The Fate X Dungeon
Ch#12 - Spirit Air「Aqua」

Due to my past life experiences, I was more sensitive to the unusual mana concentrations that the inhabitants of the dark region generally had. Where those people feel like poison.

Just being around them would make my body feel uncomfortable. It was almost like a bundle of energy that contained hatred and negative emotions.

That's the kind of feeling I've had since I first walked into Filo's house. Even the premonition could not be eliminated and instead grew stronger when I went into his mother's room.

And sure enough, my instincts proved to be true when I discovered what was behind Grisha's back. Everyone including his own daughter was also shocked.

This is the first time I've seen anything like it. What was seen in my eyes was a truly strange phenomenon. A part of Grisha's back had blackened, as if her skin had changed color. Even a few small protrusions emerged from his back.

“...Ti's... Not likely. Why is Grisha like that..?” Dorran's voice felt disbelief. I took a quick glance at it and again paid my attention to the unusual phenomenon that occurred with Grisha's body.

I don't believe it myself either... What the hell is going on?

In the northern part of the continent there are creatures that come from darkness. They are only human-like creatures, but with darker skin tones and slightly different body features on their hands, feet, or face. Then, even if the skin is blue, gray, even red, which is sure the color of the skin will be dominant in the dark. And strangely the changes of Grisha resemble the characteristics of creatures from that region of darkness.

The only thing I thought about. A world-hostile being under the command of the Demon King. People call him—

“...Demonflok.” I said clearly. Of course, the meaning of my words cannot be directly understood.

Filo's still a kid. Sella does not need to be asked, she is a person who can be calm despite being confused. So only Dorran is still trying to think about it half-dead.

“You mean... vile creatures from that region of darkness? Then all this time Grisha...”

I shook my head in response to the words of the hanging village chief. Then give a little explanation regarding my guess.

“If you think this woman is an undercover demonplok, it's very absurd. But no doubt, the skin, or rather the body of Filo's mother, slowly began to resemble their appearance.” I said while touching the back of Grisha who experienced changes.

Not understanding the condition that befell his mother, the youngest Filo here certainly has a question. My body gently patted me softly a few times to draw my attention, then asked the most important thing.

“Uncle, will mom be okay? Can mother be healed? Uncle..”

Filo's question came with an anxious expression that pityed me.

“Give it to uncle. Be smart and don't cry, okay?!” My love calmed him down, wiping a drop of water in the corner of his eye.

The girl nodded confidently at me, and tried to understand. Seeing the determination of the little girl who tried to act mature, made me want to help her wholeheartedly. Even Sella who had been constantly acting cold since coming to the village, intended to make him calm down as well.

The succubus woman who hid her appearance under a simple robe also gently rubbed Filo's head. Until the little girl was astonished at the treatment given to her.

To me the scenery I saw was quite interesting, yet I wasn't in the 'mood' to talk about it. So I chose to tell you the next action I'm going to take.

“Filo, I want to concentrate on helping your mother. Can you leave us both now?”

“Sure!” Filo replied with great trust in me.

“Please accompany Filo!”

“I understand.” said Sella replied to my order. Then, guide everyone out of the room.

After asking everything out, there was only me, and Grisha who was certainly still unconscious. I confirmed the existence around me with Life Preception ability, and was sure that there was no one else.

When it calmed down, I looked carefully at everything in Grisha's room. My eyes moved checking angle by angle, without moving from my standing position.

It turns out there is. I said in my heart.

Having found what I was looking for, I tried to confirm it once again by closing my eyes. And it's true... When my one sense is off, my other senses are stronger.

“You know when you're hiding? I can find you clearly.” After speaking like that, a reaction came from Grisha's room.

It came from a small table beside the bed. A small box left open, placed on the table. From inside the box, the jewel necklace trembled strangely and emitted a mysterious bluish-white sparkle.

Moments later, the faded mysterious light was replaced by an unknown figure that appeared in an unusual manner. Although without wings, he floated in the air like swimming in water.

His form resembles that of a mermaid, but has a pale bluish complexion that distinguishes him from most mermaids, half of which resemble a human. From his body radiated a faint glint, which was comfortably seen by the eyes.

“Any once, just this time meet the hero seed carrier introduce themselves as the king of darkness. Isn't that name not suitable for you?” he said so he looked at me.

