced inside, they would quickly notice them as those devices were very bulky. They only had to be careful with their light so it would not be obvious, so Mira lowered the brightness of her Concept Magic light to the minimum and walked into the Graveyard of War Memorials. Sasori followed after her, sharpening her senses as much as possible. Chapter 114: The Graveyard of War Memorials (1) Chapter 114: The Graveyard of War Memorials (1) Some time after they entered the dark tunnel, they noticed a blue light ahead of them. Thinking someone might be there, Mira instantly erased her Concept Magic light and walked more carefully. When they got closer, they noticed it was just a bluemp. It was much dimmer than the spiritmp from earlier, looking just as bright as the signs of emergency exits, giving it an unreliable and somewhat creepy glow. There were more lights like that one ahead, but they were ced randomly without consistency in their spacing, making it look even more eerie. Then again, there was little reason to have lights like that in unimportant ces, so they decided to follow them to see where they led. There were entrances to the sides of the corridor with rooms in them, which they searched for any type of clue, but surprisingly enough there were no bones or burial ornaments one would expect in a graveyard. But maybe thanks to that there were no guards down there and the two girls were free to search as much as they wanted while they went deeper. Twenty minutes after they entered, they found stairs leading further down into the Graveyard of War Memorials. The staircase was around a hundred meters long, and the height between steps was uneven making it tricky to properly walk down. To top it all off, there were more of those blue lights on the wall. ¡¸This looks like a path straight to hell.¡¹ ¡¸Please Mira, don¡¯t say stuff like that¡­¡¹ Mira voiced her honest thoughts of it, to which Sasori reacted by covering her ears and looking distressed as she stepped closer to Mira. Sasori was good at doing things in the darkness and at night, but in a bit of a contradiction she was really bad with dark and gruesome topics. Having carefully descended those stairs, they reached arge space that opened to all sides. ¡¸Well, it seems we¡¯ve finally reached the main hub of this ce.¡¹ Mira muttered as she looked at thatrge space. The ce looked like arge amphitheater. In front of them there were more staircases leading down, and to the sides were corridors that spiraled up the walls, and along those stairs, many small entrances were visible. That was the graveyard itself. ¡¸So are all those holes graves then?¡¹ Looking around, Mira muttered that with a deep breath seeing how many there were. She could barely imagine the number of bodies it would take to fill all of them. There was arge structure like a tower in the center of the room, which emitted a red light to the surrounding areas. ¡¸That ce looks different than the rest.¡¹ Sasori said as she looked at that tower that reached all the way up to the ceiling. Its walls were carved with bizarre inscriptions and shapes, making the tower look different from the other walls. ¡¸True, we should check it to see if we find any clues inside.¡¹ There was an opening resembling an entrance on the base of the tower. Given this was the very heart of the Graveyard of War Memorials, there was a high likelihood an important clue could be hiding there, so the two began walking towards it. They approached the entrance until Mira stopped a few steps away from it. ¡¸There¡¯s someone inside.¡¹ Since they had lost Complete Suppression¡¯s protection, Mira was already watching her surroundings with Life Sensing. Depending on theyers of cover of a specific location, Life Sensing had a decreased radius of detection, so until then Mira had only felt Sasori¡¯s presence, but now that they were so close to the tower she noticed someone inside. The entity barely moved from its spot, many floors up in the tower. ¡¸Ah, they¡¯re above.¡¹ Sasori perked her ears and paid close attention until she noticed that presence as well. It was sote at night that the patrolling guards outside could not be felt anymore either. The two wondered who it could be, one of their theories being of guards digging without permission. Either way, if there was someone there, then the tower could not be empty of other items. ¡¸It should be worth checking out then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I agree.¡¹ Thinking they could find a valuable clue inside, the two entered in high spirits while being watchful of their surroundings. The inside of the tower was bright, with a spiral staircase continuing high up around the outer wall, while the center space of the tower served as a room on each floor, with an opening to enter them from the staircase. Given the curvature of the staircase, it would be very easy to bump into a guard without noticing, but the two girls kept their senses sharp so it was almost impossible that could happen. Walking with silent steps, they passed by the second floor, then the third, and eventually they reached the fourth. The presence they had felt was inside there, so they cling onto the wall and carefully peeked inside the room. There they saw a person wearing a suspicious mask. There were also threerge coffins on the fourth floor. Two of them were open, and the third one was closed. The wall had multiple horizontal holes where the coffins were presumably stored normally, and from what they could tell, the suspicious masked person was pulling out the coffins to check their contents. (Hm? That¡¯s a spirit arm. Fire element, and its effect seems to be reflecting attacks. It¡¯s a Shadow too.) Looking at the coat the person was wearing, Mira instinctively knew everything about it. Unconsciously, Mira realized that being able to tell the properties of a spirit arm just by looking at it was another effect of receiving the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. ¡¸To think! They would tell me! To take it out! In the middle of the night!!¡¹ Between breaths, the masked personined while opening the third coffin. It was a delicate soprano voice, which meant the masked person was a woman. Once the coffin was opened, the woman with short purple hair mumbled moreints as she searched through the contents. The two girls watched that for a while, then Mira took a step back and signaled Sasori to go back down one floor. They entered the third floor and began discussing in a low voice. ¡¸She didn¡¯t look like a guard.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and the coat she was wearing is a rather powerful Shadow spirit arm. It might even be as powerful as the stuff the other Head I fought wore.¡¹ At first nce, the woman in the fourth floor did not look particrly strong, but her equipment could not be taken lightly. Her coat had a simr aura to the armor the Head that Mira fought in the Ancient Circr Gate wore. ¡¸I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a mere underling if she¡¯s wearing something like that then.¡¹ ¡¸And given she¡¯s inside here, I doubt she¡¯s unrted to Chimera.¡¹ Chimera uzen already had a strange connection to the Graveyard of War Memorials. The woman was inside there, looking for something specific, and was wearing simr equipment to one of Chimera uzen¡¯s Heads. Condensing all that information produced only one possibility. ¡¸¡­Is she another Head? Is this our chance to capture her?¡¹ As she voiced that possibility, Sasori¡¯s eyes narrowed as she nced upwards like a predator focusing on its prey. The woman was still there, looking through the coffin¡¯s contents. ¡¸We might never get another chance like this.¡¹ Mira was on board with the n. It was her chance to fulfill her previous failed mission, that of capturing one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. Deciding they would proceed that way, they grinned at each other. The two girls climbed the stairs up again, paying more attention to the woman¡¯s movements. Chapter 114: The Graveyard of War Memorials (2) Chapter 114: The Graveyard of War Memorials (2) The woman seemed to have one specific item in mind as she looked inside the coffin. Mira and Sasori stood next to the entrance, barely peeking inside as they studied every detail about her. Having stared at her for a while, the two returned to the third floor to discuss again. This time they wanted to decide how they would approach capturing her. But they both were at a loss at how to proceed. As far as they were able to observe, the woman held no visible weapons or something that would establish her ss. Examine, the ability former yers had to see the stats of other entities, was also unusable as the woman¡¯s face had to be visible for it to work. One¡¯s fighting strategy depended heavily on the opponent¡¯s ss, trying to outsmart their abilities and weaknesses. Sasori and Mira also relied on that to gain an advantage when fighting. But the woman¡¯s coat was too broad and thick, so it was impossible to distinguish anything that was covered by it, giving no clues as to whether she was a warrior or a spellcaster. ¡¸We can¡¯t underestimate whatever equipment she might have. If she has a spirit sword too, then it could get tricky fighting her in such a confined space as this.¡¹ Mira thought back to the Fire Spirit Sword the other Head possessed. If the woman had any weapon with simr destructive power, then they would have no ce to hide and it could get really dangerous. A spirit¡¯s power could overturn any equipment¡¯s properties. Not only with weapons, but armor was the same. For instance that coat with the power of a fire spirit could repel a superficial attack and counterattack with a powerful st of fire. Mira exined all that she knew about it to Sasori. Mira was confident she could take her down no matter what weapons or what ss she had, but if she made too much noise they would get swarmed with guards. Even if they managed to capture her sessfully, nothing guaranteed she would give any useful information. They had to be careful and n ahead no matter what happened now. They also had to use their most powerful attacks to neutralize her as quickly as possible. Thinking of that, the two girls remained silent while Mira tried toe up with a n. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how much of a change Spirit Arms can make, but I don¡¯t think she has the strongest body herself.¡¹ Sasori¡¯s voice sounded a bit unreliable, but her face showed she had reasons to be certain of that. ¡¸Oh? How do you figure that?¡¹ ¡¸Well, the way she walked and her posture didn¡¯t seem at all like those of someone who trains their body.¡¹ Mira asked her to borate and Sasori exined her reasoning behind that idea. She knew how to identify little things like that from all her experience and training in covert operations. ¡¸I see. Then I guess she¡¯ll be very likely to give us an opening.¡¹ Mira was impressed seeing Sasori¡¯s excellent observation skills at work. Taking that into consideration, Mira brought her fingertips to her chin and began nning again. As she did that, Sasori took out a small sphere from her pocket. ¡¸I think if webine both our speed and strength we can capture her before she gets a chance to use her Spirit Arms. I¡¯d like to try something out with you first though.¡¹ She said that while grinning in a slightly suspicious way. ¡¸And what is that thing you¡¯re holding?¡¹ Mira looked doubtful as she nced at that small ck ball that she could lift with two fingers. At first nce it looked like a pellet of deer excrement, but when she got closer she noticed a slightly sweet scenting from it, which made her look even more puzzled. ¡¸As you know, this country is ruled by the owners of tradingpanies, so you can find almost anything in the city for sale. This is a sleeping drug I made with a bunch of rare ingredients I found in the stores earlier. If you set it on fire it lets out a thin smoke, and inhaling that can knock out even a great bear for an entire day, apparently.¡¹ Her voice trailed off somewhat unreliably again, but she proudly puffed her chest like Mira usually did. She was quite convinced it would work. ¡¸Apparently? You¡¯ve never tried it out?¡¹ ¡¸The ingredients are so rare, this is the first time I was able to make it. But I followed the recipe to a tee so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll work!¡¹ Sasori had known about it for a long time, but this was her first time trying it out. Mira still felt it sounded too good to be true and looked doubtful at Sasori, but other than her cheek stiffening up a bit, she looked just as confident. Sasori¡¯s confidence stemmed from her trust in the literature she read to learn the recipe. Everything else she had tried from those books had worked perfectly, and the sleeping drug had a lot of documented history behind it, so she was convinced it would work wlessly. ¡¸Well, if it doesn¡¯t work it won¡¯t work, and we can still restrain her by force.¡¹ If the sleeping drug worked, their mission would be aplished much more easily, and even if it did not, things would not get totally ruined. Weighing her options, Mira decided to go with Sasori¡¯s n, while also getting curious as to what other hidden knowledge she had. Some Spirit Arms had the ability to weaken debuffs, but Mira could not read any like that on the woman. Trusting that newly acquired instinct, Mira believed there was high chance the sleeping drug would work on her. Even if it did not, Mira could rely on her own magic and freeze her with Magic Eye. That way she already had a n B in mind. ¡¸Actually, even if things go well, do you think it¡¯s a good idea to just take her with us? The guards at the entrance should know she¡¯s down here, and if she takes too long to get out they might ring an rm.¡¹ There were at least four guards who should know the Head was down in the ruins, but they would never see her leave. After enough time they would obviouslye down to check on her. If they left signs of a fight in the room, then the guards would know the Head was captured and tighten the guard everywhere. The investigation of the Melville Trading Corporation was still ongoing, and it would get much trickier to stay hidden there if that happened. Though if things went well, there would be no trace of their presence there after capturing the woman. ¡¸That¡¯s true. Should we wait for her outside then? If we capture her outside we should have a few more days before they notice she¡¯s missing.¡¹ ¡¸You have a point. If she leaves the facility alone then we will have a chance to capture her. Though I feel like it¡¯ll get much more tricky by then.¡¹ If they captured her there, the guards would quickly notice and ring the rm the next day. But if she left the facility with the warehouses no one would know she was captured for a while, and that should be enough to find more links between Melville and Chimera. But to really aplish that, they would have to capture her without anyone seeing it. The city wasrgely unknown to them so it was hard to tell which ces had no eyes on them, so capturing her was much easier down there, where she was alone and with little room to escape. Not to mention she was likely a Head of Chimera uzen. The Fifty Bells would demand her capture as an important source of information, so they had to snag her somehow. ¡¸I think I have an idea, listen.¡¹ A moment of silence after their discussion, Sasori had an idea and proposed something to Mira. Chapter 115: Sasori’s Plan (1) Chapter 115: Sasori¡¯s n (1) ¡¸Ohh, you can even do something like that? That¡¯s wonderful. Let¡¯s try that.¡¹ Once Mira heard everything Sasori had to say, she was amazed at Sasori¡¯s versatility and was on board with her n. Considering it would be difficult to capture the womanter, they decided to do it there. Sasori¡¯s n woulde in handy after that was aplished. Thanks to her skills as a spy, if everything went well Sasori would be able to stop anyone from noticing the disappearance of the woman, giving them ample time to investigate the Melville Trading Corporation. They moved swiftly once their n was decided, and the two carefully returned to the fourth floor. Inside, thedy was still looking inside the coffin, though now she looked slightly different than before. There was a bloated ck sack on the floor next to her. She was moving the contents of the coffin into that sack. After observing that for a short moment, the two girls nodded to each other, and Sasori lit the ck ball on fire and gently threw it inside the room, making it roll on the floor. The ball stopped right next to the woman¡¯s feet, white smoke rising from it. Seeing that, Sasori walked backwards, away from the entrance. If they remained too close, there was the danger they would get affected by the drug as well. ¡¸So, what happened?¡¹ After five minutes of extreme silence, Mira could not bear with the suspense anymore and spoke. During that time, they had heard no reaction from the woman, neither a noise of her noticing the smoking pellet and running out, or a sound of her throwing it away, not even a single footstep. ¡¸The pellet should bepletely burned by now.¡¹ The most likely oue was that the drug was so potent that as soon as she noticed it, she was asleep. But then again, the smoke was rather thick, and it was not odorless, so it was easy to notice it. Even aplete novice would react in some loud way, as soon as they noticed the smoke. The woman was also probably one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads, so it was also likely she had noticed an intruder and held her breath waiting for them to enter the room. Either way, the two girls knew to always expect a bizarre reaction from Chimera, so they kept their guard up and slowly approached the entrance ready to fight. They stopped for a moment at the sides of the entrance, then matched their movements and stormed into the room. Mira instantly designated a spot to summon something while Sasori unsheathed her dagger andy with a low stance. But a momentter¡­ ¡¸¡­Somehow this was so easy it¡¯s slightly anticlimactic¡­¡¹ Mira said with a strained smile. The woman was still beside the coffin like they had seen earlier, though she was sound asleep, her body supported by the coffin. Her breath was regr andfortable, a drop of drool trickling down from the corner of her lips. She was clearly in a deep sleep. Still, there was a possibility she was only pretending to sleep to get the intruders to lower their guard. To verify that, Sasori slowly and carefully approached her from behind, fully restraining her body once she was close enough. There was no resistance at all. She did not even twitch as Sasori firmly held her body. Sasori then poked and tickled her all over her body, but even then there was no reaction. Sasori¡¯s drug had worked. ¡¸I knew to trust those secret books!¡¹ Apparently the sleeping drug recipe only known in Sasori¡¯s secret vige could put someone to sleep without resistance. Even she seemed taken aback at first, seeing how effective it was, but she quickly brushed that feeling away and puffed her chest. Her sleeping drug had put their target to sleep, that was all that mattered. Now that they had captured their enemy, they quickly began moving onto their next n. (Ohh, she¡¯s quite the beauty herself!) First they took off her mask, leaving her face exposed. Once Mira saw her well proportioned face, her mood got even better. ¡¸Somehow¡­ I was expecting something different from a Head.¡¹ Peering into the woman¡¯s face, Sasori muttered that. As a fellow female, Sasori thought she looked like an average person. While she was not that beautiful to turn the heads of everyone around, she still had her own charm and it was impossible to not call her pretty. Her short purple hair was well kept and glossy, while her face showed tidiness and wisdom. On top of that, the way she was sleeping so soundly with some drool trickling down her face gave her a juvenile cuteness. All in all, she was definitely the type of woman that was popr amongst men. Once the two finished observing her face, they mercilessly stripped her of all possessions. Sasori took the coat with spirit power off of her, while Mira started taking her shoes off with a suspicious grin on her face. Once Sasori moved onto her shirt, Mira¡¯s grin deepened as she began pulling down on the woman¡¯s cks. With the woman fully naked except for her underwear, Sasori took out some cloth rolled up like a bandage from her items. The cloth was painted with many incantations and charm-like images, and was known as an Arresting Cloth. It was a binding cloth that when tied around someone, would impede any movement while keeping the victim sentient with all five senses functional, but unable to resist. It was used simrly to the police¡¯s handcuffs, and most people working in public defense carried them. But the ones the Fifty Bells used were strengthened by Uzume aka the wiseman Kagura¡¯s onmyoji magic. That made them ny percent more powerful, making it virtually impossible for anyone to escape once wrapped in them. ¡¸Alright, time to wrap her up. Mira, can you lift her legs please.¡¹ ¡¸But of course!¡¹ Mira would have been willing to do that whether Sasori asked or not, embracing her legs and lifting them up. Since the woman was asleep, Mira used the situation to feel her skin and warmth as much as she could. It was truly a vile act only a pervert and molester would ever do. But no one seemed to notice that side of Mira. It was extremely hard to tell what was going through her head only by looking at her face, which still looked like that of a beautiful girl even while having lecherous thoughts. At least for those who did not know her true identity. Sasori was oblivious to what Mira was doing and thinking, simply saying ¡¸Okay, just hold her still like that¡¹ as she tied her legs together. ¡¸Alright, that¡¯s done. Time to tie her hands behind her back too now.¡¹ ¡¸Understood!¡¹ Mira replied loudly and in high spirits, slowly lowering the woman¡¯s legs, then hugging her chest tightly and raising her upper body. ¡¸Umm¡­ okay, I¡¯ll tie her hands now so try to not let her go.¡¹ ¡¸Sure!¡¹ Sasori believed it would have been better to just turn her around face-down on the ground, but not letting Mira¡¯s efforts go to waste as she hoisted the woman up, she quickly tied her hands behind her back. During that time Mira enjoyed the warmth to its fullest. Thanks to Sasori¡¯s swiftness, it barely took any time at all to tie the woman. All they had to do now was gag her and she was ready to be taken away. Mira took a few steps back to look at their work. There was not much that stood out on the woman¡¯s body, though her limbs were plump like a regrdy¡¯s. On top of that, her skin tone stood out greatly as only underwear covered her body, which was only entuated by the gag on her mouth. In a way, it looked like a true crime scene. Chapter 115: Sasori’s Plan (2) Chapter 115: Sasori¡¯s n (2) (This is what happens when you work for Chimera!) As Mira observed thedy, in her mind she convinced herself it was all for good reason. ¡¸Let¡¯s continue as we nned then.¡¹ Sasori checked all the bindings to make sure they were firmly tied, then began taking her own clothes off. ¡¸Take care of this for me then.¡¹ Sasori, wearing only her underwear, handed her recently taken off clothes to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ll certainly keep them safe for you!¡¹ Mira replied firmly and epted the clothes that still had a lingering warmth from their wearer. After that she attentively watched Sasori picking up the woman¡¯s clothes they had taken off earlier. Sasori¡¯s underwear was a pair of short ck leggings, and a ck tank top. Those had essentially zero sex appeal, but paired with Sasori¡¯s athletic and toned body, they entuated her healthy appearance, creating once more a certain type of appeal. Mira formted the function of her clothing that way while watching Sasori put on new clothes, a sleazy grin covering her face as she casually threw Sasori¡¯s clothes into her Item Box. Meanwhile Sasori did not notice Mira¡¯s gaze at all, putting on all the clothes the woman had been wearing. ¡¸Ah, ah, ahhh, ahhh~ I¡¯m not Sasoriii~¡¹ After changing her clothes, Sasori began training her voice. Each time she opened her mouth, it changed slightly until it sounded like apletely different person. Now it sounded identical to that of the sleeping woman. Sasori had memorized the sound of the woman¡¯s voice when they heard herin earlier, and now she faithfully recreated it. ¡¸What a splendid performance.¡¹ Mira nodded with deep approval, pretending to reenact a phantom of a certain literary work. ¡¸I have liked to do impressions since I was a little child.¡¹ Sasori seemed to be in a good mood being praised by Mira, finishing up her preparations by putting on the mask. Her voice sounded like a perfect recreation rather than just an impression, but she had been training that skill since she was conscious, so to Sasori it was nothing special. The n the two hade up with was for Sasori to pretend to be the woman and get outside. That way the guards at the entrance would im the Head hade out and went away, making it harder to tell when she was captured once they realized she was missing. That would also hide the fact she was captured inside of Melville¡¯s territory, giving them no reason to tighten security. To make things better for them, the woman was wearing a mask, so it was even easier to supnt her. Sasori was about as tall as her too, and she could modte her voice to mimic the woman¡¯s, so Sasori was certain the n would work. They were in the best spot to capture the Head, and on top of that they were dying their acquisition of whatever she had been looking for there. If Mira had gone there alone, things would not have gone so smoothly. ¡¸Ah, Mira. Look at this.¡¹ Sasori, wearing all of the woman¡¯s clothes, beckoned Mira to get closer as she looked inside the coffin. ¡¸Hm? What is it?¡¹ Mira walked closer as told and looked into the coffin. There was something inside it, wrapped in stained clothes. It was hard to tell exactly what it was, but its general appearance gave a pretty good idea. There was only one object wrapped in cloth that would get stored inside a coffin. It was a mummy. And not just any regr mummy. The woman had been working on it, loosening some of the cloth, and from the open space an arm covered in ck mist stuck out. ¡¸Could it be¡­ that mist?¡¹ Slightly shocked, Mira stretched her hand out and pulled off the cloth covering the mummy¡¯s head. As theyers came off, they turned darker and darker, until it waspletely ck by thestyer. When thestyer came off and the mummy¡¯s face became visible, something ck spewed out from inside it. Sasori was already on edge just imagining what was hidden under the cloth, so when the ck stuff spewed out she shrieked and retreated all the way to the wall. Mira was also taken by surprise, her shoulder twitching violently, but she did not scream, merely throwing the cloth away from her hands while stiffening in ce. She had gotten as shocked as she was concentrating on taking the cloth off. The ck cloud did not seem bothered at all, rising to the ceiling of the room and dispersing there until it vanished. ¡¸That scared meee.¡¹ ¡¸I swear, I should take more care of my poor heart.¡¹ Once she recovered, Sasoriughed it off as she walked to the coffin again. Mira remained with her lips pursed as she red at the mummy that had produced that ck cloud. For a mummy, barely any tissue remained and it looked just like a bare skull. But it still looked different to a regr skull, it was pitch ck. And while the ck cloud it emitted had vanished, the skull itself still had ayer of a creepy ck mist. There was one more defining feature on the skull, two horns growing out of its forehead. ¡¸Wait, could this be¡­¡¹ Most of the skull looked human-like, except for those horns. Seeing them, a feature Sasori had never expected to see on a human until the day before when she learned about a forgotten race, she gasped for air. ¡¸It probably is one. And perhaps¡­ all of these are¡­¡¹ A suspicion Mira had was confirmed, her eyes lifting from the coffin and looking around at all the holes in the room, each holding a different coffin. The cursed ck mist, and a skull with two horns. Those were all the bodies of demons. Mira asked for Sasori¡¯s help to check multiple other coffins, and all of them had skeletons with demon features. ¡¸So this is where they got this, and then they used it to fight against spirits.¡¹ After checking the coffins, Mira looked at the sack on the floor and checked its contents before nodding. It was filled with demon bones, fragments of which had been sold in the city as ck Mist Stones. These catbs were a graveyard for demons. Their curse that destroyed spirits had been born in this ce, amongst all the bodies buried. With therge amount of skeletons avable to them, Chimera uzen had been able to wage war against spirits without issue. Considering the equipment used by the Head which Mira fought in the Ancient Circr Gate, they had also gotten quite far in their research of how to use them. Mira and Sasori wrapped the skeletons in cloth again, closed the coffins, and returned all of them to their respective slots. Then they looked around onest time to make sure they were not forgetting anything. If a single piece of evidence was found, the fact they had captured the woman would be known. (Ideally I wouldn¡¯t want to leave such arge quantity of the curse here, but I can¡¯t do much about it for now.) Her final inspection done, Mira looked around at all the coffins while thinking that. If shebined the Divine Protection of the Spirit King with the holy sword Sanctia¡¯s true power, she should be able to destroy the curse. Mira had been training with the sword, trying to get used to it in her free time, but she still could not get the hang of it. That much was to be expected though. The Spirit King was an entity that surpassed human knowledge, and Sanctia was the daughter of that entity. On top of that they had only been in a contract for a few days, so it was impossible to think she would get to use its full power, or just her average power for that matter. (One day I¡¯ll definitely fulfill that promise.) Mira smiled defiantly, even if she was unable now, she vowed she would rid this ce of the curse, just like she had promised the Spirit King. Chapter 116: Interrogation Start? (1) Chapter 116: Interrogation Start? (1) Mira and Sasori sessfully captured a suspect of being one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads, and that much faster than they had imagined. They then erased all traces and evidence of their presence inside the Graveyard of War Memorials, and retreated their steps out of the site. They were now back in the tunnel illuminated by the light of a spirit. Behind Mira was Worthramble, who had been summoned again, and further behind a Dark Knight followed them. That Dark Knight carried the sleeping undressed woman on its shoulders. Even for a strong man, carrying an unconscious person for a prolonged time was a back breaking task. On top of that, Sasori had to masquerade as the woman once they reached the warehouse, so Mira could not rely on her strength either. That left the Dark Knight as the only viable choice, though its burly and brutal appearance made it look like a demonic beast carrying a sacrifice. Twenty minutes of walking inside the tunnelter, they reached the stairs, and after climbing them they returned to the empty warehouse. Sasori stepped out first, followed by Mira and the others concealed by Complete Suppression. If they managed to go out without raising suspicion, the first step of their n would beplete. Mira looked slightly nervous as she watched Sasori move on. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯re back. I guess sometimes you have to workte at night too.¡¹ One of the guards spoke in a lighthearted voice seeing Sasori dressed as the womane out of the hole. Mira and Sasori were slightly bewildered hearing that, it waspletely different to how they expected they would speak. That was definitely not the way to talk to one¡¯s superior. ¡¸It¡¯s all part of the job.¡¹ Maybe Chimera uzen¡¯s Heads and Melville¡¯s guards simply treated each other as equals. There was also the possibility that only the highest ranking guards were assigned to watch over the important ces, or the woman they had captured was the lowest ranking Head. Either way, they would never know for sure by thinking about it there, so Sasori quickly adjusted to the situation and replied in a simrly friendly tone. ¡¸Take care on your way back.¡¹ The guard next to the door stood up and unlocked it, holding it open for Sasori. Her disguise was perfect. ¡¸I will, thank you.¡¹ Sasori stood still for a moment, giving Mira and the others time to quickly go past them. Once they were out, Sasori followed them outside. ¡¸We passed the first step with flying colors.¡¹ After being around the spiritmp¡¯s light for so long, Mira¡¯s eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness outside as she muttered satisfied. ¡¸Yeah, now we just have to step through the main gates and our mission will beplete.¡¹ Sasori nodded and made sure the mask was still on her face, then walked straight towards the main gates of the facility. Whenever a guard came in sight, Sasori would let herself be seen, but maintained a certain distance to not prompt a greeting from the patrols. There had only been a limited time for them to observe the woman¡¯s personality and mannerisms, so Sasori had to be careful to not let her cover slip. But they still had to let many guards see her leaving the facility, that way there would be little suspicion about her capture inside thepany¡¯s grounds. A few minutester the group reached the front gates. Without missing a step, they continued walking to go through the gates. It was then that something went wrong. Multiple red lights the size of marbles turned on and gathered around Sasori. That was so sudden she stood still, while two bored guards at the entrance turned around. ¡¸Oh it¡¯s you again? You¡¯ve tripped the rms.¡¹ Once the guards saw who it was, they sighed and one of them walked towards her. Apparently Sasori had activated the rm. The guard stopped right in front of her and extended his hand towards Sasori¡¯s cheek. It was hard to tell what he wanted to do, making her freeze up. The mask was hiding her real face, so if it was taken from her they would know she was not the real person. But if she ran away, it would look unnatural as well. Sasori prepared herself mentally, while Mira was ready to overpower the two guards at any moment. The guard touched the mask, feeling for somewhere around its nose and pressing there. Sasori took a few stiff steps backwards after that. ¡¸How many times do we have to tell you to press the switch whenever you go through the rms?¡¹ The guard then turned around like nothing happened and returned to his post. ¡¸Mm, thank you.¡¹ Apparently the mask had a device to nullify the rm. When Sasori looked around, she noticed all the red lights had vanished. Sasori thanked the guard, for being so gentle pressing the switch, and for not noticing she was an impostor. After that, they crossed the main gates without issue. ¡¸I guess the n worked well enough.¡¹ When they reached an alley unrted to the Melville Trading Corporation, and after checking that there were no onlookers, Sasori entered the protection of Complete Suppression. Then she went to look at the sleeping woman, smiling devilishly while nning a way to make her spit everything she knew. ¡¸We don¡¯t know how quickly they¡¯ll notice. We should hurry and take her somewhere safe. Do you think the inn you¡¯re staying at will be good enough?¡¹ Mira also grinned while looking at the woman like Sasori, though her smile was a slimy one as if she was licking the woman¡¯s body with her eyes. Seeing her fully restrained and wearing only underwear was starting to awaken something inside Mira. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s kinda pricey there but their security is worth that money. I¡¯m sure we could keep her in our room.¡¹ Sasori said that, not noticing the type of smile Mira had. It was already past midnight but the city was still brightly lit, the business district thriving just like during daytime. Mira and Sasori kept exploiting the powers of silence, easily navigating through the city and reaching the inn without anyone noticing. They skillfully evaded all the guests walking around in the lobby and went upstairs, stopping in front of their room while Sasori unlocked it. When they entered, they saw Hebi was back too. She was lying on her bed face down, sorting some sort of documents. Thanks to Complete Suppression she had not noticed the return of herpanion, or that the door had been opened to begin with. Hebi was just wearing a tank top and shorts, as opposed to her usual robe, and looked much more rxed. On top of that, she seemed to be the type to look thinner when wearing clothes, two magnificent soft masses visible near her armpits. The rest of her body did not fall behind either, her white thighs looking perfectly plump and defenselessly separated. Mira¡¯s eyes were glued on her, seeing her change from her usual silent and mature appearance to this vulnerable girl. ¡¸I¡¯m homeee!¡¹ Hebi continued sorting her papers, not noticing Mira¡¯s uncouth gaze while Sasori vigorously greeted her. But they were still inside Complete Suppression¡¯s area of effect, so her voice did not reach Hebi. ¡¸Ah, right.¡¹ Sasori muttered as her lips curled into a grin. ¡¸Hey you two,e over here.¡¹ Thinking of a prank, Sasori, who was still wearing the suspicious mask, pulled on Mira and Worthramble¡¯s hands, getting them next to Hebi¡¯s bed. Then she leaned down, getting her face right next to Hebi¡¯s as her grin deepened. Mira then understood what Sasori was nning, and with her eyes still affixed to Hebi¡¯s chest, ¡¸she doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed yet¡¹ she said in an offhand voice. ¡¸Mira, reveal us.¡¹ Chapter 116: Interrogation Start? (2) Chapter 116: Interrogation Start? (2) Enjoying herself like never before, Sasori gave Mira a signal, which Mira passed onto Worthramble and Complete Suppression was undone. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Hebi¡¯s mind struggled to understand what had just happened. Even though she was rxing in her bed, as one of the Fifty Bells¡¯ elite members she always was alert to her surroundings. So for someone to sneak up right next to her was essentially impossible. Still, someone had suddenly appeared there. In truth Sasori had simply been shoved to a corner of Hebi¡¯s recognition, making her virtually invisible, and then made visible again, but anyone would get shocked seeing someone wearing a weird mask showing up like that. Hebi was obviously startled, maybe more than a regr person considering how sharp her senses already were. An instant after Hebi saw the mask, she shrieked in a very girly voice and fell off the bed. Meanwhile Sasori wasughing loudly seeing her prank be sessful. That did notst long however, as her face froze over when fireballs emitting a pale blue light floated inside the room. (Ohh?! Isn¡¯t this the necromancers¡¯ Dark Fire?) Mira had seen those blue mes before and she looked impressed by the number of fireballs. Dark Fire was a highly versatile skill used by necromancers, which could be used both to attack and defend. But its true worth came as a different use, as a catalyst to cast higher level necromancer skills. It was their equivalent of a Rosario Summoning Circle. A momentter the Dark Fire began taking a red hue. That meant it was ready to transform into a powerful spell. At the same time, Hebi began forming multiple magic circles from the corner she hid in. Seeing that, Sasori desperately tore the mask off and threw it away, before raising and waving her hands trying to look less threatening and shouting ¡¸It¡¯s me! Sasori!¡¹ From the shape of the magic circles Mira also noticed something big wasing, so she jumped to Sasori¡¯s side, mimicking her actions while saying ¡¸I¡¯m here too!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ ¡¸My bad.¡¹ ¡¸Apologies for that.¡¹ Sitting in the center of the somewhat small room, Sasori, Mira, and Worthramble apologized one after another. Mira and Sasori¡¯s little dance had worked, making Hebi stop her spells before they activated. Though Hebi still looked extremely annoyed, as opposed to her usual emotionless self. Even her cheeks were flushed red. In a way, she was more embarrassed than mad at that moment. ¡¸No problem. But please exin the situation.¡¹ Hebi spoke, her eyes sharp as she mainly red at Sasori, then looked at the captured woman behind the three of them. Her sharp senses led her to deduce Sasori had encountered some trouble, and that the woman had to be somewhat important to get captured like that. Though her face still looked agitated. ¡¸I¡¯ll exin that.¡¹ Mira was not even supposed to be in that country, so she felt responsible for exining the matters. She started with the reason for her presence there, then the powers of Worthramble as a spirit of stillness, the Graveyard of War Memorials, and finished with the woman they had captured inside those ruins. ¡¸I understand.¡¹ Calming down after that time, Hebi looked almost the same as usual, her face not letting any emotion through. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get her to talk already.¡¹ Sasori looked relieved seeing Hebi act like normal, then stood up and took out a small white ball of unknown properties from her bag. ¡¸Ta-daa! This is a secret energizing drug unique to my vige-¡¹ ¡¸Okay, just use it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡¹ Sasori began getting carried away, but Hebi interrupted her showing the exnation was not needed. Hebi¡¯s mood was still not fully recovered. Or rather, she still held a slight grudge against Sasori, the main perpetrator of the prank. Drooping her shoulders, Sasori opened the restrained woman¡¯s mouth and threw the white ball inside. Some timeter the drug activated. ¡¸Hnnnnngghaaa!¡¹ The bound woman¡¯s eyes snapped open and began making loud noises. She also began wriggling her body and squirming around, her voice unable to form any full words. It almost looked like she had been gravely poisoned. ¡¸Did you really only feed her an energizing pill?¡¹ Seeing the woman act like that, Mira took a few steps back and questioned Sasori. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s just an energizer,¡¹ said Sasori, seemingly unbothered by what she had caused. ¡¸She should start talking properly soon enough.¡¹ Sasori said that with a smile, watching the woman convulsing at her feet. Hebi was also unfazed, or rather, she looked slightly miffed, as if she thought of the woman as a tool, and was lost as to what to do with her once they were done questioning her. Seeing both their reactions, Mira figured that was amon side effect of whatever drug Sasori learned to make in her secret vige. Still, Mira had to swallow hard seeing the work of a professional spy from up close for the first time. Eventually the drug¡¯s effect wore off, and now the woman raised confused moans as she tried to understand where she was. From her eyes, she had been inside the Graveyard of War Memorials, suddenly fell asleep, then woken up by being fed a pill like some animal while unknown people looked down at her. Not to mention all those people held dangerous weapons. The only people who would not freak out in that situation could be described with a word that started with a big M. Once the woman was conscious enough to hold a conversation, Mira ordered Worthramble to iste the entire room, just like they had arranged while they waited. ¡¸Alright, no matter how loud you shout no one will hear you now.¡¹ Once Mira gave the OK signal, Sasori spoke in a low menacing tone while taking off the woman¡¯s gag. ¡¸Please don¡¯t kill meee!¡¹ As soon as her mouth was free, the woman broke into tears. Rather than asking, why, who, or where, she begged for her life. The way she shook while crying, without regard to pride or shame, was a bit anticlimactic for everyone. ¡¸If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll let you live.¡¹ Sasori unsheathed her dagger and ced the de against the woman¡¯s neck. If any third party watched that, they would definitely think Sasori was the viin there. ¡¸I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll say anything you want!¡¹ She twisted and bent her body, turning her head away in an attempt to stay away from the de. At the same time, while her cheeks became wet with tears, her underwear was also getting drenched. That frightened attitude was not normal, and seemed unfitting for a high ranking member of Chimera. Seeing that unexpected reaction, Sasori and Hebi exchanged looks. Either the woman was acting and trying to lower their guard, or this was the first time she had experienced something like that. Mira on the other hand, only had eyes for the woman¡¯s wet underwear, her mind opened to yet another door. Even if they wanted to interrogate the woman, it would be impossible to do in her current state, so Mira and Sasori took her to the dressing room while Hebi cleaned the floor. After the dressing room, they took her to the bathroom. ¡¸Nooo! I don¡¯t want to die drowning! I¡¯ll do anything for youuu!¡¹ Seeing the bathtub filled with water, the woman began crying violently again. If that really was a ploy by the enemy, it was starting to make Mira feel actual pity for her, and then she felt something was off. ¡¸Wait, you are a member of Chimera uzen, yes?¡¹ Trying to confirm her doubt, Mira made the womany on the bathroom floor and slowly asked that question while looking into her eyes. The woman looked stunned for a moment, and then¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m Mylene! You have the wrong person!¡¹ She shook her head time and time again as she cried her answer. Chapter 117: Mylene (1) Chapter 117: Mylene (1) Mylene, the woman Mira found inside the Graveyard of War Memorials, ancient ruins concealed by a facility of warehouses managed by the Melville Trading Corporation as a front. Considering the circumstances, it made sense to consider her one of Chimera uzen¡¯s Heads, which led to her capture. But apparently they had been wrong. It turned out she was no Head, not to mention she was not a member to begin with. Her limbs tied and wearing only underwear, she answered anything Mira and Sasori asked. She was an apprentice alchemist. When asked what she was doing inside those ruins, she replied her mentor sent her to retrieve some materials. As to whether she knew what those ck bones were, ¡¸I know that. Ancient bones amass magic power!¡¹ Or at least that was what her mentor told her. About her coat, a Shadow Spirit Arm, it was a present from her mentor. Did she know what kind of power her coat had? She was told it would protect her from danger, but she had never been in a dangerous situation, until that night, so she did not really know for sure. But considering she had gotten captured so easily she muttered ¡¸That useless coat¡¹ with a sigh. The more they questioned her, the more her mentor sounded suspicious. That drove the following questions to involve whoever that was. They asked what her mentor was doing with those ck Mist Stones. They were being infused into sand and different types of metals. ck Mist Stones were a rather unique ingredient, so they needed to go through the hands of an alchemist or their effects would not get transferred. The finished product would get stained ck, covered by a thinyer of that particr ck mist. Her mentor said it could be used for really powerful weapons. The finished ingredients were then sold to the Melville Trading Corporation in exchange for exorbitant amounts of money. The next questions were more specific. They asked if she knew who those buried bodies were in the ruins, and she replied that her mentor told her they were people that lived long long ago. Sasori examined her face attentively while she replied and concluded she was unaware of the existence of demons. After that Sasori asked more specific questions which any Head should know, and from the replies she concluded the chances of Mylene being a Head were extremely low. Every so often Mira also asked a few questions of her own. Like what food she liked, which part she washed first when bathing, if she had a crush, her three sizes, and other questions that crossed the sexual harrassment line. But Mylene answered honestly to anything she was asked. ¡¸It seems she knows nothing about Chimera.¡¹ With most of the questioning done, Mira scratched her chin while she announced the conclusion formed by gathering all her answers. Sasori also agreed with her. ¡¸Umm, what is that Chimera you keep talking about?¡¹ Mylene looked slightly morefortable now that her interrogation was over, so she ventured to ask a question herself. She had obvious reasons to want to know that, considering they were the reason she had been captured to begin with. ¡¸You see, there¡¯s this group that calls themselves Chimera uzen that¡­¡¹ Sasori¡¯s eyes were cold with anger as she told Mylene in short words all the atrocitiesmitted by Chimera uzen. ¡¸Who¡­ who would do anything so cruel?! And I was helping them..?¡¹ Hearing about Chimera uzen¡¯s truth, Mylene looked terribly indignated, while also being baffled at the fact she had been supporting such a vile group of people. For a while Mylene seemed to talk with herself, reminiscing about a time a spirit helped her as a child. Then sounding regretful knowing her mentor was working to harm those gentle creatures. She looked honestly pained, even to Mira and Sasori, showing she truly had known nothing all that time. At the same time, they were certain that whoever her mentor was, they were directly supporting Chimera. ¡¸We suspect your mentor might be involved with Chimera. Could you tell us where they are?¡¹ Mira knelt down until her eyes were at the same height as Mylene and asked with a soft voice. Hearing that her mentor might have ties with Chimera uzen, a thought she had refused to allow in her mind, Mylene shuddered. But after a short moment she seemed to decide something and looked straight into Mira¡¯s eyes. ¡¸There¡¯s arge mansion in the northeast suburbs of the city. It has a big garden with all sorts of nts in it, you can¡¯t miss it.¡¹ After that she said that if there was anything she could help with, she would do it. Sasori replied that she could simply tell them everything she knew, and that until everything was done she would have to remain tied up. Even if she did not know about Chimera, she had still been a helper, and there was a small probability that everything she had said and done was an act. No matter how good they were at reading people, it was unwise to trust someone so quickly until all suspicion was cleared. Mylene understood that and agreed to those terms. They had Mylene mark the exact location in a map, then left Hebi to take care of her while Mira and Sasori went to look for that mansion where Mylene¡¯s mentor lived. It waste at night, but they did not know where Chimera had eyes, so they activated Complete Suppression and jumped from roof to roof heading to the outskirts of the city. Sasori had the ability to run on walls and ceilings, so she had little issue traversing like that, and Mira had her sage arts to help her. Surprisingly enough Worthramble was also able to keep up with the two, showing he was not a high level spirit for nothing. It was way past midnight, so unlike themercial district that never slept, the outskirts were silent and shrouded in darkness. But on the other hand, stars that had been invisible from the city were shining brightly. The houses built out there had their own lights, dimly shining through closed windows. While themercial district was brightly lit with the fire of spirits, the lights here were allmonmps. From time to time they would hear the call from a wild animal, followed by a distant reply from a distance away. There was hardly any traffic out there, only the asional drunkards with reddened faces mumbling to themselves, tottering and shouting loudly randomly. ¡¸That¡¯s it over there.¡¹ Chapter 117: Mylene (2) Chapter 117: Mylene (2) Further away in the silent suburbs was a ce that felt even more silent and without any lights. Under the moonlight the canopies of trees could be seen, as well as thick vegetation. That patch ofnd looked very out of cepared to the region surrounding it, and in the center of it was the mansion where Mylene¡¯s mentor lived. Mira and Sasori felt convinced they were in the right ce, Mylene had told them it would be very easy to find after all. The two girls walked along the stone wall surrounding the whole estate, and thanks to Worthramble¡¯s powers they easily opened the main gates and entered through there. They walked the long way from the main gates, and a few minutester noticed that there were guards around the mansion, though none of them noticed Mira and Sasori until they reached the entrance. There the two turned around and looked to the guards around them. Something felt off, none of them seemed to be on the lookout for actual intruders. ¡¸That¡¯s odd, everyone is looking at the mansion.¡¹ ¡¸True, anyone would be able to pilfer the rare nts for alchemy growing in the garden like this.¡¹ Sasori and Mira exchanged their opinions. As far as they could tell, there were at least five guards there. None of them were looking at the walls, all of their eyes focused on the mansion itself. Between the main gates and the building¡¯s entrance they had felt no other presence there. In other words, all the guards were ced right outside the mansion. Like Mira mentioned, that meant it was trivial to sneak in and steal the nts used as ingredients for alchemy that grew in the garden. But at the same time the guards did not seem to be doing that out of distraction or boredom, they were clearly watching over something. ¡¸Well, we can just ask the person who lives hereter.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, let¡¯s hurry inside then.¡¹ Mira and Sasori had little to aplish by standing there, so they turned around towards the mansion again. From up close, the mansion looked oddly smallpared to the size of the garden, though it was still wayrger than a regr house. It was easy to imagine the dedication of the master of the mansion to alchemy if the growth of ingredients had been prioritized over the luxury of a bigger house. Mira continued using the power granted by Complete Suppression, turning the doorknob without worry. It was unlocked, and considering the guards outside there was no need to lock it. That way they easily snuck inside the mansion, where they began searching for their target at a leisurely pace. ¡¸I can¡¯t even see my own hands.¡¹ There were no lights inside the mansion, and once the door was closed there was only darkness in the entrance. But considering their situation they could not afford to turn the lights on either. ¡¸I can still see in the dark, here, hold my hand.¡¹ Sasori offered her hand as her eyes scouted the building in the darkness. ¡¸Ohh, I see. Thanks.¡¹ Mira happily obliged and stretched her hand too, firmly gripping the first object she found. ¡¸Woah! Mira Mira Mira! That¡¯s my tailll!¡¹ Sasori¡¯s back stiffened as she tried to subdue her screams in the darkness. Hearing that made Mira smile widely, but she quickly apologized and let go, her hand wandering through the air searching for the right ce. Sasori quickly calmed down and continued looking around the mansion, she wanted to be sure there were no trapsid inside there. Meanwhile Mira, under the excuse of searching for her hand, kept groping all over Sasori¡¯s toned body, her fingers eventually moving up her body and near her shoulders. ¡¸Over here, Mira.¡¹ Sasori snatched Mira¡¯s hand, unable to endure any longer, and pulled the curtain on Mira¡¯s little adventure in the dark. But that had been enough for Mira to enjoy herself, her face with a brimming smile. There were no traps in the mansion, nor could they see any servants. Mira activated Life Sensing and only got one reading from someone on the second floor. That was probably the mentor Mylene had told them about. Sasori pulled Mira behind her as they left the entrance, dark as if themps had burned all their fuel, though the cold darkness made it feel like they had never been turned on to begin with. They headed straight for the stairs leading to the second floor. There were two corridors above the staircase, leading to both sides. Those corridors had windows on one side, letting a little bit of starlight in. That little light was enough to highlight the contours of the corridor, making it barely visible. That meager light leaving patches of darkness made it easier to imagine things that could lie waiting there, giving the mansion a far creepier appearance than pure darkness. ¡¸Mira, look there.¡¹ Sasori spoke with her eyes affixed to a spot in the end of the corridor, while squeezing Mira¡¯s hand a bit and getting closer to her. ¡¸Hm? Did you find something?¡¹ Mira did not retreat, instead leaning into Sasori, while her eyes that had adapted a bit to the darkness followed Sasori¡¯s. There was not enough light to tell exactly what it was, but there was a faint white outline there. Curious to find out what that thing was, Mira took a step forward, but then she stopped. Or rather, she was stopped, Sasori remained frozen in ce gripping Mira¡¯s hand tightly. ¡¸What, are you scared?¡¹ Mira turned around and asked, and after a short pause Sasori eximed ¡¸Not at all!¡¹ and took a deep breath before walking with her tail stiffened. Though she was still pushing Mira to go in front of her. They were going in the opposite direction from where they had sensed someone. Thanks to Worthramble, not even their footsteps disturbed the silence of the corridor. Only the light from a few stars covered the dark corridor like a thin veil of mist. (Usually ces like this have expensive vases ced in these corridors, but I can¡¯t see any at all.) Mira had a heavily stereotypical view of expensive mansions, so she was surprised to not have seen a single vase, rug, or flowerpot so far. In a way the mansion did not feel lived in, or rather, Mira was starting to question how human the owner actually was. But that opinion changed somewhat as soon as they reached the end of the corridor. ¡¸¡­Okay, it wasn¡¯t a trap!¡¹ Sasori quickly changed her earlier attitude and confidently took the lead from behind Mira as she nced up at the thing, which was around two meters tall. It was a splendid set of armor. It had been meticulously polished so it even reflected the stars clearly, but that also made it stand out from afar and gave the appearance of a ghostly figure standing in the end of the corridor. Even more so for those ustomed to the darkness. Greatly relieved, Sasori turned around and retraced her steps, pulling Mira after her. Now they were actually going to the room they had felt someone in. (A full set of armor? Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about, and what a magnificent one.) Turning her head back to look at the armor, Mira thought that way. But once she turned to the other side of the corridor, an odd feeling assaulted her. The other corridorcked any furnishings at all. When Mira first saw the armor, she felt like she was finally in a rich residence, but then she noticed that the fact that was the only thing there was weird, not to mention it was in only one of two identical corridors. Though this was not Mira¡¯s home, so maybe the owner favored that type of asymmetry. Mira let herself get pulled by Sasori, ncing at the armor behind them. Somehow the armor had a far eerier appearance to it than before they knew what it was. Chapter 118: The Alchemist (1) Chapter 118: The Alchemist (1) They opened the door on the second floor of the alchemist¡¯s mansion, a lighting through from it and illuminating the corridor. At the same time, a rather repugnant smell wafted out. The fact the door had been opened was unnoticeable thanks to Complete Suppression, letting Mira and her group enter the room unnoticed. The room was filled with shelves, holding many books and bottles of all sorts of colors, alchemy ingredients, presumably. There were also monster parts and gems, as well as cages with small animals. And strangely enough, a sheep plush toy. A man stood in front of a desk ced in the middle of the room. He looked like he was in histe thirties, his ck hair unkempt, and wearing a dirtied white coat and silver-rimmed sses. He looked like a stereotypical scientist. He had a stern look as he stirred the contents of arge cauldron, something thick and slimy moving inside. Rather than alchemy, that looked more like something a witch would do. As they approached the desk, the disgusting smell grew stronger, but that was not enough to stop Mira and Sasori, who scowled as they approached the man from behind. ¡¸Don¡¯t move.¡¹ So as to not let anyone outside notice, they brought the man into the effect of Complete Suppression, and at the same time Sasori ced a dagger to his throat. The man froze, not uttering a sound as he gulped and let his stirring rod free and slowly raised his hands showing he was unarmed. Only then did his mouth open. ¡¸Why are you doing this? I¡¯m doing everything exactly the way you ordered.¡¹ There was no desperation to his voice, but that did not mean he was calm. He had simply decided to ignore all the emotions stirring up in him. ¡¸Well, maybe start by telling us what you¡¯re working on then?¡¹ The man¡¯s response had been slightly unexpected, but Sasori prioritized gathering information and prompted him with a cold voice. He remained silent for a good while, then he slowly turned around, and the moment he saw Sasori and Mira¡¯s face his brow raised in confusion. ¡¸Who¡­ are you? You¡¯re not from Chimera?¡¹ As he said that, he finally showed some emotion, surprise. But that feeling was also felt by Mira and Sasori. They were convinced they had finally found one of Chimera uzen¡¯s Heads, but the way he spoke made it sound like he was separate from Chimera. ¡¸Please don¡¯t associate us with those degenerates.¡¹ But Sasori was more irritated by the idea of someone thinking she belonged to the evil organization, so she replied with her voice seething with anger. ¡¸I¡­ see. My apologies.¡¹ Hearing her forceful voice, the man raised his hands even more to show he meant no harm. ¡¸Aren¡¯t you one of Chimera¡¯s Heads though? There¡¯s plenty of evidence for that.¡¹ ¡¸Head? Evidence? What are you talking about?¡¹ Sasori leaned towards him even more, pressing her de against his throat. He did not seem too disturbed by that, but his brow contorted in confusion. The two stared at each other in silence for a while after that. ¡¸So you im you¡¯re not one of Chimera uzen¡¯s Heads then?¡¹ Mira walked up to the man and broke the silence with her inquiry. In response, the man¡¯s eyes shifted from Sasori and focused on Mira¡¯s. ¡¸I¡¯m not a Head, nor a member of Chimera.¡¹ He firmly denied it. Still, there was no way to trust his word so easily, and they did not possess the skill to read his mind and discern between truth or lie. ¡¸So just in case, do you happen to know what those stones are used for?¡¹ Meanwhile Mira continued the interrogation. She pointed at the ck mist covered shards on the desk and asked about them. ¡¸Yes, I do.¡¹ He lowered his gaze as his face clouded over. Mylene said her mentor only told her it was used in powerful weapons, but from the alchemist¡¯s reaction it was obvious he knew of its spirit devouring properties. ¡¸Then you know Chimera uses that in their weapons. You¡¯re involved in their manufacture, yet you im you aren¡¯t a member?¡¹ Mira clearly enunciated each word while looking at the man in the eyes, slowly trying to make him cough up a confession. The mansted a second with her eyes focused on his, quickly turning his head away while scoffing. But soon after he looked back at her and took a deep breath. ¡¸I¡¯m not a member.¡¹ He repeated, slightly pained, but his voice was firm. Mira kept looking into the man¡¯s eyes, then a whileter she turned to Sasori and nodded slightly. In response, Sasori softened her expression and removed her de from the man¡¯s neck. While the de was no longer pressed against his neck, it was still pointed straight at him, yet the man did not seem bothered by that, thanking Sasori in a low voice. ¡¸If you¡¯re not a member, then why are you helping Chimera? Is it money? Or is there some other reason you¡¯re forced to do it?¡¹ Mira¡¯s next barrage of questions did not have a threatening tone to them. But her quest for answers would not stop there, so she bluntly asked everything she wanted to know. ¡¸Well¡­ something like that.¡¹ He hung his head down for a moment, then turned his head up with a distant look in his eyes as he muttered. After a while he seemed to decide on something and looked towards the window. ¡¸Before that, just who are you? How did you get past all the guards outside the mansion? Only my assistant and Chimera¡¯s people are supposed to be able to get inside here.¡¹ The man replied with a question of his own and remainedpletely silent afterwards. He had no intention to speak unless he got a reply. The mansion was heavily guarded, so it was no easy task to infiltrate it. As the owner of the building, the alchemist knew that much. That made him feel suspicious of Mira and Sasori who had broken through that security and stood in front of him now. ¡¸Hmm, fair enough. I¡¯m Mira, I¡¯m helping an organization fighting against Chimera for my own reasons.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Sasori, a member of said organization.¡¹ Once the two introduced themselves, the man looked at them with eyes open wide. But then his eyes seemed to turn resolute. ¡¸I see. An organization fighting against Chimera huh. Considering everything those guys have been doing, it makes sense for something like that to exist, and for the leads to point towards here.¡¹ He seemed to be muttering to himself, and while he was trying to stay calm, he was clearly excited for something. He was not simply relieved to hear of Mira and Sasori¡¯s identities. ¡¸I still don¡¯t get this though. Howe no one noticed you entering here?¡¹ Chapter 118: The Alchemist (2) Chapter 118: The Alchemist (2) The man nced at the window again as he asked in a low voice. He seemed wary of something. The curtains were closed, but everyone knew there was a guard posted right on the other side. He had every possibility of sending a dissimted signal to alert the guards of the intruders, but Mira doubted he would do that. She had seen something inside his eyes when he strongly denied being a member of Chimera uzen. ¡¸How we got here is a secret, but we can guarantee no one will know we¡¯re here.¡¹ It was like she had be aware of a window to his soul. So she decided to trust him, while also assuring him that they were safe there, for his sake as well. Everything was silent outside, and there were no signs of guards entering the mansion to look for them. In other words, there was no worry that those supporting Chimera would overhear them talking. Mira and Sasori knew Worthramble¡¯s powers of stillness, so they never doubted their privacy, but rather than trying to exin a foreign power to the alchemist, it was easier to keep it vague. Even though Mira had instructed Worthramble to keep them safe even if one of them screamed loudly. ¡¸My name is Johann, I¡¯m an alchemist being used by Chimera.¡¹ He introduced himself with a sour look, then exined his situation. It all started when his father, an alchemist he looked up to, epted a request from the Melville Trading Corporation. They wanted his father to research a new material the corporation had obtained through their proprietary means. Being entrusted with such a novel and unknown item, his father happily epted the request. Through his research, his father was able to determine the characteristics of the material, and then he moved on to figuring out a use for it. At the time, Johann was just his father¡¯s helper, so he did not know many details of what his father had found out. All he knew was that the material could be used to craft some powerful weapons. His father proved his worth as a prominent alchemist, finding multiple appliances for the new material. Inpensation for his efforts, he was also paid handsomely. Johann deeply respected his father for working on something so valuable. But things changedpletely from one day to the next. His father passed away. Not from illness, but a mysterious sudden death. Or like Johann murmured, punishment came for his sins. Trying to follow in his father¡¯s steps, Johann began reading through everything he left behind, including his diaries and research notes. While his father was alive, he had never been allowed a peek into them, given that an alchemist¡¯s research was essentially their life¡¯s work. That was how he came to know the truth. The material his father had researched, the ck mist stones, devoured spirits and drained them of their power. A material with the sole purpose of harming spirits, humanity¡¯s good neighbors. Finding out about all that, Johann scrapped all the research and filed aint against the Melville Trading Corporation to get any of the material in the wild seized. But theint was rejected almost instantly, and the same day his wife and daughter disappeared. The next day he received a letter from the corporation, instructing him to resume the research, and attached was his wife¡¯s wedding ring. Johann did not know all the details on the ck mist stones¡¯ different properties, but he had helped his father with producing them in the past, so even though he voiced his disapproval of the Melville Trading Corporation and Chimera uzen, they still could get some use out of him. He did not know where his daughter and wife were being kept, but every six months he would receive letters from them. His wife always wrote almost exclusively about their daughter¡¯s growth, while telling him not to worry. After her words, his daughter would also add a few lines, which at first were written in clumsy shaped letters, but they had started looking better in the most recent ones. Johann had a lonely smile as he told that part of his story. That small connection was all he needed to dream of seeing them again one day. But he also regretted that was the only way he had of reuniting with them one day, cursing his own powerlessness. ¡¸I see, so your family is being kept hostage.¡¹ That exined why Johann was helping Chimera uzen. It was his only way of ensuring his captured wife and daughter would remain safe. Mira nodded, satisfied hearing his story, then looked at the desk and the sheep plush toy ced on it. It probably belonged to Johann¡¯s daughter. ¡¸It¡¯s funny when you think about it. The mansion is under such a heavy guard, but it¡¯s not to deter intruders, but so the owner can¡¯t leave. If I try to set one foot outside they¡¯ll know instantly.¡¹ Saying that, Johann looked at the curtain in annoyance. Buying food and materials for his job had been fully entrusted to his assistant, and years had passed since thest time he left the mansion. ¡¸That exins the weird feeling I had seeing them outside.¡¹ The guards really had been there to prevent an escapade, rather than watching for those outside the mansion. Mira still remembered the weird feeling she had when they first approached the mansion. His life had taken a turn for the worst when his father, who willingly helped Chimera uzen, passed away. They wanted him to keep the research active, so they robbed him of his freedom and forced him to follow their orders. It was impossible for anyone else to know just how he felt having his family snatched away like that. Mira felt truly pitiful about Johann¡¯s current situation. Looking at the room again, she could see many vestiges of his missing family. Strewn amongst the research documents were picture books for children, a kitchen apron that presumably belonged to his wife, and a shelf near the desk held the wedding ring he had mentioned in his story. Some shelves looked dedicated to mementos of his family, which Mira silently observed. He seemed to clean them daily, not a single speck of dust visible on them as opposed to the other shelves with research. That made them stand out all the more, letting his suffering peer through. ¡¸Don¡¯t look so sad now.¡¹ Mira picked up the sheep on the table, looking into its eyes that looked somewhat sad and spoke to it. Johann watched that from the side. ¡¸Huh? Is something wrong?¡¹ Sasori raised her voice out of the blue. She had noticed a single tear streaking down Johann¡¯s cheek. ¡¸Ah, sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ my daughter. She would always talk to that sheep like that, and I was reminded of her.¡¹ Johann forced a smile as he turned away from Mira holding the sheep, trying to hide his tears. ¡¸I see,¡¹ said Sasori, gently looking at his back. Chapter 119: Johann’s Request (1) Chapter 119: Johann¡¯s Request (1) ¡¸If I understood correctly, if your family is safe you won¡¯t have any qualms at ditching Chimera?¡¹ Mira condensed all the information they had gathered into that conclusion. Johann had been directly responsible for the creation of powerful weapons to harm spirits. He was fully aware of the effect his research had, but he had been forced to do it with his wife and daughter being kept hostage from him. That meant that if his wife and daughter were returned safely to him, he would abandon his current path and stop producing the material for Chimera uzen, which would lessen their armament against spirits as well. Spirits were usually far more powerful than humans, and it wasrgely thanks to the ck mist weapons that Chimera uzen had been sessful so far. Stopping the production of it should slow them down too. On top of that, if Johann became Mira¡¯s ally, his knowledge of the ck mist could help find a weak point in it. The Fifty Bells would definitely wee that knowledge regardless of what he did in the past. ¡¸I promise I¡¯ll do anything in my hands to help your organization if my family is returned to me.¡¹ Johann understood what Mira was getting at, replying in a straightforward manner. His response also sounded like a slight plea though. ¡¸We¡¯ll do our best at rescuing them then.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see them soon.¡¹ Mira and Sasori both vowed to help Johann with resolute voices. ¡¸I feel like I can finally see the end of this. I¡¯ll prepare a lot of documents in return for your favorter.¡¹ Johann spoke happily as he sat down next to the table. ¡¸Documents? That sounds useful, but exactly what kind of documents?¡¹ Mira also sat down without much care, taking out a bottle of All-Seasons au Lait she had obtained in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters and sipping from it as she spoke. ¡¸Everything I know about the ck mist stones. While weapons produced with them have the main property of devouring spirits, they can have other properties depending on what they were mixed with. It should make it easier to fight against them if you know their effects beforehand.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that does certainly sound useful.¡¹ ¡¸Oh wow! So we¡¯ll know their secrets!¡¹ Mira was satisfied with Johann¡¯s description. Behind them, still standing up, Sasori also sounded excited knowing they would find out more about the mysterious weapons used by Chimera uzen. The Fifty Bells had scarcely any information about the ck mist stones. Sasori had witnessed in horror how effective they were inbat though, having them escape from her grasp effortlessly. But if someone who was not as trained as Sasori had to fight Chimera, it could end very painfully for the Fifty Bells¡¯ side. Having knowledge of their weapons beforehand could overturn thatpletely. ¡¸I¡¯ll also throw in the receipts of all the materials I asked for from the Melville Trading Corporation. There¡¯s a lot of things there that are directly used by Chimera. If you use the receipts properly, I¡¯m sure you can expose the evil ways of the Trading Corporation.¡¹ Johann kept adding enticing items to the reward for rescuing his family. To Mira and Sasori, that would mean obtaining definite proof tying Chimera uzen and the Melville Trading Corporation. But there was a small problem with that. ¡¸That would be helpful, but are you sure it¡¯s a good idea? Doing that might incriminate yourself.¡¹ As Mira said, those receipts had Johann¡¯s name on them as well, so no matter what his reasons were, he would also be questioned. There were deep circumstances surrounding his involvement, but even then his research had led to piles of victims which could not be ignored. He might not get punished too severely by thew, but he would still get judged. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, I know what I did. If anything, I only wish for my wife and daughter to not get med on my ount.¡¹ Johann looked at Mira and Sasori before bowing deeply. ¡¸I¡¯ll make sure they remain safe.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll do everything I can as well.¡¹ Mira and Sasori promised to do their best in response. ¡¸Thank you a lot.¡¹ Johann raised his face satisfied, smiling softly as he nodded. The next issue was how they would rescue his wife and daughter. But Johann had no idea where they were being kept. He was sure the letters he received from them were written by his wife¡¯s hand though, so he was certain they were still alive. That was enough to give him hope. ¡¸Hmm, they¡¯re a mother and daughter, where would someone hide them¡­ hmm¡­¡¹ Sasori muttered to herself, crossing her arms and letting her tail sway as she pondered. Mira finished her bottle of All-Seasons au Lait, then began rubbing her chin while knitting her brow. After a moment she raised her gaze. ¡¸By the way, how old would your daughter be now?¡¹ Thinking of something, she looked at Johann while asking that. ¡¸Her age? She should be turning eight this year.¡¹ Johann looked pained not being able to see his daughter¡¯s growth, his eyes focusing on the distance as he replied in a sad voice. Meanwhile Mira repeated ¡¸Eight years old, huh¡¹ to herself many times as her lips began twisting into a grin. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s that ce then.¡¹ That age matched something she had seen. Thinking of that alongside the rest of the information she had, Mira kept grinning devilishly. ¡¸You¡¯ve figured something-¡¹ ¡¸Where are they?!¡¹ Johann interrupted Sasori as he sprung on his feet and leaned forward towards Mira. His desperate reaction showed how worried he was as a husband and father, together with all his pent up grief. Sasori remained silent watching him. ¡¸I believe they¡¯re being kept in the Melville warehouses. There was a building near the entrance of the Graveyard of War Memorials that had a girl¡¯sundry hung to dry. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to deduce they¡¯re there.¡¹ Mira slowly exined her reasoning while putting a hand on Johann¡¯s shoulder to calm him down and make him sit again. ¡¸Ah! That infantile underwear you showed me!¡¹ Sasori quickly remembered the ce, while voicing the one thing that remained more clearly in her mind. ¡¸It should be worth investigating in more detail.¡¹ Mira was almostpletely convinced she had the right ce, reclining her body back on the chair with an air of confidence. The Melville Trading Corporation and Chimera uzen managed that warehouse facility. It was already under heavy guard as the entrance to the ruins was hidden there, so it made sense to keep hostages under watch in the same ce. ¡¸That¡¯s where they¡¯ve been¡­¡¹ While they had no concrete proof, having an idea of where his family was brought Johann great joy. But he firmly grasped his thigh while biting his lips, ¡¸How are we going to take them out of there though¡­¡¹ he muttered to himself in dismay. Melville¡¯s warehouses were known as the ce in all of Roseline under the strictest guard. Not even the most proficient thieves could cross the outer walls undetected. ¡¸What are you muttering to yourself there?¡¹ Mira quickly scolded Johann for his reaction. There were many things he did not know yet, so Mira exined in short terms how they had found traces of his family in the warehouses. Chapter 119: Johann’s Request (2) Chapter 119: Johann¡¯s Request (2) ¡¸You already infiltrated that ce?!¡¹ Hearing what Mira had to say, Johann¡¯s eyes lit up with hope and awe as he stood up like earlier, which Mira stopped again pushing him down onto his seat. ¡¸We had something to do there earlier, so pretty much yes. We should have little trouble going there again.¡¹ ¡¸We have some rather unorthodox methods. The only problem would be the key. If they¡¯re holding people hostage the doors have to be locked, it¡¯s a shame they aren¡¯t locks I know how to pick.¡¹ After Mira, Sasori mentioned the biggest hurdle in their way. As she spoke, she took out her lockpicking tools from her bag and looked at them with aplex stare. The entrance to the Graveyard of War Memorials was as secure as the main vault of a pce. If the warehouse with hostages was as secure, then she would have no hope of getting in. ¡¸We could always bust them out with brute force as ast resort, though there are other things we still want to explore so it¡¯d be best if we can do it silently.¡¹ The lock might be impossible to break through, but there were other ways of getting into the building. There was the option of breaking through the windows for example, but that would quickly announce the escape of the hostages. That would make the guards on the mansion act and get Johann. On the other hand, if they took Johann out first, and his family was not in the warehouse, his wife and daughter would be in danger. Even if they likely had the right ce, they had to proceed with caution to avoid any casualties. ¡¸Oh right, maybe you can use that thing then.¡¹ While Sasori and Mira deliberated on how to proceed, Johann suddenly stood up and went to open an important-looking box in a corner, taking out a smaller box from it. He ced the box on the table and lifted its lid. ¡¸What is this thing?¡¹ ¡¸What is it?¡¹ Mira and Sasori peeked inside, looking confused at the same time. There was a dark and ttened metallic rod, around fifteen centimeters long, and a piece of paper. ¡¸This is something my father made. It¡¯s a lockpicking tool with special properties etched into it.¡¹ Johann grasped the rod from one end and held it out so Mira and Sasori could see it more clearly. A few secondster lines of light streaked through the rod, while multiple branches emerged along it. The two girls eximed loud ¡¸Ohh!¡¹s as they watched that. ¡¸Father said that if used properly it can open any lock. It¡¯s a ratherplex tool as you can see, so it¡¯s not really easy to employ, but someone with enough knowledge should be able to get used to it quickly enough.¡¹ Saying that, he returned the rod to the box and closed it, then looked straight at Sasori. ¡¸There¡¯s a manual inside as well, just in case. Take it, it might be of help.¡¹ With that, Johann gave the box to Sasori. Even if it was hard to use, if it worked as intended then the tool would help them open the door to the warehouse. And considering how valuable that tool was, it showed how much Johann was betting on this n to work. ¡¸Thank you, I¡¯ll put it to good use.¡¹ Saying that, Sasori epted the box together with Johann¡¯s hopes. ¡¸There¡¯s something I still don¡¯t fully understand. How did you find out I was doing work for Chimera? Not even my assistant knows about that.¡¹ Having talked for so long, they had started trusting in each other a bit more, which was when Johann asked that. Like he had said, his assistant Mylene was unrted to his work, and did not even know Chimera uzen existed. ¡¸Well, in a way we got here following a lead from your assistant.¡¹ With that preamble, Mira exined the steps they took to find the mansion. First was the suspicious link between Chimera and Melville, who managed the entrance of the Graveyard of War Memorials. Having a hunch the entrance might be in the warehouse facility, they infiltrated it searching for more clues. When they found the entrance, they entered and found Mylene inside. She was wearing a powerful spirit arm, so they suspected her of being one of Chimera¡¯s Heads and captured her. But once they interrogated her, they found out she was not a Head, and not even a lower member. She did mention her mentor was manufacturing ck mist stones for Melville, which switched Mira and Sasori¡¯s target to him. ¡¸You already know what happened after that. That¡¯s also how we found that warehouse where your family might be kept.¡¹ With that, Mira concluded her story. ¡¸I understand now¡¹ muttered Johann, then his gaze sharpened as he looked at the two girls. ¡¸I can see how you got here now. But something is bothering me, where is Mylene now? And she was wearing a mask, do you still have it?¡¹ Before he finished asking, Johann stood up and walked to the window, carefully peeking through a gap in the curtains watching for something. ¡¸We¡¯re keeping Mylene in the inn we¡¯re staying at. I used the mask as a disguise¡­ so it probably is still on my bed now.¡¹ Sasori was unsure of how to take Johann¡¯s reaction, but she replied truthfully. ¡¸That¡¯s bad¡¹ he said while rushing to a shelf with books, there he took out a bundle of papers and ced it on the table in front of Mira. ¡¸These are some of the documents I promised in exchange for my wife and daughter. Listen closely now, Mylene¡¯s mask has a tracking device on it, so Chimera¡¯s goons are probably headed straight to your inn at this very moment. You should return as soon as you can.¡¹ Johann spoke quickly, and while he attempted to look calm and rational, it was clear he was distressed. ¡¸The mask?!¡¹ ¡¸I didn¡¯t think there was something like that on it¡­¡¹ The two girls quickly stood up. They had only been watching out for spirit arms, not considering other possibilities. Hebi was staying with Mylene, so at least she would be able to protect her, but that also depended on who went to the inn. Sasori trusted Hebi¡¯s skills, but she was still worried. On the other hand, Mira was curious about something else. This was the first time she heard of a tracking device like that, so she was interested in learning what skills were used to achieve a GPS-like effect. ¡¸I¡¯d assume they sent at least two pursuers after her. Also, if I can still make more requests, please keep watching over Mylene from now on.¡¹ Johann returned to the window and looked outside, pleading for them to keep Mylene safe. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll protect her.¡¹ Sasori never had the intention to do otherwise, but she still firmly reassured him. ¡¸Thanks. And before I forget, my wife is called Angelique, and my daughter Anne. I¡¯ll keep looking for any documents that might be of use to you so you can pick them up once they¡¯re safe.¡¹ ¡¸Angelique and Anne, got it. I promise we¡¯ll rescue them.¡¹ With Mira assuring him of that, Johann smiled in relief. That was the face of a resolute man, willing to do anything for his wife and daughter. Once that exchange wasplete, Mira and Sasori left the room and silently covered their tracks as they ran from the mansion. Chapter 120: Hebi’s Speciality (1) Chapter 120: Hebi¡¯s Speciality (1) Leaving the mansion undetected, Mira and Sasori quickly climbed up the roofs again and headed straight to the residential district, trying to get to their inn as soon as possible. They focused so much on getting there faster that sometimes their movement slipped through the effect of Complete Suppression, but they ignored that and hurried forward. Ten minutester they arrived at the inn, so they began paying more attention to staying inside Complete Suppression as they went to the room Sasori and Hebi had rented. ¡¸It¡¯s really silent here.¡¹ ¡¸Did we get here on time then?¡¹ Trying to figure out the situation of the room, Mira and Sasori ced their ears on the door. Johann had said the mask was being tracked, and that pursuers had probably been sent out already, but they could not sense anyone yet. ¡¸Maybe not.¡¹ Mira activated Life Sensing and noticed more readings than just Hebi and Mylene inside. That made another possibility more likely. They had arrived toote. The two girls nodded at each other preparing for the worst before opening the door in one go. Still under the effect of Complete Suppression, they ran into the room and surveyed the situation. ¡¸What happened here?¡¹ ¡¸I guess we were toote.¡¹ The two looked at the messy room while murmuring to each other. Nothing was really broken, but the room looked like twenty cats had gone crazy in there. The pursuers had already attacked before their return. They had returned as quickly as they could, but they were not on time. And as much as they werete, it was not much of an issue in the end. The floor was covered in a tattered carpet, two men in ck clothes tied up on top. Looking more closely at them, they looked like the guards around Johann¡¯s mansion. They were firmly tied with their mouths gagged. One of them seemed to be unconscious, not moving at all, while the other kept wriggling like a worm. Hebi was next to them, smiling coldly as she lined up some sort of tools on a table. ¡¸I guess I should have expected this oue.¡¹ Sasori grimaced looking at the two men on the ground and at Hebi¡¯s wicked smile. Apparently that scene was nothing surprising for her. ¡¸There was no need to worry after all.¡¹ Since they were poking so close to the Chimera¡¯s hive, Mira thought the pursuers would be rather high ranking members, but she was relieved to see they were grunts. Looking at Hebi, she also noticed that Hebi was still wearing the same tank top and hotpants from before. She definitely did not look like she had just fought the two intruders. On the other hand, Mylene was fully clothed, calmly sitting on one of the beds. Though for some reason her cheeks were flushed red. ¡¸Looks like you had a party while we were gone.¡¹ Undoing Complete Suppression, Mira spoke to them. Mylene let out a slight shriek hearing Mira, seeing her suddenly appear in front of her with Sasori and Worthramble. But Hebi remained calm, she had experienced that shock before so it did not affect her as much. Rather than being shocked like Mylene, she simply took to ring at Sasori. Then she gave a slight nod to Mira and put one of her bare feet on the neck of one of the pursuers, painting a rather sultry scene. ¡¸They tried sneaking in through the window. Give me a moment to make them talk.¡¹ Holding what could only be described as a torture tool in her hand, Hebi put more pressure on her feet as she shortly described what happened. That made the man groan loudly and shake his head violently. ¡¸The first one was well trained and didn¡¯t talk. I won¡¯t be as easy on the second one.¡¹ Hebi stared coldly at the man below her, who quickly froze up and looked back at her. He seemed to be trying to beg for something, though the gag made it impossible to tell what. ¡¸I think their objective was probably this here.¡¹ Usually seeing someone tortured was a painful sight, but Mira felt nothing for someone working with Chimera uzen. Still, she knew what their objective was, so she wanted to save Hebi the trouble. Mira picked up the suspicious mask that was still on top of one of the beds as she summarized the events in Johann¡¯s mansion. Mylene¡¯s mentor was involved with Chimera uzen, but that was only because his wife and daughter were being kept hostage, forcing him to help them. If his family was rescued, he had promised to help in any way he could. But before they could go find his family, he alerted them that Mylene¡¯s mask had a tracking device which would alert Chimera if she made any unusual moves, prompting the dispatch of pursuers. Mylene had remained silent so far, but eventually she raised her voice in shock. That was not because of the mask¡¯s tracking device, but in reaction to hearing about Johann¡¯s family. She had been told that Anne, her mentor¡¯s daughter, was studying abroad in Ozstein, and that his wife was too worried about her so she had also moved there to keep herpany. They had left while Mylene was buying materials in Sentopolly for Johann, so she had never been able to see them off. ¡¸If you had been in the mansion when that happened, you probably would¡¯ve been taken hostage too then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah¡­¡¹ Mylene agreed with a quivering voice to Sasori¡¯s theory. ¡¸Anyway, that¡¯s what we found out so we returned as quickly as we could, but it seems we didn¡¯t have to worry.¡¹ Mira casually threw the mask onto the bed before looking at the captured pursuers on the ground. ¡¸I see, so these two were trying to find her.¡¹ Hearing everything she needed to know, Hebi returned the torture tool to the table while the restrained man desperately nodded. But he quickly began wriggling around violently again, seeing Hebi reach for unreasonablyrge and darkened scissors. ¡¸I think you¡¯ve done enough, try taking it off.¡¹ Seeing the man wriggling in agony, Sasori spoke with a clear tone. In response, Hebi loudly snipped the scissors and nodded, turning a cold stare to the man. He froze for a short moment before he began shaking his head up and down like he was pleading for something. ¡¸Seems that way.¡¹ Seeing that, Hebi also agreed that he was under their full control as she reached down and took off his gag. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you everything I know! I¡¯ll give you everything I have! Please spare me-!¡¹ The man cried, sounding desperate and hurt, making Mira wonder just what had happened while she was absent. But before he could say anything more, Hebi put the gag back, telling him ¡¸Shut up, you¡¯re too loud¡¹ while snipping the scissors in front of his eyes. He looked at them in horror and nodded slowly. ¡¸I always thought she was the timid type, but this is a bit¡­¡¹ While Hebi¡¯s regal attitude in thin clothes excited her, Mira was also shocked at how different she appeared now. ¡¸Believe it or not, back in the day she used to be terrible at interrogations¡­¡¹ Chapter 120: Hebi’s Speciality (2) Chapter 120: Hebi¡¯s Speciality (2) Sasori said that before telling a story. When she first met Hebi, she behaved just as inly as she looked. But rather than being aloof or unsociable, she was good at listening and grasping undertones. She seemed to have a special talent for it. During their missions, Hebi was incapable of interrogating anyone, so she always relied on a specialist to do it for her. That specialist would always point out a lot of issues Hebi had, which Sasori recalled with a distant look in her eyes and a smile. That prompted Hebi to learn more about the topic, and eventually get acquainted with the interrogation methods she employed now. (Somehow it looks more like a deviant hobby than interrogation methods, but maybe it¡¯s just my imagination¡­) During Sasori¡¯s story, Mira nced at Hebi stepping on the man, who kept vowing his endless loyalty to Hebi with a glint in his eyes. ¡¸He¡¯s definitely a pervert,¡¹ she murmured to herself. ording to Sasori, every time Hebi had two prisoners, she would gag them and make an example of one of them. All her torture tools on the table were just for show, never actually using them on a prisoner. Still, she would make one of the prisoners scream loudly before making them pass out with drugs. Throughout the story Sasori firmly refused to exin exactly how Hebi would make the prisoner scream though, only saying that Hebi was incredibly skilled while her cheeks reddened. ¡¸I think we should go to a better ce first though.¡¹ When Sasori was done telling Hebi¡¯s tale, the pursuer had also finished making his deration of vitude for Hebi, so Mira suggested that in an attempt to change the atmosphere filling the room. Their worry of pursuers had been needless, producing two sources of valuable information instead. Ideally they would get all the information possible from them first, but the enemy already knew of their current position, so it was preferable if they went to a safe ce before reinforcements arrived. ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s better do that. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot they can tell us.¡¹ Saying that, Sasori turned to look at the other captured man lying still, the corner of her lips twitching as she took a step back. ¡¸I¡¯ll take them to the King¡¯s Hidden Pce then. You should go rescue his family.¡¹ Not wasting her words, Hebi quickly formed a humanoid golem with necromancy, which picked up the sleeping man and stuffed him into its mouth. The other man, who was still awake, watched in terror. ¡¸It¡¯s just a means of transport, calm down.¡¹ Hebi exined, to which the man replied by standing up right and eximing, ¡¸I¡¯ll stay calm then!¡¹ He had truly submitted to Hebi. Once the second man vanished inside the Golem¡¯s mouth, ¡¸Inside or outside?¡¹ The golem followed Hebi as she walked up to Mylene and asked that. Like always, she did not waste a single word, though in this case there was so little context Mylene struggled toprehend what she meant. In the end, she seemed to get the wrong idea as a soft blush spread on her cheeks as she replied. ¡¸O-outside! Please¡­¡¹ Her response was loud at first, but trailed off in the end. Hebi nodded and gave the order to the golem, who picked up Mylene and carried her up, then Hebi picked up her bag and climbed up the golem¡¯s back. ¡¸Ah, this is what you meant, outside¡­¡¹ Understanding Hebi meant whether Mylene wanted to travel inside or outside the golem, her face began boiling with embarrassment as she curled up in the golem¡¯s arms. ¡¸I¡¯ll take care of them.¡¹ ¡¸Good luck.¡¹ Seeing Hebi was ready to go, Mira looked at them onest time. Hebi replied with a nod before casually jumping out through the window. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s go rescue Johann¡¯s family now!¡¹ Once Hebi was gone, Sasori quickly gathered her things too before jumping on the windowsill. Mira just stared at her back though. ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t we try to tidy up the room first?¡¹ The room belonged to an inn, so they could not simply leave it messy. Mira could not allow herself to flee without fixing it up at least a bit. ¡¸¡­Yeah, you have a point.¡¹ Hesitating for a bit, Sasori lowered her shoulders and agreed with Mira. She had tried to use the rush of things as an excuse to forget about the room. Since the location of that inn was alreadypromised, it was hard to think they would ever return there. In that sense it was faster if they simply left, leaving cleaning up to the staff of the inn. Chimera was at fault for attacking them in the first ce after all. Though there was no way for the inn to know that, and they would be annoyed regardless. Once Mira brought it up, Sasori had no way of ignoring it anymore, so she knew just what to do, heading straight to the front desk. Mira activated Life Sensing onest time to make sure no other pursuers were nearby, then followed after Sasori. In the inn¡¯s entrance, Mira saw some of the inn¡¯s staff looking confused, Sasori constantly bowing in front of them like a praying monk. Mira pretended not to know her, watching silently from afar. If they waited for the inn to evaluate the damages to the room, they could end up spending too much time there, giving Chimera¡¯s pursuers more time to arrive. Mira could easily thwart their efforts with Complete Suppression, but just being seen by them could harm their mission, so moving quickly was a priority. That prompted Sasori to stop the inn from checking the room, instead paying with her own pocket money for a full renovation of the room. ¡¸Well, don¡¯t sweat it now. I¡¯m sure you can get it backter by filing it as work expenses. I¡¯ll vouch for you too.¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­ thanks.¡¹ Mira ced her hand on Sasori¡¯s dejected back, gentlyforting her for the loss of her money. At the same time she was impressed with Hebi¡¯s ability to leave so easily, even though she was the main reason the room had gotten ruined. ¡¸By the way, what¡¯s the King¡¯s Hidden Pce?¡¹ As they crossed the always-awake business district, heading back to the warehouse facility, Mira asked Sasori. Hebi had said she would take the two pursuers there. She spoke of it like amon location, so at the time Mira did not think much of it, but now she realized she had no clue where that was. ¡¸Ahh, umm, remember Patronager S? He mentioned a trading corporation too, we spoke with them and it seems they arranged a lot of things behind the scenes, including an underground hideout we call the King¡¯s Hidden Pce.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that does sound like a good ce for an interrogation.¡¹ The Eabates Trading Corporation, a directpetitor of Melville¡¯s, which also put them against Chimera uzen. Given that position, it was hard to imagine Chimera would approach them so easily. While Mira could not understand why Solomon would approve of a code name like the King¡¯s Hidden Pce, she was grateful he was supporting them like that. Chapter 121: The Warehouse Facility, Again (1) Chapter 121: The Warehouse Facility, Again (1) Having paid for the restoration of the inn¡¯s room, Mira and Sasori crossed the bustling city and went back to the warehouse facility. Like before, they employed Complete Suppression to cross undetected through the magic sensing rms, entering without much issue. But then¡­ ¡¸Umm, Mira. I¡¯m not sure how to say this best, but I don¡¯t have much strength left to keep moving.¡¹ When Mira was feeling the most confident about being able to break through any defense system with Complete Suppression, Worthramble suddenly pulled her down from her high horse. ¡¸What did you say?!¡¹ Mira was bewildered hearing that, loudly voicing her shock. Worthramble apologized profusely as he exined exactly what happened. Complete Suppression was not exactly a skill like most, being closer to a loophole in the world¡¯s rules that hid their presence onmand. Given its unique nature, coupled with Mira¡¯s contract being recent, Complete Suppression¡¯s usage was severely limited. Even with Mira¡¯s mana it would take a considerable time for Worthramble to fully recover. Depending on how much it was used in the future, as well as how their contract developed it could potentially be usable for longer while taking less time to recover, but in their current state they would soon need to take some time off. Whether it was concealing sound, sight, or magic, each had a separate burden on Mira¡¯s mana as well. Worthramble also suggested keeping a small reserve of mana safe in case they needed an urgent escape. ¡¸Hmm¡­ we really should hurry then.¡¹ Complete Suppression, a way of concealing the five senses as well as any magical signatures or presence. Its power was borderline unfair to use, but it was not something Mira could use willy-nilly every day. At least they should still have enough time to rescue Johann¡¯s family. Knowing her time was limited, Mira tried to run faster through the warehouses. Some timeter they reached the section under heavy guard where the entrance to the Graveyard of War Memorials was hidden. There Mira¡¯s sense of direction began to fail her, so Sasori took the lead. They crossed past a couple warehouses before Sasori stopped in front of one without hesitation. Looking through the window they could see that infantile underwear hung to dry, so they were in the right ce. Mira activated Life sensing and confirmed there was an adult and a child inside, seemingly asleep and not moving, which made sense considering it was still night. ¡¸This ce looks as suspicious as ever.¡¹ Mira muttered as she looked through the window. Still, there was no concrete proof this was the ce they were looking for. Chimera uzen was twisted enough to take hostages and force someone to work, that much was clear, but there was also the possibility that they were keeping different hostages there which were not Johann¡¯s family. But there was little they could do to verify that, and they only had one course of action now. The two girls approached the door, it was locked. After looking around to make sure no patrols were nearby, Sasori began picking the lock. Complete Suppression had not worn off yet, but Sasori had been trained to always be watchful in those situations. ¡¸Hrngh¡­ it¡¯s not as borate as the other one, but it¡¯s still a tricky lock.¡¹ Sasori muttered while ncing at the warehouse housing the entrance to the ruins. That warehouse was protected with a lock one would usually see in a king¡¯s treasury and almost impossible to bypass. This one was less extreme, but still a tough one to crack. But that did not deter Sasori, she happily took the challenge and opened the box Johann had given her. A lockpicking tool made by his alchemist father was inside. She had been excited to try it out, so she quickly took the metallic rod out and read through the manual under the dim streetmps. ¡¸Alright, I can do this!¡¹ Around a minuteter Sasori was done reading, so she folded the manual and returned it with the box to her bag. Next she rxed and slid the rod inside the keyhole, silently keeping it there without moving, only sharpening her senses to their limit. The ck rod seemed to split into many branches which began to trace the mechanisms of the lock, signaling its construction to Sasori through the handle. Usually decoding a key like that requires many specialized tools and a lot of patience. There were many parts to memorize from a lock, all of which had to be found one after another, while also watching out for false sets and dummy pins. But the alchemist¡¯s lockpick would gather all that information at once. Someone without experience would be unable to understand any of it, while overwhelming those with some knowledge. But Sasori was different. She knew how to process all that information. A few seconds passed inplete silence before Sasori took a deep breath and turned around. ¡¸Piece of cake¡¹ she said with a grin. Looking at the door again, Mira noticed it had started to open. ¡¸Nice work.¡¹ Once Mira praised her, Sasori looked at the other important warehouse. ¡¸I feel like I could open that one too now!¡¹ she said with a proud smile. The inside of the building was arranged like a studio apartment. The only light there came through the window, so it was hard to see anything, but it was enough to tell the ce was perfectly furnished for someone to live there. It was like the best ce for a recluse. In one of the corners of the room, away from the window, were the beds on which the inhabitants of the roomy. ¡¸Alright, disable Complete Suppression for now, but keep the room silent.¡¹ Mira double checked the door was closed behind her and gave new orders to Worthramble, trying to extend the time he could help them. Isting only noise was easy enough for a spirit of stillness like him and could be done for a long time. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll change the effect.¡¹ A momentter Worthramble signaled it had been done. There was no visible change, but Mira knew she could trust his word, as weird of a powerset as he possessed. Knowing it was safe to move again, Mira and Sasori slowly approached the beds. They still had to verify they had found the right people. But then something happened. ¡¸!!¡¹ A dull but deep thump broke the silence in the room, followed by Mira firmly grasping her shin and jumping on one foot. In the darkness she had identally kicked a low table that hid in the shadows. Sasori silentlymended Mira for managing to stay silent, even though her eyes were brimming with tears. Once she had recovered, they went to the beds, where they saw what they had hoped for. A young child and a woman who did not look even thirty. (Hmm, I can¡¯t see too clearly¡­) Chapter 121: The Warehouse Facility, Again (2) Chapter 121: The Warehouse Facility, Again (2) Mira peered on their faces, but it was too dark to make anything certain out, making it impossible to Examine their names. Asking them directly was the next best thing. Even if they were not Johann¡¯s wife and daughter, they were still Chimera uzen¡¯s hostages and could give a lead to other people being forced to help them. And in the off-chance they were actually members of Chimera uzen, they could still provide valuable information. Mira nced towards Sasori to make sure they were on the same page, and once Sasori nodded she gently rocked the woman¡¯s shoulder. Mira moved her body once, two, and three times, then by the fourth the woman finally began opening her eyes. ¡¸Mmm¡­ Anne? What happened?¡¹ She muttered half asleep, looking at the bed next to hers and seeing her daughter fast asleep. Cocking her head in confusion, having thought the child had woken her up, the woman eventually decided she had just dreamed it. ¡¸Over here.¡¹ The woman had started patting her daughter¡¯s head when Mira spoke to her as gently as possible to not startle her. But considering the situation there was only one possible oue, as soon as she heard Mira¡¯s voice, the woman tensed up and her back twitched in fright. ¡¸Huh..?¡¹ Afraid and hesitating, the woman slowly turned around until she could see Mira. The dim light entering the room reflected on Mira¡¯s hair, making it shine like silver threads, while her white translucent skin captured the rest of the light, looking like the ephemeral image of a beautiful girl floating in the darkness. The way she looked under that light was just like the manifestation of an angel. That sight left the woman breathless, even though she was in such a confusing situation. But thatsted only for a short while, as the woman quickly noticed Sasori¡¯s cat eyes glowing in the darkness behind Mira. ¡¸Nghuh!¡¹ As her eyes began to wide and her mouth opened, Mira instantly put her hand to the woman¡¯s mouth to silence her. Worthramble was keeping the room quiet, but it was faster to keep her quiet and exin everything to her calmly. ¡¸Are you Angelique? Johann¡¯s wife?¡¹ Mira looked straight into her eyes while checking if she was the person they were looking for. They had already heard her call the girl Anne, which matched one of the names provided by Johann. And just as they thought, the woman nodded affirming their hunch. ¡¸Your husband asked us to rescue you. We¡¯re not your enemies.¡¹ Mira exined trying to not startle her too much, to which Angelique replied with another nod and Mira slowly pulled her hand away. ¡¸Umm¡­ is my husband safe?¡¹ Mira took a step behind as Angelique spoke at the brink of tears, her trembling hand clinging onto Mira¡¯s shoulder as if trying to find something to support herself on. ¡¸Yes, nothing bad happened to him. You can rest easy.¡¹ Mira spoke with a gentle voice, like she wasforting a child, and softly petted Angelique¡¯s head. Angelique managed to calm down shortly after and they were able to converse about many things. She had been told very little of her current situation, not knowing why she was really there. They had told her one of Johann¡¯s experiments had failed and that it might have adverse effects on her and her daughter, so they had to quarantine them there. They were held there for almost five years now. In response, Mira exined in broad terms exactly what had happened. How a criminal organization known as Chimera uzen had joined hands with the Melville Trading Corporation, and that Johann¡¯s father had developed something important for them. But when Johann¡¯s father passed away, he read through his father¡¯s notes and learned what he had researched. Once he knew his father had been producing a material that greatly harmed spirits, he refused to work on it. With his father gone, however, he was the only person who knew how to produce the material, so they used underhanded tactics to force him into working for them. As a result, Angelique and Anne were taken hostage while Johann was forced to constantly make more of the material. ¡¸That was the story he told us himself. We decided to trust him and came here to rescue you.¡¹ Mira took a step back after exining everything, only adding, ¡¸You don¡¯t have to worry now,¡¹ with a prideful look. Mira was smiling brightly, looking oddly confident in herself, if a bit arrogant. Seeing her, Angelique once again felt like she was in front of an angel, which made her feel at ease. ¡¸Mommy, what¡¯s going onn?¡¹ While the two bonded, Anne also woke up. Slowly sitting on her bed, she eventually noticed Mira too. It could get messy if she began making noise, but Mira also hated the idea of covering a child¡¯s mouth. Not knowing what to do, Mira decided to simply force a corporate smile and appear natural. ¡¸Too stiff.¡¹ Anne was still half asleep, only ncing at Mira for a second before she rolled over into Angelique¡¯s arms and returned to dreand. ¡¸Alright¡­ time to escape.¡¹ Mira had a hard time forcing a smile onmand like that, and Anne¡¯s blunt review bore a hole through her heart, but she forced herself to recover while nning their next moves. First she exined Worthramble¡¯s powers in broad terms. What Complete Suppression did and its effects, as well as things that would break the concealment. When Mira reached thatst part, Sasori kept averting her gaze. The n was simple, first they would use Complete Suppression to get out of the warehouse facility, then they would go to Johann in the mansion, get him out, and transport the entire family to a shelter where they could stay until things blew over. ¡¸It¡¯s a pretty sticky situation, so you¡¯ll have to bear living secretly for a while longer before things go back to normal. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ Angelique had been sheltered there for many years already, and now she was being taken to another hideout. It was a harsh fate for them, but for Mira and the Fifty Bells that would be enough to cripple Chimera uzen, so they had to do it. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. It would¡¯ve been far easier to get rid of us and still gain an advantage, so I¡¯m thankful you chose to rescue us instead.¡¹ If all they wanted was to stop Chimera uzen, Mira and Sasori could have taken Johann while ignoring his family. But they chose not to, so Angelique was thankful from the bottom of her heart as she bowed to them. Chapter 122: Escape from the Warehouses (1) Chapter 122: Escape from the Warehouses (1) Mira and Sasori found Angelique and Anne, Johann¡¯s wife and daughter, in one of the warehouses. They were now gathering their important belongings as quickly as possible. But it was still dark inside the building, and Mira had already hit herself in many more ces than just her shins, so now she simply watched the others work while holding back tears. When they were done Mira took the luggage from Sasori and Angelique and stashed it in her Item Box. ¡¸Your bracelet sure has arge capacity. I¡¯ve already filled mine up and can¡¯t use it for almost anything now.¡¹ Seeing Mira stash away such arge quantity of items, Sasori muttered jealous. The Operator¡¯s Bracelet which had amon Item Box was a valuable item only given by the Union to high ranking adventurers. ¡¸Just rank up then. With your skills I¡¯m sure you can easily get to rank B or A.¡¹ Sasori was already more skilled than most high level adventurers, and the Operator¡¯s Bracelet was upgraded the higher rank one achieved, so Mira figured Sasori could easily get more storage space simply by ranking up. ¡¸I would if I had enough free time, but I¡¯ve been too busy with missions as ofte.¡¹ All adventurers started at rank G, then depending on the amount of requestspleted and their difficulty they would slowly rise up thedder. Usually it would take one at least three years to reach rank C or B, except for very particr cases. While Sasori was very proficient, she did not have any particrly unique strengths of her own, and she was too busy working for the Fifty Bells to put in the time to rank up. Sasori sighed after exining that, as if holding back aint. ¡¸Sounds like you are having a rough time then. I¡¯ll put in a word with Uzume for you then, she has to know you¡¯re being overworked.¡¹ Mira smiled teasingly as she said that while storing thest bag. ¡¸Please forget I said anythinggg!¡¹ Sasori eximed in distress as her face twitched in terror. At least now they were ready to move out without much hassle. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going then. We¡¯re only hidden in a small radius, so try to not get too far apart.¡¹ Having activated Complete Suppression again, Mira warned them as they went out. There were dim streetmps scattered through the facility, guards patrolling amongst them at a leisurely pace. One of the guards took a turn near them, themp hanging from his hip illuminating the group¡¯s faces and making Angelique shriek. ¡¸Calm down, the area might not be big, but its effect is thorough.¡¹ As Angelique covered her trembling mouth, Mira spoke gently trying to calm her down. A momentter they watched how the guard walked past them without noticing a thing. Mira had exined what Complete Suppression did, but Angelique was still surprised seeing it in action, looking at the guard passing by in disbelief. After that Sasori took the lead, as she remembered the way back the best, and they traversed through the warehouses. Anne was sleeping soundly on Worthramble¡¯s back. Sasori had made her smell a weak somnifer so she would not wake up and get scared, and she would only wake upter in the morning. ¡¸Incredible¡­¡¹ Angelique muttered as she looked back at all the guards they had passed by. ¡¸I know, it almost feels unfair,¡¹ added Sasori with a grimace. ¡¸Now you see, this is the might of summoners!¡¹ Mira grinned proudly as she rejoiced in the praise. ¡¸I had never heard of spirits of stillness before, but I knew spirits were powerful beings.¡¹ Angelique smiled softly seeing Mira¡¯s reaction, then spoke as she watched Worthramble carefully carrying Anne on his back like she was his own daughter. Mira looked displeased, no one acknowledging it was her who had summoned the spirit. On the other hand, Worthramble also looked a bit sour, being reminded just how little known his spirit lineage was. Angelique seemed oblivious to the effect of her words, while Sasori pretended not to notice Mira and Worthramble¡¯s reaction, simply walking ahead silently trying to not get involved. They were getting close to the exit now, but they noticed many lights gathering there. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Sasori wondered seeing the tumult happening near the exit. They were too far away to tell exactly what was going on, but after walking a few steps closer they could see more clearly. Guards were leaving their posts and gathering there, with five currently there. A momentter the group of guards began moving together, heading where Mira and the rest stood. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what happened, but we should try keeping our distance.¡¹ Saying that, Sasori pulled everyone to one side of the street and waited for the guards to pass by. (Hm? He¡¯s¡­) Mira noticed one person was walking ahead leading the guards, so she instinctively Examined his face. His name was Isaac Meyer. He was a magician with long ck hair and wore a robe. His face was very handsome with sharp eyes like an eagle¡¯s, but Mira scowled, finding that look disgusting. ¡¸Did they notice us?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know. We should probably hurry though.¡¹ It was stillte at night, but a group of guards had mobilized seemingly for no reason. Seeing that, Mira and the rest decided to hurry up and escape Melville¡¯s territory as quickly as possible. Outside, they hurried to an alley where Complete Suppression was deactivated given Worthramble was near his limit, changed the effect to a simple optical camouge, and they headed towards Johann¡¯s mansion. They spent many minutes going through the city, being mindful of Angelique. Once they reached the mansion, they crossed the unlocked front gates and walked towards the building while trying to not make any noise. ¡¸Mira¡­¡¹ They were only camouged visually so any sound they made was still audible, but noticing something odd Sasori still took a chance and called out to Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ve noticed, the guards are gone.¡¹ Chapter 122: Escape from the Warehouses (2) Chapter 122: Escape from the Warehouses (2) Mira had also noticed the difference. She surveyed the area with Life Sensing as much as she could, but there was no trace of the guards they saw when they came the first time. It was the same even when they reached the building, there was not even a shadow. It was a really odd situation, the guards were supposed to be watching Johann, but they werepletely gone. As carefully as possible, they opened the front door and entered the mansion. The entrance still looked the same, shrouded in an eerie darkness. ¡¸I don¡¯t understand. Even Johann¡¯s presence is gone.¡¹ Mira activated Life Sensing again, checking every corner of the building she could, and then frowned while rubbing her chin. ¡¸Hmm, he said he would gather documents to give us, yes?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s what he said, yeah. Do you think he had more things elsewhere and that he went to pick it up?¡¹ Remembering hisst words, Sasori mentioned the possibility that they had returned too quickly. If the documents he wanted were in a different ce, then Johann would try going there, and the guards would follow him to fulfill their duties. It was not too far-fetched to think that. ¡¸Umm¡­ my husband mentioned documents you say?¡¹ As Mira and Sasori convinced themselves of their theory, Angelique spoke up. ¡¸Yeah, documents detailing his deals with the Melville Trading Corporation. He said he would give that to us if we rescued you and your daughter.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I¡¯m pretty sure he keeps all his important documents in the basement, he has this magical shelf where he stores anything important.¡¹ Hearing Sasori¡¯s response, Angelique tilted her head slightly as she recalled her husband¡¯s mannerisms, then looked towards a corner of the entrance. It was too dark to see anything there, but ording to her there was a passage underground there. Rather than going to a separate building, Johann had probably gone underground. A basement also had very sturdy walls, which would exin why Life Sensing was unable to read him down there. The only issue was that now they had no way of exining the disappearance of the guards. ¡¸Maybe we should go look.¡¹ It was best to check everything before forming conclusions. Thinking that, Mira went closer to Sasori and grasped her tail, wanting her to guide them. ¡¸Miraaa, please stop touching my tail.¡¹ With a grievous cry, Sasori pped Mira¡¯s hand off before holding it with her hand, and walked towards the stairs leading down. Angelique followed them after holding onto Worthramble¡¯s hand. Luckily for them, there were small lights next to the stairs, clearly outlining the steps to make sure they would not fall. ¡¸Seems like Johann dide down here.¡¹ There was a switch to turn the lights on which was flipped, probably by Johann when he went down there. But as they descended the stairs Mira still could not find any Life Sensing readings. ¡¸It¡¯s all very odd,¡¹ she added, ring into the darkness. ¡¸There are traces though, so someone must have been here recently.¡¹ Focusing all her senses, Sasori also examined the ce, reaching a simr conclusion as Mira. Going downstairs had been the correct choice, but Johann was not there either. If he went for the documents, then he would have taken them out and waited for Sasori and Mira to return. But there was no sign of him upstairs, so he should still be down there, though his presence was gone. It was impossible to imagine he would have tried to escape without making sure his family was safe first. Everything was starting to indicate that something went wrong, so Mira and Sasori continued going downstairs. They found a door at the end of the stairs, a room with stone walls inside. Amp hung from the ceiling casting some light and revealing a messy scene. Many shelves were thrown over and papers Johann was presumably gathering were scattered on the floor. But there were little traces of actual destruction. ¡¸It seems something happened here¡­¡¹ That was obviously not a mess that happened normally, so Mira frowned while trying to keep her thoughts from assuming the worst. But at least they knew someone had disarranged the basement on purpose. ¡¸Mira, look at this.¡¹ Sasori quickly looked through the room, then leaned down while pointing at a bloodstain under some papers in a corner of the room. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s still fresh¡¹ Mira looked where Sasori was leaning down, muttering that in a low voice. The blood had not dried yet, and they could see it had stained some of the papers too. They had no way of knowing whose blood that was for sure, but their first thought was obviously Johann. He was the main piece missing in the mansion. The issue was how it ended that way. That he was attacked there meant that somehow Chimera had gotten wind of his treason, so they attacked him while he was trying to gather the documents. It was also easy to imagine one of the guards had done it. Still, there was the issue of how they had found out. Mira and Sasori had been under the effect of Complete Suppression for their entire stay with Johann. There was no way they had been overheard through that unfair power. But that did not change reality. Johann was gone, and there was a bloodstain on the basement that could be his. ¡¸Could that¡­be¡­ Johann¡¯s?¡¹ As the two girls observed the bloodstain, Angelique timidly approached them, her face contorted in fear, before copsing on the ground amongst the papers once she saw the blood. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it might look bad, but it wasn¡¯t a lot of blood. Not to mention his skills are essential for them, so they would never put his life in danger.¡¹ Mira put her hand on Angelique¡¯s shoulder, forcing her to look into her eyes as she spoke with a firm voice. ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s like Mira said. I promise we¡¯ll rescue him like we did with you and Anne.¡¹ Sasori smiled broadly trying to make her feel at ease. She was not just trying tofort her, but truly believed her own words. ¡¸Thank you very much. I¡¯ll do anything you ask of me, so please save my husband.¡¹ Beingforted by two girls far younger than her, Angeliqueposed herself and forced a smile before bowing to the two. Chapter 123: Towards Eabates’ (1) Chapter 123: Towards Eabates¡¯ (1) Having found what looked like traces of Johann¡¯s blood in the mansion¡¯s basement, the group decided to collectively gather all the scattered papers. Once they checked all of them, they reached the conclusion that all the documents tying Melville to Chimera uzen had been taken. ¡¸I guess this really means they knew what we wanted to do.¡¹ ¡¸But how? We were able to evade even state-of-the-art magic detection rms, so any other tool would have been unable to see us either, and we concealed all our conversations as well.¡¹ While Mira looked discouraged at the pile of papers in front of them, Sasori¡¯s eyes were on Worthramble as she tried to figure out where they had slipped. Worthramble¡¯s powers as a spirit of stillness were incredible. When talking and negotiating with Johann they had been very careful as well, being sure he was inside of Complete Suppression¡¯s area of effect first before making contact. It was hard to believe that conversation had been heard by others. It was possible Johann had chosen to betray them, reporting their n to Chimera, but Angelique and Anne were being held like he had said, giving credibility to his word and making such a possibility unlikely. Even then, Johann and the documents were gone now. ¡¸Let¡¯s check the rest of the mansion first. We might find more clues.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I guess that¡¯s a good starting ce.¡¹ It was hard to imagine they would find much, but it was better than standing there doing nothing, so the group went back up to the mansion. Johann and the guards were all gone, so there was nothing stopping them from using Concept Magic to conjure a light and search the ce more easily. Yet they found nothing, while Angelique looked at some of the furnishings with a nostalgic look. They went to the second floor next, heading towards the research room where they first met Johann. At first nce everything looked the same as when they left earlier. He had probably headed straight to the basement after their conversation, where he had so mysteriously vanished. Closer inspection of the room was fruitless as well. The search concluded, only Angelique looked at the shelves, full of familiar memories, while tearing up. Next to her Mira took the sheep plush toy and began squeezing it in her hands. Items like that were a prime target to conceal some sort of spying item. In the end, even that produced nothing and the toy was untampered. Mira and Sasori left the research room and headed to search the other room on the mansion¡¯s second floor. But they both froze up in the corridor before they could enter it. The first time they were there, they had seen aplete suit of armor standing eerily under the moonlight at the end of the corridor, but for whatever reason it was gone now. ¡¸What happened to the¡­armor? Do you think that maybe the armor¡­came alive and took¡­Johann¡­¡¹ Sasori¡¯s cheek seemed to cramp as she forced a smile, turning towards Mira with a staggered motion like broken clockwork. Seeing the armor was a somewhat scary memory engraved in her mind, and now her tail stood upright from fear as she perked her senses, ready to react to anything that happened around her. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s hard to say¡­ All we really know is that it must have gone somewhere.¡¹ Mira leaned down as she spoke, closely examining the ce where the armor stood before. There was some dust that had collected over time there, except for two spots shaped like the soles of shoes. ¡¸Did you say there was a suit of armor ced here?¡¹ Angelique also stooped over Mira as she asked that question. Apparently there had never been a suit of armor in the mansion while Angelique and Anne lived there. In other words, Johann had only obtained it after his family had been taken hostage. ¡¸Maybe there was something inside the armor then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, probably. They already have masks that can track someone, so some spell or device to spy on others would also be possible.¡¹ There was plenty of space inside a suit of armor to stuff something like that in. If done properly, something like that could give anyone ess to direct surveince at all times. In hindsight, Mira and Sasori needed to be more careful of its interior than its outward appearance. Mira and Sasori frowned, realizing the existence of an unexpected watcher, and quickly finished searching the remaining ces. While Johann¡¯s disappearance was unexpected, their next priority was to keep Angelique and Anne safe, so they used their remaining time of Complete Suppression to go to the King¡¯s Hidden Pce. Not seen by anyone or tailed, Mira and her group reached the main offices of the Eabates Trading Corporation. A magnificent four storey building made of stone and wood. It was located next to themercial district so the streets were still full of life, but the store itself had already closed so the only people standing near it were drunk and unconscious. From what they could see, the same applied to most other stores except for those selling drinks. The plot ofnd owned by Eabates was ratherrge, with red brick walls extending for about three hundred meters on each side of the main building and surrounding it. Sasori led them around those walls, entering a small alley behind the building and the walls. There were tall walls on both sides of the alleys, and hidden under their shadows they found a small rear entrance. ¡¸We don¡¯t know where there are eyes looking for you, so I hope you two don¡¯t mind hiding for now.¡¹ ¡¸And they shouldn¡¯t know what we¡¯ve done with you either, so there¡¯ll be little chance a pursuer will find you.¡¹ The less people knew where Angelique and Anne had been taken, the easier it was to stop information from leaking. So if they remained hidden without anyone seeing them on the way there, they should be safe. Once Angelique agreed, Mira and Sasori stepped out of Complete Suppression¡¯s effect. Sasori then knocked on the door, keeping something resembling a medal visible as she greeted the watchman who opened the door. That medal seemed to be some kind of pass, since the watchman held the door open for the girls to pass while greeting them politely. They waited a bit to let Worthramble and the refugees go in first, then Mira and Sasori entered through the door. The watchman stared dumbfounded at Mira¡¯s sleek silver hair flowing behind her, but no one noticed his gaze. There were lights at even spaces inside the premises, illuminating the stone floor and surroundings. It looked like there was a small city inside the walls, streets wide enough for people and carriages to pass through, with small and simple houses on each side which looked lived in even hidden under the veil of night. ording to Sasori, thepany¡¯s workers lived in most of them, so it was something akin to a dormitory for them. There was even a building resembling a restaurant inside there. Its prices were really cheap, but the food was of high quality. It was only open to employees though, so again, it was something like a staff cafeteria. Chapter 123: Towards Eabates’ (2) Chapter 123: Towards Eabates¡¯ (2) Most of the buildings looked the same, but there were two which were prominently different, even at night. One of them was a medicine and tools store. The other one was slightly bigger, built entirely out of sturdy stone. That was where Sasori was headed. That building held both a warehouse and offices, and the interior design was rather simple. There was no grandiose entrance hall, instead there was a front desk right next to the main door. Past them was a set of stairs leading up, and there were other corridors going to the sides as well, lined with doors to each office. The lights were still on, even though it was sote at night, and some workers were still there. ¡¸Good evening, Lenoce.¡¹ Sasori greeted the receptionist behind the front desk, a pragmatic-looking man, even though there were obvious signs of sleepiness on him. ¡¸Wee back,dy Sasori!¡¹ However, it seemed his sleepiness had been caused by boredom, as he quickly rose to his feet and greeted Sasori with an enthusiastic voice, his eyes then going to Mira. ¡¸We¡¯ll use the room for a bit again. Also, this is Mira, one of our friends.¡¹ First Sasori showed her medal, then briefly introduced Mira. ¡¸I¡¯ll assume that means there¡¯s progress fighting that great evil then, how wonderful! But ah, regtions are regtions, so may I check your identification first?¡¹ His exalted voice changed in an instant, demonstrating a feat of self-control to sound calm as he asked with an apologetic look. Figuring her adventurer¡¯s certificate would suffice, Mira took out her cutesy card case and took it out before showing it. ¡¸Oh my, you¡¯re rank C already? You¡¯re still in the prime of your youth, but how wonderful to see you¡¯re a skilled fighter as well. Anyone trying to stand up against evil is truly built differently!¡¹ He looked very enthusiastic as he stood up and half-forcefully took Mira¡¯s hand and shook it, and said ¡¸I¡¯ll always be cheering you on¡¹ with a bright smile. ¡¸I just think fighting evil is the normal thing to do.¡¹ Mira was feeling slightly troubled by Lenoce¡¯s pushiness, but she was more than d to hear his praises and her usual prideful self took over. After shaking hands for a while, Lenoce looked satisfied and let go. When Mira looked at her hand, she noticed a medal simr to Sasori¡¯s on it. ¡¸That¡¯s your entry pass to the Eabates Trading Corporation buildings, please be mindful not to lose it. Though even if you were to lose it and someone else found it, it¡¯ll be of little use as it has a concept spell tying it to you.¡¹ Lenoce spoke in a carefree manner as he jotted down Mira¡¯s name on a registry book on the desk. He had tied the medal¡¯s concept spell to Mira while they were shaking hands. ¡¸That sounds useful.¡¹ Mira decided to test it a bit and handed the medal to Sasori, and as soon as she touched it the medal changed from a silvery look to a bright red. When Mira took it back, it turned back to silver. This was yet another advancement in Concept Magic that had impressed Mira since her arrival in this world. The secret ce granted to Sasori and Hebi was below that building, which was a ce meant to be an emergency shelter. Once the paperwork was done, Sasori led them up the stairs and into a corridor. While they walked, Sasori spoke more about Lenoce. Hisst name was Eabates, and he was the grandson of the corporation¡¯s current chairman. He had always admired heroes, like the Three Divine Generals that fought in the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, the Eighteen Nameless Captains from Antis, the Twenty Apostles of the Empire of Nirvana, and the Nine Wisemen of Arkite too. Now Chimera uzen had appeared, a group set on harming the spirits who had always helped humanity, and Lenoce believed that Sasori and everyone else who stood up to valiantly fight against them would also be known as heroes in the future, so he was more than happy to interact with them. Hearing the name of the Nine Wisemen in the same sentence as all those other distinguished names gave Mira a nice feeling, but when she looked to the side and saw a beautiful girl in her reflection,pletely different from how she looked before, she could not help but sigh at her helpless situation. They kept conversing and walking through the building, and after climbing another set of stairs they were now on the third floor. There Mira noticed something and asked with a puzzled voice. ¡¸Why are we on the third floor? I thought you said the ce was underground?¡¹ Sasori still walked ahead, moving through the corridor and passing by employees every so often. ¡¸It is underground, but the way to get there is a bit unique. The only way of entering is through an isted staircase on the third floor, it¡¯s quite concealed. Getting there might be a chore, but at least that makes it all the more secure.¡¹ ¡¸I see, that does sound like a secure ce.¡¹ Mira nodded in understanding while looking around her, wondering about the history of the building. Eventually they reached the stairs and began descending. The building was made entirely of stone, which had a warm feeling to it, and the interior design was thoughtfully designed. Currently Melville was next in line to rule over the country, but that was only because of Chimera uzen¡¯s support from the shadows, as well as rather inhumane methods. From what Mira had seen, Eabates was clearly more suitable for that seat. Once they reached the end of the stairs on the first floor, they were stopped by a door. Walking through it they entered a room with many shelves packed with Magic Wares and chemicals. It was hard to understand what was going on at first nce, but then Sasori exined that it was a storeroom for failed prototypes. The room had a simr feeling to sneaking into a school¡¯s science ss storeroom at night. Angelique felt especially uneasy, getting closer to Worthramble who was carrying Anne. The shelves seemed to form a maze they slowly waded through, and when they got closer to the center of the room Sasori walked up to a particr shelf, inviting Mira to get closer. ¡¸Watch carefully Mira.¡¹ Once Mira was standing next to her, Sasori opened a box ced amongst failed prototypes. Then she turned it around so the front side was facing away from them, closed the lid, and turned it around once again. Once that mysterious routine was over, a dull sound was heard and one of the shelves moved to the side, revealing a door that was hidden behind it. ¡¸Ohh!¡¹ Seeing a proper hidden room, Mira was ted. Be it by tapestry or gates, anything hidden that was revealed always caused an excited reaction in boys. Past the door was another set of stairs leading underground. Mira rushed past Sasori and took the lead, and once everyone was on the stairs Sasori closed the door, which was followed by the same dull sound from earlier. That meant the shelf had moved back to covering the door. The air felt chilly, indicating they were indeed underground, and the cold stone steps continued far below, illuminated by soft lights ced every few steps so it was not too dark. Still, their footing felt somewhat unreliable, probably because the steps all seemed to vary in height. ording to Sasori, that was made on purpose to deter intruders. Once they had descended about a hundred meters, the stairs stopped as they reached a tunnel. Chapter 124: Secret Base (1) Chapter 124: Secret Base (1) The underground tunnel spread to both the right and left from the stairs. Its walls were reinforced with stones, a couple dim lights sprinkled along it like ghosts inhabiting the tunnel. The air felt chilly and seemed to cling to their skin as they silently walked through the tunnel, only their footsteps echoing in the distance. ¡¸I think we should be safe from here on out, there¡¯s no need to hide anymore. Take a good rest, you¡¯ve earned it.¡¹ Mira looked front and back, making sure they were alone, and made Worthramble dispel Complete Suppression. Angelique and Anne had been in its effect since they left the mansion, so only Mira and Sasori knew where they had gone. ¡¸I just wish I could help more reliably.¡¹ Worthramble looked disappointed as he deactivated his powers. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. You still have plenty of skills aside from Complete Suppression you can use, yes? Those ought to be helpful still, so let¡¯s keep working together and strengthening our bond.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, I¡¯ll always be at your disposal.¡¹ He smiled saying that, unloading Anne and giving her back to Angelique. Next he shook Mira¡¯s hand, getting ready to be sent away but knowing his skills would be needed again soon enough. Before he was gone, Angelique bowed deeply and thanked him. ¡¸You¡¯re too kind¡¹ he replied, shaking his head, but smiled back at her. After that Mira noticed her eyes glistening like a maiden¡¯s, even though she was married, so Mira decided to forget she saw anything while feeling pity for Johann. ¡¸Man, that looks like such a nice rtionship.¡¹ Maintaining a strong bond was important for summoners. Sasori had managed to notice that much from how Mira and Worthramble interacted, so she muttered that to herself. ¡¸I know. If you be a summoner, you get to make a lot of friends.¡¹ Now that the game period was over and all her bonds had been tranted to reality, Mira had noticed that much more strongly than before. Happy with that new development, Mira felt much pride in her aplishment. Only their footsteps disturbed the silence of the tunnel, Sasori leading them deeper inside. ¡¸By the way, Sasori. You don¡¯t get the creeps from ces like this?¡¹ Mira asked, remembering how she reacted seeing the armor in the mansion. A tunnel hidden as an emergency escape, so dark it was impossible to tell what was ahead and the reverberation of footsteps, that sounded like a scene straight out of a horror film. ¡¸What do you mean, ces like this?¡¹ Yet Sasori seemedpletely unbothered. While she had been terrified in the mansion, now she lookedpletely fine. ¡¸Well, you were really afraid when we saw the armor in the mansion, so I thought you were scared of ghosts and the like, or am I wrong?¡¹ As soon as she heard that, Sasori¡¯s steps turned unsure and her gaze focused more on the path ahead. Somehow Mira¡¯s words had crippled her confidence. ¡¸Err, that¡¯s¡­ you see, at the time, it looked like a person was there¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡¯m scared of the darkness okay, I pretty much live in the shadows. But I just had to be more careful in case a suspicious person was there.¡¹ Sasori began surveying the tunnel for any suspicious figures, her back and tail stiffening as she tried to convince herself. From the look of things, Sasori was scared not of dark ces, but whenever something made her start imagining uncertain figures. ¡¸Listen carefully Sasori, dark and secluded ces like these are the favorite spots for vengeful spirits to live, and I heard the most powerful ones are invisible from afar, they only appear suddenly when you¡¯re right next to them.¡¹ Trying to test her theory, Mira decided to whisper into Sasori¡¯s ear to influence her view of the tunnel. It was like making up a story about a haunted house on the fly. ¡¸Wh-what are you talking about? I wouldn¡¯t get scared by something like that. My eyes are adjusted to the darkness, so I would notice them way before they got close.¡¹ Sasori quickly responded, mostly trying to convince herself of that. She had just experienced Complete Suppression, so imagining other entities hidden in in sight was much easier for her now, making her keep her guard up. Seeing her reaction, Mira felt even more yful, lowering her voice as she instigated Sasori further. ¡¸That might be harder than you think. Usually they¡¯repletely invisible, except for one instance¡­ when they attack¡­¡¹ Mira was getting carried away with her fun, when suddenly a door opened beside them and a girl wearing a white robe with stains of dark blood appeared right next to them. ¡¸Gyaahhhh!!¡¹ ¡¸Hrngh!!¡¹ Mira and Sasori instantly clung to each other in a tight hug, jumping away from the girl while screaming loudly and bumping their backs against the wall before sliding down to the ground. Meanwhile Angelique who followed them a few steps back, not hearing their earlier exchange, was more shocked by their reaction. ¡¸What are you doing?¡¹ Mira and Sasori let out pained moans trying to stand back up while Angelique rushed to them looking slightly worried. At the same time, they heard a calm andposed voice they were familiar with. Tears welling in their eyes from the pain, Mira and Sasori looked up towards the owner of the voice, Hebi, who was staring down at them with a slightly puzzled and exhausted look. It had been mostly a coincidence that Hebi opened the door at the exact moment when they passed by it. Behind the door were the pursuers they had captured in the inn earlier, who Hebi had just finished interrogating when she heard Mira and Sasori¡¯s voice in the tunnel. Deciding to greet them, she opened the door, which resulted in the earlier scene. Mira and Sasoriughed emptily, trying to appear normal and pretend nothing had happened, mentioning that sometimes coincidences were a thing, and quickly continued walking through the tunnel. Behind them Hebi and Angelique introduced themselves to each other. Angelique was slightly hesitant to talk with Hebi at first due to the stained white robe, but once Hebi took it off she was able to calm down. Obviously, the blood was fake and was a prop Hebi used to threaten people she interrogated, with great sess. Chapter 124: Secret Base (2) Chapter 124: Secret Base (2) Amongst idle chatter the group reached a very sturdy-looking iron gate at the end of the tunnel. ording to Sasori those were the living quarters of the emergency shelter, which had been built in case another tragedy like the devil attack from ten years prior happened again. It was well protected against physical and magical threats, multiple magic circles ced everywhere to ward off attacks. ¡¸Mira, look closely again.¡¹ Just like with the door hidden behind a shelf, Sasori told Mira to watch as she put her finger inside what looked like a keyhole. A momentter the entire gate began glowing and strange patterns appeared on it. Sasori slowly began manipting them, making sure Mira could see everything, and a few secondster the gate opened. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. You¡¯ll have to repeat that or the gate won¡¯t open, so don¡¯t forget it.¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ err¡­how do I say this¡­¡¹ Even though Sasori made sure she exined everything as well as possible, the patterns were tooplicated and halfway through Mira was unable to keep track and now could only grimace at her failure. Hebi stepped in and exined that Sasori had a natural affinity for things like that, so it was normal for someone to struggle memorizing it. In a way, there was no real key for that gate, except for the few people who were able to memorize the way of unlocking it. Hebi had written down the exact method, so she told Mira she would let her make a copy of her notester. In reality there was only one other person alive who had memorized the entry code. The current chairman of the Eabates Trading Corporation and second in line to the throne of Roseline, Ulysses Telles Eabates. ¡¸This ce is quite big as well¡­¡¹ There was a short corridor past the gate, and then arge living room with a wooden floor opened up. It wasrge enough to fit thirty tatami mats, and there were four simple but sturdy tables ced on it, with sphericalmps hanging from the ceiling illuminating each of them. ¡¸This was designed to be lived in for years if necessary. So everything was arranged to not cause issues with uhh¡­ ustrophobia I think? Or the thing that makes people go crazy in cramped spaces.¡¹ With vague exnations, Sasori slowly showed them the ce and all of its instations. Given the corporation was in a position to fight for the throne of the country, they obviously had the necessary funds to build a resilient shelter. The underground ce had everything necessary to sustain life. There was a full set of cookware in the kitchen, and there were Magic Wares that helped produce water and fire effortlessly. There were three doors in the kitchen as well, two of them led to a toilet and bathroom, giving easy ess to both ces. Thest door led to a fieldrger than the living room. There was nothing nted there yet and the lights were off, but if used that would easily provide food for many years offortable living. To top it all off, all the Magic Wares there had been specifically designed to be Refible, meaning a spellcaster or any person with a sizable amount of mana could transfer it into the Magic Ware and recharge it, extending their usable lifetime nearly endlessly. (So almost anyone can live endlessly down here. It only needs amand center and it¡¯ll be perfect.) While Sasori still showed the different rooms to them, Mirapared the ce to the secret bases she yearned for as a child. They returned to the living room and walked down a corridor on the other end of the room, which was lined with five doors. Each door led to a room around a third the size of the living room, with a simrly wooden floor. They were mostly empty, except for two of them which had beds in them. Mylene was sound asleep on one of the beds, looking rather happy. Angelique looked at her with a nostalgic look for a few seconds, then ced Anne on the bed next to Mylene¡¯s. Once everyone was familiar with theyout of the shelter, they all returned to the living room and sat around one of the tables. They had to catch up on what happened on each of their sides. First Hebi reported the findings of her interrogation. The two pursuers had been part of the group of guards watching over Johann¡¯s mansion. They were mercenaries employed by Melville, so they were pretty much outsiders who knew nothing of internal information. Their orders were to make sure Johann never left the mansion, and to track down his assistant Mylene if she made any irregr movements, and depending on what happened, capture her. They knew nothing of any ties to Chimera uzen, and Hebi assured the group their bodynguage indicated they were telling the truth. In conclusion, all the guards there, not only the two they captured, were unrted to Chimera uzen. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a shame.¡¹ Hearing they had obtained no leads, Sasori sighed and drooped her shoulders. Mercenaries were perfect for a job like that. Guards and lookouts were always ced in specific unmoving ces, and knowing Chimera uzen they would never assign one of their members for such a role. Even if Johann were to contact someone from the outside, as long as Chimera uzen kept control over him, their secret was safe. They could simply discard and renounce as many ignorant mercenaries as they wanted. ¡¸Hmm, I guess obtaining information will prove to be harder than this.¡¹ ¡¸They were mere pawns.¡¹ Mira muttered in dismay, while Hebi uttered the harsh truth in a t voice. She seemed unbothered about the fact they had been unable to extract valuable information. That concluded Hebi¡¯s report. At the same time, Mira yawned widely, drank a cup of tea, and kept blinking uncontrobly. ¡¸Mira, it¡¯s prettyte so you can go to sleep ahead of us. I can tell her everything we went through alone.¡¹ Sasori gently shook Mira¡¯s shoulder, whose eyes were half closed already. The two had been together the entire time, so only one of them needed to report their findings, and Mira had heard Hebi¡¯s side already, so there was no real harm if Mira left now. ¡¸No, no can do. I can¡¯t just sleep ahead¡­¡¹ This was one of the rare times Mira was taking something seriously, so she wanted to participate, but she had little control over her body and yawned again right after. ¡¸No worries, seriously. I¡¯ll just tell her what we went through, and we¡¯ll sleep as well. We¡¯ll discuss future ns tomorrow.¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­ I see. Alright then, I¡¯ll go sleep ahead of you then¡­¡¹ Mira realized it was impossible to resist her drowsiness any longer, so she stood up on wobbly feet. Then with as much care as she could muster she pushed her chair back to its ce, muttered a ¡¸good night¡¹ and waddled towards the entrance. She was too sleepy to think straight. ¡¸Your bed is on the other side, Mira.¡¹ In the end, Sasori had to go pick her up and carried Mira to the other room with beds than the one where Angelique and Mylene were sleeping in. Sasori gently tucked Mira in one of the beds, letting her peacefully travel to dreand. Chapter 125: An Emotional Reunion? (1) Chapter 125: An Emotional Reunion? (1) Mira woke up inside the Eabates Trading Corporation¡¯s underground shelter, slowly rising up as she looked around the room, her mind still hazy. As the facility was underground, there were no windows indicating what the outside world looked like. All she found was amp hanging from the ceiling, which was dim enough to not disturb someone¡¯s sleep. She decided to check the time on her bracelet¡¯s terminal, and saw it was a bit past the early morning. She then looked to her left and saw a bed that had been emptied recently, and further away another bed with Hebi¡¯s voluptuous and bewitching half naked body sleeping on it. (Now that¡¯s a sight for sore eyes, thank you.) Mira sped her hands together still looking at Hebi, thanking her for such a blessing early in the morning. But she wanted more, so she stood up ready to get closer, but only then she noticed her magic robe set hanging from her bed. She did not remember taking her clothes off, and she barely remembered what she did before sleeping. A few secondster she noticed she herself was half naked as well. (Two beautiful girls, half naked in the same room. What an exciting development that is.) Either because she was not fully awake, or because the morning¡¯s usual hazy drowsiness was still toying with her, Mira¡¯s unstoppable fantasies were running wild. Mira decided to just wear a one-piece dress, ogled at Hebi once again, and then left the bedroom. ¡¸Mira, did you sleep well?¡¹ ¡¸Good morning Mira.¡¹ Sasori and Angelique were in the living room already. Sasori was sitting in a corner of the room next to a small table, mixing and preparing drugs. Angelique was getting things ready for breakfast. Given that was presumably her main upation, an apron fit her really well, and her hands moved skillfully, cooking different things in parallel without issue. It was a rather warm and familial scene, but the fragrant scent of food waspletely ruined by the smell of drugs and medicine. ¡¸Morning.¡¹ With that short greeting Mira red at Sasori, who was happily mixing her drugs around, then entered the kitchen and headed straight to the toilet. ¡¸Mmm, so it¡¯s morning huh.¡¹ When Mira was done with her business in the toilet, she walked out and yawned widely while stretching her small body. She then plopped down on a nearby chair and stared with unfocused eyes at random spots, her eyelids half closed. ¡¸Alright, maybe you should take a shower to wake up.¡¹ Sasori stood up and got a towel for Mira, who had been acting like a cranky old man thus far. She made Mira hold the towel, forced her on her feet and pushed her towards the changing room. There she undressed Mira herself and threw her into the shower. They had only known each other for a short time, but Sasori was quite familiar with Mira¡¯s morning routine already. The shower itself was rather wide, giving ample space for one person. The water supply was plentiful as well, equipped with a Magic Ware to heat it up. Mira turned the lever and hot water began falling on her head. Her white skin seemed to glisten as drops of water sshed on it while her hair turned shiny as it got wet. The hot water also had a strong effect on Mira¡¯s nerves all over her upper body, before it dripped down along her legs to the floor. ¡¸Ahh, that feels good.¡¹ Mira began twisting her body in reaction to that ticklish feeling, while her sleepiness was washed away at the same time. But then she felt someone entering the changing room. Wondering who that was, Mira stopped the shower, just as the door leading there opened. ¡¸Morning.¡¹ Hebi was there, rubbing her eyes half asleep, and fully naked. Mira had witnessed her wearing just a tank top and short pants before, as well as half naked minutes before, and both had been charming scenes, but they did notpare to the shocking sight of her without any clothes at all. Her body was slender, although not as thin as Sasori, with muscle built up in only the right ces to entuate her femenine curves, giving her a breathtaking body. ¡¸Ah, right. Good morning.¡¹ Mira was left speechless for a while, but eventually returned the greeting in a slightly forced and excited voice. The shower had enough space for one person, but was slightly cramped with two in it. Hidden there, Mira looked at the fully naked Hebi while being fully naked herself, her eyes glued to her charming body. But Hebipletely ignored Mira¡¯s actions, walking past her and starting to shower herself. Mira had recently been directly exposed to how women who were familiar with each other showered together, so she stood behind Hebi and let the stray drops fall on her, until she fully woke up. Later she was told that it wasmon for multiple people of the same sex to shower together, even outside ofrge bathhouses. She was also asked if that bothered her, but she grinned and said she was perfectly fine with it. Mira left the shower first, and found Hebi¡¯s underwear scattered on the changing room¡¯s floor. After looking at it for a while, she forced herself to remain as calm as possible while getting dressed. With that done, she walked out to the living room, a broad and satisfied smile on her lips like that of a monk that achieved enlightenment. ¡¸Please sit down and wait a bit,¡¹ Angelique told her, and she did so, attracted by the food already ced on the table. Sasori had finished her preparations, and was just getting done with storing her tools. Thanks to that, the bad smell of medicine and drugs was mostly gone, overtaken by the scent of meat and spices. A short whileter Hebi also came out of the changing room, wearing only her underwear, and imitated Mira sitting down on the chair to her right. Mira peeked at her through the corner of her eye, reaffirming to herself that underwear was better than any uniform at entuating one¡¯s figure. ¡¸Just wait a bit longer, I¡¯m almost done.¡¹ ¡¸It looks tasty.¡¹ ¡¸I know.¡¹ Angelique was preparing the table as quickly as she could while the two girls watched, Mira was drinking some mixed juice, while Hebi¡¯s stomach rumbled. ¡¸Hey, why are you wearing that again? How many times do I have to tell you to wear proper clothes?¡¹ Sasori had finished storing away her tools and also came to the table, where she noticed Hebi¡¯s getup and forced her to the bedroom with her clothes. Hebi had acted like nothing was wrong so far, so Mira thought this was how she always behaved, but obviously that was not the best way to walk around publicly. (Damn Sasori, there was no need for that.) Mira thought to herself as she watched Hebi¡¯s rear disappear in the bedroom. At the same time, the door of the other bedroom opened. ¡¸Somehow this scent brings back memories.¡¹ Mylenne, Johann¡¯s assistant, peeked her head out. She kept sniffing as she walked out, having noticed the scent of breakfast in the air. ¡¸Ah, Mira. Good morning!¡¹ She bowed politely as soon as she noticed Mira sitting at the table. Mylenne seemed to just have gotten up, as her clothes were wrinkled and her hair heavily disheveled. But her mind seemed to be fully awake, no signs of drowsiness on her. Or maybe she simply was very careless when it came to her own appearance. ¡¸Good morning, Mylenne.¡¹ From across the room came Angelique¡¯s sweet voice. Hearing that Mylenne instantly stood on tippy toes and looked at the kitchen, seeing Johann¡¯s wife standing there. ¡¸Ah, Angelique¡­ is that youuuu?!¡¹ Tears instantly started welling up in Mylenne¡¯s eyes as she ran towards Angelique and clung to her bosom. ¡¸I¡¯m so happy to see you safeee!¡¹ she cried as her tears and snot fell on the apron. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I made you worry,¡¹ she replied, gently embracing Mylenne as if she was her daughter. They had not seen each other in many years, so there were many built up emotions leading to their reunion. Chapter 125: An Emotional Reunion? (2) Chapter 125: An Emotional Reunion? (2) Tens of secondster Mylenne¡¯s cries calmed down, and she suddenly raised her face. ¡¸Wait, then the girl I saw sleeping next to me¡­¡¹ When Mira and the others reached the underground shelter Mylenne had been sleeping already, so she was oblivious to Angelique¡¯s arrival. All Mylenne had seen after waking up was a young child sleeping in the bed next to hers. When Angelique and Anne had been taken, the child was only three years old. She was eight now. Mylenne noticed the ages matched up, so she came to that realization. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s Anne.¡¹ ¡¸She¡¯s grown so muchh!¡¹ Angelique replied with a smile, while Mylenne cried loudly again, which was received with gentleness again. Hebi returned from the bedroom, wearing a simple attire, and after looking at the two for a bit she sat down with a slight smile. Mira and Sasori looked at each other with an understanding smile, d they had decided to rescue Angelique and Anne. Mylenne¡¯s loud cries felt somewhat pleasant after everything that happened. Once Mylenne calmed down, they all sat down at the table and they began eating. There was plenty of food considering it was breakfast, and everyone there was rather hungry as well, so they all left their tes clean. While they ate Angelique told Mylenne how she and her daughter had been kept in Melville¡¯s facility until they were rescued. When she heard that, Mylenne quickly thanked Mira and Sasori, and then looked past them to the corridor with the bedrooms. ¡¸Is the Master still asleep then?¡¹ she asked. Someone would notice that Angelique and Anne had been taken from the warehouse sooner orter, and when that happened Chimera uzen and Melville would certainly do something to Johann, considering he no longer had a reason to help them. Knowing that, Mira¡¯s group had returned to the mansion as soon as Angelique and Anne were safe. But Johann was no longer in the mansion by then, and the documents tying the corporation to Chimera uzen were gone as well. Mira exined they had found some traces of blood though, so it was very likely Johann had been attacked. ¡¸No way¡­ is he safe then..?¡¹ ¡¸Johann¡¯s knowledge and skills are very valuable to them, so they can¡¯t risk losing that, I don¡¯t know how they¡¯ll treat themter though¡­¡¹ As soon as Mira finished exining that, ¡¸Mom!¡¹ A voice that seemed on the verge of tears called to Angelique. Anne had just woken up, and seeing that her surroundings had changed and she did not recognize anything, she was obviously feeling distressed. ¡¸We¡¯ll call you if we need you for anything, go check up on Anne meanwhile.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, and thanks again.¡¹ Obeying Sasori¡¯s instructions, Angelique quickly stood up and bowed quickly before running to the bedroom. Mylenne watched her go away, and then looked at the remaining people around the table. They were Mira, Sasori, and Hebi. To her, the strongest impression she had of them was that two of them had mercilessly kidnapped her, while the third one used unthinkable methods of interrogation. Realizing she had been left alone, an indescribable fear and stress began coursing through her body, and unable to resist it she sprung on her feet ready to flee that ce. ¡¸I¡¯ll go check on Anne too then-¡¹ ¡¸Sit down. There¡¯s still things we wish to ask you.¡¹ ¡¸Okay¡­¡¹ Her excuse to leave was instantly shot down, and Mylenne sulked to herself as she sat down again. With everyone finishing their breakfast, they stood up from the dining table and went to a group of couches in the living room, surrounding a table made of metal. There they began their meeting in earnest. They had to discuss what their next objectives would be, and they quickly agreed that rescuing Johann was a top priority. At least it was reassuring to know he was a necessary person to manufacture ck mist stones, so there was no real danger to his life. But as long as Johann continued that work, the longer Chimera uzen would have a constant influx of weapons, and the more spirits would be harmed. That meant that Johann¡¯s rescue would also cripple Chimera uzen¡¯s power greatly, making any future skirmishes with the Fifty Bells easier to win. Johann held that much influence over both sides of the conflict. Still, there was even more value to Johann than just that, he was also the father of a family. Everyone there also wanted to make them reunite as soon as possible. They knew he was still alive, but they had no clues as to where he had been taken. Considering how much of a valuable asset he was, it could not be a ce that could be found so easily. In the worst case, he might even be in Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. But before that, there was still one big question that remained unanswered. Exactly how did they find out Johann had turned on them? ¡¸So tell us, Mylenne. Do you know anything about the armor on the second floor of the mansion?¡¹ Once they had briefed her on everything that happened, Mira asked Myelenne. They had always been under Complete Suppression when entering and leaving the mansion, so they had to be impossible to detect. When talking to Johann he had also been introduced into the spell, so it was impossible for someone to overhear them as well. Still, Johann had been captured. That gave Mira reason to believe there was something inside the mansion surveying him. The most suspicious part was the armor that vanished together with Johann and the guards. Considering how much empty space is inside a suit of armor, it was easy to think it could have been stuffed with spying Magic Wares. ¡¸The armor on the second floor? Umm, about that¡­¡¹ Mylenne sounded surprised they asked that, and she began fidgeting and acting almost embarrassed before she spoke about the armor. From what she told them, the armor was something she built herself. Her father was a master armor cksmith, and she wanted to experiment how close she could get to her father¡¯s skills with alchemy. The result was that armor, her own masterpiece that was in no way inferior to her father¡¯s work. She told all that with a soft proud smile. She had only prioritized weight and strength when making the armor, so it had no special attributes, but Mylenne was proud of the fact that it could easily be worn by anyone even though it was full body armor. Johann praised her for the first time when she showed it to him, and a few dayster she found the armor on that corridor on the second floor. Seeing that, Mylenne thought her master had finally acknowledged her skills and considered her as equal, but nothing really changed in how he treated her, and her studies were as strict as before. The armor had been built just like any regr suit of armor, so it was empty inside. But she admitted to never looking inside it again afterpleting it. ¡¸That¡¯s really mysterious¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ They were able to determine the origin of the armor, but nothing more. Once Mylenne was done with her story, which she told like it was a very fond memory, Mira and Sasori sighed. After that Mylenne asked why they were so interested in the armor, full of expectation, but Mira just smiled and said that it stood out in the mansion. A whileter, ¡¸A spellcaster would never understand,¡¹ Mylene muttered to herself with a distant look in her eyes. Chapter 126: Three Options (1) Chapter 126: Three Options (1) ¡¸I¡¯m still curious about something else, why didn¡¯t they take Johann away from the start? That would stop the need of having so many guards around the mansion, and it would¡¯ve been easier for them to keep watch over him.¡¹ Sasori crossed her arms and lowered her head. ¡¸Fair point. Maybe there was a reason why having him closer would¡¯ve been disadvantageous.¡¹ Sasori was right, keeping Johann in the mansion was a strange move. They were able to capture his family without issue, so putting a leash on him and taking him in as well was an easier way to do things. But they let Johann stay in a mansion in the outskirts of the city, and spent more hiring mercenaries to keep watch for outsiders. There had to be a good reason for that. Still thinking about it, Mira nced over to Mylenne again. She was drinking a cup of cocoa, but her back twitched when she felt Mira¡¯s gaze. ¡¸Say, Mylenne. Are there any important things to watch out for when making ck mist stones?¡¹ ¡¸Things to watch out for? Hmm¡­ let me think.¡¹ Mylenne was a bit hesitant but she nodded knowing it would help rescue her master, and told them some inside info. In the end, her words exined perfectly why Johann was kept in the guarded mansion away from the city. In simple terms, it was necessary to keep any Spirit Arms as far away as possible whenever one worked with ck mist stones, otherwise they would all get destroyed. There were five steps in the manufacture, and with each step the radius of destruction increased. ¡¸During the first step the radius is only like two meters long, but during thest step it can grow up to one kilometer. I¡¯ve only seeded replicating the first step before though, so I don¡¯t know the exact details.¡¹ Once she finished exining that, she drank all the remaining cocoa from her cup and took a deep breath. She seemed to have been really stressed so far. ¡¸That makes sense, but it¡¯s still a rather troublesome process then.¡¹ Mira could guess that the manufacturing process involved triggering the curse atrge scale then, and that ended up killing any spiritual power nearby, like that in Spirit Arms. Chimera uzen constantly captured spirits and used their powers forcefully, so their main base was probably overflowing with trapped spirits and Spirit Arms. If ck mist stones were manufactured there, it would ruin all their ns. In that case, it was safer and easier to just capture his family and force him to stay in his mansion under heavy surveince. ¡¸By the way, earlier you mentioned you canplete the first step, do you think you could demonstrate for us?¡¹ Asking that, Mira took out from her Item Box some of the fragments she had picked up in the Graveyard of War Memorials as evidence and ced them on the table in front of Mylenne. ¡¸Sure¡­ if that¡¯s what you really want.¡¹ Saying that, Mylenne stood up and went to pick up her bag that was in one of the corners of the room. That was one of the few belongings Mylenne had with her when she was captured by Mira and Sasori. From it she took out multiple utensils and apparatus which she ced on a table, as if she was about to do a science experiment. Those were all gifts from Johann, and she never left without them. Once she was done preparing everything, she took out a white bag. ¡¸Do you have any Spirit Arms with you right now?¡¹ The white bag on her hand, Mylenne asked everyone there. The three replied they had none, ¡¸Then it¡¯s fine,¡¹ she continued and stored the white bag again, cing everything she did not need on a nearby chair. ¡¸By the way, what was that bag right now?¡¹ Mira was curious what the white bag was, given that Mylenne made sure to take it out, but then stored it again. ¡¸That bag is made of a specialized material that can protect Spirit Arms from the effects of manufacture.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, that sounds useful.¡¹ Hearing Mylenne¡¯s exnation, Mira let out an amazed voice, and then returned her gaze to the items on the table. ¡¸Anyway, like I said earlier, I only know how to do the first step, which is turning the fragments into a liquid. Is that alright?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s enough.¡¹ Mylenne asked just in case they would be disappointed, but Mira replied with a nod. While she was still an assistant, Mylenne took her job seriously, so as soon as she started working, her face turnedpletely different, looking serious and focused. Then, the first step of manufacturing started. She began smashing the fragments, half into chunks, half into a fine powder. The powder was dissolved in water and heated up, and once a ck vapor starteding out she added the chunks. After that she began stirring the mixture until the chunks fully dissolved. That was everything Mylenne knew how to do, the first step. There were four steps remaining before the whole process wasplete, but even then the liquid had to be left sitting for an entire day to make sure it was safe to continue. ¡¸Somehow that liquid looks disgusting.¡¹ Sasori frowned as she examined the liquid, which had be sticky and somewhat gooey. Even Hebi who usually was unbothered had a slight frown. From what they could see, the process was not overlyplicated. But while that was happening, Mira noticed that sometimes a ck ripple woulde out of the liquid and spread through the air, though it faded away before it even reached the corners of the room. She understood that was the curse that killed spirits. ¡¸I just thought of something. That bag you showed us is made of a protective material, yes? So if a room was covered in the stuff, then it could be manufactured anywhere?¡¹ Having seen the ck ripple herself, she asked the next question bothering her, her eyes focused on the bag sitting atop a chair. ¡¸In that case, yeah, it could be produced anywhere. But the materials needed for it are quite expensive¡­ though I guess those Chimera people won¡¯t care about such expenses.¡¹ Saying that she stood up and went to check her belongings again,ing back with a coat and a small fragment of something white. ¡¸I doubt they even know such a material exists though. This is something my master researched himself, and he would never tell such evil people about it.¡¹ She seemed to fully trust Johann as she looked Mira in the eyes saying that, and then dropped the white thing inside the ck liquid. Slowly the ck goo began thinning, turning to an ashen color before turningpletely white. At the same time, Mira noticed the ck curse ripples stopped. ¡¸What was that right now? What did you put inside?¡¹ Looking at the container for a bit, Sasori sprung on her feet and asked. She was clearly surprised, having seen that thick ck goo turn into a pure white and runny liquid. ¡¸Err, it was a fragment of a Life Stone. It canpletely neutralize the effects of ck mist stones, but only when they are in liquid form. That white bag was also made with Life Stones.¡¹ Chapter 126: Three Options (2) Chapter 126: Three Options (2) Having said that, Mylenne stopped stirring the liquid. As it was left to sit, it slowly began hardening until it all turned to stone. Mylenne took it out and said with a smile ¡¸It can be thrown out together with the trash in this form.¡¹ ¡¸Also, my coat is a Spirit Arm, but it was washed in a special liquid made with Life Stones, so it remains unaffected.¡¹ Saying that, Mylenne proudly held her coat for everyone to see. That was the same coat she said was a present from Johann. ¡¸It can be used that way too? Amazing.¡¹ ¡¸This is certainly valuable information.¡¹ In short, Mylenne had just provided them with a way to fight Chimera uzen¡¯s weapons. The Fifty Bells, a group banded together to protect spirits. Many of their members used Spirit Arms to fight, which were obviously acquired legitimately. Chimera uzen¡¯s ck mist weapons were a serious threat to them though. But now they had a chance to fight against that, so Sasori and Hebi looked happy. ¡¸Hmm, interesting.¡¹ Mira shuffled in her chair and ced her fingertips on her chin, nodding convinced of something while thinking things through. Manipting the ck mist stones required arge area without any spiritual power in it, and it was easy to assume there was no such ce near Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. There was a method of stopping the effect from spreading, but that was something developed privately by Johann and it was unlikely he would let Chimera uzen know about it. In simpler terms, Johann was not in their main base, instead he had been taken to some ce where there was no spiritual power being used at all. ¡¸I guess we could hit the different facilities of Melville that haven¡¯t been connected to Spirit Arms before.¡¹ ¡¸Good idea, that would be a nice starting ce.¡¹ After thinking about it, Sasori offered one course of action, and Mira was in agreement. That was also far easier than trying to sniff out Chimera¡¯s hiding ces. Then again, Melville had the most facilities in Roseline out of all corporations there, so including buildings that were still under construction there were a multitude of ces to search. But there were three of them searching, so there was little reason not to thoroughly investigate each ce. Not like they had other clues. ¡¸Other than that I guess we can keep watch and see if we find telltales of the process somewhere. If the ck ripples extend up to one kilometer from the source, I assume they go through walls, yes? If we notice one of them, we can easily search for the source. The only issue is knowing when he¡¯ll start the process and-¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait, wait, hold on Mira.¡¹ Mira spoke her thoughts aloud, and before she could finish Sasori hurried to interrupt her, looking confused. ¡¸Hm? What is it?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re mumbling about, but what do you mean with ck ripples? How is that connected to the manufacture of ck mist stones?¡¹ Looking around, Mira noticed that Hebi and Mylenne were just as confused. Seeing her like that, she also cocked her head in puzzlement. It took her a while to realize that maybe they had not seen those ck ripples when Mylenne demonstrated earlier. ¡¸I mean, I don¡¯t know what to tell you. You saw it earlier, yes? When Mylene was doing her thing on the table.¡¹ Mira said while pointing to the white clumps left from Mylenne¡¯s demonstration, and trying to recreate it with exaggerated movements and gestures. The ck ripples had begun pulsating the moment she mixed the chunks into the water with diluted powder. And they stopped the moment she put in the fragment of Life Stone. Considering the timing, Mira had assumed that those ripples were the spirit-devouring effect. And if they spread past walls, then it would be easy enough to spot it from a distance and figure out where someone was working with ck mist. So considering that, it would not be too difficult to figure out where Johann was being kept. ¡¸I didn¡¯t see that though¡­¡¹ ¡¸Me neither.¡¹ ¡¸Umm, same here, I never saw any ck ripples.¡¹ Sasori, Hebi, and Mylenne looked at each other, seeing they all agreed and then answered that way to Mira. They really could not understand what Mira was talking about. ¡¸Wait¡­ does that mean I was the only one able to see that?¡¹ Muttering to herself, Mira sighed loudly and crossed her arms while looking up towards the ceiling. But regardless of what the other three saw or not, she knew what she had seen, so she decided that at least she would be their lookout. ¡¸Hmmm, maybe that was also because of the Spirit King¡¯s blessing.¡¹ Thinking why she had seen something the others did not, she could reach only one conclusion. She had been told that with the power obtained from the Spirit King and the holy sword Sanctia, she could cleanse the demon¡¯s curse. It made sense that such a power would have other effects on her as well, like making her able to see the curse¡¯s effects. Thinking of all that, she began to feel like she had grown ustomed to the Spirit King¡¯s power, making her snicker to herself as she stared at the ceiling. She still was unsure what kind of power that was, so she was really looking forward to finding out. There were two main ways to strengthen a bond like that, one was to spend a lot of time in the ce where the spirit lived, and the other was to use the spirit¡¯s element. The longer one spent doing either of those things, the stronger the bond would grow. Since Mira had only recently acquired the Spirit King¡¯s blessing, any time she was free she would try to strengthen that bond. There was an easy method for her, Sanctia had the strongest elemental connection with the Spirit King, so whenever there was nothing else to do, she would y with the sword¡­ or train, as she liked to call it. ¡¸Well, I guess there¡¯s little else we can do. I¡¯ll just try to scout the ce. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll know soon after he starts the process again.¡¹ Mira finally concluded that her training had made her able to see the waves from the demon¡¯s curse, so her eyes were brimming with confidence as she assigned herself a role. ¡¸Alright, I guess you can keep watch for that then, and we will search every Melville facility in case the manufacture hasn¡¯t restarted yet.¡¹ ¡¸Good n.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, sounds sensible to me. Let¡¯s go with that.¡¹ Sasori then briefly detailed their future n, Hebi and Mira both agreeing to it. At least they all knew what to do now. ¡¸Oh right, onest thing, Mylenne. May I ask something?¡¹ Everyone began preparations for their next movements while Mira studied a map of Irene, when she thought of something and looked up towards Mylenne. ¡¸What is it?¡¹ She was storing her alchemy tools and equipment, but stopped when Mira spoke to her. ¡¸Do you know where that mask you wore was made?¡¹ Chapter 126: Three Options (3) Chapter 126: Three Options (3) Mira was referring to the mask Mylenne wore when they captured her. It had a rather ominous design, and had a tracking spell nted on it. Bringing it down to the shelter was a bad idea, so they had left it back in the inn. ¡¸Where it was made? Hmm, Master only told me it was an entry pass to enter the Melville warehouses, but that¡¯s all I know¡­¡¹ ¡¸Hm, so you don¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t Johann who made it then?¡¹ She looked upwards, staring at nothingness while trying to remember any more details, but Mira piled yet another question on top. The mask served to go through the many magical detection rms built on the Melville facilities, so in that sense it was an entry pass. ¡¸He was only an alchemist, he knew nothing of Magic Wares.¡¹ ¡¸So someone else built it, huh.¡¹ From the sound of things, Johann did not know how to build Magic Wares. While they seemed like simr fields, the actual details and skills necessary for each werepletely different. ¡¸Do you know who could¡¯ve built it at least?¡¹ Understanding her responses so far, Mira continued. If the mask had been built on demand, then tracking down the maker could unearth more clues. Or at least that was Mira¡¯s hope. Sasori and Hebi also overheard their exchange and stopped what they were doing, listening attentively to Mylenne. ¡¸Who, you say¡­ hmm¡­mm¡­¡¹ Mylenne crossed her arms and closed her eyes, softly mumbling to herself while frowning. Her face gradually got more contorted, until she suddenly let out a loud ¡¸Ah!¡¹ ¡¸I remember¡­ the box¡­ Err, I received it in a box¡­ it was white¡­and uhh¡­ it had some workshop¡¯s name written¡­¡¹ She had found something in her memories. She began moving her body and hands randomly, as if trying to retrace that memory while constantly mumbling to herself. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but my child is hungry¡­¡¹ The three girls held their breath waiting for Mylenne to finish, when suddenly one of the bedroom doors opened and Angelique came out with an apologetic look on her face. Next to her was Anne, who looked rather nervous. At the same time, ¡¸Ah, I remember! It was the Ollt Workshop!¡¹ The moment she saw Angelique, Mylenne¡¯s eyes sparked open as she shouted that. It was literally an Ah-ha moment for her, smiling happily after remembering. But Angelique on the other hand seemed to feel the opposite. ¡¸Wait, Mylenne. Why did you say that name the moment you saw me?¡¹ In an instant Angelique¡¯s eyes seemed to burn with a silent rage as she walked right in front of Mylenne to confront her. ¡¸Err, that¡¯s not what¡­ umm¡­¡¹ Mylenne struggled to get any words out as she cowered back, her gaze faltering and turning downwards. It felt like her surroundings had suddenly been covered in dark clouds, making her hug herself helplessly as she endured the thunder ringing around her. Once the storm blew over, Angelique went to prepare a light meal, ¡¸Sorry for intruding,¡¹ she said before vanishing back into the bedroom. Mylenne kept standing until the door was closed, then copsed on top of a table. She then exined that Angelique was usually a really gentle person, but when certain topics were brought up she became like that. Hebi and Mira nced at each other for an instant, wishing to never encounter her in such a mood while taking a shower. Once everyone recovered from that random urrence, they began talking about the mask again. There was not much more to say though, Mylenne who had been the wearer of the mask had no idea what kind of ce the Ollt Workshop was. But Hebi knew. She had been searching for Melville¡¯s connections since the moment she arrived in the city, and amongst them she had found the Ollt Workshop. Though from what she had found out, the workshop was not under Melville¡¯s umbre, and even though they had received an offer to be part of the corporation, they had refused. While that was their business rtionship, they still took multiple custom orders. ¡¸Hmm, so they¡¯re a specialized workshop. And a good one if they received such an offer.¡¹ Hearing Hebi¡¯s description, Mira muttered that while thinking of one possibility. Maybe all the magic rms on Melville¡¯s warehouses hade from the Ollt Workshop. ¡¸Anyway, why the sudden interest in the mask, Mira?¡¹ While it was a tracking Magic Ware, it did not pose much of a threat now. So Sasori was curious why Mira wanted to know more about it now, right before they headed out again. ¡¸Oh, nothing important. It¡¯s just that whoever made that mask probably knows how to make something else too.¡¹ Mira was referring to the other functionality of the mask beside tracking, that of letting the wearer go through the magic rms undetected. They had seen them in action for a bit when leaving the warehouses, and Mira knew they could create an almost imprable security grid. Whoever built a mask that could go through those devices, probably had also made the rms themselves. Considering the number of rms in the facility, they would also require a considerable amount of maintenance time to keep running. That would mean the workshop would likely be kept updated on the location of all the rms, stored as some sort of consumer data. If they investigated that, they might find out about important facilities Melville was keeping secret. In the best case scenario, there might even be data on locations tied to Chimera, and wherever Johann had been taken to. ¡¸At least that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking of now. Though usually documents like that are highly confidential and they would never let us see them easily.¡¹ If they got ess to it, they would gain arge amount of valuable information, but getting to it was the issue. Even if they were working for Melville, they technically had done nothing illegal or immoral. Not to mention that ording to Hebi, Melville was one of many customers of theirs. When confronting Chimera uzen the group could be as rough as they wanted, but that would not fly when dealing with honest workmen. ¡¸I guess we¡¯ll have to investigate that secretly then.¡¹ ¡¸It seems so.¡¹ They could not do something to inconvenience civilians, but they also could not ask for the documents upfront. There was the option of exining the entire situation to the workshop, and pray for their good will. But that could easily catch Melville¡¯s attention, and there was no guarantee that they would believe everything or decide to cooperate. But they wanted that information. To get it, their only reasonable option was to sneak into the workshop undetected and steal it. ¡¸Well, I guess we have three things to try now.¡¹ Chapter 126: Three Options (4) Chapter 126: Three Options (4) Sasori looked around the room as she said that. Their main priority now was rescuing Johann, who was a witness who could prove the connection between Melville and Chimera uzen. They had found three options to figure out where he had been taken to. One, they could wait until the ripples indicating the manufacture of ck mist stones was in progress became evident, except that only Mira could do that. Two, they could search for a ce where the ripples¡¯ effect had manifested, namely the disappearance of spirit power and destruction of Spirit Arms. If they were able to determine that had happened in any ce, it would narrow down the spots to search considerably. Three, they could try stealing the confidential customer data from the Ollt Workshop, which they presumed detailed the ces where magic sensing rms had been deployed. With that data, they would be able to search for any important locations that were heavily guarded just like the warehouses, since they would certainly keep him under heavy surveince. And if there was ack of anything spiritual near that ce as well, the chances of finding Johann would be high. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll be in charge of searching the workshop then.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll look for a ce without spirit power.¡¹ ¡¸And I¡¯ll just keep watch around here.¡¹ The three announced which option they would pursue, and finished drinking their cocoa at the same time. Sasori was well experienced with infiltrating secure ces, so she would go to the workshop. Hebi was a spellcaster so she was aware of spiritual power, and could search for ces devoid of it. Mira was the only one who could see the ck ripples, so she would keep watch in case she spotted any. The only downside was that it could take a while until Johann resumed manufacturing ck mist stones. He had been taken away from the mansion so suddenly he was likely missing most of his equipment, and it would take a while before he could work properly again. ording to Mylenne, the whole process required some specialized tools which could not be obtained in just a single day. In other words, it would take a while before Mira¡¯s role was helpful. After that the three agreed on a time for their next meeting, they spoke to Angelique and Mylenne assuring them they would find Johann, and left the underground shelter. When they were back at the Eabates¡¯ prototype warehouse, Mira waited for the shelf to cover the hidden door, and then had Sasori exin to her one more time how to open it. She wrote it all down in a random piece of paper she found in her Item Box, given she was terrible at remembering things like that. Still inside the dim warehouse with all the prototypes and documents, Mira let Sasori double check the notes she took, then returned the piece of paper and her expensive-looking fountain pen to her Item Box. As she did that, she noticed a group of documents stored there. ¡¸Oh, right, Ipletely forgot about this.¡¹ Muttering that, Mira took the documents out. It was a bundle of many dozens of pages. ¡¸Ah, I remember.¡¹ Sasori also recognized them, but Hebi was not there when they received them, so she just peered at Mira¡¯s hand curiously while asking, ¡¸What is it?¡¹ ¡¸Some documents about the ck mist stones Johann gave us.¡¹ Mira manifested a light with Concept Magic to see better and began leafing through the documents. For a while, the three girls¡¯ faces moved closer as they all read through. It was a record of the means of manufacturing ck mist stones, as well as how to bound them to other materials. There were also many notes of the research results from multiple experiments with different materials, as well as the properties exhibited. The most interesting part was thetter half. Those pages detailed multiple means of neutralizing items with ck mist on them, or how to properly fight someone with such a weapon, all described in immense detail. They could almost feel Johann¡¯s will there, trying to correct all the mistakes he made in an attempt to keep his wife and daughter safe. On top of that, there was mention of demons as well. Things very few people knew of the rtionship between demons and spirits. That raised the documents¡¯ authenticity far more than anything else, and Mira¡¯s group knew Johann truly wanted to set things right. ¡¸This looks like information that could overturn the tide of war. We should bring it to that child¡­ I mean Uzume, as soon as possible.¡¹ With her fingertips to her chin, Mira grimaced seeing there was far more valuable information in the documents than she had expected. ¡¸Yeah, that sounds good. There¡¯s a lot of craftsmen in the headquarters, so the sooner they see this the sooner they¡¯ll be able to recreate the tools mentioned here.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s urgent.¡¹ Sasori and Hebi agreed again. Many of the tools to counter ck mist wereplicated and would take time to build. Studying the blueprints and gathering the necessary materials would also take time. Considering they were at war, the sooner they could start working the better. The three could agree on that. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll go deliver it then. It¡¯ll take days before Johann resumes manufacturing ck mist stones too, and once production ramps up I should be able to see the ripples and other effects from outside.¡¹ A roundtrip on Pegasus would take two or three days at the most, so Mira offered to deliver the documents herself. The ck ripples would increase in size the further along the ck mist stones were, and even if it started that same morning, they would only be visible from a distance in a few days. There was plenty of time for her to leave ande back. ¡¸That sounds good, you should go. Though we have better ways of sending things of that size!¡¹ Sasori instantly agreed, but right after she mentioned something else with a proud voice. She then exined that the Fifty Bells had a special delivery system. That method was to essentially ce the items on one of the branches of the Fifty Bells, which existed in many cities, which then would send the parcel through emergency mail. While such deliveries were costly, they would arrive at the headquarters in half a day. ¡¸This city has no branch, the closest one is in Sentopolly, south of themercial district.¡¹ Once Sasori had finished exining the method, Hebi spoke briefly as she took out a map and pointed at the exact location. ¡¸Mm, got it.¡¹ Mira looked at the map and made a mental note of the location,paring it to the aerial image of Sentopolly she had gotten recently. She had a rough idea of where to go. ¡¸Also, there¡¯s a password, ¡®Light in the woods, peace to spirits¡¯. Tell that to the branch director and you¡¯ll be given ess to amunications device connected to headquarters. You should be able to request sending a parcel that way.¡¹ ¡¸I see. Light in the woods, peace to spirits, correct?¡¹ Repeating the words, Mira took out her piece of paper and pen and wrote it all down again. Chapter 127: Fifty Bells, Sentopolly Branch (1) Chapter 127: Fifty Bells, Sentopolly Branch (1) A couple of hours after Mira left Roseline, she arrived at Sentopolly¡¯s southern district, at around the same time as most restaurants began getting filled with guests. Unlike the centralmercial district, the streets there were deserted, and near the coastline most of the buildings were either workshops or warehouses. There was little color and bustle. (Ah, this is the ce.) It was almost like an industrial district there, withrge concrete buildings everywhere, but amongst them she found her target, a small house that looked crammed by therger buildings. That was the Fifty Bells¡¯ Sentopolly branch. Mira had an ufortable feeling seeing the bizarre location, but she went ahead and knocked on the door. ¡¸Hello? Do you need something?¡¹ After a short pause the door was opened and a woman peeked out hearing the unexpected knocks. ¡¸Ah, huh? Are you lost?¡¹ She wore what looked like apany uniform, with ck-rimmed sses on her face. The moment she saw Mira, she knelt down slightly and spoke with a soft smile. Compared to the massive warehouses and workshops around, the small house looked far more familiar and approachable. Thanks to that, there had been a few times when lost children had looked for help there. Seeing Mira, the woman thought she was thetest case. ¡¸I¡¯m no lost child. I want to talk with the director of this branch.¡¹ Probably because she had been mistaken for a lost child, Mira raised her voice as her eyes narrowed slightly into a re. ¡¸I¡¯m the director, exactly what did you need?¡¹ The woman instantly stood up, looking straight into Mira¡¯s eyes with a serious gaze. She looked calm, but she was clearly examining Mira, a sharp glint in her eyes. ¡¸Good, that makes things easier. Light in the woods, peace to spirits.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­e in.¡¹ When Mira finished saying the phrase, the woman straightened her back and lowered her voice, looking around. Then she went inside the building, Mira following behind. ¡¸My name¡¯s Mattie, what¡¯s yours?¡¹ She introduced herself as Mattie, then warily looked around outside before closing the door. She was rather cautious. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Mira also introduced herself briefly, in her usual manner. ¡¸Somehow I was expecting something much bigger for a branch¡¹ she added, surveying the interior. The Fifty Bells¡¯ Sentopolly branch looked like a regr house inside. Past the entrance there was a living room with a small dining table, annexed to a kitchen. There were four other doors, two of which led to the toilet and bathroom. The more Mira looked, the less it looked like the branch of a big organization, not even resembling an office building. If not for the sign hung outside, anyone would think this was a regr home. ¡¸I¡¯m the only one working here, so I decided to make my workce asfortable as possible.¡¹ Mira started wondering if all other branches were the same, but she was quickly corrected. ording to Mattie, the areas surrounding Sentopolly were never rich in spirit activity, and since the Fifty Bells¡¯ main objective was the maintenance and preservation of areas inhabited by spirits, there was little work to do there. Only one person was assigned to that branch, Mattie, and she was allowed to live in the same building. That still left the question as to why a branch was ced there in the first ce, and Mattie exined her role mainly consisted in experimenting with the wastnds nearby, seeing if there was a way to terraform them into a region that could support spirit life. Mattie had studied botany, and her dream was to transform ces where even grass struggled to grow into lush forests. The Fifty Bells had noticed her passion, so she was assigned as branch director in Sentopolly. It was a bit of a crazy and unrealistic dream, but if it could be realized, the ces inhabited by spirits would increase dramatically, which was exactly what the Fifty Bells wanted. Her experiments and research were not the only reason why she was there though, she also had to provide a ry point for other members to share and obtain information. But since she was at the edge of the continent, there were almost no other members around. ¡¸That passphrase is a request formunication, right? Come here.¡¹ Mattie forced an awkward smile, sometimes she would forget what all the passphrases meant. She opened one of the doors, which finally made the house look like it was a branch of the Fifty Bells. There was a hidden staircase leading underground behind the door. Going down there, eventually they reached a sturdy iron door, and behind it was amunications device. ¡¸Juste back up when you¡¯re done.¡¹ Saying that, Mattie closed the door after Mira and returned to the living room. The room had been arranged so Fifty Bells members could easily exchange information or transmit it. There was a couch and a table there, all of a gray color like the walls, only the transmission device was ck. (Physically it looks like one of those ancient phones I saw in a museum once¡­I wonder how it transmits sound though?) Mira stood still in a corner of the room, groaning to herself as she stared at the ck device. It looked almost identical to the one Solomon ced in her wagon, but then Mira realized. She had received calls before, but she had never made any. ¡¸Hmmmm¡­¡¹ After groaning for the umpteenth time, she finally decided to lift the receiver and held it to her ear. Usually with phones like those you had to do that before dialing a number. ¡¸Seriously¡­ I¡¯m not asking for a big manual, but there should be a buttonbeled ¡®call¡¯ at least. How thoughtless¡­¡¹ ring at the many buttons on the device, Mira grumbled to herself. ¡¸Younglings nowadays only care about design or aesthetics and whatnot, theypletely forget about functionality.¡¹ Mira startedining even about things from her past life. While her ideal had always been to be a gray haired elegant man, her mentality had also started turning into that of a grumpy old man. Then something changed. ¡º¡­pff¡­ Grandpa, you¡¯ve already called me. Ahah..! We designed these to automatically call here the moment the receiver is lifted! Pfft ahahah¡­¡» Unable to hold in herughter anymore, Kagura¡¯s voice rang through the receiver. ¡¸Wh-what did you say?!¡¹ ¡ºPlease, I can¡¯t handle this. You really sound like a senile old man.¡» Mira stuttered, her body stiffening as she realized all herints had been heard. Meanwhile Kagura would not stopughing on the other side of the call, her cackling pouring out from the receiver. Her lips pursed and sulking, Mira mmed the receiver down, cutting the transmission. A momentter the bell attached to the device rang. ¡ºSorry grandpa, but that was a really childish reaction.¡» Picking up the receiver, Mira heard Kagura¡¯s voice again, which sounded calmer now. ¡¸You should¡¯ve said something the moment you picked up, I swear¡­¡¹ ¡ºAgain, I¡¯m sorry. Well, heheh, what¡¯s so important that you decided to call me with a device you don¡¯t know how to use?¡» Mira was still sulky,ining about everything, but there was no real anger in her voice. It was more like friendly banter between good friends. Kagura also meant no malice with herughter, simply reacting the way she usually did. ¡¸Mm, anyway, I want to request an urgent delivery.¡¹ Chapter 127: Fifty Bells, Sentopolly Branch (2) Chapter 127: Fifty Bells, Sentopolly Branch (2) Starting with that, Mira exined their progress so far, including the assistance offered by ¨¦cate Carillon. ¡®That¡¯s quite a lot of progress Grandpa! But I got the situation, I¡¯ll make the request and a courier should arrive at your location in around five or six hours.¡¯ ¡¸Mm, I¡¯ll wait then.¡¹ With thosest words, Mira hung up. From what she had seen, the urgent deliveries had to be requested by Kagura herself, and a courier would pick up the parcel at the branch. (I¡¯ll get bored waiting here, I might as well use the time to see how Arlon and Sero are doing.) Thinking that, she stood up from the couch and went upstairs. After telling Mattie she would be back in a few hours, she left the building. Mira was lost at what to do some time after reaching themercial district, which was filled with people like always. When she entered The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence, she could not find anyone familiar there. Thinking about it, it was still a bit past noon, so everyone was probably still out hunting for information. (Well, no rush, no rush. I might as well investigate a bit while I¡¯m here too!) Without much other option, she quickly changed her n and began walking through the city, still hoping to run into anyone she knew. Still, Mira knew this was her mission, so she was serious about it. She did not let it get to her head, only pretending to be a detective in her mind. And so, after several stores checked out, or infiltrated as she told herself, she happened to overhear a rather interesting conversation. ¡¸It¡¯s almost time for that auction again. Did you save up for it?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, somehow. I can¡¯t wait.¡¹ Mira hid in a nearby shadow as she listened into that hushed conversation between tworge men. (Oh, an auction? Where things are gathered, people gather, so information should also concentrate there.) Using feeble logic and instinct Mira reached that conclusion and decided she had to know more about the auction. ¡¸Hello there, sorry to interrupt but I¡¯d like to ask something.¡¹ Mira walked up to the two men and began asking about the auction they mentioned earlier. But the two looked bothered and ufortable, pretended not to know what she was talking about and quickly left that ce. (Huh, what was that? It didn¡¯t look like they got nervous seeing how cute I am either. Hmm, maybe there¡¯s a reason why they can¡¯t mention it openly.) In other words, it was likely the sort of auction that had to be kept shrouded in darkness and anonymity. Guessing that from the men¡¯s reaction Mira smirked in the store¡¯s corner. (A ck market auction! That sounds so exciting.) Mira could smell the fishiness of it all already, so she summoned Worthramble to camouge her optically. She focused that power onto the two men, making her able to listen into their conversation without issue. Using her mission to investigate as a pretext to invade their privacy, she found out multiple details about the ck market auction through the course of an hour. First, the auction would take ce a weekter. Second, most of the people selling at that auction were adventurers. Apparently the main objective of the auction was to let them sell hard-to-trade items obtained in dungeons or from other adventurers. But some of the items would sometimes not only be hard to trade, but straight up illegal items. Like cursed Magic Wares, organs from monsters ssified as sacred beasts, banned books, or poisons that had been taken off the market. The people organizing the auction were also proficient at it, simr auctions being held more than ten times in the past, serving more than a thousand people each time, and not a single time had there been legal interference. On top of that, no one knew who the main organizer was. (It just keeps getting more suspicious. A thorough investigation seems warranted.) It seemed like arge part of the audience would be adventurers, so she decided to broaden her investigation to include more of them too. Quite a few minutester Mira had managed to find out where the auction would take ce, and she went there. She was not fully hidden like with Complete Suppression, currently only invisible, but she knew how to sneak around without making a sound, and managed to enter the private property. The ce was in the suburbs, and after entering she saw multiple prefabricated houses there, around ten in total, and big enough for four people to livefortably in them. On the outside, that ce was used as the living quarters and resting spot for the workers of a nearby warehouse facility. But ording to the information she had gathered, the rightmost house had a secret basement, and the auction took ce there. Looking around, she noticed multiple people wearing tidy and clean clothes, which did not look suitable for heavy lifting in warehouses. Mira guessed they were probably rted to the auction, so she decided to follow the one who looked the most important from the bunch into the rightmost house. There was only a in room inside. But the man walked up to an ornament on a wall, pushing it to make a hidden staircase appear. The moment he walked down, it closed behind him. (Hmm, I¡¯m starting to feel like there¡¯s a trend with having hidden things aroundtely¡­) Mira figured that it would be too weird if the hidden staircase was activated right after the man, so she decided to wait for a while, looking down with Life Sensing to make sure there was no one looking when she went down. The basement was farrger than she expected, calling it underground facility being a far better description for it. (Hold on¡­ that¡¯s a spirit¡¯s light.) The corridor reinforced with stone walls she walked through was brightly illuminated, looking almost like there was daylight down there. When she looked up, she felt spiritual powering from the brightmp. Amp that used spiritual magic. She had seen something simr at the entrance to the Graveyard of War Memorials. Noticing that corrtion, she smirked. (I may have hit the jackpot here.) There were more people down there too, some of which passed by right next to her. Mira went from pretending to be a detective to a thief, stealthily walking on tiptoes so no one would notice her. In one room she found all the items prepared to be sold in the auction. There were some items she could identify at first sight, many she could not, but there really were a lot of illegal items there. Trying to obtain even more information, Mira decided to find people who looked like they were in charge and eavesdropped into their conversation, while ¡¯Examining¡¯ them at the same time. She was invisible to them, so it was easier to look straight at their faces. (Huh? That¡¯s¡­) Carefully advancing through the corridors, Mira saw someone who she recognized. A young man with an extremely handsome face which Mira disliked passed right by her, not noticing Mira. (Isaac Meyer? Oh¡­ right, back then.) After Examining his face, she saw his name was Isaac Meyer. The same magician she had seen while rescuing Angelique from Melville¡¯s warehouse. Chapter 128: Isaac Meyer (1) Chapter 128: Isaac Meyer (1) Thinking about it, Mira had seen Isaacte the night before, in Melville¡¯s warehouse facility in Roseline¡¯s capital city Irene. And there was a considerable distance between there and Sentopolly. Riding on Pegasus it took Mira between two to three hours, but traveling bynd extended that to at least half a day. But since he was there, it was likely he also possessed a means of traveling simr to Pegasus. (I really can¡¯t stand him, but this is rather convenient.) Considering where she had seen him the first time, it was easy to conclude he was rted to the Melville Trading Corporation. In other words, there was a high likelihood that Melville had a hand in the ck market auction that was being organized. There was even a chance that Melville was that mysterious main organizer. If she dug deeply enough, Mira might even find concrete proof of it all. Mira decided to be even more careful, while also following Isaac hoping he would provide valuable information. Isaac kept wandering around the underground facility, exchanging words with different people who also seemed to be organizing the auction. Most of the conversations centered about the order in which the items would be presented, their starting prices, and other simr things. There was nothing of value regarding Chimera uzen or the Melville Trading Corporation. But from the way he spoke and behaved it was clear he had a rather high position there. Around an hour of wandering around, he headed to a set of stairs leading upwards. After climbing for a while, he reached a metallic door, which he opened and walked through. The door led to a rocky area in the wastnds. It was likely there were multiple other entrances like that all over the ce. They were currently to the north-north-east of Sentopolly, which was a ce lined with multiple rocky hills that went from just ten to tens of meters high. Isaac headed to a path leading into a valley, which he began following without hesitating. Since the ground was rather unstable there, Mira decided to stay at a safe twenty meters of distance tailing him, trying to make as little sound as possible. He kept walking for around an hour, the number of rocky hills around them diminishing but getting taller in turn. ¡¸I know you¡¯re there. Who are you!¡¹ Isaac yelled out of the blue. Mira instantly froze, not moving a muscle as she kept observing him. Due to the time limitations of Complete Suppression she could not mask off her presence entirely. She had simply camouged herself, so while she was invisible, anyone with sharp senses could easily guess where she was. (Hmm¡­ guess he¡¯s got some skills.) If she had been found out, the only way to extract more information was to use force. But as soon as she decided that¡­ ¡¸I guess my intel was right, you¡¯re no ordinary foe.¡¹ Saying that, a man stepped up to the peak of a nearby rock. He was tall but skinny, wearing long purplish red clothes, a thin sword and a crossbow hung from his hips, and he had long elliptical sses with silver rims, his hair and eyes ashen. (I remember him¡­ back then.) Mira had seen that man before. He was one of the Sky Denizens she had run into in the Libra Fortress. ¡¸Heh, anyone would notice if such murderous eyes were turned their way.¡¹ Isaac turned around, his eyes focused on the man atop the rock. Meanwhile Mira realized she had not been found, so she slowly began to move so she would not get roped into whatever was about to happen. ¡¸There¡¯s stuff I want to know, and you¡¯ll tell me everything.¡¹ ¡¸You want to ask something then? Hmm, so you¡¯ve heard of me, Sentopolly¡¯s minister of foreign trade, Layton Nox?¡¹ The man in long clothes took his crossbow and pointed it at Isaac, who grinned while looking straight back at it without much care. (Sentopolly¡¯s minister of foreign trade Layton? Who¡¯s he talking about?) She double checked and his name was still Isaac, not Layton. She was starting to get confused about it all when the solution to the problem was revealed soon after. ¡¸Not really. I want to talk with Chimera uzen¡¯s Development Department¡¯s deputy head, Isaac Meyer.¡¹ Once the man in long clothes said that, Isaac raised his eyebrows slightly, probably as a reaction to hearing that name. ¡¸Then you have the wrong person. I¡¯m Layton Nox. I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of whoever you¡¯re looking for.¡¹ He quickly collected himself and denied it with a calm voice. Hearing that, Mira was able to discern that Layton Nox was a cover identity used by Isaac. ¡¸Deny it all you want, but your three underlings spoke more than enough.¡¹ A sly smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips as he unsheathed his sword, pointing its edge at Isaac on top of his crossbow. He did not look like had any intention of putting a criminal behind bars like a regr investigator would, instead he had all intention to kill Isaac. ¡¸Three? I see, so it was you who made them disappear. And that bloodlust in your eyes tells me you aren¡¯t from the Fifty Bells. I¡¯m actually confused, who are you?¡¹ Hearing about three people confessing, Isaac¡¯s demeanor changed instantly since he knew who they were. He stopped pretending and instead took his short wand from his waist and pointed it at the man. ¡¸There¡¯s no need for you to know.¡¹ Such was the cold and sharp reply, and he pulled the crossbow¡¯s trigger at the same time. The arrow released from the crossbow flew in a straight line towards Isaac¡¯s forehead. But just before it hit its target, the arrow was engulfed in mes and burnt away. Magic, Isaac had quickly unleashed a spell that stopped the arrow flying at a high speed. That showed Isaac was a rather skilled magician, and even as her opponent, Mira was impressed with him and decided to keep watching for a while longer. Without wasting a moment, Isaac unleashed a second fire attack, while the man in long clothes produced blue mes. That was the blue fire of exorcists. Red and blue collided between the two, sending res of bright fire everywhere. That was only the prelude for their fight. The fight between Isaac and the man in long clothes was fierce. With their starting distance, Isaac had the upper hand with his magic, messing with the man in long clothes with all sorts of tricky spells of many elements and behaviors. On top of all that, Isaac also had weapons made from ck mist stones. ording to the information obtained from the alchemist Johann, depending on how they were built, those could have additional effects on top of being able to devour spirits. Isaac currently wielded a ck dagger with a spiraling de. Every time he swung it, there was a trail of ck mist left which would reflect any iing attacks back at the man in long clothes. That was the additional power imbued in the spiral dagger, reflecting attacks. The mist left by the dagger nullified any ranged attacks, making the crossbow virtually useless at first. Every time an arrow was fired, Isaac would swing the dagger to renew the veil of mist. But this time when the arrow hit the mist, ayer of water was sprayed out from the point of contact. Chapter 128: Isaac Meyer (2) Chapter 128: Isaac Meyer (2) ¡¸What the-!¡¹ That water that seemed to have a faint glow was holy water used as a catalyst by exorcists. The man in long clothes had fired an arrow filled with holy water which would explode on contact. Still, it amounted to nothing more than a ssh of holy water, which had no offensive properties of its own. Unless it was used to channel a spell. Exorcist Holy Rule: Blue Fire of Atonement The man in long clothes cast a spell. At the same time, the holy water burst into mes as if it was fuel, blue mes engulfing Isaac. ¡¸F?u?c?k? you and your little tricks!¡¹ Isaac hurried to take off his burning coat and threw it away before leaping back. But a thin de was already chasing him. The man in long clothes used the short opening to rush in closer with his thin sword, using the blue mes as a simple distraction. The de reached Isaac¡¯s shoulder. And there was a loud metallic ng. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think you could react to that.¡¹ The man in long clothes muttered in astonishment. The tip of his de had not pierced the flesh, instead getting blocked by Isaac¡¯s short wand at thest instant. ¡¸Heh, unlucky.¡¹ Stopping the crossbow from moving with his dagger, Isaac cast another spell from close range. This time the spell created a powerful gust of wind, which flung both men up into the air. They bothnded at almost the same time, their positions almost identical to those at the start of the fight. In other words, Isaac had regained his positional advantage. Out of all sses of spellcasters, magicians had the fastest spells. Getting hit by them was rarely deathly, but Isaac knew how to fight to his advantage and had turned the fight in his favor again. He was clearly aware of his strengths and weaknesses. Once again, Isaac unleashed a barrage of spells on the man with long clothes. Lightning striking around him, showers of hail raining on him, and powerful gusts of wind stopping him from moving. He kept trying to get closer to Isaac again, but was too busy evading the endless stream of spells and could hardly move from his spot. Still, his face remained calm, only his sharp gaze seething with bloodlust against Isaac. He was still thinking of hunting Isaac down. Meanwhile Isaac looked somewhat desperate. His constant spells were quickly draining his mana, while the man in long clothes skillfully evaded everything. Isaac knew things would get nasty if there was no change to his n, when he found an opening. A lightning strike that had just been evaded cracked the rock under his opponent¡¯s feet. ¡¸Take this!¡¹ As the man in long clothes lost his footing, Isaac focused all his remaining mana into a countless barrage of fireballs. There was a sound like cannon fire every time each fireball was released, ck smoke rising everywhere while the ground shook slightly. That was a true disy of a magician¡¯s worth, a powerful attack that could take down even the most powerful monsters. ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ But the man with long clothes was still standing. Looking more closely, a thin transparent veil could be seen covering him. Barrier Art: Anti-Fire Formation, an exorcist skill that formed a barrier, which could be modified to resist various elements. But Isaac¡¯s magic had been incredibly powerful, wearing down the barrier and it faded away as soon as his attack was over. Not a scratch on him, the man in long clothes slowly walked forward. ¡¸Dammit!¡¹ Isaac was already at his limit, he had no mana left to stop the man. But he knew that a single attack that was at least a bit more powerful than the barrage of fireballs would break through a barrier. So he threw his short wand away, reaching into his chest pocket to take out his trump card. It was a dagger, not a regr one, but one imbued with the power of spirits. A momentter there was a fiery storm, the ground rumbling loudly while the area surrounding Isaac was scorched by an ever-increasing red glow. Thements from the spirit whose powers had been taken by force turned into anger, which manifested as mes that gathered to attack the man in long clothes. ¡®Calm down¡¯ The zing wave of spiritual magic was so violent and powerful it looked impossible to defend against. But the man in long clothes simply chanted two words. As soon as they came out of his mouth, the raging mes vanished as if snapped away by a magician. ¡¸What in the-?!!¡¹ Having been so confident in his attack, Isaac¡¯s eyes were round, staring dumbfounded as his shoulders began shaking. All that remained now was warm air, which was quickly dispersed by the wind. That had been his hidden, most powerful attack. But it had disappeared through some iprehensible method, leaving him in shock. Isaac struggled to understand what had happened. The man in long clothes knew that as well, his eyes focused on Isaac the entire time waiting for such an opening. Barely a second passed since Isaac lowered his guard, but that was enough for an arrow to pierce his knee. His mouth unable to produce any sound, Isaac fell down. Then a second shot was fired, an arrow digging into his elbow. At the same time, the spirit dagger was released from his hand and fell onto the ground. ¡¸You lost.¡¹ Even though Isaac¡¯s mobility and attacks had been restrained, the man in long clothes did not lower his guard as he slowly walked to Isaac, flicking away the dropped dagger with his sword. Isaac lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with anger as they focused on the man who stood in front of him. Isaac used what little mana he had managed to recover and cast me. It was one of the most basic skills of a magician, but used by a skilled person it could still be powerful. But the man in long clothes dispersed the fireball with his thin sword, even though it had been cast right in front of him. Isaac was not done trying to resist though, as he attempted to swing his untouched arm with the spiraling dagger. The dispersing mes masked the movement of the dagger, but the man in long clothes instantly flicked it away with his crossbow, and instantly shot another arrow piercing through the arm. A pained moan came from Isaac. The man in long clothes had incredibly sharp reflexes, almost as if someone was watching from afar and whispering everything that was happening into his ear. ¡¸Now you¡¯ll answer my questions. There should be a man named Zele Schedar in your group. Tell me where he is.¡¹ He pointed his crossbow at Isaac¡¯s forehead, asking with a terrifyingly cold voice. Chapter 129: A New Source of Information (1) Chapter 129: A New Source of Information (1) ¡¸Zele Schedar? Never heard of them.¡¹ Isaac looked at the sky, pretending to not feel anything but it was clear he was forcing the pain back. But soon after he shouted in pain, as yet another arrow pierced his only intact limb, his leg. The man in long clothes kept his eyes focused on Isaac as he reloaded his crossbow, his hands clearly ustomed to those movements. Having his four limbs pierced with arrows, Isaac¡¯s face contorted in pain as he looked at the man in long robes, and slowly began to tremble, noticing the deep hatred like a dark abyss inside his eyes. He was not even looking at Isaac as a human being. ¡¸I already told you, your three men spoke.¡¹ He said with a sharp and cold voice, mercilessly plunging his thin sword into Isaac¡¯s thigh. Blood started trickling out from the wound after a short dy, while Isaac struggled to contain a scream. ¡¸Okay, okay¡­! I¡¯ll talk¡­ I¡¯ll talk!¡¹ His earlier bravado waspletely gone, Isaac¡¯s eyes filled with fear and nothing else now. (That glow¡­ is it Fatal Pain?) Looking more closely, Mira noticed a dark red glow on the de. That made her think of a specific skill that would fit perfectly in this situation. Fatal Pain, a skill of the Concept tree that could amplify the pain caused on an enemy. There was no pain feature in the game, so back then there was little use for it, but seeing Isaac¡¯s reaction it was easy to tell it was a painful experience. When the man in long clothes pulled the sword out, the red glow vanished as the wound spouted more blood. ¡¸Now speak, where¡¯s Zele Schedar?¡¹ The man stuck the thin sword into Isaac¡¯s other thigh, then produced a small bottle from his pocket. There was a green liquid inside, which Mira recalled seeing in a Dinowal store, a healing potion, and a rather high level one. That potion would easily be able to heal all the wounds from the crossbow. Isaac knew that much as well. His eyes darted between the potion, the man, and the rocks behind. Eventually he seemed toe to a conclusion and slowly opened his mouth. ¡¸He¡¯s¡­he¡¯s¡­¡¹ Before he could get any more words out, an arrow came flying out of the blue, heading straight toward Isaac¡¯s throat. ¡¸What?!¡¹ Before it could reach its target, a tall white shield blocked its path, and after a metallic clink from the arrow the shield vanished. The man in long clothes looked at the red arrow on the ground surprised, then looked at the direction where it hade from. On the other end of the rock where the man in long clothes stood was an archer, who continuously cursed as he tried to understand what had happened to his arrow. ¡¸Dammit, what¡¯s going on here!¡¹ He had a reddish brown cloak, which dangled behind him as he put a second arrow on his bow. ¡¸I can¡¯t approve of such silencing methods.¡¹ ¡¸Who are-¡¹ Mira was standing behind that man. The moment he raised his voice, she took a step forward, and knowing entertaining his conversation could be a bad idea, she used her sage skill Shockwave on his back. An onrush of pure destruction, the shockwave assaulted the man before he could finish his question. It was a perfect surprise attack, and the immense pressure from the magic attack pierced mercilessly through his body. As if hit by arge animal, he was sent flying and turning in the air, rolling down the rock once hended. But even after going through all that, the man could still move. It was an obvious oue for a trained assassin with a resilient body, quickly pushing his body to stand up and instantly shooting an arrow to the spot where he had been standing. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡¹ The man was left speechless. When he raised his bow, what looked like arge white knight with a towering shield appeared in front of him. The white knight struck the shield forward, forcefully pushing him down on the ground with a dull sound. ¡¸Hmm, I had a hunch you were also part of Chimera.¡¹ A momentter Mira walked up to the fallen man, and noticed a ck dagger made from ck mist stones on his belt. The man wore many powerful spirit arms so the powerful attack had not killed him, but he was unconscious. Though it was still hard to say if it had been good luck or bad luck for him to survive through one of Mira¡¯s unrestrained attacks. Mira stripped him of all his possessions, then used the Arresting Cloth she had just bought to tie him up. Her Holy Knight picked him up and carried him as Mira walked towards the man in long clothes. ¡¸I remember seeing you in the Libra Fortress. I can see why you¡¯d be here too.¡¹ The man in long clothes recognized Mira, lowering his guard as she approached and looking at Isaac again. He remembered her as a member of the Fifty Bells. ¡¸I¡¯m also looking for information, you see, so I had to intervene here. I can¡¯t let him die yet.¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes turned to Isaac for a moment, then returned to the man in long clothes. ¡¸That¡¯s fine¡­ You can do whatever you want with him once I¡¯m done.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a great help, thoughst time was a bit disastrous.¡¹ He had killed all the Chimera members in the Libra Fortress thest time they had met, making it impossible for the Fifty Bells to obtain any information. Mira hinted at that event, and after a bit of consideration the man in long clothes decided to be more helpful this time. From what Mira had seen in the Libra Fortress, the man in long clothes had a strong hatred for Chimera uzen, and if she left them alone he would certainly kill Isaac. Even if Chimera¡¯s assassin had not shown up, if the man in long clothes got closer to killing Isaac, Mira would have stopped him as well, and understanding that he decided to be more cooperative. With all that out of the way, he began interrogating Isaac. He did not ask for anything regarding Chimera uzen overall, but only about one of their heads, called Zele Schedar. ording to Isaac, he was a man with a wealth of knowledge about spirits. He was the one developing methods to extract spiritual power, creating all those Shadow spirit arms used by Chimera. The spirit bomb was also one of his inventions. And the key piece of information, his location, was a small vige at the foot of a mountain to the east of Sentopolly. ¡¸A small vige? What¡¯s he doing there?¡¹ That was thest question, and Isaac replied that he honestly did not know. Only a handful of the highest ranking members knew what was happening there. Then the man in long clothes sheathed his sword and took a few steps away, showing he had gotten what he wanted. ¡¸What, are you going there alone?¡¹ Mira had watched everything from a distance, and as he walked past her she asked him that. ¡¸Yes, I am. Or are you going to stop me?¡¹ He stopped next to her, turning a cold stare towards her. ¡¸Not at all. The more you stand out, the less attention is focused on us.¡¹ If the Sky Denizens kept attacking Chimera uzen so openly, they would switch their defenses against them. That would give Mira and the others a far easier time working in the background. ¡¸Though if you could match your attacks with our own strategy, it would be the perfect diversion for us.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t care about that¡­ Though I still need to prepare some things, so I¡¯ll be attacking in seven days. If you want to match anything, try to keep up with me.¡¹ Without much hope, Mira decided to ask for his cooperation, and the man in long clothes only gave a date as his condition. Then he shoved half of the healing potion into Mira¡¯s hands and walked away. ¡¸Wait, who even is Zele Schedar? ¡¹ Mira was curious why someone from the Sky Denizens was so interested in only one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. As he left, she asked before he went too far away. Without turning around, he simply said ¡¸A traitor¡¹ and walked away. Mira went to Isaac¡¯s side, and before giving him the healing potion she pulled out the arrows stuck in his limbs. With each pull Isaac moaned painfully, but he understood that was needed so he did not offer resistance. Instead he onlyined about the man in long clothes, saying things like ¡¸someone like that can¡¯t be human.¡¹ ¡¸Also, thanks, I guess. Though maybe not, from what I heard you also want to interrogate me, right?¡¹ After binding him in Arresting Cloth too, she let Isaac drink the potion. It had a powerful healing effect, Isaac¡¯s wounds closing considerably and returning him to a stable state. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct. Will you reply honestly or do I have to force the information out of you?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you, of course. What do you want to know? Though actually, it seemed like you came out of nowhere, who are you?¡¹ He had given uppletely, sitting on the ground with his body restrained. Though he still had the courage to ask Mira a question first. ¡¸The Fifty Bells, that should be enough.¡¹ Not caring about his brazen attitude, she replied. ¡¸I see. So you¡¯ve gotten this far as well.¡¹ Isaac heaved a deep sigh and looked at the sky with a distant look. He understood the situation of Chimera uzen as a whole now, and could foresee its ending soon. Or at least that was how his expression looked. ¡¸So, what do you want to know? Are you searching for someone too?¡¹ Isaac¡¯s eyes focused on Mira again, looking decided, almost like this was his farewell. ¡¸Do you know an alchemist named Johann? Or actually, you should know him considering where you worked. Either way, he seems to have been taken captive, do you know where he is now?¡¹ It could not be a mere coincidence that Isaac had appeared in the warehouse facility while Mira rescued Angelique and Anne. So she turned a questioning look at Isaac. Chapter 129: A New Source of Information (2) Chapter 129: A New Source of Information (2) ¡¸Hmm¡­ I heard they moved him somewhere, but I wasn¡¯t told where. You see, we¡¯re only told the bare minimum for each of our departments, and I¡¯m not in charge of watching over people like him. So I really don¡¯t know much, seriously.¡¹ ¡¸I see, but you know what will happen if you lie or try to trick me, yes?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course. I¡¯m fully aware. I¡¯m just the deputy head of the Development Department, I never get told what those above me are up to behind the scenes.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ alright then.¡¹ He did not seem to be acting. There was no concrete proof, but that was Mira¡¯s intuition, so she decided to move onto the next question. ¡¸Then, do you know where Chimera uzen¡¯s big boss is hidden?¡¹ Big boss, Isaac interpreted that as her asking where their main base was. ¡¸Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t told that either. And just in case, I swear I¡¯m telling the truth. You¡¯ve seen how they want to get rid of me already, so I have no reason to hide anything.¡¹ His shoulders dropped slightly as he exined himself. ¡¸Somehow I feel like I caught someone in a far lower position than I thought¡­¡¹ ¡¸Throw me a bone, will you¡­ Deputies like me are switched out more often than they change their underwear by those big wigs in the main base.¡¹ He had a somewhat sullen look as he spoke, before adding ¡¸Though well, I don¡¯t know how useful this will be,¡¹ as a prelude to his mutterings about everything he knew about the main base. Isaac spoke of something his direct superior, Zele Schedar, had told him. First, the base is reallyrge, but it is hidden somewhere that can¡¯t be found through regr means, and they stored all the captured spirits and spirit arms in there. The location and method of entry was reserved for those in higher positions or with confidential secret missions. ¡¸And then there¡¯s guys like the one over there¡­¡¹ Getting to that point, Isaac looked at the restrained man that was being carried by the Holy Knight. His personal feelings seemed to surface as he spoke. He was part of the Deserter Hunters, a special group of highly skilled members inside of Chimera uzen that would assassinate anyone who waspromised. The higher heads would simply design who they deemed disadvantageous to keep alive, and they took care of it. The one they encountered earlier had seen a member get captured by their enemy, so he proceeded to attempt killing Isaac. It was also then that Isaac confessed that seeing one of the Deserter Hunters get overpowered so easily was the main reason why he was so cooperative now. The moment he became a target, there was no ce for him in Chimera anymore. If they saw him, he would get killed. So he decided to at least be a source of information worth keeping alive, so the Fifty Bells would shield him from more pursuers. That concluded everything Isaac had to say. ¡¸I see, I was starting to wonder why you were talking so much.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t really have any other options left.¡¹ There was no proof he was saying the truth or not, but Mira felt like he was being sincere. Though she did not necessarily trust him. ¡¸Ah right, I¡¯m pretty sure that Deserter Hunter should know where the main base is. Though considering how much they¡¯re trusted, I doubt it¡¯ll be easy to make him speak.¡¹ The memory of the man attempting to take his life still in his mind, Isaac red at the restrained man. ¡¸Ohh, interesting. He pretty much flew into my hands like a moth attracted to fire, huh.¡¹ ¡¸You were lucky he decided toe out in the first ce.¡¹ Mira was very happy hearing that one of the handful of people who knew the location of the main base had approached them. Her face had brightened up considerably, realizing she also had Isaac on her side, though he only did that to save his own life. ¡¸By the way, there¡¯s something else I¡¯m curious about.¡¹ Mira squatted down in front of Isaac, having remembered something. ¡¸You first called yourself uhh¡­ Sentopolly¡¯s foreign trade something something Layton, yes? Are you also involved with this country¡¯s politics?¡¹ She asked something she had been interested in. The correct title was Sentopolly¡¯s minister of foreign trade, Layton Nox. While it was a fake name, if he actually worked as minister until that guise, there could be many issues down the line. That would mean Chimera uzen had already infiltrated governments. ¡¸Ah, you heard me say that to the wacko earlier? I guess it makes sense if you arrived around that time.¡¹ Seeing he could not hide anything, Isaac revealed even more internal details. He did work with the government. All of the people with the most authority in Sentopolly were part of Chimera uzen, as well as around half of those with intermediate power. Not only that, but Sentopolly itself had been a country built by Chimera uzen. Isaac had joined them at ater date so he did not know all the details, but from what was told, Chimera uzen had abused the power of spirits to terraform a portion of the wastnds into a ce where humans could live. As more people moved in there and trade grew stronger, all the taxes and fees taken by the country were directly funneled into Chimera uzen¡¯s coffers. ¡¸In other words, this entire country is rotten to the core. Though man, I thought I worked well as Layton, and got pretty famous too. I really tried my best with that role.¡¹ Heughed despite himself, a shadow growing over his face as he thought back about things. ¡¸Ah right, there¡¯s one more thing you should keep in mind for my safety. Wherever you decide to imprison me, avoid a ce managed by the Union or a government at all costs.¡¹ Just in case, Isaac raised his head and added that. He said it was for his safety, in other words, if he was ced in a facility owned by the Union or the state, his life would be in danger. That made sense, considering that most of the government was corrupted by Chimera uzen, if they saw Isaac brought to prison, they would certainly kill him. ¡¸Hm, I get why you¡¯d want to avoid state owned facilities, but why mention the Union as well? As far as I know, they are an independent organization, separated from the government.¡¹ Mira was right, the United Adventurer¡¯s Guild was arge independent organization that built branches in mostrge countries of the continent, all of which had to ept to never interfere with the Union¡¯s work. ¡¸It¡¯s nothingplicated. There¡¯s just many members of Chimera masquerading as Union workers.¡¹ Shrugging a bit, Isaac exined his reasoning. Whether those workers were just Chimera¡¯s spies or assassins, he would still be in danger. All of the otherrge associations and organizations in the city were in a simr situation. ¡¸At first sight I thought it was a dazzling and beautiful city, but you¡¯re right, it¡¯s rotten to the core.¡¹ ¡¸In retrospect, I feel the same.¡¹ The two had a vacant chuckle after saying that. (Well, I ended up getting a bigger haul than I expected, but I don¡¯t know what to do now.) If the Deserter Hunter would keep his mouth shut, she decided it was best if a professional took care of interrogating him, so she would have to take the two men she captured back with her. But there was the danger it could end up simrly to how it went with Mylenne, so just to avoid such a situation, Mira decided to ask Isaac if he had any item that could be used to track him. ¡¸Are there Magic Wares that can do that? But hmm¡­ ah, there¡¯s this weird te we use as entrance passes for the diet building, maybe that could be one?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ that sounds suspicious, where is it now?¡¹ ¡¸It should be inside a small case I keep hanging from my belt under my robe.¡¹ Isaac turned his body in an exaggerated manner, saying ¡¸It should be around there.¡¹ At this point there was little reason for Isaac to n something, but just in case Mira carefully began feeling around through the robe. ¡¸Umm¡­ how should I put this¡­ that feels kinda funny.¡¹ Seeing Mira, a young and cute girl groping his robe from so close, made Isaac speak his honest feelings. ¡¸Get your mind off the gutter.¡¹ Mira instantly punched him, leaving Isaac teary eyed as he realized she was far stronger than her appearance suggested. ¡¸Hmm, is it this?¡¹ Inside the small case, Mira found a te inscribed with many weird patterns and symbols. Isaac looked at it and said ¡¸Other than that, they only gave me weapons and armor.¡¹ To be safe, Mira took the weird te, Isaac¡¯s short wand, his dagger, and all the spirit arms he had, and hid them on a nearby rock. She did not use her Item Box to store them since she still did not know how the tracking worked. After that, Mira searched through the Deserter Hunter, finding a simr te, which she bunched with his weapons and took them to another rock. ¡¸The issue now is how to transport all of this.¡¹ Mira looked at the two men she captured, wondering how and where she should take them. The first option was to take them to their shelter in Irene, where Hebi could interrogate them further, but the distance was an issue. Walking with two restrained men would stand out regardless of the ce though, so first she had to have Worthramble hide them. That meant there were at least four of them, Mira, Worthramble, and the two men. The load would be too much for Pegasus to carry, even if she stayed behind and left them in Worthramble¡¯s care. Garuda would be too big and stand out, the bond between Mira and Worthramble too weak to hide therge bird. (They¡¯ve all grown so much too¡­) Mira thought of her other summons that could fly, but they were not viable for the same reason. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll just have to ask someone for help after all.¡¹ After pondering about it for a long time, she finally decided this was not a task she could fulfill alone, and it was best if she went to consult with her friends. She had the Holy Knight carry the two men to the foot of a rocky hill, and left it as a guard there. Then he asked Worthramble to stay with them too, camouging them from vision. They were in the shadow of a rock, and hidden from visibility by Worthramble. Unless someone specifically searched for them, no one would know they were there. Mira walked a distance away and looked back to make sure everything was arranged properly, then summoned Pegasus and rode back to Sentopolly. Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (1) Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (1) It was dinner time in the city, so the dining hall of The Gourmand¡¯s Indulgence, which was filled with restaurants renting the space, was crowded with people looking for food. One could find food from all over the continent there, and some restaurants focused on drinks as well, which essentially turned them into bars. Mira had returned to Sentopolly wanting to ask for help with transporting the two Chimera uzen members she had captured, and now she was on the same floor as all those hungry adventurers looking for a bar. (Ohh, this ce looks kinda like one.) There were a lot of sample snacks on the disy window, as well as multiplebels of liquor bottles. Mira had the impression that it had to be a rather important ce from the way it looked, so she quickly walked inside. ¡¸Wee! Table for one?¡¹ A worker with a very energetic voice greeted Mira, followed by the rest of the staff greeting her in a simr way like an echo. That gave Mira the impression that this was an experienced establishment, though she had not gone there as a client. ¡¸Ah, sorry I¡¯m just looking for someone. Could I take a look around inside?¡¹ She said with a slightly awkward voice. ¡¸Sure, look around as much as you wish.¡¹ The worker agreed with a bright smile. There were tables arranged just after the entrance, and further back there was a spot with cushions on a soft floor for those who preferred sitting on the floor. The staff even taught her the best route to check every table. Mira thanked them and followed their indications, looking throughout the establishment. There were even more workers there who greeted her as she passed by, and the clients were all conversing amiably as well. In a few words, there was a bit of a party, a bit of a bar, and just happiness all around there. ¡¸It seems they aren¡¯t here. Sorry for taking your time.¡¹ Having checked every table, Mira returned to the entrance, told that to the worker and left. As she left, there was an energetic ¡¸Come back soon!¡¹ behind her. Hearing that Mira¡¯s mood improved slightly as she began looking for another bar. The next one she checked was rather lively, boisterous even. There was arge group of men that werepletely drunk, making one wonder how early they had started drinking. Not wanting to get too close to them, Mira asked the staff if she could look for someone and began searching from a distance. In short, that ce could be described with adventurers, alcohol, and drunkards. Looking further inside the ce, she saw that there was something like a ring in the far end, where two men who looked like adventurers were punching each other. Apparently the establishment allowed fights as long as they happened inside there. On top of that, most of the staff were excellent Saints, so they could take care of any injured, and they even sold drinks with healing effects, so it was surprisingly safe, while also increasing profits considerably and giving the establishment a curious theme. Mira checked their menu and saw there were many drinks with the Healing prefix, and at a considerable markup. Those had been prepared with special additives that gave them healing properties. Aftermending the management for focusing so much on adventurer clients, Mira left the ce as soon as she found the people she was looking for were not there. The third ce she visited looked like aid-back pub, entirely illuminated by indirect lighting. Like earlier, Mira said she was looking for someone before searching the establishment. There was a man sitting alone with his drink, a couple cuddling together, another man who kindly greeted a woman who just arrived, and yet another who was still waiting for someone. There was essentially no conflict or fights there, just calm conversations. It really was a calm establishment, bringing to mind words like mature, refined, or ¡¸a gift from the gentleman over there.¡¹ Some of the people there tried starting a conversation with Mira as well, but she refused all, exining she was looking for someone. However, she noticed some of those people were women as well, making her realize that her impression of Fra being a rare specimen might have been mistaken. That was mostly the kind of pub where men and women would gather at night trying to socialize. Just in case she still searched through it, but she did not find anyone she knew. A female warrior who looked extremely outgoing was waving her hand towards Mira, with a smile that resembled that of Fra and the maids in Arkite¡¯s castle, so Mira quickly waved back as her lip cramped into a forced smile and fled the establishment. The fourth establishment focused on food grilled on skewers, with an interior design modeled strongly after traditional Japanese architecture. Tatami mats, izakaya, and hidden in an alley, were all words that came to mind seeing it. Like a secret spot few people knew in a city. Though it was filled with customers, and it was not hidden at all. Already used to it, Mira told the front clerk she was looking for someone and entered. The sizzling of food could be hearding from the kitchen, and many of the clients she could see were eating skewers of pork and negi. The pieces of meat wererge, and they had a satisfying texture when bitten into. There were many others with skewers of shrimp, squid, and other shellfish. Considering the many variations one could prepare with those ingredients, it was no surprise that the menu had more than a hundred items. There were a few special items too, like cake or ice cream. Seeing all that made her want to sit down and eat as well, an impulse she had to force herself to resist. Pulling back tears, she looked away from the skewers and searched. ¡¸Ohh, so this is where you¡¯ve been!¡¹ Halfway through the fourth establishment she looked through, Mira finally found the person she had been looking for. ¡¸Hm? Oh, hello Mira. You were looking for me?¡¹ Near the end of the ce, Mira found Arlon sitting on a table, arge mug on one hand and the other helping him devour a pile of skewers. ¡¸Yes, I have a couple of things I¡¯d like to discuss.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ should we go back to the room then?¡¹ Mira looked around carefully as she spoke, which told Arlon enough, so he nodded and downed the remaining beer in a single chug. He stood up, while Mira¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the mountain of skewers. Arlon then went to a nearby waiter and asked for his remaining skewers to be wrapped up, while also ordering a bottle to drinkter. He picked everything up and headed to the room where he was staying. Mira had a wide smile as she followed behind him. In the room on the fifth floor, Mira happily ate skewers while updating Arlon in thetest developments. She told him of the Graveyard of War Memorials, the connection with the Melville Trading Corporation, the alchemist Johann, the materials used to make ck mist stones, and anything that was important while omitting small details. She also mentioned the ck market auction she found out about, Isaac from Chimera uzen who she held captive outside the city, and the Deserter Hunter. To finish, she reported on the situation of Sentopolly¡¯s government ording to Isaac. Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (2) Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (2) ¡¸I see. I had a hunch the government was involved too, but I had not expected the entire country to have been built by Chimera¡­¡¹ Arlon looked slightly surprised, but he had suspected something simr so his voice remainedposed. Then he told Mira of his own findings in Sentopolly. Only one day had happened since their joint investigation with Sero¡¯s group though, so there was little to report. The main thing being the existence of multiple state owned establishments of mysterious purpose, that even the citizens found odd. ¡¸I started investigating some of those ces just in case, but knowing what you¡¯ve just told me, I think it¡¯s very likely those buildings are rted to Chimera. Though now I also understand how this country developed so quickly.¡¹ The country had gone from being an inhospitable wastnd and cliffsides to arge city that could stand on its ownpared to other countries, in just twenty years. Something like that was usible if they had arger budget than that of arge country, together with thetest technologies. Not to mention that this world had skills that no one really knew the upper limits of. Most thought Sentopolly had borrowed money from other countries for that. ¡¸I know, seeing how much the terrain changed, it¡¯s easy to imagine spiritual power was used for it.¡¹ But if the leaders of the country were all part of Chimera uzen, reality was a bit different. They would not requirerge sums of money or specialized spellcasters, they could just abuse spiritual power to do everything. Mira recalled the perfect terraces carved into a cliff she had seen before. But thinking that it had all been done with power mercilessly robbed from spirits, an indescribable emotion welled up inside her. They had not yet obtained definite proof that it was the truth. ¡¸So, you wanted suggestions on what to do with the deputy and assassin you captured, right?¡¹ But Arlon seemed convinced that it was true, his eyes glowing with a desire to fight back. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m not sure where to take them.¡¹ They would get killed in any state managed or Union owned establishment. The best option was to rely on the Eabates Trading Corporation in Roseline again, but that would make transporting them trickier, and Mira¡¯s summons would stand out too much. ¡¸In that case wouldn¡¯t the Fifty Bells branch be better? They also have a confinement chamber just in case after all.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, is there really? It looked like a rather cramped house to me.¡¹ The branch in question was located in the southern end of the city, a small building that looked like an ordinary home. While it had a rather deep basement, Mira did not remember seeing anything resembling such a chamber there. ¡¸I know, it doesn¡¯t look like much from the outside. I¡¯ve never used it before, but there was a basement with amunications device, right? From what I heard, you can go further down to a secure confinement chamber.¡¹ ¡¸Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed at all.¡¹ Mira was still shocked at that discovery, but was d that there was such a convenient ce nearby. ¡¸I heard Uzume cast a special barrier on it to hide it, so it makes sense you wouldn¡¯t notice.¡¹ ¡¸A barrier, you say? I see.¡¹ Arlon spoke with a respectful voice, which bordered on reverence. It was like he was talking of something very rarely seen, which made Mira feel even more impressed too. Barriers were a special type of skills which could be used by a handful of sses. Out of those, Onmyoji masters had thergest varieties of barriers, as well as thergest and strongest. Obviously enough, the barrier holding the Fifty Bells headquarters underwater was also one of those. ¡¸Well, I guess that settles our next move then. I¡¯ll go back to the branch and get things ready to receive the prisoners, you should go get those two and bring them without anyone noticing with your uhh¡­ power of stillness or whatever it was called.¡¹ Arlon stood up saying that, filling his ss with cold water to get rid of the effects of alcohol, gulping it down in one go. Then he pped his cheeks. ¡¸Sounds good. It would stand out too much if I was carrying a public figure tied up after all.¡¹ It was not too rare to see a criminal who was arrested be carried away in public in this world, but it was a different story if a government official was involved. Considering there was Chimera uzen to worry about too, they could not allow anyone to see Isaac. Mira understood that much, so she frowned as she calcted how much she could use Complete Suppression. Then she picked up a handful of skewers and stood up, one cannot fight with an empty stomach after all. Even though the sun had set, the streets of Sentopolly were lit brightly bymps, making it look no different than at daytime. Having found out that such a sight had only been possible through the sacrifice of countless innocent spirits, Mira could not bring herself to find it beautiful, closing her eyes in mourning as she flew away on Pegasus. Since there was a possibility other people were looking for the two captives, Miranded a considerable distance away, and then carefully approached the hiding spot while watching her surroundings. ¡¸So, how did it go on your side?¡¹ Mira was let in into the area affected by Worthramble¡¯s magic and spoke to him. He said there was one suspicious looking person that passed by, but he did not notice them. ¡¸Have you decided where you¡¯ll take them?¡¹ he continued. ¡¸Yes, obtaining a third opinion was a good idea. I found the perfect ce.¡¹ Saying that, Mira quickly ordered the Holy Knight to carry the two captives. While such an act would have looked far worse if done by a Dark Knight, it still looked like a kidnapping. But that depended on if they would be seen. Mira, Worthramble, Isaac, and the Deserter Hunter were all invisible to anyone else as they walked through the rocky hills heading back to Sentopolly. Around an hourter, Mira took a detour, going around the city so she would enter directly into the southern district where the Fifty Bells branch was. Unlike the bustling center of the city, that district was silent and calm. Though there were still people around. Common workers that had to work overtime were going home now, and there were guards dotted around making sure the streets were safe. There was less light there too, which made footsteps stand out more. Mira and Worthramble would have been able to sneak through without much issue, but the Holy Knight¡¯s heavy footsteps would feel incredibly out of ce in the darkness. ¡¸There¡¯s still around half a kilometer left. Worthramble, how long can you sustain Complete Suppression?¡¹ Mira did not want to create any rumors about heavy footsteps or a weird white figure carrying someone in the southern district during the same night when a government official vanished. So she decided she would have to use what little remaining time she had using Complete Suppression. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ around five minutes, I reckon.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that should be enough.¡¹ Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (3) Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (3) Mira calcted there was enough time to get there under Complete Suppression, so she gave the order to activate it. The effect of running five hundred meters in less than a minute was shouldered entirely by the two prisoners. They hung helplessly on the Holy Knight¡¯s shoulder, obviously shaking violently as it ran. Once they stood in front of the Fifty Bells branch of Sentopolly, Mira stepped out of Complete Suppression to knock on the door. There was the sound of a key turning, then Arlon peeked out, who had been there getting things ready to receive the prisoners. ¡¸I really can¡¯t see them. Or feel them, for that matter.¡¹ He looked around, focusing mostly in the area behind Mira, beingpletely astonished at the fact he could not notice the two prisoners or the spirit that ought to be there. Eventually he said ¡¸Are they even here?¡¹ starting to doubt himself. ¡¸Amazing, I know. Our footsteps would have stood out too much, so I cranked up the effect to the maximum.¡¹ Mira grinned proud of herself as she entered, and when she was sure everyone else was also inside, she closed the door. Then she said ¡¸We¡¯re safe here,¡¹ dispelling Complete Suppression. ¡¸Ohh! That¡¯s actually incredible.¡¹ Worthramble, a Holy Knight, and two prisoners with pallid green faces appeared out of the blue. Arlon was left bbergasted, having been unable to even notice something off in the room before they appeared, even though he had spent years training his perception. ¡¸I¡¯ve lost count of how many times you¡¯ve surprised me.¡¹ He started grinning like a child, having witnessed a power more incredible than he had imagined. Arlon was already considered old in his line of work, and had garnered enough power to be recognized as one of the best, but seeing something he knew little about still stirred his curious mind to learn more. ¡¸I wasn¡¯t even trying, though.¡¹ Mira, full of herself as always, just shrugged it off. They passed through the secret door and descended through the underground passage. They reached the gray room with a ckmunications device, and inside the room there was arge iron gate Mira did not recall seeing before. Arlon walked ahead of them, opening the gate and gesturing to Mira to follow. That was where the secret restraining chamber he had mentioned was located. ¡¸Oh right, a special delivery courier arrived earlier too.¡¹ Holding the gate open with one hand, Arlon looked into a corner of the gray room and pointed with his free hand. Following his finger, Mira saw a red bird which she remembered seeing before, and even had a name. ¡¸Ohh, I see. That exins the speed.¡¹ That bird was around one meter long, the feathers covering its body of a shiny vermillion, and a glistening gold on the tail. Its head was of a translucent blue, its bird face looking oddly serene. Its name was Piisuke, a high level shikigami used by Kagura, the wiseman of onmyoji. A Suzaku that could easily fly at speeds over two hundred kilometers per hour. Mira also noticed a small box hanging with a string from its neck, which had a cutesy cat mark on it, as well as ¡¸emergency delivery¡¹ written on it. Seeing all that, Mira knew there was little that could deliver a parcel faster than that. ¡¸It might be better if I take care of this first then.¡¹ Seeing the bird standing there without anything to do, Mira felt bad for making it wait even longer, so she muttered that to Arlon, deciding to dispatch the documents first. ¡¸Sure.¡¹ Arlon nodded, and Mira left the two prisoners in his care, telling the Holy Knight to obey all of Arlon¡¯s orders. That made the Holy Knight walk away from Mira¡¯s side, and it did as told, going to wherever Arlon told it to. ¡¸Somehow it feels like I¡¯ve been left in charge ofmandeering a toon of knights.¡¹ Arlon smiled amused, even though he only had a single knight under hismand. Regardless, the two vanished further inside the corridor. ¡¸Alright, Piisuke. Take care of this.¡¹ Apart from Johann¡¯s documents, Mira also included a sample of ck Mist Stones in the box. Then she wrote ¡¸HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, DON¡¯T OPEN NEAR SPIRITS¡¹ inrge and thick letters. (I might as well do this while I¡¯m here.) Having secured everything inside the box, all that was left was to let the bird return. Her hands a bit free again, Mira decided she would report the incredible progress from thest few hours, reaching for themunications device. ¡¸Hello, it¡¯s me.¡¹ Now that she knew the device automatically called the headquarters, Mira avoided saying anything stupid and instead started with that greeting. ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re finally here Grandpa! I was getting tired of waiting!¡¹ Uzume aka Kagura¡¯s voice rang loudly through the entire room. Mira was startled by that, turning a shocked look towards Piisuke. ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for more than an hour already!¡¹ The voice sounded like the speaker was in the same room, noting from themunications device, but from Piisuke. ¡¸What in the world is going on?¡¹ Piisuke was talking with Kagura¡¯s voice, and unlike its earlier unmoving stance, it now moved with exaggerated motions as if mimicking a human. It was imitating Kagura¡¯s movement, putting the tip of its wings around the same area where its hips would probably be, ring at Mira. ¡¸Am I actually going crazy?¡¹ The shikigami Piisuke was talking in the voice of its master Kagura, and moving in a simr way too. Mira had never seen anything like that before, but she quickly figured it had to be a newly developed skill. cing the receiver down, Mira crouched in front of Piisuke, grabbing its body and turning him over and around with an entertained and curious look in her eyes. ¡¸Ah, stop! Don¡¯t be so rough! I¡¯m getting dizzyyyy.¡¹ Piisuke let out a helpless cry as its eyes went in circles being turned by Mira¡¯s arms. Having remembered that Mira/Danbulf was a maniac when it came to new techniques and developments with skills, Kagura (currently as Piisuke) somehow managed to escape from Mira¡¯s curious grip, and after a deep sigh and many evil res she started exining the skill to Mira, That skill was called Sense Sync. It was limited to familiars created with one¡¯s own mana, but it allowed the caster to see and hear through the entity, and when mastered could be used to control the entity directly to a certain extent. But while it was active, most of the caster¡¯s senses were directly tied to the familiar, so if they are shaken violently like Mira did earlier, they would feel everything as if it was happening to their real body, leaving them horribly dizzy. ¡¸Familiars summoned from one¡¯s own mana? Does that mean I can use it on Armor Spirits too?!¡¹ Having patiently listened to the exnation so far, in an instant she had encroached onto Piisuke¡¯s face and spoke with an excited voice. ¡¸Umm, probably? Necromancers had sess using it before, so I guess it could work with Armor Spirits too.¡¹ Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (4) Chapter 130: A Good Interrogator (4) Not wanting to endure torture again, Piisuke took a step back and spoke from a distance. All shikigamis were given form through the mana of the caster, so Sense Sync could be used with any shikigami. Meanwhile with summons like Valkyrie, Isenfald, or Worthramble, mana was only used to open a portal for them to pass through. But Armor Spirits like the Dark Knight were different, those were artificial objects and spirits, which manifested entirely through the caster¡¯s mana just like a shikigami. That was something the wiseman Danbulf had discovered, and was one of the fundamentals of summoners. An analogy would be that artificial spirits were like software, and mana constructed the hardware. Though the exact reason for that difference between contracted spirits and artificial spirits was still being researched. ¡¸Hmm, interesting, very interesting. Then-¡¹ ¡¸Let¡¯s finish this conversation another day Grandpa! You called to report something, right? Tell me that first.¡¹ Assuming there was something more important behind the call, Piisuke interrupted Mira. Mira had gotten obsessed with Sense Sync, but she could not finish saying ¡¸then teach me how to use it¡¹, which left her pouting. But she also knew that reporting about the two prisoners was an important matter. So holding back bitter tears she gave up on learning about the skill, and spoke about her progress instead. Mira started telling her about the ck market auction, to the date seven dayster given by the man in long clothes, and the truth of Sentopolly ording to Isaac. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. We¡¯re about to try getting information out of the second prisoner, the assassin.¡¹ With that, she finished her report. ¡¸That¡¯s a lot of progress Grandpa!¡¹ Piisuke had listened attentively, only raising an energetic voice when Mira was done. Then it patted Mira¡¯s shoulder, apparently in a good mood. ¡¸It was nothing difficult for me. I was only nning on telling you about it, but if you can see, talk and hear already, it might be faster if I bring you into the interrogation too.¡¹ Mira figured it was faster to take Kagura through Sense Sync to witness everything, instead of having to call and make yet another report.. ¡¸I¡¯ll take over the interrogation. I¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡¹ With thosest words, Kagura¡¯s voice left Piisuke, who remained still like a lifeless statue. ¡¸You¡¯ll be here? What do you mean? You¡¯re already here.¡¹ Mira spoke to Piisuke, but unlike the previous movements, it only cocked its head to the side as if unable to understand a word. Kagura had probably cut Sense Sync already. Piisuke would have been enough for her to see everything that happened, so Mira went closer to Piisuke, lifting it up and shaking it violently, yelling into wherever she thought its ears were. ¡¸Heyyy, what happened to youuu? Answer meeee!¡¹ No matter how violently she shook Piisuke or how loudly she shouted, there was no reaction. Mira figured that meant Kagura had really stopped using the skill. Then she began thinking what she might have meant with, ¡¸I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡¹ Barely a few momentster, Piisuke began glowing, still held in Mira¡¯s hand, and an instantter it vanished, Kagura herself taking its ce. ¡¸Wha-!¡¹ ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Kagura had appeared held high above Mira¡¯s head. And she was in the same position as Piisuke, namely upside down. The result was obvious. Mira¡¯s arms were too weak to hold up a person, so Kagura fell to the floor head-first. Mira was below her so she did note out unscathed either, the two colliding and tangling together as they fell down. ¡¸Owwiee. Why is the floor above my head¡­¡¹ ¡¸What happened? What did I just see¡­¡¹ Mira and Kagura rolled around the floor, neither of them had anticipated that situation at all. Kagura had not exined anything before cuttingmunications, and Piisuke was far lighter than it looked, allowing Mira to easily move and rotate it however she wished. The result was a rather strange scene, which looked like a fall right out of a manga, which sometimes were called lucky pervert scenes. The main difference was that this time both(?) of them were girls. ¡¸Miraa! I heard a loud noise, what hap¡­pened?¡¹ The extravagant fall had made a loud thumping noise which Arlon heard, so he returned to see what happened and was left speechless when he saw them. Mira was down on her back, with Kagura on top of her, their bodies turned around 180 degrees so it looked like they were showing each other a certain part of their bodies. Kagura wore a red and white dress, which at first sight resembled that of a shrine maiden. Though there were a few considerable changes, she was covered in a wide coat with prints of cat faces and paws, and her skirt looked like a red hakama that went down to her knees. It was modified enough that it could fit into the Magical Girl Style umbre. ¡¸Oh, Arlon? Good evening.¡¹ Holding her forehead in one hand, probably from the heavy blow she received, Kagura raised her face from between Mira¡¯s thighs and dizzily greeted Arlon. ¡¸I think greetings can wait¡­¡¹ Meanwhile her hips rested right on top of Mira¡¯s face, who somehow managed to wriggled her face out of Kagura¡¯s skirt and tried to get free. ¡¸Umm¡­err¡­sooo¡­okay, actually, why are you here, Uzume?¡¹ Arlon struggled to figure out the right words, eventually deciding to pretend he never saw the situation the two were in, focusing only on the presence of Uzume, themander of the Fifty Bells, in there. ¡¸And because of that, I decided toe to do the interrogation myself.¡¹ ¡¸That seems to be it. Somehow she involved me in it and we ended up like that though. What a mess.¡¹ Mira and Uzume were back on their feet, acting like nothing had happened. Uzume exined that she used a special onmyoji skill that allowed her to exchange ces with Piisuke. Because Mira had been holding up Piisuke, upside down, Uzume was also in that position when she appeared there. ¡¸I had no idea such a skill existed, but you¡¯re ourmander for a reason. But this speeds things up, I¡¯ve already set up everything so you can start the interrogation anytime.¡¹ Not wanting to hear any further exnation, Arlon decided to hasten their movements and turned around, walking through the iron gate again. ¡¸Anyway, Grandpa, don¡¯t you think your underwear is a bit too shy?¡¹ ¡¸Right back at you, aren¡¯t you too old to be wearing underwear with cat stamps?¡¹ Once Arlon was gone, the two red at each other saying that, but it did notst too long. Uzume said a single word, ¡®Pervert¡¯, which left Mira without a chance at defending herself, so she just hung her head in defeat. Chapter 131: Revelation (1) Chapter 131: Revtion (1) With the sudden arrival of Uzume, themander of the Fifty Bells, the branch director Mattie becamergely flustered. Uzume ignored her, and took over by interrogating the men in a rather effective way. Basically, she used a certain onmyoji skill she developed independently which served to hypnotize her target. Uzume, known as Wiseman Kagura in the past, stood a step above all other onmyoji masters, so the two men had no means of resisting her power and spoke everything they knew. The information obtained from them reached state secrets and other highly secretive matters, leaving not only Arlon and Mattie, but also Mira and Uzume speechless. Isaac on the other hand, said no more than what he had already told Mira. In other words, he had already exposed everything he knew. So basically he hadpletely turned on Chimera, bing honest with everything he said. The Deserter Hunter¡¯s name was Jamal, he had used a bow earlier, but his actual ss was a Forbidden Arts spellcaster. He used his skills to produce poison and venom, which he employed to assassin his victims. He had all the internal and state secrets. The most valuable detail obtained from him was the location of Chimera uzen¡¯s headquarters. Uzume was exhrated by that, tightly hugging Mira like she was her dear kitten, giving Mira the biggest show of affection she was capable of. Sadly Jamal was specialized in assassinations, knowing nothing about Johann¡¯s location, or even who he was to begin with. So that was something that would need more investigation. ¡¸Still, they really built it in a rather tricky location¡­¡¹ ¡¸I had already guessed as much after being unable to find it through aerial searches. But oh well, I guess we can¡¯t carpet bomb them after all.¡¹ The two old friends said to each other. Uzume¡¯s words were rather disturbing, but showed just how far she was willing to go. That was also because of how unforgivable Chimera uzen¡¯s sins were. While the location was clear now, that also posed new problems for them. There was arge rocky mountain to Sentopolly¡¯s east, and the headquarters were deep underground below it. Even a handful of the former Nine Wisemen would encounter difficulties getting there. On top of that, there was no entrance for the ce on the surface. The only way of getting there was through hidden passages inside awork of tunnels used to exchange information between various ces. The entrances to those tunnels were all well hidden though, and only a handful of members knew their full extent. Their only saving grace was that once a hidden passage was found, it was a direct path to the headquarters. One tunnel with such a hidden passage was located not too far from the ce where Isaac and the man in long robes fought. Many members knew of the tunnels, but only a handful, including Jamal, knew of the hidden passage to the headquarters. Though he also said that now that he was captured, the three entrances he knew had already been destroyed. While there were probably around a hundred hidden passages like that, Chimera uzen was so wary that even an important member would only get to know around three of them. And once someone like that was captured, they would swiftly destroy all entrances that could bepromised. When they asked for the other two entrances, just in case, one was far away in the wastnds, and the other was annexed to a General Affairs Agency in Sentopolly. All three of them were probably lost already, but it was still valuable information to know. ¡¸A General Affairs Agency, huh. There¡¯s a few others scattered in the city, maybe that one wasn¡¯t the only one with an entrance.¡¹ He had only been in the city for a few days, but Arlon was already familiar with itsyout, and he said that with a confident smile. Sentopolly had been built from the ground up by Chimera uzen. If one of the General Affairs Agencies there had a connection to an important organ of Chimera uzen, there was a high possibility the others did too. They asked Jamal in case he knew something, but he said he was never told about it, but that there probably were such connections. That was a good enough clue. If they were able to sniff out at least one entrance, it would be enough tounch a full on frontal assault on their headquarters. ¡¸Well, we just have to find one of the entrances then.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and I think the best way to search for one would be for Mira and I to capture some important politician in the country.¡¹ The entrances were concealed with specialized magic wares, so trying to search for one without knowing the location could be tricky. So the best way to find that would be to find an important higher-up of the country, interrogate them, and go to the entrance faster than it could be sealed away. ¡¸Hmm, that does sound like a good n.¡¹ Mira was in agreement. Even if Worthramble only gave them optic camouge, it would let them sneak around much more easily, and her other summons could deal with all sorts of situations. Then Uzume¡¯s skills would allow her to interrogate anyone swiftly and without resistance. Knowing that Chimera uzen also ran Sentopolly, meaning anyone with power and influence was a member, designating a target was easier too. If they targeted someone with a lot of power and public presence, it would be difficult to make them disappear afterwards. As long as they chose the ce correctly, it would not be too difficult. Though at the same time, someone in such a position of power would surely be heavily guarded too. But it was two of the most proficient spellcasters in the world targeting them, so no matter how heavy the guard was, they could easily break through. It was a rather risky and daring n, but if Mira and Uzume worked together it would be rtively easy, making it their best course of action. ¡¸You two can say the most oundish things without a care in the world, I swear.¡¹ Usually a n like that would be shot down for being too reckless, but somehow when it came to Mira and Uzume, they spoke like sess was the only possible result, leaving Arlon baffled. ¡¸I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll really get much that way.¡¹ But Isaac interrupted their n. ¡¸I know I said most of Sentopolly¡¯s higher ups are also powerful members of Chimera uzen, but I didn¡¯t mean those living here in Sentopolly.¡¹ Isaac continued talking, his eyes glistening as he spilled more valuable information. Everything he said sounded exactly like the Chimera uzen they hade to know and expect. First, all politicians known to Sentopolly¡¯s citizens and other countries, including the prime minister and other ministers, are all substitutes. Chimera uzen is literally in their shadows, using them as proxies to control the city, and the people actually in power have never been seen by the public. So no one really knows what Chimera uzen¡¯s agents actually look like, even though they¡¯re the ones actually governing the city. In other words, even if they were to sneak into the prime minister¡¯s room, and interrogate the prime minister that everyone knows, he would be a proxy with no knowledge about the hidden passages, and probably be oblivious that those giving him orders are actually Chimera uzen. On top of that, some of Chimera uzen¡¯s agents were posing as nobles from other countries, who were just interested in forming a strong bond with Sentopolly. That allowed those who came from the headquarters to barely ever show themselves, and be regarded as phnthropists interested in making a livable ce out in the wastnds. That also made it trickier to try convincing the ministers to give up who was giving them orders. Not to mention that they would probably refuse to listen even if the entire situation was exined to them. ¡¸Or well, at least that¡¯s what I understood from my talks with superiors, so your n probably won¡¯t work. There are other people with simr authority to me in the city, but there¡¯s no way they know more than me, since they¡¯re all in the same bracket as I was. I doubt any of them knows about the secret passages.¡¹ Having revealed even more of Chimera uzen¡¯s secrets, Isaac looked expectant of something, like a puppy that just performed a trick and wanted a reward. Uzume ced a seal on his cheek, then chanted some sort of incantation, but there was little change. ¡¸Hmm, it seems you¡¯re telling the truth. You were both sincere with Mira earlier and with me now, that¡¯s really unexpected for someone who used to be part of Chimera.¡¹ Chapter 131: Revelation (2) Chapter 131: Revtion (2) The seal was a way for Uzume to verify the veracity of his words. Everything he had said before had been prompted by hypnosis, but now he had spoken willfully, so she had a need to make sure it was true. While Isaac¡¯s sincerity had been proven, Uzume¡¯s voice still rang cold, mercilessly adding, ¡¸I still won¡¯t forgive you though.¡¹ Uzume¡¯s skill had also revealed his intentions though, that Isaac was expecting to lessen the severity of his sentence by revealing what he knew. But noticing that his n had been noticed, he just forced a bitter smile. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s well and all, but there¡¯s other things I¡¯d like to know. Mind answering?¡¹ Once they had extracted all the information about Chimera¡¯s main base, Mira had other questions she wanted answered, details about the person mentioned by the man in long clothes. When they had met in the Libra Fortress, Mira thought the conflict between the two groups had started because one revered spirits, making them antagonize Chimera uzen above everything. After meeting him again, Mira felt the man in long clothes was pursuing a slightly different goal. His hatred for Chimera uzen was not spread throughout all members equally. Isaac was still sulky after Uzume shot him down, but he happily answered the new questions. Mira saying she¡¯d put in a few words for him seemed to push him in the right direction. Thanks to that, a torrent of new unthinkable information arrived. It was all about the man named Zele Schedar. He had a wealth of knowledge about spirits, putting his skills to work to help Chimera uzen manipterge amounts of spiritual power, and had a knack for designing weapons and tools imbued with that power as well. He was living in what looked like a small town, which actually concealed a veryrge workshop he employed. Most of the time he stayed there, building things in seclusion. That was everything Isaac knew about Zele Schedar. But Mira would obtain more. There was another man who wanted to get on Mira¡¯s good side as well. Jamal also knew important details, including Zele Schedar¡¯s other role. ¡¸The Spiritual Power Tuner. That¡¯s his biggest aplishment.¡¹ Uzume and Arlon both red at Jamal, but he spoke not minding them. A way to tune spiritual power. Finding that had raised Zele Schedar¡¯s position to the top of Chimera uzen, and it was the source of Chimera uzen¡¯s rapid development. The device had various uses, but one of them was keeping many features of the headquarters working properly. But for some reason the device itself was not kept in the main base, but in Zele Schedar¡¯s workshop, or a control room below it to be precise. The reason had something to do with ley lines and whatnot, but Jamal did not know the exact details. The important part was that taking the tuner out ofmission would utterly cripple the main base¡¯s defenses, making it easier to sneak in. Or rather, if they left that device untouched, once they reached the main base the defenses would make it hard to get further inside, or in the worst case could destroy all allied forces. In other words, in order to storm the main base, they had to take out the defenses first. ¡¸Hmm, I see¡­ I guess that ce is more important than we thought then. If everything is reliant on it, then we should also send men there, and not hope that man can handle everything alone.¡¹ From what Mira had seen, the man in long clothes was considerably powerful, but if that ce was so important, then it was likely heavily guarded as well. It was very possible that he would use up all his power and be defeated. He was fighting for revenge, so maybe that was a desirable death for him, but destroying that establishment had be a priority for the Fifty Bells as well now, so they could not allow that to happen. And if they dyed their attack, it was likely they would increase the defenses by then. ¡¸Anyway, I know he¡¯s described it as a small vige, but that¡¯s only a facade. It¡¯s actually a fort in disguise, all the houses and the residents are all there with the sole purpose of defending the control room. You shouldn¡¯t approach them unprepared.¡¹ Jamal added somest words of wisdom, exhausting his remaining knowledge of the ce. ¡¸Is there anything else you¡¯d like to tell us?¡¹ Uzume turned a sharp stare to Isaac and Jamal. Her voice was harsh too, as if she was asking them for anyst words. ¡¸Ahh, what should I talk about then? Do you want the names of those involved with backroom deals? Exactly what kind of information do you want? Just ask anything and I¡¯ll say everything I know.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, a more specific question would be helpful.¡¹ Both of them seemed willing to keep talking. Obviously, the only reason why they were sopliant was because of a faint hope of diminishing their penalty. But that mattered little as Uzume¡¯s skill would let her obtain information regardless. Having them speak by themselves was still easier though. The less effort needed the better. ¡¸I have a question then. More or less, how strong are the troops stationed in the main base?¡¹ Arlon asked them that. Knowing the enemy¡¯s strength beforehand was an invaluable asset to achieve victory. Isaac looked slightly distraught hearing the question, and looked to the side. He knew nothing of the main base, or the entrance, so there was nothing he could say. Jamal on the other hand, had frequently been in and out of the main base, so he even knew the ce¡¯syout. But his response was of no help to Arlon. He actually did not know. Only five people in total, including the heads, knew the full extent of the defense forces. He had never seen them himself, but he only knew there were Stalward Dolls equipped forbat deployed there. ¡¸Stalward Dolls¡­those creepy puppets that move by themselves with mana, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, those. I saw a bunch of them filling a hall, equipped with all sorts of weapons. I¡¯d estimate there were a thousand or two thousand of them, though I never saw them moving, so I can¡¯t say how powerful they really are. Though I know all their weapons were spirit arms, so I¡¯d estimate they¡¯re at least as powerful as a medium ss monster each.¡¹ Stalward Dolls were mostly known for being used by some countries to guard their borders, or to hunt monsters. But two thousand of them moving together formed a rather powerful army. ¡¸Two thousand and with spirit arms huh¡­that sounds dangerous.¡¹ Arlon was confident he could defeat them in a one on one fight, but being surrounded by just a dozen of them could be tricky already. He forced a smile, but when he looked at Mira and Uzume, he saw they lookedpletely unbothered, which was slightly reassuring. Then Jamal spoke again. ¡¸Oh right, one more thing. I overheard one of the engineers, apparently those dolls can move independently, so even if you take out the tuner and control room, they¡¯ll still be active. That¡¯s all I know.¡¹ With that, there was nothing more to add to the topic. Uzume¡¯s seal still did not react, signaling he was telling the truth. In other words, in order to storm the main base, they would need to find a way to fight against those dolls. Arlon promptly began thinking of a strategy. (Hmm, two thousand dolls he said? I won¡¯t need to hold back then, this will prove to be a good fight.) Meanwhile Mira was relieved hearing that. She still had an aversion against harming other human beings, even if they were members of Chimera uzen. But the main base was defended by lifeless dolls, so she would have much more peace of mind than having to worry about needlessly harming someone. Uzume looked the same the entire time, silently listening to everything Jamal said. Meanwhile Isaac simply muttered ¡¸Huh, that¡¯s interesting¡¹, as if it did not concern him at all. Once they knew everything they wanted, they left Isaac and Jamal in Mattie¡¯s hands as prisoners, and left the Fifty Bells branch. They headed back to the inn where Sero and the others waited, so they could update each other on what they found out. Chapter 131: Revelation (3) Chapter 131: Revtion (3) It was gettingte at night already, only a few minutes left before the meeting began. Most of the main members were already in Sero¡¯s room when Mira and the others arrived. ¡¸It seems everyone is already here, perfect. There¡¯s someone I¡¯d like to introduce to you before the meeting starts.¡¹ Soon after entering the room, Arlon gestured with his gaze to the person who followed him. Uzume was there, wearing a knee length skirt and shrine-maiden-like robes, covered by a coat with drawings of cats. She was a guest to their meeting. ¡¸Nice to meet you, everyone from ¨¦cate Carillon. I¡¯m Uzume, I guess you could call me the founder of the Fifty Bells.¡¹ As everyone¡¯s eyes focused on her, she spoke with a low but dignified voice. She followed with a deep bow, ¡¸I¡¯m very thankful for your cooperation.¡¹ There were some gasps of surprise from Emera¡¯s group. They were obviously shocked seeing the Fifty Bells¡¯mander randomly visit their meeting. ¡¸I¡¯m ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s leader, Sero. It¡¯s my pleasure to be in your presence. Chimera uzen¡¯s atrocities affect all of humanity, so any decent person would offer their help.¡¹ Sero, representing all of ¨¦cate Carillon, responded with a calm demeanor. Emera¡¯s group also calmed down and nodded, showing they supported their leader¡¯s opinion. Once the two leaders had greeted each other, Emera and the others introduced themselves one after another. Once that was done, the meeting proper started. ¡¸Let me start with reporting my findings.¡¹ Mira raised her hand and was the first one to talk, telling everything she experienced after she left and went to Roseline to investigate the Graveyard of War Memorials. She exined how the ruins were underneath a building owned by the Melville Trading Corporation, and how the alchemist Johann, the person who knew how to manufacture ck Mist Stones, had his family held hostage so he would continue working for Chimera, but now Mira had rescued his wife and daughter. Then she rted how she returned to Sentopolly, the incident in the rocky mountains, and how she captured Isaac who told her the truth about Sentopolly. With that, her report was over. ¡¸That¡­ can¡¯t be¡­¡¹ ¡¸Are you serious?¡¹ Emera and Asbar raised their voices. Such a reaction was expected from anyone after hearing that Chimera uzen had built the entire city they were in. The others also looked surprised, but they had already had a few hunches, or rather, felt something was off, so it was easier for them to believe that. ¡¸I see. I already felt like there were way too many corrupt government officials here, but that exins their background.¡¹ Zef said that, looking slightly disgusted. He had been investigating underground deals, and found many people directly rted to the government in those circles. Especially amongst middle level officials like Isaac, there were many involved with bribes andundering money. ¡¸I felt strong vestiges of spirit power in the ground here, so I thought this territory was especially loved by them. But I never expected it was because of¡­¡¹ Fra looked the most horrified. There were times when spirits, the good neighbors of humans, would bless certain pieces ofnd. Their power would seep into the ground, which would lead to increased harvests, and many other benefits. The Three Gods¡¯ Countries had been blessed like that in the past, and Fra had felt a simr power in Sentopolly as there. All spellcasters could see spirits, but how much of their power was visible depended on each spellcaster¡¯s affinity. But Fra was slightly different, she could see the spirits¡¯ presence very vividly regardless of her own power. Thanks to that she had noticed there was something slightly different in Sentopollypared to the other countries, but only now she knew what it was. Sentopolly was the opposite of those countries. It had never been blessed, Chimera uzen had forced spirits to imbue their power into thend. Fra looked betrayed, though she already felt something was off, so she just clenched her fists tightly. ¡¸I was already suspicious of the many Melville buildings near most state institutions, but this exins everything.¡¹ Sero had been investigating the state institutions and their surroundings. Armed with everything Mira had found out, he could see a clear connection between Chimera uzen, Sentopolly, and the Melville Trading Corporation. ording to Sentopolly¡¯sws, only corporations with special permission could build establishments close to state institutions. The process of obtaining such permission was rigorous and difficult as well, but from what he had seen, Melville had an unnatural amount of buildings in such ces. That made more sense when ounting for the newly gained information. At the same time, everything Mira had found out aligned with their findings too, which gave them a clearer picture of their enemy. ¡¸First off, no one can lie to me.¡¹ After Mira was done, it was Uzume¡¯s turn to talk. She began with an exnation of her skills. How she could hypnotize others, so they would reply to any question asked without lying. With that out of the way, she began talking about the interrogation of the two prisoners. Then she exined how most of the government officials in Sentopolly are just stand-ins, so even if threatened with force, they would know nothing. Chimera uzen¡¯s actual top members rarely go out of the main base, so a frontal attack would be the only way to get them. There are multiple entrances to the main base, but they are all hidden, so finding someone who knows an entrance would be the first step. Though even if they found an entrance, there was always the possibility it would be destroyed as soon as they found out they werepromised. ¡¸I know this is important knowledge so I¡¯d like to confirm it from another source, but¡­¡¹ Done with what she had to say, Uzume¡¯s words trailed off as she turned towards Mira. She nodded, and continued where Uzume left off. ¡¸There¡¯s this Sky Denizen I spoke to before. He has nned to storm a fort that controls many defense systems of the main base in seven days. If that attack is sessful, infiltrating the main base should prove easier. There¡¯s a small issue with this man though, we have amon enemy, but his objective is different, so I couldn¡¯t recruit him to our ranks. So we¡¯ll have to time our attack to his. So, in seven days, or more like six by now, we¡¯ll have to determine the location of an entrance.¡¹ Saying that, Mira looked slightly troubled. ¡¸Apparently there¡¯s someone he despises there, and I couldn¡¯t convince him to wait¡¹ she added, finishing her exnation. ¡¸Six days¡­¡¹ After all these decades, this was the first time they obtained information about Chimera uzen¡¯s main base, but now they only had six days to find an entrance. If they did not, it would not matter whether the Sky Denizen seeded or failed, the main base¡¯s defenses would be repaired and strengthened. Or in the worst case, they would close all entrances and seclude themselves for a long time. So they could not allow themselves to miss the date. Sero muttered the remaining time to himself before pondering in silence for a while, then just said they would need to do what was needed. After all, Mira had already gotten enough information to deduce where many other entrances could be. Mira and Uzume were done then, so now Arlon spoke of what he had learned about the main base¡¯s defenses, the Stalward Dolls, and detailed what their minimum strengths and weaknesses were. Usually those dolls were only used for vignce and defense, so no respectable person knew how to fight them. So in the rare cases someone actually fought them, it wasmon for even experienced warriors to fail miserably. There was also the possibility that they were used to defend other ces apart from the main base, so it was still good to know about them, just in case. ¡¸Whew¡­ soldiers that don¡¯t feel pain huh. That sounds really tricky.¡¹ Zef was used to fighting monsters by targeting their vital spots, so he found it difficult to fight those dolls that had no such spots. His face looked deste just thinking about it. Chapter 131: Revelation (4) Chapter 131: Revtion (4) Emera and the others also reported on their findings, and then the conversation shifted to their future ns. Arlon, Sero, and some of his men, would conduct a thorough search of any ce where an entrance might be hidden. Mira would leave Sentopolly in their hands, and resume her search for Johann. Uzume would return to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters, where she would study the documents obtained through Mira and see if they could start working on contingency ns using them as a base. At the very least she wanted to procure anti-ck mist stone equipment for the people in the meeting. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m not really in a position to talk, but will it be ready on time? I leafed through the documents myself, but it all seemed like professional jargon and gibberish to me.¡¹ ck mist stones were a new product that had never been used in that world before. Even with documents detailing their properties and uses, it would take a while to decipher and understand everything. Mira doubted it was possible to prepare countermeasures using that information with the limited time. But hearing Mira¡¯s doubt, Uzume just smiled confidently. ¡¸I don¡¯t think there will be any issues. I already have a group of experts in many fields at my disposition. They should take at most a day to read and understand the documents, then two days to prepare the equipment for all of us sitting here.¡¹ She said with a proud pose. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s rather impressive.¡¹ ording to Uzume, there were people in the Fifty Bells that could study and understand documents about a brand new item in just one day. On top of that, they could also build countermeasures in a short time. Mira was deeply impressed hearing about such skilled individuals. ¡¸I know, right! After all, we have Albatinus, the founder of the Magnus line of alchemists and known as the wisest of them. He¡¯s really amazing.¡¹ Uzume seemed ted being praised by her formerrade in arms, and smiled brightly. But there was someone else who also showed a strong reaction to that name. ¡¸Albatinus the Magnus alchemist? That Albatinus?!¡¹ It was Fra, she stood up and closed in on Uzume, looking very shocked. It was rare seeing her approach anyone other than Mira like that, but it made sense this time. Anyone with minimal knowledge of alchemist knew of Albatinus the Magnus alchemist. He was a vampire, which gave him a very long lifespan and had lived for more than a thousand years, making him a living legend. Almost as famous as his name was his entric personality, and how hard it was to get him to cooperate with anyone. ¡¸Yeah, I found where he was hiding and asked for his help. He happily agreed to it.¡¹ But Uzume spoke of it like it was no big matter. ¡¸He even made this for me,¡¹ she added, pulling up a pendant from her neck. It was ck with a colorful shine depending on the angle of the light reflecting off it, made of Albatinus¡¯ most prominent and valuable magic material Eternanolite. ¡¸Ohh, that looks like a rare item!¡¹ Mira leant forward and took a closer look at the pendant, and some timeter spoke with a slightly jealous voice. She knew little about alchemy overall, but Eternanolite was famous as a priced material so even she knew of it. Mostly because it had a strong affinity for Refining, Mira¡¯s only manufacturing ability. ¡¸I knoww, it¡¯s so cool.¡¹ Showing it off, Uzume began dangling the pendant in front of Mira¡¯s eyes. Mira just groaned slightly as her eyes followed its movements. At the same time, Fra regained her usual attitude towards Mira, and Emera barely managed to restrain her before she jumped. Arlon and the rest watched that with frustration. A billion Rils were nothingpared to the value of the pendant, but only Mira and Uzume seemed oblivious to that fact. Meanwhile Sero was once again impressed at the size of the organization she led, and herposure when handling such invaluable items. In a way it showed just how prepared and resourceful the Fifty Bells were, giving him the certainty that they actually had a chance at destroying Chimera uzen. ¡¸Either way, we should have no issues with producing any material. Hmm¡­I guess we¡¯d only need to figure out what kind of equipment to build. I know Arlon favors axes, and Mira¡­a long staff should be fine. What about you all? Do you have any preferences?¡¹ Uzume produced a notepad and held it as she asked those present. From the looks of things, she wanted to make sure the anti-ck-mist weapons were all shaped ording to the preferences of the team. Since everyone would need new weapons, it made sense to Uzume for them to be shaped in a familiar way for the users, since just a few days would not be enough to masterpletely new weapons, but that such a variety of weapons could be built so quickly showed once again how well prepared the Fifty Bells were. Arlon had noints, and Mira was okay with the suggestion too. Then Emera asked for a sword, Asbar a hammer, Zef a dagger, Fra a wand, and Sero wanted a longsword. ¡¸Alright, got it. I¡¯ll ask them to make these first then.¡¹ Uzume noted down everything they asked for, then asked for the height of each of them and closed the notepad. ¡¸I¡¯ll go back to the headquarters then. If you need me for something just tell Piisuke.¡¹ Uzume had nothing else to do there, and after those words her body began glowing. After a sh, she transformed into the suzaku Piisuke, though to be more precise, they had switched ces. ¡¸Wha-! Uzume turned into a bird?!¡¹ Emera said loudly in shock. Anyone who did not know her skill would think that. So Mira had to exin in her stead, saying that she had an onmyoji skill that allowed her to exchange ces with a shikigami. And she had used that to return to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters far away. ¡¸Thanks for exining! That¡¯s exactly it, and I¡¯ll be back to Piisuke¡¯s ce soon enough. Until then, I hope you¡¯ll take good care of Piisuke, Mira. Just tell me if you need anything though.¡¹ When Mira was done exining, Piisuke spoke with Uzume¡¯s voice. This was shocking to Emera and the others as well, but they had just seen her switch ces with a shikigami, so it was not as impactful. But Mira looked annoyed, being put in charge of Piisuke. ¡¸Anyway, see youter.¡¹ Before anyone could fullyprehend what happened, Uzume¡¯sst words rang and Piisuke began glowing. Then he gradually turned smaller, until he was small enough to fit on the palm of a hand. He looked like a miniature suzaku. ¡¸Ohh, he turned small.¡¹ The small Piisuke began pping its tiny wings, flying up andnding on Mira¡¯s head. ¡¸Aww, so cute!¡¹ Fra was the first to react. Everyone agreed that a small plump Piisuke was really cute, but Fra meant something slightly different. She was highlighting the fact that Mira¡¯s cuteness had been heightened with the presence of Piisuke. Cute girls and small animals were always a perfectbination. After that the meeting focused on the smaller details. Sero was in charge of searching for any ces where an entrance to Chimera uzen¡¯s was likely to be, but they still had to decide exactly how he would look through them. There Mira told them of the magic sensing rms she found in Melville¡¯s warehouseplex, and that it was likely the entrances were also protected with simr devices. After all, the main base was the most crucial building for a group like that. It was only muchter that night that everything was decided and everyone knew where and how to search, and there were no more questions. Everyone stood up, and Mira yawned loudly before saying, ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll take a bath and call it a night then.¡¹ That made Fra cling onto her, which made Emera follow the two to the bathroom. The three girls made a lot of noise as they headed there, and the men were spurred by them and also followed to take a bath in a good mood. Chapter 132: Sasori and Hebi are Elites (1) Chapter 132: Sasori and Hebi are Elites (1) The next day after Uzume gained a lot of information from an unexpected source, Mira summoned Pegasus after breakfast, heading back to Roseline, where she arrived at noon. ¡¸Hmm, it still looks the same.¡¹ High above Irene, the capital city of Roseline, Mira looked around, not seeing any major differences in the city-scape. Piisuke was still sitting on her head, and hearing Mira¡¯s muttering he replied with a chirp. It still had not been too long since Johann had been taken away, so it would probably take a few more days before they gathered everything needed for Johann to resume his duties. Because of that, Mira was still unable to see the ck waves. (Hmm, there¡¯s six days left before the mission. It¡¯s such a bother that I have to sit waiting for who knows how long until I see them.) But she had no other ideas of how to search for him. Sasori and Hebi, expert spies, were investigating what they could too. If she tried to do things her way, she might end up encumbering those two too. So, all she could do was to keep watch. As Mira kept thinking that, Johann¡¯s mansion standing near the outer border of the city came into view. ¡¸¡­Hmm, everything is already there.¡¹ She realized something. It was a lot of work to gather all the tools and ingredients from scratch, but it was far easier if they just carried away everything he had been using before. Johann¡¯s abduction had been really hurried, and all his alchemy tools were still in the mansion. If he had ess to them again, he would be able to resume working right away. Having thought all that, Mira headed straight towards the mansion. If shended on the actual mansion, it would stand out a lot, so instead she ordered Pegasus tond a certain distance away, and then sent him away to summon Worthramble. He was the spirit of stillness she had met, and who she had been working with a lot recently. His optical camouge would be more than enough for this job, so as soon as it was cast, she ran towards Johann¡¯s mansion and snuck into it. If her theory was right, men woulde to pick up Johann¡¯s things, so she just had to wait for them, and then tail them. That should take her straight to Johann, and if things went well, she might even be able to rescue him straight away. Though there was always the possibility no one woulde. But if she had to wait a day or two doing nothing regardless, this was a better option. ¡¸Oh no¡­¡¹ She went to the room where she first met Johann. Opening the door, she stared in shock at the interior. She remembered the room being filled with tools to fabricate ck mist stones. But now it waspletely empty. She had been toote, but her emotions quickly took a turn for the better. If the tools had been taken, then the process would start soon enough. In other words, it would not take as long for her to see the ck waves. (Well, fine. I¡¯ll just fall back to the original n.) Either way, she should be able to see them eventually. Slightly disappointed, Mira left the mansion and flew up with Pegasus, returning to Irene. There shended atop the tallest building, the church of the Three Gods, and began surveying the surroundings. She did not forget to use Worthramble¡¯s camouge to not stand out too. The sight from above the church was not as impressive as the one when riding Pegasus, but it was still a breathtaking scenery, the entire city visible and brimming with life. She remained keeping watch for the entire day, until the sun set and the city was illuminated with man-made lights. ¡¸Hmm, I guess it won¡¯t happen today. Let¡¯s go back for now.¡¹ It would be too difficult to see the ck waves at night anyway. Deciding that, Mira stood up with a yawn, thanked Worthramble and sent him away. The next thing she noticed was her empty stomach, so she began eyeing the colorful shopping district. (There¡¯s no luxury like walking on the streets and trying out the food from the stalls.) Irene¡¯s main street greatly changed between day and night. It was lined with countless carts and stalls of food open along it now, and the hungry Mira very cheerfully ordered some mixed fruits auit from one of them. Every ce had different ingredients and proportions for that drink, andparing them all had be one of Mira¡¯s recent hobbies. (Hm, this one has stronger acid and sweet tones. Milk is a perfectplement for it. I approve of it.) Evaluating it on her own arbitrary criteria as she drank it, Mira headed to the main store of Eabates. Though she did not approach the front gate, instead going around and entering through the King¡¯s Hidden Pce entrance. She wanted to report everything that happened in Sentopolly to Sasori and Hebi who should be there. With Hebi¡¯s notes on hand, she manipted the hidden door and entered the long corridor. Then at the end of the corridor, she consulted the notes again to open the second door. And then past it¡­ ¡¸Ohh, Lady Mira! Thank you so much for rescuing my wife and daughter! I¡¯ll never forget what you¡¯ve done for us.¡¹ A man turned around and gave his heartily thanks with a wide smile. It was Johann. ¡¸Ah, huh?¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira? Is something wrong?¡¹ ¡¸Err, no¡­I¡¯m d to see you safe.¡¹ Mira was utterly befuddled. She had spent the entire day keeping watch trying to find clues about him, so now she was confused seeing him in their hideout. But someone greeted Mira with a wide and proud smile. ¡¸I knew you¡¯d be surprised. But as you can see, we sessfully rescued Johann!¡¹ It was Sasori. After relishing on Mira¡¯s shocked face for a while, she proudly puffed her chest and said that. Mira had shocked her many times in the past, so she was ted being the one doing the surprising for once. ¡¸I can only say it was a splendid job done, seeing you aplish it in such a short time.¡¹ Somehow, her main worry, which was Johann¡¯s safety, had already been taken care of. Those were really good news, but they came so suddenly that Mira struggled toprehend what happened, but when her brain finally caught up, she could only praise the excellence of Uzume¡¯s underlings. After the unexpected reunion, Mira¡¯s group convened to talk. Angelique and Anne were resting in a separate room. First one to speak was Sasori, who looked like she could not wait to talk. She spoke of how Johann¡¯s rescue came to be. As expected of her skills, she evaded multiple defense and monitoring systems, sessfully infiltrating into the Ollt Workshop. There she found the documents they had suspected existed in the workshop. ns showing the locations of magic sensing devices, their scheduled maintenance dates, and around twenty five ces where they had been deployed. The only thing missing were the names of any person implicated. Then Sasori paused for a moment to mention that the following was all Hebi¡¯s work, before resuming. Hebi¡¯s mission had been to find any Melville establishment nearby that had no spiritual presence whatsoever. Her search singled out five ces that met the criteria. Three on the outskirts of Irene, and one on each side of the Lucion river. When they joined their results, there was only one establishment on the outskirts that appeared on both their searches. Vignce was especially tightpared to other Melville establishments, and there were no spirit arms or tools anywhere nearby, making it perfect to work on ck mist stones there. Which meant it was the ideal ce to confine Johann in as well. Chapter 132: Sasori and Hebi are Elites (2) Chapter 132: Sasori and Hebi are Elites (2) That was the first day, the next day the two snuck into the establishment to investigate. Before long, they found a room where Johann was being held. While they could see him, taking him out would be hard. So they devised a n. First they made contact with Johann, to let him know they were there, and to ask if he could do anything to distance the guards. In response, Johann decided to tell the people there that if he had the tools from the mansion, he would be able to start working right away. The people there had wanted him to start working as soon as possible, so those words had an instant effect. Since they did not want the establishment to stand out too much, there were only a few guards overall, and most of them left to carry the things from the mansion. That made an opening for Sasori and Hebi, allowing them to sessfully extract Johann undetected, and returning with him to the hideout. There, Johann was able to reunite with his wife Angelique and daughter Anne after five years. Mira arrived not too long after that. ¡¸They¡¯re probably freaking out like crazy right now.¡¹ Those were Sasori¡¯sst words, spoken with an entertained smirk. Hebi¡¯s face remained unchanged like always, but it was obvious she was in a good mood too. ¡¸Good job, you two!¡¹ When Sasori was done telling their tale, the voice of someone not present in the room rang loudly. It was Uzume, her voice carried through Piisuke sitting on Mira¡¯s head. She had listened to the entire story through him. A momentter, Uzume appeared there in Piisuke¡¯s stead. ¡¸What?! The bird turned into a person?!¡¹ Johann¡¯s eyes widened seeing that. But Sasori and Hebi did not seem bothered, they had already seen that happen before. They knew it was Piisuke sitting on Mira¡¯s head, and they knew Uzume could exchange ces with him. That meant that Sasori knew she was likely listening to her proud tale as well, reporting to Uzume and Mira at the same time. ¡¸So you¡¯re the Johann I¡¯ve been hearing about. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Uzume. I¡¯m basically these girls¡¯ manager. I¡¯d like to ask for your help with anything that could lend a hand in destroying Chimera uzen, be it through your knowledge or skills.¡¹ After her greeting, Uzume held her right hand out. Johann¡¯s documents were already being worked on in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters, but if the author of those papers was there, the process would be sped up even more, so obviously she would seek as much help as possible. Johann was still recovering from the shock, his eyes going to Uzume¡¯s hand, then to Mira, Sasori, and Hebi. ¡¸Of course. I already owe Mira, Sasori, and Hebi a lot, for not only rescuing me but my family as well. I¡¯ll do anything in my power to help.¡¹ Johann nodded vigorously and shook Uzume¡¯s hand. His eyes were filled with determination to use all his skills and knowledge to help, not concealing anything. There was no hesitation at all. Uzume was slightly taken aback by such a reaction, but she quickly smiled without worry and said ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹ with a bow. With that out of the way, Mira told them what happened during her time in Sentopolly. ¡¸I should¡¯ve expected that much,¡¹ said Sasori with a forced smile. Mira had only left to deliver some documents, but somehow she had managed to uncover the truth behind the entire country in a single day. There really was nothing else to say. Once everything had been talked about, it was time to discuss how they would transport Johann and his family. Most victims and people wanted by Chimera uzen were hiding in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters, so they decided that was the best ce for Johann, Angelique, Anne, and Mylene, at least until everything was over. Uzume was also concerned that Anne was still too small to live in such a confined basement for too long. The means to get them there were easy to figure out too. There was an easy way. The Fifty Bells would first send an envoy that would carry Johann¡¯s family, and Mira could use Worthramble¡¯s camouge to hide them during the trip. With that decided, Uzume said she would start the arrangements to receive Johann, and switched ces with Piisuke again. Uzume was like that, acting as soon as she had a n. While she was always hurrying like that, Mira still smiled seeing she had not changed after the years. ¡¸Well, I think this takes care of the matters to a decent extent. Can we do something to bring down the Melville Trading Corporation or whatever it¡¯s called with what we have?¡¹ Their original objective in Roseline was to find ties between Chimera uzen and the Melville Trading Corporation, revealing both their crimes. They had to find some sort of proof for that to happen. All they had so far was only Johann¡¯s ount. He had been involved with both groups for many years, so his words should carry some weight. ¡¸I think it¡¯s still difficult. It would be easier if I still had those documents I promised in exchange for my family¡¯s freedom¡­¡¹ But Johann himself said it would not be convincing enough. Now that most of his written proof had been lost, it would be difficult for him to speak against one of the three biggest trading corporations and be believed. ¡¸So we really need solid proof then.¡¹ Mira began pondering what to do, but then Johann spoke again. ¡¸I have an idea,¡¹ when asked about it, he said that after he was taken from the mansion, they stopped at a certain establishment momentarily. A ce with many weapons and tools built from ck mist stones. Since it was only momentarily, they took him from there to the ce where Sasori and Hebi found him. That made Johann think that his abduction had been a hurried matter, and they were still deciding where to take him at that time. So they left him in a provisory ce until they knew where his final destination was. ¡¸So far only people in Chimera are using ck mist stones like that. And if that ce I was taken to belongs to Melville, then its existence itself could be a link between them and Chimera.¡¹ After some thought, Johann proposed that idea. Finding multiple items used exclusively by Chimera in an establishment belonging to Melville. While that alone would be no definitive proof, coupled with Johann¡¯s testimony it would put Melville in aplicated position and force them to respond. ¡¸Hmm, it might be worth looking for it.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, if we can find it, it could be a useful asset.¡¹ Mira and the others could see that working. But the issue was still the location of that establishment. Johann had been knocked unconscious that night, so he was unable to give any directions. When he awoke he was already there, surrounded with those items. At least he knew it was not too far from where he had been found. ¡¸It felt like it was only half an hour away by trotting.¡¹ Johann said while thinking about it, ¡¸I wish I had paid more attention just in case¡¹ he added with a sigh. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s already a good starting point, and it wasn¡¯t your responsibility to think about it.¡¹. While it was a vague hint, it still gave a radius to search in. Sasori swiftly procured a map of the surrounding areas, looking happy to be in action again. The map already had marks from their earlier search, the location of buildings rted to Melville highlighted. They circled one of them in red, the ce where they found Johann, and then looked for any suspicious spots around it. There were three other establishments nearby, but Mira and the others focused on only one of them. A warehouse that was located between Johann¡¯s mansion and his final destination. Chapter 133: Anti-Demon Silver (1) Chapter 133: Anti-Demon Silver (1) The day after Johann¡¯s rescue, Mira and the others began moving at daybreak. Sasori and Hebi went out to investigate that establishment Johann mentioned, which was supposed to be filled with ck mist stone tools and weapons. Mira was, as agreed, taking Johann and his family through the wastnds. Optical camouge alone spent far less mana than Complete Suppression, allowing Mira to extend its radius to cover more people, as well as letting her use it in tandem with other summons. Johann¡¯s family was on top of Guardian Ash, the gray bear, and alongside was Pegasus, with Mira and Worthramble riding him. Their speed was upwards of forty kilometers per hour, but thanks to Worthramble¡¯s magic, therge bear and winged horse running through the wastnds did not stand out at all. Anne looked particrly excited traveling with the bear and pegasus, and halfway through said she wanted to ride on Pegasus. Johann and Angelique had an apologetical look as they asked if that was possible, but Mira happily indulged. Anne had not been outside in years, so she did not mind. A few hourster they arrived at the ce they agreed on with Uzume, where they sat on the ground as if on a pic. They waited for ten minutes and a few more, and then they saw it in the sky. ¡¸Ohh, amazing¡­ It¡¯s my first time seeing one.¡¹ ¡¸The world really has changed a lot these years. It almost looks like they¡¯reing to carry us to the heavens.¡¹ Johann and Angelique looked at the sky in amazement, speaking their honest thoughts. From high up, arge wooden ship, about thirty meters long, was descending. It was impossible not to be surprised by it. ¡¸Thest few days feel almost like a dream¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s so big!¡¹ Mylenne seemed to still harbor some anxiety, looking uneasily at the ship floating in the sky while trying to force a smile. Anne, on the other hand, was more excited than ever. ¡¸Ohh..! Is this one of those fabled flying ships?¡¹ Mira had only heard of them before from Sero¡¯s stories. But seeing one with her own eyes was still a breathtaking experience, and the thought of riding such a vehicle tickled her fantasy heart. ¡¸That¡¯s exactly it! This is the Fifty Bells¡¯ prized spirit flying ship!¡¹ As Mira looked at it with twinkling eyes, the tiny Piisuke riding on her head spoke with Uzume¡¯s proud voice. Before Mira could say anything back, ¡¸You might be wondering why it has the spirit prefix¡­¡¹ the voice continued teasingly. ording to Uzume, the regr flying ships developed through magic engineering used highly purified magic stones as fuel to stay aloft. But the Fifty Bells had independently built their own flying ship, which could work only with spiritual power. ¡¸Only the tight cooperation between spirits and men made this ship possible. This is the kind of future we envision at the Fifty Bells.¡¹ Halfway through Uzume appeared in Piisuke¡¯s spot, and finished the exnation as she looked at the ship above them. She was truly proud of their aplishment, though her eyes looked slightly distressed. It was like she was remembering someone, who was further away than the ship. ¡¸Mira, thank you for everything.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you so much, please tell the other two we said thanks too.¡¹ With those parting words, Johann and Angelique climbed into the flying ship. Anne followed, waving her tiny hand while saying ¡¸Bye bye!¡¹ Mira saw them off with a gentle smile. ¡¸We¡¯ll take good care of Johann and his family in the headquarters, you go search for Chimera¡¯s main base, Grandpa.¡¹ Uzume took a few steps up the ramp before turning around to say that to Mira. ¡¸Mm, I know. Are things going well with your preparations?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ve always been ready to fight. Some of our toons have already departed. We¡¯re still working on weapons to fight the ck mist stone, but I¡¯m sure having Johann will smooth things out. All that¡¯s really left is to fight with all we have.¡¹ ¡¸I see, it seems everything is going well then. Well, let¡¯s meet again on the battlefield.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, until then.¡¹ Before parting ways, the two bumped fists and loudly eximed ¡¸Let¡¯s grasp victory!¡¹ together. That was their old parting words before any fight as the Nine Wisemen. In a way, it was like a special good luck charm that assured their victory. Though it felt slightly ufortable considering that Soul Howl was the one who came up with it. This was the first time it was only them two saying those words, and realizing everyone else was gone made it impossible for them to smile, simply turning around and heading their own ways. ¡¸Sasori, Hebi, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ Mira was high above Roseline¡¯s capital city Irene. Riding on Pegasus, Mira muttered those words to the air, directed to the two girls who surely were working hard somewhere there, and she headed towards Sentopolly. Finding proof tying Chimera uzen and the Melville Trading Corporation was the mission given to the two Hidden. So they did not want to have Mira holding their hand through the entire mission, and instead wanted her to help back in Sentopolly to search for the entrance to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. Seeing they had been able to rescue Johann alone, she knew she could trust their skills, so she decided to leave Roseline in their hands. Now Mira headed back to Sentopolly, to regroup with her friends there and to aid them searching for the hidden entrance. Two days after that, there was progress with the search, thanks to Zef¡¯s findings. He had befriended someone working in a state institution, inviting him to drink and hear his woes and daily struggles at work, which led to Zef uncovering a lot of insider information. Mainly the source of his struggles. The secretary of a politician who would randomly pop up everywhere and anywhere, even if no one saw them go through the main entrance. Always keeping watch over him, and never letting him have a moment of respite. All the public politicians of Sentopolly were puppets, not knowing of Chimera uzen¡¯s influence and who thought they were simply working for the city. There was no reason to harm them, and they knew nothing about the secret entrance Mira and the others were looking for. But Zef found that story suspicious. The secretary would randomly appear in the building. A possible exnation was that there was a hidden entrance and exit in that building. As soon as he had that suspicion, he started working on uncovering the truth. If the entrance was hidden inside the state institution building, whoever used it had to have enough authority to enter the building unquestioned. On top of that, there could be no suspicion of them regardless of the times at which they visited it, having unrestrained ess to most parts of the building. In other words, whoever knew of the entrance could not be a public politician, but needed to be in a position of power. Like the secretary of someone important. So Zef asked for the name of said secretary. His name was Thomas. The secretary of Sentopolly¡¯s Minister of Finance Oswald. There was a high likelihood that Thomas knew the location of a hidden entrance to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. To know for sure, Zef and Mira began tailing him together the next day. Thanks to that, they had finally seeded in locating a secret entrance. Only using optical camouge, instead of Complete Suppression, they located their man. He looked like a serious office worker, but he was actually wearing multiple Shadow spirit arms. Mira¡¯s eyes easily identified them. That was enough to confirm he was involved with Chimera uzen. They kept watch over him untilte at night, when he entered a restricted section of the building, manipted someplex device and vanished behind a hidden door. At first Mira muttered ¡¸Yet another hidden thing¡¹ with annoyance, but a devilish grin quickly overtook that, since they had finally found an entrance. Chapter 133: Anti-Demon Silver (2) Chapter 133: Anti-Demon Silver (2) The next morning, they all began a meeting to n the fight. Uzume joined them, taking Piisuke¡¯s ce again. They had to discuss who would be part of the infiltration forces, and who would go to the other site. First, the infiltration force that would head to the main base was small but strong,posed of Mira, Uzume, and Sero. That was decided due to their mobility as well, since the rocky mountain which housed Chimera uzen¡¯s main base was located thirty kilometers to the east of Sentopolly. They needed to be able to cross that distance as quickly as possible. Mira had Pegasus, Uzume could use a high mobility shikigami, and Sero had trained his endurance a lot, allowing him to run thirty kilometers in half an hour. Though more importantly, his power would be valuable. Sero had once imed Mira was stronger than himself, and Mira believed he was equally as strong as Uzume. Emera and the rest were considerably strong as well, but if those three went all out, it was impossible for them to keep up. So they decided they would go with Arlon in a separate toon. No one had any realints about that arrangement, except for Fra who was distressed about being separated from Mira. As for the separate toon¡¯s mission, it was to suppress the control room. Other members assigned to that toon¡¯s first unit were Mizar, whomanded Bellerophon, Alioth, and Kongou from the Multicolor troops. That control room was a very important building for Chimera uzen, so Jamal said it was likely under heavy guard. On top of that, the man in charge of said ce, Zele Schedar, had been working to develop something new for multiple months already. He had developed multiple spirit weapons in the past, so whatever this new thing was, had high chances of being something powerful. Because of that, the separate toon would receive a second unit. Uzume was sending half the Fifty Bells¡¯ fighting power as support, half of which would follow after Mira and infiltrate the main base, making sure they covered it entirely. Once everyone was assigned their unit, they proceeded to discuss each toon¡¯s strategy. Though Mira, Uzume, and Sero¡¯s strategy was to simply adapt to whatever they encountered. Considering who they were, that was the best strategy for them. Meanwhile the separate toon spent time together discussing their strategy. Though that was nothing out of the ordinary, considering they were about to assault a very important location for their enemy. They had no idea what course of action the Sky Denizen would take, and Jamal had no knowledge of the internal structure of the location, so they could not make a specific attack strategy, so instead they focused on how they would react to various scenarios. The first unit had the Fifty Bells¡¯ elite members, with Emera as their leader. Their mission was to subjugate the control room and nullify the main base¡¯s defenses. If they failed, the infiltration of the main base would be needlesslyplex, and would take much more time than necessary. Once the defenses were down, Mira¡¯s group would run wild. Chimera uzen¡¯s higher ups had always been sneaky and careful with their movements, so they were likely unprepared for a head-on fight, and there was the possibility they would instantly try to escape. Or in the worst case, take more drastic measures like blowing up the base. Their ability to corner them relied heavily on the sess of the separate toon taking down the defenses. After hours of discussion, the meeting finally came to a close. ¡¸Well, that concludes our arrangements, now it¡¯s time to hand out the weapons that will see us through this mission!¡¹ Uzume stood up, it was time for the star of the show. She took out arge case from her Item Box and ced it on the table. ¡¸Wait, is that what I think it is?!¡¹ Emera was obviously the first one to raise her voice seeing the case. It had been a few days since they discussed the weapons that would negate the effects of ck mist stones. She only had eyes for des, so she had been excited about her new sword since then. ¡¸The weapons for those present here are ready, so I brought them with me. They were specifically made to counter Chimera, but from what I saw they¡¯re good enough to use them anywhere!¡¹ Uzume was proud of her people, so she puffed her chest as she opened the case. It was filled with white weapons, one for everyone present. ¡¸Woah, amazing¡­¡¹ Emera leaned forward instinctively, mesmerized by their beauty. ¡¸It actually feels special.¡¹ Zef was entranced seeing them too, and reached into the case even faster than Emera. He muttered to himself as he examined his dagger, which could easily be called an angel¡¯s weapon without sounding weird. Everyone began taking their weapon, Emera being thest after she finally snapped back to reality. ¡¸There must be many skilled cksmith¡¯s at Uzume¡¯s ce to be able to make so many beauts in just a few days.¡¹ Emera narrowed her eyes as she examined the de, an abnormal smile overtaking her lips. The weapons Uzume prepared were all unique, but all were of equally high quality. It was like a specialized crafter at the top of their game had made them, their qualities as weapons refined as much as they could. And their pure white color would make them look right at home in a disy of fine arts. Emera was right, something like an assembly line of master cksmiths working day and night would be needed to make such arge number of weapons in a short time. But Uzume¡¯s proud smile seemed to just grow wider, adding ¡¸There were only two people involved in the creation of them all!¡¹ in a loud voice. ¡¸That¡¯s actually incredible.¡¹ Asbar had barely finished his impressed mutter when someone else raised their voice. ¡¸Just two?! All of this?! But how! Just who are they?!¡¹ Something had spurred on Emera¡¯s mes. But there was no way around that. It was impossible to make so many varied weapons unless arge number of specialized crafters worked together. But if only two had done it, then this was a testament to their superiority as masters. ¡¸What¡¯s their name?! What¡¯s their specialty?! Are they from the Mythril school? Or Adaman school?!¡¹ Putting the sword away, Emera closed on Uzume and shook her shoulder while barraging her with questions. ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you, so please let gooo¡­¡¹ Not knowing Emera¡¯s passion, Uzume had identally triggered andmine. Feeling a different type of terror and pressure than that of a beast or monster, Uzume cowered back. Eventually Fra managed to calm down Emera, and Uzume began talking about the two masters while carefully watching out for Emera. Though everyone had already heard one of the names. ¡¸You already know the one who made the staff and wand for Mira and Fra, it was Albatinus.¡¹ The famous alchemist revered as a living legend, Albatinus. He was not only a master at purifying materials, but was a skilled crafter of spell staves and magic wares. ¡¸As for the physical weapons¡­¡¹ The moment Uzume said that, Emera stood up like a menacing creature. Uzume¡¯s body twitched seeing her, but she kept her chest puffed as she named the other person. ¡¸The dwarf master cksmith, Dovalin!¡¹ An instantter Emera began screeching loudly before fainting and copsing on the floor. Uzume watched that with incredulity, Mira was the same, while Fra began shaking Emera awake. The unconscious Emera was smiling happily, as if she had just experienced all the happiness the world had to offer all at once, like a blissful monk that had been elevated to a higher ne above life and death. Mira silently sped her hands together. Emera¡¯s reaction was enough to determine that the dwarf master cksmith Dovalin was famous. Or more exactly, he also had a long lifespan, during which he had continuously honed his skills and became yet another living legend. Sero and Asbar were also visibly surprised, though not to the same extent as Emera. They were also not necessarily impressed with Dovalin himself, but rather with the fact that Uzume had managed to recruit two living legends into the Fifty Bells¡¯ ranks. ¡¸Err¡­ there wasn¡¯t enough time to prepare scabbards or essories like that, but I believe everyone here can use their Item Boxes instead. Anyway, moving on. Let me exin how to use them, though it¡¯s just what I understood from Albatinus and Dovalin.¡¹ Uzume decided to ignore Emera, who still had to regain consciousness, telling the others to repeat everything to herter, and began her exnation of how to use the weapons to counter ck mist stones, coined the Anti-Demon Silver series. Chapter 134: The Night Before the Final Battle (1) Chapter 134: The Night Before the Final Battle (1) The morning after their meeting to n their attacks, Arlon and Emera¡¯s group left towards the small town where the control room was hidden. The white tiger shikigami Gautarou went with that separate toon. That way they could use one of Kagura¡¯s own skills tomunicate between the groups. Gautarou had been working in another group far away until the day before, but since this would be the decisive battle, Kagura called him back and ced him in the separate toon¡¯s second unit so they couldmunicate seamlessly during the mission. The first unit already had Nyorozou with them. ¡¸Still, I hadn¡¯t expected the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon to be a former yer, though it¡¯s hardly surprising when I think about it.¡¹ Kagura examined Sero up and down as she muttered in thought. It was pretty muchmon knowledge that former yers were powerful people in that world. There were obvious exceptions to that rule, but usually the stronger and more conspicuous someone was, the more likely they were a former yer. ¡¸I was shocked actually. I wasn¡¯t expecting the Fifty Bells,monly known as an environmentalist organization, to actually be a group formed to fight Chimera uzen, and that the founder was the wiseman Kagura.¡¹ He then exined that during the game period, he once joined the wiseman Supernatural Frone¡¯s troops as a mercenary, and had seen Kagura then. He smiled happily seeing that the next former yer he met after Mira was a famous person. Sero had noticed Uzume¡¯s identity the moment he saw her. Kagura was famous, and looked the same as before, so anyone who had seen her before could recognize her. Mira was also the pupil of the wiseman Danbulf, and she seemed to be on very good terms with Uzume, which made it even easier to recognize. The infiltration toon,posed of Mira, Kagura, and Sero, talked with each other as they hunted for monsters in the rocky mountains outside the city. They were doing that so that when the time came to fight together, they had a rough idea of the strength of each member. ¡¸You two! Look over here!¡¹ She spurred Pegasus on, summoning multiple Dark and Holy Knights to stand in the vanguard, unable to stand the sight of the other two chattering away. ¡¸I¡¯m looking, I¡¯m looking. I swear!¡¹ Kagura just waved her away. She and Mira were both wisemen, so she knew what to expect from Mira¡¯s skills. They had worked together many times in the past too. Their main goal there was to show Sero what they could do, and measuring his strength. Sero was paying more attention while talking to Kagura at the same time. Seeing the two types of Knights working together, he greatly praised Mira¡¯s skills. Mira was pleased to hear his praise. ¡¸And this is new!¡¹ she continued, getting carried away. There was a boar-like monster, covered in stone armor, that was charging at them. She used partial summoning to stop it with a Holy Knight¡¯s shield, and then summoned only the ck swords of Dark Knights to tear the monster away from all directions. Sero was deeply impressed seeing those six swords appear and vanish so quickly, having enough strength tounch surprise attacks on anyone. ¡¸Oh yeah, I saw you do that during your mock fight with Sasori. And you can summon so many at the same time too, nice nice.¡¹ Partial summoning was something that only became possible now that the system restraints from the game vanished and everything turned into reality. Kagura liked that new development, but since they were partners that knew each other¡¯s skills so much, she was hardly impressed, knowing Mira woulde up with something like that soon enough. But Mira felt dejected with the dull response. So to end, she said, ¡¸I can also summon an Emperor Dragon, but I won¡¯t now because it¡¯ll stand out too much. But I could just blow the entire mountain away and turn their base to dust if needed,¡¹ with a sulky voice. With that, her show was over. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn next.¡¹ As Mira walked back pouting like a child, Kagura stepped forward instead, pulling out a paper charm from her pocket. Three more monsters were approaching them as she did. They were like lizards, smaller than the rock boar Mira had dismembered, but their skin was simrly stone-like, and twice as fast. As the monsters rushed towards them, Kagura muttered something onto the charm and let it go. Using Ghost Riding, a spell unique to onmyoji masters, she made the charm fly on its own, heading straight towards the monsters at high speed. When it was in front of them, it tore apart. At the same time, all the terrain around that spot caved in and sank almost instantly, making the monsters fall for tens of meters. It was hard to believe the terrain had changed so drastically in such a short time, but it was a good disy of the power of a wiseman. But a wiseman would not stop just there either. They always had countermeasures piled on top of countermeasures. A fall from such an altitude was not enough to gravely wound the monsters, who quickly stood back up and began running again. Kagura sent a second charm towards them. It vanished into the ground inside therge hole, and then yet another unbelievable change happened. The ground that was barren, of only sand and rocks, was overrun with greenery that sprouted and covered the hole in the blink of an eye. ¡¸The Nine Wisemen are truly on a whole different level, huh.¡¹ Witnessing the skills of the onmyoji master who stood a level above all others, he could tell there was a clear difference. Where there was nothing earlier, there was lush greenery now. Sero spoke, impressed and entertained by what he was seeing. That was part of the skillset of an onmyoji master, Nature Collection ¨C Bush Thicket and Forest. The caster could manipte almost anything with it, and was considered the main form of Field Control in the world. Usually it was used as an aid to escape, or to create cover from long range fire. It could also support teammates with high mobility to let them move more easily. All in all, it was a very versatile skill. But there was one more unique way of using it. ¡¸All that¡¯s left now is to set it all on fire, though a fire of this scale would stand out too much.¡¹ Setting it on fire, in other words, making an artificial wildfire. That skill¡¯s fire affinity. All the greenery and wood formed through onmyoji arts burned better than natural wood when set on fire with other onmyoji skills. It was trivial to imagine what would happen if the wiseman Kagura created a forest a hundred meters wide, and tens of meters tall, and then set it on fire. ¡¸Anyway, I can do things like this with little effort, and that¡¯s all I need to show.¡¹ Chapter 134: The Night Before the Final Battle (2) Chapter 134: The Night Before the Final Battle (2) The final battle was just a few days away, so Kagura did not want to do anything that would stand out too much and did not set the greenery on fire. Instead, she made the trees and bushes move like they had a life of their own, absorbing the three monsters that wandered inside. A few minutester, only the monsters¡¯ skeletons remained, and the greenery returned to the ground from which it sprouted. Seeing Kagura¡¯s skills had not gotten rusty, Mira just muttered ¡¸Whatever.¡¹ Only Sero was left to demonstrate his skills. He gingerly stepped forward, saying ¡¸It¡¯s my turn then¡¹ with a forced smile, before elegantly unsheathing his sword and lowering his stance. He was looking at a group of monkey-like monsters, their bodies covered in stone, that had climbed up one of the nearby hills. They were the strongest type of enemies around that location, known as armored monkeys. Arge monster at least two meters tall, the strongest of which could reach even four meters. When the group of armored monkeys noticed Mira¡¯s group, they all began howling loudly with enmity. Their howling was no threat or warning, instead an instinctive reaction before charging at their prey. They ran and leaped from rock to rock, not minding the stability of their footholds as they quickly moved towards Mira¡¯s group. Then Sero¡¯s body seemed to twitch slightly, and one of the armored monkeys began screaming loudly, arge wound appearing on its chest with blood spewing forth. Sero appeared at its side, his sword bathed in blood. He had an impressive speed, both Mira and Kagura nodding in praise. Meanwhile the armored monkey seemed to pay little attention to its wound as it swung an arm towards Sero while howling aggressively. But Sero had already moved away from that spot, and the monkey¡¯s arm hit nothing. After that the other monkeys began crying one after another. They all had wounds on their chests. But none of the injuries were fatal, so they held back the pain as they red at Sero with annoyance. He stood in the middle of the monster group, all their aggression focused on him. All the armored monkeys still howled loudly, the fight not over yet, but Sero calmly shook the blood off his sword and slowly walked back to where Mira and Kagura stood, as if he had nothing left to do. Thergest armored monkey tried to follow him, swinging its arm against Sero who had turned away, but before it could reach him, the blooding out from all the monkeys¡¯ wounds increased dramatically and they all died instantly. ¡¸Well, what do you think? I¡¯m confident I won¡¯t be a hindrance though.¡¹ He said with a humble smile, carefully looking at her two partners. ¡¸It¡¯s more than enough.¡¹ ¡¸Yup, I wouldn¡¯t ask for more. I¡¯m happy we have you with us.¡¹ The warrior ss had a skill known as Manifestation, produced by focusing one¡¯s fighting spirit and that could take a variety of forms. Serobined that with Fighting Arts, which were developed by pretty much all warriors independently, which could produce many varied results. That also made it difficult to evaluate the efficiency or result of thebinations, but Sero¡¯s was clearly some of the best swordsmanship in existence. Mira and Kagura could see that as well, so they praised him. ¡¸I¡¯m d to hear thating from you two. I won¡¯t betray your expectations.¡¹ He had spent many years honing his swordsmanship. He had reached the point where he had no one topare himself with, so he was genuinely happy hearing those wordsing from two wisemen, who everyone knew were the strongest in their respective roles. With that, they all verified theycked no power for the fight, so they spent the rest of the day getting ustomed to the use of their Anti-Demon Silver weapons. At noon the next day, as they carefully prepared everything for the mission, Piisuke ryed a message from Sasori¡¯s group. ording to her, they had found a Melville warehouse containing arge amount of weapons that used ck mist stones, and that they had managed to arrange apulsory investigation of the establishment to gather evidence. Thanks to the Eabates Trading Corporation, they had managed to get the cross-border legitor from the Three Gods Church on their side. That legitor was instituted by Alispharius, one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, and was something akin to an international police investigator that ensured religious principles were maintained throughout the entire continent. Their current agreement was that the moment the final battle started, Sasori and Hebi would go with the legitor to inspect Melville¡¯s warehouse. That way they would stop Melville from destroying any ties to Chimera if they were informed of the attack, and would not give Chimera any time to prepare for an attack if they heard of the inspection. The Melville Trading Corporation had its days counted, pretty much. ¡¸Just in case make sure you can move at a moment¡¯s notice before the arranged date though. Also, inform us if you notice any abnormal movements there.¡¹ With thosest orders from Kagura, the report was over. ¡¸Well, no matter what happens, at least that corporation should go down.¡¹ There was nothing set in stone yet, so it could be dangerous to get too confident, but Kagura trusted Sasori and Hebi¡¯s skills, so she was convinced things would go well. Later that day, at night, there was a report from Arlon in the separate toon. The news was somewhat depressing on their side. They had visited the target location for reconnaissance, and the town that supposedly housed Chimera uzen¡¯s control room looked like just a regr town. All the inhabitants that Jamal imed were guarding the workshop all acted and lived like regr townsfolk. They tilled the fields, grew crops, and sold them at fair prices. But with the preconception that they were all guarding something important, their routines and attitude did resemble those of a jailer making rounds. On top of that, Fra said she felt an unnaturally strong presence of spirits in the area, and she felt it being stronger underground in a certain spot. Arlon had tried to find out more about the town, but they were all more careful than he had expected, so there was nothing else they could learn there. ¡¸I looked inside the town and in the surroundings for him, but he¡¯s either hiding really well, or he¡¯s still not here. I couldn¡¯t find him.¡¹ Arlon spoke of their next issue, the Sky Denizen. They had not been able to make contact with him yet. So they had no way of knowing at what time and from where he would attack. They did not even know if he would actually show up, so it was hard to rely on him as a distraction. So in the end they decided to be ready to move out at any moment, and to follow the n even if he did not show up in the end. The next calls came from the leaders of the Fifty Bells¡¯ main forces and the main base follow-up toon, Kongou and Mizar. They were traveling quickly with the help of spirits, but they were hundreds of men, so it would take them at least half a day more to arrive. Though as long as they arrived at the same time as the attack began or earlier, things would work out. Then Kagura took into ount the location of Arlon¡¯s group, the location of the building housing the entrance to the main base, the irregrity of the Sky Denizen, and the details of the town, to make amends to the strategy and update everyone on the changes. Once she was done making the calls, she took out a green ribbon and stared at it in her hand. It was a gift from the wind spirit Reesha, who had consoled her when she first realized this world had turned into reality and was despairing as to what to do. ¡¸It¡¯ll all end soon¡­ so soon¡­¡¹ She grasped the ribbon as she seemed to pray, then wiped her tears away and looked up at the starry sky. Kagura slowly closed her eyes, the distant stars were extremely beautiful, but they were nothingpared to the sky she had seen together with Reesha that night. Chapter 135: Battle Start! (1) Chapter 135: Battle Start! (1) It was one day before the mission would start. The three members of the infiltration group were spending time on their own. Mira used the pretext of perking herself up to wander around the city, looking through stores. Ever since she had arrived to this world, checking what had changed in thirty years became one of her biggest pastimes, noticing how items that used to be rare and expensive in the game had be mundane and cheap, or the other way around in some cases. Kagura was still conferring in secret with the various toons, amending and improving on their strategy. They were mainly deciding what Emera¡¯s group would do after joining with the Fifty Bells¡¯ main forces. Sero was out in the wastnds, fighting monster after monster, getting acquainted with the Anti-Demon Silver sword he had just received so he could use it to its fullest. If anyone saw him, they would think he was a master of his craft, but he himself found he was stillcking training. The day continued like that until the sun set. Then very early at dawn, the day the mission would get carried out¡­ ¡¸Grandpa, wake up! Quick, it¡¯s timeee!¡¹ ¡¸Hrnh¡­ why so noisy.¡¹ Mira had gone through her usual routine, taking a bath, eating dinner, and going to bed as early as she could. But she had barely caught a nod, when Kagura shook her awake. ¡¸Our mission! We have to go now!¡¹ ¡¸W-What did you say..?!¡¹ ording to Kagura, the chief of the Fifty Bells¡¯ main forces, Alioth, had just contacted her to inform that someone, presumably the Sky Denizen, had suddenly appeared and attacked the vige. ¡¸I still have to inform the other toons, so please hurry and get Sero.¡¹ Barely a momentter, Kagura began using her onmyoji skills to contact the rest. Being pressed so much, Mira just said ¡¸Got it¡¹ and ran out of the room to Sero¡¯s ce. ¡¸Serooo, are you awake? It¡¯s me!¡¹ There was a luxurious corridor connecting the suites of the inn. Mira stood there, in the middle of the night, hurriedly knocking on one of the doors while speaking loudly. ¡¸What happened..? Are we going already?¡¹ He did not seem to have slept yet, opening the door almost instantly. Seeing Mira¡¯s attitude, he deduced most of what happened. ¡¸Yes, precisely. He-¡¹ ¡¸Wait, wait Mira. I think you should take a look at yourself before we go anywhere.¡¹ Kagura had pressed Mira to hurry up, so she tried to exin the situation as fast as she could, but Sero promptly interrupted her and took his coat off, cing it on Mira¡¯s shoulders. ¡¸Hm..? Ohh! I forgot about that!¡¹ Looking down, Mira noticed she was only wearing underwear, her sleeping attire. But she felt no embarrassment about it,ughing the matter off and exining that the Sky Denizen had just started his attack. ¡¸I see, we should hurry then.¡¹ Sero was already fully prepared, so he just left his room when Mira was done exining. They returned to Kagura¡¯s room, who had just finished contacting the other toons. She turned around and frowned the moment she saw Mira. ¡¸¡­Why are you wearing that?¡¹ Kagura red at Mira, wearing a coat that was clearly toorge for her, white skin peeking through the folds. It looked needlessly seductive. ¡¸You hurried me so much¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh god¡­ just get changed already.¡¹ Not even the dumbest of idiots would get up in underwear like that. Kagura swallowed those words, instead picking up the clothes ced beside the bed and handing them to Mira. Mira gave a resentful nod before she began changing into her usual clothes. At some point leading to that, Sero had left the room. When Mira was done, Sero returned to the room, and Kagura gave more details. ording to the report she had received, the Sky Denizen had attacked, throwing the entire town into disarray as they had expected. So she had ordered the troops there to attack and join the confusion. ¡¸So, we have to act too. Mira, do you have everything?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m fully ready!¡¹ ¡¸Alrighty, let¡¯s go then.¡¹ Saying that, Kagura headed towards the door. ¡¸You won¡¯t ask Sero too?¡¹ Mira asked behind her. ¡¸He¡¯s not the kind of person to forget to get clothed, there¡¯s no need to ask him.¡¹ ¡¸Hrngh¡­¡¹ There was no way for Mira to say anything back, so she just pouted dissatisfied. Sero grinned and followed the two. The three darted out of the inn, running like the wind as they headed to the state institution where they had discovered a hidden entrance to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. There was no need for them to conceal their presence with Worthramble this time. They charged straight through the main gates, entering the building, running down corridors, Kagura throwing paper charms to any office workers they passed by, putting them to sleep with onmyoji hypnosis. A separate toon to aid the main base infiltration would arriveter, so that was done to ease their infiltration as well. They continued that way, until they reached a restricted section of the building. There was a door further inside there, which led to the secret tunnels. The lock was a dial contraption, simr to that of old-fashioned safes. Mira took out a note, which she closely followed to enter the correctbination. Soon after they crossed through the door, they were in arge tunnel, like those used against floods. But they were seemingly using the power of spirits of light, as there was no source of light yet the tunnel was brightly lit as far as they could see. ¡¸This ce is brighter than I expected.¡¹ Sero squinted as if he was looking directly at the sun. ¡¸I¡¯d assume they¡¯re using spirits of light. Only Chimera would step so low as to use them for something so mundane.¡¹ Mira seemed to snarl as she red further into the tunnel. Kagura just looked at her, with an expression seeming to say ¡®You¡¯re not one to talk.¡¯ The main base was around thirty kilometers away, in a straight line. There were a fair number of curves in the tunnel, but no other obstacles, so the three could use their movement uninterrupted to its fullest. They all darted ahead at an overwhelming speed. Unlike the people in the front institution, anyone in the tunnel was directly connected to Chimera uzen, so there was no need for them to hold back their force either. They encountered multiple of Chimera uzen¡¯s workers in the tunnel, which they almost instantly restrained and left against the tunnel¡¯s wall. All of them were considerably strong to be granted a position in such a vital ce, but they could not hold a candle against two wisemen, and the leader of the top ranking guild, falling unconscious before they could even see anyoneing. Chapter 135: Battle Start! (2) Chapter 135: Battle Start! (2) After taking down another couple of workers, the three finally reached the end of the tunnel: the entrance to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. Compared to the tunnel¡¯s size, the door was rather small. It actually looked the same as that of amon house. It was such an odd sight that it was easy to assume they were at the wrong ce, but considering only a handful of people would use the door, it made sense. The smaller the points of contact, the easier to close them off. As for the door itself, the prisoner Jamal imed it likely had an identifying device installed on it. Likely. His only proof was that one time he left the main base, realized he had forgotten something and quickly returned and went back out again. Then his superiors questioned him for those movements. After that, every time he left the base, he felt an unpleasant sensation, like he was being watched. So the likelihood of some rm or security device existing there was high. ¡¸We¡¯re here. I wonder how the others are doing¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been like an hour since we started. They haven¡¯t contacted us yet, so I guess things are going well enough.¡¹ ¡¸Well, there¡¯s plenty of capable fellows over there, so it shouldn¡¯t take them much longer.¡¹ They had no idea what could happen if they crossed the door as non-members. So they decided to wait until the control room in the other base was taken down before going through.
