Chapter 119
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Ominous Premonition
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Leon, who had been discussing the dungeon's aftermath, suddenly turned his head.
At the same moment.
"Gasp?!"
Rebecca's pupils narrowed in an instant, and she flinched, collapsing in shock.
"Rebecca?!"
"H-Hey! What's wrong?!"
The promising young recruits shouted in alarm as they rushed toward her.
"Hic... Hic..."
But Rebecca couldn't respond.
The lively smile had vanished completely, leaving only a chilling sensation in its wake.
What... was that just now?
She slowly lifted her head. And as her gaze fell on Leon.
He had been chatting amiably with Albion but casually turned to look back, their eyes meeting.
In that instant, she felt an inexplicable dread.
Ah. Déjà vu? No, not that. Something feels... different.
Her instincts were sharp. And the spirits' intuitions were keen as well.
But this was entirely unlike her usual hunches.
A fleeting thought she would normally brush off without a second thought.
Yet it shook her because the image that flashed in her mind was so intensely vivid.
Legs giving way, she clutched her head with one hand as she slumped to the ground.
The single scene that had ravaged her mind was etched too deeply into her brain.
A shadowy figure gazing down emotionlessly, and her own blood-soaked body collapsed on the ground.
And then.
The cold aura of the figure who had plunged a sword into her heart sent shivers across her skin.
She couldn't see clearly through the shadows, but the terror was overwhelmingly real.
Of course, she had never experienced death or found herself in such a situation.
But she couldn't fathom why such a vividly eerie scene had arisen.
One thing she knew for certain: it had flashed when she looked at Leon.
"Are you alright?"
It was then.
Leon, having finished his conversation, passed by her side. With Luna sniffles riding piggyback and his hands free, he extended one toward her.
"...Ah... Y-Yes, I'm fine."
Her face drained of color as she stared at his hand, then scrambled to her feet.
Her actions might seem rude at first glance, but she wasn't in a state to care.
Naturally, those around her were puzzled by her uncharacteristic behavior, but she had to flee the scene as if escaping.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She ran frantically without knowing why she was running, dashing into a quiet alley in Revela and finally stopping to clutch her chest, gasping for air.
"Why did I do that...?"
As she berated herself for her uncharacteristic panic.
Someone approached from beside her.
"Rebecca."
"Wh-Who are you?!"
She whipped her head around in fright, and from the darkness emerged a figure in black robes drawing a sword.
Not particularly tall, with a decent build. A woman. Pale red hair cascaded lightly down.
"The Moon Watchers. I've come to see you."
"Moon Watchers? Eek?! The continent's assassin guil...!"
Shing!! Chaang!!!
The sword flashed toward her at a speed no novice like her could react to.
It happened in an instant, too fast for reaction or even a scream.
However, the blade didn't cleave her.
It merely sliced off the brooch pinned to her clothes.
The brooch Albion had given her for her protection.
"Kyaa!"
"Better to clear away annoyances first. I'll explain exactly what you saw, so follow me."
As if she had anticipated this, her words made Rebecca's eyes widen as she shouted.
"W-Wait a minute! What do you mean?! What I saw...? D-Do you know something?!"
At her cry, the Moon Watcher fell silent. Just a regular member? No, the aura emanating from the robed figure was far from ordinary.
"Yes. Big or small, we're all in the same boat. And soon, you will be too."
Once the tears started flowing, they wouldn't stop.
My back was soaked from Luna sniffling on it, to the point of dehydration.
The issue was her body automatically triggering recovery—multicolored lights shimmered around her nonstop.
Albion had promised to invite us officially once the mercenary band was promoted to a guild, but it wasn't a particularly appealing offer.
"We'll meet again if fate allows."
That was all I could say.
For now, the sniffling Luna on my back mattered more than mercenary bands or magic cores.
"Then, farewell."
"We'll escort you out."
"Thank you."
The only thing nagging at me was Rebecca, who had looked terrified upon seeing me earlier.
Even right after my fight with Sullivan ended, she had only been curious, never scared like this.
But just moments ago, she had staggered suddenly, and her gaze toward me changed afterward.
I didn't particularly care how she saw me, but thinking back now, there were several odd points.
"Young Master?"
"It's nothing. Let's go. I have things to do anyway."
