Chapter 240
Startled, I stumbled back, and Reno, who was following, caught me protectively.
“Are you alright, Your Highness?”
“Oh? I’m fine.”
I thanked him and straightened myself, looking forward again. What surprised me was a Nex corpse several times larger than a normal one.
It was so huge it looked like something from a dinosaur museum’s exhibit, maintaining its charred form perfectly.
“It’s really big…….”
—This is probably the king.
Natura chimed in. While I was simply awestruck, the other elves were busy examining various spots. Soon, another elf called out to Natura.
—Natura! It seems they didn’t bring our brothers this far in.
—We’ve searched enough, how about we head back?
—Yes. That would be good.
We were about to follow Natura out when I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Somehow, I felt like there was something here…….
It was when I put my hand on the wall, a little way from the tunnel entrance.
Crumble.
“Oh?”
The wall crumbled. My body instantly lost balance and swayed.
“Your Highness!”
“Are you alright?”
Fortunately, Isaac and Reno, who were right beside me, grabbed my arm, preventing me from falling.
But instead of the crumbled wall, something was caught in the hand that had touched the wall.
Something hard yet smooth…….
Ding!
[<System> You have obtained ‘Siren’s Pearl’.]
A message window popped up before my eyes.
‘Siren’s Pearl?’
Only then could I confirm what was in my hand. Like the word “pearl,” a perfectly spherical object gleamed with iridescent colors.
Even though my hand was covered in ash, the pearl remained completely spotless.
—Human! Are you okay? I heard something breaking!
Natura, who had gone ahead, returned to check on me. And he, too, seemed to have spotted the pearl in my hand. He looked back and forth between the broken wall and my hand.
—What is that?
“I just touched the wall, and…….”
“The wall suddenly broke, and this came out. Right, Your Highness?”
As I nodded, Natura frowned.
—Don’t touch it carelessly. How do you know what it is?
“It says ‘Siren’s Pearl.’ Is it dangerous?”
—What? Why is a water-dweller’s object doing here? Those things only live in the underground water down below.
Natura grumbled as if he couldn’t understand. As he said, I was also bewildered.
Why is this here?
—Anyway, let’s go back quickly. There’s nothing more to see.
It seemed right, so we followed Natura back up.
—By the way, human.
Natura turned to look at me.
—How did you know that was a water-dweller’s object?
It was a pure question. However, after hearing that question, I couldn’t remain calm. The moment I heard that question, I realized my mistake.
To tell them exactly what the system told me.
“That is…… I read it in a book.”
—A book? You mean human books?
“That’s right.”
Even without conscious effort, I found myself glancing at Reno and Isaac. I hoped they wouldn’t find my words strange.
—Humans know such things and even record them?
“Of course. Like their habits, eyewitness accounts…….”
—Human, you actually read that too?
“Her Highness enjoyed reading books related to other races. I’ve seen her read over 50 books alone.”
—What?! You read that many? That’s amazing.
At Natura’s admiration, I could only give an awkward laugh. To think that habitually frequenting the library and reading many books would come back to me in such a way.
It was truly fortunate in many respects. I never imagined Isaac would back me up either.
“Um, by the way…… can I keep this?”
—Is there a reason you can’t? You found it.
“I was just wondering if it was something you needed.”
—Not really? Why would we take a water-dweller’s item? The Guardian would think the same.
Would she?
Reassured by Natura’s words, I put the Siren’s Pearl in my inventory.
‘Come to think of it, I don’t have my bow and arrows.’
That was a fact I realized while checking my inventory.
I last used them and then collapsed from mana depletion. Did I lose them then?
Thinking I should replenish them later, we first returned to the village.
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