The Spirits of the Mausoleum (3)
“What? You missed them? Didn’t you even deploy ballistas!”
“The resistance of the one wearing platinum armor was so fierce… …!”
“These poor bastards!!”
The leader of the band felt dizzy for a moment.
It was a siege net that brought in not only the Seongmagyo but also all the forces of the old Gyoryonghoe.
It’s frustrating that it doesn’t work properly and misses the target.
‘If Lord Akt knew, then my neck would be cut off… …!’
Among the nine servants, Arkt was known for having the coldest personality.
Just as the Red and White Mercenaries were wiped out without hesitation, there was no law that prohibited the Blue Band from doing the same.
“Haha. It looks like things aren’t going as you planned.”
At that moment, an old man approached the band leader with a smile.
In that moment, the band members were startled and took a step back.
This was because a bishop wearing a black crown and the robes of the Catholic Church appeared.
As it was a middle rank among the six ranks in the hierarchy of ‘Apostle → Cardinal → Archbishop → Bishop → Diocese Head → Blood Priest,’ the prestige it exuded was no small.
Bishop Kali.
He was the person in charge of commanding the Holy Demon Church’s forces in this surprise attack.
‘Why of all things.’
The band leader frowned but didn’t say anything in response.
Trying to talk back to the guy here in a rude tone would only expose his weakness.
“If the Prophet, the child, and the missing Ragnar go to the ‘real’ tomb, how will you take responsibility then?”
“… … .”
The reason the Arc and the Blues needed Cassandra’s new recruits wasn’t simply because of her prophetic abilities.
It was to find the ‘real tomb’ where the 299 soldiers hidden by Ragnar were buried.
Because right there was hidden the treasure that ‘He’ had been longing to have for a long time.
‘The sword of the old selector.’
The relics of this man, now only a legend, remained right there.
Another legend that few people know about, even in Ragnar.
The real mission of Odd, the head of the Tulip Floristic Association, was to guard the graveyard.
“Don’t forget. That place is what our Holy Magicians are desperately searching for. Prophet, only with that child can we follow the traces left by our god. It’s an important place that could become a sanctuary!”
In addition, the 299 members of the suicide squad that blocked the advance of the <Nameless Monarch> were enemies of the Holy Demon Church, but they also served as a clue that could provide a great hint for God to rise again.
This was also one of the reasons why the Holy Demon Church dared to join hands with the Trojans, an atheist group.
The band leader clenched his teeth and turned his head away.
Kwarung! Kwarung!
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Where his gaze landed.
Two different rays of light were entangled in a hemispherical shape, causing a natural disaster.
The two superhumans, Denglong and Arkt, were clashing with each other through a glass space that was wide open.
If that space closes, the match will be over.
So, before that, I had to somehow find the hidden guys.
“Tell ‘Alpha’.”
In the end, the leader of the band had to look back at his subordinates and take out the last card he had hidden.
I tried not to open it unless absolutely necessary.
The dagger that was in the heart of the enemy.
“Finish the job somehow, even if your identity is revealed.”
* * *
[Congratulations! You have successfully completed Scenario Quest #4 by successfully evacuating the Time-Seeker to safety.] [Rating: S] [As a reward, you will soon receive a clue to <Secrets of Time>.] [As an additional reward, your channeling with Lordbroke will be strengthened.]
Theo opened his eyes wide as he looked at the messages that appeared before his eyes.
Is this place safe?
What caught Theo’s eye even more was the ‘Channeling with Lordbroke’ given as an additional reward.
As expected.
『Haha. I came to a fun place while digesting Leviathan’s heart.』
‘Are you able to communicate now, Lordbroke?’
『Communication has always been possible since you awakened the Dragon Blood. I just blocked it for a while because I wanted to focus on digestion. More than that.』
Lordbroke smiled faintly.
『Still, what is that Roadbroke, Roadbroke? He’s called a companion, but he’s so heartless.』
‘… What should I call you?’
“Rhodi. What a cute name!”
It was exactly the kind of nickname you’d give to a children’s doll.
That big, imposing figure… … didn’t quite fit in with Lordbroke.
“Why? Do you have any complaints?”
‘No, it suits you very well!’
“yes?”
