Chapter 45

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: A Guest More Precious Than the Holy Relic! (6)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just as the treasure vault began to fill their field of vision,

Suddenly, Zekiel came to an abrupt halt.

"Stop."

"Ah, yes? Yes! Right away!"

Tether's enthusiasm was burning bright at the moment.

She had fallen off a cliff and grabbed onto a rope. That rope was named Zekiel, and her life now hung on what he did next.

"Hmm."

Zekiel tilted his head slightly.

'It's definite. I'm the cause.'

The spirits' energy grew stronger the closer they got to the treasure vault. There was no need to think further. The cause was Zekiel.

The spot they stood on now was probably the last safe line.

The fact that they couldn't approach any further was quite the problem.

'Just a little more, but we can't move forward.'

The closer Zekiel got, the more the spirits ramped up their energy in response. In other words, by the time he set foot inside, every holy relic would be ruined.

Spirit stones were spiritual beings meant to stay on the second floor. If they poured out their elemental energy at full force, there was no way the relics on the first floor could withstand it.

In that case...

'First, I need to handle this from here.'

A way to calm the spirits without getting any closer. Figuring that out was the top priority.

"Focus for a bit."

"Yes!"

Zekiel slowly closed his eyes.

Not spreading his energy outward, but rather drawing it in. He slowly absorbed the energy the spirits were emitting.

Their voices began to reach him.

He focused his mind even harder. Now was the time to press the momentum.

"..."

Zekiel fully acknowledged his responsibility for the entire situation.

He really was the cause.

Meanwhile, Tether stared at Zekiel, unable to stay still for even a moment. How could she not be anxious when the man holding her lifeline seemed to grow more troubled by the second?

In the end, Tether couldn't hold back and asked.

"I-Investigator! How is it?"

"Hm."

Instead of answering, the inspector put a sunweed leaf in his mouth.

"Are the spirits in really bad shape?"

"Not at all."

"Ah~ So it's not serious! Hm? What did you say?"

Tether blinked in disbelief.

"Y-You're saying that isn't serious?"

"Yeah. The spirits are just a little excited."

"Excited? Why would they be excited?"

"Who knows. Looks like they've run into someone they're happy to see."

Exhale—

Zekiel blew out a puff of sunweed smoke.

"Anyway, I know how to fix it. Let's get started."

Inhale.

Exhale—

"..."

Inhale.

Exhale—

From their position overlooking the treasure vault, Zekiel fashioned a chair out of ice and just kept puffing away on sunweed. Tether stared at him, utterly baffled.

'What kind of plant is sunweed again?'

It was hard to even possess, used only in tiny amounts for healing. Burning it raw...

'...that's something you do when you're suicidal. Sunweed.'

But Zekiel was different.

Exhale—

He showed no signs of tiring after several leaves, puffing them like ordinary herbs right in front of her.

"The sunweed from Luipl is pretty decent."

"Hm..."

What kind of person was he?

Being able to smoke sunweed raw was amazing enough, but what really plunged Tether into confusion was why he wasn't heading into the vault right away.

Tether broached the subject very carefully.

"Um, Investigator."

"What."

Zekiel calmly replied after inhaling an entire leaf in one breath. Such impossible lung capacity. Tether's face turned to one of sheer terror.

"It's just... the spirits are rampaging..."

"I'm calming them down right now."

"Pardon?"

"Wait. That's your job."

"..."

Zekiel rummaged in his left inner pocket. But his hand came out empty, which was very good news for Tether.

"H-Have you finally finished them all...?"

"No."

Zekiel checked his right side. Soon, a handful of sunweed was pulled out.

"..."

...Are you trying to kill yourself?

"You smoke a lot of sunweed..."

"I don't usually burn this much."

"Then why right now..."

"No choice."

Tether's face crumpled like she was about to burst into tears.

"Investigator! I've really messed up!"

A moment later, Tether prostrated herself flat.

"I fully realize the gravity of my mistake! But please, no more mental torture...! Just punish me now!"

"The vault's fine."

"...Pardon?"

"It's fine, I said."

Zekiel added with a puff of smoke.

"Get up. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠You're the imperial secretary. Don't lower the palace's dignity."

"Ah, yes."

Tether stood up hesitantly.

"If you're worried, go check it yourself."

"Huh...?"

Tether dashed into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the treasure vault.

She returned moments later, eyes several times wider.

"The spirits seem much calmer than before! I-Investigator! How did you do it?"

"What you see is all there is to it."

That he smoked sunweed to lower his own chill.

...He couldn't bring himself to say that much.

Instead, Zekiel offered her something else.

"Want one?"

"No..."

Tether took the sunweed and sat obediently.

She had plenty of experience serving distinguished guests in the imperial palace, but this was a first.

Impossible to read, utterly carefree yet dignified. Truly enigmatic.

Endlessly relaxed. Confident in everything.

A man with an inexplicable pull, even if you felt you shouldn't trust him.

No, she had to trust him. Hadn't she just confirmed the vault's improved state with her own eyes?

Tether was lost in a whirlwind of thoughts when Zekiel spoke casually.

"Hey, Tether."

"Yes! Investigator!"

Tether responded with hopeful vigor.

"The second princess being far away... that was a lie too?"

"I'm truly sorry, but yes..."

"No need to apologize."

Zekiel continued nonchalantly.

"What do you think the princess will do to you if she finds out?"

"Punish me? Well..."

Tether pondered briefly.

"She's so strict, any punishment wouldn't be surprising. But it won't be light... Why do you ask?"

"The second princess is on her way here."

"Kyaaaaah!"

Tether's fist clenched involuntarily, crushing the sunweed with a crunch. Intense pain—she grabbed her hand and started hopping around.

"What do we do now? What should I do?!"

"What do you mean, what?"

Finally, Zekiel exhaled his last sunweed puff.

His chill had subsided significantly, if only temporarily.

"Let's head in. The vault."

The corner of his mouth slowly curved up.

His expression overflowed with leisure.

On the way to the treasure vault.

Hedera led the way, with the three dragonkin following.

Gromon scoffed at the question, as if it were obvious.

Gromon and the dragonkin smirked sinisterly.

Spirits were extremely sensitive creatures. If dragons were finicky due to their immense pride, spirits were just downright cowardly and hard to deal with.

But then.

Just as they finally arrived at the treasure vault.

Hedera, leading the way, stopped dead.

"..."

Tension rippled through the dragonkin.

In the midst of that, someone sensed something off.

Yes, the source of the unease was the serene atmosphere nearby. Far from a rampage, it was filled with peace.

In the end, unable to wait, Gromon stepped forward.

"..."

In an instant, a bizarre sight filled their vision.

"...?"

A man had his arm draped around a spirit stone.

As if using it as an armrest, treating the massive spirit stone like an old friend, he lounged comfortably.

And moments later, they doubted their ears.

"Why are you so tense-frozen?"

The man chewing on sunweed muttered that.

"Loosen up your expression."

Exhale—

He blew out a long stream of smoke.

"You and I, we're friends. Right?"