CHAPTER 84…………………………
The next morning, as soon as Esther opened her eyes, she headed straight for the spire of the royal palace.
By flying — spreading her wings wide.
After all, walking was far too bothersome.
Luckily, neither Kaelos nor Freyja was around her that morning.
“Freedom at laaast!”
Esther leapt up and soared into the spire.
“……”
“……”
“……”
And immediately found herself in a terribly awkward situation.
Kaelos and Freyja were already there. Esther hastily folded her fluttering wings and scratched her cheek.
Am I gonna get scolded?
Freyja walked up to her and reached out a hand.
Esther squeezed her eyes shut instinctively.
Tap.
A soft touch landed lightly on her head, and Esther’s eyes flew open wide.
“My little one is adorable even with wings.”
At that tender voice, Esther blinked up in surprise and caught her breath.
Sure, she was cute—but honestly, she couldn’t say the same for the wings on her back.
Creepy, maybe. Pretty? Not so much.
“Y-you’re not… scared of me?”
“Scared? What mother in this world would be afraid of her child?”
Freyja tilted her head, as though she’d just heard something strange.
“But… they’re bat wings. Kind of gross. And I’ve got horns too…”
To any human eye, she’d look anything but normal.
“Hehe, in your mother’s eyes, you’re nothing but precious. Those horns and wings—well, not everyone can have them. Honestly, you’re so cute I nearly smashed through the wall.”
At that intense declaration, Esther’s cheeks flushed pink.
“Oh, look, it’s already broken.”
“…Huh?”
Now that she noticed, a chilly breeze was streaming in through what should’ve been a solid wall.
She turned her head and saw a large, gaping hole.
…Ah. There used to be writing there.
Only then did she take in the rest of her surroundings.
The room where the magic circle had been was now—put simply—spotless.
…There’s nothing left in here?
Only when it was emptied did she realize just how big the room actually was, and how much junk had once been piled up in it.
There was nothing on the way up, either.
So where on earth had all that stuff gone?
Whoooosh—
A chilly wind whistled through the hole in the wall. Esther’s eyelids twitched.
No way…
A hollow wall.
Not a speck of dust on the staircase.
A tower room scrubbed to gleaming perfection.
Esther slowly opened her mouth.
“Um, all the stuff that was in here…”
“Oh, we heard you had some trouble because we stacked too many demonic beasts downstairs, so this time we cleaned everything up properly.”
That wasn’t the issue—where did you “clean” it to?
“We threw it out the window and killed the monsters nearby.”
Please don’t say that like you’re talking about tossing pebbles to hit frogs.
Esther stared at the two of them in disbelief, then slowly nodded and looked away.
I think I understand why these two get along.
They seemed reasonable—until they didn’t. Their shared lack of common sense was a perfect match.
“Thanks to that, there are far fewer beasts around here now. My clever little one.”
Freyja patted Esther’s head fondly.
Esther was speechless.
It was hard to process being praised by the very person who’d caused the problem.
“Uh… yes.”
Esther’s eyes darted.
“By the way, how did you find this place? I haven’t been here in ages myself.”
“Yes! This is the reason you’ve been sick, Mother! This magic circle keeps ancient magic flowing!”
“…Is that so?”
“That’s what the god said!”
“You mean the god…? Ah, you shouldn’t believe everything a god says, dear.”
Right. She’s a nonbeliever.
Esther glanced sideways at Kaelos, who seemed a bit downcast.
How had these two even met? Amazing.
“Then—I read it in a book!”
“As expected, my brilliant little one. You must’ve taken after someone.”
Freyja ruffled her hair affectionately. Esther grinned.
“You came here too when you were little, right, Mother? To make your contract!”
“Yes, I think so. It’s been so long, my memory’s hazy.”
“Do you remember anything you had with you back then?!”
I need that item!
If she could destroy it, the monsters would stop flooding into the Kingdom of Surtr.
This land was comfortable for demons—too comfortable—and that’s why they gathered here.
“Oh, yes, there was something like that, dear.”
“Where is it?!”
“Hmm…”
Freyja smiled awkwardly, and an uneasy chill ran down Esther’s spine.
