I was accidentally injured by God and I just want to be an ordinary person

Perhaps the feeling that her inference was correct made Iris very satisfied. She took Ella's hand and walked step by step into the flaming arrow.

"The true identity of 'that' is the legendary 'Arrow of Fire'."

Chapter 53: Elise's Inference

"'Fire Arrow'?"

Ella had a sense of déjà vu about this name. If she remembered correctly, it should be a rumor she had heard recently, but she only remembered that it was related to the Demon King and the underwater civilization. She only had a vague impression of the specific content.

"Yes, it's the 'Arrow of Fire'. That's why I said that if it was Ella-chan, the Demon King, there would be absolutely no problem. Weapons created by a Demon King and given to his followers to use cannot possibly harm the next Demon King with the same magical power—this is a bit abstract, but it is true when magical weapons reach a certain level."

The water-avoiding magic that Iris used this time was different from the one she used on Ella last time. This time, the water-avoiding magic made people feel like they were walking directly on land. Not only their hair, but even their clothes would not float up with the buoyancy. Ella was sure that if she could not see the surrounding scenery with her eyes, she would definitely think that she was still on the ground.

"Eh...it's a weapon made by the previous Demon King."

"Hmm? Aira-chan, have you forgotten the origin of the 'Arrow of Fire'?"

"Ahaha, I just remember it being a story I heard recently."

Seeing Ella's embarrassed smile, Iris slightly curled up the corners of her mouth and revealed a mischievous smile.

"Oh? Then, Aira-chan, go try to pull up the 'Fire Arrow'. There's definitely a sealing magic circle, but if it's the Demon King himself, he can pull it up easily without any special means."

Seeing Iris's obviously malicious eyes, Ella decisively chose to refuse, pulled back Iris's hand, took a step back and stood beside Angeline.

"I refuse. Iris must be thinking of something bad again."

Undeterred by Ella's rejection, Iris waved her hand seemingly casually while throwing out even more tempting words.

"The 'Fire Arrow' is a divine weapon lost to the demons since the Demon God era. Weapons are categorized from lowest to highest: white iron, mithril, orichalcum, crimson gold, and divine weapon level. The 'Fire Arrow' is a very precious item, right? Bringing it back would surely make Camisia happy."

"Even if you say so, I won't go. While it's true that bringing it back would definitely please Camisia, Iris's tone of seduction is definitely trying to get me into trouble. And after all, Camisia doesn't lack weapons like this—what on earth is Iris trying to say?"

Although Ella could hardly feel the heat from the Fire Arrow due to the blessing of "Fire Resistance" and "Blessing of Ice", the dead silence here without any living creatures still made Ella feel very depressed, as if she was walking alone in a cave.

Looking at the Fire Arrow, about half of its length was stuck in the seabed not far away, Angelini, who had been silent and lost in thought, seemed to remember something and put her hands together, making a crisp sound.

"Ah, I remember now. This is the legend the two sisters I rescued when we first arrived at the branch island of Brorickz told me. The Arrow of Fire was a tool used by the previous Demon King's followers to seal away the last princess of the Undersea People, Tina Maria Hark. According to the legend, pulling out the Arrow of Fire will cause the cruel Undersea Princess to return... something like that."

"Wow! Iris, you really are trying to trick me! And it's such a terrifying legend, it's bound to cause big trouble!"

As she breathed a sigh of relief, Ella couldn't help but feel secretly relieved and gently wiped the non-existent beads of sweat from her forehead.

Somewhat surprised, Iris blinked her eyes, and after a long silence, she put on an expression that said "I really can't do anything about you", brushed her silver hair that had drifted to her chest behind her, and took a step forward to Ella's side.

"Well, there's nothing we can do if we get caught. I wanted to give Ella-chan a surprise."

"No, no, I think it's better to have fewer surprises like this."

"Really? I think you've misunderstood the legend. The only one left of the Undersea People is the princess named 'Tina Maria Hake', right? While the Undersea People did indeed push the Dragon Tribe into a dire situation, isn't it a bit exaggerated to say that they could completely change the situation with just one Demon King's Familiar and the 'Arrow of Fire'? Even if the Demon King's Familiar was powerful, given the overwhelming strength of the Undersea People, who forced Dragon Island to retreat to its main island, it's impossible for a single person to change the situation, right?"

After a brief pause, waiting for Ella and Angeline to digest her inference, Iris continued to add.

