147 – Road to the underworld – 2

***

We arrived at the place the sage had told us about, but there were no ghouls yet.

As they sat quietly there preparing for the upcoming large-scale battle, Cecil stabbed Veronica in the side.

“why?”

“How far did you go with the wise man?”

“Well…”

Veronica licked her lips. Cecile asked again, smirking at her, but she only smirked and boasted.

“Well…?”

“Ah. Wasn’t there anything special?”

Like a quick-witted girl.

Veronica felt something welling up inside her, but held it in.

“What do you want to say?”

“Um… No. I did some more research on the Sage? By the way. His movements are a bit. What can I say.”

Scratching her cheeks, Cecile let out a sigh.

“Something seems urgent.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“So. After the work of Cronus was over. Didn’t the wise man become an S-class adventurer?”

“right.”

“Has he carried out the commission with passion since then?”

“that…”

not.

He did what he asked for help, but he didn’t step forward and passionately carry out the request.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Veronica’s back.

“When the sage was in the church. Have you ever done anything that would offend you?”

“…I made a lot of money doing business, and I helped the church with it.”

Whether it’s making medicine or cooking. Other than that, I also made equipment and various other things.

And the wise man donated the items to the church casually.

Thanks to this, I was able to take care of the poor and orphans a lot, so priests and nuns liked it very much.

“Are you still doing that?”

Veronica bit her lip slightly.

Even though he earned enough money to run a guild, he left even the management rights of it to the church and was living broke.

Now that I think about it, something was strange.

Hyunwoo.

I was sorting out a lot of things.

like soon…

At that time, unpleasant sensations came from all over the forest, blocking their conversation.

“I’m coming now.”

The smell started to creep in.

Even in the midst of this, Marax, who had been sipping the alcohol he had brought, drank the last drink and grabbed the hammer.

The moment Leo, who had been drinking with him, woke up with a spear.

-Shaak…Shaaak!! Shaaa!!

A sense of presence is felt in the forest with enormous hostility.

A terrifying undead with long arms and long legs, a skinny ugly face and a bulging belly.

A ghoul, a powerful monster that could turn a small village into a village of death in one day, had appeared.

One, two, three.

As the guys gradually appeared and drool dripping with joy, as if they had finished the siege, Cecil grabbed hold of her staff.

“I didn’t expect there to be so many. There must be a reason the sage sent you here…”

“Huh. I’ve never seen so many ghouls on a night hunt before… Hey, Cardinal. What the hell are you guys doing?”

Veronica shrugged at Marax’s question full of shyness.

She doesn’t really know either.

All he knows is that he intends to curse this village.

“…What a sage does is truly noble and remarkable.”

Then Leo spat out a word. At those words, Marax tilted his head.

-Shaaagh!!

As if signaling an attack, one ghoul shouted harshly.

At the same time, several ghouls attacked.

Leo let out a roar at them.

“Uhhhh!!”

The ghoul’s head exploded with the roar of the lion. At the same time, Veronica lifted the Divine Mark and a sanctuary was created here.

“Burn everything!!”

“Freeze them all!!”

The ensuing magic feast.

Fire and ice explode simultaneously, freezing and burning the ghouls.

Did you know that your opponent is strong?

The ghouls hesitated, but did not back down.

I’m just trying to take advantage of the gap like a clever bastard.

“Huh? What is that… aaa!! ghoul!!”

It was then. A short distance from where they were, a young boy’s cry was heard.

The cry, which seemed so weak and defenseless, made the ghouls change their prey.

“this!!”

Veronica bit her lip and tried to cast her spell on the one who heard the voice, but the ghouls were faster.

-Shaaagh!!

A ghoul jumped in, salivating.

The moment the ghoul was about to swing its arm at the frightened boy with his claws flashing like a dagger.

-Stand up!

“Ah. This reminds me of the old days again. Ghouls swung their arms like this back then, and the Shadow Barrier was a big help at that time! Oh. And when dealing with ghouls, the light blade rope works well? When I entered the garrison of…”

The jumped ghoul’s body is shattered.

While everyone was staring blankly in surprise, the werewolf boy, who had been sitting down as if terrified, got up and wiggled his hands, and the shadows and beams of light around him shimmered.

“It is dangerous to go alone. As the excellent general Erchev said in his book The Battle of the Seven Walls, one hand cannot withstand ten hands. I became an alley leader and practiced tactics. And…”

The nun’s voice calmly explains what she hadn’t even asked.

and.

– Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!!

Even the bandaged bride who blows off the heads of ghouls with a huge axe.

Veronica’s group was surprised by the sudden support, but thanks to an outside attack, the ghoul’s siege collapsed.