Eastern Sentopolly. Hidden amidst tall rocks slightly up the foot of a mountain, Emera and her group observed the town their intel said concealed an underground control room. ¡¸Look there! Did something happen?!¡¹ A little time after midnight, Emera¡¯s eyes were drawn to an unbelievable scene. Blue mes poured out of nowhere, engulfing the entire vige. ¡¸No choice but to observe from closer.¡¹ Zef began running downhill, and the other members followed soon after. They crossed a distance of three hundred meters in the blink of an eye, then hid behind a small hill next to the vige, watching the scene of destruction with their breaths held. The mes bursting up from everywhere in the town silently but violently consumed everything, turning it to ash. When the wind blew, the mes would sway eerily with a bellowing sound, mercilessly spreading to surrounding areas. ¡¸Blue mes and signs of a crossbow¡­ I guess he finally made his move.¡¹ Arlon observed a corpse that was burning to ashes, seeing signs attributing this as the Sky Denizen¡¯s doing. He had seen a simr scene the first time he saw that man, except that it was at a much smaller scale back then. ¡¸Are you saying this was all that spirit adherent man¡¯s doing?¡¹ Arlon had exined to Emera how the Sky Denizens had no mercy whatsoever for Chimera uzen. But seeing the town in mes like that made her wonder if he was just too religious, or not human at all. ¡¸I¡¯m certain. I recognize his handiwork.¡¹ Arlon dered as he looked around, noticing multiple bodies. ¡¸I can¡¯t imagine anyone else with a motive to do this anyway,¡¹ he added with a scowl. ¡¸Arlon! Was this done by that man you mentioned before the mission?¡¹ The Bellerophon toon that had been sent by the Fifty Bells, which was standing by in another ce, also got closer to the town. Mizar, their representative, ran ahead to talk with Arlon, though his eyes were glued to the bright blue mes. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s correct. I didn¡¯t expect him to act the instant the date changed, but noints from me.¡¹ ¡¸Fair enough, we¡¯ve been ready to act at any moment thanks to Uzume¡¯s orders.¡¹ Arlon stood up, untying the white axe from his belt and holding it firmly. Mizar also unsheathed his simrly white sword, and they turned to the groups they led. ¡¸Time to fight.¡¹ Arlon said quietly, and Emera and the rest nodded before heading towards the town. As for the other troops. ¡¸Alright everyone, our mission starts now!¡¹ Mizar announced loudly, and the hundreds of Fifty Bells elites all answered with a synchronized, ¡¸Yessir!¡¹ This fight was going to stop Chimera uzen¡¯s actions, which had ravaged on for far too many years. Everyone present had been dreaming of the arrival of this day, and this battle. It was obvious they all shared the same sentiment. Arlon¡¯s group began running the moment those shouts rang like a signal, engaging inbat with the Chimera uzen members that swarmed out of the town. At first nce, the town looked like it only housed around a hundred people, but Alioth used a specialized skill to investigate properly and found there were close to a thousand weapons stored in the underground base. Once they found out that, they had to change their strategy. Rather than trying to fight them inside a foreign base where they had no information about any traps, it was better to lure the enemy out to the open. For that, the Fifty Bells¡¯ first toon would make a lot of noise and be a distraction, so once Chimera¡¯s defenses were focused on them, Arlon¡¯s unit would infiltrate the underground facility. Arlon¡¯s group silently circled around the town, and when Mizar¡¯s group was engaged in battle, they went straight into therge workshop. The building was around a hundred meters long on all sides, a respectable size for a workshop. It was filled with almost a thousand weapons, the functionality of some of which was still unknown. ¡¸No way¡­ what¡¯s this?¡¹ One of those items caught Emera¡¯s attention, leaving her in shock. It was a bottle filled with what looked like arms. ¡¸Those are spirits¡¯, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ added Fra, her voice wavering with anger. ¡¸Spirits? I thought only spellcasters could see them?¡¹ ¡¸You can see them thanks to the liquid in the bottle.¡¹ Arlon answered Emera¡¯s question. He continued exining how he had seen something simr in one of his past missions, and he looked further into it to discover that Chimera had developed that liquid. ¡¸A substance that forcefully turns spirits visible¡­ that¡¯s really creeping me out.¡¹ Zef recoiled just thinking of it, that was essentially twisting thews of nature to one¡¯s will. Fra on the other hand, took a step forward, picked up the bottle and uncapped it. All the arms inside instantly turned into specks of light, which quickly escaped violently and began ravaging the room, as if in a fit of rage. ¡¸Woah! Watch out there!¡¹ ¡¸What were you thinking?!¡¹ The particles of light floated freely, attacking anything in sight. Zef quickly covered his face to protect it, while Emera crouched down while staring daggers at Fra. ¡¸They seem really angry.¡¹ ¡¸You saw how they were stored, anyone would be mad.¡¹ Asbar and Arlon were rather calm inparison, their eyes tracking the spirit remains as they carefully moved forward. But then all the particles quickly changed course, all flying back towards Fra who still held the bottle at a dangerous speed. ¡¸Fra!¡¹ The lights turned into shing streaks while Emera shouted. Spirits usually were more powerful than humans, so if all of them impacted on Fra it was unlikely she woulde out unscathed. But even after they began impacting her, no visible wounds appeared on Fra. On the opposite, her body was covered by a solemn glow. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Zef said in an idiotic voice, unable to understand what was going on. Everyone saw that the enraged remains of spirits appeared to be attacking Fra. But the result waspletely different to what they expected. The glow that appeared around Fra¡¯s body was like the personification of an ideal connection between spirits and humans. Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on her, their mouths agape. The light began dimming slowly, before dispersing and gathering in Fra¡¯s left hand. ¡¸Even if they¡¯re overtaken with anger, as long as we love and appreciate them, the spirits will always understand. That¡¯s their nature, ourpanions that walk alongside us in this world.¡¹ Fra raised her left hand, examining the red pattern that appeared on it, as she turned to face Emera and the others. ¡¸This is proof that they connected with my heart. And a sign of our lifelong connection.¡¹ Chapter 135: Battle Start! (3) Chapter 135: Battle Start! (3) That mark was the spirits¡¯ Divine Blessing. It was granted as proof of a long and strong bond between a spirit and a human, but it also existed in a different form, when entrusting someone with their emotions. The spirits that grew bitter enclosed in the bottle had regained their trust for humans aftering in contact with Fra¡¯s heart. ¡¸Also, the spirits showed me the way to the central room in the base. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Fra held her left hand against her chest, speaking more decidedly. The spirits had entrusted her with their emotions, the desire to release their captured fellows. A wish which resonated with Fra¡¯s own goal. ¡¸Alright, lead the way then.¡¹ Arlon nodded and went to Fra¡¯s side, to follow her like a bodyguard. They knew the workshop itself was not veryrge thanks to their preliminary investigation, but they were unable to identify the main room. But the spirits had just given them that information, narrowing their path to a single one. Receiving that unexpected help, the group headed to the control room with renewed resolve. The walls and floor were all made of stone. Nomps were in sight, but somehow everything was clearly visible under an unknown light, and Fra continued moving forward with Arlon and the rest following her. ¡¸Well, that¡¯s someone with renown for you alright, I guess we should¡¯ve expected as much though.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it feels like we don¡¯t have to do anything.¡¹ Zef could onlyugh despite himself, moving as ordered while seeing Arlon effortlessly crushing his enemies together with their weapons in a single strike. Emera stood next to Zef, her sword ready, even though the vanguard was already fully ounted for. The majority of the enemy¡¯s defenses had been lured out to fight Mizar. But the most skilled ones had been left behind to watch over the underground control room, and were now pitted against Arlon. Armed with spirit arms and ck mist stone weapons, they were mighty foes. But Arlon¡¯s polished skills and superior tactics took them down one after another. ¡¸Mm, Dovalin¡¯s handcrafted weapons are truly on a league of their own.¡¹ After ying a handful of guards, Arlon muttered impressed, his eyes on the axe that was entirely white except for the handle. Dwarves were sometimes called the gods of smithing, and Dovalin was a master amongst them. On top of developing a new material in the form of Anti-Demon Silver, his weapons were superior to any othermon weapon. ¡¸Can I¡­ maybe now¡­ not yet..?¡¹ Emera firmly held onto her sword, her eyes fixated on Arlon who was too skilled to give her a moment to shine. With ten guards out ofmission, Arlon¡¯s group stepped into the central room of the building. Arge dome-like space. ¡¸That¡¯s it there, that¡¯s the control device.¡¹ Fra pointed to a rattling apparatus in the middle of the room, the most important spot of the entire building. ¡¸Alright! Let¡¯s get this over with.¡¹ The device alternated between a loud and a quiet voice, and seemed to wriggle in an unnatural way. There was nothing else to see in the room, but Zef was still watchful, fully aware that such ces always harbored secrets. ¡¸A barrier¡­ huh.¡¹ Arlon frowned as his feet stood still. In the end, there were no traps in their way up to the device. Their objective was its destruction, or at the very least stopping its activity, and ity just a few steps ahead. But the biggest hurdle they encountered so far stopped them, a strong barrier made of mana was set up around it. ¡¸How about this!¡¹ Asbar got closer, and raising his voice energetically he swung his hammer against the barrier with all his might. Even the strongest barrier could be shattered by inflicting more damage than it could negate. ¡¸Not even a scratch¡­¡¹ But the barrier merely emitted a dull sound, not affected by the blow at all. At least that confirmed that the transparent and almost invisible barrier was incredibly strong. ¡¸Fra, did the spirits tell you anything about how to get through here?¡¹ Asbar turned around, looking slightly dejected that his strongest attack had no effect at all. ¡¸I didn¡¯t even know there would be a barrier here.¡¹ She shook her head as she replied, angrily staring at the device. They were so close, yet so far. ¡¸It¡¯s probably a spell cast by the manager of this ce or someone like that¡­¡¹ Fra muttered, carefully looking at the broader area surrounding the device. Looking more closely, she noticed multiple small glowing shards and drops of water. ¡¸Hmm¡­ this is some exorcist spell, I¡¯d guess.¡¹ The most likely identity of those scattered items were spills of holy water and broken holy water bottles. Fra continued speaking slowly as she crouched near the fragments. ¡¸Think you can do something with that?¡¹ Emera knelt down next to Fra, looking at the floor with a confounded face and frowning. ¡¸If I use my magic to rewrite the spell bit by bit it would be possible¡­ but that would take forever.¡¹ Saying that, Fra began trying to decode and rewrite the barrier. ¡¸Are exorcist barriers always this sturdy?¡¹ Asbar¡¯s powerful attack had no effect on the barrier at all. Zef was still incredulous, and he always preferred brute force, so he tried stabbing the barrier with his dagger. ¡¸That Chimera uzen ced it should tell you enough. They always abuse spirits to strengthen even the most mundane spell.¡¹ Arlon could not remain still either, so he approached the barrier and began unleashing as many attacks as he could as well. ¡¸Spirits, eh¡­ Well, doubt it¡¯s gonna budge then, I swear.¡¹ Asbar gave up, letting go of his hammer and resigning himself to stare at the barrier, which seemed to taunt them with its dull noise. Then something else happened. ¡¸They¡¯ve already gotten here!¡¹ A guard appeared from the other side of the room, and the instant he saw Arlon¡¯s group, he threw some orb to the ground. A momentter the ceiling opened up, countless humanoid entities falling out around the group. ¡¸C¡¯mon, that¡¯s a bit too much.¡¹ ¡¸Oh man, this isn¡¯t what I was hoping for when I wanted to get some action earlier.¡¹ There was a ttering noise after their fall. They were Battle Dolls. Zef looked gloomily at them, holding his dagger ready. Asbar heaved a deep sigh, then picked up his hammer from the floor. ¡¸Finally! Let¡¯s go, everyone!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s the spirit. Confronting unfavorable situations with a smile is the essence of an adventurer.¡¹ Emera¡¯s time to test her new sword, and fulfill her actual role as frontliner, had finallye. Her entire body was brimming with enthusiasm, and Arlonughed, knowing that no matter what the reason was, having a positive outlook was always good. He had already started mowing down the dolls with his axe. ¡¸Fra, you focus on decoding the barrier, Zef will watch over you no matter what!¡¹ Without asking first, Emera pushed that role onto Zef and ran out to fight the dolls. ¡¸Isn¡¯t that a volunteer thing usually? Shouting ¡®I¡¯ll protect you with my life¡¯ or something like that?¡¹ Zef mumbled as he walked to Fra¡¯s side, where Emera had been standing earlier. ¡¸You¡¯ll only bring yourself down thinking about it. So just don¡¯t question it, Zef.¡¹ ¡¸Okay okay, I¡¯ll just do it then.¡¹ Fra replied in her usual attitude, her hands still busy working on the barrier. Zef stood behind her, cutting down the dolls that charged at them with his dagger. The de easily severed their bodies, destroying even the spirit arms they were equipped with. ¡¸Woah, that¡¯s a sharp edge alright.¡¹ Zef was impressed with the white de carefully crafted by Dovalin, he then chuckled watching Emera further away, easily cutting apart the dolls with swings of her sword. Chapter 136: Grado Schedar (1) Chapter 136: Grado Schedar (1) While the Fifty Bells¡¯ forces and the vige¡¯s defenses were engaged in a fierce battle, some distance away, hidden behind rocks under the starry sky, a person wearing a cloak and carrying arge bag on his back carefully scurried away, constantly looking around. ¡¸Zele, I knew you¡¯d try running away.¡¹ The Sky Denizen stood on a higher spot, staring down at the robed man, Zele. ¡¸Huh! Grado¡­ I suspected it was you when I saw those mes, but who did you join hands with, brother?¡¹ Zele quickly stepped back, increasing the distance between the two, while a grin appeared on Grado, the Sky Denizen¡¯s lips. The bright blue mes consuming the vige were still visible in the corner of his eyes. The embers of the fire flew like specks of light, before burning out and vanishing like stars plunged into a dark sea. ¡¸I just lit the fire, they came on their own ord.¡¹ Turning away from the blue mes, Grado pointed his crossbow at Zele. His voice was icy cold, all emotion gone from his face except for hatred. ¡¸You aren¡¯t running?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m not the same as back then. You can¡¯t beat me alone anymore.¡¹ Grado¡¯s voice remained unchanged, but Zele had a sly smile as he unsheathed a ck sword. ¡¸Your eyes, even your face has changed since back then. Is that how much you hate me, brother?¡¹ ¡¸Of course. You were a fellow priest with me, but you kidnapped Altinea, our hometown¡¯s guardian deity and left.¡¹ Grado¡¯s eyes burned with more scorn as he said that. He could only see murder now. But Zele seemed unfazed by such animosity, smirking gleefully. ¡¸You¡¯re misrepresenting what happened. Call it eloping if you wish, we loved each other. But the fanatic cultists of our home would never allow a priest and a deity to be together, so we agreed to leave.¡¹ ¡¸You liar!¡¹ Zele¡¯s voice had a certain grandeur to them, waving his hands around as if giving a performance. But that did not anger Grado as much as the words themselves did. ¡¸Liar? Me? We loved each other, I know that for a fact. How does saying that make me a liar?¡¹ ¡¸¡­¡¹ Zele wrapped his arms around himself, as if hugging something, while continuing to smirk at Grado. A spirit and a human having feelings for each other. Taboo in a religious vige like theirs, but not such an umon urrence in other ces. But Grado replied with a sharp gaze, silently denying it. The conviction in his heart was too strong. He could not say the truth, so he unsheathed his sword. As a reply, or to imply that their conversation was needless. ¡¸So you insist on staying silent, huh. Then let me spell it out for you!¡¹ Zele¡¯s yful demeanor quickly vanished as he raised his voice. Grado shot a bolt from his crossbow at the same time, which Zele swept away with his hand before leaping towards Grado. ¡¸Altinea actually loved you, brother! And I know you loved her too! Say it!¡¹ Zele¡¯s ck sword and Grado¡¯s rapier collided with a loud metallic noise. They struck each other a few more times as Zele continued to shout. ¡¸It didn¡¯t matter how much I opened up to her, revered her, she never looked my way! Her smile, her tears, her voice, her love¡­ it was all directed at you, only you! You were my brother, a priest like me, just what made you so much better than me?!¡¹ He was literally shouting his heart out. All the emotions he harbored and suppressed for many years burst out in an explosive manner. Zele¡¯s sword sped up, all the spirit arms covering his body aiding his movements and strength, slowly overpowering Grado. Zele had never been inferior to Grado. They had lived the same way, be priests while cultivating a friendly rtionship, and both fulfilled their duties with devotion. But then they fell in love with the same person, even though they knew it was forbidden, and that created a rift between them. Eventually that difference grew too strong between, and plunged Zele¡¯s heart into a dark and endless abyss. ¡¸¡­¡¹ ¡¸Say something already! Or are you trying to take pity on me? Don¡¯t forget you took everything away from me!¡¹ Zele¡¯s sword had gotten close enough to graze Grado¡¯s face, but even with those wounds, he remained silent. But there was nothing for him to say. He learned of the sense of inferiority that filled his younger brother¡¯s heart for so long, but there was no change in his own feelings. All he felt for Zele now, was a desire to kill him. They continued shing swords, each strike producing echoes like screams from the surrounding rocks. Zele had many emotions mixed into his ck sword, driving its movements, but Grado¡¯s thin and razor-sharp de was infused with pure murderous intent. ¡¸Who took something away from who, again?¡¹ During one of the strikes between des, Grado finally looked into his opponent¡¯s eyes and spoke. There was not a single bit of pity or mercy in Grado¡¯s eyes, just a cold emptiness. ¡¸Hahah¡­ true, at least I managed to take Altinea!¡¹ Grado had also lost something. Zele seemed to recognize that emotion, seeing something he had felt so long ago, that he cackled loudly in response. Right after that, a chilling presence inundated the area, and Grado¡¯s sword began drawing an unnatural and irregr arc, closing in onto Zele. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ going on? Kuh..ghaa!¡¹ The de kept changing directions. Even if Zele predicted an attack, Grado¡¯s arm would easily move away, as if inertia did not apply to his sword, making impossible movements look easy to pull off. But Zele managed to scatter holy water around him, creating a barrier that protected him the instant he was about to take a lethal blow. ¡¸That¡¯s Exorcist Exile Rule: Control Hallowing, isn¡¯t it? So you hate me so much you even reach for taboo arts¡­ heh, that¡¯s quite the honor.¡¹ Zeleughed as he sprinkled more holy water, fully sealing himself into a barrier. Control Hallowing, in simple terms, a spell that allowed one to make any movement at will. It might not sound like a big deal, but there were essentially no restrictions at all for any movement, really giving the spell a reason to exist. If one thought of flying through the air, their body would fly to wherever they wanted. It also allowed the caster to move against inertia without effort, as Grado had done earlier. ¡¸But sadly for you, you just lost your opportunity to kill me. Even you can¡¯t reach me now. Even that forbidden spell won¡¯t be able to break through this strengthened barrier in less than a minute.¡¹ Inside his barrier, Zele reached into his bag for medicine, which he quickly gulped down. All the wounds ravaging his body healed quickly, returning the smirk to his lips. Zele knew how the spell worked, its effect did notst very long. And the reason why it was considered taboo in the first ce, it took a strong toll from the caster, every movement causing equivalent damage to their body. In other words, if handled improperly, once the spell¡¯s duration was over, the caster could receive lethal wounds instantly. So Zele chose to turtle, waiting with little worry until enough time passed. During his time as a priest, he was known as the most versed in barriers amongst his peers, so this was his best option when it came to buying time. ¡¸I¡¯ll kill you, no matter what.¡¹ Grado¡¯s voice was a tone lower, holding his de horizontal and pointed at Zele. Grado had been a priest together with his younger brother, and knew of his barrier prowess. Zele¡¯s barriers were strong enough to resist even spiritual power. Sheltered inside of it, Zele¡¯s defense was truly impregnable. But that also helped Grado notice the barrier¡¯s vulnerability. His next movements were instantaneous like a sh, no human eye able to follow them. In a very short span of time, Grado stabbed straight at the barrier multiple times at incredible speed, until there was the sound of something shattering and a powerful shockwave spread around them, shaking the ground and air. ¡¸Heh, gotta give it to you, brother¡­¡¹ Focused attacks on a single spot of the barrier, that was its weakness. Grado noticed it, and his thin sword made quick work of it, piercing through and lodging itself in Zele¡¯s shoulder. But the wound was nowhere near fatal, a turn from his body was enough to get it out, and he drank more medicine right after. Together with a loud noise, the tip of Grado¡¯s sword that had made it inside the barrier moved at an immense speed, following Zele and grazing his face. There was contact again. ¡¸Ow, close one, close one.¡¹ With all the attacksing through a single pivot point, they were much easier to dodge, even if the de moved almost instantly. The barrier reconstructed itself at a fast pace too, pushing Grado¡¯s sword out. Zele readied himself for the next attack, firmly holding his ck sword with both hands. Grado retook his earlier stance, the tip of his sword turning into a blurry streak, moving at nearly the speed of sound and reopening the barrier. His attack had gotten more acute than earlier, and Zele tried recoiling to the side, but Grado still sliced his side. Blood sttered around and Zele cringed in pain, but he managed to swing his ck sword down and caught the thin de, together with a loud noise. ¡¸How did you..?!¡¹ The thin sword was snapped in half, losing its tip. Grado finally looked distressed, for the first time since the fight started. ¡¸Oh, it bothers you that you lost your sword? Don¡¯t tell me, was it a memento from someone? Aww, I¡¯m sorry, brother.¡¹ Zele smirked yet again, trampling on the broken tip of Grado¡¯s sword. That thin de had been made with thrusting attacks in mind, but with the sharp end gone, it could no longer be used to pierce through Zele¡¯s barrier. A momentter the barrier shook violently. Then again, and the strikes repeated regrly, slowly attempting to tear it open. ¡¸Get your feet off it!¡¹ Grado held one of his crossbow¡¯s arrows, using it to attack the barrier multiple times. His face was contorted with rage, determined to crack the barrier even if he had to ultimately use his fists for it. ¡¸Oh wait, I just noticed, this is the Spirit Heirloom Sword. The treasure given to Altinea¡¯s chosen vige guardian.¡¹ Chapter 136: Grado Schedar (2) Chapter 136: Grado Schedar (2) Zele lifted his foot in a theatrical manner, exaggerating his enunciation as he ced the tip of his ck sword on the broken de, before applying pressure and shattering the fragment like a piece of ss. ¡¸Huh, it¡¯s more fragile than I thought. I guess it was just a replica.¡¹ He shuffled the shards with his foot, mixing them into the dust on the ground while he gently swung his ck sword around, showing it off. ¡¸You b?a?s?t?a?r?d?!¡¹ Grado¡¯s yell was filled with heart-rending anger, and he struck the barrier with an arrow again. But even with the power granted by the taboo spell, his attacks were nowhere nearly as powerful as those of the Spirit Heirloom Sword. ¡¸Man, you really don¡¯t learn, do you? Though well, I guess it¡¯s almost time for the spell to run out¡­¡¹ It was no easy task to ovee a barrier strengthened with spiritual power. Only the forbidden Control Hallowing spell, and the Spirit Heirloom Sword together had been able to make an opening. So a mere crossbow bolt should not be strong enough. Grado focused on repeating the same action, crossing his mental and physical limits, striking the same spot time and time again, until the barrier began to waver. And almost miraculously, the arrow pierced into the barrier. But it could not reach Zele, the barrier recovered quickly and seemed to mp around its tip, trying to push it out. ¡¸You might be using a taboo spell, but to break my barrier without the Heirloom Sword¡­ that¡¯s quitemendable. But that¡¯s all you¡¯ll get to do.¡¹ The mana circting through Grado¡¯s body had begun to dwindle. Zele could see that happening from inside his barrier, so he began teasing the worn down arrowtip with his fingers, chuckling to himself. The spell wasing to an end. But it was not quite time yet. ¡¸Aahhhhh!¡¹ Grado shouted vigorously, churning out every little bit of mana he could muster to force his body to move. He twisted his upper body, raising the sword he still held onto and pressed the broken end onto the arrow¡¯s notch. It was literally ast ditch effort. There was a sound like that of a powerful st, and the arrow was shot like a bullet into the barrier. ¡¸Damn, another close one. I really shouldn¡¯t get cocky until the very end.¡¹ It was a hairbreadth escape. Zele instantly twisted his body, sessfully avoiding the arrow¡¯s path. The projectile hit the barrier behind Zele losing most of its momentum and falling still to the ground. Confirming it was no longer moving Zele turned to Grado watchfully, who was starting to lose strength and fall to the ground with ragged breaths. It looked like the spell had worn off, and he no longer possessed the strength to continue fighting. But Zele knew his brother well, so he kept the barrier up while watching every little movement Grado made. ¡¸You aren¡¯t approaching, huh¡­¡¹ Saying that, Grado slowly stood back up. At some point he had taken out a dagger, which he stored in his pocket before taking out a silver pocket watch engraved with the holy symbol of the sun. Seeing it, Zele looked slightly unnerved. He was fully aware of what that silver pocket watch was. Not wasting a moment, Zele reached into his back and took out a mana replenishing potion, which he quickly gulped down and reinforced his barrier. ¡¸Argent Stigmata¡­ What are you thinking, using that at this point of the fight? You¡¯ve already experienced how powerful my barrier is. What help is an exorcism catalyst now? Which is inferior to forbidden spells¡­¡¹ Even the strongest and advanced exorcist spells could not break a barrier strengthened with the power of spirits. Or at least that was Zele¡¯s belief. But he was fully aware that anything Grado did always had some sort of meaning, so he held his ck sword ready while carefully watching his surroundings. ¡¸Zele, your powerful barriers have always been like a crutch for you, and you never put enough effort into learning about other spells.¡¹ Grado ced the pocket watch on the barrier, as if slightly pushing it into it, his eyes focused on Zele. That prompted Zele to smirk yet again. ¡¸You¡¯re mistaken, my brother. I¡¯ve read all books rted to exorcism magic, studied them. I had a hunch we would one day confront each other like this. I know all spells you can cast with that specific catalyst, for example, and I know none of them can break this barrier.¡¹ Grado¡¯s talent for exorcist magic was as strong as Zele¡¯s inferiorityplex. Barriers were the only area in which Zele was superior. The taboo spell had already exhausted Grado¡¯s body, so Zele was already certain of his victory. His study of exorcism magic gave him an unwavering confidence. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t need to break it anymore.¡¹ When Zele heard that, an ufortable cold chill ran down his spine. Had he missed something? Was there something he had overlooked, an exorcist spell that could overturn the situation? Trying to think of all the possibilities, Zele gasped and looked at Grado again. All Grado desired was Zele¡¯s death, his eyes marred by a dark madness. He was safe inside the barrier, but the murderous intent he felt made him recoil. And then he noticed it. ¡¸Woah!¡¹ He tripped on something, falling down onto his rear. Something rolled from under his feet, the crossbow bolt. Thick and short, he had lost his footing when stepping on it. ¡¸Dammit!¡¹ He had high ground, yet he was scared, and fell down in an unsightly manner. Zele stood back up, angered by that shameful disy, and kicked the arrow as he red back at Grado. Emotion seemed to drain from Grado¡¯s face, as his voice became calm and slow. ¡®ept this abhorrent name, guide the lost sinner unto the blessednds beyond¡¯ Zele¡¯s body stiffened, he recognized that chant. That spell required no holy symbol, it was a high level exorcist spell that used scattered holy water as a catalyst. The silver pocket watch was only for show, misdirection to conceal Grado¡¯s true n. Realizing all that, Zele somehow managed to force himself to remain calm. Even with different catalysts, the avable spells would not be able to destroy the barrier. He was still confident about that. ¡®Existence is endless dread; life, a chain tying us to the ground. mes of conviction, consume these sins, release them up to the skies high above.¡¯ But Grado did not seem to care about that, slowly driving Zele impatient, making him look around in desperation. ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¹ He finally understood, Grado had already given him a hint, saying there was no need to destroy the barrier. There was something foreign already inside. Zele¡¯s desperation turned into terror, while Grado¡¯s face remained solemn. ¡®Thou shalt know repentance through the mes!¡¯ Exorcist Holy Rule: Eternal Blue Incineration Magic power amassed into mana, and the spell activated. The crossbow bolt rolling at Zele¡¯s feet instantly burst into mes, the holy water contained inside being turned into a blue ze. Thepact barrier was filled with blue mes, cries like the souls of helling from inside. The mes had nowhere to go, enclosed by the barrier, so they just formed a whirlpool that grew brighter by the second. But that did notst for long, the barrier was dispelled, and a sudden gust quickly blew the mes away, dispersing them. The holy water serving as catalyst was sent away too. ¡¸I didn¡¯t¡­ ount for that¡­¡¹ The wind Magic Ware lost its power and fell apart, and Zele fell onto his knees while groaning in pain. His body was ravaged with burns, his robe and the spirit arms attached to him halfway turned into ashes. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re still alive.¡¹ Grado¡¯s body was also in a dire state, the effects of the taboo spell leaving him in a half-dead state. But the temerarious glint of his eyes remained, focused on Zele. Without uttering a word, he unsheathed his dagger again and dragged himself towards Zele to deal the final blow. His earlier swiftness and agility waspletely gone, but to Zele, gravely wounded, every one of Grado¡¯s steps were a countdown to his death. ¡¸Da..mn¡­¡¹ One of Zele¡¯s hands could still move, so he carried it into his pocket, taking out a healing potion he had hidden there. But his wounds were so severe the potion could not heal him fully, and it was only enough to let him stand up again. Zele forced his aching body to move, going to the burnt down bag from which a round bundle had fallen out, the size of a human head. ¡¸I didn¡¯t want to use this¡­ but against Grado¡­ maybe it¡¯s not that bad¡­¡¹ He reached for the bundle, picking it up as his lips twisted into a wicked smile. ¡¸Let me show you¡­ the power of our love!¡¹ Saying that, Zele unraveled the bundle, exposing its content. The moment Grado saw it, he yelled loudly. ¡¸Damn you Zeleeee!¡¹ His voice thundered, filled with more anger than ever before. There was a transparent container inside the bundle. But the issue was its content. Grado was very familiar with it¡­ the head of the person he loved. Blinded with rage, all Grado could think of was Zele¡¯s death, forcing his wounded legs to move and lunge him forward. ¡¸Heehyahaha. It¡¯s over now, brother.¡¹ Grado cackled madly in response, taking out a silver tube from his belt and throwing it inside the round container with a broad grin. It instantly burst into mes, an explosion lighting the night sky, while a thunderous roar shook the ground all around them. Chapter 137: Under a Starry Sky Chapter 137: Under a Starry Sky A Spirit Bomb, a sudden explosion that gave no time to escape. In the center of the raging mes, Zele was certain of his victory. The spiritual power of Altinea had been turned into a destructive st that scorched everything around them, except Zele, his robe also made with the power of Altinea imbued in it, so the mes did not touch him. Everything else was consumed though. That was the secret power of Spirit Bombs. ¡¸Good bye, Altinea and Grado! I¡¯ve won! I¡¯m stronger than you!¡¹ He screamed with raw emotion. Winning against Grado, that had been Zele¡¯s lifelong goal, his only way to stop feeling inferior, after having convinced himself he was. Now he had a chance to confront his brother, and he was still strong, and for a moment he feared he would never reach his goal, but Zele had emerged victorious. That brought him more joy than anything else in the world. ¡¸No, you lost.¡¹ The onrush of joy had lowered his guard. Humans could not resist spiritual power, Zele took that for a fact. But that conviction would be his downfall. Spirits, a gentle race that always lived near humans. Sometimes helping each other out, sometimes just aspanions, but always with kindness. The power of a bond formed with one would never vanish. Grado¡¯s voice sounded clear, and his arm appeared from between the mes. A momentter, the dagger grasped within sliced Zele¡¯s throat. ¡¸Ghah¡­ahh¡­¡¹ Zele tried raising his voice, but no proper words formed, his frenzied eyes focused on his killer. Aplex shaped pattern was on the arm that reached for Zele¡¯s throat, shining in a red, more brightly than the mes surrounding them. It was proof of Altinea¡¯s Divine Protection, granted to Grado. Seeing that arm,pletely untouched by the mes, Zele understood. It was Altinea¡¯s wish to protect Grado. A Spirit¡¯s Divine Protection. In the cultures that revered spirits, that held a special meaning. Grado and Zele both had received it when they became priests, representing and defending their hometown. Receiving it meant taking an oath, vowing to protect their deity until their final breath, always remaining by her side and caring for everything she needed. In exchange, the enshrined spirit would bless the vige. In the Sky Denizens¡¯ instance, Altinea was a spirit of storms. She would keep torrential rains and gales away, maintaining a calm weather. Thanks to that, the vige had abundant harvests, leading them to honor and respect Altinea, as well as the two priests. But that also highlighted the differences between the two brothers, the older superior at everything, the younger being just average. Everything else was exactly the same for the two, so their disparity became all the more poignant. In the end, the two fell in love with the same person, and a rift was born between them. If there had been just some other thing that differentiated them, things might have gone differently. But only ruin awaited them. One day, Chimera uzen attacked their hometown, trying to capture their deity Altinea. Zele, who had vowed to protect her, chose to betray them instead. All to differentiate himself from his older brother, and to take Altinea away from him. Afterwards Grado left, casting away his kindness and focusing on retrieving the love of his life, ignoring the pleas from the survivors to stay. Whenever he heard rumors of the presence of his enemy, he would rush to them, taking any information from them and their life. His mind slowly drowned in hatred, unable toprehend mercy or kindness. Everything lost its color, he could only identify others as enemies or not enemies, and he killed his enemies like a machine. But there was one thing that survived in Grado¡¯s heart after all of that, his love for Altinea. Thanks to those feelings, the Spirit¡¯s Divine Blessing reacted. When Grado was faced with so much danger, even without him knowing it, the mark had started to glow. On the other hand, Zele had used the abundant knowledge of spirits he gained in his hometown to force Altinea¡¯s power to be his own. A vige like theirs had a strong bond with spirits, and a wealth of knowledge too. Zele developed ways to use spiritual energy with the most efficiency, and it was no exaggeration to say that at least eighty percent of Chimera uzen¡¯s technology had been made possible thanks to him. Then those had been turned into weapons and armor, increasing Chimera¡¯s power many times over. The Spirit Bomb was also made by him. Chimera uzen recognized his achievements, and he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually bing one of their heads. On top of that, Chimera uzen¡¯s members would constantly bring him spirits, and with each that became a sacrifice, Zele¡¯s knowledge expanded. It was unlikely there was another person alive with the same amount of spirit knowledge as Zele. But the world did not run only on knowledge. There were emotions as well. At some point, Zele noticed the glow vanished from the Diving Protection. He assumed that was because Altinea no longer lived as a sentient being. But now, only after seeing Grado¡¯s arm with the mark shining brightly through the mes, he realized his mistake. There was a way to survive a spirit bomb that didn¡¯t involve wearing protective gear made from the same spirit. Something Chimera uzen had not noticed, and had no way of noticing. The mark of a bond between human and spirit, a Spirit¡¯s Divine Protection. In a fight between one who cast away those bonds, and one who held onto them, they became the deciding factor. Once the spiritual power was used up, the mes vanished like they were never there. The surroundings that had been illuminated red turned ck, only barely illuminated by the starry script. Under that dim light, only a dull sound was heard, that of Zele¡¯s body hitting the ground. Blood spewing from his throat, and his eyes looking up and turning ssy even before he hit the ground. Grado stood beside him, still holding onto the bloodied dagger as he slowly uttered some words. They were too quiet for anyone else to hear them, more fragile than a muttering, less hopeful than a prayer. A burial chant from their hometown. His face devoid of anger, hatred, happiness, or sadness, Grado pointed his crossbow to Zele¡¯s chest and pulled the trigger. Then used the little power he still had, he produced blue mes. They started like small embers, but slowly grew in size and power. Grado turned around and left, heading back to the town engulfed in blue mes. But he did not get far. A loud thud disturbed the night¡¯s silence. Grado¡¯s body copsed on the ground. ¡¸So¡­this is it¡­¡¹ Grado¡¯s body had been pushed beyond its limits. He had used the forbidden spell for longer than it was intended, consuming his own life to extend its duration. His body barely moved as he wished, and he could merely turn himself over with his waning strength. ¡¸I can¡¯t¡­see the stars¡­anymore¡­¡¹ Grado tried searching for the constetions he used to look at with Altinea, but his sses had been shattered and the sky was just a blurry dark mess. He closed his eyes. With nothing to see, the whistle of the wind against his ear became more obvious. His body felt leaden, too heavy to move, and his consciousness felt distant, like it had been buried deep underground. There was nothing left to do, he had aplished his goal. Grado had always envisioned this end, so he just let go of everything, his consciousness. And then he heard it. ¡®¡­¡¯ A faint voice gently caressed Grado¡¯s ear. It was barely audible, like an ephemeral voice that would stop any moment. But Grado¡¯s eyes snapped open, searching with his hazy eyes for the owner of that voice he held so dear. He could not forget or mistake that voice, Altinea¡¯s. ¡¸Altinea¡­I finally¡­found you.¡¹ He found her standing next to his arm with the mark of her blessing. Through his cracked and blurry sses, she looked exactly how he remembered her, and his voice sounded heartfully relieved. ¡¸Ah¡­I see¡­you have always¡­been with me¡­¡¹ Altinea knelt down, holding onto his arm with a smile. Grado looked at her, at her eyes, and began muttering words, as if trying to recoup all the time together they had lost. ¡¸You were¡­so close¡­and I didn¡¯t notice¡­ Ah right, these sses, I guess I can¡¯t¡­use them anymore.¡¹ Forcing a smile, he somehow managed to move his arm, taking off his sses. With nothing bothering his eyes anymore, he nodded softly as he looked at Altinea. ¡¸¡­Aw, they¡¯re broken. Even though¡­you chose them for me. But now¡­I can see you again¡­ It¡¯s all good now, I know you¡¯re here now¡­and I¡¯ll never let you out of my sight.¡¹ He stuttered constantly, and his gaze wavered a bit, but then focused on Altinea again. ¡¸We should¡­go buy new ones¡­together¡­ You can¡­choose one for me¡­again¡­¡¹ Grado smiled, slightly embarrassed, and slowly closed his eyes. All sounds vanished, and his body stopped moving him. Having crossed the limits of a human, of his life, and his abilities, Grado¡¯s body turned to dust, getting carried away by the gentle breeze. All that remained were his burned clothes, bloodied dagger, and the shattered sses. That marked the end of one story, the blue mes eventually fading away as well, and darkness returned everywhere. At the same time, through some magical coincidence, the sound of wind against the rocks nearby produced a soft whistling sound, like that of a gentle luby, or a funeral march, which continued throughout the night. Chapter 138: Advance into the Main Base (1) Chapter 138: Advance into the Main Base (1) At the end of the hidden tunnel leading to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base, Mira and her group stood by, until Arlon contacted them through one of the shikigami. He reported they seeded in infiltrating the control room, and that all devices had been stopped on that side. That meant most of the main base¡¯s defense systems had been shut down. Though Fra added that something odd had happened. There was a powerful barrier protecting the heart of their operations, and she had not decoded half of it when it suddenly vanished. There were two exnations for that, either the person who cast the barrier had died, or they had dispelled it willingly. No issues if it was the former case, but in thetter, it was hard to decide what their intentions were, so Fra warned the infiltration group to be careful. ¡¸Got it, we¡¯ll watch out. Also good job taking care of everything, we¡¯ll take it from here!¡¹ Kagura ended the connection after that, and repeated the information to Mira and Sero. ¡¸Hmm, so they¡¯re finally done over there, I see.¡¹ Mira, who had been sitting on the ground, jumped on her feet and stretched. ¡¸Let¡¯s aplish our side of the mission as well then.¡¹ Sero returned, having wrapped dozens of Chimera uzen¡¯s worker from the tunnels in Arresting Cloth, and leaving them next to the entrance to the main base. Thanks to the attack on the other site, the tunnels had be more noisy in the past minutes. A moment after the noise started, the workers ran one after another into Mira¡¯s group like cattle, and were quickly restrained. Soon most of them were captured, and the tunnels became silent again. ¡¸The rest of our forces should be arriving shortly, so let¡¯s leave cleaning up to them¡­¡¹ Kagura said to herself as she casually threw a charm to therge pile of workers, then put her hand to the knob and turned it without hesitation. ¡¸Time to break in!¡¹ Announcing that loudly, Kagura took the lead, stepping into Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. ¡¸Now starts the real mission.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s do our best.¡¹ Mira and Sero nodded to each other, and followed closely behind Kagura. Chimera uzen¡¯s main basey beyond the door. It was arge space dug out, popted by multiple enormous structures. They were using the power of light spirits as well, while underground, everything was brightly lit like with sunlight, and every nook and cranny was visible. Even a capital city could easily fit inside the underground area, but the central part stood out as odd, being surrounded by tall thick walls. ¡¸If I had to guess, that¡¯s where the bigwigs are staying. Where shall we go first though?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve realized the defenses are down, so if I had to bet that¡¯s where they¡¯re hiding¡­¡¹ While the space was filled withrge structures, there was one path that seemed to cut through all of them, leading straight towards a gate in the central walls. It was almost inviting for someone infiltrating. Either they were fully confident that no one would find their base, or it was a lure to appear unprotected and trap their enemy. Chimera uzen had a history of being extremely wary. So it was impossible to know how manyyers of security they had set up. How would they approach this? Mira and Sero examined therge ce, nning about it just like they would when entering a dungeon for the first time. But Kagura took a decided step forward. ¡¸We¡¯ll break in through their front gates, obviously! If they try to stop us, we¡¯ll just beat them to a pulp!¡¹ She ran down the main path, heading straight for the gate in the walls. ¡¸Oh well, guess she¡¯s asbative as always.¡¹ Mira grumbled to herself, chasing after Kagura. Back when this was still a game for them, Kagura had a habit of charging straight ahead without a solid n, and for some odd reason, it always had surprisingly good results. Whether it was that old habit resurfacing, or that she could no longer contain herself having her bitter enemies so close to her, Mira simply followed after her. ¡¸Maybe doing whatever we can in the moment, rather than wasting time nning is better after all. Their defenses are weakened, so we¡¯ll have more room to move too. But more importantly, we have the power of a wiseman on our side, so we should emerge victorious no matter what we¡¯re matched against.¡¹ Kagura stood above all other onmyoji masters, and Sero¡¯s gaze was focused on her as he spoke, then turned to Mira as well. They were a small group, but extremely powerful. Whatever theirbined power might be, at least they possessed the tools to destroy most traps that could get in their way. Not to mention that arger toon would arrive shortly after them, so they really had little reason to stay mulling about things. ¡¸Hmm, fair enough. From my experience so far, they aren¡¯t the most overwhelming enemies out there. As long as we are mindful of attacks using spirit magic, we should be alright.¡¹ Mira lifted her gaze, looking at the tall walls gradually getting closer, and recalled her fight against one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads in the Ancient Circr Gate. The spirit bomb, spirit arms, and ck sword. They were all powerful weapons, but she did not feel much danger. And now they were armed with Anti-Demon Silver weapons too, making them prepared for anything. They really only had to be mindful of Chimera uzen¡¯s specialized tricks using spiritual magic. The more they thought about it, Kagura¡¯s instinctive reaction had really been their best choice. (No matter, there¡¯s no need to think so deeply about it after all.) Mira watched as Kagura blew the gates apart, heaving a sigh. If she had been a little more discrete, they would have the option for a surprise attack. Mira passed through the destroyed gate a moment after Kagura, and saw a rather unexpected, but actually favorable scene there. The construction past the gate looked like the entrance of a castle. While not as gaudy, it was still rather borate. Kagura stood in the middle, confronting three extravagant people. ¡¸Oh look, there¡¯s two more of them. I was about to check what was happening, and an intruder ran here. That won¡¯t do, no no no.¡¹ One of their opponents said that, seeing the arrival of Mira and Sero after Kagura. He wore a voluptuous and very heavy-looking armor. It was hard to believe he could move carrying all of it, and he was armed with a halberd shaped like a battle axe. Obviously, those were all spirit arms. ¡¸Somehow the defense systems are down. I bet they¡¯re responsible for that.¡¹ The next one to speak was a younger looking man, with reddish brown hair. A sword and small shield hung from his belt, and he wore light armor covered by a coat. He stood with his arms crossed with a self-important air, his eyes judging Mira¡¯s group. ¡¸I would expect them to take longer if that was the case. I think it¡¯s safer to assume the control station was taken down by another group.¡¹ The third one chimed in. He was a middle aged man wearing jet ck robes, and holding a ck staff, presumably the spellcaster of the group. Once his eyes focused on Mira, he knit his brows for some reason. As far as Mira could tell, they all wore spirit arms, to an excessive extent. That made it easy to conclude that they were likely three of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. Running into three out of a total of five was an incredibly good result for charging in mindlessly. ¡¸Let me guess, you¡¯re Chimera¡¯s heads, right?¡¹ ¡¸But of course we are!¡¹ ¡¸Then shut up and die.¡¹ Kagura was ready to fight, and calmly uttered those words. Chimera uzen was a group focused on harming spirits, humanity¡¯s good neighbors, making Chimera Kagura¡¯s enemy. But her voice held more hatred than that, like she was confronting the murderers of her family. ¡¸I hate to say this, but this might end up being troublesome.¡¹ ¡¸Huh, how do you figure? It¡¯s just somenky dude and two girls. Sure, they might be rtively strong if they made it all the way here, but just look at them, they¡¯re barely armedpared to us, not to mention our weapons are far stronger. No way we lose against them.¡¹ Sometimes emotions could push a person way beyond their limits, and the man in heavy armor was well aware of that. But the younger man with reddish brown hair just looked at the three again, and spoke against it. He had a point as well, the three heads wore spirit arms that were far more powerful than those Mira had encountered before, their strength clearly apparent. But that also called into question just how many sacrifices had been made to produce those weapons, the man¡¯s words hinting at that. It just helped to ignite Kagura¡¯s wrath though. ¡¸You should actually be careful here. I know that silver haired girl, she¡¯s the one who snatched the Spirit King¡¯s power from me.¡¹ Chapter 138: Advance into the Main Base (2) Chapter 138: Advance into the Main Base (2) Following the other two, the man in ck robes stared intently at Mira. He was the same head she had met in the Ancient Circr Gate. ¡¸Really, she¡¯s the one..?¡¹ ¡¸Huh¡­ I actually thought you just came up with some b?u?l?l?s?h?i?t? to cover your mistakes, but I guess she¡¯s real. Either way, you did fail that time.¡¹ The heads¡¯ eyes focused on Mira. One of them looked at her with contempt, remembering a past encounter, but overall they were more careful, having heard the robed man. ¡¸I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere. I believe your name was uhh¡­ Gra¡­Gre¡­Gregorius?¡¹ He had been fully covered in armor the first time they fought, so Mira had never seen his face, but she somewhat recognized his voice. His name stayed like a faint figment in her memory, but his face was exposed now, so she could look directly at him and confirm that he was indeed the cksmith Gregor¡¯s son, Gregorius. ¡¸I cast away that name, long ago. Now I¡¯m just one of three nameless heads. Nothing more, nothing less.¡¹ Dering that, Gregorius nced at Mira, then looked at Sero. ¡¸I also know the other one, the red haired guy. He¡¯s Sero, ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s leader. You should be careful with him too.¡¹ ¡¸That guild of volunteers, right? I see, I see.¡¹ ¡¸So it was thanks to them that they got all the way here. Quite amendable feat.¡¹ ¨¦cate Carillon was a guild built on the desire to help those in need. They had contributed to many causes throughout the continent, and they were well known everywhere. Their leader also became famous that way. Hearing Gregorius identify Sero, the other two heads nodded with thin smiles. They knew a lot of his skills, thanks to his fame. Sero was a far easier opponent to fight,pared to Mira who had only fought against them once. ¡¸You¡¯re famous, huh.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not ttering when they are the ones who know about me.¡¹ The other two heads¡¯ reaction revealed their actual thoughts. Mira responded to it, and Sero had a sour smile. Sometimes this would happen when fighting certain people. ¡¸Focus, you two. I know how you feel, but you have that baleful girl with silver hair and the leader of a big guild. Who knows what they¡¯ll do together.¡¹ Even with most of Sero¡¯s tricks revealed, they could not lower their guard. Gregorius urged them to be careful, his eyes dancing between Mira and Sero. ¡¸You¡¯ve really gotten rather cautious after your failure.¡¹ ¡¸True, I¡¯ve noticed that as well. Such behavior doesn¡¯t suit you.¡¹ Strong enough to warrant such confidence, the other two heads looked at each other and then turned back to examine their opponents. ¡¸You¡¯ll understand once the fight starts. But we have to make sure we win¡­ it¡¯s time to use the Chimera.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh? It¡¯s already time to use that?¡¹ Gregorius sounded determined, and hearing him, the man in heavy armor replied with excitement. ¡¸Yes, and we have the perfect match for its first battle too.¡¹ ¡¸Do you think they will approve of it though?¡¹ ¡¸They have to. Either way, this ce is no longer secret, so we can¡¯t just hide anymore.¡¹ The words had barely escaped his mouth when Gregorius and the heavy armored man turned around and ran away. Kagura threw a charm after them almost reflexively, and Mira also sent a Shockwave. But the younger head, with reddish brown hair, stepped in and blocked both their attacks. ¡¸Gotta admit, that packed quite a punch. But as long as I¡¯m here, none of you¡¯ll get through.¡¹ He examined the marks left on his shield, then smirked looking at Mira¡¯s group. ¡¸I¡¯ll hold them here! You two get everything ready!¡¹ ¡¸Just hold them for eight minutes, feel free to retreat after that!¡¹ The two had already vanished past the stairs, out of range of Mira¡¯s group. But they no longer paid attention to them, focusing on the one enemy in front of them instead. His eyes were focused on Mira and the two others, slowly stepping back as he muttered to himself. ¡¸That level of strength won¡¯t be enough to get through though.¡¹ Then his feet reached a pressure te on the ground. That caused massive walls of rock to rise around them almost instantly. ¡¸Huh? The defense systems still work?¡¹ The solid walls reached up to the ceiling, closing any gaps for Mira¡¯s group to advance. The ce had essentially turned into a deadend, Kagura looked at the man¡¯s feet. ¡¸I guess manually operated ones still move.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly. The defense sensors and rms might be dead, but it¡¯s not like they won¡¯t move at all.¡¹ The man with reddish brown hair humored them with a response as he reached for some of the rubble at his feet, which he threw to a spot behind Mira. Now the path behind them began to close too, cutting away any escape. They could no longer move forward or retreat. ¡¸Now that that¡¯s taken care of, you can¡¯t run away even if you want. And I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized, but I¡¯m armed with a tremendous amount of spiritual power. I won¡¯t im it¡¯s enough to take down the baleful girl with silver hair and the leader of a guild, but it should prove to be plenty to stop you for eight minutes. It would be nice if I get to take your lives though.¡¹ In a rather self-important manner, he took out a bottle filled with a slightly luminous liquid and drank all of it. A momentter, arge amount of mana surged from his body. That was a spiritual power steroid. As he felt the power coursing through his body, he unsheathed his sword with exaggerated motions. But before he could finish, there was an ear piercing sound, and his body was sent flying against the rock wall, caving it in. He lookedpletely miserable, all his spirit weapons and armor turned into mere scrap iron, and his shield shattered to pieces. ¡¸Shut it already!¡¹ Everyone was thinking that, but the one to act on it first was Kagura. It was irritating enough hearing Chimera uzen¡¯s head act like a hero staying back for his friends, but by the time he started talking about defeating Mira and the others, Kagura¡¯s impatience had reached its limit. ¡¸Ah¡­huh¡­what¡­where..?¡¹ Thanks to the steroid, he had managed to avoid an instant death. But he was in no shape to counterattack right away, sliding off the wall and falling t onto the ground. But they were not done yet. Mira went up to the wall, and blew it to pieces merely by touching it. The man with reddish brown hair was left speechless watching that unfold in front of him. ¡¸Well, this isn¡¯t nearly enough to stop us for eight minutes it seems. Say, do you even know who you¡¯re against here, kid?¡¹ Looking at him, Mira activated her Magic Eyes and corroded the man¡¯s consciousness. ¡¸Ah¡­ahhh¡­h-help¡­¡¹ The man saw his own reflection in her golden eyes, like he was trapped in the baleful shadow of the moon, and began trembling in fear as he tried to speak. He had not a single clue that he had just belittled the nine wisemen, who stood atop all spellcasters. Merely wearing high level equipment could never put him in equal footing. And before he could learn any of that, he felt his body going numb, and before he could utter a single plea for his life, his consciousness faded into darkness. ¡¸Well, we didn¡¯t kill him, yet he¡¯s not exactly alive anymore, we struck the perfect bnce.¡¹ He was at death¡¯s door, but he was not going to die yet. Sero quickly began wrapping his severely injured body in Arresting Cloth, which Mira watched as she muttered that. ¡¸I¡¯d never hear the end of it from the church if I hit him harder. Also Alioth said that such a high ranking member could easily name many involved parties, or something like that.¡¹ The priority was to find everyone involved, rather than letting Kagura exact her vengeance. Then the next step was to use all the evidence gathered to promulgate newws to protect spirits, that was the Fifty Bells¡¯ true objective. It would still take more time, but this was a valuable first step. ¡¸That¡¯s reallymendable for both of you. I also have a dream of my own, but I¡¯m still far away from aplishing it.¡¹ Lending a hand to anyone in need. Sero had founded ¨¦cate Carillon with that objective in mind. Watching Mira and Kagura in action he experienced what kind of people the nine wisemen were, his eyes looking with jealousy at their rxed attitude. Whatever their personal opinion might be, they were truly incredible beings in the eyes of others. Chapter 139: Armor King (1) Chapter 139: Armor King (1) The three crossed the destroyed stone wall and ran up the stairs. At the end, they reached a room that was around five meters wide, ten meters deep. ¡¸Holy! That was fast, he can¡¯t even buy time, I swear!¡¹ The room was rather small to contain a fight, and the man in bulky armor was there. When he noticed Mira and the other two, he quickly closed an enormous iron gate he was holding open, and desperately struggled to turn its lock. When that was done, he turned around like nothing happened, wielding his halberd. ¡¸Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped that he was the weakest out of the three of us.¡¹ The moment he finished his sentence, Mira used Ground Shrink to run just in front of him. ¡¸What! I couldn¡¯t see youing at all!¡¹ He was shocked seeing Mira appear in front of him like that, but without wasting a moment, he swung his halberd. While it looked burly and heavy, the attack was swift, creating a powerful gust of wind. The entire room shook. It truly was a powerful strike, but ultimately it failed to aplish anything. ¡¸I see, you were telling the truth saying the kid was the weakest. That was more powerful than I expected.¡¹ Mira had returned to her earlier position in the blink of an eye. ¡¸But with all that voluptuous armor I doubt you can pay attention to your surroundings.¡¹ She added, showing something dangling on her hand. ¡¸Wait, wait a moment, how! When!¡¹ Mira was holding onto the key for therge iron gate. She had easily snatched it away while she was next to him. He turned to look at his hand, now empty, sounding genuinely surprised. But after a while, he chuckled menacingly, firmly holding his weapon with both hands. ¡¸No matter, key or not, you shall not pass through me. As long as the Armor King stands, this path is barred. Our preparations are nearingpletion, so I¡¯ll ward this post until my dying breath.¡¹ The man stood imposingly in front of the iron gate, he called himself the Armor King. But he had reason to assume that name, his armor that looked like a huge chunk of steel provided ample resistance, and power. ¡¸I¡¯m sure that the entire armor is also made of special spirit arms. Anything below a mid-level strike will bepletely useless. And high level attacks won¡¯t do much either, I¡¯d wager.¡¹ The Armor King showed no signs of attacking, simply remaining in front of the iron gate, protecting it. Mira watched it stand there waiting for his opponents to make the first move, and assessed his capabilities. That armor was far more resistant and thick than the one Gregorius wore in the Ancient Circr Gate. It neared on an imprable defense. ¡¸Hmph¡­ for something so stupid, they¡­¡¹ If that suit of armor existed during the game period, it would have beenbeled a cheat item, but also made one wonder just how many spirits had lost their lives for it. Kagura was starting to get overtaken by a dangerous impulse. ¡¸That unnatural power is like a symbol of what Chimera epasses.¡¹ Sero¡¯s eyes were locked on the Armor King as he muttered to himself, stepping forward before Kagura could do anything. ¡¸The key is in our possession already, you two should go ahead. I¡¯m worried about whatever that thing they¡¯re preparing is. So please let me handle this, and go.¡¹ From the way they spoke of their n, they were very confident in its power. It was possible Chimera uzen would produce something topletely overturn the battle. Sero was worried about that, but also about Kagura, who had lost her calm, and would potentially act without restraint. Either way, Sero knew there could be a lot of destruction to the surroundings moving forward, so he decided to take the initiative and engage the Armor King, pointing herpanions to the iron gate. He had seen what happened to the other head, and he remembered a battlefield he witnessed years ago. Even him, the leader of the famous guild ¨¦cate Carillon, did not want to get caught up in the destruction brought forth by a wiseman. ¡¸Hmm, destroying his armor looks more tricky than with the earlier kid. And I¡¯m worried about the thing too, we better hurry.¡¹ ¡¸Well, okay then. Even if they aren¡¯t that strong on their own, they¡¯re using powerful spirit arms, so don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ Saying that, Mira and Kagura moved away from Sero, circling around the room to reach the iron gate. ¡¸Wait, that won¡¯t do!¡¹ The Armor King strongly swung his halberd, creating a powerful gust of wind that ran through the entire room and threw the three against the walls. ¡¸Now it makes sense. This room was built so small on purpose.¡¹ ¡¸He seems more thoughtful, unlike the first one.¡¹ ¡¸He¡¯s just being a bother.¡¹ Mira seemed to step on air, fixing her posture, while Sero turned his body tond on his feet against the wall, then stepped down onto the floor. Kagura was caught by a made of branches, from which she then jumped onto the floor, looking calm. The three did not seem concerned at all, their eyes fixed on the man standing on the other end of the narrow and long room. ¡¸Please, if you resist that so effortlessly I¡¯ll lose confidence in myself.¡¹ Even though those were his words, there was no sign of resignation in his posture. He reaffirmed his grasp on the halberd, a spirit arm of wind, a swing of which could cause a powerful gale. It was far less lethal than other weapons, but it was far more useful depending on how it was handled. And it was the perfect tool to buy time. Or at least when pitted against enemies of a simr power level to himself. ¡¸I¡¯ll restrain his weapon then, you two use that as an opening and go.¡¹ Sero began walking forward, gradually unsheathing his sword with each step, getting closer to the Armor King. ¡¸Try as you may, you shall not get closer!¡¹ Chapter 139: Armor King (2) Chapter 139: Armor King (2) A single swing of the halberd was enough to fill the room with powerful winds, controlling it entirely. When Sero reached the center of the room, the Armor King firmly held the hablerd¡¯s shaft and swung it with force. An instantter a powerful gust of wind began to blow past everyone, but there was also an oddly heavy metallic sound. Sero had dashed forward like a gale, and stopped the halberd with his sword, not letting it finish the swing. While the distance was limitedpared to Mira¡¯s Ground Shrink, it was simr in speed. Considering he achieved that purely by running, it just went to show that a human¡¯s potential was limitless. ¡¸That¡¯s a fantasy world alright, no matter how many times I see it, I¡¯m always shocked.¡¹ ¡¸I know, right? It¡¯s only in these worlds that someone can surpass their limits like that.¡¹ After admiring Sero¡¯s skill, Mira and Kagura ran forward at the same time. ¡¸Catch you on the flip side, Sero.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks!¡¹ The two spoke to him as they ran past. ¡¸I can¡¯t let that happen!¡¹ The Armor King noticed that, so he tried to force his halberd up again to swing down towards Mira and Kagura. ¡¸I¡¯ve got this.¡¹ But the halberd refused to move. Sero¡¯s de had lodged itself into the halberd¡¯s shaft, keeping it still. ¡¸You pesky little fox!¡¹ The Armor King raised his voice as he put more strength into his muscles. Eventually the sword gave in, and the halberd fell down creating a powerful wind that coursed through the room. But there was no one in front of the halberd. Sero¡¯s sword had deflected its aim, making it miss its markpletely. In the meantime, Mira and Kagura opened the iron gate and quickly disappeared behind it. ¡¸Hrngh, famous leader of a guild, you¡¯ve proved to be quite the piece of work.¡¹ The Armor King stepped back, moving faster than one would assume from hisrge frame, his eyes looking at the opened gate with annoyance. But after taking a deep breath, he grinned as he turned towards Sero. ¡¸But well, at least I still have you here, their most powerful helper. At least I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve failed my mission entirely.¡¹ Saying that, he walked up to the gate, and stood in front of it, halberd ready in his hands. Sero, the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon. His exploits were known all over the continent, about how he destroyed entire underground organizations, or hunted down cmity ss monsters, and many other stories. In a way, he was known as a light that dispelled evil, and anyone with shady ties would never want to meet him. With such a name, also came a great following, their many members spread throughout thend. It was the assistant leaders¡¯ job to keep their operations running. Emera was one such assistant leader, though there were others in the guild. All of them were a cut above everyone else in terms of strength, and watched overrge expanses ofnd. Many of ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s stories also involved them. But the one who ultimately led all of them was Sero. And being an organizationbeled as evil by everyone, Chimera uzen was the most wary of Sero. ¡¸I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something. I only offered to stay because I know I can take you on, and that you¡¯re not worth their time.¡¹ He had stopped Sero, the famous leader of ¨¦cate Carillon, their biggest enemy. The Armor King believed he had done plenty aplishing that. But hearing those thoughts, Sero smiled slyly. ¡¸Hm¡­ what are you implying? It sounds like you count yourself as inferior to those two.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s exactly what I meant. No matter how much I try, I¡¯d never be able to beat either of them.¡¹ Hearing that, the Armor King looked doubtful, but after some time that expression changed into shock. ¡¸Oh no¡­ I can¡¯t detect any deception in your words. To think a powerful man like yourself would say that¡­ hmmm I¡¯ve gravely misjudged the situation. I shouldn¡¯t have focused so much only on you.¡¹ Sero was being truthful, there even was a hint of jealousy in his voice. From his tone and bodynguage, the Armor King was able to discern he was not being lied to. Earlier Gregorius had told them to be careful of Mira, but the Armor King still believed Sero posed the biggest threat. They knew nothing about Kagura, but Sero was such a prominent figure that the Armor King had inadvertently focused solely on him. And that led to Mira and Kagura¡¯s escape. He looked down in self-reproach, ming himself for his failure. But Sero continued talking to him. ¡¸Don¡¯t think about it too much. No matter what your n was, I would¡¯ve made an opening for them to go through.¡¹ Even if the biggest priorities were Kagura and Mira, Sero would have intervened and pushed things into this same situation. Sero smiled, speaking softly as he readied his sword again. ¡¸Fair enough! If this is how it¡¯s meant to go, then let me take you down and regroup quickly!¡¹ As soon as he said that, the Armor King swung his halberd down. The spike whistled as it cut through the air, and a windy storm formed. But by the time the wind was set free, Sero was no longer in that position. There was a bright sh next to the man, and two high pitched ngs from something hitting his arm. Staggered, he took a few steps back. ¡¸Yep, those spirit arms are truly resilient after all.¡¹ After striking the armor, Sero took a few steps back to reaffirm his grip on his sword. He had aimed his strikes at the weakest joint in the arm, but all he had managed was to push the man back. Still, he had only nned on using that as a threatening tactic, and never intended to cause any real damage. He was told to expect annoyingly powerful spirit arms on the heads, but seeing how sturdy they were first-hand still left him impressed. ¡¸I see, I see. You¡¯re truly one step above the rest, like they say. Was it not for my armor, I would never match up to you. But I have it, so your sword, nay, all your attacks are rendered futile.¡¹ ¡¸So you¡¯re saying it won¡¯t have any effect? That just makes me want to try harder.¡¹ The Armor King seemed to be fully confident in his armor, not taking a defensive stance at all, and instead holding his halberd horizontally and pointing it at Sero. Sero too, focused on attacking. That moment marked the actual start of the fight between the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon Sero, against one of Chimera uzen¡¯s heads. Chapter 140: Sero’s Sword (1) Chapter 140: Sero¡¯s Sword (1) Every swing of the halberd caused a gale. Sero skillfully dodged every wave, his de striking sharply. The sound of the sword hitting the armor was drowned by the loud gales, but they seemed to be sharper each time. Then a tearing sound came out, and Sero gathered all his strength tounch a final attack. ¡¸Hm..!¡¹ Sero¡¯s sword sent the Armor King flying into the air, but soon after hended on his feet, a few paces aways. There was a shallow cut left on the shoulder of his armor, at which he looked while chuckling. ¡¸That was quite magnificent, leaving a mark on this armor. Even knowing you¡¯re ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s leader, it seems I underestimated you¡­ But I won¡¯t cede my victory.¡¹ The reason for his confidencey on his armor, which seemed to heal the cut by itself while the Armor King spoke, not leaving a mark. ¡¸Self-repairing armor huh, finally a broken mechanic.¡¹ A self-repairing property, likely the strongest type of defense. If it had been discovered during the game period, such an ability would have wrecked thebat bnce. ¡¸It seems you understand too, this unmatched power. Such is our technology, the arrival of powers that eclipse anything seen before in this world.¡¹ Chimera uzen¡¯s developments were achieved through the sacrifice of spirits. He was right, they were powerful enough to overturn the world. But it was impossible to forgive the path they walked on. ¡¸No, I don¡¯t understand. There¡¯ll never be a need for technology obtained through someone¡¯s sacrifice.¡¹ Sero rejected the Armor King¡¯s words, and pointed his sword to the shoulder he attacked earlier. A momentter there was another violent metallic ng and the Armor King was sent up into the air again. ¡¸Hmph!¡¹ This time hended less gracefully, his posture broken, but he looked more impressed by the state of his shoulder. The cut from earlier went deeper, though it was already starting to recover, only taking a few seconds to look like new. ¡¸Oh my, oh my, I see. Your famous Resonant de. The same skill that earned you the title Sero of the Resonant de. I see, I see. Now that I¡¯ve bore witness to it, it¡¯s more impressive than I thought. Sadly it¡¯s not enough.¡¹ Resonant de, Sero¡¯s most powerful skill as famous as himself. But even that could barely damage his armor, so the Armor Kingughed without much concern. ¡®Manifestation¡¯ was an umbre term for many warrior skills, produced through the focus of fighting spirit. One type was called Resonant Attacks, which formed an invisible follow-up attack after a series of moves from a warrior. It was a rather low skilled Manifestation, but it could easily double one¡¯s damage output, so all beginner warriors would learn it by heart and use it constantly. But Resonant Attacks could only target the same ce as previous attacks, making it useless against fast enemies. Hence, at a certain point warriors would stop using it and pick from arge variety of other higher level Manifestations. However, there was still one person in this vast world who continued employing Resonant Attacks. That was Sero. Sero thoroughly researched and studied Resonant Attacks, bringing the skill up to a level equal to other specialized moves. He could control the moment when it would activate at will, amplify its strength, and even attack spots his de had touched, rather than the space it traveled through. The Resonant Attacks he used were in apletely different realm to that employed by beginner warriors, bing a skill of masters. All that was the result of multiple decades of research and training. The Armor King had sessfully defended against Sero¡¯s strongest attack. His armor was far stronger than that of Gregorius who Mira had fought before, focusing entirely on defense and nothing else. This fight against someone like Sero was enough to prove the armor¡¯s worth, and made the Head feel incredibly proud of himself. ¡¸I wonder how much it reallysts though.¡¹ Assured of his victory, the Armor King raised his halberd up, stripping a part of the ceiling away, before swinging it down in an attempt to end the fight. The wind roared, carrying with it the debris from the ceiling like small bullets. ¡¸This looks troublesome.¡¹ The wind limited Sero¡¯s movements, but he still managed to knock the iing pebbles away with his sword, or move out of the way, while slowly moving forward. ¡¸Ohh, so you can handle this!¡¹ The Armor King repeated the same attack a few times, cracking the ceiling and using the rubble as projectiles. The wind borne from spiritual power was too powerful even for Sero, so he had to move perpendicr to it, while advancing during the short pauses between each swing. ¡¸It¡¯s my turn next.¡¹ Moving through the storm of gales and stone, Sero rushed forward while the Halberd was being raised, swinging his sword with acute precision. ¡¸Hmmm! Truly, you¡¯re swift. I couldn¡¯t see you approaching.¡¹ There were multiple shes, diagonally down from the shoulder, horizontal through the legs, and straight up. Sero¡¯s attacks were swift, but powerful like raging billows. Each time his de hit the armor there was an ear piercing of something tearing apart as sparks flew around, leaving dozens of marks all over the armor. The Armor King was unable to follow Sero with his eyes, merely swinging his halberd randomly, though there was no distress in his movement. His burly armor and its self-repairing properties protected him from feeling any pain, fully dispelling the fear of getting hurt. In other words, he had no need to worry about taking defensive action, and could fully focus on his own attacks. ¡¸I doubt you¡¯ll manage to escape from this though!¡¹ Not paying any attention to all the attacks he was receiving, the Armor King began swinging his halberd again. Up to that point he had always sent the wind in a given direction, but now he drew a wide arc, which kept elongating until it formed a circle which kept blowing around him. It was like a tornado contained in the small room. Sero and the Armor King were in the middle, surrounded by a wall of all the debris from their fight, impeding Sero¡¯s retreat. ¡¸You could even say this is a birdcage made of wind.¡¹ Sero looked around after a while of being focused on shing his head, arms, torso, hips, and legs equally. The whirlwind¡¯s radius was slowly decreasing, and there was so much rubble carried by it at high speed that if it touched Sero, he would likely suffer lethal wounds. ¡¸Yes, I devised this infallible scheme to trap agile warriors like yourself and reduce them to dust.¡¹ Heughed proudly. A cage that destroyed anything near him. Even if his halberd could not reach his opponent, as long as he kept swinging it in circles, he could overpower anyone. There was almost no one who could resist the wind created with spiritual power. But to him, inside his imprable armor, it felt like a mere breeze. That was the only reason why he could use that skill. ¡¸Yeah, you have it all figured out. This much power coupled with that defense is nothing to scoff at.¡¹ Surrounded by that raging tornado, Sero continued striking acutely. The metallic ngs that could be heard rhythmically amidst the wind became more violent. The marks on the armor became deeper too. The Armor King frowned, finally concerned by the degradation of his armor. ¡¸You¡¯re really getting on my nerves!¡¹ The Armor King shouted vigorously, elerating his halberd¡¯s rotation speed dramatically. He was moving many times faster than before, his halberd finally reaching Sero. The surrounding tornado was so close that it aided the halberd to rotate as well. Sero instantly turned around, blocking the iing halberd with his sword. Red sparks flew from the violent hit, and then Sero vanished, carried by the wind. The Armor King grinned, holding his halberd next to him. ¡¸That sword had quite the edge. Even I¡¯m surprised it aplished this much.¡¹ Chapter 140: Sero’s Sword (2) Chapter 140: Sero¡¯s Sword (2) The unending waves of shes, Sero whittled down the armor at a speed that managed to worry the Armor King. But shortly after warding that pesky de, the armor was already recovering. ¡¸Yet it was futile in the end.¡¹ As long as Sero could be stopped, even for a short moment, the armor would never break. Now he just had to wait for the tornado to finish the job. But there was a hint of joy in the Armor King¡¯s voice, he had confirmed he had truly achieved invincibility. ¡¸This is just my experience so far, but I think every time someone gets overconfident about winning like that, they make the worst mistakes.¡¹ Sero chuckled to himself as he said that. His tone was alsoposed, unlike that of someone in a very dire situation. ¡¸What kind of sick joke is this?¡¹ It was shameful for the Armor King to have his confidence shattered like that, but his opponent was Sero from ¨¦cate Carillon after all. Without missing a beat, he held his halberd ready again, and looked straight at Sero. It was easy to conclude he still had some n left from the way he spoke. The Armor King noticed that too, but he could not see any change in Sero¡¯s movements. His presence, vigor, attention, breathing rhythm, everything was still the same. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to aplish, but the moment this wind closes in, will be yourst. That is a fact.¡¹ The tornado¡¯s radius was a mere five meters now, and kept closing in. Just a minute more, and there would be no safe spot inside. There was a loud rumbling sound from the wind, like something stirring. But Sero looked undisturbed, a cold smile on his lips as he kept his de trained at the Armor King. ¡¸When the wind closes in, you said? You¡¯re right in a way, this fight will be over by then. Though it¡¯ll be your defeat.¡¹ ¡¸You sound quite confident in yourself. But there¡¯s nothing left to do for you in this situation, you¡¯re trapped. This armor can¡¯t be breached with your Resonant de, and your agility won¡¯t be enough for you to survive inside my storm.¡¹ Hearing Sero¡¯s unmoving and calm deration, the Armor King spoke as if trying to convince himself of his words. There was no way a single sword would be enough to ovee his armor¡¯s defense. ¡¸Nothing left to do, hmm, saying that I don¡¯t need to do anything would be more urate. Everything is already in ce.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­do you mean..?!¡¹ The Armor King could not understand Sero¡¯s words, and that was enough to shake his focus. His spirit arms had helped him aplish many victories in the past. That gave him all that confidence in his defense. Thanks to his armor, he still had the upper hand. But this was the first time he faced an enemy who seemed convinced of victory, even when faced with certain defeat, and that weakened his mind. Doubt overtook his pride, and for better or for worse, that let him understand Sero¡¯s words. ¡¸Could it be¡­one attack¡­¡¹ His words were incredibly vague, with hardly any meaning at all. But he had grasped Sero¡¯s n. Sero narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint in them. He pressed on that short moment of doubt, striking his sword forward. ¡¸Precisely. I still haven¡¯t used Resonant de on any of those strokes.¡¹ The first strike on the armor¡¯s shoulder had been nullified, and seemed to remain untouched since then. But ghosts of Sero¡¯s swings since then seemed to light up brightly, repeating them all at the same time a momentter. Final de: Silver Ghost of the White Night It was over in a sh. Hundreds of invisible shes manifested at once, assaulting the Armor King. All of Sero¡¯s attacks that had left marks on the imprable armor before repeated again, creating gashes on the armor. Those umted attacks striking simultaneously against the thickyers of armor created blinding sparks. Then, the sound of something shattering. That armor that boasted of being imprable cracked all over, before exploding into many shards. ¡¸Guh..!¡¹ The Armor King moaned in pain, letting go of his halberd. Sero¡¯s sword cut deeply into his arm, instantly rendering it useless. ¡¸It¡¯s over now.¡¹ The armor had taken the brunt of the Resonant de, so the Armor King was still alive, but he had no strength left to fight, falling t onto the ground. Sero spoke looking down at him, before picking up the halberd and swinging it. The tornado stopped almost instantly, followed by the sound of pebbles falling to the ground. ¡¸I never heard¡­of such a skill¡­¡¹ The Armor King muttered in dismay, trying to pull himself up with shaking arms, but hecked the force to do so. ¨¦cate Carillon¡¯s leader Sero. His name was as famous as his fighting style. The man who mastered Resonant Attacks. Sero of the Resonant de. Everyone who saw him in action spoke of him being faster than the wind, followed by a single Resonant Attack more powerful than lightning. Other ounts spoke of him finishing everything with one powerful attack. It was always only one attack. He just had to swing once with all his might, and the Resonant de would finish the job. Because of that, all the stories mentioning him were focused on a single swing. In the end, all those stories only described a small part of his skills. ¡¸Well, I usually try to avoid using this when people are around. It¡¯s a bit too dangerous, and only dire situations call for it.¡¹ ¡¸That exins¡­why I didn¡¯t know about it. I guess¡­some things can¡¯t be ovee¡­with better equipment alone.¡¹ The manughed dryly between heavy breaths, turning around to face up. ¡¸Anyway, there¡¯s always some value in interrogating people like you, so let me restrain you.¡¹ As he spoke, Sero ced the halberd against the wall, while his other hand manipted his bracelet¡¯s terminal to open his Item Box. He wanted to take out the Arresting Cloth stored there. At that moment. ¡¸Humph!¡¹ The man swung his unharmed arm, throwing a cylindrical ck object towards Sero. The moment it left his hand, it quickly changed shape and spread like a. A ck web spanning from the ground all the way up to the ceiling. That was the Armor King¡¯s final trump card. An imprable wall that repelled any sword, unbreakable by any spell, trapping whoever it was thrown at. ¡¸What¡¯s this¡­¡¹ ¡¸Overconfident about winning, was it? Right back at you!¡¹ Sero jumped away from its path, but once that had a target, it would follow it to the end, making it a truly annoying object. ¡¸ck¡­so that¡¯s what it¡¯s made of.¡¹ But a momentter, Sero muttered that as he effortlessly swung his sword, and the fell apart. ¡¸How¡­¡¹ An imprable armor, and a counter-less trump card. But both had failed to stop Sero, leaving the Armor King baffled. ¡¸So the effect is immediate, huh.¡¹ There was something odd about the ck, hinting at its construction from ck Mist Stones. Kagura had given them Anti-Demon Silver weapons specifically to counter such items, and their effect was instantaneous, getting rid of that odd sensation. Sero nced at the¡¯s remains turning into dust on the ground, then looked at his sword while muttering in admiration. Then Sero finished his earlier n, knocking the Armor King out, winding him up in Arresting Cloth, and taking the halberd with him just in case before heading to the gate. ¡¸I used it so much but there¡¯s no sign of wear on the edge at all.¡¹ He had struck the burly armor hundreds of times with the white de, but there was not a single scratch on the de, like it had never been used. He returned it to its sheath, then looked at it again, muttering in a rather serious tone, ¡¸It feels a bit too much to take this for free.¡¹ Chapter 141: Army (1) Chapter 141: Army (1) Having passed the steel gates, Mira and Kagura ran up a set of stairs in a small corridor and reached the next floor. A momentter their sight was bathed in crimson, while a sound like a loud explosion shook their eardrums. It was a line of fire shooting simultaneously. If Mira¡¯s group managed to get past the man in heavy armor, they would only be able to proceed through that tight corridor, so the enemy could simply focus their fire on that spot. ¡¸Once again, we get quite the wild wee.¡¹ ¡¸I guess this is the main defense force we were told about.¡¹ But Mira and Kagura did not seem bothered in the least, walking forward while waving away the dark smoke that quickly filled the ce. When it was clear enough to see again, they nced at their enemies. The floor and walls of that ce were all covered in metal. The room itself was easily about five hundred meters long and wide, and the army stationed there made it clear just how massive Chimera uzen was as an organization. The ce was asrge as a dome baseball stadium, filled with Stalwart Dolls as far as the eye could see. Magically engineered dolls, armed to fight autonomously. In front of them all, leading them and blocking Mira¡¯s path, stood Gregorius. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s my turn already.¡¹ Mira nced at her enemies, which easily numbered more than a thousand, and taking a few steps forward she smiled. This was the time for that. ¡¸Leave this to me, you go on without me!¡¹ She dered with a posed look. She had always wanted to say those words, yearning for this situation, one of her most desired scenes. Seeing Sero do something simr first, she had awaited her turn. This was truly a battlefield designed for her, out of all Nine Wisemen. An eye for an eye, an army for an army. Such was the other name given to Danbulf, the army, now embodied by Mira. Strength in numbers was Mira¡¯s forte, so she was the most fit for this battlefield. ¡¸Okay, gotcha.¡¹ Mira¡¯s own desires aside, Kagura understood that was the best decision, instantly relegating it to Mira as she climbed on Piisuke and crossed above the army. But the enemy would not let her go so easily. Gregarious raised his hand, and all the Stalwart Dolls shot mes at Kagura. More than a thousand sources of fire shot towards the same spot, crimson zes scattering through the air with thunderous roars. ¡¸I see they have quite the firepower.¡¹ The air seemed to shake, a warm breeze passing by Mira¡¯s cheek. Then silence returned. ¡¸How..?¡¹ Gregorius looked up with incredulity. Kagura and Piisuke, who were flying above them, had vanished with the mes. The Stalwart Dolls had quite the destructive power, but not enough to fully burn a person to ashes without trace. Gregorius knew that better than anyone, so he thought of another possibility and quickly looked around. ¡¸Well, see youter then!¡¹ Behind him, on the opposite side from the entrance where Mira stood, was Kagura, at the steps leading to the next floor. She waspletely unharmed, cheerfully waving her hand before turning around and climbing the stairs. (Usually I would need to protect her after telling her I¡¯m staying here¡­ but covering a fake would make me look like an idiot. She really messed everything up.) The Kagura that flew on Piisuke was a fake created with onmyoji arts. Mira had noticed that from the start, so she did not intervene, though she still heaved a sigh of annoyance. ¡¸Oh well, who cares. I have work here.¡¹ Mira looked around as she walked towards Gregorius. He clicked his tongue at the stairs, then turned enraged at Mira and walked at her too. The distance between the two became shorter until they were at the ideal range for spellcasters, and they stopped. There were roughly ten meters between them. All the Stalwart Dolls she could see from so close formed a formidable army, which reminded her of the virtual battles she went through in the past. (Such a strange feeling. This is no longer a game but reality, yet I feel like I¡¯ve returned to those days.) Mira¡¯s heart was stirred with excitement seeing them all. Her desire for battle rose, and her focus was heightened. It was like her entire body was overflowing with that feeling. ¡¸You¡¯re faced against such arge army, but decided to remain alone, huh. Quite confident in yourself, I see. How do you intend to tip the scales though? A ck soldier and some horse won¡¯t be of much help here.¡¹ Gregorius had experienced Mira¡¯s power in the past, so he said that trying to see through her n. So far, she seemed to be trying to face more than a thousand dolls with little help. A summoner might be able to level the ying field somewhat, but all Stalwart Dolls were fully armed with spirit arms, making them many times more powerful than regr soldiers. And there were more than a thousand of them, making things even harder. ¡¸Maybe yes, fighting with a disadvantage of numbers can be hard. One or two summons will do little in this situation.¡¹ Even someone like Mira would struggle to fight such arge army alone. One hero with the strength of a thousand, pitted against an army of tens of thousands, such a tale existed only in legends, and Mira knew that. Even with the rules of this world, such a story was too surreal. ¡¸But matching such numbers is what I do best.¡¹ Some things never changed, even in fantasy worlds. Strength in numbers could overpower anything. And Mira knew that very well, which was one of the reasons that Danbulf, the army, existed in the first ce. ¡¸I¡¯m more than ready to take you on. Let me use this asion to present to you the true power of summoners, feast your eyes on it.¡¹ Saying that, Mira¡¯s eyes changed colors. They went to a dark green, before turning a piercing azure. Eye Art: Sage¡¯s Enchanted Eyes That was a secret sage skill that allowed one to use the mana that existed in nature as their own. Combining her sage and summoner skills, Mira had learned how to create armies. Summoning Magic: Dark Knight Using her nearly limitless supply of mana without remorse, Mira began summoning. A ck magic circle appeared, a knight in ck armor ascending from it. Something akin to ck mes covered its entire body, and two red lights illuminated its vacant eyes. Another magic circle appeared, then two more, ten, twenty, a hundred¡­two hundred, they seemed to increase exponentially, a Dark Knight stepping out from all of them. In mere seconds, a thousand Dark Knights stood behind Mira. ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ Gregorius had lost his advantage in numbers in such a short time, leaving himpletely baffled, lost for words seeing the army of Dark Knights. He had thought he understood Mira¡¯s true power. He could not underestimate her, or let his guard down. Prepared for the worst case, he had surrounded himself with such an army. No matter how strong, she was still a spellcaster. Eventually she would run out of mana, decreasing her options to attack or defend herself. He had nned on achieving that with the ridiculous amount of Stalwart Dolls. But Mira effortlessly overcame that obstacle. From his current situation, Gregorius learned he could not rely on Mira running out of mana anytime soon. But it also reminded him of an old legend. A poem of the Wiseman Danbulf, who could summon armies, opening the gates to the legions of death into battlefields. (This might take too long¡­ Or maybe not. She¡¯s no god of death, I just need to hold out for ten minutes and it¡¯ll be my victory.) As far as Danbulf went, he was just a mere legend now. Gregorius averted his eyes from the scene that resembled his nightmares, calming himself down and silently ncing at Mira. ¡¸Hm, just like I practiced. Perfect.¡¹ Mira casually nced back at her army of Dark Knights, then muttered satisfied. In preparation to fight Chimera uzen, Mira had been practicing something new. All Dark Knights were summoned with a weapon, and the moment they appeared, she switched it for the Holy Sword Sanctia. Weapons with the Demon¡¯s Curse in them were the natural enemy of Armor Spirits like Dark Knights. But when armed with Sanctia, imbued with the power of the Spirit King, they had the means to resist the curse. At the very least that would allow them to protect themselves from ck Mist Stone weapons, or that was what Mira thought. Either way, all thousand Dark Knights held a Holy Sword in their hands, making them far more powerful than the army of old. Both sides continued ring at each other for a while, until Gregorius¡¯ side fired the first shot. All Stalwart Dolls attacked in unison, raining fire on Mira and herrge army, quickly turning the room into a heated battlefield. Chapter 141: Army (2) Chapter 141: Army (2) ¡¸I guess an army of a thousand does carry quite the firepower.¡¹ Quickly summoning a Holy Knight in front of her, Mira peeked from behind it at the violent mes filling the frontlines. The Dark Knights engulfed in mes used their Holy Swords to shake off the fire, waiting silently. Once the mes seemed to die down, Mira jumped out from behind the Holy Knight and stood with her legs apart and her center of gravity lowered. ¡¸Time for retaliation!¡¹ Inherited Sage Art: Windmill of the Full Moon Mira struck her right hand forward, a strong gale erupting from her palm with a low sound. Soon after the wind became a powerful tornado, blowing back the fire and Stalwart Dolls in front of her. ¡¸This again?!¡¹ Feeling the strong gale around him, Gregorius nted his ck staff on the floor and resisted it. That skill had already caused his failure once, so he had prepared for it. But the Stalwart Dolls had no way of resisting it, around a hundred being thrashed out ofmission from it alone. The iing fire whittled down, so seeing that she began applying medicine to her right arm that had suffered wounds from the skill, while giving an order to her army. ¡¸Attack!¡¹ The ground shook under the thousand ck Knights steps, as they rushed forward. The Stalwart Dolls armed themselves with swords and shields to fight them off. Mira¡¯s army shed with Gregorius¡¯ troops in the middle of the battlefield. Loud metallic ngs erupted from them, while multiple mutted Stalwart Dolls were sent flying. ¡¸Even better than I anticipated¡­¡¹ Armed with a high level weapon like the Holy Sword Sanctia, the Dark Knights¡¯ power output increased dramatically, overpowering their enemies. Mira was pleased seeing that, smiling to herself seeing how more powerful her army had be. But her enemy was an army of Stalwart Dolls enhanced with spirit arms. And considering Chimera uzen¡¯s usual underhanded methods, she knew this would not end so easily. There was a bright sh in the battlefield, a maddening light she had seen before. (The dolls are armed with spirit bombs then¡­ but the enemies inside the st are untouched. Hmm, I wonder how the mechanism behind that works.) Seeing that, Mira slowly began to understand the current situation. The st radius was smaller than before, barely reaching five meters. But as they were powered by spiritual power, they were still strong enough to blow Dark Knights away. But for some reason, the Stalwart Dolls standing there were unaffected. Even if they were destroyed, the dolls damaged their enemies. It truly was the best way to employ dolls in a fight. ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s trickier than expected.¡¹ Looking at the battle unfolding in front of her, Mira recalled her past fight with a smile. Back then, those battles were but a game. For some strange reason, Mira did not feel too differently than back then. But she did not notice that, simply relishing the excitement of war. ¡¸I see¡­ they¡¯re different depending on their unit.¡¹ Mira was analyzing everything attentively. She realized the dolls were separated into various units, and she saw dolls from one unit vaporizing those from a neighboring unit. Each unit was equipped to be protected from the spirit bombs in their unit, but not from those of others. That was what led to some blowing up each other. She did not fully understand where one unit ended and another started, but she knew there was a distinction, so she moved her own troops in an attempt to mix them up. ¡¸She saw through it¡­¡¹ As the battlezone became more confusing, the spirit bombs began damaging Gregorius¡¯ troops as well. Realizing his structure had been noticed, he clicked his tongue and checked his pocket watch, muttering ¡¸Not yet¡­¡¹ ¡¸Time for n B, I guess.¡¹ Without the help of spirit bombs, his Stalwart Dolls just decreased in number as they were inferior to the Dark Knights. Fully aware of that, Gregorius moved onto his next n. As Mira expected, the Stalwart Dolls soon stopped blowing themselves up. But when it came to regrbat, the Stalwart Dolls were still fully equipped with powerful spirit arms, so Mira¡¯s army was also slowly decreasing in number. However, those losses had been ounted for in her strategy. If everything continued the same way, she would win. But it would not end so easily, as Gregorius still had another n. He raised his staff, and therge metallic walls on the sides of the room began opening. ¡¸Oh, you still had this many units hidden away.¡¹ All the Stalwart Dolls standing by behind the walls sprung to life. Altogether, they numbered near three thousand. As soon as they activated, they ran towards the battlefield, fully armed with spirit arms. The dolls formed arge circle around Mira, before slowly approaching. One on one, a Dark Knight was more powerful, but there were nearly four times as many dolls. Even with arge army under her orders, it was difficult for her to focus on such arge number of enemies around her. ¡¸This really brings me back.¡¹ Outnumbering had such an effect on the battlefield. But Mira, who was known as the army, knew how to handle such a situation. ¡®Escort of the wishless moonlight. Gravestone of the fallen swords, Your guidance leads higher than the sky, envoy from the brilliant beyond.¡¯ Stacking up two Rosario Summoning Circles, Mira¡¯s voice rang clear from the center of the battlefield. It was loud enough that Gregorius heard it too. ¡¸A chant?! I have to stop her!¡¹ Gregorius waved his staff, making all the Stalwart Dolls engaged in battle to change targets. ¡®Maidens of war, plucking souls from the eternal cycle of rebirth into battle, The mor of armament is your elegy, navigators of the rainbow bridges to the heavens.¡¯ A volley of fireballs was shot at Mira. But half of them were caught by Dark Knights that reacted instantly, and the other half were blocked by the Holy Knight who stood next to Mira. But Gregorius¡¯ attempt at interrupting her was not over yet. The dolls began throwing fellow dolls towards Mira¡¯s location. Nearly a dozen Stalwart Dolls were sent on a direct path towards Mira. They seemed to break apart in mid-air, setting off the spirit bombs contained within them. Dark Knights leapt high into the air to catch them, carrying them up before they could reach Mira, and detonating high above. ¡¸Dammit!¡¹ The Dark Knights and Holy Knight offered a strong defense, protecting Mira¡¯s chanting from obstructions. Gregorius knew how powerful Mira could be, so he was desperate to stop her. But ultimately he failed. ¡®Leave the night and descend upon us, arbiters of the seven colors.¡¯ Summoning Magic: Valkyrie Sisters As Mira enunciated those words, the summoning circles took prismatic colors. Once the chanting was over, a gate across dimensions was opened. One circle shone brightest, and from it the older Valkyrie sister stepped out, Alfina. She had long thin blue hair which flowed in the wind, wearing a thin deep blue armor and metallic gauntlets and greaves. A warrior maiden with a clear air of divinity to her. Her presence alone was so impactful that Gregorius seemed to forget how to breathe. But the summoning was not over yet. After Alfina came the second daughter, the third, and so on. Eventually came thest, the seventh sister Christina, after which the summoning circle served its purpose and vanished. ¡¸We sisters have arrived to fulfill our summoning contract.¡¹ Alfina took a step forward, her sisters lining up behind her. Then they all knelt at the same time. While the details were slightly different, they all wore simr equipment, and it was easy to tell they were all valuable items. ¡¸d to see you again, Alfina. And it¡¯s good to see everyone else is in good health too.¡¹ The pure sisters of war, all abiding by Mira¡¯s orders. It was like a sight out of a king¡¯s throne room. And it highlighted just how powerful of an entity Mira was. Gregorius did not know how to react seeing that, his mouth wide agape. Was Mira really human? Having divine servants under her control? But there was something more important for him to think about, how to win against all of them. With the arrival of the Valkyrie Sisters, the battlefield was clearly tipped against Gregorius, but he refused to show any signs of defeat. He was simply surprised, yet convinced that he still had a chance at snatching the victory. The source of that confidencey on his pocket watch, which he looked at with a grin. ¡¸Just a little more,¡¹ he muttered to himself. Chapter 142: The True Army (1) Chapter 142: The True Army (1) They were amidst a battle so the greetings were brief, and Mira quickly gave orders to the seven sisters. In short, she wanted them tomand over parts of her army and take out their enemies. The Valkyrie Sisters had learnedmanding tactics during Danbulf¡¯s life. As a result of that experience, they could take over the battlefield independently, which worked perfectly for Mira¡¯s summoned army. ¡¸Orders received, master. We sisters vow to bring forth a victory in this battlefield.¡¹ After a reverence, the seven sisters spread through the battlefield, dividing the Dark Knights into seven units. The war against the thousands of Stalwart Dolls resumed after that. ¡¸It hasn¡¯t changed much, but their skill is still a sight to behold.¡¹ It was an obvious and expected result, but after the Valkyrie Sisters took control over the army, they moved in a far more cohesive and meticulous way than when Mira alonemanded it, showing its true potential. Mira at the helm, sevenmanders under her, and a thousand knights. That was the true shape of her army. They pushed against the dolls, and when they noticed a spirit bomb activate, the Valkyrie Sisters would kick it away, just like Mira ordered. Under theirmand, the army seemed to perform like highly trained knights, shaving away at Gregorius¡¯ lines. ¡¸Let¡¯s leave them to battle it out, and we can have our own fight, shall we?¡¹ Understanding her master¡¯s intent, Alfina¡¯s unit cut a path through the Stalwart Dolls between Mira and Gregorius. Mira then ran along it, while addressing Gregorius directly. ¡¸You have a fully autonomous army but you still challenge me directly? What a crazy girl.¡¹ Gregorius¡¯ army still outnumbered Mira¡¯s. But the Valkyrie Sisters¡¯ influence was so overpowering that anyone could tell they had the upper hand. ¡¸I like these odds though, I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡¹ Saying that, Gregorius ordered the Stalwart Dolls behind him to step away, and silently readied his ck staff. ¡¸I just want to settle things fromst time. I still can¡¯t ept that oue.¡¹ Mira referenced their first encounter in the Ancient Circr Gate, somehow that was still eating at her conscience. ¡¸What, sending me off without the Spirit King¡¯s power and with less than half my equipment wasn¡¯t enough?¡¹ That fight had been Gregorius¡¯ defeat, no matter how one looked at it. He had failed at his mission, and lost most of his equipment when escaping. But seeing Mira resent him for that oue made him half baffled, half angered. Mira red back at him, a devilish smile on her lip as she swung her white long staff. ¡¸A fight is only over when one side falls, and the other remains standing. There¡¯s no way around that fact.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a rather pretentious way of thinking for someone who looks like you. Can¡¯t say I hate it though.¡¹ After that exchange, Mira and Gregorius moved at the same time. A wall of stone quickly rose from the ground between the two, Gregorius¡¯ necromancer spell Stone Wall. But he waste, as Mira had already ran past that spot with Ground Shrink. Mira appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. But a second Stone Wall covered Gregorius from her. ¡¸Hm?!¡¹ Noticing something, Mira instinctively leapt high into the air. The first Stone Wall passed below her and crashed against the second at a high speed. ¡¸So you can dodge this.¡¹ Gregorius muttered as he nced at her, activating more spells and raising multiple Stone Walls. Mira kept herself in the air with Sky Stride, closely observing what happened, trying to understand if it was a new skill that allowed Stone Walls to move like that, or if there was a different mechanism behind it. Gregorius pointed his staff at her, and the Stone Walls begin levitating, before flying towards Mira at a high speed. ¡¸Ohh, now that¡¯s an impressive sight!¡¹ Mira¡¯s body was still that of a frail young girl. If she took a direct hit, it would cause considerable damage. But she was still one of the Nine Wisemen, the most powerful spellcasters. She predicted the travel paths of all Stone Walls, and knocked them down with her long white staff. If they tried to surround her and crush her in the center, she protected herself with partially summoned Holy Knight shields, before shattering the rest with Dark Knight swords and sage arts. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe she has so much mobility in mid-air¡­¡¹ Gregorius was astonished seeing her move like that, timing her spells perfectly, and her enormous power when she went on the offensive. ¡¸Okay, that was all only possible thanks to your staff, yes? I believe I read something about that in the documents, something about a property to control mana.¡¹ Miranded together with the remains of the Stone Walls, her eyes focused on Gregorius¡¯ ck staff. Gregorius was unable to hide his reaction. Colling mana. That was a property of ck Mist Stones described in the documents provided by the alchemist Johann. The actual process was to take an object given form with mana, and control it at will. In other words, any spell cast, either by allies or enemies, could be manipted that way. That essentially rendered spellcasters useless, as any spell used could be turned against them. But there were a handful of exceptions, namely summons and onmyoji shikigamis. Summoners used mana to incarnate spirits, or to open gates for a summon to step through. While mana was involved in the process, the summons themselves were spirits, making it impossible for them to be controlled, and the gates were aplex mana phenomenon, which also made it hard to be disrupted. Summons were essentially living beings, so mana control did not work on them. Shikigamis were simr to summons, each having their own volition and existence. ¡¸How do you know that property?¡¹ ¡¸It should be obvious. An expert told us.¡¹ Gregorius seemed annoyed as he asked that, and Mira replied with a grin. ¡¸¡­I see. I don¡¯t know when and where you contacted him, but that alchemist¡¯s actions were connected to you after all. And you were the ones attacking that test site too.¡¹ As one of the top Heads, Gregorius had knowledge of most happenings. Including how Johann had been taken to a more secure location, but had still gotten rescued. A test site. That was his term for the ce where Johann was kept. A ce where weapons made of ck Mist Stones were tested and developed. ¡¸Don¡¯t think you can fight against it so easily even knowing its secret though!¡¹ Gregorius shouted and activated more spells, summoning ten golems at once. Mira watched that, simply uttering an impressed ¡¸Ohh.¡¹ Summoning multiple golems at once was an advanced skill. Five would ce him as a high ranking spellcaster, and only the top spellcasters in the silver towers could get to ten. ¡¸What a waste of potential.¡¹ Even without the help of spirit arms, Gregorius could have be an elite necromancer. Though the most important factor was whether he wanted to use his talent for the betterment of the world. But seeing the murkiness in Gregorius¡¯ eyes, shemented his choice. The golems, around two meters tall, looked exceedingly sturdy. Their legs and arms were short, but their bodies looked likerge rocks, probably designed mostly to protect. But they were used offensively. With a swing of Gregorius¡¯ staff, a golem floated into the air, before being shot like a cannonball. The entire room shook momentster. On top of itsrge mass, the golem also moved at high speed. A direct hit against the Holy Knight that protected Mira caused it to break its posture. ¡¸Smash her apart!¡¹ But Gregorius¡¯ attack was not over yet. Four more golems were sent flying towards Mira, then without missing a beat he focused his mana and activated his next necromancer spell. Burial Skill: Red Eruption The golems that flew towards the Holy Knight turned red hot, their torso spewingva soon after. Each hit was like a volcano erupting violently, with a thunderous explosion followed byrge sshes of molten stone all around the Holy Knight. The heat was so high the Holy Knight was unable to recover, its body melting and sinking into theva. That sight was like seeing the gates of hell opened onto the room. Anyone that touched that ce would have no escape, forced into their demise. The Holy Knight was annihted without mercy. But the other person who had been there before, Mira, was gone. ¡¸Darn, where did she go?!¡¹ Chapter 142: The True Army (2) Chapter 142: The True Army (2) That attack with the golems and his ck staff was Gregorius¡¯ special move. He had used it to win against many highly skilled opponents in the past, reducing them to ashes. But he was worried now. In a way, he trusted Mira¡¯s skills. The thought that she had taken a direct hit and was gone under theva did not appear in his mind. Unless he saw her face contorted with pain, unless he pierced her heart, he would never feel sure of his victory. That was why he now looked for her. Not because he was worried for her safety, but because he had no idea how she would attack next. (Burial Skills have a high synergy with golems, so he threw them as projectiles to cover for hisck of uracy. That¡¯s quite themendable tactic.) There were still five golems remaining, and Mira stood behind them. She saw her Holy Knight fall apart after attempting to defend itself, and the tall golems turning into molten stone. Mira was familiar with the strength of her summons, so she anticipated her Holy Knight failing to deter the attack, so rather than standing behind it, she used Ground Shrink to escape when the golems approached, moving between them and reaching the other side. Gregorius kept looking around, but Mira was hidden between the five golems that had not been used yet, watching him as she gently touched the backs of a golem. Sage Art ¨C Heaven: Refined Impact Mira focused mana onto her palm, which turned into a powerful shockwave that blew the tall golem away. As it flew, its body began to crack, which turned to rubble in mid-air as it headed towards Gregorius. ¡¸There!¡¹ Hearing the loud noise, Gregorius turned around. But the flying rubble was already in front him, toote for him to evade or raise a Stone Wall to protect himself. ¡¸Grgh-¡¹ Gregorius groaned as he raised his arms onto a defensive stance. Mira merely nced at him as she did the same thing with a second, and a third golem. It was like a tidal wave of rubble rushing towards Gregorius. ¡¸You¡¯re quite sturdy even without your armor, I see.¡¹ ¡¸Mm¡­ it¡¯s not as strong as the one you destroyed, but this is what I wore before. At least it¡¯s enough for something like that.¡¹ Gregorius managed to resist the onrush of rubble, grinning when it was over as he looked at Mira. He wore a spirit arm robe. While it was made out of cloth, it was still more resistant than many full suits of armor. On top of that, it also absorbed shocks incredibly well, and after therge mass of rubble it resisted, Gregorius had not taken a single step back. It had all lost its momentum when touching the robe, falling to the ground. Gregorius had looked less armed than during theirst encounter, but he still had a solid defense. Mira would not pull back, however, holding her white staff ready as she studied Gregorius¡¯ next movements. He also looked back at her, firmly holding onto his ck staff. Then a momentter he swung it up, and all the rubble on the ground lifted into the air, before being shot like bullets towards Mira. (I guess he can still control the rubble, then.) The dense pebbles rained mercilessly over Mira. But an instantly summoned Holy Knight stopped it all. However, Gregorius was not done yet. In total, there were the remains of tenrge golems at his disposal. That was quite arge quantity to work with, and his staff could give every piece a dangerous speed that could prove lethal if it hit. Even when the pieces fell to the ground, they flew again, if shattered, the smaller shards would rise again, repeating until only dust was left. That constant pressure was starting to whittle down the Holy Knight¡¯s shield, pushing it back. Then somethingrge came mixed with the rubble, sending the Holy Knight flying. It was a newly formed golem. After a loud crash, the golem held onto the Holy Knight and carried it into the air under the influence of the ck staff. Having lost her shield, the rubble and yet another golem flew towards Mira. Nevertheless, Mira did not despair, and prepared to face it. She still had ways to defend herself. She summoned another Holy Knight, which used its shield to ward off the iing rubble, and then swung itsrge sword to smash the golem. The blows were heavy and loud. Gregorius¡¯ eyes were entranced by it all, but the pressure began sending chills down his spine, and he had to look away. ¡¸Can you resist this attack, I wonder?¡¹ Mira ran under the shadow of the golem and Holy Knight wrestling in mid-air, quickly reaching Gregorius. ¡¸S?h?i?t?!¡¹ Gregorius cursed himself for lowering his guard like that and instantly created a Stone Wall. But it served no purpose, as Mira shattered it merely by touching it. Passing through the broken wall, Mira swung her white staff broadly, showing it off with a provoking smile. Gregorius tried to think. Mira had already seen through his armor¡¯s weakness in the past. Even armed with spirit arms, he had to be careful about taking a direct hit, though he had no way to dodge now that she was so close. Left with no options, Gregorius quickly held his ck staff in front of him, awaiting the hit. But then he realized his mistake. Mira had nned it all, waiting for him to take exactly that stance. Mira¡¯s white staff shed with Gregorius¡¯ ck one. There was a high pitched metallic sound, like something breaking off. ¡¸No way¡­ a Demonic ck Bone Weapon¡­¡¹ The ck staff he held had snapped in two, and it was quickly turning into a ck dust that dispersed on the floor. He stared in shock, while Mira muttered ¡¸The effect was instant,¡¹ slightly shocked herself. ¡¸Your Demonic ck something or other you mentioned? I obviously came prepared to deal with those things.¡¹ Mira spoke full of herself, as if she had been the one who came up with and created the countermeasures. But Gregorius did not seem to pay any attention to her, his eyes turning to his pocket watch, which quickly filled his face with glee. Around them, the Valkyrie Sisters continued waging war on the Stalwart Dolls. But the conflict was almost over. There had been losses on both sides, but Mira¡¯s army wasrgely still standing, while less than half of the dolls remained. Gregorius looked around to check on the state of the fight, and then uttered some words. ¡®Never yield, never retreat, thine bodies shalt carve victory!¡¯ A series of words Mira had never heard before. She readied herself assuming it was the chanting for a spell she had never seen before, but that was no chant. It was an order to the Stalwart Dolls, something akin to a password. The moment he finished, all the Stalwart Dolls stopped moving. An instantter there were bright shes and heat, followed by shockwaves, throughout the entire room. ¡¸Oh, a voicemand!¡¹ The Valkyrie Sisters attempted to neutralize the suicidal spirit bombs contained inside each doll, but there were too many to deal with now. It had a tremendous effect, thergest part of Mira¡¯s army disappearing inside the bright lights. It was a simple yet powerful tactic, though it also meant the destruction of all Stalwart Dolls. But Gregorius still chose to do it. There had to be a reason for it. The simplest answer was that he wanted to destroy as much of her army before he was defeated. At first he outnumbered her by a factor of four, but still struggled in the end. That was their difference in strength and strategy. If his defeat was just a matter of time, then it was best if he took her army with him. But Mira doubted that was the case. He had checked his watch first, and only took action afterwards. The timing was too suspicious, and she had a good theory. Gregorius had been waiting for something, but the wait was over now. ¡¸Master, I feel an ominous presence approaching.¡¹ Wondering what was going to happen next, Alfina and her sisters gathered around Mira. Mira had anticipated a group self-detonation, and ordered the sisters to gather like that when it happened. Thanks to that, they had all managed to escape instantly. Though the spirit bombs were still powerful enough that their summon shields were damaged. Chapter 142: The True Army (3) Chapter 142: The True Army (3) ¡¸If I had to guess, his trump card is about to be drawn. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹ ¡¸A trump card, understood.¡¹ Mira repaired the sisters¡¯ shields while carefully looking around. Alfina nodded and passed on the message to the other sisters, who formed a defensive circle. Then they heard footsteps. Turning around, they saw Gregorius clinging onto a thin golem, which ran towards a side of the room. The floor in the direction he headed seemed to burst open, and something appeared there. Even from such a distance, they could clearly tell what it was. A metallic container, twenty meters wide and tall. But not a box, its sides were lined with sturdy bars, it was a giant cage. It blew open sending a powerful gust of wind to all sides. ¡¸So this is what they were so concerned about all this time, I see¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes were focused on that area, trying to see what it was all about, and she saw a terrifying figure that could only be described as a monstrosity. ¡¸So, can you feel it now? The beat of this much concentrated power!¡¹ Gregorius stood next to the thing, speaking loudly with a proud voice. But his confidence was justified, considering that monstrosity would aid him in battle. ¡¸That name, Chimera uzen. It all makes sense now.¡¹ That was the only way to call the thing inside the cage, a truly monstrous chimera. But it was fundamentally different from the chimera of legends, and the monster known as chimera in this world. Chimera¡¯s weremonly known for having a lion¡¯s head, goat body, and viper tail. The one in that room had very differentponents. The head was shaped like a lion¡¯s, but was made of stone, grass and nts grew on its body, its tail wriggled like a fire snake, and it had bony wings with a veil of wind. Lightning sprouted from its talons, and white freezing breath came out of its mouth. ¡¸The beat¡­ spirits?¡¹ Alfina looked at the monstrosity while muttering that, and her sisters also mumbled to each other. ¡¸They probably melded them together by force. I fear there¡¯s an incredible number of spirits trapped inside that thing.¡¹ Presumably thanks to the Spirit King¡¯s blessing, Mira could feel something like a heartbeat in the monstrosity too. Its aberrant shape was something she never saw or imagined before, but there was a familiar presence inside. Spirits, the source of all of Chimera uzen¡¯s powers. Chimera was a term used to describe something built out of manyponents, with either simr or different origins and shapes. A perfect word for a monstrosity created by cobbling together a multitude of spirits without regard for their type or elements. ¡¸This is our biggest achievement. No matter how strong you all are, mere humans can¡¯t win against the full force of nature contained in this spirit chimera!¡¹ Gregorius¡¯ voice became even louder, and confident. He was right, abination of spirits that could control all aspects of elements and phenomena was truly the force of nature incarnate. And with therge number of spirits it contained, it likely was powerful enough to rival natural disasters. ¡¸Even I feel hesitant to face such a thing¡­¡¹ ¡¸I agree. We¡¯re outmatched here.¡¹ The spirit chimera red menacingly at Mira¡¯s group. She grimaced, noticing that, while Alfina stepped in front of her, sword in hand, ready to cover Mira. After a lot of consideration, Mira concluded it was too reckless to fight a monstrosity like that head-on, even though she had acquired some power over spirits. As long as she was stuck in a small human body, she could never face such destruction directly. So Mira thought of an alternative. An eye for an eye, a cmity for a disaster. There was a species once regarded as a type of natural disaster. She just had to get the help of something with far more power than a human body entailed. ¡¸Go, trample over them!¡¹ At Gregorius¡¯ behest, the monstrosity with all types of destruction attached to it jumped into action with a bellowing roar. ¡¸I need to focus on chanting for a bit, take care of it until then.¡¹ The monstrosity moved quickly like the wind, agility hard to imagine for such arge body. Mira jumped back the moment she said that, and formed four summoning circles. ¡¸Understood. We¡¯ll defend this line with our lives.¡¹ After Mira left, the Valkyrie Sisters gathered on that spot, weapons ready, and faced off against the mass of destruction. A momentter, the ground shook, lightning and thunder roared, and explosions mixed with gales surged all around them. All types of spirit powers gathered in an unfair amount as it fell upon the sisters. Alfina held the monstrosity¡¯s fangs at bay with her sword of light. Meanwhile her sisters jumped in to restrain the lightning talons, wings of wind, and fiery tail. They contained it, but only for mere seconds. Multiple bolts of lightning surged from the floor, tearing through the air with ear shattering thunder. The Valkyrie sisters had spent their lives training up in the heavens, in the realm of gods. They were far more powerful than a regr person, but not even they were able to resist what could be considered the rage of god, and the chimera shook them off one after another. Only Alfina remained, firmly holding the spirit chimera back with her sword. ¡¸You¡¯ve really lost your edge, sisters. Don¡¯t you remember we took down even more powerful foes at our master¡¯s side in the past?!¡¹ Alfina shouted as the spirit chimera continuedshing at her with fang and w. Her sisters scattered around, she had be the only line of defense, but she possessed the vigor to hold out. And to prove her point, Alfina managed to break out one of the monstrosity¡¯s fangs with her de. ¡¸I just slipped a little!¡¹ ¡¸The sound startled me a bit!¡¹ They were pretty much facing nature itself. An enemy that instilled a primordial fear on them. But Alfina¡¯s shout seemed to have an effect, as her sisters stood back up,ing up with random excuses as they returned with renewed vigor. In a way, they wanted to prove Alfina right. The dullness from the years was vanishing, and it was time for them to return to form. The monstrosity became a raging gale again. Another collision against Alfina, storming winds spreading around, thunderous lightning, and fire dancing wildly. The sisters resisted the full force of nature, not letting the spirit chimera advance. (Good job resisting, that¡¯s enough.) Feeling the shockwaves from the conflict happening a distance away from her, Mira thanked Alfina and the sisters in her mind, as she uttered the final sentence. ¡®Rise onto the skies once again, my beloved child.¡¯ The magic circle shone brilliantly, and something came through. A creature that could dwarf the spirit chimera with wings spread. Regal silver scales with an air of divinity, golden dragon eyes that could overpower anything they looked at. Emperor Dragons, a lineage of dragons once feared in the entire world. The race that governed over all other dragons. Isenfald, one of the few remaining alive, made its entrance now. He had a terrifying presence that seemed to oppress reason. Even the spirit chimera lost its impetus and retreated at the sight of the dragon, carefully looking at him. ¡¸No way¡­ that can¡¯t¡­be¡­¡¹ Therge dragon hade out of a giant magic circle. Anyone there knew a summoner had called it there. And because he knew that, Gregorius was so frightened, trembling with fear. He had never seen an emperor dragon before. But even so, he instantly knew Isenfald was a harbinger of destruction. And it made him realize just howrge the gap between him and Mira as spellcasters was. He knew of the gap¡¯s existence, but he believed spirit arms and clever usage of his equipment could let him cross it. But now he was made painfully aware of reality. He was far too inferior. ¡¸No, this isn¡¯t over yet. They¡¯re even¡­ yes, we¡¯re just evenly matched now!¡¹ The spirit chimera was wary, but not afraid to fight. The dragon was clearly a beast, but he also had control over a monstrosity. Looking at the spirit chimera reinvigorated Gregorius, just when he was about to falter, he convinced himself to pull himself up. Having recovered, he ordered the spirit chimera to annihte his enemy. Chapter 143: A Spellcaster’s True Strength (1) Chapter 143: A Spellcaster¡¯s True Strength (1) Taking a step back afterpleting her summoning, Mira began apologizing to Isenfald, who looked sulky. The Chimera had retreated a distance at the sight of Isenfald too, so even though they were in the middle of a fight, there was a bit of time. And during that time¡­ ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry. I was scolded after that because people were freaking out seeing a huge dragon in the air¡­¡¹ She was talking about the first time she summoned Isenfald after this world became reality. There, Mira had told him she would summon him often. But soon after that Creos had warned her that things could get messy if she flew on Isenfald near human settlements, so she had never summoned him again. ¡¸I wish I had been told that much sooner. I really thought Mother had forgotten about me, and it was very lonely.¡¹ It had been around one month of abandonment for Isenfald. That was enough time to make him think that, and Mira looked guilty for making him go through that. ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right, I should¡¯ve done that. But I¡¯m really sorry. But I promise I¡¯ll listen to anything you ask after this. So, what do you say, will you forgive me?¡¹ Mira apologized sincerely and held her head down, though she still tried to peek up waiting for Isenfald¡¯s reaction. He changed his attitude almost instantly. ¡¸Anything¡­ anything?! No going back on your word! If you break your promise again, I¡­I will end up hating you!¡¹ He was clearly happy. But he was also trying to force himself to remain calm, epting Mira¡¯s offer. ¡¸Yes, no going back. I swear I¡¯ll keep my promise. I also don¡¯t want to be hated by my dear son.¡¹ Mira said that, approaching Isenfald and gently touching him. ¡¸Mother!¡¹ Isenfald leaned his body against Mira, rubbing his cheek on her. Their parental rtionship had been patched up again. ¡¸It¡¯sing!¡¹ Alfina announced, as the spirit chimera began moving under Gregorius¡¯ orders. The power of nature contained in it was overwhelming, making Mira feel slightly nervous. But sheughed it away, as it was something she had gotten used to, and gave Isenfald orders. ¡¸Son, take on that beast!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, Mother!¡¹ Isenfald listened, and got ready. His terrible presence was felt through the entire room, making even Alfina and her sisters tremble, even though they were on the same team. Even the fear of death could notpare to him. A momentter, he leaped into the air, gliding forward like a dart and colliding with the spirit chimera that was shrouded in a destructive storm. Their ws shed, the spirit chimera¡¯s covered in lightning against Isenfald¡¯s jet ck ones. Powerful shock waves could be felt every time they hit each other. Either due to a difference in experience, or because Isenfald had sentience, his ws and fangs slowly began to tear the spirit chimera apart. It was not enough topletely overpower the chaotic power of nature, which quickly closed the wounds, while the surrounding elements harmed Isenfald as well. Cmity against disaster. A scene beyond human understanding. It felt like reality itself was being deconstructed, everything being consumed near the two entities. The floor and ceiling trapping the violent fight was getting cracked, broken, and scorched. The fight was reaching a level of destruction iprehensive for human minds, when something happened. Isenfald¡¯s thick tail tore through the spirit chimera¡¯s torso. There was a terrible sound like a forest falling apart, and the spirit chimera was sent flying away. The room they were in wasrge, around five hundred meters from one side to another. They were fighting in the center, and the chimera¡¯s enormous body passed through the entire room and crashed into a wall, not touching the ground once. ¡¸Its power output is too erratic¡­ I guess trying to contain that without the Spirit King¡¯s power was too ambitious after all.¡¹ Gregorius frowned, muttering that to himself as he watched the fight unfold. The Spirit King¡¯s power, apparently that was still needed to reallyplete the spirit chimera. ¡¸You should learn to not get distracted.¡¹ As Mira wanted, the battlefield had moved far away from their current location. Gregorius seemed too curious about the conflict though, his eyes glued to the two creatures. Mira used that opening to sneak behind him and swing her white staff. There was a bolt of lightning, the effect of one of Gregorius¡¯ spirit arms. His body was constantly protected by the power of spirits. ¡¸Tsk¡­ Just how un-summoner-like can you get!¡¹ Gregorius red at Mira with disdain, turning around while unsheathing a sword and swinging at her. That was yet another spirit sword, the sh creating a barrage of mes that engulfed Mira. (That¡¯s quite a ways weaker than the one fromst time.) During their first encounter, Gregorius used a simr fire spirit sword, though that one had been made out of a piece forged by his father, the master cksmith Gregor. Amidst the mes, Mira stood behind the shield of a Holy Knight, while noting the decrease in the sword¡¯s power. ¡¸At least the fight on this side is over.¡¹ A momentter, Alfina knocked the sword out of Gregorius¡¯ hand, before holding her de against his throat. The mes borne from the spirit sword died down, and Mira walked out from the Holy Knight¡¯s protection to confront Gregorius. ¡¸You can¡¯t win. Giving up would be the best choice for you now.¡¹ She continued. ¡¸¡­¡¹ Chapter 143: A Spellcaster’s True Strength (2) Chapter 143: A Spellcaster¡¯s True Strength (2) Gregorius did not respond, simply ncing at Mira, the Valkyrie sisters, and the fight that continued a long distance away. The spirit chimera had not been defeated yet. But Mira was superior to him when it came to armedbat, and they were onpletely different worlds as spellcasters. On top of that, she had seven Valkyries who had spent their long lives training in closebat. With all that in mind, as painful as it was to admit it, Gregorius knew he had no chances. And the iplete spirit chimera could not beat the dragon either. (So there¡¯s still so much out there¡­) Gregorius reflected on his time so far, the days he spent as part of Chimera uzen. And the immense power he obtained at the end of them. It was ironic in a way. Believing that power could change the world, they kept amassing it through the years, and now a single girl made it all crumble away. ¡¸Alright¡­¡¹ His eyes on the de pressed against his throat, he raised his hands out of resignation. He also took a deep breath, and his robe caught on fire before exploding. It was not a big explosion, but the st was strong enough to make Alfina recoil, creating a small opening. Suicide. That was the first thought anyone would get seeing the ck smoke wafting where he stood. But there was an obscured figure that left that smoke. It was a quadruped golem with Gregorius riding it, running at high speed away from that ce. He was heading to an entrance located on the opposite side from where the spirit chimera was. Gregorius admitted his defeat, and decided to attempt an escape. But he had not fully given up, he was still nning something, a cunning light in his eyes which only grew stronger as he left. ¡¸Leave this to me.¡¹ It was a rather well made golem, as it was faster than even a well-trained horse. But one of the Valkyrie Sisters, Eletina, the one with the most prowess with a bow, shot an arrow of light at him. The arrow drew a streak of light, hitting the golem with precision and destroying it with a single hit. ¡¸Dammit, that¡¯s so unfair!¡¹ Gregorius was sent flying forwards, rolling on the ground until he lost the momentum from the golem. After standing up, he turned to look at the remains of the golem. No matter the amount of damage, if its core was still intact, he could repair it with mana and depart again. But Eletina¡¯s arrow, which had been shot from more than two hundred meters away, had pierced the golem¡¯s core which was only a handful of centimeters big. The caster could always locate the core in any spot of the golem when creating it too, so it was quite a feat to identify and shoot it so quickly from such a distance. Eletina was clearly a master of the bow. He could only smile despite himself realizing what happened. He turned to the spirit chimera, a considerable distance away. ¡®Offer your wings and-¡® After a deep breath, he attempted to scream something, but his mouth was quickly covered and he could not finish. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, but this is the end.¡¹ He noticed it was Mira¡¯s hand that stopped him. He had traps set up with voicemands. Having seen that once, Mira would not allow it to happen again. A momentter, thunder resounded. Sage Art ¨C Earth: Lightning Grasp The skill was merciless, and Gregorius fainted after receiving it, falling silently on the ground. ¡¸I wonder what he was trying to do.¡¹ Christina, the youngest sister, muttered as she used Mira¡¯s Arresting Cloth to restrain Gregorius. She was curious to know what Gregorius¡¯ final shout would have aplished. ¡¸Move your hands, not your mouth.¡¹ ¡¸Okayyy¡­¡¹ But Alfina sternly shot her question down, which made Christina pout with dissatisfaction. Mira chuckled seeing the two interact like that. ¡¸I think he said something about offering wings. If I had to guess, he wanted the spirit chimera to spend its wings as spirit bombs. That was also why he ran away from the chimera, so would be safe from the st.¡¹ Christina¡¯s mutter had been unrted to fighting, just an idlement. Something like that would have never happened in the game, but it showed they were fully sentient now. That simply renewed the feeling of reality in the world for Mira. ¡¸Ohh gotcha. That makes sense!¡¹ ¡¸Christina! Speak to our Master with more respect!¡¹ Satisfied with the answer, Christina replied with a cheerful smile, which met a reprimand form Alfina. Apparently the youngest sister had grown up with a more brazen attitude, which made Mira smile even more. ¡¸Master, I beg you to overlook my sister¡¯s bad manners.¡¹ Mira felt a friendly bond with them, but regardless of that, Alfina still thought of Mira as something akin to her king. Her loyalty was just as firm, even now when everything was real. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind. Something like that matters not, considering how hard you always work for me.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Master. I appreciate your kind words.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s response, Alfina bowed deeply to her with an air of reverence. Looking around, she noticed the other sisters were happily kneeling as well. Only Christina was slightly different, smirking at the eldest sister Alfina for a moment. As if poking fun at her, and saying no one would get mad even if she did that. It was a needlessly childish act of impudence. Chapter 144: A New… (1) Chapter 144: A New¡­ (1) ¡¸Well, there¡¯s still that fight left¡­¡¹ Mira said, looking at Isenfald and the spirit chimera still entangled inbat. They were hundreds of meters away, but the intense fight could still be clearly felt. Mira and the Valkyrie Sisters did not have their hands too busy now, but the battle was not over yet. ¡¸Aww¡­I really don¡¯t want to go there¡­¡¹ Christina voiced her first and honest thoughts about it. They were obviously met with a reprimand from Alfina. Though everyone felt the same way as her. The fight they saw was like an imprable area overtaken by an absolute ruler trying to contain the chaotic whims of nature. It was such a horrifying scene that even the Valkyrie Sisters were hesitant to approach it. As far as the fight itself was concerned, things were tipped in Isenfald¡¯s favor. If they continued fighting, it was unlikely he would lose. But that was the issue. While he would not lose, it was hard to say whether he could win, or at least anytime soon. That was something that worried Mira the most, as she had received the Spirit King¡¯s blessing and could see an unusual type of spiritual energy inside the spirit chimera. That energy diminished every time Isenfald attacked. When the chimera closed its wounds, or regenerated a lost limb, some of it was spent. But she also knew that all the spent energy so far was merely the tip of the iceberg. (Maybe I should tell him to just use his Dragon Breath¡­or not, it might be too dangerous.) Put into simple terms, the spirit chimera¡¯s HP was an order of magnitude off, making it extremely resilient. At the rate they were going, it would take an entire day at minimum to defeat it. But Isenfald¡¯s Dragon Breath could elerate that, so she thought of ordering him to do it, but she quickly shot that idea down. There was one reason why. It was simply too powerful. That attack would be able to blow the chimera apart in just one attack, or maybe two. That introduced one problem. It did not matter much in the past when it was just a game, but it could prove fatal now that this was reality. ¡¸I hate the idea of being buried alive.¡¹ The destruction would be excessive, and while the spirit chimera would be defeated, the ceiling would also give out. That included the entire base copsing into itself, with Sero still in it, and maybe even the follow up troops from the Fifty Bells. (Hmm¡­maybe if he does just a small breath it¡¯ll work though.) Maybe using limited bursts of short breaths would be better than a purely physical fight. It seemed like the chimera was using something simr to skills already, so a Dragon Breath would not be too bad. Thinking that, Mira utilized the special connection between summoner and summon to contact Isenfald, to ask if he could use a limited Dragon Breath. ¡ºA limited one? There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t do, Mother.¡» That was a promising response. ¡ºOhh, nice. Alright then¡­how about you use your weakest Dragon Breath for starters!¡» ¡ºUnderstood, Mother!¡» She decided to start that way and see how it would y out. It sounded like a good idea, but moment after giving the order, all color drained from Mira¡¯s stunned face. Isenfald obeyed Mira¡¯s order, lowering the strength of his Dragon Breath as much as he could. Once it happened, there was a blinding sh which sted away the chimera¡¯s upper body, disintegrating it, followed by an intense rumbling that made one think the end of the world had arrived. Everything in front of Isenfald¡¯s open mouth, including the wall, was cleanly gouged out. A short timeter, a powerful shock wave that violently shook Mira¡¯s body passed by her. That powerful gust carried her up into the air, her face still spasming from the shock. The Valkyrie Sisters were unable to stand the shock wave either, being sent flying just like Mira. But they had a lot ofbat experience, so Alfina quicklynded on her feet and rushed to catch Mira in her arms. Meanwhile Christina twisted and turned her body in mid-air like a gymnast, making a series of impressive movements beforending perfectly, though no one seemed to notice. (That¡­ that¡¯s a bit too dangerous¡­) Mira thought as she stared at the battlefield that looked even more ruined than before. She could see the energy contained inside the spirit chimera had decreased by a decent amount, but she also knew that was the only time they could use that attack. Even though that was the weakest Dragon Breath, it had been more powerful than expected, and the underground base would cave in if it was repeated. Another reason for that miscalction on Mira¡¯s part, was that the Dragon Breath¡¯s baseline damage had increased since thest time Mira saw it in action. Her son had grown up a lot. ¡¸How are things looking, Master?¡¹ ¡¸That attack did quite some damage, but it¡¯ll still take roughly half a day now. If we all help out, it could be even faster, though¡­¡¹ Arge chunk of the chimera¡¯s energy had been dispersed by the Dragon Breath, if they forced it to spend the rest on both healing and more attacks, they could shorten the fight by a couple hours. But Mira was seeing a strange light now. (What am I seeing..?) There were shapeless spirits floating in the air. Looking more closely, she noticed that every time the chimera was hurt, spirits would leak out from the wounds. Because of therge quantity of spirits detached through the Dragon Breath, their presence had be much more noticeable for Mira. The remnants of spirits trapped inside the chimera were being released. Mira watched them with sorrow, floating aimlessly, and she also had a growing desire to help them. And then she heard a voice inside her head. ¡ºDo you wish to save my kin?¡» She had heard it before, a powerful and solemn voice, but filled with kindness. She replied that she wanted to, without hesitating. Then the mark of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection that spanned all of her body began glowing, while she learned the method to rescue the spirits as if she was recalling a long lost memory, which was a rather odd feeling in of itself. She was filled with emotion, her head being filled with information in a very surreal way, and she took a forward while muttering ¡¸I see now.¡¹ ¡¸Master, why do you look like that..?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s quite a striking appearance, wouldn¡¯t you agree? It seems the Spirit King is lending us a hand, though the conditions are a bit tricky. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to make you work a bit harder.¡¹ It was a bizarre sight, her body covered in glowing marks from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes, as if she was undertaking some ritual. But the waves of energy emitted from that light felt sacred, so rather than being surprised, the Valkyrie Sisters were invigorated seeing their master ascending to new heights. Chapter 144: A New… (2) Chapter 144: A New¡­ (2) The power granted by the Spirit King also included the means of rescuing the spirits melded into the spirit chimera, on top of allowing Mira to see the fragmented spirits floating in the air. The chimera was a conglomerate of spirits that had lost their sense of self, so it was impossible to return them to their original shape. But there was a way of saving their souls. Through a Summoning Contract. Though it was no regr Summoning Contract, it was one conducted through the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. He stood above all spirits, and was their lifeline. Even if spirits had been stripped from his presence, in a situation ofplete disarray, that could tie them back together and bring them to safety. The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection allowed this to happen, taking all the spirits inside of the spirit chimera, and the fragments floating around, letting them be reborn into new spirits. But newborn spirits were incredibly weak, so once Mira formed a contract with them, her connection to the Spirit King would allow him to protect all of the new spirits. That was the Spirit King¡¯s n for Mira. How to actually start the process was the issue. Gathering the fragmented spirits was easy enough, they were already starting to float around Mira, lured in by the glow of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. The spirit chimera posed the main issue. To form a summoning contract, Mira¡¯s hand would need to be touching its body. The spirit chimera was like a natural disaster taken form, which was only matched by Isenfald¡¯s terrible strength. Mira had the frail body of a young girl, so she could not approach it so easily. But if she did not try, the spirits could not be saved, so she had to find a way. ¡¸And that¡¯s the gist of it. I¡¯ll be counting on your help.¡¹ ¡¸Understood. We sisters will do everything in our power to support.¡¹ Once Mira exined the situation and her strategy, she headed towards the spirit chimera. The Valkyrie sisters followed after her, slowly spreading to the sides. ¡ºMy son, is everything ready?¡» ¡ºYes, mother. Just give the signal!¡» Isenfald had also heard the strategy. Mira nced at her reliable son, continuing to fight arduously far away, and sped up. ¡¸Well then, mission start!¡¹ she shouted and ran like the wind. At the same time, Isenfald and the sisters went into action. The Valkyries ran ahead of Mira, sword in hand. On the other end of the battlefield, Isenfald stopped all the spirit chimera¡¯s attacks, blocking it with his own body. ¡¸Almost there.¡¹ As Mira got closer, she felt powerful gusts of wind blowing around her, while the surroundings seemed to change color. Resonant Summoning : Sylphid Engulfed in the power of a spirit of wind, Mira negated the effect of the iing wind, using her sage arts to make her way through the raging mes in her way, stopping the bolts of lightning with partially summoned shields, and kept running without slowing down. Ten seconds after the new strategy was put into effect, there was another change. Isenfald forced the spirit chimera onto the ground with a loud and heavy thump. The Valkyrie sisters acted next, lined up along the chimera, they rushed in and used their swords to impale the creature¡¯s four limbs, tail, head, and wings. The sisters¡¯ role was to support Isenfald, fighting with all their might to contain the beast. ¡¸Hieee! Alfina, this is kinda-!¡¹ ¡¸I¡­I can keep going..! Compared to Alfina¡¯s training, this is nothing!¡¹ The sisters attempted to force raging nature-taken-form into submission with their swords. But the burden was too heavy for them, as Christina cried and stomped her foot in desperation. Eletina showed incredible strain on her face as well, but she braced herself to keep going. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not contain so much raw fury, and every second their protective shields deteriorated further. ¡¸It seems we won¡¯tst too long¡­¡¹ Alfina kept resisting the force trying to blow her away, and calcted they would resist for only a handful of minutes more. But her face showed no signs of desperation at all, she firmly believed that was enough time for Mira. And proving those expectations right, Mira arrived at the scene, below Isenfald¡¯s wing. ¡¸Mother, it¡¯s trying to resist so much!¡¹ Isenfald eximed while holding down most of the spirit chimera¡¯s body. While he could fight it and emerge victorious, restraining its movements was different. ¡¸Just hold on a little longer!¡¹ Even with the pressure from an Emperor Dragon and the Valkyrie Sisters, the Chimera wriggled and thrashed violently. Mira quickly went to its head, and activated the Carved Seal of Contract. The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection had let her know everything. This was her first time using it, but her movements were confident, as if she was used to it already, and began channeling the power of the Spirit King into the spirit chimera. There was a stillness distinct from anything else innd or sky underneath Isenfald¡¯s wing, and Mirapleted her task shielded by it. There was an immediate effect. The raging bolts of lightning stopped, the winds calmed down, and the mes were snuffed. At the same time, the spirit chimera and all the fragmented spirits gathered around Mira began to glow. Their light was reminiscent of the stars she had seen in the Spirit Pce, and they slowly began merging into one. Eventually they all formed a palm-sized glowing ball and stopped moving. Mira reached towards it, and the light shone brighter, covering both of them, and then everything around them in a gigantic magic circle. It was even bigger than the one required to summon Isenfald, which left even Mira in awe and speechless. A momentter the enormous magic circle turned into mes, water, wind, earth, and what was known as the eight fundamental spirit attributes, which all flowed together with the light into Mira¡¯s palm and vanished. ¡¸Hmm, that was a sess¡­¡¹ The contract had been formed. Mira could feel she had aplished her mission, but also felt a vast amount of energy drain from her body. She began having a vision of the Spirit King carrying a young baby. ¡ºYou have our most profound gratitude for saving our family. We¡¯ll never forget this favor.¡» ¡ºDon¡¯t stress about it. I just did it because I wanted to help.¡» Hearing Mira¡¯s response, the illusory Spirit King in her mind had a slightly dejected, but thankful smile. ¡¸That was splendid, Master.¡¹ ¡¸I knew you could do it, Mother.¡¹ Mira looked around, her surroundingspletely still. She had not noticed when the Valkyrie Sisters had lined up in front of her and knelt. Isenfald was next to her, looking at her with expectant eyes like a dog that had fulfilled an important order. ¡¸It was only possible thanks to you all. You did well, I¡¯m pleased with your service.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, Master!¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s words, Alfina broke into tears. Her sisters also looked proud and honored, though they were not as emotional as Alfina. ¡¸Mother!¡¹ Meanwhile Isenfald took those words as permission to proceed, and transfigured into his human form, instantly clinging onto Mira. ¡¸Oh, you remembered to wear clothes this time. Good boy, good boy.¡¹ Isenfald was definitely the one who had worked the hardest. On top of that, Mira had made him wait for a long time before summoning him again, so she did not resist her son¡¯s embrace, gently patting his head. She had already expected things would end in that way, but she was relieved to see he was wearing a robe at least. In front of them, Alfina looked at the two, her eyes concealing some amount of jealousy. Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (1) Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (1) Kagura breezed through a set of stairs, reaching what looked like the summit of a rocky mountain. There was a small room encasing that area, or at least smallpared to the ce where Mira was fighting. Compared to a regr room though, it was quiterge. The construction of the room, and its size, made her think of a king¡¯s audience hall, hinting at its identity. The stairs became longer and with less height halfway through the room, and at the end of them she saw it. ¡¸So, you¡¯re the boss?¡¹ Kagura stared right into that person¡¯s eyes, carefully walking forward. At the end of the room was a throne, which looked like it had been carved out of the bedrock itself. There was someone sitting on it, though there was a thick veil of ck mist, making it impossible to see any defining features, but there was a different, more important aura surrounding that person. After a moment of stillness, that shadow moved. ¡¸Yes, that is me. I¡¯m the Demon Princess chosen to rule over you all. But pray tell, who are you? You don¡¯t seem to be from around here, which tells me my servants are truly too incapable.¡¹ She sounded more disappointed than annoyed. Though also apathetic, the voice of a young and innocent girl. As Kagura got closer, the figure covered by the ck mist became clearer, and once she had passed by the middle of the room, she stood still, frowning at what she saw. The person behind all of Chimera uzen, who had called herself the Demon Princess, looked like a very young girl. (Where¡¯s that misting from? Her stomach? It¡¯s so weird. Not even an entire demon skeleton would be enough to produce mist that thick. Could she be¡­) Kagura began to think as she looked at that young girl. During the days leading to the final battle, she had researched the ck mist stones with the help of the alchemist Albatinus. Its properties and weaknesses, she knew it all. That only made the sight of that girl all that more bizarre. The ck mist was a manifestation of the Demon¡¯s Curse, and the ck mist stones were like a container. That meant that more ck mist stones were needed to produce thicker mist, but for some reason there were no stones near the girl, or any item that seemed made out of them. The girl shrouded in ck mist, the Demon Princess, had ck bobbed hair which rivaled the ck mist in darkness, her eyes were red like blood, two ck horns grew from her forehead, and her skin was white like porcin. She wore a gorgeous robe simr to a kimono, and there was no other garment on her. It was easy to confuse her with a human at first sight, though she looked more like a doll. Somehow that doll-like perfection gave the Demon Princess her unrivaled beauty. (What¡¯s happening? This is different from encountering another yer, her name or abilities won¡¯t show up when I Examine¡­) Kagura carefully Examined the Demon Princess, and while she saw many markers pop up, there were no details about her. Usually even the strongest people would have at least their names disyed. This was Kagura¡¯s first time seeing someone with no information whatsoever. (I really can¡¯t afford to lower my guard.) Only one thing was certain, she was not a former yer. Not even the markers would show up when Examining other yers. In other words, the Demon Princess¡¯ existence was a mystery. That much was enough to overturn Kagura¡¯s emotions quickly. And because of that change, she was also fast to react. If that was Chimera uzen¡¯s boss, she was an enemy, so Kagura had no reason to hesitate and start attacking. Charm Skill ¨C Vermillion Bird: Three Attack Rules ¨C Red Piisuke swelled in size, bing a giant bird more than three meters long, and set aze, it darted like a cannonball towards the Demon Princess. The bird let off an oppressive amount of heat. The moment it hit the mist surrounding the Demon Princess, there was a heavy thud and the room was lit red from the burst of mes. ¡¸All that for a princess. It didn¡¯t feel any different from anyone else.¡¹ Kagura¡¯s Art was not a mere explosion, but a chain of zing attacks from the Vermillion Bird. But as the falling embers faded, it was clear Piisuke¡¯s power was being weathered down. Kagura saw the charm that formed the backbone of her Art burning off into fire particles, meaning that the Demon Princess was powerful enough to resist it. ¡¸You seem quite eager to spring into action. Though I admit I¡¯m not talkative either. Let¡¯s see who bends the knee and perishes first!¡¹ The words had barely left her mouth when her body lifted into the air. The ck mist trailed behind her like a tail, and until a certain distance where it changed its trajectory dramatically, shooting towards Kagura. The thick cloud of ck mist, the size of a human head, collided against the ground, leaving a deep crater. More simr clumps of ck mist followed after the first, all with enough power to gauge out rock. ¡¸Demon Princess¡­ and ck mist.¡¹ Amidst the rain of ck mist, Kagura skillfully dodged every shot as she ran out of her enemy¡¯s range. But that was not enough to avoid the attack as a whole, as the Demon Princess adjusted her aim, redirecting the projectiles to Kagura¡¯s new location. Kagura answered by swinging her right arm, the bishop¡¯s staff in her hand chiming. A momentter, all the ck mist had vanished without trace. ¡¸I knew it. You¡¯re basically nothing more than the curse itself.¡¹ Kagura¡¯s eyes stared coldly at the Demon Princess floating in mid-air, though there was some pity in her gaze as well. The Anti-Demon Silver bishop¡¯s staff was made exclusively for Kagura. Thanks to its special properties, it could render the Demon Princess¡¯ mist useless, just like with that from ck mist stones. Using concentrated mist itself as an attack was something that no weapon made with ck mist stones could do. Not to mention that the amount and thickness of mist around her were many timesrger than what ck mist stones could produce, showing it came from other means. ¡¸Admirable, you¡¯ve discerned my identity. You¡¯re no mere simpleton.¡¹ ¡¸Not really, knowledge of the existence of entities like yourself ismon amongst onmyoji masters.¡¹ The manifestation of a curse, and its embodiment. Kagura was aware of such phenomena, and had witnessed them many times before. In essence it was the same theory behind vengeful ghosts appearing when a dying person experienced too much grief. Onmyoji masters had records of many such urrences. Thanks to that, Kagura was able to notice, deduce it. The Demon Princess was a conglomerate of the demon¡¯s curse, its embodiment. ¡¸I¡¯m assuming that body is merely a vessel as well. I don¡¯t know who originally inhabited it, but I¡¯ll make sure you pay for taking it.¡¹ Whenever a curse manifested physically like that, it required a vessel with a strong connection to themselves, be it a stone or a box, some mirror or a doll. Who the girl used to be was still unknown, which made Kagura decrease her ferocity just slightly. But she had no intention of going easy on her either. She unbound three charms, unleashing arts in quick session at the Demon Princess. First a volley of countless fire bullets, then water, and stone pellets, without any pause between them. In response, the ck mist seemed to expand greatly to protect the Demon Princess, swallowing Kagura¡¯s attack and killing their moment, before returning all the shots back at Kagura. (Hmmm, I see. So this is how the Art Reflection property I saw documented works.) Kagura¡¯s attack was flung back at her with full force, which she defended from with a barrier. Inside, she silentlypared what she was seeing with her prior knowledge. Her way to fight was to always corner her enemy, and deal a final and powerful blow. After the reflected attack, a clump of ck mist shattered Kagura¡¯s barrier. She defended from it with a swing of her staff, while she carefully examined her barrier that had been pierced without resistance. (That must have been the ck mist¡¯s property to snuff out the mana rearing a spell. I guess I can¡¯t use Arts to protect myself then.) ¡¸How about this then?¡¹ Kagura took five charms, focusing her mana into them tounch a spell, the especially higher level Onmyoji Art Shikigami Summon ¨C Qilin. With the Art activated, the five charms floated into the air while glowing in different colors, blue, red, yellow, white, and ck. They formed a pentagram between them, before it appeared. The legendary sacred beast. Five charms maintaining its body, the creature was more than four meters long, with a dragon-like head and the tail of a cow, legs of a horse and two majestic horns sprouting from its head. It had yellow fur near its head, while its fuzzy back had all five colors, and the rest of its body was covered by glistening golden scales. That was the Qilin shikigami Linbei, looking like a creature straight out of a legend, standing tall and proud against the Demon Princess. Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (2) Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (2) ¡¸Ohh, I like that look. It would prove to be a formidable challenger, if only it still lived in its original form.¡¹ The Demon Princess grinned as she looked from her spot in mid-air, beforeunching a clump of ck mist. Linbei quickly jumped above it to dodge, while rolling and shooting an orb of lightning from its hoofs. ¡¸Admirable swiftness, but not yet enough.¡¹ The mist surrounding the Demon Princess swallowed the orb, which shed together with thunder, releasing a weirdly metallic scent to the air. Linbei¡¯s lightning orb was as powerful as a thunderbolt. But the ck mist seemed unharmed by it, still protecting the Demon Princess. (It didn¡¯t reflect it this time? Or it couldn¡¯t do it?) Rather than reflecting the magic back like earlier, the ck mist remained still, containing the explosion. Kagura decided on trying more attacks, to discern if it was an element that the ck mist could not reflect, or if it was because a shikigami hadunched it. ¡¸Hm¡­ What a cumbersome bunch.¡¹ Kagura and Linbei weaved their attacks in and out. Kagura swung her staff at any iing mist, before counterattacking with a spell of her own. Linbei ran in circles around the Demon Princess, evading the mist, while sending more lightning orbs. The Demon Princess muttered gloomily at incessant attacks from all directions, before breaking into a chuckle. Her eyes snapped wide open, her presence changing instantly as she shouted ¡¸Now¡¯s my turn!¡¹ Kagura stood still seeing that change, carefully examining the Demon Princess. ¡¸First, that pesky forgery!¡¹ Saying that, she struck her palms forward, pointed towards Linbei. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but as Linbei continued circling swiftly around her, its feet suddenly seemed to catch on something and it rolled over falling onto the ground. ¡¸What just happened?¡¹ Kagura barely had any time to react as Linbei¡¯s momentum was killed, and the ck mist attacked it, instantly turning it back to charms. (That looked like its feet got tied together. But it didn¡¯t look like an Art either. Maybe it was some sort of Innate Spell? Like something unique to an embodied curse, basically just a curse overall¡­) Kagura had felt something through her shared senses with Linbei when it fell down, making her wonder if that had been an Innate Spell of curses. Innate Spells, a broad term used to ssify magic different to the Arts of humans, a type of power used by non-human entities, meaning they were as varied as different species existed. That meant no one knew all of them, and the study and ssification of them was a continuous schrly effort. ¡¸Whatever shall you do now? I¡¯ve practically tied your hands now.¡¹ The Demon Princess announced clearly, a grin twisting her lips as she spread her arms wide apart. Her arms began looking like an unfocused projection, slowly splitting into two, then three, and growing in number. (ck mist hands? ¡­No, something feels different. That¡¯s¡­) The ck mist could prate through barriers like they were made of paper, and Kagura¡¯s spells were reflected back at her. Shikigamis were restrained by some mysterious force and devoured by the mist. Like the Demon Princess had said, Kagura¡¯s hands were tied. But Kagura did not seem bothered by that whatsoever, her gaze focused on the ck mist surrounding her opponent, and the multiple ck arms that had sprouted from it. ¡¸I¡¯ll let you taste my Dharma!¡¹ A spellcaster whose Arts were useless was practically just an average person. But seeing Kagura look unbothered and calm made the Demon Princess irritated, so she shouted as she swung her arms back. At the same time, dozens of ck arms stretched towards Kagura. ¡¸Dharma? I see, so that¡¯s what it¡¯s called!¡¹ The mysterious power used by the Demon Princess, her Innate Spell, was called Dharma. Kagura leapt away from that spot, repeating the word she heard from the Demon Princess with a smile. A distance away she turned around and swung her white staff at the iing ck hands. But contrary to her expectation, there was a violent hit, and her staff was sent flying away from the recoil. (It feels like a lot of condensed power. I better not get hit by that.) She kicked off the ground and caught her staff spinning in the air, thenunched spells at the ck hands following after her, knocking them away, before blocking a couple more with a barrier. (I knew it. Only the mist itself is able to reflect mana or consume it.) Slowly she was sleuthing out the Demon Princess¡¯ power. Eventually her barrier broke, and the ck hands neared on her again, forcing her to run again. Jumping away, Kagura raised another barrier, but it crumbled the moment the hands moving like a school of fish touched it. Seeing that, Kagura made another discovery. (I somehow expected this to be the case, but there are hands made of mist mixed in with the rest.) The ck hands had been made by that mysterious Dharma power, but mixed in with them were some ck mist hands as well. The Dharma hands could be taken down with Arts, but the mist ones would reflect them. The mist hands could be destroyed with her staff, but if she hit the Dharma ones she would lose her grip from the recoil. It was simple enough on paper, but a tricky situation to actually be in. Still, Kagura did not despair. She simply increased the distance between her and the pack of wriggling hands, and fastened some charms to the end of her staff. ¡¸If physical attacks won¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll just hit them with magic!¡¹ Saying that with a decided expression, she turned around and ran towards the hands, broadly swinging her staff which had been set aze. Her theory was right, and any hand that came in contact with the staff was torn away. ¡¸Perfect result!¡¹ Easily coupling the properties of Anti-Demon Silver with her magic, she was able to fight back against both the Dharma hands and the ck mist hands. ¡¸You¡¯re holding up better than I anticipated. I¡¯ll make you regret ever daring to challenge my Dharma!¡¹ The Demon Princess watched Kagura¡¯s struggle with disgust from high in the room. She was growing impatient and annoyed that she was having so little effect, and she red at Kagura while spreading her arms wide. ¡¸I¡¯d rather not.¡¹ Kagura realized the Demon Princess was about to use her mysterious power again, so she instantly unleashed a charm towards her opponent. The charm quickly transformed into Piisuke, who flew high into the air. Piisuke quickly created arge fireball which was shot at the Demon Princess, who was still preparing her next attack. That fireball packed more heat than the initial Three Attack Rules ¨C Red, engulfing the Demon Princess in mes. The air felt hot and the walls of the room seemed to get scorched, but it onlysted a few seconds. ¡¸Is that all? This measly fire won¡¯t ever be enough to burn me.¡¹ As the Demon Princess spoke, multiple ck lines seemed to stretch everywhere, quickly extinguishing the mes. Once she was visible again, it was clear the mes had been unable to reach through the ck mist surrounding her, and the creepy shadow lingering behind her showed her next Dharma attack was nearly ready. But Kagura¡¯s eyes were drawn to something else. It seemed her hypothesis of shikigami attacks not being reflected was true. Convinced of her result, ¡¸Let¡¯s try from here then¡¹ she said, switching ces with Piisuke overhead and swinging her zing white staff down. That attack was a perfect surprise attack from the Demon Princess¡¯ blindspot. Without a chance to evade, the staff pierced through the shadow and ck mist, hitting the Demon Princess straight on the head. The chimes of the bells affixed to the staff¡¯s end rang loudly, drowning the Demon Princess¡¯ cry. Havingnded one clean hit, Kagura skillfullynded and turned to see the state of the Demon Princess. ¡¸Guh¡­ What an impudent brat¡­¡¹ The Demon Princess, who had been knocked out of the air, had a streak of red blood dripping from her lip, and her eyes were open wide as she stared ominously at Kagura. It seemed the staff had cleansed most of the mist surrounding her, as it looked much thinner now, and the eerie shadow that was being formed with Dharma had also vanished. (I guess her main body isn¡¯t all that sturdy after all.) The Demon Princess hurt and with her power whittled away, looked like she was just putting on airs pretending to be stronger. Once Kagura finished her assessment, she jumped back. The Demon Princess noticed that, and shouted ¡¸I won¡¯t let you get away!¡¹ while shooting a clump of mist. But all that happened was that a great fire engulfed the Demon Princess again. Piisuke was the oneunching a surprise attack from her blind spot this time. Kagura dispersed the iing mist with her staff, and watched the mes attentively. Once the fire died down, the Demon Princess¡¯ body became exposed. Since the mist was not as thick as earlier, the mes had reached the Demon Princess, and various spots on her clothes were charred. (I guess it¡¯s easier to get her when the mist is gone.) While the ck mist had protected her from essentially any attack earlier, without it she was easy to hit. Seeing that result, Kagura formted a new theory. ¡¸I see. You¡¯re only extremely strong against spirits.¡¹ Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (3) Chapter 145: Battle at the Peak (3) ¡¸I see. You¡¯re only extremely strong against spirits.¡¹ That was Kagura¡¯s current evaluation of the Demon Princess after examining her moves. The demon¡¯s curse could nullify Arts on top of spiritual power. That was the foundation of Chimera uzen¡¯s power, with which they had ovee many enemies. As overpowered as such a property might seem, it still had some weak points. Including one very vulnerable stop. ¡¸You dare mock me¡­ I won¡¯t overlook that! I¡¯ll rip everything from you until not even your soul remains!¡¹ The Demon Princess had overheard Kagura¡¯s mutter, answering by yelling like a banshee while tearing her burnt clothes away. Her white skin underneath also had many burn marks, showing how much of an effect Piisuke¡¯s mes had. But the Demon Princess merely brushed her hand, darkened by some shadow over them, and all the burns vanished without trace, her skin regaining its perfect luster. (So she can also heal herself. I have to burst her down if I want to finish her then.) Attempting something new, the Demon Princess¡¯ body began spewing out more ck mist. But there seemed to be a limit to how much she could produce, as it began to look gray the further it extended. It was still enough to decrease visibility though. Noticing the change in the Demon Princess¡¯ attitude, Kagura did not hesitate to run forward. The mist gathered in front of her like a wall, which she pierced through with her white staff. When the mist surrounded her, she focused only on opening a path forward, until she could see the main mass of mist in the center of the room. With no hesitation, she struck the mass with her staff, before- ¡¸No!¡¹ Kagura quickly pulled back, and cut off the snakes of ck mist that had begun to encroach on her. ¡¸Just a bit more and I had you. You have good reflexes, girl.¡¹ The Demon Princess¡¯ voice came from an undefined direction. Looking again, Kagura saw that inside the mass of ck mist were coils of wriggling ck ropes. They were made with Dharma, and looked darker than anything before them, and were sturdy enough to resist the spell fastened to the tip of Kagura¡¯s staff. When she looked at the charm she was using, she noticed it had started to burn and crumble away. ¡¸I guess she¡¯s finally serious. That was a close one.¡¹ The mist surrounding her began to gather in one spot. She followed it with her eyes, and noticed the Demon Princess had moved deep inside it. Kagura¡¯s vision was restricted, hiding the Demon Princess¡¯ movements and traps she hadid. It was a simple strategy, but a really effective one. Kagura muttered to herself as she switched the charm on her staff for a new one. ¡¸That¡¯s a rather unique staff you got there, but I¡¯ll snap it in two soon enough.¡¹ As she said that, the ck mist that gathered began taking shape, while increasing its density rapidly. At the same time, the Dharma ropes and shadows she had made melded together, and after a few seconds materialized into arge jet ck sword, darker than any shadow could ever be. ¡¸I think I can believe you could do that.¡¹ Years of experience told Kagura that the sword had thebined powers of ck mist and Dharma. Though with both effects amplified by an order of magnitude, sturdy enough to resist a hit from her own staff thatbined Arts with Anti-Demon Silver. But even confronting that massive sword, Kagura still had the confidence to smile. ¡¸Sadly for you, my preparations areplete as well.¡¹ Saying that, Kagura threw her staff away and took out one charm, imbuing it with an enormous amount of mana. The charm began to glow faintly, showing the spell was going to be more powerful than anything she had used thus far. ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to aplish, no Art can get through this sword!¡¹ The Demon Princess shouted while swinging her arm up, which sent the ck sword flying like an arrow. The sword had the ck mist¡¯s strong resistance to Arts, and the Demon Princess had strengthened it further. No matter how powerful or high level an Art was, as long as it was made with mana, the ck sword would easily destroy it. Kagura quickly jumped out of the way, the charm still in her hand, and leapt away again while the ck sword chased after her. ¡¸That¡¯s even more powerful than I expected.¡¹ A heavy rumbling sound apanied the ck sword¡¯s movements, persistently chasing after Kagura while shattering anything that came in its way. Piisuke tried attacking as a distraction, but there was no effect. The longer Kagura ran around, and the longer the Sword cleared the obstacles, the closer it got. Keeping in mind the location of the five meters ck de chasing after her, Kagura looked around. She noticed that the longer she evaded the ck sword, the distance between her and the Demon Princess kept increasing. Meanwhile Piisuke scaled down to the size of a sparrow, getting closer to the Demon Princess through the air. After a few rounds of Kagura running around and the ck sword attempting to impale her, Piisuke reached the area above the Demon Princess. The ck sword stabbed into the ground as mes sparked around, the room shaking from the impact. At the same time, Kagura appeared above the Demon Princess, silently holding the charm imbued with mana up. Then, the Demon Princess watched the mes a distance away as her lips twisted into a wickedugh, cackling as she looked overhead. ¡¸You truly thought I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡¹ The Demon Princess¡¯ red eyes were open wide, and as she lifted her arms, countless ck mist clumps and ck hands sprung up towards Kagura, who was currently falling freely pushed by gravity, leaving her no possible option to evade. At least in theory. ¡¸I didn¡¯t!¡¹ Kagura answered and activated her charm. A powerful gust of wind began blowing from it, which she used to impulse herself up and away from the iing mist and ck hands. ¡¸What?!¡¹ The whole scene looked slightlyical from afar. The Demon Princess looked utterly confused, trying toprehend Kagura¡¯s nonsensical reply and reaction. Then something else happened. Piercing through the veil of ck mist, it hit the Demon Princess straight in the head, sending her rolling on the ground. ¡¸If you only had worn one of those Spirit Arms¡¯ you¡¯re so proud of, you might have been able to avoid that hit.¡¹ All the Demon Princess could do was scream senselessly as she rolled on the ground. Kagura slowlynded as she watched that, and picked it up, the staff that had hit the Demon Princess in the head. That was a skill of an adept shikigami user. Ghost Riding, the ability to control and move charms and items attached to charms at will. That was enough to control the white staff from afar, andnd a clean hit on the Demon Princess when she least expected it. Kagura¡¯s attack was not over yet though. ¡¸This is for Multicolor!¡¹ Kagura took out a different charm, with which she ran at an incredible speed to close in on the Demon Princess, who was still struggling to get on her feet, and dig her fist into her stomach. The Demon Princess had no breath to scream, a gasping cry escaping her lips. ¡¸And this is for Reesha!¡¹ Kagura was not done yet. Her voice filled with anger, she raised her hand and violently struck the Demon Princess¡¯ cheek. There was a painfully loud p and the Demon Princess¡¯ body was sent into the air, beforending t on the ground with a groan in a weak young girl¡¯s voice. The cheek she had been struck on was swollen red, and a charm was stuck on it. ¡¸And this is for all the spirits!¡¹ The Demon Princess was on all four, her limbs trembling as she tried to pull herself up, when Kagura¡¯s cold voice rang ast time as she readied her white staff with a charm on it. The air seemed to tremble as multiple charms, scattered around by shikigamis, began to float and surround the Demon Princess thanks to Ghost Riding. There were six in total, which all reacted to Kagura¡¯s mana to evoke a shikigami. Shikigami Summon: Ursa Astigma When Kagura activated her Art, the glowing charms transformed into six glowing spheres of different colors. Each of them formed a pentagram barrier, trapping the Demon Princess in the blink of an eye. Inside, the Demon Princess was attempting to heal herself with Dharma, and then writhed to get ck mist out trying to destroy the barriers. At first sight, it looked like she was inside a cage of barriers. But it was slightly different. ¡®Alkaid, deliver your judgment. Grant me the de to crush evil.¡¯ It was not an actual cage, but the stage for the main act to y out. There was onest member needed for Ursa Astigma, the constetion of seven stars. The staff in Kagura¡¯s hand seemed to pulsate with light. The charm affixed to it glowed with the colors of a rainbow, and slowly grew until the staff was covered. Eventually the staff transformed into the Seven Stars de, granting its power to Kagura¡¯s hand. ¡¸Brace yourself.¡¹ Kagura held the sword high in the air, saying that as all her emotions welled up, and then swung it down into the barrier. What followed was like watching a blizzard of cherry blossoms against clear skies. As the Seven Stars de cut through the barriers, bright streaks went up, which shattered intorge quantities of light specks that scattered everywhere. Chapter 146: Demon’s Horn Chapter 146: Demon¡¯s Horn Having defeated the spirit chimera, Mira spent some time spoiling Isenfald as much as he wished, then left Gregorious tied up for the second unit to handleter, and went deeper into Chimera uzen¡¯s main base together with Sero. When they reached the end of the stairs, they found Kagura, embracing a young naked girl. ¡¸It seems you¡¯re done here too.¡¹ Looking around, the traces of a violent fight were evident, telling of the fierce battle that had gone on until just recently there. Mira observed the rubble as she walked up to Kagura, and looked down at the girl in her arms. White skin and slender limbs. Her frail body showed no signs of possessing a great amount of strength, but the marks of battle were clear. ¡¸Well, I guess. At least a half.¡¹ ¡¸A half? What do you mean?¡¹ Mira guessed that was Chimera uzen¡¯s boss, but frowned upon hearing Kagura¡¯s reserved reply, asking what she meant by that. ¡¸I managed to get her out of the body, but after that¡­¡¹ Kagura sighed as she said that, and looked further inside the room. There was a diamond shaped fragment on the ground. ¡¸A ck mist stone? No, this one looks different, and quite sturdy¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, whatever it is, I don¡¯t like it.¡¹ Just looking at it made one feel a cold sweat. Mira and Sero kept a distance from it, voicing their thoughts. The fragment was slightly longer than an index finger, and was surrounded by ck mist just like the regr stones, but the mist looked far more concentrated than usual. ¡¸That¡¯s the horn that was stuck to this girl¡¯s forehead.¡¹ Kagura said that to the two observing the horn cautiously, and sighed again. The girl had merely been controlled by it. Chimera uzen¡¯s actual boss was a vengeful ghost that formed as many curses piled on top of each other, and then it took over the girl. That ghost had been extracted with Kagura¡¯s skills, leaving the girl¡¯s body intact. How that was aplished, was with a secret onmyoji Art, Ursa Astigma ¨C Alkaid. It had the effect of amplifying one¡¯s weapon to its utmost limits, making it tens of times more powerful. When used on a low level fire sword, the Art would make it as powerful as a legendary magic sword. Kagura had used it to elevate the Anti-Demon Silver¡¯s properties to the maximum, allowing her to exorcize the vengeful ghost born from the curse. Thanks to that, the ghost had been erased from existence, and the two horns growing on the girl¡¯s had fallen off cleanly, and joined into the fragment thaty on the ground now. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how to put it¡­ This is just my guess, but I think that¡¯s the crystallized demon¡¯s curse. With the vengeful ghost gone, it¡¯s just in a dormant state, away from the girl. Maybe?¡¹ The diamond-shaped ck fragment, small, but somehow intimidating. Not even Kagura fully understood what it was, and the more she spoke the less sure she sounded of herself. But one thing was certain, they could not just leave it like that. ¡¸The demon¡¯s curse, huh. We should find a way to get rid of it then.¡¹ Mira pondered what to do as she looked at the fragment. Sero took a few steps forward. ¡¸It devours spirits after all. Who knows when someone might abuse its power again, so I¡¯d like to destroy it as well¡­¡¹ As he spoke, Sero unsheathed his Anti-Demon Silver sword, and swung it at the fragment. ¡¸But this really is on a whole new level.¡¹ Sero¡¯s sword traveled with ease, but when it touched the mist surrounding the fragment, it lost all momentum. Though Sero had already guessed he would be unable to destroy it. He carefully put his sword away as he watched attentively at the fragment¡¯s reaction to the hit. ¡¸I know. Earlier I tried to hit it with another Alkaid, but it waspletely useless.¡¹ As she said that, Kagura turned to look at her staff, which was greatly bent and crushed. While Alkaid could enhance a weapon¡¯s properties to their limit, that also meant the weapon would need to resist a far greater load when used. But even after all that, their attempts to destroy the ck fragment were unsessful. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I suppose it¡¯s my turn to try next.¡¹ When Kagura sighed for the third time wondering what to do, Mira finally decided to say that. ¡¸Gra- Mira, where did you get that?¡¹ Kagura eximed in surprise, watching Mira approach the fragment. Sero turned to look at her as well, and muttered ¡¸what the¡­¡¹ with his eyes open wide. They both had reason to react that way. The marks of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection on Mira¡¯s body seemed to pulsate with glowing energy. ¡¸I told you about my encounter with the Spirit King before, yes? This is the blessing he gave me that time. It¡¯s gotten like this since Sero tried to hit it with his sword.¡¹ Saying that, she walked up to the ck fragment, and summoned the Holy Sword Sanctia like she was ustomed to. ¡¸I think he said something like this. If Ibine his power with the true strength of the Holy Sword, I can eradicate the demon¡¯s curse.¡¹ Mira could feel the power of the Spirit King seeping from the marks that stretched over her entire body. She understood what that meant, and pointed the tip of the de at the ck fragment. ¡¸You called it the crystallization of the demon¡¯s curse, I guess that¡¯s halfway correct. I don¡¯t know how to exin it, but I can feel the Spirit King¡¯s wisdom passing onto me through the Divine Protection. Apparently this thing is the demon¡¯s power itself.¡¹ ¡¸Their power itself? How is that different from the curse?¡¹ Kagura tilted her head hearing Mira¡¯s words. But Mira was struggling keeping up with all the new information passing onto her that she just said ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t really know¡­¡¹ like it was someone else¡¯s problem. ¡¸Oh well, regardless of that, I think this is my role to fulfill.¡¹ Mira raised the Holy Sword while focusing on the power flowing into her from the Spirit King¡¯s blessing. It was odd, but somehow she knew how to use that power. The Holy Sword began to glow as well, reacting to the Spirit King¡¯s mark. It was bright like a lighthouse, tearing darkness apart, and giving anyone who looked at it a sense of safety and guidance. Mira then lowered the sword, without grace or skill, simply swinging it down the way she saw fit. But it drew a perfect arc as if a master swordsman had swung it, closing in straight onto the ck fragment. A bright sh of light followed. There was no sound, no shockwave, just white light that illuminated everything in the room. The excessive brightness made Kagura and Sero close their eyes, but only for a moment, as the light quickly faded away, as well as the marks on Mira¡¯s body, and the glow from the Holy Sword. As if they had nothing else to aplish. The ck fragment was gone as well, not leaving a single speck of dust behind. ¡¸Did it work?¡¹ With care, Kagura gently ced the girl on the ground before running to the ce where the ck fragment had been. When she paid more attention, she realized the ufortable and eerie presence was gone as well. ¡¸I felt like it worked, and as you can see, the Divine Protection¡¯s marks also faded away. I¡¯d say that was a sess.¡¹ While she was not fully used to it, Mira had started getting the hang of the effect the Spirit King¡¯s blessing had on her. That feeling had told her right then, that the culprit, the demon¡¯s power, had been erased. That gave Mira the confidence to reply affirmatively with a smile. ¡¸So this really means it¡¯s all over then¡­¡¹ ¡¸I believe so. Our efforts paid off.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Yeah.¡¹ Kagura felt relieved seeing Mira¡¯s attitude and hearing her voice. Herplexion rxed, as if a thread that had been pulling on her had been cut, her eyes focused on some distant spot. It was a transient expression, like a flower sprouting in a battlefield, a promise for the future showing that life would go on.1
