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odorekijin“Intangible Protection”
chapter one
[Eastern Country—Cavern of Verity]
Akira: Looking at it this way, the cavern really has this almost mystical vibe to it...
![](https://i.imgur.com/TvLRgfU.jpeg")
Oz: … …
My voice and the sound of our footsteps bounced on the glistened walls of the cavern.
After successfully wrapping up our mission, I had Oz accompany me for some further exploration.
Akira: I’m glad our mission led us to this cavern. Seems like it provided you all with unexpected repose and peace.
Oz: It did.
Akira: A place like this would instantly become a tourist hot spot in my world. I can already see it.
Oz: I see.
Only Oz's tranquil, polite interjections disrupted this soothing quietude.
His voice and the cool temperature were working wonders to lift my own tension.
Akira: …Oh?
Oz: What is it?
Akira: I think I saw something shining inside that crevice…
I tried to inspect the hole, but light was too scarce to make out anything that could be sitting inside.
Then, something clicked in my mind.
Akira: (Huh, now that I’m actually looking at it… There are other holes in this wall. Why does this look so familiar…)
Ah, of course! The “Bocca della Verità”!
Oz: The… What?
Akira: See these bunch of holes? There’s a famous marble mask sculpture engraved with a man’s face back in my world that closely looks like these; it’s a popular tourist attraction too!
Oz: I don’t see any face. How can you make it out from this wall?
Akira: Easy! The largest hole here is the mouth, and these two smaller ones are the eyes. Do you see it now?
Oz: …It looks like a few cracks and crevices to me, like in every other cavern…
Akira: Well, at least you now know of a very famous carving from my world, finely executed at that!
Legends say that the mask would bite liars that dared introduce their hands in its mouth, leaving them stuck.
Oz: …Do your people intentionally gather en masse to be cursed often?
Akira: Of course not, it's only hear-say that was handed down for centuries. Thankfully, no one had their hand stuck inside.
Most people actually pretend that they can’t get out to prank their friends. Look, I can slip it in and out just fine…
The hole was about as large as my palm.
Slow and steady, I slipped my hand inside…
Akira: Eep! My hand! It’s stuck, help!
Oz: … …
Akira: (Stone-faced! He didn’t even bat an eyelash!)
…Ahaha, guess giving away the punchline ahead of the demonstration wasn’t super smart on my end. Anyway, all that to say that these touristic spots would play into thisー
Uh, huh?! Wait, I’m actually stuck…!
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chapter two
[Eastern Country—Cavern of Verity]
I desperately tried to remove my hand, to no avail.
I was decidedly stuck.
Akira: W-What do I do…?! It won’t come out…!
Oz: Is this another attempt at a jok—
Akira: No, no, I’m not pranking you anymore! I really can’t get it out, I swear…!
Oz: … …
《 Vox Nox 》
The wall around the hole crumbled at the command of his spell.
I heaved a sigh of relief, clutching my wandering hand close to my chest.
Oz: Are you all right? No injuries?
Akira: None, thank you for getting me out.
Gosh, what a fright! I really thought the curse was real for a second and that I would be stuck here forever.
I mean, I can’t exactly say I never lied in my life either, but still…
Oz: … …
Among the consequential rubble of my careless curiosity, a twinkle caught my attention.
Akira: A crystal…?
It was shaped like a flower petal. Held up to light, it glowed like a sunset on water.
Akira: (Maybe that’s what I saw shining in the hole earlier, and we happened to free it from the wall…)
Take a look at what I found! Its shine is beaut—
Bradley: Nice catch y’fished there, Sage.
Akira: Woah! Bradley?! When did you get here…
Bradley: Lemme take a look at this, won’tcha?
I gave it to him without probing further.
Bradley stared at the rock, a smile teasing the corners of his lips.
Bradley: Looks like a fragment of a Crystalline Flowerstone t’me.
Oz: Indeed. The crystal shines rainbow hues when exposed to sunlight, but turns dark as night under the moonlight. I have heard that it only forms under specific geological conditions.
Bradley: Like he said, it’s one of those rare things y’only get to see once in a lifetime. Where didja even sniff out that beauty?
Akira: Errr, I think it came out of that wall?
I, uh… I kind of had my hand stuck in a hole in there, and Oz had to destroy the entire structure to get me out…
Bradley: …So you tellin’ me you shoved yer hand in the first hole you saw on a wall, and didn’t think twice? Pfft, y’never change, do ya?
