Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: 53. Legacy of the Ruins (2)
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The villagers dug something out from under the corpse and immediately turned to flee.
Yuri desperately tried to regain control of his body.
The eerie scream that suddenly echoed out felt like it had scorched his brain.
He circulated Heart-Soul Severing throughout his entire body, struggling to regain his composure as best he could.
Sensation slowly returned to him.
He was staggering, but at least he could move now.
Yuri chased after the villagers fleeing out of Adelvine, resuming his steps.
Then he felt the massive presence approaching come to a gradual halt.
As he followed the villagers in their escape, Yuri realized he knew far too little about Gert.
He'd assumed it attacked any humans entering Adelvine indiscriminately, but that was far too simplistic.
Gert did not pursue humans leaving the area.
It was just like a sentinel.
"Hoo..."
Before long, the villagers who had escaped Adelvine stopped short of Sordelvine and began talking among themselves.
Yuri approached stealthily, muffling his footsteps.
He could hear the man leading the group grumbling.
"It's coming too early today, isn't it?"
"They must've been nearby."
"We only got one."
"Who gets what if we split this one?"
"One's plenty. You're the ones wasting it."
It was easy enough to grasp what they were talking about.
What piqued Yuri's curiosity wasn't the distribution, but what exactly they'd dug up.
Yuri approached, deliberately making noise with his footsteps.
The villagers, chattering away without a care, turned their heads one by one.
"What?"
"O-over there..."
The man who seemed to be their leader turned around, and Yuri waved at him.
"Hey."
The man startled at the sight of Yuri and backed away.
Yuri spread his hands to show he meant no harm and drew closer.
"Don't be so scared."
"K-Knight?"
"Yeah."
The people of Sordelvine didn't know who Yuri was. To them, he was just another knight.
Yuri pointed at the object the man was holding. It was wrapped in cloth, hiding whatever was inside.
"What's that?"
"Uh..."
"I'm not gonna eat you, so relax."
"W-were you tailing us? Why...?"
"You looked suspicious."
Yuri scanned the gathered villagers one by one.
"You looked suspicious, so I followed. You're not gonna say your ragged appearance isn't suspicious, right?"
"Well..."
They all stared at Yuri tensely. Silence stretched on.
Yuri chuckled dryly.
"Your eyes changed. Thinking you could take me on or something?"
"N-no way."
"I don't plan to meddle in village affairs. I'm just curious about that thing, so don't be nervous."
When the man had swung his pickaxe, the piercing scream that rang out had struck Yuri's energy channels.
He hadn't even been able to stand up right away.
This was probably the source of wealth sustaining Sordelvine.
"Wouldn't it be better to just tell me now?"
They whispered among themselves.
Yuri tapped the hilt of Guilty at his waist.
"Sir knight."
In the end, the man approached Yuri and showed him the object. Though wrapped in cloth, its faintly visible size looked about as thick as an adult man's forearm.
"It's not a pretty sight. Still want to see?"
Instead of answering, Yuri pulled the cloth aside himself.
And he furrowed his brow.
"This is..."
It was a plant with lush leaves.
But its root was shaped like a human.
With a large head and crouched form, it resembled a fetus. Its face was twisted in agony, and inside its wide-open mouth, teeth and tongue were intricately formed.
A wave of disgust hit him the moment he saw it.
A vague word surfaced from his memories.
"Mandragora."
"You know of it."
Yuri had only heard the name before. It was a legendary plant said to grow from the fluids of hanged corpses.
Legends claimed that uprooting it caused it to scream, driving listeners mad or killing them.
"This thing actually exists?"
The villagers exchanged glances.
"You dig these up and sell them?"
"Yes."
"They grow in Adelvine?"
"Yes..."
The man hesitated before speaking.
"Please keep it secret. We're just trying to make a living..."
"If you're not harming anyone, it's none of my business."
"We just wander around Adelvine—we never hurt anyone. As long as we're quiet, we don't get hurt either."
