A Mother-Daughter Reunion?
A mother-daughter reunion? But then the flames began to subside little by little. The soaring pillar of fire gradually shrank until it finally vanished completely.
"Huh...?"
As the surroundings fell quiet, Master tilted her head and peered outside.
"Hmm... This is..."
"It seems the labyrinth's ruler has changed," Nis said, stroking my head.
"Yeah."
Gasp! The ruler changed!? No way! That's my ruler spot! It was a gift Master prepared for me!
But wait... who became the new ruler?
Actually, looking at these flames, it was obvious. It had to be Cecilia. It matched perfectly with her nature as a flame butterfly.
But how on earth...?
Did the carriage party defeat the original ruler? Against world-class powerhouses like Master and Nis?
I was lost in thought when—
Tatata!
Quick footsteps echoed from afar. Light, rhythmic steps drawing steadily closer. But they sounded oddly childlike. Bouncy, cute little pitter-patters.
Eh...? Who's that?
Along with the footsteps, a strange energy began to emanate. That familiar aura from the Demon Realm...?
But it felt a bit different. Warmer, more friendly.
"Mm? This scent!"
Nis suddenly lit up with joy, her eyes sparkling.
"It's the scent of an evil god! Someone connected to an evil god is coming!"
Evil god...? Scent of an evil god?
Curious, I looked more closely, and a small shadow appeared in the distance.
Eh...? What's that...?
As it drew nearer, it was a little girl. She looked about kindergarten age... Fiery red hair like blazing flames caught my eye first. Her short bob bounced cutely with each step. The hair shimmered like real fire, a work of art in itself.
The girl's face was tiny and adorable. Her round, soft cheeks made me want to pinch them. A bead of sweat dotted her cute little nose, and her small lips curved in a wide smile, revealing a glimpse of white teeth.
But the most astonishing part was her eyes. Large and round, with red irises where real flames danced and flickered like a tiny hearth. Every blink made the fire sharper, more vivid.
And... eh!? Why is she naked!?
The little girl was running toward us completely bare, without a hint of shame. Her innocent sprint was so pure it melted my heart.
Who is she...? This feeling, this scent... It's familiar...
As she ran, the air around us grew cozy. Like spring sunlight seeping in, a gentle warmth spread everywhere. With each step on the ground, tiny sparks flew up and vanished.
The moment she spotted me, her eyes sparkled brighter, and she flashed a radiant smile. Then she sped up, charging straight at me, shouting,
"Mommy!"
...?
Mommy...?
Me...? But I'm only six...?
Ah... no way...
"What!!"
A shout burst from me before I knew it.
C... Cecilia!? No, really Cecilia!?
She polymorphed!?
And ☆☆☆☆☆☆ 6-star!? Level 814!? She even evolved!?
How is this possible...? Does becoming ruler make you this strong!?
Her level shot up by nearly 600, and her stars increased too?
"Uh... uh...?"
I stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape, when Cecilia was suddenly right in front of me. Her cheeks flushed pink, the flames in her red eyes dancing more vividly.
She raised one hand and beamed.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, a warm wind swirled around Cecilia. Not scorching heat, but a cozy breeze that melted Master's ice barrier in an instant.
"Gasp!"
As the ice vanished, hot air rushed in—but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like a gentle spring breeze.
And then Cecilia leaped straight at me.
"Mommy!"
Poof!
I caught her flying toward me on reflex. Her small, warm body plunged into my arms. Cozy heat radiated from her entire frame.
"Uh... uhuh...?"
My mind went blank, mouth hanging open. My heart pounded, reality slipping away.
Up close, she was truly beautiful. Cecilia's red hair felt soft and warm to the touch. The flames in her eyes were even clearer, their gentle light melting my heart.
"Mommy! Mommy! Missed you so much!"
Cecilia wriggled in my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her warm body heat came with a sweet scent—not the floral one from before, but like caramel mixed with honey.
"C... Cecilia? Is that really you?"
