266
TL/N: Changing Sturungen to Sturungarden. Smauernman to Smaurn. If you notice any inconsistency, please drop a note on discord.
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake
Chapter 266
6 hours ago. Caesar headed to the Gale Magic Tower to meet Raven.
"You can go straight up."
Since he had already finished the conversation in advance, Caesar was able to immediately take the elevator upon arriving at the magic tower and reach Raven's laboratory, which was located on the floor just below the top of the magic tower. Raven's laboratory was more like a bookstore than a laboratory. Not just any bookstore, but a used bookstore hidden in a corner of an alley. Books, magic stones, and various household items were scattered throughout Raven's laboratory. What was strange was that although this seemed like a place where spiders or insects would live, not a single bug was visible, and not even a speck of dust had settled.
"Raven, I'm here."
Raven peeked her head out from between the bookshelves and said.
"Sit anywhere you like."
"Where? On top of the books?"
"You know you'll die if you do that."
Caesar clicked his tongue and pulled out a chair placed in the corner to sit down. Raven floated over like Smir. However, she was only looking at her book without giving Caesar any attention.
"Are all wizards like that?"
"Like what?"
"Flying through the air rather than walking. Professor Smir did that too."
"There are telekinetic magic relics embedded throughout this research lab that only work for me. It makes it easier to retrieve books, and there's no need to exert the effort to walk."
Raven said as she closed the book she was reading with a thud.
"So judging by the fact that you came all the way here to find me, it must be about Gloria."
"That's right. You're accurate."
"If you're asking me to play the role of a babysitter, I refuse. I'm busy."
"What are you so busy with?"
"I'm going to write a research paper about the demon realm. Especially focusing on things related to demon races."
"The magical system of beast people, something like that?"
"That's the main focus, yes."
Raven said while pouring tea using magic.
"So don't ask me to go along with Gloria. I absolutely won't go."
Raven handed a cup of tea to Caesar and then turned her eyes back to the book. It was a perfect gesture indicating that she would never comply with Caesar's proposal.
"Then I have no choice. I was going to tell you about an ancient ruin that can only be visited now, never again."
"...Ancient ruin?"
"Yes. I wonder if you'd understand if I mention an undiscovered dragon city?"
Raven turned toward Caesar. She was probably checking the magic waves to see if Caesar was lying or not. Naturally, peaceful magic waves were flowing from Caesar's body.
"When you say an undiscovered dragon city... Are you referring to the ruins of Grezawa? Or the ruins of the evil dragon Sturungarden?"
"The City of Sin, Grezawa. I know its location."
"How?"
Raven's curiosity was stimulated. Since Caesar was certainly not a person who would talk nonsense, there must be evidence. Caesar leisurely drank his tea and said.
"I thought you weren't interested. Then it shouldn't matter whether you hear it or not, right?"
"I'm not interested in being Gloria's guardian."
"Then I can't tell you either."
Raven finally threw the book she was reading as if she had been defeated. The book fluttered and landed on top of the tower of books that had been stacked from the floor. Raven opened her mouth while pouring tea into her cup.
"Well, tell me the story first. Then I might consider it."
They say that the most difficult part of negotiation and sales is getting someone to sit at the table. Having accomplished the most difficult part, it was now time to do the easy work. Caesar took out a map and spread it roughly on the pile of books.
"The exact location is here, beneath the Goddess Plain where the Dre and Royder rivers divide."
Raven said with an indifferent expression.
"Do you think other wizards or adventurers haven't investigated this area? Rumors about the City of Sin, Grezawa, being there have existed for 100 years."
Raven waved her wand, and a book flew over and landed in front of Caesar.
[Grezawa Does Not Exist.]
"This adventurer searched everywhere for the City of Sin, Grezawa, but couldn't find it. His evidence is sufficient too."
"Why does he say it doesn't exist?"
"First of all, Grezawa is the creator of dragon language relics. Based on the magic patterns of all dragon language relics discovered so far, they were all created by a single dragon, and the theory that this dragon was Grezawa is strong."
Raven displayed several images in the air. One was a spear gleaming with brilliant gold light, another was a sword with a white jewel embedded in it, and another was a chalice.
"The Penetration Spear kept by the Goldmile royal family, the Baptism Sword held by the Dre Order, and the Holy Grail possessed by the Royder Order are representative works of Grezawa. Of course, both orders claim that the Baptism Sword and the Holy Grail are gifts from God rather than dragon language relics... But when analyzed magically, they are almost certainly dragon language relics."