"Who buys them?"
"That's..."
"I'll keep your secret, so tell me that much. Otherwise, I'll spread it everywhere and turn Sordelvine into a Mandragora experience tourist spot."
"Ah..."
The man let out a deep sigh. The villagers' faces darkened. Some even glared with hostility.
But they were just farmers with tools at best.
Yuri waited patiently for the man to speak.
"Hoo, mages buy them."
"The Mage Tower?"
"I don't know who they're with..."
"Got it. Go on."
"Pardon?"
"I said go."
"Uh..."
"What, you thought I'd steal your Mandragora? I was just curious."
The man gave Yuri a complicated look before nodding.
"Understood."
He then led the villagers back to Sordelvine.
Yuri watched their retreating backs, arms crossed in thought.
The next day, after hearing Yuri's explanation, the group all widened their eyes.
"Mandragora actually exists?"
Simon and Corey didn't even seem to know what it was.
"Yeah. I thought it was just a legend, but there it was."
"Does it really scream?"
"Nearly knocked me flat."
"What effects does it have?"
"No idea. Try eating one later."
"No way. It might be cursed."
"Enough about Mandragora."
Yuri lowered his voice.
"That's not important right now. If they find out we're going to kill Gert, they might get in the way, so keep an eye out."
"Why would they interfere?"
Yuri recalled what he'd seen the night before.
The villagers had casually crossed into Adelvine, rummaged under the corpse as if it were routine. The way they'd muffled sounds and plugged their ears wasn't the work of amateurs.
From what he'd seen, it seemed Mandragora commonly grew where corpses lay in Adelvine.
The reason was obvious.
"That Mandragora probably only grows in places tainted by black magic."
According to the information from Inariel, Gert was a product of black magic.
If black magic lingered in the soil where he roamed, it made sense for grotesque plants like Mandragora to sprout.
Rolang spoke up.
"If Gert's presence makes the Mandragora grow, then the villagers profiting off them won't welcome us."
"Exactly."
"From their perspective, having Gert around is better."
Jared frowned.
"Still, he's the enemy who destroyed their kingdom. Don't they want him dead?"
"It's a fallen nation. The common folk won't have that kind of loyalty."
Yuri grinned.
"Put simply, we're cutting off their livelihood. Feel guilty?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Yuri stood up.
"So just focus on Gert. If we're lucky, we can dig up a few Mandragora to sell. Time to head out."
"Yes, sir."
The seven, including Yuri, rose from their seats.
As the armed group mounted their horses and left the inn, the townsfolk openly stared.
Yuri ignored them and headed toward the path to Adelvine.
But the face he'd seen the night before appeared, blocking their way.
It was the man who'd led the villagers in digging up Mandragora.
"Wh-where are you headed?"
"Do I need a reason to tell you?"
"As village chief, I need to know where you're going."
"You're the chief?"
"Yes. I serve humbly as chief."
"A big shot, huh."
Yuri shrugged.
"Don't worry. I'm not like you lot, digging through corpses. Just going for a stroll."
The man's face flushed red.
"Don't joke. You're heading to Adelvine, aren't you?"
"If I wander wherever my feet take me, I might end up there."
"You'll regret it. There's a cursed Death Knight there. You must know—no one's ever come back alive."
"Then what's there to worry about?"
"Your safety, of course."
"Thanks for the concern. I'll think about it."
But Yuri showed no sign of heeding his words.
The group behind him tapped the swords at their waists and grinned.
The chief stared darkly at Yuri's party before sighing deeply and stepping aside.
"I wish you safety."
"Not gonna stop us?"
"How could a humble villager like me stop knights? I can only pray for your well-being."
"Thanks."
Yuri replied thus and passed the chief. The group followed. Brushing off the chief's pleas, they left Sordelvine behind.
Jared said,
"He seemed genuinely worried about us."
"Maybe. Not sure if he'll congratulate us after we kill Gert, though."
