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Chapter 105

Rei told her that if he extended the restrictions of the 『Seed of Contract』 to any information that would be disadvantageous to him or Set, they could leave the dungeon faster than normal. Elena listened before speaking out.

「That’s fine, I need a fast solution right now. Even a few hours is valuable. It’s not too bad to accept your proposal. ……However, at the very least I would like you to explain the effects of 『Seed of Contract』」

「As for me, I will do as Elena-sama says.」

Hearing from both of them, Rei spoke up.

「With 『Seed of Contract』, when the oath the spell was cast with is broken, it will literally cause a flower of fire to bloom inside your body, burning you alive. Of course, the magic is not invoked if oath you made during the spell is not broken. At the same time, those who have a Seed of Contract in them will have increased resistance to heat and flames. If you can use magic, the magic power you need to use will also decrease. It also has the additional effect of increasing its power.」

After hearing the effect of 『Seed of Contract』 from Rei, Elena closed her eyes for several seconds to think before nodding.

「That’s fine. In the first place I already promised in my name that I would accept the 『Seed of Contract』 on the fourth level. Even if the content that I’m not allowed to talk about is increased, right now, it’s important that I leave the dungeon as soon as possible to inform my father about the betrayal of Vel and the Sails Viscount house.」

「I don’t have any problems. Of course, I don’t plant to go against Elena-sama’s previous promise to Rei.」

Seeing the both of them nod, Rei had a relieved expression.

「If that is so, I would like to use 『Seed of Contract』 immediately, are you fine with that?」

「Ah, do it.」

「Elena-sama, I’ll go first……」

「It’s fine. I trust Rei, I don’t think he will do anything strange here.」

「……I understand.」

Elena nodded and Ara nodded back.

Rei confirmed that and started to say the incantation as he gathered magic power.

『Flame, thou is a seed. If the host breaks the contract, use their life to bloom into flames in glory.』

As Rei cast the spell, flames appeared along the handle of the Death Scythe, which acted as a magic casting tool. After a few seconds, the originally fist sized flames were compressed down to the size of a flower seed

Touching the handle of the Death Scythe against Elena’s head……

『Seed of Contract.』

At the same time the magic was activated, the flame seed sunk into Elena’s head.

「This is……」

Elena murmured at the unfamiliar feeling of the flame seed being placed in her head. However, the sense of incompatibility disappeared in a few seconds, it felt as if the 『Seed of Contract』 that had been placed inside her head was just a dream.

「The magic is placed……is it?」

「Ahh, it was completed without any problems. Next is Ara.」

Because Elena had accepted the 『Seed of Contract』, Ara nodded and silently approached Rei without looking nervous.

「Please, I’m ready.」

Nodding at those words, he placed a 『Seed of Contract』 in her head, the same as with Elena.

「……Now then, with this, Ara and I cannot tell others anything that might be disadvantageous to you. Can you now tell us the way to get out of this dungeon quickly?」

「Ah. You kept your promise. I will keep mine as well.」

Giving a small nod to Elena, he took the orb out of the Misty Ring

Their eyes gathered at the fist sized crystal ball that appeared in Rei’s hands from nowhere.

「That is?」

「This pair of orbs is a magic item. As its name implies, you can use it to contact the other orb it is paired with.」

While explaining that to Elena, Rei poured magic power into the orb in his hand. Then……

『Oh, I was thinking it was Rei. You contacted me quite quickly……』

About a few seconds later, the figure of a Skeleton wearing a crown was reflected in the orb in Rei’s hands.

It was the Lich Lord Grimm, the old mage who had aspired to reach Zepairu’s level.

「This voice is……」

Even without looking at the face, the voice that echoed in her head sounded familiar. Elena muttered unconsciously.

「Ah. It was in the back space we strayed into here on the fifth level.」

Answering Elena, he turned to face the orb.

「I hadn’t planned to contact you so soon, but we have some circumstances. I would like to borrow your help since you can use spatial magic.」

『Borrow my help is it……that’s fine. From the reaction of the pair of orbs, you’re on in the fifth level?』

「Ah.」

『Hmm, please wait a moment.』

Just as he said that, his figure disappeared.

