Chapter 70
Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Sia von Lunaria (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Moonlight reflected off Sia's snow-white hair, making it shine beautifully.
Her bright, sparkling eyes stared straight at me.
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence flowed between us.
I naturally headed toward my mansion.
Then.
Step.
Step.
Tap.
Tap.
When I walked, she followed.
When I stopped, Sia stopped too.
"......"
"......"
In the end, Sia followed me all the way to the front of my mansion, standing quietly in front of the iron gate and staring piercingly at it.
Ah... no way.
"Would you like to come in?"
I slightly opened the iron gate.
Sia blankly looked back and forth between the gap in the gate and me—
"Is that okay?"
When I gave permission again, she carefully stepped over the gate.
She seemed to be looking around the mansion, but her gaze was fixed on one spot.
Her mouth opened and closed as if she were debating whether to say something, and then she seemed to make up her mind.
"Can I go to the back?"
Sia said, her eyes fixed on the backyard of my mansion.
...She sensed the spirits' presence after all.
Well, considering there were hardly any high-grade spirits around these days, it made sense that Sia would be interested.
Sia von Lunaria.
Princess of the now-destroyed Lunaria Kingdom.
Sia was the only one permitted to inherit Lunaria Castle.
Even her younger sister, Lea, had not been able to claim it.
The royal family of Lunaria Kingdom held one special secret.
They could communicate with spirits.
Fairy blood ran through the veins of Lunaria's royals, allowing them to converse with spirits and many other magical beings from birth.
Among them, Sia had inherited the royal blood most purely.
Because of this background, she naturally became a spirit mage.
A spirit mage went beyond merely hosting spirits in their body—they wielded magic using spirits as conduits.
Of course, she was also proficient in basic magic. Spirits merely served as mediums. If anything, they were like a bonus.
However, Sia currently had no spirit dwelling within her.
She was so overwhelmingly powerful that mediocre spirits couldn't withstand her.
Even high-grade spirits were the same.
As long as the spirits weren't terrified by her immense power, that was fortunate enough.
The only spirit that could endure her strength was currently in the eternal frozen lands at the northernmost tip of the continent.
"...It's nothing."
Assuming my silence was a refusal, Sia averted her eyes.
She looked somehow lonely, which made me feel bad.
Besides, this was a good opportunity to gain her favor.
"You can follow me. Just keep a few conditions."
I relayed several precautions to Sia.
First, don't enter or leave my mansion freely—always get permission.
Second, don't touch or take the spirits without permission.
Third, don't tell anyone what you see.
If she followed those three rules, she could come along.
"Got it."
After confirming that Sia nodded in understanding, I led her to the backyard of the mansion.
In the backyard, the four types of natural elements I had planted earlier were neatly arranged.
My spirits slumbered peacefully within them, each in their own spot.
- ...!!
Sensing our presence, they began to wake one by one, then leaped up in shock upon seeing Sia.
"...Wow."
Sia unconsciously moved toward the scene unfolding before her, but with every step she took, the spirits retreated a little.
She touched the natural elements curiously and seemed to spot the spirits.
"...Hello."
She greeted them softly.
Frightened by Sia, the spirits slunk away and hid behind the deep bedrock formations I had set up.
Sia approached the natural elements nonchalantly, as if accustomed to such reactions.
"Where did you get these?"
She fiddled with the pond water and asked casually.
"I'll add one more condition."
I added that she shouldn't ask about what she saw today.
Even though it was a late addition, Sia nodded as if she understood.
She silently fiddled with the natural elements, satisfying her curiosity.
- ....
The spirits watched her intently, and then one cautiously stepped forward.
Undine. The most curious of the water spirits.
I gently scooped up the brave Undine in my hand and slowly approached Sia.
The two simply stared at each other in silence.
"......"
"You can talk to it."
"Ah, right."
Sia observed the Undine on my hand closely.
The slime-like Undine twitched slightly under her gaze but soon adapted.
- ....
It deformed its slime-like body and stretched toward Sia.
Seeing this, Sia extended one finger and touched the extended body.
Then.
- Splash!
As if their communion was complete, Undine dove back into the pond.
