Key Items Glow for Some Reason

The roaring sound of flowing water echoed in the vast underground stone chamber.

Water spouting from near the ceiling cascaded down the stone walls like a waterfall, flowing around the room through channels, disappearing into unknown places.

In a room with an atmosphere resembling an underground waterway facility, three outrageously large contraptions shaped like scales were installed in a row.

Two or three branched pipes protruding from the ceiling were aimed at the scales' trays.

Pressing down on a floor switch the size of one person with her own weight, René observed the scale mechanism, issuing instructions loudly to overcome the sound of flowing water.

"Mialanze-san, the last one is the lever on the right! If you move that, water will pour into the right and middle scales, balancing everything!"

"Is it this one!?"

At René's feet was the switch to activate all the mechanisms.

Mialanze didn't understand the mechanism or its rationale, but without stepping on it, the scale mechanism with water wouldn't move.

In the adjacent room filled with levers, Mialanze operated the contraptions while René, continuing to step on the switch, relied on René's instructions.

In other words, it was a collaborative effort between the one giving instructions while continuously stepping on the switch and the one operating the contraptions to solve the elaborate dungeon gimmick.

When Mialanze lowered the lever, a sound of a large amount of water pouring from the scale room could be heard, followed by an unusual and loud sound similar to the unlocking of a lock.

"It's done!"

"The door has opened... Now we can proceed."

The three scales' trays were now horizontally aligned, and the door to the next room had opened.

"But really, what in the world is this strange contraption... Is it the taste of the Chief of Staff or perhaps the work of the elves?"

Mialanze felt something unsettling in this situation.

She had been solving dungeon gimmicks like the adventures sung by bards, solving riddles in mansion rooms to find keys and moving forward.

Fortunately, there were no dangerous traps with lethal capabilities or dungeon guardians attacking.

However, even if the elven forest were to disappear mysteriously, it didn't feel right to construct such artificial and human-like buildings.

It might be a product of what Everis called "interrupt processing”.

She didn't know how long she would be subjected to such things, but for now, she had no choice but to believe that there was an exit beyond the solved gimmicks and contraptions.

The newly opened door led to a narrow staircase.

Despite being in such a place, magical lamps were installed extravagantly for illumination.

At the top of the stairs, there was a room with several stoves and a large cooking table installed.

"Oh, is this... a kitchen?"

Having wandered underground for a while, they seemed to have returned to the surface. Well, even if they said they had returned to the surface, it was still pitch dark outside.

The windows were sealed with a strange force, and trying to open or break them had proven futile.

Although the residents of the mansion couldn't be seen, oddly enough, fires were lit in the stoves, and an indescribably delicious smell wafted from pots.

On the cooking table, a large pie that had just been baked emitted steam. It seemed to have been thoroughly brushed with egg yolk before baking, shining with a glossy appearance.

"This pie is still warm. It looks freshly baked..."

No, René!"

René, who was checking the temperature by placing her hand over the pie, was about to reach for the cake knife next to it, so Mialanze raised her voice with a forceful tone.

Startled, René, with a surprised expression, froze, and silence filled the kitchen, interrupted only by the sound of crackling firewood.

"I was taught by the Chief o-... my magic teacher from before, that even if I see food in this otherworld, I must not eat it. It seems I won't be able to return to the original world if I do."

"I-I'm sorry..."

"No, I think I surprised you...I'm sorry."

The tone became stern in the spur of the moment.

Seeing René shrinking, Mialanze felt awkward and explained as if making excuses.

"I'm fine. I'm not hungry... But, I thought Mialanze-san might want to eat."

"What! Thank you for your consideration. I didn't know..."

"No, it's okay. You tried to protect me. Thank you."

Mialanze held back tears of gratitude.

René was unbelievably kind.

"...Though we can't eat or drink, let's take a break here. We've been moving a lot, and you must be tired."

In the corner of the kitchen, there were two chairs next to a work desk.

Mialanze pulled out a chair, and René hopped onto a higher one.

With the habit ingrained in her, Mialanze considered preparing tea but remembered she couldn't.

