Chapter 131: Chapter 132: We Can’t Have Everything! But… (2)

I liked making choices.

For example, my childhood game, Pukimon.My favorite part of Pukimon was at the beginning where you got to choose one of three Pukimon.

Water, grass, fire.You could choose one and start your journey.

Not just Pukimon but most games had choices.I also liked ‘job class’ moments in RPGs.

Would a Warrior be better than a Bandit?If building a Bandit, then was it better to equip a dagger or throwing knife? Considerations like that.

I think I really enjoyed that kind of process.

The sadness of gaining one but having to lose the other.The joy of leaving behind what was left and moving forward with what was in hand.

Choices were like that.That was what I liked.

What would Cecily, Hina, and Naru think?I told the children who were gathered.

“They’re items that can be used to find the treasure. The only few I have. You can only choose one. And you get only one chance, so choose carefully.”

Swoosh— Swoosh— Swoosh—I reached into my shadow and pulled out what was stored in it.They were respectively a compass, a pickaxe, and a rope.

Vrrrrr—As I laid them out on the ground, Cariote was the first to show interest.

“A broken compass…. A worn pickaxe, and an almost disconnected rope.”

Cariote picked up the compass.She watched the needle spinning unceasingly and frowned.

“How can you find the treasure with this?”

Cariote couldn’t seem to understand.But Salome, who had been observing quietly, opened her eyes wide.

“Is this—”“Ahhh–!”

As Salome was about to speak, Sifnoi, who had been refereeing the treasure hunt, yelled in astonishment.She clasped her cheeks and shouted.

“These are all magnificent treasures…! Objects desired by all graverobbers and thieves…! This compass… is the 「Sparrow’s Compass」...!”

That Sifnoi.Being strangely filled with a bunch of random knowledge, she seemed to be able to recognize these treasures in a single glance.

“The 「Sparrow’s Compass」 is…. a famous pirate’s treasure…! It doesn’t point north…. But legend says that it directs the user towards what they desire…!”

Sifnoi was right.The 「Sparrow’s Compass」 was a mysterious item that pointed to what the user wanted. After that, Sifnoi saw the pickaxe next to the compass and was even more shocked.

“This is the 「Sergeant’s Pickaxe」...! The sergeant who was said to have dug through many mountains early in the days…. A name hasn’t been passed down but it is able to shatter any rock or boulder…!”

Like Sifnoi said.It was a pickaxe that could dig through anything.I had trouble acquiring it.

“And lastly…. This must be 「Gleipnir」? It is a magic rope that can lengthen and shorten at will…! It can extend up to kilometers in length…!”

“You know your stuff.”

All three were great items.Even as someone who didn’t keep any personal possessions, these were treasures that I kept safe in my shadow, each one worthy to be called a secret treasure of thieves.

“Now, choose one. Once you choose, there’s no refund so pick wisely. They’ll be your companion tool going forward.”

To find the Snake Dragon’s Gem that I hid, each item will need to be used appropriately.Of course, I didn’t say how to use what.Only see what they decide.

“Cecily, the compass seems good. Knowing direction is important.”“Hina, take the pickaxe! That pickaxe is made from an adamant material!”

Cariote and Salome were pushing their kids to choose a specific treasure. As they hesitated, Brigitted asked Naru.

“Naru, which do you think is the best one?”

“I don’t know!”

I see.Naru didn’t know.Just then, the first one to move her hand was Cecily.

“The others look difficult to carry around. But this compass can fit in pockets or bags. I, Cecily, choose this one.”

The compass went to Cecily.Just two items left.Then Hina moved next.

Swoosh—Hina picked up the rope.The rope that can lengthen at any point.

“Hina, I said to choose the pickaxe!”

Of course, Salome wasn’t pleased.However, Hina was in awe, pulling on the rope and shortening it.

“An awesome rope…. If I tie it to the knife and throw it…. It’ll become another weapon…. I can use it for jump rope…. There’s a lot of uses….”

She had a point.A rope was useful in many ways.

So the pickaxe was left.Naru lifted with both her hands the pickaxe that was almost her size.

“Naru, has a pickaxe! It’s pretty heavy!”

Naru didn’t seem to have much thought.Anyway.With that, the treasure hunt resumed.I was watching from my seat in the garden chair when Salome came and asked.

