Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Monster Hunt #4
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Aira's door swung open.
Stepping inside, I saw Aira fast asleep, nestled snugly between the fluffy blankets on her bed, breathing softly.
It was getting a bit late for morning, yet she was still out cold.
Waking her might make her cranky, so I settled onto the sofa nearby and waited for her to stir.
One hour, two hours—
No sign of her waking, no matter how long I waited.
She slept like some hibernating animal.
With nothing else to do, I let my eyes wander around the room. It was a good chance to take a closer look at Aira's space.
From what I could see, her room was brimming with girly charm.
Plush toys were scattered everywhere, and glass jars filled to the brim with candies wrapped in shiny packaging gleamed transparently.
Spotting a beautiful teacup and teapot, I decided a cup of tea was in order. I brewed some using tea leaves and a mana stone burner.
Bubble, bubble.
As the fragrant white tea steeped perfectly, a soft *tzzzt* sounded.
"The aroma is lovely."
With a rustle, Aira pushed back the covers and stretched her arms out wide, yawning lazily. I poured the freshly brewed tea into a pretty cup, placed it on a saucer, and offered it to her.
"It's hot."
Aira took the cup, blew on it gently, and then—gulp, gulp—downed the steaming tea in one go.
"Delicious. You brewed it just right. Thanks."
I had to wonder if her breath carried some magical cooling effect. Probably a temperature-regulating spell or something.
"So, Theo, what brings you to my room?"
Aira was finally turning her attention to me.
I took the empty cup from her hand, set it aside in a corner, and carefully broached the subject.
"Um, Your Majesty Aira, I have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
Aira raised her sleek black eyebrows, as if she'd heard something unbelievable.
"Theo, it's been ages since you last asked me for anything. Is it something beyond your own power?"
"Well—"
How should I explain this? After some thought, I decided the best approach was to cut straight to the chase, no frills.
"I'm planning to head into a dungeon soon. Would you possibly join me, Lady Aira?"
"A dungeon...?"
"Yes, a dungeon."
"Why go to a dungeon?"
To grind levels hard until I can eventually make you submit. Of course, I couldn't say that. Instead, I trotted out the excuse I'd brainstormed while she slept.
"I suspect there might be clues about the Demon King Angmar's ruins—maybe even his Forbidden Legacy. Plus, Isaya Angmar explored various sites during her adventurer club days, so we could trace her footsteps."
Chatter, chatter.
Aira listened with eyes still heavy from sleep, then stretched her legs out from the bed, planting her feet on the floor.
Rustle. I slipped a pair of fluffy pink bunny-fur slippers onto her bare feet.
"......"
But even after hearing me out, Aira offered no real response. She simply walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and basked in the noon sunlight filtering in.
Her skin glowed white as fresh snow in the light, her lips and cheeks flushed a vivid blood-red, and her hair shone like polished ebony.
I bet this is exactly how the dwarfs felt seeing Snow White for the first time. Though honestly, Aira leaned more toward the Evil Queen vibe...
Swish—
Tweetle-dee—
Aira extended her hand, and bluebirds fluttered over from somewhere to perch on her slender fingers, chirping away. The young queen shooed them back into the sky and spoke.
"Nice weather."
"But with the wind picking up and those clouds gathering, we might get rain by late afternoon."
"That's your fairy intuition talking?"
"My fairy intuition?"
"Nymphs and elves are sensitive to weather, or so I've read. Especially nymphs. Picked that up from a book lately."
A book, huh.
Come to think of it, her desk was stacked with some hefty tomes. Aira must have devoured quite a few during her downtime in the dorms.
It suddenly hit me—had I left her too much to her own devices? It'd been over a month since enrollment; what had she been up to all alone?
"Let's take a stroll outside first. Walk with me, Theo."
"Understood."
* * *
Just as Aira said, the weather was perfect.
The sky stretched high and blue, lazy white clouds drifting across it. In the flower beds, blooms swayed gently under the sun.
