Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 148

Episode 148. The Sword God Sleeps Here

“Hey, why are you doing that again?”

Shine walked away, leaving behind Aster who was walking slowly.

I also have absolutely no idea why the judging was so skewed. After all, he's a guy who sees the world through a skewed lens, so how could he possibly know what's inside?

'Tsk, what a monumental day it is, a day when the hierarchy is re-established.'

So, shaking off my regrets, I headed towards the tomb of the swordsman with light steps.

“Hmm, is this the place?”

"yes."

The attendant bowed his head politely.

Shine took in the scenery before entering the tomb of the swordsman.

“It’s shabbier than I thought.”

The tomb of the swordsman looked like an entrance to an underground prison.

Despite its grand name, ‘Tomb of the Sword God,’ its appearance is rather shabby.

But perhaps it was because he was conscious of Shine's feelings? The silent guide added awkwardly.

“There was a lot of talk within the family, but it seems that the 13th head of the family had left a will…….”

The attendant, while speaking, was still wondering why he was making excuses, but soon realized why.

“It’s worth knowing.”

"……yes?"

“Because he had an outgoing personality.”

“What is that…….”

“No. It was just nonsense.”

The attendant looked up at Shine with unfamiliar eyes.

Dark, tattered armor.

Although I couldn't see his face, the atmosphere seemed somewhat lonely.

In addition to the natural attitude of ordering people around, I was swept up in that strange atmosphere.

Thinking about it that way, the attendant realized that Shine's expression had been strange the entire time they were on their way to the Sword God's Tomb.

He didn't say much, but… … Yes, it was as if he was reminiscing about old memories.

“Have you ever visited Lortel before?”

The attendant realized it was a ridiculous question only after asking it, but Shine also chuckled.

“How could that be?”

But why is that?

His answer seemed particularly lonely, as if he was longing for a time that would never return.

The attendant was suspicious of the strange atmosphere, and it was then that Shine spoke.

“Let’s go in now. Are we going in together?”

“Oh, no. That’s all for me.”

The attendant averted his gaze from Shine and shook his head.

“Oh, and you have to keep what I told you earlier.”

"No damage to property, no video recording, and no more than a day. Is that correct?"

"yes."

“Okay, keep that in mind.”

“Yes, then…….”

The attendant opened the door with the key he had brought and stepped aside.

Shine stood in front of the stairs and looked down into the pitch black darkness.

Let's do that for a moment.

“Oh, could you please get me a flower?”

“I can save you, but why the flowers….”

“No, I guess there’s no need to go looking for it.”

Shine picked some wildflowers growing next to the entrance.

“I’m going now.”

Shine walked into the darkness, holding a single wildflower.

It's a bit shabby, but given his personality, he probably won't mind.

“…….”

The attendant quietly looked at Shine.

It didn't take him long to figure out the meaning of the flower.

‘Isn’t this the first time someone has brought a flower to the grave of a swordsman?’

At least, it was the first time in all the time he had been managing the tomb of the swordsman.

* * *

As is known, the Tomb of the Sword God, or the 'Crown of Challenges', consisted of three stages.

The first of them.

Stepping stones.

Shine stood in a space filled with water like a swimming pool and looked ahead.

“Wow… you put a lot of effort into it.”

I had wondered why the tomb, which had the perfectly good name of "Geomshin's Tomb," was called "Crown of Challenges," but the sight before my eyes made me understand why.

Because it was more like a gateway than someone's 'grave'.

anyway.

Shine moved her gaze to the floating platforms that were placed at regular intervals.

It seemed clear how to get through the first gate.

“Can I just step on the floating stones and cross?”

Probably so. Otherwise, they wouldn't have these useless floating stones.

Of course, Shine could have jumped over the floating stones without stepping on them, but instead of jumping over in one go, Shine stood still and carefully observed the gap between the floating stones.

Something seemed to be a familiar pattern.

Do that for a while.

“……Tsk.”

Shine clicks her tongue as if she is displeased with something.

“Have you ever seen such a petty guy?”

Shine immediately jumped up from her seat and stepped on the floating stones one by one.

It was a steady pace.

As if you knew the order, without stepping on the wrong float and falling into the water.

So, when we reached the other side.

Shine glanced back.

"Hahaha, you idiot. What's wrong with you, you can't even step on Lorthel's Dharma with this body? Huh? Now, look. This genius will improve me for the sake of the dullard."

“Even if you beat him to death, he doesn’t step on you like that…….”

Shine, who had been reminiscing for a moment, turned away from the first gate and continued walking.

Okay, second step.

Shine stared intently at the stone chamber with a circle drawn in the center.

There were magic circles and artifacts hanging on the walls, and it wasn't hard to figure out how to do this step either.

All you have to do is stand in a circle and hold it for a certain amount of time.

‘This is… … a practice I’ve done quite a bit.’

So, Shine sits inside the circle.

It wasn't long before magic arrows began shooting out from artifacts all around.

Pibibibibit!

Shine watched the arrows pouring down from all directions.

Blue trails on red irises.

Chae-Ang!

Shine's sword cut through the air.

The first start was a gentle curve.

The gently swirling trajectory, like flowing water, cut through the arrows of magic, sometimes striking them back, and sometimes deflecting them.

