Episode 1
"How much is this?"
I asked after wandering around in front of the bakery for a long time.
There was not much money left in hand. I had to save if I wanted to hold out until my master returned, but I thought this would be fine.
"Oh, that's it? Let's see..."
The bakery owner, who was always on the lookout for chasing shoplifters, said that he was worried with a smile on his lips for some reason.
"Just take it."
“… Yes?"
"Just take it. It's a good day, so that should be fine."
"Good day?"
Thinking of it, the expressions of the people in Seongan were bright. The atmosphere was somewhat exciting, and the entry and exit screening was faster than usual.
"Are you going to have any festival?"
"Huh? What is it? You haven't heard it yet?"
Rather, the bakery owner asks back as if he is puzzled. However, no matter how much I thought about it, today was far from a holiday.
The question was soon resolved.
"The Demon King is dead! The hero has won!"
Through the cry of a young man waving the flag of the denomination and running.
"The war against the demon world is over. The era of peace has arrived, and it's a good day. Isn't that right?"
Through the voice of the bakery owner who smiles and puts the bread in an envelope.
“….”
The strength was released from the hand.
Chatter.
The pocket he was clutching fell to the floor, but he couldn't afford to pay attention to it.
Only one thought filled my mind.
"It's Joe."
It has been two years and nine months since the hero who received the revelation of God set out to subdue the demon world.
… It was one day that it was three years since I entered black magic.
* * *
A sandstorm swept through the land full of death.
Two months have passed since the warrior defeated the demon king.
Naturally, Middle-earth was engulfed in the festivities. It was common practice to put wandering mages on the death row for the purpose of clearing out the remnants, and adventurers who had already smelled money were inquiring about the dungeons of warlocks who died in the war.
Yes, it was a festival. Festival of Madness.
In a situation where ordinary people are being burned as witches, the moment a warlock like himself is discovered, it will be over. There is no way that the excuse of being just an apprentice or not knowing useful spells will work.
"Cool, ha..."
Because of this, the place I headed to was the underground of the world. It was a demon world.
I shook off all the remaining money and finished the preparation. They held out near the gate of the demon realm for dozens of days, waiting for the Holy Knights to withdraw.
Preparing for the last chance to live, a gamble of life.
"I'm going to die..."
It wasn't difficult to find a way. I didn't even need the cheap map I bought because I didn't know about it.
A dense sexual power that has not yet been erased. All I had to do was follow the darkest of them.
Paradoxically, that was the biggest problem.
The barren environment of the demon world, the traces of battles that have not been erased for months. The insects that gnawed at the corpses of dead monsters were not a big problem either.
The sexual power that seems to melt your skin just by touching it.
The reverberation of the hero's obvious holy power was more dangerous than anything else to himself, who was only an apprentice warlock. I feel like giving up again and again along the way.
Despair and fear. At the same time, even awe blooms.
How strong is it that this aftermath remains even after several months? How terrible this place must have been at the time of the subjugation.
The words of the people who were excitedly saying that the incarnation of the goddess was clear made sense to me anew.
At the same time, I was confident in my choice.
"Soon, I'll arrive."
If the calculation is correct, it is a demon castle if you go a little further. The place where the fiercest battles took place in all of this demon world.
The legendary achievement of defeating the Demon King. The existence of a warrior called the incarnation of the goddess.
In the aftermath of the subjugation, the denomination has lost its strength for the time being, but it will recover soon. No, it will be more powerful than at any other time in history.
Avoiding people's madness right now can be solved by living in a deserted mountain, but when that time comes, a large-scale post-treatment led by the denomination may be carried out.
You need strength to survive.
It can be money, an artifact with great magic built into it, or a means of increasing the power of the main god.
The only achievements he has achieved while working under his master are a few spells. Before the full-fledged teaching began, the master left to participate in the war.
To make matters worse. On his way to death, the Master did not leave behind a single insignificant magic tool. It must be because they didn't expect the war to drag on in the first place, or even that the Demon King would be defeated.
In this situation where my master's death is half certain, there are only a few ways I can increase my strength as an apprentice warlock.
That's why I came here.
If it is the Demon King Castle, where the fiercest battle took place, I think I can get something that will help me.
Of course, the hero and his comrades, or the Allied forces who participated in the war, are not fools. I must have been careful about the aftermath.
Numerous priests must have performed purification rituals everywhere, and powerful magic tools must have been found, retrieved, or destroyed.
However, sometimes the symbolism of the place alone is worth it.
Especially for spellmakers like himself.
You can sell and get rid of the artifacts that you haven't dealt with, or if you find even the bone fragments of high-ranking demons, you will be able to use a few levels of stronger spells than now. If you can get the soul of a dead knight, that's the icing on the cake.
As I climbed the hill, I saw the Demon King's Castle.
"This is...."
The wall, which was several tens of meters high, did not lose its majesty even though it was half collapsed. On the contrary, I was horrified by the horrific traces that were more horrific than any battlefield I had seen in my life.
