Ultimately, it’s not a matter of volume.


    The idea of gathering the souls resting all over the continent in one place was good, but in the end, that place could only be set on the continent itself.


    A space in another dimension was needed.


    So the solution I came up with was the general store.


    A place where the dimensions were twisted, and even the gods couldn’t dare to interfere, as Lehric stated confidently.


    And Aria did mention she failed to summon her sword in the general store when she tried to previously.


    Is it a characteristic of the general store?


    The randomness.


    I believed it to be the one-of-a-kind characteristic that the general store had on this continent.


    Other than the first encounter, stumbling upon Clair’s General Store in the game was completely random.


    It was a shop you could find without fail or not at all.


    This had a significant possibility of acting as a variable in the game’s progression, and it was the same here.


    The reason Lehric was able to obtain the general store.


    Initially, the general store was supposed to be run by the dwarf Clair. However, I assumed that the store moved to Lehric’s location and was then taken over by him.


    The continent had a main story, a story that flowed inevitably as the fate of the hero was entrusted to Aria.


    However, the general store was an exception.


    This place was not included in the grand scenario of the continent.


    Hence, I planned to use this place.


    “Collect the souls and place them in the general store.”


    That was the method I thought of. Of course, it would require immense power and the magic to bring it to fruition.


    It was possible.


    Just as Stella said, I was slowly but surely moving forward towards my conclusion.


    Step. Step.


    The sound of people descending the stairs echoed in the laboratory. It was about time, so I finished organizing the materials and papers with formulas on my desk.


    “What is going on for all of you to come here this early in the morning?”


    “You’ve installed lights?”


    “...”


    There were three people who came down.


    The first one was the Royal Knight Commander, Gloria.


    With her red hair tied up, she was carrying her treasured sword and was also wearing the red armor symbolizing the Royal Knight, as if she was ready to go into battle at any moment. r??Α??o?E?S??


    The other was Tyren Ol Velocus, the Mage Tribunal Judge, with a thick golden robe, headpiece, and a staff resembling a spear.


    And the last person was Findenai, who was dressed in her usual maid uniform.


    She, too, was equipped with items like Snow White and War Shoes and looked sullen.


    It seemed that she was still unable to forget the shame from the last time.


    “Prepare yourself.”


    That was that.


    It was now time to move my body, not just the pen on the desk.


    ***Rometiu Forest—A forest known to be inhabited by elemental spirits and fairies, a place left untouched by humans.


    With the King of Elemental Spirits accompanying Erica Bright, the largest barrier was absent.


    However, the elemental spirits and fairies were not really bothered by this. In fact, they were glad that the one who nagged them on a daily basis was gone.


    They were innocent and simple beings, happy to fly around and wander among the trees with their friends.


    And today was just another day like that.


    The elemental spirits believed it would be a quiet but exciting day. However...


    Kyaaaaakkk!


    Dark Mages!


    Screams erupted from their lips.


    A deep, dark shadow had entered Rometiu Forest. Dark Mages in black robes were wandering through the forest, heading towards the center.


    “These damn noisy spirits.”


    Dante’s Dark Mage Becklin, who called himself a blightcaster, shooed the elemental spirits away in annoyance.


    He wanted to spread his plague among them immediately, but he had to refrain due to the orders to not cause a commotion.


    The moment Becklin activated his magic, Rometiu Forest would no longer be called a forest.


    After all, his plague wasn’t just limited to humans.


    “Huheehe.”


    An old man with a hunched back walked beside him. If he were to straighten up by leaning on his staff, he would actually be quite tall.


    In a way, he resembled a coiled centipede.


    He was Entomancer Barctos Nicolay, the general director of the Weapon Development Department of the Clark Republic.


    “I’m quite fond of this forest.”


    Insects poured out of Barctos’s shadow endlessly, occupying the forest like conquerors.


    No! No! No!


    The insects managed to catch a fleeing fairy and brought it to Barctos.


    Crunch!


    Without hesitation, Barctos shoved the fairy into his mouth and began chewing on it.


    Kyaaaack!


    “Huheehe! Hearing a woman’s scream from inside my mouth is a new experience for me.”


    Of course, the scream didn’t last long.


    Having eaten the fairy, Barctos looked dissatisfied.


    “Chomp chomp bleh, it tastes worse than bugs.”


    Complaining that he had eaten it for nothing, a hooded woman walking at the back approached him.


    “Bring me one.”


    “Huh? Are you going to use it?”@@@@


    “Hurry up.”


    “Alright, fine.”


    The woman’s voice was hoarse, as if she had sand stuck in her throat. Soon, the insects captured another fairy.


