Symphony for the Insect Princess

“Huh, huh, huh, huh… Is it finally my turn…”

A certain girl is ready to go.

"Born in chaos, grew up in darkness!"

She stood up suddenly, her hands on her waist at an exaggerated angle.

"Lost in the haze of the past, heading towards the dark ocean!"

Then he folded one hand in front of his chest and covered half of his face with the other hand, leaving his eyes visible through his fingers.

"Sing praises to the destruction of chaos, and rebuild the glory of the past. I am the princess of endless chaos and darkness—"

"Her name is Qiu Milan."

"This child is a little weird, don't pay too much attention to her."

“My name is Qimilaa ...

Qimila waved her fist angrily, her posture completely broken. The students turned their heads away, unable to bear to watch. Asia looked at her as if she was a fool for a moment but immediately adjusted herself, while Pierce Corey remained calm throughout.

"Ahem...Mr. Rodrigo, I don't want to beat around the bush, so I'll just ask directly—"

Aisia's expression was slightly stern, and the atmosphere suddenly changed.

"Why would a scholar like you come to this troubled place at this time?"

Chapter 42 Before the Incident (Part )

"Why would a scholar like you come to this troubled place at this time?"

Aisia didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

Rodrigo clenched his hands quietly, knowing that if he gave the wrong answer at this time, he would be in trouble.

"I came here to study the great secret treasure. My sole purpose is academic, and I never thought of taking it for myself."

"What about them?"

Asia glanced at the students, and Rodrigo hurriedly explained, "My students are all here as 'project participants,' assisting me in my actions. As you can see, they are all illegitimate children, with limited financial resources and status. It's difficult for them to enter the circle of noble children. If they want to achieve results, they must take greater risks..."

"Well, I understand. Can I assume that... you don't want the great secret treasure, but simply want the owner's permission to observe it up close?"

"That's what I mean."

"Um……"

Asia looked away and looked at Pierce Corey, who had a calm expression but his eyes never left Rodrigo's face.

(……I see)

Rodrigo understood that Miss Asia was only responsible for questioning him, and the one who really interrogated him was the butler... As the chief butler of the City Lord's Mansion, Pierscore must be the confidant of the City Lord Saenris. He will definitely report his performance to the City Lord in detail later.

"Then, until the ownership of the great secret treasure is settled, please rest in this City Lord's Mansion. The guest rooms should have been tidied, and the maids will lead the way for you."

Aisia stood up with a smile and gestured "please".

(“Before the ownership of the great treasure is settled”?… What an obvious threat.)

Rodrigo gave a wry smile and, along with the students, followed the maid's instructions to the guest rooms.

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

"Please go this way."

Clara and Qiumila, guided by the exceptionally beautiful silver-haired maid, walked through the long corridor. The interior of the City Lord's Mansion was very elegant, with ivory walls, amber floors, and curtains and draperies in red and black, exuding a low-key atmosphere.

"Hehehe... Only a place like this is suitable to be my palace. It's a pity that it's more grand than luxurious~~"

Qiumila looked around with great interest and commented in a pretentious manner, occasionally making strange gestures and saying some strange lines, but Clara was used to it.

She is far from having it as easy as Qiumila.

The structure, color scheme, and decoration of the City Lord's Mansion appear grand, but in reality, it's filled with a sense of oppression. Outsiders walking through it always feel an inexplicable sense of pressure, clearly designed to intimidate outsiders. Clara, the illegitimate, intermediate magician, felt a bit overwhelmed the entire way, but Qimila remained completely unfazed. Was she too indifferent or too strong-willed? It seemed she was perfectly adapted to this environment.

There was another reason why Clara was nervous.

"Please follow closely, the City Lord's Mansion is very complex and you might get lost."

"Ah, yes, thank you for your concern..."

The girl with long dark blue hair smiled at them, showing the temperament of the city lord's daughter.

(Ahhh why is this young lady here with us?!)

Asia Curtis also walked with them, shoulder to shoulder with the maid. She didn't seem to be leading them, but simply walking with the maid... Why? Did the young lady need something from the maid? If so, there was no need to follow her all the time, right?

Speaking of which, the backs of the two beautiful girls standing side by side are really pleasing to the eye.

(Qimila isn't necessarily worse than them...)

Although she has a flat figure and is half a head shorter than the other two, Qimila is no less beautiful than the city lord's daughter, except that she is a little behind the maid.

(Huh? Does that mean an ordinary person like me is walking with three super beautiful girls? Wow, I'm getting even more nervous!)

At this time-

"Here we are, right here."

The two were led into a guest room. The room was of moderate size and very suitable for two people to stay temporarily. The interior decoration was also elegant, at least it did not have the oppressive feeling of the corridor.

"It's just average, right? But I'll just bow down for now—"

Qimila wanted to say something, but everyone selectively ignored her.

"Nice room...much better than the dorm."

Clara couldn't help but sigh.

"Miss Clara, aren't you a student of Mishra Academy? The accommodation conditions of the highest-level magician academy must not be bad, right?" Aisia asked in surprise.

"It's not bad... but it's definitely not great. For illegitimate students like us, the dormitories we're assigned are pretty average, and since we're helping the instructors, we have to spend more time living outside."

“It’s really hard.”

"You'll get used to it..."

What a world of severe class division.

