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Chapter 71: A shadow past
🕑 Added 2025-03-29 02:58:31 +0000 UTCThe scene shifted back, Liam sat comfortably on the moving throne, his gaze drifting lazily upwards to meet Mize’s beaming face.
Though something felt… off.
He exhaled through his nose, fingers stretching outward as he lightly tapped the doll’s nose. “Why are you upside down?”
Mize’s grin widened, his tiny figure hovering awkwardly above the throne, feet dangling in the air.
“I dunno. I am trying to float properly…” His voice was light and crisp, filled with childlike amusement as he spun in place.
“But for some reason, I feel like I’m controlling gravity more than actual flight"
Liam chuckled, leaning back as he tilted his head. “That’s because you are controlling gravity instead"
Rising to his feet, he reached up, catching Mize’s wrist before he floated any higher while still hanging upside down. “Just look at your dress, it’s not even falling. That should be proof enough.”
“Oh, this?” Mize blinked and tried to look down. Or up. No... down was up, and up was… his mind scrambled for a second before giving up.
His hair, too, defied the natural pull of the world, cascading neatly against the norm.
Liam narrowed his eyes, intrigue flickering across his face.
“Reverse gravity manipulation…” He murmured, his gaze sharpening. “The path of a Goddess is truly enviable"
Mize huffed, puffing his cheeks. “How is this enviable? I’m floating upside down like some weirdo"
Annoyance laced his voice as he tugged on Liam’s sleeve, gradually pulling himself down until their faces were level.
His expression suddenly turned mischievous.
“Wanna float too?”
Liam smirked. “Only if I can float normally, please.”
Mize snorted. “Alright, alright, I’ll try.” He clasped Liam’s hand firmly, inhaling a deep breath.
Swoosh.
His mind flickered through images. A bird. A plane. A Dyson sphere. A moon. Wait, what?
The air around them shifted, a pressure change rippling through the air.
Mize opened his eyes, his body finally flipping right-side up, as Liam pulled him close, steadying him with a gentle hug.
“Alright…” Mize exhaled, his eyes gleaming.
He grinned. “Fly.”
Swoosh.
In an instant, they lifted off.
Their feet detached from the throne’s platform, floating several meters high in the air.
“I did it!” Mize cheered, the excitement practically vibrating off of his face.
Liam chuckled, glancing around. “Not going any higher?”
“Nope.” Mize shook his head so fast his hair swayed. “This height is perfect. I love it.”
“Good enough, I suppose.”
For the next half-hour, Mize danced through the air, weaving through the sky like a playful spirit.
He zipped past groups of soldiers, observing them curiously, occasionally stopping to interact with a few.
It was near one of the many excavation sites, where the soldiers tirelessly dug into the earth, that Mize found himself hovering above a particularly tall battle mage.
His posture was casual, legs swinging freely in the air as he tilted sideways.
“Hey, hey, mister” Mize called out cheerfully.
The battle mage stiffened, his movements pausing as he slowly looked up.
Under his hood, there was no human face, just a pulsating mass of shifting darkness, a swirling void that pulsed as it spoke.
“Yes, your highness?” His voice was deep, reverberating with an eerie calm. “Is there something you require?”
Mize blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
'Oh… right. They’re not human'
Still, his curiosity burned.
He leaned forward, arms folded under his chin. “Tell me… were you once human?”
The battle mage didn’t hesitate. “I was once a soldier under another Lord, your highness.”
“You were?!” Mize’s voice jumped a few octaves, his eyes widening. “Then what happened? How did you end up here?”
The shadowed figure cast a brief glance toward the distant throne, where Liam sat, smiling faintly.
Then, he returned his gaze to Mize, gripping his halberd lightly before striking it into the ground once more.
“There was a great war between the Lords,” he began.
Mize’s eyes gleamed with interest. “A great war?”
“Indeed. A war that set the entire region aflame.” The battle mage’s voice deepened as he continued digging, recounting his tale.
“It was fought over something I do not fully understand"
His shadowed hands gripped tighter. “Hundreds of thousands of Lords clashed over it… and I was among the unfortunate ones who perished in battle.”
Mize hovered closer, completely engrossed.
“What happened?”
“Our Lord was part of a massive alliance,” the battle mage continued. “At that time, the alliance was determined to seize the something from our enemies"
"I saw it with my own eyes, the moment when thousands of castles materialized in perfect formation, their gates opening"
“Hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Millions, even, marching onto the battlefield… and the battle erupted "
He paused.
