Hmph...
Thinking back to the conversation I had with Queen Marakia before, I thought it was just an unfortunate coincidence that she happened to run into me there and asked for my help. But now that I think about it again, could someone as powerful and cunning as her really not have planned it all ahead of time?
Nai wa!
Could this be a trap?
But if so, why target me?
It's not like I even have any relationship with that Queen…?
Oh, wait.
Could it be that she can see the future, but not every detail in it? So maybe what she saw was simply that the spiritfolk would return home along with a "Queen," but not specifically which queen it would be…??
No!
That's even more unreasonable.
As I've said, someone as intelligent and strong as the Queen—if she really can see the future—there's no way she wouldn't have made some kind of preparation, even if she didn't know all the details.
Hmph...
So in the end, should I keep helping her or not?
"Hey!"
"Hey!!!"
Huh? What?
"What are you thinking about that's got you zoning out like that?"
Seina said as she poked my cheek, but I quickly blocked her.
Hmph…
With someone as sharp as Seina, there's no way she hasn't noticed something strange in all this. But she's not saying anything.
Is it because Meradis is here?
"If you still have any doubts, feel free to ask me. After all, it's highly likely we'll be traveling together for quite a while, so being open will be better for both sides."
Hmm...
I have to admit, Meradis really knows how to seize the moment. I haven't even agreed to help yet, and she's already assuming we'll be companions.
"Ahem, anyway, that's all in the past. What I want to know now is why there's a group of spiritfolk living here? And why are they all so badly injured?" Seina pressed on.
Yeah, I'll think more about that later.
Right now, I need to focus on the matter at hand.
As soon as Seina said that, Meradis's face—which always wore a gentle smile—suddenly showed discomfort, even anger. She stopped smiling, her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes looked like they were about to ignite.
We didn't dare say anything else, just silently waited for her to calm down.
This must be something very serious, for her to react so strongly.
After a long pause, Meradis finally composed herself.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Remembering those events made me lose my composure a bit."
"Um… i-it's fine. Could you tell us what happened?"
I was honestly really curious—just what kind of event could've made her this furious?
"Ever since we arrived, we've been living on the 40th floor. In the beginning, everything went well. Thanks to our unique abilities, we easily took care of the monsters around us. But then, a strange creature suddenly appeared and began slaughtering everything it encountered for food."
"Even though we set up a barrier, that monster didn't give up. And when the barrier eventually collapsed, we had a major battle. We managed to severely wound the creature, but we lost nearly a hundred people in the process."
"Those who survived were also injured. My father, who led the charge, was the most severely hurt. Still, we were somewhat at ease, since the creatures around us had been so terrified they didn't dare approach anymore."
"But just when we thought the danger was over, we were ambushed by another species. And the cruel irony? They happened to be the kind that counter us perfectly. Even though we've evolved away from the elemental spirit branch, we're still affected. With our tribe already weakened, we were ultimately defeated."
"Most of us were captured and turned into slaves. Those monsters have the ability to seal away our powers, so no one could resist. Some who tried to fight were killed. So the rest of us had no choice but to endure and wait for the right moment."
Nai wa!
Another tragic story??
Why is it that ever since I got here, all I've heard are other people's misfortunes…
"So how did you manage to escape?"
"…It's a bit humiliating, but if you want to know, I'll tell you."
Oh no…
Why does it sound so serious??
Did Meradis… actually go through those kinds of things…?
"What kind of weird things are you imagining, huh?"
Suddenly, Seina smacked me on the head, snapping me out of it.
When I looked up, she was glaring at me, and when I turned to Suzu, I saw her blushing.
Oh crap!
I forgot to lock my thoughts!
Usually, we can communicate mentally, but if we don't want others to hear, we can lock our thoughts and I forgot to do that this time…
Oops…
Hehe…
"Hmph!"
Seina shot me a glare, then turned back to Meradis.
"If you don't want to talk about that, fine. Just skip to the main part."
"Thank you, everyone."
Meradis smiled again and continued: "Basically, a group of us managed to escape, but we were cursed. The curse slowly erodes the soul. At first, we were able to suppress it, but after the long journey here, we've become much weaker. If Shiraori hadn't come, we don't know what we would've done."
As she spoke, Meradis gave me a warm smile.
I could feel her gaze burning into me.
And for some reason, Seina and Suzu leaned forward, staring at Meradis with razor-sharp eyes.
Is this… a staring contest?
