Millie's hair filled the vast lake like orange paint spreading out in the water.
A thousand strands of hair entangled Simone and Abel, and the two quickly fell into the lake.
Deeper, deeper.
'What lake is this deep!'
The mana shield she created late didn't help at all.
The air was becoming increasingly stuffy and the water beneath the surface was incredibly cold.
“Ugh! Ugh... !”
Simone frowned and grabbed her neck.
'No more...'
If they go any deeper, even Simone won't be able to hold out. Simone started shooting mana at the hairs surrounding her.
She wanted to solve it while she was here, but this was not something she could just rush into without preparation.
Crunch- rustle-
As the situation became like this, Abel's expression grew cold.
He used his sword to sweep away the hair that covered him and grabbed Simone.
And just as he was about to fire his sword again, a faint light began to emanate from deeper within the lake.
Then, soon, a huge whirlpool came crashing down on them.
'Damn it!'
Simone hurriedly spread her mana to cover Abel and herself.
She doesn't know why there are so many dangerous places in a still lake, let alone the ocean.
No, she understands the depth. But even so, isn't the whirlpool in the lake a bit too much?
Abel grabbed Simone's collar and began to quickly climb upwards, spreading his sword.
It was a blessing that she was accompanied by Abel and not Louis.
Because no one is better at navigating such dangerous situations than Abel. In fact, didn't Abel pull Simone out of the rapids and head out to the surface without even asking her to do so?
Simone now frowned as she reached her limit of breath and spread her mana downwards to use detection magic.
All that is visible is Millie, still glaring at the two, and the light beneath her...
'Huh? Why are they here..."
At that moment, Abel threw Simone out of the water as if he was picking her up.
Slam!
“Phuhat! Huh... Gasp... I almost died...”
Simone took a deep breath and quickly got out of the water.
Her body moved quickly on its own at the thought that if she stayed any longer she would be dragged in again and subjected to water torture that she had never experienced before.
Abel also jumped out of the water late and walked outside, squeezing his wet clothes as if he was going to die from discomfort.
“Hey Simone, what was that just now? You seemed a bit uneasy.”
Abel looked quite embarrassed. Simone asked, squeezing her wet hair.
“What do you think? What did it look like?”
In response to Simone's question, Abel stuck his sword into the dirt in annoyance, closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then said.
“I don’t know at all. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”
If it's a demon, it's a demon's own, if it's a ghost, it's a ghost's own, if it's a fairy, it's a fairy's own, and even among humans, there are good and evil, and they all have their own aura.
Abel was a person who could sense this much more sensitively than others, but he said he knew nothing about the strange light he saw in the lake.
That meant that either another race of beings Abel had never seen before, or someone too strong for Abel to handle, was hiding deep beneath the lake.
Abel thought with a serious face and asked Simone.
“Then what do you think?”
Even though she was distracted by the rushing waters earlier, he saw Simone spreading her mana and sending it down to the bottom of the lake.
Well then, he guess they've figured something out.
At Abel's question, Simone furrowed her brow and lowered her eyelids as if thinking about something.
Is what I saw really real?
She didn't look particularly sure. Abel became impatient and pressed for an answer.
“Oh, what is it? Let’s worry about it together. Anyway, people who use mana think and suffer alone.”
“..."
Look at what he's saying.
Do you have any feelings of resentment towards people who use mana?
Does Orkan nag a lot?
But that's not necessarily wrong. In fact, it's not something Simone can think about alone.
“What’s going on, you guys? You went into the lake without permission and now you look like shit. Aren’t you cold? Are you really cold? You’re shivering like aspen leaves.”
Geneon, who had just approached, sighed deeply and placed his forelegs on Simone's body.
Warmth slowly spread from where Geneon's feet touched, warming Simone's body.
“Ah, as expected from Lord Geneon.”
Wow, I survived. I really thought I was going to freeze to death on the street in the middle of the night.
Geneon clicked his tongue as he looked at his favorite Simone with a pitying look, even raising his thumb.
“Tsk, I’ll teach you this magic soon. It’s not difficult.”
“Is there any magic that allows you to breathe underwater?”
“I think it would be better to ask El for that rather than me. The fairies guarding the World Tree have a divine substance that allows them to breathe underwater.”
“Oh, then I’ll go tomorrow. I already have a connection with that place. More importantly!”
Abel urged Simone with a frustrated face.
“What did you see in that lake?”
At his question, Simone turned her head and looked at the lake.
A black lake where not a single ray of light shines. It looks calm, but it hides a big secret.
“I think I’ll have to come here with you tomorrow too.”
“That doesn’t matter. So what the heck-”
“A mermaid, a carriage, and two people who appear to be corpses.”
“Did you say she was a mermaid?”
“Two people? Not one?”
