Chapter 25
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Chapter 25
For a moment, my mind came to a complete halt.
I thought I'd misheard, but the voice that followed confirmed it.
"There's nothing worth salvaging here..."
The one muttering to himself and trudging through the shop was unmistakably Karha.
Chesa was genuinely shocked.
'What is he doing here?'
House of Basilian was hardly the type of noble family that would boast about frequenting the Underworld.
And hadn't he just left, saying he had urgent business?
The situation made no sense, but this was no time to stand bewildered.
Karha's instincts were positively bestial.
He possessed senses even more animalistic than Hata, the dog-kin.
'He might very well make it this far.'
Considering how he'd once chased after me through the Snake Castle Underground Prison in circles, complaining about some flower scent despite my being hidden, it was entirely plausible.
The drawers and door were closed securely, but I couldn't afford to feel safe.
I had to find the potion quickly, drink it, and disappear.
Chesa summoned even her butterfly and frantically ransacked the shelves.
There were all manner of potion bottles.
A potion to become smarter, one to fly, one to transform into a puppy, one to grow taller...
After sifting through countless bizarre concoctions, I finally found one.
Chesa muttered uncertainly.
"...Is this it?"
[♥Potion for Baby Fairy♥]
Given my current condition.
It certainly had the most fitting label.
But the effects weren't written clearly, so I couldn't be certain.
"Why did Hata draw it like that?"
The hearts drawn on either side made it seem even more suspicious.
I hesitated for a moment, holding the glass bottle with its sloshing pink potion.
Then, hearing footsteps drawing closer, I simply uncorked it.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tossed the contents into my mouth.
I swallowed it all in one gulp without even tasting it.
Chesa's body was enveloped in pink light.
"Ah."
After the light faded, Chesa checked the mirror and let out a small breath of relief.
Golden hair that rippled like waves of sunlight.
Crimson eyes befitting the name of a fox-spirit—alluring and bewitching.
Long, slender limbs and a body that curved with elegant grace.
I had returned to an adult form.
Chesa immediately drew upon her power.
Dozens of butterflies and flowers clung to her skirt, creating a makeshift hem to conceal the bare legs exposed beneath the ill-fitting baby dress.
Surrounded by resplendent blossoms and fluttering wings, the enchantress Lichesia vanished.
And moments later.
The sound of something being dragged echoed through the space, followed by a thunderous crash of shattering destruction.
Karha, having sliced through the drawers and door with his blade to force his way in, blinked upon discovering the Laboratory.
"...."
His crimson eyes scrutinized the interior carefully, yet he sensed no presence of life.
Still, Karha sniffed the air repeatedly for a long moment.
From his sharply pointed, triangular lips came a voice tinged with bewilderment.
"Why does it smell like a baby?"
The boy, tilting his head in confusion, spotted a glass vial rolling across the floor.
Karha stared intently at the label affixed to the vial and murmured.
"...Baby Fairy?"
***
I couldn't possibly continue wandering about surrounded only by butterflies.
Chesa went first to procure proper clothing.
Upon visiting the Costume Shop in the Underworld where she frequented, the drowsy proprietor nearly fell over in shock.
"L-L-Lichesia?"
"Hello, Miya."
The woman with short, coarse hair pushed her large glasses up the bridge of her nose and bombarded me with questions.
"Where have you been! What have you been doing!"
"I've been busy."
Miya, true to her Underworld nature, possessed a somewhat peculiar disposition—she claimed to carry feline blood.
Thus she punctuated her sentences with cat-like vocalizations.
She even faithfully adhered to her self-imposed concept by wearing fake cat ears.
It was utterly incomprehensible why she did so.
A human mimicking a cat-kin was precisely why Hata counted her among her most despised acquaintances.
"You could have at least stopped by the shop!"
"I was busy. And speak properly."
"...Yes. My apologies."
Unfortunately, her elaborate concept was swiftly dispelled by a single word from Chesa.
"What outfit shall I prepare?"
I pushed away the pestering Miya, who had reverted to human speech, and selected a simple black dress.
One that wouldn't show blood stains.
The minimalist black dress naturally accentuated the silhouette of the body through its design.
