Chương 96: “Hands Off the Pug”

Eryndis hit the frozen ground with a heavy thud. Paimon had caught her mid-leap, grabbing the elf's ankle as she tried to vault sideways, and used the grip to swing her in a wide arc before slamming her into the ice. Eryndis's body went limp, her bow clattering out of her hand. Paimon stood over Eryndis for a moment, breathing hard. Her hands were on her knees and sweat was running down her temples despite the cold. She was annoyed; fighting two people who specialized in keeping distance had been exhausting.

Liana's barriers had been the real problem. Every time Paimon closed the gap, a translucent wall would materialize between them, forcing her to stop or break through it. And while she was dealing with the barrier, Eryndis would reposition and start firing from a new angle. Paimon had tried to go after Eryndis first. It seemed like the smarter choice, to take out the ranged attacker and then deal with the healer.

But the moment she changed targets, Liana would constantly interrupt her, causing Eryndis to easily fire another arrow. The elf was too agile to catch while the healer was actively shielding her. Every path Paimon took was blocked or redirected. So, she changed tactics. She went for Liana first.

The first punch that Paimon had thrown at Liana before the chase was barely effective, she casted a barrier between herself and the fist at the last instant, and when the punch connected through the cracking barrier, Liana use the remaining momentum to fly backward, using the distance to recover. After that, Paimon pushed forward through barrier after barrier, tanking arrows from Eryndis when she could not dodge them, until she finally caught Liana and forced her into a chokehold that eventually put her down.

Without the barriers, Eryndis was bound to be caught, though, it had still taken longer than Paimon wanted to finally catch her. Paimon straightened up, wiped her forehead with the back of her gauntlet, and turned around. Celestia was watching her from near the platform. Her spear was in her hand. Arthur was on the ground behind her, not moving. Paimon ran over and dropped to one knee, her head bowed.

"I apologize for the delay, Lady Celestia. It took longer than it should have."

"Be quicker next time." Paimon raised her head.

"Yes, Lady Celestia."

"And after you finish brewing a new batch of tea, bring Liana and Sir Ozy to the table." Paimon blinked but did not question the orders. She stood, bowed again, and moved toward the small table near the base of the platform where the teapot and cups were still set out. Celestia turned and walked past the throne. Behind it, set into the ice wall, was a door. The frame was carved from the same glacier material as the rest of the castle, and the door itself was a single slab of frosted ice, slightly ajar.

She pushed it open and stepped inside. The room beyond was small and bare. Indentations in the ice showed where chests had once sat, and faded grooves in the floor marked where heavier containers had been dragged out. Dust had settled into the cracks where the grooves met the wall, undisturbed for what looked like a long time. This had been a treasure room. Sadly, however, treasures did not respawn. Monsters and bosses came back after a set period, but loot such as these did not.

Tower climbers had cleaned this place out years ago, and once the treasure was gone, nobody had reason to enter this castle unless their trial specifically demanded it.

"Out." Celestia's voice rang out. A figure appeared as though he had been standing there the entire time. His arms were folded across his chest. He was a middle-aged man. Spectacles sat on the bridge of his nose, and his hair was combed neatly to one side. His clothing was plain but well-kept, pressed and buttoned to the collar. The only thing that undermined the neat appearance was the dark circles beneath his eyes, heavy and deep enough to suggest he had not slept properly in a very long time.

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"How many more days until the replacement comes?" Celestia asked. The man adjusted his spectacles.

"We've received our estimates. Everything will return to normal within a day."

"And the compensation for serving as the temporary floor boss?" The man's face showed displeasure as he looked at Celestia.

"Is it not your fault that this happened in the first place? For such an error to occur… do you understand how much work it has caused us?" He paused, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Why did you even bring that thing here?"

"Sir Ozy is my bonded elemental. It stands to reason that I can bring him to any floor I enter. Or have the rules of the Tower changed?" The man pointed a finger at her.

"You call that thing a mere elemental? Do you not know what it is?" His voice rose, composure cracking for the first time.

"Just its presence alone completely erased one of the memories of this floor." Celestia shrugged. However, one word caught her attention. She squinted slightly.

"You..." The man stopped himself. He took a deep breath, held it for a long moment, and exhaled slowly. The frustration was still on his face, but he had pulled it back under control. He adjusted his spectacles and sighed.

"Once the floor has been restored to its proper state," the man said, "you will, as compensation, be given the choice to retain one of the skills you received here." He paused.

"In addition, to prevent future mishaps such as this from occurring again, we have made concessions for your bonded elemental."

"Regarding my privileges, then?" she said.

"How do you know of such a—" He stopped. His brow smoothed, and he let out a shorter sigh.

"Nevermind. It must have been that indolent thing." He removed his spectacles, cleaned them with the hem of his sleeve, and placed them back on his nose.

"Your privileges will naturally increase as you climb the Tower."

"Oho…" Celestia produced a folding fan and snapped it open in a single motion, covering the lower half of her face. Above the edge, her crimson eyes curved. The man coughed before he straightened his posture.

"Are you certain that you would prefer not to part with your elemental bond?" He adjusted his spectacles.

"There may be a few adjustments required on our end, but I am confident that we can take better care of hi—""No." The fan lowered an inch.

"He is mine." The man stared into her eyes for a moment. Then he clicked his tongue and pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose with one finger.

"I have other matters to attend to," he said, his voice a bit disappointed.

"You will know when it is time to leave." He straightened and gave a short, formal bow.

"We look forward to your endeavors and wish for your success." He rose from the bow and then he was simply not there. The dust in the cracks along the floor had not been disturbed. Celestia closed the fan with a snap and tucked it away. The information she had now gave her a clearer picture regarding the Tower's administration, if that was what this was, almost like a government office staffed by people. Celestia turned and pushed the frosted door open.

The cold of the grand hall hit her immediately, sharper than the treasure room's stale air. Paimon had already handled everything. Liana was seated at the small table near the base of the platform, her head tilted against the backrest, eyes closed, still unconscious. Her staff had been placed across her lap. Two cups of tea sat on the table, steam rose from both. The teapot was centered between them.

Sir Ozy lay on the floor beside the table, sprawled on his side with his legs stretched out and his flat face pressed against the ice. His small body rose and fell with the slow, heavy breathing of a creature that had found the most comfortable spot in the room. The cold air and frozen ground that would have been miserable for anything else suited him entirely. Celestia looked from Ozy to the rest of the hall. The ice pillars still stood, but the floor bore the marks of the fight.

"Paimon." Paimon had been standing nearby the table, hands clasped in front of her, waiting.

"Yes, Lady Celestia."

"Pour potions on those three." Celestia did not gesture or look in their direction.

"Just enough so they won't die."

"Understood, Lady Celestia." Paimon bowed and moved toward where the rest of Arthur's party lay scattered across the frozen floor. Celestia walked to the table, pulled out the chair opposite Liana, and sat down. She picked up the nearer teacup and brought it to her lips. The tea was brewed well; Martha had certainly trained Paimon well, taking care that standards remained even in a castle made of glacier. She sipped, set the cup down, and waited. Across from her, Liana's breathing was steady but shallow.

The tea in front of her was still steaming. They had quite a few things to talk about.