Chapter 144
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Two days had passed since Iris made her decision to accompany us to Dungeon City.
That morning, in front of the Gavrett estate, the four of us were being seen off by the Viscount himself.
Yes—four.
It had been decided that Ms. Alicia would join Iris, Seria, and me on the journey.
Here’s how that came about.
The day after Iris declared her intent to travel with us, I thought it proper to seek the Viscount’s permission. When I brought it up, Ms. Alicia unexpectedly expressed her desire to come along as well. To my surprise, the Viscount approved it without much resistance.
His reasoning was based on the information he’d received from Iris about life in Dungeon City.
Ever since the incident with the Gem Snake, I’d grown close to Ferris, the leader of the adventurer guild “Silver Orchid.” As I had been entrusted with protecting Iris and Seria, it seemed the Viscount believed Ms. Alicia might also be safe under the protection of Silver Orchid in case of trouble.
Ferris’s true nature was that of a dragon—a being of extraordinary strength. Because of her power and influence, she was well-known in Dungeon City as a guardian to women in danger.
If I had a connection with someone like her, it stood to reason that I could ask her for help should Alicia ever require protection. That logic was sound, and so the Viscount granted permission under the condition that Alicia would not enter the dungeon.
Ordinarily, one might think it safer for her to stay at home. However, they must have judged that so long as she didn’t set foot in the dungeon, it would be safer for her to travel with us than remain behind, possibly isolated.
To be honest, having more people to protect was a bit of a headache. But Alicia wasn’t entirely defenseless. She was likely acquainted with Charlotte, another member of Silver Orchid and a princess of this country. It wouldn’t be strange if she also knew about Alicia’s engagement talks with the third prince.
In the end, I accepted Alicia’s request. And now, she stood among us, happily adjusting her equipment, a bright smile on her face.
There was some discussion about whether it was proper to travel on foot, but we’d already agreed to fly using Magic Armor.
The Viscount and his household knew about my ability to fly through the air with Magic Armor. With that, we could avoid common dangers on the road.
On our way here, we’d chosen to come by land, just in case of crashes or malfunctions. But this time, we were better prepared. I had Seria carry some high-denomination currency—even if she didn’t quite understand its value—so that if something happened to me, I could be quickly healed or repaired. With that backup plan in place, we decided flight was the safer and faster option.
Still, flying drew attention. It could cause unwanted rumors or stir up problems. To avoid that, we planned to take off only after leaving town, where no one could see us.
We’d also decided to slip out through a rear gate to minimize attention.
As we departed, the Viscount and others offered their farewells.
”Anyway, take care of your health,” he said.
”That’s right,” someone else added. “If you start feeling unwell… just try to hold out for a bit.”
”…In a way, that’s not entirely wrong,” another muttered.
At that moment, Ms. Hilda—who had stayed at the estate overnight—stepped forward.
”Honestly, I wanted to go too… but I’ll settle for last night. So please come back soon, okay?”
She rubbed her lower abdomen as she spoke.
And she did so in full view of the Viscount and his retainers.
Well… I suppose that meant she was fond of me. But oddly enough, the maids behind her also placed their hands over their stomachs, their faces flushed as they looked my way.
So… they liked me too?
Still, I’d appreciate it if they stopped pulling me into storage rooms during those little gaps in the day.
Not that I’m complaining—as long as it doesn’t become a problem.
”Well then, until next time.”
”Yes.”
With that, we left the Gavrett estate behind.
* * *
Even though we’d left the estate, simply walking out of Gavretta would create a record—one that mentioned Alicia and Iris leaving the town.
To prevent that information from falling into the wrong hands and endangering us in Dungeon City, we opted for a hidden exit.
The route we chose was an underground passage—one originally intended by Vergan, the man who cursed Alicia.
The moment we stepped inside, we saw that the tunnel was surprisingly spacious.
According to documents we’d discovered in the mansion’s basement, this route had been part of a plan to abduct Iris and Alicia. It had been built wide enough to carry a large wooden box containing a person.
When the girls learned that, their expressions darkened with anger. But since the ones responsible had already been dealt with, I did my best to soothe them.
Naturally—through action rather than words.
When we finally set foot in the tunnel, their displeasure lingered, but with Seria’s support and my guidance, we pushed onward.
* * *
Creak… squeak.
The heavy door at the tunnel’s exit groaned as I opened it. A clump of foliage tumbled down from above, disturbed by the motion.
Apparently, the door had been hidden again after the soldiers finished their inspection. It wasn’t something that should be easily found.
Interestingly, the exit led upward, making it difficult to carry a box out. That might be why the original plan to abduct them was never carried out—and why they were simply cursed instead.
With that in mind, I made sure to cover the entrance once we stepped outside.
Then I turned to Alicia.
”We’re going to fly from here, but there’s something I should explain first.”
”Oh? What is it? You know, you don’t have to talk so formally out here. Just speak like you do with Iris and Seria.”
That made sense. Being too formal would only draw more attention to her noble status.
”I see. Then… I should probably show you something about Magic Armor.”
Shwoop
”…Huh? What?! Where did you go?!”
I activated the Armor’s cloaking function, making myself vanish from sight. Alicia’s eyes widened as she looked around, searching for me.
Silently, I floated behind her, avoiding all sound and leaving no footprints. Then, carefully, I reached out and gave her a light pat.
Her reaction was immediate.
