༺ Aunty Loves Her Niece! (1) ༻
“Dina, I’m telling you again that even if you’re my sister, I will break your arms and legs if you try to run away.”
Clank— Clack—
Cariote warned her as she unlocked the handcuffs.
Maybe it was her being a cold-blooded hunter but she was ruthless even towards her sister.
“Hmph.”
The Witch of Obsession, Astarosa, let out a snort as she rubbed her wrists. Due to being bound for a long time, she rotated her fist like she was stretching and then—.
“Fucking nymph!”
She slapped away the 「Nymph Magna Carta」 that was on the table and then stomped on it. Of course, being a thick book, there was no real damage to it.
“I’m not foolish. If I ran away, I would just make things worse. And to be honest, I’m interested as well. The creation of the artificial Demon King.”
Astarosa’s reasons for her cooperation were because of her interest in the experiment, or so she said.
Her obsession with the Demon King was motivating her.
“There’s a plant called a Childrake. It grows on barren soil in the demonic lands and contains much ‘evil’ karma. Consuming this will give power through karma. That means it can be forced into someone or something.”
Childrake?1Pun on the Mandragore/Mandrake
It was my first time hearing of it.
When I looked at Cariote, she shook her head as well, saying, “It’s an unfamiliar name.” Astarosa remarked on that.
“Of course, you wouldn’t know. They’re in the deep forests of Pandemonium and even there, it’s hard to find one. Also, adults can’t even touch it.”
“Adults can’t touch it? What do you mean?”
Cariote asked.
To which Astarosa narrowed her eyes.
She sat at the edge of the bed and crossed her legs.
Then she shook her foot and hummed through her nose.
“Hmm, what should I do? I can’t reveal too many things. I think I want an apology, considering all the torture I endured while bound.”
I see.
Is she saying that she now has the upper hand?
Guess it can’t be helped.
I picked up the 「Nymph Magna Carta」 off the floor.
Flip—
“Article 12. All nymphs have a right to a job; the society and system should utilize the assignment of nymphs and guarantee their social activity—”
“Kyaaa! Stop!”
Astarosa plugged her eyes and screeched.
She then glared at me.
“What are you trying to do?!”
“I’ll keep reading these articles if you won’t cooperate with us. Even if you’re no longer bound, you’re still our prisoner.”
Being a criminal, I was fairly knowledgeable about torturing someone.
The best way was not to be violent and make them bleed, but to do what they ‘hate the most’.
Shook from my reading attack, Astarosa scowled deeply.
Then she sighed.
“Fine. I’ll tell you. Do you know about mystical creatures?”
Mystical creatures.
It wasn’t that common but I’ve heard of them.
We had fought against a giant snake some time ago, after all.
“The thing with karma is that it enters into animals, plants, and objects, not just humans. This Childrake is such a case.”
Was it the mystical creature of plants?
I was picturing a ginseng with long roots when the demon continued.
“This Childrake is wary of anything as old as an adult, whether it’s animal or human. The only ones who can approach it are young children.”
I see.
So that’s why it has ‘child’ in its name.
My head cleared once I understood.
“But for that reason, the children of Pandemonium are endangered. With a will of its own, the Childrake is dangerous and aggressive. Many children get hurt and die while gathering plants.”
She said this with a subtle but strange expression. I caught the way the end of her brow twitched.
“Speaking from experience?”
I asked.
To which Astarosa nodded.
“I am. I used to be a slave as a child, for the purpose of gathering Childrakes. Most of the ones that were slaves with me died but I luckily survived and became an adult.”
I see.
It was a brief insight into Astarosa’s youth.
Soon, Cariote asked.
“Where can we find this Childrake? Is it only in Pandemonium? Or does it also grow in other forests?”
* * *
“I have to go to Pandemonium for about two days. Maybe three? It might be a week if it takes longer.”
Dinner time.
I told my plan when everyone was sitting at the table.
It was about gathering ‘Childrake’ from Pandemonium.
And that Childrake only grows there.
“…….”
“…….”
Everyone was quiet.
Except Naru who was heartily working on her meal, saying, “Pork cutlet is good, but chicken cutlet is good, too…!” Out of the adults, the first to speak was the Priestess Iris who had become part of the household.
“Pandemonium…. Is it not the horrid land void of light? A true hell on earth where demons and all sorts of cursed things abound…. That is where you’re heading?”
Hell on earth.
It was indeed a place fitting of that description.
In hindsight, the subjugation party had basically been a kamikaze group. Me, Enkidus, Queen, Brigitte, and Sifnoi.