Geneon and Abel were surprised at different points.
Simone nodded.
“Yes, it was so dark and I was suffocating, so I can’t be sure, but it seemed like that.”
There are mermaids in this world. When Koreans think of mermaids, they are a beautiful, mysterious, but somewhat ominous race.
A beautiful mermaid with snow-white hair and colorful fins.
She was circling around in one place, holding a small orb with light streaming from it.
It was just where Millie's feet could touch.
Why are there mermaids living in lakes and not in the ocean? Maybe she is hallucinating because she is on the verge of suffocation?
Simone, who had witnessed the unexpected mystery with her mana, spread her mana a little more out of curiosity, and the mermaid tribe that had been spinning around put their arms into the gap in the debris and sent down a bead.
The light of the orb was visible through the debris. What was visible in that light were two people, swaying in the water.
“It’s the Goyo tribe. They say that the mermaid tribe, who were driven out of the sea because they were weak, had no choice but to live in the deep lake. Who would have thought they would be here?”
Simone ignored Geneon's words and looked at Marcel, who was still lying unconscious.
Something... I think I know.
It's something she never thought of.
“Simone, what are you going to do now?”
Simone, who had been lost in thought for a long time while looking at Marcel, finally came to her senses at Abel's question.
“First, let’s take Lady Marcel to the mansion and then meet here again tomorrow.”
“Leave Marcel in the mansion?”
“No, take her.”
"...Along?"
Abel looked at Simone as if she had been surprised. Simone would have said that since Marcel had been in big trouble today, they should at least leave her alone until she calmed down.
But Simone just laughed.
“I think I should bring her.”
The next day, in broad daylight, Simone, Abel, Geneon, and Marcel gathered at the lake again.
“Is everyone well prepared?”
“Ready?”
Marcel looked at Simone as if she didn't understand. Simone smiled at her as if it was nothing and held out her palm to Abel.
Then Abel handed Simone a piece of paper.
“El said that nothing in this world is free and that you have to pay the price. Ugh... My hard-earned money... Hey, you have to pay me back.”
“Between us?”
When Simone spoke as if she was upset, Abel suddenly distanced himself and spoke expressionlessly.
“What are we?”
“Aren’t you friends? Money is not a thing between friends-”
“Bianchi told me to make sure.”
“...”
Bianchi was a thief, so why is she so good at teaching people about money?
“Oh my. How much is this little piece of paper worth?”
As Simone frowned, Abel pointed to the paper and then took out his empty pocket to show her.
He was literally stripped of his money and had no coins left.
“That’s really expensive. Pay it back. You’re rich.”
"...Yes."
Simone reluctantly nodded to Abel, who was gritting his teeth as he spoke.
“Excuse me, everyone, I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation.”
While Simone unfolded the paper and transferred the pattern on the back of her hand, Marcel, who had been watching them with an expression of confusion, eventually joined the conversation.
“What are we going to do now? We, we’re going to see Millie again...”
“We have to go.”
“Me, me too?”
Simone nodded as if to ask what was obvious as Marcel pointed at her with a face that said it was nonsense.
Marcel stepped back, utterly embarrassed.
“But this is too dangerous. Going into the lake... Even my father would absolutely oppose this.”
If it were the usual Simone, she would have naturally taken care of Marcel in this situation.
Going into the lake was really dangerous. But this time, she had no intention of taking her circumstances into consideration.
When Marcel said she couldn't do it, Simone's response was the same as before.
“Then, Lady Marcel will continue to live her life being tormented by Millie and the ghosts just like now. Since she went underwater all the way to her chin yesterday, I don’t know how far Lady Millie will take Lady Marcel tomorrow.”
“...”
Marcel's lips twitched several times. The shock from yesterday had not yet subsided. The thought of enduring that kind of pain again, alone and without Simone, suddenly filled him with fear.
“You decide whether to go or not, Young Lady. It’s a dangerous thing, literally. We will follow the client’s wishes. However, there is one thing I can tell you.”
Simone looked at Marcel with unsmiling eyes.
“We will save you.”
Those jewel-red eyes stared straight at him. Marcel nodded at her as if possessed.
“I’ll go. You have to watch over me.”
Simone laughed heartily.
“Of course. Then shall we go?”
As Simone led Marcel towards the lake, Abel followed her and asked,
“But you don’t have to do that for Marcel? Water breathing magic, and body temperature maintenance magic.”
Simone and Abel were already under two spells, with El helping with the water-breathing spell and Geneon helping with the body temperature maintenance spell.
If they don't cast the same spell on Marcel, she'll end up like Simone did yesterday.
In response to Abel's question, Simone simply smiled and continued walking.
“Young Lady won’t need it. Probably.”
Abel and Marcel tilted their heads.
Simone's smile was so mysterious that it was impossible to read its true meaning.
