episode_0122
by fnovelpiaSpirits are pure. That’s why they can be so cruel. Just like how children’s innocence can be cruel.
Lian approached the fallen knight with a disdainful expression, ignoring the mosaic-treated attendants. Although the glass walls were all gone, the ropes restraining the knight remained.
Lian sat in front of him, transforming his magic sword into a dagger shape and bringing it close to the ropes binding the knight tightly. The knight’s body trembled slightly at the touch of the ropes, but he showed no further reaction.
The knight’s gaze did not waver from Lian’s white hair and shining golden eyes.
Thud.
The rope-shaped magical tool that was suppressing the target’s magic was cleanly cut off. When the ropes around his ankles were untied, the knight became completely free.
[Grarrr!]
[Thank you, human!]
[Hehehe.]
Some vengeful spirits returned after taking revenge on the attendants, flying around Lian’s shoulders and hair. Some spirits even playfully tickled the ends of his hair.
Their affectionate gestures were unexpected for spirits who usually played rough pranks.
“Can you stand up?”
“Yes, yes! I’m fine!”
Taken aback by the unexpectedly polite voice, the knight quickly got up from his seat. Due to being bound for a long time, his legs almost gave out, but thanks to the returning magic, he managed to stay upright.
‘I don’t know why I was captured here… It would be better to release me with the spirits.’
In his weakened state without his sword and armor, the knight would not be much help. It was better to guide the unpredictable spirits outside rather than carry him around, as they might make it easier to bring down their enemies.
‘That way, it will be easier to overthrow them.’
A radical thought easily came to mind when mixing the values of the comedic world inhabitants with the brutality of dark fantasy.
“Have you ever seen a woman with brown hair and green eyes… no, a man?”
“Ahem. No, I was… immediately brought here as soon as I was captured and haven’t seen anyone else.”
“I see…”
Lian sighed softly with a gloomy expression.
‘Ugh, I need to find them as soon as possible. Should I have asked to spare at least one person?’
Glancing briefly at the mosaic-treated attendants, Lian shook his head slightly. Holding onto what was already over wouldn’t change anything.
Just as he was about to leave to find Noah again and inform the knight of the way out…
“I saw them! A human with brown hair and green eyes!”
“I saw a red cat!”
“It’s not a cat, it’s a dog!”
“No, it’s a human!”
At the mention of seeing Jess and Noah, Lian’s eyes widened in surprise. He asked urgently.
“Where, where did you see them? Are they nearby?”
“N-no! They’re far away!”
“They’re going straight ahead like this!”
Unable to understand the vague words, Lian looked puzzled. Then, a mature spirit who had previously mentioned ‘mother’ approached him.
“Humans are escaping through the path leading to the forest.”
“Is that… visible from here?”
“We are part of nature, so if it’s a short distance, we can see everything.”
To the spirits living in the vast wilderness, the size of the research facility was smaller than a fingernail. It wasn’t difficult to overlook the inside of the laboratory.
“They’ve all escaped outside! Thank goodness!”
Lian’s expression relaxed significantly.
“Then all we need to do is escape.”
Just before the escape, if we destroy the laboratory with the Dark Magic, everything will end perfectly!
Lian looked at the spirits with a bright expression and said,
“Thank you for letting me know. Now let’s all get out of here!”
The spirits, who thought they would be excitedly leaving, hung their heads low and expressed sadness.
[ No, our mother is still here. ]
[ She is suffering. ]
[ We won’t leave until we save our mother. ]
Lian remembered the words of the deceased assistants who had held the spirits’ mother captive.
“I can help. Do you know where your mother is being held?”
[ …! Yes! I know! ]
[ A room made of unpleasant stones that weaken our powers! ]
[ Mom is crying… Please help… ]
Their personalities were so different that even their way of asking for things was completely different. After smiling faintly at the cute spirits, the knight turned around.
“Ah.”
Seeing the affectionate expression on Lian’s face, which was completely different from when he first saw her, the knight was taken aback.
“Was that initial appearance all an act?”
The imposing presence that evoked thoughts of a duke had vanished as if it were a lie, leaving only the affectionately smiling noblewoman there.
The uncomfortable feeling that lingered in his throat like a thorn mysteriously disappeared as if washed away.
“Indeed, it couldn’t be someone who shares His Majesty’s bloodline.”
As the uncomfortable feeling washed away, the remaining space filled with swelling anticipation and fondness.
“Would you please go outside with the spirits first, Sir Knight?”
“What? How can I be a knight…”
To conceal his appearance as an imperial knight, his attire was no different from that of a mercenary, and he wasn’t even carrying a sword now. In such a state, when Lian realized he was a “knight,” he froze.
‘Ah, sseup… I made a mistake…’
Inside, as she called him ‘Sir Knight,’ the words slipped out unintentionally. As Lian quickly tried to come up with an excuse.
