The Secret of Frog (3)

We went down the ladder yet again.

"This is.. quite a complex spell. Who came up with this?" Laura asked.

"It's Liliath's magic combined with one of my Unique skills."

"How many Unique skills do you have? I'm confused."

"Four."

Moirae froze all of a sudden. Hey..

"Don't go too far, I don't know how far the barrier reaches."

"Four?" Moirae looked at me like some demonized being.

"Yeah. What?"

"T-That shouldn't be humanly possible.. no. I'm seeing but a glimpse of Creator-sama's true strength.."

"Whatever.."

I continued forward.

"This place.. it's quite foul. The spirits are restless." Laura said.

"Really? You have that skill.."

I stole both [Spirit Magic (SS)] and [Hymn of The Spirits (S)] from Laura and posted it into my skill column.

"It hurt!"

"Why.. why did you do this!!"

"Hello! Hello!"

"Someone drowned, someone drowned!"

"Do you feel the breeze? Do you?"

"Hey! Hey!"

"It's so quiet."

"Cold. Don't you feel cold?"

"There's people! There's people!"

"Can you hear me? I'm lonely."

I took off the [Spirit Magic (S)] skill.

Okay. Bad idea.

"Laura, how exactly do you handle all those voices?"

"Voices? What voices?"

"Nevermind.."

Does she not hear voices? I wonder what's up with that. Is it because of my constitution? Dunno.

"Where is the location of the treasure again, Princess?" Rin asked.

"I can never get used to this name," Moirae glared at the sexist creature. I mean.. I too can never get used to it.

"Little further. Ribbit. Please don't be tempted by the demon, ribbit."

Laura's ears twitched. She gave me a side-long glance. I shook my head.

"We're close. Ribbit."

"We're close. Ribbit."

"Looks like we're here."

"We're close. Ribbit."

This frog is like a shit detector.

"It feels the worst here.. what did you say was the treasure? Princess, what treasure do you refer to?" Laura asked.

"It's here. Ribbit."

"See? It's like a broken record. I don't have a single clue what in the hell it's trying to find."

"Maybe it's necessary we take away the barrier?" Moirae recommended.

"Yeah.. you sure about that? We're going to attract the attention of those people you know?" I looked towards the gang of drunkards huddled at one of the wooden pillars.

"It's worth a shot. What is the purpose of this anyways?"

"I just need to find this frog's secret."

"This frog has no secret. Ribbit."

"Dead man tells no tales."

"A demon has no qualifications of knowing. Ribbit."

"Damn frog.."

"How dare it call Creator-sama a demon.." Moirae's expression darkened.

"Long story," It's a very short one actually. I am a demon— a demon lord, to be exact.

"Wait.. I'm feeling something," Laura closed her eyes, her ears perked up.

Everyone fell silent. The sound of crashing waves and the echoing footsteps reverberating from above..

Her eyes formed a scowl.

Well..

I guess..

I set [Spirit Magic (SS)] back into my skill column.

"It's the prince!"

"All hail the lord! All hail!"

"My lord! Bless me!"

"Do you hear the wind?"

"Freeze~"

It's a vague feeling. But I know that besides the winter spirits the majority were vengeful spirits.

"Die!!"

"It's the tyrant!"

"AAHHHHHH!!!!"

Is this the clue? I remembered Liliath saying something about the frog being a trapped soul..

"Kill him! KILL EVERYONE!!"

"Run!!"

"Abandon fort! Abandon fort!"

"I'm hungry.."

"Please! My son is dying! Please! Someone.. anyone!"

"Noel.. what's wrong?"

"The winter is nice and chilly."

"Did someone say chilly? Isn't that spicy?"

"Clack. Clack. BOOOMMM"

"Son. You are the main pillar of the kingdom. Serve the citizens well."

"You will regret this.."

"Noel?"

"Something isn't right.."

"Someone.."

"Hey. Help me. Someone help me.."

"Can you hear me?"

"Some one.."

A girl's voice?

"Ribbit."

"What's up with that ribbit. Can you not be more lady-like?"

"Um.. you can hear me?"

"Wait. Are you related to the frog by any chance?"

"Noel, do you hear me?"

"Let me take a look."

"Can you see me? I'm here. I'm right here."

"No. I can't. I can only hear you."

"Where's the Princess?"

"The princess escaped?!"

"She ran away!"

"Lock the gates!"

""Spirit seer?!""

"I swear by my life, we will always be together."

"Do you recall? Our vow?"

"Yes. Ribbit."

"Noel? Snap out of it.. stop using that skill."

"If you can hear me.. just this one wish."

"STOP IT!!"

"Tell my princess that.. I've always loved her.."

"Gotcha."

Slap.

"Hehehe. He got slapped. Hehehe."

"It must be painful~"

"Let me blow on it."

"Cold helps soothe pain."

"Oi.. what the fuck is this…"

I stowed the [Spirit Magic (SS)] skill away.

"Hah.."

I blinked a few times. My blurry vision came to focus… and who appeared was Rin's face.

You know. You honestly didn't need to go as far as crying..

She pulled her arms around me and hugged me tight.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"What did you do? You can't.. be that you also possess the spirit seer skill?"

I shook my head. I don't know how I should explain so I'll just go with this for now.

"Noel.. don't do something with such recklessness.." Rin cried.

"Yeah..."

Huh.. this is Rin, not Liliath right? Shit.

I held her shoulders and pushed her away lightly.

"I'm good really.."

"A-Ah.. did I overstep my boundaries."

"I'm pretty sure you did.."

"M-My apologies.." Rin retreated and bowed.

"Ribbit?!"

