Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 273

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 273 – Egg

It was just before midnight.

In the north, the temperature was about to reach its lowest point of the night.

In the noble’s quarters of the inn,

Ain was about to leave the room he had rented.

He wore a black cloak and carried a sword made of Marco’s material at his waist.

Standing next to him, Chris opened her mouth.

“Ain-sama and we will charge in and leave the surveillance of the area to Warren-sama’s subordinates, right?”

“Yeah, I think that’ll be fine.”

“Ahaha… I think so too, but, as always, it’s not something the crown prince would do.”

However, she was used to such exchanges with Ain.

She glanced away and looked at the vase on the table.

That burn… was it from the dragon’s flame?”

The burn was already healing.

The petals of the Man-Eater, however, were blackened in places, and the leaves were slightly wilted.

It looked painfully real. Ain grimaced as he looked at the weak Man-Eater.

“Either that or it happened during another experiment. Either way, this is no way to treat something entrusted by the princess and the crown prince.”

Ain had asked them to investigate, but he doubted their reckless methods.

The mention of a merchant from Birdland made him even more certain.

What had happened at the research facility?

He had to hurry there to confirm the details of the situation.

“Oh, and you can stop acting like you’re in pain. I’ll take care of your enemy, so consider this a reward.”

Ain slowly reached into his pocket and threw out a small magic stone.

At that moment, the Man-Eater came back to life, opening its mouth wide and chewing.

“…Aah… Ah…”

“Eh… eh…”

It was on the brink of death, wasn’t it?

Chris was so worried. Yet, why was it so lively?

She compared Ain to the Man-Eater.

“Well, it’s my subordinate… It must have absorbed a lot of magical power.”

When it was with Krone, the Man-Eater revived instantly.

Even if they are forced into a state of inactivity, as long as they are connected to Ain, they are extremely difficult to kill.

Chris nodded in understanding, reaffirming that they were extraordinary beings.

“Th-then… Why did it look so miserable for a while?”

“I-I don’t know. Maybe it’s just its personality.”

“Haha… Haaaahhhhhhh…”

A mocking voice echoed throughout the room.

“I understand. They seem to have wonderful personalities, like flowers.”

Chris said dismissively, avoiding the gaze of the strangely strong-willed Man-Eater.

“Ain-sama. There’s no need for revenge. If we had left it alone, it would have done whatever it wanted.”

“I think the building collapsed within a few minutes of us leaving the lab.”

What a hedonist; what a flower that obeys its desires.

Chris couldn’t deny that it had a personality similar to Ain’s. She let out a sigh for the umpteenth time.

“You’re supposed to be protecting the World Tree, yet you’re too free.”

“It’s not just any World Tree; it’s the World Tree of Gluttony… Well, let’s get going.”

Having finished getting ready, Ain spoke and began walking, and Chris followed close behind.

“The pretext is regarding the handling of an item entrusted by the royal family. Due to mishandling during an investigation conducted in His Majesty’s name, I will use a royal decree to assess the situation.”

“How will you inform them that the Man-Eater has returned?”

“It was with me until today. Let’s just say it came here thinking I was its parent and wanted to escape.”

This was a cunning and illogical response that the usual Ain would never have given.

However, Chris understood that it was a necessary measure.

She nodded silently, not arguing.

“We’ll keep the rest vague. We requested the investigation because we don’t understand its ecology.”

“Understood. Then—”

“Yeah, this time we’ll go all the way to the depths of the research facility.”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

There were fewer people on the streets than during the day.

It was snowing, but not hard, so walking was easy.

As they walked, a drunk man approached them.

“Oops… Sorry, brother.”

The man bumped into Ain and apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s late. Be careful on your way home.”

“Oh, thank you…”

After exchanging a few words, Ain took a piece of paper out of his coat pocket.

“Is this about that man?”

Chris asked, not angry at the man’s rudeness.

“Yeah, he was pretty straightforward, which was helpful.”

“May I hear the contents?”

Ain opened the paper and read its contents aloud.

“In short, the area has been secured. Trains and carriages can be stopped at any time.”

“Warren-sama’s subordinates are as skilled as ever at communicating. I see. Then, when we arrive, I’ll let the lookouts know.”

