Episode 31
Inside Andril's backwriting, communication magic was in full swing.
Communication magic was one of the important strategic assets managed at the kingdom level, and only a few people could handle it.
The man who looked at the crystal ball with a headache was one of them.
As the owner of the Andriel estate, he was a count of the kingdom who had been tasked with guarding the borders for generations.
As one of the most high-ranking nobles in the kingdom, it was a request that he could not understand. No, it was an order.
The entire kingdom is in chaos due to discord with the church. There was also a rumor that the Holy Kingdom was preparing for war.
This is something that the Kingdom of Balaich, which belongs to a weak country, cannot handle.
"If you are ordered to subdue monsters, I will gladly carry it out. If you are ordered to stop the enemy, you will sacrifice your life without saying a word. but..."
In the end, the count, who had given up on his worries, asked with eyes that seemed to see through the crystal sphere.
"Looking for a great warlock. I want to ask you what you think."
-After doing some background research, it seems that the place where his actions began was your territory. I know it's a request that the Count can't understand right away. But...
"I don't mean to hear that kind of story. The Japanese prince."
The count resolutely cut off the embarrassed voice.
"When I heard that you had given up your right to inherit and left the palace, I was saddened. Soon after, I heard praise for your deeds from all over the place, and I realized that my vision was narrow. The prince must have had great intentions that I do not know."
-….
From beyond the crystal sphere, only the sound of the Japanese prince's cool laughter could be heard.
"Our Andriel family is a soldier who has fought against foreign powers for generations. It is a natural obligation to follow the orders of the royal family. But before that, the lord is in charge of the territory and the people."
There was silence for a while. Through the crystal ball, I could see that the smile was erased from the prince's expression.
"I want you to explain why you can understand. Is that warlock a threat to the kingdom?"
The prince's eyes sank.
It was the first serious appearance that a count had seen since he began communicating.
The moment the kingdom is in crisis, you are about to feel relieved that the prince has not given meaningless orders.
-It's not something to talk about through communication.
"That...!"
-I'll send someone soon. Let him hear through him.
With those words, the light disappeared from the crystal sphere. It meant that the communication magic was unilaterally cut off.
"What is this..."
No matter how much the opponent is a prince, it is an unacceptable situation. Count Andrill laughed and immediately slammed his fist on the desk.
Even though he didn't contain mana, the deep marks left on his desk gave me an idea of how steadily he had been training.
After a while.
With a knock on the door, someone called out to me from outside.
"Count. Can I go in for a while?"
“… Yes."
The person who entered the room was the butler of the white writer.
The count solemnly asked the vassal, who had been loyal to the family for several generations.
"What's going on?"
"I have something to say."
"There's a lot of work to be done. Just keep it simple."
The butler bowed his head in courtesy and asked.
"Have you heard of the dawnlist?"
"Is it the name of the mercenary group that came to the territory?"
"No. It is a group of people from all over the continent who have come together to resist the tyranny of the denomination."
“… I've never heard of it."
Interest disappeared from the count's face.
The name was grandiose, but it was obvious that it would be an organization that didn't have much to offer.
"It is also the place where the Japanese prince is in his body."
“… What?"
Despite the count's questioning voice, the butler continued without paying attention.
"Then let me explain. The warlock we are looking for... About the high-ranking warlock Sebian, who is now working under the pseudonym Jude."
* * *
There was no difference between opening and closing the eyes that had not seen light for a long time, and the air mixed with all kinds of filth and mold numbed the nose.
Only the touch of the cold floor and the screams and sobs from somewhere made me realize that I was not dead yet.
But that was not far off.
I couldn't tell how much time had passed. However, her body, which was weakening every moment, foreshadowed that the end of her humble life was just around the corner.
Why am I here?
Even after repeating it countless times, I couldn't get an answer. The fragmented memory caused a headache just by trying to recall it.
In the end, I gave up on the idea. I gave up on life. I listened to the screams that echoed periodically, waiting for the death that was about to come.
-Boom, boom!
But this time something seemed different.
If the screams I had heard so far were shabby terminals that didn't even have the strength to express pain, what I heard now was at least full of energy enough to fully reveal my desire to live.
-Block, block... Whoa!
The sound of something popping. The sound of liquid splattering on the floor. The sound of burning firewood.
The smell of cooked meat activated my sense of smell, which had been dormant for a long time, and I was dazzled by the light that came in through the small gaps.
How long has it been since I was overwhelmed by the crazy hunger? When you can no longer hear anyone's screams.
Iron, bang.
The locked door opened.
“… Oh."
"What is this?"
Someone said.
He did not answer. I couldn't. It was difficult for me to understand the situation, and so did I.
However, the mouth that was open in a daze did not know how to close, and sand came in through the gap.
"Uh...!"
Unbearable discomfort. When I opened my eyes, the wind mixed with sand was tickling my face.
“… Did you fall asleep?"
I couldn't stand the tightness and couldn't move for a while even after I woke up.
It was not easy to travel from the royal capital to the border city of Andril alone.