"Anyway, all these relics were discovered in one place. Precisely in the Goddess Plain where the Dre and Royder rivers divide, as you mentioned."
Because all the dragon language relics were discovered near the Goddess Plain, adventurers and wizards rushed in to search for Grezawa's ruins. However, all that could be found there were fallen dragon scales and solidified blood.
"It is true that the Goddess Plain is deeply connected to dragons. Grezawa and Smaurn probably battled there. In fact, Smaurn's scales have been discovered. But no matter how thoroughly they searched, they couldn't find the entrance to the ruins."
"And in Smaurn's lair located in the three countries of Yel, high-purity magic stones were shaped into various forms. The amount of magic emitted from there was so vast that it was almost similar to the amount in the demon realm. However, strangely enough, they said that magic itself could not be found in this place."
Raven moved the map to point at Sapientia.
"It's better to think that the ruins of Grezawa are under Sapientia. A lot of magic is actually leaking from underground in Sapientia."
Well... That would be natural. Since Arch Duke is collecting top-grade magic stones underground in Sapientia.
"It's almost half-certain that there is Grezawa's lair in this underground and that the Arch Duke family is controlling it, which is the established theory. So I don't know from whom you heard that there are ruins of Grezawa in the Goddess Plains, but it's not true."
Caesar crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.
"This is why wizards are problematic. They just read books and believe they are certain?"
Raven's eyebrows narrowed.
"Do you know who wrote this book? The only adventurer-turned-wizard on the continent, Cheche. Cheche spent almost more than a year living in the Goddess Plains conducting research. Even then, he couldn't find the ruins of Grezawa."
Cheche is the owner of the 'Moonflower' that Caesar possesses. Cheche preferred to be called an adventurer rather than a wizard, and traveled around the world, escaping Arch Duke’s conservative control over wizards. To what extent? Even when Arch Duke threatened to confine him in the Great Library for life if he wandered around on his own once more, he escaped the very next day to enjoy his final journey.
"If Cheche investigated for a year and couldn't find it, then it's correct that there is no Grezawa there."
"Do you really think Cheche couldn't find Grezawa?"
"...What do you mean? Are you saying this adventure record is a lie?"
Caesar pulled out [There is No Grezawa] from inside his clothes, the same book Raven had. The difference was that Caesar's book was extremely worn out, while Raven's book was clean because it was a copy.
"I can use psychometry and can tell what thoughts the person had when writing. You know that, right?"
"...You didn't."
"Yes. I used psychometry on this book 'There is No Grezawa' written by Cheche, and found out why Cheche hid 'The City of Sin, Grezawa.'"
Of course, the order is reversed. Caesar already knew the location of the City of Sin, Grezawa, and how to enter it through the Valent Saga. He knew all methods of entry—as a wizard, as an adventurer, and even as a regular knight. Raven's eyes wavered for the first time.
"And I know the way to enter the City of Sin, Grezawa."
"How?"
Caesar took out the Moonflower from inside his clothes.
"It's the Moonflower created by Cheche. If we take this with us, we can easily break through the maze laid out in the ruins of Grezawa."
Caesar said with a slight smile.
"How about it? Is this enough to make you consider traveling together?"
"... Arch Duke will absolutely oppose it. wizards cannot leave Sapientia without permission."
Arch Duke strictly controls wizards to prevent their outflow. From the beginning, wizards don't feel much inconvenience because they can do most research in the magic tower, and all kinds of infrastructure are in Sapientia, so they don't find a reason to leave. Cheche was somewhat unique.
"I've already resolved that. Duke Noah Arch said we can go together."
"Really?"
"Yes. Really."
Raven's fingers fidgeted. It's the ruins of Grezawa, the progenitor of magic and creator of all dragon language relics, not just anywhere else. How could one not be excited about the possibility of visiting such a place?
"But there's a condition."
"Help Gloria obtain the Blood moon?"
"Exactly."
Raven didn't even need to think deeply.
"Okay. I'll do it."
After all, a dragon's lair is a place every wizard wants to visit at least once.
***
Gloria and Raven stepped onto the train platform to catch the train at dawn that day. The Bellum family, including the Viscount, had come to see them off.
"Do you really have to leave now? We've only been together for barely a week."
"Don't be too disappointed. I'll be back soon."
