episode_0095

Tukang—Kwaang—!

“Forgive us—Please forgive us—”

Those foolish things.

Even after I told them they could leave…

The lower level, ascended with somewhat heavy steps, was still filled with stone golems.

And in my eyes, I saw the lost souls clinging to the device.

Soldiers shedding mana, brimming with regret, like tears.

Following their voices, I leaked their location to Eve.

‘Take care of them cleanly.’ ‘…I know.’

Taat—!

Honestly, I’m still just as confused.

I knew she wasn’t an ordinary human, being from the Ma Continent, but I never dreamed my mother would be a monster who lived for a thousand years.

However, everything is a matter of time.

My heart hasn’t changed, nor has it been broken. It’s just that… I’m a little surprised to have learned so much at once.

Let’s take our time, carefully and slowly, to think. About the path I must walk.

She who ruled a magical civilization that the world’s scholars still can’t fully comprehend.

She who reduced the demon pirate hordes, swarming like bees, who invaded the kingdom, to dust.

And the incredible person (this is the most important part) who brought me, this woman, into this world.

And since I inherited similar power, it appeared beautifully as my next goal, didn’t it?

Even after her death, the power felt from the magic stone my mother left behind was of a different dimension. It made my heart race even more.

I don’t know why she left behind magic stones that only demonic beasts leave, but… well, she was a monstrous person, so it can’t be helped, I suppose.

The conclusion is one.

“Being a queen… wouldn’t be so bad—!!”

Kwaak—!

I was a lazy person, satisfied with the situation, even though I had many things I wanted to do.

But the moment someone pushed me, I ran like lightning, without turning my eyes to anything else.

“I’m sorry, but–I’ll hold a grand farewell party later, all at once.”

I had sufficient feelings of mourning, but due to time constraints I had to wrap things up quickly. I smashed the golems’ magic stones instantly and precisely.

Finding the nest of souls wasn’t difficult.

Neglect of duty wasn’t to their liking, there was a helper who strongly wailed along with a pure white light, showing me the location.

Woong—

They say it’s good over here, too.

…

…

…

The deepest part of the Artemis Ruins, the temple where the king resided. It was clearly in shambles from the tremendous earthquake a little while ago.

Or, it had been.

I saw it clearly with my own eyes before I left. Stone statues were moving, rock fragments flying, and several of the [Living Armors] were crushed by falling rocks.

The walls and floor were cracked and shattered—

“Welcome~” “Keuh—You’re a little late.”

But when I returned, everything was meticulously cleaned.

Banjak—

It was even better than new.

I was okay because I knew about the ‘Cleaning Demon’, but… Eve, seeing her power for the first time, was gaping open-mouthed as if her jaw was dislocated.

“Th…this…”

Wiping the sweat beading on her forehead, Yuri grinned, her hand resting on her waist.

Again, her cleaning talent is the best in the world.

She was able to clean such a huge space, like three lecture halls combined, so cleanly in just over 30 minutes.

But today, it seemed she had some help.

“Keuhut—I lent a little of my strength~”

Well, even the completely destroyed parts were restored perfectly like a new house, which was something beyond Yuri’s abilities alone.

Most of the magic Nix had learned was dark attribute utility magic. Among them was [Recycle], which restored objects to their original state, but she expanded the incantation a bit to repair the temple.

Of course, Yuri, who couldn’t use such magic, cleaned everything with meticulous care. Removing debris and dust, polishing rust, and erasing stains.

Even though it was the king’s residence, it was inevitable that traces of time would remain after a thousand years without anyone maintaining it.

But now, as a result of Nix’s magic and Yuri’s cleaning combined…

The temple could be said to have ‘regressed’.

To prove this, there was one who couldn’t hide his emotion, seeing the reappearance of past glory.

“Keuheuk… that I would see this sight again…Keuhk—!”

It was Argos, the soldier captain, crouching disproportionately to his size and wiping away tears.

“You haven’t left yet…”

Ah—right, a voice that’s audibly produced won’t directly reach a spirit body—

“I… still have work to do.”

