Adelheid and Samira left the weapons room and headed towards where the rest of the group was— the living room. The moment they opened the door, everyone’s heads turned to look at them. Though a few of them stared at Samira, most of them had their attention on Adelheid. The silver beauty made her way towards the fireplace and stood in front of it, while Samira stayed near the door.
“Sorry for the wait,” Adelheid began as she lifted the black cat that was rubbing itself against her legs into her arms. “Let’s get to business, shall we? I would like to introduce you to someone.”
A man with piercing azure eyes appeared beside Adelheid. His gray robes resembled those you’d see on mages in those medieval fantasy webcomics— with a multitude of layers and intricate designs. He held a staff in his right hand, while a blue snake peeked out of his left sleeves, coiling itself around his slender hand.
“Good afternoon; my name is Helier Khachatur,” the man introduced himself. The aura that surrounded him was gentle and welcoming, allowing him to win over the crowd quickly. “I am the tower keeper of Khachatur’s Tower— the first place you’ll be going to expand your skills and possibly obtain a Warden. Once you complete the tower, you’ll receive a reward.”
“You may complete the tower as many times as you’d like, however, you will only receive the personalized reward once. You will receive a more thorough explanation at the tower by a Guide, so I’ll keep mine short,” Helier said. “The tower is comprised of seven floors, one of which is the lobby. On each floor, there will be a different objective to improve your skills. If a Warden is interested in you, they will approach you and take you to a safe zone. If a contract is formed, the Warden will be able to assist you.”
Samira locked eye contact with Adelheid, who sported a dazzling smile for everyone. The necklace around Samira’s neck— specifically the charm— pulsated with warmth. The university student held the necklace through her shirt.
『I still don’t know if this was a good idea or not.』Samira thought as she averted her gaze away from her Warden. She glanced over towards the crowd of civilians. Though no one was saying anything, Samira could see the cloud of concern that was hovering above them.
“The Guides of the tower are also responsible for your safety, so if they deem it too dangerous for you, they will interfere with the trial,” Helier reassured.
「The 【Archives】skill has been activated.」
「Helier, the Apostle of Emotions, has activated his skill【Heartfelt Solace】」
Samira flinched at the golden screen with crimson text that suddenly appeared in front of her. 『This is going to take some time to get used to…』
#
“The most important skill you received is the【Archives】. It’s what makes you special,” Adelheid stated as soon as they completed the contract. The golden butterfly tattoo on her neck was now accompanied by sunflowers, proof that the contract had been completed. “As a Contractor who’s affiliated with the Apostle of Knowledge, you will gain knowledge or ‘insight’ on this world.”
Samira stared at the gold screen. “This…all these skills are pretty overpowered…”
“You’ve read nearly all of Reverie’s works— you deserve this at the very least.”
“I did that because I enjoyed reading what she wrote.”
“I know.” Adelheid grinned. “That’s exactly why, and as much as I’d like to keep talking about your amazing new abilities, it’s about time we head over to the living room. I can’t keep our special guest waiting for much longer.”
“Special guest?”
Adelheid’s eyes glistened with mirth. “You’ll know soon enough.”
#
In all honesty, Samira didn’t know what to expect from Adelheid. The silver beauty was someone with a seemingly infinite number of connections. She was related to the Apostle of Knowledge, providing her a fair share of non-human relations, and she had her finger wrapped around the underworld, placing the mafia and other groups at her mercy. Despite that, Samira didn’t think that the special guest would be Helier.
From what she recalled, Adelheid and Helier didn’t have any direct interactions with one another. It was strange to see them in the same room, standing beside one another. However, judging by the fact that one was an apostle while the other was a favored family member of another apostle, their connection should be obvious— expected even.
“Miss Cloudburst,” A gentle voice called out to Samira, and her vision was filled with gray. Samira shifted her gaze away from the gold screen to the man’s face. Due to their proximity, she could see the scale-like design in Helier’s azure irises. A sign of his status as the Apostle of Emotions.
“Hi,” Samira greeted the man, who smiled in return.
“Here is your pass,” Helier said as he held out a small box. Samira accepted it, and carefully opened it to examine the contents. It was a bracelet shaped like a snake. “Wear it before you enter the tower. Though someone affiliated with an Apostle would receive a different entrance pass, Adelheid informed me beforehand that you would prefer to go through the tower as a normal participant.”
“Thank you for listening to Adelheid’s request…I appreciate it.”
“Something like this is not an issue at all.” Helier bowed his head. “Then, I shall take my leave.”
“Thanks again.”
Helier nodded his head before leaving her to her own devices. Samira continued to examine the bracelet, admiring its intricate design.
「【Azure Serpent Bracelet】 is mainly comprised of titanium; the serpent’s eyes are made with blue sapphires known as the Witch’s Drop.Due to its magical properties, it will adjust its size according to the wearer.This is the entry pass to Khachatur’s Tower.There are various methods in obtaining this item.No additional information is available at the moment. 」
Samira didn’t react as the golden screen reappeared in her face. Instead, she diligently read the information that had been provided to her. It wasn’t particularly useful, however, Samira wasn’t the type to just read things solely out of necessity. Once she was done reading, she closed the box and held it in her hand. There wasn’t anything else she could do, since she didn’t have any place to store it.
