Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: To the Capital
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Lich Albatross still got a throbbing headache whenever he thought about that day.
If he had a living body, cold sweat would have trickled down his back on its own. The Sanctuary Beacon. A single streak of beacon light had annihilated the corpse army from over ten kilometers away.
It wasn't annihilation due to the collapse of combat ability.
It was just annihilation. Truly, not a single one left—just turned back into corpses.
"At the time, my master sought to elevate the Underground Castle's prestige by hunting the Hero Party, using that to rise to prominence. The strategy he mobilized for that was the Encirclement Annihilation Formation."
Albatross pulled out a board far larger than a typical chessboard and placed three chess pieces in the center. This was the Hero Party.
Each one was a prodigy among prodigies, equivalent to a queen on the chessboard. They could go anywhere and do anything. Three of them were no force to underestimate.
The plan was to thoroughly surround these three with a massive army, then crush them with elite undead like Dullahans, liches, and Death Knights—the main force. Elder Lich Balzac's scheme was to overwhelm the Hero Party with sheer numbers. He calculated that the full might accumulated by the Underground Castle over centuries would more than suffice to wipe them out.
"But it failed."
"Of course it did."
Albatross gave a bitter smile as he looked at his disciple, Karyos.
"But that wasn't anyone's fault."
That was why the flesh Underground Castle didn't underestimate the Hero Party. They poured their hearts into encircling and annihilating them. A whopping four hundred thousand corpse legion formed the encirclement net, pressing in from afar, while elite undead like Death Knights and liches in the center would hold them down to prevent a breakthrough.
Corpses didn't have infinite stamina, but it far exceeded that of the living.
If everything went according to plan, the Hero Party would have withered away right there. And those corpses would have been remodeled by the Underground Castle into elite undead, strengthening it further.
"Who could have known there existed a being capable of sweeping away every piece on the board?"
No matter how many knights, pawns, or bishops there were—no matter if queens blanketed the entire board.
Chess pieces topple over with a single push of the hand. That's exactly what happened that day.
Kyle had merely raised the Sanctuary Beacon against Elder Lich Balzac, unaware of the ripple effects it would cause. But Albatross had seen and heard it all.
A beacon was meant to send signals to others. Naturally, it was visible from very far away.
The liches and Death Knights waiting far off to pin down the Hero Party were annihilated. Other types of undead achieved nirvana almost simultaneously.
The four hundred thousand corpse legion didn't even swing a claw before becoming a four hundred thousand fertilizer legion, enriching the soil. The necromancers who witnessed this horrific, terrifying event couldn't even think straight.
They just blindly fled. Once a flash of light reduced their sturdy corpse legion to mere corpses, what more could they do? They were already in full panic, morale shattered.
"So this time, we can have our revenge. That guy's no longer with the Hero Party."
In the end, Albatross didn't voice his desire for direct revenge against Kyle.
The memory of that day lingered as an indelible trauma, buried deep in his chest even as a lich. His heart no longer beat, but the fear pulsing within it was still alive.
"Hydra poison holds no effect on us, the already dead."
He slowly rose, tilting the jade vial delivered by messenger.
"But the hero won't survive."
The combination of Hydra poison and undead.
It would truly be horrific for the living.
*****
Everyone has their own journey. And they grow through their travels. That's why I always felt grateful to Yurinel.
She was the one who showed this vast world to me, living in Pumpkin Vine Village.
The adventures with the Hero Party had shattered the walls of my frog-in-a-well existence, revealing rivers and lakes beyond. We'd been through so much, and my perspective had broadened accordingly.
"Ah..."
I'd thought I'd grown accustomed to gruesome sights, but a sigh escaped me unwittingly.
I had to tread so carefully, lest I crush skulls underfoot. Heads of babies—not even children yet—reduced to bare bone, rolling down Meso Mountain.
"They didn't even bury them or cremate them—just dumped them on the mountain like this?"
Even the princess, accustomed to blood from battlefields, couldn't hide her shock. Anyone human would react the same. Viscount Leighton averted his eyes, unable to meet ours.
"It was tradition to leave them like this for mountain beasts to feed on."
"Even so, this... No, how... how long have they been doing this?"
"Nearly three hundred years, I'd say."
"It's a wonder the Reaper hasn't appeared sooner."
I clutched my head and surveyed the surroundings.
It was obvious at a glance that this was the birthplace of the Reaper. No need to delay until tomorrow. I firmly instructed Viscount Leighton to contact the temple immediately and show them this place.
The born Reaper had already taken his son, but that was just the beginning.
A being born from grudges couldn't possibly be normal.
