Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 141

“If Orsang wants to take over both Bolni and Solar, then I’m the only one left.”

Judging by Orsang’s stat window, it was unlikely he had done the killing himself—but that he was behind it all was beyond doubt. Naturally, Ayra intended to avenge not just those who carried out the murder, but also the master who had ordered it. Stroking Pebble, who had crept onto the back of her hand, Ayra smiled.

“My sweet little Pebble.”

She was glad her awakening magic allowed her to read minds. Not a single one of her targets for revenge would escape. Pebble looked up at her, black eyes gleaming.

"Ayra."

At the sound of her name, Ayra raised her head. Janus was staring down at her with a face twisted by icy hatred. As Ayra stood hunched over the bisected corpse, Janus tilted her chin upward and asked:

"Want me to kill them all for you?"

His eyes, burning with interest, lit up as if he’d discovered something fascinating. But there was no empathy in those eyes—not for her sorrow, not for her rage.

"You want to avenge your family, don’t you? Want me to bring you that bastard’s head?"

There were only two of them here, yet Janus spoke in a low, sultry whisper, as if murmuring a seductive temptation. Like a devil making an offer.

"Not just him—how about his mate, his children, siblings, all his vassals? I’ll drag them all here and make them kneel in front of you. Then will you go out with me?"

"...!"

As she listened, Ayra realized something. This wasn’t just about wanting to date her. Janus wanted to see her driven mad by vengeance—wanted to watch her become a vengeful spirit. And maybe, just maybe, he was hoping that in the heat of it all, she’d give herself to him.

But instead of feeding her bloodlust, his offer cleared her mind.

She recalled the innocent children who had once run up to her for jelly. And with a shake of her head, she spoke.

"No. I’ll take care of my revenge myself. But I appreciate the sentiment."

Janus backed off, disappointed. Yet for some reason, something about her response pleased him enough to bump his Favorability up by 3. Seeing that on the system window lifted Ayra’s mood a bit, and the corners of her lips, which had been downturned, curled slightly upward.

She carefully laid out the scattered corpses along the roadside, closed their wide-open eyes. Later, she would send soldiers to collect them. As she gazed at the bodies now lying in neat rows, a strange thought occurred to her.

“They were all cut right at the waist.”

Her brother’s body had been the same. All these bisected corpses were cleanly severed at the torso. She didn’t know who had done it, but it left an oddly unpleasant feeling. Was it a characteristic of their swordsmanship?

She gave one last look at the torn corpses, then turned away. There was nothing more for her here.

❄

"Oof, my back..."

Groaning, Ayra rubbed her aching lower back as she straightened up. After inspecting and tinkering with the device one last time, she gestured. Jinas, who had been waiting just outside, cautiously stepped into the room.

"Is it done, my lord?"

"Yeah. Once I leave, slot this part into the groove in the wall by the entrance."

"Yes, my lord."

Ayra handed him a small component and stepped outside. Jinas, looking tense, approached the wall and inserted the piece. With a click, the magic circuit activated. It worked exactly as designed—perfect.

"Not bad at all..."

Pleased with herself, Ayra smiled smugly as she looked around.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

They were standing in an ancient quarry where Solar had mined stone for generations. The three quarries Ayra had selected each had long inner caves or chambers, and passageways connecting them. They were perfect for converting into emergency shelters for the residents.

A few moments later, another click echoed as Jinas stepped outside. Looking uncertain, he asked:

"Is it really working?"

"Yup. It installed perfectly. Want to test how it functions from the outside?"

"Yes, my lord."

Jinas stepped out again. Inside, Ayra activated the device. Instantly, Jinas looked startled and began scanning the area.

"My lord? Lord Ayra? Where did you go?"

He cautiously stretched out a hand, groping at the stone wall. Ayra watched him flounder for a bit, then removed the device. At that, Jinas blinked in surprise as Ayra and the cave entrance came back into view.

"Incredible. I knew you were there, but I couldn’t perceive anything at all."

"Right? It’ll be super useful if things go south. With the magic stones we’ve stockpiled, it’ll last about a month—which is more than enough time to escape."

Ayra gazed with satisfaction at the completed magical circuit. She had worked countless sleepless nights, bled from repeated nosebleeds, and pushed herself to the brink to finish it.

The magic circuits she’d installed included several spells—one of them being Concealment Magic. It rendered designated areas or people unperceivable. The only downside was that it didn’t work on competent mages—but that was also a kind of advantage. It was the same type of magic spread /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ throughout the labyrinth. That’s why whenever they took magically gifted children into the maze, a labyrinth mage always had to accompany them. Without a mage, navigating the maze was nearly impossible, even with teleportation artifacts.