And because of the momentum, the sexist frog was tossed down from her shoulders. It landed in the dirty sand.

"I think I got it.. I just don't know why it isn't working.."

"What isn't working? Spirit seer?"

"Not that."

Why wasn't the quest completed? If it's the frog's secret then.. isn't it that there this frog's soul participated in some big-time war or love drama in the past? I don't get what else there is to this unless..

"Hey. Princess. The prince said he had always loved you.."

Unless this is what I needed to do…

It felt so cringe.. Laura, Moirae and Rin were staring at me with varying expressions of confusion and awe.

"I see.. ribbit."

The frog got back on it's legs and stared out into the sea– but it's not like we could see a dozen meters out towards the horizon before seeing stopping at the hull of the ship so.. the frog was staring at a ship hull, yup.

"I can finally die in peace.".

The frog lept once— twice— every hope led it closer to the crashing waves.

It's forelegs touched the bubbles formed at the wave edge. It turned to us.

"Farewell my beloved. Thank you for passing me his final words."

The frog turned its back on us again.. and jumped into the sea with an anticlimactic 'splash'.

And it's gone.

The sexist frog by the name Princess.

Gone.

"What happened?" Laura asked.

It committed suicide.

"FUcKing.."

Bullshit

"W-What exactly does this mean?"

"I'm not getting the context. Creator-sama, it may be impertinous of me but could you explain?"

"Moirae-san. Call him Noel."

"H-Hah? L-Like I could address the almighty Creator-sama in that way!"

"Noel," Rin tapped on my shoulder.

I turned to her like a badly oiled machine—

"It's alright," her grey hair bounced, rounded eyes smiled at me as she patted my head.

"Y-Yeah.."

I can't deny it.

Rin is cute.

But I also know you're trying to console me..

===

"The ambassador from Toren Kingdom is coming in a week's time. If you can't make it to this banquet, there's always this other one you could participate in," Laura went on to explain.

"Banquets like this aren't just some walk-in events right?" I asked.

"Yes. But I'm sure Her Highness Siesta would gladly welcome your attendance."

"I had thought that Jiwon-san told us not to get too involved with that woman," Moirae said.

"Her Highness? We should use whatever we have at our disposal, do we not?"

"Jiwon-san already said that she's a dangerous factor to his plans."

Her Highness Siesta, a dangerous factor..

I wonder how she's getting along with the light hero? Since he's back to the castle and they can meet each other again...

"Are you going to participate?" Rin, whose shoulder was lighter by one frog, asked.

"In the banquet? I don't think we can make it in time for tonight's banquet. But the other one.."

Ambassador.. that's Liliath's brother, Kyoshi Toren right?

"I have to meet my brother-in-law huh.."

"Brother-in-law?" Rin tilted her head at me.

""Brother-in-law?!""

"Uh, yeah. I'm not too sure if Moirae-sama knows this but I'm engaged with Liliath."

"Liliath.. Liliath that girl is.." she looked like she was digging through the archives in her mind, "Ah! That mage."

"Yeah. She's an amazing mage alright."

Laura closed her eyes to a tight crease and took in a deep breath.

Oh right.. she saw that fight between the unicorn Leviathan and Liliath.. if I'm not wrong. Was she recalling that?

"I guess this is where we part."

We arrived at the carriage station.

"Thanks for the help," I said.

I guess the spirit magic thing was a clue but.. the quest never got completed so, fuck. I'll stop trying to think about it. Maybe an answer to my questions will pop out later. I still have a few days before the week ends.

"No. No. I should be thanking you for the snacks from Oppa's world."

"Well. Help me put in the word that we wish to get along.. you know," I looked at Rin— her head— more accurately, the part where her horns would grow from.

"I understand. But I will say that it'll be hard to convince."

"I know. Just don't hurt your relationship with him trying. We can deal with ourselves. You take care of yourself."

"I understand."

"I don't.. Creator-sama. Aren't you being a little too biased here?"

"Nope. Laura-san. If you think it's alright, you can explain the situation to Moirae-sama."

"Noel.. it's unjust to refer to someone such as myself in a higher position than yourself, Creator-sama."

"Nah. You're probably much higher in position than me. Just deal with it. See ya."

"Will see you again later in the evening," Laura smiled.

"Hah! You're having an affair!"

"Y-You're misunderstanding!!"

Together with Rin, we rented a carriage and left before seeing the resolution of the carnage.

"Wheewh.." I leaned against the backrest of the coach seat.

"How do you feel Noel?"

"Hm? I'm fine really…" I just remembered that Rin cried, "How about you? What did you think of today?"

"Today.. eh?!"

"Right.. it's like we just went out on a date huh," I said bluntly.

It's not a lie.. I guess that just happened. Welp.. I'm pretty sure Liliath would be more inclined to celebrate this happening than to be jealous of it.

I need to plan my next date with Liliath..

"Thanks for your concern just now. Really. But you should really take care of yourself."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah?" You didn't need to confirm a question with a question though.

"Why did that person call you 'Creator-sama'?"

"Oh.. that.."

We only told Rin half the story. To her, she must think Liliath, Nine, Prune and I are just Irregulars. Yeah, it did shock her initially but she accepted it well.

What if we told her the other half though? That this world is fictional?

"We'll explain it to you when we get the chance. It's a difficult topic to discuss without everyone present."

"I understand,"

"Yeah.. sorry."

"No. I understand, really. It must be difficult to explain your past."

My past? I think she's misunderstanding here.

"Just so you know. It's not like I had a bitter past okay?"

She nodded.

"Again. Thanks for today Rin."

"Y-Yes.."

I watched as the scene of the city passed us.