「Rei, previously……no, I don’t have the time to listed to the details. However, you will explain it in detail later.」

『Hahaha. Please don’t bully Rei that much.』

This time, his voice wasn’t heard through the orb like several seconds ago but instead was heard directly in their heads. Even though Ara didn’t understand the conversation between Elena and Rei, she immediately understood when she heard the voice.

「T-This is!?」

Grimm immediately appeared next to them without any signs. A crown resting on top of a bare skull. A staff grasped in his right hand. And above all, his overwhelming presence. Ara instinctively realised with a single look that she couldn’t beat him. However, to protect Elena she would make even a single attack……as she grasped the Power Axe, Rei spoke out.

「Grimm, your presence is a bit too strong. Please hold back a little.」

『Oh, I keep forgetting. If you live alone as a researcher, you start to have trouble interacting with other people.』

Smiling wryly at the three people and one animal, the pressure that Grimm released disappeared.

「So, we would like to use spatial magic to take out out of the dungeon……no, that would be awkward if it’s seen. Please send us to somewhere on the first level where there aren’t that many people. Could you do that?」

『That’s fine……hmm, there are no problems. Fortunately, there seems to be almost no one on the first level at the moment.』

「……Grimm-dono, is it. Did you just check how many people there were on the first level in that moment?」

『Umu~. The difficulty is not that great……mm?　I see, you’re the one who received the Inheritance Ceremony.』

Grimm answered as he observed Elena for a few seconds.

「Yes. Various things happened during the ceremony and I want to return to the surface as soon as possible. ……Grimm-dono used a rare magic when we were heading for the Altar of Inheritance. Please, I would like to borrow your power once more.」

Elena gave a deep bow and one moment later……

『Kukuku!. Hahahaha!　Interesting. You, bowing your head at a monster that you would normally subjugate and kill without hesitation. The previous time was good and this time was good, Rei’s companions are pleasant. ……That’s fine, I can’t refuse a request from someone close to Rei.』

As a hearty and amused laughter echoed in their heads, Grimm shook the staff in his right hand.

The space a short distance away from Rei began to distort.

『This should be fine. If you enter this space, it will automatically move you the first level of the dungeon.』

(Using this magic without even saying any incantations……also……)

While thinking that in her mind, Elena bowed her head again after seeing the distortion.

「Thank you very much. Someday I will repay this kindness.」

『Well, we might meet again if we have the opportunity. Then, I should return to my laboratory soon. Ah, that space will disappear in a few minutes so you better get going soon.』

「……Thanks.」

「Guru~」

Although Rei wasn’t used to it, he gave a bow. Next to him Set also lowered his head a little. After Grimm saw that, the sound of laughter echoed through Rei’s head again.

「Just now, was that real?」

Several seconds after Grimm disappeared, Ara murmured as her hands holding the Power Axe shook.

Opposite her had been someone in a completely different ballpark. Furthermore Ara had been exposed to the smell of death and darkness from the magic power that had leaked out and was mentally exhausted.

「It was real. Otherwise the space distortion there can’t be explained. ……If what Grimm-dono said is right, then this space distortion won’t remain for long. We should hurry.」

「Please wait!　That Lich……that is, is it really okay to trust him?」

Ara asked Elena, who was about to take a step towards the space distortion.

No, she was asking Rei rather than Elena. It was natural since it was Rei who had contacted Grimm.

「At the very least, I trust Grimm. In fact, he spared me one of the pair of orbs, an expensive magic item. And you also understood Grimm’s abilities?　The difference in our abilities is something we can’t comprehend.」

「That’s……」

「To be honest, even if Set and I worked together, we probably can’t beat Grimm. That’s the difference in ability between him and us. If he wanted to do something to us, he doesn’t need to go to such troublesome lengths to do it.」

「……」

Ara did not reply to Rei’s words and stayed silent.

But her eyes clearly showed she wasn’t convinced.

As she looked at Rei strongly, Elena put her hand on Ara’s shoulder.

「Elena-sama……」

「Ara. You saw Vel’s betrayal, and seeing that Kuust died because of it, I understand that don’t believe others so easily. However, as Rei said before, with Grimm-dono’s power, he doesn’t need to play such tricks. ……In addition, I don’t see Grimm-dono as a person who deceives people. Isn’t that right, Rei?」

「……Ah.」

Though she nodded at Elena’s words, she still had some doubts.

