Book 7 Chapter 23
Chapter 172
A dawn mist so thick it was ominous blanketed the Bellisor River.
Splash, splash… The sound of oars striking the water emerged from the mist, and soon a scow appeared at the pier.
A massive merchant ship was already anchored in the harbor, and the boisterous laughter echoing from it abruptly ceased.
“I think they’re here, Captain.”
Descending from the scow and stepping onto the merchant ship via a plank were two lightly armored female swordswomen.
Goblin Slayer and Slime Slayer.
“What, I thought you’d fallen head over heels for some handsome goblin and run off, but you were hiding nearby, huh?”
A tall woman sitting on the makeshift main seat on deck let out an amused whistle.
Her roughly tied-up hair was the color of sun-drenched sand, and her face and neck below it were covered in battle scars.
Exuding the relaxed aura characteristic of a veteran who had weathered countless storms, the woman offered an unusual greeting.
“Dur-Moris, Witch Slayer. Death to all witches.”
This was a peculiar greeting said to have been used by the infamous adventurer group ‘Slayers’ five hundred years ago, and by greeting everyone in this manner, they swiftly made their name known.
Of course, what truly etched their name into the world was their unbelievable skill.
And this Witch Slayer, Spiella, unbelievably, was one of the Slayers from five hundred years ago.
“If you had been even a little later, I would have had *him* find you.”
Spiella, who possessed a lavish appearance like a duke but an impression like a snake, twisted the corner of her lips.
With her left hand, she rotated two iron balls, producing an unpleasant friction sound, while she sipped from a beer mug with an invisible force, psychokinesis.
Above her head, the brim of her black-dyed pointed hat (according to Witch Guild rules, colors other than red, blue, and yellow are illegal; black and white are privileges solely for priestesses) flapped in the river wind.
“Your sister, I mean. Ah, would it be faster if I said Demon Slayer?”
At that, Miria pushed aside the loafers blocking her path and lunged at Spiella, roughly grabbing her by the collar.
The subordinates, who had been drinking, were momentarily flustered and clutched their swords and spears, but Spiella raised her right hand to calm them.
Even in this situation, not only was she unperturbed, but a sinister smile played on her lips.
“What’s the matter? Hmm? We meet after a long time, why don’t we have a relaxed drink and chat?”
“Don’t play innocent! I heard everything, you bastard! You sent my sister to the ruined lands again, didn’t you?”
“Did I?”
“I promised that if I collected two people’s worth of money from the continent and sent it, you’d leave my sister alone! Are you playing games with me now?”
Miria’s hand, which had been shaking Spiella’s collar and finally clenched into a fist, was momentarily caught in mid-air by something.
By psychokinesis.
No sooner did that happen than an invisible handprint deeply etched itself onto Miria’s neck, and at the same time, her body floated into the air.
“Hah, this insolent wench! I’ve been patient, but now you repay kindness with enmity? Who was it that first got rid of the Seal of Silence and then went into hiding?”
The psychokinesis lifted Miria’s top, exposing the area around her neck. Sure enough, the magic circle, once etched like a brand, was gone.
The Seal of Silence was a 5-star magic that, if one attempted to utter a truth, would cause intense pain and turn the person into a wreck.
The Slayers had maintained the organization’s secrets and dominated the Tersh Archipelago in darkness with this seal, a magic given by the Archmage Zernix.
But it was gone? That was clear treason.
Whether she died trying to speak or had help removing it.
The Slayers could verify whether it was gone or maintained through a linked wax doll given by Zernix. And also its approximate location.
Miria stammered, her eyes filled with disbelief.
‘What is this?’
When did this disappear?
No, how did it disappear?
“No, no… I didn’t…”
The truth Miria didn’t know was this:
In the <Ortaris> battle, Rain Ludwig, mistaking it for Zernix’s attack, had extinguished it with Bell Kylliris.
But just as Miria didn’t know, the Slayers had no way of knowing the inside story.
“The other bastards were convinced you snitched to someone like Juliana, and they wanted to kill you and use your sister as they pleased, but I stopped them, didn’t I? Hey! Did I or didn’t I?”
“You did, Captain!”
“Instead of saying thank you, you just grab me by the collar out of nowhere, you tomboy. As if a good girl like you would snitch, I even made excuses for you, saying you must have been enchanted by some bad handsome goblin, and came all this way to find you.”
