Book 9 Chapter 20

Episode 219

"Wrong."

"……!"

"You're wrong."

"……"

"What exactly is so difficult about this problem? Tell me. Only then can I explain it to you."

The sight of Valensidis awkwardly teaching magic to Obin every night made me recall many things.

- No, you idiot! Why can't you solve this? Even a passing camel would learn faster than you!

Occasionally, the scene of me teaching Toureina 300 years ago would faintly overlap with their faces.

Hmm…

Come to think of it, Obin also resembled young Toureina. With a persistent and loyal personality, learning whatever he was told.

"There's nothing really dangerous nearby."

It was around that time that Miria returned from scouting the dark, submerged jungle.

"If we travel at this pace, we can arrive within two days."

Our current destination is Banir-do.

Geographically, it's a key strategic point in southern Solond, and politically, it's the hometown of the deceased queen.

In other words, it's Obin's maternal home, governed by the Pester family, one of the three prestigious families that have historically sustained Solond as a kingdom.

- Th-there, if you get supplies and horses from Grandpa and run along the national road, you'll be able to go to Bara quickly.

Obin smiled shyly when talking about his grandparents, saying they were the ones who had given him much love since he was a child, when everyone else pointed fingers at him.

"That's exactly what bothers me, though."

"What?"

"Given the kingdom's situation, will Banir-do truly be safe? If I were Ellamas, I would have first devastated that place with plague. It would be Obin's biggest support base, after all."

As if she had an ominous premonition, Miria instantly fell silent. It was Obin who objected to my conjecture.

"It'll b-be safe!"

Saying that, Obin, tightly clutching the Cheonpa Flute, seemed less certain and more like he was desperately wishing for it to be true.

"I-if it's n-not, th-then I'll m-make it safe!"

No, wait…

This child is strong. It's just hidden by his delicate impression and stutter.

For a moment, I recalled Rhydar Aijin, the imperial crown prince who, at a young age, possessed profound insight.

"Sorry, I misspoke. It'll be safe. Your grandparents must be as strong as you are."

When I answered with a small, embarrassed laugh, only then did Obin also smile brightly.

"Magic is good, but let's also practice your pronunciation. You don't exude any royal dignity."

At that remark, a small laugh blossomed even amidst the forced march.

But.

It didn't even take two days for that smile to shatter.

* * *

Sun City, Bara.

Inner Palace Rignahaj.

Ramasa, the high priest, had been residing here, a place where royalty worshiped, for three years.

"Everyone has gathered."

As Ellamas drew back the silk curtain and stepped inside, the elven spirits who had been sitting in various poses on the ceremonial seats rose.

"…You have arrived."

Arha (No. 1), Sneer, who revered martial arts, was oddly in meditation, elegantly holding a spear shaft without a blade.

"You came right away as soon as it landed heads. Do you see? Haha, heads! My lucky fortune-telling has never been wrong."

Gaha (No. 2), Phel, who was like the embodiment of asceticism, showed Ellamas the gold coin he had been continuously flipping.

"I was worried you'd keep us up all night."

Darta (No. 3), the arrogant Janyaz, yawned as if bored, then reluctantly raised his hips as if he was forced to stand.

"Hmm, so it seems you have a look of dissatisfaction?"

As Ellamas smiled faintly, the flames illuminating the temple flickered as if trembling.

Janyaz, feeling a fear more intense than that, immediately bowed his head and apologized for his careless remark.

These three were the core members of the brigade, old masters whose caliber differed from others, and all had been resurrected by Ellamas's necromancy.

"……"

In contrast to them, who were in relatively comfortable postures, there was a swordsman standing motionless on the platform as if being punished.

He didn't know why he was being punished, but in the eyes of the elves, his very birth was a crime.

Even though he possessed uniquely beautiful features and was called a hero of humanity, his ears lacked the mark of circumcision, a symbol of the chosen people.

"You didn't cut the target?"

Before he could finish speaking, a high, sharp crack echoed through the hall. For Ellamas's hand had sharply slapped his cheek.

"Why?"

Perhaps his mouth was torn, as the swordsman spoke, a trickle of blood flowing from his lips.

"He knew me."

"Knew you? That's ridiculous. How could he, when you don't even know who you are?"

"It felt that way, and so I…"

Ellamas, as if frustrated, lifted his chin and let out an annoyed sigh.

"Are you going to keep doing this? Surely, as a mere doll, you don't harbor any resentment towards me, do you?"

"……"

"You should be grateful. I'm trying to bring order to a world that drove you to death at such a young age."

Ellamas grabbed the hero's head and spun it around. So roughly that one might worry his neck would break.

"What we're doing will be a gift to this world. I know well how sad and painful it is for beings like you to be driven to death in the name of sacrifice. Because now, it will be a world where that doesn't have to happen. It's the dawn of a new world."

"……"

"Now there's just one step left. If we just kill those bugs, it'll all be over. What's so hard about that? You can do it next time, right?"

A very short while later, the hero answered in a voice imbued with an emotion impossible for a doll to possess.

"…I'm not confident."

