Taming The Villainesses

“Can we communicate with Marmar’s group?”

Unfortunately, I could only shake my head at that question.

“I keep trying, but I can’t reach them. It seems the inscriptions around us are blocking the flow of magic.”

It wasn’t until a bit later that I fully understood the situation.

This perfectly sealed room had strange phrases and inscriptions carved into every wall. They were so old that even Narmi and Mirna couldn’t decipher them.

“From what Sir Theo said, it seems these inscriptions serve as magical barriers. It’s common in ancient ruins, though this is my first time seeing it.”

“It’s my first time too!”

“Um, is that so?”

At my casual reply, Mirna explained a little more.

“It was common for pagan priests to inscribe magic protection spells to deal with the mages sent from the Angmar Kingdom.”

It was said that magic was relatively new.

Compared to the cumbersome and archaic ancient sorceries, the convenient and powerful magic used by the followers of the Gwangyeom God allowed them to rapidly expand their influence by suppressing heretics and pagans wherever they went.

To counter these mages, the pagans devised magic jammers—magic circles.

The magic protection spell inscribed on Opal Bellhawk’s body was also said to be a modern modification and invention of such pagan technology.

Seuk-.

On a whim, I conjured a small orb of light on my palm.

The most basic Rank 1 illumination spell—Light.

It was a magic that could be easily conjured up with just a little skill by imagining a brilliant sun, so it was used as a measure of magical ability.

Under normal circumstances, I could muster a light far larger than my torso with enough effort. But now, I could barely produce something the size of a soccer ball.

“Definitely, it’s difficult to use magic.”

I could vividly feel the interference with my magic, as if someone were gripping my shoulders, arms, and legs and pulling them.

The sensation left me slightly on edge.

Having experienced the convenience of magic with various situations, I felt like I’d regressed back into a plain and inept kid if I were to lose that one advantage.

“Unnie, Theo. Listen to me.”

Narmi grabbed our attention, holding the ivory lamp in her hands.

“It says the fairy sealed in this lamp grants wishes. Can’t we just ask it to get us out of here?”

Narmi was convinced that the fairy in the lamp would grant her wish. Was the story of the magic lamp also spread around this world like a fairy tale?

Of course, her older sister Mirna was cautiously pessimistic.

“Narmi, don’t forget that it also mentions a sinister price to pay afterward.”

“Maybe you misinterpreted it, Unnie. And even if that’s true, the fairy is probably just a lingering soul without a physical body. Could you and I not control one soul?”

“Hmmm…well, that’s true.”

The conservative and safety-oriented Mirna seemed to be getting swayed by the bold and adventurous Narmi. In a situation like this, Narmi’s story was indeed very appealing.

Sensing her chance, Narmi continued.

“But this lamp is tough—it doesn’t break, crack, or open. It’s securely sealed, and I have no idea how to undo it. Unnie, you’re good with sealing arts, aren’t you?”

Seuk.

Narmi handed the lamp to her sister. After examining it for a while, Mirna offered her assessment.

“It’s standard practice to make such important tools difficult to unseal. Earlier, the inscription said to perform two lights and incantations simultaneously….”

As we looked around, we discovered large, luminous crystals cut into mirror shapes at the far ends of the space.

They were also reflecting the light from the luminous crystal installed on the ceiling.

“We might have to shine those two lights on this lamp. In the old days, seal puzzles like this were common.”

Mirna’s suggestion seemed highly reasonable. Thus, following her idea, we decided to place the lamp at the center and use the light from the crystals on either side to break the seal.

However, to direct the crystal’s light toward the center, someone had to hold and adjust them. So Narmi and Mirna each moved to opposite ends of the room.

Seuk-.

I, too, lifted the lamp high to align its angle.

“Narmi, we’ll use a standard A-B-A˚ chant. Synchronization is critical, so don’t miss the timing!”

“Got it!”

Swaaaaaaa.

When the two intense beams of light shone on the lamp.

The twins began to mumble something in unison.

It was a strange melody and tone that I couldn’t comprehend. The way it was spoken simultaneously, as if by a single person, was remarkably mysterious.

Then—

Clatter, clunk, clatter.

The lamp in my hands began to tremble with an odd sensation, like a giant hamster trapped inside it struggling to get out.

Then, with a loud bang, something soared high into the sky. It was the lamp’s lid. It made a very loud noise as it fell to the ground.

Swaaaaaa-.

A strange chill thickly emanated from the opened lamp. By the time I regained my senses, the ground beneath me was filled with smoke, like the dry ice used in stage effects, heightening the tension in the air.

━At last, I am free. 150 years. 8 months and 17 nights. I finally taste the air of the mortal realm once more.

A peculiar voice resounded above my head, clear like the sound of a xylophone being struck.

When I looked up, I met the gaze of a woman clad in flowing garments, her face veiled like a dancer’s. She lounged leisurely among strange clouds, her movements graceful and unhurried.

━So, it is you children who have freed me.