Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: A Three-Day Plan
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It was a peculiar symbol.
An inverted triangle, perhaps? It was encircled by a strange, circular pattern.
My artistic sense fails me in describing it further.
This symbol was located quite close to the Sapphire Snake.
To be more precise, it was near the cave we were in.
“…What is that?”
“An inverted tower. An ancient structure hidden in places all over the world.”
So it was a tower, not a triangle.
But why does that matter?
“An altar of a forgotten god. Surely you understand now?”
“Ah.”
The words ‘forgotten god’ made it all click into place.
There are gods whose names are widely known in this world.
The seventy-two gods worshipped by the Empire.
The thirteen Dragon Kings, patrons of all manner of monsters and beasts.
And finally, the nine Spirit Gods and the five Kings.
Some would add the Calamity God worshipped by the Dark Cult, but generally, the gods of this world refer to those ninety-nine deities.
The forgotten gods, on the other hand, are beings who have lost their divinity because no one remembers them anymore.
Of course, though they've lost their status, their power and influence are said to still be worthy of a divine being.
That's why the altars of forgotten gods are so important.
If you offer them a suitable sacrifice and gain their recognition, you can become their first disciple.
A forgotten god does not forget a kindness.
They will grant the wish of their first disciple, the one who pulled them from the swamp of oblivion, almost unconditionally.
Simply put, whether a forgotten god becomes good or evil depends on the nature of their first disciple.
“…If the divinity of a forgotten god falls into the hands of the Cult.”
“The number of Demon Kings might increase by one. A worst-case scenario, but possible.”
Now it all made sense.
The reason those assassins were being so cautious in the cave.
They were afraid of starting a fight and angering the forgotten god, or worse, damaging the altar.
Compared to that, subjugating a Jewel Beast is a trivial matter.
“So for the Cult, subjugating the Jewel Beast was just a secondary objective.”
“Exactly. That's why they're waiting quietly. For the Sapphire Snake to awaken from hibernation and leave this cave.”
“Shouldn't we stop them?”
Kaljak shook his head.
“How? Even I haven't grasped the full extent of their forces in these mountains. A single High Priest is trouble enough, but considering their objective, it wouldn't be strange if there were several other powerhouses of comparable strength. Securing an altar of a forgotten god is one of the Cult's highest priorities.”
“Then what do we do?”
“…This cave has only two entrances. The Jewel Beast is blocking one of them, so for now, there's only one way out. The Cult will be waiting there until you emerge.”
Kaljak said, stroking his beard.
“So we have to take care of the Jewel Beast.”
“You mean escape through its entrance.”
“Yes. After that, we quickly get out of the mountains and report this to the Bednickers. Forming a subjugation party to strike them is our best option.”
Kaljak finished speaking and looked at Arjan and me.
“Of course, this is just my opinion. If you two have a better idea, I'm willing to hear it.”
“……”
I racked my brain for a moment, but I knew the answer before I even had to think too hard.
All things considered, Kaljak's judgment was the best course of action.
That's only when compared to the other options, of course; it wasn't some brilliant masterstroke in itself.
A fight with a Jewel Beast would normally require more than a few lives to spare.
“I'll take it you both agree with me, then? Don't go changing your minds later.”
“Can we really take down a Jewel Beast with just the three of us?”
“Of course. I was planning to take it on by myself anyway. With two more people, there's no reason we can't.”
Kaljak said nonchalantly.
“As for checking our strength… well, maybe later. For today, just rest. You both look dead on your feet.”
“Understood.”
Not to mention Arjan, I too was quite exhausted from the successive battles.
I found a suitable spot, spread out a blanket, and flopped down.
The hardness of the ground didn't completely disappear, but I was out like a light in no time.
* * *
I woke up to a stiffness that felt like I'd been beaten all over.
‘Ugh…’
The price for sleeping sprawled out on the hard floor.
It was a relief I hadn't frozen solid.
Just as I was about to sit up, I heard voices.
“…So, who knows about you right now?”
“Only the Family Head, the Council of Elders, and my Lady.”
“I see. Understood. It must have been difficult for you.”
Kaljak and Arjan were having a conversation.
I instinctively pretended to be asleep.
“What about that kid?”
“He hasn't said anything, but he looked as if he had some inkling.”
“He certainly seems sharp. Gutsy, too. It's strange. Why have I never heard Delac mention his name?”
It seemed the important part of their conversation was already over, but I wasn't particularly disappointed.
In fact, given my promise to Arjan, unintentionally eavesdropping would have just left a bad taste in my mouth.
I deliberately shifted, making some noise as I got up.
“Young Master, are you awake?”
“…Yeah. Good morning. Though I'm not sure if it is morning.”
I took out my watch and checked. It was 9 PM.
I looked at Kaljak and spoke.
“You didn't sleep?”
“Sleep shortens with age. Oh, and thanks for the jerky. It was good.”
“The jerky?”
Where Kaljak jutted his chin, an empty jerky bag lay on the ground.
It seemed he'd taken it from my backpack and eaten it.
