preparation (2)
After talking with Leaf, we returned to the Monarchy.
While I was still preparing for the academy, I also thought about what I had to do before the time came.
The monarchy, as always, worked well without me, so I didn’t worry about that part.
It was a personal matter, not something related to the monarchy, that had to be sorted out once.
It’s about Umyeong Freon.
‘Because I don’t know when that woman will come back.’
The woman who infiltrated the monarchy as a spy and was caught by me, and must be collecting information somewhere by now.
What I asked her to do was to tell her about the mystery of possession that would terrorize Saintea’s capital in the future.
‘I don’t expect to have figured out anything already.’
I didn’t expect much that she would figure something out with the little clue I knew. It was what she had to pay for.
When I ordered Umyeong to collect information, I told her to come back for a report within a year at the most.
I wanted to keep it shorter if possible, but having to go back and forth long distances would also interfere with my activities.
So I dragged it as long as possible, but I wouldn’t bother to come back early, so I had to assume that there was still quite a bit of time left before I returned.
If you enter the academy, outside activities are difficult.
So, it would be better to check beforehand how much Umyeong has achieved.
I took out the thing I had stolen from the shadows earlier.
An ancient magic tool that tells the direction of the target that has been branded.
I branded this ring on Umyeong and blackmailed her into collecting information.
Even now, a faint light emanated from the ring, pointing in one direction.
‘I don’t know how far away it is.’
Still, no matter how far it was, it wouldn’t have taken an incredibly long time. Because there is a belt.
While the thought came to my mind, I was ready to leave immediately to deal with it.
Asher hadn’t returned yet, so I was alone on this outing for the first time in a while.
***
More than 10 days had passed since he moved along the light pointed by the ring.
As expected, the shadow was in the direction of Saintea beyond Calderic, and the distance was considerable.
‘here is······.’
Feeling puzzled, I looked down at the endless forest below.
This forest was a huge forest located outside the realm of Saintea. There is no specific name.
The reason I was curious was because once I got past this forest, the sea was at the end of a wilderness where there was nothing on the map.
I don’t have a clue how she’s doing her research, but it’s hard to guess what she’s doing after coming out to such a remote area.
‘Couldn’t it be that I’m not investigating properly?’
You know better than anyone that there is no way to escape from me as long as you have the ring.
In the meantime, I felt a little uneasy.
It was because he knew someone who might live in the depths of this nameless forest.
‘Witch Curel.’
Of course, not all of Lassa’s strongmen had a reputation on the continent.
There were also many reclusive strongmen whose names were not well known to the public for various reasons.
The witch Curel was a considerable name among them, and was as strong as Sainttea’s Five Stars.
It was set up that he had been stuck in this forest for decades, only studying magic, so of course it would still be there.
I don’t know the detailed background of her because there is nothing in the game.
All I know is that she is an eccentric wizard who was called a witch in the past.
It was a part of knowing him well from the fact that he was studying magic alone in a forest like this.
‘There’s no way we’ll run into each other in this vast forest…’
What was unsettling was that, of course, the shadows were in the direction of the forest.
I couldn’t help but think that he didn’t come here for the purpose of being a witch.
After a while, that hunch became a reality.
“······damn.”
I let out a small sigh.
It was because I could feel the presence of huge magical power gradually from afar.
The light of the ring was pointing toward the magical side, and it had been slowly and gradually tilting downward for a while.
It is an obvious meaning that the shadow is here.
And there was only one reason to feel the magic in this forest where no one could live.
‘Is that the witch’s realm?’
Seeing that mana spread over a wide area, I wondered if it might be a barrier.
Umyeong-yeong must be in that barrier. Did he really come here to meet the witch?
“Let’s go down.”
once descended to the ground.
After getting off Tiyong’s back, I gazed at the other side of the forest where I could feel the magical energy, lost in thought.
Should I go into this or not?
Witch Curel was not sure if he was a villain, but he was definitely a monster.
There was no way they would welcome you with open arms once you entered the realm.
But the trouble was short-lived.
It felt like I was having a hard time buying it, but I couldn’t just go back after coming this far.
