Volume 8, Chapter 10 – The Cause of the Dark Clouds

“Miss Cynthia, do you know why the rain won’t stop?”

As the three of them, holding umbrellas, reached the entrance of the auction house, Yisi posed a question she had been pondering for a long time.

Cynthia stopped.

“Mm, just call me Cynthia, Your Eminence. To be honest, I don’t like it when people use honorifics with me.”

“Then you can just call me Yisi, Cynthia. Consider it a return of courtesy.”

“Eh, you’re quite understanding.”

Tossing her golden-brown hair, Cynthia gave Yisi a meaningful, deep glance, her turquoise eyes filled with approbation.

She probably couldn’t stand wearing the mask any longer and finally revealed her true self. Throughout their earlier interactions, Yisi had always felt a sense of incongruity. Cynthia’s attitude when facing outsiders and when facing her were completely different. If it were people who already knew each other, like herself and Camilla, Yisi wouldn’t have found it problematic. But for Cynthia to assume a subservient attitude upon their first meeting, from the standpoint of the “Flower of the Kingdom,” there could be no other possibility than that she wanted something from her. This subtle feeling made Yisi very uncomfortable.

I don’t like using honorifics in daily conversation either.

Yisi couldn’t help but smile. She and Cynthia were like two fellow countrymen conversing in a foreign language. After a while, they discover that they both speak the same mother tongue and naturally switch to it—the “mother tongue” here referring to not using honorifics.

Cynthia pursed her lips and explained.

“After I tell you, you can’t tell anyone else, not even your companions.”

“Mm, I promise.”

“Then, I shall take my leave for a moment.”

“No need. The angel can stay. The Hels Kingdom has had close ties with angels since the Age of the Gods. Although I don’t wish to delve into the past, the education I received taught me that angels are trustworthy. If I were to ask you to leave, I would feel bad about it.” Sighing, Cynthia continued where she had left off. “Yisi, you’ve already heard some news from the High Priest at the Church, haven’t you?”

“Are you referring to the legend?”

“Yes. However, unlike the popular rumor that the World Dragon is about to break its seal and emerge from the earth, thus causing the rain, this rain was not created by the World Dragon. Back then, the angels used the six elemental magics, as well as spatial and temporal magic, to seal the eight parts of the World Dragon. The magic that sealed its head was a barrier composed of the water element.

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Whenever a new king ascends the throne, they go to the Dragon’s Spine Altar, which is where the World Dragon is sealed, to inspect the barrier. Normally, the barrier, which relies on the power of the King’s Tower, should be very stable. But for some reason, this year, the barrier inexplicably loosened. Without anyone noticing, the World Dragon’s head escaped from the valley. Fortunately, the court mages guarding the Dragon’s Spine Mountains reacted in time and re-infused the barrier with magic power, thus preventing a greater tragedy. But the broken barrier is no longer as intact as it once was. Some parts of it are damaged, which has led to this endless torrential rain.

The torrential rain is caused by the magic power leaking from the loosened barrier. As long as the barrier is not repaired, the magic power will continue to leak, and thus the rain will continue. Originally, the King’s Tower could borrow the immense magic power from the earth’s ley lines to forcibly plug the holes. Even if it was as unsightly as a patch on a piece of clothing, it could at least suppress the rain. But as Father said, the king has been bedridden for a month. Without the person to control the King’s Tower, the solution of forcibly plugging the holes is naturally out of the question.”

“Can Laxy check the seal? Since the barrier was created by angels, Laxy, being an angel herself, might be able to repair it.”

Although I can also use magic barriers, repairing a barrier and using one are two completely different concepts, just as someone who can drive a car may not necessarily be able to fix one. I’m just simply copying the content from ‘Ragnarøk,’ and I know nothing about the principles of barriers.

“No,” Cynthia shook her head without hesitation. “At least, until Father tells you the reason himself, you should not mention this to him. The only people who know the cause of the torrential rain are a few confidants of the three great dukes. If you were to speak of this to Father, he would surely guess that I was the one who told you. It would be fine if the angel managed to repair the barrier, but if she can’t, it would be more than just confinement for me. As you have seen, Father is particularly concerned about such matters. For the sake of his pride, he would even slap Alice in front of outsiders. It’s unreasonable.”

“…I strongly agree with the unreasonable part.”

