—————————————
< Purification Ritual >
Sefersil, the forest of the elves.
The steel chariot entered the elves’ holy land and largest city.
Step by step.
The man drove the carriage while slowly looking around.
Fresh trees, small houses shaped like mushrooms, and picturesque elves roaming the city.
I’ve been here before, but it was truly a fairy tale-like scene.
“Everything is good, but everyone looks at me like I’m a burden.”
On the horse’s pedestal, the elder and the great man sat side by side. The gazes of countless elves poured into them.
The elder next to me smiled softly and said.
“It’s rare for humans to come here as guests.”
“I don’t think that’s the only reason?”
The elves’ gazes were not entirely favorable, perhaps because word had spread about what had happened a few days ago.
‘They said they had a magic sword…’
‘They say there’s a child in the carriage who has been baptized by the devil.’
‘Why did the elder bring those people?’
It seemed like they were whispering amongst themselves, but most of the conversation reached the great man’s ears.
The elves seemed to have a lot of complaints. However, perhaps because of the elders, none of them showed it openly.
At that moment, Alina heard the news that a large group was coming and came running from afar.
“Grandma!”
“Alina. You came out to greet me.”
The elder jumped down from the carriage and hugged his granddaughter tightly. They looked more like sisters than grandmother and granddaughter.
‘I heard that the elder is over 500 years old···.’
Anyway, he thought that she was an enviable race, and waved his hand at Alina.
“How have you been?”
Alina nodded with a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad the conversation went well. I was worried that I couldn’t come with you···.”
Alina’s face looked quite haggard, as if she had been suffering greatly for several days.
That was when.
“princess!”
Hawkin jumped out of the carriage and knelt before Alina. He cried out with tears in his eyes.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again! I thought I would never see you again···.”
The man next to him made a dumbfounded expression.
“If someone saw me, they’d think it’s been years since we last met. Hey. It’s only been a few days.”
“···That was a few days that felt like years.”
As Hawkin scratched the back of his head and made an awkward expression, Alina covered her mouth and smiled faintly.
The elder looked at the sight with pleased eyes, and feeling the eyes of those around him, he spoke to his granddaughter.
“How about we finish telling the story when we get home?”
“Oh, yes!”
After a while, the group arrived at the elder’s house.
In the center of the Elf Forest, there was a ‘sacred tree’ that the elves worshipped as a god, and the elder’s house was located next to it.
Unlike humans, whose houses grow in size in proportion to their power, the Elder’s house was rather ordinary.
The party handed over Garand’s new recruits to the elven explorers and spent some time catching up on stories.
It was mainly Hawkin and Alina who were talking, and the elders would chime in. The children were busy eating the snacks the elder had brought.
Then the elder asked.
“Why can’t I see the old man?”
For a moment, Alina’s expression darkened.
“Leonard is recovering. His condition is getting worse and worse… I won’t let him come out.”
But it seemed like he was still holding on with that body.
The man nodded and said.
“Tell her that I’ll come see her when I have time. And tell her not to die until then.”
Alina smiled at the blunt yet affectionate words.
“···Leonard must be feeling the same way as I do right now.”
“Oh, and take this now.”
The man took the royal seal of the Hicks family from his bosom and returned it to Alina.
This meant that the contract between the two was over.
“······.”
Even though it was something I should have received, I felt a little disappointed for some reason.
Alina received the seal and carefully placed it in her bosom. Then she raised her head and looked at the man.
“We will never forget the kindness you have shown us by helping us up to this point. We will definitely repay you in the future.”
The girl was much more mentally mature than when the man first met her.
His eyes were filled with conviction, and he knew clearly what he had to do next.
The elder clicked his tongue as he took a sip of the tea the elder gave him.
“I told you to live comfortably. It seems like you are determined to get your country back.”
“Because it’s my duty.”
“Well, I guess that’s what will happen.”
The man had heard the conversation Alina had with Golkan at the barrier, and he also knew something about the secret hidden in the jade seal that had just been returned.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
‘It’s only natural for this to happen.’
The man slurped down the remaining tea and said:
“Princess. When you become king, you will repay my kindness.”
“Of course. If there’s something you want, just think about it.”
“···Then I’ll tell you more specifically in about a year.”
What if there was an exclusive trade in magical items between the White House Guild and the Duchy?
It’s still a story of the future, but Daein said it while roughly drawing a picture.
But those words, once said, became a huge motivation for Alina.
Alina’s eyes wavered.
“Does that mean that you’ll come see me again in a year?”
‘Well, that’s because the gates are connected then.’
Instead of saying that, the man nodded vaguely.
“I think so.”
At that moment, Alina said with shining eyes.
“One year… Okay. Then I’ll set that as my goal.”
Within, you will use the jade seal to find the heritage hidden by your ancestors in the Central Mountains, form an alliance with the six elven houses, and go to the Wall to gain Golkan’s support.
“Within a year, I will reclaim my kingdom. And I will formally give it to you…”
“What exactly?”
Alina laughed bashfully, trailing off.
“It’s nothing.”
Alina blushed at the bold imagination, picturing the two of them meeting again in a year.
There was no greater motivation for the girl.
