After a brief discussion, we decided to find a secluded place to rest for now. Since the residential area was crowded and I couldn't move around due to my current condition, it was the most reasonable choice. Besides, we also needed more time to learn the language of this civilization.
That was the best option.
[Scan] was doing its job well, and together with [Insight], I quickly grasped the basics of the local language. The only thing left was to teach Meradis.
But!
There was another issue at the moment…
It was… Meradis had been holding my hand this whole time. She didn't seem to pay it any mind, but this was kinda embarrassing…
But her hand was so soft, it felt so nice…
I didn't really want to let go, so maybe it's fine to just leave it like this?
"Such a hopeless girl!" Seina said.
"Shiraori, you idiot!" Suzu chimed in.
What do you mean hopeless?! What do you mean idiot?!
And what have you two even been doing this whole time? You haven't said a thing. Also, how do I look now in this human form? Beautiful, right?
"We've already seen it once, so there's nothing to be surprised about. More importantly, the Inference system isn't functioning. I'm still trying to find the cause."
Naiwa!
Nothing bad will happen, right?
"If nothing's happened to you by now, then it means nothing will."
Phew.
What about you, Suzu?
"I'm studying the language of this civilization. I feel like I've seen these characters before during my moment of inner enlightenment. It might be related to some kind of ancient magic."
Oh, so you two are pretty busy, huh?
"Unlike someone who's just sitting there holding hands with a girl!" Seina shouted.
Hey now, I'm working too! I'm helping Meradis learn the language here!
"What kind of language lesson requires hand-holding?" Seina shot back, smug.
…
I didn't have anything to say this time.
Maybe it's because I haven't had much contact with others for so long that now, after meeting someone who's an exception to that, I've become a little greedy and want more physical contact.
Please be understanding.
"Hmph."
Seina only let out a "hmph" and went quiet. Suzu, on the other hand, had already entered her inner enlightenment state.
Guess I'll have to spend some time coaxing them later.
We stayed there until nightfall. Language learning went well. We could now understand and communicate the basics. With the crowd dying down, it was time to act.
"Let's go." Meradis reached her hand toward me.
Come to think of it, we had let go of each other's hands earlier without me noticing.
I really wanted to hold hands again, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. Now that Meradis was offering, how could I possibly refuse?
I held her hand, and we began walking down the streets. We walked like that, with a bit of anxiety in our hearts, not knowing what the future would hold.
"Want to try communicating with them?" I asked.
"No need to go through that trouble." Meradis approached someone, her eyes gleaming slightly. The person froze in place.
Oh right, I totally forgot Meradis could read people's memories!
"What did you see?" I asked.
We were communicating through telepathy, so there was no risk of being overheard.
"The city we're currently in is called Arkanis, a central hub of ancient civilization. It's known for its massive pyramids, built to worship the sun and earth gods. The ruler is King Solari, a powerful monarch said to be a descendant of the sun god."
"Right now, an important event is taking place called the 'Sun Festival', where people celebrate the power of the sun god. There are parades, and it all ends with a ritual sacrifice offered to the deities."
Hmm… sounds normal enough, but the more normal something sounds, the more suspicious it is.
"The people of Arkanis worship many gods, but among them, one being is held above all others," Meradis continued.
"Who?"
"Serpent Dragon Lorsatic."
Naiwa!
I flinched at the mention of that name.
Isn't that the name of the snake I killed back in the beginning?!
No, no! It can't be!
Most likely, they're just of the same species and share the same bloodline. It couldn't possibly be the exact same one.
"Something wrong?" Meradis asked.
"No, keep going," I replied.
"See that temple over there?"
I followed her gaze and saw a massive temple. Even from this distance, it looked huge.
"In ten days, there will be a sacrificial ritual for Lorsatic. I think we might be able to find something useful there."
I nodded.
That meant we'd have to stay here for at least ten days.
We had no assets, so things like food and shelter would be a problem. While they might not be strictly necessary, we should still blend in and act like ordinary citizens to avoid suspicion.
"Let's take a look around some more." Meradis suggested.
"Alright."
Just as we stood up, I noticed a child rushing through a nearby alley, looking panicked, glancing around like someone was chasing them.
"Looks like survival is tough no matter where you go." Meradis commented.
