Chapter 18: Manager

(Then… Master is also my mother…?)

At that moment, seeing Rico’s writing brought back old memories.

When I was a hatchling, in a cold ice nest…

Cold mother dragons who only looked after their young dragons.

Just looking after them out of obligation and cutting off all ties when they grew up…

I didn’t like that kind of relationship.

“Hehe… That won’t do… Then we can’t get closer, right?”

At first, I just thought I had gained a unique subordinate that I could show off to Nis.

However, when I saw Rico learning languages and commanding insects in the span of two weeks, my thoughts changed.

My only subordinate and the second-in-command of Sia Kalt.

Rico would take that place in the only area among the eight great labyrinths that didn’t have an administrator or middle ruler.

At that moment, Rico suddenly released a huge amount of rainbow-colored pollen and fell down.

“Riko?”

There was no response, as if he had fainted.

Surely he wouldn’t become withered like he had in the past three years…?

Yes, if you eat the honey, you’ll know what kind of state he’s in.

Hehehe… A pinkish, happy will seeped into my head.

Did I faint because I was so happy?

Because I was so close to him, because I was happy to become an administrator?

‘Hmm? But, did Rico know about the existence of administrators?

Now that I think about it, I had written down characteristics, status window, stars, and levels.

It seemed like he understood concepts that I didn’t know.

Right, of course he would. Rico is a genius.

‘As expected, he’s special.

‘More than that, I need to get another blood.

I was lost in thought, looking at Rico’s drooping figure.

Blaze Gargan’s blood had failed.

I needed another method, even if it was just to show Nis a subordinate, and to raise him as my administrator.

‘Hmm.

And Rico said he wanted to polymorph…

He said that he would be able to do it naturally after about a thousand years, but in reality, it wasn’t certain.

Should I catch a monster that can polymorph and let it live if it’s helpful, and feed it to Rico if it’s useless?

Oh, even if it’s helpful, I guess I can just extract information and feed it to him.

It seemed like a perfect plan that would make Rico’s wish come true and help him grow.

“Heh.”

A soft smile appeared naturally.

“Ugh. When I came to my senses, I saw a sky that was so brightly shining that it felt like I was in a rainbow.

What is that? Is that all my pollen…?

‘Oh right! Gagagagaga, we’re close!!!”

What the heck! Is it ‘that’ I’m thinking of!?

I glanced at my master.

“Heh.”

‘Heuk!’

I almost sprayed pollen again.

I got hit by that deadly smile!

If I had a heart, I’d have died of a heart attack!

“Master! I’ve come to my senses!”

“Yeah. Rico, how did you know you were a manager?”

“Huh?”

What’s that? I’ve never heard that word in a game…?

“What’s a manager…?”

“Huh? You’re not excited about becoming a manager?”

“Huh?”

So a close friend is a manager…

Huh…?

It feels like a position that manages the labyrinth.

Is there perhaps an administrator under the ruler?

A middle boss…?

“If they’re an administrator… they’re the ones who manage the labyrinth?”

“An administrator… is the next in line in the labyrinth to the ruler.

They’re the highest-ranking subordinates of the ruler.”

After a brief pause, the master added, “You’re my only subordinate, but…”

“Ugh…”

In that moment, my whole body froze.

What was I thinking just now!?

I felt the flower petals blushing in embarrassment.

Wait a minute! I suddenly realized something was strange.

(Then what do I have to do to become a manager?)

“Riko doesn’t have to do anything. I’ll do everything for you.”

“Huh? Just different names…?”

Aren’t rulers and managers originally like that?

“How can a ruler and a manager be closer than family!?”

I… at least had a family in my previous life.

Even though we had a big fight and drifted apart once, I knew what the warmth of family was like.

‘No way… the cultural differences in this world… But I won’t give up easily!

‘Okay… someday… someday I’ll seduce the master!”

I made up my mind while shaking the flower petals slightly.

“Don’t worry.”

The master smiled gently.

Hmph! If this isn’t romance, then what is!

Rulers and managers are originally like that?

In dramas, the boss and secretary were always like that!

‘Hehe!”

I was excited about becoming a manager.

Suddenly, I felt a warm sensation.

‘Oh, that’s right. That guy from earlier…

I looked back at the small life form that I had forgotten about while being engrossed in my conversation with the master.

The squirming Blaze Lava was crawling towards me.

A living flame-like thing was coming towards me.

Blaze Lava LV1

Huh… You’re not going to set me on fire, are you?

Blaze Lava LV2

Oh! The level…

I was excited about the forbidden love between a ruler and a manager, but suddenly raising a child?

No, should I say raising a caterpillar?

‘But even though you drank a lot of blood, your level is still the same?’

Since you were born absorbing blood like me, I thought you would naturally grow rapidly by drinking blood.

Does this thing not have the ability to absorb blood?

What a crappy thing…

The squirming Blaze Lava slowly climbed up my stem.

“It’s warm…!”

It’s like a biological hot pack!

You’re cute and warm, so you’re quite useful.

Hmm… Is it warm because our levels are different?

