413 Eternal Youth Fairies #3
Bang, crackle-
As I took a slight step forward, the back alley’s floor collapsed beneath my feet.
The darkness visible through the gaps in the bricks reminded me of the manhole I had fallen into before, giving me an eerie feeling.
Whoosh-
From within, a faint sound akin to a gentle breeze could be heard, suggesting the existence of some unreported illegal space beneath the back alley.
“Well, anyway, it seems we’ve now got a way into the underground.”
“Wasn’t it rumored that you defeated a Hydra with nothing but your bare hands? Looks like the rumors were true.”
The agent in the brown robe was visibly astonished that I had destroyed the ground with nothing but my bare feet. Honestly, even I thought it was a crude method.
We could have used strategy and clever planning to uncover a hidden path into the underground, or perhaps negotiated a compromise with the nymph Nabokov, the shop owner.
But I didn’t bother.
The reason? My friends were waiting for me on the road, and I didn’t want to waste time. Furthermore, there was no need for complicated tactics in this situation.
That’s right.
I felt like the king of the African savannah—the elephant.
Elephants are seriously powerful.
Because of their immense strength, they don’t undergo training or devise strategies. They don’t need to.
Even rhinos, giraffes, and lions are overpowered by elephants with nothing but brute force—and that’s exactly what I just did.
“The strength reported in your records is nowhere near as powerful as what I witnessed.”
“What exactly do you mean by records?”
It was an attention-worthy keyword even for someone like me, who acted hastily in order to resolve matters quickly.
But I didn’t expect someone like an intelligence agent to answer my question easily.
At that moment, however, the agent responded.
“I have a list with various details about you.”
“Really? What does it say about me?”
“Just the usual stuff refreshed by Mars Guild—your Karma levels, the number of your followers, the methods of your worship, achievements, that sort of thing.”
“That sounds about right.”
I nonchalantly brushed it off as if I wasn’t interested.
But truth be told, I’ve always been curious what kind of evaluations people gave me. Ever since ancient times, I’ve been weak to flattery and eager to hear what others think of me.
It would be great if I could take a look at what this report said about me.
“Hey, could I maybe take a look at that report?”
“Well, it’s not exactly a massive secret. If this goes well, I can let you read it. Are you curious about your story?”
“Yeah, something like that. You know me.”
“They all say that, huh? Guess it doesn’t change even for a young god. Anyway, now that we’ve made this hole, people might start coming. Better move quickly.”
With that, the agent jumped down into the hole, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and muttered a short spell—”Light”—forming a glowing orb in her palm.
The female agent, who was likely a mage, used the light to illuminate the surroundings before shouting upwards.
“There’s a wall here…! Come break it down…!”
“Just hang on.”
“Are you saying you’re a nymph who kidnaps other nymphs? Truly, you seem like a wicked one!”
I gathered the nymphs who were waiting for me on the road. When I explained the situation to them, Paranoi erupted in anger as if someone had spoken something unforgivable.
“Honestly, Paranoi knew everything from the start! I thought she was suspicious from our very first meeting!”
“Don’t make up stories, idiot.”
“Doris never suspected a thing!”
I recalled seeing Paranoi surrounded by countless toys, playing carelessly. If I hadn’t come to rescue them, they would have been completely unprepared and easily taken by Nabokov.
Given that, there’s a real possibility that these nymphs would have gone missing if I hadn’t been looking.
Thinking about it now, all the tea parties and sweet gatherings seemed like traps designed to lure and kidnap the nymphs.
But why kidnap them?
Of course, there are possibilities. Due to their innate affinity with nature or mana, nymphs are considered precious ingredients for all sorts of uses.
As a result, nymphs have been captured for generations, leading their population to dwindle, putting them under protection.
Though now there are nymph relief foundations and protection laws, I’ve heard that there are still shady individuals exploiting them in secret.
“Cherubic. Look at those luminous eyes. Their cheeks are so soft. And a pleasant scent surrounds them. Who braids their hair like this?”
“Rather, who exactly is this woman? Why is she pinching Paranoi’s cheek so casually?”
“Doris rejects any interaction without explicit approval from herself, Kore, and Luna!”
The nymphs clearly didn’t like the brown-robed agent who was getting too close. Despite Paranoi and Doris making complaints, the agent seemed increasingly pleased.
“I’ve never seen a nymph up close before! Would you like a piece of candy?”
The agent rummaged through their robes and handed Paranoi a candy wrapped in paper.
I always thought that the royal spy force was made up of ruthless and unfeeling killers. But apparently, she’s not like that. Could she just be a nymph lover?
As the agent caressed the cheeks and heads of Doris, Ignoy, and Paranoi for quite some time, she eventually said,
“It’s unforgivable to kidnap such adorable nymphs. They need to face judgment for their crimes.”
“Are you saying the kidnapped nymphs are beyond this wall?” questioned Paranoi, tapping on the strong iron wall in front of the underground area.
“It’s very sturdy…” Paranoi noted.
The agent, pulling her robe closer, responded:
“It’s a titanium steel plate. Using such valuable steel for an unreported basement wall? They must want to protect something. This is bank vault level protection, right here.”
I am aware of titanium steel. The gauntlets I once used were made of that exact tough alloy.
“Could you possibly break this as well? It might take some time to come back with something that can break titanium steel.”
“Can it be broken…?”
Swish.
I placed my palm against the cool steel wall. It felt thick and very sturdy. The wall was likely about 10 cm thick.