”Ka—!? H-Huh?! Wh-Who—?!”
”It’s me.”
”Koji?!”
”Yeah.”
I reappeared, and she let out a sigh of relief when she saw my face.
”Geez… I was shocked. I didn’t know you could disappear like that.”
”It’s just one application of Magic Armor. Since we’ll be flying soon, I wanted to explain. If we’re spotted from below, we might attract attention. That’s why I plan to keep us invisible.”
”I see… So that’s why you told me. Did Iris and Seria already know?”
””Yes.””
”I figured as much. Oh—and when Iris came back before, there wasn’t any word from the gate. So you were hiding her with that trick too, weren’t you?”
She must’ve realized the trick behind it once she knew about the invisibility. It made sense—when Iris returned to town, we’d used the same method to avoid notice.
”Exactly. Now that everyone’s cloaked, we can take off.”
”Understood.”
With the explanation complete, the four of us faded from sight, rose into the sky, confirmed our bearings—and set our course for Dungeon City.
* * *
After traveling for a while, we decided to take a break.
None of us felt physically exhausted, but both Iris and Seria seemed tense from flying high through the sky.
In contrast, Alicia looked like she was having the time of her life.
”Phew… Flying like this feels amazing♪”
”Is that so? The two of them seem a bit on edge.”
We found a shaded spot beneath a tree and took a moment to rest. I quietly observed them as they settled down. They didn’t appear to be afraid of heights, exactly—but they clearly felt safer on solid ground.
From my pack, I took out a small wooden box I’d kept hidden. Inside were water flasks and herbal candies, made from a blend of dried herbs and spring water. I handed them out.
”…Since we’ll be invisible anyway, maybe we should stay low to the ground when flying.”
”Eh!?”
Alicia immediately reacted to my suggestion, her eyes wide.
”You’re not thinking of skipping out on flying already, are you?”
”Well, it’s not something I get to do often.”
”That’s true, but…”
”I mean, we’ll have plenty of chances to fly again later, right?”
”Hmmm… I see. If you say so, then I’ll wait. But next time, promise you’ll take me flying again? Whether it’s through the sky… or even somewhere softer♡”
”Y-Y-Yeah…”
Her playful tone caught me off guard. I realized her suggestion carried… another meaning entirely. But before I could respond properly, the moment passed, and we continued our break, chatting casually as if nothing had happened.
Once we were ready, we turned invisible again and resumed our journey—this time flying just above the ground.
Our progress was smooth. The few travelers we passed veered off the path slightly, likely sensing something was amiss despite not seeing us.
Even when the terrain got rough, it didn’t slow us down much thanks to our flight. However, traveling through areas where the forest closed in on both sides made things trickier. To avoid brushing against branches, I lifted our altitude to about treetop level.
That’s when we saw it.
A small clearing opened up in the forest, and in it, a group of armed men stood in formation, surrounding someone—or something.
At the center of their semicircular formation stood two figures. One wore a long cloak with the hood pulled low over their face. The other was clad in full armor, weapon in hand, standing protectively in front of the cloaked figure.
”Oh… that’s…”
Just as Seria murmured, the surrounding men launched their attack.
The armored figure sprang into action, cutting down the attackers one after another with swift, practiced movements.
Even from a distance, I could tell they were skilled.
The cloaked figure behind them raised a staff, and every now and then, the armored warrior would emit a faint glow. Healing magic. They were working together—one fought on the front lines, the other supported from the rear.
Still, something about the situation gave me pause.
There was a chance the group of men had a valid reason for the attack. If I jumped in without knowing the context, I might make things worse. What if someone had a dangerous skill that triggered upon interference?
But as I hesitated, the armored fighter began to slow down. Wounds accumulated across their body as the support magic stopped.
It seemed the cloaked mage had reached their limit. Their staff no longer shimmered with power, and that must have signaled the men to press harder.
The tide was turning.
We made our decision.
”Let’s go check it out.”
As we drew closer, voices echoed from below.
”Now!”
”Got ’em!”
”Alright, that’s it!”
Before long, the two were overwhelmed and captured. The armed men surrounded them, weapons sheathed now, and reached out—not to restrain them further, but to grab their clothes.
I heard them clearly now.
”Tch. These guys not making this easy.”
”Well, once the magic runs dry, it’s only a matter of time.”
They moved in, hands grasping at cloaks and fabric with obvious intent.
”Hey! Let’s get this over with already!”
”I know, I know. Come on, strip them down. Fast!”
”””Yeah!”””
The man giving orders stood out as their leader. At his command, even more subordinates surged forward, hands reaching, no hesitation in their movements.
”Ugh! Stop!”
”No…!”
Two cries rang out—voices filled with fear and defiance.
The hoods fell back, revealing the faces of the captives. Both were young women. Beautiful.
This was bad.
Very bad.
There was no longer any question in my mind.
Without waiting another moment, I prepared to intervene—ready to step in and hear both sides, but more importantly, to stop whatever was about to happen.
Notes:
• Iris – The first collaborator to request a curse-breaking item.
• Ms. Alicia – Iris’ big sister.
• Seria – The first cleric.
• Ferris – The representative of Silver Orchid
• Charlotte – The third princess of the Kingdom of Orlando
• Ms. Hilda – The Cleric invited by Iris Mother.
• Hilda – The Cleric invited by Iris Mother.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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