Ayra gazed at the 23% support rate with visible satisfaction.
The tunnel she had carved—The Silent Cave—was nothing short of a lifeline for Solar. Until now, the territory had been almost entirely cut off, especially during winter, but the new route had changed everything. Though the season was just beginning to turn colder, the ongoing flow of food and supplies and the revival of the quarry had caused public support to spike, jumping vertically from 14% to 23%.
Jinas’s favorability toward Ayra had also risen sharply thanks to her accomplishnts. It had shot up from 17 to 30, and even though his face still looked exhausted from overwork, there was a radiant light in his expression as he welcod her return. When he heard that food and fabric could now be acquired for much lower prices, he even seed to tear up—just for a mont.
"Alright, the support requirent’s done. Now all I have to do is focus on scanning Stat Windows."
She was mulling over which stat to unlock next when—knock knock—a polite knock ca at the door.
"My lady, may I co in?"
It was Botello’s voice. Ayra readily gave her permission, and the head attendant stepped into the study. The face that had so often sighed with worry now looked peaceful. The ever-loyal servant gazed at Ayra with affection as he spoke.
"The items you sent from the labyrinth have just arrived. Where would you like them?"
"They’re here? Where are they now?"
While asking, Ayra opened her Stat Window. Botello’s MP hovered around 200. As expected, all the entries in [Detailed View] were marked with question marks—nothing was visible. Especially notable was the ssage in the “Current Thought” field:
[Current Thought: Unlocked upon Spirit GM’s final level.]
Well, of course it wasn’t going to be easy. A bit disappointed, she turned back to Botello, who bowed slightly and answered her question.
"We’ve placed them in the hall for now."
Delighted, Ayra shot up from her seat and bolted from the study. She had waited too long for this mont—there was no way she could sit still. Practically sprinting, she headed down toward the castle’s main hall.
Before leaving the labyrinth after hearing of her family’s deaths, Ayra had sorted through her belongings and sent the most important items ahead to Solar. Unlike Ayra, who had arrived instantly via teleportation magic tool, her belongings had taken the long, mundane overland route—and were only now arriving.
In the spacious hall stood multiple crates and parcels, so of them taller than a person. Each item was securely bundled with thick cloth and stuffed with straw. Ayra’s eyes sparkled as she approached. The attendants, who were still arranging the cargo, politely bowed to her.
"My lady, where shall we place these?"
"Put this one in my bedroom. That one... the top floor room of the western tower. And this one too—bedroom. Oh, and I’ll carry this one myself."
She stood before the largest and heaviest of the items, gazing at it with clear affection. Carefully checking for any damage to the packaging, she lifted her hands.
A mont later, her sleeves fluttered and golden powder spilled from her fingertips like radiant glitter. The servants paused mid-motion, watching the magical glow with awe.
When objects moved on their own or spells were cast without any visible cues, most of the castle staff were frightened, treating it like a haunting. But by adding visible effects like this, the fear lessened—and these days, whenever Ayra cast a spell, they’d even gather to gawk at it with wide eyes.
The golden dust trailing from Ayra’s fingers curved elegantly through the air like a musical staff, wrapping around the massive object. As it lifted, a golden deer ford beneath it, raising its head. A soft gasp rose from the watching crowd. Birds sprang from the air, flapping their wings as they tugged the golden strands # Nоvеlight # with their beaks, while the deer's antlers gracefully supported the object’s base.
Guiding the animals’ movents, Ayra used her magic to levitate the heavy crate. As the glimring animals carried it along, the onlookers watched in rapture. A few even started to follow behind, trailing like ducklings, only to freeze when Botello shot them a stern look, stopping to crane their necks from afar.
After delivering the grand crate into the study with a flourish, Ayra locked the door tightly so no one could peek. The golden deer and birds shimred into mist and vanished as the performance ended.
With a flick of her fingers, the wrappings around the crate gently unfurled. As she stripped away the cloth and straw, the object inside was revealed—a massive display cabinet made of thick, transparent reinforced glass. Inside were Ayra’s most treasured collectibles, all carefully packed.
Her eyes lit up with rainbow hues as she gazed upon her collection. Pale fingers traced the smooth surface of a glass jar. She moved the cabinet to a sunny spot where the light sparkled off her treasures like jewels, then stood in place, admiring them endlessly.
"I'm so glad they made it safely. Not a single scratch."
Smiling with deep satisfaction, she took a microfiber cloth from subspace and began wiping down the jars until they squeaked. As she inspected each item for damage, a knock interrupted her.
"Lady Ayra, it’s Jinas. I’m coming in."
Startled, Ayra lunged toward the cabinet, trying to hide it. But before she could fully block the view, Jinas had already opened the door and stepped inside. As always, his face was pale and drawn from overwork.
"Today’s shipnt of lumber and food has arrived, but the storage in the castle is full. I’ll need instructions on where to—oh, and we’ve begun repairs on the castle walls. The stonemasons from Sobletz—"
Eyes still fixed on the docunts, Jinas trailed off mid-report when he looked up and saw Ayra awkwardly stretching her entire body in front of the cabinet. He stared at her, bewildered, and Ayra scolded him with a serious expression.
"Sir Jinas, what have I said about entering my study without permission?"
"......Forgive . I believe you told I didn’t need permission anymore, but I clearly overstepped."
That was true. Ayra had given Jinas free access to her study because the number of issues he had to report was overwhelming, and it was tireso to grant permission ten tis a day.
"R-right, I did say that. Well, it’s fine. Continue doing that. So, what were the stonemasons saying?"
Trying to change the subject, Ayra fumbled for a segue—but Jinas’s eyes were already locked onto the cabinet. Even though she was using her whole body to block it, the shimring glass jars peeked out from beneath her sleeves. Frowning, Jinas narrowed his eyes.
"What... is that?"
"It’s nothing. Just so personal items from the labyrinth."
"......I see."
It looked deeply suspicious. But since she claid it was personal, Jinas tried to respect her privacy and let it go—until his eyes landed on sothing he absolutely could not ignore. He froze. His face went pale.
"Wh-what... what the hell is that...?"
Already physically worn out, the shock nearly made Jinas faint. In the aftermath of the small commotion, he slumped onto a sofa, dazed, while Ayra sat beside him and tried to explain her collection.
"Sir Jinas, really, it’s nothing strange. They’re just... um... samples. Of a sort."
Jinas, eyes shut from dizziness, glanced again at the cabinet.
Dozens of glass jars were neatly arranged inside. Each one was filled with a transparent, water-like liquid—and in the center of each floated an unknown object. The size, color, and material of each object varied.
Most were translucent like carved crystals, coming in whites, pale pinks, or even iridescent rainbow hues, as if selected from a color palette. So were tiny like clusters of berries, others large as multiple fists.
Despite the diversity, they all shared one unmistakable trait:
They were shaped like eyeballs.
Ayra’s treasured collection was a carefully gathered array of eyeballs extracted from ma-beasts.
"Guh—gasp—! I... I made eye contact with one! It looked at —it’s alive! I swear it just moved and stared straight at !"
As he inspected the display, one of the eyeballs twitched and locked eyes with him. Jinas staggered in horror, clearly shaken. His HP and MP even dropped a little. Ayra, feeling a bit guilty, offered a gentle correction.
"No, no, you’ve misunderstood. They’re definitely not alive. It’s just... sotis the leftover nerve endings react slightly to the preservation fluid."
Inside, she felt proud. Her preservation technique was so advanced that the perfectly dead tissue could still mimic a pupil response. If Jinas found out the eyeballs dilated based on lighting conditions, he really would pass out.
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