"And if the followers were truly that powerful, the demons wouldn't have encountered any obstacles in their attempt to unify the continent. They wouldn't have waited for the arrival of the One God before the other races were subjugated. So, if the followers weren't so powerful, then it simply means the underwater people and dragons were generally weak at the time—which means that even if Tina were released, she wouldn't have caused any trouble. Since the sealing array can't be far from the sealed person, the caged underwater princess should be nearby."

Iris's series of explanations made Ella feel dizzy, but she could still understand the general point that "the underwater princess will be fine even if she is released."

Knowing that Ella needed time to understand, Iris stopped talking and took out several gems that emitted bright light from the storage bracelet on her hand. In a very rhythmic order, she threw them one by one at the fire arrow that was burning violently and making a "puffing" sound.

After about two minutes, the flames of the Fire Arrow gradually grew larger, and then the ashes deposited on the seabed began to float up, as if someone had thrown mud and sand into clear water. The entire seabed was dyed a turbid gray, but Iris seemed to have used some kind of magic beforehand. Whenever the sediments were about to reach her, they would be blocked by an invisible barrier.

Then, purple mixed with orange-red light paths began to appear on the originally lifeless seabed. Complex patterns that made people feel dizzy flashed on the ground. With the Arrow of Fire as the center, layer after layer of magic circles engraved with mysterious runes appeared before the eyes at an extremely fast speed. In just a few breaths, the magic circle extended to a place in the distance that Ella could not see - of course, this was also because the dust had not dissipated and blocked the view.

If a creature happened to pass by the sea at this moment, it would find that a purple pattern symbolizing the Demon King emerged from the deep seabed, and the area covered by this pattern was at least half the size of the main island of Dragon Island, "Helkar".

"I-Iris?!"

"Hmm? Did you understand what I just said, Aira-chan?"

Chapter 54: The Tunnel Leading to the Underground

"That's not the question. What are you doing, Iris?"

No matter how you look at it, Iris now looks like she wants to release the seal of the Arrow of Fire, which makes Ella feel panic.

But Iris just waved her hand casually and stopped throwing gems at the Fire Arrow.

"I just want to understand the structure of the sealing barrier. How do demons, who can't use magic other than offensive magic, use sealing magic? I don't mean to pull out the Fire Arrow. After understanding it, I should say that even if I want to pull it out, I can't do it."

"Is that so...that's good then."

Ella breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the arrow of fire burning fiercely on the seabed, and re-understood what Iris had said before.

What Iris meant just now was that even if the Undersea Princess was released, she would not be very powerful. The reason why the Undersea People were swept away by the followers of the previous generation of the Demon King was because the Undersea People themselves were very weak. The sealing magic circle must be very close to the sealed person, so the Undersea Princess should be near him.

In other words, if you pull out the Arrow of Fire at this moment, the Undersea Princess will appear in front of you in an unknown form.

But that would bring up another problem, which is what kind of personality the underwater princess has. If it is different from the legend, the real underwater princess is just a non-aggressive or very rational person, then there will be no problem even if the underwater princess returns to land. The underwater princess can regain her freedom and can also recover the arrow of fire by herself.

But if, as the legend says, he is a man known for his brutality, or a man bent on restoring his country and seeking revenge for his lost country, then it would be difficult to deal with him.

Thinking of this, Ella looked at Iris who was thinking about something.

"Are we going to go back directly from now on?"

"Hmm? Why do we have to go back? I've already said this, don't you understand, Aira-chan?"

"That's right... Princess Tina has been trapped at the bottom of the sea for so long. She must be very lonely. Little Ella, go help her."

Angelica looked at Ella with a sympathetic expression, which made Ella feel embarrassed. So she could only express her thoughts on what to do if the underwater princess was a cruel person.

What he got was Angelina's reply that made it even harder to refuse.

Even though Angeline was a little taller than Ella, Angeline's gaze at this moment gave Ella the feeling that someone was looking up at her with pitiful eyes.

"Eh... you don't want to...?"

Hesitant, with a lost whisper.

Ella's guilt surged, as if she had suddenly snatched a child's toy.

"Huh—Is it because I didn't explain it clearly enough? Aira-chan still hasn't understood... Let's not talk about whether the underwater princess must have this kind of personality. Even if it is true, we can just hand it over to Ryujima. Ryujima will definitely find a way to change the underwater princess' personality."

