"How would Rue look with those elegant jewels in his ears?"
I decided to stop imagining because I was blinded just by the image in my mind.
The item Rue carefully chose among the gems was a pair of earrings with a pure white pearl on top and a smaller turquoise pearl hanging below in a design. When Rue pulled on the radiant pearl, a spark of white light broke out.
"That scared me."
Soon, in the direction he pulled, a long sword with a white hilt appeared. A long sword with an elegant and sharp appearance, nothing like what you'd expect to come out of a small earring. With a quick movement, Rue lightly turned the sword in his right hand. It was a very brief movement, but I could recognize it instantly.
"That's not the skill of someone who has used a sword only once or twice."
He was familiar with it. Rue carefully checked the hilt and blade of the sword and then put it back into the pearl. And then he handed it to me.
—Here.
—Is it for me to use?
—Yes.
Thanks for lending it to me, but I can't accept it easily. I feel it like a precious treasure...
Rue jumped to his feet and stood behind me. He placed the magic tool in my right ear without saying a word. No, he pierced my ear.
—Ah!
A bright spark of pain exploded in my earlobe. Instinctively, I ran to the mirror and looked at my ears. The area near the magic tool embedded in my lobe was red and swollen.
"Ah, right. This body has never worn earrings."
I forgot.
—Did it hurt?
It was an unusually friendly question.
—A little.
—How cute.
Was it a new kind of harassment to call something with an expressionless face cute?
While I looked at him with disgust, Rue handed me two more magic tools. One was a luminous ring that illuminated the way in the dark. The other was...
—A trap dismantler. It can be used twice. It's a consumable magic item, so discard it after use. After a certain time, it turns into dust and leaves no traces.
—Isn't this a very expensive item?
Rue, putting the ring on my right index finger, smiled.
—A maid like Miss Daisy Fager couldn't pay me for it even if she worked her whole life.
Pretending not to hear, I moved on. Rue, whom I was ignoring, pulled on my winter scarf, wrapping it tightly around my lower face.
—Are you going to leave like this?
—Yes, this is best. Even if my face changes with magic, it will be released once I go underground.
The earth itself was one of the largest factors disrupting the retention of magic. In particular, high-level magic like transformation spells were greatly affected, and once we went underground, the magic would quickly unravel. Unless the caster fell with me, there was no way to maintain the spell.
—And I'm not going down with Rue.
My plan was for Rue to guard the entrance. It was the best precautionary measure in case any unforeseen circumstances arose.
—Miss Lenya, please also provide me with a mask that can cover the area under my eyes.
Now, it was time to leave.
—...It tickles.
I put my hand inside the mask and scratched my chin. How long has it been since I last washed it? How is it possible that it itched right after I put it on? I slowly looked around, enduring the musty smell floating in the air.
—It's refreshing.
This place was on the western edge of Westwinterre. There was a stream nestled in the dense summer birch forest, where the Milky Way was reflected in its curves. I put my hand on the sword on my right hip and started warming up slowly. It had been a long time since I last warmed up with a sword.
—Hum.
All right. I finished warming up. Before descending into the underground royal vault, I took out my pearl sword and checked its condition. Just like the first time I held one, there was no resonance.
"I had high hopes, but it's a pity."
To be honest, I already expected it. Resonance was a phenomenon that occurred when the sword and its owner's ego became one. Since the magic war had ended, I, who felt no affection or feeling for the sword beyond that it was a tool, could not resonate with it.
I correctly placed the Pierrot mask, which was raised slightly enough to scratch my forehead.
—Protect yourself well, Mr. Rue. If anyone tries to enter, block me, please.
A soft laugh rose above my head. Rue was perched in the birch tree, wearing his black nightgown. Sitting on a thick branch, leaning against the tree, he looked as comfortable as if he were resting in his own bedroom. The pink slippers hanging from his feet looked incredibly cute.
"Isn't he cold?"
