Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: At the End of Summer #2
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“Hasan, do you still have the doll I gave you?”
“That thing?”
I recalled the straw doll Luna had made for me. It looked just like one of those voodoo dolls used for cursing, the kind where sticking a needle in it would supposedly have some effect.
Luna had said it was a talisman made for me, and since I’d handed it over to her father, Erebos, just as she instructed, I figured it had worked like a protective charm as she claimed.
But saying I’d given it to someone would probably raise questions, so I decided to play it off as having lost it in the darkness.
“You lost it?”
“Yeah, sorry about that. You put so much effort into making it, and I lost it in the dark.”
“No, it’s fine! In fact, it’s a good thing you lost it!”
“Really?”
What was that about?
Was there such a thing as being glad something was lost?
Maybe it had a time bomb rigged to it or something? As that ridiculous thought crossed my mind, Luna continued.
“The god of the abyss, Erebos, considers anything that enters him once as his own. That’s why you have to offer something as a sacrifice to leave. In our Ideope, we use dolls as proxies!”
“Oh, a sacrifice?”
I remembered my conversation with Erebos. He’d said that if I wanted to save my companions and the White Rose party, I’d have to offer one of them as a sacrifice.
“If you lost it in the darkness, then the darkness took it.”
“Yeah, that makes sense now. The stuff you gave me really helped. The lightning dogwood, the rope, things like that.”
“See? I told you I know all about the abyss.”
When I expressed my gratitude, Luna fidgeted bashfully, as if embarrassed.
Of course, I wasn’t exaggerating. Who knows what would’ve happened without all the things she’d prepared for me.
Antiope and Hippolyte were both outstanding adventurers, sure, but they might’ve faced even greater trials and hardships than they did.
That made me wonder what it would’ve been like if I’d brought Luna along. Maybe things would’ve gone even smoother than they had.
I’d left her behind because I was worried she might be in danger, but had I been underestimating her without realizing it?
“Anyway, Hasan, I’m just glad we could meet again safely.”
“Yeah, me too.”
To me, it had only been a day or two at most, but for Luna, it had been nearly ten days. She must’ve been really worried about me not showing up.
Of course, I still couldn’t wrap my head around ten days having passed. It felt surreal. Was this some Interstellar shit? Did the strong gravity in the darkness warp space-time or something?
As I pondered that, Luna casually slipped in more words, like water flowing.
“And while you were gone, Hasan, I did some thinking on my own.”
“Thinking? You thought about stuff?”
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine below my chest.
I’d heard from friends who’d dated girlfriends before that when a girl says, “I’ve been thinking on my own—,” it’s always bad news, so you’d better brace yourself.
Was Luna the type where out of sight meant out of mind?
I’d heard about girls who, left alone, start overthinking and eventually sort out their feelings—and move on. That made me a bit anxious.
But it turned out to be just my paranoia. What came out of Luna’s mouth was a little different from what I’d feared.
“I’ve been thinking... I feel like I’ve been relying on you too much, Hasan.”
“Yeah?”
“If I were a bit stronger, I wouldn’t have just cheered you on while you headed into danger. So I decided to train too!”
“You’re going to train, Luna?”
I pictured Luna learning aura.
Of course, as the daughter of powerful gods, she had the potential to become stronger than anyone with proper training.
But if she got too strong, wouldn’t the lords of hell or whatever those gigas were notice her even faster?
“So actually, right after you entered the abyss, I found a teacher. I’m going to learn the same way you do—one gold per month for various lessons!”
“Really? A teacher? Someone skilled?”
“Someone you know too, Hasan! Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but there didn’t seem to be anyone better around.”
I racked my brain for who among the people I knew could be Luna’s teacher. Nothing came to mind.
“Who is it?”
“That witch. Nemea.”
“Ugh, shit—”
“Shit? You must be happy I’m training too, Hasan! Let’s both reach Gold Tier together!”
Nemea.
Of all the names, that one comes up again. My guts twisted at the thought. If that woman so much as opened her mouth once, it’d be like a bomb going off.
As I thought that, we’d already reached the cave exit leading out of the valley.
