Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 269: It’s a Date (Primula’s Chapter)③
After getting a bit of a scolding over the Sabnock incident, Rest continued along the museum’s path, gently soothing Primula as they walked.
“We’re almost at the exit, huh…”
Primula, who had been happily explaining the exhibits, furrowed her brows in disappointment.
This outing had made one thing perfectly clear — Primula was a true magic item nerd.
Her face had been glowing with excitement throughout the tour, but now that the end was in sight, her mood had visibly dropped.
“Yeah, that was a lot of fun.”
“It really was.”
“If there’s ever another event like this, we should come together again.”
“Yes, absolutely!”
As soon as Rest suggested a next time, Primula’s gloomy expression brightened.
Relieved, Rest let out a small, quiet breath of ease.
“Well then, there’s still some time… want to grab something to eat—”
Just as he was about to suggest lunch, something caught his eye in the corner of the room.
“That is…”
“What could it be?”
“…Ah.”
Primula also seemed curious and tugged Rest by the hand, walking toward the display.
There, sitting quietly in the museum’s corner, was something that looked like a stone slab.
It had a grotesque, monstrous figure carved into its surface, along with the name of the artist.
“Could this be… the ‘Cursed Sculpture of Austoria’!?”
Primula’s voice rang out in shock.
Her eyes were wide open, her face pale.
“You know about it?”
Rest asked.
“Yes… it’s a stone slab supposedly carved by Austoria Zamas, the genius artist. I’d heard the royal family kept it under strict supervision as a cursed magic item, but I never imagined it would actually be on public display.”
“A cursed magic item, huh…”
“Yes. Austoria Zamas created countless paintings and sculptures, and is considered one of our nation’s most celebrated artists… but in his later years, he was tormented by nightmares, and all he made were these eerie, disturbing works. This slab is one of them. They say anyone who comes into possession of it starts having bizarre dreams… and eventually loses their mind.”
“…Yikes.”
Why would something like that even be on display? Shouldn’t it have been locked away somewhere, never to see the light of day?
“Yeah… it’s creepy alright. Looks like something straight out of a nightmare.”
The creature carved into the slab was… indescribable.
It resembled both a dragon and a lizard, and yet the shape was deeply unsettling, as though it violated some unspoken rule of the world.
Just looking at it made Rest feel uneasy, but for some reason, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Rest… let’s go, please.”
“Y-Yeah… let’s.”
Pulled by Primula, Rest finally managed to break his gaze away from the sculpture.
Linking arms, the two of them started to walk away.
“Huh…?”
“…Eh?”
But when they turned around, the museum was gone.
Instead, stretching out before them, was a vast, murky swamp.
The surface was thickly coated with algae, making it impossible to see the bottom.
“What the… how did we end up here…?”
“R-Rest…”
Primula clung to him, her face twisted in fear.
Rest wrapped his arm around her, trying to keep her calm as he quickly pieced together the situation.
“We were just in the museum… were we teleported?”
Teleportation magic was advanced, something only a sage-class magician could pull off.
Neither Rest, nor even Albert — his adoptive father and the court’s chief mage — could likely manage a spell like this.
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!”
A deep, earth-shaking growl echoed from below.
The surface of the swamp rippled, the waves growing larger and larger.
“Primula! Get back!”
“GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
At the exact moment Rest shouted, the swamp’s water exploded outward.
Thick, sludge-like water rained down as something massive rose from the depths.
“What… the hell is that…!”
“Aaaaaaaahhh!!”
Primula screamed as Rest sucked in a sharp breath.
The creature that emerged was unmistakable.
It was the very same monster that had been carved into the cursed stone slab.
Only its upper body was visible above the water, but even so, it easily measured over ten meters in length.
Its body was covered in pale blue scales, and its insect-like compound eyes reflected countless distorted images of Rest.
“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
With an ear-splitting shriek, the monster opened its gaping, jagged mouth as wide as it could, lunging at Rest and Primula.
Without wasting a second, Rest gathered his magic power, preparing to face the wicked, blasphemous beast head-on.