The Guildmaster’s office bore the weight of many long years.
Dusty bookshelves, yellowed maps, and an old hourglass placed by the window quietly narrated the passage of time.
I took my seat, and Veá stood beside me; her silvery armor sparkled under the morning sunlight streaming through the window.
Through the windowpane, the snow-capped peaks of Shia Kalt gleamed brilliantly, but we all knew the hidden dangers beneath its beauty.
From a corner of the office, the subtle sound of Rouncour’s harp drifted through the air, the Elf’s centuries-honed sensibilities soothing the room’s tension. His presence softened the atmosphere, even as my unease refused to subside. Even his ancient eyes carried a tension I’d never seen before.
Clara’s white elf ears twitched sensitively, and Gaignun leaned against the wall, never letting go of his weapon. His cold gaze constantly swept the room like a sentinel on guard, as if anticipating an immediate battle.
“Did you say that flower… saved the village?”
Marianne gripped her amulet tightly in response.I could see her hand trembling slightly.
“Yes… under the red moonlight, a sweet fragrance spread, and all the monsters followed that scent and disappeared. It was almost like one of Mikel’s miracles. But…”
Rien cut her off sharply.
“That wasn’t a miracle. It was simply the monster’s power.”
The Guildmaster’s voice carried a heavy weight.
“And then Prostia appeared.”
At the mention of her name, the air in the room froze. Clara’s white ears quivered slightly, and Gaignun’s grip on his weapon tightened. Even the harp music from Rouncour fell silent for a moment.
Alldin spoke with a trembling voice.
“The sight of the great Ice Dragon transforming into a silver-haired woman… I’ll never forget it. The overwhelming presence at that moment was as if a god had descended from the heavens.”
‘Mikel… could what I’ve seen in my dreams really be…’
Confusion welled up within me. Could the sacred figure I saw every night in my dreams actually be an underling of Prostia, the ruler of Dami Palace?
Havell’s sharp voice interrupted my thoughts.
“She spared their lives but warned not to show their faces again, or she’d turn them into fertilizer. And she said it with a laugh.”
Marianne cautiously interjected,“But from that flower… there was indeed Mikel’s holy power…”
“Silence.”
Rien sharply halted her with a look filled with both fear and caution.
“Didn’t we agree not to talk about that?”
Perhaps sensing my doubts, Arthur glanced out the window before explaining in a low voice.
“That flower… wanted to learn our language. We taught it for two weeks. But if this fact were to become known…”
“Perhaps we could also be mistaken for followers of the evil god,” Gaignun said with a nod.
Follower of the evil god? That doesn’t make any sense. But…
‘Learned a language, you say?’
My mind spiraled into even deeper confusion. How could the sacred presence I see every night in my dreams, an underling of Prostia, have learned a language? And how do we explain the holy power Marianne sensed?
“We have all tasted the flower’s nectar.”
Alldin’s words heightened the tension.
“At that moment, it felt…” Havell hesitated, “As if our consciousness expanded. Like we could read each other’s minds…”
The Guildmaster looked at Veá. In the wrinkles around his eyes, there was a last shred of hope.
But Veá slowly shook her head.
“Prostia is… beyond my power…”
Just then, something surged inside of me. The same tremor that ran through me the first time I received Mikel’s revelation.
Standing up, I spoke.
“Yet there’s still hope.”
All eyes turned to me. Rouncour’s harp music halted, and Clara’s ears perked up.
“The flower I saw in my dreams… was undoubtedly praying in Mikel’s name. It was calling for me. This must surely be Mikel’s will.”
A sigh escaped Alldin through his beard.
“But, holy maiden, it’s a monster…”
“I believe in it,” I replied with a smile though my heart ached.
Recalling younger days in the knights’ order when Veá would always worry about my stubbornness, I wondered if this was another reckless decision of mine back then.
Veá placed her hand on my shoulder.
“I won’t let you go alone.”
Her golden hair shone brilliantly under the sunlight, like that day so long ago when she wept behind me as I departed to become a holy maiden. Back then, she didn’t try to stop my decision. She only apologized for not being able to stay with me until the very end.
“I’ll go with you this time.”
Her words warmed my burning eyes. Rouncour’s harp music halted again before resuming a more beautiful melody. Clara’s tail swayed gently, and even Gaignun’s cold expression softened for a moment.
Through the window, the snowy peaks of Shia Kalt shimmered with a radiant whiteness. Beyond the horizon, Dami Palace’s vast ice walls awaited us. Somewhere there lay the truth behind the vision I’d seen, and perhaps a greater fear that awaited.
‘Mikel… whether this is the start of a catastrophe or the path to salvation, I don’t know. But…’
Veá’s hand gripped my shoulder more firmly.
‘We must… uncover the truth at all costs.’
…
The morning’s cold blade sliced across our faces. Snow piled up to our knees, but our footprints were erased almost as quickly as they were made. Each step was painful, but the agony was not just physical.
‘Could this path be the right one?’
Ahead of me, Veá cleared the way through the snow. Her silvery armor gleamed under the morning sunrise, a beacon like a lighthouse, but I knew her heart held the same unease as mine.
“Seraphina.”
Veá stopped.
