Based on my perception, I first tried to extract the water that had seeped into my clothes, and then, with some restraint, it successfully gathered into a fist-sized ball of water in mid-air. I then threw it back into the pool. After that, I summoned a ball of fire, and instead of further condensing or limiting its heat, I deliberately added more magic power and relaxed my control over it, turning it into a blazing torch.

"Wow! It dried in an instant! Mr. Yumi is really amazing!"

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise, then she quickly frowned: "But I still don't feel very comfortable."

Pulling my ear back, I turned my head: "After all, it only simply removed the liquid that seeped into the clothes. As for whether it contains any other components, I have no idea... that's not something that can be easily removed."

"But it's really amazing! At least this way I won't catch a cold so easily anymore."

I flicked my ears without saying anything. After confirming that Aian had also climbed up nearby on his own, I followed suit and dried off the moisture on his body. Only then did I look at Annie, who was sitting quietly in the darkness not far away.

Hikari followed my gaze and noticed what was happening over there: "Annie, are you alright?"

She called out several times, and only when she was about to reach out and touch the girl who was almost blending into the shadows by the wall did Anne finally turn around, a look of fear flashing across her face: "Ah? Ah, oh! I, I'm fine. Really, I'm fine, I'm really okay."

She murmured a few more words under her breath, seemingly biting her nails unconsciously.

Based on her behavior before Alice shut herself down, she was most likely terrified.

Indeed, even when the two of us and the cat came down the shaft together, we were almost in a daze before finally landing. Annie, who was alone and confined in some unknown space, could hardly be sure how much time had passed, so it is possible that she would have some symptoms as a result.

I turned to Alice, who had returned to her palm-sized form and was stroking her long ears. Her bright ruby ​​eyes flickered slightly as she interrupted me, "Let me make this clear beforehand, the problem isn't with me. I've been trying to talk to her, but as soon as the space closed, she went crazy and ignored me no matter what I said. It's really frustrating."

"Isn't it because she was suddenly in an unfamiliar space and was scared out of her wits? There shouldn't be anything special inside your body, or any specially set lighting, right?"

I questioned, not entirely confident in this guess.

You know, even when she suddenly appeared alone in my miniature garden, Annie would still greet me with an imposing manner, showing no regard for me as a guest whatsoever. Instead, she seemed to subconsciously treat everything in front of her as her own backyard. She was extremely arrogant and rude. It was only after she was properly taught a lesson and lived with us for so long that she finally toned it down.

That kind of guy probably doesn't have anything to fear, right? He should always act like he's fearless and unconsciously cause trouble everywhere.

Alice shrugged. "I wouldn't know about that. Anyway, I've recreated the layout of your miniature garden, Master. I've already mastered such a simple illusion long ago!"

This is the first time I've ever heard of this wretched rabbit being able to perform illusions.

No, that's not right. Perhaps I already knew when I first saw this guy suddenly grow bigger, but I just didn't realize it for sure.

Finally, while we were arguing and analyzing what had gotten into Annie, the black-haired girl who had been muttering something in a low voice finally looked up in confusion, and a bright light gradually appeared in her dark red eyes.

"ah--!"

She suddenly let out a long scream and jumped up from the spot, startling us all so much that we all instinctively took a half step back.

"Oh, right! That girl, the one with the knife! She just saw me and asked me to tell you that she went to explore the depths of this cave first, and that we should catch up with her as soon as we meet up."

Apparently unaware of what had just happened, Anne spoke while pointing to a narrow, winding passage not far from where she was squatting.

Following the directions, we turned our attention back to the narrow passage we had noticed earlier.

It was impossible not to notice these things, simply because compared to the darkness behind them, there was clearly a man-made light source in the passage in front of them.

The light was extremely conspicuous; even after an unknown period of time, it could still penetrate the visible section of the passage from the corner, illuminating the grayish-white mist rising from the pool behind us.

“Since Miyuki feels there is no danger, then it is naturally credible.”

I responded to the several gazes directed at me and took the lead in walking forward.

The passage in front of us shows very obvious signs of being artificially polished.

Although there is a thin layer of ash on the surface of the natural stone, most of it is formed by cooled moisture. The slightly light grayish-yellow stone curtain feels a little smooth underfoot, and there are inconspicuous depressions and bumps in hard-to-reach places. If you are not careful, you can easily slip and fall, making a fool of yourself.

I heard at least five muffled thuds coming from behind me.

I couldn't bear to look back, so I could only carefully lead the way while giving instructions: "You don't really need to pay too much attention to your surroundings, but be very careful where you step. There are potholes in the ground here that are hard to spot, and if you're not careful, you might run into some unexpected situations."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!