Chapter 172
Chapter 172
“W-wait, what’s going on?” Celeste asked as Karr walked away and stood next to Astria. “Where are you going?”
“We’re leaving.” Karr smiled. “We’ve reached the end.”
“N-no! Please… don’t leave me!” Celeste suddenly reached out. “Please don’t go!”
“It’s time we move on. Our souls are bound to this lore, however, we have found a satisfactory ending.” Karr explained.
“What ending?” Celeste demanded, tears running down her cheeks.
Astria reached out, her glowing had to cause a wave of light to spread out and touch Celeste. “You. My child.”
“M-mother…”
“I resented you because you reminded me of Karr… but in the end, what I really resented was that you reminded me of myself. I’m so sorry, my child. I’m sorry you had to live such a cursed life. I wanted to keep you from making my mistakes, but now that I know the truth, I can see that you and this hero follow a different path. It is time for me and Karr to step aside, to allow the younger generation to make their own mistakes.”
“It’s time we go!” Karr nodded. “But we won’t forget about you. Be a good girl. Put your faith in each other.”
“Mother… father…” Celeste reached out, but couldn’t get any closer thanks to the resonating light.
“W-wait…” I held up my hand. “I don’t have all the answers yet. Who killed you?”
The light started to shine around Lord Karr and Astria. Astria’s bat wings had returned to looking like fairy wings, and while there was a dark aura around her, it was considerably lighter than before. Her beauty was starting to shine through, like a mature version of the still young Celeste.
“I don’t know?” Karr shrugged. “Perhaps, you will find that answer, along with my daughter.”
“When I found him poisoned, I read his journal, that was when I learned about what happened to my fairies.” Astria sighed regretfully.
I frowned, considering their words. He was poisoned and she happened to find him with his journal out to incriminate him? On that note, what happened to his animalgirl slave harem? They weren’t trapped should being punished by this dungeon like Karr. In fact, they were mysteriously missing. I wanted to say something, but the glow was growing brighter. It was growing harder to see. Not to mention the mood was completely off with Celeste bawling and wishing her parents a farewell.
“Hero…” Karr’s voice suddenly exploded in my head, not being spoken, but somehow being magically sent. “I have some awareness of the world outside. I know that I am not only passing my daughter on to you but Chalm as well. Twenty years ago, I was poisoned. I had second thoughts about the fairies. I had planned to buy them back, one at a time, and the person I trusted to do this was the Harem Hero Artemis!”
“Y-you think he betrayed you?” I asked back.
“I do not know. Although you have granted me this new body, I’m afraid the only way to break the curse on this dungeon is my death. However, I didn’t adventure alongside a hero for many years without picking up a trick or two. I don’t wish to leave Celeste or you with nothing… so, I’ve prepared a surprise. It’s a skill I learned thanks to Astria’s fairy dust. Please accept it. Take care of her as well, won’t you?”
“Ah… okay.” I wasn’t completely sure what he was talking about, but the least I could do was watch after Celeste and investigate into his death.
I was taking his mansion, after all! The light finally snuffed out, and Astria and Karr were nowhere to be seen. In the sudden silence after everything that had happened was almost off-putting.
“Is it over?” Lydia asked in the silence.
A pulsating light floated overhead. The four of us looked up at it. That was the dungeon lore. It kept moving until it stopped right over my head.
“Oh… crap!” I cursed, turning to leap away.
The lore was faster, and it came plunging down. I let out a cry as a burning sensation exploded across my shoulder. Karr’s lore was now becoming a part of me!