259 – Dungeon and Nymph: The Journey of the Nymph #2
I once entered a peculiar rift within a well to rescue Pignoi.
At that time, I fought against demon-shaped statues in a very large ancient castle.
However, despite entering the well in exactly the same way, what unfolded before me this time was not a castle but a charming village scene with chimneys.
The name of this village was “Pilgrim Way.”
It meant “the path of pilgrims.”
It was a story explained to us by the village’s saint, Isabella.
We, unexpectedly surrounded by armed soldiers, were invited to the village chief’s house and treated with quite generous hospitality.
Dishes like roasted chicken and beer in wooden mugs were plentiful on the table, and we were granted warm seating by the fire, making the unexpected treatment quite overwhelming.
Inoi said.
“They seem to be very good people…! Although there are no purification devices or showers in this world, this Inoi quite likes this place called the pilgrim’s village…!”
As Inoi expressed joy, the uncles and aunties nearby looked at us and smiled warmly.
“━─.”
“──.”
I could not understand their words, but Inoi’s words were automatically translated through translation magic, so they must have understood everything.
The only one we could communicate with was the saint, Isabella.
Covered in a white veil like a new bride, Isabella spoke.
“Inoi… You resemble the spirit that is said to have lived in a distant land a long time ago. Your short, pointed ears and appearance resembling a small girl are very lovely.”
Nymphs were welcomed everywhere they went.
Because they appeared harmless.
Their behavior was innocent as well.
“That story is incorrect…! It is not that Inoi resembles the small cores, but rather that the cores resemble the nymphs like Inoi…!”
As Inoi spoke with straightened shoulders, the villagers, looking like innocent farmers, laughed heartily, enjoying the moment.
People liked Inoi as if they enjoyed watching a young granddaughter perform.
But why did the soldiers try to bind Inoi when they first met us?
In response to my question, Saint Isabella smiled seductively beneath her veil.
“It seems they mistook you for another race. There are beings here that take on the forms of spirits but are actually more malicious and mischievous. They are demons. They have tails.”
—Demons.
I could easily sense that the atmosphere of the farmers, who had been laughing heartily while looking at Inoi, suddenly dampened when the words left Saint Isabella’s lips.
With a sigh, Saint Isabella stood up from her seat.
She closed the curtains of the chief’s house and pointed to a distant hill with her hand.
“That is the castle of the Demon King Valpurgis Barbatos. When Barbatos came to this land in destruction, our pilgrim village became isolated and turned into a land of eternal spring.”
On the cliff of the high hill stood a very large castle with sharp spires. Uncanny crows flew wildly above it, cawing ominously.
Saint Isabella soon lowered her head.
“O warriors from a distant land. I will ask this of you shamelessly upon our first meeting. Please subjugate the Demon King and save the 666 residents of our pilgrim village!”
# # #
We made our base in the best guest room of the chief’s house.
The bed was plush, and there were five lanterns hanging from the ceiling, making it as bright as day.
“What do you think?”
The plague doctor asked me.
I answered simply.
“It’s a nice room. It feels like I’m in a movie or a game. You know, the ones with heroes or adventurers.”
I loved RPGs.
The adventure and exploration kind.
Being an Awakened felt like becoming a hero or adventurer in a game. In that sense, this “pilgrim village” resembled the villages from the games I loved.
The warm sounds of lute music echoed alongside the songs of bards, and armored soldiers patrolled while the so-called “saint” actually existed.
However, the plague doctor shook his head at my opinion.
“That’s not what I’m asking. We received a request to subjugate the Demon King’s castle. It will definitely be a powerful demon. It could be dangerous.”
Ah—
Was it not the village, but the other way around?
I looked again at the Demon King’s castle visible from the window.
“First and foremost, our goal is to find Yezhuh and Kalilnoi. They are surely somewhere in this rift. I will need to ask the villagers at dawn tomorrow.”
The combination of a giant horned owl and a girl.
They would surely stick out anywhere, so someone must have spotted them.
“I’ll take a little stroll around the village.”
Pat—!
The plague doctor went straight to the open window and leapt out.
His figure flying over the rooftops looked like that of a free swallow.
“It’s very suspicious…!”
Inoi said, opening its narrow eyes as it watched the back of the plague doctor.
It was rare for Inoi to open its eyes wide like that.
“I think that plague doctor is suspicious…! As the supreme nymph, I will definitely find out what kind of face is hidden behind that mask…!”
Inoi showed determination.
Waking up the next morning felt like being in that sentiment.
The day in the “Pilgrim Village” began early at dawn.
Women and girls went to draw water from the well or the stream flowing through the village, chatting lightly, while the loud voices of young men chopping wood woke me from my sleep.
Though it was called a village, when I looked closely today, its size seemed more befitting of a small town.
There were all the elements you’d find in an RPG: a blacksmith, a general store, and weapon and armor shops.
