Chapter 105 - 97: "Master, Kiss Me.

Chapter 105: Chapter 97: "Master, Kiss Me.

Even many years later, Lian would still look back and think of it as an absolutely unforgettable night.

On the second day, Lian didn’t leave his tent.

On the third day, he was reluctant to come out either.

On the fourth day, he likely wouldn’t have been willing to leave at all if Catherine’s Maid, Mina, hadn’t suddenly burst into the tent. She wanted to express her piety with her body, which made Lian realize the gravity of the situation.

Within the entire Southern Army, almost everyone had fallen victim to it, with the exception of Sophie, Knight Kage Mori, Father Simo, Sister Sally, Kob, and a few squad leaders and their deputies. Everyone else was now afflicted with the [Forced Faith] entry. Many of the Guards with peculiar tastes now wanted to throw themselves at his feet.

Their faith in Lian had become so blind that if he ordered them to eat feces, they would consider it a divine gift.

Of course, Lian didn’t do that. He was, for the most part, an excellent leader who cherished his subordinates. How could he possibly make his Guards do such a thing? As for the Guards with... peculiar preferences, Lian ordered them all to go mining.

Some Guards in the Southern Army were still on leave, but none of them contracted the "aging sickness," as the former Spirit of the Forest who had cursed them had already been sacrificed.

Though Lian had remained in his tent for the past few days, he hadn’t been completely idle.

For one, he had sent Robson to the Goblin settlement in the Southern White Bone Forest to retrieve the Magic Contract Book.

And today also happened to be the day he was scheduled to meet with the Forest Spirit Solaya.

So, Lian took Sophie with him to the Emerald Palace of the Spirit of the Forest.

The silver-haired girl was not in a good mood. Lian hadn’t given her a wreath for three days straight, which meant he had broken his promise.

"Sophie, I’m sorry."

Lian knew that a sincere apology was always the best way to clear up a misunderstanding.

Having temporarily gained the authority of a Spirit of the Forest, he used his Power of Faith to summon all the nearby flowers.

Wildflowers swirled around Sophie, paving a flower-strewn path at her feet.

Petals showered down upon the hem of her long, white dress, adorning it with color.

Three wreaths of flowers silently materialized: one on her head, one around her neck, and one on her wrist, making her look just like a Flower Elf.

Lian had made up for the three days of wreaths he owed all at once, and even treated her to a beautiful shower of falling petals.

The innocent, sheltered girl was immediately stunned by the sight.

While her face remained expressionless, the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide, nearly spilling over.

"Is it pretty?"

Lian asked.

The silver-haired girl gave a slight nod.

"There’s something even more beautiful."

Lian took the girl’s hand and led her into the Emerald Palace.

As if to welcome them, the green vines surrounding the palace burst into bloom with flowers of every color.

Red roses carpeted the palace like a floral sea.

It was as if spring had arrived in the Emerald Palace; vibrant, delicate blossoms could be seen everywhere.

In the great hall, now filled with blooming flowers, Lian made a point of inviting Sophie for a dance.

Solaya would never have imagined that Lian would use the Power of Faith for something like this.

Nor would she have imagined that he would do it right in front of her.

Perhaps because there were no spectators, or perhaps because she had secretly practiced many times, Sophie’s dancing was noticeably more skilled. Miraculously, she didn’t step on Lian’s feet even once.

The two joyfully finished a circle dance.

Sophie had completely forgiven Lian.

She naively believed that Lian had spent the last few days Cleaning an Entry for the terminally ill Miss Catherine and hadn’t done anything remotely immoral.

Having obtained Miss Witch’s forgiveness, Lian led Sophie to the palace dungeon.

In the dungeon, Solaya was still asleep amidst the vines, but her face seemed to wear a displeased expression.

"Lady Solaya, have you made your decision?"

Lian took out the Magic Contract Book.

After a dozen or so seconds, Solaya’s voice finally sounded in his ear.