“Are you… regretting it?”
I shook my head.
“No. It’s just…”
I hesitated, unable to articulate further. Veá turned around, her golden eyes reflecting deep understanding.
“I understand. Me too… I’m afraid.”
Her honest confession lifted some of the weight from my chest.
Finally, when we arrived, there was nothing.
Nothing but the endless white snowfield and, in the distance, Dami Palace’s colossal opening. Could all the things I’ve seen in my nightly dreams be a lie?
“Is this the right place?”
My voice dispersed into the wind.
Clara’s ears perked up as she spoke.
“Maybe… everyone experienced the same hallucination…”
“No.”
My voice cut through sharply.
“Mikel’s revelation… it can never be in vain.”
Was it faith or stubbornness? Either way, it was too late to turn back now.
Veá looked toward Dami Palace.
“If it’s Prostia’s possession, it could be inside the dungeon.”
I too turned my gaze in that direction. The massive ice cave stretched further than the eye could measure, its majesty enough to make one’s breath falter.
“I’ll go alone.”
Veá blocked my path.
“Together.”
Her voice trembled.
“You all must return to the village. If we don’t… return, inform the Order of Light.”
Rouncour’s harp sang a poignant melody, unimpeded by anyone this time. Sad notes spread across the snowy peak, like a lament for our impending parting.
The Guildmaster’s office bore the weight of many long years. Dusty bookshelves, yellowed maps, and an old hourglass by the window quietly marked the passage of time.
One of the eight Dami Palaces, Shia Kalt, held the most mysteries. The massive ice cave’s entrance awaited in the darkness, with sharp icicles hanging menacingly from the ceiling. What lay inside?
A heavenly presence or an even greater terror?
In the distance, a Wyvern flew wide, avoiding the labyrinth’s domain. It seemed a fitting display of how perilous this place was.
‘Mikel… protect us.’
Under the clear blue sky, our footprints slowly disappeared, as if wishing this journey had never begun or foreboding what was to come.
*
‘Hmm… boring.’
Without the master around, there’s truly nothing to do.
I want to grovel to the master soon!
For now, the bugs are hunting on their own, and all I have to do is heal them and drink blood…
‘So this is what’s called automatic hunting?’
Surveying the surroundings, I checked on the Verlez. Their average level had already passed 100.
Amazing, isn’t it? All thanks to the master’s finishing blow on the deep monsters!
And then there’s me…
『★ [Lycoris] Thanatos Crown LV182 Age 3 Female』
【Attributes】
HP: 1,864/1,864 + (793,152)MP: 1,764/1,429
Attack: 1,864Magic: 1,764Defense: 1,764Magic Resistance: 1,764Agility: 0
【Skills】
“Sense LV9” “Crimson Apocalypse” “Frost Barrier LV8” “Photosynthesis LV6” “Deadly Poison LV7” “Black Root Projection LV4” “Pollen Release LV8” “Pollen-Ensnare LV8” “Pain Block LV4” “Mindlessness LV8” “Pollen-Paralysis LV3” “Pollen-Regeneration LV8” “Pollen-Bleeding LV3” “Pollen-Corrosion LV1” “Pollen-Decay LV2” “Delicious Honey LV6” “Honey-Willpower LV8” “Haze Eye LV4” “Enemy Moon” “Overbearing Presence LV2”
【Traits】
[Infernal Stigma] [Mikel’s Supporter] [Monstrous Nature] [Prostia’s Favorite Plant] [Bloodfield] [Mikel’s Bloom]
‘Is this even normal?’
Has it only been three weeks? Is leveling up this fast normal?
Maybe it’s from drinking the deep monsters’ blood?
Or…
‘Could it be that during the first three years, I didn’t evolve because my level-up was restricted?!’
The more I think about it, the more regretful I feel.
Had I stayed awake the entire time, I would have been several times stronger now!
I released a little honey, and a girl butterfly flew over.
Now she looks less like a butterfly and more like a fairy.
‘I’m so unfair! I could have been much stronger!’
I imbued my sadness into the sweet honey.The butterfly silently nodded, softly petting the flower petals with her tiny legs.
Oh!Are you comforting me?Even though it was an emotion I didn’t expect much from, it deeply moved me…
‘Thank you…’
The butterfly blushed slightly as she fluttered around.Hehe.She’s definitely weak to compliments.
Then…
‘How’s the master?’
She shook her head side to side.
She hasn’t returned yet, I see.
‘Hmm… The master went to look for a monster that can change forms, and it’s taking longer than expected…’
There’s nothing else for me to do but watch the Verlez.Just then, a Crystal Beetle arrived carrying a wounded Hyperborean Ant on its back. The ant’s wounds healed quickly after being touched by my pollen.
‘Good job. What about the corpse?’
As the butterfly fluttered, the ant nodded before climbing up the ice wall and soon returned with the monster’s corpse.
‘Indeed, this automatic hunting is convenient~’
This life doesn’t seem too bad…I almost yawned.
‘Master… when will you return?’
Cecilia sparkled among the petals.
Looking at her beautiful form, like a small ruby, warmed my heart.Our Hotpack…
‘It’s about time for him to wake up too, I think…’
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