Toxic Parent Reincarnation ~ When I Doted on My Daughter Destined to Become the Final Boss, She Ended Up Liking Me an Abnormal Amount ~
Aldo, Iris, and Clara arranged for a Pegasus carriage. Pegasusโhorses that grew wings due to the influence of spirits. Since ancient times, humans had used these Pegasus for transportation and carrying goods.
Iris was brimming with curiosity about the Pegasus carriage, as it was her first time riding one.
โW-wow! This horse can fly in the sky?โ
โYep, thatโs right, Iris.โ
Aldo, inwardly, felt a bit envious of Iris. Only a child could innocently get excited about something unknown like this. If an adult like Aldo were to get overly excited about a common mode of transportation, theyโd be seen as eccentric rather than endearing.
โAlright, Iโll cover the fare,โ Clara said.
โThanks, Clara.โ
โNo problem. This trip is for my sake, after all. Itโs only natural.โ
The three boarded the Pegasus carriage and flew to Claraโs hometown.
โWow!โ
Iris was thrilled, peering out through the glass window at the scenery outside. For safety, passengers were secured with belts during the flight. If not for the belt, Iris might have leaned out of the carriage in her excitement.
โClara, how long until we reach your hometown?โ
โAbout an hour or so.โ
โLook, Dad! Weโve already left the city!โ
โYeah, we have.โ
They passed through the city and flew over the forest, heading toward Claraโs rural village.
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
โClara, are you worried?โ
โAh, yeahโฆโ
โOf course. Itโs only natural, given whatโs happening in your hometown.โ
โMy hometown wasnโt a place where evil spirits would appear. But now, thereโs been enough damage from evil spirits that the spirits had to intervene, right?โ
Thereโs only one reason spirits are sealed in dungeons: to contain powerful evil spirits.
Naturally, if the evil spirits were weak, they could simply be defeated without the need for sealing. But if the spirits had to be sealed, it meant the evil spirits were strong enough to cause significant harm to the village. In the worst-case scenario, there could even be casualties.
The fact that Clara received a letter meant the village hadnโt been completely destroyed. But there was still a possibility that her family, friends, or acquaintances had been killed by the evil spirits. It was impossible not to worry.
Claraโs expression remained clouded with concern. The only way to ease her mind was to go there and confirm everyoneโs safety.
โ
โThank you very much.โ
Upon arriving near the rural village, Clara paid the fare to the carriage driver. The driver thanked them and rode off on the Pegasus.
โLetโs go, Aldo, Iris.โ
โOkay!โ
Iris followed Clara as they started walking, with Aldo trailing behind. As they made their way through the forest, a peaceful rural village came into view.
As they entered the village, they encountered the first villager.
โClaraโฆ! Is that you, Clara?โ
โUncle!โ
A farmer wearing a straw hat rushed over to Clara.
โItโs good to have you backโฆ Who are these people?โ
โThis is Aldo and Iris. Theyโre my colleaguesโDiggers.โ
โDiggersโฆ? The young lady too? Wowโฆ Iโve heard city kids grow up fast, but to be a Digger at her ageโฆ Thatโs something else.โ
Incidentally, Iris was actually a late bloomer. This was due to Aldo not providing her with proper nutrition in the past, which stunted her growth. However, her nutritional intake had improved recently, and it was expected that she would soon catch up in height.
โMore importantly, is everyone okay? No one was hurt by the evil spirits?โ
Clara placed her hands on the uncleโs shoulders and pressed him for answers. The uncle, slightly startled, responded.
โAh, yes. Weโre fine. Thanks to the spirit of fertility sealing the evil spirits early, there werenโt even any injuries.โ
โThatโs a relief.โ
Clara let out a sigh of relief. Her biggest worry had turned out to be unfounded.
โSo, whereโs the dungeon that formed?โ
โHuh? Oh, itโs behind the village chiefโs house. The entire mountain has become a dungeon.โ
โThe whole mountain is a dungeon?โ
Aldo couldnโt help but react. Until now, dungeons had always been caves. He never imagined a dungeon could form outdoors, sealing evil spirits and spirits alike.
โWell, dungeons are usually formed in caves or similar places, but if there arenโt any nearby, they can form outdoors too.โ
Clara explained. It was a rare occurrence, but it did happen.
โA dungeon on the mountain behind the villageโฆ Well, itโs an odd place, but shall we go check it out?โ
โSure. Iris, are you okay? Not tired?โ
Clara was concerned about whether Iris was exhausted from the Pegasus carriage ride. Iris nodded with a smile.
โIโm fine! No problem at all!โ
With that, Aldo and the others headed toward the dungeon on the mountain. Before entering, Iris changed into her dungeon gearโa pale pink robe. She changed in an unused barn nearby.
โHow do I look, Dad? Does it suit me?โ
Iris twirled around, showing off her outfit to Aldo.
โYeah, it suits you! As expected of Iris! You look like an angel no matter what you wear.โ
โEhehe, yay!โ
Iris was delighted by Aldoโs praise. Seeing this, Clara finally managed to smile again.
โFufu, now that Iris has changed into something strong and cute, letโs head into the dungeon.โ
โOkay!โ
โ
At the boundary between the dungeon and the mountain, a rope marked the area as off-limits. The village chief had set this up to prevent villagers from accidentally entering the dungeon.
Beyond this rope was the dungeon, where evil spirits could attack at any moment.
โAldo, Iris. Up until now, dungeons have been narrow caves, so we could predict where the evil spirits would come from. But this time, itโs an open mountain. Evil spirits could come from any direction, so stay alert.โ
Clara, as the senior Digger, gave Aldo and Iris some advice. Indeed, unlike dungeons surrounded by rock walls, an open area like this was more troublesome.
โGot it. Iris, stay close to me, okay?โ
โOkay.โ
Iris had incredibly powerful magic due to her strong faith, but she was physically fragile. In contrast, Aldo was tough and could act as a shield to protect her.
As usual, Aldo took the lead, with Iris positioned behind him and Clara bringing up the rear. This formation protected Iris from attacks from both the front and back.
Ahead of them appeared a snake-like evil spirit as thick as a log. It opened its mouth wide, ready to bite Aldo.
โSwift Wind Slash!โ
Aldo struck first, landing a powerful blow on the evil spirit. The attack dealt damage, but it wasnโt enough to finish it off.
โIcy!โ
Clara chanted a blue magic spell, launching an ice attack to finish the spirit. The ice shard struck the already wounded spirit, delivering the final blow.
โWow!โ
Iris clapped her hands in admiration of their teamwork. Currently, Iris was the one who could deal the most damage, but her power wasnโt needed for this fight.
โYouโre so cool, Dad!โ
โR-really?โ
โYeah! No oneโs cooler than you!โ
Aldo scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. Iris, as if returning the compliment Aldo had given her earlier, praised him enthusiastically.
This time, Iris didnโt participate in the battle as part of a strategy to conserve her strength. If she ran out of energy at a critical moment, it would be a problem. They might encounter even stronger evil spirits later, and thatโs when Irisโs power would be needed.