Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Old Man of the Mountain
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Kwaaaang!! The massive iron gate was torn to shreds by the Stone Scales boulders. Brushing off the dust falling from above, Damian and Paruzan entered the castle.
"Is... is this really okay? You're the one who said we had to move quietly, Damian."
This was the kind of action you wouldn't take in normal circumstances. If the Hashashin were hiding deep beneath the castle, it'd be like poking a hornet's nest.
But there was no need to worry about that. Just like in Maidran, no signs of life could be detected here. Not a single Hashashin was hiding in this stronghold.
Even so, they pressed on.
A large number of Books of Hell. That was the clear purpose behind Damian's journey from the capital all the way to this distant southern land.
"The situation's changed a lot. You need to decide what to do now."
Paruzan had accompanied Damian to hunt the Hashashin—or more precisely, because of the curse on her heart.
But in the current situation, confronting them was impossible. There was no longer any reason for her to travel with him.
"But we've come this far. Can't just turn back empty-handed. If you're out hunting, you gotta bring something back."
Paruzan grinned as she spoke.
Just as she said, there could be unexpected gains from their hideout. Maybe the ancient magic on her heart, or perhaps the truth behind her tribe's massacre.
"Then let's go."
There was nothing particularly striking inside the stronghold. Perhaps due to the regional climate, there wasn't even any standing water despite years of abandonment.
"So where's the entrance to the Hashashin bastards' hideout?"
The original plan had been this:
Enter the passage connected to the hideout based on intel Damian obtained from the Hashashin.
Use Black Magic—Gaze to neutralize traps and locate enemies.
Move while avoiding Hashashin as much as possible, eliminating them with Paruzan's 《Pursuit》 if necessary.
But that plan was useless now. With no enemies to avoid, what was the point of sneaking around?
"You don't mean... "
Damian knelt in the center of the vast space. Judging by the surroundings, it must have been a banquet hall in the past.
'This should do it, roughly.'
Black Magic—Stone Scales at maximum output. He prepared the force that had severed an adult salamander's lifeline in one blow.
"Stay still. It's gonna shake."
"You're insane...!"
Ignoring Paruzan's reaction, Damian suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
Unlike against the salamander, this wasn't focused on a single point, so even Damian couldn't predict the full extent of the damage.
Kwa-gwa-gwang!!! Stone Scales erupted from Damian's palms, mercilessly shredding the ground.
The entire stronghold shook as if an earthquake had struck, and soon the floor rumbled and collapsed beneath them.
"Kyahhhh!!"
Even Paruzan, a young but seasoned hunter, couldn't help screaming at Damian's outrageous act. It was a shock unlike anything she'd experienced.
The impacts continued relentlessly, sending the floor beneath Damian and Paruzan plummeting downward. The Stone Scales cushioned some of it, but the bone-rattling sensation was unavoidable.
"Haa... haa... I-is it over?"
Paruzan asked, her legs trembling like a newborn fawn's.
The floor stopped sinking. They'd reached the lowest level.
Their starting point looked like a tiny dot above. Some light filtered in, but it wasn't enough to illuminate this dark space.
Damian and Paruzan pulled lanterns from their respective subspace pouches and lit up the surroundings.
"Brutal."
The area was piled high with all sorts of concealed weapons. They were impeccably maintained without a single nick, yet just looking at them carried the stench of blood.
An armory. A place he'd seen in the extracted memories. A little further, and they'd reach that library.
Just to be sure, he scanned the interior again with Black Magic—Gaze. The result was the same. Just like outside, it was filled only with severed remnants of lifelines.
However, even Decarabia's gaze couldn't precisely trace where those lifeline remnants extended.
"Why are there so many books? What do these assassins want with this stuff?"
Upon reaching the library, Paruzan tapped the dusty bookshelves with a puzzled look. Unlike the armory, they weren't well-maintained.
Damian didn't know why the Hashashin had built a library in their hideout. He certainly hadn't expected them to collect Books of Hell.
Fortunately, the ones from the memories were all in place.
Two Mem (מ), one Gimel (ג), one He (ה), one Dalet (ד).
And.
'Book of Hell—Nun.'
Even Damian, who rarely showed emotion, couldn't stop his lips from twitching now.
What hell lord would it connect to? What power could he gain through contract? It stirred his emotions—not with revenge, but with achievement as a black mage.
In the extracted memories, he hadn't been able to properly read what was written here. He could open the grimoire now, but Damian held back.
Things here weren't finished yet. He needed to stay alert until then.
After stowing the Books of Hell in his subspace pouch, Damian examined the library's other books alongside Paruzan.
To investigate the reason her tribe was massacred—or details about that curse.
"...Nothing special."
Most of the books here were written in code. An outsider not part of the Hashashin had almost no chance of deciphering them.
Was that why they'd collected the Books of Hell—as a form of cipher?
Hoo. Paruzan let out a deep sigh, unable to hide her bitterness.
When Damian first proposed this, she'd probably had high hopes too. In the end, she still couldn't find her own answers for revenge.