“Heh, high level spirit apparently.”

“True, Perfect value for you! I am a water spirit named Aqua. Nice to meet you.”.

The way to introduce yourself is really made like a boy who is always carefree and excited. He was very much in accordance with the spirit of water as his name suggests, both innate and appearance. The blue color that depicts water, the short hair model is wavy like an ocean, and the most obvious is a bunch of water moving around its body.

“I want to make sure, you already understand the situation clearly, right?” That's what I asked him the first time. Judging from his behavior and actions, this Aqua must have understood the situation of Grisha.

Crossing his arms forward, he spoke like a confident child.

“Of course. How long do you think you've been watching him? I can tell everything that happened around Grisha during my necklace with her, including when you were kind enough to help this village before.”

“Good. But, just so you know. I helped this village just for my own sake, it has nothing to do with nonsense like the kindness you said.”

I gave her a cold look while saying that sentence. To get praise and respect after helping people because sincerity is a sickening nonsense to me.

I'm tired of being called a good person who is willing to help people like an obligation, then they just want to think if the action is natural because we are the chosen ones. That kind of opinion would shackle a man's freedom, and I hate it so much.

That was the reason why I was able to get carried away with emotions when Aqua brought up the kindness of my heart in her words earlier. But strangely enough, Aqua not only did not care about my cold words, but instead provoked her curiosity, and began to look at me closely.

He even made a gesture of holding his chin by hand, like finding something interesting while spinning around me. The floating spirit was watching me from every angle with a serious expression, which I thought looked childish instead.

“What are you doing?” tanyaku.

“Nothing... I'm just wondering, why can a hero be like this?” Aqua said it lightly, and ignored me who felt uncomfortable.

“Let me make it clear, I'm not a hero.”

“Yes, I know you've thrown that destiny away of your own accord. But in fact, the 'it' thing is still in your body.”

The words I confirmed were responded to by Aqua quickly, she even pointed with a finger, clenched in the middle of my chest. It seemed to mean forcing me to open my eyes to facts I didn't want to talk about anymore.

The 'that' thing that Aqua meant, I definitely understood the meaning of the allusion.

Something that must exist in every chosen human being, 'objects' that become proof that someone deserves the title.

Is correct. The hero seed will always be there for as long as I live, because I am a former hero.

Seeing that he was still busy observing me, I breathed a long sigh of exhaustion from the curiosity of this child. I think throwing up various rejections, and trying to make excuses makes sense, is completely meaningless before the Spirit of Air—Aqua.

So I led the conversation back to a more important topic, of course, so that I was free from the chat that I didn't want to talk about.

“What happened to this woman?” Hearing my question, he looked like a child on the way home but was struck by something in the middle of the road, and just remembered that the sky was already dark.

The response Aqua showed was quite interesting. I heard the Spirit (Spirit) is a selfish creature and does not like to be ruled by others that they do not acknowledge. However, once they like, all the affection and loyalty will be given until the end of his life. It was not just a baseless rumor.

Even now, his interest in me seemed to have never existed, and returned to paying full attention to Grisha.

“Traumanya must have relapsed again. Since up-and-down emotions can have an impact on mana stability, it's only natural that he would be like this.” While talking, he tidied up the Grisha clothes that I had torn off earlier. Then fix the sleeping position that I initially tilted facing the wall. “Basic men are not polite, it should not be necessary to tear his clothes.” he added when he saw the traces of clothes tearing on the floor.

“Regarding normally might make him in pain. After all, her clothes are too excessive.” obviously I'm indifferent. Of course I'm not lying. Judging from the way he dressed too much even inside the house, it was clear he wanted to hide the changes that had happened to his body.

Because the position of Grisha already looks comfortable. Aqua's two hands began to be spread over her.

Aqua's expression became even more solemn as her palms opened wide. The glow of light in the body also becomes brighter, until it produces a clearer blue color.

Watching the interesting scene, made me fall silent for a few seconds.

“What are you doing?”

“It's clear, I'm helping him stabilize mana.” My question was answered briefly by him, Aqua's expression beckoned if she did not want to be disturbed again while doing so.

Seeing the blue light on Aqua's body flowing slowly into Grisha's body made me believe in one thing...

This Aqua, she's streaming Aether to Grisha.