Chapter 98

After entering the cave, which was the den of monsters, Diona and Leon emerged not long after. I heaved a sigh of relief that they didn't have any noticeable injuries—then my gaze fell on the capture net Leon was carrying.

"It's asleep now, thanks to magic," Leon said, placing the net on the ground to show its contents. It looked like a simple net, but the part Leon was holding had decorations—stones embedded in it. The stones were blinking, and each time they did, a light ran through the net. Perhaps the embedded stones were acting as a medium to circulate magic throughout the net, reinforcing it.

Inside the net, a beast-type monster, about the size of a large dog, was sleeping. Its fur seemed fluffy, and at first glance, it was clear it was a "child." I tried to ignore the twinge in my chest and looked up at Diona and the others.

"Thank you. If it's not too much trouble—"

Neither of them had any major injuries, but they must have been exhausted. Thinking this, I offered them a recovery potion, which Leon and Diona accepted with smiles.

"Thank you," Diona said, her smile serene and beautiful, looking more mature than before.

With the monster still on Leon's shoulders, we returned to Reinhardt's house. Leon placed the monster in a cage near the house. The cage had a lock—or so I thought, but it turned out the stone embedded in the net they had used to capture the monster was attached to it. As I wondered about this, Diona's slender hand touched the stone, and she gently closed her eyes, focusing her power.

A few seconds later, the stone Diona touched glowed. Then she turned to me and spoke.

"It's a simple cage, but I've sealed it with my power. This monster won't be able to break it."

I nodded in understanding. The wisdom of the people of Rustu, I thought. I didn't know how it was made, but they must have infused their power of light into the stone to reinforce it.

As I looked down at the monster sleeping soundly in the cage,

"Shall we try it out?"

Diona's words made me hesitate for a moment, but I nodded enthusiastically. I had to push aside my doubts.

I took out the experimental potion I had prepared and, with the three of them watching, dripped it onto the monster's front paw. I stared at the monster's skin for a few seconds, but there was no abnormal reaction.

"Hmm, it doesn't seem to have any effect..."

"Would you like to use our mixing table?"

I looked up at Sieg, who had spoken. He was smiling gently.

Fortunately, I had brought the spirit water in small containers, and there were plenty of herbs in the forest. I gratefully accepted his offer.

I nodded and went into the house, where Iris pounced on me energetically. She had been quite bored while keeping watch, and when I explained the situation, she eagerly dragged me to the mixing room.

"Oh, Laura-sensei, you're safe."

Reinhardt greeted us in the mixing room. After explaining the situation to him, he helped prepare the mixing equipment and then left, saying, "Please, go ahead." I had hoped to borrow his wisdom for a moment, but he might have been busy with Elvira's case. I didn't call out to him as he left, and Iris and I started the mixing.

"Have you tried this combination, Laura?"

"I haven't tried that one yet... Iris, can you help?"

"Leave it to me!"

I compared the experimental potion I had brought with my previous mixing notes and started making new experimental potions. Quantity over quality for now. I tried every mixing method I could think of, regardless of whether the ingredients were herbs or poisonous plants.

Suddenly, the door to the mixing room opened, and I instinctively looked up. Diona was standing near the entrance.

"Can I watch?"

"Uh, yes, of course."

Surprised by her sudden visit, I nodded, as there was no reason to refuse. She approached the mixing table with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"So this is the spirit water."

She watched with keen interest from a distance, so I handed her one of the containers of spirit water. She peered into it, shook it, and began to observe the spirit water. Her actions seemed unusually childlike, and I couldn't help but smile. When she emerged from the cave, she exuded a refined beauty, and my curiosity about the "power of light" I had glimpsed earlier was growing.

"Is Diona's power similar to magic?"

"Yes, it's similar, but not exactly the same."

"How do you use it?"

"It's similar to magic. Like this..."

At that moment, the spirit water in Diona's hand glowed.

"It glowed!"

I exclaimed. "Huh?" Diona tilted her head in confusion, and I hurried over.

"The spirit water glowed. Did you try to use your power just now?"

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Her eyes, which had widened in surprise, slowly nodded as she began to understand my question.

The spirit water had reacted to Diona's power of light. It wasn't just my imagination.

"Could you, um, infuse the spirit water with your power of light once?"

"Infuse it with my power?"

"Um... like you did with the cage, you know... infuse the spirit water with your power, or... dissolve it into the water, or something like that..."

I have no talent for magic, so I don't understand the feeling of using it. My explanation was quite vague, but Diona seemed to understand what I meant. She held the container close to her chest and gently closed her eyes.

Instantly, the spirit water glowed. I wasn't imagining it. It definitely glowed.

Diona opened her eyes and looked down at me with a puzzled expression. She seemed as confused as I was.

To be honest, I didn't understand what had happened either. The only thing I knew was that Diona's power of light had somehow affected the spirit water.

"Excuse me," I said, taking the container from her.

I examined the liquid inside. It was odorless and the color hadn't changed. Of course, since no mixing had actually been done.

However, it was hard to believe nothing had changed. After all, the liquid had clearly glowed.

"Maybe..."

I ran outside with the container, heading toward the caged monster. I could feel Diona, Iris, and Sieg, who had heard the commotion, following me, but I didn't stop to speak.

I stopped in front of the cage, took a deep breath, and said,

"I'm sorry."

As I exhaled, I poured the contents of the container onto the monster's front paw. Instantly, the monster let out a roar.

Surprised, I fell backward, and Diona, who had been standing behind me, pulled me back a bit. The monster's paw was melting, as if it had been burned.

"The power of light... reacted with the spirit water?"

I muttered, slowly understanding the situation.

How should I describe it? The spirit water reacted to the power of light? It melted? It was mixed? Whatever the case, it was clear that it had shown a reaction unlike anything I had seen before.

I remembered that the spirit water—more accurately, the spirits—seemed to react to the power of the hero, Lucash. Without Lucash, we might not have discovered the spirit water.

The power of the hero, and the similar power of light, might be compatible with the power of the spirits. Yes, that was a possibility.

If I could mix the power of light into the spirit water—though I couldn't find the right words, if I could reflect the power of light in the spirit water—it could be a useful item against monsters. It wouldn't harm humans like poison, and it might be more effective against monsters than poison.

And that's not all.

(If it reacted to the power of light, maybe it would react to the power of the hero too.)

The power of the hero, which was needed to defeat the demon king, might also be able to be reflected in the spirit water. If the spirit water could be used as a medium to safely introduce the power into the body, it could be used to treat Elvira—

It felt like a new world had opened up before me.