(EP-288.1) Depression #1

288 – Fairy’s Depression #1

It had been a few days since we left the White Mage Tower and the great river city of Big River.

After days of nothing but traveling on the road and riding in our carriage, we finally arrived at our destination.

“We’re finally here.”

Contrary to my worries about possibly encountering a band of thieves, the road to Sandora was quite safe and uneventful.

It seemed that rumors of the bandits being cleaned in Big River had spread, as we didn’t encounter any robbers or bandit groups.

“This is Sandora… the city of spiders and witches…”

Mirna stepped out of the carriage and looked up. The fluttering flags and towering spires reflected in her red eyes were majestic.

Sandora was a city filled with tall, pointed towers and fortresses rising everywhere.

At the top of each spire, flags were fluttering in the wind on something like lightning rods. It was said that the northern regions were full of such high spires.

Of course, there was no real reason for this other than that the people in the north just like tall things.

“There are so many witches…!”

Mirna marveled as she observed the people passing by.

Just as she said, the city was filled with witches wearing pointed hats. Not only witches, there were also numerous adventurers armed with swords, spears, shields, and armor.

The reason was probably because of that….

Seuk-.

I tilted my head upwards. In the distance, I could see a massive wall standing tall—its size impossible to gauge.

So that was the Great Wall of Clarice…

Its sheer scale defied any sense of perspective.

I’d seen it before in Aira’s imaginary world.

But seeing it in reality was nothing short of awe-inspiring, it was incomparably grander. How overwhelming would it be up close?

“There are also a lot of spiders…”

Wrrrrr-.

Mirna shuddered. Like she said, there were quite a few spiders in Sandora. The spiders hanging from the eaves and roofs of the shops were mostly about the size of a palm, which were intimidating.

Of course, while their appearance might be frightening, the spiders in the northern region were generally docile and friendly as long as they weren’t provoked.

As proof of this, many adventurers and witches had a spider perched on their shoulders. It was said that the spiders’ exceptional instincts could help detect monsters and traps.

Seuk-.

Stella grabbed a spider about the size of my palm and placed it in her hand. Its color was a deep, ruby red, and its body shimmered like glass work rather than a spider.

It even had a small golden ring on its legs.

「Haljjak – Todd’s General Store, 4th Street.」

Was that a name and the owner’s address?

Stella said.

“That’s a candy spider. It collects honey and sugars to make natural candies. The candies it creates are sold for a high price.”

A candy spider.

A very fairy-friendly spider…

I took the spider from Stella’s hand. It seemed to be quite friendly, staying still on the palm of my hand.

━Hioong…!

It made a strange sound.

At that moment, I noticed Mirna staring intently at the spider. So, I held the spider out to her and asked.

“Would you like to try holding it, Lady Mirna?”

“Eek…! No way…! I can’t stand things with many legs!”

Mirna’s hair stood on end.

It seemed she really disliked spiders.

━Hioong….

At her terrified reaction, the candy spider in my hand drooped and then leapt off, disappearing into a hole in a nearby shop.

I felt a bit sorry for that fella…

* * *

We headed towards the central main office of Sandora.

Some maid in a black dress was waiting at the entrance, as if she had been expecting us.

“Are you the group from the royal capital? The Count has been awaiting your arrival for several days.”

We then followed the maid into the building.

The main office. It was the castle of the lord of Sandora, and an old, worn-down fortress.

Instead of red carpets or chandeliers, it was decorated with cold stone walls and a poorly regulated fireplace. Which was probably why, despite it being summer, the temperature inside was quite chilly.

“It’s charming. I prefer this place to the pompous royal palace in the capital.”

Mirna remarked, seemingly fond of the austere and simple atmosphere of the castle. It indeed had that quality.

However, looking at the numerous taxidermied monsters, I couldn’t help but think that this place might feel more terrifying at night than charming.

“Count Redney is inside the parlor.”

Knock, knock.

As the maid knocked, a rustling sound came from inside.

━Come in.

The powerful voice made me tense up, and it seemed Mirna and Stella felt the same, as they stopped glancing around and straightened their clothing.

Clunk, creak.

Finally, the door opened, and we stepped into the reception of the castle. Inside, there was a blazing hearth, a stone-like table, and several desks and sofas.

“I’ve been expecting you.”

A woman greeted us.

She wore a very large, mushroom-ish cone hat, with long black hair braided down her back, a height that seemed to be about 2 meters, slender limbs, and striking features.

It was hard to guess her age.

She appeared to be somewhere between 30 and 40 years old. She was wearing a black dress, which reminded me of a grim reaper or a mourning dress—it was eerie.

Maybe it was her height, but she seemed almost like a goddess of death.

This must be Countess Redney Arachne, the lord of Sandora.

Redney Arachne.

It was said that in terms of lineage, she was a distant relative of Aira Von Tarantera.

In fact, she even shared the same black hair, black eyes, and beauty.

But other than that, she had nothing in common with Aira. In the end, it was a distant relative with diluted blood.

“Please, have a seat.”

Her voice was neutral. At that moment, Stella whispered to me.

“Countess Redney is a veteran who participated in the war against Solomon. Despite appearances, she might be older than me.”

“Is that true!?”

“It is.”

It was Countess Redney who answered my question. As a result, both Stella and I felt a bit embarrassed for getting caught whispering.

Edited by: faker