Chapter 37 Fairy Licorice
{TL: By Creed}
"LE-T ME GOOO!!!"
"Ouch!?"
A small girl bit me hard, causing me to involuntarily release her.
In that moment, the girl flew away.
... Flew?
"Wait a minute..."
Upon closer inspection, the girl had four wings.
They were so beautiful, almost transparent, like glasswork.
And indeed, she was small.
Palm-sized, wearing a loose-fitting dress that seemed like a homemade creation because such outfits weren't commonly sold.
Her eyes had an upward slant, giving off a strong and assertive impression. However, her overall cuteness prevailed due to her charming and lovely face.
"Hey, you there!"
The girl pointed at me sharply, expressing her anger.
"Don't you know you should treat a lady properly? What's with grabbing me so forcefully? Do you think I'm as sweet as freshly harvested honey that you can just snatch up?"
The little girl was incredibly angry.
But... come to think of it, that was understandable.
I had grabbed her out of nowhere. Even if it was unintentional and not meant to be frightening, it wouldn't be easy to forgive such an act.
I deeply bowed my head.
"I'm really sorry."
"Huh?"
"I reached out thinking there was something, and when I did, I caught you. I didn't mean to scare you or anything... Well, that sounds like an excuse. I'm truly sorry. If there's anything I can do, I'll do it."
"Well..."
The small girl widened her eyes as if caught off guard.
After a moment, she sighed.
"You didn't come to capture me, did you?"
"I would never do such a thing."
"Really?"
"I swear by the goddess."
"... I believe you so I'll forgive you."
The little girl smiled. It seemed she had calmed down.
"By the way, who are you?"
Sofia, who had been observing, couldn't hold back any longer and asked.
"Hehe, you're curious about little old me? Well, that's inevitable. After all, I'm so adorable and delicate. It would be strange if you weren't curious."
"Could you be a fairy?"
"Exactly! That's right! I am the peerless beauty, the fairy Licorice-chan!!!"
Striking a peculiar pose, the small girl... the fairy Licorice, introduced herself.
"I never expected to encounter a fairy..."
"Indeed, I didn't anticipate this turn of events either."
Fairies were a rare species. Many were interested in their appearance, and there had been cases of over-hunting in the past.
Nowadays, they rarely appeared in public.
Encountering one in a place like this was quite surprising.
"Licorice... Can I call you by your name?"
"Sure, I don't mind. By the way, you two should introduce yourselves."
"Oh, right. Sorry. I'm Fate Stuart, an adventurer."
"I'm Sofia Ascart. Also an adventurer."
"Oh, adventurers, huh? Why are you here?"
"We heard that a sword, said to be forged by fairies, is in this dungeon."
"A sword? Oh... you mean that thing."
"Do you know about it?"
"Yeah. I manage it. This place isn't just the lowest floor; there are actually eleven floors. The eleventh floor serves as a treasure vault, and... huh!?"
Seemingly realizing something, Licorice changed her expression.
In a panic, she flew up to the ceiling.
"I see, you're quite skillfully leading me to talk about the treasure vault, huh!"
"Well, um..."
"But I won't tell you anything! No matter what... even if... things get intimate and steamy, I absolutely won't talk!"
"...Fate?"
"I won't do anything, okay!?"
Seeing Sofia giving me a cold smile, I hurriedly denied it.
"Licorice, please don't misunderstand. We are not trying to force anything."
"Hmph, we'll see. I can't believe what humans say."
"That's... well, I think it's understandable if you feel that way."
"Eh?"
"I apologize for the terrible things that happened."
"...Why are you apologizing? It's not like you're the one hunting fairies, right?"
"But I think it's a collective responsibility. So, I'm sorry."
"..."
Licorice furrowed one eyebrow.
Then, she descended slowly.
"Fate is indeed a peculiar human."
She's referring to me by my name now...?
"Indeed, Fate might be a bit different."
"Yeah, even Sofia."
"But that's what makes Fate unique. I may not be the most reliable since I'm also human, but... I can vouch that he is different from the humans Licorice knows."
"Even if another human says that, it's not very convincing."
"But I'm a woman like you."
"..."
"So, could you trust me at least a little?"
"...I suppose there's no helping it."
Licorice gently landed on Sofia's shoulder.
"Fate and... Sofia, right? You two are indeed different from other humans. I'll trust that you're not trying to harm me."
"Thank you. So, if possible, we'd like the sword... is that okay?"
"Hmm... well, I can't use a sword, and I don't need it. I can give it to you, but can I attach a condition?"
"What is it?"
"I want you to listen to my request."
Licorice floated again, hovering in front of us.
"In truth, I've been waiting for people like you. People with the power to conquer this dungeon and seem trustworthy."
"What do you mean?"
Actually, about the lowest floor... oh, the real lowest floor, the eleventh floor. Monsters have settled there."
"Something like that..."
"I don't really care about the swords and stuff that Fate wants... but my precious belongings are also in the treasure vault."
"Your precious belongings?"
"Yes... very important things. They might be more valuable to me than my own life."
As Licorice said this, her expression seemed pained.
She must be worried about not having her precious belongings and fearing what the monsters might do to them.
"Sofia."
"Yes, however Fate wishes."
"Thank you."
Not only reliable but also understanding - it's truly appreciated.
"I'll take on that request."
Why do I have the feeling that these "precious" belongings aren't that precious. Like fairy panties or something, lmao
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