Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Netherworld Tour - 2
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Firensha was surprised at herself.
She couldn't believe how she was managing such a calm expression.
'No. This isn't me putting on an act.'
She recalled her conversation with Bellosian.
"Idria has already officially rejected this plan. If you show even the slightest sign of anything off, she'll catch on immediately."
"I have a fair amount of patience."
"Having your soul erased isn't just a simple cold. I'll help you out a bit."
Bellosian had said that and taken some kind of measure.
Right now, her body was rotting away from the inside.
Having one's soul erased meant death.
Firensha had half her soul wiped away, which meant she had one foot firmly dipped in the River Lethe.
'I feel like throwing up. Dizzy.'
Fever rose, chills set in.
Blood kept surging up from deep in her throat.
And yet, she could squeeze out this serene face and tone.
What kind of trick had that Bellosian guy pulled to make this charade possible?
Firensha glanced sideways at Bellosian, who was talking with Idria.
That's when Bellosian said to Idria.
"I should get going."
"Something come up?"
"Seems like I have a visitor at my quarters."
"You have a house?"
"It's more fitting to call it a prison."
"......? Prison? You're wandering around just fine."
Bellosian shook his head.
"It's like a human squeezing through a mouse hole. They grind their body to bits, mash it up, crumple it, and force it through."
"......"
"In short, my body's a total wreck. That's the price of breaking out of that prison."
"Who locked a being like you away?"
"Who knows. Anyway, I need to go welcome my guest. Not sure if they'll actually visit the cell where I was imprisoned, though."
Bellosian left those cryptic words behind and vanished.
Idria stared intently at where he had been for a moment, then turned to Firensha.
"You okay?"
"Huh? W-what do you mean?"
"You've been glancing at Bellosian this whole time."
"......!"
"He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Firensha nearly cracked her facade.
But she poured all her strength into maintaining her composure.
She even tilted her head as she replied.
"Nothing happened."
Idria eyed Firensha closely before muttering.
"......Good. That's a relief."
I contacted the emperor first.
Then I bluntly told him I wanted to visit the underground palace.
Without question or complaint, he granted my request and ordered the guards not to interfere.
Thanks to that, we reached the underground palace entrance without trouble.
Creak. Click.
We opened the door and stepped inside, greeted by the stark white world that was now so familiar it was starting to terrify me.
Neril looked around and said.
"Out of all these doors, one of them leads to the special room? Where Bellosian is hiding?"
"Could be, or maybe not."
"What do you mean?"
"Grayd said he opened every single one of these doors over years. But Bellosian was nowhere to be found."
"That's true."
"If he couldn't find him, it means he's not behind any of these visible doors. Given it's called a 'special room,' shouldn't it look grander?"
Everyone nodded, but their faces turned puzzled at the same time.
There wasn't a single door here that screamed "special room."
Bellosian's door must be cleverly hidden somewhere.
Curious, but that wasn't the priority right now.
Jenia said.
"It's brute force, but let's open them one by one. If something promising shows up, we regroup."
"What counts as promising?"
"Impellium told us to go to the netherworld......"
"Nah, that's probably just a metaphor."
"I think so too. Anyway, look for books or artifacts with necromancer spells, right?"
We all agreed and scattered quickly.
Everyone except me.
I stood alone in the center of the white world, arms crossed.
[What are you doing? You should search too.]
'Waiting for your senses.'
[......]
'At least when it comes to finding things in here, you're better suited than me. We've seen it work several times already.'
[Hmm.]
'Please. Even something small—tell me if you feel anything.'
[I’ll do my best.]
True to his word, Trail really gave it his all.
Meaning he didn't open his mouth for a full three hours.
For this chatterbox, that was nothing short of miraculous focus.
At the three-and-a-half-hour mark, I marveled inwardly.
'Is a silent Trail or an honest Idria the bigger contradiction?'
[Harsh words.]
'It was a compliment.'
[Didn't sound like it. Anyway, follow me.]
Click.
A screen window popped up.
It guided me somewhere.
I first gathered the party using the communication orb.
With precedents, they followed without much curiosity.
Ophense whispered.
"Did Trail find something again?"
"Seems like it. He says just call him Trail, by the way."
"He should say that himself."
"He's a shy hero."
"You're different in every way."
[That's exactly how I felt.]
"Harsh words."
"It was a compliment."
Didn't sound like it at all.
What?
Click.
The screen stopped in front of a door.
Trail said in a serious tone.
[Here.]
'Something here?'
[I don't know what. But it'll definitely help with this.]
'Alright.'
I grabbed the handle.
As I went to turn it.
Something odd caught the edge of my vision.
At first, I dismissed it as mild unease.
But when I turned to look, it defied simple unease.
—A sense of wrongness.
About twenty steps from the door we stood at.
There was an identical door.
But this one was red.
Like it was drenched in blood.
"That door?"
"Hm? What's up?"