Akira: Ahaha, ouch… But I had my reasons! I was telling Oz about a sculpture we have back in my world that looked just like this wall, and…
Filling in Bradley on the ‘Bocca della Verità’ rumours, he shrugged his shoulders with an amused scoff.
Bradley: A choppin’ block for liars that somehow became a tourist attraction, huh. Interesting.
There’s a good biz’ opportunity brewin’ here, one where we could make a lotta money. We could turn this cave into a real tourist trap with a li’l exaggeration here an’ there, whaddya say?
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chapter three
[Eastern Country—Cavern of Verity]
Akira: What?! No! I mean, we can’t do whatever we want without the lord’s permission…
Oz: The local spirits would not allow this to happen either, particularly those of the East. They abhor commotion and prying eyes.
Bradley: Ugh, can’t see a joke even if it hit you in the face. Like hell I’d wanna be lumped in a business with the last person that’d ever sightsee for fun.
Oz: What is this supposed to mean?
Bradley: …Nothin’, yer gonna spoil my mood fo’ a treasure hunt if I keep talkin’ to ya. Here Sage, it’s all yours.
Akira: Huh? Are you sure? I thought you’d want to keep it…
Bradley: I ain’t got no death wish tryin’ to steal your stuff under Oz’s nose. ‘Sides, it’d give me no satisfaction stealin’ from ya.
You found somethin’ real rare, now it’s on you to look after it, got it?
Akira: I will!
Bradley gave me a quick smile before heading deeper into the cavern.
Staring back at the crystal in my hand, a question sparked to mind:
Akira: Wait, nothing was binding me to the wall… So why was my hand stuck then? Gosh, I hope it wasn’t actually some sort of curse…
Oz: Rest assured, the spirits are quiet. I sense no curse from them on you.
Oz’s assurance lifted a weight on my shoulders.
Akira: Whew, I’m glad to hear it… Maybe it was just the hem of my sleeve that got caught in something—that would make more sense.
Oz: … …
《 Vox Nox 》
Akira: Wah?!
A soft glow emanated from the Stoneflower at the command of Oz’s spell, its light spreading a comforting warmth through my hands.
Oz: Your crystal is now imbued with a protection spell.
Akira: Huh?
Oz: Splitting the earth we walk on, summoning thunderstorms at will… It all comes naturally to me.
That applies to exorcising curses, too.
Akira: …!
(Is Oz… trying to comfort me? Maybe he thinks I’m still scared of being cursed…)
Oz: Even if you were to be cursed, I will be there to purify it for you without fail.
But in case I’m not near or your fear overwhelms you, this crystal shall protect you.
It can ward off weaker curses so long as you keep it on you. That way, you won’t be an easy prey.
While the crystal was a tangible proof of his protection, Oz’s words felt safer, like being under a sturdy tree that could weather any storm.
His care was like a protective charm I couldn’t see, but would always feel.
Akira: Oz… Thank you. Your attention is very reassuring.
I will keep this crystal and your words close to my chest.
Oz’s expression, of course, remained impassive—the air around us, however, imperceptibly softened into a welcoming embrace.
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episode story
“A Form of Peace”
[Wizards’ Manor–Oz’s Bedroom]
Akira: Just standing in that cavern from our last mission truly felt mystical.
It’s quite wonderful that there’s a place out there where wizards from across the world can feel profoundly relaxed and at peace.
Oz: So long as you think good of it.
Akira: That kind of serene, easygoing atmosphere somehow opened doors to things you’d never consider, like striking a conversation with someone you don’t often come in contact with. Right, Oz?
Oz: … …
… …
Akira: (Gah, he didn’t take the bait...!)
Like, I don’t know, having a friendly chat with Bradley out of nowhere that went beyond ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’...
Oz: Me? With Bradley?
Akira: (Nope, that doesn’t ring any bell to him!)
Err, it was just an example… But anyway, did you happen to hang out with anybody else in the cavern? Casually chatting without a mission’s looming urgency can bring all sorts of topics to the table.
Oz: … …
…Arthur and White did call out to me, which led to us reminiscing about the past.
Akira: The past? Some childhood story, I assume?
Oz: Indeed. Arthur once raised a fish as a child, only to release it into a river.
Akira: (…Heh, Oz’s eyes softened a little—though he will totally deny it if I even dare mention it...)
(Perhaps speaking with Arthur and the twins is what brings him the most peace…）
voice line
“Arthur and Riquet’s curiosity is insatiable: ‘where does the sea start? Where does it end? Where do waves come from?’ Even after living for thousands of years, many of this world’s mysteries still evade me… Your world has oceans too, doesn't it? Are they different from those you saw here?”
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