Book 10 Chapter 14
Chapter 239
“You’re Friede’s disciple?”
The pain that surged in his chest the moment he heard that name… For a moment, his breath hitched, and only faint gasps escaped.
‘There’s no way she’s Friede’s disciple.’
That guy is dead.
How could he be alive, raising another disciple? He suppressed the absurd fantasies that kept popping up in his mind.
“Pipi, do you recognize her?”
“Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp.”
His mind was growing surprisingly cold, but with Aki and Setsunen present, he didn't want to show his anger.
“Then I’ll tell you a truth as well. I am actually the reincarnation of the great mage Lin, and this Pipi is Friede’s actual pet parrot, Pipi.”
“Genuine, genuine, genuine.”
Miria’s shoulder twitched.
What is she saying right now…?
However, Shirin’s reaction went against Rain’s expectations; she nodded as if she had already known.
“Ah, the Great Mage my master always spoke of and the righteous Sun Parrot, Pipi… It’s truly an honor to meet you!”
As Shirin prostrated herself on the ground, bowing profusely, Pipi tilted her head.
“And Bart outside there is the villainous Dragon Slayer from 500 years ago. You can tell by that spear, right?”
“Ah, ah, he was a villain! Why are you traveling with someone like that?!”
“And Rem over there is a murderer who killed the descendant of Imperial Palace Kyes and the successor of the White Spear Serwevon, taking his bow.”
“A-a murderer?!”
“And Miria here is a Goblin Slayer who became a silver-ranked adventurer just by hunting goblins.”
A moment of silence passed.
Setsunen let out a 'choo' and sneezed.
The climax of the increasingly heightened explanation seemed to be missing a screw, so Shirin couldn't properly respond.
“Goblins… Ah, um, I see. That’s also one of the paths to righteousness. So, umm.”
At that moment, Miria’s eyes, gripping Rain’s nape, blazed fiercely.
“Why is it only me that you speak of as I am? I feel like some other explanatory element was needed, so what’s the reason for this discrimination?”
“No, this is, well, to tell a proper lie, you’re supposed to mix in a bit of truth, so…”
The source is Valen Cidis.
Looking back, it seems he only learned bad things from that guy. It’s a relief to have separated him from Aki quickly.
Miria, who didn't understand this intention, was strange, but Shirin's attitude was even stranger.
“Traveling with villains… I don’t understand, but I’m sure there must have been some circumstances! You don’t have to tell me!”
This wasn't the situation I wanted.
I wanted Shirin to challenge me, saying not to lie, but what is this absolute trust in me? Does she normally trust people so easily?
As Rain bit her lip in frustration, Miria stepped forward.
“That’s enough joking, who exactly are you? If you were a sorcerer impersonating a witch, I might let it slide, but what you just said went too far.”
“It’s not a joke. Lying itself is evil! I never commit evil!”
“Then what is it? Friede disappeared 200 years ago. Are you saying Friede is alive or something? It's not like you've lived over 200 years either.”
“You wouldn’t believe the answer to the first question even if I told you now… But the second one is correct. I have lived for over 200 years.”
Rain, who had been listening to the conversation with her arms crossed, scoffed.
“That’s laughable. No matter how much I stretch your age, you don’t look twenty.”
“Ah, why can’t you believe me? Not trusting people is also evil!”
“You should tell people to believe what’s believable, kid.”
“This body was created by a spell my master gave me! My spirit was separated from my physical body to create an avatar. Due to my lack of power, I ended up with the appearance and intelligence of a child, but…”
This was a lie that wouldn't even convince a child… With a deep sigh, Rain opened her vision, turning it red.
Bell Sidious.
But no? This guy's body had no physical form. Surprisingly, it was indeed a body manifested by magic.
“What? You can handle such high-level magic? How?”
“It’s a spell I learned from my master! I’ve been training in magic for over 200 years. I should be able to do this much, even if not as perfectly as my master.”
Rem, who had been listening while sitting on top of a subdued bandit, held out Serwevon to Shirin.
As Serwevon emitted clear vibrations, new greenery sprouted from the ground.