“Wait here for a while.”
I said as I stroked Tiyong’s neck.
The witch, Curel, was as strong as the great wizards of Saintea. She’s probably level 92 or something.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Even if I was in danger alone, I had the confidence to protect myself somehow, but he could only be a burden for no reason.
As I went deep into the forest alone, the aura of magic gradually deepened.
After entering the unknown magical barrier in earnest, there was a strange silence around.
Perhaps because of the barrier, I looked up at the sky, which seemed to have become more cloudy for some reason, and continued walking.
It was a while later that a voice of unknown origin rang out.
– Who the hell are you?
A young woman’s voice, as if caught in noise.
It’s the witch Curel.
I stopped walking, looked around and opened my mouth.
“So who are you? Are you the wizard who opened this barrier?”
I didn’t need to be wary of needlessly pretending to know, so I asked in a calm tone.
After a moment of silence, the voice rang out again.
– Answer the questions. Who are you? What did you come to this forest for?
“There is probably a woman in this barrier, or I passed by. I came all the way here after her.”
– ······.
“I don’t know who you are, but that’s all. Do you know where the person I was talking about is?”
Then suddenly I heard a sigh, and these words came back.
– What’s your relationship with Freon?
Freon was the name of the shadow.
Was the witch familiar with Umyeong? Judging by the names she calls them, it seems that they are not on good terms.
– You’re right here. What’s your relationship with her?
– I ask the question, intruder. If you want to save your life, keep answering without touching my planting.
I shook my head and said.
“We have no reason to fight. Like I said, all I want is Freon. She’s my prisoner. So if she’s not important to you, give it to me, and if not, I’d like you to explain why.”
Then, suddenly, the magical energy around me moved and rushed at me. It was not a physical attack.
Having experienced a similar sensation at the ruins of Cabolisa, I immediately recognized what it was.
“It’s useless. Mental magic doesn’t work on me.”
Then, the mana fluctuated once again, and this time the attack magic flew.
I spread the floating curtain and blocked the magical blades from all directions.
Kwakwagwagwang!
Looking at it now, this barrier was completely different from the realm of witches. In a very literal sense.
No matter how you look at it, it seems that the witch is so far away that you can’t even notice her presence, but the flow of magic that makes up the barrier is as free as if she’s manipulating it right here.
I wondered if this was possible, but it was a useless question since I was unfamiliar with magic in the first place.
Well, since I’ve been living here for a long time, I’m sure there are many devices I’ve prepared.
‘There’s nothing dangerous about it though.’
This kind of attack doesn’t even hurt the immobility screen that can block the power of thunderstorm.
The witch’s attack stopped only after completely devastating the area.
I closed the curtain and said.
“Pushing with firepower doesn’t work either.”
The witch seemed a little embarrassed as she stood still and blocked all the attacks.
There was no reaction for a while, but this time, as if trying to do something else, magic wrapped around me and gathered.
Seeing the magic formed in the form of a veil, as if trying to confine it, I immediately escaped by leaping into space.
“Leave it in moderation. You cannot subdue me with your power.”
– ······okay. As you can see, it seems so. I don’t think it’s magic, but what the hell is it?
“Wouldn’t it be nice to just draw attention to each other? Just let me know where the Freon is. You’d be embarrassed for me to be here all the time.”
The witch snorted and replied.
– Are you embarrassed? That’s funny. There is nothing you can do in this barrier. Keep wandering and crawling out.
It was a witch who came out with an uncooperative attitude, perhaps because of her sarcasm.
It would have been enough to ignore the witch and follow the light of the ring, but seeing what he said seemed to interfere with that too.
A witch would be able to perform a lot of bizarre magic. Even if nothing directly worked for me, it could have been enough to make me wander or siphon Freon to another place.
‘You’re annoying.’
I raised my super senses to the maximum and scanned every sign of the witch’s magical power.
A wave of magical energy spread out in a chaotic manner as if deliberately trying to confuse the senses.
In the middle of it, I felt a thread of magical power that was faintly connected to one side of the distance.
