Chapter 41.2
Chapter 41.2
“However, accompanying a visitor requires a brief registration of their personal information. Access is also limited to the second floor.”
She had no complaints. Luce, as a guest, was staying in the second-floor lounge anyway. There was no need to go any higher. Adeline readily began filling out the form with fabricated information.
Name: Max
Level: 27
Occupation: Necromancer
Max was Damian’s middle name, and the level was Woo Yoone. She used Shade’s occupation, the only one she knew for certain. She remembered Eric’s displeasure when she had mentioned “Hunter.” She improvised the rest of the details, such as place of origin. The receptionist’s expression turned strange when she handed him the paper.
“Level 27 Necromancer…”
It was absurd. A level 27 Necromancer was unheard of, and the number 13 she’d casually written under place of origin made no sense. It was practically a blatant confession of lying.
“Is there a problem?”
Adeline asked calmly from behind the raised white paper. The receptionist hesitated, remembering her vividly with Eric and Gato, high-ranking guild members.
“…No.”
He doubted anything would happen. Nothing could happen. This was Leon’s headquarters, home to the highest number of ranked players. Though trouble shouldn’t arise, it couldn’t escalate into anything serious either. The fact that there were no sensitive areas on the second floor that needed protection from outsiders also factored into his decision. He folded the paper, filed it, and retrieved a worn, yellow key from a drawer.
“This is a guest key. Keep it with you, and you’ll have access to the second floor. Please return it when you leave.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After politely replying, Adeline turned towards the arched entrance, leading the man who had been waiting for her, holding the fairy.
As the receptionist absently watched them go, the man, who had been looking down at the woman beside him, suddenly turned his gaze, eyes only, to meet the receptionist’s. Thump. Their eyes definitely met. Thump. His pupils dilated, turning bright yellow.
The receptionist’s heart lurched. He instinctively flinched and looked away.
“What a chilling expression….”
When he cautiously looked up again, the man was gone. He pressed his lips together, then turned to his colleague, seeking reassurance.
“He’s on the second floor right now, isn’t he?”
Nothing would happen. Nothing could happen. Yet, he couldn’t shake his unease.
***
Beyond the arched entrance lay the main hall. It was a rectangular space, like a plaza, large enough to have ten doors on each side. The hall bustled with activity. Adeline held Damian’s hand and led him towards the grand staircase in the center.
“Okay. It’s best if we don’t run into anyone, so let’s get in and out quickly. Luce will be thrilled to see you. Try to be understanding if he rushes to hug you.”
“Luce?”
A faint voice. A response that couldn’t possibly be Damian’s. Adeline looked to her side, her eyes widening. The fairy she had rescued from the tavern was perched on Damian’s shoulder, its dark eyes gleaming. It hadn’t awakened even after she’d applied the bruise ointment. Bright surprise lit up Adeline’s face.
“Oh, you’re awake. Are you alright?”
The fairy, now moving, was incredibly small. Its hands, feet, clothes–everything was tiny. And not only that, its eyes, twinkling like stars within its small face, were utterly adorable. Adeline adored cute things. After drinking in the sight of the fairy from head to toe, she suppressed the urge to reach out and touch it, finally managing to speak.
“I’m so glad. I was worried. I… I didn’t know you could talk.”
“…The serpent untied my tongue.”
The child’s high, thin voice replied. It stared intently at Damian, then murmured, “Only the Queen could do such a thing. Are you the Serpent King? A Basilisk?”
“No. I cannot be a king. I will not lead or rule.”
Damian replied in a detached tone. The fairy then turned to Adeline. Looking closer, she saw anxiety in its star-like eyes, a different emotion than it had shown towards Damian. Worry, fear, dread. The emotions a normal human should feel towards a Serpente, the fairy directed at Adeline.
“I… I know without asking. You are human. The serpent said you helped me. What are you plotting? I have no skill with my hands and was cast out of the factory. And though I have read many books, I am still far from understanding the secrets of the labyrinth.”
“Plotting? I’m not plotting anything.”
Adeline shook her head firmly. She felt the need to explain, and after a moment’s hesitation, added a few honest words.
“I just witnessed something bad happening. No one, not even me, could have just walked away after seeing that.”
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