Chapter 483: The Upper Realm (IX)

Gray continued walking, his hands resting comfortably behind his head.

Behind him, Scarlett and Elira followed, although their conversation had taken a rather different direction.

"So," Elira began, glancing at Scarlett with a mischievous smile, "have you decided what you’ll ask Gray for as your reward?"

Scarlett looked at her.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Nothing. I’m simply curious. After all, he promised us anything. I wouldn’t want you to waste such a wonderful opportunity."

"I haven’t thought about it."

"Really? Not even once?"

"Elira..."

"Perhaps you’ll ask him to accompany you to dinner? Or spend an afternoon together? Oh, how about asking him to stay at your residence for another month?"

Scarlett’s cheeks gained a faint shade of red.

"Why would I ask for something so unnecessary?"

"Then I suppose I’ll ask for those things instead~~" Elira giggled.

"Don’t you dare."

"Why? You said you weren’t interested!"

Scarlett opened her mouth, but before she managed to reply, Gray’s voice came from ahead.

"If you’re two finished discussing my future schedule, perhaps we should pay attention to the corridor."

Both princesses immediately looked forward.

Gray was standing before a large stone archway, examining the carvings along its surface.

Atrinae had raised her head from his wrist, her tiny tongue flicking toward the darkness beyond.

Elira hurried forward.

"What’s wrong?"

Gray pointed toward the floor.

"Look carefully."

Several barely visible lines ran between the stone tiles, forming a pattern that extended beneath the archway.

Scarlett crouched to examine them.

"A formation?"

"Most likely. The energy is weak, but the structure is still active."

Elira leaned closer.

"It looks like a pressure-sensitive formation. Perhaps the academy used it to prevent unauthorized access."

Gray nodded.

"Something along those lines."

Scarlett stood and examined the passage.

"Then we should find another route."

Gray looked at the enormous corridor stretching beyond the archway.

"Why?"

"Because I don’t particularly want to discover what an ancient academy considers suitable security."

He smiled.

"Don’t worry. I’ll go first."

Before either princess could object, he stepped across the archway.

Nothing happened, and so, he took another step.

Still nothing.

Then he turned around and spread his arms.

"See? Perfectly safe."

Scarlett gave him an unimpressed look.

"You tested two steps."

"Two successful steps."

"Gray..."

He laughed and extended one hand toward her.

"Come along, Princess. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you."

Scarlett looked at his hand before turning to his face.

For a brief moment, she hesitated before accepting.

"Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only taking your hand because I don’t want to waste time."

"Naturally."

His fingers closed around hers.

Elira watched them.

"...How considerate. And here I was, thinking you would offer your hand to me as well."

Gray looked toward her.

"Would you like one?"

Elira smiled immediately.

"Of course."

He extended his other hand, and she accepted it with a satisfied expression.

Scarlett looked at their joined hands before looking at Elira’s hand with a strange glint on her eyes.

The silver-haired princess smiled sweetly.

"Thank you, Gray."

"You’re welcome."

Scarlett tightened her grip.

"Let’s move."

Gray glanced at her hand.

’...She’s stronger than I remember.’

They had barely crossed half the corridor when the formation activated.

K-CHAK!

A faint click echoed beneath their feet.

Gray stopped.

Scarlett immediately looked down.

"...What was that?"

The entire corridor suddenly lit up.

VMMMMMMMM!

Countless runes appeared across the walls, and the stone tiles beneath them began shifting.

’Oh?’ Gray’s eyes narrowed.

The floor separated into several sections.

Before either princess had time to react, the entire passage tilted.

KRRRRRRR!

Elira’s footing slipped first.

"Ah!"

Her hand slipped from Gray’s, and her body began sliding toward a section of the floor that had suddenly opened into a deep pit.

Scarlett immediately reached for her.

"ELIRA!"

But before she could grab her rival, another part of the floor collapsed beneath Scarlett’s feet.

Her body dropped.

For a brief moment, both princesses were falling in opposite directions.

Then...

"[Swap]."

