Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Tomb of the Silent Dead (3)
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"Hehe, I get what you're worried about, but trust me. I'm just going to make it a little cleaner."
The moment Amelia finished speaking, a blindingly pure white light burst from the earring.
White beams of light intertwined in the air like a dance, enveloping the earring. When it finally revealed its new form, the earring looked completely different from before.
It had once been a dingy silver laced with ominous magic, but now it shimmered with a soft blue glow, like a crystal bathed in moonlight.
The engravings on its surface had changed too.
The twisted skull motif from before had been replaced by a neat crescent moon and rose pattern.
"Done! It's perfect now."
Amelia wiped away a bead of sweat and held out the earring.
"It's completely clean now. All the curse and contamination should be gone!"
I took the earring and checked its item info once more.
*Ding—!
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[Purified Earring of Silence][Rank: B]
A relic left by a man who once served as the court sorcerer of the Belzagran Kingdom.
He fell into corruption obeying his king's command to open the kingdom of the dead, but centuries after his death, he was purified by the hands of a saintess.
After purification, the earring now holds sacred magic symbolizing restful silence instead of its original curse and darkness.
The wearer can control surrounding sounds and mana flows, stabilizing all senses during stealth, reconnaissance, or focus.
When attacking undead-type entities, it purifies their mana, restoring a small amount of health and mana simultaneously.
Additionally, if the wearer's life is in danger, a veil of holy light automatically activates, nullifying all dark-type damage for a set duration and greatly increasing mana recovery speed.
*Corrupted by death, he now finds rest in the saintess's hands. In silence, he eternally sings of light.
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"...Wow, it's seriously changed a ton. I can even feel your holy power in it."
"Ahaha, I only meant to purify the curse and contamination, but the magic tool reacted so well to my holy power that I just fully sanctified it. What do you think? Like it?"
"...Can I start calling you Amelia sis from now on?"
I dropped to one knee in a prayer-like pose and looked up at her.
"Ahem, stand up straight—that's embarrassing. But seeing you so happy makes me proud too!"
"Seriously... thank you so much. Thanks to you, I'm falling in love with this earring."
Overflowing with gratitude, I carefully put on the earring.
A faint mana resonance hummed in my ear.
A quiet, stable wave.
"How is it? Any discomfort?"
"Perfect. Feeling your holy power subtly like this... it just puts my mind at ease. It's great."
"Such a flatterer... Anyway, let's head out. The dungeon exit gate has appeared."
She smiled, dusting off her hands.
It looked casual at a glance, but a faint holy glow still lingered at her fingertips.
I stared at it, a question arising as I muttered softly.
"But it looks so hot and hard to handle... Doesn't it hurt to channel that much holy power through your hands?"
"Of course not! The only things that feel pain from holy power are unclean beings with demonic energy and the undead."
"I see. That's wild. Let's get out of here first."
Even after clearing all the undead, the air was thick with the stench of rotting corpses and foul odors.
After so long with bodies lingering here, maybe it was inevitable...
With that, Amelia and I slowly walked away from the ruined altar toward the dungeon exit.
I didn't know what variables lay ahead,
but this time, I could say for sure.
It was a resounding success—more rewards than expected.
We slipped out of the abandoned cathedral, avoiding the association staff just like when we entered, and headed straight to the café we'd visited on Wednesday.
"I'll have an iced Americano... What do you want?"
At the counter, I quickly picked my usual.
But Amelia, staring intently at the menu, looked surprisingly serious—nothing like I'd expected.
'Even a tomboy like her turns into a regular girl at a café?'
"Hmm... Hold on. So many options. Hazelnut vanilla cream cold brew with chocolate foam delight... Why are the names so long? But it sounds tasty."
"......Isn't that basically dessert? Doesn't even look like a drink. Or is it, since it's cold brew?"
"Hm... Then royal honey cinnamon latte special blend? Oh, extra sweet too! This looks super tasty!"
"That... Just the name makes my mouth go sweet. Total sugar bomb."
"Hmm... So anything with 'sweet' is dangerous? But I like sweet things."
"Nah, it's just flair in the name. Pick whatever you want, no pressure."
"Well... you're not wrong. Can't gain weight."
Amelia tilted her head thoughtfully, then said with a serious face.