‘Yes! That’s right! How did you come up with such a perfect name?’
『Hahaha! If I’m stuck in this cave, there’s nothing I can do!』
Theo asked questions casually, matching Lordbroke’s rhythm.
It was because there was some longing in Lordbroke’s voice.
‘Do you know where this is?’
“I know. This is where my old companion and his comrades are buried.”
‘ah.’
It was only then that Theo remembered that the owners of the coffins buried here were those who had fought against the <Nameless Lord>.
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Then it wouldn’t be strange if one of them was the <Chosen One>.
“But I didn’t know that the souls of those comrades would be so vivid.”
Lordbroke looked through Theo’s eyes at the ghosts sitting or standing in the coffin, huddled together, and laughed.
-It really is what we see.
-Wow. Wow!
-He’s a living person. I can talk to a living person! Hurray! I can talk to someone other than these annoying little men! Hurray!
-Hey, aren’t we tired of seeing your ugly face all day long? But he’s a guy too, right?
-But there are two ladies next to him!
They were so talkative that I wondered if they were really Ragnar’s inspectors.
‘The solemn atmosphere was shattered so violently.’
『… … I just regret the tears I shed at the time, moved by the noble spirit of those who sacrificed themselves for the world. They’re not like the girls who laugh at the rolling leaves, either.』
It was around this time that Lordbroke was grumbling.
“Why are you standing there blankly?”
Odd was looking at Theo with a sullen face.
It was natural for her, not knowing Theo’s situation.
Theo followed Odd, saying it was nothing.
“Your colleagues are all resting over there, so go.”
-Oh, I guess they’re going that way.
-Was that young man our cemetery brought here a colleague of yours? That’s good. I was bored, so let’s go.
-But did you really make eye contact with us? You’re not even looking this way now.
-So let’s check it out. So you’re not going to do it?
-Of course I should go!
“Yes, thank you.”
“And remember, this is where the spirits of old rest. Don’t make noise or do anything that might be considered rude.”
-Yes. We are spirits. Sleep well, Gravekeeper.
-But isn’t it bad to be noisy? If it’s too quiet, it’s no fun!
“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”
“Okay, wait here. I’ll go check outside and come back.”
Groan, groan.
A lot of talk.
Theo forced himself to suppress his increasingly dizzy head and moved towards Shelford and the others.
‘I guess I’ll just have to keep pretending I don’t know, okay?’
“I agree.”
Keeek!
Theo bowed his head to Shelford, patting Umbra’s head as she ran towards him, asking why he was coming now.
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“Thank you for your hard work.”
“What about us? You had a hard time. You were flying around like that?”
“It was thanks to the item.”
“Hey, if you’re too humble, you’ll be unlucky. Just act like Ragnar. It doesn’t suit you.”
Theo scratched his cheek with an embarrassed face.
“Anyway, this time, I think I should bring up the motion to promote him to a senior prosecutor.”
Theo’s eyes lit up.
advancement.
It was always nice to hear those words.
“Will that work?”
“Now that my skills are certain, what I need is public… … .”
Although Ragnar’s class system prioritizes skill, it is only a prerequisite, and many other additional conditions were also necessary.
Especially for senior inspectors, the procedures were not easy because they were actually adjutants who had subordinates and were required to carry out independent operations.
“Well, that’s also the case with the Bu-Yu-Gun Autonomous Territory, but wouldn’t this rescue operation help earn some points? I’ll have to report back to find out more details.”
“Please take good care of me.”
“Yeah. I hope my junior does well too… …!”
Shelford narrowed his eyes mid-sentence.
“Isn’t it? If your juniors are doing too well, you’ll feel bad, right? They might become too arrogant, so is it right to let them experience the bitterness of society once?”
Theo let out a small laugh as he watched Shelford playfully making jokes that he didn’t mean.
There was certainly no time to be bored with Shelford.
‘Cassandra looks very tired.’
Then he found Cassandra sleeping soundly with Arin’s lap as her pillow and smiled bitterly.
You’ll be tired if you force yourself to march for several days while not feeling well.
It was at that time that I was stroking Cassandra’s head with a pitiful heart.
Knock knock.
-Hey, young man.
There was a hand poking Theo’s side from the side.