It was unsettling not being able to do anything for her master, but there was no helping it.

As Mialanze scanned the kitchen, noticing a potentially hidden place, she realized René was looking at her with shining eyes.

"Um, Mialanze-san. Can I... touch your ears?"

Seemingly suppressing an impulse she had been holding back, René, with a serious expression, made such a request, making Mialanze almost burst into laughter.

"Please, feel free to do as you like."

Kneeling in front of René, offering her head, Mialanze watched as René timidly reached out to the triangular ears covered with short fur.

Then, she gently touched the ears as if kneading them.

"Wow...!"

René exclaimed, enjoying the soft feel of the ears, and then, as if combing through hair, began stroking them with enthusiasm.

Mialanze's hair texture was more akin to a cat's fur than human hair—soft and moist.

She usually found it unpleasant when touched by the eccentric noble who enjoyed such things, but René's touch wasn't bad.

Mialanze's throat let out a purring sound. She felt an urge to lick René's forehead with her rough tongue.

"Mialanze-san, I've never seen someone like you before. What kind of being are you?"

"If your question refers to 'what species I am,' then I'm a very rare hybrid, a cross between a cat beastman called Ketsee and a human. It's natural not to have seen someone like me before."

"I see."

René responded with an expression that seemed to say, 'I see,' and Mialanze found it pleasant.

“…Hehe."

"Is something the matter?"

"No, I just thought, you're like my father... a good person, I mean. Even though you knew there's mixed beastman blood, you didn't scorn me or treat me with aversion."

"Judging or throwing stones at others because they look different or have different blood... I think that's sad and wrong."

Listening to René's earnest words, Mialanze realized her own thoughts were inadequate.

It wasn't just about being a good or bad person. René, having experienced that pain, didn't distance herself from Mialanze based on bloodline or appearance.

Mialanze was fixated on the wretched execution, unaware of how René had lived until then.

In Ciel-Terra, being a silver-haired and silver-eyed child was considered an abomination. Just by being born with such appearance, René must have faced countless hardships and been exposed to hostility and malice.

In that sense, René and Mialanze shared similar experiences.

"Hey!"

"You've been through a lot..."

Unable to resist, Mialanze stood up and embraced René.

Her long silver hair touched Mialanze's hand, feeling as if touched by a clear breeze.

René's body was unbearably small. It seemed fragile, and Mialanze felt like she might crush her if she applied too much force.

Her chest tightened.

What a cruel fate this child had been burdened with.

And Mialanze realized the foolishness of relying on René. She had thought she could leave everything to René, but such thoughts now seemed too naive.

What had she been thinking to burden such a child? Instead of clinging or entrusting, they needed to walk together.

"Um..."

"...I apologize if I was impolite."

Confused about why she was suddenly being embraced; René seemed perplexed.

"Let's definitely escape from here. I'll find a way to send you to the outside world, no matter what."

"Y-Yes. Thank you...?"

With renewed determination, Mialanze made a vow.

Seeing Mialanze firm in her determination, René seemed to have a question mark hovering over her.

"Now, how many keys do you have?"

"Well, I found a blue key from the pot earlier, a heart-shaped key from the puzzle, and... There's also a square piece of iron with a cat's picture on the back. I wonder if that's also a key?"

René lined up what she had been keeping in the pocket of her dress on the table.

Solving mysteries and obtaining keys, or rather, symbolic keys, seemed to be the pattern in this mansion.

Despite the still incomprehensible situation, the exploration was progressing smoothly.

"Let's go back to the hall we were in earlier. There might be a door we can open..."

Something warm fell on Mialanze's cheek.

""Eh?""

The voices of both of them overlapped in confusion.

It was too sudden.

As if an invisible swordsman was there, René was cleanly slashed from her left shoulder to her right side, her clothes torn, and flesh torn apart. The splatter of blood sprayed like a mist, reaching Mialanze's cheek.

"René!!"

Embracing René, who collapsed, spitting out a clump of blood, Mialanze held her, covered in her blood.

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