“Serwevon says that’s not a lie?”
As Rain’s eyebrows twitched in surprise, Bart asked, as if unable to understand.
“If so, why are you wandering around as an avatar and not your main body? Where is your main body?”
“Currently, witches in the <Shuriganakus> region are disappearing in a series of multiple incidents, causing unrest in public safety.”
“To protect it?”
“Yes, it’s more convenient to use several avatars than to move one main body.”
“But witches are disappearing?”
“Not only that, but contact with my sisters also──”
Shirin let out a silent scream, her face contorting in pain. And soon, her body scattered into countless strings of characters.
“──?!”
Someone destroyed the avatar?
No, it’s not. There’s a problem with the main body. Worry for Shirin didn't even last a fleeting moment.
[Oh, who do we have here.]
Cold sweat…
Cold sweat ran from his forehead down to the bridge of his nose.
[I didn't expect to meet the great Half-Dragon Lord while chasing after a pretty maiden.]
The bandits foamed at the mouth and one by one collapsed, the clear sky suddenly turned dark and drenched, and the surrounding forests withered terribly.
“E-evil, it’s evilll.”
Setsunen hid in Seresia’s arms, and Aki, who had been sound asleep, suddenly sprang up and instinctively took a battle stance.
[It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Hehehehe. You’ve worked hard, coming all the way to a land where my spirit can come and go.]
In the midst of the suddenly exploding miasma stood a man wearing an eyepatch.
[Where did Valen Cidis go? Ah, did Elamas kill him? Did you swallow your tears and bury your comrade?]
The numerous eyes drawn on the eyepatch laughed, cried, frowned, or squinted.
The eyes on the eyepatch were incredibly realistic, yet strangely, the overall form was translucent, allowing a faint glimpse of what was beyond.
Meaning, it wasn't a physical body.
‘What is this unpleasant presence, like countless tentacles licking my entire body…’
‘Can a spirit alone emit such a terrifying presence…?’
As Rem and Bart took a deep breath, Miria also drew her Demon Sword.
‘He's several steps above Elamas; I can tell without even seeing his power…’
Why?
It remains somewhere in my memory.
Serwevon also emitted a dull yet threatening light. Yes, that guy is…
[That hatchling has grown quite a lot. At this rate, she'll become a beauty to my taste.]
As the magic circle shattered in Rain’s grasp, intense flames engulfed Zernix, burning away the enormous miasma in an instant.
[What magnificent magical power. It's several times more refined than when I last saw it. It makes me feel rewarded for not killing you and letting you grow, Rain Ludwig.]
“Shut your mouth.”
[There’s no need to rush. We’ll meet soon. I’ll be waiting for you in the ‘City of Beginning and End’.]
That place will be my beginning and your end.
[Then, I will reward you for all the errands you've run for me. Hahahaahah!]
As the miasma was incinerated in the dragon’s flames, the sky also began to clear again, and the intangible tentacles that had been sweeping over the souls of all beings vanished.
“Is that him? The mastermind behind everything?”
Miria asked.
It was that guy? Of all people, him?
“Yeah. And he’s plotting something now. Even Elamas was just a distraction.”
Rain answered, comforting Setsunen who had peeked her face out from Seresia.
Aki also still showed signs of tension, baring her fangs and looking around everywhere.
‘The mastermind who caused Alakish’s death, the one who shattered the happiness of the two mother and daughter…’
Rain felt deep sorrow and placed her hand on Aki’s head.
“It’s okay, Aki, it’s okay.”
“Abboo.”
“Abu, abu, abu.”
Pipi also nuzzled her head against Aki’s face, as if trying to calm her down. Bart said, slinging his Dragonbone Spear over his shoulder.
“Does that mean everything that guy said when he personally appeared is true? What that 200-year-old kid said earlier.”
“That witches are disappearing?”
“That and other things.”
Rain stroked her chin.
Indeed, it’s a bit strange for a 'pillar' like Zernix to step forward just to hunt a mere witch.
But according to Valen Cidis, he's someone whose actions can't be read, so he might have intentionally come to meet me.