The loafers started laughing.
Someone clutched their stomach laughing, someone else bent over, laughing as if crying. Miria felt her vision blur.
“These… these awful bastards…”
Even if it was gone, Miria couldn’t run anywhere. She couldn’t ask anyone for help.
Because her family was held captive.
If she did, her family would die.
Reflected in her gradually darkening consciousness were her adoptive father, who died protecting them from the Slayers, and… her sister’s face, who had turned into a monster with no emotions or memories because of those guys.
- Abboo!
And Akki’s bright smile, and that guy, Rain Ludwig’s…
“Lady Spiella, she might die.”
Slime Slayer carefully spoke, and as if she had forgotten that fact, Spiella slapped her palm with a hand-hammer in an exaggerated motion.
Immediately, the psychokinesis constricting Miria’s neck vanished as if a lie.
Miria rolled ungracefully on the deck, coughing painfully, spewing undigested food, stomach acid, and tears onto the deck.
“Get up! Let’s go back to the islands now, you trash who can do nothing but row!”
Spiella stepped on her back with her long leg and moved towards the helm, shaking awake the drunken sailors with psychokinesis.
“They say some crazy mess happened in the Red Mountains, and Juliana and Feiquarier are here, but there’s no need to die from the river wind. Get up!”
* * *
It felt like a pleasant morning, waking up to the chirping of birds after a long time.
As I stretched languidly, Akki, who woke up following me, mimicked my pose and stretched her stiff body.
Chuckling, I ruffled her hair, then carried Akki in my arms and Pipi on my shoulder, and went down to the first floor to order a simple breakfast.
“Pipi, you’ll eat today too, right?”
Pipi had completely regained her appetite, and as soon as I ordered fried grains, she fiercely emptied two bowls. Her vocal cords would recover quickly too.
“Akki, what about you?”
“Akki, wa-n-t-s-mu-shroom.”
“This butter mushroom stew, you mean?”
“Tha-t’s-ri-gh-t.”
Oh my~ how can she speak so well?
I fed Akki mushroom stew while lightly eating oatmeal, but strangely, Miria didn’t come no matter how long I waited.
Just then, Valencidis appeared at the restaurant entrance, and at first, I thought it was someone else.
The reason was his hair color.
The dark blue hair, characteristic of those tainted by the abyss, had been dyed a completely ordinary light brown.
“Did you get a change of mood?”
Just one hair color could change an impression so much, it was so fascinating that I kept scrutinizing him up and down.
“No, my original hair color was too conspicuous, so I just changed it.”
“By the way, Valencidis, have you seen Miria?”
“That goblin woman? She hasn’t come yet, it seems?”
Valencidis told me to continue eating and then went to Miria’s room.
“She wasn’t in her room. Only a letter was left. It seems she left immediately last night without even staying.”
A moment later, Valencidis came down with a piece of paper, which simply read ‘Goodbye’. It was more like a note than a letter.
“She just left without even a goodbye?”
It didn’t bother me, but Akki had followed her so well, and I worried that Akki might get gloomy if she found out she was gone.
Yes, it doesn’t bother me…
I’m sick of someone connected to me dying. It’s enough if she’s living her own life somewhere.
“This might be a story unsuitable for such a fresh morning, but since we’ll have to part ways soon, I’ll tell you something important.”
“Hmm?”
“You asked Nariaduke last time who dragged Toreyna into the abyss, didn’t you?”
I thought, he can really say something so utterly unsuitable for a fresh morning with such composure.
“Why? Do you know the answer?”
“You already know the answer. You must have met him once. His name is Zernix.”
“I met someone impersonating him, though.”
“It’s the real one. He has lived for a thousand years. You know I’m not the type to lie about such things.”
The fork slipped from my hand as I swallowed blankly, rolling across the table.
“That was the real Zernix?”
The 6th Archmage Zernix?
A figure from a thousand years ago, my predecessor as Archmage, how could that be possible?
“He’s the one who dragged Toreyna into the abyss. I’m certain.”
“That makes no sense. Zernix… that verbose fellow?”
“Yes. When he learned I was Toreyna’s disciple, he babbled on about being Toreyna’s true master, but I couldn’t think it was a lie. He was a human with several times more magical power than Toreyna.”
