Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Like Mother, Like Daughter
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“Guhhh—!!”
Witch Bellamyr screamed, clutching one of her eyes.
Drip...
Red blood trickled between her fingers, staining her cheek as droplets fell.
The crimson glow that had dwelled in that eye had long since vanished.
“Damn brat...!!”
As her rage exploded, the entire forest twisted like a dream.
Trees warped, sky and earth flipped.
The inverted lake surged upward, coiling around the land.
“Aaahhh—!!”
Unable to swallow her pain, she wailed...
In response, the corrupted spirits—nurtured on emotions—shrieked in the air, shedding blood-like shadows.
The spirits swirled around the witch, drifting like fear-soaked phantoms.
“Why... how... how did you take my eye...!”
A faint crimson flicker wavered in Bellamyr's remaining eye.
At that moment...
—Zzzt... Zzzzt...
The forms of the corrupted spirits circling her glitched like noise, then exploded in a burst of dark red shadow.
“Ah... don't go! Don't leave me...!!”
Amid the scattering shadows, the corrupted spirits briefly regained their momentary light.
Shapes restored to their original radiant glory.
But it lasted only an instant.
Soon...
─────!!
An indescribable scream tore through the forest.
“Ah... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...”
Bellamyr embraced the spirits, shedding bloody tears.
Her shoulders trembled, her fingertips steeped in despair.
That was when it happened.
Plop.
The bloody tears from her eye soaked the ground...
Then spread like a crimson lake.
From within, countless corrupted spirits surged forth.
Dark existences, like shadows in a fleeting dream.
Screaming... they soared through the air like swimmers, and at their center, a massive form slowly raised its head.
“Ah... Bahamut.”
The name she whispered breathlessly.
What finally emerged from the shadows... was an overwhelming being shaped like a dragon.
Twisted horns, wings dissolving into smoke.
Too corrupted to call a spirit... too divine to deem a monster.
Its name and existence long forgotten...
The corrupted Spirit King Bahamut... crouched protectively around the witch.
“Destroy everything...”
At her command, the spirits' noisy presence settled.
Those who had held a flicker of light... once more fully consumed by darkness.
They advanced once again toward the Delbar Ducal House.
***
‘How the hell am I supposed to deal with this.’
“Sniff sniff...”
Mikurebi kept shoving his face against my body, sniffing away.
Thanks to him, I was pinned under Carnel, unable to move a muscle.
I tried twisting my body somehow...
Squelch~
‘Ow, shit.’
His position on me was too awkward for that.
...Honestly, it was possible.
It really was...
But as a human, as a person, basic decency from our senior-junior relationship held me back.
I glared at Mikurebi hard enough to shoot lasers from my eyes.
But he ignored my stare completely and...
Plop.
Sat right on my mask.
“Quite to my liking.”
‘What’s there to like? Get off.’
“I refuse. The warmth is just right, human.”
He flapped his fins and sprawled flat on my mask.
Like soaking in a hot spring, he wagged his fins leisurely, basking in peace.
That was when...
─────!!
Far off... beyond the forest, a deafening roar rattled my eardrums.
“...Gah!”
Mikurebi jolted in fright, flopping his body and springing away.
Seizing the chance, I used mana threads to barely free myself from under Carnel.
After catching my breath... I cautiously peered out the window.
‘...What the hell is that.’
The white snow swirling around the mansion had stopped long ago.
Beyond it, uncountable spirits were surging through the forest.
‘Why are they so persistent.’
I knew without asking.
This had to be the witch’s doing.
Same as before—her obsession was intense.
‘But...’
The magic circle that had blanketed the sky was gone.
Meaning the mansion was defenseless now.
And the duke still hadn’t moved.
So... the one who could handle this...
‘Me?’
Carnel was out cold, and the duke had to have sensed the spirits’ approach.
He couldn’t have missed that roar.
Yet he wasn’t moving...
Something must’ve come up, or... he was too lazy?
‘No way.’
The Duke of Delbar I’d seen...
Wouldn’t just sit this out because it was a hassle.
—Crackle...
I drew Leviathan and let out a long sigh.
Then thud thud... I stepped out of the mansion.
‘Levi.’
“What.”
‘Can you do it in five minutes?’
“Do what.”
‘Can you wipe those things out in five minutes.’
Mikurebi crossed his fins and tilted his chin up smugly.
His face brimmed with arrogance.
“Hmph... Child’s play.”
‘Oh... really?’
—Thud!
I plunged Leviathan deep into the ground.
—Ssshhh...
An abyss spread from Leviathan.
Darkness rose... and the earth quaked.
‘Miss even one, and no dinner?’
The abyss pulsed sharply in response.
──────!!
And...
A dragon descended, bursting through black waves.
***
─────!!
The corrupted spirits’ shrieks from beyond the forest.
Were they cries of sorrow, rage, or pain...?
The indescribable wails scrambled my mind.
“......”
The duke silently raised his lowered head.
“My lord, the spirits are swarming again.”
“How many.”
“...Too many to count.”
The duke sighed deeply.
Why wouldn’t this wretched world let him rest?
“Thanatos.”
“Yes.”
“Must I really move?”
The duke just wanted to rest.
For calm to come—no one seeking him, nothing asked of him.
But even that luxury was denied him now.
Fatigue from sleepless days seeped into his bones.