The royal vault lay deep in the forest. Although the forest was densely populated with trees, the brightness of the full moon and the Milky Way allowed the surroundings to be distinguished with relative ease. The cold evening air, as the season was about to change, made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Rue, who was calmly swinging his legs under the branch, whispered playfully.
—Our dear Miss Daisy can't do anything alone, so what other choice do I have?
—Just in case, you know, just in case. It would be a shame not to use the good weapon I brought.
—Miss Daisy is the first person to treat me like a tool.
—I'm already sick of that comment.
—You already feel tired, eh?
I stood in front of a waterfall while having an unpleasant conversation. According to the blueprint, to enter the inner chamber of the royal vault, you had to cross quite complicated terrain beyond this waterfall.
—Even when leaving, this is the best path.
Honestly I wasn't sure if it was possible. There were more than ten possible entry routes, but more than half of them were probably traps, so it looked like I'd have a hard time.
—Miss Daisy, think of yourself as the clever Viscount Weatherwoods to increase your intelligence. Otherwise, you are likely to get stuck in that vault and starve to death.
—I see Mr. Rue has a very high opinion of me.
Leaving behind Rue, who waved his hand gently at me, I headed inside the waterfall. The narrow crack in the rocks was exposed when the water curtain was lifted. It felt lucky to be able to breathe there, as there was no room for anything like a mask.
—...Hmm, okay.
I couldn't be stubborn and risk suffocating to death. After throwing the mask into the river, I squeezed my body against the rocks.
Forty minutes. I chose my path carefully while regulating my breathing in the crack. There was barely room to walk, most required crawling. I took a wrong turn halfway, which took me twice as long.
Twenty minutes. I moved through the underwater cave. I was submerged for more than fifteen minutes, sometimes having trouble breathing and almost losing consciousness. The ceiling was so low that I could count on one hand the opportunities I had to catch my breath. I really felt like I was swimming in the dark.
If it weren't for the luminescent device Rue lent me, I would have succumbed to claustrophobia. The water rose higher and higher and almost drowned me.
And finally, the last ten minutes. The time it took us to reach the cliff leading from the underwater cave towards the entrance.
—Wow!
I climbed the cliff. Actually, it was a difficult obstacle to clear to reach the treasure. However, I was a maid and had been on the job for three months. Climbing a cliff with bare hands was nothing extraordinary.
—I can't come back here again.
I felt no inclination to ever become a treasure hunter. I would just live as a maid, I wouldn't stain my life with robberies... Today, once again, I reflected on how happy the life of a maid was. With that in mind, from time to time I drove my pearl sword into the wall, leaning on its sturdy blade before resuming the climb for another thirty minutes.
Finally, level ground welcomed me. It was common ground. However, according to the blueprint, there were iron bars surrounding the deep parts of this plain, and inside each bar various jewels were stored.
I walked down a long, wide hallway reminiscent of a temple. Apart from the sound of water dripping underground and the gentle breeze blowing from somewhere, only the sound of my footsteps echoed in the world. I walked like this for a few minutes. 10 minutes? 30 minutes? 1 hour?
Ah, yes. I had definitely passed the two-hour mark. Around that time, I became convinced that I had fallen into a hallucinogenic trap. It was a trap that hadn't been mentioned in the plan. And I thought I was being cautious and observant...
Suddenly, someone grabbed me by the shoulder and made me turn around. A large hand passed through my field of vision. By reflex, I stepped back and looked into the eyes of the owner of the hand for a fleeting instant.
I felt my heart fall to the ground.
—Raphael?
His forehead was wet with sweat and blood, his golden hair was tangled. His lips were stiff. His shoulders were broad and his arms had strong muscles. And his eyes, of an intense red, reflected relief.
—Ah, damn it! You, Andert, you...
He hugged me and, as his familiar body scent enveloped me, I felt my head spin.
Why was Raphael here suddenly? In the magic alliance uniform?
How the hell... with that face from four years ago?