Chapter 111: 111

“It’s really troublesome, isn’t it?”

A large, distorted rock emitting a strong magical light was floating in front of me.

This rock, which emits a unique purple light, is called a magical stone.

This is a special kind of magical stone, which forms a labyrinth to protect itself according to the shape of the vessel in which it is placed, a type of magical stone called a maze stone.

“How hard do you think it was to get the magic stone to settle in here?”

I mumbled to myself as I worked.

No matter how knowledgeable and skilled I am, it’s very difficult to quell the runaway growth of the magical stone that fused with it.

I had been working silently until a moment ago, but the control of the complicated magic power finally made me complain.

”I’m the one who turned this large rock into a dungeon. It took me a lot of work to make it feel like it was there naturally and ready for Yule’s birth!”

She didn’t listen to me, so I had to set it up in a sneaky way.

It’s easy for spirits to be born around the magical stone, so I needed to provide a place for Yule to rest and prepare for birth. Before the world collision, this area was out in the middle of nowhere, and the dungeon would have been an obstacle to Yule’s nest.

In the old days, the area around Tusk Crag was filled with strong magic, and Tusk Crag was also a very difficult dungeon to navigate. It has faded a lot now, so the magic stones had been collected to the point of exhaustion.

These dragons’ powers diminishes greatly during the spawning season, so I always provide them with a resting place.

The earth and sea dragon tribes were easy.

They live in packs according to their species, and they choose places where beastmen, demons, and humans can’t easily get to them, so the earth and sea dragon king will keep an eye on them without me having to pay attention to them.

The problem was the Sky Dragon tribe.

In the past, they used to find their own dwelling place and live in packs there, but the beastmen found them during the reign of the previous Sky Dragon King.

Since then, they couldn’t settle down in one place. Furthermore, the entire tribe started living apart and I had a hard time keeping up with them.

It’s still a good thing that there hadn’t been any new dragon cubs born in the last two hundred years. If this happened to coincide with the birth of another dragon, I’d be very busy.

“Even if it’s not needed anymore now that Aoi’s on her own, but you know what? I’ve spent a lot of time and effort to create it, so don’t mess with it, okay? Jeez.”

Even a rat sage gets angry when they’re angry, okay?

It seems like Rouge was able to join up with Aoi.

If it’s a sign of a dragon, I can recognize it even from a distance.

Before arriving in this town, I felt the magic power that had exploded, and I left Rouge behind in a hurry.

Magic power is scary.

If a demon tribe or human hand is involved from the start, it’s not as a big deal because there is a certain degree of directionality, but if the magic power spontaneously swells up abnormally, an island nation like this can be easily wiped out.

This has happened in the past.

When the demons messed with the magical power that had accumulated in the maritime city, it went berserk and blew up the maritime city.

There aren’t many magical powers that pure, even in the natural world.

But even so, the current demons and humans have a really insufficient understanding of magic.

This time it only ended up like this since the original magical stones were depleted, but if they were perfect, this whole prefecture could have turned into a labyrinth!

“Hmm. Just a bit more?”

I checked the progress.

The swelling magical stone and the magical power that exceeds the magic stone’s capacity.

What I’m doing is crystallizing the excess magic power that leaks out and making the magic stone itself bigger.

As long as it’s well-circulated inside, it won’t affect the outside world.

In the past, before the Great War, there were a few demons who could do this technique, but now they’ve lost it, and I’m probably the only one who can do it.

Hmm. But I don’t really want to use my powers for anything other than dragon related matters.

Otherwise, it’s just not fair to you, father-kun.

“… what do you think?

I asked the false image created in the mind.

The false image does not answer anything.

Ever. Always.

Years. Tens of thousands of years. I still see your unchanging smile in my mind, as you have been for a hundred million years.

Silly Aruba.

Pathetic Alba.

How unsightly, Alba Germain.

Seraphy is nowhere to be found.

Seraphy is now one with the world.

Damned world.

A hateful world that stood in the way of her and the dragon.

Something I would have destroyed it if Seraphy had wished for it.

“Yes. I get it. I’ll do it if that’s what you want.”

There is no answer.

But if it’s something Seraphy says, I know it all.

I’m sure she’ll ask me of it while looking a little troubled.

“Alba, please forgive me, okay?”

Yeah, I know.

I’ve forgiven everything.

I’m starting to slip back into my old ways of thinking.

That was dangerous.

I shook my head and raised my staff.

I add my magic to the magical flow of the magical stone.

Slowly guiding it, I strike a crystallization formula on a part of it.

With a crisp, dry sound, the magic stone grew a bit larger.

Father-kun, are you being reckless again?

You too, little brother. Take care of your body, okay?

After all, there are only two of you.

We’re out of stock, and I don’t think this miracle will ever happen again.

Two brothers who were born in the most twisted way into the world.

Especially the older brother.

Such a twisted life.

There is no way he would have lived that long.

If I hadn’t found them before they were born, they wouldn’t be here now.

It’s a miracle.

A miracle, is it?

If God wills it, I’d be happy to give them a deep kiss or two.

Yeah, but I’m sure she’d be upset if I told her I was using them.

“Okay. Something like this?”

I finished refining the magic stone and returned the staff to my waist.

The outflow of magic power has now stopped.

The amount that leaked out of Tusk Crag would soon fade away.

It’s become more or less accustomed to the territory, and the expansion in the dungeon to the extent that the magic stone has grown will not be reversed, though.

Has the original forest become part of the dungeon?

I’ll deal with it around their house.

The amount that flowed into the town should have started to die off by now.

Those trees that grew outside will wither in a week.

It’ll be up to the humans and the beastmen to clean up the mess.

I don’t know about this.

I don’t know. It’s a dead tree. Just burn it.

“All right, one more job left, eh?”

It’s probably the father-kun.

He’s probably seriously injured again.

You want me to toss a couple of the twins’ eggshells in his mouth and force him to heal?

He’s starting to get used to it, so he’s probably not going to stuck in bed like before.

”…Alba, do you not regret it?”

Suddenly, the false image inside me spoke to me.

It’s not actually saying words.

This imaginary image is a product of my unconscious mind.

My unconscious mind created this imaginary image as a means of mental self-preservation, believing that I cannot maintain myself unless it exists.

That is why these words must be my unconscious mind’s way of defending myself.

This is what Seraphy would have said.

“Regret?”

I scoffed and shut my eyes.

“It was over when I killed you.”

Because I’ve missed you so much.