Ed slowed down, dragging the others with him. There was no way he was staying in that dark chamber alone. He chatted with them about the maps, and less than a minute later, Lucilia flew back and disappeared into the necklace.
While they were still retreating, Lucilia's voice sounded in his mind.
"That fluctuation was deliberately released by her. She sensed a spirit above, just like herself, and wanted to attract down for help."
So that's it, Ed thought. That explained why Lucilia had sensed the fluctuation and spoken so knowingly the mont they entered. It wasn't that Lucilia had suddenly beco smarter; she had never sensed anything like it on their previous treasure hunts. This was all that ghost woman's trick.
"She also thanked for my help… saying that if she successfully returns to the Holy Mother's embrace, she will give so gifts as a token of gratitude. She said I would definitely need them."
Ed simply nodded silently, indicating he understood. Although he wanted to protest that he had helped too—and that without him, Jasmine would never have t Lucilia, he deserved gifts as well. But sadly, he wasn't alone and couldn't talk to Lucilia right now.
Now was not the ti to complain. He would do it later. At the very least, he had to take advantage of Lucilia. It had been quite so ti since he had played with her breasts; it was ti for so action in his boring, womanless life.
The three of them returned to where they had descended and climbed back up.
"We must have made a major contribution this ti! Hopefully, our cheap captain gives us a good bonus. Hahaha!" Jason, after reaching the top, dusted himself off and laughed while rubbing his hands.
Ed shook his head helplessly. "Don't celebrate too soon. It's better to be happy once you actually have it in hand. Otherwise, excessive joy can lead to sorrow."
Although Ed knew that with his help they would definitely find the Holy Relic, how could he pass up a chance to tease Jason? It was only natural to ss with this brat.
"So, do you think what she said is true or false?" Hearing this, Jason turned to the two of them and asked worriedly. He couldn't miss his bonus; otherwise, how would he impress those rich sugar mommies?
They didn't like having fun with beggars. Before charming them, he at least had to get to their beds, and for that, he needed a significant initial investnt.
As they spoke, the three walked out of the manor.
Gami thought for a mont. "She's definitely a follower of the Holy Mother. As for whether it's true or not, we'll get through this anyway, so why overthink it?"
"I don't know. I haven't studied souls. But what worries is that she didn't say she was trapped in that tunnel. She only said she was trapped in this dark sea. That ans she could likely leave that manor if she wanted and wander wherever she pleased, which is very suspicious.
It's as if she's trying to control everything from the background. I don't like this feeling," Ed said with a frown. This was one reason he wanted to deal with her quickly. He had a bad vibe from her. He'd rather kill an innocent than let a potential enemy linger around him.
"Never mind. Let's keep an eye out. We were planning to go to that island anyway; this just accelerates the plan."
The three arrived outside the manor.
Looking at the pitch-black world, Ed controlled the mirror to reflect the light from the illumination stone. He turned to the others. "Shall I pass the ssage to the captain now?"
"Okay," Jason and Gami nodded. They had achieved their objective, and nothing of value remained on the island. There was no need to waste more ti.
Ed opened his mouth and silently mouthed words, his hands flashing with blue light as he rubbed them together. With his silent incantation, blue lines of light ford in the air, shaping into a bird-like creature that flew away into the distance.
The range of the Soundbird spell was limited, generally increasing with the amount of magic infused and the user's proficiency. Ed regularly practiced these everyday functional spells and was already quite adept with Soundbird. He was confident transmitting a ssage within this enclosed area would be no problem.
"Let's go to the port and wait for them now."
Hearing Jason's suggestion, the other two didn't object and headed back the way they ca.
...
They returned to their starting point. The group found a rock and sat down to wait.
Jason was still waving around the pure gold cane he had found earlier. Gami sat inside his armor, occasional tallic ticking sounds emanating from within. Ed, feeling hungry after the treasure hunt, took a bowl of hot at soup from his inventory and began eating. He wanted sothing light, so he decided on soup.
Suddenly, Jason, who was playing with his cane, dropped it on the ground with a clatter, attracting their attention.
Hearing the sound, the two imdiately looked at him.
Jason was blinking rapidly and shaking his head, slapping his ears vigorously.
"Oh no, darkness has invaded his mind!" Gami exclaid.
Ed was about to get up and go to him when Jason raised a hand to stop them. He shook his head. "It's alright. I just started hearing the singing." He then searched his belt, pulled out a thin, finger-sized vial, uncorked it, and drank the contents.
Seeing this, the two sat back down with relief. This vial had been specially prepared for them by Vanessa before they left the ship. Its purpose was to temporarily restore their ntal state and dispel the invading darkness.
It was extrely fast-acting and convenient but had certain side effects. It was slightly toxic and couldn't be taken by ordinary people; only Vanessa could provide more thorough treatnt.
Touchers didn't have this concern; the slight toxicity wouldn't harm their bodies, and a little ditation would dissipate it through the circulation of magic.
If it weren't for the fact that traveling through the Dark Region might take two to three months, Andre would have preferred to leave the lower-level mbers outside.
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