Thanks to this, they were able to eliminate them all very easily, and when the battle was over, Veronica was dumbfounded and looked at the werewolf boy, Wilkers.

“Why are you here?”

“I’ll have to explain that. I’m confident in the explanation.”

Explaining the nun raises her glasses and starts explaining. It’s quite complicated and detailed, but it’s very simple to listen to.

Normally, I wouldn’t come here.

Strangely, however, the number of undead was decreasing.

That’s why Father Robelt felt something strange and followed the traces of the undead with two party members.

It is said that he finally arrived here.

“The undead were eating each other.”

“…okay?”

“And they seem to be becoming stronger undead.”

“Can the undead become stronger by eating the undead…?”

Seeing Cecile puzzled, Karin nodded slightly.

The wizard guild had made a similar theory.

“So? What about the wise man?”

As Wilkes looks around in puzzlement.

I heard footsteps stepping on the grass.

At the sound of those footsteps, everyone looked in that direction, and there was a young man in a white robe holding a long cane.

The sage stood.

“What? Is it over already?”

It was a door that looked dangerous.

I thought it would take at least a few hours, but I never thought it would come this soon. To those who were surprised, the sage spoke indifferently.

“It wasn’t particularly difficult.”

“What did you do?”

“You have conquered a labyrinth that no one has conquered so far. Should I say that you have truly corrupted a female?”

“…What are you doing?”

“Now. What do you call the ground that no one has stepped on?”

“Virgin land.”

“What do you call a mountain that no one has conquered?”

“Virgin Peak.”

“Then what about the labyrinth that no one has been able to capture?”

“…no.”

“If she begged to take her magical power after being attacked, wouldn’t that also be considered female corruption?”

When everyone was at a loss for words at that confidence, only Leo had a serious expression on his face.

It was natural.

What the sage did now was absolutely not something that would be dismissed as such a joke.

However, his words were blocked by the sage’s gaze, and in the end Leo couldn’t say anything.

“Anyway, this is the end of today’s hunting night.”

“Today’s?”

“Yes. Today’s.”

The sage shoved his hand into his pocket.

What was in his hand was the key he received from Baron earlier.

He touched it and said calmly.

“The festival isn’t over yet.”

The rest of the night hunting was also repeated.

Catch the white knight, wait at the location designated by the sage, and defeat the strong undead gathering.

After repeating this for about three days, the hunters who participated in the night hunt chased the wise man’s party.

The sage didn’t seem to have any complaints.

The important thing was to enter the door and clear the other labyrinths.

When the last day of the festival was over, the wise man walked out of the door.

Leo was waiting at the door.

“Why are you here? The last elite undead is the king of corpses?”

“Because all the hunters were put in. There was no need for me to join them. More than that…”

Leo pointed to the sage’s robe. To be precise, it must be the key in his pocket.

“The one you’re making right now. Isn’t that the key to the underworld?”

Leo’s expression was very serious.

“I thought you, the king of beasts, would know.”

The sage took the key out of his pocket. The dark metal key that Baron had given him before had become a key made of a substance that could hardly be called metal anymore.

It is translucent and emits an unknown, subtle energy like a mirage.

Facing the key, which made him feel strange just by looking at it, Leo let out a heavy sigh.

“Haa. With that key, you can open the door to the underworld.”

“right.”

“…Sage. Are you thinking of going to the underworld?”

At Leo’s words, the sage nodded.

The reason was simple.

Because you have to die like that to be able to resurrect after the first death.

“Don’t go. You can use magic, so don’t know. The underworld is terribly obsessed with the living. It won’t allow you to resurrect. My grandfather was also a great sorcerer. Of course he wanted to conquer death. , After confidently leaving for the underworld…”

Leo clenched his fists.

“You didn’t come back.”

“therefore?”

“Don’t go. Sage. Although you are a human, you are a source of hope for many on the continent.”

“Right.”

“You… such a dangerous thing… As the king of the Beasts, I can never tolerate it.”

The sage smiled at him.

“Leo. You would understand.”

– With my daughter… With my daughter… With my daughter…

The bell of the wand shakes. Magic power soars.

The sage spoke calmly to the king of the beasts without blinking an eye.

“No one can stop me.”

Leo kept his mouth shut.

“The cardinal will be worried.”

“know.”

He turned and walked away, speaking calmly.

“Because he must be worried…”

“Even knowing that…”

“So you have to do it secretly.”

“…..”

“Don’t tell her.”

***

The time for night hunting is over.

It went differently than usual, but anyway, the undead could no longer be found.

