Eira gazed at the 23% support rate with satisfaction.
The tunnel he had opened—the Silent Cave—was nothing short of a miracle for Solar. A city that had once been completely isolated in winter, cut off from food and resources, now had a stable route to the outside world.
Thanks to this, despite the onset of the cold season, trade continued uninterrupted, the quarry was revitalized, and the support rate had skyrocketed from 14% to 23%.
Eira’s success had also drastically improved Hess Lou Ginas’ affection level. It had jumped from 17 to 30, and when Ginas welcomed Eira back, his face—though exhausted from overwork—seemed to shine with joy.
When he learned that food and fabric could now be purchased at lower prices, his eyes even welled up slightly with tears, if only for a moment.
“Great. The support rate condition is fulfilled. Now, I just need to focus on checking stat windows.”
As Eira was contemplating which stat to unlock next, there was a polite knock at the door.
“My lord, may I come in?”
It was Botello’s voice.
Eira readily permitted him to enter, and the steward opened the study door.
The man, who had often sighed with worry, now had a more relaxed expression.
With a gaze full of warmth, the loyal steward spoke.
“The items you had sent from the labyrinth have arrived, my lord. Where shall we place them?”
“They’ve arrived? Where are they now?”
As he asked, Eira pulled up his stat window.
Botello’s MP was around 200, as expected.
And, unsurprisingly, the Detailed View stats were all marked with question marks, making it impossible to see anything useful.
In particular, his Current Thoughts section displayed an additional note:
[Current Thoughts: Unlockable upon reaching Spirit GM’s final level]
Figures. It wouldn’t be that easy.
Suppressing his disappointment, Eira turned back to Botello, who dipped his head slightly before answering.
“For now, they’ve been placed in the main hall.”
At those words, Eira’s face lit up, and he immediately sprang from his seat, practically dashing out of the study.
He had been waiting for this moment for so long that he couldn’t sit still.
Before leaving the labyrinth—after hearing the news of his family’s deaths—Eira had hastily gathered his most important belongings and sent them ahead to Solar.
Unlike himself, who had arrived instantly using a teleportation artifact, his possessions had traveled over land, and they had finally made it to Solar.
The spacious hall was now filled with various packages, some towering over the height of a grown man.
All of them were thickly wrapped in cloth stuffed with straw, ensuring they were well protected.
Eira’s eyes sparkled as he rushed over.
The servants, who had been unloading the items, bowed politely.
“My lord, where would you like these placed?”
“Put this one in my bedroom. That one… in the topmost room of the west tower. And this—also in my bedroom. Ah, this one, I’ll carry myself.”
Standing before the heaviest and largest package, Eira gazed at it with an affectionate look.
After carefully checking for any tears in the wrapping, he raised both hands.
Immediately, a golden glow shimmered at his fingertips, swirling like fine dust.
The servants, who had been about to lift the items, paused in admiration.
Normally, when objects suddenly floated on their own, people in the castle would be startled or frightened, as if witnessing a supernatural event.
However, when Eira added visible magical effects like this, their fear lessened significantly.
In fact, these days, whenever he used magic, people would eagerly rush over to watch, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Golden specks poured from Eira’s fingertips, tracing elegant arcs like musical notes across the air, enveloping the massive object.
Then, forming out of the golden dust, a stag lifted its head gracefully.
A hushed “Waaah…” escaped from the onlookers as delicate birds emerged, clutching shimmering golden threads in their beaks as they fluttered skyward.
The majestic stags raised their antlers, lifting the heavy package effortlessly.
Guided by the magical creatures, the package floated upward.
The servants stared in awe, their eyes reflecting the radiant golden light. Some were so mesmerized that they unconsciously began to follow the glowing animals—until Botello’s sharp gaze stopped them in their tracks, leaving them stretching their necks to watch from a distance.
And so, with a dazzling performance, Eira brought the package to his study.
As soon as it was inside, he firmly locked the door.
The golden stags and birds dissolved into mist, their purpose fulfilled.
Eira moved his fingers, and the wrappings unraveled smoothly.
With the layers of fabric and straw removed, a large display cabinet was revealed.
Made of thick, reinforced glass, the cabinet was filled with Eira’s most treasured collection.
His blue-gray eyes gleamed in multiple colors as he admired his hoard.
His pale fingers traced the smooth surface of a glass bottle.
Carefully, he moved the display case to a well-lit spot, where his treasures would shine like gemstones.
“It’s a relief they arrived safely. Not a single one was damaged.”
Smiling contentedly, he pulled a microfiber cloth from his storage and began polishing the bottles to a pristine shine.
