Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Lion's Den
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Igor, who had been looking down at the corpse of the monster with its head smashed in, let out a sigh of relief.
“Belducias's magic was surging, so I came in a hurry… but it seems you've already handled it.”
Strabo, who looked as though he’d just woken up, rubbed his sleepy eyes.
“Didn't I tell you? It's wiser to get a little more sleep than to worry about that guy. Hmm, but who are you?”
Kyle approached the dwarf, who was tilting his head in confusion, and extended a hand.
“A pleasure. My name is Kyle.”
Strabo, caught off guard, shook his hand and scratched his cheek.
“I’m Strabo…”
“Introductions later. Let’s head back to the inn first, before any unnecessary rumors start.”
Everyone nodded at Luon’s words.
A short while later, the group returned to the inn and sat awkwardly on the floor of Luon’s room, staring at each other.
As Luon let out a faint sigh at the dreadful situation of four burly men crammed together on the narrow floor, Kyle nudged his elbow.
“Don’t just sit there sighing. Aren't you going to introduce us?”
Strabo added his two cents.
“Well said! Isn’t that why we’re all gathered here? After all, there's nothing more romantic than getting to know a new friend. Right, Igor?”
At those words, Igor clasped his hands and nodded.
“Judging by the fact that you stood against a servant of Belducias alongside Sir Luon, you are surely worthy of the Mother’s love.”
Kyle smiled.
“You’re an interesting bunch.”
“Interesting…”
Luon, who had been pressing his thumbs against his temples, slowly parted his lips.
“Introductions are all well and good, but I think we need to talk about Belducias first. Contrary to Igor’s concerns, it’s now certain that his apostle is in Bern.”
The story continued.
He informed them that the apostle was watching them and also explained the possibility that King Polientus might have succumbed to madness.
However, explaining the king’s situation required mentioning the fragment and the Magic Tower, so Luon added a brief addendum about the circumstances under which he obtained the fragment and the journey that followed.
“I knew that evil beings were lurking in the shadows, but the king… This is far more serious than I thought.”
As Igor muttered with a grim expression, Strabo suddenly shot to his feet.
The dwarf’s face was flushed as he raised his voice.
“A grand tale that begins by chance with the slaying of a demon's minion occupying a monastery! Isn't this the very epitome of a hero's epic? Oh, to be a part of such a story… could there be any greater glory?”
Kyle, who had been staring blankly at him, turned to Luon.
“…That man—no, that dwarf—has he been following along this whole time without knowing what was going on?”
An excited Strabo abruptly cut in.
“I only knew that you two were trying to kill a demon. I never imagined there was such a heart-pounding story behind it all! This is truly…”
Just then, Luon raised his palm.
“Strabo, I don’t know what sweet fantasy you’re indulging in, but there’s one thing we need to get straight.”
He continued.
“My reason for wanting to kill Belducias is purely personal. It has little to do with glory or a hero's adventure. So, stop bouncing around like a child.”
Strabo snorted.
“What does it matter if I look like a child! A heart-pounding adventure awaits, and that's enough for me. This is the kind of moment I left the forge for.”
He pouted.
“And another thing. I don’t know exactly what you meant, but… brushing it off as a 'personal reason' is a little disappointing. Weren’t we in this together, one way or another?”
What, is he sulking?
Luon tilted his head at the grumbling tone, then realized that Strabo had a point.
Igor, Strabo, and Kyle.
It was no exaggeration to say that he was the reason these three strangers, each with their own unique quirks, had gathered in one place.
For Tivela’s will, in pursuit of the romance of adventure, for the sake of a friend’s safety.
They each had different reasons, but in the end, they were all resolved to walk the same path as Luon.
Luon scanned the faces of the three men staring intently at him and muttered under his breath.
“How did it come to this…”
An unconscious smile crept onto his face as he added.
“Yes, perhaps we've come too far for me to just cite personal reasons. I'll be counting on you all.”
Kyle replied with a bright smile.
“That’s good enough for me. So, what's the plan now? First, we'll have to track down that apostle fellow, right?”
Igor immediately added.
“Now that the holy sword has absorbed new power, we should be able to locate him without difficulty. I will formally request support from the Grand Cathedral as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
Luon, who had been listening quietly to the two of them, slowly shook his head.
“No, that’s too late.”
“Pardon?”
“What?”
He added, looking at the two men who were questioning him with blank expressions.
“It would be one thing if we didn't know, but now that we’ve realized the apostle is watching us, we don’t have the luxury of waiting for morning.”
Luon gripped the hilt of the holy sword, which was pulsing violently in response to his deepened holy power, and added curtly.
“We're going right now.”
***
A man was walking down a corridor cast in gloomy shadows.
After passing through a narrow passage where moonlight streamed in from the window, he stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall.
“Hoo…”
Knock, knock. After taking a short breath, the man knocked lightly on the door. A brief "Enter" came from the other side.
