Chapter 185
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: The Unforeseen Interruption
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Upon learning that the crown prince’s party had already departed for the north, Pernyan immediately gave chase.
“Are we really going alone? This feels wrong, no matter how I think about it. These are the guys who wiped out the Black Mirror Knights, the strongest knight order in Alfrissen. Shouldn’t we request some support from the Fallenbergs…?”
“This is Alfrissen, not the Empire. Mobilizing troops without cause would create a major diplomatic incident.”
Even for the Fallenbergs, that was asking too much. Within the Empire, or even in some minor, weaker nation, they might have been able to smooth things over.
But not in Alfrissen.
“In that case…”
“Don’t worry. We’re not going in without a plan.”
The prophecy book didn’t specify exactly how the crown prince’s party was annihilated. However, it wasn’t entirely without clues.
“They were accompanied by nearly a hundred guards, including the Black Mirror Knights. Yet they were all wiped out.”
The Black Mirror Knights were Alfrissen’s finest, and their escorts were elite soldiers.
For them to be annihilated with no survivors on Alfrissen soil, of all places, simply didn’t make sense under normal circumstances.
“You can’t just gather that many monsters and demonic beasts without anyone noticing.”
Even if they were tricked into falling into another underground cavern, the same logic applied.
That left only one conclusion.
“There’s something else at play. A reason they had to be annihilated.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. At first, I simply thought there was a traitor, but now I’m not so sure.”
Having witnessed magic capable of summoning rain for weeks on end, Pernyan was beginning to find the idea that demons were the masters of magic more credible.
And if they could use such grand magic once, why not twice?
“…Doesn’t that make it an even bigger problem?”
“It’s fine. I’ve made some preparations. And if worst comes to worst, I can get myself out.”
“If you get yourself out, what about me?”
“……”
“What are you two whispering about?”
“Nothing. Let’s hurry.”
Pernyan quickly followed the trail of the crown prince’s party, heading north. Given the size of their retinue, tracking them wasn’t difficult.
“It really is still raining.”
“I heard it hasn’t stopped for over two weeks. Apparently, this drizzle is an improvement over the downpour.”
“The cries of the people are endless.”
“There’s an old saying: ‘You can survive three years of drought, but not three months of flood.’ Downpours and floods are terrible disasters.”
The timing, right before the harvest, made this rainy season all the more vicious.
It was late in the evening when they finally spotted signs of the crown prince’s party.
“We can’t take this road either. All the nearby paths are blocked. Could this be the work of the Vile Breeds?”
“Probably.”
Of course, there was a chance it wasn’t. The weeks-long downpour was already an unnatural phenomenon.
But considering the rain itself was the work of the Vile Breeds, this was undoubtedly part of their scheme.
“This means an attack is imminent. We need to find the crown prince now.”
By the time they were close enough to see them, the trouble had already begun.
“Demonic energy.”
“Is that a slash-and-burn village? There’s a magic circle drawn over the entire settlement.”
The runes were unlike any Pernyan knew. He surmised they must be runes used only by demons.
Pernyan’s suspicion that they were using the magic circle for some nefarious purpose was correct.
“Should we go in? It looks dangerous.”
“The crown prince must be saved. But rushing in blindly would be foolish.”
The crown prince was important, but his own life was more so. Pernyan was not the altruistic type to throw himself into danger for others.
“Let’s just confirm one thing. If this works, we go in. If not, we wait outside.”
The confirmation was simple. He stood at the boundary, where the magic circle’s influence began and ended, and poured holy water onto it.
*Sizzzle—*
The holy water collided with the demonic energy and evaporated rapidly.
“We’re going in.”
A faint but noticeable part of the magic circle was damaged, its light extinguished.
That was enough.
The efficiency was poor, but he had brought enough to compensate for it.
“Hey, what is that holy water, anyway? Is it some kind of miracle water? Why does it work on everything?”
“Miracle water? Is it more effective than holy water? How much is it?”
“No, that’s not what I…”
Gismond’s voice trailed off.