As Ellamas clicked his tongue coldly, the hero's body collapsed as if crumbling and fell to the ground.

On Ellamas's palm, an ominous, dark blue flame glowed. It was the power to control Neigalas's malevolent thoughts.

If he became unstable from regaining his memories, then simply incinerate those memories completely and raise him again.

"A conclusion was reached at today's state council meeting. The Tae-seongjin will be activated exactly ten days from now, simultaneously with the end of the princess's ritual."

Without the power of Solond's royal descendant, the barrier of the royal castle, built upon the ancient primitive kingdom, cannot be completely removed.

The reason they installed a princess, even if she's a figurehead; the reason they spent a long time seducing the insignificant ministers instead of killing them.

All of it was to successfully remove the barrier of the first Archmage Ligwind.

"…Survivors from all over the country have already rebelled and are coming towards the royal castle."

As Arha (No. 1), Sneer, spoke, Gaha (No. 2), Phel, flipped the gold coin again.

"If all the survivors gather here, once the magic circle is activated, no one will be able to stop it. Everything is going according to your plan, Master. The gold coin landed heads, too."

Ellamas nodded, as if satisfied, yet at the same time, somewhat displeased.

"I don't know what those lowly beings are plotting, but they must not be allowed to interfere with this ritual. Whoever it is, I will not tolerate failure."

The arrogant Janyaz paused for a moment, then opened his mouth with a cautious expression.

"May I ask what the true purpose is?"

"True purpose?"

"Because it doesn't seem like a great person of your caliber would go to such lengths just to turn these human wretches into the undead."

Ellamas stroked his chin with a finger for a moment, then offered a seductive smile.

"Yes, given how things have come to this, I suppose it's alright to explain it to you now."

* * *

The northern part of the Adrion Continent was famous for its tropical climate, and the Kingdom of Solond also fell within its climatic zone.

'The people of the Akrad Continent also call this climate the cursed climate.'

It was a region with almost no distinct four seasons, dividing the year solely into dry and rainy seasons.

Even during the dry season, when it didn't rain, it was humid and hot. It was a debilitating, stifling heat. It didn't even cool down at night.

Kies would often call this heat 'unpleasant heat'.

"Still, bananas are delicious, aren't they?"

"Arghoo!"

Setsunen, munching on a banana Rain had peeled for him, vigorously waved both his arms.

"Save some for Aki unnie too."

"Guee-ek."

"Ugh, don't spit out what you were eating! Were you actually planning to give that to her?"

If Aki seemed foolish because she was too pure, then Setsunen is somewhat clumsy and quirky…

'They're both dragons, but how can they be so different?'

Rain sighed and scanned the surrounding scenery again.

The southern part of the Solond Kingdom was a tropical rainforest region, where banana and cacao plantations were visible in various places, but no farmers working them could be seen anywhere.

"This is strangely creepy…"

Miria wiped the sweat from her forehead as if shuddering.

"Was it originally like this here?"

The rainforest was also excessively green, yet the form of its growth was strangely malevolent.

Tree roots protruded above the ground, coiling like snakes, and unknown poisonous mushrooms and herbs bloomed everywhere, luring and killing living creatures.

"The Abyss's influence has begun to affect plants and animals too."

"Influence of the Abyss?"

"The Abyss affects nature as well as humans. Within a few months, this rainforest will turn into a complete swamp."

Miria and Obin were perplexed by these changes, but Rain had already seen even worse sights 300 years ago, so…

"The f-forests are already starting to turn into sw-swamps. And, predators like c-crocodiles are b-becoming violent… We n-need to act q-quickly."

There was no sign of life on the roads or in the villages.

Stopping at an empty castle, Miria, Valensidis, and Obin found clothes that were well-ventilated and effectively wicked away moisture.

They also found a suitable one for Setsunen to wear. It must have originally belonged to the castle lord's child.

'But where on earth did that child go…?'

As an ominous premonition gradually escalated, they managed to arrive at Banir-do around the third day of their journey.

"Look, I can see the outline of the city wall!"

"Is that Banir-do, the strategic stronghold of the south?"

"No, everyone, wait. No matter how I look at it, the situation is a bit strange."

Sounds of life could be heard beyond the city walls, but they were not human voices or laughter.

They were the wailing sounds of starving monsters.

Most suspiciously, the city gate was smashed. No, it immediately revealed the ominous truth.

"Oh…"

Perhaps because his hope was shattered, Obin, speechless, only stammered with his lips.

"After entering and exiting a goblin den a few times, you can tell if it's dangerous just by looking at the entrance. That place is dangerous. It gives off a terrifying aura."

"Arghoo…"

"It might be wiser to just pass through the city as it is."

No one among us immediately agreed with Valensidis's realistic assessment.

"That young man's judgment is correct. No matter what, you must not enter that city."

The voice was eerie, like a saw blade scraping metal, causing Setsunen to react with aversion, baring his fangs.

It was a natural reaction for a dragon.

The old man who appeared before them… was being eroded by the Abyss.

"If you had business in Banir-do, I'm sorry to say. The city has already been consumed by the plague."