"Ah..."
Yuri followed the exact path the villagers had taken the night before, crossing into Adelvine.
"The air feels different already."
The air was humid. Even with the sun up, shadows seemed to linger, and moss carpeted every tree trunk.
The whole land was steeped in an unsettling aura, one he hadn't noticed at night—to an unnatural degree.
Yuri expanded his senses.
No sign of Gert.
"Must be napping."
"It's a Death Knight, so maybe it prefers the night."
"Got any basis for that?"
"No!"
Yuri called out.
"Sir Hose, do you sense anything?"
"Let me check."
Hose nodded and looked around. Yuri could feel the mana waves rising from his body.
The Mana Circulation Method Hose practiced was as grand as his build.
Hose shook his head.
"No idea. Why isn't it here?"
"Adelvine was a small kingdom, but still a kingdom. If it's far, it'll take time."
"Wait, then? Or keep wandering?"
"We'll..."
Yuri spoke.
"Head toward Sordelvine, the old capital of Adelvine."
The village where they'd stayed was named after the former royal capital, and the real Sordelvine lay in the heart of Adelvine.
"We might find something there."
If Adelvine's fall was tied to the black magic-infused parchment as Inariel had said, traces would likely be in the capital.
Hose burst out laughing at Yuri's words.
"Wandering the ruins of a fallen kingdom—sounds like an exciting adventure. Let's do it. Who knows, we might find treasures from old Adelvine!"
"Tr-treasures?"
"No one's been through because of Gert—plenty possible!"
"Ooh..."
Hose's words lifted the group's spirits. He seemed utterly unaffected by Adelvine's ominous atmosphere.
Yuri laughed as well.
"Fine. Whatever we find gets split seven ways."
"Perfect!"
Yuri's group mounted up and headed for Sordelvine.
Even as he rode, Yuri kept searching for Gert.
"No traces. It showed up quick last night..."
"Does it only appear if we pull Mandragora?"
"If we spot a corpse, let's check it."
As they followed the path through the plains, a few scattered skeletons appeared.
Their clothes had long rotted away, reduced to fluttering rags in the wind, but it was clear they'd been soldiers in life.
Yuri spoke, eyeing the rusted sword clutched in a skeleton's hand.
"Soldiers. Signs of battle."
The sword was half-broken from impact.
"Mandragora under here?"
"Let's see."
Simon and Gineas flipped the body.
Crushed leaves sprang upward like they had elasticity.
"Whoa, there really is one..."
The branches and leaves brimmed with an eerie vitality, more like an animal than a plant.
"Feels creepy."
"Everyone, plug your ears."
Yuri warned them.
"It screams when pulled—not something you can just endure. Cover with hands, and block the sound with mana too."
"Got it."
Yuri stepped forward, gripped the leaves in a bunch, and protected his body with Heart-Soul Severing before pulling.
The Mandragora came free from the earth.
Kiiiyaaaaaaaah!
A horrific scream echoed out.
Thanks to his mana defenses, it sounded like a faint whisper to Yuri. Even so, the foul energy seeped in, unsettling his mind.
It was much weaker than taking it unprotected.
Yuri immediately purged the taint with Heart-Soul Severing.
"Everyone okay?"
Simon and Gineas had fallen on their butts, shaking their heads.
"I-it's weird."
"Ugh..."
"Can't get up..."
"Rest of you good?"
Hose and Rolang were fine, but Jared kept shaking his head.
"Feels gross..."
Surprisingly, Corey was unaffected.
He approached Yuri, inspected the Mandragora, and even tilted his head.
"Neat shape. Looks almost human."
"Right?"
Yuri shook the Mandragora.
"Mages buy these—what for, you know?"
"Hmm, no clue..."
That was when it happened.
Yuri looked in one direction. Hose turned the same way. Rolang and Jared reacted next.
"Everyone, get ready."
"Huh?"
"Battle stations."
Yuri drew Guilty.