It won’t catch fire when it grows up, right?

The squirming caterpillar, which had crawled up to the flower part, didn’t even pay attention to the nectar and started grinding up the petals.

“Huh…?”

I didn’t feel anything as I was being eaten.

It just felt like they were gently scratching me?

Since it’s a caterpillar, does it grow by eating leaves?

At that time, the caterpillar that was eating the flower petals started to struggle in pain.

Huh? What’s going on?

Struggling!

“Riko! What’s wrong with it!?”

The master’s eyes grew wide, and he looked more flustered than I was.

‘Is that so…?”

The level of the “Poison LV3” skill has increased.

‘Oh, that’s right! There was poison in my body!’

I didn’t even have time to explain to the master.

I immediately poured a light green pollen bomb with a recovery effect over the caterpillar.

Kku-mul-kku-mul

“Phew. It should be okay now, right…?”

“It seems okay now. That’s a relief.”

(There was poison in my body! I saved it with the recovery pollen!)

“Haha… Riko really is versatile. She’s special as expected.”

“Whew!”

“It’s special… It’s special… A word that sends shivers down my spine!

As expected, the boss and the secretary were right…!

As I was about to show the master the heart-shaped root, the caterpillar started eating the petals again.

‘No! Why are you eating it again!’

Struggling!

‘You idiot!’

I healed it and fell into a dilemma.

Is it because it’s a bug that it has no intelligence…?

No, but it’s still a butterfly…

☆☆ Blaze Lava LV10

Our caterpillar managed to reach level 10 by eating poisonous petals.

The more petals it ate, the more my venom level went up, and this guy also seemed to be developing poison resistance, maintaining that balance.

It was a truly endless tug-of-war for life!

What would have happened if I hadn’t healed it one by one?

Thanks to that, my venom and pollen recovery levels went up quite a bit.

This guy’s poison resistance must have also increased a lot.

‘Oh? Is this a win-win situation?’

As expected of a butterfly, he anticipated this and went for the ultimate advantage…?

Suddenly, the caterpillar appeared again.

“You’re a genius…?”

Wriggle!

The genius caterpillar pulled out a thread from the end of its tail and began to make a pupa.

This is evolution!

Evolution in just one day!

“Hey, it’s already turning into a pupa.”

“That’s right!”

I watched with interest at the master’s words.

The caterpillar that had been wrapping itself in white thread created a red pupa in an instant.

Blaze Chrysalis LV10

“Wow…!”

It was a transparent pupa that looked like a carved ruby.

It matched perfectly with my petals, which I thought looked like rubies.

The surface was covered with crystals that sparkled like diamonds, and inside, heat swirled as if red magma was flowing.

The flames swaying inside the pupa flashed at regular intervals like a heartbeat.

Every time that happened, I could feel the surrounding temperature rising slightly.

It’s so warm…!

The soft moonlight passed through the stained glass of the temple and illuminated the two people kneeling before the altar.

One was a saint in a pure white nun’s habit, her pink hair sparkling in the moonlight, and the other was a warrior in silver armor with flowing blond hair.

“Seraphina.”

The warrior sighed, calling out the name of his old friend.

“It’s been five years since we last met, and you’re asking me this…”

The moonlight illuminated the silence for a moment.

The saint carefully took the warrior’s hand.

“Bea, I know. Now is not the right time.”

“You heard about the situation in the Geomun Valley. The monsters are running wild. If I don’t go now…”

“But this is a revelation from Master Michel.”

Seraphina’s lavender eyes shone with longing.

“I see it in my dreams every night. The snowy mountains of Sia Kalt, and the flowers that bloom there…”

“That dream again.”

Beatrice took the saint’s hand.

“But now… people are dying.”

“I can’t go alone.”

Seraphina said in a desperate voice.

“The road to Sia Kalt is too dangerous… Bea, please…”

Beatrice looked at her old friend’s face.

Has the saint’s confident eyes ever been this earnest?

Not even when they had trained together as children, when Seraphina had suddenly become a saint.

“What did that flower say?”

“It’s a flower that shines with Michel’s divine power.”

Seraphina’s voice trembled.

“I see it in my dreams every night… I pray to that flower in Michel’s name as if it were alive. And it’s calling me.”

The warrior let out a deep sigh.

She knew well.

The saint’s revelations had never been wrong.

But now…

“Geomun…”

Beatrice tried her last resistance.

“There are other warriors besides you,” Seraphina said pleadingly.

“But I… must meet this flower. My soul feels it. And that meeting will be hope for all of us.”

Beatrice squeezed her friend’s hand tightly.

The moonlight softly illuminated her silver armor.

“…I understand. Let’s go together.”

A relieved smile spread across Seraphina’s face.

“Thank you, Bea…”

“But,” the warrior added in a firm voice, “if there’s nothing there, we’ll head to Geomun immediately.”

“Yes.”

The saint nodded.

“Surely… it will definitely be there. The flower that will save us…”

The moonlight quietly illuminated the two of them.

It was as if Michel was watching their journey.