Chapter 88
“Wow… I can’t believe there exists such a beautiful being in this world like you.”
Resembling winter, she captivated a man who could finally lay eyes on her, causing him to tremble with ecstasy as he spoke in admiration.
The woman with hair the color of water, Friskanrisk, upon hearing his extraordinary statement, let out a snort.
Why are humans so easily enchanted by visual elements?
“Even after seeing my true form, could you still say the same thing?”
Her question was a statement made with a firm answer in mind.
Ainthern, who was instantly captivated to the point of bewilderment, absentmindedly nodded in acceptance.
Friskanrisk let out a hollow laugh this time, immediately dispelling the polymorph and revealing her true form, the unadorned figure of a dragon in her adult form.
There were quite a few who proposed after seeing her human form.
She may not understand the standards of human beauty, but she knew that the unaltered appearance of the polymorph, without distortion, was quite appealing.
However, no one, without exception, kept their word after seeing her true form.
Most fled, showing their backs. There were many who recoiled in disgust, calling her a monster.
The bond with the creature called a human, let alone a person, was tiresome and short-lived. Friskanrisk was prepared to drive away this insincere man from her domain as soon as possible.
However.
“Wow… How can I express this in words? Your current form is so beautiful that it would be a shame to see it casually? When you were a dragon, your appearance was so charming that the polymorph’s form led to the emergence of such a transcendent beauty…”
Ainthern nodded to himself, gazing at the significantly larger adult dragon, Friskanrisk, with sparkling eyes.
Eyes that seemed so genuine.
“…Are you a skilled liar, human?”
Friskanrisk had encountered not just one or two humans but the entire race of humans.
Over the centuries, countless individuals had attempted to exploit her power through various means.
The human man before her clearly sought a contract with her to gain power.
Using the special power of her eyes, akin to winter, she delved into the man’s psyche.
It was a simple task that required just a bit of focus.
And so, she could enter the man’s eyes, shining like a shooting star, and his emotions would be depicted as a painting.
The landscape in the painting was in the sky.
However, the background was a pinkish color. Fluffy clouds were thick and soft, while naked baby angels with tiny wings on their backs roamed the sky, blowing trumpets.
…What? Is this for real?
Friskanrisk turned off her sense of prying into his psyche and met Ainthern’s eyes in reality.
He smiled slyly.
Feeling an unknown discomfort, Friskanrisk transformed back into her human form using the polymorph, her expression turning sullen.
Even if she had seen it with her own eyes, the crescent-shaped eyes that were hard to believe stared at Ainthern, questioning.
“If it’s a contract, I won’t do it.”
She firmly set the tone, preemptively driving the nail in.
To ensure that this bond, which might continue, wouldn’t leave only scars later. If he intended to leave, she was telling him to leave now.
The man, looking perplexed, opened his mouth as if to speak and furrowed his brow, lost in deep thought.
She had expected this. This was why the race known as humans only pursued their own interests…
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“Well, that’s awkward. I want to marry you.”
“…Huh?”
“If you don’t want to make a promise to spend a lifetime together… Should we opt for cohabitation without a deadline? It’s not a bad idea, but if we’re going to do it, we might as well…”
“Wait a moment. What’s with this unilateral decision-making?”
Frickanlisk was not just surprised but also dumbfounded by the bombshell-like statement from the man.
The way her face constantly changed was a rare occurrence, spanning well over a century.
Ainthern didn’t back down.
“Frickanlisk, I’ve fallen for you.”
He was straightforward.
“Will you marry me?”
“…”
Frickanlisk pressed her forehead as if she had a headache, staring at Ainthern with narrowed eyes. Surprisingly, this man was sincere.
How is this possible? Even though it’s our first meeting. Our species are different, our lifespans are different. How can he be so genuine…
“…What a peculiar person.”
The encounter between Frickanlisk and Ainthern was extraordinary from the start.
The memory of that day would loom large for her in the future…
…She opened her eyes.
It was morning.
It was a dream after a long time. Before that, she had barely slept in weeks. The world felt dry. Cold and miserable.
After crying all night, Frickanlisk, with a tired face, got up from bed and prepared to go outside.
She had to find him quickly.
Even though she hadn’t slept much, resting in an inn after collapsing was necessary.
As she stepped outside, she walked with a heavy tread, slightly stumbling. The effects of the potent medicine she had forced herself to take to sleep, to hide, were still present.
Her footprints seemed aimless, like those of a lost soul. She was heading somewhere, but the direction seemed uncertain.
“My dear… my only child.”
She longed for someone.
She wandered in search of someone else.
***
Even though the sun had not yet risen, the alarm of her biological clock rang, waking her up as usual.
Checking the time properly, she realized she had slept for exactly 2 hours.
Looking around, she didn’t see Finn’s figure, nor his sword he always carried.
He must have barely slept for not even two hours, considering we slept at the same time.
Whether it was due to yesterday’s shock or he was always this focused, his dedication was commendable.
Even if he filled the void of sleep with mana and trained body, drowsiness would inevitably set in, but he seemed indifferent to any fatigue.