"Then please rest well here, both of you. Someone will come to notify you when it's time for dinner. If you need anything, there will be a maid at the door at any time, and there are magic tools in the room to summon servants."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, you're welcome~"

Aisia smiled and waved, and the maid bowed to them with a calm smile, and then the two of them left.

In the room with the door closed, only Qiumila and Clara were left.

"House arrest"—the word suddenly popped into Clara's mind.

But...that's okay.

Although under house arrest, the City Lord's Mansion was far safer than the chaotic outside world. All he had to do now was wait patiently for the discovery of the great secret treasure. When Professor Rodrigo was allowed to research it, he could assist him. Unowned secret treasures were absolutely crucial research projects. Even if he was just helping out, he wouldn't have to worry about academic credits when he returned.

And Qimila——

"...Qimira-chan? What are you doing?"

"Shh!"

Qimila's expression was rare and serious. She looked up at the ceiling, as if she was feeling something.

Clara was a little overwhelmed and could only wait by the side.

After a few seconds, Qimila slowly spoke.

"One great wizard, three great war spirits, three wizards, one of whom is your teacher Rodrigo... there is also a war spirit, and another one... It's very strange, but also very powerful."

"Ah?"

"Hmm... and... um? This is the strangest one... a wizard? A great wizard? Who is he... Oh, never mind."

"Could it be... that you can sense the powerful figures in this City Lord's Mansion?"

"I don't quite understand, but..."

Qimila suddenly straightened her flat chest, looking very proud.

"As the Queen of the Endless Dark Chaos, I may no longer possess the glory of the past, but in order to select suitable servants, I still retain the basic ability to judge! Those I just mentioned are all qualified to serve me—"

"Yes, yes, I know!"

Chapter 43 Before the Incident (Part )

Rodrigo was sitting quietly in the middle of the room.

His luggage was undergoing strict inspection, and his clothes had already been searched. After the people from the City Lord's Mansion sent the students away, they didn't even put on the minimum "pretense" and made no secret of their vigilance and suspicion towards him.

In this regard, Rodrigo had no choice but to cooperate.

The people guarding him in the room were all magicians from the Tower of Babel, most of them were high-level magicians. They all wore uniform robes and had serious expressions.

Besides them, there was a woman who was not much different in age from him, about thirty years old. She had a very cold face, black hair and black pupils, and her clothes seemed to be made of multiple layers of black gauze, which was very close fitting.

(He's dressed in black... he seems like a very serious person)

This woman made no secret of the fluctuations of her magical power. It was obvious that she was also a magician. And judging from her impeccable aura, she must be a battle-hardened and experienced combat mage.

At this time-

"Awaited."

The door of the room opened, and an old woman walked in. She was wearing a heavy robe, with flowing white hair and a cold look in her eyes. When he saw her, Rodrigo immediately straightened his back.

Great magician.

Among the three realms of magician, wizard, and great wizard, he is at the highest realm.

A person who can directly transform and materialize magic power and possess a "domain" is powerful enough to dominate an area.

As long as she has the intention, she can turn herself into ashes in the blink of an eye.

"My name is Glory Visa, also known as the 'Blue Flower,' and I'm in charge of 'Special External Affairs' at the Pantheon."

"Um……"

"Then, she is..." Glory looked at the cold and beautiful woman dressed in black next to her, "She is my direct subordinate, 'An Ke' Eileen White."

"Uh, hello..."

Rodrigo greeted Elaine with a flattering smile, but the woman didn't even look at him.

Rodrigo shook his head awkwardly, then suddenly remembered that he hadn't introduced himself yet. He was about to speak—

"Rodrig Plants, male, 31 years old. Born in the coastal city of Weiss, an island nation of Oslerva. He is of commoner origin. His father is a local fisherman and his mother is a seamstress. Both parents are still alive. He is a special lecturer at Mishra Academy, specializing in plant-based elemental magic. He has made some achievements in this field, but none that have been eye-catching. He doesn't communicate much with his colleagues, and his students are mostly illegitimate children like you, mainly..."

The magician who followed Gloria in held a piece of parchment and read out everything about Rodrigo one by one, making him break out in a cold sweat.

How long had it been? Half an hour? A few minutes? And the investigation had reached this point!?

The investigation is so clear that it already carries a clear threatening meaning.

"Well, Mr. Plants, let me explain... You know, Mishra Academy is ultimately a branch of our Tower of Babel. You and I have been on the same side from the beginning, so don't choose the wrong side."

"Yes, I understand..."

"Furthermore, as you can see, the Pantheon and the Knights are also eyeing the Great Treasure. In this situation, only by concentrating our forces as much as possible can we, the Tower of Babel, gain the upper hand."

"Uh...yeah."

"So I hope that you, as a mage of the Tower of Babel, rather than a lecturer of Mishra, will join us and assist us, and take immediate action when we need you."

"........."

"Don't want to?"

"Uh……"

Glory stared at Rodrigo with her bright eyes, making him feel uncomfortable. Just as he was hesitating, the woman in black - Ailian spoke.

"Don't get me wrong, this isn't a 'request,' it's an 'order.' Don't act on your own. Just be obedient. Do you understand?"

"...Yes, I understand."

"Humph."

Gloria and Ellen gave him one last look before leaving the room, and the magicians followed them out, leaving only Rodrigo in the room.