A thousand strands of hair entangled Simone and Abel, and the two quickly fell into the lake.
Deeper, deeper.
'What lake is this deep!'
The mana shield she created late didn't help at all.
The air was becoming increasingly stuffy and the water beneath the surface was incredibly cold.
“Ugh! Ugh... !”
Simone frowned and grabbed her neck.
'No more...'
If they go any deeper, even Simone won't be able to hold out. Simone started shooting mana at the hairs surrounding her.
She wanted to solve it while she was here, but this was not something she could just rush into without preparation.
Crunch- rustle-
As the situation became like this, Abel's expression grew cold.
He used his sword to sweep away the hair that covered him and grabbed Simone.
And just as he was about to fire his sword again, a faint light began to emanate from deeper within the lake.
Then, soon, a huge whirlpool came crashing down on them.
'Damn it!'
Simone hurriedly spread her mana to cover Abel and herself.
She doesn't know why there are so many dangerous places in a still lake, let alone the ocean.
No, she understands the depth. But even so, isn't the whirlpool in the lake a bit too much?
Abel grabbed Simone's collar and began to quickly climb upwards, spreading his sword.
It was a blessing that she was accompanied by Abel and not Louis.
Because no one is better at navigating such dangerous situations than Abel. In fact, didn't Abel pull Simone out of the rapids and head out to the surface without even asking her to do so?
Simone now frowned as she reached her limit of breath and spread her mana downwards to use detection magic.
All that is visible is Millie, still glaring at the two, and the light beneath her...
'Huh? Why are they here..."
At that moment, Abel threw Simone out of the water as if he was picking her up.
Slam!
“Phuhat! Huh... Gasp... I almost died...”
Simone took a deep breath and quickly got out of the water.
Her body moved quickly on its own at the thought that if she stayed any longer she would be dragged in again and subjected to water torture that she had never experienced before.
Abel also jumped out of the water late and walked outside, squeezing his wet clothes as if he was going to die from discomfort.
“Hey Simone, what was that just now? You seemed a bit uneasy.”
Abel looked quite embarrassed. Simone asked, squeezing her wet hair.
“What do you think? What did it look like?”
In response to Simone's question, Abel stuck his sword into the dirt in annoyance, closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then said.
“I don’t know at all. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”
If it's a demon, it's a demon's own, if it's a ghost, it's a ghost's own, if it's a fairy, it's a fairy's own, and even among humans, there are good and evil, and they all have their own aura.
Abel was a person who could sense this much more sensitively than others, but he said he knew nothing about the strange light he saw in the lake.
That meant that either another race of beings Abel had never seen before, or someone too strong for Abel to handle, was hiding deep beneath the lake.
Abel thought with a serious face and asked Simone.
“Then what do you think?”
Even though she was distracted by the rushing waters earlier, he saw Simone spreading her mana and sending it down to the bottom of the lake.
Well then, he guess they've figured something out.
At Abel's question, Simone furrowed her brow and lowered her eyelids as if thinking about something.
Is what I saw really real?
She didn't look particularly sure. Abel became impatient and pressed for an answer.
“Oh, what is it? Let’s worry about it together. Anyway, people who use mana think and suffer alone.”
“..."
Look at what he's saying.
Do you have any feelings of resentment towards people who use mana?
Does Orkan nag a lot?
But that's not necessarily wrong. In fact, it's not something Simone can think about alone.
“What’s going on, you guys? You went into the lake without permission and now you look like shit. Aren’t you cold? Are you really cold? You’re shivering like aspen leaves.”
Geneon, who had just approached, sighed deeply and placed his forelegs on Simone's body.
Warmth slowly spread from where Geneon's feet touched, warming Simone's body.
“Ah, as expected from Lord Geneon.”
Wow, I survived. I really thought I was going to freeze to death on the street in the middle of the night.
Geneon clicked his tongue as he looked at his favorite Simone with a pitying look, even raising his thumb.
“Tsk, I’ll teach you this magic soon. It’s not difficult.”
“Is there any magic that allows you to breathe underwater?”
“I think it would be better to ask El for that rather than me. The fairies guarding the World Tree have a divine substance that allows them to breathe underwater.”
“Oh, then I’ll go tomorrow. I already have a connection with that place. More importantly!”
Abel urged Simone with a frustrated face.
“What did you see in that lake?”
At his question, Simone turned her head and looked at the lake.
A black lake where not a single ray of light shines. It looks calm, but it hides a big secret.
“I think I’ll have to come here with you tomorrow too.”
“That doesn’t matter. So what the heck-”
“A mermaid, a carriage, and two people who appear to be corpses.”
“Did you say she was a mermaid?”
“Two people? Not one?”
Geneon and Abel were surprised at different points.