  1. Silva: Yas yas yas! This arc is finally over!!
Chapter 147: Sorry I was Late (1) Chapter 147: Sorry I was Late (1) After the fight was concluded, Mira, Kagura, and Sero, waited for the follow-up toon to reach the deepest room, and let them take care of everything while they left for the surface. They exited above Chimera uzen¡¯s main base, at the tip of a rocky mountain. They had to search thatst room exhaustively to find the exit, which was extremely well hidden. But it existed, otherwise Chimera uzen would have been like bagged rats the moment the attack started, and knowing their usual behavior there had to be an escape. ¡¸I see, you worked hard. Try to rest now.¡¹ Kagura was still in contact with the other toons, and once she received the final report, she endedmunications. ¡¸How was it? Did the other groups seed?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah. There are quite a lot of injured, but no casualties. It¡¯s ourplete victory!¡¹ When the first reports came, Kagura had looked rather worried, but now she could not smile enough. Mira¡¯s group had a rather localized fight, but considering all the other ces they stormed, it was almost like a small war. It was almost a miracle that no one had died in an operation of such a scale. That no one died did not apply to Chimera uzen¡¯s side though. Kagura did not mention it to the rest, but it was easy to imagine there were plenty of casualties on their side. Though that much was needed if they wanted to achieve such a victory. Everyone in that world knew that truth about war. The sun was about to rise. The starry sky had started to lighten up near the horizon, and willingly or subconsciously, Kagura gave a short recap of the reports she received while avoiding mentioning the enemy casualties. The first unit, under Emera¡¯smand, had safely overtaken the control systems, while also rescuing around a hundred spirits that had been trapped underneath that facility. They were in cages made of ck mist stones, but Emera rather enthusiastically broke them out with her new Anti-Demon Silver sword. The spirits were incredibly debilitated, but it was not life-threatening. They were now under the care of other spirits coborating with the Fifty Bells, who shared their own power to nurse them back to health. There had been spirits fighting alongside the Fifty Bells for this mission, the humans would stop any weapon from Chimera uzen that could harm them, while the spirits supported them from the backlines. Arrows would be easily deflected by the spirits¡¯ wind, spells had no chance of standing up to the spirits¡¯ magic, and when ck mist stone weapons appeared, the humans would stop them. That was another key factor in avoiding any casualties on the Fifty Bells¡¯ side. ¡¸Hmm, so quite a few were saved. Our efforts were not in vain.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, somehow I feel like I finally contributed substantially to this world.¡¹ Their main objective had been to exterminate Chimera uzen, who posed a huge danger to spirits, and along the way they had managed to rescue many spirits who were on the verge of perishing. Those were really invigorating reports. Mira had a very soft smile, while Sero gently rubbed the embroidered scarlet bell on the neck of his coat, closing his eyes as if praying. ¡¸Oh right, Sasori¡¯s group also did really well.¡¹ Next Kagura told them what Sasori and Hebi reported. Their mission began exactly at midnight. Their role was to take down the Melville Trading Corporation entirely. They broke into Melville¡¯s warehouse together with the international trade minister and a squad of knights of the holy order. That was awful investigation, so they apprehended anyone who tried to resist the forceful intrusion in the middle of the night, and eventually they found stashes of ck mist stone weapons stored there. With proof in hand, they went toy siege to the Melville Trading Corporation. Their owner, Elvis Melville, was still half asleep, struggling to understand what was happening as he was arrested, charged with coborating with Chimera uzen, an enemy of the state and the world. His property and assets were seized as well. All of Melville¡¯s associates were summoned to court, while also being banned from leaving the country, and all of their establishments were blockaded, ready to be investigated the moment it was required. They already had irrefutable proof, but Johann was also going to give his witness testimonyter on, meaning the Melville Trading Corporation had no future. All of his property and assets would be absorbed by the country. In other words, the next official ruler, Eabates, would have a solid foundation. ¡¸It feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹ Melville¡¯s fall was pretty much certain. Kagura relished that feeling seeing the future of everyone involved with Chimera uzen, before adding ¡¸this is what you get¡¹ in a low and cold voice. ¡¸Though well, I¡¯m sure this will cause quite the uproar in the country, at least for a while. Are they going to be alright?¡¹ It would soon be public knowledge that the owner of the biggest firm in Roseline had been cooperating with criminals. Such news would certainly create amotion in the city, and maybe it would start raising suspicion against other innocent citizens. Mira was worried about seeing that happen. ¡¸My guild already has ns to send a few people to help with that, but overall we¡¯ll just have to wait it out. And it would have been far worse if Chimera had finished burying its roots here. Growing pains, to put it somehow. Either way, worrying about that won¡¯t do us any good, we¡¯ve done our duties to help the people. Just think about it like a surgeon, it might hurt a bit at first, but with time it¡¯ll get better than before, so just bear with it.¡¹ Either because he had experienced that many times, or because he had been in such a situation himself, Sero said that with a bright smile, though there was a hint of sadness and resignation in his voice. They were no selfless heroes, they did not force others into what they saw as justice, they simply had strong beliefs and saw them through. It was just a lucky coincidence that it resulted in people getting better lives. That was Sero¡¯s philosophy, which took him many years to understand himself. ¡¸I guess you have a point. Let¡¯s just hope the future is bright for them.¡¹ ¡¸Nicely said. Let¡¯s just do our best.¡¹ Mira and Kagura responded, smiling as they saw the first rays of light break through the gaps in the mountains. The morning sun seemed oblivious, shining in a different hue to give everyone a new day. ¡¸¡­Ah, I forgot to dispel the hypnotism!¡¹ Kagura¡¯s voice suddenly rangpletely different, as if the sun of a new day had also changed her emotions. Everyone they had left tied up when they entered the secret tunnel had been left in the same state since then. ¡¸Ahh, I think I saw charms stuck on them.¡¹ The secret tunnel leading to the main base was hidden in some state-run institution. That meant there was plenty of night security there, as well as people working night shifts. Mira¡¯s three man group would have been able to easily sneak past them, but there was another Fifty Bells tooning after them, who would struggle to get through unseen. So to make everything proceed swiftly, Kagura had ced everyone in the building under hypnotism when they entered. That was a spell cast by Kagura, one of the Nine Wisemen. There was no one who could dispel it except for her. If she did nothing, the workers arriving in the morning would discover everyone in an unconscious state, which would lead to a big mess. ¡¸I really have to go back. You two should regroup with a different toon. They can tell you what to do next, so help as much as you want!¡¹ She climbed on Piisuke¡¯s back as she spoke, adding ¡¸Ah, and thanks for your help!¡¹ before flying towards Sentopolly. ¡¸She seems so clumsy sometimes¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know. I think it¡¯s just the perfect amount for her though.¡¹ Kagura had done a wonderful deed which would be passed down in history, saving the world from the dangers of Chimera uzen, but somehow she still seemed like a klutz in the end. ¡¸Things are always like this when she gets involved,¡¹ said Mira with a wry smile. ¡¸I kinda like it this way though,¡¹ replied Sero,ughing a bit. ¡¸By the way, I just noticed.¡¹ Once Kagura vanished beyond the horizon, Sero turned to Mira. ¡¸Hm? What is it?¡¹ Mira had a rather rxed look, almost like she was recalling memories of old. ¡¸You do realize that the way you spoke sounds like you¡¯ve been friends with Kagura, one of the Nine Wisemen, for a long time, right?¡¹ Chapter 147: Sorry I was Late (2) Chapter 147: Sorry I was Late (2) Sero was still smiling as he said that, which sounded almost like a warning. Mira struggled to understand what he meant, but after a short moment her face froze as she realized her mistake. Mira then hesitantly turned her gaze up to look at Sero, and a momentter she said, ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve already noticed¡­¡¹ before hanging down her head in hopeless resignation. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how to really put it, but considering how strong you are, you should try to put in just as much effort so no one notices, if you¡¯re trying to hide it I mean. Though I guess only other former yers would notice anyway, so maybe you don¡¯t have to worry as much.¡¹ Former yers had the ability to Examine others, making it easy to see if they were of the same lineage. And of course, all of them knew of the existence of the Vanity Case, which could alter their appearance. On top of that, the Nine Wisemen were the most popr people amongst yers. Taking all of that into ount, it was not impossible that others could figure out Mira¡¯s true identity. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Thank you very much for your concern.¡¹ The Vanity Case could alter one¡¯s sex, not just the appearance. In a way that was the ultimate disguise, but not even half as effective on those who knew it was possible. Even more so if they used to stand out in the past as well. Mira also realized all of that now, and then asked in a sulky tone, ¡¸So, since when did you know?¡¹ Sero seemed slightly apologetic as he answered, ¡¸I thought it was possible the first time we met.¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ So you had a suspicion since way back then? That¡¯s quick¡­ I wish you had told me back then¡­¡¹ When they first met, Sero had hinted at the possibility of her being Danbulf in their conversation. Mira began recalling that conversation, grimacing when she remembered that question. ¡¸I didn¡¯t have any proof of it back then. And it seemed like you wanted to hide that fact. That¡¯s why I figured it was best if I got to know you better until you decided to tell me yourself.¡¹ Apparently Sero did not want to expose her secret, but rather wanted to be a friend she could trust with it. ¡¸That¡¯s quite an honorable disposition.¡¹ Mira smiled as she said that, then stood facing Sero, coughed and stood with her chest puffed. ¡¸The Wiseman¡¯s Pupil Mira is merely a front. In truth, I¡¯m none other than Danbulf, one of the Nine Wisemen!¡¹ Mira dered loudly, her tacky pose looking somewhat forced. ¡¸Thank you very much for telling me. I¡¯ll carry this secret to the grave. Though you could¡¯ve told me in a much more normal way¡­¡¹ ¡¸Doing that would be too embarrassing to bear¡­¡¹ Danbulf had used the Vanity Case, giving birth to the beautiful Mira. She could never imagine talking about that with a straight face. But regardless, it was hard to tell who felt more embarrassed after that exchange. ¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s regroup with the rest like Kagura told us, shall we?¡¹ Mira switched topics saying that, and took a look around the rocky mountains surrounding them. A momentter she opened her terminal and checked the map to see their location. ¡¸That way. Let¡¯s get going then.¡¹ Mira quickly summoned Pegasus, climbed on its back, then pointed behind her saying, ¡¸You go here.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, thanks.¡¹ Sero nodded, ced a hand on Pegasus, and mounted behind Mira. At Mira¡¯s signal, Pegasus unfolded its wings and took to the skies. In a way they looked like a prince and princess riding on a celestial stride, but the princess stood prideful and haughty, making it hard to imagine someone would paint such a picture. They spent a bit more than ten minutes flying above the mountains. The morning breeze felt especially nice. Their destination woulde into view soon enough, but then Mira had a strong feeling something was amiss. ¡¸I just realized, why did Kagura choose to go riding on Piisuke? Riding on Piisuke means the effect of iing wind will be stronger, and Piisuke won¡¯t be able to go as fast as possible. If she was truly in a hurry, it would¡¯ve been faster to let Piisuke go on ahead, and then switch ces.¡¹ If Kagura was truly desperate to go back quickly, Mira¡¯s suggestion would have been faster. Piisuke was fast enough to travel from the center of the continent to a city on the western beach in six hours, meaning his speed was roughly three hundred kilometers per hour. It would take around ten minutes to go from their location to Sentopolly at that speed. But Kagura had chosen to ride on Piisuke herself. Mira knew Kagura had to be aware of how much that changed her speed, which puzzled her. But Sero did not seem to have any doubts, simply looking at the distant sky while muttering, ¡¸She probably just wanted some time alone.¡¹ Sentopolly came into view far in the horizon. Kagura was there, riding on Piisuke, talking to Mizar, themander of the toon that took down the control systems. ¡¸Say, Mizar. Did you find Reesha?¡¹ Reesha, the spirit Kagura met when she first arrived in this world. The wind spirit that kindly lent her a hand when she was confused and struggling toprehend her situation. Also the reason Kagura formed the Fifty Bells. Rescuing Reesha from the hands of Chimera uzen. That was Kagura¡¯s dearest objective. ¡ºNo, she wasn¡¯t. We tried asking all the spirits we rescued¡­ butmentably none of them had heard of her.¡» There was a cage with many trapped spirits underneath that facility. Maybe Reesha was there, Kagura hoped. But Mizar dashed her hopes, his voice pained as he replied. He knew of Kagura¡¯s objective, so when they discovered those trapped spirits, he asked about Reesha first, looking for her. But none of his efforts bore fruit. ¡¸I see¡­ Did you find any other ces then? Any info on where they kept other spirits?¡¹ ¡ºNo¡­ We questioned everyone from Chimera we caught alive, but they all insisted there were no other ces. Apparently the cage they used to trap them is rather specialized, and it won¡¯t work anywhere else except near a ley-line.¡» A cage that could contain spirits, who were powered by the energy of nature. Such a device required very specific locations, so there were no other ces where they could build one. They delivered all the caught spirits to the cage underneath that facility. If a captured spirit was not there, then that meant they had already¡­ ¡ºStill, umm, you know, maybe she managed to escape on the way here, perhaps¡­ or she could be hiding somewhere far, far away¡­¡» Mizar desperately tried to cheer Kagura up, but halfway through his own voice began to falter, fading with a bitter smile in the end. He felt guilty for saying that while being aware of how unlikely it was. During their long fight against Chimera uzen they had never seen them be as clumsy as to let a spirit escape, not even once. Their expertise was that great. That was another reason why they had been unable to catch any of them until recently. And that was why his attempt at encouraging Kagura was all the more painful. ¡¸Mm¡­yeah, thanks Mizar. Mira and Sero should be heading your way, good luck with your next mission.¡¹ ¡ºAlright, we¡¯ll receive them like heroes.¡» Kagura¡¯s voice rang bright and clear as she changed topics. Anyone could tell she was obviously pushing herself to sound normal, but Mizar did his best to reply enthusiastically as well. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I waste.¡¹ Kagura ended themunication and muttered into the air, watching as Sentopolly, bathed in the morning sun, grew bigger in the distance. In cue with that moment, tears began streaming from Kagura¡¯s eyes, trickling down her cheeks with nothing to stop them. Whether from regret or guilt, Kagura cried thinking of Reesha and Multicolor, her best friends she knew for only a night. Her cheeks soon flushed red, and she wailed like a child. Up above in the sky there was no one to hear her sorrowfulment, her long cries vanishing into the clouds. Chapter 148: A Noisy Reunion (1) Chapter 148: A Noisy Reunion (1) The ce where Emera and Kongou¡¯s group stood was clearly visible from the skies. It stood out, actually, as it was the only area that looked scorched ck. ¡¸I can only tell what horrible things happened here¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, it was almost like a war they said¡­¡¹ Aside from the copsed and burnt down houses, there were many bodies scattered around, probably Chimera uzen members. From what they could see, they had already started burying the bodies, so it was easy to imagine there had been way more when the fight ended. Hating the sins, not the people, Mira and Sero offered a silent prayer seeing the terrain below them, even if only for their own conscience. After that they left the scorched vige and headed to a simple camp raised not too far from there. Half of the camp was a medical site where the many injured were being treated. Their battle had been fierce but short, and everyone there, the injured included, all had a bright look. This marked the end of a years-long struggle. Mira had only joined near the end, so she could not even begin to imagine that emotion, but she could feel the joy of everyone there. ¡¸You all worked hard for this.¡¹ Mira muttered before ordering Pegasus tond on an open spot. There she thanked Pegasus before sending him away, then she headed away from the medical site, and towards what looked like a celebratory party. And from the middle of which- ¡¸I! Found! Miraaaaaa!¡¹ Mira was suddenly caught by Fra who pushed her way out of the Fifty Bells members. ¡¸Again, I¡¯m sorry,¡¹ said Sero with a grimace, but did nothing to stop Fra. A momentter she felt a gust of wind and was released, and she stared in that direction in a daze. Emera was dashing after Fra, who kept running away. Apparently Fra had managed to master the art of feeling up Mira while also dodging Emera¡¯s karate chops at thest possible moment. They ran in a wide arc around Mira, before Fra rushed in once again, tackling Mira and going, ¡¸Ahh, her sweat¡­¡¹ while sniffing loudly, before she darted away when Emera was about to strike. ¡¸Hm¡­ is it me or did her physical agility increase a lot?¡¹ Mira had an odd look to her as she turned around, and Sero restrained a grin as he answered, ¡¸It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡¹ Somehow wanting to hug Mira even for just a moment longer had pushed Fra to train harder, making her agility soar. But she still had some ways to go. When she tried approaching again, Emera finally caught up and restrained her. Mira had an entertained smile watching that, simply saying, ¡¸What a hopeless girl.¡¹ Somehow the chase that had started and ended so suddenly had riled up the crowd around them. And when they realized the ¡®rules¡¯ of the game, two men decided to step forth. They decided to start a nightmarish game to see who could hug Mira more times before being caught. The two men began running towards her while the crowd began to ce bets. Emera chuckled hopelessly wondering how it came to that, Fra screamed, ¡¸No Mira is only mineee!¡¹ and Mira turned around and ran away. ¡¸You bunch of drunkardssss!¡¹ Shouting that, Mira ran as fast as she could away from those valiant men. Whether driven by alcohol or their victory, Mira knew how resolute people in the Fifty Bells could be, so she decided to y along with them. Some timeter Mira snuck out, and headed where the higher ups were gathered. She wanted to ask what to do next. There was some celebration there too, though not as cheerful as the earlier spot. That difference was enough to make one understand instantly that the people there were on a league of their own. From what she could tell, they were high ranking adventurers and Fifty Bells¡¯ leaders gathered there nning what to do next. ¡¸Ohh, Mira is here. I heard you took down some really huge thing? That¡¯s so cool!¡¹ One of them, Arlon who led one of the different toons, raised his voice when he saw Mira. Apparently those on this side had also heard the highlights of the fight in the main base. Spurred by him, the other people there turned to look at Mira as well. Their eyes seemed curious about her, and also a bit envious, making her hesitate slightly, but she smiled knowing there was no better moment for this. ¡¸Yes, there¡¯s no difficult task for my Summoning!¡¹ Miraughed in an arrogant way as she said that. She decided to proselytize summoning in front of higher level adventurers. ¡¸The fight is over but I guess some things never change. Now sit here and eat and drink with us while you can. We still have more work to do.¡¹ Arlon gentlyughed away Mira¡¯s attitude, just like he always did, and basically pushed her to sit at the table and shoved some skewers and a ss onto her. He took a ss for himself, and raised it with a toast for ¡¸the little hero¡¹ before downing it. ¡¸Seriously. It¡¯s a bit too early to be drinking like that.¡¹ But everyone around her cheered happily with Arlon. Even though these were the leaders of the toons, they celebrated their victory with the same energy as the other men. It had not been long since the sun had risen, yet they drank like there was no tomorrow, so Mira took her ss and indulged with the rest. Some time after that they regrouped with Sero, and Arlon exined what their next n was. They would go together with the most important people from the Fifty Bells on a Spirit Airship to fly above Sentopolly. Once they gathered enough attention, they would proim to be an alliance of volunteers, keeping the Fifty Bells¡¯ name hidden, who had just taken down the heads of Chimera uzen. While everyone waspletely drunk, most of the adventurers helping the Fifty Bells, including Arlon, were well-known, if not famous adventurers. That would make their story more believable and leave asting impression. Without room for doubt about the authenticity of those news, they would spread from Sentopolly to the rest of the continent. Arlon suspected there would be two different reactions from the crowd to the news. Though he did not include the reaction of those who never heard of Chimera uzen in the first ce. The first one would rejoice hearing that themon enemy of the world, Chimera uzen, had fallen. They were a group that kept harming spirits, known as the good neighbors of humanity. Thergest part of the world loved spirits, meaning they despised Chimera uzen. Especially the countries that existed since long ago like Grimdart, Alispharius, and Ozstein, also known as the Three Gods Countries. They had a deep connection with spirits, so Arlon expected them to react very favorably. In some cases they might even conduct award ceremonies and parades in their honor, Arlon thought. Then there was the other reaction. That of people who would be terrified hearing that. There were people who had received a lot of favors from Chimera uzen, and would despair now. Without Chimera uzen their ill-acquired advantages would be reduced to zero. Though that was the least of their worries. The most important issue was that they would never be able to escape the fact that they had conspired with criminals. So far Chimera uzen had taken care of them whenever they got in problems, but that protection was no longer there for them. ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of Fifty Bells¡¯ men gathering in Sentopolly right now. We¡¯ll start by cleaning up their main site of operations.¡¹ Those who had been helped by Chimera uzen, or directly worked under them, would go into a desperate frenzy hearing the news. Their first instinct would be to verify the truth, trying to contact someone from Chimera uzen. Fifty Bells spies would be in every corner of the city, observing them, and detailing each one of them. Being able to clean the remnants of Chimera uzen from Sentopolly, the city where they had taken root, was another reason why they would spread the news in such a shy way. Once they captured everyone there, they had the means of extracting everything they knew about other members, bringing out to light whoever was still hiding elsewhere in the continent. It was going to take a long time, but the Fifty Bells wanted to see their mission through. Chapter 148: A Noisy Reunion (2) Chapter 148: A Noisy Reunion (2) ¡¸But well, that¡¯s the gist of it. First we have to make an over-the-top show. I heard you have the perfect thing for that, are you up to the task Mira?¡¹ Arge airship would appear above Sentopolly, many famous faces gathered on it, and then a shy summon would attract even more attention. Even if Chimera uzen¡¯s evil had infected the entire continent, seeing such a group of famous faces would make everyone believe they could stand up against Chimera uzen. The stronger that impression, the more Chimera uzen¡¯s associates would despair, and the more obvious their reaction would be. That was the n Alioth, the chief of the Bellerophon toon, hade up with. ¡¸Lady Uzume requested this specifically. She requested you summon the shiest being you can. Would that be possible?¡¹ Alioth appeared from somewhere, taking up the conversation after Arlon, his eyes full of expectation as he looked at Mira. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I guess I could summon-¡¹ ¡¸Ah, Uzume left another message. ¡®Isenfald is out of the question¡¯, she said.¡¹ ¡¸Wh-¡­what¡­¡¹ If they had Isenfald¡¯s majestic figure with them it would look incredibly cool. Mira was certain Isenfald met every requirement, so she was dumbfounded hearing she could not summon him. ¡¸What do you mean¡­ Isenfald would be the ideal choice!¡¹ Mira red at Alioth with eyes full of resentment. She was like a proud mother asking why her son could not show up for his big moment in a y. ¡¸It-it¡¯s not my fault, that¡¯s just what Lady Uzume requested¡­¡¹ She waspletely overtaken by anger. Alioth had not heard the reasoning behind Uzume singling out that specific summon, so he was thoroughly confused. ¡¸Umm¡­ exactly what kind of summon is Isenfald?¡¹ he asked, retreating from Mira. Hearing that, she puffed her chest as much as she could before replying. ¡¸Isenfald is my first child, an Emperor Dragon!¡¹ Mira was convinced there was no one else better suited for the role. But Alioth and Arlon had a forced smile, something finally clicking in their minds as they just said, ¡¸Ahhh¡­¡¹ ¡¸Mira, Mira!¡¹ Seeing an unfavorable reaction, Mira began frowning, thinking they were making fun of her son, so Sero quickly leant down and whispered the reason into her ear. ording to Sero, Emperor Dragons were seen as harbingers of cmity, so if Isenfald was seen together with them, it would be the same as showing off an armed nuclear warhead hanging from their airship. Maybe such a stunt would have passed during the days of Danbulf, but there were few people who could stand the sight of an Emperor Dragon without trembling in fear. In the worst case, the city could plunge into chaos long before they could announce their victory over Chimera uzen. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe that¡­¡¹ Hearing that, Mira felt sorry for the impression people had of her son, vowing in her heart to be more kind to him in the future. After that Mira ate in a foul mood, then went into a tent used as a break room to lie down. She had barely gotten any sleep in before she was woken up for the mission, so the moment her emotions settled, she was overtaken by slumber. Almost everyone else in that camp was the same, but there was nothing that could win over the joy of victory, so Mira was the only one using that tent. ¡¸I swear, drinking is all they know to celebrate.¡¹ Mira muttered with a sour look hearing the cheers outside, and the moment she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep. ¡¸Mira, we¡¯re about to leave.¡¹ A voice echoed in her dreams, and then Mira felt her body being jostled around. That repeated a few times, and then Mira finally opened her eyes. ¡¸Hngh¡­ is it morning already¡­¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s noon, Mira. Are you still in dreamnd?¡¹ ¡¸No¡­ it¡¯s alling back to me now¡­¡¹ Her eyes struggled to open, but when her vision finally cleared up, she saw Emera smiling kindly at her. And behind her, on a different portable bed, was Fra, her hands and feet tied up, wriggling like a worm. From the look of things, she had been caught red-handed while trying to take advantage of Mira¡¯s sleeping body. ¡¸I¡¯ll go on ahead then. We¡¯re waiting for you in the airship.¡¹ Seeing that Mira had woken up, Emera picked up Fra and headed out of the tent. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I slept around four hours.¡¹ It was exactly noon. The noisy voices she heard before sleeping had stopped, and instead she heard a distantmanding voice. Mira stood up and left the tent, being hit by the bright midday sun. ¡¸They really are well-trained soldiers.¡¹ Looking around, she no longer saw the merry red-faced drunkards dancing and drinking shoulder to shoulder from four hours earlier, but well-organized lines retreating in military-fashion. The tents were all swiftly dismantled, while the many tables and cookware were being put away one after another. Mira admired that change, and then headed towards the airship that hadnded some distance away. It had not been long since its arrival, and they were still loading the cargo. But Mira noticed something strange. ¡¸Say, what did they bring in there?¡¹ Mira spotted Arlon standing next to the airship, so she trotted up to him and asked that. Many carriages were rolling out of the hold, but they did not seem to be filled with anything. ¡¸Hey, finally awake?¡¹ Arlon turned around and greeted her, before answering that as she could see, they had brought carriages. ording to him, most of the people who had fought there were about to travel in the carriages to the surrounding countries to hunt down any remnants of Chimera uzen. They were all empty because they had foundrge food reserves in the pretend-vige Chimera used as a base, so they would use that for supplies. ¡¸So there¡¯s still a lot left to do. Sounds exhausting.¡¹ They had taken down arge organization like Chimera uzen. But the Fifty Bells¡¯ mission was not over until they had caught thest few scattered remnants. No one knew how many years that would take. Someone overheard Mira¡¯s mutter and decided to respond. ¡¸Until now we never really saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but it¡¯ll be much easier from now on. We¡¯ll definitely gain a lot of information if your next mission seeds after all.¡¹ He was right, the hardest part was already over. All that remained were the orphaned children without their powerful parents. On top of that, Mira¡¯s mission would lure out a great number of lost members. That would create an even bigger influx of information,ying bare every ce where Chimera uzen hid. Their strongest strategy had always been to run away and hide, and if they lost their ability to do so, getting rid of them was only a matter of time. ¡¸A wounded beast can be unexpectedly fierce, so watch out.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks, we¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ They had a great advantage, but it was never a good idea to let their guard down. The man nodded, hearing Mira¡¯s advice, then held onto one of the carriages and climbed in together with hisrades. ¡¸Well, I don¡¯t think we have much to worry about. Some spirits are also going to help with the hunt.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s quite reassuring to hear.¡¹ ¡¸This was all possible thanks to you and the other two. The white weapons have entered mass-production, so now basically every member can have one. That¡¯s also why spirits could join us now.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I¡¯m d I could help with that.¡¹ Weapons made with ck mist stones, the Demon¡¯s Curse, were the natural enemy of spirits, as they had no way to resist an attack. Now the Fifty Bells had the way to neutralize that threat, which allowed spirits to join the fight, which greatly increased the power of the Fifty Bells. So what the man who went into the carriage said was true, things would be much easier moving forward. Mira smiled satisfied as she watched the carriages leave one after another. Chapter 149: Declaration of victory (1) Chapter 149: Deration of victory (1) ¡¸By the way, Arlon. What happened to that Sky Denizen man? Considering how you celebrated, I presume he got his revenge on the manager of the facility, yes?¡¹ Once they were done offloading the carriages, the Fifty Bells higher ups and famous adventurers began boarding. Mira spoke to Arlon on the deck. Zele Schedar, the man in charge of the control systems. The Sky Denizen had been chasing after him, and they had definitely fought somewhere, either inside or outside the facility. Arlon was in charge of the attack there, so he had to know more details. ¡¸I don¡¯t know how to say this properly. But first off, we¡¯ve found the body of the facility¡¯s master. We don¡¯t really know what happened with the Sky Denizen though.¡¹ As the airship began floating into the air, Arlon seemed slightly baffled by the situation. He pointed at a spot a certain distance away from the scorched vige. ¡¸See those burned off traces over there? That¡¯s where we found the body of Chimera¡¯s guy. There were also the Sky Denizen¡¯s clothes, his sses, a broken sword and parts of a crossbow scattered around there. They were pretty burned too, so the consensus is that he threw them away since they were useless. But that¡¯s pretty much all we know, we have no idea where he went off to.¡¹ Looking more carefully, Mira noticed a ck spot around the rocks there. It was hard to say why they had fought so far away from the vige, but even from a distance it was clear their fight had been fierce. ¡¸I see¡­ I really wanted to talk with him again¡­¡¹ Mira muttered as she watched the charred spot grow smaller in the distance. She wanted to know about his vige worshiping spirits, how they lived, and his position there. Spirits and summoners had a strong connection, so maybe there was something she could learn from him. That was her main hope, though there was one other thing she wanted to ask him. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see him again somewhere. He left his broken sword and crossbow behind, so he had no need to repair them. Basically his revenge isplete.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ That¡¯s true. I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait then.¡¹ ¡¸Though he might not even remember who you are when that timees.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I can see that happening.¡¹ The scorched rocks were no longer in sight. But the two continued looking in that direction, smiling as they recalled their first encounter. His eyes had been burning with hatred that time, though he remained cold. (I wonder how he¡¯ll live the rest of his life, now that he has satiated his thirst for vengeance.) That was the other question Mira had for him. He had lived wishing for revenge for a long time, so that question might be cruel, but that made it all the more important. Mira did not want to leave him alone if he became a lifeless husk without a goal in life. Though she did not know what she could do to help him. Still, it would be better than leaving him on his own. In a way, he had been the instigator of the fierce battle that was waged on that ce. Grado Schedar, a Sky Denizen, part of a branch of the Fifth Anima, a group that worshiped spirits. Mira had never heard his name, but his existence had been burned into her memory. Less than an hourter, the airship had arrived above Sentopolly. A bit before that, Mira had summoned Garuda, a summon that would attract plenty of attention as Kagura had requested. Mira had ordered the bird to stand out as much as it could, so now it flew in circles around the airship, gently pping its wings to show off, the feathers reflecting the morning sun in richly saturated colors. It was still somewhat early in the morning, right around the time when most of the bustling in the streets had calmed down, while the adventurers began to go out and head to work. Everyone was looking up and making a fuss at therge airship that came out of nowhere, and the brightly colored bird circling around it that could be mistaken for a sacred eagle. That noise caught the attention of those staying indoors, who began opening the windows and looking up as well. ¡¸I guess we should start soon.¡¹ When the chattering reached its peak, Alioth stood on the airship¡¯s bow. ¡¸Let¡¯s do this then,¡¹ he told the spirits. The spirits were ready, and nodded before activating their magic. A thick cloud spread in front of the airship, but it was not a normal one. ¡¸Oh¡­ it¡¯s a screen.¡¹ Mira watched from a corner of the airship, half impressed and half shocked. Water spirits created the veil of mist, then the light spirits dyed it with colors, acting like a projector showing Alioth standing on the airship¡¯s bow. There was even more noiseing from the streets below, but Mira felt even more spirit magic around her, the effect of which she soon noticed. ¡ºWe¡¯re here to announce that early this morning, a secret operation conducted by our subjugation troops finished the long fight against the great evil known as Chimera uzen.¡» The loud announcement of their victory could be heard throughout the city. Everyone heard Alioth¡¯s voice as clear as if he was standing next to them. (So the wind spirits are acting like megaphones. I was wondering how effective this would be from this height, but with the spirits¡¯ support it¡¯s working surprisingly well.) By being projected on the sky, his voice audible in the entire city, and the contents of his announcement, Alioth had attracted the attention of basically everyone in the city. Though their shock at what surrounded the airship gripped their attention more than the announcement. Some were doubtful of the news, while many others simply pointed at Garuda and muttered, ¡¸What¡¯s that, it looks so amazing,¡¹ in wondrous voices. But they had anticipated that reaction. After a pause for dramatic effect, Alioth continued. ¡ºLet me introduce you to some representatives of the people who fought with us. First, he¡¯s an adventurer famous as a dragon yer: Jack Grave the One Hit Dragon yer!¡» As he spoke, therge floating screen showed a picture of a warrior standing on the ship¡¯s deck. ¡ºThis is Jack Grave, I led a group of valiant warriors in this mission. I¡¯m quite relieved knowing we were able to put an end to that evil organization Chimera uzen.¡» He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, carried a long and wide sword on his back, and wore crimson armor. He had sharp, handsome features, but in contrast to his appearance his voice and demeanor were gentle, and after a quick bow he smiled bashfully. That was followed by loud high pitched shrieks that reached all the way up to the airship. He was strong enough to take down dragons, strikingly good looks that caught the eye, but a shy smile that activated a motherly instinct, that was Jack Grave. In a way, he was a bonafide idol, the material of heroic tales. (I see¡­ He¡¯s the perfect choice for a role like this.) Mira had an awkward smile as she watched the immediate effect he had on the streets, which were filled with shrill cries. In a situation like this, the best option was to seize the people¡¯s attention. It was a really good strategy to differentiate the reactions people had to Chimera uzen¡¯s defeat. Even if there was an opposition to the group in the future, Jack Grave knew his participation had been correct, and that fighting Chimera uzen was the right thing to do. Everyone in the city also agreed to that now. As Mira thought of all that, they introduced the next person. ¡ºNext, she¡¯s the leader of the White Moon Knights guild, the group of heroes that single-handedly liberated a country¡¯s capital from the grasp of the Orc General¡¯s army: Eleonora of the Moonlight Cross!¡» Just like with Jack Grave, after Alioth introduced her, the picture of a female knight standing on the ship¡¯s deck was transmitted onto the screen. ¡ºIt¡¯s nice to be here, everyone. I¡¯m Eleonora, leader of the White Moon Knights. We fought as part of the second unit in this battle. Chimera uzen were an evil and dastardly group, and they fought back vehemently. But with the help of all our dependable allies reunited here we managed to take them down without suffering any losses, which I¡¯m truly grateful for.¡» Chapter 149: Declaration of Victory (2) Chapter 149: Deration of Victory (2) After her short speech, Eleonora smiled softly and waved her hand. This time it was the men who began moring and shouting ardently, which could be heard all the way up in the ship. (Well, that makes sense. Having both men and women will do the trick.) It would be hard to captivate the entire audience just with Jack Grave. While he was incredibly popr amongst women, that also made it easy to garner the envy of men. That was why the second person on the stage was Eleonora, a female knight. (I can¡¯t really me them for getting so heated up though.) Mira turned around, looking not at the screen but at Eleonora herself. She could not stop herself from sighing, witnessing her beauty that rivaled that of an angel. Eleonora had long golden hair, her green eyes showing a strong and determined will, while her face still looked gentle. She was tall like a model, but what caught the eye the most was her very well endowed chest. Her silver armor looked like a skirt from her waist down to her knees, below that some ck leggings were visible, and her feet were covered in silver greaves. Certain parts of her body were not covered by the silver armor, reced by a material simr to patent leather, either to keep the exposure of her skin to the minimum or to increase her mobility. All those ces were the prime subject of fetishes however, resulting in an even more entuated silhouette that was a sight to behold. ¡¸¡­I¡¯d never get tired of this.¡¹ Mira chuckled as her eyes became glued to her chest and thighs, so perfectly concealed. At the same time, certain shouts from the ground made their way to Mira¡¯s ears. They all went along the lines of ¡¸My Queen,¡¹ ¡¸Please step on me,¡¹ and ¡¸Look down on me with those eyes.¡¹ There were even a few women that joined in shouting ¡¸My mistress!¡¹ (So there¡¯s also people with such inclinations in this world¡­) Mira ended up grimacing a little as she watched Eleonora continue waving her hand with a smile. The floating screen went nk as they moved towards the next coborator, but Mira was able to see it. Eleonora red at the ground, her eyes filled with murderous intent. (Well, I guess she¡¯s quite the diva after all¡­) It seemed arge portion of the shouts had actually been urate to her disposition. At the same time, that made Eleonora¡¯s earlier smile seem like something else, which sent an oddly feeling chill down Mira¡¯s spine. After that other well-known adventurers introduced themselves, including Arlon. They were not as impactful as the first two, but all of them had their charm. As more names were announced, more people became interested in what they had to say, while the cheering became louder. Eventually they called Sero, the leader of ¨¦cate Carillon. The moment he appeared on the screen, there were shouts and screams that rivaled those Jack Grave received, making Mira realize just how famous Sero and ¨¦cate Carillon actually were. Once Sero was done speaking, Mira thought that was all of the people on the ship¡¯s deck. ¡ºAndst but not least, onest adventurer. She¡¯s not well-known amongst adventurers yet, but she was a great asset during our battle. She¡¯s the inheritor of the Wiseman Danbulf¡¯s skills, the only Pupil of a Wiseman recognized as such by Arkite¡¯s King Solomon, the summoner Mira!¡» Alioth eximed in an overly excited voice, while the screen switched to broadcast Mira¡¯s face. There was a distinct murmur on the ground in response. A Wiseman¡¯s Pupil recognized by King Solomon. There had never been such a person before, so no one knew exactly how to react. Mira felt even more lost than all of them though. (Wha-wha-what?! No one told me about this! What am I supposed to do?!) Taken entirely by surprise, Mira scrambled for ideas of how to introduce herself, but somehow she managed to at least look dignified on the screen. Still, her mind was empty for words, while the pressure of so much attention made her know she could not remain silent. ¡¸I¡¯m Mira. I¡¯m¡­you already heard. There¡¯s no difficulty my summoning can¡¯t ovee!¡¹ In the end, Mira managed to turn things around by saying her usual deration. Somehow the entire city seemed to go silent hearing that. She began wondering if she had said something bad, when eventually the cheers came with their usual vigor. Though the voices said something different, so far they mostly had been shouts of ¡¸Thank you¡¹ and ¡¸you worked hard,¡¹ most of them went along the lines of ¡¸she¡¯s so cute¡¹ this time, Mira did not seem to notice that. Apparently Mira having to introduce herself as well had been nned from the start, as everyone else on the ship were looking at her full of expectations, and Alioth looked satisfied with her introduction. (I feel like I lost a few years of my life thanks to that.) Mira pouted slightly, wishing she had been told this would happen from the start. A momentter the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection mark on her body seemed to detach itself, floating up while starting to glow. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s happening?!¡¹ She felt an odd sensation, like she had be aware of blood flowing through her body. It was weird, but it did not hurt, it was almost pleasant even. Feeling that indescribable sensation, Mira had no idea what to do. Some timeter, she felt like everything was starting to concentrate on her left eye. Then that eye began to glow, projecting an image above her. ¡¸Incredible¡­¡¹ Mira had seen that silhouette in white robes before. Or more precisely, she would never forget such an awe-inspiring figure. ¡ºI¡¯m the Spirit King Symbiosanctius. I¡¯m borrowing Mira¡¯s power to appear in front of you here.¡» The figure floating in mid-air said with a deep but kind voice. Anyone who heard it and could see his imposing presence understood he was telling the truth. And as even more proof, all the spirits aboard the floating ship knelt instantly, saying, ¡¸My King¡­¡¹ in voices ovee with emotion. Mira was shocked realizing doing that was possible. The Spirit King did not seem to pay any attention to her surprise though, continuing his speech uninterrupted. ¡ºChildren of men, I thank you for rescuing my kin. Allow me to express my gratitude as representative of all spirits.¡» As the Spirit King spoke, a bright light enveloped the entire flying ship. The adventurers on board had been entranced by the sudden apparition, but finally snapped back to their senses and watched as the light seemed to swirl around. Eventually it began to gather into a single spirit, vanishing inside it. ¡ºI¡¯ve imparted my power onto one of my children. This whole ordeal will surely have an aftermath, my power should prove a worthy asset when the timees.¡» His words sounding like a prophecy, the Spirit King turned to the spirit that obtained his power. ¡®Stay always ready¡¯ he said to the spirit before vanishing like mist. After a moment of silence, there was a loud and resolute reply, ¡¸I¡¯lly down my life if I have to.¡¹ It all happened extremely fast. But it was not over yet, a momentter the sky turned ck. ¡ºAnd one final warning. Everyone who dared harm my children, prepare for your demise. If you admit your crimes I¡¯ll spare your soul, however.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s grave and cold voice thundered through the city. The sky regained its shine some timeter. The people on the ground began to make noise again after the Spirit King¡¯s appearance ended. Though this time they were discussing whether that had been the real Spirit King or just an act staged by the adventurers. The Spirit King was almost like a god in this world, so they only half-believed and half-doubted it. Everyone on the flying ship was in high spirits, all convinced it was real. The spirits had all recognized him as their king after all. At the same time, they all gathered around Mira asking how she did that. Mira had no way to answer that question though, as the Spirit King had basically appeared on his own. The best she could do was simply mutter, ¡¸I received the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, so I guess that caused that¡­¡¹ ¡¸The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection¡­I didn¡¯t know such a thing even existed!¡¹ Jack Grave eximed, impressed and surprised. ¡¸Hearing someone receiving that sounds almost like a fairy tale.¡¹ Eleonora¡¯s eyes were ecstatic as she muttered that, walking to Mira¡¯s side and whispering into her ear ¡¸Say, wanna be one of my girls?¡¹ Mira¡¯s spine seemed to twitch, her body starting to feel strangely hot. There was a dangerous hue mixed into that charming whisper, which tempted Mira, but she managed to shake her head in reply. Chapter 150: Interrogation of the Three Heads (1) Chapter 150: Interrogation of the Three Heads (1) While the Spirit King making an appearance caused quite an upheaval, the deration of victory over Chimera uzen concluded without a hitch. After that, Mira and the rest of the adventurers on board were invited by Sentopolly¡¯s Prime Minister to eat with him. What looked like a viking style party started in the garden of the Prime Minister¡¯s residence, with many of Sentopolly¡¯s important civil officers making an appearance as well. The Prime Minister was part of the political facade. He was unaware of the true origin of Sentopolly, and believed some benevolent and rich noble had established that trading nation, and he was their representative. Because of that he held the belief of most people that Chimera uzen was a despicable group, so their fall was reason to celebrate. That was why his invitation to the banquet was equal parts fulfilling his duty to show his appreciation for those courageous individuals, while also trying to make sure beyond any doubt they were telling the truth. There were many distinguished individuals in the group, so most people trusted they were telling the truth and they had indeed defeated Chimera uzen. But he had an important position in the country, so he had to do his due diligence and find actual proof, since even celebrities could lie. There were all those motives mingled together in that party, and the adventurers were fully aware of that as they epted to join. Well, all except one. Seemingly unaware of the background of it all, she went from table to table, stuffing her cheeks with every delicacy imaginable. That was Mira. She let the Fifty Bells do all the post-battle talking and procedures, walking past the Prime Minister and Alioth that were engaged in conversation, with Jack Grave and the other adventurers listening on the side, heading straight towards the only objective in her mind: roasted beef. ¡¸Yes, perfection!¡¹ Even if he was just part of a facade, he still had the authority and importance of a Prime Minister, so all the food served in the party was top ss, and Mira wanted to try it all, having more than enough to choose from. And then she was found. ¡¸Hey Grandpa, good job out there. I was watching from the ground. Calling the Spirit King was really a genius move.¡¹ Kagura was in a good mood as she called out to Mira, a te with heaps of food on it in her hands. ¡¸I wish you had forewarned me about me being introduced as well.¡¹ Mira grumbled as she turned to face Kagura, her eyes ring at her. She still resented the fact that her name had been called and she was forced to introduce herself, without knowing it would happen in the first ce. ¡¸But you¡¯d just run away if I told you that first, wouldn¡¯t you?¡¹ Kagura just shrugged, chuckling as if to say she had no option but to do that. Mira began to think after hearing that. If she had been told her name would be heralded to all of Sentopolly while her image shed on a giant screen, and she had to introduce herself, would she have gotten on the flying ship in the first ce? In the end, she concluded Kagura was right and could not say anything back, simply mumbling ¡¸You have a point¡­¡¹ ¡¸But still, I thought that was supposed to be a performance to convince people Chimera had been defeated? Was there really a reason to introduce a no-name like me¡­¡¹ Doing such an extravagant presentation was purely a n to sniff out the remnants of Chimera uzen still in the city, so believability was all they needed. That also meant the other adventurers present were better options than someone without renown like Mira. Still, she was mentioned at the end of a long stream of famous names. Mira really wanted to know what the point of doing that was, and the reply was something she did not expect. The truth was, Solomon had requested it. That was an important first step to eventually get Mira to take Danbulf¡¯s ce as one of the Nine Wisemen. ¡¸It was a special request that arrived through our branch in Lunatic Lake. The branch director was so nervous it was crazy.¡¹ At the end of the day, Kagura was still one of the Nine Wisemen as well. She was willing to take such requests for the future of her country. She also promised Mira she definitely did not do it because it would be funny. ¡¸So it was another of his schemes¡­ Well, at least I got to announce the marvels of summoning to a broad audience.¡¹ A summoner had stood alongside very powerful adventurers, so that probably had left a strong impression about summoners. Satisfied with that oue, Mira reached towards the table and picked up a freshly roasted meat skewer. ¡¸Mm yes, nothing beats this.¡¹ ¡¸But still, the Spirit King! That was so incredible! You basically let everyone know that even he recognized we had taken down Chimera.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, that, yes. I was surprised too.¡¹ Mira looked away from Kagura who sounded very excited, piling up skewer after skewer on her te. It seemed that had left a strong impression on her. ¡¸That really got them freaking out, many of the remaining members already fell in our hands. That strategy worked out way better than I expected.¡¹ Kaguraughed happily saying that. ¡¸So was that your newest summon?¡¹ she asked with marked interest. ¡¸That wasn¡¯t a summon. He came out on his own. I wish at least he had told me something before showing up like that.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, I see. That¡¯s still really impressive though.¡¹ In reality Mira was the most shocked one. Kagura did not mind that, muttering ¡¸You¡¯ve always been full of surprises¡¹ with delight as she took some of the roasted beef from the table and ced it on her crowded te, topping it off with a skewer. Mira nced at Kagura¡¯s te, which looked like a chaotic mess without order or rhythm, frowning slightly before chuckling, noticing she was also the same as always. Eventually the party came to an end. Mira and Kagura left Alioth and some others to talk with the Prime Minister about the effect Chimera uzen had everywhere, and what to do in the future. Instead they headed to Sentopolly¡¯s branch of the Fifty Bells to extract information from Chimera uzen¡¯s heads that were kept captive in the basement. The branch looked like amon household from the outside, but underground it was a very secure building. When the two girls, apanied by the branch director Mattie who was acting as record keeper, reached the cells, Isaac and Jamal who had been captured first, red at the newest prisoners who sat on a corner. Their attitude seemed to change as the new prisoners were pulled out as if saying ¡¸now you three are finished,¡¯ or ¡®please punish them, teacher.¡¯ ¡¸You realize you two are getting trialed just like them, right? Idiots.¡¹ Mira knocked on Isaac and Jamal¡¯s heads as she said that, and then turned to look at the three highest Heads of Chimera uzen. Originally there were five of them, but one of them, the girl overtaken by the Demon Princess, was still sleeping in a safe room inside the spirit flying ship. Apparently the Demon Princess had invaded deeply into her mind, so now that she was free it would take her some time to wake up and recover. There were no clues as to her true identity yet. The fifth Head was confirmed dead. He was the man the Sky Denizen had been seeking revenge from. Three remained alive, though it was hard to say if that was lucky for them or not, as they were captured and about to be interrogated. Their initial bravado pre-capture was gone, looking nervously at Mira and Kagura. Gregorius, who had fought Mira directly, looked like a warrior trying to steel himself for demise. Trembling slightly as he said, ¡¸Whatever you do, just do it quick.¡¹ The man in heavy armor that fought Sero had all his armor stripped. His body lookedpletely different from the initial impression he left, looking verynky and thin, when at first he seemed muscr and well trained. He tried to stand his ground, blurting, ¡¸N-No matter what you do I won¡¯t say anything.¡¹ But that was merely his voice, his entire body was shaking in fear. Thest one looked foreign, and Mira had to think for a moment to remember who he was. He was the weakest of the bunch, and had been defeated nearly instantly. His face was contorted in fear as his body trembled, and he just said, ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you everything, just don¡¯t kill me please.¡¹ Chapter 150: Interrogation of the Three Heads (2) Chapter 150: Interrogation of the Three Heads (2) Mira and Kagura were caught slightly off-guard seeing them that way. They were simply going to subject the Three Heads to a forceful interrogation under Kagura¡¯s spell. A spell that made one spill each and every secret was scary to think about, but there was nothing more to it. Those three were simply going to tell them everything. It was too soon to even think about killing them. But Mira and Kagura¡¯s power was so overwhelming they feared for their lives. The three looked terrified, like they were staring death in the eyes, but Mira and Kagura were simply confused. Mira noticed something odd was happening with the other prisoners, Isaac and Jamal were acting funny. Their lips were curved inwards while their cheeks struggled to refrain from smiling, their shoulders trembling slightly as if trying to hold back something. ¡¸Say, you two. Did something good happen to you? You seem to be enjoying yourselves quite a lot there.¡¹ Mira pulled their hair to bring their heads down and whispered into their ears, full of curiosity. The two seemed startled by that, and slightly scared. ¡¸We just told them about it.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we warned them about how they¡¯ll get interrogated soon.¡¹ They said as their eyes wandered aimlessly. The interrogation, Kagura¡¯s spell that would make them confess everything. They would be under hypnosis so keeping secrets was impossible, but there was absolutely no pain involved. Knowing that, it made even less sense for the three to be terrified for their lives, staring frightfully at Kagura. ¡¸But those three are acting too strange for that. Was that really all you did?¡¹ ¡¸¡­You see, the first thing they did was yell at us for leaking info. So we had to exin how no one could hold back against you, right?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we told them how it didn¡¯t matter how strong they were, they can¡¯t resist Uzume¡¯s interrogation¡­ And that if they try resisting, she¡¯ll cut their guts open while they¡¯re still alive, and kill them in more painful ways than they can imagine¡­¡¹ As Mira continued questioning them, Isaac and Jamal confessed without the need for hypnosis. Apparently those two had been teasing the three before Mira and Kagura arrived. It was quite a childish way to get back at their old bosses. ¡¸I swear I¡¯m surrounded by children¡­¡¹ Mira sighed in resignation, punched their heads again and then turned to face the other three again. Tears formed in Isaac and Jamal¡¯s eyes, but they looked strangely happy at the same time. That short conversation ended. ¡¸I see. Maybe that could actually work on them too.¡¹ Kagura mumbled to herself as a sly smile appeared on her lips. A momentter, the entire basement was filled with a feeling of dread. Kagura was releasing as much bloodlust as she could muster, showing she meant those words. She had managed to stay calm so far, but it was obvious she had been suppressing many vengeful thoughts. ¡¸Alright, try to calm down a little, no need to get so violent. We settled on letting this world¡¯s magic do the work for us, remember? Don¡¯t forget what our priorities are.¡¹ Mira gently hugged Kagura as she said that, calming her down by tapping her back softly. Slowly the dreadful aura surrounding her faded away, and the room became calm again. The three Heads looked pale, but relieved that they had been saved. Isaac and Jamal also sighed in relief, realizing they had it much easier before. ¡¸You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry Grandpa.¡¹ Kagura replied in a low voice and managed to muster a smile. She was still overwhelmed with various emotions, but time would sort them out. ¡¸You¡¯re fine,¡¹ replied Mira, beaming a smile knowing her friend was going to be alright. After that Kagura went to work, using her spell to extract all the information the three Heads knew. Mattie wrote down everything in a notebook. It seemed that catching a glimpse of a rare side of Kagura had filled her with energy, as she vigorously scribbled away. The information obtained from the three Heads was vast and thorough, as they had expected. This time Kagura had to put them in a fully hypnotized state, unlike when it was Isaac and Jamal¡¯s turn. These three happened to have a strong faith. They almost revered the one atop their group, the Demon Princess. Internally Chimera uzen functioned almost like a cult. The ideal they pursued was ¡®to take back the world from the hands of spirits and return it to humans.¡¯ Spirits controlled natural resources, which were an essential part of human survival. So it was almost like humans lived only thanks to the spirits¡¯ goodwill. If the spirits decided they no longer wanted to bless humans with their powers, humans would starve and die without recourse. Was it really the best to continue living depending on spirits? They believed it was best if humans regained the ability to sustain life by their own efforts. Simply living distanced was not enough. Humans were always weak by their very nature. If there still remained spirits that they could cling onto, things would eventually return to the way they were before. So it was best to fully exterminate spirits. That was the only way to secure humanity¡¯s future. Or at least those were the beliefs of the Heads. It was a really selfish worldview. Humans were more important than any other race. Such a im was extremely alluring for a subset of people. But it was also so obviously selfish and arrogant that anyone could tell. Hearing that, Isaac was confused, those words did not make sense to him. To him, this was the first time he ever heard of such a religious background to Chimera uzen. He had always seen and understood Chimera uzen as an easy means to use spirits to gain power and riches. Mira asked Jamal, and his answer was simr to Isaac¡¯s. Trying to prod into that more, they found yet another secret. Something involving the Archeological Research Committee, to which both Gregorius and the heavily armored man used to belong. First, the reason why themittee was created in the first ce. They imed it was to research and preserve the many ruins strewn about in the wilderness north of the continent, but that was only half true. Their true objective was to find the City of Angels, said to exist in thatnd in the past, and to gain the power hidden within. What those who created themittee truly wanted was kept even from the members, but they were told it was a matter of life and death. So they spent many months and years researching. Eventually they found the Graveyard of War Memorials, and ran into the Demon Princess. She began telling them how spirits were monopolizing their lives, deceiving them into believing the fall of humanity would equal the end of the entire world. On top of that, the Demon Princess taught them how to fight against the spirits that controlled their future, and a religion was born. ¡¸How¡­ does that even¡­¡¹ Mira was dumbfounded hearing how absurd that story sounded. Kagura was so taken aback that she could not even say a word. It was essentially like the Heads had all been brainwashed by the Demon Princess. Simply looking at history and the current state of the world was enough to realize spirits would never do such a thing. But at the same time, it was easy to see how someone could use that as an entry point to im spirits were the ones doing the brainwashing. Even Isaac and Jamal were lost for words. They both hadmitted atrocious crimes, but they were aware of that, choosing greed over morals. Yet somehow Gregorious¡¯ group had wholeheartedly believed they were doing the right thing. All the other members of the Archeological Research Committee that were unounted for had not fallen for the Demon Princess¡¯ tricks, iming spirits would never do such evil. ¡¸So we got rid of them too.¡¹ Even fully under hypnotism, Gregorius spoke with conviction, believing that had been the right course of action. The public was told themittee had gone missing. Traces of conflict had been found, but no bodies. There was a way to get the actual truth now though. Kagura asked what they did with all those men they killed, and Gregorius said they were offered as sacrifices in an altar, hidden behind a secret door deep inside the Graveyard of War Memorials. Chapter 151: Influence and Countermeasures (1) Chapter 151: Influence and Countermeasures (1) Those believers were deceived and seduced by a twisted sense of justice. They seemed confused that no one else could understand their noble ideals. Kagura felt like she would never get anything of use by continuing that path, so she changed her questionspletely. Now she asked about Chimera uzen as an organization, and all its ties. They were fully under the effects of hypnosis, so they listed the locations of their different bases all over the continent, the merchants that sponsored them, nobles, and various other bits of info. Thebined knowledge of just the three Heads filled hundreds of entries in the notebook, all with a merit of their own, making it invaluable. The dawn they stormed the base with the underground control system, they had also seized information of people annexed to it, which increased the number of attack points into more than a thousand. ¡¸I guess this is actually going to be the hardest part in a way. We can¡¯t let a single one of them escape.¡¹ Once Kagura finished extracting all the information from the three Heads, she took Mattie¡¯s notebook and checked the entries with a wicked smile. Her eyes were those of a hunter stalking its prey. ¡¸That¡¯s all from us then. Mattie, the ministers from the church should being one of these days. I¡¯ll leave the exchange with them in your hands.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, you can count on me!¡¹ Chimera uzen were branded amon enemy by the entire world. Especially the three heads, they were going to be judged by the Holy Law, rather than a country¡¯s rules. The church had arranged a group to transport the three Heads out of the branch some dayster. ¡¸The Holy Law? I¡¯ve heard that term before, but exactly what does it mean?¡¹ Mattie was taking care of all the paperwork necessary for that exchange, so Mira and Kagura left the branch. They were heading to the Union, where all the remaining members of Chimera uzen that panicked during the announcement were being kept. As they walked there, Mira voiced a thought she had. ¡¸Ahh, that¡¯s something done mainly between Saints. It¡¯s not reallymon in most conflicts, so I guess it makes sense you don¡¯t know about them¡­¡¹ Kagura spoke with a teasing smile, then began exining with a bit of confidence. The Holy Law. A trial that was carried out through a special ritual, where a judge truly appointed by God as his servant gave a decisive conviction. Because of that, not even a king from the Three Gods¡¯ Countries could object to the decision. The biggest difference between the Holy Law and human¡¯sws, were the evaluation criteria for one, but the weight of punishment was far more severe. The worst punishment that could be granted by humans was the death penalty, but in the case of the Holy Law, it could reach soul erasure. A criminal¡¯s soul could literally vanish without a trace. Depending on one¡¯s worldviews that might seem not too different from death penalty. But Gods existed in this world, and the concept of reincarnation was more than just an esoteric belief, but a system put in ce by those Gods. In other words, everyone in this world believed that death was not the end of existence. Soul erasure was different. That punishment could only be granted by God, and meant the end of everything. Only the most heinous crimes received that punishment, which meant excluding one¡¯s soul from the endless cycle of death and rebirth. ¡¸That punishment is reserved for when someonemits such atrocities that their souls get so tainted that even God can¡¯t clean them. Artesia told me that only happens in very rare and extreme cases, but I can¡¯t guarantee a good oue for Chimera¡­¡¹ Aplex emotion took over Kagura¡¯s face as she said that, ncing back at the location of the branch. ¡¸Hmm, intriguing. You just said people reincarnate here, do you know if that¡¯s also true for us?¡¹ As they got closer to themercial district, where the Union was located, Mira brought the topic up again. Those born in this world came from the souls of those who lived before. But what did that mean for former yers who were brought from another world? ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you. No one speaks openly abouting here from another world, and if one of us dies, there¡¯s no way to tell others about it. I¡¯ve heard some think you might just get sent back to our world, but we haven¡¯t found any other way to go back, and no way to verify if that¡¯s actually the case. People are looking into ways back, but they haven¡¯t found anything out.¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, I see. Well, I expected as much.¡¹ Mira muttered that, not too surprised. After a short pause, she added, ¡¸Still, guess there¡¯s no way back after all then,¡¹ in a bored voice. ¡¸Huh? After all..? Solomon didn¡¯t tell you anything?¡¹ Kagura turned to face Mira, her voice sounding surprised. Solomon was king of Arkite, and as a former yer, he was part of the Rising Sun Committee, a special group of former yers in high positions across the continent. Thatmittee was conducting experiments to figure out the mechanisms and systems making this world tick. That involved methods to return to their past world, and as one of the members, Solomon knew the results obtained so far. He also had the authority to divulge those results to other former yers. But Mira knew nothing of that. Or to be precise, he decided to keep it secret until Mira herself asked. ¡¸I didn¡¯t find it necessary to ask¡­ I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve told me immediately if the method to return had been found. Think about it, Solomon has been here for thirty years, Luminaria for twenty. Even if we refuse to ept it, it seems to be a fact that there¡¯s no way to return. So wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to stop worrying about that and instead focus on having fun while we¡¯re here?¡¹ Those were Mira¡¯s honest feelings. There was no need to think about going back, and instead it was best to live in the moment. Though the only reason why she was able to think about it so rationally was that her good friends Solomon and Luminaria were here with her. ¡¸Hmm, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, like they say. Sounds an awful lot like your usual attitude.¡¹ Seeing Mira talk about that without a single care in the world brought back some memories for Kagura, whoughed thinking of it. Mira and Kagura reached the Adventurer¡¯s Union in Sentopolly, and they were guided three floors underground. A sturdy prison was built there. It was usually just a momentary prison for wanted criminals and those with a bounty, now it was overflowing with people tied to Chimera uzen. ¡¸Now these are impressive results.¡¹ ¡¸The Spirit King¡¯s appearance in the end pushed them all over the edge. I heard many of them were so afraid of the spirits taking revenge that they came here on their own¡­ so selfish of them.¡¹ Kagura looked slightly annoyed with theck of action as she observed the cells. There were some sitting silently in their cells, others making noise, others looked dumbfounded, and others wereughing. Usually the underground prison was a gloomy ce, but it looked unnecessarily lively now, and there were many workers from the Union behind bars as well. ¡¸I never thought you were a mole, too bad for you.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hmph.¡¹ Apparently they had also managed to catch the members from Chimera uzen infiltrated in the Union. ording to the other workers, those caught in the same locations had been put in the same cells as well. Mira and Kagura looked into the cells as they walked along the corridors, eventually reaching the central management room. There were multiple Union workers, a man and a woman that had started aging, and a woman from the Fifty Bells, waiting for them. ¡¸Wee, Lady Uzume.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, good job here. So, who are these two?¡¹ Chapter 151: Influence and Countermeasures (2) Chapter 151: Influence and Countermeasures (2) The woman from the Fifty Bells bowed slightly nervously, and Kagura¡¯s severe expression from earlier vanished giving entry to a bright smile, and then looked at the couple behind her. ¡¸Sorry for thete introduction, I¡¯m Gates, the chief of the Warrior¡¯s Union here.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Debora, chief of the Spellcaster¡¯s Union. We wanted to thank you personally for taking care of Chimera uzen.¡¹ The couple stood up and introduced themselves, they were the chiefs of the local Unions. At closer inspection, they were clearly wearing higher ss clothing, and their gazes were sharp, showing they were nomon folk. The woman from the Fifty Bells was not only nervous because of Kagura¡¯s presence, but also because of those two. ¡¸Please, there¡¯s no need to thank me for that. I only did that because I wanted to do it. I feel like I should be thanking you instead, for listening to our request and allowing us to use your facilities.¡¹ Kagura faced the two and said, ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹ Meanwhile Mira had grabbed a nearby chair, throwing herself on it and simply watchingfortably. With their introductionsplete, they began exchanging information. But first, Kagura asked if the Union workers could leave, then told the chiefs, ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry, but I have to make sure of something,¡¹ exining about her hypnosis skill and that she wanted to make sure they were not part of Chimera uzen. The two did not seem ufortable about that at all, instead praising the skill. Still, they looked saddened when Kagura refused to teach them how to use it. With that out of the way, they could finally converse openly. Kagura provided the Unions with the location of all of Chimera uzen¡¯s bases, as well as the story behind Sentopolly as a country. All information she had already verified. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe it¡­ the entire country was theirs.¡¹ ¡¸I guess we have a lot of work ahead of us then.¡¹ What shocked them the most was finding out that Chimera uzen had created the country of Sentopolly itself. Chimera uzen was very thorough when concealing information. They only hired people who knew nothing about Chimera uzen when building the city. Even if some suspicion were to grow, the people at the top they had instilled had a pristine track record. It was almost impossible to trace anything back to Chimera uzen. That was why the two, who had lived in Sentopolly for a long time, were shocked hearing that revtion. It was the country they called home after all. ¡¸Err, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve fully processed that yet, but I understand. We¡¯ll take care of keeping public order here. You can count with full support from the Union.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll brief the Unions in other countries as well. This entire situation is of deep importance to us, so I¡¯m sure everyone will offer to help.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, that¡¯ll help greatly.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re just helping each other.¡¹ Chimera uzen was burrowed into the backbone of the entire country. Once they began removing their influence, it was hard to calcte just how much of an effect that would create inside and even outside the country. Kagura was fully aware of that, and knew the Fifty Bells could not take care of such an undertaking on their own. That was why this short exchange would be a great help soon enough. There was a second, slightly less obvious reason why Kagura was telling them that. Namely, the bounties the Unions had ced on Chimera uzen. The number of Chimera uzen they had caught were enormous, so the total bounty fetched by them would also be a hefty sum. But rather than taking all that money, Kagura chose to request their help. Kagura¡¯s worries would be alleviated, the Union would not have to worry about losing most of their budget, making it avable to deal with this situation that neither side could ignore. That benefitted both sides. Now it was time for the Unions to share some information as well. They had all the testimonies from the captured remnants, as well as the organizations and firms they were involved with, and the names of any nobles rted to them as well. ¡¸We were only able to have such a reliable source recently. Writing out all of this in just a few hours was back breaking work.¡¹ Gates smiled tiredly as he offered all the documents. All the Unions¡¯ workers had been hard at workpiling all of that since the moment the announcement of Chimera uzen¡¯s defeat was made. Kagura¡¯s men needed to focus on hunting down the remains of Chimera uzen, so they asked the Unions to help with documenting everything instead. In exchange, they offered to let the Unions take part of the credit for capturing Chimera uzen¡¯s members, even though it was mainly done by the Fifty Bells. ¡¸Thank you for your hard work, dealing with Chimera has always required a lot of swiftness. Let me read through it a bit.¡¹ Kagura epted the documents with a bright smile before she began leafing through the papers. Their roots spread throughout the continent, and their contacts included people close to royalty in some ces. There were details of extremely secretive connections, close to state secrets, mentioning even underground deals between major characters of various countries. Usually the Unions would feel hesitant to even touch such information, but they were dealing with Chimera uzen and punishing their crimes. Crimes that vited some of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries most essentialws. Disclosing such information could sully the reputation of some people, but that was a far better oue than facing the wrath of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries by keeping it secret. The crimesmitted by everyone involved were far too terrible. Refusing to share the information would be a rather stupid choice. On top of that, Alispharius¡¯ international affairs minister had recognized the Fifty Bells as awful actor in capturing Chimera uzen, so they had no reason to withhold information from them. ¡¸This is incredible. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to capture arge portion of the remaining members with this.¡¹ Having skimmed through the documents, Kagura asserted with a confident smile. Hearing that, Gates and Debora let out relieved sighs and rxed their shoulders. ¡¸I¡¯ll go store these documents, you can go home ahead Grandpa.¡¹ The moment they left the Union, Kagura said that, and without waiting for Mira¡¯s answer, she switched ces with a shikigami in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. Instead, the Yatagarasu shikigami that Kagura had named Yatakomachi, which looked like a small crow now,nded on Mira¡¯s head like it was the most natural thing to do. ¡¸Speeding through life like always¡­¡¹ Mira sighed as she said that as she began walking through the street, the streetmps started to turn on as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Then she stopped, trying to remember exactly where the Prime Minister¡¯s residence was. Everyone involved with Chimera uzen¡¯s defeat was not only invited for lunch, but also arge dinner party to celebrate. Mira had been part of the announcement as well, so she was invited too, she just needed to remember where to go. Mira quickly began looking through her map, then climbed on Pegasus with exaggerated movements and took off onto the afternoon sky. Chapter 152: Father and Son (2) Chapter 152: Father and Son (2) But now those were the feelings Gregor expressed to Mira. After thinking about it for such a long time, all he felt was gratitude towards her. Mira answered with a silent nod, epting the emotions bundled with those words. After taking a sip of tea, she smiled softly. ¡¸By the way, I noticed when we got here, but you have a lot of flowerpots with rare specimens. Could I take a look around?¡¹ Some time after the bulk of emotions had blown over, Gregor¡¯s lively eyes surveyed the room. He was right, the ce was filled with a multitude of flowerpots housing various nts. ¡¸Please, go ahead. Look as much as you want!¡¹ Mattie scrambled on her feet and hurried to bring various flowerpots to present on the table. Then she asked, ¡¸Do you like nts, Mr. Gregor?¡¹ with a very bright smile. Mattie used to be a botanist before she was recruited by the Fifty Bells. Her main research topic was ways to turn wastnds into forests. But she had always loved nts since before that, and feeling like she had found a kindred spirit, she happily showed more of her flowerpots. ¡¸Ahh¡­I wouldn¡¯t say so, sorry. It¡¯s just that the quality of ashes when forging swords can vary dramatically depending on the nt they came from. I became knowledgeable about them as I researched variousbinations of nts and their effects.¡¹ Learning about nts was just a side effect from researching his craft. When Gregor exined that, Mattie¡¯s happy expression crumbled into sadness, a flowerpot still in her hands. ¡¸Ashes..?¡¹ Ashes. An essential material for cksmiths, obtained from burning various nts. Since Gregor loved to control every step of the process of his craft, he procured his own ashes as well. That also meant he had likely burned every single type of nt he knew. ¡¸Well, umm¡­ But seriously, I feel like there¡¯s always something new to learn about them. Especially these with mana regeneration properties.¡¹ Gregor quickly tried to think of something to say to distract Mattie, so he looked at the nts she had lined up on the table. They all had some sort of mana regeneration effect, which Gregor decided to mention. ¡¸Yes, exactly! All Soul Nuclide nts are so mysterious and wondrous and full of secrets, I never get tired of studying them!¡¹ Gregor¡¯s n was a sess, as Mattie began to talk with a smile again. But it was too effective, her mouth never closing again as she listed detail after detail and going rather deep into a botanical rabbit hole. Out of the endless stream of information, Mira was able to learn that Soul Nuclide was an umbre term for all nts with some effect rted to mana regeneration. At the same time, she was reminded of another botanist, Gilbert, who she met while traveling to the Abandoned City in the Sky. That also gave her a hunch that Mattie would be talking for a long time. ¡¸But in conclusion, I believe that the Soul Nuclide genus is the best candidate to turn dry patches ofnd into luscious forests!!¡¹ After nearly an hour of non-stop talking, Mattie finally concluded her speech. Soul Nuclide nts could be grown by pouring mana into them as well, so they could easily cover thend with greenery. Their roots would crack open the dry and hard ground, modifying the soil so it could hold much more water. With enough time, that would generate an environment capable of growing all sorts of nts naturally. At least that was Mattie¡¯s terraforming n.. Mira was already bored of nts by that point, looking annoyed at having to be there. But Gregor seemed interested, muttering, ¡¸A west full of greenery, huh.¡¹ ¡¸The only issue is that the roots of all Soul Nuclides I¡¯ve tested so far didn¡¯t have enough strength to break through the soil¡­ I¡¯d need somethingrger and stronger¡­ If I had the seed of a Soul Nuclide tree my research would take a huge leap forward.¡¹ Mattie did not seem to notice the reaction of the two, continuing to talk about her research. She sounded a bit miffed though, as her research had met a roadblock recently. ¡¸The seed of a tree..?¡¹ Hearing Mattie¡¯s musings, Mira recalled a past event. She had obtained a curious seed from Ryokuinshio no Mikoto, the god living in the sacred tree in the middle of the Forest of Praying Children. ¡¸Say, Mattie. I got this seed from a sacred tree¡¯s god before, would this help your research?¡¹ As she said that, she took out the seed which she had thrown to a corner of her Item Box and ced it on the table. ¡¸This came from a sacred tree?!¡¹ Mattie¡¯s voice increased in pitch dramatically as she leant down on the tree and stared at the seed. Then she turned to Mira full of excitement. ¡¸A sacred tree is the Soul Nuclide of the highest level! Sacred trees that turned into Soul Nuclides after being bathed in mana for many years are especially useful for my experiments! Which sacred tree did thise from?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­err¡­ the one in the Forest of Praying-¡¹ ¡¸¡­That¡¯s Ryokuinshio no Mikoto! ording to legends he used to be a cherry tree. This is perfect! Sacred trees that turned into Soul Nuclides are especially attuned to turning mana into nutrients, and nutrients back into mana! It¡¯s also the perfect choice to modify soil properties, and a sacred tree is essentially the king of all vegetation that will growter, maybe even making a verdant and lucious forest in the future! No, I¡¯m certain that¡¯ll happen!¡¹ Mattie¡¯s face was full of emotion as she spoke of her grandiose dreams. ¡¸That would also be the perfect home for spirits,¡¹ she added too. (I don¡¯t really know how forests develop, but I guess sacred trees have that kind of property as well. First time hearing about it though.) Mira thought of that, surprised at the power hidden within the tree seed she had obtained so easily. At the same time, she felt like Mattie would be able to use it much better than she ever could. ¡¸Well, if that¡¯s what you think, go ahead and try it out. I don¡¯t really have a use for it anyway.¡¹ The words had barely left Mira¡¯s lips when Mattie seemed about to cry, but her eyes were glistening with expectation as well. ¡¸Are you really sure about that?!¡¹ She asked to double check. ¡¸You do realize that this kind of seed sells for at least 5 bil Rils, right?! Are you sure, are you really really sure I can have it?!¡¹ Mattie kept repeating her words, falling on her knees as if praying to Mira. Mira was left speechless hearing what Mattie, on her knees as if in front of her savior, had just said. 5 bil Rils. That was arger sum than all of Mira¡¯s possessions during the game period had been worth. She could only imagine the luxuries avable to someone with such funds. If she had it, she would be able to stay in any inn she wished, entertain her pte with all sorts of delicacies, and buy all the adventuring gear that caught her eye. ¡¸Uh-hmm¡­ Don¡¯t worry, as long as you promise to use it responsibly.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I promise! I vow to turn these wastnds into forests!¡¹ Mattie answered firmly amongst tears. Then she carefully and reverently epted the seed from Mira¡¯s hands, thanking her with a deep bow. Its value had left Mira speechless and enticed, but her pride as wiseman, and more importantly herck of courage to contradict her words, did not allow her to take the seed back. But she did not regret it. ¡¸That¡¯s a wonderful smile¡¹ she muttered seeing how happily and carefully Mattie handled the seed. ¡¸Mira, you really are a very generous person.¡¹ Gregor and Mira left the Fifty Bells¡¯ branch while Mattie saw them off with as much fanfare as she could muster. His voice was filled with respect for Mira, whoughed it off saying, ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, I just happen to know there are things that money can¡¯t buy.¡¹ After that Mira summoned Pegasus and mounted on his back. Gregor told her to return ahead. ¡¸I want to walk through the city alone for a bit. I¡¯ll be back there in around an hour.¡¹ Adding that, Gregor walked towards the center of the city. As he walked into the distance, he looked slightly lonesome, but before he left Mira had seen him smile the brightest so far. Rather than feeling uneasy, he simply seemed to need time to sort his emotions. He probably wanted to be alone for a while. ¡¸Alright then,¡¹ was Mira¡¯s short reply, and she headed straight back to the party. Chapter 153: Requiem (1) Chapter 153: Requiem (1) When Miranded in a corner of the garden, she was quickly surrounded by many influential people. They began asking her questions, including what kind of ties she had with the Spirit King. Apparently they had started discussing the announcement broadcasted earlier during the day, and now they wanted more details. She could see Jack Grave, Eleonora, Sero, and other adventurers were also surrounded in a simr manner. ¡¸The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection?! That¡¯s basically the same as the old Hero King Forsythia!¡¹ ¡¸Magnificent, a hero has been reborn. Say, how are your finances? If you want I can sponsor you.¡¹ ¡¸Hold that thought, Miss Katina. Cutting in line isn¡¯t very polite.¡¹ ¡¸Exactly, everyone should have a fair chance at negotiating such matters.¡¹ When Mira briefly exined her connection to the Spirit God, a war of words broke out around her. Mira was the second person in the continent¡¯s history to inherit the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. The influential people there wanted to be on the good side of someone so powerful, fighting for that spot. Eventually that discussion became so heated that they only argued with each other while leaving Mira out of the conversation, so she sharpened her senses and silently scurried away without anyone noticing. ¡¸You were quite popr down there, Grandpa.¡¹ ¡¸Hmph, there¡¯s no need to joke about that. You should be well aware of my distaste for such situations.¡¹ Mira went to the second floor of the party hall. There were mostly Fifty Bells members and spirits celebrating the victory there. The first floor was mainly a showcase of the main heroes who had fought against Chimera uzen. The stairwell leading to the second floor was past an atrium, which was mainly for a more private reunion of spirits and other people who had worked hard behind the scenes. ¡¸Also, shouldn¡¯t you be downstairs too? Alioth seemed rather busy on his own there.¡¹ While Mira fled to the second floor, she saw a very lively crowd in one corner of the first floor. Alioth was in the center of it. He was there as the leader of the main forces that took down Chimera uzen, rather than a representative of the Fifty Bells. The Prime Minister and other important politicians were around him, with even more influential people joining in. Alioth looked extremely busy entertaining all of them. ¡¸Mm? Ah, nahh, he¡¯s fine. I¡¯m nning on having Alioth take the mantle from now on after all.¡¹ Kagura answered as she emptied her ss, speaking like that was the mostmon thing in the world. She narrowed her eyes slightly and began talking about the future of the Fifty Bells. First, the undercover Fifty Bells¡¯ members would be the main forces hunting down the remnants of Chimera uzen. Once that was aplished, they would focus on dampening the effects of Chimera uzen¡¯s disappearance. Once that reached a level that could be managed by the Unions, they would demilitarize the group, and dissolve the toons. They would merge back into the charitable organization everyone saw the Fifty Bells as. Alioth was going to seed Kagura as its leader as well. Alioth was also going to be in charge of dealing with the Three Heads that had been controlling Sentopolly from behind the curtain. That was Chimera uzen¡¯s method of operation here. First building Sentopolly under the guise of an anonymous noble, thening in as a charitable noble to support the country and exert control over it, without anyone knowing that they were the same people. ¡¸In a way the entire country became part of the spoils of war then.¡¹ ¡¸At first I thought the current Prime Minister could keep taking care of the country, but I prodded around his mind with my Art for a bit, and it seems his trust in the anonymous noble sponsor was quite strong. I feel like he could go insane if I told him that sponsor was actually Chimera. That¡¯s why we¡¯re thinking of taking over for him, and take care of things until a more reliable candidate shows up.¡¹ Kagura sounded slightly disappointed as she sighed saying that. On top of that, the region Sentopolly was built on had only be habitable after Chimera uzen pumped spiritual energy into it, so now that they were gone, that lifeline was gone as well. So it would only take a few days for issues to arise. The Fifty Bells¡¯ undercover troops were also going to be needed to take care of the disturbances caused by that. At the same time, the spirits in the Fifty Bells would help maintain thend so the change happened more gradually. Some of them felt convinced the Spirit King had granted them power for that specific purpose. While Chimera uzen had built Sentopolly, the people living there hadmitted no sin. That was the conclusion of the spirits. ¡¸Their generosity truly is immeasurable.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it really is.¡¹ Mira and Kagura spoke almost in whispers as they looked at the spirits celebrating on the second floor. They did not generalize humans in one way or another, but instead saw everyone as an individual person each. Usually warriors were unable to see spirits. But if the spirits deemed someone as worthy enough, it was possible for them to see spirits. All the warriors in the Fifty Bells had been recognized by the spirits, so they could see them. In a way, that also showed how trustworthy the Fifty Bells was as an organization. Kagura and Mira were truly thankful that spirits remained as humanity¡¯s friendly neighbors, even when Chimera uzen had threatened their safety. ¡¸And that¡¯s that, so just please wait for me a little longer, okay Grandpa?¡¹ ¡¸Well, as long as youe back soon enough that¡¯s okay.¡¹ Kagura was going to remain as themander of the undercover troops until they would demilitarize, then Alioth would take full control of all aspects of the organization, and Kagura would return to Arkite as promised. Mira did not mind as long as she kept her word on returning, so she was okay with waiting for longer. Either way, she had finally found one more Wiseman. ¡¸That¡¯s still just one though¡­¡¹ There was still a long way to go, thought Mira with a sigh, and looked at the party on the second floor again. Other than spirits, there were many other people she had not seen before. Though some of them looked familiar from her visit to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. Watching the party continue, Mira remembered something. ¡¸By the way, did Sasori and Hebi note here?¡¹ Those two had been working in Roseline to take down the Melville Trading Corporation, which was one of Chimera uzen¡¯s main supporters. Mira had worked with them for some time too, but she could not see them in the party. ¡¸Those two, or well, all of the Hidden are gathered in Roseline now. Considering Melville was tied to Chimera, it¡¯s easy to conclude Roseline is also overrun by stray Chimera members, and once the news reaches them they¡¯ll all get on the move.¡¹ Saying that, Kagura went into a bit more detail about the situation in Roseline. ording to Sasori and Hebi¡¯stest reports, the authority of the international trade minister and the mighty holy knights made most of the corporation surrender, and many groups of people involved with Melville¡¯s shady deals were arrested one after another. Sasori and the Hidden decided to leave the main work to the church, and instead focused on those that attempted to resist or escape in secret, watching over every street in the city for anyone suspicious. ¡¸Still, today was a day worth celebrating. I heard Eabates also organized a party there. Apparently they¡¯re taking turns between watching the streets and celebrating. I even got a desperate message from Sasori asking for help since Hebi drank too much earlier. Once she gets drunk, that girl bes a kissing demon.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, I see. It sounds like they¡¯re having a good time there too then.¡¹ The owner of the Eabates Trading Corporation, Ulysses Teles Eabates, had essentially secured his position as the next ruler of Roseline. He had organized a party to celebrate that and the downfall of Chimera uzen, which was gaudy enough to rival the one organized by the Prime Minister in Sentopolly. ¡¸Hmm¡­ A kissing demon, hmhmhmmm¡­¡¹ Mira had fought alongside Sasori and Hebi in the past. Now she was fantasizing a steamy scene between those two as she shamelessly served herself a pile of food. The party slowly became less noisy, though it remained lively, and everyone eventually had met everyone else. Mira remained on the second floor, escaping the incessant pursuit of influential people. She held a ss in one hand as she watched what happened on the first floor from next to the stairs. It seemed that many adventurers had managed to sign contracts with various influential people. Chapter 153: Requiem (2) Chapter 153: Requiem (2) Jack Grave and Eleonora kept declining offers, and Sero seemed used to refusing them as well. Alioth seemed to have met with every single important person in the venue. Now he looked slightly tired, but continued talking with the Prime Minister. Alioth was going to be a provisional ruler of Sentopolly as Kagura had indicated, so this was a perfect opportunity for him to gather information. ¡¸I¡¯ll still have the final say on most matters, but Alioth will be doing all the thinking and working.¡¹ Hearing Kagura say that, Mira was slightly worried Alioth might pass out from exhaustion sooner orter. With that, the party slowly winded down and neared its end. Then entertained voices became audible from the garden. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Mira went to a balcony, curious about those voices, and looked down at the people in the garden. There were many people gathered out there, everyone looking up at the eastern sky. The other people on the second floor also became curious and came out to the balcony. Mira looked up like the others in the garden, a wondrous sight waiting there for her. ¡¸What are those¡­¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s mutter the others also looked up, and sounded just as surprised. The night sky was dotted with countless stars, but a stream of twinkling lights that rivaled that of the stars seemed to be flowing towards the east. ¡¸Migrating fireflies. I guess it¡¯s finally getting warmer if they¡¯re visible here on the west coast.¡¹ Hearing that voice, Mira turned around, seeing Arlon holding a beer mug looking at the sky. ¡¸Oh, so that¡¯s what they are.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, at least so I¡¯ve heard. I was friends with a really smart spirit who told me many things. Apparently migrating firefliesy their eggs in the snow of tall mountains. During spring they hatch and grow up, then when summeres around and the snow melts they take flight and migrate like that. That¡¯s why seeing migrating fireflies means it¡¯s warm enough for the snow in mountaintops to melt.¡¹ Arlon had his eyes fixated on the fireflies high above as he exined, a lonesome smile on his lips as he ended with, ¡¸At least that¡¯s what I was told.¡¹ Then someone in the garden below let out a loud cheer. It seemed that someone had managed to talk the leader of a guild into signing a contract. The guild had been introduced during the victory broadcast earlier that day, and was just as popr as Jack Grave or Eleonora. That was the loudest exmation of joy at the end of the party. The sponsor was the owner of arge and important shippingpany of the Ark Continent. ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t you be down there though? I¡¯m sure someone of your caliber would be showered with offers as well.¡¹ Mira watched the celebration of the contract in the garden as she asked Arlon. He replied by shaking his head and ncing back into the party hall. ¡¸Nah, I¡¯m thinking of retiring from the adventuring business once my current assignment isplete.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s your n then¡­ From what I saw I¡¯d wager you still have many vigorous years left though.¡¹ Arlon¡¯s current assignment, weeding out the remnants of Chimera uzen. Once that was done, he would retire. He was at the age when one¡¯s body began to slow down and deteriorate, but Mira had seen him in action, so she believed he could still fight for quite a while longer. ¡¸That¡¯s exactly why. There¡¯s something I still want to do while I¡¯m strong.¡¹ Arlonughed saying that. He held no regret or reluctance to retiring whatsoever, he actually believed his life would be more fun that way. Mira asked him what that goal of his was, and Arlon looked at the sky and said, ¡¸I¡¯ll tell you next time we meet¡¹ leaving the matter vague. But hidden in that sentence was his conviction that they would meet again somewhere. The party came to a close, and the influential people attending left one after another. The only people left were the main members of the Fifty Bells and the adventurers that lended their help. ¡¸I¡¯m very thankful to all of you. Today marks the date when we finally managed to put an end to so much suffering. There¡¯s still some work left to do, but the contracts of most of you have beenpleted. Please talk to Alioth for your rewards.¡¹ With the party officially over, Kagura took the stand and after a brief greeting and words of gratitude, she slowly bowed to the crowd. She surveyed the crowd with a smile, though tears welled up in her eyes. ¡¸That¡¯s all! Everyone stay healthy!¡¹ Kagura¡¯s cheerful voice rang and a wave of apuse came from the crowd. There was a slight mncholy mixed with the cheers, the adventurers¡¯ work at the Fifty Bells was over. The Fifty Bells would continue working to capture everyst remaining member of Chimera uzen, but the adventurers had fulfilled the terms of their contract when the main base fell. ¡¸Give me a call if you ever need help again.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯lle back if you ever need anything Uzume!¡¹ Everyone received their individual rewards from Alioth and headed to the inns prepared by the Prime Minister for them. Mira watched from the balcony as the adventurers left, and then looked at the sky. Some time had passed, so the stream of migrating fireflies was less intense now. But that let the stars shine brighter again, and the milky way was visible. ¡¸Hm? And what are those..?¡¹ Mira stared at the sky and noticed something slightly odd. When she paid a bit more attention, she noticed there were a soft particle of light flickering as it slowly rose towards the sky. ¡¸I wonder what that could be¡­¡¹ Mira followed the particle up, noticing arge river of light she had never seen before. Unlike the bright light of the migrating fireflies, this was a far softer glow, almost transparent, and changing colors like an aurora and waving like a water surface. It was also incredibly vast, seemingly covering the sky from one end to the other. ¡¸Ohh, there¡¯s another one over there, and there too. Just what are they?¡¹ As Mira looked around, she noticed even more light particles that seemed to leave the ground and float up, as if called by it. They looked very different to the migrating fireflies, almost sad in a way. Mira squinted at the sky in confusion. ¡ºThose are souls. The soft waving light you see in the sky is their home, the Heavenly Nirvana Shrine, they go there to rest.¡» Mira heard the Spirit King¡¯s voice in her head out of the blue. ¡¸What¡­ You can speak directly to my mind, Spirit King?¡¹ ¡ºOur connection has be stronger, so yes. I used to converse in this manner with my good old friend Forsythia as well.¡» ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s another thing your Divine Protection can do¡­¡¹ Souls, and the ce where they went to rest. She was surprised hearing what those lights were and the fact that she could see them, but she was even more shocked that she could talk to the Spirit King so easily as she looked at her arms with the glowing pattern. ¡ºMira, could you see them off for me? Almost all of those souls are my children¡¯s. They finally became free thanks to your efforts.¡» ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll give them a proper send-off.¡¹ Chimera uzen¡¯s technology did not only exploit spiritual power, but it also sealed and trapped the souls of spirits. Mira agreed to the Spirit King¡¯s somber request, and summoned Leticia, the spirit of sound. ¡¸Leticia, could you y the Requiem to a Distant You.¡¹ ¡¸Right away.¡¹ Mira noticed souls floating up from all over the city, heading back to their rightful home, the Heavenly Nirvana Shrine. Leticia¡¯s requiem permeated the night, her soft singing voice spreading through the city and amongst the souls. The song could be heard everywhere. But whether as an effect of Leticia being a Sound Spirit, or out of pity for the many lost souls, not a single personined about it. Mira climbed to the roof of the party hall, sending the souls off with a silent prayer. Mira noticed two souls floating up far in the east, flying higher together, rhythmically twinkling as if promising to never leave each other. Chapter 154: Under the Name of the Spirit King (1) Chapter 154: Under the Name of the Spirit King (1) A week passed after Chimera uzen¡¯s defeat, and things had already changed dramatically. First, all the remaining Chimera uzen members in Sentopolly were caught and handed over to the church¡¯s custody. There were people from all veins of life, from adventurers to politicians. They were all dutifully interrogated, and then the information was passed on through the Union so that the remaining forces of the Fifty Bells could be filled in throughout the continent. The Fifty Bells troops were publicly known as the Guardian Angel Troops. They wanted the Fifty Bells to remain as a charity organization in the eyes of the public. The main issue was that arge portion of state workers in Sentopolly had been arrested, leaving many offices with a huge deficit of personnel. Even if the others were part of Chimera uzen, they had still fulfilled their duties properly. Because of that, those workers who were at the bottom of Chimera uzen¡¯sdder, or were only marginally connected to them, were allowed to stay in office to train the new hires. But they had to wear a tracking ne provided by the Fifty Bells at all times, their wages were the minimum possible, and they had no free days, creating some rather unfavorable working conditions. Then again, if the church took them, they would be subjected to forcedbor for many years, or given the death penalty. So the majority epted those horrible working conditions, since at least they would be doing something they were used to. Isaac, Sentopolly¡¯s former minister of foreign trade, also worked under those conditions. It was hard to trust him with his old position however, so instead he was in charge of imparting the diplomatic knowledge he obtained onto the newer talent. Whether because of his nature, or the abilities he nurtured over time, he seemed resolute to leave his past with Chimera uzen behind, forming new connections and working earnestly. Jamal, the former assassin from Chimera uzen, also chose to work under those conditions, and of all things chose to help hunt the remaining members from Chimera uzen. His past employment seemed perfect for that, since he was always in charge of making sure traitors vanished quietly in the darkness. In a way, he was a professional when it came to tracking Chimera uzen members. He was putting those skills at full disy now, showing great results in the Fifty Bells. Once all traces of Chimera uzen were eradicated, Jamal was going to be part of Sentopolly¡¯s defense forces. It was going to take some time, but Alioth was doing his best. Time was all Sentopolly needed to return to normality. Over in Roseline things were rather simr. Having an enormous corporation like Melville¡¯s vanish overnight caused quite an uproar. All stores and merchants that made business with Melville were investigated. Proof of their connection with Chimera uzen was found in around half of them, and they were arrested. It seemed Chimera uzen had woven its roots quite deep into Roseline, just like in Sentopolly. Roseline was a key trading hub in the western side of the Ark Continent, so that caused many disruptions in the supply chain. Eabates emerged as the clean and innocent counterpart to Melville, and the owner Ulysses was soon touted as Roseline¡¯s hope. Just a few weekster he was weed to sit on the throne as Duke of Roseline. The very same day he began working hard and tirelessly. The chaos in the trading lines quickly calmed down, and Roseline soon regained its position as trading hub. All of that was thanks to his preparation beforehand, since he anticipated he would need to solve such a crisis once Chimera uzen fell. He knew of Chimera uzen¡¯s wide reach, Melville¡¯s connection to them, and how many key politicians and merchants would disappear once they were taken care of. He had time to consider the chaos that would ensue, so he had thought of contingency ns, and even had secret talks with Solomon about it. Because of his swift and effective action, Ulysses gained the trust of all the people and merchants living in Roseline. Once things went back to normal, he began work on strengthening the country as a trading hub. An alliance with Arkite was also signed publicly, and direct trading routes established. The reasons for the alliance were kept somewhat ambiguous, simply stating that Arkite had been a key yer in taking care of themotion. Themotion in Roseline was quickly taken care of that way. There were still many small issues here and there, but they were notrge enough to be disruptive. So given enough time, Roseline would also go back to normal. As for Johann and his family, who owned a mansion in Roseline, and his assistant Mylenne, they remained in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters for a while longer. The first reason for that was research. Albatinus led a group of many skilled alchemists there, which were joined by Johann. Even though Chimera uzen had been taken down, the ck mist stones that powered their strengths were still shrouded in mystery. Albatinus had gained a keen interest in them as well, so he refused to let go of Johann, who knew the most about them. ording to those who knew Albatinus, Johann was not going to be free until Albatinus¡¯ curiosity was satiated enough. The other reason for their prolonged stay was Anne, Johann¡¯s daughter. She had fallen in love with the location and construction of the headquarters, and refused to leave. Though such a reaction was somewhat natural, as she had spent thest few years of her life shut inside a small room. When the people in the headquarters heard of her story, they all began taking care of her, making sure she would live happily from then on. They took her on walks around the Fifty Bells¡¯ city or out in the Forest of Four Seasons nearly every day. Johann was busy with Albatinus every day, and would go homepletely exhausted, but Albatinus had concocted a special medicine for him so that the next day he would wake up full of energy for another day of hard work. Mylenne followed Johann everywhere as his assistant, and felt like her life was full again, a new fun discovery to annotate every day. Her skill as an alchemist also kept improving every day. Johann¡¯s wife Angelique also had a peaceful life, watching her family enjoy themselves. She had grown up as the daughter of a farmer, so she would often also help in the fields. People there imed she had improved the quality of their crops greatly as well. Maybe because she was married to an alchemist, she loved experimenting with variouspositions of fertilizer, which recently had started giving rather positive results. The Fifty Bells¡¯ main objective had been aplished, but it was going to continue existing for quite a while longer. All of the Fifty Bells¡¯ elite Hidden members had joined Sasori and Hebi in Roseline, where they captured Chimera uzen¡¯s members one after another every day thanks to their ties to Melville. Sasori alwaysined that while it was fun, she also had to work every day. Hebi was also busy interrogating their prisoners every day. If she happened to lose her focus, the prisoners always shuddered. Once things were taken care of in Roseline, half of the Hidden joined the church in cleaning the other countries in the continent. Through their investigation they found out that a portion of Chimera uzen¡¯s research had leaked out. Now they had to both hunt down everyst member, while also getting rid of any leaked technology, so spirits would never be put in harm again. Sasori and Hebi were in the half that joined the church, where they traveled with the cross-border legitor across the west of the Ark Continent. They were pursuing the traces of the leaked information, making sure to get rid of everything they found. Some ces of the Ark Continent did not have many churches, so the cross-border legitor would help get the group in most ces, and since the continent was sorge, Sasori and the other Hidden would help searching. ¡¸You¡¯re going to the Ark Continent? There¡¯s a lot of strong monsters over there, take care of yourselves.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, don¡¯t worry. I feel like we¡¯ve gotten really strong after fighting together for so long, and Uzume gave us permission to go there as well.¡¹ ¡¸I concur. We¡¯ve learned.¡¹ Mira was currently in the underground prison below the church. She was looking at the many prisoners that seemed to overflow from the cells as she spoke with Sasori and Hebi. ¡¸Still, I think it¡¯ll be some time before we actually leave¡¹ said Sasori with a sigh. Mira had gone to Roseline to meet with them and get an update on the situation, and she understood why it would take some time considering the current times. Then Mira gave them an unusually potent medicine, saying it was a farewell gift. It was known as Starlife Water, which could bring someone back from the brink of death. The two girls became flustered the moment they heard that name, but Mira just said, ¡¸I¡¯m just too worried for you two¡¹ which convinced them to ept the items with a smile. ¡¸Well, good riddance then.¡¹ ¡¸You too, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Good bye.¡¹ After seeing the other Hidden Members, Mira gave Sasori and Hebi her gift, they promised to meet again one day, and after a short exchange Mira left for her next destination. Chapter 152: Father and Son (1) Chapter 152: Father and Son (1) The night party organized by Sentopolly was also a truly magnificent sight, celebrating the defeat of Chimera uzen. The Prime Minister had rented the biggest and most luxurious party hall in the city, as well as the garden outside. The best food was served, utilizing everyst inch of the tables to fit the tes. There were more than two hundred participants as well, half of which were some of the most influential people in Sentopolly. There were high ranking officials that had no clue of Chimera uzen¡¯s ties with their country present, and even Gates and Debora, the chiefs of the Warriors and Spellcasters¡¯ Unions were there. The chiefs of other unions, like the Merchants¡¯, Fishers¡¯, Medics, and various others were also there. Owners ofrge trading firms, renowned shipwrights, and the leaders of famous guilds that had not participated in the fight against Chimera also made an appearance. Amongst all those famous personages was also the master cksmith Gregor, the father of one of Chimera uzen¡¯s top men Gregorius. Everyone was celebrating the fall of Chimera uzen, amon enemy for everyone in the world, but considering his personal situation he did not seem too cheerful. ¡¸Hey, do you have a moment?¡¹ He was sitting alone in a corner of the hall, drinking ss after ss until Mira called out to him. He seemed somewhat reluctant to look her way, or rather was too depressed to do so, but once his eyesy on her he just muttered, ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re the girl from that time,¡¹ and went back to drinking. ¡¸Let¡¯s go outside for a bit.¡¹ Gregor seemed almost unresponsive in his sadness. Seeing that, Mira held onto his arm almost instinctively and dragged him out of the hall without giving him time to resist. ¡¸What are you doing? Are you trying to scold an old man like myself?¡¹ Mira dragged him out of the hall, through the garden, to a corner far away. Gregor watched the lively party withnguid eyes, chuckling emptily at his own words. ¡¸Oh look, at least you have enough energy left toe up with jokes. Maybe I don¡¯t have to worry as much then.¡¹ Mira summoned Pegasus as she said that. She climbed on his back, and vigorously gestured at Gregor to go with her. This finally prompted Gregor to actually pay attention to her, and wonder what was going on. ¡¸You aren¡¯t thinking of parting ways without seeing him onest time, are you?¡¹ Mira looked straight at Gregor¡¯s eyes as she spoke with a low voice. Some time passed, and around the time Pegasus was starting to gather attention Gregor finally answered, ¡¸Please take me to him,¡¹ jumping onto Pegasus¡¯ back with conviction. Mira had promised Pegasus she would spend a lot of time with himter, so he pped his wings in a good mood. ¡¸Mira? And Gregor? What¡¯s going on?¡¹ As Pegasus¡¯ hoofs left the ground, Emera came running to ask what was going on. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, probably from alcohol. ¡¸I figured I¡¯d let them meet.¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes looked at a spot in the distance as she said that. Emera seemed to understand what she meant, so after a quick nod and a smile she said, ¡¸Have a safe trip.¡¹ Pegasus pped his wings and flew up into the night sky. The party seemed to be even more lively seeing that, but the noise quickly faded in the distance as Mira headed to the Fifty Bells¡¯ branch. ¡¸Oh¡­ Father.¡¹ ¡¸You foolish child¡­¡¹ The father and son reunited in the basement of the branch after many decades of being separate. After that first exchange, both looked away awkwardly. ¡¸Ohh ohh, is that your father? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand our goals and ideals then. Quickly get him to bust us out!¡¹ ¡¸And don¡¯t forget about me, I don¡¯t want to stay here either.¡¹ The three Heads were restrained with special bindings made by the Fifty Bells, sealing all movement and spell usage. Only their mouths remained free, so their words could be recorded as evidence. (This could take a while¡­) Arge rift had opened between Gregor and Gregorius, so both sides did not know how to address each other anymore. Mira realized it would take some time before they would really talk, and she did not want the other two heads getting in the way, so she used her Magic Eyes¡¯ paralysis on them to keep them quiet. Isaac and Jamal were watching from a slight distance, and seeing that they promised not to say anything stupid and rolled their bodies further away into the cell. Mira decided to let them go seeing that, and instead asked Mattie for help with dragging the two Heads away from the bars as well. After that Mattie shuddered seeing how mercilessly Mira rolled the two away with the help of her Sage Arts. Now the father and son had more space to talk with each other. They remained silent for a while longer, but eventually Gregor began to say a word or two. He never asked why Gregorius decided to harm spirits, or why he allied himself with such despicable people. He spoke of his current smithing projects, his memories of Gregorius¡¯ childhood, and their rtives. All he spoke were things one would talk about when meeting a long lost son. Chimera uzen¡¯s crimes were heavy. He knew this could very well be thest time they saw each other. Mira and Mattie sat down next to the door and watched the two. Mattie had been surprised to see Mira visit so suddenly, but now she understood the rtionship between those two men. She took out aic book and began reading it without saying a word. Only one voice could be heard in the basement. Gregor continued talking on and on, while Gregorius listened in silence. He did not beg for his life, contradict anything, or attempt to justify himself, he just listened without saying a word. ¡¸Well, farewell, my foolish child.¡¹ After his long one-sided conversation, Gregor spoke those words and turned around. ¡¸Is that everything you had to say?¡¹ Mira stood up and asked that. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve said enough,¡¹ was Gregor¡¯s answer, his stern expression softening slightly. The emotional weight on him was not gone yet, but at least he seemed satisfied. Some fatherly love had seeped into his sorrow. ¡¸Live a long life.¡¹ When Mira left and the basement door was locked, a murmur broke the silence of the cell. It was a faint, almost inaudible voice, but it carried a heartfelt wish. The ties between a father and son were a mysterious thing. Isaac and Jamal thought that, while slowly remembering distant memories from their forgotten childhood. They did not feel like returning to the party right away, so Mira and Gregor chose to remain in the branch¡¯s living room for a while. One of them was a powerful adventurer that could fight alongside the Fifty Bells¡¯mander without holding her back and had been essential in taking down Chimera uzen¡¯s main base. The other was a master cksmith that everyone in Sentopolly had heard about. Mattie regretted not having stocked up on expensive tea for such an asion. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry this is so cheap¡­¡¹ Mattie said with an apologetic voice as she ced two mismatched cups on the table. They replied with ¡¸Sorry for making you do all this¡¹ and ¡¸I bbered on for so long my throat was starting to get dry, thank you.¡¹ At the same time, Mattie¡¯s regret grew even more as she wished she had bought a tea set for guests as well. ¡¸My apologies for dragging you here. I just couldn¡¯t remain still seeing you like that, even if I felt like I was bothering you.¡¹ ¡¸Well, he¡¯s still my son, even if he turns out like that¡­ I really can¡¯t thank you enough, Mira.¡¹ The two made noments at all about the tea¡¯s taste, which almost bothered Mattie. They simply sipped the tea without any rush and talked to each other. This meeting had been prompted purely by Mira¡¯s subjective feelings. Something stirred in her when she saw Gregor in the party, making her wish they could meet at least once, even if both knew it was going to be thest time. Gregor had always believed his son was dead until the day Mira first visited him. That changed that day, and he also found out his son worked for the despicable Chimera uzen. The whirlpool of emotions he felt that day was impossible to exin with words. ¡¸Also, I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble my son caused you. Thank you for putting an end to it.¡¹ Chapter 154: Under the Name of the Spirit King (2) Chapter 154: Under the Name of the Spirit King (2) The next ce Mira visited was the warehouse that once belonged to Melville. It was now owned by the Roseline state, so Eabates was the one managing it. But given the many items rted to Chimera uzen that were found inside, the church was still keeping it closed and under investigation. There were many people from the church busily going from one building to another inside the premises. ¡¸Oh, you must be Mira. We¡¯ve been waiting for you, pleasee here.¡¹ ¡¸Mm, let¡¯s get this over with.¡¹ A woman was waiting for Mira in the entrance of the overturned warehouses. She was Louise, the minister that had worked together with Sasori and Hebi to investigate Melville. They were meeting there because Mira was going to help them with some of their investigation. The two of them walked inside, heading straight towards one specific warehouse, the one hiding the entrance to the Graveyard of War Memorials. ¡¸Thank you very much for agreeing toe with us on such short notice.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s perfectly alright, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m rather curious about that ce myself.¡¹ Louise seemed tomand a great authority there, as the investigators that moved busily from one side to another made sure to stop and greet her respectfully. Mira watched that as she walked alongside Louise, eventually entering the warehouse building. While they investigated the ruins buried below it, the Graveyard of War Memorials, they had run into a small problem. They did not know how to deal with the ck mist stones inside. The church¡¯s opinion was currently divided, some of them saying that any material that could be used to potentially harm spirits should be disposed of with no questions, while the other half believed that there were still so many questions surrounding the ck mist stones that it warranted more exhaustive research to really understand what it was, and how to properly deal with it. That slowly developed into a divisive position in the church, dividing it into factions with different ideas, and the conflict only showed signs of getting worse with each passing day. Louise was starting to get desperate seeing the church¡¯s foundations shake like that, so she decided to swallow her pride and ask Sasori and Hebi for advice. They ryed it to Kagura, who then passed it on to Mira. That resulted with her being invited to the Graveyard of War Memorials to help them figure out what to do with the ck mist stones, though she had promised the Spirit King she would do that in the first ce too. Louise had been on the side that just wanted to get rid of everything, so she happily decided to follow Mira¡¯s advice and was going down there with her now. Other investigators that worked with her followed them too, as witnesses. They only had one role following Mira. They would stand as witnesses for the church that Mira had cleansed all the ck mist stones with the power of the Spirit King. The church was already aware of the Spirit King¡¯s apparition during the announcement in Sentopolly. They had heard that a summoner by the name of Mira had summoned the Spirit King, though that was not exactly urate. ¡¸Let¡¯s get started then, shall we? Truth be told, I¡¯m notpletely sure it¡¯ll work, but we¡¯ll just have to try.¡¹ Mira¡¯s connection with the Spirit King was real. The Three Gods revered by the church were sworn brothers of the Spirit King. So if the Spirit King ordered something, the church had no option but to obey. Not to mention that this was something the Spirit King had wished himself, so fulfilling his desires was a great honor for them. They were in the center of the Graveyard of War Memorials. They stood in the middle of the tower which housed countless ck mist stones, and Mira summoned Sanctia, the Holy Sword. ¡¸What a¡­ divine sight¡­¡¹ One of the spellcasters there muttered at the sight of the de. At first nce, the sword seemed to emit a gentle white light, like the moon. But the spellcaster also took notice of the immense spiritual power surrounding it. The Spirit King¡¯s blessing on Mira was channeling his power into the de. ¡¸I can feel so much power too¡­¡¹ Louise was of the Warrior ss, so she could not see the spiritual power. But she could feel its invisible presence, understanding that the Spirit King¡¯s power truly resided in the Holy Sword. The other investigators remained silent, but all felt simrly. This would be the second time Mira was cleansing the demons¡¯ curse. The first time was when getting rid of the crystal left by the Demon Princess, though the scale waspletely different back then. Now it was not just a single crystal, but the entire Graveyard of War Memorials. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s hope this works.¡¹ ¡ºDon¡¯t fret, simply thrust the sword into the floor. I¡¯ll handle everything after that.¡» As Mira reaffirmed her grip on the sword and muttered to herself, the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection¡¯s marks on her body began to glow, and she heard a voice in her head. The Spirit King was speaking to her. But only Mira could hear that, Louise and her men showed no reaction. ¡¸You really show up only when it¡¯s convenient¡­ but well, no matter.¡¹ Mira had a forced smile as she said that, but she also felt like she had to take advantage of that situation, so she removed her coat to let everyone else see the marks of the Divine Protection. ¡¸Do you know what this is? It¡¯s the Divine Protection granted to me by the Spirit King.¡¹ When Mira said that, Louise looked even more shocked, quickly joining her palms together in adoration. ¡¸The¡­ Spirit King¡­ That¡¯s such a wonderful mark too.¡¹ That was even more proof that the Spirit King wished for the destruction of the ck mist stones, and would help give their story more credence. Louise and her men quickly realized that, and bowed in reverence. ¡ºWell, may I use your name for this then, Spirit King?¡» ¡ºGo ahead, announce it far and wide.¡» Mira asked that in her mind, and the Spirit King consented readily. She had no reason to hold back anymore. ¡¸Under the name of the Spirit King, and his power granted to me to fulfill his wishes, I cleanse these ruins!¡¹ After announcing that with a loud and prideful voice, she thrust the sword into the ground. Multiple streaks of light shot out of the de, which only got brighter until everything was washed out in white. No shadows could escape that light. As everything was bathed in the blinding whiteness, any specks of ck or shadow were overtaken and vanished without trace. The light eventually escaped from inside the tower where Mira stood, spreading outside. At first the structures cast ck shadows, but the white light quickly erased them. The light was bright like the sun¡¯s, but it felt gentle on the eyes, not causing any pain to anyone who saw it. Louise¡¯s group understood that they had just witnessed something that would never repeat in history. ¡¸Well, that should¡¯ve gotten rid of everything that was left in here.¡¹ Once the Spirit King told her he was done, Mira pulled out the sword and turned back to the witnesses. Watching everything take ce had been more impactful than they had expected, everyone¡¯s mouths left agape. ¡¸Louise, it¡¯s done. The Spirit King told me there shouldn¡¯t be any remains of the curse left in here anymore.¡¹ Sending the Holy Sword away, Mira gently shook Louise¡¯s shoulder while once again name dropping the Spirit King with pride. She seemed to finally regain her senses after that, and she nodded at Mira. ¡¸Thank you so much, Mira! That was incredible! I could feel the Spirit King¡¯s power through my entire body!¡¹ She sounded extremely excited as she said that. The other investigators also began to talk with each other with enthusiasm. They had all felt the Spirit King¡¯s power in the Holy Sword¡¯s light. That power was almost on par with that of the Three Gods, so it had left a strong impression on them. ¡¸Look how well they received you.¡¹ ¡ºSeeing them so happy makes using so much power worth it.¡» Mira muttered seeing their reaction, and the Spirit King answered with an entertained voice. This was the first time the Spirit King had cleansed such arge curse, so he had to spend more energy than he expected at first. Now that everything was said and done, the ck mist stones had been cleansed under the name of the Spirit King. ¡¸I¡¯ll take care of the rest now, and write a report of everything that happened.¡¹ Once they were out of the ruins, Louise said while bowing in gratitude, and left with a happy gait. The other witnesses were also in a very good mood, almost dancing as they left. Mira learned afterwards that for members in the church, feeling the power of a friend of the Three Gods like the Spirit King, was considered a great honor and carried a lot of importance. On top of that, anyone who came in contact with the Spirit King was granted a high honorary position. That was another reason why Louise and her men were so happy. Louise presented her report the next day. Those who were for the destruction of everything were happy hearing the news, thanking the Spirit King. The side that wanted to research the ck mist stones dropped the matter, there was nothing to discuss if that was the Spirit King¡¯s will. Even when there were different factions within the church, their beliefs were still rooted in the same ce. That only served to sweep such internal divisions under the rug though, and Sasori and Hebi warned Louise that they would probably spring out again if they ever got a chance. On the other hand, Roseline¡¯s current ruler, the Eabates Trading Corporation, had designated the ck mist stones as a prohibited material and left the church to deal with the rest, trying to not get unnecessarily involved. Ulysses, the chairman, was still relieved hearing about the cleansing though, d that most of the issue had been dealt with. Chapter 155: Divine Girl (1) Chapter 155: Divine Girl (1) ¡¸An¡­ angel?¡¹ Mira muttered confused. She was in a room inside the Fifty Bells¡¯ spirit flying ship, which was stationed in the garden of the prime minister¡¯s residence in Sentopolly. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect that at all¡­¡¹ Kagura sounded just as surprised as Mira next to her. Their shocked eyes were focused on the person sitting in front of them. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry for everything you had to go through. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ The girl in front of them apologized profusely. Her voice was more subdued than her appearance suggested, and she sat with an air of tidiness around her. She was the girl that had been possessed by the Demon Princess¡¯ ghost. She had been under Kagura¡¯s care, sleeping in a safe room in the spirit flying ship until she finally woke up that day. Mira and Kagura rushed to the room when they heard she was awake. When they asked who she was, she answered she was an angel. ¡¸Say, Grandpa, what do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, considering everything that happened I don¡¯t exactly doubt her. The response I got when I Examined her was the same as the angel I saw before.¡¹ Kagura and Mira stepped back a bit from the girl, looking at her attentively while whispering to each other. They discussed the information they obtained with Examine, or theck of it to be precise. It was the same as the angel Mira had encountered once during a quest for the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. ¡¸So you think so too. But why would an angel be there, possessed by a ghost no less?¡¹ ¡¸Well, maybe she¡¯ll tell us herself.¡¹ Saying that, the two returned to the bed where the angel sat. She lifted her head and asked with a smile, ¡¸Are you done discussing secrets?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, sorry for making you wait.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine. Feel free to ask anything you want, I¡¯ll answer everything I know.¡¹ The angel¡¯s features still looked somewhat infantile, but her demeanor was mature and she looked at the two with determined eyes. Kagura¡¯s first question was how an angel like her ended up being possessed by the Demon Princess. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to exin from the start if that¡¯s what you wish to know.¡¹ With that preface, the angel began telling a story from a past long gone, when the demon race still existed. At the time they were not a numerous race, but they had a unique ability. They could absorb a special type of mana that resided in nts and the ground. The demons used that special mana to defend themselves, fight, and sometimes even as sustenance. Since there were only a few demons, even if they withered entire forests, the damage could always be undone. There were many monsters and beasts at the time too, so the demons needed all the power they could obtain to defend themselves, so the spirits tolerated their destruction and focused on regrowing the forests instead. But then one day there was a sharp increase in the number of demons. That was the day the demons met the Ancient Humans, a predecessor of the human race. They had the unique and valuable ability to reproduce even with other races. A new, mixed race was born. Their powers were inferiorpared to demons, but it was merely a decrease from ¡®exceedingly powerful¡¯ bodies, into simply ¡®very powerful¡¯ bodies. They were called demon-men, and since they inherited the Ancient Human¡¯s reproductive abilities, they increased in numbers at a staggering rate. That led to new problems. Given their rapid growth, they never had a chance to truly develop an identity, which led to conflict amongst themselves. The demon-men formed multiple smaller groups where their ideals coincided, and moved out to different ces. They spread through most of the world, increasing in number even more, and eventually became more numerous than any other race. Because of their multiple settlements and ns, the demon-men began to take new names, including demons of the depths, sea demons, iron demons, and others. There were at least fifteen different varieties at the time, and most of them referred to themselves as some sort of demon. All of them still gained power and resources by destroying nature, and as conflicts and wars sprouted,rge forests were destroyed in exchange. That was when the spirits could no longer ignore the damage they caused. The spirits showed themselves to the demon-men, asking them to at least spare nature when fighting against other races. But they felt pride in calling themselves the strongest race in the world, so they refused the spirits¡¯ plea. They treated the spirits as enemies, and yet another war broke out. What happened after that was just like the Spirit King described, the demons were exterminated by the spirits to end the war. ¡¸But there was another issue, as the demon¡¯s power changed.¡¹ The angel exined how after the spirits exterminated the demons, a ck curse took root in their bones. Soon after they found out that the curse would devour spirits, though apparently back then it was far more powerful and they had no way to cleanse it. But if left untreated, it would spread through the world and taint it all, erasing spiritual power from thend. They had to avoid that at all costs, so all races banded together with the spirits to try stopping the curse from spreading. But no matter what they tried, it had no effect, until she, an angel, arrived. She came up with the n to create a set of catbs sealed from the outside world, coffins where the curse would be contained until it vanished. An angel would remain inside, making sure it was kept sealed, and to keep the demonspany. Everything was then buried deep underground. That was the identity of the Graveyard of War Memorials. The resting ce of the warring race that always sought power, and those who followed them. ¡¸Hmm¡­ so you basically became a human sacrifice to contain them?¡¹ Mira had a grim look, looking silently at the angel sitting in front of them. ording to the Spirit King, that war had ended hundreds of millenia ago. It was hard to imagine just how long the angel had been down there alone. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ hard to imagine¡­¡¹ Angels were usually touted as the opposite of demons and devils. That applied to this world as well, and Mira and Kagura had met one before when it was still a game. At the time, the angel looked like an imposing and powerful figure. But either because she had spent so much of her power containing the curse, or because of her long stay down there, the angel they saw now looked frail and weak. It made one wonder just what she had endured. Kagura could not find any words to say, simply frowning as she thought of it all. ¡¸I offered to do it myself. Don¡¯t be so concerned about myself.¡¹ Noticing the pity orpassion in Mira and Kagura¡¯s eyes, the angel smiled and told them not to feel that way. ¡¸There¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to know myself though. May I ask you something?¡¹ She continued talking. Her voice sounded resolute, leaving Mira and Kagura stunned seeing someone with such a cute appearance acting so strong. ¡¸Err, sure. Go ahead.¡¹ Kagura was left speechless for a bit, but eventually nodded. The angel thanked her happily, then tilted her head slightly to ask how humans came to find the resting ce of the demons. ¡¸It should have been impossible for anyone to find that ce, at least as long as I¡¯m alive.¡¹ The angel then exined a bit more about the burial site. The entire ce had been built by a secret material produced by angels. That created a special barrier around it, essentially phasing out half of the location¡¯s presence away from this world. That made it impossible for anyone to stumble on it by chance, or even detect its presence. Yet somehow the coffin had been blown open, and all the evils contained within spilled out onto the world. At the same time, the demon¡¯s curse that hadrgely stabilized after so many millenia seemed to gather into a single entity, a ghost. Since the location¡¯s connection to the world had been restored, the anger and resentment of the curse was reactivated. The ghost quickly possessed the closest entity it found, the angel. She had spent so many years fighting and keeping the curse under control that she had no strength left to resist, losing consciousness and turning into the Demon Princess that Kagura found. ¡¸The n was that once the curse waspletely gone, the coffin would return to this realm, and be one with the ground again. For some reason it was pulled back here prematurely though.¡¹ The angel had beenposed so far, but she looked frustrated as she said that. She had been confident in her n¡¯s sess. ording to her, the only beings capable of bringing back the coffin were other angels, a more powerful god, or an entity like the Spirit King with power equal to a god, yet all those options were unlikely. Everyone who knew of her n, had supported the creation of the coffin, and the Spirit King would only be undoing his past work by bringing it back. All of them would have preferred to keep it sealed for the rest of eternity. ¡¸I¡¯m positive there was no fault in my seal. Yet¡­ why¡­ how¡­¡¹ Chapter 155: Divine Girl (2) Chapter 155: Divine Girl (2) The angel muttered, looking downcast. After a while it was clear that the angel was feeling a strong emotion. It was something that weighed heavily on her mind, making her disappointed at herself for believing her project was infallible. But her slight pout looked cute in its own way, giving Mira and Kagura aplex and confusing emotion. ¡¸Maybe¡­ it was love?¡¹ After a moment of silence, Kagura blurted out her idea. ¡¸¡­Love?¡¹ The angel looked stunned, tilting her head to the side. Kagura looked ecstatic, rushing in to hold her hands as she spoke quickly. The angel had given her life and body to save the world, and maybe there was someone who was in love with her. He understood that there was no other option, and at first epted her sacrifice. But as time passed, his feelings became stronger, eventually outweighing his sense of duty. His feelings became erratic, making him question whether he should respect her sacrifice, or follow his heart and go stay next to the one he loved. ¡¸A turmoil of regret and affection. Worry and longing. After falling down such a spiral of emotions, he chose love!¡¹ Kagura¡¯s voice was loud now, shouting how he brought back the prison where his beloved was sealed, and opened the coffin. Apparently Kagura also had a thing for romance stories of unfulfilled love. The angel just listened in a daze though, not knowing how to react or reply. ¡¸Stop it with your senseless delusions. If that¡¯s what happened, where is he now? If he truly loved her, why isn¡¯t he next to her now? Did the ghost scare him so much he just ran away?¡¹ Mira mercilessly tore through Kagura¡¯s fantasies. Kagura tried to argue back, saying, ¡¸He tried to fight for his love, but wasn¡¯t strong enough,¡¹ then Mira answered with, ¡¸Are you sure you want the story to end with such a tragedy?¡¹ which was met with a ¡¸Not really¡­¡¹ as Kagura slowly gave up her idea. ¡¸Enough joking around. Are you certain that there¡¯s no other way the coffin could¡¯ve been opened? Maybe it was something done by devils? They¡¯re like the other side of angels, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ Devils were usually called the evil counterpart of angels. Everything that happened had involved pretty much the entire world, so it would not be strange if devils had also been involved somehow. But somehow the angel looked even less convinced than with Kagura¡¯s love story. ¡¸Devils? No, that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Even they should know just how much destruction the curse would bring forth if released.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­ was that?¡¹ ¡¸Huh, what do you mean?¡¹ Mira and Kagura thought that devils¡¯ whole reason to exist was to cause humans grief and sorrow. So they had not expected that answer from the angel. She had said something that opposed what the two knew. The devils would not open the coffin because it would cause too much destruction. It would make more sense for them to open it knowing that, yet the angel vehemently argued against that, sounding resolute in her position. It was clear she thought that from the bottom of her heart. ¡ºYou don¡¯t know how the curse looked back then, so I don¡¯t me you for thinking that, Mira. I¡¯ll take the conversation from here on out. Do you mind holding hands with Kagura and the angel?¡» While Mira tried to sort her confused thoughts, she heard the Spirit King¡¯s voice inside her head. ¡¸You two, give me your hands.¡¹ The Spirit King had been eavesdropping to her conversation once again, but this time Mira appreciated the help. If the Spirit King was going to exin everything better, she had no reason to refuse his help. ¡¸Huh, why though?¡¹ ¡¸Sure.¡¹ The two held their hands out and Mira grasped them, though Kagura still sounded confused until she heard a voice in her head. She quickly understood then, and muttered, ¡¸This is amazing,¡¹ before falling silent. The story the Spirit King told them left the three surprised. ording to the Spirit King, once upon a time the devils worked hand-in-hand with angels to lead humanity to a better future. But a few thousand years prior, they were tainted with evil and turned into the entities they were known as now. The Spirit King had used a forbidden spell to exterminate the demons, but that also weakened his connection to the human realm, so he had not been able to investigate what caused that change in devils. But he confirmed what the angel said, and back then devils were not the enemy of humanity. Quite the opposite, they even coborated with angels. ¡¸What a shocking revtion¡­¡¹ ¡¸I would¡¯ve never thought they had such a past.¡¹ Mira and Kagura had seen the heinous acts done by devils before, so they were thoroughly shocked hearing what the Spirit King said. That was the logical exnation, as all that history had been lost to time in the human realm. ¡¸No¡­ how could they¡­¡¹ On the other hand, the angel looked shaken and saddened hearing what had happened to the devils. In her mind, she still saw them as reliablerades, who desired a better future with the angels. Now the Spirit King had told her they had turned into the opposite of that. It was hard for anyone to understand how the angel felt. ¡ºThat¡¯s the current state of affairs. So angel¡­ Tiriel, was it? Let me answer Mira¡¯s question in your stead. I believe her supposition might be correct.¡» The angel looked even more saddened now, her name was Tiriel. Covering her outdated knowledge, he supported Mira¡¯s theory. Devils and angels once shared the same power, so it was possible that they would know how to open the coffin. ¡ºBut I was there when that seal was created, some of my power was used for it. To undo the seal, one would need my power, or that of the Three Gods. But now that devils have turned evil, they can no longer channel divine power like angels. And I don¡¯t remember my power being used for that either. So the mystery remains as to how they cracked the seal.¡» ording to the Spirit King, the devils could only find the location of the coffin, but breaking the seal was impossible for them. It was impossible to say how they had aplished thatst part. ¡¸Somehow the devils got ess to a key that was discarded, somehow¡­ Maybe they captured an angel to forcibly open the seal?¡¹ ¡ºThat would be next to impossible. The angel would need to channel power from a god to aplish that, yet I can¡¯t imagine a god doing that no matter the circumstances an angel is in.¡» Kagura frowned as she tried to think of a way a devil would have managed to undo the seal. But the Spirit King refuted it, a god would not do that even if an angel was held hostage. ¡¸What if they said it wasn¡¯t to open the coffin, but for something else? Say to defeat a devil, or to save someone.¡¹ ¡ºNo god would fall for such a pitiful excuse. Even more so if it counted as treason. We all know how dangerous the coffin¡¯s contents were, so no one would risk opening it. The devils must have done it through other means.¡» Kagura tried toe up with even more ideas, but the Spirit King still shot them down. Kagura grunted and grumbled displeased, ring at Mira urging her toe up with something else. ¡¸What about this then¡­ What if your power was stolen? Just like that man did in the Ancient Circr Gate?¡¹ The Ancient Circr Gate was connected to the Spirit King¡¯s Pce. Mira had gotten there in time to avoid it, but Gregorius, one of Chimera¡¯s heads, was there trying to steal the power of the Spirit King. Mira asked if it would have been possible for someone to do something simr in the past. ¡ºI can¡¯t rule out that possibility. But very specific preparations and locations would be needed for that. The location being the most important part. No matter what they prepared, it would be for naught if they could not establish a proper connection.¡» The Spirit King gave an answer to Mira¡¯s idea, exining what he meant in a bit more detail. Once they heard everything, they both grimaced understanding that it would be impossible as well. Such a n would require the assants to be in a ce with ties to the Three Gods, which happened to be located under the castle in the capital of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, also known as the Oracle Site. The Oracle Site. That was the ce where once three heroes, now known as the ¡ºThree Godly Generals¡» fended off the ¡ºNameless 48 Generals¡» from Antis, the biggest yer country. They still protected that ce, and it was considered the safest location in the entire continent. The Nameless 48 Generals were each as strong as any of the Nine Wisemen like Mira and Kagura. That 48 of them lost to just three people became a legend amongst yers. So even a Duke devil would be unable to stay there for long, not to mention that it was considered a sacred location, so it would be impossible for a devil to even get close to it. The only alternative was that someone stole the Spirit King¡¯s power, but he proudly imed that Chimera¡¯s head had been the only one to ever attempt that. In the end, they could not reach a conclusion. Chapter 156: Divine Power (1) Chapter 156: Divine Power (1) The devils had gone down the path of evil. Tiriel had still not recovered from hearing that. ¡¸They could not receive or steal that power, and there¡¯s no way to open the coffin without it. But the coffin was opened somehow. That must mean they got that power somehow, the question is from where¡­¡¹ Kagura gently patted her back tofort her, while she summarized the information they had so far. Hearing that Mira thought of something, muttering, ¡¸A god¡¯s power¡­¡¹ ¡¸I just remembered something. The Holy Sword Sanctia is your daughter, right Spirit King? Would she have the power to break the seal?¡¹ The Holy Sword Sanctia. She had been born from the Spirit King¡¯s pinky, and she possessed his power which rivaled that of a god. On top of that, when Mira first met Sanctia, she was surrounded by the demon¡¯s curse. There was a high likelihood there was a connection there. But the Spirit King refuted that as well. While it would have been possible to use Sanctia for that, he would still have noticed some of his power being used. Considering the power and authority of the Spirit King, there was no reason to believe he was wrong. They had to think of yet another option. ¡¸What about this then? The seal wasn¡¯t broken, but they simply bored a small hole into it. From what I¡¯ve understood so far, it would¡¯ve been impossible for them to break it open. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to make just a small tear into it then? That should be possible with less power, maybe without the need of any divine power even.¡¹ So far they had only discussed how to open the seal in a proper way. But the more Mira thought about it, the way the Graveyard of War Memorials had been essed was akin to a small tunnel that led into it. That caught Mira¡¯s eye. ¡ºNot sting the coffin open, but creating a small hole into it, you say? Hmm, that could actually be possible, now that you mention it.¡» The Spirit King sounded impressed with that idea. To ess the contents of the coffin, one had to neutralize the barrier separating it from the human realm, and somehow turn the Divine Spiritual Crystals, the material used in its construction, into mana. A barrier to cross and a material to transform. Those were the obstacles stopping someone from entering the location, and the proper way required arge amount of a god¡¯s power to break through everything. But a small targeted attack that only created a small conduit could be possible with less power. ¡ºBut that would still require some amount of divine power. Otherwise it¡¯s impossible to even interact with the barrier. The question of how they obtained it remains, but it¡¯s still more likely than the other ideas.¡» ¡¸Hmm¡­ so in other words at least some divine power is a necessary requirement. And then some sort of destructive power.¡¹ Mira continued thinking while she thought of everything they knew so far. Eventually she had yet another idea. If getting power from a god was impossible, getting an object imbued with divine power was still a possibility. ¡¸What about an Artifact then? Those were objects given to humans by the gods, if memory serves.¡¹ ¡¸I see, maybe something like Iris¡¯ Divine Spear could¡¯ve done the trick then!¡¹ The moment Mira voiced her thoughts, Kagura also understood what she meant. They had only focused on obtaining that power directly from a god that they had neglected to think of other alternatives. Artifact was a nket term for any relic given by a god to humanity in the past. They came in all shapes and sizes, but they all were filled with immense power. But the Spirit King¡¯s answer was not something they expected. ¡ºArtifacts¡­ ahh, you mean Heroic Weapons. It¡¯s true the gods gave them to humanity, but the power within them isn¡¯t divine power, but miracle power. That resonates with the hearts of the wielder, helping them achieve their dreams. Those are merely an echo of human potential, not something powerful enough to break into the coffin.¡» ¡¸I¡­ did not know Artifacts were that kind of item.¡¹ ¡¸It wasn¡¯t the answer we were hoping for, but I feel like that¡¯s still valuable information.¡¹ Mira and Kagura knew Artifacts were extremely powerful weapons. Now that they heard what those weapons truly meant, the two were shocked, while also excited to learn such a secret. ¡ºHowever, that might still be the correct line of thought. There exist items imbued with bona-fide divine power in your realm. The three great countries you have there possess quite a few of them too.¡» While Mira¡¯s first idea of Artifacts was wrong, the Spirit King mentioned a different set of items that did have divine power in them. And they existed in Grimdart, Alispharius, and Ozstein. ¡¸Ah, ahhh! I see, so that¡¯s what you mean!¡¹ Hearing the Spirit King¡¯s words, Kagura quickly raised her voice. While Mira looked at her with concern, Kagura said ¡¸Wait a bit¡¹ and ran out of the room. ¡¸What¡¯s gotten into her all of a sudden¡­¡¹ ¡ºMaybe she thought of another possibility.¡» Mira muttered as she watched the door swinging freely, while the Spirit King answered in an entertained tone. It had been a long time since he spoke with humans so much, so he was starting to get in a chatty mood as well. But no one really noticed that, not even the Spirit King himself, and it remained as just a faint emotion in him. Mira was still holding the hand of the angel, who looked slightly downcast. Though maybe it was more urate to say that the angel did not want to let go. ¡¸I found it! Look at this!¡¹ While Mira carefully looked at the angel for a bit, Kagura loudly stomped back into the room. She looked rather proud of herself as she mmed down a bundle of papers on the table. ¡¸Hm? What am I supposed to look at?¡¹ ¡¸This! Here! The part right here!¡¹ Kagura took hold of Mira¡¯s hand and pointed at a portion on a sheet with it. As far as Mira could see, it was just a list of materials. ¡¸Okay okay,¡¹ she said as she looked more closely, and once she read everything Kagura was pointing at, she eximed ¡¸Unbelievable!¡¹ in shock. Even the Spirit King seemed impressed. There was one line in particr which read, ¡®The relic hasn¡¯t been found yet.¡¯ ¡¸What is this all about?¡¹ ¡¸Heheh, you see¡­¡¹ When Mira asked that, Kagura chuckled proudly before answering. Those documents were the results of her investigation into the Archeological Research Committee. When Mira first contacted Kagura from Sentopolly, she had started researching anything rted to that group. This was the result of that, her most updated documents on themittee. It had already been around a week since the interrogation of the three heads. At that time, Gregorius mentioned that he had sacrificed everyone in themittee that did not agree on an altar past a secret door in the ruins. Hearing that, she had gone inside the ruins together with Louise to find that secret altar. They were able to find the door, which was concealed very meticulously, and past it they found countless human bones that had already turned white. Alongside the bones, their personal belongings had been left there too, making it easy to identify them all. But they also noticed that the official member list did not match the number of bodies found. That was counting those who had not been sacrificed like Gregorius. Somehow there were still members unounted for. ¡¸Ludwig Vernstein, the leader of the Archeological Research Committee. It¡¯s like he vanished after this point in time. Also ording to Louise¡¯s investigation, he was the leader of themittee, and he was borrowing a relic known as the Hammer to Hades. It all lines up, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹ Kagura smiled, proud of her discovery. ording to Kagura¡¯s research, only Ludwig, the leader of the Archeological Research Committee, was still unounted for. The relic he had in his possession was also lost, and multiple undercover searches were trying to find it. ¡ºThe hammer, huh. A relic shaped like such a weapon could easily create a hole into the barrier.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s response made it clear that the Archeological Research Committee had the tools needed to open a pathway into the coffin. It was not the most efficient source of divine power, but the hammer¡¯s shapepensated for that greatly. ¡¸And I guess this means Ludwig was actually a devil too.¡¹ A mystery in a different search was slowly starting to unravel now. Kagura was very pleased with that turn of events, making sure to not forget to update those involved with the search. They had finally found out how themittee had found a location that no human should be able to run into or even notice. ¡¸That¡¯s very likely. There was a time a Duke devil posed as a king and ruled an entire country too. It¡¯s not like a devil in disguise is something new. And if he was the leader, he could easily guide themittee into the right direction for his n.¡¹ Tiriel¡¯s body twitched slightly hearing Mira say that. The devils she remembered would never do something like that. She looked truly pained hearing about it all. But she did not let go of Mira¡¯s hand, or attempted to run away, she simply steeled herself and epted this was reality now. ¡¸There¡¯s something I¡¯m still curious about, could a devil use a relic? I feel like you mentioned that devils can¡¯t use divine power earlier.¡¹ Mira asked that. Since their thoughts were connected to the Spirit King, for some reason Mira felt like she could feel Tiriel¡¯s feelings as well. Chapter 156: Divine Power (2) Chapter 156: Divine Power (2) ¡ºI wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s ideal. A devil would have no issue carrying a relic around, but they would feel an intense shock of divine power if they tried swinging one. No matter how strong they are, they¡¯ve been tainted by evil now, so they can no longer handle divine power.¡» ¡¸I see. I guess that means he couldn¡¯t just swing the relic around wildly. Though I appreciate the fact I don¡¯t have to worry about running into a devil swinging a relic wildly.¡¹ Mira heaved a sigh of relief hearing the Spirit King. ¡¸Still, now that I know how devils used to be, I feel hesitant to fight them again, as there might be a way to turn them back. I¡¯ll try to just render them unconscious if I ever run into one again. Though I would¡¯ve been forced to go all out if I encountered one brandishing a relic.¡¹ Mira grasped Tiriel¡¯s hand more firmly as she said that with a gentle voice. It was impossible for her to imagine it, but devils had once worked hand-in-hand with angels. Now that she knew of that, she could no longer see devils as the ultimate enemy of humanity. Not to mention that bringing up that would only make Tiriel more depressed. ¡¸Mm, you¡¯re right. Maybe there¡¯s even a friend of Tiriel¡¯s out there somewhere.¡¹ Kagura was of the same mind as well, and she held Tiriel¡¯s free hand. The angel had spent tens of thousands of years inside the coffin. An Angel¡¯s lifespan was infinite, so was a devil¡¯s. That meant it was possible that there were still devils that she had known once. But so many devils had died during the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries that the chances of that happening were close to zero. But Kagura still wished the angel could smile again, and hoped for the best. She looked like a young girl, but she was really thousands of years old. She slowly lifted her face and looked at Kagura and Mira, who had only lived for an insignificant fraction of the time she had. She realized they both cared deeply for her, so she thanked them and embraced the warmth of their hands. After that the angel Tiriel would be taken to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. There she would help Kagura with anything in her power, while also researching what happened with the other angels in charge of the catbs. The devil with the means of opening the coffins was still atrge. If a second or third coffin was opened, there was a high likelihood that a second Chimera uzen could be born. That was the Spirit King¡¯s biggest fear, and Tiriel offered to help stop that from happening. There had been a total of seven different coffins. And apparently the Graveyard of War Memorials was the smallest one of the bunch. Whether the other ones ended up being opened or not, their contents were even more dangerous and vile. But if the curse had weakened as much as in the first location and it was possible to cleanse it, Tiriel wanted to help Mira aplish that. Tiriel left aboard the spirit flying ship, heading to the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters. Some days after that, Sentopolly had regained normality, its streets abundant with merchants and adventurers. Alioth was handling the management of the city properly, and there were no issues under his leadership. Chimera uzen had been puppeteering well-intentioned nobles. He had learned all of Chimera uzen¡¯s methods from Gregorius, so now Alioth knew how to take over from those nobles that had simply been used by Chimera uzen before. On top of that, now that Chimera uzen¡¯s members of middling ranks had been uprooted from all over the state institutions, their positions had been taken over by members of the Fifty Bells, who all worked efficiently. Even after there was such arge turnover of personnel, the country did not fall to chaos, and every aspect of the government was fully functional. Maybe it was all due to Kagura¡¯s charismatic personality, but Mira was surprised to see just how capable everyone in the Fifty Bells seemed to be. The main difference was that now there was a limit to the spiritual power avable to the city, so now it could not be bright and lively the entire day and night. All the streetmps used to be spiritmps after all. Now some kind spirits would lend their power during the busiest hours, just to keep everything afloat. But that was not a sustainable solution, so themercial and entertainment districts had already started swapping onto moremon streetmps. Everything was funded with the money seized from Chimera uzen¡¯s coffers. Slowly but surely, Sentopolly was changing into a city that no longer needed to rely on spiritual power. ¡¸Hey, I see you¡¯re hard at work today too.¡¹ It was a bit after breakfast time. Mira left her inn and found the ¨¦cate Carillon crew amidst the crowd outside. ¡¸Yes, originally we wanted to finish earlier, but things kept getting in the way so hopefully today we¡¯ll get to wrap up.¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh, this has to be fate, seeing you on ourst day like this!¡¹ The merchants nearby were shuffling around their baggage on the carriages. Sero¡¯s group seemed to be taking it easy for now, except for Emera having to restrain Fra again. After talking for a bit, Mira learned that Sero¡¯s group had been hired as bodyguards for those merchants, and were about to leave with them. Their contract included the return trip as well. Once they returned to the Requiem City of Caranach, they would spend around half a month training some children and helping them study, and then they would head north. ¡¸You¡¯re teaching children then?¡¹ When Mira asked that, Zef replied with augh. After Fra began teaching Takuto some spells, one child after another came to ask her to teach them as well. Sero then added that now the Spellcaster¡¯s Union in Caranach had designated one room to be used as a ssroom for adventurers that wanted to teach others. ¡¸The teachers don¡¯t get any remuneration, but somehow there¡¯s always someone there every day. It¡¯s nice seeing generous people like that.¡¹ Asbarughed a bit mentioning how things had escted. But then Emera interjected, ¡¸And Mr. Asbar diligently preparing material each day is very generous as well,¡¹ to which he replied by looking away and saying, ¡¸I only did that because I was bored.¡¹ ¡¸Also, I still can¡¯t believe she let me keep this. Please tell her thanks from me if you see her again. ¡¹ Sero tapped the white sword hanging from his belt as he spoke to Mira. It was the Anti-Demon Silver sword Kagura had given him the night before the final battle against Chimera uzen. Once everything was over, Kagura said he could keep it, as his reward for coborating. Anti-Demon Silver was the masterpiece of both the best alchemist and the best cksmith. It had only one special property, topletely nullify ck mist stones. But it was incredibly sturdy and sharp, so even if sold as a regr sword without special properties its price would never fall below a billion. Yet Kagura easily gave it away. Sero was surprised by that, but Emera showed an even more stark reaction. ¡¸Tell her the same from me! And that I¡¯ll treasure it for the rest of my life! Also tell that to Dovalin too if you can!¡¹ Emera seemed to recall that scene again as she pleaded happily. Her belt was also adorned with two new scabbards, and new des in them. One of them was an Anti-Demon Silver sword, and the other the sword Gregor crafted for her. Having those two made her so incredibly happy that it was almost creepy being around hertely, ording to Zef. ¡¸Uncle¡­ uncle¡­¡¹ Emera forgot about the chokehold she had Fra in, and had exerted more force than nned. Mira pointed that out, and Emera hurried to let go of Fra, who fell limp on the floor. No one was close enough to hold her now, so she quickly raised her head and darted while keeping a low profile, jumping into Mira¡¯s bosom. ¡¸Nguh!¡¹ Mira had either kept her guard low, or Fra¡¯s speed had gotten just so fast, but Mira was toote to evade and Fra tackled her. From between the two, a small bottle fell down and rolled on the ground. It was an empty potion sk. Fra had drank it while she was halfway copsed, regaining her strength in an instant and dashed while everyone was distracted. ¡¸I¡¯ll never let go of it! It¡¯s a matching set with Mira¡¯s after all!¡¹ Fra had been restrained for so long that now she was even more active than usual. Her wand was shorter than Mira¡¯s Anti-Demon Silver staff, but the design was simr. In a way, she was right, they were a matching set. Some of the merchants turned around to see what themotion was all about, but they all knew of Fra¡¯s tendencies, so they merely gave Mirapassionate gazes and continued working as if nothing was happening. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect you toe with that timing¡­¡¹ Fra had managed to enjoy Mira¡¯s presence for long enough, so when Emera¡¯s backhanded chop finallynded, she copsed with a blissful look in her eyes. Mira straightened her terribly crumpled clothes while forcing a smile, things always ended like that. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s hope we meet again sometime, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Bye bye Mira! And¡­ if you ever see Dovalin again, please ask for an autograph-¡¹ ¡¸See you! Though I really feel like we¡¯ll end up running into each other soon enough.¡¹ ¡¸Make sure to take care of yourself, missy. I know you¡¯re busy, but you should get proper rest too.¡¹ ¡¸A Mira¡­ We¡¯ll be away from each other again, but at least I have this to keep mepany now!¡¹ The merchants were ready so it was time for them to depart. Everyone said their goodbyes, and Fra spoke with a sorrowful voice, which turned into a smile by the end as she lifted an item. It was not the matching wand with Mira¡¯s staff, but a single long strand of silver hair. Somehow she had managed to snatch one of Mira¡¯s hairs while she was tackling her. ¡¸You too, stay in good health.¡¹ Mira shook her head a bit and then saw off Sero and the merchants. Chapter 157: Hero (1) Chapter 157: Hero (1) Mira departed from Sentopolly and headed back towards Arkite. She sat in her luxurious wagon, finally able to spend time rxing there. Then themunication device attached inside began to ring. ¡¸Okay okay¡­ what is it?¡¹ ¡ºHey, you finally picked up.¡» Mira stood up lethargically and ced the device to her ear. Solomon¡¯s voice sounded relieved to hear her, though also somewhat tired of waiting. ¡ºWere you sleeping? It¡¯s still daytime, you know.¡» ¡¸Something like that. I¡¯m sure you already know everything, yes? I was busy dealing with everything after that too.¡¹ Mira reclined herself against the mattress in the closet, resting her exhausted body. From the side, she looked rather slovenly, her dress crumpled up and exposing her thighs. ¡ºI know, I heard you worked hard too. And apparently you even summoned the Spirit King? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already gaining a name for yourself.¡» ¡¸To be urate he just showed up by himself. I still can¡¯t believe you would make me embarrass myself in public like that though.¡¹ It had been Solomon¡¯s idea to present Mira on the spirit flying ship during their announcement, alongside all those other famous adventurers. That was part of his n to eventually have Mira recognized as one of the Nine Wisemen. Somehow she still resented being pushed onto the stage without warning though. ¡ºWell, it¡¯ll eventually make things better for you. So just hang in there and keep going like you have so far.¡» Those were Solomon¡¯s honest thoughts. There was no malice hidden in his words, only delight. Mira could not talk back anymore after that, so she just said ¡¸Okay, okay¡¹ with a low voice. ¡¸I doubt you¡¯d call me just to say that though. What do you need? I finally got to return home and rx, and you had to st my ears off with that annoying bell.¡¹ ¡ºWhoops, sorry for that. Could you just do me a small favor? There¡¯s some files I want to get from the Eabates Trading Corporation. I¡¯ve already spoken with them so they should give you everything the moment you show up. It¡¯s nothing big.¡» Mira kept sulking andining, but Solomon did not seem to have a smidgen of remorse giving her more work. Quite the opposite, he had already prepared everything without asking her first. She had little option but to ept. ¡¸Files, huh¡­¡¹ Mira muttered with a mocking tone. It was annoying, but she was not in a position to refuse it. But herck of a clear answer was something that highlighted the rtionship they had with each other. ¡ºIt¡¯s a very important contract to unite both countries. Please, I¡¯ll make sure to prepare a feast for you when you get back.¡» ¡¸¡­Hmph, you better don¡¯t forget that.¡¹ ¡ºOf course. Thanks again, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡» Saying that, Solomon hung up. Everything had gone to n, and offering food in exchange sealed the deal. Solomon was familiar with Mira¡¯s tastes. Solomon was the king, so Mira was excited to see what kind of feast he could organize. ¡¸Well, guess I¡¯ll have to head that way then!¡¹ Mira pulled herself up and tidied her clothes, then nced at the scenery outside as she ordered Garuda to change course to Roseline. As the wagon slowly turned around, Mira looked at a mountain range far away, and thought back to Chimera uzen¡¯s main base, wondering if it had been located somewhere around there.
The Eabates Trading Corporation¡¯s headquarters were located in Roseline. The entire plot ofnd around and behind it belonged to Eabates as well, with the chairman¡¯s residence in the center and multiple other buildings around it. The corporation¡¯s staff, the employees of its various facilities, and many of its merchants lived there, and from high in the sky it looked like a small city. The wagon held by Garuda slowly descended on the open space in front of the chairman¡¯s residence,nding there. ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for you, miss. Pleasee with me, the chairman will see you right now.¡¹ Mira¡¯s grandiose entrance matched up with her description, so she was quickly recognized. There was no crowd of curious onlookers, only a polite maid waiting for her to step out of the wagon. ¡¸Okay.¡¹ Mira gave a short answer and followed the maid into the residence. The furniture was carefully cleaned and kept tidy, without looking extravagant. It simply gave an air that someone was actually living there. The maid took Mira to the third floor. After announcing the guest¡¯s arrival, a cheerful male voice answered from within a room. Opening the door, the maid signaled to Mira to go inside. ¡¸Nice to meet you, Mira. I¡¯m Ulysses Teles Eabates, the chairman. I¡¯m d to finally meet you in person after coborating for so long.¡¹ Everything seemed to happen incredibly fast. The chairman Ulysses stood up and firmly shook Mira¡¯s hand, greeting her amicably. ¡¸Ah, yes. Me too, nice to meet you.¡¹ Those were the manners of a sessful and prominent merchant. Mira felt a bit overwhelmed feeling his sharp and discerning eyes on her. Unlike the somewhat in look of the mansion, Ulysses had a striking appearance. He was clearly past the prime of his life, but his body did not seem deteriorated or weakened yet, his figure still looking firm. His height was average for a man, but somehow he seemed taller. That was Ulysses, the next ruler of Roseline. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect that rumored sessor to be connected with my good friend. What a small world, right? I¡¯m d I could meet you.¡¹ Ulysses smiled happily as he somewhat reluctantly let go of Mira¡¯s hand, he seemed to truly mean every single word. The good friend he mentioned was Solomon. But something else had caught Mira¡¯s attention as she tilted her head to ask: ¡¸Rumors? Sessor? What are you talking about?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I guess it¡¯s true that the very topic of those rumors ispletely oblivious to them. Somehow I¡¯m usually the first one to find out when rumors spread about me.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s confused questions, Ulysses muttered in a slightly wondrous way. In his line of work, rumors could greatly affect whether his business would improve or get worse. He was always attentive to rumors rting to himself, so he could take early action if needed. ¡¸Well, what are those rumors about?¡¹ ¡¸If I¡¯ve perked your interest, I¡¯ll tell you.¡¹ Ulysses answered with a theatrical voice and pulled out a book from a nearby bookshelf as he spoke. The book told the tale of Forsythia, a hero of legend. A long time ago, when a king of the monsters appeared, there had been a young girl too. Her name was Forsythia, she inherited the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, and fought valiantly while armed with the power of spirits. Her exploits had garnered her a lot of respect amongst people. As that era neared its end, Forsythia brandished the Spirit King¡¯s power as her own, oveing countless battles before confronting the king of the monsters and defeating it. Afterwards she was known as a hero, her tale bing a legend. ¡¸Word is in the street that you¡¯ve inherited the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection as well. And as a summoner you can call forth spirits as well, right? Not to mention that you were an integral part in taking down Chimera uzen and stopping their evil deeds. All of that has sparked rumors amongst the people that you¡¯re Forsythia¡¯s sessor.¡¹ Ulysses sounded excited telling that story, and when he was done he ced the book on his desk, leaving it open on thest page. There was a drawing there, depicting Forsythia wearing knight armor, while surrounded in an aura simr to the Spirit King¡¯s. The illustration painted her as a charming and beautiful woman, which made Mira feel like calling her Forsythia¡¯s sessor was a bit of an exaggeration, but that did not deter Ulysses. ¡¸I felt like a lot more people were staring at metely, I guess that¡¯s why¡­¡¹ Chapter 157: Hero (2) Chapter 157: Hero (2) Some days after the public announcement aboard the spirit flying ship, Mira felt like she was attracting a lot more attention. But she just shrugged it off, assuming it was only momentary while people recalled her public appearance that day. But ording to Ulysses, there was an even bigger reason for that. Mira could understand the reasoning behind it, but she still felt bothered. ¡¸Oh right, I was supposed to give you this too. I¡¯m really sorry, I think my age is finally catching up to me.¡¹ Ulysses turned around, as if suddenly remembering something, and picked up a decently sized envelope from his desk. He turned back to face Mira and handed the envelope to her with a serious look. ¡¸No worries, no worries.¡¹ Mira was there running that small errand, so she answered with a smile and took the envelope. (Hmm, so this is the file Solomon mentioned. Somehow this feels more important than he made it seem though.) She looked at it and noticed the envelope was sealed securely. There were three different wax seals, each with a different pattern. The other side of the envelope had Roseline¡¯s national emblem printed in gold. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll make sure to deliver it then.¡¹ After taking a quick look at it, and thinking that it was a rather tacky envelope, she ced it inside her Item Box. That was all Solomon had asked her to do, so she got ready to leave as soon as she could. ¡¸Ah, wait. Could you please sign this before you leave?¡¹ Ulysses hurriedly took out a square white sheet from his desk and ran to cut Mira¡¯s path off, handing it to her together with a pen. ¡¸Ohh, right, I almost forgot. Sorry sorry.¡¹ Since Solomon was involved with this, the contents of the envelope were likely very important. That meant the messenger had to leave his signature. Mira took the pen and muttered ¡¸I have picked it up¡¹ as she wrote her signature in the center of the sheet. ¡¸And your fingerprint too, please.¡¹ Ulysses checked the signature, then offered her a piece of cotton soaked in ink. ¡¸Okay, is this a good ce?¡¹ Mira nodded and put some ink on her thumb, then pointed at a spot next to her signature. She waited until Ulysses nodded, and firmly pressed her thumb onto the sheet. ¡¸Is that all?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s all. Sorry for holding you up.¡¹ The sheet was signed and her small fingerprint was on it. Ulysses gave Mira a piece of cloth to wipe off the excess ink from her thumb, then looked at the signed sheet with a sparkle in his eyes, then looked more serious as he once again turned to look at Mira. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll go deliver it then.¡¹ Mira said as Ulysses took back the cloth with ink, shook Mira¡¯s hand firmly, and said, ¡¸Thank you again,¡¹ with a quick bow. That concluded the transferral of the documents. Now that her short errand wasplete, Mira went out of the room, dreaming of the feast awaiting her in the castle. Ulysses remained in the room, hastily framing the signed sheet of paper, as well as the piece of cloth Mira used to wipe the ink off her thumb. ¡¸The sessor of the legendary hero. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be someone important one day, and this will be very valuable then. I have to celebrate!¡¹ Ulysses went to another room annexed to the first, approaching arge shelf there while hugging the framed signature and smiling like a child. The shelf housed autographs of many famous adventurers, and well-known military generals. All packed snuggly on the shelf. ¡¸I¡¯m not washing my hands again today either!¡¹ As Ulysses ced what had essentially be Mira¡¯s autograph on the shelf, he recalled the feeling of Mira¡¯s hand and decided to not let go of it for as long as he could. His eyes showed he did not mean that as a joke, but that he was dead serious. Ulysses Teles Eabates had always wished to be a hero, like all those he admired. He always lived honestly and with a firm resolution, never showing any leniency towards crimes or injustice. That unwavering conviction was what pulled him and Solomon together. Sometimes his admiration could be an obsession though, and he would make other merchants undergoplicated ns to acquire those autographs. This time the target of his admiration had visited him herself though, so he was able to obtain the autograph with little effort.
Mira was done with Solomon¡¯s task in that ce, so after leaving the chairman¡¯s residence she summoned Garuda and climbed into the wagon. Then just as she was about to take off¡­ ¡¸¡­ra¡­ Mira¡­ Miiiraaaa!!¡¹ Mira felt like someone was calling her name from far away. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Mira stepped out wondering what that was, and saw a man running towards her with all his might, his face pale from the effort of carrying arge bag that hung from his shoulder, and a bundle on his back. ¡¸Was that¡­¡¹ Mira recoiled back into the wagon¡¯s safety by instinct, but then she realized she had spoken with that man before. ¡¸Hahh¡­ Huff¡­ I¡¯m d I made it on time¡­I think¡­¡¹ His hair, breath, and clothes were disheveled. He was Lenoce, Ulysses¡¯ grandson. ¡¸It¡¯s¡­ been a while. Or well, more like a week, I guess.¡¹ Lenoce struggled to catch his breath as he forced a smile and spoke to Mira. ¡¸You helped me and Sasori back then, yes? What do you need from me?¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m sorry. This is something really selfish and non-consequential¡­¡¹ When Mira asked that, Lenoce began apologizing, but quickly unloaded his bag and opened it with excitement. Lenoce had brought a drawing board that barely fit in his arms. Usually they held paintings, but this one was empty, which Mira found rather curious. He held it forward to Mira, lowering his head as he loudly eximed, ¡¸Could you give me your autograph?¡¹ ¡¸¡­Ah, ahh. That¡¯s what you wanted.¡¹ Mira was left speechless for a moment, but then remembered what Sasori had told her about Lenoce before. He was enamored with the idea of heroes.1 The hottest topic in both Sentopolly and Roseline was the destruction of the evil organization Chimera uzen. Mira was a key member that allowed that to happen, so her name was catching on as well. She had be far more popr than she had realized. Not to mention that as Ulysses had mentioned earlier, some even believed she was the sessor of a legendary hero. Lenoce would definitely follow someone with such growing fame. ¡¸This is pretty big¡­ where should I write it?¡¹ Mira was not really opposed to the idea of giving an autograph, so she took the pen Lenoce offered. He pointed at the center and said ¡¸Here please¡¹ after which Mira happily wrote her signature. ¡¸Thank you very much! I¡¯ll make sure to treasure it!¡¹ She had wroten ¡®Mira¡¯ in the fanciest cursive letters she could draw. He thanked her profusely while promising to take care of it, then opened the bundle on his back. ¡¸Umm¡­ could I take a picture of you as well?!¡¹ The bundle turned out to be a camera, of around the same size as his head. His eyes sparkled like those of a fan that met an idol or pop-star, his enthusiasm showing no signs of stopping. ¡¸A picture¡­ hmm, alright.¡¹ Mira was getting in a good mood being showered with so much admiration, so she struck a pose while making sure that her wagon and Garuda were visible behind her. ¡¸Thank you very much! You really are the best, Mira!¡¹ Lenoce quickly prepared the camera while thanking Mira more, taking pictures from various angles. Hearing him made Mira feel even better, taking a more cocky attitude and saying things like, ¡¸This will be the only time I do this though.¡¹ And that was how Mira¡¯s pictures in extravagant poses were captured in needlessly high resolution by Lenoce¡¯s camera and added to his collection.
  1. Silva: Like grandfather, like grandson eh?
Chapter 158: New Creation (1) Chapter 158: New Creation (1) Garuda gently let go of the wagon at the gates of the castle in Lunatic Lake, the capital of Arkite. ¡¸Thanks for your hard work.¡¹ Stepping out of the wagon, Mira thanked Garuda before sending it away. Then turned to look at the castle, wondering how long it had been since herst time there, but then she furrowed her brow. ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this¡­?¡¹ The path from the castle gates to the entrance was lined with soldiers. There was even an orchestra, setting up a magnificent wee party. There was one time when she had visited the castle, and Solomon decided to y a prank on her by making a loud party like that. At first she thought the same thing was happening again, but then she doubted Solomon would y the same prank twice. That made her think that maybe Solomon was expecting a very important guest. She had already crossed the outer gates when she realized that, so she quickly turned around to leave. ¡¸Wee back, Lady Mira. We¡¯ve been expecting you, please follow me.¡¹ A knight approached Mira and bowed respectfully. He held a very borate and distinctive spear, which was probably only used for ceremonial purposes. That made Mira realize that the wee party was for her. (What in the world is he thinking¡­) The orchestra¡¯s performance was at its height as Mira grimaced following the knight. They passed under a flowery arch before entering the castle. Mira was led to the audience hall, where Solomon sat on the throne. To his side stood Reynard, themander of the imperial knights, and Joachim. It was like a rey of that day, though there was one big difference. There were nobles lined up next to the walls of the audience hall. The audience hall felt even more intimidating than the other time, so Mira¡¯s heart would not stop racing as she was brought to the center of the hall, where she carefully red at Solomon, who had to be the organizer of everything. Reynard seemed to notice that, ring back at Mira. While that senseless staring contest continued, Suleyman spoke from Solomon¡¯s side. ¡¸Lady Mira. We congratte you for your long service and work as special envoy for the king. You may submit your report afterwards, please hand over the signed agreement in your care first.¡¹ Suleyman spoke with an unusual tone of voice as well, and a guard approached Mira, bowing next to her. The signed agreement. Mira was at a loss, wondering what that meant, but then realized they had to be talking about the envelope Ulysses gave her, so she quickly handed it over to the guard. The guard took a step back, bowed again, then slowly walked towards Solomon. Reynard took it from the guard. (What a bothersome way to do things.) Mira looked exhausted at the envelope that was finally making its way to Solomon¡¯s hands. The way everything was conducted felt like it was all carefully nned for, ceremony worthy of a king. It was necessary to undergo such protocol once one reached the position of king. ¡¸Thanks for delivering it. This will greatly bolster the alliance between our kingdom and Roseline. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll lead to increased trading activity as well.¡¹ Solomon read through the envelope¡¯s contents, then stood up and announced with a loud and strong voice. It was like he wanted everyone present to hear that. Then he added ¡¸Mira, you¡¯ve shown loyalty and courage¡¹ his voice sounding somewhat artificial. Mira quickly understood what he was trying to say, so she grinned slightly as she made her coat flutter behind her as she nted her feet firmly on the ground, cing her right hand on her chest. ¡¸My duty and life are for Arkite.¡¹ That was one of the main poses to show loyalty in that world, which was performed so perfectly that even Reynard was left stunned, even though he had beenining about herck of etiquette for the longest time. After that, everyone except for Reynard and Joachim knelt facing Solomon and chanted ¡¸For Arkite¡¹ after Mira. That was how Mira managed to somehow make it through the sudden ceremony she was thrown into. The reason why Mira had grinned slightly was because she recalled something she used to do often with Solomon during the game days, pretending to be kings. It did not matter where they were, or what they were doing, any time Solomon said ¡¸You¡¯ve shown loyalty and courage¡¹ she would kneel. It was like a game between the two. There was another version with Mira being the one addressing Solomon, but they would leave that for another time. ¡¸I¡¯m sure you must be tired after your long trip. Feel free to take a rxing bath before we talk again.¡¹ Mira was told that before leaving the audience hall, and she headed straight for therge bathhouse. She was already familiar with the castle¡¯syout so she could have gone there on her own, but as the ceremony was still on-going, a maid went with her. (Hmm¡­ having a personal maid should be every man¡¯s dream, but I wonder why I always feel so restless amongst the maids here¡­) Lily was the castle¡¯s maid that Mira remembered the most clearly. But the one taking care of her now was called Tabatha. She had semi-long hair, and gave off a calm andposed aura. The way she looked at Mira was different from Lily¡¯s as well, having a more motherly feel to it. Mira followed her without letting her guard down. She still remembered having seen her before. Every time the maids would swarm her, Tabatha was standing next to Lily. The maids of the castle had always treated Mira well, in a certain way. Though Lily had always been a bit more extreme than the rest. For some reason Mira felt an indescribable feeling seeing Tabatha now though. Something she had felt on Lily before. Mira continued walking down the hallways with Tabatha, never letting her guard down. Then when they reached the changing rooms of the bath, she saw Lily waiting¡­ and she gave up. ¡¸Alright, Lady Mira. Let¡¯s get your body all clean and pretty.¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira, please allow me to wash your hair.¡¹ They had already taken off her clothes in the blink of an eye, then the two maids quickly pushed Mira into the bath and quickly began washing her body. Mira already knew there was nothing she could do when faced with Lily. Now she understood the odd sensation from earlier, it had been Lily all along. She was so focused trying to read Tabatha that she did not think of Lily appearing somewhere else. But Mira had reached the conclusion that no matter how careful she was, it was impossible to escape Lily, so she offered no resistance. That was the fastest way to end this. Eventually Mira turned into a shiny and soft idol of sorts. Lily carefully washed every corner of her body, and then began admiring her from close up. ¡¸Ahh, what a beautiful sight¡­ I almost want to eat you.¡¹ Lily muttered inaudibly, her eyes and emotions in a trance. No matter how rotten and troubling Lily¡¯s mind was, as unbelievable as it sounded, her exterior demeanor was that of a perfect maid. Her hands never fell to temptation, and she skillfully washed Mira¡¯s skin, not being too harsh nor too gentle. As their work continued¡­ their enjoyment increased as well. Almost everything was done now, Lily¡¯s hands only had to reach down for Mira¡¯s most sensitive¡­ ¡¸Lily, stop!¡¹ Tabatha had been busy scrubbing Mira¡¯s rear when she noticed what was about to happen, so she let out a strained shout and quickly stopped Lily¡¯s hand. Lily red at Tabatha angrily, her blissful moment ruined. ¡¸If you reach down like that, Lady Mira will realize what¡¯s going on!¡¹ Lily¡¯s eyes looked ready to challenge god or die trying, but Tabatha endured that ominous stare and continued letting out her strained voice while pointing at Lily¡¯s hands. She looked down there, and saw her fingers were twisted into a weird w shape, like she was ready to snatch a maiden¡¯s purity. ¡¸What a terrible blunder¡­ Thanks, Tabatha, you just saved my life.¡¹ Lily spoke like she was recovering from some illness, forcing her hand to obey her will¡­ or rather ignore her true intentions. At the same time she began forcing away her lust and desires, her eyes regaining their usual(?) appearance. ¡¸Now, Lily, let¡¯s enjoy.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do so, Tabatha.¡¹ With her newly regainedposure, Lily resumed her time of pleasure with Tabatha as her aplice. Eventually everything was taken care of, but Mira still had to face the embarrassing time of having someone help her put on underwear, so she forced herself to remain calm and endure the rest. In the changing room, she was offered a set of clothes she had never seen before. ¡¸Alright, Lady Mira. Please wear this. We made it specifically for this day, it¡¯s your Magic Robe Set Zwei!¡¹ Lily took out from a nearby shelf the newest creation made possible by all the maids in the castle, incorporating new designs and concepts. Overall it kept the signature one-piece dress and coat, and it still looked stylishly simple, retaining the cute and coquettish ir of the Magical Girl style, but it was designed with a more summer-y feel to it. ¡¸This is impressive, I can tell a lot of work went into this¡­¡¹ Chapter 158: New Creation (2) Chapter 158: New Creation (2) Mira was unsure of how to react, seeing that new item in such an unexpected ce. She was sure it would fit her current appearance perfectly, but at the same time she was filled with that indescribable feeling from earlier. But no matter how she felt, there was nothing she could do to stop Lily and Tabatha from working together on putting the clothes on her. ¡¸Now Lady Mira, please raise your arms as high as you can.¡¹ ¡¸Lady Mira, please watch your feet.¡¹ In the end, Mira was once again turned into a dress-up doll while Lily and Tabatha happily put her new clothes on. Once Mira was fully dressed, Lily and Tabatha held her hand and took her to the maid chambers, as if it was the most normal thing to do. Halfway there Mirained that she needed to hurry and report to Solomon, but Lily quickly dashed all of Mira¡¯s hopes of escape. Solomon himself had ordered them to take care of Mira to let her rx, given she had been working away for a long time. Those were Solomon¡¯s direct orders. The king¡¯s word could not be overturned, so Lily and Tabatha happily dragged Mira away like hawks taking a weak rabbit to their nest. The best thing to rx with was something sweet, the maids chanted that as they took Mira to a dining hall. ¡¸Aww, she looks even cuter than I imagined!¡¹ ¡¸I feel like we¡¯re slowly creating a true angel.¡¹ The dining hall was filled with maids who came to see Mira, making one wonder exactly when they went to work. Then they all called for someone. A group brought arge white board, simr to a reflector panel, and someone with a camera, the shutter of which tirelessly closed and opened. The maids had arranged for all that in secret, many of which were doing everything they could for the photos toe out better. They had actually borrowed the camera from Luminaria. She had happily agreed when all the maids pleaded simultaneously. Mira was surrounded as she sat down, and slowly began eating tiramisu, her eyes looking thoroughly defeated. (They would be such good girls if they only stopped this¡­) Even though they were a boisterous bunch, they were kind at heart. If all they did was act on their desires, Mira would have told them off, but they acted that way mainly out of affection. Going overboard too often was still a bad trait, but that was something Mira always overlooked. Not even Lily and Tabatha, who were the most proactive ones, were really going all grabby, even though they were sitting next to Mira. All the maids around the dining hall were raising their voices for Mira¡¯s attention, but they did not overstep their boundaries. They merely watched from a distance, adoring Mira. Lily and Tabatha did touch Mira slightly. They wiped the corner of her lips, kept the neck of her clothes neat, and did everything possible to serve Mira. Some dayster Mira found out that the maids had decided to put restrictions on themselves. They realized Mira would be bothered if they kept swarming Mira like before, so they decided to have only a limited number of maids serving her directly. Through a battle royale. It had been a crazy event. Lily came out as the victor, while Tabatha got second ce. That was why only those two sat at Mira¡¯s right and left side. ¡¸Such tomfoolery¡­¡¹ Mira waspletely baffled when she found out about that.
Solomon was in the same office where he spent every day hard at work. Mira had finally been released by the maids, and nowy on the couch there. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since I was here, but those maids are still the same as ever.¡¹ Mira slowly propped herself up, took off her coat, and grimaced as she looked at it attentively. Her new get-up was so well-made that even a professional seamstress would admire it. Then there was their attitude, probably anyone else would rejoice being showered in attention like that. Mira recalled everything that happened, then red at Solomon who was organizing some documents on his desk. ¡¸I know. I¡¯m d they¡¯re all so capable.¡¹ Solomon said with a slightly distracted chuckle. He was only half serious, his other half just wanted to tease Mira. But the fact remained that thanks to Lily and the other maids, Mira¡¯s exhaustion had been taken care of. Not to mention that all the sweets they prepared for her were marvelous, and she ate until she could no longer fit anything else in her stomach. It would have been perfect if only they had stopped treating her like a dress-up doll. ¡¸I just wish they acted a bit more normal¡­¡¹ Mira muttered to herself with a sigh. Solomon replied with ¡¸They are being normal,¡¹ which was met with an even louder sigh. ¡¸That aside, what was the meaning of that parade out there? And the audience right after that. Was there really a need to put on such a show to merely pass a document around?¡¹ There was no way to change the past. Mira reclined her body on the couch, pressing her body against her new cute outfit, andined about the way she was weed to the castle. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s important for the future. Do you know what this document is?¡¹ Solomon waved around the document Ulysses sent him as he asked that. Mira answered that she did not, but that it seemed pretty important. Solomon grinned slightly ominously as he began exining exactly what he made Mira bring him. The document was a signed treaty between Arkite and Roseline, establishing a firm alliance, and open trading routes. Roseline was known as a country of merchants, where items gathered from all over the ce, not only from the Earth Continent here, but even from the Ark Continent, all the way to the west. Sentopolly was anothermercial hub, and the majority of items there were sent to Roseline. In a way, Roseline was the main point ofmercial trade between the two continents. That also meant there was a strong flow of money in Roseline, and many countries wanted to attempt tapping into it. The Three Gods¡¯ Countries had formed an alliance with Roseline. Even Antis, the biggest country of former yers, had lost at the hands of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, so no one would dare challenge Roseline considering their backing. That meant the only diplomatic rtionship one would consider would be an amicable one, though Roseline was also aware of how influential they could be, making it difficult for them to consider such alliances. They had only allied themselves with one other country in thest three decades, showing just how difficult forming such a connection was. ¡¸So there was such a background behind it all. Doesn¡¯t that mean you just aplished something incredible?¡¹ Mira had always kept a distance from politics and simr topics, but she was shocked hearing just how influential Roseline was, while also staring at the document Solomon held, realizing how valuable it was. ¡¸Oh, so you finally understand. But that¡¯s exactly right!¡¹ Now that Mira understood why he was so proud of himself, Solomon spoke even more enthusiastically about how the alliance would benefit him. The continent wasrge. There were multiple other countries that focused on trading. But there was a reason why everyone always looked at Roseline. They had a long history of uninterrupted trading, and everyone there showed their experience to handle such a reputation. Many merchants would always choose Roseline¡¯s trading routes to deliver their wares. Roseline¡¯s highways always seemed to carry everything safely to their destination. The Merchants¡¯ Union itself prohibited people from interfering on those roads, making it Roseline¡¯s strongest weapon. Only Roseline¡¯s ruler had full control over those roads. The current ruler was someone Mira had just met, Ulysses Teles Eabates. ¡¸You see, this sheet of paper you just brought here gives me permission to use all of those roads as well, and not only the ones between our countries.¡¹ That was extremely valuable to Arkite, and Solomon kept grinning happily thinking about it, showing off the document. ¡¸Ohh. That sounds quite impressive I must say.¡¹ Mira decided to summarize it in her head as Roseline giving Arkite special treatment. ¡¸Umm, I think you don¡¯t quite get it yet. What really makes this so important is that usually people need to pay a considerable tax to be allowed on those roads, but now anyone belonging to Arkite will be allowed free of charge.¡¹ Solomon had happily exined everything so far, but then lowered his voice and said ¡¸Now this is just a secret between us¡¹ with a cunning smile. He then told Mira yet another arrangement, a more secretive one, between the two countries. Roseline would give priority to any orders from Arkite, giving them cheaper prices and delivering everything faster. That was the true reward Solomon asked for in exchange for helping Eabates take down Melville. ¡¸I feel like it was mainly the Fifty Bells that helped take down Melville though.¡¹ Sasori and Hebi had done most of the work to incarcerate Melville. Mira felt like the two deserved more credit for their hard work, but then Solomon grinned and said ¡¸The church and that minister reacted really quickly to their report, didn¡¯t they?¡¹ ¡¸Please leave me out ofplicated conversations, I don¡¯t get anything.¡¹ Mira had tried to defend Sasori and Hebi, but gave up in the end. Chapter 159: Investigation Report (1) Chapter 159: Investigation Report (1) ¡¸Let¡¯s talk about what you saw and found now.¡¹ Solomon carefully stored the document, then brought over a silver cart. It was loaded with plenty of cookies, cake, and a tea set. He quickly took the tea set and began pouring a few cups. Once he had everything ready, he sat down on a couch in front of Mira. ¡¸Simply reading a report isn¡¯t that fun.¡¹ Solomon already knew the gist of everything that went down in Sentopolly and Roseline from various sources of information. But he still liked hearing the story from someone who was there, in part to crosscheck with everything he heard before, and in part because he enjoyed listening to stories. Regardless of his motives, his eyes twinkled like those of a boy yearning for adventures. ¡¸You¡¯re truly helpless¡­¡¹ Mira muttered as she reached out for a slice of chocte cake. She then sipped a bit of the milk tea Solomon prepared, and took a long breath like an old man in retirement. ¡¸Where shall I start then¡­ I feel like I already told you half through a call before.¡¹ ¡¸Since you¡¯re here and all, please start from the beginning.¡¹ When Mira was traveling from the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters towards Sentopolly, Solomon had called her wagon as Patronager S, and Mira had updated him on everything up to that point. Solomon remembered that as well, but he still asked her to start over, his eyes looking at her full of expectation. ¡¸Hmm, alright then.¡¹ Her adventurous tale would take some time to rte. Mira tried to remember everything as she slowly began to talk.
¡¸And that¡¯s about everything I was involved with.¡¹ Mira had found one of the people she was looking for, Kagura, and the organization she had founded. Many famous adventurers had joined her, as well as skilled spies like Sasori and Hebi. Along the way Mira had gained new spirits to summon, and met the Spirit King by chance. Then she ran into ¨¦cate Carillon again, and helped rescue the alchemist Johann, his family, and his assistant Mylenne. After that they began infiltrating Chimera uzen. Discovered the Graveyard of War Memorials, the past of demons, and the curse they left behind. After fighting with Chimera uzen¡¯s heads, they discovered who had been behind everything. A ghost of the demons, who had possessed the angel who gave her life to seal the curse away. In the end, Mira also learned about the past of devils and angels. Mira told him everything, from the moment she left Arkite to visit the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters until she came back. Once she was done, she muttered, ¡¸Now that I think about it, that really was a long time,¡¹ before stuffing her cheeks with a cream puff. ¡¸Yeah, hearing you talk about it all uninterrupted does go to show how much you did, good work though. I¡¯m a bit disappointed that Kagura won¡¯t being back any time soon, but from what you said I can tell she¡¯s busy. We know where she is, and I¡¯ll trust she¡¯ll keep her promise too, so that¡¯s alright.¡¹ With Mira¡¯s recount of her experiencesplete, Solomon looked satisfied and took some sheets of paper from his desk. He frowned a bit as he thought, then began writing down everything Mira had told him. ¡¸Still, I feel like there was one surprise after another in what you told me. Especially when ites to devils and angels.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I have to agree with you on that.¡¹ It felt like there was an endless number of various topics all intermingled in Mira¡¯s story. There was the fact that a devil was involved with the creation of Chimera uzen, but even more shocking was the past of devils, which was almost enough topletely overturn themon view of those entities. And it had all been corroborated by an angel. ¡¸I feel like trying to research such topics can beplicated though. Even more considering a devil might have sparked that entire issue.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. The past has passed, and now¡¯s the present. Who¡¯s to say other of our current issues weren¡¯t caused by other devils? They¡¯re always working in secret after all.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s always a chance a different organization asrge as Chimera uzen might spring out of nowhere again. It¡¯s not like it didn¡¯t work once.¡¹ Solomon grunted, looking exhausted just thinking about that. The Graveyard of War Memorials, a name given to the resting ce of many demons, had been excavated decades ago. The devil who had led that whole operation was still missing since then, so it was only a matter of time before he would attempt to blow open a different coffin. Kagura and the angel Tiriel were nning on investigating the remaining coffins, so Solomon decided to bet on their sess and safety. ¡¸Oh right, talking about devils¡­¡¹ Solomon finished writing the new information about angels and devils, and stored those papers in his Item Box instead of his desk. Then he seemed to recall something, going to a nearby shelf and taking out some files which he spread in front of Mira. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s that ce.¡¹ Taking a nce at the documents, Mira seemed to notice something. Though they had been talking about devils for so long that she had also thought about that ce. ¡¸I kept receiving reports while you were away. First, here¡¯s everything we learned so far.¡¹ Solomon took out a group of documents out of the countless pages and pointed at a map drawn on it, starting to talk about what he had heard. The reports came from thest floor in the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, where Mira had once run into a devil. There were various notes attached to the map, but Solomon began with what a devil would want in such a ce. To put it simply, he still had no idea. ¡¸So far all we¡¯ve found was a tunnel at the bottom of thatke, it looks man-made, but it goes incredibly deep.¡¹ When Mira was there, the devil hade out from theke. That was why the investigation focused on theke, where they found that strange tunnel, but it seemed to go on endlessly. Theke on thest floor was only about twenty meters deep, but the hole was around two meters in diameter. It seemed like it had been dug out only recently. The investigation team decided that was probably a devil¡¯s handiwork, so they proceeded with extreme caution. They found out the tunnel went at least a hundred meters below theke¡¯s surface, and it was strangely nted, as if heading towards a specific location. ¡¸We presume the hole was dug by a devil, and it goes far enough to reach the area beneath that white castle.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon produced a cross-section map showing the white castle and theke out of the papers, cing it in front of Mira. The tunnel was shaped like a V, going down at an angle, then sharply turning up until it stopped directly below the white castle, at an unnatural hole in the earth. ¡¸Thisrge bubble of sorts has apparently been there for ages.¡¹ While the tunnel was likely dug by a devil, the space it reached had been there since before the devil reached it. Everyone seemed to agree that the devil¡¯s objective had been to reach that ce. The question remained as to what the devil hoped to aplish there. That was where Solomon¡¯s ultimate conclusion came from. He did not know. That open space deep below the white castle was simr to thest floor, filled with countless glowing crystals making any artificial light needless. One striking difference was that the ground of that opening was covered with withered nts. As far as they could tell, those nts had withered during thest couple of months, intoxicated by some powerful mana thought to be a devil¡¯s, but researching exactly what it was would still take some time. There was another mysterious fact about that ce. In the center of that underground bubble there was a hole shaped like a perfect cylinder around 5 meters wide. The walls of the hole seemed to indicate it had been dug out recently, but they found nothing worth investigating even after examining it all the way to the bottom. ¡¸Let¡¯s forget about the specific location for a bit. Considering the state of those contaminated nts, I feel like it¡¯s fair to assume that the devil you defeated was trying to gain some sort of power from that ce.¡¹ Solomon was done filling Mira in, muttering ¡¸This is all so mysterious¡¹ as he gathered the documents he had ced in front of Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m also surprised there was such a ce below the castle. I also wonder what kind of nts were growing down there.¡¹ Chapter 159: Investigation Report (2) Chapter 159: Investigation Report (2) Mira washed down thest bits of cheesecake down with milk tea, then after taking a breath she took the files on the table. There was a diagram of a transversal cut through the mysterious underground cavity, which showed just how deep the hole in the middle went. (That looks rather deep. And it¡¯s a really straight hole.) The hole in the center was at least a hundred meters deep. Only someone rather courageous would dare venture inside it. After looking at the hole for a bit, Mira noticed what looked like multiple smaller rooms above the cavity. It looked like diagonal paths went up from the edges of therge space, leading to rectangr rooms above. Then other paths came out from those rooms, leading to others above, continuing on and on reaching just below thest floor of the white castle. ¡¸Say, Solomon. What are these rooms?¡¹ The white castle was on the bottom floor of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, but there was nothing else below it. That was how Mira remembered it, so she pushed the paper to Solomon¡¯s face as she asked that. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯ve noticed those rooms? I guess you did. I guess I have to tell you then.¡¹ Solomon reacted, as if he really had wanted Mira to ask him that, speaking with a bright smile. The investigation team that went to the ce had found other corridors different from the one the devil opened. There were uneven steps on those corridors leading up, and when they reached a certain room, they found a lever that opened a gate into arger room. The investigation team were taken aback by what they saw in that room. ¡¸You see, that room was actually a hidden treasure safe!¡¹ Solomon¡¯s smile became even wider as he produced another document titled ¡®Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, Underground Inventory,¡¯ which he showed Mira. ¡¸Ohh¡­oh..! This is incredible!¡¹ All the items found in that treasure safe were listed in the inventory. There were the average gold, silver, and jewel type of treasure, but also items like Dragon¡¯s Crown, Spirit Princess¡¯ Divine Red Sword, Elixirs, Goddess Tears, Hermes¡¯ Winged Boots, Magic Spear Brionac, and others. A quick nce was enough for Mira to know there were plenty of powerful items there, making her exim in surprise. ¡¸It¡¯s incredible, I know! I did a quick sum and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all worth more than a hundred billion Rils. I couldn¡¯t sleep from excitement that night.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t me you, finding such a haul.¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes glinted as she looked at the things found in the cavity the devil dug to. Solomon was not done talking yet. They were all valuable and powerful items and weapons, so rather than keeping them in the castle¡¯s treasury, Solomon let the army manage them. As a result, many of themanders and officers in the army obtained better weapons, raising Arkite¡¯s military power all across the board. Meanwhile the legendary weapons with names were given to various peace-keeping organizations like the guards. ¡¸There have been an unusually high number of monster sightingstely, so I¡¯m d they¡¯ll have more firepower if there¡¯s a surprise attack.¡¹ There was a chance the devils were nning something in secret, but overall there had been an influx of monster spawns. Solomon was exceedingly happy that he had been able to find a solution to that issue with the treasure, and he thanked Mira for going to the Ancient Temple before, happy for the finds in there. ¡¸Anyway, that was not the end of the rooms there. The investigation team found there were even more above them. Look at the diagram again, there are ten more rooms.¡¹ There was awork of multiple rooms beneath the white castle, and Solomon pointed at them on the piece of paper again. ¡¸Wait, were the other rooms also¡­¡¹ There might be other inventory lists. With that expectation, Mira almost sprung up onto her feet with excitement. ¡¸All the other rooms¡­ were not chock full of treasure. Sadly, they were all empty.¡¹ Saying that, Solomon let go of the papers and slumped his shoulders. ¡¸Hmph, I expected as much.¡¹ Mira reclined back on the couch and stuffed her cheeks with a chocte cream puff, ncing at the diagram on the table. The corridors reached all the way up to the white castle¡¯s basement. It was actually rather simple. The correct route to reach that treasure safe was to enter through the white castle, and slowly make way down the rooms. ¡¸Well, I guess it does make sense though.¡¹ After that Solomon spoke about one room he had not mentioned yet. The investigation team was essentially going up the rooms in reverse order, so they had little difficulty reaching the highest rooms. But the intended path to reach there was hidden by many ingenious doors. The entrance from the white castle to the highest room was hidden below a floor tile, which led to a corner of the ceiling of the room. There was a column in the room next to that spot as well, which helped hide the entrance even when the floor tile was removed. If one went down the entrance, they would find themselves in an empty room. After closely examining that room, the door to the next room would eventually be apparent, but that room would be empty as well. After repeating that for room after room, they would eventually reach the treasure safe. ¡¸So if you go through the correct route you¡¯d probably leave after reaching that room.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, anyone would assume that¡¯s the finishing line.¡¹ The two muttered, remembering the many dungeons they cleared in the past. Having a room full of treasure was amon endpoint for a set of rooms. After finding a secret room under the white castle in the Ancient Temple, they would reach a room with treasure. Anyone would be satisfied with that. But that was all a front to hide therge cavity further below even more. A hundred billion Rils filled that room as nothing but a smokescreen to conceal the space below. That devil had been looking for something in there. A follow-up investigation was underway to figure out exactly what the devil¡¯s objective was. ¡¸That sounds so bothersome¡­¡¹ The devil itself had been defeated already, so there was little they could realistically do. But Mira could not quench the feeling something was wrong. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll take care of the rest, don¡¯t worry. You just focus on your own mission. Let¡¯s talk about him and that castle, shall we?¡¹ Solomon returned the investigation documents to a shelf before returning to Mira with a smile. ¡¸My mission, huh¡­¡¹ He brought a different set of papers, which Mira epted with a slight grimace. ¡¸Oh¡­ you¡¯ve discovered this much already?¡¹ Mira sounded impressed as she nced at the new set of papers. It contained everything Mira had discovered in her travels so far, and the conclusions reached from that. ¡¸While you¡¯re working hard out there, people here are hard at work as well. As you can see, it seems he started looking into a way to create the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree at least five years ago.¡¹ Solomon sat down in front of Mira and poured milk tea into two cups as he summed up the results of the investigation so far. The first step to create the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was to take the root of a Sacred Tree and carve a chalice out of it. The carving could only be done in a very particr ce, and Mira had found wood shavings there. A specialist examined the shavings Mira brought back, and determined they had been made at least five years prior. ¡¸Hmm, five years, huh. That¡¯s quite a lot of time. Do you think he¡¯s done creating the chalice then?¡¹ After saying that, Mira took a cup of milk tea and began sipping on it. If Soul Howl was solely focused on making the chalice, then five years was plenty of time to finish. And from the traces Mira had found so far, it seemed he was rather desperate toplete it. Chapter 159: Investigation Report (3) Chapter 159: Investigation Report (3) Soul Howl must have been focused on making the chalice. They knew he would never get distracted once he put his mind into something. If he had been working for at least five years, chances were he had alreadypleted it. At least that was what Mira thought, but Solomon shook his head and simply said, ¡¸Take a look at thest page.¡¹ ¡¸¡­Hm, I see.¡¹ The list with the process to make the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree was written there, decoded from Soul Howl¡¯s notes. In total, there were around eight hundred steps. One would need to visit nearly every corner of the continent, or maybe even ping-pong between the Ark and Earth continents. Some steps even required very specific seasonal conditions and phenomena, so it would be necessary to wait a year before a step could be attempted. It was a bit mind numbing reading through it all. Five years started to sound like too little time. Mira understood Solomon¡¯s point, but she also became impressed with Soul Howl¡¯s determination to do all of that. ¡¸I guess that girl was exceedingly important to him.¡¹ Mira recalled the woman frozen in apparent death in the white castle. It seemed like Soul Howl had changed a lot, in the past he used to really be into undead girls. Thinking of that, Mira looked at thetter half of the steps. The steps became increasingly moreplex, which seemed to be a trend. ¡¸Hmm, I wonder how far Soul Howl got then. I assume you¡¯ve calcted that already?¡¹ Combining theplex steps, and the approximate time when Soul Howl began his quest, it was possible to extrapte Soul Howl¡¯s current progress. That was one of the reasons why all that information had beenpiled like that. And Mira already expected that Solomon had already done that, otherwise he would not have brought it up. Mira had just wrapped up the situation with Chimera uzen, and she was already being given a new mission. She was slightly miffed by that, but she decided to urge Solomon to speak to get it over with. ¡¸Yup yup, I¡¯m d you catch on fast. We¡¯ve done the calctions.¡¹ Solomon continued grinning, waving away Mira¡¯s reproachful gaze as he elegantly sipped some tea, then began saying ¡¸You see, my very capable schrs have determined that¡­¡¹ before detailing anything. ording to their deductions, Soul Howl was likely in one of three ces, the Hornd Hill, Razewood Swamp, or Harehock Mountains. ¡¸¡­Somehow¡­ I was expecting something more specific.¡¹ Solomon had said he might be somewhere in one of those ces. Mira noticed how vague Solomon had been, and instantly looked bothered by the amount of work that would take. ¡¸Umm, you see¡­ Considering his skills and possible improvements, if hepleted everything at a quick pace, he¡¯s probably at around step eighty. After that, some steps require specific things from those locations. The other steps around there don¡¯t ask for specific ces. But this is as close as we can get to pin-pointing his location, my schrs aren¡¯t all-mighty either.¡¹ There were many steps that required something from a specific location. But Mira had hoped he would give her a specific direction and tell her to go there, so he began looking around nervously as he tried toe up with an excuse. ¡¸Hmm¡­ So in the worst case I might need to check all of them¡­¡¹ It was actually impressive that they narrowed it down to three ces from so little information. But they were all far apart from each other, and the ces themselves presented some problems. The recipe called for a visit to each of those ces. There were ancient ruins of an old city underground deep below the hill, and Soul Howl was supposed to gather a fragment of the chalk orbs supporting the new city above the ruins. Then from the swamp, he would need to get some ¡®Certain Death Venom¡¯ from the Snake King living there. Lastly, there was a Fire Giant living in the mountains, who could use an extremely rare piece of ¡®Hellstone¡¯ to produce a ¡®zing Core¡¯, required by the recipe. At first nce, it did not sound tooplicated, but those in the know understood those were reckless demands. The Snake King, guardian of the ancient ruins, and the Fire Giant, were known as raid bosses in the game. In other words, they were enemies usually fought with arge number of yers. Even the Nine Wisemen would have a rough time trying to defeat them in a one-on-one fight. That was another reason why Mira looked so annoyed. ¡¸But think about it, you really just need to check if he was there or not. I¡¯m sure that shouldn¡¯t be too hard?¡¹ Solomon tried his best to motivate Mira. But he was right, there was no reason for Mira to fight anything. She just had to look for traces of Soul Howl¡¯s presence. The ruins were considered a dungeon, for example, so maybe someone in the guild would remember Soul Howl passing by. Many spirits lived in the swamp, and there was a city of dwarves near the mountain where the Fire Giant spawns. Soul Howl always stood out, and the three steps were rather conspicuous acts as well. It was very likely someone would notice him and remember. In other words, a bit of asking around should tell her everything she needed to know. Just finding some hints would be enough to aplish her mission. And if there were no traces of him yet, if she waited around a bit she would eventually find him. Solomon exined all of that. ¡¸You might just be right¡­¡¹ Hearing everything exined so easily, Mira was slowly convinced, and she eventually nodded while rxing her frown. Solomon carefully studied Mira¡¯s face before continuing. ¡¸Here, a map of those areas¡¹ he said, almost pushing some maps onto Mira¡¯s arms. ¡¸Hmm, where should I start with¡­¡¹ They were not only far apart from each other, but they were a considerable distance away from Arkite as well. Mira frowned again as she looked at the maps one after another, trying to decide where to check first. Solomon gave her a suggestion then, first the Ancient City Ruins. ¡¸Hmm, the Ancient City¡­¡¹ Mira did not seem too enthused with the idea. Though she felt the same way with either of the locations. But Solomon insisted, he imed that would give her the best chances at finding him. ¡¸See, the Ancient City is the first one in the order of steps. If he was there already, you might figure out how long ago it was, and know how many steps he might havepleted since. If he¡¯s not been there yet, then just sit and wait, that¡¯s the first ce he¡¯ll go to after all. Does that make any sense?¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ You certainly have a point.¡¹ Mira was easily coerced into the choice, and she nodded and epted that as her first destination. ¡¸Good. Here¡¯s your budget for your trip.¡¹ Solomon watched things go smoothly, and smiled friendly as he ced a small bag on Mira¡¯s hand. ¡¸Ohh, it feels even heavier this time!¡¹ Mira felt the bag had more heft to it than usual, so she hurried to check the contents. There were twenty gold coins inside. ¡¸A million! This shouldst a while!¡¹ Mira calcted how much that was worth before stuffing the bag inside her pocket with a face like a child on christmas. She was already daydreaming about the inns she would visit soon. No matter what situation, she was always thinking of ways to enjoy life. ¡¸I heard Kiroly Bird and pot potatoes are the specialties there, so make sure to give them a try.¡¹ Solomon was a bit jealous seeing Mira¡¯s sightseeing spirit taking over her, but then smiled kindly. ¡¸Sure. I¡¯ll bring you a souvenir too!¡¹ Mira stored the maps in her Item Box and said that happily. Then she added, ¡¸Oh right, I almost forgot I brought you something too,¡¹ and began taking out the items she bought in Sentopolly and Roseline and cing them on the table with a smile. There was no rhyme or reason for her selection of souvenirs, but she still happily spoke about each of them. Solomon listened to her, trying to imagine those far-away ces. Their meeting just continued with lighthearted chatter after that, and went on untilte at night. Chapter 160: Visiting Home (1) Chapter 160: Visiting Home (1) The day Mira returned to Arkite, she spent the night in the castle after spending the afternoon talking with Solomon. The next morning, Lily went to Mira¡¯s room like it was the most normal thing to do, waking Mira up and helping her change while her eyes adjusted to daylight. After that she was taken to the dining hall. Tabatha joined them on their way there, and after a rather boisterous breakfast, the maids insisted on grooming Mira before she could go to Solomon¡¯s office. ¡¸I¡¯ll visit the Tower for a bit before I depart then.¡¹ ¡¸Sure, I feel like you¡¯ll be away from home for a while again after that so better go now.¡¹ After deciding she would be going to the Ancient City the day prior, she announced that. Mira was rying hertest position and mission to the Tower, but she still wanted to see Mariana in person. ¡¸Ah, please tell your wife I¡¯m sorry I keep working you around the clock.¡¹ ¡¸Wha- We don¡¯t have such a¡­ rtionship¡­¡¹ ¡¸But that instantly brought her to mind, didn¡¯t it?¡¹ Solomon watched as Mira¡¯s face reddened, teasing her slightly with a kind smile. ¡¸I¡¯m leaving.¡¹ ¡¸Okay, take care.¡¹ Mira sounded irritated but Solomon simply grinned. But before Mira left, she said goodbye with her usual smile. Once Mira was out of the office, Solomon sighed as he returned to his desk covered with documents.
Silver Horn, the city of spellcasters. The Silver Linked Towers, the city¡¯sndmark and the aim of any spellcaster stood tall and mighty in the center of it. A powerful barrier covered the entire area, stopping any aerial intruders from approaching. The barrier was made so it would not affect anything leaving the area, so Creos¡¯ wagon had no issue leaving the tower. But the barrier would jump into effect when returning. ¡¸Oh, that¡¯s the ce Solomon mentioned.¡¹ The area surrounding the Silver Linked Towers had be a tourist attraction, so ces like the entrance were terribly crowded, arge volume of peopleing and going every day. That made it a bad ce tond Garuda. To counteract that, Solomon had told Mira to use a different entrance, which was lessmon amongst tourists. Mira noticed an empty space,rge enough for Garuda tond, in one corner of the square near the towers. The path there was also blocked by a pond, stopping people from approaching that ce. Mira gave the order to Garuda andnded the wagon on that ce. She descended from her ride and walked with a proud stride to the front gates to open them with her Master Key. They were onnd now, so she sent Garuda away and prepared to summon Guardian Ash in its ce to pull the wagon. A crowd of tourists on the other side of the pond looked her way. They began chattering with each other loudly. Some of them were spellcasters who looked at Mira with eyes full of envy. The Silver Linked Towers. They were Arkite¡¯s biggest tourist attraction, and such crowds enabled other types of entertainment businesses. This entrance was less noisy than the main one, though sometimes Creos, Amaratte, or the vice-elders of the Tower of Onmyoji would pass through there. So there were many people who would look there too, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone entering the Towers. (¡­Sure,nding was easy, but the crowd¡¯s just as big!) Mira noticed the multiple gazes centered on her, so she quickly shut herself away inside the wagon, quickly summoned Guardian Ash and fled into the Towers¡¯ grounds.
The small bit of activity in the secondary entry made all the tourists in the area start talking with each other. They had thought it was Creos, seeing Garuda carrying a wagon. But someone else had stepped out, making them wonder just who that was. ¡¸I feel like that Garuda looked bigger than Creos¡¯.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, it looked that way to me too. And the coloration was different.¡¹ The tourists were still discussing when she swiftly summoned something else, they could not follow the speed of her spells, which made the spellcasters in the crowd get excited. ¡¸Wait, do you think that was her? That pupil everyone¡¯s been talking about?¡¹ Someone said that, prompting even more noise amongst the tourists as their imagination ran wild. The only bona-fide pupil of a Wiseman, Danbulf¡¯s specifically. Some thought maybe she was Danbulf¡¯s illegitimate daughter, or maybe Creos¡¯. Others believed she was Danbulf reincarnated, or that she was Danbulf himself. They all had very varied ideas, and they corrected each other with baseless facts, talking about Mira like she was something like aet passing through the sky. Mira entered the Tower of Summoning and walked through the empty interiors. She wondered annoyingly where all the enrolled researchers were as she headed to the top floor. (So-somehow I¡¯m getting nervous. I guess I should just act natural and say I¡¯m back home?) She was next to her room now. It had been a while since thest time she was there, and standing in front of the door like that brought back all sorts of memories, reminding her of the past. Realizing there was someone waiting for her now gave her an indescribable feeling. But eventually she had to convince herself that this was her home now, and she finally had the courage to open the door. ¡¸I¡¯m homeee.¡¹ Mira entered her room, feeling like a husband that just returned from a business trip. She waited for a bit, but there was no response. She started looking around the room, then even checked her bedroom, but Mira could not find Mariana. ¡¸Wait, maybe..!¡¹ Mira abruptly turned around, looking at the door leading to the changing room and bathroom. At the same time, the memory of her identally and coincidentally running into Mariana while changing surfaced in her mind. She tiptoed to the door, cing her ear on it just in case. Even with her current appearance, waltzing in would make her look like a degenerate, so she waited until she was certain there were no soundsing from inside before turning the knob. But she did not open the door right away, instead listening again. ¡¸Still¡­ no sound.¡¹ There was no sounding from the changing room. She knew there was nothing wrong with it, but her heart still raced a little as she opened the door. As expected, there was no one inside. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s that¡­¡¹ Mariana¡¯s work was clearly visible there, the entire ce kept clean and orderly. But Mira noticed something new in one corner of the room. There was a shelf there, with abel that said ¡®For Mira,¡¯ which was stuffed with countless sets of cute underwear in all sorts of colors. Mira walked up to it and attentively looked at everything there, then walked away like nothing had happened. She silently went to open the door leading to the bath. ¡¸Well, I guess this is it then.¡¹ She knew it was bad to wish for that, so she forced her mind to purge those desires that were only at home in a loveedy, and entered the empty bath to look around. And only then she realized that she was no longer in her old normal life. She could have saved herself all that time by simply using the Sage Art Life Sensing from the start. She grimaced realizing just how far her delusions had gone, and then quickly examined her surroundings. Barely a second passed after that when¡­ ¡¸Wee back, Lady Mira.¡¹ A reading came from right behind her, and Mariana¡¯s kind and pleasant voice reached her ears. ¡¸I-I-I am home-?!¡¹ The very target of her fantasies appeared right behind her. That gave Mira an unnecessary shock, making her flip around and let out a confused and trembling voice. Mariana looked the same as always, even though more than a month had passed since thest time they saw each other. But Mira felt like it had been ages, making her grin now that they were back together. ¡¸Is something wrong?¡¹ Chapter 160: Visiting Home (2) Chapter 160: Visiting Home (2) Mariana tilted her head puzzled, noticing Mira¡¯s clearly suspicious behavior. ¡¸No¡­ it¡¯s nothing. How were things during my absence?¡¹ Mira tried to gloss over it, and then asked a random question to switch topics. ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t say much happened. If I had to mention something, maybe it would be that Luna hasn¡¯t been sleeping welltely. She¡¯s always looking out the window at night, and crying softly.¡¹ Mariana said so after some thought, then she looked at Mira and added, ¡¸I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll cheer up soon enough though,¡¹ while smiling. ¡¸Hm? Is that so?¡¹ ¡¸Yes. You¡¯ve returned, after all.¡¹ Hearing that Luna was not sleeping well, Mira began to wonder if the rabbit had gotten sick, or if the change in environment had been too harsh, but her worries were quickly dispelled seeing Mariana¡¯s gentle smile. Mariana had taken Luna to a vet around a week earlier, but Pure Rabbits were so rare that they did not really know much about them. Highly intelligent animals like Pure Rabbits usually had different behavioral patternspared to regr animals, so it was harder to diagnose them properly. There was one ce where she was told that some people specialized in treating exotic animals like Pure Rabbits, and that she would have better luck asking such a specialist. On her way back, Mariana ran into Luminaria, who noticed she looked downcast and asked about it, so Mariana exined Luna¡¯s situation. Luminaria said she might be able to help. Apparently there was someone new in the local patrol station, who was really smart about things like that. ¡¸Yesterday I went to consult with the person Lady Luminaria rmended. Apparently Luna simply misses her parents.¡¹ Mariana smiled a bit more before adding, ¡¸I¡¯m sure she was getting lonely since you were gone for so long.¡¹ There had been many other hints that pointed towards that possibility as well. Luna would constantly sit on Mira¡¯s couch, her bed, on the clothes she used to wear. Mariana noticed she would always snuggle up to anything that reminded her of Mira. So when the specialist mentioned that, she was instantly convinced. Now that Mira was back, she was sure things would get better for Luna. That certainty stemmed from the emotion being mutual between Luna and Mariana, though she did not realize so herself. ¡¸Kyuiii!¡¹ Mira headed straight to the aide¡¯s room, since Luna was currently there. The moment she opened the door, a blue ball of fluff charged at her. Luna had sensed Mira¡¯s presence, and was lying in wait for her to open the door. ¡¸You¡¯re as spoiled as ever, I see.¡¹ Mira caught Luna in her arms, gently petting her soft blue fur. Happy squeaks came from Luna as she did that, nuzzling her face into Mira¡¯s arms even more. ¡¸Now, now, Luna, it tickles. But¡­you¡¯re so cute!¡¹ As an effect of being apart for so long, Luna and Mira¡¯s restraints had be loose. Mira continued ying with Luna for quite some time after that, and Mariana watched them with a pleased gaze. Though there was also a hint of envy in her eyes. Their difference between pet and aide, Mira¡¯sck of hesitation when touching Luna, many things highlighted the difference between them. Mariana quickly went to bring the toys she had bought for Luna, wishing she could be treated like that one day as well. Soon enough the three of them were ying together. Mariana was using what looked like a remote controlled fox, which she made run around and fight Luna. Mira grimaced a little seeing that, but was shocked at how resilient Luna was. It was a constant back and forth, almost like they were fighting a duel. ording to Mariana, they always yed like that. The fox toy, or Rabbit Hound like it was actually called, would win the match if it touched Luna. If Luna evaded ten attacks, then it was her win. ¡¸That¡¯s so intense¡­ it almost feels like they should y that outdoors¡­¡¹ Pure Rabbits were known as elusive creatures, and her swiftness was unmatched, using every corner and ledge on the aide¡¯s room to her advantage to jump and run around. As Mira followed Luna with her eyes, she noticed something odd. The room looked different. At first she just thought it was simply the fact this was a girls¡¯ room, but that was not exactly it. She quickly realized that Mariana¡¯s trinkets and furniture looked rearranged, and there were many footholds everywhere for Luna to jump and run on. Mira had noticed that Luna was running around nimbly, but that was in part due to theck of obstacles and the rearranged furniture. Mariana had even put away many of her trinkets, making sure Luna¡¯s ytime was uninterrupted. ¡¸It seems you¡¯ve been getting along nicely.¡¹ Mira muttered with emotion as she watched Mariana and Luna ying together, even though she felt like Mariana had gone a bit overboard. Mira reclined back and rxed as she watched the two. Luna would sometimes stop still, trying to bait out an attack from Mariana, but she would not get deceived, carefully finding a better timing. Mariana used her seventh attack as a feint, and her eight attack struck Luna. ¡¸Kyuii~¡¹ Luna rolled around and her legs stiffened in the air, admitting her defeat, and Mariana jumped in to mercilessly tickle her belly while saying ¡¸I won!¡¹ with a proud voice. ¡¸Luna actually lost¡­¡¹ When it was Mira¡¯s turn to challenge Luna, she experienced such a devastating defeat that both Mariana and Luna had tofort her. Eventually she pulled herself back together and took control of the Rabbit Hound again, deciding to use her Sage Arts to their full extent to challenge Luna again. Mira went in full attack mode, and after around five minutes, her fifth attack managed to catch Luna. ¡¸Phew¡­ This¡­this is my true power¡­¡¹ ¡¸I knew you had it in you.¡¹ Solomon and the others would have thought she was acting incredibly childishly, but only Mariana always supported her. Pure Rabbits were usually so elusive it was rare to even spot one. They were likely the fastest animal out there, and Mira had defeated Luna not by studying and practicing against her, but with brute force. That was nothing to be proud of. But Mira did not care or think about such things, taking deep breaths as she began ruffling Luna¡¯s exposed belly. She was still engrossed with that when Mira¡¯s stomach began growling. ¡¸Hm¡­ it¡¯s already thiste.¡¹ Many hours had passed while they were ying with Luna. The sun had long set, and the sky was dark and full of stars. ¡¸I¡¯ll shortly start making dinner then. Is there anything specific you wish to eat?¡¹ Mariana had heard Mira¡¯s stomach and took action immediately. ¡¸Hmm, I just want to have a lot to eat tonight.¡¹ After having breakfast in the castle, Mira hadpletely forgotten about lunch, so she followed her stomach¡¯s desires and gave Mariana a vague request for what to eat. ¡¸Understood. Dinner will be ready promptly.¡¹ Mariana bowed respectfully, put on an apron, and quickly sped out of the aide¡¯s room. She was probably going to cook in Mira¡¯s room. ¡¸Well, I might as well take a bath while I wait then.¡¹ Their exchange had sounded an awful lot like that of a married couple. Mira smiled thinking of that, then she picked up Luna into her arms and went to her room while relishing that rare feeling of a husband who just got home. Chapter 161: In the Bath… (1) Chapter 161: In the Bath¡­ (1) Mariana was always prepared, and she had everythingid out in the kitchen already. The main star of the meal was arge piece of fresh beef, with plenty of white marbling, apanied by colorful vegetables and white rice. Just one look was enough to know they would be a magnificent dinner. ¡¸I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡¹ ¡¸Kyui!¡¹ Mira peeked into the kitchen and muttered that, while Luna reacted to the vegetables cut into batons to the side. ¡¸Wait, the bathes first.¡¹ Even though it was just a game, Mira¡¯s contest with Luna had ced heavy strain on her, leaving her body drenched in sweat. So she wanted to take a bath and freshen up first. But then something fell to the floor with a dry sound. ¡¸Ah¡­ right, I forgot¡­¡¹ Mira instinctively looked into the kitchen again, seeing an empty bowl rolling on the floor, and Mariana frozen in terror looking at Mira. That reminded Mira of something. Every time she took a bath, Mariana would insist on going with her. She also joined her in the changing room, almost forcefully. But now Mariana was busy trying to satisfy Mira¡¯s hungry stomach. If she prioritized cooking, she would not make it to the bath, if she prioritized the bath, Mira would be hungry for longer. That was her current dilemma. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about the bath-¡¹ Mira was fine with her focusing on just one thing. The words had barely left her mouth when Mariana¡¯s countenance darkened and she looked terribly depressed, making Mira hurry to amend her words, while internally grimacing at the ridiculous situation. ¡¸Ahh, actually, I¡¯m sure you worked hard too, so let¡¯s take a bath first.¡¹ ¡¸But¡­but then¡­ your stomach¡­¡¹ Mariana¡¯s attitude had not changed in all that time. At first she smiled happily hearing that, but then she remembered dinner, which she also considered very important for Mira, making her look depressed again. ¡¸That¡¯s perfectly alright. Hunger is the best condiment, right? And I don¡¯t think a bath will take so long it¡¯ll really matter.¡¹ Mira spoke with a bright voice, trying to make Mariana worry less. ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll get ready right away.¡¹ That managed to convince Mariana, who bowed and swiftly cleaned the kitchen and went to the changing room. ¡¸This¡­ was the right choice, right..?¡¹ Mira was shocked at herself for actually inviting Mariana to take a bath together, the boldness of it slowly downing on her. Just like before, Mariana dutifully served Mira in the bath. She washed her hair and scrubbed every inch of her body, which ended with a delightful massage. After that, Miraid back in the enormous bathtub and rxed as she watched Mariana wash Luna now. She did not offer to wash Mariana¡¯s hair this time, instead choosing to sink in the bathtub as soon as possible. Also, there seemed to be a special way to wash Luna¡¯s soft fur properly, so she was trying to learn how to do that now as well. ¡¸Never go against the fur, instead¡­ like this.¡¹ ¡¸Kyuii~¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I see, interesting¡­¡¹ Mariana exined as best as she could. Meanwhile Luna squeaked happily while being wrapped in bubbles. But Mira still felt restless, looking at Luna meant having to look at Mariana too. Mira had already spent time in the women¡¯s bathroom of inns many times during her travels, but being in the same bath as someone holding such feelings towards her was different. On top of that, Mariana made no attempts to hide her feelings for Mira, which made Mira feel slightly guilty. She could hardly hold her gaze in her direction without feeling more guilt piling up. Eventually Luna was all clean and pretty thanks to Mariana. Now she was in a small bucket specifically for her, floating around the bathtub freely like on a boat. ¡¸Well Lady Mira, I hope you have a rxing time now.¡¹ Mariana had fulfilled her duties in the bathroom, so she quickly rinsed herself and prepared to return to the kitchen. Mira watched her back, trying to pool in as much courage as she could. ¡¸Umm, hey¡­so¡­ Mariana, why don¡¯t you join me here? It¡¯s good to take it easy sometimes.¡¹ Saying that, Mira began pping the water surface a little, as if inviting her to get there. ¡¸But¡­¡¹ Even if Mira said it was okay, Mariana still felt like Mira¡¯s dinner was important and could not be dyed. At the same time, spending time together was a really alluring idea, so she felt torn on what to do. ¡¸I also haven¡¯t told you about mytest adventures, have I? Why don¡¯t we talk for a bit?¡¹ Mira already knew her next destination, and she was nning on departing the next morning. So while she was embarrassed about it, she also wanted to spend as much time together with Mariana as possible, which made her act more assertively than she had ever been before. ¡¸If you really want me as your conversation partner, I¡¯ll dly ept.¡¹ Mariana seemed to notice Mira¡¯s feelings as well, so she answered softly and gently entered the bathtub next to Mira. ¡¸Okay, where shall I start from¡­ I guess I can tell you how I first ran into this group called Chimera uzen during my mission¡­¡¹ Mira was a bit nervous, having never been so close to someone else before. But once she started talking, maybe due to her personality, she could not stop talking and hyping everything up like an old man telling stories, while her lust and other emotions vanished far in the distance. Mira simply rted everything she could from her memories. Mariana listened silently, but very happily to Mira¡¯s talk. Meanwhile Luna kept drifting away on her bucket, and at a certain distance she began to paddle to skillfully control her traveling direction. But Mira was so engrossed in her story that she did not notice Luna. ¡¸But as it turns out I have to head out again tomorrow. You¡¯ll have to take care of things again while I¡¯m gone¡­¡¹ After telling all her adventures with Chimera uzen, Mira exined what her next mission would be, her voice sounding apologetic as she frowned slightly. She had juste back, but she would leave again soon. Mira was starting to feel like a husband that left his wife to take care of all house chores. But Mariana smiled at Mira. ¡¸Your mission is very important to decide the future of this country. So don¡¯t look so downcast, be proud of your work.¡¹ Mariana would still feel lonely with Mira gone, but allowing Mira to work in good spirits was more important for her. Her words reached deep inside Mira¡¯s heart, resonating loudly. ¡¸I see¡­ Mm, okay, I¡¯ll leave this ce in your care then, Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, you can count on me.¡¹ They always had simr exchanges, but somehow Mira felt like their bond had grown tighter now. ¡¸A-alright, I think we should go eat now.¡¹ There was a wholehearted trust between the two. In a way, that also resembled a married couple. Thinking of that reminded Mira of just how close Mariana was to her, so she hurried to get out of the bath. But Mariana obviously followed close behind her, so the distance between their bodies remained unchanged. In the end, Mariana took care of everything Mira needed before getting changed. Then Mariana went to the new shelf and took a new set of underwear for Mira, which she then helped Mira change into. (Actually, she¡¯s more like a nurse than a wife, now that I think about it¡­) They were simr behaviors, but alsopletely different, making Mira question just when her thoughts deviated. Once they were done changing, Mira went through the heart-racing experience of toweling each other¡¯s hair, and they left the changing room. Then they heard a knock on the door, which seemed specifically timed. ¡¸I had a hunch the unknown wagon parked outside was Mira¡¯s.¡¹ Mariana opened the door and saw Creos, the vice-elder of the Tower of Summoning, standing there. He had noticed the wagon, and could guess Mira had returned, so he went to her room to submit his report. ¡¸My Cait Sith has really good ears, so I knew you were both in the bath. I decided to wait until you were done.¡¹ Creos noticed there was no one in the rooms, so he investigated a little. Cait Sith heard their voices, confirming Mira had returned, and the water sounds led Creos to conclude they were in the bath. He had been waiting at the door for nearly half an hour before knocking on the door. ¡¸If I knew you were waiting I would¡¯ve hurried. Or you could¡¯ve used a Sound Spirit to let us know you were here.¡¹ As vice-elder, Creos was a rather capable summoner himself. He had plenty of ways to announce his presence, so he had no reason to wait half an hour. ¡¸I couldn¡¯t possibly do that¡­ You¡¯ve been away for so long, so I wouldn¡¯t want to interrupt you¡­¡¹ Creos could not allow himself to interrupt Mira¡¯s rxing bath. That was his excuse, but his eyes were focused on Mariana. The actual reason why he waited for so long was because he feared the consequences of cutting Mariana¡¯s happiest time short. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Oh well, no matter. You have something to report then? I actually want to ask how the Academy is faring and such as well.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, just a moment please.¡¹ Creos bowed deeply to Mira, and especially to Mariana, before happily entering the room. ¡¸And so thanks to your efforts, many summoner students have be strong enough to stand at the same level as other spellcasters.¡¹ Chapter 161: In the Bath… (2) Chapter 161: In the Bath¡­ (2) While Mariana focused on getting dinner ready, Mira and Creos sat on a couch while he rted the updates on the Academy¡¯s students. ording to Creos, thanks to the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones and the strengthening equipment Mira left them, the students had a much easier time forming their first contracts, and there was an influx of new students as well. On top of that, arge number of students that had dropped out and given up returned as well, reinvigorating the ssrooms even halfway through the school year. ¡¸I see, I see, that¡¯s good to know.¡¹ The interest in bing a summoner was rising steadily, and it was only a matter of time before some students stood out above the crowd, which should eventually dispel the bad name summoning had gained over the years. It would still take some time, but Mira was pleased knowing an important first step had been taken. ¡¸With more students another problem has sparked though¡­¡¹ Creos sighed saying that. This was the main point of his report, and the new issue summoners were facing. There werergely two different types of lessons in the Academy, general studies and the various spellcasting sses. Students were given a certain number of sses of each depending on their individual performance. Sometimes students were given two years of middle-level general studies, and one year of high-level magic studies too. Because of the state of summoners before, and the influx of students, the ages of the first-year students varied greatly, some being children while others were already adults. While age helped with general studies, learning spells was a different story, but there were so many students lumped together that often adults would have inferior results to the children, highlighting their difference in talent. That sparked various small conflicts, and now the students were starting to form factions between themselves. Creos, the summoner instructor Hinata, and the few students in higher years were all at a loss trying to find a way to deal with that problem. Though other sses of spellcasters also encountered such issues. But those had existed for so long that their conflicts were far less pronounced, and they had gotten used to tolerating each other over time. Meanwhile this was the first time it happened amongst summoners, and they were even more aggressive because of that. ¡¸There¡¯s also this one girl with a bit of an attitude¡­¡¹ After broadly exining the issue, Creos mentioned one specific student. She was also one of the students that joined after the school year started, the daughter of a noble in Ozstein. Now she was the leader of a faction of summoners. ¡¸A noble¡¯s daughter, huh¡­.¡¹ Hearing the word noble, Mira recalled the noble that once attacked her. But Creos grimaced, knowing that was a different story. ¡¸While annoying to deal with, I wish her conflict was confined amongst summoners. Hinata and I would be able to deal with it internally, and we wouldn¡¯t need to be so watchful.¡¹ Her family was rather influential, but apparently social ranking was not the reason for conflict there. Instead, that girl insisted on picking fights with other sses of spellcasters, and very constantly. ¡¸So she likes fanning mes, huh. That does sound annoying. Though I can¡¯t imagine someone in their first year having the power to offer much of a fight, it sounds a bit reckless, in fact.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I know. So far they don¡¯t take her seriously and let her off easy, she¡¯s going after more mature groups, so they know not to cause a scene. I¡¯m just afraid of what will happen once she gains enough power to actually pose a threat.¡¹ Creos sighed as he said that, knowing it would not take much longer before it reached that point. That rowdy daughter of a noble just so happened to possess talent that made her stand out of the pack. Just one week after obtaining her first summon, shepletely mastered the ability to designate the summoning spot, and her spell construction and speed were incredibly high, which was something Creos was happy about. ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s rathermendable, yes.¡¹ Summoning was second nature to Mira now, but she still remembered her struggles when she first started. Hearing that girl¡¯s quick progress made Mira think of her as a prodigy as well. She held enough promise that one day she might even have the skills necessary to carry on the legacy of summoners. But that was another reason why she kept confident in inciting fights so often. ¡¸She¡¯ll always run off trying to pick fights with students of other sses, and Hinata is having to scold her almost daily now.¡¹ Hinata was the summoner instructor. Now that there were more students, she was also training hard herself to be a proper role-model. But with all the incidents popping up, she was hardly finding enough time to learn more herself. ¡¸That sounds rough¡­ But I guess she holds pride in her talent, and that¡¯s why she¡¯s causing so many issues?¡¹ Mira felt like it wasmon amongst talented individuals to get an inted pride, to their detriment. Creos just shook his head, replying, ¡¸It¡¯d be much easier if that was the case.¡¹ ¡¸She actually has a rather caring side as well actually, she¡¯s always working hard and learning as best she can. That permeates into the other students as well, which I appreciate, if only that was all she did¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh. I had apletely different first impression of her. That actually sounds like a good girl¡­¡¹ A talented daughter of a noble. Thatbination usually brewed someone with a really foul personality, but she seemed to have a kind side. Somehow she still kept picking fights with other students though. Mira tilted her head, the information sounding a bit contradictory. Creos had a bit more to say, though he struggled a bit to find the right words. ¡¸Actually¡­ how do I put this¡­ apparently she¡¯s a big fan of Danbulf. The faction she formed is essentiallyposed by students that share that passion too. I guess it¡¯s more like¡­ a fanclub of sorts. She also says that she¡¯s only fighting those who make fun of Danbulf, or summoners, so¡­ I realize I should tell her off, but at the same time deep in my heart I want to cheer her on, making it hard to really do that¡­¡¹ He sounded bothered, but there was a smile hiding in his face. That was everything he had to say. He knew he had to do something about that situation, but he was unsure of what, so he wanted Mira¡¯s advice. ¡¸I can¡¯t me her then. It¡¯s not our fault she¡¯s like that, but the other side¡¯s, they¡¯re the ones who should be scolded. They shouldn¡¯t badmouth summoning or me. That¡¯s the solution. She¡¯s not guilty!¡¹ Mira felt much better about the whole thing after learning of the existence of her fanclub, and loudly announced a solution that would benefit her the most. At first she disliked that student, hearing she was talented and a noble¡¯s daughter, but now she supported the student wholeheartedly. On top of that, Mira was already thinking of showing up during the next spell examination in the Academy, bringing with her a summon of the highest level to fully dispel any remaining doubt on summoners. Maybe she would even let Isenfald break a hole through the ceiling of the event center, or even st the entire roof off, after all, ¡¸It¡¯ll only make rainy days a bit troublesome anyway.¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate the thought, but we¡¯ve finally managed to get more students, so please avoid doing anything that would paint a target on us.¡¹ Creos tried to restrain Mira from her reckless ideas. That would only cause a lot of other issues. If Mira, a wiseman, went all-out there with her summoning, the audience would be left terrified, and might even start fearing summoners instead of appreciating them. That would make a lot of things worse for them. Still, Creos felt that doing so would lose its meaning. He believed that the students had to be the ones changing the minds of others. Luckily for him, the rules for the spell examination had been revised. After Mira¡¯s appearance there, they decided to go over the rules again, making sure the spell examination focused on students¡¯ abilities, and how much they had improved. They were trying to make the event inviting for new students as well. ¡¸Hmm, I guess I¡¯ll have to let the new generation handle it then. I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡¹ Mira was quickly convinced to let go of the idea, and instead she began to dream about the Tower of Summoning full of people again, which brought a smile to her lips. ¡¸I know, I feel the same. Things will be rough for a while longer, but I¡¯m sure things will get better if we keep working hard.¡¹ If the students also showed excellence with summons, that should be enough to stop others from belittling them, which should cull down the conflicts as well. But it would take them some time to reach that point, and during that time the noble¡¯s daughter was likely going to get into many more fights. Still, Creos thought even that made their outlook fun. Some dayster there was a meeting in the Academy as well, and the instructors agreed to be more watchful over their students. They knew the reason for the conflicts were students belittling each other, so it was not fair if the noble¡¯s daughter was the only one being penalized. Once that was agreed, an instructor of the so-called strongest ss of magicians did something rather umon. Siegfried, the magic instructor, apologized profusely to Hinata, since it was only thanks to her efforts that the conflicts had never escted out of control. Chapter 162: A Bustling Dinner (1) Chapter 162: A Bustling Dinner (1) ¡¸Here, you can take them.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much, I expected no less from you.¡¹ After telling Mira of the events in the Academy, he reported that their supply of Magic Bomb Sealing Stones was running low. She said she¡¯d replenish their stock, and quickly Refined many of them. The Magic Bomb Sealing Stones used in the Academy were rather low level and could be made easily, and the materials Creos brought were enough for Mira to make nearly a hundred of them. Creos took the newly made Magic Bomb Sealing Stones and ced them with much care inside a bag, then hurried to clean the Refining Board from the table. Mariana seemed to have been waiting for that, as she swiftly swooped in and ced what looked like a ck board on the table. (Hmm? What¡¯s this? ¡­Wait, this feels¡­) That ck board had six holes on its surface, with magic circles drawn inside them. It was a strange item, though Mira felt like she had seen it somewhere before. She red at it, desperately searching through her memories for it. Mariana came again from the kitchen, this time carrying arge pot which she ced above the ck board. Now Mira¡¯s memory search finally converged on one specific thing. She had seen that item before being sold in a store for adventurers. (Right, it¡¯s that all-purpose cooking te that can heat up automatically! And it¡¯s thetest model that requires even less energy to work! I remember it cost like 100¡¯000 in the store. I gave up on it back then, but to think I¡¯d encounter it again here¡­) Oddly specific information flooded Mira¡¯s mind as she looked at it with shock. The all-purpose cooking te. It was a high-ss item that even someone who did not cook like Mira wanted. Mariana was using one to heat up a pot for the main course of their dinner. Mira¡¯s other favorites, like fried chicken, were also ced on the table. They were all on top of other heating elements as well, so they would not get cold. Mira was amazed by it all. Mariana continued bringing more items which were ready from the kitchen. Mira started to wonder if just the three of them would be able to eat so much. But even so she looked at the food with excitement. ¡¸Hm, we have visitors?¡¹ A knock on the door was heard. Mira turned to look at the door, but Mariana was faster, saying ¡¸I¡¯ll see who it is¡¹ and quickly opening the door. That created an opening for Mira¡¯s bad manners to show, as she picked up a piece of chicken and stuffed it in her cheeks. ¡¸Tasty!¡¹ Mira was acting just like a child that stole some food without their mother noticing. Creos had just returned from putting away the Refining Board, and had a slightly wry smile as he looked at Mira with doting eyes. ¡¸Wee home, Mira. I came as soon as I heard you were back.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Lady Mira.¡¹ Mariana let Luminaria and her aide Litaria in. When they told Litaria that Mira was actually Danbulf she was extremely shocked, but it seemed she had ovee it already. She looked and acted normal around Mira now. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m back. Did you need something?¡¹ ¡¸Not really, I¡¯m not here looking for something.¡¹ Luminaria walked briskly and took a seat next to Mira. Solomon had told Luminaria that Mira was back, so she hade to see her. Litaria was merely apanying Luminaria. Though once inside, she looked at the long robe hanging in a corner of the room, mumbling ¡¸So that¡¯s Lord Danbulf¡¯s¡­¡¹ Even though she knew the truth now, her feelings for Danbulf remained unchanged. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re having dinner? Hotpot? That sounds good.¡¹ It was obvious at first sight, but Luminaria still felt like asking as she surveyed the table, the tone of her voice somewhat fake. With all thatbined, Mira could guess that Luminaria had visited at that time specifically to have dinner with her. Or rather, she always did that. But just to go along with her game, Mira decided to ask ¡¸Why don¡¯t you two join us as well then?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s a wonderful offer, I¡¯ll dly take you up on it.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you for having us.¡¹ Both epted readily, even though that had been their intention from the start. ¡¸Let¡¯s cook this too while we¡¯re at it,¡¹ said Luminaria, taking mainly seafood from her Item Box. They were all high quality ingredients, making Mira¡¯s eyes twinkle seeing them. ¡¸Let me help you, Mariana.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you. I¡¯ll get another pot ready too then.¡¹ The two aides worked together to prepare a second hotpot with the seafood Luminaria brought. They knew each other for a long time, so they were in perfect sync and finished quickly. Creos felt a bit restless in front of two wisemen, so in the end he joined the aides preparing the food. While the three worked on getting the second hotpot ready, Mira and Luminaria quickly got absorbed in their own conversation, given how long it had been since theyst saw each other. ¡¸Ohh, right. This reminds me, I finally got the item you requested of me.¡¹ Mira had summoned the Holy Sword Sanctia and was talking about the de, full of pride, when she remembered something else and took out the Crimson King¡¯s Sword from her Item Box. It was the item Luminaria had requested in exchange for her Encyclopedia of Skills. She had gotten it from the Fifty Bells, who seized it from Chimera uzen¡¯s armory in their main base. After Mira spoke with the angel Tiriel, she found the Crimson King¡¯s Sword amongst the items seized, so she asked Kagura to give it to her, and in exchange Mira would let her see the Encyclopedia of Skills as well. ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s finally in my hands! Good job!¡¹ Chapter 162: A Bustling Dinner (2) Chapter 162: A Bustling Dinner (2) Luminaria was also a wiseman, so just like all the other wisemen, she was extremely passionate about magic. She basically snatched the Crimson King¡¯s Sword from Mira¡¯s hands, carefully examined it with twinkling eyes, and then eximed ¡¸This is indeed it!¡¹ with satisfaction. ¡¸By the way, what happened with the World Tree shavings I gave you? Did you turn them to ash? If you did then this is everything you requested, yes? Hurry and give me what you promised.¡¹ While Luminaria verified it was the item she requested, it was Mira¡¯s turn to make demands. She had fulfilled her end of the deal, so the Encyclopedia of Skills was essentially hers already. ¡¸Yeah, I did. It really felt like such a waste the entire time though. Still, I got the ashes.¡¹ Luminaria held her hand out to stop Mira from getting too close, then took out the Encyclopedia of Skills, ¡¸here, this is what you wanted¡¹ she added. ¡¸Just make sure you take good care of it.¡¹ With that fore-warning, Luminaria finally handed it to Mira. The Encyclopedia of Skills included abilities that could easily be used for evil purposes, so it was not avable publicly. Anyone who wanted it needed to be approved by the author as well. That made it a rare item even amongst yer-made items. ¡¸Of course I will!¡¹ Three decades of developments were condensed in it. Mira promised to take good care of it as she smiled brightly, taking the book from Luminaria. ¡¸You¡¯re finally mine¡­¡¹ Mira tightly embraced the book, looking up as her eyes seemed to tear up, then she looked at the cover again, and slowly opened it. But before she could read anything, there was yet another knock on the door. ¡¸Oh¡­ who could it be this time?¡¹ Mira watched as Mariana went to open the door like before, and she tightly hugged the book again. ¡¸I wonder who.¡¹ Luminaria said that, but her voice soundedpletely disinterested as she went to a corner of the room, where sheid out a piece of paper with a magic circle drawn on it, and lined the Crimson King¡¯s Sword and World Tree Ashes on top of it. Meanwhile Luna was rolled up on a couch, ring at the Encyclopedia of Skills with great hostility. Creos tried to not pay his surroundings much attention, simply counting the tes on the table. ¡¸I heard Mira was back so I came to visit, it seems I wasn¡¯t the first though.¡¹ The visitor was the vice elder of the Tower of Necromancy, Amaratte. She wore what could only be described as a goth-loli dress, and she looked at everyone in the room before speaking. ¡¸Yes, we¡¯re about to have dinner together. Would you like to join us?¡¹ ¡¸Hotpot at this time of the year? That sounds interesting, I¡¯ll dly apany you then.¡¹ She looked at the items on the table, and smiled a bit more. Lastly, her eyes focused on Mira. ¡¸But more importantly, tell me Mira, are those brand-new clothes?¡¹ Amaratte quickly trotted to Mira, observing and touching her clothes from very close, almost pushing her back. ¡¸Such wondrous embroidery. And theces are tasteful. Oh, even the inside is crafted so exquisitely¡­¡¹ Amaratte clung tightly to Mira¡¯s body, carefully examining every angle of her outfit. Then she went to look inside the cor of the outfit, muttering ¡¸There was a lot of thought put into the contrast with the hidden parts too,¡¹ sounding impressed with it. Apparently Lily and the maids¡¯ work was considered perfect even when inspected by a clothing enthusiast. (I can¡¯t read¡­) Amaratte¡¯s interest was on Mira¡¯s clothes alone, and she behaved differently to Fra, so Mira found it harder to resist, instead letting Amaratte do as she pleased while Mira attempted to read the Encyclopedia of Skills again. Deep in her mind, Mira also felt like being touched by a goth-loli was not the worst thing either. Then out of nowhere, mes lit up behind Mira. ¡¸Oh, I assume it went well then?¡¹ Feeling the heat behind her, Mira turned around and looked at Luminaria, who had created that fire. ¡¸Yes, it worked perfectly.¡¹ Luminaria answered with a wide smile. ¡¸Sadly I can¡¯t show you the end result here. The entire ce would be reduced to ashes.¡¹ She added with pride. Luminaria had burned the paper with the magic circle acting as catalyst on it with the initial magic skill me. That was usually the first skill any magician learned, and Luminaria could use it instantly. Still, the reaction had been rather powerful. ¡¸Ohoh, you sound rather confident. I¡¯ve also obtained some rather incredible new summons though. My enemies will already be buried by the time they notice my power.¡¹ Spurred on by Luminaria¡¯s boasting, Mira also tried to gloat about her own skills. It was hard to take her seriously considering Amaratte was shuffling under her skirt, however. Mira and Luminaria smiled creepily as they stared at each other. Creos was starting to get nervous feeling the pressure surrounding them. Litaria pretended not to care, focusing solely on the food, while Amaratte let go of Mira and went to inspect the coat left aside on the couch. Meanwhile Luna ran and jumped onto Mira¡¯sp. Mariana carried arge pot with great effort to the table. The scent of seafood instantly filled the room, and everyone rxed. ¡¸I¡¯ll bring the rest of the ingredients shortly, so please take a seat everyone.¡¹ Mariana ced the pot on the all-purpose cooking te, and said that as she returned to the kitchen. ¡¸This seems to be cooking wonderfully too. I guess seafood hotpot works after all.¡¹ ¡¸I know, right? I know you¡¯ll just stuff yourself with meat if left alone, so I had to make sure you get enough variety.¡¹ ¡¸What are you saying? I always eat well-bnced food.¡¹ ¡¸I wonder about that.¡¹ Mira and Luminaria had sat down as told by Mariana, and they watched the boiling pots while conversing with each other. The pressure between them had vanished without a trace. Creos heaved a sigh of relief, and peacefully sat down as well. Such battles of pride weremon between the two. The remaining ingredients were quickly brought to the table, and with everyone gathered they shared a summer hotpot dinner. Sharing such a bombastic dinner with everyone was enough to make Mira forget even about the Encyclopedia of Skills, and everyone began eating. Chapter 163: Departure Preparations Chapter 163: Departure Preparations The sky had barely started to get bright when Mira woke up, needing to use the restroom. She quickly got up and took care of that. ¡¸Still, that was quite the feast.¡¹ Mira muttered, looking at the empty and dark living room. The early dawn light barely reached there, and it was incredibly silent. It was so calm it made it hard to imagine there had been a lively hotpot party there the night before. It had left a different, much warmer emotion in Mirapared to the celebration in Sentopolly, which she relished while checking the current time. It was five in the morning. Only four hours had passed since they finished eating and talking. But since she had slept since then, it felt like much more time had passed, leaving Mira feeling slightly lonely. ¡¸Oh, her collection has changed a bit too.¡¹ Mira noticed a disy shelf with many small trinkets on it. It was Mariana¡¯s geomancy collection, which was dedicated to wishing Mira good luck and safe travels. She continued looking through the room, finding a small yellow turtle ornament amongst the nt vases, a tiger plush toy under the table, and many other small items Mariana had gotten. Mira was filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling each time she discovered one more. Eventually she made her way back to her bedroom where she lied down again. ¡¸Lady Mira?¡¹ Mariana¡¯s soft voice rang from next to her. She had been as stubborn as ever, and insisted on sleeping with Mira again. Luna was also sleeping next to Mira¡¯s pillow. ¡¸Sorry, did I wake you up?¡¹ Mariana¡¯s figure was faintly visible under the soft dawn light. Somehow her being harder to see made her breathing sounds stand out even more, which made Mira feel embarrassed as she shuffled a bit further away on the bed. ¡¸No, I¡¯ve just been half-dozing off.¡¹ ¡¸I see.¡¹ Only their voices were audible in the room. But they soon fell silent again, sharing a warm moment together. There was no one to disturb them, the stillness being all thefort they needed. Rather than touching each other, or talking, simply being next to each other created a strange feeling. Some time passed like that, until there was the sound of clothes rustling. ¡¸You¡¯ll be departing again today, won¡¯t you Lady Mira?¡¹ Mira turned to her, and noticed Mariana had turned her body around, facing her. She looked somewhat lonely, making Mira instinctively look away. ¡¸Yes, I will.¡¹ Mira gave a short reply, which prompted Mariana to stand up saying ¡¸I¡¯ll prepare everything for your trip then.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no rush. We were uptest night, and I¡¯ll probably leave during the afternoon. So don¡¯t worry, we can just¡­ sleep together a bit more.¡¹ It was a bitte to start worrying about such things, but Mira no longer feltfortable making Mariana work so hard since early in the morning, so she desperately tried to stop her. At the same time, her own desire to remain with her in bed surfaced on Mira¡¯s face. ¡¸¡­If you say so, I understand.¡¹ Mira had asked her to sleep together. Hearing that made Mariana smile, and she happily went under the sheets again. This time she went closer to Mira, who felt flustered feeling Mariana breathing right next to her. But that onlysted a short moment. Mira gathered all the courage she could muster and held Mariana¡¯s hand while facing her. ¡¸We¡­ still haven¡¯t done that, right..?¡¹ She struggled to find the words a little, and smiled with embarrassment. ¡¸You¡¯re right,¡¹ answered Mariana, smiling as her fingers tightened around Mira¡¯s. Soon after the glow representing the bond between them became visible. The sudden light woke Luna up, who looked at it with sleepy eyes, then waddled towards it and rolled up between Mira and Mariana. ¡¸You¡¯re still so spoiled even when sleepy, huh.¡¹ ¡¸Luna also loves you very much, Lady Mira.¡¹ The two smiled as they began petting Luna, who let out soft squeaks. Mira eventually fell asleep, and woke up slightlyte in the morning. Mariana was no longer next to her, though Luna was still rolled into a ball next to her. ¡¸What a delightful morning.¡¹ Mira stretched in the room illuminated by the morning sun, before a pleasant sound and scent lured her out of the room. ¡¸Good morning, Lady Mira.¡¹ ¡¸Morning.¡¹ She had seen this sight many times in the past. Mariana doted on her for the entire morning, which constantly made Mira think of the term newly-wed life. After taking a shower and changing into the new outfit the maids had fashioned for her, Luna finally woke up, and they all had breakfast. It was a veryforting and pleasant time for everyone. After breakfast, Mira and Mariana began preparations for the trip. Mira took out anything she thought could be useful from the warehouse and stashed it in her Item Box. Meanwhile Mariana was busy preparing a bag with changes of clothes. Luna brought a furball in her mouth and ced it in a corner of the bag. ¡¸Nice job, Luna. We can¡¯t forget your charm.¡¹ That was actually a charm Mariana had made with Luna¡¯s fur. Pure Rabbit¡¯s fur was said to bring good luck, making it a rather luxurious essory. Mira returned from the warehouse and began looking at what Mariana had prepared for her. She was shocked to see the unusually high number of pink underwear. When asked about it, Mariana said that Mira¡¯s lucky color that month was pink. Mira had gotten considerably used to this lifestyle, but she grimaced thinking of pink, the most feminine color she knew of. But then a terrifying thought crossed her mind. (She said this month¡¯s lucky color, could it be that I¡¯m already..?!) Mira hurried to check her current underwear, and she could onlyugh despite herself at the sight of girly undergarments. She had made the courageous decision to let Mariana change her underwear, and she had been wearing pink since. (¡­Well, all things considered, I guess it fits me.) She had worn pure white and alluring ck before, so Mira tried to desperately find a satisfying way out, trying tough it off. The three spent the morning together, while also getting everything ready for Mira¡¯s trip. It was already past noon before they realized. Mariana had already started preparations for lunch beforehand, and it was ready quickly. She had also prepared a boxed lunch Mira could take to eat during her trip, which Mira dly epted, knowing it was full of her love. With that, everything was ready for her to depart. ¡¸I¡¯ll be going then.¡¹ ¡¸Take care.¡¹ They were outside, next to the Tower of Summoning. They exchanged goodbyes in front of the wagon carried by Garuda. If things went well, Mira would be back in two weeks, but that was not enough to dispel the feeling of solitude between the two. Luna also jumped into Mira¡¯s arms, squeaking loudly. ¡¸Oh you, you really are helpless. Always listen to Mariana and be a good girl, okay?¡¹ Mira embraced Luna and rubbed her cheeks against Luna¡¯s fur. ¡¸Kyuii!¡¹ Luna squeaked happily before licking Mira¡¯s cheek. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I keep piling up things on you Mariana, but take good care of Luna for me too.¡¹ Saying that, Mira handed Luna over to Mariana, having hugged the rabbit for long enough. Luna looked at Mira, her eyes full of satisfaction. ¡¸Yes, leave it to me.¡¹ Mariana answered, looking at Luna with a bit of jealousy. Even if it was just for some weeks, saying goodbye always left a lonely aftertaste. But Mira had learned from Luna that sometimes that helped cheer up some people as well, so Mira stepped forward and hugged Mariana tightly. ¡¸Lady¡­Mira?¡¹ Mariana sounded shocked. Luna jumped off her arms, and watched the two from the ground, squeaking happily again. ¡¸Well¡­ you see¡­ it¡¯s a bit unfair if Luna is the only one getting this!¡¹ Mira felt like she had just done something extremely bold, so it took her some time to rpose herself, and then tried toe up with that excuse. But then quickly gathered up courage again to get closer to Mariana and whisper ¡¸I¡¯ll be on my way then¡¹ into her ear. ¡¸Yes, have a safe trip.¡¹ Both of them were filled from the warmth of their hug, and all the solitude that lingered from their goodbye was dispelled, marking this day as something memorable that should be remembered fondly. Chapter 164: Tricyclic City Gran Rings (1) Chapter 164: Tricyclic City Gran Rings (1) A four pronged mountain range was located in the center of the Earth Continent, with the Forest of Four Seasons in its middle. It was already summer, but the mountaintops were still covered with snow, creating a stark contrast between white and deep green. The eastern arm of the mountain range reached higher than five thousand meters above sea level, and Mira¡¯s wagon easily flew above it, carried by Garuda. ¡¸That looks very cold.¡¹ Mira muttered, watching the scenery out the window. She was above a snow-covered mountain. Even though she was traveling at an altitude higher than five thousand meters, the wagon still feltfortable. But that much was expected, the wagon had been purpose-built for life at any altitude. Mira felt like she was in her own room, looking out the window at that breathtaking scenery with a feeling of superiority. ¡¸I think it was around there.¡¹ Mira raised her body just a little to look towards the west. There was a basin at the spot where the four mountain ranges met, with the Forest of Four Seasons in there, housing the main base of the Fifty Bells, an organization founded by the wiseman Kagura The Fifty Bells had been created tobat Chimera uzen, a different organization that threatened spirits, also known as the good neighbors of humans. Now that Chimera uzen was a thing of the past, the Fifty Bells had started pouring their resources into their public front, being an environmentalist organization. (The news of Chimera¡¯s defeat has reached the Station Cities already. I¡¯m sure they still have work left, but they¡¯re doing really well.) The other side of the Fifty Bells, an armed organization, had split into many small groups which dispersed through the continent to hunt down any remaining members of Chimera uzen. The more the news and rumors spread, the busier they would get. Mira looked in the direction of the Forest of Four Seasons, praying for the Fifty Bells¡¯ sess, and then opened the boxed lunch she bought at the Station City. A pleasant smell that opened her appetite quickly filled the wagon. ¡¸Ohh, what a marvelous sight.¡¹ Mira took a deep breath before staring at her lunch, letting her nose and eyes enjoy the food first. The seller in the Station City had taught her that, saying it was the proper way to eat a boxed lunch. A Summer Night¡¯s Meal. That was the name of the lunchbox Mira had gotten. Lunchboxes with seasonal ingredients weremon everywhere, but what made ones better than others was the cook. This one was made by Head Chef Braun, who had experience working in the royal court, and now tended to his own shop in the Station City. That was the only ce where one could get A Summer Night¡¯s Meal. ¡¸It¡¯s all high quality, but also very filling. What a perfect lunchbox.¡¹ His experience in the royal court showed through, usingmon ingredients to their best, letting everything shine through. Mira was very pleased with it. His shop was currentlypeting for the number one spot in that city, so Mira had to wait in line for half an hour to buy it. ording to the workers of the shop, the lineup changed each season, so they rmended Mirae back regrly to try each variation. (Though well, it still can¡¯t beat the lunchbox from a loving wife.) Mira had already eaten the magnificent lunchbox Mariana prepared for her. She had no one to gloat about up there, so she just stashed away the empty lunchbox, and looked away from the distant mountains and focused on whaty ahead, forests and grasnds. ¡¸I really hope I can find him soon.¡¹ Mira¡¯s goal was to find a fellow wiseman, Soul Howl. She was currently heading to Gran Rings, the city with a Union branch that managed the Ancient Underground City Ruins. It was arge city with a long history, located on the northwest of Grimdart. It had been four days since she left Arkite. After flying over countless cities and viges, she was finally getting closer to her destination. Most of the time she could only see grasnds and forests stretching into the horizon. That city with a rich storyy just after a short hill in the distance. ¡¸It really is a breathtaking and fantastical ce¡­¡¹ Gran Rings, it was arge city structured like three ovepping circles in a triangr arrangement. That was why it also was known as the Tricyclic City. As Mira got closer, the details of the city became more vivid as well. The closest ring was filled with buildings with tall chimneys. That was mainly the industrial district. The other two rings had around the same size. They were essentially a residential district, and amercial district. The central area covered by the three rings was popted by mansions of the dukes and nobles governing over the region. They were all old, but their colors had not faded, giving off a rather majestic appearance. But the space above the city caught Mira¡¯s attention even more. There were shikigamis, summons, bodies of giant birds reanimated with necromancy, and simr beings flying around. After a closer look, Mira realized there were many other aerial travelers apart from her. The Tricyclic City of Gran Rings housed the Ancient City Ruins dungeon beneath it, which offered areas for both novices and experienced adventurers, making it a perfect destination for many. It was also structured in a way that could be easily split ording to ranks, making it unusually good for training as well. Because of all that, this was the first city Mira visited that housed so many adventurers, some of which were powerful enough to travel through the air as well. Even summoners, who were rather elusive in this age, could be seen there. ¡¸Ohh, that one is riding a Hippogriff, a fellow summoner! I knew I would find one soon enough!¡¹ Mira was finally directly above Gran Rings, where she looked at the other spellcasters flying around, and rejoicing at finding a summoner amongst them. This was a good ce to find all sorts of adventurers. Not just summoners, but essentially anyone who had the means to fly. Mira looked down and noticed there were even designatednding spots. Finding a goodnding spot had always been a big issue for Mira, so this was a very wee change in scenery, and Mira ordered Garuda tond in one such space. There was one thing Mira had not noticed though. She was the only one riding in a wagon, which attracted an immense amount of attention. Once Mira was on the ground, she sent Garuda away and quickly summoned Guardian Ash instead. Therge bear pulled the wagon along and she headed out to arge street. (This ce really sets my heart aze.) The street was paved with carefully cut stone bricks. It was also wide enough forrge carriages to pass next to each other effortlessly. There were all sorts of people from all sorts of races on the streets, and even the carriages all looked different. The buildings on both sides of the street were all built out of stone, wood, and bricks, creating a scenery that anyone who liked fantasy would appreciate. It was a bit surprising how different it all felt now that everything was real. Mira reminisced the game days as she headed straight to the Union to ask if anyone had sighted Soul Howl. The Union was located at the end of aplexwork of roads, but Mira was able to reach it safely. That was thanks to a multitude of signs ced at every turn, and she always asked the guards she passed by, just to be sure. Gran Rings¡¯ Union was a single building for both Spellcasters and Warriors, so the building was at least two or even three timesrger than the rest. It was built out of stone and bricks like the rest, but the entrance was very ornamented, giving it a striking appearance. The walls inside were beautifully carved as well, adorning most of the building. Arge number of adventurers constantly went in and out as well, befitting such arge building. (I feel like I¡¯m missing something.) There was something fundamentally different about this Union. Mira stared intently, trying to put her finger on it, and then she seemed to finally remember she was on a wagon, and she drove it through arge gate nearby. Past therge gate, she could see the entire Union building in all its glory. Its size and design rivaled that of a duke¡¯s mansion, and the surrounding areas were kept clean forming a nice parking lot for carriages. To the side there were brick stables too. The Union had a parking area. A sign to the side read ¡®Carriages 3000 Rils a day, Horses 2000 Rils a day.¡¯ ¡¸I¡¯d like to leave my wagon here.¡¹ Having read that sign, Mira went further into the parking lot and called out to a man in uniform stationed nearby. ¡¸Oh yes, wee,¡¹ he replied politely. He then proceeded to exin how the parking lot worked. The fees were not tallied depending on the time a carriage was left there, but at midnight every day. They kept watch over a carriage for up to ten days, before being removed if the owner did not return or pay, though it was possible to negotiate that in advance. There was a washing service for an extra fee, parking spots with roofs for higher level adventurers, and so on. Mira listened to most of it, then showed her adventurer certificate to use a spot with a roof, where she was given a ticket with a number. She did not need the washing service, and discussed how long she would stay. Chapter 164: Tricyclic City Gran Rings (2) Chapter 164: Tricyclic City Gran Rings (2) ¡¸Well, good luck in your exploits then.¡¹ The worker ended their conversation like that, and Mira left the parking lot, heading straight to the Union. ¡¸It¡¯s evenrger than Sentopolly¡¯s¡­¡¹ The building¡¯s exterior had already hinted at it, but the entrance lobby was surprisinglyrge. It was at least two hundred meters wide, and it split into two directions, left for the Spellcasters¡¯ Union, right for the Warriors¡¯ Union. Seeing the number of staff members on site showed just how crowded the lobby usually was. ¡¸Do you have a minute? I¡¯d like to inquire about something.¡¹ Mira¡¯s head peeked across a reception desk that was free. The receptionist sitting on the other side smiled gently and said ¡¸Yes, what do you need?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m looking for an acquaintance. Has there been anyone who reached the White Room of the Ancient City recently?¡¹ A fragment of a Chalk Orb was needed to create the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Those orbs were located in a ce known as the White Room. Or rather, there was nothing else but them in the White Room, so if someone went there, it was almost certainly Soul Howl. But the receptionist did not seem to remember such a person. ¡¸The White Room? That¡¯s so far at the end of the Ancient City, and an area zealously watched over by the Guardian, so usually no one is insane enough to go there. I¡¯d remember if some daredevil attempted to enter that ce.¡¹ The receptionist answered, her voice sounding convinced of herself. She was right, the Guardian protecting the deepest reaches of the Ancient City was on a whole different level to the other monsters before it. Even one of the Nine Wisemen would struggle fighting it alone. ¡¸Hmm, I see. Then have you seen someone with nted eyes, a somber aura, wearing needlessly tacky clothes, like uh¡­ very edgy, like if a teenager¡¯s tastes were put into a grown man, wearing such clothes with no hesitation whatsoever. Does that ring a bell?¡¹ Mira¡¯s first question yielded no results, but she would not back down, trying to summarize Soul Howl¡¯s appearance as best as she could to ask about him. ¡¸nted eyes and somber¡­ needlessly tacky clothes, a teenager¡¯s tastes¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t think of anyone like that.¡¹ She thought about it for a bit, but there was such a volume of peopleing and going from the Union that it was hard to remember the specifics of everyone. ¡¸Hm, I see¡­ I guess it was too much to ask for¡­¡¹ There were all sorts of people in the huge crowd of adventurers, but that made it hard to find a specific person amongst them. Not to mention that it was still uncertain whether Soul Howl had been there yet or not, so it made sense if people had not seen him. Mira began to ponder what to do now, but then the receptionist seemed to remember something, letting out a loud Ah. ¡¸Last week someone came asking for a pass, not for the White Room, but thest floor before it.¡¹ ¡¸Are you certain? Did that truly happen!¡¹ Hearing that, Mira clung to the desk, almost climbing on it to get closer to the receptionist. The White Room was at the end of the dungeon, meaning one needed to go through thest floor to get there. A special pass was needed for that, so if someone came asking for said pass, chances were that was Soul Howl. Mira realized that her method of asking had not been ideal, and that she would have obtained that answer faster by asking if someone got that pass. ¡¸He was wearing a mask, so he looked more suspicious than ominous. The adventurers here seldom need to go so deep, so I clearly remember that person passing through here.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, I¡¯m sure that must¡¯ve been him!¡¹ Suspicious theatrics like wearing masks was something in line with Soul Howl¡¯s personality, so Mira was essentially convinced that had been him. But such were the Nine Wisemen. They would always find a way to stand out, even amongst suchrge crowds of adventurers. ¡¸And so would you happen to know whether he is still down there?!¡¹ Mira asked, her voice filled with hope. Based on the person¡¯s description, and the fact that he asked for a pass to thest floor, Mira believed with considerable certainty that it was Soul Howl. ¡¸I¡¯m truly sorry, I can¡¯t say for sure. But the Ancient City is vast, so he might still be there.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s true.¡¹ As the name of the city suggested, the area covered by the dungeon wasrge, and there were eight floors one had to ovee before reaching the White Room. Going through the usual path, it would take one around a month topletely clear that dungeon. Mira recalled spending multiple weeks there as well, so she knew it was quite likely for him to still be in the dungeon. ¡¸Alright, can I get a pass to thest floor as well then?¡¹ That person Mira suspected was Soul Howl had been there a week before. If she went there with everything she had, she might still be able to catch up with him halfway through the dungeon. Thinking that, Mira proudly disyed her adventurer certificate, showing it to the receptionist. Except there was something she was forgetting. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, I can only give you a pass to the fifth floor, seeing as you¡¯re still a rank C adventurer¡­¡¹ Mira was still stuck at rank C. The receptionist¡¯s voice had a hint of pity, taking pity on Mira after seeing how proudly she requested the pass. ording to the receptionist, the dungeon¡¯s difficulty grew with each floor, all the way to thest one. In other words, one had to be ranked A to obtain a pass to thest floor. Mira had not counted with such an obstruction. (Hm¡­ So I need to reach rank A for this too. Maybe I can use my medal and force her to give me the pass¡­ No, Solomon said C was the highest rank he could give me, so the medal won¡¯t have any more authority. Maybe I should go find an adventurer that reached rank A somewhere again¡­) Back when she had to reach the Abandoned City in the Sky, or the Libra Fortress, she had to join another rank A adventurer to enter together. She was considering doing that again when something happened. ¡¸Ah, please give me a moment.¡¹ The receptionist said as she held Mira¡¯s adventurer certificate to a device. Mira wondered what was happening, watching in silence as told, while the receptionist operated the device which started ttering. ¡¸I knew it. Sorry for the wait, but it seems your valiant efforts have been recognized, and your rank has been raised to A.¡¹ The receptionist sounded surprised, but she sounded genuinely happy for Mira as she told her the news. ¡¸Truly? That¡¯s good news, but I wonder what I did¡­¡¹ That was a favorable turn of events, but Mira did not recall doing any work as an adventurer, she was even starting to get suspicious. But her doubts were soon dispelled by the receptionist. Her rank had been raised thanks to her work in Sentopolly. In other words, everything she did to take down Chimera uzen had been recognized by the Union. ¡¸Ohh, I see. So that¡¯s how much they valued that.¡¹ The Fifty Bells and the Union had made an ord, the Union agreeing that all adventurers that helped in the fight would be recognized. It was the Fifty Bells¡¯ way to award the adventurers who had been aiding them in secret, their work unrecognized by the Union so far. The Union also agreed that while the whole matter had never been registered as a proper request, they deserved some form ofpensation. That was how Mira¡¯s rank was also boosted. The defeat of Chimera uzen was all over the newstely, and even the receptionist agreed that whoever participated in taking them down deserved a reward like that. It was really rare for someone to go up two ranks at once though, which was why the receptionist looked so surprised. ¡¸There¡¯s still some paperwork left to do before you¡¯re assigned your new rank, but once that¡¯s done I can give you the pass for thest floor. Going up two ranks is a strange urrence, so I¡¯ll need to contact the headquarters, which might take some time as well. If I start now, it should be done at around noon tomorrow. Is that alright?¡¹ The paperwork included various checks of authenticity, as well as the headquarters¡¯ approval to grant someone rank A. That was going to take a day toplete, but after that Mira would be able to obtain the pass, so her answer was obvious. ¡¸Please do so!¡¹ Mira happily asked her to do the paperwork, told the receptionist she would be back the next day, and left the front desk. Chapter 165: A Queen’s Shopping (1) Chapter 165: A Queen¡¯s Shopping (1) (Well then¡­ Considering the situation, and how long this mission might take¡­ better get everything I need ready!) The Ancient Underground City was incredibly vast. After this world became reality, the Ancient Underground City appeared sorge that all other dungeons could fit inside it with space to spare. The difficulty of exploring it had also increased considerably, since those venturing inside could no longer log out whenever they felt inside it. Thinking about that, Mira surveyed the rest of the entrance lobby. Suchrge Unions usually had plenty of stores specific for adventurers. As she looked around, she realized that not only was the lobby reallyrge, but also quite tall. It was easy to tell how resilient and solid the building¡¯s stone was, and at closer inspection Mira noticed a detailed carving, which started on the columns and spread all the way to the ceiling. The ceiling looked like a fresco depicting the paradise inhabited by the Three Gods. (Hmmm¡­ I can¡¯t find any.) Mira simply thought the carving looked cool, and was done looking at it. Instead she grumbled and sighed in dejection, unable to find a single store for adventurers in the Union. ¡¸No matter, let¡¯s just look elsewhere.¡¹ Mira left the corner of the Union¡¯s lobby, where a map was fastened to the wall, and headed out to themercial district to satisfy her need to shop. But then a man came running to Mira. ¡¸Sorry to bother you, but I couldn¡¯t help overhearing that you were part of the group that took down Chimera uzen. Could you tell me a bit more about that group? Specifically about its members.¡¹ The man smiled friendly and stood right in front of Mira, speaking to her. He had a notepad and pen on his hands, wore a shirt and pants that looked easy to move in, and had arge bag hanging from his shoulder. He did not appear to be an adventurer at first nce. He looked more like a journalist, or at least one from years back. ¡¸I don¡¯t really know what to say¡­¡¹ Mira had only been helping with taking down Chimera uzen¡¯s main base, so she did not really know much else. Not to mention that she only met a majority of the members after the mission was over. There was little she could say. ¡¸Please just try, I only need to know about one person, just one. Could you tell me anything you know about the Spirit Queen? Like what her hobbies are, or what she likes to eat, anything. And right¡­ her three sizes, if you know them. I promise I¡¯ll reward you appropriately!¡¹ Mira looked hesitant, so the journalist doubled down trying to convince her. She did not remember someone called the Spirit Queen, however. (The Spirit Queen¡­) A reward. Mira¡¯s mind was swayed by that word alone, so she ced a finger to her chin as she repeated the journalist-like man¡¯s words in her mind. Meanwhile their surroundings seemed to go silent. Or more exactly, all the men had suddenly gone silent. The Union was known as one of the most influential organizations in the entire continent, so not only were there many adventurers there, but there were plenty of staff as well. All the males there seemed to go silent, curious about that question the journalist-like man had made. Tens of seconds passed in that strange silence, and eventually Mira found the correct time to speak again. ¡¸Exactly who is this Spirit Queen?¡¹ It was like the air froze there. Everyone had been listening with anticipation, but now they were shocked, struggling toprehend what she had said. ¡¸Huh? Wait wait, the Spirit Queen, you know, the Spirit Queen?!¡¹ ¡¸That doesn¡¯t really narrow it down. I don¡¯t think I met anyone called that¡­¡¹ The journalist-like man sounded confused, simply repeating the same name again, but Mira had no clue what that meant, tilting her head in response. Some were even starting to mutter to each other, wondering if Mira had actually lied about being in that group of adventurers. ¡¸But if you were with that group then you must¡¯ve seen her. Weren¡¯t you there when the Spirit King appeared? And the Spirit Queen that called him! That unparalleled beauty that can control even the Spirit King!¡¹ The man shouted almost in desperation as Mira still could not think of anyone. But then she realized. The Spirit King¡¯s appearance, and the Spirit Queen that called him. That was all Mira needed to dispel her questions and everything was clear. (Oh, they¡¯re actually talking about me.) That was it, the journalist-like man was talking about Mira, referring to her as the Spirit Queen. It was still strange though. She was right in front of them, but they did not seem to recognize her. Her figure had been disyed on arge screen that day, so they would have obviously seen her clearly. ¡¸So just in case, what kind of person is this Spirit Queen you¡¯re talking about?¡¹ Mira was curious why that was happening, so she asked that as a test. Hearing that sobered the man up, who coughed to clear his throat before talking with starry eyes about this Spirit Queen. ording to him, the Spirit Queen was a powerful summoner, and even the Spirit King obeyed her. She was said to be the seconding of the legendary hero Forsythia, and the Three Gods¡¯ Countries were all interested in her. And moreover, he said raising his voice tone, the Spirit Queen was a peerless beauty with lustrous silver hair. (Well, that¡¯s definitely me. But why won¡¯t he recognize me?) That was Mira¡¯s first thought once he was done talking. She then said, ¡¸Huh, that sounds an awful lot like me, doesn¡¯t it?¡¹ twirling her silver hair in a slightly exaggerated manner and puffing her chest arrogantly. That should have been enough for them to notice. But the journalist-looking man, and a majority of the onlookers, did not respond positively. ¡¸You do have silver hair, but you¡¯re not quite on¡­ her level.¡¹ His eyes glided down from Mira¡¯s face to a position slightly lower as he said that. The other men did the same, looking not quite satisfied with what they were seeing, and almost looking with pity at her. Mira finally understood the truth of the matter from that reaction. As the story reached these regions, it kept getting embellished to an unnecessary extreme. Not to mention that most of the men there were not satisfied with a tasteful size, but preferred muchrger eye-catching features. ¡¸Sorry, I didn¡¯t know her then.¡¹ Mira realized she would never win against them, so she ignored the journalist-looking man¡¯s pleas for her to stay as she turned around and walked away with a gant stride. When it came to news about Chimera uzen, the name ¡®Spirit Queen¡¯ had spread way faster than just ¡®Mira¡¯. The Spirit King¡¯s entrance had left that strong of an impact. The shock had made Mira¡¯s earlier introduction pale so much inparison that nearly no one remembered it. On top of that, Mira¡¯s cute appearance was soon overshadowed by exaggerations, transforming into a more gorgeous description. That led to her being named the Spirit Queen, a beautiful woman with magnificent proportions. Rumors and word-of-mouth could sometimes be an unreliable form ofmunication. It would take some time before Mira was recognized in public. ¡¸Such clueless men. Rather than understanding that this is the ideal body, they go and picture me with such bloated proportions.¡¹ As Mira left the Union, she muttered while cing a hand on her chest, which she considered to be the perfect size. She decided to squish it to confirm their firmness again, before muttering ¡¸Yes, just perfect¡¹ as she raised her face satisfied and triumphantly stepped out to the city. Those were her preferences, and if someone disagreed it was their problem. (¡­Alright, where are the shops then?) She left the Union and walked through random streets for a while. She could not spot a single shop, so eventually she had to stop and wonder just what was going on. Gran Rings was an incrediblyrge city, and she had visited the ce only a few times in the past, so she did not really remember the city¡¯syout. There were many adventurers on the streets, but the buildings were all regr homes or just local institutions. She looked back, arge Adventurer¡¯s Union building was there, but no shops were nearby. All the Unions Mira had visited in the past were located in busymercial districts, in rather convenient locations. But that did not seem to be the case here. Mira was used to finding shops near the Union, so now she was lost as to what to do. She decided to fly high on Pegasus, where she surveyed the city and wondered if maybe it was too early to explore themercial district, when someone spoke to her. ¡¸Hey, what are you doing standing still in a ce like this? Did you get lost?¡¹ She turned around and saw a beautiful girl wearing male clothes. It was a female crossdresser. Her height was neither tall nor short, and while her clothes were all those a male would usually wear, her curves still showed through clearly. Her face also looked cute, with some younger traits still present, so anyone could tell she was a woman at first sight. Mira had just gotten annoyed at others for this, but she was currently looking at this crossdressing woman¡¯s chest. Or rather, her eyes could not move away from there. In the end, Mira realized that she also shared a bit of the sentiment of all those men. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry if I startled you. I¡¯m no one suspicious, it¡¯s just that there¡¯s a lot of people passing through here, so it¡¯s a bit dangerous to just stay still like that.¡¹ All Mira was doing was to stare at those tworge alluring lumps that would take over any male¡¯s mind, but the crossdressing woman seemed to take that as shock, so she smiled and softened her voice. ¡¸Ah¡­mm¡­no, it¡¯s just¡­ I was hoping to find some stores near the Union, but I couldn¡¯t see any. I was just a little bit perplexed.¡¹ Chapter 165: A Queen’s Shopping (2) Chapter 165: A Queen¡¯s Shopping (2) Feeling the kind and pure gaze of that crossdressing woman, Mira hastily looked away from her chest, trying toe up with an excuse and im to be innocent. ¡¸I see. You¡¯re an adventurer too then, I take it? I guess this means this is your first time in this city too. This ce has some slightly bizarre customs, so I don¡¯t me you.¡¹ Thanks to Mira¡¯s appearance as a young and cute girl, the crossdressing woman did not notice her gaze. The woman used an increasingly soft voice to exin the difference between Gran Rings and other citiesmonly visited by adventurers. It wasmon for the Union to be located in themercial districts, for convenience¡¯s sake. But Gran Rings was a city with a long and rich history, and themercial district was filled with many well-established shops and businesses, making it impossible for the Union to secure a suitable plot ofnd. So in the end they had to make do with an old party hall in the district where many residences and institutions were located, and build the Union there. ¡¸But well, at the end of the day there¡¯s still this much traffic around the Union. Maybe it¡¯s for the better this way, keeping themercial district less congested.¡¹ The crossdressing woman ended her exnation with that quip, trying to sound cool. But her femininity showed through too much, making it look more cute than anything. After that, Mira asked where themercial district was located, and parted ways with the crossdressing woman. Soon after Mira turned around and noticed a familiar emblem. ¡¸Oh, she was one of Sero¡¯srades¡­ That exins her friendliness.¡¹ An emblem showing a scarlet bell, which belonged to the guild ¨¦cate Carillon, led by a former yer named Sero. That was etched onto the back of the woman¡¯s coat. (I¡¯ll have to tell Sero to give her my thanks for helping me next time we see each other¡­ Hmm¡­ she was like a Takarazuka1 girl, where every character was embodied by a female actress, including the men.) Thinking that, Mira headed in the direction she was pointed at, and safely arrived at themercial district. Gran Rings¡¯mercial district was full of life, not unlike Sentopolly¡¯s market or Roseline, which was a trading country. All the buildings had an air of history to them, but there was no end to the lively voices from the people filling the streets. Many of them were adventurers, visiting armories and potion stores, and the stores specializing in items for adventurers were especially crowded. (I¡¯m really curious about this ce, but food is more important.) The Dinowal Store¡¯s branch in Gran Rings had arge sign reading ¡®New Arrivals!¡¯ on its entrance, but Mira had to keep grounded on reality. She was nning on going to the Ancient Underground City dungeon the next day, which was sorge and difficult that even skilled adventurers could take an entire month in clearing. There was no way of knowing whether Soul Howl was still somewhere inside there, and Mira could not just search for one day or two beforeing back out, she had to be ready to spend at least two weeks inside. The biggest hurdle would be food and provisions. Protein could be procured from monster meat, as long as she ignored the taste, but vitamins and nutrients from vegetables were trickier to obtain. No sunlight reached inside the Ancient Underground City, so nts could not grow, limiting the resources that could be gathered in there. Without food, it was impossible to search the dungeon. Mira had been absorbed in reading the Encyclopedia of Skills she obtained from Luminaria, focusing mainly on the things that had changed between now and when it was still a game. She noticed many advancements had focused on food, which also made her realize how important stocking up was before heading into the Ancient Underground City. She could no longer leave the dungeon whenever she pleased. ¡¸I need to buy enough tost a few weeks!¡¹ The Ancient Underground City was a popr dungeon amongst adventurers. Rather than trying to rely on whatever little resources were left by others, it was much safer to stock up on food beforehand. On top of that, she had her Item Box, which she could not find the limits of yet, unlike the Operator¡¯s Bracelet most high level adventurers used. Mira looked around at themercial district while almost hopping as she walked, searching for food in a good mood. Part of that was that one adventurer item she bought in Sentopolly, the cooking set. Being able to use a new tool for the first time was always exciting. Mira was like that as well, already imagining how she would use the set as she stood in front of one shop. There she observed therge selection of colorful fruits and vegetables. ¡¸I¡¯ll take a pile of everything!¡¹ She eventually dered. ¡¸That could get heavy, is it alright?¡¹ The shop owner turned around surprised, and looked at Mira¡¯s small frame with a bit of worry. But Mira turned her arm and pointed at her bracelet, answering, ¡¸Don¡¯t worry.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, an adventurer. I thought you were just running errands.¡¹ Mira¡¯s bracelet was actually far better than those high level adventurers used, but it looked identical to an Operator¡¯s Bracelet. The shop owner sounded impressed seeing it, then gathered a pile of everything he had. Meanwhile Mira was already nning how to use them, what she would makest for two weeks, what she wanted more and finish in four days, and so on. ¡¸Well, be careful out there.¡¹ After counting the money, the shop owner said that before hurrying to serve his other clients. In total she had bought around thirty kilograms worth of ingredients, and each pile had cost around 50¡¯000 Rils. (So this usually would onlyst a week, which I doubt would be enough for the entire search. But I¡¯ll be alright!) The shop owner had given her a timeframe by when the food would still be safe to eat, but that was not an issue for Mira. Unlike the Operator¡¯s Bracelet used by adventurers, the Item Box of former yers still worked like in the game, preserving everything the way it was stored. In other words, Mira could stuff it full of food and it would never get spoiled. Solomon even told tales of former yers that would take fresh seafood to secluded mountains and made a fortune that way. The taste was preserved even better than frozen items, which made it especially requested in noble or rich households. It was a simple yet effective way of earning money. (Though I bought everything on impulse, there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know how to prepare.) Mira looked at the various types of fruits and vegetables she bought as she stashed them in her Item Box. Some were identical to those she knew from her past world, but there were many she had never seen before. She could always look for a cooking bookter, or use the all-mighty method of making a stew. Once she finished storing everything in her Item Box, Mira crossed the street to a butcher¡¯s shop on the other side. There she found all themon types of meat, beef, pork and poultry, but also rabbit, sheep, goat, horse, deer, frog, and even snake meat. She even saw more fantastical creatures that looked like pterosaurs. Mira joined the crowd of people seeking meat there, and looked at the avable selection, deciding she would eat anything except rabbit, since it reminded her of her cute Luna. Everything else was fair game. ¡¸Please give me two kilos of each of these!¡¹ Mira made special emphasis on avoiding rabbit, while pointing mainly at beef, pork, poultry, and anything else she thought looked appetizing. ¡¸Here you go, thank you foring by! Stocking up on supplies sounds quite the hard job.¡¹ Thedy behind the counter, who had a somewhat aloof and carefree voice, smiled as she looked at Mira¡¯s bracelet. But contrary to her voice, her hands moved rapidly toplete Mira¡¯s order, wrapping all the meat in a deep green paper. ¡¸What is that paper? It smells rather pleasant.¡¹ A sweet herbal scent wafted from the deep green paper she used to wrap the meat. It appeared to be more than just mere packaging. ¡¸Oh, this? It¡¯s paper soaked in the sap of medicinal herbs, it absorbs any bad odor right away, and keeps the meat fresh for longer. The owner said it¡¯s also pretty cheap. Most shops like ours use it nowadays.¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so that scent came from medicinal herbs, I see.¡¹ While it took some effort to produce that paper, it could be made at such arge volume that prices were low. That¡¯s quite a convenient item, thought Mira as she watched the packed meat pieces piled one over the other. That paper was called Preservative Paper, and had been invented by former yers. ¡¸Come back again soon~¡¹ Thedy counted the money and waved her hand with a smile. But right away another client called her, and she let out anguid ¡¸Going~¡¹ as she continued working. (I think this shouldst a month at least.) The beef, pork, and poultry she bought was all familiar to her, having ordered mainly sirloin, ribs, and thighs, most of the pieces as thick as possible, weighing around two kilograms each. Then she added some sheep, deer, and that pterosaur-looking thing too. She selected a mix of red and white meat. In total everything weighed around 35 kilograms, costing 150¡¯000 Rils. Together with the vegetables and fruit she had spent 200¡¯000 Rils. That was a fifth of the funds Solomon had prepared for her, but Mira was not quite satisfied yet. Mira started getting in a good mood and grinned as she stored the meat inside her Item Box. It was a simr sensation to packing for a long and distant trip. Once she was done storing everything, she continued wandering around the streets, looking for more ingredients to buy.
