Episode 105
EPISODE.53
A ray of moonlight proudly lights up the dark night sky.
A crooked beam of light streamed in through the crack in the window. It was a darkened room.
The only light I could see ahead was the moonlight coming through the window.
Inside, an old man with fine gray hair was moving his hand.
Square square square square -.
Each time, the blade of the scissors in the old man’s hand emitted a cold light. The branches of the bonsai planted in front of him were cut here and there.
Then, one square.
The old man who had cut off a growing tree branch had a deep cut between his brows.
“Tsk.”
Because I moved the scissors wrong, I cut off a branch that was just growing, not a dead branch.
As he picked up the branch he had just cut off, the gray old man muttered a pity.
“Your temper is so impatient. There is still a lot of time left to wait.”
Maybe I won’t mess with my work-.
The elderly Archduke Bismarck muttered that.
Whether it is for a cut bonsai or for something completely different.
I didn’t know that until now.
Had he been staring at the cut branches for some time?
Less, less, less.
A grotesque and unpleasant sound was heard. The sound of something old and worn after a long time colliding.
It was the sound of an old skull in the Grand Duke’s office moving my jaw.
With a grating sound, dark green eye light flowed from the two empty pupils of the skeleton.
“Is the green eyes Charon (Χάρων) this time?”
If hypnos (Ὕπνος) is ‘sleep from which one cannot wake’, Charon was ‘a boatman on the river that flows into the underworld’.
No matter how much I don’t want to reveal my real name, I can’t imagine introducing myself with the name of an old god.
‘Those unremarkable cultists…’
If it weren’t for the same purpose, there would be no joining hands with them.
Thinking so, the grand duke turned around.
Hiding the cold face that had been shining on me just before, I opened my mouth and said,
“Yes, Karon. It’s you this time. What is it?”
“It just happened to be a trading day. Originally, your trader, Hypnos, should do it, but he’s busy with his work, so I’m special this time.”
“It’s a trade day…”
The skeleton’s mouth opened wide toward him who blurted out his words.
Hwaaak-.
A dark green light began to flicker inside the skull’s jaw joint, and then the guy spat something out.
Dalgrak.
It was an unusual purple fruit that looked like a plum, less than half the size of a fist.
“Isn’t it time to eat?”
“Come to think of it, that’s how it happened.”
Bismarck nodded and reached out his hand. Without hesitation, I picked up the fruit that had fallen in front of me.
wagjeok wajeok.
It took only a few mouthfuls to chew through all the flesh.
Seruk-.
Then, the dark red air flowed from the seed, the size of a finger joint, gently wrapped around the archduke’s body.
Swoop-.
An amazing thing happened right after.
Saaaa-.
Along with the dark red air current, the age spots that had begun to bloom on the back of the archduke’s hand had clearly faded.
Not only that, but the wrinkles on the fingers and back of the hand also faded. It’s not just the hands that have changed.
“Haaaaa-.”
He let out a deep breath as he regained his youth from his hands, neck, and even his face.
“I feel it every time, but it really does feel like an addiction.”
The grand duke recited with a voice and eyes full of greed.
What he held in his hand was the seed of a fruit that had dried up and died of blackness after it had done its job.
“If you can do these good things in a row, you will be able to live forever.”
“Unfortunately, the purification method is difficult, and side effects are also side effects.”
As the skeleton muttered, Archduke Bismarck immediately clicked his tongue.
“I know that. That’s why I’m enduring one thing in five years, and more than that.”
Throwing away the seed in his hand without hesitation, he continued.
“I heard that the little guy is heading to the Red Canyon this time.”
“If it’s a kid…”
“That guy who disgraced Blaine.”
“Ah, you mean the disciple of the year to burn.”
For an instant, the skull’s dark green eyes darkened.
“Your subordinate’s disgrace is your own disgrace, so please kill that little guy?”
“Nonsense.”
Dismissing Charon’s words, the Archduke fired at him.
“The kid is not going alone, but he is going to Vermilion, the first disciple. Did he have the energy to spend on it right now?”
Accompanied by the 5th and 6th Circle mages.
In order to be sure, this side would also have to send at least two 6th circle top master level mages.
Not to mention, both of them were Daria’s disciples.
Besides, if the rumor about blowing off the sword master’s arm is true-.
“Ummm, not right now.”
After muttering that, Charon moved the skeleton’s jaw.
Just follow and follow-.
“So what do you want to say? You don’t even want to kill me, but you dare to say something…”
“What I’m worried about is in the Amazon or the Great Forest.”
“The Amazon or the Great Forest…”
“I want to ask if there will be any disruption to the work being done there.”
Amazona Great Forest.
It was a place facing the Red Gorge in the opposite direction to Endymion.
