Chapter 32
We had already encountered quite a number of monsters, so being frozen in surprise was nothing new.
Yeniel calmly confirmed:
“What happens if we don’t give them someone?”
[You can’t pass.]
The eerie sound came with a distorted noise.
“They were man-eating flowers…” the Crown Prince muttered in disbelief.
Most likely, the people we had seen earlier had sacrificed one of their party to pass through.
If we had made it to the 4th floor smoothly without awakening, we would’ve ended up as flower food here.
Yeniel looked back at us just in time.
“What should we do, everyone? Of course, I’m not thinking of sacrificing anyone.”
She was a natural liar—unlike Sian, whose emotions always showed plainly on his face.
Sian summoned spirits. “Let’s sweep them aside or fight them. Spirits of plants, Abellatium. Morenta.”
A gentle spring breeze blew. A lavender butterfly-like spirit flew toward the flowers, tearing some apart. Another spirit stirred the soil, pulling up their roots.
“Easy…!” Max exclaimed in delight, just as the flowers responded:
[Why hit us?]
[It’s useless.]
The shredded flowers healed instantly. No matter how many times the spirits attacked, they regenerated with monstrous vitality.
Not only that—sharp teeth sprouted from their petals. Their roots, instead of dying, moved like slow feet, creeping toward us.
I laughed innocently like April would, clapping in delight. “Wow, they’re so pretty! Flowers are so beautiful!”
The rest of the party grimaced in disgust, but the flowers suddenly froze.
[You have an eye for beauty.]
[So pretty and tasty too.]
[Give us one person and we’ll give you a gift.]
“Gift? For April?” I responded as though chatting with friends.
[Perfume drops. Lots of them.]
[Don’t you want to fill that perfume bottle?]
[You could present it to Duke Aquilium.]
“…Aquilium?” Max flinched violently.
‘Why so shocked?’ I thought, but Max blurted out:
“The First Emperor himself?!”
The document Yeniel carried changed before our eyes:
<Aquilium Duke’s Visit Schedule>
This seemed like a key event. Playing dumb, I asked, “Aquilium is the Emperor’s name, right? But what’s a ‘tribute’?”
The flowers burst into laughter, and so did I—though I had no idea why.
[It’s a gift!]
[You’re funny. If we eat you, we’ll enjoy it.]
“But April wants perfume too! April is friends with the Crown Prince, but not the Emperor. Why give him a gift?”
[If Aquilium likes perfume, you’ll get a key.]
[Even if Aquilium doesn’t like perfume, you’ll get a key.]
“What’s good about having a key?” I asked.
All the flowers spoke in unison:
[You can find the ‘Heart’.]
Quest – Heart
■■ ■■■■ Heart is ■■■■ that ■■■■ will ■■■■ ■■! For ■■■■, retrieve the ■■’s Heart ■■■■■!
Error Occurred!
A quest window suddenly appeared before me. The text glitched but was mostly stable. This was the first time I had seen such a thing—normal mode in The Great Mage’s Mansion didn’t have quest pop-ups, only hints through dialogue.
▶[Accept]
▷Decline
(No penalty for declining)
Error! Decline is not possible.
‘Well, no reason to refuse.’ I thought and chose Accept.
It seemed only I could see the quest window, since no one else reacted.
Yeniel confirmed again:
“So, we can’t pass by just making or offering perfume, correct?”
[We cannot die.]
[As long as we are in this mansion, we will live forever.]
“Don’t listen!” Sian cried desperately.
“There must be a condition to their immortality. Equivalent exchange!”
The flowers swayed, blood glistening on their thorns.
[The last group didn’t believe us either.]
[But they gave up.]
[They tasted good.]
Yeniel turned to me:
“Lady April, will you cut them down?”
“Yes!”
I swung my halberd, hacking flowers apart. But they reattached instantly.
“Strange, Lady Yeniel—they don’t stay cut.”
“Can you make it finer? Chop them so they can’t reattach.”
“Yes!”
I obeyed, shredding them, but they always recovered.
Sian summoned another spirit, which tilled the whole garden. Still, the flowers regenerated.
[Impossible. Impossible.]
[See? We told you. We cannot die here.]
[Just give us one human!]
While they mocked us, I glanced around—and my eyes landed on the window where the ghostly hands had appeared before.
‘Ah.’
I rushed forward with my halberd.
[Where are you going?!]
[We’re here, not there!]
The flowers twisted toward me, sensing my intent. I dodged and reached the window. Sunlight spilled faintly inside.
Without hesitation, I smashed it.
Crash!
“Lady April!” the Crown Prince shouted.
“Beyond the window is only darkness—you’ll fall!”
But I kept swinging, imagining I was splitting the sun itself. The glass shattered, revealing not the sky, but a room filled with bulbs—artificial lights shining on the flowers.
[Kyaaahhh!]
[Screeeeeam!]
The flowers shrieked in agony.