“What are you up to? Judas, you gave away your treasures to the children.”

“Just thinking of it as an early inheritance.”

I joked awkwardly with a chuckle. But well, it was basically what I said. I gave my inheritance to my daughters.

“Even if I keep them, they’re useless to me.”

There wasn’t much time left for me.I just wanted to enjoy these peaceful days as much as I could.

“... Have you given up?”

Salome asked.

“I’m asking if you gave up because the experiment failed.“

“No, I was prepared for that. And I don’t think that what I’m doing right now is wrong. Look at them. They’re smiling. It means that our future is still on course.”

If the future had changed, the children would have vanished.But they still existed here.

The future in which they’re born hasn't changed yet.The fact that they were here running around in the garden was proof.

* * *

Cecily went around the garden with the compass.The compass spun and spun.When it stopped…. It was in front of a large boulder situated in the garden.

“… It must be here!”

Cecily said.Soon, Cariote, who had been searching nearby, came in front of the boulder and tried pushing it.

“Hup—”

But even with Cariote putting force, the boulder didn’t move.

“It’s a very hard boulder. To break it, it might require an explosive. It looks to be about ten tons.”

The size of the boulder was like a large chariot.Cariote and Cecily tried pushing together but it still didn’t budge. It was then that Cariote expressed some regret over the decision.

“If I had known, we would’ve chosen the pickaxe. No, then we couldn’t have discovered the treasure’s location. There’s no other way. We need to call Naru.”

The pickaxe that Naru possessed would surely break this boulder. But then the treasure would need to be split with her.

Cecily had wanted to use the gem to craft a beautiful tiara, but if it was shared with Naru, then she’d only be able to make a small bracelet which got her a little bummed.But, staying like this wouldn’t even get her a bracelet.

“Naru, come over here!”

Cecily called Naru.Soon, Naru waddled over holding the large pickaxe that was as big as her.

“Why did you call Naru?”

Cecily used Cecily Style, Ruthless Talking to explain the situation. The treasure was under this boulder, they needed Naru’s help, and the treasure would be split in half.Naru nodded as she understood.

“Okay! Then I’ll break it!”

Naru raised the pickaxe with all her might.

“Naru Smash!”

Fwhooosh— Pang—!When she struck down with the pickaxe, the boulder started to crack like an eggshell. After a few seconds of bashing the boulder, Naru’s eyes lit up.

“Wow, holy shh…! It’s an underground cave…!”

Underneath the boulder, there was an entrance to an underground cave!It was so deep that it was hard to gauge its depth. Cariote dropped a lit match into it but it disappeared into a small dot.

“It’s very deep. Cecily, are you sure that the treasure is down there?”

At Cariote’s question, Cecily nodded.

“I’m sure it’s down here! The compass is pointing at the ground below!”

“I see. I could go in and see for myself but the entrance and passage down is too narrow. Even if we widen the entrance, I may get stuck along the way.”

A passage just wide enough for a child to fit through.An unknown depth.Though the boulder had been cleared, the treasure hunt was on hold again.Just then, Naru spoke.

“How about we ask Hina? Hina has the rope! We can tie ourselves with it and go down into the cave!”

That was the correct solution.But in that case, Cecily and Naru had to share the treasure with Hina as well. Then Cecily’s plan to make a bracelet from the gem would be ruined.If the gem was shared between the three of them, the only accessory that could be made was a ring at most….

‘A ring would be hard to show off at the Ordor ball….’

But in this situation, she wouldn’t even get a ring.Without a choice, Cecily and Naru requested help from Hina.

“Hina!”

Naru explained to Hina what had happened until now.

Because Hina was a smart girl, she understood the situation right away.At last, the children tied Hina’s rope around their waists and headed down into the deep cave.

The inside of the cave was deeper than expected, full of twists and turns.Cecily had to find the way with the compass and Naru needed to open up paths with the pickaxe.Soon, Naru exclaimed.

“If we didn’t combine our power, we wouldn't have found the treasure!”

Just then, Cecily wondered.

“But where is this…?”

Cecily felt her senses dulling the more she walked around the cave.Front and back.And up and down was hard to tell.

