He speaks so detestably even when I want to be affectionate.
‘Then what is it? Honestly, I don’t care.’
“I understand the idea. But I am like the incarnation of rationality. If I couldn’t give 100 to this world, I would have tried to give at least a completed 10.”
That was Pelerian’s assumption.
“I must have done some research. After death, I would have transmitted those results to the fairy elder council and World Tree.”
‘But you’re not on good terms with the fairies. Wouldn’t they just discard it?’
“They would have read it. Regardless of how much they hated me and my faults, they would have utilized those results. Otherwise the entire fairy race is destined for extinction.”
That’s what Pelerian seemed to believe.
‘But that sounds like thinking from someone who hasn’t died yet.’
Those words came out before I knew it.
“What do you mean by that?”
‘Instead of thinking about what you want to achieve even after death, shouldn’t you consider what you’ll regret when dying?’
“…”
The evolution of all fairies and whatnot.
Yes, that’s important too.
Hadn’t Pelerian dedicated his entire long life to it?
In that process, he punished everything that blocked him, to the point of being called the worst villain.
But I, who had already died once, knew.
There are things you regret when death comes.
Things you should have done but couldn’t.
Things you shouldn’t have said so harshly.
Or words you just couldn’t convey.
I shouldn’t have lived like that.
I should have lived differently.
Wouldn’t such regrets flood in?
‘Isn’t there anything you regret so much that you feel you can’t die like this?’
I’m not sure if my thoughts reached Pelerian.
“There is.”
‘What is it?’
“…That day.”
Pelerian spoke quietly then glared at me.
Then he swung his fist at me.
“Hey!”
Swoosh-
The fist naturally passed through my face.
“Stop asking such nosy questions!”
I once received a pledge from Pelerian.
If I keep demanding answers, Pelerian must respond.
But that would be too cruel.
‘Maybe you liked someone but couldn’t confess, so you left a video letter before dying or something.’
“If it was something like that, I’d want to burn this place down with my own hands.”
A plausible thought occurred to me.
‘Could it be you were trying to become a lich?’
“What?”
‘You know, that thing where a wizard who doesn’t want to die becomes a skull and gains eternal life.’
“Undead sorcerer, you think I tried to become that?”
‘Even for the sake of continuing unfinished research…’
I was about to continue but closed my mouth.
Because Pelerian’s expression was growing increasingly stern.
Any moment now…
“You fool!”
‘Ow.’
“Are you trying to insult me? How could I, a fairy, do such a thing!”
Pelerian acted as if he had been greatly insulted.
Come to think of it, he’s someone with tremendous pride in being a fairy.
Perhaps the proudest among all fairies.
“Me, a pureblood fairy, becoming undead!”
A mage whose obsession with his race borders on delusion.
‘Yes yes, my mistake.’
“Kak.”
I ignored his continued grumbling after that.
We’ll see what’s hidden when we get there.
==
Zhanil Fezhe is a ranger who has been through everything.
He received purple-sealed requests more than ten times. None of them failed.
The purple seal means it’s the imperial seal.
The fact that Zhanil had carried out imperial requests shows how seasoned he was.
In any case, it meant he was skilled in dungeon exploration too.
What about Dr. Robanton who accompanied him?
The doctor was an expert on the magic realm of these mountains and its civilization.
He was well-versed in ancient history including the Oboe civilization, and knowledgeable about various symbols and myths.
Such knowledge is very helpful in conquering dungeons.
But even considering all that, one couldn’t deny that luck was on their side.
Just the two of them made it this far safely.
“Whew…”
Steam came from Zhanil’s mouth.
The air was cold like winter.
It was a space maintained by magic.
“…A laboratory.”
Robanton muttered.
“What?”
“Laboratory. Heaven Defier’s laboratory.”
Zhanil had opportunities to enter mages’ research rooms and workshops before.
But a laboratory?
However, that expression was fitting for this place.
“Terrible, absolutely terrible.”
They had expected mountains of treasures and magical items.
But even without those, Pelerian’s dungeon was worth entering.
A dungeon that the empire’s enemy had hidden away so thoroughly.
The imperial family would surely be pleased.
However, the contents inside the dungeon were honestly utterly disgusting.
It was a physiological revulsion.
Tuk.
Dr. Robanton fearlessly touched the crystal plate.
“Be careful with that. What if it wakes up?”
“So it’s true that Heaven Defier was addicted to chimeras.”
Beyond the crystal plate was something that could be called ‘culture fluid’.
And in the dim light, a mass of flesh could be seen.
It had three eyeballs, and things that could be either arms or tentacles were randomly attached.
It’s literally just a mass of flesh that couldn’t even be called a chimera.
Zhanil and Robanton walked slowly.
“They’re progressively developing.”
Robanton muttered.
As a scholar, he could immediately tell.
These were experimental subjects stored in order.
Early chimeras, and late chimeras.
The one in the fifth tank had some sense of balance.
Of course, it had a strange appearance with fur on its head and back, and reverse joints on its front legs.
Tok tok.
When Robanton tapped the tank, Zhanil was startled.
“What are you doing!”
“Don’t worry. As if it would wake up.”
“They are dead, right?”
“Well…”
Robanton felt an ominous feeling.
The chimeras becoming increasingly complete.
The strange thing was that they were progressing toward forms capable of bipedal walking.
Making bipedal chimeras? Why?
When making chimeras, it’s better to have four or more legs. That was really common sense.
“Wait.”
Robanton discovered something.
It was scribbles on the wall.
Such things happen sometimes. When you’ve left your notebook behind and quickly jot down sudden thoughts.
“Can you read it?”
“Huu, let me dust it off first.”
As a scholar, Robanton knew fairy language.
So he could read what Pelerian might have written.
The doctor’s pupils trembled.
He gasped, “Huk.”
Seeing Robanton’s face turn instantly pale, Zhanil was confused.
“What’s wrong…”
Clang!
That’s when it happened.
A metal plate fell noisily from the ceiling.
Zhanil instinctively drew his dagger.
Looking up, the cover of what appeared to be a ventilation duct had opened and fallen.
And a white snake dropped from there.
“What… is this.”
Somehow it looked like a stupid snake.
It looked even more foolish covered in dust from the vent.
“Aaaaagh!”
But Robanton screamed when he saw that snake.
Why would he react like that when it didn’t look scary at all.
The doctor, who even drew his crossbow, seemed to realize that what appeared was just a snake and panted.
“Damn it! Looking exactly like that bastard Chugota’s offspring.”
Then he fired the crossbow at the snake without hesitation.
It wasn’t something to blame him for.
Ping-
The problem was that the bolt didn’t pierce the snake.
The snake caught the flying bolt in its mouth.
Is that even possible?
At this unbelievable scene, even Zhanil couldn’t make a quick judgment for a moment.
When the snake squinted its eyes.
A black dagger appeared from somewhere.
That dagger sliced through Dr. Robanton’s hand holding the crossbow as it passed.
Slash!
Droplets of blood and severed fingers flew through the air.
“Huaaaaaagh!”
The doctor’s scream followed a moment later.
