Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Deal Established
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I remember that brat who was acting all tough.
But there's no way that kid's still alive, right?
Am I remembering wrong?
I felt much the same as Anonymous 1.
Could they be mistaking him for someone else with the same name?
...But what if it really was the Philip Deran that Anonymous 1 knew?
He's a mage who uses Fortress Magic.
Oh? Then it's definitely the one I know.
That told me Anonymous 1 wasn't a complete magic newbie.
The very fact that he could tail the Followers of Evil without them noticing... was clearly beyond what I'd expected.
Was Anonymous 1 a Transcendent too?
That would mean both of the other two in this chat room were Transcendents.
In a way... my attitude of staying observational might have been the right call. If I'd revealed from the start that I was just a worthless fifth-circle mage, they probably wouldn't have even tried to deal with me.
I might have been treated like less than an ant, the way that blond Transcendent treated me.
Considering Anonymous 1's personality, it was a given.
I needed to get my head straight.
I had to make use of the information advantage I held right now.
This was a golden opportunity. Neither of them had the info I did.
'Though it is info I heard from the blond Transcendent.'
He'd been asleep for a very long time.
Anonymous 1 reacted with clear interest.
Him too?
So he's still kicking.
Nice to know.
...Had Anonymous 1 been asleep for ages too?
Anonymous 2 was at least trying to hide their identity, but not Anonymous 1. They were way too open about it.
That brazenness wasn't really a problem for the rest of us in the chat, though.
It actually kept the info flowing smoothly here.
From what I'd heard, Philip Deran was human. But he'd lived so long that it was iffy whether you could still call him that.
I knew the reason why, too.
Philip Deran had become a lich to extend his lifespan. And he'd regretted that choice, sinking into doubt before putting himself to sleep.
Now that I'd confirmed they were both thinking of the same Philip Deran, it was time for the main point.
What I want is to put him back to sleep. Forever.
Why not just do it yourself?
Hmm... the expected question came back.
How should I answer this?
Saying I didn't have the skills... would be a bad move.
It'd shatter the "mysterious" image I'd built up so carefully.
On the other hand, something overly grandiose like "It's not time for me to move yet" would just piss off someone with Anonymous 1's personality.
I needed a reason that didn't make me look weak but was believable. Luckily, my info edge gave me the perfect excuse.
No need for me to stir when a word can settle it.
A deal.
This was a message of exchange.
You want me to handle your dirty work, huh.
Hmm...
I could do it.
Good. Nailed the lead-in.
Now it was Anonymous 2's turn.
They had the real reason to get involved in this.
Anonymous 2 seemed to read the timing perfectly.
What does Anonymous 1 want? If it's info on the Followers of Evil in exchange, I can step in for you.
I have a ton of questions.
Bump my five questions to ten.
How many questions do you even have...
...Is that really enough?
This guy seems to want Philip Deran dead.
I love that straightforward shit.
Deal?
Then you should handle what he wants first.
Sure. I'd rather go all out than just tailing from behind anyway.
Anonymous 1's brash personality made the deal go down in a flash.
It happened so fast I stared at the screen in a daze. I'd thrown it out there on a slim chance since no amount of thinking had given me answers, but I hadn't expected it to smooth out like this.
Anonymous 2 stuck to their stance of putting me above them, like before. Otherwise, they wouldn't have yielded the order so naturally, even for a deal promise.
I could maintain the mysterious vibe thanks to Anonymous 2's misconception.
It wasn't intentional, but it was a relief now. From here on, I'd make it intentional.
The people in this chat room... no, I couldn't even call them people anymore.
They weren't ordinary, that was for sure.
The next day.
Parovian visited with Raistel in tow.
Arsius burst out of the forest shadows in an instant.
Black wings unfurled from his back, propelling his body like an arrow across the treetops.
The air tore as his shadow vanished into the distance in a blink.
At the end of his thick, curved tail dangled a black tombstone, coiled like jewelry.
Ever since finding this tombstone, Arsius had carried it around like this almost nonstop.
