novelThe Answer She Sought
| ← Ch.46 | Ch.48 → |
Translator: DC & Kui
Editor: Arocks141
With breakfast over and done with, the young girl and the scholar rode on the demon's back, rummaging the area.
Using a map the girl had at home, they pinpointed the most important research facilities where the scholar would then spread out her search magic.
...Sometimes, she would push away the rubble and retrieve any wine buried underneath.
Mid-search, a clowder of cats gathered around the demon.
The girl waved her hands at the cats.
"These children are my friends."
"That white one is a bit timid, she's always hiding at the back, and that black one is always really carefree..."She energetically introduced, one by one.
Her introductions continued for a while.
Meanwhile, the scholar sank into deep thought as she observed the girl.
(Come to think of it, the animals back at home were all really aggressive but most of the animals I've met after leaving the country have been pretty tame.
It's the same here.
None of the cats are jittery and they don't attack me.
Most of them are lying about in the sun.
This would never have happened back home.
I see, then it wouldn't have been too far fetched for people to keep them as pets.
I'd want one of them at home too. )
The girl was currently happily frolicking with the cats, and on the sidelines was the scholar who was downing the bottles of alcohol, using the girl as eye-candy.
Their search continued.
When the sun was up, the two would wander about on the back of the demon and when the sun set, they would return home.
Around their house was a small field where they could harvest their dinner from.
The pair soaked in the bath after dinner together then slept in the same bed.
This lifestyle continued for a few weeks.
Even after scouring through all the eye-catching buildings, the scholar was still unable to find the answer she sought for.
However, she didn't panic. It wasn't as if she had a time limit after all.
(...Today, we went to the last research facility.
Although there were many of them looking into some intriguing topics, none of them were related to the answer I'm looking for.
The only place left that I still haven't been to is the castle...
...I guess it'll be a miss though...
This country probably employed some large scale magic to raze the surrounding lands to the ground but, there's always a danger of the magic running wild, especially large scale magic.
In the worst case scenario, everything in the surrounding area can be blown away.
They wouldn't use such magic at the castle.
In that case, the only other place of suspicion is this area.
All the buildings in this area have powerful barriers cast on them and the surrounding walls were also sturdily built, meaning that if the magic did go out of control, they would be able to minimise the damage dealt.
Anywhere else would be outside of the country but if they did activate it outside, the people casting the magic would also be caught in the blast so we can exclude that from our list.
...I'm positive that the answer lies in this area.
There must be something I overlooked.
I'll have to look through this area again tomorrow. )
The thoughts ran through her head as she soaked in the bath. Next to her was the homunculus who was excitedly recounting all the happenings of the day.
(...It's been nagging at me for a while, but this child really looks like a human.
If it wasn't for the collar, I'd believe it if she told me she was a human.
The touch of her skin feels no different to mine.
Her thought pattern is also pretty close to that of a human's.
The fact that she's constantly bickering away only furthers my point.
After being locked away here for a whole century, she probably longs for some intimacy.
She's just like a child looking from how she hops up and down like a rabbit when I pat her head. Is she still mentaly immature?)
To test her theory, she softly brushed her hand against the girl's cheek. At first, the girl looked surprised but slowly, she sank her face into the woman's hands, wanting to be pampered more. But when the woman stopped, a sad aura overcame the girl and she had a disappointed look on her face.
Even the scholar could not resist the pricking in her heart after seeing such a face. She let out an inward sigh and placed the girl on her knee, gently hugging the girl.
(.. My my...)
The girl's eyes widened in surprise from the sudden embrace, but in the next moment, she buried her face into the bountiful breasts of the woman and blissfully looked up at her. In the future, this posture soon became normal when they were in the bath.
Next day.
Now that they settled on looking through this area once again, they once again sat atop the demon.
The scholar held in one hand a map she was scrutinizing over. With the map as a guide, she cast her search magic, but no matter how much magic she used, she was unable to find the facility which held the answers to the questions she had.
...Although, she would occasionally find a bottle of alcohol she missed the first time round and happily pick it up...
A few days had passed since they began their search.
Today, the scholar was once again holding her head in agony as she dug around.
On her legs was a girl who had a face of "This is my special seat!" as she happily looked up at the woman.
On the other side, the woman hugged the girl with her right arm and held a staff in her left hand. She inspected the map that was propped up using the demon's back as a makeshift table.
Her face painted a look of seriousness.
Spread out in front of her were the ruins of what once was a grand research facility.
She had long turned all the buildings upside down.
But the facility she was after always eluded her.
(What is... going on?
Why can't I find the place I need?
Maybe, it's not here?
...But... There's no other place it can be...
...On that side is the research on transporting physical objects, and here is the research into immortality. The small building over there is for research on clairvoyance... Um... and if I remember correctly... That place there is...)
The demon continued walking whilst the woman gradually constructed a map of the whereabouts of everything in her mind.
Not a minute later, a small shed caught her attention.
(Hm? What is this shed?
Is it a storage room?
It's not noted on the map...
But I should search it just in case...)
The woman waved the staff in her left hand and chanted the spell to use search magic.
Normally, this would reveal the interior structure to her.
(It's just a small shed. I bet inside are some tools used to cut grass or something. ) Or so she thought.
Contrary to her expectations, she was unable to use her search magic on the shed.
A question mark floated in her head as she repeatedly cast magic on the small unseeming shed.
Even as she raised the level of magic, right until the highest level, she was still unable to gain any information about the interior of the shed.
The woman gulped, her anticipation rising with each step she took. She got off the demon's back and placed her hands on the shed doors.
The doors didn't open.
She leaned in and put her whole body weight, as well as strengthening her body with magic, but despite so, the doors refused to budge.
Her eyes looking at the shed were glistening, her body was trembling with joy.
(This is it!!
I found it!!
The answer I'm looking for must be in here!!
There's no way they would need to cast such a complex defensive system on such a small shed!!
But even regardless, there's an immensely powerful magic cast on this shed!!
Why!? The answer is obvious!!
It must be because there's an important facility ahead, more important than any of the ones above ground!!
Of course!
The most important research must have been conducted underground!!
Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!
Was I living on top of the answer I was looking for this whole time!?
Now that's settled, what I should do next is clear!!
I have to, by any means, open this door!!
I will get in there!!)
Her shoulders trembled as she faced the sky and hollered.
"Just you watch, geniuses of a century ago!!
I'll show you all!!
The horror of my idée fixe!!"
She laughed a crazed madman's laugh. On the side were the young girl, the demon and the cats who worriedly watched her.
| ← Ch. 46 | Ch. 48 → |