It was the equivalent of five secret service agents infiltrating North Korea and assassinating the leader to stop the war.
Since it meant that I was going back to that hell, no one could say much.
“This monk will journey with you again.”
Enkidus spoke.
I shook my head at that.
“Enkidus, it might have worked before but your energy is too strong now to infiltrate Pandemonium.”
Pre and post-subjugation.
With our growth, one could say we’ve become different people.
He would have been a dependable ally… but ironically it was this reliable growth that could complicate things.
After the defeat of the Grandmaster, Enkidus had grown to the point that I wouldn’t be able to hide him with my ability.
“I’ve already decided who’s going. Me, and Astarosa as the guide. And to control her, Cariote. As for the last member…I need to take one of the kids.”
My reason for bringing this up at dinner tonight was this.
Childrake… a plant that could only be picked by a child.
Hence, I had to take one of our children to Pandemonium.
“Are you serious? You’re going to take them to that dangerous place?”
Brigitte paused her eating and asked.
Her expression was quite stern.
I knew what she was thinking.
Of course, she wants to object.
Just then, Cariote spoke.
“We’ll take Cecily. Even if only for a month, I have trained her myself. She is also stealthy so she best fits the part.”
Cecily, then?
She’s certainly good at walking carefully like a cat.
However, Cecily, who had been cutting up steak, bristled at the mention.
“Why is it I, Cecily? Skipping school is the most unbecoming of a young noble lady…! If I miss classes….”
“You will learn far more than you would at school. And it’s almost time for you to start hunting. I was also your age when I had my first hunt. Same with my father.”
“Hiiiik…!”
I see.
Then I guess it’s decided that Cecily will go.
It was good that we were able to decide quickly.
Then it was my turn to convince Brigitte.
“Brigitte, would you be able to contact the Walpurgis mages?”
“Those people?”
Brigitte’s brows twitched slightly then slanted. Likely because it wasn’t a name she wanted to hear.
Of course, because Brigitte was wise, she understood my intentions right away.
“You want to use a portal to get to Pandemonium, right? Since it takes at least four days by carriage to even get to the borders.”
“That’s right.”
It was good that the conversation was moving quickly.
The problem was that the relationship between Brigitte and the Walpurgis family was complicated and dysfunctional.
If she refused, it couldn’t be helped—
As I thought that, Brigitte nodded.
“Alright, I can help with that much. Everyone’s putting their lives on the line, so I can sacrifice something, too. I’ll use the terminal to contact Friede, the White Mage.”
The White Mage, Friede, was Brigitte’s oldest sister.
They say that since Faust, the former head of the family, died, she was attempting to recover the family as the inheritor of the Walpurgis name.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
Brigitte operated the magic cell phone.
“Yeah, it’s me. I have a deal. Send someone out by midnight.”
The call was succinct.
It wasn’t a conversation she would want to keep going.
With that, we decided to leave for Pandemonium at midnight.
If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to complete this mission overnight.
Knock— Knock—
I was gathering my working tools in my room when someone knocked on the door.
“Cecily?”
“How did you know?”
“Not many can come up to my door silently. So why are you here?”
“I, Cecily, don’t want to go to that Pandemonium…!”
I see.
She was asking to be removed from the team.
However, according the Cariote, “There’s no one better than Cecily for the job.” Cecily was definitely the most skilled in moving stealthily.
“Don’t worry. We’ll go and come back before you know it. I’ll be right there giving my all so there’s no need to be scared.”
“Thaaaat….! It’s not because I’m scared or concerned, but I’m told that there aren’t any restrooms or beds there. I, Cecily, do not want to be in such an unhygienic place…!”
Cecily stood there shaking, hands fisted in the skirt of a wide silk pajama dress. Pandemonium was definitely a place far from ‘nobility’.
Because it’s in the wild.
As I was pondering, Cecily sighed and spoke as if she was doing me a favor.
“Then we will make a fair deal.”
“A deal?”
“The birthday party of Ordor’s princess is in the summer. I would like to attend. A social gathering where all the nobles in the world will come together to debate noble things and talk about being noble…!”
I see.
The Ordor princess’s birthday party was a world-renowned thing. It was like the awards show in Hollywood which all the celebrities wanted to attend.
But the party invitation was limited to 300 attendees so it was something everyone sought and envied.
Cecily was dreaming of her high society debut at that party.
“I can make the effort.”
“Then it’s a promise.”
Swoosh—
Cecily stuck out her pinky finger.
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