I had my body mended by magic. Alicia was not letting my arm go since then. Everyone also had their body anomaly fixed by Asvi's magic. At single glance, anyone would know that her magic wasn't sorcery, mage's spell, arcane spell, or rune spell. The essence of the magic was similar yet different compared to the magic I had known.

Asvi transformed into her human form. She extended her hand toward us. She didn't say anything but a magical phenomenon occurred on our body. Bluish crest suddenly appeared on the back of our left palm.

'I gave you my crest for now. Until this young one learned his crest, I will allow you to use mine.'

Asvi said (through telepathy).

I looked at the crest. It was a picture of a crown surrounded by 10 dragon wings. The crest was simple but when I traced it, I sensed some of monarch aura from it.

'Now, follow me. I will show you my abode.'

She said. I and my party looked at each other before following her.

I was speechless when I saw her 'home'. When she said 'home' I thought it was a cave or something like a lair. What stood in front of me was a grand castle. Compared to Leo's castle, this was 10 times in size and the outer wall was covered with jade crystal.

"Ren"

Leo called me.

"If I were building such castle back at the capital, how much do you think it would cost?"

He asked.

"Don't know but it would be more expensive than the entire treasury plus the wealth of your people."

I said.

"I see"

His voice was monotonous. The castle gate opened. A butler with thick beard came out from inside.

"Welcome back, Ojou-sama"

He said while bowing.

"Umu"

Asvi just nodded at him.

"Guest. Guide."

She said.

"As your wish."

He said.

"Everyone, please follow me."

The butler said. We didn't say anything as we followed him. Behind the main gate was a tunnel. The butler didn't speak at all as we walked through the long corridor. The corridor was plain without any decoration. The only color inside the corridor was the gray color of the wall and ceiling and the red color of the carpet below. At the end of the corridor, the thing that greeted us was a door with 50 cm high and 50 cm wide.

"Isn't the door too small?"

I asked.

'I'm leaving first. Guide the guest through the side tunnel.'

Asvi's telepathy entered my head. She looked upward. I also looked up and realized. There was no ceiling above the space before the door. Asvi chanted some language I didn't know. Her body suddenly floated few centimeters before shot up toward the hole and disappeared inside the darkness.

"In that case, this way please."

The butler said. When I turned toward him, I was dumbfounded. He was instead of opening the small door, rolled the carpet and opened a hidden door under it instead.

"...."

None was able to say anything about this weird spectacle. The butler descended the stairs below the hidden door. Alicia and Ameralda followed him without any fear. Noden stepped forward with caution followed by Lisha and Flint.

"Somehow, I think I won't stop being surprised as long as I'm here."

Leo said.

"What coincidence, me too."

I said.

After that, We started descending the stairs for long time. Sweat began gathering on our brows. There was only one path here yet the long path was very tiring. The luggage which was carried using the levitation magic were floating around us as we kept walking.

"Ah!!"

Alicia lost her balance from the fatigue. I caught her barely in time. She was panting from the short of breath.

"Thank you, Ren-sama."

Alicia thanked me. She stood on her own feet. Without saying anything more, I crouched before her.

"Ren-sama?"

Alicia was dumbfounded by my gesture.

"I'll carry you. Get on."

I said.

"But..."

She hesitated.

"I'm alright, get on."

I insisted.

"Then, please excuse me."

She said. I piggybacked her before continue walking forward. The butler was already bit far away with the rest of the group. None noticed that we had gotten left behind as we were walking at the back.

"Am I not heavy?"

Alicia asked.

"No, not at all. In contrary you're too light. Are you eating properly?"

I said as I repositioned her posture.

"Hya! Mou!!"

She pouted when I made a sudden movement.

"Are you tired too, Ameralda?"

Leo asked.

"Ah, no. I'm pretty confident with my stamina."

Ameralda said. Leo slumped down when his plan to copy me failed.

"Are you alright, Takayashiki?"

Anastasia asked.

"No, I'm quite confident with my stamina. Rather than that, isn't Lisha-san looked bit pale?"

Shiina pointed out. Everyone's gaze with the butler's as an exception looked toward Lisha. She was panting heavily as she trying to match everyone's pace.

"What? Is this your limit, Lisha? You should exercise more you bookworm!!"

Noden mocked.

"Hmph!!! Mind your own business, musclehead!!"

She retorted.

"Don't force yourself, Lisha-san. We can ask the butler for a rest."

Shiina said.

"Don't faint on me, bookworm. I won't carry you like how Ren-sama carried Alicia-hime."

Noden said.

"Wha- Who wants to be carried by you?!!"

Lisha shouted.

"I know it, you don't have to shout."

Noden complained.

"Hmph!! Eh?"

Just soon after she snorted, she lost her balance and fell. Despite his sharp tongue, Noden was the first who moved. He caught her and supported her. Lisha's wand fell down as she was already unconscious.

"Tch! What a pain in the ass woman you're!!"

Noden grumbled. He put down his shield from his back. He put Lisha on his back and carried her. Anastasia picked up the fallen wand and shied and applied the levitation spell on them.

"Say, Leo"

I called.

"What is it?"

"Is their relationship always like this?"

"Yeah. Lisha and Noden likes each other but their high pride always get in the way when they are together. I have done many maneuver and matchmaking for them but nothing works."

Leo said.

"That's why she is a tsundere mage, huh?"

I muttered.

"Let's go, the butler was getting further."

Leo said. We resumed our run afterwards.

Two hours passed, the run was getting tougher. The people who could still run were just me, Anastasia, Noden and Flint. I carried Alicia, Noden carried Lisha, Flint carried Ameralda, Anastasia had Leo on her back, as for Shiina, she was riding Sora's back who walked along with the luggage. The dragon younglings were lying above the luggage to rest.

"Just how far this place descended?"

Noden complained. The butler didn't say anything. He just descended the stairs silently. The butler glanced back at us. He sighed as if disappointed in something. He slowed down and finally stopped despite hasn't reached the destination.

"Let's end our run here."

He said. He walked toward the wall on the left side and tapped the brick twice. Suddenly, the brick rotated and the wall rose. My jaw dropped when I saw what had appeared beyond the door, a magic elevator.

"Now, please get in."

He said. One by one we entered the elevator. I peeked at the number on the floor option. I shivered when I saw three digits numbers over there. Our position was on the 142nd floor. The butler pressed the 1st floor on the elevator. Slowly the elevator moved.

"Could it be, we had to walk down that far to find the elevator?"

Noden asked.

"Ah, my apologies for my prank. The fact is we can access the elevator on the first stairs after entering the hidden door. I was curious about the human's vitality after all."

The butler said.

At that time, for some reason, I had a hunch that Iand the butler won't be able to get along at all.