-Can you hear us?
“… … .”
-Well, I’ve been calling you for a while now, but there’s been no answer.
-Wasn’t our eye contact just a coincidence?
-No. It was real. It’s driving me crazy.
-Oh, are you pretending not to know us?
-Us? Why?
-You don’t know?
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-Is that the fear of ghosts that I’ve only heard of? It’s a shame for such a handsome young man.
A suicide squad boasting outstanding skills that even Lordbroke knows about.
You will gain a lot of insight by talking to them.
Especially since ancient swordsmanship was an area that even Theo had no interest in.
But their personalities were the problem.
It looks like he’s been trapped here for hundreds of years while still conscious.
Once I got swept away, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to come to my senses.
“What are you going to do? Just keep pretending you don’t know?”
‘That’s right.’
Theo changed the subject with a bitter smile.
‘More than that, Lordbroke.’
“Rhodi.”
‘… … Sorry. Yes, Roddy. Do you know anything about the <Secret of Time>?’
『Hmm? The scope is too vague. Are you talking about information related to the regression of the selector?』
Theo intuitively realized that the amount of information he could obtain would vary greatly depending on how he approached the content of <The Secret of Time> given as a reward.
‘Did you know that the Imperial Family has had the ability to foresee the future for generations?’
『<The Prophet’s Ability>. That’s what you’re talking about. Why? Have you ever met a child with that ability?』
Theo turned his gaze towards the sleeping Cassandra.
“That’s the kid. And he’s blind? He has the perfect conditions to have such great abilities.”
‘If you say the conditions are perfect.’
『Since ancient times, children with innate abilities, especially those with ‘divine’ abilities, have been prone to having one or two disabilities. The original race of gods was damaged in one or two areas.』
The lame blacksmith god.
A squinty-eyed angel.
The god of art who cannot love.
A person who has lost his sense of reason and is throwing himself into the world… … .
All the gods in the pantheon are born with a <lack> in that way.
『A blind man who cannot see ahead but can see the future. Contradiction is Geass. The greater the burden, the more his ability shines.』
This means that Cassandra’s prophetic abilities will be very outstanding.
Theo nodded.
Certainly, the power of the Empress of Magic was said to be the greatest among all the emperors of all time.
‘But is prophecy actually possible?’
“Why do you think so?”
‘If the future is ‘fixed’… … !’
『You’re talking about fate. So what’s the use of regression?』
‘Yes, that’s right.’
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Theo nodded heavily, and Lordbroke smiled faintly.
“In fact, the future that child sees is not the real future.”
‘then?’
『It’s closer to ‘possibility’. It’s a fragmentary view of the most probable causality. Based on past ‘data’.』
data?
『The power of the prophet is a bit different from what you call <foreknowledge>. You can think of it as a symbol of glimpsing the remnants of data from the old universe that has become ‘nonexistent’.』
These were all words that were difficult to understand.
However, Theo, who had been reincarnated before returning and still had some memories of ‘Earth’, had some crazy thoughts.
‘What you are saying now is… …!’
『You humans would normally think of time as a <straight line> that extends infinitely, right? But that’s not the case.』
Lordbroke laughed, finding Theo’s reaction amusing.
『Time is a <circle>. It circles. Infinitely. Like the Ouroboros snake that spins around to eat its own tail.』
Lordbroke’s voice gained strength little by little.
『This world, too, is a companion, repeating <regression> endlessly, just like you.』
‘… … !’
[You have successfully obtained some information about the <Secret of Time> from Lordbroke.] [A new quest begins.] [The quest has arrived.]
+
[Scenario Quest #6]
Based on the information you just obtained about the <Secret of Time>, delve deeper into Cassandra’s abilities and learn about the <Secret of Return>.
· Difficulty: S
· Reward: ■■Return Ability
· On failure: death
+
Theo couldn’t come to his senses even after seeing the quest.
There was something more certain that needed to be known now.
‘Rhodi, if time is a <circle> that rotates infinitely as you say… … who on earth is the being that rewinds it back to the beginning?’
“I think you’ve already noticed, haven’t you?”
Theo’s face hardened.
‘Then is that being the <Nameless Monarch>?’
How the bastard of the Return Sword Family lives