While the people who were satisfied with it enjoyed the festival at the end of the night hunting, I rented a bar at a stall and made my own cocktail.

“Umm~! This is refreshing and sweet, it’s delicious!”

“Right? Come on. Drink this too. I made it for you. My name is the Moon Goddess. It’s a drink that resembles you.”

“Oh my! A goddess. Umm… Wow… It’s sweet…”

“As you?”

“Ahahaha! What are you saying! Why are you saying pretty things today? Be honest. Did you do something else that I’m worried about?”

“I didn’t!”

Not yet.

Is it because I am better than most bartenders?

Everyone excitedly started ordering, and I shook the ball to make sure my arm was gone.

“Now. Should I drink strong alcohol after sweet alcohol? The Earthquake you ordered is here.”

“Um… Hmm… Whoa… It’s strong. This. But it’s delicious.”

“Hey! Sage! Roll a bowl here too! A very vicious guy!”

“The Baserdi undiluted solution you ordered is here.”

“No… I asked for a cocktail, but why was the undiluted solution…?”

“If you don’t like it, quit.”

“Who doesn’t like it?”

Marax, who likes strong drinks, gulps down.

“Hyunwoo. What is this? Angel tip? What kind of liquor is this?”

“The angel tips you ordered are here. They are sweet like angel lips and have a soft taste.”

That’s how I intensively made alcohol for Veronica, and she drank it well.

“Uhuhu. Our hyeonhuuu~ What are you trying to do by getting me drunk like this?”

To secretly go to the underworld while you sleep.

If I said this, it was obvious that Veronica would cry and worry and catch me, so I just smiled and pinched her cheek.

My hand hurts, then she closes her eyes and lets me stroke her cheek.

“Would you like another drink?”

“Ugh~!”

how much did you eat

After she fell asleep completely drunk, I picked up Veronica and returned to the room.

Leaving her asleep, I went outside and headed to Cecil and Karin’s room.

Karin, who had already brought Cecil, who had collapsed from drinking the alcohol I gave her earlier, was puzzled when I knocked on the door.

“why?”

“I’m going to be away for a few days because I have some business to do? Give it to Veronica… Can I sleep with her tonight?”

“Is your lord sleeping?”

“Wizard… will you talk back?”

“……”

“I’m joking, so don’t look at me like that. You can take me to bed with you, right? There are plenty of seats in that room.”

“It’s okay. If that’s the case.”

Karin carried Cecil on her back without any doubt.

She laid Cecil near Veronica’s bed, and Karin sat down on a large chair.

“If you want something to eat, order it and eat it… then go.”

“But where are you going?”

She asked lightly, and I ignored it lightly.

When I came out of the room, a pretty old crane Soo-in was waiting for me along with a black cat Soo-in.

Hak Soo-in greeted me politely while holding a cane.

Baron Baron shook his beak and lowered his head.

“Thanks to my benefactor…”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

When I went outside, a carriage was waiting for me. And, standing in front of that carriage is Leo.

He stood there with a complicated expression on his face that he couldn’t say anything.

“Why. To stop it?”

I raised my staff, and Leo shook his head.

“They’re trying to undo the mistakes the Beasts made. I’ll follow them as an escort.”

“It’s not only the Beast Tribe, but it’s also a mistake made by the church. Anyway, it’s more to blame for Njambi. Jeop. Yes. What. Do it.”

Like that, Leo, the king of the beastmen, Baron Baron, and the black cat beastman.

And I became a party and headed to the lakeside.

Is it because the curse has been lifted?

Or is it because of the key to the underworld in my hand?

The ghosts inside the lake were watching me without even knocking on the ice wall.

It is expected.

May I open the door to the underworld.

let me die with you

“Here it is…”

The trembling Baron held out a small vial from his bosom. The vial was made of a translucent material like the key to the underworld.

You can have it, but you can’t use it.

An elixir that can only be consumed in the underworld.

I tried to open the stopper and drink it, wondering if it was real, but the elixir refused to enter me without even shaking from the bottle.

“If you have any instructions…”

“Just make sure the corpse isn’t harmed moderately. When I’m resurrected, I can find my body wherever it is, so it’s okay to change the location.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I took out the key to the underworld and hit the frozen lake with it.

At that moment, a crack in space opened in the lake, and a man in a black robe with a huge scythe appeared from within.

“Don’t announce my death. If it happens, tell everyone.”

“…..”

“I will definitely come back.”

The living who look on with concern.

The dead look on with joy.

Receiving the same gaze from opposite positions.

I am an old man in black robes wielding a huge scythe at me.

He laughed at the existence called ‘death’.

[You have achieved the first death achievement.]

Only resurrection remains.