He meticulously checked each piece, ensuring none had been scratched or cracked—
Until a knock interrupted him.
“Eira, it’s Ginas. I’m coming in.”
Eira froze.
In a panic, he flung himself in front of the display case just as Ginas opened the door and strode in.
As always, the administrator looked utterly exhausted.
“The lumber and food have arrived today, but the storage is completely full. You’ll need to decide where to place the new stock. Also, the stonemasons from Sobletz—”
Ginas, who had been absorbed in his paperwork, finally looked up.
And his gaze landed on Eira, who was very obviously trying to hide something.
His expression darkened.
“…My lord, what exactly are you doing?”
Eira, putting on his most dignified face, responded sternly.
“Sir Ginas, is it proper to enter the study without permission?”
“…My apologies. But as I recall, you specifically told me I didn’t need permission to enter the study.”
…He had.
Ginas was so swamped with work that he had to visit the study multiple times a day.
Since it was too much of a hassle to grant permission every single time, Eira had simply allowed him free access.
“Ah… right. Well. That’s fine. Just… keep doing that. Now, about those stonemasons—”
Trying to redirect the conversation, Eira hastily changed the subject.
But it was too late.
Ginas’s sharp gaze was already fixed on the glass display case.
Despite Eira’s efforts to block it, a faint gleam of light reflected off the bottles beneath his sleeves.
Something was inside them.
Ginas’s forehead creased.
“…What is that?”
“Nothing important. Just personal items from the labyrinth.”
“…I see.”
Though suspicious, Ginas decided to respect his lord’s privacy—
Until his eyes accidentally made direct contact with something inside the case.
His face turned pale.
“My lord… what exactly… is that?”
The already-overworked administrator nearly collapsed from shock.
Eira sighed and reluctantly guided him to a sofa, where Ginas sat, staring blankly.
Finally, he explained.
“Sir Ginas, really, it’s nothing. They’re just… specimens.”
Ginas, regaining some composure, slowly turned to face the collection again.
Inside the glass case, neatly arranged in perfect rows, were dozens of glass jars.
Each jar was filled with a clear, colorless liquid.
Floating at the center of each jar was an object—varying in size, shape, and color.
Most were crystalline, appearing polished and smooth, with hues ranging from translucent white to soft pink to iridescent rainbow shades.
Some were as small as berries, clustered together. Others were as large as a grown man’s fist.
And they all had one thing in common.
Every single one of them was shaped like an eyeball.
Eira’s most cherished collection—the preserved eyes of magical beasts.
“H-Hngh… It… It looked at me. It’s alive, isn’t it?! I swear, it just moved and stared right at me!”
Ginas had cautiously been inspecting the collection when one of the eyeballs twitched and made eye contact with him.
His face drained of color.
His breathing grew rapid, and his hands trembled.
His HP and MP even dropped slightly, making Eira feel just a little guilty…
“No, no, it’s a misunderstanding! They’re absolutely not alive!”
Eira quickly tried to reassure him.
“It’s just that… well, a few nerves might still be intact, and sometimes they react to the preservation fluid.”
Deep down, however, he was rather proud of himself.
His preservation technique was so advanced that the eyeballs still exhibited slight pupil reactions, despite being completely removed from their original bodies.
If Ginas knew that the pupils actually contracted and dilated depending on light exposure, he might actually faint on the spot.
To spare him from any further trauma, Eira wisely kept that detail to himself.
That night, after dealing with the crisis of nearly giving his administrator a heart attack, Eira sat in his room, once again admiring his collection.
The glass containers shimmered in the moonlight, casting reflections across the walls.
His fingers gently tapped the surface of one particular jar.
Inside floated a flawless, translucent blue eyeball—the eye of a high-ranking magical beast he had fought long ago.
His eyes narrowed.
He had spent years collecting these, but now…
The true ultimate specimen was right in front of him.
A living, breathing, sentient magical beast…
Janus.
Eira’s heart thumped wildly in his chest.
Despite everything—the danger, the threat to his territory, the impending destruction of Solar—he couldn’t suppress the undeniable exhilaration bubbling within him.
He was dating a dragon.
A real, live dragon.
The most perfect research subject imaginable.
A slow grin crept onto his face.
Ding!
[Quest Updated!]
✔ Unlock one additional stat of your choice.
His future was uncertain.
His territory was on the brink of annihilation.
But if there was one thing he knew for sure—
He wasn’t going down without a fight.
And if Janus thought he was just some helpless human?
Well…
Janus was in for a very big surprise.
Pinky says: Imagine the surprise he’ll get when he cuts a sample off his lover and finds the other has a boner.
Little Pink Starfish 
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