Symphony for the Insect Princess

The building's interior was unique, as if the materials of classical architecture had been replaced with steel and metal, dividing the vast space into functional areas. Each large room had a button or a wrench, operated by specialized personnel—Oshimier's assistants and apprentices—who moved and reorganized the rooms as needed.

(How's it going, Nell? Where to go next?)

Charlotte muttered in her heart, and the little fly hidden in her hair, which served as a relay station for her voice, immediately responded, and Nelris's voice appeared in her mind.

(Let me see... Next, turn left and go through each room from beginning to end. Once you've finished, report back to me. If you arouse suspicion, leave immediately.)

(Understood)

Charlotte followed the instructions and headed towards the new room.

Atlas Tower is Oshimir's fortress, just like his body. If you use telepathy for a long time in it, the magic signal is likely to be intercepted, so you must be extremely careful.

On the other side, in the staff cafeteria——

"Mmm~~ Delicious, delicious!"

"Haha, if you like it, eat more, little sister, but don't eat too much and get fat."

"Huff, huff, huff~ I am the princess of endless chaos and darkness, I can't gain weight!"

The lady in the pastry area kindly gave the freshly baked pastries to Qimila. After hesitating for a moment, she accepted it without hesitation and ate it with great enjoyment.

It is certainly not a good idea to eat so much in the enemy's base camp, but Qimila's strong intuition for sensing danger did not react, so this is just an ordinary employee canteen.

"Hmm~~ This one is delicious, that one is delicious too. Let's eat the next one... I'm thinking~~ Wow, I found a mung bean cake! I'm going to turn over your sign today!"

(What brand?)

"Flip your- yeah yeah yeah!?"

(Quietly)

(S-Sorry!)

Qiumila said goodbye to the confused cafeteria lady in a panic and ran away.

(I remember I asked you to be in charge of the large public places in the southeast)

(Of course! I didn’t forget, I was just a little hungry from walking so I needed to replenish my energy!)

(I don't mean to blame you, but please follow my instructions carefully)

(OK!)

(Go downstairs from here, it should be the common workshop for assistants and apprentices. Go down and take a look. If you are not allowed to enter, you can walk around outside.)

(Okay, then?)

(Then stay nearby and don't go too far. Come back after meeting up with Charlotte.)

……

……

……

(Ah… my feet hurt from walking…)

(I am a little tired. We all need to exercise more.)

Qiumila lay on the sofa, kneading her slender feet wrapped in asymmetrical stockings with her hands, while Charlotte sat next to her and stretched her long legs wrapped in black stockings. If someone with special hobbies saw this scene, he would definitely be very moved.

(So, Nier, what's the catch?)

Nellis sat opposite them. The insects that she had placed on them as cameras were now resting on her fingertips. She closed her eyes and sensed something.

(Hmm…thank you all for your hard work. Thanks to you, our analysis of this building has taken a step further.)

(What are the specific gains?)

(This building is indeed not simple)

(Isn’t this obvious at first glance, Nier, you idiot)

(You're the idiot. I mean something deeper. The Atlas Building has a complex structure, and its rooms, corridors, and staircases can be changed at will. But this is just the surface.)

(Appearance?)

(According to my calculations, all that is currently visible to the public in this building only accounts for 50% of the maximum usable space. The other 50% is either unused or used for other purposes. I naturally tend to lean towards the latter.)

What is the remaining 50%?

In fact, Nellis already had an idea.

The key is how to "find" it?

(Tomorrow's tasks will be similar, but you will have an additional task, and Sedraon will also be there.)

(Huh? Me too? What a hassle! I want to fight!)

(It’s just a matter of time, no need to say more)

(Tsk…yes, yes, yes! Whatever you say is fucking right!)

While Sedroang was still making a fuss, Qimila was already swinging her feet and eating snacks from the cafeteria.

At this time-

"——!?"

Qiumila's body suddenly shook and the snacks in her hand fell.

She knew the feeling.

The sudden chill was like an invisible hand grabbing her heart.

intuition.

That was her extremely sharp intuition for sensing danger, which had come true countless times.

(What’s wrong, Qimila?)

(It’s intuition… It’s been a while since I’ve felt this, but it’s a real sense of danger that I can’t ignore.)

(…It seems the success of this operation is still not optimistic. I need to improve my tactics.)

(Sorry, Nier, it’s just my intuition)

(Your intuition about danger is always very accurate, so you'd rather put in a little more effort than take it lightly.)

(Um……)

But for some reason, Qimila felt a little different.

She has a strong instinct for danger.

But it is limited to sensing danger and cannot determine where the danger comes from.

Is it from the Sage of Stars or the Sage of All Skills?

Or... from someone else?

--------------

The man got off the cruise ship, pushed his glasses up, and looked up at the magnificent city.