He stepped cautiously into the room, bowed his head deeply toward the man in front of him, and opened his mouth.
“Marcus and Dixie are dead.”
“Ho ho, I imagine Dixie lost her precious life because of Marcus's belligerence.”
The reply was soft and calm, but the man standing in attendance was visibly tense.
Regardless, the middle-aged man, who had been rummaging through a large pile of documents on a massive table, clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“There are nearly a hundred books with overdue returns under the guise of long-term loans.”
He continued with a displeased look.
“To think there are so many who can't even keep a basic promise… It’s deplorable. The librarians weren't complaining for nothing.”
The middle-aged man, who had been muttering to himself, shifted his gaze to the man still standing there.
Pushing up his slipping glasses, he asked.
“Is there anything else you have to say?”
The man wet his parched lips with his tongue and slowly nodded.
“Speak.”
As soon as the middle-aged man gave his permission, the man spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Salvatore, Hikan, Boldo, Martina, and now Marcus and Dixie… Six have died already. How long must we just stand by and watch?”
A faint smile curled the middle-aged man’s lips.
“Omar, are you nervous? Afraid his holy relic will soon be piercing your head?”
A muscle twitched in the man’s, Omar's, brow.
“That’s not it! It's just that I cannot comprehend how it is the King’s will for us to simply watch as our brothers die one by one—”
He couldn't finish his sentence. His own arm, beyond his control, had begun to mercilessly tighten around his neck.
“Gak, kegh!”
The middle-aged man watched Omar writhe, his eyes bloodshot, and then spoke.
His voice was still gentle.
“You speak out of turn.”
Leisurely flipping through the documents one by one, the middle-aged man continued.
“Omar, you needn't be so impatient. They are already on their way here. It seems Tivela's holy relic, having devoured Marcus and Dixie, is doing its job quite well.”
“Kegh, gaaahk!”
The middle-aged man shifted his gaze to Omar, who was making choking sounds, and snapped his fingers.
Omar crumpled weakly to the floor and began to desperately gasp for air.
“We will have guests shortly, so you may leave.”
At the curt dismissal, Omar staggered to his feet and hastily exited the room. The middle-aged man watched him go and muttered to himself.
“I'll have to do a proper house cleaning when this is over. They’re all such pathetic fools. Honestly…”
The man shaking his head was Pascianu Onflick.
Head of the Grand Library, sublime scholar, the King’s advisory mage, mentor to all… The epithets used to describe him in Bern were too numerous to count on ten fingers, yet none of them captured the man’s true nature.
For the face hidden beneath those many titles was dark, ominous, and utterly malevolent.
The loyal apostle of an ancient evil gazed at the window where the faint moonlight pooled and smiled softly.
“Have you arrived so soon? Tivela's Champion… no, the inflection point of the world.”
***
Kyle looked up at the elegant stone mansion, shrouded in the twilight of dawn, and asked.
“Is this the place?”
Instead of answering, Luon gripped the mansion’s locked iron gate with both hands.
Creeak—
He pulled the bars apart, creating a space just wide enough for one person to pass through, and was the first to step inside the estate.
The three men, who were by now thoroughly accustomed to Luon’s incredible strength, followed him without a word of admiration.
*This is definitely not normal.*
Gripping the hilt of the holy sword, which was pulsing more violently than ever, Luon strode forward and saw a man standing guard in front of the mansion.
The man with his arms crossed, Omar, scowled as the group approached and opened his mouth.
“I didn't think you'd actually come all this way. Tivel—”
Before he could finish, Luon drew his holy sword. Thinking he was being ignored, Omar gritted his teeth.
“You must be feeling on top of the world after killing our brothers… I’ll make you regret it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, two more figures appeared and stepped forward.
A portly man and a fierce-looking woman. Neither had particularly distinctive features, but hearing Omar’s words, the group realized they were all servants of Belducias and swallowed nervously.
The only one who wasn't tense was Luon. As he readied for battle by casually twirling the holy sword, Strabo spoke.
“Why don't you save your strength and go on ahead? It's obvious these guys are just small fry.”
“What?”
When Luon asked, Strabo flashed a broad grin.
“You said you were counting on us, didn't you? How long are you going to do everything yourself? Leave this to us and…”
As he spoke, green veins bulged on Strabo's face, and coarse fur began to sprout from his body.
In an instant, he had transformed into a giant beast. He finished his sentence.
“Go on ahead! Ooh, I can't believe the day has come when I get to say that line myself.”
“…Holy shit, I almost smashed you. If you had an ability like that, you could have mentioned it sooner.”
Kyle, who had raised his shield at Strabo's sudden transformation, cleared his throat, drew his arming sword, and pointed it forward.
“Hey, you three lackeys! Which one of you is the mage? I'll take you on first!”
Just then, Igor added in a calm tone.
“We will follow you shortly.”
Luon watched the three of them for a moment, then said with a faint smile.
“Alright. I’m counting on you.”