Lair

Chapter 025 - Idrils Legacy

By Skalsar

A small moaning escaped the girls mouth.

Her body shaking and the voice high pitched as she was bend over the desk.

The man behind her didn't seem to care about her little weeping, as he still continued.

He grabbed her golden hair and pulled on it.

>Like this you can at least be of some use.<, he tells her with a bitter tone, before releasing her.

>I'm sorry.<, she weeps.

The man doesn't care, instead he simply pulls up his pants and looks disappointed.

>Go clean yourself. You reek.<, he adds and takes out some documents from a drawer.

Mina never got much attention from him, besides when he wanted to have his way with her.

>Would you.. tell me about my mom once more..?<, she timidly asked.

>That again? Isn't it enough that you wasted my money twice?!<

It was his way to keep control of others.

Getting in a higher position and blaming them for being less fortunate.

Mina was just a tool for him.

>This stories are getting to your head.

First that story about [Quon Village Dungeon], then [Mafay Village Dungeon].

You said you would bring me great treasure.

Tell me again, where is that treasure now?<, he threw his words.

He didn't really care about all that.

Once he was known as [Idrils Shield], but those days were long since over.

He acquired a new title after [Quon Village].

Now he was called [Treasurer Of The King].

Politics were his realm now.

>You are lucky for not ending up as a slave, girl.<

But was that really the case?

What else was she, if not a slave for this man.

After Idril died in the dungeon, the other adventurers returned and told their story.

How Idril had saved them and killed the [Dungeon Lord].

And that she entrusted the safety of the village and her daugther to them.

The otherwise orphan Mina was adopted by [Idrils Shield].

How lucky for her.

Everyone was impressed by that much loyalty.

But in reality, nobody else cared.

They were saved, that was all that mattered.

>Yes.. thank you..<, she answered weakly.

>I even warned you I would have to sell you as a slave if you failed again, didn't I?<

>Yes.. you did.. I'm sorry.<, what else could she say.

He had fed her false information.

Tricked her into believing that a treasure of the [Hero] Idril was still in that dungeon.

Not personally of course.

He had used some other people in the [Capital].

Telling a rumor at a banquet.

Giving someone an information that is supposed to be secret.

After that it went on for itself.

Till the point where Mina heard about it.

It was cold calculation.

He wanted her to be even more indepted to him.

She took the bait and lend money from the man.

A man that told her he would sell her if she couldn't repay this time.

[Idrils Shield], who had used his authority in order to abuse the girl whenever he felt like.

He even made her sign a contract with a noble as a witness this time.

>Don't look like that.<, he now said warmly and hugged the girl.

>I won't sell you.

You just wasted so much money again.

How can I ever let you leave to stay on your own feet, if you always disappoint me like that?<

Now he gave her false feelings again, while keeping her confidence at bare minimum.

She started crying again.

It was addiction.

>You have to take your medicine.

And go take a bath already.

We will see if I have the time for a story about Idril afterwards.<

Never hurt the man to use drugs in order to keep control, too.

Like most of his slaves, she couldn't leave for more than a week.

Otherwise, withdrawal symptoms would start showing.

>Weak little Mina..<, he caressed her cheek for a moment and left.

>I know it's there. It has to be.

Mom's necklace, I swear I will find it.<, she kept talking to herself left alone in the room.

She had used all that money in order to find it, but she couldn't.

The [Dungeon Lord] was still there. The [Dungeon Heart] was still there.

How could that have been possible?

Didn't he tell her again and again about her heroic mother and how she sacrificed herself?

She had stayed with him, even through she wanted to leave so many times, for the hope he would one day tell her something new. But that never happened.

And now when she had finally found new information, everything she knew fell apart.

She didn't even dare to ask about it. A small little thought stopped her.

'What if everything was a lie?'

She trembled and cried even more.

What had he done to her for all these years?

But she couldn't just leave.

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'Why didn't the [Queen] simply kill me?

Maybe that would have been for the best.'

She thought about it again and again.

Nothing really made sense.

After Gram and her were surprised by the [Slimes] acid, they had nowhere to run.

They didn't fight a [Slime] before as there were none in [Quon Village Dungeon].

With no experience with acid and no way to get rid of it, the burning was terrible.

It even made concentrating hard.

Not only that, the panic took over when Gram wasn't able to create a [Portal].

Even through there was no monster to be seen at all.

Realizing that this would be their end, they were about to give up.

Gram was just a boy.

She didn't want him to end up like this.

All because of her wish to find something that was left by her mother.

But the dead end didn't appear.

When she opened her eyes again, a [Queen] was watching her.

'Is she going to eat me alive? That might be good.

At least I won't have to worry anymore.', she thought.

But nothing like that happened.

She starred at the [Queen], hoping for salvation.

But the [Queen] just stared back at her as if there was something more to all this.

And before she knew, Gram was getting up in front of her and.. kicked out of the dungeon.

Not strong enough to defend or attack, but still not butchered, but kicked out.

'Please, don't give up.', something seemed to whisper very weakly.

It was a faint female voice.

Something in her mind, she didn't knew about.

It was a lovely voice. A caring voice.

But that couldn't have been that [Queen], right?

Maybe it didn't even happen.

She was still dizzy from the acid and came to outside the dungeon.

And more than everything else..

The [Queen] had more of a masculine feeling towards her.

Sure, it was called a [Queen].

But it was a genderless monster.

Still she would call the creature that kicked Gram and her out, a male if asked.

'No. I won't give up. I will find out the truth!'

Your level has increased by 1.

For fulfilling special requirements, you may advance to the [Pathfinder] class.

Do you wish to change class?

Yes / No

>[Pathfinder]?<

Pathfinder: A third tier class that can be acquired by fulfilling special requirements.

There wasn't much information about it, it seems. But being a third tier class..

Do you wish to change class?

Yes / No

She accepted.

Class has been changed: You have successfully changed your class to that of the special third tier class [Pathfinder]. Skills have been granted to fulfill your role.

The world in front of her eyes changed.

Dozens of different colors were everywhere.

Lights were glowing in some spots, shadows overlaying others.

Just a glance gave her a painfull headache.

>Too much!<, she said surprised and tried to concentrate.

The light dimmed down.

Some colors vanished.

'Is this a new skill?'

Vision Of The Seeker: A skill which illuminates the path.

She understood now.

This skill would show her the path to whatever she was seeking.

Colors highlighted everything that was connected, for how it was connected.

She just didn't understand yet what which color stands for.

But she would start with the bright blue light, that came from the desk.

And as she opened the drawer she wasn't supposed to open..

Trembling. Crying. Faintly whispering: >Just why?<

She found a necklace.