Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Calypso's Nightmare
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"Calypso's Nightmare"
For the empire's victory, I pursued forbidden power.
Serving Lord Bell-Terza, the monarch of the dead, I commanded wraiths and led the empire to triumph in war.
That is exactly what I did.
I killed countless enemies, then resurrected the slain to kill even more foes.
My enemies. The empire's enemies.
With each successive war, I gained renown, honor, and wealth.
To the empire, I was a hero. To our foes, I was a demon.
Yet no matter how many enemies I slaughtered to deliver victory to the empire.
No matter how much honor and riches I amassed, my wife, my son, and my neighbors who perished amid the battles did not return.
The lack of hesitation in slaying enemies.
The absence of guilt in wielding wraiths through Lord Bell-Terza's power.
It may have stemmed from the grief, futility, and emptiness that had taken root in my heart.
While killing enemies, resurrecting them, repeating the cycle, I reminisced about old memories and lingered on the past.
One day, unable to bear the searing loneliness any longer, I borrowed Lord Bell-Terza's power once more. I dug up the graves, hoping to revive my family even belatedly. But all that remained were the bones of my wife and son. Unlike the common bone piles seen on battlefields, these were different. The moment I laid eyes on them, an unbearable nausea surged up.
What was I trying to do?
The desire to resurrect them vanished like a lie.
After my wife and son's deaths, the honor and wealth—mere incidental pursuits—began to feel hollow. Having lost my purpose, I wandered aimlessly. I no longer set foot on the battlefield.
The empire made no demands of me for refusing to fight.
On the contrary, they granted me many privileges, saying I had suffered enough. Just days before, I had been in the fray where cheers and agonized screams mingled; now I sat idly, listening to the quiet whisper of the wind.
I drank and lost myself in contemplation, passing the time.
I spent every day in such meaningless fashion. It might seem pointless to others, but for me, it was vital time to reflect on the past.
Then, inevitably, disaster struck.
A wraith I had commanded like a slave through Lord Bell-Terza's power breached my mental barriers and began to erode my mind. It punched a hole through the walls and barely squeezed in. At first, it only uttered sporadic words, but as time passed, it entered like it owned the place, conveying clear and distinct intent.
It showed no regard for time or place.
In reality, in dreams, they whispered without cease.
I began to lose control.
Though I had summoned wraiths using the monarch Lord Bell-Terza's authority, now I wasn't sure.
Was I commanding the wraiths, or were they manipulating me?
The worst scenarios came daily, each time teetering on a knife's edge.
In the end, I blacked out and slaughtered the mansion's servants.
When I came to, I wandered the blood-soaked corridors alone.
Unfortunately, no one survived.
I hired new staff and had the mansion cleaned.
No one dared reproach me for it, nor was there anyone bold enough to try. But this was dangerous.
Just as I had wielded wraiths, I couldn't predict when they might seize control of me.
Having lost purpose and meaning in life, I had no lingering attachment to this world... or so I thought.
Yet I could not allow my own hands to destroy this land.
The land I had sworn to protect before the deaths of my wife and son.
The land I had safeguarded by delivering victories to the empire.
After gradually settling my affairs, I left the empire and headed to Calypso, where the Tower of Langritsa stood.
The black mages who pursued forbidden power dared not touch me—a count of the empire and a treated hero. I bought remote land from them and relocated once more.
I wanted to avoid people's eyes. The purchased land included a small mountain, so I summoned artisans to build structures on the slope, excavate a cave, and carve out tunnels and rooms. There, like a priest venerating the gods, I served Lord Bell-Terza.
But at some point...
My being had become tainted by the wraiths, and unbeknownst to me, I was committing senseless acts.
I stole corpses from nameless village graveyards to resurrect wraiths, lured adventurers with a friendly face, killed them, and repeated the revival.
Why was I doing this?
Did these actions hold any meaning?
Right or wrong doesn't matter, the wraiths whispered.
-This is the preparation stage to revive your wife and son, buried deep in your heart. If they are successfully brought back, you'll surely regain the purpose and meaning you've lost. Of course.
Was that really true? The wraiths kept tempting me. Your dead wife and son are waiting for the day you resurrect them. Like a weak-eared fool, I nodded along to their whispers. But how could I revive a wife and son so rotted that even their bones were hard to find? Killing adventurers and handling their corpses was pointless. Even if I crafted new bones and flesh to revive them, would that truly be my wife and son?
Merely new beings mimicking their forms.
Did this really hold meaning?
As if reading my confused emotions, the wraiths whispered again.
-Yeah, this does seem meaningless. Then how about summoning our eternal monarch, Lord Bell-Terza, to this land? Wouldn't that work somehow?
Lord Bell-Terza? He might be capable, but... summoning him here would require vast amounts of blood and souls. It's uncertain if it's even possible.