Simone nodded.
“Yes, it was so dark and I was suffocating, so I can’t be sure, but it seemed like that.”
There are mermaids in this world. When Koreans think of mermaids, they are a beautiful, mysterious, but somewhat ominous race.
A beautiful mermaid with snow-white hair and colorful fins.
She was circling around in one place, holding a small orb with light streaming from it.
It was just where Millie's feet could touch.
Why are there mermaids living in lakes and not in the ocean? Maybe she is hallucinating because she is on the verge of suffocation?
Simone, who had witnessed the unexpected mystery with her mana, spread her mana a little more out of curiosity, and the mermaid tribe that had been spinning around put their arms into the gap in the debris and sent down a bead.
The light of the orb was visible through the debris. What was visible in that light were two people, swaying in the water.
“It’s the Goyo tribe. They say that the mermaid tribe, who were driven out of the sea because they were weak, had no choice but to live in the deep lake. Who would have thought they would be here?”
Simone ignored Geneon's words and looked at Marcel, who was still lying unconscious.
Something... I think I know.
It's something she never thought of.
“Simone, what are you going to do now?”
Simone, who had been lost in thought for a long time while looking at Marcel, finally came to her senses at Abel's question.
“First, let’s take Lady Marcel to the mansion and then meet here again tomorrow.”
“Leave Marcel in the mansion?”
“No, take her.”
"...Along?"
Abel looked at Simone as if she had been surprised. Simone would have said that since Marcel had been in big trouble today, they should at least leave her alone until she calmed down.
But Simone just laughed.
“I think I should bring her.”
***
The next day, in broad daylight, Simone, Abel, Geneon, and Marcel gathered at the lake again.
“Is everyone well prepared?”
“Ready?”
Marcel looked at Simone as if she didn't understand. Simone smiled at her as if it was nothing and held out her palm to Abel.
Then Abel handed Simone a piece of paper.
“El said that nothing in this world is free and that you have to pay the price. Ugh... My hard-earned money... Hey, you have to pay me back.”
“Between us?”
When Simone spoke as if she was upset, Abel suddenly distanced himself and spoke expressionlessly.
“What are we?”
“Aren’t you friends? Money is not a thing between friends-”
“Bianchi told me to make sure.”
“...”
Bianchi was a thief, so why is she so good at teaching people about money?
“Oh my. How much is this little piece of paper worth?”
As Simone frowned, Abel pointed to the paper and then took out his empty pocket to show her.
He was literally stripped of his money and had no coins left.
“That’s really expensive. Pay it back. You’re rich.”
"...Yes."
Simone reluctantly nodded to Abel, who was gritting his teeth as he spoke.
“Excuse me, everyone, I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation.”
While Simone unfolded the paper and transferred the pattern on the back of her hand, Marcel, who had been watching them with an expression of confusion, eventually joined the conversation.
“What are we going to do now? We, we’re going to see Millie again...”
“We have to go.”
“Me, me too?”
Simone nodded as if to ask what was obvious as Marcel pointed at her with a face that said it was nonsense.
Marcel stepped back, utterly embarrassed.
“But this is too dangerous. Going into the lake... Even my father would absolutely oppose this.”
If it were the usual Simone, she would have naturally taken care of Marcel in this situation.
Going into the lake was really dangerous. But this time, she had no intention of taking her circumstances into consideration.
When Marcel said she couldn't do it, Simone's response was the same as before.
“Then, Lady Marcel will continue to live her life being tormented by Millie and the ghosts just like now. Since she went underwater all the way to her chin yesterday, I don’t know how far Lady Millie will take Lady Marcel tomorrow.”
“...”
Marcel's lips twitched several times. The shock from yesterday had not yet subsided. The thought of enduring that kind of pain again, alone and without Simone, suddenly filled him with fear.
“You decide whether to go or not, Young Lady. It’s a dangerous thing, literally. We will follow the client’s wishes. However, there is one thing I can tell you.”
Simone looked at Marcel with unsmiling eyes.
“We will save you.”
Those jewel-red eyes stared straight at him. Marcel nodded at her as if possessed.
“I’ll go. You have to watch over me.”
Simone laughed heartily.
“Of course. Then shall we go?”
As Simone led Marcel towards the lake, Abel followed her and asked,
“But you don’t have to do that for Marcel? Water breathing magic, and body temperature maintenance magic.”
Simone and Abel were already under two spells, with El helping with the water-breathing spell and Geneon helping with the body temperature maintenance spell.
If they don't cast the same spell on Marcel, she'll end up like Simone did yesterday.
In response to Abel's question, Simone simply smiled and continued walking.
“Young Lady won’t need it. Probably.”
Abel and Marcel tilted their heads.
Simone's smile was so mysterious that it was impossible to read its true meaning.
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