Chapter 265

With fire salamander corpses strewn about, setting up the house atop them felt distasteful. Driven by this reasonable sentiment, Tatsuro meticulously gathered every drop of blood and stored them in his [Infinite Item Field] for cleanup.

As he pondered where to place the house, he used his Spirit Eye to check for underground creatures, just to be safe.

“Hm? There’s a strange-colored energy underground over there. Why didn’t Dispel Magic pick it up?” Tatsuro wondered.

“Where?” Leah asked.

Leah focused her [All-Seeing Eye] on the area Tatsuro pointed to.

“There’s something… It’s likely a special magical tool isolating a space,” Leah said.

“What’s that mean?” Ai asked.

“It means it’s creating a separate dimension, existing yet not existing in this world,” Leah explained.

Despite Leah’s earnest explanation, Tatsuro and the others didn’t fully grasp it, understanding only that something was there, but they couldn’t interact with it directly.

“However, to connect this world to that dimension, there’s a magical door sealed with powerful Locking Magic,” Leah added.

“Oh, now that you mention it, I can faintly see the color of Locking Magic in a thin, paper-like energy form. So, if we unlock it, we can peek inside?” Tatsuro asked.

“I think so,” Leah confirmed.

Curious about the unknown and eager to investigate, they decided to open it, though cautiously, prepared to flee if something dangerous emerged. With preparations complete, it was time to pick the lock.

“Let’s analyze it,” Tatsuro said.

“Peewee!” Cardina chirped.

Tatsuro and Cardina teamed up, meticulously picking the magical lock. After about ten minutes of intense analysis, they crafted the Dispel Magic needed to unlock it.

“I’m opening it. Everyone, be ready to move no matter what happens,” Tatsuro warned.

After confirming everyone’s agreement, Tatsuro and Cardina unlocked the seal.

A glowing magic circle filled with symbols and patterns appeared on the ground, then quickly faded. In its place, a lead-colored door materialized, slowly creaking open.

As the group braced themselves, ten-centimeter figures, scattering sparks and flying out, emerged from the door.

“Are those pixies?” Ai asked.

“Leah, are pixies safe?” Tatsuro inquired.

“They shouldn’t do anything unless we provoke them… But why were they in a place like that?” Leah wondered.

These were ten-centimeter humanoids with childlike faces, clad in fiery hair and clothes, flapping insect-like wings that scattered spark-like scales. Leah called them pixies.

Since they didn’t seem to be monsters or dangerous, Tatsuro observed quietly. Finally, three larger pixies, about thirty centimeters tall with more mature faces, emerged side by side, scanning the area and spotting Tatsuro’s group.

All three had refined features, arranged from left to right as male, male, female, each carrying a red bag their size. Their expressions showed confusion but no hostility, so Tatsuro lowered his staff and waited for their move.

The central male pixie spoke. “Why have you come here?”

Tatsuro’s Spirit Eye indicated his group’s overwhelming strength. The three pixies were slightly stronger than fire salamanders but far weaker than the giant fire salamander. Confident they could handle any hostility, Tatsuro answered honestly.

“We were looking for a secluded spot to set up a place to sleep and ended up here. No specific purpose,” Tatsuro said.

“What…? You came here just to sleep for a night? That’s hard to believe,” the pixie replied.

“You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth,” Tatsuro insisted.

“…Then, do you know where the giant fire salamander went?” the pixie asked.

“The giant fire salamander? It’s right here,” Tatsuro said.

He pulled its head from his Infinite Item Field, causing the three pixies to step back, eyes wide.

“—!?” they gasped.

“Was it a bad idea to hunt it?” Tatsuro asked.

“No… Rather, we’re grateful. You got rid of it?” the pixie responded.

Apparently, the giant fire salamander was a nuisance to them. Tatsuro noticed their wary gazes soften slightly.

“So, you were hiding in there because of that big fire salamander?” Tatsuro asked.

“Exactly. Until now, only fire salamanders were a threat, but they couldn’t reach us if we flew. We lived comfortably, sustained by the abundant fire magic here,” the pixie explained.

“But when that big one showed up, you had to hide,” Athena interjected.