Sia stared at her finger that had touched Undine for a long while, then sat down by the pond and quietly observed it.
At that moment.
『Are you there?』
A voice came from the mansion's entrance.
Even from the distant backyard, it carried mana clearly.
Labyrinth Lord Wirgon.
It was his voice.
"Looks like he's come to fetch you."
"...Yeah."
Sia reluctantly tore her gaze from the pond.
"I'll come again."
She tossed out those quiet words, stood up, and vanished in an instant.
Only then did the two hidden ones emerge.
Frightened by Sia's appearance, they had become unusually timid.
It might seem like I was tormenting the spirits, but that wasn't the case.
From the spirits' perspective, a kin had suddenly appeared in human form, startling them.
The blood of Sia's Lunaria family promoted spirit growth and amplified the effects of natural elements.
Naturally, the spirits would come to see her as a comfortable presence, and it wouldn't take long for them to grow close.
I stroked the frightened spirits to soothe them, then returned to the mansion to rest.
The next day.
As I left the inn to head to the dungeon, the bustling streets were crowded with people.
Upon checking, members of the Rockhart Merchant Association were talking with local merchants.
Word was, they were building a branch here.
Amid them, I spotted Beth.
"You're here?"
Beth waved at me upon noticing me.
I nodded lightly in response.
On her chest was the Rockhart Merchant Association emblem.
"Ah, it's Rockhart Merchant Association now."
Beth grinned slyly, catching my gaze.
Behind her, I saw Diren, the head of the Shadow Union, along with other guild members.
They all bore Rockhart emblems.
After the previous incident, the Shadow Union had fully come into the light.
"The medal I gave you only works here. Got it?"
Beth whispered softly.
She was referring to the Shadow Union medal she'd given me before.
It meant her guild would provide conveniences, and even after joining Rockhart, it held the same effect.
"We'll be heading out for cleanup soon."
"Let me know when, and I'll join if I can."
I made my intentions clear.
Valuable items in the back alleys were limited by district, so it wasn't too late to decide after hearing details.
"One more thing. Three new guards have been added recently. Remember? From that hunt on the 6th floor."
"I do."
The guard whose arm had been torn off during the hunt with Beth.
His true nature was probably a doll made by ripping out the soul of one of the guard elders.
There must have been some deal between the guards and the witch Ilana.
"Those three new ones are said to be incredibly skilled. Just like the elders."
Beth glanced up at me.
We exchanged looks for a moment, and she continued with conviction.
"You knew."
"It's just a guess."
Beth didn't know Ilana's and Elana's abilities.
Of course, having seen the dolls moving in the labyrinth, she probably had a rough idea.
The dolls crafted by the intricate puppeteer and the witch were indistinguishable from humans.
Since they were made by extracting the soul of the base individual, it was perhaps inevitable.
Moreover, judging from the appearances of those like Girtas in the labyrinth, remote control seemed possible too.
For elders too old to fear injury in battle, such items were invaluable.
"Those guys are grunts who don't work but keep diving into the dungeon. Patrolling from the 4th to 6th floors, like they're searching for something."
Then came news I couldn't ignore.
Patrolling from the 4th to 6th floors?
...Did they notice the hidden labyrinth?
"Something's up, huh."
Beth smirked, watching my reaction.
"Well, if you need help, just say so. That man's very grateful to you, so use it when you can."
"Yes."
Beth patted my shoulder lightly and returned to her spot.
I headed straight to the dungeon.
The elite monster on the 4th floor—and gateway to the hidden labyrinth—the Eater. I was hunting it while tracking its respawn time.
The Eater's corpse vanished after one minute of death, so no major worries there.
The problem was the 5th floor.
The hidden labyrinth there could be entered anytime if you knew the gimmick.
I passed through the 1st floor gate, planning to use a Designated Return Scroll to the 4th floor without drawing attention.
Then.
"Ah, adventurer."
A hand grabbed my shoulder. Turning, I saw Girtas, the one who had introduced himself as a groom.
I pocketed the Designated Return Scroll and replied.
"...What is it?"
"Oh, nothing much, just..."
Girtas smiled faintly and continued.
"You're on the 1st floor—where was that Return Scroll headed?"