It was a thought that struck me while delving into the depths.
A new feature for the updated Paradise Artifact.
A bit of a pay-to-win gimmick, but adding some fresh fun to this dull world wouldn't hurt.
The moment we returned to Cascadia via teleport gate, I spotted Melissa's dropkick flying at me but dodged smoothly.
"You annoying bastard... What's with her crying?"
She sprang up agilely, grumbling, then paused.
Having seen Luna sniffling on my back.
"Found the ring."
"The ring? Oh, that? Good for you!"
"But it vanished right in front of me again."
Her face lit up at my words, then twitched.
"Vanished?"
"Exactly as I said. Spatial transfer. No idea why it had that power embedded. Calm her down first."
Same gender, so they'd connect somehow.
I tried setting Luna down, but she clung with her peculiar strength, refusing to let go.
Even silently sniffling, she stuck to my back.
She even wrapped her legs around my waist.
"No clue. You soothe her."
Melissa shrugged wearily and mounted the horse her attendant had prepared.
"Where to?"
"Demon Realm. Just checking things out."
"That'll trigger alerts. Be careful. And don't hand over the Death Knight to anyone."
"Got it."
Melissa kicked the horse's flank lightly, departing swiftly with a few knights.
Such duties were commonplace for the head of House Cascadia.
Nothing new.
"Head maid, get some rest too."
I said the same to Misha, the head maid who had been silently observing.
"I'll take my leave."
As a Mielephon affiliate, she probably didn't look kindly on me fussing over an outsider like this, Isna's fiancé or not.
But she didn't seem bothered.
She lightly gathered her skirt hems, bowed, and turned away slowly.
Luna only slid off my back once we entered my room.
Then she sluggishly crawled onto my bed as if it were natural, pulling the covers over herself.
"Leon."
Soon, her weary voice emerged from under the blanket.
"Today... I want to be alone."
The condition where I couldn't sleep without her persisted, but one night wouldn't hurt.
"Then go rest in your room, why here?"
But she wouldn't budge at my question.
I'd seen her shameless side plenty, but this childlike clinginess was rare.
Shaking my head, I stepped out as she requested.
Strictly speaking, she was more like a freeloader, but her arrival had brought vitality to the once-lonely House Cascadia.
Kicked out of my own room, the training ground was my destination.
What was my original purpose in heading to Revela?
To break through to the realm of a 7th-circle necromancer.
And with the top-grade magic core I'd torn from mad King Sullivan's armor fragments, preparations were complete.
Rather than forcing it quickly, I'd circulate energy in a magic circle for a few days—no side effects for reaching 7th circle was a bargain.
Awoooo!
The shadow wraith wolf Muyoung poked its head out briefly to assert its presence, but I ignored it, manipulating suspended mana in the air to form a massive magic circle.
The unnatural flow of necromantic mana made passersby flinch and glance over.
But soon they went about their business as if accustomed.
As if to say, Is anything that guy does ever normal?
Why doesn't it feel rewarding? Is this reaction right?
Feeling oddly slighted, I gestured.
Bang!!!
An intangible explosion erupted.
Yet the servants just gave that typical Young Master look and focused on their tasks.
"Hm? Do you need something, Young Master?"
"Come here a sec?"
Unable to hold back, I called over the maid who'd previously spilled Melissa's location.
"What is it?"
"No, why's everyone so blasé?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm doing something this huge—shouldn't there be some reaction? Would you stroll past if the mansion was on fire?"
This was borderline negligence.
I knew it sounded ridiculous coming from me, but I felt unjustly ignored.
Her response? She looked aggrieved instead.
"Well... Young Master pulling off something bizarre isn't exactly new..."
Speechless, I could only blankly watch her bow slightly and leave.
Just break through the circle already...
Having shattered and rebuilt mana circles hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times at the Hall of Necromancy, crafting this magic circle was trivial.
With a top-grade core like this, it was even easier.
I manifested an ultra-high-dimensional magic circle in moments, placing the magic core as catalyst.
Then walked silently to the center of the spread circle, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the necromantic mana within me.
And was a bit surprised.
"What? Why's everything already prepared?"
My body was primed to break through to 7th circle right away.
It hadn't been like this even before heading to Revela.
I could force it now, but ignoring the backlash wasn't wise, so I'd held off on 7th circle.