I was certain that the direction was where the witch was, and said with my gaze fixed there.
“If you think I don’t know where you are, you’re mistaken. Are you over there?”
– ······!
There was no answer coming back. It was obvious that he was embarrassed because he didn’t even look at it.
I spoke to the silent witch in a slightly strained voice.
“Hey, Wizard. As I said, there’s no reason for us to fight. I apologize for coming into your realm all of a sudden. But the person I’m looking for is inside this barrier and can’t wait for it to come out, right?”
I really had no intention of fighting a witch, so I bowed moderately.
The wizards didn’t get along very well with me. Even if we went to find it like this, it would be difficult if we prepared defense magic and waited.
Of course, the witch couldn’t have known that, so she couldn’t ignore my words once the location was specified.
– .
Soon, magical energy gathered in the air in the form of an arrow and pointed in one direction.
The witch’s words only sounded like she was trying to save face, so I smiled inwardly and thanked her.
“Thank you.”
– But what do you mean by prisoner?
“It’s nothing special. I was just caught trying to get information about me like a rat.”
I asked the witch
“Can you tell me what your relationship is with Freon? I’m curious.”
The witch clicked her tongue and answered.
– No relationship whatsoever. I owed him a small debt before, but he came all the way here with a debt he had already paid off and made strange demands.
“request?”
– I want you to erase the magical imprint on your body. Now I see that it was because of you. What kind of monster has the motherf*ckin’ bitch brought into my place.
grumbled the witch.
Only then did I know exactly why Umyeong had come to this place. Was it to get away from me?
The witch must have thought that since she would be familiar with this and that magic, she might be able to erase the imprint on the ring.
– It was locked in the direction you just pointed at, so take it out. I hope you never come here again.
After those words, the voice no longer rang out.
I didn’t have anything else to ask the witch, so I moved on.
After moving for a while in the direction of the shadow, a cave appeared.
It seemed that the place where the witch had imprisoned the darkness was inside the cave. There was a presence felt from within.
At the entrance of the cave there was a magical curtain, but as I approached it, the witch disarmed it and it disappeared by itself.
Entering through the entrance, I soon found someone lying crushed on one side of the cave.
“······omg!”
Umyeong, who opened her closed eyes, found me and jumped up in amazement.
It was no joke that he had been locked up in a cave for quite a while.
I looked at her sadly and opened my mouth.
“Come out, Umyeong.”
Darkness cautiously approached me.
Rolling her eyes here and there as she looked at me, she smiled and spoke in a barely-there tone.
“You’ve come to rescue me, Seven Lords? Thank you. Did you kill the wizard?”
I was dumbfounded by that impudence.
I hope I don’t know the situation.
“Wizard, you’re all right. I heard that you came here to erase the imprint on the ring.”
At the same time as he finished speaking, Amyeong prostrated herself and put her forehead on the floor.
“Please save me just once, Lord 7.”
I clicked my tongue and asked.
“How far has the investigation progressed?”
“·······.”
“Have you not done anything?”
“I committed a mortal sin.
It wasn’t enough to make me want a back goal because I didn’t expect much in the first place, but a sigh came out.
“Umbral.”
“Yes, Lord. Please tell me.”
“Do you see that over there?”
I pointed to the cobwebs hanging from one side of the cave ceiling.
A flying insect was stuck in the spider’s web.
“Yes, I see.”
“That’s you now. Do you really think you can get away from me by erasing that imprint?”
“·······.”
“There are no second chances. Do what you are told to do. Don’t forget who I am or what your circumstances are.”
I chinned out of the cave.
“Go out. Come back to the Monarchy exactly one year from today and report the results.”
Umyeong jumped up, lowered her head, and rushed out of the cave.
Seeing that, I sighed once more.
In fact, if the imprint is erased, there is no way to chase the shadow. What you just said was just a bluff threat.
But since I came all the way here myself, it must have been a clear warning this time.
‘More than that, he’s not a trustworthy guy.’
I can’t just trust that woman and wait, so I’ll have to keep thinking of ways to deal with terrorism separately.
I soon moved out of the cave. I must go back to monarchy.
