Chapter 417
Chapter 417
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 417
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Rumble…
The stone statue began crossing the bridge.
“It’s started moving. Let’s go.”
Ur led the group, naturally taking the role of leader.
As long as this ruin had even the slightest connection to Kagon, having him at the front was the best decision. After all, he was the only one in this place—or even in this world—who still remembered Kagon.
Kang Seol and Ur walked side by side at the front, while Mariju and Han So-mi brought up the rear, proceeding slowly.
This arrangement created a cozy atmosphere where they could quietly chat with the person next to them.
“Kang Seol, you felt it too, right?”
“…Felt what?”
“The connection to the Void has been severed. This ruin is now an independent space.”
“That’s what I thought. Yeah.”
The link to the Void had been cut off the moment the stone statue appeared. Something was interfering with the connection.
“Tch… If Jamad were here to lend a hand right now, this would be several times easier.”
“…I agree.”
Even if it drew attention or required explanations about a walking hill, having Jamad by their side would have been a huge asset in a situation like this.
“…Things are going to get a bit trickier.”
“Is it serious?”
“Well… it depends on what’s waiting ahead.”
“You seem pretty convinced something’s waiting.”
“Of course. It’s a power dangerous even in the hands of an idiot. And now it’s in a mage’s possession… I can’t wait to see what catastrophe unfolded.”
Kang Seol pondered whether Kagon’s power was truly that dangerous, given Ur’s confident declaration.
‘Only Ur truly knows what it is.’
From the moment traces of Kagon appeared, Ur had become the lead actor, with Kang Seol as the supporting role.
Kang Seol decided to quietly observe Ur’s actions and follow the trail of Kagon.
Yet he sensed a faint tremor from Ur, like he was tense.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yeah. It’s exciting. A completely unexpected harvest.”
His reaction wasn’t worry—it was anticipation.
Rumble—!
They couldn’t head straight to the fortress. The stone statue entered a small mountain lodge.
Whirr…
Text appeared in the sky once more.
“More unintelligible characters. Decoding will take time…”
While Ur grumbled, Kang Seol casually spat it out.
“Treasures beyond one’s grasp breed pain.”
“…What?”
Whoosh…
Rumble rumble…
The fire went out, and the stone statue moved.
“Light it again.”
“Got it.”
Mariju formed another fireball in her hand.
Fwoosh…
“Hmm…”
“Yeah.”
The group’s reactions were subtle.
The scene illuminated by the fire was one that made everyone click their tongues.
A pirate’s sword had severed the mage’s arm.
“They were after the orb.”
“Betrayal…?”
“Looks like it.”
Ur glanced at Kang Seol and asked,
“More importantly, you. How can you read that?”
“No idea… It just popped into my head.”
“That’s a first… Well, we’ll figure that out later. This comes first.”
Ur placed his hand on the orb held by the uninjured mage’s arm.
Whoooosh…
The orb unleashed its power.
Whirrr…
The pirate was enveloped in light.
The statue’s appearance began to change.
The beard of the sturdy, spirited young dwarf grew uncontrollably.
Not stopping there, his back hunched, and his eyes lost their sharpness.
Thus, the pirate became an old man.
Crack—!
The pirate-turned-old-man put up no real resistance and was slain by the late-swinging axe of the warrior.
The warrior picked up the mage’s severed arm and pressed it to the stump.
“Ur.”
“…Yeah.”
Whoooong…
As the orb vibrated, the arm reattached to the body.
As if it had never been cut in the first place.
“It’s even more astonishing the more I see it. Is this really what happened?”
“Seems like it.”
Mariju and Han So-mi nodded to each other as they chatted.
Whirr…
Text floated on the ceiling.
At the same time, the stone statues began moving again.
“…Now there are two dwarves.”
“Close enough to the meaning, so it’s not a bad translation.”
As the statue departed, the four naturally grouped together.
“But… isn’t it too empty? Like, no people at all?”
To Mariju’s question, Ur replied nonchalantly.
“The ruin might be much larger than it looks, or most could be sitting quietly, waiting to be rescued.”
Kang Seol added,
“Or… a lot of people died.”
“If there are more like those guys hiding their identities, that’s possible too.”
