Chapter 62
Sleeping Beauty
On the way down to the lower floors, I introduced Pigimaru to Mist .
[I was worried because I’ve always felt a presence nearby, even though I couldn’t see any monster around the area . So, it’s actually him I’ve been sensing . ]
I remembered the conversation that we had right after we alighted the hidden stairs .
“There seems to be no monsters at the moment . ”
“Hati-dono, actually—”
At that time, it seems that Mist was about to ask something .
It’s as if she wanted to say that she have felt the presence of a monster .
I would have said “monsters other than Pigimaru” if she had known about his existence before . .
[Come on, Pigimaru . ]
[—Pii . ]
The frightened Pigimaru timidly extends his protrusion towards Mist .
Mist also reached out her hand towards Pigimaru .
She sneakily glanced at me .
[It… won’t bite, right?]
[Yeah . ]
[Pyiii~… Pii, pii… Pii…?]
It seems that Pigimaru is still on guard against her .
He’s poking Mist’s fingertip with his protrusion .
Punii, punyuu…
I feel that he’s still quite timid in regards to her .
Mist’s lips turned to a smile and her eyes softened .
[My name is Mist Barkas . Nice to meet you, Pigimaru-dono?]
[Pii? Pyiii… Piii… . . Pyuuuu~♪!]
Pigimaru began to rub Mist’s finger with his protrusion .
His color has turned into a light pink .
It seems like he liked her . (T/N: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I’m sorry . )
[Fufu, It’s a really cute slime . I strangely feel at ease with him . ]
[Pii~ ♪ ]
[It seems that you’re quite liked by Pigimaru… I think this is the first time that I’ve seen him being friendly with others . ]
[Pii!? Pyuuu~!]
His protrusion suddenly reached out towards me .
Punyuu, punyuu~
I could feel Pigimaru’s squishy protrusion on my cheek .
Pigimaru’s color turned into a really bold pink .
Mist covers her mouth with her hand .
Pfft…
[Nevertheless, It seems that he really likes Hati-dono the best . ]
[Pii ♪]
v
Monsters came attacking us at regular intervals .
However, Mist was always the one who slays them every time they appear .
Mist doesn’t to be that much in danger in these battles .
It seems that she stands up against them quite well .
I feel like she’s already used to battle .
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We proceed further down into another floor .
I arrived at a place that kind of resembles another residential area .
[Hmm?]
A familiar door gets into my sight .
They look like the jewels that I had seen before .
This is exactly that door that opens when you inject magic energy into them .
I placed my hand on the jewel and inject my magic energy .
With a subtle vibration, the door began to open .
I promptly check inside the room while being alert for ambushes .
It seems that the room is completely empty .
I step inside and look around the room .
There was nothing particularly eye catching that I could see .
Old furniture were already arranged inside the room .
There doesn’t seem to be any traces of traps…
I call out towards Mist that was standing guard outside of the room .
[You can come in now . ]
[I understand . Excuse me . ]
Mist enters the room .
[……… . . ]
[What is it?]
[Nothing . ]
Was that “Excuse me . ” earlier really that necessary?
I closed the door and placed down my luggage on the floor .
I take out my pocket watch and checked for the time .
[We will take a break in here . ]
[Roger that . ]
[You can take some sleep, you know? I will just wake you up when we’re about to leave . ]
Mist paused for a while before replying back .
[No, I’m fine . ]
[I can see that you lack some some sleep though… I swear I would wake you up when we would start to go . That’s why I want for you to get some sleep, but…]
Mist covers her eyes .
[I think I would surely not get some sleep though . ]
[I heard that you would remove some of your fatigue even when you just lie down for a bit . How about you just lay down in a sleeping bag on the floor?I would also be troubled if you suddenly collapsed on the way . ]
Mist began to ponder about it .
She exhaled out a sigh and smiled .
[I understand… Well then, I’ll be lying down for a bit . ]
Mist began removing her bracers while leaving her forehead protector that’s emitting light .
Next, she laid down a sleeping bag and laid down .
In a posture that’s turning away from me .
[Pigimaru . ]
[Pii . ]
I secretly gave some instructions to him earlier .
I would have him distract her .
Punyonn~
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Pigimaru jumps down to the floor and turned back into its round shape .
While he’s in that rounded form, he crept in front of Mist .
He finally stops when he’s in front of her face .
[Pii!]
[Pigimaru-dono…? What’s the matter?]
[Pii!]
[—-…suu…]
I invoked towards Mist .
I will let her sleep until the gauge runs out .
This deep sleep that she would have may have been just for a short time, but it would still restore some of her fatigue .
I’ve read that somewhere in the net before .
[If the duration of her sleep is longer, it may even be used to treat insomnia…]
Well, it’s not really clear yet whether would make someone have some peaceful sleep .
[Pii, pii, pii, pii, pii . ]
Pigimaru is swaying left and right in front of her .
Somehow, he looks like he’s moving like a metronome .
Is he… watching over Mist?
[Pii?]
At that time,
[Pipiii~!?]
Mist’s forehead protector disappeared .
The bracer that was placed beside the sleeping bag also disappeared .
Immediately after that, I could see Mist’s figure suddenly changed .
Her ears completely deformed…
–into pointed long ears .
Elf…
I stood in front of the sleeping Mist .