    Help me! Help me!


    “Here it is.”


    The insects brought the fairy to the woman, who reached out and grabbed it.


    Barctos and Zhang Run burst into laughter simultaneously. Ignoring them, Yun approached Gideon and asked while stepping on his head.


    “He’s still alive, isn’t he?”


    “I thought a fresh corpse would be better!”


    “Well, it doesn’t really matter.”


    Responding indifferently, Yun twisted her left wrist.


    “Blood will get on it.”


    A thick needle protruded from her palm.


    “All the warp markers have been taken care of.”


    Turning his attention from Yun and Gideon, Barctos spoke to Luaneth.


    “There were about five in total. There shouldn’t be any problem as the ants ate them all.”


    “Alright.”


    Only then did Luaneth feel relieved.


    He knew that Deus was currently staying at Graypond.


    Considering the distance from Graypond to this forest, even if it were Deus, he wouldn’t be able to make it on time.


    But then....


    Crash!


    Cadavermancer Yun fell onto her buttocks. Gideon Zeronia, who had been lying limp until now, used all his strength to push her away


    “This bastard!”


    Thinking Yun was hurt because of his gift, Zhang Run grabbed his spear and stepped forward.


    “Haaaaaaaackkk!”


    Bang!


    A shining stake emerged from Gideon’s pocket.


    It was a warp marker.


    “Huff! Huff!”


    Bleeding profusely, Gideon collapsed as if he had exhausted the last bit of strength.


    “Huheehe! Huh? There was one more!”


    Barctos laughed, pointing at the warp marker hidden on Gideon’s person.


    While there would normally be some waiting time before it could be activated, this time was different.


    The warp marker began to react immediately, emitting a pillar of light.


    “Seems like it’s only one person?”


    Pelestan muttered with his arms crossed as he looked up at the pillar of light.


    Indeed, only one person was transported via the warp.


    The warp was brief.


    After the pillar of light turned to dust and vanished, a somewhat unexpected woman stood there.


    “Phew.”


    She was wearing a white shirt and a neat, deep blue suit.


    Her long hair was tied in a ponytail and draped over one shoulder.


    Her blonde hair complemented her fair skin.


    The woman, with her hands buried in her suit pockets, was a mage and professor who should not have been here.


    She was Erica Bright.


    “That is...”


    “The Soul Whisperer’s fiance?e.”


    “What? How insignificant.”


    The Dark Mages of Dante had similar reactions. They were relieved that it wasn’t the Soul Whisperer who had come but were also puzzled by the lone woman standing before them.


    Erica, however, cast a cold gaze over them and drew her hands from her pockets, producing a pair of white gloves.


    “You must be the Dark Mages he’s been searching for. Dante, right?”


    The Zeronia Household and Bright Household had been on Dante’s pursuit at Deus’ request.


    Following suit, Erica asked them calmly while putting on her gloves. It was Pelestan who responded.


    “Coming here all by yourself for the sake of your fiance? is quite foolish. Are you blinded by love?”


    “...”


    “Do you even know how many Dark Mages are gathered here?”


    In addition to the Dark Mages who had arrived earlier, about ten Dark Mages had accompanied Zhang Run after cleaning up.


    Considering they were all Dark Mages, it was a sizable group.


    Snap.


    Erica let out a disdainful snort, pulling the cuffs of her gloves to secure them.


    “Surely, you can’t be unaware of where you are, can you?”


    “Step back.”


    Seeing the golden mana rising from Erica’s feet, Luaneth warned.


    The Dark Mages who were about to rush at her flinched at the warning from the quick-witted Luaneth.


    Vast power surged behind Erica.


    Then, from the grassy ground, a giant golden butterfly emerged.


    The King of Light Elemental Spirits.


    “This is the first time the Elemental Spirit King has been this enraged.”


    The King of Light Elemental Spirits floated above Erica, radiating intense hostility towards the Dark Mages.


    To the unwelcome visitors who had arrived in the sanctuary of the elemental spirits, the light emitted by the Elemental Spirit King felt like sharp needles piercing their skin.


    “She made a contract with an elemental spirit?”


    “If it’s the King of Light Elemental Spirits, we need to be cautious.”


    “It seems like you two make a very well-matched pair.”


    One was a Necromancer known as the Soul Whisperer.


    The other was a contractor with the King of Elemental Spirits.


    The Dark Mages of Dante let out nervous jeers.


    “Helping out one’s husband behind his back.”


    The eyes of Erica, who was now influenced by the King of the Elemental Spirits, turned to a golden hue as they glared at them.


    “That is what a good wife should do.”