Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends - V 2.1 Chapter 3.10

After the brushing was finished, Ares became shiny. Bathed in the light pouring in from the ceiling, his feathers sparkled in seven colors. Lulu and the others, perhaps because their stomachs were full, had flopped onto the ground and entered nap time.

“Phew, being brushed by someone isn’t so bad.”

Ares, who had been purring, finally got up. He seemed much more energetic than before. Now, it looked like there was no need to worry about him dying anymore.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah. It’s thanks to you.”

After pecking at his own feathers with his beak, Ares spoke cheerfully.

“As thanks, I’ll show you something good.”

“Something good?”

“Hold on tight.”

“!”

Ares suddenly tugged on my clothes with his beak.

“Wah!?”

With incredible strength, I couldn’t resist. Just like that, I was plopped onto his back.

“Eh!?”

“I have never let a human ride on my back. Feel honored, child of the silver wolf.”

Saying that, Ares spread his wings with a flap and took off at once.

He dashed across the island, even running across the surface of the water. Then, in the next moment, there was a sudden sensation of rising.

“Kyaaaaaa!?”

“Make sure you don’t fall.”

Needless to say, I clung desperately to Ares’s neck.

I’m flying!? In the sky!?

“Kuna!?”

“Kuna-chan!?”

I could hear everyone shouting from below. But I didn’t have time to respond.

I couldn’t even keep my eyes open!

“Hyaaaa!”

“It’s the entrance to another space.”

Just like that, Ares charged into the light pouring from the ceiling of the underground lake.

I squeezed my eyes shut and held on as tightly as I could to avoid being thrown off.

Then, once we had risen to a certain height, Ares’s body began to stabilize.

“Kuna, try opening your eyes.”

“……?”

When told that, I slowly opened my eyes.

“Eh…!?”

W-What is this place…? Underwater…?

“This is another space within the dungeon. It looks like it’s underwater, but it’s not.”

To me, who instinctively held my breath, Ares said that.

What spread out before my eyes was a pale blue space, like the inside of the sea, like the sky before dawn. Within it were creatures that looked like golden, shining fish and sparkling, gem-like objects scattered around. If I reached out, it felt like I could touch the sparkling lights.

“Beautiful…”

“Go ahead. Take one with you. Try reaching out.”

As told, I reached out to a nearby golden light. It flickered and settled into my hand. When I opened my hand to check, it was a small, golden scale. A thin chain suspended two small plates. In the center of the scale, there was a gaping hole. Maybe, at some point, a jewel or some kind of ornament had been set in there.

“A scale, right…?”

“What’s here are ancient magic items. Let me see it.”

As he said that, Ares twisted his face and turned his gaze toward me, so I showed him the scale.

“…Ho. That’s a good find.”

“What is it?”

“Keep it. It might come in handy someday. No, it should come in handy soon.”

Though I asked, in the end, I had no idea what kind of magic item it was. But since Ares said so, I put it in my pocket for the time being.

Maybe someday, it would be useful. I’d have Simon appraise it later.

Ares pushed forward through the deep blue. The darkness gradually deepened.

“…”

Suddenly, I felt a chill.

“A-Ares.”

It’s scary. The sparkling lights disappear.

This time, it feels like being at the bottom of a deep sea. The light no longer reaches, and it’s pitch dark.

Yet when I look down, something darker and deeper than the darkness itself is writhing.

“Ugh.”

I shuddered. I instinctively clung to Ares.

“That is the true form of what is trying to infest Aluda right now.”

“Eh?”

“There’s no need to worry. It hasn’t noticed us. It’s deeper and farther away.”

“What exactly is that…?”

When I asked, he shook his head lightly.

“I don’t know what it is either. No one knows it. But I do know it is something bad. It has been sealed underground for a long time.”

“Then why is it in Aluda?”

“Human hearts have become ugly and called forth something impure. Also, that thing is not inside this dungeon.”

“Th-Then where is it?”

“I don’t know. This place is neither dungeon nor Grantania, it’s another space. Whether that thing is in the dungeon, Grantania, or Aluda… it’s too far away to tell.”

Even Ares didn’t seem to know.

But somehow, I can feel it too. What’s in that place is something bad…

“Let’s go soon.”

Saying that, Ares sharply ascended. I felt truly relieved to leave that darkness behind.

“Right now, that thing is still quiet. If left alone, this commotion might calm down eventually. Either way, there’s probably nothing you can do about it.”

“Is there no one who can stand up to that black thing?”

“No. Its power is far too strong.”

Then what will happen to the Kingdom of Aluda…?

“If I were to tell this illusion, the country wouldn’t move, I guess.”

Ares muttered. I think so too, but I have to tell Simon…

After all, something bad is spreading.

“Kuna, you are inexperienced.”

“Huh?”

“It’s still a time when you don’t have to think too deeply.”

“…?”

What does that mean? I was about to ask when Ares aimed upward.

The deep blue turned to light blue, and then gradually to transparent.

“Ah!”

As we ascended rapidly, there was a shattering sound like glass breaking, and transparent, delicate shards rained down like rain. But what I felt on my body was strong wind and warm light.

“Now look. It’s not that I wanted to give you a magic item or show you that darkness. I wanted to show you this scenery.”

My hair fluttered in the wind. Slowly opening my eyes, there was—

“Wow!”

The sky. We were flying in the blue sky!

Far below was my beloved town, Finaldatt. There was a huge hole in the center of the town. The town developed around that hole, and we were flying above it.

That building with the red roof is the guild. There is Beryl’s bakery there, and then…

I counted one familiar building after another. Ares circled over the town for me.

Then we sharply descended, and flew so that the town could be seen more clearly. The townspeople looked at us in surprise. Ares rose into the sky again. I continued to gaze at the town, completely absorbed.

“Amazing! I’m looking down on the town!”

“Only because I am carrying you. This kind of experience is not something you can have many times in your life.”

Saying that, Ares laughed loudly. A sharp cry echoed through the sky.

I felt so good that I couldn’t help but spread my arms.

Bathing my whole body in the warm sunlight and refreshing breeze.

My silver hair fluttered, blown by the wind.

The sky is this vast.