Chapter 219
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: Chapter 219
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: The Stele
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Northland's overlord and the lord of Stunheim, Ron Camillo was furrowing his brow in his office.
"Hoo. Petitions piled up again this year."
The desk was buried under a mountain of petitions.
Things hadn't been like this when his predecessor had been in charge of the family.
Was it because Camillo fell short in comparison?
Not necessarily.
He simply lacked the family seal—the symbol representing their house.
In other words, he had no intangible asset called trust.
Naturally, deals long tied to the Ron family were severed, leaving countless people jobless.
And now, with the recent food shortages, the suffering of his domain's residents had begun.
'I need to somehow rebuild that shattered trust at this year's banquet.'
If it were that easy, he wouldn't still be in this mess.
All this because of the missing seal.
'Father...'
His gaze naturally drifted to his father's portrait hanging in the office.
He knew he shouldn't feel this way, but he couldn't help resenting his late father.
What on earth had happened to him?
The dead speak no words, after all.
The father in the portrait merely gazed down sternly upon the office in silence.
"Hoo..."
"My lord."
"Hm?"
Just then, a servant knocked on the door.
"What is it?"
"The White Whale Mercenary Corps says they're moving ahead of schedule."
"I handed all related matters to Kailer. Any other reports?"
"No, none."
"Very well. Kailer will handle it."
She had always been sharp since childhood.
After their father's death, she had stepped down from the family head position out of concern for the house.
In a way, it felt like a blessing.
'Right—if the dead won't speak, I'll make them.'
He looked back at his father's portrait.
'I'll see you soon, Father.'
"Hmm. We're grateful you're moving early like this. But is there a reason for the rush?"
Jun answered Camillo's question without hesitation.
"Just a backlog of tasks. The banquet especially."
"Hmm...?"
Kailer eyed Jun curiously.
He had seemed reluctant when the banquet topic first came up.
'Changed his mind in the meantime?'
No harm in that.
By now, the White Whale Mercenary Corps' fame had spread across the Empire. The western attendees at the banquet would know it well.
If Jun shone there, it would restore the family's prestige.
Good was good.
"We'll arrive soon."
"Not far now. No wyverns in sight either."
"The fine weather made it possible."
Indeed, today's sky was perfectly clear.
They soon reached the cave.
"Latest intel: Local herbalists say they've never seen this cave before."
"Like it dropped from the sky?"
"Exactly. I first thought landslide—snow or dirt swept away, revealing a hidden entrance. But look here?"
Kailer pointed to the cave mouth and its edge.
"Odd, right? The opening is cleanly cut."
"Indeed. Sharper than a craftsman's work."
"I'm thinking spatial translocation. The space itself shifted here."
"What triggered it?"
After his debate with the regressor.
Jun had formed a hypothesis.
The calamity he'd seen in Maya's dream might begin with this cave's appearance.
If so, the next disaster was likely here in Stunheim.
"We can't say for sure. We've gathered intel on the God of Death for years—countless events in between."
Pinpointing one would be tough.
But dismissing it as coincidence felt wrong.
"Anyway, stay cautious... Ah, we're here. See it?"
"Yes. Matches the photo."
"Right. Take a look."
"Got it. Maya, let's go in."
"Yessir."
Aiden stood guard outside, while Eleanor focused on sensing nearby souls.
[Captain.]
[What's up?]
[Can't see clearly... but there's a soul flow from that stele.]
[Really? Matches what Kailer found. Maya, what do you see?]
[I see it too. But it feels asleep.]
[Ah, that's why it's faint?]
[No. Strange as it sounds, it's a dead soul.]
A soul born from death, yet a dead soul—what did that mean?
Eleanor understood Maya's words at once.
[No soul core visible.]
[Right.]
[Hmm... So the soul core vanished entirely?]
Both Maya and Eleanor shook their heads at Jun's question.
[No soul core means no soul. Consciousness is probably deeply sealed.]
[Yes.]
[Like a deep sleep then. Hold on.]
Jun's gaze naturally fell to the hand wearing Phantasm.
'Phantasm. Can you communicate with that soul?'
-I'll... try... But... you only... give me work lately...
'Sorry. Tell me what you want. I'll get it if I can.'
-Got it...
Phantasm was contracted to Jun, but this was outside the contract.
Protecting Maya from nightmares or linking to the regressor—those were favors.
'What would a spirit like...'
An attribute stone, maybe?
Did dream attribute stones even exist?
