Spirit Magic.
Putting aside the fact that very few can master it, once you succeed, you’ll be able to control a number of spirits that rival an army.
These spirits possess exceptional search capabilities, easily handling any detection abilities.
Thus, Liana also participated in the search.
Of course, it wasn’t because anyone forced her, but rather she volunteered herself.
The place turned upside down with Ha-yul’s disappearance, and it was no different in Shio-ram.
The news struck Atra, who taught Ha-yul, and Liana, the supervising professor, like a bolt from the blue.
Especially Atra…
“Ugh, ugh…”
She was completely exhausted trying to calm herself down.
Liana was shocked too, but seeing the person next to her foam at the mouth was quite something…
Anyway, after calming Atra down, Liana set off to search in China.
China was vast. No matter how skilled a sensor was or how many spirits Liana commanded, searching the entire land would be a daunting task.
There was no need to check everywhere.
The position was specified.
Near the border of Hua Bei and Dong Bei, the location where the Two-Headed Dragon was defeated was also pinpointed.
There were testimonies from Ji-yeon, the heir of Taesan, who faced the Two-Headed Dragon alongside Ha-yul.
She seemed to have suffered a lot mentally, not to mention the physical injuries, but just before passing out, she provided information about the dungeon Ha-yul entered.
Liana scattered her spirits in a large area and searched thoroughly.
In the process, she successfully located what seemed to be the entrance to the dungeon described by Ji-yeon.
Contrary to Ji-yeon’s account, there was no fog, but within a cave in the cliff, Liana discovered the entrance to the dungeon.
For some reason, she couldn’t enter, but a few days later, when the entrance opened, she hurried inside.
The interior of the dungeon was a bit different from the testimony.
The reported dense fog… was actually a clean space without a trace of haze.
There was supposed to be a glowing, dreamy lake… but it was different.
There were signs where the lake used to be. Instead, a deep pit lay exposed as if the water had vanished.
In the center of the pit was a strange, pure white child.
The moment Liana saw the child, her thoughts froze.
The child radiated an otherworldly aura that made even Liana momentarily gape in awe.
With hair as white as snow and skin with a rosy hue, even covered in dust, it looked exquisite.
Three gigantic pairs of blue wings were draped over the small frame as it wriggled on the ground.
A child… it resembled the fairy Liana had seen before.
Actually, saying it resembled a fairy might even be an understatement.
In Liana’s eyes, that was simply a fairy.
Although it had changed significantly… there were many similarities to Ha-yul.
Above all, those wings were the artifact that Ha-yul used to wear.
Why there was a small arm prosthetic on its left arm, fitting for its tiny frame… was a mystery…?
‘Wait, isn’t that an artifact?’
And it was clearly a high-level one at that.
…So, that child is Ha-yul.
Liana rushed over to Ha-yul and performed the proper procedures.
She checked for consciousness, removed the dust-covered rags that were useless as even a floor cloth, and wrapped a soft blanket around him.
She used basic recovery spells for first aid.
Then she slowly fed him a vitality recovery potion that wouldn’t strain the patient’s body.
And then…
“You held on well. Now let’s go outside─”
– Crack…
“─to. Huh?!”
Her chest was grabbed.
.
.
.
Liana shut her mouth tight.
The embarrassingly squeaky sound that slipped out of her mouth was nothing compared to the strange sensation coursing down her spine, spreading through her waist.
It was something truly hard to describe.
Liana trembled and glanced down.
Her chest was visible. Her legs were hidden, as always.
She could see pure white hair.
The young Ha-yul, resembling a spoiled child, had buried his face deep into Liana’s chest.
She understood.
Even in this state, Liana knew that Ha-yul was not the type to shy away from affection.
That child had been alone in this dungeon for the past few days.
Physically smaller and unable to move properly… he had been crawling on the floor.
In a place where it was difficult to find anything to eat, it was no surprise to think that his mental state must have been devastated.
As expected, Ha-yul whined and squirmed deeper into her embrace.
So Liana, without a second thought, opened her arms to him. She embraced him tightly to provide warmth and gently patted his head and back to soothe him.
In all these thoughts, she had not expected to have her chest grabbed.
– Squeeze…
“Uh, um… Ha-yul, you…?”
Ha-yul kept groping her chest.
She was slow to notice, but what had once been a burned hand was now healed.
Of course, even so, the hand was tiny compared to her chest. Thanks to that, his fingers sank deeply into the substantial flesh.
A little pudge peeked out between his cute fingers.
Liana’s face flushed at the sight and the unfamiliar sensations from her chest.
It was an image she had never imagined.
She had never thought her chest would be touched so openly by someone else.