  1. Silva: /10-facts-know-takarazuka-revue/
Chapter 166: Preparations Complete (1) Chapter 166: Preparations Complete (1) ¡¸I guess this is about it.¡¹ A variety of grains for the bulk of her food, frozen fish, and spices. Mira had bought anything that caught her eye, and now she was satisfied with her haul as she trotted back to the Dinowal Store, finally being able to enter and check it out. ¡¸Oh ohh, so these are all the newest items. There¡¯s so many!¡¹ There were stars in Mira¡¯s eyes as she looked at the corner with newly made items. She could see multiple shelves and carts filled with items, with arge banner above that read ¡®New Release, Opening Sale!¡¯ Quite some time had passed since Mira had met Thedrick, the son of thepany¡¯s president, on a train station. Apparently this was the release he had mentioned that time, a lineup meant for adventurers of higher level with Operator¡¯s Bracelets. ¡¸I see, this seems quite thought out.¡¹ The sleeping bag she obtained that time had worked perfectly, which gave her high expectations for the other products. That was why she headed straight for that special section, like it was calling to her. First she saw arge tent. It could easily house six adults lying on the ground, and it was around two meters tall too, making it so spacious that it was easy to forget it was simply a tent. On top of that, ording to the manual, the tent was made of a fire-proof material and had insting properties, so it could be paired with a magic kitchen and chimney set, sold separately, to safely cook inside the tent. Looking further in, there was a device in a corner of the tent. There was a bright sticker on it that said ¡®Enjoy every season!¡¯ The device was essentially an air conditioner, which ran on the Magic Batteries sold by the Dinowal Store. The air conditioner was somewhatrge, but light-weight. ording to the manual, it was perfectly sized for the tent. ¡¸This is so splendid! And paired with my sleeping bag it¡¯ll be even more perfect!¡¹ A tent was propped up inside the store, as a sample piece. The air inside was rather refreshing, and once shey sprawled out in the center of it, thefortable air made her imagine spending the warm days of summer there. ¡¸And the frames are made of mithril, it¡¯s clearly meant for higher level adventurers.¡¹ Mira looked at the frames supporting the tent. They had a light greenish sheen, which showed they were made of mithril, as they reflected the white light from the samplemp affixed in the tent. That meant the tent would be rather resilient during harsh weather. If she had this tent when going to the Ancient Underground City, she would be able to spend the nights with much more ease. (Sturdy and lightweight mithril, such a spacious room too. And it can be even more useful with extra add-ons sold separately. This really is a gem.) Mira examined the tent with a keen eye, and then she started rolling around the floor, wondering just how much she could rx in there. Barely a moment passed when the tent was opened, and a man that looked like an adventurer peeked inside. Mirapleted a roll and raised her head, finally locking eyes with the adventurer, freezing in shock. After a bit of hesitation, their eyes still focused on each other, Mira finally said ¡¸¡­I¡¯d rmend this. It¡¯s truly the pinnacle offort.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, yeah, it seems that way. Err¡­ sorry for intruding.¡¹ He had wanted to check out the sample tent, but was shocked to find a young girl rolling on the floor inside, who did not seem to care about her skirt being rolled up from the movement. The adventurer looked really apologetic and awkward, either because he had interrupted her when she looked so happy, or because he had caught an uninterrupted view of her underwear, or maybe both. (It was sofortable Ipletely forgot I was inside a store¡­) Mira quickly stood up and straightened her clothes, and after a bit of introspection, she decided to go check the tent¡¯s price as a way to regain her spirits. But then she almost yelled ¡¸7,800,000?!¡¹ (I truly underestimated the quality of items for high level adventurers¡­) Mithril was a metal in high demand in various fields, due to its sturdiness and light weight. The tent was made with a cloth interwoven with crystal fibers, which had a strong resistance against fire, insted heat, and even resisted cuts. The tent used plenty of both materials, and had been released just one week before, officially titled the ¡®All-purpose assembled tent 1, Bearhouse¡¯. Its high price reflected the expensive materials used in its construction. Mira had thought she had no option but to buy the tent, but that feeling vanishedpletely the moment she saw its price tag. Something else also dispelled that desire even more. ¡¸This costs 3,000,000¡­¡¹ The air conditioner to make the tentfortable even during hot summer days was also expensive. There were other essories like the magic stove, and monster rms, all of which cost tens of thousands, ballooning the tent¡¯s cost even more. Mira had lost all desire to buy it, so she carefully checked she had not scratched anything and silently snuck away from the tent. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s just because I don¡¯t have that sum in cash right now. Once I recover all my properties and assets this will be just a drop in the bucket, nothing more¡­¡¹ Mira tried to console herself, giving excuses to no-one in particr, and headed to a different section of the store, which looked less expensive. As she reached the end of the section with high level items, Mira noticed something very familiar. There was also a bright sticker there that read ¡®Rmended by Rikka Petal Heinrich!¡¯ It was the special sleeping bag Thedrick had gifted Mira. Its price was 1,000,000 Rils, also a rather expensive item. ¡¸I remember he was quite interested in it, that time¡­¡¹ Heinrich, he was one of the adventurers that went with Mira to the Abandoned City in the Sky, and had shown a keen interest in anything sleeping rted. Mira had received her sleeping bag as a free sample, and Heinrich had seemed impressed by it. Seeing the sticker, it was clear he had liked it quite a lot. (So I guess my advertising paid off, all things considered. Maybe I should pressure Thedrick a little if I ever run into him again.) Mira grinned to herself as she schemed something in front of the special sleeping bag. The adventurer who had seen her earlier spotted her again, and watched her with worry. After that, Mira went around the sections aimed at lower and middle level adventurers, which quickly reignited her desire to buy, eventually driving her into a shopping spree. She got a full suit of add-ons for the cooking set she bought before, a ¡®Magic washing bag that works just by pouring water in,¡¯ followed by anything that caught her fancy. Lastly, she grabbed a set of thirty Magic Batteries, which were used to power all those magic devices, and ced everything on the check-out counter. There she obviously showed herplimentary ticket, which gave her a twenty percent discount, and left the Dinowal Store in good spirits, forgetting about the expensive tent. Her preparations to enter the Ancient Underground City wereplete now, so as the sun started to set, Mira searched for an inn to spend the night. Wherever adventurers gathered, there were also plenty of inns. Mira asked a nearby guard for the location of a nearby inn, who pointed her to a street in themercial district with many inns. Mira thanked the guard and continued walking through themercial district. She reached a crossing lined with open air stores that handled all sorts of items imaginable, which Mira looked at with great curiosity as she walked by. Getting out of the crossing, she saw a simr sight to that from the Station City, multiple inns built one next to the other. ¡¸This looks rather lively too.¡¹ The night was nearing, so this part of the city was also full of people, almost as much as themercial district. A part of the delights of traveling was spending each night in a different inn. Mira looked around, wondering just which to pick for the night, walking along in high spirits, until she noticed many inns had a ¡®No rooms avable¡¯ sign on their entrances. ¡¸Hmm¡­ it¡¯s the same here¡­¡¹ The inns, which ording to fantasy fashion offered both bedding and food, were packed full of adventurers. Many of the inns had a pleasant appearance, being regr inns for travelers, where the night cost 5000 Rils, making them popr amongst adventurers. Even more so when the night was near. This was also the city housing the Ancient Underground City, considered the biggest dungeon in the continent, so there were many adventurers who stayed there for prolonged times. Especially low level adventurers who earned a living by clearing the first floor of the dungeon every day, and then returning to an inn for the night. One of the inn¡¯s shopkeepers told Mira that, and then smiled brightly because that meant more business for him too. ¡¸Take a turn there and just keep going, the more fancy and expensive inns are over there. That¡¯s the only ce where you¡¯ll find an empty room.¡¹ The shopkeeper signaled with his head, while his hands skillfully handled a frying pan. As the inns reached middle to higher prices, the guests staying over were also higher level adventurers or merchants. The city had a lot of adventurers in it, including higher level ones, but they were after the lower floors of the Ancient Underground City. Such trips went far underground and could not bepleted in a single day, so the inns they used would have empty rooms often as well. Chapter 166: Preparations Complete (2) Chapter 166: Preparations Complete (2) ¡¸If you keep going for around five minutes you¡¯ll reach an inn named Folk¡¯s Peace. I heard that arge group of adventurers that was staying there departed to the lower levels of the dungeon, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of free space now.¡¹ The inn¡¯s shopkeeper added, as if he had just remembered, and gave Mira the name of one specific inn. But the shopkeeper was not the best actor, so Mira asked him ¡¸Are you friends with the owner?¡¹ and the shopkeeper gave an awkward smile as he answered ¡¸It¡¯s my father¡¯s inn.¡¹ ¡¸Well, I¡¯m going to be around so I might as well check it out then.¡¹ Mira grinned and left that inn, while the shopkeeper said ¡¸Make sure you grow up into a good woman!¡¹ behind her in a good mood. The day Mira arrived at Gran Rings, an inn¡¯s shopkeeper directed her to a slightly expensive inn, Folk¡¯s Peace, where she spent the night. While she was there she asked the owner what he thought of his son¡¯s acting skills, and sessfully obtained a discount. Her room cost 30,000 Rils, and the food for another 30,000 Rils. Then the next day. ¡¸I guess I¡¯ll head to the Union first.¡¹ It was just a little past the busiest time in the morning. Mira enjoyed her discounted breakfast, and after downing a ss of Lemonade au Lait, she thanked the owner and left the inn. Probably due to the size of the city, there were still plenty of people walking around. Except that there were less adventurerspared to before, since they preferred to leave early to secure the best hunting spots. The only ones who remained in the city were those with a high enough rank that they could continue deeper into the dungeon. Mira felt the refreshing morning breeze as she casually walked along the streets paved with white stone. There was a sense of exotic history there. She looked around, her heart racing once again seeing that fantastical scenery, and she entered the Union. ¡¸Hello, I¡¯m Mira, I started the paperwork to be assigned a higher rank yesterday, is thatplete yet?¡¹ Mira found the same receptionist she saw the day before, and spoke to her, quickly delving into the main topic. She smiled and answered ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s done,¡¹ as she returned the updated adventurer license. Once she had it back, Mira requested a pass to enter the lowest floor of the Ancient Underground City. The Ancient Underground City was a rather peculiar dungeon, where each floor would gradually be more difficult. Because of that, the floors were sectioned off, and seven passes were needed to reach the lowest one. Requesting one pass cost 3000 Rils, and all seven together 20,000 Rils. (Just hold tight, Soul Howl, I¡¯ming for you!) Mira put her adventurer¡¯s license and her entry passes into her case, then put that in her waist pouch. Her goal was almost at arms¡¯ reach, so she left the Union in high spirits. Mira left in as a majestic stride as when she entered, and everyone there began talking the moment she left, wondering if that had actually been the Spirit Queen. After that journalist-looking man annoyed Mira and she left, the men in the Union quickly started discussing various theories and guesses. They were still talking when a certain woman visited the Union. She wore men¡¯s clothes, and had a well-known emblem on her back, depicting a scarlet bell. The guild ¨¦cate Carillon, arge group with a vast informationwork, and more importantly, their leader Sero had yed a key role when defeating Chimera uzen, together with various other members. Everyone swarmed around her asking questions. They wanted to know what kind of person the woman with the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection was, who had taken part in the final battle against Chimera uzen. ¡¸Ahh, Fra mentioned her yesterday during our regr meeting. She¡¯s called Mira, and looks like a really cute little angel.¡¹ The Spirit Queen. There had been a lot of rumors and embellished stories, but the ount from someone who had ess to those present had far more credibility. Not to mention that Fra was known for adoring anything cute, so if she was the one talking about Mira, then it was even more likely that the Spirit Queen was a cute girl, instead of a gorgeousdy. Then they remembered what had just happened. When that girl came to pick up her updated license, she had loudly called herself Mira, which was the same name Fra said, meaning everything pointed at that girl being the Spirit Queen. ¡¸Oh my god¡­¡¹ One of the men fell on his knees while staring nkly at the ceiling, followed by more of them. They had all thought the Spirit Queen was a reality defying beauty. But a considerable number of them did not look disappointed. ¡¸Still, she was really cute, the Spirit Queen.¡¹ ¡¸So that was her¡­ yeah, she was really cute.¡¹ While the rumors had been quite misleading, they still felt the Spirit Queen had been really charming in her own way, so they were satisfied with that. ¡¸Now, it should be to the east, if memory serves. Pegasus, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Mira gave the order, and Pegasus took to the air in a good mood. After leaving the Union, passing by a multitude of adventurers at the entrance, Mira had gone to the Union¡¯s parking lot, where she summoned Pegasus. Once she was in the air, she nced at the city, some of the morning haze still remaining in the air. From there, she noticed that there was a spot with carriages arriving and departing behind the Union building. There were many carriages stationed there too, and adventurers woulde out from the Union and board them, heading in all sorts of directions. The Ancient Underground City dungeon was veryrge. It was vast enough that it covered the same area visible to Mira on the air, just underground. Gran Rings was built right on top of the dungeon. Because of its size, there were multiple entrances for the first floor. The entrance on the north of Gran Rings led to an area with mostly beast type monsters, the one on the southern side led to undead monsters, the western to insect ones, and eastern had magic beings, as well as being the closest area to the stairs leading to the second floor. The adventurers would head to the area they preferred most, and take carriages that took them there from the Union. The ie produced by adventurers was considerable for the city, so there were plenty of roads built specifically for them. Thanks to that, the carriages could travel at high speeds, with the trip to the entrances taking less than one hour. But flying there was still faster. She headed out of Gran Rings, passing over multiple carriages and leaving them behind until she finally arrived at the entrance she wanted. There were multiple groups of adventurers gathered nearby, who had probably left way earlier than Mira, discussing their strategies before entering the dungeon. ¡¸Though well, it seems like things are thriving over here.¡¹ After sending Pegasus away, Mira observed the surroundings for a bit. There were grass ins far into the distance, with a few trees speckled about, as well as a handful of rocks that had rolled there from somewhere. Whenever there was a breeze, the grass swayed, as if it was breathing. The entrance stood amidst all that greenery, looking rather different from how it did in the game. There were countless shops open around it now. ¡¸There¡¯s quite a markup, but it could be useful for emergency supplies.¡¹ Mira nced at the lineup offered there, being impressed by the above-average selection of items. There were also healing shacks where saints would offer treatment, cksmiths that focused on repairing gear, and various merchants who bought the loot brought by adventurers. It was almost like a small vige. But no matter how much she looked around, there were no inns or ces offering lodging. Mira was curious about that, so while she bought a set of cutlery she forgot to buy earlier, she asked the vendor about it. The answer was that sometimes monsters and beasts would spawn around there. So it was not the safest ce to spend the night at. Mira asked what the vendors did when those appeared then, and apparently all the vendors held a pass for the first floor of the dungeon, where they would flee and wait out the monsters on the surface. The enemies in the dungeon¡¯s first floor were usually far weaker than those that spawned on the surface. ¡¸Ohh, things are getting loud over there.¡¹ While Mira was busy taking in the scenery or talking to vendors, the carriages she had surpassed flying there arrived one after the other. Those adventurers that just arrived seemed to be aiming for floors beneath the second one, being equipped with considerably powerful gear. There were all sorts of people amongst them, and they slowly formed groups and discussed various things. That much was necessary to enter the dungeon as a group, but Mira was going solo, so she could head in whenever she wanted. (Well, time to go then.) Mira had everything she needed ready, and the longer she waited the more people would gather around there, so she walked away from the crowds and silently entered the tunnel bore into the grasnds. Chapter 167: Starting the Conquest of the Ancient Underground City (1) Chapter 167: Starting the Conquest of the Ancient Underground City (1) Mira crossed the barrier with her pass, then continued walking at a leisure pace through the very long tunnel, at the end of which she reached an enormous city. It was not too dark, but also not bright by any means. The first floor of the Ancient Underground City looked like an enormous cavern entirely repurposed into a city. There were natural stone columns supporting the ceiling, while some rocky mounts had been dug into to be dwellings. Other than the rocky mounts, there were also bigger structures like castles, everything connected by various roads and bridges. There weremps and torches dotted around, which even while half rotten and falling apart, still managed to bring some light to the dungeon. The ceiling was not too tall, with the biggest buildings reaching up to it. Because of that, theplexwork of bridges and passages was constantly hidden behind the structures, making it hard to see very far ahead. No one was left inhabiting those buildings, or walking along the long streets and corridors. It had all been turned into monster dens, and that continued throughout the entire first floor, which was many tens of kilometers wide. (This ce is as breathtaking as ever. It truly feels like I¡¯m in a dungeon.) Mira took the scenery in again, the sheer scale of everything reminding her of the nickname given to this ce in the past. It was the title of one of the fundamental dungeon crawling RPGs. The Ancient Underground City could be considered the ideal and perfect dungeon,rge enough that it alone could be a full game by itself. Mira slowly delved deeper into said dungeon. She crossed arge bridge, easily wiping out the monsters that stopped her in the middle, and she reached a crossroads with multiple paths heading out. There was a corridor leading to arge building that looked like a fort, stairs leading up to a different bridge, half of another bridge that had copsed, ahead of which was the passage leading one floor down. The Ancient Underground City had countless crossroads like that, whichbined with its size made it easy to get lost in. But to Mira it was just a walk in the park. ¡¸First straight ahead, then right, and the first key, right?¡¹ Mira muttered to herself, retracing her memories as she walked over the copsed bridge, then activating Sky Stride to walk in mid-air reaching the other side. Each of the Ancient Underground City¡¯s floors had a different rank requirement, meaning there was a great variety of monsters that spawned there, so it was a popr hunting ground even in the game. Mira had also used it as her training grounds for a long time, so she remembered enough to navigate her way around. That was how she could take the path with least effort to the lowest floor. ¡¸That¡¯s the first one.¡¹ When Mira reached the end of the bridge, she headed to a nearby tower, and after clearing all the monsters inside with one hit, she touched a crystal ball on the top of the tower. A small glyph appeared on Mira¡¯s palm after that. It was necessary to gather five such glyphs before heading into arge temple, inside of which they would serve as key to a door leading to the second floor. Mira descended the tower and headed to the next location with a crystal ball. She went through a corridor, up a set of stairs, out a building, and casually jumped from one path to another. Sometimes she would encounter monsters, which she defeated in an instant, and moving through the most efficient route, she gathered all five glyphs in under one hour. It could have been done faster if she flew on Pegasus everywhere, but Mira did not do that because she knew of the particr rule of the first floor. It was something like an antique measure against crime, which stopped anyone who was in the air for more than a given time from entering the temple for twenty four hours. There was a time when as Danbulf, she used Sky Stride liberally, but it was all for naught as she was stopped from proceeding to the second floor. The next day, Mira learned that the effect was calcted by how long someone spent without their feet touching the ground. The details were all written in The Temple¡¯s Guide, a book in the reference room of the tower with the crystal ball. Once she learned about that effect, first she used Sky Stride as much as she could to measure how long the time limit was, and then nned out a fast route that required the least airtime toplete. While the floor was vast, the five keys were gathered in roughly the same area, making it easy for Mira to remember the route even now.
¡¸Huh, I wonder if they¡¯re meeting someone.¡¹ Mira went to an area paved in worn stone bricks. Therge temple was in front of her. She noticed a group of men and women sitting a distance away from there. They only wore light equipment, so they looked a bit like a group of adventurers, but also not quite. She looked at them, wondering what they were doing, when they began waving at her. She could hardly understand what that meant, so she just waved back at them, and continued walking toward the temple, looking down at the five glyphs on her palm. ¡¸This ce brings back memories too.¡¹ For Mira, it had been a bit more than a year since she wasst there. She grimaced, recalling how much she had to rely on herpanions back then, and she ced her hand on the temple¡¯s door. A momentter one of the glyphs started glowing and therge door creaked open. As soon as she entered the temple, the door closed behind her. Mira was now inside the enormous cathedral-like temple. There had to be some history to that ce, as the windows were adorned with ancient stained ss, and multiple statuesy broken on the floor. She skillfully avoided the debris on the floor, until she reached the doors on the other side. When she struck her hand forward, another glyph began to glow. A path opened into a long corridor paved with white rock. There did not seem to be any monsters in the vicinity, just white lights dotted around. She continued through the corridor, encountering three more doors she had to open with the glyphs. After crossing thest one, all the glyphs glowed for a bit before vanishing. A short distance ahead she encountered the next barrier. She passed through it with the pass she obtained in the Union and came out to arge hall surrounded by stone walls. A group of monsters that spawned on the second floor were waiting there. It was essentially a warning, telling anyone who made it there to turn back if they struggled against those monsters. But they were no match against Mira, a single Dark Knight being enough to defeat all of them. She had safely arrived at the second floor.
The Ancient Underground City¡¯s second floor looked quite simr to the first floor, but it was only half the size. Each floor was more difficult than thest, but their area became smaller as well. The first floor was still incredibly vast however, making the final floor still asrge as the capital of arge country, it was a rather unusual dungeon. The biggest difference was that the restrictions on air-time were lifted on the second floor. Instead,bat actions near the temple were restricted, and if one broke them, the temple would not open for an entire day. ¡¸I¡¯m counting on you then, Pegasus.¡¹ Since there was no restriction on air-time, summoning Pegasus felt like the ideal option for Mira, which she did very willingly, flying forth to gather the keys needed to enter the third floor. Thanks to Pegasus, Mira could move around much faster than on the first floor. But on the other hand, the keys on the second floor had to be gathered in a specific order, and the towers where she obtained them were spread evenly around the entire floor, drawing a pentagram, unlike the five towers near each other on the first floor. Still, Pegasus was a great help there. She skillfully flew through the corridors and bridges, circling around the towers to reach their top. Things were much easierpared to when she could not fly. ¡¸Just one left now. Still, this is quite an annoying gimmick¡­¡¹ Once she got the fourth glyph, she muttered that as she jumped up on Pegasus¡¯ back. Six hours had passed since she arrived at the second floor. She had taken a break to rest and eat, but most of the time had been spent traveling. Chapter 167: Starting the Conquest of the Ancient Underground City (2) Chapter 167: Starting the Conquest of the Ancient Underground City (2) She was traveling in the air, which was fast, but also attracted a lot of attention, so birds and other flying types of monsters would often attack her. They were all easily defeated by Pegasus¡¯ lightning, so they did not slow her down too much, but the second floor¡¯s rules were still annoying. ¡¸The next one is southwest of here, let¡¯s go.¡¹ Mira told Pegasus in a low voice, and they took off again. They flew straight southwest, as Mira had ordered. But the intermingling bridges and corridors were even moreplex than on the first floor, impeding Pegasus from going too fast. Pegasus was nimble enough to evade obstacles even at higher speeds, but there was the danger Mira would fall off if that happened. She had actually already beenunched into the air ten minutes after she entered the second floor. That was why Pegasus was flying more safely now. But Pegasus was in a really good mood, knowing this meant spending more time together with Mira, carefully navigating through the dungeon. ¡¸It seems I¡¯ll have to call it a day after clearing the second floor.¡¹ She checked the current time, it would be 7pm soon. It would be 9pm by the time she was done gathering glyphs and at the temple. Then again, it would take someone an entire week if they had toplete the second floor on foot, so Mira still had a fairly easy time flying around. On a bit of a tangent, there were some people dedicated to picking up glyphs for others on the first and second floors, called proxies. They had discovered their own efficient routes like Mira¡¯s, or they had means to fly. The first two floors offered very little of value to high ranking adventurer groups, and since they were all on a time limit due to their limited resources, they could seldom afford to spend time on those floors. That was where those proxies came in handy. If they could manage their routes efficiently, they could earn plenty by selling their glyphs. That group of people who waved to Mira on the first floor had been those proxies. ¡¸Alright, this is thest one. I¡¯ve gained quite an appetite now.¡¹ Eventually they reached the final tower, and after defeating the monsters lying in wait for anyone grabbing the glyph, Mira went to the top of the tower. From that high spot she looked at the floor again, shrouded in a thin veil of darkness, once again realizing just how big it was. (I presume there was once arge number of people living here. This is quiterge for a dungeon, but also quiterge for a city.) Mira wondered, just who had lived there once, how they had lived, and why they chose to live underground, instead of building a city on the surface. Not even the lore hunters Mira knew had been able to decipher the history of the Ancient Underground City. She watched the scenery scroll past her as she flew on Pegasus, thinking that there had to be some secrets left to uncover about the Ancient Underground City. Somehow she was starting to understand the enthusiasm some of her friends had for lore and hidden stories. A bit past 9pm Mira arrived on schedule at the temple in the center of the floor. Just like on the first floor, there was arge number of proxies waiting next to the doors. She had arrived on Pegasus, so they all seemed to assume she was newpetition, throwing sharp nces at her. (I wonder why they¡¯re ring at me like that¡­) She could not think of anything she had done to harm them, so she quickly went to the temple that would house her for the night, fleeing the angered stares. Having a roof overhead always felt reassuring. There were many other adventurers that had the same n as her, various groups of adventurers setting up camp inside the cathedral. Everyone turned her way when the doors opened, which startled her after her recent experience, making her run into one of the corridors to the side. Even though it was an ancient building, it was sturdy like a cathedral, and spacious, more than anything. There were also plenty of small rooms where one could rest at ease. The downside was that most of the doors had rotten through, offering very little protection against criminals. Mira illuminated the dark corridor with a Concept Magic light and searched for a room she could use. After interrupting a couple that were vowing eternal love to each other, Mira finally reached a room that suited her, and she finally could rest. She took out her special sleeping bag, which she used as a soft carpet to lie on top of, and she flicked the switch of the insect repent built into the sleeping bag. A momentter a swarm of insects rushed out of the room. Just like anything from the Dinowal Store, the repent was highly effective. (Yuri huh¡­ yuri is so nice after all¡­) Mira paid little attention to the insects, instead grinning as she remembered something. The Concept Magic light illuminated Mira, her face contorted into a lewd grin. ¡¸Alright, finally time to have some fun!¡¹ Mira¡¯s thighs had felt extremely sore after riding Pegasus for so many hours, so after she rested for a while, she propped herself up and began taking out her tools from her Item Box, filled with excitement. She took out her brand new and never used before cooking set for adventurers, and all sorts of ingredients. This all felt very adventurer-like, something she had been yearning for. Finally she could cook while camping. Just thinking of doing something so in-line with adventurers filled her with excitement. Tonight¡¯s menu was Mira¡¯s special vegetable soup. She skillfully¡­ or rather recklessly propped the cooking set, and began cutting the vegetables while dangerously handling a knife. Carrots, cabbage, onions and mushrooms. Then beef, the star of the dish. Everything was cut in uneven chunks, so it would be impossible for everything to cook uniformly, but she did not care about that, she just threw everything into a pot as that was how adventurers do. Then she topped the pot with water, produced with Concept Magic, and she ced the pot on the small stove. She turned the knob of the small stove and the fire was lit. Now she just had to taste for seasoning and wait until everything was cooked through. ¡¸Mmmhm, that¡¯s a really good smell.¡¹ Once the pot was boiling she threw in a few spices and continued tasting, the evolving scent filling her with anticipation. She drank yet another spoonful, muttering, ¡¸A little more salt,¡¹ with a smile. She carefully stirred the pot after that, and continued tasting countless times. This was the first meal she prepared after bing Mira. Mira used a wooden spoon to scoop up some of her soup, carefully blowing on it to cool it down. Eventually she was able to put it in her mouth, chewing lightly before swallowing and smiling with satisfaction. ¡¸Yes! My cooking sense is also quite incredible.¡¹ The vegetables were soft and full of taste, while the beef had turned soft and tender. Most of the seasoning came from salt, but as it was mined salt which was rich in minerals, it gave the soup a ratherplex vor. Mira had also added some pepper and butter to it. That enriched the soup further, making it a rather sessful soup for her first try. In the grand scheme of things it was still a mid-low level soup, but the circumstances mattered more than the taste, bing a rather memorable dinner for Mira. Once she was done eating, Mira put away the cooking set, then took out a certain bag. That was something else she bought from the Dinowal Store, the magic washing bag that worked just by pouring water into it. Mira quickly stripped down to her undergarments, which she also took off and threw into the bag together with all her clothes. She poured some water into the bag with Concept Magic and flicked the switch. The Magic Battery necessary to run the device was already in ce. The washing bag began to make sshing sounds. It made one wonder just how that gadget worked. No matter where or when it was used, it would always wash clothes clean. Mira changed into a different pair of underwear, ced a Holy Knight on the room¡¯s entrance as guard, and went to lie down atop her sleeping bag again, listening to the pleasant sound of water sloshing around. There she began reading the Skill Encyclopedia Luminaria had given her. There were Skills she already met the requirements for and could learn right away, so she decided to add them to her repertoire immediately. That way Mira spent a rather rxed time there, making it seem like she was not even inside a dungeon. Creating water with Concept Magic was very useful, but in exchange it consumed far more mana than other middle level Arts. Mira had used it without thinking twice, but that was only because she had tempered her mana reserves, and through various Divine Protections and Arts her mana pool and mana regeneration were so high that she quickly regained all the mana spent. Mira¡¯s way to camp was very different to that of other adventurers, and if she had done all that in the main hall of the cathedral where everyone could see, she would have been buried under invitations to join other adventurers. Chapter 168: The Lucrative Underground City (1) Chapter 168: The Lucrative Underground City (1) Mira woke up after spending the night on the Ancient Underground City¡¯s second floor. Her eyes were still drowsy as she slipped out of her sleeping bag and started putting on her clothes, which she had left drying overnight with Concept Magic. She passed her arms through the sleeves and her head popped out through the neckline. ¡¸Hmm¡­who are you?¡¹ There was a man being held down by the Holy Knight Mira left as nightguard. His eyes were focused on Mira, filled with excitement, but when Mira spoke to him, he quickly looked awkward and nervous. ¡¸Umm¡­ I just saw you enter the cathedral, and it seemed like you were alone so¡­¡¹ The man tried to act like he hade there being worried about Mira¡¯s safety. But his eyes were still glued to Mira¡¯s chest, which was not yet covered, his face making it obvious he was overtaken with lust. ¡¸Hmm, just a nightly creep, huh. What a helpless lecher¡­¡¹ Mira knew how cute she was, so in a way she understood why someone would feel that way. But she did not approve of such an attitude whatsoever, so she gave the order to the Holy Knight, which flung the man into the air without mercy, as a small punishment. After a short moment the groaning voice of the man was heard. With that unexpected event out of the way, Mira began preparing breakfast without a worry in the world. Though there was almost nothing to prepare, all she had was some bread with fruit, finished with some All-Seasons au Lait. Mira finished eating and stored everything before heading out of the small room and into therge cathedral that led to the third floor. Half of the adventurers she had seen there the night before had already departed, and the cathedral felt a bitrger and emptier. But Mira noticed a group of only female adventurers there too. Two of them caught her attention the most, a beautiful female knight and a cute spellcaster. They were the couple Mira identally walked in on the night before. Both of them quickly noticed Mira too, their faces turning red and looking somewhat scared. They seemed afraid Mira would say something strange to them, as they joined their hands tightly together as if praying. (I¡¯m rooting for you!) Mira nodded at them, and then ced her index to her lips. Then she turned away like nothing happened and walked through the cathedral. Behind her, the couple let out sighs of relief and smiled at each other. She reached the other end of the cathedral. The special door that would not open unless someone who had the five glyphs was there, and nearby was a group of five adventurers discussing how they would proceed. Mira overheard them mention how a warrior in their frontline was in bad shape, so they needed to reorganize their formation. The warrior in question was leaning against the wall, seemingly in pain. Mira was baffled when she noticed him, and they looked at each other. That warrior was the same guy who had tried sneaking into Mira¡¯s room. He had been restrained by the Holy Knight all night long, before being thrown as punishment, so it made sense that he was not in good shape. The group was starting to debate on retreating anding back another time. They were still discussing that when Mira went and started with an insincere ¡¸Umm, sorry¡­¡¹ before revealing everything that happened that morning. That prompted the group to apologize very sincerely to Mira in return, not ming her for having roughened the warrior up. The two women in the group actually congratted her for dealing with it that way. Apparently that was not the first time he tried to pull a stunt like that, and had caused them problems in the past too. But they still continued traveling together because sadly they were childhood friends, and everyoneughed a little. The entire group had known each other from a young age. In the end they decided they would stay there resting for a day, and then continue going through the dungeonter. Mira proceeded to cross the first sealed gate toward the third floor, while she heard the groans of the man behind her, being punished by the rest of his group. Mira crossed all the gates and arrived at the third floor. It looked rather simr to the second floor, and also had a specific condition, though the gimmick was a little moreplex than before. Still, that was little bother to Mira who could just go on Pegasus and gather all the glyphs in just four hours. She quickly arrived at the next floor. Mira was now on the fourth floor. The Union had limited that one to rank D adventurers or higher, and was much better illuminated than the previous floors. ¡¸I¡¯d like to clear this floor today as well.¡¹ Even though this was underground, there was enough light to see the entire floor. It was filled withrge white mansions and pces, looking like a residential district in a big city. The fourth floor was also half the size of the third one. But it was still incredibly vast, the furthest end seemingly covered in a soft haze. ¡¸It¡¯s always a bit shocking to see how different this is from the third floor.¡¹ She quickly summoned Pegasus and took to the air, watching the scenery underneath her while muttering her thoughts. Even though most of the wood constructions had rotted, there was still a certain splendor to the fourth floor, which had been coined two names by former yers. One was Aristocrat City. Which as the name implied, had been given to it due to its high ss appearance, making people guess that nobles once lived there. That was the impression the buildings there gave. ¡¸And there it is, the first pce.¡¹ After a few tens of minutes passed, Miranded on a pce that was a bit bigger than the rest, located in the eastern end. (The east is where the sun rises. So the thing was lighting all the torches here, if I remember correctly¡­) Mira jumped off Pegasus, her skirt rolling up before shended, and then she looked up at the pce, which rivaled the royal castles of some small countries in size. She tried to recall her memories, which had grown hazy. One had to gather glyphs in the fourth floor to descend to the fifth as well. There were only three there, but they were harder to obtain than the five of previous floors. The glyphs could be found on three pces that were bigger than the rest, located on the north, south, and eastern sides. One had toplete a certain condition in each before the path to the crystal ball opened. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get this over with.¡¹ Followed by Pegasus, Mira walked forth, heading into the pce. The moment she took one step inside, countless skeletons emerged from the abandoned garden and charged at Mira. But Mira was perfectly calm, as a bright lightning shed. Pegasus¡¯ lightning turned all the skeletons to dust. That was the reason behind the second name given to the floor. The Bone City. Various types of skeleton monsters would spawn in the different sections of the city, making it the perfect hunting ground for warrior sses with smashing attacks, or necromancers and saints, who were strong against undead monsters. The eastern section was mostly filled with skeletons that moved fast. Though no matter how fast they were, they could not match Mira and Pegasus. Even while flying there, whenever a skeleton came out, Pegasus would instantly take it out. ¡¸Tis¡¯ an enyormous catch!¡¹ There was a small cat running swiftly around the garden, now devoid of skeletons. It was Cait Sith, carrying a card that read ¡®Bony Fantasy¡¯. Undead Monsters would often drop Magic Stones when defeated. All the devices Mira bought in the Dinowal Store that ran on Magic Batteries could also be powered by Magic Stones, so she had Cait Sith gathering all the countless Magic Stones left by the skeletons. Cait Sith had a cloth bag tied to his back, which made him look like a sneaky thief. He quickly ran around, picking up all the Magic Stones and nimbly stuffing them into the bag. Once done, he said ¡¸This is everything, boss,¡¹ with a rather self-pleased smile. Chapter 168: The Lucrative Underground City (2) Chapter 168: The Lucrative Underground City (2) ¡¸Yes, good job.¡¹ When Mira had stepped into the pce, the number of skeletons spawning had increased. Seeing the many dozens of Magic Stones gathered, she smiled satisfied and continued walking into the building. There were many windows that let light inside, so the interior of the pce was dimly lit. Skeletons roamed everywhere, but Mira and her summons passed by without issues. ¡¸Good, just one more ce to visit.¡¹ Mira used Concept Magic to light the torches in the pce, and once that was done she headed deeper into the building, to arge door. Pegasus kept releasing lightning behind Mira, turning all the skeletons that approached them to dust. Mira was too focused on solving the gimmick, so Pegasus had to deal with the monsters. The skeletons were only ranked D, but even unprepared rank C adventurers would often have to retreat once they were swarmed by them. That was the main feature of the pce. Usually the way that was handled was by standing far away and essentially fishing the skeletons out, picking them one by one with ranged attacks. Or at least that applied to those who barely met the requirements to be there. For someone whomanded a powerful army like Mira, they were nothing but small nuisances to squash. Pegasus took care of the skeletons in a good mood, knowing Mira would have less things to worry about that way. ¡¸Myameow?! That was too close!¡¹ Meanwhile Cait Sith continued running around, dodging the lightning bolts by a hair¡¯s breadth, and collecting the Magic Stones. It was quite an exhratingbination to watch, though there was no audience. Eventually they reached the end of that pce. Behind arge door, Mira encountered arge tform, like the brazier that holds the Olympic me, and three big skeletons that seemed to be protecting it. The three skeletons were known as the Guardians of the Dawn Vessel, and were clearly different from all the other skeletons they had defeated thus far. Their main priority was keeping the vessel safe, so they did not move even though they had clearly taken notice of Mira¡¯s presence. ¡¸Those are thest ones.¡¹ Mira did not lose her cool even while facing the Guardians of the Dawn Vessel, not missing a beat as she walked inside the room. A dreadful thirst for blood filled the room as the three skeletons began moving. But they could only take two steps forward. An instant after they focused their attention on Mira, an even more overwhelming presence appeared in the room, followed by loud thunder, and then the Guardians of the Dawn Vessel turned to ash and faded away. ¡¸Alright, that should have unlocked the door to the top floor.¡¹ Mira set the vessel aze, and a momentter the distant sound of something heavy moving was heard. That meant she hadpleted the requirements. And Cait Sith picked up three extrarge Magic Stones, which he proudly presented to Mira as if he had obtained them all on his own. Mira returned to the ground floor, then went up some stairs and entered a room on the highest floor of the pce. There were no enemies there, just arge crystal ball. A glyph appeared on Mira¡¯s palm once she touched it. ¡¸That¡¯s one down. It seems this will take a while after all.¡¹ Getting through the first pce had taken around two hours. There simply were too many torches ying part in that puzzle. The western pce worked almost the same, and that was where Mira would head next. The third andst pce to the north was different though, and it was soplex it could take half a day toplete. Just thinking of that made Mira feel tired already. ¡¸Well, I guess I have to do it.¡¹ Mira mumbled as she left the pce, riding gantly on Pegasus flying westward to the pce with the second glyph. Meanwhile, Cait Sith livened things up, shouting ¡¸We¡¯ve finally discovered the lost city!¡¹ as the sign he carried read ¡®Where are we? El Dorado!¡¯ The western tower looked really simr to the eastern, but it actually went underground just as much as above ground. There were skeleton monsters there too, of the simr type as the ones popting the neighboring area, and arge number spawned on the garden the moment Mira stepped inside the building. Still, they were no match against Pegasus. ¡¸This truly is a good ce to make a living from.¡¹ Mira watched as Cait Sith scurried around with his cloth bag like a little thief again, and muttered to herself. While she flew from the east to the west, she spotted more adventurer groups than she expected on the ground. Only skeletons spawned on the fourth floor, so Magic Stones were a guaranteed loot drop. Magic Stones had be a rather ubiquitous item, used in Magic Wares, Magic Engineering, and as a power source for the various magic devices employed by adventurers. Since the enemies were all skeletons, it made nning fights easier too. All of that made the fourth floor a rather lucrative hunting spot. Mira looked down at the bag with Magic Stones Cait Sith had gathered, grinning and she thought just how much all of that would sell for, but she quickly recalled what her objective was, and she focused on obtaining the next glyph. The western pce¡¯s gimmick was to extinguish the fire of every torch, both above and underground. That would open the path to the crystal ball. Just like before, Mira walked confidently through the building, using Concept Magic to turn the torches off. Pegasus took care of the skeletons, and Cait Sith collected the Magic Stones. It was a rather simple strategy. In the end she defeated the Guardians of the Dusk Vessel, extinguished the mes on the vessel, touched the crystal ball on the top floor, and sessfully obtained the second glyph. ¡¸This is all just a prologue, in the grand scheme of things¡­¡¹ The third glyph was the hardest to get, or rather, the most tedious one. Mira already dreaded it as she flew to the northern pce. ¡¸Somehow there¡¯s a lot of people here¡­¡¹ There were multiple groups of adventurers gathered a short distance away from the northern pce, and Mira wondered what it was all about as shended. A man from there quickly approached Mira. ¡¸Are you here toplete therge pce too? Wait, is that¡­ your group? That¡¯s an amusing troupe you have there¡­ but I can tell they¡¯re strong.¡¹ The man looked at Pegasus and Cait Sith, then noticed the two glyphs on Mira¡¯s palm, and the bracelet on her left arm, which let him know she had to be decently strong. Meanwhile Mira could notprehend what was going on, so she asked what festival they were holding there. He grimaced for a bit before answering. They were joining groups to clear thest pce together. The northern pce also had an underground and upper section, and was at least three times asrge as the other two pcesbined. There were entire dungeons smaller than that building. That was why it took half a day to clear it, or at least for someone like Mira who was thinking of doing it alone. If multiple people did it together, it would take less time as well. ¡¸I see. I¡¯ll go with you then.¡¹ The man had been assigned the leader of the alliance of groups happening there. With this many people, they could shorten a half day job to just under two hours. That would greatly benefit Mira, so she quickly agreed to participate. ¡¸Sure, wee then. I¡¯m Tryd, nice to meet you.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m Mira, the pleasure is mine.¡¹ They introduced themselves and shook hands. He said they were just about to start discussing their strategy, so Mira joined the meeting too. Tryd told everyone that Mira was joining them, which was received mostly positively. Just a handful of women red at her with envy. Tryd seemed to be rather popr amongst thedies, which was the reason for that. But the men seemed so enthusiastic they more than made up for it. Chapter 169: Clearing the Northern Palace (1) Chapter 169: Clearing the Northern Pce (1) The leader Tryd had cleared the pce hundreds of times in the past, so he was used to how those meetings went. He answered any questions no matter how trivial, and his responses always made sense. A total of ten groups had joined forces there. Each had between four and six members, but around half of them had Operator¡¯s Bracelets, so they likely were strong enough to fend for themselves. The leader Tryd was a rank A adventurer too. The strategy itself was rather simple and easy. To open the door hiding the crystal ball, they had to cross through two special gates and light the vessels behind them. The special gates opened in the same way as the eastern and western pces, with fire and torches. The issue was the number of torches, a hundred of them spread across the enormous building. First they had to light all of those torches and the first gate would open. Once the vessel behind the door was on fire, that gate would not close again. Next they had to get rid of the fire on all the one hundred torches, and the second gate would open. There were five Guardians of the Vessel behind that gate. They had to be defeated, obtaining five items called Vessel Guardian Bones, which had to be ced on five vessels. Then thest door would finally open, and the third glyph could be obtained. It really was a tedious gimmick unless arge group of people worked on it. An advantage in numbers was something Mira excelled at, the issue was the fire. The building was veryrge, meaning some torches would be located far away, and it was impossible to give instructions that were detailed enough to a Dark Knight. At most they would be able to defeat any monsters in sight, but had no way of lighting torches. Mira had bought some fire starting equipment from the Dinowal Store, even though she had no need for it thanks to Concept Magic. Still the problem remained on whether the summons would be skillful enough to be able to use that. There was still the option of summoning the Valkyrie Sisters. They had no skills to create mes, but they would be able to use the items Mira bought. That way they could go on one side while Mira went the other, halving the necessary time. Knowing Alfina, there was a chance she could move fast enough that her de created mes, which meant three times the hands on deck. The Fire Spirit Smander was also rather intelligent, so if one of the sisters went with Smander it would make it four units. When it came to intelligent animals, there was the owl Popotwise, who was quite smart and could use magic, so that was five. Mira could find even more candidates the longer she thought about it, though the summons had never been nearly as adaptable during the game days. But considering everyone was sentient now, they would probably be able to work in such a way. That was Mira¡¯s first idea to get through the northern pce. Now that she had joined this many adventurers she no longer had to worry about that. Mira looked at her newpanions, recalling the days when she would attend raid dungeons, and then listened to Tryd¡¯s exnation. He told them the best routes to reach every torch, where skeletons would spawn and what type, and where to be careful. Once all those details were out of the way, they started assigning groups to various zones of the pce. Some would go to the upper floors, others to the underground ones. Then they discussed which groups would be able to deal best with skeletons that appeared in narrow corridors, or groups with members that could attack from long range to fight skeletons with magic attacks, and so on. Tryd seemed to always find the ideal way to split the work between the groups. Mira was impressed by him, considering her own memories of the building were still hazy. ¡¸And you Mira, I think it¡¯s best if youe with my group. We¡¯ll fight the Vessel Guardians. Having another rank A adventurer that isn¡¯t me there would be a great help.¡¹ Since they needed to know the capabilities of each group to assign them an ideal location, everyone had detailed their strengths and weaknesses. Mira had said she was a summoner and a rank A adventurer, which seemed to shock everyone, but eventually it passed. ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Though me alone would be more than enough too!¡¹ Mira dered that, her eyes brimming with confidence. The Ancient Underground City limited the fourth floor to rank D adventurers, so it made sense for Mira to find it easy. ¡¸That¡¯s good to know. I almost want to let you handle it alone then, but the Vessel Guardians here can be a bit tricky and it¡¯s best to not lower your guard. I¡¯ll be there just in case, even if you don¡¯t actually need the help.¡¹ Tryd grinned in a joking manner hearing that response. The Vessel Guardians were like the bosses of the pces, so they were ranked C in strength. And there were five of them in thest pce. Tryd was right, one could not lower their guard when fighting them, even if one was an experienced adventurer. But Mira was far above that, so it was nothing for her to worry about. (Mhm¡­ Once again I¡¯ve been granted a chance at disying just how wonderful summoning is!) Tryd¡¯s group had him as the leader, a rank A adventurer, and there were other three rank B adventurers with him. It was quite a strong group. While everyoneughed at Tryd¡¯s yful response, Mira smiled thinking that this was a good opportunity to preach about summoning. The moment they entered the northern pce, everyone headed to their designated areas. Mira and Tryd¡¯s group watched them go, then went up a set of stairs next to the entrance, heading to the sealed room just below the top floor. ¡¸Still, this is quite interesting, I wasn¡¯t expecting to find something like this here.¡¹ Everyone in the group was ranked B or better, so Tryd¡¯s group easily took out any monsters in their way, leaving Mira with nothing to do. But she had her eyes set on thest boss, which she wanted to defeat all on her own, so she simply thought she would let Tryd¡¯s group enjoy themselves while they could. The formation they agreed on was to have Mira and Tryd on the front, while the rest stood back and offered support. Though it was not Mira precisely, Pegasus who walked next to her would be the one doing everything. With nothing left to do, Mira began fidgeting with two box-shaped tools. Tryd had given them to all the adventurers during their strategy meeting, and it would allow them to send at least some signals to each other no matter how far away they were. ¡¸They¡¯re indispensable when clearing a dungeon en-masse, or when we have various groups split apart like now.¡¹ Tryd replied to Mira¡¯s mumblings, easily operating one of the boxes Mira held with his index finger. That made the second box vibrate a bit, while one side showed dots of multiple colors, red, green, and yellow. One of the boxes Mira held was a spare she had received during the meeting. There was a parent device, and then the children ones. They differed in that the parent device would send signals to all children devices, while the children ones could onlymunicate with the single parent. ¡¸When arranged like this, it reads ¡®NORTHERN PALACE¡¯. Though well, only a subset of adventurers carry and use them often.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I can understand how they would be useful.¡¹ The dots of three colors could form words depending on their arrangement. It could send messages in a simr way as morse code or g signals. Their usage this time was far simpler though. First all the groups would light the torches in the building, which should make the first gate open. Mira and Tryd¡¯s group would be waiting there, and they would simply go in to light the fire on the vessel. Chapter 169: Clearing the Northern Palace (2) Chapter 169: Clearing the Northern Pce (2) Then it would be time for a signal. Tryd would use his parent device to send a message informing all groups that the first gate could be opened, and they would begin extinguishing the fire of the torches. Once all fires had been extinguished, it would be time to fight the Vessel Guardians. While Mira and her group fought them, a different group would already be heading up to thest floor with the crystal ball. The whole strategy was optimized to take as little time as possible. In case something went wrong, the children devices could send a message to the parent one. Tryd had assigned each group their specific color patterns. So the moment a message came, he knew which group had sent it. Each group was also assigned a specific location of the building, so it was easy to know where the irregrity happened. Everything was well established and directed, showing Tryd was used to doing that. (They¡¯ve really thought up all sorts of things. Though now that I think about it, that makes sense considering this is reality now. Being able to use a chat function was quite overpowered.) The two devices could only send simple signals to each other. But adventurers had figured out the optimal way to use that. Mira looked at the boxes attentively as she recalled the game days. There used to be a chat function back then, which allowed yers to converse no matter how far away they were. It was a useful tool to time things, just talk about random things, or brainstorm ways to solve puzzles like the one Mira was in. It was instantaneous and there were no restrictions to it. If it was still active now, Mira would be able to have random conversations with Solomon while going through the northern pce. As Mira thought of that, she also realized Solomon would likely give her many more requests through chat messages. Some time passed and Mira¡¯s group reached the first gate, and while they waited for it to open, they discussed their strategy to fight the Vessel Guardians. ¡¸Mira, is it alright if you take one on your own?¡¹ There were five Vessel Guardians, and the group also had five members. Tryd¡¯s strategy was to have each member pitted against one Vessel Guardian. Mira and Tryd were rank A adventurers, so they could finish faster and go aid one of the other three rank B adventurers. That was the most efficient way of taking down the Vessel Guardians. Tryd had sometimes been in charge of two Vessel Guardians, but he was d to have Mira now, who was the same rank as him. Seeing that, Mira had proudly asked ¡¸What if I take everyone on then?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, that would be a great help. But since we have the people, you don¡¯t have to push yourself too hard.¡¹ Tryd had replied with a rather yful smile, probably thinking she was joking. But he did not stop her from doing that either. That was enough for Mira, which made her grin just thinking of how the Tower of Summoning would change once she showed the appeal of summoners. ¡¸Oh, it seems everything is going smoothly.¡¹ After their initial discussion, they chatted about random things until the first gate opened. It was quiterge, befitting of a pce, which opened with a grave sound, which made everyone stay alert, even though the fight would be der. The only matter now were the torches held on the right and left walls, even if there were fifty of them. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s split up to light them.¡¹ Saying that, Tryd ran up to the wall and began lighting the torches. The other three members followed his example. Watching that, Mira thought of something. ¡¸It¡¯s finally time to give that a try..!¡¹ Mira could barely resist her excitement as she faced the wall and took it out, the same tool Tryd and the other adventurers used to light the torches. She had bought it from the Dinowal Store, the ¡®Magic Lighter Lil¡¯ Crimson¡¯. The device was shaped simrly to a gun. Mira had bought it recently, and had been itching to test it, so she pointed the nozzle at a torch and pulled the trigger. A bigger me than she anticipated came out. ¡¸Ohh, this is quite powerful actually!¡¹ Mira was shocked at first. That me wasrge enough that it could be used to fend off monsters, which was an emergency use case for adventurers. She quickly went from one torch to the next. Concept Magic would have made that job faster, but pulling the trigger and watching fire spurt out was more fun. She went from torch to torch, happily lighting them up. ¡¸I think that¡¯s all of them.¡¹ After lighting thest torch, Mira blew off the tip of her lighter. She was fullymitting to the role of a gunman. ¡¸Yeah, we can rest for a bit now.¡¹ Tryd made sure all the torches were lit and used his device to tell the other groups they could move onto the next step. They had to extinguish all the torches they had lit now. Once that was done, it was finally time to fight the Guardians of the Full Moon Vessel. Everyone prepared for the fight, except Mira who reclined herself against Pegasus without a single worry. Pegasus seemed to be in an excellent mood, gently swaying his wings. They lookedpletely out of ce considering there was a boss fight soon. ¡¸Mira, are you sure you don¡¯t have anything to prepare? I know this area might be ranked D, but those enemies could still be dangerous.¡¹ Tryd was curious about Mira¡¯s careless attitude, considering they were about to enter a boss fight, so he spoke up while he checked his gear. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lower my guard.¡¹ Giving that simple reply, she added in a much lower voice ¡¸You won¡¯t be disappointed,¡¹ and grinned. ¡¸I see. Alright then, but make sure you tell us if you need anything.¡¹ There were only a few summoners practicing their craft, so Tryd was unsure of how they fought. At least Pegasus looked like a powerful creature, so he was not too afraid. In a way it made sense for Mira to be so rxed if Pegasus took the brunt of the fight. Tryd had carried a greatsword so far, but now he switched it out for a spear. That seemed to be his preferred weapon, and the way he sharpened it was enough to show how proficient he was with it. ¡¸That looks like a mighty weapon you have there. I was wondering, do you happen to have some sort of nickname?¡¹ ¡¸A nickname? Well, I guess I do. At some point people just started calling me the Crimson Rondo.¡¹ Tryd spoke as he continued looking after his weapon, sounding slightly embarrassed about it. Mira smiled a bit more, saying, ¡¸That actually sounds pretty cool.¡¹ Someone famous could help a lot with spreading the word about summoners. Mira continued nning her own strategy, and casually exchanging some words with the rest of the group until the gate opened. Half an hour passed after that, and the second gate opened, making a heavy sound. ¡¸Alright, time to get serious.¡¹ Tryd stood at the lead, and after onest check that he had all the emergency items he needed, he walked toward the gates. The rest of the group followed his example. ¡¸First impressions are always important. Pegasus, you strike first.¡¹ Mira muttered that into Pegasus¡¯ ear and followed the rest. Crossing the gates, they reached a room with fiverge vessels. Chapter 170: Welcome Home (1) Chapter 170: Wee Home (1) There were fiverge skeletons in the room, the Vessel Guardians. They were different from those in the previous pces, each having a different weapon, a greatsword, pike, axe, hammer, and a sword and shield. Each of their attack patterns differed depending on their weapons too. But that had all been discussed beforehand. Everyone in the group already knew which one was a better match for themselves. Mira and Tryd were the highest ranking adventurers there, so they each selected the toughest opponents. ¡¸Mira, good luck with yours. But remember to tell us if anything happens.¡¹ Saying that, Tryd went to fight the strongest one, which had the sword and shield. ¡¸Okay, got it!¡¹ Mira smiled happily as she faced the Vessel Guardian with a pike, waiting for the signal to start. At the same time, she quickly looked around the room, setting spots for her summons to appear on. ¡¸Well then, mission start!¡¹ Tryd made sure everyone was looking at their assigned enemy before giving the signal, and then dashed forward saying that. Everyone else did the same, squaring off with the Vessel Guardians. The Vessel Guardians also began to move in reaction to them, holding their weapons ready to fight back the intruders. Only one Vessel Guardian, the one with the pike, began to walk forward. Mira had not rushed forward, so the Vessel Guardian walked toward her instead. Just a moment passed and Tryd¡¯s weapon hit his Vessel Guardian. The strategy to fight them was to hit once and retreat. Due to their size, their weapons had quite some mass, so underestimating their power was a bad idea even if one had a higher rank than them. It was best to avoid getting hit at all during the fight. Once Tryd¡¯s attacknded, he skillfully jumped back and created distance between them. That was the moment Mira waited to enact her own n. ¡¸Go forth, Pegasus. Deus Voltage!¡¹ Mira spoke loudly, making sure everyone else could hear hermanding Pegasus. Pegasus also neighed proudly, spreading his wings wide and releasing lightning. There was a bright sh, which swallowed the Vessel Guardian with the pike as a loud thunder shook the room. The trailing end of the thunder when a low cking sound was produced. It was the Vessel Guardian falling to the floor. All other noise stopped. Even Tryd forgot he was fighting, staring open-mouthed at the fallen Vessel Guardian. Mira had been hoping the loud noise would create an opening for her to show off. In the end there had been no need to n ahead so much. Tryd and the others were clearly shocked, but the remaining four Vessel Guardians switched their targets to Pegasus, designating him as the major threat. (Good good, things are going well.) Noticing everyone¡¯s attention was on her, Mira smiled seeing it was time for the main show, and activated her summons. ¡¸I¡¯m done with mine. I¡¯ll help the rest as we agreed now!¡¹ They had agreed that once she defeated her Vessel Guardian, she would help the rest of the group. So Mira went the extra mile and helped everyone else. She summoned Dark Knights one after another from the many locations she had marked earlier. They quickly reached fifty in number, and barely a few secondster there were a hundred of them. Mira needed her Sage Art¡¯s Enchanted Eyes to gather mana from nature when creating an army, but her own mana was enough for a small toon. ¡¸What..?! Is that¡­ summoning?!¡¹ That was clearly an excessive number of summons. A single Dark Knight was powerful enough to defeat a Vessel Guardian, but Mira was going for visual impact here, her Dark Knights forming a ck wave that swarmed the Vessel Guardians. They focused purely on attacking, not caring about any resistance from the enemy. Normal adventurers could fight the Vessel Guardians without issue as long as they were careful, but the Dark Knights made those attempts seem insignificant by how one-sided the fight became. Seeing that incredible power at work, Tryd could only smile awkwardly, watching the Vessel Guardians vanish under the ck swarm. ¡¸See, this is the true power of summoning!¡¹ After just a few seconds all the Dark Knights were sent away, leaving the room silent. Only the cores of the Vessel Knights remained scattered on the floor. ¡¸That¡¯s incredible, Mira! I had no idea summoners could be so powerful!¡¹ Tryd sounded impressed, picking up one of the cores. ¡¸I know, I know!¡¹ was Mira¡¯s proud answer. The other members of the group alsoughed and let outments like ¡¸Amazing,¡¹ and ¡¸Thank you for making it easier.¡¹ It really felt like they understood just how powerful summoners could be, greatly changing their impression of that ss. (Good, it worked. That¡¯s another step at making summoners appealing again.) Mira felt like she had left asting impression on Tryd¡¯s group, which she relished as she picked up one of the cores and threw it inside a Vessel. Once all cores were in their respective Vessels, a heavy sound came from above them. Some mechanism had been unlocked. ¡¸Nice, our work here is done.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Let¡¯s get going then.¡¹ They headed upstairs at a brisk pace. The only thing Mira had failed to understand was that the impression of summoners left in Tryd¡¯s group was based on the power of a Wiseman, the strongest summoner. Now they would expect that same power from any other summoner they met from now on, but Mira would only notice that muchter. ¡¸Still, that was so cool. I didn¡¯t know summoners could do that.¡¹ All of the members gathered at the top of the pce and obtained the third glyph, and now they were going back down. Tryd had been left so impressed he just kept repeating that, praising the power of summoners he had just witnessed. Mira had greatly surpassed his expectations. ¡¸I get it already. I could tell she was something else from the moment I saw her Pegasus.¡¹ The man forced to listen to Tryd the most was already annoyed, constantly telling him he got it. His name was Viz, currently ranked B but getting closer to A. He had noticed Pegasus was a powerful creature from the onset, showing how skilled he already was. But that was also the reason why Tryd spoke to him the most. ¡¸I know. That lightning was so powerful, but I really think what happened after that was even more impressive.¡¹ ¡¸She summoned a bunch of Dark Knights, right? I get it, okay?¡¹ Chapter 170: Welcome Home (2) Chapter 170: Wee Home (2) Tryd was using different words, but he was essentially repeating the same story time and time again to Viz. At first it was an impressive story, but by the second and third repetition the effect had mellowed. But the weaker reactions only made Tryd try to tell the story with even more enthusiasm. (That¡¯s more than enough¡­) Mira was also starting to get worried that this might lower the poprity of summoners again. But Tryd kept talking and talking, and the group soon started to say that watching Mira in action had been a life-changing experience for Tryd. ¡¸Like I said, I get it already. She just won by outnumbering the enemy. But it¡¯s not just summoners that can do that.¡¹ Viz was at his wit¡¯s end, exhausted from hearing the same thing over and over, so he finally hit back. ¡¸Just a week ago I met this incredible necromancer anyway.¡¹ He started narrating what he had seen then. He was on the second floor, walking around gathering the glyphs, when he ran into arge pack of monsters near the cathedral. Even if the monsters were ranked F, they could be dangerous when there was such a swarm of them, so even a rank B adventurer had to be careful. Viz quickly concealed himself and tried to find a way around them. But before he got too far, countless golems appeared out of nowhere, which defeated all the monsters in the blink of an eye. ¡¸I guess that was an attack to clear the path. Someone passed through the clean corridor after that, mounted on a bicorn¡­or I guess a bicorn¡¯s skeleton is more urate. Just looking at him made me shiver, so I¡¯m sure that had to be a powerful necromancer.¡¹ Viz shuddered a little after saying that, recalling the chills he felt at that time. Those listening also gasped, sharing his sentiment. Necromancy was one branch of Spellcasters, but its specifics conveyed a dark impression. That led to a sense of fear apanying the awe they felt. There was one person who was extremely interested in that conversation. ¡¸Did you just mention a bicorn? Was its right horn broken halfway up perhaps?¡¹ Everyone was still muttering about that powerful necromancer when Mira ran up to Viz and posed that question. He seemed surprised hearing that, but nodded soon enough. ¡¸Yes, it was. Is it someone you know?¡¹ That reply turned Mira¡¯s hunch into conviction. That necromancer could only be Soul Howl. ¡¸I heard some rumors after I arrived here. But I see, so he already passed through there.¡¹ There was a time when Mira and Soul Howl hunted a demonic bicorn. The monster¡¯s right horn broke during the fight, which caught Soul Howl¡¯s attention, so afterwards he used the body as a catalyst for his magic. Demonic monsters were powerful mythical creatures that became monsters. Most of them were quite strong, requiring the effort of multiple people working together to defeat. They were quite rare, so it was even rarer to have the chance of turning one into a necromancy catalyst. That was what gave Mira the most confidence that it was Soul Howl. Soul Howl was likely to visit the Ancient Underground City. A week before a powerful necromancer had been sighted, and he rode on a bicorn which Mira recognized. She was certain that Viz had seen Soul Howl. ¡¸I guess everyone who¡¯s crazy strong knows each other.¡¹ Viz¡¯s voice sounded somewhat impressed, but then he looked at Tryd, who still seemed to think Mira¡¯s summoning was more impressive. ¡¸Why is it that he¡¯s the only guy I know¡­¡¹ he muttered with a sigh.
By the time they got out of the northern pce it was already past 7pm. Their alliance dissolved there, but the majority of them were going to the fifth floor anyway, so they continued traveling together. They were all heading to the cathedral, a trip which took some time, to spend the night there. ¡¸Well then, safe travels.¡¹ ¡¸Thanks. You too Mira, take care.¡¹ Mira wanted to hurry and catch up to Soul Howl, so she climbed on Pegasus, and after a short farewell, she departed ahead of Tryd and the rest. Halfway there she raised her head. ¡¸Hm..? What was that?¡¹ Mira looked around carefully, examining her surroundings. Pegasus also slowed down, realizing it was best to be careful now. ¡º-¡­¡» ¡¸There it is again. Is that a voice?¡¹ It was a voice, quieter than a whisper, almost like a breath. No words were intelligible, and it was impossible to determine where it came from as well. But Mira had heard it. Mira could not ignore it without knowing who it was, and what they were saying. It was a strange feeling that made her want to know more about it, and not even she was sure why. ¡¸Pegasus, fly around that area.¡¹ Mira pointed at the direction she felt the voiceing from and spoke to Pegasus. Pegasus did as told, circling above that area to let Mira examine the terrain, covered in white ruins of mansions and pces. When she could not find anything, she went to the next location she felt the voice might being from, and then the third, and eventually she reached a fifth. ¡º-¡­¡» She was really close to the edge of the fourth floor now, but she could still hear that voice. ¡¸Hm?! ¡­Over there!¡¹ The voice was still unintelligible, but it had gotten louder. Mira¡¯s head swung around instinctively, looking at a mansion slightlyrger than the rest. ¡¸What¡­ is that ce? Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¹ The mansion¡¯s construction was identical to the other buildings, a rather in exterior made of sturdy stones. But the more she looked at it the stranger it seemed, but she could not quite put her finger on it. Shended in front of it, slowly walking to it while looking around carefully. She decided to investigate inside it as well, reaching out for the door. Chapter 170: Welcome Home (3) Chapter 170: Wee Home (3) ¡¸I get it! Why didn¡¯t I notice earlier¡­¡¹ Mira finally noticed what made it look strange. Her hand was still on the door as she looked up at the building. It stood out because all the surrounding buildings were falling apart. It was quite obvious actually. The other mansions and pces had their windows and doors broken or missing, but this specific one was in good condition. There was some dust on it, but all the windows were clear, and even the details carved onto the doors were still visible. It was obvious someone had been maintaining the mansion. ¡¸Could it be that someone is living here?¡¹ Monsters would often spawn in that area, so being in a mansion was not necessarily safe. Mira wondered if someone could really be insane enough to move to such a location, but then she realized that the schrs of the tower would definitely do that. Grimacing at that thought, she walked around to examine the interior of the mansion through a back window. ¡¸Is there¡­ I don¡¯t see anyone. It doesn¡¯t even look like someone lives there¡­¡¹ The room she saw through the window was devoid of people, or anything at all. If someone was living there, there would be clear signs of it. Unless the residents were obsessed with keeping everything clean. Mira confirmed there were no signs of someone living in there through the window, but then it happened again. ¡º-¡­¡» She heard that eerie voice. ¡¸Tell me, where are you?¡¹ It sounded like the voice came from inside the mansion. But there was no reply to Mira¡¯s question, only silence. ¡¸I don¡¯t want to be toote if someone needs help.¡¹ Mira had hesitated on entering since someone could be living inside, but there was no other way of investigating now, so she returned to the front door and turned the knob. ¡¸It¡¯s not locked.¡¹ The door opened with little effort, and after muttering a low ¡¸Excuse me,¡¹ Mira entered the mansion. A wide entrance greeted her. There was arge staircase, the ceiling was tall, and there was a long corridor further ahead. The fourth floor remained illuminated even at night, so plenty of light came in through the windows, letting Mira see everything. There was some dirt inside, but it was maintained enough to still be considered habitable. Just like she had seen from the window there was no furniture though, with no traces of someone living there. Still, there was not enough dust to consider the building abandoned for many years. It was more like it was cleaned somewhat regrly. The reason why was unknown, but sometimes people weremendable like that. As Mira thought of all that, she heard the voice once again. ¡¸Over here!¡¹ It sounded closer, and Mira could clearly determine the direction it came from now, so she hurried up the stairs and proceeded further into the mansion. Pegasus followed after her, cautiously looking around. The voice led her up to the top floor, to a room with the best view in the building. ¡¸Wait, is that¡­¡¹ Below a window in the room, illuminated by a soft light, was something glowing faintly. It was her first time seeing such a thing, a dim glow that seemed like it would vanish if disturbed. But Mira somehow knew what that was, leaving her speechless. It was possible for it to exist, in theory at least. ¡ºSay, Spirit King, are you seeing this? I don¡¯t know why something told me this is a man-made spirit, what does that mean?¡» Mira asked in her mind, and she got a reply almost instantly. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s what it is.¡¯ Sometimes when people created something, and used it dearly for many years, a spirit woulde to inhabit the object. The Spirit King assumed this meant that people once lived in this mansion, and took good care of it. That spirit¡¯s presence was also the reason why the mansion was kept in such a good state. ¡ºIt¡¯s extremely debilitated, however. It might be near its limits. The voice you heard was likely the spirit¡¯sst cry.¡» ¡ºIs that¡­ so¡­¡» Man-made spirits did not have a sentience of their own, but they reacted to human emotions. Thete homeowner likely had an obsession with keeping the house clean, so the spirit constantly maintained the mansion, awaiting their return. That had gone on for many long years, the spirit slowly losing its glow. ¡ºSpirit King, is there anything I can do to help this spirit?¡» Mira was unsure of what to do, merely covering the faint glow of the mansion¡¯s spirit with her hands, as if protecting a small me from the wind. She asked the Spirit King if he knew of any way to save the spirit. ¡ºI knew you would ask that.¡» The Spirit King had already expected that, his gentle and warm voice echoing in Mira¡¯s mind. At the same time, the marks of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection appeared on Mira¡¯s body. ¡ºI¡¯ve already prepared everything. It¡¯ll be just likest time, all you have to do is form a contract with the spirit. I¡¯ll channel spiritual power through the contract and my Divine Protection. That should save it.¡» ¡ºI see. Let me try that.¡» Mira gave a prompt reply and gently pointed her palm at the weak spirit, activating Carved Seal of the Contract. The marks on Mira¡¯s body began to glow, spiritual power flowing through them into the mansion¡¯s spirit. A momentter the glow of the contract shone brightly before being sucked into Mira¡¯s right hand. ¡¸It worked, I think.¡¹ Once the light vanished, Mira could feel the mansion¡¯s spirit inside her. Unlike spirits of nature like fire or water spirits, or more exotic cases like Worthramble; man-made spirits would live inside the contractor. Mira could feel that strange new connection, but was also relieved to know the spirit was safe now. ¡ºI appreciate your kindness, Mira. Please raise it well.¡» ¡ºI¡¯m the one who should be thanking you. I only got to save it thanks to your power and Divine Protection.¡» The mark of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection had already faded from her body. Mira looked at her arm, thinking of how cool it would be if she could make that pattern appear at will. Then she smiled, once again feeling the new connection she made. Pegasus also seemed to have noticed something, rushing closer and rubbing his face on Mira¡¯s chest, as if iming he was still the more important one. Chapter 171: The Mansion’s Spirit (1) Chapter 171: The Mansion¡¯s Spirit (1) ¡¸Well, I¡¯m already here, so I might as well spend the night here.¡¹ It was currently 10pm. Mira had gotten considerably hungry too, so after surveying the room in the mansion, she decided she would spend the night there. Monsters could spawn in the surrounding areas, but she could summon as many guards as she wanted, so she would be safe. The mansion had also been kept by the spirit, so there were no bugs, and it was quite clean as far as she could see. Mira felt like she would be able to sleep way better there than in the cathedral. A moment after she thought that, the windows all shattered violently. ¡¸Wh-what¡¯s happening?!¡¹ While Mira looked around frazzled, even more bizarre things happened. There was a dull sound as cracks ran through the entire mansion. Mira and Pegasus looked around wary when a piece of the mansion cracked and fell off, which spread to nearby areas until the entire mansion began to copse. ¡¸We have to go!¡¹ She realized they were in danger, so she dashed at the window and jumped out like a spy in movies, while Pegasus followed after her. There was a rumbling sound as the mansion fell apart, turning indistinguishable from the surrounding buildings. ¡¸That was way too close¡­¡¹ Mira sighed in relief as she turned around, seeing the mansion¡¯s remains piled up inside a cloud of dust. Pegasus brushed off the dust that fell on Mira with his wing, also looking relieved. When she asked the Spirit King about it, he answered that the mansion¡¯s spirit had been keeping the building in good condition, and that this result was inevitable now that the spirit had moved inside Mira. She was slightly miffed that the Spirit King had not mentioned that earlier. ¡¸Well, there go my ns then.¡¹ Mira had hoped she would be able to spend the night in peace at the mansion, but now she had no choice but to head to the cathedral. Thinking about it made her sigh, it would take around an hour to get there on Pegasus. That was not necessarily a long trip, but considering it was already 10pm, one hour felt like an eternity before being able to sleep. With no other choice left, Mira climbed on Pegasus¡¯ back. From there she looked around and realized that the ce was a bit broader than she expected. She was in the mansion¡¯s garden. It was not the most well-kept ce, but it was clearlyrge enough to fit another mansion. ¡¸I was nning on testing this another day, but if I¡¯m presented with such a good location, I might as well do it now.¡¹ Mira jumped off Pegasus¡¯ back, smiling like an excited child. She then spoke to him, telling him she¡¯d need him again the next day, and sent him away. She had sessfully established a contract with the mansion¡¯s spirit. That meant she could also summon it. A mansion spirit¡¯s summon. When the contract wasplete, Mira understood that doing so meant summoning a mansion. She had wanted to test it earlier, but she was already inside a perfectly serviceable mansion at the time. It was alsote, and so she decided she would rest and leave the fun forter. All that remained of that mansion was a pile of rubble now. The other issue with testing the summon was finding an appropriate location, but now there was an empty garden with enough space in front of her. Everything seemed to have aligned for her to test it now, so she began preparations for the summoning. (It seems to be a medium ss summon¡­ and it needs a lot of mana. That¡¯s as much as my son Isenfald requires¡­ that sounds very promising!) This was her first time summoning it, so she studied the information that flooded her mind, carefully building up the spell. As she worked her way through, she realized this was slightly different to armor spirits like Dark Knights or Holy Knights. Usually the requirements for a summon were designating a target location, selecting the type of summon, consuming the necessary mana, and giving the first orders to the summon. In the case of the spirit mansion, there were no orders, and she had to specify a size before consuming mana. At this point in time, the size was set and could not be modified. Mira selected the center of the garden as the target location, left the size untouched, and finished building the spell. It was finally time to activate the summoning art. Summoning Magic: My Home A magic circle appeared in the center of the garden, therge amount of mana spent gathered there and the bright lights began arranging themselves into the shape of a mansion. ¡¸Ohh¡­ this is the spirit mansion¡­ my new summon!¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice gradually went higher in pitch as she spoke, looking at the spirit mansion formed by the light, which could easily rival a noble¡¯s estate. But as she ran closer, her excitement quickly diminished. ¡¸It¡¯s just a small hut!¡¹ Once all the light dissipated and the spirit mansion¡¯s true shape was revealed, Mira could not stop herself from shouting again. A minuscule mansion the size of a prefab hut stood in therge garden. Its appearance alone was gorgeous, and it would rival that of a noble¡¯s if it was ten times bigger. (Hmm¡­ I see. So that¡¯s what the sizeponent was for.) At first nce it looked like an borate miniature of a mansion. Though considering the original mansion had been considerablyrge, the small one still offered enough space to rest. The contract had just been formed, so the summon was essentially still at Level 1. There was a high likelihood that once the bond grew, the mansion would also berger. Mira told herself that as she approached the spirit mansion, which had a life-sized door that stood out against the otherwise small structure. ¡¸Oh¡­ Interesting. So that¡¯s what¡¯s happening.¡¹ The interior was not scaled down, but a proper room. The build quality was also quite elegant. ¡¸It¡¯s not the biggest room, but it should be enough to rest!¡¹ The floor and columns were made of vibrant wood, while the walls were made of an earthy material. The ceiling and walls were painted white, and therge windows offered a clear picture of the outside, while also letting plenty of light in. Mira went to lie down in the center of the room, once again looking at the impressive room. She realized the spirit mansion was even more impressive than therge tent she found in the Dinowal Store, and sheughed as her regret for not buying the tent vanished entirely. The weather was not much of an issue inside of an underground dungeon, but once she went back outside, the spirit mansion would offer plenty of shelter from the elements, no matter where she was. In that sense, Mira felt like it was even more useful than her wagon. ¡¸This truly was a fateful encounter. I¡¯ll have to do something about this bleakness though.¡¹ Raising her upper body, Mira surveyed the room again. Since this had been produced by the mansion¡¯s spirit, it only contained what the original mansion had. That meant no furniture whatsoever, giving it the appearance of a newly rented apartment room. The only thing present was a deste kitchen. It looked like the kind of room a servant would have. In other words, at Level 1, the summon only offered a servant¡¯s room. But it was still a servant¡¯s room from a gorgeous mansion, and the fact that it could be summoned anywhere made it a perfect addition for Mira. ¡¸Furnishing it with the help of the Dinowal Store sounds fun too.¡¹ Other than her initial shock at the unexpected size, Mira had noints about it. Rather, she knew things would only keep getting bigger and better from here, so she was actually looking forward to that. She spread her special sleeping bag on the center of the floor, strengthening the impression of a recently rented apartment. But she smiled satisfied. ¡¸Hm? And those doors?¡¹ Mira stood up, wanting to prepare something to eat, when she noticed a set of two doors different from the front door. For some reason they were painted white like the walls, so they were harder to notice. Curious about them, she opened the left one, finding an antiquated toilet there. ¡¸Then that means¡­¡¹ There was only one thing that could be ced next to the toilet. Full of expectations she opened the right door, but she tilted her head in puzzlement at what she saw. It was a room made of white stone, with a hole on the floor in a corner. Mira had been expecting to find a bathroom, and she had started to hope she could take a bath there. Those expectations made her take a while to look up and finally understand what the room was for. It was a shower room. (Hmm, I guess it¡¯s a bit too soon for baths then.) There was no bathtub, only a shower. But considering the circumstances, that was quite a luxury already. If all of this was already avable at Level 1, one could expect great things from the future. Since she was already there, she decided to strip naked and stand inside the shower. ¡¸Alright, now how do I get the water to turn on¡­¡¹ She had hopped in there out of excitement, but she hadpletely forgotten to check the important parts. There was a lever there, but no matter how she twisted and pulled it there was no effect. The Spirit King spoke to her then, exining that the mansion¡¯s spirit was merely a vessel for the building, and that the mechanisms of the mansion were essentially non-functional. Chapter 171: The Mansion’s Spirit (2) Chapter 171: The Mansion¡¯s Spirit (2) ¡¸Hm¡­ So I can¡¯t use the shower¡­¡¹ Mira muttered while twisting the lever disappointed. The Spirit King spoke to her again, exining how to make it work. The answer was to use the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. ¡ºMy Divine Protection is a bridging power. It allows momentary connection of spiritual power between my kin. If you want to use that shower, you just need to tie a water spirit and the mansion¡¯s spirit with my Divine Protection. If you add a fire spirit to the mix, you should also be able to heat up the water. That should serve as a perfect bonding experience for my kin, so please feel free to use it whenever you see fit.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection¡¯s true power, Spirit Linking. Mira had gotten ustomed enough to the Divine Protection, so she could use that ability now. And ording to the exnation, it seemed like Mira just had to summon the spirits, and then the Spirit King would take care of the rest. The only downside was that setting everything up would cost mana. She could not just produce as much water as she wanted. Though she was doing that through the power of spirits and not Concept Magic, so it was still more efficient. ¡ºThat sounds splendid!¡» Mira was delighted once she finished hearing the exnation. Mira had plenty of mana reserves and had trained how to control it efficiently, so it would hardly affect her. Rather, being able to supply everything with just mana was a preferable oue for her. Without waiting a moment longer, she cast the summoning spells, linking together fire and water spirits onto the mansion¡¯s spirit. ¡ºI¡¯m surprised you seeded on your first attempt. Forsythia also used this power once, but she struggled greatly at first.¡» Mira followed the Spirit King¡¯s instructions, sessfully linking the spirits without a hitch. The Spirit King had been observing everything, mentioning it went better than he expected in the end. Forsythia was a hero from the past who had also inherited the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. She had struggled mastering that ability at first, but Mira had mastered it without struggling. Either Mira was already familiar with spirits as a summoner, or she simply had a better affinity for the Divine Protection. Spirit Linking was an ability that could only be used once a strong bond was established, but Mira seeded in her first try. That showed just how much spirits loved her. The Spirit King watched with a warm smile as Mira twisted the lever once again, this time looking pleased with the result. After all that work, the shower finally produced warm water. Mira leaned into the warm stream that spurted out as she twisted the lever and enjoyed a nice shower. Soap and shampoo came from the amenities offered by the inns she visited, which she had pocketed and wouldst her for at least half a month even if she used them daily. ¡¸Having warm water really changes things, even if it¡¯s just for a shower.¡¹ Once she was satisfied, Mira left the shower room and took out arge basket. She grabbed a towel and underwear from it and dried herself. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you from now on.¡¹ She ced her hand on a nearby wall and spoke gently, addressing the mansion¡¯s spirit. The room seemed to pulsate ever so slightly in response, creating a slightly morefortable ambiance. Mira thanked the spirit, and opened the door to the toilet. (Still, linked spirits¡­ I can think of other usefulbinations too.) The toilet had a strangely calming aura as Mira entered it, and as she took care of her business she smiled as she thought of other things to try. Once Mira was fully refreshed, having taken a shower and gone to the toilet, she returned to the living room and began preparing dinner, still only in her underwear. She also wanted to try using the kitchen. ¡¸What should I make for dinner, hmm¡­¡¹ Mira took out some of the ingredients she had, looking at them and wondering what to make. She had vegetables, meat, and fish. After looking between them for a while, eventually she decided on something and began cooking. The Linked Spirits¡¯ effect was also in effect there, warm watering out of the kitchen faucet, and it could be adjusted to evene out boiling. Having running tap water wasmon for any household, but a life-saving convenience when out in the wild. Mira realized just how privileged she was at that moment, being deep inside a dungeon but being able to live like she was home. Not even the best items of the Dinowal Store could recreate such afortable environment. As far as a shelter to rest went, she had a roof and solid walls, creating an isted space only for her. It was like she could be at home anywhere. The only ce that checked all those boxes was a house, something too cumbersome for adventurers to carry around. Even the wealthiest adventurers could only get fancy tents that tried to replicate that. But those never truly encapsted the feeling of a house. Mira¡¯stest summon had finally aplished that. It was not really a big house, but the spirit mansion still gave the same sense of safety. (It almost doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m in a dungeon anymore.) It almost felt like she was in her room back in the tower. Once she was done cutting up the ingredients, she took a quick look around the room again, smiling at the homey feeling it gave. Then she grinned even more, recalling how she gave up on therge tent from the Dinowal Store the moment she saw the price. That tent could hardlypare to her new mansion. No adventurer who bought that would evere close to having the same experience as Mira now. (Camping will be a far more enjoyable experience this way. And being able to shelter myself even in rough weather isn¡¯t bad at all!) Mira was quickly filled with a sense of superiority as she put a pot to the fire and filled it with ingredients. She was making a fish stew for dinner. The fish she had bought was already fileted, so even someone with little cooking experience like Mira could easily cut it to size. Now she just had to let it simmer and test the seasoning, and in half an hour the stew was ready. ¡¸This is good, even better than a restaurant!¡¹ Once cooking wrapped up, Mira was impressed by the results. She was oblivious to the fact that both the circumstances and an empty stomach were some of the best spices for an average meal. To put it kindly, she had picked ingredients thatpliment each other. Or more bluntly, she just had a mash of random ingredients. But that did not matter as long as it tasted good to her. She happily stuffed her cheeks with it until there was none left, and threw herself on the floor to sleep. The floor was slightly cold butfortable, and she remained there, wearing only underwear, looking out to the Ancient Underground City. Some timeter she raised her upper body. ¡¸Hmm, they¡¯reing from everywhere.¡¹ The scenery of the ruined city spread out far and wide, skeletons loitering the streets. The monsters were slowly gathering around the house, either because it stood out, or because they could sense Mira inside. But that was not enough to bother Mira. She stepped out to see how things were, then summoned a Holy Knight to guard the door, and two Dark Knights to crush any skeletons that approached. The Holy Knight remained next to the mansion, while the Dark Knights made quick rounds, defeating any skeletons they found. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to summon my First Lieutenant tomorrow morning.¡¹ The skeletons were turned to dust the moment they got close, leaving behind Magic Stones. Mira could only wonder just how many Magic Stones she would be able to pick up the next morning. ¡¸I guess now that this is reality AFK farming is also possible.¡¹ Mira chuckled seeing five Magic Stones on the ground already. Those could be sold in bulk, and then she would be able to buy more tools, or food. (I also have to gather more body strengthening equipment.) Creos had asked her if she could find more strengthening essories, which new summoners needed to get started. She was powerful enough to no longer need them, so doing that had been an afterthought so far. Then again, she always preferred to be as strong as she could, so now that she had some downtime, she began to consider making some with alchemy again. Even if an item had a weak effect, it could bebined with others through alchemy, slowly piling up the effects into a stronger one. ¡¸I¡¯m really looking forward to that now.¡¹ Excited about her new goal, Mira returned to the living room and began getting ready for bed, while dreaming about how much the Magic Stones could sell for. Chapter 172: Easy Money is the Dream (1) Chapter 172: Easy Money is the Dream (1) ¡¸First I have to catch Soul Howl.¡¹ Still wearing only underwear, Mira slipped into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes, reminding herself of her main goal. But after a while, she opened her eyes again. (It¡¯s so bright I can¡¯t really sleep.) It had not bothered her yet, but the fourth floor¡¯s lights remained bright regardless of the time of day, and it kept illuminating the spirit mansion¡¯s interior. Mira liked to turn the lights off before sleeping. She stood up again, and began looking around to see if there was anything she could do. ¡¸Curtains would really help a lot here.¡¹ Curtains could dim the light entering through the window. But that was considered a form of furniture, which was not included in the spirit mansion. (Hmm, how do I block these windows¡­) Mira began to consider using towels as makeshift curtains. She was still thinking about that when something seemed to fulfill her wish automatically. ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s finally dark!¡¹ Window shutters. The mansion did include those, and theypletely covered the window, blocking all light even better than a curtain would. The living room turned dark, and Mira could hardly see her own feet anymore. (I guess I can give orders to the spirit mansion just like with Dark Knights? That¡¯s excellent.) Mira had learned something with that. She wished the shutters open, slipped into her sleeping bag while she could see, and closed the shutters again. Now she was surrounded by darkness, giving her the sleeping environment she desired. (Now that I think about it, this is a bit of a strange situation. Usually it¡¯s dark at night, so getting light is the issue.) Usually it was always dark outside when she wanted to sleep. The Ancient Underground City was just a special case. Any other time she used the spirit mansion she¡¯d likely look for a source of light instead. Though making a light with Concept Magic would suffice in those cases. Still, Mira felt like that would not feel quite right. ¡¸I wish I hadmps in the mansion.¡¹ Ambiance was important for afortable sleeping ce like that. Mira would feel far morefortable with a fancymp lighting the ce than a couple of floating orbs of light. ¡¸I should get other types of furniture as well.¡¹ Mira muttered, recalling her room in the tower. The mansion was essentially empty of any furnishing, giving it a dreary appearance. The word mansion made her think of plenty of borate and high quality furniture, adorning the interior. Mira started to think of what kind of tables and chairs to buy for the spirit mansion. The Spirit King spoke to her again soon after, telling her that she should try forming contracts with man-made spirits of furniture then. ¡®Any item cherished and cared for by humans eventually gets inhabited by a man-made spirit. That applies to furniture as well. You could search for such items, form a contract with their spirits, and once you tie them to the mansion¡¯s spirit through my Divine Protection, I¡¯m sure the mansion will start to look better.¡¯ Mira got excited hearing that. ¡®Right¡­ man-made spirits from furniture! Why didn¡¯t I think of that sooner!¡¯ If she wanted amp, she could form a contract with the spirit of amp. If she wanted a table, she just had to form a contract with a table¡¯s spirit. Once she got enough contracts, she would be able to upgrade the empty mansion into a proper livable home. Mira was already getting excited thinking of her future search for man-made spirits. She felt like a grandfather clock would be a great addition as well, and as she dreamed of herpleted room she finally fell asleep.
Mira woke up after spending the night on the fourth floor, and lethargically checked the current time. It was a bit past 9am. She had slept ratherfortably, her body feeling refreshed. It was stillpletely dark there, and recalling everything that happened thest night, Mira told the mansion¡¯s spirit to open the window shutters. The room instantly became bright. ¡¸Mm, that¡¯s a nice morning.¡¹ Whatever ancient technology had been used to make the lights of the dungeon gave it a warm feeling like sunlight. It took Mira¡¯s eyes some time to adjust to the light, and then she finally got up and prepared to head out. First she went to the toilet. Then she took off her underwear, which was all she was wearing, and entered the shower room. After a warm shower, she was finally awake physically and mentally, so she began preparing breakfast. Maybe because of the homey aura given off by the mansion¡¯s spirit, Mira continued wearing only underwear, not bothered to put on anything more. ¡¸I should have a fancy breakfast since I¡¯m here too.¡¹ The building was stylized like a noble¡¯s mansion, so her breakfast had to match that. Her dinner had been rather in, but Mira was thinking about other things. She went to the kitchen and took out the ingredients she had, picking what she believed was the fanciest. She started with white bread, then added some bacon and scrambled eggs, fruits, and ck tea. She picked everything based on looks alone, so it ended up looking like something both nobles andmoners would eat. Though as she sat on the floor and ate wearing only underwear, anyone who saw her would have a rather poor impression of her. Regardless of those details, Mira quickly finished eating, cleaned everything, and decided to resume her adventure. She finally put on more clothes, and as she ttened out any wrinkles around her cuffs and hem, she had one more idea. (I wonder if I can find a mirror spirit as well.) Those who wished to be prim and proper gentlemen needed to watch their appearance. Someone Mira looked up to and idealized had said that before, so she needed to get a mirror. Though in her current state, learning to be moredylike would probably help her a lot more, except that Mira had absolutely no interest in that. Her ideal had not changed whatsoever, and she still strived to be a high-ss gentleman. Eventually she was ready and left the building. A distance away she turned around to look at it, which looked like a miniature of the original mansion. One day it would grow in size and rival the mansions of nobles. The Spirit King had mentioned that the best way to level up a contract with a man-made spirit was to just use them often. In other words, she just had to spend as much time as she could inside the spirit mansion. Mira wanted to see how big it could get, so she decided that every day she would sleep inside the spirit mansion. Telling the building that she would once again be in it that night, Mira sent it away. ¡¸Oh¡­ right, I have to do that too.¡¹ She muttered that the moment the mansion was gone and she could see behind it. The Holy Knight and Dark Knights she had summoned thest night were there. She could also see countless Magic Stones strewn about everywhere. ¡¸That¡¯s even more than I expected.¡¹ There were so many Magic Stones that she felt toozy to count them, which both surprised her and made her feel happy. She was going to earn more money than she expected. ¡¸Super Meow is here to save the day!¡¹ Mira summoned Cait Sith to pick them up, just how she had nned. Cait Sith appeared wearing a red and blue skin-tight suit, while the sign read ¡®Faster than a bullet, stronger than a cat. Sounds expensive? Worry not, Super Meow thrives off justice!¡¯ the longest text that had ever appeared on it. But Mira paid no attention to any of that, simply ordering Cait Sith to collect the Magic Stones. Chapter 172: Easy Money is the Dream (2) Chapter 172: Easy Money is the Dream (2) ¡¸The world¡¯s in peril! But Super Meow is in the act!¡¹ Cait Sith was full of energy, dashing with his cape fluttering behind him as he took to the air. But he could not defy gravity and soon enough returned to the ground, though that did not discourage him from picking up the Magic Stones. Cait Sith would always end up obsessed with the strangest things, and he seemed like he had wanted to re-enact a flying scene even though he could not fly. Mira also started picking up Magic Stones, her only question being where Cait Sith was learning all those things. ¡¸This is incredible, I picked up 233 Meowgic Stones!¡¹ Cait Sith waved the sign around as he danced around the pile of Magic Stones. The job had been too easy for him, so he had gone the extra mile and counted them. He was moving so much that the sign could not be read, but it was disying how the number had been calcted, ¡®A lot + a lot + a bit more =¡¯ It was hard to know whether the number he gave was correct or not, but there did seem to be at least two hundred Magic Stones there. ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s more than I expected.¡¹ After Mira stored everything in her Item Box, Cait Sith started saying ¡¸We¡¯re eating good tonight!¡¹ so she chose to send him away too. As he vanished, surrounded in light, he mimicked a valiant voice and said ¡¸Heroes of justice leave silently and never look back!¡¹ ¡¸Alright¡­ if memory serves, the market price for these started at 500 Rils back then.¡¹ Back then, basically when everything was still a game. She recalled the smallest Magic Stones selling for 500 Rils in the market. Magic Stones were an item on high demand, being used for Magic Wares, various medicines and potions, to strengthen existing equipment, or many other things. On top of that, most of the magic devices used by modern adventurers were powered by Magic Batteries, which were also made from Magic Stones, so there had to be even more demand for them now. (I should¡¯ve researched where to sell them beforehand.) She had researched where to buy equipment and medicine and various other things, but she had not asked where she could sell things. Still, there was no way Magic Stones had gotten cheaper. So she made a quick calction, not caring about their size and assuming they all would sell for the minimum price. (There¡¯s around two hundred Magic Stones and they sell for five hundred Rils, so I¡¯ll be getting at least a hundred thousand Rils. That¡¯s a good amount.) Mira could not stop grinning and chuckling to herself thinking of that. It made sense in a way, she had just earned that sum just by sleepingfortably in her mansion for one night. It did not matter that she was a Wiseman, her greed was still the same as anymoner¡¯s. She was bewitched by the amount she would get. (Lower floors should produce even bigger Magic Stones. I could easily get three hundred thousand, nay, four hundred thousand, just by sleeping!) Greedy dreams filled Mira¡¯s mind as she decided she would continue sleeping in an area where monsters spawned often, and summoned Pegasus. ¡¸We have another day of work ahead of us!¡¹ Pegasus was very attached to Mira, and seeing her in a good mood made him neigh happily. Mira climbed up on Pegasus¡¯ back, and once Pegasus made sure she was straddled firmly, he began pping his wings. They took to the air, Pegasus pping his wings happily. Their first destination was the cathedral leading to the fifth floor. The trip there would take around one hour on Pegasus. ¡¸I guess there¡¯s still plenty of activity down here.¡¹ There were groups of adventurers fighting skeletons in the streets underneath. Just like she was told, the Ancient Underground City was always full of adventurers. Examining them a bit more, she noticed that the groups of adventurers would remain around certain locations, without moving too far away. Later on she heard the reason for that. The adventurers would agree on where each of them would hunt, without really affecting other areas, so that everyone could hunt fairly. That method of forming simple alliances to hunt more safely while also ensuring everyone got a share had be popr a few years back. ¡¸I wonder how much they earn from a day of work.¡¹ Mira observed everyone calmly, still feeling superior knowing she had obtained more than two hundred Magic Stones while she slept. Some timeter she spotted an open space chock full of skeletons. ¡¸Oh, I think the Crematorium was around there.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself seeing that. Crematorium was the name given by yers to a certain location. The reason for it was very simple. It was a za with white stone pavement, and for some reason it would always attract many skeletons. Undead monsters, including skeletons, had a tendency to approach the living. Especially to those who were weaker, closer to dying. The yers who were more invested in lore and worldbuilding determined that undead monsters did not hate the living, but were actually yearning for it. And apparently there was something rted to life hiding in that za. No one had been able to figure out what it was though, and it remained a mystery. Some yers believed the white stone used there was the most suspicious, but all investigations turned up nothing. They could not find anything no matter what they tried, so maybe there was nothing after all. There was a possibility that the skeletons simply liked gathering there. That was the final decision from the yers, and they went to research different mysteries. After that the only yers that went to the za were those with an ability to defeat all the skeletons gathered there at once and earn a small fortune, usually with fire. Hence the Crematorium nickname. (Maybe an angel set up a barrier there instead!) An angel had mentioned that before, their barriers could hide things from humans leaving no trace, so Mira jokingly mentioned that possibility. But if that was actually the case, then the barrier had been ced there for a very important reason, and it was best not to disturb it.1 ¡¸Still, there¡¯s quite a lot of them gathered already¡­¡¹ More skeletons arrived at the Crematorium as time passed. There had to be at least fifty of them there already. Mira¡¯s power would allow her to easily clean them up in less than ten seconds. Fifty Magic Stones in ten seconds, that was quite a lot for a little bit of effort, but Mira flew past the Crematorium without second guessing herself for even a moment. Mira was mostly attracted to money that required no effort whatsoever. She had just obtained the means of earning mountains of money doing nothing, so now she felt no interest in anything that required effort. It was a rather degenerate way of thinking,pletely unlike a gentleman.2 ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s happening now.¡¹ As she continued heading to the cathedral, she noticed a group of adventurers walking in the opposite direction from her. There was a warrior with a shield in front, while the rest were all spellcasters. (Burning Soul, me Wand, Acute Red, Evil ze¡­ they¡¯re all good fire element equipment.) It was a good lineup considering the number of skeletons in the Crematorium. It seemed like that ce still got the same use as all those years back. She had done that together with Luminaria in the past. Reminiscing those memories, Mira left the Crematorium behind, feeling slightly moved to know that the hunting customs from back then had been passed down through the years.
  1. Silva: Mira oh Mira, think for a second, if it is something rted to ¡°life¡±, then don¡¯t you think that might be Soul Howl¡¯s real goal here?
  2. Silva: Who want to bet Mira will miss Soul Howl in the Underground Ruins?
Chapter 173: The Fifth Floor (1) Chapter 173: The Fifth Floor (1) Deep inside the cathedral, Mira raised her hand with the glyphs and the door opened. Walking down a long corridor she finally reached the Ancient Underground City¡¯s fifth floor. ¡¸This is another tricky one¡­¡¹ Mira was currently in the center of a cliff in the northern edge of the fifth floor. She grimaced slightly as she looked out from there. The fifth floor waspletely different from the fourth. All Mira could see were innumerable towers, at least a thousand of them. Switching her vantage point a little, she could see some of them stretching all the way to the ceiling of the floor, as if columns supporting it. Somehow there was an ominous and heavy feeling to it all. The vast space between the floor¡¯s ground and ceiling was the stuff of legends. On top of that, most of the monsters that spawned there were skeletons, which increased the eerie feeling of the floor. A long set of stairs seemed to go down endlessly from the entrance where Mira stood. Usually the floor was cleared by going down the stairs, but Mira was obviously going to do things her way. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you again.¡¹ Climbing on Pegasus, Mira flew into the fifth floor. She was heading to a slightly thinner tower to the northwest. She looked down as she flew, seeing that the ground was so far away that it looked shrouded in darkness, while the ceiling was white. The countless towers also had bridges connecting one to another, looking almost like a spider¡¯s nest, which Pegasus had to slow down around thirty percent to properly evade. While Pegasus had high maneuverability, he still had to be careful to not shake Mira off by ident.
Mira traveled like that for around half an hour. Once she was at the destination tower, she sent Pegasus away momentarily, and just like the day before, summoned two Dark Knights. (I really wish there was an unlockable shortcut after clearing it one time¡­) Mira made her dissatisfaction felt as she walked into the tower. The Ancient Underground City¡¯s fifth floor worked just like every floor before it; she needed to gather glyphs to open a door to the next floor. That included navigating mazes inside towers, which also made Pegasus¡¯ speed less efficient. There were three glyphs in total. She had to go inside towers in the northwest, northeast and south, which had all had a certain bridge leading to a separate tower which housed the crystal ball with the glyphs. While those separate towers had multiple entrances, only one led to the room with the crystal ball. Said bridges were also tubr, meaning it was impossible to go into them from outside the towers and save time. Some people had tried to open holes into the bridges and towers, but the bridges and towers leading to crystal balls could not be damaged no matter what they tried. In other words, Mira had no choice but to go through the intended route. She started working on that, already hoping that she would finish before it was toote at night. There were ethereal-looking lights inside the towers, so it was not extremely dark. But there were hardly any windows, and the corridors were around three meters wide, creating a strong ustrophobic feeling. Skeletons would often ambush corners too, making it a rather annoying dungeon.
¡ºSay, Spirit King. Why are the tower¡¯s walls indestructible?¡» ¡ºIt might look like they¡¯re built out of stone, but this material is actually an alloy lost to time. I believe it was called Argolest alloy.¡» While the Dark Knights defeated all the skeletons, Mira picked up the Magic Stones and sparked up a conversation with the Spirit King to kill time. ¡ºOh, interesting. So that¡¯s its name.¡» Her casual question had gotten a proper reply. The more she thought about it, she realized just how incredible her current situation was, even if the Spirit King did not have the answers for everything. For instance, he did not know anything of use when it came to what the remaining Wisemen were doing. ¡ºDo you know when this Ancient Underground City was built?¡» ¡ºI don¡¯t know exactly when, but I know that its existence was mentioned in this continent even in the age of the gods, so it is considerably old.¡» ¡ºIt was already built then, huh. Ancient technology must have been incredible considering it¡¯s still standing today.¡» The age of the gods referred to an extremely ancient epoch. Mira looked at the strange lights that still illuminated the corridors to this day, giving a somewhat aloof answer. Mira continued asking questions, but some of the replies were rather vague. Either they were things the Spirit King chose to keep secret, or he did not know for sure either. Still, it was mostly just misceneous knowledge and fun facts. Talking about such trivial things could be rather fun though, and so time went flying and Mira found herself in the room with the crystal ball. ¡¸Hmm, that took two hours and some minutes.¡¹ Mira checked the current time as she received the first glyph. It was still a bit earlier than 3pm. She decided to give up on the idea of finishing by dusk as she stepped on the magic circle in a corner of the room. Getting there had been a pain, but going back out was easy. The magic circle started glowing under her feet, and after a short moment Mira found herself back at the entrance of the initial tower. ¡ºBy the way, Spirit King. Do you know how these teleporting magic circles work?¡» Mira felt like being able to use such magic would be incredibly useful. She knew that, but she also did not really expect a detailed answer. The Spirit King had never learned such specific spells and knowledge. But the answer was actually surprising. He replied saying that the magic circle employed the special power of the god governing time and space. ¡ºThe God of Time and Space..?!¡» Mira was shocked to hear a god be named, but she continued asking questions full of excitement. The Spirit King ended up dodging any questions about its specifics though. All he made clear was that even back then such power was considered taboo. Manipting space and time allowed for teleportation to happen, but that was a power only gods were permitted to use, not something humans could use willy-nilly. Those magic circles had been created thanks to a unique and special contract. The contract was rather limiting. It only allowed for teleporters like those in the towers, directing to a single fixed destination. ¡ºIf you ever happen to meet the God of Time and Space you may ask him for that power, though you¡¯ll need an incredible amount of luck for that. I¡¯ll throw in a word for you when that happens.¡» He seemed to be joking,ughing a little as he said that, but the Spirit King would keep his word. ¡ºIs that possible then¡­ I¡¯ll be looking forward to it!¡» The chances of meeting a god were extremely slim. She had never actually thought such a thing was possible, but considering she was talking to the Spirit King, an entity very close to gods, she started to feel like it could happen eventually. Such prospects filled her heart with excitement. (I¡¯ll have to ask for that power then!) Just thinking of being able to teleport one day made her smile, and she happily summoned Pegasus and headed to the next tower. Pegasus once again reflected Mira¡¯s good mood.
Mira gathered the second and third glyphs after that, passing the time chatting with the Spirit King. It was past 9pm, so Mira went to arge open ce where many skeletons spawned. Going through the fifth floor had taken her an entire day, which left her exhausted, so now she summoned the spirit mansion in the open space. ¡¸At least I can call it a night now.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself, feeling like she had worked hard. She summoned two Dark Knights and one Holy Knight to keep her safe, and went inside the mansion while already having high expectations for the next day. She went from a rather crude environment to a calm house. It was like finally being back home, so shefortably undressed herself and took a shower to wash off her exhaustion. ¡¸Oh, they¡¯re already going at it.¡¹ Chapter 173: The Fifth Floor (2) Chapter 173: The Fifth Floor (2) When Mira got out of the shower and looked out the window, she saw the Dark Knights were already taking down skeletons that approached the mansion. Watching that she grinned and started counting in her head, five hundred, a thousand, fifteen hundred, two thousand, and so on. At that rate she would wake up to more than two hundred thousand Rils. ¡¸The skeletons look really excited too. That¡¯s good, bring me more money.¡¹ She was getting rich without having to move a muscle. Considering the change of seasons, Mira started to think about buying a magic air conditioner. But then she realized something, this was a spirit mansion, so maybe a spirit¡¯s power could cool it down too. She decided to put it to the test. The fire spirit she already had linked to the mansion allowed her to raise the room temperature as she wished. Then she added an ice spirit to the chain, and she sessfully lowered the temperature. It also allowed her to create ice, which could keep her food fresh. ¡¸Ahh! This is the life!¡¹ While it was a bit toote to call it a post-shower drink, she drank some chilled fruit cider and let out a joyous voice. Afortable home, the perfect room temperature, and what felt like the best drink in the entire world. Mira was sitting in her underwear again, inebriated with so much satisfaction that she was on the verge of forgetting what her mission was. ¡¸I used to take it for granted back then, but now it feels like such a luxury¡­¡¹ Mira muttered out of nowhere. Only now she had realized how much it took for her to feel at home in this new world, all her needs met like that. Maybe it was the fact that she finally had obtained an environment that closely resembled the world she had been born in, but memories from back then came flooding her mind as she prepared dinner. ¡ºOh, so you came from another world?¡» ¡¸Yes. Back then this world was like a game, so I was shocked when it became reality.¡¹ After dinner, she started talking with the Spirit King again. She had drunk quite a bit, which loosened her tongue and made her impulsively reveal that she was a former yer, and that this world had once been inside a game she knew as Ark Earth Online. ¡¸You¡¯re less shocked than I expected.¡¹ A game became true, what was once virtual had materialized. Such a revtion would surely shock the Spirit King, but his voice sounded ratherposed, leaving Mira slightly confused. ¡ºI believe Forsythia said the same, that she came from another world.¡» ¡¸Wh¡­at..?¡¹ The legendary hero who had saved the world, Forsythia. Mira was speechless hearing that she had alsoe from a different world. She tried to ask for more details, but the Spirit King was rather vague with his replies. Only two things were certain. People had beening to this world from others since ancient times, making it a rathermon urrence. The other revtion was about Forsythia herself. Those very close to her referred to her as Yuina. (What¡¯s going on..? Were there former yers even so long ago? Or just like how I was flung thirty years in the future, some yers went to the past..? Wait no, there¡¯s no proof she was a yer. Maybe she came from apletely different world than mine.) That Forsythia came from a different world did not make her a former yer, there was a chance she hade from a different world to Mira¡¯s as well. Considering a fantastical world with magic and spirits already existed here, there could be any number of other worlds out there. Or rather, that was even more likely. Maybe this world was set up that way, receiving people from others. In that case, no matter how much Mira thought about it she would never get clear answers. Regardless, just like how this world went from being a game to reality, bringing in arge number of former yers from another world, such an event could have happened in the past, bringing Forsythia from her own world. ¡¸Did she mention anything at all about the world she once lived in?¡¹ Having learned that truth about that great hero, Mira continued asking questions about her. She was not quite trying to unmask Forsythia¡¯s identity, but was mostly driven by curiosity. It was human nature to be curious about famous people, whether they came from the same world or a different one. ¡ºHmm, she wouldn¡¯t really touch the subject often, and I didn¡¯t pry either. I¡¯m sorry.¡» ¡¸It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m the one who should apologize for asking so much.¡¹ That was as much as the Spirit King knew about her. Forsythia had only gained the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection quitete into her career, so their rtionship was not the longest. Essentially that only happened in thest portion of her work, when Forsythia had already made a name for herself as a great hero. He did not know her life before that. Mira would learn more from studying books and legends about her rather than asking the Spirit King. ¡ºBut I see, so you came from another world as well. Fate¡¯s whims can truly be a fickle thing.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s voice was solemn, recalling memories from such a long time ago. ¡¸I know,¡¹ added Mira, smiling as she hoped their connection wouldst longer. A keen interest in Forsythia had taken root in Mira¡¯s mind, so she decided she would look up any information rting to her in the castle¡¯s archives once she was back. When she finished eating, she headed to bed.
Mira woke up in the Ancient Underground City¡¯s fifth floor the next morning. She had breakfast and dressed herself up, then headed outside full of expectation. ¡¸This has to be a dream!¡¹ Mira could not stop grinning at what she saw. There were Magic Stones strewn all around the mansion, clearly way more numerous than she saw thest morning. Undead monsters were more active at night, but adventurers went to sleep at those hours. They would spawn at higher rates with no one to hunt them, and they would all be attracted by Mira¡¯s life force, gathering around the mansion. The Dark Knights keeping guard would crush all of them, leading to this result. The monsters also became stronger each floor, which meant the Magic Stones obtained were also bigger. Selling all of them would Mira a sum absolutely no one would believe was obtained just by sleeping. Regr adventurers would always use magic devices that produced repelling barriers when they camped out in those ces, which were sold in Dinowal Stores and simr. That concealed their presence and stopped monsters from getting close. They were not perfect so adventurers also had a night watch, but usually it was rather safe, making such magic devices quite useful. Even Mira had bought them, though at this point she would likely never use hers.
Mira looked around satisfied, then hurried to summon Cait Sith tomence gathering the Magic Stones. She knew there would be a lot, so she had ordered her Dark Knights to defeat the skeletons in open spaces to make collecting easier. The Holy Knight also used its tower shield like a bulldozer¡¯s de to gather Magic Stones. That way picking everything up took less than ten minutes. Then it was time for the count, which she could not wait for. Cait Sith quickly gave the number, three hundred forty two Magic Stones. ¡¸That¡¯s a nice sum for no effort. But one can never have enough money after all!¡¹ Mira stuffed her Item Box with Magic Stones in a good mood. If she really put everything she had into it, she could easily earn millions or even more in a single day, making her current ie seem like small change byparison. But Mira preferred the easy path, enamored by the sum she obtained doing nothing. Her nature having grown up as a low-iemoner would never go away. ¡¸Tonight we feast meow!¡¹ Cait Sith jumped and danced around, happy seeing the spoils of war. Mira gave him a fish filet and sent him away. As Cait Sith turned to particles of light, his voice rang clear ¡¸This is Cobalt King Tuna! A banquet fit for a king!¡¹ A single filet was called a banquet. It seemed like Cait Sith also shared Mira¡¯smoner mentality. Chapter 174: The Sixth Floor (1) Chapter 174: The Sixth Floor (1) After collecting all the Magic Stones and tidying everything up, Mira climbed on Pegasus and flew to the cathedral. She reached her destination after flying through the towers for around half an hour. There were still multiple groups of adventurers inside the cathedral. The fifth floor¡¯s difficulty had been ranked C, and the adventurers there did seem like they were reasonably strong. Especially their equipment was different, they all had mithril-ss weapons and armor, and some even had Spirit Arms. All of those adventurers turned to look at Mira, who seemed to be a solo adventurer. They were curious about her, a lone girl in a C Rank dungeon, and with breathtaking looks on top of that, so it was impossible to look away. ¡¸Hello, may I ask something?¡¹ Mira approached thergest group and spoke to them. ¡¸Yes, what do you need?¡¹ The group¡¯s leader replied, looking clearly curious as well. Meanwhile the other adventurers all fell silent, wanting to hear the conversation. ¡¸Have you seen a suspicious looking necromancer riding on the bones of a bicorn with a broken right horn?¡¹ There had been one sighting, so Mira figured others might have seen him as well. The first time had been around a week before on the second floor. If anyone else had seen him on another floor, she would be able to extrapte Soul Howl¡¯s traveling speed. This dungeon was incredibly vast, and each floor¡¯s gimmick could present plenty of dys. At a certain point, being stronger did not help go through the dungeon faster. So far Mira knew that Soul Howl was traveling on his bicorn. Thend routes wereposed of intertwined maze-like paths, with countless obstacles, and while Soul Howl¡¯s bicorn was swift, it could notpare to Pegasus who could simply skip over everything through the air. In other words, there was still a chance Mira would catch up. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone like that.¡¹ The man crossed his arms and thought for a moment, but he just shook his head in the end. The adventurers in his group had also not seen Soul Howl. ¡¸I see¡­ Sorry I intruded in your meeting.¡¹ Mira figured she had the best chances by asking the biggest group, but since they moved as a single unit, it would also be strange for one of them to have seen Soul Howl and not the rest. That was not enough to deter Mira, and she began asking the other groups hoping arger sample size would yield better results. The second group had not seen him either. So Mira went to a third group. ¡¸Hey, I might have seen that person you¡¯re looking for.¡¹ Then one man spoke to her, he had likely overheard her question. Mira turned around and saw a lightly armored adventurer waving at her. ¡¸Ohh, you did?! When and where?¡¹ Mira rushed to him, looking up with eyes full of expectation. That took him by surprise, and he had to force a cough to y off the blush on his cheeks before giving a friendly smile. ¡¸I saw him from behind so I don¡¯t know if he was riding a bicorn, but it did look like a horse skeleton. It was right here on the fifth floor, two days ago.¡¹ Following him, hispanions added ¡¸He was pretty far so we couldn¡¯t see him clearly,¡¹ and ¡¸He looked kinda creepy.¡¹ They had only seen him for an instant, so they could not catch many details, but they were sure he was riding on some sort of skeleton. Considering the circumstances, the chances of that being Soul Howl were quite high. ¡¸Hmm¡­ two days ago huh.¡¹ Mira noticed something hearing she had gotten so much closer. Soul Howl had been seen on the second floor around a week before, then on the fifth floor two days before. The Ancient Underground City usually took adventurers a month to get through, so from that viewpoint he was going at a swift pace. But Mira, a fellow Wiseman, was moving even faster than Soul Howl. That showed just how vast the dungeon was, and how superior flying was to traveling on ground, which made Mira feel grateful for Pegasus. She also did not forget to smirk thinking ¡¸Summoners win again.¡¹ At least that information told Mira that she was catching up to Soul Howl, so she thanked the adventurer and gave him a random healing potion in gratitude. Adventurers faced danger all the time, so any healing item was always useful. (Alright, just wait for me Soul Howl!) Knowing her mission¡¯s prospects were looking good put Mira in a good mood, so she entered the cathedral and headed to the sixth floor. She was also getting excited thinking of reuniting with her old friend. Mira had left a bit of amotion after her as she happily dashed through the cathedral. The main culprit was the healing potion Mira had given the adventurer. It had been mass produced by an alchemist she was acquainted with before, mainly meant for raids. All of such potions had been used in the thirty years before Mira got there, but her personal stash wasrgely untouched. It was an extremely effective potion, as it was meant to be used in raids, so just one of them could fetch tens of thousands of Rils in current times. Such a reward seemed far too excessive for simply mentioning seeing someone, so the adventurer¡¯spanions looked at him with envy, and even the other groups were jealous. But he was even more shocked, worrying if he really could ept such an item.
The Ancient Underground City¡¯s sixth floor, it covered an area half asrge as the fifth floor, but was so packed with structures that it was impossible to see one edge from the other, or the ceiling from the ground. The fifth floor also had many towers, but they felt sparsepared to the sixth floor¡¯s buildings. There were countless structures like boxes arranged inplex patterns, ones above others. There were singr rooms, corridors, halls, passages, atriums, stairs, inclines, and other structures with no specific name piled on top of each other, all spanning the area of arge city. (This does look a lot like Kowloon City after all¡­) When yers first reached the sixth floor, they found it looked very simr to Kowloon City, an enve that once existed in their real world. Mira had seen old pictures of that ce as well, and could still see the simrities. While the dungeon was old, there was a strange sense of livelihood there. At first nce it looked like many ces were supported by unstable pieces of wood, but everything there was built of the same sturdy metallic material, so there was no fear of it copsing. Such structures spanned all the way to the ceiling of the dungeon floor, connected by thin corridors, and once she entered a path it would branch into many smaller ones. The entire sixth floor looked like that. The area of each floor was roughly half of the previous one, so even though the sixth floor wasrge, it seemed quite reasonablepared to the previous ones. But due to itsplex construction with many levels stacked on top of one another, the total floor area wasparable to the third floor of the dungeon. On top of that, B rank monsters would spawn there, making it the most annoying floor. ¡¸No other option but to go forward, I guess.¡¹ She needed to get three glyphs to open the door to the seventh floor again, which could be obtained from the crystal balls inside small shrines on the lower, middle, and upper levels. But to enter those shrines, called the District Director¡¯s rooms by yers, further glyphs were needed, which made that floor even trickier. Thinking of just how many days that would take her, Mira summoned a Dark Knight and pushed onwards. Pegasus would be resting this time. The sixth floor was immenselyplex with twisting corridors, some of which were so narrow only one person could go through at a time, and the ceilings were low too, all of which made flying impossible and took away Pegasus¡¯ main advantage. Chapter 174: The Sixth Floor (2) Chapter 174: The Sixth Floor (2) ¡¸Where was that again¡­¡¹ It made one wonder just how this city had been built. The lights illuminated every corner of the city, without regard to itsplexity. In a way, that made the city look less overwhelming, and mostly fueled one¡¯s adventurous spirit. And there was one person there fully embracing that spirit. Mira waltzed in without a worry, underestimating itsplexity simply because she believed she knew the best route through. There were many facilities still active on the sixth floor, many of which grew rare nts and trees. Some also rumored there were ces which had not yet been discovered. Regardless of itsplexity, Mira still could see various adventurers around. She could hear adventurers discuss those rumors as she passed by them, eventually getting influenced by those who believed in the rumors and those who tried to verify their authenticity. ¡¸Now I turn here¡­ No, was it¡­ this way?¡¹ Mira wandered about for a while, eventually looking out a mezzanine, trying to retrace her past memories. (That¡¯s where I came from¡­ but going that way led me somewhere else¡­) The mezzanine was not too broad, but it was enough for her to look at the corridor that was five meters away. She stayed there, trying to remember the right way. ¡¸But that¡¯s there, so that¡¯s¡­ over there¡­ Ohh, up!¡¹ She finally realized where she was, understanding she was below the correct location, so she stepped out of the mezzanine and easily kicked off the air with Sky Stride, jumping into the corridor above. ¡¸Woah?!¡¹ There was a skeleton on the ce Mira wanted tond on, making her reflexively kick it, not caring about her skirt being upturned. That took the skeleton by surprise, sending it flying back violently. But as a monster in a B rank area, a spellcaster¡¯s kick was not enough to shatter its bones, so it stood back up almost instantly. However, it stood no chance against Mira, who held the title of one of the strongest spellcasters. A ck sword appeared out of nowhere and smashed the skeleton to dust in the blink of an eye. ¡¸Phew¡­ that startled me. I kicked it without thinking.¡¹ Finding skeletons creepy was likely a universal trait. Anyone would be startled if one suddenly appeared in front of their eyes. Mira picked up the Magic Stone and realized Soul Howl likely was an exception to that fact. Then she thought about what she had just done and looked at her legs, muttering ¡¸Oh right, I can also use my legs.¡¹ So far, Mira had always relied solely on her hands for close-quartersbat. That was a habit that stuck with her since her days as Danbulf. Mira had always valued her appearance above all else, and back then wore robes exclusively, all of which, including her Sage¡¯s Robe, had long hems. That made it very easy for her feet to get caught in her clothes, so in the end she only trained how to fight with her fist. But now she finally realized that was no longer the case. She was wearing a short skirt which exposed most of her legs, leaving them free and mobile. Mira sent away the Dark Knight in the corridor below and summoned another one next to her, and used it as a training dummy for her kicks. She had never used them, but the Sage Wiseman Meilin had taught her the basics of kicks. That was enough for her to move and throw some decent-looking kicks, allowing her to unlock a moveset she had kept sealed away so far. While they looked good, her leg muscles were not very trained, making her kicks only marginally stronger than her punches, and she caused no damage whatsoever on the Dark Knight. Herck of physical strength could bepensated with Sage Arts. Once she finished testing her kicks, even if they were simplistic, she continued on her way, d that she had more options to fight now. If only someone had been there spotting her training, or if she had even a little more femininity, or if there was anyone nearby, she would have noticed just what kicking in such a wild manner did to her skirt. But Mira remained clueless, or maybe she simply did not care, and all she felt was pride in having a new way to fight as she continued walking in a gant stride. ¡¸I should remember to affix some steel tes to my shoester.¡¹ When Mira attempted a dropkick, the Dark Knight had stopped her momentum entirely. She continued trying them as they walked forward, but the result remained the same, so Mira decided to me her equipment and made ns to correct that. Steel tes on shoes would certainly increase the power of her kicks, but her mobility would fall. Lack of strength was the root of the problem too, so they would only add unnecessary weight and slow her down. She had actually thought of the solution before, getting Spirit Arms that increased her physical strength, but she kept forgetting to put that n into action, and now she was so enthralled about her new skillset that she did not think of remembering that either.
Mira reached the upper levels of the sixth floor. After defeating arge skeleton in a big room, she obtained the glyph which would let her open the door leading to the first crystal. ¡¸I¡¯m getting quite good at this.¡¹ She had continued honing her kicks as she moved through the sixth floor. At first she kept missing her mark, hitting the skeletons she ran into with her shins instead of her feet which hurt so much her eyes teared up. But now she had gotten far more urate, and it seemed like focusing on uracy rather than dealing damage was starting to pay off. Even if her kicks did not have much power, they could have a big effect if she hit a good spot. The monsters that spawned there were skeletons with all their joints exposed, which made them perfect practice targets for Mira. ¡¸Though well, I think I¡¯ve done enough for today¡­¡¹ Her excitement had led her to overexert her hip joints, causing her pain now. That made her stride feel wonky as she got closer to the crystal. The Dark Knight had done essentially all the fighting for Mira. She would just leisurely pick up the Magic Stones, and mix in her kicks with Sage Arts whenever she wanted. (I remember Meilin causing all sorts of explosions with her dropkicks, I wonder how she did that.) Meilin had taught Mira how to fight. Her skills were incredibly varied, and included arge assortment of kicks. Adding Sage Arts to the mix made them even more varied. But as Mira¡¯s legs were clumsy, and they had limited time, her training focused mainly on fists. All Mira knew in regards to kicks were the basics she learned as a way to train her stamina, and her memories of the skills she saw Meilin use often. (I did learn almost everything there is to know about Sage Arts, so I just have to figure out how to apply that¡­) Mira¡¯s focus had shifted from adventuring to fighting, but she still did not take any detours and followed the route she remembered. She went through a small corridor, up a set of stairs, crossed straight through a room, went through a bridge, then reached arge street with corridors overhead, which led to a small shrine. ¡¸Ohh, finally here.¡¹ Skeletons jumped down from the overhead corridors, trying to strike surprise attacks, but the Dark Knight¡¯s swift response made them turn to dust almost as soon as theynded. Meanwhile Mira looked at the peculiar-looking shrine. The shrine had a spherical shape, made of polished metal which shone like a mirror. The sphere looked like it was slightly buried on the floor too. ¡¸This always looks so odd no matter how many times I see it.¡¹ A pearl-like shrine in a city of piled up crude blocks. Maybe the people who once lived there were extremely religious. Such thoughts swirled in Mira¡¯s mind as she crossed the sole opening on the spherical shrine. ¡¸Up the stairs next to the altar¡­¡¹ Mira walked across the ce of worship as she recalled the location of the crystal. Unlike the shrine¡¯s exterior, inside it looked a lot more like a shrine or temple. The ce of worship was located right next to the entrance. Many things had rotten through over the years, but there were still impressive columns supporting the ceiling, and the furthest wall was lined up with many borate statues. They all had different appearances, some looking like demons, others like kind angels. In modern times most people followed the Three Gods¡¯ religion, but in the past there had been nearly as many religions as races and cultures existed. Or at least that was what Mira¡¯s lore enthusiast friends imed. Those same friends imed that the gods worshiped in the Ancient Underground City were the precursors to modern deities. Even deities had stories behind them. Mira thought back to everything she heard back then as she looked at the impressive statues from closer, and then went up the stairs next to the altar. Chapter 175: A Nameless Fruit (1) Chapter 175: A Nameless Fruit (1) ¡¸Phew¡­ that makes one.¡¹ A locked door on the top floor of the spherical shrine held a crystal. The glyph Mira obtained earlier opened the door, and once she touched the crystal, that glyph morphed into another. That was the gimmick of the sixth floor; she had to obtain three glyph keys for shrines which would morph into the ones necessary to open therge cathedral. On top of that, the gate leading to the next floor only let one person through, meaning the glyphs were for the exclusive use of the person who gathered them. Such were the defenses keeping people away from the seventh floor. It was also a time-intensive process to get there, theplex pathways making any advantage in speed ineffective. On top of that the irregrity of the structures made it easy to lose one¡¯s sense of direction, so even if Mira knew the correct route, she constantly had to get her bearings. She had gotten there in the morning, but only seeded in obtaining one of the glyphs before 8pm. Her adventurous side had distracted her constantly, and halfway through she had started practicing kicks too, but even if she had hurried and focused solely on obtaining the glyph keys she would have taken at least six hours to get that far. The average group of adventurers took around three days to obtain one, making Mira¡¯s route with all its shortcuts quite fast byparison. But doing that had required the constant use of Sage Arts, leaving her physically exhausted. ¡¸Urgh¡­ my feet hurt so much¡­ I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡¹ Mira leaned against the white walls of the room with the crystal, massaging her tired feet while sighing. Pegasus¡¯ absence was painfully obvious. (Still, I got the first glyph today, so that¡¯s plenty of progress for a day.) The sixth floor was one of the trickiest to get through, and the average group of adventurers took two weeks to reach the end. The fact they traveled as a group and could not just abuse Sage Arts like Mira to skip paths was a big reason for that. On top of that, unlike Mira who let her Dark Knight defeat the many skeletons that spawned there, other adventurers had to fight them directly, making them get tired faster and leading to more frequent breaks. All of that extra dys added up to two weeks in the end. (I remember taking a week the first time I got here. I¡¯ve really gotten a fair bit stronger since then.) Mira faintly remembered her first time on that floor. Back then she did not have to worry about physical exhaustion, and she could log out of the game whenever she wanted to rest safely. Now this was reality and her feet were assaulted by a sharp pain from exhaustion, but that was fun in its own ironic way, which made Mira smile despite herself. Monsters would not approach the spherical shrine, making it an ideal ce to spend the night in. ¡¸I have to move just a little.¡¹ But Mira forced herself back up on her unsteady feet and made her way out of the shrine. Looking around she saw there was quite a lot of empty space around the shrine. She made onep around the shrine, and decided the area behind it was the best. ¡¸This will do for tonight.¡¹ She summoned the spirit mansion behind the shrine. Ideally she wanted to be in an area where many monsters spawned, but the sixth floor was so crowded there were few cesrge enough to fit the spirit mansion. They only existed far apart from each other, or in special locations like near a shrine. Still, her main goal was to rx inside the spirit mansion, and let the spirit grow stronger. She did not mind losing the ability to farm Magic Stones in her sleep if she could at least summon the mansion. ¡¸This really feels cozier.¡¹ Leaving a Dark Knight as guard outside, Mira entered the mansion and let out a long sigh, feeling like she had just returned home. The spirit¡¯s power was strange, the building looked different from the outside than from inside, but it still brought the sameforting feeling of Mira¡¯s personal room. She relished that feeling, quickly taking her clothes off and entering the shower room, where she sat on the floor and let warm water wash over her. ¡¸Ahhh¡­ this is life.¡¹ Mira released all tension from her exhausted body, letting the warm water fall on her without resistance. Her shower took a bit longer than usual, but eventually she returned to the living room, where she once again merely put on some underwear before lying down on the sleeping bag ced next to a wall. ¡¸I wonder if there¡¯s a massage chair spirit too.¡¹ Muttering that to herself, she carefully massaged her exhausted feet and legs. Meilin, who also practiced martial arts in real life, had taught her to do that, since otherwise she would perform poorly the next day. Once she finished thoroughly massaging herself, she started making a simplistic dinner. She was feeling starved, so she began searing a thick cut of meat, seasoned with salt and pepper, which she would eat apanied with a sd and some bread. ¡¸I can¡¯t get enough of this.¡¹ The meat sizzled with a satisfying sound while letting out a mouth-watering scent. Mira¡¯s stomach started grumbling as she threw a sd together and impatiently waited for the meat to finish cooking. The meat was ready by the time she finished eating her sd. ¡¹How luxurious!¡¹ Mira¡¯s teeth quickly dug into the cut of meat, which had just the right amount of chew, while a strong beefy taste filled her cheeks. She ate half of it, then put the rest on top of a piece of bread, bathed it in her special Mira Sauce made with the oil that was left over on the pan, and added some cheese to make a sandwich. Chapter 175: A Nameless Fruit (2) Chapter 175: A Nameless Fruit (2) ¡¸I¡¯ve always wanted to try this, a steak burger!¡¹ Mira¡¯s eyes twinkled as she looked at her steak burger, her lifelong dream aplished. After taking arge bite, she shouted ¡¸Delishous!!¡¹ She continued eating her substantial dinner, cleaned up after it, and read the Encyclopedia of Skills until she fell asleep. It was her second morning in the Ancient Underground City¡¯s sixth floor. ¡¸Hmm¡­ being young truly is a blessing.¡¹ Either the massages had been effective, or her youthful body was full of energy, but she woke up earlier than 8am, not feeling any of the exhaustion from the previous day as she stretched. But when she stood up and walked around the room to feel things, she felt a faint pain down from her thighs to her calves. ¡¸Sore muscles the next day¡­ that¡¯s also part of youth.¡¹ Mira had once heard that as one aged, muscle pain would appear after a longer dy. She did not know whether that was actually true or not, but she chose to believe the pain in her legs was a sign of youth. There was pain, but it was not strong enough that it impeded her from moving. She ate breakfast which mainly contained fruits, then sent the mansion away as she headed out to find the second glyph before the end of that day. First she looked around a little bit, with a bit of anticipation, but then just muttered ¡¸Well, that makes sense.¡¹ The shrine was located in a safe zone, so no monsters had gotten close and there was not a single Magic Stone on the ground. The monsters that spawned on the sixth floor were ranked B, and if she gathered a hundred or two Magic Stones from them like in the previous floors, she could make quite a fortune. Thinking of that made her feel slightly disappointed, but she quickly pulled herself together and went toplete her goal for the day. Due to her muscle pain, Mira was a bit more reserved with practicing her kicks, descending from the upper levels to the middle ones. A few hourster, slightly past noon, Mira took a detour right before she arrived at the middle level. ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s still here. And it¡¯s produced a lot!¡¹ Leaving the route, Mira jumped off a passageway and used Sky Stride to cross over to a separate detached corridor, curious to see how things looked now. Walking along it she reached a room filled with green, one of the facilities that was still active. The room was the size of a small theater, and served as a nt nursery. There was arge tree in the center, its broad branches dotted with round red fruits. It had no official name, but those red orbs were known as the primordial form of Queen of Hearts, one of the Four Great Fruits which were almost as valuable as gemstones. That was all a theory one of Mira¡¯s lore-enthusiast friends proposed. He imed that an adventurer once discovered that nameless fruit and brought it home. It was grown and continuously bred on the surface, until they became Queen of Hearts. He had said all that as he bit into the nameless fruit, which could not produce any vor back then. Eating the fruit had a cleansing effect on status ailments, and gave a momentary boost to mana regeneration. Mira recalled how back then she had obtained multiple of them as a gift, and how she and her friend had wished to know what it actually tasted like. ¡¸I wonder if he already tried it.¡¹ Mira opened her menu and checked her friends list, and saw that lore-enthusiast friend¡¯s name was white. That meant he was living somewhere in that world too. She plucked a fruit and looked at it with nostalgia, muttering to herself. At the time she had paid little attention to his stories, so she was surprised she could remember that much. ¡¸Mmm..! It¡¯s too sour!¡¹ The moment she tasted the nameless fruit her face constricted and wrinkles formed on her forehead. The fruit fitfortably on her palm, had a simr texture to peaches, and the taste was simr to honey lemon. Except that the bnce of sweetness and acidity waspletely off, making it hard to call it tasty. It was like a lot of honey had been mixed with highly concentrated lemon juice, making it simr to ingredients that needed to be diluted before consumption. ¡¸I can see why it¡¯s a primordial species. It has a rather wild and untamed taste.¡¹ Her eyes were starting to tear up, but she went for another bite, quickly going ¡¸Phew!¡¹ with a strained smile. She was basically acting like an old man having a very powerful drink. It was a really striking vor, but Mira felt like she could get used to it. She plucked a few more fruits, believing they would make fun presents for Solomon and Luminaria. Mira then returned to the main path, resuming her quest for the second glyph. She kicked skeletons whenever she felt like it, and went to pick up rare fruits from the active facilities if she remembered them. Around four hours after her arrival at the central level, she finally obtained the glyph that would give her ess to the crystal. By the time she arrived at the second spherical shrine and obtained the second glyph, it was already 9pm. ¡¸All ording to n, pretty much.¡¹ She had once again obtained one glyph in one day. The spirit mansion was summoned behind the shrine, and Mira prepared for her next day. Her goal was to obtain thest glyph from the lower levels in her third day on that floor. And if possible, reach the cathedral leading to the next floor before sleeping. ¡¸I wonder who nned such a disgusting area.¡¹ The initial glyph and the spherical shrines were always ced on opposite sides, one being on the north and other on the south, or one on the east and the other on the west. On top of that the initial glyphs would overwrite each other, so it was impossible to gather those first, and then run through all the spherical shrines. All of that made the path to the seventh floor a long convoluted mess. After a hearty meal in preparation for her third day on that floor, Miraid down and read the Encyclopedia of Skills until she fell asleep. Chapter 176: Presence (1) Chapter 176: Presence (1) It was the morning of Mira¡¯s third day on the Ancient Underground City¡¯s sixth floor. She quickly got everything ready to resume her trip, heading down to the lower levels. Theplexwork of pathways of the sixth floor made it so that the route to Mira¡¯s destination changed depending on how she went down the levels. Adding to the annoyances of the floor, if she headed straight down from the second spherical shrine, she would have to take arge detour on the lower level to reach the initial glyph for the third spherical shrine. But if she chose a different path down, she could avoid thatrge detour and have a shorter path there. The route Mira was most familiar with was one that had carefully studied all those alternating paths, and took the most efficient ones. Mira thanked the group of volunteers who had researched that path in the past, and went on her way. There were multiple variations of the route. One which favored consistency, one that avoided as many monster encounters as possible at the cost of time, one that visited all discovered functional facilities, and the route with many shortcuts which included jumping off one mezzanine to another. Mira was following thetter one. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I¡¯ve gotten quite hungry. I should take a break here.¡¹ A few hours passed after Mira began her descent from the middle level, it was a bit past 2pm now. She had just obtained the glyph to enter the shrine, so she sat down there and brought out some bread and cheese. The building housing the third initial glyph was a safe zone from monsters, making it an ideal location to rest. (I used to log out here to get lunch back then.) Mira enjoyed her simplistic lunch, looking back to those days when everything was still a game. She was also surprised to find the cheese she bought as a side dish was quite dense with a rich vor, making her write down a mental note to stock up on more of the same type. Done eating lunch, Mira headed to the third spherical shrine, a trip which took 4 hours no matter how many shortcuts she took. She reached roughly the halfway point. ¡¸Hm? This presence¡­¡¹ As Mira hopped around to pick up the Magic Stones left behind by the Dark Knight, she heard something, or rather felt a presence. It was simr to how she found the mansion¡¯s spirit just a few days ago. ¡¸Hmm, I can¡¯t really ignore that.¡¹ There was a possibility another weakened spirit was nearby. Thinking that, Mira abandoned her route and began searching around, relying solely on her instincts. She wandered along a corridor and checked each smaller branch, looking into the cramped houses and rooms. The presence was so faint that all she could tell was that it was nearby, and had no other choice but to search randomly. She walked along a street with many buildings withrge openings, simr to amercial district, saw random stairs, dead ends, and buildings piled above each other. It was a strange and almostical sight that could never be seen unless one strayed from the optimal route. As she walked there she would constantly stop and focus on the presence. It was so faint she could not even tell what it was, but as long as it did not feel even more distant, she continued walking in that direction. That went on for some time. ¡¸It decided to spawn here, huh.¡¹ An eardrum shattering roar assaulted Mira¡¯s ears as soon as she stepped in there. She had just descended a helical set of stairs, leading her to the lowest area of the lowest level. It was arge open space, around fifty meters long in each direction. The presence had seemingly guided her there, where she faced a Skull Dragon in an area that was hard to leave easily. Skull Dragons were like the bosses of the sixth floor, they would rarely spawn in certain locations there. They were quite powerful, usually a group of A rank adventurers being necessary to take them down, making them the hardest foe to defeat in the sixth floor which was ranked B. To make things worse, the only item they dropped was a veryrge Magic Stone, worth around thirty Magic Stones from the skeletons that spawned regrly on that floor. But defeating thirty skeletons was far easier and safer than fighting a single Skull Dragon, and they would only spawn inrge open areas with nothing else around, making them easy to avoid. Skull Dragons had a reputation of being some of the most unlucky monsters, more than often being left abandoned like the one Mira encountered.. (Hmmm¡­ there¡¯s other things I should be focusing on now.) Skull Dragons were powerful foes, but that waspared to regr adventurers. All Mira saw in the monster were thirty Magic Stones, which could make her pocket feel a bit more plump. Rather than trying to obtain easy money orpleting her mission, she was more worried about the spirit that seemed to be weakened somewhere. ¡¸I wish I could sense where to go at least¡­¡¹ The Skull Dragon continued roaring menacingly, so Mira retreated back into the path she came from and closed her eyes, focusing on the presence she felt. The Spirit King had told her she would be able to pin-point directions better once their bond grew stronger, but it was still difficult in their current state. His perception of the world came from Mira¡¯s senses too, so there was nothing he could do to point her in a direction. Mira could only rely on herself. ¡¸¡­¡¹ At least the presence was stronger, she had gotten closer. Mira could almost feel the outline of the presence. ¡¸..!¡¹ She focused even more. The location was still too vague, but she had a far stronger response than before. A distinct shape floated in her mind, she could see an image of the spirit. It was a Primitive Spirit, she could see the characteristic humanoid silhouette. But its face was still too blurry. ¡¸Where¡­ where are you¡­¡¹ At least the spirit did not look weakened. That made Mira feel relieved, but she felt like the spirit looked lonely, so she tried speaking to it. ¡¸¡­h!¡¹ The spirit raised its head and turned around, it had either noticed Mira¡¯s presence as well, or it had heard her voice. Mira felt a faint connection with the spirit, so she tried to trace that connection to find the spirit¡¯s location. Her focus moved to that. ¡¸¡­Graaaaaaaaawrrrrrrr!¡¹ ¡¸Argh, shut up already!¡¹ Mira shouted back at the Skull Dragon that kept roaring in the distance. The constant roars distracted her focus, making her grow increasingly annoyed with the Skull Dragon now that she was so close to finding the spirit. Eventually that annoyance turned to hostility. Mira stopped searching for the spirit, deciding to take out the biggest obstacle in her way first. As she stepped back to the open space, the Skull Dragon red at her direction, the only entrance and exit of the ce. It roared yet another time, as if it had been waiting for her to return. (Maybe it has a lot of pent up rage and resentment.) The Skull Dragon¡¯s empty eye sockets had a red glow in them, looking menacingly at Mira. Either it was annoyed with her attitude,ing there, leaving, and then walking back like she owned the ce, or it was angered at the fact he could not leave that location. Or maybe that was just its normal appearance. Whichever the case, the constant roars finally stopped the moment Mira faced the monster. ¡¸Well, at least you¡¯ll be a good experiment subject.¡¹ Mira had not faced such arge enemy ever since Chimera uzen¡¯s defeat, so she had no chance to test all the new abilities and moves she hade up with. But there was an aggressive Skull Dragon there, the perfect training dummy for Mira. Chapter 176: Presence (2) Chapter 176: Presence (2) The monster was more than ten meters long, a size in line with dragons like its name suggested. Mira¡¯s eyes quickly darted around the area, without lowering her guard. She was setting up locations for summons. (Alright¡­ I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing how much damage I can do to this big monster!) Mira was used to doing that, setting up more than a hundred summon locations in the blink of an eye. That was just a tenth the number of summons she used for her army, though summoning her army was something she did in conjunction with Sage Arts, and could not be performed by regr summoners. Summoning that number of Dark Knights and Holy Knights could easily dry up Mira¡¯s mana without aid as well. But she wanted to know if Partial Summoning, which required less mana, would work even with such numbers. The Skull Dragon got tired of watching Mira stand there with a devilish grin, so it charged ahead with a monstrous roar. Just its size was a menace, but it also had terribly sharp ws and fangs. Compared to Mira¡¯s small frame, a direct hit would clearly cause plenty of damage. ¡¸Good,e at me!¡¹ But Mira had fought plenty of foesrger than the Skull Dragon. She skillfully dodged its attacks, and then prepared her own attack with a twinkle in her eyes. A secondter more than a hundred magic circles lit up in mid-air, the arms of Dark Knight sprouting from them, but not the rest of their bodies. The Skull Dragon¡¯s momentum made it plummet into the wall, shaking the entire area. Then all the iplete Dark Knights swung their sharp swords aiming at therge monster. It was no mere swing though, as the swords left their hands and flew at a merciless speed. The more than a hundred Dark Knight swords had been thrown like javelins. After a short dy, the rain of Dark Knight swords fell upon the Skull Dragon, causing a thunderous sound that rivaled the monster¡¯s howls. ¡¸¡­That was even more sublime than I thought.¡¹ It had been a breathtaking sight. Some seconds passed, and all the Dark Knight arms and swords vanished without a trace. But the damage caused by them remained, and Mira looked astonished at the pile of rubble, the remains of the Skull Dragon¡¯s bones. The Skull Dragon was powerful enough a group of A rank adventurers was needed to defeat one. Mira was still stronger, but if she fought it fairly, using six Dark Knights, it would take her five minutes to beat the monster. This time the fightsted barely a few seconds though. Partial Summoning only consumed about a tenth of the mana necessary for a full summon. In other words, Mira had used about ten Dark Knights worth of mana to defeat the Skull Dragon in a matter of seconds. ¡¸That was quite effective!¡¹ The Skull Dragon¡¯s remains turned to dust and vanished. Mira picked up therge Magic Stone left behind and chuckled seeing her power had exceeded her expectations. The process of designating summon locations was something she had practiced for tens of thousands of times in the past, so she could do it instantly now. Multiple Simultaneous Summons was also Mira¡¯s best skill. All things considered, the rain of ck Knight swords could be activated in almost no time at all, while having incredible power. ¡¸I¡¯ll have toe up with a cool name for itter!¡¹ Mira was pleased with the results, so she made a mental note toe up with a name for that attack. Regardless of that, the distracting roars were gone now. Now she could search the spirit in peace, so Mira walked to the center of that opening and focused again, trying to grasp the presence of the spirit. She focused much better than before, nothing else disturbing her, and she managed to establish a stronger connection with the spirit. They were still far from each other, so the image she got was too blurry, but whenever she prodded their connection she would get a clear response. The spirit kept turning its head, desperate to find Mira as well. (Just wait a bit longer, I promise I¡¯ll find you.) Speaking in her mind, Mira continued to focus. She was slowly grasping and holding onto their connection. (Over there? Alright.) Twenty minutes of much focusing passed, and Mira finally seeded in determining the direction of that connection. Now she just had to find out the height and distance, but she had enough information to start searching and call for the spirit a bit louder. Just like how Mira could feel the spirit, the spirit could also feel Mira. The spirit would always answer when Mira tried calling to it. ¡¸No way..!¡¹ Mira eximed in shock hearing the spirit¡¯s response, and she sprinted to the white wall on the other side of that area. ¡¸You¡¯re on the other side¡­¡¹ Their connection had grown so strong she could tell the location of the spirit. It was on the other side of the white wall with stains, across where the Skull Dragon had spawned. ¡¸This will be tricky¡­¡¹ Mira knocked on the white wall and frowned. She could not see any doors or holes on the wall. The only way there was to find a different route leading there. But Mira had already strayed a considerable distance from her personal route through the sixth floor, and she could not remember how to get to the other side of that wall. Not to mention this was theplex sixth floor, oftentimes one would have to go some levels up or down, move a distance, and then return to the current level to ess certain areas. If the spirit¡¯s location also required such a trip, it would take a considerable time to get there. There was a chance Soul Howl would finish his business there and go somewhere else during that time, making Mira¡¯s trip useless. But Mira also could not just leave the spirit be. ¡¸If only I could open a way there.¡¹ Mira hit the white wall a bit harder than earlier. Almost all the buildings and walls of the sixth floor were made of the same indestructible material as the towers of the fifth floor. This was close to the deepest reaches of the dungeon as well, so Argolest Alloy was used copiously. ¡¸I didn¡¯t know there was still another room past here though.¡¹ Mira was surprised to find there were other rooms past that spot. Clinging to a thin string of hope, she continued pounding the wall in case there was a switch for a hidden passage. This ce, essible only through a spiral staircase, was the lowest spot in the entire sixth floor. Mira found it really strange to learn there was another room beyond that spot. Even if the way there involved arge detour, she could not think of any corridors that went so deep. (Isn¡¯t an empty location like this the perfect ce for a secret?) There was no concrete evidence of that, but she still felt suspicious that such arge space was empty. Everyone avoided it knowing Skull Dragons spawned there, but maybe that was just a curtain to hide a secret. Mira started to remember the map of the sixth floor once made by volunteers in the past. That map was gone together with her Floating Continent, but she still remembered one particr detail. This space at the end of a spiral staircase seemed to protrude out of the rest of the structures. Now that Mira knew something existed on the other side of the wall, she found the empty space rather suspicious. That made Mira examine the white wall with more attention. She was trying to find any type of hidden switch or button to open a passage, something she often saw in movies orics. She started from the middle of the wall and first checked the left side, then the right side. Chapter 176: Presence (3) Chapter 176: Presence (3) ¡ºMira, try touching the spot you went over earlier.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s voice rang inside Mira¡¯s head. ¡ºOhh! I see, around here, right?¡» The Spirit King continued being a reliable partner for Mira. She was not sure what he was trying to aplish, but she did as told and retraced her hands a bit. The marks of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection began to glow on the back of her hand as she did that. Mira understood that the Spirit King was analyzing the wall through her hand. Around half a minute passed and the marks faded away, the analysis done. ¡ºDid you find anything?¡» Mira asked him, full of expectation. After a short pause, the Spirit King replied ¡ºNow this is surprising.¡» When asked about it, the Spirit King started by exining that this was the ce where the Ancient Humans first appeared in this world. Then he said that the white wall was nigh indestructible, more than likely made of Argolest Alloy. But the one spot Mira had just touched was made of somethingpletely different. ¡ºThis is a different material? I really can¡¯t tell them apart¡­¡» Mira squinted and looked more closely at that spot, then the nearby ones, but she could not feel any discrepancy whatsoever in appearance or touch. ¡ºSo, what¡¯s it made of then?¡» Mira continued looking at the white wall and asked, her voice full of excitement. The Spirit King seemed to be in a good mood seeing Mira¡¯s enthusiasm, so he answered with a slightly proud tone, ¡ºThat¡¯s made of Divine Spiritual Crystals.¡» ¡ºWhat¡­ What did you say? Isn¡¯t that the thing you used to build coffins to seal away the demons? Does that mean that this is also¡­¡» Divine Spiritual Crystals were a material born from divine power, and it had been utilized to build the coffins keeping the demons away, just like the Graveyard of War Memorials that gave birth to Chimera uzen. Mira began to think that maybe there were demons sealed just beyond that wall. ¡ºDon¡¯t worry about that. I still remember all the locations of the coffins, none are around here. The use of Divine Spiritual Crystals simply means that there¡¯s something involving the Gods hidden behind this wall.¡» The Gods were entities watching over people, and would interfere as little as possible, unless something extreme happened. Divine Spiritual Crystals could only be made with their power, and there Mira had some in front of her now. In other words, something extreme had to have happened there. ¡ºDo you have a way to open this then, Spirit King?¡» What had they tried to seal there? Or was the spirit across the wall the thing the Gods tried to seal? Something major enough for Gods to be involved had happened there, but Mira did not know what that was. Even so, she still wanted to get across. She had used the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection to make sure the spirit on the other side was safe, and she could not allow herself to leave it in such a strange ce. ¡º¡­Yes, I do, but it can take quite some time. Are you sure about this though? We don¡¯t know what lies across.¡» The Spirit King replied after a short pause. His voice showed just how much he cared for Mira¡¯s safety. But she insisted, she could not abandon the spirit. (Though well, I knew this was going to happen eventually.) Mira was quite confident in her skills, but she was well aware that this world always had stronger opponents somewhere. If such an entity hid across the wall, attempting to fight it would be far too reckless. Though even then Mira would not give up, and eventually woulde back to try defeating it with a different n. ¡ºSpirit King, if some powerful creature is hidden behind this wall, we¡¯ll need to seal it again. Would it be possible to make an opening that can be closed again?¡» Mira wanted to know if rather than destroying the Divine Spiritual Crystals, they could be taken out with minor damage. That would be the ideal solution Mira thought of. ¡ºTransforming Divine Spiritual Crystals to mana is the fastest way, but you make a reasonable request. I¡¯ll try that.¡» The Spirit King replied, and told Mira to ce her hand on the wall where the Divine Spiritual Crystals were. She did as told, and the marks of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection started to glow brightly all over her body. Her body was filled with the power of the Spirit King, and coursed into the wall. First a small amount imbued the wall to investigate its construction, since unlike the coffins, the Spirit King had not been present when this wall was built. Ten minutes passed, then another ten. Not even the Spirit King could undo the work of Gods so easily. Meanwhile Mira could feel the Spirit King¡¯s presence far stronger than usual. Eventually half an hour passed and the marks began to glow even brighter than they had ever done before, and a tunnelrge enough for a person to pass through appeared on the wall. ¡¸Ohhh, this is literally a hidden passage!¡¹ The white wall was mainly built of Argolest Alloy, except for that tunnel leading further inside which was closed off with Divine Spiritual Crystals. From afar it looked like a small hole bore into the wall. Opening it had taken so long because the Spirit King kept trying various things, eventually finding a way to turn it from physical form to spiritual. He sounded quite proud of that feat when he exined how the process could be undone to seal the tunnel again. Mira paid little attention to the exnation the Spirit King gave, about how usually it was impossible to turn something physical into something spiritual, but the Divine Spiritual Crystals¡¯ special properties made that possible and so on. She only made sure that the tunnel could be closed again and ventured inside. ¡¸Hm, just a dead end?¡¹ ¡ºIt appears so.¡» The tunnel went straight for around ten meters, but then ended abruptly. There were no branching paths, just a straight path. It was impossible to miss such a path to the side, but Mira had seen nothing, and could not go any further either. But the ce was too suspicious, there had to be something more. Mira was determined to go to the bottom of the matter, so she started examining the white wall blocking her path. ¡ºSpirit King, do you see anything here?¡» Mira prodded around looking for a hidden switch and asked that. Maybe there was a secondyer of Divine Spiritual Crystals there. ¡ºThis is regr Argolest Alloy. There¡¯s nothing too suspicious about-¡» Mira felt the wall around, knocking and rubbing it, which was alsomunicated to the Spirit King. He was still talking when he abruptly stopped and quickly said ¡ºGo back to that part right there.¡» ¡ºBack¡­ you mean around here?¡» Mira happily agreed, sensing she would discover something new. ¡ºYes, there. I¡¯m sure now.¡» As the Spirit King spoke, the marks of his Divine Protection started glowing all over Mira¡¯s body again. Soon after a small hole opened in the wall stopping their progress. It was around twenty centimeters wide, and it opened at around the same height as Mira¡¯s waist. She looked inside and spotted some sort of protuberance. (I¡¯m starting to feel like Indiana Jones!) Mira was reminded of an old movie she watched once as she reached inside the hole without hesitation. She grabbed the protuberance and pulled on it, and soon after the wall to her right started to slide, opening another path. ¡¸Just like I expected!¡¹ ¡ºClever, quite clever.¡» Mira twirled around full of confidence while the Spirit King muttered impressed. They had discovered the mechanism, so now Mira could continue her triumphant walk into the tunnel. Chapter 177: A Reunion After an Eternity (1) Chapter 177: A Reunion After an Eternity (1) Mira¡¯s progress was constantly stopped by all sorts of hidden contraptions, including stairs hidden on the ground. Before she realized, Mira had already spent an hour inside there before she reached that ce. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­bbergasted¡­¡¹ ¡ºQuite odd indeed.¡» Thest door refused to open no matter how she pushed or pulled. But when she slid the doorknob, it finally opened and gave way to a paradise-like ce. All the flowers there emitted particles of light, and even the grass covering the ground was richly colorful, almost like a gorgeous carpet. There were also many trees towering above the flowers, their trunks shining in silver and golden motes, the ones closest to the center blooming with bright white flowers. Anyone could tell this was a holy ce at first sight. It was filled with a divine aura that surpassed the Forest of Praying Children, which surrounded the sacred tree. That feeling was a bit overwhelming, but Mira¡¯s curiosity was greater, pushing her inside. The moment her foot got inside, she was shocked by how soft the ground felt. She looked down, wondering what that was, but even looking at it she could not really describe it. Not even the Spirit King had seen that before, it was a mysterious material that had surpassed the concept of ground. ¡ºThis truly is a vast world.¡» The Spirit King, who had lived for ages, had also never seen those flowers and trees. Even he was excited by all the new experiences there. Mira half seriously debated whether this was a dream or fairy tale world. But she did not forget her main objective of finding the spirit there. As Mira walked amongst that breathtaking scenery she felt she was getting closer to the spirit, so she did not hesitate to delve deeper inside. She made her way through there for around ten minutes. Mira reached a small clearing amidst the thick greenery, with arge mass standing in the center of it, covered in vines and nts. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ this..?¡¹ It looked extremely out of ce, but somehow she felt the spirit inside it. Mira would have to figure out what that mass was, and why it was ced there, if she wanted to meet the spirit. Very carefully she went closer to it. It remainedpletely immobile as Mira got closer, so she started carefully circling around it. It was around ten meters wide and deep, and six meters tall. Once she had a rough idea of its dimensions, she checked what was beneath the vines. She reached for them and pulled, trying to tear them off, but they were far more resilient than she expected, so in the end she had to slip between them and get into the mass. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s what it is¡­¡¹ Underneath around a meter of vines, Mira found a bright white wall and a door supported with ck wood. Thinking back to the overall size and external shape, Mira understood what she had found. It was a house, left to the elements for so many years that vines and nts had covered it. ¡¸Hmm¡­ it won¡¯t open.¡¹ The nts and vines had grown so thick that no matter how hard she pulled, the door was kept shut by them. Not to mention that she barely had any space to move, so she was quite restrained as well. The house that had be a nondescript bundle of vines had no avable entrance. But the spirit had somehow gotten inside, and she still felt it in there. After thinking about all sorts of solutions, she knocked on the door without really thinking about it. Somehow that prompted a response though, as a voice asked, ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh¡­ err, I¡¯m Mira, a summoner. I felt a spirit¡¯s presence so I got curious and came here.¡¹ This was deep inside a dungeon, in an area shut off by divine power. Having such a casual interaction in such a ce threw Mira off a bit, but she answered honestly. ¡¸Oh, then you were the one calling to me earlier!¡¹ The voice behind the door eximed with joy. That was clearly the same spirit Mira had formed a connection with earlier. Hearing that made Mira feel a bit more at ease. A momentter all the vines and nts around the door receded to the sides, freeing it in an instant. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a visitor. Pleasee in.¡¹ The door opened as she spoke, a breeze of floral scents wafting out from inside the house. The scent was even more powerful than that of the flowers around, but had a strangely rxing effect. Mira had been invited to enter, so she walked through the door, and was soon impressed by what she saw there. ¡¸This is¡­ incredible¡­¡¹ The house itself was a pretty regr house, built of stone and wood. But the interior waspletely covered with flowers, except for the area around a table in the center. But unlike the greenery outside, the flowers were carefully organized by type and color, giving it a rather aesthetic appearance. ¡¸I¡¯m d you seem to have taken a liking to my humble abode.¡¹ The spirit¡¯s smile as she said that seemed to overshadow the beautiful flowers around the house. ¡¸Ohhh¡­ ah, err, thank you for having me.¡¹ Mira waspletely speechless by the beauty of it all, so she stammered a bit before she could return the greeting. ¡¸I¡¯m Martel, an Originator Spirit looking over nts. Nice to meet you.¡¹ The spirit gave a quick bow and introduced herself, smiling kindly. ¡¸Oh, a nt spirit. It¡¯s an honor meeting you.¡¹ Mira had met flower spirits or tree spirits before, but Martel had called herself a nt spirit, which covered both of them. Considering the location Mira had expected her to be a rather powerful spirit, but was was still shocked to hear Martel was above everything she knew, But that was not the only surprising revtion. ¡¸¡­Hm? Originator Spirit? Is that different from a Primitive Spirit?¡¹ Spirits that were formed in furniture or tools were named Man-Made Spirits, and those who reigned over nature were called Primitive Spirits. But Martel had referred to herself as an Originator Spirit. Maybe the term Primitive Spirits was only used by humans. Mira continued thinking about that. ¡ºThe spirits of nature you know are called Primitive Spirits. I can understand why you feel confused. A voice rang in Mira¡¯s head, and the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection¡¯s mark started glowing all over her body. Barely a moment passed and an image of the Spirit King, scaled down to human size, was projected next to Mira. ¡¸You alwayse out whenever you feel like it¡­¡¹ ¡¸Well, I hope you can forgive me, I just have a lot to exin.¡¹ The Spirit King always did as he pleased through the Divine Protection. Mira was slightly baffled with his antics, but he just feigned a smile and apologized, though he did not sound very sincere. While his attitude could be better, Mira did not exactly hate that. Thanks to him she had a conversation partner she could talk casually with, and more importantly, he possessed a wealth of knowledge that was very valuable for her as an adventurer. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Martel. I had a hunch it was you from the presence Mira felt, I¡¯m d to see I was right, and that I could meet you again.¡¹ The Spirit King faced Martel and spoke, sounding slightly relieved. ¡¸It truly has been a long time, Lord Sym. I also sensed your presence, though I never expected to see you again, and in this manner no less.¡¹ Martel also smiled, d that they could meet again. Lord Sym was likely a nickname, being a shorter version of Symbiosanctius. That also showed how close they were to each other. (Hmm¡­ somehow I feel like this isn¡¯t just a reunion of old friends though.) The Spirit King mentioned being d they had managed to meet again, and Martel also sounded like she had not expected such a reunion. Mira remained silent as they spoke, guessing that the reason why they spoke that way was also rted to the reason Martel had been sealed there. ¡¸Lord Sym¡­ it¡¯s also been a while since someone called me that.¡¹ ¡¸Is that so? The others no longer call you that?¡¹ ¡¸Many call me King, or King Symbi. Though there¡¯s also those who always use my full name.¡¹ ¡¸I see, things must have changed a lot since back then.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, things have changed¡­¡¹ Martel and the Spirit King were in a good mood, having tons of things to talk about. Meanwhile Mira listened silently, wondering things like just how many ages ago Martel¡¯s back then referred to. Chapter 177: A Reunion After an Eternity (2) Chapter 177: A Reunion After an Eternity (2) ¡¸Oh, I got a bit carried away, I¡¯m sorry. You wanted to know about Originator Spirits, right?¡¹ Some time passed before the Spirit King remembered what he mentioned at first. ¡¸I understand you haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, don¡¯t mind me.¡¹ They had likely not seen each other in centuries, maybe even millenia. Mira decided to give them some space to catch up with each other, sitting a distance away from them and enjoying an afternoon snack of cookies and All-Seasons au Lait. She was feeling fully at home already. ¡¸I¡¯m happy enough knowing where you¡¯ve been until now. Taking a consultant role with Mira there has also made my life more interestingtely.¡¹ The Spirit King looked genuinely relieved, and then looked at Mira with a smile. Mira also smiled at him, looking slightly confused by the way he phrased that. Understanding their friendly rtionship, Martel also smiled. The Spirit King exined the difference between Primitive Spirits and Originator Spirits, they were simr in some aspects, but werepletely different entities. There were a few Primitive Spirits reigning over nts just like Martel. They held a position in the highest ranks of the Spirit Realm, and Primitive Spirits of flowers or trees were a step below them. Originator Spirits came first though, and were the first ones before Primitive Spirits appeared. In other words, Martel controlled the first nts that existed in the beginning of the world. The first tree, the ancient Gopher, had been created by Martel. Essentially Martel was the mother of nature, who created all vegetation of the world. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m lost for words¡­¡¹ Hearing just what kind of legendary creature Martel was, Mira felt like she was standing in a position far away from her reach. But it was always possible toe to an understanding and interact somehow. The Spirit King looked entertained by Mira¡¯s shocked reaction to that revtion, while Martel took a slightly more confident pose being introduced as a spirit above the highest ranks. She had lived for an extremely long time, but she still had emotions, intelligence, and her own personality, just like anyone else. Talking to her was no different than any other person. The Spirit King and an Originator Spirit, two legendary creatures, but the way they interacted seemed extremely humane, filling Mira with a strange familiarity which made her feel a bit closer to them again. ¡¸That¡¯s not their only difference though.¡¹ After the Spirit King had seen enough of Mira¡¯s shock, he continued talking. He looked at Martel, his gaze telling her to show Mira. ¡¸You haven¡¯t changed at all, Lord Sym.¡¹ It seemed like impressing or surprising people was something the Spirit King had always enjoyed doing. Martel smiled seeing how entertained the Spirit King looked and walked up to Mira. While Martel had said the Spirit King was still the same, she also looked excited to surprise Mira, it seemed like her emotions easily showed on her face. Mira also looked ready for whatever was going to happen. ¡¸Would you like some fruit to go along with your snacks? What¡¯s your favorite fruit?¡¹ Martel said that, looking at the cookies Mira was eating. That gave Mira a good hint as to what was about to happen. (I see, she¡¯s the Originator Spirit of nts. She¡¯ll probably grow and give me whatever fruit I mention. Heheh, I¡¯ve seen through you, you can¡¯t shock me now!) ¡¸Let me think¡­ the Pure White Peaches I had in Alispharius were truly delicious.¡¹ Mira had gone there following Soul Howl¡¯s trail, and tried the local specialty, Pure White Peaches. That was the fruit that had left the strongest impression on her from amongst the varied assortment she tried in high ss inns. Mira hunched forward a little, daring her to show off her skills. A single vine sprouted up in front of Mira, a beautiful white flower on its tip. ¡¸Pure White Peaches are one of my masterpieces. I¡¯m d you like them.¡¹ Martel appreciated Mira¡¯s response. Meanwhile the white flower fell off, something round swelling up in its ce, eventually turning into a Pure White Peach. ¡¸Well, eat up Mira.¡¹ Martel plucked the Pure White Peach and offered it to Mira. It was all a wondrous and incredible sight, but Mira had anticipated all of that to happen, so her expression remained unchanged. (It¡¯s just what I expected. This isn¡¯t enough to surprise me!) ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Mira calmly epted it and then began picking on the peach¡¯s skin. That made Martel say ¡¸I made its skin really thin, you can eat it without peeling.¡¹ ¡¸O-oh. I see¡­ alright then.¡¹ That made Mira realize, Martel had created all nature, making a fruit¡¯s skin thinner was no effort at all for her. So Mira bit into the peach, skin and all. ¡¸This is good! Why is it so different?!¡¹ A mellowy sweet vor filled Mira¡¯s mouth the moment she bit into the fruit, a flood of nectar squished out of its pulp. She had eaten Pure White Peaches in a high ss inn in Alispharius, so those were carefully picked to be the best. But the one she was eating now easily overshadowed those, its vor far superior. It was like this fruit could fully satisfy one¡¯s appetite. Even though Mira had been prepared for something like that, she still voiced her surprise as her face was filled with pure bliss. ¡¸Originator Spirits truly are something else¡­¡¹ Mira ate the Pure White Peach in a trance, going as far as to lick every drop of juice that remained on her fingers. Martel watched that with a sense of victory, which made Mira re at her once she was done eating. ¡¸I¡¯m really d it was to your liking, heheh. I¡¯m in a good mood, so I¡¯ll take another request. Is there any other fruit you¡¯d like to try? I wouldn¡¯t mind giving you a second Pure White Peach too.¡¹ Those words sounded almost like a tempting invitation from the devil. She could taste that dreamlike vor again, or she could experience that same bliss from a different fruit. ¡¸I see¡­ then¡­¡¹ (¡­No, not yet. I can¡¯t lose here!) Just when Mira was about to ask for another Pure White Peach, enticed by that taste, she stopped. Falling for that temptation was starting to fill her with a sense of defeat, which made her think calmly again. She calmly analyzed her current situation. (Pure White Peaches¡­ that was the worst possible choice.) Martel had called them one of her masterpieces, so she knew how to make them the best. It was impossible for Mira to win against that if she chose Martel¡¯s specialty. Mira had walked right into her opponent¡¯s palm for the first round. But that would not happen again, Mira would have the advantage for the second round. Humans could always harness information and wring out a solution, even when faced with the might of nature. That was how humans survived in this beautiful but harsh world. So Mira thought of a way for her to win now. ¡¸I would like a Queen of Hearts next then!¡¹ Queen of Hearts. A fruit produced after hundreds of selective breeding cycles. The culmination of human effort and history, condensed into a gem-like fruit. In a way, they were proof that human intelligence could triumph over nature. At least those were the thoughts Mira had as she picked that fruit as her second request. Martel and the Spirit King relished in surprising others, and Mira refused to be the object of their satisfaction. There was a short pause after Mira made her second request though. ¡¸What is a Queen of Hearts?¡¹ Eventually Martel tilted her head and asked with a quizzical voice. The Spirit King also added, ¡¸I¡¯ve never heard that name before.¡¹ Both the Spirit King and Martel had lived in seclusion, essentially never interacting with the outside world or humans, so they had no way of knowing what fruits were selectively bred, or what name they were given. They could not even start to imagine what kind of fruit a Queen of Hearts was. They asked Mira to borate, but she herself had only heard the name, and had no way to answer their inquiries. It seemed like the match was about to fall apart, but Mira still had the nameless fruit in her inventory, which had been the basis to breed the Queen of Hearts. The match was not over yet. Chapter 178: The Originator’s Worth (1) Chapter 178: The Originator¡¯s Worth (1) ¡¸Queen of Hearts is a magnificent fruit cultivated from this, together with the sweat and tears of farmers!¡¹ Mira took out the nameless fruit from her Item Box, proudly showing it off. That was the fruit¡¯s primordial form, which was far harder to eatpared to a Queen of Hearts. But that sour fruit had been turned into one of the Four Great Fruits now. Mira felt like simply tweaking its taste a little would not be enough to reach that status. ¡¸Oh really? They must¡¯ve been really patient to improve on this fruit¡¯s taste.¡¹ Martel looked slightly surprised seeing that nameless fruit. She was actually impressed hearing what those farmers had aplished. Mira waspletely unrted to them, but she still took pride in that. But then the Spirit King delivered some unexpected news. ¡¸I remember that fruit, Martel created it as a punishment for a dare, and it¡¯s awfully sour. They must¡¯ve been really talented farmers to breed good fruit from that.¡¹ The Spirit King grimaced and frowned, recalling the strong acidity and excessive sweetness of the fruit. He had actually eaten that fruit before, and as punishment from a dare no less. ¡¸Really? I don¡¯t think it was nearly as bad as you say. The Dawn Spirits thanked me, saying it was perfect to keep them awake.¡¹ The Spirit King kept repeating that it was horrible, but Martel actually looked proud of her creation. She was the kind of person who was happy with anything as long as it was useful to someone. The Spirit King and Martel kept talking about that while Mira had a really confusing feeling, hearing such an unexpected revtion. The fruit that gave birth to the Queen of Hearts, one of the Four Great Fruits, had been created as a punishment for a dare. Mira really did not know how to feel knowing that. But the fact remained that it had be one of the Four Great Fruits. Mira stashed away the history of the fruit¡¯s creation deep inside her heart, and instead tried to imagine the taste of the Queen of Hearts, which she had not yet tried. A vine sprouted in front of Mira again. ¡¸How about this then?¡¹ As Martel spoke, a fruit grew on the end of the vine and plopped onto the table. As Mira picked it up, Martel watched with a suggestive smile. Externally it looked the same, but it was clear she had changed something about it. ¡¸Well, let me give it a try.¡¹ Nothing would happen if all Mira did was imagine it, so she reached out for the fruit, looking forward to just how that sour taste had transformed. Just one bite was enough to change Mira into the shocked expression Martel had wanted. ¡¸Ohh¡­ what an incredible and sweet vor!¡¹ The pulp was soft like jelly, which caused an explosion of fragrant sweetness and acidity that filled Mira¡¯s mouth. The vor was so perfect no other fruit could get close to matching it. Even the Four Great Fruits felt mediocre byparison. It was the fruit that reigned supreme above all others. Mira was certain of all that, and thanked her fate that allowed her to have a chance at trying it. ¡¸It seems it was to your liking.¡¹ Mira silently ate the fruit, making sure to enjoy every bite to its fullest. Martel watched that with a smile, and next to her the Spirit King looked at the fruit in Mira¡¯s hands with a bit of envy. He was curious how the fruit he had once eaten as punishment for a dare had been reborn. ¡¸I was thoroughly shocked. I admit defeat.¡¹ Those were Mira¡¯s words when she finished eating. That was the power of Originator Spirits, Martel could create masterpieces in a matter of seconds. Even if a farmer took decades, or even centuries carefully breeding fruits, it was unlikely they would match that taste. Mira had never eaten a Queen of Hearts, but she doubted it was anywhere close what she had just eaten. That was the stark realization she got after eating the red fruit. Martel and the Spirit King smiled, having sessfully surprised Mira as they had set out to do. Mira reached out for her All Seasons au Lait to refresh her pte. But then the Spirit King said, ¡¸That¡¯s barely scratching the surface though.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­ did you say?¡¹ Mira was already impressed with Martel¡¯s abilities, so she was shocked when the Spirit King said that. Just what could her true power be if this was only a small fraction of it? Mira started to think, Martel had already produced the highest quality fruit, and improved a sour one far beyond its limits. Was there really anything above that? ¡¸That drink, it has milk and fruits from each season, right? And a bit of honey I guess.¡¹ Mira was drinking All Seasons au Lait. It was made from a selection of fruits from all seasons, carefully blended with milk, and with a touch of honey. Mira had not even mentioned its name, but Martel had already noticed that much, and after getting closer she could smell and list every single fruit used. (I see, if it¡¯s made with fruits she can separate all the scents no matter how mixed they are. I think I heard good chefs can do that too though. That¡¯s not enough to surprise me!) Mira had admitted defeat, but that was for the first battle. The Spirit King had prompted a second battle, and Mira would not let them win again. ¡¸Are you full yet?¡¹ asked Martel. ¡¸No, I can take a lot more!¡¹ All of Martel¡¯s fruits had been incredibly tasty. Mira did not care about winning or losing if it meant she could stuff her cheeks with more of them, so she gave an immediate reply. Barely a second passed when she recalled how she did not want to be surprised, merely for her pride¡¯s sake, and prepared herself mentally. Yet another vine grew in front of Mira, producing a single fruit. This one was white and had an elliptical shape. ¡¸Eat up then.¡¹ Martel said with a smile, which was taken as a challenge by Mira, so she acted as calmly as she could as she plucked the fruit. ¡¸How can this be?! This vor..!¡¹ The vor of various seasonal fruits quickly filled Mira¡¯s mouth. Mellow, refreshing, and slightly acidic vors were there. They all stood out from each other, butbined nicely at the same time. They were all vors from the fruits used to make All Seasons au Lait, strawberry, cherry, peach, and apple. But that was not all. It also had the creaminess of milk, and the sweetness of honey. That white fruit had the vor of All Seasons au Lait. ¡¸You look surprised again. But there you have it, Martel¡¯s true power.¡¹ ¡¸Was it to your liking?¡¹ The Spirit King looked satisfied with the result, while Martel awaited Mira¡¯s response with high expectations. That the fruit tasted like All Seasons au Lait was not too surprising, but Mira was shocked by how clearly every vor stood out from each other. ¡¸So even this is possible¡­ No, I guess it makes sense for an Originator Spirit.¡¹ Just thinking about the potential Martel¡¯s power had made Mira shudder. There was no fruit that got anywhere close to the taste of All Seasons au Lait. This white fruit had been created from scratch by Martel, right in front of Mira¡¯s eyes. That alone was an impressive feat. That power had been used for something as trivial as surprising Mira, which had been aplished. Now the Spirit King, who even Originator Spirits obeyed, finally returned to Mira¡¯s initial question about the difference between Originator Spirits and Primitive Spirits, his voice filled with pride. Martel was the Originator Spirit of nts. All nt, tree, and flower Primitive Spirits stood below her. Those Primitive Spirits, as their name suggested, could freely control various parts of nature. But that only extended to the nts that already existed in the world. The Pure White Peach had showcased the power to bring out the full potential of a fruit, while the red fruit had been based off another. Both of those powers also existed within Primitive Spirits, and was part of their particr abilities. But the power to create apletely new fruit was something specific to an Originator Spirit like Martel. That was the only but decisive difference between Primitive Spirits and Originator Spirits. ¡¸So it truly was apletely new species. That¡¯s an incredible power.¡¹ Chapter 178: The Originator’s Worth (2) Chapter 178: The Originator¡¯s Worth (2)
Such a power could also create an extremely poisonous nt that instantly killed anyone who consumed it, which could also spread effortlessly. So essentially Martel could easily destroy the world if she felt like it. An Originator Spirit¡¯s power could easily match that of a god. ¡¸Heheheh, cool isn¡¯t it?¡¹ But Martel puffed her chest with innocent pride, she was clearly not someone who would ever do that. She was too good-natured. ¡¸Yes, it is. I didn¡¯t expect to experience something so incredible in a ce like this.¡¹ Mira expressed her true impression as she looked at Martel¡¯s bright smile. Then she finally asked the question that had been circling around the back of her mind that entire time. Why was such an incredible spirit trapped in a ce like that? Mira had a few guesses, maybe Martel used to be rather mischievous in the past, as hard as that was to imagine now. But it was amon trope for someone to get shut away like that once they went too far with their pranks. ¡¸I¡¯m actually curious about that as well. This world has been distant to me ever since I became unable to leave the Spirit Pce, so I couldn¡¯t see how you ended in this ce either.¡¹ Surprisingly enough, the Spirit King also had the same question. Either as a self-inflicted punishment for using a taboo power when fighting the demons, or because his power became erratic after that, the Spirit King had never left the Spirit Pce after that. While it was called a pce, it was closer to a segregated building, so far away that even Originator Spirits could not reach it. That was the main reason why the Spirit King was unaware of the futures of most of his old friends. But after Mira obtained his Divine Protection, he had gained ess to all the spirits under a contract with her, which allowed him to obtain all sorts of information. Though he had not yet heard anything about Martel from them. Thest time the Spirit King had met Martel was back when the Hero Forsythia was alive and fighting against monsters. The humans of the time had gathered their knowledge to develop a device to stabilize the Spirit King¡¯s unstable power, so he could aid them in the war. They seeded in manifesting the Spirit King during the final battle, where he gave his Divine Protection to Forsythia and tookmand of the troops. Martel had also been there, her powers offering plenty of aid to the human army. In the end, the humans won the war. At the same time, the device stabilizing the Spirit King¡¯s power reached its limits and ran out of control. Luckily Forsythia was nearby and managed to stop the device from exploding, but it was already broken beyond repair, making the Spirit King return to the Spirit Pce without giving him a chance to properly say his farewells to all his friends other than Forsythia. ¡¸Forsythia told us what happened, but everyone including me still regretted not being able to see you, Lord Sym.¡¹ The Spirit King was still the main pir holding up the hearts of spirits. That ident with the device had gotten in the way just before they could thank him after the grueling war, leaving them full of regret. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, everything happened way too fast back then.¡¹ Martel pouted and looked away in an exaggerated manner as the Spirit King apologized with a heavy voice. Soon after Martel smiled again and turned to look at him saying ¡¸Alright, I forgive you.¡¹ ¡¸I believe I need to correct a small misunderstanding first. I¡¯m not trapped in here.¡¹ Saying that, Martel returned to the original topic. The tunnel leading there had been sealed with multipleyers of Divine Spiritual Stones, ording to her that was not to prevent her from leaving, but to stop those outside from getting in. ¡¸Is that really so? You looked rather deste so I had the impression you wished to leave.¡¹ When Mira felt Martel¡¯s presence it carried a lonely sensation, so Mira assumed Martel was trapped somewhere. As Martel exined now, she had been shut in there of her own will. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for the confusion. It¡¯s just that I felt a bit of Lord Sym¡¯s presence on you, so I guess that triggered those emotions.¡¹ Even if she was there of her own will, that did not mean she would not get lonely. Still, Mira felt that having seen Martel smile and talk happily had made the trip there worth it. ¡¸So tell me then, Martel. Why did you choose to stay in this ce?¡¹ The Spirit King went back to the main topic, his voice concealing his emotions. Martel replied by saying ¡¸You really haven¡¯t changed,¡¹ before adding that she was there to protect something. (Something that needs to be protected by a powerful entity like an Originator Spirit? It must be some invaluable treasure!) Mira was filled with materialistic avarice the instant she heard that reply. In a way, that was unavoidable. They were deep inside a dungeon, in a room sealed by divine power which housed an Originator Spirit, which stood a level on top of other spirits. Now that spirit imed she was protecting something there. Such a buildup would fill anyone with expectations, especially if they were fantasy-aficionados like Mira. ¡¸Something to protect¡­ I can¡¯t see anything like that around here.¡¹ The Spirit King muttered as he looked around. They were in a house covered by vines and other nts, located in arge open space. Inside the house was the most logical location to keep treasure, but no such thing was in sight. ¡¸Heheh, do you really think it¡¯s something you can spot so easily?¡¹ Martel seemed proud to hear those words. After talking for a bit longer, she revealed that all the nts growing around the house had a special property that blocked searching abilities. She was quite content with how she had hid it. ¡¸That¡¯s quite a thorough veil. But that just makes the search even more fun!¡¹ Mira could no longer contain herself from wanting to see that treasure, hidden with brand new species of nts, so she began rummaging through the room without even asking for permission. The Spirit King joined her, as if trying to erase the smug smirk from Martel¡¯s face. ¡¸Is it really over there? Hmm, I wonder.¡¹ Martel watched the two run around aimlessly with an entertained smile, taunting them at theirck of results. ¡¸¡­Actually, what are we even looking for?¡¹ After ten minutes of futile search, the Spirit King made the desperate decision to ask the hider for the identity of the treasure. Mira was still searching in another room. ¡¸Oh? Tired of searching already?¡¹ Martel¡¯s face looked victorious as she replied with that question. She was essentially asking the Spirit King to admit defeat. ¡¸There¡¯s little I can do against your power in this state.¡¹ The Spirit King grumbled an answer. The state he mentioned referred to being a projection cast from the Divine Protection on Mira. His perception of the world was limited by Mira¡¯s senses, which was a far cry from the power of an Originator Spirit. ¡¸Oh, is it that hard to admit defeat?¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s the truth. But Mira will keep growing stronger, likely surpassing Forsythia even. I can tell, it¡¯s only a matter of time before she can see through your tricks too.¡¹ His voice was filled with conviction as he retorted to Martel, who continued grinning. There was a lot they did not know about Mira yet, but at least he had high expectations for her. ¡¸She must be really promising then, if you appraise her so highly.¡¹ ¡¸Yes. And more importantly, the rest of my children who are tied to her have told me just how much she loves our kind.¡¹ The rtionship between spirits and humans relied heavily on ties. Love was one such tie. Mira was nearly turning the room upside down as she searched a separate room, but even out of sight the Spirit King could feel a connection to her, which made him look that way with a kind smile. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s wonderful.¡¹ The Spirit King had been unable to leave the Spirit Pce for the longest time, but that was no longer the case thanks to Mira, he could see a broad world again. Martel looked at the Spirit King¡¯s projection, then thought of how he looked in the past, and closed her eyes in relief. ¡¸Did you call me?¡¹ Mira suddenly appeared back in front of them. They had been talking in a low voice, but somehow she had sensed they were talking about her. Maybe that was another effect of her ties with spirits. Thinking about that, and seeing just how covered in flower petals Mira had gotten, the Spirit King and Martel broke intoughter.
Chapter 179: Treasure (1) Chapter 179: Treasure (1)
¡¸This¡­ this is legendary tier loot¡­¡¹ Mira was dumbfounded seeing that set of armor used by the hero, Magic Wares built with ancient knowledge, and a pile of all-healing medicine. There had been a secret passage hidden under the nt-covered floor, which led to a basement housing that breathtaking treasure. If sold, it would not just fetch a fortune, but plenty of wealth for three generations to live in luxury. At least one or two countries could easily be founded with that as the starting budget. Mira¡¯s eyes were filled with avarice as she plunged into the pile of treasure, looking more closely at what was there. The Concept Art Itemization allowed her to see an item¡¯s name and category, which she used to check every single item in front of her. That was all part of her nature though, she had always been in the pursuit of luxury and splendor back in the game days, when she was one of the Nine Wisemen. Back then she would always pocket anything shiny or rare that came into her view, caring little about whether it belonged to someone else or not, and only making sure they were extremely rare items. On top of that, Martel had told Mira she could take one item she wanted from the pile, so it was no surprise that Mira could not hold back her excitement. Martel also exined in detail what all the items did. ¡¸Ohh, a sword. No treasure isplete without a Holy Sword of its own.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself as she picked up a sword. Its name was the Denaturing Sword of Void. ording to Martel¡¯s exnation, it could cut through elemental attacks and transform them to nothing, making it the ultimate weapon against elemental attacks. It did not matter if it was a magic attack, a dragon¡¯s breath, other spells, or even a natural disaster, a single swing of the sword could turn them to nothing. (If I tell Solomon about it he¡¯ll beg me for it like a spoiled child.) Solomon¡¯s favorite weapon was the Sword of Six Elements. The Denaturing Sword of Void was essentially the opposite of that one, though in a way it could be said that it was a sword with the Void element, which only the highest level monsters or ancient dragons could have. Thatbined with its effect would definitely be something Solomon would want. (Sadly, that¡¯s not going to happen.) Mira could only take one item. No one in their right mind would decide to pick a gift for someone else out of such a pile of treasure, so Mira continued searching for something she personally wanted. Martel also told her she could try whatever she wanted before taking it, which fueled Mira¡¯s enthusiasm even more. Next she reached out for one of the Magic Wares. It was called the Draconic Pulse Spirit Vessel, which could umte arge amount of mana during the span of a day. Once charged, it could replenish one¡¯s exhausted mana. Its only downside was that it took a long time for it to recharge, but in essence it was a reusable mana recovery potion, something that coulde in handy for spellcasters. But Mira already had plenty of mana recovery items, so it did not bring quite as much to the table as she wished. She returned it to its spot and reached out for the next item. There was a gemstone staff that greatly increased the power of spells, a battleaxe that could split mountains in half, a spirit bow that never missed its mark when shot, a magic spear that could pierce through any barrier no matter how strong it was, a dagger that allowed one to manipte their body weight, a special greatsword with properties to ward off magic, and many others. Just the weapons alone made that an awe-inspiring collection. But there were pieces of armor as well. A suit of armor that raised all abilities by a lot when worn, a helmet that allowed the wearer to see and sense things fromrge distances, a robe for spellcasters that reduced the mana necessary for spells in great measure, a tower shield that inverted the momentum of iing physical attacks, a gauntlet that allowed even the weakest of persons to wield heavy weapons with a single hand, a cape that granted high resistance to all elements, and even shoes to fly in the air. They were all marvels from the past. ¡¸There¡¯s so much to choose from¡­¡¹ Such opportunities were rare. Mira carefully checked every single item and their functionality, all so she could make a decision she would never regret. The Magic Wares had things like a vessel that constantly refilled itself with healing spiritual water, a gem that created a sh which evaporated any monster in a single hit once a day, a bracelet that negated any status effects, a ne to breathe underwater, and various other mystical items. As Mira searched through the various items, a ring caught her attention, and she could not stop looking at it. ¡¸What¡¯s this? Somehow I feel oddly attracted to it¡­¡¹ As far as she could tell, it looked rather in. It had a dull silver color, with no encrusted jewels, merely decorated with geometric patterns. It did not seem to fit with the other items there, but that was what made it stand out. Mira reached out to that ring. ¡¸Even seeing it from close up tells me nothing.¡¹ All Mira knew for certain was that it held some type of incredible power, considering it was kept hidden there. Using Itemization on it told her it was called the Dimension Tearing Ring. ¡¸So you found that¡­ You truly seem to have a special connection to these things.¡¹ Martel started speaking before Mira could ask what the ring did. Then she happily exined what the Dimension Tearing Ring did. The ring could distort space, creating an imprable barrier. It essentially created a wormhole to disrupt the area around the wearer, making it so that even a God¡¯s attack could not connect. ¡¸But in exchange for that powerful effect, it also consumes arge amount of mana from the user.¡¹ Magic Wares worked in various ways, some using mana stored in the item itself, and others consuming the user¡¯s mana. Those that required the most mana were usually legendary ones. Mira wanted to know exactly how much mana it used, so Martel suggested she try it out herself. Using the ring was simple, Mira had to wear the ring and imbue it with mana to activate the effect. She had done simr things many times in the past, so she quickly got the hang of it. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ so much!¡¹ As soon as the ring activated, half of Mira¡¯s mana vanished, leaving her in shock. Just like Martel had said, the ring¡¯s mana consumption was incredibly high, and brought forth a barrier around Mira, which looked extremely thin, almost like a bubble. That did not seem particrly impressive, but Mira quickly realized how powerful it was, as Martel picked up the spear that could pierce through any barrier and began poking at the bubble. The Spirit King thought that was fun, so even he picked up a sword and began striking the barrier with it. ¡¸That¡¯s incredible Mira, you activated it perfectly!¡¹ ¡¸This is certainly impressive. There¡¯s no effect no matter how hard I hit.¡¹ Martel also exined that the ring¡¯s efficacy varied between users. One condition was having enough mana, which Mira had, the second condition was a more specific affinity to the ring itself. ¡¸I don¡¯t really get it, but that did seem impressive.¡¹ Martel and the Spirit King did not seem to hold back when they tried breaking the barrier, but it did not even budge. When Mira walked, the bubble also moved with her. Many simr items had an issue where the user would move and the barrier would remain static, but this one followed Mira. It was essentially the perfect defense, if one overlooked the mana cost. ¡¸I felt like you had some affinity for that ring since you noticed it right away, but I didn¡¯t expect it to work so wlessly on your first attempt.¡¹ Once they were done attacking the barrier, Martel put the spear away and rested her hand on the bubble, looking deeply impressed. The Dimension Tearing Ring worked by warping space itself, so most people could not even notice the barrier it created. But those with the right affinity could see it, and also had more sess at using the ring. ¡¸You truly have a mysterious connection to my kin, Mira.¡¹ The Spirit King was also done testing the barrier, or maybe he had just gotten bored of hitting it, so he put the sword down and spoke to Mira with a smile. Whenever he spoke of his kin, he was talking about spirits, so Mira wondered how they were connected to the ring, and asked that without reservations. ¡¸That ring contains the power of the Originator Spirit of Dimensions.¡¹
Chapter 179: Treasure (2) Chapter 179: Treasure (2)
The Spirit King¡¯s voice sounded somewhat forlorn as he said that, and then Martel added, ¡¸In a way, that ring is also a remnant of his emotions¡­¡¹ The Originator Spirit of Dimensions was called Reedsline. Martel and the Spirit King mentioned how Reedsline fell in love with a human woman after some events. But that woman was one of the principal maidens serving the Three Gods, love was forbidden for her. So he just went to meet her from time to time as a friend, talking about mundane topics. That was enough for him to be happy. But those days of trivial happiness would notst forever. One day when he went to see her, a female knight that always guarded the maiden stopped him. She said the maiden no longer wished to see Reedsline again. When he asked why that was, the knights answered: ¡¸Because she¡¯s fallen in love with you.¡¹ Hearing that made him happy, but romance was forbidden for maidens like her, everyone was fully aware of that. That was something the humans had decided amongst themselves, but Reedsline was a spirit. Still, there were rules in the Spirit Realm as well, including one that told them to not go against human traditions unnecessarily. Ultimately, the instant their feelings became mutual their love also ended. Reedsline decided to distance himself from there, spending years trying to leave those emotions past him. It was only after that point someone iming to be the God of Monsters appeared. This was a war from before Forsythia¡¯s time. Human countries were thrown into disarray, and that even started affecting the spirits. Monsters back then were essentially the same as the current ones, but for some reason those following the God of Monsters lookedpletely different and were far stronger, ording to the Spirit King¡¯s ount. Martel also mentioned that many new species appeared out of nowhere back then, almost like they had been brought there from somewhere else. The situation got so dire that humans and spirits had to join hands and fight off the God of Monsters. All spirits spread throughout the word, protecting as many cities as they could. That left the Spirit Realm without many defenses, so the Originator Spirits stayed there to protect it. That included Martel and Reedsline. Martel remembered Reedsline being really unsettled, constantly worrying about the city where his beloved lived. He had distanced himself as far as he could, trying to get over those feelings, but they came flooding back the moment he was reminded of her. Anyone could tell just how strong those feelings were, and how much he was suffering from his passion. But bad luck would always strike at times like that, and an unprecedented cataclysm shattered the world. It was a special attack from the God of Monsters, and no matter how hard the spirits worked it was not enough to stop it. When the war was finally over, news of everything that happened reached the Spirit Realm and Reedsline there, including the fact that the city where the maiden lived had been destroyed. Reedsline rushed there to aid with the rescue efforts, going inside the ruins of the temple first, only to find the remains of his beloved and her guardian in the rubble. Maybe if he had just ignored their traditions and confessed his feelings, or if he took her by force maybe they would have gotten together, be a couple. Or if at least he could have stayed next to her. Maybe then her passing would have been less painful. In an attempt to tear those emotions off, his heart had been torn irreparably. Not long after he fell into a deep slumber, a ring being all he left behind. The ring had been crafted from a special stone that only existed in the Spirit Realm, as a symbol of that lost future with her if he had confessed. A conglomerate of his dreams, regrets, and attachments. The ring absorbed Reedsline¡¯s never ending sorrow, and as if trying to fulfill that lost dream, it gained the power to protect its wearer from any danger, no matter how disastrous. ¡¸He¡¯s still sleeping to this day. The ring is still connected to him, so some days its presence bes so faint I almost forget it¡¯s there. But you found it right away, Mira. I guess life works in mysterious ways.¡¹ Martel finished her story and gently touched Mira¡¯s finger, where the ring was equipped. She smiled, though it was clear she was filled with deep emotion. ¡¸Why don¡¯t you take the ring then? It would be no exaggeration to say it contains Reedsline¡¯s full power, and you seem to be highlypatible with it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to use it to its fullest, so I¡¯d suggest you pick it.¡¹ The Spirit King looked straight into Mira¡¯s eyes, telling her to take the Dimension Tearing Ring. ¡¸Yes, I concur. So what do you think?¡¹ Martel also agreed with the Spirit King, looking at Mira full of expectation. ¡¸Alright alright, don¡¯t put so much pressure on me now.¡¹ For some reason the two joined forces suggesting the ring. Mira could not really see where that enthusiasm came from, but she found it hard to take the ring now that she had heard all the events that led to its creation. Feeling conflicted, she slowly took the ring off. ¡¸Oh, it wasn¡¯t to your liking then?¡¹ ¡¸I know it requires a lot of mana, but it could easily save your life in a tricky situation if you use it correctly. I really think it¡¯d be a good option.¡¹ They continued trying to get her to take it, so Mira had to reveal the reason why she was hesitating. ¡¸I know that much, but this ring has all of Reedsline¡¯s emotions, right? I really don¡¯t feelfortable taking such an item when I don¡¯t even know him, or have any sort of connection to him.¡¹ Reedsline had made that ring as a gift for the maiden he loved. Taking that and using it without regard for those emotions did not sit right with Mira. But the Spirit King and Martel thought otherwise. ¡¸The emotion and wish he had was to protect something important. That wish will never be fulfilled if the ring remains here.¡¹ ¡¸This ring¡¯s affinity is decided by his wish, and seeing how well it worked for you, I¡¯d say he desires to protect you now, Mira. Could you grant him that wish?¡¹ Reedsline regretted not being able to protect someone dear to him, so he had created that ring to stop that from happening again. He wished others well, even after everything he had to endure. The pain of separation had led to the ring¡¯s creation, and served as a strong symbol of how much he never wanted to experience that again. ¡¸If I can be frank, I¡¯m also hoping that if you use the ring for long enough, Reedsline might wake up again. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, that could very well happen. So what do you say, Mira? Think of it as helping a friend out?¡¹ Rather than suggesting she take it, they were imploring her now. Mira¡¯s response came soon after. ¡¸Okay, I get it. If that¡¯s what you think, then I¡¯ll take the ring.¡¹ Mira decided to think of it as doing the Spirit King and Martel a favor, not to mention that she understood Reedsline¡¯s wish now, so she put the ring back on. In a way, that ring was even more powerful than all the other legendary items in Martel¡¯s basement, not to mention that she had a high affinity for it, the only downside being the tremendous mana requirement. But Mira had trained her mana capacity over the years, and the speed at which she recovered mana also offered a nice cushion for the hit when the ring was activated. As long as she knew when and where to use it, it would be her best defense. Many of the requirements were exactly the things she excelled at. But that was not all. Martel was filled with joy seeing that Mira agreed, so she quickly grew a few new species of nt and arranged it into a ne for Mira. ¡¸Here. Thank you very much for epting.¡¹ Martel said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Mira¡¯s neck and fastening the ne. It was made of thin vines, with an almost translucent green color, which had an almost calming aura to it. Martel exined that the ne used heat to absorb mana from the surroundings. Mira¡¯s body heat was enough to power it, and it would transfer the gathered mana directly back to her through her skin. In other words, it would greatly aid Mira¡¯s mana recovery speed. ¡¸This should make using the ring easier, so use it as much as you can.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, thank you! I promise I¡¯ll take good care of it!¡¹ Faster mana regeneration was a very desirable trait, not only to use the ring, but as a spellcaster. Mira was happy seeing that unexpected freebie, while Martel smiled full of hope.
Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (1) Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (1)
¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ve also been wondering about that God of Monsters you mentioned earlier, could you tell me more about that?¡¹ Mira could already feel her mana regenerating faster thanks to the ne. Then she asked something that had been bugging her, the God of Monsters they mentioned in the story had rather bizarre powers, and evenmanded monsters that had never been seen before, which were far more powerful than the monsters people knew. Mira had the impression that the war they told her about could rival even the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries in magnitude. ¡¸Now that you mention it, I wonder how that even happened?¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Looking back at that time, there were many things out of the ordinary.¡¹ The two started to recall those times, and after muttering that, they told Mira everything they knew of the incident. First off, the God of Monsters had been an unknown entity that just appeared out of the blue. He had a human figure, but it was always obscured by darkness, almost as if he was only a shadow. He had authority over powerful monsters, and could bring forth natural cmities. The Spirit King and various human heroes fought hordes of monsters, finally reaching the God of Monsters. Everyone was ready for an arduous fight to end it all, but then a single strike from one of the heroes¡¯ attacks was enough to defeat the God of Monsters. Apparently the only challenge was getting there. After that the monsters were left without a leader, and quickly scattered away in disarray. ¡¸I actually believe the God of Monsters was in an extremely debilitated state by then. The mana palpitations I felt from him were quite weak, though now that I think about it, even those palpitations felt off. Mana is essentially the same substance regardless if ites from humans or monsters, but the thing I felt from him and his monsters waspletely different.¡¹ ¡¸I felt that too. It was almost like a substance from a different world.¡¹ The Spirit King and Martel finished the story with that. The main takeaway was that the God of Monsters had been a clearly aberrant entity. They also mentioned that they never learned what his objective had been. ¡¸That¡¯s all so mysterious¡­¡¹ Martel, who had personally seen the God of Monsters, and the monsters hemanded, had described them as looking like they came from a different world. That was of special interest to Mira, who had actuallye from a different world. But there was no way for them to look any further into it now. The mystery had be more intriguing, but Mira knew there was little she could figure out mulling about it, so instead she focused all her attention on the ring she had just obtained. ¡¸This truly was a treasure befitting of an Originator Spirit.¡¹ Mira checked how fast the barrier was deployed, howrge it was, what would happen if there were objects within the boundaries as it activates, and so on. There was no cast time whatsoever, and the barrier would automatically conform to the shape of whatever objects were nearby. On top of that, Reedsline¡¯s emotions seemed to be stronger against weapons, as they were repelled with a strong recoil. Mira was still testing that when the Spirit King spoke to Martel. ¡¸By the way, Martel. You don¡¯t expect me to believe this is everything, right?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, I guess it really is impossible to hide things from you, Lord Sym.¡¹ Mira was filled with enthusiasm after obtaining the powerful ring, so the two started talking amongst themselves. It took some time before Mira finally realized what the Spirit King meant with that not being everything, or what Martel had tried to hide. Martel looked at Mira for a moment, before muttering, ¡¸I guess you aren¡¯t exactly an outsider, having Lord Sym¡¯s Divine Protection and all.¡¹ She then exined that everything Mira had seen was simply a decoy, there was something even more valuable hidden there. ¡¸I could tell. None of these riches are so major to warrant the protection from an Originator Spirit. So what is it you¡¯re protecting here?¡¹ The Spirit King had known from the start that the treasure there was merely a decoy to distract any human who somehow got there. But the value of those riches was still nowhere close to the price of an Originator Spirit¡¯s protection. Mira had imed earlier that this was treasure befitting of an Originator Spirit¡¯s protection, but hearing the Spirit King¡¯s words she quickly walked back on her word and pretended she never said that, acting like she had also known there was more the entire time. But that act would not work on the Spirit King and Martel, as they merely watched her with lenient gazes. Mira had been thoroughly fooled, but she nodded sagely thinking about it, and recalled that she had experienced something simr in recent times. She was thinking of the area below the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis and the treasure room there. Reaching there took a long detour from the main route, which included countless hidden doors. But the treasure room was not thest one in that path, and there were even more rooms past it. Solomon had recognized the continuation as the true secret, while the treasure was merely a curtain to conceal it. A simr system had been put in ce by Martel here. There was a cleverly hidden path deep inside a dungeon, which housed an invaluable treasure protected by one of the strongest spirits in existence. Mira and any other adventurer would assume that treasure to be the end point of the ce. But the Spirit King knew Martel very well, so he could tell she was hiding something more. That was also because he knew how important and powerful Originator Spirits were, and it made no sense for her to be there just for some treasure. (Wait¡­ could it be a sacred vessel? Or an Artifact?! It has to be a lost Artifact or a sacred sword, spear, axe, bow, shield, dagger, staff, armor or helmet!) If legendary weapons were not the main treasure, then it could only be a sacred vessel, weapons with the power of Gods, or an Artifact, which were said to have the power to fulfill the wishes of people. Mira¡¯s heart began racing with excitement, wanting to at least catch a glimpse of whatever treasure was hiding there. ¡¸I¡¯m actually guarding Vessels of Gods here, the three most famous ones in fact.¡¹ Mira got even more excited hearing that, but then noticed something was slightly different from what she expected. She had assumed Martel meant a sacred vessel, but Martel had clearly said Vessels of Gods, and her next words made it even more confusing. The three most famous ones. Was that really something one would say about sacred vessels? Mira debated about it internally when the truth was revealed to her. ¡¸Vessels of Gods¡­ wait, could that mean..!¡¹ The Spirit King seemed to have a hunch, his voice clearly surprised. That told Mira that they were clearly not talking about sacred vessels. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s exactly what it means. They¡¯re the vessels Gods need if they ever manifest in this world again. To be specific, they¡¯re the three vessels of the three pirs holding this continent.¡¹ ¡¸¡­I see, that does exin everything.¡¹
Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (2) Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (2)
The Spirit King was satisfied with that reply and nodded in understanding. Meanwhile Mira was staring nkly, most of the conversation flying right past her head, but at least she could grasp the gist of it. Objects needed for Gods to appear in the world. That was amon trope in many fantasy stories, which Mira was quite acquainted with, so at least she could understand how important they were. The three pirs holding the continent had to refer to the Three Gods as well, which were said to hold the highest position amongst the many Gods that existed in this world. The vessels Martel kept watch over were indispensable for their descent into this world, making them quite different from sacred vessels or Artifacts. Their importance also exined why an Originator Spirit had to keep watch over them. Martel had hid them inside the trunk of arge tree outside the house, where they would remain until a day came when humanity was in peril, and the Three Gods would have to intervene, appearing there to support and rescue them, saving humanity from its demise. Then the Spirit King added that out of all Gods, the Three Gods had a soft spot for humans, quite simr to spirits. ¡¸Also, I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to mention this, but just in case, don¡¯t go telling others about any of this, alright?¡¹ This was even more serious than a state secret, it was essentially a world-wide secret. But irrelevant of its severity, Martel cutely ced a finger on her lips and said that with a yful whisper. The Spirit King trusted Mira, so Martel had no reason to believe Mira would go around spreading the secret. ¡¸I know, my lips are sealed.¡¹ Mira could understand how important that was, so she gave an instant reply. The Vessels of Gods existed, which meant that the Three Gods revered by people could manifest in this world if they deemed it necessary. If the biggest devotees in their temples heard of that, they would send the entire continent into an uproar. Then they would likely send a group to retrieve the Vessels to enshrine them, which was the worst move they could do. If that happened, making their location known, and then another big war threatening the future of humanity broke out, the enemy would certainly go after the Vessels as a high priority target. The Three Gods were humanity¡¯s ultimate defense. Any strategist would move to stop them from appearing, and it was hard to say whether humans would be strong enough to defend the Vessels. Not to mention that losing the Vessels would deal irreparable damage to their morale, guaranteeing their defeat. The Three Gods¡¯ Vessels were much safer there, their very existence being ambiguous to the world and protected by Martel, an Originator Spirit. ¡¸That sounds like a lot of work. You don¡¯t get lonely having to live with nopany in a ce like this though?¡¹ Martel had spent many long years watching over the Vessels of the Three Gods. Mira was slightly worried about her. ¡¸Not really, I don¡¯t think I ever felt that way. I can¡¯t even remember how many years I¡¯ve spent here, time is a bit of a vague concept for spirits that have lived for as long as I have.¡¹ Martel said with a bright smile, responding to Mira. She was not putting a strong front to stop Mira from worrying, but she genuinely felt that way and it did not bother her whatsoever. Even the Spirit King joined in, saying ¡¸There¡¯s times when I get a bit lost in thought and a few centuries go past.¡¹ That seemed to be a trend amongst spirits who had lived for time immemorial, Martel nodding and rting to the Spirit King¡¯sment. Spending centuries just being lost in thought wasmon for them. Mira looked at them in disbelief after hearing how sloppily they managed their time, but then the Spirit King looked at her and grinned, thinking of something more to say. ¡¸But now that I¡¯ve met Mira and have a connection to the outside world again, I feel like every second of every day is enjoyable. So much has changed from the ages I knew, but there¡¯s plenty of things that are still the same. This world truly is packed full of interesting things to uncover.¡¹ The Spirit King sounded like both a boastful child, and a kind father as he spoke to Martel. The Divine Protection he had bestowed upon Mira allowed him to experience the world through her, as well as connecting him to spirits she had befriended. Talking with those spirits had helped him understand the current state of affairs amongst spirits, and fill him in on all the surprising changes that happened throughout the ages. ¡¸That does sound quite wonderful.¡¹ Martel seemed entertained by the Spirit King¡¯s story. Then she mentioned one more thing, sounding like she was confessing something, but also with a hint of envy. While it was true she no longer experienced loneliness, having seen the Spirit King again and having met Mira was a really enjoyable experience for her as well. ¡¸Alright Martel, you can form a contract with Mira. I¡¯ll allow it.¡¹ The Spirit King said that after thinking for a bit. Hearing that made Mira blurt a choked ¡¸Wh-what?!¡¹, but the Spirit King and Martel paid no attention to that as they continued talking to each other. ¡¸A contract? Do I really deserve being added to such an important bond?¡¹ Even Martel was slightly taken aback by the Spirit King¡¯s sudden suggestion. ¡¸Yes, of course. I may not know her for long, but I know for certain that Mira truly cares for spirits. I¡¯m sure she also doesn¡¯t want to leave you alone either.¡¹ The Spirit King continued telling Martel to agree. Even if he had only known Mira for a short time, his ample life experience told him she was trustworthy. He could also tell from her behavior and attitude that Mira was still worried for Martel. Even if Martel imed that the flow of time felt vague to her now, making it harder to feel lonely, that did not rule out the possibility entirely. Mira was convinced that leaving Martel there would certainly make her feel lonely eventually, it was possible to feel lonely without realizing after all. Mira really wanted to find a way to keep Martelpany, but at the same time felt like she was meddling too much. She was still debating that when the Spirit King told Martel to form a contract with Mira. He had done that not only for Martel, but to ease Mira¡¯s worries as well. ¡¸Like I mentioned, Mira here has my Divine Protection. I¡¯m sure you know what effect that has, yes? Once you form a contract with her, that bond will be tied to the rest, and you¡¯ll be able to see the world again. We were lucky enough to meet here, and like I mentioned, being able to talk with you again is fun. So what do you say, do you want to continue talking in the future?¡¹ The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection was a power that connected spirits, and could spread in many ways. If Mira and Martel formed a contract, that new bond would be utilized by the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, allowing them to talk with each other, and Martel would also be able to contact the other spirits Mira had formed contracts with. Martel had a duty to watch over the Vessels of the Three Gods, so she could not leave this ce, but she would be able to experience the outside world through those bonds if she formed a contract with Mira. (That sounds almost like a spirit inte.)
Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (3) Chapter 180: Spirit Bonds (3)
Thinking that, Mira waited for Martel¡¯s response with bated breath. Mira did not have a single reason to oppose the contract, instead desiring it. The contract would allow her to keep Martelpany, while also bolstering Mira¡¯s abilities as a summoner. Thetter part enticed Mira the most, making her almost beg for it to happen. ¡¸I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you be so assertive, Lord Sym.¡¹ Martel said with a slightly yful voice. The Spirit King replied with a ¡¸You really think so?¡¹ as he thought back to everything he said, then muttered ¡¸Ah, you might be right.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all thanks to Mira widening my horizons. And maybe I¡¯m just being reminded of the time when my kin existed next to me and I could feel them nearby.¡¹ The Spirit King had once been able to feel a strong connection to all other spirits, before he was forced to remain secluded in the Spirit Pce. No matter the physical distance, he could tell his dear family was all safe, reassuring each other. But that connection felt dreadfully distant from the Spirit Pce. Sharing his power with Mira had brought a portion of him next to other spirits again. He did not need to exin just how happy that made him, and now clumsily tried to bring Martel back into that reassuringwork. ¡¸I see. I¡¯d like to form a contract then, if you don¡¯t mind Mira.¡¹ Such a contract was a symbol of deep trust, which also made it possible to be exploited. Martel was slightly worried, considering she had only met Mira some time before that, but in the end was willing to do it. Now she and the Spirit King turned to look at Mira to see her decision. ¡¸I¡¯m the one who should be asking that!¡¹ She never had a reason to refuse that. They had barely met, but Mira already felt close to Martel, and being a summoner, she also had a strong trust in spirits. Mira consented readily to Martel¡¯s modest question, smiling brightly. She was mostly happy that she could form a contract with such a powerful and rare entity like an Originator Spirit, but she was also d that Martel would not have to remain alone. ¡¸Let¡¯s get it started then!¡¹ Mira quickly ran up to Martel, wanting toplete the procedure before Martel started second guessing herself. Once they held hands, Mira activated the summoner¡¯s skill Carved Seal of the Contract. The soft light from the contract began enveloping both of them, before starting to pulse and illuminate the entire room. ¡¸Ohh..! Forming a contract with an Originator Spirit actually has a different response.¡¹ Not even her contract with Sanctia, the Spirit King¡¯s daughter, had created such a powerful reaction, so her anticipation increased even more. Arge quantity of spiritual power poured out from their hands, which then began to converge back, forming multiple streaks of light that joined the light of the contract. Once it all melded together, flowers of vibrant colors began sprouting all around them, flooding the entire room. Mira was dazzled by the flowers, but they did not stay for long, turning into specks of light that flew into Mira¡¯s palm and vanished in it. (Ohh! I think it worked. All the information about the summon ising to me!) The moment the contract waspleted, all the information about the new summon began filling Mira¡¯s mind. It was a simr feeling to recalling a forgotten memory, except that this one became so vivid it burned itself into Mira¡¯s mind. Mira perused that information, filled with expectations. The first shock came when Mira saw how the new skill, Summoning Magic: Nature¡¯s Mother, stacked uppared to her other summons. It was far above a summon of the highest level like Isenfald, in a never seen before league of its own of extraordinarily powerful summons which required four Summoning Circles. (Extraordinary summons¡­ I¡¯ve never seen that term before.) Not even Mira, who stood at the peak of summoners, had seen that term before. Her first realization was how rare that power was, the second was that she required an Astra¡¯s Ten Spiritual Realms Circle to summon Martel, which was made bybining ten Rosario Summoning Circles. (Astra¡¯s Ten Spiritual Realms Circle¡­ I wonder how I can learn to use that.) This was the first time Mira encountered a summon of that level, so she did not know how to create the necessary summoning circle. She tried asking Martel and the Spirit King, but they did not know much either. (I¡¯ll have to research that somehow.) Making a clear mental note to do that, she looked over the necessary chant. It was longer than any previous summon, but that made sense for an Originator Spirit. The moment she saw the mana required she was left in shock though. (I had a faint suspicion this would be the case, but this really is something beyond the power of humans¡­) The mana necessary was above the millions. It was roughly two hundred timesrger than Mira¡¯s specially grown mana capacity, an unimaginable figure. The power of an Originator Spirit was only trumped by the Spirit King, a god-like entity. That was not something humans were meant to control, staying far beyond the reach of even the Nine Wisemen, known as the most powerful spellcasters. (But this extreme number just means she¡¯s even more powerful!) While shocked, Mira also rejoiced at the sight of that number. It was amon trend amongst spells that a higher mana cost corrted to more power. Isenfald¡¯s mana cost was around a thousand and a half, more than three orders of magnitude smaller than Martel¡¯s. Anyone would have high hopes of the power carried by that difference. More importantly, Mira had a way to wring out such arge amount of mana. Her Sage¡¯s Enchanted Eyes skill, which usually allowed her to summon her army, should also give her a way to obtain the millions of mana points necessary to summon Martel. That was a rather simplistic view though. When Sage¡¯s Enchanted Eyes was used, the spellcaster¡¯s mana was not spent, reced by the mana permeating the surroundings, so that would only work if there was enough mana floating around to be channeled into the summon. (I doubt I¡¯ll be able to summon her any time soon, but at least I have yet another trump card now. This is good.) Mira¡¯s heart raced feeling that new connection, having high hopes for the power of nature. This world was no longer a game, but her reality. It was necessary to have as many options for any situation that could arise. Mira¡¯s biggest asset so far had been her impressive stash of items, but her newest summon rivaled that in terms of skill power. She still had to figure out how to create Astra¡¯s Ten Spiritual Realms Circle before she could summon Martel, but once that hurdle was crossed she would have many more options. That filled her with joy, but also gratitude.
Chapter 181: 24-Hour Warrior (1) Chapter 181: 24-Hour Warrior (1)
¡ºIt seems the contract was a sess. Can you feel this connection as well, Martel?¡» Eventually all the light and spectacle vanished from the room and it returned to its initial state. The Spirit King¡¯s satisfied voice broke the silence. ¡»¡­Umm¡­ yes, I can feel it. It¡¯s like your presence is much closer to me now, Lord Sym.¡» The contract created a bond between Martel and Mira, which was tethered onto all the other contracts present through the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. Martel focused for a bit on that new connection and clearly felt it, bringing forth a solemn but pleased smile. ¡ºOh my, Worth is here as well. How long has it been?¡» As Martel checked the new bonds, she suddenly raised her voice happily. Mira looked at her, wondering what had happened, but quickly understood. The spirit of stillness Worthramble. Martel had encountered him through the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, and from her reaction they seemed to be acquainted. ¡ºYeah I know, I just formed a contract with her and was checking out the bonds Lord Sym mentioned. This is incredible, I didn¡¯t think I would run into you here.¡» Martel was starting to get more talkative, which changed slightly the impression she gave at first. She seemed to be enjoying herself so much that the Spirit King remained silent, letting her talk as much as she wanted. At the same time, Mira once again understood the position Originator Spirits held, being able to keep the Spirit King waiting like that. ¡ºYes, I¡¯m still taking care of that, Lord Sym¡¯s power made an opening in the seal to get here. Ah right, you were guarding Sancty, right? Is she doing alright?¡» ¡ºHuh? Wait, so she¡¯s also formed a contract with Mira? Hmm¡­ ah, found it. I think this is Sancty¡¯s¡­¡» ¡ºI know, Mira is pretty incredible. Oh hey Sancty, I¡¯m d to hear you¡¯re doing alright¡­¡» ¡ºI think that it should be alright? Let me ask her just in case.¡» She was starting to sound like a secretary on the phone, talking to Worthramble and then to the Spirit King¡¯s daughter Sanctia at the same time, but then she kept them on hold and turned to Mira. ¡¸Mira, Sancty asks if her father has been causing you trouble. What should I tell her?¡¹ ¡¸Ah¡­ uhh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s caused any trouble, he¡¯s actually a pretty good source of information.¡¹ Mira was a bit startled being addressed so suddenly, but she quickly gave an honest reply. The Spirit King merely repeated ¡¸source of information¡­¡¹ in a weak voice, but did notin. ¡ºI don¡¯t think you should worry, she says he¡¯s actually helping her.¡» ¡ºMhm, I know. I¡¯ll do my best to not fall behind you either.¡» ¡ºAh, since you¡¯re still with Worth, is Tinney around there too?¡» ¡ºYeah, I can imagine that, it brings back memories. Huh¡­ this is weird. I can¡¯t find a connection to Tinney.¡» ¡ºHuh, are you sure? She didn¡¯t form a contract? Do you know why?¡» ¡ºOh¡­ I guess that¡¯s how water spirits are sometimes. That¡¯s a shame.¡» Tinney, that had to be a nickname for Anlutine, the water spirit that was with Worthramble and Sanctia. Mira thought about that as she listened to Martel¡¯s conversation, though only her voice was audible. ¡¸How long do you think this will take?¡¹ Martel¡¯s conversation showed no signs of ending, so Mira turned to the Spirit King. He just shrugged a bit and said, ¡¸Once Martel starts talking there¡¯s no way of stopping her.¡¹ ¡¸And I just gave her a wealth of connections to talk with¡­ This might backfire one day.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s been millenia since she had an outlet, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll wind down eventually. I hope.¡¹ ¡¸I hope so too.¡¹ His voice did not sound too convincing. Mira watched Martel talk endlessly and sat down randomly, waiting for Martel to pay attention to them again. But as an ancient spirit, Martel knew many other spirits, and Mira also had contracts with many spirits, so she found old friend after old friend, all of which she wanted to greet. It seemed like that would go on for a while longer. Martel¡¯s voice was clearly audible to Mira, but that was only because the contract was so recent. Once their bond deepened, Martel would be able tomunicate without her voice disturbing Mira. ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry, I got carried away there. But this really is incredible.¡¹ A bit more than an hourter Martel finished talking to the other spirits, and finally turned around with a satisfied smile. ¡¸I¡¯m d you enjoyed it.¡¹ She had kept Mira and the Spirit King waiting for a long time, but that ce was filled with so many surprises that it was easy to wait that time. There were all sorts of nts growing everywhere in the room, so just observing each variety would take a while. The two had been doing that, walking around and looking at the various nts until Martel was done. ¡¸It really is an odd sensation though. It¡¯s like I¡¯m much closer to you now, Mira. It¡¯s a really warm and kind feeling. I guess that¡¯s what a bond feels like.¡¹ The Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection offered an additional connection on top of the contract, so Mira¡¯s feelings were alsomunicated more clearly, her kindness enveloping Martel. ¡¸Let¡¯s get along from now on too, Mira.¡¹ Martel said that and tightly embraced Mira. Either Mira¡¯s feelings had touched her, or she had actually missed interacting with others more than she knew herself. From afar it looked like a mother and daughter, though Martel who looked like the older one was being pampered like a child. ¡¸Of course, let¡¯s get along.¡¹ Mira was a bit taken aback by the sudden hug and onrush of a floral scent, but she quickly rposed herself and replied calmly. The Spirit King watched with a fatherly smile, d to see such friendship flourish between humans and spirits. So much time had passed that Mira decided it was best to spend the night at Martel¡¯s house. She had only gotten there thanks to the Spirit King¡¯s power opening the way, so it was an extremely safe location, only someone with a simr power being able to infiltrate it. For dinner they had a sd made of special vegetables grown by Martel, with the juice of a new species of fruit as dressing, making it an extremely unique meal. It also had plenty of nutritious value, and it granted various effects that would enhance Mira¡¯s abilities for a few days. Mira also felt like her body was lighter after eating it, which prompted her to wolf down even more of that wondrous sd, leading to her eventually feeling bloated. ¡¸I can die in peace now.¡¹ Mira said with gleeful joy as she reclined her body on the bed of vines prepared by Martel. Mira usually favored eating meat, so the fact that she gorged on a meal of only vegetables went to show just how special Martel¡¯s nts were. Mira rubbed her full stomach and thanked Martel for the meal, greatly praising it. That seemed to please Martel, filling her with motivation to make something even better for the next morning, so she went to create even more new species and tastes in preparation for that. Meanwhile the Spirit King began to test the various produce, mentioning how some needed to be a bit more sweet, or others needed more crunch, tuning them to his own liking, which was met with res from Martel. All in all it was a pretty yful time.
Chapter 181: 24-Hour Warrior (2) Chapter 181: 24-Hour Warrior (2)
Mira smiled watching the Spirit King and Martel mess around, though eventually Martel kicked the Spirit King away, so he went to talk with Mira instead. Eventually Martel came to join the conversation as well, letting her spend a more lively night than usual, and also more entertaining. After waking up the next morning Mira changed her clothes and had breakfast prepared by Martel. Once again it was made of vegetables and fruits grown by Martel, which Mira devoured until nothing more could fit in her stomach. Martel had put all her effort into making them the best tasting nts in the world, making them food befitting of gods, and Mira could feel her body being invigorated by them. But at the same time she felt so bloated she could barely stand up, so for the next hour she sat down and talked with the Spirit King and Martel. Those two had also been talking to each other for the entire night about past experiences while Mira slept. ¡¸You made all this?!¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I had to test everything to get the best results, but feel free to take everything that didn¡¯t make the cut too.¡¹ When Mira was about to depart, Martel brought her arge amount of new fruits and vegetables. That was a wee gift, as she would be able to taste those wonderful new vors for longer, and it was a perfect souvenir for Solomon and her other friends. Solomon ate good food every day in the pce, so Mira was looking forward to trumping over everything he had eaten in the past. In total they weighed dozens of kilograms, which Mira happily took and stashed into her Item Box. Usually obtaining such arge quantity of fresh food could be troublesome, but Mira had nothing to worry about with her Item Box. The Spirit Kingter revealed that Martel had grown such an excessive amount on purpose just so Mira could take them as a gift. ¡¸Thank you so much for having us. If you need anything I¡¯ll be here in a jiffy, just tell the Spirit King.¡¹ Later in the morning, once Mira¡¯s stomach settled, she left Martel¡¯s house and headed out to the hidden tunnel that brought them there. Martel was protecting something extremely valuable and important, and while it was safe for now, Mira was worried that one day she might be in danger. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll count on you if the need arises. But please feel free to call for my help if you need it as well.¡¹ Martel was there to see them off as well. She slowly raised her hand, which made all the nearby nts turn to saturated poisonous-looking colors, with sharp glinting thorns and dripping with acid. ¡¸Lord Sym told me how adventurers have to fight often, and I¡¯m quite confident in my strength.¡¹ All the nearby vegetation had be deadly, gathering like a legion behind Martel. She looked very confident with that, but somehow also gave off the impression of being some sort ofst boss. Martel was the spirit who created and controlled all vegetation, so Mira had already anticipated her to be powerful, but this surpassed her expectations by far. ¡¸A-alright, I¡¯ll rely on you if I ever need it.¡¹ Mira had eaten such delicious fruits earlier that she had almost forgotten that there were also carnivorous and harsh nts. At the same time she realized that if Martel wanted, she could turn all the nts around a country into a dangerous thicket like that, creating an imprable defense. Even if Mira¡¯s search for the missing wisemen ended in failure, if the worst were to happen, she had the option of focusing on learning how to summon Martel to create the necessary defense. (Though thinking about it, having both the Spirit King and an Originator Spirit on my side almost feels like cheating.) The Spirit King was almost a god-like entity, and she was on very friendly terms with him. Now she had also formed a contract with an Originator Spirit, which were spirits ranked directly below the Spirit King. Aplishing that was an incredible feat, and Mira was grateful she had the chance of meeting both of them. Now she had the necessary power if she was ever in a dire situation and needed to protect something. With the power of the Spirit King and Martel on her side, she could fend off any threat. ¡¸Please take care in your adventures, Mira.¡¹ Martel¡¯s soft hand plopped down on Mira¡¯s head. Looking around, Mira noticed that all the nts had returned to their original shape, like a paradise. That quick change was also impressive. ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll be going then!¡¹ Mira was slightly embarrassed but gave an energetic reply before turning around and entering the secret tunnel. She had not known about this ce¡¯s existence when she followed Martel¡¯s presence, but now the forlorn sensation waspletely gone, reced by a cheerful and lively one. That showed her that finding Martel had been worth it, and she could still feel Martel as she walked through the tunnel. ¡ºI doubt there¡¯s anyone who can get in there now.¡º Mira was back where she fought the Skull Dragon. The Spirit King reinforced the Divine Spiritual Crystals concealing the tunnel, making them even sturdier than they were before they got there, his voice sounding satisfied with the result. He had stopped projecting his body through Mira after they left Martel, so he did everything through the Divine Protection now. ¡¸Alright, time to continue going through the dungeon.¡¹ There was nothing suspicious about the white wall. No one could tell that a portion of it was made of a different material anymore. Only someone with powerparable to the Spirit King¡¯s would be able to notice it, and even then it would be easy to lose track of the exact spot on the wall. No one could infiltrate Martel¡¯s paradise. Mira double checked the wall just in case, and then went back to resume her unfinished quest of the Ancient Underground City¡¯s sixth floor. She had already gathered all the glyphs necessary to open the third shrine, so that was her current destination. (Now that I think about it, I strayed quite far away from the path¡­) After climbing up the long spiral staircase, Mira realized where she was. She had blindly followed Martel¡¯s presence all the way to a ce tucked away in the corner of the floor, quite far away from the correct route. That corner also happened to be the opposite one to where the shrine was located. (Though linear distance means next to nothing in this dungeon! ) It wasmon knowledge that basing distances on the spatial location of spots was a bad idea on the sixth floor. Sometimes the only way to reach the other side of a wall was a long winded path that took an entire day to traverse. Sometimes departing from afar was faster. Mira looked at her map to look up the correct route, then summoned a Dark Knight to defeat all the skeletons in the way. She also did not forget to pick up all the magic stones dropped by them. ¡¸Phew, finally back on track.¡¹ She crossed a bridge without handrails, jumped from one corridor to another, slid through a tight alleyway, up a set of stairs, and crossed through arge building the size of a mall. After three hours of walking, she finally reached one of the buildings where she picked up a glyph. It might not have been the fastest way to reach the shrine, but former yers had a tendency to prefer retracing their steps rather than searching for a new route that could be unsafe. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t feel like a break is necessary.¡¹ Mira instinctively thought of taking a break now that she was somewhere safe, but then realized that she was not feeling tired at all from walking around so much. She had a pretty good idea of why that was the case. It was all thanks to Martel¡¯s special breakfast, which was even more effective than an expensive energy drink. (I really hope this doesn¡¯t mean that my exhaustion wille back with interestter on¡­) She was slightly worried about that, but also felt like eating one of the fruits Martel gave her would give her the energy she needed if that happened. That was a rather unhealthy workaholic way to think, but she did not care about that as she continued through the proper route.
Chapter 182: Matter of Life and Death (1) Chapter 182: Matter of Life and Death (1)
It was already 9pm when Mira reached therge cathedral at the bottom of the sixth floor, all three glyphs in her possession. ¡¸It¡¯s still as big as ever.¡¹ She muttered as looked at the cathedral. There was a cathedral on every floor so far, all of them built simrly and of the same size. But the one on the sixth floor was different. The dungeon only had seven floors, so the sixth cathedral was thest one, and as such was three timesrger. That was not all, the interior was also wide, the chapel by the entrance being asrge as a stadium. The ceiling was also incredibly tall. But there were more differences. All the previous cathedrals had looked somewhat in and quite deteriorated, only therger features of the building remaining clear, but thest one was in much better shape, the walls and columns covered in detailed carvings, and vivid drawings of a paradise all over the ceiling. It was far more detailed than a regr temple, filling the building with a sense of sanctity. (There¡¯s a few of them here too.) Mira noticed there were various groups of adventurers resting in the chapel. They also turned to look at Mira, extremely curious about her. That much was understandable, it waste at night, she was a girl traveling alone, the sixth floor¡¯s difficulty rank was B, and they all knew just how difficult it was to get through it. (Hmm¡­ those adventurers look promising.) Mira started walking toward one of the groups there. They were the closest to her, and one of the members was staring intently at her. The group wasposed of three spellcasters and three warriors, giving it a nice bnce. Two of the spellcasters were female too. ¡¸Sorry, may I ask you something?¡¹ When Mira spoke to them, the man who had been staring at her the most sprang on his feet. He was at least 180cm tall, and had a rather burly body. He was clearly skilled, but his face could hardly be called attractive, even as mere ttery. He walked up to Mira and stood up with his back straight, looking at her for a while. ¡¸Hello! I¡¯m called Bardon! Let¡¯s get along!¡¹ He struck his right hand out and announced with a loud voice. ¡¸Huh? Oh! I¡¯m Mira, nice to meet you.¡¹ Mira was a bit taken aback by how sudden that was, but she quickly realized that introducing oneself before talking was normal, so she shook his hand. But then something else happened. ¡¸Alright! Thank you!!¡¹ Bardon¡¯s hand firmly grasped Mira¡¯s, smiling widely. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ Mira tilted her head in confusion, wondering just what he was thanking her for, and why he was so happy that there were even tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, please don¡¯t pay any attention to him.¡¹ Just when Mira was starting to feel ufortable with Bardon acting like his life had been saved by divine intervention, the male spellcaster of the group came to her aid and made him let go of Mira¡¯s hand. Then regardless of Bardon¡¯s size, the spellcaster flung him back into the group. ¡¸Ohh, that was Concept Magic, wasn¡¯t it? And quite exquisitely performed.¡¹ The spellcaster¡¯s height was only around 170cm, quite shorter than Bardon. But the way he effortlessly flung Bardon away showed he was familiar with various Concept Magic spells. ¡¸You¡¯re probably still stronger, considering you got here on your own. I felt arger presence with you earlier, I¡¯m assuming that was some familiar of sorts?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, precisely. I¡¯m a summoner.¡¹ She announced loud and proud, causing a stir amongst all the adventurers listening to her. Some were shocked, others dubious, and some even ridiculed her. ¡¸A summoner¡­ I hear almost nothing about them nowadays, but I guess there¡¯s always some around the world.¡¹ The spellcaster man looked carefully at Mira. But shortly after, a loud voice thundered, ¡¸Don¡¯t look at my wife like that!!¡¹ from behind him. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ Mira peeked behind the spellcaster and saw Bardon throwing a fit, being restrained by other adventurers. ¡¸Seriously, again? I really thought you had finally grown out of the habit of proposing to every girl you meet. Hell, youpletely skipped that step and took a handshake as her bing your wife! You really should grow up already.¡¹ Another member of the group scolded him. Hearing that, Mira slowly began to understand. When he said ¡®Let¡¯s get along¡¯ it had not been a simple nicety, but an actual request to date. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about him, he does that by instinct sometimes. We thought he was finally getting over that habit, but I guess you were too cute and triggered it again.¡¹ The spellcaster seemed tired of Bardon¡¯s behavior, but then there was a loud ¡¸Don¡¯t try seducing my wifeee!¡¹ ¡¸He became like that when he found out a girl he was childhood friends with got married.¡¹ The spellcaster man began to exin. Bardon used to be friends with a girl when he was little, and had nned on marrying her when they grew up, but they never agreed on that, and he had not even confessed his feelings to her. So in the end she married someone else while Bardon was out adventuring. Somehow that left him traumatized, and he started proposing marriage to every girl he met so that would never happen again. Bardon had continued to shout nonsense while the story was being told too. ¡¸I really apologize on his behalf.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s fine, it sounds like you have plenty of trouble with him as well. I actually feel a little bad for you.¡¹ Mira said that seeing how awkward the spellcaster man felt after all that. He also mentioned that as an adventurer Bardon was more than excellent, but that was still not an excuse for his behavior. ¡¸Anyway, all of that aside¡­ I think you wanted to ask something?¡¹ ¡¸Oh right, I almost forgot.¡¹ He brought the topic back on track and Mira nodded, remembering why she approached the adventurers. Bardon¡¯s outburst had left Mira shocked, but she quickly regained her bearings and spoke to the spellcaster. ¡¸First off, I¡¯m Mira. Nice to meet you, in a normal way.¡¹ ¡¸Right, I¡¯m Hans. Nice to meet you too, in a normal way.¡¹ The two introduced themselves, bringing things back to a normal conversation. Mira peeked at Bardon with a grimace, and seeing that he was calming down, she finally asked her question. ¡¸I¡¯m actually looking for someone. Have you seen a necromancer riding on a bicorn skeleton with the right horn broken go through this floor? He was probably wearing a coat with a weird magic circle painted on it, and gloves without fingertips.¡¹ A necromancer on a bicorn. She was asking if they had seen Soul Howl. But considering the narrow paths of the sixth floor, chances were he had dismounted the bicorn and traveled on foot, so just in case she described the outfit Soul Howl wore way back during the game days. A Sage¡¯s Robe would have revealed his identity, so she assumed he was not wearing that. Unless his tastes had changed, she was certain he would be in his favorite outfit. ¡¸I don¡¯t remember seeing a bicorn, but does he wear a ck eyepatch on the right eye too?¡¹ When Mira finished her question, Hans asked something back. A ck eyepatch on the right eye. Soul Howl had not worn such an essory in the past, but considering his personality and fashion sense that was something he would definitely like. But more importantly, Hans seemed to know something at least. ¡¸Did you see him then?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I remember it clearly.¡¹ Hans revealed a bit more, starting with, ¡¸It happenedst night, right about the same time as now.¡¹ Basically that was a bit past 9pm. Adventurers would always go to the cathedral to spend the night, and that was where they saw him, a man traveling with multiple golems. He went straight through the cathedral and headed to the seventh floor without resting. ¡¸I was surprised to see you tonight, since you¡¯re the second solo spellcaster we¡¯ve seen go through here. Maybe that¡¯s why I thought of him so quickly though.¡¹ He was still a spellcaster going alone, even if he had his golems to help, so that helped leave a strong impression on Hans and the other adventurers. Then the next dayes Mira, also alone, so deciding they were connected somehow was a normal conclusion toe to. Mira¡¯s description of the necromancer had been nearly perfect too, which sealed the deal.
Chapter 182: Matter of Life and Death (2) Chapter 182: Matter of Life and Death (2)
¡¸I remember the coat you mentioned the most. The eyepatch also had a simr design. In a way I felt like he had a rather unique style of clothing. I didn¡¯t get a look at his hands though, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you if he wore gloves or not.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s alright, what you saw is enough. I¡¯m quite certain he was the man I¡¯m searching for.¡¹ Soul Howl was obsessed with undead girls, but his tastes could also be described as those of an edgy teenager. He always valued the appearance of things first, and an eyepatch seemed like a natural evolution for his behavior overall. At least that was Mira¡¯s conclusion. ¡¸Thank you for telling me. Here, take this as a token of my gratitude.¡¹ Mira thanked Hans and gave him one of the fresh fruits she had picked on her way there. ¡¸Fresh fruit on the sixth floor? Thank you, I really appreciate this.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d you like it.¡¹ Usually it took adventurers a month to reach the sixth floor, that was how difficult the Ancient Underground City was as a dungeon. Arge part of that was making sure one carried enough provisions tost them through. There were some fruits and edible nts growing in some ces, but they were usually well hidden in the facilities that were still operative in the sixth floor. All of those facilities were located in dangerous locations as well, which made it hard to justify the risk of traveling there. Considering all of that, getting fresh fruit there left a stronger impression than Mira expected. ¡¸Well, godspeed with your adventures then.¡¹ ¡¸Right back at you. I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re heading to the seventh floor if you¡¯re looking for that man, right? I know you¡¯re strong since you made it here on your own, but don¡¯t underestimate the seventh floor either. Be careful.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¹ The seventh floor¡¯s difficulty had been ranked as A, and even groups of A rank adventurers could struggle in it. Mira was powerful enough to keep herself safe there, but she could not lower her guard either. She was fully aware of that much, so she took Hans¡¯ advice to heart. ¡¸By the way, it¡¯s even harder to go through at night, are you sure you want to go down there already?¡¹ Hans said that shortly after. The spike in difficulty at night was much harsherpared to other dungeons in the floors below the fourth one. The monsters there were skeletons, which just like any undead monster gained strength in the dark. The adventurers who made a living in the Ancient Underground City knew that well, so shortly before the night they would enter a shrine or cathedral where monsters could not follow them. That also limited how far they could go to hunt. There were multiple groups of adventurers all the way down at the sixth floor, but their area of activity was small. None of those areas included an active facility, which made fresh fruit even more valuable down there. That was not an issue during the game days, as one could log out. Back then if there was friction between groups they simply went to hunt in separate areas. ¡¸I¡¯m actually quite exhausted, I think I¡¯ll rest here before I go.¡¹ Saying that, Mira began looking around the chapel, which was more than fifty meters long. A certain idea sparked in her mind then, a teasing grin spreading on her lips as she said ¡¸I¡¯d actually like to enjoy a nice shower,¡¹ making sure her voice was loud enough. ¡¸A shower? I mean, I guess that¡¯d feel nice, but not really possible down here.¡¹ There were no natural sources of water on the sixth floor. One had to bring water themselves, or make it with Concept Magic. The first option was limited by the Item Box¡¯s capacity, while using magic would require arge amount of mana. Just filling a single cup with water cost as much as a medium level spell. Regr spellcasters did not have much mana avable either, so their performance hunting would be hampered if they produced too much water. There were Magic Arts with water, some of which handledrge quantities of it, and required less mana. The difference between that and water from Concept Magic was permanence. In simple terms, water from Magic Arts evaporated at a fast rate, while Concept Magic water could exist for much longer. That was why Magic Arts were not preferable. All in all, securing enough water for a shower was a tall order, but that was not enough to erase Mira¡¯s confident smile. ¡¸Not really, it¡¯s actually quite easy for me. I¡¯m a summoner after all!¡¹ Mira had been waiting for that moment, and made sure to put even more emphasis on the word ¡®summoner¡¯. Hans seemed to notice something then, muttering, ¡¸Ahh, I see.¡¹ ¡¸If you can summon a water spirit it would certainly be achievable, you¡¯re right.¡¹ A water spirit could easily create a shower, and if a summoner formed a contract with one, it was possible to summon such a spirit anywhere while consuming far less mana than Concept Magic required. ¡¸I never realized summoners could do something like that.¡¹ Hans nodded understandingly, sounding quite impressed. But he was quickly shoved out of the way. ¡¸You can take showers in here?!¡¹ ¡¸Are you sure?! Can you do it?!¡¹ The two female spellcasters in Hans¡¯ group had been listening in, and could not hold themselves back from jumping out and pushing Hans aside to directly ask Mira. ¡¸Yes, of course. It¡¯s an easy feat for summoners like myself.¡¹ Mira felt slightly nervous by how close the two spellcasters got to her, but she still puffed her chest proudly as she announced the power of summoners. ¡¸Please let me take one too! I¡¯m all out of Sanitary Towel Paper, I can¡¯t take this anymore!¡¹ ¡¸Me too, please! I¡¯m sure a fellow girl like you can understand our plight!¡¹ They sounded desperate, clinging closer to Mira as they pleaded. Mira also understood what they meant, as she could feel a hint of body odor. Their names were Ettie and Colette. They mentioned how their entire group had been in the dungeon for nearly two months, so their Item Boxes only held food, water, adventuring tools, and medicine. They had already used up all non-essential items. That included Sanitary Towel Paper, which was sold at Dinowal Stores at a price of 5000 Rils for ten sheets. They were wet wipes that could be used to wash one¡¯s body, as well as hair, and the used sheets could be used as fire starters, making them extremely convenient. The two girls had somehow managed to fit some in their crowded Item Boxes, but had used up everything the week prior. The men also carried Refreshing Towels, which were simr in concept, but only cleaned the bare minimum, with the added benefit of being reusable. Sadly that also made the idea of sharing a Refreshing Towel feel disgusting. The two girls mentioned how they knew they would have to discard half of their femininity the moment they became adventurers, and had anticipated they would be in this situation one day. But now that it became reality their minds faltered, and the remaining half of their femininity would not stop screaming. Hans and the rest had nned the trip tost for three days more. ¡¸Worry not, for I¡¯m a summoner. I shall let you shower for as long as you desire!¡¹ Mira had seen first hand the things regr adventurers were subject to, so she could sympathize with them a bit, but more importantly this presented her the perfect opportunity. The loud pleas from the two had caught the attention of the other adventurer groups there, so everyone was looking their way now. All the adventurers down there were skilled, being able to make a living in a B rank area. Even Bardon¡¯s group had two A rank members. If all of them saw how powerful summoners could really be, then the bad impression everyone had of that ss would vanish into thin air. ¡¸Since you¡¯ve been waiting to shower for so long, a ce to enjoy it properly would be even better, right?¡¹ Mira waved her arms theatrically in front of the two girls as she said that. ¡¸You¡¯re right, taking a shower here would be a little¡­¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a room upstairs I always used to change!¡¹ The two nodded and broke into a dash for the stairs, but Mira stopped them shortly, telling them there was no reason to go elsewhere. They looked puzzled at her, wondering what she meant. The adventurers were also curious, their eyes glued on Mira. She walked with a long stride to an empty corner of the chapel, there was just the perfect spot there. ¡¸Summoners also have the ability to do this.¡¹ Her performance reached its climax as she activated the spell she had held ready the entire time. It was the spirit mansion. Arge magic circle illuminated the floor, which started to mold into shape. Eventually it all fell in ce and a building appeared there, almost like it had existed there the entire time. ¡¸Huh? What¡¯s this?!¡¹ ¡¸A small¡­ mansion?¡¹ The building was the size of a small hut, but its construction was simr to a noble¡¯s mansion. The two girls were perplexed by that bizarre sight, and the other adventurers were also trying to figure out what they had just witnessed. ¡¸It may be a bit small for the time being, but it¡¯s still plenty useful.¡¹ The spirit mansion¡¯s appeal was hard to fully grasp from the outside. Mira grinned, she had also been slightly let down the first time she saw it, so she swung the doors open.