Spin— Spin— Spin—Even the compass that Cecily was holding kept spinning like it was broken.There were three paths in front of them.It was a worrying situation.

“Naru, will go down the middle! I will yell if something happens so pull on the rope tied to Naru’s waist!”

Swoosh—Naru fearlessly walked toward the middle path. Cecily watched in slight fear but there wasn’t much else they could do.

How many minutes passed like that?

“Naru?”“… Naru.”

Cecily and Hina called out to Naru.But there was no answer.

“We should go, too.”

Cecily walked forward slowly with Hina.The path that Naru had disappeared into was winding and complicated.

“Naru, where are you?”

Cecily called.But there still was no answer.

“Naru disappeared…?”It was when Hina mumbled in a slightly shaky voice.

Flap— Flap—Something shiny with wings flew over Cecily and Hina’s heads. It was a white-winged butterfly.

“Hina, do you see that? It’s pretty.”“…A glowing butterfly…? If there’s a butterfly… there might be an exit….”

Hina’s thoughts were always rational.If there was an exit, then Naru may have left through it.Hina and Cecily followed the butterfly that was flying a certain way around the cave.They crawled through the winding cave for about 10 minutes, then found something that could be called a ‘door’.

“… A door…? Hina, do you see it, too?”“… Yeah…. Door…. Strange…. Why is there a door in a cave like this….”

It was a really suspicious door.But in Cecily’s opinion, there was no other choice but to open that door in this situation.And when she had opened it—

“Cecily, wait—”

Click—Shaaaa—A warm wind instantly blew this way and Cecily shut her eyes.About 5 seconds passed.When she slowly opened her eyes, Cecily realized that she was in an unfamiliar but warm room. It was a room filled with warm sunlight and a fluttering curtain.

“This is…? Why is there such a room in a cave…?”

It looked like the bedroom of someone who had slept in on a spring morning.Soon, someone who had been inside spotted Cecily and asked.

“Are you lost? I don’t recall inviting a child to today’s tea party.”

Was it the owner of the room?It was a woman with skin white as snow and long, black hair like ebony.She was like a white sugar princess.

Was she hosting a tea party?Cecily spoke with her face slightly red from embarrassment.

“I-I wasn't ... invited to the tea party but…. I did get lost looking for my sister… and walked through the cave and came here….”

“Cave? Sister?”

“A treasure hunt…. using this compass…. and followed the butterfly….”

Cecily was wondering why there was this room in the cave and looked at the compass.

The needle of the compass that had been spinning until now was still, pointing at the woman in front of her.Watching, the lady who looked like a princess of a faraway kingdom smiled.

“A treasure hunt─. I see. You followed a butterfly? Did the butterfly look like this?”

The white-gloved lady waved her finger around.When she did, a fluttering butterfly appeared with a twinkle and circled in front of Cecily.

“That’s it…! It’s that butterfly…!”

“This is a guiding butterfly. It guides people who are lost. I was collecting them but it seems that one flew off. So you got lost because of me, then. I’m sorry.”

“A guiding butterfly…?”

“Follow the butterfly. It’ll show you the way back.”

The woman nudged Cecily’s back.Cecily followed the butterfly into the room’s closet.

It was a dark closet.How was the way inside the closet?But, amazingly, there were voices coming from inside.

━Cecily, where are you!━Cecily….

It was Hina and Naru’s voices.

Will she meet her sisters if she went inside?Before she went back to them, Cecily wanted to ask something.

“... Are you, um… a princess? Of this strange world….”“A princess?”

The woman repeated, seemingly surprised.Then finally, she nodded.

“I am.”

Tuuug—Just then, something felt like it was tugging on Cecily’s body. The rope around her waist was being pulled taut.

“Ahhh…!”

“Found Cecily!”“That’s good….”

Before she knew it, Cecily was lying in the dark cave.Seeing Naru and Hina watching her, Cecily asked, surprised.

“W-What? Where’s the princess?”

Cecily looked around.

But there was no glimpse of the calm room nor the lady who looked like a beautiful princess.

“What princess? Cecily, were you dreaming?”

Naru looked around.Cecily, too, mused, “Was it a dream….” and kept looking around when something fluttered and flew around the dark cave.It was a butterfly with glowing wings.

“The guiding /genesisforsaken