The skirt was narrow, so I slit it deeply along the side and tied my hair high with a black ribbon.
I chose lace-up boots with low heels.
The previously chattering Miya gradually fell silent, recognizing the unmistakable appearance of someone preparing for a kill.
Still, she remained true to her purpose and softly recommended matching accessories in a subdued voice.
"Say, would you like a choker necklace? I think a pearl-adorned ribbon choker would suit you perfectly. Hata made it."
Without hesitation, I accepted the necklace and fastened it around my neck upon hearing that Hata had crafted it.
I slipped on the long black lace gloves she had brought along and asked.
"Have you seen Hata?"
"I haven't seen her. Did something happen? Things are already chaotic as it is."
Miya trembled visibly.
She wrapped her gaunt frame with her arms as she spoke.
"Holy Knights have appeared in the Underworld."
"Holy Knights?"
The Underworld was an implicit neutral zone.
It had become a vast underground economy as the sordid underbelly of nations across the continent converged there.
More money flowed through the Underworld in a single year than the annual budgets of most nations.
It had become a territory that could not be carelessly disturbed.
Even the Holy Empire, which would charge forward with eyes blazing at any hint of heresy, treated the Underworld as if it did not exist.
Yet Holy Knights had appeared.
The sudden intervention of an external force had thrown the Underworld into upheaval.
"But there's also talk that a high-ranking knight brought subordinates under his command and acted unilaterally."
Uncertain of the details, Miya shrugged her shoulders.
A certain figure came naturally to mind, but I immediately suppressed the thought.
'It couldn't be Hailon.'
The esteemed Heresy Inquisitor was far too occupied and accomplished to concern himself with something as trivial as the Underworld.
'The most likely scenario is that some overzealous young knight, still naive and brimming with ambition, overstepped his bounds.'
Intoxicated by the desire to earn merit and the calling to vanquish evil, he may have crossed a line.
Regardless, once the Holy Empire had drawn its sword, it could not return empty-handed.
Opposing forces had collided.
Moreover, the precedent of external interference in the Underworld had been established, making this a troublesome matter on multiple fronts.
"The Master won't let this slide."
He's terrifying, Miya said, shuddering once more for effect.
Master was the title given to the ruler of the Underworld.
His true identity had never been revealed.
He had merely governed the Underworld across generations.
Most inhabitants of the Underworld held the Master in positive regard.
He was an entity that imposed a minimum of order upon chaos.
The Master's face remained unknown because all who had seen him directly were dead.
Chesa had never met him either.
Yet Chesa harbored a certain fondness for the Master.
Even when the enchantress Lichesia caused various incidents and troubles, he somehow treated her with leniency.
Of course, it was possible he simply could not touch her because she possessed formidable power.
"In any case, you haven't seen Hata."
"Mm-hmm."
"Let me know when you hear anything."
Chesa reached out her hand.
A flower materialized in the empty air, stretching into an elongated shape.
Drawing an axe from between the petals, Chesa smiled brightly.
"Though it'll probably be over before then."
Chesa stepped out of the Costume Shop, axe in hand.
Wind swept through the streets that formed the City of Eternal Night.
Scattered papers danced along the pavement, swirling up with the hazy dust.
They were all wanted posters for the witch Lichesia.
Chesa trampled the bounty notices bearing her own image and continued walking.
"A witch?"
"It's a witch!"
"It's Lichesia."
"Wasn't she dead?"
Those who recognized Chesa whispered among themselves.
I was deliberately making myself conspicuous.
So that those who had taken Hata could find me.
So they would make contact with me.
'After all, their target is me.'
Chesa swung her axe.
Flowers bloomed abundantly across the parched earth.
The sight of colorful butterflies taking flight was fantastical, yet those who saw the flowers screamed as if they'd spotted mines and fled in panic.
Walking across the flowers, Chesa called out leisurely.
"Bring Hata here!"
The Underworld residents abandoned their shops mid-business and scattered in frantic haste.
"Witch."
A man draped entirely in black cloth from head to toe blocked Chesa's path.
He spoke in a grotesquely fractured voice.
"The Master summons you."
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org