Civilians fleeing the war had suddenly turned into rogues, and monsters that were rampaging through the clutter could be encountered without getting bored.
To make matters worse, it was difficult to use even magical power at will.
If it weren't for the body strengthened by passing through trials and the experience of a knight who was using necromancy, it would have been difficult for him to come safely.
I didn't remember the driver's experience as well as an old dream, but compared to before, I felt that the way I used my body itself had changed.
Not sure, but maybe.
In the end, I was exhausted, and immediately after arriving at Master's dungeon, I lost consciousness without even having time to look around.
"I'm glad the magic is well maintained."
Like most other dungeons, Master's dungeon was enchanted to hide from those who were not allowed to do so.
It's been a long time since he left the dungeon, but the magic is still alive and well.
Of course, it wasn't absolute. This was typical of the sandstorms that have been blowing so far. It only blocked people's perception, so if it was not managed, it was inevitable that it would become messy.
"Is there any magic that doesn't have to worry about internal cleanliness?"
-….
Although he had noticeably recovered thanks to his consistent use of soul magic over the past few weeks, he still hadn't heard the Demon King's voice.
The connection with the one who was shaking unsteadily now feels quite solid, but why is there still no sign of waking up?
Maybe necromancy caused quite a lot of damage to him as well. Before making the Demon King the target of necromancy, I came to this conclusion because the soul of the paladin I had used disappeared without a trace.
“… Bingling."
-Kie?
It was the exact opposite of what Bing Ling replied to my call, revealing his palm. When he shared the souls of the enemies he encountered during his travels, he quickly recovered.
"In the end, time will solve the problem."
No matter how much damage has been done to his soul, it is a foregone conclusion that if he continues to recover as he is now, he will wake up someday.
The Demon King is the one who prays for his resurrection more than anyone else. There was no way such a guy would protect me even if he sacrificed himself.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and looked at the messy dungeon again.
"Let's clean it first."
No matter how empty the dungeon was, he couldn't stand the dirty place where he lived with his master.
Fortunately, the body strengthened by passing the ordeal will greatly reduce the time it takes to clean up compared to before. The shelves that must have been dusted off by grunting will be easily accessible thanks to their tall stature.
The moment I entered the dungeon to gather cleaning tools in anticipation of the effectiveness of the trial.
“….”
I felt something was wrong.
The dungeon is more messy than I thought. It wasn't just a pile of dirt. Traces that were not found near the entrance. Walls were collapsing everywhere, and miscellaneous items were spilling on the fallen shelves.
Even if it has not been managed so far, it is a dungeon disguised as magic. If the anti-intruder trap hadn't worked, it wouldn't have been this far.
As I expected on the day I heard the news of the Demon King's death, I wonder if the mercenaries had found the dungeon.
To make matters worse, I could even see blood stains on the wall.
“…!”
It was. It was a blood stain.
I don't know the exact time, but judging from the condition, it didn't seem like that long had passed.
My steps gradually picked up. Bingling ran ahead of me with his short legs.
The traces of the intruder continued. After passing through the empty study and laboratory, I finally arrived in front of Master's visit.
On a pool of blood, people collapsed at will. Then I saw an open door.
The appearance of the room was incomparably more messy than anywhere else, and I felt a heat rushing through my head.
"Off..."
Small moans.
I turned around and found the source of the sound. It seems that some of those who fell were still breathing.
“… Wake up."
A man who looks like he is in his mid-forties. Judging from the condition of his well-established muscles, scars, and equipment, he seemed to be a mercenary enough to be called a veteran.
"What's your name? Who are you?"
However, the man could not answer, perhaps because he had shed too much blood. When he searched his arms with his tongue in his mouth, he found an old pouch and a silver mercenary plaque.
"I belong to the Wind Wolf Mercenaries, Geli. Is that right?"
“….”
The eye, which was about to focus for a moment, lost its light.
I sighed and organized my thoughts.
A scapegoat to break through the trap. Or is it a split after achieving the goal?
The magic set aside in the master's room was at a level that the fishermen could never break through.
As a disciple, I have never been there. Even considering the silver mercenary plaque found in their bosoms, it was not thought that they would be able to break through.
'Your soul will tell you the details.'
The soul file contains the soul of a man who has lost his breath. The souls of others had already disappeared.
The moment when he drew a magic circle and was about to absorb his soul.
-Kie?
"Bingryeong. What if I go in there like that...?"
The moment he entered the master's room and followed the ice spirit that was making a strange sound.
“… Is this it?"
On the floor where the ice spirit stood, a small gap was visible between the scattered papers.
It seemed that the gap had opened up because it could not withstand the cold emitted by the ice spirit.
"If Master knows, she will say something big."
Of course, that won't happen. Master has already passed away.
The moment I sighed and put my hand to the gap, I noticed that the material of the floor was different from other places.
I have already experienced this once at the top of the Golden Star. The moment I swallowed my saliva and lifted the floor.
“…!”
I saw a book.
I could tell at a glance. That it is a magic book.
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