His entire body was transforming like a savage, with only half of his face remaining somewhat intact.

Once the erosion was complete, even the skull beneath the rags he was currently covering would transform like a lizard's.

When I considered why I hadn't noticed the Abyss's reaction sooner, it was because the old man's life force was extremely weak. He was dying.

"What happened there?"

"Our city has been fighting against the plague and the undead for two years. Supplies never came from the capital, and we gradually became isolated. Eventually, the city gate was breached… and the result is exactly what you see."

"……!"

"My life will soon end. I am here so that no one, whether out of curiosity, youthful recklessness, or thievery, will be caught up in useless emotions and enter the city."

I was just thinking how strange his old-fashioned vocabulary was, not something you'd expect from an ordinary old man.

"Obin…"

Miria placed a hand on the shoulder of the young prince, who was still staring blankly at his grandfather's city, offering comfort.

"Obin?"

The old man reacted sensitively to that name. It was, of course, a name to be careful about in front of Solond citizens.

As soon as he heard the name, the old man, as if possessed, approached Obin.

Miria was about to place her hand on the Demon Sword to stop him, but the old man did not approach closer than 2 meters. As if the plague must not be transmitted.

"Prince, is that the prince?"

As soon as Obin turned around, it was as if time stopped for both of them. First, tears welled up in the old man's eyes.

"Oh gods, thank you… You're safe. To see your face again like this before I die, my prayers to the gods were not in vain…"

As the three of them tried to figure out the situation, Obin's lips trembled faintly.

"G-Grandpa…?"

Grandpa?

Then this old man is Arif Pester, the Grand Lord of the South?

Arif was bewildered that Obin spoke, but even more so by Obin approaching him.

"How dare you trifle with your precious body like that? Don't come closer! If I were to transmit this plague to you, I wouldn't even be able to close my eyes in peace."

"……!"

"It's enough that I've seen the prince again. Now I have no regrets in life, so the prince should cherish his royal body even more."

Just then, a long, tearing wail was heard from the direction of the city gate.

As if resonating with it, screams gradually spread, and soon, with an eerie rumble, savages began to pour out of the city gate.

The undead of the Abyss are drawn to the warmth of life… In a way, it was a natural progression.

"So it turns out like this, after all."

As soon as the five-layered magic circle shattered from Rain's palm, chains of flame blocked passage to the city gate.

Then, the savages began to scramble over the city wall on all fours and rushed towards them.

It was a truly chilling sight, and Arif urgently shouted to Obin.

"Prince, leave here at once! They won't harm me! I've already half-transformed into one of them."

"B-but!"

"You are the kingdom! The moment you end, the kingdom ends too! Why are you hesitating? Go at once!"

Valensidis took out his Kashasur.

As Miria threw the first rushing savage to the ground, Valensidis swung his Kashasur, creating a barrier of wind and waves.

And he shouted to Obin, who was gasping, not knowing what to do.

"The Cheonpa Flute, Obin!"

"……!"

"Play it and turn your grandfather back into a human. Not just your grandfather, but everyone in that city too!"

Obin took out the bamboo flute he had been cherishing in his arms.

The instrument emitted a wondrous, clear fragrance. That instrument, said to contain the voices of the gods from the Age of Gods.

Amidst the clamor of savages' screams, shouts, and ground tremors filling his ears, Obin put the flute to his lips, but no sound came out.

"It's alright. You can do it. Remember what I taught you!"

The theory was definitely taught.

For Valensidis, who had mastered all magic to infiltrate anywhere, the magic theory needed to play that flute was nothing.

"What are you saying? Where is there time to play the flute?!"

When the savages bypassed Valensidis's barrier and surged into the rainforest.

"Prince!"

When the primal threat climbed over giant trees, splashed through swamps with both hands and feet, and closed in from all directions, suffocating them.

"Leave at once, quickly!"

During all this, no matter how much he blew, and blew again, blowing until he was out of breath, the Cheonpa Flute made no sound.

Does that mean he can't do anything?

If he still couldn't play this flute, obtained at the cost of many brave warriors' lives, did their lives end meaninglessly?

If so, that journey, where was the meaning in that arduous journey…?

"Hmm, I see what the problem is."

At the moment tears of despair fell from Obin's eyes, a colossal flame erupted with that voice, completely blocking the savages' approach.

"You're not my disciple, so I have no obligation to teach you… but this time, it's a special service."

Rain, who approached Obin, gently placed his hand over the hand holding the flute.

"That's not how you use magic."

Just as Archon Atlante had done for the orphan boy 300 years ago.

"Magic, you see. It's about putting your heart into it."

And just as that master had given his incompetent disciple the teaching 300 years ago.

"There's no need to rush."

As per that person's wish, that he become someone who could freely share the light of magic with others.

"Slowly, calmly, try to put your heart into that magic."

Today, too, the old Archmage taught someone a fragment of the truth he himself had received.

"Then magic will answer your heart."

With a smile exactly like that of the person who had come as light into his life, which had only been darkness.

"Alright, shall we try it again?"