Chapter 183: Water Trader Mira (1) Chapter 183: Water Trader Mira (1)
¡¸There it is. Come on in.¡¹ Saying that, Mira entered the spirit mansion, a mysterious building that appeared thanks to Summon Arts. But the two spellcasters Ettie and Colette were so enticed by the shower that they entered without hesitation. ¡¸Woah¡­ this is so cool!¡¹ ¡¸There might be no furniture, but it¡¯s still a proper home¡­¡¹ It was a bit dreary inside, but the two were still surprised to see an actual house inside. Meanwhile Mira gave them a quick tour, telling them how shebined the incredible power of water, ice, and fire spirits to regte the air temperature, or have a warm shower, as well as a functional toilet and kitchen, making it as functional as a regr house. ¡¸This is the power I gained by forming a contract with a mansion¡¯s man-made spirit. So, what do you think? Aren¡¯t summoners incredible?¡¹ Mira turned around triumphantly once she was done exining. With her skills, she could spend time at home no matter what environment she was in. The two girls had spent a long time in the dungeon so they understood how convenient that was. Mira also knew that, which was why she put so much effort in exining it. Her n was sessful, as Ettie and Colette surveyed the room with eyes full of amazement. ¡¸May I turn the faucet?¡¹ ¡¸Of course, go ahead.¡¹ Ettie looked at the kitchen¡¯s faucet with curiosity and asked Mira, the homeowner, before turning it. ¡¸Ahh, water¡­ so much fresh water¡­¡¹ she muttered, her eyes tearing up with emotion at the sight of the clear and cold liquid. Meanwhile Colette waspletely still, holding the toilet¡¯s door open. She only kept mumbling ¡¸Living room¡­ running water¡­¡¹ on and on. There were many aspects to life on top of having sustenance, some of which involved getting rid of things. Adventurers faced even more struggles with those aspects, especially if they were female. Mira watched how much seeing that had affected them, and thinking to herself that women could really be a handful sometimes. But soon after Hans¡¯ face peeked through the front door, which had been left open. ¡¸What¡¯s this..? It looks just like a regr house, I can¡¯t believe summoners can do this.¡¹ Hans looked around in wonder. It looked like a somewhat small house, but the fact that it stood so deep inside a dungeon made it special. But those words were exactly what Mira had been trying to obtain. ¡¸I know, I know. This is the true power of summoners.¡¹ It did not take long for the rest of Hans¡¯ group to gather around him, curious about the house as well. Soon after other adventurer groups also arrived, wondering what this was all about, and voice their amazement seeing the faucet with running water. One of the adventurers spoke to Mira. ¡¸Hey, that water ising from a spirit, right? Could you give me some? I¡¯ll obviously pay for it.¡¹ The adventurer held two empty containers in his hands. It seemed like his group had miscalcted the amount of provisions they needed, and were running low on water. ¡¸Sure, I don¡¯t mind. Feel free to fill them up.¡¹ Mira happily obliged the man¡¯s request. He thanked her profusely by joining his hands together almost in prayer, then rushed to fill the containers with water. Seeing that, many other adventurers also lined up, wanting some water themselves. Mira epted all requests, obtaining a decent amount of Magic Stones in exchange. She calcted they were worth at least 200,000 Rils in total. The water was produced by a spirit and a little of Mira¡¯s mana, but her mana pool was sorge that she barely took a hit, and got arge sum in exchange, making her rather pleased with the trade. She decided to keep it secret just how hard it was to contain a grin every time she took some Magic Stones. Once everyone had bought as much water as they wanted, she noticed there were still around ten adventurers outside. All of them females. At first Mira thought they wanted water too, but she quickly realized the true reason. ¡¸Wait, do you want to take a shower then?¡¹ She struck her head out of the door and asked them, and they nodded. Just like the other two spellcasters, they were all dying for a shower. ¡¸Hmm alright, you can go in after the first two. But there¡¯s so many of you, so would you mind going in two at a time?¡¹ Mira did not know how long each one of them would take, but she had the impression that girls took long showers, so she felt it would be faster to let them in two at a time, even if it would get a little tight. ¡¸We don¡¯t mind!¡¹ ¡¸We could even go in all at the same time!¡¹ They had been starved from showers for so long that they would do anything for a shower. ¡¸Alright then, just wait for a bit, you can decide in which order you¡¯ll go in the meantime.¡¹ Saying that, Mira closed the door and went to the first two, who were impatiently waiting in a corner. ¡¸Sorry for the wait.¡¹ She headed to the door next to the toilet, which she opened as she proudly said, ¡¸And this is the shower room.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s actually a shower, incredible!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ While small, the building was based off of a noble¡¯s mansion, so the two rejoiced seeing that it had a proper shower as well. ¡¸Also, I¡¯m sorry but could you go in together? There are others waiting who also want to shower.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t mind!¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s no problem at all!¡¹ The two replied instantly and not waiting any further began to undress there. The spirit mansion did not have a dressing room, so they had to do that in the living room. Mira did her best to avoid getting a nosebleed as she told them ¡¸Enjoy yourselves,¡¹ andfortably sat on her special sleeping bag in a corner of the room. But she also could not stop herself from staring at the two girls, who were down to their underwear now. They took even that off without hesitation. Their bodies were on the athletic side, though as spellcasters they did not require powerful muscles, so they still retained soft feminine curves. Ettie¡¯s was more plump and springy, while Colette was thinner, but still beautiful. Mira greatly enjoyed being able to watch both of them. The two did not look nervous being naked like that. Though that was not surprising, as they were both girls, and so was Mira, the homeowner. (Yes¡­ this is a sight for sore eyes!) That also meant that the two would not notice Mira¡¯s lecherous gaze. Mira watched them disappear inside the shower room, pretended not to hear the loud noises outside as the others decided in which order to go, and began preparing dinner. She would cook the same meal as the previous night, a lot of meat and vegetables stewed together in a pot. She took out her utensils and ingredients, then began cutting the meat, cutting the vegetables, and then throwing them into a pot with water. At that point the door of the shower room opened and the two girls peeked out. ¡¸Mira, I¡¯m really sorry to be so selfish, could we ask for something more?¡¹ Colette asked, her exposed skin shiny from the water. She was not doing that intentionally, but the way she looked resembled a girl on her first night over with her lover, making her look strangely alluring. ¡¸Sure, what do you want?¡¹ Mira nodded, grinning perversely. But she decided to respond in a gentlemanly and well-mannered way. ¡¸See, we kinda want to wash our underwear too. So¡­ can we?¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯re in a bit of a pickle. All we need is enough sets tost us for three days.¡¹ They had nearly run out of clean pairs of underwear by then, even though they had tried to make itst. They did not seem to mind being naked in front of Mira, but were embarrassed to talk about underwear. The way they fidgeted only stirred Mira¡¯s excited mind more, but she pushed those thoughts aside to respond with a calm face. ¡¸I see. I don¡¯t really mind, wash as much as you need.¡¹ Keeping quiet about embarrassing matters was a core principle for maidens. Mira forced herself to produce a kind smile and replied positively. ¡¸Thank you!¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re a lifesaver!¡¹ They looked so happy they were about to burst into tears as they thanked Mira, collected their underwear thaty on the floor, and returned to the shower room. The moment the door was closed, Mira¡¯s smile twisted again, her eyes narrowing at the closed door. (So being wet enhances their appearance by 30%, interesting.) Noting the fundamental truth she had just discovered, she focused on cooking again in a good mood.
Chapter 183: Water Trader Mira (2) Chapter 183: Water Trader Mira (2)
Mira finished cutting all the ingredients and put them in the pot, then added the mix of seasonings she had perfected throughout the past few days, and put it to the fire. Not muchter a pleasant smell filled the room. ¡¸I feel like I¡¯m alive again!¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, that felt so good!¡¹ Ettie and Colette looked extremely refreshed as they walked out of the shower room, they had clearly enjoyed that thoroughly. ¡¸You look quite freshened up.¡¹ Mira spoke to them, trying to sound as normal as she could. The two looked at her and expressed their heartfelt gratitude. ¡¸You two really got lucky though, to run into a summoner like myself.¡¹ Mira did not forget to highlight summoners one more time, telling them that such benefits came from having a summoner in their party. Forming contracts could be a bit annoying sometimes, but there were plenty of benefits that came from that. She imed that sharing said benefits made summoners more enticing. ¡¸I think I get it.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t really know what summoners are supposed to do. But at least I understand that they¡¯re amazing now.¡¹ It seemed like Mira had a positive effect, as the two started praising summoners. They also mentioned they would try to recruit a summoner sometime as well. Hearing that filled Mira with satisfaction. Not because they were naked the entire time, but because they had a better image of summoners¡­ probably. ¡¸This is the first time I¡¯m doing this, but I hope this is a fair price?¡¹ ¡¸What do you think?¡¹ The two offered Mira variousrge Magic Stones. Together they would likely sell for more than 200,000 Rils. They wondered if that was a good price for a warm shower and plenty of clean water deep inside a dungeon. But Mira also had no idea if 200,000 Rils was expensive or cheap, as she had never done that before. Either way that did not beat the satisfaction of speaking highly of summoners. Then she thought of the price of inns, and used that as a baseline. ¡¸This should be enough.¡¹ Saying that, she took one Magic Stone from each of them. Each of them would likely sell for around 10,000 Rils. That was expensive for an inn that only offered a shower, but it seemed like a reasonable upcharge for the location. At least that was Mira¡¯s justification, though her fondness for the fairer sex yed a major role as well. ¡¸Thank you!¡¹ ¡¸My queen!¡¹ The two had not expected that response from Mira, so they were stunned for a moment, but quickly started revering her when they realized she actually meant it. They had taken Mira¡¯s hedonistic tendencies as friendliness, but they also appreciated her kindness, so they thanked her again, almost praying to her. ¡¸That¡¯s enough, no need for superfluous words. Just don¡¯t forget to thank the spirits as well, as this was all aplished thanks to them.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll never forget that.¡¹ ¡¸Me too.¡¹ The two nodded. Spirits were amon topic of conversation after recent events too. If more people started appreciating them, it would be harder for groups like Chimera uzen to appear again. Mira smiled more, noticing the two express their appreciation for spirits like that. ¡¸Wait, what¡¯s this smell?¡¹ Once they were done paying and changing their clothes, the smaller spellcaster Colette sniffed the air a bit and asked that. Mira¡¯s pot had just started boiling. ¡¸Kiroly Bird, wcress, yellow leek and¡­ porcini!¡¹ Colette slowly but confidently identified everything she could smell, and Mira eximed ¡¸Ohh, spot on!¡¹ noticing it was exactly what she had put in the pot. But Colette was not done surprising Mira, as she continued listing the spices Mira had added. ¡¸My parents had a small restaurant, so they taught me a lot while growing up. Before I knew it I could tell ingredients apart just by their smell.¡¹ She recounted that with a slightly embarrassed voice. But in reality that ability was developed after a lot of grueling training. Her parents had wished to pass on the restaurant to their daughter, but Colette already wanted to be an adventurer. An adventurer visited their restaurant once, and that had inspired her. Wanting to be an adventurer instead of a cook, she secretly went to the Spellcaster¡¯s Union and took an aptitude test. They determined she had aptitude for being a spellcaster, so she forcefully made her parents leave the restaurant to her older brother and younger sister. ¡¸Now that I think about it, bing a spellcaster was even harder than learning to cook properly, but I powered through no matter what other people told me.¡¹ Colette thought fondly of those times, and then smiled nervously realizing she still kept plenty of her culinary knowledge even though she was an adventurer now. Though she was also in charge of cooking for their group, and somehow her skills had developed furtherpared to how she was before leaving her parents. She imed her bnce in seasoning was much better now. ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m sorry for bbering on for so long. That stew just reminded me a lot of something I used to eat back then.¡¹ She was likely still worried about her parent¡¯s restaurant. She looked embarrassed for saying all that, so she took out a leaf to express her gratitude. ¡¸This is a herb called Aminica. You can cut it fine and give it a boil to make anything taste better. Feel free to give it a try.¡¹ Colette mentioned that Aminica was thest ingredient to perfect the stew she used to eat growing up. Its taste paired quite nicely with bird meat, like Kiroly Bird. ¡¸Ohh, I see. I¡¯ll give it a try then, thanks.¡¹ Mira took the leaf and quickly went to mince it up. Colette watched that, her eyes full of excitement as she watched Mira¡¯s clumsy handiwork, recalling how her little sister also had to learn to cook. Then she slowly headed away. ¡¸Thank you for the shower, Mira.¡¹ ¡¸I really appreciate it.¡¹ Colette and Ettie stopped next to the door to thank Mira onest time, and she replied by turning their way and waving lightly. ¡¸Ohh, this smells delightful.¡¹ The moment Mira put the Aminica herb into the pot and let it simmer for a bit, the smell changed from misceneous ingredients into perfect harmony, like it was an actual dish. She got closer and looked into the pot, wondering how it tasted now, but a knock on the door stopped her there. The next shower group was there. Mira told them to enter, and the door opened and two girls showed their faces. They had been selected as the first group out of the five pairs, and they looked full of expectation, having heard stories from Ettie and Colette. ¡¸The shower room is over there, though I don¡¯t have a dressing room. You can just undress around there and then enter.¡¹ Mira casually made sure to stop them from even considering undressing inside the shower room, and the two obeyed right away. She watched them, and in the end added ¡¸Feel free to wash any small items as well,¡¹ so the girls happily picked up their underwear and walked into the shower room, leaving Mira even more satisfied. ¡¸Ohh, the difference is more stark than I thought!¡¹ Once the shower room was closed, Mira went back to her stew and gave it a try, being shocked by how much a single herb had improved her recipe. All her previous dishes had been made by tossing random ingredients into a pot, somethingmonly done by men living alone. But this stew was on a whole different level, having a rich vor that seemed prepared by a restaurant. (She said it was called Aminica, right? I¡¯ll have to get some more!) Mira made a mental note to get more of that herb after her first mouthful. At the same time she began wondering if there were other herbs that could transform a dish so much. (Finding all of them and trying variousbinations sounds fun as well.) There was plenty of salt and pepper in her pantry, but she had not tried getting any type of herbs yet. But having experienced Aminica, she decided she needed to try more types.
Chapter 184: A Maiden’s Sensibility (1) Chapter 184: A Maiden¡¯s Sensibility (1)
Mira continued eating her stew, while having the changing adventurers as a side dish¡­ or rather appreciating their bodies, until she was done eating everything and she started doing the dishes, finished everything with some All-Seasons au Lait, and started reading the Encyclopedia of Skills. During that time four pairs of adventurers were done with their showers, and the fifth andst pair entered the spirit mansion. One of them was a young elven girl, wearing a Magical Girl outfit, which caught Mira¡¯s eye, and she continued looking at the clothes and underwear left in front of the shower room when they were inside. Her eyes were filled with perverse thoughts, but there was no one to see that there. Around twenty minutester the shower room¡¯s door opened and the pair came out, looking refreshed. They quickly put on their clothes, paid Mira in Magic Stones, and showered her with gratitude before leaving. ¡¸Alright then¡­¡¹ The door closed behind them and Mira stood up, reaching for the hem of her skirt and quickly taking off her dress. It was finally Mira¡¯s turn. It was quitete at night, but she did not regret waiting until then a single bit. Instead she seemed almost proud of herself as she headed to the shower. But a knock on the door stopped her. (Hm? I thought they all got to shower already.) As Mira thought that, she heard a voice outside saying, ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I think I forgot something.¡¹ It was the voice of the young elven girl that had caught Mira¡¯s attention. ¡¸Ohh, I see. Wait a moment.¡¹ Hearing that, Mira quickly looked around the shower room. She quickly found the item, a small set of cute panties. (Woah?! Now that¡¯s a find!) She was shocked seeing it at first, but then her mind was quickly taken over by less decent emotions. Girly underwear was something Mira had grown ustomed to, but somehow seeing someone else¡¯s still stirred her emotions. That was also the reason why she had to calm down though, she was also a girl now. Some people would consider it a treasure, but Mira forced herself to pick the lost item without much care and headed to the front door while feigning innocence. Quite some time had passed since the elven girl had taken them off, but they still felt warm to the touch. ¡¸Here, is this what you lost?¡¹ Mira mmed the door open wide, handing out the girl¡¯s underwear while trying to act like it meant nothing to her. ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹ Something was wrong though. The elven girl looked perplexed and lost for words seeing Mira. Mira was puzzled and scared. Had the elven girl noticed how excited Mira was by holding those panties? Was Mira going to bebeled a pervert now? She had tried to act normal, so she really wanted to know what had given her away. Outside she kept a poker face, but internally she was despairing at the thought that maybe the elven girl had the ability to read one¡¯s mind. The awkward silence continued for a few more moments, when the elven girl threw herself at Mira while shouting, ¡¸Turn away!¡¹ Her voice sounded desperate, so Mira obeyed as best as she could even though the elven girl was pushing on her. But then a different voice was heard. ¡¸Sorry! I didn¡¯t think she woulde out like- No, I saw nothing, I promise I didn¡¯t see anything!¡¹ It was a male voice,ing from nearby just outside the door. Mira did her best to look around, the elven girl pushing her down on the floor, and saw a man who was desperately trying toe up with excuses while looking away. He had arge empty container in his hand, so he was probably there because he wanted more water. ¡¸Mira, you shouldn¡¯t open the door while looking like that.¡¹ It finally clicked in Mira¡¯s mind, but the elven girl kept talking, her voice filled with anger, but also worry for Mira. At least Mira understood everything now. ¡¸Ahh¡­ right, I forgot. I¡¯m sorry.¡¹ She had taken her dress off, so she was only wearing underwear now. The elven girl had been shocked to see her m the door open while looking like that, and then tackled her to shield her from the gaze of the man nearby. The elven girl safely recovered her lost panties, but then chewed Mira out for opening the door so carelessly while being almost naked. Mira apologized to her, saying she would try to be more self-aware. Once everything was over, Mira finally got to enter the shower room, where she took a deep breath. (A dozen girls went in pairs inside here¡­ I can¡¯t get enough of it!) Mira¡¯s nature was stillrgely rotten by depravity, filling her mind with all sorts of fantasies, and even sniffing the remnants of the girls¡¯ scent that still lingered in the air with a sleazy smirk. Her thoughts were in high gear imagining various yuri scenarios. She was still lost in those thoughts as the water started running down her body, but then she realized. What were a maiden¡¯s sensibilities? (I didn¡¯t feel particrly embarrassed either.) Mira almost felt upset, she was proud of her body. But she had been constantly warned about that, and knew that was the normal thing to do. What would an actual girl do if she was seen in underwear? Mira perused her extensive media knowledge, thinking back to amon trope in series. ¡¸Kya- pervert!¡¹ Mira acted out an exaggerated reaction while covering her chest. But then that pose reminded her of something else. ¡¸The Birth of Venus.¡¹ She felt a strange chill, even though she was inside a warm shower. In the end she came to the realization that she understood nothing about being a girl, and she left the shower. Then she followed the warning of the elven girl, quickly putting on her dress instead of loitering around in underwear. Such a cute girl had given her advice, so she would follow it. Then she took out the Encyclopedia of Skills and her notes, doing her daily review. She also wrote out the Skills she wanted to learn, as well as those she felt like she could use in her current state. Tens of minutes passed and Mira could no longer resist sleep, so she put away the encyclopedia and her notes, then took off her dress since it would be ufortable, and slipped inside her sleeping bag. The next day she woke up at a time that was neither too early nor toote. First she took care of her bodily needs, then sat down idly until her brain fully woke up. ¡¸Hmm, breakfastes first.¡¹ Around ten minutester Mira stood up again and began preparing breakfast. Though there was next to nothing to prepare, she simply took out a fruit. It was around the size of an apple, and had a yellow color. It did not look particrly impressive, but it was no regr fruit. It was an energizing fruit created by the Originator Spirit Martel. ¡¸Mhm, delicious!¡¹ The fruit¡¯s taste hardly needed to be described. It was filled with sweetness mixed with the perfect ratio of sourness, trumping over all existing fruits. On top of that it was really healthy as well, being a good source of nourishment. It truly was the perfect breakfast. Filled with energy from the fruit, she quickly prepared everything and left the spirit mansion before sending it away. She wanted to head straight to the seventh floor after that, but something stopped her. (Oh right, I should do that while I can.) Mira had noticed the group with Ettie and Colette, the first pair to take a shower. They were getting ready to depart as well, but their attention turned to Mira when the spirit mansion vanished. ¡¸So how was your night, had a pleasant rest?¡¹ Mira waved her hand a little before talking to the two girls. ¡¸I haven¡¯t slept that well in forever.¡¹ ¡¸This is my best morning ever!¡¹ The two replied with beaming smiles. Mira was pleased hearing that, but also recalled the dinner she had. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯m still shocked by that Aminica herb you gave me. My stew never tasted that good before.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s an amazing herb, right? I¡¯m d you liked it.¡¹ That one herb had transformed the dishpletely. Colette was happy to hear Mira liked the change. Mira continued talking to her, asking if she had any other recipes she could share. The change in vor had left a strong impact on Mira, so she wanted to try out other herbs as well. But she was still a beginner in the kitchen, so she decided to ask for recipes first, and to learn what herbs went well with what. But recipes could sometimes be extremely personal if a person came up with them on their own, making them quite precious and not something one could simply ask for.
Chapter 184: A Maiden’s Sensibility (2) Chapter 184: A Maiden¡¯s Sensibility (2)
¡¸You really liked it that much?! But sure, I¡¯ll teach you everything!¡¹ But there were two different types of cooks. Ones that saw it as a means of getting money, and those who simply pursued the best vors. Colette belonged to thetter, so having more people experience her recipes brought her enough joy. Colette taught Mira other recipes with a simr shocking taste as the stew, all of which she wrote down in her notes. Then as thanks she gave Colette an armful of fresh fruit she gathered on the sixth floor. ¡¸Woah, can I really take all of this?! Thank you!¡¹ She happily epted the fruit, but then quickly caved to the intense stares from herpanions and decided to share it in equal parts. Still, she enjoyed sharing tasty food, so even if she kept grumbling she was happy with that result. (Ah¡­ that fruit¡­) Mira watched how Colette fairly divided the fruit and shared it. Most of the fruit she gave had good taste and some special effects, but some had strange quirks as well. There was one extreme case, a round red fruit, with an extreme sweet and intense acidic taste. Mira had taken the fruit out as arge lump, so that one had ended up roped inside. It looked identical to one of the Four Great Fruits, also known as the Queen of Hearts, but its taste was almost inedible. It had a mana regenerating effect though, so maybe it was good for spellcasters. Mira was unsure of how to act, but in the end decided to take it back, realizing that thanking someone by giving them that fruit created as a punishment would not be appropriate. So she approached Colette, intending on retrieving the fruit. But she stopped nearby, noticing how Colette was treating that fruit. Colette was sharing the fruit in turns, and when she got to the red fruit she stopped for a moment, picking a different one to give to Ettie. The next one in line was Bardon, who had tried marrying Mira, and Colette gave him the red fruit without hesitation. That went to show why Colette was the cook of the group, she even knew about the red fruit. Mira decided not to say anything, knowing Bardon would be the one taking the hit. All of those fruits had been picked from the active facilities on the sixth floor, Mira could sense an annoying future if she shared Martel¡¯s fruits. After a pleasant good-bye with that group, Mira departed and went inside therge door at the other end of the cathedral, stepping into the corridor inside. The Ancient Underground City¡¯s seventh floor was clearly a different ce. All the previous floors had been ruined cities, an abandoned city of nobles, a floor full of imposing towers, and a ce that closely resembled Kowloon City. They were allrge locations that almost did not seem to exist underground, filled with adventurers and fantastical sights. But the seventh floor was different. Anyone who went there for the first time after passing through all the previous floors would be confused. (I remember people said this could be an ancient nuclear bunker, or a ce for secret research. I think some even thought it was a spaceship in construction.) The ceiling and walls were bathed in white, while the floor had a golden color. Lights were embedded onto them, lighting up the long corridor. There were a few golden doors on the sides, but they did not have keyholes or knobs, instead opening automatically when the correct key card was held near them. The mechanisms behind those doors were also different to anything in the previous floors, making the distinction even more stark. Rather than fantasy, the seventh floor seemed to belong in science fiction. It was sterile and cold, but some vestiges of human life could be felt in some ces. Mira looked at her map while thinking how spaceships in movies often looked like that in her previous world. The seventh floor had many corridors and rooms, but they were all clearly delineated and hard to miss. The issue was the doors, which oftentimes required keycards of different ess levels. There were five levels in total, and the keycards had to be obtained in order, which could take many days, but even that was different to the glyphs from previous floors. The keycards were items, so Mira, who had been there before, still possessed all of them. She could easily go in a beeline straight to the deepest room. That also applied to her target Soul Howl though. Assuming he took the fastest route, he was likely already at the end. (But I wonder how he¡¯s handling the Machina Guardian.) Before one could reach the final room of the seventh floor, where the white chalk orbs were located, one had to deal with a boss known as Machina Guardian. It was considered a raid boss, known as the hardest enemy with Guardian in the name. Dozens of high level yers were needed to defeat it, and even a Wiseman fighting it solo would be considered reckless. Only the nine together would have a proper chance at defeating it. Maybe there was someone fighting alongside Soul Howl. Mira thought that for a second, but none of the eyewitnesses had mentioned that, so the probability was low. (I really hope he¡¯s not trying to pull that off¡­) Sometimes during a fight Machina Guardian would start repairing itself, as it was a mechanical construct. That was not a rare thing, as most raid bosses would take such breaks for around ten minutes. That way the bosses would always be back at full health even if all raid members were wiped out and returned to the arena. But that created a loophole. It was an extreme measure that anyone could think of. It was to drag the fight on for a long time. The boss would not initiate repairs as long as an enemy remained alive in the arena. So even if only one person remained alive, they could stall the fight until the rest of the people gathered again. That was a specific role for some party members back in the game. They would keep the boss awake, not letting it rest, so they were called rms. Usually there were two or three of them. Sometimes people going solo also became rms, but they were always from a ss with familiars, namely summoners, onmyoji masters, or necromancers. (I would understand for other raid bosses, but against Machina Guardian¡­) In theory that could work wlessly, chipping the boss away without letting it rest. But it was not easy to pull off at all. If one tried to economize on mana tost for longer, Machina Guardian¡¯s powerful attacks would turn one to mush in an instant, and if someone tried to defend properly they would run out of mana rather quickly, and there was no time to rest and recover it. To top it all off, Machina Guardian¡¯s biggest feature was its resiliency. It was no exaggeration to say Machina Guardian had the strongest defense of all raid bosses. Even if Isenfald attacked with all his power, an attack would not even take a tenth of Machina Guardian¡¯s HP. In other words, even if someone had all the tools necessary to do it alone, it would take a long time to defeat the boss, maybe even weeks. No human had the patience and willpower to go through something like that. Any person would eventually lose focus and lower their guard. (But well, I feel like he¡¯d run straight ahead no matter how foolish it is.) Common sense dictated that challenging Machina Guardian solo was a foolish and reckless endeavor. But stepping up to such reckless challenges was what defined the Nine Wisemen, Danbulf included. The biggest priority to defeat a raid boss solo was mental fortitude. Then one also needed enough mana to fulfill the role of rm, which could be replenished with potions. If one was careful enough there were windows to rest too. With enough money for resources, and the necessary mental fortitude, it was technically possible. Even then it sounded like a reckless idea, but maybe the dangers that came with everything being real now would work to one¡¯s advantage. Either way, Mira decided she would only know for sure if she went there to check, so she continued speeding through the seventh floor.
Chapter 185: A Fierce Battleground (1) Chapter 185: A Fierce Battleground (1)
¡¸Hmm, Dark Knights are starting to fall off here.¡¹ The seventh floor was ranked A in difficulty, so the skeletons that spawned there also took longer to be defeated, and Mira had already lost multiple Dark Knights. Now she had up to four Dark Knights at the same time, overwhelming the enemy with numbers, but that would not keep working the entire time. The further she went, the more skeletons appeared, formingrge groups. Stronger monsters also meant bigger Magic Stones though, making that a really good ce to earn more money. On top, unlike during the game days, there was nopetition from other adventurers, so if she wanted she could easily earn a million or two in a day. But she did not have the time to spare for that, she had a different goal. (I¡¯m trying to speedrun here. I¡¯ll just have to st through.) This valuable hunting ground was left all to herself. Getting that far in the Ancient Underground City took a long time, and the skeletons there had a very small chance of dropping an item known as a White Magic Crystal. It was a valuable material when manufacturing various Magic Wares, as well as Refining properties. It was the best material Mira could use to build the strengthening Refined Equipment for new summoners. But the drop rates were incredibly low, so even if she spent the entire day hunting she would get two, or three if she got lucky. Considering how close to Soul Howl she was, she could not afford to spend time doing that. Mira reluctantly let go of that idea and focused on her mission. She stacked two Rosario Summoning Circles and brought the Valkyrie Sisters there. ¡¸We seven sisters have heard your call and have arrived.¡¹ Alfina¡¯s clear voice rang as she appeared through the magic circle, kneeling in front of Mira. But the corridor was too narrow for all of seven sisters to form a file, so they began shifting nervously side to side behind Alfina. ¡¸I think we¡¯re supposed to form two rows in this case, right?¡¹ ¡¸Didn¡¯t we decide to form a triangle instead? I don¡¯t remember changing that.¡¹ ¡¸We could just form a cross when it¡¯s this narrow though.¡¹ ¡¸With Alfina there we can¡¯t really form an Eye of the Sun I guess¡­¡¹ ¡¸Okay whatever, let¡¯s just stand somewhere at least.¡¹ ¡¸But sister¡­ you¡¯re the one dying things!¡¹ The sisters kept arguing in low whispers while constantly changing positions. Eventually Alfina had enough, so after a respectful bow she stood up and turned around. ¡¸Why are you behaving like that in front of our master! Cut it already!¡¹ All the arguing sisters instantly stopped. Alfina was facing away from Mira, but Mira could easily guess how her face looked just from the angered tone of her voice. ¡¸Eletina, we agreed we would form a ring with you in the center in this case.¡¹ Alfina lowered her voice, her anger still showing through her cold demeanor. At the same time Eletina, the only archer in the group, went pale with a whimper, recalling the agreement. ¡¸Ring Formation!¡¹ Their arguing took a while, but now that they knew what to do they were swift. They all followed Alfina¡¯smand and took formation to kneel in front of Mira. Seeing that, Alfina also knelt again. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry you had to see that embarrassing episode, I apologize for ourck of training.¡¹ Alfina lowered her head even more as she apologized. But Mira did not mind that one bit. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s alright. I can feel your loyalty and I appreciate that.¡¹ Mira voiced her true emotions seeing the sisters kneeling in front of her. Their loyalty had not wavered even after the thirty years of absence, and were just as willing to help her now as before. It did not matter if their cohesion as a group had fallen off. ¡¸I truly appreciate your leniency!¡¹ Somehow Alfina took Mira¡¯s appreciation as mere leniency. But at the same time she appreciated the way Mira appreciated her sisters, so she vowed to train them even better to make their master proud. But all the younger sisters felt a cold chill that instant, trembling slightly. The monsters that spawned in the dungeon were limited to undead ones from the fourth floor onwards. They were the strongest in the seventh floor, but the des of light brandished by the Valkyrie Sisters easily cut through them. Each of them was far more powerful than a Dark Knight as well, and they also had an elemental advantage, so now the only thing that could stop them was the final boss, Machina Guardian. Mira¡¯s speed at going through the floor also jumped up, reaching the middle level of the floor in just a few hours. ¡¸Things really change in thest floor meow. These items are quite good.¡¹ The number of skeletons spawning had increased ever since they entered the middle level, and the seven sisters also moved faster, leaving a trail of countless Magic Stones, too many for Mira to pick up alone. She could ask the sisters for help picking them up, but that would slow them down. But leaving them behind also made Mira feel bad, so she decided it was time to bring Cait Sith back. ¡¸And so he delved deeper with the help of his friends, encountering countless monsters full of malice¡­ meow.¡¹ Cait Sith had been called to pick up the Magic Stones, but he still appeared excited to run around, acting like he was in a major battlefield. He started dashing all over the ce, carrying the sign that read ¡®Dirty work like looting bodies is also part of life.¡¯ ¡¸My sisters in battle, a battalion lurks ahead meow.¡¹ Cait Sith was doing more than just picking up Magic Stones though. His keen senses also allowed him to discern the location of enemies, which he would then ry to Alfina and the rest. Once they defeated the skeletons, he would rush in their ce and collect all the Magic Stones. But Cait Sith focused a bit too much on defeating monsters, so sometimes he would deviate from the fastest path. Whenever that happened the sign would change to ¡®Being thorough shows mastery¡¯, while he tried to gloss over the fact saying ¡¸I¡¯m securing our return path, meow!¡¹ (Though well, at least I got a White Magic Crystal that way.) Even if they were advancing a bit slowly, the seven sisters¡¯ fierce skills more than made up for it. On top of that, Cait Sith¡¯s senses allowed them to hit first, speeding up things even more. Not to mention that collecting Magic Stones had be Cait Sith¡¯stest obsession, so he kept trying his best to do it faster. Overall Mira¡¯s speed through the floor was still simr to the fastest possible, and she was earning more money at the same time, so she had no reason toin. All Mira did was use Life Sensing to make sure she did not pass Soul Howl somewhere, as he was likely going through the main route. Still, she could not stop grinning thinking of all the money she was making. After going through various blocks on the floor, they finally reached thest one. Now that things were nearing the end, Mira noticed they were moving much faster. ¡¸No need to worry, meow! There¡¯s no meownsters ahead.¡¹ Cait Sith sat on the youngest sister Christina¡¯s shoulder, and pointed straight ahead. There were no monsters in thest block, so they could move without worry. Everyone moved ahead, not needing to fight anything. ording to Cait Sith there were no enemies in other corridors either. But they could hear strange echoes from far away, almost like groans, which were umon for the seventh floor. Mira started to think of a possibility. It involved the person who passed through there before her, and she became more certain the more they advanced. She checked her map just in case, and as they moved further, the weird echoes also became clearer. ¡¸He¡¯s fighting after all.¡¹ Those loud sounds came from explosions and heavy collisions. Only one corridor remained in front of them, which led to thest room where Machina Guardian lurked. All the noise came from that room, where someone was fighting the boss. She also felt certain that whoever was there was the person she was looking for. Relief washed over her knowing she had finally caught up to him, but she also got worried for his safety if he was fighting Machina Guardian, so she started running ahead. Thest room in the seventh floor was like arge hangar, five hundred meters long and wide, and right now it had been turned to a battlefield. There were forts with cannons on top there, sting fire with explosive sounds. Around them was arge group of skeletons that stood like an army, and behind them were multiple golems around four meters tall. All the skeletons from the block were there, which was something Mira had been assuming was the case.
Chapter 185: A Fierce Battleground (2) Chapter 185: A Fierce Battleground (2)
Necromancers could not only control dirt and build golems, but also had the ability to take control of undead monsters. All of the skeletons from the block had been taken over in that way and brought to that room, which was why Mira did not encounter a single one. ¡¸Only he could gather such arge number.¡¹ Mira looked up at the person standing atop one of the forts. A man riding on a bicorn with a broken horn. He was the only person in that battlefield, and there were next to no necromancers with such power. Even from afar he looked like the ideal cool and edgy guy a teenager would think of, which ovepped with the figure of Soul Howl that Mira remembered. She was more than certain that it was him, both his appearance and power were proof enough. It was a relief to finally find him, but then she looked down again, wondering what to do about the battlefield spreading in front of her. The cannons fired in a certain direction, the same the skeletons faced. Further ahead there was a figure Mira remembered vividly, Machina Guardian. The mechanical enemy, around fifty meters in length, moved around like a monstrous spider. Many skeletons shattered every time Machina Guardian swung its limbs. But then the golems would jump onto the limbs to hold them still before bursting into mes. It was a Necromancy Art Mira knew very well, Burial Skill: Ring of Purgatory. (But that only cracked the outer shell a little. This monster really is on a different level.) The Burial Skill¡¯s damage scaled with the size of the golem. There were no regr monsters that could survive multiple four meter tall golems using it at once. But it only did some superficial damage to Machina Guardian. The boss did not pay any attention to that, merely focusing on smashing more skeletons. A momentter the cannons thundered again and multiple cannonballs were shot. A red line was drawn in the air by them before exploding on hit. They clearly were powerful cannons, and the skeletons and golems cooperated perfectly. It was a really smooth operation overall. But not even that was enough to contain Machina Guardian, the mechanical limbs continuously swinging against the skeletons and golems through the exploding cannonballs. The golems, cannons, and skeletons promptly went back to formation and repeated the attacks on Machina Guardian. Anyone who saw that would think that it was a good strategy to defeat that powerful raid boss solo. But Mira did not think so. (This isn¡¯t an enemy he can afford to go easy on, why isn¡¯t he using any higher level spells?) Soul Howl was using four different attacks to fight. One wererge golems that blew themselves up, another multiple Cannon Fortress Golems for firepower. Both of them were rebuilt as soon as they fell. A third spell was the one used to control the hundreds of skeletons, which were a distraction to tank the hits from Machina Guardian. The fourth one was the fort Soul Howl stood on, which was bigger than the rest, known as the Armored Fortress Golem. It was extremely resilient, and was hisst line of defense. Mira was not a necromancer, but she was familiar with her friend¡¯s spells. That knowledge made her wonder why he was limiting himself to middle level spells. While it was true that a higher level spell would not instantly defeat the enemy, if used properly they could be more efficient than middle level ones. That involved the right timing and skill, which Soul Howl ought to have as one of the Nine Wisemen. He already had a distraction to give him an opening, which he used to fire cannons. A higher level skill would certainly cause more damage than a cannonball or a golem blowing itself up, while also saving up in mana. But somehow Soul Howl continued using middle level skills. The biggest difference between middle and high level skills beside their damage was the need for chanting. That could take some time, leaving the spellcaster open to be attacked, but Soul Howl clearly had the time for that, as he stood atop a fort in the rear lines. It also could not be a mana issue. As far as Mira could see, Soul Howl had no issue recing all the countless golems that blew up. Mira really could not think of any reason why Soul Howl did not use higher level skills. (I don¡¯t get it. But I also won¡¯t get any answers standing here, so maybe I should ask him directly.) Higher level skills were more effective against powerful enemies like that. Mira would also choose to summon Isenfald once, rather than having to summon hundreds of Dark Knights. If he really was trying to wear Machina Guardian down bit by bit, he would take at least one month at that rate. Maybe he actually had a different n in mind. Maybe Soul Howl already had a different higher level skill ready, and was just waiting for the ideal time to unleash it. Either way, it was best if she spoke to him directly. But first she felt like she needed to ease things up a bit for him as well. Mira entered the arena together with the Valkyrie Sisters, then formed four summoning circles and chanted. Summoning Magic: Emperor Dragon Isenfald Mira channeled her mana and activated the spell, the magic circle growing in size and glowing brighter. A dragon with silver scales stepped out from within the magic circle. ¡¸This is anotherrge enemy, but good luck, my son.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, mother!¡¹ Almost by telepathy, Isenfald quickly understood the current situation, ignoring the golems and skeletons and flying toward Machina Guardian. His first attack was his powerful dragon breath. A bright light like a sliver of the sun spread from his mouth, ready to sow pure destruction on anything it touched. It went straight to its mark, focusing on Machina Guardian. All sound vanished for an instant, before a blinding light filled the room together with a thunderous explosion. ¡¸So this is the limit of my power too¡­¡¹ Once the light faded and the tremors and echoes were gone, Mira muttered in frustration at what she saw. Summons actually were limited too, which was rted to the protective barrier applied to them the moment they stepped through the summoning magic circle. The barrier¡¯s strength was determined by the type of summon and Mira¡¯s magic power, and if it was broken the summon would be forcibly sent back. It provided safety to summons, but inadvertently also limited their power. The stronger the summoner became, the stronger the barrier, and in Mira¡¯s case the barrier did not really hinder her summons, but there was an exception. That was Isenfald. Emperor Dragons were said to have the power of a natural disaster, and Isenfald could not even output half of his power due to Mira¡¯s barrier. ¡¸Alright Alfina, I¡¯d like to talk to that man standing over there. How much time can you buy for me?¡¹ Isenfald would be a good match against Machina Guardian if he could output his full power, but that was not really possible. Mira spoke to Alfina, hoping she would at least get enough time to go talk to Soul Howl. ¡¸Five minutes¡­ no, Lord Isenfald is fighting with us, we should be able tost for ten minutes.¡¹ Alfina narrowed her eyes at her target and thought about it, before replying with a serious voice. She also understood what kind of foe they were facing, seeing Machina Guardian survive Isenfald¡¯s attack. Even if his power was below its half, Isenfald was still incredibly powerful, and his breath had blown Machina Guardian to a wall of the arena. The boss easily stood up again though, almost like it could not feel the damage. Even if they had the power to restrain the boss, everyone there knew they did not have the necessary stamina to defeat it in time. Multiple cannons fired after that, and dozens of golems blew themselves up. They were not as powerful as Isenfald¡¯s breath, but they still offered plenty of focused fire. Even if it was unexpected, Soul Howl would not waste any openings. He was unfazed by the sudden intruder, using his spells without getting distracted. ¡¸Let¡¯s go!¡¹ That also served as a signal for Alfina and her sisters to dash ahead. They plunged into the smoke from the explosions, assumed a perfect formation, and began attacking Machina Guardian. ¡¸Alright, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ Whispering that, Mira rushed toward a nearby fort.
Chapter 186: The Conditions for a Man to Act (1) Chapter 186: The Conditions for a Man to Act (1)
Mira climbed up thergest fort until she was behind Soul Howl, where she walked closer to him. ¡¸Isenfald and the Seven Valkyrie Sisters. Elder, is it a coincidence that you¡¯re here?¡¹ Before Mira could say anything, Soul Howl asked with an arrogant voice, before turning around with a smug smirk. ¡¸Hwha-?¡¹ But the instant he saw Mira he let out an almost idiotic voice, his confusion palpable. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ He finished turning around, but he was still puzzled seeing Mira. But that reaction was normal, Mira was almost the opposite of the person he had been expecting to see behind him. ¡¸Umm¡­ It¡¯s been a while, Soul Howl.¡¹ Mira acted like Mira would, not evading that gaze and just waving her hand awkwardly. Exining her current appearance was something she always struggled with, so she wanted to act as normal as she could to avoid too many questions. ¡¸It¡­ it¡¯s you, right? Elder? Did you use a Vanity Case? Why would you do that though? Did Lumi-nee influence you too much?¡¹ But things would not go the way Mira wished. Danbulf¡¯s obsessive grooming habits and the way he always valued his appearance was famous amongst the Nine Wisemen. There he stood now, transformed into someonepletely different. It was impossible not to be curious about the reason behind it. Also, Soul Howl had the habit of referring to Danbulf as Elder, and Lumi-nee was Luminaria¡­ though at first it was Lumi-niisan. ¡¸Well¡­ a lot happened, I¡¯ll exinter. We should focus on the situation at hand first, you need to get past this, yes?¡¹ Mira dodged the question, iming they would talk about itter. Her intention was to sweep everything under the rug though. ¡¸I knew it, it¡¯s no coincidence that you came.¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s eyes became suspicious as he looked at Mira, guessing that much from her words. But she replied with a quick shrug. ¡¸It¡¯s all a long story. Do you think you can win?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, of course.¡¹ The two did not seem to care too much about the smaller details and focused on the battle again. Now that they were working together the fight grew even more violent. Isenfald¡¯s attacks were slowly tearing through Machina Guardian¡¯s armor. But the enemy was not an easy foe to contain, as its many limbs seemed to always find a way to attack back. They had already weakened Isenfald¡¯s main defense, the barrier, down to half its power. Alfina and her sisters were also trying their best, but there was little they could do against the solid armor on Machina Guardian. Soul Howl¡¯s army was not falling behind either, the cannon turrets and golems ready to attack at any moment even while he talked with Mira. But the hundreds of skeletons had been decimated to just a few dozens, making it harder to serve as a distraction. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s about time now. Let¡¯s take a break. You¡­ can send everyone back and return to the entrance.¡¹ Soul Howl looked around, then gave those directions. Regardless if they were going to fight together or not, he was not going to abandon his initial n. ¡¸Hmm¡­ alright.¡¹ Mira still did not understand what Soul Howl was trying to do, but she knew he would not have entered such a reckless fight without a proper n. She quickly nodded and did as told, sending Isenfald and the Valkyrie Sisters away and then rushing to the entrance. There she turned around to see the sudden change on the battlefield. Without Isenfald and the sisters holding Machina Guardian back, it was trampling thest skeletons. The tens of turrets copsed in the blink of an eye and therge golems were shattered. Only Soul Howl¡¯s fort remained, the Armored Fortress Golem. Having destroyed all the nearby targets, Machina Guardian set its sights on Soul Howl, using its eight limbs to run through the battlefield toward him. That seemed like a hopeless situation for a single person facing the strongest raid boss. But Mira watched that without raising a finger, she knew Soul Howl had some sort of n. The mechanical limbs easily pierced the fort¡¯s reinforced walls, which repeated many times until Soul Howl¡¯s Armored Fortress Golem was full of holes. Soul Howl climbed on his bicorn and jumped off, just as the fort began to glow red and moltenva erupted from it. The power of Burial Skills scaled with the size of a golem. The Armored Fortress wasrger than amon house, so the skill was as powerful as an actual volcanic eruption, emitting heat while making a rumbling sound. Machina Guardian was quickly swallowed by theva. Soul Howl rode his bicorn all the way to the entrance, without looking back, and erected multiple golems there. They were really simplistic golems, like those a beginner necromancer would create, being only one meter tall. ¡¸Are they a measure to stop it from healing?¡¹ Mira had a hunch about what the golems were for, but she asked to be sure. Soul Howl nodded, ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ One of them would charge at Machina Guardian every nine minutes and explode. ¡¸I¡¯m employing the strategy you thought of, Elder. It¡¯s quite effective.¡¹ Soul Howl finished forming nearly fifty golems as he spoke, then threw a quick nce at the battlefield and muttered ¡¸That¡¯s twenty percent of the way there¡­¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m d to hear that.¡¹ Machina Guardian had freed itself from theva, standing there in watch. There were plenty of marks left by the previous attacks though, showing just how much abuse it had taken. ¡¸Come with me.¡¹ Soul Howl departed without waiting for a reply. ¡¸Let¡¯s have dinner then. I actually have a special dessert for you.¡¹ It was already night, and Mira said that as she followed after Soul Howl, but he turned around and red at her saying, ¡¸I¡¯ll pass if it¡¯s that red fruit.¡¹ Mira could only click her tongue. Soul Howl led Mira to arge room located around half a kilometer away from the arena. When she asked why he was staying so far away, he replied that the explosion sounds made it hard to sleep, which was something Mira could ept. Monsters would not spawn in the biggest rooms in the seventh floor which were not the arena, so they would often be used as meeting rooms to discuss the strategy before fighting the boss. Soul Howl had appropriated one of them, as there were cooking utensils and other things strewn about. ¡¸So tell me, Elder¡­ I can still call you Elder, right? So why are you here?¡¹ Even he had fallen in love with the Dinowal Store¡¯s sleeping bag, as he sat on top of one and sipped on some drink while looking questioningly at Mira. ¡¸I go by the name Mira now. You can also call me Mira.¡¹ Mira ignored Soul Howl¡¯s gaze as she replied, taking out her own sleeping bag and sitting on it like he did. ¡¸I mean it¡¯s just your appearance that changed. You¡¯re still the same.¡¹ ¡¸How kind of you.¡¹ Using the nickname he always used was easier for him. That was what came to his mind faster, and getting used to a new name would take longer. Hearing that made Mira realize that he had not changed one bit, and she started telling him about her experiences so far. How the Limited Armistice Treaty was about to expire so she was searching for the Nine Wisemen to bolster the national defenses, how she first thought of Soul Howl¡¯s stronghold, the Chalk Castle inside the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, how she used the materials there to figure out all sorts of things, eventually arriving at their current location. And she also mentioned how she was aware that Soul Howl was trying to obtain the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree to rescue a frozen woman. She did not delve into many details, but covered most of her trajectory, ending with a grinning, ¡¸And I finally caught you here.¡¹ ¡¸I see. So you already found out all of that. Good job.¡¹ It seemed like Mira¡¯s assumptions about his motives had been spot on. Soul Howl shook his head for a bit, but then smirked as he said, ¡¸You¡¯ll help me out now too then, right?¡¹ He was clearly hinting at the fact that he would return to their country once his current quest wasplete. If Mira wanted to speed up his return, she would need to assist him. ¡¸I guess so, yes.¡¹ Defeating Machina Guardian sooner would speed his affairs up, so it was best if Mira helped. She had no choice but to ept, though she had already assumed it woulde down to offering her help, just like it did with Kagura. ¡¸Can I ask you something more before we discuss your n to destroy Machina Guardian though?¡¹ Both of them knew what they had to do next. They would defeat Machina Guardian and then obtain the necessary items to create the Brilliant Chalice. Such fights were unavoidable. But Mira still wanted to ask something before that.
Chapter 186: The Conditions for a Man to Act (2) Chapter 186: The Conditions for a Man to Act (2)
¡¸What is it? If it¡¯s about the loot, just take all of it.¡¹ ¡¸Ohh, if you say so! You¡¯re so generous! Wait, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, why did you refrain from using any high level skills earlier?¡¹ They were fighting a powerful enemy, so it made no sense to hold back. Mira felt like she needed to know that before going back to the fight. ¡¸Ahh, that. I¡¯m in a limited state, I can¡¯t use my full power.¡¹ Soul Howl replied with an indifferent voice, almost like it was something without importance. ¡¸What do you mean with limited? How did that even happen?¡¹ That was the first time Mira ever heard of someone being unable to use high level skills due to an external force, so she wanted to know more details. After thinking about it for a bit, he started saying, ¡¸Right, you saw that woman, right?¡¹ The frozen woman in Soul Howl¡¯s stronghold was tied to whatever was impeding him to use his high level skills. That woman had a carved seal on her back, known as both the curse of hades, and the devil¡¯s blessing. To stop that from having an effect on her, he had used a spell on her to stop her time and cut her off from thews of nature. That was why she looked frozen to Mira. The spell that allowed him to do that, Gaol of the Afterlife, was a taboo spell that forcefully twisted reality, so as long as it was active it impeded him from using any high level skill. ¡¸What¡­ then you¡¯ve been in that state ever since you embarked on this quest to create the Brilliant Chalice?¡¹ Medium level skills could be plenty powerful when used by the Nine Wisemen. But ording to the decoded recipe for the Brilliant Chalice, he had already fought various other powerful foes simr to Machina Guardian to get this far. Considering his strength that seemed realistic enough, but if he had been limited to medium level skills that entire time then it also seemed quite reckless. Just thinking about it made Mira feel like she was staring into an endless abyss, that condition was too harsh. ¡¸Nah, that¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just like a challenge run, and I know you love restraints like that, Elder. Just think of it as a long running one.¡¹ That was still an extreme condition, even for a challenge run, but Soul Howl dismissed it like it was nothing. His eyes were filled with so much determination that it did not seem like he regretted all the effort it took. ¡¸I see¡­ so that girl is that important to you. You¡¯ve changed, falling in love with a living girl of blood and flesh. I guess time does that to everyone.¡¹ Hearing about all the hardships Soul Howl was enduring, Mira felt a bit surprised by that change, while also being quite happy he had finally outgrown his strange quirks. But that did notst long. ¡¸Hold up, hold up, hold up, who fell in love with what? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I¡¯d need to be crazy to feel attracted to someone like her. She¡¯s just a loudmouthed religionist.¡¹ Soul Howl scowled, detesting just thinking about the idea of feeling such attraction for that woman. ¡¸Huh¡­ what do you mean? Isn¡¯t she your beloved? Haven¡¯t you been working day in and day out because your emotions drive you mad..?¡¹ The devil¡¯s carved seal was said to bring certain death. Knowing that fate awaited the love of his life, Soul Howl embarked on an arduous journey to save her while sacrificing his strongest power in the form of high level skills. That sounded almost like a fairy tale, and Mira assumed it was what happened. Even the absent Solomon thought so. ¡¸That woman? Not in a million years. Even if live women were all I could pick, she¡¯d be thest one I¡¯d consider.¡¹ Soul Howl did not even look embarrassed, he genuinely rejected the idea from the bottom of his heart. Once Mira asked what he meant, he exined how that woman was part of a sect that firmly believed he should properly bury the female bodies he collected. That group had started gaining momentum around ten years before, and Soul Howl had been unlucky enough to get spotted while he was retrieving the body of a woman. The woman tailed him to find his stronghold, where she constantly harassed him telling him all the remains should be allowed to rest in peace and other idealistic sermons. In the end she even started trying to forcibly cremate the remains without permission, making things get out of hand. ¡¸They do sound like an annoying cult.¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s stronghold was located below a C rank dungeon, so that woman must have been a zealous believer to go that far just to try lecturing Soul Howl. ¡¸That¡¯s giving them more credit than they deserve. They¡¯re just a bunch of vandals disguised as a cult.¡¹ Everyone in this world knew how dangerous the wild was, as monsters often spawned in areas outside of cities. There were nows on how to treat bodies found outside, be it to bury them, loot their belongings, or use them for necromancy, so whatever Soul Howl decided to do with them usually was not frowned upon either. Former yers like Mira had some moral issues with that, but as it was consideredmon sense in this world there was little they could do. There were not enough people to deal with that issue either way. But then the sect the frozen woman belonged to appeared. They wanted to promote the proper burial of remains, and get their belongings returned to rtives. They believed that would ease the sorrow of those left behind. Even bodies in remote locations would eventually be found, and eventually buried in their hometown. Those were their core beliefs. In a way they did that mostly for the living, rather than the dead. That sect was also aligned quite closely with the moral viewpoints of former yers, so Mira did not hold the same disgust Soul Howl had for them. She simply felt like the frozen woman was a bit too obsessed with those ideas. But to Soul Howl they were nothing but ransackers who wanted to destroy the treasure he had spent years building up. ¡¸It¡¯s rare for you to openly dislike someone that much. Usually you were just apathetic to those you dislike.¡¹ ¡¸I have no choice. She¡¯s wrong in the head, I tried staying away but she just kept running after me, and she was always smiling too. It was actually scary.¡¹ Soul Howl looked like he was in pain just thinking back to all of it. ¡¸I can tell she was a mighty foe from your reaction.¡¹ Mira snickered seeing Soul Howl in such a rare state. Then she took a step closer to him. ¡¸And yet here you are, doing everything you can to save that woman you seem to detest so much. I can tell you¡¯ve changed.¡¹ From what Mira gathered, Soul Howl would gain nothing from saving her. There had to be a reason he was going that far to save her too, though maybe he simply could not bring himself to let her be. Or at least that was the main reason Mira could think about. It was normal wanting to save someone¡¯s life, no matter what their previous rtionship was. If the woman was actually evil it would be a different story, but if she was just following her beliefs then it was hard to fault her. Over the course of their long friendship Mira had noticed that Soul Howl¡¯s moral disposition was in a bit of a gray zone. Life and death had next to no difference to him, and he believed anyone was free to choose whether to be alive or dead. He did not like hearing people trying to change that. But now he had embarked on a long and arduous journey to save a woman that he did not like, but actively despised. Mira did not feel like that was something he would usually do, but time could change people. Soul Howl only frowned more hearing that , instantly denying it saying, ¡¸I haven¡¯t changed.¡¹ Then he added, ¡¸It¡¯s just because she was crying.¡¹ The woman had always been really loud and insistent, but with time she became quieter as the devil¡¯s carved seal weakened her further. Some days after that she finally started to show a more vulnerable side. ¡¸She kept crying about her inevitable demise, scared of death. And that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. I¡¯m a necromancer she detests, so I¡¯ll rub it in her face that it was me who saved her!¡¹ Soul Howlughed loudly as he dered that. Assuring Mira that the woman¡¯s tears had not moved him whatsoever. Then he continued exining his n, almost like he wasing up with an excuse. Ultimately it would be the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree that would save her life, but he would use plenty of necromancy to obtain the chalice. The spell that had frozen her in time was also necromancy. So it was no exaggeration to im necromancy had saved her life. But it sounded too much like an excuse. ¡¸Ahh, I see. I understand, definitely.¡¹ Mira was not deceived and just looked at him with lenient eyes, she knew he had grown a soft spot for the woman. Even though his views on life and death were twisted, if someone in need pleaded in front of him, he would alwayse up with a ridiculous excuse to use all his power to help. Seeing her cry while being scared of death was enough to get Soul Howl moving. But at the same time Mira understood that he had really not changed at all.
Chapter 187: The Truth of the Carved Seal (1) Chapter 187: The Truth of the Carved Seal (1)
¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s leave the details for another time and get some food.¡¹ Soul Howl decided to change topics there and focused on making dinner. He gathered the cooking utensils in the room and turned his back to Mira. It was obvious he was trying to hide his true feelings. ¡¸In that case I have something even better!¡¹ Mira also felt like there was no need to keep pressing him for answers, so she cleared her mind and stood up triumphantly. ¡¸I already told you I don¡¯t want the red fruit.¡¹ He replied with a cold gaze. Mira shook her head with a nuh-uh before grinning teasingly. ¡¸It¡¯s not something to eat. I¡¯m talking about equipment.¡¹ Mira grinned even more as she quickly summoned the spirit mansion next to them. A small building appeared. Soul Howl said a quick ¡¸Oh?¡¹ and looked at it with curiosity. ¡¸Now this is interesting. Is it a new summon?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I got it from a mansion¡¯s Man-Made Spirit. I¡¯ve only had it for a few days, but it¡¯s proven its use plenty of times already.¡¹ Mira acted all arrogant with it, but Soul Howl acted like he could not see her and instead reached for the mansion¡¯s doorknob. ¡¸Hm? It won¡¯t open.¡¹ He frowned, the door would not open, no matter whether he turned the knob in one direction or the other, or he pulled or pushed. ¡¸What do you mean? It should be working.¡¹ Mira ran up to the door and pulled on the doorknob, easily opening it. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯ll only open for the owner then?¡¹ ¡¸I never tested that, but that¡¯s probably it.¡¹ After that exchange, the two were filled with curiosity to figure out the intricacies of the spirit mansion. In the end they concluded that the door, as well as all devices within the mansion could only be operated by Mira, or people with explicit permission from Mira. ¡¸This mansion is really loyal to its owner, huh. Anyway, give me permission to shower then.¡¹ Wanting to take a refreshing shower was part of human nature. Once they were done experimenting, Soul Howl began undressing in front of the shower room while asking Mira for permission. ¡¸I guess I can. You have permission to shower.¡¹ A sense of superiority was starting to take root in Mira¡¯s heart as she allowed him to shower. He replied with a quick ¡¸Thank you, thank you,¡¹ and vanished inside the shower room. (Now, dinner¡­ he can make it!) Mira ced her special sleeping bag on the floor and reclined on it. She was hungry but did not touch anything rted to food. There was a reason for that, Soul Howl¡¯s secret talent was cooking. She did not feel like there was arge difference between cooking for one person or two, so she decided she would let him use her kitchen under the condition he cooked for both of them. (I can just take a shower while he cooks, and everything will work out perfectly!) She started snickering just thinking about what wonderful meal would await her at the end of a refreshing shower. At the same time she tried to recall what dishes Soul Howl excelled at. But something interrupted those fantasies. ¡ºOoookay Lord Sym, am I connected now then? Mira, Miraaaa, can you hear meeee?¡» A voice rang inside of Mira¡¯s head. ¡ºWhat?! Wait that voice¡­ is that you Martel?¡» Mira had started getting used to the Spirit King¡¯s voice appearing out of nowhere. But she was shocked hearing a different voice appear in a simr manner. It was Martel, the Originator Spirit. Mira could tell from her mannerisms and voice. The response produced an excited response from Martel, ¡ºAh, Mira! This is so incredible! We¡¯re actually talking to each other!¡» ¡ºMy apologies, Mira. She kept nagging at me telling me it was not fair that only I got to talk to you.¡» After Martel¡¯s excited response, the Spirit King also spoke. Apparently he had been experiencing Mira¡¯s adventure through her senses like always when Martel started talking to him and distracting him. In a way he regretted missing parts of Mira¡¯s adventure now. But while they were talking, they started to discuss how Martel could also talk to Mira, and not just the Spirit King. The main point was that Martel could talk to Mira whenever the Spirit King was also talking to her, so basically the only way was for her to join their conversation. ¡ºIsn¡¯t that good though? Maybe your insight can be useful sometime as well.¡» This meant she had two consultants with ancient knowledge at her disposal. She was already looking forward to learning new things from them, but also was slightly worried they could get noisy. ¡ºBy the way, I think there¡¯s someone else with you? Did we interrupt something?¡» ¡ºWait, is that so? I¡¯m really sorry Mira.¡» The Spirit King heard the sound of watering from the shower and understood there was someone else there with Mira. ¡ºDon¡¯t worry about it. He¡¯s taking a shower right now, and I doubt he¡¯ll being out any time soon.¡» Mira knew Soul Howl enjoyed taking long baths, so even his showers would be lengthy. ¡ºYou talk like you know him quite well. Is that the person you were looking for then? You found him just while I was distracted¡­¡» From the information the Spirit King had gleaned so far, he understood that Mira was searching for a good friend of hers. He had been looking forward to seeing them reunite, but Martel had distracted him and he missed that moment. ¡ºOh, so you were searching for someone this entire time?¡» Martel¡¯s voice followed right after, almost like she was trying to drown out the Spirit King¡¯s. ¡ºYes, he¡¯s trying to build the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. I¡¯ve been following his steps and finally caught him here.¡» ¡ºOhh! Making that chalice is a really challenging task to attempt.¡» Martel raised her voice in shock hearing Mira¡¯s brief exnation. She knew what that item was, being an Originator Spirit. She even knew all the steps of the recipe, and how tricky they were to aplish. Hearing that someone had gotten this far on his own was impressive. ¡ºI find it impressive he even considered making that in the first ce. I feel like all of your friends are rather strange personages.¡» Even the Spirit King was impressed. All the steps necessary for the chalice were consideredplex even for him. Hearing that gave Mira a different idea. Both the Spirit King and Martel seemed familiar with the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree, so maybe they also knew whether it actually had the power to nullify the devil¡¯s carved seal. So far that had only been posed as a theory, but had never been verified. Soul Howl had proceeded without knowing whether it would really work. Though then again, there was nothing else with a chance of working. ¡ºBy the way, can I ask something?¡» Was the n going to work? Or¡­ Mira braced herself as both the Spirit King and Martel told her to ask ahead. Still, she kept hoping that Soul Howl¡¯s efforts would be rewarded. So she asked whether the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree could nullify the devil¡¯s carved seal. ¡ºThe devil¡¯s carved seal, you say¡­¡» The Spirit King sounded pensive. Hearing that made Mira begin to think he was about to give her terrible news, so she braced herself even more. But those worries were dissipated almost instantly. ¡ºWhat is this devil¡¯s carved seal you¡¯re talking about?¡» ¡ºI¡¯ve never heard about it either.¡» Both of them had never heard about it. ¡ºWhat¡­¡» Both of them had lived for nearly the same time as this world existed, but somehow they were ignorant about the devil¡¯s carved seal. Mira¡¯s shock at that realization was immeasurable. ¡ºYou know¡­ it¡¯s that mark, I think they also call it the curse of hades or the devil¡¯s blessing¡­ that carved seal.¡» Mira tried to exin a bit more, but neither of them had a clue what she was referring to. But then she realized what was going wrong, both the curse of hades and the devil¡¯s blessing were names coined by former yers. The devil¡¯s carved seal was also a name former yers used for convenience; they had never figured out what its proper in-universe name was. So Mira decided it was best to describe it in as much detail as she could. The seal would suddenly appear one day, carved into the skin of the victim. It looked like a star with six points, surrounded by various glyphs and shapes, while the characters XV appeared in the center. Anyone with that mark suffered an unnatural death after a short time, and there was always the shadow of a devil nearby. After Mira ryed all the knowledge she had about the previous appearances of the carved seal, she also mentioned why Soul Howl was trying to get the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree, and the frozen woman at the bottom of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. That was followed by a moment of silence before the Spirit King gave an unexpected reply. ¡ºIsn¡¯t that Stigmata then?¡» Stigmata was a name given to strange scars of unknown origin that appeared on immensely devout people. That did not seem like the right word used for something rted to the devils of old, and even less for the current ones. But Martel also seemed to agree with the Spirit King¡¯s conclusion. Most people associated that term with something holy, something that brought to mind angels every time and never devils. That applied to Mira as well. ¡ºStigmata..? I thought that was supposed to be some holy mark¡­¡» Mira hadpleted various events in the game days, and every time the devil¡¯s carved seal appeared there was never a semnce of divine presence nearby. Still, the Spirit King and Martel agreed that all the features Mira described were those of Stigmata.
Chapter 187: The Truth of the Carved Seal (2) Chapter 187: The Truth of the Carved Seal (2)
¡ºI guess to a human it would certainly look like a curse.¡» With that preface, the Spirit King exined what Stigmata was. That mark was something that appeared oncetent divine power was awakened inside someone¡¯s soul. The name came from that, a mark produced from the power of a true God. But unlike in many legends and myths, that power did not appear thanks to some God¡¯s prank, help, or favor, but essentially by random chance. ¡ºMira¡­ do you remember that night when we saw off so many of my kin?¡» ¡ºYes, I remember it vividly.¡» Mira slowly nodded hearing the Spirit King¡¯s solemn voice. She remembered seeing that stream of light far away in the sky. ¡ºThe Heavenly Nirvana Shrine where souls go to rest that I mentioned that night exists adjacent to the divine realm. That creates an opening where small quantities of divine power can slip through sometimes.¡» That divine power would get attached to nearby souls with the right affinity. Beingpatible with divine power sounded like a lucky trait to have, but the Spirit King exined that reality was often ironic. Having divine power attached to one¡¯s soul was not much of an issue in itself. It could easily remain there for a person¡¯s entire life, never doing anything as there was no way for them to even know about its presence or how to activate it. In some cases, and after enough time, it could end up getting tangled more closely with the soul and bringing forth blessings, or it could enter someone¡¯s mana pool, allowing them to use it better. ¡ºMira, have you ever met anyone with the power to cure any ailment, or perform healing miracles?¡» ¡ºHealing miracles¡­ yes, I feel like there was someone like that in Alispharius. Though that was thirty years ago.¡» Mira recalled meeting someone like that during a quest in Alispharius. The source of that ability was divine power, which usually manifested as some form of healing. But that did not mean that controlling it in that way was easy at all, in most cases those figments of divine power would be dispersed during death, when soul and body separated. Death was such a destructive phenomenon that it could even crush divine power. There was a third option though. That dormant divine power could end up being activated under very specific conditions, which led to the appearance of Stigmata. ¡ºSo that frozen girl I saw somehow fulfilled those conditions too.¡» ¡ºThat seems likely, yes. The divine power tried to take form in the best way it could as it was awoken, which was the star, and the various symbols. But a human body can hardly contain such power, so it tore through her skin and resulted in what you saw.¡» Hearing that much, Mira also started to be convinced that the devil¡¯s carved seal was the same thing as Stigmata. Next she asked what the conditions for Stigmata to activate were. The Spirit King said thatrgely there were two ways. One was through interference by a simr source of divine power. When such a source was nearby, the small figment attached to the soul would start to resonate and grow, leading to its eventual activation. The swelling of the divine power would also exert pressure on the soul, which led to the person feeling weaker or even sick. The other condition was essentially the opposite of the first one, the presence of evil power. If something like that was near the person with divine power, it would activate in response, trying to oppose the evil power. ¡ºHmm¡­ then she also had to meet one of those two criteria then.¡» ¡ºThat should be safe to assume. The question is which, but that¡¯s not so easy to determine. I wonder which kind of power this woman you talk of came into contact with.¡» The first condition required contact with power from a God, or maybe an angel. The other required evil power, which included all sorts of cursed items, or the power of current devils. Both were incredibly rare things, and it was hard to identify them as well. All in all, the chances of someone with divine power attached to their soul developing Stigmata were incredibly low. But it had happened to the woman. Somehow she had managed to fulfill those rare requirements by chance. (That reminds me, there was a devil near Soul Howl¡¯s stronghold.) Mira started thinking it could have been the second option, but then recalled the story Soul Howl had told. That woman pestered him constantly, but the severity had started to dwindle at some point. Shortly after that the devil¡¯s carved seal, Stigmata, manifested. The gradual change could be attributed to the divine power swelling and oppressing her soul, weakening her body. In that case she had note in contact with evil power, but resonance with divine power had been the cause. ¡ºI think she might havee in contact with divine power somewhere. My friend mentioned she¡¯s part of some new cult, so maybe the power of some divine relic caused it?¡» Mira posed that theory, but the Spirit King said it was unlikely. ¡ºI won¡¯t deny the possibility. But something with enough power to infiltrate the soul and make such a dormant figment resonate would need to be on the level of a God¡¯s Vessel or greater. I don¡¯t know the extent of the new cult you mention, but for a relic to gain such power requires thirty thousand years at the least. And that while being supported by believers on par with the Three Gods church. The relic would need to possess unrivaled power.¡» ¡ºI doubt that¡¯s the case, or rather, that¡¯d be impossible¡­¡» Divine relics increased in power with faith just like Gods did. But that also involved an extremely long time and number of believers. A brand new sect could not aplish that. ¡ºIt could be possible if it¡¯s not a newly ascended divine relic though.¡» Rather than venerating a new relic, sometimes items that already possessed some power were used. But even then it was rare for them to reach the point of activating Stigmata like on the woman. Items considered Vessels of Gods were extremely rare. That much was clear with how much yers used to war against each other for them back in the day. They had a firm hold on the highest position atop all categories of items, treasures of divine worth. Sometimes their very existence was debated, as all stories or rumors of people finding them were always proven to be lies. Many yers, including Mira¡¯s circle of friends, had traversed the entire continent while decoding ancient texts, but had not found even a hint of a God¡¯s Vessel. In the end there was no proof anyone had ever been able to obtain one, so they decided maybe only NPCs could use them, and the best items yers had were legendary ones. Currently Mira only knew the location of those belonging to the Three Gods. The rest were still a mystery, which also went to show how rare they were. If a relic became that powerful, then the news would spread through the entire continent like wildfire. Then what about the other condition? What were the chances she came in contact with something evil? Items with such power were moremon, and the divine power in the woman¡¯s soul could have reacted to that. But then her declining health could not be exined. But at least it was safe to rule out the sect she was a part of. A God¡¯s Vessel or another item of equal power was needed to awaken the divine power through resonance. (That reminds me, I heard of a relic being lost before. Maybe that¡¯s involved somehow?) She was thinking of Hammer to Hades, a relic which was believed to have been used to find the coffin to seal demons. The current theory was that the relic was still in the hands of a devil, the presence of which would have activated Stigmata long before the relic could. As Mira mulled things over, she came across another question. ¡ºBy the way, I¡¯m convinced that the devil¡¯s carved seal is Stigmata, but why is it that everyone who gets marked meets an untimely demise?¡» Whenever that mark appeared on someone, they would end up dying, with a devil nearby. That was the reason why former yers called it the curse of hades or devil¡¯s blessing. It actually was caused by divine power though. That led to Mira¡¯s questioning of a devil¡¯s involvement every time. ¡ºI think that can be exined fairly easily. As I mentioned before, sometimes people actually learn to utilize the divine power in them.¡» The Spirit King exined what he believed the thought pattern of devils was. Stigmata appeared when one¡¯s dormant shard of divine power was awakened. That also meant that the person had been unable to control it thus far, so it just freed itself. Devils held power opposite to that, so they would notice whenever someone was marked. Usually Stigmata ended up consuming those marked even if the devils left them untouched, but once in a blue moon they would learn to control the divine power. Even if they were figments of power, that was still a major threat to devils. So the Spirit King theorized that devils would exterminate anyone with Stigmata as soon as they were detected, just to avoid those edge cases. ¡ºWhen you put it that way it does make sense.¡» Stigmata, a symbol of divine power that spelled doom for those it blessed as it attracted devils whenever it appeared. The Spirit King¡¯s theory made sense, so Mira felt like it was safe to take it as fact.
Chapter 188: Stigmata and the Brilliant Chalice (1) Chapter 188: Stigmata and the Brilliant Chalice (1)
¡ºBut if a divine relic wasn¡¯t the cause, what could¡¯ve been?¡» The conversation returned to figuring out what could have triggered Stigmata to manifest. Mira had been in the incredible position to be allowed near the Vessels of the Three Gods, but the members of a newly founded cult would never get anywhere close to that. If an angel like Tiriel had been near her, they would have also felt the divine power about to manifest as Stigmata, so they would certainly keep a distance to avoid a disastrous end. ¡ºSo there must have been something there¡­¡» The woman had been loud at first, but then slowly became weaker. After a lot of thought, Mira started to look at her symptoms differently. Her health only got worse when she went after Soul Howl¡¯s stronghold. That was deep in the Ancient Temple. A temple¡­ it made sense if an item that could trigger Stigmata was held there. Then there was therge hole they found beneath the Chalk Castle, which was located on the lowest floor of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. A devil had been doing something there too, adding to the ce¡¯s mysteries. So Mira told Martel and the Spirit King about that too, hoping to gain some insight. But surprisingly enough, for the second time that day, both of them had no idea what she was talking about. ¡ºThe Ancient Temple Nevrapolis¡­ I don¡¯t remember hearing that name before.¡» ¡¸I¡¯m sorry Mira, but I don¡¯t know of that ce either. I do know various temples all over the Three Gods¡¯ Countries though.¡¹ ¡¸How could this be¡­¡¹ Martel and the Spirit King were living encyclopedias, but they did not seem to know much about human structures and history. But the Spirit King found it humorous, mentioning how humans would build all sorts of things in all sorts of ces, making it difficult to keep track of everything. (I guess I¡¯ll have to ask someone else who knows a lot about that ce.) Thinking that, Mira stood up and went to the door leading into the shower room. The person who knew that ce the best was him, Soul Howl, who built his stronghold there. He had been living there for some time, so he could have an idea of an object possessing divine power. Or at least that was what Mira hoped. ¡¸Soul Howl, can I ask you something real quick?¡¹ But there was no response, only the rain-like sound of the shower. So Mira raised her voice even louder and began banging on the door. That finally reached him, and the sound of water stopped. ¡¸What do you want to ask?¡¹ Saying that, Soul Howl opened the door and looked at Mira, not making the slightest effort to conceal his naked body. Soul Howl¡¯s body was quite toned, his muscles clearly defined, though that was impossible to see before while he wore his robe. There were many scars dotted all over too, showing he had truly lived as a warrior thus far. He was also quite tall, so he naturally had to look down to see Mira. Such a situation would make any normal woman beet red with embarrassment, but Mira was obviously an exception. ¡¸I¡¯m just curious about something. Is there anything in that ancient temple you live in that has a holy or divine feel to it?¡¹ Mira calmly asked as she looked up at Soul Howl¡¯s face, she had absolutely no interest in a male¡¯s body, or rather, she did not even seem to notice he was naked. They looked like a young man and woman under the same roof, but one only liked undead girls, and the other was a perverted old man. Both knew the other¡¯s personality, so there was no room for any sort of misunderstanding to spark. ¡¸Something holy or divine? That¡¯s a really ambiguous question, but hmm¡­¡¹ He muttered as he went into deep thought, but after a while he just said, ¡¸I can¡¯t think of anything like that.¡¹ ¡¸Though well, if anything I guess that castle would be something, it¡¯s all white and stuff. But why are you asking this so out of the blue?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just trying to sift through the information I have, nothing big. I¡¯ll tell you when Ie to a conclusion, sorry for interrupting.¡¹ Mira returned to her sleeping bag, lying on it as she began thinking about everything again. The Chalk Castle had been there as far as she remembered, so it felt almost like a background prop to her, but it was arge and serene building. She recalled it being arge castle of pure white with no blemishes, in a way it almost resembled the Divine Spiritual Crystals she had seen earlier. ¡ºHow about a castle that¡¯s entirely built out of Divine Spiritual Crystals?¡» Divine Spiritual Crystals were put in ce by the Gods wherever they felt their intervention was necessary, in a way they were almost as important as a divine relic. Mira started to think that arge structure built of a divine material like that could easily have the necessary presence to trigger Stigmata, but the response was moreplex than she expected. ¡ºIn terms of raw divine power, yes, it would be enough to instigate Stigmata to appear. But Divine Spirit Crystals are almost always used to seal something, so their power isrgely contained and doesn¡¯t affect the surroundings. Even if an entire castle is made of them, there would be no way for the divine power to leak and resonate with that inside of someone¡¯s soul.¡» ¡¸Hrngh¡­¡¹ Mira¡¯s head plunged onto the sleeping bag as she groaned, her idea being rejected. Then Martel spoke again. ¡ºI¡¯m still wondering what that devil was doing there though.¡» The suspicious circr hole they found underground still intrigued Martel. Maybe some divine object had been taken out from there, or destroyed there. The Spirit King was also convinced that something must have been buried there and was no longer present, due to the devil. ¡ºThat¡¯s true. If there wasn¡¯t anything in the Chalk Castle or above, it must¡¯ve been below.¡» There was a high likelihood that the object that triggered Stigmata in the frozen woman had been in that underground space. After considering all other options, the three converged on that theory. Sadly Mira did not possess any more information about that. ¡ºBy the way, is Stigmata even treatable with the Brilliant Chalice¡¯s power then?¡» Realizing they were at a dead end, Mira remembered why she even brought up everything in the start. The devil, Stigmata, the conditions for its manifestation, it all had stemmed from that original question. ¡ºOhh, right, that was your question.¡» ¡ºOh, we really strayed far from your question.¡» The two replied like that, their voices cheerful as they had enjoyed the conversation. But soon after the Spirit King gave a proper reply, saying it more than likely could do something about it. ¡ºAs I mentioned earlier, Stigmata is divine power that has awoken, which once aroused can¡¯t be made dormant again. Either it consumes the host¡¯s body, or a devil takes notice and hunts the host down.¡» The Spirit King briefly summarized what he had mentioned earlier, before mentioning what the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree could do about it. The surge of divine power was essentially in a critical state, so the way to deal with it was to find a way to subdue it and put it under control again. And the means to do that, was the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree. Soul Howl¡¯s idea had been pretty much on the mark. The only big difference was that it would not exactly cure Stigmata, but simply return it to its proper state.
Chapter 188: Stigmata and the Brilliant Chalice (2) Chapter 188: Stigmata and the Brilliant Chalice (2)
The Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree, the most powerful healing item only craftable after following countlessplex steps. Onceplete, it had nearly god-like power, just as its name suggested. That power could not be used for misceneous things though, it was purely focused on healing. In a way that was exactly why it was perfect to solve Soul Howl¡¯s dilemma. Stigmata was a symbol that tore through the skin as it manifested. As it was borne out of divine power,mon medicine and holy magic were not powerful enough to contrarest its effects. But the Brilliant Chalice had a simr type of power, so it could actually get Stigmata under control. By healing the wounds, the divine power would lose its shape, so it would naturally attempt to resurface again. By using the Brilliant Chalice further, it was possible to channel that divine power and mold it into shape to manifest as healing power, just like the chalice. ¡ºIf everything works well and the host¡¯s body bes limated to the divine power, the person can gain immense power. But as that was aplished through the Brilliant Chalice, it¡¯ll only manifest as healing miracles.¡» Divine power was too immense for humans to handle properly, but humans also have the ability to adapt greatly. If one learned to control that power, they could reach the heights of various disciplines. When aided by the Brilliant Chalice one could only obtain healing powers though. ¡ºThat seems like a more than sensiblepromise. Only someone desperate to be some form of hero would wager their life for a small chance to gain a different type of power.¡» Having a chance to gain incredible power did not mean everyone got it. In most cases they would sumb to the overwhelming divine power instead, as it was something that exceeded human understanding. Choosing the solution guaranteed to work was clearly more prudent. ¡ºThat¡¯s a rather extreme way of putting it, but yes, that¡¯s basically true, Mira.¡» Humans would often gamble their own safety, disregarding prudence and charging on recklessly. Seeding would make everything worth it, but failure could be disastrous. Sadly only those who seeded left their names in history, perpetuating the cycle of inspiring others to be reckless as well. The Spirit King sighed andughed drily, having heard such stories countless times. The devil¡¯s carved seal was actually Stigmata, but knowing what it was did not change the fact that anyone marked was in serious danger of dying. Luckily there was a way to treat it now. (Either way, getting the Brilliant Chalice won¡¯t be a waste of time then, or rather that¡¯s the best way to treat Stigmata. That¡¯s a relief to hear.) Mira was d to hear Soul Howl¡¯s efforts would not go to waste. But then she thought of something else. (Is he aware of that space, I wonder?) She was thinking of therge cave underneath the Chalk Castle, and whether Soul Howl knew of it. The entrance was extremely concealed, but he had been living there for a long time, so maybe he had discovered it already. And if he went down there, maybe he knew what had been there before the devil came. That could also be a clue as to what triggered Stigmata. The cause was not too important now that she knew how to cure it, but she was still curious. Mira stood up and walked to the shower room¡¯s door again to ask another question. ¡¸Something¡¯s wrong!¡¹ Before her knuckles hit the door, Soul Howl leaped out while shouting loudly. ¡¸Woah?!¡¹ Mira did her best to dodge, managing to get out of the way enough to avoid a direct hit, but she also tripped and fell down. She managed to turn that into a roll to lessen the impact, but that left her skirtpletely turned up. Still her first reaction was to shout ¡¸What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?!¡¹ ¡¸Ah, sorry for that. But this is an emergency.¡¹ His apology did not ring sincere, and instead he focused on getting dressed as fast as he could. ¡¸I think you have a bit of an emergency too, but mine takes priority.¡¹ He looked at Mira when he was done, noticing her fully exposed underwear and chuckling to himself, but the smile quickly turned to stress again. ¡¸Don¡¯t keep me waiting then, what happened?¡¹ Mira could tell Soul Howl was in distress, so she swallowed any furtherints as she sprang on her feet and straightened her clothes. Meanwhile Soul Howl took out a mana potion and downed it in one go before exining, ¡¸All my golems have been defeated instantly.¡¹ ¡¸What¡­¡¹ He had left fifty golems in the arena, which would attack one after another in staggered intervals. Considering the time when they left, there should still be forty remaining, but they had been wiped out in an instant. That qualified as an emergency. The golems left were the most simple ones for necromancers, so monsters in an area with an A rank of difficulty could defeat them easily. But they had been created by Soul Howl, who possessed power roughly equal to Mira¡¯s, so his golems were far more resilient, and they were the reason Soul Howl gained the nickname of Great Wall. Defeating forty of them simultaneously was no easy feat. But that was exactly what had just happened, for a reason unknown to them. ¡¸Do you think the Prowler passed through?¡¹ ¡¸That could be, but still¡­¡¹ ¡¸I know, it still wouldn¡¯t exin it.¡¹ One possibility crossed both of their minds, something called the Mechanical Prowler. It patrolled the entire seventh floor, and mercilessly hunted down anything that was not a monster. It was the strongest enemy of the Ancient Underground City, barring the Machina Guardian that was considered a raid boss, and was the one entity no adventurer in the dungeon ever wanted to face. Something still felt off though. While the Mechanical Prowler posed a threat, Mira and Soul Howl should be able to defeat it if they were careful. On top of that, it did not have anyrge scale attack that could defeat forty golems at once. ¡¸We won¡¯t be able to stop the boss from healing now, so we have no choice but to go check what happened.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right, I just hope we get there before Machina Guardian enters its healing phase.¡¹ It was a bizarre situation, but if they left things as they were, Machina Guardian would heal all the damage they had just inflicted. So the two went back to the arena to check what happened, while being cautious of their surroundings.
Chapter 189: Blaze (1) Chapter 189: ze (1)
There had been fifty golems standing by in the corridor in front of the arena, which would enter one after another to stop Machina Guardian from healing. But Soul Howl noticed they had all been destroyed simultaneously. Mira followed him out of the room they were in, rushing to the arena while looking out for the Mechanical Prowler. They moved through the corridor and made various turns, two more corners and they would be in thest stretch leading to the arena. There they noticed something. ¡¸Say, isn¡¯t there a burnt smell in the air?¡¹ Mira called it a burnt smell, but it was closer to the heat and slight scent thates off a pan left on the fire. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve also been wondering what that smell is.¡¹ Soul Howl had also noticed that, sniffing as his gaze became sharper. It was clearlying from ahead of them. Things were even stranger than before, so the two became even more watchful of their step as they got closer to see what had happened. They went past the next corner, and now there was only one left before their destination. But when they reached thest corner, both of them stood still, looking at the wall. ¡¸What in the world¡­ How can such a thing even happen..?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know, but this clearly isn¡¯t normal.¡¹ The walls of the entire floor were made of some white metal, but the walls in front of them were charred ck. ¡¸I can only think of skeletons that use fire magic, but are there any nearby?¡¹ From the ck soot on the wall, the burnt smell, and the lingering heat, Mira deduced that this had been caused by some type of fire. The only enemy that could use such attacks in the seventh floor were skeletons that fought with fire spells. But Soul Howl shook his head, saying there were none like that nearby. Necromancers had the ability to sense any nearby undead monsters, so Soul Howl had already checked for that. ¡¸Not just that, but I can¡¯t feel any remnants of mana either. I don¡¯t think this was caused by a spell or magic.¡¹ His eyes carefully looked ahead as he continued talking. Spells were all the skills used by the nine sses of spellcasters. Magic was used by monsters, dragons, spirits, and some specific races. ¡¸Hmm¡­ mana remnants¡­¡¹ Both magic and spells required mana to be activated, and would always leave lingering traces. By searching for them it was possible to determine whether magic or a spell had been used in an area recently. A skill known as Sorcerer¡¯s Watchful Eye was needed to detect mana remnants. Said skill did not exist during the game days, it was a new skill that had been developed during thest thirty years. She had only learned about it recently from the Encyclopedia of Skills though, which she had been reading thest few days. The skill itself did not requireplex knowledge or training, so she had already mastered it. ¡¸Hmm, yes, there¡¯s no remnants here.¡¹ Mira tried her best to look like an experienced spellcaster, acting like knowing that spell was something she had done her entire life. ¡¸We won¡¯t figure anything out without getting closer.¡¹ Being watchful of whatever could be ahead, Soul Howl built an iron golem and let it walk in front of them. ¡¸I don¡¯t remember the Prowler using fire attacks. Maybe there¡¯s a new variant.¡¹ Mira also summoned a Holy Knight just in case, and let it walk ahead. ¡¸A new variant¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve seen some while visiting various dungeons, and some of those were unusually stronger as well. Not to mention that they always were at the furthest ends of dungeons like here.¡¹ New variants was the term they used to refer to monsters that did not exist in that world back when it was a game. Ever since it became reality, those had been spotted much more frequently. Usually Mira was excited to hear about new variants, wanting to see them herself. But this time she hoped that was not the case. ¡¸Somehow¡­ I don¡¯t really feel like going too far now¡­¡¹ The seventh floor was known for having the Mechanical Prowler, an enemy so powerful even the Nine Wisemen had to be careful. If it had evolved into a powerful new variant, it was hard to say just how strong it would be. (And I can¡¯t exactly summon a thousand Dark Knights in here.) Summoning an army was one of Mira¡¯s trump cards, but the corridors were so narrow that an army would be restricted from moving. The same went forrger summons like Isenfald. (Though I could do it in the room from earlier.) If things got ugly, Mira decided they could just lure whatever enemyy ahead back to the room where they were resting, and cautiously proceeded through the corridor. ¡¸It¡­ goes all the way to the end.¡¹ ¡¸And yet there¡¯s still no mana residue whatsoever. But it also doesn¡¯t look like this was a normal fire either.¡¹ The two stopped right at the corner, only barely peeking over at the corridor where the golems had been stationed. It was a stretch of around fifty meters, and all the floor, walls, and ceiling were scorched ck. ¡¸Hmm, what do you think caused this? A new variant after all?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know yet. We came through the only path here and didn¡¯t encounter anything, so whatever did this has to be in the boss room.¡¹ They looked at that burned corridor, the air still feeling warm, and nced at the end of it. Machina Guardian¡¯s arena was past there, the final boss of the seventh floor. If the new variant had gone inside there, Mira and Soul Howl would have to fight both enemies at the same time, but trying that would be absurd. ¡¸If anything happens, I¡¯ll lure whatever it is out of the corridor. You go in and set up your golems again after that. Sounds good?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I do like that n. That¡¯s assuming there is a new variant there.¡¹ Settling on that n, the two ordered the Holy Knight and golem to move forward through the ckened corridor. The Holy Knight and golem walked with heavy footsteps, while Mira and Soul Howl peeked over the corner to watch what happened. Slowly they reached the spot where the golems had been, and went through without issue. When they reached the arena¡¯s entrance, nothing sprang out or tried to damage them, so things were looking promising. But the mystery of the forty golems that were defeated remained. ¡¸My golem will go in first.¡¹ Soul Howl said and told the golem to enter the arena. It went a step in, then another, and a third one, while Mira and Soul Howl watched with bated breath. An instantter the golem was pierced by something resembling an enormousnce, getting instantly destroyed. But Mira and Soul Howl were unfazed as they watched. ¡¸That was just Machina Guardian, wasn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s one of the leg attacks. It seems it hasn¡¯t entered the healing phase yet.¡¹ It had been Machina Guardian¡¯s leg that pierced through the golem and destroyed it. The leg still had cracks on it, so they could tell the damage from earlier was still there. That was a relief to see, but they did not lower their guard yet, looking closely to see if there was anything other than Machina Guardian in the arena. And then they noticed something. ¡¸Say, isn¡¯t it looking at us a bit too much?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I was about to ask you the same.¡¹ Machina Guardian remained in front of the arena¡¯s entrance, staring at Mira and Soul Howl before leaning its body down. They could see the robotical spider¡¯s abdomen next to the ground, which was usually kept up in the air. That was something that could never be seen so close to the entrance. The Holy Knight was in the way so it was a bit hard to see exactly what was happening, but it seemed like the Machina Guardian was staring at them. They had never seen that happen before, so they waited to see what it meant. Mira told the Holy Knight to move aside so they could see better, just as Machina Guardian¡¯s abdomen split open, revealing a glowing red crystal inside. ¡¸What?! Pull back-!¡¹ ¡¸This can¡¯t be right?!¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl shouted at the same time and moved back, scrambling to get as far as they could. Mira used Ground Shrink to get away faster, while Soul Howl created multiple rows of golems to act as shields. Just mere momentster, the red crystal let out a sh, followed by a beam of light that spread through the corridor. The beam was zing hot, vaporizing anything it touched. It was Machina Guardian¡¯s secret attack, Ancient Ray. The heat and light quickly spread with a sparking sound, easily incinerating the Holy Knight, some of it even making it around the corner and destroying some of Soul Howl¡¯s golems. After the fifth golem was destroyed by the heat waves, they finally subsided and the corridor returned to normality. ¡¸Well, I can see where the forty golems went now.¡¹
Chapter 189: Blaze (2) Chapter 189: ze (2)
Soul Howl sighed a little as he looked at the corridor, which had quickly be eerily silent. ¡¸So the perpetrator was the Machina Guardian after all. I didn¡¯t think it could attack like that.¡¹ Mira red at the corridor, obscured by a mist-like smoke, a stronger burnt smell, and waves of heat. The two continued running back, only stopping after they were past the next corner, where they analyzed what they had just learned. First off, that attack, Ancient Ray, was something Mira and Soul Howl knew about. That was why they had reacted in such an exaggerated manner to escape. But that was also why they were so surprised. Pdins were said to have the strongest defenses of all sses, but not even one of them at the level of the Nine Wisemen could survive a direct hit of that attack for longer than a second. On top of that, the beam traveled at the speed of light, making it impossible to dodge reactively. The only way to evade it was to be prepared to be out of the way preemptively. ¡¸It¡¯s safe to say this is another change brought forth by this world bing reality, I¡¯d say. Didn¡¯t Machina Guardian only use that attack when under 20% HP before?¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s how I remember it being. This isn¡¯t the first urrence though, there were all sorts of changes in other ces too.¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl sighed as they sat down against the wall, facing the corridor covered in even more soot. The two remembered Ancient Ray being Machina Guardian¡¯s trump card, which only came into y once 80% of its health was gone. That was how all yers talked about it, and Mira and Soul Howl had also verified that after fighting the boss many times. But this time they had not done nearly enough damage for that, so it was extremely early for Machina Guardian to use that attack. And yet they had witnessed the attack be used. In other words, they already had to be watchful of the worst attack being usable by Machina Guardian this early into the fight. ¡¸And it seemed to be entirely in response to your Holy Knight, Elder. Both the way it looked at the corridor and the reaction seemed like a countermeasure against units buying time.¡¹ ¡¸True, it did seem that way. Usually Machina Guardian returns to its idle state after all intruders are dealt with, but this time it anticipated more.¡¹ Machina Guardian had expected further intrusions, so it went to check the corridor after dispatching the golem. It had already nned countermeasures in such a short time. ¡¸I started thatst night, so it figured that out in a single day. Thisplicates things a lot.¡¹ Soul Howl had nned on dragging out the fight over many days, not expecting Machina Guardian to find a way to prevent that so quickly. He looked shocked, but not defeated in the slightest. ¡¸Either way, this warrants further investigation.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not like we have any choice.¡¹ A sly grin took over Mira and Soul Howl¡¯s lips as they stood up and ran through the scorched corridor. The investigation Mira mentioned meant going to observe the enemy¡¯s patterns, seeing which attacks were used under which conditions. That was something everyone did when facing a powerful enemy, so Mira and Soul Howl were used to doing it as well. First they would check if movement yed a role. Mira¡¯s Holy Knight had been moving earlier, so maybe that had caught the boss¡¯ attention. So now they would try to repeat the same, but with the Holy Knight still. They peeked over thest corner, and saw that Machina Guardian was no longer next to the arena¡¯s entrance. So Mira summoned a Holy Knight and a Dark Knight, thetter of which walked into the arena. The Dark Knight went through the gate, and a simr scene as before repeated, but it was not identical. Machina Guardian attacked instantly, but this time the Dark Knight blocked with its sword, and barely a momentter a second mechanical leg wrecked the summon. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get ready to run just in case.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, in a bit.¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl continued watching carefully as Machina Guardian moved. The boss got closer to the corridor to look inside, and the two got ready to sprint away. The Holy Knight remained perfectly still against the wall. But that had no effect whatsoever. ¡¸Retreat!¡¹ ¡¸You said it!¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl instantly turned around and ran away. Soul Howl left multiple golems behind to act as a barrier again, and a momentter the destructive beam sent waves of heat around the corner. ¡¸Standing still did nothing.¡¹ ¡¸It seems so.¡¹ Their first test concluded, the two returned to the corridor, which looked even darker than before. ¡¸That heat is truly incredible.¡¹ Machina Guardian was no longer in sight, having likely returned to its idle spot. But all the walls still radiated heat from Ancient Ray, as if they were pieces of stone left under the sun for a long time. ¡¸It still feels like the heat dispersed too soon.¡¹ ¡¸Now that you mention it, you¡¯re right.¡¹ Ancient Ray definitely carried many thousands of degrees of heat, judging from its appearance and power. But for some reason the heat remaining in the corridor was low enough that a human could stand it without much issue. ¡¸The secret must lie beneath these walls¡­¡¹ Mira carefully ced her hand on the charred walls. She carefully felt around the corner, but oddly enough it did not feel particrly hot nor cold, which was really strange considering the attack that passed through. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s just a really good conductor of heat? Either way, it works better for us.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Long live ancient cultures!¡¹ If the lingering heat was more powerful, it would slow down their investigation. Luckily they did not have to worry about that, probably thanks to some ancient technology. That was amon urrence in locations with ancient in the name, and ancient technology was a nket term for useful yet mysterious contraptions. ¡¸Now let¡¯s see if it¡¯s a singr entity.¡¹ That was the next step, Mira only summoned a Dark Knight to go into the boss arena again. The two of them peeked over the corner to see what would happen. The Dark Knight marched on, entering the arena. Once again, Machina Guardian attacked, which the Dark Knight dodged before striking back. Almost instantly, it moved again to dodge the attacking from another leg of Machina Guardian. ¡¸Good, good!¡¹ Their goal was to learn more, but Mira¡¯s refusal to lose was interfering. The Dark Knight also had some learning capacity, but it was far inferior to Machina Guardian¡¯s, and was defeated by the third attack. ¡¸Grrr¡­¡¹ Mira looked disappointed at her smashed Dark Knight, even though it tried its best. ¡¸Nowes the important part.¡¹ Soul Howl poked at her head, making sure she was still paying attention. There was a chance they would still need to flee. Mira shook off her disappointment and focused on Machina Guardian again. It moved just like the previous times, getting closer to the entrance and lowering its main body to peek into the corridor. It looked like a heavily armored tank, but if it split open to reveal the red crystal inside, it would be the sign to run away. The two held their breaths and waited, remaining perfectly still. After almost two minutes, Machina Guardian stood up and its heavy steps echoed from the distance, without using Ancient Ray. ¡¸So we can conclude that it won¡¯t attack if there¡¯s nothing in the corridor.¡¹ ¡¸At least it seems that way. But it will attack if it sees anything.¡¹ They looked at the darkened corridor leading to the boss room again. So far they concluded that whenever something entered the arena, Machina Guardian would look into the corridor, and use Ancient Ray if it saw anything. Otherwise it would just return to being idle. ¡¸As far as its learning capabilities are concerned, it attacked the same way both times. I wonder just how intelligent it actually is.¡¹ ¡¸We know that it¡¯ll learn a strategy if we use it many times, but it¡¯s hard to say to what extent. Using the same tactic one or two times might be fine, but ten or twenty times might give it enough experience. Or maybe it just takes time for it to process data?¡¹ ¡¸Hmmm, that could be an option too.¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s n with fifty golems had worked wlessly the first night, but the second it was stopped when forty still remained. That was the time it took for Machina Guardian toe up with a countermeasure. ¡¸Either way, we should try to avoid repeating a pattern for too long.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I think cing the golems past the corner should do the trick for tonight. But we¡¯ll have to see how it goes tomorrow.¡¹ Only the corridor leading straight to the boss room was charred ck, the walls around the corner were still white. It should be safe for Soul Howl to ce the golems there, at least for that night. ¡¸What a mess, but at least we can go back for now.¡¹ Soul Howl let out an exhausted sigh before quickly creating golems. ¡¸You¡¯re right, I¡¯ve gotten quite hungry as well.¡¹ Mira looked at the golems with reverence, as if she was praying to them in gratitude for buying them time over the night, and walked away from there.
Chapter 190: One More Possibility (1) Chapter 190: One More Possibility (1)
¡¸Either way, can you be in charge of dinner tonight?¡¹ As soon as they returned to the spirit mansion, Mira turned to Soul Howl, her eyes filled with expectation. ¡¸Sure, I guess. Cooking for two takes pretty much the same effort as cooking for just one person.¡¹ Soul Howl was clearly not as bothered as he tried to make it seem. He was actually rather fond of having others try his cooking. He went to the spirit mansion¡¯s kitchen, and then turned around to ask ¡¸So, what do you want to eat?¡¹ ¡¸Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ A burger! I¡¯m in the mood for a really big burger!¡¹ After a bit of thinking, she chose something that she knew she would never be able to make herself. Mira¡¯s cooking skills were limited to throwing random ingredients into a pot and calling it a stew, or cutting meat to size and grilling it. Something like a burger was tooplex for her. ¡¸A burger, huh. I might be a bit short on ingredients¡­ but I can work with this.¡¹ Soul Howl took out knives and other utensils from his Item Box, and then he checked the ingredients he had avable. He did not sound too satisfied with what he saw. ¡¸I have a decent variety of ingredients too. If you need anything just tell me.¡¹ As Mira proudly announced that, she ced the best piece of meat in her possession on the countertop, wanting Soul Howl to use it. All she could think about was eating a luxurious burger now. ¡¸This looks like quality meat¡­ hmm, in that case¡­¡¹ Seeing that cut of meat fired up Soul Howl¡¯s desire to cook, so he quickly began listing out various other ingredients. Mira had never heard most of those names, so in the end she just unpacked everything she was carrying. ¡¸Are you trying to open a shop or something..?¡¹ Soul Howl was shocked at all the ingredients lined up in front of him, but he quickly began to mutter ¡¸There¡¯s even this¡­¡¹ as he began picking what he needed. ¡¸This¡­ and this¡­ this too. Then some balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, butter¡­ And that¡¯s about it I think.¡¹ Everything he picked was ced in a corner of the kitchen. They were so numerous that he was likely nning on making something else to go along with the burger. ¡¸If you need anything else just tell me.¡¹ Since Soul Howl had already picked what he needed, Mira stored all the remaining ingredients again while saying that with a satisfied voice. ¡¸Alright, thanks. Still, you really got quite the haul in there. Why do you even need all of that if you don¡¯t know how to cook?¡¹ Mira¡¯s ingredients were so varied there were plenty of exotic ingredients, some of which required special knowledge to prepare properly. ¡¸It¡¯s just convenient being able to make anything I ever want.¡¹ Her voice was filled with confidence as she proimed she could always eat her favorite food no matter where she was, but Soul Howl rebutted her saying ¡¸But you don¡¯t even know how to cook half of that stuff.¡¹ ¡¸Grr¡­¡¹ That was true so Mira could only groan, unable to contradict him. ¡¸But I¡¯m sure anyone like me appreciates all of that.¡¹ He added that, trying to improve her mood somewhat, and then began to prep all the ingredients for their dinner. There was a clear difference in his skill and Mira¡¯s, all his movements swift and precise. ¡¸Yes yes, you have a point. I¡¯ll leave you to it then, and go take a shower while I wait!¡¹ Mira¡¯s mood quickly recovered, and after she supervised Soul Howl in the kitchen for a bit, she left him in charge of that and went to undress in front of the shower room. ¡¸Alright alright, how long are you going to be in there?¡¹ Soul Howl asked as he minced the meat, and Mira replied ¡¸Around half an hour, I¡¯ll just take it easy,¡¹ just as she took off her underwear. ¡¸I like burgers with cheese, by the way,¡¹ she added before vanishing inside the shower. ¡¸I know, I already know.¡¹ Only Soul Howl¡¯s murmur and the rhythmic sound of his knife remained in the living room. That night, Mira¡¯s dinner was far more luxurious than usual. ¡¸Phew¡­ That¡¯s the life.¡¹ After wolfing down as much food as she could, Mira leant back, sprawled on her sleeping bag. ¡¸I wonder how all of that fits in there¡­¡¹ Soul Howl stared in disbelief at Mira¡¯s slightly swollen stomach. A golem shaped like a table stood in front of them, many empty tes piled up on top. He had prepared a few burgers for their breakfast the next morning, but Mira quickly spotted them, and all of them rested in her stomach now. ¡¸Seriously¡­ that was like an entire cow.¡¹ Soul Howl muttered that as he began putting away the cutlery, and Mira replied with a ¡¸I can¡¯t eat anymore¡­¡¹ with a truly deste voice. Seeing that, Soul Howl sighed, wondering how the Danbulf he remembered ended like that, while also knowing that if monsters attacked, she would be unable to move from there. But it was Mira, a summoner, so as long as she had help from her summons she would be alright. He felt like it was almost unfair how differently she was behaving, but he just sighed and went to wash the dishes. ¡¸By the way, how are the golems doing so far?¡¹ ¡¸Oh, so far it¡¯s going smoothly.¡¹ The fifty golems left to regrly harass Machina Guardian and stop it from entering the healing phase were all moving properly this time. That also meant that Machina Guardian had still note up with a countermeasure to deal with golems hiding around the corner of the corridor. ¡¸It might find a way to get us back tomorrow though, we¡¯ll have to think what our next strategy will be too.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true, the longer it learns the more our advantage lessens.¡¹ Even if their current n was working now, there was no telling what would happen the next day. Considering what had happened earlier, it was only a matter of time until it stopped working. It was easy to know they had to do something, but figuring out exactly what was the harder part. ¡¸I¡¯d like to say that speeding up the fight would be ideal, but that¡¯s not exactly possible with just the two of us.¡¹ ¡¸I knew that before you arrived, so I nned for a long fight. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d need to revise it so quickly.¡¹ There was a time when Solomon and the Nine Wisemen tried to fight Machina Guardian, but even with all theirbined power the fight still took four hours, which was exceptionally long for a game. Together they were ten, with various skills and roles, which gave them a far bigger advantage than now when there were only two of them. It was impossible for them to end the fight faster now. ¡¸I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be far easier with you here though, Elder.¡¹ Soul Howl stored the dishes he was done washing one after another in his Item Box while grinning. His determination was not deterred in the least. ¡¸What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden? I can only get you some Lemonade au Lait even if you try to tter me though.¡¹ Mira was feeling in a good mood, so she stood up with a broad smile, plopped down a bottle of Lemonade au Lait in front of Soul Howl, then got one for herself, which she enjoyed while falling back on her sleeping bag. ¡¸Maybe we¡¯d have more options if I could use higher level spells though.¡¹ Higher level spells were the strongest attacks avable to spellcasters, and often had the power topletely overturn a fight. Soul Howl had honed his for a long time, making them especially effective, but they were not avable to him at the moment. ¡¸I know, having to let go of that power and defenses is rough. But I guess there¡¯s no way around that for now.¡¹ Soul Howl had used a taboo spell to freeze the time of a woman, and as long as thatsted, his high level spells had be unusable. He could speed up his quest to craft the Brilliant Chalice if he undid that spell, but that would also ce the woman¡¯s life on a timer, while also making her susceptible to devil attacks. And if she died, there would be no point whatsoever to obtaining the Brilliant Chalice. ¡¸Hmm, so what to do, is the question.¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯ll have to think of something.¡¹
Chapter 190: One More Possibility (2) Chapter 190: One More Possibility (2)
Mira and Soul Howl fell silent as they tried toe up with a way to defeat Machina Guardian, a boss that had the ability to learn new strategies. That was a difficult task, so for a while the only sounds audible were those of water running and dishes being washed. And then someone broke the silence. ¡ºBy the way, Mira. He seems to be a rather skilled spellcaster, but is there some sort of reason as to why he¡¯s avoiding high level spells?¡» The Spirit King¡¯s voice echoed in Mira¡¯s mind. He had been distracted by Martel earlier, so he hadpletely missed the reunion with Soul Howl. All he knew was what he could glean from Mira¡¯s questions about the Brilliant Chalice and Stigmata. In other words, he knew Soul Howl was someone in a quest for the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree to cure a woman. ¡ºOh you¡¯re right, Ipletely forgot to mention that part.¡» Thinking back to that, Mira quickly exined the taboo spell Soul Howl used to stop the woman¡¯s time, and the effects that had on him. ¡ºI see, so he decided to go against thews of nature¡­ I¡¯m actually surprised he got away with that with such a mild punishment. Something tells me he disguised the taboo spell in a clever way to aplish that.¡» ¡ºOh wow, he¡¯s really going through far lengths, all for the woman he loves!¡» While the Spirit King analyzed the story with reason and care, Martel¡¯s voice followed, sounding excited by romance stories. Mira could only grimace hearing that, as she knew what the real rtionship between Soul Howl and the woman was, and decided to inform her confidants about that as well. How he was obsessed with undead girls, and the passionate members of a new religion. ¡ºSo he¡¯s not doing that out of love or affection, but purely out of his unwavering sense of justice.¡» Mira concluded her exnation, mentioning how Soul Howl had no further intentions as he was only interested in undead girls. He was merely following his beliefs as he struggled to save that woman. ¡ºSo he¡¯s subjecting himself to all that for a lofty ideal. He¡¯s an actual hero.¡» The Spirit King seemed deeply impressed by that, admiring Soul Howl¡¯s dedication. ¡ºI still think it¡¯s love. He¡¯s just putting up a front. I¡¯m sure of that.¡» Martel seemed intent on making it a romance story. Mira could not understand why she refused to acknowledge another possibility, but a part of her also believed Soul Howl could be trying to gloss over his real emotions. All she knew for sure was that he was determined though. Regardless of what truly was the case, both the Spirit King and Martel seemed to have gotten a good impression from Soul Howl. That made both of them consider Mira and Soul Howl¡¯s situation more seriously, so in the end they came up with one more possibility. ¡ºAlright, having heard all of that, I¡¯ll take over his burden then.¡» ¡ºMhm, I¡¯ll help as well.¡» The Spirit King and Martel said that all of a sudden. The burden the Spirit King mentioned was Soul Howl¡¯s inability to use high level spells, which came from twisting thews of nature to his will. The Spirit King would shoulder that load for him. ¡ºWhat¡­you can do that..?¡» If that was true, then Soul Howl would be able to use high level spells again, which would also unseal the reason behind his nickname of Great Wall. That would drastically improve their chances at speeding up the fight. Combined with the new summons Mira had gotten, they would have even more options. But Mira could not ept right away. ¡ºThat¡¯s a really enticing offer, but are you two going to be alright if you do that?¡» Spirits were entities supposed to be upholding the order of the world. So having them shoulder the burden of going against thosews could be dangerous, or at least that was what Mira thought. But Mira had no reason to worry about that. The Spirit King and Martel chuckled happily realizing how much Mira cared for them, but then disclosed the secret behind that trick. The Spirit King was already confined to his pce because he had broken a taboo before. He had broken thews of nature during the fight with demons in the past, which granted him an immense destructive power, but in return also made his regr power go out of control, forcing him to leave the human realm and seclude himself in the Spirit Pce. He exined that saying that as he already possessed an immense amount of spiritual power,ing into contact with a different type of power threw it out of bnce, making it harder to control. All of that power had no effect inside the Spirit Pce, as it was on a different ne of existence from the human realm. There it did not matter how much spiritual power leaked out, it would just get dispersed through ley lines in the world, which would at most increase vegetation. That also meant that even if Soul Howl¡¯s burden was transferred to the Spirit King, it would have no effect inside the Spirit Pce. ¡ºAlso, I can¡¯t tell unless I confirm this with your friend, but from what I can see, he was very borate with that taboo spell to lessen the burden on himself as much as possible. Usually a human who breaks a taboo would be punished with something far more severe than simply taking away his high level spells.¡» ¡ºYes, the power of love is truly amazing.¡» After the Spirit King praised Soul Howl¡¯s abilities, Martel¡¯s emotive voice followed. She seemed to really enjoy talking about love and romance. ¡ºBut well, it¡¯s not like I can leave this ce anyway. I have no issue breaking a handful ofws as a favor. Not to mention that freezing someone in time is a trivial sinpared to what I did in my time.¡» The Spirit King added that in a good mood, insisting he could take care of everything. Martel also was willing to do everything she could to help. It seemed like both of them had taken a liking to Soul Howl. ¡ºWell, it¡¯ll be my pleasure to ept your offer then.¡» Mira epted their offer then, and turned to Soul Howl and told him ¡¸A really good opportunity has arisen for you.¡¹ ¡¸A good opportunity? What do you mean?¡¹ Soul Howl had spent that entire time trying toe up with new strategies, so he seemed a bit suspicious of Mira¡¯s needlessly confident voice. ¡¸I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll shock you. Because I found a way to unseal your high level spells again!¡¹ Mira continued, acting like it was all her doing. But Soul Howl did not show a big reaction, instead replying saying ¡¸If you¡¯re going to suggest I undo the spell, then I refuse.¡¹ ¡¸I know that, I know you won¡¯t. I mean a way for you to use high level spells while keeping that one active.¡¹ She walked to Soul Howl with a long and confident gait, smirking once she was in front of him. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ Mira¡¯s attitude was somewhat suspicious, but that usually meant she was being serious. Soul Howl was familiar with her behavior, so decided to keep listening to her. ¡¸I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s a bit hard to exin myself though, but there¡¯s an easier way to tell you. Give me your hand.¡¹ Mira puffed her chest with pride, then held her own hand out like she was some sort of princess. ¡¸Whatever you say.¡¹ Soul Howl was still confused, hardly understanding what Mira was trying to aplish, but he did as told and held Mira¡¯s outstretched hand. He felt a strange sensation almost instantly, like an overwhelming amount of power was flowing into him. ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ happening¡­¡¹ He tried focusing on that sensation, which felt like a sea spreading wide in his mind. It was a bit surprising, but he also felt two other presences inside that vast sea. Then one of them spoke. ¡ºHello, I¡¯m Symbiosanctius. I¡¯d like to help you, and I¡¯m talking to you through Mira.¡» ¡¸Wha-?! Where¡¯s this voiceing from? And wait, isn¡¯t that the name of the Spirit King..?¡¹ A voice echoed inside his mind, and the voice introduced itself. Soul Howl could only look around in disbelief. But there was obviously no one else nearby, even though the voice rang clear like it was spoken from right next to him. All he could do was look at Mira¡¯s hand and wonder what was going on. Then another voice came. ¡ºI¡¯ve heard all about you, Mr. Soul Howl! I¡¯m Martel. I¡¯m a spirit of love that will make sure you can find your happy ever after!¡» It was Martel¡¯s enthusiastic voice, which made Mira and the Spirit King wonder exactly where she got the idea of calling herself a spirit of love. ¡¸My story? What story? I don¡¯t remember needing help with something like that¡­¡¹ Soul Howl was still confused by the strange voices, but at least he understood they meant well. He could not help but frown trying to decipher Martel¡¯s sentence though.
Chapter 191: Research Exchange (1) Chapter 191: Research Exchange (1)
¡ºLet me exin everything in simple terms.¡» Mira sat down, still holding onto Soul Howl¡¯s hand, and exined about the Spirit King¡¯swork (named by her). She told how a part of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection¡¯s power was that connection, which allowed her to talk to the Spirit King at any moment, so sometimes she would learn interesting facts, or even receive valuable advice. ¡ºI should probably also correct something else. Martel is the Originator Spirit of Nature, not a spirit of love.¡» ¡ºAww, that was uncalled for, Mira.¡» She concluded her exnation by mentioning how she recently met the Originator Spirit of Nature Martel, who had also joined their conversations now. ¡¸An Originator Spirit, huh. I¡¯ve read about them somewhere before, something about them being the first spirits to exist, after the Spirit King. And somehow both of them are your friends now¡­ I expected no less from you, Elder.¡¹ The Spirit King was essentially as powerful as a god, and Originator Spirits were second in terms of power. It was almost impossible to believe that a human had not only met them, but spoke to them like friends. But Soul Howl did not doubt Mira¡¯s words one bit. On one hand he understood there was little point to faking such a story, and more importantly he had known Mira for a long time so he trusted her. The two probably did not really notice that trust, as it was almost subconscious. Martel and the Spirit King did notice it through the Divine Protection however, and were quite impressed by their bond. ¡ºAnyway, I was telling them about our predicament, and the Spirit King offered me a solution.¡» At that point, Mira decided to let the Spirit King exin in more detail, and he began talking in a solemn and loud voice. ¡ºSoul Howl, I¡¯ve heard your story from Mira. I have to say I¡¯m quite impressed by your disposition, and so I¡¯ve decided to alleviate the burden that has been troubling you.¡» After that preamble, he repeated what he told Mira earlier for Soul Howl. How he could take over the burden of breaking taboo, allowing Soul Howl to use high level spells again, and how as long as the Spirit King remained in the Spirit Pce the burden would have little to no effect on him. ¡¸Do you mean it? You can really do all that?¡¹ Hearing that he could maintain the time freezing spell and use high level spells with no restriction, Soul Howl was surprised, but also a bit bewildered. It sounded too good to be true. ¡ºOf course we can. We¡¯re all rooting for your love to bloom after all! Your passionate resolve has truly resonated with our hearts!¡» Martel¡¯s high-beat voice echoed into Soul Howl¡¯s astonished mind. ¡¸Love? Whose are you talking about?¡¹ Soul Howl had no idea what Martel was talking about, so he looked at Mira dubiously, who replied with a mumbled ¡¸She refuses to let go of a wrong assumption.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, I see.¡¹ Mira¡¯s response and tone of voice was enough for Soul Howl to glean most of it. Martel had been thinking Soul Howl and the frozen woman were together. ¡¸I don¡¯t mind that you told them about our situation, but I believe I already told you I¡¯m not doing this out of love or affection.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I also told them that. That made the Spirit King think of you as a hero or something, but Martel seems obsessed with romance¡­¡¹ Mira tried her best to sound convincing. Seeing that, Soul Howl just said ¡¸I remember this girl in my ss who was like that too¡­¡¹ with a dryugh. ¡¸Either way, just try to overlook her behavior for a bit. Apparently she was alone for millennia before I found her.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, I guess I have no option if I want the situation to get better¡­¡¹ That way Mira and Soul Howl settled the argument. And even though Martel heard the whole exchange, her attitude did not change at all, simply believing Soul Howl did not want to be honest. On the other hand, the Spirit King really wanted to apologize on her behalf. ¡¸And so, will that really work? It won¡¯t make the spell stop working halfway through or something, right?¡¹ Soul Howl asked again just to verify. He wanted to be sure that even if the burden was transferred to the Spirit King, that would not make the woman¡¯s time start flowing again, which would entirely defeat the purpose of everything he was doing. This was his first time attempting that anyway, so he wanted to be as careful as possible. ¡ºIt¡¯ll work, yes. But under very specific conditions. First you¡¯ll have to tell me the particrs of the forbidden spell you used. The ssification of the spell, its theoretical construction, and all the measures you took to dampen the burden.¡» The Spirit King first needed to have a thorough understanding of the spell, so that he could create a vessel with the same essence as Soul Howl, which would then be filled with Soul Howl¡¯s mana. Once that was done, it would be possible to transfer the burden alone. That was the gist of it, but in reality it was a ratherplex process to go through. ¡¸I see. Alright then, I¡¯ll tell you.¡¹ Hearing everything the Spirit King said, Soul Howl felt like it was worth a try. With a nod, he quickly began detailing the forbidden spell Gaol of the Afterlife. It was a conglomerate of various other spells, which Soul Howl hadbined and modified on his own, making it his own original spell. It wasrgely based on Necromancy, but it also had variousyers of Concept Magic, and even borrowed aspects of Exorcism and Onmyoji Magic. As Soul Howl detailed everything, he brought out a bunch of papers from his Item Box. They described countless spells. ¡¸And this is how I went around the aftereffects. I made signs of conformity, and ced them on my wives.¡¹ ording to those papers, it seemed like Soul Howl had worked something into those bodies wearing maid clothes in thest floor of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis. Those bodies had a specific sign ced on them, which made their bodies be treated as Soul Howl¡¯s. Even though their souls had already left, their bodies were still in good shape. So with a bit of help from Necromancy, they could be turned into receptacles to share the burden. He had around a hundred bodies like that, so the burden was spread thin amongst all of them, as they were treated like part of Soul Howl¡¯s body. That allowed him to get away with it while being punished less. ¡¸If you¡¯re going to build a new vessel, maybe that will help out as well.¡¹ Soul Howl continued, detailing what the signs he used were, and what kind of Necromancy he used on the bodies. The Spirit King would prepare onerge vessel, while Soul Howl had used multiple smaller ones. Their structure was different, but the logic behind it was simr, so Soul Howl hoped the information would be of use. ¡ºHmm¡­ so you even created a spell like that, impressive. If you¡¯ve already taken so many preliminary measures, then I think we can afford to change the original n a little. Instead of building a vessel from scratch, we can just perfect those you have.¡» Soul Howl¡¯s methods had their advantages and some disadvantages, but they would serve as good groundwork. It would be enough to build a rather special vessel. The Spirit King analyzed the wavelength of Soul Howl¡¯s mana through the connection with Mira and quickly got to work. It would take a while before it became evident how Martel would help too, though before things started she showed a pretty strong reaction to what Soul Howl said, wondering what he meant with wives. She was probably going to have a lot to say once everything was done. ¡¸You¡¯ve researched quite a lot, I see.¡¹ Once the details were sorted out and they waited for the Spirit King to be done on his side, Mira began looking through Soul Howl¡¯s papers with much interest.
Chapter 191: Research Exchange (2) Chapter 191: Research Exchange (2)
The papers described various studies, experimental results, and conclusions. It was a conglomerate of Soul Howl¡¯s achievements across many years. ¡¸Hey, that¡¯s not fair, Elder. If you¡¯re going to look then let me see yours too.¡¹ Soul Howl seemed miffed with how avidly Mira¡¯s eyes scoured his papers, so he struck his right hand out in demand. ¡¸Hngh¡­ I guess I have to.¡¹ She could not bear having him poke at her cheek to get her attention, so she took out her own bundle of notes. Those were her own research notes, which she wrote down whenever she had free time with nothing else to do. They were roughly as numerous as Soul Howl¡¯s, including all her thoughts and spells. ¡¸Ohh, you¡¯vee into contact with a lot of spirits. And some really exotic ones too. I guess that makes sense considering you already possess the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection.¡¹ Soul Howl muttered that as he read through Mira¡¯s notes with much attention. ¡¸I know, I know.¡¹ Mira smiled proudly as she continued reading Soul Howl¡¯s research notes. Way back when they were still in the Silver Linked Towers, though Mira was known as Danbulf then, the two had a rivalry where they always tried to be the leading spellcaster of the country. At the same time they were very close friends though, so they would always share their knowledge, so letting the other see their notes was somethingmon for them. Everyone had something to work on, so they all fell silent. Soon after all that could be heard was the rustling of pages as Mira and Soul Howl leafed through the notes. (Ohhh, This is incredible. I was wondering about this for a while, but I see, it all makes sense now. So that¡¯s the theory behind Compound Skills.) Compound Skills, as the name suggested, were brand new spells produced by mixing various others. They were also being researched in Arkite¡¯s academy, so Creos had told Mira about them a bit. But it all still felt somewhat vague to her, and was a topic that still felt foreign to her. But now her understanding of it was progressing greatly. Soul Howl¡¯s research had gotten far ahead of anything being done at the academy. Out of all Nine Wisemen, Soul Howl was a contender for the most dedicated to researching skills. The only other contender was the Wiseman of Concept Magic, Frone. The notes described multiple skills ready to use, which made Mira¡¯s eyes twinkle as she read through. Most of them would require plenty of practice though, so they were not something she could learn in a single day. (Hmm, I¡¯ll have to copy at least some of this.) Thinking that, Mira opened her Item Box to take out a notepad and writing implements. But then she found one of the many items she bought from the Dinowal Store. (Oh, I think this paper is supposed to help with transcribing written text!) It was arge sheet of synthetic paper. That paper had been made to aid when copying magic circles, as they could get very intricate. Some spells had very particr magic circles too, which could take some time to properly set up, but could also have incredible power. In the past, spellcasters would often draw their circles on multiple pieces of paper ahead of time and have them ready whenever they were needed, but copying pages and pages of magic circles took time. Which led to some resorting to using stamps of magic circles instead, letting them easily stamp one whenever they needed. But that synthetic paper,monly sold as Transcript Paper, greatly changed how that was done. It was inexpensive and made the process of copying much simpler, so one only had to draw a magic circle once, and the paper would make a copy on-demand, getting rid of the need to carry a heavy stamp around. Transcript Paper was indispensable for any spellcaster that required magic circles. ¡¸Ohh, this is useful.¡¹ But Mira was using that beloved tool of spellcasters as mere copying paper. The sheets were quiterge, so she could fit multiple pages of Soul Howl¡¯s notes on them, copying them for future use. Once one side was covered in notes, she simply turned it around and started covering the other side as well. That was different from its intended purpose of replicating magic circles, but Mira still looked proud of having found that use for it, as it saved her time from having to copy the notes by hand. While that was happening, Soul Howl continued reading through Mira¡¯s notes, but then had to look away from them. ¡¸Arghhh, I can¡¯t memorize all of this dammit!¡¹ Soul Howl also found Mira¡¯s research notes to be an invaluable source of information. He tried to memorize everything he deemed important, but there was so much he was struggling to keep it all in his mind. So he soon took out a notepad and a pen, just like Mira intended at first. ¡¸Say, Elder. Could I borrow your notes for a while? I¡¯ll give them back¡­ someday.¡¹ Before he put any serious work into it, he asked, harboring a very small hope. ¡¸Of course not.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I guessed as much.¡¹ Mira¡¯s refusal was obvious, she still had a lot more she wanted to write down there. She had no issue showing the notes to Soul Howl, but lending them was a different story. So he gave up and resigned himself to writing everything down by hand, but then he noticed what she was doing. ¡¸Elder¡­ is that Transcript Paper?!¡¹ Mira was still focused on copying the notes, but then noticed Soul Howl suddenly getting closer and acting shocked, which told her everything she needed to know. ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a Transcript Paper. It¡¯s really useful, you know? It works for anything and not just magic circles!¡¹ Mira had just finished copying thest page, so she held the sheet of Transcript Paper up. It had all of Soul Howl¡¯s notes copied identically, every single letter legible. All done in a short time and for a low cost. ¡¸Elder, could you give me some too? I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s just the little nk space left in that sheet.¡¹ Because of its use with magic circles, Transcript Paper was manufactured in square sheets that measured two meters in both axes. Soul Howl¡¯s notes were so numerous that she filled multiple sheets, but in the end thest sheet was only filled halfway through one side, leaving one side and a half nk. Soul Howl desperately took hold of that nk space as he pleaded to Mira. ¡¸Well, I guess I can do that. Though cutting it sounds like too much effort, so I¡¯ll just give you a new sheet.¡¹ Mira quickly granted him his wish, already understanding why he wanted it so badly. Many different types of spells required magic circles, which was what gave Transcript Paper a reason to exist in the start, but in Mira¡¯s eyes it had gained a different and unusual use. Summoners had the unique ability of drawing magic circles with mana, so she did not have as much need for Transcript Paper as other sses. But for others it was an indispensable part of their lifestyle. Necromancers also used plenty of drawn magic circles, so Soul Howl was aware of Transcript Paper¡¯s existence, but he did not carry any even though they were a useful tool. The reason for that was simple. All the Necromancy spells that required magic circles were all high level spells, so after Soul Howl froze the woman in time, he no longer saw a need to carry Transcript Paper with him. Mira was aware of that much, so she said ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be needing more of it soon,¡¹ and gave him a whole bundle of Transcript Paper. After he was done copying Mira¡¯s notes, and if the Spirit King¡¯s idea was sessful, he would need it again as his high level spells would be unsealed. And considering their imminent fight with Machina Guardian, they coulde in handy sooner rather thanter. ¡¸You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll have to prepare for that. Thank you, Elder.¡¹ Soul Howl understood why Mira was giving him so many sheets, so he thanked her and quickly began to work on copying her notes. As for the reason why Mira was carrying so many sheets even though she was a summoner, it was simply because they could be used for a specific form of Refining. She felt like they could be useful someday when she needed to get stronger.
Chapter 192: High Level Spells Unsealed (1) Chapter 192: High Level Spells Unsealed (1)
¡ºMira, the vessel is ready.¡» ¡ºOhh, alright.¡» Just as she finished cutting up the sheets with Soul Howl¡¯s research notes into more manageable chunks, the Spirit King contacted her. ¡¸It seems things are ready now.¡¹ ¡¸Got it.¡¹ Hearing Mira, Soul Howl stopped cutting up his own copies, putting them away as quickly as he could. As Mira held her hand out, Soul Howl silently grabbed it. ¡ºMy apologies for the wait. But in exchange I¡¯m pleased to say that it went better than I anticipated, so look forward to it.¡» ¡ºI put a lot of love into it.¡» The Spirit King and Martel¡¯s voice echoed through Mira¡¯s connection. Soul Howl replied by saying ¡¸Okay, I hope it lives up to my expectations,¡¹ and ¡¸what should I do now then?¡¹ ¡ºNow we need you to pour your mana into the vessel I just created. You should be able to feel it through our connection, and once you do, just channel mana like you would for any spell. Martel and I will help you regte it. Also, don¡¯t let go of Mira¡¯s hand until we¡¯re done.¡» Hearing all of that, Soul Howl reaffirmed his grip on Mira¡¯s hand and closed his eyes to concentrate. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡¹ ¡ºLet¡¯s start then.¡» Right after that, the marks of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection lit up all over Mira¡¯s body. Then they gathered around Mira¡¯s hand and slowly made their way onto Soul Howl. Mira watched that without looking away. This time she was only an intermediary, and there was nothing she could do. But that also let her feel everything that was happening. Soul Howl and the vessel safely reached each other, and then Soul Howl¡¯s mana began passing through. That gave Mira a really strange and new sensation, but she also felt something unnatural clinging onto Soul Howl¡¯s mana. She quickly understood that was the burden he carried, punishment for going against thews of nature. That was also being transferred to the vessel. ¡ºGood, it was a sess. I can tell why you¡¯re friends with Mira, your control of mana was immacte.¡» It seemed like their experiment to transfer the burden had been a sess. The Spirit King praised the way Soul Howl handled it, and then said ¡ºThis will certainly help with killing time now,¡» with a bit of a sinisterugh. ¡ºI¡¯m so d it went well.¡» Then there was Martel, who sounded happy for the results. When they asked what the Spirit King meant, he exined that the vessel would allow him to observe and investigate that type of burden and its effects from an outside perspective, which could help him find a way to be able to leave the Spirit Pce again. ¡ºI still have to admit though, it was all thanks to you that I got that idea. I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about it unless I saw your research. You have my gratitude.¡» ¡¸I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you. I¡¯m d I was of assistance too.¡¹ Soul Howl felt like the Spirit King had a rather free-spirited way of thinking, which contrasted with the fact that he could not leave the Spirit Pce. ¡¸So if it was a sess, that should mean his high level spells are unlocked, yes? So how do you feel, did anything change?¡¹ Hearing that the Spirit King could be free again was something that made Mira happy, but it was not something urgent, so she quickly steered the conversation back on topic. ¡¸Yes, I feel like something that was haunting me just left. That probably means it worked properly.¡¹ Soul Howl closed his eyes, focusing on himself to see if he noticed any difference. ¡ºSoul Howl, why don¡¯t you try using a high level spell just in case? We conducted the process at a high speed, so there¡¯s a chance your mana might have been thrown a little out of bnce, so it¡¯s best to be sure.¡» Everything had happened unexpectedly quickly, so even if the Spirit King had been looking over it, they had to make sure it worked properly considering the difficulty of the task. ¡¸Yes, we should make sure.¡¹ It had been many years since his high level spells were sealed, so he also needed to regain his agility with them. ¡¸Time for a reunion atst.¡¹ Soul Howl stood up and held his hand to a direction with nothing in front. Then arge amount of magic power began to emanate from his body. ¡ºMay your coffin cradle only memories, as you escape Hades under the shroud of eternal nights. How long shall you tarry this eve? In the realm beyond yearning, by the shores of unmet dreams? A solitary vessel traverses the obsidian sea, passing through the gateway in pursuit of sce. The lone mariner seeks illumination amidst the abyss. Beside him rests a lifeless form, the hollow husk you abandoned. Glints of untainted spirits dance upon the waves. He tenderly retrieves one and bestows upon you the kiss of awakening.¡» ?Necromancer Skill: Spiral of the Underworld ¨C Hero Rebirth? Soul Howlpleted his chant and all the particles of mana gathered in front of him, slowly gathering into a human figure. They formed a body, then clothes took shape, and ayer of armor was added on top. Thest addition was a gigantic battleaxe. The body took hold of the battleaxe, and just stood there emotionless. ¡¸No issues whatsoever.¡¹ Soul Howl went to make sure the body materialized properly, then let out a sigh of relief. The burden waspletely gone and his high level spell had activated correctly.
Chapter 192: High Level Spells Unsealed (2) Chapter 192: High Level Spells Unsealed (2)
The warrior that appeared through Soul Howl¡¯s Necromancy was a beautiful maiden with vacant eyes. Her skin was a pale blue, with no signs of life, and her face showed no emotion or will. But her demeanor did stand out. Herrge battleaxe, the style of her clothes, and even her essories. They all were as powerful as Artifacts. ¡¸Ohh! This is amazing, and I can tell you¡¯ve customized her quite a lot too.¡¹ Her long golden hair was parted to the side, and there was a crude tiara on her head. Her body was also protected by light armor, which was quite simr to that worn by the Valkyries. Mira had seen her in the past, but she was quite shocked by how much her equipment had changed since then. ¡¸Of course I did. She¡¯s the backbone of my true power after all.¡¹ Soul Howl replied with confidence, pleased with Mira¡¯s reaction. Hero Rebirth was considered the spell all Necromancers aspired to obtain. That spell also had a counterpart called Hero¡¯s Coffin. As its name suggested, that one produced a coffin, in which a body could be stored. Then Hero Rebirth could be used to create a golem based on the body stored in the coffin. The body chosen to keep in the coffin directly affected the strength of Hero Rebirth, but even if the golem was defeated, as long as the caster still had mana, they could create another one and keep fighting. That only meant that the original body would remain unharmed though, so from a superficial view it did not seem very distinct from other Necromancy spells. But there was one crucial difference which made Hero Rebirth a necromancer¡¯s trump card. Thaty on the spell¡¯s most defining feature: burial articles. Other than a body, the coffin could also contain weapons, essories, and various other items. Those could push Hero Rebirth to be a much stronger spell. Picking the correct burial articles was not an easy task though, as they had to meet certain restrictions to fit inside the coffin. First, no items with some special power in them like spirit arms, Artifacts, Demonic or Holy Swords, or Refined equipment were allowed. In other words, they needed to bepletely in items to be stored in the coffin. The materials used to make the items were also restricted, only allowing copper, iron, or silver items for the most part. Considering all the fantastical beings running rampant in this world, items with no special power would eventually be useless, even when wielded by an expert. The solution then would be to somehow strengthen the burial articles. Doing that was extremely important for necromancers. The only way to aplish it was to defeat undead monsters, which would increase a value known as the coffin¡¯s spectral binding, which allowed the empowering of the burial articles as well as the corpse in it. Once the spectral binding reached a certain level, the burial articles would also rank up, which increased the variety of items which could be stored. The more that was done, the more the selection would grow. In far simpler terms, as the coffin¡¯s level went up, the items allowed would be fancier. Everything about the girl Soul Howl just brought with Hero Revival looked like they were very powerful items of high quality, which was impressive considering the effort necessary to reach that point. ¡¸Though I still can¡¯t say she¡¯splete though.¡¹ ¡¸Hm? You think so?¡¹ As far as Mira could see, she looked fine, but Soul Howl seemed dissatisfied with one of her burial articles. He had gotten close to raising the coffin¡¯s spectral binding for an important burial article, which would boost all her stats and equipment, but just as he worked onpleting the process the whole situation with the woman and Stigmata urred. That impeded him frompleting everything he wanted, and he had not obtained the updated burial article he wanted, making Hero Rebirth only half as powerful as he wanted. ¡¸Hmm, so I guess she can¡¯t just spring into action right away then.¡¹ Soul Howl had mentioned how all that worked in the past, so Mira quickly understood the current situation. That girl would not be able to participate in the fight against Machina Guardian, though if she was fully equipped the way Soul Howl wanted, she would have put up a great fight. But Soul Howl did not seem to mind that at the moment. ¡¸Ahh, my beloved Irina, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡¹ He went and hugged that girl, Irina. It was finally time for Soul Howl¡¯s true nature to rear its head. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect we would meet again like this, Irina¡­ oh my cute Irina¡­¡¹ He started caressing her cheek with enamored eyes. Without high level skills Soul Howl was unable to use Hero Rebirth, or even Hero¡¯s Coffin, so this really felt like a reunion after many years for him. Soul Howl was obsessed with undead girls, and the one he loved and cherished the most was Irina, his main wife (he chose to call them wives for no real reason).
Chapter 193: Irina (1) Chapter 193: Irina (1)
Irina the ughterer. In life, she was known by that title after being the second inmand of a mercenary unit during a time of war in a distant past. They were known as the Brigade of ck Lions, a group of around thirty cherry-picked and highly skilled warriors, led by Beowulf the Monster Killer. They had once been active all across the continent. Beowulf had the strength to easily tear any monster apart, but he was also a dedicated team-yer, and everyone in his unit had absolute trust in him, and even their employers never doubted him. Irina also seemed to harbor certain feelings for him. The jobs the Brigade of ck Lions carried out were mostly exterminating monsters, as was expected of someone with Beowulf¡¯s title. Because of that everyone in the unit also specialized in fighting monsters, and before they realized they were more known for defeating monsters than as being mercenaries. One day the Brigade of ck Lions received a request from the duke of a powerful country. He wanted them to defeat a specific monster, and offered an exceptional reward. The monster in question was said to have appeared suddenly in the sacred gravesite of an ancient king, and if left alone would interfere with a local festival that happened once every four years. Beowulf epted that request. Once the rest of the unit heard the details, they all gathered their arms and headed to the gravesite, including Irina. When they arrived, they saw a silver wolf so majestic that it almost felt like an insult to call it a monster. But it also proved to be the strongest foe the unit had encountered so far. The Brigade of ck Lions did not retreat, however, and instead dragged the fight out until they figured a way to defeat the silver wolf. The monster had mainly focused on attacking Beowulf, so he decided to act as a decoy until Irina found a chance to swing her battleaxe onto the silver wolf¡¯s neck. That was the strongest monster defeated in recorded history, and while many members were wounded, there were no casualties. The mercenaries-turned-monster-yers rejoiced at their aplishment, holding pride in their sess. But that did notst for long. A white mist billowed out from the fallen silver wolf¡¯s head, covering Irinapletely. Momentster loud cries came from her. Beowulf yelled and tried to rush to her aid, only to be stopped by hisrades. They did not know what the white mist was, so it was too dangerous to run there without caution. He wrestled himself free from them though, turning a deaf ear to their warnings and dashing toward Irina¡¯s side. They did not know what was happening, so he believed it was better to save her as soon as possible before things got worse. He had also fallen in love with Irina. That was the main reason why he could not bring himself to stop. But a momentter Irina¡¯s battleaxe split his body in two. Everyone was speechless as they watched Irina walk out of the white mist, which had already be thin and spread out. There was no emotion on her face, and her eyes were ssy as she surveyed herrades. Beowulf¡¯s bodyy at her feet, cut in two at the waist. Their first reaction was to be confused. Everyone in the unit knew about Irina¡¯s feelings for Beowulf, and his corresponding emotions. Whenever someone brought the topic up, Irina would instantly turn beet red. Now her face had not a single hint of red, looking almost frozen blue. Beowulf would sometimes ask for advice to confess properly, acting nervous about it, but now his body grew cold on the ground, his eyes stuck open. Someone finally cried loudly, asking why she had done such a thing. As if in response, Irina swung her battleaxe again, and anotherrade was turned to a corpse. More cries and shouts were heard as Irina ran forward. Once all the chaos settled, the brigade was no more, and only Irina was left. One person observed everything from afar, the duke who gave them the request. Irina the ughterer was how he dubbed her when reporting the matter afterward. After that tragic event, Irina encamped herself in that ce, attacking anyone who dared get close. She stayed at the silver wolf¡¯s body as it rotted away, bing its recement as an even more dangerous foe. With time, that location was closed off and barred as a ce to be shunned. Many centuriester someone crossed into that closed-off location. That was Soul Howl, who heard an undead maiden could be found there. The stories he heard were obviously of Irina, and they described her as someone befitting of the title of ughterer. The literature he found about the ce described that location¡¯s past as such: A group of bandits entered the sacred gravesite to steal a treasure kept there, but once they found it, they got into an argument over it and ended up killing each other. Irina, who had killed the rest, was resented by her pastrades even after death, causing her to be cursed and turned into an undead monster. That story concluded by saying that Irina stayed at that tomb, waiting for more victims to kill. Following that and various other old scriptures, Soul Howl tracked down the old sacred gravesite, and venturing inside he found Irina undead, just like he wanted. She was a mighty foe, easily swinging her enormous battleaxe however she pleased. But Soul Howl was already one of the Nine Wisemen by then, and he restrained her without holding back. He wanted to make her one of his pawns, so he used a spell to cleanse the undead, but there were no results. Powerful undead enemies needed to be weakened first before that spell worked, so seeing it fail, Soul Howl determined he needed to weaken her further. But no matter how many times he tried, over and over, the spell would always fail. His next conclusion was that specific conditions needed to be met before he could do that, so he left the sacred gravesite and researched Irina further. All he could find was that Irina had not been a bandit, but part of a mercenary unit known as the Brigade of ck Lions. He understood that all other reports of the event were fabrications, so he returned to the site to investigate it personally. There he found many old and whitened bones scattered all around the ce. Those were the remains of the Brigade of ck Lions. Their weapons were also there, or at least the remains of them. They had all been smashed to the point of being unusable. There was one exception however, a single sword that was not bent out of shape and had a faint glow. The upper half of a skeleton was firmly holding onto that sword, which seemed to be imbued by some ephemeral desire. Soul Howl picked up the sword and used his Necromancy skills to decipher that desire. It was so weak and faded that only small bits could be understood, but it was enough to tell Soul Howl what to do next. He went back to confront Irina the ughterer again, and at the height of their fight he drove the sword through her heart. What happenedter seemed almost like a miracle. A bright light emanated from the sword and gently wrapped around Irina, expelling something like a white smoke from her body. Then two figures like apparitions showed up, one of them was Irina, the other introduced himself as Beowulf. The two told Soul Howl what the true history of the sacred gravesite was. The Brigade of ck Lions had been tasked to kill a monster that appeared in the sacred gravesite, but that silver wolf had been no monster, it was a sacred beast tasked with protecting that location. Once they defeated that guardian, the entity closest to the in body was selected as the next guardian, which happened to be Irina, and so she was cursed to be an undead. As the next guardian, Irina lost her own will, seeing all herrades from the Brigade of ck Lions as intruders. Since then, she had hunted down anyone who got close to the sacred gravesite. After their story concluded, they pleaded Soul Howl to defend their honor, and vanished together with the light after thanking him. That concluded the duty of the sword thrust into Irina¡¯s body, so it began to crumble and turn to dust. The desire imbuing the sword had been love for Irina. Having waited many centuries, Beowulf¡¯s love had finally reached her heart and be released. Soul Howl did not really care much about those details though, he was simply in a good mood for having finally obtained Irina¡¯s body. But before he could do anything the silver wolf appeared. Unlike the silver wolf the two had mentioned in the story, this one was only slightly bigger than a dog, probably the offspring of the old sacred beast. Even being small it had a regal appearance. The silver wolf asked: Are you also here to desecrate this holy tomb? Soul Howl replied he was not. The silver wolf followed up by asking why he was there then. He replied saying that he wanted Irina the ughterer¡¯s body, a high quality body that had been seen in the sacred gravesite. Whether the silver wolf understood the true meaning of those words or not, it rxed the aggressive gaze it held on Soul Howl, and just told him to leave promptly if that was the case. But Soul Howl stayed, asking what he had been wondering the entire time. What was being guarded in the gravesite? And who were the insolent trespassers? The silver wolf said it could not answer the first question. But it did speak about the trespassers, saying they were the private militia of some noble. Saying that, the silver wolf went to pick up a piece of ancient armor, which disyed an borate emblem that did look like it belonged to a noble. Then the wolf repeated: leave. Soul Howl picked up Irina¡¯s body and departed the sacred gravesite. As soon as he was out, multiple ghosts appeared in front of him. but they held no enmity against him. They were the members of the Brigade of ck Lions, Irina¡¯srades. They all thanked Soul Howl for releasing the souls of Irina and Beowulf before returning to the afterlife, all except one.
Chapter 193: Irina (2) Chapter 193: Irina (2)
The ghost who remained told Soul Howl how the duke tricked the Brigade of ck Lions into killing a sacred beast saying it was a monster. And she said she wanted for the duke to pay, in whatever way was possible. That resentful ghost was Beowulf¡¯s mother. She said she would tell Soul Howl where the Brigade of ck Lions¡¯ secret hideout was if he fulfilled her desire. Apparently there were many personal belongings of the unit¡¯s members hidden there. Beowulf¡¯s mother made sure to mention Irina¡¯s effects were also there. Those words seemed very deliberate, as the ghost knew Soul Howl was a necromancer and was there for Irina¡¯s body. Her knowledge of necromancy seemed to be deep. Personal effects ignored all the restrictions of Hero¡¯s Coffin and could be stored freely, and also could provide various additional bonuses, making them extremely valuable when using Hero Rebirth. Soul Howl would never pass on such an offer, so he instantly epted the request. All he had to go off from was an emblem on a broken piece of armor, but Soul Howl worked diligently trying to figure out who that duke was. He pored over countless books, visited various cities, and even consulted with history and lore nuts he was friends with. In this instance those history loving people reacted very excitedly to Soul Howl¡¯s inquiries. Especially when they heard about the truth behind Irina the ughterer¡¯s story. All of them worked really hard to research the matter, so Soul Howl actually found out who that duke was. Meanwhile Soul Howl kept brainstorming how to clear Beowulf¡¯s mother¡¯s regrets, but reality kept thwarting any idea he got. The main reason being that the duke who tricked the Brigade of ck Lions into killing a sacred beast had already passed away more than two centuries ago. All of the duke¡¯s close rtives were dead, even his grandchildren, so it made little sense to punish someone who did not even know the duke, and it would not serve as constion to Beowulf¡¯s mother. Soul Howl had gotten this far so he did not give up though. He had already scouted the ruined duchy¡¯s mansion, and knew their history thanks to records he found in a securely guarded archive. ording to them, the downfall of the duchy was caused by a curse. After a certain day, everyone in the bloodline began meeting untimely deaths one after another. At first Soul Howl thought that was because the duke attempted to raid the sacred gravesite, but as he read further he realized that was not it. The records showed that the duke believed he desperately needed the Artifact guarded in the sacred gravesite to dispel the curse. In other words, the duke only got interested in that ce to help his wife, children, and anyone rted by blood to him. But a sacred beast was protecting the ce, stopping anyone from entering. At the same time, the longer he waited the more people died. Hiring the Brigand of ck Lions had been hisst ditch effort. Soul Howl knew how that ended, there did not seem to be a good way around that. No matter how much he looked into the matter, he could not find anything more, leaving him with no way to help Beowulf¡¯s mother. But since that all seemed to be the truth, he decided to just ry everything as it was to her. Hearing the whole story, her face quickly softened, like a demonic weight had been on her all that time. While she could not forgive the duke¡¯s actions, the fact that he did it for his family seemed to resonate with her as a mother. And that was enough for her to feelfortable with telling Soul Howl where the Brigade of ck Lions¡¯ hideout was located. Beowulf¡¯s mother quickly returned to heaven with a rxed expression, and Soul Howl headed to the hideout right away. When he got there he was pped by yet another harsh truth. Someone had already found the hideout in the past, raiding it and taking everything from it. It was a disheartening find, but then Soul Howl saw something on the floor. It looked like a hair ornament, but it was made of wood, so those chasing after valuable treasure would not have looked at it. But Soul Howl could see strong emotions imbued in that hair ornament. He did not know for whom those emotions were, but he knew who they came from. That was something Soul Howl had been looking for, one of Irina¡¯s effects. ¡¸Somehow yourplexion looks better today.¡¹ A golem momentarily taking the form of Irina was not enough for Soul Howl, so instead he used Hero¡¯s Coffin to directly talk to her body. To anyone she looked dead,pletely immobile, but he believed she looked happy to be back with Soul Howl. The coffin was quite a bitrger than a regr one, and inside was Irina¡¯s body wearing a thin white dress. She still looked beautiful though, and all the burial articles next to her were pristine items that rivaled legendary items. Only one item was not ced next to her, the wooden hair ornament which she had on her hair, and which was a personal effect she used in life. Soul Howl gently touched that hair ornament as he looked at Irina attentively, holding back a suspicious grin. Regardless of whether one knew or not about Soul Howl¡¯s obsession, anyone would feel disgusted and step away seeing him like that. The hair ornament¡¯s effect was to raise her attack power by a certain multiplier, which had a really good synergy with Irina¡¯srge battleaxe. Combined with her strengthened coffin, and Soul Howl¡¯s abilities, her potential in battle was sky high, even higher than thest time Mira had seen Irina. (His usual degeneracy is starting¡­) Mira could rte with the pain of not seeing someone in a long time, but considering the pair ahead, whoever could stand seeing Soul Howl like that with a corpse was truly a saint. Mira could not understand Soul Howl, but she did know him, so she just sighed in disbelief. ¡ºMira, Mira, exactly who could that girl be?¡» While Mira watched in silence, waiting for Soul Howl to be done, Martel¡¯s voice suddenly popped into her head. Martel had convinced herself that there was some exquisite love story between Soul Howl and the girl frozen in time in the Chalk Castle, so she could not allow herself to overlook what was happening now. ¡ºAhh, err¡­how should I exin¡­¡» Noticing Martel¡¯s bothered voice, Mira decided to tell her the story of how Soul Howl met his wife (everything about the Brigade of ck Lions), or at least the short version. ¡ºAnd so, since he¡¯s into undead chi-¡­since he loves undead women¡­¡» In the end, Mira mentioned how Soul Howl would always act that way around Irina, calling her his main wife. ¡ºI see, so it¡¯s not like his real wife or love passed away¡­ So he just fell in love with someone who¡¯s already dead then?¡» It was a shocking story for Martel. Or rather, anyone would be caught off-guard by Soul Howl¡¯s obsession. Seeing him adore a corpse like that was way past a bizarre sight. ¡ºBasically yes.¡» ¡ºSo he loves a woman who will never die¡­¡» That was the truth, so Mira did not deny it, and Martel continued muttering in a saddened voice. Mira figured that no matter how lenient and hung-strung about love Martel was, she would give up on him too, but her romance-tuned brain would not cave in just yet. ¡ºHe must be terrified of losing a loved one then. So now he loves someone who can¡¯t be taken away from him by death¡­ I see, he must¡¯ve walked a heartbreaking path to get here. But that¡¯s alright, I¡¯m sure his efforts will be rewarded, I can tell. The moment her life is spared, he¡¯ll see the beauty of life too, and then awaken to true love!¡» Mira could no longer follow Martel¡¯s reasoning, and just grimaced as she listened to her bber about love. The Spirit King also paid her little attention, siding with Mira. ¡¸So how do you feel now? Do you think you can do it?¡¹ Given how long it had been, Soul Howl could not contain himself from going further and further into a terrifying and dark ce. Mira knew they would get nowhere if he was allowed to continue, so she called out to him. Soul Howl then gave Irina a quick ¡¸See you in a bit¡¹ and undid Hero¡¯s Coffin before turning around. ¡¸I feel like new, and nothing feels off. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to fight with everything I have tomorrow.¡¹ Maybe because he had finally gotten some quality time with his wife after years, Soul Howl¡¯s voice sounded more reassured and confident than it had any reason to be. ¡¸That¡¯s good to know. Then let¡¯s figure out our n to fight Machina Guardian tomorrow.¡¹ Mira said that as she opened the spirit mansion¡¯s door. Soul Howl¡¯s high level spells had been restored, and he had gotten stronger since thest time she had seen him, giving them many more options to fight. They needed a strategy meeting to discuss everything new and how tobine their attacks the next day. ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right. There¡¯s no need to chip away at the boss¡¯ health. Let¡¯s just hit it with everything we got.¡¹ ¡¸Oh? You sound confident.¡¹ ¡¸I guess. It¡¯s really no biggie when I have my high level spells. And I¡¯m sure you have something up your sleeve as well, don¡¯t you Elder?¡¹ They were against a raid boss of the highest level, but Soul Howl still grinned unconcerned, even though the way Mira remembered him he still had some ways to go before being strong enough to deal with Machina Guardian. Maybe he had gained the necessary skills while she was gone though. Mira also had a secret skill to overturn the fight in their favor though. ¡¸Well, yes, that might be true. Let¡¯s finish it off tomorrow then.¡¹ Mira sat on her sleeping bag and Soul Howl just plopped on the ground wherever he felt best, and they sketched out their entire n. If anyone, even a high ranking adventurer, heard the way they spoke about their next fight, they would have thought the two werepletely deluded.
Chapter 194: What was Forgotten (1) Chapter 194: What was Forgotten (1)
After Soul Howl and Mira revealed everything they had avable to each other, they began nning their strategy to take down Machina Guardian. The conversation kept diverging into various directions, but both were already ustomed to that happening, so they would get back on track soon enough. And so eventually they had their strategyplete. ¡¸I guess we can start like that, and then we just adapt to however it reacts.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, just like in the past.¡¹ Even if they made a really detailed and specific n, there were chances things could take an unexpected turn at any moment. Rather than iling around aimlessly if things went off the rails, the Nine Wisemen had agreed that once that happened, they would each fend for their own. It was convenient to just tell each other to adapt whenever something happened, but it also went to show how much they trusted each other when they said it so casually. ¡¸Alright, now we just need to rest enough to be ready for tomorrow then. Actually, how are the golems in the corridor doing?¡¹ Mira was starting to get sleepy, so after a short yawn she asked that. ¡¸So far it¡¯s all going ording to n. Though considering Machina Guardian¡¯s ability to learn, it¡¯s hard to say if it¡¯ll keep working tomorrow. At least it might not take that long to defeat it now.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s fair. I¡¯m still surprised it learned how to deal with the first batch. It¡¯s good that we don¡¯t have to keep trying to stretch the fight out.¡¹ Back during the game days, the boss would only repeat a specific cycle of actions, making it feel like an actual robotical construct. Except that it had hundreds of avable actions, which would be chosen in response to its current state, so it was not that easy to memorize all the attacks and know how to fend them off. Some attacks were also difficult to evadepletely, but at least it was possible to be ready for the mostmon ones. Their n to defeat the boss now was alsorgely based on that knowledge. As wide and vast as the world was, only a small portion of the very best warriors hadpletely memorized all of Machina Guardian¡¯s actions. They were the Twelve Apostles of the Nirvana Empire, which was one of the tworgest countries in the Ark Continent. They were a bunch of oddballs as well. ¡¸We don¡¯t know if it always could learn, or if it only became able to do that now that this is reality, but regardless of that it¡¯s an annoying ability.¡¹ Soul Howl still sounded a bit disappointed about their discovery of Machina Guardian¡¯s learning abilities. He had been ready to fight there for a long time, but that threw a wrench in his ns. Either way that no longer mattered though. ¡¸It¡¯ll all be over tomorrow if we manage to defeat it. We have a n and plenty of ways to attack. We¡¯ll just have to run wild as much as we want.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true. It¡¯ll be a good training dummy to de-rust my high level spells.¡¹ The two grinned after saying that, looking forward to the fight. Though they also looked like a pair of mad scientists who just made a new find. ¡¸Oh right, I almost forgot. There¡¯s something else that might motivate you more.¡¹ They were finally getting ready for bed, and Mira had juste out of the toilet when she suddenly remembered something. Soul Howl, who was cing a simple rug on the floor as cushion, turned to look at her, smirking defiantly. ¡¸What is it? Being able to motivate me is quite a challenge.¡¹ He then sat down, looking at Mira to let her give her best attempt. His voice rang confident about himself, rather sure nothing she said would have a strong effect. Mira sat down on her sleeping bag and faced him before talking. She told him everything else the Spirit King and Martel had told her, about the devil¡¯s carved seal and stigmata, as well as the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree¡¯s power, and how it could actually cure the woman frozen in time. ¡¸And that¡¯s about it. It might not be exactly what you were hoping for, but at least she should be able to avoid death. Maybe I¡¯ve been meddling a bit too much, but your decision has been approved by the Spirit King and an Originator Spirit.¡¹ That was all Mira had to say, so without waiting for a reply she just lied down on her side. ¡¸So that¡¯s Stigmata, huh. There¡¯s still a lot of questions left about that, but ultimately we should be able to handle it at least.¡¹ Soul Howl was trying to obtain the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree to save a woman afflicted by the devil¡¯s carved seal. Now he knew that she was not suffering from that, but that it was actually Stigmata. On top of that, once she was healed with the Brilliant Chalice she would gain special healing powers. Soul Howl looked somewhat surprised after learning all of that, but that did not change his n or objective, only reaffirmed it. At the same time he could not stop himself from smirking more though. ¡¸But I see, she¡¯ll get new power, and every time she uses it, she¡¯ll be forced to remember it was all thanks to a necromancer like myself for the rest of her life.¡¹ Soul howl lied down on the rug he ced on the floor, and then cackled with joy. Then he added, ¡¸You were right, Elder. That did motivate me more.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see, that¡¯s good to hear.¡¹ His efforts to obtain the Brilliant Chalice would not go to waste. The end result would be slightly different to what he expected when he embarked on that quest, but it was still a positive one. Mira kept thinking about all that as she undressed and slipped inside her sleeping bag. ¡ºHe¡¯s too embarrassed to admit it. I can tell.¡» ¡ºSure thing. Let¡¯s hope he finally admits it soon.¡» Martel¡¯s voice kept heralding love without exhaustion, so Mira just gave a defeated reply and closed her eyes. A day passed after Mira caught up to Soul Howl in the Ancient Underground City¡¯s seventh floor. Mira woke up and took a morning shower to fully awaken her mind, finding breakfast fully served when she left the shower room. The dishes were Soul Howl¡¯s handmade sandwiches and soup, with a side of Martel¡¯s stat boosting fruits. Thest part had been prepared by Mira, as she figured it would be good to do that before a long fight. Those legendary fruits were taken by Soul Howl and carved delicately before being presented on tes. The table looked much more elegant,pared to Mira¡¯s usual habit of just biting into the whole fruit when eating them. Soul Howl had already eaten his share, and instead kept himself busy by drawing the magic circles he would need. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s go over the n again. You can listen while you eat.¡¹ ¡¸Ghmhjmm.¡¹ Mira agreed with her cheeks stuffed with sandwiches. No matter how idiotic she looked sometimes, she was still a force to be reckoned with. Soul Howl still felt a bit thrown off by the stark difference of how she looked nowpared to the Danbulf in the game, but he kept going with the conversation. They were just reviewing the n, so it was nothingplicated. It was simply going over everything they discussed the night before and making sure they still thought everything would work. ¡¸And once one of us starts Meditating, the other will have to focus on defense.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm. Once we start all our senses are cut off after all.¡¹ Meditating, that was one of the most useful skills Mira had found in the Encyclopedia of Skills. Its actual name was Ascension Rule, but as whoever used it took a meditating pose, the two chose to call it Meditating. The conditions to learn it varied greatly, and were even influenced by things like spirits¡¯ Divine Protections, but the Nine Wisemen had all essentiallypleted any requirement possible. For them it was just a matter of knowing the method to learn the skill. Mira had found that skill in the Encyclopedia some days before, and learned it that same day. Soul Howl learned it while they had their strategy meeting the night before. But more importantly, the effect of Ascension Rule was a big boost to mana recovery speed. While it was quite demanding to learn for an average spellcaster, it was exceedingly useful. Even Mira with her unusuallyrge mana pool would have her mana fully replenished in five minutes. It also had its downsides though. While the skill was active, the caster¡¯s vision, hearing, touch, and pain were all cut off. The pain part was the scariest of all. One would not feel any attacks while Meditating, so it was easy to imagine one could be lethally wounded without realizing. Using that skill required extreme situational awareness, especially if used during a major fight. ¡¸It¡¯s risky, but being able to avoid the toxicity from powerful mana recovery potions makes it worth it. If we do it well, we¡¯ll be able to go all out without having to worry about our mana. Meditating feels almost mandatory for any spellcaster worth their money.¡¹ sses that could produce minions or servants that moved autonomously, also could greatly diminish the risks involved with using Ascension Rule.
Chapter 194: What was Forgotten (2) Chapter 194: What was Forgotten (2)
That skill had greatly caught Soul Howl¡¯s attention, and put him in a better mood. Mainly because he had started getting worried about potions. Potions with powerful effects had gotten considerably more expensive than during the game days, and the prices just kept rising. Soul Howl had plenty of money saved up so he was not particrly worried about that aspect though. The issue was the supply. Every day there were less potions avable on the market, which incidentally was the reason prices kept going up. Even if he had the necessary money, there was no guarantee he would find potions for sale. Considering how reckless Soul Howl had been to get this far, powerful potions were extremely important for him to keep that momentum going. ¡¸At least now I¡¯ll stop running into the issue that I can¡¯t drink healing potions because I overdid it with mana potions.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯smendable.¡¹ Mira recalled something they would sometimes discuss during the game days, and Soul Howl also grimaced thinking back to it. Potions with a strong effect above a certain level had an issue with being toxic to the body. They offered incredible assistance with one thing, but if they were consumed excessively they could lead to something like a drunken state, or even loss of consciousness in extreme cases. So calcting just how many potions could be consumed safely in a fierce fight was also something spellcasters had to keep in mind. But less powerful potions were not toxic, so they could be consumed as much as a spellcaster wanted. Now that this world was reality that was not exactly an option anymore though, as people would get full and be unable to drink more stuff. ¡¸But well, having learned Meditation alone made meeting you again worth it, Elder.¡¹ He muttered that as he transferred the magic circle he had just drawn onto Transcription Paper. ¡¸What, that¡¯s it? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more. Aren¡¯t you happy to see an old friend again?¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, you¡¯re right, I also got my high level spells-¡¹ Just while Soul Howl was about to thank her for helping with restoring his high level spells, he stopped mid-sentence and lifted a brow. ¡¸What happened? Did the golems get defeated again?¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s reaction the night before had been simr, so Mira assumed it had to do with the golems again. ¡¸Yes, they did. There were still 4 left, but they all vanished just now.¡¹ Mira¡¯s hunch had been correct. Soul Howl quickly finished copying the magic circle to be ready for the fight, while Mira double checked everything onest time. ¡¸I guess Machina Guardian finally learned how to deal with them.¡¹ ¡¸Probably, yeah. It¡¯ll be annoying if it manages to regenerate its armaments, so let¡¯s head there quickly.¡¹ Saying that, Soul Howl rushed out of the spirit mansion. Since the golems were gone, it would not take long for Machina Guardian to enter its healing phase, and the longer it had to heal, the more its weapons would regenerate and expand its arsenal. It was a quite dire situation. ¡¸Having to disarm it from the beginning would be too much¡­¡¹ Mira was also aware of that, so she quickly cleaned everything in the room and sent the spirit mansion away before running after Soul Howl. The two ran through the corridors, heading to the arena. They passed corner after corner, until they reached the stretch where the golems had been stationed¡­ and froze in ce. ¡¸Why¡­ why now of all times¡­¡¹ ¡¸Oh yeah, I almost forgot this always happens too.¡¹ In front of them, right in the center of the corridor, there was a shadow looming still. Its body seemed to be built out of scrap parts, had two arms and four legs, and its head looked like a crude robotical rendition of a doll¡¯s face. Its two hands also carried des without hilts. Its body looked like it was made of lead without much care, and it creaked loudly as it turned to face Mira and Soul Howl. Overall it had an asymmetrical silhouette, and while it looked slightly different from how they remembered it, it remained just as bizarre. The wandering boss of the seventh floor had appeared there, the Mechanical Prowler. ¡¸Now that I think about it, there were only four golems left, which should be more than easy for the Prowler to defeat in one hit.¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re right. Somehow we got a bit too cocky after the first time.¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl carefully examined their enemy, trying to think of what to do. After a bit of thinking, Mira was the first to speak. ¡¸I¡¯ll distract the Prowler. You go inside like we nned and prepare the battlefield.¡¹ She slowly walked ahead, making sure the Prowler¡¯s attention was focused on her, and then summoned two Holy Knights and a Dark Knight. The Prowler was an enemy she could defeat as long as she did not get careless, but it was still the enemy second in power to Machina Guardian, and was unusually resilient considering its metallic body. Even if Mira and Soul Howl fought together, the corridor was too cramped to really let them finish the fight within five minutes. The issue was Machina Guardian¡¯s healing phase. Eight minutes had already passed since thest golem had entered the arena, so it would not take much longer for the healing phase to start. By the time they defeated the Prowler, Machina Guardian would have already regenerated arge portion of its arsenal. Considering all of that, Soul Howl quickly agreed to Mira¡¯s idea, and ran ahead while hiding under the shadows of Mira¡¯s summons. A momentter the Prowler also started moving, making a screeching metallic sound as its four legs moved with precision to make it lunge. The Prowler did not seem bothered by the Dark Knight and Holy Knight, its des aimed square at Soul Howl. It did not matter that he was hiding, the Prowler¡¯s attack was meant only for him. But Soul Howl also ignored the Prowler, running past without much worry. He was well aware of what Mira¡¯s Knights could do. The Prowler¡¯s des were blocked by the Holy Knight¡¯s tower shield, which let out copious amounts of sparks from the collision. There were two opposing forces which seemed to cancel each other, but only for a bit. The whirring and metallic screeching became louder and then the Holy Knight was pushed back. (He¡¯s stupid strong like always¡­) The Prowler was an enemy with a rank above A. Not even Mira could hold it back with low level summons. Having pushed the Holy Knight¡¯s tower shield away, the Prowler turned its back to Mira and ran toward Soul Howl again. (It¡¯s ignoring mepletely and only focusing on Soul Howl, huh. It¡¯s acting like its main priority is keeping everyone away from the arena.) Mira quickly examined the current situation and then ran toward the arena herself. Ahead of her ran Soul Howl with the Prowler behind him, but before any attack couldnd, the second Holy Knight blocked its path. A single powerful attack from the Prowler flicked the Holy Knight away, opening a path. It seemed to be obsessed with chasing after Soul Howl. Then ck des appeared in the air to attack the Prowler. They were ck des given form by Mira¡¯s mana, the weapons of partially summoned Dark Lords. Those des swirled through the air with effortless grace, leaving clear marks on the Prowler¡¯s resilient outer shell. Meanwhile Mira ran past the Prowler, then summoned two Holy Knights in front of her so that they could stop the enemy before it could reach Soul Howl again. Summoning Skill, Change: Holy Lord The moment Mira activated that spell, the two Holy Knights were enveloped in a blinding light. Once the transformation wasplete, the two Knights stepped out. Their armor had be far more burly and their shields were thick like castle walls. Holy Lords were the opposite of Dark Lords, being focused purely on defending. Just their appearance alone was enough to know how strong their armor and shield were, but their agility was also greatly diminished by the added weight, making them almost like static walls. But a slim corridor like the one they were in maximized the Holy Lords¡¯ potential. Their incredible defenses could block an attack from even a high level raid boss. The Prowler was a powerful enemy, its relentless aggressiveness being the most dangerous part of it, but it was not strong enough to break past the Holy Lords. The two Holy Lords perfectly blocked the corridor, not leaving enough space for the Prowler to scurry though. From the other side, Mira grinned proudly seeing her enemy trapped.
Chapter 195: The Mechanical Prowler (1) Chapter 195: The Mechanical Prowler (1)
¡¸It¡¯s been a while since I employed this strategy.¡¹ Muttering that to herself, Mira summoned two Dark Knights next to her and instantly turned them into Dark Lords. Meanwhile the first Dark Lord charged at the Prowler, but received so much damage that it quickly shattered. While Dark Lords were specialized in dealing damage, they also had thinner armor. Compared to the Prowler¡¯s strength, they were like paper, making it dangerous to get too close. Having destroyed the closest obstacle, the Prowler focused on Mira. The Prowler seemed to be prioritizing any target that was heading into the boss room ahead, so it only took Mira seriously now. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s bing increasingly aggravated¡­ The shields are currently holding up, but I don¡¯t know for how long¡­¡¹ Loud metallic ngs rang time and time again while red sparks scattered around endlessly while the Prowler hacked away at the Holy Lords¡¯ shields blocking his path. Even though the Prowler mostly swung wildly when attacking, each swing still packed a punch, time and time again. While the Holy Lords were resisting so far, they were still low level summons and would eventually crumble under the Prowler¡¯s pressure. Or at least they would if they kept being attacked like that. The Prowler seemed to have no other ideas other than to relentlessly sh at the Holy Lords¡¯ shields. Then countless ck des materialized all around the Prowler, and even in the gaps between the two Holy Lords, swinging all at the same time. The Prowler was so focused on the Holy Lords¡¯ shields that it could not react to the ck des on time, taking some considerable damage. But any further attacks all missed as the Prowler moved away to dodge. This was Mira¡¯s favorite strategy, which had an almost disgusting rate of sess. She would trap her prey in a corridor with Holy Lords before cornering it with Dark Lords from behind. No enemy could destroy or push back the Holy Lords without much effort, so once they were caught there was no escape. Though during the game days, when there were wars between yer countries and she had to defend fortifications, other yers would often call her strategy foul y and unfair. Which was rather understandable. ¡¸It¡¯s refusing to get closer now¡­¡¹ The Prowler retreated five meters and refused to get closer. It seemed to have noticed the range of Mira¡¯s partially summoned ck des, and now only watched carefully from afar. It did not have any range attacks either, so its only option was to get close again if it wanted to deal damage. After a short dy, it rushed ahead to attack again. Lowering its stance, it quickly elerated and struck the white shields with a lot of momentum, sending more sparks flying around. That attack was more powerful than the previous ones, being the Prowler¡¯s strongest attack, and leaving a deep gash in the Holy Lords¡¯ thick shield. Its next movements were impressive as well, as it quickly began to retreat and squirm to avoid getting hit by the many ck des that swung at it, managing to escape with only superficial cuts. In a matter of seconds it was out of harm¡¯s way again. It understood that as long as the ck des existed, it could not get closer without being at a disadvantage, so the fight continued as a series of quick attacks and retreats. That was exactly how some of the yers Mira faced off against before acted too. As the Prowler jumped back, a group of six ck arms took hold of all of its limbs as soon as itnded, holding it still before a hand swung a holy sword down on it. Everything had been timed perfectly and the attacknded squarely on the Prowler, causing a loud metallic ng from the impact. ¡¸Hmm, I may be tooting my own horn a little, but this is a really goodbination.¡¹ Everything had worked in sync, and using the Holy Sword Sanctia to conclude the attack was just the cherry on top. Mira had been trying to lure the Prowler into a situation that made that possible from the start, and now just looked at it, making jarring metallic screeches. Mira was not talented enough to use Sanctia herself, but if she had a Dark Knight wield it, she could get plenty of use from the sword¡¯s power. And as a Holy Sword, even when partially summoned it unleashed plenty of destruction. ¡¸Welp, I guess it¡¯s still a bit wed considering I can¡¯t use this repeatedly.¡¹ That was Mira¡¯s conclusion after analyzing how everything went. Partial summoning consumed little mana, but as Sanctia was a Holy Sword, working with her cost arge amount of mana. Mira could not use Sanctia as a proper sword when called through partial summoning though, which was a goodpromise considering that it only cost the same as a regr summon that way. On top of that, partial summoning had the benefit of being a surprise attack, and the power of Sanctia brought the entirebination into something Mira could actually use in realbat. She made sure to remember all the results she witnessed so far, smiling at the fruits of her experiments. (Now then, Soul Howl is¡­) Mira turned around to see how Soul Howl was doing. But she almost instantly turned back when she heard what sounded like countless metallic dishes being strewn about. ¡¸What happened?¡¹ When she looked at the Prowler, she saw how it lunged at a Holy Lord again, scattering sparks everywhere while slightly pushing it back. ¡¸I see¡­so it was just like an exoskeleton.¡¹ In the blink of an eye, the Prowler peeked through the space that opened between the Holy Lords. Now the enemy finally looked the way she recalled it, a humanoid robot made with ancient technology, and based to look like some fantastical super hero. Behind it there were many metallic tes lying on the ground, which were what the holy sword had cut through. ck des fell on that thinner body again, but as the Prowler had abandoned its powerful exoskeleton it was far more agile now, twisting its body as it quickly escaped all the attacks heading its way. The Prowler jumped back to safety again, which Mira anticipated by cing more partially summoned arms around there, but her enemy just did a somersault back, evading the trap. It truly looked like it was some sort of super hero. ¡¸So it gains a lot of speed once the outer shell is gone. That¡¯s a bit of a cliche, but also not something I appreciate right now.¡¹ Mira muttered to herself while thinking back to a mecha anime she watched many years ago. The Prowler¡¯s exoskeleton offered plenty of safety, but now that it was rendered useless, the Prowler had discarded it to gain more agility. That newly gained speed allowed the enemy to dash around the corridor like a fish that had just been released into water. It looked even more lively than when the exoskeleton was intact.
Chapter 195: The Mechanical Prowler (2) Chapter 195: The Mechanical Prowler (2)
The Prowler¡¯s strong exoskeleton was just that, an exoskeleton. Now that it had discarded its weight, the boss moved much more swiftly and agile. ¡¸Hmm¡­ its attacks are also stronger now.¡¹ With regained strength, the Prowler resumed its attacks. Mira observed that carefully, noticing how it was chipping away at the Holy Lords¡¯ shields more. Just like its body had gotten faster, the attacks were also quicker, which increased their power. It really was like some super hero powering up after casting away their weights. (Even though less weight should mean the attacks are less powerful. Oh well, I guess that¡¯s as much as mashed up parts can do.) At first, the Prowler looked asymmetrical and unbnced, which probably affected its attacks negatively. Only now it was able to strike at full force. ¡¸That means it¡¯s time for the second formation.¡¹ The Prowler¡¯s attacks were more precise, but also powerful enough to slightly push back on the Holy Lords. That showed just how much stronger it had be. At this rate the Holy Lords would be smashed down before they were cut down. But Mira did not look disparaged, calmly looking behind the Prowler. So far the Prowler would always jump back past the reach of the ck des, where it would gather its strength before ramming against the shields again. It was a constant cycle of attacking and running. The distance the Prowler needed to run to amass enough momentum was roughly five meters. That was still within the range Mira could summon in. The Prowler lowered its stance again, then dashed and struck therge shields, red sparks flying everywhere. Seeing that, Mira grinned and activated her summons. When dodging the partially summoned ck des, the Prowler constantly looked at Mira¡¯s eyes, which would look a certain way when summoning. That was how it dodged everything constantly. There was a reason why it held the title of being the second hardest enemy to beat in the entire Ancient Underground City. But there was one crucial thing the Prowler missed. It did not consider what kind of summon Mira would activate. As soon as its feet hit the ground, it backflipped away to avoid being hit by ck des. But they did not appear. Instead, two Holy Knights appeared just where he had jumped off to. They enclosed the Prowler against the Holy Lords. It instantly knew what was happening and switched targets to the Holy Knights. ¡¸It¡¯s toote for that.¡¹ With a slight grin, Mira transformed both Holy Knights. A momentter there was a loud ng and sparks flew everywhere. The Prowler had just hit the newly appeared Holy Lords. ¡¸Trapped rat formationplete!¡¹ There was no escape from that, the enormous shields blocked every way. Meanwhile Mira just grinned through the small gaps between the Holy Lords. The prowler went berserk, running as fast as it could from one side to another trying to strike the Holy Lords with more strength. It understood the situation it was in, so it desperately attempted to get out. But the Holy Lords would not let it get out, and instead slowly walked toward each other, following Mira¡¯s orders. It was easy to see what would happen if the Holy Lords got too close to each other. And evidently the space the Prowler could move in shrank bit by bit. The Prowler ran around like an enraged beast in a jail, wildly swinging at the Holy Lords. But that did not stop anything, and as the space grew smaller, the Prowler was unable to gather as much momentum, lowering its power. By the time the distance between the Holy Lords had shrunk by a few meters, the Prowler was nearly at arm¡¯s reach from the Holy Lords, which did not give it enough space to even swing its des properly. ¡¸Alright, time for thest step.¡¹ Saying that, Mira gave yet another order to the Holy Lords. Following it, they continued moving, skillfully encircling the Prowler within their four shields. Now the Prowler was not only stopped from moving front and back, but also from the sides. All it could do was screech in protest. ¡¸Not even the Mechanical Prowler can do something against this.¡¹ Mira chuckled to herself as she looked at the Prowler desperately screeching between the shields, and then gave thest order. The two Dark Lords slowly approached the restrained Prowler, standing on opposite sides, and finally began the proper execution. Their des passed through the small gaps between therge shields, mercilessly piercing into the Prowler¡¯s body. It looked like a crude pop-up pirate with no proper mechanisms inside. The swords rattled violently as the screeches became louder, but after each sessive thrust, they began to grow weaker, and by the eight stab it went silent. ¡¸Hmm, so it¡¯s done. That took quite some time.¡¹ Mira told the Dark Lords to stop for a moment and she looked inside. Inside she saw a pile of scrap metal twisted into a nondescript clump, all that remained of the Prowler. When one of therge shields moved away, there was a metallic ng as the Prowler¡¯s remains fell loose. It was impossible to make out what had once been its arms or legs. ¡¸I¡¯m like Kongming.¡¹ After swiftly sealing her opponent¡¯s movements, she defeated it with little effort. Mira puffed her chest in pride at the sess of her strategy. ¡ºThat was quite a sight to behold. I¡¯m impressed by your merciless fighting style.¡» ¡ºI prefer fighting head on, shing with everything I have. It¡¯s more fun to fight strength with strength, and skill with skill.¡» The Spirit King and Martel had been watching with much interest. But they also were slightly taken aback by the terrible state the Prowler was left in. Also, that method of encircling enemies made yers always tell others ¡¸I never want to fight Danbulf again¡¹ in the past. As a result, it did not take long enough for Danbulf to be the one Wiseman no one wanted to fight. Though Mira never noticed that.
Chapter 196: Spoils of War (1) Chapter 196: Spoils of War (1)
Having used the Mechanical Prowler as a pin cushion, Mira finally sent her Dark Lords and Holy Lords away. At the same time, the Mechanical Prowler that had turned into a pile of junk fell loose. ¡¸Oh wait, maybe it¡¯s¡­¡¹ Mira seemed to remember something as she turned around and began to rummage through the pile of scrap. After some time she took out a red orb, a ck chunk of metal, and the sharp de brandished by the Prowler. ¡¸I knew it! These are definitely worth more than five million!¡¹ She carefully stored it all in her Item Box, her eyes twinkling like she was dealing with pure gold. Those were the three most valuable drops the Prowler had. A certain question had been in Mira¡¯s mind for a while. What had happened to all the drop rates from the game, now that it was reality? Back then monsters would just drop materials on defeat, but now it was necessary to cut open the monster¡¯s remains to ess them. It was also possible to add the bodies of monsters to a special tab in the Item Box, so they could be carried to various monster butcher shops in cities, who would break apart the bodies and take out the raw materials. By breaking a body apart, one or two materials could be obtained. The number varied depending on which shop one visited, and the butcher¡¯s skill. The rare materials also required a more skillful butcher to obtain. The rarer the material, the more skill it would take, and the more butchers would charge. But then there was something else that anyone who yed a game likely thought before. If one of the rarest items an enemy could drop was a horn for example, then a yer who did not get it would likely think ¡¸But I can literally see the horn right there.¡¹ Chance was the only deciding factor back then. Now that everything was reality, Mira realized that it was possible for her to take such a horn herself. So she decided to test it out, and this was the result. She had obtained the red orb which was the Prowler¡¯s power source, the chunk of ck metal that shielded it, and the de that had gouged out so much of the Holy Lord¡¯s shield. All of them were hidden within the rubble. Basically, unless a material was only rarely produced by a monster inside their body, even rare materials could be obtained from all monsters. ¡¸So this must mean that Machina Guardian is also¡­¡¹ Machina Guardian could drop ten different items. Some would drop more often than others, but even the mostmon ones were extremely valuable. Once they defeated it, chances were they could rummage through the scrap and obtain all the rare drops, just like with the Prowler. And that meant obtaining items that Mira had only heard about in the game, and never seen for herself. (Did Soul Howl mention that I could take all the drops yesterday..? Yes, he did!) Chuckling to herself recalling that as if it was some devious contract, she headed to the main boss room with renewed motivation. While it was true that obtaining rare materials was easier now, there were new limitations now that this was reality. For instance, if she wanted the monster¡¯s hide, she had to make sure the monster was defeated in a way that did not damage its hide. Which was far more realistic and difficult,pared to the game where the way a monster was killed did not affect such drops. It was important to keep an eye on which parts of a monster one attacked. But in contrast to Mira¡¯s overflowing confidence, she actually only knew the names of the items and their description. ¡¸Oh, so everything is already in ce.¡¹ Mira muttered satisfied as she entered the boss arena. It looked like apletely different ce from how she had left the arena the day before. The biggest difference was a gigantic castle front gate ced fifty meters away from the entrance. Long walls spanned on both sides of it, dividing the arena into two regions. It was clear at first sight that the walls were incredibly thick and resilient too. Then there were countless cannons lining up those long walls. They were all rhythmically fired by golems in sequence too, who would not miss a single beat to take care of their duty. It was like watching a siege defense. And it also showed that the strategy they hade up with the night before was in full action. Mira looked around, impressed by Soul Howl¡¯s regained power, and then used Sky Stride to run up to the top of the wall. ¡¸Is everything going alright?¡¹ She asked that the instant she reached a spot atop the wall that looked like a turret. ¡¸Pretty much,¡¹ was Soul Howl¡¯s reply, his eyes focused on Machina Guardian. ¡¸As you can see, it¡¯s already learnt. Most frontal attacks don¡¯t hit anymore.¡¹ On the other side of the wall, where the main battle was being fought, was only Machina Guardian. The boss was skillfully moving around, fending off the iing cannon fire. Rather than being hit, it redirected the cannonballs. It seemed to understand they would explode if it blocked instead. It moved quickly and with much dexterity, each of its movements precisely calcted to deflect the iing cannonballs, which then exploded violently on the ground a safe distance away from it. Soul Howl was firing from a wall, instead of just a single turret like the night before, with enough power to obliterate an A Rank monster, but Machina Guardian still managed to survive while taking hardly any damage, silently observing Mira and Soul Howl. It was eerily overwhelming to be in that situation. ¡¸And what if everyone fires at the same time?¡¹ Mira asked that while watching the fight. Machina Guardian had eight legs, and it was using four to deflect the cannonballs. So she knew there had to be a limit to how many cannonballs they could deal with at the same time.
Chapter 196: Spoils of War (2) Chapter 196: Spoils of War (2)
Mira assumed that Machina Guardian was only holding out because of therge number of appendages it had avable. If all the cannons fired at the same time, then that advantage would be ovee and it would not be able to deflect everything. ¡¸Yes, firing everything does deal damage.¡¹ Starting with that, Soul Howl detailed how the fight had gone so far. He had already tried to fire everything at the same time twice. Since Soul Howl had already used a turret the night before, Machina Guardian had learned how to deal with it, and applied it to the wall as well. But he also noticed that there was a limit to how much it could defend against, so he had tried firing everything at once. ¡¸It did cause some damage, and it probably left quite some cracks on it. The problem is what happened after.¡¹ Soul Howl continued rting what had happened, all the while making sure that his cannons were still firing. Firing all the cannons at once also meant that they would need to reload at the same time, which created an opening that Machina Guardian did not miss. ¡¸I tried it again just in case, and it was just a repeat of the first.¡¹ Then Soul Howl gestured at a portion of the wall. There were some deep cuts into the sturdy wall there. If that kind of damage was applied for a second or third time, the wall would likely crumble. ¡¸It responded by going berserk both times. It¡¯s only happened twice, so it¡¯s hard to say conclusively, but I think it¡¯s safe to assume it¡¯ll always do that.¡¹ The wall was key for their strategy to seed. If it was destroyed, everything would fall apart. It was best to avoid firing all the cannons simultaneously if it meant Machina Guardian would go berserk. ¡¸But well, that¡¯s about it. On one hand my cannons don¡¯t work anymore, but I also managed to deal some damage. So what do you think?¡¹ Soul Howl had given a rather lengthy response to Mira¡¯s question on how things were going. It did not seem like things were going exactly smoothly, but Soul Howl still seemed confident. ¡¸Hmm, I guess it is halfway alright. And this is quite the mighty wall you have, if two berserk attacks left only that.¡¹ Mira looked at the marks left on the wall and seemed rather impressed. Going berserk was the name given to one of Machina Guardian¡¯s attacks, known for being its most dangerous one right after the Laser Beam, which not even the best pdins in full armor and shield could block. It was impressive for Soul Howl¡¯s wall to resist that attack twice and remain standing up. ¡¸I heard of golems with various additional effects, but I guess nothing canpare to your Castle Golem.¡¹ Castle Golem was the actual name of the spell that gave Soul Howl his nickname of Great Wall. It was a spell thatbined various aspects from other spells, making it one of the highest level Necromancy spells. As its name suggested, it created an enormous golem that was nearly the size of a royal castle. It was also equipped with a hundred cannons, and various other weapons set up as defenses. At first he employed other people to man all those cannons and weapons, but now he could create helper golems which allowed him to use it on his own. Because of that, Arkite¡¯s capital ended up obtaining a second stronghold defending the main pce, so when other yers attempted to siege the city, they realized they had to topple two fortresses, which usually drove them to justugh at how ridiculous that was and give up. The wall dividing the arena in two was a portion of Castle Golem. That was another benefit of that spell, it was not necessary to create the entire thing, it was possible to create only one portion to adapt into enclosed spaces. Mira watched how the damaged portion of the wall slowly regenerated as she was reminded of Hebi, one of the Fifty Bells¡¯ elite. She had mentioned a newly created tool called Mystic Dagger that could extract special souls from undead monsters, and apply their properties onto a golem, enhancing them with various effects. ¡¸I believe you added a special Reinforcement effect to your Castle Golem this time, right? That has made your Castle Golem into an even harder to prate defense.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s not really that this is a special situation. There¡¯s just no point in adding an effect like Swiftness or Leaping to this.¡¹ Soul Howl had already experimented various things before his high level spells were sealed. Then he added ¡¸I actually was afraid Reinforcement wouldn¡¯t have any effect either,¡¹ smiling nervously. When he was running his tests, he did not have any enemies nearby that could check whether Reinforcement actually had an effect or not. Now he was testing it against a raid boss, so at first he doubted it would help much, but the effect was stronger than he anticipated. Now he felt confident in letting the Castle Golem defend their position autonomously. That gave both Mira and Soul Howl a big advantage. Now they had a wall that would stop any attack, giving them the perfect hiding ce to use Meditation. ¡¸Then just like always, I¡¯ll be relying on your Castle Golem to keep me safe.¡¹ Castle Golem was Soul Howl¡¯s strongest defense. He had used it plenty of times when fightingrge hordes of enemies, or when securing a location and stopping intruders. ¡¸And I¡¯ll be counting on you for the offensive.¡¹ Soul Howl was in a good mood, likely because he was d his high level spells had been unlocked. Then he reclined back as he watched the cannons continue firing. He was a necromancer that specialized in building defensive weapons next to an automated fortress. Then he went to bring more cannons to the golems firing, muttering something about mixing up the timing. Mira chuckled a little seeing Soul Howl like that, then jumped off from the turret and into the area enclosed by the wall.
Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (1) Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (1)
¡¸And so, our enemy is the same big one from yesterday.¡¹ To continue where she left off the night before, Mira summoned Isenfald and the Valkyrie Sisters behind the wall and gave them a brief exnation of the situation. ¡¸Leave it to me, Mother!¡¹ Isenfald was in a better mood than usual, happy that he had been summoned two days in a row. He was ready to enter the fight any moment. ¡¸We sisters shall fulfill any and all of our Master¡¯s wishes.¡¹ The Sisters also gave a solemn reply, though their eyes were burning with determination, ready to challenge a stronger foe. Except for Christina, the youngest. She looked like she was about to cry, recalling their fight the night before. ¡¸Next I¡¯ll need support too.¡¹ Muttering that, Mira deployed a Rosario Summoning Circle. Isenfald had overwhelming power, while the Valkyrie Sisters could adapt to nearly any situation. Both of them were indispensable if Mira wanted to fight with all her power, but she still wanted someone to serve as support too. Mira called the Diva Summon Leticia, Spirit of Stillness Worthramble, Pegasus, Cait Sith, and then Garuda. ¡¸Masterrr, I¡¯vepleted your second song~¡¹ As soon as she was out of the magic circle, Leticia began to hum. ¡¸I was wondering what the asion was¡­ and I see I¡¯m surrounded by various distinguished individuals.¡¹ Worthramble looked around nervously, seeing the Emperor Dragon, the Valkyrie Sisters, and even Leticia there. But on the other hand Cait Sith was full of energy. ¡¸I sense an imeowrtant battle!¡¹ There were plenty of new faces around, but Cait Sith could sense what was happening already, so he jumped with a furious face while brandishing a sign that read ¡®Courage and recklessness are two sides of the same coin.¡¯ Meanwhile Pegasus was, obviously enough, standing right next to Mira. Garuda remained in a corner, silently awaiting Mira¡¯s orders. ¡¸I believe this will be a harsh fight, but I¡¯ll be counting on each one of you.¡¹ Mira looked at all of them as she said that, which made all of them tense up. Leticia and Cait Sith were a bit more rxed, but even they paid attention carefully. ¡¸Alright, and now to summon the main army.¡¹ Mira quickly ced various summon spots behind the wall. She already had enough summons to take over a whole city, but that was not enough when fighting Machina Guardian. It was just her and Soul Howl fighting a raid boss, so she had to use all the power she had avable. So now she was not pulling any stops, showing her method of outnumbering the enemy at full disy. She also had activated Sage¡¯s Enchanted Eyes to gather the mana in the air around her to use it for her summons. At the same time, the mark of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection began to glow all over her body. That was a marked difference from how she usually summoned her army. Countless magic circles began to appear one after another in front of Mira. Those were not to summon Dark Knights, but also not to summon Holy Knights. There were at least a thousand of them, and they were Mira¡¯s hidden trump card. What came out did look like a knight, even though it was not a Dark Knight nor a Holy Knight. ¡¸Good, it¡¯s working well.¡¹ Mira smiled with satisfaction as she looked at her new army. That was the product of using the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection to its limits,bined with the research Soul Howl had done into Compound Skills, making it Mira¡¯s own unique Skill. She had experienced the Spirit King¡¯s power to link spirits when she enhanced the spirit mansion, with water and fire spirits providing warm water to the shower and kitchen. That was what prompted Mira to wonder what else she could link together. Soul Howl¡¯s research into Compound Skills finalized that idea. The results were the Ashen Knights standing in front of her. The best way to describe them was as vagrant knights, with a shield on their left hand, and a ck sword on their right. Mira hadbined Dark Knights with Holy Knights. Then she even added Sanctia¡¯s power on top of that, increasing their potential further. The Ashen Knights had thebined abilities of Dark Knights and Holy Knights, while also having amplified power. Their weapon also had the properties of Sanctia, making them especially suited to attack. That new summon was far superior to the Armor Spirits she used as a basis for them. Their power could likely match that of higher level summons, while preserving their status as Armor Spirits, so there was no limit on how many Mira could summon. But that did not mean she could use this summon wherever she wanted. It required use of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, as well as Sanctia, which increased its mana cost dramatically. It was also simr to higher level summons in that aspect. Still, they were treated as low level summons, meaning they could be summoned without the need of a lengthy chant, while still packing the power of a higher level summon, making it quite practical. ¡¸Alright Alfina, I¡¯ll entrust you and your sisters withmanding this army. Go and pick your troops.¡¹ Satisfied with how her new army looked, Mira turned around. ¡¸Understood.¡¹ This was the first time that the Sisters saw the Ashen Knights, but just at first sight they could tell how powerful they were. Alfina knelt with deep respect, while rejoicing in her mind that Mira had given them the honor of leading such a powerful army. Under Alfina¡¯s orders, the Sisters split the Ashen Knights into different groups, which they formed into troops. While Alfina¡¯s excited voice echoed in the background, Mira turned to look at Cait Sith. ¡¸Alright, First Lieutenant. I have a very important mission for you again today. I don¡¯t have to exin, right?¡¹ Saying that, Mira ced four Magic Sealing Stones the size of small pebbles in Cait Sith¡¯s hand. ¡¸As you wish, meow!!¡¹ Cait Sith epted them with exaggerated reverence, then quickly changed into a ninja outfit and struck a fitting pose. The sign on his back also changed to read ¡®A role in the shadows.¡¯ Cait Sith instantly knew what that important mission was. But that much was expected, as this had always been Cait Sith¡¯s role whenever Danbulf was fighting arge scale war. The mission entailed carrying the Magic Sealing Stones and cing them on the four corners of the battlefield. The stones held a certain Summoning Skill, Binding Arcana Circle. Activating them would empower any nearby summon. But there was something more, if four of them were ced encircling an area, then their effect would spread to the entire area. There was a limit to how far each of the Binding Arcana Circles could be from each other, but the boss arena was still within Mira¡¯s abilities.
Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (2) Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (2)
Usually that Skill could only be activated near the spellcaster, but by borrowing Cait Sith¡¯s agility and swiftness it was possible to set them up in distant locations. It required a bit of sneaking around, but the result was more than worth it. ¡¸This battlefield is more dangerous than usual, so you help too.¡¹ Saying that, Mira picked up Cait Sith and ced him on top of Pegasus¡¯ back. Most of the times when there was such arge scale war, all the Nine Wisemen would be gathered, and could cover Cait Sith, but here there were only two of them. Mira did not feelfortable with Cait Sith running around exposed, so she paired him with Pegasus. ¡¸And so I¡¯ve made a trusty partner!¡¹ Cait Sith eximed in a good mood while riding on Pegasus¡¯ back. Pegasus scowled for a bit at first, but the instant Mira said ¡¸Keep him safe,¡¹ and stroked his mane, he neighed loudly and motivated. Then he turned around to tell Cait Sith something. ¡¸I¡¯ve fulfilled this meowssion dozens of times before. Just leave it to meow!¡¹ They had likely discussed what the mission entailed, and if they really could aplish it, but Cait Sith replied while puffing his little chest proudly. He had reason to act that way though, as he had sessfullypleted the mission many times before. ¡¸Now, next one¡­¡¹ After the small yet lovable and reliable Cait Sith, Mira looked at Worthramble and Garuda. At the same time, Alfina returned after having split the Ashen Knights into seven troops. ¡¸Good, you came just in time. Let me tell you the actual key points of the strategy.¡¹ Facing her entire army, Mira began to detail the n to take down Machina Guardian.
¡¸Open the gates!¡¹ With an army powerful enough to topple over a small country, Mira shouted loudly at Soul Howl who was atop the wall. After a short dy, there was a deep rumble as therge castle gates began to open. The battlefield began to be revealed through the gap between the gates, and the noises that had sounded somewhat muffled earlier could be heard more clearly now. Machina Guardian had actually gotten closer to the wallpared to its position when Mira first entered the arena. The cannon fire had started to lose its effectiveness as the boss got more adept at deflecting cannonballs, which also allowed it to get closer to the wall. Considering how low the cannons were angled now, if Mira had taken just a bit longer, Machina Guardian would have gone past the reach of the cannons. But now everything was ready. Mira went to the opened gate and stood there, ring directly at Machina Guardian. At the same time, all the cannons stopped firing. Machina Guardian seemed to have been waiting for that moment, instantly rushing forward. A momentter all the cannons¡¯ nozzles were engulfed in mes. That was the simultaneous attack that had been able to damage Machina Guardian before. It tried to deflect the cannonballs again, but there were so many of them that it was impossible. ¡¸Attaaaaaaaaack!¡¹ Mira¡¯s loud voice echoed like a signal, making the army that stood behind her spring into action. After all the cannons fired, there was a quiet moment as they all reloaded. That was the window for the army to charge ahead though, so they had to hit that moment. Isenfald took the lead, using his scorching Dragon Breath on Machina Guardian who had just started running berserk within the smoke of the cannonballs. The bright light quickly spread through the arena while waves of heat spread around, burning the ground aggressively. Isenfald¡¯s powerful Dragon Breath had pushed Machina Guardian all the way back to the other end of the arena. That was a bit surprising, as Machina Guardian¡¯srge size also meant it packed a lot of raw power, not to mention that Isenfald was still being limited by the summoner¡¯s own power. Even Soul Howl grimaced seeing that, realizing that Mira had grown a lotpared to how he knew her. In a way, he wanted to scold her for using a ridiculous attack like that from such close range. As the shockwaves reached back to the wall, the troops led by the Valkyrie Sisters rushed out onto the battlefield. They all moved skillfully and orderly, surrounding Machina Guardian. The smoothness of their movement showed just how experienced the Sisters were at leading armies. Machina Guardian attempted to attack the wall again, but its legs were being held, starting the actual battle. ¡¸Meowssion start!¡¹ As soon as Cait Sith saw that Machina Guardian¡¯s attention was turned onto the Ashen Knights, he held firmly onto Pegasus¡¯ back while standing next to the wall, disying the sign asrgely as he could. It read ¡®This mission will decide the battle¡¯s oue.¡¯ ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡¹ After Mira said that, Cait Sith rode gantly into the battlefield. ¡¸Alright, now onto the next step.¡¹ Leaving them toplete their part of the strategy, Mira turned to look at Worthramble and Garuda, who nodded both, and so Mira took Leticia and went up the wall to where Soul Howl was standing. ¡¸So how are things looking?¡¹ Walking up to Soul Howl¡¯s side, she looked at the battlefield. The troops had sessfully surrounded Machina Guardian thanks to Isenfald distracting it. ¡¸Hmm, it¡¯s looking good so far. Also, I¡¯ve seen itsh out at those gray knights you called your trump card a few times. They seem to be strong enough.¡¹ Soul Howl replied without looking away from the battlefield. The cannons that had been firing rhythmically until now had gone silent, but they were ready to fire again if there was a window to attack. They would serve to distract Machina Guardian and assist Isenfald and the Sisters if needed. ¡¸Hmmm, so adding a Holy Sword into the mix was the right call. I guess I just have to boost their defense now.¡¹ Machina Guardian had the highest defense out of all raid bosses. Every time Mira fought it before, her main concern was having enough power to break through its thick armor. Now that boss had gained the ability to learn and adapt, she also wanted to avoid a long fight. The previous times she fought it, the Wizard Wiseman Luminaria, Exorcist Wiseman Valentin, and the Sage Wiseman Meilin had enough powerbined for that. But none of them were here with her now. She had no option but to use all the tools avable to herself. Together with Solomon they had set the record of defeating Machina Guardian in two hours, but now Mira only wished that they could wrap it up within the day, and she ced her hopes on the Holy Sword Sanctia. ¡¸Leticia, please sing the Serenade for a Beloved Knight.¡¹ ¡¸Your request will be fulfilled promptly.¡¹ There was a vast tform next to the turret overseeing the battlefield. Leticia hopped and skipped there to stand in the center. That tform did not seem to mash into the construction of the rest of the wall. It had been built specifically for Leticia, her own little stage.
Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (3) Chapter 197: Waging War on Machina Guardian (3)
Thanks to all the times they fought together in the past, Soul Howl knew to add that tform. That way the wall¡¯s cannons would shoot down anything that approached, making it extremely difficult for the enemy to stop Leticia¡¯s singing. Standing on that tform, Leticia began to sing. Her music, which carried a mysterious power, could be heard from the entire arena regardless of distance, buffing those she deemed as allies. In this case, it was a damage mitigation effect. ¡¸Now we just sit back and watch for now.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll have to see if its behavior changes as we think it will or not.¡¹ Machina Guardian¡¯s attack patterns would usually change depending on how much damage it took. Usually thest phase would be using the Laser Beam it used against the golems, which happened once its HP was reduced to twenty percent. Though it had used it regardless the night before. Knowing that, Soul Howl and Mira decided it was best to observe what happened from a distance first. Mira used the Distant View Skill she had just learned from the Encyclopedia of Skills to observe the fight between Machina Guardian and Isenfald and the Sisters. Soul Howl had also learned that Skill from Mira, and he used it to adjust the aim of the cannons, continuing to offer support during the fight. Machina Guardian had both weak and strong attacks. If it attacked with little wind up, it would be a weak attack, and a bigger wind up meant a stronger attack. Soul Howl carefully watched every single movement it made, knowing when he could attack and when he had to wait. That also helped to not get blown away by any attacks.
The fight went on like that for two hours, and it was all going ording to n so far. They calcted they had chipped away forty percent of its HP and its movement patterns changed, and it started using more attacks, but that was still within the realm of what Mira and Soul Howl knew. So far there had not been any unexpected reactions. As it started using new attacks, the number of losses in the army also increased. But they were mostly Ashen Knights, which Mira could easily summon back. Maybe she would miss a few summons, but the number of Ashen Knights would remainrgely constant. That also depleted her mana faster though, so from time to time she would need to go hide behind the wall to use Meditation and recover her mana. Cait Sith and Pegasus had also fulfilled their role wlessly, so now the effect of Binding Arcana Circle was empowering all of Mina¡¯s summons. The only downside was that the effect would wear off after half an hour, and then Cait Sith and Pegasus would need to ce Magic Sealing Stones again. But as long as they were active, Isenfald, the Valkyrie Sisters, and the Ashen Knights would have a decent boost to their power. It also regenerated the protective barrier on summons, letting them fight for longer. Though Machina Guardian¡¯s attacks were so powerful that the barriers would shatter on impact, so they could not afford to get careless either. All of that was part of the n. Mira¡¯s strategy was to continue the fight like that until at least half of Machina Guardian¡¯s HP was gone. ¡¸Having to deal with every time it goes berserk is getting annoying.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m impressed your army is still standing after three rounds of that though.¡¹ yers referred to one set of attacks as running berserk, which involved wild swings of all its eight legs, before jumping into the air and using its weight to crush down whatever was below, together with an explosion. Machina Guardian had done that three times against the army so far. Even the toughest yers would get defeated almost instantly by that, so the Ashen Knights also could not survive. After three times of that, forty percent of them had been taken out, even though Mira had replenished a troop¡¯s worth already. If the army had been made of Dark Knights, there would be none left, such was the power of a berserk Machina Guardian. That sixty percent still remained went to show how much the defense from Holy Knights helped the Ashen Knights. ¡¸As annoying as it is, it also gives us the perfect opening, however.¡¹ ¡¸I know. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I just chipped off 2% of its HP right now.¡¹ At the end of the berserk attack, the explosion would send Machina Guardian¡¯s body flying, and it would take five seconds to stand back up. That was enough time for Soul Howl and Mira to attack. At that moment, Alfina wouldmand the Ashen Knights to rush at Machina Guardian, while she and her sisters also attacked with everything they had. An instant before Machina Guardian was done standing up, the Ashen Knights would all scurry back, allowing the spear of light created by Alfina and her sisters to strike. Then there would be another bright sh, followed by a loud roar. That was Isenfald¡¯s Dragon Breath, hitting squarely on Machina Guardian. Then immediately after all the cannons from the wall would fire.
¡¸Oh, it seems we¡¯re at the halfway mark now.¡¹ ¡¸Right. Time for the second phase.¡¹ Machina Guardian looked like arge robotic spider, and the area where its eyes would be turned from blue to green. Soul Howl and Mira noticed it as they observed the battlefield. Machina Guardian lifted its body with a lot of force, and then its back split apart. Or rather, it was opened, releasing multiple figures that spread through the battlefield. ¡¸They¡¯re out.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, still ording to n.¡¹ There were five figures, resembling the Mechanical Prowler, and called Mechanical Protectors. They were roughly as strong as the Prowler, and appeared once Machina Guardian was brought down to half health. Their arrival had been anticipated though. This was still the same as all the previous fights with Machina Guardian they experienced in the past. Mira watched that unfold, her army quickly surrounding each of the five. Each of the five Protectors had a different weapon. The Sisters all had a sword, but that was mainly their secondary weapon, while also having a unique specialized weapon. Mira quickly observed what the Protectors held, making sure a Valkyrie with the right weapon faced them. The eldest Alfina and second eldest Eletina continued to fight Machina Guardian, while the remaining Sisters took care of the Protectors. The Sisters¡¯mand over the army of Ashen Knights was impable, the troops splitting off and surrounding the Protectors before they could do anything to counterattack. Anyone strong enough to attempt fighting Machina Guardian was powerful enough to defeat a Protector single-handedly if they were careful, as that enemy was roughly equivalent to the Mechanical Prowler. But not dealing with them immediately could lead to the Protectors working together, and eventually merging into a more difficult enemy, so it was necessary to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Chapter 198: Waging war on Machina Guardian (4) Chapter 198: Waging war on Machina Guardian (4)
¡¸Encircling them really does make things easier, huh.¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know, my strategies are always superior.¡¹ Only five minutes passed since the Protectors appeared, and only one remained of the five. The Protectors main strength was their cooperation and merging. That had be impossible the moment the Ashen Knights surrounded each of them. No matter how fast they were, they could not break through the defenses of Holy Knights linked onto Ashen Knights, and the Sisters punished any attempt at escaping. As a result, all of the Protectors were isted and the Sisters defeated them quickly. ¡¸The barrage fire is too much!!¡¹ While the Sisters who finished their fight returned to face Machina Guardian, only one continued fighting a Protector. Surely enough, it was Christina, the youngest. She used her shield to block the pebbles fired at her rapidly by the Protector, forcing her to advance a bit and then retreat. That specific Protector had weapons that shot pebbles on both hands. Christina could block them with her shield, but if she got too close it was harder to predict where it would fire, not to mention that it could eventually fire at her head and feet at the same time, which would be impossible to block. Because of that, she was forced to remain at a certain distance where she could still react, and could not get any closer. ¡¸Ahh, my sisters are all done already. What should I do¡­ I¡¯ll get scoldedter if I take too long!¡¹ Christina realized that if she took too long in her fight, Alfina would scold herter. If she used the Ashen Knights to block the pebbles for her, she would easily take the Protector down. But she refused to do that because her sisters had not used them. She knew that if she was the only one who did that, borrowing Mira¡¯s power, then her training regiment would get even harsher. So that was the dilemma stopping Christina from getting anywhere. ¡¸I have no choice, I¡¯ll have to use that here¡­¡¹ Continuing to stall would only lead to the same conclusion though. She wanted to avoid extra training at any cost, so she took a deep breath and muttered that to herself, before pointing her sword back while still protecting herself with her shield. A momentter her shield began to glow, and the light spread to the rest of her body. ¡¸I hate traininggg!¡¹ She screamed from the bottom of her heart as she began to run. Her body turned into a streak of light, deflecting the iing pebbles and her sword leaving a glowing trail as she sliced the Protector in two with a single swing. ¡¸Good¡­that was good¡­I made it on time! I should¡¯ve made it on time!¡¹ The Protector stopped moving, so she turned her gaze onto Machina Guardian. Seeing that not much had happened there yet, she tried to convince herself she had not taken too long as she brought her troop of Ashen Knights back to the main fight. ¡¸Ohh, that was a new attack.¡¹ Mira sounded impressed, seeing that sh of light for the first time. ¡¸A Protector defeated with a single attack. That¡¯s impressive.¡¹ ¡¸I know, she¡¯s really good.¡¹ Mira sounded pleased hearing Soul Howlmend Christina¡¯s fight as well. In a way, she was acting like a grandpa that heard his granddaughter be praised. ¡ºYou did well. That was a magnificent move.¡» Filled with delight, Mira could not stop herself from praising Christina directly. ¡ºAh, thank you very muchh!¡» Christina¡¯s response sounded really nervous, either it was too sudden, or she had not expected to be praised like that.
The fight continued after that, slowly chipping away at Machina Guardian¡¯s health. Soul Howl and Mira would take turns to use Ascension Rule to recover their mana behind the wall, allowing them to continue using their spells without worry. By the time only forty percent of the army was left, dozens of Cannon Fortress Golems appeared all over the battlefield to assist the Valkyrie Sisters from more angles. That also meant Soul Howl was busier controlling all of them. That was around two hours after the Protectors appeared. ¡¸Oh, only 30% left to go.¡¹ ¡¸Nowes the leg thing, right?¡¹ Machina Guardian¡¯s eyes turned yellow just as it went berserk. Once they saw it settled after the jump, they braced for what woulde. First, Mira told the army to retreat. Usually the five seconds it took for Machina Guardian to recover after going berserk were a good window to attack, but Mira gave it up regardless. The response was immediate. Alfina ryed the order, and all the troops moved a distance away from the boss. Isenfald also did as told, moving back while carefully examining Machina Guardian. Both of them did not hesitate whatsoever, following Mira¡¯s order while ignoring the chance to attack. That also proved their absolute trust in Mira. They just kept a watchful eye on Machina Guardian while retreating fifty meters away. Machina Guardian began to stand up again. Then its second pair of legs from the back detached and fell on the ground. Both of them were around twenty meters long, and three meters thick. ¡¸They¡¯re here¡­they¡¯re here¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes, and it¡¯s as annoying as ever.¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl watched as more Protectors broke out from the fallen legs. Ten came from one, twenty in total, gathered around Machina Guardian. This time they did not run off like the first time either, so it was much easier for them to work with each other or merge. Many yers were wiped out at that phase when information about the boss was scarce. But now they knew to expect that. Mira and Soul Howl had been through that fight multiple times in the past. ¡¸Now!¡¹ Following Mira¡¯s signal, Isenfald unleashed his Dragon Breath on the Protectors. Eletina had also been waiting for that moment, shooting an extrarge light arrow. But that was not all, the cannons mounted on the dozens of turrets and along the wall all fired simultaneously. All of that caused a powerful explosion where Machina Guardian stood, which seemed to shake the entire arena. Then there were blinding shes and thunderous sounds. If anything had remained near the boss, it would have been blown away, regardless of whether it was friendly or foe. Leticia was still singing in high spirits during all of that. And no matter how much noise the explosions produced, her voice could be heard clearly, showing the power of a spirit of sound. ¡¸Say, Elder, can¡¯t she match the scene a little bit better?¡¹ ¡¸¡­She¡¯s a free spirit.¡¹ The battlefield looked like a world-ending war, filled with loud explosions, but Leticia¡¯s song sounded rather cheerful, creating a slightly disconcerting dissonance. That did not affect the result of the attacks though. As the light and smoke cleared, the Protectors and all the damage they suffered came into vision.
Chapter 198: Waging war on Machina Guardian (5) Chapter 198: Waging war on Machina Guardian (5)
¡¸Three survived, so stubborn.¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way around that. Even if webine all our firepower, it¡¯s still no match for Lumi-nii¡­Lumi-neesan¡¯s magic.¡¹ ¡¸I guess that¡¯s true. We should be d we got rid of seventeen instead.¡¹ Twenty Protectors appeared once Machina Guardian¡¯s health fell below thirty percent. After a lot of trial and error, the first yers realized that the best way to deal with it was tounch a powerful attack and take out as many as possible as soon as they appeared. They also tested various spells and ways to attack, and the most effective method was a powerful spell with arge area of effect from a magician. When the Nine Wisemen fought the boss together, Luminaria was the one in charge of that. She always chose a powerful explosion, which took a considerable time to cast even whenpared to other high level spells, but it would sessfully defeat all twenty Protectors. Thebined attack of Mira and Soul Howl had also been considerably powerful, but it did not hold a candle to Luminaria¡¯s. That seemed to irk Mira a little, but she recovered quickly and moved on to giving the next orders. ¡¸This is the meowment I¡¯ve been waiting for!¡¹ Then, amidst thest wisps of smoke around Machina Guardian, a figure flew through the air. It was Pegasus, with Cait Sith gantly riding on his back. They had fulfilled their mission of deploying Binding Arcana Circles for four hours, and then spent a while killing time together, during which Cait Sith had seemingly suffered some form of defeat, recorded on the sign he always carried. ¡¸Eat this, meow!¡¹ Following new orders, and as a form to vent his anger, Cait Sith threw down another stone that Mira had entrusted him with. A Magic Bomb Sealing Stone. Pegasus had taken off from the opposite side to where Alfina stood, and due to his speed, not even Machina Guardian could react in time to do anything about him. The stone Cait Sith threw passed by Machina Guardian¡¯s body, heading instead for the three surviving Protectors on the ground. Once it hit the area where they stood, the wind power contained within the stone was released. That generated a powerful gale that sent the three Protectors flying away in various directions. ¡¸Good, that went well.¡¹ As soon as that happened, Mira sent the third, fourth, and fifth Sisters after them. The stone Cait Sith threw had separated the Protectors enough to stop them from merging or working together, and before they could reunite, the Sisters surrounded them. ¡¸So far so good.¡¹ Soul Howl muttered as he watched the battlefield and how they predicted each of Machina Guardian¡¯s moves, feeling a bit more certain of their victory now. ¡¸Right. Only the Laser Beam can-¡¹ -be an issue. Before Mira could finish that sentence, Machina Guardian began to move wildly, stomping and iling around. It was going berserk. But strangely enough, there was no one within the attack radius of that attack. Cait Sith and Pegasus were already close to the wall, the Sisters were fifty meters away, and those who went to deal with the surviving Protectors were at least eighty meters away. Wondering what it was trying to do, Mira told her army that this was not amon action. And then it hit her. Machina Guardian was turning its body to face the wall where they stood, disguising the way all the trampling and turning moved the two legs that had detached earlier to the front. ¡¸That can¡¯t be?!¡¹ Soul Howl also noticed that, and instantly jumped off the turret and hid behind the wall. ¡¸So that¡¯s what you¡¯re scheming!¡¹ Mira also gave a rushed order to defend, while summoning a Holy Knight in front of Leticia, which she quickly turned into a Holy Lord to serve as defense. Then she also jumped behind the wall. The following instant, Machina Guardian jumped and the explosion happened below it, powerful enough to melt anything it touched nearby. That broke apart the detached legs, turning them to shrapnel that was further propelled by the explosion and scattered around. The shrapnel became a hail of bullets which rained over the battlefield. The explosion was so powerful that even though everyone had taken a defensive stance, while also being far away, Isenfald, the Sisters, and the army all ended up taking considerable damage. Especially Isenfald, whose enormous body offered plenty of areas to be hit, and the summon barrier protecting him lost ny percent of its power. The Sisters¡¯ agility allowed them to dodge much of it, but in total their barriers had still lost thirty percent of its power. The only exception was Christina, surprisingly enough. Though that was easily exined by her shield, so she only lost ten percent of her barrier¡¯s strength. That allowed her to look at the other Sisters with an almost justified smug look. The main issue was the army. The attack had wiped away around half of it, and most of the damage was concentrated in the troop Christina led. She only had around ten Ashen Knights to her disposal now. ¡¸No way¡­¡¹ All of her pride vanished as she stared in shock at her troop behind her. The three Sisters who were a distance away were shocked by something else though, the Protectors had also taken considerable damage from the shrapnel. They were also a bit disappointed they could not show off all of their abilities to their master Mira. ¡¸Why is it that only Christina gets to use her new move? I also have stuff to show.¡¹ The three of them shared that sentiment. But then they gave one final attack at the damaged Protectors just in case, then returned to the main battlefield. The shrapnel also reached the defensive wall, leaving countless marks all over it. The shield of the Holy Lord in front of Leticia also had some deep cuts on it. But behind the Holy Lord, Leticia continued singing without missing a beat, as if nothing had happened. She looked rather disinterested and carefree, but if it was not for the defense buff her song granted, the shrapnel would have had disastrous effects. The Spirit King watched that through Mira, knowing only a spirit of sound had the kind of boldness to continue singing even through an attack like that. ¡¸That happened a bit sooner than expected, but time to keep fighting.¡¹ Mira returned to the turret and surveyed the battlefield, quickly taking in the current situation, then gave out new orders. At the same time, she activated the Summoning Skill Charitable Healing Hand, spending a lot of mana to repair Isenfald¡¯s barrier. ¡ºIt¡¯ll be a rough fight, but you can do this.¡» ¡ºLeave it to me, Mother!¡» The battle had been going on for many hours. Isenfald was the only one who could directly fight Machina Guardian, so he had a key role, but also a harsh one. So Mira spoke to him to encourage him, which clearly filled him with motivation. He also asked if he could try out a few ideas he had, so it seemed like he was actually enjoying the fight, and Mira gave him the freedom to test anything he wanted. Isenfald had finally started learning dragon magic from the elder of the dragon city, and now he had a chance to put it to full disy. Mira watched him with intrigue as she told Christina to return to the wall, given her troop of Ashen Knights was nearly gone.
Chapter 199: The Hero Christina (1) Chapter 199: The Hero Christina (1)
¡¸And so I¡¯ve decided you¡¯ll be in charge of the stealth unit. Is that alright?¡¹ ¡¸Uhmm¡­I¡¯ll fulfill the mission you¡¯ve given me!¡¹ When Mira was first exining their strategy, she had mentioned that whoever lost most of their Ashen Knights first would receive a special mission. Now Christina was given that one. To Christina that sounded like whoever performed the worst would be assigned a different task, so now she was preparing herself mentally to be put into a really awkward and shameful position. ¡¸Wait so, once everyone is distracting it, I¡¯ll¡­¡¹ Christina began to repeat that mission to herself in preparation. But the more she thought about it, the more it felt like she was filling a rather important role. ¡¸Wait, and I¡¯ll be the leader of that?¡¹ Her preconceived notions of that mission had clouded her judgment at first, but now she started to realize that it was something usually done by the protagonist of a story. ¡¸Ah¡­now I¡¯m kinda looking forward to it.¡¹ Once she realized that, there was no stopping. She was already daydreaming, thinking of how important she would look doing that as she hurried to get ready. ¡¸Hmm, that anti-airser is still annoying.¡¹ Mira went to look at the battlefield again, seeing Isenfald¡¯s majestic figure as he flew around drawing the attention of Machina Guardian. Despite his enormous size, Isenfald flew deftly around, showing his mastery of the skies as its rightful emperor. Machina Guardian fired an anti-airser in short bursts like a machine gun after him, but he dodged it with ease, and sometimes even spat back some beams of light. That was probably dragon magic. Isenfald was still a novice so even though it had such an impressive name, he was not doing much damage, and attacking with his ws would likely be far more effective. But at the same time it was still more powerful than a middle level magician, and likely concealed unfathomable potential. At that level it did little against an enemy like Machina Guardian though, so it eventually resorted to ignoring Isenfald to focus on its other opponents on the ground instead. There the Sistersmanded over the Ashen Knights, attacking Machina Guardian¡¯s legs and sometimes jumping to strike at the main body. It was hard to pierce through the thick armor, but just like they had done so far, they continued to pile up smaller amounts of damage. Then Machina Guardian¡¯s machine gun-likeser attack was aimed at them, and the Sisters dodged it by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡ºSweep iing, get ready!¡» Alfina¡¯s order reached all the troops. After fighting for so many hours, she was starting to understand what the enemy¡¯s movements meant. So now she anticipated the iing attack and warned the rest. The rest of the Sisters obeyed and quickly took their Ashen Knights back a distance and had them take defensive stances. Soon after Machina Guardian¡¯s legs sweeped around causing explosions in their wake. The Sisters jumped high to avoid it, which they could aplish thanks to their agility. But the Ashen Knights were not as adept, so after a short shing sound they were flung away. Most of them managed tond on their feet at least, and quickly went back to formation. Machina Guardian¡¯s sweeping attack covered arge radius and height, making it tricky to avoid, so even yers would usually resort to taking cover behind their shields instead. But the hits still left them staggered, creating an opening for Machina Guardian to shoot itssers. The same happened with the Ashen Knights, and just as everyone expected, the boss stood still and took aim at the staggered army. That created an opening for Isenfald¡¯s tail to strike, while Soul Howl shot his cannons. The unexpected hit threw Machina Guardian off bnce, which opened it to be attacked by the Sisters and the army. Employing that strategy could hurt the army, but allowed them to deal massive amounts of damage. (This is only possible thanks to the Ashen Knights¡¯ defense and attack power. I really am Kong Ming.) Mira praised herself, seeing her strategy work perfectly. Unless the Ashen Knights were destroyed in a single hit, the Binding Arcana Circles would heal them. If Machina Guardian started attacking them consecutively Mira would need to change her strategy, but for now they would recover on time, and deal enough damage in return. ¡¸Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time? Something tells me we¡¯re almost at the 20% mark.¡¹ Soul Howl continued to control the cannons as he asked Mira. ¡¸Yes, I believe it¡¯s about time for that.¡¹ Saying that, Mira gave Christina the order to depart, since she had been standing behind the wall until the right moment. ¡ºUnderstood!¡» Christina gave a firm reply and departed with her troop. Then Mira also spoke with Isenfald, telling him to return to the ground and focus on defense. ¡ºGot it, Mother!¡» He gave an energetic reply andnded while dodging Machina Guardian¡¯s anti-airsers. When he was on the ground, Machina Guardian tried to attack directly, but was stopped by the cannons from the wall, letting Isenfald take a defensive stance. The fight then entered a bit of a stalemate. If the Sisters tried to attack, they were fended off and could not get close. Isenfald also stoppedunching major attacks, instead standing a distance away and just using his Dragon Breath in short bursts to keep Machina Guardian¡¯s attention on him. It was like everyone took a step back from the fight, being less assertive. But that was all part of Mira¡¯s n to restrain the enemy¡¯s movements. ¡¸Good, everything is in ce now.¡¹ Mira checked that Christina¡¯s troop had arrived at their designated spot, then gave Soul Howl a signal while also telling Isenfald and the Sisters to attack. All the cannons on the wall also fired simultaneously, carefully aiming between Machina Guardian¡¯s legs and hitting the main body. As the explosions shrouded the enemy, the Sisters and the army charged in as well, no longer caring about defense and purely focusing on attacking one of the legs. When the leg moved up in an attempt to fling them away, Isenfald¡¯s tail struck with full force against it, rendering the leg momentarily useless. But Machina Guardian recovered swiftly, aiming thesers at the ground and firing rapidly. It was hard to aim at a specific target as there was a lot of smoke in the way, but there were so many Ashen Knights that aiming was not necessary and many of them fell. Even as the number of Ashen Knights decreased by a third, the Sisters continued attacking. Its enormous body began to tip on one side, letting Machina Guardian understand that this was a major threat, so it began to focus on attacking the Sisters instead. ¡ºGood, now!¡» Seeing that Machina Guardian was focusing entirely on the ground now, Mira gave Christina the signal. Christina and her Ashen Knights suddenly appeared above Machina Guardian¡¯s head, which was a blindspot as it no longer watched for aerial attacks. Garuda had carried the troop there, and Worthramble had concealed them, allowing them to sneak all the way there. The Ashen Knights jumped off and nosedived with their swords aiming down, piercing into Machina Guardian¡¯s back. That also allowed them to tear off another of its legs. A total of seven swords pierced through the metal armor, and as the Ashen Knights stood up, sparks came out from the cuts. The falling momentum had helped the swords pierce deeper than any of the previous attacks. The deep wounds disturbed Machina Guardian¡¯s internal mechanisms, which led to it tipping to the side even more.
Chapter 199: The Hero Christina (2) Chapter 199: The Hero Christina (2)
Then it was finally time for the main star. Christina had been channeling her mana for ten minutes, and now she jumped down, using her shield as a foothold and elerating down. Even though she was the youngest sister, she was still a Valkyrie. She fell many times faster than the Ashen Knights, and she held her sword ready. ¡¸Let¡¯s gooooooo!¡¹ She pierced through the thick armor, cutting through it with no resistance. It was the perfect winning hit made possible by Isenfald, the Sisters, and the Ashen Knights. Having to carry out such an important duty did not weigh Christina down, and instead she was excited about it, feeling like she was the hero of some legend, dealing the final blow to Machina Guardian. But before long, there was a high pitched clink as the sword Christina held so magnificently snapped in half. ¡¸Ahhh! The sword handed down from my sister to my sister to my sister to my sister to my sister to my sister to meee!¡¹ The sword had not finished cutting through Machina Guardian when it snapped, making Christina st down on the ground with the remaining momentum. ¡¸Why noww!!¡¹ Christina looked at her broken sword, though she looked more disappointed that she had not been able toplete her attack properly in such an important situation, rather than from the fall. The antique¡­or rather valuable sword, as they liked to call it, had been passed down from Alfina all the way down to Christina over the years. Now it was cleanly snapped in half. But she felt like she had cut through a lot before it broke, so she turned around to see the result of her attack. ¡¸¡­Huh?¡¹ Christina saw a red glowing crystal inside Machina Guardian¡¯s cut up body. She had actually cut deep into it. Even though her sword broke, the inside of Machina Guardian wasrgely exposed now. But this also made it easier for Machina Guardian¡¯s strongest attack, Ancient Ray, to beunched. The boss would use it once its health fell below ny percent, and would shoot it at the enemy it deemed as most dangerous. In this case, the obvious option was Christina, who had just left such a deep cut on its torso. Chrstina was almost instantly covered in a surge of destructive light. ¡¸She got it below 10%, we can do this!¡¹ Mira sounded confident seeing Machina Guardian use Ancient Ray. ¡¸Yes, that worked well. I could see its eyes go from yellow to blinking red in an instant. I didn¡¯t expect that it would work so well.¡¹ Soul Howl was also paying attention to the fight, and said that with an impressed voice. When Machina Guardian¡¯s eyes turned red it meant it only had twenty percent health left, and if they were blinking then it was further down to ten percent. If Christina had managed toplete her attack, then it would have likely been enough to defeat the boss. But exerting that much force was also the reason why the de ended up breaking. ¡¸¡­¡¹ Christina had nearly been the MVP of the fight. Now she was standing next to Mira, striking a nervous and clumsy defensive pose. ¡¸You did well, Christina. Despite that unfortunate ident.¡¹ Sadly Christina¡¯s de had snapped halfway through, but the stealth mission had still dealt more damage than they expected. Mira congratted the leader of that troop, patting her shoulder. Hearing that, Christina finally opened her eyes and looked around in confusion, then she noticed Mira standing in front of her and spoke with a confused voice, ¡¸Wait¡­Master? Where did I¡­what¡­¡¹ ¡¸I used Evacuation Guidance. It almost got you there.¡¹ Evacuation Guidance was a Summoner Skill, which could teleport summons to the caster¡¯s side. Mira had used it to bring Christina next to her an instant before Ancient Ray got her. Once Mira exined what happened, Christina finally understood what happened and rxed her stiffened defensive pose, then seemed to remember something and knelt as fast as she could. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯tplete the mission¡­¡¹ Christina looked dejected that she had been entrusted with such an important mission, and then failed because her sword broke. But Mira tried tofort her, saying ¡¸You did well, you did well.¡¹ Then again, that mission had not been meant to be thest hit, and Mira was happy with whatever damage it left. In a way, it was just a test to see if such an attack could work. Christina had still performed much better than Mira expected, so she praised Christina, and told her there was nothing to apologize for. ¡¸It took you some time to charge up that attack though. Was it a new move? It carried quite a punch.¡¹ Thatst attack looked like Christina had turned into a falling star with a long trailing light, slicing through Machina Guardian¡¯s torso. Mira had never seen that attack before, so she assumed it was a new Skill Christina had learned in thest thirty hours. Seeing that her friend had improved so much also made Mira feel even better. Christina had felt nervous, feeling like she failed her mission when her sword broke, but Mira was not chastising her, and instead praised her saying that she had fulfilled her duty. Hearing all of that, Christina gradually regained her energy. ¡¸It was a Skill I came up with to help you, Master! It¡¯s an honor being praised so much!¡¹ Christina realized this was her time to improve her image. Her attack of jumping down while making her sword glow was an attack she came up with on the spot as she channeled mana in preparation. But she did not like how that sounded, so instead acted like it was the product of long and arduous training. ¡¸I see, I see. I really owe you Sisters a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Not at all. It¡¯s our duty!¡¹ Mira thanked her again, which was almost too much for Christina to handle. Christina did have the desire of serving Mira, though instead of harsh training, she preferred to spend that time gaining wisdom. ¡¸The fight is almost over now, Christina. I¡¯ll be counting on you until the end.¡¹ Saying that, Mira summoned the Holy Sword Sanctia and gave it to Christina in exchange of her broken de. The second weapon Christina carried was a shield, which she could not use to attack. So Mira decided this would be optimal, while also being curious what kind of power a Valkyrie would have armed with a Holy Sword. (I also feel like Christina and Sanctia would be really good friends anyway!) The weapons carried by the Valkyrie Sisters were strong enough topete even with some Holy or Demonic Swords. Even though Christina¡¯s had broken, and had been passed down across all Sisters, it was still way stronger than anymon sword. That was why Mira felt hesitant to suggest one of them discard their sword to try Sanctia instead, but now that one had broken, it did not seem unnatural to do that. Christina was the youngest of the Seven Valkyrie Sisters, but her abilities were far superior to those of a Dark Knight, so Mira wanted to see just how powerful Sanctia would be in her hands. Her eyes were zing with expectation as she observed Chrstina. Meanwhile Christina felt like Mira was expecting a lot from her, which made her feel more important than her sisters, and basked in that feeling. ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ Christina had not expected to obtain a new sword from her master either, which also made her feel proud of herself. She stored her broken sword in its scabbard, then respectfully took Sanctia from Mira¡¯s hand.
Chapter 200: The Hero Christina (3) Chapter 200: The Hero Christina (3)
In the distant frontline, Machina Guardian ran wild after taking a lot of damage from Christina, almost as if its limits had been all removed. On top of that, the leg the Ashen Knights had cut off released many Mechanical Protectors. Mira quickly began giving new orders, the sisters jumping into action while Isenfald tried to restrain the main body. (She¡¯s only safe because Master helped her¡­) Alfina moved together with Isenfald, but she was looking at the wall in the distance, and Christina who stood next to Mira. Evacuation Guidance was a Summoner Skill to rescue a summon. Thanks to that, Christina had survived, and Alfina knew that. And because she knew that, her gaze turned even more stern. (It¡¯s so embarrassing that Master had to help her after her blunder. I¡¯ll have to train her even more so she never makes that mistake again.) A sword breaking was an unforeseeable ident, but because of that sudden nature, it was important to remain calm and react quickly. But Christina had just stared at her sword in a daze, then acted confused when the enemy counterattacked. Alfina had seen all of it. Thankfully she was there as Mira¡¯s summon, so even if Ancient Ray hit Christina, she would only be forced back, without any major repercussions. She would just wake up in thest ce she had been. But it would have been a certain death in any other situation, so Alfina could not overlook it. (Maybe I¡¯ll teach her how to use her shield as a weapon.) Even as she fought alongside Isenfald, Alfina was thinking of how to properly train Christina once the fight was over and they returned to Valha, so she would know how to deal with such a situation in the future. ¡¸I¡¯m back!¡¹ Just as the Sisters finished off the Protectors, Christina made her energetic return to the frontlines. Full of confidence, she joined the Ashen Knights and her Sisters, ready to continue fighting. It was rare for her to be so motivated to fight. ¡¸Christina. What were you thinking? Dozing off in the middle of a fight and troubling Master with rescuing you? You should feel ashamed of yourself.¡¹ As soon as she was there, Alfina proceeded to scold her. In response, Christina shouted ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll be more careful from now on!¡¹, sounding as honest as she could. Even her bodynguage showed she would try to be better. But that was simply how good Christina had gotten at feigning remorse. It was the product of her desire to stop Alfina¡¯s reprimands, none of it being actually sincere, and just a lot of practice to act and sound honest. ¡¸You always say that¡­ But alright. You can¡¯t fight without a sword, so use this in the meantime.¡¹ Alfina knew that Christina was just acting, but they were still in the middle of a fight. Deciding she would continue lecturing herter, she gave Christina her sword. ¡¸Wait, where did you get that sword..?!¡¹ Alfina looked shocked by that, knowing of the Holy Sword Sanctia. ¡¸Christina. Why are you holding Master¡¯s Holy Sword?!¡¹ Alfina knew of Sanctia as the special Holy Sword Mira could summon. So far only the Dark Knights and Ashen Knights had been allowed to wield it, but she knew that the longer it was used, the sharper and stronger it would be. The Holy Sword Sanctia had the potential of growing. And Alfina¡¯s dream was to be allowed to wield Sanctia once the sword reached its full potential. Yet for some reason it was in Christina¡¯s hand now, even though both still had a lot left to grow. For the first time since they felt Danbulf¡¯s presence vanish from the world three decades before, Alfina¡¯s face was overtaken with shock. ¡¸Umm, Master said to use it since my sword broke¡­¡¹ Christina felt her back shuddering seeing Alfina¡¯s shocked face, but did her best to exin. Their master had given it to her, which was a big honor for her too. But Christina tried to portray it as something that just happened in the moment, like it was not a big deal, trying to defuse the situation. Receiving a weapon from their master was a big honor for Valkyries, but in this situation it was something that happened because Christina¡¯s sword broke, treated like a simple recement. Christina had been able to use the old sword handed down through her sisters until now, so this felt like a special situation. Not to mention that it was a sword that not even the eldest Alfina had been allowed to wield. But even then she tried to pretend it was not a big deal, just a fluke. All so she would not be forced to undergo even more training for having achieved Alfina¡¯s lifelong dream first, before Alfina felt anywhere close to it. (Alfina would definitely do that. She¡¯ll definitely tell me to train harder so I can be strong enough to actually have a reason to wield this sword!) Christina was in the best mood of her life holding that sword, but her mind was still working in high gear to find the ideal responses to Alfina so she would not think of this as a special situation. ¡¸I see. Then just be careful now. I won¡¯t allow you to put on a shameful disy while holding Master¡¯s Holy Sword.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, duly noted!¡¹ That concluded their conversation and both returned to the fight, which had been mostly led by Isenfald and the other Sisters while they talked. (I really hope that was enough¡­) Christina usually did not stand out too much during fights, and was allowed to do her own thing. Alfina was obsessed with keeping her master as the highest authority who she always had to please. So it made sense if she paid a little bit of attention to what Christina did. But this time her personal desire to wield the Holy Sword was so strong that it was making her overreact. But that also showed just how important that sword was. Christina watched Machina Guardian going berserk in front of them, then looked down at her de. Then she grinned. ¡¸I¡¯ll end this!¡¹ Christina quickly went a distance back, away from the battlefield, where she held the Holy Sword ready. She had the special ability of taking breaks during fights, but it was different this time. She was wielding the sword not even her sisters had gotten to touch. Now she used her ability to sneak away to calmly channel mana into her de. After some time of that, the Holy Sword began to emit a blinding light while the de began to grow into an enormous sword that was three meters long. ¡¸Huh..?¡¹ Everyone gasped noticing the Holy Sword emitting a sacred light. But the one who was truly shocked was Christina herself, who also had be the center of attention. (Huh, what did I just do? Why did it change shape like this!) The sword Mira had given her had transformed. Christina looked at it with bewilderment, wondering if she had done something wrong. (¡­It actually looks really cool.) Christina once again started to feel like the hero of a story. ¡ºChristina, dodge!¡» The voice she feared the most, Alfina¡¯s, rang loudly in her mind. Either she listened to the warning, or her instincts kicked in, but the instant she heard that voice, she jumped away from that spot. As soon as she left, a powerful light beam destroyed the spot where she had been standing.
Chapter 200: The Hero Christina (4) Chapter 200: The Hero Christina (4)
The ground was left scorched by Ancient Ray. Christina looked up and noticed that Machina Guardian was purely focusing on attacking her, one of its thick legs already mid-swing towards her. (I just have to step on my shield¡­no, I won¡¯t make it in time!) Christina was still in the air from her earlier jump, without any way to dodge that powerful attack. But just as the leg was about to hit her, the sounds of multiple explosions echoed from the distance and the leg changed paths, passing right next to Christina instead of hitting her. ¡¸Woah¡­that was close¡­¡¹ Machina Guardian¡¯s leg mmed on the ground, and Christinanded next to it. She nced to the side for an instant before jumping back again. There were multiple fresh dents on the side of the leg. The cannons from the wall had fired to change the course of the leg, saving Christina. It would have been disastrous if their aim was just a bit off though. But she could barely catch a breath before Machina Guardian continued chasing after her. The legs swept from side to side, mmed down, and theser beams fired at her. Machina Guardian was ignoring Isenfald, the other Sisters, and even the army, focusing solely on Christina. ¡¸Why is it only after meee!¡¹ Christina moved from side to side, jumped, and ducked, dodging all she could. Because she was focused on escaping now, the light emanating from the Holy Sword had vanished, and it returned to its original shape. ¡¸Say, Soul Howl. What do you make of that?¡¹ Machina Guardian would not stop following Christina. Even though Isenfald had both the power and defenses to be the biggest threat, he was being ignored. Maybe it was a grudge from the stealth attack from earlier, but even then Machina Guardian would have picked Isenfald as the main target again. Mira had carefully nned the strategy to make sure Isenfald was always the one pulling aggro from the boss. But things had started to derail just when they were so close to the end. Machina Guardian had never acted that way in the past, so Mira turned to Soul Howl to see what he thought of that. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s that glowing sword from earlier. It¡¯s normal that it would get lured by such arge amount of mana.¡¹ Soul Howl replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Anyone could tell that the glowing sword was incredibly strong. ¡¸So you think so too.¡¹ Machina Guardian had likely taken notice of that surge in mana. Both Mira and Soul Howl¡¯s theories matched. So Miramunicated her new strategy to Soul Howl and the Sisters in the battlefield. ¡ºUnderstood.¡¯ Alfina and the Sisters quickly followed the orders, and Isenfald began to move as well. ¡¸That¡¯s impossible! No matter how nicely you put it, I can¡¯t do that!¡¹ Christina still moved around desperately to avoid being hit. Now she was either getting exhausted of it, or Machina Guardian had learned her movements, but the attacks were getting harder to dodge. The attacks were starting to graze her, and then she could no longer dodge them. With no other option, Christina had to use her shield to block the attack, being flung back from the impact. ¡¸Good, it went well.¡¹ By blocking the attack, Christina had sessfully managed to gain some distance. At the same time, Isenfaldnded in the space between them while the Sisters and the army also rushed in. That prompted Machina Guardian to switch targets to Isenfald again, creating what looked like a scene out of a movie with giant monsters. The Sisters also moved to attack again. ¡¸Alright Christina, you can focus again now.¡¹ The Spirit of Stillness Worthramble appeared next to where Christinanded. He could conceal Christina so the boss would not aggro on her while she focused, keeping Isenfald as the main target. Complete Suppression could not be used at that moment, but considering how busy the battlefield was, just concealing their presence would be enough. Using Worthramble to control who Machina Guardian attacked was also something Mira wanted to try out. ¡¸Okay!¡¹ Christina held the Holy Sword again, channeling mana into it. Worthramble also made sure to conceal that flow of mana at the same time. That way they prepared the final attack on Machina Guardian in a corner of the battlefield. Over in the frontline, Machina Guardian¡¯s attack kept getting more fierce now that it had less than ten percent health remaining. It was also using Ancient Ray much more frequently. It would constantly sweep its legs to stagger the Ashen Knights and then fire Ancient Ray almost immediately. It was no exaggeration to say that most of the effort when fighting Machina Guardian was concentrated in that final stage. Meanwhile Isenfald and the Sisters were forced to be defensive most of the time. Once Machina Guardian¡¯s health would be down to five percent, its movements would be so violent and erratic that a powerful hit to instantly end the fight would be necessary to avoid a long and harsh fight. Christina was preparing one such attack. Isenfald was also saving his Dragon Breath to add it on top if necessary. The troops led by the Sisters also scattered away, making it easier to dodge attacks. Machina Guardian was still mostly fixated on Isenfald though, who took them head on or managed to dodge them somewhat. The Ashen Knights were mostly there as a distraction at this stage of the fight. Even though everyone wasrgely focused on defending and avoiding, they were still taking considerable damage. Machina Guardian had gotten so violent that a single hit could destroy an Ashen Knight, even though they had the same resistance as Holy Knights. ¡ºI¡¯m ready!¡¯ The number of lost Ashen Knights already had three figures and Isenfald¡¯s barrier was down to twenty percent when Christina finally gave the signal. Mira heard it, thenmunicated thest part of her strategy to everyone. Everyone instantly switched to the offensive. The Sisters used all their powerful abilities, the Ashen Knights brandished their swords while charging forward, and Isenfald held onto one of Machina Guardian¡¯s legs and tore it off. That threw the boss out of bnce, which Soul Howl saw and shot all of his cannons at once to make the effect more powerful. Everyone attacked one after another. Shortly after, what sounded like an emergency siren began to re out, the mechanisms inside of Machina Guardian starting to screech. Thatst barrage of attacks had finally brought the boss¡¯ health down to five percent, meaning it would go into an uncontroble and explosive state. Before that started, Isenfald and the others retreated to a safe distance. But as everyone went back, one figure rushed forward. That was Christina, who had been hiding with Worthramble while she channeled her mana. Now she held a glowing Holy Sword that was ten meters long, which she held while running at Machina Guardian. The de was filled with much more mana than earlier when it had been seen as the biggest threat by Machina Guardian. The instant it was disclosed from Worthramble¡¯s stillness shroud, the power amassed within it made the air tremble, being stronger than Isenfald¡¯s Dragon Breath. ¡¸Let¡¯s goooo!!¡¹ Machina Guardian was still changing phases, which gave Christina a good opening to charge and swing the Holy Sword. The de moved faster than the speed of sound, bathing everything in light. But thatsted only for an instant. Once the light faded away, everything was over. All that remained was Machina Guardian¡¯s body split in two, and Christina holding the Holy Sword. The battle hadsted for many hours, and everyone had used every tool avable to them. Even Christina had lost her own de in the fight, which left her bewildered for a bit. But now she had sessfully dealt the finishing blow.
Chapter 201: Mysterious Spoils of War (1) Chapter 201: Mysterious Spoils of War (1)
The battle with Machina Guardian was over. At least that was what everyone thought, when suddenly the remains toppled over and a figure scurried out. That roused the attention from everyone, and even Christina turned to look at it carefully. It was something mechanical. Not a Prowler, and not a Protector, some humanoid construct with little to no equipment. But there was something that set it apart from the others, an articte face that moved clumsily. Its eyes opened wide and looked around, then after some time its mouth slowly opened. ¡ºWHEN-THE-DARK-MOON-RISES-DARKNESS-WILL-DESCEND-HEROES-WHO-OVERCAME-OUR-STRONGEST-GUARDIAN-WE-DEEM-YOU-WORTHY-OF-INHERITING-OUR-POWER-TAKE-THIS-AND-PREPARE-TO-FEND-OFF-THE-INEVITABLE-INTRUDERS¡» The voice sounded distorted with static, like some broken and old speaker. Once it was done, the humanoid construct produced a rectangr metallic te. Christina was too confused by it all, so she turned to look at Mira, wondering what to do. ¡ºWhen the dark moon rises, darkness will descend. Heroes who overcame our strongest Guardian, we deem you worthy of inheriting our power. Take this and prepare to fend off the inevitable intruders.¡» Mira had paid more attention to those words than Christina, shocked since this was apletely new event that never happened before. She was also curious what ¡®inheriting their power¡¯ meant. A dark moon, darkness, and intruders. She also had no clue what those referred to, but she hoped the metallic te held some sort of hint. ¡ºIf it¡¯s telling the truth, then it shouldn¡¯t be anything suspicious.¡» Suleyman would likely be able to figure something out from it. With that hope in mind, Mira instructed Christina to take it. But she also told her to be careful, just in case. ¡¸Umm, alright, if you let me¡­¡¹ Following Mira¡¯s orders, Christina very timidly reached out and picked up the metallic te offered by the humanoid construct. As soon as she had it, the construct crumbled into pieces of scrap, as if it had fulfilled its duty and had no reason to exist anymore. The remains fell onto the ground with a loud noise, which scared Christina who was already on edge and she almost dropped the metallic te. ¡¸Woah¡­my heart, that¡¯s too much¡­¡¹ Just barely managing to keep the metallic te secure, she quickly took deep breaths and tried to actposed. Everyone was looking at her, so she could not afford to ruin her image further after everything that happened. Then she turned around so she could deliver the metallic te to Mira, but when she saw Alfina she shrieked a bit. Alfina¡¯s eyes told a very clear message: If that¡¯s enough to scare you, then it¡¯s obvious you need to train more. The other Sisters noticed the tension between the two and looked at Christina with pity, knowing perfectly well how she was feeling. All the glory of dealing the finishing blow to Machina Guardian vanished the instant she realized she would be subject to rigorous training as soon as they would leave. ¡¸Hmm, I really can¡¯t make heads nor tails out of this. I wonder what this is?¡¹ After sending therge army away, Mira looked at the metallic te Christina obtained, turning it over many times with much curiosity. ¡¸Those look like some sort of diagram, rather than writing. I¡¯ve never seen an event like that before though, so I have no idea what¡¯s going on.¡¹ Soul Howl also looked at the metallic te with interest. The metallic te was ck, and it looked way heavier than it actually was. Its surface was also engraved with multiple shapes, leaving almost no free space between them. ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s some sort of blueprint¡­or maybe not¡­¡¹ Mira groaned as she looked at it, unable toe up with a satisfying exnation. ording to the humanoid construct, whatever was on it had to be ¡®their power¡¯. That collective ¡®our¡¯ and ¡®we¡¯ likely referred to whoever built the Ancient Underground City. ¡¸There¡¯s plenty of excellent researchers in the castle, right? Just give it to them. I have more important things to take care of.¡¹ It sounded a bit like Soul Howl had lost interest, but it was more appropriate to say that his prioritiesy elsewhere. He quickly dismantled the Castle Golem and headed to the final room. ¡¸Hmm¡­I guess that¡¯s fair.¡¹ Considering it was all so foreign, there was little Mira could still gain from mulling over the metallic te. She would eventually let Solomon take care of deciphering it, so for now she would focus on the task at hand. ¡¸By the way, we agreed that I can take all the drops, yes? I don¡¯t want to hear you going back on your wordter!!¡¹ Mira ran over to the remains of Machina Guardian while verifying that Soul Howl still remembered their agreement, which she would make sure he fulfilled. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t say anything. Take it all.¡¹ Soul Howl grimaced a bit with how desperate Mira sounded, but he had so little interest he did not even look at the remains himself. ¡¸Good, good.¡¹ Mira nodded satisfied as she saw Soul Howl walk away, then went straight to work in fishing out Machina Guardian¡¯s loot. At least that was the n. Machina Guardian¡¯s remains were veryrge, and extremely heavy. ¡¸¡­I should¡¯ve asked for help before I sent him away¡­¡¹ Mira realized she could have asked Isenfald for help with taking everything apart. This was her first time searching through such arge pile of scrap, so it was expected she would only think of things in hindsight. Still, that was way too much for her to handle alone, so she quickly summoned a few helpers. Summoning Magic: Guardian Ash Summoning Magic: Garm Summoning Magic: Lox Elephas Various strong figures appeared out of magic circles in front of Mira. Therge gray bear Guardian Ash, the three meter long wolf Garm, and one more that was far bigger than the first two, the giant white elephant Lox Elephas. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Lox. You seem to be doing well.¡¹ Lox Elephas was at least seven meters tall, and Mira spoke to him while gently touching his trunk. In response, he coiled his trunk around Mira, making a gentle sound. Lox Elephas was a giant white elephant that acted as a sacred beast guarding paradise. One time when paradise fell in the hands of evil, Mira went and helped bring things back to normal, and in exchange Lox Elephas formed a summoning contract with Mira. That had happened a long time ago, but Lox Elephas still remembered that. ¡¸Anyway, I brought you here to help me deal with this scrap¡­¡¹ Mira turned to look at Machina Guardian¡¯s remains, exining what she wanted to aplish to the three summons.