—!!

A voice filled with mana resonated properly, reaching my ears. Everyone flinched slightly.

“You… your voice…” “Ah, is it this? Thanks to Her Majesty’s order of liberation, I have freed myself from the magic stone and directly attached my soul to this statue.”

I see… so you only need to use attributeless mana to convey your voice when your soul is trapped in a magic stone.

I sent one more message.

“I… am currently hiding my identity, therefore treat me as one of her descendants, not a direct descendant of Her Majesty the Queen.” “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Jjinggeut—!

One of the statue’s eyes twinkled.

A perceptive fellow, I like him.

“Anyway… I still have a little more to do here.” “What work is that…?”

How long has it been?

It’s been almost two years since I broke the prologue, but it’s finally time to ‘use’ this key.

I took out the [Ancient Relic’s Basement Key] with the Artemis crest from my bosom.

“Um—no, let’s raid my ancestor’s wallet.”

…

…

…

“S~몰라~이트~”

Nix’s magic tool pouch is a wonder.

Thanks to the [Minimize] magic that can reduce the size of inanimate objects, Argos shrank to the size of an ordinary person.

“This way, descendant of the queen.”

As a loyal subordinate, he called me as agreed in advance, guiding me deeper into the temple.

Tabak—Tabak—

“Th… there’s still so much to… clean—♡” “Endure.” “Ye-yes…”

As expected of the innermost part, there was more space even inside the king’s chambers.

At the end of the never-ending corridor was a warehouse filled with dazzling treasures.

Gold chests piled up like trash, and colorful sacred objects hanging like laundry. Truly a place filled with ‘money’!

“Bue-e- Suep—”

For a moment, I lost myself, drooling. I quickly erased the lustful expression from my face.

“All of this is mine now…?” “You are the only owner of all these things.”

After guiding me, Argos walked towards the wall, assuming a motionless posture and waiting.

I pondered for a while on how to carry away this mountain of gold and silver treasures, and then…

Ssiik—

I decided to give up.

I chose a reasonably sized chest and filled it with gold coins, then slipped it to Eve.

“What’s this?” “Settlement payment. I added a little extra.”

Her eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she was blank. Then, she suddenly came to her senses and showed a surprised expression.

“Wa-wait, this much—” “Not enough? You’re so greedy! Alright, wait.”

From the start, I intended to give her double the amount of compensation she expected. Discovering this mountain of treasure only strengthened my resolve.

You have to give a generous bonus to those who have worked hard, don’t you? You should repay kindness or revenge by double; that’s a long-standing Korean tradition.

I pondered which precious item to give her among the numerous ones, when one item caught my eye.

A necklace that showed an understated beauty, holding a light blue gem at the center. The color was exactly like Eve’s eyes and hair, so I liked it.

I carefully picked it up from the display stand and held it gently to her neck.

“Ooh—It’s cold…” “It suits you.”

Without hesitation, I undid the necklace.

“Wait… I can’t accept such a… thing…” “No returns. Don’t even think about refusing.” “Euh…”

I gently pushed her hair back, reached for her nape, and fastened the clasp.

The necklace on Eve’s neck harmonized so well with her that it felt like it had returned to its rightful owner.

“Yeah, it’s pretty.” “……”

From beyond her head, which had turned swiftly, I heard a voice as tiny as an ant.

“Thank you…” “You’re welcome.”

Her reaction is good today as well. Seeing her happiness warms my heart.

But there were two who saw things from a slightly different perspective.

“Ahem… she put a collar on her, didn’t she? What do you think?” “She’s marking her territory, right… yes.”

Yuri and Nix are still enjoying their “adding Eve to my harem” game.

“That’s not it, so just stay quiet.”

Not yet, anyway.

Pushing the two troublemakers towards Eve, I walked towards the inner part of the treasure room.

There, in the center, was a conspicuously ornate door, as if the most important items were inside.

And there was a keyhole of the right size.

“If there’s a hole… it’s only natural to stick something in it.”

I carefully held the end of the key against the hole and pushed it in.

Ssuuk—!