FWIP!

The surroundings blurred.

Scarlett suddenly found herself held securely against Gray’s chest, one arm wrapped around her waist.

Elira, meanwhile, appeared beside him, her body suspended in the air as Gray caught her wrist with his free hand.

Both princesses froze.

Gray stood perfectly balanced on a small section of stone that had remained untouched by the collapsing floor.

He glanced between them.

"...Well, this is rather inconvenient."

Scarlett stared at him.

Her face was only a few inches from his.

One of his arms was wrapped around her waist, and she could feel the warmth of his body through their clothes.

For a moment, she forgot about the collapsing floor.

Then she realized something.

He had caught her before she even struck the ground.

Her heart gave an unexpected little jump.

"Y-You..."

Gray tilted his head.

"Hm?"

"Put me down!"

"Oh?"

He glanced at his arm.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

Scarlett’s cheeks turned red.

"That’s not what I said!"

"Then I suppose I’ll keep holding you."

"GRAY!"

He laughed and gently lowered her onto the remaining stone platform.

Elira, meanwhile, was still dangling from his other hand.

She looked between the two of them.

"...Excuse me?"

Gray glanced at her.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Elira narrowed her eyes.

"Almost forgot?"

"I was distracted."

"By what?"

Gray smiled.

"Princess Scarlett."

Scarlett immediately turned toward him.

"Don’t involve me!"

Elira burst into laughter.

"HAHAHA! How adorable!"

"ELIRA!"

Gray finally pulled Elira onto the platform.

She landed safely, but the moment her feet touched the ground, she deliberately kept holding his arm.

"Thank you, Gray. You’re such a reliable gentleman."

"You’re welcome."

She smiled.

"Unlike some people, I know how to appreciate a man’s help."

Scarlett’s expression darkened.

"Are you referring to me?"

"Who else?"

"Do you want me to throw you back into that hole?"

Elira moved closer to Gray.

"Gray~, protect meeee..."

He looked at the two princesses and let out a small sigh. Though he didn’t say anything, he instead glanced down at the pit.

"Actually, I’d rather not have to save either of you again. The formation seems to be getting worse."

Both princesses immediately stopped arguing.

Scarlett looked toward the walls.

"What do you mean?"

Gray pointed upward.

Several small openings had appeared between the stone carvings.

A moment later, dozens of thin metal spikes emerged.

K-CHAK!

K-CHAK!

K-CHAK!

Elira’s smile disappeared.

"...Oh."

"Please tell me you two are finished flirting..." Gray sighed.

Scarlett’s face turned crimson.

"WHO WAS FLIRTING?!"

The next attack came without warning.

Swoosh!

Dozens of metal spikes shot from the walls.

"Nullification." Gray raised his hand.

The spikes stopped.

Not in midair.

They simply disappeared.

Scarlett stared at the empty space before them.

"You’re able to nullify physical objects?"

"Depends on the object and the cost."

Gray glanced at the formation.

The remaining Mana channels were beginning to glow, and he could feel another attack gathering somewhere inside the walls.

He smiled.

"Though I’d rather not spend my energy on every little inconvenience."

He raised his rapier.

SHING!

A thin silver line crossed the wall.

Fwip, fwip!

Within seconds, several sections of the formation had been cut apart.

KRRRACK!

The entire corridor stopped moving.

The stone floor settled into place, and the remaining spikes retracted into the walls.

Scarlett looked at the damaged formation in shock...

"You destroyed the mechanism."

"Only the troublesome parts."

"That formation was probably worth a fortune."

"Then someone should have built it better."

Elira laughed.

"You really don’t have any respect for ancient architecture, do you?"

Gray shrugged.

"I respect architecture that doesn’t try to kill me."

He offered his hands again.

"Shall we continue?"

Scarlett looked at his hand, before turning to look at Elira, who was already reaching for his other one.

"...Move."

Elira blinked.

"What?"

"I’ll walk beside him."

"There’s plenty of room for both of us."

"Then walk on the other side."

