Chapter 26: Daisy

A blissful week passed in Anmu's house, and the group went back to Mante to see if they couldn't snatch a quest. Sebastian demanded that he came with them, so he could stay in Mante for a while, and see how his trading business was doing.

The guild hall was in pure chaos. Adventurers were running out of it in droves. Not a single one of them seemed afraid, but Eleric still found the situation strange.

They got their answer, when they went to the quest board.

"A new dungeon appearing out of the blue?" Fen tsked with his tongue. These adventurers were rushing to get it with a dungeon contract. To enslave it, and be done with it. "And so close to Bellete, too."

"That poor child," Anmu murmured. "All alone. Besieged on all sides."

"We can get the poor thing out," Fen agreed. The adventurers would see simply a treasure making machine. Showing the dungeon core about as much consideration as one would an object. "It says here it just wants to mine crystals."

"Well, we have no time to lose," Karakon spoke, and he headed to the door. The rest followed him, not bothering with taking the quest. They were not going to complete it, anyway.

Just to safe time, Karakon turned into his dragon form, and flew them to the dungeon. There was a barrier keeping the adventurers out, but mages were already working hard on dispelling it.

Fen scrunched up his nose at them in disgust. He turned to stare at Sebastian, who had demanded that he came with them. Seeing as they didn't intend to fight, the harem had not seen any issue with that.

They walked to the barrier, and Sebastian placed a hand on it. His hand passed through.

"Hey, how did you do that?" One of the mages that was corroding the barrier with fire magic asked. Sebastian just bit his lower lip, and went inside the dungeon.

"I have it covered. You all stay out," the merchant spoke, before any of his lovers could protest. He knew that, seeing as his own mana didn't have an edge to it, the dungeon core was thinking that he was not an adventurer and thus safe.

Sebastian knew he had to race against time, so he rushed inside the dungeon. The dungeon was a thing of beauty. Small insects with sparkling carapace were mixing about. Crystals in the shape of flowers were laid around, giving off faint light, and guiding him to the core room.

When he entered it, he saw a little girl in a sun dress using mana to shape crystals in the shape of different flowers. The crystal she was working on was in the shape of a lily. Sebastian approached her quietly.

"Hello," the merchant greeted, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you for letting me in."

"You are not a thief, are you?" The little girl asked him, head tilted to the side.

"No, I am not. I am a merchant," Sebastian told her. He went next to her pile of crystal flowers, and took a small rose in his hands. "Wonderful work."

"Thank you, sir," the little girl spoke with a beaming smile.

"You must know that there are people outside who want to...enslave you," the little girl dropped her crystal flower then, and began to shake.

"I don't want to go with them," she began to tear up, and Sebastian was by her side in an instant.

"Can you mask your mana?" The merchant asked. "I can show you how to do it, if you don't know how."

"You want me to hide?" The little girl asked. Sebastian nodded.

"Focus your mana in your tummy, and then pretend to eat it," Sebastian told her, and then hid his own mana. As a merchant, he knew how to hide. Pirates were the scourge of the Adamantine Sea. And he regularly traveled it. He needed to know how to hide, or else get captured.

The dungeon core did as he told her, and she looked at him expectantly.

"What now?" She asked.

"Now, I bring you to my family, and you will become a part of it. We have a son a bit older than you. He is a goblin, but I dare say you'll like him. Yurek is a gentle soul," Sebastian spoke, and then scooped up the girl. "Where is your dungeon crystal?"

"Here," the little girl took off a small crystal on a chain, and then got it back under her collar.

"Ok, if anyone asks, you were kidnapped by the dungeon core, and you accidentally crushed it, when you panicked. Now, undo the barrier," Sebastian told her, as he began to carry her to the exit of the cave.

"I like this place," the dungeon core murmured. "They will steal everything, won't they?"

"I am afraid they will," Sebastian had to admit. Those flower crystals would fetch a good price. There was no denying that.

"Is your family nice, sir?" The little girl asked. Sebastian turned to smile at her.

"The nicest. There is a dragon, who is a grump, but a softy inside. A moody vampire, but would make you smile with a kind word. An incubus who likes to baby people. A Naga who likes to dote on others. A wonderful elf that has a big heart and is accepting of others. Our son, Yurek, who is the kindest goblin there is. And, a golden bird chick that is so fluffy you will like cuddling it," Sebastian told the little girl about his new family, and the barrier fell from the entrance.

Adventurers rushed pass them, and towards the core room. Sebastian shook his head, and went to his lovers.

"Her name is..." he then realized that he didn't know the girl's name.

"Daisy," the little girl spoke, her eyes fixed on Fen. "Can I have a hug?"

Fen smiled, and reached out for his newest child. He snuggled her close to himself, and placed a kiss in her hair.

"Yurek is not too far away. He would like to meet his new sister," Fen spoke, then, he turned to Sebastian. "Good job, morsel."

The merchant grinned at the incubus, and they all left for the wagon.