She hurriedly pulled away the groping hand. She was surprisingly careful, fearing it might get hurt.
“Y-yo, you shouldn’t just touch a woman’s chest without permission…”
Liana continued her clumsy admonishment.
She had never raised a child. Naturally, she had no idea how to chastise a kid who had made such a mistake.
Of course, Ha-yul wasn’t actually a child, but considering his upbringing and current state, he resembled one so closely.
She poked Ha-yul’s nose and tried to sound strict.
– Eeeeng…
[No, I don’t want to…]
Ha-yul whined at her clumsy reprimand.
The hand that had brought him happiness suddenly felt empty.
A bursts of sadness welled up. The warmth of affection flared, heating up her heart.
Yet her thoughts were frozen, as if some parts were completely locked away.
Such strangeness made her reasoning become hazy again.
Ha-yul pouted, burying his face again in her chest.
Soon his breath became regular.
“Uh, ah? Wait a second. You can’t sleep now…”
Liana shook her body in a panic, seeing how his breathing suggested he might fall asleep at any moment.
She had prepared several types of medicine, assuming Ha-yul could not send a signal of his return due to a grave injury.
So far, she had only given him a basic vitality recovery potion.
Most importantly, the monster Ha-yul had struggled with was the Two-Headed Dragon, which dealt with potent toxins and diseases.
Of course, the extent of the disease was unknown, and it seemed fine for now, but she had prepared every antidote available, just in case something might arise later.
All of that had to be administered while he was still conscious.
[Tired…]
[Warm…]
[Good…]
[Cozy…]
“Ha-yul? Baby? You can’t sleep. You have to eat your medicine before you sleep…”
Liana shook the drowsy Ha-yul carefully and tried to gently lift his head from her chest.
Even with her efforts, Ha-yul’s consciousness seemed to sink further into dreamland.
Ha-yul looked remarkably drained. It wouldn’t be strange if he lost consciousness at that point.
“I need to feed him the medicine as quickly as I can…”
Just when she contemplated whether to feed him while he was half-asleep.
Liana suddenly remembered that just moments ago, Ha-yul had shown distinctly sharp awareness.
So… the way he was concentrating while groping her chest…
“……”
Liana’s mind briefly raced. As blunt as they might seem, any thoughts she had were not wholly unwelcome.
In fact, Liana felt no aversion to Ha-yul touching her. It was just that she had been surprised by the suddenness of it; she didn’t find it unpleasant at all.
“Hmm… Y-you know…”
Liana found herself truly having no choice. To feed him the medicine quickly even for a second longer, she reluctantly nodded her head and offered her breast to the hand of the dozing child.
Ha-yul flinched, and his fingers continued to knead and grasp.
“Ugh…”
As she trembled at the strange sensation, she quickly took out her various medicines in fear that Ha-yul might fall asleep again.
.
.
.
[Rescue subject (Ha-yul) found and emergency procedures completed. Heading towards the nearest city.]
[Would you like to transmit to the special communication network (WE3-32)?]
[Yes/No]
She pressed down.
The hologram flickered, and the message sent.
“…Some might still confirm it.”
The nearby gray area had always had poor magical wave conditions.
Furthermore, as dungeons were simultaneously overflowing and monsters, summons, and superhumans were rampaging around, the magical waves had become even more chaotic.
Because of that, signal reception could be hindered, making it harder to transmit properly, but she still had to send it.
“I’m exhausted…”
It was deep into the night.
The sky was dark, but in a clearing made by cutting down a few trees, instead of a campfire, a heat magic tool had been set up.
Apart from that, modest safety measures took the last of her remaining strength.
Leaning against the thick tree, Liana finally let out a deep sigh, stretching her body.
Thanks to the heat magic tool, it was warm enough even in the night, and the surroundings were pleasantly cozy, possibly because of the orange hue like a sunset.
After feeding Ha-yul all the medicine and quickly moving towards the nearest city, night had fallen.
Though Liana could still move at night, she felt quite tired.
She had been just as shocked by the news of Ha-yul’s disappearance.
It was Liana who calmed down Atra, who had been going crazy with worry, and it was she who had tirelessly devoted herself to the search for the past few days without taking a single breath.
Her stamina and mental energy had been consumed.
Even considering that, Liana was still sufficiently capable of activity. The problem lay elsewhere.
– Huuul…
[Happy]
[Happy]
[Warm body…]
“……”
The pattern of warm breaths regularly brushing against her cleavage. The satisfying sensation that filled her embrace…
Liana subtly glanced down.
There was Ha-yul, nestled comfortably, as if her arms belonged solely to him, sound asleep.