Elira smiled.

"Of course, Princess."

Gray looked between them and raised an eyebrow, deciding not to tease them.

The next room was even stranger.

Unlike the reception hall and the research department, this chamber contained no furniture, no documents, and no obvious indication of its original purpose.

Instead, three enormous mirrors stood against the walls.

Each mirror had a different frame.

One was decorated with crimson flowers, another with silver vines, while the third was surrounded by black stars.

Elira approached the silver mirror.

"How strange. There’s no inscription."

Scarlett examined the crimson frame.

"Perhaps it’s another formation."

Gray stepped toward the black mirror.

The moment he approached, its surface rippled.

A reflection appeared, but it strangely wasn’t Gray’s reflection.

It showed a young human man with black hair, crimson eyes, and an almost unfairly handsome face.

His true appearance.

Gray stared at the mirror and smiled lightly.

’Oh?’

The reflection smiled as well.

But a second later, the reflected Gray tilted his head in the opposite direction.

"...That’s annoying..." Gray’s smile instantly vanished.

Scarlett turned.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

Elira approached the black mirror and looked into its surface.

Her reflection appeared immediately.

However, rather than copying her movements, the reflected Elira wore a beautiful wedding dress.

She froze.

"...Eh?"

Scarlett looked over and started laughing out loud.

"HAHAHAHA! What’s that supposed to mean?"

Elira immediately covered her reflection with one hand.

"Don’t look!"

Scarlett leaned closer.

"Is that your dream?"

"NO!"

The silver-haired princess’s cheeks turned bright red.

Her reflection, unfortunately, seemed determined to make matters worse. The reflected Elira lifted her bouquet and smiled sweetly toward an invisible figure standing beside her.

Scarlett laughed even harder.

"Elira! You’re getting married!"

"SHUT UP!"

Gray watched the scene with amusement.

Then Scarlett approached the crimson mirror.

Her reflection appeared.

She was standing inside a beautiful garden, wearing a white dress instead of her usual crimson attire. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, and she held a cup of tea while sitting beside a young man.

The man’s face was hidden.

Scarlett froze.

Elira immediately noticed.

"Oh?"

Scarlett took a step back.

"Don’t."

Elira approached the mirror, her eyes sparkling.

"Wait, wait. Is that...?"

"ELIRA!"

The reflected Scarlett looked toward the mysterious man and smiled.

A genuine, relaxed smile.

One neither princess had seen often.

For several seconds, the room fell quiet.

Then Gray stepped closer.

His reflection appeared again.

This time, it showed his human appearance standing beside a woman whose face remained hidden by a bright light.

Gray narrowed his eyes.

’So this thing shows possible desires?’

Atrinae raised her head.

She looked at the mirrors, and then she suddenly slipped from Gray’s wrist and slithered toward the nearest one.

Her reflection appeared.

It showed an enormous, nine-colored serpent coiling around a massive treasure, with its body covered in beautiful scales that shone like jewels.

Atrinae raised her head proudly.

Gray looked down at her.

"...You only care about treasures, don’t you?"

The little serpent flicked her tongue.

Elira burst into laughter.

Scarlett also smiled.

For a brief moment, the earlier awkwardness disappeared, replaced by a rather comfortable atmosphere.

Then Gray looked toward Scarlett.

"Princess, I didn’t know you liked wearing white."

Scarlett’s smile vanished.

"Don’t."

"And drinking tea in a garden?"

"Gray."

"How interesting. I wonder who the man beside you was."

Scarlett’s cheeks turned red.

"THAT WASN’T REAL!"

Gray leaned slightly closer.

"Then why were you smiling?"

She looked away.

"...Shut up."

Elira immediately joined in.

"Yes, Scarlett. Who was the lucky man?"

Scarlett turned toward her.

"At least my reflection didn’t show me wearing a wedding dress!"

"YOU!" Elira gasped.

"Pffft..."

Gray laughed.

The mirrors continued shining behind them.

After several minutes, Gray finally approached the center of the room.