I nodded but wasn't sure what to do. Honestly, we had no reason to get involved in other people's affairs, especially when we didn't understand their culture or situation. But what surprised me was when the child ran past us and shouted something in a language I could understand.
"I just need a little medicine! I'll pay you back later!"
That was modern language, not the ancient tongue we'd been hearing from everyone else. The pursuers behind the kid were cursing and shouting.
Meradis and I exchanged a look.
"Could be a clue." Meradis said.
We remained still, pretending to be bystanders, but I used [Dark God Gaze] on the pursuers. They immediately froze and collapsed, while the kid continued running.
"Let's go!" Meradis said with a smile, pulling me along.
Her hand was so soft, ah!
Finding the kid wasn't hard—she had been in my sights the whole time. We teleported and appeared right in front of him
"Ah!" The child fell over in fear, dropping everything she was holding.
"Who are you?!" he asked, trembling.
It was definitely the modern language.
I didn't say anything and looked at Meradis. I didn't feel like talking to anyone.
Meradis nodded and stepped forward. "Kid, why are you speaking a different language from everyone else?"
"Huh? You can understand me?? Wait, I can understand you too! So someone still knows what I'm saying?!" The child started panicking, and Meradis had to calm him down.
Seriously…?
We didn't even do anything, and he's already this flustered. And now Meradis had to comfort him too.
What an annoying brat!
I don't know when it started, but I found myself staring at the kid with such a deadly glare that Meradis had to warn me—my pressure was scaring him.
Tch.
Now he was crying again, and Meradis had to soothe his like a mom.
I tugged on Meradis's sleeve to show how I felt. Out of options, she used a skill to calm the kid down.
"First, can you take us to where you live?" Meradis asked.
He nodded and pointed to a small house in the district. "I live over there. You can come in—it's safer inside."
We followed his home. Inside was a small but cozy room, modestly decorated.
The child led us to a corner and sat down.
"Sorry, there's no table or chairs. I hope you don't mind. Ah, please wait a moment. I need to make medicine for my little sister."
"Okay." Meradis smiled and nodded.
Why is she still smiling at that brat??
She could just read the memories directly.
Why bother with all this effort?
I didn't understand, but I felt irritated inside. I tugged on Meradis's sleeve again.
"What is it?"
"Don't smile!" I didn't even know what I wanted to say anymore, but those were the only words that came out.
Meradis looked a little surprised but nodded anyway.
Not sure if she understood me… I didn't even understand myself.
A while later, the child returned with a chair and sat across from us. I gave him a glare again, and he could only look at Meradis.
"Calm down." Meradis said, holding my hand.
Well, this is better.
Alright, time to talk—but I'm not saying a word. Just to be sure, I even closed my eyes and left everything to Meradis.
…
Meradis sat across from the child. She was incredibly patient and gentle, a complete contrast to my current state of mind. Even with my eyes closed, I could clearly hear the thudding heartbeat of the child ringing in my ears. He was radiating tension directed at me.
I furrowed my brows slightly. Though my eyes remained shut, I had already locked onto the target in front of me.
"What's your name?" Meradis asked gently.
"...Rian," the child answered hesitantly. "I'm fourteen years old."
Fourteen? I glanced sideways. He looked no different from a ten-year-old—small and scrawny. He must have suffered quite a lot. My attitude softened a little.
"Rian," Meradis repeated his name, her voice as warm as a flowing stream. "Can you explain how you know the language we're using? It's not something the people of Arkanis typically speak."
"I don't know either..." Rian lowered his head, eyes revealing confusion. "Since I was little, this language has always existed in my mind. Even though no one taught me, I could understand and speak it. My parents said it was a 'blessing,' but they passed away when I was still very young. Since then, I've only used this language to talk to myself, so no one would know."
A blessing...?
I wasn't sure what he meant, but I guess knowing this language was considered a good thing?
Still, he couldn't compare to me. The way he spoke was still clumsy, and his word choice wasn't all that fluent either.
Meradis nodded, her hand gently caressing the back of mine.
Hm?
She knows what I'm thinking?
"What are you doing?" I asked silently.
"Shiraori is still better, no need to be jealous." Meradis replied.
Huh? Jealous of what? So she really can tell what I'm thinking?
No good, this is dangerous! I need to get my emotions under control.
"So why did you steal the medicine?" Meradis shifted the topic, her voice still filled with patience.