“He died by my hand. I burned him to death. There’s no way Zernix could be that weak.”
Even though I thought he absolutely wouldn’t have died from that, I muttered so.
“You merely dealt with one of his puppets. You are certainly tremendously strong now… but Zernix’s main body is just as strong as you, if not stronger. He might even be one step above you right now.”
Valencidis pushed the two dishes brought by the waitress in front of the young man.
One was roasted goose, small in quantity but expensive, and the other was roasted snakehead fish, large in quantity but cheap.
“This is the difference between you and Zernix. You’ve surpassed human limits by devouring the soul of a true dragon, but your power isn’t complete yet. Zernix, on the other hand, is a monster whose soul rank might be lower, but he has awakened that power to be close to transcendence.”
“……!”
“That’s what a monster who has lived for a thousand years is like.”
A thousand years…
Indeed, if I had lived for a thousand years, I couldn’t even gauge what my own abilities would be now.
The fact that he double-casted 4-star magic in an instant bothered me, but… does that mean he’s reached the rank of 6-star or 7-star?
“I also first saw his main body about four months ago… the magical power, as if thousands of snakes were coiling around his entire body, still gives me chills just thinking about it.”
“Four months ago?”
“He said he was going back to the Adrian continent after finishing his work in the north.”
A shiver ran down my spine instantly.
It was really the same person…?
Disturbing the balance of the barrier, seducing Toreyna to ruin the Northern Republic, it was all really his doing…?
“It wasn’t just Toreyna. He’s seducing modern luminaries or resurrecting ancient specters to dominate various parts of the Southern Republic.”
“The Papal States couldn’t possibly not know that.”
“The power of the abyss is growing far stronger than you know. The Akrad continent is quite stable now, but the Adrian continent… would you believe me if I said he even has subordinates within the Papal States?”
A suspicion arose as I watched Valencidis pull the roasted goose towards himself.
“You’re explaining quite kindly.”
“Because the Black Church will pursue me, a defector. Rujaihyen was a high-ranking organization directly below the Three Pillars, a conduit exerting powerful influence in the Northern Republic.”
“……!”
“Having betrayed them, they’ll try to kill me to silence me. I’m just telling you before that happens. Of course, I’ll have a little grace period before they realize I betrayed them.”
“…So, things got to that point again because you helped me.”
I said, looking at Valencidis’s left arm, whose sleeve merely flapped in the river wind. Valencidis shrugged with a calm expression.
“I would have helped even if it wasn’t you. From the start, I didn’t help, I cooperated. This matter… didn’t align with my convictions.”
Even while saying he might die soon, Valencidis began to wrestle with a goose leg, trying to tear it with his one arm.
This guy doesn’t lie and never exaggerates.
Having served Toreyna for a long time, directly confronted Nariaduke, and being a tremendous strongman himself, if he judged someone strong, they truly were unbelievably strong.
‘Yes, that’s how it is…’
Without even noticing Akki and Pipi looking up worriedly, I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth.
‘That pure child was enchanted with black magic and turned into an empty shell with no memories or emotions, and the one who caused this tragedy is alive, with bloodshot eyes…’
And his true identity is the Archmage from a thousand years ago, Zernix?
I don’t care who he is.
The enemy who ruined my beloved disciple’s life… I will make him pay the price. After a moment of silence, I opened my mouth.
“If you have nowhere else to go, let’s go south together, Valencidis.”
“An amusing prank. Go together? I didn’t know we had that much camaraderie between us.”
“It’s not camaraderie. It’s mutual cooperation.”
“Mutual cooperation?”
“You need someone to protect you, and there’s no one more suitable than me. Isn’t that right? Unless you plan to entrust yourself to the Papal States.”
“……!”
“And I need detailed information about the Black Church and Zernix. There’s no one more suitable than you for that. Right?”
Valencidis started to say something but fell silent. His eyes showed a hint of understanding.
Considering that as agreement, I put an end to the conversation.
“You just said it earlier, this wasn’t help, but cooperation. This is the same. Let’s cooperate as much as we need each other.”
As I poked the roasted goose with a fork to hold it steady, the goose leg Valencidis was holding easily tore off, spilling juices.
“Like this.”