“Hmm, I feel my strength draining…”
“Pernyan. I sense monsters on all sides…”
*Thump.*
Just then, Wooden tapped lightly on Pernyan’s chest. Ruina drew her sword.
Hyde stepped in front of Pernyan, scanning their surroundings.
Drawn by the demonic energy, monsters had begun to swarm them from every direction.
“I can feel demonic energy. There are demonic beasts mixed in as well.”
“Right. This explains everything.”
It drains their aura, mana, and life force, weakening the crown prince’s party, while converting that energy into demonic power to strengthen the monsters.
No wonder there were no survivors.
It would have been manageable at first. But overwhelmed by the endless waves of monsters and demonic beasts, they would have been unable to escape the magic circle’s influence, constantly being worn down.
And in the end, they would have been annihilated.
‘It still feels like something is missing. There must be Vile Breeds nearby. This probably isn’t all of it.’
In any case, tonight was when that history was originally supposed to unfold.
A future where the crown prince of Alfrissen dies, and the kingdom descends into chaos.
But Pernyan had no intention of allowing such a future.
“We’re heading to the center of the village.”
The magic circle was composed of demonic runes, so he couldn’t read the inscriptions.
Therefore, he had no way of knowing what other functions might be hidden within it, besides draining life force and converting it to demonic energy.
But whether it was demonic magic or human magic, the source was the same. The flow was the same.
Where the demonic energy flowed from and where it was headed, where the core of this magic circle was.
Pernyan figured it out in an instant.
“What’s the exact plan?”
“The village center is the heart of this magic circle. We pour the holy water there.”
“Will it be effective?”
“If it isn’t, we’ll keep pouring until it is.”
“That’s very you.”
Despite the serious situation, Ruina let out an involuntary chuckle.
“I will clear the way.”
“Sorry, but there’s nothing to clear.”
“…I see.”
The main road to the center was wide open. The pained groans of the villagers could be heard from all around.
“Here.”
Pernyan poured the holy water. The reaction and resistance were far more violent than at the perimeter.
“Ruina, you pour too. You as well, Sunbaenim.”
Pernyan handed some of the holy water to Ruina and Gismond. Hyde had already uncorked a bottle and was pouring.
The ground bubbled as it clashed with the demonic energy.
The cost-effectiveness was abysmal, but what mattered was that it worked.
“Make sure to throw the bottles on the ground.”
“We’re just leaving the bottles?”
Ruina asked with a puzzled look, as Pernyan would normally have collected them.
“It’s an investment.”
It was an appeal to the crown prince. An appeal to show just how much holy water they had used for their sake.
“…I see.”
And just then.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—*
The sound of horse hooves echoed from the distance.
It was undoubtedly the crown prince’s party.
“Out of the way!”
A desperate shout rang out. Yet, Pernyan didn’t move.
“…Uh, Pernyan? Shouldn’t we get out of the way?”
“No. Please continue pouring the holy water.”
“But they’re in a lance charge! They must think we’re Vile Breeds!”
“They might think that.”
Ruina and Hyde subtly positioned themselves between Pernyan and the crown prince’s group.
“There’s no need for that. They’re slowing down.”
Pernyan was right. The speed of the crown prince’s party was rapidly decreasing.
And when they were close enough to clearly make out each other’s faces, they came to a complete halt.
“…Who are you?”
The knights at the forefront carried an extraordinary presence. They were clearly the Black Mirror Knights, Alfrissen’s strongest knight order.
And among them was a man of refined grace.
A man with platinum-blond hair and deep crimson eyes. Crown Prince Alpion Alfrissen.
Pernyan gave a slight bow.
“I’ve come to keep a promise, Your Highness.”
“A promise?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Pernyan of the Fallenberg family.”
“…Pernyan Fallenberg?”
Everyone’s eyes widened at the appearance of a completely unexpected figure.
“Forgive my informal greeting. This is a bit more urgent at the moment.”
Pernyan tossed aside an empty bottle and took out a new one filled with holy water.
“…What are you doing?”
“Erasing the Vile Breeds’ magic circle.”
“Is such a thing possible? What is that, exactly?”
“…It is holy water.”