"Yesh! Cewilia!"
The child looked up at me with a beaming grin. Gentle flames danced in her red eyes. It was magical—not scary fire, but warm and loving.
But her being naked like this was embarrassing. Even for a kid...
I quickly shrugged off my pitch-black cloak and wrapped it around her.
"Wrap this around you."
"Heehee! Mommy cwock!"
Cecilia buried herself in the cloak, delighted. She looked much cuter all bundled up in the fluffy fabric.
"How... how did you become human?"
"Got stwong! Like Mommy twansform!"
Cecilia said proudly. Her clear, bell-like voice rang out sweetly from her little mouth.
Phew... "transform" almost became a bad word...
Cecilia's explanation wasn't helpful, but... polymorph must be thanks to the labyrinth's core.
Then Cecilia spotted Miel on my shoulder.
"Ah! Miew auntie!"
Cecilia grinned and waved at Miel.
Flap flap!
Miel fluttered around Cecilia curiously in response. But then she yanked at my hair.
...?
What's with your speech...? Were you secretly browsing the internet...?
"Hehe. Miew auntie, so cool."
Cecilia admired Miel's advanced skill with wide eyes.
That's when Master gazed at Cecilia in wonder and said,
"So this child is that flame butterfly..."
"Yeah! Gwanny!"
Cecilia beamed at Master.
Granny...?
Grandma?
Master's flawless beauty froze for a moment. Her elegant brows twitched faintly, confusion flickering in her pale eyes.
"G... Grandma...?"
Master echoed in a flustered voice.
Nis chuckled at the sight.
"Pffft... Frostia as a grandma? Hilarious."
But Nis's expression turned serious.
"Still, why is the evil god's aura so strong?"
"Mommy's fwiend helped!"
Cecilia said proudly.
Eh? My friend...?
"My friend? Who...?"
As I asked puzzled, Cecilia smiled even brighter.
"Yeah! Abwaksas! Mommy's bestie!"
Abraksas...?
Bestie!? Why is he so clingy!
Cecilia continued excitedly,
"And Abwaksas said make me apostle!"
Apostle!?
So Abraksas helped take down this place's ruler...?
Even as an apostle, beating a ruler? Abraksas fears ruler Nis, though? Was this ruler a total pushover...?
Ugh, whatever... What the heck is going on...?
"Hmm~ A clever choice, Abraksas," Nis said, eyeing Cecilia with intrigue.
"Making Cecilia his apostle to send us a friendly signal... while securing his own safety net."
Then Nis's gaze turned icy.
"But that doesn't mean I'll let him off."
Cecilia puffed her cheeks, clenching her tiny fists in an angry pout. Flames roared in her eyes, wrinkling her little nose.
"Auntie-gwanny! Don't buwwy Abwaksas!"
Auntie-grandma...?
Nis's elegant composure shattered.
"A... auntie-grandma...?"
Nis stammered in shock.
Pfft... Barely holding back laughter, I asked Cecilia the most pressing question.
"Cecilia, can you tell me what happened? How did you beat this place's ruler?"
"Yeah yeah! So wike this!"
Cecilia perked up and launched into her explanation.
"Gwessia auntie went pow! And Wote auntie went whoosh! wike this!"
She flailed her little arms, wriggling her whole body.
"Then Wevy auntie went bang bang!Wiandel uncle went zap zap! And wast, apostle me went boom!"
...?
Even with her enthusiastic gestures, I couldn't understand a word. What’s “wike this” or “whoosh”...?
"Um... Miel, did you get that?"
I asked Miel on my head, and she quickly wrote her reply.
Ah... I see. Explaining to Cecilia was hopeless from the start.
"Then where are the others? Glessia, Lote, Liandel, and Levy?"
"Ah! Everyone westing at bottom!"
Cecilia grinned and pointed downward.
"Shall we go?"
"Otay! Fowwow!"
Cecilia hopped down from my arms and bounced ahead. Cloaked in black, her eager little hops were utterly adorable.