"Let’s hope it works on dragons too."

"It should."

Concealment Magic was similar to illusion magic—which had proven very effective against Janus. That meant there was a good chance it would work on dragons as well. In fact, thanks to this widespread Concealment Magic, the labyrinth had never once been attacked by dragons or neighboring territories.

“I’ve spent so long preparing this magic—if it doesn’t work, what kind of labyrinth mage would I be...”

Feeling quietly proud, Ayra hung one of the necklace-shaped devices on the wall. In case of emergency, Jinas and the other vassals would lead the people to safety.

She then lifted a medium-sized rock beneath the wall groove and placed the device into a small box hidden in the hollow beneath. After lowering the stone again, she pulled four more necklace devices from her subspace and handed them over.

"These will let non-mages perceive the concealed area. Give them to the others and explain how it works."

"Yes, my lord."

Jinas hung one around his neck and tucked the remaining three into his inner coat pocket. Then he hesitated.

"My lord, would it be possible to install this magic in the lord’s manor as well?"

"Hmm, not really. Concealment magic can’t be installed in places that get direct sunlight or are above ground."

The labyrinth worked because it was underground. But there was another reason, too.

"Also, the manor already has magic built into it. You can’t overlay another spell on top."

"What? There’s magic on the manor?"

Jinas looked stunned, as if this was news to him—even though he’d been working in and out of the manor for years.

"Yeah. I think the manor’s a remnant from the old kingdom. Looks like a mage was involved in its construction."

Ayra gave him a long look, the kind that said You wouldn’t let me check before, remember? Jinas looked sheepish. Back then, there hadn’t been a shred of trust or Favorability between them.

Now, after witnessing Ayra’s magic many times, the chief administrator finally gave belated permission.

"Feel free to inspect it now..."

"Thanks so much, Jinas, for finally trusting me~"

Ayra patted his shoulder meaningfully, then opened the map to check Janus’s location. He was wandering around the outskirts of Solar. What the hell was he doing?

There was a reason Ayra had come to the quarry in such a rush with only Jinas in tow. When he’d woken up that morning, Janus had been gone. Seizing the opportunity, he’d rushed to finish the magic circuit and explain its usage to Jinas. Jinas would take care of informing the other vassals later.

“Even if Janus is all over me now, saying he likes me—I still can’t fully trust him.”

The Destruction D-Day on the territory screen was still counting down. Until it was 100% confirmed that Ayra was Janus’s mate, she had to be cautious. That said, now that she’d seen the ambitions of Sobletz firsthand, it was possible the territory’s downfall wasn’t caused by Janus after all. So Ayra quietly muttered:

"If it works on a dragon, it'll definitely work on humans."

"Yes, that makes sense. So Sobletz really is behind all this... The late lord was truly murdered unjustly."

A shadow fell over Jinas’s face. Ayra had explained everything to him last night—the truth behind the so-called carriage accident that had killed the previous lord’s family, and how Nilma Arbalte had been assassinated. He felt a mix of relief that the mystery was finally solved—and fury that fueled his thirst for vengeance.

"What will you do with Nilma Argan?"

"Hmm. For now, I plan to keep him here."

Argan had wept bitterly after seeing his father’s recovered corpse and collapsed soon after. The shock had taken a heavy toll on his already injured body. Ayra assigned a physician and an attendant to care for him properly.

“There’s no way I’m letting Sobletz take over Bolni.”

Bloodline was everything. Just as Ayra had returned from the distant labyrinth to take control of her domain, so too could Nilma Argan govern Bolni—if he stayed alive. Putting him in Ayra’s debt now might prove useful later. As she thought that, Pebble’s delayed quest window finally popped up.

<Quest Complete!>

[Who Owns the Silk Spiders?]

Successfully mediate the dispute between Sobletz and Bolni!

Reward: Enemy Information, Follow-up Quest

Note: If mediation fails, your territory’s Commerce Level will decrease!

<New Quest!>

[Who Owns the Silk Spiders?]

Secure the scattered silk spider colonies to pay off the territory’s debt!

Reward: Commerce Level increase, Debt Reduction

A new quest popped up right after the last one was completed. Ayra stared hard at the second quest, practically glaring at it. Paying off the territory’s debt with silk spiders was fine and all—but there was one part that caught uncomfortably in her mind...