CH 76

Alice: 「…So this is the castle where the Evil God lived?」

Alice said as she looked at the wall that stood a few meters in front of her.

Serena: 「We wouldn’t have arrived here without Elt. I really didn’t know there was such a place near the village…」

Serena gave her a complicated look.

About a kilometer before entering the castle grounds, Marie informed us about the presence of a barrier. According to her explanation, it seems to spread out in a circle around the castle, and creatures instinctively can’t get close to this area.

She had noticed it when she came here before, but this time she approached it from a different direction and was convinced because she saw a barrier reaction at a similar distance.

If it was just us, we could get in as usual, but Serena, Alicia, and Alice were here too.

We couldn’t leave them in a place where powerful monsters roamed, so after some thought, we decided to break the barrier.

However, it seems that the barrier put up by the evil god is more powerful than any other ones we’ve seen so far, and even Marie can’t break it easily.

She even borrowed Alicia’s wand and managed to break it with all her strength.

Marie was exhausted from using all her strength, and now she had retreated to the back to sleep.

Serena: 「Let’s see, where do we enter?」

Serena was puzzled, looking at the large wall.

Alice: 「If we follow the wall, we should find a gate, so let’s go find that first.」

Serena: 「This is where I can use the ring…?」

After a short walk, the gate came into view. Considering the position between the elf village and the Evil God’s castle, it would be the gate where I had escaped before.

Beyond this gate, there should be a trees with status-enhancing fruits growing on them.

Alicia: 「But how do we use it?」

Alicia tilted her head. There was no such thing as a keyhole in the gate, and she didn’t know how to use it.

Alice: 「Is there a secret code? “Great challenger. Enter!”, something like that?」

Alice puzzled over the question and said it in a strained voice. It seems that she has been reading and studying books for a long time, so she might not be guessing.

When Serena touches the gate with her hand and pulls it, looking for the keyhole…….

–Gogogogogogogo–

Alicia: 「No way! You can’t be right!?」

The gate began to open in front of me.

After a while, the gate opened completely.

Elt: 「I don’t think it’s thanks to the secret code…」

I’m sure it’s because Serena, who has the ring, approached it. Otherwise, it would mean that it could be opened with a password.

Serena: 「It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get inside.」

We stepped into the Evil God’s castle when Serena urged us to do so.

Alice: 「So this is the Evil God’s castle. It’s more beautiful than I expected. I wonder how they take care of the garden?」

Alice looked around, assessing the castle.

Elt: 「Well, you know. I killed the evil god, and I’m not sure that evil god was taking care of the plants and trees in the first place…….」

It’s too bizarre to imagine him watering or pruning with a jug or shovel and scissors.

Marie: 『Perhaps he’s using some kind of magical device to take care of the garden. I can feel the power of the spirits bound to this place.』

Elt: 「Marie, have you recovered yet?」

Marie: 『I’m still tired. But I can do the bare minimum of work, like spotting enemies. I want you to be at ease.』

She’s saying that even though she’s tired.

Elt: 「All right, but don’t overdo it. You can rest here if you want.」

Marie: 『Yes. Master is kind after all. I love you.』

With those words, she fell silent.

Serena: 「Was it Marie?」

Serena asks me.

I guess she could tell that Marie and I were having a conversation.

Elt: 「It seems that the maintenance here is the work of a spirit bound by some kind of magic.」

Serena: 「I see… Could you release that spirit too?」

The elves treat the spirits as good neighbors. I raised an eyebrow when I heard that they were forced to be used and bound to this land even after the evil god was killed.

Elt: 「Well, when Marie recovers, I’ll see if I can do something about it.」

Serena: 「Elt, thank you!」

Serena then smiled broadly.

Since then, we’ve been harvesting status fruits, which was my original goal.

Serena, who was used to climbing trees, climbed up easily, picking up the fruit and passed it to Alicia below.

Alice: 「Elt, I’ll leave them here.」

Elt: 「Ah, thank you.」

In front of me was Alice, who was wearing clothes that were too tight against her skin because she had taken off her armor. It is said that despite the thin fabric, it has a high level of protection due to magic, but the exposure is poisonous to my eyes right now.

Alice: 「I’ve never climbed a tree before, but it’s fun. Can I go back and do it again?」

Elt: 「Don’t fall down and get hurt, okay?」

Alice: 「I’ll be fine, Elt-kun will take care of me…」

She winked at me and walked away. She said she was counting on me because I had healed her injuries before.

Elt: 「But still, for a princess, she’s very open…」

I stowed the fruit that Alice had brought me in my inventory.

I hadn’t intended to have her do all these chores, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so I guess I didn’t need to worry about it.

Elt: 「But how can she be so casual with me? On the contrary, it’s scary…」

As I muttered that thinking about it…

Marie: 『I think she’s a nice person. Marie had been watching.』

Marie was the one who spoke to me.