Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: The Ancestor's Tomb
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The Graves Estate.
On the hologram TV in Lee Si-woo's quarters, a news report was covering the results of the Grand Duel that had taken place a few days prior.
-So, shall we talk about Alma Graves, the victor of this Grand Duel?
-Ah, he's such a hot topic, someone I'd really love to meet. As everyone knows, Alma was once famous for being a scoundrel. No, to be honest, calling him a gloomy outsider would be more fitting than a scoundrel. And he was even worse for being a womanizer.
-But he returned completely changed, a full 180.
-His change is one thing, but what's really making waves is his ability. If you watch the footage, he commands undead, a unique species from the Infinite World, as his own limbs, and even has a dragon that appears to be of a considerably high rank under his command. For those in the know... this. This is truly incredible.
-Because even in the Demon Country, those who command unique species or dragons from the Infinite World are extremely rare. I've heard he's secured a significant amount of magical share. Could this shake up the succession structure of the Graves family?
-That would be difficult. Pames is a super Ranker in the 800s and has already established himself as the unshakable heir. But Alma? Hmm, no matter how much he's grown, I believe it's tough due to his inherent limitations. Besides, while his connections are one thing, Alma has never proven his own skills, has he?
-True, many estimate Alma's level to be around 500, or 600 at the most.
-You can build connections with just luck, but growing your own skills isn't possible with luck alone. The Main Dimension is a world of survival of the fittest. In the end, the most certain means of achieving results is one's own martial strength.
As Lee Si-woo turned off the hologram TV with a sullen expression, Harman began to nag as if he had been waiting for the chance.
“Joining hands with the Black Night? My Lord. This is too dangerous.”
“But it's necessary.”
Harman, who would usually even play dead if Lee Si-woo commanded it, was uncharacteristically proactive in trying to stop him, perhaps because this matter concerned Lee Si-woo's very life.
“My Lord. It's the Black Night! The worst and strongest faction of this era. This is... walking right into the tiger's mouth. One wrong move, and two years of effort could all go down the drain!”
As Harman raised his voice in a rare display of agitation, Lee Si-woo smiled faintly.
He knew Harman was making such a strong appeal out of concern for him.
“Harman. I owe Jin. I have a duty to find him.”
“...I agree that you must repay your debt to Master Jin, my Lord. No, considering he arranged everything concerning you, it's imperative that we rescue him for our own sake as well. But that doesn't mean you should dive into the Black Night yourself, my Lord. This is clearly an overreach.”
“Yes, it might be an overreach. But if we only look for the slow and safe path, when will I ever build up the skills to challenge the Five Divine Seeds? Harman. Don't forget. We're practically living on borrowed time. One year from now. If I don't reach the state of a demigod by then....”
Lee Si-woo continued with a gloomy smile.
“The Decapitators clan? The continent of hope, Earth? All these pathetic achievements will crumble overnight. Understand? We'll all die. We're not in a position to be picky about our options.”
“I am aware of that, but... I still feel this is an excessively bold choice.”
“Harman. I know why you're worried, but I'm not doing this without thought. In fact, if it weren't for the results of the divination, I wouldn't have considered moving so boldly either.”
“Divination... you say? But my Lord, didn't you say it lost much of its utility after the Black Night became aware of its existence and started taking countermeasures?”
“Right. So I tried a little trick. I didn't ask about them, but about what I need most. About where the greatest opportunity for my growth lies. And then... this was the answer.”
Lee Si-woo displayed the message from Barathrum's divination on his smartphone screen.
Enter the tiger's mouth. There, you will find your origin.
Harman, after checking the message, muttered.
“Origin...?”
“I don't know the details either. But what's certain is that I now have one more reason why I must enter the Black Night.”
At Lee Si-woo's unshakeable resolve, Harman let out a deep sigh.
It was because he realized that no matter how much he tried to dissuade him, Lee Si-woo's decision would not waver.
* * *
“I've conducted an in-depth investigation into Alma for the past few days, but there are more than a few suspicious points. His past history is completely shrouded, as if buried in fog. At this point, either he's been moving so stealthily as to mock our intelligence network, or....”
Imago said in a low, deep voice.
“He's already dead?”
“Yes. That's right. It's possible he's a phantom wearing the empty shell of Alma's corpse.”
“That can't be. I've confirmed it with my own eyes; he is, without a doubt, Alma Graves himself. You know this too, don't you? The Graves family bloodline is not something that can be replicated. One might be able to imitate the flesh, but the mark of 'Him' engraved deep within the soul cannot be faked. Never.”