In that brief moment, Pernyan hesitated.
If he told the truth, the kingdom would surely try to purchase holy water, which would lead to excess demand and make it harder for him to acquire.
But dealing with the Vile Breeds had to take priority.
If the effectiveness of holy water became widely known, the Vile Breeds would have a much harder time operating.
“Holy water?”
“Yes. It’s an item made by the Dragon God Cult. It’s not as potent as Armian’s light, but it’s quite effective against demonic energy.”
“…It certainly seems so.”
The crown prince surveyed his surroundings and asked.
“How much holy water do you have?”
“Quite a lot.”
“Then can you continue to pour it like that?”
It was already too late to escape. The monsters had broken through the villagers’ crude defenses and entered the village.
“Form a defensive line!”
“Protect His Highness!”
The knights formed a defensive perimeter around the crown prince. They were completely surrounded with no way out, but their expressions were brighter than before.
The draining of their mana and aura had significantly lessened.
Without the restriction of the magic circle, they had nothing to fear. They were the Black Mirror Knights, after all.
“That’s not a problem, but…”
Pernyan, sensing an opportunity, let his sentence trail off, and the crown prince immediately understood his meaning.
“They say the rich always want more. You, sir, are truly relentless.”
“Your Highness is also among the rich.”
“As long as you’re not overcharging me, I’ll pay whatever it costs.”
“Thank you.”
Pernyan smiled and reached into his sub-space pocket. But what he pulled out was not holy water.
“By the way, do you happen to need any healing or mana potions? I also have awakening cigarettes for those feeling fatigued.”
“……”
***
“…What is this?!”
Not far from the slash-and-burn village.
Daniel Koul shrieked at the sudden intrusion of an unwelcome guest.
“Where in the world did Pernyan Fallenberg come from?!”
“Pernyan Fallenberg? Wasn’t Roderick Fisher supposed to be dealing with him?”
The blue-haired man standing next to him scowled.
“That’s what I’m saying. What in the world is he doing here…!”
“Do something! Can’t you see he’s damaging the magic circle?!”
“What brilliant idea do you think I have? The book has already been burned.”
“Weren’t you the one who was so sure Pernyan Fallenberg wouldn’t come this way?!”
“That was about Esrin!”
And indeed, Pernyan had not gone to Esrin.
“That damned Roderick. How does he handle his business?”
Daniel Koul ground his teeth. But he soon shook his head.
“Now that things have come to this, it can’t be helped. For now, we should retreat…”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you know how much effort went into this plan, into creating this magic circle?! You want to abandon it and run?!”
Making it rain for nearly three weeks was no easy feat. It required an immense amount of life force, and they had suffered great losses for this operation.
The same went for the magic circle.
It was a magic circle designed to drain the life force and mana from powerful individuals like the Black Mirror Knights.
The time and effort that went into completing it were not insignificant.
“This magic circle was created by burning half of my book! Are you going to let it be destroyed just like that?!”
“Then what do you suggest we do?!”
“We’re seeing this through to the end.”
A demonic glint shone in the man’s eyes.
“I will kill the crown prince and annihilate the Black Mirror Knights and all their escorts. Pernyan Fallenberg and those vermin with him, too.”
“Wait, the suggestion worked on Pernyan Fallenberg. In the long run, it would be better to place additional suggestions on him and control him rather than kill him…”
“Better? Nonsense! Is he not interfering with my work right now?!”
He cut Daniel off with a snarl and took out the half-burnt book.
“No matter what you say, I will carry out my plan today as intended. I will kill everyone who has entered the magic circle’s range!”
Even if it meant burning his entire book.
“You’ll just be wasting the book.”
“Don’t you dare equate me with you. I awakened long before you did.”
“……”
Without waiting for Daniel’s reply, the blue-haired man disappeared toward the village.
“…Hah.”
Daniel Koul let out a hollow laugh.
“…Fine, do as you please.”
I will complete my mission. Let’s just stick to our respective duties.
“Wait, does this mean that bastard Pernyan isn’t in Esrin?”
Daniel Koul, too, soon vanished without a trace.