Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 153

“Could it be... because of this castle?”

“Is there... something wrong with the castle?”

Jinas asked with the expression of someone fearing that this excessive happiness might suddenly collapse into misfortune.

“On the surface, no, but the preservation magic cast on this castle is ridiculously—almost inexplicably—sturdy.”

Preservation magic had its limits, after all. Yet for even a dragon’s attack to leave no scratch? Even the windows never rattled, let alone shattered. Janus hadn’t been able to break in either, after Ayra had set a security spell on the place.

“My hunch is that the reason the silk spiders are going haywire and the reason this castle is so absurdly sturdy... might be the same.”

And probably the same reason why Sobletz and Bolni were so desperate to conquer Solar. Jinas cautiously suggested to Ayra:

“Then how about dismantling a part of the castle to investigate? In the meantime, Sir Gretel and I can manage the paperwork.”

“No, it’s not about time—I can make time if I want. But right now would be bad. If dismantling the castle causes a drop in silk spider production, the price might spike again. At the very least, we need to maintain production until the Morunka Festival is over.”

Currently, the only distribution network capable of rivaling Sobletz was the Morunka Temple, so Ayra had entrusted silk sales to them—but she had no intention of letting the religious faction grow too strong. Once the festival was over, she planned to distribute silk to merchant guilds at prices similar to what she offered the temple.

“I’ll look into dismantling the castle later. For now, we can’t help it.”

As she sighed, as if waiting for that conclusion, Janus conveniently sprawled lazily back on the sofa. Ayra sent him a suspicious look. Could it be... had Janus snuck into the spider chamber and tampered with something? She glanced at the pebble—No, it displayed, and Ayra temporarily let go of the uneasy feeling.

“Then I’ll excuse myself to prepare for tomorrow’s birthday banquet. I’m so glad we can finally hold a grand celebration thanks to our improved finances.”

“Ah, I’ve got to prepare my gift too. See you tomorrow.”

With the ever-smiling Jinas and Hera leaving the study, Ayra raised an eyebrow and turned to Janus. She stared at him as if silently demanding, You didn’t mess with the spiders or my formula, did you? But then, out of nowhere, Janus began taking off his shirt.

“...Why are you suddenly undressing?”

“Because you were staring at me with that weird, lusty look, like you wanted to see my body?”

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“When did I ever—!”

But already, glimmering scales were emerging across Janus’s chiseled chest.

Ayra glanced toward the door to ensure it was properly closed, then slowly approached Janus. His crimson scales shimmered under her bluish-gray gaze. Truly, no matter how often she saw them, she never tired of it. Enchanted, Ayra sat beside him on the sofa and began gently stroking the scales. One by one, she lifted them to study the underlying muscle structure with reverent fascination, and Janus’s lips twitched in a smirk.

“Are you harassing me right now?”

Snapping the scale back into place, Ayra gaped.

“Harassing—? You’re the one who undressed first!”

“Didn’t you just say you weren’t looking because you wanted to see my body? I was just hot, so I took my shirt off.”

“You’re hot? In this weather? And what, your scales work like a cooler or something?”

“I don’t know what a ‘cooler’ is, but if you’re that suspicious, go ahead and observe more closely.”

Still skeptical, Ayra flipped up a scale again. Nothing about the structure seemed optimized for ventilation.

“...Feels warmer than usual though?”

“That’s because I’m aroused by your harassment. Honestly, weren’t you a little turned on when you saw the bouquet?”

“No matter how, uh... weird I may be, I don’t get off from stuff like that, okay?”

They were exchanging such ridiculous chatter when a sharp gaze made Ayra turn her head. Bloom had frozen stiff mid-step, halfway through opening the door. Remembering the importance of maintaining dignity as a lord, Ayra immediately leapt up from the sofa.

“Uh, Sir Bloom. What is it?”

Bloom, expressionless and professional, pretended not to notice that Ayra had been cozily close to Janus, or that Janus’s shirt was slinking its way back onto his body with the help of Ayra’s magic.

“I came to inform you that the task you ordered has been completed. Regarding that... how shall we proceed?”

❄

“Hmm...”

Arms crossed, Ayra stood deep in thought. At the end of her gaze was a rigid corpse, frozen stiff. This was the corpse of a death-row inmate—someone she had once sent to Janus—retrieved at her instruction by Bloom. Though buried under snow, the body was largely intact... and yet, not.

Because the upper and lower halves had been severed.