“The ground is so muddy…! There’s no asphalt road so walking feels strange…!”
Inoi, the nature nymph, seemed puzzled at not finding an asphalt road.
It appeared that Inoi had completely become a 21st-century nymph.
With a jingling sound—
I first entered a shop marked with a “Potion” sign.
As the bell on the entrance rang, a woman with red hair and a languid expression, holding a pipe, looked at me.
She wore an outfit that was so revealing it was hard to find a place to look.
“Oh my, you’re wearing some strange clothes. You must be a foreign guest.”
I could understand the voice coming from the woman wearing a pointed hat. Was it magic?
“I have a question. Have you seen a girl with a large owl? The owl is this big, and the girl is this small.”
“If you’re looking for someone, I can find them with my crystal ball. But it won’t be free. Unlike Saint Isabella, I’m called a witch, Daleto. I only accept mysterious coins.”
Mysterious coins!
I rummaged around.
I pulled out a whispering coin worth 500 won from my pocket.
Then, the witch Daleto took it from me and tucked it between her breasts.
“This isn’t enough. You need to give me 10 more of these coins.”
Ten more whispering coins?
Unfortunately, I had no whispering coins left in my pockets.
I looked at Inoi, but Inoi also said, “These days, the collection of coins under the refrigerator and under the wardrobe has significantly decreased…! It is researching how to artificially cultivate coins…!”
“If you don’t have money, I can’t help you find the person.”
The witch Daleto huffed.
I said to her, “Then please return my coin.”
“Take it back.”
Swoosh—
The witch leaned inward, as if inviting me to reach into her cleavage to get the coin.
“…….”
I was tense.
If I reached in here, I felt like the internet would be flooded with posts titled “Haildo’s Mistake!” once everything was said and done.
Thus, Awakened Ones always need to be cautious when contacting other civilizations in rifts.
“Hehe, just kidding. People from foreign lands tend to panic easily.”
As the witch Daleto laughed heartily, Kkungkkungi suddenly sprang out from my pocket, leaping into her bosom.
—Kkungkku…!
“Oh my.”
When Kkungkkungi reappeared from the warm valley of flesh, a coin was caught in its mouth! My 500 won coin! What a nice Kkungkkungi!
While I was retrieving the coin, the witch held Kkungkkungi in her hands and examined it, lifting its tail and opening its mouth to inspect it.
“What a magnificent squirrel beast. I’ve never seen such a fine squirrel beast before. It could be taken for a spirit or a legendary beast. Alright, if you give me a little of this squirrel beast’s tail fur, I can tell your fortune.”
“That’s fine.”
Snip—.
Kkungkkungi let out a little of the tail fur it had been growing for the past few days.
Kkungkkungi, proud of its fluffy and long tail, puffed up all its fur in anger.
To calm Kkungkkungi down, I said, “When we go back later, I will play a game of frisbee with you for an hour.”
—Kkurrrr…!!!
“Two hours.”
—Kkungkku…!
Kkungkkungi loved to play frisbee.
According to Inoi, that was because of its hunting instincts.
Anyway.
With this feeling, I was able to get the witch to tell my fortune.
“Okay. I’ve well received my payment. I am the witch Daleto. I’m a peer and friend of Saint Isabella, having the same mentor. My skills are definitely solid. Now, place your hand on this glass ball.”
Swoosh—
I placed my hand on the large glass ball, reminiscent of a nymph’s head.
The glass began to glow.
“Your love fortune is tumultuous. You were destined to have 12 children originally, but due to various encounters, your karma has begun to twist.”
Hearing that I was destined to have 12 children was something I had heard before when I visited a famous fortune teller.
However, what I was curious about was not that.
“No, what I want to find out is not about romantic fortune, but information regarding the horned owl Kalilnoi and the girl Yezhuh. Can you see if I can find them?”
“Hmm, wait a moment.”
The witch Daleto placed her hand over mine and muttered, “Yalubalu.” A very strange spell.
As I contemplated, a giant horned owl’s image reflected in the crystal ball.
They were… trapped in a dark dungeon!
And around them were the terrifying forms of demon statues.
“It’s a castle! They are trapped in a castle!”
I understood that Kalilnoi and the little girl Yezhuh were imprisoned in the Demon King’s castle visible in the distance. This was very important information, leading me to a clear direction.
The witch said.
“The Demon King’s castle, huh… You’re headed towards a dangerous place. Since I’ve received the tail fur of a fine squirrel beast, I should give you some change. But I don’t have any change.”
Kkungkkungi’s tail fur seemed to be a very valuable material.
I hadn’t expected to get change as well.
“No matter how magnificent your squirrel beast is, you won’t easily survive in Barbatos’s castle. In that sense, I’ll teach you a mysterious spell. —Just say it.”
What?
What spell was that?
As I tilted my head in confusion, the witch Daleto seemed to realize something and slightly murmured, “Ah,” then spoke again.
“Just say ‘status window.'”