¡¸Good job everyone. I knew I could count on your strength, you really helped me a lot here.¡¹ It took them around twenty minutes to finish. It was not a thorough job by any means, but it was enough to examine each of therge pieces. Mira was afraid that they could damage the precious items she wanted to loot if they tried to help further, so she would do the rest. All the thick armor had been removed though, so going through the pieces did not require much strength. After praising the three summons for their help, Mira sent them away, then plunged into the mountain of scrap to dig for treasure. ¡¸That¡¯s the obvious one to start with!¡¹ Mira quickly decided which item she would try finding first, which she expected to be in the torso. There she began to throw away any piece of metal or contraption that got in her way as she got deeper, and soon enough that red glowing thing came into view. ¡¸Ohh¡­there it is! It¡¯s actually here!¡¹ Mira took out arge red gem the size of a human head, holding it up in the air as she shouted loudly. That was the crystal that produced Machina Guardian¡¯s special move Ancient Ray. It was called Eye of Apollo, one of the rarest legendary items, and neither Mira nor any of the Nine Wisemen had ever seen one in person. Only a small percentage of the top yers had ever obtained it. To be specific, two of them. The king of Antis, and a general from the Nirvana Empire. And now Mira had also obtained that rare item. ¡¸So this is the legendary Eye of Apollo! Hmhmm¡­I wonder what I can do with it!¡¹ The Eye of Apollo was categorized as a material. It could be used on tools, magic wares, and weapons obviously. It had a really wide range of uses, all of which had a tremendous effect. She had never been able to obtain a material that was more powerful than it, so she was convinced it would give her a nice powerup, which filled her with excitement. ¡¸I¡¯m just getting started though!¡¹ She carefully stored it in her Item Box, then quickly went to fish for the next loot item she wanted. Her eyes were filled with avarice, which would not let anything valuable pass her by. She still remembered the list of items Machina Guardian could drop.
Chapter 201: Mysterious Spoils of War (2) Chapter 201: Mysterious Spoils of War (2)
The next item that came to mind was the metallic shield covering Machina Guardian¡¯s engine, Aegis te. It carried quite a lot of power, but was mainly known for its nearly unrivaled defensive properties. A shield manufactured out of that was the ultimate equipment for a pdin. Sadly Solomon had given up his life with a shield, and he had never been able to obtain such a mouth watering item. Next Mira excavated what the Aegis te was protecting, the Antimaterial Crystal Reactor. It looked like a small ck box, which could not be opened, so it wasmonly treated like a crystal of ancient technology. No one knew how to make it function, so yers instead paired it with an explosive device to use it as a bomb, with so much power that it neared thebined strength of the Nine Wisemen. It was a rather popr weapon. Mira continued searching for more good loot. She moved on to Machina Guardian¡¯s head, looking through its insides. ¡¸Ohh, I didn¡¯t expect to find all of these in here!¡¹ As Mira dissected the head, she eximed happily having found a number of spherical gems. Those were Neuron Crystals. Their main use was in producing magic wares, but also had a strong affinity for spellcaster equipment, and they were an important material in the items Creos needed to help bring summoners back into the limelight. Whenever Machina Guardian was defeated it would drop one of them, but Mira had found five of them. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect to find five, but that¡¯s a miscalction I¡¯m willing to make!¡¹ She happily stashed the five Neuron Crystals, then continued digging into the head, reaching the area with Machina Guardian¡¯s eyes. They wererge panes of ss, which somehow were still intact after the violent fight. They were fifty centimeters in diameter, and one centimeter thick. Their actual name was Clearmaterite Alloy Panes, which categorized them as metals. ¡¸These are quite odd¡­¡¹ She tried tapping on the panes, and there was a metallic sound. The existence of transparent metals once again proved that she was living in a fantasy world. She obtained two panes, one from each eye, and stored them in her Item Box. Next she went further into the eyes, taking out their mainponent, a pair of convex lenses. They were the size of a hand¡¯s palm, and could collectrge amounts of light, but that served next to no purpose in the game. The material they were made of, Aethermite, was an excellent material for equipment and magic wares though. Mira managed to obtain two of those lenses. ¡¸Mheheh¡­ Back then and now these are worth a billion at least. I¡¯ve truly stumbled upon a mountain of gold!¡¹ There were only four remaining items that Machina Guardian usually dropped. Wanting to find all of them, Mira continued searching through the remains. Next she found the conductive wire that joined the head with the torso, Neulink Magic Core, the material at the bottom of the torso, Carbon Materite Armor te, then the source of the explosions when it jumped while berserk, the High Frequency Ignition Crystal, and the Reflector Prism, which served as the barrel for the rapid firingser. Thatpleted the ten different items Machina Guardian would drop. ¡¸This is almost funny¡­I just got all the possible drops from a raid boss after defeating it once.¡¹ Mira grinned widely as she went over the list of possible drops once again. Raid bosses usually dropped rare and valuable materials sought after by yers of the highest levels. Due to their rarity, they were also rarely sold or traded. Not to mention that back in the day the drops were determined by chance, so it was never a guarantee that someone would obtain the item they wanted. Now those drops were all guaranteed, and multiple of them in some cases. That could not be done in the game, and yers did not even dream of such a daying. The only issue was that now people had to actually risk their lives in exchange.1 ted by that reward, having ovee the hardships, Mira looked over the remains again, just in case she forgot something. Her avarice would always win in such situations. ¡¸Now the only issue is actually using them.¡¹ All the items she obtained were rare and valuable. That meant that only someone very skilled at their craft would be able to properly make something out of them. Mira felt unsure if the crafters in Arkite would be able to work with them, and in the case they could, if they would really be able to bring out all the power of those materials. Some materials also needed to be worked on by crafters with different specialties before they could truly shine. So Mira would need to find many masters of their own craft before she could get anything out of her treasure. (That sounds like it¡¯ll take a while¡­) She had a long road ahead of her, but once it was all done, the reward would be more than worth the effort. Mira grinned as she imagined that day, but then she noticed something she missed during her first search. ¡¸Hm..?¡¹ She narrowed her eyes, noticing something with a slightly different color amongst the remains. Wondering what it was, Mira ran up to it and cleared the rubble on top of it before picking it up. ¡¸A book..? No, is it a diary?¡¹ It was a small book, more like a notepad. Or rather, it was a notepad. Other than the front cover, it somewhat still held its shape, though it was still oddly deteriorated, with some parts burned and turned to ash, which turned to dust the moment she picked it up. In the end, all she could salvage was a small portion that was not burnt. (Why was this thing hidden inside of Machina Guardian..? Or rather, who¡¯s the owner of this thing?) Wondering if that really was one of Machina Guardian¡¯s drops, she analyzed the portion she salvaged. Soon she realized only the first page was somewhat preserved. The paper had degraded over the years, and seemed like it would fall apart just by touching it, with many parts already missing. There were still some words that could be made out of it though. ¡ºEart¡­ settlement, Japanese branch¡­ Written the¡­ month¡­year¡­062. As expected, the sea coordinates¡­beginning¡­of administrative facility¡­located underneath¡­location¡­of the. Scheduledpletion at¡­ Earth time, in¡­weeks. However, the surface¡­under surveince of¡­ Appropriate changes to¡­will likely take a considerable time. Once the facility isplete¡­will begin¡­ If it goes well¡­then¡­ and I sincerely hope¡­ Preparations for second¡­will start in hopes changes are¡­ At hour¡­will likely¡­too. We have to act simultaneously¡­hurry to¡­and check¡­ Settl¡­ expected to use¡­just like the other location. The¡­specimens and¡­mples collected from¡­will be¡­ They will inhabit¡­make sure to monitor their¡­¡» Those were all the letters Mira could make out of the burnt paper. Having read all of it, Mira just stood there in a daze. (I feel like I just found something incredible¡­ But what is it? A developer¡¯s diary? If that¡¯s actually it, it could be really valuable information¡­though there¡¯s a lot missing.) It clearly mentioned Japan, so it had toe from the modern world, and there had to be some meaning to it existing in this world. After thinking about it for a while, she decided to ask Martel and the Spirit King in case they knew something. ¡ºThat is truly an intriguing piece of paper. Sadly I wouldn¡¯t know what it means either. This ce has existed since long before I was born in this world. I have no idea what kind of ce this once was, and why it was built. It actually fills me with joy though.¡» The Spirit King had a wealth of knowledge about the world, but even he was unaware of the Ancient Underground City¡¯s purpose. The piece of paper only added to the mystery. But experiencing mystery and trying to figure things out was rather enjoyable for him. ¡ºI¡¯m really sorry, but this just looks like a bunch of gibberish to me. If I had to guess, it¡¯s rted to whatever happened before we were born.¡» Martel also did not know anything. The Ancient Underground City had existed since before either of them was born, and the mystery of its existence only deepened. ¡¸Hmm, I see¡­ I¡¯ll hold onto it then. Maybe it¡¯ll help me figure out a way back¡­ Oh wait, maybe he¡­¡¹ Soul Howl had traveled all over the continent in search of the Brilliant Chalice, maybe he had learned something too. Thinking that, Mira realized that Soul Howl was taking a long time to return. ¡¸I¡¯m pretty sure he only wanted to get a fragment of the chalk orbs in there. Hmm¡­maybe it¡¯s taking so long because he has to do it in a specific way?¡¹ Making the Brilliant Chalice of Divine Decree required a fragment of the chalk orbs. Those existed in a room further ahead, called the White Room, which housed the chalk orbs that served as the Ancient Underground City¡¯s power source. Soul Howl only required one shard, but now that Mira thought about it, she did not know how such a shard was obtained. Mira was done looting the remains of Machina Guardian, so she went into the White Room.
  1. Silva: Another point is that they probably won¡¯t respawn anymore making it a one-time only loot
Chapter 202: Each of Their Spoils of War (1) Chapter 202: Each of Their Spoils of War (1)
A ce known as the White Roomy ahead of the boss arena. Large crystals known as chalk orbs existed there, and ording to Mira¡¯s lore-aficionado friends, those were the only energy source that allowed the Ancient Underground City to continue to function. Just as Mira got close to the entrance, Soul Howl was getting out of the White Room. ¡¸Ohh, so you¡¯re finally done. That took quite some time, I thought you just needed a shard.¡¹ Mira spoke to him, and he gave a defeated smile, looking even more tired than he did after the fight. ¡¸You make it sound so easy. I really wish that was all there is to it.¡¹ Saying that, Soul Howl began to exin the process of obtaining a shard from the chalk orbs, as a way to vent his frustration. While it sounded like an easy process, it required a lot of focus. First off, what everyone called chalk orbs were actually crystals of highly concentrated and pure mana, captured from ley lines. Basically they were conglomerates of the power of nature. Because of that, the chalk orbs were even harder than Orichalcum. ¡¸Are they really that tough..?¡¹ Mira was clearly shocked when she heard theparison to Orichalcum. But that was expected, Orichalcum was the main material used to craft legendary level weapons, and only a handful of raid bosses dropped some of it, if the yers were lucky. In other words, Orichalcum itself was essentially a legendary item. ¡¸I doubt any man-made tool can even scratch them, honestly.¡¹ Soul Howl chuckled emptily, Mira had finally understood his struggle a bit. There was a time when an experiment to test Orichalcum¡¯s hardness became a hotly discussed topic amongst yers. The experiment was easy on paper. They just needed a one millimeter thick wire of Orichalcum, onto which they would drop an enormous chunk of iron. To put it in practice they had to amass all of the best cksmiths to work in tandem to work Orichalcum into a wire though, making it a difficult task. Though most of them happily participated just for the chance of handling Orichalcum themselves. Once everything was ready, the experiment was conducted, leading to a result that could onlye from a fantasy world. A chunk of iron that weighed one ton was dropped from a high ce onto the Orichalcum wire pulled taut, and it cleanly sliced the chunk in two. Even back then the game had an incredibly precise physics system, and the thin wire still won against the huge chunk of metal. That made the legendary metal even more popr. Fantastical metals were incredible. Mithril had already blown away most yers, but Orichalcum elicited an even stronger reaction from everyone. On the other hand, that experiment only made the cost of Orichalcum skyrocket, even though it already was expensive, inting the price many times over. And the ones that benefitted the most from that boom in price were none other than the organizers of that experiment. ¡¸Alright, then tell me. How did you obtain the shard you need?¡¹ All yers were well aware of how tough Orichalcum was as a material. And yet the chalk orbs would not get even scratched by it, so obtaining a shard seemed impossible. The question remained of how Soul Howl had obtained the shard he wanted. ¡¸First you need this.¡¹ Saying that, he unsheathed the dagger he had on his belt. Mira looked at it, noticed the red sheen, and blurted out, ¡¸Isn¡¯t that Orichalcum?¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s dagger was actually made of Orichalcum. It would often take different appearances depending on how it had been worked on, but usually that red sheen, which made one think of mes, was an easy way to identify highly pure Orichalcum. ¡¸Okay, and what else do you need?¡¹ Mira could tell there was more to the story than just a dagger. Urged by her, Soul Howl continued to mention what the most important step to take a shard from a chalk orb was. In short, it was mana. The chalk orbs were crystals of highly pure mana. By imbuing them with one¡¯s own mana and making it resonate, their hardness would decrease a certain amount for some time. But even in that weakened state they could only be damaged by Orichalcum, which is where his dagger came into y. ¡¸I basically had to focus on matching the orb¡¯s frequency, outputting a smooth flow of mana, and also try to shatter a piece off. Having to do all of that is what took me so long.¡¹ Soul Howl had been busy regting his mana that entire time. While also constantly striking at the orb with his dagger in hopes it would break off a chunk. ¡¸I see, that does sound like a lot of effort.¡¹ Soul Howl had focused so much he looked exhausted now, but Mira just closed the conversation like that. He just shrugged in response, knowing that was how she usually acted. ¡¸And well, I see you¡¯re still the same Elder as always. You were really thorough.¡¹ Soul Howl also looked at the remains of Machina Guardian, scattered around in smaller pieces. At first the boss had been left in tworge pieces by Christina, but now the pieces were so small it was hard to say what went where. Anyone could tell Mira had searched every nook and cranny for treasure. ¡¸And so, since you went through everything, did you find anything valuable?¡¹ While he said he was not interested in any of the loot, he was still curious to know what kind of items the raid boss had dropped this time. That was amon trait amongst the Nine Wisemen, they were always curious about items that stood at the top of the rankings. ¡¸Of course, I¡¯m loaded now!¡¹ Mira knew that sentiment as well, and replied with a triumphant look. Then she took out the main prize, the Eye of Apollo, and held it up as if it was the severed head of her enemy. ¡¸Ohh, so that¡¯s the Eye of Apollo. It¡¯s bigger than I expected.¡¹ Soul Howl got closer to it to get a better look, which prompted Mira to embrace the red gem as if protecting it. Clearly stating that she would not hand it over even if Soul Howl decided to change his mind about the loot.
Chapter 202: Each of Their Spoils of War (2) Chapter 202: Each of Their Spoils of War (2)
¡¸I know, I know. So what else did you get? I¡¯m pretty sure all this boss drops are its body parts, right? That must mean almost everything was guaranteed this time?¡¹ Soul Howl said that as he picked up a piece of scrap metal from the ground. It looked like a random piece of crumpled metal, but it was still made of a high quality alloy that should sell for a decent sum to the right cksmith. But the fact that Mira had left it behind meant that she only focused on the items she knew well, and were far more expensive than the metal. That much was obvious from the way she searched through the remains, and the pile of scrap she left behind. In other words, she must have only picked up the drops she knew well. ¡¸Well, pretty much yes.¡¹ Mira had scoured for exactly those items, so she replied brimming with confidence. That made Soul Howl think for a moment, then he asked ¡¸Then you should¡¯ve found Neuron Crystals too, right? Could you give me one?¡¹ ¡¸Neuron Crystals? What, are you trying to renew your equipment?¡¹ Hearing that, Mira looked at Soul Howl up and down before asking in return. He did not seem to be wearing anything exotic, but as Mira had seen various high level items in the past, she could tell he did carry plenty of the best equipment avable. Many of which did not exist back when they used to y together. Neuron Crystals were used to craft high level items too, but an upgrade did not look necessary for him, which made her curious about it. The response Soul Howl gave made sense, but was also a bit unexpected. ¡¸Renew my equipment¡­well, I guess it¡¯s something like that. You know how my high level spells were sealed out of the blue, right? That stopped me frompleting Irina¡¯s upgrades before I could get her everything. Having a Neuron Crystal would help a lot with that though.¡¹ Irina, that was the name of Soul Howl¡¯s trump card, who he brought back from the Death Realm of Rebirth with his Necromancy Skills. Her power increased depending on which items were stored together with her body in the Hero¡¯s Coffin. He had been unable toplete those upgrades when his high level spells were blocked, making her only half as powerful as she could be, but a Neuron Crystal would help himplete her. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s what you need it for.¡¹ Mira quickly caught on after hearing that. Neuron Crystals had good synergy with spells, so it would easily make Irina¡¯s power skyrocket. ¡¸Ahh, right, you¡¯re the owner now. Don¡¯t worry Elder, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡¹ Saying that, he quickly began to mull about it, muttering ¡¸How much would they cost now¡­¡¹ as he calcted the price. ¡¸Neuron Crystals are almost never for sale in the market, so I really don¡¯t know what the correct price is. Back then they went for thirty million¡­ ounting for their increased rarity and intion¡­¡¹ Even back then when top level yers would defeat Machina Guardian on a weekly basis, Neuron Crystals were sold for upwards of 30,000,000 Rils. But now that boss was defeated far less often, decreasing the influx of Neuron Crystals into the market, making it hard to point at its current price. So instead Soul Howlpared it to other rare items he had actually seen, and adjusted the price ording to them. ¡¸So how about three hundred million? Though if they¡¯re being sold for even more I¡¯ll pay the differenceter too.¡¹ Soul Howl casually mentioned that sum. His voicepletely unconcerned, like a noble that never had to worry about money. That attitude was a stark contrast to Mira who would worry about every single penny she had, showing just how different their world views were. ¡¸O-Oh¡­three hundred million¡­¡¹ Mira looked around nervously. That was a lot of money, and just hearing of that sum made her daydream of all the luxuries she could indulge with it. She would be able to stay in the best inns for as long as she wanted and eat the most expensive food there was. Her mind was already absorbed by the thought of the three hundred million in her possession, while feeling like something simr had happened once in the past. ¡¸Maybe five hundred if that¡¯s still too low then? I¡¯ll probably only get a chance to pay for the difference in a few months after all.¡¹ While Mira was lost in dreand with her three hundred million, Soul Howl interpreted herck of answer as dissatisfaction with the sum, so he increased it. That instantly brought Mira back to reality. Hearing him nearly double the sum so casually felt so surreal that it jolted her awake, and she could think calmly again. ¡¸Here, take it.¡¹ She took out a Neuron Crystal from her Item Box and pushed it onto Soul Howl in an almost brusque manner. ¡¸Oh, so you¡¯re happy with that price? Alright, so I have gold coins and banknotes, which do you want?¡¹ Soul Howl took the Neuron Crystal and said that, his voice still unbothered by the price. But wanting to gain some dominance, Mira straightened her back and puffed her chest. ¡¸No, just take it. You helped with the fight as well, so that¡¯s your fair share.¡¹ Even though Soul Howl had rescinded his rights to taking any of the loot, Mira still wanted him to take it as such. She kept the fact she had four others secret, instead trying to appear like she did not have any attachment to money. ¡¸Oh, are you sure? Five hundred million won¡¯t really dent my finances, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡¹ Hisposure when dealing with such sums was almost overwhelming, but Mira would no longer allow herself to be moved. ¡¸I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s fine. Also umm¡­you know. The Neuron Crystal will make your skills stronger, which will let you finish your quest faster, right? So you¡¯ll also get toe back sooner, and that¡¯ll help with what I¡¯m doing.¡¹ While five hundred million was an alluring sum, Mira had decided to part with it. Whether announcing that the Nine Wisemen were back, or rebuilding Arkite¡¯s military, it would all be easier to do the faster everyone came back. ¡¸Ahh¡­yeah, I can see that too. Having Irinaplete will elerate my progress by a lot. Unless something unexpected happens, it should only take a month or two more.¡¹ After that, Soul Howl lowered his voice to a murmur, saying ¡¸Now that that¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll happily take it then,¡¹ and ced it inside his Item Box.
Chapter 203: The Best Development Facility (1) Chapter 203: The Best Development Facility (1)
While negotiating about the loot, Mira had been entranced by the sum of five hundred million, but she somehow managed to think rationally and focused on the matter at hand. ¡¸By the way, Soul How. I also found this while searching through the body, what do you make of it?¡¹ Saying that, Mira showed him the page from some sort of diary or report she had found amongst Machina Guardian¡¯s remains, which had been the most puzzling item she had found there. ¡¸Hm? What¡¯s this?¡¹ There was no paper in the known drops from Machina Guardian. Soul Howl was well aware of that, so he also gained interest in the piece of paper, and began to read through it while firmly holding onto Mira¡¯s arm. ¡®Eart¡­ settlement, Japanese branch¡­ Written the¡­ month¡­year¡­062. As expected, the sea coordinates¡­beginning¡­of administrative facility¡­located underneath¡­location¡­of the. Scheduledpletion at¡­ Earth time, in¡­weeks. However, the surface¡­under surveince of¡­ Appropriate changes to¡­will likely take a considerable time. Once the facility isplete¡­will begin¡­ If it goes well¡­then¡­ and I sincerely hope¡­ Preparations for second¡­will start in hopes changes are¡­ At hour¡­will likely¡­too. We have to act simultaneously¡­hurry to¡­and check¡­ Settl¡­ expected to use¡­just like the other location. The¡­specimens and¡­mples collected from¡­will be¡­ They will inhabit¡­make sure to monitor their¡­¡¯ He read through it one time, then two times, and only let go of Mira when he had gone over it a third time, only to go into deep thought. ¡¸I guess it¡¯s supposed to be Earth in the beginning? Some Japanese Branch on Earth¡­ if that¡¯s the case, then finding that here is somewhat unsettling. Not just Japan, but they felt the need to specifically mention Earth, so it¡¯s easy to assume whoever wrote that is aware of other worlds existing. What follows looks like a date, the 62nd of some millenia, and an unknown day and month. I guess that¡¯s the general information you can gather if you get a little creative.¡¹ After thinking for a bit, Soul Howl tried to fill in the nks of the first line. No one knew whether he was correct or not, but if he was, then the mystery would only get deeper. ¡¸Hmm, yes, I agree with your assessment. At least it¡¯s safe to assume that whoever wrote this knew of our former world as well.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot missing here, but I¡¯m convinced there¡¯s some connection there.¡¹ They did not know why, when, where, and who wrote all of that, but whoever that was, they clearly knew about Japan on Earth. Mira and Soul Howl could agree on that. ¡¸By the way, did you try asking the Spirit King or Martel about it?¡¹ ¡¸Yes, I did ask them, but they could not make heads nor tails out of it. Apparently the Ancient Underground City existed way before their time.¡¹ ¡¸Wait wait wait¡­so you¡¯re telling me this ce is older than the Spirit King and Martel..?¡¹ The history of spirits was devastatingly long, dwarfing human history. And yet the Ancient Underground City was clearly man-made, while being older than spirits. It was a really strange paradox. ¡¸But regardless of how it came to be, it must exist for some reason¡­¡¹ ¡¸True, that¡¯s a fair conclusion to reach.¡¹ While it felt contradictory in a way, it existed as solid proof in front of them now that this was reality, so it had to conceal some type of truth, which no one knew, and was nowhere in sight. ¡¸Well, there¡¯s no urgency to think about that yet.¡¹ They had no leads to figure out why the Ancient Underground City was older than the Spirit King, so there was no need for them to waste their brain power on that now. Instead, he focused on what was in front of them, looking at the next line of text. ¡¸Anyway, the next words seem to indicate the writer was some sort of researcher. They mention some administrative facility, something underground, and the scheduledpletion of something too. I suspect that might be referring to this ce, the seventh floor of the Ancient Underground City looks clearly different from all others, being more sci-fi than fantasy.¡¹ Soul Howl looked around as he said that. He was right. The arena where they fought Machina Guardian was surrounded by sturdy white metallic walls, and the corridors leading there looked more at home in aboratory than inside a dungeon or ruin. ¡¸Sci-fi, huh. Well, I can see that. Even the boss looked that way, but it¡¯s still a stark differencepared to the rest of the dungeon.¡¹ This world had a proper history. Maybe it was a fabrication to support the game¡¯s setting, but it was at least as thorough and lengthy as that of the real world, and it continued as such. But this was the first inconsistency, a section of science fiction amongst a wealth of fantasy. Just what was that area of the Ancient Underground City? ¡¸Also, it mentions something about some weeks in Earth time, which I guess can be connected to the first line.¡¹ ¡¸You mean the assumption that the writer knew of different worlds, correct?¡¹ If there was only one type of time to keep track of, then writing down that time with no indicator would be enough. But the writer had taken special care to single out Earth time, making one deduce that there were other times they kept track of.1 ¡¸Whates after that is anybody¡¯s guess. It¡¯s probably rted to whatever research they were doing, but it all seems like a jumbled mess. Thest line is strange though, it mentions letting something inhabit and monitoring¡­them? But who or what is it referring to?¡¹ The main body of the writing was halfway intact, but it was impossible to decipher what the topic was, so Soul Howl gave up on that. But thest line caught his attention again. ¡¸That is a strange thing indeed. But if it were to point at people, then I¡¯d guess it refers to everyone who lived on the first through sixth floors.¡¹ Maybe the seventh floor was the first one built there, serving as the administrative facility, while the upper floors became cities in a contained environment. And for some unknown reason, the citizens were being monitored. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s possible. I can see that happening, but we still don¡¯t know to what effect. I feel like answers keep getting dangled in front of us and then reeled away.¡¹ As much as they tried to decipher the text, the main and biggest mystery was still why all of that had been written. Not to mention that there were many missing words, and this was the only remaining page. ¡¸Either way, trying to figure out everything with such limited information might be a mistake anyway. I¡¯ll just drop it off at Solomon¡¯s and let him do it.¡¹ Trying to figure out more would be a waste of time and energy. That was Mira¡¯s conclusion, so she stored the piece of paper in her Item Box and repeated one of her staple sentences. Whenever she could not figure something out, she would just throw it into Solomon¡¯s hands. ¡¸That might be for the best. I heard the Rising Sun Committee also has a division of former yers that are trying to figure out things about this world. I¡¯m sure they would be happy to look through this as well.¡¹ Soul Howl also seemed to lose interest rapidly, deciding it was best for other people to deal with it just like Mira. Though maybe it was more urate to say Soul Howl believed the right people should take care of it. ¡¸Yes, I seem to remember hearing about such a group as well. They¡¯d be the ideal people to worry about it.¡¹ The Rising Sun Committee had various groups that were in charge of different topics. One of them was the World History Research Institute, a group trying to unravel the past. Mira chuckled to herself as she remembered Solomon mentioning their existence once. She anticipated the piece of paper to be a major historical find, and she was looking forward to seeing their shocked faces once she presented it to them. ¡¸Still, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re aware of the existence of the Rising Sun Committee. I thought that was a secret society only country leaders knew. How did you learn about them while you kept wandering around the world?¡¹ That fact finally urred to Mira, so she posed the question. The Rising Sun Committee was started by the rulers of countries made by yers, and was kept as a secret underground society. All information rting to them was tightly shut from the public, and even regr former yers would not know about them so easily. Luminaria had been the one who told Mira about it, but even that was only possible because they were close friends of Solomon¡¯s, an actual member of the Rising Sun Committee. Soul Howl had been preupied with making the Brilliant Chalice however, so Mira was deeply curious as to how he had gained knowledge about it. ¡¸Oh, Sumi-Sumi2 told me about it.¡¹ ¡¸Sumi-Sumi..? You mean the cksmith Sumi-Sumi? You two are friends?¡¹ Soul Howl replied with an unbothered voice, but hearing the name Sumi-Sumi was a surprise for Mira, who raised her voice as she asked more questions.
  1. Silva: Or maybe, have you considered that this world used to be Earth and you are in the very distant future
  2. Nomad: nickname of Smith Midbard (¥¹¥ß¥¹?¥ß¥Ã¥É¥Ð¥ë¥É), Sumisu (¥¹¥ß¥¹) -> ¥¹¥ß¥¹?¥ß -> Sumi-Sumi (¥¹¥ß¥¹¥ß) can definitely be localized in a way that makes way more sense in English, but going to chapter 474 to find his full name took enough of my brain power
Chapter 203: The Best Development Facility (2) Chapter 203: The Best Development Facility (2)
Sumi-Sumi was a yer obsessed over cksmithing, and was considered one of the best. The weapons crafted by him were always valued highly by warriors, many of which would drool at the thought of owning one. But as a spellcaster, Mira had little reason to contact a cksmith making weapons, so she only spoke a little with Sumi-Sumi before while hanging out with Solomon. Or rather, the Nine Wisemen only knew of Sumi-Sumi as Solomon¡¯s friend. Soul Howl had run into Sumi-Sumi again somehow. ¡¸Well, yes it¡¯s the same Sumi-Sumi. We really didn¡¯t talk before, but we got kinda close while I got stuff for Irina. That¡¯s how I learned about that.¡¹ Soul Howl quickly became more talkative, likely because he was talking about his beloved Irina. Some time in the past, way before even a glimmer of the Brilliant Chalice appeared in Soul Howl¡¯s mind, he had been obsessed with obtaining items to make Irina more powerful. His quest proceeded smoothly, thanks to his great efforts, so he could use rather powerful weapons as burial articles. Eventually he hit a snag, one of the weapons he wanted to use to power her up was no longer avable. Everything else he could find, even if it was made by famous cksmiths or using rare materials, was inferior to what he already had, so it would not make Irina stronger. With no other options avable, he decided he would have to find a superior cksmith himself. That was how he began to search for Sumi-Sumi, the only superior cksmith he knew of, even though he was unaware of whether Sumi-Sumi had arrived in this world or not yet. That search was not a lengthy one though, as Soul Howl knew the country where Sumi-Sumi lived, so it was easy to check there. Once he got there, he found out that Sumi-Sumi had retired from making weapons, so it took some time of convincing before his request was epted. ¡¸It turns out that Sumi-Sumi is now part of the Rising Sun Committee, being the chief of the Modern Technology Research Institute there. That¡¯s how I also got to learn a bit about the Rising Sun Committee.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s how you found out about that.¡¹ Mira could understand how that had happened. Sumi-Sumi was essentially the best cksmith yer, which meant a lot of recognition in the entire continent. ¡¸By the way, what does this Modern Technology Research Institute do?¡¹ Since her main question had been answered, Mira asked about the institute that Soul Howl mentioned. Anyone would be curious about that, considering that virtually all yers knew of Sumi-Sumi, who was also the chief of that institute. Soul Howl exined in very simple terms. The Modern Technology Research Institute researched Earth¡¯s technology, or to be precise, they were testing how much of that they could recreate in this world. ¡¸Modern Technology is the nket term they use, but they actually have dozens of groups focusing on more specific topics, like industrialization, ship building, architecture, medicine, agriculture, and some are even trying to start a space program. From what I heard, that¡¯s the biggest division within the Rising Sun Committee. The trains running along the entire continent and the flying ships are all products from them. As you¡¯ve probably already assumed, they also have an incredible lineup of members. Basically half of all the yers famous for crafting are there.¡¹ His exnation of that location done, Soul Howl mentioned visiting them again soon, so the best jeweler Tiffanies could work on the Neuron Crystal. ¡¸Ohh! That sounds like an incredible ce!¡¹ The Rising Sun Committee was an organization founded by former yers who owned countries. There were multiple institutes under their wing, researching various things. One of them, the Modern Technology Research Institute, wasposed of many of the best crafters. When Mira learned of its existence, she also raised her voice, quite happy about that. She was excited for a simr reason as Soul Howl. The drops from Machina Guardian were some of the highest level, and only a select number of people knew how to properly craft them into equipment. She had the materials, but not a way to use them. But knowing a ce like the Modern Technology Research Institute existed solved that instantly. ¡¸So, where is it? I¡¯ve gotten quite a haul of materials myself, so I¡¯d really like to know its location!¡¹ That ce sounded like a paradise for someone with materials, so Mira stepped closer to Soul Howl, demanding to know its location. ¡¸Now that you mention it, I bet the people there would cry with joy seeing Neuron Crystals, Clearmaterite Alloy, and Aethermite. Or even more for an Eye of Apollo.¡¹ Soul Howl quickly understood what Mira was getting at. ¡¸I was told to keep it secret from everyone,¡¹ he started, but then added ¡¸but I guess making an exception for you would be alright,¡¹ and exined where it was located. Half of the various research institutes from the Rising Sun Committee were dotted around the countries founded by yers, while the other half were hidden in the rest of the continent. The former mostly focused on scientific discoveries, while thetter did mostly technical and practical research. The Modern Technology Research Institute was one of thetter. It was hidden in an ind in the sea surrounding the Earth and Ark continents, known as Cadiasmite Ind. There were some steep and harsh mountains on its northern side, and hidden within them was the institute. ¡¸Of all inessible ces, they chose that one¡­¡¹ The biggest peak in Cadiasmite Ind was 8,000 meters tall, and there were plenty of others that reached 6,000, making it a proper mountain range. Mira felt like such a ce would be too cumbersome for a research institute, but before she could really ask anything about it, Soul Howl exined that they had no choice. ¡¸Now calm down a little. They have a lot of experimental prototypes there, but even those are chock full of technology that¡¯s never been seen before in this world. Revealing such inventions early could lead to an imbnce of power and incite conflict, but the people there want to use that technology to improve the lives of everyone else, and not cause wars. Though I¡¯m sure they would happily provide their services to defeat monsters. Either way, because of the delicate nature of all that, they chose to build the institute in a ce guarded by nature. Or at least that¡¯s what Sumi-Sumi told me.¡¹ Sometimes technology created to fight monsters was also used in wars between humans. Even things not meant to be used as weapons could end up hurting people. So all those former yers who only desired peace were afraid of the wrong people getting their hands on their research, so they built the institute somewhere that no one could find. That was quite a lot ofmitment for research they hoped would better the world. ¡¸Hmm, when you put it that way it actually sounds like the ideal location.¡¹ The terrain was rough and surrounded by mountains and cliffs. Just exploring that area was difficult, so stumbling upon the secret institution there was essentially impossible. But that also made visiting it a hard task, and the prospect of it clouded Mira¡¯s face. ¡¸Apparently Sumi-Sumi kept receiving orders from various countries that wanted to get to war, so he jumped at the opportunity of joining the research institute. He was adamant he wouldn¡¯t create tools for war again when I saw him, so convincing him took a lot of work¡­¡¹ Soul Howl let out an exhausted sigh thinking about all that again, but then managed to break out a smile again as he said ¡¸deep down he still has a passion for crafting weapons though.¡¹ He also exined how there were others who joined the research institutions for simr reasons as Sumi-Sumi. ¡¸I guess artisans also have a lot going on in their lives. Anyway, where¡¯s the actual location of the institute? I really don¡¯t want to search aimlessly in that ce.¡¹ It was hard to tell whether Mira had really gotten the message or not. She simply brushed the topic aside, bringing out the map she had bought a few days earlier so Soul Howl could give her the exact location, since she had been in that ce once and did not have fond memories of the ce. She knew the research institution was somewhere in the mountains in the north of Cadiasmite Ind, but with how vast those mountains were, even an aerial search would take a long time. Instead she would rather know the exact position. ¡¸I know, I know, don¡¯t be so pushy. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡¹ After holding back Mira who kept pushing the map onto his face, he pointed at a spot on it. It was on the far north of the ind, just at the edge before the sea. ¡¸There¡¯s a tall cliff there, but a portion is hidden with a Exorcism barrier. Going through it leads to the entrance of the institution. Look for two sharp rocks like spears, go between them and head straight south and you should find yourself in a cave.¡¹ ¡¸I see, I see, hmhmm¡­¡¹ Mira marked the location on the map with a pen and wrote down everything Soul Howl said, making sure to highlight the description of thendmarks so it was clearly readable. ¡¸Listen here¡­ Never show that map to anyone, alright?¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s voice was stern, seeing that vital information that was as valuable as a state secret written so inly on arge map. ¡¸I know, I know!¡¹ In contrast to his worries, Mira just continued being her usual self. So just in case, she wrote ¡ºTOP SECRET¡» inrge letters in the upper right corner of the map. Soul Howl could not stifle a heavy sigh as he muttered ¡¸Never change, Elder, never change¡­¡¹
Chapter 204: To the Surface (1) Chapter 204: To the Surface (1)
¡¸I have to say I apud their dedication though. They¡¯re living in this world filled with fantasy and magic, and yet they choose to forego it simply to improve the lives of others.¡¹ Mira muttered with admiration as she looked at the map with the location of the research institute marked. While the world could be dangerous, it also held various wonders. She had experienced that first hand during all her adventures, so she was impressed by the people who chose to do research instead of going out and exploring. But she was likely giving them too much credit. ¡¸I think you¡¯re overthinking that a little. They just like to research stuff more than adventures. Though they¡¯ve always been like that, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have be famous as the best cksmiths or other artisans. In a way I feel like they¡¯re having even more fun than you, Elder.¡¹ Mira felt bad for them, having to seclude themselves in remote locations so their inventions would not fall in the wrong hands. But Soul Howl had been there, and he did not feel like they were unhappy at all. ¡¸I guess some of them also can¡¯t let go of their previous lives. They¡¯re researching things like air conditioners that work with Magic Stones, or even television and cameras. They¡¯re curious to see what kind of shows a fantasy world would produce.¡¹ ¡¸Air conditioners and television¡­ yes, those are indispensable.¡¹ Japan had made various technological advances on top of their infrastructure. There were many researchers who wanted to recreate that in this world, ording to Soul Howl. Mira also felt like that was amendable motivation, before sulking because she was reminded of that show she was watching and never got to see the end of. ¡¸Anyway, I think that¡¯s all we had to do down here, so should we go back to the surface now?¡¹ As their conversation winded down, Soul Howl suggested they go back. ¡¸Right, we should do that,¡¹ Mira replied and began walking away, but then Soul Howl called out to her again. ¡¸By the way, Elder. You aren¡¯t going to collect any of this?¡¹ ¡¸Hm? What are you talking about?¡¹ Mira turned around and saw Soul Howl was pointing at the pieces of scrap metal left from Machina Guardian. She had already scavenged through them, taking all its weapons, so she only tilted her head, not understanding what Soul Howl was trying to get at, so he just hummed to himself for a bit. ¡¸So you didn¡¯t think about that. Look at all this metal, it¡¯s far more sturdy than steel, and lighter than mithril. Don¡¯t you think it could be used as raw materials for a lot of things? And there¡¯s so much of it too, it feels like a waste to just leave it behind.¡¹ Soul Howl picked up one of the twisted pieces of metal that was lying on the ground near him, and after giving it a few turns in his hand while examining it, he threw it at Mira. The piece of scrap drew an arc in the air beforending in Mira¡¯s hand, where she looked at it intently for a while, then shouted ¡¸I see, you¡¯re right!¡¹ acting like a major revtion had just presented itself to her as she looked at the remaining scrap. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe I was so distracted thinking only of the Eye of Apollo¡­¡¹ Either she was still thinking of this as a game sometimes, or she was simply so entranced by obtaining one of the best materials ever, that the remainder of Machina Guardian had simply slipped out of her mind as that was not included in the list of drops. It was impossible to obtain any of it during the game, but now that this was reality, it was possible to use all of Machina Guardian as metallic material. ¡¸It might be a really good souvenir for Solomon!¡¹ Someone leading a country could always use arge supply of metal, whether for construction or to build weapons. It would help with experimental weapons made with Magic Engineering too, like the ord Cannon she had seen. Though simple weapons also would benefit. ¡¸Sorry Sowl Howl, give me a minute to gather everything!¡¹ Mira went and started putting the pieces of armor and machinery of Machina Guardian into her Item Box. But some were too big to fit inside the Item Box, so instead she summoned a Dark Knight which swung the Holy Sword Sanctia and split the pieces into more manageable ones. Machina Guardian had never dropped that metal before, so she did not know exactly what it was going to be. Mira would have to get it examined before it could be put to use. But even if it could not be used right away, there was arge quantity of it. If she gave it to Solomon, he would likely figure out what to do with it. Thinking that, she gathered every piece she could find. ¡¸Let me help you a bit then.¡¹ The country¡¯s government could likely put that immense amount of metal to good use. Soul Howl also felt like it could be a good gift for Solomon, so he began helping Mira with collecting it. Though he did not head to Machina Guardian, but to the remains of the Mechanical Protectors. Those could also be used as good materials. ¡¸These are looking pretty good too.¡¹ After checking the state of the remains, Soul Howl created a few golems that rounded up all the Protectors and carried them to Mira. There were a few dozen Protectors, but Soul Howl had no issue making enough golems. ¡¸There¡¯s quite a lot of these too¡­¡¹ Seeing the pile of Protector remains, Mira climbed on it and continued stashing everything. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s actually go back now!¡¹ Now that she had stored everyst piece of scrap she could find, they left the boss arena, leaving behind only the shes on the walls. There had been tens of tons of scrap metal, so storing it all took a lot of effort, but Mira looked satisfied once that was done. Her hoarder mind also sighed in relief, since she had been one step away from abandoning such a valuable resource. ¡¸That took longer than I expected¡­¡¹ Around an hour had passed while she mindlessly stashed the metal. The fact that Soul Howl was still apanying her showed he was actually rather good natured. Then they finally left the boss arena together, walked through the scorched corridor, and then took another break to collect the Mechanical Prowler remains. After a short while, they were back at the door closest to the boss arena. The door did not have a knob, and did not even stand out a lot from the wall. There was simply one slit on one side. Soul Howl took out a card from his Item Box, which he slid into the slit, which began to glow and spread to the height of the door, and then the door opened silently. The moment he stepped through the gate, it quickly shut behind him. It was built to only let one person through at a time. ¡¸Now that I think about it, this ce also feels really sci-fi.¡¹ Mira looked at the door operate as she muttered that, then took out her own card. That was an authorization key to unlock the security measures of important locations of the seventh floor. Obtaining it was aplicated process, but Mira had obviously gone through it in the past. She pushed the card into the slit as well and began to ponder, realizing how much this resembled some fancy research facility as well. There was a small room on the other side. There were various devices lined up there, and a long tube connected to the surface through the ceiling was in the center. A capsule for one person to fit in was at the bottom of the tube, as if inviting everyone to enter. ¡¸See you in five minutes then.¡¹ That tube and capsule were the means to leave the dungeon. The trip outside took the strangely long time of five minutes, likely because they were really deep underground. Soul Howl¡¯s voice sounded slightly ironic as he climbed inside.
Chapter 204: To the Surface (2) Chapter 204: To the Surface (2)
The capsule¡¯s lid closed and then shot upwards, as if something was sucking it out through the tube. ¡¸Futuristic technology everywhere¡­¡¹ A new capsule quickly settled in the tube. Mira climbed onto it, stillmenting to herself about the appearance of things there. The lid closed and the capsule began to move. The way it moved up looked really sudden from outside, but inside the capsule it was rather quiet. One would expect inertia to have a strong effect, but it could not be felt at all within. Mira also felt like that seemed like sci-fi technology, and rxed there knowing she would be out in around five minutes. Once the time was over, the capsule stopped moving and opened. Inertia once again did not seem to have an effect when stopping. Mira walked out of it as she once again muttered, ¡¸That has to be futuristic technology¡­¡¹ ¡¸I really wonder why this is the only one that works like that.¡¹ Soul Howl had already arrived there, and he said while looking at the area next to the capsule. He almost seemed to beining about it. ¡¸I can only think it was to annoy us.¡¹ Mira also shared Soul Howl¡¯s sentiment. The capsules came out at the far end of arge stone room. When looking to the center of the room, six small altar-like protrusions were visible from the other end up to their location. Each of those altars were surrounded by four stone pirs, and stone tablets with magic circles engraved on them were ced on top. Mira and Soul Howl looked at that with a bit of a scoff. Then the magic circle of the second furthest altar began to glow, and then five adventurers appeared there. They headed out of the stone room while they discussed how they would split their gains, when they spotted Mira and Soul Howl standing in front of the tube. ¡¸Hey you two, that¡¯s just an exit, it won¡¯t open no matter how long you wait.¡¹ A man with rowdy hair told them that before leaving the room. He seemed to be in a good mood, likely having obtained a big haul in the dungeon. Meanwhile the other 4 just bowed slightly apologizing for theirpanion¡¯s unwarrantedment. ¡¸I¡¯m fully aware of that, kiddo.¡¹ Mira grumbled in a low voice when the group left. The adventurer with rowdy hair was right, the tube could only be used to get out, and the stone room was the ce where all the exits from the Ancient Underground City were gathered. But for some reason the exits on all the floors would teleport the user out instantly, except for the seventh floor where they had to wait five minutes. That was the reason why Mira and Soul Howl looked so bothered. ¡¸I guess people nowadays don¡¯t expect people to actually reach the seventh floor ande out here. That means the prices must¡¯ve increased a lot more then.¡¹ The conditions to use the tube were to reach the seventh floor, and to obtain the necessary ess card for the exit room. Judging the reaction of the group of five, that was something very few people did in the current times. But that likely also meant that the materials unique to the seventh floor had gone up in price. Hearing Soul Howl mention that made Mira grin smugly. The stone room with those exits was located underneath the oldest temple of the Tricyclic City of Gran Rings. Mira and Soul Howl went out of the stone room, walked up a long set of stairs, and came out at a chapel. While it was an old building, it had been carefully maintained and renovated over the years, so it still had a strong sense of majesty. On top of that there were plenty of engravings and murals from times immemorial, illuminated by the light of candles, giving it a more mystical appearance. Even those without that certain faith could feel the divinity of the ce. The chapel was filled with many pilgrims, and in the far end atop a podium stood a priest wearing important-looking clothes, talking about something. There was a heavy atmosphere to it all, making Mira and Soul Howl feel like they had stepped into the wrong ce, but no one paid them any attention. Turning around a little, Mira noticed arge poster on the nearest column, which had arge title that said ¡ºTo all the adventurers returning from the Ancient Underground City¡», and the rest written in smaller letters. ¡ºIf you¡¯re hurt, sick, or need any form of treatment, the first door to the left is the infirmary so please feel free to visit. A very skilled monk is always ready to help you in this temple. We have service on weekdays from 2pm to 4pm, so please try to be quiet if you pass by at those times. During holidays we have lectures about the stories rted to the Three Gods from 6pm to 7pm. Feel free to join us if you¡¯re curious. And if you¡¯re in a hurry please try to be quiet when leaving. Sometimes there¡¯s service or lectures conducted at other times as well. If you happen to return amidst such one, we¡¯re deeply sorry but please follow the arrows on the right side and silently leave through the side entrance.¡» The poster detailed many things for adventurers, which Mira read through. ¡¸I¡­ see¡­¡¹ After reading through the poster, Mira muttered slowly while looking around. That poster was not there in the past. Though that also made sense. Back then there were no ¡ºadventurers¡», and the poster was simply the temple trying to keep up with the times. Now there was the United Adventurers¡¯ Guild, which made the number of adventurers skyrocket, increasing the number of people who visited the Ancient Underground City. And as more people visited it, more people also came back. It took a long time to get through the Ancient Underground City, but there were many teleporting magic circles to leave instantly, and obviously everyone used those. The poster was the result of that. Loud adventurers hade out from the stone room so many times that the people of the temple could no longer ignore them. ¡¸This reeks of passive-aggressive politeness¡­I guess they were really fed up.¡¹ Soul Howl chuckled in a repressed voice seeing how many times the poster mentioned the word ¡¸silently¡¹, then looked around the chapel again. Then another group of adventurers came out from the stone room. The moment they set foot in the chapel they began whispering to each other, saying things like ¡¸Ah, they¡¯re in the middle of service,¡¹ ¡¸Geh, it¡¯s the Iron Fist Priest,¡¹ ¡¸Shh, don¡¯t make a single sound,¡¹ and ¡¸I really don¡¯t want to get scolded by him again.¡¹ Then they rushed alongside the arrows, trying to get away as fast as they could. ¡¸What¡¯s up with them? They looked rather spooked¡­¡¹ Mira had overheard their whispers, then turned to look at the podium and the priest talking passionately there again, wondering what about him made them tremble so much. He looked like he was in the middle of his fifties and had a gentle countenance, not the type of appearance that would warrant a description like Iron Fist. ¡¸I have no clue how this came to be, but you¡¯ll notice something funny if you Examine him.¡¹ For some reason Soul Howl grinned entertained while looking at the priest. That made Mira curious too, so she also Examined him. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s quite the amusing development.¡¹ The priest¡¯s abilities, at least when it came to physical power, were even higher than those of the best adventurers. But that was not what caught the eye of the two, it was his name. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s expected of the country with the most adventurers in the continent. It¡¯s still a bit shocking to know even the priests are people like that though.¡¹ While they were all called adventurers, their personalities and traits were all over the ce. Some were really kind, and others not exactly the most honest of people. There were issues with them nearly daily here in Gran Rings where so many adventurers gathered, so sometimes the force needed to deal with them was needed. The temple housing the exits of the Ancient Underground City was likely the facility with the most traffic of adventurers after the Adventurers¡¯ Union. That increased the chances of issues with adventurers happening there dramatically, and the priest in charge of keeping things orderly was called Thatsbard Bloodycrimson Kingsde. He had once cemented his name in the history of Ozstein¡¯s underground fighting arena as the undefeated champion with a thousand wins.
Chapter 205: Until Next Time (1) Chapter 205: Until Next Time (1)
The ruler of the underground fighting arena, Thatsbard Bloodycrimson Kingsde. Mira and Soul Howl had interacted with him during certain events in the past, so his appearance now was a stark difference from what they remembered, and it made them curious as to what had prompted that change. The Thatsbard they remembered would constantly say that the utmost joyy in the heat of battle, that bathing in the blood of his opponents was his only mission in life. He was always ready to fight, baring his fangs at anyone, his eyes piercing through everyone like he was already pummeling them. But now he appeared calm and meek, his face filled with kindness as he preached to the pilgrims gathered there. Anyone who had seen him during those events would assume the underground champion and the priest were different people. But in reality they were one and the same. ¡¸From champion to priest, huh. I wonder what happened.¡¹ ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t know. That¡¯s a change I would¡¯ve never anticipated.¡¹ Both Mira and Soul Howl wanted to unravel that mystery. Almost on cue, another adventurer group arrived, and once they saw the priest they instantly became quieter and tried to sneak away. Seeing that, Soul Howl signaled at Mira to go ask them. He knew that in such situations it was better for a cute girl to talk, rather than a suspicious looking guy. ¡¸I guess I have no option,¡¹ was Mira¡¯s response, and she went to catch one of the adventurers. ¡¸Hey, you. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?¡¹ Mira whispered at the young adventurer she just grabbed. He turned around and looked back and forth between Mira and the priest. ¡¸What is it? You can ask anything you want,¡¹ he finally replied, his voice filled with resolve. He had been deciding between being scolded by the priest, or talking with a cute girl, and eventually chose thetter. Though his voice was still as quiet as he could humanly make it. ¡¸That priest doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary person, do you know anything about him?¡¹ Mira nced at the priest, while lowering her voice even more, getting closer to the young man¡¯s face as if talking about something secret. ¡¸Umm, you mean priest Kingsde? Could it be that this is your first time here?¡¹ His face got red as Mira got closer, but he seemed to be ready to disclose any information. ¡¸Yes, I got here not too long ago. Anyway, I heard he got called the Iron Fist Priest earlier, but I don¡¯t really see why a priest would gain that moniker?¡¹ ¡¸I know what you mean. He¡¯s actually pretty famous, and I can tell you have good eyes to notice he¡¯s no ordinary person. Apparently that priest used to be the champion of some underground fighting arena.¡¹ He revealed what he knew, smiling as if showing off. But Mira already knew that, she wanted to know how that champion became a priest. ¡¸Ohh, that¡¯s incredible. But what could¡¯ve caused that champion to be a priest then?¡¹ Pretending to be surprised, Mira asked him about the one thing she was most curious about. He lowered his voice even more and started saying ¡¸I¡¯ve only heard rumors, but¡­¡¹ before telling the story. The name of Thatsbard Bloodycrimson Kingsde was still known in the underground fighting arena of Ozstein. After a troubled early life, he came to believe only in strength, winning fights his only way to prove his existence, and thinking that defeat would make him lose his identity. He was basically the epitome of being a musclehead. But those beliefs gave him strength, pushing defeat away, and throwing him into an endless cycle that only reinforced them. After many long years of fighting, his name became known, and he turned into a living legend. Then, seven years before the current day, that legend reached its end. His boastful undefeated streak was broken by a girl, who was supposedly on an enlightening journey to be stronger. His spirit was in shambles, feeling like everything he stood for had vanished. But then the girl spoke to him, saying that strength was only a part of one¡¯s existence. If someone was still alive after being defeated, that was not the end of the world. He could not ept those words though. Admitting that would be synonymous with denying his entire life until now. Seeing he was still in denial, the girl tried to convince him again, saying that she who was stronger was saying that, so it had to be true. It was a bit paradoxical, someone using strength as an argument that strength was not everything. But putting it that way got through to him. She was so strong, and yet she was adamant that there was more to life, so that managed to change his mind. Now that he had woken up from the world he used to live in, he asked the girl how he should continue living. So she told him to try doing the exact opposite of what he had done so far. ¡¸And so he was baptized, studied, and became that priest. It¡¯s kinda incredible, right?¡¹ The young adventurer looked somewhat proud of being so knowledgeable about the priest¡¯s past. Rather than using his fame as a living legend, he built a new steady ce to be in from scratch. That made Priest Kingsde feared, but also respected. Now adventurers were mostly afraid that he would use that strength that once made him a legend against adventurers. Apparently there was already a time when a group of rank A adventurers were too loud in the chapel, so the priest roughed them up like a bunch of rags and threw them out. That was when he began being called the Iron Fist Priest. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the origin of that name¡­¡¹ Mira smiled slightly as she looked at the priest preaching passionately on the podium. His story had moved her a little, letting her see how tightly he adhered to his ideals, almost to a ridiculous extent. ¡¸By the way¡­I guess you also like strong guys then?¡¹ Seeing Mira turn to look at the priest with what seemed like admiration prompted the young adventurer to ask that. ¡¸Hmmm¡­I have nothing against strength, but I guess I think men should be more gentlemanly instead.¡¹ Mira mentioned the ideal she had always strived to be, a gentleman with perfect manners. Now it was a distant and unattainable goal though, even if she still longed for it. The young man replied with a muted ¡¸A gentleman¡­ I see,¡¹ before clearing his throat and looking straight at Mira. ¡¸Mdy, if I¡¯m not intruding, would you like toter have dinner-¡¹ He awkwardly tried to put on the best manners he could to invite Mira out for dinner, but he could not finish. ¡¸What are you doing all the way here, the priest might notice¡­wait he¡¯s already looking at us?!¡¹ One of the other adventurers that came with him returned to the chapel wondering what the hold-up was, and barely had time to look at the podium before he grabbed the back of the young adventurer¡¯s neck and quickly dragged him away. The young adventurer really wanted to finish his invitation, but he could not raise his voice in the chapel, so none of his next words reached Mira. Not like she had any interest in hearing him either. ¡¸And apparently that¡¯s what happened.¡¹ Regardless, they had discovered the way someone known as a fierce fighting beast had turned into a priest. Mira made absolutely noment about the adventurer who had been dragged away, nonchntly turning to Soul Howl, who had been listening in from the side. ¡¸I guess everyone has a story. Like the way he became a priest.¡¹ Soul Howl sounded both impressed and baffled. Mira also nodded vehemently, adding ¡¸I truly struggle toprehend the thoughts of those who can only talk with their fists though,¡¹ showing she too was taken aback by Thatsbard¡¯s past rowdy lifestyle. ¡¸Though if I had to say, I think you¡¯re also like them, Elder.¡¹ ¡¸Hm, what did you say?¡¹ ¡¸Nothing.¡¹ It seemed like Mira had been unable to really hear what Soul Howl had said. ¡¸Either way, you know. That girl on a journey of enlightenment or something, could that have been¡­¡¹ It was easy to suggest living in the opposite way one had done, but an exceedingly difficult task to actually aplish. Soul Howl was impressed seeing Thatsbard had done it, but he was more curious about that girl that supposedly told him to do it. Mira was thinking the same, muttering ¡¸It could be her¡­¡¹ One certain person appeared in both their minds. She was one of their fellow Wisemen, Meilin. Journeys of enlightenment were basically a daily urrence for her. Maybe there were other girls who also went on trips like that, but considering it was someone who was more powerful than the fighter considered the strongest even amongst the yers leading armies of the Three Gods Countries, there were very few options. Or rather, they were convinced there was only one. ¡¸If it was Meilin, do you think the priest knows where she¡¯s at now?¡¹ ¡¸I don¡¯t know, but I doubt it. That happened seven years ago, right? And I don¡¯t think Meilin really does rematches in her enlightenment journeys, not to mention she¡¯s not the type to really spend a long time in a single ce.¡¹ ¡¸Hmm, that¡¯s a fair point¡­¡¹ Meilin always had a rather nomadic lifestyle, even in the game days, where she would always be on the move in what she called enlightenment journeys. In a way, her being back at her tower meant war was about to break.
Chapter 205: Until Next Time (2) Chapter 205: Until Next Time (2)
All in all, the likelihood that the priest knew Meilin¡¯s current location was essentially zero. ¡¸And I think it¡¯s best if we take our leave as well¡­¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s face stiffened up a little after he turned to look at the podium. Wondering what had happened, Mira also looked there and her eyes soon met the priest¡¯s. ¡¸Yes, we better¡­¡¹ He was still preaching passionately to the pilgrims gathered there like before, but something had changed. While before he made sure to look across his audience, now his eyes were focused on the spot where Mira and Soul Howl stood. They had stayed there whispering to each other for so long that they had caught the priest¡¯s attention. He appeared like a gentle soul now, but his sharp gaze had not changed even after all those years. ¡¸We should hurry and get out of here.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, we should.¡¹ If they lingered for longer, they would likely experience the iron fists they heard about before. Mira and Soul Howl agreed it was best to leave, so they silently followed the arrows on a side of the wall. As they went, they heard a bit of Priest Kingsde¡¯s sermon, he was talking about divine prophecies. ¡ºIn a long distant past, darkness shrouded the world. But once the Gods, spirits, and people joined hands, they were able to dispel it. Joining hands like that is the only way tobat and conquer the darkness. Our Gods are still holding hands as they watch over us this very day, showing this lesson is still valid.¡¯ The Three Gods¡» Church, the most influential and popr religion in the continent. They taught that cooperation was the only way tobat adversity and weakness. The threergest countries of the continent, Grimdart, Ozstein, and Alispharius, represented each of the Three Gods as well, and to represent their religion they were also bound by a strong alliance that could not be toppled. Mira thought back to the stories she heard when she started ying the game. The priest continued talking, even as the two got closer to the exit. ¡ºThe Gods have been preparing us for a future where we¡¯ll inevitably have to join hands. That ancient darkness will be a deep abyss and open up once again. But we need not to fear, if we remain together, we¡¯ll eventually be saved by the light again¡­¡» Once they crossed the exit door, the priest¡¯s voice was quickly muffled, reced by the night breeze and distant voices of a crowded city. There was a short path leading out from therge temple, which had a main entrance and a smaller side exit. The side exit was better illuminated than one would expect, likely to make it easier for adventurers to see. Though the main entrance of the temple was much better lit. There was arge za in front of the temple, with a fountain in the center, and it was surrounded by candles which gave it a warmer light. ¡¸It¡¯s alreadyter than I expected.¡¹ The sky was dark and stars were shining through. Mira checked the time and noticed it was already past 7pm. The fight with Machina Guardian had taken exceedingly long, the clock¡¯s small needle going a full circle since she woke up that morning. Though considering they had challenged arge raid boss just the two of them, and won, it was shockingly fast in a way. ¡¸Hahh¡­finally fresh air again.¡¹ Soul Howl took a deep breath and looked up, his eyes full of emotion. Being underground for a prolonged period of time really made one miss the surface. Mira also muttered ¡¸Finally back outside¡­¡¹ while looking at the sky. ¡¸So what are you going to do now? All decent inns are likely filled to the top already.¡¹ The fragrant scent of food was filling the air from everywhere. That made Mira realize that she had only eaten breakfast before the fight in the morning, and then had no more meals until now. ¡¸I¡¯ll be leaving town now so I¡¯m fine. I want to get closer to the next location as soon as possible.¡¹ Soul Howl lowered his gaze from the stars to the fountain as he replied. He did not seem to care about worldly desires like resting on a soft bed, or spending the night in luxurious inns, he only cared about aplishing his goal as soon as possible. ¡¸What, you¡¯re leaving already? You¡¯re so impatient, and just when I was thinking I could let you stay one more night in my spirit mansion.¡¹ Mira was thinking of suggesting Soul Howl spend the night in her spirit mansion if he could not find a good inn, but he replied with a long dubious stare at her, until he sighed loudly before saying anything. ¡¸Don¡¯t act generous, I know you¡¯re just trying to trick me into cooking for you.¡¹ ¡¸Hrngh¡­ But still, if you leave now you¡¯ll still have to camp out in the open.¡¹ Mira groaned in desperation, her n failing miserably. But she pointed out how there were no other cities nearby he could arrive to even if he left at that moment, meaning he would necessarily have to camp out somewhere. But Soul Howl grinned confidently, that being no issue at all for him. ¡¸I¡¯ve been doing that all the time since I started traveling, it doesn¡¯t bother me at all now. And I might not be able to summon a luxurious mansion like you, but I also have the means to build a shelter for myself.¡¹ Soul Howl¡¯s main priority was to reach his destination as soon as possible. He would not stay the night in a city if he had no business left there, instead leaving even if it was at night. Once it was time to sleep, he would just build a small golem fort. ¡¸Ohh, a small golem fort¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, Necromancy also gained some really useful applications.¡¹ That was something Necromancers could not do back in the game. Soul Howl had found the way to build a small fort the size of a cabin, but with the resiliency to endure through a storm. Thanks to that he had been able to rest at ease even when traveling through harsh terrain. Soul Howl seemed almost sentimental as he recounted that, showing that sleeping under a solid roof was really one of the mostforting feelings for humans. ¡¸Though I don¡¯t have a shower, toilet, or kitchen like you, Elder. To be honest that feels a little unfair.¡¹ Soul Howl was still a bit surprised about the details of the spirit mansion. Hearing that, Mira puffed her chest proudly and proimed ¡¸The ties of spirits win again then.¡¹ ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯ll be going then.¡¹ Saying that, Soul Howl activated a Necromancy Skill and the bicorn skeleton with a broken horn appeared next to him. The sudden appearance of an eerie figure like that made everyone nearby to step back and look at it with disgust, but Soul Howl did not seem to even notice it. He was used to that happening. ¡¸Go and finish your quest soon, and then hurry back home. I guess I¡¯ll just have to tell him that I found you.¡¹ Mira said that, trying to stress its importance. She had the mission of finding and bringing back all of the Nine Wisemen, but Soul Howl had embarked on an important quest already, so she knew she could not force him to forgo it toe back. Instead she made him promise he would return once he was done. ¡¸Yeah, I know. I was already thinking that it¡¯s about time I settle down again. I¡¯ll definitelye back as soon as I¡¯m done with this. Now that my high level skills are back, I doubt it¡¯ll take more than two months.¡¹ It was just an oral promise, so it was not the most formal of agreements, but Soul Howl sounded more serious than before as he said that. ¡¸Good then, we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡¹ Still, that was enough for Mira. Solomon and the Nine Wisemen had that kind of trust, they would never lie to each other, and if they said something would ¡ºdefinitely¡» happen, it was the same as promising it. ¡¸And oh right, say thanks to the Spirit King and Martel again for me. They were key in getting my high level skills back after all.¡¹ Soul Howl climbed on his bicorn and then turned to look at Mira again to add that. He looked unusually happy, showing he actually appreciated what those two had done for him. ¡¸I¡¯ll pass on the message then. Or rather, they already heard it. They just said that they did it because they felt like it, and good luck.¡¹ As Mira nodded, she heard the Spirit King and Martel already give a response in her head, which she repeated instantly. They also made sure to encourage Soul Howl. The two seemed almost sad to know Soul Howl would be going on his own path now. ¡¸I see. Anyway, until next time then, thanks for everything.¡¹ Soul Howl smiled, feeling like he could hear the voices of the two spirits saying that, and then lowered his voice and thanked Mira too, sounding slightly embarrassed by it. Then he made the bicorn jump onto the roof of a nearby building. ¡¸Godspeed to you, Soul Howl.¡¹ Mira said that as she watched Soul Howl hopping from rooftop to rooftop and soon vanishing in the darkness of night. Then she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
Chapter 206: Loud Rumors (1) Chapter 206: Loud Rumors (1)
After seeing Soul Howl off, Mira began walking through the city. She passed along the temple again, and by chance the main gate opened letting Priest Kingsde out. He was more than two meters tall, and stood out like a sore thumbpared to anyone else. His actual power was also nothing to scoff at. Him being there was so sudden that Mira¡¯s shoulder twitched slightly as her feet stopped and she just stared at him. ¡¸Wait, I saw you in the chapel earlier¡­¡¹ He also seemed to recognize Mira, having seen her in the chapel some minutes prior. Mira and Soul Howl had remained in a corner of the chapel, whispering for a long time. The priest had noticed them, and still recalled what they looked like. ¡¸Nevermind that, I just got word that a suspicious necromancer was sighted around here, did you happen to see anyone like that?¡¹ He gently squatted down to meet Mira¡¯s eye-level, talking to her with a soft voice as if dealing with a child. But his eyes went from looking like a kind priest to being sharp like back in his glory days. ¡¸Sorry, I wouldn¡¯t know who that was.¡¹ This still counted as the temple¡¯s grounds, and necromancy was closely tied to death. Mira did not know many details about religion in this world, so she began suspecting that maybe necromancy was not allowed to be used in religious areas. Dealing with that could get annoying, so she decided to plead ignorance. That only made the glint in the priest¡¯s eyes be harsher though. ¡¸But they also reported that a cute young girl like yourself was seen next to that suspicious man. Are you sure you don¡¯t know him?¡¹ He looked Mira straight in the eyes as he continued questioning her. It seemed like he had been told many details about the sighting, and he had a rather clear idea of who Mira was, and who the suspicious necromancer had been. Mira could not y dumb for much longer. ¡¸¡­Umm¡­did that personmit some sort of mistake then?¡¹ Mira decided to ask more questions to properly assess how to reply, depending on the severity of the crime. But things were not quite what she expected. Priest Kingsde had been informed that a suspicious-looking necromancer was trying to kidnap a young girl. Once he heard their description he felt like he had seen them before, so he went out to check if his hunch was correct. ¡¸So, you really haven¡¯t seen him?¡¹ ¡¸Ahhh, right, right, itpletely slipped my mind. Yes, yes, I know him, he¡¯s my friend. I¡¯ve known him for a long time so I didn¡¯t even think of him when you mentioned someone suspicious, but I presume he does look that way if it¡¯s your first time seeing him.¡¹ Mira realized she did not have to worry about getting into needless trouble, so she decided to respond truthfully. ¡¸I see, so he¡¯s just a friend. That¡¯s alright then, sorry for taking your time.¡¹ The priest made sure to emphasize the fact that Mira and the necromancer were friends. Then he looked over to the temple¡¯s entrance, where a woman stood, and told her, ¡¸It seems it was nothing to worry about.¡¹ The priest had seen Mira and Soul Howle out of the Ancient Underground City together. That gave him a good idea of the rtionship between the two, but he went to verify it just in case, and to appease the worries of that woman. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a relief then.¡¹ The woman sighed in relief, thanked the priest, and vanished back inside the temple. Seeing that, Mira felt a little conflicted. She was displeased to be associated with such suspicions, but at the same time appreciated that the woman was looking out for her. Then again, now Mira knew that Soul Howl could be mistaken for someone trying to kidnap young girls, and she knew she had to poke fun at him over it eventually. Just thinking about that made her grin. ¡¸One more thing, using magic in front of the temple can be forbidden under certain conditions, so make sure to tell your friend that.¡¹ The priest looked at Mira again, telling her that with a cheerful smile. The way he worded that made it seem that the rules were not only about necromancy. Mira knew the true power the priest concealed, so she just replied with a submissive ¡¸Alright, I¡¯ll tell him.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll be going back then. Thank you for your cooperation.¡¹ Priest Kingsde thanked Mira, then turned around to return into the temple. He had said everything he needed to say, and the intimidating air surrounding him was gone. ¡¸By the way, could I ask you one question?¡¹ But Mira called out to him before he could leave. ¡¸Yes, what is it?¡¹ He turned around again, looking at Mira with an unreserved smile. ¡¸I heard something earlier, apparently there was a young girl traveler that changed your life from one fighting in underground arenas? Would you happen to know what her name was? And maybe where she is right now?¡¹ Mira and Soul Howl had agreed that the girl was likely the fellow Wiseman Meilin. They had also agreed that seven years had passed since then, so the priest would likely not have much usable information. But since the priest was already there, she figured there was no harm in asking that. ¡¸I see¡­so that¡¯s what you were chattering about in the chapel¡¯s corner. But I have to ask, why the interest in her?¡¹ The menacing aura of the priest that had vanished came back in full swing. He had not fully gotten over his violent tendencies. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s just that her description sounds a lot like one of my friends.¡¹ Mira averted her gaze from that intense stare as she replied, which made the priest¡¯s attitude switch entirely. ¡¸What?! You know who she was?!¡¹ He aggressively closed in on Mira, who took a few steps back from the sudden intensity. She also rified that she just knew a girl who would often travel like that, so she simply believed it could be the same person. ¡¸I see¡­ Sadly I didn¡¯t ask what her name was. She introduced herself as Taiyaki Kuri Yokan in our match, andter I found out that¡¯s just the name of some dessert.¡¹ The priestmented that, saying he had no other clues than that name. But hearing that gave Mira the conviction she needed to be sure it was Meilin. ¡¸Ah¡­I¡¯m sure it was my friend then. That¡¯s her favorite dessert as well.¡¹
Chapter 206: Loud Rumors (2) Chapter 206: Loud Rumors (2)
Taiyaki and Kuri Yokan were both Meilin¡¯s favorites. There was that embarrassing story of one time when she ate too much of it and became chubby, so she had to go on a diet in real life together with Kagura. Thinking of that story filled Mira with nostalgia. But the priest did not allow her to revel in it. ¡¸That¡¯s wonderful! I never thought I¡¯d meet a friend of hers¡­ I can¡¯t remember thest time I heard such incredible news.¡¹ Even though he was a priest, he was looking at Mira almost like she was a deity. It seemed like Meilin was almost a divine entity in his mind, so hearing that Mira was a friend of Meilin put her in a simr position. ¡¸I have a minor business to talk over with her, so I¡¯m trying to find her. Would you know where she is?¡¹ Mira asked him that, but judging from his reaction, he likely did not know where Meilin could be. ¡¸Sadly no¡­ I just know that back when she changed my life, she did not only visit my arena, but she was touring any ce with a major fighting organization. She¡¯s had a big impact in my life, so I¡¯d really like to see her again as well, and thank her for everything she¡¯s done.¡¹ The priest continued, almost like he was praying for that opportunity. If he heard of Meilin¡¯s location, he would likely rush there that very instant. All in all, Mira had learned that the person who changed the champion Thatsbard Bloodycrimson Kingsde into a priest was most certainly Meilin. But she also learned that even seven years ago Meilin still had the same personality she always had. (Major fighting organizations¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to look into ces like that, assuming she¡¯s still on her journeys of enlightenment today.) At least Mira had a starting point to search for Meilin. ¡¸If I find her I¡¯ll tell her you said thanks then,¡¹ she told the priest, and left that ce. As she walked away, she could hear the priest thanking her profusely many times. The people nearby looked at Mira with incredulous eyes, wondering just who this girl was, who had made the Iron Fist Priest act in such an extreme way. The next day rumors would spread that an angel had manifested itself in front of the priest, but neither Mira nor the priest would ever get word of that. It was nearly 8pm, so Mira headed to the area in Gran Rings with the most inns. After looking around for a ce to spend the night at, she found arge building that resembled a small pce. ¡¸Hmm, let¡¯s try here.¡¹ She was in the more expensive section of that district. Thisrge building looked the fanciest out of the rest. Mira had spent some time in the Folk¡¯s Peace inn not too long ago, which had been expensive and fancy in its own right, so now she was curious what she would find in a ce that was even more expensive. It was hard to let go of luxury after having a taste, but Mira was expecting to experience something even better as she looked at that pce-like inn. It stood imposing, the facade brightly illuminated so it stood out even at night. It was not asrge as a royal pce, but it was bigger than any of the other inns nearby, making it feel more special. (I have plenty of Magic Stones, as well as the loot from the Prowler and Machina Guardian. That should easily me a hundred million, so I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about my finances anymore. And that means I get to splurge tonight!) High ss inns offered morefortable rooms and better food, but the biggest difference was in how staff treated guests. They would all be specialists of their craft, giving the best service possible in every aspect imaginable. But as far as that kind of hospitality went, Mira had already experienced the best anyone had to offer, an experience no inn could ever afford to replicate. That was spending a night in Arkite¡¯s royal pce. That was where the king lived, and Mira had not a singleint about her room, the treatment, or even the food, as it was the same food the king was given. The maids there were all cherry-picked from the best, and the one appointed exclusively to Mira, Lily, stood a head above the rest. But the circumstances were also a little different there, so it did not affect Mira¡¯s feelings for staying at the inn whatsoever. She wanted to know what the best adventurers of the world could get to experience. Then again, the treasure Mira had obtained was exceedingly valuable, so finding a buyer would take some effort as well, but Mira¡¯s over-optimistic ways would never change, and she just marched into the inn without a single concern. The front desk and lobby were just as gaudy as the facade. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the floor was covered in a soft and pristine carpet, while all the furniture looked masterfully crafted. Everything was the epitome of luxury, making it get burned in one¡¯s mind with ease at first sight. (Hmm, there¡¯s actually a lot of people here. But even those adventurers look like they¡¯re clearly on a different league.) While the building looked majestic and dignified, it was actually quite loud inside, with people talking to each other everywhere. That was the same in every inn. As she examined the other guests she saw there were not only adventurers, but also what looked like wealthy merchants, and a few tourists. This certainly looked like a good ce to spend the night with reassured security, as well as to build longsting memories. Seeing so many people made Mira worry that maybe there were no empty rooms left as she approached the front desk. The inn was sorge that it still had space however. The cheapest rooms, which cost 50,000 Rils a night, were all filled up. Some of the 70,000 Rils were still empty, and there were plenty of 100,000 and 150,000 Rils rooms left though. ¡¸I¡¯ll take a 150,000 Rils room then.¡¹ Mira instantly decided for the most expensive room, and proudly took the golden glimmery key given to her. It seemed that even the keys to the 150,000 Rils rooms were made of gold, and Mira walked away to therge staircase in the middle of the lobby, making the key twirl in her hand so that everyone could see it. But before long she overheard a certain name she knew, ¡¸Hey hey, did you hear? Apparently Fuzzy Dice showed up in Haxthausen!¡¹ ¡¸I heard, I heard! Apparently the Doles Company got a warning notice from him.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, the Doles Company! They got so big out of nowhere, though I¡¯ve heard some bad rumors about them.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, apparently they¡¯re being investigated for working together with those Chimera uzen guys. So far they haven¡¯t found any evidence though.¡¹ ¡¸I know. It¡¯ll be fine though! Fuzzy Dice will be there, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll find all the evidence, and the money they made from Chimera uzen!¡¹ A group of female adventurers were chatting merrily in the waiting area, all of them seemingly big fans of Fuzzy Dice. They were probably waiting for one of theirpanions to finish the initial paperwork to stay there.
Chapter 207: A Pleasant Night (1) Chapter 207: A Pleasant Night (1)
A group of female adventurers were talking about the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. Mira had heard that name before, back in Grimdart where she bought arge amount of collecting cards, and only got one triple rare one, Fuzzy Dice¡¯s. She had heard a lot about him from a woman called Theresa while riding the train back from Alispharius. The Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice was said to only target people who did evil deeds, or what some called a chivalrous thief. As Mira recalled that, the adventurers continued talking. Apparently five nights from that day, Fuzzy Dice would appear. The location would be the Doles Company¡¯s main building, which was located in a city called Haxthausen. His target would be all the riches they obtained through shady means. (Riches from shady means, huh. I wonder how Fuzzy Dice gets his hands on information to find things like that. Also, I think he¡¯s said to give it all to some orphanages?) After nonchntly listening in to that conversation in the lobby, Mira tried to recall what she had heard about the thief before. That reminded her of the orphanage she heard about in the train from Alispharius. That was something her next travelpanion mentioned, a troubadour named Emilio. He was traveling together with a blind woman named Rihanna. Since they had been to many ces, he also knew many stories. One was about an orphanage in a small vige with no name. The orphanage had been built around eight years before, to house the many war orphans left by the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries. One of the Nine Wisemen, Artesia, seemed to be connected to that orphanage as well. (I believe it¡¯s supposed to be somewhere in the mountains in Grimdart¡¯s northeast. Hmm¡­I could get there in a day or two with Garuda from here.) There was a mountain range in Grimdart¡¯s northeastern areas. ording to Emilio, the orphanage from the rumors was located somewhere in there. The exact location was still unknown to Mira, but then an idea popped in her head. (Orphanage¡­thief¡­thief¡­orphanage¡­ Hmm, maybe I can get it from him.) If Fuzzy Dice sponsored orphanages, maybe he would know the location of that mysterious orphanage as well. Trying to ask him some questions seemed like a good idea. As Mira thought of that, she finally reached her room, which cost 150,000 Rils a night. She indulged in its luxury as she evaluated her current situation. ¡¸Hmm, what should I do next?¡¹ There were two possibilities she could think of. One was to go back to Arkite and report to Solomon, as she had already amassed a decent amount of information she could ry to him. There was her encounter with Soul Howl, his promise to return as soon as he could, the weird humanoid that appeared after defeating Machina Guardian and its mysterious message, the chunks of an unknown metal, and most importantly, the strange diary page. She knew the intelligent people surrounding Solomon would be able to figure something out from all of that, so she considered going back to hand everything over, and then resume her travels. (Though hmm¡­the trip back from here would take four days. Then from Arkite to Grimdart¡¯s northeastern mountain range will be five days, making it nine in total¡­) The 150,000 Rils room¡¯s furnishings matched its price. A bottle of fruit cider had been left there as a courtesy drink, from which she took sips as she looked out of therge window and stared at the sky. There were many clouds that night, the contours of which were illuminated by the moonlight. ¡¸Seven days¡­that¡¯s a whole week of difference¡­¡¹ Her second option was to head straight for the mountain range. Garuda should be able to carry her there in a day or two. That seemed like a more sensible option rather than going to report to Solomon and arriving at Grimdart in nine days. As she mulled over that, a genius idea popped into her mind. ¡¸Wait no¡­I can report most of it to him from here¡­¡¹ There was a simple solution, themunication device ced in her wagon. All the metal she had gathered could not be passed over that way, but she could report everything else orally. With that, she had a third option. She could give the update remotely, then head straight for the mountain range. There was only one issue with that. (Hmmmm¡­I really should¡¯ve asked how to make a call for a situation like this¡­ Hopefully it¡¯ll just magically connect like the time with Kagura though.) Mira knew very little of how to properly operate that device. Though the time when she tried making a call from the Fifty Bells¡¯ branch in Sentopolly it just connected by lifting the receiver. But that device and the one built into the wagon looked rather different. The wagon¡¯s had a lot more dials and switches, so it was hard to believe it would make the call automatically just by lifting the receiver. As Mira wondered what to do about it, someone knocked on her door. (Well, I¡¯ll just try pushing random buttons tomorrow!) Since she did not know how to use it, she could just try random things. She had just found a way to avoid a nine day trip, so she would do anything to see it through. Either way, she could worry about that the next day, so instead she got up and opened the door. Soon enough a luscious feast was served elegantly on her table, which she watched nearly drooling at it. ¡¸Please ring the bell once you¡¯re done eating. We¡¯lle pick up the tes.¡¹ Saying that, the servants who brought the food left her room. Mira decided to put her duties aside as she began wolfing down the food in front of her. The feast made the room¡¯s price tag justice, being just as delectable as the food she had eaten in Solomon¡¯s pce. There were thick slices of roasted steak, an exquisite sauce with the fragrance of ck pepper, a fresh and colorful sd, and a rich potage. A side serving of fragrant garlic rice also heightened her appetite. ¡¸Meat is really the best!¡¹ The slices of roasted steak were at least two centimeters thick, and they were the item Mira reached out for first, the beef juices soon filling her cheeks. The steak slices were still slightly pink in the middle, and were incredibly soft despite their thickness, almost melting in her mouth. No regr steak was like that, so even someone ignorant about cooking methods like Mira knew that a lot of work and expertise had gone into preparing it. (The dinner I had the other day was amazing, but it was nothingpared to this!) She was thinking back to the dinner Martel had prepared for her, which was made of fresh vegetables and fruits. Martel specifically crafted it for Mira, pulling no stops to make it, and there was no sd in the world that could everpare to that. In a way, Mira would never be able to enjoy a sd nearly as much again after that experience. But sds were not Mira¡¯s preference, she liked meat. That was outside Martel¡¯s expertise, and the ways to cook it had been perfected by humans. ¡¸Food really is the best thing in the world.¡¹
Chapter 207: A Pleasant Night (2) Chapter 207: A Pleasant Night (2)
While Martel still had the upper hand with sds, the garlic rice and potage had an exquisite taste that could not be matched by merelybining raw ingredients, and more importantly, their warmth had a strangelyforting quality to it. Martel could create fruits and vegetables that surpassed those of the highest quality. Only cooked food held a chance ofpeting against that. Those were the thoughts circling around Mira¡¯s mind as she ate, while also dreaming of the day she could let Martel taste some delicious food that would leave her speechless. Once she was done eating dinner, and the tableware was carried away, Mira headed to the bathroom. A night in that room cost 150,000 Rils, so having a private bathroom was essentially obligatory. ¡¸This is quite the view as well.¡¹ After getting undressed in the changing room, Mira entered the bathroom and looked out through therge window on the other side of the room, sounding quite impressed by it. The window offered a vast view into the streets of Gran Rings. Mira quickly jumped into the bathtub to submerge herself, then stretched her body while letting out a satisfied groan and looked at the city. ¡¸It looks really lively out there, though it¡¯s pretty quiet around here.¡¹ Far on the other side of the district, around the area where the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was located, there were many buildings open and bustling. There was likely arge amount of adventurers still moving around there. Meanwhile in the lodging district, especially the area with the most expensive locations, it was much quieter and calmer. There were fewer people walking on the streets down below too, and most of the light came from streetmps ced on regr intervals. ¡¸Ah, those must be the guards on patrol. They¡¯re such hard workers.¡¹ Two knights in matching armor walked by the inn. They were the city guards that could sometimes be seen on the streets. The fact that they were two patrolling together also gave an increased sense of security, which Mira appreciated. But then she noticed the two knights stopped walking, looking at something. Soon after both were squatted down. Mira looked more attentively, extremely curious at what they were doing, though it was nothing of importance. It was just a stray cat, which the two knights were trying to lure closer. Eventually the stray cat got closer so the two picked it up and began ying with it, and they even had some cat food for it. The cat also seemed rather used to people, not making any efforts to get away even while they carried it. It almost felt like the knights were there specifically to feed that cat. ¡¸They¡¯repletely open to attacks now¡­¡¹ Seeing that worried Mira slightly, as it was the perfect chance for a criminal to act unseen. Not to mention that aplished merchants and wealthy tourists stayed in that district. But the knights guarding the streets werepletely entranced by a stray cat, creating the perfect hunting grounds for someone with high ambitions and low morals. And then it dawned on her. (Now that I think about it, there¡¯s also high level adventurers staying here. Anyone who tries anything shady around here would likely get caught instantly.) That was also part of the demographic staying in that district, adventurers of such caliber that not even the guards could stand against, and who would dly im bounties from criminals. Whoever tried to break thew there would need to face such powerful people, making it an extremely unfair endeavor. If anything, the guards were there to break up scuffles between adventurers. (Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re acting so carelessly.) Mira looked at the guards again and saw that one figure and two kittens had joined them. The figure looked like a woman, likely an adventurer staying in one of the nearby inns. Mira could obviously not hear anything from that distance, but it seemed like they were talking about the stray cats. Considering the kittens were still small, they were likely the first stray¡¯s offspring. Then the adventurer took out various items from her Item Box and gave them to the cats. It was a peaceful and quiet night in the streets around the inn. Mira continued watching the cityscape through the window, her body soaking in the bath while being illuminated by the soft light of the bathroom. ¡¸So peaceful¡­¡¹ she muttered, then turned to look around the bathroom again. ¡¸Hm¡­what¡¯s that?¡¹ The bathroom was outfitted with every luxury possible, but a certain ss wall caught her attention. Behind the ss there was a device with a strange horn on top. Wondering what that was, Mira got out of the bathtub and walked closer to the ss wall. Upon closer inspection, she understood what it was. ¡¸I think this thing¡¯s called uh¡­ gramophone.¡¹ It was essentially a record yer, and a rather fancy one at that. It was bulky, with many switches on it, which operated a mechanism to automatically exchange records. (I see¡­they even managed to replicate vinyl records.) As she looked at the device, Mira realized she had never really looked into this world¡¯s music. All she could remember was Leticia¡¯s songs, and the troubadour Emilio who she was thinking about not too long ago. She had also caught bits of songs during her stays at inns before, but she never paid attention and hardly remembered what they sounded like. (I¡¯m sure Emilio¡¯s songs will also be put on records like this one day.) His singing ability was impressive, and if someone involved with the creation of such records heard him, he would likely be recruited straight away. Thinking of that, Mira continued looking at the device, and noticed a piece of paper listing all the avable songs. ¡¸A personal jukebox for a bathroom though, that¡¯s quite the luxury.¡¹ The ss wall likely existed to block steam and moisture from reaching the record yer, extending its lifespan. But that would also make operating the device tricky, so there were switches extending across the ss, covered in a soft vinyl-like material to keep them dry. That way whoever was taking a bath could freely choose songs to listen to. All of that made Mira feel like the price of 150,000 Rils for a night was justified. ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­what songs do they have here.¡¹ Wanting to thoroughly enjoy her stay there, Mira quickly read the list of songs. There were around fifty songs listed there. The criteria by which those specifically had been chosen was a mystery, but some of their names were things like Under the Light of Dawn, Lorric Hymn, Dandelion Bouquet, A Bunny Lured by the Moon, Magical¡îHappy Smile for You, Till how I might I only get Potatoes, Will you put that Scallion in the Pot?, and many more. Some sounded more serious, others more idol-y, and some felt like inside jokes. It was quite an adventurous lineup for a fancy inn. ¡¸¡­I¡¯ll avoid these, but the rest might warrant a try.¡¹ Eventually Mira was done picking a song, so she quickly operated the switches. Then there was a soft electrical hum as the device turned on, a mechanical arm grabbed a record from the lineup, and ced it on the turntable. The record began to spin, then a needle was gently lowered on it. When the needle made contact, a slightly retro or old-fashioned sound filled the bathroom. ¡¸Ohh, not a bad choice.¡¹ She had picked a song that sounded somewhat ssical. The pleasant melody was perfect for her to return into the bathtub. Feeling an even higher sense of luxury, Mira submerged herself in the hot water while happily muttering ¡¸This is heaven¡­¡¹
Chapter 208: Fame (1) Chapter 208: Fame (1)
After a night at the luxurious inn, Mira woke up and after a short struggle to get out of bed, she went to the toilet, and then took a morning bath to fully shake off her drowsiness. Now she was having breakfast. ¡¸Meat is really the best, nothing beats meat.¡¹ Her breakfast consisted of consomme soup, fruit juice, and some sandwiches as the main dish. There was roasted beef, cheese, tomato, and lettuce in them, bathed in a basil sauce, making for a hefty breakfast. It was all ording to Mira¡¯s order when she booked the room. Considering a night cost 150,000 Rils in that room, being able to ce requests to the head chef for breakfast was expected. After dinner the night before, Mira had used that to request the same roasted beef she had just eaten. As a result, it was incorporated into the sandwiches she got. ¡¸I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever tasted such a delectable sandwich before.¡¹ Mira devoured the first one in an instant, and muttered happily as she reached for the second one. The sandwiches were not just held between pieces of bread, but the cheese, tomato, and lettuce was also held between the beef. It was clear that no expense was spared with using as much of that exquisite meat as was possible. She still had two sandwiches left, which had beef and lettuce like the first one, but the rest of the ingredients were different. The cheese was switched for cream cheese, one had eggs, or sauteed mushrooms, overall giving each a distinct vor, which was an excellent way for Mira¡¯s day to start. Eventually she was done eating breakfast, so she headed to the front desk to check out, then climbed onto Pegasus and flew to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. That part of the city was filled with adventurers, even in the early morning. The building was crowded, each adventurer seemingly having something different to do there. But Mira did not have any business like that there. She nced at the bustling adventurers while she navigated through the crowd, going to the Recycling Box ced in a corner of the building. ¡¸This is always important.¡¹ Mira spoke to herself with unconcerned virtue, cing the Ancient Underground City permits she had used into the Recycling Box. That prompted the image of a young girl to appear and say ¡®Thanks for your support.¡¯ No matter how many times Mira watched that, it still felt like alien technology. It was unusual to hear the Recycling Box¡¯s voice so early in the morning, so a number of adventurers turned to look at her and then began murmuring. They were discussing if Mira could be the Spirit Queen, prompting even more people to look at her. At first, the story was that the Spirit Queen was a gorgeousdy, but then the truth came out that she was actually a really cute girl. That fact quickly spread while Mira was inside the Ancient Underground City. Now, a lot of people recognized her, saying things like ¡¸There she is!¡¹, ¡¸So that¡¯s the Spirit Queen,¡¹ or ¡¸She looks so sweet.¡¹ (Heh, now I¡¯m a famous adventurer like Sero too!) Feeling all those adoring stares fueled Mira¡¯s vanity, so she turned around imposingly as if dering that yes, she was in fact the Spirit Queen. All that aplished was to draw even more attention to herself though. Many adventurers approached her and inundated her with questions, asking about her past adventures, how she got to meet the Spirit King, what she thought of Jack Grave, who fought alongside her, if she had really declined an invitation from Eleonora, if she had heard of the card game Legend of Astelia, that a fan with the initials M.T. had left a gift for her but they did not know which Union branch to send it to, or what color her panties were. ¡¸¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I have urgent business to attend!¡¹ She quickly was overwhelmed by all the questions, so she used Sky Stride to leap above the crowd of people and escape. But there was one question she could not let go of, so she replied, ¡¸Send it to the Union in Lunatic Lake.¡¹ ¡¸Got it!¡¹ One of the workers¡¯ voices was heard, while the other adventurers began toment her departure. Some also began to praise Mira¡¯s form as she jumped through the air, and there was one who grinned happily after obtaining the best reply he could get, muttering ¡¸Light blue, huh,¡¹ while looking up. ¡¸Whew, barely a week has passed since then, but things have already changed a lot.¡¹ Either the proper information had finally reached all the way here from Sentopolly, or what she said the day she arrived here had worked, or maybe both. Regardless, the public¡¯s image of the Spirit Queen being a peerless beauty of perfect proportions had vanished, and now they properly expected her to be Mira. ¡¸That¡¯s still rather cumbersome though, all things considered.¡¹ Being famous also made regr life a bit trickier. But at the same time, being showered in praise and attention had felt gratifying, and filled Mira with a sense of superiority. That one sentence also kept repeating in her mind. (I even have proper fans now, I¡¯ve really made it in life!) Mira walked away proudly, singing her own praises in her mind. Feeling like she was gaining recognition again, Mira also felt like the day summoners would resurrect was also drawing near, which brought a smile to her lips. Dreaming about that, she headed to the parking lot next to the building. The parking lot housed both horse-drawn wagons and more specialized ones. The horses were kept in a stable separate from the parking lot though, and they were less numerous than the wagons. Essentially that highlighted just how many spellcasters opted to use necromancy to create towing golems to travel. Wagons were an importantmodity for adventurers, as well as a bit of a status symbol. On top of being expensive, they also carried an inherent maintenance cost, so they were not something a run-of-the-mill adventurer could own. Usually adventurers who usually traveled as a group would designate them as their first major investment though. Overall, wagons did not only exist as a convenience, but also as a way to show one¡¯s wealth and steady ie. There was arge number of such wagons gathered in this parking lot now. In other words, there were at least that many adventurers with the means to own a wagon visiting the city. (All the wagons looked same-y before, but here they¡¯re far more varied and customized.) After presenting her slip with her registration number, a worker of the lot guided her to her wagon. Along the way, she continuously examined the wagons they passed by. Mira¡¯s wagon was kept in the roofed area which was exclusive to high level adventurers, but to get there they had to go across the moremon roof-less area. There most of the wagons looked like regr horse-drawn carriages, which Mira felt was typical for fantasy adventurers. But when they reached the roofed area, each wagon seemed to be unique. Each seemed customized to their owner¡¯s needs, some more focused on living space, a reinforced exterior, or better maneuverability in rough terrain. They were all custom-built, enhancing the sense of luxury each carried. But even then Mira¡¯s wagon, equipped with a top harness to be carried around the air, stood out from amongst all of them. That had caught the attention of other adventurers staying at the parking lot too, who wanted to see the owner of such a peculiar wagon. (Alright, I¡¯ll have to check if themunications device works first¡­) After thanking the worker who guided her there, Mira quickly climbed inside her wagon to escape the eyes of adventurers. As soon as she closed the door behind her, she began checking out the device. The ck box housing the device was inside the closet, and it seemed to be fixed in ce since she could not pull it out. So she had to hunch over and slip her upper body inside the closet to examine it from closer, while relying on the light from Concept Arts. That position left her underwearpletely exposed to anyone who tried looking through the window, but Mira obviously did not care about that whatsoever. She took the ck lid off and threw it away carelessly, leaving the ck device exposed underneath. The receiver was there too, so hoping things would be as convenient as with Kagura, she held it up to her ear. ¡¸Heyyy, Solo-¡¹ Before she could finish saying Solomon, Mira realized something and quickly hung up. If the call did reach Solomon, she would have to report state secrets.
Chapter 208: Fame (2) Chapter 208: Fame (2)
She was still in a parking lot with many adventurers nearby, many of which could be listening in. If she gave her full report there, anyone would be able to hear as well, leading to all sorts of spection about her search for the Nine Wisemen. Currently there was an armistice treaty in ce, which prohibited any form of war preparations. While searching for lost countrymen would not be an issue, the Nine Wisemen could be seen as powerful assets for war, making it a different situation. Gathering the Nine Wisemen was essentially the same as equipping the best spear and shield in preparation for the moment when the treaty expired, making it a touchy subject to discuss. Even Mira¡¯s mission to search for the Nine Wisemen could be seen as preparations for war, and the other countries would hold them at me for it. At least they could still use the excuse that they were searching for their countrymen, so they had a way to argue against such usations. But many other people would still be displeased with knowing the Nine Wisemen were gathering again, and would hamper Mira¡¯s investigation. Overall it could cause a lot of trouble for Mira, so she began to think of a way to avoid being overheard. A Rosario Summoning Circle appeared inside the wagon, and Mira chanted with as low a voice as she could, and the moment the summon appeared, her voice seemed to vanish entirely. ¡¸This is quite a cramped spacepared to yesterday.¡¹ The summon that appeared with seemingly no sound or presence was the Spirit of Stillness Worthramble. He had been summoned for two days in a row following the fight with Machina Guardian, and after looking around the wagon for a bit, he smiled happily and said, ¡¸Ahh, this is the ce where we first met, isn¡¯t it?¡¹ ¡¸I was asleep that time though.¡¹ Meanwhile Mira grimaced slightly. That time she had been sleeping in the wagon, when Worthramble and other spirits snuck inside and smuggled her away. She only woke up when she was inside ake. ¡¸Oh right, that did happen.¡¹ It was hard to say they really ¡®met¡¯ before Mira was awake, so it was more correct to say they met each other in theke shrouded by shadows, which was a slightly creepy situation. But Worthramble seemed to think fondly of that memory. ¡¸So what do you need me for today?¡¹ Worthramble looked outside through the window and asked that, it was clear she was not in the middle of a fight this time. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m about to discuss some top secret matters, so I¡¯d like you to prevent anyone from listening in.¡¹ ¡¸I see. That¡¯s a really simple request.¡¹ Worthramble happily obliged and activated his powers, and while there was no visible change, the effect was immediate. ¡¸I knew you could do it!¡¹ His power of stillness isted the sound within the wagon from the outside. That also blocked other noises froming in, shutting off all the city bustle and making the wagon¡¯s interior so quiet that they could almost hear each other¡¯s breathing. ¡¸Now I just have to make sure this connects¡­¡¹ She could talk about anything without worry now, so all that was left was to get in touch with Solomon. Mira stuck her upper body into the closet again and reached for the receiver, then hoping that the call was already made, she began saying ¡¸Heyy, Solomon! Can you hear meee?¡¹ She waited five seconds, hung up, tried again, waited five seconds, and so on. But in the end the call never went through, and she got no response. ¡¸Hmmm¡­ Maybe I do need to do something more¡­¡¹ Mira hung up onest time, then began examining the various buttons and levers on the device, groaning in confusion. ¡¸Mira? What¡¯s that?¡¹ After watching Mira seemingly talk nonsensically into a closet with a ck box, Worthramble got curious and moved closer to look at the device as well, where he asked Mira what it was. ¡¸This is amunications device that was built with Magic Engineering. It¡¯s an excellent apparatus that allows one to talk with people far away.¡¹ Mira spoke with an air of confidence, even though her hands were just randomly pressing buttons while hoping for a positive oue. Such devices were still on the pricey side, and were heavily regted, so they were not used by the publicmonly. Only a handful of wagons had them too, usually being ones used by the army or high ranking nobles. That was another reason why Mira¡¯s wagon was so special. Mira obviously let that fact get to her head when Solomon exined it to her, but Worthramble¡¯s reaction was rather tepid, as he was not very interested in vanity. ¡¸I see. So this is what humans use to talk with each other when they¡¯re far away.¡¹ He was more impressed by its actual functions, and he moved a little to get a better look at the device. Spirits actually had a way tomunicate over long distances as well, and was rathermon for wind spirits, who used something called Wind Missives. They would use the wind to carry messages to other wind spirits acrossrge distances. ¡¸Though it only works if I know how to use it¡­¡¹ A device to talk with people far away was a useful tool, but just like any other tool, in the wrong hands it was nothing more than a paperweight. Mira lifted the receiver one more time and held it to her ear, but the result was still the same. ¡¸Ah, talking of sending messages across distances, I was entrusted with one as well, maybe I can pass it on before I forget?¡¹ Worthramble seemed to remember something and asked for a moment after a bit of hesitation, seeing how busy Mira seemed to be. ¡¸A message?¡¹ Mira wondered who could have sent her a message. Unable to think of anyone who could be the sender, she turned around and with a slightly surprised face asked, ¡¸From who?¡¹ ¡¸Well, it¡¯s actually from Anlutine. She asked me to tell you she really wants to form a summoning contract with you, but yesterday you seemed busy with other things so I didn¡¯t mention it. When I got back she looked really let down that I hadn¡¯t said anything though.¡¹ Worthramble looked a bit awkward as he rted his experience. It seemed like the main reason for her desire was the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. Its power allowed all of the spirits Mira had as summons to connect with each other, letting themmunicate even if they were far away. Not to mention that it would also let them talk to their beloved Spirit King. That alone would be a great honor for any spirit, but then recently Mira had also formed a contract with the Originator Spirit of Nature Martel, who also stood as a prominent figure alongside the Spirit King. Not to mention that no one had heard from her in ages. The possibility of talking to her again was a major event for all spirits. From what Worthramble said, it seemed like forming a contract with Mira had be extremely desirable amongst spirits. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s all happening¡­¡¹ While the Spirit King¡¯s importance wasmon knowledge, Mira¡¯s recent casual interactions with him had dulled her perception a bit. But now she was reminded of it, as well as Martel¡¯s influence. ¡¸I guess it was bound to happen eventually, all things considered. The Spirit King and Originator Spirits are something like paternal figures for us spirits. Even if they aren¡¯t by our side, hearing their voices brings us immense reassurance.¡¹ By forming a contract with Mira, spirits would be able to hear the Spirit King and Martel¡¯s voice whenever they wanted. They would be able to feel them nearby, even if they were far away in reality. Worthramble tried to emphasize just how much of a blessing that was for spirits. Worthramble was living together with Sanctia and Anlutine, but out of them only Anlutine was unable to hear the Spirit King and Martel. That had put her mood in a bit of a downturn, until she requested Worthramble pass on the message when possible.
Chapter 209: Blindspot (1) Chapter 209: Blindspot (1)
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¡¸Ohh..! I see¡­¡¹ Anlutine was a water spirit who lived together with Worthramble and Sanctia. Now she also wanted to form a contract with Mira. Hearing that made Mira feel surprised, d, but also a bit worried. Back then she did not have the Spirit God¡¯s Divine Protection, and since she already had formed a contract with a water spirit, she did not have the option of forming one with Anlutine. At the time there was no issue with that though. But now that she had gained the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, which tied all the spirits together, things were a bit different. Now Worthramble and Sanctia could talk freely to the Spirit King and Martel, but Anlutine who lived with them was always left out of the loop, which understandably would make her feel bad. ¡¸I really wish I could form a contract with her as well¡­¡¹ Mira would dly respond to Anlutine¡¯s request if she could. But there was something stopping her. ¡¸Summoner contracts are actually limited to only one per race or elemental spirit. So if I were to form a contract with her, my current one would be canceled. And I¡¯ve raised Undine since she was born, so she¡¯s like a daughter to me¡­¡¹ Mira could understand the pain Anlutine felt being left outside the loop, but the thought of being separated from Undine, who she raised so dearly, was also not one easy to bear. ¡¸I see, so there are limitations like that¡­ I guess that exins why you mentioned you already had a water spirit back then.¡¹ Breaking a bond like that was not easy, and not something Worthramble wanted someone else to do. But he also looked pained at Anlutine¡¯s situation, almost as if he was the one being affected. Even if Mira stood at the top of all summoners, she still had to follow their rules. Or at least until now. ¡ºYou shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. That limitation existed because the bond formed through a contract would be overwritten, but I can rearrange them.¡» Almost like he had been waiting for that exact moment, the Spirit King¡¯s voice echoed in Mira¡¯s mind. Worthramble also was able to hear it, which quickly cheered him up. ¡¸What? That¡¯s possible?!¡¹ Now she could have simultaneous contracts with spirits of the same type. While spirits were ssified into different types, their abilities could differ even if they had the same element. During the game, the go-to choice for the main four elements were Smander, Undine, Sylphid, and Gnome, as they could be raised however the summoner wanted, and eventually became the strongest. As Mira loved to battle, she obviously chose those four as well. Forming contracts with other spirits had certain advantages though, one being the ability of using them inbat right away without having to raise them, or the other and most important one, special abilities that could not be obtained by the raised ones. Mira had debated about that for a while back then as well. But what settled her decision was that those special abilities were extremely abundant, and trying to research the ideal one would take a ridiculous amount of time, not to mention that most of them were not meant to be used inbat. Now that this world had be reality, the way Mira looked at spirits had changed greatly, but during the game she had only cared about being powerful. That was why she chose to raise her spirits so they fit the mold she wanted, instead of picking grown ones that already had established abilities. Currently her four elemental spirits had grown enough that they wereparable to high level spirits. Now the Spirit King would let her form contracts with all those spirits she had once given up on. That was good news not only for Anlutine, but also for Mira. ¡ºDuring our time together I¡¯ve gained a good understanding of what a summoner¡¯s contract is like. Just form any contract you want as normal, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡» It seemed like bying in contact with Mira and the spirits she had formed contracts with, the Spirit King had also learned more about summoners. He sounded confident with his ability to make it happen, though he made sure to stress that it would only apply to spirits, as meddling with the bonds with other creatures was harder. So she could not form contracts with other Pegasus to create an army of riders in the sky, or form a contract with the Land Emperor Dragon to pair it with the Sky Emperor Dragon Isenfald to attack both onnd and air. Still, being able to have repeat summons with spirits was more than enough. ¡¸That sounds good to me, I¡¯ll form as many contracts as I want then.¡¹ There was no reason to refuse such a benefit, not to mention that it was something the spirits themselves desired. Worthramble also said thanks, looking extremely relieved like a heavy weight had been taken off his shoulders. ¡¸If I remember correctly, thatke was located between the Libra Fortress and the Mirage Maze¡­¡¹ To form the contract she would still have to travel to wherever Anlutine was. Mira opened her map and tried to remember where they had met. She had only stopped there for the night, so she did not know the precise location. The Libra Fortress was located in Ozstein, while the Mirage Maze was in Grimdart. She had met Worthramble and the rest at ake between those two locations. That line passed a day¡¯s worth of travel to the south of her current location, so depending on the exact location it would not take too long to get there. ¡¸I think it was around here¡­¡¹ Mira frowned at the map, trying to determine whichke it was. ¡ºMira Mira, Tinney says she¡¯lle here instead. She doesn¡¯t want to cause you more trouble.¡» Then Martel¡¯s energetic voice rang in Mira¡¯s head. It seemed like Sanctia had been updating Anlutine on what was happening. As a result, Anlutine had already departed theke, traveling through underground water veins to get there faster. This was something very important for her, so she did not dy a second. ¡ºI wouldn¡¯t say it was any trouble, but I¡¯ll wait for her then. Actually, do you know how many days it¡¯ll take her?¡» Mira wanted to know how many days Anlutine would take to arrive from theke, but Martel answered that they would not have to wait very long. ¡ºYou know, spirits are very sensitive to bonds and connections. Even if you didn¡¯t form a contract, you two already have a connection, and spirits can follow such connections with ease. Tinney said to just continue with your business as usual, and to not worry about waiting.¡» It seemed like Anlutine had a good grasp of Mira¡¯s location. Being able to trace faint connections like that was an incredible power, which surprised Mira as she was hearing about that for the first time. But she also recalled times in the game where the topic of spirit stalkers would pop up between yers. That was something yers who were friendly to spirits would often experience. Sometimes they would be fighting a powerful monster, their sword would break, and just when they were giving up, a spirit they were friendly to would appear out of nowhere to save them. Thanks to that they would win the fight and safely obtain the loot they wanted. At first they would attribute it to luck, and the good timing of the spirit being nearby at the right moment. But it would keep happening time and time again, even if only on the main map. Any time they were in danger, a spirit they knew would rush in to save them.
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Chapter 209: Blindspot (2) Chapter 209: Blindspot (2)
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Most yers appreciated that, and assumed it was a feature of the game for those who were friendly towards spirits. It was reassuring to know spirits coulde help them if they were in trouble. But the strange thing was that they would do that anywhere in the overworld, leading to some jokingly suggest that spirits were always stalking yers. That was how spirits sometimes were referred to as stalkers. Now Mira had learned that spirits did have a way to aplish that. That also made her wonder what those people who used to be friendly to spirits were doing now, since this world had be reality. But soon she decided it was best to not think too deeply about that. Thanks to the Spirit King, Mira was no longer restricted to one contract per spirit type. Coupled with her connection to the Spirit King, chances were that Anlutine would open the floodgates for more spirits to rush to Mira, desiring contracts with her.1 Realizing that from what Worthramble had told her, Mira was ready to generously ept any and all spirits that came seeking her. Part of that was also her interest at gaining more abilities from those spirits though. ¡¸Anyway, getting back on topic, what shall I do about this¡­¡¹ Since Anlutine could track Mira¡¯s position, she did not need to stay in Gran Rings waiting for her, giving her the freedom to move to her next destination. But there was one thing blocking her way, themunications device. ¡¸It would be perfect if I got a call from him right now though¡­¡¹ Mira muttered while staring at the device. After the fight with Chimera uzen and on her way back from Sentopolly, Solomon had called her. Now she was hoping that would happen again, but reality was not so convenient. (If spirits are connected, I¡¯ll believe we also have a strong connection!) Mira thought of her close friend Solomon, and began to try telling him telepathically to call her, to get in contact. Fate and bonds had a strong power in this fantasy world, so that had to work. Mira began moving her body strangely as she focused her thoughts, trying to get Solomon to pick up on them. Meanwhile Worthramble just stood a distance away,pletely lost for words at the bizarre dance, and did not make a single noise, which aligned with him being a spirit of stillness. Five minutes passed, but the device remainedpletely silent. Solomon had been unable to pick up on Mira¡¯s signals. (Well, I guess it was worth a try at least.) That was one of Mira¡¯s bad habits. She always wanted to try any idea, no matter how ridiculous it was. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s get into it then.¡¹ Acting like nothing happened, Mira looked at the device again, this time actually trying. She picked up the receiver, then dialed numbers. ording to what Solomon had told her, such devices were always paired during construction, so that they could only call numbers that were mutually registered. So even if she dialed a valid number that was not Solomon¡¯s, the call would only connect if it was someone registered to receive calls from her as well. That registration process was also quiteplex, so it was only done for necessary numbers. Knowing there would be no catastrophic results, Mira continued dialing numbers. ¡¸1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7¡­hmm, still nothing.¡¹ Mira had decided to call numbers in ascending order. She did not know how many numbers were registered with the wagon¡¯s device, but considering her position, it was easy to assume they were all rted to Arkite. Then considering Solomon had called her once, she knew she could call him too. So once she found a valid number to call, the chances of it being Solomon¡¯s were high, and even if it was someone else, they would likely be able to pass on the call to Solomon, or give Mira his number. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe he did this. He should¡¯ve told me how to use it from the start.¡¹ After testing twenty numbers, she began to grumble. Unlike the world she used to live in, where nearly everyone had a personal phone,munication devices were still rare here, so the numbers should not be tooplex. At least that was her initial theory, but now a different unnerving thought was taking root in her mind. Suchmunication devices were often used for military purposes. Maybe contrary to Mira¡¯s initial thought, the numbers were actually extremelyplex, making it impossible to identally get it right. ¡¸21, 22, 23¡­¡¹ She eventually resumed her guesses, but she also began to consider leaving the report forter and just going in search of the orphanage now. Once she was done there, she could return and report everything at once. ¡¸By the way, what is it you¡¯ve been doing there for a while? Some sort of ritual?¡¹ Having watched Mira robotically press buttons in order for so long, Worthramble was starting to get curious. In a way, Mira¡¯s constant pressing of the buttons did look like a strange ritual with a foreign device. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing like that. These devices have a certain number, which you have to enter to establish a call with someone.¡¹ Worthramble did not know how themunication devices worked, so Mira tried to exin as easily as she could. Inputting the right number would establish a connection, and then the other party would need to pick up for the call to start. ¡¸The thing is, I don¡¯t know what number I should call¡­¡¹ Mira exined with a sour look, her fingers still trying out more numbers. Worthramble seemed to understand how it worked, so he muttered, ¡¸So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been pressing those numbers all this time,¡¹ and started to look around for a bit. ¡¸By the way, Mira, the lid you took out earlier and ced on that corner has a number written on it, would that help you in any way?¡¹ He made yet another question, his eyes looking at the ck box¡¯s lid that Mira had thrown away carelessly. ¡¸What¡­did you say?¡¹ Hearing that, Mira¡¯s face froze in shock and slowly turned around to the corner Worthramble was pointing at. The lid she had discarded without a second thought was there, and Mira¡¯s arms trembled as she reached for it and looked at the underside. A piece of paper was affixed there, with ¡ºEmployer: 0172¡» written on it. The Employer part likely referred to Solomon, who had employed Mira to search for the missing Wisemen. The numbers were undoubtedly his phone number, considering the location where the piece of paper had been left. ¡¸Ohhh, that¡¯s it! This must be the number! Why would anyone put it in such a hidden ce? I would¡¯ve never found it there, good job searching for it!¡¹ Anyone would have thought that was an easy ce to find the number, but Mira did not seem to think that as she stuck her upper body into the closet and continued to grumble about Solomon¡¯s choice, while still rejoicing about the find. Worthramble just looked at her and said ¡¸I¡¯m d I could be of service¡¹ with a smile.
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  1. Silva: ok but wait, she can summon lots of Dark Knight and White Knight though, aren¡¯t they the same type? What¡¯s the logic with that? Is it because they are inanimate spirits?
Chapter 210: Remote Report (1) Chapter 210: Remote Report (1)
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Mira quickly took hold of the receiver and punched in the number she had just found. For the first time since she started trying, the device began to make a beeping sound. The number was actually valid, and that sound was the waiting sound until someone picked up on the other end. It was a strange device, looking like andline phone, but beingpletely wireless. ¡ºThis is Solomon speaking.¡» After a few seconds, she heard the voice she had been waiting for so long. The volume was quite loud, so Worthramble also heard it with shock, and then looked at the device with more interest. ¡¸Ohh, it worked! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!¡¹ After those few seconds of suspense, the call had connected and Mira rejoiced, speaking into the device. ¡ºAhh, I see. It¡¯s rare for you to call, did something happen?¡» The moment Solomon realized it was Mira on the other side, the tone of his voice became much more rxed, sounding much closer to how Mira remembered it too. That brought some relief to her, and she exined her current situation. ¡¸I guess you could say that, or more like I just wanted to report some of my findings. First off¡­¡¹ Mira began with Soul Howl¡¯s situation, which was the main objective of her current outing. She mentioned how she sessfully found him inside the Ancient Underground City, how he was unable to use high level spells, and then how the Spirit King solved that issue. ¡ºI see, so he got his power back¡­ I guess that means he¡¯s be incredibly powerful then.¡» Solomon¡¯s voice was brimming with expectations. Solomon had calcted Soul Howl¡¯s current location by using his power from back in the day as reference, including his higher level spells. He had not even imagined that he was stuck with his basic spells, but the fact that the calctions were correct meant that Soul Howl¡¯s basic spells now were as powerful as all the spells he had avable back in the game. ¡¸I guess so. I guess that¡¯s also how we managed to defeat Machina Guardian just the two of us.¡¹ Mira agreed with Solomon¡¯s assessment, having seen Soul Howl in action herself. Then she rted their fight against Machina Guardian. That enemy was considered a raid boss, which the pair had managed to defeat thanks to all the units they could summon or create. Soul Howl¡¯s wall had also be sturdy like an imprable steel fortress, while Miramanded over an army equipped with holy swords. Their new power was a sight to behold, though Machina Guardian had also changed. Mira took some time to narrate the entire fight, sounding quite proud of their achievement. ¡¸Then when we defeated it a mechanical humanoid came out from inside.¡¹ Mira mentioned the humanoid and the message it left, as well as the metal te. She had carefully written down the message, so she could repeat it verbatim. ¡ºWhen the dark moon rises, darkness will descend. Heroes who overcame our strongest Guardian, we deem you worthy of inheriting our power. Take this and prepare to fend off the inevitable intruders. That was it, right? It¡¯s quite a puzzling message, and you say you also obtained a metal te with a strange inscription?¡» Solomon slowly repeated the message back, likely because he was also writing it down. ¡¸Yes. That never happened before, no? I also obtained a strange work diary of sorts, though it¡¯s missing a lot of pieces. It makes even less sense than the message, but it¡¯s also quite mysterious.¡¹ Saying that, she asked ¡¸Are you ready to write it down?¡¹ before reading out loud the legible parts of the piece of paper. That diary hade out from Machina Guardian¡¯s body. It was tattered and burnt, so only one page remained, but the legible parts clearly mentioned some Japanese branch, making it a really intriguing piece of information. ¡¸And that¡¯s what I could make out. I tried talking with Soul Howl and he agrees that it might be linked to this world¡¯s secret, but what do you think?¡¹ When Mira was done, she asked that question to Solomon. After a short pause, he replied ¡ºIt¡¯s very likely,¡» agreeing with Mira and Soul Howl. ¡ºThat page is enough to theorize that Japan was somehow involved in creating the Ancient Underground City, and as you know, that ce¡¯s history is far older than our time in this world. That diary indicates that Japan already had an influence here, all the way back in that past, and we should keep that fact in mind.¡» After that Solomon began to ponder if the person who wrote the diary was the same person who left the message and metal te, or someone else. As well as how that would rte to inheriting their power, or if that waspletely unrted to the diary. ¡¸By the way, Solomon. Do I have to hurry and bring this stuff back?¡¹ While Solomon mumbled about all sorts of things, Mira interjected with that question. That was the reason why she decided to report remotely in the first ce, and in a way was the main topic she wanted to discuss. ¡ºWell, I do wish I could see the actual items for myself¡­ But considering you¡¯re asking that, and the fact you used the device, I feel like there¡¯s something deeper to that question.¡» Usually it was easier to report her findings by returning to Arkite and talking in his office, but Mira had gone through the trouble of using the device. Before Mira could answer, he quickly said ¡ºOkay, let me try to guess first,¡» and began thinking again. It was almost like he wanted to be quizzed about it. ¡¸I¡¯ve already given you all the information you need. Let¡¯s see if you can figure it out.¡¹ Instead of asking why he was doing that, her voice took a more haughty and questioning tone. It had been some time since the two yed that game. ¡ºAlright, I think I got it!¡» After a minute or two, Solomon¡¯s excited voice rang through the device. He had figured out why Mira had decided to report remotely like that. ¡¸So, what¡¯s your answer?¡¹ Mira asked daringly, and Solomon replied firmly ¡ºI believe you want to search for the orphanage as soon as possible.¡» ¡¸Hrnghh¡­that¡¯s correct.¡¹ ¡ºI knew it! But yes, I agree that researching that ce is more important than reporting here. In a way I¡¯m actually surprised you managed to connect the dots and remember about that ce.¡» Mira sounded frustrated as she confirmed his response, and Solomon chuckled a little as he continued talking. He actuallymended her for recalling all those things while having so many other things to take care of. ¡¸Of course I remember all that. Who do you take me for?¡¹ In reality Mira had only thought of that when she overheard those adventurers at the inn talking about Fuzzy Dice, but she preferred to puff her chest in pride and im it was all her genius.
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Chapter 210: Remote Report (2) Chapter 210: Remote Report (2)
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¡ºRight, I guess that¡¯s true. Anyway, about your question, my answer is that you don¡¯t have to hurry.¡» Solomon paid little attention to Mira¡¯s prideful remarks, and answered that she did not have to hurry back, which had been Mira¡¯s original question. ¡ºEveryone who¡¯s good at thinking here already has their hands full after all.¡» Solomon replied with a slight chagrin, informing that their research into therge cave underneath the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis was still going on. Apparently they had found out what the withered nts within therge hole were, and they were all nts that could only be cultivated in very specific locations, namely the flower gardens around strange white pylons dotted around the continent. ¡¸Oh, those¡­¡± Muttering that, Mira recalled those strange pylons surrounded by flower gardens. So far no one knew what they were for, though the particr flora surrounding them was used to make a special medicine known as Angel Drop, which was used to treat a bizarre disease known as Death Syndrome. Those afflicted would, as its name stated, be lifeless husks of themselves, and if it remained untreated could lead to thempletely losing any sanity they had left. ¡ºWhen we discovered that, it became obvious what the biggest hole was for.¡» There was arge cylindrical hole around a hundred meters long. With the new information it was easy to surmise that a white pylon was once filling that space. On top of that, further investigation revealed that a major leyline ran underneath that ce. Since ages past, leylines had been regarded as important and powerful locations. One of those white pylons had been ced on top of it, but somehow a devil had destroyed it, though that was still being investigated. ¡ºThat¡¯s as far as we¡¯ve gotten so far, but there¡¯s still a lot of roadblocks ahead.¡» No one knew what the pylon¡¯s purpose was, and since it was already gone, they could not research it either. For now the mostmon suggestion they got was to investigate the remaining pylons across the continent. Though Solomon had a rather bad feeling considering it was a devil that had made the pylon vanish. ¡¸I see. I agree that there has to be something much deeper to this, considering the devil¡¯s involvement¡­¡± ¡ºAll the big brains of the castle are working hard with that, or rather, they all love difficult research so much they¡¯re absorbed by it. If you bring that metal te here, their interest will double, and I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll want to continue working without ever sleeping again.¡» Suleyman was always especially intrigued by the stories Mira brought back, and if he caught wind of hertest adventures, he might actually die from exhaustion. And Solomon thought that half jokingly and half seriously. ¡¸Hmm¡­I see, we can¡¯t have them pushing themselves too hard. Though I¡¯m actually curious about those pylons too now.¡± When Mira heard why she could take her time, her interest in that also grew. Those white pylons had been a long standing mystery. No one knew why they existed, and yers just regarded them as key locations to gather certain items needed in quests. Now that this world had be reality though, there was a proper history behind everything, which also deepened the mystery behind the white pylons. (History and mysteries¡­) The vastness of this world was something yers noticed way back in the day. And it was not just vast for the sake of being vast, but everything had a deeper meaning and purpose, all linked together. It was not just the white pylons, but the entire continent was filled with mysteries that they were too many for just one person to investigate. And obviously enough, there were plenty of entric yers who wanted to unravel as many as they could. Thinking of that, Mira checked her friends list on her menu, something she had not done in a while. There she found a certain name. Eutodie Dolfin. One of those entric yers, and a self-proimed archeologist. ¡¸I just checked and it seems like Dr. Dolfin is also in this world. Maybe he could know something?¡± Eutodie Dolfin was known for his endless passion for mystery, traveling all over the continent chasing any lead he could find. If his zealousness was still the same as back then, maybe he had already looked into the white pylons, for which he had expressed interest in the past. It could be more efficient to ask him directly instead of sending a team to investigate the white pylons again. Mira brought up that possibility, to which Solomon remarked ¡ºThat¡¯s a decent idea¡­¡» but then he paused for a moment. ¡ºBut the issue is that we have no guarantee of how far his investigation went.¡» ¡¸Ah¡­you¡¯re right, that could be an issue.¡± The self-proimed archeologist¡¯s investigations always changed on a whim. Even if he had been pursuing a mystery with all his resources, if something slightly more interesting appeared, he would drop everything to follow the new one. Once he reached the end of one investigation he would return to the past one, but considering how long those chains could be, he had left countless investigations hanging in the air. ¡ºNot to mention that there¡¯s no direct messages anymore, so we don¡¯t have any connection to him left and we¡¯ll have to figure out where he is. And that¡¯s going to take a while.¡» While it seemed easy on paper, he was incredibly slippery, even for an archeologist (self-proimed), so trying to chase after him and find him would take at least the same amount of effort as the search for the Nine Wisemen. ¡¸A connection¡­¡± Mira muttered that, the specific word catching her attention. A main point of the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection was the power to connect. Thinking that, Mira was starting to harbor a hope that some connection to Dolfin could be found and traced. ¡ºMira, may I ask you something?¡» The Spirit King raised his voice at that exact moment, seemingly having a question of his own. ¡ºGo ahead.¡» Mira was a bit surprised by the timing of it, but was ready to reply. The Spirit King¡¯s question ended up surpassing her expectations, and could easily be more important than trying to find Dolfin. ¡ºThose white pylons you keep mentioning all this time, could they be the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth?¡» The Spirit King mentioned a term, which sounded like the correct name for the mysterious objects Mira and Solomon called white pylons. ¡¸What¡­?¡± Thinking about it, the Spirit King had been alive for an unthinkable amount of time, so it would not be too surprising if he was there when the white pylons were built, and knew what they were for. Or rather, he was the perfect entity to ask such a question. Mira felt slightly guilty for making a lot of the research by Solomon¡¯s team irrelevant, but the Spirit King¡¯s knowledge was invaluable.
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Chapter 211: The World’s Secret (1) Chapter 211: The World¡¯s Secret (1)
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¡ºIs something wrong?¡» Solomon had heard Mira¡¯s baffled voice at the Spirit King¡¯sment, so he was slightly worried about what was happening. ¡¸Oh¡­don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just¡­the Spirit King seems to know something, give me a moment.¡¹ After Mira said that, the voice across the device became more cheerful. ¡¸Got it, got it. That¡¯s still so amazing though, it¡¯s like a knowledge cheat. I¡¯ll wait then! Take as long as you need!¡¹ The Spirit King¡¯s knowledge was almost like a spoiler for the research others were doing. Some people believed the thrill of discovery was in the process, but that was that. For Solomon as king, being able to ess the Spirit King¡¯s information easily was more valuable. His voice sounded genuinely excited as he told Mira he would wait for her. ¡ºAnyway, about the white pylons¡­I mean, that¡¯s what we¡¯ve always called them¡­¡» Mira wanted to confirm if the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth the Spirit King mentioned were the same as the white pylons she knew. For that, Mira pointed at the locations with white pylons that she remembered. Afterparing information for a bit, they agreed that the white pylons were indeed the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth. All of the locations Mira remembered coincided with those the Spirit King gave. ¡ºOhh, incredible¡­they really are the same thing!¡» Hearing the proper name of the white pylons made Mira drunk with a sense of superiority over all the researchers that kept trying to figure out what they were. There was also the 48, which likely meant that there were that many in the continent. But Mira only knew of around twenty of them, leaving more than twenty unounted for. When she asked about it, the Spirit King exined that half were on the surface, and the other half were deep underground. Mira had only known the ones on the surface. ¡ºThe underground ones are hidden pretty well, so I doubt they were easy to find by ident.¡» ¡ºI see, so there have to be another twenty three unounted for underground¡­¡» They had found one, or rather a devil had, but there were twenty three still left to find. The Spirit King would likely know where to search for the remaining ones, but that was not the important part of their conversation. Mira and Solomon wanted to know why they existed. ¡ºAnyway, what¡¯s the actual story behind those pirs then?¡» Mira went straight to the point. The pir beneath the Ancient Temple had vanished, and they suspected the devil that appeared nearby had something to do with that. Maybe if they knew why the pir was there in the first ce, they would know what the devil was trying to aplish. ¡ºAlright, let me tell you then. The 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth exist to purify the world. The Gods created their cores, and then we spirits, angels, and devils worked together toplete them and ce them across the world.¡» With that preamble, the Spirit King went into more details. The reason behind the construction of the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth dated back to the war against the God of Monsters. That war had not only involved humans and spirits, but also angels, devils, and even Gods, as the war threatened to end the world as they knew it. Because of its magnitude, even after the war was won, there were many issues remaining. Especially major were the effects of the war, polluting the Heavenly Nirvana Shrine, where souls went to rest, as well as leylines. With the Shrine polluted, souls started to drift during the circle of life more often, leading to a sudden increase in stillbirths. And in many cases where children were born, they did not seem to have much of a soul either, dedicating themselves to satiating their material desires and destroying anything in sight, almost like monsters. With leylines sullied as well, nature began to be corrupted. Rivers dried up, the earth cracked, and natural disasters becamemonce. Then when all the vegetation on hills dried out, strange other-wordly and eerie nts began to grow, which Martel did not know. She refused to recognize them as nts as well, saying they were something else. ¡ºSo the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth were created to cleanse that corruption. Their actual functionality is slightly different underground and on the surface though.¡» The Spirit King was finally done telling the story that led to their construction, and now came the meat of the story. The pirs on the surface cleansed the Heavenly Nirvana Shrine, so they were built to interact with souls. It was a slow process, but it slowly got rid of the corrupted souls that led to so many tragedies. The underground ones focused on cleansing leylines, so those interacted with mana to amend the flow of power of those locations. The pirs stood right on top of the leylines¡» opening, like a filter for the mana that came out, making sure it was clean. Because of that cleansing power, special nts also started to grow surrounding the pirs, which could be used to create medicine like Angel Drop. And this time Martel weed those new nts with open arms. ¡ºThat¡¯s the role fulfilled by the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth.¡» The Spirit King concluded his exnation, recalling how busy he was during those times, though also seeming to miss them slightly. ¡ºI see, so that¡¯s why those pirs were there¡­¡» With the mystery of the white pylons unraveled, she also could see why a devil would aim to destroy devices that purified the world. That also led Mira to deduct the answer to another question she had harbored before. What had the devil she defeated been trying to aplish? ¡ºSo I guess that after getting rid of the pir, the devil stopped the cleansing of the leyline to bring back those cmities from the past.¡» Mira voiced her conclusion, hoping the Spirit King would confirm it. While she had just rendered their efforts useless, Solomon¡¯s research team was excellent and they had confirmed beyond any doubt that a pir had existed in the hole at one point. So going from there, one could assume the consequences of stopping the functionality of the pir, which the devil had tried to bring forth. But shockingly enough, the Spirit King¡¯s reply was ¡ºNo, I doubt that was it,¡» sounding sure that had not been the reason. ¡ºIt¡¯s been many long years since the end of that war, and the construction of the pirs. It was a slow process, but the Heavenly Nirvana Shrine and the leylines arepletely cleansed nowadays, none of the corruption remains.¡» The Spirit King imed that the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth had already fulfilled their roles. Even if one of them was destroyed, it would have no impact on the Heavenly Nirvana Shrines or leylines. He was also sure that the devil must have been aware of that fact. ¡ºWhat¡­ Then why would that devil¡­¡» Mira¡¯s gaze lowered as she pondered, the conjecture she was so sure about being rejected. There was no point in destroying a pir, and the devil knew that. But the devil had been there, and had gotten rid of the pir. There had to be a reason for all that. ¡ºYou mentioned the pirs were ced on top of the leylines¡» openings. Then maybe the devil tried to mess with something inside the leyline?¡» Maybe the pir was not the objective, but whaty beneath. Mira¡¯s usually unreliable brain was kicked into high gear as she tried to think about it, and eventually she arrived at that conclusion, but the Spirit King shot her down, saying that was unlikely. The mana contained within leylines was so immense that a single devil would be unable to do anything to it. Or rather, not even Martel or the Spirit King would be able to tamper with that. Gods, spirits, angels, and devils all had to work together to cleanse them before. ¡ºHmmm, I actually have a bit of a question for you, Mira. Exactly where was this vanished pir located?¡» After thinking for a bit, the Spirit King seemed to decide to open up about something else, and posed that question. ¡ºHm? The location?¡» Mira was staring nkly in a daze, unable toe up with any more ideas. When the Spirit King asked that, she tilted her head in confusion for a bit. She knew there was a reason for the question though, so she went to the map and exined exactly where the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis and the hole were located. She also mentioned the tunnel the devil had made. Once that was done, the Spirit King muttered, ¡ºI see, that must be it then,¡» before correcting his earlier reply, saying that Mira¡¯s conjecture was actually half right. ¡ºI believe it¡¯s safe to assume that the devil you defeated is the culprit behind the pir¡¯s disappearance. But the reason for that act lies somewhere else.¡» ¡ºCould you borate..?¡» The devil¡¯s target had been the pir after all, but the Spirit King was thinking of something Mira had no knowledge of, and she waited full of expectation to hear what it was. After a short silence, someone else who knew the story raised her voice. ¡ºLord Sym, she already has your Divine Protection, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before it involves her as well. Maybe it¡¯s best to talk about that now?¡» It was Martel. She had sensed the Spirit King hesitating on whether to tell the story or not. The pir underneath Nevrapolis was not something that could be spoken of casually. In other words, it was one of the world¡¯s deepest secrets.
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Chapter 211: The World’s Secret (2) Chapter 211: The World¡¯s Secret (2)
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Martel¡¯s remark had caught Mira¡¯s attention more. Somehow the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection was involved as well. That seemed to indicate that whatever this secret was, she would be thrown into it whether she wanted to or not in the future. (¡­I¡¯vee this far, I¡¯m not stopping for anything¡­) That was Mira¡¯s strong determination. ¡¸Right, I guess things are already set in motion, I can¡¯t keep hiding this.¡» The Spirit King seemed to agree with Martel, so after a brief pause to gather his thoughts, he began to speak. First, he revealed that there were actually six more hidden pirs on top of the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth. While everyone worked together to scatter those first pirs across the continent, the six were carried away only by the Three Gods, each taking care of two, and ced them in secret locations that no one else knew about. Those Three Gods had been the reigning force of the continent since those times, representing justice, courage, and kindness. Not even the Spirit King knew where they had ced their secret pirs. That was also why he had asked about the missing pir¡¯s location, and it was one neither he or Martel knew about, meaning it was one of the secret pirs left by the Three Gods. ¡¸So the pir that vanished was one of the secret ones¡­¡» ¡¸That¡¯s it, yes.¡» A pir hidden by a God was a secret on the same level as the artifacts Martel was guarding. That alone was an unbelievable reveal, which made Mira feel slightly uneasy for the future, but she just had to get to the bottom of this. So she asked, what role did the secret pirs fulfill? Right after she realized something, if their location was secret, maybe their function was as well. But that was a needless worry, as the location was the only part kept secret. The Spirit King slowly detailed why they had been created. ¡¸The pirs themselves are simr to the other underground ones, cleansing and interacting with mana.¡» With that preamble, he began to detail what made them different. Those six pirs had one additional function on top of cleansing and interacting with mana. That was a sealing function. They absorbed mana from a leyline with the first functions, and turned it into divine energy to seal something away. Now that their sealing function was detailed, the Spirit King still had to say exactly what was being sealed. ¡¸I believe I mentioned the God of Monsters to you before, right?¡» ¡¸Yes, I think it was when I first met Martel¡­wait!¡» The God of Monsters, a strange entity that somehow took control of hordes of monsters, and ultimately met its demise at the hands of the human hero, being defeated with just one hit. Mira nodded as she recalled that story, while also gathering an idea as to why it had been brought up now. Whatever the six pirs were sealing was almost obvious at that point. ¡¸Yes, those six pirs are sealing the God of Monster¡¯s body, which is split into the head, torso, right arm, left arm, right leg, and left leg. Six pieces in total.¡» The Spirit King quickly confirmed Mira¡¯s suspicion. The God of Monsters was sealed by the pirs, each keeping a different body part just to be careful. That brought up a different question though. Why would they need to seal the body of someone who was defeated with just one hit? ¡¸A seal¡­ Could it be that the God of Monsters was actually immortal or something like that?¡» That was amon trope in fantasy, an immortal evil that could only be sealed away. So Mira brought up the possibility. ¡¸Immortal¡­well, I guess that¡¯s also half correct.¡¹ After thinking about it for a bit, the Spirit King gave another vague response. The immortality idea was half correct, but he still had to detail how. He exined it as such. The God of Monsters had certainly died, and the issues came after that. The God of Monsters¡» corpse had started making a strange sound, and no regr sound either. It had the strange effect of being audible anywhere regardless of distance or obstacles, reaching everyone in the continent. They tried to figure out what that sound was, but neither the Gods nor spirits were able toe up with an answer. The sound simply kept going on without stopping. ¡¸I remember that, the sound was so creepy. It was almost like the corpse was trying tomunicate with something¡­¡» Martel¡¯s voice interrupted there, having recalled the sound herself. Mira asked if she could mimic the sound and she tried. (Hmmm¡­ That does sound like some sort of signal¡­) Either Martel was really bad at mimicking the sound, or it had really been that way, but all Mira knew for sure was that the sound was more like a beep that repeated in regr intervals. ¡¸No one knew what that sound meant, but it certainly was unnerving. So we soon decided we needed to get rid of the body.¡» The God of Monsters had always been surrounded by many mysteries. At first they had nned on sending the body to a research center to find answers to the mysteries, but the constant noise was too eerie, and it distressed not only humans, but spirits, angels, and devils alike. Because of that they made the swift decision to destroy the body. That would turn out to be a challenge in itself though. They tried burning it, then used the power of the Gods and spirits to tear it apart, but no matter what they tried they were unable topletely destroy it. ¡¸I see¡­ That¡¯s what you meant with half correct.¡» Mira¡¯s guess that the God of Monsters was immortal had been half correct. While the God of Monsters had died, the body could not be destroyed. ¡¸We even tried methods that could kill a God. To be honest that was the first time I saw someone return from being turned to dust.¡» The Spirit King mentioned how unbelievable the whole experience was as he continued telling the story. No one knew the true meaning of the constant sound, but considering what the source of the sound was, it filled everyone with unease. The body could not be destroyed, however, so they began to consider sealing it away. As fate would have it, the seal also failed. Though that was still an attempt to seal it within a coffin, and not a white pir. ¡¸The first seal worked, initially. The noise was gone too. But not much time passed before the seal was broken from within.¡» The sealing coffin had been unable to contain all the miasma welling up inside. Once the seal was broken, the sound came back. Somehow being able to produce that sound seemed like an obsession for the God of Monsters. That first failure put everyone on higher alert, and everyone tried to find new solutions. Eventually they made a promising discovery. By tearing the body apart, the miasma became thinner. But splitting the body apart also made its regenerative power stronger. They barely managed to tear it into ten pieces before that power became too powerful and it became impossible to restrain the pieces from flying back together. After a lot of trial and error, they settled on splitting the body into six pieces, which was the maximum they could handle before the pieces shot at each other to merge. ¡¸That was still not a good solution though. The seals for the six partssted a bit longer, but it was only a matter of time before they exploded with miasma.¡» So far the Spirit King¡¯s voice had been heavy rting their struggles, but now he was gaining confidence. He seemed to be proud of the solution they eventually found. He exined it as following: First the most powerful allies present, the Three Gods, picked two pieces of the body each, and cast seals on them separately. Though only the Three Gods had been able to ce the initial failed seals as well. The newer seals would stop the creepy sound, while also stopping the force of attraction the body parts had, which only grew stronger the further they were separated. The miasma issue remained though, which meant that with time the seals would explode and the body parts would fly away to merge back. But they could not afford to split the body into more pieces to deal with the miasma, as that would make the force of attraction uncontroble. That¡¯s where the white pirs came into y, acting as a secondary seal, reinforcing the main one while also having the cleansing power necessary to get rid of the miasma. That n worked out perfectly, as now there was no miasma to worry about, and the main seal would remain strong. ¡¸And this reminds me of our spection about Stigmata from the other day, but now I believe the pir was the trigger. Those six pirs are imbued with far more divine power than the other 48, and it should be enough to activate Stigmata.¡» ¡¸Amazing¡­somehow we managed to solve a different mystery here.¡» There was that woman Soul Howl was trying to save, who had fallen ill to Stigmata. The secret pir had likely been the cause of that, and Mira could not stop herself from grinning at the idental discovery. Spirits, angels, and devils helped with the construction of the six secret pirs, just like all the other normal ones. The Spirit King seemed to have vivid memories from that event, and Martel also muttered, ¡¸Everyone was together back then,¡» reminiscing about that time.
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Chapter 212: The World’s Secret (3) Chapter 212: The World¡¯s Secret (3)
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¡ºI see. So the devil undid that seal¡­ Somehow I think that¡¯s harder than it sounds though.¡» That story involved the spirits, angels, demons, and even Gods. It could easily be taken as a myth or legend, but it was all true. Mira was speechless by the seriousness of it, but decided to move along considering their current situation. The God of Monsters¡¯ corpse kept making an eerie sound while producingrge amounts of miasma. To stop the miasma, they split the body into six pieces. Then the pieces were sealed to stop the sound and the force pulling them together. But the piling up miasma would eventually break the seal and the sound would appear again. So the sealed body parts were encased in pirs to cleanse the miasma, and the one below Nevrapolis was one of them. ¡ºThe issue now is where that sealed body part is now. Did any of your friends find something like that while researching the area?¡» ¡ºHmmm, I didn¡¯t hear anything about something like that¡­ Let me make sure.¡» Since the pir was gone, the body part encased within should have been freed. But Solomon had not mentioned the finding of something like that. Maybe there had been nothing, or he did not think it necessary to bring up. So Mira decided to ask Solomon directly, whether the research team had found some sort of body part in the hole below Nevrapolis. ¡ºThat¡¯s quite a strange thing to ask¡­ Hmm, they only found the withered and dried nts around the area, nothing more. Each of the nt species were documented, and they made sure to check every nook and cranny of the hole, so I doubt they¡¯d miss something like that. But why do you ask? Do you know what was supposed to be there?¡» Solomon replied that they had not found anything of interest there, but he seemed really curious about the things Mira had learned. She had been talking with the Spirit King for a while, and then suddenly asked about a body part, so he had every right to be curious. But it was too early for that. ¡¸I¡¯m still discussing a lot of things, wait a bit longer.¡¹ Mira replied shortly and returned to talking with the Spirit King. Solomon¡¯s jealous grumblings could be heard, as he wished he could also consult with the Spirit King. ¡ºYou heard him. It seems they didn¡¯t find anything like that.¡» Even though he could listen to the conversation, Mira still told that to the Spirit King. Solomon¡¯s team had not found the God of Monster¡¯s body part. In other words, it was still somewhere out in the world, now that the outer seal had been broken. ¡ºSo it¡¯s already been taken by someone. Thatplicates things.¡» That was a rather tricky situation, and the Spirit King did not sound too pleased about it. If Solomon was in possession of the body part, the Spirit King would have been able to use his power to seal it within a white pir again. But now that it was unounted for, trying to find it would be ratherplicated. ¡ºAt least the worst case scenario can be avoided as long as the first seal remains. But it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before that one breaks, now that the miasma won¡¯t be cleansed.¡» The first seal stopped the eerie sound and the force that made the different body parts attract each other. The Spirit King believed that one was still in ce, given that the sound could not be heard. That sound had been audible anywhere in the world, no matter how far one was from the corpse, so if the first seal had been broken, the sound would be heard again. But now miasma would be able to well up within the seal again, eventually breaking through it. ¡ºSplit in six parts like that, it should take around fifty years before that happens. Unless the parts are reunited, that is.¡» Martel had a good idea of how long the seal couldst, but also described how that time could be shortened. The body parts were still split in six and ced far away from each other, but if another pir was broken and more body parts were gathered, they would start producing more miasma. With all the pieces together, the sound would return in a much shorter time frame. ¡ºI see, that would be troublesome indeed.¡» That was something they could not allow to happen, especially now that they suspected the devils were trying to bring back past cmities. Through some unknown means, a devil had tracked down the pir hidden by a God, so there was a chance the location of the others was also known. At least that was something the Spirit King and Martel suspected. ¡ºTime, you say. Is there any other way of breaking the seal?¡» Mira then asked that, wondering if maybe some special spell, the devil¡¯s power, or some Artifact could break the first seal, just like how miasma did. ¡ºI highly doubt that. The first seal was created directly by the Gods. I can¡¯t think of any way to undo it without the aid of a God, or miasma¡­ But whichever the case, I¡¯d still like to know how the pir was broken into though, and where the body part was taken.¡» No one had been able to figure out the meaning of the eerie sound, so they decided to keep the body sealed away instead. But more importantly, only ancient spirits, angels, devils, and Gods knew about the secret pirs, and no one knew where they were located. ¡ºThat¡¯s true.¡» ¡ºMira¡­would you mind telling me more about your encounter with that devil?¡» After a short silence, the Spirit King asked Mira that. Knowing he was trying to figure out something, she readily obliged, detailing that event. She was on the lowest floor of the Ancient Temple Nevrapolis, which was managed by the United Adventurers¡¯ Guild. When standing at the shore of theke next to the Chalk Castle, the devil emerged from the water. That devil was a third rank Earl, and soon a fight broke out where Mira emerged victorious. ¡ºI see, and then you found the strange tunnel within thatke.¡» The Spirit King gave a brief response to the story, then fell silent again. Once he was done, he presented a few possibilities. One was that the body part had already been taken away before Mira arrived. But that was highly unlikely, since the devil would have no reason to return there if there was nothing else left. ¡ºThe pir¡¯s seal isn¡¯t as strong as the God¡¯s, but is also not one that can be broken easily. Not to mention that the devil you fought must¡¯ve been really adapted to cleansing forces. Even if the pir was gone, due to its long time there, it would¡¯ve cleansed the surrounding area, turning it into consecrated ground. No devil would willingly step into such a ce.¡» After that, the Spirit King detailed his second idea. The body part could have been taken out after Mira left, and before Solomon¡¯s team arrived. ¡ºWhile I can¡¯t deny the possibility¡­and it certainly is a valid possibility, it¡¯s hard to imagine that happening either.¡» The Spirit King was still thinking that through as he spoke. First, whoever took the body part must have known what it was. However, neither the Spirit King nor Martel had known that a pir was concealed down there. The devil Mira confronted appeared to be aware of its location, although the method of discovering it remained unknown. Nevertheless, this set a precedent for others to also be aware of its location. But devils typically acted independently, so a devil wouldn¡¯t share that kind of information with other devils. Only a devil subordinate to another would report such a finding. ¡ºMira, would you happen to know what a devil¡¯s rank signifies?¡» ¡ºHm? It¡¯s like a court rank, so like nobles¡­¡» Mira tilted her head at that unexpected question. The devil¡¯s rank, which resembled those of nobles a lot. Mira mumbled a vague reply, so the Spirit King cleared things up. A devil¡¯s rank indicated how many subordinates they had, which were gained by defeating them through battle. ¡ºYou defeated their leader, so there was no devil above that one giving him orders. Maybe a subordinate took over the leadership, if there¡¯s any left, that is.¡» A third rank Earl had three subordinates. But it was hard to know whether all those subordinates were still alive in current times. The rank was a cumtive total of subordinates, and did not factor in whether those subordinates were alive or dead. Meaning that a devil could be a third rank Earl, but have no subordinates alive. ¡ºI see¡­ So it¡¯s more like a title showing their power, rather than the actual number of devils serving them. That does sound like something a devil would do.¡» Mira nodded sagely,prehending the scheme behind the titles given to devils. It was a rather simplistic system after all. ¡®By the way, you¡¯ve only mentioned the possibility of subordinates existing, but what if that devil was subordinate to another? Wouldn¡¯t that be possible too?¡¯ She realized that the Spirit King had been treating the devil as the leader the entire time. But there was still one title above Earl for devils. Maybe there was a Duke devil giving the Earl orders. But the Spirit King quickly denied that possibility. The reason for that was also the devil¡¯s rank. ¡ºA devil¡¯s rank is also their undefeated streak. If they lose in battle and be subordinate to another, their rank is stripped. If the devil you defeated was truly a third rank Earl, then it¡¯s impossible for him to be subordinate to another.¡» ¡ºI see. That sounds even more like the ruling of devils who rely on power alone.¡»
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Chapter 212: The World’s Secret (4) Chapter 212: The World¡¯s Secret (4)
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It was possible to see the rank of a devil by Examining it. That was a special ability only former yers possessed, and it gave urate information, so Mira was certain about the rank of the devil she had defeated. That also verified the Spirit King¡¯s im that there was no devil above that one giving him orders, which also convinced Mira. ¡ºThis also means that all of his subordinates were weaker than a third rank Earl. Then there¡¯s the barriers set up by that Union organization, which my kin tell me are so powerful that a devil with a lower position wouldn¡¯t be able to get through.¡» The Spirit King¡¯s voice was getting more excited. Thanks to thework he had built amongst spirits, he had been able to absorb mounts of information about the current world, and how people lived now. That included the United Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and secret information usually reserved for people working tightly with them. Since then, he had been waiting for the right time to unt the fact he was not only knowledgeable of the past, but also current culture. ¡ºOhh, those barriers were that powerful then?¡» ¡ºFrom what I¡¯ve gathered, yes. You require explicit permission to get through, right? Maybe if you go through the Union¡¯s records you¡¯ll be able to narrow down the suspects?¡» The Spirit King seemed pleased by Mira¡¯s shocked reaction, and confidently made that suggestion. The Ancient Temple Nevrapolis was a dungeon, which meant it was encircled by a barrier, put in ce by the Union. A devil with a lower rank than an Earl of the third rank could not breach through it, which meant that they necessarily would have obtained permission from the Union to enter. So if the Union could check all the people who obtained permission to enter there, they could narrow down the list of suspects. At least that was the Spirit King¡¯s suggestion. That was quite a good suggestion, but it failed to consider one important aspect. Namely, the current state of that location. ¡ºHmm, I see¡­ But we might not need to do that. A devil appeared in the dungeon, so all entry should have been barred while it was being investigated.¡» Mira faintly remembered some of the details Solomon shared about the investigation after she left Nevrapolis. The Union would never leave a dungeon open after a devil was found in it, so they would block it and conduct a thorough search to make sure it was safe. Even when the investigation was over, they would raise the rank requirement to enter for a while, just in case. ¡ºSo that¡¯s also a factor, hmm¡­ That would leave a very small timeframe for someone to get the body part out¡­¡» His voice was filled with regret, disappointed that his idea was also not the best. The next obvious possibility was that someone had dug another hole to get in from outside, but after asking Solomon he quickly shot that idea down. The research team was quite adept at their job, and they searched every nook and cranny for vestiges of such an entry, but found there were no other suspicious holes there. In other words, whoever took the body part did it through the proper entrance. That meant that the heist was carried out just after Mira left, and before the research team arrived there. ¡ºActually¡­there¡¯s onest possibility, but I doubt you or Solomon will be pleased to hear it.¡» So far, they still had no clues as to who and when the body part was taken out. But there was just one more factor they had to consider. ¡¸¡­The research team?¡¹ ¡ºI can¡¯t think of anything else.¡» Maybe someone from the research team Solomon sent had found the body part and stashed it away. So far that was actually the most likely scenario, after all other possibilities had been deemed unlikely. That was still a heavy usation though, and it could not be handled poorly. The motivation behind it also would change things greatly. ¡ºBy the way, Spirit King. Exactly what does that body part look like?¡» Its appearance. That was actually important when trying to discern the motivations behind the suspected theft. If it was something with a striking and important appearance, it could incite the greed of someone. And if it looked hideous, then no one would have approached it out of safety concerns. ¡ºIt¡¯s appearance¡­ Well, assuming that it hasn¡¯t changed since back then, it shouldn¡¯t look very different from the stones there. Though considering it still has the shape of a human body part, it could easily be mistaken for a statue fragment.¡» ¡ºI see¡­¡» If it looked like a broken statue in that deep location, it was possible someone could try pocketing it, banking on selling it for a high price thanks to its likely historical value. It was still hard to think someone with such temptations would have been chosen to be part of Solomon¡¯s research team though. ¡ºLuminaria apparently went with the research team as well. I find it hard to believe someone would be so driven by greed that, for a moment when she wasn¡¯t looking, they¡¯d pocket an item without even knowing its worth.¡» That was Mira¡¯s conclusion. Given a devil had appeared there, Luminaria had been together with the research team. It was hard to believe someone would be adventurous enough to potentiallypromise the search under her watch. ¡ºLuminaria? I believe she¡¯s as powerful as you Mira, right? That¡¯s a good point then, greed alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to push someone to do that. Whoever took the body part must have been driven by a far stronger conviction.¡» ¡ºRight. The perpetrator didn¡¯t do it in the spur of the moment, but had a strong determination.¡» They were still discussing a potential theory, but both believed the likelihood of it being true was rather high. ¡ºI doubt there are humans who possess knowledge about this matter though. One of the devil¡¯s subordinates must have usurped the position of one of the researchers.¡» In the end, the only entity with a motivation to steal that body part was a devil, or at least with the information they currently had avable. Mira and the Spirit King also focused on that the most. It was a rather simple n all things considered. A devil took over the ce of one of the researchers, something devils could do as they possessed the ability to transfigurate forms, then entered the dungeon together with the research team. Once an opportunity to take the body part presented itself, they took it, and escaped somewhere. Another possibility was that the devil brainwashed one of the researchers and used them as a puppet. Devils also possessed that ability, invading the mind of someone with low mental fortitude, turning them into an easily manipted pawn. There was onemon factor between those two possibilities, a researcher acting like a different person. Mira tried asking Solomon about that, and was told that everyone in the research team knew each other well, so they would have noticed if one of them had been taken over by a devil, or was being impersonated, and raised suspicion. Not to mention that Luminaria was also there, so if someone was acting suspicious, they would have attracted the attention of everyone, making it impossible to steal the body part. With that in mind, there was one more possibility, and something a devil would easily do. ¡ºSo intimidation and coercion are all that¡¯s left.¡» ¡ºYes, considering everything, that¡¯s the current most likely scenario.¡» Personally approaching a member of the research team and threatening them was something very devil-like, and an extremely effective means towards humans. There were plenty of targets to be used as hostages as well, family, friends, a lover. The risk of losing someone like that was enough to drive a person into jeopardizing an important investigation. ¡ºAnother important fact to consider is when that devil got in contact with thepromised researcher. Especially if that devil is staying in the city.¡» For such a threat to work effectively, the hostage had to be chosen carefully. Not to mention that there was still a chance the person could end up seeking help instead. To make sure everything worked out, the devil would have likely needed to stay in the city stalking the target for a while. That also had the implication of a dangerous devil having stayed in a city full of people. ¡ºHmm, I see¡­ Then I shall tell Solomon how to use the Spirit Active Formation. That boosts the spiritual power of a location, and also creates a faint cleansing aura, which devils can hardly stand. Assuming there¡¯s a devil in the city, that should drive it out sooner orter.¡» ¡ºOhh, that sounds incredible!¡» The Spirit Active Formation was something created to revitalize ravagednd, ording to the Spirit King. The formation would change the environment to turn it into a ce where spirits could live better, and had been extremely useful after the wars of old which left the world marred in miasma. Mira was quickly filled with excitement and gratitude when she heard she would be learning how to perform that. ¡ºSomeone will need to keep imbuing it with spiritual power once a week for the effect to remain, do you know anyone who could do that? If you don¡¯t, I could ask someone toe.¡» ¡¸Ah, hmm¡­I think we can do that ourselves. I know someone who¡¯s half light spirit and half elf, and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s adept with spirit magic too.¡¹ As soon as spiritual power was mentioned, Mira instantly thought of Creos. While he was a summoner, he also had masterful control over his light spirit powers. ¡ºAlright, that sounds like someone who can handle it. First off then, would you mind rying everything we talked about to Solomon?¡» ¡ºRight, I¡¯ll do that.¡» Mira took themunications device¡¯s receiver and began telling Solomon everything she learned, about the role of the 48 Transducer Pirs of Heaven and Earth, the six secret pirs, the God of Monsters and his corpse, and the devil that was likely hiding nearby. The Spirit King also made sure to chime in every time she forgot details.
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Chapter 213: The Next Destination (1) Chapter 213: The Next Destination (1)
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¡ºThis is way bigger than I anticipated¡­ And the research team could bepromised¡­hmm, thanks for the information though, at least I have a better grasp on the situation now.¡» Once Mira finished telling him everything she learned, Solomon took a brief pause before replying, the shock and confusion palpable in his voice. He was also struggling to process the magnitude of the whole situation. But he quicklyposed himself. ¡ºFirst we¡¯ll have to track down that body part as soon as possible. We can¡¯t really leave it out in the wild knowing how dangerous it can be.¡» As usual, Solomon quickly settled on their next n of action. His swift and methodical way of thinking was something that had only developed further during his time as king. ¡¸Should I return as well then? There¡¯s a high likelihood we¡¯ll keep running into devils by chasing after those body parts.¡¹ Even Baron devils with no rank were strong enough to defeat middle level adventurers. The devil they were currently after could not be stronger than an Earl of the third rank either, but that still left arge range of possibilities for the devil¡¯s power, with the worst case being a Viscount. Defeating such a devil was a hard task, usually requiring multiple high level adventurers to work together. If the research team ran into someone like that unprepared, they could end up being defeated and never heard from again. So the search for the missing body piece would require the manpower to at least defeat a Viscount devil, and Mira volunteered to be part of that. But Solomon told her not to worry about that. ¡ºDon¡¯t worry about that, I think we can handle that. You should try to continue as nned and search for the orphanage. I still want all of us to be reunited as soon as possible after all.¡» Solomon¡¯s voice rang almost reckless as he said that. But there was no fake confidence there, he was truly convinced they could deal with such a devil. ¡¸Alright then, if you say so¡­ But are you truly sure about this?¡¹ Mira was not necessarily doubting him, but asked that out of concern for her dear friend, and the country he led. Hearing that, Solomon began to put on airs, muttering ¡ºHmm, should I tell you? Maybe I should,¡» his voice filled with smugness. Once he had enough, heid it all bare. ¡ºOkay, I¡¯ll let you in on the secret. The elite forces I¡¯ve been gathering for a while have finally taken shape!¡» His voice was filled with more excitement than usual as he spoke about that. Solomon had started that secret n around a decade prior, on the very day that the armistice was signed. He went through his army, picking young men with a lot of promise, then subjecting them to intensive training to build up a team of elites. Everyone in it had been picked out of the best, and its name was Goetia. Their existence had one simple exnation. They were a provision in case no other Wisemen other than Luminaria returned. Now Mira had been traversing the continent from one side to another, managing to secure Kagura and Soul Howl¡¯s return, which were two of the Nine Wisemen. But that had only been possible thanks to Mira¡¯s return at thest possible second. Back when the treaty was signed Solomon had no way of knowing she woulde though, so as much as he hoped she and the rest would return, he also had to be prepared in case they remained missing. The first preparation was the ord Cannon, which Mira had seen before. Then came the Protean Dolls, automated weapons which Mira was shown before being sent to gather Founding Seeds. Thest preparations were the secret elite forces, Goetia. They wereposed of five pairs, each having one frontline and a backliner, totalling ten members. The frontline was personally trained by Solomon, while Luminaria took care of the backliners. Whenever Goetia was trained, the Tower of Saints¡¯ vice-elder was present as well. Or rather, no training was conducted without her present, as all members would be lethally wounded at least daily during their training, showing just how severe it was. ¡ºThey aren¡¯t as strong as you yet, but they¡¯re still powerful enough to tip a conflict into our favor. I¡¯m still a bit impressed by how far they¡¯ve alle in just one decade though.¡» The Nine Wisemen were said to be the strongest spellcasters in the continent. Gaining powerparable to them in just a decade was quite a pipe dream, and they had not gotten quite there yet either, but Solomon was already pleased with the results. ¡ºThe secret treasure chambers I told you about the other day had the biggest impact though! They were filled with powerful weapons and essories, so I was able to renew all their equipment. It turns out that they all had good affinities for them as well, so it was like their power increased by thirty percent in an instant!¡» Solomon continued talking. The secret treasure chambers he was talking about had also been found below Nevrapolis, and were likely a decoy to protect the white pir below. There were extremely rare items and equipment there as well, which Solomon collected and gave to Goetia. Equipment could sometimes have a stark impact on someone¡¯s power, especially if it was equipment with some mysterious power. Thanks to that, the team had reached a point where Solomon felt confident in giving them actual missions. ¡¸I see¡­ So you¡¯ll be sending that group of yours to follow the body parts.¡¹ ¡ºThat¡¯s it. They need to gain some experience by actually being on the field after all. Finding that body part might just be the perfect chance.¡» And that was also why Solomon told Mira she could go search for the orphanage, Goetia would apany the researchers instead. Solomon was the strongest holy knight, and Luminaria the continent¡¯s most powerful magician. The two had trained a powerful group, who were now equipped with some of the best equipment. A devil would certainly be unable to stand against them. From what Mira heard, that group should have no issue defeating a Viscount devil, or even an Earl devil. Otherwise they would not be suited to be the force meant to stand in for the Nine Wisemen. In a way, that was also thest check Solomon wanted to perform to make sure Goetia was ready. ¡ºAnyway, this means that Goetia will soon join the research team, and together they¡¯ll tackle this issue. You can just focus on your own mission.¡» ¡¸Hmm, I see. I¡¯ll do so then.¡¹ If Solomon was this convinced, then Goetia had to be a force to be reckoned with. So Mira decided she could stop worrying about that. ¡ºBy the way, I believe you mentioned that orphanage is located amongst the mountains in northeastern Grimdart, in an unnamed vige, right? Do you have any specific location to search?¡» And so the topic returned to Mira¡¯s mission.
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Chapter 213: The Next Destination (2) Chapter 213: The Next Destination (2)
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Someone who resembled the Saint Wiseman, Artesia, seemed to be involved with that orphanage. Solomon had repeated the information Mira had first obtained when she learned about that ce, mentioning it was somewhere in the mountains of northeastern Grimdart. Solomon had already sent various people to search for an unnamed vige in those areas, but either they were stillcking some important information, or the vige was concealed by a barrier, as they had been unable to locate anything that matched the description. ¡¸I actually have a bit of an idea about that.¡¹ Mira proudly announced that she had a way to find a hidden vige that not even a king with all his resources was able to locate. ¡ºOh, that¡¯s incredible. What are you nning?¡» Solomon¡¯s voice raised in pitch slightly, indicating his curiosity had been piqued. So Mira decided to tempt him more, asking ¡¸Hmm, you want to know then?¡¹ ¡ºYes I do! I want to know!¡» ¡¸Well, I guess I have no choice then.¡¹ Solomon¡¯s excited and curious response only inted Mira¡¯s ego further, as her voice took an even more self-important tone as she detailed her n. Even though it was ridden with failure points and assumptions, she still soundedpletely confident about it. Mira¡¯s n revolved around capturing the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. From what she had heard, Fuzzy Dice often made donations to orphanages, so maybe he also knew that orphanage in the unnamed vige. It was actually a rather straightforward n. ¡ºHmm, I see, I see. That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡» But shockingly enough, Solomon¡¯s reaction was rather positive. The reason for that was that he had been unable to find anything at all about the orphanage. In Grimdart, most of the orphanages were managed by the Three Gods Church. Then there were another few which were sponsored and managed by nobles, and a handful which were run independently by a local municipality. Due to Grimdart¡¯s strict rules, all orphanages had to be registered with the general government as well, regardless if they had been founded by the church, nobles, or local cities. That meant that by checking Grimdart¡¯s records, they should be able to find any orphanage in that territory. But there was not a single trace of it, which could only be exined if the orphanage had never been registered to begin with. Anyone funding an orphanage also had to report it to the government, and usually obtained various benefits in exchange. There were only a few reasons why someone would choose not to do that. Either someone involved had a past they wanted to keep quiet, or there was some other form of irregrity in the orphanage¡¯s funding. Artesia mighte to mind as someone with a secret past, but anyone who knew her would know that could not be the case. She was extremely fond of children, so she would never do anything that could put them under scrutiny or suspicion. So maybe there was something involving the funding received by the orphanage that could not be made public. ording to the rumors, the orphanage in the unnamed vige had taken in more than a hundred children, so sustaining them would require considerable funds. Even if Artesia was there, there was only so much she could earn as a Saint healer. And if she tried to mize her other Saint Arts, word of her superior ability would spread like wildfire and Solomon would have heard at least something. ¡ºApparently, orphanages managed by the church have a limit to how much funding they can receive, and the limit is even lower for remote areas, as there¡¯s no guarantee there¡¯s actually a church in there. Public donations are also unlikely to reach such ces. But if they really had to house more than a hundred children, I honestly can¡¯t see a way for them to operate within thew, but if the moneyes from some mysterious thief, then they¡¯d be way better off by not registering the orphanage with the government or the church. Your idea is actually quite usible, which is quite the achievement for you.¡» Mira had just randomly assumed the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice could know the orphanage. But Solomon quickly thought of various supporting arguments, settling on the idea being the most usible scenario. ¡¸I know, I know!¡¹ That response just put Mira in an even better mood. She did not even seem to understand what thest portion of his sentence implied, and simply relished the praise. Solomon went along with her, adding ¡ºYou¡¯re really incredible,¡» to which she smugly replied, ¡¸I just needed to think for a second and I figured it all out!¡¹ ¡ºSo about catching the thief, do you actually know where to search for him?¡» After hyping up Mira for a bit, Solomon finally reeled in the conversation again. The Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice always seemed to appear out of nowhere, and then vanished without trace. No one knew if he had some sort of hidden base or house. So how was Mira nning on catching someone like that? Mira had an ace under her hand though, the rumors she had overheard recently. ¡¸As a matter of fact, I do. I heard there¡¯s apany in Haxthausen that received a warning from him. It¡¯ll be easier to just wait for him and capture him, instead of trying to sniff out his hideout, right?¡¹ Mira replied almost instantly, still recovering from her earlier outburst of joy. While it was possible to try revealing Fuzzy Dice¡¯s real identity or his hideout, if she knew when and where he would appear, it was easier to set up an ambush. At least that was Mira¡¯s current idea. ¡ºOh, he sent an advance notice?! Yes, going there and waiting is definitely the best way. And then you¡¯ll face him¡­ There have been many well-known adventurers who were tasked with capturing him, but so far none were able to even touch him. I really wonder how it¡¯ll go for you, will you be able to capture him?¡» Solomon¡¯s voice was giddy with excitement, looking forward to the result of Mira¡¯s attempt at capturing the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. Meanwhile Mira¡¯s response was, ¡¸Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ll obviously capture him,¡¹ sounding perfectly firm and filled with confidence. ¡ºOh, do you have a n then?¡» ¡¸Of course. And it¡¯ll be infallible, infallible I tell you.¡¹ Solomon tried to prod a little more, and Mira¡¯s voice sounded even more pleased. ¡ºOhhh, that¡¯s incredible. Tell me what you¡¯ll do!¡» ¡¸That¡¯s a secret. Soon enough the hot news that I just captured the Phantom Thief will reach you, that¡¯s how you¡¯ll learn my n!¡¹ Mira¡¯s infallible n to catch the Phantom Thief was standing right next to her, but she decided to keep it a secret with a smug grin instead. In reality there were other ways to track down the orphanage¡¯s location, like searching for rumors, purchase records from merchants, or tailing people, but Mira¡¯s mind was set on capturing the Phantom Thief and would not allow other ideas in.
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Chapter 214: Solomon’s Request (1) Chapter 214: Solomon¡¯s Request (1)
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¡ºBy the way, what was the name of thepany that received that warning? I¡¯m pretty sure that region is chock full of differentpanies.¡» ¡¸Ah, what was it again¡­umm¡­ I think it was something like Doles Company.¡¹ After Solomon asked that, Mira mumbled in thought for a moment and somehow managed to wring out the name from her hazy memory. ¡ºI see, Doles Company, huh¡­¡» ¡¸Oh, you know of it?¡¹ ¡ºI guess you can say that. Or rather, I looked into it during the whole Chimera uzen incident, and it kept showing up in the reports. It¡¯s a cesspool of corruption.¡» Solomon had also investigated the Doles Company, and had uncovered countless counts of fraud, trading of illegal substances, collusion with bandit gangs, and even the assassination of business rivals. They had essentiallymitted every crime possible while somehow keeping it under wraps. ¡ºI guess Fuzzy Dice really is a chivalrous thief.¡» ording to Solomon¡¯s reports, the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice always targeted people with plenty of skeletons in their closets. Mira had also gathered as much from the stories and rumors she heard. Fuzzy Dice seemed to always act on behalf of the greater good. And then Mira thought of something else. ¡¸By the way, all of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s past targets also must¡¯ve done various stuff, right?¡¹ Mira had gotten curious about that. She wanted to know what kind of atrocities someone had tomit to fall in the radar of a righteous thief like that. It seemed like Solomon had also been curious about that before. ¡ºI¡¯m pretty sure they did really bad things. Wait a little, I swear I put those reports around here¡­ Okay, I got them, so¡­¡» Solomon had kept the results of his investigations nearby, and he read them aloud. So far there were fourteen people targeted by Fuzzy Dice. Most of them were merchants, but there were a few adventurers, workers of the guild, or even nobles amongst them as well. Their crimes were also severe, with counts that usually included murder. ¡¸That¡¯s a lot of scum, though there¡¯s one attack that seems rather in¡­¡¹ ¡ºYeah, looking at it again I can see what you mean.¡» Out of the fourteen victims, if they really could be called that, there was one name that caught Mira and Solomon¡¯s attention. His name was Gerhard Helmann, a noble who governed over a remote region of Grimdart. It was also that attack which made Fuzzy Dice¡¯s name spread and be known throughout the world. In the present day, Fuzzy Dice¡¯s name was synonymous with an advance notice, followed by a perfectly executed heist which generated even more acim from the public. But ording to the reports, there had been no advance notice for that first attack. ¡¸That one looks far less morous to thetest attacks.¡¹ ¡ºIt almost feels like he hadn¡¯t fully developed his identity yet.¡» The report included the first person Fuzzy Dice targeted. Apparently Fuzzy Dice¡¯s main objective there had been to steal proof of the noble¡¯s crimes, exposing them for the entire world to see, while leaving his wealth untouched. ¡ºI guess that means his main objective has always been to expose his target¡¯s crimes first.¡» ¡¸Or he simply couldn¡¯t forgive his crimes.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice¡¯s attack had revealed Gerhard¡¯s crime, human trafficking. That was a heinous crime, and even if Fuzzy Dice¡¯s next targets hadmitted multiple other crimes, Gerhard¡¯s was multiple steps worse. But there was another important detail in the report. The people Baron Gerhard captured and sold off were all war orphans. ¡ºIt seems like there was quite an uproar when this was brought to light.¡» The report included a detailed ount of everything that happened, which Solomon read out loud with intrigue. Grimdart¡¯s reaction to the incident was also described there. Even if someone was a noble, they were not allowed to participate in heinous acts. But nobles were also in a position that allowed them to sweep evidence under the rug, as long as it was something minor. Gerhard had also utilized his authority that way, appearing like awful lord on the outside, while sullying his hands trafficking humans behind closed doors. Human trafficking or owning ves was not permitted in Grimdart. So if everything came to light, the baron would not be let off easy. But whenever any form of investigation wasunched, someone with connections to the baron would take over the investigation and sabotage it. There was actually a long list of failed investigations into his actions. And that was when Fuzzy Dice made his gant entrance. He would not yield to a noble¡¯s machinations, skillfully digging up undeniable proof, and then making everything public. That was how Gerhard¡¯s true face was exposed to the world. After that, there was no way for the noble to try hiding everything again, and the full weight of thew fell upon him. ¡ºThe whole country¡¯s management was mobilized, and their secret service were able to locate many orphans who had already been sold as ves.¡» That all had happened nine years in the past. Once judgment was passed on the baron, the public raised their concerns for the victims of his actions. This was shortly after the Defense of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, so its effects could still be felt, everyone having to endure harsh living conditions. The news of a noble trying to make a fortune out of the misery of so many poor children made everyone¡¯s heart ache, and the news spread quickly to neighboring countries. It was a world torn apart by a great war, people struggled just by keeping themselves alive. Few people had the resources necessary to even think of someone else¡¯s children, even if they were orphans left behind by the war. But children were also the light of the future. There were people who firmly believed that. The news that an evil noble had been brought to justice was like a ray of sunlight amidst the gloom. And so the world celebrated and supported Fuzzy Dice¡¯s feat. The resulting mor demanding help for those poor children affected also spread through the entire country. While the treasury¡¯s coffers were already stretched thin, if they ignored those pleas, public unrest would just keep growing. So the government was forced to act. ¡ºThey rescued the orphans who had been sold off. That was likely also part of the n of the mysterious thief.¡» Tracking the various channels orphans had been sold through was an enormous task for a lone thief, but he seeded in forcing the government to do it for him. At that point, Solomon could not stop himself from grumbling about someone manipting public opinion to force the government though. ¡¸Somehow it seems like orphans were at the heart of everything now.¡¹ Mira had suspected Artesia had built and funded an orphanage. Fuzzy Dice seemed to be a big sponsor of orphanages, and his first heist had culminated in the rescue of war orphans caught by a human trafficking ring. That was certainly an intriguing connection. ¡¸Wait, could it be that Fuzzy Dice¡¯s identity is actually Artesia?¡¹ ¡ºNo way. That definitely sounds like an overreaching¡­though actually¡­¡» She would do anything if it helped a child. That was the main impression both had of Artesia. ¡ºBut that was only the first heist, there¡¯s a lot of other targets who were not involved with children. And sending warning letters before stealing doesn¡¯t sound like her at all.¡» ¡¸That¡¯s true¡­¡¹ After a short debate, they stopped trying to connect Fuzzy Dice and Artesia. Apart from her behavior towards children, Artesia had always been of calm demeanor, like a motherly figure. Nothing at all like the Fuzzy Dice rumors described. ¡¸Well, whichever the case, I¡¯ll be able to ask Fuzzy Dice directly once my n ys out.¡¹ ¡ºYeah, that¡¯s true. That might be for the best.¡»
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Chapter 214: Solomon’s Request (2) Chapter 214: Solomon¡¯s Request (2)
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Fuzzy Dice¡¯s identity was irrelevant, as long as he could provide information about the orphanage. Mira and Solomon reeled in the conversation to focus on that, and stopped specting about Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸Alright then, I¡¯ll call you again if something happens.¡¹ Saying that, Mira finally tried to end the call. ¡ºBy the way, if you¡¯re heading to your next destination already, I guess you won¡¯t be back in a while¡­¡» But then Solomon brought up a different topic, something that seemed obvious. His voice sounded slightly dejected. ¡¸Mhm, it¡¯ll be a while¡­ Why do you ask? Are you that lonely being unable to see me? Hm? Hm?¡¹ Mira reaffirmed her grip on the device¡¯s receiver and began to grin mockingly. She decided she could grant his friend the luxury of staying on the phone for longer, as he was essentially trapped in the capital and unable to go anywhere due to his duties. While Mira thought that, that hint of sadness remained in Solomon¡¯s voice, as he continued, ¡ºWell, it¡¯s mostly your wife.¡» ording to the vice-elder Creos, Mariana had started wondering out loud when Mira would be back. At first, Creos just told her that Mira would be back soon enough, but one day Mariana asked exactly where Mira had gone to, and he replied honestly. He said Mira would be going to the Ancient Underground City, and he also mentioned that depending on the situation, she might go to the lowest floor, and that was the mistake. The power of Machina Guardian in the Ancient Underground City was well-known throughout the Silver Linked Towers. The reason was that back when the Nine Wisemen first gathered, they went to fight Machina Guardian as a test for their power, which ended in a catastrophic defeat and they had to retreat. Machina Guardian was the first andst raid boss that aplished that against the Nine Wisemen. In hindsight, they did not have nearly enough experience to pull off such a feat back then. But they had already taken the name of Nine Wisemen, and their defeat left a strong mark in history and everyone remembered their only defeat. So when Mariana heard Mira was heading there, and could end up running against Machina Guardian again, she was instantly worried. After that, Mariana¡¯s treatment of Solomon had be much harsher and blunt, making Solomon feel like she had no respect for him anymore. ¡¸What, Mariana is doing that¡­¡¹ Mariana was a rather capable aide. She was good with housework, and was always gentle and well-mannered. But now she was giving Solomon the cold shoulder. That she was acting that way for Mira¡¯s sake was somewhat endearing, Mira thought, and it made her slightly happy. But she also could not allow herself to let Mariana continue feeling that way. Mira began to think that maybe she did have to return, just for the peace of mind, but then Solomon said ¡ºZero, nine, zero, five, got it?¡» listing a series of numbers. ¡¸Hm? 0905 was it?¡¹ ¡ºYes, nine for the nine towers, then taking the Tower of Magic you go clockwise, making the Tower of Summoning the fifth. You should try calling in every so often, or rather¡­do it as soon as possible, please.¡» Mariana was known for being kind to everyone, so Solomon could hardly stand being the only one being treated harshly by Mariana. When Mira repeated the numbers back, Solomon gave a more detailed exnation of what they stood for. He had basically given her the tower¡¯s phone number. Meaning that no matter how far away Mira was, she would be able to call in and catch up with Mariana. ¡¸Mhm, I¡¯ll try calling in a bit. I can¡¯t have her worrying too much.¡¹ Mira did not really care for Solomon¡¯s situation, she was mostly concerned with easing Mariana¡¯s worries, and a call would go a long way to aplish that. So Mira decided she would call the Tower of Summoning. ¡ºAnd please try to sprinkle in something like mentioning that I paid for these devices out of my own pocket just so you two can remain in contact, just so she stops ming me, I¡¯d appreciate it so much¡­¡» It was rare for Solomon to be so direct with a personal favor. But he had plenty of reasons for that. Everyone knew that Mariana was kind to everyone, but people had started to notice that she was being much harsher to Solomontely, which gave birth to rumors that Solomon had done unspeakable things to Mariana. Now Solomon was desperate to quench those rumors before they spread too far. ¡¸Hmm, if I feel like it. Anyway, I¡¯ll call Mariana so I¡¯m hanging up now.¡¹ Solomon¡¯s feelings did not really matter to Mira, and something else had more priority, so she quickly hung up. As the receiver was moving down, a short ¡ºI¡¯m counting on you!¡» came from Solomon, and then there was silence. After ending the call with Solomon, Mira took a deep breath, then picked up the receiver again. But before she could do anything more¡­ ¡ºMira, Mira! I think your friend just said something about your wife? What was he talking about?! Shouldn¡¯t it be husband?! And he called that person Mariana, didn¡¯t he? That doesn¡¯t sound like a male name, so who is it? Do you actually have a wife?! Mira, exin what¡¯s going on!¡» Martel¡¯s voice sounded more high strung than usual, echoing inside Mira¡¯s mind. ¡ºNow Martel, we promised we wouldn¡¯t snoop or involve ourselves with Mira¡¯s private life.¡» The Spirit King tried to appease her, but once Martel¡¯s curiosity was incited, it could not be put out so easily. ¡ºBut¡­but¡­Lord Sym! Mira is a girl, and it seems she has a wife! You don¡¯t have any questions about that?!¡» ¡ºThat¡¯s irrelevant to the promise we made¡­ I really wish I knew how to reel you in whenever you act like this¡­¡» The Spirit King had already exined before that Martel was extremely fond of love stories, regardless of the pairing. Or rather, unorthodox pairings only fueled her curiosity more. ¡ºI¡¯m really sorry, Mira.¡» With that apology, the Spirit King gave up on trying to get Martel to calm down, fully throwing in the towel. Meanwhile Martel kept bombaring Mira with even more questions, trying to learn everything she could about Mariana all at once. ¡ºAh, Mariana is just a-¡» Mira did her best to fight back against Martel¡¯s excitement, doing her best to exin things properly. Mariana was simply her aide, and since Mariana took care of all the household chores and anything Mira needed, Solomon called her Mira¡¯s wife as a joke. ¡ºOh, so that was it¡­ What a shame.¡» Mariana was just Mira¡¯s aide and helper, and not someone with a deeper connection. Once Martel understood that, her excitement vanished and she fell silent. (Alright, I think she¡¯s finally calmed down¡­ The things Solomon does for me.) Martel¡¯s voice was no longer ringing endlessly in her mind, letting Mira sigh relieved. Though Solomon¡¯s words would not leave her mind. Mariana as her wife. Mira had said that was just Solomon poking fun at them, but somehow that exnation did not sit fully right with Mira either. Actually she would not be a bad wife for Mira, or rather, she could be the ideal wife. Such thoughts began to swirl up in her mind, but she kept her lips sealed about them, knowing that Martel would never shut up if she brought that up.
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Chapter 215: Catching up with Mariana (1) Chapter 215: Catching up with Mariana (1)
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¡¸Alright¡­ 0905, right?¡¹ Mira faced the device again, taking the receiver in her hand as she recalled the number to the tower, but then she stopped right before she started punching in the number. (Hm, what should I say though? What should we talk about¡­somehow I¡¯m starting to get nervous.) Maybe because of all the fuss around calling Mariana her wife, Mira¡¯s state of mind had changed greatly and now she felt like she was about to call a girl she liked. It would be easier if she had entered the mindset of a husband calling his wife waiting at home, but that was too difficult for Mira. But Mira could not afford to wait until her emotions settled down. Martel was likely still paying attention to her actions, so if Mira took too long, she could start getting suspicious, and could even start asking why Mira was so nervous about calling someone who was simply an aide. Taking a deep breath, she quickly pressed the respective buttons. The receiver soon produced a continuous beeping, which only made Mira feel even more restless, trying to think of something to say. ¡ºHello, this is the Tower of Summoning, vice-elder Creos speaking.¡» ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s you¡­¡¹ The rollercoaster of emotions had taken quite a toll on Mira, so she sighed loudly with an exhausted voice. But thinking about it, Creos had always been more likely to pick up the call. Somehow Mira had already convinced herself that Mariana would be the one on the other side, so having her expectation betrayed made her mind nk out. ¡ºUmm, I¡¯m not sure how to feel about that response, but that voice and speech manner¡­could you be Lady Mira?¡» Meanwhile Creos was not taken down by Mira¡¯s tepid response, and instead seemed to grow excited to know who was talking to him. ¡¸Yes, yes it¡¯s me. So umm¡­you know, Solomon said something about Mariana being worried, so I decided to call¡­¡¹ Once Mira recovered from Creos¡¯ unexpected appearance, she exined the situation, only to feel nervous again. Forcing those feelings back and feigning being rxed, she added ¡¸¡­So, is Mariana nearby?¡¹ ¡ºI knew it was you! And I appreciate that! Mariana is currently cleaning the tower, so I¡¯ll go get her right now. Just wait a moment!¡» It seemed that just like Solomon had said, Mariana had been acting strangetely, and even Creos and the rest of the tower were concerned with her. Creos¡¯ voice across the device sounded filled with hope, almost like his prayers had been answered and his savior had arrived. Before Mira could say anything, she heard footsteps moving away from themunications device on the other side, as well as a door being opened vigorously. Creos wanted Mariana to be there as soon as possible. (Okay, I still have some time¡­) The pause before Mariana arrived felt a godsend for Mira, as she could use that time to figure out what she would say to Mariana. The obvious thing to start with would be by informing her that Soul Howl had been found, and that Mira was safe. Thinking of the relief she would give Mariana made Mira start grinning already. The issue came after that, Mira would have to mention her next mission. Mira would have to exin to Mariana that she would be searching for a hidden orphanage. The Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice likely knew the location, and he was said to appear soon in Haxthausen. Sadly that also meant it would be longer before Mira returned to the tower, and she was afraid of how Mariana would take it. It pained Mira having to bring such sad news to Mariana, but the country and her other friends were also important. She could not really use Solomon as a scapegoat either, that would be too cheap. Mira was simply doing her best to keep her country safe. Mariana would surely understand that too though. Or at least that was all Mira could hope for as she waited. Themunication device did not have the function to put someone on hold, continuously transmitting any sound on the other side even if there was no one there. Eventually Mira heard something break the silence. It sounded like some distant thumping. Mira had no idea what that was, but then she heard the door slowly opening. Mira understood that Mariana had finally arrived, so she did her best to straighten her back, even though her back was inside the closet, and nervously awaited Mariana¡¯s voice. But instead she heard the sound of something being knocked over, and then the ttering noise of the device¡¯s receiver hitting the ground, which made Mira¡¯s body jolt violently. ¡¸What¡­what just happened? Heyyy, Marianaaa, are you okaayyyy?¡¹ Once Mira recovered from the shock, she called out to Mariana, still unsure of what had happened on the other side. This time there was a weird shuffling sound. That could not be Mariana, but then what could it be? Mira¡¯s thoughts were starting to get her restless, but she soon understood it was all wasted consideration. ¡ºKyui! Kyui!¡» A cutesy squeak was transmitted from the device. ¡¸Ohh, is that you Luna? Aww you clever girl, you figured out how to use themunications device!¡¹ ¡ºKyui~!¡» Mira quickly replied with a sweet voice, and Luna replied with a happy squeak. The previous sequence of noises had all been caused by Luna. The device¡¯s transmissions could be heard throughout the entire top floor of the tower, so Luna was able to hear Mira¡¯s voice from another room. And since Luna had watched Mariana and Creos using the device before, she knew how to use it as well, opening the door to the room and knocking over the receiver to be able to squeak into it. Mira quickly praised all of that, even if she knew just how smart Luna was, and that figuring out how to use the device was nothing too hard for her. ¡¸Good good, so have you been alright?¡¹ ¡ºKyu-kyui, kyuii~!¡» ¡¸I see, so you¡¯ve doing well. That¡¯s good.¡¹ ¡ºKyuii~!¡» Mira continued talking with a soft voice, which was met by ecstatic noises from Luna. It was hard to tell whether either side could actually understand the other, but they seemed to be having an actual conversation. That was amon trait for pet lovers, almost like a form of telepathicmunication with animals. ¡ºKyui~¡» ¡¸Me too, I miss you a lot.¡¹ Mira tried replying, but then someone else¡¯s voice came. ¡ºLuna, Mariana is also waiting to talk, do you mind waiting for a bit?¡» It was Creos¡¯ voice, and what he said made Mira¡¯s body stiffen up instantly. What he said implied that Mariana was also there, waiting for Luna to finish talking so she could talk to Mira as well. And they had likely also heard the entire conversation between Luna and Mira. (Why didn¡¯t you say anything if you were already there!!) Mira¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the realization that others had heard the yful voice she used to talk to Luna. ¡ºSo it¡¯s really you, Lady Mira¡­¡» Mariana¡¯s voice was weaker than usual, showing just how worried she had been for Mira, who also realized that Mariana had been far more concerned than she imagined. ¡¸Yes, the one and only in the flesh. I heard you were worried about me, and I¡¯m sorry for that, Mariana. But as you can see, I¡¯m in perfect health so you shouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡¹ Mira carefully told her that, and while she felt bad for having made Mariana worry so much, she could not stop herself from grinning a little, thinking that they did sound like a married couple. ¡ºYes, it does seem that way. I could hear your voice being quite lively earlier.¡» Mariana was likely referring to the way Mira spoke to Luna, giggling teasingly. ¡¸Hrngh..!¡¹ Hearing that, Mira groaned ufortably, nearly pulling her hair out as she could not bear the embarrassment. Mira could walkpletely naked in public without feeling an ounce of shame, but having someone else listen to the way she spoke to animals made her wish the ground would swallow her up, likely because she felt like that detracted from the image of herself she wanted to maintain.
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Chapter 215: Catching up with Mariana (2) Chapter 215: Catching up with Mariana (2)
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While Mira suffered, ¡ºThere¡¯s a lot of people who change entirely when talking to their pets,¡» ¡ºYes, Forsythia was the same,¡» rang in her mind. It was the Spirit King and Martel talking. That was when Mira realized that those two had also been able to listen to everything, doubling her agony. Worthramble watched her from a distance, looking at her with pity and rting to her pain. ¡¸Anyway, that¡¯s that, I already finished with the Ancient Underground City, and I safely got to reunite with Soul Howl!¡¹ Fighting to tear through her humiliation, Mira raised her voice and announced her biggest achievement. ¡ºOhh, you already found Soul Howl!¡» came Creos¡¯ enthusiastic response. ¡ºThat¡¯s very impressive, but I never doubted you, Lady Mira.¡» Mariana also sounded happy to hear that. Luna¡¯s happy squeaks could also be heard through the device. Mira also grinned smugly, happy that she had sessfully diverted the conversation in her favor. Keeping her momentum, she continued talking about her encounter with Soul Howl. Soul Howl was still busy with his quest after the Brilliant Chalice, so he would not return until he was done. That would take a few months, and after that he woulde back. ¡¸So in that regard, Ipleted that mission. But¡­¡¹ Mira stopped for a moment there, struggling to get the next words out. Mariana had already been worried with Mira¡¯s long absence, and now Mira was going to be away for a while again. Having to mention that was not easy. And likely in an attempt to cover for that, Mira tried to go into as much detail as she could. So she mentioned the orphanage that had been founded by someone oddly simr to Artesia, and was located not too far from Mira¡¯s current location in northeastern Grimdart. But since the precise location was not unknown, Mira would try to go after the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice, who had ties to multiple orphanages. Fuzzy Dice would appear in Haxthausen in four days, or at least that was what his signature warning letter said. If Mira wanted to catch him there, she needed to depart immediately, and could not afford to stop by the tower. And that was the gist of Mira¡¯s exnation. ¡¸I¡¯ll have to head for Haxthausen soon so umm¡­is that alright?¡¹ Mira said that, almost like she was asking for permission, sounding just like a husband trying to apologize for not being able toe back home early. Mariana listened to everything silently. Then there was silence for a bit, before she slowly replied ¡ºYes, of course,¡» and then continued: ¡ºI¡¯d be lying if I said I won¡¯t miss you. But I also¡­love how you¡¯re always working so hard for this country, and everyone in it. So please focus on what you believe is more important. That¡¯s all I ask for.¡» Mariana¡¯s voice was slow but heartfelt, filled with kindness and strength. It was true that she missed being with Mira, but she also believed Mira¡¯s work and the adventures she lived for were more important. ¡ºJust¡­ You don¡¯t have to do it all the time, only whenever you¡¯re free, but I¡¯d be d if you could call again so I can at least hear your voice.¡» She added that in the end, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. But she likely meant that from the bottom of her heart as well, getting slightly embarrassed. There was no person alive who would not feel happy being told something like that. And that obviously included Mira, who firmly sped the receiver while trying to keep her emotions in check. ¡¸Okay! I vow to call you more often from now on! I promise!¡¹ Mira answered almost by impulse, but her face was of pure bliss. Mariana¡¯s voice also rang happier, as if the very short time they had been talking had been enough topletely dispel her longing for Mira¡¯s presence. The two continued chatting for a while after that, though Mira was doing most of the talking, detailing her adventures within the Ancient Underground City. Mira¡¯s tale started with her arrival at Gran Rings, which was overflowing with adventurers. She detailed every event since then, continuing all the way until she parted ways with Soul Howl. ¡¸And it was unbelievably sweet and sour at the same time, it was insane!¡¹ ¡ºWas it? I can hardly imagine that when I think of the Queen of Hearts.¡» Mira also mentioned her attempt at eating the nameless fruit, which shocked Mariana, but also made herugh giddily. They continued that way, Mira telling the story, and Marianamenting every once in a while. Eventually Mira arrived at her encounter with Martel, who gave permission to talk about her, letting Mira talk about Originator Spirits. She only mentioned that Martel was watching over many treasures though, keeping her true duty secret. After that Mira also proudly announced how she had formed a contract with Martel. That was the one time that Creos showed a stronger reaction than Mariana. Creos had left the room when the two started talking, but since calls were transmitted to the entire top floor of the tower, he could still hear them. So when Mira mentioned she had formed a contract with a mansion¡¯s spirit, he rushed to the room to ask for more details. Mira then exined that simr to Armor Spirits, it was possible to form contracts with spirits that inhabited buildings, and when summoned would appear as a house, which grew in size as the bond with the spirit deepened. Hearing that satisfied Creos¡¯ curiosity, though just the fact that such contracts could be made was already a big discovery. He still raised the question as to why such contracts had never been formed in the past. The Spirit King decided to interject then and exin that. Man-Made Spirits needed to recognize someone as their master to obey their orders. Aplishing that was rather easy in the case of Armor Spirits, as one simply had to defeat them in battle. Then what about spirits inhabiting buildings or tools then? That was actually still ambiguous, as so far no summoner had attempted that before. The reason why Mira aplished it so easily was extremely simple though. She had the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, which came from the entity all spirits followed and revered, so that was enough for any Man-Made Spirit to follow Mira. That fully satiated all of Creos¡¯ curiosity, and he left the room again. Shortly after that Originator Spirits were mentioned, and he made a mad dash back to the room, unable to control his impulses anymore. ¡ºWhat, did you just bring up Originator Spirits?! And you formed a contract with one! That¡¯s so incredible! If anyone was going to do it I knew it was going to be you! So tell me, what kind of spell is necessary to summon an Originator Spirit?¡» Talking to Mariana while imagining being her husband made Mira feel delighted, she was still one of the Nine Wisemen, making her obsessed with summoning. Creos¡¯ interest in Mira¡¯s discoveries also tickled that side of her, so the two quickly went into an ardent discussion about it. They talked about the extreme Mana requirement needed to summon Martel, and the best way for spellcasters without Mira¡¯s specialbination of sses to aplish it. Then they spected about other possible summons of such a high level, and if maybe forming pacts with other Originator Spirits could also be done. And more importantly, the new Astra¡¯s Ten Spiritual Realms Circle spell required to actually summon Martel, and how to attempt learning it. Mira and Creos kept bouncing ideas between each other,bining their knowledge and trying to find a solution. That was a topic above the knowledge of even the best summoner. Such a topic would intrigue not only Creos and Mira, but any summoner in the tower, who could easily spend three days and three nights with no sleep just pondering about it. Considering all the events that led Mira to discovering the existence of that spell, there was little practical use discussing it, as almost no one would ever be able to put it into practice. But their passion for the topicy elsewhere, they were spellcasters, obsessed with any and all spells. That was also the biggest point Mira and Creos had inmon, and tied them more tightly than anyone else in the tower. And so their discussion just kept branching out and there was no end in sight for it.
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Chapter 216: Martel’s Approval (1) Chapter 216: Martel¡¯s Approval (1)
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¡ºThe Astra part suggests it¡¯s rted to the stars in some form, right? So it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a stretch to assume that it¡¯s somehow obtained from the stars as well, I¡¯d say.¡» ¡¸Hmm, stars¡­stars¡­¡¹ The two continued to theorize how to actually learn to cast the Astra¡¯s Ten Spiritual Realms Circle spell. They took the Binding Arcana Circle and Rosario Summoning Circle as reference to try deducting anything, but it still seemed like a mystery. Still, they kept bouncing ideas trying to think of anything. ¡ºI really wish I could remember exactly what that meant¡­¡» ¡¸The Ten Spiritual Realms part also seems to imply something.¡¹ ¡ºRight, I¡¯ve also been wondering about that. I feel like I heard something like that mentioned in rtion to religion-?!¡» Astra and Ten Spiritual Realms, those words seemed to be concealing some special secret, which they hoped would lead them to unlock that third type of summoning circle. But as Creos said something, his voice suddenly cut off. ¡¸Hm? Did something happen? Did you figure something out!!¡¹ ¡ºOh, no, umm¡­how do I put this¡­ Something urgent just came up, I have to leave immediately¡­¡» Mira raised her voice, hoping that meant Creos had discovered something, but his response sounded strange and with a sense of urgency, with a hint of unrest. That made Mira get worried, thinking some ident had happened, but Creos just waved her off saying it was a personal matter. ¡ºI¡¯m really sorry, we¡¯ll have to leave this discussion for another time, when we can actually take our time. I¡¯ll go ask Suleyman to look into Astra and the Ten Spiritual Realms in the meantime, surely he must know something. Regardless, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡» It seemed to be something really urgent, as Creos darted out of the room without waiting for a response. Mira could only wonder what emergency had befallen Creos to leave like that, and just when their discussion was getting to the good part. She sighed in disappointment, but quickly remembered something else. ¡¸Oh! Sorry for that, Mariana. I got really carried away!¡¹ Mariana was still there. After Creos barged in to ask about Originator Spirits, they ended up discussing summoning for a while, and the entire time Mariana had been pushed aside. Mira quickly apologized, exining that it was the biggest breakthrough for summoners in quite a while, so she had gotten too absorbed in discussing it. Somehow having pushed Mariana aside made her feel like she had just been having an affair. ¡ºOh, don¡¯t worry about that, Lady Mira. Just hearing your voice is enough for me. It seemed like you were having so much fun talking about spells with Creos, so that made me happy as well. Please keep doing what you enjoy from now on as well. Just¡­I¡¯ll be really happy whenever you think of me again, even if it¡¯s just a little.¡» Mariana was ready to wait as long as necessary, and forgive anything. Those were her honest thoughts,ing straight from her heart. (She¡¯d do all that for me..?!) Mira was overwhelmed by Mariana¡¯s devoted attitude, which was like that of a good wife. And that also seemed to settle things for her. There was mutual love between them. ¡¸It won¡¯t be just a little. You¡¯re always the most important to me!¡¹ Mira announced loudly, and then came a bashful but happy response, ¡ºYou¡¯re mine as well.¡» After that they continued talking for more than an hour, being far less reserved than before. Now Mira was no longer recounting her adventures, but they were both sharing more personal information, like what they liked and disliked, getting to know each other more. ¡¸That was quite a lengthy chat. It¡¯s getting a bitte and I have to get up early tomorrow, so I¡¯m sorry but I have to hang up now.¡¹ After they talked for a long time, they eventually reached a point where they could wrap things up, and Mira said that. She also recalled that Creos had mentioned Mariana was cleaning the tower when Mira called, so the call had been interrupting that the entire time. Mariana did not care that she had been unable to finish that task though. ¡ºIt¡¯s fine, you can call whenever you want. For me, there¡¯s nothing more important than you after all, Lady Mira.¡» Mariana stated that firmly, her feelingsing from the bottom of her heart. Mira replied with a ¡¸Same here,¡¹ her cheeks reddening and her lips unable to stop smiling. ¡¸Don¡¯t push yourself too hard though, I want you to remain in good health.¡¹ ¡ºAlright. You take care of yourself as well, Lady Mira.¡» Both told the other to take care, and then it was finally time to end the call. ¡¸Mhm, I will¡­ See you then.¡¹ ¡ºGoodbye.¡» With thosest words, Mira slowly pulled the receiver away from her ear. But it was always at times like that when hanging up became hard to do. The same went for Mariana, who remained on the line for a while longer without actually hanging up. So Mira decided it was time to show her assertiveness and manliness, pushing through the emotional resistance and hanging up with no regrets. There was a slight click as the device ended the call. Then there wasplete silence. A sudden feeling of loneliness and separation assaulted Mira as she ced the lid of the device¡¯s box. After that she stood still, staring nkly at the box. That device allowed people who were far away from each other to talk freely. That did not sound very impressive in the modern world, it wasmonce there. But this experience showed Mira just how important and life-changing that technology really was. Most of the conversation had been about trivial things, but just being able to hear each other¡¯s voice seemed to bridge the distance between them. Realizing all of that, Mira wriggled her way out of the closet. And then, all of a sudden, though rather unsurprisingly, a really excited and loud voice echoed inside Mira¡¯s mind. ¡ºMira, Miraa! You were talking to Mariana for so long! And what was that about being each other¡¯s most important person? Miraaaa, I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s something you tell a mere aide. Be honest, she¡¯s your wife, isn¡¯t she?!!¡»
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Chapter 216: Martel’s Approval (2) Chapter 216: Martel¡¯s Approval (2)
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The fact that Mira and Mariana had been talking for more than an hour spoke volumes of their true rtionship, and that would not escape Martel¡¯s keen sense for romance. As soon as the call was over, she hounded Mira with questions about it, like a meddling rtive. ¡ºI¡¯m really sorry, Mira. I promised you we wouldn¡¯t interfere with personal matters¡­¡» ¡ºBut it¡¯s not fair that Worthzy can hear everything and I¡¯m not allowed to.¡» The Spirit King apologized for Martel¡¯s behavior again, but she just keptining that it somehow was not fair. Worthzy, or rather the spirit of stillness Worthramble, was standing next to Mira and could hear everything, so Martel believed it was just fair that she should also be allowed to hear. Worthramble was also able to hear the discussion happening in Mira¡¯s mind, and he just looked bewildered, unsure how to react to being used for such an argument. But he also could not possibly oppose Martel, so making honor to his name, he just kept quiet. ¡ºAnd there you have it, she probably won¡¯t stop¡­ But in all seriousness, is it fine if we assume that¡¯s the case?¡» Martel had been released from millenia of solitude, and her passion for love stories knew no bounds and could not be stopped. It seemed like her curiosity had started to rub off on the Spirit King too though, as he also asked that, his voice filled with wonder. ¡ºWell, I guess so. You already heard everything.¡» Mira could no longer try hiding her rtionship with Mariana, or the fact that she liked Mariana, so this time she confidently affirmed it. ¡ºThat¡¯s splendid! I¡¯m so happy for you Mira!¡» ¡ºYes, that certainly warms my heart to hear.¡» Martel and the Spirit King reacted positively to hearing Mira¡¯s response. It did not seem like either of them really cared that they were not a traditional coupling. The fact that there was mutual love was reason enough to celebrate, at least ording to the Spirit King. Then Martel added that she wished more spirits could experience that. ¡ºHe also looked so happy when he fell in love back then.¡» There were not many spirits who had fallen in love, but the one she remembered the best was Reedsline, the Originator Spirit of Dimensions. His love story ended with tragedy, though she recalled he had been brimming with hope before that. ¡ºYou have my full support and I¡¯ll always cheer you two on, Mira!¡» Martel said with a firm but warm voice. Maybe saying that she was obsessed with love stories was not exactly an urate description, and she mainly wanted to confirm that people could love and be happy, instead of meeting a tragic end like Reedsline. ¡ºAnd it¡¯s two girls going at it¡­that¡¯s so nice, and so hot!¡» Or maybe she simply was obsessed with love stories, even unorthodox ones. Before departing for her next destination of Haxthausen, Mira went to Gran Rings¡¯ market under the pretense of gathering supplies for the trip. (I still have around two hundred thousand Rils, give or take¡­ It should be enough.) Mira had burned through arge part of the budget Solomon had provided, but as long as she limited her desires slightly it should be alright. And even in the worst case she could always sell off some of her Magic Stones. Knowing that, Mira went to the market without reservations. Like in any ce where arge volume of people gathered, there were also a lot of food carts lined up along the street, delicious aromas wafting out to invite clients. Even if someone was not hungry, being there would quickly open their appetite and lure them in. It would be lunch time soon enough, so the amount of people there had also increased. Mira always visited such ces in all the cities she passed through, so as usual, she walked from one to the next, buying anything that caught her eye. ¡¸This looks good too, I¡¯ll take it. Oh, a grilled meat lunchbox, of course I¡¯m not gonna pass on that.¡¹ She secured arge assortment of dishes, frommon street food staples to more exotic items, and stashed it all in her Item Box. This time she was impulsed by a realization that dawned on her while she ate dinner the night before. It was a somewhatte, and yet almost obvious and painfully simple bit of knowledge. Carrying ready-made food was always less hassle and had the best taste. The Ancient Underground City was a dungeon popr with adventurers across the entire range of skill levels. When Mira was preparing to go down to the lowest floor, she was heavily influenced by the other adventurers nearby, wanting to appear like one of them. It wasmon for adventurers to set up camp and cook their meals in the wild. Mira was well-aware of that, and she somehow began to desire experiencing the same. As a result, she splurged on all the ingredients she could get her hands on. The Item Box former yers like herself possessed would preserve all items in the same state as when they were stored, keeping them fresh for an indefinite amount of time, which was a big difference from the Operator¡¯s Bracelet most adventurers had. Mira had abused that feature, bringing in plenty of fresh ingredients. That was not a bad idea in itself, giving her a big advantage over most adventurers, including the ability to take fresh vegetables that would usually get spoiled if transported by other means. The issue was that Miracked the skills to bring out the full potential of the ingredients. In a way, her cooking took away more than half the ingredients¡¯ value. Not to mention that she was not used to cooking, and it also took a long time. After experiencing all of that first-hand, she arrived at this solution. If she could not cook delicious food herself, she could simply buy a lot of cooked, ready food. Her Item Box would preserve the freshness of any food she bought, including cooked items. It was surprising it took her so long to think of that, but the experience of actually cooking was a valuable one and would not go to waste, or at least that was what she told herself. ¡¸Mhm, this should be enough.¡¹ Mira nced over all the dishes she stashed into her Item Box and muttered with satisfaction, and then left the market. Half of her remaining money had been turned to food. There were easily more than a hundred different dishes in her Item Box after her trip to the market, including desserts. She would likely not have to worry about food for a while. Once she was gone from the market, she quickly became the topic of rumors and stories, various sellers mentioning how a strange yet cute silver haired girl had passed by, buying a ridiculous amount of food that seemed like it was too much for her to eat alone. As those stories spread, they eventually merged with the rumors from the Union, which mentioned that the popr Spirit Queen was not a gorgeous silver haired woman, but a cute young girl. The protagonist of both rumors shared many traits, all of which coincided. So in the end the stories about the Spirit Queen also added that she was a helpless glutton. It would be a long time before Mira herself caught wind of that though.
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Chapter 217: Updating Skills (1) Chapter 217: Updating Skills (1)
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Some hours passed after Mira took off heading to Haxthausen. Garuda was carrying the wagon through the air, and she rxed inside,nguidly staring at the scenery through a window. ¡¸This really is the best.¡¹ Vast meadows spread far into the distance, with a blue sky on top. Seeing all of that reminded Mira of just how luxurious her position was. The wagon was like a secret base, outfitted to be an extremely rxing space. So Mira kept sipping on Yogurt au Lait and munching on some bread she bought before. It was basically her afternoon snack with a breathtaking sight, and a luxury few others could afford. ¡¸I¡¯ll be there tomorrow night¡­¡¹ Once she was done snacking, Mira checked her current location on the map, and calcted the time remaining. The trip onnd would take around a week, but just a bit more than a day when flying. At her current speed she could justy back and rx, and arrive there the next day. Everything was so tranquil that her time running around the Ancient Underground City felt like such an old event. ¡¸It was all thanks to you, Garuda. You have my gratitude.¡¹ Garuda had been the one carrying the wagon, even now. Mira thanked her summon for that, who replied with a soft grunt. Then the wind around the wagon became a gentle spring breeze, showing Garuda¡¯s happy emotions. But that wind could not be felt inside the wagon, so Mira was oblivious to it. ¡¸Hm¡­¡¹ Some time after her snacks, Mira noticed an increasing urge to urinate. She had been so entranced by the scenery that she had drunk two bottles of Yogurt au Lait, which were the likely culprit. Sadly she was still in the air, and could not use the spirit mansion¡¯s toilet right away. But she was in the luxurious wagon, which was furnished for such situations as well. Mira opened the closet again and crawled onto the lowest level. There she opened a second door, which led to a rather simple toilet. Since the wagon was designed to bepact, it was a rather small space so it was impossible for someone to stand up straight in it. But the designers had ounted for Mira¡¯s dimensions as a young girl, so it was just the perfect size for her when squatting down. In a way, the tight space was almostforting. And while it was on the simple side, the craftsmanship of the best artisans in Arkite still showed. At the cost of Magic Stones, devices created through Magic Engineering would keep the toilet clean. Once the waste was processed, it would also be disposed of. Also, given the cramped space, it was shaped like a traditional Japanese toilet. ¡¸Phew, that felt refreshing. I really could livefortably in this wagon. It¡¯s incredible.¡¹ The wagon had been built as the perfect secret base, with the input of Solomon. Mira had praised the spirit mansion a lot in the Ancient Underground City, but the wagon was also a good ce. As Mira thought of that, she remembered she still had to check whether the spirit mansion had been able to grow after her stay in the dungeon. Whenever a contract¡¯s partner grew, or their bond grew stronger, the possibility to expand the summoning circle would appear. Doing so could grant various advantages. (I guess I can check Sanctia and Worthramble while I¡¯m at it too.) Both of them had helped greatly during the fight with Machina Guardian. So Mira wanted to know if either of them had gotten stronger too. Once she got the idea, she decided to check it out immediately, focusing her attention into her inner mind. (Hmm, I do see more things avable here.) She could feel a clear connection in her mind. Doing this was something she was already used to. Now she just had to pay more attention to the connection with the spirits, which would deploy something resembling a Skill Tree from games in her mind. There she could choose which abilities to unlock on each of her contracts. Mira tapped into it further, searching specifically for her contracts with the spirit mansion, Sanctia, and Worthramble. (Ohh, this one has progressed a bit already. I can make Sanctia stronger! Though Worthramble¡¯s hasn¡¯t improved yet.) Likely because she had summoned Sanctia a thousand times at the same time when equipping her Dark Knights with her, the contract¡¯s bond had improved. But there was no change on Worthramble¡¯s yet, either because he did not have such a big role, or because he was a higher level spirit, which made it harder to strengthen a contract. Regardless, that should improve with time as well. She was the most interested in the spirit mansion anyway. As she looked for it, she realized that there were many other contracts with the possibility of expansion. (Ohh?! Is this¡­did this also happen because this world became reality?) In the game, all the spirits she had formed contracts with had already been maxed out to the limit. So she never bothered to check the entire contract tree. After the contracts with Worthramble and Sanctia, she had checked their contracts individually a few times, but never checked anything else as she assumed they were still maxed out. But at some point her Dark Knight and Holy Knight contracts had grown past their limits, allowing for further improvements. Shocked by that discovery, Mira quickly checked her other contracts with more care. As a result, she found out all her contracts had room to grow again. (I made quite the blunder. I just assumed everything was still the same as back then¡­ But there¡¯s actually a lot more room to grow, and bonds to strengthen¡­) Mira felt thankful to everyone she had formed a contract with, and decided she would have to go greet all of them soon. But she basked in sentimentality for only a moment, as she quickly went to work growing all the summoning circles she could, beginning with the spirit mansion that led to her discovering that. Looking at it, there was a good upgrade avable. Expanding summoning circles like that could add various effects to a summon, which could vary from increasing their defenses, empowering their abilities, adding an additional elemental effect, and various others. Each contract was unique on that front. In the case of the spirit mansion, it was a summon with nobat abilities, so all the upgrades offered no advantage for fights. So the upgrade Mira chose was to add a bathtub to the bathroom, which put her in a good mood knowing she would be able to take baths too now, and not just showers. Once she was done with the spirit mansion, she moved on to the other contracts. (I can¡¯t believe this¡­ The fight against Machina Guardian would¡¯ve been much easier if only I had noticed earlier¡­) Feeling the power of having expanded the abilities of her summons, Mira shifted her attention back to the outside world. ¡¸Alright then¡­¡¹ She stood up and summoned a Holy Knight as a test. But instead of summoning it to the side like usual, it seemed to appear in the same ce Mira was standing, as if wrapping around her. ¡¸Oh, this is amazing. And I don¡¯t feel any weight at all!¡¹ That was a new ability she had unlocked, called Equipped Armor Spirit. Its effect was self-exnatory, letting her wear the summon as armor. Mira was trying it out with a Holy Knight, which made her look like a princess knight in full armor. On top of that, the armor carried over all the defensive properties of a Holy Knight, making it a far better defensive item than any armor she could possibly obtain. The close helmet could be taken out and worn at will too. The Holy Knight¡¯s signature tower shield was gone though, or rather, Mira had gotten rid of the shield and sword as she summoned it. Having both hands free suited her fighting style a lot more. It was obviously still possible to summon it as a regr Holy Knight if she chose to. ¡¸I guess I can still keep on growing stronger.¡¹ She had grown far past her previous limits. And she did not need to form new contracts to aplish it. It was all thanks to all the power and bonds she had gathered in the past, and they could keep on getting stronger now, something Mira was really happy about. She had maxed out all her summons when she obtained the title of the strongest summoner, which also meant she had reached her peak. Back then, it was slightly disappointing to realize that she would not be able to get any stronger.
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Chapter 217: Updating Skills (2) Chapter 217: Updating Skills (2)
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That disappointment no longer had a reason to exist, however. Those strong bonds she had built could keep growing stronger now. There was a possibility that all previous limits she had encountered in the past had been released now, as maybe they were only in ce for the game. Mira understood that there were still a lot of things that had changed from the game days which she had not noticed yet. That reminded her of the copies she made of Soul Howl¡¯s research notes, so she took them out and looked through them filled with excitement, ready to study to be stronger. ¡¸That Soul Howl¡­he¡¯s been getting ahead of me so much.¡¹ Miray down within her wagon, flying to her destination while grumbling at the progress Soul Howl had made as she studied his notes. It seemed like Soul Howl had arrived to this world even before Solomon, who had been checking his friends list on a daily basis and had noted the dates at which various Wisemen arrived. But Soul Howl was not listed there, meaning he came before Solomon began checking that. Thirty years was an extremely long time, so Soul Howl¡¯s research during that time far superseded what Mira had been able to find out. But Mira, in her usual attitude of never wanting to lose, read Soul Howl¡¯s notes wanting to catch up as soon as possible. Many hours passed in the blink of an eye, the sky turning dark and stars starting to peek through the edges of clouds. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s already thiste?¡¹ It was already nine o¡¯clock. Mira had not noticed the passage of time, entranced by the research notes, but now her hunger was made apparent as she looked outside. Either way, she had already gotten halfway to Haxthausen, so it was a good time to take a break for the night. And so Mira told Garuda tond next to a river. There were no rivers nearby though, so Garuda spent some time circling the area until a river slightly in the distance came into view, so Garuda went there tond. ¡¸Good job bringing me here. I¡¯ll be counting on you again tomorrow, so rest well until then.¡¹ Mira gently petted Garuda for a bit, getting ready to send the bird away. As Garuda¡¯s body began to glow signaling its departure, it spread its wings confidently, wanting to show Mira she could count on it for the next day. Next Mira summoned the spirit mansion, and going inside she took out a lunchbox to take care of her empty stomach. ¡¸Mhm, I knew this was a good idea.¡¹ Mira felt proud of herself as she ate, realizing how genius the idea of storing freshly made lunchboxes was. Now she could eat well whenever she wanted, without having to worry about cooking or preparing anything. Her grilled meat lunchbox tasted just the same as if it had just been served to her. Once Mira¡¯s stomach was full, she headed to the one ce she had been reserving forst, the bathroom which she had expanded to include a bathtub. So far she had been limited to only a shower, which was already a luxury out in the wild, but now she even had a bath to go alongside it. Mira did her best to contain her excitement as she slowly opened the door. ¡¸Ohh¡­it¡¯s a bathroom¡­and no corners were cut, this is a proper bathroom!¡¹ While before there was only space for a shower, now the room had expanded to allow for a stone bathtub to be ced next to the shower. It was roughly the same size as the bathtub of amon household, but the shiny polished stone made it look like it belonged in some noble¡¯s mansion. The only downside, if it could be called that, was that it was not filled with hot water yet. ¡¸I could¡¯ve left it filling while I ate¡­¡¹ Mira had avoided looking into the bathroom to make the moment a bit more special, but now she regretted that decision. Still, Mira would never let something like that topple her. She quickly opened the faucet wide open to let the bathtub fill. Seeing how much water came out, she calcted she would be inside the bath within ten minutes at most. While the name spirit mansion suggested something magical, the way to fill the bath was no different from what anyone else did. Still, Mira watched the water level rising slowly, full of anticipation. No matter what situation she was in, she would be able to take baths in the spirit mansion from now on, even if she was in a remote mountain within a blizzard. The possibilities seemed nearly endless, and Mira was looking forward to exploring all of them. The prospects of taking baths where no one else could were extremely alluring for her. ¡¸Halfway there¡¹ The wait was getting Mira restless, so she took all of her clothes off and continued waiting in the nude, the water level gradually rising higher as she fidgeted with anticipation. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I might as well do that while I wait.¡¹ Unable to keep still any longer, Mira took out her magic washing bag that worked just by pouring water into it, stuffing it with the clothes she had just taken off. Next she took out herundry basket from her Item Box, where she had ced all of her used underwear, and put those into the magic washing bag as well. ¡¸That should be all of it.¡¹ The washing bag was packed withundry, but Mira believed it would work regardless, pouring water from the faucet into it and closing the bag. ¡¸Now I just have to wait¡­ It really is a nifty device.¡¹ After pressing a button, the washing bag began making a rumbling and sloshing noise. Only that was enough to wash clothes showed just how impressive the technology from the Dinowal Store was. Then again, a proper manual washing would likely provide better results, but as Mira¡¯s clothes were not too dirty, the bag would be more than enough. ¡¸Just a little more¡­¡¹ Once she was done putting everything to wash, Mira turned around to look at the bathtub again. Now it was mostly filled, the water level filling four out of five parts of the bathtub¡¯s capacity. Mira would easily be able to enter the bathtub and have the water cover her up to her shoulders, but she resisted the impulse. Making the water overflow and ssh on the floor was an important part of the experience of taking a bath for her. ¡¸Oh, before I forget, that would also pair up perfectly with the asion!¡¹ As Mira imagined what that moment would feel like, she remembered something else that would enhance it even more. A drink to cool off after a bath. Feeling the refreshing liquid against her warm body was the only proper way to finish a bath. And Mira had already bought everything she needed to prepare even before she was able to take a bath in the spirit mansion. ¡¸I have to properly celebrate my first bath after all, I have to choose the perfect one¡­¡¹ Mira opened her Item Box and carefully looked through everything she had gathered, trying to find the one that caught her eye the most. After many minutes of consideration, she finally made her choice and took out one bottle. Then she also brought out one of the various magic devices sold by the Dinowal Store. It was known as a simple chilling box, which was small enough to be carried by one hand, and as its name suggested, served to cool down items. Anything that was ced inside the box would quickly be cooled down. It also had apanion device called the simple heating box, which was self-exnatory enough. Mira inserted a Magic Battery into the chilling box, then ced the bottle she chose within. Soon a sound simr to a fan spinning could be heard. It was only a matter of time before the bottle was cooled off. Once she was done setting all of that up, she heard the sound of water spilling in the bathroom. Looking there, she saw that the bathtub was finally full of water. ¡¸Finally!¡¹ Mira ran inside the bathroom to close the faucet, then slowly put her hand in the bathtub. The water was Mira¡¯s preferred temperature, around 40¡ãC. ¡¸Yes, this is everything I wanted!¡¹ Seeing that everything was exactly the way she wanted, Mira excitedly submerged her right foot in the water. Soon she felt the warm embrace of water, and as the heat transmitted into her, a prickly sensation ran up her body. At the same time, she moved her left foot into the water, and finally began to sit down. ¡¸Ahhhhh~ This is heaven.¡¹ Mira let out a delighted voice as she relished that feeling. The water also began to spill onto the bathroom¡¯s floor, filling the room with a sound simr to a waterfall. Though as her body was rather small now, the volume of disced water was quite diminishedpared to before. But the feeling it gave her remained the same. There was that pinch of guilt from wasting so much water that poked at her back, but mixed with the heat assaulting her entire body it instead turned into an exhrating feeling. All she had left to do was to leisurely stretch her legs out, feeling like she stood at the top of the world, and thoroughly enjoy her time in the bath.
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Chapter 218: A Brief Moment of Daily Life (1) Chapter 218: A Brief Moment of Daily Life (1)
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Mira soaked in the hot water, fully enjoying thefort of her bath. But after some time she began to feel that something wascking. So she went into deep thought, trying to figure out what it was. ¡¸That¡¯s it¡­¡¹ After thinking and looking around for a bit, Mira found it. It was the wall right next to her. The bathroom before was a small shower that could just barely fit two people had expanded just enough to fit the bathtub, so calling it cramped was an understatement, and the little space bothered Mira. Especially considering that all of Mira¡¯s experiences with baths so far had been in the tower, Solomon¡¯s castle, personal bathrooms in luxurious inns, orrge public ones. It was an impressive track record of baths visited. But because of her past experiences, she continued feeling dissatisfied, even considering the fact that she was taking a bath in a remote ce where usually doing so would be impossible. The main reason was the secluded nature of the spirit mansion¡¯s bathroom. Back in her previous world that had never bothered her, but now that she had tasted luxury she could not go back. ¡¸It¡¯d be so much better with a window there at least¡­¡¹ Mira muttered while looking at the nk wall next to her. Not only was the bathroom cramped, it also offered no windows to see outside, which added to the almost ustrophobic feeling Mira was experiencing. Then again, this was a house where a young girl lived alone, so having a window in the first floor¡¯s bathroom was like erecting a beacon to invite creeps. But Mira never had any caution with things like that, and enjoying her bath was far more important for her. Then, just as Mira thought that having a window there would improve her experience so much, the entire spirit mansion began to shake. ¡¸What¡¯s happening?¡¹ First, Mira thought that it was an earthquake, but then she noticed a certain change. After a stronger jolt, the wall next to Mira began to shift. It had not been too long since Mira formed a contract with the spirit mansion, so there was a lot she did not know about it. That made the current situation all the more unnerving for her, as she was afraid the spirit mansion might have gotten enraged because Mira kept grumbling that it was too small. In reality, it was the opposite. The spirit mansion was trying to fulfill Mira¡¯s wish. Once all the shaking winded down, arge window appeared on the wall. Through it, the scenery under the darkness of night with nothing to illuminate it was visible like a ck vastness, while the sky was dotted with stars. ¡¸Ohh¡­ There really is no other view like the night sky.¡¹ The night sky unfolded unobstructed for as far as she could see. Mira admired that sight as she slowly sank into the water again. ¡¸So you built an entire window for me? Thank you, I really appreciate that.¡¹ Mira gently touched the window as she muttered that. She understood that the spirit mansion had altered its shape to amodate her desires, showing its construction was far more malleable than she assumed at first. In other words, the spirit mansion could alter its shape if Mira willed it. Knowing that, Mira could not stop herself from smiling as she began dreaming of what would be possible once the spirit mansion became even bigger. It was almost like she would be able to instantly recreate anything she imagined.
¡¸Ahh¡­baths really are the best.¡¹ Mira remained in the bath for around an hour. By then she had finally enjoyed it enough, and got up to leave the bathroom. Then she wiped her body with a towel before putting on some panties, but nothing else under the pretense of cooling off her body from the warm bath. Following that trend, she went to the chilling box and picked it up. ¡¸Let¡¯s see here¡­ Ohh, it¡¯s actually ice cold!¡¹ The bottle inside the chilling box was surprisingly cold, ready to be consumed. ¡¸This really is the best thing to finish a bath with.¡¹ Mira looked ecstatic as she held the bottle, which had Coffee Milk written on it. Having a drink right after a bath wasmon for public baths, not something done in households, but Mira had prepared everything for it nevertheless. Still, she wanted to recreate that feeling, while coupled with the sense of safety of being under her own roof, on top of being in the middle of a trip. For that, she had already gathered arge variety of coffee milk bottles, and it was that collection she had looked through to make a decision before entering the bath. Her choice for her first drink in the spirit mansion was Coffee Milk from the Brobel Meadows Farm. There were other alternatives, like the Royal Coffee Milk sold by the most expensive hotel, or the Early Morning Latte made in a nearby farm with the first produce milked in a day, or the concoction of an award winning patissier known as Coffee Milk Flower Star, or the Special Blend Coffee Milk from a perfectionist barista who spared no expense. Considering the size of Gran Rings and all the different people that gathered there, finding a rich variety of coffee milk types was not too surprising, and Mira had made sure to buy each type she could find. All for this very asion. ¡¸The sight here is just as magnificent.¡¹ Mira went to the living room¡¯s window and leaned against it as she opened the bottle. That was a different angle from the bathroom, showing the river nearby and the stars and moon reflected on the water like a twinkling glimmer. It was the perfect night to celebrate that first bath. So in honor of that night, Mira raised her bottle and then gently brought it to her lips. She did not do the usual gulping down while standing with a wide stance, with the left hand on the hip, as that was something only one should do when around people and not alone at home. Instead, Mira was slowly sipping the coffee milk, thoroughly tasting it like it was some sort of expensive wine. ¡¸Hmm, I can feel the fragrance of coffee spreading all the way to my cheeks, but the smooth texture of milk clearlyes through as well. One can never go wrong with buying from a farm!¡¹ With a slightly raised gaze and pensive look, Mira assumed the role of a critic as she spoke her thoughts into the air. She also reaffirmed a theory she hade up with before, anything that came from a farm was never bad. She had tasted various products made in farms before, like softcream, fresh caramel, cheese, sausages, and many more, and all of them had been exceedingly delicious. So that gave birth to her theory. Just Farm after Brobel Meadows in thebel convinced Mira that it was tasty. Mira continued taking a few sips, muttered ¡¸Perfectly bnced,¡¹ gently swirling the bottle around. She had never really tried any other types of coffee milk before, but she still spoke with the airs of a seasoned sommelier. Then again, a pair of panties was the only piece of clothing on her body, so it was hard to really see her as a connoisseur even if she had juste out of a bath. Regardless, it was true that her drink was a good one. After that refreshing drink, Mira¡¯s night full of pleasures came to an end.
Mira woke up in the middle of the next morning, being neither toote nor too early. The morning sun was shining through the window, giving the room a gentle warmth. ¡¸Mm¡­that was a refreshing night.¡¹ Having sleptfortably the entire night, she happily stretched and got up. Then after gazing into the air absentmindedly for a bit, she began her morning routine. ¡¸Alright, what do I feel like today¡­¡¹ After going to the toilet, and then taking a shower, Mira was finally fully awake. Now she was sitting in the living room, trying to decide what to eat. She had to be careful with that, as breakfast was always the most important meal of the day, and thanks to the vast collection of food she had hoarded, the decision was even harder to make. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s take this, this¡­and this¡­¡¹ Around ten minutes of deliberation passed before Mira made her decision, and then began eating while bathed in the morning light passing through the window.
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Chapter 218: A Brief Moment of Daily Life (2) Chapter 218: A Brief Moment of Daily Life (2)
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Mira¡¯s breakfast that day were sandwiches from a good bakery in Gran Rings, the name of which she had overheard from housewives gossiping in the streets. There were the staple tomato, as well as ham and cheese sandwiches, but Mira had added a teriyaki chicken sandwich to the pair, making for a hefty breakfast. It had all been ording to the housewives¡¯ suggestions, and they were all tasty. Especially the teriyaki chicken sandwich, it had plenty of volume and was really juicy, but it was so good that it made one want to eat a second one. ¡¸I knew it, I¡¯ve finally unlocked the true purpose of the Item Box.¡¹ Her sandwiches could remain fresh for as long as she wanted now. Once she ate the ones she selected for breakfast, she also took out something to drink. It was a malt based drink, made with powdered malt and chocte, as well as some milk, making it an actually decent pick for breakfast. That drink was also a rmendation Mira had overheard from some female adventurers she passed by. Apparently it wasmonly sold as a breakfast staple by a caf¨¦ of Gran Rings. Incidentally, that was the same ce that sold the Coffee Milk Flower Star. ¡¸I really feel like I¡¯ve been maintaining my figure perfectly.¡¹ Mira looked down at her own body, smiling with satisfaction. It was still too early to decide whether eating unhealthily would affect her appearance at all, but for now she was still in what she considered her ideal shape, so that was no concern. Sometimes her stomach would protrude slightly when she ate too much, but that did not affect her at all. Regardless, she was done eating breakfast, so she finally decided to put on some clothes and began preparing to depart. ¡¸Good, I have everything.¡¹ After getting dressed and packing her things, Mira did onest sweep of the living room to make sure she was not forgetting anything. Seeing that everything was in order, she opened the door and left the spirit mansion. Sending the spirit mansion away would be a faster way to get out, rather than going through the door, but there was a reason for that ceremony of hers. Leaving through the door would entuate the feeling that she was about to depart on an adventure. And there was another reason, Mira simply enjoyed looking at the mansion from outside. ¡¸Yes¡­this is perfect. Being the lord of one¡¯s castle is the dream of all men after all. A spirit mansion¡­my own home¡­a home I can carry wherever I go. Yes, this is my perfect home.¡¹ One¡¯s home, a sanctuary of safety and peace, and a life goal of any man. Mira was no different, and the sight of the spirit mansion filled her with indescribable pride. And as long as there was enough space, she could summon her home anywhere she wanted, just like here in this vast grasnd. That fact alone made her home all the more unique, as not even nobles or royalty possessed such portable homes. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you again soon enough.¡¹ That was her home, and there was no other like it. It had recently grown to fit a bathroom as well, and it would likely continue improving. Just thinking of how it would grow next filled Mira with excitement, and she knew she would be using the spirit mansion quite often from now on. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s see if I can make it there today.¡¹ Mira checked her map to see how far away from Haxthausen she was, since that was her destination. At the same time she began to wonder what kind of inn was awaiting her there. Staying in her home was not bad, but visiting inns was an important part of traveling as well. Thinking of that, she headed to the river, since the wagon had been parked next to it. But then she noticed something. ¡¸What¡­what¡¯s that¡­¡¹ She noticed an unknown object thered onto the wagon¡¯s driver seat. Seeing that made Mira jump a little, and she froze where she stood, trying to discern what she was looking at. With time, she realized the object had the figure of a person, but waspletely drenched, like a body salvaged from the sea. Whatever it was, it looked rather creepy. But as she stared at it for longer, she noticed a particr detail, which instantly revealed what it was, so she quickly eased her wariness and sighed in relief, saying, ¡¸Oh, you already made it here.¡¹ Mira had noticed translucent blue hair, and the glow particr to spirits. That unknown object was actually a spirit. Realizing that, Mira also remembered the conversation she had the day prior, when she summoned Worthramble. Back when she met the Holy Sword Sanctia and the spirit of stillness Worthramble, there had been a third spirit apanying them, the water spirit Anlutine. She was the only one of the trio who had not formed a contract with Mira, and now that the Spirit King had created a spiritwork, she had started to feel left out. After discussing that with the Spirit King, he quickly arranged for Mira to be able to form contracts with multiple spirits of the same type, and as soon as Anlutine heard that, she departed to see Mira instantly. Somehow she hadpleted that trip in just one day. Though moving so quickly had clearly drained her strength and she copsed as soon as she reached the wagon, leading to her current appearance as a washed up body. ¡¸Heyy, are you alivee?¡¹ Mira first approached the wagon, where she gently shook the spirit¡¯s shoulder while talking to her. That also showed her face, letting Mira know for sure that it was Anlutine. But she was clearly exhausted, as no matter how much Mira shook her, she just moved like a wet rag and would not wake up. ¡¸Now then, what should I do here¡­¡¹ Since the Spirit King had let Mira form multiple contracts, she had no reason to refuse any spirit who came to her. Except that as Anlutine was unresponsive, she could not ept the contract yet. Eventually Mira decided that waiting for Anlutine to wake up would be the best choice, though she had no way of knowing when she would wake up. Mira still had the mission to catch Fuzzy Dice, and she wanted to gather as much information about the location before anything happened. Sitting there twiddling her thumbs until Anlutine woke up was not exactly something she felt like doing. So she began to consider forcing Anlutine awake to get the contract over with. But considering how exhausted she was, Mira could not bring herself to do that. Then again, she also disliked the idea of wasting time waiting for her to wake up on her own. In the end, Mira decided they would depart together, so she dragged Anlutine down from the driver¡¯s seat and pulled her into the wagon, where she ced a mattress on the floor for Anlutine. ¡¸She¡¯ll be so shocked when she wakes up.¡¹ Anlutine would wake up inside the wagon, and maybe even high up in the air. Mira was looking forward to her reaction when that would happen, and she went to finish the preparations before departing, though there was only one thing she still had to do. Go outside and summon Garuda. Mira activated her summoning spell, and Garuda emerged from the magic circle, and quickly lowered its head to Mira in reverence, the bird¡¯s whole appearance majestic. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you again for today.¡¹ That disy of loyalty was something Mira felt grateful for, gently rubbing Garuda¡¯s beak. So far Mira had never forgotten to be thankful to her summons. She had a habit of talking to them back in the game as well, but now that everything was real, it was something she did without really thinking about it. Knowing her summons were always helping her so readily brought her immense joy as well. Garuda then stood up and spread its wings wide in response to Mira¡¯s words. That was the mostmon pose of Garuda used when depicting the bird, highlighting the feathers with a rainbow sheen. It basically signaled that Garuda felt proud to serve Mira. Mira and Garuda had been together for a long time, so they shared a deep bond. Garuda had vowed eternal loyalty to Mira, feeling indebted to her, and also admiring and revering her. Because of all that, Garuda felt like it was an honor to help carry Mira around. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it in your hands then.¡¹ Seeing that Garuda was ready, Mira nodded satisfied and returned to the wagon, where she sat down next to the window like usual, and looked at the river and grasnds outside. Then, sensing that Mira had settled inside, Garuda gently lifted the wagon into the air. Inside, Mira heard the usual sound of wind passing by the wagon as she watched the ground grow distant as they gained altitude. No matter how many times she saw it, it was always a breathtaking sight. Sitting within the wagon adorned like a traditional Japanese room with a vastndscape far below was yet another luxury Mira had grown ustomed to.
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Chapter 219: Everyone Gathered (1) Chapter 219: Everyone Gathered (1)
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Being able to eat while flying high in the air was another of the luxuries offered by the wagon. But going to the ground and having a pic of sorts, surrounded by nature and a blue sky also had its merits. Mira could pick one or the other whenever she felt like, and now she had chosen thetter option for lunch, treating herself to a rxing meal while sitting next to a picturesqueke amidst the vast grasnds. ¡¸There¡¯s a certain beauty to such tranquility as well.¡¹ The sun was shining brightly overhead, while some distant clouds adorned the horizon. On one side she had a lush grasnd, while ake with crystal clear water rested on the other side. It was the sort of scenery that would inspire an artist to draw andscape, and Mira admired it while eating a warm lunch box of sauced pork. Garuda was also there, not too far from Mira. As a way to rest and pass time, Garuda was feasting on fishes from theke, skillfully pecking them out of the water. But that did not mean it had lowered its guard, Garuda¡¯s senses were keenly aware of their surroundings, while also making sure that there was only a gentle breeze around Mira. ¡¸Well, this might be the perfect ce for that.¡¹ Her lunchtime over, Mira stood up and surveyed her surroundings. This ce was far away from civilization and seldom transited, so it was unlikely anyone would catch sight of what she did, no matter how shy it was. Mira wanted to put into practice something she had thought of the day before. Which was, greeting all the summons she had not checked out so far. ¡¸First¡­¡¹ Mira began thinking about who would be the first summon, but that was a surprisingly easy decision. It was someone who had been a great help to hertely, during the Ancient Underground City, and even the night before. Summoning Magic: Undine1 As Mira activated her spell, a magic ring with ripples that resembled the surface of water appeared, and soon a beautiful woman manifested in it. Her eyes had a timid appearance, and her hair was a deep blue like the ocean depths. She wore white clothes that left little exposed, and a fish shaped pendant hung from her neck. That woman was the Water Spirit Undine. ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Undine.¡¹ Seeing she looked rather nervous, Mira spoke to her with a gentle voice. They had spent many years apart, so seeing Mira again was probably a big shock for Undine.2 Mira was slightly unsure of how to best talk to her now, but after a short pause she hugged Mira, or rather she threw herself at Mira. That did not bother Mira in the slightest, as Mira had been taking care of Undine since her birth, so to Mira she was like a daughter. ¡¸Oh¡­ I see, sorry for that. I¡¯m also really d to see you again though.¡¹ Mira then gently rubbed Undine¡¯s back, like she wasforting a small child, and eventually they broke apart. Undine was smiling brightly now. She could not talk yet, but Mira could tell what she wanted to express. Such was the bond they shared, just looking at Undine¡¯s face was enough to understand her thoughts. Undine was unable to talk, not because shecked the intelligence or understanding, but she simplycked the means to produce a voice, as they were underdeveloped. It usually took many decades for that ability to mature. But she had been able tomunicate with other spirits since she was small, as that was different from talking to a human. That also meant that it was possible to have an actual conversation with her if a spirit who could talk joined them and acted as intermediary. Mira had no need for that though, as thanks to her various bonds she had something almost like telepathy, but not nearly asplicated. ¡®What a surprise to see Father turned into Mother, but you¡¯re really cute, and warm. I really want to hug you tightly, would that be bad? Maybe I shouldn¡¯t¡­ And that¡¯s what she said.¡¯ The Spirit King became Undine¡¯s voice, speaking into Mira¡¯s mind. Given thework the Spirit King had built with all the spirits Mira had contracts with, he could easily hear Undine, and then ry her thoughts straight to Mira like an interpreter. ¡ºI¡­I see¡­¡» Undine was still feeling a bit shy, but also wanted to be pampered a bit more. The Spirit King transmitted those feelings just the way she would have said them herself. Then again, even if he acted somewhat strange from time to time, the Spirit King¡¯s voice still had that dignified tone thatmanded respect, which was really fitting for someone in his position. But now he was using that voice to transmit Undine¡¯s thoughts, going as far as to faithfully recreate her mannerisms. That strange dissonance threw Mira off a little, but she had no option but to endure, doing her best to stop herself from suggesting Martel take over, as she could also hear Undine and had a better voice for that. Regardless, now that Mira knew what Undine wanted, she gently embraced her, while also thanking her. It had been Undine who made sure the spirit mansion had flowing water after all.3 ¡ºI¡¯m just d I could be of use. I¡¯ll keep doing my best, so feel free to call on my help whenever you want¡­ That¡¯s what she said this time. I can tell you¡¯re loved, Mira. And that also proves I made the right decision.¡» ¡ºI know, I also could tell the first time I saw Mira. Everyone loves her, and she loves everyone just as much.¡» After the Spirit King tranted Undine¡¯s thoughts, Martel also joined with a fewments of her own, which led to even more spirits joining the conversation, everyone apuding the fact that a kind human had grown so close to spirits. All the ovepping voices and ideas caused Mira¡¯s brain to overload as she struggled to discern the information though, making her confused. ¡ºUmmm¡­that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s an honor.¡» That was all Mira could say in return before tuning out of the conversation happening in her mind to focus on Undine. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you a lot from now on then,¡¹ she told Undine while gently patting her head. Undine smiled happily in response and hugged Mira again. ¡¸Greeting everyone really was the right thing to do.¡¹ After sending Undine away, Mira continued summoning the other spirits she had contracts with, while starting to regret she had dyed doing so until now. Starting with the Rainbow Spirit Twinklepum, Mira summoned various spirits, like the Healing White Serpent Asclepius, the Great Serpent Umgarna, Hippogriff who had almost be the carrier of the wagon but looked too menacing, the Korpokkur twins who surprised Mira, as the younger one looked far more gorgeous, and then the Wise Ice Fog Tiger Jingralia also shocked her, as the majestic beast had grown twice in size. ¡¸You¡¯re all so kind to me, I feel truly blessed.¡¹ Everyone she talked to had looked truly happy to see Mira again, without resenting the fact that she had neglected them for so long. Being showered with so much kindness nearly brought tears to Mira¡¯s eyes, filling her heart with gratitude for experiencing those bonds that had be real now. More than an hour passed like that, Mira greeting everyone she had missed so far, and then returned to the wagon with a refreshing smile, ready to depart again. ¡¸It¡¯s almost impressive that she¡¯s still sleeping¡­¡¹ ncing to the side, she saw that Anlutine was still sound asleep. It was unlikely she would wake up any time soon, so Mira¡¯s new contract would have to wait a bit longer. At least they were together now though, so she could take it easy and wait until Anlutine woke up. ¡¸Now, what should I do¡­¡¹ There were many ways to kill time inside the wagon, and two of themy on the low table in front of Mira. One of them was the Encyclopedia of Skills, epassing aprehensive collection of all known skills, including thetest discoveries. On the other hand was the copy of Soul Howl¡¯s research notes, which detailed his own findings, beginning with Compound Skills. Both of them would certainly help Mira develop new skills and be stronger. There were skills like Mirage Step, Sorcerer¡¯s Watchful Eye, Ascension Rule, and many others that had really enticing effects, serving mostly as supporting spells for someone who did not fight directly. The Encyclopedia of Skills included others Mira had not learned yet, including one that visualized particr scents, or allowed the caster to stock up on sleep beforehand to be alert for longer. Meanwhile the research notes expanded on Compound Skills, as well as other derivatives from it in great detail. There were also the new discoveries Soul Howl had made with necromancy, and new ways of setting up such spells. ¡¸Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s go with this one for today!¡¹
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  1. Silva: Really? When did she summon Undine?
  2. Silva: Yea, this line also confirms it¡¯s their first time meeting after many years apart, when did she summon Undine? Definitely not in the Ancient Underground City, nor the night before¡­
  3. Silva: Ah¡­ so it was the spirit mansion¡¯s water source¡­
Chapter 219: Everyone Gathered (2) Chapter 219: Everyone Gathered (2)
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After a moment trying to decide between the encyclopedia and research notes, Mira settled with thetter. She was keenly interested in both of them, but there was something pushing Mira onto one of them. She had already read through half of the Skill Encyclopedia, while the research notes were brand new, so the novelty of them won her over. On top of that, the research notes also mentioned various concepts that were directly applicable to summons. The Ashen Knights she used to fight Machina Guardian had been a product of the knowledge she gained from those notes too after all, showing the merit of studying them. Thinking of gaining more power, more fame, and proving to the world that summoners were the strongest, a maddening smile took over Mira¡¯s lips and she continued studying the research notes. ¡¸Ohh, this here¡­¡¹ An hour and a little more passed since she started reading the research notes. During that time she had gained a wealth of knowledge, but then she found one topic that interested her in great measure, and was something that applied to all spellcasters that controlled familiars. Familiars were entities different from the caster under their control, like the summons of summoners, golems of necromancers, or shikigamis of onmyoji masters. After forming a contract with spirits, summoners could call on their help whenever they wanted. Things were slightly different for Man-Made Spirits, which were spirits born into objects used by humans. When forming a contract with those, the object they lived in could be recreated by the summoner in exchange for mana, so it was more like making a copy of that object instead of bringing forth the spirit itself. That was also why it was possible to summon multiple Dark Knights or Holy Knights at the same time. Necromancers would create transient souls to inhabit dead bodies, which they could then control at their will, quite literally puppeteering the bodies. At first nce that could be considered a horrifying and heretic act, but the actual practitioners thought differently. It was actually considered a noble and almost sacred art in the Silver Linked Towers. Souls borne from necromancy were filled with righteous power, so the dead bodies they inhabited were quite different from undead monsters. They would not be wiped out by holy magic, and they had no weakness to sunlight. In some cases, depending on the body used, they could even wield divine power themselves. Because of those properties of necromancy souls, regardless of their transient nature, necromancy was not considered despicable, but pure and sacred. Then again, that did not apply to Soul Howl, who did not hold such beliefs and had chosen that ss purely because it sounded dark and edgy. Onmyoji shikigamis were a materialization of the caster¡¯s imagination. The casters would envision a shikigami they wanted, then gather the suitable materials, and bring it into being. It was a ss that required a strong imagination and creativity. Constructing a shikigami was not tooplicated either, creating a vessel and then imbuing it with power from the five agents of onmyoji. It was those five agents that were the most important and tricky part though. The vessel itself could be built however the caster wanted, and usually everyone developed their own style through experience. Almost anything could be used as a vessel, and the shape was up to the caster¡¯s imagination. It could be shaped like amon animal or a mythological creature, all that mattered was having a clear picture of it in one¡¯s imagination. The next step was harder. Each of the five agents one could choose from imparted different traits, so most onmyoji masters thought of it as creating a character in a game, selecting advantages and disadvantages, all of which would factor into the shikigami¡¯s functions and abilities. The five agents were Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth, each of which would impart a different power to a shikigami, and the casters could pick and choose however they wanted. The stats, abilities, affinities, and even behavior of a shikigami would vary greatly depending on what was chosen. But it was also a rather vtile system, so one had to be careful, as it was easy to end with a shikigami with a strong affinity for fire, weakness to water, and a rowdy temperament, and other simr situations. There was an intricate system with how the five agents reacted to each other. Because of that, creating a new shikigami from scratch was quite a difficult and time consuming task. But there was no need for a new onmyoji master to feel like they had to figure it all out on their own. There was plenty of literature left from previous onmyoji masters detailing everything they had found out through trial and error,ying a foundation for newer generations, including shikigamis that were proven to work. Out of those, the shikigamis heralded as the best were Kagura¡¯s Four Holy Beasts. Kagura had spent many years refining the vessels, shape, and five agents of them, bringing out everything they had to offer. Actually creating those shikigamis required a lot of expertise to pull out sessfully though, so only seasoned onmyoji masters would be able to create and control them. Because of that, the shikigamis of the world were divided into two main categories, shikigamis built and tested by previous onmyoji masters, and those someone came up with on their own. Kagura was also developing new shikigamis to rival the Four Holy Beasts, and was having some sess. One example being a munchkin nekomata that was twice the size of a tiger. It was the condensation of Kagura¡¯s secret dream and desire to hug a cat bigger than her. Those were the three different types of familiars, though as they belonged to different sses, there was little ovep in their abilities. But Mira was finding variousmon features from Soul Howl¡¯s research that could be applied to summoners as well. ¡¸This is truly intriguing¡­¡¹ One of thosemon traits were Compound Skills, but they were still being researched, and there was a lot left to learn about them. But as far as Mira had seen, there were many skills unique to each ss that actually had a shared foundation. All three sses had various skills to heal or power up a familiar, which had different names to fit their respective ss, but shared the same principles. The realization of that sent a shudder down Mira¡¯s spine, instantly knowing what that meant. Maybe there were a lot more skills like that, previously thought to have nothing inmon as they belonged to different sses, but were the same. So Mira began to think back to the various skills of necromancers and onmyoji masters, trying to figure out which ones could have a simr foundation. (Reading a corpse¡¯s memories¡­ Preserving a corpse for longer¡­ Increasing the effect of the five agents¡­ Increasing the interactions between agents¡­ Hmm, this type of knowledge is too specific for me, I can¡¯t figure it out alone. Other than that¡­) At that point Mira recalled something that happened not too long ago in Sentopolly. There she had talked with Kagura, even though she was in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters, by using Piisuke as intermediary. That spell was called Sense Sync, and was limited to familiars created with the caster¡¯s mana, and allowed one to control a familiar with their mind, having all their senses transmitted. Kagura had mentioned that necromancers could also use it. If that spell existed for both onmyoji masters and necromancers, who had familiars, then Mira had a strong premonition that there had to be a way to make it work with summons as well. At least that was the conclusion she arrived at thanks to Soul Howl¡¯s research. Mira quickly took out her notepad, where as luck would have it, she had all the details about Sense Sync from Kagura. Mira had been studying that whenever she took a break from reading the Encyclopedia of Skills, but so far there had been no breakthrough. Or rather, no matter how much she followed the indications Kagura gave to use the Sense Sync, it would never work. Just when she was about to give up on it, thinking that summoners could not use it, Soul Howl¡¯s notes came in clutch, giving her new hope. (This is certainly worth looking into.) Some of the other spells with simr effects amongst sses with familiars were not necessarily learned the same way. Maybe Sense Sync simply happened to be able to be learned the same way between necromancers and onmyoji masters, but was different for summoners. If that was the case, then Mira could see a path forward now that she had both Soul Howl¡¯s research notes and Kagura¡¯s information about Sense Sync. Looking through both, she began to work out the particrs of the spell, trying to figure out exactly what was stopping her from using it as well.
