The Runaway Maid is Loved by the Archmage - Chapter 245

※ This book contains depictions of coercive/dubcon/noncon acts, violence, and immorality. Reader discretion is advised.

Roina carefully knelt down and reversed the water passage that had been identified. It was a reversal of the magic that lay dormant beneath the lake. As she opened the passage, the light emanating from the mirror on her necklace grew even more intense. Roina held the mirror with one hand and pressed it firmly.

“Are you awake? I appreciate you trying to tell me something, but it’ll be easy to get caught if you shine brightly where we’re going. It would be better if you conserved your energy and helped us at a crucial moment. What do you think?”

At her words, the mirror flickered, as if it understood. Roina felt that the mirror’s power was not yet fully restored. It would be better to plan for the future than to force it to awaken now. However, it was enough that it had indicated that a fragment of primordial magic was within.

It meant that they hadn’t taken the wrong path, but a quick one, not a roundabout one.

With a determined face, Roina looked around at the people and her group. The group stood with Roina as a matter of course.

“We’ll go through this passage, then. We don’t know what’s beyond it yet, but what we’re looking for is also within, and it seems to be the fastest way to the royal castle.”

“Once you go, we’ll start the work you asked us to do, Roina-nim.”

Roina nodded readily. All possible measures had been taken, and the arrow had already been shot. If they didn’t support them from the outside while Roina’s group neutralized Icardo, everything could fall apart without achieving anything.

At that moment, a girl, Neilla, popped out from the crowd and shouted.

“Be careful! You must come back safely.”

Her words, shouted hesitantly, were filled with moisture. She seemed to be thinking that Roina might not be able to return after going. Starting with the one word she shouted, the women who had been watching from around also began to say a word each.

“Please take care of us!”

“Leave the rest to us!”

“Please get rid of Icardo!”

A round of cheers filled with each person’s wishes poured out. Roina looked at them, feeling choked up and dazed, then bit her lower lip slightly and nodded. People were suffering. If this situation was resolved, everything would gradually return to normal. It would be difficult for now, but little by little.

Amidst the people’s expectations and cheers, Roina and her group set off.

Since they could only reverse the direction of the water, not change its form, Roina and her group entered the passage by going directly into the water and swimming. It was a method that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to attempt, as it was impossible to know how deep the water was or how far it extended. However, Roina solved this by using magic to bring in the element of air and create air pockets for everyone.

“Oh, this is great?!”

Surprisingly, the most excited one was Jason. He really liked the fact that they were going into the water, and once they were in, he swam around freely, examining everything in the water. “Look here! There’s something amazing here! Wow, this stuff grows here too.” He explored the unusual creatures that grew on the bottom of the lake, making such noises.

Even Ethan, who had grown up in the desert and probably hadn’t had many chances to swim, moved through the water fairly well.

And the one having the most trouble was… Rager.

“Rager, are you okay?”

“I’m, I’m fine.”

He replied, moving stiffly with a face that seemed a little pale. He had been fine until he was trying to communicate with Aiha, but from the moment he realized that that would soon involve going into the water, he began to stiffen up.

“Are you afraid of water? If it’s too hard, you can rest…”

“N-no! I’ll keep going with you.”

He said that and flailed around awkwardly. The more he flailed, the farther he got from the others, and it seemed like his will wasn’t going into it at all.

Roina sighed and asked Jason for help.

“Jason, please help Rager.”

“Why me??”

“Should I help him, then?”

“…How did you know I like helping people? Rager, hold on tight.”

Jason held onto Rager and started swimming without much resistance. As he moved them along, Rager, with a slightly relieved face, closed his eyes tightly and began to pray with his hands clasped together. His whole body was stiff and rigid with tension. If Roina hadn’t been basically pulling the three of them along with her magical power, he wouldn’t have even made it this far.