His grip on the shovel tightened.
“But then… they came.” His voice dropped lower, a whisper laced with something almost akin to fear.
Mize’s expression shifted. “They?”
“Yes.” The battle mage’s form seemed to flicker, as if the memory itself unsettled him.
“Massive castles appeared out of nowhere. Several of them. And then… beings emerged from their domes. Dozens of them. Not human... Not like us"
Mize’s stomach twisted.
“Millions of soldiers followed them.” The battle mage’s hands trembled slightly. “And we… we were slaughtered. Mercilessly.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
Mize’s lips parted, but for once, he had nothing to say.
“…That’s all, your highness.” The battle mage finally exhaled. “I don’t recall the rest. But I am honored that someone of your status would listen to the tale of a humble soldier.”
Mize straightened, his expression unreadable.
His dress billowed gently in the air, his hair cascading down like an endless waterfall of darkness.
Then, he smiled.
A soft, genuine smile.
“It’s not humble at all,” he murmured.
“I should be the one thanking you.”
"Pardon?"
The battle mage's voice faltered for a second, his hollow gaze fixated on the ethereal figure hovering before him.
Even without a face, there was a clear hesitation in his presence.
The image seared into his mind—a presence that should not belong to this world.
Her dress, long and flowing, shimmered in shifting hues of deep purples and blacks, like petals in eternal bloom only to wither moments later.
Her eyes, red as the finest rubies, as if dipped in liquid dusk.
A flawless face, detached and dusted...
Yet… her smile.
A Goddess among mortals.
For a brief moment, the battle mage remained motionless, before Mize's gentle voice pulled him back.
"Mister… Are you there?"
"Ah… Yes, Your Highness." He quickly snapped out of it, bowing his head. "I will return to my work"
"Alright~" Mize hummed, nodding cheerfully before drifting away, as light as a feather caught in the breeze.
Silence lingered for a beat before the battle mage resumed digging, his movements still slightly stiff, and from the corner of his eyes, he caught the sight of the leaving goddess...
Not long after, a sudden commotion stirred among the soldiers.
A silver chest had been unearthed!
At Liam’s call, Mize arrived at the scene, one hovering idly in the air, the other standing casually with arms crossed.
"So..." Liam exhaled, his voice cutting through the air, causing Mize to flinch slightly.
"There's a treasure chest here, huh, Mimi?"
"Hohohoho~" Mize let out a deliberately elegant laugh, one hand covering his mouth as he floated just a bit higher.
"What a strange coincidence this is! Look, Liam! A treasure chest~"
Liam's gaze deadpanned.
A slow blink.
Arms crossed.
Fingers tapping against his sleeve.
"...Really now?"
"Really what?" Mize blinked back, feigning the most innocent confusion imaginable.
Liam didn't buy it.
His eyes gleamed sharply as the soldiers dragged the chest toward them.
"So… according to your logic, Mimi"
"We just so happen to find a silver chest in this random area."
"An area you randomly picked."
"And in this random direction, which you also happened to lead us to"
"Yeah," Mize nodded vigorously, arms crossing over his chest, mirroring Liam’s stance as he threw back a serious look.
"Coincidence is very scary, Liam. You shouldn't be fooled by it."
...
....
0_____0
Liam remained speechless.
A heavy sigh left him.
"Alright…" He finally waved a hand in defeat, not pursuing the subject further.
But internally?
He was already brewing another plan.
Taking a single step forward, Liam reached out his hand toward the chest.
A faint glimmer. A subtle shift in space.
[Ding! Gained 1 Silver Chest.]
The chest vanished into his Lord's storage, sealed away for future use.
Then, Liam’s gaze slowly drifted back to Mize.
The rabbit visibly tensed.
"Ahem. So, Mimi..." Liam's lips curved into a slow, knowing grin. "How about we head home for today?"
"And you know…"
His grin deepened.
"I’d really love to have more… coincidences like this in the future."
He spread his arms, feigning helplessness.
"After all, I’m severely lacking in rare items, blueprints, and more…"
"Having a few more coincidental discoveries would be a huge help."
Mize stood frozen, listening to every word.
And with each passing second, the more Liam spoke…
The more awkward this situation became.