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Chapter 220: Starting Re-attunement (1) Chapter 220: Starting Re-attunement (1)
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¡¸So this difference here was stopping me from learning it before.¡¹ After two hours of revising the spell details, Mira had found the reason why she had been unable to acquire Sense Sync. There was one big difference separating summoning from necromancy and onmyoji, namely, units summoned were not made entirely of mana. Sense Sync the way Kagura had described it, applied only to familiars borne entirely of mana. A shikigami¡¯s being and the transient souls moving golems were both created with mana by the casters. That was not the case for summoners though, except maybe for Armor Spirits. But Mira had already tried many times to use Sense Sync on a Dark Knight to no avail. That was because of the fundamental nature of summoners. In essence, for cases like Pegasus or the Valkyries, Mira had to build a gate with mana for them to pass through and appear as summons. Armor Spirits a slightly different application of the same fundamentals, making it ratherplex in nature, and that was the reason why Sense Sync failed. Mira had already assumed that was the case before, the important part was something else she noticed. That was the way how Sense Sync took over the target¡¯s mind. When Kagura used it on Piisuke, she had been able to move however she wanted, so it also had a form of mind control built in. The golems of necromancers were controlled fully manually by the caster, or sometimes given specific directions. The behavior of Shikigamis was carefully crafted during their creation as well, so they would act the way the caster intended. Meanwhile for summons, Armor Spirits included, would take all decisions and actions on their own. In other words, summoners had no input on the personality and behavior of summons. Sense Sync¡¯s requirement of the target having to be made of mana also included being able to directly influence the behavior of the target. ¡¸Alright, that¡¯s one hurdle crossed.¡¹ Now that Mira had gathered all the information she needed, it was only a matter of time before she could attune Sense Sync to be used by summoners. Armed with the research notes, Kagura¡¯s information, and her own findings, she began to attempt to discern the correct way for a summoner to learn Sense Sync. The ways of learning how to use a Skill were split into three major types. The first type required a lot of repetition to get ustomed to the Skill and master it. Most of the abilities in the warrior ss were like that, where further practice would enhance the effect of said Skills as well. One of Mira¡¯s favorites, Ground Shrink, fell in that category. The second type was akin to a mental version of the first one. As long as someone understood a Skill, could picture it in their mind, and firmly believed in it, they would acquire them. Many spellcaster Skills were like that. Mana Sensing and Sorcerer¡¯s Watchful Eye were of that type. The third way required the carving of a special mark, either on one¡¯s body or with mana itself. Such spells usually had unique effects, though they would seldom be more powerful with further mastery. Then again, most of them were incredibly strong from the get go, and served as trump cards. Some Mira knew included the Binding Arcana Circle, Rosario Summoning Circle, Evacuation Guidance, and various others. ¡¸Hmm¡­ This is starting to be quiteplex.¡¹ Another hour passed, and Mira felt like she was finally getting closer to finding a way to adapt the spell for summoners to use, but she also felt the need to mutter that. Mira had been working on deconstructing the spell as she understood it to mold it into something usable by summoners. Doing that was no easy task and was only possible thanks to Kagura¡¯s description, which had been incredibly detailed. Information alone usually only allowed for a small amount of tinkering with a spell, but the fact that Mira was getting progress went to show Mira¡¯s intelligence when it came to spells. Eventually Mira was done reconstructing Sense Sync¡¯s effects, as a spell that applied only to units bound by a contract, and let her mind take control over them. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s hope this works then.¡¹ This version of Sense Sync was the type of spell that required practicing it mentally. Mira went over all the particrs of it, then closed her eyes and focused on learning it. Slowly her focus sank into the confines of her mind. Her inner world was filled with different types of information. There she searched for the contracts she had made, reeling them in even if they had no proper form or shape. After a bit, she got a positive reaction and knew she was focusing on the correct ce. Some more time passed, and even though her eyes remained closed, her vision gradually became cleared. She was seeing a vast expanse of grasnds reaching far into the horizon, with a river running through it. (Good, good! It¡¯s working perfectly!) That view was slightly different from that of the wagon¡¯s window, being slightly higher. It was Garuda¡¯s, who was flying high in the air. Mira was filled with joy having sessfully used Sense Sync on Garuda, but soon she noticed something was not quite right. (I can¡¯t hear anything.) While Mira had reconstructed the spell in a way she could use it, she had not modified anything about its actual effects, meaning that if it was sessful she was supposed to get sound as well. But currently she was inplete silence, not even a gentle breeze being audible. While Garuda was able to manipte the wind, it could not make itpletely silent. So there was only one possible exnation. (I¡¯ll just have to keep practicing¡­) For a moment Mira thought she had seeded with her first try, but it seemed like she was not fully in tune with the summon yet. Deciding she just had to get more used to Sense Sync for it to work better, she kept the spell going and admired the scenery from Garuda¡¯s eyes. ¡¸Ohh, I can see it already.¡¹ Usually it took hundreds of times casting a spell before one became ustomed to using it. Two hours had passed since Mira managed to activate Sense Sync, the sky was starting to grow darker together with the setting sun, and their next destination of Haxthausen became visible in the distance through Garuda¡¯s eyes. ¡¸I guess that¡¯s it for today then.¡¹ Mira finally ended Sense Sync, then after a deep breath, she began drinking Yogurt au Lait. That refreshing slightly sour taste was her way of concluding her training for the day. Mira was feeling good about her progress. She had been training that entire time. The first time she used the spell, it had taken twenty seconds for her vision to switch to Garuda¡¯s, now it only took around ten. That was rather impressive for just two hours of training, so Mira was happy with that. But even with that progress, Sense Sync would only grant her vision and no other senses, so she would have to keep practicing. Something else she had checked was the range of Sense Sync. Doing that was rather simple, as she summoned Popotwise who looked like a small owl, and let her fly out of the window. Then she checked how far Popotwise could go and have Sense Sync still work. That way Mira discovered it had a range of around five hundred meters, anything more and the spell would be forcefully undone. (Kagura sent Piisuke all the way to Sentopolly from the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters though¡­ I guess I can¡¯tpete with someone experienced yet.) Currently Mira¡¯s limit was around five hundred meters, while Kagura had used Sense Sync across more than a thousand kilometers. Mira did not know how much practice Kagura had, but this type of spell was not learned as much by muscle memory, but it required a bit of a special talent to really get the hang of it. (Oh well, I just learned it and can already do this, so it¡¯s good enough.) Mira also had already thought of a way to train better, so it was just a matter of practicing for long enough. It was hard to ovee a skill gap built over many years, but that did not stop Mira from smiling. In a way, Kagura also served as an example of what Mira would eventually get to aplish as well. (Aerial surveyance, remote searches¡­ My dreams areing true!) Sense Sync was a valuable tool when gathering information, the possibilities of which were dazzling Mira. Excited about those prospects, Mira ended up using Sense Sync on Garuda onest time. After around ten seconds a connection was made and Mira¡¯s view shifted. Haxthausen was looking even closer now. ¡¸Though now that I think about it, it¡¯s rather strange.¡¹ Dispeling Sense Sync, Mira muttered that as she recalled something. She was thinking back to something from long ago. She had thought up a spell, put it to practice, and worked just how she expected. It was almost like her imagination could be materialized in this world, truly cementing its fantastical nature, the type of ce where dreams coulde true. But maybe because it had been so long since she focused so hard on something and earnestly trained, it brought back memories of how she trained in the past. That was back when everything was still a game. Back then she could train, gain exactly the results she expected, and feel how she grew stronger the more she trained. Thinking back to that, she noticed something else. The game really used some incredible technology, not needingplicated menus or spoken words to activate Skills, and simply thinking of them was enough. (Back when it came out, using thoughts as an input method was seen as apletely different branch of technology after all.)
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Chapter 220: Starting Re-attunement (2) Chapter 220: Starting Re-attunement (2)
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Technology to read thoughts was a fundamental part of Full-Dive VR systems, and eventually Mira came to take it for granted, indulging in such wonderful technology without second thought. But technology history books mentioned how it all started in the medicine field. The first VR systems entered the market at the beginning of the 21st century, but those machines werepletely different to anything Mira knew. Those were like bulky sses with screens, and controllers one would hold in their hands. They came in all shapes and sizes, but they were all the same in essence, small monitors strapped in front of one¡¯s eyes and the need to move physically to interact with them. The change into the modern systems happened around half a century before Mira¡¯s birth. Full-Dive systems would directly imbue one¡¯s thoughts with a virtual world, giving the sensation that one had be a different person somewhere else. That technology revolutionized the VRndscape. Reading thoughts also became the input method for Full-Dive systems, and the technology necessary for that had been invented half a century before the Full-Dive systems came out, essentially a century before Mira¡¯s time. That technology had only matured to the point of discerning simple words by the time the Full-Dive systems came out though. Some time after that there was a major breakthrough in VR technology, which fully embraced reading thoughts, and quickly ironed out all of the remaining kinks. In other words, it was thanks to VR technology that the thought reading side was alsopleted. (If I remember correctly it only took five years for that technology to go from distinguishing loose words to fullyprehending all of human thought. Hmm¡­it really was impressive technology.) It was rare for technology to advance at such a rapid pace. But it also facilitated countless possibilities to bloom. Thinking back to all that, Mira began to feel something was odd about it. In a way, the pace had been too rapid. Were five years really all that was needed to go from capturing loose words to fully mapping out all the brain¡¯s functions, no matter how small the movements, or what one was thinking? (I think I saw some books mentioning there was a prodigy of VR technology that revolutionized everything. Now¡­what was their name again?) Mira tried to recall what that savant was called, but as history was not her forte, she could not remember the name. All she could recall was that they were considered a genius with countless aplishments, but also many secrets. (Without that person we¡¯d still be using those primitive VR systems¡­and Arc Earth Online would¡¯ve nevere to exist. Or maybe it would¡¯vee out, but I don¡¯t know if I would¡¯ve yed it as much¡­) Compared to Full-Dive systems that allowed free unrestricted movement, those old machines were riddled with restrictions. What attracted Mira the most to Arc Earth Online was how real it felt, even though it was simply a game. It was hard to imagine the old technology would have been able to portray so much realism. The more she thought about it, the less usible it seemed, or at least it would have been such an inferior game that she would not have been as addicted to the point of bing one of the Nine Wisemen. And she would have never met her friends Solomon, Luminaria, Kagura, Soul Howl, and so many more. It was a bit overwhelming to think of all that sequence of events that led to her friend circle forming, but she also smiled, being happy that it worked out. At the same time another thought popped in her head. If that revolution in the VR space had not happened, she would not be in this world now. And in the off-chance that it did happen, she would not be able to fight and movefortably like in the game. (It¡¯s no exaggeration to say I¡¯m used to everything I do in this world because it was a Full-Dive game.) Putting aside the fact that she was in the body of a young girl now, Mira used Sense Sync on Garuda once again. The connection was quickly established and her view switched. The fact she could do that so effortlessly was also thanks to her experience with mental practice in the game, something she had done for a long time. (What is this world, in the first ce¡­) That was a thought Mira had been avoiding all this time, favoring living in the moment instead. After all, whatever had happened, it did not change that this was a beautiful and fun world. But this world had also been a game once, yable through Full-Dive VR systems. Thinking of that, a different thought suddenly entered Mira¡¯s mind. Back then, had this world really been purely virtual? But she soon dismissed that with a mockingugh. Something like that only happened in fantasy novels. Then again, her situation at that very moment was something out of fantasy. Dismissing something for sounding like fantasy was not exactly an option anymore, considering everything that already happened. ¡¸Anyway, we¡¯re almost there!¡¹ No matter how hard she thought about suchplicated matters she would not be able to figure anything out, and thinking like that had never been her forte anyway. Mira would let the experts work on figuring out what this world was, and she would focus on what mattered to her. She was on a mission after all. So she once again looked through Garuda¡¯s eyes. The sky was already dark, with the moon shining brightly amongst a sea of stars. And the city of Haxthausen was almost directly below them. The city was illuminated mainly by streetmps, and there were houses dotted around with some light visible through their windows. But the main street was lined with stores, open and brightly illuminated as if rebelling against the darkness of night. Seen from above that looked like a long line of light streaking across the entire city. Seeing the distribution of light and darkness around the city was like seeing a heatmap of areas with the most activity. (Now then¡­I can¡¯t see any good ces tond.) Mira told Garuda to circle above the city while she searched for a ce where the wagon couldnd. Somehow every spot that was wide enough was filled with people though, so Mira could notnd there. Unlike Gran Rings, there were no dedicatednding spots for adventurers with means to fly. (Well, there aren¡¯t many dungeons around this area, so it¡¯s probably not fair topare this to the entrance to the Ancient Underground City¡­) The Ancient Underground City had floors catering to adventurers of all skill levels, while also being so wide that adventurers would not end up eating into the hunting areas of others. Meanwhile there were four dungeons near Haxthausen, and all of them of middling ranks. They were inhabited byrge beastly monsters, so they were decently popr spots as well, though with how often they were hunted, it was easy for adventurers to get in idents there. (I guess I¡¯ll just have tond outside and enter through the gates properly.) Looking around she saw there was no one else flying in the air like her. But since it was night it was hard to see the ground, and there was a chance that she wouldnd on top of someone by ident if she tried to do it within the city and did not see them. So Mira told Garuda to go around to the main gates, and tond outside them. Garuda flew around in a wide circle, obeying Mira¡¯s orders and going above the main street until they reached the main gates. Then a distance away, on an empty area covered in grass, Garuda brought the wagon down to the ground. Afternding, Mira undid Sense Sync and she climbed out into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡¸Thank you again for today,¡¹ she thanked Garuda. In response Garuda spread its wings proudly, and piped loudly, as if iming that had been nothing for it. At the same time, a gentle breeze passed by. ¡¸I¡¯ll be counting on you again soon enough.¡¹ Mira appreciated Garuda¡¯s readiness to help, and then sent the bird away. In its ce, she thought of summoning Guardian Ash, but then stopped. ¡¸Hmm¡­maybe I¡¯ve done enough for today.¡¹ It was already past 7 in the night, a bit toote to go into the city and try gaining information and finding an inn. So Mira decided she would spend the night outside. Though spending a night outside was different for Mira than anyone else. It was nothing like setting up a tent, lighting a campfire, and cing a nightwatch. She could simply summon a mansion and spend the night in luxury and at ease. Stepping out of the wagon, Mira summoned the spirit mansion, and just like always, took some time to admire it from outside. She really was proud of her home.1
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  1. Silva: I bet the mansion will end up attracting a crowde tomorrow morning considering shended near the city. She didnd near the city right?
Chapter 221: The Center of Conflict (1) Chapter 221: The Center of Conflict (1)
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¡¸Hmm, what should I do about her¡­¡¹ Back in the wagon, Mira looked at Anlutine who was still immobile in a corner. She seemed to be sound asleep, and still showed no signs of waking up. Her prolonged sleep was starting to worry Mira, but the Spirit King quickly put her worries to rest. ording to him, Anlutine had likely spent too much spiritual power to travel all the way there so quickly, and if she slept for a few days she would recover all of it and wake up full of energy. So Mira decided to just let Anlutine sleep. For now, she took out arge bath towel and covered Anlutine with it, who grasped it and firmly pulled it towards her body. Now Anlutine did not look too distinct from a regr sleeping person. Seeing that everything was in order, Mira stepped out of the wagon again. Outside she focused to summon an Armor Spirit to serve as night guard. After a bit two knights holding holy swords appeared from magic circles. They were the Ashen Knights Mira had built with Compound Skills and the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. Ashen Knights were the perfect summon for Mira to get more ustomed to using Compound Skills, while also improving her familiarity with the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. That was also why the Ashen Knights had be Mira¡¯s choice whenever she needed a guard at night. ¡¸Mhm, they¡¯re looking pretty good.¡¹ Mira examined the two Ashen Knights, making sure they wereplete. Even if Mira was already proficient with it, not much time had passed since she learned how to use Compound Skills, so it still took her some effort to use it, especially when it came to making sure they were built correctly. She took some time to check for any defects, since Mira knew better than to overestimate herself with new Skills. After the visual inspection, Mira also began various tests to make sure they were not only good, but perfect. (Hmm, the armor is nice and thick, but that made the parts I borrowed from the Dark Knights swell up. I¡¯ll have to modify those.) Whenever she found something she did not like, she would amend that next time she summoned the Ashen Knights, slowly iterating on them until they were perfect. It was a tedious method but with good results. ¡¸You¡¯ll be perfect soon enough. Let¡¯s keep striving to get better.¡¹ Mira said that to the Ashen Knights before entering the spirit mansion. As soon as she was inside, the two Ashen Knights sprang into action to fulfill their orders, patrolling around the wagon and spirit mansion. With the exception of Sanctia, Armor Spirits were said to have essentially no consciousness, but strangely enough, the Ashen Knights patrolling around the area seemed to have a leisurely gait to them. Meanwhile Mira began preparations to take a bath, starting by pouring hot water into the tub. Then she ced a bottle into the chilling box, sat in the toilet, and nned her dinner while she waited for the bathtub to fill. As soon as the bathtub was full, she stripped all of her clothes away and jumped into the water. Tonight the bathroom¡¯s window showed therge walls around Haxthausen, and across it was a city filled with people, even if they were hidden by the walls now. There was only moonlight illuminating the walls, but somehow they still looked warm and inviting. When she got out of the bath, she did not wander around wearing only panties like she usually did, but took the time to get properly dressed. One might think that she had finally started to gainmon sense and feminine sensibilities, but that was not quite it. The only reason behind that change was her current location. She was stationed not too far from Haxthausen¡¯s main entrance, so the spirit mansion would be easy to spot from the city. And making people wonder why a building had suddenly appeared out there was part of Mira¡¯s n to proselytize the power of summoners. It would be a matter of time before someone decided toe investigate what that mysterious mansion was, and once they were close, Mira would step out with a bright smile and announce ¡®This is summoning. Go and train, ovee difficulty, and pursue the life destined for you, and eventually you¡¯ll also gain this type of blessing!¡¯ Mira was aware that gaining a spirit mansion as summon was a difficult task for most, so she would make sure to stress it would take many hardships in her speech. At the very least she wanted to tell them it was a possibility for summoners though. That was Mira¡¯s goal. Once Mira was clothed and ready for whenever a visitor came, she began eating dinner. Tonight¡¯s menu was a freshly cooked rice bowl with beef and vegetables. Though anything she kept in her Item Box was freshly cooked. Once again appreciating that fact, Mira began eating her warm meal. Once she was done, she began avidly reading Soul Howl¡¯s research notes, skimmed through the Encyclopedia of Skills, and continued studying with enthusiasm. Every so often she would also practice using Sense Sync, changing her view into that of the Ashen Knights outside to see if anyone wasing to check on the spirit mansion. (I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect a big crowd during the night¡­) Five hours passed since she summoned the spirit mansion, and she was starting to struggle fighting back her sleepiness. Usually a building popping up out of nowhere along a big road would stand out, but it had already been dark outside when she arrived, so there were not many people passing by. Maybe there would be more people taking notice during the day. After all, each time Mira used Sense Sync she was unable to see any person walking towards the spirit mansion. The only people she saw were the gatekeepers of the city, quite some ways away. Eventually the watch shift seemed to end, and around ten guards gathered at the gate, seemingly discussing something. After a bit, half of them went back into the city, while the other half remained keeping watch. By then it was already midnight. (They¡¯re still working hard, even though it¡¯s sote.) Mira watched the new shift of night guards for a bit,mending them in her mind for working hard, and then dispelled Sense Sync. Then she put away the research notes and Skill Encyclopedia, closed the window shutters, and slipped into her sleeping bag before quickly passing out. Waking up in the spirit mansion was always a refreshing experience. It was slightly past 7 in the morning when Mira woke up. After going to the toilet, she opened the window shutters to let the morning sun into the living room. The sudden increase in light blinded Mira for an instant, but that also helped her shake off the remaining drowsiness. As her mind cleared up, Mira¡¯s ears began to pick up a distant tumult. At first her reaction was to grumble a little, it was still too early for people to be acting so lively in the streets. But right after she recalled where she was. The spirit mansion was outside the city, and a decent distance away from the walls as well. Considering that, it was strange to hear so many lively voices out there. That also filled her with satisfaction though, as she assumed it meant her n had been sessful. Probably someone who woke up early in the morning had spotted the spirit mansion, and then went around bringing more attention to it, making everyone wonder just what that building was. She was quickly filled with pride, her n was wless and it would greatly enhance the public opinion of summoners. First things first though, she had to properly dress up. Though that was simple enough, as her attire was the one piece dress made by the maids and a coat. Mira¡¯s experience so far had taught her something, namely the importance of subverting expectations. It appeared that when a seemingly innocent young girl like her wielded powerful spells, it left a much more indelible impression on otherspared to when she executed the same feats as Danbulf. Thinking about it, it all made sense though. Seeing a seasoned old man use powerful spells was nowhere as impressive as a young beautiful girl doing that just as effortlessly. And since Mira happened to be stuck with that appearance, she decided to exploit it to its fullest. (There¡¯s a lot of noise, I guess there¡¯s quite a sizable crowd.) She would use the charms of a beautiful girl, the best summons, and the practicality of the spirit mansion for her benefit. There was no doubt in her mind that all of thatbined would greatly improve the public image of summoners. And so, once she was fully ready for her public appearance, she swung the door open and walked out filled with confidence. And almost instantly froze in ce, her eyes wide in shock. ¡¸What¡­in the heavens..?¡¹ The scene unfolding in front of Mira waspletely different from her expectation. She had thought she would find herself in the center of a curious crowd of people who wanted to know what the spirit mansion was. But what she saw was arge number of armed soldiers and adventurers, all of whom were on high alert and prepared for battle.
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Chapter 221: The Center of Conflict (2) Chapter 221: The Center of Conflict (2)
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Mira¡¯s shoulder twitched in shock, trying to process what she was seeing. But she was not the only one shocked there. ¡¸Wait, what does this mean?¡¹ ¡¸Why did a cute girl juste out?¡¹ The soldiers and adventurers surrounding the spirit mansion were confused, not having thought a cute girl woulde out of the mysterious building, which was certainly not the person they were expecting. ¡¸What should we do? She looks kinda scared.¡¹ One of the adventurers spoke to the soldier next to him, who wore more elegant armor than the other soldiers around, making him the likely leader of the entire crowd. Everyone could see how the girl froze in ce and twitched a little after stepping out of the building. The leader seemed slightly pained by that revtion, but his gaze remained stern, dering that whether she was a young girl or not, there was still a high chance it was the elusive thief or someone rted to them. Anything could still happen, so they had to keep their eyes peeled. After announcing that, the leader slowly walked forward, trying to determine the identity of the young girl. Meanwhile Mira was trying to process everything that had happened, and why she was surrounded by armed people. As she listened to what they said, she began to understand what had led to this situation. (I think I just heard someone mention a thief¡­ Do they actually think I might be¡­) Just as she was starting to figure things out, the soldier with elegant armor who seemed to be the crowd¡¯s leader began approaching Mira. (If this is what I think it is¡­) As the soldier moved closer, an Ashen Knight responded by trying to block his way, but Mira told the Ashen Knight ¡¸It¡¯s fine, stand back.¡¹ She actually spoke the words too, just so those in the crowd knew she meant no ill will. The Ashen Knight stepped back as told, going back to stand next to Mira. Seeing that, the soldier realized Mira did not want to fight, so he also replied by sheathing his sword, and then continued walking toward her. ¡¸Does this mean you¡¯re willing to talk things out?¡¹ The soldier had walked around five meters away from the crowd, and was a simr distance away from Mira. There he stopped and spoke to her. His gaze was no longer sharp, overtaken by a more inquisitive look. ¡¸Yes, I¡¯d actually prefer it that way.¡¹ Mira nodded while looking straight at the soldier, because she also felt like it was possible to solve this amicably. Everything was likely just a misunderstanding. ¡¸I see, I appreciate that then.¡¹ Hearing Mira¡¯s response, the soldier seemed to rx even more, feeling relieved. That was only for a moment though, as he soon spoke with a stern voice again. ¡¸Then tell me this first. Are you rted to Fuzzy Dice?¡¹ That was a question Mira had anticipated already. She had figured out that her spirit mansion had been surrounded like that because they suspected its sudden apparition was somehow rted to Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸No, I¡¯m just an adventurer. I heard that the Phantom Thief was going to appear in this city, so I came to see if I could catch him somehow.¡¹ As she said that, she held her adventurer card up as a form of identification, though it was still inside that cutesy card case. The soldier moved closer until he was just around two meters away from her to take a better look at her card. ¡¸I see¡­oh, wait, you¡¯re a rank A adventurer!¡¹ The soldier saw that it was a genuine card, but then was shocked to see she was actually rank A as well. That also prompted the rest of the crowd to start muttering amongst themselves even more. Such a reaction was to be expected though, as rank A was an exceedingly high rank, and many adventurers could only dream of reaching it. ¡¸And you said you¡¯ll help with capturing the Phantom Thief? I can¡¯t believe it, having the help of a rank A adventurer is all I could wish for! It¡¯s been a while since we saw someone like you around here, so we really appreciate your assistance.¡¹ Mira¡¯s adventurer card and her rank seemed to have a big impact on improving her trustworthiness. The soldier leader seemed to no longer suspect her of anything, and actually weed her. ¡¸Oh, is that so? I was under the impression that this was the kind of event where many rank A adventurers would¡¯ve gathered¡­¡¹ Mira was a little puzzled by thement the soldier made though. Fuzzy Dice¡¯s letter had been impactful enough that the news spread to other cities, and Fuzzy Dice had be a priority target of the Adventurers¡¯ Union as well. There was a hefty bounty on whoever captured him, which had gathered many eyes, as capturing someone like that was an easy way to gain a lot of fame. It was the perfect opportunity for rank A adventurers to duke it out and see who was the best. Or at least that was how Mira looked at it, some sort of high profile event. But it seemed like reality was slightly different. ¡¸From what I¡¯ve heard, it used to be that way in the start. Even if just one rank A adventurer spotted the phantom thief, many other adventurers woulde in droves, leading to what seemed like an annual festival. Or at least that¡¯s what I heard from someone who was present back then.¡¹ The soldier recounted that, which was a story he had heard from an acquaintance in a different city where Fuzzy Dice had been sighted. It had been a lively and overwhelming event. Back then there had been just shy of a dozen rank A adventurers, who either arrived hearing rumors or after being sent by the Adventurers¡¯ Union. Such a group would be more than enough to defend a city from a major threat like a brutal monster with a higher rank than A. So everyone believed those adventurers would seed, and were expecting great things from them. But once things happened in earnest, they were utterly defeated. All those rank A adventurers faced off together against Fuzzy Dice alone, but were defeated, tied up, and then rolled off the roof of a Union building. ¡¸Around ten rank A adventurers failed like that¡­ He sounds like a mighty opponent.¡¹ Mira had met various rank A adventurers in the past, and they were all proper champions in their own way. Attaining rank A requiredpleting a multitude of tasks of various types and difficulties for the Union, making it a good way to measure someone¡¯s worth. And yet nearly a dozen of them had been beaten by Fuzzy Dice alone, showing he might be even stronger than Mira had anticipated. ¡¸Yes, I heard Fuzzy Dice is ridiculously powerful. On top of that, those adventurers who were defeated ended up losing a lot of credibility after that incident. And that kept happening everywhere that the Phantom Thief appeared¡­¡¹ Then the soldier sighed, adding with frustration ¡¸And now we¡¯re pretty much the bad guys in the eyes of the public too.¡¹ ¡¸Ah, is that because of the chivalrous thief thing?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah.¡¹ At the start Fuzzy Dice had been regarded as one more thief, but after a few heists amon trend was noticed in his targets, and now he was like a hero of the masses. Thatmon trend was rted to his targets. Everyone who Fuzzy Dice targeted was a terrible person, and if there were only rumors about their evil nature, Fuzzy dice would provide proof after the heist as well. Because of that many people began to believe that Fuzzy Dice was actually righteous. In return, that meant that anyone opposing him was a bad person. That would also include rank A adventurers trying to capture him, and that was a hit to their reputation that they really would rather not take. Now there were almost no rank A adventurers left who still felt like risking their name to capture Fuzzy Dice. The only ones that appeared nowadays always did it under the guise of trying to learn from Fuzzy Dice, or simply to test their abilities. None imed they wanted to imprison him. (In that case I doubt they¡¯ll be very fond of me either then.) Mira¡¯s actual objective was to question Fuzzy Dice about the location of that orphanage that seemed to have been founded by Artesia. As long as she could learn that, Mira had no interest in actually capturing Fuzzy Dice or not. Or rather, she would have no qualms in letting him go as soon as she learned what she wanted to know. There was no need to exin all that though, so Mira simply stated that she was looking to capture the thief instead.
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Chapter 222: Starting to Evangelize (1) Chapter 222: Starting to Evangelize (1)
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¡¸Either way, I¡¯m really d you¡¯re here to help us. I was really starting to get worried for a moment there.¡¹ The soldier leader seemed to have been really anxious about his situation, so he was relieved to know someone like Mira was willing to help. ¡¸I apologize for appearing so suddenly as well. Though I also nearly got a heart attack waking up to an armed group around my home, so we¡¯re even.¡¹ Now that all doubts had been cleared between them, Mira and the soldierughed heartily. But it was impressive that such a big force had moved to surround Mira¡¯s spirit mansion, so she was curious how it all happened to be. She also asked why she had been suspected to be rted to Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸It all happenedst night. There were some reports about a suspicious beastly bird surveying the city.¡¹ Saying that, the soldier leader began to tell Mira everything that happened. When those reports came in, he also checked the night sky and spotted thatrge bird circling above the city, almost like it was searching for something. And so they began to suspect that it was Fuzzy Dice, surveying the city in secret before attacking. Everyone in the city was on edge about Fuzzy Dice, and there were just a handful of days left before the stated date in the letter. The city was also preparing countermeasures against Fuzzy Dice¡¯s arrival, so it made sense that he would want to investigate the city beforehand. The soldiers on duty began to track the bird in the sky, while a separate group gathered to follow it. That way they saw therge birdnd not too far from the main gates. Once they secretly went to investigate that area, they were surprised to find a mansion there, one that had never existed before. On top of that there were two heavily armored knights patrolling the area. While it was all really shocking, the soldier leader also had a strong hunch that they had just discovered Fuzzy Dice¡¯s hiddenir. That hunch had just been provenpletely wrong, but it was a logical conclusion at the time. Regardless, there was a building there, and it seemed to be inhabited, likely by Fuzzy Dice himself, or someone helping him. Whichever the case, capturing whoever was inside seemed like a no-brainer. To aplish that, the soldier leader left a few scouts keeping watch over the mansion while he went to gather more soldiers and adventurers who were interested in capturing Fuzzy Dice. Mira was seeing everyone who gathered then, as they had all quickly surrounded the mansion and waited for her toe out. Apparently they had tried questioning the Ashen Knights before as well, but obtained no response. That made the soldier leader even more suspicious, so he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at an Ashen Knight, demanding an answer. But the only response he got was a counterattack from the Ashen Knight. ¡¸It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been flung through the air with such grace, man¡­ To be honest I can onlyugh thinking back to that now.¡¹ The soldier leaderughed happily as he recalled that moment. But Mira felt a bit guilty and apologized. She had given various orders to the Ashen Knights when she left them to keep watch. One was to kill any monster that got close, another that if a human came, to not act aggressively but to be watchful, and if the human showed hostility to counterattack, but not with lethal force. ¡¸It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to apologize. This all could¡¯ve been avoided if I hadn¡¯t been so rash after all. Not to mention that he was clearly holding back.¡¹ In reality it wasrgely Mira¡¯s fault for cing the spirit mansion in a ce like that, but the soldier leader did not seem to mind in the slightest. He also mentioned that the Ashen Knights had not been exceedingly violent in their reaction. ¡¸That could¡¯ve ended so much worse¡­¡¹ he muttered as he nced at the Ashen Knight standing next to Mira. ¡¸In any case, some other brave ones tried challenging them as well, but I guess you can already see how all of that ended. Keeping watch was all we really ended up seeding at.¡¹ Apparently there were other soldiers and adventurers who tried going up against the Ashen Knights, but they all gave up. The only option they had left was to wait for someone toe out of the mansion and could properly answer their questions. And that ended up being Mira when she walked out. ¡¸By the way, we haven¡¯t heard them utter a single word since we got here, but are those two knights also rank A adventurers?¡¹ Eventually the soldier leader was done talking about that, and switched topics, his eyes full of expectation as he looked at the two Ashen Knights. He was really short-handed to do anything about the imminent attack of Fuzzy Dice, so he was essentiallytching onto any hope he could find, no matter how faint. But sadly for him, the Ashen Knights were no adventurers, and not even human. ¡¸No, these two are my summons.¡¹ As Mira said that, she sent an Ashen Knight away, and it quickly vanished like a mirage. Everyone there had seen the two reliable Ashen Knights patrolling the area until now, when one quickly vanished into thin air. That prompted everyone to start murmuring and talking to each other again, making a lot of noise. The soldier leader was also shocked, staring open mouthed at the spot where the Ashen Knight had been standing not too long ago. ¡¸I thought it was odd how quiet they were, but I see, they weren¡¯t human after all. But summons¡­¡¹ Eventually he recovered from his shock and was able to say something, his eyes shifting to look at the remaining Ashen Knight. He muttered in a low voice that he had never seen any summon like that before, and then he looked at Mira, speaking more clearly to ask ¡¸So what is this type of summoning called?¡¹ his eyes full of expectation. ¡¸Well, technically they¡¯re just Armor Spirits. I modified them a little though.¡¹ When Mira said that, the soldier looked somewhat confused. That was a natural reaction though, as Armor Spirits weremonly known as the first step of any summoner, certainly not something that couldpare to anything of a higher level. Even if someone honed their skills to improve on them, the Ashen Knights seemed to exist on a whole different realm to someone¡¯s first spell. That also incited the crowd to start jeering. Mira had to be exaggerating too much, trying to pass a high level summon as a starting one. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­an Armor Spirit¡­¡¹ The soldier leader also looked at the Ashen Knight in disbelief. Seeing that reaction, Mira looked around for a bit before grinning a little. She was about to blow everyone¡¯s mind. She had been telling the truth. The Ashen Knights were a Compound Skill made of Dark Knights, Holy Knights, and Sanctia¡¯s power,bined with the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection. That still fell in the category of Armor Spirits. ¡¸Hmm¡­are they really Armor Spirits though? I know a summoner myself, but I don¡¯t remember seeing any Armor Spirit like this before¡­¡¹ The soldier leader examined the Ashen Knight for a while, and then looked at Mira again, his face full of doubt. But that was just what Mira wanted. ¡¸They are bona-fide Armor Spirits, yes.¡¹ Saying that, Mira quickly summoned three Ashen Knights at the same time. That instantly produced countless gasps from the crowd, while the soldier leader¡¯s eyes snapped open almost into perfect circles. ¡¸Maybe you¡¯ve heard about this from that summoner you know? Armor Spirits are the only ones you can summon multiple of at the same time.¡¹ Being able to use a summon multiple times simultaneously was a special feature of Armor Spirits. In cases like Isenfald or Worthramble, she would call on their help by directly summoning them, so it was impossible to have multiple of the same person. But Armor Spirits were slightly different, as instead they were essentially living within the summoner already. Because of that it was possible for a summoner to use mana to recreate them, and as long as the flow of mana was sustained, they would maintain their shape as summons, even if there were multiple of them.
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Chapter 222: Starting to Evangelize (2) Chapter 222: Starting to Evangelize (2)
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It was slightly different for Sanctia, but those details were not very important, and she had seen that they acted the same way in essence through her research. Likely because she would summon the sword itself, and not Sanctia as a spirit. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about that before¡­ I see, they really are Armor Spirits¡­¡¹ The soldier leader seemed slightly surprised, but as he knew some information about summoners from an acquaintance, he knew Mira was telling the truth. The jeering from the rest of the crowd also died down, as now only a few muttered something to the rest. Those who knew something about summoners were exining to those who did not know anything. That went on for a short while, before loud cheers erupted from everyone. They had gained a sudden boost of confidence, feeling that maybe they would be able to catch the phantom thief for once, without him expecting anything. The adventurers were feeling a lot more reassured, and even the soldiers were excited about the prospect of having Ashen Knights on their side. ¡¸By the way, this is also a summon.¡¹ Seeing that she was the center of attention and everyone had a better image of her, she decided there was no better time than now, and sent the spirit mansion away. The house that had been standing behind Mira that entire time vanished suddenly, leaving behind the grassy in that was there before. Just as Mira had expected, that caused quite an uproar from the crowd as well, as they wondered if that really was possible. ¡¸Incredible¡­ I was wondering how you built such a house overnight, but to think it was a summon as well¡­¡¹ The soldier leader mumbled in disbelief, slowly approaching the spot where the spirit mansion had been and grasping at the air, making sure there was nothing there anymore, before jumping around excitedly like a child that just witnessed a magic trick. As Mira really wanted to revitalize the poprity of summoners, she was very pleased seeing the soldier leader acting the way she wanted, happily saying ¡¸I know, I know.¡¹ There were others in the crowd who also began to react. ¡¸I didn¡¯t think a house could be summoned like that,¡¹ ¡¸I thought she had summoned some carpenter to build it real quick,¡¹ ¡¸Does this mean we don¡¯t have to worry about camping in the open if we have a summoner?¡¹ ¡¸I guess having a summoner can help a lot actually,¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s incredible.¡¹ Mira was delighted hearing all of that, but then remembered the detail she forgot to mention. After a short moment of panicking, she raised her voice and said ¡¸Though well,¡¹ and she began to exin just how hard it was to actually obtain a spirit mansion. Summoning the spirit mansion required arge amount of mana, so only summoners blessed with arge mana capacity, or those who trained enough would be able to use it. They also had to be able to establish ties with spirits with ease, and more importantly, they needed to find a mansion with a spirit living in it. So all in all, the spirit mansion was not a summon most would be able to obtain. Mira made sure to stress that, as she did not want other summoners to be terrorized by excessive demands. She was mostly interested in showing up-anding summoners just how powerful they could be. ¡¸It¡¯s a whole house, so I guess it makes sense for it to be an advanced summon.¡¹ The soldier leader nodded with understanding. Everyone else also did the same, understanding not everyone would be able to repeat what Mira did. While the spirit mansion was not the biggest in terms of a house, it was quite big for a summon that could be carried everywhere. It was obvious enough for everyone that only master summoners would be able to have something like that. ¡¸Still, being able to summon a house? That¡¯d be perfect to travel. It¡¯d be such a dream to not have to worry about inns or camping anymore.¡¹ Eventually one of the adventurers said that, and his words quickly spread throughout the rest of them. No matter the weather, they would always be able to sleep inside afortable house. On top of that, if there were Armor Spirits patrolling outside, everyone would be able to sleep without having to take turns to keep watch. They would be able to save up on inn costs, and they would be able to rest without having to go through the trouble of setting up a tent. All the adventurers were quickly finding the various uses for a house that could be summoned. Seeing how they all discussed that, Mira found it was the perfect opportunity for something else. ¡¸Other than that, this is also possible for us.¡¹ Saying that, Mira summoned Undine. A magic circle appeared and Undine stepped out of it, and once she looked around and saw thatrge crowd, she quickly clung onto Mira. Therge crowd had startled her. ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for shocking you like that, but don¡¯t worry, they aren¡¯t bad people.¡¹ Mira turned to face Undine, talking gently to her. Then, wanting to show the power of summoners even more, as well as her bonds with spirits, she took out a cup from her Item Box. ¡¸Now, Undine. Could you please pour some water in here?¡¹ As she spoke, Mira held out the cup. Undine nodded happily, probably because she was d to be of use to Mira so soon, and held her hands above the cup. Undine cupped her hands a little, and before long, they brimmed with water, which then overflowed and cascaded into the cup below. Soon enough the cup was filled with water, so Mira took it and drank all of it in a single gulp, then saying, ¡¸Yes, that hits the spot!¡¹ ¡¸While finding a mansion with a spirit living in it might be hard, forming a contract with a water spirit isn¡¯t veryplicated. If you love spirits, respect them, and are willing to live with them, they¡¯ll certainly answer in kind. Spirits are some of the kindest creatures, and we summoners turn our friendship into power. For example by befriending a water spirit like her, you can have crystal clear water no matter where you go!¡¹ Mira announced that loudly, exining what more possibilities could be achieved by summoners. Summoning a water spirit only required a small quantity of mana, and the water produced by one would not vanish like the water of magic spells. On top of that, it was far more cost effectivepared to water made with Concept Magic. Primitive Spirits required little mana to summon, though that also depended a little on their type. But in exchange, when those spirits used their abilities, they would also use some of the summoner¡¯s mana. That was a fundamental rule of summoning, put in ce to preserve the bnce of nature. Then again, the amount of mana consumed was not excessive, and since the spirits still did most of the heavy lifting, the results were extremely efficient. Concept Magic would require at least twenty times as much mana to produce the same amount of water, for example. After Mira exined that much, the soldier leader said ¡¸I see,¡¹ realizing how useful that could be. It really was nothingplicated to understand. But the adventurers amongst the crowd were seeing more possibilities from what Mira had shown them. ¡¸So in other words we won¡¯t have to factor the weight of water when packing for a trip anymore.¡¹ ¡¸If it¡¯s so mana efficient then it¡¯d be better to carry mana recovery potions instead of water.¡¹ ¡¸Fresh water anywhere we go¡­ I see, that¡¯s certainly incredible.¡¹ Water was an essential resource when going on a trip or into a dungeon. If a party took a summoner who had a contract with a water spirit, they would be able to procure it with ease. That revtion came as a huge shock after Mira announced it to the crowd. Though that was supposed to bemon knowledge for any summoner with a contract with a water spirit, so Mira was confused as to why it seemed like such a foreign concept here. ¡¸So summoners could actually do that too.¡¹ ¡¸I guess they can do more than just create decoys or help carrying stuff.¡¹ Some adventurers muttered that. It seemed like all they knew were Dark Knights that could carry heavy loads, and Holy Knights with thick shields that could lure away enemies. Due to the decrease of summoners and their abilities, not many knew of the possibilities they held. But that was where Mira coulde into y. She held the power to shock anyone, and possessed a wealth of knowledge about summoners, letting her paint that ss into a much better light.
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Chapter 223: Mira Explains the Possibilities of Water (1) Chapter 223: Mira Exins the Possibilities of Water (1)
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Surely enough, Mira¡¯s evangelization about summoners was quickly having an effect. ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of dungeons without water, but they go on endlessly and they have really good loot in the deepest parts. That would definitelye in handy.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, the quantity of water we could transport has always been directly proportional to how long we can be in there for after all. But with a summoner it¡¯ll be much easier¡­¡¹ Many adventurers quickly realized the effects easy ess to water would have in their line of work, making them discuss just how much it would expand their reach in dungeons. yers did not need any food or water in the game days, so it was easy for them to go deep into dungeons and obtain rare materials. But now that this was reality, the number of former yers had diminished, and they all were far more cautious with what they did, so while they would still go to dungeons to obtain items to sell, they would not go nowhere near as deep as before. The reason was not exactly their difficulty, but the environment. Many adventurers had the skills to fight off the monsters deeper inside dungeons, but they still required sustenance, which was like a ticking time bomb forcing them to leave after a certain time. They had to calcte the food and water they needed to go inside, and to get out. With that time limit in ce, the amount of items they could obtain also decreased. While it was still possible to n for a long trip deep into a dungeon to obtain more expensive items, usually it was not very time efficient, and going to a more easily essible location and farming more materials would earn them more money. In other words, rather than spending half a month to get loot that could be sold for a million Rils, it was better to spend one day in a safer location and farming a pile that could be sold for a hundred thousand Rils. But what Mira had just shown them would essentially multiply their earnings across half a month many times over. ¡¸In that case¡­if we find a summoner who can summon a water spirit¡­maybe we could even go to the depths of the Rothlyt Ruins?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, and we¡¯d be able to stay there for as long as we want. If we switch the load of water for food, we might even get to stay there for a month.¡¹ A group of adventurers began discussing that among themselves. The Rothlyt Ruins were a dungeon surrounded by many mountains, without any source of water nearby, making it famous for being so difficult to get deep inside. But with a summoner, that issue would bepletely solved. They could just move on without worrying about water, and could stock up on food instead. Having a summoner would ease the burden of having to carry so many supplies. Them, and all the other adventurers in the crowd, were already dreaming of just how much more they would be able to earn that way. Seeing that, Mira decided to tell them that water spirits could do a lot more than that. ¡¸There are other uses for water though, especially for things that are heavily restricted within dungeons.¡¹ Mira grinned smugly as she looked at the adventurers in the crowd. They had already been mesmerized by the possibilities of water spirits earlier, so they were eagerly waiting to see what she would say next. Some of the adventurers seemed to have an idea of what Mira was talking about, looking at her more intently. Most of them happened to be female too. ¡¸This here, I¡¯m sure all of you know of it as it¡¯s sold by all Dinowal Stores.¡¹ Once Mira felt like she had gathered enough attention, she took out a bag from her Item Box. It was the magic washing bag that worked just by pouring water into it. That device was ubiquitous enough that all the adventurers quickly understood what she was getting at. Their eyes lit up and they began to discuss that possibility amongst themselves again. Many of the females and a few males were excited about that as well. Those were likely the adventurers who valued cleanliness. ¡¸I knew you¡¯d recognize it. And yes, with the help of a water spirit, you can also wash clothes wherever you are!¡¹ Saying that, and wanting to give a bit of a demonstration, Mira took out the underwear she had worn the day before and put it inside the bag. Then turned around and let Undine fill the bag with water. After flipping the switch, the bag began operation. ¡¸Depending on your mana capacity, you could even do it daily, and you¡¯ll never have to worry about wearing dirty clothes again!¡¹ Mira raised the washing bag which made sloshing sounds as she announced loudly. That was very positively received by many adventurers. It seemed like there was quite arge group that heavily disliked the smell that came from wearing the same clothes for a long time, and now they were looking at Undine with starry eyes. (Good good, it¡¯s all going ording to n. Now, time for the main event!) Seeing that pleased Mira, as she had one more addition hidden under her sleeve. If cleaning clothes was possible, then it made sense that other things could also be cleaned like that. ¡¸Wait, do you mean..!¡¹ ¡¸Ohh¡­I wonder what it is!¡¹ Ovee with excitement, two female adventurers spoke, filled with anticipation for thest thing Mira would bring up, hoping their guess was right. It was something even more luxurious than being able to wash clothes inside a dungeon, brought forth by the ease with which water spirits could create water. ¡¸We¡¯ll also get to wash ourselves, right! That¡¯s incredible!¡¹ One of the adventurers could not contain herself anymore and eximed that. Soon many other cheers of joy came from other adventurers. ¡¸We won¡¯t have to keep buying Sanitary Towel Paper anymore too! Amazing!¡¹ ¡¸I see, so we¡¯ll be able to free up the space used by those things, that¡¯s nice.¡¹ Sanitary Towel Paper was something various adventurers refused to live without, and always took a portion of their baggage. While it was a ratherpact item, it was also disposable leading to it bing bulky when preparing for long trips. There were some adventurers who had no sense of hygiene and never understood why others insisted on carrying that though. But even they were interested in what Mira said, as it would help lighten their carry load too. ¡¸That¡¯s precisely it. As long as you have a summoner with a water spirit contracted and enough mana, you can take showers anywhere and as many times as you want!¡¹ Seeing how impressed everyone already was, she spoke while puffing her chest with pride. She looked almost like a politician making a public speech. The Dinowal Store had innovated a lot to help adventurers with keeping fresh while working, but all of those items and devices still required baggage space. But a water spirit could make all of that obsolete, and there was no better item than water to clean things. ¡¸You can even take showers?!¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s even more than I expected!!¡¹ Even though the crowd was already hyped up, when they heard what Mira said, they sounded even more impressed. They had not expected full on showers being possible. The most they had expected was having a bucket with water that they could use to wipe and clean their bodies. That alone had been enough to get them excited, and they considered it a luxury. But now Mira had told them showers were possible, something that required a lot of running water, and could be considered a sin in a ce with no natural water sources. Not to mention that having water drizzle from a high point was not easy to achieve in the first ce.1
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  1. Silva: Are you sure you want to keep going, Mira? I¡¯m not sure your run-of-the-mill summoner can achieve all that. You might be setting the expectations too high¡­
Chapter 223: Mira Explains the Possibilities of Water (2) Chapter 223: Mira Exins the Possibilities of Water (2)
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Because of all those factsbined, the adventurers had not even imagined the possibility of showers being possible in a dungeon. It was almost like having a water spirit could break the implicit rules of dungeons. So Mira¡¯s words shocked them, while also bewitching them. (Good good, their impression of summoners is clearly improving. It¡¯s on a pretty limited scope, but it¡¯s something.) It was not too long ago that she had been in the Ancient Underground City. During her time there, she had seen that out of everything she did, what garnered the most attention was a shower, as ess to water was heavily restricted within dungeons. ¡¸Summoners are actually amazing.¡» ¡¸Yeah, I had no idea they could do stuff like that.¡» The adventurers, especially the women amongst them, were quickly changing their perception of summoners. That was how much weight showers had for them. (Good, do it more, praise us more.) Seeing that the adventurers were showing appreciation for summoners faster than she had anticipated, Mira began to grin happily. She felt certain that she had improved the poprity of summoners. ¡¸To put it bluntly, producing water for a shower is a piece of cake for water spirits.¡» Wanting to really hammer the point home, Mira dered that loudly, when arge quantity of water suddenly poured on her from above. ¡¸What was that?!¡» Feeling that sudden downpour, Mira looked up at the sky, but there were no clouds in sight so it could not be rain. On top of that, none of the adventurers had gotten wet. After examining her surroundings with a bit more care, she noticed that only the spot where she stood had gotten drenched. It had been a shower produced by Undine. She had noticed that Mira made demonstrations with the cup and washing bag, so she tried to be of use to Mira by also making a demonstration of a shower. The only difference was that showers were taken without clothes, but Undine did not seem to be fully aware of that fact. As a result, Mira was left soaked all the way down to her underwear. ¡¸Regardless, as you just saw, it¡¯s easy for summoners to be of use. They can help with a lot of things unrted to fighting.¡» Mira began drying her clothes with Concept Magic, while trying to advertise summoners even more. ¡¸Being able to take showers in a dungeon¡­ That¡¯s literally a dreame true.¡» ¡¸And with the summon house from earlier too¡­ It would really revolutionize life in dungeons.¡» ¡¸Being able to use as much water as we want does sound nice. Especially because we won¡¯t have to worry about lugging around a lot of water. I¡¯m sure it could also be used to wash wounds so they can heal faster. It¡¯s really promising from a sanitary perspective too.¡» Even if they had different reasons to be impressed by it, they all had positive thoughts. Some were simply d they would be able to take showers, but others were already theorizing all the different uses easy ess to water could have. It had not been the most morous ending for Mira, but at least it was safe to assume she had a positive effect. Mira watched how they were all discussing that, nodding satisfied seeing her n bore fruit. It was natural for them to think of all those possibilities, as that was often what adventurers did. The more they discussed, the more the idea of summoners being viable allies grew on them. But then they realized that they would have to find a summoner who had formed a contract with a water spirit first. Or even more importantly, they had to find a summoner, as they were already quite rare. And that was just the first step. And then once they were lucky enough to find one, they had to hope it was someone who could summon a water spirit, making it even harder. If they did not have such a contract, then they would just have to wait until they met another summoner, and check again. That process seemed nearly endless for them, so it was hard to tell when they would be able to finally go to a dungeon with a summoner. Realizing the obstacles in their path, various adventurers groups noticed something obvious, and all turned to look at Mira, their eyes beaming with hope. ¡¸Ah¡­I¡¯m quite busy myself, sorry.¡» Saying that, Mira declined all the inviting stares, making all the adventurers look depressed nearly instantly. But they had likely already expected that response, so they quickly shook it off. Eventually one decided to ask a question, wondering exactly what a summoner had to do to form a contract with a water spirit, as Mira had only said that it was not very difficult. In the end, the adventurers had resolved it was best to secure the few summoners that were out there, and then work with them so they would reach the point of being able to summon water spirits. It was actually a rather optimistic way to deal with their dilemma. (And once again, I¡¯ve procured the ideal oue!) Having such optimistic adventurers searching for summoners to work with them was all Mira could ask for. Not to mention that once those summoners improved, more people would see them in action, making them more popr, and eventually increase the number of active summoners. It was like an upwards spiral to greatness. ¡¸Alright then, if that¡¯s what you¡¯d like to know, then let me tell you how to form contracts with water spirits!¡» Mira¡¯s voice was resolute, thinking of it as a challenge she had to ovee, as she had to reply to that in away that a regr adventurer could understand, while also making sure to ount for the current state of affairs of the world, finding the best and easiest way to form a contract with a water spirit. To begin with, there werergely two methods to form such a contract. One was to visit ces with a lot of water, likekes or riversides, befriending the water spirits of the area and eventually reaching the point of forming a contract with one of them. Producing water for showers and such was a basic ability all water spirits could perform, so it did not really matter which water spirit they chose. Speaking of which, there were various types of spirits which all fit under the water spirit category, but with different sets of abilities. Some were better suited forbat, while others had more supportive roles. Talking to a spirit was usually enough to figure out which kind they were though. The second method was to use a Spirit Crystal. Spirit Crystals were rare gemstones, usually found deep underground, and contained the crystallized souls of ancient spirits. If that item was released in a specific ce filled with spiritual power, a baby spirit would be born. By nurturing and raising that baby spirit with care and love, they would eventually have a proper summon. The main advantage of that method was that the summoner would be able to choose all the abilities and traits of the spirit. There were many ces with the spiritual power necessary for that, and each had an effect on the spirits born there. The biggest difference was the spirit¡¯s element, some leading to fire, wind, or water spirits, but there were more minute differences as well. There were sea, river,ke, or rain spirits, all of which were considered water spirits, but were unique in their own ways. A summoner had to take that into ount when selecting a ce, making sure to choose one that would produce a water spirit that best aligned to their necessities. ¡¸First of all, there¡¯s water spirits that¡­¡» Mira then went on to go into more detail about the different types of water spirits. Various adventurers quickly realized that was important information, so they took out notepads to write down what she was saying.
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Chapter 224: Comrade (1) Chapter 224: Comrade (1)
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¡¸¡­With all that said, I still have to mention the main issue with this method though.¡¹ There was a big w with the method of using a Spirit Crystal to form a contract, and it was a rather obvious one. The summon could not be used practically right away, as it would be a newborn spirit. Essentially the first method would give them a summon that could be used right away, while the second method took much longer while having added benefits. It was up to the summoner to choose between the two. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯ve raised Undine since she was born. She¡¯s really grown to be a finedy.¡¹ Mira looked at Undine as she said that, talking like a proud parent. Seeing that motherly look on Mira¡¯s young face made the adventurers¡¯ hearts start beating faster. ¡¸Though well, a summoner¡¯s disposition is still the most important. A summoner should enjoy a spirit¡¯spany and want to forge a strong bond, that¡¯s the most important part. Making a contract is also establishing a bond between summoner and spirit after all. There¡¯s some who say summoners control familiars, but I don¡¯t like to think of it that way. Summons aren¡¯t being controlled, but arepanions that travel and work together with us. Just like me and Undine.¡¹ Summoners had to take various limitations, conditions, and rules. But the most important one was the summoner¡¯s disposition, their willingness to be friendly to each other. ¡¸I see¡­ I guess there¡¯s a lot of depth to being a summoner too.¡¹ One of the female adventurers muttered that. Summoners had be a rather obscure ss in modern times, but she was starting to recognize the depth of their abilities. More importantly, she had seen they could be really handy to have. That female adventurer also had written some notes, where she had noted the different types of water spirits, as well as the water forms they were best at using. That basically meant if they were best at making waves, whirlpools, or other patterns like that. If they were good at a certain one, it would require less mana to do it, which seemed to be an important detail for that specific adventurer. She had rain spirits encircled to make them stand out too, as ording to Mira¡¯s exnation, those would be the best at making showers without much effort. ¡¸Question! What are some ces where rain spirits can be born!¡¹ Another female adventurer had reached the same conclusion, and raised her hand while posing that question. That made almost all the other women around there to perk up and pay attention. It was obvious they were all interested in rain spirits. ¡¸Hmm, rain spirits¡­ Well, for those¡­¡¹ Mira then began detailing ces where they could use Spirit Crystals for a rain spirit to be born. She mentioned not just the locations, but how to get to them, as well as the types of monsters that roamed the way there. While Mira had already formed contracts with all elemental spirits, she had still visited various other ces where spiritual power gathered. That was partly out of her own curiosity, but mostly because she wanted to investigate them to help future summoners. There was also information regarding various such ces in the Tower of Summoning over in Silverhorn, but as Mira had personally researched that herself, she still remembered all of them. While Mira would constantly forget all sorts of things, including the names of people, strangely enough she had nearly perfect memory when it came to summoning. Thanks to that she was able to provide even more information than the adventurers had been hoping for, which they all appreciated greatly. ¡¸Thank you! I¡¯ll go search for one right away!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you so much for telling us all of this. Summoners are really incredible.¡¹ Once Mira was donemunicating all the information she knew, all of the female adventurers that were listening with all their attention thanked her at the same time before running off to the city, heading straight to the Spellcaster¡¯s Union. The Union had a recruitment system to help adventurers find party members, where they could search for others under various criteria, like their rank, ss, age, sex, and various others. All the female adventurers were likely going there to search for summoners who were not part of any party yet. Their main criteria would be a summoner that had a contract with a water spirit, and with a preference for those who also had a fire spirit contracted. The entire Union would likely be busy processing those requests for summoners for the rest of the day. ¡¸Umm¡­is it alright if we ask for help with something?¡¹ Hearing that, Mira turned around and saw a group of six female adventurers. Their equipment suggested they were three frontliners, one middle guard, and two for the rear. Thosetter two were still young girls. ¡¸Oh? What is this you need help with?¡¹ Mira found herself smirking seeing that group. It always felt nice being able to help women, no matter the situation. ¡¸Le here is also a summoner, but she can¡¯t use any summons at all..¡¹ Saying that, one of them introduced one of the younger girls, who wore green robes. ¡¸I¡¯m Le!¡¹ Le also introduced herself energetically, her eyes glistening as she looked straight at Mira, though there was also some envy in them. ¡¸O-Oh, I¡¯m Mira.¡¹ Mira was slightly flustered by the intense stare, which waspounded by the lecherous thoughts that had already flooded her mind once the group of six women asked for her help, even though anyone could tell it would not be anything so impure. ¡¸So, what is it you need help with?¡¹ After gulping and sorting her thoughts, Mira moved on to the main topic. Le was a summoner who could not use her abilities, there had to be a reason for her wanting to meet Mira. ¡¸It¡¯s quite straightforward actually. Could you teach Le how to use Summoning Skills.¡¹ ¡¸How to¡­use them? Not how to learn them, but use them?¡¹ Mira tilted her head in confusion hearing that petition for help. When they mentioned Le could not use any summons, Mira assumed that shecked the means to obtain Armor Spirits as summons, which were the starting step for any summoner. That was quite a challenge though, as contracts with Armor Spirits like the Dark Knight and Holy Knight could only be established by defeating them with one¡¯s own power first. They only respected a summoner¡¯s worth by facing them inbat. But Armor Spirits were still spirits, making them quite strong. Even the weakest ones were ranked D, just one rank below C which was considered the cutoff for anything high level. That showed just how strong they were. It was quite difficult for a beginner summoner to beat Armor Spirits like that. Not to mention that Le looked like she was still thirteen years old. Even then, the only way for a summoner to really start a career was to form contracts with Armor Spirits. Armor Spirits were fundamental to both summoners being able to establish more contracts, and to disy their power. Since they were Man-Made Spirits, Armor Spirits would not grow on their own. They were tools born from the hands of men, and would gain purpose and meaning by being used by people, eventually turning into a spirit. That also meant that summoners had to rear them from the moment they were born, and that was also why their power as summons could show a summoner¡¯s ability. On the other hand, failing to obtain an Armor Spirit also made it much trickier form contracts with other types of summons. Then again, there were some summoners who were born with a natural affinity for spirits and could make friends with them easily, leading to contracts. But those werergely outliers, and sometimes they would even struggle to form contracts with Armor Spirits instead. To help with that, many summoners, Mira included, had researched ways for beginner summoners to be able to defeat Armor Spirits without running into much risk. By helping other summoners like that, Mira had gathered a wealth of information, as well as possible solutions. If Le could not obtain her Summoner Skills, then Mira should be able to help her find a solution. But it seemed like her situation was slightly different. ¡¸Umm, it¡¯s something that happened around two months ago¡­¡¹ ording to the other female adventurer, Le had already gone through the process of defeating an Armor Spirit. The one speaking was called Sara, who happened to be Le¡¯s older sister. She mentioned something that happened two months before. Back then Le had not formed a contract with Armor Spirits yet, and that was something that kept bugging her. Eventually the sisters met a skilled summoner. He was already starting to look old, and imed he was traveling the world to make summoners popr again. ¡¸Is that so? That¡¯s amazing!¡¹ Apparently Mira was not the only summoner trying to revive their ss, which brought great delight to her. Mira wanted to know more about him, but all the sisters knew was that he was called Bruce. But the sisters were a bit wary at first, mostly because it was some stranger who suddenly offered to help them. ¡¸¡­I guess I can¡¯t really me you for feeling that way.¡¹ Mira muttered that after ncing at Le. She still looked really young, so an older man approaching her out of the blue would set off all sorts of rms. ¡¸He actually turned out to be really kind though.¡¹ ¡¸Mhm, he taught me all sorts of things too.¡¹
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Chapter 224: Comrade (2) Chapter 224: Comrade (2)
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It seemed like he had left quite an impression on them, as Sara was smiling happily as she spoke about him. As they talked with him, their wariness faded away. But more importantly, his skill as a summoner was clear, as he showed arge variety of summons. As a result, Le ended up impressed by him, and ended up epting his offer to acquire an Armor Spirit together. After that he began preparing various things to aplish that. First and most importantly was exining exactly how to defeat an Armor Spirit, which was the same method Mira had pioneered in the past. Namely, that summoner suggested they use Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. That was something Mira had figured out, back when she was Danbulf. It was the most practical way for beginner summoners to take down Armor Spirits, which were far more powerful than new adventurers. But for that, they required Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. Their efficacy was also something Danbulf had researched extensively, together with the Armor Spirits¡¯ characteristics. To sessfully form a contract with an Armor Spirit, the summoner had to defeat them alone. On top of that, long ranged weapons like bows were ineffective. Danbulf had worked tirelessly to figure out exactly what produced that limitation in Armor Spirits. And eventually she found it, the most important condition. It was all about mana. When fighting, Armor Spirits would pay attention and memorize their opponent¡¯s mana wavelength, but they could only sense mana within a radius of two meters. That was why bows and any other ranged weapon did not work, the summoner was outside the sensing area. With all of those conditions in mind, the benefit of Magic Bomb Sealing Stones became obvious. While they were still thrown, making them a type of ranged attack, there was one essential difference between their explosion and an arrow¡¯s strike. Arming a Magic Bomb Sealing Stone so it would explode required the input of the user¡¯s mana, before multiplying it many times over to create an explosion. That was how Magic Bomb Sealing Stones worked. All of thatbined meant that the Armor Spirit would sense the explosion¡¯s mana and remember it as the summoner¡¯s, leading to a contract. It felt a bit like cheating the Armor Spirit into bing a summon, but there was no better option as using a more righteous approach would be too difficult. There was one more slightly esoteric method though. A really drawn out fight. By keeping an Armor Spirit engaged in battle for a long time, they would also remember a nearby summoner¡¯s mana, and once that happened, the spirit could be finished off with arrows or explosives, and it would attribute it all to the summoner. But that method was nowhere near realistic enough. Aplishing that would require a strong swordsman who could fight for hours on end without getting tired, and a summoner who somehow was in good shape enough to keep up with the fight, which was essentially impossible for a beginner. And even then all of the healing items tost through the process would cost a fortune. Faced with all those hurdles, Magic Bomb Sealing Stones were the obvious way to go for all summoners. They were by far the more sensible choice. The issue was acquiring said Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. Making them required the Refining skill Danbulf had developed and mastered, and only he and some close friends of his held the necessary knowledge. In other words, there was a very limited supply of them, and ess to them was even more restricted when it came to Magic Bomb Sealing Stones that were powerful enough to defeat an Armor Spirit safely. And yet that mysterious summoner generously provided Le with one such Magic Bomb Sealing Stone. ¡¸Ohohh, a Magic Bomb Sealing Stone you say? I don¡¯t know who that man was, but that¡¯s certainly a great disy of kindness!¡¹ Even with someone who knew how to make them, the items necessary to manufacture them also carried a hefty cost. Someone donating such an item simply to see the next generation seed certainly spoke a great deal about that man¡¯s worth as a summoner, which Mira admired greatly. ¡¸I¡¯m still grateful to him too. It¡¯s only thanks to him that Le has be so cheerful nowadays.¡¹ Saying that, Sara gently patted Le¡¯s head. She had been rather worried about her sister before, and now felt much more relieved. Le looked slightly embarrassed to be treated that way, but her eyes were filled with determination. She would do anything to help her sister Sara as a summoner now. ¡¸Hmhmm, that certainly sounds like a happy encounter.¡¹ While Mira barely knew the sisters, she could clearly tell they had a good rtionship with each other. It was heartwarming to see them together. ¡¸Yes, we¡¯ll never stop feeling grateful for it! Not anyone can hand over such a valuable item to someone they just met after all. And that¡¯s why we started nning a way to use it and make sure it hits without missing!¡¹ The conversation continued moving forward from their lucky encounter with that summoner. And since Mira was listening so attentively, Sara¡¯s voice also gained more energy, making her talk even more enthusiastically about their heroic tale. The mysterious summoner had also been part of their discussion on how to use the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone, but he hardly contributed to it, at mostmenting how likely they were to pull off a certain move. (This isn¡¯t a school after all. nning and thinking for oneself is an important experience.) ording to Sara, all that capable summoner had done was provide them with the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone and some of his past experiences. After that he listened in silence to see what n the sisters woulde up with. Mira felt like he had done that to help the sisters with learning to n for themselves, which was also an important part of being an adventurer. That also made Mira more curious to meet that summoner though, as she felt like they could easily share a few drinks and talk for a long time. ¡¸He said he could not help directly with fighting the Armor Spirit, but he did help us a lot when preparing for it.¡¹ While Mira was already drawing a character of that summoner in her mind, Sara continued telling the story. After discussing their n and consulting with the summoner, eventually they came up with something, a pitfall. They would dig a hole, make the Armor Spirit fall in it, and once it could no longer move, Le would throw in the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone. The summoner also seemed impressed by that n, mentioning it was essentially infallible as long as the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone properly fell into the hole as well. The condition for a contract that limited the summoner to being the only one fighting did not extend to preparations made before the fight, meaning that arge number of allies could dig out a big trap and it would not cause any negative effects. The summoner mentioned that too, so the sisters quickly went to work to get everything ready for the main event. They needed a hole the right size for the Armor Spirit, and a way to lure it into the hole. It took them nearly all of the past two months to get that ready, making a long corridor of sandbags which led to the hole in the end. The summoner also helped them with that, which helped them patch anything they could have missed when preparing everything. ¡¸We also tested it out with monsters first, to make sure it would work properly.¡¹ Just to be extra safe, and to improve their rate of sess even more, the summoner suggested they had to make a few practice runs first. All of them were sessful, and as long as the monster entered the sandbag corridor, they would infallibly fall into the pitfall. Once they had dotted the i¡¯s and crossed the t¡¯s, it was finally time to bring the Armor Spirit there. Thanks to all the time they spent getting ready, their n worked wlessly and the Armor Spirit was trapped inside the hole. Then came the important part, one they could not practice beforehand considering the cost of Magic Bomb Sealing Stones. But Le did exactly as she was taught, arming it and throwing it inside the hole, hitting her target. As a result, Le had properly defeated the Armor Spirit. When telling that part of the story, Saraughed as she mentioned how the explosion had been much stronger than she had anticipated. It seemed like the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone the summoner had given them was of even higher quality than they had initially thought. It was best to go a little bit overboard and overkill the Armor Spirits to secure the contract. That was something that Mira had determined in the game, and seeing that the summoner Bruce also knew of it made her feel even more impressed with him. Apparently Bruce had left once he saw that they had sessfully defeated the Armor Spirit though, saying that there were plenty of other summoners out there who were struggling to get started as well, so he wanted to help them as soon as possible. ¡¸That¡¯s truly some magnificent dedication. I truly wish I could meet him.¡¹ Mira was quickly bing more impressed by him, thinking of him as the perfect image of an instructor. At that point Mira had already forgotten what the sisters had initially wanted from her though. ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened and the contract was formed. But now we¡¯re not sure what to do with it¡­¡¹ Sara¡¯s voice had been energetic as she told the story of their valiant efforts, but then made a sharp drop into a conflicted murmur. Le had formed a contract with an Armor Spirit, but didn¡¯t really know how to properly summon it. Bruce had coached Le beforehand, telling her what to do once the contract was formed, but listening to that and actually doing it were different things. Somehow Le could not really grasp the hang of it, and would just constantly fail. On top of that, there were only a handful of summoners out and about, so they had been unable to find anyone who could be a teacher for Le. ¡¸Hmm, so that¡¯s why you asked for my help¡­¡¹ Now Mira understood why they had asked her for help with using Summoning Skills, so she turned to look at Le. ¡¸Please help me!¡¹ Noticing Mira¡¯s gaze, Le quickly bowed while asking again. In terms of appearance alone, Mira looked even younger than Le, but hearing that firm plea for help told Mira just how badly Le wanted to learn. That was not very necessary though, as no matter where and when, if a summoner was in need, Mira would do everything in her power to help. With a confident smile, Mira agreed to help Le.
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Chapter 225: Mira’s Summoning Skills Lecture (1) Chapter 225: Mira¡¯s Summoning Skills Lecture (1)
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¡¸Let¡¯s see what you can do first. Why don¡¯t you try summoning it?¡¹ When Mira said that, Le let out a confused ¡¸Huh..?¡¹ She had just asked for help with learning how to summon it, but Mira¡¯s response had been to do it. It felt like a rather obvious contradiction. But Mira was trying to aplish something else. ¡¸I want to see how you perform the summoning ceremony. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to point out what you¡¯re missing by seeing that.¡¹ Mira said that with a defiant voice, her confidence rooted in something quite palpable. It was hard to say that Mira was good at teaching people, but when it came to summoning, it was essentially the one thing she was an expert at. Not to mention that as one of the Nine Wisemen, having surpassed all other summoners in ability, many others hade to her for advice in the past, giving her plenty of experience with how to pass on knowledge. That also helped Mira know how to pin-point Le¡¯s issue as quickly as possible. ¡¸Umm, alright¡­¡¹ They had seen Mira¡¯s Ashen Knights and the spirit mansion earlier, so they knew her skill was the real deal. It was better to trust the master, so Le decided to do as told, and tried to activate the Summoning Skill she had learned from Bruce. Soon Le¡¯s mana began to spread, but it quickly vanished before a magic circle could take shape. ¡¸Ugh¡­why does that always happen?¡¹ Le looked disappointed, seeing no improvement no matter how many times she tried it. Mira watched that carefully, then looked at the rest of Le¡¯s group. Their three frontliners looked like a knight, a warrior, and a samurai. The middle guard was a hunter, and the rear line was Le and a saint. Saints were the most popr ss of spellcasters, while summoners were the least. Seeing that, Mira arrived at a certain conclusion. ¡¸Le, was it? You¡¯re really used to Concept Magic, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ Seeing her group, and the way she failed at summoning, Mira asked that question to Le. ¡¸How did you know?! But yes, I¡¯m actually quite confident about my Concept Magic!¡¹ Le seemed to be quite pleased with her mastery of Concept Magic, so her face lit up as she replied. The rest of the group also chimed in to say how Le¡¯s Concept Magic was indispensable to their work as adventurers, and how they were blessed to have her with them. (So that was the case after all.) Hearing that, Mira was certain she knew exactly why Le was failing. Before that though, the reason why Mira knew that Le was good at Concept Magic was her position. Concept Magic was slightly different from other branches of spells, being usable by any spellcaster with mana. That meant that the saint of the group should also be able to use Concept Magic. Any spellcaster could use Concept Magic as long as they learned how, and those spells could have all sorts of useful effects, so it was always useful to know some. But seeing the group¡¯s lineup, they had a saint who could heal and offer a lot of support inbat, and a summoner whocked even the most basic summons. It was clear which of them would have the mana to spare for Concept Magic. Mira believed that being in that position made Le fail at summoning now. ¡¸As a spellcaster I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware that there¡¯s a lot of steps to activating a spell, even if it¡¯s usually considered a single action.¡¹ Mira asked just to be sure, and Le nodded in response, while also saying that Bruce had properly taught her all the steps, but somehow she could not get it to work. ¡¸That¡¯s because you¡¯re only thinking of the steps and nothing else.¡¹ Le had started to doubt whether Bruce¡¯s instructions had been wrong, or if she was misremembering something. But Mira pointed out exactly what the issue was, summoning did not revolve purely on following a checklist of steps. Mira had met many summoners who were in a simr situation back in the game days. The majority of them had started off with a different ss, before being converted to summoning after seeing Danbulf in action. But that was back in the game days, so Le could not belong to them. Now that this world was reality, one¡¯s ss was determined by their magic affinity, something like an established upation. Some spellcasters had a stronger affinity for magic, others for monk skills, and some others for summoning. People usually had a few open choices at first, but once they picked one ss, their affinity would be locked, making it impossible for them to learn spells from a different ss, except for Concept Magic. There was a way to awaken an once locked ss though, something called Innate Sense. Doing that would allow a spellcaster to possess both sses at the same time, but to a lesser extent than someone focusing purely on one. That disadvantage often became insignificant when contrasted against the situational benefits having ess to two sses had though. This world had not been very favorable towards summoners, so basically no spellcaster would willingly be one if they had other choices. As much as Miramented it, that was the state of the world. That likely also meant that Le¡¯s only affinity was for summoning. That made Mira feel even more invested in Le though. ¡¸Concept Magic and Summoning Skills don¡¯t only differ in the steps used to carry them out, but also in the nature of one¡¯s mana when using them.¡¹ Le had never been part of a different ss in the past, and yet she was failing just like the converts Mira had met in the past. The reason for that, ording to Mira, was Le¡¯s familiarity with Concept Magic. Casting a spell involved various steps. Going from selecting a spell and a target, channeling mana, controlling its speed and course, its range, and various others depending on the specific spell one chose. That much wasmon knowledge for all spellcasters. But Mira said there was one specific step that was the issue here, one that was shared between all ranges of spells. ¡¸A step shared between all spells¡­ Hmm¡­that¡¯s¡­ Ah, channeling mana!¡¹ Le took the question seriously, like a teacher was making a question during a lesson. Mira replied with a ¡¸That¡¯s exactly it,¡¹ looking pleased with Le¡¯s disposition to learn. Then Mira continued exining. Channeling mana meant reserving the mana necessary to activate a spell, but it also could prime it to take the correct shape. Altering that was something seasoned spellcasters did almost instinctively. When casting a fire spell, mana was primed tobust and spread. When using a healing spell, mana was primed to be more revitalizing. Each spell had a corresponding type of mana. But generally spellcasters did not have to stress out about that too much. If their mana was left in a neutral state, it would usually be enough tounch a spell as long as there was enough of it. It only became a factor when a spellcaster gained enough experience to really attune oneself with the natural flow of mana, bing keenly aware of its finer texture. Then they would be able to modify their mana to reflect the desired effect from a given spell. Many would say a spellcaster had ovee their limits when they reached that point, but in reality it simply meant they understood mana better and knew how to mold it to their advantage. Mira exined that while puffing her chest with pride, as it was something she had researched herself. Le and the other spellcaster girl looked shocked hearing that, still a bit overwhelmed by Mira¡¯s exnation of her research into how mana behaved, and everything spellcasters did subconsciously. ¡¸The state of mana? How is that rted?¡¹ Sara was also listening to the conversation and asked that. Since she did not know much about spells, she could not really grasp the magnitude of what Mira was exining. Le was still a beginner summoner and did not have enough experience as a spellcaster to really understand how to modify her own mana, so Sara was simply a bit confused as to how that would cause Le to fail constantly. The same went for Le herself, she was still a bit unsure as to how Mira¡¯s lesson was rted to her predicament. ¡¸It¡¯s simple really, it¡¯s Concept Magic.¡¹
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Chapter 225: Mira’s Summoning Skills Lecture (2) Chapter 225: Mira¡¯s Summoning Skills Lecture (2)
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Mira told Le to try using the Concept Magic spell she was best at. Le was still a little unsure as to how that would help in their situation, but she could tell that Mira knew what she was talking about, so she decided to follow her indications, and replied with an energetic ¡¸Okay!¡¹ before activating a Concept Magic spell. Her choice was Light, a flying glowing orb. But it was not a regr one, as Le could make it fly around exactly the way she wanted. (Incredible¡­ She¡¯s actually way more capable than her appearance would suggest.) Mira was shocked seeing Le¡¯s Light, not having expected her to be so proficient at it. As far as Mira was aware, only yers who actively participated in raids, or researchers at the Tower of Concepts were at that level. In other words, at least when it came to the Light spell, Le was already on par with those expert spellcasters. That also reinforced Mira¡¯s assumption that Concept Magic was hindering Le¡¯s progress with summoning. ¡¸Your skill is certainly a sight to behold.¡¹ Mira praised Le¡¯s ability, but also moved to the main topic, adding ¡¸And that¡¯s what¡¯s holding you back,¡¹ talking like a professor pointing out Le¡¯s shorings. Le was still aplete beginner as a summoner, but nothing short of an expert when it came to Concept Magic. In other words, Le was subconsciously modifying her mana when using Concept Magic, as otherwise she would not be able to move the glowing orb the way she did. ¡¸I see¡­ I never noticed.¡¹ Le was shocked to hear that, but also seemed slightly happy. That was fully warranted as well, as she had been told she could do something only experts could do, showing her efforts to improve had borne fruit. But hearing that it was also holding her back from bing a summoner left her slightly conflicted, and all she could do was wait and hear what Mira would say next. ¡¸It¡¯s admirable that you¡¯ve reached this point already, but as I just exined, you¡¯re doing it subconsciously, which is causing all your issues.¡¹ Starting with that, Mira continued her exnation, her voice ballooning with excitement. Mira pointed out that Le was subconsciously applying the same modification to her mana when using summoning, which was having a negative effect. Summoning was essentially apletely new set of skills for Le, so she used what she was familiar with as a fallback. Especially for things she had done countless times with other spells she was good at. That was something Mira had seen countless times during her research, spellcasters using past experience as afortable crutch when trying to learn something new. When applied to spells of the same ss or with simr effects it usually had no negative effects, but summoning just so happened to be more particr about it. ¡¸That Light you showed me was made with mana primed for change. There¡¯s other forms, like spread, release, flow, fixation, condensation, and many others¡­¡¹ As Mira spoke, she activated various Concept Magic spells, like a me to start a fire, ice to cool something down, water to put out fires, wind to dry something, and even one to excavate holes. Eventually she concluded with a question: ¡¸So tell me, what would you say is the ideal form of mana for summoning?¡¹ ¡¸The ideal form of mana for summoning¡­ Hmm¡­is it¡­release?¡¹ Le waspletely lost, but after thinking about it for a while eventually came to that response, though her voice sounded weak. ¡¸Sorry, but that¡¯s incorrect. The right answer is fixation.¡¹ Summoning was a way to call forth the help of various entities one formed contracts with. But from a more technical viewpoint, it was more like opening a gate of sorts, letting the summon pass through. All spells used by summoners revolved around that gate and keeping it fixed in ce. That was something that could not be changed whatsoever, hence why summoners used fixation mana. ¡¸Then again, that¡¯s all part of my own research, so I can understand if you were unaware of it.¡¹ Mira exined that there was nothing wrong with not knowing about that, and then moved on to the main part. Whenever Le tried to use any Summoning Skill, she would inadvertently do it with change mana, as that was what she habitually used. But that also happened to be the opposite of the fixation mana most suited for summoning. ¡¸You¡¯ve been using those other spells for so long that whenever you channel mana you prime it to change out of habit. That ends up conflicting with Summoning Skills, and it ends with a failed spell.¡¹ After that, Mira also mentioned that release mana was a badbination for summoning as well. ¡¸Then what should I do?¡¹ They had found the root of the issue, Le¡¯s past habits, but that was not something one could just unlearn, so she was unsure of how to proceed to be able to use Summoning Skills. But Mira¡¯s smile was undeterred, even though Le looked so stumped. ¡¸It¡¯s nothing tooplicated. If this is something you¡¯re doing subconsciously, then just try to focus as much as you can to correct it. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard now that you¡¯re aware of the inner workings.¡¹ Saying that, Mira went to stand next to Le, giving out instructions there. ¡¸First, designate the spot where the summon should appear.¡¹ ¡¸Okay!¡¹ Le gave an immediate reply and followed Mira¡¯s instructions, building up the summoning spell step by step. After designating the spot where the summon should appear, the summoner had to select a summon. Le only had one so the choice was obvious, a Dark Knight. ¡¸And nowes the most important part. Flush all Concept Magic out of your mind and focus solely on summoning. Try to picture an immovable gate, and a resilient armor set. Imagine you¡¯re building them up piece by piece with your mana, and measure how much of it you need.¡¹ Channeling mana was somethingmon amongst all types of spells, so it was easy to do it by feel and never think too hard about it. Mira was making sure Le paid attention to it now though, giving her something clear to focus on. Everything was in ce once her mana was in equilibrium. The only remaining step was to fully activate the summoning. It was then that Le began to doubt herself, wondering if she would seed or fail like she had so many times in the past. She turned to look at Mira, her mind clouded by those worries. But Mira nodded with confidence. Mira had taught her everything she needed to know, so there was no way Le would fail now. Seeing Mira¡¯s face like that brought a strange feeling of ease to Le. Mira looked younger than Le, but somehow seemed like a far more mature and reliable figure, almost like she was looking at a deity of summoning. Encouraged by Mira, Le felt like she could aplish anything she set her mind on now, and with that courage, she activated the summon. Summoning Skill: Dark Knight This attempt feltpletely different to all previous ones, so Le¡¯s eyes opened wide while focusing at a certain spot on the ground, which she had used as her target for the summon. That was also the spot where her mana gathered and formed a magic circle. A set of armor emerged from the ck magic circle. It still looked like amon soldierpared to Mira¡¯s Ashen Knights, being shorter and thinner, having a lot of room to grow. But at the same time, it also represented a new beginning in Le¡¯s life as a summoner. ¡¸Yes, you¡¯ve seeded. That¡¯s a splendid Dark Knight!¡¹ That was also how Mira had started her life as a summoner, so watching Le brought many memories back. Le grinned happily seeing the Dark Knight too, while Mira congratted her on her achievement. ¡¸You did it Le!¡¹ Sara seemed to be even happier though, her eyes filled with tears of joy as she hugged her little sister who had just seeded at her first summoning. Watching how much Sara congratted her sister made Mira feel proud of having contributed to that, while also understanding that Sara was the overprotective type of sister.
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Chapter 226: The Phantom Thief, Fans, and Rivals (1) Chapter 226: The Phantom Thief, Fans, and Rivals (1)
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¡¸Thank you so much!¡¹ ¡¸Thank you.¡¹ Sara and Le thanked Mira, and the rest of their group also looked grateful behind them. In response Mira simply said that it was a pleasure to help a fellow summoner. After that she gave Le some general directions on how to use the Dark Knight, as well as advice on making it stronger. ¡¸Listen carefully now, a Dark Knight¡¯s true worthes from its versatility and room for growth¡­¡¹ While Le seeding at summoning a Dark Knight had seemed like the climax of their encounter, Mira¡¯s lesson on summons was barely getting started. Since Armor Spirits had the ability to learn, it was possible to teach them how to use a sword, or general fighting tactics, so they would be able to make independent decisions while fighting. But more importantly, as long as a summoner had mana, they could summon as many of them as they wanted. Mira could never get herself to shut up when talking about spells, especially if it was a branch she was familiar with. Meanwhile Le seemed conflicted, as she had thought the lesson would end now that she had sessfully summoned a Dark Knight, but Mira kept going on. But once she paid attention to what Mira was saying, and considering the wealth of knowledge she possessed, Le quickly realized that Mira was saying something important, so she became more attentive and took out a notepad to scribble some notes. ¡¸Now the trick for simultaneous summoning is to designate multiple summoning spots while thinking of them as the same. Or well, I say that but you shouldn¡¯t focus on just one spot, but more like an army in formation¡­¡¹ It had been a while since Mira had met a sounding board, or rather a student, so her lesson quickly went into more advanced topics, like Mira¡¯s favorite simultaneous summoning. She also made demonstrations as she spoke, summoning one, then three, and then four, showing how one could scale up the number of simultaneous summons with practice. Le tried to keep up summoning her own Dark Knights, but she was too inexperienced to really get more than one out. Then again, it was nothing to be worried about, as it was a difficult skill to master and being able to perform it would be enough for a summoner to be admitted into the Silver Linked Towers. It was not something one could master in a single day, even if they were taught by the best summoner in the world. ¡¸Augh¡­I feel dizzy¡­¡¹ It had been Le¡¯s first time summoning a Dark Knight, and no matter how hard she tried to do more, in the end all she aplished was draining herself of mana. ¡¸Le, are you okay?¡¹ Sara gently supported Le¡¯s body as she began to sway unsteadily. ¡¸Yeah¡­I think I just used a bit too much mana.¡¹ She was showing clear signs of mana deficiency, losing her bnce and with vacant eyes. (Oh, I think I heard something like that before. That happens when someone runs out of mana.) In the game when someone¡¯s HP went down, their vital signs would be weaker, and ack of MP would impede one¡¯s senses. That effect seemed to have gotten stronger now that this world was reality. Given Mira¡¯s enormous mana pool she had never really burned through all of it. She had used a considerable amount when fighting Machina Guardian, but it had not been so much as to have a negative effect on her senses. HP had a limit of 30% before the negative effects became critical, but it seemed to be far more lenient with MP. Seeing Le stumble about made Mira want to test her own limits eventually. But those thoughts were soon interrupted by Sara. ¡¸Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done for my sister, but I don¡¯t think she can handle more for now so we¡¯ll have to leave. I promise we¡¯ll repay this favor one day.¡¹ Sara thanked Mira for her lengthy lesson, then carried Le together with the rest of their group and they went into the city. ¡¸Mhm, it feels nice to do good deeds early in the morning.¡¹ Mira watched the group walk away, patting her own shoulder for helping out a fellow summoner, and then sent away all the Dark Knights she had summoned as demonstration. With that done, she could finally head into the city herself. ¡¸Well, I guess that¡¯s a rank A adventurer alright. And she¡¯s quite knowledgeable, this might work out.¡¹ A certain voice rang behind her. Most of the adventurers who had gathered that morning had left after hearing that Mira was unrted to Fuzzy Dice and her water spirit propaganda. But when she turned around she saw there were still various soldiers left there. ¡¸Oh, wait, you were still there?¡¹ Mira had gotten so entranced in talking about summoning that she hadpletely stopped paying attention to her surroundings, so she was genuinely surprised to see there were still people left. ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re still here. There¡¯s someone here who would like to talk to you about Fuzzy Dice for a bit.¡¹ The soldier leader grimaced a little, realizing Mira hadpletely forgotten about him for a while, but he moved along and introduced a man wearing a ck trenchcoat. Apparently that man was quite knowledgeable when it came to Fuzzy Dice. Being mentioned like that, the man stepped forward. He has slightly disheveled gray hair, but his face had an intelligent air to it, giving him the appearance of some sort of schr. ¡¸Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Julius.¡¹ The man bowed politely and introduced himself as Julius, before staring curiously at Mira, carefully examining her features. There was no lust or carnal intentions in his gaze though, but a more inquisitive look. ¡¸By the way, I couldn¡¯t help but notice your proficiency as a summoner, it was a sight to behold. Summoners of your caliber were already rare decades ago, not to mention now. Though I seem to recall hearing rumors of a powerful summoner around the Uniontely.¡¹ When Julius pointed that out, the soldier leader also recalled something simr, mumbling ¡¸Hm? Silver hair¡­a summoner¡­¡¹ while staring at Mira. But Julius paid little attention to that, his eyes still examining Mira. ¡¸Long silver hair, blue eyes, attire of the popr magical girl line, and more importantly, impressive skill as a summoner.¡¹ While the soldiers began to discuss with each other, Julius went through the description of that person,paring it to Mira, until eventually his eyes gleamed triumphantly and he voiced his conclusion. ¡¸You must be that summoner they mentioned in the far western regions-¡¹ ¡¸You¡¯re the Spirit Queen!¡¹ Before Julius could finish, the soldier leader¡¯s loud shocked voice interrupted him, leaving Julius stunned like his face had frozen in ce and unable to finish his sentence. ¡¸Yes, it appears that¡¯s what people call me nowadays.¡¹ Mira had gained the nickname of the Spirit Queen after the fight against Chimera uzen, and she did not deny it. She felt that using her poprity could benefit her when trying to gather information about Fuzzy Dice, so it was best to embrace that name. ¡¸Ohh! So it is you! I didn¡¯t even think about that until Julius mentioned it. The rumors did say you were a bit more¡­nevermind. It¡¯s really reassuring to know we have an adventurer like you on our side though!¡¹ The rumors that had reached these areas also likely portrayed the Spirit Queen as some gorgeous woman, as twisting reality wasmon for rumors. The soldier leader was about to point out that Mira was far younger than the rumors made her seem, but he bit his tongue, and instead focused on the fact that Mira was likely even more powerful than a regr rank A adventurer. The other soldiers were also just as excited as their leader, realizing they had met the Spirit Queen they kept hearing so much about. Some of them had imagined the Spirit Queen as a woman of fascinating proportions, so they seemed slightly disappointed. But most of them recovered quickly though, even if Mira was not the woman they dreamed of, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. Some of the soldiers evenmented how she was more their type as well. ¡¸¡­It¡¯s an honor meeting you, Spirit Queen.¡¹ While the soldiers all seemed excited about everything, Julius looked rather downcast. He had sessfully analyzed the rumors, determined what could be trusted, and smartly identified Mira, but just as he was about to make the big revtion his thunder was stolen by the soldier leader, making his pride dete. ¡¸Ah, um¡­erhm¡­ I mean, it was you who noticed first anyway, right? So it¡¯s alright. Also, you said something about Fuzzy Dice I think?¡¹ Mira had never met Julius before, but she could somehow tell why he looked so disappointed, so she tried to change topics to cheer him up a little. Hearing that, Julius raised his face and said ¡¸Right, let¡¯s do that,¡¹ forcing a smile to regain hisposure, and after a deep breath he looked straight at Mira. ¡¸Alright, let¡¯s do this again. I¡¯m Julius, and I¡¯m actually an assistant for the Wolf Detective Bureau, even if I may not look the part.¡¹
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Chapter 226: The Phantom Thief, Fans, and Rivals (2) Chapter 226: The Phantom Thief, Fans, and Rivals (2)
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Julius introduced himself again, bowing politely and handing out a piece of paper, which at closer inspection turned out to be a business card. And surely enough, it mentioned Assistant Julius, Wolf Detective Bureau. Mira politely took the business card, while also being slightly amused that business cards had be part of the culture of this fantasy world. The rear side of the business card also included the address of the detective bureau, as well as the various permits issued to them by Grimdart. Detectives and investigators relied heavily on being trustworthy, so business cards like that were important for them to prove their credentials. Faking permits was severely penalized byw, so no one would risk faking a business card like that. (I see. So that¡¯s also why he was talking so strangely earlier.) Mira had a slightly warped perception of detectives, believing they all liked to talk in roundabout ways. Reaffirming that belief in her mind, she stored Julius¡¯ business card inside her cute card holster. The first business card she had ever received in this world was also stored there, which she had obtained from Thedrick Dinowal together with aplimentary ticket. ¡¸Hmm, a detective¡­ And you¡¯re an assistant with information about Fuzzy Dice?¡¹ A detective and an elusive thief, that was a rather peculiar pairing that filled Mira with excitement. ¡¸Yes, and I believe it¡¯ll be of great use to you, which is why I came here.¡¹ Julius said that, his voice sounding almost like he was trying to advertise something. ording to him, Chief Detective Wolf was the person most knowledgeable about the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice, as the first time a victim received a warning letter from the thief, they went to consult with Wolf. Wolf had once been a skilled adventurer, and was incredibly smart as well. He had already garnered a lot of trust, so everyone believed he would be able to catch that thief that popped up out of nowhere. But Fuzzy Dice turned out to be far harder to track down than anyone thought and remained atrge, and now even garnered a positive reputation as a righteous thief. Wolf never gave up though, and even with his continued failures he still kept chasing after Fuzzy Dice. This time he hade up with a special n that he hoped would be more effective, and was looking for people to help him carry it out. ¡¸I¡¯m sure the Chief Detective will greatly appreciate the help from someone of your caliber, Spirit Queen. But we¡¯ll still offer information about Fuzzy Dice even if you decide not to go along with our n, there¡¯s nothing wrong with having more allies after all. What do you say?¡¹ Julius was looking straight at Mira, he did not seem to have any ulterior motives, though it was clear he really wanted her to take the offer. ¡¸Hmm, alright then. I¡¯ll go meet that Chief Detective at least, I¡¯ll decide on whether to help or not after I¡¯ve heard more though.¡¹ Mira did not really have a reason to refuse that offer. She had just arrived at the city and gathering information about Fuzzy Dice was her main priority. She needed to know what kind of person she was up against to have an idea of whether she could win a fight or not. In the game she would have charged in blindly no matter what she was up against, and thene up with a n on the fly. But that was in a game, with no stakes. Now that this world was reality, she needed to be a lot more careful, and make sure she knew her enemy and herself. ¡¸I¡¯d appreciate that. Let me guide you there then, follow me.¡¹ Julius looked relieved for a moment, and after a short bow, he began walking towards the city. Mira jumped into her wagon¡¯s driver seat, then summoned Guardian Ash, the gray bear. Ash had already pulled the wagon so many times in the past that he seemed used to it, happily waddling in front of the wagon and skillfully affixing the harness onto himself. The soldiers watched that with dumbfounded looks. ¡¸Sorry for causing all thatmotion.¡¹ After saying that to the soldiers, she followed Julius in the wagon. ¡¸See you then, hopefully we get him this time,¡¹ came the response of the soldier leader, and she just waved from the side of the wagon as she went away. (I¡¯ve really matured as well, huh.) Mira thought back to the times when she would always act recklessly, while now she carefully gathered information like Solomon used to do. She really felt proud of herself. Going through the gates of Haxthausen, Mira found herself surrounded by distant buildings. There were four entrances to the city, facing each cardinal direction, and they all led to a semi-circr za, like the one Mira found herself in. They were quiterge as well, leaving a space of around a hundred meters between the entrance and the nearest building. ording to Mira¡¯s lore loving acquaintance, the city was arranged like that to have a strategic advantage in times of war, though there was no conflict in present times, and the city lookedpletely peaceful. There were plenty of open air stores, with merchants, adventurers, and regr people moving around and trading for items. ¡¸Hm¡­there¡¯s a lot of women wearing masks around here. Is it some sort of festival?¡¹ Looking at the people in the za, Mira noticed that around half of the women were wearing masks that covered their upper face. There were various merchants selling masks too. It was almost like Mira had walked into Venice¡¯s Carnival. Mira knew better though, but even then she was really hoping that it was merely a part of the local culture, so she made that question to Julius. But her hopes were dashed and the truth she did not want to ept was proven to be right. All of those women with masks were Fuzzy Dice¡¯s fans. ¡¸Though I guess for them it is some sort of festival.¡¹ ording to Julius, those women had somehow heard about Fuzzy Dice¡¯s letter and came in droves to the city, hailing from all parts of the continent. Julius even joked that Fuzzy Dice¡¯s fanclub could have more influence than an entire country if incited. ¡¸I never thought it¡¯d be like this¡­¡¹ There were few things that made Mira¡¯s stomach churn with disgust more than men who were excessively popr. But that aside, there was something else that she had to be worried about now. She realized that even if she were to sessfully catch Fuzzy Dice, all of those women would instantly turn against her and be her enemies. They already seemed to know Julius was an assistant of the Wolf Detective Bureau, so they were looking at him with derision. But then Mira realized there were even more women looking at Julius, some more positively, probably because he had rather attractive features himself. And then came the realization that some of the cold stares from earlier were not directed at Julius, but at Mira herself. There was already a public poprity contest between the elusive Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice and the Detective Assistant Julius, and now a young cute girl had appeared between them. Mira quickly put all of that together, so she tried to distance herself from Julius a bit. But the driver¡¯s seat of the wagon was rather narrow so she could not get too far, and since Julius was walking right next to Ash it was impossible to pretend she was not going with him. (This is a rather bothersome situation¡­) Mira had already gained a boost of poprity after she became known as the Spirit Queen, and if she managed to capture Fuzzy Dice everyone would know about her. Julius had already mentioned how there were fans of Fuzzy Dice all over the continent, so if Mira came and dethroned their hero, she could only imagine how they would treat her. (This really brings me back to when I heard about incidents surrounding idol groups¡­) Mira shuddered as she thought back to various incidents surrounding popr idol groups she had heard about in her past world. She could easily see herself being stabbed in the back out of the blue. It really was not very hard to run up to someone with a dagger, even in crowded ces. Soon she felt like she already had a target painted on her back, with snipers hiding anywhere possible to take the shot, so she decided it was best to try finding a peaceful solution to her encounter with Fuzzy Dice.
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Chapter 227: Mira Searches for Gemstones (1) Chapter 227: Mira Searches for Gemstones (1)
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Mira did her best to pretend she was unrted to Julius, which only brought her a momentary peace of mind, and continued moving through the streets crowded by Fuzzy Dice¡¯s fans. Theyout of Haxthausen was rather peculiar. Overall it resembled a square, aligned with each side facing a cardinal direction and featuring gates at the center of each. Beyond these gatesy semi-circr zas, from which five streets branched out¡ªtwo running parallel to the walls and three extending into the city, interlinking with other zas. When seen from above, Haxthausen would appear as a square enclosing a diamond, with a cross dividing the entire structure into quarters. There were four major districts, each in a corner of the city, and each with their own governor. That was how Haxthausen was organized. Mira was currently moving through the street that was directly ahead of the western gate. The best parts of the city were the areas near the cross in the center, so the further Mira got the bigger the buildings got, and the more borate the stores on the sides of the street became, while churches and administrative offices also became more frequent. ¡¸Oh, is that¡­¡¹ Amongst those buildings, one caught Mira¡¯s attention, making her raise her voice. It was a jewelry store, which looked rather luxurious just like the rest of that area of the city, and there were many happy couples looking at the items on sale. ¡¸Oh, so you¡¯re also dazzled by beautiful jewelry, Spirit Queen? In that case we could reward you with jewelry if you want. We could even make a custom order for you.¡¹ Julius was very perceptive, as a detective had to be, and quickly noticed what Mira was looking at with so much interest. But figuring out exactly what Mira wanted from there was a bit moreplicated. ¡¸Oh, no thanks. I have no interest in such ornaments. Also, could you stop calling me Spirit Queen? It¡¯s rather embarrassing to be reminded of that title all the time.¡¹ Mira did not see the appeal of wearing jewelry, so she quickly declined that offer, and instead pointed out something that had been bothering her. It did not sit right with her to be called Spirit Queen. ¡¸I personally think it¡¯s an amazing nickname, but if that¡¯s what you want I¡¯ll just call you Mira from now on then.¡¹ Those seemed to be his true feelings about the name, as he looked slightly disappointed about not being able to use it anymore. But even more disappointed was the Spirit King¡¯s voice that rang inside Mira¡¯s mind, as he said he felt like Mira was rejecting his presence, and Mira tried her best to convince him that was not the case. ¡¸But then what was it that got you so interested earlier? If you¡¯re not interested in jewelry.¡¹ It would be strange for Mira to feel the need to raise her voice if she was just ncing at the buildings on the side, so Julius was still curious about it. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s just that I recalled that this region¡¯s specialty is amber.¡¹ The store they had passed by was one focused purely on fashion, so there were no gemstones with special powers in there, but the lineup still included plenty of amber, which was something Mira was interested in. ¡¸Amber..?¡¹ That response was still not fully satisfactory for Julius, who was inquisitive thanks to the nature of his job. Was amber really something to be so surprised about? Especially if someone was not interested in jewelry? ¡¸Yes, amber. Though what I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t regr amber, but Rainbowbead Amber.¡¹ Saying that, Mira pointed at another store she had spotted. That one also sold essories, having various nes and bracelets on disy. But it was not quite the same type of store as the previous one. All the clients of this one were not couples, but argely male demographic, most of which wore adventurer clothes. ¡¸I see, that¡¯s certainly what a proficient adventurer would want. I still have a long way to go.¡¹ Julius showed he was still hard at work at improving his skills. It was clear that he not only had good looks, but was also a hard worker, and had tried to gather as much information as he could from the hints Mira gave. That Rainbowbead Amber Mira had mentioned was a unique type of amber with a beautiful rainbow sheen, which usually went for ten times the market price of regr amber. It was usually found deep within the forest, together with fossilized specimens of insects known as Rainbow Swallowtail Butterflies, though they could be found alive as well. Almost anyone knows that amber is petrified sap from ancient trees, and that was true of Rainbowbead Amber as well. The only difference was in how the sap was formed back then. Rainbowbead Amber was the petrified sap of trees ingested by a Rainbow Swallowtail Butterfly. Those insects would feed on tree sap, drinking so much of it that their bodies swelled up and impeded them from flying. So they would hide in some inconspicuous corner for months, while also camouging their bodies with magic. For some unknown reason, sometimes the sap in their bodies would petrify during that time, bing Rainbowbead Amber. There was a scientist who had discovered that. On top of that, Rainbowbead Amber was always found in pieces of various sizes, but always shaped like ovals, which also coincided with the shape of the digestive organs of Rainbow Swallowtail Butterflies. ¡¸In that case, would you prefer if your reward was paid out in Rainbowbead Amber? We have ess to a master craftsman who should be able to get just what you want, and with less hassle than at a store.¡¹ Soon Julius came up with that suggestion. His eyes looked confident, showing he was sure he could get that arranged. ¡¸It¡¯s a tempting offer, but I think it¡¯s best to discuss that after I¡¯ve talked with the Chief Detective.¡¹ Saying that, Mira rejected the offer. She did not feelfortable discussing any rewards yet, as her goal was to ask Fuzzy Dice about the orphanage, and not exactly catch him. Not to mention that now she was starting to fear the public, so it was quite possible she would let Fuzzy Dice free after she asked what she wanted. That would also invalidate any ims to a reward though. On the other hand, it was a really enticing offer. Rainbowbead Amber was rare and beautiful, giving it a high price. But that was not the only thing making it special, it also had the power to greatly strengthen abilities. That was likely thanks to some added benefit from the butterflies that also used magic, making it many dozens of times more powerful than regr amber.
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Chapter 227: Mira Searches for Gemstones (2) Chapter 227: Mira Searches for Gemstones (2)
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The ability for weapons and essories to be more powerful was something highly valued by adventurers, as they would often find themselves in life or death situations, and the added power from gemstones could determine the oue. That power came in different forms as well, being either a boost to physical strength or resilience, and magic power as well. It was not aplex system, but it had clear effects which put them in high demand. There was a cap on how much more power a given weapon or essory could gain, which hinged on the materials used to build the item, as well as the skill of the one who crafted it. Even if an extremely powerful gemstone was used, it would only grant as much power as the limit allowed. One factor was more important than the rest though, and it was the master craftsman Julius had mentioned earlier. Even the best materials would be wasted unless someone with the necessary skill could realize their full potential, a talent possessed by very few. Mira was able to extract and condense those secondary effects from materials through Refining, but that was not enough to actually activate them. Her n was to Refine all the materials she could and keep them in storage until they could be used. Though she also suspected Solomon already was employing a master craftsman like that, and she just had to remember to ask about it. And thinking of which, she also made a mental note to visit the gemstone storeter. It was best to have the materials ready as soon as possible, since crafting took a long time, even for master craftsmen. Then again, the main reason was simply that Mira enjoyed window shopping. Mira continued walking along the street, sometimes exchanging a few words with Julius, until eventually he stopped in front of a building. It was a magnificent mansion, with arge sign in front that read Baron Hotel. At first nce, it seemed to be a lodging establishment built to entertain the fantasies of people who desired to live like nobles. ¡¸I¡¯ll go call the chief now, so please wait in the lobby for him. Also, you can leave the wagon in the parking lot, they won¡¯t ask for anything if you show them the business card I gave you.¡¹ With those trailing words, Julius quickly ran into the hotel. He seemed to value Mira¡¯s presence greatly, and was excited to announce the arrival of the Spirit Queen. ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll just listen to what he has to say, just listen¡­¡¹ Mira began to question what to do as she took the wagon to the parking lot. Information about Fuzzy Dice was the top item in her list of priorities, and she had the perfect chance to obtain it. The problem was the request for assistance. Julius¡¯ excitement at the prospect of catching Fuzzy Dice was almost palpable, and he had stressed just how intensely Chief Detective Wolf had followed the phantom thief, either out of pride or obstination. It reminded Mira of a certain interpol inspector that kept chasing after a master thief who was the third in line of his family.1 Meanwhile Mira was not exactly too thrilled about it. Her main objective was to find the location of a mysterious orphanage located in a nameless vige, and she had no concrete evidence that Fuzzy Dice knew where it was, so Mira¡¯s only motivation was to ask whether he knew about it or not. If he knew, then it would be a great sess, if he did not, then she would just have to search elsewhere. But now she had encountered another problem, Fuzzy Dice¡¯s fans. They were a group of people she certainly did not want to rub the wrong way, for her own mental and physical safety. (I know they said I don¡¯t have to give anything in return for the information, but I still feel bad just taking it¡­) Julius mentioned they would still share their knowledge if Mira did not want to work with them, but such a selfish act would naturally also bring its share of guilt, as it was human nature to want to return favors. Mira was no exception to that, which brought her to her current dilemma. There was something else in Mira¡¯s mind though. Mira turned back and carefully opened the door leading from the driver¡¯s seat into the wagon and peered inside. The water spirit Anlutine was still sleeping in the wagon, showing no signs of waking up any time soon. Leaving her there would be clearly irresponsible, even if she was a spirit. The Spirit King had said she would be asleep for a couple of days, but could not provide a specific number. Mira still had a lot to prepare in anticipation of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s entrance, which required her to move around a lot, meaning it was highly unlikely she would be near the wagon when Anlutine woke up. Considering all of that, she decided to summon an Ashen Knight to stay as guard inside the wagon, while also leaving a written note on the table. In it she briefly exined the current situation, while also letting Anlutine know she could just rx and wait for Mira to return to the wagon. Just like Julius had mentioned, she was allowed to park the wagon with no questions asked once she showed the business card. It was not without incident though, as the clerk tending to the parking lot noticed Guardian Ash pulling on the wagon and seemed to get really excited about it. As it turned out, he had been working there for thirty years, so he had seen all sorts of wagons and rides, but this was his first time seeing a gray bear. And his hobby was recording all the rides he saw. Mira thought that was a rather umon hobby as she stepped down from the wagon, but she could not help breaking into a smile as she watched the aging clerk happily take pictures of Guardian Ash. The camera he used, which looked like a really high quality item, was not his, but the hotel owner¡¯s. The owner was aware of the clerk¡¯s hobby though, so he did not mind letting him borrow the camera. Overall the owner sounded like a nice person. Once the clerk had taken all the pictures he wanted, he realized there was no stable for bears in the establishment, and just as he began to get worried about that, Mira smugly sent Guardian Ash away, and just as she wanted, the clerk looked at her with surprise, beforeughing at the realization that Mira was a summoner. Mira spent some time dering that the summoning ss was still alive and kicking, and once she was satisfied she headed back to the Baron Hotel¡¯s lobby. The inside of the building was no different from the outside, looking like a mansion a noble would live in. Everything was carefully designed, like the style of stairs, the portraits hung on the walls, the chandelier on the ceiling, a strangendscape painting, and various vases that looked expensive at first nce. The guests came from all branches of life though, some being merchants, adventurers, or travelers. The reception desk was next to the stairs, but as Mira was not staying at the hotel, she had no need to check in there. Mira looked around at the various guests, then went to sit down at the waiting chairs while she waited for Julius to return.
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  1. Silva: Y¡¯know¡­ I have this strange feeling that Julius is actually Fuzzy Dice. What could be a better way to trick the Chief Detective and track his every move than to stay by his side as a sidekick.
Chapter 228: A Great Detective’s Entrance? (1) Chapter 228: A Great Detective¡¯s Entrance? (1)
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¡¸Ah, there you are. Sorry to keep you waiting, Mira.¡¹ After a few minutes of waiting in the lobby, Julius appeared at the top of the stairs, and once he found Mira he bowed respectfully. ¡¸Ohh, so it¡¯s you he told me about. I apologize for the dy.¡¹ There was a man next to Julius, who also apologized while smiling a little. It was easy to conclude he had to be the chief detective that Julius had mentioned. His appearance revealed his past as a veteran adventurer, having a rugged face and quite toned body. His eyes shone with intelligence though, showing he was a man well versed in bothbat and science, leaving very few gaps in his knowledge. But Mira¡¯s eyes were drawn the most to the fact that he was sitting on a wheelchair. The wheelchair itself also had its quirks, the main frame being identical to those used in hospitals withrge wheels the rider could manually turn, but with the seat switched out for a morefortable reclined chair. ¡¸O-Ohh! Then you must be Chief Detective Wolf. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡¹ He looked like the perfect picture of what Mira imagined a detective to look like, which made her heart skip a beat. While there were many stereotypes for such a character, the way he leaned back made her think of a detective rxing on his chair. On top of that, he had the rugged appearance and age Mira looked up to, filling her with admiration as she stood up. The detective was atop the stairs, and on a wheelchair, so it made sense for Mira to go up. ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s alright, Mira. Could you wait there for me?¡¹ But then he stopped her. ¡¸What? But¡­¡¹ Mira really could not bring herself to make someone in a wheelchair do that. Just when she was about to refuse toply and go up anyway, the detective beamed a confident smile. ¡¸I mean, we¡¯re the ones who brought you here, so it¡¯s only fair courtesy for me to meet you down there.¡¹ As soon as he said that, he ced his hands on the chair¡¯s armrests and propped his body up. It was a rather vigorous movement which many people nearby noticed, and they gasped with surprise. But his legs could not support his weight, a pained groan leaving his mouth as his body copsed. The momentum from the way he stood up still remained as well, leading to his body tipping forward and bending atop the stairs¡¯ handrail like a piece of cloth hung to dry. There was another audible gasp from the onlookers, this time a more concerned one, as the detective¡¯s body began to slide down the rail. ¡¸Ghah!¡¹ Eventually he reached the end of the stairs and his body wasunched into the center of the lobby, his body producing a louder groan when he hit the floor. But he was still a former adventurer, so regardless of the worry disyed by the onlookers, he turned around and sat up like nothing happened. ¡¸Oh dear, I deeply apologize for that shameful disy. I really thought I¡¯d be better by now, but I guess I miscalcted.¡¹ Sitting on the floor, heughed awkwardly. The way he spoke made it seem like his legs were not fully paralyzed. He tried moving them again, but quickly grimaced in pain, before turning pensive and muttering ¡¸Did it get worse..?¡¹ ¡¸Chief, you haven¡¯t recovered yet precisely because you keep pulling stunts like that. Didn¡¯t the doctor and saint mention that resting was paramount?¡¹ Julius then spoke to him, sounding slightly frustrated as he went down the stairs while holding the wheelchair. This seemed to be a rathermon urrence though, as he did not sound worried. ¡¸Well, that didn¡¯t quite work out, did it¡­¡¹ The detective chuckled to himself as he took Julius¡¯ hand as support to get himself back on the wheelchair. The way heughed while being slightly embarrassed made his sagely appearance from earlier vanish, overtaking it with a more whimsical and endearing one. ¡¸Hmm¡­ That was quite a fall, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡¹ He did not seem to be hurt in the slightest, but it was hard to tell whether that was truly the case, so Mira decided to ask that just in case. ¡¸Oh, I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, but as you can see I¡¯m perfectly fine!¡¹ Saying that, he began moving all his limbs, and even the legs that made him groan just by moving them a little were kicking up energetically now. At least the pain had subsided there. Mira looked at that in wonder, so the detective grinned as he revealed the secret. It turned out that a certain pain dulling spell had been imbued onto his wheelchair, so as long as he was sitting in it he could move however he wanted. ¡¸Please try to let your legs rest.¡¹ Julius quickly stepped in to chastise him for acting that way though. While that spell dulled the pain, it did not mean his legs had been cured, so moving around like that would only hinder their recovery. Then again, Julius had told him that many times already. ¡¸Ahh, right, right. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll stop now.¡¹ The detective gave in to Julius¡¯ anger and stopped, though his shoulders slumped a little. Mira watched all of that with a slightly nervous smile, realizing that her initial impression of the two had turned out to be rather inurate. At the very least they were not of the hard boiled detective kind. ¡¸By the way, may I ask what happened to your legs? Depending on the type of injury my summons might be able to heal them.¡¹ There were some gigglesing from the surrounding onlookers, but they did note out of mockery, and rather pleasant innocence. Amidst that, Mira asked that to the slightly embarrassed detective. ¡¸Ohh, so there are summons who can heal as well? That really sounds like an all-purpose ss.¡¹ The detective seemed surprised to hear of that, but he also mentioned that treating his legs was not so simple. The root of the pain were remnants of an injury he had sustained during his time as an adventurer, which had red up considerably. He also mentioned it was a fierce and magnificent fight though. ¡¸He should be able to make a full recovery, if only he¡¯d keep still¡­¡¹ Just when the detective was about to get distracted by narrating his exploits as adventurer, Julius scolded him again, before reeling the conversation back on track. The two had already predicted the escape routes of the phantom thief. In the past, he would always enter unseen, but once he aplished his goal, he would hop off the building¡¯s roof to escape. That was amon trend the pair had noticed recently. After that revtion, they had gotten to work on determining which escape routes he could take in this city. Chasing him down would be much easier by knowing that, and it also opened the possibility of setting up ambushes and blockades. The detective was certain that the only way to capture Fuzzy Dice was to act preemptively, so he had gone up to the rooftops to analyze the city¡¯syout, and even went as far as to test them to see if they were viable escape route, trying to jump from rooftop to rooftop just like the thief did. ¡¸And you can already see the result of that¡­¡¹ Julius sighed as he looked at the detective. Sure enough, he had fallen from the rooftops. Then again, strong people in this world were resilient like boars. Even Arlon who Mira worked with in the past could easily jump down from ten meter heights without batting an eye. The detective clearly also had a strong body, so maybe he just missed hisnding. Mira tried asking about that, and she was told that the detective had made a wrong jump, striking a wall head on, which left him dizzy and he tumbled down to the ground. The injuries he sustained from that were quickly healed by a saint that was apanying them, but the excessive stress on his body had awakened those old injuries, so now he was bound to his wheelchair. Saints could heal all sorts of injuries and ailments, but they were not omnipotent. Seque were something out of their expertise, and nothing could be done. That also applied to the healing summons Mira wanted to show off so badly. ¡¸Hmm, I see. That¡¯s a ratherplicated situation¡­¡¹ Considering Mira had reached the summit of all summoners, being one of the Nine Wisemen, she would be much better at healing than a regr saint, though that was not enough to heal such an injury. Mira muttered that with a disappointed voice, which Julius noticed. ¡¸Look, chief. I think you should try to ept someone¡¯s kindness before you start talking about proper manners or what have you. Otherwise you¡¯ll just end up causing them even more unnecessary troubles.¡¹ ¡¸Hrngh¡­¡¹
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Chapter 228: A Great Detective’s Entrance? (2) Chapter 228: A Great Detective¡¯s Entrance? (2)
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If the detective had simply let Mira go up the stairs, he would not have fallen down and made her worry about his legs. In the end, rather than making her feel more wee, he had made things worse. Hearing Julius¡¯ remark, he looked even more downcast. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯m assuming you have ties to various spirits considering you¡¯re called the Spirit Queen? If that¡¯s the case, would you happen to have one of the rare spirits of light in your care?¡¹ The detective quickly switched topics though, as if trying to gloss over things. Julius had a forced smile noticing that, but Mira puffed up her chest with pride to reply. ¡¸Yes, of course. I possess all the staple Divine Protections of summoners!¡¹ Depending on a summoner¡¯s skill, they could have various spirits ready to be summoned, and in Mira¡¯s case she already had all of the elemental spirits. On top of that she had the Spirit King¡¯s Divine Protection, so there was probably no one else who had such a varied assortment as her. ¡¸Now that¡¯s a surprise¡­ I can see why they call you the Spirit Queen.¡¹ The staple Divine Protection Mira mentioned referred to the eight elemental spirits. Obtaining the Divine Protection from all of them was not an easy task, and it wasmon knowledge that only someone like a Wiseman would be able to aplish something like that. Mira¡¯s response had been even better than what the detective had expected, so he was clearly surprised. ¡¸By the way, Mira. Do you like sweets? The pancakes they have over there are the best.¡¹ The detective was pleased with Mira¡¯s reply, so he pointed at the restaurant built on a side of the lobby. ¡¸Hm, pancakes? I certainly don¡¯t hate them!¡¹ If she had to say whether she liked them or hated them, she definitely loved them, so she nodded vigorously. ¡¸Let¡¯s go there and stop standing around like this then,¡¹ said the detective, turning his wheelchair around and heading to the restaurant. That was a really alluring invitation for Mira, so she quickly followed after him too. The whole incident with the detective sliding down the handrails and falling to the ground had attracted a lot of attention, though Mira and the detective did not seem to care about it. But it did bother Julius, as he quickly apologized for causing a scene before following the other two. In tune with the rest of the Baron Hotel, the restaurant was also extremely gaudy, and it almost felt too sparkly. Once Mira stepped inside, she heard some people talking, and it seemed like they were gossipping about the detective. They were discussing how there was a thief that exposed wicked men to bewfully investigated, and a detective that was trying to empower those wicked men. It was clear they were antagonizing the detective. But he did not seem to care, almost like he could not hear them. It was obvious Julius could also hear that, but he showed no reaction. Both remained unbothered and collected. Seeing that, Mira stopped worrying about it too, and instead looked around the restaurant. ¡¸Now this is quite luxurious as well.¡¹ The entire ce was heavily decorated, making it look very luxurious, though Mira was not sure if it was the right choice for an eating location. As Mira looked around doubtfully, the detective exined that this was exactly the Hotel¡¯s allure. The Baron Hotel was built to look like an expensive mansion, but it was certainly not a luxurious lodge. It was basically a ce that could fulfill the fantasy some people had of experiencing the life of a noble, for a rather fair price. Because of that, everything was adorned as much as possible. ¡¸The decorations might be a sham to trickmon people, but I assure you the taste is the real deal.¡¹ The detective said that as he continued moving through the restaurant with guests talking loudly. Mira noticed some of the guests eating there stopped to stare at them as they passed by, but she pretended not to notice. Eventually they sat next to a window, which showed a garden outside that was carefully taken care of. ¡¸There might be no flowers like Brilliant Roses or Royal Orchids that are favored by nobles out there, but through much care and patience they built a garden that is in no way inferior to a noble¡¯s. They took what¡¯smon and turned it into something very special. That¡¯s why I really like this garden.¡¹ The detective looked out the window as he mentioned that. It seemed like that was his favorite spot of the restaurant. Mira also looked outside, wondering what he was talking about, and then she noticed he was looking at a specific spot out there. Following his gaze, she found a maid who was tending to the garden. Due to the nature of that job, she had her sleeves rolled up and skirt slightly lifted, revealing more skin and making her look a bit sexier. Mira resisted the urge to shake her head, having heard that borate excuse to like the garden when the real reason was far more vulgar. But then again, she could rte to him and agreed that it was a good spot. ¡¸Mira, here¡¯s the menu.¡¹ While the detective was clearly looking at the maid, Mira just looked like a young girl that liked flowers. Julius carefully ced the menu in front of Mira, then turned to the detective and warned him, ¡¸I¡¯ll tell your wife.¡¹ ¡¸Alright, what pancake should I get¡­¡¹ The detective quickly took his own menu and began looking through it. His hastiness was palpable, showing the effect that his wife was mentioned had. But Mira was more surprised to find out that the detective was married in the first ce. ¡¸Wait, does that mean you¡¯re actually married then? I wouldn¡¯t have thought that hearing how intently you¡¯ve been chasing after the phantom thief everywhere.¡¹ Mira asked without much hesitation, and the detective began to avert his gaze with embarrassment, adding ¡¸I have a daughter too¡­¡¹ As it turned out, he had left home and his family, vowing to not return until he had caught Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s normal for a man to not want to relent on certain matters.¡¹ Men would often find something they would obsess over and refuse to let go, regardless of whether it was the right thing to do or not. It might not be the best choice for him, as a husband and a father, but Mira could still understand his choice. ¡¸Ohh, this is the first time a woman has seen it that way.¡¹ There had been various other women who had heard that story, and had quite a lot to say in return. Seeing that Mira did not antagonize him for it was a wee surprise though, one which he appreciated wholeheartedly. While talking about that, the trio also decided what to order, all of them choosing a different type of pancake. ¡¸I¡¯m so d you¡¯re with us today, Mira. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt thisfortable ordering pancakes.¡¹ Juliusmented in a joking manner, though he was also half serious. The detective had a sweet tooth, so sometimes the two of them would order desserts together. But considering they were one a burly adventurer and a rather attractive man, they felt some apprehension to be seen having sweets just the two of them. It seemed like that was amon trend no matter what world one was in. But this time the two were apanied by Mira, who did not look out of ce in the slightest there. Whatever the true nature of her mind, on the outside she looked like a pretty girl who was fond of sweets. Mira herself understood how useful that was. Back in what had once been her real world, there was a time when she went together with Luminaria and Solomon to a cake bakery, which had been rmended to them by Kagura, who was actually still a school girl. That bakery was exceedingly popr amongst girls, so it was a pretty rough experience for the three guys to eat there. ¡¸I wouldn¡¯t mind hanging out with you again in that case.¡¹ Mira was fully aware of how Julius felt, knowing the difference being apanied by at least one girl could have. So she made that offer out of kindness, and Julius happily epted. Seeing him smile like that, Mira thought that if he just asked, he could easily get a girl or two to apany them. But doing that would be an awful lot like him picking up girls. And an attractive guy that also picked up girls was the natural enemy of all men, so Mira decided to not mention it.
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Chapter 229: Investigating Fuzzy Dice (1) Chapter 229: Investigating Fuzzy Dice (1)
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¡¸By the way, I was told you¡¯re the most knowledgeable about Fuzzy Dice, may I ask some questions about him?¡¹ ¡¸Sure, ask anything you want.¡¹ Ordering their pancakes gave Mira a chance to switch topics and bring up the main reason why she was there, and the detective readily awaited her questions. ¡¸First off, I¡¯d like to know Fuzzy Dice¡¯s strength, how would you describe it?¡¹ Her first question was the most important one, wanting to know how powerful her opponent was. Solomon had already told her he was a formidable foe, but that was only second hand information, while the detective had actually faced the thief in the past, so his information was more valuable. It was worth it to hear his opinion. ¡¸His strength, huh¡­ That¡¯s something I can¡¯t measure properly.¡¹ But the detective¡¯s response was rather cryptic. He had actually been face to face against the thief before, but even then he had been far from witnessing the true limits of the thief¡¯s strength. ¡¸There was a time I got 10 rank A adventurers to help, we surrounded the thief, and then¡­¡¹ That was the story the soldier leader from earlier had mentioned. Ten high level adventurers had failed to contain Fuzzy Dice. But the detective knew more details. All of them had been lying in ambush in the target¡¯s garden, and Fuzzy Dice walked right into them like they wanted. But what happened after that was the problem. ¡¸There wasn¡¯t even a fight. All of the adventurers there just fell asleep all of a sudden, and I can¡¯t remember what happened after that either.¡¹ The detective remembered that like a faint dream. The ten adventurers had sessfully surrounded the thief, and all they had left to do was to restrain him. But suddenly a thick fog filled the garden, and almost as quickly the adventurers began to fall unconscious. The frontline was the first to fall, and just as those behind noticed in shock, they also fell down. The detective was hiding a distance away, and he too lost consciousness shortly after witnessing what happened to the others. ¡¸We only woke up when everything was already over. And that¡¯s also when I realized that the white fog had something in it to put us to sleep.¡¹ The detective then chuckled emptily as he mentioned how every time he tried to confront the thief, he would fall asleep before realizing. No matter what spells or potions he used to avoid falling asleep, he would be knocked out cold every time. Because of that, he had never truly fought the thief, and that was why his power could not be measured. ¡¸I see¡­¡¹ Through all of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s high profile heists, no one had fought him directly yet, making it impossible to say how strong he really was. All the detective could say was that he was strong enough to neutralize multiple high level adventurers. On top of that, no one had found out exactly how Fuzzy Dice would put everyone to sleep either. ¡¸By the way, have you been able to determine what Fuzzy Dice¡¯s ss is?¡¹ Any ns to fight would be rendered useless if everyone fell asleep before anything happened. And one managed to avoid falling asleep, it was very likely Fuzzy Dice already had further countermeasures. The best way to prepare for that would be to know what Fuzzy Dice¡¯s ss was, since that would narrow down the possibilities a lot. Just a distinction between warriors and spellcasters halved the means avable to someone, so if Mira knew his ss, she would be able to roughly determine his strengths and weaknesses. But the detective just shook his head. ¡¸As I mentioned before, no one has been able to confront him yet, so we have no clues to go by.¡¹ If he used a spell, then it would be clear he was a type of spellcaster. And if he wielded a weapon skillfully and could channel fighting spirit then it would be clear he was a type of warrior. But ording to the detective, Fuzzy Dice had never used either of those. ¡¸Would you be able to tell whether he¡¯s a spellcaster or a warrior at the very least?¡¹ It was impossible to determine Fuzzy Dice¡¯s identity, and even his ss was a mystery due to how he never showed his skills. Mira fell silent after that, trying to think of a way to learn something helpful, until eventually the detective spoke again. ¡¸It¡¯s just a wild guess, but there¡¯s one ss I¡¯d associate with him.¡¹ The detective said that with a bit of apprehension, likely because he had no concrete proof of it. But since there were no other leads for Mira, she told him to go on. ¡¸A Forbidden Arts user.¡¹ Making a wrong assumption could lead to wasted preparations, and an unexpected escape, so the detective wanted to be as careful as he could about making guesses, especially now that he had the famous Spirit Queen in front of him, as this was a very rare opportunity. But his voice was filled with conviction, even as he stressed it was only a guess. He had confidence and pride in his instincts as a detective though. ¡¸Oh¡­a Forbidden Arts user, you say¡­ Considering he¡¯s a thief I would¡¯ve assumed a more stealthy ss, but I see.¡¹ Mira was well versed in different types of spellcasters, so she knew that could be possible too. But as there was no proof of it, she still wanted to know more. ¡¸May I ask how you came to that assumption?¡¹ When Mira asked that, the detective¡¯s eyes lit up, and he replied, ¡¸Well, if you¡¯d like to know I¡¯ll happily tell you.¡¹ That was when Mira realized his eyes were like that because he wanted to gush out. It seemed like Chief Detective Wolf was also the type of detective who loved to exin his deductions in detail. ¡¸I¡¯m basing that conjecture off that white fog that puts everyone to sleep.¡¹ Mira tried to quickly add that she wanted a simple exnation, but she could not get the words out in time before the detective started talking. His first point of focus was that fog that put him to sleep. If he could iste it and analyze itsponents, then maybe it would be possible to create an antidote. ¡¸I mentioned how he put me to sleep many times, right? But there was one time when I let him make me sleep on purpose.¡¹ Out of all the times he had encountered Fuzzy Dice, there was one time he willingly breathed in the white fog. That did not seem to make any difference from the other times, but he stressed there was a difference. He had prepared a medical team that was waiting for him to be asleep, and once Fuzzy Dice was gone, they took the sleeping detective to examine him and see if they could determine whatpound had put him to sleep. The results of the examination made him think of Forbidden Arts. ¡¸With that in mind, there¡¯srgely three different ways to put someone to sleep.¡¹ The detective spoke eloquently and filled with confidence, raising three fingers as he continued his exnation.
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Chapter 229: Investigating Fuzzy Dice (2) Chapter 229: Investigating Fuzzy Dice (2)
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The first way to get someone unconscious was through percussive force, like a strike on the back of the neck. It was basically using brute force to knock someone out cold. That was clearly not the method Fuzzy Dice had used though, so it could be ruled out. Mira even wondered why he had brought up such a moot point in the first ce, but before she could ask about it, the detective had already started exining that. It was important to keep that in mind in the case that no sleeping drug orpound was found in those affected. ¡¸I¡¯ve tried many times to figure out what it is that puts us to sleep, so we have tried taking various tests.¡¹ But no matter how much they tried, they could not identify any substance like that. It was like a poison that left no traces, and waspletely gone from one¡¯s system after causing all the symptoms. But ording to the one in charge of the medical team, there was no nt or monster with such a toxin. ¡¸In other words, this means that the second method of drugging someone to put them to sleep is also unlikely.¡¹ Saori, someone from the Fifty Bells, had used sleeping drugs within smoke before. They could be made through various methods, including alchemy. Depending on how strong theponents were, the target¡¯s body would gradually break them down and expel them, until they woke up again. In those cases, examining one¡¯s blood or urine could identify the decayed toxins, making it possible to identify it. But when the detective got tested, even right after waking up, there was nothing that showed up. So that method could also be ruled out. That only left the third method. Sleep induced by some spell, basically a status effect. The detective mentioned it with extra emphasis. ¡¸There¡¯s some literature I bought to investigate this case. It¡¯s a book printed by that famous research facility known as the Silver Linked Towers, in the country of spellcasters.¡¹ Saying that, the detective produced a book from the bag he carried under his arm. The book was quite thick, or maybe sturdy was a better word, as it looked so bulky it could almost be used as a weapon. The title read ¡¸Analysis of Status Effects Spells, Definitive Edition.¡¹ ¡¸It really was an incredible book. Everything was exined and detailed in a way that even someone who isn¡¯t a spellcaster like me could understand, and they included all the research they conducted to reach their conclusions. Calling it a goldmine of information would be an understatement. Three million Rils was a tough price to swallow at first, but it certainly lived up to it.¡¹ Then he added ¡¸Thanks to that I ended up getting curious about their other books.¡¹ As it turned out, he had already ordered a second book from the Silver Linked Towers, and its price was obviously in the millions of Rils too. (¡­Just what kind of books are those? Three million Ril..?) Mira stared at the book with aplex look. Analysis of status effects spells was also something Mira had helped with many times in the past, taking part in various experiments. Spells were incredibly varied, some inducing paralysis, drowsiness, confusion, and many others. There were secondary effects as well, like burn orcerating damage from other spells. And while the title only mentioned spells, it included attacks used by monsters, wild beasts, spirits, sacred beasts, and even devils. It truly was an all-epassing collection. On top of that, since she had helped research that many times in the past, Mira also began to wonder if she could go im royalties from the book sales. While she reminisced about the past, she also understood what the detective was getting at. ¡¸If I remember correctly, toxins produced through spells are just different forms of mana, and once enough time passes or if extracted, they just dissipate back into neutral mana again, yes?¡¹ Mira slowly said that, retracing her memories. She already had a general idea of how spells like that worked, thanks to her experience helping with those experiments. Recalling that would allow her to get to the heart of the matter faster, and omit some of the detective¡¯s roundabout way of talking. Mira¡¯s ploy was sessful, leaving the detective slightly dumbfounded for a while, realizing that she had already skipped past half his exnation, but he quickly recovered and regained his confident voice. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s precisely it. Have you actually read this book before, Mira?¡¹ The detective¡¯s eyes were beaming with expectation, believing he had found a kindred spirit. Mira could feel the weight of that question, but she gave a vague ¡¸I had a quick look at it before.¡¹ That was not exactly a lie, though she was still unsure of how being a reader and being involved in the writing of the book were rted. ¡¸Ohh, amazing. But yes, as you just mentioned, toxins produced through spells dpose into mana. That¡¯s why whenever I was tested after waking up, nothing would show up. Even if they tried to examine me while I was sleeping, the toxins would dissipate outside my body.¡¹ He stressed that point again,pleting his exnations. Considering the situation, the only way to exin that white fog that put people to sleep was a spell. Mira agreed with that conclusion as well. She had also taken part in some experiments rted to that back in the game. While there were many different things ssified as status effects, their nature and duration varied greatly depending on the source, which also changed theponents that produced said status effect. In broad terms, there were two different types of toxins, natural ones, and magical ones. Natural toxins were produced within the bodies of animals, monsters, and even nts. Once applied to a victim, their efficacy and duration would vary depending on the victim¡¯s overall health and immune system. In the worst cases, they could lead to an instant death. There were various ways to treat such infections too, like antivenoms or certain healing spells, but some types of toxins could only be treated by very specific antidotes, making them rather dangerous. The lethal venom from the Viper King living in the Razewood Forest being one of the deadliest ones. On the other hand, magic toxins were produced through spells or magic. Their main difference was that the target¡¯s health and immune system had no effect on them. But that did not make them all-powerful, as it was still possible to raise one¡¯s magic resistance, which dampened the effect of iing spells. High magic resistance would turn the iing toxins back into neutral mana almost instantly. Though if the toxins were twice as powerful as one¡¯s resistance, then their effect would be applied right away. Then again, having a high resistance to magic also shortened the duration of magic toxins, and all of them could be cleansed with holy magic. Magic toxins reacted and lingered in response to the mana of all living things, which meant that it would not remain in dead bodies. The key to unraveling the mysteryy in discerning between which type of toxin was used, one of natural origin that affected the physical body, or a magic toxin that altered one¡¯s mana. But more importantly, while natural toxins could be harvested from all sorts of creatures or mixed up through alchemy, there was no ss superior to Forbidden Arts when it came to magic toxins.
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Chapter 230: The Chief Detective’s Past (1) Chapter 230: The Chief Detective¡¯s Past (1)
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¡¸Anyway, let¡¯s move onto the times I was put to sleep.¡¹ It seemed like the preamble was over, and the detective finally moved on to the meat of his deduction of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s ss. He would finally exin why he believed the thief used Forbidden Arts, when there were other spells that could put people to sleep. ¡¸ording to the results from the medical team, the symptoms resembled the sleep induced by none other than Stropo Toxin!¡¹ Hearing that made Mira tilt her head quizzically, as she had never heard of Stropo Toxin before. Mira had been expecting a simple conclusion, like the fact that no residues could be detected meant a spell was used, and Forbidden Arts had the strongest spells like that. But the conversation went into a moreplex tangent. And surely enough, that made the detective¡¯s eyes gleam with excitement. ¡¸You see, Stropo Toxin is¡­¡¹ Seeing that Mira was confused, the detective began exining that. His assistant Julius seemed to be used to that already though, as he acted like he was listening while receiving the tes with the pancakes for the three. ¡¸Also, please bring us three cups of blended tea, hot.¡¹ Julius could tell the conversation would drag on, so he quickly ordered something more before cing the tes in front of everyone. Then he whispered to Mira, ¡¸It really doesn¡¯t matter if you listen to him or not, he¡¯ll just keep talking. Feel free to start eating.¡¹ It seemed like the detective simply enjoyed the sound of his own voice, so Mira did not need to pay attention the entire time. ¡¸Well, let¡¯s dig in then.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, we certainly should.¡¹ The sweet fragrance of fresh pancakes wafted up from the tes, tickling their appetite. It felt almost like a sin to resist it. Mira felt just a little bit of guilt seeing that the detective was still talking as she took a piece of her pancakes and moved it to her mouth. Soon a soft and fluffy texture spread through Mira¡¯s mouth. ording to Julius, they aplished that by mixing mascarpone cheese into the pancake batter. And so Mira began to relish in the delicious pancakes, keeping the detective¡¯s voice as BGM. She did not pay much attention to the detective anymore, but he seemed to be so good at exining things that somehow she still managed to get the gist of what he was saying. He mostly focused on the details of Stropo Toxin, which was the name of a sleep inducingpound. It was rather potent and acted quickly, and was mainly produced by a type of flower called Stropo. Stropo flowers were widely used as a sleeping aid, and in the right doses could treat insomnia. The main difference between regr sleep and that induced by Stropo Toxin was an increase in metabolic activity. So far all symptoms caused by Fuzzy Dice¡¯s white fog pointed towards Stropo Toxin, except that the toxin itself had not been detected. But the medic team was still focusing mainly on that possibility. Stropo Toxin was still a natural toxin, so the detective was very confident that Fuzzy Dice was using spells to recreate the toxin with mana. The basis for that confidence was something he read in thetter half of the Analysis of Status Effects Spells, Definitive Edition book. Given that it was the definitive edition, it included a lot more research that Mira was not aware of, including detailed descriptions of all types of toxins discovered, both natural and magic in nature. The detective had read through all of that, and so he smugly detailed how there was a sacred beast known as Aktarka that fed on Stropo flowers, and had been found to be able to create a mana-based version of the toxin. There were cases when the same type of toxin existed in natural form, as well as magic. That applied to the one they were investigating as well. The Stropo Toxin ingested by Aktarka would be broken down within its body, and turned into a type of magic with the same properties. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s what you were getting at the entire time.¡¹ Mira reached for her tea, being slightly baffled that it had taken this long just to get to this point. At this point, someone with little knowledge about spellcasters would wonder how Forbidden Arts would be rted to this, but that did not apply to Mira. She had once been recognized as the best summoner, leading one of the Silver Linked Towers as a Wiseman, and had done a lot of research. She was leagues ahead of most spellcasters. ¡¸I believe there was a spell named Paradise Fog, yes?¡¹ Mira knew of it. It was a sleeping spell used by Aktarka which employed the same type of toxin as Stropo Toxin, called Paradise Fog, and it also was usable through Forbidden Arts. Forbidden Arts did not only include spells usable by humans, but also allowed one to learn those of monsters, sacred beasts, and even divine beasts. In essence, Forbidden Arts was the ss to fight magic with magic. And everything would be exined if Fuzzy Dice had learned to use Paradise Fog. ¡¸Precisely. Only someone versed in Forbidden Arts would be able to utilize Stropo Toxin in magic form!¡¹ The detective had finally said everything he wanted, nodded in approval of Mira¡¯s quick understanding. Then he finally began eating his pancakes. ¡¸With all that evidence I¡¯d say it¡¯s rather conclusive that the thief uses Forbidden Arts. But he¡¯s also more troublesome than I expected.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice had easily incapacitated ten rank A adventurers, showing his expertise. That alone did not worry Mira though, as she was still confident she could win against someone like that. Not to mention that he had only aplished that thanks to a spell to put them to sleep. The problem was the specific spell Fuzzy Dice had used. Mira was no expert, but she knew how Paradise Fog had to be obtained, and how difficult the process was. ¡¸More than you expected, you said? Does this mean you¡¯ve been able to get a measurement of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s skill from this?¡¹ The detective noticed something about Mira¡¯s wording, and his hand slowed down from cutting the pancakes as he prodded further. Putting ten rank A adventurers to sleep was already something impressive, showing Fuzzy Dice¡¯s power. But that did not exactly show his truebat proficiency. As impressive as that was, almost anyone could also aplish that through the right means, but Mira knew the path to get there, and the fights that entailed. ¡¸From what I¡¯m hearing I presume the book did not detail how all of those spells are obtained, did it?¡¹ Mira¡¯s voice gained a slightly smug tone as she nced at the Analysis of Status Effects Spells, Definitive Edition that was ced in a corner of the table. Her guess had been correct, as the detective confirmed that the book did not contain that information. ¡¸Does this mean that the process to obtain said spell can give us a clue about the thief¡¯s true power?¡¹ Now the detective¡¯s hand waspletely still, his eyes filled with curiosity as he pushed Mira to borate further. ¡¸Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn to talk then.¡¹ The two of them were not too distinct from each other, as Mira also enjoyed speaking at length. Especially when it came to her topic of expertise, spellcasting, so she did not hesitate to exin everything she knew. ¡¸First of all, new Forbidden Arts are learned by¡­¡¹ Starting like that, Mira began exining how Forbidden Arts were learned, talking like she was a preacher on a podium. There were various methods to obtain new spells. One was to find a monster or beast, then killing it and dissecting it to find the organs responsible for casting the spell. With those, it was possible to analyze them and extract the spells built into them. Another method was to ovee a test given by a sacred or divine beast. Such tests were also varied, some requiring fighting prowess, others intelligence, or a mix of the two. Regardless of how varied they were, there was still onemon point in all tests. They could only bepleted by one person without help from others. ¡¸So what you¡¯re saying is that since Aktarka is a sacred beast, and they have a test that must bepleted alone, whatever that test is will give us a baseline for Fuzzy Dice¡¯s power?¡¹
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Chapter 230: The Chief Detective’s Past (2) Chapter 230: The Chief Detective¡¯s Past (2)
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Considering his line of work, it made sense for the detective to quickly catch on to what Mira was exining. Aktarka¡¯s test held the secret to measure Fuzzy Dice¡¯s power. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s precisely it. Aktarka¡¯s test is rather straightforward though, and within lies its difficulty.¡¹ Mira appreciated how quickly the detective was catching up, before delving into more details about that test. A spellcaster needed to have the necessary fortitude of mind and body to obtain spells, and the various tests given by sacred beasts tested that. Some of those tests were difficult even for the top yers back in the day. One of those difficult tests was Aktarka¡¯s. The sacred beast Aktarka looked like a moose more than ten meters in length. Its fur was ck, with pure white antlers, and its majestic figure was certainly suited to be called a sacred beast. Aktarka was incredibly intelligent, capable of speech andmunication with humans. It also had a wealth of knowledge, especially about medicinal nts, and there was a famous alchemist that revered it as a god in the past. It lived deep within the forest, and would always wander from one ce to another, so it had no specific spot where one could find it, and all encounters would be left to chance. Its white antlers were also a valuable medical material, and if someone went to search for it to treat someone gravely ill, and happened to meet the sacred beast, it would always dly give some once told about the situation. Those lost in the forest who ran into Aktarka would also be apanied outside by the beast. Aktarka was really kind and generous to those intelligent enough to talk and find mutual understanding. But it showed no mercy to those hostile, though it also had a side that enjoyed friendlybat. And when it came to fighting, Aktarka was powerful enough to easily trample Earl Devils. That also led to the test it gave to those who wanted to learn its spell with Forbidden Arts. It was a very simple one-on-one duel. ¡¸So in other words, the baseline for Fuzzy Dice is being able to win against Aktarka on his own.¡¹ After talking her heart out, Mirapleted her exnation and took a sip of tea. Voicing all her thoughts also helped her reaffirm her hypothesis in her mind, confirming that Fuzzy Dice was more powerful than she expected. ¡¸I always felt like he moved around like he owned the whole ce, but to think he¡¯s that powerful¡­¡¹ Even the detective was lost in thought at the realization of the thief¡¯s power. It was easy to assume that Fuzzy Dice was putting everyone to sleep to avoid a direct confrontation, but now it was obvious he could easily hold his ground against the ten rank A adventurers. On top of that, he was likely armed with many other Forbidden Arts no one had seen in action yet, as it made no sense for Paradise Fog to be the only one he knew. ¡¸I guess any sensible approach is out the window now then. Seriously, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s so ridiculously strong.¡¹ Just how could one capture an enemy like that? The situation had suddenly blown out of proportion, but the detective was stillughing. He would not give up, and rather seemed even more enthused by the challenge. ¡¸Your face belies your words, do you happen to have a strategy in mind?¡¹ Seeing how entertained the detective looked, Mira assumed he still had a reserve n, but his response was theplete opposite. ¡¸I have no clue. Honestly, at this point, throwing in the towel might be the better option.¡¹ The detective finished up his pancakes as he nearly raised a white g in surrender. It was like the sudden truth had pushed him to the brink of insanity. Seeing that, Mira turned to look at Julius, slightly worried, but he just smiled without care. Apparently moments like these put the detective in his best mood. Julius then mentioned that when the detective was an adventurer, his rank had peaked at high A before retiring, and his request sess rate was 99%. He had aplished that by being duly aware of his own limits, and only picking those requests that suit him without taking any risks. He had been a really skilled but also careful and reliable adventurer. Then again, it was not exactly a rare way to be an adventurer. That line of work could get very dangerous very fast, so being cautious about everything was the best way to proceed. In a way, the detective had just been the ideal adventurer. But the detective¡¯s thoroughness was even better than ideal. Somehow he knew exactly what requests would put his life at danger or had a high likelihood of failing, and avoided all of them properly. ¡¸How do I put this¡­somehow that¡¯s hard to imagine seeing him now¡­¡¹ Mira grimaced nervously. So far she had seen the detective slide down handrails, crash on the floor, talk dreamily about books, stuff his cheeks with pancakes, and gloat about his past exploits. Somehow that was a stark difference from the image Julius¡¯ story painted. ¡¸I also felt that way at first, he really doesn¡¯t act the way the stories say.¡¹ Julius nodded vaguely, knowing well how Mira was feeling. He had also been shocked at the contrast when he began working as the detective¡¯s assistant. Everyone described the detective as careful and thorough, but that image shattered in less than a month for Julius. ¡¸He¡¯s basically the opposite of how he used to be. The way he puts it, he wants to embark on actual adventures now.¡¹ Julius said that with a slightly resigned voice, and nced at the detective, who then replied with a ¡¸Well, that was back when I was young,¡¹ and taking it as a cue to talk at length again. When the detective retired, he gained a lot more free time for himself. It was then he came to a realization. The younger adventurers that came after him would oftenugh and talk fondly of their past work, regardless of its sess or failure. That got him thinking, were requests really something that allowed such lightheartedments? At first he was confused, but slowly he came to understand that sometimes even the strangest or most trivial requests could lead to fun encounters. Or rather, he was made to realize that. ¡¸Back then I only thought of requests as a means to earn money. I know this might sound conceiteding from myself, but I have a pretty good eye at discerning my own skills. And I can tell when something is possible or not.¡¹ Every time he took a request, he already knew he would be able toplete it, as he would skip any he deemed failures. That was all he focused on as an adventurer, sess and failure. That extended outside of his work though, as it was how he based his entire lifestyle at the time. ¡¸But because of that I never really felt any sense of aplishment. Sess was always guaranteed, and there was no joy in it. It took me too long to really notice though.¡¹ That seemed to bring him some rough memories, as he stared into the air with a vacant look. But it onlysted for a short moment, as he soon looked at Mira again with a smile. ¡¸But then I was pulled out of that emptiness by my wife and daughter¡­¡¹ He spoke fondly of them, showing just how much he appreciated them. First he had met his wife, with whom he had a daughter, and the two of them taught him how to enjoy life. Raising a child was a chaotic and unpredictable time, which really turned the detective¡¯s ideals upside down and led to his change. He had tried to arm himself with the necessary knowledge before his daughter¡¯s arrival, asking those with experience, reading books on childcare, and did everything he could to cover his bases. But when she finally arrived, nothing went to n. She would start crying out of nowhere, actpletely erratically and he could never look away from her, and it was impossible to anticipate what would happen next. That left him confused, so he ended up going to talk to those with experience again, but they just shrugged, asking what the detective had expected. All of the advice and books they had suggested were all just general information, raising a child was an unpredictable process, and nothing could be anticipated properly. That left the detective horrified. Raising a child was like one of those requests he would have definitely avoided as an adventurer. All of his life experience so far told him that was something he should not get involved with. But now it was something he could not abandon anymore. So he began to fail, and failed many times more, but he stuck with his wife through everything. Then one day his daughter grew to the point of being able to express how much she loved her father, and for the first time in his life he felt a sense of aplishment that surged from the bottom of his heart. That was the moment he understood that emotion. At the same time, it vastly broadened his horizons. ¡¸My obsession with determining the sess rates of everything blinded me from everything that wasn¡¯t a certainty. But oveing a challenge filled me with a joy I had never experienced before. That was also when I realized this is what made those younger adventurers feel so proud of their work, and at the same time I was finally able to see the world as a whole. It really made me want to go out on adventures again, regardless of my age.¡¹ As he concluded his story, he grinned like a child as he mentioned how it did not make sense for him to be an adventurer again, and so he became a detective.
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Chapter 231: The Chief Detective’s Past (3) Chapter 231: The Chief Detective¡¯s Past (3)
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¡¸Life really is full of surprises, huh.¡¹ That was Mira¡¯s initial response to the long story, then smiled a bit while adding ¡¸At least I¡¯m d you¡¯re having fun now.¡¹ Mira had not paid attention to most of the first half, but she managed to catch the event that led to him bing a detective. Everyone had their own life story, but what was most important was being able to enjoy the present. ¡¸It really took me too long to finally experience this joy, but I wouldn¡¯t say I wasted my earlier years either.¡¹ Saying that, he took another bite of pancake, which reminded him that his love for sweets had also started with his family, leading to him gushing out about them more. Anyone could tell how deeply he loved his family, as he would talk about them whenever he had a chance. Though that also dragged on the conversation. Until¡­ ¡¸But well, as you¡¯ve been able to tell, the detective does this mostly as a hobby.¡¹ Julius chimed in with thatment, which stopped the detective¡¯s gushing for a bit as he replied, ¡¸Yes, I can see why you¡¯d say that. But I¡¯m still taking each case seriously.¡¹ It was clear that Julius had been the detective¡¯s assistant for a while now, as he did not hesitate to be candid even around his boss. That did not change the detective¡¯s need to talk, but at least it helped to change the topic to something a bit more enjoyable than him boasting about his family. Instead he began to talk about the cases he had worked on in the past. As Julius had mentioned, the detective work had started as a sort of hobby to regain some of the thrill of adventures, and the detective would ept nearly any case that came his way. He did the staple basic ones like searching for lost pets, investigating suspected affairs, tracking down suspects, and also the more esoteric ones, like infiltratingrge scale criminal operations or religious cults, or finding the culprits of bizarre serial murders. He had dipped his toes in nearly anything that was possible. His experience as an adventurer helped greatly with solving those cases as well. Even if he had rejected anything with dubious odds of sess, he had still attained a high rank, which requiredpleting advanced requests, so his skills were no joke. Then again, it took quite some talent to discern which requests were possible or not in the first ce. Even if he had never gone on adventures, or at least not in the true sense of the word, he had earned that high rank fair and square. ¡¸Still, that¡¯s quite the eventful life, I have to say¡­¡¹ There was a limit to how adventurous one could get. But seeing how invested the detective was, and knowing his past, Mira decided to keep thatment to herself. Some of his cases bordered on spying and undercover operations. But the fact that he still went along with them showed that Julius was not lying when he said that the detective epted any case that came his way. For some reason Julius seemed proud to be helping out the detective with that though. He might be bored of the detective¡¯s gushing about his family, but he still admired all his aplishments. ¡¸Well, that also means I¡¯ve been failing a lot.¡¹ The detective added that with a chuckle. He also only charged his clients if he was sessful because of that. He had started working as a detective to finally challenge all the jobs he would have never epted before. So there was no limit to the cases he took, as long as they did not go against thew. But because of that, there were many times he epted ridiculous requests which ended in failure. Whenever that happened, he would refuse any payment and covered the costs of the failed investigation himself. Hearing that made Mira worry a little, wondering if such a lifestyle was really sustainable, but when she raised those concerns, the detective said he was perfectly fine. Being a high rank adventurer was a very high paying job, and he had saved quite a hefty fortune before retiring. He had the resources to continue working like that for two hundred years even. Now Mira finally understood why Julius had said it was mostly a hobby for the detective. And she began to envy his position, being able to spend hister years doing what he enjoyed. The detective also loved talking about the things he enjoyed though, and so he began another lengthy narration, talking of the cases he solved, and those he failed at. There was a time when he thought he had found a lost pet outside a city, but it was actually a young wild animal that had gotten separated from its pack, and its parents then chased the detective for a while. Then one time while investigating a husband suspected of having an affair, the wife ended up flirting with the detective instead. But those were not the only failures. There was a time he infiltrated a smuggling gang, but soon his cover was blown and they tried to finish him off, and he had to fight his way out, leaving next to nothing left of the original gang. ¡¸That sounds like a rather small blunder, but the n was to form connections inside to rat out arger smugglingwork¡­¡¹ The detective made it out alive, but the gang had been left in shambles. He had been able to gain some information by interrogating those who survived, but the destruction of the gang had alerted all the others, and the whole strategy fell apart. That undercover mission had been rather special out of all the cases he got. He had received it from an international crime investigation organization, founded by the Three Gods Countries, and they were trying to destroy an illegal drug trading ring. At first the organization had tried to recruit the detective as an agent, but when he declined the offer, they gave him that case instead. ¡¸My failure ended up causing the organization a lot of trouble though¡­¡¹ He looked slightly ashamed of that, but he also spoke of it as something that was in the past now. Then again, he had destroyed one of the gangs, and gained some valuable information, so it was not entirely a failure. Julius also mentioned that the organization still appreciated the information gathered by the detective, so they were not disappointed by it. Sending the detective had just been one of many strategies they had prepared, and after that failed they put another into effect the next day. ¡¸Oh¡­so there¡¯s an organization like that as well.¡¹ The type of work reaching the detective¡¯s desk was impressive, but Mira was more curious about the organization he had just mentioned. An international crime investigation organization. That was basically the same as Interpol in the real world. It did not exist in the game days, and after a bit of asking Mira learned that it had been founded twenty years before her arrival. Hearing that filled her with a new hope. Maybe that organization was also tailing Fuzzy Dice, and there might be an inspector dedicated to capturing him. ¡¸They¡¯re only interested inrge criminal groups, they would never concern themselves about a thief acting on his own.¡¹ Mira¡¯s hopes were quickly dashed by the detective¡¯s response, and she just sighed in disappointment while saying ¡¸I guess there isn¡¯t then¡­¡¹ Her first hope of finding a confident detective reclining on a chair had crumbled, then the ideal inspector chasing after a thief did not exist either. All she could hope now was that Fuzzy Dice was really as charitable as everyone said he was. ¡¸Anyway, after I received that case¡­¡¹ Barely a moment of rest passed before the detective resumed retelling his experience. He still had not talked enough, and had plenty more to say. Mira was starting to dread having to sit there listening to even more stories though. ¡¸Oh, Mira, are you full already? If not, we could order something more.¡¹ Suddenly the detective suggested that, which made Mira¡¯s heart flutter. Her te was already empty, but there was still plenty of room left in her stomach. The detective had mentioned how much he liked the pancakes there. They were extremely soft and fluffy, and none other came close in taste. But obviously enough, they were nowhere near substantial enough to fill Mira¡¯s stomach. Women usually preferred to just have one fancy te they could finish with style, but that did not apply to Mira. All she wanted was tasty food and enough to leave her stomach bursting. ¡¸C-Can I? Yes¡­in that case let¡¯s do that.¡¹ Mira felt like she would need at least two more tes of pancakes before she would feel full, so she epted the detective¡¯s offer, and looked through the menu again. After she ordered something and waited for it, the detective gained more time to keep talking, just like he wanted. This time he spoke of what drove him to capture Fuzzy Dice. It all had started 5 years in the past, when Fuzzy Dice sent out a warning letter to his seventh victim, a corrupt merchant. In response, that merchant used his deep pockets to employ a hefty defense of soldiers and high level adventurers. On top of that, the detective had been advertising his services a lot at the time, and since he did not charge clients when he failed, the merchant also brought him in. ¡¸Fuzzy Dice¡¯s poprity was also rising rapidly at the time, as well as themon trend amongst all his targets.¡¹
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Chapter 231: The Chief Detective’s past (4) Chapter 231: The Chief Detective¡¯s past (4)
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The general public was already starting to call Fuzzy Dice a chivalrous thief, mainly because of what happened to all his targets after a heist. Proof of all their crimes and sins would pop up, and all of them would undoubtedly end in prison or executed. ¡¸After working as an adventurer and detective for a while, I also learned to read people better. So I knew as soon as I saw that merchant, losing his fortune wasn¡¯t his biggest fear.¡¹ The detective¡¯s eyes gleamed as he said that, having something in mind. But before he could continue, the new batch of pancakes arrived. It seemed they had timed the orders carefully, as Julius¡¯ te also came at the same time. ¡¸Bon appetit.¡¹ With a quick bow, the waiter left. Then the detective continued talking, ¡¸That was the moment I realized that all the rumors were true.¡¹ He did not seem bothered that the waiter had interrupted him earlier. So while Mira and Julius ate again, he continued rting what happened the day he began being involved with Fuzzy Dice. In the end, the merchant had hired around fifty adventurers to help protect himself, many of whom were rank A as well. On top of that, he had also brought Alex¡¯s Mercenaries to help, who were known for being some of the best guards forrge merchant groups. Armed with guards who could be trusted with defending, and adventurers who could adapt to any situation, the merchant fortified his mansion. The guards were ced inside, while the adventurers surrounded the areas outside. The detective was also assigned a location that allowed him to make full use of his skills. ording to the detective, that was quite a smart decision, even if the merchant was corrupt. ¡¸Then again, I guess the mercenaries¡¯ strategist was the one making those decisions.¡¹ The detective chuckled a little as he thought back to those times before his voice became graver as he continued, ¡¸But no one could¡¯ve anticipated what happened.¡¹ While Fuzzy Dice always sent a notice warning about the day he would show up, so far he had also appeared at the same time in previous cases. Because of that, the adventurers were rather rxed, as they still had three hours left before the usual time. It was also around that time that food was served to everyone. It was a rather light meal, just sandwiches everyone could carry around and eat without much worry, but the ingredients used for them were so exquisite most adventurers would have not been able to afford them, so they appreciated the merchant¡¯s generosity. But the detective assumed that was also a suggestion from the strategist, to raise the morale and alertness of the adventurers who were starting to ck off. And surely enough, the adventurers looked more active after eating. ¡¸I never thought that n would also backfire though.¡¹ The detective chuckled again before telling what happened. Just when it was almost time for the thief to show up, the adventurers began to fall one after another. Everyone began to panic wondering what had happened, not knowing if they had been attacked somehow. The detective also hid himself to observe more carefully, before approaching one of the fallen adventurers. When he checked on the adventurer, it was clear he was simply sleeping. As he moved along, he found the other adventurers were the same, until he found one that was still conscious, and it was someone he recognized. ¡¸The source of everything was that food.¡¹ The one adventurer who could still move was the same person who had brought out the sandwiches, saying they came from the merchant who hired them. Those sandwiches had been doped with a slow acting sleeping drug. The detective had not eaten his sandwich though, suspecting something was off about them, and his instincts had been right. But Mira noticed that the detective¡¯s voice sounded slightly ufortable as he spoke of those events. Or rather, it was clear he was not the best at lying, since he had detailed everything else in rich detail, but here he was being rather vague about his reasoning. She suspected that it had just been a coincidence, and that he had not eaten the sandwich for an unrted reason. Trying to get more answers sounded like too much trouble for Mira though, so she did not point that out and instead focused on eating her pancakes. ¡¸And so after perfectly avoiding the thief¡¯s ploy, I finally stood against him.¡¹ The detective¡¯s voice gained more energy as he got closer to the climax of the story. At the same time, Mira finally realized that the other people in the restaurant had gotten silent and were listening attentively. After all, they were talking about that popr phantom thief, and this was a rare first ount of an encounter with him, so it made sense to get so much attention. With all of those eyes focused on him, the detective continued telling his story. ¡¸He told me, I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t eat, I can tell you¡¯re very cautious. And I replied, please do it with pancakes next time.¡¹ The detective noticed everyone was listening, so his face lit up even more as his narration became more dramatic. The n to capture Fuzzy Dice hinged on the adventurers outside, but they were all asleep. At the same time, the mercenaries inside the mansion were also passing out one after another. Since the mansion was an enclosed space, Paradise Fog was able to spread everywhere without the wind dispersing it, reaching everyone inside. In other words, the detective was thest line of defense. ¡¸I was the only one left standing. And that¡¯s when he told me something else, that I¡¯m the first person to ever stand in front of him like that.¡¹ He was getting more energetic, his voice filled with emotion. In response, the audience gasped loudly, waiting in suspense. But Mira, who was sitting right in front of him, was not too into it, and casually called the waiter to order a third te of pancakes, saying ¡¸A Custard Ocean, please.¡¹ As for Julius, he was listening attentively as well, as the detective¡¯s work did mean a lot to him. ¡¸It was my first time seeing the thief as well, and no one knew the extent of his power. But I didn¡¯t falter, and stepped up to the challenge armed with everything I learned as an adventurer.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice had already conducted various heists until then, but this was the first time someone stood in his way with the intent to fight. In the past, he would always get everyone to sleep first. In other words, the detective was also the first opponent Fuzzy Dice had ever met. The detective continued narrating with emotion. It was a sh of strength against strength, skill against skill, and intellect against intellect, an exhrating battle. But Fuzzy Dice was a foe too mighty, and the detective was unable to take him down. At that point, the detective¡¯s voice mellowed out as he stared vacantly into space. ¡¸I¡¯m not chasing after him to arrest him, it¡¯s just my manly duty to take down my rival,¡¹ he muttered in a solemn voice. (Wait, didn¡¯t he say earlier that no one had fought him head on and his skills was shrouded in mystery..?) Mira began to wonder how much of that story was real and how much was dramatization, as she quickly noticed certain points that contradicted what the detective had said earlier. But she hardly bothered to point that out, as instead she began eating her third serving of pancakes, the taste of which quickly absorbed her attention. While Mira did that, the response from the rest of the audience was different. They were all listening in as it was a story of Fuzzy Dice, who many admired there. Because of the thief¡¯s reputation as someone who only targeted wicked men, he had arge following, and as the detective was trying to capture the thief, they antagonized the detective and the other adventurers and mercenaries from the story. ¡¸That¡¯s actually incredible, I¡¯ll be rooting for you, detective.¡¹ ¡¸I can tell he¡¯s a real man now.¡¹ ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why he¡¯s been chasing after Fuzzy Dice¡­¡¹ Now their opinion of the detective was starting to change, and some even showed their support for him, regardless of his intent to capture Fuzzy Dice. And that started a knock-on effect as more people began to voice their support for him. ¡¸Thank you everyone. I¡¯ll do my best.¡¹ The detective addressed the audience before reaching for his tea and taking a sip, before regaining his distant look. It was hard to tell what was going through his mind, but his outward appearance was certainly that of a struggling man. But not long after, there was a swooning squeal from a woman. That caused Mira to stop chewing her pancakes and look at the detective to see what was happening. In response, he just winked and said, ¡¸The pancakes here are good, aren¡¯t they?¡¹ with a yful voice. He sounded like someone who had just gotten away with something. Everything that happened there seemed like it was done in the spur of the moment, but considering the shrewdness that came with being a detective, it was quite possible that it had all been nned from the start. Mira nced around at all the new allies the detective had gained, but then decided it was not worth the trouble to think about, so she just focused on finishing her pancakes.
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Chapter 232: Each Side’s Righteousness (1) Chapter 232: Each Side¡¯s Righteousness (1)
Thanks to the detectives story, the restaurant went from a quiet ce to one filled with voices that made it hard to talk in. But there were still many things to discuss, so the group of three decided to move somewhere else after Mira finished her third te of pancakes. The next ce they visited was a cafe, also within the hotel, which had a ratherid back vibe to it. Each table there was separated by walls, making them almost like private rooms, so they would be able to talk there without standing out too much. I have to say, that was a rather colorful retelling of events. Mira said that as she sat down and received the menu Julius passed her. Looking through it, her eyes quickly locked on the pudding soft serve ice cream, which was the cafes most popr item. It wasrgely out of necessity. Having everyone antagonizing me makes it hard to work. The detective just shrugged his shoulders, not feeling an ounce of guilt. While he appeared to be calm and collected, it was clear that standing at odds with someone as popr as Fuzzy Dice made it awkward to move around. But this time he had been able to paint a better image of himself in public, thanks to having someone like Mira who was there to listen to him. I can see that, considering all the fans he has Mira recalled all the crowds of fans she had already seen in the city. The only reason why they had not banded together to attack the detective was because of his efforts to appear as a rival of Fuzzy Dice, and not a straight out enemy. But tell me, what happened really? Mira looked up from the menu, ncing at the detective who had a daring grin. His exaggerated story mentioned a fight between him and the thief, so Mira wanted to know how much of that was true and what was false. In response, he said, Well, what we said to each other was actually true, his voice lowered, but without shame. Or wait no, the pancake thing was altered to fit the location better. What I actually said was to do it with a Gordon Beef meat pie next time. The detective corrected himself with a yful voice before he also looked through the menu, whilementing with a smile, Their ice cream is really good. If only the conversation was true then it truly was an embellished story. Mira returned the menu to Julius whilementing on the detectives story. After a few more questions, it became clear that they did talk to each other for a bit, but the entire fight was a fabrication. After they exchanged those words, Fuzzy Dice suddenly vanished. Then the detective felt something behind him, but when he turned around there was nothing there, and instead he was assaulted by a sudden drowsiness. The next time he opened his eyes he was on a bed receiving treatment. I didnt evenst five seconds. I really was out of my depth there. To be honest, I dont think Ill ever be able to beat him no matter what I try. That was likely what he truly felt, as his voice was filled with resignation. But for some reason Mira still recognized a faint smile on his lips. Once again your words dont match your face. Mira pointed that out, which only made the detective look even more happy. Fuzzy Dice was really the ideal opponent he could only dream about. Ive always been looking for something I didnt get to experience as an adventurer, a difficult challenge. But its not something I can really look for at my age anymore. Ive be rusty and clumsypared to my heyday. In his days as an adventurer, falling down from a rooftop would not have fazed him. He pointed that out with a shortugh, before looking at his legs with disappointment. Well, have you picked something to order then? The detective raised his gaze to look at Mira as he asked that, before adding, Im thinking of ordering the pudding soft serve. Oh, thatd be a dupe then, I was also thinking of ordering that There was nothing wrong with two people ordering the same thing, but Mira had a certain habit. She always enjoyed seeing what others were eating to have an idea if she would like it or not before ordering. That was especially useful in ces she visited for the first time, but if herpanion ordered the same thing as her, she would not be able to gain any advantage like that. So she began to consider changing her order, but the detective noticed what she was thinking. In that case I can order the almond soft serve. Then we can share half-half and both enjoy two varieties. And if my assistant also joins in, we could try out three at once. Thats actually genius. The detective said all of that with confidence, but that was a bit more extreme and was rejected instantly. Lets not, that sounds rather gross. While it was technically a good suggestion, Mira could not see herself sharing ice cream with a man, even if they were attractive like Julius. And that sentiment seemed to be shared with Julius. Maybe Id consider doing that with Mira, but with the Chief Julius looked at the detective for a bit, before saying, Its nothing serious though, we can always just order more. But those words would not reach the detective, who was still utterly crestfallen at Miras wording, especially at her usage of gross. (Maybe I shouldve worded it a bit better) Any man would feel icky at the thought of sharing ice cream with another man. That was Miras intention when she spoke, and someone like Solomon or Luminaria would have agreed with her instantly. But she was not amongst those close friends here, and regardless of how her mind worked, Mira looked like a cute young girl now, and anyone would feel devastated if a cute girl called them gross. And so the detective received a terrible shock, leaving him feeling like a father that was pushed away by his daughter. Mira and Julius could only look at each other wondering what to do though. UmmIm sorry. I mean, it shouldve been obvious After that short exchange they ced their orders, which ended up being three pudding soft serve ice creams. Mira and Julius kept trying to cheer up the detective, and eventually he regained some life. What did the trick was mentioning that they wanted to hear more stories from the detectives past. That quickly triggered his talkative side, which won over the depression. Alright, where did we leave off earlier? The detective asked that in a good mood, and Julius quickly answered that they were discussing how the detective wanted a challenge, but was already past his prime. They still had not heard how Fuzzy Dice became such an important goal for him though. Oh right, I remember now. The detective nodded a few times, then straightened his back. Right, so I became painfully aware of the limitations my age brought, but I still kept searching for a new challenge to ovee. He mentioned that he still felt that way, even after he had epted that case involving Fuzzy Dice. That was around the time when Fuzzy Dice was gaining a lot of poprity on an international level, and there were rumors that he would be appearing in the city where the detective lived. But soon the rumors also began to mention that the merchant had hired the detective to capture Fuzzy Dice. But well, the most annoying part was my employer. You get to hear all sorts of rumors and stories in my line of work, including the badbad rumors. It was also painful to actually see those who had suffered at his hands.
Chapter 232: Each Side’s Righteousness (2) Chapter 232: Each Side¡¯s Righteousness (2)
That employer was the president of a tradingpany, which had been in collusion with nobles to smuggle in goods and make various shady deals, generating quite a lot of illegal revenue. The detective had also been trying to look into those shady deals before being hired, but whenever any form of proof was found, by the timew enforcement arrived everything had been scrubbed clean and it was impossible to make an arrest. That was the type of money and connections he had. It felt like he had an imprable shield of corruption, until there was one ray of light that made it through, the Phantom Detective Fuzzy Dices warning notice. I have to admit that even as an old man, I was giddy beyond myself when I heard that the famous thief was targeting him. It was clear that the detective also saw Fuzzy Dice as a hero of justice who always arrived to expose evil men. Some days after the notice arrived, that corrupt merchant came to hire the detective, asking for the detective to keep his mansion safe from the thief, through every means necessary, even if it included lethal force. To be honest I felt lost at first. I didnt want to be an aplice to such a ruffian, but my curiosity was tingling too. I really wanted to know just who this thief everyone was talking about was. After debating about it for an entire day, the detective finally agreed. In the end, his curiosity to see the thief won over his sense of morality. The allure of facing that thief was too strong, and he wanted to do that no matter what his public image would turn into. So he did everything he could to be prepared against the attack, excited about his first encounter. But the result of that was a story he had already told before. It was like the thief showed me just how far ahead of me he was. I did everything I could, but it was nowhere enough to stop Fuzzy Dice. Feeling that defeat only filled me with excitement though. As an adventurer, he had only epted requests he knew he couldplete. As a detective, he had epted almost anything, even incredibly reckless requests, and through failures and sesses he had learned that oveing a challenge was one of the most fulfilling feelings ever. Experiencing failure from time to time made life much more rewarding than when he only had sesses. And now he had encountered Fuzzy Dice, someone who seemed to be on a whole different ne of existence and defeated the detective with no effort at all. That disastrous failure brought the detective immense joy. Confronting strong opponents like that makes me feel like Im truly alive. This is something I could never aplish during my entire life as an adventurer. And that kind of utter defeat brings forth a truly mystifying emotion too. There were many times when failure meant death, especially on a battlefield. But after his first encounter with Fuzzy Dice, the detective woke up the next morning like nothing had happened. There was not a single scratch on him, and on none of the other guards that had been there that night. That stood out to the detective, so he ended up researching the previous cases in more detail, especially focusing on the people who had tried to stop Fuzzy Dice from carrying out the heist. And so he found out that there had been very few wounded overall, and no casualties at all. There had been a lot of people who had tried to stand in the way of Fuzzy Dice over the years, with easily more than a thousand guards having already been involved. But only a handful had ever gotten hurt, an almost negligible minority. But the detective made sure to stress that the most shocking part was not that, but the fact that all those wounds hade from misceneous sources, like falling down the stairs or internal conflicts, never from Fuzzy Dice. In other words, Fuzzy Dice has been carrying out his heists without harming a single person, from the time he started all the way to the present. Just like how the first time the detective faced off against Fuzzy Dice, the thief had always put everyone to sleep in one way or another, incapacitating them without any harm. I see, someone who never harms anyone and yet exposes evil people to the public, I can see why hes this popr. Fuzzy Dice was like an embodiment of righteousness, which Mira could admire. He had never harmed anyone, not even his enemies, and always let thew dish out punishment. That was exactly what a hero would do. And yet the detective had chosen to chase after him. But all things considered, that decision made sense. He wont harm anyone, thats pretty much his philosophy, his signature behavior. And thats why I decided to keep going after him. As he said that, a calcting smile appeared on the detectives face. And so Mira had to ask, why would that push him to keep going after Fuzzy Dice. The detective seemed to have been waiting for that question. If Fuzzy Dice would never hurt anyone, then the detective could challenge someone far above his level as much as he wanted, without having to be worried about getting hurt. I can go through a lot of hardship with basically no risks. Hes the perfect opponent. I almost feel like Im deeply indebted to him. Maybe it was simply the rules Fuzzy Dice had put on himself, or his extreme confidence in his skills, but he did not seem to care about the detective being after him all the time, so now catching Fuzzy Dice by surprise had be the detectives main goal. How do I put thisthats a lot to unpack In the end, the detectives reason to go after Fuzzy Dice went far past the fact that he was a detective and Fuzzy Dice a thief, and Mira was slightly taken aback by how rich their backstory was. Yes, I think so too. The detective seemed to realize that as well, as he also added, But I have to admit Ive grown to appreciate this side of myself. Their entire conversation had started by Miras desire to get a rough idea of Fuzzy Dices power, and just as it was nearing its end, the pudding soft cream she had ordered arrived. It certainly tastes like a delightful pudding. The distinctive taste of custard filled Miras mouth as she took a bite, and she instantly understood why that was a favorite of the cafe. The detective and Julius also agreed with Miras assessment, it was good. And so for a short while they enjoyed their dessert. (Hmm, Forbidden Arts, huh. And someone incredibly good at them.) Even if she was enjoying her pudding soft cream, Mira did not forget her goal. So far she had discovered that Fuzzy Dice was strong enough to best the Sacred Beast Aktarka, but whether that was the height of his skills or just the bottom was still unclear. Mira was one of the Nine Wisemen, the strongest spellcasters out there, but the world was vast, and there were many skilled spellcasters, for example those with high ranks in the Three Gods Countries army. But only a handful of those powerful generals could get close to actually matching the power of the Nine Wisemen. And then again, there were countries founded by yers like Antis and Nirvana, whose armies wereposed of the best former yers. On the other hand, there were also people like Priest Kingsde, who was the champion of an underground arena for the longest time. There could always be someone very powerful hiding in a corner of the world.
Chapter 232: Each Side’s Righteousness (3) Chapter 232: Each Side¡¯s Righteousness (3)
Fuzzy Dice could have easilye from somewhere like that. (Its probably best if I take the time to properly prepare for this.) So far Mira had seen Fuzzy Dice as a thief with some skill who just happened to have a rabid fanbase. But after hearing the detectives story, and how much was still unknown about the thief, she realized she needed to think more seriously about the matter. She could not afford to underestimate him. (Still, Forbidden Artsand a righteous thief Hmm, thats not too far from being a hero) For now it was safe to assume Fuzzy Dice could use powerful Forbidden Arts, and his work was centered in justice, making him be seen as a hero by most people. Thinking of that, a certain person suddenly popped up in Miras mind. That person was none other than Lastrada the Mysterious, the Wiseman of Forbidden Arts. (I havent heard anything about him so far So at the very least I cant rule out the possibility) Mira did not recall hearing anything about Lastrada through her travels and adventures so far. All of the Nine Wisemen had their quirks and traits, but Lastrada really stood out a head above the rest. Lastrada the Mysterious had a self-admitted obsession with heroes, which was the trait that reminded Mira of him. He was especially a fan of super-heroes, and there was a time when he would dress up as one and go out patrolling at night, in the real world. ording to him that was a necessary step for justice, but people who saw him would instead get afraid, and in the end he was reported to the authorities for being a suspicious character in the streets. That resulted in receiving a lengthy talk from a group of police officers. But that did not disparage his righteous heart whatsoever. Instead, he decided to bring his justice to the virtual world instead. The inte saw arge surge of poprity at the beginning of the twenty first century, before Mira and her friends were even born. At the start it was nicely moderated, and the VR world was also peaceful. But as humanity had proven time and time again across all generations, people with ill intent would always find ways to skirt along the rules and systems to carry out their wicked desires. And so he stood against them. He began developing a program to sniff out anyone doing something illicit, and report each single one of them to the inte police. Having a burning passion could sometimes lead to impressive results, and through the twists and turns of life, he ended up going from having an unhealthy obsession with heroes to the director of the nationalwork security bureau. He had be an actual hero keeping the inte safe. His determination did not waver even after gaining such an important position though. He never stopped being on the side of justice, even when he started ying Arc Earth Online. (No matter how hard I think about it, I cant think of a single instance where he wasnt like that.) Someone so obsessed with justice would certainly stand out, but she had heard no rumors like that. One might think that maybe he had stopped caring as much about justice, but Mira could not imagine that happening. His determination for being a hero was essentially ingrained into his very being. So it would not be too rare if there were rumors about someone like that already, and the ones that fit the bill the most were those about the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. (A thief that brings out the evidence of crimes forw enforcement to take over. Theres certainly some points inmon there) Thinking about it, there were many signs that he could be the one behind Fuzzy Dices mask, but Mira was not fully convinced because she knew him very well. (I really cant imagine him sending warning notices beforehand.) Mira knew very well how Lastradas justice yed out, and any time he acted, he would never disclose his involvement willingly. Along with his efforts for justice in real life, he would often donate to charity or do volunteer work. Whenever that happened, he would never make posts on social media gloating about it, or pose for selfies while doing volunteer work. Going to such ces was simply part of his daily life. When he was independently keeping the inte safe, he also kept that to himself, never revealing he was the one sending all those reports. (I remember being shocked that he was so obsessed with justice when he first told us that.) Mira had only learned all of that when her group of in-game friends began to discuss what each of them did for a living. Until then he had simply seemed like he had some obsession with heroes, and that was it. But when he told the story of how he obtained his current position and all the surrounding experiences, she understood that his obsession went much deeper than she expected. ording to him, justice was not something that should be advertised. He never mentioned it unless he was asked about it directly, and that was also part of his philosophy about justice. Justice and evil were two sides of the same coin, wherever there was justice, there was also evil. So if he kept publicizing his deeds, that would also lead to evil existing there. There was no need to make people who were living their regr lives aware of the presence of evil. That was the reason why Lastrada never mentioned what he did to others. (A warning notice goes directly against that It cant be him.) Fuzzy Dices warning notices were like an announcement that evil was present, and that justice would follow soon after. Regardless of how those notices had started, they went fully against Lastradas philosophy, so Mira could not believe it was him. The thiefs identity had to be someone else who was also capable with Forbidden Arts. But the result of the thiefs work was easily the same Lastrada would have achieved. The means were the only discrepancy. Then again, the warning notices also carried an amount of justice with them. Raising awareness of an issue made the general poption look at the problem, making it harder to continue existing. That way it was impossible to swipe evil deeds under the rug in secret. The issue was public, and the public would want to see a proper resolution. Judging from the results, sending warning notices was a really good idea too. But Mira was still not convinced. (Would he really be able to look so deeply into that) The Lastrada that Mira knew was too hard headed and set on his ways to really think about the effects attention from the public would have, and its after effects. So no matter how much Mira thought about it, the warning notices were too conspicuous. That and all the riches brought forward alongside the evidence of crimes were superfluous for Lastradas justice. But Mira could not help but wonder what kind of reason could have pushed Lastrada to do that, if it actually turned out to be him. Either way, like every time Mira tried to think about something, she quickly gave up on it. (Well, I can just ask him when I catch him.) She simply had to catch the thief and pull his mask off to know if he was Lastrada or not. Thinking about it would get bothersome, so she stopped thinking about it and instead focused on enjoying her pudding soft cream.
Chapter 233: Fuzzy Dice’s Activity (1) Chapter 233: Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Activity (1)
By the way, I understand youve been following the thief for a long time, but is there any other information youve gathered? Like the existence of a safehouse, any helpers, or where the money he steals goes? As she ordered her second serving of soft cream, Mira posed another question. So far she had learned that Fuzzy Dice was someone to be wary of. Now she wanted to know anything else that could help her. Her ultimate goal was to find the orphanage where Artesia, one of the Nine Wisemen, might be staying. Mira could even end up flipping over to Fuzzy Dices side to know that. If she could learn about hideouts, helpers, or the flow of money, maybe she would be able to trace that to the orphanage. Especially the money, as that was likely going there. Hmm, other information? Well, let me think about this The detective began thinking about that, and after a short pause he replied with delight. First, he suspected that Fuzzy Dices hideout was always somewhere in the targets city, but as each heist was carried somewhere else, the hideouts location would also move around, making it impossible to pin down. After looking into it for so long, he was even wondering if Fuzzy Dice did not simply use inns as his hideout instead. There was one time I found a young boy who told me he saw a strange figure enter an inn through the window. That boys ount was all he had to work off, but the time the boy mentioned also lined up with the time at which everyone lost sight of Fuzzy Dice. As soon as the detective heard of that, he went to that inn to investigate, but could not find anything of use. Only the innkeeper had some information to share, saying that the only person staying in that room was a young male, who looked like a rather in adventurer. Oh, in you say? The detective had felt the need to point that out. When Mira asked about it, the detective mentioned his reasoning at the time. Knowing who that person was could lead to figuring out Fuzzy Dices identity, so the detective made sure to learn as much as he could. He asked the innkeeper everything he could imagine, the adventurers appearance, clothes he was wearing, and so on. I asked about his hair and eye color, stature, anything I could think of. The innkeeper had not paid much attention to everything so some parts were vague, but everything he did recall was all in and average. All the information the detective got from the innkeeper pointed at someone who looked extremely average and could be found anywhere, so it did not help with identifying Fuzzy Dice at all. That adventurer had dark brown hair, which was neither too long nor too short, no features that stood out, making him so average it was almost hard to remember him. His clothing was no different, all of it being themon equipment sold by the United Adventurers Guild. His mannerisms also did not stand out, just like his appearance, so calling him a in looking adventurer was really the only way to describe him. That was the description the innkeeper gave of the person suspected of being Fuzzy Dice. That nothing stood out makes him more suspicious, Id say. It was almost like he had been trying to disguise himself as a in person. That made Mira almost convinced that the adventurer had actually been Fuzzy Dice. Yes, thats what I think too. The detective was in agreement. That much inness was unnatural and could only be achieved by wearing such items on purpose. The best ce to hide a tree is within a forest. And a person wont stand out within the crowd of a city. On top of that, disguising as an adventurer can get someone to fit in anywhere. The detective was right. Adventurers would often travel from one city to another on a whim, so Fuzzy Dice could easily move around with that disguise without anyone noticing. Especially if he dressed as a man with no defining features. Id wager that Fuzzy Dice has already arrived in this city as well, and hes staying in an inn somewhere. All under the guise of a in adventurer. Someone so in also did not stay in peoples minds for long. On top of that Fuzzy Dices attire when carrying out a heist was so showy that no one would make the connection. Fuzzy Dice was a genius at stealing, but he was also a master of disguise. Finding him would make things so much easier though. Considering Fuzzy Dice always announced the date of his heists, he had to be in the city at least the day before. If Mira could find where, she could confront him much more easily. But that was easier said than done. I know what you mean, but theres always a huge number of adventurers entering and leaving the city, and trying to find someone without even knowing his name is virtually impossible. The detective had tried to find Fuzzy Dice in inns many times already, but he could never determine his location. In the end he concluded it was impossible to find him like that. Most times Fuzzy Dices targets lived inrge cities, which also meant a bigger flow of adventurers. Even if the detective could focus only on adventurers that arrived recently, it was impossible to track all of them down, as they would all visit different ces of the city and move freely, and capturing a specific one was an impossibility on top of that. Seeing which adventurers checked in with the Union was easier, but most adventurers did not do that, and not even the Union itself knew the number of adventurers staying in a given city at a time. The biggest hurdle was how much time one had to investigate. On top of the high adventurer poption, it was impossible to know at which time Fuzzy Dice would arrive. It was very likely that he would already be in a city stalking his prey before sending the warning notice, so examining adventurers arriving after that would just be a waste of time. But on other times he could arrive the day before the heist as well. Trying to investigate both the adventurers entering the city and those already there was impossible in such a short timeframe. But then the detective added, But a single day would be more than enough to find someone who stands out as much as you do, Mira. Either way, at least we can conclude that his hideout is an inn somewhere in the city. The detective summed up the response for one of Miras questions. Then their second serving of soft cream was brought, and this time each of them had ordered a different vor. Moving on, you asked about any helpers, and all I can say is that I havent heard about or seen anyone like that, so I wouldnt be able to point you in any direction. The detective said that, in an almost refreshing turn from his earlier responses. The thief always appeared on his own, would not be caught by anyone, and would run away without making contact with anyone else. It was impossible to determine whether he had any helpers or none. I actually looked into his fans to see if they were helping in any way, but that was apletely futile effort. Fuzzy Dices fans, a group mostlyposed of women, would always appear right after a warning notice was delivered. They had be a quiterge organization with aplicatedwork of information, so for a while the detective suspected them of helping Fuzzy Dice behind the scenes. But after investigating them as much as he could, he came to the conclusion that they were simply a group of crazy fanatics, and nothing more. Or rather, they seemed averse to the idea of helping the thief, as Fuzzy Dice was too perfect to ever need any help. To be honest Im almost impressed that people can actually be so passionate and attached to a single thing. Those women would follow Fuzzy Dice anywhere simply because they liked him. They all admired his dedication and values, as well as his strength to realize them. The detective took a spoonful of his soft serve ice cream and voiced his admiration for their passion, mentioning how there were different ways to like someone. Well, I guess so Mira was unsure of exactly how to reply to that, seeing how her impression of those fans differed so much from how the detective saw them. You also mentioned the flow of money he generates, right? He asked just to confirm, before going silent with a really thoughtful look. Then after a short pause, he replied, As far as the official records go, thats also unknown, his voice seeming to conceal something. Thats a rather odd way of putting it, isnt it? Mira was curious why he felt the need to point out those were the official records, and the detective replied that it was a bitplicated. As far as I heard, he supposedly gives that money to orphanages? Have you heard anything about that? That was a rumor Mira had heard during her train rides, when she traveled alongside ady called Theresa, who was the public rtions manager of a clothing store named Magical Knights. Mira believed that could be a connection with the orphanage she was looking for, though if it turned out the rumor was false, then she would no longer have a reason to go after Fuzzy Dice. If it was true, then there would still be hope. Rather than knowing of his hideouts or helpers, this was what Mira was most interested in. So you heard of that too, huh? I guess it really is impossible to seal the lips of people. Hearing that, the detective replied with a saddened voice, shrugging with a helpless smile. That response showed that he clearly knew something more. In my case Id actually prefer if those rumors are true. Mira took another spoonful of her dessert and grinned. If you dont mind hearing my unverified findings, then Ill tell you what I know, was the detectives reply. Mira urged him to please continue. That prompted the detectives lust for talking to trigger again, and so he started talking again, going into every detail he could.
Chapter 233: Fuzzy Dice’s Activity (2) Chapter 233: Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Activity (2)
The detective had also heard the rumors of Fuzzy Dice being connected to orphanages, and he had also had a simr idea as Mira. If the rumors were true, then maybe he could try following the trail of money back to Fuzzy Dice. He used various means to gather the information he wanted, including money, connections, and his own feet. After following various leads and doing a thorough investigation, he obtained a conclusion. Something in me told me that those rumors had to be all true. Saying that with a showy tone of voice, the detective began to detail everything he had done to arrive at that conclusion, and a certain change he noticed at the end of that lead. Mira really only cared about the actual results he got, but she also rted to the way the detective felt about it, so she did not interrupt him. It was the nature of men to want to talk about all the time they devoted, and the highlights they encountered across their journey to a goal. So Mira kept her urgency to herself, and instead ordered a third serving of soft cream. Her outlook about her current situation was that she could eat as many desserts as she wanted for free, as long as she listened to the detectives story. It was pretty rough, but in the end looking through all of that was about to pay off. Mira was eating her third serving as she listened to the detective finally get closer to the climax of his story. In short, the detectives story so far was as follows. He had started by thoroughly investigating the orphanages in the continent. That obviously meant going through an enormous list of locations, which was basically going down the list of orphanages officially recognized by the United Adventurers Guild, including those in small towns and viges, totalling a number higher than five hundred. The detective went to all of them, going through their documentation to see if there was any trace of them receiving money from Fuzzy Dice. And then he eventually found one orphanage that he felt was slightly odd. While theyre all called orphanages, their organization and design can differ from one ce to another. In general, it was possible to group orphanages into three types. One type wasrgely supported and run by the churchs donations, and were attached to it. That was the mostmon type, but even they had variations depending on how much money the church decided to allocate to a locations orphanage. Sometimes there would also be greedy priests skimming money off the top from the donations, worsening the orphanage in their charge, adding even more variance into the mix. Another type were orphanagesrgely run by nobles and their coffers, high ss orphanages of sorts. Nobles would donate to them either to give off the appearance of being good people and improve the publics perception of them, or simply because they genuinely wanted to help the orphanage. Those ces would usually focus on teaching the kids various lines of work, and most of the kids there would be maids or servants for nobles. Thest type were private orphanages, run bymon people. They were much more scarcepared to the other two types, and their management was usuallypletely different as well. It was one of thattter type that caught the detectives attention, as it also was an orphanage located near a ce where Fuzzy Dice had appeared before. Their managers were extremely strict and secretive, but somehow I managed to talk them into showing me their financial records. As I looked through it, I noticed something surprising. Their ie in donations was fifty percentrgerpared to the average of other nearby orphanages. Orphanages, regardless if they were run independently or by nobles or the church, would hardly ever let anyone see their financial records, but somehow the detective had talked them into it, and he spoke of it like it was hardly a difficult feat. But by now Mira had already noticed that the detective really liked to talk of impressive feats like they were nothing. But man, that really was one of the most exhausting times of my career. That was the thing, as he said that, the detective kept ncing at Mira repeatedly, almost as if coercing her into asking about it. It was actually hard to not notice his intention. Peeking into the inner workings of ces run by the church and nobles is quite the feat, I must say I admire your skills. Seeing that the detective was stalling and refusing to move on, Mira decided to voice the words he had been trying to get out of her that entire time. That instantly made the detective grin with satisfaction as he said, All of the connections I built as an adventurer kepting in handy. Saying that, he was ready to start narrating some of his past exploits. Ohh, thats incredible. Im sure you mustve found something of interest in the financial records you eked out with those connections, did you not? Saying that, Mira gently pushed the conversation back on track. There had to be something more than just seeing that said orphanage received fifty percent more donations, otherwise the detective would not have put so much emphasis on that. And if that was not enough proof, the detective actually stopped narrating a previous adventure and happily detailed his findings again. Yes, of course. But thosedies I talked to vehemently refused to admit it Or rather, they probably werent hiding anything. The detective continued gathering financial records of more ces, and he found there were many others showing such odd spikes in donations whenpared to their neighbors, with some that had received a sum fifty timesrger than the average. But the simrities didnt end there for those orphanages. They all also had a time when their finances were in the red, and management had to pay out of their own pocket to keep the children fed. Considering orphanagesrgely ran off donations, some variance in their ie was understandable. But even ounting for that, the sudden spike in donations was unnatural, and those orphanages were all managed by the church or privately, located out in the poor countryside. The detective also added that said donations were so big that they would let all the children in the orphanages live for a whole year without worry. On top of that, therge donations would always happen toe in within a week of one of Fuzzy Dices heists. I actually went to visit all of those orphanages myself, and I spoke to them in great detail. The detective was suspecting that Fuzzy Dices main hideout was in one of those orphanages, or maybe they were helping him. But in the end he could not find any trace of him anywhere near there. There was nothing around or within the orphanages, and neither the adults watching over them nor the children acted suspiciously like they were hiding something. Im pretty confident in my ability to judge people, and I can see through acts and deception pretty well. But not even the children looked like they were lying. If all of that was actually an act, then I wouldnt mind hiring all of them to form the best theatrical show. After joking a bit, the detective added that the donations had all been dropped off personally by someone anonymous, who never showed himself and just left it there in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep. The orphanages manager simply said that they would find strange boxes, with a note that said For the children. The managers had no idea who was behind that, so they could not confirm nor deny that it came from Fuzzy Dice. The circumstances all point to Fuzzy Dice, but when I discussed it with my connections in the church, they said there was no admissible proof of it, which is a position I actually support too. After all, if the authorities learn that those donations came from fraudulent sources, they would confiscate all of it. There was no definitive proof, so the church would not recognize the donations asing from Fuzzy Dice. Still, the only person in the church that heard all of that was the higher up the detective knew. But Ill have to ask you to keep this secret too, please. Not everyones the same in the church after all, as theres all sorts of people there. There were always people who joined the church with avarice, and would do anything to enrich themselves. It was easy to imagine what such people would do if they knew the whole story. Yes, I shall do so. My lips are sealed. The lives of children were more important than the fact that the money was stolen. Mira was also not the kind of person to obsess about followingws down to every letter, so she happily promised to keep the secret.
I really have to sayits quite difficult to do some worldbuilding in an exciting way, without being too verbose or too abbreviated. I have to choose whats important enough to mention, and what isnt and can be skipped. If I just list out the most important key points, the writing bes stale, but if I go into too many details it gets way too verbose instead. Im always struggling to find the right bnce between them. Everyday Im reminded of how much ones skills, instincts, and more importantly experience are necessary to write. I feel like this is a struggle that will apany me for the rest of my life though. But for now Im still too inexperienced, so Ill just keep going, even if it gets too short, or too verbose! Somehow I feel like this is the first time Ive actually talked about something worthwhile in the afterword..! Anywayyy Trial and error is all I can really use to get through this, so things might be tedious for some parts, but Id be d if you could hang around for a bit longer. With all that said Well keep touring around with the detective for a while longer!
Chapter 234: Mira Gets Caught Up (1) Chapter 234: Mira Gets Caught Up (1)
By the way, about those orphanages Since the detective had mentioned the orphanages, Mira wanted to ask about the one she was searching for. Maybe the detective had actually visited that one while researching. But before she could finish her question, two sessive chimes from bells could be heard from outside. Oh, is it already thiste? Those bells seemed to announce the current time, which prompted the detective to quickly take a notepad out of his pocket and look through it. Im really sorry to do this right after I invited you toe all the way here, but I have somethinging up and have to go. Would you mind meeting up again tomorrow to talk more? It seemed like it was something important, as the detective said that with an apologetic voice while storing the notepad again. Tomorrow? Of course, I dont mind. Theres also more things Id like to ask after all. They had been talking for a long time already, but now that the orphanages hade into the picture, Mira had many more questions for the detective, so she agreed to his invitation. On top of that, Mira was convinced that this also meant she would be invited to a feast for breakfast, and so they parted ways and she headed out into the streets again. It was slightly past the time for lunch, so it seemed like everyone outside had just eaten and looked satisfied as they walked through the street. Mira also walked with them along the main street for a while until she spotted the store she was looking for, a Dinowal Store branch. They specialized in selling items useful to adventurers, so they were usually located near the Unions building. Alright, time to see how much Ill get Usually Mira visited the Dinowal store to buy items, many of which she did not even need. But this time she was not there to buy, but to sell the many Magic Stones she had gathered in the Ancient Underground City. Filled with excitement for her future fortune, she stepped into the store. Haxthausen was arge city with a rich history, surrounded by many dungeons. Because of that, the Dinowal Store was also quitergepared to those in other cities, and their lineup was as impressive as always, quickly drawing in Miras attention and enthusiasm. The store also had a separate counter for those wanting to trade in Magic Stones. Mira had looked up how to trade in her items before visiting, so she headed to that counter first, just barely managing to force herself to ignore the enticing items lined up in disy racks around her. The counter was in a corner of the store, where two employees were hard at work attending the clients. Another staff member handed Mira a numbered ticket when she mentioned she was also there to sell. It seemed like there were many others there wanting to sell just like Mira. Hearing that, Mira concluded that if business was flourishing like that, then it had to mean they were offeringpetitive rates, and she would also receive a good payout, making her grin. Soon after, the staff member also told her, You can wait over there if you want. Mira looked in that direction and saw that a bit past the counter there was a small waiting area, furnished with chairs and tables, and more importantly, they offered various drinks for free. I might actually ept that offer. Deciding she could use a rest, Mira held her ticket and walked briskly to the waiting area. Going there, she passed by a sign that read: Waiting area for children in queue, but Miras attention was purely focused on the drinks she would choose that she did not notice. There were two boys there already, one of them looked like an apprentice spellcaster, and the other an apprentice swordsman. It was hard to tell whether they were friends or had just met there, but they were talking happily with each other, dreaming about their exciting future adventures. But the moment Mira got there both of them quickly went silent. Both of them followed each of Miras movements with their eyes,pletely entranced by her. (Huh, I guess those two boys are also here waiting to sell.) Mira poured some Rose Vani au Lait into a cup as she looked around the tables. The two boys had started whispering something between them. Then noticed Mira was looking at them so they pretended to be looking at the stores catalog as they continued to stare at her in quick nces. (Hmm, it seems theyre interested in me.) Mira could rte with the desire to stare at a cute girl while trying to pretend to be doing something else, so she understood what the two boys were going through, and went to sit on a chair a distance away while grinning slightly. (I hope they eventually get used to cuteness like mine though.) Mira recalled her own woes when she was at that age, when the first signs of puberty affected her, and seemed slightly worried for the future of the two boys. As she thought that, her ears faintly caught bits of their whispers. It was not clear enough to follow their conversations, but it was enough to give her an idea of what they were discussing. They had gone far past the first topics like how cute she was or if they liked her, and somehow were already nning how they would have a family with Mira. How much they would have to earn to support a household, how they would need to be more dependable, and even the responsibilities they would have to with raising children, and how many children they would have. And obviously enough, they also discussed more mature nightly topics. (So the general education of this world has also advanced a lot) Mira was shocked to hear what they were saying, topics which did not seem to correspond with their age. Maybe it was simply the way this world had evolved, or the way those boys had been raised by their parents, but to Mira they looked too young to be discussing such topics. Soon they started discussing which of them would be able to satisfy Mira better in bed, so she just averted her gaze and instead began to drink from the cup she held. As soon as the liquid entered her mouth, she tasted a newbination of sweetness from roses and vani flowers, which she relished as she stared nkly into space with a grimace. After some time the queue moved along and the apprentice swordsman was called. He slowly stood up, then turned and continued staring at Mira while avoiding her gaze, but then he was called again and he rushed away to the counter. (One more and its my turn then.) The waiting area had been far morefortable than Mira had anticipated, letting her rx. But eventually she turned to look at the boy wearing spellcaster robes. He looked rather restless now that his conversation partner had left, but Mira did not even consider going to talk to him instead. She had no intentions in getting involved in the kinds of conversations she had overheard earlier. Then just as the boy tried to nce at Mira again, their eyes met for just an instant. That made the boy avert his gaze in shame and stare around aimlessly for a bit, and then acted like he was looking through the catalog again. It seemed like he could discuss more mature topics, but he was still a really inexperienced and innocent boy. (It seems Ive be a bit of a heartbreaker.) Somehow Mira seemed reassured seeing that reaction, and then assumed a more dignified pose before waiting on her turn again. Some timeter a girl entered the waiting area. Her turn woulde after Miras. She wandered around the waiting area for a bit, holding a cup of orange juice, before eventually taking a seat in front of Mira. The girl was wearing a long in robe, with a short beginners wand hanging from her belt. Her appearance seemed to suggest she was an apprentice spellcaster. She was around twelve or thirteen years old, though as far as appearances went Mira looked the same. She seemed rather shy as she took a sip from her cup, ncing at Mira with curiosity.
Chapter 234: Mira Gets Caught Up (3) Chapter 234: Mira Gets Caught Up (3)
Once the seller was happy with the payment offered, the deal would beplete. The payment itself could be done in two ways though. One was in cash, and the other was a deposit to an ount in the United Adventurers Guild. Usually the children that came there would opt for thetter option, ording to the clerk. Well, please follow me here. After the exnation, Mira was guided into the appraising room, which was located next to the counter. The room lookedrgely like amon waiting room, but there were various devices used to evaluate items in there, as well as a girl wearing a white coat sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. That made the room look more like aboratory. Wee. Lets get through it then, please ce the Magic Stones there. The girl looked at Mira with a gentle smile as she pointed at a tray on a nearby table, as a pair of butterfly wings fluttered slightly behind her. It seemed like she was a fairy. (Maybe I should give Mariana a call tonight.) As Mira opened her Item Box to take out the Magic Stones she wanted evaluated, she began to think she was experiencing the feeling of a husband away from home for a business trip who wanted to hear his wifes voice. (Alright, lets see how much theyll give me for them.) Her Item Box was chock full of Magic Stones she had picked up in the Ancient Underground City, ranging from pebble sized to ones bigger than a fist. Usually the mana contained within also increased with their size, so those had to be more expensive. Id like to sell these. Wanting to know how much she could get for them, Mira selected three to represent each size ss, one small, one medium, and a big one. Ohh, I havent seen any this big in a while. The fairy worker seemed happy to see those, and she put the whole tray into a device and pressed a switch. Mira watched with curiosity, and just as she was about to ask what that device was, the fairy exined that it was a device that would check how much mana was inside the Magic Stones. There was a slight whining sound from the device as it worked, and after around ten seconds it stopped, as it had finished the analysis. Thank you for waiting. Bringing the tray back to Mira, the fairy girl began pointing at the various Magic Stones and listing off their value. The small one would go for 1000 Rils, the medium one for 20,000, and therge one for 100,000 Rils. (Ohh, so even the small one will get me a grand. And it goes up many times over from there. Though the difference between the medium andrge one isnt as big as between the small and medium one.) Mira was d that the prices were above her calctions using the game prices as reference, but she was a bit let down that the increase in demand she had hoped for had not influenced the price as much. ording to what Mira had learned, as magic devices had be ubiquitous in society, the demand for Magic Stones had skyrocketed. But somehow other than the small Magic Stone, the others had not gone up in price too muchpared to thirty years before. Wondering why that was, Mira asked the fairy girl about it. Demand had grown immensely in thest three decades, but the prices had not really moved since then, and she was wondering why. Oh, you researched the market all the way back then? Youre really studious! She seemed happy to hear such a question from Mira, so while smiling she began her exnation saying, This is just my theory, but It was true that the number of items utilizing magic, both Magic Wares and those devices sold by the Dinowal Store, had grown exponentially in numberpared to thirty years in the past. One would reasonably think that such an increase in demand would also make prices go up, but a certain event thirty years before might have had an influence in stabilizing the prices. From what Ive been able to research, our current consumption of Magic Stones ispletely different from back then. Not only that, but this group here is only using half as many as they did thirty years ago! She brought out some papers from somewhere, which showed she had some proficiency as a researcher, and held up a page with various graphs, pointing at them with excitement. When Mira looked at it, she understood it was a graph showing all the different ways Magic Stones had been used over time, and how much. It was quite detailed, though an interesting part was that the usage of Magic Stones in weapons had dropped dramatically over time. ording to the fairy girl, there was a moment thirty years in the past when arge group of artisans had retired and stopped working. AhhI see. That moment was also when this world became reality and arge portion of yers vanished. Mira was starting to understand why the increased demand of Magic Stones had not changed their price that much. Many yers who were into crafting had vanished at the same time, which included many who specialized in esoteric weapons, which required special forges or other equipment. And to power said equipment, they used copious amounts of Magic Stones. Back in the game, around half of all Magic Stones had been used by those yers to craft weapons. But since so many artisans had vanished thirty years before, their share of consumption had simply been taken over by Magic Wares and other such devices. Now Mira was nodding in agreement, but the fairy girl was not done talking yet, as she began to show more of her deep research and the conclusions she reached. There was one more reason why the price of Magic Stones had remained stable, something done by the United Adventurers Guild. Thanks to that, there was arge surge in the number of adventurers, which led to an increased supply of Magic Stones as well. Then over the years various of those artisans had also returned from retirement. But their specialized equipment had evolved so much and be so efficient that now they could achieve the same results while needing less Magic Stones. On top of that, around a decade prior, the artisans had also started to utilize novel power sources, like various types of fuel, or the power of spirits, which also enhanced their end products. It was only a small percentage of the best artisans that were doing that, but it was also those best artisans who once consumed thergest amount of Magic Stones. Because of all those factorsbined, the price of Magic Stones had remained stable over the years. Ohoh? Even better products Amongst everything she had learned, those new crafting processes had caught Miras attention the most, even more than the Magic Stones which were the main topic. There was something Mira had been nningtely, the creation of her best equipment ever. She had alreadypleted the first step by collecting the best materials possible by harvesting them off Machina Guardian. Next she had to find the right person to craft it for her, which she had also made some progress with, as Soul Howl had told her about a certain group of many skilled former yers who loved to craft. Now she had been told about how those artisans who had once crafted legendary weapons had continued polishing their skills, so she could only imagine what they would be able to produce with her materials and those new methods. (Does this mean I might obtain a mythic ss..?!) Mythic ss equipment had always been extremely hard to obtain, and even during her time as one of the Nine Wisemen she had been unable to get any of her own. But she was well aware of their rarity, as the only mythic item in all of Arkite was already in Solomons possession. Now she felt like she had a good shot at obtaining her own, and as she dreamed of that, she also grinned as she imagined herself showing it off to the other Nine Wisemen once they were all gathered again.
You saw that thing earlier this month? I gave in. Yes, to Domino Pizzas half price ad campaign. I knowI couldnt resist the temptation. Pizza really does feel like the antithesis to any diet food though But that makes it all the tastier. Andso They also gave me a coupon when I did that. A coupon for 50% off my next order It was valid until yesterday Yes, I caved in again. It was incredibly tasty. 50% off The allure of those letters is so hard to resist
Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (1) Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (1)
After Mira got three of her Magic Stones analyzed, and heard the fairy girl workers research into the price evolution of Magic Stones, she took out a bigger portion of her Magic Stones to have them analyzed as well. The prices were assigned ording to the mana contained within the stones and not their size, but the prices were still roughly around the same as the first three. And so, she selected a portion of her medium andrge Magic Stones that would easily give her around 3,000,000 Rils. She had decided to keep all her small Magic Stones though, as they could be used to power all of the devices she owned, making them surprisingly versatile. Toplete the sale, she had to provide her adventurer permit again, and this time she decided to provide herplimentary ticket as well. That ticket gave her a 20% discount on anything she bought in the store, so she was notpletely sure it would also apply to sales. But in a happy turn of events, theplimentary ticket also provided a 10% increase to payouts from sales. With it, she would obtain roughly 3,300,000 Rils. All of that settled the Dinowal Store as Miras preferred ce to buy and sell, which was exactly what Thedrick Dinowal had been aiming for when he gave her the ticket. 3,300,000 Rils was the equivalent of 66 gold coins, which was quite a heavy and bulky amount. But Mira still requested to receive them in cash, instead of a transfer to her ount at the Union. I can never get enough of this weight. Afterpleting the sale, Mira left the counter and headed to themon waiting area of the store, where she held the leather bag with the coins and weighed them with one hand. Feeling the heft of gold brought herfort. Once she had enjoyed the jingle of gold coins within the bag for long enough, she opened her Item Box. Back when she first arrived to this world, Solomon had taught her a few things. Coins of all sorts could not be put inside the Item Box, as they counted as currency. But then she learned how to solve that issue. Coins could not be stored on their own, but if there was an item that happened to contain coins, it could be put in the Item Box without issue. The Operators Bracelet had a weight limit which made it hard to store more than a few thousand Rils, but former yers were not limited in that way, so she could store as big a fortune as she wanted. Mira took out six gold coins from the bag, the equivalent of 300,000 Rils, then put the bag with the remainder inside her Item Box. That was the extra money she obtained thanks to theplimentary ticket, and it would be her budget for her shopping spree in the Dinowal Store now. The Dinowal Store wasrge, so Mira wandered from one ce to another, looking at everything curiously. There was a seemingly never ending assortment of items and devices designed for adventurers, which set Miras adventurous heart aze and she could never get tired of looking at them. Like a survival kit that would be of little use to her now but still caught her attention, or the kind of item that seemed to be made to entice children like a set of the 7 essential tools for a detective, which would be certainly useless to Mira. But all of it still attracted her. Then again, all items made for adventurers were not ythings for children, even if Miras usual mentality was the same as a childs, but actual tools with purpose. All of them were designed to make the life of adventurers easier, and to ensure their survival. That only made Miras curiosity swell even more as she tested more items. Mira already had plenty of advantages as a summoner, being able to borrow the power of spirits to make her life easier in almost any situation, but she was still attracted to items that coulde in handy. Mira spent around an hour wandering around the store, putting various items in her shopping cart, and only then she went to the one area she was looking forward to the most. The one with the newest additions to the store. She was not the only person excited to check that area, as there were many other adventurers already looking at the items on disy. It was quite lively too, with some examining the new items from close by, testing the samples on disy, or asking the store employees various questions. Ohh, thats where the discounted items are. Mira spotted another section to the side of her current one, where items on sale were put. There was a whole shelf in that area, but it was already half empty, showing just how popr it was amongst clients. The main item there was one called Magic In-Clothes Temperature Regtor CulCool, and below the sale sign there was the line In preparation for this season. There were also instructions on how to use it and its functions. It was a device that was attached on the underside of clothes and would cool down the wearer, making it like a personal small scale air conditioner. It was the size of a notepad, and the surface had four lines with the words Off, Low, Medium, Strong, with an iid switch that moved between them. Just looking at it made one think of summer. This is incredible! There had never been such a useful item even in the world Mira had been born and raised in. It was already getting closer to August, so even though Mira could stay in a fresh andfortable space in her spirit mansion, as soon as she stepped out she could feel the heat assaulting her and sweat start to build up. That was the current season they were in. There was a limit to how many clothes one could take off too, so warding off the heat was a difficult task. If this small device could fix that, then she really had no option but to buy it. But then she looked at the important part, the price. Even with the sale discount, it went for 200,000 Rils. And usually it went for 300,000 Rils. In other words, two thirds of her whole budget would end up going to it. Still, I need this..! After some deliberation, Mira decided it was best to just increase her budget. So she looked through the various types until she found onebeled to work with robes and put it in her shopping cart. Though in a way, it was a very good investment if that was all it took to thwart all of the heat of summer. Using that as an excuse for no one in particr, Mira stopped worrying about it and returned to the new arrival section. It had not been too long since thest time Mira had visited a Dinowal Store, so there were still many items there she had already seen, even if they were still considered new. But there were some she did not recognize, so she looked for them and saw what they did. But then she saw something that caught her eye and she immediately picked it up. Ohhh, Solomon would like having this. Seeing it had made her instantly think of Solomon. He could be a bit of a military geek at times, and the item was something that would certainly stir that side of him. It had a rather peculiar look to it, and there was a sign detailing its use next to it. When Mira read through it, it only confirmed her hunch. (Hmm, Im guessing this is another application of Thin Mist Grass.) The item Mira was holding was a proper gas mask. And Thin Mist Grass was a type of nt that purified air. The gas mask was also equipped with a light source to activate the Thin Mist Grass, allowing the wearer to breathe even in ces with no air or filled with noxious gasses. In a way its function was closer to an oxygen mask than a gas mask. But the appearance was a far departure from the oxygen masks one would see in a hospital, and it was closer to the type of masks worn by special military forces. The actual name of the item was Safe Breathing Mask Amphibian Type. That indicated that it would also work underwater, making it even more useful. Lets see Wanting to know how it worked, Mira quickly grabbed the sample Safe Breathing Mask and wore it, but the samples size was too big for Miras head, so there was not a proper seal and every time she would breathe the noise of air escaping the mask would ring out. Oh, I can see better than I expected.
Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (2) Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (2)
While taking deep breaths, Mira surveyed her surroundings through the masks goggles. It did impact her visibility a bit, but considering the benefits that was a worthy sacrifice. As she evaluated that, she also began to feel like pretending that mask was part of her usual equipment. Solomon would often geek out about military topics to Mira, who slowly began to develop an interest in that as well. Yes, this wont be a hindrance to my mission. So the moment the mask was on top of Mira, she quickly felt like she was also part of a special operations unit, and began acting ordingly. Meanwhile, as Mira became fascinated with the mask, all the other customers in the store saw was a small girl d in cute magical girl attire and a grim gas mask, crawling on the ground and peeking through shelves as if attempting stealth. They found the scene slightly endearing yet more bizarre than anything else. The mask also had a peculiar effect of softening the looks from people nearby when she wore it. After testing the Safe Breathing Mask for a sufficient time, Mira moved on to explore other products. She continued walking along, admiring therge variety of the stores lineup, and as she tested them she would alsoud their function. Eventually she noticed that there was a cookbook on the shelf of new items too, which made her approach it with a quizzical look, wondering why would a cookbook be in a store with items for adventurers. But she understood as soon as she saw what was on the level above it. A device called the Magic Refrigeration and Preservation Bag was ced there. It was an improved version of a simr device, and it allowed the refrigeration of food ingredients to be transported fresh during trips,rgely extending their lifespan and allowing for moreplex meals to be prepared. The cookbook was a collection of recipes that could be made with refrigerated ingredients, and included guides on how to best process them for refrigeration as well. That was why the cookbook was being sold there too. Hmm Unlike the Operators Bracelet most adventurers had, Miras Item Box would preserve anything she put inside like it was frozen in time, meaning that she had no need for a bag to preserve fresh food. But the cookbook did catch her attention, so she muttered I need this too as she put one in her cart. At first Mira thought that the Magic Refrigeration and Preservation Bag was only useful to extend the life of ingredients, but it actually had another secret use. Some of the recipes in the cookbook also used the bag as a tool when cooking. Those ranged from ingredients that simply tasted better cold, to sherbet or ice cream recipes. Mira quickly began to imagine what enjoying fresh ice cream in the middle of a vast grasnd while looking at stars in the night sky would feel like. It was almost romantic to think about, so she decided she would also go buy all the ingredients she needed for that. The next item that caught Miras eye was the Adaptive Magic Camouge Mantle. At first sight it looked like a regr gray color piece of cloth, but as its name suggested, as soon as a switch was flipped it would change colors. It could recreate various camouge patterns, including grass, trees, rocks, sandstone, beach sand, and even sea waves. It seemed to be pretty popr amongst adventurers who fought from the backlines, or for those with supporting roles. Hunters who had to remain concealed waiting for their prey also liked them. The next item to catch Miras eyes was called Magic Darkness Piercing Night Vision Goggles. Its name was pretty self exnatory, as they allowed the wearer to see even through pitch ck darkness. It was also designed to fit in nicely on top of the Safe Breathing Mask Amphibian Type from earlier too. It did not emit any light either, so one could use it to hunt at night without any animals noticing too. Someone on guard duty could also use it to see far into the distance without the need for lights. (Fantasy night vision goggles dont have any restrictions after all.) Thinking that, Mira noticed a certain door next to where she was. It seemed like the store was really trying to sell those Magic Darkness Piercing Night Vision Goggles, as they had built up an entire dark room so people could test them inside. (Still, Im convinced that a former yer was involved in creating these. Even their appearance screams night vision goggles.) Maybe it was Solomons kindred spirit behind them. Thinking of that, Mira took the sample goggles to test them. Seeing the mask, the camouge mantle, and now night vision goggles, Mira began to feel like it was all rted to military items, which reminded her of Solomon. It also brought back memories of a survival game they yed together, in which they had to use such items too. But ying a VR survival game was very different to actually having to move her own body, so her struggles from back then felt like the pinnacle offortpared to doing the same now. Hmmmight as well Mira wrapped herself in the camouge mantle, then put on the mask, and attached the night vision goggles on top,pleting her getup as she entered the dark room. It seemed like the store had an immense confidence in the goggles functionality, as the room waspletely sealed from all light, and no matter how long Mira waited, her eyes could not get used to the darkness and nothing became visible. (Hmmmthis seems to be a passage of some sort.) She tried to wade her way around with her hands first, and she understood that the dark room had some sort of narrow passageway in it. The room was darker than the night, and once she knew her naked eyes would never see anything there, she finally flipped the switch on the goggles. Ohh! She immediately let out a surprised voice, as her eyes that saw nothing but darkness a moment earlier were quickly filled with information. The goggles presented a green image, like real life night vision goggles. Through them, Mira could clearly see how the passage went ahead of her. As expected of the Dinowal Store, the goggles worked wlessly. Now that she could see clearly, she also understood theyout of the entire room. There was a winding path filled with various obstacles, and further ahead there was even a smaller room. Now this is getting me fired up. What she saw within the darkness really felt like a room one would find in a survival game. That brought even more memories back to Mira, making her get excited. Now she was getting fully into the character of amando in enemy territory, holding her hands in the shape of a gun and keeping her back glued to the wall, carefully peeking through the nearest turn. Clear. No targets in sight. Updating her non-existent unit, Mira carefully walked forward. She moved along the winding passage, cleared the small room, then went closer to a tall obstacle where she threw herself on the ground and began crawling forward under it. As she crawled forward, she really felt like she was actually a secret operative leading a night raid somewhere. There was a turn further ahead, and just as she was going around it, one man looked into the room from further ahead. While the whole room was only around five meters long in total, Miras face was so close to the ground that she did not notice the man who looked at her.
Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (3) Chapter 235: The Usual Shopping (3)
When the man saw Mira, in full covert ops getup and crawling on the ground, his face quickly stiffened as he was filled with fear. He had entered the room before Mira to test the goggles, and had been quite impressed with their performance. But this was a room devoid of all light, only visible with the night vision goggles. There he had heard a weird rustling sound, and when he turned to look back he saw someone covered in the camouge mantle, face covered with a gas mask, and a set of goggles on top of the mask, who was crawling creepily along the floor. Even if he was a man, being confronted by all of that at the same time was quite a scare all the same. After standing frozen in ce for a moment, the man moved on tip toes to not make any noise as he quickly turned around and escaped from the room. Meanwhile Mira just continued her faux mission,pletely oblivious to the mans presence, and once she had her fill of fun she left the dark room. But during the time Mira was inside the dark room, ying out her covert ops game, someone had arrived at the Dinowal Store and pushed his way through the doors as he entered. Oh, hello Furio. Did something happen? One of the store employees who was just about to leave noticed him storming in, and decided to greet him. In response, the person approached the employee and said, I was just told that the Spirit Queen is in this store. His name was Furio, a sales manager for the Grimoire Company1, famous for producing the trading card game Legend of Astelia, which was popr amongst children and adults alike. He had various responsibilities in his position, but one of them was quite vital to the game. Negotiating with the people who would be depicted in the cards. That was an important job, as it would both keep the game feeling fresh with new additions and variations, while also making sure that the yers would be able to obtain cards of people they admired. There were always adventurers and other people whose names would suddenly rise in poprity, like new movie stars, and his duty was to track them down and obtain their permission so thepany could use their likeness in the cards, something indispensable in that business. The Spirit Queen? The one they said actually didnt look like a morousdy, but was actually just a cute young girl? The employees voice seemed slightly disappointed as he said that, though he meant no ill will. He was likely the type of man who preferred bigger breasts. Yes, that very one! I ran here as soon as I heard that she was trying to sell off stuff. Do you know where shes at now though?! He was likely telling the truth, as Furio was covered in sweat from the effort of running there, and now he was one step away from pulling on the employees shirt to get the answers he wanted. His source that the Spirit Queen Mira was there was none other than the Sero fangirl who had been in the waiting area earlier. Furio had overheard her talking to other kids about how the Spirit Queen had told her many things about her beloved Sero. Hmm, Im sorry. I was inside filing the books earlier so I didnt see anything. I have no idea where clients are. The employee reaffirmed his grip on the documents he was holding, then added, If the rumors are true then it shouldnt be hard to spot her as he looked around the store. Thats true, they said she wears magical girl style clothes, has long silvery hair, and blue eyes. Someone like that should stand out. Furio replied as he also nced around the store. Both of them were near the entrance, so they had a pretty clear view of most of the store, which was organized in a way that anyone entering could see most of it without effort. Furio and the employee kept looking at the different clients. Most of them were adventurers, so they wore light armor or robes. Then there were a handful of civilians in in clothes who were looking for items that could help them in their daily lives, and then some women wearing magical girl style clothes which had be the recent fad. Considering how popr those clothes had be, and the total number of clients in the whole store, simply searching with that criteria would be too vague. But that was where Furios experience could kick in. He had been fulfilling that role for so long that he could easily spot anyone wearing the right clothes, and then use the other features of the Spirit Queen to quickly decide they were the wrong person. There was a silver haired woman, but her chest was too big. Then there was another one whose hair only reached her shoulders, so that was not her either. Another had long silver hairbut it was actually a guy wearing feminine clothes, so that was definitely not her. I dont see her. Me neither. After a while both concluded that none of the clients visible from there was the Spirit Queen. If she wanted to sell something, why dont you start asking around that area then? Eventually the employee suggested that. They could just follow the leads they had and see where those went. Thats a good idea actually. Ill go there! Maybe whoever took care of her sale would know where the Spirit Queen went next, or someone else who was present nearby had seen her. So Furio thanked the employee before running over to the counters where adventurers sold their Magic Stones. But before getting there he nced over to the new arrivals area. (If I canplete a deal with the Spirit Queen Ill definitely get a bonus. And then Ill get to buy a CulCool!) Wiping the sweat that had built up on his forehead, Furio looked over to the shelves in that area. Working in sales meant that he was often moving around outside, which was a grueling work amidst the heat of summer. But if he could get his hands on a Magic In-Clothes Temperature Regtor CulCool, he would never have to worry about that again. He had gotten to try it out around a month prior, and he had been looking for an opportunity to buy one since then, but considering its price tag of 200,000 Rils it was not something amon person could obtain so easily. All of the items sold by the Dinowal Store were extremely useful in one way or another, but they were also tools designed for adventurers to use, who would often risk their life in their line of work, so paying a couple hundred thousand or even millions of Rils for more safety made perfect sense. As a result, that mademon people see those items as luxury pieces though. Especially amongst housewives, who saw owning Dinowal branded cookware as a status symbol. I shouldve kept some savings for a time like this Muttering that to himself, he shook those thoughts away and continued walking. But then he caught sight of something really odd, which made him freeze in his tracks. Some bizarre figure had just waddled out from a room next to the new arrivals section, a figure covered in a camouge mantle, face covered in a strange mask, and a set of night vision goggles on top. It was almost like nothing about that figure looked normal. It was impossible to see what kind of facey beneath the mask, and therge mantle hid all physical appearance too. But something around the mask caught Furios attention. Silver hair Aftering out, the figure remained stuck to the wall, fingers drawn into a weird position. Then after peeking back into the dark room a few times, the figure charged back in, then came out again, and continued repeating such strange actions. Thatsdefinitely not her, right? As far as he could tell, the onlymon factor was the silver hair. The mantle concealed all clothing so it was impossible to tell if there was even a set of magical girl clothes beneath it, but there was no face to see either, so Furio could not even discern whether it was a girl or not. But more importantly, the real Spirit Queen would definitely get mad at him if she learned that he confused her with such a freak. There was a story he had heard from one of his business colleagues about a big deal that went south because of someone being misidentified before. So remembering that story, Furio decided it was best to be careful and go to the counter to ask for more details about the Spirit Queen. (If I find the right person here and obtain her permission then Ill definitely get a big bonus after all!) That was a good goal to strive for, and one that seemed really close in reach for him, so in his mind he thanked the Spirit Queen for visiting that city as he started walking again. It was hard to say whether he would actually obtain that bonus though
  1. Nomad: After seeing the way Grimoire is spelled here I realized that it probably was supposed to be Dinoire Store instead of Dinowal, but Im not french so it never clicked and its probably okay to keep calling it Dinowal
Chapter 236: Popularity and Demand (1) Chapter 236: Poprity and Demand (1)
This is certainly useful. Mira left the dark room and looked around again. Usually night vision goggles would get blown out and be unusable in brightly lit areas, but those made by the Dinowal Store were not like that. It was still a manual process, but there was a switch the wearer could quickly flip to turn off the night vision mode. So Mira entered and exited the dark room many times, marveling at the difference in operation. Then she finally returned to the new arrivals section to take off the samples. There she returned the goggles, mask, and mantle to their corresponding ce, then picked up one of each to buy for herself. All of them in S size. Once she was done looking at whatever else was new, she headed to the checkout counter. As she headed there, a young man watched her leaving the new arrivals sections. He was the same person who had been startled by her inside the dark room. Now he waspletely dumbfounded. Not too long ago he had been shuddering and had run away when he saw Mira crawling around the dark room, looking extremely suspicious. But when she came out and took off all the equipment, his fear turned to swooning as he saw a really cute girl emerge from the strange getup, therge gap between the two appearances only entuating the effect. But he kept those feelings to himself, and Mira waspletely oblivious to them as well. The night vision goggles sold for 500,000 Rils, the gas mask and mantle each were 300,000 Rils, so together they came to a total of 1,100,000 Rils. Coupling that with the refrigeration bag and everything else she picked, and the total went up to around 1,300,000 Rils.1 At least Mira still had herplimentary ticket, so she got a discount of 20%. I ended up going over budget by so much! After leaving the Dinowal Store, Mira looked at her remaining money and eximed that with delight. She had decided that her budget would be 300,000 Rils when she entered the store, but she had gone a million Rils over that. She had no regrets though, or rather, seemed pleased with everything she had found. She had spent more than expected, but that did not bother her at all because a certain thought was floating in her mind. If she ran out of money, she could simply go sell more Magic Stones. There was still plenty left of the Magic Stones she had hoarded in the Ancient Underground City. She had not sold them yet, but considering current prices she could easily get tens of millions of Rils from them. But either way, Miras wallet felt really light now. The next location she wanted to visit was a store specializing in amber, but not the type used in jewelry. Instead she wanted a more specialized type, used by adventurers as aids for enchantments or Magic Wares. (Hmm The prices did go up) Mira was there to see how much Rainbowbead Amber cost, since that was what she needed to craft Refined equipment. After a quick nce, she concluded that prices had increased by half of what they were in the past. (But thats still a fair price to attain a powerful boost in strength) Mira was currently trying to find a way to obtain the strongest equipment, which would allow her to get the most out of her own skills. Rainbowbead Ambers main attribute was enhancing physical attacks. In other words, it would cover for Miras weaknesses as a spellcaster, while also making her Sage Arts more effective. Her n was to use Refining to distill the power of multiple Rainbowbead Amber pieces into a single one, and thenbining that with the materials harvested from Machina Guardian to create new equipment. She was expecting the result to bepletely broken, in a way thats unfair to others. (They actually have a pretty good selection here.) As she daydreamed of the day when it would bepleted, Mira began evaluating the Rainbowbead Amber in the store. In the end, she ended up spending nearly as much time in the amber store as the Dinowal Store, and by the time she was out again it was just about 6pm, with the sun about to set. (Now then, I wonder what happened? Somehow everyone seems to be on edge) Feeling like she had done enough for the day, Mira headed back to the Baron Hotel, but on her way there she noticed something. She was walking through one of Haxthausens main streets, lined with stores, so it was normal for many people to be there. But somehow things felt different this time. Wondering what was the source of that feeling, Mira began surveying her surroundings, and soon after she heard some voices. So, did you find her? No she wasnt over there. I see, I wonder where she went? It was clear they were looking for someone. Mira looked around a bit more, searching for the source of the voices, and saw a group of people running around and looking into the alleys. Their attire made it easy to assume that they were adventurers. Seeing that, Mira looked around again, and she finally realized what felt different. Most of the people were still going with their usual peaceful lives, but the adventurers amongst them were agitated and trying to find something. Their eyes kept darting around, and sometimes they would even bump into people by ident. Looking up, Mira noticed that there were also adventurers running along the rooftops. It was clear that there were many adventurers searching for something, maybe across the entire city. (Could this be) Considering the current state of things in Haxthausen, and the attitude of the adventurers, she began to wonder if maybe the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice had made a move. But there were still a few days left before the scheduled date, so it was too soon for him to appear. The adventurers seemed to be certain there was something to search for though. Every time the thief had sent an advance notice, he had shown up at the specified date without fail. So it was hard to imagine he would conduct the heist earlier this time. Then Mira thought about it a bit more, there were still a few days left before the date, and it would not be strange for him to be scouting the area beforehand. Maybe someone had spotted Fuzzy Dice while he was nning something. But the longer she thought about it, she realized that there was no point in forming baseless assumptions from vague information, so she decided it was faster to ask directly. Hey, you there. May I ask you something? Mira used Sky Stride to climb onto a nearby roof, where she approached a man who was surveying the streets from up there. Hm? Sure, go aheadwait, youre the girl from this morning! The man turned around and let out a surprised voice the moment he saw Mira. This morning..? So that must mean Ah, you mustve been in the crowd back then. There was only one event that came to mind when Mira thought of that morning and adventurers. The crowd of adventurers and soldiers that stood waiting for her outside the spirit mansion. It seemed like this adventurer had been amongst them too. Yes, I was there. We all were shocked to learn so much about summoners, though I think learning that youre the Spirit Queen was even more surprising. Im honored to be able to meet you again. The adventurer seemed excited about seeing Mira, almost like he was meeting someone famous, and held his hand out to greet her. You tter me too much, Im merely a fellow adventurer. Mira gave a modest reply, though she seemed excited to shake his hand. Anyway, what did you want to ask? Ill tell you everything I know! He gave a confident reply, bringing back the conversation to how it started, though he did not forget to keep looking around the streets. His ability to multitask was quite impressive. Ohh, alright then, I appreciate that. So Ive been wondering And so she asked what had been bothering her. There were a lot of adventurers moving around the streets looking for something, and she wanted to know what that was. Ahh, that The man quickly answered her question, exining why so many adventurers were searching around the city, and what had led to that. ording to him, all the adventurers who were running around were desperately trying to find a water spirit. That just made Mira slightly puzzled, and as she tilted her head in confusion the adventurer continued exining. They wanted to find that water spirit because of everything the Spirit Queen had told them in the morning. When they learned about the benefits and usefulness of a summoner, the adventurers, especially the female ones, became crazed with excitement.2 They quickly rushed the Union trying to secure one of the few summoners active there for themselves, while also preparing everything they could for potential contracts with spirits, like emptying all stores carrying Spirit Crystals, and even scheduling visits to the different ces where water spirits usually lived.
  1. Silva: What about the CulCool? Did the author forget that? That alone goes for 200k isnt it?
  2. Silva: Mira, what have you done the water spirit theyre chasing. I hope its not you know who xD
Chapter 236: Popularity and Demand (2) Chapter 236: Poprity and Demand (2)
Because of the Spirit Queens demonstration, their obvious priority was to find a water spirit open to form a contract. Then in the midst of their frenzy, they heard something unbelievable. And you know what happened then? Apparently a water spirit entered the city, and ording to those who spoke with her, she was there to form a summoning contract.1 There were times when spirits would wander into a human settlement. That could happen for a variety of reasons, but since spirits were the good neighbors of humans, usually no one said anything and simply let them do what they wanted. Treating them with kindness was normal for everyone. But after everything that had happened in Haxthausen, the adventurers there had a different reaction. Arge number of adventurers began chasing after her, wanting to find a way to form a summoning pact, which was only made worse thanks to the fact that she was a water spirit. She seemed to get startled by all that though, and soon vanished somewhere. HmmI see When the adventurer was done exining, Mira replied while doing her best to conceal the concern taking over her face. At first she thought nothing of it, having personally seen spirits wandering into cities for various reasons in the past, so she thought it was normal that a water spirit would do the same. But then a momentter she realized the truth. That water spirit was most likely Anlutine, and the fact that she mentioned wanting to form a contract only increased the likelihood of that possibility. It was very easy to imagine that she had finally woken up and entered the city looking for Mira, only to get chased by the adventurers that Mira herself had riled up with her summoner evangelization earlier. By the way, Spirit Queen, Id also like to ask something Ive heard you have a connection with the Spirit King, would his power allow you to sense nearby spirits? Or maybe Undine could do something simr since shes also a water spirit? The man bowed slightly, showing he was asking that in earnest, and the reply would be very valuable to him. There were already many adventurers using all sorts of sensing and tracking abilities, but they could not find the water spirit anywhere. The adventurer Mira was talking to was no different, and after exhausting all possibilities, he had thought of a new one in Mira. The Spirit Queen was the person with the strongest ties to spirits that he knew of after all. And his instincts had been dead on. (Hmmhes sharper than I thought.) In fact, the Spirit Kings Divine Protection gave her the ability to detect spirits around her. And just like the adventurer had suggested, if she asked Undine, she also would be able to find her kin. But Mira could not bring herself to reply with honesty. There was a faint chance that the water spirit who had been spotted was one that randomly visited the city. But Mira was almost convinced that it was Anlutine, even if she was too far away for Mira to detect. Anlutine had traveled all the way there just so she could join the Spirit Kingswork, so leading other adventurers to her felt outrageous. But Mira could not t out deny it either. It was easy for her to lie about the powers of the Spirit Kings Divine Protection, as there was no one else who could verify or deny her ims. But the man had also mentioned if Undine could do the same for water spirits. That was something that could easily be proven correct, either by other summoners or just by asking any spirit. So in other words, if she said that it was impossible, he would soon discover she was lying, and when that happened, Miras credibility and reputation as the Spirit Queen would fall. She had finally gained enough poprity for summoning to be taken seriously, so tarnishing that aplishment would be a huge stepback for summoners as a whole. But she could not bring herself to answer honestly either. She could tell him that the water spirit was Anlutine, someone who had traveled a long distance to form a contract with Mira, so it was best for them to give up. If she did that, the adventurers would probably stop their search. In theory at least. (I know Im just reaping what I sow, but I never expected things to turn like this) Mira nced at the streets again, and shuddered at the sight of frenzied female adventurers that were searching for the water spirit like their lives depended on it. It was also a well established fact that a summoner could only form one pact with a given type of spirit. That was a limitation that Mira had been able to ovee with the power of the Spirit King though. But she had to consider how those women would react to her forming two contracts with water spirits. Some would be amazed and apud her ability as the Spirit Queen, breaking the conventions of most summoners. The number of women who would react that way was definitely very low though, as proven by those she could see, running around with bloodshot eyes. At the very least they wouldin about her monopolizing water spirits, they would call it unfair, cruel even, as Mira was the one who had nted those dreams in their heads in the first ce. In a way, it would be like watching an attractive man with a beautiful wife going out of his way to get a cute mistress on the side. Mira was certain that they would all despise her. And so she was thinking as hard as she could for a way out. She could not lie, but she could not tell the truth either. So she spent a while in silence until she finally replied. Yes, I can sense them just as you mentioned. She replied with honesty, knowing how disastrous it would be if she lied and they found out. So telling the truth was the only correct choice, and the main struggle woulde after. Ohh, I knew you could do it! Then please, could you find where the water spirit went? Ill give you anything you want in exchange! The man was ecstatic to hear that reply. Though part of that was also out of dread of the wrath from the female adventurers in his party, so he was pushed to desperation as he begged for Miras help. But his prayers would remain unanswered. Im sorry, but I cant do that. Lowering her gaze, she said no. Whywhy not?! the man moved closer, desperately wanting her to reconsider. Its for the good of summoners She replied, speaking as softly as she could, actually being as honest as she could be. And then she continued. It would be easy for her to tell them the location of the water spirit, but doing so would trivialize the encounter, and make it difficult to form the important bond between summoner and spirit. Why What exactly do you mean? Hearing Miras grave words, he gasped in realization. He had asked the Spirit Queen to find the spirit for that very reason, to make things easier. A first meeting is also a special bond. For instance, oveing hardships to find someone can make that meeting more important, and lead to joy. That experience will eventually grow into a stronger bond uniting both sides. But if I tell you where to go, then Ill be getting in the way of that bond forming, and itll never truly happen. And then, before she ended, she appended, Those are my beliefs, at least. I see, thats what you meant. The man seemed to take Miras words to heart, his face turning pensive as he hung his head in shame, realizing his own shallowness. Dont worry, not all shortcuts are bad, and you were doing it for your friends. Theres no shame in that. It just so happened that there was some nuance to this situation. Saying that, Mira hopped off the rooftop. Then, looking up at the adventurer, she said, Take this, a reminder of the bond we formed here, and took out a Spirit Crystal from her Item Box and threw it at him. Is this..! Thank you so much! Spirit Crystals were expensive and very rarely traded, and Miras demonstration that morning had made them instantly sell out in the entire city. It was very likely that they would also skyrocket in price with the increased demand. The group the man was part of had been unable to buy any, and considering they would soon be more expensive, they were out of luck. But that had been turned around thanks to a chance meeting with Mira. The man bowed with heartfelt gratitude as he watched Mira walk away while waving, and then he ran to reunite with his group, Spirit Crystal in hand.
  1. Silva: Yup, ok, so its her.
Chapter 237: Secret Pipelines (1) Chapter 237: Secret Pipelines (1)
(Somehow that worked out) Thinking back to what she said, Mira realized it had been a rather forceful excuse. Though it was true that bonds were important for summoners, especially for her. But iming that someone aiding in meeting a spirit would impede a bond from forming was taking things too far. After all, even arranged marriages could lead to happy families, even if there was no destined love story between the bride and groom. That was something Mira tried to gloss over by being overbearing in her exnation. So she also gifted the man a Spirit Crystal, which would lessen his need to find the water spirit and would stop him from thinking too hard about everything Mira said. (Alright then, now where is she hiding) Having ovee that ordeal, she headed back to the Baron Hotel, since she had to check something first. There she went to the parking area and checked her wagon. The Ashen Knight she left as guard was still there, but Anlutine was gone. Mira had ordered the Ashen Knight to keep Anlutine safe, so it was safe to assume she had left of her own ord, considering nothing had triggered the order. Meanwhile the note she had left on the table was on the floor next to the Ashen Knight. Somehow it had fallen off, so it was unlikely Anlutine had even seen it. Considering all of that, it was basically confirmed that the water spirit all those adventurers were searching for was Anlutine. At first Mira grumbled that Anlutine should have just stayed put, only to realize that it wasrgely her own fault for leaving the spirit alone while she went to have fun sightseeing. (I shouldve left the note in her hand.) Such thoughts circled Miras mind as she summoned Undine, who she asked to point in the direction of Anlutine, which was very easily done. The Spirit Kings sensing ability did not have much reach, so the directional information from Undine made things much easier. Mira could simply head off in that direction and eventually Anlutine would enter within range. Mira thanked Undine and sent her away, and then ran off in the direction she had pointed at. Mira walked along one of the main streets for a while until she made a turn to the side, entering a quiet residential area. There were short apartment buildings made of stone there, and the way was illuminated by streetmps ced in equal intervals, giving the area a morefy ambiance, while also making the children ying around more visible. There was a stark contrast between the big streets of Haxthausen that were bustling with activity, and the more mellow and calm residential areas. From time to time Mira would still spot the odd adventurer or two, which told Mira that the search for Anlutine had reached even those areas. (I guess some of them have pretty good instincts.) The Divine Protection told Mira that Anlutine was hiding somewhere near there, so she was trying to get closer to the spot without rousing suspicion from anyone. But as she got closer, she began to notice something odd. She had not noticed earlier because of therge distance, but the closer she got, the more it felt like the response wasing from somewhere below her. Eventually she reached an empty lot, surrounded by purely residential buildings, and the feeling she had earlier was proved correct. She was sensing Anlutine as being directly below her. (Thats certainly a good hiding ce where no one will find her. How do I get to her though) She did not remember seeing any entrance leading underground on her way there, so she was lost as to how to meet up with Anlutine. But then Anlutine began to move, also realizing that Mira was directly above now. Even if Anlutine wanted toe out herself, the same issue applied. There was no entrance or exit for her. Mira began to worry about that again, but then water began to overflow out of a nearby drain. Then the liquid began to bunch up and form a human figure, and before long Anlutine was standing there. Ohh..! As expected of a water spirit. Turning ones body to water and passing through narrow gaps was a very fantasy-esque concept, and seeing it in action made Mira excited. Meanwhile Anlutine looked around to make sure no one was watching before running up to Mira. Its been a while, Mira. Now, as promised, lets form a contract! Anlutine hardly took any time to greet Mira, going straight to the main reason she was there. Her hastiness was understandable though, considering the hordes of adventurersbing through the city looking for her to form a contract themselves. Ah, right, its been some time. Mira raised a hand to signal her to calm down while summoning Worthramble. Ohh, I see youve managed to find each other. Im relieved to see that. Worthramble smiled with relief at seeing Anlutine there, after emerging from an unassuming and nearly invisible magic circle, traits which were shared with him. Well, yes. Though its been rather crowded around here today Mira started saying that, wanting to request Worthrambles optical camouge ability. Mhm, lets hide from the public eye for a bit. But then he replied like that, almost like he knew what Mira was about to ask, and concealed the trio. That was fast. Worthramble had known what Mira wanted before she could finish her request, which was surprising since they were in a calm residential neighborhood, and not infiltrating some dangerous base where camouge would be necessary. But she grimaced a little, having a pretty good idea of what had happened. The Spirit King and Martel sounded really entertained with the whole situation. Well, I expected as much. Mira had noticed that the voices of the Spirit King and Martel had been silent in her mind for a while, but that was only because they moved their conversation to the spiritwork. It was almostical how much fun those two were having, but she did not need to exin anything to Worthramble thanks to that, so it was useful too. If she was ever in a future fight where every second counted, knowing her summon spirits were aware of the whole situation from the beginning would make things easier. Lets form that contract then, shall we? They no longer had to worry about someone seeing them thanks to Worthramble. It was still possible for someone to find them with some sort of detection ability, they were adventurers after all. Especially if there was a sage amongst them who could use Life Sensing and would notice a discrepancy between the readings and what they saw. That would not be an issue as long as theypleted the process quickly though. So they moved to a corner of the empty lot where Anlutine got ready and Mira ced her hand on the spirits forehead. Is everything ready over there? This contract was a bit special, as it would be Miras second contract with the same type of spirit. That was only possible with the help of the Spirit Kings power, so Mira wanted to make sure he was ready too. Yes, Im ready. Just start it like you normally would. The Spirit Kings confident voice echoed in Miras mind, almost like he wanted a challenge. Then again, he could see everything Mira did, so it was no surprise that he was ready. Summoning Skill: Carved Seal of the Contract Miras palm began to glow, and then the mark of the Spirit Kings Divine Protection lit up all over Miras body. That was the sign showing this was no regr contract, but one empowered by the Spirit King. A strange and indescribable feeling took hold of Miras body too, almost like she suddenly had a second body, while also bing much more aware of her own body. A bond was formed between Mira and Anlutine, which then coursed through the mark of the Spirit King and permeated into Miras body. Ohh It workeddd! Mira was still trying to process that new feeling when she realized the contract with Anlutine had been a sess. In the past when she tried to summon a water spirit it would happen instantly, since she only had one avable, but now when she tried it, both Undine and Anlutine appeared in her mind, and she could choose between them freely. Just like the Spirit King had promised, her contract with Undine had remained intact as the one with Anlutine was added. Knowing she was the first summoner ever to form ovepping contracts with two spirits of the same type filled Mira with delight, almost making her want to shout and dance happily. Ahh, Mira, your voice..! But then Worthramble jumped forward and covered her mouth. Barely a momentter a face peeked from over a nearby roof. It was probably an adventurer who had heard Miras loud voice. He surveyed the empty lot, but could not see Mira and the spirits. He continued squinting his eyes for a while, seemingly realizing something was amiss. Meanwhile the trio in the corner held their breath, knowing how badly things would turn out if they were found. The water spirit everyone was looking for was there, and Mira had just formed a contract with her in secret. She could hardly imagine what would happen if all the female adventurers caught wind of that. Shuddering at that thought, Mira asked Worthramble to activate Complete Suppression. That would make thempletely invisible to all detection abilities, making it extremely powerful, with the only downside being that it could only be active for a short time. No one could tell they were there that way, and surely enough, it did not take long before the adventurer turned around and left. Phew My apologies, I was just too overtaken with joy Mira apologized in a low voice before scanning their surroundings with Life Sensing. Once she verified that there were no adventurers nearby, she told Worhtramble to switch from Complete Suppression back to just optical camouge. Yes, Spirit King, Martel! While all of that happened, Anlutines connection to the spiritwork was alsoplete. She was ovee with emotion and smiling happily as she heard Martel and the Spirit Kings voices. Worthramble was also smiling as he watched her.