The best way to deal with unsolvable worries is to let them go from your mind. That’s how to live comfortably.
They continued following the stone statue.
Finally, after crossing just one more bridge, they’d reach the Ashen Throne.
Since the statue showed no signs of stopping, it seemed they’d enter the fortress in one go.
“By the way, Lady Mariju, do you know much about the Ashen Throne?”
“Ah, I’ve got a bit of an interest in archaeology…”
“That’s surprising. I thought all nobles only cared about tea parties…”
“Some nobles are like that… but there are nobles like me too. Honestly, my hobby’s a lot more expensive.”
Rumble…
The fortress gates opened.
It felt like arriving in Lego Land. The fortress had shrunk dramatically from its original size, but it was still massive compared to Kang Seol’s group.
“Seeing the Ashen Throne in person overwhelms you with its scale. A fortress spanning mountains… its grandeur is…”
“Have you been inside?”
“No, I’ve only seen it from the distant foothills. I hear it’s occupied by monsters now.”
“I see… But the name Ashen Throne is pretty unique, huh?”
Mariju flashed a mischievous grin.
“Curious? About why it’s called that?”
“Uh…”
“Curious?”
“Y-Yes…”
Han So-mi played along.
“Ahem… Allow me to explain. The Ashen Throne is one of the representative ruins of the ancient dwarves. It’s presumed to be the royal castle of a powerful nation.”
The reason this fortress was called the Ashen Throne.
“In the past, wars with other races were frequent, it seems. Every war record in Pandea’s history has their names all jumbled together. Giants and elves, humans and trolls, even primitive dragons.”
The group leaned in to listen to Mariju’s tale. It was full of intriguing details.
“Due to constant clashes, this fortress frequently burned, and even normally, ash floated around unremoved.”
“That’s a plausible reason.”
“Right? But the strange thing is…”
Mariju tilted her head.
“Despite enduring multiple invasions as an impregnable fortress, it suddenly vanishes from history at some point. Something must have happened.”
“No records in history?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Mariju’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. She looked just like a squirrel spotting an acorn.
“Maybe we’ll find out the reason this time.”
“…Mariju, was it?”
“Yes, mage.”
When Mariju responded to Ur, he chuckled.
“You think I’m a mage?”
“The mana you exude… it’s absurd. It doesn’t make sense if you’re not. Though even if you are, it still doesn’t…”
“You’ve got a good eye. You’re right. With Kagon’s relic in a mage’s hands, averting the predetermined doom was impossible.”
“But Kagon—this name keeps coming up—what exactly is Kagon?”
“The Empire of Time and Dominion. …A nation only I remember now. That orb is from there.”
“Well, now four of us remember the name Kagon.”
“…Is that so.”
Ur didn’t seem displeased by Mariju’s response.
“But… just now… time? I didn’t mishear that, right?”
“……”
“No way! Every mage has tried to unravel time’s secrets… and all failed…”
Ur snorted derisively.
It was arrogance befitting him.
“That’s what mages do.”
“So… those in Kagon… succeeded?”
“Naturally.”
“…How?”
“Because they were archmages.”
“Archmages…?”
“Enough. The statue’s stopped. We’ll continue the talk later.”
The statue had halted shortly after they entered the fortress.
“For now, this looks like… the grand hall?”
“No way? We haven’t gone far after entering the fortress.”
Ur explained.
“It’s not the grand hall. It’s an imitation of it.”
“…Ah!”
“The story isn’t over yet. It’s following the flow, so watch quietly.”
Ur’s tone was like scolding children.
As if responding, stone statues rose from the floor.
Creak…
“…You were right.”
Ministers and soldiers lined up on both sides. Their attire was anything but ordinary.
In the center knelt the mage and the warrior, with the Ashen Throne before them.
And seated upon that throne.
Whirr…
Text appeared on the ceiling.
“…That’s a lot of text.”
“Focus. Unfortunately, you’re the only storyteller here.”
Kang Seol shrugged and read the text.
“Ashen King Sirion confronted Mage Maradum.”
This time, it even included dialogue.
“King of the Rock Mountains, an ancient relic has come into my hands.”
The conversation dragged on quite long.