The mark.
This was the absolute reason why Imago found it hard to doubt the suspicious existence that was Alma.
“...That is true.”
“Alma is not a fake. So, don't worry about that and proceed with the plan. Besides... didn't we need at least one more of the Graves bloodline anyway?”
Plis said, his eyes gleaming.
“Then, are you planning to let Alma in there as well, besides Acumen?”
“That is the plan. It will slightly increase our chances of obtaining the 'key'.”
“Understood. I will make the preparations. Ah, then I should also send an invitation to Adrian. Tell Tia to come along as well.”
“Mm, we should.”
“However... I still do not understand. Why did the mark react to the Vampir family bloodline? And to a mere woman who is said to have inherited the blood of the True Ancestor? Hmm, I thought the mark only reacted to the Graves bloodline....”
“That is something I do not know either. But, whatever Tia Vampir's true identity may be, as long as the mark has reacted, she is more than qualified to enter that place. Remember this. Now that the Five Divine Seeds are deep in slumber, the key is indispensable for us to crush Dawn and the Decapitators clan.”
“Yes. Understood. I will dispatch invitations to all of them.”
* * *
At the call of Lord Lete, the bloodline of the Graves family gathered in one place.
As Pames, Acumen, Alma, Venus, and Plenitas gathered in the office, Lord Lete began to speak.
“Do you know of the Black Night?”
At Lete's question, Pames immediately raised his hand like a class president eager for the teacher's praise and spoke.
“I know it as the greatest faction in the Infinite World.”
Lete nodded with an expressionless face and said.
“To be precise, the greatest faction in the Main Dimension.”
Pames replied, slightly flustered.
“...Even including our family?”
“Do not overestimate our family. While we may be prominent within the Demon Country, it would be a stretch to say we are among the top three in the entire Infinite World.”
“But surely we'd be counted among the top five?”
“We would be, around that much. But compared to Dawn and the Black Night, we are significantly lacking.”
“What? Dawn? You mean that human faction? Hah, as far as I know, those guys are utterly pathetic....”
Pames, who had been chattering away excitedly as if he couldn't disagree more, slowly trailed off under Lord Lete's cold gaze.
When Pames finally shut his mouth, cautiously watching Lete like a puppy that had displeased its master, Lete spoke.
“It's a relief that you know of the Black Night. Hmm, I'll get straight to the point. An invitation has arrived from them.”
“An invitation?”
“Yes, they're inviting members for an expedition to conquer a Lair.”
“A Lair, you mean the hideouts or treasure vaults left behind by skilled mages or Rankers that treasure hunters covet?”
“Correct.”
“Hah, what a joke. If they're going to conquer a Lair, they should just do it themselves. Why invite us? If it were truly something good, they would have taken it all for themselves. Inviting us means it must be nothing but scraps, right?”
“It is not scraps. Because no one has ever succeeded in conquering that Lair.”
“No one has ever... succeeded?”
“Yes, even I failed.”
At the words that Lord Lete had failed, the atmosphere in the room grew solemn.
The fact that Lete, said to be the greatest head in the Graves family's history, had failed, naturally created a sense of tension.
Pames, his eyes darting around, carefully opened his mouth.
“What kind of place is that Lair, for you to have failed, Father...?”
“The Lair held by the Black Night is the tomb of our Graves ancestors.”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes at Lord Lete's words.
Lee Si-woo was no exception, narrowing his eyes and perking up his ears.
“You are all old enough to deserve to know. Once, our Graves family was part of the Black Night. But due to a certain incident, we were expelled and later settled in the Demon Country.”
The eldest daughter, Venus, retorted as if she'd heard something absurd.
“We... were part of the Black Night?”
“Are you surprised? But don't think much of it. It was all in the distant past. Now, it's a matter not worth remembering for anyone, save for a very select few. However, the family head had to remember. The fact that in a certain region occupied by the Black Night... lies the tomb of our ancestors. That must never be forgotten.”
Venus frowned and said.
“Wait a moment. Then shouldn't the ownership of that Lair rightfully belong to our family? Not the Black Night?”
“Correct. Which is why I intend to make a move this time.”
Venus tilted her head.
“Make a move?”
“As a descendant of our ancestors and the head of the Graves family, I know the exact coordinates of the tomb. And... I intend to spread these coordinates not only throughout the Demon Country, but the entire Main Dimension. Hmm, it's like opening up the Black Night's exclusive invitation to the whole Main Dimension.”
