“Lady, those people have already arrived…They’ve probably been inside for a few hours now.”
Amisa bent down, picked up some soil from a footprint on the ground, and gently rubbed it between her fingertips.
“Mhm.”
Ireya nodded slowly, gazing at the deep, dark entrance before her, thoughtfully stroking her chin.
“Lady…”
At this moment, Jenny finally managed to shake off the nobles who had been hovering around her.
That group had noticed their lost carriage and had all gone over to check it out.
“You’re not tired?”
Ireya raised an eyebrow slightly.
You couldn’t tell from her slender arms and legs, and her soft, delicate appearance, but her stamina was surprisingly good…
That posture wasn’t exactly difficult, but it was still quite exhausting.
But looking at her now, she was still lively and energetic, nothing like someone who had just finished a workout.
“Eh? Ah…I’m okay, eh hehe…Being by your side, Lady, it feels like my energy recovers much faster~”
Jenny’s lips curled up, revealing a gentle yet mischievous smile that countless young noblemen longed to see.
Compared to the awkward Veil, the shy Yumina in this regard, and the usually silent Amisa…
It was obvious that Jenny’s sweet talk and shameless flattery made the Lady quite pleased at this moment.
“Hmph~ Well then, I’ll make a special exception and allow you to stay by my side a little longer~”
Ireya lifted her chin, finally showing a bit of the thirteen-year-old girl she was supposed to be.
“Thank you very much, it is my greatest honor.”
Ah~ ah~
Lady is so cute~
To be able to stay by her side like this…
It’s just…so, so, so wonderful! Jenny maintained her gentle smile on the surface, but inside, her little self was jumping up and down with excitement !
“Um…Lady, what do you usually like…”
“Eh? What’s this, it looks so weird (one)”
But before Jenny could ask about Ireya’s preferences, a silly voice came from the side.
That voice instantly caught Ireya’s attention, drawing her to walk over slowly.
Hmm…
Jenny was slightly taken aback, then looked toward the Goddess Young Lady, who was now squatting by the cave wall, hugging her knees and tilting her head.
Ah!!
Again…it’s this one!
Darn it.
Though she was screaming inside, Jenny’s expression didn’t change at all.
She took dainty, ladylike steps and followed Ireya.
“What’s wrong? Did you find something?”
Ireya asked, squatting down beside Veil.
“Look at what’s drawn here, hehe…It’s even uglier than what I draw…Uh?! No, wait! Ahem…it’s just not pretty!”
Veil pointed at the wall relief carved into the rock, answering instinctively.
It wasn’t until she finished speaking that she realized who had come over, and hurriedly tried to cover it up (to no avail).
“This is…”
But Ireya paid no attention to her silly words, just kept stroking her chin as she leaned in closer to examine the wall relief…
It was an odd-shaped pattern, seemingly made up of countless words and symbols stacked together, but overall, it looked like an eagle?
Or maybe a crow?
Tsss…
Just as Ireya was pondering, she suddenly noticed that the symbols before her seemed to be flickering with a black-purple light…
Crack, crack, crack…
“Hmm?”
Instinctively, she grabbed the still-awkward Veil and tossed her behind herself, while her own hands gave off the crisp sound of bone growth!
Because in that instant, her spirit as a Necromancer was warning her…
Something might be coming!
[My…bones and blood…]
A whisper echoed in her ears, making Ireya feel as if her head was about to explode!
“Insmouth!!”
Bang!
Bang!!
“Urrraaah—!!”
The Black Armored Giant charged forward with heavy steps before Ireya could even finish shouting the name!
Its massive fist, cloaked in black plate armor, swung mercilessly at the wall ahead!
Whoosh—!
Boom!!
As debris flew everywhere, the strange wall relief was instantly smashed to pieces…
Gulp!
And in that very instant, Ireya was knocked backward, falling straight into a pitch-black shadow.
Three or four seconds later, Amisa carried her out from the shadows at the side of the cave.
“Lady, are you alright?”
Amisa asked with concern.
She had just been focused on tracking the other group’s direction and had missed the sudden incident here.
Luckily…she reacted in time.
Otherwise, the flying debris could have easily injured the Lady’s face.
“Ugh?! I…I’m fine.”
Ireya’s vision stung a little at first, like she’d been in the dark for a long time and was suddenly exposed to sunlight.
“Go check on the others first.”
Was she just pulled into the shadow?
No wonder…
Amisa always wore glasses.
That feeling was like being underwater in total darkness—suffocating and bone-chilling…
“Ahem…ugh! What the heck…all of a sudden…”
The Goddess Young Lady, who had just been tossed behind Ireya and then showered in debris by Insmouth’s actions, was now thoroughly furious!
She got up and kicked this low-level undead in the leg!
Clang~
Nice sound?
If it’s nice, then it’s a nice leg.
“Ow…”
She squatted down, holding her leg,
“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…”
As for Jenny, the moment Ireya sensed something was wrong, she, who had always paid close attention to the Lady’s expression, immediately tried to react and pull the Lady behind her, just as Ireya had instinctively protected Veil…
But, unfortunately, Jenny was just an ordinary person.
Her body couldn’t keep up with her mind, and before she could do anything, she was knocked out by the shockwave from Insmouth’s attack.
Fortunately…no debris embedded itself in her fair skin.
She’d simply fainted from exhaustion and the severe fright.
“Mmm…”
Ireya nodded slowly, looking at Jenny lying on the ground.
“Then don’t let her go in with us. Pick two people to stay here and look after her…”
“Yes, Lady.”
Amisa nodded and turned back, picking a few noble girls who looked honest enough to take care of the unconscious Jenny.
And with such an order from a superhuman, the girls naturally had no complaints.
Besides, taking care of Miss Jenny was actually a good thing for them—after all, one of their reasons for coming here was to try to get close to this “Demon’s Retainer.”
While Amisa was making these arrangements, Ireya’s mind kept replaying what had just happened.
That strange bird-shaped wall relief and the voice she’d vaguely heard…
“My bones and blood…What does that mean? Does it want a sacrifice? Or…”
With just that one short, cryptic sentence, no one could make sense of its meaning.
Ireya could only shake her head slowly.
She would keep this matter in her heart, and look for answers when she had the chance.
Meanwhile…
In the center of a Great Swamp far from the Kingdom, atop a Giant Tree that seemed to have been dead for centuries.
Hiss—!!
A Black-scaled Giant Python tumbled down from the branches in terror!
Splash!!
The moment the hundred-meter-long python hit the water, all the swamp’s apex predators scattered and fled, abandoning their territory.
But the python slowly circled the Giant Tree, its pair of Dark Golden Vertical Pupils fixed intently on the heart of the tree, its crimson tongue flicking in and out…
It seemed extremely nervous.
Because right now, there appeared to be a Red Heart there, beating slowly.
As if…this Giant Tree—or rather, this whole Great Swamp—had a heart.
Thump, thump!
Thump, thump!
Whoosh, whoosh…
Countless Black-purple Crows flapped their wings and landed on the tree branches, cawing in harsh, piercing voices.
“Gaah! Gaah!”
[Hmm…]
After a long, long time, a low murmur finally came from the “heart” pulsing within the Giant Tree.
[My…bones and blood…]
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