Chapter 237: Secret Pipelines (2) Chapter 237: Secret Pipelines (2)
Anlutine would no longer feel left out. And she was not the only one happy about that, as Sanctia, and even Worthramble joined their conversation through the spiritwork. Mira could not hear them, however. There were actually two levels to the spiritwork, a restricted one used exclusively by the Spirit King and Martel to watch Miras actions and talk with her, and themon level where all spirits could talk whenever they wanted. That second level had been created by the Spirit Kings own interests, under the guise of expanding his own knowledge of the world, and Mira had no ess to it. Though she would likely go insane from all the ovepping voices there if she could tune in, so she was better off being cut away from it. Whenever the other spirits had something they wanted to tell Mira, they would just let the Spirit King or Martel pass on the message. While they exined all of that to Anlutine, things were dead silent for Mira, who could not bear with it for much longer since she had just obtained a new summon. Well, the contract was a resounding sess, yes? Could you tell me all about your abilities?! Mira had no idea what they were talking about in thework, but her main interest was knowing everything Anlutine could do, and as soon as she ran out of patience she just went after her. Ah- Right, we should do that first. Seeing Miras maddened grin reminded Anlutine of the time when she formed contracts with Sanctia and Worthramble, so she turned her focus to Mira again and began exining her abilities. To put it simply, Anlutines abilities werepletely different to those of Undine, who had been raised forbat. First off, Anlutines best ability was submersion. Basically the same ability she was using when Mira first met them, and they carried her into ake. She could take anything that fit within the range of the ability and carry it underwater to any depth regardless of the effects of water pressure. ording to her, she would be perfectly fine going as deep as ten kilometers, which was a depth never explored before. While not showy at all, it was a really impressive ability, just like Worthrambles. Attacking was not her forte at all, but she did have various defensive abilities, and she described various of them. Amongst those, the most impressive one was a water coating. All it did was create a thin film of highly pressurized water around a target, which did not seem like much until one factored in its properties. That was when Worthramble stepped in, as he was also a good friend of Anlutines. ording to him, the biggest key point was that there was arge amount of waterpressed into that thin film, letting it easily repel physical and magic attacks, and Worhramble rted proudly how at one point it hadpletely neutralized a dragons fire breath. Anlutine just let him exin, smiling slightly awkwardly. But in the end only the fire dragon, Worthramble, and Anlutine knew exactly what had happened in the past. Her only means to attack was to enshroud an enemy in a sphere of water and increase its pressure to suffocate a target. Hmhmm, I think I got the gist of it! Thats so incredible, my hearts beating so fast! Overall most of Anlutines abilities centered around manipting water pressure. Spirits were experts at taking concepts into many different directions, so this was the first time Mira was hearing about many of those abilities, which only made Miras heart flutter even more knowing that she had formed a contract with such a spirit. Underwater ruins and sunken ships Theres a whole new world to explore all of a sudden. There were countless stories and rumors floating around the sea, mentioning ruins at the bottom of the sea or old vessels that had sunk into the ocean. But there were very few ways to actually explore them, with the only options being water spirits with abilities simr to Anlutine, or spellcasters who specialized in simr magic spells. Still, even those could seldom be found. So exploring the seargely remained an untapped source of adventures. Im looking forward to working with you from now on. Mira was already dreaming of that future as she firmly shook Anlutines hand. Also, Im sorry for making youe all the way here. How do you n on returning? Maybe Worthramble can apany you all the way to the city gates? Her main objective wasplete, but Anlutine still had to find a way to evade all the adventurers looking for her when heading back home. Going undetected with Worthramble until they were outside of the city was certainly a good option. At least that was what Mira thought, but Anlutine shook her head and said she was alright on her own. The ce I was hiding earlier is actually a vastwork of underground pipes that cover the entire city. I felt my way through it for a bit and noticed that its also connected to a river outside, so I shouldnt have issues leaving the city. Anlutine was looking down at the ground as she mentioned that. Ohh, underground pipes you say? Interesting. Thinking back to it, Anlutine had been hiding underground until Mira got there, and then came out through a drain. In other words, that drain was connected to those underground pipes, and as a water spirit she would be able to move through those pipes without being detected by the adventurers looking for her. But Mira was still wondering exactly what kind of pipes those were. Just to be clear, those pipes were different from the sewers, yes? All sorts of waste material was emptied into the sewers, so Mira still felt like going with Worthramble was a better option than having to wade through that filth. But Anlutine quickly dispelled those worries. I wouldnt say they were dirty at all. She gave an instant reply, barely having to think about the state of the water there, but then she detailed what she saw a bit more. When she first got there, she decided to investigate the whole pipelines to know how far she could travel through them. As it turned out, water spirits had the ability to feel the extent of a water volume just by touching it. The total range of that ability differed a bit between water spirits, but usually it was possible to see the area of a whole city at least. Miras first reaction was shock, as Anlutine had omitted that while exining her various abilities earlier. But she said that all water spirits could do that, so she did not think it was worth mentioning. Either way, that special ability allowed Anlutine to grasp the various peculiarities of those pipelines. First there was an opening in one side annexed to arge river, with the rest of the pipes arranged so the water could flow inwards through them. There were some other inlets for water further inside, and some channels for rainwater to get in too. There were no inlets of sewage though, and the water itself was so clean it was almost surprising considering it was all located under a city. On top of being so secluded, the pipes were also arranged in a veryplex way, which Anlutine described as looking like a pipelinework built into another pipelinework. Most of the pipes were also covered with moss, and dark. There were no visible entrances for people to ess the pipelines, and if there were, they were too well hidden. But there was one area to the northeast of their current location without any moss, so maybe there was an entrance around there. Its really weird now that I think about it. I wonder why someone would build such aplicatedwork of pipes? There were no signs that the pipelines were being used for irrigation purposes, and there was no need for them to be arranged in such aplicated fashion if they were rainwater drains. The moss showed that people had only been in one area of them, there were no sewage outlets, and yet they spanned the entire city for some reason. Hmmthats true, I wonder why theyre there? Anlutine could not help but wonder who had constructed that and why. But Mira was just as puzzled, unable to even imagine a reason for its existence. Well then, thank you again Mira. Call me if you ever need anything. Im the one who should be thanking you. And Ill definitely be counting on you. With thatst exchange, Anlutine slipped through the drain and went down to the underground pipelines, moving through them to return home. Her journey to Haxthausen had been extremely rushed, but now that she was going back she would be able to take the time to really see the scenery, which was something she was looking forward to now. Watching the scenery was also something the Spirit King and Martel had requested, as they wanted to see everything through her eyes as well. Thank you too, Worthramble. And oh right, well be going up against a thief soon, so I might need your powers to deal with him. Mira brought that up before sending Worthramble back, but he had already heard the gist of it from the Spirit King, so he let out a reliable Ill be there. Preparing for situations outside of purebat were necessary when facing a thief, and someone who could provide perfect silence and camouge would be extremely useful. Or at least that was what Worthramble believed. Mira was the same, thinking of Worthramble as her secret weapon for the encounter. Alright, see youter then. Mhm, got it. Later that night or the next, whenever there was time for it, she would have a meeting with everyone to discuss their n to catch the thief. Mira let Worthramble know of that before sending him back, and then she headed back to the Baron Hotel too.
Chapter 238: Unregistered (1) Chapter 238: Unregistered (1)
After some distractions along the way, Mira got back to the Baron Hotel a bit before 8pm. Ill be staying for two nights. Mira went to the hotels front desk and announced that. She had not checked in as a customer there, but she went back because she left her wagon there, thanks to the card Julius gave her. Now that she had more time to look around, she realized that it actually looked like a fun ce to stay at. It was an inn that really sold the idea of living like a noble. So rather than trying to find another ce, she decided to stay there. Then an employee wearing a butler uniform escorted her to her room. The room decor also followed the trend and style of the whole building, everything from the furniture to the small essories looking luxurious. But none of it was real gold, being merely painted to look like it. The couch and bed in the room looked simr to everything else, but they actually felt really soft and high quality too. First things first, a bath is in order. Mira picked up the Baron Hotels guide from the table, went to sitfortably, and read through it. Then she left the room and headed to the bathhouse. Aligning with the concept of the whole Baron Hotel, they also had maids and butlers avable, who for a price would apany a guest and perform any services necessary. Having a personal maid tending to all of ones needs was a dream any man had, but Mira did not make use of it. She could always get more than her share of maids in Arkites castle. Except that the Baron Hotel expected guests to employ one of their maids or butlers, so Mira quickly got lost without someone to guide her through the corridors. There was no signaling for guests to find their way in the building, all to preserve immersion. So as Mira tried to get to the bathhouse, she ended up just wandering aimlessly around the building. Along the way she passed by other guests, and noticed that all of them had employed a maid or butler. In general most of the men were apanied by a maid, and the women by a butler. Eventually she ran into someone she knew, the detective who was also staying there. This time it was not Julius pushing his wheelchair, but a maid. Even he was making full use of that service. He was wearing a bathrobe and looked like had juste out of a bath, and even though he was married and with kids, he was happily chatting with the maid. (He seems to be enjoying himself quite a bit) Seeing that, Mira began to have some rather unsavory thoughts, wondering if the maids also offered a special bath service. Once the detective was out of sight, she headed in the direction he hade from. He looked like he hade out of a bath, so she was convinced that retracing his steps would lead her to the bathhouse. Her hunch was correct and she finally reached the bathhouse. There she crossed through the womens door, leading her to a spacious changing room illuminated by a chandelier. (At least theres no butlers inside here.) While the maids and butlers were advertised as taking care of all needs one might have, they did not go as far as to enter the bathroom. Seeing that all the women in the changing room were alone, she realized that it was obvious for the butlers to stay outside. Then she began undressing. A momentter she began thinking again. The detective was on a wheelchair, so getting into the bath would have been hard with no one helping him. (No, Julius is probably still inside the bath, and the detective just left first.) Mira decided to believe that Julius had helped the detective inside the bath, while the maid had only helped after that. And so she finally opened the door leading to the bath. Its more luxurious than I had anticipated The bathtub was made of marble, with golden and silver ents. The floor and walls were also marble, while the faucets, shower heads, and the chandelier glimmered with gold and silver. On top of that there were plenty of fascinating naked women everywhere, adding to the allure of the room. Mira admired it all, while also wondering if there really were any nobles who actually had a bathroom that looked like that. Then again, the Baron Hotel was more like a glorified experience aimed at regr people, who did not know how nobles really lived like. In other words, it merely yed off the ideas people had of nobles. While exaggerated, Mira felt like that luxury was just right to aplish the goal of the Baron Hotel, and she too began enjoying it. When Mira had enjoyed her bath enough, she got out and changed into a simple one piece dress. It was the attire Mariana had ced in her basket for getting out of baths. Then she headed back to her room, which also took her a while as she got lost again. When she was finally there, she rang a bell to call service and ordered some food. It was already quitete into the night, but the Baron Hotel had service all twenty four hours. Mira finished eating her luxurious dinner, and then spent the rest of the night with leisure. She read the Skills Encyclopedia and research notes, practiced Sense Sync with Cait Sith, thought of ways to improve her Ashen Knights, and did all the things she enjoyed in life. Sleepiness finally began to take over her when it was nearly midnight, so she crawled into her bed and fell asleep immediately. The next morning she had a truly pleasant experience waking up in the Baron Hotel. Mira woke up slightly past 7am, after which she slipped out of bed andpleted her morning routine in a good mood. Then she had atte to wash away the remaining drowsiness, and then just as agreed the day before, she went to meet with the detective at 8am in the dining hall. The detective was already waiting for her there, and after a quick greeting they went to eat together while continuing their conversation from the day before. Im sorry again, for yesterday. I had something to attend to that I couldnt postpone no matter what. And it was something very important. The detective started off with that apology, though he kept ncing at Mira in an odd way, essentially begging her to ask what that important business was. Umm, where did we leave off yesterday? Something about an orphanage I think? But Julius softly pushed the detective aside and instead urged Mira to stay on track. He was essentially telling her that it was fine to ignore the detectives attempt to narrate his stories again. Yes, that was exactly it. I actually overheard this story in the past, about a nameless vige somewhere deep in a forest in northeastern Grimdart, and an orphanage said to exist there for war orphans. I wanted to ask if youve seen any ce like that during your travels. Mira decided to trust Julius more, and so she quickly asked the question she had wanted to ask the day before. After all, her main objective was not to capture Fuzzy Dice, but to find Artesia. If she knew where to search for the orphanage, she would have next to no interest in Fuzzy Dice anymore.
Chapter 238: Unregistered (3) Chapter 238: Unregistered (3)
The detective added thest bit in a more sarcastic tone before stuffing his cheeks with potato sd. Then, with food still dripping from his lips, he closed his eyes and dered that Fuzzy Dice really was the best opponent he could ask for. I need to use the restroom for a bit. Thette she had drank that morning to wake up hadpleted its duty, making Mira stand up and head to the toilet. As she went there, she nced at the person at the table next to theirs. (Incredible, hes indulging in sweets since so early in the morning Hmmit doesnt sound bad though.) The person she saw was a man with no particr features that stood out, who was happily eating a serving of crme brle. There were already threeyers of dishes piled up next to him as well. The biggest impact that left in Mira was the idea that the man probably had a sweet tooth that could rival the detectives. At the same time, Mira began to think about what she would order for dessert, as breakfast was being paid for by the detective. By then she was also at the toilet, so she went inside. Meanwhile the nondescript man was watching Miras back. (Hmm, a breeding ground of human traffickers) As Mira sat in the toilet she thought about everything the detective had told her. He had been fighting against corrupt orphanages in secret for a long time, and thanks to him the number of unregistered orphanages had dropped. That did not mean they were gone entirely, however. It was easier said than done, but some orphanages could secure their own means to offer medical safety to the children. So Mira thought about the rumored orphanage hidden somewhere in the northeastern forest of Grimdart. If that ce had been built by the person Mira thought, then it made sense for them to skip the registration process. The person Mira was thinking of was one of the Nine Wisemen, the saint Artesia. Saints excelled at casting supportive spells, as well as being excellent healers. If the best of them was involved with the orphanage, then they really had no need for anyone else when it came to medical expenses. Even if they were to register as an official orphanage, the resources provided would be a far cry from Artesias skills. And even if someone were to get sick with something untreatable with holy magic, then she still had ample knowledge of how to mix medicinal potions to find a way to treat it. On top of that Artesia was extremely fond of children, so she would never allow any human trafficking to happen under her watch. If anyone tried doing that even in a nearby city, Artesia would go there to destroy them herself in a bout of rage. (It could very well be her, hmm) There were plenty of signs pointing at Artesias existence in the orphanage Mira had heard about through rumors. But the biggest clues woulde from Fuzzy Dice. She still felt like there was more to learn from the detective, so she got up and pulled her underwear up, and then headed back to her seat with a triumphant gait. So Mira, youve been trying to catch Fuzzy Dice to obtain more information about that orphanage in the forest? The detective asked that as soon as Mira was back from the toilet. Reaching that conclusion was easy from observing Miras actions and questions. Yes, thats correct. Mira nodded and confirmed it, which made the detective d, as he mentioned, I had a hunch that was the case. My investigation so far tells me that Fuzzy Dice does make donations to many orphanages. On top of that, if we tally up the amount he donates to known orphanages, the totales short of the money stolen during the heist. Theres obviously the possibility that he pockets the remainder, but assuming he donates everything, then its easy to conclude that the missing money is going to unregistered orphanages. It wouldnt surprise me if he has contact with such orphanages, including the one youre looking for. The detective said all of that in one go, before adding that considering Fuzzy Dices dedication to being a chivalrous thief, he was definitely supporting unregistered orphanages that actually did good work. Hmm, if thats your assessment of the situation then Im inclined to believe youre right. The detective was the person most knowledgeable about Fuzzy Dice, so if he believed that was the case, Mira felt like she could take his word for it. Knowing someone else had arrived at the same conclusion also made Mira feel more confident about her own ideas, and she really felt like she had gotten closer to her goal. (Behaving that way definitely made him be famous though.) Just like the detective had mentioned earlier, Fuzzy Dice was dedicated to being a chivalrous thief. Mira was convinced of that from all the stories she had heard, and both the detective and her were certain that Fuzzy Dice would never steal for his own gain. The more she heard about him, the more Fuzzy Dice seemed like a hero of justice. If the situation had been just slightly different, she could even see herself rooting for him. And in case the orphanage for war orphans existed, then it was also very likely that he was involved with them. Now Mira was convinced she would be able to learn something as long as she could meet with Fuzzy Dice. As those thoughts circled around her mind, the detective said something that would shake things up. So in other words, as soon as you know the location of that orphanage, you wont have a reason to capture Fuzzy Dice anymore? The detective was looking at her, his sharp eyes seemingly piercing into her mind. Noticing that made Mira feel slightly guilty. So far they had been talking under the assumption that she would be helping them capture Fuzzy Dice, and that was why the detective was so frank with everything he knew. Not to mention that he had paid for all the pancakes and soft serve ice cream she had eaten the day before. But now depending on the situation she could abandon the attempt at capturing the thief, something which would depend on how cooperative the thief was when talking to her. So overall the detectives chances were shrinking. Im sorry Im only mentioning this after everything youve told me, but yes, thats correct. After a moment of silence, Mira gave a firm reply. Capturing Fuzzy Dice was just one possible way for Mira to learn the location she was looking for. Hearing that, the detectives sharp gaze softened slightly, and he even smiled a bit. Well, I actually dont really mind all that. Ive been telling you everything simply because I wanted to tell you. The detective did not seem to mind that at all, and he even suggested something, If I was in your shoes right now, I would even use that as a bargaining chip, telling the thief Ill let him go if he tells me the location. Im sure that would make him talk after all. Hmm, if thats what you say, thats alright then. Mhm, its alright, dont worry about it. Not to mention that you made it possible for the two of us to enjoy something we usually cant as were both guys. Thats something I appreciate and want to thank you for. Just as he was saying that, a waiter brought a chocte parfait and ced it in front of Mira. The detective had ordered it while she was in the toilet. Once the waiter left, Julius reached for it and ced it in front of the detective, as the waiter had mistaken who it was for. Ive been wanting to try this for so long. The parfait looked like a piece of art, and the detective happily plunged his spoon into it to take a mouthful out, smiling blissfully as he tasted it. Then between mouthfuls he began to mutter somements, saying, Keeping a tough appearance is actually important for a detective, or Its surprisingly hard to appear like apetent detective while also being a softie, and so on. And in the end, he said, Seriously, thank you so much, sounding genuinely grateful for Mira, as he held the tall parfait ss in one hand and smiled like a child.
Chapter 239: Fuzzy Dice’s Methods (1) Chapter 239: Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Methods (1)
After reassuring Mira that the detective did not have a problem if Mira decided to let the thief go, the conversation shifted to the scheduled day for the heist. Anyway, lets put aside whether youll want to catch him or not, and just go along with our n for now? Having finished his chocte parfait, the detectives eyes gleamed as they went to the main topic. Miras guilt had also passed after they continued talking and eating together, so she felt no need to say no. Well, I might as well go with you. Mira agreed with her mouth that had recently been stuffed with crme brle. The detective thanked her with a bright smile, then said, Lets go there then, and turned his wheelchair around. It would be easier to exin his n if they were in the actual location. Hm, alright then. Mira nodded and stood up to follow the detective. Julius took a bit longer to go catch up with them, as he took the time to push the empty parfait ss and spoon to the seat where Mira had been, erasing all evidence that it was the detective who had eaten it. After leaving the Baron Hotel, the group went along the main street heading to the northeast. The district it passed through seemed to be mainly upied by wealthy people, all buildings beingrge mansions. One of those, a white mansion, was the one the detective was looking for. There was a tallttice gate in front of the mansion, with a guard on each side, who quickly moved in to block the approaching detective. Then, with a stern voice, they asked, What do you want? Its just an inspection. Dont worry about it. The gatekeeper seemed almost threatening, though the detective just shrugged it off and did not seem to pay them much attention. Alright so, this is the mansion where the president of the Doles Company lives, whos the current victim and offender. Every single person who had been targeted by Fuzzy Dice to date had been a criminal behind the scenes, without exceptions. So the detective feltfortable calling the current one an offender. His yful smile was only met with fierce stares from the gatekeepers. Oh, sorry sorry, I guess its still too early to call him an offender. Thats only a matter of time though. The detective was not fazed by the gatekeepers, and only doubled down as he red back at them. In response, they simply shouted, Go away, we have no time for ipetent detectives here. Mira was confused watching all of that unfold, so she turned to Julius, wondering why the detective and the gatekeepers seemed so antagonistic. The detective and the gatekeepers continued ring at each other as Julius exined the conflict between them in simple terms. Before Mira had arrived, there had been a bit of a quarrel between the president and the detective. He did not go into details about that, but the result was that an insurmountable rift formed between the president and the detective and it became impossible for them toe to an agreement, so now they would always turn the detective away when he approached. So youre saying he came here just to taunt them? Thats a bit Im really sorry, its one of the detectives bad habits. That was probably an effect from his time as an undefeated adventurer, making him have some rather childish bad habits. With nothing else to do, Mira began recalling everything she had heard about the Doles Company, as she waited for the detective and the gatekeepers to finish quarreling. There were many rumors that connected the Doles Company with Chimera uzen, and ording to Solomon, there were many other pending charges. For a king to be aware of all that showed just how shady thepany was. But no one had been able to find any proof of that so far, so there was nothing they could do against thepany. At least now they could expect to see all that hidden evidence, thanks to Fuzzy Dices appearance. He was a hero of justice in every aspect. And now Mira was wondering what kind of ce the mansion was, as it was being targeted by that hero, and would be their main battlefield soon. Just as she wondered that, the fight between the detectives and the gatekeepers came to an end. Well never trust a detective who lost every single time in the past. Come back when youve won at least once. Ngh The detective had lost. Then Julius exined that the detective was really quick to start quarrels like that, but he was not the best at finishing them. Shoo shoo. The gatekeepers began waving them away. The detective looked annoyed at his failure, frowning in frustration, but he had no way to fight back anymore. It was time for the loser to take his leave, so Julius took the wheelchair and turned it around. Lets get away from here for now. The detectives voice sounded gloomy as the wheelchair moved along the street. Meanwhile Mira turned to look at the mansion again, across thettice gates and fence. She could see many guards there, which was the product of Fuzzy Dices letter and their preparation against him. Ohh, their security is quite tight, and many are even armed with powerful spirit arms. Though theyre all shadow spirits arms That only reinforced the suspicions of thepanys ties with Chimera uzen. Mira could not help but mutter that, seeing how numerous and powerful the spirits arms were. But hearing that made the detective turn around with curiosity. Ohh, you can tell just by looking at them? Interesting, so theyre wearing spirit arms The detective stopped and turned to look at the mansion again. For him all the weapons and armor looked normal, and he had no way to tell if they were spirit arms or not. Any spellcaster of my caliber can do it with ease. Any spellcaster who studied and practiced for long enough could gain the ability to not only see spirits, but also spiritual energy. So Miras ability to identify spirit arms from the energy within them was nothing out of the ordinary. Well, you arent called the Spirit Queen for nothing. The detective looked at Mira and nodded with approval before grinning and looking at the mansion again. I see, interesting, so some of the guards have spirit arms. And that reminds me of something else I heard before. All the spirit arms Chimera uzen produced were shadow ones! The detective raised his voice for dramatic effect. His eyes were also focused on those guards, essentially using them already, as it would be too much of a coincidence for them to be armed with so many spirit arms that were mainly manufactured by the loathsome Chimera uzen. Meanwhile the gatekeepers who overheard that grimaced for a moment, but then disregarded everything, as it was also possible to find such spirit arms through other means. By the way, exactly which guards are the ones with those spirit arms? The detective was not done yet though, as he pointed inside and asked that. Those I can see are Mira could easily point them out, so he pointed at them while giving basic descriptions of their appearance. The longer she went, the more the detective grinned, until by the end a victorious smile took over his lips. Interesting, very interesting. Would you believe me if I said theres something else they all have inmon? A new idea seemed to nt itself in the mind of the detective, so after a nce at the ufortable guards, he said, Lets go to the next location, giving Julius a signal. Julius nodded and began pushing the wheelchair, leaving that area.
Chapter 239: Fuzzy Dice’s Methods (2) Chapter 239: Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Methods (2)
It seemed like the detective had done that only as aeback against the gatekeepers. So once he saw they were too ufortable and annoyed to say anything back, he decided to leave. Once they were a certain distance away from the mansion, the group stopped to talk. I knew Fuzzy Dice was onto something. The Doles Company is definitely rotten to the core. The detective muttered that with satisfaction, ncing at the gates that could faintly be seen in the distance. Whatever themon trait between those guards with spirit arms was, it had put the gatekeepers in a foul mood while giving the detective the satisfaction he wanted. What is thismon trait you mentioned anyway? Mira asked that, and the detective exined with a triumphant look. First he exined about the demographic of the guards in the mansion. Some were the private guards of the Doles Company, while others were mercenaries hired to defend against the heist. And when Mira pointed at those with spirit arms, she had singled out the private guards of thepany, while not pointing at a single mercenary. So the detective reasoned that thepany had obtained arge number of spirit arms from Chimera uzen in the past, trying to fortify its defenses, so now their guards were equipped with them. Overall that added more credibility to the allegations of thepanys ties with Chimera uzen. Shadow spirit arms are extremely rare, so having so many bunched up in a single location is really suspicious Yes, thats precisely it. Mira also agreed with the detectives assessment, and nced at the mansion herself. Those spirit arms had most certainly been created by Chimera uzen. And the only people who could hoard them in such capacity were those with ties to that group. Just the circumstantial evidence alone pointed at a connection between the two. But the detective added that such a corrtion did not serve as evidence in a court ofw, as it gave room for absurd excuses like thepany buying those weapons from some random merchant who just so happened to be part of Chimera uzen. Judgment byw was harsh, especially when conducted by a cross-border legitor from the church, as they had the highest authority instated by the church of the Three Gods Countries, and their might made kings of other countries shudder. But because of how much power theymanded, they also needed absolute proof of someones crimes before it could be put into motion. There was nothing much they could do with evidence that left room for doubt, or mere suspicions. It wont clear them of suspicion, but without the necessary evidence they wont be punished either. The wealthy and influential really are the worst enemies one can have. Then he sighed and added that Fuzzy Dice was always going after people like that. And that was the main reason why he was so well known as a hero. There was no onemon people viinized more than those with money and power. Also, it seems they wont let us into the mansion. Exactly whats your n then? Mira nced at the mansions gates far in the distance as she asked that. The gatekeepers attitude was hostile from the beginning, even though cooperating would make catching Fuzzy Dice easier for both sides. And yet they were turned away instantly. Mira was still confused about how the detective had a n to catch Fuzzy Dice when they could not even get into the mansion that would be attacked. But Miras worries ended up beingpletely unfounded. Oh, dont worry about that. I was only showing you the ce to give you an idea of the citysyout. My n onlyes into action after Fuzzy Dice haspleted his deed. In other words, the detective would only act after Fuzzy Dice presented the evidence incriminating the Doles Company and their fate would be sealed. His goal was not to protect the mansion, but simply to confront Fuzzy Dice. The detective did not even want to consider working for criminals like that, and actually was rooting for Fuzzy Dice to find the evidence. After exining that, he turned around to face Mira and looked at her with defiant eyes. Now tell me, Mira. Do you know where Fuzzy Dice will go after stealing the evidence? He clearly knew the answer to that question, as his n was based on that knowledge. He just wanted to challenge Mira, and as a hint mentioned that it was a ce Fuzzy Dice had always visited right after the heist in the past. Where hell go to? Hmmmm, so basically the ce hell take the evidence to, yes? Mira epted the challenge head on, retracing her memory to remember any details that could help her find the answer. (They always say that he brings the evidence to light, so thew can punish the target. So basically it must be somewhere with a lot of people who can make the authorities move and do their job, hmm) It must be arge public space, yes? A public square with a lot of people would certainly make it easy to make people aware of the evidence. So that was an easy conclusion. I see, I see. Is that your final answer then? The detectives eyes were locked on Mira. Seeing that, Mira began to feel like the detective still had the upper hand. Or rather, the detective was terrible at keeping a poker face, so she could clearly tell that her reply was not correct. No, its not! Knowing her reply had been wrong, she retracted her response and started thinking again, trying to find the correct answer. Mira was using her brain more than she had ever before, but she could not tell what was correct and was wrong. In a way, the detectives challenge was only making them waste time, but men would never back down from a challenge. (If its not a public square) Mira was constantlying back to that conclusion, unable to think of any other ce with a bunch of eyes to see the exposed evidence. Fuzzy Dices method was to present the evidence in a way that could not be concealed, and fully relied on thew being used properly. So Mira believed that presenting the evidence publicly would cause enough people to know about it, making it impossible for those in the shadows to conceal it again. But thinking about it more, she realized doing that was harder than she initially thought. An uproar in a single city of an entire country did not carry a lot of weight. And then she recalled something. The detective had mentioned something he used to do when he was an adventurer, and he said it was a simr method to Fuzzy Dices. Thereiny the answer to the current question. The cross-border legitor Hell take it to the church! Now that she knew of it, it felt like the obvious answer and she could not understand why it did not ur to her before. While that was something weighing on her, her face still lit up knowing she had found the correct answer. In response the detective seemed to frown in defeat for a moment, which Mira clearly noticed. So when he once again asked, Is that your final answer? she instantly replied with an energetic, It is! Thats correct. The Three Gods Church had a vastwork of information across the entire continent, and received a lot of support from themon masses. They also had a powerful figure of authority in the cross-border legitors. Whenever a heinous crime was reported to the church, the perpetrators would end up paying, no matter where in the continent they tried hiding. Whenever Fuzzy Dice has obtained the evidence, he dashes over rooftops and heads straight for the church. Thats been amon factor in all his previous heists. Saying that, he gave Julius a signal again, who began pushing the wheelchair in the direction of the citys center. Their next destination was the church.
Chapter 240: The Detective’s Plan (1) Chapter 240: The Detective¡¯s n (1)
Is this the main location where youll carry out your n then? Miras current priority was to understand the detectives n to catch Fuzzy Dice, so she pushed the secret she had just heard from the Spirit King off her mind, and focused on her surroundings. The detective was still there, rting his stories involving the church, which she interrupted to get back on topic. While they could anticipate the route the thief would take over the rooftops to a certain extent, it was impossible to determine it with full certainty. But they knew what his destination would be, so they could wait there. They could stake out the church and catch Fuzzy Dice when he appeared. That was how Mira expected the detectives n to go, but his next words just made her tilt her head in confusion. Actually, were only halfway there. The ce Ive selected is further away. Saying that, the detective threw a challenging nce at Mira again. Theres one more ce where the thief deposits the evidence. Do you have any ideas where that could be? Oh..? So were doing this again. The detective offered a second challenge, and Mira had no intention to step back. So she began to think again. The detective was insinuating that there was another organization that stood next to the church, which spanned the entire continent, could process evidence, and had support from the public. An organization that was allied with the people, regardless of wealth or social rank. Mira began thinking hard about it, trying to find a ce like that, until eventually the answer became clear. The United Adventurers Guild! Miras voice was defiant, wanting to ovee the challenge posed by the detective. Thats correct. The detective sounded slightly defeated, which brought a proud smile to Miras lips. The United Adventurers Guild was a ce Mira was very familiar with, and existed as arge organization independent from the various countries. It also covered vast regions ofnd, just like the church, and people relied on them quite often. It was the only logical answer for the detectives question. It was also the ce wheremon people would hear news about adventurers, who were looked up to by many, and exchanging stories of them was amon pastime. And more importantly, the United Adventurers Guild would also work on catching thieves and other criminals, handing them in to other authorities. It would not take long for the adventurers there to take arms and hunt down someone if they received solid proof of their crimes. That way Fuzzy Dice would provide proof to the highest international legal authority and armed force. There was hardly anyone who could fight back against that. After publicizing the evidence in the church with the archbishop present, hell cross those rooftops over there to enter the Union. Quickly forgetting about the challenge he lost, the detective turned away from Mira and looked up at the rooftops. The wheelchair also started moving at the same time. The rooftops he pointed at were on opposite sides of the street, creating a gap of around twenty meters between them. ording to the stories, Fuzzy Dice was able to jump such distances with ease, almost like he was flying. (Well, I can do that too though!) That was an easy feat with the Sage Art Sky Stride. She nced at the rooftops, herpetitive nature making itself evident for a bit, and then she followed after the detective. The United Adventurers Guild was not too far from the church, being located in the main street heading north, whichprised two buildings facing each other, the Spellcasters Union on the western side, and the Warriors Union on the eastern side of the street. But which of these will he enter then? Mira navigated around the crowds of people there and turned around to ask that. Was Fuzzy Dice going to enter the Warriors Union or the Spellcasters Union? The detective instantly replied that Fuzzy Dice always went to the Spellcasters Union, without exception. Sometimes the evidence he gathered was sealed or protected by some anti-theft spell, so he would leave those items at the Spellcasters Union since they had the means to easily undo the spells. And he would always properly ce them on the front desk. And as soon as the spellcasters there try to undo the spells, he vanishes and no one sees him again. Thats how it always goes. The detective then brought up his theory of how that was achieved. It was likely Fuzzy Dice would activate a spell to change ones appearance at that very moment. On top of that, the spells on the evidence he leaves are already activated, leaving them unstable. That drives up the urgency at which the spellcasters there have to neutralize them, so they all work as fast as they can. But the detective also believed that Fuzzy Dice did that on purpose, as undoing the spells would releaserge amounts of mana, which would cover the surroundings of the Union. One of my spellcaster connections told me that such situations make it impossible to use abilities like Mana Sensing, as the excess mana interferes with it. So if the thief uses a Forbidden Art to change his appearance to that of an unassuming adventurer at the correct time, no one would be able to identify him. The detective reasoned that the way Fuzzy Dice was able to leave the Union without issue was that he disguised himself in a way that allowed him to walk amongst other adventurers unnoticed, even if the Union was already in an uproar due to his presence. I see. Mira also felt like that was a pretty sound theory. First off, Forbidden Arts did have spells to camouge oneself, and she knew just how effective they could be. Forbidden Art Omen: Illusory Body That was a simple and straightforward spell that changed the casters appearance for a given time. But its effect was not so simple, as its efficacy was reliant on the difference of power between the caster and those watching. In other words, someone stronger would be able to easily see through it, limiting it to only be usable in ces with few people weaker than the caster. For Fuzzy Dice it seemed to always work, however. (Hmm, if that hunch is correct, then he really is immensely powerful.) The Union was always full of adventurers of varying power levels, some of which could be quite skilled. If even they failed to identify Fuzzy Dice as he left, then he had to be a step above even the strongest adventurers. That meant that once Fuzzy Dice used Illusory Body, he was as good as gone. So Miras brain kicked into high gear to think, something she seldom did, and eventually came up with an idea. Then what if theres no crowd for him to slip into? If no regr adventurer was allowed to enter the Union while the heist happened, Fuzzy Dices disguise would not help him, and he would bepletely exposed. But the detective replied by shaking his head, forcing a smile as he said Ive tried that once before. There had been one time he exined the situation to the Union, and they decided to cooperate with him. They closed the Union to the public, leaving only the people necessary to undo the seals on the evidence, andid in wait for Fuzzy Dice to arrive. The n backfiredpletely. He didnt even approach the front desk to leave the evidence that time, but just threw it in through the window. Fuzzy Dice had not even shown himself that time, and ran away all the same. Considering he always avoided hurting other people during his heists, and his many other quirks, the detective had assumed that Fuzzy Dice had some rules he always adhered to, which included the way the evidence was handed in. But that assumption was wrong. I think his only true rules are that hell never hurt anyone, even those standing against him, and his warning notices. Apart from that, Fuzzy Dices methods were always flexible, adapting to whatever situation he was in. The detective had understood that after his many failed attempts to capture him. There was a time the detective ced traps on the rooftops surrounding the church, but then Fuzzy Dice simply went through the streets. Then when a restraining barrier was set up inside the church, Fuzzy Dice did not even get close to it, and instead left the evidence with his crowd of fans that were waiting outside, who then brought the evidence into the church. Essentially he would use any means to deliver the evidence while avoiding capture. That was why the detective had remained unsessful even though he knew Fuzzy Dice would be at the church and the Union every time. But this time I have a different strategy. Itll go along with his usual movements perfectly. Ive been preparing for it for a long time, and its finallyplete! The detective happily mentioned that, but then his whole face clouded over in an instant as he looked at his injured legs. I really thought Id have to give up this time, but after meeting you, Mira, I have hope again. Regaining his smile, he opened the bag affixed to his wheelchair and brought out what looked like a really stocky gun. It was basically an elongated mechanical box with a grip and trigger attached. At first nce it resembled a gun, but it was awkwardly shaped, and there was no muzzle.
Chapter 240: The Detective’s Plan (2) Chapter 240: The Detective¡¯s n (2)
No matter how much she racked her brain, Mira had no idea what it could be. At least it was easy to conclude it was a new type of Magic Ware. Oh Ive never seen such a gadget before. What is it? Some form of Magic Ware? Mira had realized it was better to be direct and unreserved when asking questions to the detective, after all their conversations they had and their time touring the city. Yes, thats correct. This is a tracking device to follow suspects, and used to be standard issue for patrol units, though this model is outdated now. Saying that, the detective held up the device with a grin, looking like a boy who had finally gotten to hold a real detectives equipment. At the same time it gave him a more hard-boiled appearance, which suited him rather well. Ohoh, so the patrol units are armed with things like that. Mira had heard about the patrol units before. Solomon had mentioned them during some of their previous talks. They existed in Arkite, and across all yer-led countries. Their official title was Patrolling Knights, and they fulfilled the same role as the police did in Miras past world. They were regrly patrolling the streets of cities, keeping order in a different way than the army did during war. They would catch criminals, help out lost children, and generally make sure everyone could have a happy and calm life. The Patrolling Knights also hadworks of information, surveince, and teams researching new technologies. Obviously enough, considering they were based in yer-led countries, they were also overseen by the Rising Sun Committee. Their research was focused on non-lethal weaponry, and tracking devices like the one obtained by the detective, as the organizations main objective was to prevent crimes, meaning their targets would be humans, criminals maybe, but still human. It was a struggle to get my hands on this beauty. But it only goes to show how far connections can take you. Obtaining an item made by the Rising Sun Committee was incredibly hard, even if it was an outdated item, so that only went to show the vast connections the detective had. Theres only one small detail. This device can only be used properly by someone who has received the Divine Protection of a light spirit. Saying that with a sigh, the detective began to exin how the device worked. There was a special spell built into the device, which as the detective had mentioned, could only be activated through the Divine Protection of a light spirit. Many devices developed by the Patrolling Knights had restrictions like that, especially the more powerful ones. Light, wind, and water spirits were all known for having the most kind and gentle personalities, and they would only give their Divine Protection to people with simr values. So the devices were locked like that as a failsafe in case they fell in wrong hands. They know how useful it can be, so they nned ahead to avoid people misusing it. You have to appreciate their thoughtfulness. The detective looked at the device in his hands and nodded in appreciation. In exchange, there were less candidates who could use it, to the detriment of the organization. A spirits Divine Protection was not something that was handed out so easily, and even those with the appropriate personality still needed some luck to actually meet a spirit like that. So people who met those requirements were highly sought after by the Patrolling Knights. I actually have the Divine Protection of light and wind spirits. When I retired from being an adventurer I was invited to join the Patrolling Knights, but being a detective seemed more interesting so I rejected the offer. The detective sounded proud of that, but Mira just gave a vague Oh, I see in response. Hearing that made him look a bit dejected again. Because of herck of interest, Mira was unaware that only the elite of the elite ever received such invitations. So that was a big aplishment for the detective, and hearing such an uninterested response hurt his feelings. Anyway, about the device After clearing his throat with a cough, the detective went back on topic. In short, the device was based on Concept Arts for search and exploration. They could identify a targets mana signature or lifeforce signature and track it, and the type of signature would be selected depending on the situation. Since Fuzzy Dice was a spellcaster using Forbidden Arts, it was best to track him through his mana signature, as it wasmon for spellcasters to have arge mana pool that would be easily identifiable. The devices operation was also rather simple. One simply had to aim it at a target and pull the trigger. There was only one thing to watch out for, whether there was anyone else with a significant mana pool near the target, or some other source of mana. One downside is that the device loses its lock once a target gets more than three hundred meters away. The device would make it easy to track Fuzzy Dice, but the state of the detectives legs meant he could not chase after the thief. Meanwhile his assistant Julius did not possess the Divine Protection of a light spirit, so he could not operate the device. Even if the detective recorded Fuzzy Dices mana signature and handed over the device to Julius, it would simply stop functioning. Ive heard that spellcasters who can employ familiars, like summoners, have means to increase their mobility. Would you happen to have the necessary means to chase after Fuzzy Dice yourself? Since summoners had be exceedingly rare, very few people knew the full extent of their abilities and power. But Mira had already gained a name for herself as the Spirit Queen, so it was clear she was a powerful summoner. Now the detectives eyes were full of curiosity, wanting to know how powerful summoners really were. Hmm, mobility for pursuit, you say After a bit of thinking, she followed up with Wouldnt this be enough for that already? and used Sky Stride to run up through the air and jump onto the Spellcasters Unions rooftop. Now thats a surprise The detective had been expecting a summon of some sort, so the sudden revtion of a Sage Art left him speechless. Yes, I wasnt expecting that Julius was also perplexed. Miras sudden movements had caught him by surprise, making him follow her with his eyes, which ended up making him get a full view of Miras underwear. Now he was filled with a sense of shock and guilt, and unsure of how to feel about himself. There were many other voices of shock emerging around them. The street in front of the Union was always filled with people, so quite a few had also noticed Mira. As all of their gazes centered on Mira, Julius began having a bad feeling about it. What do you think? Im sure this will be much better for a chase, as all of my summons are incredibly powerful and would stand out too much! After announcing that with pride, Mira ran around in circles above the street with Sky Stride some more, and then hopped off to the ground. By then her skirt waspletely upturned, to the point it was impossible to think of it as an idental shing of her underwear. That was incredible. You can use Sage Arts too then? I had no idea you had also mastered Innate Sense. I know, I know it was! That had been better than what the detective had been hoping for, so he was so excited he did not even notice Julius concern, who ran up to her while hearing everyones cheers for the girls exposed underwear. Having seen Miras mobility in the air, the detective was convinced that it would be enough to match Fuzzy Dices movements, and so his excitement at the prospect of finally foiling the thiefs ns made him oblivious to anything else. That speed should be enough to let you track and follow the thief from a safe distance. Which means its finally time to unearth his hideout. Lady luck is finally on my side. Ovee with joy and a sense of victory, the detective quickly began exining to Mira how to use the Lock-On M-Type device. Mira was also curious about the device so she happily went along, but before they could get anywhere Julius moved between them, interrupting their conversation as he had something very important to tell them. Out of all spellcaster sses, sages had the highest mobility, and even if it was Miras secondary ss, it was enough to let her catch up. Miras idea that it would attract less attention than a powerful summon was also true, as her small frame could hide better. But there was still something they had to be very careful about. Your mobility is definitely on par with the thiefs, but you cant do it the way you are right now. Youll need to wear something better. Julius eyes were staring intently at Mira, his voice filled with concern. The detective seemed to realize what he was alluding to instantly, raising his voice with an Ahh! Oh, youre right, I didnt think about that. Mira, you should be more careful from now on when you use those abilities. A friend once told me that those regions are incredibly precious, especially for women, so you should try to hide them better. Both Julius and the detective sounded concerned about Mira now, but she just tilted her head, unable to understand what they were talking about. After wondering about it for a while, she remembered Julius suggestion to wear something better, which led her to the answer.
Chapter 240: The Detective’s Plan (3) Chapter 240: The Detective¡¯s n (3)
Ohhh, I see! That does be rather revealing. Mira looked down at her own body and grabbed her short upturned skirt, straightening it out. At the same time she understood that such a skirt would offer no protection while using Sky Stride. (HmmI dont really care about it myself, but I guess its a problem from an ethical viewpoint.) She was finally starting to realize how negligent she had been about concealing her underwear. She still found it odd that it was two men calling her attention to it, but she took their concern to heart, and began thinking of a way to fix the issue. Personally she thought nothing of letting others see her underwear, though that did not mean she shed people on purpose, she simply did not care. Hmm, Ill deal with itter. She had an idea in mind, so she began to grin as she said that, while adding, Thank you for your concern, turning to look at Julius. He said, Im just d you understand, trying to smile in response. But his smile was not wless. Miras current cute smile was ovepping with the fresh image of her underwear in his mind, filling him with an indescribable emotion. Mira had managed to awaken something new in yet another person. That marked the end of their discussion over her underwear, and they returned to discussing how to deal with Fuzzy Dice. That started with a thorough exnation of how to use the device. Hmm, I see. Ive got the hang of it. As a test, she targeted Julius, who then went to hide in an alley, and Mira sessfully found him. That also showed how impressive the technology from the Patrolling Knights was. Moving on, your role in the n Now that they had verified the devices efficacy, the detective revealed his n, built around the device. The n obviously revolved around using the device to follow Fuzzy Dice, but figuring out how to get a lock on him was an important first step to aplish that. His reaction times are incredible, but its also very easy to be put to sleep if you try to ambush him carelessly. There were three entrances to the Spellcasters Unions, the main entrance frequented by adventurers, a back door for employees, and a door on the balcony on the second floor. The first step was to figure out on which entrance to lie at wait and record Fuzzy Dices mana signature. And more importantly, how to do that undetected. If the thief noticed he was being tracked, the whole n would fall apart, as no sane person would ever return to their hideout while knowing they were being followed. I dont think we need to worry about the back door, since its always locked and only employees have the necessary key. Not even Fuzzy Dice should have the skills to break through it. So we can forget about it for now. Hmm, that leaves two ces to watch for. The Union was an incredibly secure ce, using the best locks avable, so there was no need to worry about the back door. So Mira, my idea is for you to sit in that store on the other side, and keep watch over the balcony. The Warriors Union was on the other side of the street, so it was hard to find a good ce directly in front of the Spellcasters Union. But next to the Warriors Union was a decentlyrge store, with a balcony on its third floor, which offered a really good view of the Spellcasters Union. That was a perfect ce to lie in wait at. I see, that would certainly provide a good vantage point. But you only mentioned watching the balcony? Im sure I could also look at the main entrance from there. Two of the three entrances to the Union were facing the street, which meant they were visible from the stores balcony. But the detective told her not to worry about that. Fuzzy Dice would almost always enter through the balcony in situations like that. Fuzzy Dice only used the front entrance twice in all of his past heists. And that was whenever I blocked all the other entrances first. So if we dont do anything, hell definitely use the balconys entrance. It wasmon for the thief to adjust his methods to the situation, but if nothing was altered on the detectives side, he would also follow his usual pattern. So they would alter nothing in the Union, luring Fuzzy Dice to use the balcony entrance as was his habit. Actually, I will add a slight roadblock so you have enough time to get a reading with the device. The detective grinned mischievously as he said that, not going into detail as to what that roadblock would be. They still had to be careful so the thief would not decide to use the main entrance, as there was usually arge quantity of adventurers entering and exiting through it, which would interfere with the devices ability to register Fuzzy Dice as a target from amongst everyone else there. The newer models actually fix that, so having one of those wouldve made this whole n a lot more easier. But trying to get my hands on one wouldve been too risky and careless. Sometimes outdated models would find their way into the market, but those in active deployment were closely protected. If the detective somehow bought a new model, it would have been procured through illegal means, and that was a mess he did not want to touch with a ten feet pole. Heughed a bit about that, then began to detail the other improvements of the newer models, envious of them. Their range to record a targets signature was three timesrger than the outdated model, and they could track them within five kilometers. The sensors were also much more refined and could record targets within crowds. It was certainly a generational improvement. Maybe if I had epted their invitation and worked with them for a while they wouldve made an exception for me to borrow one. The outdated model he bought had cost him a sizable fortune, and knowing how inferior it was to the newer models gave him some buyers remorse, especially since he had once been invited to join the Patrolling Knights. Working with them would have given him better connections. Thinking of that, he began to dream of that lost future, rting his thoughts with a distant look in his face. Once he was done and came back to reality, they went through the n one more time to make sure they knew their roles and positions. Mira would be on the stores balcony with the device, ready for Fuzzy Dices arrival. The detective would be inside the Union, observing the situation from there. Julius would be watching the mansion to see when Fuzzy Dice went there, and would report any movements out of the ordinary. His reports would arrive through something familiar to Mira. A set of boxes to send signals to each other, which she had already used in the Ancient Underground City when she joined arge group of adventurers, who used simr boxes tomunicate acrossrge distances. But there was one difference between the boxes. The ones Mira had seen before were simple ones that used red, green, and yellow lights to send signals, but the detectives could transmit letters. The entire alphabet was avable, and they had a panel to input the letters, making them a bit more bulky, but the enhanced functionality was worth it. Considering how much more useful that would be, Mira began to wonder why they had not been used in the Ancient Underground City, so she asked the detective for their price. Even if more expensive, the added functionality would surely make up for it. That was Miras simplistic thought, but the detectives reply quickly convinced her otherwise. The boxes she had seen in the Ancient Underground City cost 50,000 Rils each. That was already pricey, but nothing the adventurers of those areas could not afford. But the boxes the detective had were on a whole different price tier, one with at least three more zeros appended to it. They were sold for 30,000,000 Rils. The technology to send letters was brand new, and its usability was heavily desired by adventurers of the highest levels. That demand coupled with a diminished production run meant it was very hard to get hold of. The detective had obtained his through some old connections. (That sounds like a lot of demand for just one Magic Ware.) Even though they were simr Magic Wares, just the difference of being able tomunicate through proper letters was an improvement that warranted that price hike. Their use was also much more widespreadpared to the game, so seeing how much that had changed was something Mira was looking forward to. But that was the world of adventurers. Tools that cost 30,000,000 Rils and clients who paid suchrge sums without a second thought. It really was a world where dreams coulde true. Thinking of all that, Mira began to grin, dreaming of a faint feature where she would go adventure on her own once her current mission waspleted.
Chapter 241: Mira Looks for Clothes (1) Chapter 241: Mira Looks for Clothes (1)
Ah, Detective Wolf. We were just looking for you. Theres been a bit of a problem regarding that day. While they talked in the street, an employee walked out of the Spellcasters Union and spoke to the detective the moment he saw him. But then he noticed that the detective was talking with Mira, so he apologized for interrupting. Oh, dont worry about me. Mira noticed that the detective seemed to be busy with many things, so if talking to the employees would take a while, she suggested she could go meet the detective the next day. So the detective asked the employee howplicated of an issue it was, and found out it was going to take a while to discuss that. Im sorry, Mira. It seems well have to continue tomorrow. The detective apologized, but mentioned that he would be free the entire next day, as it was the one before the scheduled heist, so they would be able to discuss everything wherever they wanted. There were still many things they had to iron out for their n, as well as do some test runs to make sure their position and aim was correct, amongst other things. While Mirargely understood what to do, they had not discussed what to do if any irregrities surged, and what to do after they were in pursuit of the thief. Ironing everything out would take a considerable amount of time. (Hm, is that..!) As Mira began to think where and at what time to meet the next day, she caught sight of an interesting sign atop a store further along the street. All-you-can-eat festival opening in celebration of Fuzzy Dices arrival! The store underneath the sign was a very fancy-looking sweets store, which did not look like the kind of ce to make all-you-can-eat offers. The sign also had a passionately drawn portrait of Fuzzy Dice, so it was easy to assume that the owner had to be one of his hardcore fans. (What in the world) Mira shuddered, almost like she had seen something horrifying, but she still approached the ce, lured by it. They were offering all-you-can-eat cakes between 12pm to 2pm for the next three days. That made Mira more interested in the sign, so she examined the ce even more closely, and soon realized that it was a really high ss sweets store, though the sign somewhat ruined that impression. Further down the sign there were other items also avable in the all-you-can-eat menu, starting with cakes, bavarois, tiramisu, parfaits, ice cream, gto, and so on. The unit price of those items was also rather high, with the cheapest being 3,000 Rils. While therge sign ruined its facade, it was clear that usually that store was a fancy ce. But the biggest surprise was that a ce like that was offering all-you-can-eat service for an entrance fee of just 8,000 Rils. The cheapest item in the menu cost 3,000 Rils, so eating three of those would be enough to get a good deal out of it, and just one of the more expensive items would recoup the entrance fee as well. Operating like that would likely incur a huge loss for the store, but that also made it clear just how much of a fan of Fuzzy Dice the owner was. What do you say if we meet up there at 12pm tomorrow? The detective had said they could meet anywhere at any time the next day, so Mira nced at that sign and suggested that, and he followed her gaze to look at the sign. After a short moment, he replied with a firm voice Alright, I dont mind. Lets meet there then. Having parted ways with the detective, Mira went to the shopping district to find something to eat for lunch, eventually settling on getting a Fuzzy Dice lunchbox, which she began eating on a bench at a za. There she noticed a group of Fuzzy Dice fans gathered in one area. They were talking about the best location to be in, all of them desperate to get a good look at the thief when he appeared either at the church or the Union, and trying topete to secure the best locations. (Theyre out of their mindsbut at least they still have some manners) Their shrill shrieks Mira could overhear told her that the locations they werepeting for were all limited to specific corners that would not disturb the business of nearby stores, and even their current location did not get in the way of anyone. Some of them tried suggesting entering the churchs ce of worship, or the balcony on the Warriors Union, but they knew they would not get permission to do that just for wanting to see Fuzzy Dice. Eventually Mira was done eating from her lunchbox, so she stood up and carefully walked past that crowd. Ohh right, now that I think about it As Mira walked along the street heading to a certain shop, she noticed a clothing store nearby. It was a ratherrge building that stood out from the rest, serving as both store and tailoring shop. Just the outside disys alone had everything from underwear to regr clothes, festival and ceremonial outfits, and even reinforced clothes for adventurers. Seeing that, Mira recalled the advice Julius had given her earlier. Her current outfit would leave her underwear fully exposed if she moved around too much. I guess I can look around. While Mira did not care whatsoever if people looked at her underwear, that was only her feelings. Now she was beginning to realize that a true gentleman also would be considerate for the feelings of others. But more importantly, she had a hunch that she wouldpletely forget about it if she kept waiting. So now that she had been reminded of it, she decided to enter the store. It was a reallyrge store, even though it was a considerable distance away from the center of the city, and was branded Marc & Strelitz. Because of therge variety of items it carried, the many shelves gave the store a crammed appearance. But the sheer volume of merchandise also increased the sense of searching for treasure when going through it. Everything was also categorized neatly, giving it a sense of order even amongst the crammed shelves. This is the biggest variety Ive seen so far in one ce. Mira muttered with admiration as she looked around, seeing all the clients inside the store. Then again, she hardly ever visited clothing stores before, so her opinion on this being the biggest ce meant little. Regardless of that, Marc & Strelitz was still overflowing with items. Now that I think about it, these clothes are my only outfit, so I should fill up my wardrobe here! The store had two floors, with the first one dedicated to mens clothing, and the second floor for women. The entrance was on the first floor, so the stylish and cool male clothes being rmended by the store were on full disy there. So Mira instantly forgot her goal of finding something to cover her underwear, and instead she went to look for cool male robes. Ohh, these are really nice. These red lines as ents really enhance it. Mira had an affinity for clothes with strong designs rather than functionality, and she picked three sets of robes out of the many avable which she liked best, and brought them to arge mirror nearby. There she tried lining them up with her figure, their designs tingling the side of her brain which still had the tastes of a teenager, but then she sighed. The reason for that was simple, they were all toorge for Miras petite girlish body, even in S size. Hmthis looks a bit
Chapter 241: Mira Looks for Clothes (2) Chapter 241: Mira Looks for Clothes (2)
The clothes Mira usually considered as looking cool shed harshly with her current cute appearance. So left without options, she returned the robes while recalling how cool and dignified she used to look as Danbulf, which brought her immense sadness. Maybe if I could find a Vanity Case somewhere Muttering that, it urred to Mira to ask the Spirit King about it, wondering if he knew of any spell, magic, or item that could alter her appearance. But he replied that he had never heard of anything like that, revealing the harsh truth that not even he could cause such a miracle. I guess I have no choice but to entuate my cuteness then. Understanding that there was no possible way to be Danbulf again, Mira let out a conflicted voice, which was both optimistic and pessimistic at the same time. Then, with a sigh, she turned around and went out to the street. There she stopped, tilted her head, and turned around to look at the store again. That wasnt it! She finally recalled her original goal there, after having seen all the male robes that she was interested in. She was not looking for cool robes, but for something to stop her mini-skirt from revealing her underwear. That was essentially the opposite of looking for a stylish robe. Remembering that, Mira entered the store again, and this time she avoided getting distracted and headed straight for the second floor with the womens clothes. How do I put this The air here feels different. Mira could not tell if it was her own mood or something more tangible that made the second floor look a lot more morous. The most obvious difference was that nearly everyone there was female, but then Mira found the actual source of that feeling. A fourth of the entire floor was arranged differently, disying outfits in neatly spaced hangers instead of the piles one had to search through from the rest of the store. Trends can be a terrifying thing That whole corner of the floor was dedicated exclusively to magical girl style outfits, and even had arge sign that read Exclusive Magical Knights Items. Mira had heard of Magical Knights before, as they were a brand dedicated to producing magical girl style outfits. Something about that area lured Mira to get closer. Their poprity was palpable, as there were many women there already, and all of them were d in those very clothes. It was almost like she had stepped into a cosy convention, though they did not look particrly out of ce in this fantasy world. Mira moved forward while admiring all of the women around her, and eventually reached a set of disysbeled First Generation. ording to the description next to it, they were the first run of outfits made by Magical Knights, with revolutionary robe designs that had sparked the modern trend. I had a hunch this was the case. All of the outfits were encased in ss cases and presented neatly. They also looked familiar to Mira, or rather, they were identical to many outfits she had seen in magical girl animes in the past. They were replicas of the original outfits made by Magical Knights, but because of their legendary status they all had exorbitant prices. Magical Knights had been the brand behind the invention of the magical girl style movement, and by now Mira was convinced that they were run by a former yer. And at the same time, she also began to feel like she could have a really nice time having a conversation with their founder and Solomon. (I can tell they know what theyre doing, picking the outfit of the second season of that specific series.) There was an anime with three magical girls as protagonists, who would mature as the series went on, and Mira believed that their outfits in the second season were the best. While thinking of that, she recalled that she also went with Solomon and their other friends to watch the movie adaptation at one point. (I wonder if they also have the final battle mode outfits.) Those were not on disy in the store, but by now Mira was convinced that they had been made as well at some point, considering the founders tastes. While thinking of that, she kept reminding herself of the reason why she was there, so she continued searching for something to conceal her underwear. The store was reallyrge, and the other areas outside of the Magical Knights one were filled with clothing items. It was almost like the store had taken the challenge of packing as many clothes as possible into the space avable to them, leaving the pathways so narrow that two people could barely walk next to each other. If a client was busy looking at a dress, one would need to wriggle a little to get by, which obviously meant a lot of physical contact. In other words, it was like the ideal shortcut to touch a womans body. Sorry, passing by. Ah, sorry An unwritten rule of this store was to always rub against each other when passing by to avoid bumping the racks and shelves of clothes. Mira quickly noticed that by observing the store, and put it into effect, rubbing against various morous women. Every time she felt their soft bodies pressing against her, a grin appeared across her lips. Moving like that, she eventually reached the area with the womens bottoms. Hmm, where do I start Mira was confronted by a problem as she looked at the items avable, wondering what to wear under her skirt. Then it hit her, she had never really tried to find clothes for her current body. Not to mention that she was a girl now, so everything was new to her. Maybe thisthough this looks easy to wear too. Eventually she reached for a pair of navy blue pants. Wearing them would cover everything below her skirt and she would never have to worry about something peeking through again. They would be like an imprable wall protecting her underwear, even if her skirt were to shatter into a million pieces. d of her quick victory, she hurried to slip her legs into the pants and went to a nearby mirror to look at herself. Its..! I see, I get it now, thats what he meant. Miras outfit was on the cutesy side, with a mini-skirt that enhanced that charm and entuated the shape of her legs. But seeing herself now, she was reminded of the words of a certain friend she had. That was back in the heyday of the VR era, and that friend was an excellent student who had been admitted into a real school. And then when winter came, he began ranting with tears in his eyes, condemning the actions of his female ssmates who had started wearing tracksuit pants under their skirts. And he also kept insisting with all seriousness that if anything they should wear ck tights then. At the time, Mira believed he was just a degenerate for saying such things. But now that she was seeing herself in a simr situation, she understood the gravity of that sin. No, Ill never ept this. She had created her body as her ideal creation, the epitome of beauty, with a pair of incredible legs extending down from a mini-skirt. And now the simple action of wearing pants had sullied that appearance, robbing her of that perfect charm. So she hurried to take off those pants and threw them away. Then she looked at the mirror again to admire her bare thighs. (Truly, I wouldnt ever dare cripple this cuteness.) She had put a lot of care and effort into creating her ideal appearance, so she had also grown attached to it. Now with renewed goals, she began looking through the avable clothes, this time making sure it would be something that would preserve her silhouette. But the way she went around picking clothes was still different from the other women there. She still had the rather masculine viewpoint that mini-skirts existed to show off ones legs, so she searched for something that would align with that idea, after returning the pants to their shelf.
Chapter 242: Fitting (1) Chapter 242: Fitting (1)
While living as a girl had not been Miras n, she had epted this was her reality now. And so she decided to just follow her ideals to the end. An underwear cover sounds simple enough, but theres a shocking variety here As expected from arge store, there were plenty of items that fit Miras needs. Now she was only going through them and ruling out those that ruined her charming legs and figure. Even with those conditions there was plenty of variety for Mira to choose from, from shorts, to leggings, skorts, tights, and so on, making it difficult to make a decision. Well, Ill just have to try and see. Rather than thinking about it, it would be faster to try them on and see how they actually looked. With that idea in mind, she grabbed a few things she wanted to try and went to the mirror,pletely overlooking the fitting room nearby. First she tried the shorts. They did not extend past the skirt, and she preserved her cuteness. Then she grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted it, verifying that her underwear was still protected even if her skirt was upturned. They were just as secure as the pants from earlier, letting her move however she wanted. Yes, its no exaggeration to consider them imprable walls. Mira began to hop around and turn, checking how the shorts looked when she made her skirt move. Eventually she was satisfied, knowing it would fulfill its purpose and still allow her to move freely. This seems to be the best candidate so far. In the past, if Mira had found out a girl was wearing shorts under her skirt, she would have been filled with indignation, as that would crush all hopes of catching a glimpse under the skirt by ident. But now it was her who was doing that, and decreasing those chances was her objective. Mira began to feel like she was finally starting to understand the female mind, as the skorts would allow her to preserve the cuteness of a mini-skirt while letting her move more freely. Though as she lifted her skirt again, she still felt a pang of disappointment. Then she tried putting on a pair of leggings, and just like earlier, stood in front of the mirror with them. The leggings she chose were the shortest ones she could find, which barely reached to the hem of her skirt. Calling them spats was probably more urate. Hmm, not too bad either. They fit her quite tightly, while still feeling like casual clothes. They also let her move asfortably as the skorts from earlier, so she put those in her list of candidates as well. Then she tried lifting her own skirt again, letting her see how the ck spats concealed her underwear. Their fit was much more tight as well, covering the small gap the skorts from earlier had shown. In other words, they were even more effective than the skorts at covering her underwear. But there was one small issue. I remember him singing the praises of these too That friend she had recalled had once also praised spats in the past, mentioning how they did not ruin the curves of ones thighs and buttocks, but actually entuated them, with the best part being the faint raised line caused by the underwear beneath. I see what he meant now Seeing her own spats reminded her of that friends words, and she understood what he meant now. At first sight there was nothing suggestive about them, but those who knew could find a delicate eroticism in them. Mira had never expected that finding something to wear under her skirt could be such an borate science, but she felt like she was mastering a new side of life, so she put even more effort into her search for clothes. The next thing Mira tried was likely the most stereotypical solution to her problem, a pair of bloomers. Those weremonly thought of as decorous underwear that could be seen even if ones skirt was turned over, also known by some as the king of showoff underwear across the ages. Somehow it looks like a fancy diaper Mira muttered her first impressions as she held them up, and then began putting them on while standing in front of the mirror. Hmm, much better. They were essentially baggy panties, so they vanished underneath her skirt, and did not affect her movements at all. She still hopped and kicked around just in case, making sure everything worked properly. Once that was done, she moved onto the main test, raising the hem of her skirt to fully expose whaty underneath. I seethats what he meant. The bloomers under her skirt were ck, adorned with fancyce that brought an air of refined elegance to her appearance. It was almost like the act of revealing that enhanced her attractiveness to a new level. That made her understand why they were considered showoff underwear as more of her friends words resurfaced in her mind. He had once said that bloomers were made to conceal actual underwear, but as they were shaped like underwear, they were enough to tingle his mind too. I wonder what makes them different She began to think about that as she continued staring at the mirror. The bloomers she was wearing looked just like underwear, but somehow they were considered okay to let others see. The whole point of bloomers was to cover ones actual underwear beneath, but at first nce they also looked like fancy underwear one might wear for special asions. And yet they were not considered underwear. Staring at her upturned skirt, Mira continued wondering exactly what set them apart, and whether they were in direct contact with her skin or not really made such a big difference. She could only tilt her head in wonder, but she also felt like thece and adornments on the bloomers enhanced her cuteness. Her mind continued mulling over that question as she moved on to try a set of ck tights. Those were made of highly stic fabric, and covered her entire legs and feet. They were like legendary underwear covers, that would not only conceal ones underwear, but all skin of ones legs. Ohohlook at that..! I see, hmhm. After putting on the ck tights, Mira looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were filled with determination, willing to peruse this matter to its fullest. She examined her whole body carefully. Going from her face down to her neck, chest, waist, and then her legs extending down from her hips. Having done that a few times, she proudly announced, Everything matches perfectly. While she had lost the appeal of the mini-skirt surrounding her bare legs, the tights made their shape and contours stand out a lot more, inciting a different type of arousal. Not to mention that Miras excellent figure matched that perfectly, elevating her appearance to new heights I knew it, Im a beaut. She had designed that appearance to match her ideals after all, so she was obviously pleased with how she looked now. Next she began moving around with the ck tights. Good, I can hardly feel them.
Chapter 242: Fitting (2) Chapter 242: Fitting (2)
The stic fabric of the tights had no issue following Miras rapid movements. Once she was happy with their performance, it was finally time for the final check, and she lifted her skirt. They look simr to the spats, but not really. Everything below her upturned skirt was ck. Spats and tights were simr in various ways, though one left most of the legs exposed, while the other covered all of them. Noting that difference, she looked at the faint line of her underwear against the tights, and continued mulling over the differences. After some time of making her brain work at high gear, she recalled the words of her friend from back then. You know, spats give a really lively and sporty appearance, but ck tights have a more intellectual feel to them, right? I wouldnt really say one is better than the other, I find both irresistible. Those had been his passionate words. I see If I were to wear sses like this, I would certainly look like a cool beauty. A girl wearing spats would look lively, and one wearing tights would lookposed. It was hard to say how that friend had reached that conclusion, or if there was any reason or wisdom behind it, but Mira nodded sagely as she recalled how she looked while wearing spats. However, you will have to wait for another time. Mira had been able to understand the difference between spats and ck tights from a male point of view, and knew which she preferred, but she removed the tights from her shopping list. The reason for that was very simple, and important. They wont be the best in this season It was currently summer, and just moving around for her tests had already made her body start feeling hot. The tights were made of a tightly woven fabric, which was ideal for durability, but it also trapped heat more easily, and could lead to a lot of sweating considering the weather outside. She could cool down her clothes with the CulCool she had bought at the Dinowal Store, but its effect did not reach all the way down to the tights. As she could not imagine anything worse than having half her body drenched in sweat during summer, she quickly took off the tights, pulling down on her underwear at the same time by ident. And then she recalled more of her friends words. Though when ites to sweaty spats and tights Mira shook her head to ward off the overly perverted words of her friend, put her underwear back on, and then returned the tights to the ce she took them from. (Now that I look around again, theres plenty of winter clothing in here.) The shelves and racks of the store had plenty of clothes for all seasons. Most of them were focused on summer clothes, but there were certain shelves packed with items left from winter. The ce Mira had taken the tights from was also one of those winter shelves. That exined why they felt so stuffy and prone to sweat. Understanding that, Mira went to check the summer shelves and found a ck panty hose. Hmm Theres no point in even trying. The thin panty hose was nearly transparent, and would never be able to conceal her underwear. Immediately arriving at that conclusion, she once again heard his friend saying Oh, but panty hoses- but she shot down those thoughts and left that ce. After trying out everything she found there, she began touring the rest of the store, wondering if there was anything else she had missed, and eventually found herself back at the Magical Knights section. Even though it was the same store, that area lookedpletely different. As she went further in, she began to recall the words of the maids at the castle, who had said that the magical girl style was in vogue. As she reached further in, she noticed that there was a whole rack of underwear next to the wall, adjacent to the Magical Knights section. Then she also noticed that there were many racks with underwear that matched the magical girl style within the section itself. Who wouldve thought they had a dedicated area for this A small mini-skirt was amon part of the magical girl style designs, and as there was no special magic to defend against wardrobe idents in this world, it was essential to have the right type of underwear. Considering the massive following Magical Knights had garnered, it made sense that they would also start selling underwear and inner pants so their clients could wear their products at ease. They had various products simr to those Mira had tried earlier, but also had stockings, petticoat pants, and other varieties. At first nce there were some with frills,ce, culottes, some that emphasized cuteness or sexiness, and so on. (This ce feels even more feminine than the others) Mira began to regret not checking there first, but before she could run up to take a closer look, she noticed a group of three girls already there. That area felt almost like a lingerie store, but those three girls looked like they were between fourteen and seventeen years old, all fully d in magical girl style clothes, and examining the products on sale with earnest looks. Unlike Mira, those three were girls through and through, and so they took care of every aspect of wearing their beloved magical girl style clothes, which tended to have really short skirts. These ones look so cute. Look, even if you catch a glimpse like this their color just pops. You think so? Hmm, I still like these ones better. Are they bad? Theyre not bad bad, I just like how these spice things up a bit more. They were discussing the inner pants they were trying out there, letting each other see what they had and arguing about them. At the same time, considering that there were only women in the store, the girls were far more careless with their skirts. Or rather, they were raising their hems just like Mira had done in front of the mirror earlier, preparing for any situation. (Im still very inexperienced, so this could serve as reference of how girls who have done this longer act. Yes, this is merely study, Im just watching them to learn, nothing more.) Mira slowly moved closer to those girls, allured by their sweet shrieks and the way they waved their skirts like a matador waves his mantleor rather, to learn more about how women behaved, as she kept repeating herself as an excuse to no one in particr. Then she went much closer to that area, randomly shuffling around the shelves acting like she was just a regr client, while spying on the girls actions and conversation. Since Mira looked just like another girl there, she did not appear suspicious, so the girls continued picking inner pants unbothered. They continued exposing their skirts even with Mira watching from nearby. She also made sure to pay attention to their conversation, trying to learn the various reasons they chose one or another set, and checking if she had done the same earlier. There was some merit to her excuse after all. But her eyes were glued to their skirts, paying attention to the way they would raise and flip them, while nodding to herself and still trying to act like she was only studying. As time went on, she ended up learning more personal details about those girls, on top of how women usually went about picking clothes.
Chapter 243: An Unexpected Reward (1) Chapter 243: An Unexpected Reward (1)
After everyone quickly introduced themselves, they all entered the fitting room. The girls had taken Mira there, telling her that they needed to understand everything about her outfit before they could find inner pants that would fit it well. The fitting room was also bigger than Mira was used to, having ample space, unlike those with only enough space for one person to enter. Ive been thinking about this since we saw you, but I dont recall seeing this design before. Theres no designer logo either, do you know where your clothes were made? It looks really well built too. The three girls seemed really invested in the magical girl style clothes, so they were fervently checking the seams, hem, cor, and every detail of Miras outfit from the moment they entered the fitting room. The oldest of the three, whose clothes resembled a cute version of a military uniform, was Milet. Then there was Marietta, who wore clothes with many animal designs, and looked really curious about everything. Andstly was Nene, whose clothes seemed to have a more traditional Japanese motif to them, and who looked really calm and subdued but somehow was the one grabbing around Miras skirt the most. Ah, this is something a friend of mine made. The three cute girls were piling up on Mira while talking endlessly. But Mira did not feel ufortable with that, and instead let them do as they wished as she replied to their question. Its a custom design then, incredible! This is really inspiring me for the future! It looks so nice The maids of the castle had really outdone themselves when perfecting Miras outfit, making something that was at least as good asmercial products, if not better. That only made them even more excited about it as they began to examine all of Mira with more attention. That resulted in thempletely taking off MIras coat, leaving her wearing only her one piece dress, and they nearly took that one off as well in their excitement. A regr woman would have likely stopped them at that point, feeling ufortable with the situation, but Mira remained quiet, and without moving a muscle in retaliation, letting the girls do everything they felt like. The way they pulled and pushed on Miras clothes was a sight to behold, and almost impossible to imagine that simply examining clothes could involve so much action. Or rather, a more sensible person would have decided to take their clothes off to let them examine them with more ease. But Mira did notin and simply gave in to them. (I have no idea what it is theyre looking at, but womens fashion truly is a pain.) While the girls seemed to examine every seam on her clothes, Mira stood still, her thoughts slightly missing the point of what was happening. But her past experiences had conditioned her to believe that women always did that when looking at clothes, examining them while someone was wearing them. The only other times she had her clothes checked out had been at the castle by the maids, who were just as extreme, if not more, as they would also want to measure every inch of Miras body. In a way, Mira was having a far better time now, as the three girls were only interested in her clothes. Regardless, Mira had already gotten used to the way the maids treated her, so she did not protest against her current position either, letting them see as much as they wanted. Ah, wait, is this Combat Cotton? And it looks high quality too So cool! But the overall craftsmanship is also so delicate and perfect. Ive never seen anything so pretty before. Someone experienced with clothes could quickly tell all the elements that went into creating Miras outfit. The most obvious one was Combat Cotton, which had been developed to be used by the army first, andter on became avable to adventurers. It was a type of cotton that was processed in a certain way, giving it more resilience and shock absorption, while keeping it breathable. It was a prized material for spellcaster robes, or for warriors to wear underneath their armor, and owning clothing made of it was seen as a status symbol amongst adventurers. There were different grades of Combat Cotton too, with the highest one usually being only afforded by high ranking officers of the army. The lining of Miras coat used plenty of that high grade Combat Cotton unsparingly. I can tell this must offer a lot of protection. And I can feel the love of whoever made it for you through it! It was clear that Miras safety had been taken keenly into ount when making her outfit, so Milet could feel the love of the maids towards Mira through that. But she had no way of knowing just how deranged that love really was. The fact remained that it was a good piece of equipment that Mira could rely on during a fight. Moreover, even the coat was designed in the magical girl style, so it was truly an enviable article for a fan of such clothes.That applied to Milet too, who was starting to look at Miras outfit with envy. (They did tell me it cost them a pretty penny to get it done, but I had no idea it was to this extent.) While the maids had done most of the work, all of the production costs had been covered by Solomon and Luminaria. They had told Mira it was an expensive piece of clothing, but she had not expected for even the materials to be so costly. After that, Milet mentioned various specialized terms one after another, her voice sounding more excited. It seemed like she had identified many aspects of Miras outfit that fit the ideals of a fan of the magical girl style. She listed many things Mira had not even heard about before, including gadgets produced with Magic Engineering, Combat Cotton linings, and even delicate spells to protect the wearer. (I had no idea it was such an advanced piece of clothing) Now she was starting to understand why the maids had been so excited about it, but she still believed that it had been made mostly with their enjoyment in mind. Her two friends had taken things to the extreme and shouldered the cost to make it happen. It was true that it was an incredible piece of equipment, but Mira still saw it as more of a prop. Milet was also excited about it, impressed by the craftsmanship that went into Miras clothes,paring it to the top of the line products made by Magical Knights, who also specialized in adventurer wear. Comparing it with those, it was safe to estimate its cost at no less than ten million. Milet looked spellbound as she continued touching Miras clothes, while Marietta and Nene began to pray, hoping that one day they would also be able to afford such an outfit. Sometimes hobbies could get so costly that they became ones main expense. Mira was also starting to understand the properties of her outfit, and just how expensive it was. At the same time, she was a bit baffled at her two friends for going so far. Then the obvious question came, as the three girls began to fervently question Mira about who had made the outfit, since they had to be someone excellent to be able to produce such a superior product. But all Mira told them was that it was arge group of people who liked to make clothes as a hobby, and that anything more was secret. The three seemed to realize it was better not to pry in that case, so even though they badly wanted to know more, they just swallowed any further questions rted to that. Once they were done gushing about the properties of Miras outfit, they finally returned to their main objective of determining which inner pants would suit those clothes better. As they did that, Milet noticed something on Miras left arm. Ah, an Operators Bracelet! Does that mean youre a high ranking adventurer after all? Waow, thats incredible! So cool. Miras arm had be visible when they took off her coat, but they were so entranced by her outfit that they did not notice the bracelet on her arm. Now they were surprised by that, but also excited. That bracelet was all the proof they needed to believe that Mira was a high ranking adventurer. So their eyes filled with aspiration and respect as they looked at Mira.
Chapter 243: An Unexpected Reward (3) Chapter 243: An Unexpected Reward (3)
Sadly, Mira was long past the point of being able to say that. By now, they were no longer trying to fit inner pants for her, but had set up an entire fashion show around her, with employees and other women looking at her inside the fitting room. Everything had started when an employee came to check on them, as they had been in the changing room for so long, and the moment she saw Mira she let out a loud Oh my, how beautiful which was her honest and raw reaction, and not just said out of ttery. But that attracted the attention of even more people. Once they saw what had produced that reaction, they were just as mesmerized, seeing that extremely beautiful girl. It was no exaggeration to say she could pass for a model. The inner pants Mira was trying out were bing even more showy. At some point the onlookers had also started picking out stuff for her to try, passing it over. It was hard to say what psychological phenomenon had led to that, but it was like all those girls and women wanted to look like Mira, so they were using her as a model of the ideal magical girl they wanted to be. (I wonder how much longer this will take) Mira was starting to reconsider how she had gotten into that position, being made to wear and take off clothes over and over and over, and eventually decided that she needed to do something too, instead of just standing still.Meow can do anything, from scouting to disarming traps. When ites to being thorough, no onees close to being like meow, Cait Sith. Youll never go wrong with having me on your side, meow. Mira decided to summon Cait Sith to stand next to her, as a way to show off the usefulness of summoners. She had chosen Cait Sith for that, and there was a very specific reason why. The Magical Knights brand always showcased a mascot character simr to Cait Sith in most catalogs or fashion shows, as having a small cute pet as mascot was a staple of magical girls. Or rather, the look was notplete without such apanion. In a way, having apanion made her seem even closer to the ideal created by the Magical Knights brand, but that also pulled half of the attention away from Mira and towards Cait Sith, while also making summoners seem a bit more appealing. Cait Sith went along with that as well, helping to give more attention to the abilities of a summoner. On top of that, it was a rather young audience, so Mira grinned feeling like she was having a stronger effect on them, and continued changing inner pants. In the end, she spent around two hours modeling for them there. And while it had started with inner pants, at some point she realized that people were bringing her various other outfits from all over the store. The story that a beautiful girl was conducting an impromptu fashion show at the store also spread like wildfire, attracting more people to the store. But surprisingly enough, there were hardly any males in the audience that had gathered. Magic Girl style clothes were not seen as some form of cosy in this world, but as actual fashion, so it was mostly females who were attracted to such an event. I feel like this deviated a lot from what I had in mind Somehow her search for inner pants had turned into a really big event, and once everything was over, the store employees allowed Mira to take a break inside the staff room. There, she muttered that while ring at the three smiling girls. I mean Alls well that ends well, right? Milet said that while looking away. Youre just too charming so it was unavoidable, you know? Marietta also looked away as she replied. But 200,000 Rils in two hours is pretty good paycheck, essentially an hourly wage of 100,000 Rils. Nene mentioned that as her eyes panned over to arge paper bag next to Mira. Then she broke into a smile, mentioning how much of a privilege it had been to witness someone like Mira try on so many outfits, and that she would use that as a reference when picking out her future outfits. Unbelievable But well, at least my efforts were worth something then. Mira could only sigh in resignation, seeing Nenes innocent smile, and then reached for the bag. Inside, she found leggings, skorts, tights, and anything imaginable that could be worn under her skirt. They had all been handpicked by the three girls and the stores staff, as a reward for the fashion show Mira put on. And as Nene had pointed out, theirbined value was 200,000 Rils. Having Mira demonstrate the potential of the clothes had made sales skyrocket, breaking right past their previous record. So that reward was also an incentive for Mira toe back and do the same again. (Well, I guess its fine.) All things considered, she had obtained the items she wanted, and without having to spend a single Ril. On top of that, everything had been picked by experts, so she felt confident that she could wear any and it would match her outfit. So with those optimistic thoughts in mind, she decided not to worry about the smaller details. Things had gotten a bit out of hand, but she had still managed toplete her goal, so she bid the three girls farewell and went out to the street. As she walked, there was a faint ck strip poking out from under her skirt. That was one of the items she had just obtained, a pair of spats lined with beautifulce. That was the first set of inner pants Mira had decided to wear. That allowed her to retain her outward appearance, while letting her move more freely. On top of that, it would look nice even if her skirt was flipped up. But more importantly, the three girls had mentioned that when they first got into that fashion style, their first set of inner pants had been like that as well, so it was like they were matching. They had only known each other for a short time, but the girls seemed to rapidly get attached to Mira. Thinking back to all that, Mira looked down to a slip of paper. The three girls had given it to her, wishing to see each other again one day. The slip had some text on it, which read Magical Knights Official Show and Convention, so it seemed to be an advert for an event for lovers of the Magical Girl style. All three were probably nning on going there, so they were trying to hint at Mira to go meet them there as well. (Im not really such a hardcore fan though) She really did not feel like going, but she also did not want to betray the expectations of her new friends, so she had conflicting emotions. (Hmm, it was a short time, but I have to say Ive grown quite fond of them too.) It seemed like time had little impact on how quickly people formed bonds and friendships. And Mira could not help but wonder, what they would say if they saw her again, or how they would look if she did not show up. Then she carefully stashed away the piece of paper, and continued walking ahead in a carefree manner, letting her skirt flutter around. Meanwhile, over in Arkite, the maids of the castle were also hard at work at making inner pants for Mira. But they had not been able to finish them yet, for the same reason that dyed Mira for so long at the store. There was simply too much variety, and regardless of how skilled they were at crafting clothing, the maids could note to an agreement on what to make. They were getting so ahead of themselves that many were consideringpletely forgoing any underwear, and instead making something resembling a one piece swimsuit instead. That internal conflict amongst the maids was constantly dying production, so it would take a while longer before Mira could get inner pants from them.
Chapter 244: Preparations Complete (1) Chapter 244: Preparations Complete (1)
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Everything that happened at the clothing store left Mira exhausted, so she headed back to the Baron Hotel, where she spent the rest of her free time practicing Sense Sync. By now she was able to keep the effect active for much longer, so she was quite satisfied with the progress of her training. After that she spent some time with a rxing bath, ate a delicious dinner, and then went to sleepfortably. The next day, she was greeted by a refreshing morning, and she headed out to Haxthausen as soon as she could. (I believe we agreed to meet by 12¡­) There were still things left to discuss about their n to capture Fuzzy Dice, so she had agreed to meet with the detective by noon, in front of a sweets and pastry shop. It was still 8 in the morning, so she had around four hours left. (Now then, where shall I go first¡­) Deciding she wanted to be more familiarized with the areas Fuzzy Dice would cross in his escape path, she headed to the known locations. There was something still bothering Mira. ording to what she had heard, Fuzzy Dice had never really used his full power, even when faced against rank A adventurers, so she was unsure of how fast Fuzzy Dice really could run. Mira was able to gain a lot of mobility with her Sage Arts, but she was far from being the fastest adventurer.The detective and Julius were certain that she would be fast enough, but she was not quite convinced. Maybe if Fuzzy Dice realized he was being chased, he would run faster than anyone had seen before, outrunning Mira. The device the detective had procured for the chase had a range of three hundred meters. If Fuzzy Dice took a single step outside that, Mira would no longer have a way to chase after him. So Mira wanted to have a bigger advantage. (I think the Union was somewhere around here.) Mira looked at the crowded streets, full of life from the early morning, and tried to recall the city map. She toured an area of around three hundred meters around the Union,ing up with various ns for her own, and then noticed that there were people standing on a rooftop nearby. For a second she thought they might be rted to Fuzzy Dice, but then knew that there was another more likely exnation. (Ahh¡­they¡¯re still searching.) Those people on the rooftop looked like adventurers, and when Mira paid closer attention to the street, she realized there were many others like them, searching around. They were the same bunch as the day before, adventurers searching for the water spirit. (Hmm¡­this feels a bit¡­) Usually she would not have paid them any attention, just wished them the best and walked along. But this time it was slightly different. The water spirit those adventurers were looking for was Anlutine, who Mira had formed a contract with the day before. And she had already left the city through the underground pipelines. But that was something only Mira knew, so all the adventurers continued their fruitless search, oblivious to that fact. It would be impossible for them to find someone who was gone, and Mira felt bad for being an essory to lengthening that search. So, she could not stop herself from looking around the rooftops. Luckily for her, she soon spotted the same adventurer she had met the day before. ¡¸So you¡¯re still searching?¡¹ Mira ran up to him and asked that. ¡¸Ohh! You¡¯re the Spirit Queen! Thank you again for what you did yesterday. Rina¡­ She¡¯s the summoner in our party, she was really happy to hear your input.¡¹ The adventurer turned around and beamed a smile as he thanked her. ¡¸I see, I¡¯m d to hear that,¡¹ was Mira¡¯s reply, as she tried to conceal her guilty conscience. The water spirit they were searching for was Anlutine, who hade to Haxthausen to form a contract with Mira. So no matter how hard they searched, the adventurers would never find what they wanted, and Mira had chosen to keep that secret for her own self-preservation. ¡¸So what are you looking for today? I¡¯ll help you to the extent of my knowledge.¡¹ Considering Mira had once again climbed up to the rooftops to talk to him, he assumed she was trying to ask something again, but that was not quite it this time. ¡¸Actually¡­¡¹ Mira exined the situation to him. She imed that earlier that morning she had tried sensing the water spirit, but could not find her anywhere in the city, and so she could not bear to see the adventurers continue searching senselessly. ¡¸I see¡­so she already left. I heard she got really spooked after she was first spotted, so maybe that¡¯s why¡­¡¹ In reality, she had left in the best mood possible after forming the contract with Mira, but since Mira kept that secret, the adventurer did not think she was involved, and came to that conclusion on his own. He had heard that the people who first saw the water spirit had overwhelmed her with requests to form contracts. ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t say what the reason was, I just know she left. Could you pass on the message to the rest?¡¹ Mira wanted to avoid getting close to the maddened female adventurers, but did not mention that explicitly. The adventurer had no idea of any of that, so he replied enthusiastically, ¡¸Of course! I¡¯ll let your word be heard, Spirit Queen!¡¹ ¡¸I appreciate that, thank you.¡¹ With thosest words, Mira jumped off the rooftop and walked away, and the adventurer just thanked her as she left. Now Mira could focus on preparing against Fuzzy Dice again, so she continued exploring the areas surrounding the Union. ¡¸I believe this is also part of the escape route.¡¹ Mira looked around, took out her map, and wrote down a few notations. After passing through various alleys, small markets, and residential areas, she found herself around more wealthy-looking mansions. All the people she passed by on the street also looked well dressed and elegant. Meanwhile, Mira was walking through there with her eyes glued to a map, making it obvious she was an outsider. But oddly enough, the people there did not look at her with derision. The reason for that was a certain rumor that had made its way all the way there, one iming that the Spirit Queen was visiting Haxthausen. And Mira did not look like amoner, but also not like the daughter of some wealthy family. It wasmon for rich people to have fickle minds, so they were quickly entranced by those rumors. But their fantasies were not too dissimr from those of regr people, constantly staring at her from afar while imagining inviting her to have lunch at their mansions, or even picturing a happy married life together. In a way, their wealth and influence only made those thoughts even more extreme. But Mira paid no attention to their stares, focusing only on her objective. And whenever someone gathered enough courage to approach her, she had already walked away. Once Mira felt familiar enough with those areas, she went to the mansion of the Doles Company, which was not too far away. The front gates were slightly opened, letting her see various armed men inside.
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Chapter 244: Preparations Complete (2) Chapter 244: Preparations Complete (2)
Amongst the armed people in the mansion, she could see some with surprisinglyrge swords, big enough to split enormous monsters in two with a single swing. The regr guards did not carry any weapons like that, so Mira assumed they were the adventurers and mercenaries hired to fend off Fuzzy Dice. It was still weird to see them equipped like they were going to hunt big monsters though. Hm now that I think about it, this ce After looking at the mansion for some time, she looked around for a moment and thought of something. Then she took out her map to verify if she was thinking of the right ce. I knew it, its underneath somewhere here. She was currently to the northeast of the ce where she had formed a contract with Anlutine the day before. In other words, this was above that area in the pipelines, which Anlutine had described as the only one having no moss. There was moss growing everywhere else in the pipelines, and if that had been done by human hands, then it was easy to suspect a secret entrance existing nearby. Now Mira knew that a wealthy district existed above that strange area in the pipelines, making it all the more suspicious. Maybe someone there was up to something nefarious in those underground pipelines, and the Doles Companys mansion was even more suspicious of that, so Mira red in that direction. The gatekeepers there had been looking at her for a while too, but they did not seem bothered by her presence, even though she had been with the detective before. It seemed they only disliked the detective in particr. And then, there was the chime of bells ringing loudly through the city.Oh, I forgot! That was the bell indicating it was noon, the time she had agreed to meet the detective at. Mira turned around and used all of her Sage Arts to reach the meeting ce as soon as she could. Im sorry for beingte. The detective and Julius were already there, so as soon as Miranded from the rooftops, she apologized to them. Youre notte though? We just agreed to meet around 12, and thats just the current time. The detective replied with a smile, either out of consideration for Mira, or because they had actually only made a vague agreement on the time. Lets go inside, before they eat everything before us. Saying that, he made his wheelchair turn around before rushing toward the shop. It was evident he had been looking forward to going there, and as soon as he was in front of the door, he turned around and beckoned for Mira and Julius toe too. Those two were still a bit taken aback by the detectives sudden childish actions. Eventually the three made their way inside the shop, which was adorned with many banners celebrating the arrival of Fuzzy Dice. As part of the celebration, that fancy sweets shop was offering an all-you-can-eat service, which had attracted an immense number of clients. Seeing how crowded the shop was, Mira began to fear there were no seats left for them, and started regretting getting so sidetracked. But there was no need for her to worry about that, as it turned out that the detective had already ced reservations the day before. The reservations had been all sold out when the detective checked the night before, but he managed to secure a seat under the condition that he would rte stories involving Fuzzy Dice. The three passed through the crowded first floor and went up the stairs, as the second floor was for reservations. Almost all of the tables there were upied too, but it felt less busy overall, like a VIP lounge, and it was the perfect ce to continue discussing their strategy. But the detective was also clearly looking forward to having to tell stories, as he loved talking so much. Mira delved straight into all the sweets avable there as soon as she could, and the detective had made it his mission to try at least one of every type of sweets there, and he had already gone through half. Meanwhile Julius was swarmed by girls, fans of Fuzzy Dice, on the table next to them. Those girls were all in support of the thief, who was being hunted by the detective, so one would think they resented the detective and his assistant, but that was not the case. They felt a sort of admiration for the duos tireless efforts to go after the thief. But that aside, Mira was still perplexed about the piercing stares she felt from time to time, different from the way everyone looked at the other two. And so, while relishing in sweets, they continued their discussion. Part of it was a continuation to what they nned the day before, and some additional ns for the actual day. Julius would directly report the movements of Fuzzy Dice, while Mira and the detective would act ording to his information. If everything went well, then it would be up to Mira to chase after him when he left the Union. Hmm Are you sure I can do with him as I please though? Even though almost everything was being made possible by the detective, he still gave Mira the freedom to do with Fuzzy Dice as she wanted. The whole n had been the detectives, but if Mira captured the thief, or found his hideout, it would be her who would garner all the praise and fame. Yeah, I dont mind. I mean, look at me, its not like I couldve done anything here. Saying that, the detective looked down at his legs, the injuries of which were stopping him from going after the thief himself. His eyes turned distraught as he exined that, but then heughed it away, saying that he was still looking forward to seeing how well his n would work out, as he had given up on it until Mira arrived. Also, just between the two of us, I still hadnt figured out what to do after chasing him. The detective made sure Julius wasnt looking before leaning to Mira and whispering that into her ear. That was something not even Julius was aware of. He was still thinking about that when he fell from the rooftops and injured his legs, which made him give up on catching Fuzzy Dice this time, and he did notplete his n. Now he was mostly curious to see how well the device he had would work. That was why he was looking for a spellcaster who would be able to utilize the device for him, and somehow he ended up running into the Spirit Queen. I see. Though thats understandable. Mira could rte to the detectives emotions, as she too would get really excited about new methods or Arts, and would want to do anything to see them in action. Sometimes she would log into the gamete at night and stay up without sleeping, and oftentimes she would use her friends as test subjects too. I can understand why you gained such a prominent nickname though, you can move just as fast as the thief. I wouldve thought of an actual n if I had known youd be helping from the start. The detective had not counted on obtaining Miras help, and trying toe up with a n in such a short time was too hard. So he decided to just let her act as she found best. Well, Ill just do the best I can. Saying that, Mira looked at the detective, who was currently taking arge mouthful of cake. After grimacing a little, she also focused on her serving of shortcake as well. Once they discussed everything about their n, they just continued talking about misceneous matters while gorging on cake and other sweets until they could eat no more. The detective had managed to aplish his goal of trying all types of sweets of the shop, and Mira ate all of her favorite Mont nc she ever wanted. Only Julius looked somewhat unsatisfied, as the women had kept him away the entire time.
Chapter 245: Main Day (1) Chapter 245: Main Day (1)
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Having walked all around the city, Mira fell asleep in an instant. The next morning, the day on which Fuzzy Dice had scheduled his heist, she woke up feeling refreshed, and quickly got ready. She had agreed to meet with the detective at 6pm, so she still had around ten hours. Shepleted her morning routine faster than usual before going out to the streets, ready to carry out the n she had in her mind¡­ ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ happening here¡­¡¹ ¡­Only to freeze in shock the moment she saw the state of the streets. It was like the whole city had changed, with almost all stores offeringrge discounts, fans crowding the streets, and overall showing Fuzzy Dice¡¯s poprity even more. It was no exaggeration to say it was like a local festival. Everything Mira had experienced so far had only been a prelude to the true magnitude of things, like they were only rehearsing for the main day. She began walking along the street, bbergasted by how different things were. Every shop she saw was weing Fuzzy Dice with sales and discounts. And that went for the numerous street food carts as well. But more noticeable were the droves of fans crowding everywhere shey her eyes on. Their excitement for Fuzzy Dice¡¯s arrival was palpable. ¡¸He really has an immense amount of influence.¡¹ Mira muttered that as she watched the state of the streets, feeling like it was a bit excessive. The thief¡¯s current target owned a tradingpany with a lot of influence in the city. That meant there were many stores with ties to it too, so its downfall would lead to losses for many. But somehow everyone seemed to wee the thief, so Mira began to question if the Doles Company really was as influential as she had heard. As she pondered about that, she spotted a familiar face amongst the crowd in the street. ¡¸Thank you for your service.¡¹ Mira ran up to him and greeted the soldier leader she had met at Haxthausen¡¯s main gate before. He was apanied with his unit, and they were all patrolling the streets, as trouble often sparked amongstrge crowds like that. ¡¸Ohh, if it isn¡¯t the Spirit Queen. How are you liking the city?¡¹ The soldier leader turned around and his face quickly softened into a smile the moment he recognized Mira. The soldiers following him also did the same, pleased to see Mira. ¡¸It¡¯s quite nice here.¡¹ Mira replied, and then added, ¡¸By the way,¡¹ and asked about the detail she had noticed with the shops. In response, the soldier leader went ¡¸Ahh, that¡­¡¹ and then grimaced a little before replying. Apparently that was amon urrence when Fuzzy Dice got involved as ofte. His arrival had started being heralded by such a festival for a few years already. But before that, even if there were fans gathering in the cities, not many businesses got involved. That was until a certain high profilepany became the target of Fuzzy Dice. Thatpany already had a pretty bad reputation, and when it became known that they received a letter from Fuzzy Dice, the bad rumors became even moremonce. And then, anotherpany that stood as a rival, took that opportunity to create a big event with sales and discounts to wee the thief. Thepany being targeted did not take that sitting down, sending the stores under its wing to protest and deny the usations. But in the end, just as the rumors expected, thatpany was revealed to be embroiled in all sorts of corruption and crimes, followed by swift action by the authorities, and they were wiped from the city. The mainpany was not the only one suffering that time, as many other stores and people who protested against the events weing the thief were also found to be guilty, and fell together with the big one. And so it became known that any person or business that spoke against the thief had something to hide. Word of that spread through the entire country, leading to even more people being investigated, and surely enough they were guilty as well, and they were taken away. At the same time, the business that did participate in the event to wee the thief became more established and flourished. That precedent wasbined with the fact that Fuzzy Dice only targeted evil people, so now whenever the thief sent out a letter, everyone tried to disy their support and weed him as a way to demonstrate that they were not rted to the target. ¡¸But well, that¡¯s the gist of it. Though there¡¯s still plenty of people who are genuinely weing him. Either way, it always gets crowded and festive like this, and stores get a chance to sell a lot more.¡¹ After exining that much, the soldier added with a troubled look, ¡¸Though sometimes businesses simply don¡¯t want to offer discounts, and then they¡¯re immediately branded as criminals so it gets a bit extreme.¡¹ ¡¸I see¡­ That does sound rather troublesome.¡¹ Mira was a bit shocked to learn the story behind the festival unfolding in front of her, but also baffled by how much influence Fuzzy Dice had. It was true that everyone Fuzzy Dice had targeted was rotten to the core, but there was always the possibility that there were still honest people with ties to them. But in the end, the evidence would reveal who was corrupt and who was not, and if Fuzzy Dice would prompt everyone to discount prices, then that was something Mira would benefit from a lot. With all that being said, Mira thanked the soldier leader for telling her all of that, and then she went back on her way, walking around the city to get everything ready. Before long she began to feel hungry, so she went into a nearby restaurant that was also participating in the festival, and she ordered a special lunch set at a discount, which consisted of arge piece of high quality meat, Danish pastry, potage, a varied sd, and a fancy cake for dessert. ¡¸Thank you for the meal, Fuzzy Dice!¡¹ Such a menu could only be found in a fancy restaurant, and the taste was far superior than the price tag of 1000 Rils would suggest. Mira knew that the restaurant was serving that at a huge loss, but she still stuffed her cheeks with the cake unbothered, and left satisfied with her lunch. With a full stomach, she was able to focus on getting things ready again, which went smoothly until around 3pm, and she had everything in ce. There were three hours left before her meeting with the detective, and four hours left before the heist. ¡¸Well then¡­ I might as well give it a test run.¡¹ She wanted to verify whether the n she had thought up the day before would work, so she decided to give it a test. Her n consisted on cing various lookouts all over the city, which were the Valkyrie and Korpokkur Sisters, Cait Sith, Worthramble, Undine, Gnomid, and Sylphid. Thest three elemental spirits could not speak, but they could pass on information through the Spirit King, who was joined by Martel, both of whom were excited to be part of the n and would not lose sight of the thief.
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Chapter 246: The Fans’ Locations (1) Chapter 246: The Fans¡¯ Locations (1)
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¡¸I¡¯m so sorry, I got a bit caught up back there.¡¹ While Mira was talking with the three sisters, deciding when and where to meet with their youngest sister, the detective arrived. He apologized for being sote, though his face belied his true emotions. It was clear he enjoyed being swarmed by young women. ¡¸I¡¯m still shocked you¡¯re that popr while being the thief¡¯s enemy.¡¹ In the eyes of the people, Fuzzy Dice was a righteous hero, and the detective trying to stop him had a more viinous role. But somehow the fans cheering on Fuzzy Dice also seemed to like the detective and Julius. It was a puzzlingbination, but the detective had an idea of what had caused it. ¡¸I think they see me as someone that mainly props up the thief¡¯s actions.¡¹ Even if he was popr, the detective smiled as he described himself as having a supporting role. There had been many notorious adventurers who had tried to catch Fuzzy Dice in the past, and all had failed. The skill and elegance demonstrated by the thief in those situations had enraptured the hearts of all his fans.In other words, they were not really fans of his sense of righteousness, but more of his power and attitude, unrelenting no matter who stood in his way, and they all loved watching him fight. Buttely everyone had realized that Fuzzy Dice was simply too strong and there were no adventurers left who would try stopping him. And that meant there were no more of those confrontations that the fans loved to watch. That was until someone new appeared, Detective Wolf, who was insistent on trying to catch Fuzzy Dice. He had failed every single attempt, but he was still the same person who had obtained rank A as an adventurer years before, so he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Every time he would try a new method, and Fuzzy Dice would foil it, but that was an interaction the fans appreciated. On top of that, Julius was naturally popr amongst thedies. But overall, it still felt like they had more background roles. The detective did not seem bothered about that, and even joked, ¡¸Julius became even more popr than me,¡¹ before smiling cunningly as he added, ¡¸As long as I get to win eventually, that¡¯ll be enough for me.¡¹ As they spoke, the fans surrounding Julius were finally starting to let go, and he was able to move to his designated spot, while still making sure to smile at the fans as he left. Meanwhile, the women replied with many sweet shouts of ¡¸Good luck!¡¹ and they sounded much more heartfelt than the way they spoke to the detective earlier. That instantly made Mira frown, and the detective¡¯s smile also vanished. Both of them had one more thing inmon on top of liking sweets now. That aside, everyone was gathered there now, so they organized a simple meeting amongst them. They sat down at a table in a corner of the shop and began discussing their strategy. It would not be anythingplicated for them, the three sisters and Mira simply had to sit in the balcony upstairs and act like they were fans of Fuzzy Dice, and once he showed up, Mira would target him with Lock-On M-Type. Mira had to make sure she locked onto the target while not blowing her cover as a fangirl. For that, she had to make sure she acted like the rest. Especially when Fuzzy Dice arrived, as everyone would shriek and make an enormous amount of noise. If Mira showed no reaction like the rest, she would stand out, and the thief could end up suspecting she was up to something. Not to mention that being on the balcony would make them stand out more than the crowd on the street, so they had to pay even more attention. In other words, if they did not seem as excited as the other fans, then Fuzzy Dice would know something was up. ¡¸¡­I wouldn¡¯t trust myself.¡¹ Mira had gone there with the expectation that she only would have to aim the device, but now she looked terrified of the extra demands. It would be impossible for her to shriek and fangirl over someone she did not like, not to mention that it was a man. But Nina looked confident about it. ¡¸Just leave it to us!¡¹ After her, Mina and Nana also joined her, smiling with confidence that they could take care of things. As it turned out, their parents were professional actors who participated inrge ys. As their daughters, the girls had also learned how to act, even if they had left that trade to be adventurers. But that was where their confidence stemmed from. The three sisters then produced a white mantle, which they would use to conceal Mira while they pretended to go crazy for Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯d be perfect then. Please do that.¡¹ That sounded like an enticing offer for Mira, though she was unsure of how effective it would really be. But before she coulde to a conclusion, the detective epted the suggestion. It was almost like he had anticipated they would say that. It was no coincidence that the detective had hired them specifically, knowing that they had experience as actresses, and it was likely he even knew about their parents. Sometimes it did not look like it, but the detective was actually good at his job. Once they were done discussing all of that, the detective mentioned that they could not possibly start a mission with empty stomachs, so they ordered some bavarois, the shop¡¯s specialty, and began eating. Obviously enough, the detective was paying. ¡¸Just like I heard, this is some of the best I¡¯ve had.¡¹ It sounded like the detective had been wanting to try eating there for a while. Nina and her sisters also seemed to enjoy sweet things, as they were all smiles. ¡¸I feel like I could just keep eating more of these and never get full!¡¹ Mira was also enjoying it, and after cleaning her first te she eximed that and nced at the detective. In response, he looked at everyone and said, ¡¸There¡¯s still some time before we need to act. Would you like another one?¡¹ In reality he was only saying that because he wanted to eat more himself, but ordering only for himself and having the four girls just watching would not really be ideal. So ordering more for everyone was the perfect solution. It was evident that the three sisters wanted more, but they responded, ¡¸Thank you, but that¡¯d be too much.¡¹ The detective was treating them, so they felt bad about requesting more. Their restraint was admirable, but sadly it was the opposite response of what the detective had been hoping for. Luckily for him, there was someone there that would be his saving grace. ¡¸Ohh, I want one! I¡¯m curious to see what the chocte bavarois is all about!¡¹
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Chapter 247: Devastation (1) Chapter 247: Devastation (1)
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¡¸Ten, nine, eight, seven..!¡¹ Shortly after the detective wrapped up, the crowd in the street started chanting. ¡¸Hm? Ah¡­ It¡¯s already time.¡¹ For a moment, Mira felt like she had been teleported to a new year¡¯s celebration, but quickly figured out what was happening by looking at the clock. There were only a few seconds left before 6pm, and the crowd outside were counting down the time before Fuzzy Dice would begin his heist. The moment they reached zero, the cheering in the street became even louder. ¡¸They seem to be having a great time out there.¡¹ Their voices were so loud that they were clearly audible inside the shop. That made Nina stand up and go look out of the window, and was left a bit taken aback by what she saw. Considering everything the detective had just told them, the fans out there had been idolizing Fuzzy Dice the longest, so there¡¯s a certain cohesion to their frenzy. Their cheering is surprisingly rhythmical, even though at first sight they just look like a crowd of crazy fangirls. ¡¸We¡¯ll really have to work hard then.¡¹ ¡¸So this is how loud they get¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡¹Nina and her sisters had to act like the other fans to blend in with them. Essentially, they had to behave the same way as the most devoted fans. And when Mina and Nana also looked out of the window, their faces turned sour, not having expected things to be so heated, and dreading having to act like that. While all of them observed the fans outside, the sound of a bell rang in the shop. That was a notification on the device the detective was carrying. ¡¸He has appeared.¡¹ The detective muttered that, reading the message ryed by Julius all the way from the Doles Company¡¯s mansion. As usual, Fuzzy Dice had arrived by jumping from rooftop to rooftop. ¡¸I wonder how many minutes it¡¯ll take this time.¡¹ Saying that, he took out a watch from his pocket and waited. He wanted to see how long it would take Fuzzy Dice to defeat the Doles Company, only wondering about the time, as he had full confidence that the heist would be sessful. Then again, his whole n revolved around the heist going without a hitch, which also showed how much he believed in the thief¡¯s abilities. ¡¸How long does he usually take?¡¹ Mira also did not doubt the thief¡¯s sess after all the stories she had heard. So she also got curious about the time, and asked that after taking onest bite of bavarois. ¡¸Hmm, let me see, on average I¡¯d say he takes around ten minutes. And I¡¯ve never seen him take longer than fifteen.¡¹ The detective skimmed through his notepad as he replied. He had written down most of the times he had seen there. (Less than fifteen minutes, huh¡­ Somehow that¡¯s more than I expected.) Mira recalled how fortified she had seen the mansion. The guards were all heavily armed, but there had not been anyone who looked capable of resisting the sleep induced by Fuzzy Dice. And even if some of them had prepared tools or medicine to stay awake, she knew Fuzzy Dice would have a backup n or two. She herself felt like she could defeat all the guards in less than five minutes when directly confronting them, and it should take even less by making them sleep, making it almost instantaneous. While Mira continued thinking about it by using herself as aparison, the detective seemed to read her thoughts, smiling a bit before raising his voice. ¡¸By the way, this time is how long it takes him to do everything at the mansion. The process of knocking everyone out is much faster.¡¹ He had been unable to glean that Mira felt like she could do it faster, but he had still cleared up the biggest doubt in her mind. And after a short pause, he spoke in more detail about it. Most of the fifteen minutes were not spent in fending off the guards and rendering them powerless, but in searching for the evidence and bringing it out. That initial step only took three minutes at most, and after that he had to crack safes, search for hidden rooms, and so on. ¡¸I see, that makes more sense.¡¹ Three minutes made a lot more sense for Mira too, as no matter how tight the defenses were, they all would be unable to do anything against the sleeping mist. The detective had fallen into his talkative mood again, so he just went on with more details. The guards all knew about the sleeping mist by now, so it wasmon for them to prepare all sorts of potions, Magic Wares, equipment with enchantments to resist sleep, and so on. But somehow Fuzzy Dice seemed to always know all of that beforehand and would have a way to deal with everything. One time they obtained clothes that would keep the wearer awake no matter what from the Dinowal store, but somehow by the time they were worn, their contents had been swapped with somniferous materials, leading to the opposite result they were hoping for. And every time someone tried to raise their sleep resistance through magic, it would not be enough and they would get knocked out all the same, with the only difference that they would wake up faster. Many had tried all sorts of Magic Wares too, but most of them ended up being useless. When it came to enchanted equipment, however, things were a bit different. ¡¸That ended up in a disaster though¡­¡¹ The detective recalled that time with a sour look, then after a shrug, he briefly summed up what had happened. In short, everyone there was left buck naked, regardless of their age or gender. At first, they had believed their equipment had kept them awake through Fuzzy Dice¡¯s mist, but before they realized, all their clothes and equipment began to decay and break down. ¡¸I¡¯ve heard of Sacred Beasts with the ability to erode away clothes and metals, but I don¡¯t know if that can be recreated through Forbidden Arts. Still, I¡¯m convinced that the mist that day had that effect added on top of the sleep inducing one.¡¹
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Chapter 248: Mission Start (1) Chapter 248: Mission Start (1)
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¡¸Thest group is called Devouring Brigade. And as you might¡¯ve guessed, they¡¯re no ordinary bunch of mercenaries.¡¹ The detective had exined the particrities of two of the three mercenary groups, and then quickly moved on to talk about Devouring Brigade. They were mainly a group of spellcasters, and they mainly targeted undead beasts, which most other magic beast hunters tended to avoid. Undead beasts had a very specific trait, curses, which manifested as a multitude of negative status effects. In short, they specialized in debuffs. ¡¸Those fighting such magic beasts will often need to undergo serious treatment afterward, and sometimes it takes a while for the symptoms of curses to manifest, making them rather nasty opponents. That¡¯s why even groups dedicated to hunting magic monsters will often avoid those.¡¹ That usually led to a lot of destruction whenever they appeared near a human settlement, so the reward for defeating undead beasts was triple that of regr ones, on top of intion from thest few decades. ¡¸That sounds rather enticing.¡¹ Regr magic beasts would fetch a reward of at least twenty million Rils now, meaning that undead ones only went up from sixty million Rils. Nina and her sisters jumped a little when they heard that. But obviously, that only went to show how dangerous those magic beasts were. For a while, the number of adventurers epting requests to defeat them had increased, but over the years they had diminished again as casualties rose. ¡¸While the reward is really high, the risk involved is really high too. There¡¯s essentially only two types of people who would wager such odds nowadays, heroes or gamblers.¡¹Saying that, the detective looked at Mira for a while, before adding, ¡¸In your case I guess you¡¯d be the former.¡¹ Mira was well aware of how dangerous undead beasts could be, as she had struggled at fighting them many times in the past. But that was in a past far away, and now Mira could effortlessly defeat lower level undead beasts, which the detective mentioned were enough to earn sixty million Rils. Her mind was quickly fixating on that sum, and that reaction did not escape the detective. ¡¸Hm? I wonder what you mean.¡¹ While she yed dumb, she was already dreaming of her possible fortunes. If she got Mariana to renew her Fairy¡¯s Divine Protection, she would be immune to status ailments, taking the biggest danger posed by undead beasts away, and turning them into much weaker monsters. By then, she would have an easy time defeating them. She could not stop dreaming about the reward that would be waiting for her once she defeated the highest level undead beast she could fight solo. The lowest level ones were worth sixty million Rils. Regr magic beasts of middling level were also prized like that, making a middle level undead one worth one hundred eighty million Rils, and by the same calction, a high level one would give her five hundred forty million Rils. She felt confident that she could take down even those of legendary or ascended level on her own. The fortune from that would be a great help at creating the Refined Equipment she wanted to make, not to mention that the materials dropped by undead beasts were also some of the best for Refining. (I¡¯d get two birds with one stone that way.) There were many factors deciding when magic beasts would appear, and running into them involved some luck too, or rather bad luck for most people. So all Mira could do was to make a beeline for them whenever she heard any reports. The detective had noticed Mira¡¯s intention to hunt undead beasts, and could only shake his head, mentioning, ¡¸I guess those who get to the point of having a popr nickname really are on a different wavelength¡­¡¹ After that, he mentioned how as an adventurer he went through many experiences but always avoided undead beasts. Still, he felt the need to mention that now as he would like to see how the Devouring Brigade fought them, at least once. After that long winded preamble, he finally reached the point of talking about how that mercenary group acted in the battlefield. ¡¸Usually, most hunters work around a careful equilibrium of maximizing their profits while minimizing risks as much as possible, and that¡¯s their limit. But the Devouring Brigade are different, they havepletely negated all risks.¡¹ They were specialized on hunting magic beasts with such unique quirks, so they obviously also had their own unique quirks when fighting. ¡¸Other hunters usually try to find ways to evade or restrain the powers of undead beasts. But the Devouring Brigade decided to focus on ways to resist those powers instead.¡¹ All magic beasts had control over powerful spells, so thinking that the human body could withstand that power went againstmon sense. That applied to Mira too, while she did not think much of low level magic beasts, middle level ones would make her worry, and when it came to higher level ones, her only recourse would be to make sure nothing hit her. There was only so much she could handle, even if she was one of the most powerful spellcasters in the world. So the idea of people being able to withstand the special power of magic beasts seemed highly unrealistic. ¡¸Hmmm, so they can endure that. I wonder how they achieved that.¡¹ Mira muttered that with curiosity, and the detective grinned, as he had been waiting for that, and continued talking about the methods and results achieved by them. The Devouring Brigade wasrgelyposed of spellcasters, who would undergo special training to acquire a holy aura that cleansed curses and spiritual ailments, while also strengthening their minds to fight back against enemies that could use mind control. On top of that, they would constantly microdose various toxins, getting their bodies used to their presence and reaching the point of bing immune. ¡¸In other words, they pushed the limits of the human body. But it still took them a lot of effort to reach their current point.¡¹ They had exploited the potential of humans enough to reach the point of defeating undead beasts without much risk. That feat was something that Mira had not expected, considering they were called the Devouring Brigade, so she was impressed by it. The potential of humans in this world far exceeded that of those in Mira¡¯s previous world. Being able to run a hundred meters in nine seconds would make anyone an olympic champion there, but in this world there were plenty of people who could run that distance in two or three seconds. There was also the magic aspect, which added anotheryer of potential in this world, making it seem limitless byparison. Mira had experienced that first hand already, and she could appreciate the efforts others put in directions she had not thought of. ¡¸So that¡¯s what enough effort can aplish¡­ Surely there must be more to their methods, no?¡¹ While the limit of humans was far more vast, that applied to other creatures as well, especially when it came to magic, and undead beasts were on a whole different level of power. Mira did not feel like it was possible to resist the abilities of all undead beasts, no matter how hard one worked. She had confronted such enemies countless times in the past, so she had to ask more, and the detective nodded with satisfaction. ¡¸Yes, there¡¯s more. Magic beasts wouldn¡¯t just keel over and die with just that.¡¹ Saying that, the detective detailed another factor in the Devouring Brigade¡¯s sess. They had very specialized equipment for any possible situation, as well as plenty of supportive spells, which they used with impable timing in the battlefield. Their ability to work together seamlessly was a sight to behold, and even in situations where every millisecond counted, they trusted theirpanions would all know exactly what to do.
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Chapter 249: Great Detective Mira (1) Chapter 249: Great Detective Mira (1)
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Now that their job was done, Nina and her sisters sat down on the floor, looking exhausted. Mira also had nothing to do until she had to start chasing, so she kept her eyes glued onto the device¡¯s disy while sitting down with the other girls. The detective¡¯s n went as far as targeting Fuzzy Dice with the Lock-On M-Type device. Everything after that, including the chase, was up to Mira to n out. For now, the device just pointed at the Spellcasters¡¯ Union, and it would remain that way until Fuzzy Dice finished everything he had to do there. In Mira¡¯s mind, everything up to that point had been the preliminary preparations, and her actual mission would be to chase after the thief, and either restrain him or manage to talk with him, as her goal was to find that orphanage. ¡¸What?! You¡¯ll chase him on foot?!¡¹ Fuzzy Dice had inhuman speed when running across the rooftops, and Mira was nning on following him with the aid of the device. Since she had to remain unseen, she could not ride Pegasus or other summons for that. When Mira mentioned that, Nina and her sisters were all shocked, knowing how difficult it was to run so fast. At the same time, their gazes shifted to Mira¡¯s legs, which looked dainty and soft like any girl¡¯s legs. Even if she was powerful enough to be known as the Spirit Queen and had reached rank A as an adventurer, running like Fuzzy Dice without the aid of her summons, essential to her ss, seemed like an impossible task. Not just the sisters, but anyone else would think the same too. But Mira was no regr summoner, she had also mastered many Sage Arts. ¡¸Did I not tell you? As it happens to be, I¡¯m also quite skilled with Sage Arts.¡¹ Mira said with a pretentious voice while activating Truth Eye, which altered her appearance and made her eyes change color.¡¸Isn¡¯t that one of the Secret Sage Arts¡­¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re the same eyes Master¡¯s friend had¡­¡¹ ¡¸Adventurers of Mira¡¯s caliber really are on a different level.¡¹ Nina and her sisters gasped when they saw that, and after a fewments they understood why Mira was so confident about chasing after Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸But using Sage Arts involves a lot of jumping and leaping around, right? Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea..?¡¹ Nina mentioned that while her eyes panned down to Mira¡¯s lower body, or her skirt to be more precise. Just like the detective and Julius before, they were worried that Mira would expose her underwear. ¡¸I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯vee prepared and properly bought something to hide my underwear for this situation.¡¹ Mira exined that they had no need to worry, and with a proud smile. But somehow the three sisters just looked puzzled, their eyes moving between Mira¡¯s smug face and her skirt multiple times before looking at each other. ¡¸What do you think?¡¹ ¡¸Umm¡­ are we really talking about the same thing?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m confused too¡­¡¹ The three talked amongst themselves, trying to understand what was happening, and not sure of how to reply to Mira. After a while, they hesitantly looked at Mira again. That waspletely different to how Mira had expected them to respond, so she tilted her head in confusion, trying to think of anything she could have said that would elicit such a reaction. Seeing Mira¡¯s clueless face, the three sisters seemed to make up their minds and looked turned to face her. Then, after one final nce at Mira¡¯s skirt, Nina spoke for everyone. ¡¸Umm¡­ To be honest, that just looks like regr underwear for us¡­ Are you sure you bought the right thing?¡¹ Nina said that, her voice filled with concern. Mina and Nana also nodded, sharing the same opinion. Mira was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground, unbothered about her skirt. That position created a sizable gap below her skirt, so the sisters could see her underwear. Usually, girls did not really care as much about covering themselves when around other girls, and that applied to Nina and her sisters too, so they did not mind the way Mira was sitting. But Mira had clearly stated that she was ready to jump and leap around, which would reveal a lot more in public. Hearing that had left the sisters in shock, as they could not see anything of that sort under Mira¡¯s skirt. Just in underwear. And their eyes were not deceiving them. ¡¸What do you mean? Just look¡­?!¡¹ Mira knew how much effort she had put in getting ready for the chase, so she lifted her skirt, only to see her own underwear she was used to wearing there, and her hands froze. Her thoughts began to race, trying to understand how this was possible. After a while, she figured out what had happened. She had worn the inner pants she bought right after buying them, but had forgotten to put them on again since then. ¡¸Ah¡­ I forgot¡­¡¹ Mira excused her actions, iming it was easy to forget about such things when one was not used to it. At the same time, she hurried to take out a pair of spats and put them on. Now that she was wearing those spats, she was ready to leap out of the balcony and chase after Fuzzy Dice at any moment. But the indicator on Lock-On M-Type was still not moving, so she continued chatting with the girls. They had started discussing underwear due to what had just happened, which made Mira grin happily. They were mainly discussing their endless troubles as adventurers, having to pick the right type of underwear, figuring out how many pairs they had to prepare beforehand when going to a dungeon, and more importantly how to wash them while in there. But Mira never had to worry about such things, as her summoner abilities would let her wash her underwear anywhere and as many times as she wanted. The more she talked about that, the more the eyes of the sisters¡¯ began to shine, full of expectation, and they thanked Mira many times over for agreeing to teach their youngest sister how to be a summoner. ¡¸Excuse me¡­am I intruding on something here?¡¹ And then Julius came there, witnessing the three sisters prostrated in thanks around Mira. ¡¸Oh, don¡¯t worry. All I did was to agree to teach their youngest sister the fundamentals of summoners.¡¹ Mira exined the situation in simple terms, but there was so much context missing that Julius just let out a confused sigh, unable to really understand anything. ¡¸Anyway, I¡¯m assuming you came here for a reason? What happened? I thought I was supposed to go chase after the thief now.¡¹ Mira asked why Julius hade to see them there, as she could see the device indicating that Fuzzy Dice had not moved yet. The detective n had beenpleted, and all that remained was Mira¡¯s own n to chase after Fuzzy Dice. But since Julius was there, Mira could only assume that the detective hade up with a new n. ¡¸Well, the detective just said to tell you to go to the Union. He didn¡¯t really tell me anything more.¡¹¡¸efn_note]Silva: This is it! Julius is Fuzzy Dice, I¡¯m calling it!!![/efn_note]
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Chapter 250: The Detective’s Deduction (1) Chapter 250: The Detective¡¯s Deduction (1)
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¡¸Just for reference, they cost around three million Rils.¡¹ The detective wrapped up his exnation of the Anti-Magic Beast Camouge Cloak with that fact. At first sight, it looked like a rather in cloak, but it was actually an expensive item. ¡¸No way! So that¡¯s why they¡¯re acting that way¡­¡¹ Mira looked at the adventurers again, who had taken things so far as to decide who was the owner through rock-paper-scissors. It was quite strange, considering they were deciding who had dropped the cloak that way. If it was a dropped item, the natural course of action would be to present it to the Union¡¯s lost and found. While thinking of that, Mira looked at the Lock-On M-Type device¡¯s disy again. ¡¸Hm¡­what¡¯s this?¡¹ She saw that the device was no longer pointing at the bulletin board, but at the adventurer who had just emerged victorious through rock-paper-scissors. ¡¸Hmhmm¡­ I see¡­ I had a hunch this was the case.¡¹ Mira began circling around the winner, who was holding the cloak high in celebration. The device continued pointing at him no matter where she stood. ¡¸Umm¡­ Do you need something?¡¹ The winner noticed Mira¡¯s strange movements, so he timidly asked her what she was doing. In response, she grinned before replying. ¡¸This device has been tuned to follow Fuzzy Dice, and it¡¯s pointing right at you.¡¹Hearing that, he curiously approached Mira and looked at the device she was holding. ¡¸You¡¯re right, somehow it looks dead set on me.¡¹ When he verified Mira¡¯s im, everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him. That made all of his joy disappear, overtaken by a sudden fear. In desperation, he pleaded, saying, ¡¸Wait wait, you don¡¯t actually think it¡¯s me, do you?!¡¹ In a way, that only made him look even more suspicious, and he felt everyone¡¯s gazes even more intensely. But a momentter it all turned toughter. ¡¸I mean, I think it¡¯s pretty obvious that the issue isn¡¯t you but the cloak.¡¹ The device had first pointed to the bulletin board, where the cloak had been found. Then it pointed to the winner, who was holding the cloak too. It did not take long to realize that the device had been following the cloak all along. The other adventurers had figured that much out, but they had still red at the winner out of spite, as they had wanted to win instead. Mira had also arrived at that conclusion, so she snatched the cloak from the dumbfounded adventurer¡¯s hand, ced it on a random table, and then looked at the device again. And surely enough, it continued to point at the cloak. For a split second, she began to wonder if Fuzzy Dice could disguise himself as a cloak, but she knew that was ridiculous. Instead, she turned around to look at the detective, wondering what he would make out of everything. The other adventurers were also wondering the same, looking at the detective just like Mira. ¡¸I can only say that it seems he anticipated my n.¡¹ The detective said with an indifferent voice, looking at the cloak on the table. It was no surprise for him that Fuzzy Dice had been prepared against such a n from the very beginning. And as usual, it did not take long for the detective to talk at length about the current situation. The device, Lock-On M-Type, worked by identifying someone¡¯s mana signature. It had many limitations, not to mention that it was an outdated model, but its main function worked wlessly. Even back when it was in active use, it had never failed to track a criminal. But it also had one major defect. It would register any mana signature, regardless of its source. In this world, it was not just living beings that carried mana, but it existed all over nature. Special equipment, especially those with strong properties, would also be imbued with some mana to bring forth those effects, and that could interfere with the functionality of Lock-On M-Type. In other words, under specific circumstances, it was possible for someone to shake off the device¡¯s tracking by discarding their equipment. Still, it was not easy to aplish that. Usually, the mana in equipment was rather faint and would be fully masked by the wearer¡¯s own mana. In other words, powerful equipment was necessary to confuse the device, and parting ways with such equipment was not something many would choose to do. ¡¸And that¡¯s where this cloakes in.¡¹ After taking a breath, the detective reiterated the properties of the Anti-Magic Beast Camouge Cloak. It concealed the mana of the wearer while covering them with different mana, making it the biggest enemy of Lock-On M-Type. At the same time, such a cloak would only cost around three million Rils, as opposed to the tens or even hundreds of millions of Rils that would be needed to buy equipment with a significant mana signature. In other words, the cloak was the perfect decoy against Lock-On M-Type. ¡¸Hmm¡­ so Fuzzy Dice was already wearing this when he entered.¡¹ Somewhere at some point, the detective¡¯s n to use a Lock-On M-Type device as part of his n had been leaked, and that was how Fuzzy Dice had perfectly evaded it. Mira could not help but start to wonder how anyone would have been able to know about that n. And before long, she noticed something strange. The first time she heard about the device, they were in a corner of a street, far from somewhere private. By the time she noticed that, the detective was starting to grin again. He picked up the cloak, and then slowly used his wheelchair to approach one of the adventurers. Looking at him, he asked. ¡¸By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask this but¡­isn¡¯t this yours?¡¹ He held up the cloak after that. The adventurer did not reply, but it was clear that he was extremely ufortable. So the detective continued, mentioning how he had researched all of the stores in the city with such cloaks, and that within the few days since he had mentioned this n until the heist, there was one store that had sold a cloak. ¡¸If you go down west in the street out there for a bit, then make a turn at a cafe, there¡¯s this popr shop amongst the scout ss called Survivor Magic Wares Shop. I was told someone bought a cloak like this there recently, and you look exactly like the buyer.¡¹ Everything the detective had said seemed to be true, as the man looked like he was being cornered by the detective¡¯s words and did not know how to reply. ¡¸Wait, then you¡¯re..?!¡¹
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Chapter 251: The Detective’s Deduction (4) Chapter 251: The Detective¡¯s Deduction (4)
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The evaluation of those of the warrior ss concluded, and the only suspects remaining were spellcasters. ¡¸I¡¯ve brought it, and they taught me how to use it too.¡¹ Julius came out from a room of the Union building, holding what looked like some sort of experimental equipment. That was a device used by the Union to determine someone¡¯s affinities as a spellcaster, which would identify what type of spellcaster the remaining adventurers were. ¡¸Let¡¯s get right to it then.¡¹ Saying that, he lined up the spellcasters, who were all eager to prove their innocence. The process was rather simple, and soon two of them had alreadye out as innocent. But neither of them could use Forbidden Arts or were summoners, which lowered Mira¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re mainly a mage but you can also use Onmyoji Arts.¡¹ A man who imed he was a mage was next, and Julius quickly reported the results. Hearing that, the adventurer replied with surprise. He had never taken an affinity test, so he never knew he had the possibility of learning something beside Magic. Somehow, he had known he was a spellcaster and had an affinity for Magic without a test. That made Mira wonder how he had ended up in that position, and her questions were answered promptly.Spellcaster affinities were often passed down in families, so that could make it easy to know without needing a test. There were many spellcasters who had continued their family¡¯s lineage like that, unaware that they had other affinities. That was the detective¡¯s swift exnation. And surely enough, the current adventurer being tested mentioned that his father had been an excellent mage too. The next adventurer to undergo testing was a Monk who also possessed various affinities, including Forbidden Arts. These could be utilized through Innate Sense.1 However, using Innate Sense required the division of one¡¯s mana resources. The adventurer used a high level Monk Skill as demonstration, which meant that if Innate Sense had been used, the resources allocated to Forbidden Arts would be too small. In other words, the type of Forbidden Arts Fuzzy Dice used would be impossible to perform. And the reverse was true if the Monk Skills had been acquired through Innate Sense, so the detective also cleared that spellcaster of suspicion. The detective added, with a hint of pride, that Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Forbidden Arts were some of the best in the world, and he had experienced them first hand to know that. ¡¸And you have an affinity for Exorcism, and Summoning.¡¹ The next adventurer to be tested imed she was an Exorcist. ¡¸Oh right, I forgot about that.¡¹ Hearing that, she muttered to herself. It was rare for people to have multiple affinities, and those three adventurers looked like they came from good families too. But Mira¡¯s attention was drawn the most to the fact that one of the affinities was for Summoning. ¡¸I wonder. Would I have been swept up by this whole fad if I had chosen to be a summoner back when I took the test?¡¹ She added that out of nowhere. Even she was aware of how much the demand for summoners had skyrocketed in Haxthausen thanks to Mira¡¯s announcement some days prior. And those words only made the instigator of it all, Mira, to burst with emotion. ¡¸It¡¯s not toote yet. Maybe you were meant toe here to be reminded of it. Why don¡¯t you try to use Innate Sense and learn some summoning? I could help you out.¡¹ Mira felt like this was her best chance to convince someone to be a summoner. Innate Sense would limit the adventurer¡¯s summons to lower level ones, but even those coulde in handy in plenty of situations. Especially Armor Spirits were very versatile, capable of being used as decoys, shields, or additional soldiers depending on how much the summoner trained. So Mira did her best to highlight those points. ¡¸Hmm, well, I guess I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡¹ While Mira was filled with excitement, thedy just gave a vague response, as she had said herment mostly as a joke. Then, unable to bear Mira¡¯s bright grin at having found a potential fellow, she stepped back away from Mira. (This reminds me, there have to be other spellcasters who opted out of their affinity to be a summoner. If they all use Innate Sense to reactivate that, there will be a lot more summoners¡­) Even though she was in the middle of trying to unmask Fuzzy Dice, her mind waspletely overtaken by her goal to resurrect summoners, making her pace around with excitement as she nned her next move. So far, she had only searched for spellcasters who were mainly summoners, and she had forgotten about the option of Innate Sense. But if she searched for other spellcasters with a dormant affinity, she could probably convince a good number of them to use Innate Sense and gain plenty of use out of Summoning Arts. If those spellcasters became well known, then there was a higher chance that future spellcasters would also start choosing to be mainly summoners after that. (This is something worth looking into!) She decided she had to n out the way to use Innate Sense for Summoning, seeing a bright future ahead of her. ¡¸Well now, this is unexpected.¡¹ While Mira was daydreaming about summoners, the tests continued, and the detective and Julius were currently puzzled as they looked at the results of thest remaining spellcaster. They were certain that Fuzzy Dice was hiding amongst the adventurers, and they were performing the various tests to determine who it could be. But now that they had gone through everyone, not a single one matched Fuzzy Dice¡¯s profile. ¡¸Detective¡­what do you make out of this?¡¹ ¡¸Do you think that maybe he didn¡¯t use Forbidden Arts after all?¡¹ None of the spellcasters there used Forbidden Arts, even if they had an affinity for it. Some of the adventurers even began to wonder if the assumption that Fuzzy Dice used Forbidden Arts had been wrong to begin with. ¡¸No, everything points to him definitely using Forbidden Arts.¡¹ The idea of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s abilities being Forbidden Arts was purely the detective¡¯s hypothesis, which came purely out of his own analysis and personal experience, with no concrete proof. But he spoke of it like it was a fact, and so he was convinced that there had to be some trick behind it all. ¡¸Hmm, well, if you insist, then I guess it must be so, Detective Wolf.¡¹ Usually one would expect adventurers to get fed up after being forced to go through all of that without any results, but no one seemed upset. They all knew about the detective, and how much of a superior adventurer he had been in the past, so they respected him quite a lot. ¡¸I asked the employees, and they say that there¡¯s no way to tamper with the results of the test.¡¹ Julius also went to verify that with the Union workers, and came back with their reply. Somehow altering or disguising the results of the test seemed like the obvious way to get to this situation, but that had just been ruled out. The tests had also been conducted one after another, with everyone¡¯s eyes locked onto the adventurer being tested, so they would have noticed if they tried to disguise themselves or tried altering the results somehow. ¡¸Well, how should we proceed?¡¹ There had been thirteen adventurers suspected of being Fuzzy Dice, but none of them met his profile, making it seem like he had already left somehow. But the detective was convinced he was still there, so he looked intently at the adventurers again. That made them also start to look at each other, and soon they noticed something. ¡¸Wait¡­ where did he go?¡¹
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  1. Silva: To recap (since I had forgotten this myself). Innate Sense is something oddly simr to Mira¡¯s Second ss, though different in essence.
Chapter 252: Preliminary Conflict (1) Chapter 252: Preliminary Conflict (1)
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While everyone was shocked that the detective had finally managed to catch Fuzzy Dice, the thief began to grin within the cage of light. ¡¸Impressive, very impressive. But you won¡¯t catch me so easily.¡¹ When Fuzzy Dice made that remark, the detective frowned with concern. It seemed the thief was still nning his escape, prompting the detective to brainstorm ways to apprehend him without resorting to brute force. Given Fuzzy Dice¡¯s seemingly endless bag of tricks, the detective had to meticulously observe every one of his movements. ¡¸Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­¡¹ With a smile, Fuzzy Dice held up his hands and began counting down with his fingers. Everyone watched attentively, trying to be ready for whatever he would do. Once the countdown reached zero, the detective¡¯s wariness reached its height, and then all of a sudden the Union was filled with white mist. ¡¸What¡­ What just happened?¡¹ Everyone knew that Fuzzy Dice¡¯s most used ability involved white mist which put those who breathed it in to sleep. And surely enough, the adventurers began to fall asleep one after another.The warriors fell first, followed shortly by the spellcasters who had started to panic. But the mist seemed to originate from behind all of the adventurers, which meant that the spell had been cast there. ¡¸How did he do it?! He¡¯s supposed to be trapped inside!¡¹ Julius raised his voice in shock. The devices they were using did not only restrain the target within the light cage, but was also supposed to stop any spells from getting out, and made it impossible to set the origin spot of a spell outside too. In other words, Fuzzy Dice was not supposed to be able to use his mist outside of the cage. That was why Julius was so shocked, as well as the other men holding the devices. ¡¸Masks on!¡¹ The Union workers were the next to start falling asleep when the detective shouted that order. That helped Julius and the rest to calm down and take out masks from their bags and put them on. ¡¸Ohh! I knew it woulde in handy!¡¹ The masks they were using were the same Safe Breathing Mask ¨C Amphibian Type devices that Mira had bought in the Dinowal Store the other day. Now was the perfect time for her to use it too, as the resistances granted by Martel¡¯s fruit were powerful, but not imprable, and it was better to n for the worst case. While they adjusted their masks, all of the Union workers fell asleep, leaving only the detective, Julius, the men helping them, Mira, and Fuzzy Dice awake. ¡¸Still, why did the spell activate outside¡­¡¹ They had managed to avoid falling asleep, but they had not yet figured out how Fuzzy Dice had been able to use that spell while being inside of the cage. But the answer came shortly. ¡¸It¡¯s quite simple really. I wasn¡¯t inside there to begin with.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice¡¯s voice came from within the mist, not the cage. In fact, it was the same spot where the mist had originated from. ¡¸It can¡¯t be..?!¡¹ They could still see Fuzzy Dice inside of the cage, but when they turned around to look at the direction his voice hade from, they also saw him there. Seeing that made everyone gasp in surprise, including the detective. Before they could do anything, Fuzzy Dice seemed to throw something and the detective took a defensive pose, only to hear Julius¡¯ groan a momentter. ¡¸Julius, what happened?!¡¹ The detective turned around, and saw that Julius and some of the other men¡¯s masks had been pulled from their faces, like there was some string tugging at them. (That was also a Forbidden Art, Chain Spider¡¯s Web or something like that.) Three of them had lost their masks at the same time. Mira was astonished at how quickly that had happened, and knew she could not lower her guard. She still did not know the reach of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s power, and if she lost her mask, she could fall asleep as well. ¡¸Ugh¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¹ Julius inhaled some of the mist and soon fell asleep. At the same time, they dropped the devices, which rolled on the ground and turned off, making the cage vanish. A momentter, the Fuzzy Dice released from the cage vanished. ¡¸I see¡­ We trapped an illusion the whole time¡­¡¹ Seeing that, the detective knew where he had made a mistake. They had only trapped an illusion of Fuzzy Dice within the cage. Back when he had been found amongst the adventurers and revealed his identity, he had also created an illusion,pletely fooling the detective. Thinking of switching ces with a clone like that was something only the thief¡¯s quick wits coulde up with. ¡¸Well yed, Fuzzy Dice.¡¹ The detective did not seem to have any more tricks up his sleeve, but he seemed refreshed as heughed about it. ¡¸You outdid yourself this time too, detective.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice gave a casual reply to the detective, but still seemed to be wary of Mira, not giving her any openings to try anything. ¡¸Still, if I knew it would end like this I should¡¯ve asked them to take their time.¡¹ The detective muttered that as he looked into the mist, and Fuzzy Dice seemed to agree, saying, ¡¸I really would¡¯ve been in a bind if you did that.¡¹ Mira was puzzled by that exchange, but when she followed the detective¡¯s gaze, she understood what he meant. They were looking at the Union workers, who had finished clearing the evidence of any type of seals. Fuzzy Dice would not have been able to use his white mist if they had still been working on the evidence, as they would have fallen asleep mid-process. But the disys of Warrior Skills and spellcaster affinity tests had taken so long that the evidence was fully stabilized by the time Fuzzy Dice used the mist. And now the only ones still awake were the detective on his wheelchair, and Mira. ¡¸Hmm¡­does this mean your bout with the detective has reached its conclusion?¡¹ Just to make sure, Mira asked that. The detective and Fuzzy Dice had been rivals for a long time, and this was theirtest encounter. By now, it seemed clear that Fuzzy Dice had won again. ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll admit defeat. Mira, thank you for being so considerate.¡¹
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Chapter 253: The Other Destination (1) Chapter 253: The Other Destination (1)
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Mira jumped onto the rooftops as soon as she got out of the Spellcasters¡¯ Union. As she did that, she heard some of thements from the fans. ¡¸I wonder what happened with Fuzzy Dice?¡¹ ¡¸That was a first.¡¹ ¡¸Did the detective finally score a win?¡¹ ¡¸I think he went over there? Should we go look?¡¹ There were many suchments. Usually Fuzzy Dice would simply vanish out of sight after leaving the evidence in the Union, and the fans had gathered to catch thatst glimpse of him. But things were different this time, as they had seen him run out through the front door. They were a bit taken aback by that change, but their excitement had not died down whatsoever.(He said something about having things left to do¡­) As far as the detective knew, the Union was the thief¡¯sst destination after a heist, but he imed there was something more. His goal was to expose vile men, so he would steal evidence from their mansion and provide it to the right authorities. He had done that, leaving evidence about the Doles Company at the church and the Union. If anything, he still had money to donate to orphanages, so that was something Mira could consider a thing left to do. But that was something always done in anonymity, so going there without any disguise did not seem right. So there was something else he needed to do as a thief. Reports backing that idea quickly reached her too. ¡ºThe suspect is bound eastward, meow! But neowone can outrun a tiny being!¡» The First Lieutenant had been waiting on the rooftops, and started chasing after Fuzzy Dice as soon as he left the Union, easily leaping from building to building. ¡ºMira, we¡¯ve also spotted him. Someone who fits the description is currently running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, heading east.¡» Worthramble then chimed in. He was riding on Hippogriff and watching from above, while concealed with optical camouge. ¡ºMaster, I have eyes on the target. But he doesn¡¯t seem to be trying to run away. It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s trying to attract attention instead¡­¡» The next report came from Eletina, the second of the Valkyrie Sisters. She was the best archer of the sisters, and had excellent observation and spotting skills. She could stand in the center of a city and be aware of her entire surroundings. ¡ºHm, he¡¯s not hiding¡­ This really is ying out differently.¡» One would think that all the detective had to do was put some distance and disguise himself to blend in with the crowd while the detective and Mira were busy getting out of the Union. But instead of doing that, he continued running in his thief attire, and was making no efforts to hide. Then Christina also had something to report. ¡ºHe¡¯s back at the church! Wait¡­he just passed byyyy!¡» Fuzzy Dice went all the way back to the church, but then just continued running without doing anything there. Mira began to wonder if there was any reason behind that, when Christina spoke again. All of the fans gathered at the church had seen him, and were starting to follow him. He even stood on the edge of the rooftops so he was easy to see by all of them. (So he¡¯s essentially trying to get a mob of fans to follow after him? But what for?) She also noticed that the fans gathered in front of the Union were moving too. Some of the fans on both sides had a way tomunicate with each other, so word had spread about Fuzzy Dice¡¯s location, causing the crowd to move like a wave of people. ¡¸I guess he¡¯spletely rescinded the need to be stealthy¡­¡¹ She came to that conclusion by putting together all of the reports and what she was seeing herself. She told Christina to also follow after him, while she summoned Pegasus and flew in the general direction that Fuzzy Dice had gone to. (I wonder where she¡¯ll go next.) Letting Pegasus fly, she concentrated to Sync her mind with Popotwise, who had been flying high above since the arrival of Fuzzy Dice. It had been a short time since she learned Sense Sync, but she quickly gained ess to a literal bird¡¯s eye view. She could see Fuzzy Dice really clearly that way, but she asked Popotwise to fly a bit faster. After a while, Popotwise overtook Fuzzy Dice, and continued flying in a straight line to see where the thief was headed. ¡¸Hm¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡¹ The Doles Company¡¯s mansion hade into view. Mira told Popotwise to fly in circles above the building to observe better, and she realized the deplorable state of it. Pretty much everyone had woken up already, and thepany¡¯s president looked like he was shouting angrily at everyone, but his servants only showed halfhearted reactions. Some nearby looked distressed like the president, and some others looked relieved. The mercenaries had all regrouped into their own groups and were discussing something. Some would also show visible frustration from time to time. It was clear they had been confident in their skill, so it was normal to feel frustrated after failing to capture a single intruder. There were also some fans outside of the mansion, who harbored a slight hope of seeing Fuzzy Dice again, which actually looked like it would happen soon. As Mira mulled over all that, Fuzzy Dice made his appearance near the mansion. So far Mira¡¯s Sense Sync only lets her see what her summons could see, but not hear. But she could easily imagine the soundscape there, filled with angry roars. The reaction of the president and the mercenaries was just so big. They all reached for their weapons, and some of the mercenaries began to attack without a second thought. But Fuzzy Dice effortlessly dodged everything and stood atop the outer wall. That seemed to rile up the mercenaries even more, as they all mindlessly attacked one after another. (Seriously, what¡¯s he trying to aplish¡­) He even took the time to wave at his fans, and then he jumped into the garden of the neighboring mansion. It was a garden lined with many statues, which gave it a somewhat eerie look. Mira continued wondering if getting all those fans to follow him and riling up the mercenaries was all connected to whatever he had to do. All she knew was that the surroundings were turning into a mess impossible to control. (This really is getting out of hand.) The mercenaries continued firing attacks at Fuzzy Dice and climbed the wall to follow him into the neighboring garden. That prompted the guards of that mansion to get rmed and fight back. All of the guards came out in a rush, but neither Fuzzy Dice nor the mercenaries paid them any attention. At the same time all of the fans were gathering in front of that mansion¡¯s gates, making a lot of noise. Some soldiers followed after them, trying to make their way through the crowd, but there were so many girls there that it was impossible. Then yet another thing happened, as there was a sudden sh of light, and then the mercenaries started acting erratically. (That was Charming Light right there¡­ They all really ran head first into his trap¡­) Mira assumed that sh was from a Forbidden Art that made everyone who saw it start to hallucinate, as the mercenaries seemed to believe that the statues of the garden were Fuzzy Dice, making them smash them to pieces. (Hmm¡­ it didn¡¯t affect me at all, however. But I also don¡¯t feel like I resisted the effect¡­) Charmin Light was supposed to affect everyone who saw the sh, but Mira did not feel its effect whatsoever. Even if her resistances had neutralized that effect, she would still feel it dissipating. But she had felt absolutely nothing. So she decided to ask Popotwise, who was the one actually in the scene, to describe what she was seeing. ¡ºThe Phantom Thief is being defeated time and time again, but keeps getting up again¡­¡» That response sounded like Popotwise was hallucinating as well, which made sense since she was within the range of the spell. (Does this mean that I¡¯m unaffected as long as I¡¯m watching through Sense Sync?)
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Chapter 254: Underground Pipeways (1) Chapter 254: Underground Pipeways (1)
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¡¸Th-That¡¯s nonsense! There¡¯s no such passage in my mansion!¡¹ When the soldier leader asked more about the underground pipeways Mira mentioned, the proprietor of the mansion replied with a loud shout. But it was easy to see that it was a reactionary response out of desperation. But then he continued, iming that Cait Sith was a fabrication of Mira, not to mention that receiving information from someone who was supposedly somewhere else was impossible. ¡¸It¡¯s one of the abilities of summoners. We¡¯re able tomunicate our thoughts without needing our voices.¡¹ She added that it was one of the fundamentals of summoners, and that a bit of research would prove her right. After a moment of silence, she grinned teasingly and looked at the proprietor. ¡¸I just received new information from my Cait Sith. It seems he¡¯s found a certain door after following the thief through the pipeways.¡¹ The First Lieutenant¡¯s report continued. The suspect¡¯s trail had led him to a closed gate, with many footprints around showing that it had been frequented, and there was a man put to sleep next to it. Mira instantly knew that was the ce the thief wanted them to find, housing whatever the proprietor was trying to hide. That also exined why the thief had made such a show of going inside the mansion and the hidden passage. So far, all of that had gone exactly as Fuzzy Dice had nned.¡¸Also, apparently the thief¡¯s footprints stop there. Maybe that¡¯s his hideout down there? I really wish we could investigate properly.¡¹ The footprints stopping there was true. But Fuzzy Dice had not gone inside, as the First Lieutenant was still in pursuit. Mira hade up with the idea of calling it a possible hideout as a way to rile up the mercenaries and soldiers, who became even more eager to uncover the secret. ¡¸Th-That¡¯s just a storeroom! It¡¯s not a hideout or anything!¡¹ The proprietor shouted again, iming there were just some valuables kept there for safekeeping, and nothing else. But that was a fatal mistake for him. If he feigned ignorance about that ce, his defense would still have a leg to stand on. But now, he had contradicted his earlier statement about the passage not existing, erasing all of his credibility. The butler instantly realized that mistake, and clutched his head in despair. ¡¸As far as we know, there¡¯s no other identified entrance or exit to those underground pipeways. If this is the only way in, then it could certainly be his hideout, and we have an obligation to search it.¡¹ The soldier leader assumed a more authoritative stance and voice, stating the reasoning for his search while showing a badge. ¡¸I¡¯m putting into action the second special exception use, the right to enter private property for the purposes of pursuit and investigation. That won¡¯t be a problem, I assume?¡¹ ¡¸What did you say..?! You can¡¯t do that!¡¹ The proprietor red at the soldier leader in defiance, but when he looked at the badge, he froze in ce and did not know what more to say, other than to stammer incredulously before copsing on his knees. That was the authority the badge disyed, and he had no more means to oppose them. And so, all the soldiers and mercenaries rushed inside the mansion, and Mira followed after them. ¡¸Is this¡­wine?¡¹ The soldier leader muttered in confusion shortly after entering the mansion. Before Mira could get there, she noticed the strong smell of alcohol in the air. When she got there, she saw the floor was covered in broken wine bottles, their contents spilled everywhere. There were some servants cleaning up, but Mira noticed something strange about them. (Hmm, I see. So they¡¯re putting all the effort into getting rid of the footprints.) The servants were ignoring therge puddles of wine and broken ss, and instead were focusing on washing off all the footprints. Those were likely the orders from their master, the proprietor, as those footprints led straight into the underground passage, as well as the hidden evidence. (Well, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s working out too well for them though.) Even if they got rid of the footprints, there was still a trail of cobwebs on the ceiling, which would be harder to clean up. Mira was baffled by Fuzzy Dice¡¯s dedication to leaving a trail, but appreciated how easy it was to follow. As soon as the soldier leader announced that he was conducting a search allowed by the second special exception use, the servants trying to conceal the hidden passage moved aside. The servants had started their cleanup of the trails near the entrance of the hidden passage, as the floor around it waspletely clean with no wine stains. But dealing with the spiderwebs on the ceiling was more difficult, and Mira could see multiple servants tangled up in them and unable to break free. The soldier leader showed his badge as he passed by, and the servants that could move let him pass, before running away. ¡¸That badge of yours and the second special exception use you mentioned seem quite effective at moving through. Exactly what are they?¡¹ As they followed the trail of sticky spider webs on the ceiling, Mira posed that question. The proprietor had made aplete turn from his earlier opposition to the search, so she could not help but be curious about it. Considering the size and design of the mansion, the proprietor had to be someone influential and powerful, but he faltered in dismay the instant heid eyes on the badge, almost like a criminal would. ¡¸Wait, this isn¡¯t a case when leading soldiers is just a facade and you¡¯re actually some sort of prince, right?!¡¹ For a moment, Mira was excited at the prospect of meeting someone from the royal family who was acting undercover as a well natured soldier. But the moment Mira mentioned that, all she heard was the loudughter from the other soldiers. ¡¸There¡¯s no way.¡¹ ¡¸Did you hear that? A prince going to yard sales and buying so much stuff he can¡¯t carry it back home¡­pfft.¡¹ ¡¸So a prince gets all sweaty and nervous when dealing with the Justice Minister¡¯s aide? Hah.¡¹ It seemed like the soldier leader actually led a menial lifestyle that was almost painfully so, which the other soldiers recounted amidst theirughter, before starting to say, ¡¸Lord Desmond, please watch your step here,¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a step here, please mind your footing, Lord Desmond,¡¹ ¡¸I believe the suspect went down these stairs, Lord Desmond,¡¹ and so on. Clearly teasing their leader, Desmond, addressing him in an awfully polite way. ¡¸Listen here, we¡¯re in the middle of work¡­¡¹ ¡¸My deepest apologies, Lord Desmond.¡¹ ¡¸Duly noted, I won¡¯t let it happen again, Lord Desmond.¡¹ Desmond had enough when they reached the stairs, so he red at the soldiers, and all of them instantly straightened their backs and saluted him in unison. They were right behind Fuzzy Dice, who had entered the underground pipeways ahead of them. It was normal for them to be tense in such a situation, so poking fun at each other was a good way to alleviate it. But even as they joked, they never let their guard down, and moved as a cohesive unit of soldiers. (They¡¯re more of a merry bunch than I thought.)
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Chapter 255: Reinforcements (1) Chapter 255: Reinforcements (1)
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¡¸Alright then, Mira. We¡¯ll go catch up with the rest.¡¹ Following a brief conversation and Christina¡¯s short demonstration of her abilities, the soldiers felt much more reassured to have Christina with them. Unlike her clumsy appearance, her swordsmanship was impable. The soldiers realized they should not judge people by their appearance, while for some reason Desmond had a smug look as he said, ¡¸I told you so.¡¹ Now that they had all the help they could possibly need, they moved forward without hesitation. They had to catch up with the other half of the group who had gone on ahead to update them about everything. ¡¸I¡¯ll leave this ce in your hands then.¡¹ There was something there that Fuzzy Dice wanted them to find, and the soldiers would do just that. Mira watched as they disappeared further ahead into the pipeways and told Christina to update her on the situation periodically. ¡®Understood! We¡¯re currently running after the first group!¡¯ She replied instantly, and followed it up with a report. That made Mira correct what she said, telling Christina to only update her when something new happened. After a short time, Anlutine¡¯s head emerged from the water, telling Mira that she had found someone who was probably Fuzzy Dice.¡¸I¡¯ve found a male, wearing a gray cloak. Is that him?¡¹ As long as she was within it, Anlutine had the ability to see everything connected to a body of water. That way she scanned the entire pipeways, and found a single person who could be Fuzzy Dice. He had probably switched disguises again, ready toe out to the world as a nameless adventurer. ¡¸Yes, that has to be him. What direction is he headed?¡¹ Fuzzy Dice had to be heading to the exit of the pipeways, so Mira asked if there was any in the path he was taking. Anlutine closed her eyes and focused, before replying that she could not determine whether there were hidden doors there, but that he was heading straight to an outlet of the pipeways. ¡¸An outlet¡­ I see, he¡¯s nning on leaving the city right away.¡¹ That was the least risky option, so it made sense that Fuzzy Dice would do that. If he randomly emerged from a secret exit within the city and someone spotted him, it would lure the attention of the fans and the guards there, distracting them from the pipeways housing the secret evidence. Leaving the city unseen would keep everyone¡¯s attention on the pipeways. The outlet was located near arge river to the southeast of the city. But it was a bit difficult for Anlutine to describe the precise location, so instead they agreed that she would guide Mira there once they were close enough. ¡¸Continue monitoring him then, Anlutine. I¡¯ll head out to follow above the ground.¡¹ Mira needed to get out soon if she wanted to have enough time to set up an ambush, so she hurried back to the stairs. ¡¸Alright, got it.¡¹ Giving that short reply, Anlutine disappeared below the water again. Soon after, she reported that the thief would be outside within fifteen minutes considering his current speed. ¡¸I need to move fast then¡­¡¹ Just going down the stairs had taken a while, so going back up would take even longer, not to mention that it would be more physically demanding. So Mira decided to use one of the abilities she had gained recently. Exo-Summon: Dark Knight Frame As soon as she activated it, a magic circle lit up beneath her, from which a Dark Knight emerged, but as soon as it was out, it changed shape to fit onto Mira¡¯s body. Eventually the magic circle turned into ck mes which coalesced into a single point, granting all that power to Mira.1 ¡¸This is my first time using it in battle, but it looks like it¡¯s working.¡¹ Mira, now looking like a valkyrie with ck armor, hopped around a bit to make sure everything was working, and then began running up the stairs. That was her new ability, being able to wear Armor Spirits to enhance one¡¯s capabilities. There was a lot she did not know about it yet, but at least she knew that it would give her an instant boost in mobility. The Armor Spirit¡¯s strength would be hers, while also increasing her defenses. If used properly, that ability would allow her to fully ovee the biggest weakness of summoners, which was their physical bodies. She believed that ability alone would usher in a new era for summoners. ¡¸This is incredible¡­ It almost feels like I¡¯m flying!¡¹ Running up the stairs was also made effortless thanks to the Dark Knight Frame¡¯s support. She was expecting to face off against Fuzzy Dice soon, who already was known as a phantom thief of unrivaled skill, so it would be a good way to put her Dark Knight Frame to the test. Soon, that became a secondary objective for her, on top of finding out the location of the orphanage she was looking for. With all of that in her mind, she soon found herself back in the mansion¡¯s basement. ¡¸Hmm¡­ What happened here?¡¹ She tilted her head as she looked around the basement. She was sure that she had retraced her steps perfectly, but she did not recognize the room. What had once been a room connected to the mansion had be a dead end. ¡¸I¡¯m certain that it was around here¡­¡¹ She tried feeling around the wall where she remembered the entrance being, but all she found was a solid wall, with no hidden door or switch in sight. ¡¸Does this mean¡­¡¹ There was a thick solid wall in front of her. She was trapped within the hidden room, and it would be impossible to get out through ordinary means. The pipeways behind her still had other exits, which Mira could easily find with Anlutine¡¯s help. But as far as the soldiers and mercenaries went, it was easy to imagine they could end up wandering around aimlessly without ever getting out. Mira red at the wall, realizing this had likely been the proprietor¡¯s intention all along¡ªto keep them trapped underground while he feigned innocence. ¡¸He¡¯s really lost it at this point.¡¹ But that was a rather foolish idea. There was arge crowd outside of the mansion that had witnessed the soldiers and mercenaries entering the building, so if no one ever saw them leave, it would paint a very suspicious picture even if they did not know about the pipeways. ¡¸Well, this is just an insignificant dy for me.¡¹ Summoning Magic: Gnomid While looking at the stone wall, Mira sent back Gnomid from her patrolling spot in the city, and summoned her again, and soon the small figure emerged from a magic circle next to her. Gnomid was an earth spirit, who looked like a little girl around thirty centimeters tall. But despite her size, she effortlessly carried a stone hammer that was the same size as her. ¡¸I have a job for you, Gnomid. Open a hole in this wall.¡¹ After Mira said that, Gnomid gave a strong nod before trotting up to the wall, where she held her hammer back and struck the wall with it. After a short pause, the spot she hit turned to sand and crumbled away. But it did not end there, as the pile of sand that formed began to move to the sides as if it had life of its own, opening the way. ¡¸Nice job. That was really good.¡¹ Gnomid ran up to Mira and tugged on her leg, wanting to be praised, so Mira picked her up and patted her head. That seemed to make Gnomid happy, as she began spinning her hammer in delight. ¡¸Woah there, you¡¯re really energetic, aren¡¯t you?¡¹
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  1. Silva: this description¡­ sounds rted to this image from volume 13 /uploads/images/1204967/ain5s0gv.jpg
Chapter 256: Spirit Queen vs Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice (1) Chapter 256: Spirit Queen vs Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice (1) Leave ament
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¡¸Hmm¡­ so the outlet is somewhere down there?¡¹ Thanks to Pegasus¡¯ speed, Mira quickly reached the ce Anlutine had mentioned. It was arge river that ran next to Haxthausen, dividing the ins into two. The outlet of the pipeways was somewhere within the river, and ording to Anlutine, he woulde out shortly. ¡¸This spot should be good enough¡­¡¹ Mira was wearing her camouge mantle, happy that she was able to put it to use so soon. She also had her gas mask and night vision goggles, and kept her body lying on the ground as she waited. That spot was slightly distant from the city, and it was a cloudy night, so there was hardly any light there. That made her camouge all the more effective, making her practically invisible. On top of that, she did not have to be tense about the wait, as Anlutine could tell her exactly when Fuzzy Dice would be there. That eased her nerves and allowed her to focus entirely on carrying out her ambush n. On top of her night vision goggles, she also had Life Sensing active, letting her follow targets in the dark with even more ease than the goggles allowed.Additionally, she had a Magic Bomb Sealing Stone in her hand, which was small like a pebble that could get lost in an instant in the darkness of the night. But its power was by no means small, as Mira had Refined it specifically to use it that night. ¡®Ah, he just dove in, he¡¯ll be out there any moment now!¡¯ Anlutine¡¯sst update arrived. Since the outlet was inside of the river, Fuzzy Dice had to dive into the water and swim through the pipe to get out, and that would only take a short time. Mira raised her body slightly and held her hand with the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone ready to throw, while continuously scanning the water with Life Sensing. (There!) Dense terrain could obstruct the readings of Life Sensing, but water had nearly no effect, so Mira could clearly see the figure that appeared in the river. That had to be Fuzzy Dice, swimming out of the pipe and slowlying out the surface, which made Mira¡¯s hand grip the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone harder. Eventually, he reached the surface and swam over to the shoreline. He was currently around twenty meters away from Mira, and as she watched she noticed a sudden flux of mana. That wasmon when spellcasters got ready to use an ability, so Mira watched carefully to see what would happen. (Oh, he¡¯s just drying his clothes.) The figure was using Concept Magic in the same way as Mira would to dry her hair. That gave Mira the assurance she needed to act. There would be no better chance, as spellcasters could not use any spells while using Concept Magic. As soon as the figure faced away, Mira sprang on her feet and threw the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone. The small rock flew through the darkness of the night, and while Mira¡¯s aim was slightly off, it still burst near the figure. That produced a thunderous sound and a blinding sh of light. The Magic Bomb Sealing Stone she had used had a simr effect to a shbang. There was a slight groan right after, at which point Mira took an Arresting Cloth and rushed forward. Not even Fuzzy Dice would be able to keep a clear mind in such a situation, as even Mira had tested them on herself the night before and had suffered their effect. Now, she was five meters away, it would take her less than a second to reach him, and her night vision goggles gave her a clear picture of the target. He looked like an ordinary man, wearing regr clothes. There were no distinctive features to him, to the point that it would be nearly impossible to describe him. But that also told Mira that she really was dealing with Fuzzy Dice. (It¡¯s the end for you!) The Magic Bomb Sealing Stone had worked perfectly, as Fuzzy Dice staggered to regain his bearings. So Mira spread her Arresting Cloth and lunged forward. And then something unexpected happened. ¡¸What?!¡¹ Her body stopped moving all of a sudden. ¡¸Damn you! Was that Gravekeeper Spider¡¯s Web Barrier? Such an underhanded move¡­¡¹ Looking around, she saw she was restrained by ck spiderwebs, which had appeared all around Fuzzy Dice, and tangled around her body when she stepped in. ¡¸Well, that actually took me by surprise.¡¹ That also gave Fuzzy Dice enough time to recover, and he turned around to look at Mira impressed. ¡¸I didn¡¯t expect the special forces to be here already¡­¡¹ Fuzzy Dice chuckled when he saw Mira¡¯s attire, before taking off her gas mask, night vision goggles, and Arresting Cloth. Then he added, ¡¸This is the first time someone got this far.¡¹ Then he held the Arresting Cloth and moved closer to Mira. Not even someone with Mira¡¯s skill could break free from Arresting Cloth, and she was already restrained by the spiderwebs so much that she could only barely move her fingers. ¡¸Wait, I¡¯d like to ask something first, is that alright?¡¹ With a strained face, Mira tried talking to Fuzzy Dice, who stopped moving for a moment. ¡¸What is it? Would it happen to involve a certain orphanage hidden within a remote forest?¡¹ He quickly recognized what Mira wanted to ask. ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s exactly it. So you really were listening in to my conversation with the detective.¡¹ Considering what happened in the Spellcasters¡¯ Union earlier, and his current response, he really had been listening in to all of the detective¡¯s conversations with Mira. Mira had suspected that was the case, so it did note as much of a shock, and instead it saved her the time to exin. But she still wanted an answer. ¡¸That will depend on the reason you¡¯re searching for it.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice replied as he stared into Mira¡¯s eyes attentively. He was carefully examining her, making sure that whatever reply she gave was the truth. (Well, that makes sense. No one would give a straight answer without knowing that.) Sharing that information would allow them to amicably end that confrontation, as long as Mira gave a good reason that convinced Fuzzy Dice. There were plenty of orphanages helping children all over the world, so the fact that Mira was searching for specifically that one stood out. Especially if Fuzzy Dice was directly connected to it. So he would never give a reply unless he obtained a satisfying reason. But Mira could not possibly give a proper reply. Even if she tried to y it off by saying that she heard a friend might be there, Fuzzy Dice would simply ask who that friend was. As much as she would need to give a proper reason as to why she was searching for the orphanage, she could not simply reveal that she believed Artesia might be the founder. That was considered a state secret of Arkite, and Mira could not talk about it to someone she barely knew. So there was only one possible option for Mira. She would have to return to her original n, capturing Fuzzy Dice and forcing him to talk. There were no other ways she could think of, so she moved into action before it was toote. ¡¸The reason is¡­ secret!¡¹ She red back at Fuzzy Dice as she replied, while opening up her hand and closing her eyes.
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Chapter 257: Fuzzy Dice’s Identity (1) Chapter 257: Fuzzy Dice¡¯s Identity (1) Leave ament
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¡¸I¡¯m not done yet!¡¹ Mira shouted as she hurled another handful of stones. This time, they were not Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, but rather magic lighters sold by the Dinowal Store. Given that the spiderwebs Fuzzy Dice was using were highly mmable, these were more than sufficient to ignite them upon contact. Moreover, there was little indication that she had switched to a different type of item this time. Right after throwing them, Mira also secretly ced another stone in her hand, one far bigger than the previous ones. But Fuzzy Dice¡¯s eyes had noticed all of her movements. ¡¸Oh, that would be a bad idea.¡¹ He noticed what Mira was nning the instant the lighters entered the range of his barrier, so rather than catching them, he jumped to the side, all the while keeping watch over Mira¡¯s hands. Behind him, the lighters fell into the river, letting out a sizzling sound before sinking. ¡¸I see, you were trying to burn the webs again.¡¹ Hearing that sound, he figured out what Mira had been trying to do, so he watched her hands even more attentively.¡¸Hmph, so annoying!¡¹ With her n ruined, Mira seemed to throw therge stone out of frustration, sending it high into the air toward Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸Are you stupid..?!¡¹ No matter what type of Magic Bomb Sealing Stone that was, something of that size would have devastating power. That forced Fuzzy Dice to look up in shock, but that let him realize what Mira had been wanting to do. She had not thrown that stone out of desperation, but for a very specific reason. To distract him. He instantly looked at Mira again, who was about to try the actual stone she meant to throw. It was a simple n, but really effective. Then he realized that her n was not over yet, as he heard a soft whistle from his side, which was followed by an arrow striking the ground at his feet. That was an arrow shot by the second of the Valkyrie Sisters, Eletina, who was on the city wall far away out of Fuzzy Dice¡¯s detection range. That arrow was also carrying a small stone that was about to burst. However, it was seemingly impossible to estimate Fuzzy Dice¡¯s power. In an instant, he had shot another spiderweb to encapste the stone, perfectly blocking the explosion and sound. That speed made it seem like he had done that by reflex, without having to think about it. But there was something else he could not forget about. While he was busy with the arrow, therge stone Mira had thrown finally entered the range of his barrier and was caught by those different spiderwebs. ¡¸You caught it.¡¹ Mira grinned seeing therge Magic Bomb Sealing Stone within the spiderwebs, like that had been her goal the entire time. Soon, the stone released its power, not as light or sound, but as a powerful gust of wind. ¡¸Is this..!¡¹ The spiderweb could not contain that wind, bursting apart and letting it strike Fuzzy Dice too, sending his body flying back. ¡¸It¡¯s meow!¡¹ As if waiting for that moment, the First Lieutenant dashed from the riverside. He had been hiding there after regrouping with Anlutine, waiting for the right moment. Fuzzy Dice was still flying in the air from the blow, so he had no way to stop the First Lieutenant¡¯s charge as he jumped and clung tightly onto the thief¡¯s body, not letting go even after they fell and tumbled on the ground. ¡¸Huh..? Wait, aren¡¯t you-?!¡¹ The moment Fuzzy Dice saw the First Lieutenant, he frowned in confusion. But then he noticed the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone hanging like a pendant on the First Lieutenant¡¯s neck. He tried to peel off the First Lieutenant to no avail, who just kept clinging with an immutable smirk. ¡¸See you in hell, baby.¡¹ As the First Lieutenant spoke with determination, the sign on his back read ¡®Tell my family I love them,¡¯ though he was unmarried. The Magic Bomb Sealing Stone activated, and it was a matter of seconds before it exploded. But then, Fuzzy Dice reached for the First Lieutenant¡¯s side and the base of his tail, tickling him. That instantly disarmed all of the determination the First Lieutenant had built up. ¡¸Meowhewhehe! That tickles meow!¡¹ The First Lieutenant had an almost extreme reaction. He had been attacked in his most sensitive spots. ¡¸I knew it..!¡¹ Fuzzy Dice would not miss that opening, so he threw the First Lieutenant with all his might, and without hesitation. ¡¸Oh no, meoo!¡¹ The First Lieutenant¡¯s voice echoed loudly before he was enveloped in a blinding sh and vanished in the night sky. ¡¸Spirit Queen¡­are you actually-¡¹ Fuzzy Dice seemed to have noticed something, as he turned to look at Mira seemingly forgetting about the First Lieutenant he had thrown away. But before he could take a step forward, a small stone fell in front of him. That one had been dropped by Worthramble and Hippogriff high above the sky, who had been waiting for that moment while concealed in the air. Fuzzy Dice tried to protect himself, but it had been so sudden and with such perfect timing that he could not do anything before the sh and bang went out. ¡¸That¡¯s my actual goal!¡¹ Mira had noticed that the thief wanted to say something, but that chance was too valuable to ruin, so she dashed ahead with the Arresting Cloth ready. ¡¸Ugh¡­¡¹ This attempt proved most effective; after staggering slightly, Fuzzy Dice fell to one knee. Soon after, a spider nest with Fuzzy Dice in the center spread out around him. (Now this looks like a rather powerful Id¡¯s Phantom¡­) Seeing that, Mira became far more alert than before. Id¡¯s Phantom was one of the highest level Forbidden Arts. It was an ability that activated automatically if the caster fell unconscious, producing a shadow of themselves that would fight to defend the caster. It acted purely by reflex, so Fuzzy Dice¡¯s usual careful nature was gone. In other words, Fuzzy Dice would likely use any form of attack in that state. ¡¸There¡¯s no reward without a little bit of risk!¡¹ But that did not deter Mira. She did not know how Fuzzy Dice would fight back in that unconscious state, but that also gave her more vectors of attack. The moment she stepped within the spider nest, countless spiderwebs shot at her, but all of them burned away on contact with Vermilion Frame. A second volley of spiderwebs shot her way, but this time their tips were sharpened like des. (I guess this makes me the first person who was attacked by Fuzzy Dice.) She used partial summons to block those des and continued marching on, while partially summoning a Dark Knight to strike a ck shadow in the center of the nest, the actual source of Id¡¯s Phantom. A momentter, the entire spider nest vanished, leaving behind only the incapacitated Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸I¡¯ve got you now!¡¹ Mira spread the Arresting Cloth and dashed at him, until she was just mere centimeters away. ¡¸What?!¡¹ Fuzzy Dice, who was supposed to still be stunned, was holding his hand out. Due to theirrge difference in stature, he could hold Mira at bay while her arms did not reach him. His hand then took a firm grip on her soft chest, after which his other arm reached for her groin. A momentter, he utilized her running momentum to swing her around andunch her high into the air with a perfect posture, without ever letting her touch him. ¡¸Whyyy?!¡¹
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Chapter 258: A Billionaire’s Dream (1) Chapter 258: A Billionaire¡¯s Dream (1) Leave ament
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¡¸I was wondering what all the noise here was about and it turns out it was you, the Spirit Queen. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, or rather everyone¡¯s been talking about you as an unexpectedly powerful rank A adventurer. I can only assume it was an arduous fight from all the noise.¡¹ As soon as he arrived, the leader of those soldiers spoke with enthusiasm. He was a different one from Desmond. ¡¸That fog really came out of nowhere though. Oh well, I guess he got away again.¡¹ Then the legitor spoke, his gaze focused in the direction where Fuzzy Dice¡¯s voice hade from as he ran away. He was rather familiar with Fuzzy Dice, so he was surprised to see how far Mira had chased him. But at the same time, he was secretly rooting for the thief, so he was not mad that he had gotten away, even if he congratted Mira for getting much closer than anyone before. ¡¸He was stronger than anyone else I¡¯ve faced before.¡¹ Mira gave a modest response before remembering the pendant she had obtained from him. She figured that someone there would know what it was. ¡¸By the way, I got this¡­¡¹ Saying that, she showed the pendant to both. ¡¸Ohh! That¡¯s the Silver Sky Euros!!¡¹ The legitor opened his eyes wide, which made the other soldiers nearby curious and they also looked shocked when they saw it. ¡¸Incredible..! You actually managed to take that back from Fuzzy Dice?! That¡¯s an amazing achievement!¡¹ The leader of the soldiers was the next to talk, which was followed by the soldiers muttering amongst themselves about witnessing the crowning of a billionaire.¡¸Umm¡­ Wait, is it something really important then?¡¹ Fuzzy Dice had casually thrown the pendant to Mira, so she did not quite grasp the reason why everyone was so excited, and wanted to know what that Silver Sky Euros was. ¡¸So you retrieved it without even knowing what it was¡­ Amazing!¡¹ The leader of the soldiers seemed both impressed and shocked, before he exined. That pendant, the Silver Sky Euros, had been the most valuable possession of the Doles Company¡¯s president. It had been made with the most valuable gemstones and exquisite craftsmanship, arranging them in a way that seemed almost superhuman. The design was made to resemble a starry night, and some believed it had been blessed by the God of merchants, making its value skyrocket over three billion. ¡¸Three¡­ Three billion?!¡¹ Mira had currently three billion Rils in her hands, and ording to the legitor, the current events would likely make the value go even higher in the near future. The rumors about that blessing were actually true, and now it had been stolen by Fuzzy Dice before being retrieved by the Spirit Queen, which would surely add more value to it. Some even said that whoever possessed the Silver Sky Euros would quickly rise to be a top ss merchant, as that had happened multiple times in the past. That good fortune went further than simply making their trade flourish, but also made them less likely to be attacked by monsters or bandits. And even if the pendant was stolen, it would find its way back to the rightful owner. All of that meant that if Mira decided to put it on sale, she would instantly receive many offers from the best merchants in the world. ¡¸That¡¯s making me jealous. If I had three billion I¡¯d just retire and happily live the rest of my life in leisure.¡¹ Even though he was the Cross-Border Legitor, a high position in the church, he was still prey to some rather menial desires. The soldier leader was the next one, saying he would choose to be a traveling merchant, and eventually run into the woman destined for him and they would get married and live happily ever after. In response, some of the soldiers began to joke that no one would marry him without that money anyway. ¡¸And here I thought I¡¯d hire all of you as my private guards, oh well I guess that won¡¯t happen.¡¹ The soldier leader said that in retaliation, and the soldiers began to retract what they said and try to appease him. (What a merry bunch¡­) Mira grimaced a little seeing how much they were daydreaming together. But then she noticed something, both the soldier leader and the legitor were acting like the Silver Sky Euros was hers to keep. So far, she was under the impression that it was a stolen item, so it was their duty as public officers to return it to its rightful owner. But when she raised her concerns about the matter, the two gave her a shocking response. ¡¸I see, I guess you haven¡¯t heard since you were busy chasing after Fuzzy Dice the whole time.¡¹ ¡¸There¡¯s a lot for you to catch up on.¡¹ The two said that before exining why they were acting like she was the owner of the pendant now. A lot had happened while she was busy confronting Fuzzy Dice. Everything started with all the evidence the thief had left. The church had read through all the documents they received and became aware of all the crimesmitted by the Doles Company. Shortly after, they went to arrest the president of thepany. When the Spellcasters Union presented the information they had obtained, they opened a short trial and decided that thepany had to dissolve. As part of that, all of thepany¡¯s assets were seized. During that, they noticed that the Silver Sky Euros had been stolen, so it was not included in the search. In other words, there was no Doles Company to return the pendant to, nor was it marked as a missing item. With no rightful ce to return it, Mira could keep it without any concerns. ¡¸Ohh¡­ I see¡­¡¹ Without her realizing, Mira had be the owner of a treasure worth over three billion, which shocked her but also made her grin happily. She quickly began to daydream as well, wondering if she should sell it off to gain a mary fortune, or keep it and make good use of the God of merchants¡¯ blessing. But then she began to wonder why Lastrada had given it to her. (What was he trying to do by giving this to me?) After some thinking, she realized a likely reason. The reactions from everyone who arrived told her everything she needed to know. That pendant had made Mira look like an incredible adventurer who had managed to retrieve some of the items stolen by Fuzzy Dice. Without it, they would not have paid much attention to her, assuming that the thief had simply run away the same way he usually did.
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Chapter 259: Till We Meet Again (1) Chapter 259: Till We Meet Again (1) Leave ament
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When Mira got back to the city, she realized everything looked different. The streets that had been so crowded with people looked empty. Shended a short distance away from the Spellcasters¡¯ Union, and wondered just where the fans had all vanished to. ¡¸It¡¯s just like after a festival.¡¹ After thanking and sending away Pegasus, she turned to look at the streets, which looked almost deste now. Eventually, she recognized a certain shop and seemed to understand what was happening. That shop was the same one she had visited with the detective before, and which was seemingly run by a big fan of the thief. That ce was currently filled to the brim with fans. They were having an after party of sorts there, and Mira could not help but wonder what they would do if they heard that the Spirit Queen had managed to retrieve a valuable pendant from Fuzzy Dice. After all, Mira had somehow be the first person to sessfully fight back against the thief. ¡¸It¡¯s probably best if they don¡¯t see me.¡¹ Mira shuddered just thinking of it, so she hurried to move along, rushing to get into the Union where she felt safe. But then she was dumbfounded by the state of that ce.¡¸It¡¯s quite¡­lively here.¡¹ The lobby had been turned into a banquet, lined with tables covered with food and drinks, enjoyed by merry men and women who sang and celebrated. Wondering what that was all about, Mira asked one of the employees nearby, who exined that it was a constion party for the detective. ¡¸It¡¯s my first time seeing a constion party this big¡­¡¹ Its size alone made it seem like a big celebration instead, and it took Mira some looking around before she spotted the detective. As she approached him, one of the adventurers there recognized her and shouted, ¡¸The Spirit Queen is back!¡¹ They all knew she had been helping the detective, so they quickly opened the way for her. Now the detective had a clear view of her, so she waved happily. ¡¸Wee back, Mira. Come here, I want to hear what happened in the end.¡¹ Most of the people there had not heard what Fuzzy Dice had done after running away from the Union, and were eager to hear the news. All they knew was that some mansion was involved. ¡¸Hmm, then let me rte everything I witnessed.¡¹ Saying that, Mira sat down in front of the detective, poured herself a ss of fruit wine, which she downed in one go, and happily began narrating what happened outside of the Union. ¡¸And well, I think that Fuzzy Dice¡¯s n had been to find that location the entire time.¡¹ They had followed Fuzzy Dice all the way to the mansion, where he left clear signs of going inside. By following him, they had found the hideout of ve traders. After that, she also mentioned everything Christina had told her, and what the soldier leader said happened with the Doles Company. ¡¸All of that happened? I really wish I could¡¯ve been there too.¡¹ The detective replied,menting the state of his legs. But he still grinned, saying he expected no less from Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸He really seems to be a hero of justice through and through, I¡¯d say.¡¹ Mira praised Fuzzy Dice like that while holding the bottle of fruit wine upside down. At the same time, she grimaced a bit seeing that the guy who used to be so obsessed with heroes had finally turned into one. She took a break from talking after that, while all the other people there celebrated more loudly. They relished the fall of Viscount Denbarole, d that Haxthausen had been cleared of two blemishes. It seemed like that noble already had a rather bad reputation there. Some also began to wonder how Fuzzy Dice had discovered their evil deeds, and how he decided who to target. Hearing that, Mira finally pieced together that the proprietor of the mansion was called Viscount Denbarole. (Well, it¡¯s not like that matters much.) Considering he had be famous for all the wrong reasons, and now was a convicted criminal, she decided there was no point in remembering his name and she poured herself another ss of fruit wine. ¡¸That aside, what happened with Fuzzy Dice in the end?¡¹ Mira had only mentioned the pursuit of Fuzzy Dice, so the detective was still curious about what had happened with him after that. Hearing that question, Mira began grinning daringly, standing up as she had been waiting for that question. ¡¸He had been leading us to the hideout of those ve traders on purpose¡­ But I noticed that right away!¡¹ Her voice was triumphant as she spoke, saying that she needed to clear up something. When she realized what Fuzzy Dice was attempting, she split ways with the soldier leader Desmond. ¡¸I knew what the thief usually tries to aplish, so I knew there was something important at the end of that trail. But I also would not allow myself to let that thief scurry away. So it was time to use my summons!¡¹ Fuzzy Dice¡¯s n was to lead his pursuers to the ve traders and vanish after that. But Mira would not let that happen. It was easy for a water spirit to determine Fuzzy Dice¡¯s location, and that included finding out where he was heading. So Mira puffed her chest as she narrated how she rode on Pegasus to wait in ambush for the thief ahead of time. ¡¸There I confronted him, adhering to the same rules and using non-lethal force.¡¹ Fuzzy Dice was known for never harming anyone. So Mira dered that she also did not use excessive force to fight him. She only used Magic Bomb Sealing Stones to burn off the spiderwebs he used, while her summons all worked together to fend him off. ¡¸So all things said, it ended with a standstill.¡¹ Mira finished her stories, with some exaggerations and embellishments sprinkled in to make her summons shine even more, andughed happily while raising her ss. Finally, she said that the rumors were true, and Fuzzy Dice was a powerful opponent.
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Chapter 260: Donation Ceremony (1) Chapter 260: Donation Ceremony (1) Leave ament
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(Mont nc dorayaki¡­ I¡¯d like to try that sometime.) As Mira walked along the street, she recalled something the detective had mentioned. He had mostly talked about desserts as they had breakfast, including a list of his main rmendations, which was something Mira was deeply interested in. (It¡¯s also been a while since thest time I had some kuri yokan.) The detective had mentioned how in recent years, sweets that Mira recognized as traditionally Japanese had exploded in poprity. Or at least as far as general concepts went, as there were still many western elements sprinkled in. She continued daydreaming about that as she walked, when she thought of something else. The streets had been crowded by girls who adored Fuzzy Dice the day before, but they were nowhere in sight now. And it was not just the usual emptiness characteristic for the time after a festival. It truly felt like arge number of people had vanished. Considering theirmunicationworks, she was expecting them to already know about the Silver Sky Euros, and she was afraid of the fans turning against her. Constantly watching her back, she approached a nearby guard to inquire about it more, who told her that all the fans had left the city first thing in the morning. Mira heaved a sigh of relief hearing that, and after some ten odd minutes, she arrived at her destination.¡¸I really wish I could just hand it over to someone here¡­¡¹ She was at the church, where she wanted to donate the Silver Sky Euros, which had a high chance of leading into arge ceremony ording to the Cross-Border Legitor. Mira just wanted to drop it off and leave if possible, so she moved slowly inside the church, in case she spotted anyone she could entrust it to. ¡¸Hello, are you looking for something?¡¹ A voice called to her from behind. Turning around, she was met with a young nun, likely still an apprentice. That was just the type of person Mira had been looking for, so she began thinking of the best way to convince her to do it. Meanwhile, the nun seemed to study Mira¡¯s face attentively, before breaking into a wide smile. ¡¸Ah! You must be Lady Mira! The Spirit Queen! I heard everything, I¡¯m so d you decided toe! Please follow me!¡¹ It was an incredible honor for an apprentice nun to meet a rank A adventurer who would bring a treasure worth three billion, so her eyes were lit up with excitement, almost like she was meeting a hero. ¡¸Yes¡­sure¡­¡¹ Mira could not bring herself to go against the girl¡¯s happy smile, so she had no choice but to follow her into the church, sealing her own fate. ¡¸Wee, thank you foring.¡¹ The apprentice nun took Mira to see the archbishop first. He was past his middle age, but was still in good shape, and was shrouded in an air of dignity befitting of his position as archbishop. Compared to him, Mira looked like a child, but he still treated her with respect and maturity. ¡¸It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡¹ Mira greeted the archbishop, who looked like a personification of virtue, and then held out the Silver Sky Euros. Having him ept it there was herst hope. But obviously enough, things would not pan out the way she wanted. ¡¸Thank you so much for your decision. I see you¡¯ve brought the item you want to donate too. We¡¯ll conduct the ceremonyter, and I¡¯ll look after it after the vows.¡¹ He quickly stopped her from giving the pendant away like that. With her meeting with the archbishopplete, she was invited to sit in a guest room. ¡¸It looks like this was made with some decent tea leaves.¡¹ She sat on a really soft couch, and then was served a fragrant tea that clearly was made with high quality tea leaves even for someone with untrained tastes. Overall, it was a really nice guest room, rivaling that of a hotel. They wanted to be able to receive any sort of guest there, which included nobility in many cases. After some time of sitting there, a more experienced nun came to exin everything the ceremony entailed. Knowing the proper time to hand over the item, and all the steps leading to that, brought Mira some reassurance. Mostly because there were noplicated formalities or phrases she would need to memorize. As the donator, Mira just needed to stand and wait for a certain signal, at which point she would hand over the item. She would not have to be part of any stuffy and troublesome formality as she initially feared. (I guess it¡¯s not too bad in that case.) Feeling some weight leave her shoulders, she reclined on the couch and continued enjoying the high quality tea. After some time, the apprentice nun she had first met entered the room to tell Mira that all the preparations were done. ¡¸I see, thank you.¡¹ Bracing herself, Mira stood up and headed to the ce of worship, where the ceremony would be held. The long corridors of the church were not adorned in avish manner, but in a way that seemed to exemplify holiness. There were some vases and furniture that looked like it could fit in some noble¡¯s mansion, but they all had a specific liturgical reason to be there. This countryrgely followed the culture of Grimdart, one of the Three Gods¡¯ Countries, which mostly venerated the God of Justice. Because of that, a sword and shield motif could be seen everywhere. That was mostly noticeable in the ce of worship. One of the walls was lined with enormous statues of armed knights, creating a solemn and imposing environment. (Somehow they look more imposing than before, maybe because it¡¯s reality¡­) With those thoughts circling in her mind, Mira stepped up on the tform like they arranged. She bowed to the archbishop, and then went to sit on the spot she was told. There, she looked around once more, seeing that there was quite arge number of people present. Some of them had likely arrived earlier to pray, and simply stayed when they learned about the ceremony. It was easy to identify that group, as they wore in casual clothes. But there was a smaller distinctive group present, and Mira had been told about them in advance by the older nun. They were all well dressed and had a more ssy appearance in general. They were nobles who had volunteered to be present as witnesses of the event. Usually, there were less of such witnesses there, but many had decided to attend after they heard about Mira. The intentions of some of them were clear, as they stared intently at Mira the entire time, and all of them happened to be single. They believed they had a chance at courting her. The next thing Mira noticed was how many people from the church were there. More than half those present were from the church, and they all seemed to have specific roles there, holding certain ritualistic items. (I feel like some people might be working overtime for this too¡­) As Mira continued thinking of misceneous things, the ceremony moved along. Currently, the archbishop was talking about the orphanages and the living conditions of the children there. Currently, their funds for the orphanages were far from ideal, having only the bare minimum for food and clothing, and often struggling to find the money for reparations and other forms of upkeep for the orphanages. ¡¸But today is a good day, as a ray of sunlight has graced our presence.¡¹ The archbishop¡¯s voice gained more energy after exining the bleak reality of the orphanages.
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Chapter 261: The Condition of the Children (1) Chapter 261: The Condition of the Children (1) Leave ament
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With the ceremony over and Mira having received that unexpected gift, everyone from the church watched as she left and headed to her next destination. ¡¸I¡¯m sure it was somewhere around here¡­¡¹ She had seen something back when she surveyed the city to find the best spots for her summons, and now was trying to find it again amongst the streets. To be precise, she was trying to get to the guards¡¯ station, as she wanted to ask what had happened after everything went down in the underground pipeways. So far, she only knew what Christina had told her, about the secret hideout of ve traders underground, and how the people of the mansion had been arrested in connection with it. But she still did not know what had happened with the children held down there, and that was what she wanted to find out. ¡¸Ah, there it is.¡¹ It was a sturdy building of steel and stone, looking rather in whenpared to the othervish buildings on the streets. Then again, that also made it look like a proper military building. That building was the headquarters of the guards and soldiers, holding the barracks,mand offices, and a consulting area. Thetter consisted of arge lobby with a reception desk, where a few people were gathered. Perking her ears, Mira listened in and understood that they were some shop owners who wanted help with removing some drunkards passed out in front of their stores.With all of the parties and celebrations after Fuzzy Dice¡¯s heist the night before, it made sense that there were many drunk people still out on the streets, and Mira had seen many of them on her way there too, though she felt some pity for the regr people annoyed by that nuisance. After around five minutes, it was finally Mira¡¯s turn at the desk. ¡¸Is Desmond here?¡¹ Mira wasted no time to ask that directly. She knew that the best way to learn everything that had happened was to ask for Desmond. ¡¸Umm, may I ask why you want to see him?¡¹ But Mira¡¯s straightforward question seemed a bit too sudden, so the receptionist was a bit confused. Mira realized how sudden her question had been, but she was not sure of how to exin either. And then¡­ ¡¸Ah, if it isn¡¯t the Spirit Queen. Thank you for all the help yesterday!¡¹ A soldier that was behind the reception desk stepped forward. ¡¸Hm? Ohh¡­ You were there yesterday too.¡¹ He was one of the soldiers from Desmond¡¯s unit that had been teasing him, and it was that easy-going attitude that helped Mira recognize him. d to see a familiar face, Mira asked him if he knew where Desmond was. ¡¸I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s in the third conference room. Just go to the third room from the stairs on the left there, and go straight all the way to the end.¡¹ The soldier quickly gave Mira some directions, but then the receptionistdy turned around in confusion, asking, ¡¸Should you really be telling her that?¡¹ Considering how secure the location was, and Mira¡¯sck of connection to it, that reaction was understandable. But after the events from the previous night, the soldier believed Mira was trustworthy. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. The Spirit Queen was one of our biggest allies there anyway.¡¹ With that, Mira was given permission to enter. ¡¸The third floor, and then¡­ Ah, it¡¯s here.¡¹ Mira went up the stairs, following the directions the soldier had given her, and moved along the third floor¡¯s hallway. After some walking, she found a roombeled Third Conference Room. From what she heard, Desmond was supposed to be in there, writing a report about everything that happened the previous night. There was a chance that they would require Mira¡¯s ount of the events as well, so it was actually best for her to be there. Standing in front of the door, she knocked three times, and after a short while, she got a reply to enter. ¡¸Excuse me¡­¡¹ Mira opened the door and looked inside, where she saw Desmond surrounded by many sheets of paper. ¡¸What do you¡­ Huh? Mira?!¡¹ He was taking the opportunity to stretch a bit, but when he saw Mira at the door, he let out a surprised voice. He had not been expecting her to visit like that. ¡¸Wait¡­ Err, anyway, please take a seat.¡¹ Still trying toprehend what was happening, he invited her to take a seat. Then, he went to the small kitchte in a corner of the conference room, where he muttered to himself, ¡¸Where was the tea¡­ No, that¡¯s cocoa¡­¡¹ ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m the one who came uninvited. I just have some questions about yesterday.¡¹ Mira tried to get Desmond to calm down as she exined why she was there, and mentioned that she just wanted to know what had happenedst night. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why you came. Alright, I¡¯m guessing Christina told you some parts already, but let me detail everything that happened!¡¹ After preparing some stuff, Desmond ced some tes and cups on the table where Mira was sitting, then picked up the papers and sat in front of her. Then, he said, ¡¸I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯ster, but I¡¯d also like to hear what happened on your side.¡¹ With that, he told the story of how they followed the footsteps left behind by Fuzzy Dice until they reached a door. There was a fallen man in front of that door, who had been put to sleep by Fuzzy Dice. Knowing that the sleeping man knew what was happening there, they restrained him and woke him up, and after some questioning, he revealed that the door led to the hideout of ve traders. Then, he also told them that there were more men inside, as well as multiple children. The men inside were rather skilled inbat, but that also applied to Desmond and his men, who all agreed they needed to break in, restrain the men, and free the children. They broke apart the door and rushed in, where they found six thugs and around ten children further in. One of the thugs was currently holding a doll up in the air, making a young girl cry. ¡¸And then, I felt like a gust of wind passed next to me, and in the blink of an eye, Christina appeared behind those men.¡¹ Desmond narrated everything as he saw it. Christina rushed between that man and the girl, and a momentter the man fell back unconscious. ¡¸I couldn¡¯t tell what had happened right away, and those men couldn¡¯t either, as they all looked confused. But that gave us a big opening.¡¹
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Chapter 262: Summoner Coaching (1) Chapter 262: Summoner Coaching (1) Leave ament
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Ten odd minutes of walkingter, Mira followed a route simr to the one she had taken the day before when heading to the Union. However, this time she bypassed the Union and instead entered the building next to it. ¡¸I believe they said it¡¯s on the second floor here.¡¹ At first nce, it appeared to be a lodging house right next to the Spellcasters¡¯ Union. It was three stories tall and slightlyrger than a noble¡¯s mansion, yet its exterior was rtively in, constructed of wood and stone. Just past the entrance was a small hall, with stairs leading further up and two hallways branching to the left and right. It strongly resembled a school building. Although the building wasrge, very few people were visible. This didn¡¯t mean it was empty, as Mira knew most were likely in the various rooms. ¡¸Second floor, to the end of the right side¡­¡¹ Mira ascended the stairs to the second floor and walked down the hallway, smiling to herself as she nodded at each room, observing everyone diligently working inside. The rooms were filled with children, but these were no ordinary kids; they were aspiring adventurers. As Nina had exined to Mira, they were there to learn how to fight, identify medicinal herbs, forage resources, and gain general knowledge about monsters. In essence, the building¡¯s resemnce to a school was no ident¡ªit was indeed a training institution for future adventurers.¡¸It¡¯s probably here.¡¹ Mira was there to fulfill her promise to Nina from the night before. She stopped at a roombeled Study Hall, which resembled a small library with its various bookshelves and tables with chairs. Inside, six kids were studying or researching independently. ¡¸Now¡­is she here?¡¹ As all were aspiring adventurers, they had heard about the Spirit Queen, and upon seeing Mira, they began muttering among themselves, wondering if it could be her. Meanwhile, Mira continued to look around. Nina had told her that their youngest sister, Rina, would go there every day to study summoning. However, Mira could not see anyone matching Rina¡¯s description. She decided to approach a young boy who was closest to her, asking, ¡¸I¡¯m looking for this girl, Rina, whoes here. Do you know her?¡¹ ¡¸Ah, err¡­ Y-Yes, I know her!¡¹ The boy replied nervously, perhaps because he suspected he was speaking to a rank A adventurer, or simply because of Mira¡¯s striking appearance. At the same time, there was a thud of something falling behind Mira. Turning around, she saw a girl standing with her mouth agape next to a bookshelf, a book sprawled open on the floor by her feet. ¡¸That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s her!¡¹ The boy managed to say, pointing at the girl. ¡¸I see, you have my thanks.¡¹ Mira beamed a smile at the boy as she thanked him, then trotted over to the girl, while the boy remained frozen, his facepletely red, having fallen victim to an impossible crush. But Mira was oblivious to that as she began talking with the girl. ¡¸So you¡¯re Rina? The little sister of Nina and the rest?¡¹ The girl¡¯s face resembled that of her sisters, but Mira wanted to bepletely sure, so she asked in a soft voice, met only with silence. Somehow, the girl was even more nervous than the boy, her mouth opening and closing constantly, and her eyes darting around rapidly. (Hmm¡­I was told she looks up to me a lot, so I guess it¡¯s normal that she¡¯s so nervous!) Mira was reminded of her fame, which filled her with pride as she squatted down to pick up the fallen book. ¡¸Th-Th-Thank you very much! I-I¡¯m Rina!¡¹ Rina epted the book with trembling hands and then bowed deeply. When she raised her head, her nervousness had been reced with joy. ¡¸Umm, you know! My sisters! My sisters told me! They told me that you¡¯de! And that you¡¯d teach me! And¡­¡¹ Rina¡¯s emotions spilled out rapidly, like a dam bursting. ¡¸Mhm, I get it, but try to calm down first.¡¹ Mira tried to soothe Rina before taking her out of the study hall and apologizing to everyone there for the disturbance. After that, they headed to an empty ssroom. ¡¸I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m just so happy I couldn¡¯t keep my voice down¡­¡¹ Rina looked away awkwardly, but Mira smiled and told her not to worry about it. Her enthusiasm clearly showed her desire to be an adventurer. ¡¸Let¡¯s get started then.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, please!¡¹ Rina was a fledgling summoner, and her older sisters had asked Mira to teach her, an opportunity Mira embraced as she aimed to revive the art of summoning. To begin, Mira wanted to assess Rina¡¯s strength. The results were as expected for her age; not surprising considering she was a child summoner with little training. When it came to knowledge about summoning, however, the results were different. Any question Mira posed was met with an instant reply from Rina, and after about twenty minutes, Mira was satisfied. ¡¸Good job! I see you¡¯ve been studying a lot.¡¹ ¡¸Thank you very much!¡¹ Rina was pleased to hear this. Her knowledge about summoning far exceeded what one would expect from someone her age, and Mira felt there was no need to review the basics at all. Rina showed great promise as a future summoner, which filled Mira¡¯s heart with expectations as well. ¡¸Considering everything you know, I believe we can skip all the theory and move directly to the next step.¡¹ Not only did Rina know the basics, but she was also familiar with more advanced topics, so Mira decided it was better for Rina to start practical training. So they left the building and flew away on Pegasus, which thrilled Rina immensely. ¡¸This is amazing! It feels so nice!¡¹ ¡¸I know, I know.¡¹ A smile formed on Mira¡¯s lips as she watched Rina¡¯s excitement. Their destination was a set of ruins from an ancient fort, ten minutes away from Haxthausen by air. Once they arrived, Pegasusnded next to the ruins. ¡¸Umm¡­ Are those¡­¡¹ Those ruins seldom received visitors, but they were not uninhabited. Rina noticed that and pointed at the ruins while firmly grasping Mira¡¯s hand. ¡¸Yes, they are Armor Spirits. You need to form a Contract with them before you can get started.¡¹ Those figures wandering around the ruins were Armor Spirits, the most basic of summons. Since Mira deemed Rina¡¯s knowledge sufficient, she brought the girl to these ruins so she could truly embark on her path as a summoner. ¡¸But¡­I¡­¡¹ While they were the first stepping stone of summons, the power of Armor Spirits rivaled that of middle-level monsters, so Rina was terrified just from the thought of having to confront them. But Mira continued walking forward, pulling Rina¡¯s hand after her, only stopping when they were about to enter the detection range of the Armor Spirits. There, she let go of Rina¡¯s hand to hold a bunch of stones instead. ¡¸Ah¡­ Are those what the Wiseman Danbulf always advocated for¡­¡¹ Rina had studied enough about summoning to correctly guess what Mira was nning to do.
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Chapter 263: Recommendation (1) Chapter 263: Rmendation (1) Leave ament
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¡¸Wee back! And thank you!¡¹ When Mira dropped off Rina at the inn, her older sister Nina came out and tightly hugged her. She was confident that Rina had just experienced the time of her life. ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it, I promised I¡¯d do this after all. It was also encouraging to meet such a talented summoner. Your sister has a lot of potential.¡¹ Mira seemed unfazed by the hug as she gave her honest opinion of their coaching session. Rina¡¯s happiness grew upon hearing this, and Mina and Nana also looked delighted. The Spirit Queen had recognized their younger sister¡¯s talent as a summoner. ¡¸She has a good memory and is quick to understand. But more importantly, she¡¯s a hard worker. If she keeps at it, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be a first-ss summoner.¡¹ Mira truly meant every word. Out of everyone she knew, Rina was the most dedicated and brimming with talent. Hearing this, the other sisters all joyfully hugged Rina, almost as if they too were being praised. ¡¸That¡¯s incredible, Rina.¡¹ ¡¸All your hard work is finally paying off.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m so happy for you.¡¹ Rina had always admired her sisters, aspiring to be an adventurer like them. But she lost hope when she discovered her aptitude was for summoning, a ss little renowned in modern times, until the Spirit Queen arrived like a ray of light breaking through the clouds, bringing new hope. Recalling her journey brought tears to Rina¡¯s eyes, even as her lips beamed the brightest smile.But that smile would notst long, as it would soon be time to say goodbye. ¡¸Well then, take care. Don¡¯t becent in your talent and make sure to always keep training.¡¹ Hearing that, Rina cast her eyes down. But then she shook her head and looked at Mira, firmly stating, ¡¸I will.¡¹ Rina understood that it wasn¡¯t realistic for Mira to stay and teach her indefinitely, but her heart still needed to ept that. Mira recognized this, yet she also had other thoughts. She had seen how much Rina had improved after just a day of training, so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how far she would go from here. Her current goal would keep her busy for now, but eventually, she would obtain new summons that could be used in various ways, and Mira was uncertain whether Rina would know how to best utilize them. Theck of an older generation of teachers was a significant challenge for summoners, and there was little Mira could do about that alone. Rina had already learned the basics and fundamentals independently, but she would still need guidance on how to apply them effectively. Sadly, there were scarcely any books or research on the matter, at least for summoners. (With a good teacher and practice, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be able to get at least as good as Creos¡­) It was hard for Mira to leave someone so talented behind, so she tried to think of any way to address that, and soon she thought of the perfect ce. ¡¸By the way, are you all residing in this city?¡¹ The sisters looked a bit confused by the sudden question, but then Nina replied with a hint of embarrassment, ¡¸Actually, we only came here because we wanted to see Fuzzy Dice¡­¡¹ Mina added that they didn¡¯t really have a permanent residence; they were traveling around the continent, searching for the right country to call home. ¡¸Hmm, I see. In that case, why don¡¯t you visit Arkite next? The capital has an academy with some of the best teachers around. I¡¯m sure Rina¡¯s talents won¡¯t go to waste there.¡¹ Mira felt like it was a brilliant suggestion, but somehow the sisters seemed somewhat distraught by it. ¡¸Arkite¡¯s Academy¡­ We did consider it before¡­¡¹ They had thought about enrolling Rina there when she first discovered her aptitude as a summoner. The Academy was known as the best ce for any aspiring spellcaster to learn, so they were hopeful that even Rina would thrive there. But they discovered that enrolling was exceedingly difficult. They looked into it as much as they could but gave up when they realized that a group of mere adventurers like them didn¡¯t have the necessary resources for that. ¡¸Hmm¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then I might be able to put in a word or two for you. What do you say?¡¹ The Academy¡¯s interest in summoning had soared like never before, and with Creos leading the summoners there, Mira believed she could persuade him to admit one or two students, especially if they were as talented as Rina. But more importantly, Mira felt it would be a waste of potential to just let Rina¡¯s talents go unutilized. When Mira mentioned her idea, the sisters were more shocked than anything. ¡¸Huh? Put in a word? You mean with the Academy? What?¡¹ Nina struggled toprehend what Mira meant, while Mina and Nana looked at each other in disbelief. Mira wasn¡¯t very familiar with the Academy, but she knew the entry requirements were stringent, especially for the most popr spellcaster sses. All students had to meet the high expectations of such a prestigious institution, located in the capital of what was known as the kingdom of spellcasters. Moreover, with the surge in poprity for summoners, there was likely a long waiting list. It seemed almost impossible to imagine someone being admitted halfway through the year. However, if anyone could create an exception, it was Mira. No one in the Academy would dare oppose a rmendation from the Wiseman of Summoning, and Creos wouldn¡¯t want to miss out on Rina¡¯s talents either. ¡¸Can I really go to the Academy?¡¹ Rina, having heard of Arkite¡¯s Academy, was filled with hope at the mention. Seeing her excitement, Nina turned to Mira, seeking confirmation. ¡¸Yes. As it happens, I have some connections there. If you really want to go, I can arrange some things to make it happen.¡¹ After saying this, she proudly mentioned that her own home was in Arkite, so she would be able to teach Rina if their schedules aligned. ¡¸I want to go!¡¹ The prospect of being taught by the Spirit Queen was Rina¡¯s biggest motivator. She turned to her sisters, tearfully stating that she would go alone if it interfered with their work as adventurers. Seeing her determination, the sisters all hugged Rina again. ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll all go with you!¡¹ ¡¸We¡¯d never say no to that.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get in.¡¹ After their disy of familial love, Nina turned to Mira again and said, ¡¸Please do everything you can!¡¹
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Chapter 263: Recommendation (2) Leave ament ? PreviousNext ? After promising to arrange things for Rina to enroll into Arkite¡¯s Academy, Mira left the sisters, who were all pleased with the news. Mira returned to the Baron Hotel, and quickly headed to her wagon so she could make the call right away. Nina and the rest would go eat dinner with the rest of their adventurer group, and would see if they were alright with relocating to Arkite as well. Then again, Fuzzy Dice¡¯s activity in Haxthausen had ended, so it was about time they decided where to go next, so Nina was confident they would agree to go to Arkite. ¡¸It¡¯s best to do these things quickly after all.¡¹ Muttering that to herself, she opened the wagon¡¯s closet, looking for themunication device. d that it wasing in handy once again, she pressed the buttons to get in contact with the Tower of Summoning. She believed she just needed to tell Creos about Rina, and he would get everything done. ¡®Hello, this is aide Mariana from the Tower of Summoning speaking.¡¯ Some ringster, Mariana picked up on the other side. ¡¸Ohh, Mariana! It¡¯s me, it¡¯s me!¡¹ Hearing Mariana¡¯s voice after so many days of being away filled her with happiness, and she quickly started telling her of everything that happened in Haxthausen.It was almost like a husband calling home during a business trip, and their conversation continued for around one hour. Eventually, Mira ran out of things to say and was about to hang up when she remembered why she was calling in the first ce. Mariana hurried to get ahold of Creos, and then Mira told him about Rina. He quickly gained interest in her, as Mira was personally rmending a student to him. The excitement in his voice was palpable even through the device, and once the conversation was over, he ran to his office to get the paperwork ready. Two days after themotion with Fuzzy Dice ended, Mira was about to go out in the morning when she noticed a letter that had been slid under the door of her room. It was somethingmonly seen in movies and such. In horror movies, such letters would usually contain messages like ¡®you are next,¡¯ but luckily, she had an idea of who had left it there. So happy that the wait was over, she picked it up and read its contents. Just as she expected, the letter came from Lastrada, and all it had was a set of coordinates. They corresponded to a spot within a forest further northeast from Haxthausen, right next to a smallke. Other than that, there was nothing particr about that spot. But Mira knew there had to be something more there, otherwise she would not have been told about it. ¡¸I guess he wants me to go there.¡¹ Mira understood that was the intent of the letter, so she checked out from the Baron Hotel and resumed her travels. She had Guardian Ash pulling on the wagon and she moved along the streets, entering any shop that caught her eye on the way. Her Item Box was already filled with useful adventurer tools, and more than enough food, but most of the shops she visited sold food. She had more than enough food to easilyst her a month, but she continued stocking up. There was just a small difference in the items she picked this time. She was mostly looking for sweets, instead of main dishes. First, she got various types of pancakes, then cakes, bavarois, chocte, and any other type of dessert she could find in the city. Then, after around a dozen bakeries, she found a type of bread she recognized. ¡¸Ohh, this!¡¹ That was the same type of bread she had seen in Christina¡¯s hands when Mira called her back the day of the heist. It was a small bun filled with cream, only big enough to fit on a palm. There was a sign on top of their disy too, which read, ¡®Filled to the brim with our special custard cream.¡¯ Mira quickly bought one and went to sit down to eat it right there, and was quickly impressed by its taste. ¡¸Ah, here it is! This is the ce!¡¹ Then two girls entered the bakery. The pair headed straight to the area with the buns, making it clear that they were also looking to buy those. ¡¸These are the buns they were giving away before, right?¡¹ ¡¸Mhm mhm, I¡¯m pretty sure they are.¡¹ That pretty much confirmed that these really were the buns Christina had been eating. Hearing that, Mira paid more attention, eavesdropping into their conversation. ¡¸Still, that knightdy was incredible.¡¹ ¡¸Ahh, the one with the twin tails, right? Yeah, I wonder how many she ate.¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m sure she ate way more than a dozen.¡¹ ¡¸They¡¯re so good so I can¡¯t really me her though.¡¹ ¡¸But I¡¯d swear she just vanished in the end, I wonder what kind of spell that was.¡¹ ¡¸No idea, who knows what happened. Maybe she was actually a bun ghost?¡¹ ¡¸What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¹ The two giggled as they continued talking. Meanwhile, a certain picture was starting to form in Mira¡¯s mind. Just in case, Mira decided to ask the baker, describing Christina and asking if she had been there that day. ¡¸Oh yes, I remember her. She really seemed to enjoy the buns, so it actually made me d and proud too.¡¹ The baker¡¯s words were the nail in the coffin. Christina had imed that she had been pressured into epting one of the buns, but that had not been quite true. After that, Mira bought around twenty buns, thanked the baker, and left the ce with a grin, knowing she had a piece of ckmail for Alfina. She resumed her travels, attracting the attention of almost everyone. It was notmon to see arge gray bear like Guardian Ash, which made Mira and the wagon stand out as well. Many recognized her as the Spirit Queen, calling her name, andmenting on how regal she looked. She had also be more famous after the incident with Fuzzy Dice and her donation to the church. With her stockpile of sweetsrge enough, and a smirk seeing all the attention she was getting, she decided to go sit on the driver¡¯s seat to show off even more. There, she sent Guardian Ash away, and then summoned Garuda instead, feeling like it was a good time to disy the abilities of summoners with so many eyes on her. The magic circle appeared, and from it the fantastical bird with richly colored wings emerged. The onlookers began to mumble amongst themselves, and when Garuda took hold of the upper handles of the wagon, they reacted with shock, wondering if the wagon was actually going to start flying. Garuda¡¯s wings began to p, sending a gentle breeze down the street, and the Wagon was slowly lifted into the air. As the people marveled at that, it was inevitable that word of the summoners¡¯ capabilities would spread, eventually reaching the ears of adventurers as well. Seeing the reaction of the crowd, Mira felt confident that she had sessfully imnted the idea of summoners being able to fly, and so she informed Garuda of her destination and she flew away from Haxthausen. ? PreviousNext ? Chapter 264: Forest Village (1) Chapter 264: Forest Vige (1) Leave ament
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A few hours of flyingter, Miranded deep inside the northeastern forests of Grimdart. There was also a smallke nearby, which looked minusculepared to the forest spreading endlessly in every direction. ¡¸Well, I¡¯m here, but I don¡¯t know what to do now.¡¹ Theke was around a hundred meters wide, and even as she looked around, she could not see anything that stood out. There was also no one waiting for her. All she knew was that she had been called to that location. With nothing to go off on, she decided to just wait until she received new information, and started taking a stroll around the area to kill time. There wererge trees, all upwards of ten meters tall, surrounding theke in every direction and growing densely packed. Mira had flown there so she did not notice just how deep into the forest she was. The long branches covered with leaves also blocked most of the sun, so the forest looked dark even though it was midday. For some reason, the northeastern area looked especially dark. ¡¸Oh, you got here fast. I guess that¡¯s the power of summoners! Sorry for keeping you waiting!¡¹ After some waiting, the person who called her finally showed up, greeting her with a cheerful voice. He was Lastrada the Mysterious, one of the Nine Wisemen. This time, his face was the one Mira knew in the past, so there was no mistaking him. With the exception of his attire, which made him look more like a prince.¡¸Why are you wearing that¡­¡¹ Mira frowned seeing that, fully aware that such clothes did not align with his usual preference, and Lastradamented, ¡¸I was told my usual getup wasn¡¯t a good influence on young children¡­¡¹ Once their greetings were over, Lastrada said they could talk more once they arrived, and guided Mira into the dark forest. ¡¸So the orphanage I¡¯ve been hearing about was run by Artesia after all.¡¹ As they both sat on the wagon¡¯s driver seat, with Guardian Ash drawing it forward, the two continued talking and Mira felt certain that her hunch had been confirmed. As she had thought, the orphanage she was looking for had been founded by another Wiseman, Artesia the Rivalrous. And now, she was heading to that ce. It had also been Artesia who had warned Lastrada about his getup. In the past, he had attempted to call himself the ranger of the forest, wearing rough armor and looking more like a raider, which caused the young orphans to start imitating him. He was basically still afflicted by the urges that had made him run into trouble with the police in real life. That was not really the best example to set, so in the end, he used his current attire. Mira felt like Lastrada just looked funny wearing a prince¡¯s clothes, but at least it was better than his first idea. Regardless, she was still delighted to know that she had not only found Lastrada, but would see Artesia soon as well, making this a very fruitful trip. Eventually, they reached a spot where next to no light made it through, and Lastrada stopped. Concept Magic lit up the area around them, and then a singr ray of light shone down. It was a rather surreal sight, like a hole was being opened straight through the tree canopies overhead. On top of that, when Mira perked her ears, she began to hear a faint mechanic rumbling. ¡¸What is happening here?¡¹ A tform, which looked incredibly sturdy even if it was made of wood, was lowered like an elevator through the hole. ¡¸Alright, just get on now.¡¹ Lastrada invited Mira to move onto the tform. She was still processing everything she saw, the light suddenly shining into the dark forest and a tform being lowered, but she did as told and moved the whole wagon forward. Then, the tform was hoisted up, moving toward the shining hole above. Mira was soon filled with anticipation, wondering what awaited her up there, and soon she began fidgeting as she could not wait to get there faster. But the tform continued rising, and the shining hole turned out to be even further up than it seemed. They had already gone more than ten meters up, and that was not even half of the distance needed to get there. ¡¸This goes quite high up.¡¹ Mira could not stop herself from mentioning her thoughts, and Lastrada replied, ¡¸We prioritized safety above all else.¡¹ Then, he added that sometimes monsters would randomly wander near that area, and that their current construction was the result of wanting to avoid dangerous encounters as much as possible. That only made Mira wonder even more what he meant with the current construction. As Mira just looked at him with curiosity, the tform finally reached the top. Their eyes were momentarily blinded by direct sunlight, and once Mira¡¯s squinting eyes got used to the light, she gasped at the sight. ¡¸Incredible¡­ This is just incredible.¡¹ A well lived area spread all around her, like an actual vige constructed on top of the forest. ¡¸Follow me, she¡¯s over here.¡¹ While Mira admired the scenery, Lastrada pointed out that they were still at the entrance, and he would take her to the church where Artesia was. The ground above the forest looked like a vast grasnd, and it remained firm as Mira¡¯s wagon moved forward, easily supporting its weight. It was strange to think of it as ground above a forest, but it was perfectly stable. Seeing that, Mira was impressed by the sturdiness of everything, Lastrada reiterated that they had prioritized safety above all else, and exined a bit more about the ce. What looked like grasnd was actually a surface made of multipleyers of special resistant spiderwebs, supported on the branches of trees below, with vines and nts interwoven. Water was also plentiful, and it was possible to farm on top as well. Then were the buildings, which all looked like tree houses. Wherever Mira looked, she could see somerge trees jutting out through the ground, which in total would measure more than twenty meters tall. The tree houses were attached to such trees. What was more shocking was that Artesia had designed all of that, and Lastrada had built it as she indicated. But that just gave a more handmade ir to everything. ¡¸What a magnificent structure.¡¹ Mira was actually impressed by it all, as she did not know Lastrada had such talents. All of the tree houses had been built at the same height, and while it still looked like they were in the middle of nature, it also felt very lived in. That somehow merged both appearances in a strange and inviting way. Something about the branches overhead, with rays of light passing through in a whimsical dance, felt like the sun was smiling at everyone there. Looking up, Mira also noticed a thin veil covering the sky. She instantly knew what that was. The whole vige was enveloped by another type of spiderweb that was imbued with an illusory spell. That way, the whole vige would remain hidden whether someone looked from above or from below,pletely concealing it. (This is certainly a safe vige.) Mira nced back at the tree houses as she thought that. Some timeter, the wagon arrived at thergest tree of the vige. That was near the center of the vige, and the church was built there too. It was made of roughly cut wood like the other tree houses, but it was much bigger. Lastrada exined that the church also served as a school, which necessitated that size. Lastrada also mentioned that at around that time of the day, the orphans also attended sses there, with Artesia and a few people who shared her ideals volunteering as teachers. The orphans were taught general knowledge, botany, biology, proper manners, how to fight and butcher monsters, arts and crafts, and more subjects depending on what the teachers knew.
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Chapter 265: Confirmation (1) Leave ament ? PreviousNext ? ¡¸And so, first I found Kagura and Soul Howl, but I¡¯d still like to secure some more manpower.¡¹ After detailing the state of Arkite, Mira continued to tell them about her travels, and how she came to search for this ce. It had all started with a rumor of a remote orphanage, which Mira believed could be rted to Artesia in some way. ¡¸Now I know I was right on the money. And I¡¯m quite pleased to have found both of you in one go.¡¹ Mira looked gleefully at Lastrada as she said that, having one less person to worry about. But she still knew that it would take some time before he would follow her back. Lastrada and Artesia were actively fighting against arge criminal organization. Knowing that, and being aware of how big of a task it would be, Mira decided to make a suggestion to Lastrada. ¡¸But I realize I can¡¯t ask you toe back with me, so I¡¯ll help you too.¡¹ In a way, it was a simr situation to Kagura¡¯s. So just like back then, Mira felt like the fastest solution would be to help them aplish their goals. But the response was not something she had anticipated.¡¸No, there¡¯s no need for that. Thatst job gave us the final piece we needed. Now we just need to deal the coup de grace.¡¹ The heist in Haxthausen had given them the tools and weapons they needed to exterminate thatrge ring of ve traders. Whether Mira helped them or not, they would soonplete that final step. Lastrada also noted that if they worked together, people would see the Spirit Queen and Fuzzy Dice working together, revealing that their confrontation after the heist had just been a sham. ¡¸We ended that on such a good note too. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s just the two of us against the organization, there¡¯s other people aiming for the same goal, and we have plenty of trustworthy allies. Just leave this to us.¡¹ He did not just sound confident, but certain of everything he said. A ve trader ring that spanned across the entire continent was arge enough evil to attract the attention of many other righteous people. ¡¸Hmm, I guess I can only believe you. But what kind of people are these helpers of you?¡¹ That was something else Mira was curious about, as she had sensed a powerful and influential person aiding the thief behind the curtains, considering everything that happened in the church and with Desmond. So she wanted to know exactly who it was. ¡¸Who, you ask¡­¡¹ ¡¸Yes..?¡¹ ¡¸Well, that¡¯s a secret of justice.¡¹ He ced a finger to his lips with a grin. For as long as Mira had known him, he had always possessed a strong conviction to keep secrets, even from someone¡¯s parents or close friends. But Mira was not pleased at all with that response. ¡¸Ugh I mean, at the very least you¡¯re working with King Judas, aren¡¯t you?¡¹ The urge to break apart secrets was human nature, and spurred by it, Mira brought up the most likely name she could think of. And that name produced a very clear reaction from Lastrada, essentially confirming that it had been King Judas who made sure Desmond could do his job. Even though it would be easy to just y dumb, Lastrada was too honest, and instead asked how Mira figured it out, so she briefly exined what she heard from Desmond, and that it was an easy conclusion to make. ¡¸I told him so many times to act more discreetly¡­ Oh well.¡¹ If even someone like Mira was able to figure out they were working together, then other people with simr information would also draw that connection, including people from the ve trader ring. But then Lastrada thought of something else. King Judas was not the only helper, and he cared a lot for the safety of the others. So it was possible that he was trying to stand out on purpose, drawing away attention from the others. At least that was how Lastrada reasoned King Judas¡¯ actions. ¡¸Well, it¡¯s Judas we¡¯re talking about, so I can¡¯t fully rule out that he was simply being careless.¡¹ ¡¸That¡¯s true.¡¹ Mira and Lastrada knew Judas since before he became a king, so they felt like that was even more likely. Meanwhile, Artesia had set up the table with tea, and Mira also received sweet hot cocoa and arge piece of cake. It was clear she was receiving special treatment. Mira began eating bits of everything, including regr tea, as they all continued talking about Fuzzy Dice. ¡¸Either way, I doubt there¡¯s a reason to get worried. From what I¡¯ve heard, their leader is getting desperate and he¡¯ll soon be forced to make a move.¡¹ Some of the people wanting to destroy the ve trader ring were not directly coborating with Fuzzy Dice, but they still kept in contact. One of them had told Lastrada that internal conflicts were starting to brew amongst the ve traders. That was starting to be arge issue, and ording to the person Lastrada knew, if they continued that way, it would eventually force the leader to leave his highly secured position. ¡¸Ohh, I see.¡¹ ¡¸It¡¯s hard to say how long it¡¯ll take though.¡¹ After that, Lastrada confidently said that it would likely be the first andst time that Fuzzy Dice would put his full power on disy. While he kept the informant¡¯s identity secret, he made sure to stress how trustworthy the informant¡¯swork was.That gave him the confidence that it would not take much longer before everything would end. That concluded their discussion about the Phantom Thief Fuzzy Dice. After many years of investigating and gathering evidence, they had identified the ringleader, and all they needed to do was to mercilessly crush whoever it was. And Lastrada had already started preparations for that. Unlike with Kagura, there was no room for Mira to join and help, all she could do was make sure he and Artesia returned to their country once they were done. ¡¸So moving on, will you be able toe back?¡¹ Mira could not help but worry that there were other things stopping them froming back home. When she asked about it, Lastrada sighed awkwardly before replying. ¡¸Actually, that¡¯s something we were considering already.¡¹ Returning to Arkite was something they thought of. The orphans would grow up better in a safe city rather than hidden away in the forest, and Arkite was the obvious country to pick from. Both Lastrada and Artesia agreed on that. But they did not act on it yet, not because having to fight as Fuzzy Dice would be harder, but simply because of the orphans they were watching over. ¡¸We decided we¡¯d ask the Commander in Chief to prepare an orphanage for us, and then we¡¯d take care of transporting everyone. But there¡¯s a certain issue in our way.¡¹ They could not just abandon the orphanage, so obviously they were considering taking all of them to Arkite. But that was easier said than done.1 ? PreviousNext ?
  1. Silva: well, now you have the strongest summoner on your side, it can be easily done
Chapter 266: Means of Transportation (1) Leave ament ? PreviousNext ? Once Solomon verified that things were set in ce for Artesia and Lastrada to move their orphanage, Mira hung up with a confident look. Then she reached for the device again, as well as her notepad with some annotations. ¡ºHello, this is Alioth.¡» Someone else¡¯s voice rang within the wagon. That was Alioth, the Fifty Bells¡» strategist. Kagura had given Mira a number to call, in case Mira ever needed anything from them again. ¡¸Ohh, it¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s me, Mira.¡¹ When Mira replied, the voice from the device cheered up and said, ¡¸It¡¯s nice to hear from you again.¡¹ As with any time people got to talk after a long absence, Mira and Alioth ended up engrossed in a lengthy conversation, especially since Mira was curious to learn what happened with Sentopolly and Roseline. ¡¸I see, I¡¯m d to hear everything is progressing smoothly.¡¹ ording to Alioth, there were still some small kinks to iron out, but overall, things had been taken care of. Now, they were mostly helping Roseline rebuild and expand.¡ºEither way, was there any specific reason why you called?¡» When Alioth brought that up, Mira realized how much time had passed, and eximed, ¡¸Oh right, I nearly forgot!¡¹ and finally went into the main subject. ¡¸There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask from Ka¡­I mean, from Uzume.¡¹ Mira asked if Kagura was avable to talk, and Alioth asked Mira to wait a moment. Soon, he returned and informed Mira that there was one of her shikigami at the headquarters, so she would be able to talk through it. That once again reminded Mira of how useful that ability of Kagura¡¯s was, and she waited until Kagura arrived. ¡ºHellooo, are you there grandpa? What¡¯s this about a favor?¡» A short whileter, Kagura¡¯s voice rang through the device and into the wagon. She sounded the same she always had. ¡¸Ohh, right, so there¡¯s this little situation¡ª¡¹ ¡¸That voice! Kagura! I¡¯m Artesia, it¡¯s been so long since west talked! I¡¯m d to hear you safe and sound.¡¹ Just when Mira tried to get right down to business, Artesia interrupted her, overtaken with joy at their reunion. Right after, Lastrada also joined saying, ¡¸It¡¯s good to hear you again, Kagura!¡¹ ???N¨¯¦Â§¦s ¡ºHuh? What? Artesia?! And¡­was that Hoshizaki Subaru?¡» ¡¸The one and only!¡¹ Artesia spoke with a soft giggly voice, while Lastrada¡¯s was overly enthusiastic. After that, Mira briefly exined how she met up with them, and then detailed what the favor was. Mira wanted to use the Fifty Bells¡¯ Spirit Flying Ship to transport the orphans. That was the idea Mira had gotten. There were too many limitations to traveling on the ground, and the only way to fly avable to her was her wagon, Pegasus, and Hippogriff, which meant a total of around eight people at once. The trip to Arkite would be faster that way, around two or three days in each direction. The downside was that there were upwards of a hundred children to transport, so it would take more than a month of constant flying between both locations to get everyone there. Repeating the same actions constantly for more than a month seemed incredibly mind numbing, and Mira really wanted to take a break for herself now that she had found Artesia and Lastrada. So that was when she thought of Kagura¡¯s Spirit Flying Ship. Flying Ships were still a new invention and exceedingly rare, even in countries like Arkite. But one of them would allow all of the children to travel at once. ¡ºSure, you can use it. I¡¯ll do it for Artesia and the children.¡» Kagura gave a prompt reply once she heard everything, agreeing to let them use the Spirit Flying Ship. She said it was for Artesia and the children, but she probably was also doing it for Arkite. With that decided, they began arranging how to do everything. It was a more involved process than Mira initially imagined. ¡ºAlright then, for now just ce an easy to spot mark somewhere.¡» ¡¸Sure, I can do that.¡¹ After sorting out everything, Kagura hung up and went to prepare the ship, while sending Piisuke to scout the area ahead, as she needed to get a proper look at the location to find a good spot to anchor the ship. Kagura was informed of the general coordinates, and she estimated Piisuke would get there in two or three hours. A few minutes before that time was over, Mira would go out on Pegasus to stand as a beacon in the sky for Piisuke. ¡¸Thank you Mira, I¡¯ll go tell everyone right away.¡¹ Artesia was beside herself with joy, knowing that the children would be blessed with a better environment to grow up, and she ran off to the church to spread the word. ¡¸Well then, General. I¡¯ll also head out now. Today, I¡¯m in charge of training the older group, and I can¡¯t afford to set a bad precedent by beingte. The red roofed house should be ready for you to use if you want, so just head there.¡¹ Lastrada pointed to one of the houses near the church, and added, ¡¸Let¡¯s meet again for dinner!¡¹ and then left. He did not show it quite as much as Artesia, but it was obvious he also cared about the children. ¡¸Hmm¡­ I guess I just have to wait for Piisuke.¡¹ Getting there had taken a considerable effort, so after the pair left, Mira stored away the note with the Fifty Bells¡¯ number, and then looked for the house that Lastrada had pointed to. Guardian Ash pulled the wagon to the house with a red roof. As they got closer, Mira realized that the color came from beautiful red flowers that acted as the roof. That made her notice that the other tree houses nearby all had unique colorful roofs as well, creating a scene that looked straight out of a fairy tale. ¡¸I quite like this.¡¹ While the leaves and flowers had vibrant colors, they all melded together in harmony, creating a peaceful environment. Mira continued looking at those flowers as she sent Guardian Ash away, and then entered the house with the red roof, where theforting scent of wood greeted her. Surrounded by all that nature, she made herselffortable and leisurely studied the Encyclopedia of Skills while waiting for Piisuke¡¯s arrival. Once it was almost time for Piisuke to arrive, Mira went out and began flying around the area on Pegasus. ¡¸There really aren¡¯t any viges nearby.¡¹ There was only dense forest as far as her eyes could reach, and there were no human settlement or traveler trails in sight. There was a small chance something could be hidden amongst the trees, but that was highly unlikely. Mira would have never thought to search in that area, even if she followed the rumors of the orphanage. Switching her target to Fuzzy Dice had been the right call after all. ¡¸This reminds me, I wonder who the leader of the ve traders is?¡¹ Lastrada had been confident he had everything he needed to destroy that evil group, regardless of how powerful the members were, so Mira did not really feel the need to worry about it. But Mira was starting to realize that there were multiple shady groups hiding in the world. She already had fought a simr one in the past, Chimera uzen, and chances were, she would run into yet another one in the future. The Nine Wisemen were also known for being on the entric side, so what had happened twice could easily turn into a third time, making Mira feel slightly apprehensive of where her next travels would take her. ? PreviousNext ? Chapter 267: Exclusive Lesson (1) Leave ament ? PreviousNext ? Mira spent the night in the treehouse with the red roof. The following morning, afterpleting her usual routine, she headed to her wagon¡ªnot to travel, but to use themunication device. As usual, she approached the closet and bent down to ess the device in order to dial Solomon¡¯s number. ¡ºThis is Solomon speaking.¡» ¡¸Hey, it¡¯s me, it¡¯s me! So about what we discussed yesterday¡­¡¹ Mira went straight to the point, telling Solomon that they had requested the help of Kagura¡¯s Spirit Flying Ship. ¡ºI see. I was a bit worried about how you would transport the children when I heard how many there are, but that¡¯s reassuring to hear. I¡¯ll prepare anding area to receive you then. Let me know whenever you know your time of arrival.¡» ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ll do that.¡¹ Their conversation was quickly over. Mira hung up and then stepped out of the wagon, thinking of a n for the rest of the day. All she needed to do was wait for the Spirit Flying Ship to arrive, then take everyone to Arkite, and she wouldplete her current mission.She essentially was free to do anything she wanted while she waited. (I guess there¡¯s nothing wrong withying back when surrounded by nature.) After working as a Wiseman for so long, she felt like she had earned the right to rx and bezy for a while. So she adopted a more vocational mindset as she made her way to the church, since she had been informed by Artesia that it was a rule for all residents to share breakfast together. There were already many children at the church¡¯s dining hall, even though it was still around ten minutes early. When Mira arrived, the already lively children became ecstatic. ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s Mira!¡¹ One of the children noticed her, and that attracted many other children to gather around her. Soon, they were all demanding her attention, asking for stories from her past adventures, or who she had fought recently. The fact that she was a rank A adventurer was enough to make any kid curious about her. ¡¸Umm¡­um, I saw you on Links News. Can I have an autograph!¡¹ One of the children said that while holding a piece of paper and a pen. He seemed to know that Mira was also known as the Spirit Queen. Even while living in such a remote area deep within a forest, the children had knowledge of world events happening everywhere. That was thanks to Links News, which the child had mentioned. It was a newspaper that gathered recent information from all over the continent, and the older orphans had ess to read it. But because of that, he was a lot more timid and reserved with Mira, unlike all the other younger children. ¡¸You¡¯re all quite lively early in the morning.¡¹ Mira grimaced a little, being surrounded by so many children, but she happily obliged their requests, telling them about the Ancient Underground City she had visited recently, where she fought Machina Guardian. The entire time she continued signing autographs. Overall, she felt like a famous rockstar. After that bustling breakfast, Mira ended up in the front of a ssroom, with around a dozen young children looking at her attentively. That was something Artesia and the teachers had requested from her. Now that they had decided to relocate to Arkite, many of the adults were busy getting everything ready for the move. The older children were also helping out with that, so there were not enough people to look after the younger ones. At first, the adults considered taking turns to watch over them, but since Mira had nothing better to do, she also decided to help. ¡¸While we¡¯re all called spellcasters, there are actually nine different types¡­¡¹ Mira was unsure of how to watch over the children at first, but then someone asked her to teach the basics of spellcasters, as well as their connection to spirits. That was knowledge she was intimately familiar with, so she happily began giving a lesson. ¡¸Spirits, more than anything, are wonderful friends¡­¡¹ She summoned Worthramble and Anlutine, allowing the children to interact with spirits directly, as she continued her lesson. Soon, the children¡¯s attention was drawn to the incredible powers of the two spirits, and away from Mira, making her start to feel jealous, but still delighted to see the children so happy. ¡ºThey look like such innocent and honest children. I want to be there too.¡» ¡ºJust having children around can improve anyone¡¯s mood.¡» Martel and the Spirit King began to mutter, as their maternal and paternal instincts had activated. Worthramble and Anlutine also seemed to hear them, and they turned around and moved next to Mira together with all the children. Then all of them began conducting an experiment with spiritual magic. The various effects of stillness and water amazed and entertained the children, and they learned a lot. Being able to see the smiles of children from close by was also something special, which Martel and the Spirit King enjoyed through Mira¡¯s eyes. Everyone there was smiling and giggling happily. One of the teachers passed by to check on things, and seeing that, went back to work, knowing that asking Mira had been the right choice. But then things began to take a strange turn. ¡¸As you can see, with the help of trustworthy allies, you can assign a defensive or offensive position to them for the perfect battle formation. So I¡¯m sure you can agree that summoners really are the strongest!¡¹ Once the children were entertained enough, Mira proceeded to dere that anything was possible for summoners. She hijacked the basic lesson about spellcasters and turned it into an exclusive lesson all about summoners. Even the points she made about spirits were extrapted into other creatures that summoners could form Contracts with. ¡¸Listen now, the simplest but surest way to win a fight is through numbers¡­¡¹ By that point, Mira was talking exclusively about the uses of summoning. But since she had summoned the First Lieutenant, Pegasus, Popotwise, Guardian Ash, the Korpokkur Sisters, and the Valkyrie Sisters, which were all friendly in the eyes of younger children, things still went well. Majestic beasts, beautiful warrior maidens, and Cait Sith and Popotwise that jumped and twirled around. They all looked like the main characters of a y, and when a teacher came to check on them, the teacher left a bit shocked but impressed by the Spirit Queen¡¯s powers. But the current situation was quite different from how it seemed at first sight. ¡¸An encircling formation like this is the ideal way to overwhelm a foe with numbers¡­¡¹ Mira was using Guardian Ash as the foe the rest of the summons had to defeat, and was teaching various battle formations to the children. They looked like a happy circle of friends, but in reality it was a cruel formation that covered any escape routes, with the strongest members in Guardian Ash¡¯s blind spot. The strength of summonersy in their ability to increase their number of allies present, but that also made proper battle formations valuable information. Mira stressed that countless times, while demonstrating various types. ¡¸But if you only repeat this every time, your enemies might start to anticipate it, and so¡­¡¹ ? PreviousNext ? Chapter 268: Spirit Tourism (1) Leave ament
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Once everyone had boarded and they made sure no one had been left behind, the Spirit Flying Ship began to move. All the children assembled in the room at the front of the ship, which featured arge window. Through it, they watched as the ground slowly receded beneath them. Eventually, the ship reached an altitude of around a thousand meters, and through the window they could see the sea of trees extending far into the horizon, almost melding with the neverending sky. It was so different from anything they were ustomed to that it felt like they were glimpsing a whole new world. While the idea was to carry all of the children to Arkite, someone had decided that the route would not be a straight line. Instead, the ship would deviate whenever there was an interestingndmark, and slow down to let the children watch and enjoy. Every time that happened, they would cheer loudly. Currently, they were passing by thergest waterfall in the entire continent. ¡¸Now, this is impressive.¡¹ Mira was also looking out of the window, with the youngest group still gathered around her. Their trip to Arkite had been turned into a sightseeing tour of the continent. As Kagura exined, some of the people working with her had the idea of changing course like that when they heard that the children had grown up in a secluded forest and had seen very little of the outside world.¡¸Though I feel like some of them just wanted to see certain ces themselves.¡¹ So far, the Spirit Flying Ship had only been used to travel during emergencies or to carry heavy cargo. This was the first time it was being used for something else, so the members of the Fifty Bells decided to enjoy the trip, while also making sure the children had a good time. ¡¸¡­And that¡¯s the situation here. We should be arriving tomorrow at noon.¡¹ ¡®Got it. I¡¯ll get everything ready and we¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡¯ Mira used themunication device to update Solomon on the situation as well, before going to a room where Kagura, Artesia, and Lastrada were gathered. It waste at night, and the children had all quickly fallen asleep, exhausted from all their excitement during the day. The teachers and crew could look after them, so Mira and her friends gathered to catch up with everyone. The four talked at length untilte at night, reminiscing about the past, their current ns, all of their expectations for the future, and so on. The next morning, Mira woke up and went to enjoy the morning sun on the ship¡¯s deck, while enjoying a bottle of Summer Seasons au Lait. That one was made from summer fruits harvested from the Forest of Four Seasons. ¡¸Mira, could you spare us a moment?¡¹ Just as Mira felt like the citrusy vor of her drink was finally waking her up, she heard someone behind her. Turning around, she saw one of the spirits that was helping the Fifty Bells. And there was a multitude of spirits further back. ¡¸Wh-What is it?¡¹ Slightly intimidated by the determined look on all of the spirits, Mira stammered a response. Then, one of the spirits replied for all of them, saying, ¡¸Please allow us to hear the voice of the Spirit King at least once!¡¹ Mira had already seen a glimpse of that after the recent incident with Anlutine, but it was clear that the Spirit King was a very important figure for all spirits. All of their faces were brimming with hope as they looked at Mira. Wondering what the best course of action was, she decided to ask the Spirit King, who replied, ¡®Hm? What¡¯s happening?¡¯ He had not been actively looking through Mira¡¯s eyes at that time, so Mira had to update him on everything that happened. At least their connection allowed them to talk instantly like that. Once he was all caught up, his reaction was, ¡®I¡¯m sorry for all the troubles my kin seem to be causing you,¡¯ though he sounded happy about it. Later on, the spirits and the Spirit King began talking, and continued all the way until it was time for breakfast. The spirits all revered the Spirit King as their father, and he saw them as his children. Their connection was far more profound than the familial ties between people, but it was just as filled with love. But soon, Martel could not hold back anymore and she joined the conversation, derailing things into a different direction. Originator Spirits were seen like unconditional older siblings, and since one of the spirits was in a rtionship with a human, Martel turned their family conversation into romantic discussions. Mira could hear everything too, so she let it y in the back of her mind as she looked up, seeing that the weather looked good that day. ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why everyone volunteered toe right away.¡¹ After breakfast, and as the ship continued its route to Arkite, Mira told Kagura everything that happened that morning, and she seemed to piece together the events leading to that. When Kagura announced in the Fifty Bells¡¯ headquarters that Mira had requested the help of the Spirit Flying Ship, all of the spirits present immediately volunteered toe along. At first, she thought they simply liked the children that much, but hearing what Mira told her, everything made a lot more sense. Spirits usually felt like supernatural entities, but even they had a parent. Kagura also noticed that the spirits seemed to be in a better mood that day. The ship continued flying across the continent without any setbacks, and shortly after noon, they finally entered Arkite. There were still a fewndmarks to visit in there before they headed to the capital city of Lunatic Lake. After flying over a small ridge, the main attraction there came into view. Nine imposing towers, the dream of all spellcasters, and the home of the Nine Wisemen, the strongest spellcasters. The Silver Linked Towers. That was a special ce for all spellcasters, which prompted some of the crew members who were also spellcasters to stare out of the window in admiration, while the children looked at the Silver Linked Towers the same way as the previousndmarks, not really aware of their meaning. The crew were also promised some free time after the children were delivered sessfully, so the spellcasters had already nned on visiting Silver Horn during that time, so they could see everything from up close. ¡¸This brings back memories.¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, those were the times.¡¹ ¡¸They haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡¹
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Chapter 269: The New Orphanage (1) Leave ament
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¡¸Shall I show you around the facilities then?¡¹ Suleyman also began a tour of the whole ce granted to them. Overall, it was a plot ofnd two hundred meters long, and a hundred fifty meters wide, with many other facilities other than the main building. There was a stable, with enough space for five horses. Seeing that, Artesia and the teachers began to discuss how it would be a good learning experience to get a few foals and have the children help raise them. Other than that, there was a training gym, a warehouse, various workshops, and as was expected of the country of spellcasters, Arkite, there was also a special Skillboratory, which was strong enough to withstand middle level spells without affecting the surroundings. Thest ce they visited was the bathhouse, built right next to the main building. ¡¸Ohh, this looks nice!¡¹ Solomon was always particr about baths, so he would never forget about that aspect for the orphanage. It had been built recently, designed without any sharp corners so the kids would be safe even if they became a bit rowdy. It was alsorge enough to fit many people at once, and the heater had been specially made with Magic Engineering to use Magic Stones as fuel, making it really efficient.Hearing that, Mira took out a portion of the wealth of Magic Stones she had obtained and gave them to Artesia, as a gift for their new home. Once they were done looking around, it was finally time to enter the main building. ¡¸Ohhh this is amazing.¡¹ ¡¸Incredible!¡¹ The area right past the entrance was a ce of worship. As Suleyman exined, the Three Gods¡¯ Church had also aided with remodeling the ce. The idea was to expose the children to the Three Gods¡¯ religion from a young age, in the hope that they would be fervent followers once they grew up. Mira could only smile awkwardly, understanding the undertones of those actions. But that was only the entrance. After going through a corridor, everything looked more like an actual school, but arranged in a way that would allow it to operate as an orphanage as well. There were many improvements and changespared to a school, which had been designed by Suleyman, so he was able to exin everything to them. Those included a dining hall and kitchen, rooms repurposed for children to y in, and many ssrooms. It was clear that they had not spared any expense when renewing the building, which Artesia and Lastrada found great joy in. ¡¸The third floor houses the dormitory. There¡¯s enough space for more than a hundred beds there.¡¹ Suleyman seemed happy to see those reactions, so he went up the stairs in a good mood. Everyone followed him, also looking forward to seeing what was next. As soon as they got there, they were greeted by the sight of the children and teachers, the children appearing as though they had just been in an argument. It did not take long for Mira to realize what had caused that. ¡¸They¡¯re probably fighting over who sleeps where.¡¹ Mira¡¯s hunch was fully correct, as a teacher soon exined that there was a big argument about who got to sleep next to the windows, or on top of the bunk beds. ¡¸Oh yeah, I think something like this happened before too.¡¹ ¡¸Yes, yes it did happen.¡¹ Lastrada and Artesia seemed to remember something from their time living on tree houses as they smiled at each other. Their curiosity was piqued as they wondered just how different the beds could be to cause such amotion, only to discover that the concerns were indeed more justified than they had initially thought. The ssrooms had been split into four smaller rooms, each of which had two bunk beds next to the window, and two facing the corridor, making those beds with a view outside extremely desirable. ¡¸I can¡¯t believe this¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for not thinking of this ahead of time.¡¹ Suleyman looked around the rooms in disappointment, realizing he had failed to ount for the behavior of children. He then promised them that he would take their issues into consideration, and woulde back with a satisfactory solution for everyone. That managed to calm down the children, so that took care of things. A few dayster, he would have the solution, with a different arrangement for the bunk beds that left all of the children happy. Any time he epted a job, he made sure to see it to the end. ¡¸That concludes the tour, we should make our way to the castle soon.¡¹ Once they were done looking around the third floor, Suleyman said that. With the tour of the facilities over, it was finally time for the more important matter. An audience with Solomon, or rather, a reunion with him. Mira and the rest then told the teachers that they would go have a meeting with King Solomon, and left the new orphanage. They all climbed onto a carriage parked next to the orphanage, and after around ten minutes of riding, they arrived at Arkite Castle. ¡¸Ohh, this ce hasn¡¯t changed one bit!¡¹ ¡¸I know. It really brings back many memories, being here after so many years.¡¹ While the areas surrounding the castle had been renewed over the years, the main castle itself still looked the same, which brought a sense of homing to the two as they gazed upon it. But it was only the exterior that had remained the same, as the interior waspletely different. ¡¸Ahh! Wee back, Lady Mira!¡¹ ¡¸Would you like some refreshments? Or shall we prepare the bath for you?¡¹ With almost impable timing, the two maids Lily and Tabatha came running out to meet Mira, as they had overheard she would arrive that day. ¡¸Remember to mind your manners around guests, you two.¡¹ Suleyman warned them, and they looked around in shock. They had been so fixated on Mira that they had not noticed Artesia, Lastrada, or even Suleyman, so they bowed and apologized to them. Also, as they had never seen Artesia or Lastrada before, they still did not know that they were two of the Nine Wisemen.
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