Abyssal Sovereignty

━━━━━━━━━━┓༻( ∞ )༺┏━━━━━━━━━━

Chapter 4: Group of Adventurers

━━━━━━━━┛༻( ∞ )༺┗━━━━━━━━

 

The echo of voices drew the attention of the group, revealing a cluster of individuals not far from their position.

“Who are you?” The leader of the group, a striking red-haired woman, called out with a commanding tone. “This area is designated as a danger zone. Entry is prohibited without permission.”

“Oh dear, is that so?” Before Aris could interject, the loli figure beside her, who went by the name of Misako, piped up. “We were actually planning to come here, but we were delayed for various reasons and didn’t receive the notice.”

“...You..."

“You?”

“Why... you’re quite adorable.”

“?”

For reasons unknown to her, Misako could see an intense desire flickering in the eyes of several in the group before her.

‘Hmm... it seems I may have inadvertently charmed them.’

Misako was no ordinary girl; her stunning appearance, petite stature, and exquisite features belied her youthful visage, which radiated a hint of mature allure. As a fox spirit, her innate charisma could easily rival the most mesmerizing succubi, captivating all who beheld her. The sheer fact that the majority in the shrine had become her devoted followers was indicative of her extraordinary charm.

“Hey! Wake up, you lot!”

One among the contingent, a silver-haired loli, shouted, her voice sharp enough to cut through the tension, before throwing a few knuckle strikes to rouse the rest of her companions.

“Ah... what? What’s going on?”

“Ku hu hu, I see now! Was that charm magic? I can’t believe I, a dignified member of the Crimson Demon tribe, fell for such a trick!”

“Enough! Focus up! The opponents utilized charm magic unexpectedly; they are likely not to be trifled with.”

As the group regained their composure and began adopting a more vigilant stance, Misako exchanged glances with her companions.

“Looks like things have taken a turn for the worse~”

“...Sigh…”

With a resigned expression, Farkonia stepped forward, gently pulling Misako back behind her.

“I apologize, everyone. The earlier incident was simply an accident.”

“An accident? Using charm magic... one needs not explain their intentions or capabilities, yes?” The red-haired leader narrowed her eyes, skepticism evident in her demeanor.

“...Regarding that, it’s more a matter of her instincts.”

Farkonia continued, her tone composed as she addressed the increasingly wary group.

“Judging by your appearances, it seems you’ve encountered your fair share of troubles? Misako here simply struggles with her inherent distrust of strangers, having faced such dangers before. Whenever she meets someone new, her instinct is to use her charm to control them.”

There was not the slightest hint of insincerity on Farkonia’s face; her expressions conveyed nothing but genuine affection and concern.

The truth was, Farkonia spoke no lies. Long before Misako had grown powerful or participated in that great war, she had once fallen prey to slave traders who sought to capture her—a fate she narrowly escaped by sheer luck.

A blend of fact and embellishment often proved more convincing than blatant falsehoods, and with Farkonia’s sisterly warmth radiating from her, it was difficult not to be swayed by her words. One glance at the opposition would confirm their ease of demeanor.

“Ah, I see now! I was mistaken about you all…”

“Let me get my hands on those ruffians; I’ll unleash a barrage—no, dozens—of explosive magic upon them!”

The group gradually relaxed, save for the two silver-haired individuals still perched at the back, maintaining their vigil.

...

“Is that really the case? Thank you for sharing that information.”

After Farkonia’s elucidation, the group settled down to exchange what they knew.

“I knew there was no way that the Wyrm’s abyss could miss anything! It must be the result of our Lady Witch’s overwhelming power,” the dark-haired mage exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with admiration.

“Are you a fan of the witches?”

“Most certainly!”

She did not hesitate in replying to Farkonia’s inquiry.

“The First Witch constructed the ‘System’; the Second Witch ended the great war; the Third Witch revolutionized magical theory. Each and every witch has made immense contributions to our world!”

‘The Third Witch!?’

This piece of information left both Misako and Farkonia momentarily taken aback. After the war concluded, the only witch they were aware of had been the one responsible for its end, with only two having risen to prominence since then.

“...You certainly know a lot about witches.”

“Indeed, though I am not a member of the ‘Witch cult,’ it doesn’t prevent me, as a mage, from aspiring toward their greatness. Ah! Where are my manners? I’m Sisi, a great mage from the Crimson Demon tribe.”

With that, Sisi struck a flamboyant pose, the kind that would evoke eye-rolls from anyone familiar with such antics.

‘Ah, a classic case of a ‘Chuunibyou’...’

Having encountered such personalities often in her travels, Misako instantly recognized the telltale signs of teenage eccentricity.

“Alright, darlings, you’re scaring the others. I’m Marlyno, captain of this adventurer’s team.”

The burgundy-haired woman introduced herself, then gestured towards the blue-haired loli lazily sprawled beside her.

“That’s Mira. And this…”

“Elyssa. The one next to me is Diana, and she's a little slow.”

The silver-haired loli who had roused her companions with her knuckle strikes chimed in, while Diana busily munched on some snacks, looking blissfully absent-minded.

“Hmm, I’m Farkonia. These here are Misako, Aris, Veridith, and…”

“Puff!”

At that moment, a cheerful sound erupted, causing everyone to turn towards the source.

“Wow! I thought that was just a hat! Where can I get one?”

Sisi, startled by the sudden outburst, blinked in confusion.

“That’s Pupu, more of Aris’s pet really, but she often plays with Veridith too.”

“Oh… I can sense... a strange energy... it’s incomprehensible and unobservable…”

Bang!

“I’m sorry, one of our teammates is having a bit of an episode again.”

“Ow, ow, ow! Marlyno, that was downright rude!”

“Who’s being more rude here?!”

A sharp knock to Sisi’s head left a snowman-shaped bump on her crown.

“Apologies! Our teammates do have their peculiarities…”

“Not a problem! I’ve met my fair share of unusual individuals.”

Misako's kin, being a race of black demons, was steeped in whimsical idiosyncrasies; encountering quirky characters like Sisi was far from uncommon, whether among the young or the aged.

“Just, um…”

Misako’s gaze fell on Sisi, who was now curiously observing Veridith as she crouched before her.

“It seems my encounters are only destined to increase.”

“Ah, no…”

Marlyno felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed possible trouble brewing, quickly interjecting to change the trajectory of the conversation.

“Right! You mentioned you had some matters to attend to upon arriving here. Have you finished them?”

“Hmm… we have.”

Misako exchanged subtle confirmations with her companions before responding to Marlyno.

“Is that so? Then would you care to return with us? Thanks to the intel you provided, our task is completed, and we’re preparing to head back to town.”

“Of course!”

This suggestion was met with eager nods from Aris and the others, grateful for the chance to traverse safely back, as they admired the wealth of information town had to offer.

“Let us hurry then!”