Traces of the Ninjas

“Master! Please go towards the flames!”

Master gently descended towards the flame barrier, folding Her enormous wings.

In that moment, a cold wave emanated from Master’s body, spreading out in all directions.

Whoosh!

The flame barrier vanished in an instant.

The crimson flames dispersed and disappeared, revealing a magnificent carriage that had been hidden behind them, now fully visible in its splendor.

Thud!

As Master’s massive claws touched the ground, the earth trembled with a loud quake.

Simultaneously, muffled sounds of something moving urgently could be heard from around the carriage.

“W-what… a dragon…!”

The trembling voice belonged to none other than the mage.

But it wasn’t the mage I remembered.

Having seemingly swallowed a balloon, he was now round and chubby, completely transformed into a different person.

His trembling figure, trying to hide behind the carriage, looked even more ridiculous.

Why did he get so fat…?

Originally, he had a decent face…

“Heh-heh-hee! Hee-hee-hee!”

The horses’ terrified whinnies erupted one after another.

All eight horses, overwhelmed by Master’s overwhelming presence, lowered their necks to the ground and knelt down.

Their legs gave out, and they collapsed one by one.

…

My eyes widened in surprise.

The horses had also become incredibly chubby!

Once proud and majestic, pulling the royal carriage with grace, they were now so round it was hard to tell if they were horses or pigs.

What if you all become pigs!

Their legs buckling and collapsing made the scene even more absurd, with each thud echoing loudly.

Master’s silvery light, which had enveloped Her, began to fade.

Her massive dragon form slowly shrunk until She transformed back into the figure of a beautiful silver-haired woman.

“U-uh…?”

The mage’s eyes grew even wider.

The shock of witnessing a dragon transforming into a human was deeply etched on his chubby face.

He stood there, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

Nis also approached Master elegantly, the hem of Her black dress swaying.

Standing side by side, the two of Them were a breathtaking sight.

The mage’s spirit seemed to have completely left his body.

“Huh… Huh…!”

The mage’s trembling eyes darted between Master and Nis, and he swallowed hard.

His entire body shook violently, yet his gaze remained fixed on the two.

“Hey! Mage!”

I poked my head out from behind Master and greeted him cheerfully.

“Ah! Lycoris!”

Upon recognizing me, the mage’s shoulders visibly relaxed.

He let out a heavy sigh of relief, though his legs still trembled.

“H-hey…!”

“Don’t be afraid! It’s okay, I’m with Master and Nis.”

“Lycoris… is this your carriage?”

Master gazed at the carriage with admiration in Her voice.

Her pure white eyes examined every detail of the carriage as if it were a work of art.

“Oh, what a luxurious carriage.”

Nis also marveled at the intricate gold ornaments and delicate carvings, Her eyes sparkling like jewels.

“Such a high-class carriage… it’s the kind only royalty would use.”

“Heh-heh! It’s the royal carriage from the kingdom! I brought it!”

I shrugged proudly, and Master smiled gently.

“Of course, my Lycoris.”

Heh-heh!

“But where are Ryandel and Levi?”

“T-that…”

The mage glanced nervously at Master and Nis, stuttering.

“About a month ago… while driving the carriage, I suddenly got a headache. Then I couldn’t move my body anymore.”

“And then?”

“My consciousness grew blurry, and the carriage was heading towards the demon territory. It felt like I was being controlled by something.”

“So you ended up here?”

“Yes… and Ryandel tried to heal me, but I lost consciousness. When I awoke, I was inside this flame barrier.”

Ah, I see.

The flame barrier must have been created by Cecil to protect the mage and the horses.

“And I’ve been staying here for about a month, living off the remaining provisions in the carriage.”

So that’s why they’ve all become chubby from not moving and just eating!

“Do you know where the others went?”

“No… I don’t know. I lost consciousness, so I wasn’t aware.”

Hmm…

Abraxas said they went to the Great Labyrinth, so they must be there.

But wait…

If they went a month ago…

Ugh…

The brooch indicated a new direction, shining brightly.