Exhaling lightly, Iris continued to throw gems at the Arrow of Fire. However, unlike before, the purple mixed with orange-red light that originally illuminated the entire seabed gradually shrank until it disappeared. Apart from the slowly sinking sediment, there was nothing to indicate that any abnormality had occurred here.

"Wait, won't there be trouble if we hand her over to Dragon Island? For example, if the people on Dragon Island kill the Undersea Princess out of anger, or if Dragon King Phoebus wants to increase his prestige, then releasing the Undersea Princess would be the same as becoming a murderer."

Even if she hadn't been the one to do it in the end, if she hadn't let the Undersea Princess out, this wouldn't have happened. Ella subconsciously resisted actions that made her feel uneasy.

Iris raised her eyebrows and reached out to casually rub Ella's soft golden hair in dissatisfaction.

"When did Ella-chan become such a dark person? There's even a thought that someone on Dragon Island would kill the Undersea Princess to vent their anger, when they clearly wouldn't have before—never mind, we'll talk about that later. First of all, for the sake of Dragon Island's interests, the Dragon King Phoos can't possibly treat the Undersea Princess badly. Ella-chan should be well aware that the people of the sea have the ability to control sea beasts, right?"

"Um."

Ella had heard of this before, and it was said that the sea beasts' active period from January to April every year on Dragon Island was a curse created by the last extinct underwater people who used their ability to control sea beasts.

"That would make things easier. What Dragon Island desperately needs right now is a sea beast that protects the shipping lanes, right? A sea beast that allows merchant ships to sail normally even during periods of monster activity. With the Undersea Princess, everything would be easily solved."

"what……"

Connecting everything together, Ella felt as if the broken strings in her mind were suddenly connected.

The Undersea Princess must have the royal bloodline of the underwater people, so her ability to control sea beasts will be much stronger than that of ordinary people. In this way, the Dragon King Fuos, who values ​​the guardian beasts of the route more than himself, will never do anything to harm the Undersea Princess who can create the guardian beasts of the route. So even if the Undersea Princess is a cruel person, there will be no problem in handing her over to Dragon Island. It is better to say that handing her over to Dragon Island is the best choice.

So, now there is a reason to pull out the Arrow of Fire - return the Arrow of Fire to Camisia, let the Undersea Princess return to the ocean, and if possible, Dragon Island may also have a guardian beast for the route.

It is a choice that brings happiness to everyone.

Noticing Ella's expression gradually brightening, Iris stopped rubbing Ella's golden hair, smoothed her hair again, and then gently pushed Ella's back.

"Got it? Go pull out the Fire Arrow and give it to Camisia. I think when Camisia sees it tomorrow, she'll definitely jump for joy. Well, Camisia has been following Ella-chan for so long, it's time for Ella-chan to do something to comfort her like a superior."

Although the phrase "jumping for joy" was obviously a joke from Iris, the following words were very serious. From Iris's perspective, a superior who does not understand the minds of his subordinates will not have a good result in the end. Although Camisia has always acted indifferent, Ella's behavior of comforting her with words alone is far from enough.

Although in reality, for Camisia, just being able to smell—well, no, see—the Demon King's larval form of Ella every day was already a source of great happiness.

Ella began to walk towards the Arrow of Fire step by step.

With every step she took, the mud-like sediments deposited on the seabed would float up. Although it was indeed difficult to move, it was not unsolvable. As long as she released the magic shield in advance at the place where she stepped, there would be no problem. With almost no obstacles, Ella came to the burning gorgeous arrow.

Even though she couldn't feel the temperature, the visual burning flame still had an unusually intimidating effect. Since she had to touch it directly with her hands to pull it out, Ella naturally felt like she would be burned. With a nervous heart, she turned around to confirm with Iris in the distance.

"Is it true that there's no need for any other procedures? I can just put my hand on it and pull it out?"

"Yes, that's right. The Demon King's weapons cannot possibly harm the daughter of the next Demon King. This can be judged from both her bloodline and the purity of her magic power."

"Well……"

Ella took a breath subconsciously and continued to take deep breaths, trying to drive away the fear in her heart.

Just in case, Ella carefully stretched out her hand, tested the flame burning on it, and then immediately withdrew it as if she had been electrocuted - she did not feel any temperature, and the flame seemed to be non-existent, disappearing on its own before touching her hand.

This behavior of constantly reaching out and testing lasted for a full minute, until Iris, who was far away, became a little impatient and started urging him to stop.

——For Camisia, I have no choice but to do it.

