In a secluded rear chamber of the Great Cathedral, the Best Actor who had just finished putting on a show leaned back in his chair and leisurely sipped warm tea.
A moment later, the Ogham runes on the stone table began to hum and glow.
Noticing the signal, Samael lowered his gaze slightly and asked casually,
"Where is he?"
"We caught him. Turns out this guy was even more impatient than we were..."
Inside a dim alley, Mari kicked the dwarf-like fairy lying on the ground, tightly bound in runes and tossed aside like a bundled parcel. Her eyes brimmed with amusement.
She had barely taken possession of the Holy Sword and left through the auction hall's rear entrance when the Earth Clan Chief began following her.
The moment they entered a deserted alley, he immediately dropped the pretense and tried to rob her outright.
Unfortunately for him, he had neglected to consider his own ability, much less investigate the level of his intended target.
Also, next time...
Remember to look behind you.
In the alley, the Grand Sage, a candidate for the rank of Grand Magus, and Morgan, the Witch protected by the Mysteries of Britannia, exchanged a knowing nod.
As they continued communicating, Morgan suddenly paused and frowned slightly.
"Strange. Why is there some noise on your end?"
"Oh, I'm behind the auction hall. With so many people coming and going, that's unavoidable..."
At that moment, the mastermind behind the entire scheme looked away evasively toward the other side of the partition.
Both hands pressed down against the tabletop.
The previously unstable corner of the table immediately stopped shaking.
"Anyway, what did that guy say?"
"He refuses to cooperate unless we give him the Holy Sword."
"Who does he think he is, making demands like that?"
"You know how fairies are. They're all like this. Why don't we..."
Hearing Mari trying to stir things up, Samael paused for a moment before closing his eyes and calmly replying,
"Forget it. Tell him that if he agrees to cooperate, I can let him study the Holy Sword for one day at most."
"He insists on three days..."
Morgan looked toward the corner.
The Earth Clan Chief, believing he now had leverage, was arrogantly trying to bargain with them.
A trace of displeasure flashed through her eyes.
Generally speaking, Earth Fairies were relatively honest and straightforward by nature.
This particular Chieftain, however, was an exception.
He had inherited almost every flaw associated with dwarf-like creatures. He was greedy, hot-tempered, outwardly fierce, and inwardly cowardly.
"One day."
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Samael's mouth as his fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"The other two days are the price of his life."
That was his final ultimatum.
If Foul had simply cooperated, Samael would have been perfectly willing to offer him a little reward.
Instead, the moment Mari obtained the auction item, Earth Clan Chief Foul had entertained crooked ideas and attempted to ambush her.
The only reason Samael had not killed him on the spot was because the old fellow was still useful.
In the end, caught between the threat of death and the temptation of studying the Holy Sword, Foul finally gave in.
After being forced to sign a contract, he eagerly took the Holy Sword from Mari and limped away into the shadows.
With the matter settled, Samael severed the connection.
His previously upright posture immediately collapsed, and he slumped back against the chair as though all his strength had drained away.
Then he lowered his head and murmured,
"All right. Come out..."
A pale hand lifted the tablecloth.
The graceful blonde Wind Fairy crawled out from beneath the cramped table.
"There's no need to humble yourself this much. Just do what you're supposed to do."
"It is my honor to serve you. Besides, that is also the duty of a created being."
Aurora swallowed and lightly cleared her throat, the blush on her cheeks gradually fading.
At this moment, the blonde Wind Fairy bore none of the elegant brilliance she displayed before others.
Instead, she looked up at the figure before her with a humility bordering on ingratiation.
He was the Creator who had divided light from darkness and restarted the world.
The keeper of the gods' graves.
The guide of heroes.
The one who brought enlightenment to humanity.
"Considering your achievements in the past, as long as you behave yourself, you can remain the most popular fairy in the Nameless Forest."
Realizing she would not be punished after the fact, thrown back into the Inner Sea of the Planet, or forced to live in that nightmarish little room, Aurora was overcome with relief and nodded vigorously.
The Wind Clan Chieftain then meekly accepted the soft tissue Samael handed her.
She gently wiped her lips and teeth before obediently taking her leave of the quiet chamber.
But after passing through the doorway and reaching the corner, Aurora suddenly stopped.
As though something had occurred to her, she turned and looked back, traces of doubt appearing in her eyes.
The Sacred Covenant that had divided the Age of Gods had not only restricted the return of the gods.
It seemed to affect him as well.
...
By noon, Morgan and Mari had returned to the courtyard.
"You confirmed it?"
Samael set down his cup, poured hot tea for both of them, and looked up.
"Mm. It's on the seventh street to the left of the Great Cathedral's entrance. There seems to be a smelting workshop he built beneath one of the houses there. Before I left, I made sure to mark the location."
Morgan nodded slightly.
Now that Foul had finally been found, the tension that had gathered between her brows over the past several days had eased considerably.
"By the way, what if he messes around with your sword and breaks something? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?"
Mari casually perched on the corner of the table with no concern for appearances, teasing Samael while helping herself to a plate of dried fruit.
"Relax. If he wants to break open my sword, he can spend the next eighty or hundred years trying and still won't get through it. If he starts fooling around, the fairy inscriptions on the blade alone will give him more trouble than he can handle."
Samael answered carelessly, completely confident in his Star-Forged Holy Sword.
After all, this was a planetary-class armament capable of dismembering the White Colossus.
Its true authority might be difficult to unlock, but its sheer durability alone was enough to drive any blacksmith to despair.
"Strange. Did you take a bath?"
As she spoke, Mari leaned closer to Samael and muttered softly.
"Ahem. I was a little tired, so I... happened to wash up..."
The hand holding Samael's cup trembled.
He hurriedly lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and answered with a light cough.
"I was asking where you bathed. You smell really nice. Things are finally mostly settled, so I want to try it too."
Mari waved a hand.
Her nose twitched as she caught the floral and mint fragrance coming from Samael, and she immediately seemed interested.
"Oh, that. About three hundred meters east of the entrance, on North Street, there's a hot spring flower bath. It's a pretty good experience. If you're bored, you can go take a look. Apparently, it helps relieve fatigue and improves your skin."
Samael's expression immediately became serious as he gave them a gentle smile and recommended the place.
Improves your skin?
Even the usually indifferent Morgan became interested at those words.
She and Mari exchanged a glance.
Agreement was immediate.
Word soon spread, and Habetrot, Freya, and Baobhan Sith all requested to join.
In the end, even Barghest raised her little hand and burrowed into Morgan's arms.
And so the party expanded by several women.
Bringing along changes of clothes, they headed off in a grand procession to enjoy the baths.
Sure enough, beauty treatments held an irresistible appeal to women, just as kidney tonics and virility remedies did to men.
Watching the courtyard empty out, Samael silently complained to himself while patting his wildly pounding heart.
Then he quietly released a long breath.
They only wanted a bath.
Good.
It had just been a false alarm.
...
The next day, the women awoke leisurely after enjoying their bath and sleeping in.
After finishing the breakfast Samael had prepared, they left Habetrot, Freya, and Baobhan Sith behind to clean up the dishes.
The remaining four then marched aggressively toward the Earth Clan Chief's hidden workshop.
Along the way, Mari repeatedly glanced at Barghest, who kept nuzzling around in Samael's arms.
Unable to suppress her curiosity, she finally asked,
"Why did you bring her along for something like this?"
"You might understand in a moment."
The Ancient Serpent gently stroked the head of the Black Dog Duke, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
Then he lowered his gaze toward a battered old door in front of them.
Mm.
The sword's presence is definitely coming from here.
We've arrived.
***
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