Book 6 Chapter 22

Episode 146

Everything began 300 years ago when the body of a young archmage was trapped in ice.

The boy's comrades believed in him.

Since he had promised to return, they were certain he would, no matter how long it took.

Hero Rista stayed by the boy's side until the very end, amidst the brief respite from death.

Palatial Castle Kies trained countless disciples to bless the boy's path when he returned.

Priestess Freya strived for the world's stability with the sole desire of showing the boy a beautifully transformed world, and personally took in the boy's disciple, raising her as a priestess.

Sun Parrot Pipi began a wait of several hundred years alone on Seolhwabong Peak, with no promise whatsoever. But.

"Is waiting the right thing to do? Is it right to just keep waiting like this?"

"Tureyna."

"Master's method is wrong. Not just Master, but Lord Rista and Lord Kies too! They may not have arcane wisdom, but how can Master just leave our Teacher there? In those cold ice shards?"

Tureyna, the young archmage's first and last disciple, couldn't believe the promise. Strictly speaking, she couldn't believe in the completeness of the *Juyeo Sogye Daeban* (主濾小計袋反).

Therefore, she thought she had to help. Like a mother bird helps its chick hatch from an egg, she felt she had to help him emerge from that ice…

The Abyss approached such a girl.

The darkness, which deceives and abuses human hearts collapsing under their mortal fate, devoured her tender heart over hundreds of years.

* * *

"This is Tureyna?"

The old wooden statue stood in the middle of the village, kindly looking down at the passersby. Many flowers and incense still rose before it.

Although the craftsmanship was severely lacking for something made by an artisan, the old conical hat and the pipe embossed with a dragon's shape were unmistakable, even if one wished not to recognize them.

It was exactly like the illustration in the book… Pipi seemed to think the same, affectionately chirping as it moved between his shoulder and head.

"About 40 years ago, when I was still a fresh young man. It was when the 'Yellow Lynx' plague broke out in spring. When all the children and elders on the continent were dying from that terrible epidemic."

"…"

"Villages like ours couldn't even go find a physician, or a witch, or a golden dragon. We just thought all that was left was to die… That's when the Priestess herself came to our village."

Tureyna treated all the residents afflicted by the plague with medical skills honed over hundreds of years. Without receiving any compensation.

The next part of the story didn't need to be heard. According to the books, Tureyna had created a spell that completely cured the 'Yellow Lynx'.

It was also said that she had her witches spread the spell throughout the world, and thus the plague was completely suppressed.

"This is merely the least respect we can show her. Every year, we wish for her soul to rest in peace."

"Rest in peace, why?"

"Because back then, her face looked so sad. So sad that she seemed completely devoid of emotion."

"Was she?"

"Hmm, I still can't forget that face. Perhaps it's because I'd never seen a person with such a sad face in my entire life."

If I could have seen my own expression then, I would have seen a melancholic smile, more sorrowful than ever.

"Woof."

Aki, cradled in my arms, was reaching out with fumbling hands as if the wooden statue of Tureyna was fascinating.

I let out a soft laugh and absentmindedly stroked Aki's warm head with a pathetically trembling hand.

Aki and Tureyna might have become good friends… because that kid was just as troublesome as Aki.

'You think so too, don't you? She was so close with Pipi, after all.'

After offering a sad farewell prayer before Tureyna's wooden statue, I spoke to the village chief who was arranging the flowers and incense at its base.

"Well then, I'll be going now, Chief."

"Oh, leaving already? I'd like to offer you more. You've subjugated all those evil demonic beasts, how can I let you go just like that?"

No, that's enough for a reward.

With a bitter smile, I gazed at the incense rising before Tureyna's wooden statue.

Tureyna, just to pray for peace for that tomboy's soul, just to remember her and mourn her, is more than enough…

"It would be a nuisance if I stayed. I'm not meant to linger long in one place. Especially not in a vulnerable village like this."