*
*
*
When we emerged outside, Luna’s words about the city being in an uproar weren’t exaggeration or lies.
The moment we entered the city, crowds of people surrounded us, bombarding us with questions or grabbing our ankles and refusing to let go.
“You vanished for ten days! What the hell happened at the cliff?!”
“They say the Sodomora authorities are hiding a massive monster—is that true—?”
“This party was three women and one man—does that mean something—?”
“Everyone, stand back. From now on, this is under the authority of Baltma, head of the Mars Guild.”
Exhausted as we were, we were able to disperse the crowd thanks to Baltma’s authority as a high-ranking Mars Guild official.
Baltma took all of us to what seemed like his office.
Mars Guild conference room.
Clack.
In the spacious room with its cool marble table, the half-bald one-eyed man named Baltma set down his teacup and spoke.
“Glad you’re back safe. But it’s not all good news. I wanted to handle this quietly myself, but I can’t.”
Baltma’s single pumpkin-colored eye looked troubled, sunken deep. The aftermath of this incident was apparently bigger than expected.
From what I knew, Baltma was a figure with influence rivaling the saintess of the Venus Temple.
He had the power to quash incidents or unsavory matters among adventurers under his authority, handling them discreetly.
If even a man like that couldn’t bury this, it meant some greater power or organization with more influence was digging into it.
I wasn’t the only one who realized that. Antiope, who’d been half-listening with her legs up on the table, asked.
“The temple knights? Because I left my post without permission, the palace is coming down on me?”
“Yeah, you got it. The palace says they’re investigating. An investigative team will be dispatched from the royal palace soon. For now, stay out of trouble and lay low. Come immediately when called. And from Albheim—. No, that’s not for you all to hear.”
Baltma clicked his tongue and cut the conversation short.
An investigative team from the palace.
The king.
King in English.
An entity with immense authority and its organization coming to investigate.
In front of such a presence, half-bald Baltma would just be some regular uncle.
For some reason, sweat was pouring down Baltma’s forehead, making his already broad brow look even wider.
“Lay low like dead rats for a while. Don’t go outside. Any action could be seen as political, and it’d just feed the schemers who love to gossip.”
Antiope and I could only nod at Baltma’s words.
Right then, Antiope piped up.
“So what about my sister and the others?”
“Moved them to a treatment center. They took a heavy blow, mentally. For even Hippolyte to still be unconscious—what the hell happened in the abyss?”
At Baltma’s question, I glanced at Antiope. She took the lead, as if to say she’d handle it.
“We just hunted a massive beast there. Fought remnants of the territorialists. My sister must’ve hit her mental limit; she couldn’t hold out.”
“I see. Territorialists, huh. That’s a big deal, but not huge.”
Of course, Antiope was lying.
Hippolyte had passed out after taking a direct lightning blast from the white-robed man’s finger.
But we’d agreed to keep it secret. Telling the truth wouldn’t get anyone’s belief and would just stir up unnecessary issues.
I agreed.
I’d been keeping my conversations with the gods secret from others anyway.
If someone thought, “What the hell is this guy?” and kidnapped me to crack open my skull, it’d be a disaster.
Medical arts in this world were crap; they definitely couldn’t put my head back together properly.
“Ah, you really can’t fool Uncle Baltma easily.”
As we left the conference room, Antiope stretched languidly.
Her leather outfit covered her completely, but sweat beaded on her nape and forehead—she looked swelteringly hot.
I asked.
“Really? Didn’t that go well just now?”
“Nah, I’ve known that guy a long time. He didn’t buy our story at all. But he’s letting it slide anyway.”
“I see.”
High positions weren’t reached by show alone. And Antiope, who picked up on that, was more capable than I’d imagined.
That’s why she was a guild executive, why she held a key role in the temple knights.
“So, Hasan, what now?”
“What do you mean? He said lay low for a bit, so we will.”
“Yeah, probably. But Hasan, be careful getting tangled with the palace. The current king... isn’t someone you’d like much.”
“Really?”
“Do you know why Pluto followers are treated like heretics?”
“Not really, no.”
“Liar. You must know it’s because of the kingdom’s laws revised when this king ascended. There are other factors, but that’s the big one.”