"Idiot."
Ah..!
Another hit to the head from Seina.
"So what's your plan now?" she asked.
The 40th floor, huh...
I think I can make it there, but it'll definitely take some time. If she wants my help, she better be ready to pay up. She does still owe me, after all.
"Even though I've recovered, I don't think I'm strong enough to win. The enemy leader is a Half-King."
Huh?
"What's a Half-King?" I asked.
"In a species' evolutionary hierarchy, a 'King' is the highest and most powerful. A Half-King is just a step below that. It's only a little bit away from evolving into a full King. If I went back now, it would just be suicide."
Hmph...
Hearing that suddenly reminded me of another creature.
I decided to ask: "Hey, can you describe the creature that slaughtered everything at the start?"
I asked because I had a strong feeling… it was that one.
"Oh, it was a flat-bodied creature with six legs and six long spikes running along its back from neck to tail. It had one head, but no eyes, though its senses were extremely sharp. It was a King. Back then, my father was a Half-King, so he managed to drive it away. But after the battle, he was weakened and eventually defeated by someone else."
So it really was that thing...
And it even evolved into a King now...
Sheesh...
Is it still hunting around this area?
Is there a chance I'll run into it again…?
If I do, there's no way back home…
If only Exc were here, but he always disappears whenever things get serious.
Trying to play the mysterious expert, huh??
That annoying bastard!
"Do you have some connection to that creature, Shiraori?"
Oh.
Since when did she start calling me by name directly instead of with pronouns??
"N-nothing really. I just have a feeling… I might have to fight it someday." I said awkwardly.
"If that's the case, then I'll gladly support Shiraori with everything I've got."
Meradis said as she floated toward me. But before she could do anything, Seina stepped between us.
"All right, let's focus on the real issue. We can help you rescue the others, but you must agree to our terms."
Oh.
Looks like Seina's dropped the decisive blow.
"No problem. If you all are willing to help me this time, then I'm prepared to offer everything I have in return."
Her whole body too??
A…!
This time both Seina and Suzu smacked me on the head.
I forgot to lock my thoughts again, but seriously, what are those two getting so mad about? I only thought that out of habit, probably from watching too many movies.
Besides, Meradis is tiny—what could she even do? And she's a girl, too.
I really need to find time later to set these two straight. They need to learn who the real protagonist is here!
After a brief silence, Meradis was the first to speak: "So, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"As we mentioned earlier, this place functions like a mental world," Seina began,
"But the difference is that it can't be sustained on its own—it needs an external power source. We've already got a few spirits helping out, but their output is way too weak. We need something—or someone—stronger."
"And you think I can do that?" Meradis asked, but she looked quite confident.
"I'm not entirely sure. We'll have to test it after you join in to gauge the level of output. Part of it is because you're descended from the Spirit Queen, so it's highly likely you're far stronger than the baby spirits we've got here."
"That's true," Meradis nodded. "In terms of combat power, spiritfolk are indeed stronger than spirits of the same level."
Oh? So that's how it is?
"Spiritfolk may have physical bodies, but they can still shift into spirit form like regular spirits. The difference is that their physical form actually acts as a protective shell and nourishing vessel for the spirit core within. Even if they get injured, only the outer body suffers. As long as the spirit core remains intact, they can regenerate their physical body."
Oh wow, just hearing that already sounds OP.
"Alright then," Seina said. "In that case, once we help resolve your tribe's issue, you have two choices: either let three-quarters of your spiritfolk follow us for five years, or you yourself follow us for ten."
Nai wa!
As soon as she heard how powerful spiritfolk were, Seina dropped this ridiculously high price.
Would Meradis really agree to that?
What if she turns hostile right here?
Please don't fight…
I can't stop that kind of fight...
"There's no need for all that," Meradis said calmly. "I'll go with you. As long as my people are safe, I have no reason to stay behind. Honestly, I've wanted to see the outside world for a long time but never had the opportunity. This time, I'm actually being a bit shameless asking you to let me tag along."
She sounded totally casual about it, but Seina's face suddenly tightened.
"You don't need to talk it over with your people?"
"No need. Once I've made up my mind, no one can stop me. And besides, they'll understand."
"You…!"
Huh???
What's up with these two now?
One moment, she's setting hard terms, the next she's annoyed because the other side agreed too easily. And Meradis? She's cheerful about signing up to do grunt work for someone else.
Seriously, these people are weird…