Chapter 689
Chapter 689
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 689
Chapter Title: The Giant King's Legion
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Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-
Karl spun the hooked rope, building centrifugal force, and threw the hook upwards.
The hook soared high and caught on the top of the fortress wall.
“You’re incredibly strong, aren’t you?”
Kanea said with a look of wonder, and Karl puffed out his chest.
“Hmph. It’s a magic item. You could call it Karl’s All-Purpose Fortress Infiltration Set.”
“Amazing.”
Kanea clapped her hands in admiration.
Eliza, who had been watching from a step back, spoke.
“To think you’d even make something like this.”
“I thought it would be useful for the mission.”
“You certainly are well-prepared.”
In the World of Heroes, countless situations could arise.
Cases where you had to secretly scale a fortress wall were not uncommon.
Karl had used alchemy to create an item in preparation for such a scenario.
“Hmph, what do you expect? I’m the one who prepares for the beginning.”
With another smug look, Karl grabbed the rope and climbed up the wall.
Eliza and Kanea followed suit.
Karl, who had gone up first, cautiously scanned the top of the wall before pulling himself over.
He had already identified a section with light security, so his movements were seamless.
Karl hooked another rope, which he had wrapped around his body, to the other side of the wall.
As soon as Eliza and Kanea reached the top, they followed Karl's gesture and descended the rope.
After retrieving the rope they had used to climb up, Karl followed them down.
Once on the ground, Karl pulled a thread at the end of the rope, and the hook on the wall folded and fell naturally.
Thwack-!
With her excellent reflexes, Kanea caught it and handed it to Karl.
Karl took three light-blue beads from a pouch on his belt and put one in his mouth.
He gave the other two to Eliza and Kanea.
As the two followed his lead and put the beads in their mouths, Karl carefully entered the water.
Following Karl into the water, Eliza looked at him with slight surprise when she felt no significant resistance.
Holding her breath wasn't uncomfortable.
It wasn't difficult to open her eyes, and she could see clearly underwater.
‘This bead. It's an item made with alchemy.’
Eliza was once again impressed by Karl's excellent item-crafting skills, inherited from Dweno's alchemy.
Their swimsuits also reduced the water resistance.
Kanea, looking equally surprised, waved her hands around before giving a thumbs-up.
Karl gave her a thumbs-up in return and started to lead the way.
‘They get along well.’
Muttering to herself at the sight, Eliza began to follow Karl.
Bubble-bubble-
The three of them moved stealthily without using Aura, mana, or spiritual power.
Upon reaching the area Enniha had told him about, Karl found an artificially made hole at the bottom of the moat.
His eyes glinting, Karl entered the hole.
A moment later.
“Phwah!”
Karl gasped for air and muttered.
“Nothing beats fresh air. The underwater beads are great, but they can't help feeling a bit stuffy.”
Karl spat out the underwater bead.
The bead then dissolved like water and disappeared.
“Light.”
Karl used magic to create a light and climbed out of the water.
“Hmm. Two paths.”
While Karl was contemplating.
Eliza, shaking the water from her hair, spoke.
“I have a question. Why are we moving so stealthily?”
She had come along at Karl's request, but she hadn't been told the reason for moving so secretly.
“Is this Leo Flove's idea?”
“No. Leo doesn't know. It's just me, Chelsea, and Lady Enniha.”
“Why?”
“There's a reason. I'll explain later. Finding the entrance is the priority right now.”
Nodding at Karl's words, Eliza stepped forward.
“There are two paths. What should we do?”
“I'll go left. You and Kanea go right.”
“Will you be okay on your own?”
“Whoa. You're asking a teenage boy to go alone with two girls in swimsuits in a dark place? The stimulation would be too much.”
Karl said with a sly grin and headed left.
“There probably won't be any real danger anyway.”
With those words, Karl went ahead.
Watching him go, Eliza and Kanea headed right.
Kanea, who was walking in front, clasped her hands together and said.
“Isn't Karl cool?”
“You really have no taste in men.”
Kanea's eyes widened at Eliza's indifferent tone.
“Why? He handles everything so capably.”
“Not at all. If you knew him a little better, you wouldn't think so. You'd probably be disillusioned.”
Kanea stared into Eliza's faintly smiling eyes and grinned.
“Liar.”
“What did you say?”
“You're trying to eliminate the competition, aren't you?”
“Don't be ridiculous. Why would I, the heir to the Hergin family, tell such a lie over a commoner like him...”
Eliza, who had flared up, met Kanea's gaze.
‘This is so pathetic.’
Eliza let out a dry laugh.
She inwardly admitted that Kanea wasn't wrong and sighed.
Seeing this, Kanea smiled.
“I'm envious.”
“Of what?”
“That you can't be honest with your feelings.”
“What's there to be envious about?”
“It means you'll be able to spend a long time with Karl in the future.”
“You could do the same.”
“No. I don't think it'll work out that way. My intuition tells me so.”
“Your intuition?”
“It feels like the time I have left isn't very long.”
“...”
“Karl's the same. He doesn't treat me like someone he'll see for a long time.”