Even Jun, a game veteran, had never heard of one.
As his mind wandered—
-Master... done... But... not safe...
'How so?'
-Forced sleep... soul... Its master's power... might interfere...
'The God of Death could affect me?'
-Yeah...
'Can you pull me out before that?'
-Yes...
With safety assured, Jun recalled the commission.
'The stele's language from the dream. Mixed with beastkin tongue, imperfect translation. But the ancient words meant... sealing-related terms.'
Likely releasing the sleeping soul, Jun mused quietly.
'No certainty, so confront the ancient soul directly.'
Kailer's request: Interpret the stele's script.
Jun lacked such knowledge.
Well, he had some... but...
'Damn. So convoluted.'
It was the regressor's knowledge. Even at 6th circle, he hadn't fully inherited it.
Foggy, half-baked use or orthodox decoding would take...
'Half a year minimum. A year max.'
Couldn't afford that with calamity looming.
-Ready...
'Good. Send me.'
[Mental: Marionette Line]
Phantasm-enhanced dark purple threads gently touched the stele.
Jun's mind plunged deep, guided by Phantasm.
'Never gets easier.'
Separating from body, entering another's consciousness—not pleasant.
As he reflected—
'Where...?'
A foggy, blackened dead forest.
Trees bowed headless of light, ground pitch-black like death.
Drip... drip...
Water flowed somewhere.
'Just like the underworld in myths.'
Where was the ancient soul?
Scanning, he spotted a figure nearby.
Kneeling motionless by a dead tree.
'That it?'
Approaching, it reacted.
"Death... repeats... eternal..."
Was this soul beastkin, like in Maya's dream?
Fur gone, skin crumbling, sparse long hairs amid rot.
"Can we even talk?"
If a faint-hearted soul saw this eyeless gaze, they'd collapse.
Empty black sockets, utterly void.
Jun spoke anyway.
"Hey. Got questions. The stele you're in—what's the inscription mean?"
"Death... does not vanish... yearns to dwell... beneath new life..."
"That's its meaning?"
"Seal... can be undone..."
Surprisingly coherent on the soul.
Curious, Jun pressed.
"What was your world like?"
"Death... repeats... eternal..."
"Your name?"
"Death... repeats... eternal..."
"Where did you live?"
"Death... repeats... eternal..."
"Ugh..."
Other questions looped the same mutter.
Only seal topics worked?
'Doesn't matter.'
Minor curiosity; main goal differed.
Jun continued.
"Can the seal on you be broken now?"
"Impossible... Death must come..."
"Tch. Only when calamity starts?"
Bad news.
He'd hoped smashing the stele preemptively might avert it.
"Dissolution... possible... but needs... divinity..."
"Divinity? Holy power?"
Could Eleanor's help destroy it?
"This world... gods' power... impossible... nonexistent force..."
"Tsk. What now?"
Meaning Eleanor's holy power wouldn't work?
Jun took it that way and asked next.
"The pocket watch that drops after your seal breaks—what's its purpose?"
"Necessary..."
"Huh?"
"Take it..."
Clunk.
The black ground yielded the pocket watch from Maya's dream.
'What the...?'
Just ask and receive?
Could he take it out?
As doubts swirled—
"Death... knowing changes not... embrace death..."
"Hm. Well, thanks—I'll take it."
Wary of the kneeling soul, Jun picked up the watch.
'Identical to the dream. Same mana pattern... exactly.'
Oddly, it showed only 10 to 2 o'clock.
No second or minute hand—just the hour hand at 11.
'Roughly get it. Counts to calamity.'
Strongest mana at 12—likely when the hand hits it, disaster strikes.
'Jackpot. Can I really take this out?'
Huge gain.
Theoretically, stele cave plus watch enabled perfect prep.
'Finding caves across the Empire's no joke, though.'
Watch alone eased response.
'At 11 now. Hits 12, calamity begins.'
Solid progress.
Satisfied, rising—
-Master...!
"Gah...!"
Overwhelming pressure crushed his head; Jun nearly knelt.
Bit his lip, snapping alert.
"Death... approaches... He comes..."
The beastkin soul now stared skyward.
Jun followed.
Black pupils gazed back.
Death-filled eyes; staring, Jun felt intense energy tainting his mind.
[Interpreting Divine Word...]
[Interpretation complete.]
[Divine Word: Reducing influence of 'Odyssey of the Lazy Pilgrim' by 50%.]
Living as a Mage in the Hero's Party 220
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