(Elena has only met him for the first time……she can believe Grimm’s abilities, who is a Lich Lord?　Also, not much time has passed since Vel’s betrayal.)

As Rei thought that in his mind, Ara was finally persuaded by Elena and nodded as she turned to look at Elena.

「I understand that Elena-sama believes in that Lich. ……However, in case there is a possibility, I will enter the space distortion first.」

「I understand. If you’re satisfied, I won’t say anything more. I’ll leave it to you.」

「Yes.」

Nodding at Elena’s words, she firmly held the Power Axe with both hands and turned her eyes to the space distortion.

After preparing herself for a few seconds, she opened her mouth to speak.

「I’m going!」

With a shout, she dashed forward into the space distortion……and disappeared from the fifth level.

「Okay, there looks like there are no problems. Rei, shall we go as well?」

「Ah.」

Nodding at Elena’s words, the three of them walked towards the space distortion.

「This is……definitely the first level.」

Leaving the space distortion, Elena murmured as she looked around.

「It seems to be so. ……What about Ara?」

Rei answered Elena as he looked around before noticing that Ara, who should have entered the space distortion first, was nowhere to be found.

As he muttered that.

「Ah, I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away and went too far.」

As Ara appeared from the passage ahead and came towards them quickly, Elena involuntarily gave a smile.

「Well then, let’s quickly get out of the dungeon. I think this place is only 10 minutes from the entrance to the dungeon.」

「That’s right, if you take a turn at the passage and go straight ahead, there is a stairway that goes to the surface.」

Although they had entered the dungeon just a few days ago, it felt like it had been several months as Rei remembered the time they had gone through here. Elena felt the same way and gave a small nod before walking in the direction that Rei had said earlier.

Changing location to somewhere a few kilometers away from the dungeon.

In a place where monsters would normally control, about ten people had built a camp.

Rather than camping here overnight, it had been several days since they had built there camp. Those actions would normally be suicidal. But, even if you said that there were less monsters around because it was near a dungeon, it was probably because the ten people were quite skilled.

And if someone saw then, those people would probably run to the adventurers guild as fast as they could. Most out of the ten people had faces made of rock, like Golems, feet like the roots of plants or had several eyes on their face. Their appearances could not be thought of as human.

In situation, one of them, who seemed to be the leader, raised their head.

He wore a robe and held a cane, he had the appearance of a human mage if only saw his upper body. However, his lower body was that of a spider. It looked just like the monster known as Arachne, but it was obvious that he wasn’t an Arachne because his upper body was that of a man.

「……He’s come.」

When the strange mage muttered that, the other irregulars in the surroundings also turned to look at the magic formation at the center of the camp.

If the higher ups of the Mireana Kingdom saw the existence of those people, they would immediately guess who they were. They were the so called Demon Soldiers created by the Inheritance Ceremony of the Bestir Empire. As their name suggested, though their appearances varied, they looked more like monsters than people.

A few seconds after the strange mage said that, the magic formation at the center of the camp glowed brightly for a moment……The next moment, a human appeared in the center of the magic formation.

「The assassination of the General Princess has failed. Was it a mistake to expect better from a traitor? ……Incompetent fool.」

Before him was the figure of Vel, missing an arm from his left shoulder, his face melted away and a sharp needle piercing his thigh. The strange mage muttered in contempt as he gazed at Vel.

「We will retreat. If we could assassinate the General Princess, I had planned to attack the village around the dungeon as well. But since it has failed, staying any longer is of no use.」

「What do we do with this idiot?」

At that question, he turned to a man who had gills growing from the sides of his face and was covered in scales before looking back again to the man lying in the magic formation.

If left alone for a few hours, that weak being would probably die. But although temporary, that being had sworn allegiance to the Bestir Empire. Rather than leaving him here, he judged that they might get some useful information if they took him along.

「We will take him. Even if he doesn’t have any useful information, he can still be used as material in human experiments.」

「I understand.」

Following the instructions of the strange mage, their leader, the Demon Soldiers gave some first aid to the unconscious Vel before quickly preparing for their return to the Bestir Empire.