“…Mother?”
“Hmm…”
Her mother slowly extended a long, slender, snow-white finger—and pointed.
“Somewhere… around there?”
She was pointing straight at the hole in the wall.
“……”
“I didn’t realize it was that important.”
As if embarrassed by Esther’s horrified look, Freyja gave a sheepish excuse.
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have thrown it away…”
Esther fell silent.
The lands of Surtr were vast, and there was no guarantee she could ever retrieve what had been tossed.
“…What was it, exactly?”
“A matching set—a ring, a necklace, and a bracelet…”
Three pieces?!
The moment Esther pressed her forehead, Freyja’s eyes widened as she stared at the hole.
“Oh dear, my little one, they’re flying away.”
“…What?”
“Over there.”
Esther turned her head—and saw three crows, each clutching a glittering trinket in its beak, disappearing into the distance.
“—No!”
“You need those?”
“Yes!!”
As Esther hastily began to cast a spell, something whistled sharply past from behind her.
SWEEEESH!
Three heavy objects sliced through the air, narrowly grazing her head and cheeks.
Three perfect throws.
The startled crows turned midair, flapping madly to dodge the flying bricks that nearly hit them.
If crows could look pale, these ones certainly did.
Esther stiffly turned her head—to see Freyja holding yet another brick.
Where did she even get that?
Behind her, Kaelos was quietly tearing down parts of the tower wall and stacking the bricks for her.
…These lunatics.
Esther quickly turned and unleashed her magic.
A blast of energy shot forward.
In that instant, the crows’ eyes narrowed—almost humanly—and divine power rippled around them.
It was a familiar aura.
Michael Enoch…! Acting like some kind of demon?!
Esther ground her teeth.
What kind of god uses crows, of all things?
What happened to the egrets you like so much?!
She cast another spell, but the crows only sped up.
Still too weak…
Her current body was far too frail to fight Michael Enoch. Esther clenched her fists.
I have to go to the temple.
She needed to confront him directly.
Mother will be fine if I’m with her.
Even if she couldn’t break the curse, she could at least keep her from falling into that deathlike sleep.
Without those items, I can’t lift the curse.
He must’ve known—and taken them on purpose.
Kaelos Egbert is his disciple, after all.
If Kaelos could see through his eyes, then Michael Enoch could see through Kaelos’s.
The Egbert family—his most cherished line of apostles.
“Mother! Father!”
“What is it, dear?”
“We have to go back to the capital! We need to get those things back!”
Esther trembled with fury.
Michael Enoch was nothing to fear—if she could just return to her true form.
“…Esther, your mother still—”
“Alright, if my little one says so, she must have a plan. I trust you. Let’s go.”
“Freyja…!”
“What, are you going to leave me behind again? Claim you’re protecting me by abandoning me?”
Her icy tone made Kaelos’s eyes widen. Slowly, he shook his head.
“…No. Never again. I won’t leave you alone.”
“Then we’re fine.”
“Yes! I’ll protect you both!”
Freyja’s cold gaze softened at Esther’s words.
“Will you? Then I’m the happiest woman alive. My beloved child will protect me.”
A smile curled on Esther’s lips.
—I-I’m coming too, Master!
A lizard suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Esther narrowed her eyes.
Where were you hiding this whole time? You’ve got wings too—couldn’t you have flown after them or something?
Then again, considering his pudgy body and how fast those crows were, maybe not.
As she sighed deeply, the hatchling flinched.
—Why? You hate me, don’t you?
—No… I like you… I just don’t want to be alone anymore. I need someone… even if it’s just you.
When Esther squinted, the hatchling fluttered up and clung to her arm.
Like a cicada on an old tree.
Her small body swayed under its weight.
So heavy…
He really needed to lose some weight.
And was that blood on his mouth again?
—I don’t wanna be alone anymore…
Looking at the pitiful creature clinging to her, Esther gave a weary shrug.
—Do whatever you want.
—Yes, Master!
The hatchling happily took off—
THUNK!
—and crashed straight into the ceiling before falling back down.
Tsk, tsk.
