Chapter 165 - Rachel’s Research (1/2)

Daniela and I sat around the low table and waited for Rachel to come out.

“What now? It was very rude of you to disturb me like this…”

“Sorry. We were struggling with the use of the key.”

“Ah, I don’t believe I told you.”

And so Rachel instructed us on the use of the key. It was a magic tool with the dimension affinity. In fact, there was a small block of compressed dimension ore on the head of the key. I hadn’t even noticed it. Sending magic into the key and inserting it into space created a connection. We had found this out ourselves…

“This place is under my control. The magic contained in it, time, everything.”

“By that, you mean that time moves as you see fit?”

“It means just that. Usually, it is at a standstill. But I could accelerate it if I wanted.”

Like time travel…?

“I can jump to the past and the future! However, nothing changes even if I go back. And I am unable to do anything in the future.”

“What do you mean?”

The butterfly effect? Time paradox?

“I cannot get involved. If I change the flow of time and leave this place, my body remains here and my soul is thrown out into the world.”

“Huh. Creepy…”

“Well, it only takes a few minutes for the body to pull my soul back into it.”

It was still eerie. Like a ghost… I wondered what would happen if her soul didn’t return.

“In fact, I was in Lambrusen to do research on this very thing.”

“Ah, you mean the palace sourcerers.”

“I heard that a dragon vein with the dimension affinity flowed there.”

That caused me to look at Daniela. We didn’t say anything, but the same thoughts were likely running through our minds.

“Hm? What now? Why are you staring intently at each other…”

“The thing is… We have something to tell you about that dragon vein.”

“Let’s hear it then.”

And so I told her about what we found in the mines and the giant dimension ore we had found at the end. Rachel was even more interested than I would have imagined. She was even scribbling notes in a book. From what I could see, she was writing in Japanese.

“I see. So you descended quite deep… Hmm, I had heard about the stampede incident in Spiris, but did not think it important. Not that anyone was talking about it much. As it was just something that had been prevented.”

“Well, we were quite frantic at the time. And so we kept going, instead of returning to report it.”

“Yes, that was a great trial… Though, it was the return trip that was the hardest…”

Daniela and I said as we reminisced. It really had been horrible… We hadn’t known how to get back, and so Daniela had to blast through the ceiling with earth magic… Still, there were some fond memories.

“Who cares about any of that nonsense! I hope that you are not lying to me about this dimension ore?”

“Yeah, it’s there. I talked to Matsumoto about it, and we agreed to leave it. That’s also when I first heard about you.”

“Aye. Matsumoto said that the palace sorcerers might be able to do something about it, but that they could not leave the castle.”

“That is the result of a misunderstanding and we should leave it at that… But in any case, you have helped me decide my next destination. And for that, you have my thanks!”

Rachel stood up and there was a flash of light. In a second, she went from looking like an old man in odorous pajamas to an impressive witch. A tall, black hat and black robes. Jewels and chains could be seen as well. There were even bones dangling. The pin on her robe was shaped like a wolf.

“Is that a fenrir?”

“Yes. I am a fenrir, after all.”

“Cool…”

The name alone was cool… But there was a lot of weight behind it knowing that it took one thousand years. I wish I had good name…

“Hehe… Asagi. Do you like fenrir?”

“Hmm? Well, I won’t say that I don’t. I was a little obsessed with Norse mythology as a kid.”

“Hehehe… You must like me then?”

“Not really. But I don’t quite see you as a stranger either, since we’re both from Japan. And I don’t hate you. Still, you have to stop throwing me into the sky. I almost had a heart attack!”

I had forgotten about it until now, but that was horrible. In fact, complaining about it had been my main objective for coming here… These damn fenrir…

“No one cares about that!”

“What…”

“More importantly, Asagi. Why do you not quit being Beowulf’s thrall, and serve me instead?”

“Your thrall?”

“Yes. The wolf god. You can be a servant to a wolf god.”

They sounded similar, but these were wolves of completely different status. My skill would probably be overwritten, and I would have ‘Legs of the God Wolf,’ or something. And…it sounded pretty cool?