On a day like this, grabbing some fried chicken, a picnic blanket, and chilling in the shade by the riverbank would surely recharge body and soul.
I wouldn't mind taking a day off myself.
Part of me wanted to laze around like those yawning folks over there. But rest days were a luxury I couldn't afford.
—Look, it's Queen Aira.
—Out for a walk? Talk about lucky.
Whispers reached my fairy ears from the crowd. Naturally, with Aira out and about, all eyes were on her, drawing stares and murmurs.
She had that kind of presence.
—First time seeing the No. 2 ranker. Wonder how strong she is?
—Go challenge her, then.
—Too scared to even approach. Getting shot down would sting.
They marveled at her strength and beauty alike. I found myself curious how others perceived Queen Aira through their eyes.
"Theo."
Aira called, snapping me from my thoughts. She brushed back her windswept bangs with a *whoosh* and continued.
"So, where's this dungeon?"
"You're actually going?"
"It shouldn't take long. We can be back by evening. I want to see how much you've trained, too."
Oh.
Of all people, the one I least expected—Aira—was agreeing to join me in the dungeon. Grinning, I unrolled a few maps I'd gotten from the school nurse, Lady Carira.
"What's that?"
"Maps of nearby dungeons. From our spot, the closest one's here. Looks like a cave."
No time to waste—I had to get Aira inside before she changed her mind.
And so, with Aira in tow, I left the academy grounds and headed into the southern forest encircling the marshlands.
"Such a peaceful woods."
Crunch, crunch. Aira ambled along, stepping on twigs and grass, her voice drowsy.
As far as I knew, this place was called Rabbit Forest.
Rabbit Forest.
Even the name screamed serenity. You could picture it teeming with rabbits, deer, and nymph-like fairies.
A cave dungeon in a forest like that? The difficulty had to be middling at best.
Even if it turned out tougher than expected, with Aira by my side, I had zero worries.
That confidence lasted until we found the entrance—and faltered.
"This the way in?"
Aira's question had me double-checking the map against the gaping hole. No doubt about it.
The cave mouth yawned beneath the massive roots of a tree, like a beast's den. Given the Rabbit Forest name, "rabbit burrow" fit perfectly.
But it looked deep.
—Jeezuzuz—
Straining my ears, I caught what sounded like cries from some animal—or insect.
"Map says this is it."
Could be a dungeon crawling with giant bugs. I hated insects, but with this rare Aira opportunity, backing out felt like a waste.
"Alright, I'll go first."
Gripping my imp tail wand, I crouched and wormed my way into the burrow.
Crunch, crunch.
"So much dust."
No signs anyone else had been through, which made the centipedes skittering ahead of me all the more horrifying.
"Shoo."
Using my marmar tail wand, I shoved the bugs aside until I found footing.
The burrow widened enough that I could stand straight, with a good meter of headroom to spare.
"Lady Aira, it's safe to come in."
—Mm-hmm.
Soon, a grinding *crunch-crack* echoed.
Looking back, I saw Aira massively widening the narrow entrance.
Rocks and dirt flew as the space expanded enough for a truck to pass through. Her telekinesis at work, ripping the burrow apart.
She descended gracefully into the broadened mouth, not a hint of fatigue.
Made my recent centipede skirmish feel pathetic.
This was the continent's sole 7th Circle mage.
Standing beside me, Aira glanced around and noted,
"It's awfully dark."
She plucked a strand of her long black hair, blew on it, and it writhed like a living thing before morphing into a tiny thread-spider.
"Go."
At her command, the spider leaped from her palm. It glowed like a bulb's filament, illuminating everything.
—Zuzuzuz—
—Zu...
The swarming bugs scattered, unable to bear the light.
Normally, I'd just think, "Aira's magic is amazing," and move on. But after accelerating my own magic progress to 4th Circle lately, curiosity struck.
"How exactly do you do that?"
Maybe this was my chance to make her power my own.