“What is it, and what can it do?”
“It is called the Stone of Time. It can shrink giants, age and sicken elves, and topple dragons from the sky.”
“Incredible. Is it a god?”
Kang Seol paused briefly before saying,
“It is time.”
Ur’s eyes took on a distant, pained gleam, as if beholding a sorrowful scene.
He was shaken. A rough sound escaped his lips.
“Idiot…”
Kang Seol set his reaction aside and continued reading.
“Believe me. Surely, this relic can lead the dwarves to prosperity.”
“I do not doubt the relic’s power.”
“Then why… Wait, isn’t this too long?”
“Keep going.”
“Ugh…”
Kang Seol grimaced but read on.
“Sirion spoke. What I doubt is us, who would claim ownership of the relic.”
Kang Seol continued voicing the emerging text.
“It is coal, steel, and courage that bring us glory. Reaching into realms beyond control is not reason but blindness. If it is such power, it will lead us not to glory but to ruin. Now, hand over the relic.”
Ur smirked.
“At least that dwarf deserved his throne.”
With his bitter smile, Kang Seol’s narration pressed on.
“The relic must be destroyed at the anvil of the seven mountains, for it brings calamity. Maradum raised his head and replied.”
The calm tone conveyed what had transpired back then. This place was reenacting those events exactly.
“No, Ashen King. I cannot yield the relic. In your foolishness, the Ashen Throne will fall in time.”
Rumble…
The statues acted out the scene.
Soldiers reaching for Maradum.
Maradum shining the Stone of Time at them.
“We need to touch the orb.”
“……”
“Ur?”
“Ah… Right.”
Whirr…
Flaaash—!
Light swept horizontally, transforming the statues it touched.
They became children buried in their oversized clothes. Fortunately, Sirion dodged the light.
As Maradum’s statue tried to flee the hall, the warrior guarded his rear.
“Eorian, you…”
“Go, Maradum. I’ll hold them off.”
“Eorian, I entrust it to you. Someday, I’ll find you again.”
Maradum departed, and Eorian was beheaded by the pursuing soldiers.
“…What is this?”
“It was like a fairy tale until now…”
Mariju and Han So-mi shuddered.
Ur said quietly,
“Let’s follow Maradum’s statue.”
Maradum’s statue was in the next room. From the story’s progression, it seemed part of the fortress had been turned into his dwelling.
“…Something’s different.”
“Yeah. That mage’s beard…”
“He looks… older.”
Maradum’s beard, once to his chest, now reached his knees.
Whirr…
Text appeared, and Kang Seol sighed as he read.
“Over long years, the pursuit never ceased. Yet it could delay research, but not stop the mage.”
“Again?”
“…The Stone of Time’s power had limits. It could turn lives to children but not infants, age them to frailty but not bones. The mage realized. If he could break those limits…”
Kang Seol narrowed his eyes.
“He could seize past and future.”
“Kh… heh heh…”
“Ur, why are you laughing?”
Han So-mi scratched her head.
“The acting was a bit awkward…”
“I was thinking the same…”
“No, that’s not why I’m laughing.”
Ur raised a finger.
“What’s funny is how those ensnared by time’s power always think alike.”
“…That’s what’s funny?”
“And… I just thought of the worst-case scenario we might face.”
“Worst-case?”
He crossed his arms and paced the small space.
“Yeah. When do you think people put on this kind of show in front of others?”
“……”
“Before sending soldiers to the battlefield. Before parents sell their children to poverty.”
“That means…”
“Before demanding sacrifice.”
Mariju froze and stepped back.
“No way… it’s going to demand sacrifice from us? Who would…”
Step…
Step…
Ur approached the statue seated in the chair.
“This guy might still be alive.”
Swoosh…
At that moment, Maradum’s statue turned its head.
“Kyaaah!”
“Th-the statue…”
Coincidentally, the statue’s head turned toward where Ur stood.
A red glow flickered in its eyes—still as faint as a firefly’s light.
“Interesting… I don’t know about the others invited here, but I…”
Ur’s words, spoken with his face inches from the statue’s nose.
A mage—no, archmage—tainted by madness existed on this side too.
“I hope you’re still alive.”