Does that mean the Great Labyrinth is that way?

“Are they… safe…?”

Flicker, flicker!

I asked the brooch, and it rapidly blinked in purple light.

Sigh…

“Really, why would they go into the labyrinth without me? What confidence do they have?”

I muttered to myself, and the fairy on my shoulder began playing with my hair again.

What are you doing!

I quickly reached to grab her, but she had already flown high into the air.

And there, she began arranging my hair in a fancy style.

《Because everyone’s become fools because of Lycoris! Contagious Fool Disease!》

The falling strands of hair formed perfect letters in the air.

Each stroke was as refined as if written by a master calligrapher.

Wow…

What a high-class skill…

But wait!

Contagious Fool Disease!

“If I catch you today, I’ll turn you into a butterfly specimen!”

Zzip, zzip!

Flutter, flutter!

This time, I summoned roots to catch her, but she dodged with ease.

Her agility was impressive…

“U-uh… Lycoris? What should I do now?”

The mage, still in a daze from the intense battle between me and Miel, asked timidly.

Sigh…

Lucky her…

“Well, you should return to the Kingdom of Genes.”

And I whispered to the mage.

“And take care of the horses. Don’t let them become a fat club. My carriage shouldn’t look like a pigsty.”

“Y-yes…? Is my task not over…?”

The mage asked, confused.

“How ridiculous. Since you came with the carriage, you’re mine now.”

“Ah…”

A look of sadness crossed the mage’s face.

“Huh…?”

Are you dissatisfied?

I glared at the mage, and he quickly changed his attitude.

“Haha…! No, it’s not like that! I’m honored to serve a legendary being!”

“Hmph. Good.”

That’s more like it.

“There, you.”

Nis called the mage and began summoning something from the ground.

The soil cracked, and four Death Knights appeared one by one.

『 ☆☆☆☆☆ Death Knight LV235 』 『 ☆☆☆☆☆ Death Knight LV241 』 『 ☆☆☆☆☆ Death Knight LV229 』 『 ☆☆☆☆☆ Death Knight LV238 』

“They will protect you and ensure your safe journey to the kingdom.”

“U-uh… Ugh!”

The mage and horses trembled even more violently, but there was no choice.

“Farewell!”

“…Yes! Haha…! Take care, Lycoris!”

The chubby mage and chubby horses, escorted by the Death Knights, began to leave slowly.

The horses’ gait was sluggish due to their weight.

Master began transforming back into a dragon.

“Alright, Lycoris. Come on.”

As Nis and I mounted Master’s back, She spread Her wings.

Following the direction the brooch indicated, we flew towards a sight beyond expectation.

A massive pit unfolded before us.

It was unimaginably vast, like a colossal blue hole from a documentary.

Sharp black rocks lined the edges, resembling the teeth of hell, with dark energy seeping through the gaps, creating an ominous atmosphere.

The pit’s depth was unfathomable, with a spiraling path descending endlessly into darkness.

Near the edge of the pit, where the path began, something glinted.

“What’s… that…?”

As Master drew closer, the objects became clear.

They were demon corpses.

Frozen demon corpses, their bodies covered in white frost, faces frozen in extreme terror.

Undoubtedly, this was Glacia’s ice poison.

Beside them were charred corpses.

Completely incinerated, as if thrown into a volcano.

Clearly, Cecil’s flames.

And the most bizarre were the corpses with perfect circular holes in their bodies.

Precise, as if drilled by a drill, through their chests or heads.

This… the size matches Lote…!

Is Lote attacking now!?

“Wow…!”

Arrows were embedded around the pit, and traces of magic circles were scorched into the ground.

These were Ryandel and Levi’s marks.

What’s surprising, though, is that not a single drop of our blood was present.

It indicated a completely one-sided victory.

“Wow… our kids are so strong!”

I exclaimed.

Nis also nodded in agreement.

“They really cleaned up nicely.”

“Let’s head in as well!”

The brooch also shone brighter, as if eager to lead the way.