[Pii?]
“What happened to her?”
It seems that Pigimaru is asking something like that .
[I’ve already had some premonition about her true identity . It’s just that—]
I looked towards Mist again .
[This is really surprising . ]
The change wasn’t just her ears .
Even her face has changed .
“Something” must have been cancelled out when I used earlier .
I also feel that her hair is a bit different .
Her face was evidently different .
My breathing almost stopped when I saw her face .
Mist’s face before she changed was indeed that of a beautiful woman you could find back in my world .
However, now—
She’s way beyond that .
I’m already used to seeing beautiful women .
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For example, I can say that my aunt was a beautiful woman .
Even back in Class 2-C, there’s Sogou Ayaka .
There’s also the Takao sisters that you could call the pinnacle of beauty .
Therefore, I had only regarded Mist as a “beautiful woman” on the same category as them .
However, the current Mist Barkas was very different from just that .
How do I say this…?
It’s as if she’s not real .
Rather than the face of a living being, it’s as if her face is something that was sculpted by an artist who’s in search for the pinnacle of beauty .
[I see…]
“I’ve heard that the men and women Elves were so beautiful that your eyeballs would pop out after you see them . ”
I remembered the conversation I heard in the tavern .
[So this is how High Elves looks like . ]
I also remember his words .
Monk Dorogetti .
He’s the man who tried to pick a fight with Mist in the middle of the crowd and was shamed because of his mistake .
Though, he later died here in Mills Ruins .
After he tried to pick a fight with Mist in the plaza, I kind of felt something out of place .
It’s because Monk was too confident .
Why is he so confident with his words?
I became a bit worried about this .
Mist’s head has been covered with a hood at that time .
Ordinarily, he shouldn’t have been certain with his words .
He haven’t even seen Mist’s face after all .
First of all, it is just natural to consider the possibility that he has mistaken someone for another person .
However, Monk was absolutely sure at that time .
What does that mean?
It means that— he had some kind of basis that has led to his belief for his accusation towards Mist .
An example of this is when I had heard her voice at that time . I was immediately certain about my thoughts .
That Mist is “the girl that I had met back in the dark forest” .
Monk must have also been certain about something .
He must have heard Mist’s voice .
She could probably change her face and ears with some kind of special power .
However, it seems that only her appearance can be changed .
In short, her “voice” can’t be changed .
Monk had been extremely obsessed with “Seras Ashrain” .
I remember her voice because her voice is something you can’t easily forget .
And, he must have heard her voice before .
As far as Monk could see, the voice of “Seras Ashrain” and “Mist Barkas” must have been exactly the same .
There’s another thing that I’ve noticed .
My sight… moved towards Mist’s chest .
There appears to be no change that has happened when in comes to her body— or so that’s what I think .
As far as I could see, only her head has changes .
I thought about what Monk has said before .
“Even that already ripe part of yours, that pathetic excuse of a pair of breasts! I remember it all!”
He was so confident that he had burned her “breast” into his memory .
No, I don’t think it’s just because he had burned her breast into his memory…
Moreover, her body had been concealed under her clothing .
However, her personality must have made Monk absolutely sure .
Her voice and her breast .
Her personality must have also been burned into his memory .
It was burned into his mind so much, that he became completely convinced that she is Seras Ashrain .
That’s why, when he had removed her hood, Monk became terribly confused .
That’s because the face she’s wearing and the shape of her ear doesn’t match with the one on her memory .
Monk wouldn’t have understood the reason why .
Her voice and the shape of her body were completely the same .
However, just her face and ears weren’t exactly the same…
“That’s… a lie… I’m not mistaken . Everything’s a lie…”
It had also been in her favor when he became confused .
I then looked towards her pointed ears .
Monk had tried to reach out his hand and touch Mist’s ear .
Mist strongly slapped his hand away and glared at him .
[In other words… This is how it originally looks, huh… Rather than changing her body, this ability of hers changes the “information” that was reflected in other people’s eyes . . ?]
For examples, through the use of Illusory Techniques . (T/N: Genjutsu)
I see .
When you touch her ear, you could feel inconsistencies between the “information that you had seen” and the “information that your hand could feel” .
That’s why, is this the reason why Mist strongly dislike being touched by others?
“By the way, are elves strong?”
“They fight by borrowing the power of the spirits . ”
The men has talked about this back at the tavern in the inn .
[Is this illusion technique the power of the spirit…?]
It may also be the power of the spirit that made her have the ability to see through lies .
Her forehead protector .
Her bracer .
Her armor .
All of these equipment must have been made with the power of the spirits .
Now, it seems that the power of Mist’s spirits has been released .
When she was incapacitated because of , the effect of the spirit’s power were sustained .
However,
[It seems that the power of the spirit would be temporarily disappear when I casted towards them…]
Unexpectedly, I’ve discovered the advantage of .
I look down towards the beautiful face of my guard who’s gently sleeping right now .
The blue gauge above her head is steadily decreasing .
It is still not clear yet .
It could just be said that the premonition I held before was reinforced with this .
However, I am almost certain…
–that she’s the former knight leader who has disappeared from the Holy Kingdom of Neia .
The Princess of the High Elves .
The true identity of Mist Barkas is—
[The Princess Knight, Seras Ashrain . ]