I had already eaten lunch and dinner yesterday, and even slept at the chief's house, so it was an uncommonly long stay.

During my journey south, I didn't use any imperial highways, always moving through mountainous and forested areas.

Yeriserika had said that the age when the Abyss's eyes watch everything had come, so I decided to be as cautious as possible.

I hadn't seen any pursuers since coming down from the central region to the south, but I could feel that the times had definitely changed.

Ominous rumors circulated in every village. It became frequent for demonic beasts to suddenly form hordes and attack villages.

The demonic beasts seemed either uneasy about something or joyful… Hmm, given that my parents in the central region hadn't said anything particular, it might be that these strange phenomena were concentrated in the south.

"Thank you, Mage."

"May the gods bless your path, Mage."

"Aki, stay healthy and don't get sick."

Receiving the heartfelt thanks of the chief and villagers (and a generous amount of dried fish, jerky, and other food), I rode my horse out of the village.

As the last rays of sunlight sparkled, I could see the grand Rose Highway (薔薇街道) stretching majestically to the southeast in the distance.

If I followed that road, I could return to <Delaiten> and my everyday life with them… but with the hundred-year journey having begun, I couldn't do that now.

- The top graduate of <Delaiten> gains the right to an audience with Lin's corpse. There's a note Rista left there.

Scalzi Ludwig said that.

But the White Dragon Legion had hinted that Lin's corpse disappeared during the Black Spot incident. So, there was no reason to go to that school now, nor did I have the luxury.

Let's put aside lingering attachments.

Socrafres.

- You can inherit the progress of 'Unique Magic' research from the surrounding environment.

- Progress: 69.8%.

When camping, I would check Lin's notebook before falling asleep, but there was no good news.

It was 69.8% when I first entered Trident Point, and three months had passed since then, but there was no progress at all.

Is it because I haven't had a proper fight? Didn't I properly engage with the Demon Lord?

This wasn't something contemplation would yield answers to, so I closed the notebook, hugged Aki and Pipi tightly, sharing our body heat, and fell asleep.

The next day, dark clouds seemed to settle heavily from dawn, and then rain began to pour.

Even though I tucked Aki into Ceresia's lapel to keep him out of the rain, Aki insisted on peeking his head out and looking at the world where the curtain of rain wavered.

"You'll catch a cold doing that."

It was already early December in the world, but the season was still summer. The rain falling in the south carried a warm sensation, just like during my school days.

Was such rain fascinating, or was the feeling of warm water washing over his body, like Pipi, enjoyable?

Aki, unlike usual, quietly kept his gaze fixed on the rain-swept world.

"I told you you'd catch a cold, didn't I?"

The problem was that it wasn't just a simple shower, but a rainy season, with a gentle drizzle falling for six consecutive days on the way down to the border.

Thanks to that, snot dangled from Aki's nostrils, and he sneezed repeatedly, "Achoo!"

If this continued, I would have no choice but to change my plans and stop by a city… At the crossroads, I turned left and steered my horse towards the fortress of <Landkeep>.

"Sigh, this rain feels ominous."

"Ominous, ominous, ominous."

"Bwoo-kki! Bwoo-kki!"

* * *

Amidst dense dark clouds scattering persistent rain, a flame-like radiance flickered on the surface of the shrine, built with red stones atop a cliff.

This was Godfire Peak (神火峰), the largest and highest among the peaks of the Red Mountain Range.

It was originally where the Fire Dragon Bel'dakidun resided, and a sacred place where priestesses lived and conveyed the dragon's teachings until the theocratic system of the Republic collapsed.

"…"

Under the conical hat from which rainwater endlessly streamed, a woman with a pipe in her mouth looked up at the shrine with empty eyes.

As if to prove that the age of dragons was ending, the red dragon that once dominated this peak was nowhere to be seen, not even a shadow.

Only dragon statues, worn by wind and weather, watched her and the seven heretics following her walk up to the shrine. It was then.