Would it break if I hit it with a steel-clad fist?
As I prepared to draw life-force from the lower parts of my body, Doris suddenly called out:
“There’s a tiny air vent there! It looks like my friend could fit through! It’d be best to send my friend in to scout first!”
Doris pointed out a small hole, hardly noticeable because it was near the ceiling. She must have sensed it with her unique nymph perception.
Swish.
Doris lifted a leather flask tied around her robe’s waist and uncapped it with a pop.
Suddenly, a small insect, approximately the size of a fingernail, flew out—it was a honeybee.
“Enter through there and report what’s inside!”
Buzzzz.
Following Doris’s command, the bee squeezed its body into the tiny gap. The brown-robed agent, watching this, exclaimed appreciatively.
“Using a bee for reconnaissance—impressive skill. It’d be quite useful in our division. You’re called the Nymph of Honey, right? Want to work with us?”
The agent clearly wanted to recruit Doris for her abilities.
True, a bee so small could be used for reconnaissance and even targeted assassinations, with endless applications.
“Never! I am sworn to protect young maidens!”
Determined, Doris firmly rejected the recruitment. After some time, the bee that had disappeared into the small opening reappeared.
Buzzzz.
The bee danced around Doris’s ear, flapping its wings in intricate patterns. Listening carefully, Doris frowned.
“Can we trust this report?”
Paranoi asked Doris, curious.
“What’s inside? Not some cruel factory making wands from nymphs, is it?”
“There are indeed nymphs inside! There’s a large number of them!”
That confirmed it.
I had been half-doubting the agent’s story due to her sudden appearance, but Doris’s report suggested she was telling the truth about the toy shop owner capturing nymphs and imprisoning them in the basement.
Now there was no time to waste. I raised my thumb and pressed hard on the pressure points restraining my strength in my body.
Swish.
A fiery heat began erupting from within me. My bl**d felt like boiling magma, a sensation that I’m still not fully used to.
“It might be dangerous, so all of you, please step back.”
The next event will be an uncontrolled clash of power, so I requested that the agent protect the nymphs.
Standing before the steel wall, I took a deep exhale.
Then with all my might, I pushed the two palms against the steel wall.
Squeak.
A peculiar sensation ran through my palms.
The thick titanium steel wall crumpled as if it were clay, reshaping itself into the impression of my palms. That steel bending under my grip was a new experience, sending a shiver down my spine.
Clang.
Continuing to push forward, the steel wall eventually reached its limit like a plastic bag, tearing open into a hole.
Finally, with one more push…
There was no more wall to stop me.
There was a hole in the titanium wall as if it had been hit by a cannon.
We could now press our bodies through it. Ahead of us, we encountered quite a surprising sight.
“Indeed, many sister nymphs are present here!”
Behind the titanium wall was a place that could be called either a spacious living room or maybe a square. On the cushioned carpet below, several girls resembling Paranoi, Doris, and Ignoy, with their short ears, lay sprawled across the floor.
Are they… dead bodies?
The thought crept into my mind, causing a sudden panic.
But as I checked the pulse of the nearest nymph with my fingers, I found her heartbeat steady without problems.
Softly, softly.
The even breathing suggested they were merely asleep.
Right at that moment, Doris grimaced.
“The smell of Somnus flowers… we mustn’t breathe it…”
Doris pointed out a faint floral scent permeating this strange space.
What exactly are the flowers of Somnus?
While I didn’t know, the flowers apparently affected the nymphs adversely, as Paranoi, Ignoy, and Doris all pinched their noses with their sleeves and frowned deeply.
“What are Somnus flowers?”
“Occasionally, nymphs enjoy taking a winter nap, but inducing a long sleep is difficult for us too… so we take help from the sleep-inducing flower Somnus…”
In other words, it’s a sleeping scent that only nymphs can fall under its spell?
I’d heard nymphs dislike winter and were sensitive to cold, thus preferring to take a winter nap to skip the season.
So are these nymphs in front of me simply sleeping through winter?
But it’s not yet winter.
Thus, the obvious conclusion remained—someone must have intentionally put them to sleep.
Flap.
The agent pulled out a scroll from her robes and matched the faces of the sleeping nymphs one by one.
“This one was Haroi—the Nymph of Ditch Water, reported missing in Jeruit. And this is Iris, a nymph working in a flower shop in Royal Capital Jeruit, and this one is…”
Based on her words, these roughly ten nymphs lying here were all reported missing from various places.
This was undeniable evidence that the toy shop owner, Nabokov, was involved in the horrific crime of kidnapping nymphs.
“As a nymph abducting other nymphs, this is absolutely unforgivable…! Honestly, her large chest irked me right away…”
Paranoi was outraged, raising her voice fiercely.
Right at that moment, a lethargic female voice echoed throughout the area.
“Plotting nefarious deeds? I, on the contrary, was only protecting my sisters…”
[Afterword]
Big thanks to Daengmujae, Pelnjun, Kaioqa, Hofsteeter, Potetoseva, and others for your support!
Also many people have sent in manuscript fee coupons, for which I’m immensely grateful! I always appreciate everyone who leaves comments and recommendations!
Thanks to everyone’s support, the Nymph Choir has come together!
They might even make an appearance in the story soon!
To those who leave comments and recommendations, I’ll give a chance to watch from the front row via a lottery!
Eternal Youth Fairies
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