It might start with what seems like righteous vengeance, but it ends in catastrophe. No need to see it through— it spreads only resentment to the world before inevitably being subjugated.
But until then, how many horrors would unfold?
I didn't even want to imagine.
"I prayed to console the innocently sacrificed children, but it didn't reach them. Viscount, do you understand what you and your men have done? The innocent children are gone forever now. Only the Reaper remains."
The Reaper's divine power filling this land was something I could remove, but it was better left to the Triad Church priests. They needed to know a Reaper had been born.
They received tithes from the entire continent precisely for situations like this. While holy knights and inquisitors dealt with demons, their fundamental purpose was Reapers.
"So in the end, I brought harm to my own son."
Viscount Leighton hung his head, but it was already too late.
The god had taken his son, completing its vengeance. For Viscount Leighton, that might be a punishment more dreadful than death.
"The Reaper seems to have gone far from here already. I can't pinpoint where, but if it appears again, terrible things will happen."
One shouldn't try to comprehend a god with human logic. No one knows when, how, or in what form a Reaper will manifest.
It might emerge after we all die of old age, in our children's or grandchildren's era. Or perhaps centuries later.
Or it could appear somewhere tomorrow, and that wouldn't be strange.
Nothing was predictable; we could only hope the Triad Church prepared well. The sooner they knew a Reaper had been born, the easier their preparations.
"Nada. Contact the temple... tell them a Reaper has appeared. Tithes? That's not important. This is a grave matter—they won't even think of accepting them now. We can pay after everything's settled."
Viscount Leighton's face stiffened as he communicated via the magic communicator.
"What? Really? Is it true? Verified? No, no. I trust you. Of course. But this... I need you to explain properly. It's a truly important issue."
"...Understood. Got it. Yes. I'll contact you later. My god...!"
His hand trembled violently around the magic device. After cutting off communication, he turned slowly toward us with a dazed expression.
He swallowed hard, then slowly opened his mouth. The princess eyed him with irritation.
"What now? Don't beat around the bush—spit it out."
"Princess Ardaine. You should return to the capital as quickly as possible."
"What are you talking about?"
As the princess looked puzzled, Viscount Leighton took a deep breath. Only then did he muster the courage to speak the truth.
"His Imperial Majesty... is in a very critical condition right now. Most who have the information are just awaiting the day he passes."
It hit like a bolt from a clear sky; even I was quite shocked.
How must the princess, his own daughter, feel? She nearly shuddered, overcome with agitation.
Her legs visibly trembled. I couldn't see her face, but I could well imagine.
"No way, no way? I knew Father wasn't well, but to deteriorate this much in just a few months?"
"I dare not explain the reason myself, but you must return quickly. Ideally, right now. And Priest..."
Viscount Leighton gripped my hand tightly, expressing his gratitude.
"Truly... thank you so much. If we'd had a bit more time, I would have entertained you properly, but I never imagined we'd part so soon and made no preparations. As you said, we've already notified the temple. We'll handle the rest in consultation with the Triad Church."
"Saint... Saint!"
Only then did the princess urgently call for me, snatching my hand.
She gazed at me with desperate eyes, words tumbling out rapidly. It was a rare sight—her face showed no composure whatsoever, and understandably so.
But I couldn't let myself get swept up in the panic.
"Please... help Father. He's the one who always loved his worthless daughter, who never did anything for him. Somehow... somehow, if you could help Father... help him..."
Normally, I would have said I wasn't sure. That I couldn't know if I'd be of any help without trying.
If His Imperial Majesty was dying, it was likely not from illness or curse, but simply the end of his lifespan. An emperor could receive healing even from the Triad Church's saintess.
For such a person to be beyond help meant his natural lifespan was ending.
The Lord hadn't granted me power even for that. He could do it, but He didn't. If He had, the elders in Pumpkin Vine Village would have been rejuvenated into youths long ago.
So even if I went, I probably couldn't help.
That's what I would have thought before the events in Vlad territory.
Everyone has their own journey. And they grow through their travels.
If I hadn't come here, hadn't seen the vampires' plight, hadn't resolved it with my own hands, I would have doubted forever.
Perhaps, just perhaps, my Lord was more special than others.
I wouldn't have entertained such thoughts, nor had the chance.
What the Triad couldn't do, my Lord might accomplish.
The One behind me, whom I serve and Who watches over me, was profoundly mysterious.
"If we can arrive before His Majesty passes."
That's why I could answer like this.
"It will surely help."
"Saint..."
"To the capital. Together."
I took the princess's tear-streaked hand and pulled her close. This wasn't the time to dawdle.
We had to reach the capital as fast as possible. If we arrived after His Majesty had passed, no amount of my abilities would matter.
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