“Helier,” Adelheid said as she saw the man walking towards her. The apostle had just finished handing everyone a bracelet. “Will you be returning to the tower?”
“Yes, as I shouldn’t stay away for too long,” Helier responded. “Especially since Lasimonne and Sosthenes aren’t there to watch the tower. It leaves Elouan quite anxious, since he’s alone.” The snake on Helier’s arm flicked its tongue out at Adelheid.
“Asteria’s a guide too, so she was probably outside of the tower. It’s a pity, it would’ve been nice to talk to you for a while longer.”
Helier chuckled, “Yes, it is quite unfortunate. However, we will meet again once you and your Warden complete the tower. We can talk then.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Likewise, Miss Fairy.”
In a gentle breeze of air, Helier vanished. Adelheid fixed her hair before loudly clearing her throat, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “This safe zone will remain for another thirteen hours, so I recommend that you get some rest. I will take you to the guest rooms, where everyone can freshen up.”
#
The guest wing of Adelheid’s mansion, the place they were at, was a bit different from the rest of the building. While the walls and floors were still made of white marble, the decorations were colorful compared to the neutral ornaments that adorned the rest of the house. Vases of fresh flowers and portraits covered in numerous hues livened the place right up. It was clear the crowd was astonished by the sheer luxury.
“Feel free to choose any room you’d like— they’re not that much different from one another,” Adelheid announced as she stopped to look at everyone. “I’ve already set up a timer in each room so you know when the safe zone deactivates.”
Samira watched as everyone chose a room.
“If you aren’t going to grab a room here, shall I take you somewhere else?” Adelheid asked.
“Somewhere else?” Samira questioned.
“I’m sure you’ll love it.”
#
The place Adelheid took Samira was in the main residential wing. Samira initially thought Adelheid was going to take her to her bedroom, however, they had gone to the kitchen instead. After making Samira sit down at the island, Adelheid moved on to the fridge and pulled out some ingredients.
“Are you making something to eat?” Samira asked.
“I certainly wouldn’t be in the kitchen to get a change of clothes,” Adelheid responded in a teasing tone as she pulled out an assortment of vegetables. “I thought it was unfortunate that your lunch had ended so abruptly. Not to mention, those steaks were quite sad looking.”
“Sad looking…they were almost forty dollars a piece…”
“That’s even more pitiful!” Adelheid gasped. “I’ll whip something up real quick— my lovely Cloudburst shouldn’t be fed anything except the best!”
〔You deserve everything in the world, jiejie. Especially…〕
“You really don’t have to do that for me, Adelheid… I ate enough earlier.”
Despite her words, Adelheid continued to slice and dice the vegetables she took out of the fridge. Samira sighed— there was no way to convince Adelheid to do anything aside from what she wanted. The university student watched Adelheid as she cooked, admiring how the older woman moved in a sophisticated manner. It was almost like watching a professional chef, though far more casual.
The plate of food placed before Samira glistened as if it was a masterpiece made by a dedicated artist. No— that’s exactly what it was. Samira wasn’t sure if she could stomach something so beautiful, even if it was only a steak with some vegetables. Doubt clawed at her stomach.
“Don’t think so hard about it.” A knife and fork appeared to cut the steak. Adelheid’s movements remained elegant as she cut through the medium-rare meat. The blade went through the cooked flesh as if it was soft butter. Once she was done, Adelheid lifted the fork up to Samira’s lips. “Here, try it.”
Samira ended up finishing whole plate, though she was a bit flustered by the hand feeding. It was such a surreal experience— to have someone care for her like this. She couldn’t really remember a time where her mother did this, though it could’ve been due to her memory retention as a child. Regardless, Samira found herself nursing the half a glass of red wine as Adelheid shifted her attention to washing the dishes.
“You’re doing it by hand?” Samira questioned as she watched Adelheid dispense dish soap onto the sponge.
“I like to keep my cleaning skills up~. You never know when you need to scrub something out. Blood can be especially fussy,” Adelheid answered as she scrubbed the skillet. “It’s a waste of money if I had to throw out every article of clothing after I finish a mission.”
Samira recalled the monster that Adelheid slaughtered earlier. An Ephialtes, she called them. 『Adelheid described them as creatures of the other world, and since all otherworldly beings I’ve met are from Reverie’s stories, that would have to mean that they came from something of hers…but I don’t remember any of her stories containing these ugly things. 』
Reverie only wrote about those with beauty. Her characters were ethereal or majestic in some way or another. Their physical appearances would never be described as gnarly or disfigured. That’s why she found the Ephialtes interesting, especially if they were Reverie’s. Those creatures were closer to what Samira found idealistic as characters— Lovecraftian horror-esque in nature.
That’s why Samira felt a little anxious. 『Reverie writes anything that comes to mind, so it’s not unlikely, but that Ephialtes was a bit out on left field. She does read and watch a lot of horror media, so maybe the monsters were just amalgamations of those, and she decided to use them. She did have a more grotesque dream a couple days ago that she told me about… Either way, it would be easier to figure out if I got more information— I’m not sure if Adelheid would be willing to tell me more though… 』
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