Episode 157
The Gravekeeper of the Mausoleum (2)
“I’m a gravedigger… … right?”
“That’s right.”
Deungryong nodded heavily and continued speaking.
“Although the position of the grave keeper was gradually neglected as the lineage was transferred, it is by no means an easy one. The official ceremonial rank is the same as that of the heads of various halls or units.”
“… … !”
“This is your first time having a ‘position’. Don’t you know the weight of that?”
Theo nodded quietly.
It means having a position.
And becoming an executive.
That was the same as having power.
Finally, you have the authority to officially establish your own foundation.
For Theo, who was not yet twenty, it was a very unusual greeting.
Denglong was saying that he would put such an unprecedented position in Theo’s hands.
Regardless of Denglong’s intentions, it was clear to Theo that the offer was extremely greedy.
But there was a stumbling block.
“Will the Tulip Florist Association continue to operate? It is a rebel association.”
Ragnar never leaves the seed of rebellion unattended.
If there was an organization he led, it was completely destroyed, or if that was difficult, at least measures were taken to shut it down.
“No. That won’t happen.”
then?
“I guess you’re not going to make it public….”
“Of course. What good is this that you are talking about?”
He continued speaking while holding the dragon on his back.
“Anyway, didn’t Odd shoulder all the responsibility and close his eyes? She has no family or colleagues at the moment. That means there’s no seed of rebellion. So why would she come up with an excuse that would be easy to lose faith in and easy for Troyvan to slander?”
So let’s take advantage of it.
Denglong was saying that.
“Odd unfortunately died fighting against the harsh attacks of Troyvan and the Holy Magic Church. You were the one who witnessed Odd’s death and were chosen as her successor.”
Denglong asked a question with a mischievous smile.
“It seems like you also know the sword she inherited.”
“… … How did you know?”
It refers to the Black Ice Moon.
Theo was about to hold on until the end, but he read the look in Deungryong’s eyes and just gave up.
It seemed like he had some kind of confidence.
“Odd’s grandfather is my testicle buddy.”
Theo scratched his cheek with his index finger.
It was an unexpected answer.
“I know everything about him, from his little habits and tricks, to his eyes that gauge his opponents… … You seem to have found the true heir, someone who is superior to him. Congratulations.”
I guess the 9 dragons are different.
He had already seen through Theo’s achievements and the details of them.
‘Black Ice Moon… … It was similar to the Black Flame Jade Sun, but also very different.’
The Black Flame Jade Sun radiates heat energy wildly, destroying its surroundings with powerful entropy.
On the contrary, the Black Ice Moon destroys the energy system and turns the surrounding area into a world of death.
That is
Solar and lunar eclipses.
Theo intended to combine these two and put them to practical use.
‘If necessary, it seems like it could be unfolded into a dual-wield sword form.’
If half of your body could undergo a solar eclipse, and the other half a lunar eclipse, the destructive power would be incomparable to anything before.
Theo was already quickly establishing the theoretical foundations for this in his head.
It was an accident that was possible thanks to the inspiration given by the sword’s orb.
So, it is not wrong to say that he succeeded Heukbingmanokwol.
“So, you take the position of the Gravekeeper. If you don’t like the idea of being the successor to Odd, then consider it as your spoils of war according to Ragnar’s Law. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
Theo thought for a moment, then glanced back at the ghosts who had been watching this place.
As I was watching them laughing strangely, something crossed my mind.
In the end, Theo was able to make up his mind easily.
* * *
Deungryong said that it was a good choice and that he would take care of all the necessary procedures, and left for a moment.
Theo scratched the back of his head and spoke to the vice-captain and the ghosts who were still looking at him with strange gazes.
“This is exactly what you wanted to ask of me.”
-Hmm!
-Ahem ahem ahem!
– Um, isn’t it a bit awkward to ask for it with our own mouths?
The ghosts turned their heads to the side and coughed in vain.
The bridge of their noses were slightly red, showing that no matter how shameless they were, they were a little embarrassed this time.
Of course, it must have been difficult for adults to ask their distant descendants to continue taking responsibility for them.
“But I still have concerns. I said I would take care of it, but I still don’t have the time to take care of the mausoleum.”
The impact left the underground mausoleum almost half-collapsed.
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As a gravedigger, it is your duty to restore the tomb.
But for Theo, who treasured every day, there was no time for that.
Deungryong said that he could leave the rest to the flower association and that it was okay if it took a little longer.
But I couldn’t just leave it alone, because I was worried about seeing the ghosts with my own eyes.
-Don’t worry about us. We’ve been doing fine without you.
“How can we just leave it like that?”
-No, even if it’s true? The coffin will rot and disappear anyway, so what difference will it make if we just leave it alone?
“If the elderly are to enjoy at least a minimal amount of rest, they need a comfortable place to lie down, right?”
-Huh? Why are we lying down?
“Well, if you want to come and offer sacrifices once in a while… … .”
-So why the sacrifice?
“Yes? Well, if you become a Buddha, you won’t be able to see me, so there should be a place to commemorate me, right?”
-No, so why do we become Buddhas?
“… … ?”
-… … ?
It was only then that Theo and the ghosts realized that the topic of their conversation was subtly off topic.