“It's been a while since I had anything greasy. The saltiness was delicious.”
“…Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it.”
A bag of jerky was a small price to pay for saving my life.
“Now then, shall we have a constructive discussion? About how to get rid of that snake bastard.”
“Speaking of which, you've fought it directly, so you must know a lot.”
At that, Kaljak narrowed his eyes and glared at me, clearly displeased.
“What is it?”
“It's getting on my nerves, the way you keep addressing me.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“‘Master Teacher’ will do.”
“But I'm not your disciple. That's a bit…”
“Then ‘Brother’.”
“Let's just go with ‘Senior’.”
“Why ‘Senior’?”
“You've walked the path of martial arts longer than I have.”
“Hmph… Fine, call me whatever you want.”
Kaljak replied with a disgruntled expression, then stroked his beard and continued.
“Anyway, there's much to prepare if we're to catch the Jewel Beast. I'm not thrilled about it, but starting today, I'll be teaching you two.”
“Teaching us? Isn't that a bit too leisurely? We don't have much time.”
“No need to worry about that. Who do you think I am? I'm the renowned Grand Master Teacher of the Bednicker family. A month or two should be enough to drill the basics into your heads.”
A month or two?
“Senior, how long are you planning for this Jewel Beast hunt?”
“Well. I'll need to see your skill level to be sure, but I'm thinking it will take at least three months.”
In that moment, I felt as if I'd been doused with cold water, my mind snapping to attention.
And here I thought things were finally going smoothly.
“Three months?”
“Yeah.”
“That's too long.”
“Too long? Then how long were you thinking?”
I considered the time needed to subjugate the Jewel Beast and the schedule for my return to the main family, then opened my mouth.
“Generously, three days?”
“What? Hahaha…”
Kaljak burst out laughing.
But I didn't laugh.
At times like this, maintaining a straight face was enough to convey my sincerity.
As I stood there, motionless and without reaction, Kaljak's laughter slowly died down.
A complete silence soon fell, and that alone made the atmosphere feel as if it had frozen solid.
“Brat. Aren't you taking the Jewel Beast a little too lightly?”
The voice that finally emerged felt like the growl of a beast.
“Does it seem like a joke because Delac took the heads of three Jewel Beasts? Do I look like an idiot for spending years trying to catch this damn snake?”
“Of course not.”
“You… haaah.”
Kaljak slapped his forehead and said in a slightly softer tone.
“…After Delac, countless fools came to these mountains seeking fame. Not a single one of them succeeded in subjugating a Jewel Beast. The ones who made it back alive?”
Kaljak held up a single index finger.
“Maybe ten percent? And the funny thing is, not even half of them ever actually saw a Jewel Beast. The other half ran away without even catching a glimpse of its shadow.”
“……”
“Youthful spirit is fine and all, but if you want to live a long life, you need to know your place. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said—”
“I know my place very well.”
I felt I had to make things clear, so I cut off Kaljak as he was trying to wrap up the conversation.
“And I understand the Jewel Beast's capabilities—not as well as you, of course, but I have some idea.”
“What's with this confidence? The most you've done is see a sleeping Jewel Beast from a distance.”
He had a point.
I sighed and said.
“I've already told you about my situation. I must return to the main family before the end of the year. It's not a matter of whether it's possible or not; it's an order from the Family Head.”
“……”
“I heard you were close with the Family Head even before you became the Grand Master Teacher. So you must know better than I do how a child who fails to obey his words is treated in the family.”
Kaljak fell silent, his expression changing. I could see pity and compassion in his eyes.
“Just because you're Delac's son doesn't mean you have to live the life of a Bednicker. Your life won't end just because you fail to meet Delac's expectations. You're still young.”
I was so surprised I could only blink.
I never imagined someone with such thoughts existed in that stifling, conservative main family.
At the same time, another thought occurred to me.
If my past self had met Kaljak even once and heard this advice… perhaps I could have lived a slightly better life.
“I know that well.”
I said with a smile.
“But I'm not shackled by the Bednicker name. To me, the family name is not a chain, but a tool.”
“A tool?”
“The Bednicker name is useful. You have to use what you can.”
Kaljak stared at me.
It was a searching gaze, trying to determine if I was bluffing or speaking the truth.
I met his gaze without looking away.
“…Not an empty boast, I see. Fine. Then there's no choice but to prove it yourself.”
Is he challenging me to a fight?
I thought of Keian and how tired I was of this old routine, but…
Kaljak walked right past me.
He picked something up from a stone desk and showed it to me.
“Do you know what this is?”
It looked just like a mirror.
It was about the size of my palm, with a mysterious blue luster.
It looked somewhat familiar.
“Catch.”
Kaljak tossed it to me.
*Thud.* As I caught it, I could feel a decent amount of weight.
A hard but smooth texture.
In that instant, I realized what it was.
“Is this a scale from the Sapphire Snake?”
“Yes. I picked up a few when I fought it a long time ago.”
Kaljak said, leaning casually against the wall.
“Use any method you like. Try to damage it.”