Having made up her mind, Ella swallowed a mouthful of non-existent saliva, pursed her cherry lips tightly, and slowly and cautiously stretched out her slightly trembling hand, passed through the flames that disappeared on their own, and grasped the arrow of fire that was nearly as tall as a person but only as thick as her index finger. She did not feel any discomfort, but rather the feeling from the arrow of fire, which was only slightly higher than her body temperature, made Ella feel very comfortable.

There should be no problem... I guess... Fortunately, it's based on the purity of magic power...

The huge rock that had been weighing on her heart was put down, and Ella breathed a long sigh of relief. After casting a series of strengthening spells on herself, she paused for a moment and pulled out the arrow of fire that was no longer burning.

Because the Fire Arrow seemed difficult to pull out no matter how she looked at it, Ella used a lot of strength. Unexpectedly, the Fire Arrow was pulled out as soon as she exerted force, causing Ella to fly into the air - to be more precise, into the sea.

“Huh? Eh? Ehhhhh!!! Iris!”

"'Floating Technique'."

"Don't forget about me, okay?"

With Iris's "Floating Technique" and Angeline taking over with the Deep Sea Lord, Ella, holding the Arrow of Fire, returned to the surface.

"Huh... I was scared to death, but this should break the seal, right?"

“Well, now—”

clack clack clack-

Just like a heavy stone door that had not been used for a long time was pushed open by someone, a heavy sound with a sense of age resounded in the deep sea that had lost the illumination of the arrow of fire. Then, the purple magic circle that was originally suppressed by Iris with special means lit up again, and the entire sea area burst into colors brighter than at any time before.

Pointing to the spot illuminated by the magic circle where the arrow of fire had been inserted, Iris carefully took out the "New Moon Dew".

"That should be the passage leading to the sealed underwater princess."

Along with the sound of the stone door opening, there appeared a stone staircase about five meters long and wide, which seemed to lead to the deep underground.

Chapter 55: Underground maze? Prison?

Apart from being wider than an ordinary cellar, this corridor that seemed to lead deep into the earth did not have any other particularly complicated designs. From where Ella was standing, even after at least six thousand years, the neatly built steps showed no signs of weathering.

Holding the Fire Arrow, which was only as heavy as the Pestle of Heavenly Punishment, in one hand, Ella turned her head to look at Iris, who nodded slightly, indicating that they should go in.

"Wow, there's no end in sight."

Angeline exclaimed softly as she walked into the corridor. The echo from the narrow and enclosed passage continued to spread deeper into the corridor.

Although Ella had a feeling that the stone door behind her would suddenly close at the moment she came in, in fact, that kind of plot that only happened in horror movies did not happen. Not only that, this passage with no end in sight seemed to have a magic circle that could completely isolate the sea water, and the sea water did not rush in because of the sudden appearance of the passage.

—If seawater floods in, it'll be quite troublesome... If that happens, it'll be like riding a roller coaster, um, no, a water slide, to be more precise? Well, without safety measures, it'll be painful if you hit the wall, so I'd better not expect that.

I wasn't expecting that kind of exciting game, absolutely not.

The interior of the entire passage was built very neatly, and it did not feel like it was built temporarily. The air rushing into the lungs through the nasal cavity was extremely fresh, making people feel as if they were in the open outside world, not at all like they were underground.

Under the faint magic lamp cast by Iris, you can see magic lamps that can hold light stones hanging on the wall reflecting dark blue light. Every three steps or so, you can see a small hole on the side of the wall. Ella had seen this design before in the demon territory. It was a hole specially set up in the underground maze to deal with possible monsters that might emerge. It can be used to shoot arrows or pierce spears.

If you think about it this way, there should be a passage on the other side of the wall.

Ella opened the terrain search, and just as she had guessed, there were indeed passages that people could walk through on the other side of the walls. However, there were only three of them in the ruins, so there was no need to worry about encountering unexpected attacks. However, if there were creatures much higher than their level, it would be more troublesome, and the current terrain search could not show the full picture of the maze.

Anyway, you still have to cheer up.

The three of them walked down the stairs step by step in the order of Angelica, Ella, and Iris. After all, this place could not accommodate the huge body of the Deep Sea Lord, so the Deep Sea Lord could only be left outside to guard the door.

I don't know if it was out of caution or intentional creation of a depressing atmosphere, but the magic lamp she cast only emitted a dim light, forcing Ella to look at her feet when she walked, otherwise she would risk stepping on air.