That was why Chris didn’t get angry at the man.

Today, she was dressed in formal attire, looking every bit the part of a knight in the royal capital.

Perhaps because she was dressed as the commander of the Royal Knights, the two of them exuded a special aura of authority as they walked down the street.

“…Hm, it feels like it’s been a while since I walked with Chris in formal attire.”

They had walked together several times in Strohm, but lately, he hadn’t seen her in her uniform as commander of the Royal Knights.

When they went to the Adventurers’ Guild, Ain stopped her. There was something about it that made her feel more composed.

“U-um… Does it not suit me?”

“I don’t think it’s a matter of whether it suits you or not. Personally, I like it because it suits you.”

“I-I see… I’m glad you like it.”

She skipped over the words “like you” and repeated the rest, relaxing her cheeks despite the important occasion.

However, if this gave her energy, then it wasn’t such a bad thing. She didn’t seem to feel the cold outside.

“I’ll leave it to you, Chris.”

Ancient Biological Research Institute.

Upon arriving at the building, Ain tightened his face and voice.

Chris also changed from her previous relaxed attitude, and…

“Ha! I will now convey that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has issued a royal decree.”

She declared in a clear, powerful voice.

Then, walking faster than Ain, she approached the guard standing in front of the building.

“Who are you? Suddenly…”

As she approached, the guard at the institute took notice of her.

He recognized her, but her demeanor was completely different.

“From this moment on, we will investigate this building.”

She would not tolerate any objections.

The guard was taken aback by the powerful aura emanating from Chris.

Shaking slightly, he opened his mouth to speak to her.

“I… I can’t make a decision on my own…”

“No, your judgment is not necessary. A royal decree has been issued this time.”

“A royal decree!?”

It was rare for the Ishtalika royal family to issue such a decree.

He knew they had the authority, but he never imagined they would use it for this research facility.

The guard hesitated but slowly made way.

Beyond that stood the eerily silent Ancient Biological Research Institute.

In contrast, the area around the entrance and the passageway began to bustle with activity.

Chris, dressed in the uniform of a Royal Knight captain, was joined by Ain, who wore a black cloak.

Ain’s cloak was widely known to belong to the prince, a famous hero.

This strange scene caught the people’s attention.

The people around them watched from a distance, curious to see what would happen.

“Ain-sama.”

“…Yes, no researchers are coming out.”

“Perhaps they’ve already…”

“It’s possible that they abandoned the laboratory and fled.”

If that were the case, they would naturally regret it.

They weren’t slow to act; rather, they regretted the circumstances that led them to confirm the researchers’ guilt.

Had they taken action in the afternoon and been proven innocent, not only would Ain lose credibility, but the royal family would as well.

Caution was required. This was only natural, but…

“If we go any further, it would become a case of punishing someone based on suspicion.”

Therefore, they would inevitably be a step behind.

Chris said this to Ain, who had a bitter look on his face.

The two looked at each other and nod, then hurried into the research facility.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The place felt empty, as if it had been completely abandoned.

Even so, when they visited in the afternoon, the research facility was just as quiet as ever.

The dimly lit hallway had only the occasional light from magical tools shining at their feet.

Their footsteps echoed endlessly, and they sighed when no one came out.

“Um… Ain-sama. Over here… Something seems to be here.”

Chris pointed toward the wall.

She suddenly stopped and said that.

“You mean behind the wall?”

“Yes, it feels like there’s a hollow space or something.”

(That’s amazing! She can sense that?)

Ain felt reassured by her unknown power.

As she wondered what to do about the wall,

“Hmph!”

She drew the rapier at her waist and thrust it forward at a speed no ordinary person could follow.

She repeatedly thrust it into the wall with fierce force. The wall was just an ordinary wooden one.

Finally, a hole opened with a dull, creaking sound.

A large enough hole for a person to pass through opened, and Chris cautiously explored inside.

A wide staircase leads down to the basement, and structures resembling doors are on either side of the hole.

“I think there must be some kind of magical tool hidden somewhere that opens it.”

“Hiding it away like that is a nice hobby, but I don’t sense anyone else here.”

Ain said this, but kept his eyes fixed on the stairs and the space below them.

