Chapter 170
Sniff— haah—
Daphne drew in a deep breath and let it out again, continuing her deep breathing. Shio tilted his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking in the scent of wealth filling this lair.”
“Ah.”
“You should breathe it in too. The scent of wealth only gets better the more you smell it.”
Shio suddenly found himself wondering exactly how Daphne had lived her life. That is, back when she’d been Sellus, what kind of life had she led to end up so…
“Sniff, haah!”
…strange?
Since he couldn’t let her catch him thinking that, Shio simply followed along, breathing deeply alongside Daphne. Sniff, haah. A little absurd, but he went along with it regardless.
“That Emperor bastard has no idea we’re here.”
Daphne chuckled and rubbed her palms together.
“Since our Shio managed to unravel every last magic formula without setting off a single alarm!”
Here she’d wondered what use he’d ever be, having him tag along all this time, and now, this is exactly what he’s for. Simply the best, honestly.
“Well done, kiddo.”
“Lady Daphne…”
Shio clutched at his chest, the corners of his eyes drooping downward. Then, with a tearful smile, he looked at Daphne.
“So does this mean we’re dating now?”
He asked, clasping both hands together earnestly, sending her a pleading look. For a moment, Daphne went completely blank. What is this guy even saying…?
“Don’t tell me you still like me?”
At that, Shio’s eyes went wide enough to nearly pop out.
“‘Don’t tell me’? Wait, what? I’ve told you this over and over already, that I like you, Lady Daphne!”
“I thought that was all in the past.”
“It’s not, though. I still like you a ton, even now.”
“Ah.”
Having been abruptly confessed to, Daphne looked away and scratched the back of her neck.
“Right. I understand how you feel.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it, obviously. What else is there?”
“No, I mean, like, dating now, or something.”
Daphne clapped a hand over her mouth for a moment. And thought to herself. This kid really is completely out of his mind.
“How about you just go outside and drop dead?”
“If I’m dropping dead, I want to do it together with you, Lady Daphne.”
“…”
Daphne let out a sigh and pressed a hand to her forehead. Then she muttered.
“Why do I have so many kids around me with nothing but flowers where their brains should be.”
“Are you talking about me?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
“Aww.”
Shio’s shoulders slumped and his lips pouted, but Daphne easily ignored him and turned her gaze back into the lair.
Why bring up liking each other at a time like this. He’s really something else… As she muttered this, Daphne suddenly realized her cheeks had gone slightly warm. It felt oddly cozy, and a corner of her chest went a little soft, without her meaning it to.
‘Get a grip.’
Slapping her own cheek lightly, Daphne refocused her attention. She surveyed the lair.
The lair was, just as she remembered it from before, packed to the brim with every kind of gold and treasure imaginable.
How her stomach had ached with envy, seeing all this back then! Back when she’d been the Calamity, everything she so much as touched had corroded to nothing, so instead of gold, she’d had nothing but dirt to haul around to build her own lair with!
But now, with the Calamity’s causal fate no longer binding her.
Daphne could claim all of this for herself.
“Shio.”
“Yes, cruel Lady Daphne who doesn’t even acknowledge my feelings.”
“But Shio, who’ll do anything I ask regardless.”
“…Yes, ma’am.”
Daphne tapped Shio’s arm and shouted.
“Sweep it all up.”
Bwahahaha!
Daphne clutched her stomach, laughing as though thoroughly delighted, while Shio began sweeping up everything in the lair using wind.
Whooosh—!
The wind howled. Boom! A wind powerful enough to shake the very ground of the lair. And yet not a single hair on either Daphne or Shio’s head so much as stirred, thanks to the barrier Shio had set up around them.
Daphne beamed and patted Shio’s waist approvingly, and Shio, all the more thrilled, worked even harder gathering up the treasure.
“That yellow bastard’s going to clutch the back of his neck and collapse when he sees his lair emptied out.”
What a delightfully entertaining sight that would be. Just imagining it filled her with joy. It was a shame she wouldn’t get to see it with her own two eyes, but even just knowing she could pull one over on him was enough to make her heart race.
“Shio. Left side too.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Following Daphne’s orders, Shio swept up every last rare, precious gold and treasure, leaving not so much as a speck of dust behind in every corner, while Daphne, beside him, kept herself busy chuckling all the more.
It was then.
“Hm?”
Something caught Shio’s eye. He let the wind ease slightly and narrowed his eyes.
“What. What’s wrong?”
And I was having such a good time, too.
Daphne grumbled as she asked, but Shio’s gaze wasn’t on her at all. He was focused entirely on “something” visible in the distance.
“No, hm. Give me a moment.”
He hurried off toward the “something,” and Daphne, tilting her head, followed along after him regardless.
And what they found was, of all things, a mural.
Painted on the old wall were five circles, each seemingly carved with some kind of symbol, though weathered by time enough that they were no longer clearly visible.
What they could make out, instead, was the writing beside it—text that appeared to have been added relatively more recently.
[He who opens the Calamity shall meet its price.]
And beside that, a symbol similar in shape to the five circles had been carved. Black, entirely black.
“This…”
Daphne let out a faint groan and stepped closer to the mural.
“What is this?”
In truth, asking Shio was probably pointless. There was no way Shio would know anything about an ancient mural like this… or was there? He was the Great Sage, after all.
Daphne glanced at Shio with a faint glimmer of hope.
But.
“Ah, no idea, honestly.”
Shio said, sniffing.
“Something about it just gave me a bad feeling, which is why I came over, but I really don’t know what it is.”
He tilted his head this way and that, examining the mural.
“Seems like it’s wrapped in some kind of magic, at least…”
He reached out a hand. It looked as though he intended to unravel the magic formula, just as he’d done when they’d first entered the lair.
But.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
The moment he attempted to unravel the formula, a bolt of something like lightning flashed down, scorching Shio’s hand black. His palm burned black in an instant, and Shio shook out his hand, scowling.
“This one, I don’t think I can crack this easily.”
He moved his pursed lips this way and that, frowning.
“Might be able to figure it out given enough time, but we don’t really have time right now… should we come back and check later?”
He asked Daphne. But Daphne shook her head.
“There won’t be many more chances to get into the lair while the Emperor’s attention is diverted like this.”
“But.”
“Step aside.”
Daphne gave Shio a gentle push and stepped closer to the mural. Shio hurried to stop her.
“Lady Daphne. This is dangerous. Please step back for now.”
“Move.”
But Daphne was resolute.
“I have a plan too, you know.”
Muttering this, Daphne stood facing the mural, staring intently at the image.
Five circles.
Beneath them, the phrase referring to “the Calamity.”
And the circle drawn in black…
Daphne could feel her heart pounding, thud, thud. It was instinct, and it was also fate. A result she was bound to face here, without question.
If that was the case, then this…
‘My body.’
Slowly, Daphne raised her hand toward the mural.
