Episode 105
EPISODE.53
A ray of moonlight brightens up the dark night sky.
A curved beam of light streamed through the crack in the window. It was a dark room.
The only light that can be seen ahead is the moonlight coming through the window.
Inside, an old man with fine gray hair was moving his hands.
Square, square, square-.
Every time, the scissors blade in the old man’s hand gave off a cold light. The branches of the bonsai tree in front of him were cut off here and there.
And then, all at once, square.
The old man’s brow furrowed deeply as he cut off a growing tree branch.
“Tsk.”
Because I moved the scissors incorrectly, I ended up cutting off a branch that was just growing, not a dead branch.
The gray-haired old man muttered sadly as he picked up the freshly cut branch.
“It’s because you’re so impatient. “There is still a lot of time left to wait.”
Maybe it won’t go wrong…
The old man, Archduke Bismarck, muttered that.
Is it directed at the cut bonsai, or is it directed at something else entirely?
I didn’t know that until now.
How long had he been looking at the cut branches?
Clutter, rattle, rattle-.
A strange and unpleasant sound was heard. The sound of something old and worn hitting together after a long time.
It was the sound of the old skull in the Archduke’s office moving its jaw.
Along with a jarring sound, dark green light flowed from the skull’s empty eyes.
“Green eyes, is it Charon (Χάρων) this time?”
If Hypnos (Ὕπνος) is a ‘sleep from which one cannot wake up’, Charon is ‘a boatman on the river flowing into the underworld’.
No matter how much I don’t want to reveal my real name, I never thought I’d introduce myself with the name of an old god.
‘Those unsophisticated cultists… … .’
If our goals weren’t the same, we wouldn’t have joined hands with them.
With that thought in mind, the Archduke turned around.
I opened my mouth, hiding the cold look that had been on my face just a moment ago.
“Yes, Charon. This time it’s you. “What’s going on?”
“It happened to be trading day. Normally, this should have been done by your trader, Hypnos, but he was busy with work, so I stepped in specially this time.”
“It’s trading day… … .”
The skeleton opened its mouth at him who was speechless.
Wow-.
A dark green light began to flicker inside the skull’s jaw joint, and then it spit out something.
Rattling.
It was an unusual purple fruit that looked like a plum and was less than half the size of a fist.
“Isn’t it time to eat?”
“And it turned out that way.”
Bismarck nodded and stretched out his hand. He picked up the fruit that fell in front of him without any hesitation.
Wagjeok, wagjeok.
It took at most a few bites to chew all the flesh.
Sreuk-.
Then, a dark red airflow flowing from the finger-sized seed left in place gently enveloped the Archduke’s entire body.
Ssssssssssssssssssss-.
Immediately after, something surprising happened.
Saaaa-.
The age spots that had begun to bloom on the backs of the Archduke’s hands, along with dark red airflow, had clearly faded.
In addition, the wrinkles on the fingers and back of the hands also fade. It’s not just the hands that have changed.
“Haaaa-.”
He let out a deep breath as his hands, neck, and even his face regained a few years of youth.
“I feel this every time, but it feels like I’m truly addicted to it.”
The Archduke chanted with a voice and eyes full of greed.
What he held in his hand were the seeds of a fruit that had fulfilled its function and had dried up and turned black.
“If I can do these good things one after another, I think I will be able to live forever.”
“Unfortunately, the purification method is difficult and the side effects are also side effects.”
When the skeleton muttered something regretful, Archduke Bismarck immediately clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, I know. So, I’m holding it in as one every five years, and more than that-.”
He threw away the seeds in his hand without any hesitation and continued speaking.
“I heard that this little guy is heading to the Red Canyon.”
“If you’re a kid… … .”
“The guy who embarrassed Blaine.”
“Ah, you’re talking about the disciple of the bitch who was burned to death.”
In an instant, the dark green eyes of the skeleton became darker.
“Your subordinate’s shame is your own shame, so do you want me to kill that little guy?”
“Nonsense.”
The Archduke shot back, dismissing Charon’s words.
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“It’s not like the kid is going alone, he’s going all the way to Vermilion, the first disciple. Do you have the money to spend on that now?”
Companionship of 5th and 6th circle magicians.
In order to deal with it reliably, this side will also need to send at least two Circle 6, top level mages.
Moreover, both of them were Daria’s disciples.
Moreover, if the rumor that one of the Sword Master’s arms was blown off is true…
“Well, right now… … “No.”
Charon muttered and moved the skull’s jaw.
Tap, tap, tap, tap-.
“So what do you want to say? I’m not even asking you to kill me, so why bother bringing this up… … .”
“What I’m worried about is what happens in the Amazon or the great forests.”
“It’s the Amazon Amazon Forest… … .”
“I want to ask whether there will be any disruption to the work being done there.”
Amazona Great Forest.
It was a place facing the red canyon in the opposite direction from Endymion.
Due to the warm climate in the south, green greenery the size of a small kingdom is spread out… … .
It is the home of all kinds of fairies.
And the place where the Archduke and the cultists were doing something was also the Amazona Great Forest.