"The medicine was to save my little sister. She's been sick ever since we left home. No one would help us," Rian gritted his teeth, his eyes full of helplessness. "If she doesn't get the medicine, she won't survive. But medicine here is too expensive..."
I could clearly feel the despair in his voice. Life hadn't been easy for me either since becoming a spider. I was constantly staring death in the face—but I got through it.
If he truly cares about his sister, then he should do something! Do whatever it takes to protect their lives. Even if it means being a little ruthless, so what?
If you're a man, be strong!
I figured I'd take some time to teach this kid a thing or two. That is, if he stops pretending to be pitiful in front of Meradis.
Suddenly, Meradis spoke to me via telepathy, her tone slightly teasing: "Shiraori, are you jealous?"
I froze for a moment but quickly brushed off the question. Jealous? Nonsense. I just didn't want to waste time.
"So, do you know anything about this city?" Meradis continued, paying no mind to my reaction.
Hmph, ignoring me now?
"Arkanis is a place where the strong control everything," Rian replied, voice filled with resentment. "They worship the sun god, but I don't believe in it. These rituals are just an excuse to strengthen King Solari's power. I've heard from many people that in some offerings, they don't just use objects… sometimes, they use people."
"People...?" My eyes flew open. A wave of Intimidation radiated from me, turning the entire room frigid.
"Calm down." Meradis quickly gripped my hand tightly, her other hand reaching up to my face.
I quickly closed my eyes again.
I didn't expect to react so strongly. I thought the life and death of others wouldn't matter to me—but in this human form, it seemed I was still heavily influenced by my past-life emotions.
Rian flinched when I spoke. His gaze trembled, full of fear, but he still nodded.
"Yes... I saw it with my own eyes. Near the Sun Festival, strange things start happening in the slums. Some people go missing. Those taken are branded as 'unclean' by the priests or seen as threats to the regime. They never return..."
"What qualifies as 'unclean'?" Meradis asked.
"I don't know. Maybe to them... being poor is enough to be unclean…" Rian said bitterly.
Hmph…
This reeks of foul play.
If my guess is right, they're just looking for food—for the King-class Lorsatic Serpent. The stronger the serpent, the more benefit they get. It's also highly likely this ties into that machine.
"What other secrets do you know?" Meradis asked.
Rian hesitated, fear flashing in his eyes.
"I'm not sure if I should say this... but I once eavesdropped on a conversation between two high-ranking priests. They mentioned the 'Lorsatic Serpent'. According to them, it's been sleeping for hundreds of years, but now it's slowly waking up. And..."
"And?" I cut in coldly.
"They said... that the upcoming ritual is meant to awaken it fully. King Solari wants to harness Lorsatic's power to expand his dominion." Rian said, his voice trembling slightly.
Just as I expected.
The reason the serpent sleeps might be because it's been gravely wounded. Even if people call it a god, I believe it still falls within the scope of normal evolution—most likely a King.
The Sun Festival is just a cover to help it recover its strength. If that's the case, we'll probably be discovered once it wakes. At that point, neither I nor Meradis would be strong enough to stop it.
Unacceptable!
We must stop this!
Meradis fell silent, her eyes reflecting a thoughtful gleam.
"Shiraori…" She called me through telepathy, her voice brimming with confidence. "Looks like we've found a critical lead."
I responded with just two words, but they made my intentions clear.
"Mm, and if that boy's sister is truly in danger, we should help. He did give us a lot of useful information after all."
I didn't object—just gave a small nod.
"Rian." Meradis turned back to the boy, her voice still gentle. "We can help cure your sister."
"Huh? Really?" Rian's eyes lit up with hope.
"But first, we need some rest first. Then we'll talk more about what to do next."
Rian nodded repeatedly, as if afraid we'd change our minds. "Would you two like to stay here? There's still one empty room, though it's a bit run-down…" Rian offered.
"Mm, then we'll be in your care."
Smiling again!
"All right, I'll go prepare it right away." Rian said, then left.
As soon as the boy was gone, I immediately pulled my hand away from Meradis. I clearly told her not to smile at him anymore.
"Shiraori, what's wrong?" Meradis asked.
I turned my face away and didn't reply. I won't let myself soften again.
…
The next morning, I could only admit that I really am hopeless.