CH 150

The wall in front of me disappears again.

The sunlight feels too bright after being in that room.

“Master Rust! Where did you come…?”

Says Roa, sounding surprised. I see Roa, Zoroa, and Lismist in front of me.

I guess I was taken outside the mausoleum.

I hear a stiff sound coming from my hand, and when I look at the magic crystal key I’m holding, I see it split in two.

“It broke…”

Is this a feature? Or is it supposed to only be usable once?

I need to look into it more closely later, so I put away the two pieces.

“Master Rust, what happened? You appeared all of a sudden.”

Roa asks again. I give a vague answer about that small room, because Zoroa and Lismist are here.

“Apparently I was brought here from inside the mausoleum. Zoroa and Lismist, Princess Lily is probably still inside.”

I point to the mausoleum. Zoroa and Lismist look at each other, signal with their eyes, and Lismist heads inside.

It looks like Zoroa is staying here. She’s looking this way with a bright smile. I get the feeling that she’s telling us she’s not letting us go.

Ah, we’re not getting away that easily. Yes, I have to give an answer too. My answer was clear from the start, but I have to make it perfectly clear.

Not long after, Princess Lily exits the mausoleum in a hurry with Lismist. Her beautiful wavy blond hair flutters in the wind.

Apparently she undid her braid. Apparently she took out the branch, because I can see scraps of wood in Lismist’s hand.

“Master Rust! I’m so glad you are unharmed…”

“I apologize for worrying you. It seems I was sent outside. Also, the magic crystal split in two. Do you know of any sort of mechanism that is supposed to cause this?”

Before she can ask any questions, I blandly say a couple of things that are true, and preemptively ask a question of my own.

“Eh, that…! But then those letters…”

Princess Lily starts speaking, but quiets down. I knew it, she doesn’t want to talk openly about the primordial letters on the wall even just to the people here.

I figure this is the time to press.

“Also, about your question earlier, I’m sorry but…”

“Kyu!”

But then, a cry interrupts me. A shadow flies over us, and I suddenly feel a weight on my shoulder.

It’s Seilook.

“Seilook! You’re heavy! Why are you here? Didn’t you stay back?”

“Ooh, the rumored…!”

“So the legend is true.”

“Master Rust really is the one who…”

Princess Lily and her knights start making a fuss after seeing Seilook.

“Kyu! Kyu! Kyu!”

Seilook ignores them, and yells.

Something’s strange.

Seilook’s been with me for a while now, so I can tell it’s in a hurry for some reason. And it feels like Seilook is at its wit’s end too.

Seilook reaches over to me with its head, seemingly unable to wait any longer.

Its mouth touches my left arm.

“Ouch!”

And its fang leaves a shallow cut. Blood starts oozing out of it.