‘But why? Was there any information he needed to block by specifically appearing? This rather… seems like he's urging us to hurry.’
At that moment, Rem was struggling to calm the fierce waves of anger that Serwevon was emitting.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Serwevon so enraged…”
“It’s only natural.”
“Hmm? Why is it natural?”
Miria, who had given a meaningful answer to Rem’s mutterings, did not answer that question. She merely trembled her fist once more.
“I think it would be best to head straight for <Shuriganakus>, Rain.”
Bart continued to exchange words with Rain.
“There’s a rumor that <Shuriganakus> is ruled by three sisters called the ‘Descendants of the Dragon’.”
“Descendants of the Dragon?”
“No one knows their faces or names, but rumor has it that under their protection, the Red City has prospered for a long time as a strategic stronghold of the Southern Republic.”
Perhaps he was indeed a seasoned adventurer; he was thoroughly knowledgeable about things not written in books but merely passed down as rumors.
“I heard it too. And there’s also a rumor that those three sisters are immortals. That they’ve lived for over 200 years.”
Miria, who was the most knowledgeable among their companions about information regarding the Adrion continent, added.
“Don't the settings overlap a bit strangely? With that kid Shirin from earlier.”
It definitely cannot be denied.
Many other questions remain. What is Zernix, whom they finally encountered, plotting here now?
And what did Shirin mean when she said, ‘You wouldn’t believe the answer to the first question even if I told you’?”
And if the disciples achieved immortality, then why did their master, Friede, disappear without a trace 200 years ago?
“I know. Even I think it’s best to go straight to <Shuriganakus>.”
To go to <Flame Myriad> anyway, they need to prepare various things in that city. Because they have to pass through the infamous 'Flowing Desert'.
“And much faster than planned.”
* * *
The prayers that had reverently echoed throughout the vast compound suddenly ceased.
A bone-chilling cold permeated, tearing through the paper screen doors, and the candles that lit the inside of the chapel began to extinguish one by one.
However, on the chapel’s platform, the candle at the spot where a witch was kneeling in prayer did not go out.
“How dare you set your filthy feet in the sacred chapel of the gods?”
Instead, a powerful fire barrier rose, scattering the alien cold.
“Oh, she’s certainly incomparable to the women we’ve killed so far; she’s much stronger.”
“Zernix said it. That the priestess of the hero’s party 300 years ago had disciples she raised. Was that true?”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. I only need that woman’s blood.”
A pair of a man and a woman appeared, blowing away half of the chapel.
Abyssal worms crawled all over the woman’s body and at her feet, and four or five grotesquely shaped monstrous birds clung to the man.
Deep wrinkles creased the witch’s brow as she glared at the two.
“Over 70% of the witches in the city district disappeared in a week. Was that all your doing?”
“And if it was, what are you going to do about it, you crooked old hag who’s lived for 200 years? Just quietly die now.”
“My master entrusted us with ‘power’, knowing that creatures like you would appear someday.”
The witch said that, placing her hand on the pendant hanging from her chest.
The pendant, personally hung by the legendary priestess 200 years ago, had faded in luster over the passage of time, but its form remained intact.
And on the day she received it, her master's smile and her own resolve were clear in her mind.
“Receive it.”
The assailants felt a sense of wonder and terror simultaneously.
The witch’s body began to transform in a rampage of flames. Her physique greatly expanded, her body became covered in scales… her very skeleton changed.
When the fierce momentum of the flames, strong enough to evaporate all moisture from the air, subsided, what stood before them was no longer a witch.
「The judgment of the dragon.」
It was a serpent that failed to become a dragon, a being later called an Imugi.
It possessed a dragon’s maw and dragon scales, but its wings had failed to sprout, twisted grotesquely.
Its legs were also deformed, as if it had to crawl on the ground, and its maw lacked the dignity of a dragon, being only somewhat distorted.
“Hah, look at that utterly ugly sight.”
Yet, despite its transcendental power being comparable to a dragon’s, the assailants standing before it wore relaxed smiles.
“At this rate, just by looking at the outside, it’s hard to tell who the bad guy is, hag!”