Bloom asked grimly, “Could it be... that your consort did this?”

“Consort—? You mean Janus? No, he’s not my consort. It’s not like that.”

After firmly denying it, Ayra stepped closer to examine the cut. It was identical to what she’d found on the corpses of the people from Bolni who’d been killed in the Sobletz attack on her brother. Same culprit. Until now, Ayra had been sure Janus was the one who’d killed the prisoner—but her expression darkened.

“I don’t think Janus did this. I’ve never seen him kill this way. And it feels... off. I don’t know much about swordsmanship, but doesn’t the height of the cut seem low for someone of Janus’s stature?”

“You’re right. Judging by the marks, it doesn’t look like a sword cut. More like a blunt weapon.”

Bloom’s analysis of the wound matched Janus’s typical assessment. Even as he said that, suspicion lingered in Bloom’s eyes. Ayra couldn’t deny her own doubts, but this time... something told her it wasn’t Janus.

“Then what, the person who killed my family and Bolni’s lord just happened to be wandering through Solar and ran into this prisoner?”

That was far too many coincidences to ignore. Did Janus know this would happen? Had he asked for someone expendable because he suspected being around him would bring danger?

As that possibility dawned, Ayra’s eyes narrowed. She remained silent for a long moment, and Bloom waited patiently.

‘I hope I’m wrong... but I can’t take that chance. I need to prepare for anything.’

With that, Ayra instructed Bloom to bury the corpse in a sunny spot. The man had committed unspeakable crimes in life, but even so, he deserved rest in death.

On her way back to the study, Ayra caught sight of Janus strolling casually toward the castle gate.

“Janus? Where are you going?”

“To get your birthday present. I’ll be back by morning.”

He gave a lazy wave and then leapt over the inner wall, vanishing from sight. Ayra immediately opened the map window to check his location. Janus was dashing with frightening speed toward the mountain range that surrounded Solar. An hour later, the crimson dot marking him had burrowed deep into the mountains and stopped moving.

‘Is he going to capture some kind of rare beast?’

The thought made her heart flutter. She’d never celebrated her birthday before, having always been consumed with research inside the labyrinth. For the first time, she found herself looking forward to tomorrow’s celebration.

And then, the next morning.

Ayra woke feeling unusually refreshed. After gazing out for a bit at the snowy white city, she heard a knock—Bottelo, bringing in the morning service. In his hands was a large box. His wrinkled face wore a smile full of affection.

“Lord Ayra, how about wearing this today? It’s not much, but I tried making it myself.”

“You made it yourself, Bottelo?”

Surprised, Ayra opened the box to find a carefully tailored outfit made of skitte silk. It had been specially woven thicker for warmth, dyed a deep blue—perfect for someone who was sensitive to the cold. Bottelo had raised Ayra since he was a child; he felt more like family than anyone. Knowing the elderly man had sewn this himself despite his frail health... Ayra’s heart swelled with warmth, even as the snow poured outside.

He was reminded once more: what made Solar so precious wasn’t the land—it was the people.

“Thank you, Bottelo. I’ll wear it proudly.”

“It’s my honor. Please, live a long and healthy life.”

“You too, Bottelo. Stay well.”

After exchanging blessings, Ayra dressed in the gift. It fit perfectly, and the color matched him beautifully.

Wearing Bottelo’s heartfelt gift, Ayra headed to the banquet hall. There, his vassals—faces bright from the region’s newfound wealth—sat dressed in outfits made of skitte silk. Ayra had personally overseen the production of the dyed fabric. Even Nilma Argan had come despite his poor condition, taking a seat with a pale face.

Once Ayra sat down, steaming dishes were carried in by the attendants. Every plate reflected Jinas’s joy over their flush finances—no expense spared on ingredients or spices. The savory aroma of Solar’s favorite spicy flavors filled the air.

Janus entered while Ayra was in the middle of receiving presents ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) and enjoying the feast. Carrying a large sack over his shoulder, he threw open the doors to the hall and strode confidently toward Ayra’s seat.

A flustered attendant who had opened the door scrambled away, then quickly returned to set a chair right beside Ayra—naturally, of course. The lively chatter of the vassals died at once as all eyes flicked toward Ayra and Janus.

‘Did he really bring a rare beast in that sack?’

She watched with anticipation... but Janus opened the sack and scattered its contents near Ayra.

A cascade of mana stones tumbled across the floor with a clatter.