283 - - To the depths of the long darkness

"Calm down, you little shit."

With a low voice, an arm reaches out and grabs the child by the collar just as he is about to run away.

The child was lifted into the air and flapped his arms and legs, rolling his eyes.

"Mmmm, what is it? Oh, it's you, Mee-chan!

The child turns around, smiles happily, and then shouts while waving his hands in a circular motion.

It was Nenemimi, a woman I knew well, who was holding Moo by the scruff of the neck.

"Mee-chan, my God!　Tor-chan is in terrible trouble!"

"How is it bad?"

"I don't know, maybe he's hungry or something."

The child now puts his hand on his belly and looks sad.

Moo is hungry, too. Today's snack is an apple snack, you grandma said!

That looks good. So?"

The woman in priest's robes straightened her back as if in a panic when the topic was suddenly brought up.

The person in front of her, an adventurer of the Vajrayana class, holds a position in the court temple that is far above her in rank.

"Yes, Thor-sama is waiting for Mummeme-sama at the court temple, so I have come to welcome him.

"Did Thor tell you that?"

No, no. The chief priest sent me. He asked me to call Mummeme-sama for you... well, for more information, see ......."

The educator who had been given the message tensed up as Nenemimi's purple pupils suddenly dilated.

The twin sister is rarely seen alone in public, usually nestled like a shadow behind her celebrity sister.

In fact, this was the first time for me to hear her voice.

However, when I actually met her in person, I could feel the strange air that was wafting from her whole body, and I started to break out in a cold sweat.

The woman felt as if she had unexpectedly met a ferocious beast in an ordinary town, and she held her breath, shaking the roots of her teeth.

Her stare lasted only a few seconds.　

But for the woman, consumed by fear, it was an eternity.

The heart of the teacher, completely overwhelmed, was about to reach its limit when suddenly a childish voice came out.

"You're scaring her!"

At the same time, a lovely sound echoes.

Nenemimi, who had been lightly hit on the head by a child, gave an annoyed smile.

Immediately, the vicious pressure emanating from the child's body dissipates all at once.

The woman, who had been unable to move until then, blinked her eyes at the impression that the ferocious beast-like presence she had just seen had suddenly turned into a capricious cat.

"Well, it can't be helped. Let me tell you something. Simply using doesn't work very well. The trick is to scare them a little like this.

"Scary one?　A ghost story, meinie. If you tell it in class, everyone will scream. Moo, ghosts don't scare me at all.

"That's because I beat them all in the underground prison. You're not afraid of anything anymore.

"No. Yes.

Shaking his head, Moe continues to speak.

"Moe is afraid of losing To-chan. He's very scared. That's why we have to go."

"Torchan, do you love it?"

"Yes!　I used to be okay with just Kuro and Shima, but now I'm not anymore.

"I know. I'd go absolutely crazy at the thought of losing Lili, too. Well, Thor will probably be fine.

"Really?"

Nenemimi let out a small breath at the innocent look in Mu's eyes.

It seems that this priest is not lying.

But there are many ways to deceive.

"The 'lightning eye detection' only works if the person himself thinks it's a lie... No, you don't need to remember that yet.

Nenemimi stopped what she was about to say and roughly ruffled Moo's golden curls in return for the slap she had just received.

Immediately the child let out a tickling laugh.

As if taking Moo under her arm, Nnemimi strode out with aplomb.

The woman who had been left behind called out to him in a panic.

"Uh, sir, where are you going?"

"I will take you to the temple. You can ....... Right, go tell the Director that I'm coming. Moo and Nenemimi would like an apple snack."

"Heh?"

As they walked away, Moe's educator could do nothing but watch them in stunned silence.

Fifteen minutes after the incident.

Thor, who was chatting with Rummella and the others in the living room, hears the sound of a carriage stopping in front of the house.

Then came the sound of fists pounding on the door.

"Hello, who's there?"

Yuril gets up and heads for the front door.

He pushes open the door, and the man standing behind it is the leader of the city.

"Welcome, Mr. Dadan."

"Sorry to barge in unannounced, Herr Euralir. Is Thor here?

Yes. Yes. If you'd like to come in. We're just now enjoying a cup of tea.

"Well, this smells like summer apples. Hmmm, that's a very tempting offer, but I'm in a bit of a hurry.

Is something wrong?　Master."

Dadaan nodded gravely to Thor, who appeared as if he had heard them talking.

"I'm sorry, but something has happened to my uncle. But this is a good opportunity, and I am sorry to impose, but will you come to the temple of the court now?