Ha-yul was undoubtedly a patient. A child who had deteriorated, losing years due to the mystery of his unfortunate situation, one whose symptoms were still unclear.
Carrying that child and continuing to move without rest would be an excessively strenuous schedule.
Because of that, Liana intended to take a break as well and planned to spend the night in that spot.
She took a moment to check on Ha-yul. In her view, he was buried with his face into her chest, fast asleep.
Liana wore a strange expression as she brushed his hair back.
‘Oh…’
Without knowing it, she let out a gasp. Though she had felt this since before, the already delightful sensation intensified even further.
It was unbelievably addictive. If she didn’t control herself, she felt she could hug him and stroke him all day long.
[Like to pet]
[Happy…]
[Cozy…]
The notifications ticking in her necklace regarding their emotional states felt pretty adorable.
She spread her sleeping bag on the ground.
The floor of the boundary she had cast was unaffected by the cold winds.
She had installed security spells, and many spirits were vigilantly watching for any possible danger.
She laid down onto the soft sleeping bag. The snug Ha-yul settled into her embrace.
Ha-yul rested his head on Liana’s arm, burrowing deeply into her warmth.
[So fluffy…]
Her heart melted at his adorably spoiled behavior, causing a warm smile to appear on her face naturally.
She gently patted his back.
Even as he slept, it seemed the enjoyable sensations affected him; he let out a soft purring sound, eliciting a quiet chuckle from her.
“…You’re quite something.”
Liana mumbled, touching Ha-yul’s cheek.
Liana was a retired hero.
She had graduated as the top of her academy in her district and had maintained the first rank in her class at Shio-ram for four straight years.
Immediately after graduation, she crossed over to the demon realm and spent her days being a valuable asset until she retired due to an injury.
She could have chosen not to retire.
It was true she was injured. The demon realm was a perilous place, and Liana might easily have sustained injuries herself.
Yet her injury had not been severe. It did not impact her abilities in the slightest; a minor injury that, with a little healing, could be completely cured without aftereffects.
Liana had been contemplating returning to the front lines.
– The Vice-Principal of Shio-ram, Venus Litera here. If you have a moment, could I borrow you for a brief chat?
While Liana was preparing to return, the Vice-Principal of Shio-ram paid her a visit.
Though not as secluded as the reclusive principal, the Vice-Principal rarely engaged in external activities, directly coming to visit.
Intrigued, Liana accepted the conversation and received a proposal.
She accepted the offer.
Thus, she took on the role of a first-year professor at Shio-ram… precisely, the role of Ha-yul’s supervising professor.
“Hmm…”
As she caressed the child’s cheek, she felt quite good.
His skin was as soft as a freshly steamed bun, making him delightful to touch endlessly.
Having him in her arms felt great. This feeling of fulfillment filled her, big or small, past or present.
This isn’t just about now.
Strangely enough, it had felt this way from the very first meeting.
Liana couldn’t shake off the feeling of an inexplicable warmth and fondness emanating from Ha-yul.
Now she understood somewhat why that was.
‘Fairy.’
Fairies are similar to spirits. To be precise, they are considered a higher race than spirits.
Regardless, they are somewhat kin on the species level.
Liana was a spirit mage. She was innately attuned to spirits, who also felt a familiarity with her, making contracts easier.
It wasn’t odd for her to feel a sense of closeness toward Ha-yul, who appeared fairy-like.
Of course, even considering that, she held a much stronger sense of warmth and fondness compared to the fairies she had met previously and the fairy child, I-seo-yul.
– You, Liana the Hero, will surely attain what you desire.
“…What I desire…”
Liana tilted her head in confusion.
What does she want? Wishes? Dreams? Or perhaps a goal.
She had no particularly special aspirations or goals she yearned to achieve.
Simply living in peace and safety without any threats would suffice.
Later, it would be nice to buy some land and build a log cabin, brewing coffee to enjoy at leisure in a rocking chair before a primitive fireplace while reading a book.
It was an ordinary dream; not too difficult.
For Liana, who had accumulated more than enough money and fame, it should be simple.
Unless the world suddenly faced annihilation, of course.
The night grew deeper.
“…Should I take off the prosthetic?”
It would be wise to restore her arm…
Liana spent the night enveloped in her thoughts while also offering her embrace to Ha-yul.
*
[Player Correction System: Measurement]
…
▶Mental State
「Fairy(?)」: ?
「Uh?」: ?
…
[Player Correction System: Affinity]
Ha-yul → Liana Velus
●●●●●●●○○○ (71▶74/100)
「Affinity」 「Gratitude」 「Kind Adult」 「Soft」 「Warmth」
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