Chapter 83

Today, update ('ω')

Marina's black sword, swung in a diagonal slash, cleanly bisected the giant infant along with the church's walls and floor.

It wasn't a pleasant sight, but given that the creature was a belligerent monster, it couldn't be helped.

“Uaaaaaah...”

The scream, which resembled a cry, gradually faded and the giant infant melted into a large pool of blood on the floor before disappearing.

The monster nuns, dressed in habits, all knelt down, covered their faces, and then crumbled and vanished like ash one by one.

In the places where all the monster nuns had disappeared, the usual rings were left behind.

“Is it over...?”

“No enemies in sight.”

Looking around at the surroundings, now enveloped in silence, I let out a small breath.

The infant's ear-piercing cries were no longer audible.

Marina stood there, still staring at her black sword.

“...”

“Marina, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine!”

She was smiling, but her face was pale.

It was obvious that she was forcing a cheerful smile.

“Let's take a break.”

Silk, who had led Marina to sit on a church chair, looked at me, and I nodded in response.

I haven't seen Marina like this very often.

It would be better to let her rest for a while.

“Nene, can you find a place nearby where we can rest?”

“Got it.”

Nene dashed out of the church.

Since this area used to be a city, she should be able to find a good spot in no time.

“Yue, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Rain, who had been collecting enemy materials, tugged at my sleeve and pointed to where the giant infant had been.

“What's wrong?”

“The ring is missing.”

“...That's strange.”

We don't know what those rings ultimately are, but there was a rule that they would leave a golden ring when defeated.

Regardless of the enemy's size or type, this had been consistent up until now.

“Was it not a monster from this dungeon?”

“Maybe. But it had... abnormal magical properties.”

“Was it a demon?”

“No. It was more like... a living spirit.”

Living spirits are considered a type of undead, but they are different from other undead.

They are formed from the spirit of a living person, which is then imprinted onto a magical construct by a magician who uses external magic. They can be thought of as autonomous familiars that share the same thoughts as their creator.

Sometimes, strong thoughts or emotions can manifest as a living spirit, enveloped in a shell of magical energy.

However, a living spirit in the form of an infant is somewhat hard to imagine.

It's difficult to believe that an infant, who is neither a magician nor has a mature spirit, could become a living spirit.

“Let's think about it later. We don't have enough information.”

“Yeah. Just a report.”

“Yeah, thanks. Rain.”

I gently patted Rain's head and headed over to where Marina was sitting.

“Sorry, Yue. I'm fine, really.”

“Don't push yourself. It wasn't a pleasant opponent mentally.”

“Yeah. But it's not just that.”

Marina, staring intently at her black sword, lowered her eyes and seemed to want to say something but then closed her mouth.

This is unusual for Marina.

“If there's something, feel free to say it.”

“Yeah. I'll sort it out first.”

She glanced at GoPro-kun.

I see, it's something she can't say during the stream.

...I could cut the stream right now, but that might create distrust among the Adventurer's Guild and others.

Let's use the break to talk.

Nene has also returned at a good time.

◇

The resting spot Nene found was a cozy little house.

Since we couldn't find a secure safe area, we had to rest in a place that provided some level of safety.

“I'll go on guard.”

“No, Nene, you rest too. Use this.”

I took a magic scroll from my magic bag and had Nene sit down.

“It's a 'Guard Scroll.' It will alert us if anything approaches.”

“I've never heard of this item before.”

Everyone looked at the scroll with interest.

I guess it's been noticed. Silk, in particular, has become quite knowledgeable about tools.

“I brought a prototype. I made it.”

Rain's eyes lit up at my response.

“A new creation by Yue...!”

“Unfortunately, only 'Alchemists' can use it.”

“Aww, that's a shame.”

I chuckled at Rain and activated the 'Guard Scroll.'

As the magic spread, creating an invisible alert line around us, I paused GoPro-kun.

“Let's have some tea and take a break. Marina, you should freshen up during this time.”

“Yeah. Silk, help me.”

“Sure thing. Let's go.”

After seeing the two head to the next room, I started preparing the tea.

There was a small kitchen, so I set up a portable stove to boil water.

To ease the tense mood, I'll make some berry-flavored tea.

“Good smell.”

“It's a bit expensive, but yeah.”

“I'm back!”

Marina returned with a refreshed face, perhaps drawn by the sweet scent from the pot.

“I have something I want to talk about.”

Marina, who seemed to have taken a break, began.

“I was unsure whether to tell you, but I thought Yue and Rain might understand...”

“Yeah. Tell us, Marina.”

Rain nodded and looked at Marina.

“About that monster. The giant infant... it wasn't human.”

“Yeah, Rain mentioned that. It might have been a living spirit or a materialized thought.”

“Yeah. And the monster nuns around it felt like humans.”

This is getting more confusing.

Marina's senses still tell her that the monsters appearing here are human-like.

But it's hard to believe that those creatures could be human.

“And... and...”

Marina's voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

She seemed to be struggling to say something difficult.

“What is it?”

Marina, gripping her hands tightly and looking down, declared with determination.

“The walls and the floor... they felt like I was cutting through people. ...Why?”

How was that? ('ω')

Some of you might be starting to see the bigger picture, but please hold off on spoilers for now.

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