Lee Si-woo's pupils trembled.
‘What is this? Lete, this guy. What the hell is he scheming to pull something like this? If he does this... the Black Night will never stand for it. Besides, my scouter can't read his stats? This fellow. What is his true identity?’
Lee Si-woo's intense focus was shattered by Lete's following declaration.
“So, you all will enter the tomb as well. Go and bring back our ancestor's legacy. The 'Red Butterfly'. If you do....”
For the first time, a smile bloomed on Lete's gloomy, shadowed lips.
“I will hand over all the magical share I possess.”
Handing over the magical share meant handing over the position of family head.
Was that why?
A feverish flush appeared on the faces of those who carried the Graves name.
Yes, all of them except Lee Si-woo.
In contrast, Lee Si-woo seemed more interested in Lord Lete himself than the position of head, observing him with a consistently meaningful gaze.
Lete, as if noticing Lee Si-woo's stare, glanced at him for a moment before continuing, unconcerned.
“Let me give you one piece of advice. Discard any useless companions and take only a single attendant. If possible, it would be best to mobilize all your connections to bring someone stronger than yourselves. But if you lack that ability... you're better off going alone. That place is not safe just because you have numbers.”
Was it a coincidence? Lete's and Lee Si-woo's eyes met.
Lete looked directly into Lee Si-woo's eyes and said.
“Remember. Just one. Pick the strongest attendant. This is the wisest advice I can give you.”
‘Just one... As it happens, there is someone who fits that description perfectly... Surely, this Lete fellow doesn't know about him and is just running his mouth, right?’
Although he thought it unlikely, for some reason, Lee Si-woo couldn't shake the bitter taste in his mouth, feeling as if Lete were seeing through his every secret.
* * *
Meanwhile, the imperial prince, Orc Paris, boarded a ship to the Demon Country, accompanied by an elderly orc of small stature.
“Elder. Thank you for agreeing to my difficult request.”
“Kekeke, spare me the formalities. I'm not doing this for your sake, but purely out of curiosity.”
“Still, the result is that you've granted my request.”
“And what of that foolish disciple of mine? Is she still sticking by that witless fellow's side?”
“Yes. It seems she believes the Lord is the only one capable of challenging the Black Night.”
The old orc, leaning on a wooden staff that supported his small frame, trudged up the stairs.
“It's always a pity to see that child. Still chasing the Black Night, without even knowing who her true enemy is....”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“Pay it no mind. You do not yet have the right to know about her.”
Paris scratched the back of his head.
This old orc was a respectable figure, but he could be incredibly vexing at times like this, when he spouted nonsense that only he understood.
“Understood. Still, you will help the Lord, won't you?”
“If he impresses me, I'll help. If not, I'll ignore him.”
“Ah, why are you being like this again? We already settled this. And he's the lord your beloved disciple has chosen to serve; surely he won't fail to meet your standards?”
“Who knows. She might have been blinded by affection and made a foolish choice.”
Paris imagined the red-haired female knight clinging to Lee Si-woo like a young girl dreaming of love, then shook his head as if he'd just witnessed something unbearable.
“That's impossible. They're both like iron walls.”
At those words, the old orc snorted as if in disbelief and said.
“Hmph? What's this? Are you saying that fool doesn't even show any interest in my lovely disciple? Hah, that makes me even less inclined to help. If his eye for women is that poor, how could he possibly have an eye for the bigger picture?”
Paris recalled the female knight's usual habits—eating chicken breast instead of cake at mealtime, lifting dumbbells instead of napping during breaks—and grimaced.
“Well... I think if he did have an eye for women, he'd be even less likely to turn his attention to your disciple.”
Smack!
Finally smacked on the back of the head by the infuriated old orc, Paris clutched his head and cried out.
“Hey, Elder! Don't you think that's too much? I'm a proper imperial prince now, you know!”
“A brat who was restored to his princely title less than half a year ago is already putting on airs. In the first place, how could a weakling like you have become a prince without my support? Enough of your nonsense. Let's get to our cabin quickly. I'm getting old; even walking is a chore.”
“...Says the man who finds walking a chore but has no trouble smacking the precious imperial prince on the back of the head?”
As the old orc slightly raised his hand, Paris quickly looked for the cabin location written on their tickets and scurried ahead.
He intended to quickly guide that ferocious old man to the cabin before he got hit again.