The remnants of monsters that seem to be tens of thousands of them. Weapons and bodies that the Allies could not recover. A pit dug as if it had been hit by a high magic.
The strong smell of death pierced my nose. If someone asks me about hell, I will tell you about this scene without hesitation.
But there was no time to delay.
“… We have to hurry."
I have already delayed a lot of time.
All the talented warlocks would have died in the war, but there is no guarantee that none of the survivors will think the same way as him.
I sucked in the little water left and urged my legs to tremble. He avoided the palm-sized fly attached to the corpse from flying and knocked it away, barely reaching the broken gate. And.
"Haha, ha..."
The legs that were barely holding on were relieved. It's ridiculous, only laughter.
I couldn't see the castle that I had heard from my master about the glorious history of the demon world. There were no traces of the fierce and desperate battles I had seen before.
All there is is a huge hemispherical pit.
There was nothing left, as if the entire space had disappeared... There was only something in place that it was impossible to even measure its size.
"That's why..."
I was wrong.
Something that can be money? Hidden artifacts? How could there be anything like that?
Look at the profound holy power emanating from the bottom of that pit. It is clear that the hero's blow blew them all away along with the demon king.
When he realizes that his life's gamble has failed, the fatigue he has endured comes over.
I have no intention of giving up and dying here. I sat with my back against the wall and organized my future course of action.
The corpses I saw while coming can no longer be used for consecration and purification spells. Valuable items except for broken weapons and other items were also recovered for the bereaved family.
But that's also what people do.
Just as there is no perfect person, there can be no perfect work. If you take turns searching carefully, you will be able to find the missing corpses or items.
It was far from what I had intended, but now was not the time to cover it up.
I wasn't the only one holding out in front of the gate of the demon world. The mercenary who came looking for something to pick up seemed boring.
We must hurry. You have to find something to pack quickly and leave the demon world. Just as I was about to get up from my seat with a shake of my head.
Shiny.
"What is it?"
I saw something shiny in the deep pit.
There is something. It was far away and I couldn't see it well, but it was clear that if it was to remain in it no matter what it was, it would not be an ordinary object.
The moment he suppresses his rejection of the deep divine power and takes a step forward.
Perseok-
“…!”
The ground I was stepping on collapsed and fell down in an instant.
At the same time as I realized that I was falling, my mind flashed, but all I could do was try my best to reduce the impact as much as possible.
I wonder if that effort has shone. Maybe it's because the slope decreases as you go down.
What is certain is that he is not dead.
I wasn't the only one in physical condition from rolling on the floor, but considering that I had fallen from a pitch high, it was almost a miracle that I was alive.
"Ukhuh...!"
However, I was gradually dying.
It wasn't because of the injury caused by the fall. It looks like it's up to the skin, and the bones are broken, but not to the point of death.
The reason was simple.
The more you head towards the center of the pit, the darker the holy power. It was because of the enormous concentration of sexual power that made people mistakenly think that it was in the sanctuary of the denomination.
The weak magic planted in the body repels the holy power. Originally, the holy power, which had all kinds of beneficial effects on humans, seemed to define me as an enemy without losing sight of its weak magical power.
Your vision gradually turns red. I can vaguely see that my skin is melting. It's hard to even breathe.
"Cool...!"
The body that barely stood up collapses.
In the midst of pain I had never experienced before, I felt a lot of regret.
"Ah, ah..."
I should have been a little more careful. He didn't come to the demon world. I was just going to go into the mountains and hide. When Master left, if I had followed him, would it have been different? If I had known that we would only be together for a few months, I would have studied a little harder. No, he wasn't a warlock in the first place. If I knew that a hero would appear in the world, this would be a choice...
The moment when I regret all the choices I have made in my life and try to accept death until I am here.
Shiny.
In the corner of my vision, I saw a flickering light. With a blank face, I looked at the light as if enchanted.
It was bright enough to feel sacred, but as dark as the imminent death. At the same time, I also felt an eerie red aura.
It was indeed a paradoxical expression. He may have injured his head while falling, and he may be looking at something in vain.
When I came to my senses, I was desperately crawling towards the light.
I don't know where that power came from. He didn't care about the skin that had already melted into the coarse soil of the demon world, he just crawled.
After a fleeting time like eternity, when we finally reached the front of the light.
"Is this a soul?"
It was different from what I learned in theory and what my teacher showed me. But my intuition was convincing.
The identity of this strangely beautiful light in front of me is the soul.
Contrary to the tremendous presence of the soul, the power felt was insignificant. It was natural. The power of the soul was none other than Magi.
The spirit that harbored the magic was resisting this space full of holy power.
In general opinion, it should have disappeared immediately. Neither the warrior nor his companions. The priests of the denomination are not fools either. Even if there were souls that barely disappeared in this place that was the center of the fierce battle, what awaited them would have been the baptism of numerous divine spells. The troops that remained for more than a month after the war ended must have been for such a follow-up process.
But that was not the important fact.
Feeling a strong pull, I struggled to stand up. And reach out....
I grabbed my soul.
-It's terrible.
It seemed that such a sound was heard.
0 Comments