"Let’s sign the contract."

He could hear the resignation in Solaya’s voice.

"Can you even sign it in your current state?"

Lian asked, looking curiously at Solaya, who was still entangled in the vines.

The moment he finished speaking, Solaya’s name slowly materialized on the Magic Contract Book.

The Magic Contract Book then dissolved into motes of light and vanished into thin air, as if it had never been there at all.

[New Entry Acquired: Master of Forest Spirits]

[You have signed a Master-Servant Contract with the Forest Spirit Solaya. Solaya now acknowledges you as her master. She will remain eternally Loyal to you, becoming a sharp blade in your hand. Her Spirit can be taken with you anywhere.]

[By equipping this entry, the Bone Forest automatically becomes your domain. Though you cannot use the Power of Faith, you now possess a tract of fertile land.]

Only after confirming that the Magic Contract Book had taken effect did Lian leisurely ask,

"So, Solaya, how can I help you now?"

"Master, kiss me."

"?"

Lian looked at Solaya in confusion. He waited until she continued,

"I am trapped in a Dream Cage created by an emissary of the Alfei Palace and I cannot awaken. Only by kissing my lips can you enter this cage and lead me out."

’The emissary of Alfei Palace.’

This was the second time Lian had heard that title.

’Could the Maze to the east of Bone Forest, the one with the Gate of Hell, be the Alfei Palace?’

’And was the emissary of the Alfei Palace the same Forest Spirit I sacrificed to the [Eye of Misfortune]?’

’No harm in asking. Solaya is my servant now, after all.’

"Solaya, was the emissary of the Alfei Palace the one who stole your authority?"

"Yes, Master."

"Is the Alfei Palace that Maze guarded by the Skeleton Monsters?"

"Yes, Master."

"He’s already dead. Why does his Dream Cage still exist?"

"If he weren’t dead, I wouldn’t have been able to spare even a sliver of my Spiritual Sense to contact you. The Dream Cage is a form of transcendent Magic that exists independently of its creator, composed of 360 dream curses. You’ll understand once you’re inside."

"How can you guarantee I won’t get trapped in there as well?"

"The Dream Cage only targets me. If an outsider intrudes, I can find a crack in the cage and use it to break all my Spiritual Sense free from its shackles."

"Then you could have lured someone else to save you. Why did it have to be me?"

"You have been recognized by the forest and carry the same aura as I do. Only you can trick the Dream Cage into mistaking you for me and letting you inside."

Sensing Lian’s hesitation, Solaya added,

"I am already your servant. I swear on my Spirit, I will never bring you harm. You will be in no danger whatsoever by entering the Dream Cage."

Lian still frowned. Even though it was clear the rescue itself wouldn’t be dangerous, there was another problem. ’Kissing a strange woman right in front of Sophie... What will she think?’

"Sophie, I need to Clear a tricky Entry for this poor lady. Could you stand guard for me outside? I wouldn’t want anyone to come in, interrupt us, and discover my greatest secret."

Lian looked at Sophie with a serious expression.

Sophie nodded obediently and turned her back to the dungeon.

Feeling guilty, Lian approached Solaya. He kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure Sophie wasn’t peeking, then carefully pressed a kiss to Solaya’s thin lips.

Awkwardly, the very instant his lips touched hers, his consciousness was forcibly pulled into the Dream Cage.

This left Lian’s body frozen in a kissing position with Solaya’s.

Which meant Lian didn’t have much time.

He had to rescue Solaya before Sophie turned back around.

The Dream Cage was a prison composed of countless dreams, each one a perfect world crafted specifically for Solaya.

Each dream imprisoned a portion of Solaya’s Spirit.

To truly save her, Lian had to bring Solaya’s Spirit out from every single dream.

Lian didn’t know how, but the moment he stepped into the cage, he understood these Rules.

But as soon as he saw the first dream, he felt he had acted rashly.

...