"That one's red."
The party turned their heads.
But they tilted theirs and said.
"Red door? There's no such thing."
"They're all pure white."
"Kukuku. A red door? As expected of a hero—you've got taste."
What?
To the others, it looked like a normal white door?
In that instant, I knew.
"That's it."
"Huh?"
"That's the 'special room.'"
"......!"
"The shape's the same, but that one's red."
"I told you, it's not red."
Neril denied it, but it still looked red to me.
Why only to me?
"......Let's skip it for now. We shouldn't meet Bellosian anyway."
"Impellium warned us?"
"Yeah. He said Bellosian's on a whole other level from Adin. Makes sense—that's why he can roam outside unlike Adin."
"......"
"Let's open this one first."
Creak.
I opened the door.
It looked like a small storage room.
Ropes, axes, sickles scattered haphazardly inside.
And on the table, a worn small bell.
Like the ones nobles ring for butlers or inn guests for the innkeeper.
Adwin said.
"Cute little toy. Soul-summoning bell...... Every necromancer carries one."
"Huh? You don't have one."
"Kuku. I outgrew those twenty years ago."
"Before you were born?"
"Even when necromancers summon souls from the netherworld, precisely calling them to your body requires grueling training. For me, it's like flipping my palm."
That's when Neril and Jenia smiled sweetly in unison.
Their smiles carried elegant advice: 'Switch back to normal speech if you don't want to die.'
Spooked, Adwin quickly changed his tone.
"That's when you ring the bell to guide them. 'Come here.'"
"Hmm. Sounds like beginner stuff from what you're saying?"
"Yes. Exactly. Shall we try ringing it?"
"Yeah. Summon Repia first. She's the one who gets along best with us, so she won't mind even if we say it's a test."
"Got it. One moment."
Adwin picked up the bell and shook it.
Clang. Cling.
A clear ring echoed through the storage room.
I blurted out.
"Nice sound."
"Ahaha. Good one, bro."
"Huh? Why?"
"Only necromancers and souls can hear this sound. Living humans can't."
Adwin's face paled mid-sentence.
Because of our testimonies that followed.
"Huh? I think I heard it too."
"I did."
"Me too."
"I did."
Everyone in the party heard it.
Adwin kept shaking his head, insisting this was impossible.
But he soon composed himself and said gravely.
"I don't know what's going on, but I've summoned a soul."
"Repia?"
"No. I set it for Repia, but someone else came. Said they'd go instead."
"......? Who?"
"Leon Siok."
No one in our group didn't know that name.
Leon Siok.
One of the Three Heroes, who slayed the Demon King of Corruption alongside Bion Kunze and the other heroes!
We'd heard the original Three Heroes met in the netherworld, but I hadn't expected them to be on 'I'll go in your place' terms.
I nodded to Adwin.
His voice soon changed.
"Wahaha! Everyone doing well? Wow, you're all so dashing. One of you looks a bit prematurely aged, though."
"No way you're talking about me......"
"You're Ophense, right? Yeah, you. Anyway, I'm Leon Siok. Nice to meet you."
Leon was, as known, incredibly energetic...... overly so.
He shook hands with every one of us.
Even a normal handshake—he swung them up and down like a swing.
If left alone, he'd drag introductions out for an hour, so I spoke up.
"Leon, it's an honor to meet you."
"Huh? Nah, no need for formalities between heroes. I've got enough of that from my party members."
"......"
"Let's chat casually. Why'd you call me?"
"You came on your own."
"Ah. Right."
He scratched his head and said.
"Let me rephrase. Why were you trying to call Repia?"
"Before that, why'd you come instead?"
"The other heroes have all met the Five Heroes, but not me yet. I nagged Repia a bit, and she happily agreed."
I was sure she'd agreed out of exasperation.
But instead of nitpicking, I got to the point.
"We didn't call for any specific reason. Just testing the necromancer's bell you're holding."
"Huh? Oh, I made this."
"Right, you made the...... Wait, what?"
"I made this in my later years."
We all had to doubt our ears.
Jenia cut in.
"Were you a necromancer, Leon? I don't think so."
"I didn't have any particular class."
"Oh, right."
Indeed.
Grayd was famed for pure martial prowess, Repia for transcendent swordsmanship.
Leon was different—he excelled at everything.
A genius in every field.
Even in magic, he'd surpassed his teacher Bion Kunze in just a few years after learning from him.
That genius across all domains ironically left him in a state where 'he could do anything.'
So after slaying the Demon King, he wandered the continent without a fixed home.
[Heh. Just like you.]
'I plan to settle down after retiring.'
[Hmm.]
'Wherever Leon went back then, territory folk gathered like clouds, and the emperor of the time was quite wary. What kind of peaceful retirement is that?'
[True. With a hero's fame plus that genius, they'd line up for a single lesson.]
That's when Neril asked.
"Why'd you make this bell?"