[Hoot, that’s simple enough -…]
‘…!’
The magic sword began to loudly point out various characteristics visible in the knight. Lian immediately echoed the words of the magic sword.
“Ah…”
Admiration rose on the knight’s face. His eyes sparkled even brighter than before.
‘Indeed, one cannot hide their lineage!’
The knight’s misconception only deepened.
“It’s not difficult for me to escape alone, but it seems challenging to take care of you, Sir Knight, and the spirits. So…”
After elegantly pointing at the spirit who was speaking, Lian continued.
“I would appreciate it if you let the rest of the spirits go first.”
“…Understood.”
As much as I wanted to protect him by Lian’s side, objectively speaking, Lian was stronger than him and he didn’t even have a proper weapon. He was just a burden.
Afterwards, Lian rummaged through the desk and laboratory bench set up on one side, thinking of sending at least one weapon.
He found a wooden sword and a single-edged sword that were kept for emergencies. However, the blade of the sword seemed dull, perhaps due to improper maintenance. Preferring something over nothing, the knight took the sword and wooden sword.
“Hmm?”
While looking for something useful, he pulled out a book that was stuck in the shelf.
Squeak.
The bookshelf slid sideways, revealing a new space.
‘Oh! Emergency exit!’
On the emergency exit wall, there was even a kind guide written.
I didn’t know exactly where it led, but it briefly mentioned that this passage was connected to a place outside.
“I can escape through here!”
This was partly due to the power of the comedy filter, but also thanks to the spirits constantly showering blessings on Lian’s head. The accumulation of small lucky blessings, enough to find a four-leaf clover, had turned into great strength.
“I must find the mother of the spirits, so please use this passage to escape.”
“Yes, please be careful.”
The knight politely saluted as if receiving an order from his lord, then began to move along with dozens of spirits.
‘There shouldn’t be any problem going outside with so many spirits.’
Lian turned her gaze to the spirit sitting on her shoulder. The spirit quickly sensed it and flew up ahead.
[It’s this way.]
Lian followed the spirit quickly. After climbing several stairs and passing through complex maze-like corridors, she arrived in front of an elegant door.
[…Stay inside here.]
The spirit looked at the door with watery eyes as if it would shed tears at any moment.
“You wait here.”
[But…]
“This place weakens the power of the spirits. So wait here, I’ll be back soon!”
[…Okay.]
The spirit nodded slightly and flew up to the ceiling, trying not to attract too much attention from others.
“If someone tries to enter the room, I will stop them.”
“Please do.”
Without asking for anything, Lian entered the room following the spirit’s words, feeling positive about its request.
As expensive-looking furniture as the elegant door appeared first.
Thud.
After quietly closing the door, Lian turned her head around to find the spirit’s mother. At that moment, the voice of the dark sword was heard.
“There you are. You’ve done something quite interesting.”
The dark sword pointed with its blade towards the curtain-covered window. Lian immediately approached the window and pulled aside the curtain.
Swish.
“…!”
[Screaaaam!]
As she pulled the curtain, a piercing scream rang in her ears.
The sight of a giant female spirit contorting her body and screaming was not a pleasant one. Lian quickly realized that the spirit was the mother of the spirits.
“Gargantua!”
[Haha, nicely cut.]
“Spirits should not be harmed!”
[I know that much!]
The gently descending blade swirled like a predator’s fang ready for the hunt.
Kiiing -..
Along with the unpleasant sound as if scraping glass against glass, the window made of a special material split into dozens of pieces.
Small shards of the window fell to the ground. Lian and the dark sword continued, sequentially cutting through the spirit’s body and the chains anchoring it to the floor.
Ping!
“…!”
[Urgh..!]
The dark sword couldn’t cut through the chain as easily as expected. Annoyed, the dark sword emitted a burst of energy. Startled like someone whose clothes caught fire, Lian looked at the dark sword.
“How dare you!”
With a loud thud from the dark sword,
The chains split into dozens of pieces like the window and fell to the ground.
Swoosh, swish!
When the lower part of the iron chain broke, the iron chain that had been stuck in the spirit’s body naturally came off and rolled on the ground.
[ Hahaha! This is the power of this body! ]
Ignoring the boisterous laughter of the dark spirit, Lian examined the spirit’s mother.
“It’s okay -…”
Before she could finish her sentence.
[ I’ll kill, I’ll kill you all! I’ll kill everyone! ]
The spirit’s mother, who had lost her mind due to prolonged torture, began to rampage. Having lost her sanity, she considered all humans as enemies, including Lian in front of her.
“Uh…”
Lian trembled softly as she emitted a terrifying aura like a dark spirit and looked at the spirit’s mother floating in the air.
“Something… feels wrong…”
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