This place was different from the research facility above ground.

“They spent a lot of money on this place.”

“The upper part is just some kind of disguise. The lower part seems to be the real research facility.”

It was illuminated by a pale blue light, and even the building materials were of high quality.

The basement was about as deep as looking down from a five-story building.

Downstairs, there was a large door from which a dazzling light leaked out.

The two exchanged a few light words and cautiously ran down the stairs.

They didn’t find anything unusual along the way.

After running down for about ten seconds, they were standing in front of the large door.

“Ain-sama, I’ll…”

“I’ll open it. Chris, watch my back.”

“Ah…”

Without saying he was stronger, he entrusted his back to Chris.

Hearing this, Chris stood behind him, strengthening her vigilance as he pushed forward forcefully.

She held her rapier in a small guard, ready for anything.

Meanwhile, Ain placed his hands on the door and pushed it open with all his strength.

“…”

The door swung wide open, revealing the underground room.

The ceiling was high, and the walls and floor were made of the same material.

Its surface was shiny and bluish-white, like the stairs.

After staring at the material, which didn’t look man-made, Ain slowly stepped forward.

“It looks like the illegal research that Lili and the others found.”

“…Yes, it’s some kind of creepy research.”

The two saw giant glass cylinders, each several times their height.

Inside the cylinders, there was sticky liquid containing bison with two faces and wyverns with multiple wings.

Several such cylinders stood around them.

Thick pipes pulled from below connected to the ground.

A little further away were precision devices that Ain and Chris couldn’t identify.

They could only tell that this was an expensive research facility.

“Ain-sama! What’s inside those glass cylinders? Could it be…?”

Ain turned around at Chris’s panicked voice and looked in the direction she was pointing.

The cylinders were smaller than the ones containing the bison. Inside them was evidence that Man-Eaters had once been contained there.

“I see. So that’s where they were set on fire.”

The color of the unburned petals matches that of the Man-Eater Ain had summoned.

It was possible that they were from a different flower. However, considering the current situation, it made sense that they belonged to the Man-Eater.

“Still, why did they burn it?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of experiment they were conducting either…”

Saying that, he looked around.

Ain noticed a particularly large glass tube a short distance away.

He walked quickly toward it and looked inside.

“…I have a feeling this is going to be a hassle.”

He let out a big sigh and glanced at Chris, who had followed him.

He had noticed something unsettling inside the cylinder.

“Um, what happened?”

“I didn’t want to find out what was inside.”

“Inside this glass cylinder?”

Chris looked away from Ain’s expression and approached him, wondering what had caught his attention.

Like the cylinder that had contained the Man-Eater, this one was not filled with liquid.

The difference was that it contained a pedestal of some sort.

“What… is this? Could it be…?”

Chris noticed it as she approached.

Scattered around the pedestal were large fragments of something.

“Yeah, it’s a different species of dragon, but I’ve seen El and Al’s eggs before, so I know what this is.”

With that, Ain swung his sword and broke the glass cylinder.

It was faster than Chris, which made her feel even more frustrated.

However, there was something more important than that. And…

“The problem is…”

He reached into the broken tube and picked up the fragments scattered around the pedestal.

The thick, streamlined shards, red as blood, made Ain’s cheeks twitch.

“Why is there no trace of whatever was inside? Are they in the other glass cylinders? Or…?”

In recent days… No, since the Heim War, he had never looked so solemn.

Chris stared at the fragment in Ain’s hand, his expression serious.

“Either way, it’s already hatched…”

“And it hatched quite a while ago. The inside is completely dry.”

How annoying.

As if to prove his point, Ain crushed the fragment with his bare hands.

“Chris, let’s get out of here quickly.”

They had to find the escaped researcher.

They went outside and informed the secret agents.

(But they were already gone. The secret agents hadn’t noticed that the researcher had left.)

They were supposed to be on guard at the research facility.

Yet, they hadn’t received any information about the researcher’s disappearance.

Ain’s mind was filled with images of the men in robes who had been active in Strohm.

They were opponents that even Lili, the leader of the secret agents, had struggled with. Perhaps this research facility was also under their influence.

“Hurry and contact the royal capital. The red dragon may have already hatched.”

“Understood!”

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