"So this is the mission target—the Flame Chrysalis?"
Kurose Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, finally understanding why Loserine had been drawn to this thing.
And what's more—the Flame Phoenix Butterfly inside the Flame Chrysalis…It can be tamed?
A pet?
At that moment, Loserine slowly raised both hands. A gentle blue radiance of magical energy drifted from her palms, floating unhurriedly toward the Flame Chrysalis.
Just as Kurose Akira was puzzling over her actions, the next scene made his gaze sharpen instantly.
From within the Flame Chrysalis emerged a wisp of blue-luminescent soul light, drifting through the air above the endless sea of fire.
"Loserine's third memory fragment? Why is it here?"Kurose Akira frowned deeply, utterly confused by what he was seeing.
Then, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.
"My aunt once defeated a witch's apostle here—a terrifying monster powerful enough to destroy an entire city: the Flame-Threaded Demon Phoenix Butterfly. And it was that very battle that made the woman named Loserine the strongest Vowbound Knight in centuries."
Kurose Akira turned his head. Roxia had appeared behind them at some point without him noticing.
"When did you start following us?" he asked curiously.
Come to think of it, this special mission didn't seem to have a clearly defined client.Or perhaps the client had no intention of appearing in person at all.
"From the moment you arrived in Sunset City, knights reported it to me. I followed you the whole way," Roxia said as she stepped in front of Kurose Akira. "At first, I didn't understand why you would enter the dungeon. Now it seems… it has something to do with my aunt."
A faint fragrance drifted into Kurose Akira's nose, making his brow lift slightly.
Roxia's natural scent seemed stronger than before. As for whether it truly attracted monsters… he had his doubts. Causing a full-scale beast tide just from body fragrance alone sounded absurd no matter how he thought about it.
That aside, there was something more urgent to deal with.
"Loserine, wait for now."
At his command, Loserine's steps gradually came to a halt.
As the guildmaster, she still obeyed Kurose Akira's instructions, forcefully suppressing the trembling of her soul. She stood there, eyes shimmering as she looked at him—like a small dog eagerly waiting for its owner to feed it.
After temporarily restraining Loserine, Kurose Akira turned his attention back to Roxia.
He noticed she was staring at him with a rather strange expression.
"What's with that look?" he asked.
"It's nothing," Roxia shook her head, though inwardly she was stunned.That once-glorious aunt of hers… was actually being this obedient and docile in front of a man?
"You just said Loserine once defeated a witch's apostle here?" Kurose Akira continued.
"Yes." Roxia nodded. "You've never read Sunset City's children's magazines? My aunt's legendary exploits are everywhere—slaying the Fire Butterfly, cleaving the Earth Dragon, executing the Giant Troll, and so on."
"Children's magazines?"Kurose Akira's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
Still, being immortalized as a legendary hero was exciting no matter the medium.
Especially when you became part of an entire generation's childhood.
"So the thing inside the Flame Chrysalis… is that Flame-Threaded Demon Phoenix Butterfly?" he asked.
"Yes." Roxia explained, "The butterfly my aunt defeated didn't die. Instead, it fell into a deep slumber. The chrysalis it became couldn't be broken by anyone, so it was left here. But for some reason, its flames have recently been growing increasingly violent."
"..."
Kurose Akira shot Roxia a sidelong glance.You really have no idea why, do you?
"So you're saying that even when she was alive… Loserine couldn't break the Flame Chrysalis?"
"Yes." Roxia nodded solemnly. "The flames were far too brutal, and the chrysalis's surface was as hard as steel. Even my aunt couldn't crack it open."
"That's troublesome."
Kurose Akira frowned slightly, staring at the Flame Chrysalis in the distance.
Loserine had been at least level 30 when she was alive—and even she couldn't break it?
Yet the recommended level for this special mission was only level 15. By all logic, it shouldn't have been this difficult.
"Ever since my aunt defeated it, the Flame Chrysalis has remained here," Roxia continued. "But we weren't just standing by waiting for it to hatch. We prepared a means to deal with it."
"A way to deal with it?"
A glint of pale light flashed in Kurose Akira's eyes.
"Yes." Roxia nodded. "We obtained an Ice Shard, a crystallization of magic essence from an Icefield Snow Maiden. It's powerful enough to completely destroy the Flame Chrysalis."
"Where is it?"
"It will arrive tomorrow."
"I see." Kurose Akira rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
With Roxia's help, this mission suddenly seemed much easier.
However…
His gaze shifted back to the Flame Chrysalis.
The massive cocoon pulsed rhythmically, the life inside it seemingly desperate to burst free.
If he wanted to tame the Demon Phoenix Butterfly within… then rejecting Roxia's proposal might be necessary.
Forget it. He'd decide when the time came.
At the very least, he currently had no good way to deal with the Demon Phoenix Butterfly—and the taming probability was a pitiful 0.1%.
"I… want to get a little closer."
Loserine's soft voice drifted over.
"Get a little closer?"Kurose Akira was puzzled by her initiative. Was it because she urgently wanted that memory fragment?
Then again, the flames wouldn't really hurt her anyway.
"Go ahead—but be careful."
"Mm." Loserine replied softly and stepped forward.
The instant her foot touched the ground, raging flames erupted outward from the chrysalis, pouring across the surroundings like a tidal wave.
In the blink of an eye, everything within a one-kilometer radius was swallowed by a sea of fire.
"Aunt!"
Roxia's heart clenched at the sight, worry flashing across her face.
"Don't worry. She'll be fine," Kurose Akira reassured her quickly.
Because Loserine possessed the Crystallized Body trait, she was completely immune to elemental magic. Those flames couldn't harm her at all.
And more than that—
[Your adventurer Loserine is absorbing a memory fragment…][Water Sprite is resisting flame erosion! Mana purity increased by 0.1%…]
"Is this… an unexpected bonus?"Kurose Akira's eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected the Demon Phoenix Butterfly's flames to be usable for refining the Water Sprite's mana.
"Th-this…"Roxia stared wide-eyed, utterly stunned.
Those were flames capable of melting steel—yet her aunt Loserine stood within them completely unharmed?
Had becoming undead actually made her aunt… even stronger?
"Let's leave for now. She'll need to stay here for quite a while," Kurose Akira said as he turned away.
Judging from the speed at which the Water Sprite's purity was increasing, it would take at least several hours.
He wasn't worried about Loserine's safety. The Demon Phoenix Butterfly wouldn't hatch in the next few days, no monsters would appear here—and even if they did, none would dare enter this inferno.
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted to the Yerman Family's castle.
"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~"
A nightingale-like melody drifted through the air as Natasha carefully prepared sweets for afternoon tea.
Kurose Akira sat upright at the table, with Ivsha seated beside him.
"Please try these—made them myself~"Natasha brought over a box of exquisitely crafted desserts and set it on the tea table.
"Thank you,"Kurose Akira smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the sweets.
Plates of vividly colored cakes, cookies, and assorted pastries filled the table. Each piece was delicately made, visually enticing. Still, Kurose Akira wasn't particularly fond of this kind of food—he preferred fresh, savory meat.
"Kurose Akira~ please have some tea~"Natasha poured him a cup of richly aromatic tea.
He lifted the teacup, about to take a light sip—
But for some reason, the fragrance felt strangely familiar.
As if he'd smelled it somewhere before…