“Yes. It appeared suddenly and grew too strong to handle. We thought flying would keep us safe, but then it learned Dragon Flight. We couldn’t leave for certain reasons, so we used a last resort to hide,” the pixie said.

Though curious about their reasons, Tatsuro figured pressing a stranger would be rude and potentially troublesome, so he stuck to the essentials.

“So, now that the giant fire salamander is gone, you can operate freely outside, right?” Tatsuro asked.

“Yes. We’re nothing but grateful for that. But… only if you’re not here to replace it as a new threat,” the pixie said cautiously.

Their suspicion was understandable, given the group’s presence in such a harsh, remote location at night. Since honesty hadn’t fully convinced them, Tatsuro emphasized their lack of ill intent.

“No need to worry. We’ll be gone by noon tomorrow. We’ve got other things to do,” Tatsuro assured.

“…I see,” the pixie replied, still skeptical but now pensive.

“If possible, we’d prefer you not tell other humans we’re here,” the pixie continued.

“Why’s that?” Nana asked.

“Some people see pixies as rare and try to sell us as pets. And this,” the central male pixie said, pulling a reddish-black stone from his red bag.

Tatsuro and Ai looked puzzled, but Leah explained. “That’s a Fairy Crystal, a special stone only pixies can create. Indeed, some pixies have been enslaved for it,” she said.

“Yes. Though laws have improved since ancient times, there are still unsavory types. We don’t want our presence known. In exchange for your silence and leaving tomorrow, we’ll give you this bag of Fairy Crystals,” the pixie offered.

“If you’re giving it to us, I’ll take it… But are you sure you can part with it?” Tatsuro asked.

If it was vital to their survival, Tatsuro didn’t want to take it. But the pixie reassured him.

“It’s merely emergency rations for when we go to places lacking elemental attributes. With the giant fire salamander gone, we can make more. No need to hesitate,” the pixie said.

Relieved that Tatsuro considered their needs, the pixies’ expressions softened further. “Then I’ll take it. Thanks,” Tatsuro said, accepting the red bag.

“Please keep your promise,” the pixie urged.

“I will. How about I show you one of our secrets to put you at ease?” Tatsuro offered.

“That would help, but what—What is this…?” the pixie gasped.

To ease their doubts about a verbal promise, Tatsuro used his [Infinite Item Field] to materialize their massive house nearby.

“So, we’ve got things we’d rather keep secret too. Don’t tell anyone, okay?” Tatsuro said.

“Y-Yeah…” the pixie stammered.

Stunned by the sudden appearance of the huge structure, the pixies quickly recovered, realizing Tatsuro’s group had secrets too and had shared one to ease their concerns. Smiling, they returned to their smaller kin.

“Alright, let’s go in and have dinner,” Tatsuro said.

“Agreed!”

“Yes.”

“Right”

“We’ll keep watch outside, just in case,” Athena added.

“Peewee!”

“Neigh!”

“Thanks,” Tatsuro said.

Tatsuro, Ai, Leah, and Nana (helping out) entered the house, while Cardina, Jeanne, and Athena stood guard.

After eating a late meal, recharging Cardina and the others with magic while bonding, and bathing, Tatsuro, Ai, and Leah split the documents to read, planning to share information in the morning before retiring to their rooms.

Now, Tatsuro and Ai lay in the same bed in their bedroom, reading the documents. “I wonder if Leah’s okay,” Ai said.

“She said she’s fine now, though,” Tatsuro replied.

Leah had taken the documents about herself, so Ai’s concern was natural. But since Leah insisted on reading them herself, Tatsuro had agreed. That night, they read with lingering worries. Then, Tatsuro found a sealed letter attached to his documents.

“Hm? What’s this?” Tatsuro asked.

“What’s that? …It’s addressed to you,” Ai said.

Tucked at the back, he hadn’t noticed it. Carefully peeling it off, he saw a note on the seal: “The leader should read this and decide how to share it.”

“What could it be? Should I read it now?” Tatsuro asked.

“Probably. I’ll keep reading mine, so tell me later,” Ai said.

“Yeah, okay. But I’ve got a bad feeling about it, so I’ll save it for later,” Tatsuro decided.

“Ugh, fine,” Ai sighed.

Tatsuro set the letter aside and dove into his documents, with Ai following suit, reading her assigned portion.