'Looks like things in the south end here.'
There was nothing he could do about Paruzan's issue right now. But Rubia wasn't the only one researching ancient magic; they'd find a way somehow.
Before heading back to Byzantine, just one quick stop, then return to the capital with Sariba.
As Damian organized his thoughts.
"Grrrrr!"
Suddenly, Paruzan growled and shuddered.
A translucent aura surged from her body. Clear battle stance.
"Found you, found you!!"
Sudden rampage. Damian reacted instantly, erecting a Stone Scales barrier.
Paruzan's rampage was dangerous. Calm her first, then assess the situation carefully.
'Damn it!'
But her speed was twice as fast as usual. Not normal. The curse in her heart was definitely reacting.
Instead of chasing Paruzan, Damian formed another eye on his palm. Figuring out what was happening came first.
'What the hell?'
When he'd first scanned this place, no lifeforms were detected, but now, not far from the library, some shape appeared.
It registered as a lifeline, so the exact form wasn't clear, but it was closer to human than monster.
Moreover, the faint color of the lifeline suggested someone quite old.
'What the hell did they do?'
Given Paruzan's curse reacting, it was likely a Hashashin. He needed to gauge their skill level.
Lifelines and strength were separate issues. To measure the opponent's power, Damian detected mana with his black magic sight.
'No way...'
An enormous amount. Enough to rank among the empire's elite.
But what was even more shocking.
'Is it even human?'
The aura from the mana was utterly unlike a normal person's. He'd never felt anything like this from Michael or Rubia.
It was eerie and chilling. Just observing from afar sent chills down his spine. If mana could embody death, it'd feel like this.
'Paruzan!'
A new mana appeared in his black magic sight. Paruzan. She'd swiftly pinpointed the opponent's location with 《Pursuit》's power.
She was skilled, but the matchup was bad. Especially in her current agitated state, it was even riskier.
The two manas clashed. One soon collapsed. No need to check who won.
'She's still safe.'
Paruzan's mana and lifeline showed no major issues. For some reason, the opponent wanted her alive.
No further movements after that. They might not have noticed Damian yet, or simply didn't care.
But Damian couldn't stay put. Leaving Paruzan here would blatantly cross the line he'd set for himself.
Wiping illusory blood tears, Damian exited the library. Following the path Paruzan had taken, strange sounds echoed from within the hideout.
Drawing closer, he realized it was the sound of leather being wiped on metal.
Light sources gradually came into view. In an open space, an old man sat before a small brazier, tending to a massive scythe.
Beneath him lay Paruzan, unconscious.
"You're here?"
The calm tone, contrasting the eerie mana, tickled his ears. It almost relaxed him. That's why his body tensed even more.
The old man set down the scythe and gestured to the seat opposite him. As Damian sat, the old man across the brazier looked up.
His eyes were milky white, long sightless. His face was etched with deep wrinkles.
Yet, as confirmed by black magic sight, his body harbored an indescribably vast and bizarre mana.
"You one of the desert herbalists too? Your mind looks sharp."
"Haha. I'll take that as a compliment."
While wary of the old man, Damian checked Paruzan's condition. Her breathing was shallow, but no visible wounds.
"I am the Old Man of the Mountain."
Damian bit his lower lip at the declaration. He'd heard the name.
It was in the Hashashin extermination report.
"The Hashashin... leader?"
Old Man of the Mountain.
A title passed down through generations to the Hashashin leader. But Damian's doubts lingered.
The current leader during the civil war should be the same as now, yet the man before him looked nothing like the report's description.
He wasn't this strong to begin with. Excelled only in infiltration and assassination; direct combat was supposedly poor.
Before that, no Hashashin Damian knew used such a massive scythe.
Too big for assassination. More like ceremonial.
"Have you an introduction of your own? Most noble among the ignoble, Damian Renekht."
"Hah, blind old man knows a lot."
Damian didn't deny it and removed Eric Hilton's mask.
'Where'd he catch on?'
Damian was quite flustered. He hadn't expected the Hashashin to know his true identity as Damian Renekht.
Those long-sightless milky eyes. Some strange power—magic or aura?—emanated from them.
"We don't know much. We just hear a lot. Even that you and this child were coming here was relayed to me by 'That One.'"
Shaa. As the Old Man of the Mountain slung the massive scythe over his shoulder, an ominous sound spread everywhere. The brazier's flames flickered out in an instant.
"I'm not curious why you've come here. Leave. And forget everything."
In the darkness, the Old Man of the Mountain's voice pressed down on Damian. Cold and ruthless, unlike his earlier gentle tone.
"And if I refuse?"
Damian sneered, overlaying black magic sight on his own eyes.
An application of Black Magic—Gaze that eliminated sensory discrepancies, usable even in combat.
The viewable area was smaller than conjuring an eye, but enough to track the opponent in darkness.
"That wouldn't be bad either."
The Old Man of the Mountain rose, swinging the massive scythe as he approached. At the same time, Stone Scales boulders surged toward the old man.