“You’re asking how we found this place? The answer is right here.
“I am a spirit sorcerer, one who can communicate with inanimate objects of nature, converse with them, and gain their cooperation. The only reason we were able to reach this hidden place was thanks to this little one’s power.”
With a confident voice, Riel held out the small golem cradled in her arms, presenting it to the others.
As if to emphasize her words, the tiny golem lifted its tiny arms in an enthusiastic gesture.
In the tense atmosphere, Riel made the bold decision to reveal her identity as a spirit sorcerer.
I, who had been silently observing the entire scene, doubted whether such a revelation would truly change their attitude.
Yet, to my surprise, the impact was immediate and undeniable.
***
“A… a spirit sorcerer?”
“Is that… really a spirit?”
“She could be deceiving us with magic…”
“A beastkin who can control spirits? To be honest, if you look only at her appearance, she seems closer to our kind than a beastkin…”
The humans stared at the sentient golem in Riel’s hands, unable to hide their astonishment.
While some remained skeptical, the majority were thrown into confusion upon realizing that a beastkin could wield spirit magic.
I didn’t fully understand why they were reacting so strongly, but based on what Riel had mentioned before, spirit sorcery was an ancient art exclusive to humans.
It seemed that even among modern humans, there was a common perception about spirit sorcery.
I wasn’t sure exactly what that perception was, but considering how their hostility had noticeably lessened, it was clear that it wasn’t viewed negatively.
Riel, watching the chaos unfold, must have decided that now was the time to drive her point home.
With a stronger voice, she continued.
“We received a request from the guild to investigate the disappearances in the slums. During the course of our investigation, we discovered this place. If you have no involvement in those incidents, then we have no intention of hostility whatsoever. In fact, we seek cooperation.”
Disappearances in the slums, huh…
‘Was Riel telling the truth, or was this just a fabricated story?’
She had only revealed to me that she was pursuing someone as part of a secret mission.
Because of that, I couldn’t be sure if what she was telling the humans was true or not.
But deep down, I was convinced it was a lie.
After all, crimes occurred in the slums almost daily.
It wouldn’t make sense for secret enforcers to be deployed over a single disappearance.
However, unlike me—who was already aware of Riel’s true identity—the humans had no clue.
Her words only deepened their confusion.
Just as the growing turmoil reached its peak, a clear tapping sound rang out, silencing the unrest.
From the rear, another figure stepped forward.
A white-haired old man emerged from behind the group of burly men, walking towards us.
The humans surrounding him seemed startled, as if they hadn’t expected him to step forward.
But the elderly man remained unperturbed, offering a gentle smile as he spoke.
“That… is a real spirit. I only saw one once when I was young, but I can tell for certain. This is nothing like those unsettling magic tricks. It radiates the pure energy of nature.”
“Village Chief! This is dangerous! We still don’t know their true identity—”
“No, no. According to the legends passed down from ancient times, true spirits do not lend their power to those with evil intentions. So regardless of whether their words are true or false, at the very least, we can be certain they do not wish to harm us.”
A being pure and free of malice.
I see… So this is how spirit sorcerers are perceived among humans.
Hearing the old man’s words confirmed my earlier suspicions.
Riel must have anticipated this reaction and revealed herself as a spirit sorcerer on purpose.
I wasn’t sure if she was truly ‘pure,’ but… well, at least it seemed like we had managed to avoid a direct confrontation.
‘Maybe everything would work out smoothly after all?’
‘…Or so I had hoped.’
Unfortunately, things were never that simple.
***
“That said, we have no intention of interacting with you. We are a people who live in the shadows, away from the light. We have no desire to involve ourselves in the affairs of the outside world. Ordinarily, we would not allow those who have discovered our settlement to simply leave.”
“However, out of respect for the spirit sorcerer, we will make an exception this time. If you wish to avoid conflict, forget everything you saw here and leave us be.”
Despite Riel’s request for assistance, the white-haired elder firmly refused, demanding that we leave immediately.
His abrupt shift from a welcoming demeanor to outright rejection was striking.
While it was clear that he had been pleased to see a spirit again after so long, when it came to matters of their community, he was unwavering.
His firm stance showed the wisdom of an experienced elder.
Without a decisive advantage, convincing them to help us was nearly impossible.
Yet, even in the face of such an impasse, Riel didn’t lose her composure.
Wearing a faint smile, she continued speaking in a relaxed tone.
“I understand your position. I, too, can understand the sentiments of humans like you…”
“But I still have plenty of valuable information that would surely interest you. These are critical details that I can’t reveal so easily. That’s why I’d like to speak privately with you, the representative, in a more secluded place…”
Riel dangled another bait, attempting to keep the negotiation going and pique their curiosity.
As she spoke, she subtly glanced at me and the surrounding humans, as if mindful of their presence.
That was when I realized something crucial—what she was about to say was information even I hadn’t been told.
Information directly tied to our secret mission.
A criminal who had escaped into the sewers.
A secretive incident involving ‘humans.’
And most importantly, the fact that the capital’s elite secret security force, which held a firm grip on all intelligence networks, was struggling so much that they had to summon an outside spirit sorcerer for assistance.
Even with just the details I had managed to gather so far, it was obvious that her mission was anything but ordinary.
In fact, just knowing about it might be dangerous—perhaps it was the kind of forbidden matter one should never get involved with.
But the old man’s response was far from what she had hoped for.
***
“If such information exists, you may share it here and now. Even if you are a spirit sorcerer, that does not mean we can trust you completely. We cannot simply lead you to our hidden sanctuary. Furthermore, while I may be the leader on the surface, we are all one family, one community. There is no reason why others cannot hear what I do.”
Gesturing toward the armed men surrounding us, the elder firmly rejected Riel’s proposal.
His intention was crystal clear.
Regardless of the outcome, this matter would be resolved here and now.
Unless something absolutely compelling changed the situation, he would not allow us to approach them any further.
It was a firm and unwavering stance—a clear statement that this was as far as he was willing to compromise.
Standing beside Riel, who seemed to be contemplating her next move, I could only clench my jaw behind my mask.
These pathetic, insect-like humans…
‘How dare they speak so much?’
I had held back so far at her insistence, but my patience was reaching its limit.
Just how long did she plan to keep talking to these foolish, filthy rats?
‘Why was she acting so cautiously in the first place?’
The only reason these insects dared to act so arrogantly was because they had yet to witness my true strength.
A small demonstration would be enough to put them in their place, forcing them to bow their heads in submission.
If words failed to reach them, then the only answer was force.
I thought Riel would inevitably choose that path in the end, and I was already scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes, preparing to strike—
But then, something completely unexpected shattered the tense atmosphere.
A voice rang out through the space.
***
“Recently… some outsiders must have visited you. They introduced themselves as ‘Familie’ and demanded your cooperation to revive the legendary hero, Kaiser. They told you that, didn’t they? Am I wrong?”
“!!!……”
“If the demon clans in the capital were to catch wind of this, your entire group could be wiped out. You refused their request, didn’t you? And after that… people in your community started disappearing, one by one.”
“Now, the number of missing has grown to a point where you can no longer ignore it. So… do you think we can finally have a serious conversation now?”