Published at 8th of February 2021 05:00:00 PM
Chapter 168
Chapter 15
Section 18: Remnants of a Curse
While we were filling up our tummies with tea and cookies, Toslin and Carol eventually came back with a large, leather bag filled to bursting . That was five minutes ago already .
[Toslin]: “Haha~, another profitable venture . ”
Toslin had dragged over the broken remains of one of the bold loires and used it as a chair . She has been longingly stealing glances towards the leather bag she hitched on Goldmund’s back ever since as if she were afraid it would get up and run away .
[Carol]: “Combine all that with what we got before and won’t we be able to build a nice house in the capital?”
Carol was sitting next to her, kicking her feet back and forth while sipping the cup of tea Rose-san had passed over to her .
[Toslin]: “Why would an adventurer have any need for a house like that?”
Toslin glanced towards Carol while clearly not understanding what she was talking about .
[Carol]: “Well……to settle down and live in obviously . ”
[Toslin]: “Live in…… . you? By yourself?”
[Carol]: “Eh……oh, um……all of us?”
Carol spoke softly as her face turned a bright shade of red .
[Toslin]: “Hah? What are you talking about? You realize we’re adventurers right? Traveling around the world is our job, so having a house like that is only going to be a burden . ”
Toslin waved her hand while biting into one of Saluena’s cookies . A small, “Delicious,” murmur continued on a second later .
[Carol]: “Eh, oh……yeah, you’re right……”
Carol’s face sank down into her tea cup, and her tail drooped further down than it had been a second before .
[Iris]: “…… . . ”
I had noticed it, so there was no way Toslin hadn’t as well . She sat there and frowned, wiping away a spatter of crumbs clinging to her lips . Then after a moment, she finally opened her mouth .
[Toslin]: “… . . Hey, Carol… . . ”
[Carol]: “Oh shoot, I almost forgot! I had something important I needed to report! From this point forward……”
Just as Toslin was about to say something, Carol cut her off and changed the subject . She then jumped from her seat on top of the broken bold loire and hurriedly began explaining what she had discovered .
It was as if she hadn’t wanted to hear what Toslin was going to say next .
♠
According to Carol, this was the 35th floor, the same floor we had managed to reach the last time we were here . This dome-like room is apparently the same room we had fought Mippo and Moppo in before as well . In other words, Carol won’t be able to advance through the dungeon using just her scent from this point forward .
The dungeon beneath Oshunel city is supposed to have fifty floors total . That was before the dungeon went under major structural changes however . So in summation, we have at least fifteen more floors to go with no map to help us through .
≪Know the way≫
≪Lead the way≫
[Carol]: “What, really? That’d be a huge help . ”
Just when I was wondering how long this next leg of our journey would take, Mippo and Moppo offered to act as guides .
[Toslin]: “………”
Toslin reacted to Carol’s jubilant reaction with a stern look .
But whether Carol was aware of that fact or just pretending not to be, she kept her eyes locked on the gnomes and didn’t turn away .
≪Shortcut≫
≪Teach you≫
≪（‘ヮ’*）≫
≪ヾ(。>ｖ<。)ノ゛≫
According to Mippo and Moppo, this dungeon was littered with shortcuts that only the sisters knew about .
Considering we were determined to head to the dungeon’s depths no matter what, this revelation was a saving grace, a gift straight from the Goddess .
[Rose]: “Um, Sally-oneesama . Could I have a word with you?”
Just when I thought we had a game plan set up, Rose-san looked really seriously towards Saluena who was standing on the other side of me .
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[Saluena]: “What is it Rosa?”
Rose-san was a bit restless, stroking her hand against my back while hesitating for a second .
[Rose]: “I was thinking these children may be the same as you . ”
…… . Oh .
[Saluena]: “Hmm”
On our way to Oshunel, Rose-san and Saluena would sometimes talk amongst themselves quietly enough that I couldn’t heart them .
I waited for Saluena’s answer, my heart racing in a way different from the norm .
The ‘children’ Rose-san mentioned were most certainly the gnome sisters, and now that she’s bringing it up, I suddenly recalled Saluena’s story .
She fought Oshunel once before but was defeated . She was then exposed to the negative aura of the evil dragon, brainwashed, and forced to become the enemy of all humankind .
Rose-san was comparing that story to the gnomes’ current circumstances and came to the conclusion that they were the same .
[Saluena]: “Yes actually, I was thinking the same thing . These sisters were most likely taken over by Oshunel’s negative aura, putting them under his control after being transformed into primordial spirits . Their situations are most probably the same as mine . That’s why after a thousand years, that negative energy has naturally dissipated from their bodies . ”
[Litzreich]: “Yet the oldest sister’s brainwashing hasn’t been relieved yet……?”
Litzreich muttered her thoughts aloud while working on her previously cracked gauntlet using some strange tool I’d never seen before .
[Litzreich]: “Then, hypothetically speaking…… . no, I suppose this is me asking in advance since it is certainly possible, but……”
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She then turned her focus away from her gauntlet and set it squarely on me .
[Litzreich]: “What will we do if her brainwashing doesn’t come off?”
≪（‘ヮ’*）≫
≪ ?（‘ヮ’）≫
Mippo and Moppo’s eyes fell on me as well after Litzreich asked her question . I wonder, do they really understand what she means by that question?
[Saluena]: “Iris’s goal is to help the gnomes . ”
Saluena answered in my stead, but Litzreich simply shook her head .
[Litzreich]: “Oh I understand that quite well . And I am aware of how cruel this is to ask in front of her sisters, but it is something that must be asked all the same . It is a knight’s duty to listen to their princess’s wishes, but it is not their ultimate mission . Keeping the princess safe should come before all else……”
Litzreich was staring directly into my eyes .
[Litzreich]: “…… . So, I will ask you again . ”
She was serious . Completely different from her usual joke self .
[Litzreich]: “…… . . What then?”
There was a weight hanging on my shoulders as if the end of a sword was being pointed directly at my chest .
And it felt as if my heart were doing its best to leap out of the way .