"Yes. If you run out of money, don't hesitate to use the checkbook. Don't be frugal unnecessarily."
"I understand."
Caesar and Raven observed the warm Bellum family from a distance.
"It's not easy to be both wealthy and harmonious like that. Don't you agree, Raven?"
Raven silently gazed at the Bellum family. Her eyes reflected some complexity. Although Raven had been immersed in magical research her entire life, a corner of her heart always felt empty. Raven didn't know what it was while inside the magic tower, but she found it outside the tower in the magical realm. It was Barre and simultaneously Caesar. However, knowing that her relationship with Caesar would not progress, that harmonious family appeared to her like a twinkling yet unreachable star. Still, Raven maturely decided not to show her feelings.
"...Anyway, do you know we're being followed?"
"I know."
Caesar was conscious of the person sitting quietly on a chair eating a donut. The fellow was glancing furtively at Gloria and Raven. It was clearly a tail attached by someone from the Count Vex's side.
"Shall I handle it?"
"No, I'll take care of it myself."
Caesar handed Raven two identification cards and two bundles of business cards.
"I got these from my brother. Use these for identification for the time being."
Raven received the identification cards and business cards Caesar handed over. They had 'Knight Night Magazine Reporter Salty' and 'Knight Night Magazine Reporter Sugar' written on them. Raven frowned.
"Salty and Sugar? Why on earth did you choose names like these?"
Caesar said with a chuckle.
"Just because. It's fun, isn't it?"
"You...!"
Poo! Poo!
The train blew steam. It meant it would depart soon.
"Get on quickly. Sugar."
"...You're really dead."
"See you later. I'll head to the ruins as soon as I finish my work."
Caesar waved his hand and carried Raven's luggage to give to the attendant. Raven had no choice but to board the train. Raven saw Caesar smiling and waving his hand by the window. Raven was annoyed by Caesar's smiling face and abruptly closed the curtain. Yet, wanting to see Caesar again, she briefly opened the curtain and glanced at him. Caesar was punching the forehead of the follower he had been watching earlier.
"...I don't know."
"What don't you know?"
Gloria was holding a lot of snacks she had received from her brothers. Seeing Gloria made Raven feel even more uneasy.
"I don't know either."
***
The time of peace flowed hopelessly fast. It had already been 3 weeks since arriving in Homigraph, and quite a lot had happened during that time. They had witnessed Laar Arch's funeral procession, Miles had drained Mitchell's family fortune to recruit mercenaries and send them on ships, and they had inspected the 'KNight Town' that Caesar was promoting. This morning, a handwritten letter came from the Crown Prince.
Caesar skimmed through the handwritten letter and then threw it into the fireplace to burn it. There wasn't much content, just asking when he would come to Vex. Caesar had no intention of meeting the Crown Prince yet. What was the point of meeting the Crown Prince now when he would obviously just whine about wanting support? Of course, he needed to request permission from the Emperor for the mining business, but...
'Looking at the current state of the country, it seems I might not need the Emperor's permission.'
After examining the situation of the Empire through Miles, Harrison, and other informants, it was more serious than expected. Caesar looked at the front page of the evening newspaper.
['Home Town' Ignites a Fire in the Southern Continent.]
The southern part of the Empire was currently in complete disarray. Sith's Home Town had transformed into bandits, looting throughout the southern continent. The problem was that its scale was beyond imagination. It could be compared to the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the Three Kingdoms period, or called the Greenwood Bandits as in martial arts novels. Like locusts in autumn, they swept away all harvested crops, killed men, and violated women.
'The question is whether this can be believed.'
It's ambiguous to just believe the newspaper as it is. The Sith that Caesar remembered was absolutely not that kind of person. Normally, articles sell better the more sensational they are, so it's certain they mixed half-truth with half-lies. However, it is clear that the public's view of Home Town is very unfavorable.
'Could Sith be on Elijah's side?'
The current chaotic situation is very favorable to Elijah. The more chaos Sith brings to the Imperial Province, the more the Emperor's authority falls, and the more it legitimizes Elijah's rebellion.
'I really don't know.'
A more accurate source of information is needed. Caesar looked at the window. A full moon was hanging in the sky. Caesar turned off the light and lay down on the bed. Then he closed his eyes and thought of Agatha. With that, a refreshing breeze mixed with fragrant flower scent came in. When he opened his eyes, Agatha was smiling gently.
"It's been a while, Caesar."