Endless bad news, including Amelia’s condition...
All weighed on his shoulders.
“...”
Thanatos watched the duke, then glanced out the window.
With a brazen face, he said calmly,
“No need, my lord. We’ll handle a few thousand ourselves.”
“......”
“We’ll stake our lives to defend Delbar—”
“Sigh... Stop there.”
The duke raised a hand to cut Thanatos off and stood.
His back cracked, and he gazed out the window.
“Such a pain... truly.”
Endless spirits charging in.
They knew piercing Delbar was impossible, yet they didn’t stop.
“...Hm?”
Just then, the duke’s gaze fixed on one spot.
An abyss spread from the mansion’s center.
And at its heart stood a familiar figure.
“That’s...”
“...It’s that boy, my lord.”
As Thanatos said, Adel stood at the abyss’s core.
And behind him...
──────!!
A colossal dragon surged, cleaving the abyss.
It flew straight for the forest, slamming into the spirits.
The breath from its maw obliterated the corrupted spirits mercilessly.
“Hoo... A dragon...”
Thanatos let out an impressed sigh.
But the duke said nothing, quietly sitting back down.
“...My lord?”
To the puzzled Thanatos, the duke murmured low,
“Five minutes’ rest, then we go.”
“Pardon?”
***
‘All done?’
Pop.
I yanked Leviathan from the ground with effort.
At that moment, the abyss enveloping the mansion began fading.
As darkness receded, the massive dragon filling my vision crumbled away...
“Hmph. Think I missed any, human?”
...And turned back into a fish.
Gone was the majestic roar; only the usual sullen-faced Mikurebi remained before me.
‘Nope.’
“......”
Mikurebi glared at my unwavering reply for a while, then...
Plop.
Picked up a small pebble at my feet and chucked it at my forehead without a word.
It didn’t hurt much.
But it carried emotions deeper than words.
“...Good results deserve praise, human.”
‘Praise me then?’
“Humans are far from deserving praise.”
‘No, I meant you praise me.’
“Shut it.”
‘Is he insane.’
Did human words mean something else in fish tongue?
Really... this damn loach and I just didn’t communicate.
I sighed and picked up the pebble that’d flicked my forehead.
It was just a small stone...
But why did it annoy me so much?
“Put down that dangerous thing at once.”
‘You threw the “dangerous thing” at me, and now you’re all high and mighty?’
“My skill and demeanor are perfectly matched. You wouldn’t understand.”
‘What bullshit is that.’
“I’m a wondrous, exalted being, so I can’t help but be dignified.”
‘Loach ego bigger than a dragon’s.’
“A dragon, you fool.”
‘Yeah yeah, your majesty the fish.’
Flick!
I chucked the pebble at Mikurebi on impulse.
But he twisted his body and slithered away slickly.
“Do you even know what ‘your majesty’ means?”
‘Yup. For trash like you.’
“...Insolent human.”
Mikurebi crawled up my body casually and...
Stuck right to my head as usual.
...That pose again.
Like... in some movie where a rat rides a chef’s head, steering with hair.
It felt downright weird.
And then...
“Ooooh...!!”
A deeply ominous sound from behind.
I creakily turned... and faced the source.
Instinctively, I shut my mouth.
“Mikubeeeerii...!!”
Amelia approached, eyes sparkling wildly.
Casually, I grabbed the slimy Mikurebi stuck to my head and...
“...Huh?”
Held him out to Amelia.
Swish!
Amelia snatched Mikurebi without hesitation.
Then rubbed him straight on her cheek...
“Ehehe...”
“...Eeeeeh?”
Mikurebi rolled his eyes in utter confusion.
It was so hilarious, I wiped my mask with one hand.
“Hehehe... Squishy squishy... Wobbly wobbly...!”
Amelia clutched Mikurebi tight, lost in trance.
Meanwhile, Mikurebi gazed at me with near-despair.
“Human......”
‘Yeah.’
“...Save me.”
‘Sorry.’
And... minutes later.
Swish!
“...Eeeeeh?”
Amelia plopped Mikurebi right on her head.
He stuck there oddly, trembling all over in panic.
“Ahem... My apologies for the rudeness!”
[No problem.]
Amelia glanced around frantically...
Then cried out in despair.
“It’s gone...!”
[What is?]
“The big loach disappeared!”
[Big loach?]
I quietly looked up at Amelia’s head.
Mikurebi was still there.
Rolling his eyes, shaking.
“It was huge, but now it’s gone!”
Ah...
She must’ve seen full-form Leviathan and rushed out.
But that shape only lasted five minutes; now he was back to Mikurebi mode.
And...
‘...?’
I suddenly looked at Amelia’s face.
Cheeks flushed, breath ragged.
...Her whole body seemed faintly feverish.
Shh.
“Hm?”
I sidled up to Amelia and gently placed my hand on her forehead.
It was hot.
[You’re burning up.]
“Ooooh...!”
Then...
Amelia’s eyes flew wide; she clapped both hands over her forehead and leaped back.
With some inexplicable shriek to boot.
[?]
“How dare you touch a lady’s body like that! Zero points! Pervert with zero points...!”
What flashed in my mind... was Carnel yelling at me.
Never thought I’d hear the “zero-point pervert” line here too.
Like father, like son wasn’t just a saying.
No... like mother, like daughter.