There was no need to force it.
If he didn’t push himself like this, he would become useless anyway.
So, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let the flames rise dramatically. The high temperature might yield a different outcome.
After a simple wash, I greeted the morning by training mana as usual and summoning a familiar.
“It’s not easy.”
This summoning was different in form from regular magic.
Summoning a familiar involves teleporting a contracted demon near the contractor.
This resembles Erica’s warp magic, but warp magic targets people and objects, while summoning differs in that it calls forth demons. The difficulty and nature of these two are completely distinct.
Demons have a unique nature of mana, allowing them to be summoned through a summoning circle even within their nest, but warp magic doesn’t have such a connection.
…Well, anyway, the act of summoning familiar spirits that we are familiar with means relocating the entity.
However, the summoning I just performed deviated from that norm.
“To completely control as intended, more training will be necessary….”
Partial summoning.
I recalled and imitated a spell written by Crane, who was originally Bargan’s mentor. Since it differed from the usual practices, I had to grasp partial summoning on my own.
Fortunately, it wasn’t some unique technique of his, so it was possible to easily obtain a spellbook containing the incantation using Shugenhardt’s power.
And now, I am sitting on the palm of a giant.
The familiar spirit I raise, named ‘Taesan,’ is an over 23-meter muscular ogre.
Of course, Taesan couldn’t enter this room, so I only partially summoned his hand.
Gooo⎯.
As I continued inspecting while sitting in a cross-legged position, I bestowed mana upon him, and Taesan’s hand gradually disappeared in response.
It fades like erasing only him from a canvas.
…That’s probably how it is. It’s a condition visible to me as the owner, but not to others.
In other words, to others, my current form would appear as if I’m floating cross-legged in the air.
Things have been going smoothly so far, but personally, I find the transformation speed a bit lacking.
While expanding the total mana capacity takes precedence, I must also devote more effort to handling familiar spirits.
There are still many things I want to try with the familiar spirits. Partial summoning is just a part of it and can take various more advanced forms.
⎯Knock, knock.
The one who entered after opening the door was Gaon, the youngest member of the Helion team.
Seemingly slightly flustered by my unexpected appearance, he soon reveals his purpose for being here. Even though he may have a short career, witnessing such a scene as a warrior doesn’t seem entirely new to him.
“Now, we need to gather.”
Following him to the room of Helion, everyone was already assembled.
From one angle, Finn had finished his training and seemed to have quickly washed up, as his hair still retained some moisture.
“……”
Checking Finn’s condition was a process that my gaze passed through. I shifted my attention from Finn to another ‘teammate.’
Helion introduces them, existing on the same line of sight as Finn.
“These are the comrades who will assist us on this mission. They are the longest-serving warriors of Durtmund.”
Five warriors from Durtmund.
The team leader is a man named Yanick. I know a bit about him.
More accurately, it’s not like I know a lot about him.
It’s not like we had a close relationship. It’s just that he was a former colleague of Crane, who was Bargan’s original mentor, and he had helped the Helion group in the previous development as written in the novel.
Yanick is the man who spent the longest period alongside Crane in Durtmund.
He is so sharp that he knows the geography here, the layout of the buildings, and even the number of trees planted within Durtmund.
“We entrust you with this task for the short period.”
The sturdy, bear-like man speaks clearly and cheerfully. As he greeted, everyone followed suit.
Seemingly pleased with Yanick, the muscular middle-aged man Kanturman extended his hand for a handshake.
He didn’t hesitate to pat Finn on the back, but judging by his different attitude, perhaps he acknowledged him as a superior in his own way.
…Come to think of it, assuming no changes, the gloomy warrior Crane should also be here during this period.
Two weeks later, he received a mission and proceeded with mentoring in the existing story.
As Liam was the protagonist, it’s unclear exactly what Bargan and Crane’s group did, but it’s certain they didn’t help Haellion.
When the incident ended and rumors about this episode spread, Yanick and his team’s names were mentioned as contributors, but Crane’s name was nowhere to be found.
“I’m counting on you, Bargan.”
The handshake that began at Kanturman continued until it reached my turn.
I shook Yanick’s thick hand, reminiscent of the roots of a tree.
“Indeed.”
As I held his hand, I felt a sense of unease.
The path I had been following until now was clear, but this time, it seems I’ll need to investigate to find the answers.
Information is still lacking.
Rather than rushing to judgment, it might be better to first observe the surroundings quietly and wait for an opportunity.
Perhaps, similar to what was mentioned last time, the church might be hiding something.
‘But.’
Just waiting idly is boring and not the best option.
If I had been content with waiting for things to progress in a mediocre way, I wouldn’t have come this far. I’d rather explore dungeons with the knowledge I have.
Therefore, I need to prepare alone as well.
Continue investigating with Haellion’s team to uncover the truth and find Frickanrisk, then act based on that information.
Frickanrisk is currently in this city.
Archbishop Ami is already in the city or at least nearby.
I don’t know who will be caught, but as soon as one is caught.
The story will flow interestingly and ultimately offer rewards.