"A holy land for alchemists, a paradise for scholars, technology hundreds of years ahead of its time... Tsk tsk, the alchemy city of Okomi truly lives up to its reputation."

The unique architectural complex, the skytrain that encompasses the entire city, the vehicles speeding on the road, everything is so fresh.

"But it really doesn't suit me. There are so few plants and the landscaping isn't very good."

Rodrigo moved his new body, which he had gradually adapted to, and walked towards the city entrance.

Chapter 150 Fog and Vegetative People

"But it really doesn't suit me. There are so few plants and the landscaping isn't very good."

Rodrigo moved his new body, which he had gradually adapted to, and walked towards the city entrance.

The air entering his nasal cavity was mixed with the products of fuel combustion. Rodrigo, whose body had been transformed into plants, had basically lost his sense of smell and taste, but his instinct as a plant made him feel uncomfortable.

How beautiful it would be if this huge city were completely covered with plants?

Forget it, the important thing is to complete the task assigned by the sponsor.

You're on time, Rodriguez.

A small ball of black mist hovered over his shoulders, and no one else could see it at all. Only Rodrigo could hear the sound coming from the black mist.

This time the sponsor's tone of voice changed again, from vague and ethereal to frivolous, which was very unpleasant to listen to.

"Yes, how could I not obey my patron's request? You will definitely keep a close eye on me, right, 'Demon Lord of the Mist'?"

(…Oh, it seems you already know)

"I never thought my patron would be the Demon King, the Mist Demon King Foglet. Everyone knows this name, but only a few people know that you always appear in a black veil. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have realized your identity only now."

(Wow, that's awesome~~ So what are you going to do? Be a righteous man and break up with me?)

"How could that be? I don't care what kind of person you are. As long as I can continue my research, everything else is fine."

(Tsk tsk, that’s right~ You’re really smart~~)

"Not much to say. If I pass the quarantine station, my plant-like body will definitely attract their attention. I have to find another way to sneak in."

(I wish you success~~ I'll see you at the same place after you finish it. I look forward to hearing from you~?)

The black mist left Rodrigo's shoulders and was about to disappear into the air—

"and many more."

(What's up?)

"I know it's rude to ask so many questions, but I just can't suppress my curiosity. May I ask, what is your intention in asking me to do these confusing things?"

Rodrigo asked.

He had been puzzled for a long time, and he really couldn't guess what the Mist Demon King was thinking.

He had thought the Lord of Mist would ignore his unreasonable questions, but—

(Hahaha~~ I also want to know why you do such a thing)

"……Eh?"

(You're not the only one confused. I'm confused by this whole series of events, too. But there must be a reason for this!)

After leaving behind the last words, the black fog completely disappeared.

Rodrigo was left standing there stupidly.

What does Foglet mean?

What does "I have no idea" mean? "There must be a reason"?

Could it be that this Demon King of the Mist has gone completely crazy and doesn't even know what he is doing?

Or……

None of this was his original intention. Was he being manipulated? Did the Demon King also have his own superiors?

"That's impossible... Never mind. There's no point in overthinking it."

----------------

"Ahh...why do I have to do this..."

Sedroon paced along the metal corridor, complaining softly.

Despite her complaints, she deftly navigated the various researchers, following Nelris's instructions as she surveyed the interior of the building. Unlike Charlotte and Chimila, she scattered tiny bone charms, shaped like darts, as she made her rounds. These charms were placed in the shadows of corners, floor edges, and the sharp edges of tables and chairs, making them inconspicuous.

The scattering of bone talismans was not random. They were arranged according to the "key points" instructed by Nellis. In fact, even without Nellis, Sedroon himself had already seen through the general idea of ​​this building.

(Although Oshimir is a psychopath, his talent is really not to be underestimated. He can actually create such a thing.)

The more he saw, the more thoroughly he analyzed, the more alarmed Sedraon became. He had seen countless "unparalleled geniuses" at Mishra Academy, but compared to the Sage of All Skills, those so-called geniuses were like vomit in a toilet bowl, making him unwilling to even glance at them.

"……what."

The thing called "elevator" opened, and several apprentices walked out. Sedroon immediately moved aside nimbly and subconsciously bowed slightly like a lady. When she realized this, she immediately murmured a low sound.

Habits are such a terrible thing. Even now, she sometimes subconsciously performs mysterious rituals.

(Fortunately it’s not too noticeable…)

At Nellis's request, she deliberately dressed simply. Her upper body was a traditional robe, and the feet that were exposed at the bottom of the robe were also covered with ordinary boots. Her hair was tied into a pigtail, and she wore a pair of very thick, non-prescription glasses that covered half of her face. This outfit was not uncomfortable, on the contrary, it was too comfortable. When she looked in the mirror, she felt like she was seeing herself many years ago.