Chapter 276 Meeting the strange woman in a steel chair?
White Labyrinth Exploration Arc.
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(POV: Akashic Records)
Lumiere's wandering footsteps echoed through the labyrinth as he pondered his current predicament.
His hands were buried deep within his pockets, and his mind was filled with questions.
"Where am I now?" he mused aloud, hoping for some kind of answer.
To his surprise, a feminine voice responded, "I don't know."
"Yeah, I don't either, but it's probably somewhere in th— Eh?"
Lumiere's head jerked back and forth, his eyes scanning the empty surroundings.
"Who said that?" he asked.
But there was no one in sight, only the winding tunnels of the labyrinth stretching into darkness.
Suddenly, a door materialized out of thin air on the labyrinth wall.
"Oh no, a mysterious door appears out of nowhere, I probably shouldn't walk into it..."
Lumiere acted similar to the horror movies he could recall from the other world.
Intrigued, Lumiere approached and pushed it open.
"Is anyone there?" he called out.
Once again, the feminine voice responded, this time closer, "Yes, I am. Can't you see me?"
Lumiere rubbed his chin, perplexed. "No, not really," he admitted.
But as if in response to his words, torches lining the walls of the room burst into flames one by one, illuminating the chamber.
It was then that Lumiere's gaze settled on a woman seated on a wooden chair at the center of the room.
This woman had long, wavy black hair cascading down her back, pitch-black eyes, and an ethereal pallor to her skin. She exuded an aura of elegance, dressed in a flowing black gown with gold accents.
Despite her situation, she wore a serene smile on her face.
"Yo," she greeted Lumiere casually, as if they were old acquaintances.
Lumiere scratched his head, completely confused.
Finally, he mustered the courage to enter the room and approached the strange woman.
"Was it your voice I heard earlier?"
The woman tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps," she mused. "I do tend to talk to myself at times. I wasn't referring to you, if that's what you're thinking."
Lumiere raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by her straightforwardness.
"I see," he replied sarcastically. "So, you're one of those types who talks to themselves. Fantastic."
The woman chuckled softly.
"Well, if you've been stuck sitting in this chair for ninety-nine years, wouldn't you do the same?"
A rhetorical question.
Lumiere was genuinely shocked.
"Ninety-nine years? That's... Crazy," he uttered.
The woman nodded gently, instead of being frustrated, she just calmly kept smiling.
"Yes, I was sealed here, so I can't ever leave this chair."
Lumiere's curiosity peaked, walked closer a bit. Still, the distance between them was still about eight meters.
"But... how do you..."
"How do I pee right?" she interjected.
"Um, no, not exactly... I was going to ask... how you're still alive?"
"Ah, yes. If I remember correctly, I'm immortal. But it's been so long, I can't be certain anymore," she admitted.
Lumiere raised an eyebrow. "Immortal, huh? That's... quite the claim," he muttered sarcastically.
Undeterred, the woman changed the subject and gestured towards Lumiere.
"But enough about me. What about you? How'd you end up here?" she asked.
Lumiere scratched his head, a perplexed expression on his face.
"Well, there was this flash of red light, and I got separated from my companions," he explained with some frustration. "I don't really understand it either."
Lumiere's attention then shifted, his eyes searching the woman's face.
"Do you know a way out of this labyrinth?" he asked.
The woman nodded slowly, her smile never wavering.
"I guess I know a way out, but I struggle to explain it. It's been so long since I've spoken to another person, I've honestly forgotten how to..."
"Well, you've been doing great so far."
"Hm, maybe because you're so easy to talk to."
"Ah sure. Well, bye then..."
Lumiere turned to leave, ready to continue his search for a way out of the labyrinth.
However, as he was about to take his first step, the woman's calm voice stopped him.
"Wait," she said softly.
Lumiere turned back as he raised his eyebrow. "What is it?"
The woman then spoke.
"I may not be able to explain it to you, but I can show you the way out."
Lumiere's eyebrow shot even higher. "Show me the way out? How?"
The woman smiled gently, seemingly undeterred by Lumiere's doubt.
Lumiere crossed his arms, studying the woman intently.
"And I'm guessing you want me to be the one to free you?" he prodded.
The woman nodded, her eyes never leaving Lumiere's. "Yes," she confirmed simply.
"( If she was sealed here, there's probably a reason why. And without my magic, I can't be too confident that I could defeat her... Still, I don't think there's any reason not to trust her, [Beginner's Luck] would easily have prevented me from meeting her unless there was a reason... )" (Lumiere)
Lumiere glanced down at his hand, his expression troubled.
"Even if I wanted to do that, my magic isn't working here. I can't even perform a simple spell," he admitted.
The woman sighed softly. "I see. That's disappointing," she murmured.
"So, who placed the seal on you?"
Her gaze met his, searching for an answer within her fragmented memories.
After a moment of internal struggle, she finally responded, "Rivka."
"Who's Rivka?"
"Hmm... I can't remember."
"Ah, great," said Lumiere, underwhelmed.
"What I do remember is that she bonded my soul to this chair using a magic sealing rune, and the magic cores attached to the chair are designed to make sure I don't ever break free..."
"I see..."
"Maybe I was asking too much of you, barely anyone can break her seals."
"( Hmm, definitely not... With 『Spirit King Avelnarogius』 I'm pretty sure I can break the seal in less than one second... )"
Lumiere scratched his head, contemplating a possible solution.
"Have you ever tried standing up from the chair?" he suggested.
Amused, the woman chuckled softly, dismissing his idea.
"That won't work, silly," she replied affectionately.
"Just give it a try," Lumiere persisted.
Intrigued by his unwavering confidence, she cautiously rose from the chair, her astonishment apparent as she realized her newfound freedom.
In that exhilarating moment, she stretched her arms and neck, reveling in the bliss of liberation.
"After ninety-nine years, I am finally free," she exulted.
"You're welcome..."
The woman looked at him. "How'd you manage to break the seal?"
Lumiere responded, truthfully admitting, "I didn't do anything extraordinary. I just thought if the anti-magic rune in the labyrinth neutralized my own magic, it might have had a similar effect on the cores and the seal itself."
"Neat."
Then, the woman attempted to conjure her magic that manifested as a purple flame, only to have it snuffed out by an unseen force.
However, amidst her disappointment, she noticed Lumiere gripping the hilt of his sheathed Tsurugi.
A gentle laugh escaped her lips, muffled by her delicate hand.
She confidently stepped closer, tilting her head to the side, accentuating her bewitching smile. "Don't worry," she assured him, her voice velvety and soothing, "you can trust me."
"Sure."
He watched as she elegantly stretched her arms, an act of confidence that seemed to boost her persuasive charm.
"Besides, we have the same goal, so there's no reason for me to betray you."
Lumiere pondered her words for a moment, his gaze locked with hers.
Perhaps there was truth in her words.
With a nod, he sighed and conceded, "I suppose you're right."
Her playful grin widened, revealing a dazzling set of pearly white teeth.
"Great! Then let's start moving."
As Lumiere took his first steps, the woman swiftly moved beside him, her slender arms wrapping around his.
"Is that really necessary?" he asked.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Of course... I'm currently powerless and in need of protection. And who better to shield me than you?"
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