In this remote place, far from any battlefield...
-We've got plenty around here.
They're innocent.
-Oh my. Since when did you draw lines between the guilty and innocent before killing? When you slaughtered Byron Empire dogs, didn't you kill them just for being born in Byron lands and serving as their soldiers? Those dead must resent it. Oh, come to think of it, some of us were Byron affiliates.
The wraiths cackled mockingly. Even plugging my ears, their voices rang clearly in my mind.
-It's the same for those here. The people in nearby villages, castles, and the tower—same thing. Unfortunate that they live here. Still, better than Byron Empire scum. Because this will be a noble sacrifice to summon Him.
....
-What's the problem? Once He arrives on this land, He'll resurrect the dead. Your wife, your son—everyone. Our lord will open the path we desire. No need to overthink. He'll give you and us the answers we seek. He will. Of course. Just believe.
....
Seduced by the wraiths' whispers, I—in this unfamiliar land.
Was quietly becoming a nightmare in Calypso's hinterlands.
+++
"Sorry, Yuda."
Jeanne apologized from inside the rattling carriage. She bowed her head slightly, her eyes downcast, clearly aware of her mistake. Yuda pretended not to hear, gazing out the window. Leaving behind the crowds heading to the capital Aslan, Yuda and Jeanne were now bound for Calypso. He let out a long sigh while watching the people and scenery flash by.
Pretending to stay angry like this would just make her sulk more.
Yuda looked at her bowed head and spoke.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
"Yes...."
He watched her slumped posture quietly. The carriage jolted roughly but soon steadied. It wasn't wrong for her to accept the request—she was going to help anyway. But Yuda had planned to discuss it with her first and decide whether to assist. Of course, if she refused, he intended to persuade her otherwise. The issue was her accepting unilaterally without even asking his opinion. That's why Yuda was feigning anger now. Surprisingly, it worked well. She truly believed he was mad and kept apologizing.
"Haa—Jeanne. We're not in a superior-subordinate relationship, but we're in the same party, right? Even if you felt sympathy for them, you should have consulted me and gotten agreement before accepting. Even if you were the leader, I wouldn't say this. Of course, a leader wouldn't act so arbitrarily either. They'd poll the party members, coordinate opinions, and decide on the request together. If it were an official commission, we'd have no choice but to accept."
"......"
"I know you know I can brew potions, but what if the ingredients were unobtainable? Say, something only found in the Dragon's Valley at the southeastern edge? Or if the material costs were astronomically high? For an official request, we'd have been liable for breach fees."
"I'm truly ashamed. I'll be more careful next time."
Yuda nodded at Jeanne's remorseful demeanor. That was enough.
"Jeanne, lift your head."
"You're forgiving me?"
She cautiously raised her head, gauging his expression. Though his face was still stiff, it wasn't as icy as before, so she seemed relieved.
"...I'm a bit upset, but what can I do? We're comrades. Just be careful next time."
"Yes. Don't worry. I won't act on my own again. By the way, do we absolutely have to go to Calypso to get that mana herb?"
"It's a hassle, but there's no choice if we want Cherseian. It's finicky to store. The moment it leaves its habitat, you have to keep infusing it with mana, or it crumbles. It's rare and tricky to preserve, so buying from a magic tower costs a fortune, and they might not even have it. Better to go straight to Calypso, harvest it fresh, process it, and bring it back—faster and cheaper."
In truth, money alone could secure Cherseian easily. But Yuda was heading to Calypso deliberately.
The quest's main content was brewing a remedy for mana deficiency, but that wasn't the point. Edsen's son had gone to Calypso for mana herb and vanished. Near that disappearance site lay a dungeon called [Calypso's Nightmare].
That dungeon was the real purpose of this quest. To clear it, Yuda used gathering mana herb and finding the son as excuses to head there.
Of course, the dungeon's existence meant Edsen's son was already dead. Since the quest followed the game's story exactly, there was no need to consider otherwise. But he couldn't tell the tearful father thanking him that his son was gone. He wouldn't believe it anyway.
'I'll have to find some keepsake.'
If he could find something in the dungeon, great. Yuda sighed and continued to Jeanne, a bit late.
"And we're also committed to finding Edsen's son, right? We have to go."
"I see...."
"Oh, and once we reach Calypso, it'll be a rough road ahead. Brace yourself."
Jeanne tilted her head at his ominous words. But Yuda said no more. She'd understand naturally upon arrival. He slowly lifted his gaze to the distant mountains visible through the window. Dark clouds gathered far off, as if heralding what lay ahead.
========== Afterword ==========
Q. No map?
A. There is one. I uploaded it to the work settings. Some place names, region names, and details are still missing and omitted. But it should be easy to check each country's positions^^