*
*
*
Alina said that she was busy preparing for the grand plan, so she urged Hawkin to leave with her.
And that night.
The elder, who had been away for a few hours, returned and spoke.
“I am ready to perform the purification ritual.”
On the way to the Elf Forest by carriage, the Elder gave an explanation to the elder and Lily.
About how to cleanse the demonic baptism that has taken hold of your body.
“It might hurt a little, but it’s going to keep you safe.”
After hearing that, Lily nodded with an indifferent expression.
“It’s okay to be sick. I’m used to it.”
“···Yeah. I see.”
And finally, the time has come.
The elder guided the group to the ‘Fountain of Purification’.
The fountain of purification, created by the sap flowing from the sacred tree worshipped by the elves, possessed the powerful power to seal away magic itself.
Because we had already discussed this in advance, no one except the elders and the group approached the Fountain of Purification.
The elder asked Lily if she could begin.
“huh.”
Lily nodded, took off the gown she was wearing, and walked into the well.
Thud, thud.
The girl’s naked body, not wearing a single thread, was revealed palely under the moonlight.
“······.”
Jang Yeong-shin turned her head away in shame. However, the master watched the purification ritual from beginning to end with calm eyes.
Bubbling.
As the girl stepped forward, the fountain of purification began to bubble.
As I got submerged up to my calves, the foaming became more intense, and when I got submerged up to my waist, the spring began to boil.
As soon as Lily’s head was completely submerged in the spring, the magical energy flowing out of the girl’s body began to dye the spring of purification black.
Ss …
Like ink spreading across clear, transparent water, the magic spread throughout the entire fountain of purification.
At the same time, the elder closed his eyes and began to recite the spell.
Wooooow!
A tremendous amount of magical power emanated from the staff raised toward the sky.
As the spell flowed from the elder’s mouth, magical power took shape, and soon a huge magic circle formed over the fountain of purification.
Woof woof woof woof!!!
The magic circle emitting pure white light vibrated violently. The magic circle focused the light into one point.
Crackle, crackle-
A moment later, the gathered light shot towards Lily, who was curled up like a fetus under the fountain of purification.
Bubbling, bubbling!
Cheeeeeeek!
The fountain of purification was boiling. Lily, who had her eyes closed, frowned in pain, and cold sweat began to run down the forehead of the elder who was maintaining the magic circle.
“Just a little more···.”
The elder bit his lips and poured more magical power into the magic circle.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!
The fountain of purification has now been reduced by half.
“······.”
The man watched the whole scene without blinking.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Lily’s naked body the first time he saw it.
Of course, it wasn’t because of some lowly desire.
The scars engraved on that small body, the traces of pain, the pain felt, made it impossible to take my eyes off of it.
There were numerous surgical scars, especially on the stomach and chest.
The man sighed softly.
“Idiot. If you were sick, you should have said so.”
I don’t know if it would have been any use knowing it, but wouldn’t it have been better than not knowing it?
Cheeeeeeek!
The light shining down on Lily grew stronger and stronger. The overheated magic circle began to collapse, but the elder did not stop infusing magic power.
“Just a little bit more, just a little bit more···”
The demonic baptism that had taken hold of Lily’s body was much more powerful and vicious than the elder had imagined.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwa!
The magic circle in the air was now on the verge of collapse, and the fountain of purification was almost dry.
Lily’s expression was distorted with pain.
“Ugh···. Ah, pa···.”
When a moan finally escaped the girl’s mouth, the man thought it might be better to stop at this point.
That was when.
“Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
With a terrible roar, black mist burst out from the demon sigil beneath Lily’s navel.
dump.
At that moment, the elder collapsed to the floor and shouted.
“We have to stop them from going back in!”
Chae-Ang!
The man immediately drew his sword and blocked Lily’s path.
What he held in his hand was not the Demon Sword Shalit, but the Holy Sword lent to him by the Elder.
Although the sword’s level is lower than that of Shalit, it is much more advantageous in cutting down demons.
The black fog reacted to the aura of the holy sword and looked back at the great man, screaming again.
“Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!!”
What had been nothing more than a mass of black fog began to gradually take shape.
Swish, swish-
It had a Parisian face, a human upper body, six hooked arms protruding from its body, and a sharp stinger protruding from its bee-like lower body.
Wheeeeeeeeing!
On its back, two pairs of wings flapped fiercely.
The elder, sitting on the floor, spoke, breathing heavily.
“I have to kill that demon… The demon’s baptism will completely disappear.”
In the meantime, the man covered Lily’s body with a gown and stepped forward.
“Thank you, Elder. You may rest now.”
Tsk tsk tsk tsk!
As he raised his Heavenly Sword to its peak, blade-like energy emanated from his body.
Wooooow!
From his sword, a sharp aura blade rose more than a meter high,
Chorrrrrr!
The watch unfolded from his left hand and completely covered his shoulder, emitting tremendous magical power.
“Devil. You came out well.”
The man glared at the devil, revealing his white teeth.
“If you hadn’t come out, I was wondering where I could vent my frustration.”
“Kiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!”
The demon flew towards the man, screaming.
Thud!
At the same time, the Great Man also kicked the ground.
< Purification Ritual > End
ⓒ Ganjjajang