Yisi’s words made Cynthia raise an eyebrow, a look of surprise on her face.

“Even if Yisi was the one who caused the incident?”

“Wait, let’s not even mention that it was Alice who came to my carriage on her own, so the incident was not caused by me. First of all, even if I did cause it, I can still comment, right? Seeing Alice cry, I even regret not stopping your father, Duke Wozwahl, at that time—Alice is very cute.”

“Hmph.”

A sound of unknown meaning escaped Cynthia’s lips.

Yisi guessed it was satisfaction, because there was a hint of pride on Cynthia’s face. To have her own sister praised as cute in front of her, it was only natural for Cynthia to feel proud.

“Consider yourself tactful. The auction is about to begin. Let’s head into the hall.”

Without a verbal reply, Yisi noncommittally followed Cynthia up the steps. The guards at the gate seized up the trio’s attire for a moment, then let them pass without a word—it seemed they judged their status based on their clothing.

The so-called auction house was a multi-story building with an appearance similar to the Blacksmiths’ Association. The architectural style of the Hels Kingdom was largely like this: a gray and dusty exterior, but a rather magnificent interior. The floor was composed of cool-toned minerals, forming a colorful, kaleidoscopic pattern. The chandeliers were made of luminous minerals strung into chains, hanging down in thousands of strands from the high ceiling, giving one the illusion of stepping into a dreamland. If Yisi hadn’t just been to the Blacksmiths’ Association, she would have been utterly shocked by the decor here. But now, she just felt that it was luxurious, and had no other thoughts.

Many luxuriously dressed nobles were gathered around the counters and sofas in the hall, holding wine glasses and conversing in low voices.

“It seems we’re not too late,” Cynthia murmured to herself, then suddenly looked as if she had forgotten something. “Ah, I forgot my mask. Yisi, did you bring one?”

“A mask?”

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“Although this isn’t the black market, it’s still a crowded place. I don’t want people to know what I’m buying. It would be troublesome to be recognized.”

“I do have some…” There were many ‘Ragnarøk’ masks lying in her storage, originally used for in-game costume parties. “But they’re quite strange. Is that alright?”

“As long as it guarantees I won’t be recognized, it’s fine. Oh, and it can’t be an ordinary mask. It has to be the kind that can block magical detection.”

As she spoke, Cynthia put on a white veil. Paired with her white pannier skirt, it made Yisi think of a bride about to walk down the aisle.

As soon as Cynthia put on the veil, her face became blurry, like a picture seen when one’s eyes are out of focus. Her presence also became fainter. This feeling only lasted for a moment before Cynthia returned to her original state. For some reason, Cynthia seemed very happy after putting on the veil. A smile hung on her gentle face, and she even spun around on the spot like a young girl. The snow-white skirt and veil together drew a beautiful circle in the air. It was probably as beautiful as a blooming snow lotus. Yisi couldn’t help but praise in a low voice.

“Very beautiful.”

“Eh?” Like a child caught sneaking food by an adult, Cynthia, who had been about to continue spinning, froze in place. Her face turned pale, and her limbs became as stiff as a machine that hadn’t been oiled in a long time. Yisi could almost hear the creaking sound as Cynthia turned her head. Cynthia pointed at Yisi. “You… you saw?”

“Should I have turned around?”

“You’re lying, how could… You’re wearing an item that can see through illusions. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

I’m not wearing any item that can see through illusions.

However, from Cynthia’s words, Yisi roughly guessed the reason for her panic. She turned her head to Laxy beside her. The latter’s brows were tightly furrowed, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.

“Laxy, can you see Cynthia?”

“…I can feel Miss Cynthia standing here, but when I look over, there’s nothing. Is that veil an item that conceals perception?”

Just as I thought.

The veil Cynthia put on is probably an item that can erase her own presence. But I was born with a buff that sees through illusions and negates mental magic, so the blurry feeling only lasted for a moment before disappearing.

“Tsk, this is an Orichalcum-grade item I went to great lengths to get from an auction. Even Master Avis can’t craft something like this. No one has ever seen me without my permission. I thought there was nothing in this world that could see me.”