“That's because... you're not that close yet...”
“It's different from that. Hmm. It's like he's preparing for a farewell? He seems like someone who knows the future.”
Kanea's tail swayed gently.
The intuition of a beastkin girl born in a gloomy era, who had clung to a life that could vanish at any moment, was surprisingly sharp.
Kanea smiled at the silent Eliza.
“One day, you'll be able to be honest with your feelings. I just hope it's not too late.”
“I might lose all affection for him before that happens.”
“That's also true!”
Kanea burst out laughing and said.
“I never thought I'd like someone. I guess this kind of thing happens when you have some peace of mind. It's nice. I'm satisfied.”
Mhm! Nodding, Kanea's expression turned regretful.
“The only thing I regret is that I want to be remembered in Karl's memories for a bit longer. Hmm. Maybe I should have just pounced on him earlier? Ah! Should I pounce on him when we get back?”
“Don't be ridiculous.”
Kanea giggled at Eliza's cold remark.
“It feels like we're fighting over prey. This is fun too.”
“I don't want to admit it... but I'll be honest with you. It's not a fight over prey, it's just an ugly love spat.”
“Oh? Is that what it is? This just got more interesting! Want to be friends?”
“With someone I'm in a love spat with?”
“No?”
“I suppose not.”
***
“Why are these two here?”
Chelsea asked with her arms crossed, and Karl shrugged.
“They helped me out. Anyway, was there an entrance on the labyrinth side?”
“Seeing as you're asking, I guess there wasn't one on the moat side either.”
Chelsea sighed.
It seemed the labyrinth side was a dead end too.
“I can't think of any other likely places.”
Enniha was growing impatient.
Seeing this, Kanea asked.
“What are you looking for?”
“We're looking for a way into the city's underground.”
At Enniha's answer, Kanea blinked and said.
“If that's the case, there's also Lord Dweno's workshop.”
“What?”
Enniha's eyes widened.
“What do you mean?”
“I noticed it on the first day when I was inspecting the fortress with Lord Dweno. There was a huge staircase leading underground where his workshop is.”
Hearing Kanea's words, the entire group's eyes widened.
“Come to think of it, Dweno built his personal workshop far away from the others!”
In Ivaldi, Dweno's workshop had been in the same area as the other artisans'.
At first, they hadn't thought much of it, but after hearing Kanea's story, it was certainly suspicious.
“Let's go!”
Just as Enniha was about to lead the way to Dweno's workshop.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-!
The ground suddenly began to shake.
The unexpected earthquake made everyone lose their balance and stagger for a moment.
“An earthquake?!”
“W-what's happening all of a sudden?”
***
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-!
The fortress walls shook from the violent tremor.
Leo, who was sitting on the wall, narrowed his eyes.
“W-what is this?”
Ar, who had been chattering away next to Leo, looked flustered.
Leo, who hadn't batted an eye despite the unusual earthquake, muttered under his breath.
“They're here.”
“What?”
Flash!
Beyond the horizon.
A pillar of black fire shot down from the sky.
Fwoooosh-
Black flames erupted from the pillar with enough force to destroy the world.
The roaring flames soon subsided, and from within, they began to spew forth giant monsters, demonic beasts, and demons.
“The Giant King's legion...”
Ar swallowed nervously.
Whoosh-
Before long, the pillar of black flame vanished, revealing the Giant King, Gias.
‘That's... Gias?’
Leo's expression hardened slightly.
The power radiating from Gias was extraordinary.
“Ar.”
“Yeah.”
“Relay the situation to the other party members.”
“Got it!”
Ar leaped down from the wall.
Left on the wall, Leo observed Gias intently.
Leo's eyes twitched as he watched Gias, who was armed with grotesque weapons he had never seen before.
‘...Two of them?’
“That one doesn't seem to be the Gias of the past, but the one whose head I took.”
Leo turned his head at the voice coming from his side.
Dweno was standing there, stroking his beard.
Dweno narrowed his eyes and said.
“And the armor he's wearing.”
“I've never seen it before either.”
“It seems he devoured his past self.”
“...I see.”
Leo, who had sensed two Gias, understood.
“That madman.”
Leo clicked his tongue softly.
“Leo! The party members are getting ready and will be here!”
Ar, who had relayed the situation with incredible speed, landed beside Leo.
“Leo. I'm going to my workshop to get my gear.”
“...Please do.”
“Are the repairs on Brave finished?”
“Yes.”
“Wow! You're the best, Lord Dweno!”
Ar cheered.
“Then I'll be on my way.”
Dweno leaped away.
Then, he glanced back.
He looked for a moment at Leo and Ar, standing steadfast on the wall.
In Dweno's eyes, the image of the boy and girl was overlaid with that of a young human man with gray hair and a white-haired wolf beastkin.
The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, and the Brave Hero, Ar-on.
Watching their unfamiliar yet familiar backs, Dweno smiled faintly.
‘You've found excellent companions, Kyle.’
Dweno looked forward.
‘I can trust them with this.’
With his back to Leo, who was facing forward, Dweno ran back.