Litzreich’s eyes opened wide after Rose-san revealed the church’s most heavily guarded secret.
[Rose]: “To be precise, his soul has been separated from his body and sealed away. The first lies beneath the Goddess Illya’s Castle of Silence. The second is locked away in Endura, the boundary between worlds.”
[Litzreich]: “……that……unbelievable……”
[Marie]: “It’s true Rinrin-sama. The Goddess Illya sealed Osnell away at the end of the war with the Grief Sphere a thousand years ago. Afterwards, the jewel was shattered, and its fragments were spread across the world.”
Marie-sama took control of the conversation and affirmed Rose-san’s words, forcing Litzreich to believe.
[Saluena]: “One of the fragments was with Lapris. It was located in the fairy village located not too far off from where my master lived.”
[Lapris]: “Yeah, right. I went out that day, and when I came back, I found my village under attack from a dark elf.”
After that, Lapris began searching for her friends, but she ended up finding a golem and some goblins instead and had to play a game of hide and seek for the next couple of days.
[Toslin]: “And then, she had her fateful encounter with us!!”
[Carol]: “Lucky her!!”
As Toslin and Carol wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders, Lapris glared at them both with half-open eyes.
[Lapris]: “I hate you both, so much. Just remembering back then pisses me off beyond words.”
[Toslin]: “Now now, there was nothing for it. We were just a flock of young chicks back then.”
[Carol]: “Yeah yeah. We could take on one or two ice golems with room to spare now, so we would definitely save you if it came down to it. We’re comrades after all. So how about giving us a fairy feather?”
[Lapris]: “There is no way I am going to do that. They’re for Iris, Rose, and Anego, and that is it. You guys go off and die on your own.”
These two were trying to suck up to Lapris using smiles filled with greed and selfishness while Litzreich was about to burst from what she just heard on her own.
[Saluena]: “The carbuncle, a spirit still in control of its primordial power, awoke not too far off from Soletta Ritta when the Grief Sphere shard was taken……so it is not too unreasonable to think that these gnomes beneath the capital have awoken for the same reason…….”
[Rose]: “It is just speculation, but we cannot discount the possibility that it is not just the gnomes that have been awoken. There could be something even more dangerous commanding them in the dungeon’s depths.”
[Litzreich]: “……..ah, that’s……can I report this to Olivar? I don’t think this is just the school’s problem.”
[Marie]: “Of course you can Rinrin-sama. As a matter of fact, I will make my own report as well.”
[Litzreich]: “I would appreciate that Marie Arone-dono. Although……”
Litzreich brushed her hair away from her sleepy face and looked towards us.
[Litzreich]: “So, you didn’t just take care of a dragon but a primordial spirit as well?”
[Carol]: “Hehehe, amazing right?”
[Toslin]: “You slept through the whole thing.”
Toslin brought her fist down on Carol’s head.
[Carol]: “Oh……y-yeah…….I was…..”
But Toslin’s little comeback caused Carol to remember the dream she was having during the fight which caused her to divert her eyes towards the ground as her face turned a bright red.
[Toslin]: “……no, don’t just fall silent…..”
[Carol]: “Eh, but……you know……you’re right…….”
[Toslin]: “………”
Toslin stared at Carol for a while……
[Toslin]: “Oh, right”
and then suddenly clapping her hands together, she grabbed Carol’s hand.
[Toslin]: “I need to send my sword in to get repaired before the day ends, so please excuse me. Sorry Rose, but you can take care of everything else?”
[Rose]: “Y-yes, I can manage…..”
[Carol]: “Hold on Toslin? Are you really leaving right now?”
[Toslin]: “You aren’t going to be able to help any even if you stay here, so come with me.”
[Carol]: “That’s too sudden…….”
Toslin left just like that, practically dragging Carol behind her.
Shock left us unable to do anything as we watched them go, but after a moment passed, we slowly came back to ourselves.
[Litzreich]: “So those two. They’re like that?”
Litzreich was the first of us to speak up. She had clearly sensed the subtly sweet air flowing between the two of them and asked the first question that would have popped into her mind.
[Iris]: “N-No that’s, how would…….”
It’s true that the two of them have been especially close since the fight with the carbuncle, but it’s not like either of them have said anything about it to us yet.
Well, even if Litzreich’s right, and they are like that, Toslin probably wouldn’t voluntarily tell us though.
[Saluena]: “For now at least, our job is finished. The request was to investigate our mystery monsters which has thankfully been accomplished.”
[Iris]: “But, we haven’t reached the bottom of the dungeon yet? Rose-san might be right, and there could be something else down there.”
[Rose]: “My main reason for thinking as such is because the carbuncle in Soletta Ritta used shadow spirits to fight. I suspect this incident is most likely going to be the same.”
[Litzreich]: “Mu…..we should definitely consider the possibility at least. For now I will investigate the wreckage you brought back to me and make my report to Olivar. I’m sorry, but for the next four or five days…….no, could I ask you to hold off on going back for another week? I would like to issue another quest to investigate the dungeon when I’m finished, and I hope you will accept.”
[Rose]: “Of course. When you are ready, contact Toslin-san and me about it, and we can go over the details then.”
[Marie]: “Is that everything then?”
Marie-sama’s cheerful voice rang out, reminding us that she had been left patiently waiting with her fingers interlocked together.
[Rose]: “Yes, thank you. My apologies for disturbing you suddenly.”
Rose-san apologized, but Marie-sama shook her head.
[Marie]: “Oh my, think nothing of it. After all, this is the church. I would hope that Iris-chan and priestesses like you would consider this place as home.”
Marie-sama spoke with a solemn expression that made her the spitting image of the holy mother.
[Marie]: “…….with ・ that ・ being ・ said, Iris-chan?”
But a second later, she turned towards me with a wide, cat-like smile.
[Iris]: “Y-Yes? What is it?”
[Marie]: “Are you feeling hungry? All the sisters have been wanting to see you again. Grimm-sama’s group and I are the only ones who ever get to talk to you, so they often call me sly.”
[Iris]: “O-Oh……”
[Marie]: “So, how about it? Would you consider helping me out and having a meal here? Won’t you let the girls take care of you?”
[Iris]: “T-Take care of……..?”
At the castle, you will find the strongest maid in history, Noelia-san.
At the church, there are the sisters.
[Marie]: “Hey? Please. Help me out…….”
I’m surrounded by people working to drag me further down the corrupted path.
The royal capital. What kind of terrifying place is this? If things keep going on like this, I might really end up becoming a bad child.
Sarah might end up scolding me through Plushie Unicorn again.
[Iris]: “Okay. Please take good care of me.”
But I couldn’t withstand those tempestuous eyes and nodded my head almost immediately.