“It seems like the ‘things a gravedigger should do’ that each of us think of are different from the beginning.”
Lordbroke laughed heartily in the middle.
Theo was startled.
“You didn’t just mean to ask me to guard the tomb?”
The ghosts looked at each other for a moment.
-Now that it’s come to this, let’s talk about our thoughts more openly.
The vice-captain coughed a few times and stepped forward.
– As you said, we originally planned to leave this world as soon as the captain’s sword was restored. Isn’t it a bit much to be a ghost wandering the underworld, not even an undead?
Theo nodded quietly.
-But in the meantime, we developed a new obsession.
“If you say it’s foolishness… … ?”
-It’s not like you guessed, managing our graves.
The vice-captain paused for a moment and glanced at the other ghosts.
They were all avoiding the vice-captain’s gaze, perhaps because they were embarrassed to reveal their true feelings.
Anyway, you bad guys. You just pass on these annoying things to your boss. You don’t even treat me like a boss normally.
-We’d like to watch you grow a little more.
“then……?”
-If possible, I would like to continue following you. Is that possible?
“… … !”
For a moment, Theo’s eyes wavered.
More with embarrassment than joy.
“It looks like you’ve just got a bunch of annoying bumps hanging off of you?”
‘… … If you keep saying that, it seems like I think of these people as a burden.’
“Isn’t it?”
‘I didn’t say anything.’
『Woohoohoo!』
Theo ignored Lordbroke’s smiling telepathy.
But she wasn’t wrong.
The gravedigger’s job, as Theo had imagined, was limited to managing the tombs after the ghosts had attained enlightenment.
The ghosts were even saying that they wanted to continue taking responsibility for themselves.
It’s not that I hate ghosts.
But we’ve seen how noisy they are many times over the past few days.
Just thinking about hearing that nagging and complaining made me feel like I was starting to lose my mind.
『But on the other hand, you know that the beneficial side is just as big, right?』
‘Yes. I know that, so that’s why I’m worried like this… … .’
The ghosts are each and every one of the best masters.
The advice they gave was sure to be of great help to Theo as he grew in the future.
What if they develop magical abilities? They might be able to be mobilized as actual troops, like in
‘Besides, even if we accept their request, there is a problem. Wouldn’t it be difficult to keep 299 people around? Maintaining their spirit state is also a problem.’
Even if it wasn’t a spirit, maintaining a spirit body required a lot of energy unless it was undead.
The implication was that it would only be a real burden if there was no way to replenish it.
“If there’s a way, are you willing to take it with you?”
‘Is there a way?’
『There is. What is important here is your will. Do you really intend to become a ‘gravekeeper’?』
A gravedigger who guards ghosts, not just a gravedigger who manages a mausoleum.
Theo thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
The power displayed by the Dragon’s Ark was so attractive that it outweighed its many shortcomings.
‘yes.’
“There is something called the soul sword.”
‘Soul Sword… … .’
『It’s a type of magical tool that can seal souls. The higher the number of souls contained, or the higher the rank, the higher the rank. Obtain it.』
Theo wondered if the Soul Sword might be in the Imperial Vault, but then his thoughts wandered elsewhere.
[Opens the shop window.]
+
[Sealed Spirit Sword]
Its properties change depending on the type of sealed soul. It seems closer to a magical tool than a sword.
· Type: Two-handed sword. Magic tool.
· Effect: Soul seal.
+
‘there is.’
Theo purchased the soul sword with the remaining coins and took it out of his inventory.
At first glance, it was just an ordinary-looking iron sword.
Lordbroke’s eyes widened slightly.
『That subspace ability again. You are definitely different from the other selectors in many ways.』
Theo looked back at the ghosts, answering with a smile.
Although he tried his best to act as if nothing had happened, the ghosts were watching him closely to see if he might reject him.
Even if they were ghosts, it wouldn’t be easy to carry 299 people around.
-This is… …a soul sword. Does this mean I should come in here?
“Yes, if you don’t like it.”
-Go in.
The vice-captain nodded without even listening to Theo’s words.
-Well, it might be a little stuffy.
-That wouldn’t be much different from staying in the mausoleum.
-Isn’t it better if we can see the world together?
Likewise, other ghosts were positive.
Some people were even happy that they didn’t have to walk.
Theo felt a little disappointed.
I was worried that he might hate it since he was practically being treated like a tool, but I didn’t know he would accept it so easily.
-Is this okay?
As soon as the vice-captain put his hand on the soul sword, it was sucked in.
-Oh, that would be fun!
-What’s the internal structure like?
As other ghosts were sealed into the soul sword one by one, the shape of the soul sword began to change little by little.
The material, which had small scratches, gradually became harder, and soon its color turned purple, eventually becoming as beautiful as a jewel.
Even just looking at it, it was a divine sword that was no less than the Yongsal Sword or the Wolbaek Sword.
Woof woof! Woof woof!
The power released by the soul sword was so great that it left ripples in the air every time it trembled slightly.
Theo thought as he caressed the soul sword with his fingertips.
The name Soul Sword seemed too affectionate.
I wanted to give it a different name.
Since it was like moving the entire collapsed underground tomb here, the name given to it was also very simple.
‘Spiritual Sword.’
A smile appeared on Theo’s lips.
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
