The Unfettered Ice Princess [ EN ]

Chapter 39 [ Started ]

The peaceful days went by so quickly. Thanks to their status as VIP guests of the Sultanate Family, no one dared to seek trouble with Naeva and the others on the 2nd Floor. Perhaps because of that, the lull in waiting for the Ascension Exams was so boring.

It had been more than a month since Princess Berenice's Debutante was held. At first, Naeva quite enjoyed the sights and the cultural differences between the Sultanate and the other Floors. But the girl grew bored quickly. There was honestly no special entertainment in the Sultanate that caught her attention. It was mostly the usual entertainment that could be found anywhere such as music, acrobatics, circus, etc.

"Salty," Naeva mumbled lying on the sleeping pillow floating in the Palace lake.

Not that Naeva liked conflict either. It's more like, the Sultanate is too monotonous for a long-term vacation.

"Ophelia accompanied Bere who was confined to the Princess Palace while reading books in the Palace library. Hamer practiced forging on the Sultanate's blacksmiths. I also haven't seen Ruka since he rejected my offer," Naeva thought sleepily.

That's right, Naeva's offer during the 2nd Floor Ascension Examination ended up being rejected by Ruka. Naeva herself still remembered clearly what Ruka had said at that time.

"Naeva Nee-san. I appreciate your offer. To be honest, it was very difficult to refuse. I didn't know how strong and rich you were or what your background was like. But after observing you for a while, I know that I can grow rich and strong easily with you. It's even possible that Nee-san can also make me a Ranker and Top Informant."

"Unfortunately, that's not my goal. My goal is not to become a Ranker or Top Informant. My goal is to return to my village, to my home safely. I have no interest in becoming a Conqueror or an Informant. I just want to live peacefully with my family in my village."

"I see. What can I do," Naeva replied at the time. After all, Rokka wasn't just Ruka.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you. In exchange for Naeva Nee-san, I have a little advice for you."

"?"

"I really don't want to get involved with Tower any more than this. But I know a Rokka who's good at digging up information and loves money. Unfortunately she's agoraphobic, so she always runs away when people are looking for her to buy information."

"I think she would be interested in an offer as a private informant. Because there's a lot of money to be made and she doesn't have to meet many people."

"Hmm... Who is she? Is it okay to introduce me to her?" asked Naeva.

Ruka imagined someone's face, his expression instantly becoming a bit lazy.
"She's my aunt. My father's sister."

"I didn't introduce you to her for free either. There are conditions."

"Conditions?"

"Yes. Naeva Nee-san, you must take me or make me return safely to my village. In exchange, I will introduce you to Auntie and help persuade her. Just so you know, entering Rokka Village is impossible without Rokka's approval."

"Hmm... So you're negotiating with your life? Then the exchange is unequal. I'm at a disadvantage here."

"That's-- that's true too. Umm... Let's put it this way. Until we return to Rokka Village, I'll be your personal informant without pay. How about it?" Ruka bargained.

"Rokka Village is on 5th Floor (Labyrinth Island). They built the village on the first floor so that the Rokka who left the village for the tutorial could more easily return to the village. A personal informant is free for 3 more floors. Moreover, he will help me meet a better Rokka as an informant, not bad either," Naeva thought.