"Then I'll have the rose hibiscus tea blend iced latte, half sweet."
"...What even is that name. But yeah, that sounds like the best one."
"Right! Half sweet! Perfect compromise—less sweet and super tasty!"
She proudly thrust up a finger and declared it.
I chuckled and placed the order.
"One iced Americano, one rose hibiscus tea blend iced latte half sweet."
"Got it."
Five minutes later, drinks in hand, I sat down and pulled the bento bag from my inventory onto the table.
"As promised, your reward."
"Ooh!! Thank you so much! But Hyun-sol, are you sure it's okay to give this to me? Clearing a mere D-rank dungeon doesn't feel like enough to accept this—my conscience is bothering me."
"Of course. I said the terms already. Payment for your dungeon help, deal done."
"If you insist... Fine. Deal sealed. But I don't want to just take it, so as promised..."
Amelia said, slightly opening the bento box and revealing the homemade food she'd prepared, true to her word.
"Ta-da! As promised, I made it myself! Cream brûlée omelette rice, made fresh this dawn! I even infused a bit of holy power, so it'll help with your stamina recovery too."
"Whoa... Never heard of that. French food?"
"Yep! Try it!"
Amelia carefully slid the bento toward me.
I hesitated a moment, then scooped up a spoonful.
The sweet caramel aroma and buttery savoriness melted in my mouth.
"......Wow, this is seriously good."
"Right? It's not my specialty, but I've made it the most! Glad you like it!!"
"Fancier than regular omelets. Added herb cream sauce or something? Feels like it'd cost a fortune at a restaurant."
"Hehe~ Spot on! And that fancy feel? All my skill! Basic home cooking,
but reimagined with French flair and my holy power for a luxurious, warm touch!"
"Oh... I see."
One bite, two bites.
The more I ate, the warmer my body felt, my mind and body relaxing, mana circulation smoothing out.
"This is impressive. Being able to make food like this whenever you want... I'm jealous."
"Hehe, but not every day! Infusing holy power into inanimate stuff is tough! Still, if you want, I could make it occasionally. But with a condition."
"...Condition?"
"Yep! Simple. In exchange for me treating you to food sometimes, give me honest taste reviews like today? So far, Sophia's the only friend who's rated my cooking!"
"Taste reviews? Easy."
"Yes! Just like today is enough!"
I shrugged it off casually, and Amelia beamed.
I stared at her smile, spacing out a bit before realizing something was off.
'...Ah, damn my nape... Shit, that damn Oath of Indulgence.'
Now I curse the constraint first thing.
This time, I had every right to.
Getting an event from eating Amelia's food and reviewing it? Had to be that damn Oath of Indulgence messing with me.
Or rather, getting so distracted by the taste and her smile that I made a huge promise.
Why can't guys refuse even when they know it's risky?
As I berated myself, lost in thought, Amelia sniffed her rose hibiscus tea blend iced latte half sweet and smiled intriguingly.
"Hmm, better than I thought. The rose scent calms me."
"...Yeah? Glad you like it."
"Yes. Today will be a perfect day. The dungeon clear, the purification, the trade, and..."
She trailed off with a slight smile.
"These ordinary moments. Honestly, you're kinda mysterious sometimes, Hyun-sol.
Other freshmen scramble to join better guilds or impress people.
You just focus on getting stronger, and spend the rest goofing off with the others!
Though they're all girls, which is a slight minus~ But hey, that's its own charm."
"...Is that a compliment? Why does it feel loaded with thorns? And what does that have to do with a perfect day?"
I asked, bewildered, and Amelia coughed awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.
"Ahem, anyway, I'll treasure the bento! Gotta brag to Sophia."
"Keep it secret that it came from me... Got it?"
"Of course! Unlike you, I'm quick on the uptake. See you later."
Amelia grabbed the bento box, gave a farewell, and left the café.
I watched her bouncy exit, overflowing with excitement, then suddenly realized something and shouted.
"...Wait, no tact? Who? Me? What the hell?"
Me, who'd charmed people and scored free meals with my perceptiveness even before possession? No tact? What nonsense?
I wanted to chase her down and ask what made her think that, but maybe dungeon aftereffects hit late.
My head suddenly ached, so I chugged my coffee and headed straight to the dorm.