At first, he'd thought what kind of weird crap is this? But now he wouldn't let it leave his side for a second.
What was it like? It was a new kind of fun he'd never experienced in his long life.
A fresh sensation.
Whenever something piqued his curiosity, he could ask right away. And it brought exciting pursuits to his aimless wandering.
Pretty decent toy.
After breaking free from his seal after eons, could anything top this for entertainment?
The one called '0' inside that tombstone had said Philip Deran was near the Barma Mountains.
The Barma Mountains lay northeast of the Velheim Empire. Palewood was northwest, so it wasn't far.
There'd be a building that looked like a castle, plain as day.
A castle in the mountains was odd, but Transcendents were always into that eccentric, ostentatious crap.
They thought it showed off their power.
Back in the day, some would nest within shouting distance and glare at each other for decades.
"All ancient history now..."
Why did old-man mutterings keep slipping out?
He still looked like a spry young man in his prime, so he needed to fix his speech quick.
'Gotta ask about stuff I don't know to pick up some modern lingo...'
One flap of his wings covered kilometers. Maybe that's why he reached the castle sooner than expected.
Deep in the mountains loomed a golden citadel, its seven spires piercing the sky. The color had faded to a pale yellow now.
Faint interference magic spread to block approaches, but he ignored it without a second thought.
He knew better than anyone that vision-blocking spells like this wouldn't work on him.
Spot on.
His eyes never lied.
Arsius landed before the castle.
Boom!
The ground cratered from the impact, kicking up dust.
The occupant had to have noticed.
But no Transcendent came to greet him.
Hundreds of spears erupted from the earth instead.
Arsius watched them come without flinching.
The spears shattered or bent aside the moment they touched his skin.
Even those shooting up from his feet toward his torso met the same fate.
All crumbled on contact with his body.
But it didn't end there. The spearhead fragments writhed like living things.
In seconds, the metal shards formed sleek black-scaled serpents.
And lunged at Arsius again, fangs bared.
Philip Deran.
Was that brat still playing these childish games?
If he'd survived this long... he'd have lived quite an age even among Transcendents.
Arsius didn't bother doing anything else.
Hundreds of snakes bit into him, but it only tickled; they couldn't pierce his skin.
The traps kept coming.
The castle wall he'd flown over split open like a gaping maw.
Sinister mana gathered in the fissure.
Suddenly, a heart-squeezing vibration hummed from within.
The mana condensed into a beam of light and blasted straight at Arsius.
"Huh, better block this one."
Arsius muttered lazily, flicking his tail to catch the black tombstone in his hand. Then he whipped his freed tail around in a full spin.
Boom!
The massive mana cannon clashed with his tail, sending a shockwave that ravaged the area.
The unleashed mana swept everything, obliterating nearly half the castle.
The ground split, barriers crumbled.
This qualified as raising hell.
Arsius grinned in satisfaction.
"I know you're watching from inside—come out!"
As Arsius bellowed, the snakes clinging to him dropped off.
It was a hell of a noise, but no response.
This punk... making him look stupid.
"If you don't come out, I'll smash your whole castle!!"
Another shout finally got a reaction.
"What racket is this?"
The voice came from the castle's peak.
The tallest spire.
A black-cloaked skeleton appeared there, blue flames flickering in its eye sockets.
He floated up lightly, cloak billowing as he drifted slowly toward Arsius.
To Arsius, the sight was... pretty pathetic.
He'd built a whole castle with fancy gates, but then fluttered down from the top like a pigeon.
The guy had no sense of style.
Arsius smirked at the approaching skeleton.
"Man, I always thought you were ugly back in the day... but you've straight-up given up on looks now?"
"...Do I know you?"
The skeleton halted abruptly once close enough.
"Take a good look. This handsome mug isn't easy to forget, right?"
The skeleton's head thrust forward, as if scrutinizing Arsius.
After a long stare, a dumbfounded voice burst from the skull.
"Ah... Lord Arsius...?"
"Hey, your jaw's gonna drop off. A guy on death's door needs to watch his bones."}