Charon responded, as if telling him not to worry about his worries.
“The place where the work is being done is not adjacent to the canyon, but deep inside the forest.”
Rattling, rattling-.
Every time, the skull’s jaw joint moves, making an unpleasant sound.
“Unless you come looking for it, you will never be able to find it, at least by going all the way to the canyon. After everything is over… … “Maybe after it opens.”
“hmm?”
Charon gave a vague look to the Archduke who was tilting his head.
“It’s no big deal.”
We quickly changed the topic.
“Anyway, there is less than a dime chance that something the Archduke is worried about will happen, so there is no need to worry. “If you’re still worried, let’s double the vigilance in the area.”
“Then you are lucky.”
“That’s the end of the question. If that’s the end… … “Now is the time to cut off communication.”
Charon moved the skull’s jaw towards the relieved Archduke.
“… … “Hypnos, not me, will come back for the next conversation.”
As the magical power decreases, the voice coming from the skull begins to rapidly fade away.
And soon after, when the voice completely died down, the dark green eye glow also disappeared.
All that remained in that place were traces of the cut off bonsai tree and a rotten seed.
It was a conversation that took place at the Archduke’s residence a few days after Russell and Vermilion left for the Red Canyon.
* * *
“If you are a mid-level spirit of flame, you will be able to find the location of gnomes, low-level spirits of the earth, through smell.”
Vermilion muttered in the carriage heading to the Red Canyon.
‘I don’t know if it’s just one or two, but there are a large number of gnomes living in the Underworld.’
‘I’m sure Pepper will recognize the spirit emanating from the gnomes.’
I was thinking about what I heard from Amelia Merwin a few days ago.
“Thank goodness we have a priest. “Thanks to you, finding the Underworld has become easier.”
Vermilion spoke to Russell in the carriage heading to the Red Canyon.
“wrong… … “I can’t really say it, but it’s probably thanks to Pepper.”
The guy who had been rolling around on Russell’s lap turned over when he heard the sound calling him.
Gyarr-?
He tilted his head, exposing his stomach. It looked quite cute, so I scratched her stomach with my fingertips, and she twisted her body around as if she was tickled.
Purr, purr.
When it exposes its body, it is almost the size of an ox, but its usual appearance is that of a cat.
“yes. “It’s thanks to that spirit.”
Vermilion chuckled in agreement and opened the subspace.
He said, taking out a thick piece of meat he had brought with him to use as food and holding it in front of Pepper.
“It’s a prize. “I want to eat as much as I want.”
Purr purr!
Pepper let out a long cry at the piece of meat shoved in front of her and started chomping at the taste.
“hmm… … .”
Russell, who was looking at that scene, sighed softly.
“Why are you doing that? Priests?”
“no. “This is my first time giving raw meat to Pepper.”
I’ve always only given them cooked meat, beef jerky, or processed bacon or sausage.
“I’m just not sure if I’ll eat raw meat.”
“I think I’ll eat it once I see how it tastes.”
Yaar!
Pepper’s actions immediately went beyond Russell’s and even Vermillion’s imagination.
As soon as he stretched out his short arms and grabbed the meat, Pepper’s small hands turned red.
“uh?”
“hmm?”
Next, a savory yet oily scent rises along the spot where Pepper’s palm touches, and yay!
Pepper, who confirmed that the raw meat was cooked to some extent, took a bite of it and ate it.
Gawg, purr.
Repeat of cooking and eating the meat, then cooking and eating it.
After being taken aback by the completely unexpected situation for a moment, Vermillion suddenly burst into laughter.
“her. “This guy has already learned the taste of Maillard.”
Russell, with a puzzled expression, nodded.
“Uh, um. yes.”
How did I learn about this when I wasn’t even taught it?
‘Maybe it’s the fire spirit’s instinct.’
Of course, that doesn’t mean the water spirit washes all food in water before eating it.
The two wizards observed this and that for a while, interested in the completely unexpected ecology of spirits.
As the burning desire to explore cooled down little by little, the carriage carrying the two people stopped.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa-.”
The driver opened his mouth as he stopped the horse pulling the carriage.
“Im here.”
When I opened the carriage door, the first thing I saw was a city that had become quite a tourist destination.
It is said that the huge canyon (Red Canyon), made entirely of red rocks, presents scenery and impressions that the viewer has never encountered before.
What I saw before my eyes was a city created for tourists and monks who were fascinated by the scenery and appreciation.
What you see beyond is a towering red rock that resembles an anthill built in a remote area.
Even though it is this far away, the rock looks so huge. If you look at it up close, it will be much bigger in reality.
‘That’s just the beginning.’
For a moment, Russell clenched his fists, feeling overwhelmed by a mystery he had never seen before.
With a mystery this big, it wouldn’t be surprising even if a dragon was actually hiding.
Russell took a step forward, feeling something pounding in strange anticipation, whether it was his heart or the magic power of the circle.
“Let’s go. execution.”
I passed the tourist town ahead and headed towards the red canyon.
wizard who swallowed a dragon