There is not a single moment of hesitation in that flow.

As if… …a sword dance.

So, when the sword dance was over.

Clang, thud!

The door leading to the next level opened with a rough creaking sound.

One, Shine didn't move right away and just looked around.

A memory of one day that flashes through my mind.

It was a moment I had completely forgotten, but as I swung my sword following the flow of the magic arrows, the memories came flooding back.

– Ah, that's not how you swing a sword. Now, look. I'll personally broaden your horizons. It's Lortel's swordsmanship, but I've reinterpreted it… … Yes, it's called Shine Style.

Like this, looking at it… … .

“I really did torment you a lot.”

Whenever there was an exchange between Lortel and Le Mans, it was usually like this.

He just stole the swordsmanship he had learned by eye, added his own interpretation, and showed me a demonstration.

It was childish.

'You haven't even seen the essence of the vision… … You're just flashing the superficial aspects.'

Shine spit out curses as the shameful past came back to her mind.

“That son of a bitch.”

Shine shook her head briefly and moved on to the next step.

Now, the long-awaited final stage.

To be honest, the first and second were gates that anyone, not just a beginner, could pass if they had the perseverance.

Of course, even that wouldn't be easy without knowing the secrets contained in the arrangement of the floating stones and the path of the sword in the arrow, but in any case, he didn't have the discernment to distinguish the two.

so.

“This is the real thing…….”

Shine stood in the last stone chamber and looked around.

The stone chamber was nothing special.

“What’s missing?”

Unlike the previous two gates, there is no specific test given, nor is there a door leading to the next level.

It was just empty.

However, the only unusual feature was the sun pattern carved into the wall directly in front of the entrance. Actually, it wasn't all that unusual.

Because Lortel's symbol was the sun.

“Hmm…….”

While Shine was crying so loudly.

It was at that moment that a structure popped out from the center of the empty stone chamber.

That's right―

“This is…….”

Shine, who was carefully examining the stone tablet, tilted his head.

'Are you asking me to put my palm on it?'

So, Shine is about to place her hand on the palm model on the stone slab.

Suddenly, a phrase caught my eye.

The sun does not set.

“…….”

The sun does not set.

It was a metaphor often used by Lortel's family members, meaning 'Lortel's prestige is eternal', but Shine tilted his head in confusion.

“What? What do you want me to do?”

First, I placed my hand on the stone slab and injected ether into it.

It was immediately after that that a sweltering heat rose into the room.

Tsuzuzu―

A space blazing with the sun's rays. But the heat is so intense that even Shine finds it difficult to handle.

The temperature increases endlessly as more ether is injected!

Shine, who had turned his burning armor back into shadow, took his hand off the stone tablet and crumpled his expression.

“Surely not, this kid…….”

Are you telling me to eat some shit now?

'Because I'm being so annoying?'

One, that thought was fleeting.

“Whew, I’ve been tainted by something evil.”

The world is not rotten.

No, even if they were rotten, not everyone was as wicked as that. Could it be that the mere act of wielding the magic sword was a contrivance like, "Lortel is great!"?

but.

‘… …is it credible?’

Even if he gave it when he had to, it wouldn't have been strange if it was just a trick.

The Shamid in my memories wasn't like that, but it was unknown how his personality had changed.

“As expected, I hit it harder… No, wait.”

A memory flashed through Shine's mind.

– The sun does not set.

'Did he ever say those words?'

I briefly searched my memory, but it wasn't like that.

I used to recite it like a spell whenever I lost as a child… … but that's not the case anymore after that one incident.

– The sun does not set.

– But you lost.

– … … .

'I just… I didn't like the look in his eyes.'

So I hit him.

While the elders of both families were away, he beat him up pretty hard, saying he would correct his bad habits.

One slap for every one of your words.

'And then… what did I say?'

Oh, that's right.

– If you talk nonsense about the sun in front of me one more time, you'll die. Do you understand?

– … … .

– answer.

– The sun… … bang!

Memories of when both myself and Shamid were very young.

When I thought about it that far.

Shine looked up and saw the sun painted on the wall.

“…….”

If Shamid were right in front of him… …and he were to start arguing about the sun right in front of him, what would he do?

I don't know now.

Because he is a vampire who crash-landed in the future, and Shamid is the head of the family who ended up in the grave.

But, if it was 200 years ago, maybe… … .

Thud, thud.

Shine stood in front of the sun symbol and looked at the wall.

Take a short deep breath.

and-

bang!

A fist crashing into the wall.

It didn't stop at just one time.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Until the wall engraved with the sun completely crumbled. Repeated, destructive fists, striking and striking again.

'Yeah, this is it.'

Perhaps, if Shamid had been right in front of me, I would have squeezed him like this.

So, when the wall completely collapsed.

Passus―

A new space was revealed through the scattered gravel.

“As expected, this is the right answer.”

Shine smiled contentedly and entered the space.

At that moment, two stone monuments appeared before my eyes.

‘… …There are two tombstones?’

Shine sprayed ether to clear the hazy dust, then looked at a tombstone. And when he read its first words…

“…….”

Shine's eyes returned to the beginning again.

And I chewed on it.

Shine phone Le Mans.

My friend who shined most brightly

The Sword God sleeps here

As if it were engraved on the retina.

Over and over again, over and over again.