"""Oh, power of Zero that wets the atmosphere, oh, spirits of Flame and Vastness residing in the sacred mountain, be freed and dance here now at our command!"""

The outline of conical hats, worn only by witches, became visible in a flash of lightning, and the language of multiple incantations swept through the rain.

The sequence of recited holy words added an anomaly to the world's providence.

The valley collapsed, causing large and small rockfalls, flames erupted from the ground, and rainwater, scattered throughout the air, poured down like blades.

"…There's no way it's over with just this."

Amidst the thick dust cloud rising from the explosion, a witch gasped and muttered. But goosebumps immediately ran down her neck.

The 3-star spell simultaneously chanted by twenty witches… was completely blocked by a barrier conjured by a man wearing a dark blue iron mask.

Not only that, there were clearly eight people, but down there, there were only five. The moment she realized that was her last moment.

"Ugh, ugh----?!"

The necks of three witches were successively entangled by a whip, and their bodies melted into slime by the venom that flowed through it.

Before the group of black witches called the Seven Calamities (칠흉) emerged after the Black Spot incident, she was known as 'Number 4' among her comrades.

Without even a moment to be astonished, this time, a black witch who appeared from behind shed her clothes, and her body instantly transformed into a shaggy, dark blue furred demonic beast.

She was called 'Number 5'.

The fangs and claws of the demonic beast tore the witches' limbs to shreds… and the witches who were chanting to retaliate suddenly stiffened, then convulsed, foaming at the mouth.

"Is there no pretty one whose body I can take and enjoy?"

A young man in a dark blue robe, appearing with a leering grin, that is, 'Number 7', suggestively fondled a dice with an obscene feeling.

To those with high magical sensitivity, the young man's magic would be visible, grasping and violating the witches' souls with what seemed like tentacles.

It took less than a minute for all twenty-four witches guarding Godfire Peak to fall, while Yuliana, the priestess of the North Republic, was absent.

"It's over."

"It's all over~!"

As blood, bone fragments, and flesh intertwined in the rainwater, forming puddles, something grabbed the ankle of the woman in the conical hat who was crossing the stream of death.

It was a witch painfully spitting out blood, her lower body's flesh and bones completely torn away, leaving her spine exposed and protruding.

The witch, overcoming the agony of her final death throes as her consciousness was dyed crimson, barely managed to move her tongue.

"Tu… Tureyna… Your Grace… W-why, why on earth…"

In the shadow of the conical hat, the eyes of the priestess, who had been the disciple of the former archmage and legendary priestess, held an expression that was both cynical and mournful.

"Because of love."

Perhaps it was the last remnant of humanity, but the cigarette smoke exhaled by Tureyna flowed through the witch's respiratory system into her brain.

That smoke instantly calmed all pain, suffering, and sorrow, guiding the witch's soul quietly and peacefully to death.

When the witch died, all her subordinates were gathered at the base of the wide, grand staircase of the Godfire Peak temple, Belrakior (Blessing of Fire).

"Gwen, bring Teacher to the Palantir Altar."

"Yes."

The Palantir Altar was originally a place to offer sacrifices and prayers to the Fire Dragon Bel'dakidun, an altar imbued with ancient divinity.

Just then, a magic crow flew in from somewhere and landed on Gwen's shoulder. The feathers it scattered instantly became a string of characters, unfurling in the air.

Gwen immediately reported its contents.

"We have found the dragon's protector."

"Belita and Ashu, go secure the true dragon's remains now. It will be a formidable opponent, so make sure to use this when you fight."

Numbers 4 and 5 respectfully received the bamboo tube (sealed with a charm) that Tureyna threw, and Number 7 intervened with a leering grin.

"Haha, can't I go too? Surely you'll grant permission, won't you? My wonderfully kind Master Tureyna."

Tureyna, who had glared at Number 7's arrogant and irritating face for a moment, clicked her tongue in displeasure, turned, and stepped onto the stairs.

"Do as you please."

Now, it begins.

It is only now that it truly begins.