“So that’s why you were spinning just now—”

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Before she could finish, Yisi’s shoulder was grabbed by Cynthia with a slap—Cynthia was a whole head taller than Yisi, a considerably tall and beautiful girl. The force from her shoulder made Yisi unable to help but smile wryly. If her defense wasn’t strong enough, she would probably be crying out in pain right now. Cynthia should be in a state of shame turned into anger. Teasing should be done in moderation. Yisi very consciously changed the subject.

“Laxy, do you have a mask that conceals perception?”

“My deepest apologies. Only first-rank angels possess such an item.”

“Then wear this. Laxy’s wings are too conspicuous. Just covering your face won’t be enough to block perception.”

Yisi took out a jack-o’-lantern-shaped item from her storage. With a strange expression on Laxy’s face, Yisi placed it on Laxy’s head with both hands. In just an instant, Laxy disappeared from everyone’s sight.

[Invisible Jack-o’-Lantern]

If one were to pick the most useless item from Yisi’s many possessions, the [Invisible Jack-o’-Lantern] would definitely be among them. The jack-o’-lantern itself was not a consumable item, but in a way, it was. Because the invisibility effect of the jack-o’-lantern would only work once in a character’s lifetime. In other words, even if Yisi, who had already used the jack-o’-lantern, were to wear it now, the invisibility effect would no longer work. To others, Yisi would just be a person with a pumpkin on her head.

Not only that, another feature of the jack-o’-lantern was that it would only work if someone else put it on for you. For example, if Yisi put it on herself, the invisibility effect would not appear. But if someone else put it on for Yisi, the effect would be immediate. And the higher the level of the player who put it on for Yisi, the stronger the invisibility effect would be. The essence was to encourage players to make more friends in the game. Unfortunately, Yisi was a solo player. In order to use this headgear back then, she could only wait by the roadside and ask every player she met to put it on for her. It took a whole afternoon before someone was willing to stop and listen to Yisi’s explanation. ¹ that’s… sad…

“My lord, what is this… I don’t think this will be enough to cover my wings.”

Laxy’s muffled voice came from inside the jack-o’-lantern.

“Well, Laxy will see the effect soon.”

As soon as Yisi’s words fell, Cynthia patted her on the shoulder.

“Who are you talking to? It’s time to go.”

It seems to be very effective.

Yisi stood next to Laxy.

“Just in case, does Cynthia know Laxy?”

“Laxy? Who’s that?” As if she had never heard the name before, Cynthia first tilted her head, then waved her hand in annoyance. “Stop dawdling. Hurry up and put on your mask and go in.”

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“Ah, ah, I know.”

Putting on a silver mask, Yisi took Laxy’s hand and led her to follow Cynthia. Although Laxy’s current appearance was quite comical in her eyes—a jack-o’-lantern with wings—the people around them acted as if they didn’t see Laxy. Even when they were bumped into by Laxy, they didn’t show any reaction like anger, just looked around strangely.

“My lord, did you… make me disappear?”

“Mm, this mask can temporarily make Laxy disappear from others’ eyes. The effect is probably too good right now, so they’ve even forgotten Laxy’s existence.”

“W-will I just disappear like this?”

Is she afraid?

There was a slight tremor in Laxy’s voice.

Come to think of it, to be forgotten by someone you know, and for them to ask “Who is Laxy?” as if it were a matter of course, must be a lonely and terrifying thing. If Yisi wasn’t holding her hand, Laxy might have already taken off the headgear. Yisi squeezed her hand slightly, letting the warmth transfer to Laxy’s hand.

“Don’t worry. Everyone will remember after you take off the mask. The reason it’s like this is because my level is too high. If Cynthia had put it on for Laxy, it would at most be like wearing a layer of optical camouflage. And don’t I still remember Laxy?”

Feeling the force of Laxy’s grip in return, Yisi patted her chest with her free hand as a guarantee.

“If I were to forget that I have such a beautiful maid, I wouldn’t even forgive myself. Compared to that, I’m more worried that Laxy will forget me. After all, the lifespan of humans and vampires is limited, while angels have an infinite lifespan.”

“Laxyphinia will only serve one master in her life, and that master is Yisi Enya. This is a curse engraved in my soul.”

“To say so seriously that it’s a curse…”

Yisi couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

Even though she’s very mature, she’s very cute.

Well, that’s what it means to be a girl.

Dispelling the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Yisi followed Cynthia into a dim hall that resembled a university lecture hall.