“Laws, huh.”
“I... I thought it was Jupiter’s will. But seeing this now... what have I been doing all this time?”
Antiope wore an expression like someone who’d just finished masturbating—utterly deflated. It probably wasn’t far off my metaphor.
She seemed to be having doubts about her career, hit with post-nut clarity.
“I’ve still got a long way to go. Maybe those voices in the darkness were my true feelings. I’m still so young.”
She clenched her fist toward the empty air.
I’d seen plenty of people shaken by their past actions. I considered offering some clumsy comfort, but shut my mouth.
No need—Antiope was already gazing at the blue sky with renewed determination.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who needed my consolation.
“In that sense, I feel my destiny now. Correcting what’s wrong—that’s my fate. So when everyone else lost their minds, I stayed conscious and witnessed it all. I... I was chosen. I’m different from the rest.”
The problem was, she seemed a bit unhinged.
*
*
*
Back at the cabin, an unexpected sight awaited me.
The yard had some bizarre tree-like thing sprouting, its leaves and vines sprawling everywhere, turning it into a mangrove ruin vibe.
“What the fuck is this shit?”
As far as I remembered, the only plants in the yard were potato leaves.
What the hell had happened for this to grow like this? A plant invasion of the surface world?
As I stood there flustered, the door creaked open, and Luna burst out barefoot, stepping on the dirt.
“Hasan, you’re back! How’d it go? Everything sorted?”
“Yeah, seems so. They said to lay low for a while. Might be investigators from the palace coming.”
“The palace?”
“Might have to meet some big shots soon.”
“Wow, Hasan, you’ll be super famous! Connections to the palace mean you’re one step closer to Gold Tier!”
Unlike me, who’d worried about getting chewed out by higher-ups, Luna’s reaction was pretty positive. Thinking about it, she had a point.
Those old self-help books used to say the ones who turn crises into opportunities succeed.
Yeah, if I appealed strongly to whoever came from the palace, gaining fame would be a piece of cake.
But right now, that felt trivial.
Gold Tier adventurers, the palace, the vines in the yard, even Luna’s chatter—it all felt like sand slipping through my fingers.
It must be because of that.
“Hasan, Hasan—where are you going?”
“Just a sec, up that hill. Need to go alone for a bit.”
“You’re not tired?”
“I’ll be quick.”
Leaving puzzled Luna behind, I set off again.
My destination was a steep hill in the city center with a panoramic view of the cityscape.
Known as Giant’s Knee, a tourist spot, it was strangely deserted. Probably because it was sunset; everyone must’ve gone home.
The quiet and solitude suited me perfectly right now.
I sat on that high hill overlooking the sinking sunset and the city of Sodomora—no, the entire Gaia continent.
As I caught my breath, what came to mind was my conversation with the white-robed man from earlier—or maybe days ago.
Zigris, you are sealed. Even if it’s just that your dantian is destroyed, it amounts to the same. No matter how hard you try, you can’t use aura like this.
While stirring up my abdomen, the man had whispered that to me. I’d been too out of it then to think deeply, but now alone, it clicked.
Necromancy handles the power of death. It can’t coexist with aura, the power of life, or hell’s magic, but you might manage it. So you need to balance the two powers equally.
Throb, throb.
Was it because I recalled that moment? The intense pain from my abdomen, lashed by the man’s hand, revived vividly.
But seizing your own fate is ultimately up to you, Zigris. I can only give you a push.
What did I suffer... exactly? At whose hands?
Why, the one who handled your body the most, of course. Now, remember this sensation. The feeling of life stirring in your gut.
Blood flow concentrated on my throbbing abdomen.
My limbs, head, and extremities cooled rapidly from the lack of blood—I could feel it moment by moment.
Blood is life itself.
I could clearly sense my life circulating through every corner of my body.
Nerves and cells where blood reached awakened; the flesh making up my body felt vivid.
Sensations inside my body amplified—the feel of my clothes against my skin, the cool breeze—every moment intensified.
When I finally opened my eyes again.
With the fading sunset, my childhood—
Summer was drawing to a close.