FLBE Chapter 9 Part 8
by SYLPH“Where, where are we?”
“My house. And the house you will be living in from now on.”
“…What…?”
Is this supposed to be a house? In all my life, I’ve never seen a house like this.
The tall, round walls made of black bricks towered high. Yet, through the open ceiling, the blue sky seemed very close. It felt as if the sky was right in front of her, and if she reached out her hand, she could almost touch the passing clouds.
Moreover, the room, filled with strange objects, was surprisingly tidy, not matching the chaotic vibe. On one wall, neatly displayed, were blue stones she felt had seen somewhere before.
When her gaze fixed on the blue stones, he smirked, picked one up, and placed it in her hand.
“Want it?”
“W-what is this?”
“A magical tool.”
“Huh?”
“You must have seen it before in the corridor with the Emperor.”
“What? What are you talking about… Oh?”
Damn it.
Finally remembering where she had seen the stone, Liena cursed under her breath.
“Oh, so you have this side to you too.”
Noticing her somewhat rough demeanor, Lance tilted his head quizzically and grinned mischievously, as if he had discovered something amusing. However, as her gaze grew increasingly cold, he widened his eyes and asked,
“What happened?”
“Did you see?”
“See what? Oh, you mean you moaning because of the Emperor’s c*ck?”
“…Ha!”
His blunt expression made her face turn bright red. She regretted following him here just minutes after arriving.
“Of course, I saw. I made this magical tool. I didn’t expect that bastard to use such an expensive item just to hide you.”
“Huh?”
“This is for making shields. It’s used when soldiers invade enemy territory or need to hide from enemies. It creates an invisible shield so that no one outside can see what’s inside. Maybe you could call it an invisible shield. Anyway, it can hide 100 or 200 people at once. But that bastard used it just to hide you? It was unexpected.”
Suddenly, Rhetrik’s words came to mind.
‘Do you know how valuable this is? I’m using a magical artifact worth an annual budget of the empire for you.’
Realizing this belatedly made her chuckle bitterly. It was absurd and disheartening that something so expensive was used just to hide her body. It was out of character for him, and yet, it made her chest ache.
She remembered his final words and expression. The man who had been furious, claimed he had no control over his own mind. The look in his eyes seemed hurt and vulnerable.
He must feel betrayed again. This time, he would never forgive her. He might even kill her.
“What’s wrong?”
“What if he comes here…?”
“The Emperor? Hmm, he can’t. Not here.”
“There’s no place he can’t reach. You don’t know him—”
“Yes, there is, here. And I know him better than you do.”
His confident statement left her speechless, and as she opened her mouth, he chuckled, placing a hand on her head and gently ruffling her hair.
“Do you think I would have brought you here if I couldn’t protect you? That’s a bit hurtful.”
“What is?”
“I don’t know what kind of man you think I am, but I’m far more capable than you imagine.”
“…”
Liena looked at him, who proudly lifted his chin and shrugged his shoulders, then turned her head away. She knew full well how capable Alphas were, but the arrogance to boast about it seemed to be a trait of Top-righteous Alphas.
“You don’t believe me? Well, don’t be too surprised.”
“W-what are you doing!”
Startled by his sudden embrace around her waist, Liena instinctively grabbed his arm.
“I’m going to show you around our home. You’ll feel more at ease.”
“Huh?”
“Close your eyes.”
Having experienced his unpredictable behavior a few times, she quickly shut her eyes. Soon, a strange sensation enveloped her entire body.
“Open your eyes.”
“Ahh!”
Feeling the strange sensation of a strong wind wrapping around her body, Liena opened her eyes and screamed at the sight before her. So startled, she instinctively grabbed Lance beside her, trembling as if her life depended on it.
“Oh dear, did I scare you too much? If you cling to me like this, it’s hard for me to hold back.”
“Wh-where are we?”
“I told you, we’re at my house. Isn’t it amazing? Doesn’t it feel like we’re flying?”
Amazing my foot!
Closing her eyes tightly again, Liena burrowed further into his arms, trembling. She couldn’t help it; it felt like she’d fall if she made a wrong step.
“This is unfair. Or should I take this as permission?”
“I-I’m scared! Please, let’s go somewhere else, okay?”
“Hah, alright. I’ll take you somewhere a bit more spacious.”
The strange sensation enveloped her again, and the view changed in an instant. It wasn’t like she was on a ride, but every time she closed and opened her eyes, she found herself in a new, breathtaking place. She felt utterly drained. She regretted following this man once more.
When she peeked her eyes open, she found herself sitting on a rock with a slightly larger surface area than before. Still, she couldn’t get used to the fact that they were floating, so she clung tightly to Lance, shivering.
“Stop trembling and look. You won’t fall, I promise. Even if you go crazy and jump, as long as I’m here, you won’t fall. So don’t be scared and take a look.”
Summoning the courage from his words, Liena slowly opened her eyes and peeked around. A small exclaimation escaped her lips.
“Oh my, how can a place like this exist?”
“This is the Sky Island. It’s where mages live.”
“The Sky Island?”
“Yeah. It’s where mages who seek truth and change the world live. And I’m their leader.”
Leader…? Oh right, the Tower Master.
“This island is in the sky, so those grounded on the earth can’t reach it unless they have wings.”
“Ah…”
“And the entire island is surrounded by a protective barrier, so even those with special abilities can’t find it. In other words, no one can see or enter this island unless they’re permitted.”
Only then did Liena understand why he was so confident.