Thor reads the meaning of these words and quickly turns his attention to Ulill.

For a moment, the ash-eared woman looked at him sternly, and then she shook the tips of her ears slightly.

"I am sorry, but as a priest of the Temple of Quest, I cannot enter the forbidden areas of the other temples. Only Thor and Sora are allowed to ......."

"Yes, sir."

Please take care of Mr. Mumm for me.

Dadan, who had been watching Thor and the others nodding at each other firmly, lowered his tone of voice a little and concluded the conversation.

"By the way, I don't mean to be rude, but I'd appreciate it if you could wrap up a few of those apple cakes for me. No, actually, I've been asked to do something for you. What's that look in your eyes, Toll?

Thor and his friends hurriedly got into the carriage and headed for the court temple.

On the way, they asked Dadaan to explain the details of the situation.

"It seems that my uncle, the head of the Temple of Zazam, tried to sneak the little one into the temple. The twins contacted me.

"I didn't know that. I wonder... were you good friends with the Kikiriri and the others?

"I don't do much work, but I'm the director of the Adventurers' Bureau, so I know him well.

According to Dadan, he had been planning to let Thor and the others choose what to do for some time.

However, Zazam, the head of the temple, did not agree, and there were frequent arguments.

So he secretly asked the twins to watch over them to make sure that their stubborn uncle would not try to slip through the cracks.

"Whatever the case may be, the decision should be his. But don't you think it's wrong to let a young child decide?

They pass through the inner gate in an instant, without being blamed, and arrive at the court temple in less than ten minutes.

As they disembarked from the carriage, waiting for them was Moe, who was being held by the twins and licking a large piece of candy on a stick in a good mood.

The moment he saw Thor, the child's eyes lit up and he jumped down from Nenemimi's arms and ran to her.

"Tor, are you sure?　Moo, I'm so worried. Do you want some rain?"

That's my line.

Thor picks up the child who is pushing candy into his face and bows to the twins.

"You've been a big help to us, haven't you? Thank you."

"No, I'm looking forward to seeing how you repay me."

"Mmm, smells good, Lili."

"Oh, it's an apple jam pie. Yuril-san said we should all eat it together.

Sola lifts the still-warm package, but then Moe's head rushes toward her and dips mercilessly into her abdomen.

Without a sign of concern for the cowering girl, the child holds the package high in the air.

Moo's snack!　Thank you, Sora-ne-chan."

"Uh-uh, you're welcome."

"What are you keeping all to yourself, silly? You heard me. I said "all of you".

"Okay, just a little bit."

What's with the finger? You mean a slice?

"So, this much?"

"Why do you only lift half your fingers? Why do you lift at least two fingers?

"Kee-nee-chan is so vain..."

"Which is it?

Just as the atmosphere seemed to be filled with a noisy yet peaceful atmosphere, the doors of the temple opened majestically to reveal an old man with a long beard.

The figure, clad in magnificent purple vestments, stared at Thor and the others.

He then turns his sharp gaze on the bald-headed old man, who is one of his own people.

"Was it you, Dadan?"

The temple head of Zazam let out a slow sigh at the sight of his nephew, who merely nodded at him.

Then he turned on his heel, giving orders.

"Follow me. I will show you the way."

It was only a short statement, but Thor and the others obeyed without a word.

In the corridor at the end of the chapel, there was a series of doors similar to the ones in the chapel.

Zazam opened one of them carelessly.

Beyond the door was a spiral staircase leading to the basement.

The group quietly follows Zazam as he walks holding up a magic stone lamp.

The air that filled the staircase was so heavy that even light talk was not allowed.

I must have walked for nearly 20 minutes.

At the end of the stairway was a large open space.

There were several stone lanterns and candles placed along the walls, so there was no lack of visibility.

The first thing that catches the eye is the strange figure that sits in the center of the room.

It must have been larger than a carriage.

Its black fur was covered with distinctive purple stripes.

Its body was curled up gracefully, and only the tip of its long tail moved gracefully.

It was a huge beast.

Next to a face that could swallow a child whole was an old woman in a wrinkled dress.

Her long hair was tied up in a bun, and her complexion was surprisingly white.

Her pupils seemed to have lost their color, but a faint purple tint remained in them.

The old woman looks at Toll and the others in surprise.

"Oh my, it's been a long time since we had a visitor..."

The old woman who spoke the words of welcome had a shiny, luminous collar around her neck.