Due to the warm climate of the south, the greenery of the size of a small kingdom spreads out…
The home of all kinds of fairies.
And the place where the archduke and cultists were doing something was also Amazon or Great Forest.
Charon replied as if not to worry about his worries.
“The place we are working on is deep inside the forest, not adjacent to the canyon.”
Dalgrak ttadadak-.
At that time, the jaw joint of the skeleton moves with an unpleasant sound.
“Unless you go looking for it, you will never be able to find it by going all the way to the canyon. I don’t know if it’s after everything is over and… is opened.”
“hmm?”
Charon blurted out at the archduke, who tilted his head.
“Nothing.”
The topic quickly changed.
“Anyway, there is no need to worry because the odds of something the Grand Duke worrying about will happen to less than a penny. If you still have concerns, double the vigilance in the vicinity.”
“Then you are fortunate.”
“The question is, is that the end? If that’s the end… it’s time to cut off communication.”
Charon moved the skull’s jaw towards the relieved Grand Duke.
“…In the next conversation, Hypnos will come again, not me.”
At the same time as the magic power decreases, the voice that came from the skeleton starts to get farther away.
And soon after, when the voice completely died down, the dark green eyes also disappeared.
The only thing left in the place is the traces of the bonsai that were cut off and a single rotted seed.
It was a conversation that took place at the Archduke’s residence a few days after Russell and Vermilion left for the Red Canyon.
* * *
“A junior spirit of the flames could locate the gnomes, the lesser spirits of the earth, by smell.”
Vermilion murmured in the carriage heading for the Red Canyon.
‘I don’t know if it’s one or two, but there are a lot of gnomes living in the Underworld.’
‘I’m sure Pepper will notice the signs of spirits emitted by the gnomes.’
It was as he remembered what he had heard from Amelia Merwin a few days ago.
“It is fortunate that there is a priest. Thanks to that, finding the Underworld has become easier.”
Vermilion spoke to Russell in the carriage heading to the Red Canyon.
“It’s not… wrong, but it’s probably because of Pepper.”
The guy who was rolling on Russell’s lap flipped over at the sound of his name being called.
Gyareuk-?
He tilted his head, exposing his stomach. The figure is quite cute, and when I scratch the belly with my fingertips, he twists his body around as if it tickles him.
Gyareuk Gyareuk-.
When he revealed his body, he was almost the size of a bull, but his usual appearance was that of a cat.
“yes. Thanks to that spirit.”
Laughing as if agreeing, Vermilion opened the subspace.
He took out a thick piece of meat he had brought for food and held it in front of Pepper.
“It’s a prize. I want to eat as much as I want.”
Gailrrruk-!
Pepper let out a long cry at the chunk of meat shoved in front of his eyes, then started licking his lips.
“Um…”
Russell, who was watching him, sighed.
“Why do you do that? Priests?”
“no. It’s the first time I’ve given Pepper raw meat.”
I’ve always given him cooked meat or jerky or processed bacon or sausage.
“I’m not sure if you’ll eat raw meat.”
“I think I might eat it once I see it licking my lips.”
Gyareuk!
Pepper’s actions immediately afterward were beyond Russell’s and even Vermilion’s imagination.
Pepper’s small hands became red hot as he stretched out his short arms and grabbed the meat.
“uh?”
“hmm?”
Following the palm of the pepper, a savory yet greasy scent rises, and kyaa!
After confirming that the raw meat was somewhat cooked, Pepper ate it.
Kyaaak gaarreuk.
The repetition of cooking the meat and eating it, cooking it and eating it.
Confused by the completely unexpected situation, Vermilion suddenly chuckled for a moment.
“her. This guy already knows the taste of Maillard.”
Russell, puzzled, nodded.
“Uh hmm. yes.”
I didn’t even teach you, but how did you know this?
‘Maybe it’s the instinct of the fire spirit.’
Of course, that doesn’t mean that the water spirit will wash all food with water before eating it.
Interested in the life of the spirit, which was completely unexpected, the two wizards observed for a while.
By the time the burning desire for exploration cooled down little by little, the carriage carrying the two people stopped.
“Wah woah woah-.”
Stopping the horses pulling the carriage, the coachman opened his mouth.
“Im here.”
When I opened the door of the wagon, the first thing I saw was a well-tourized city.
The huge canyon (Red Canyon), which is made up entirely of red rocks, gives the viewer a view and appreciation that he has never encountered before.
What you see in front of you is a city built for tourists and monks fascinated by its scenery and appreciation.
What you can see beyond it is a red rock towering like an anthill built in a remote area.
Despite being this far away, the rock looks huge, so if you look at it up close, the real thing will be much bigger.
‘That’s just the beginning.’
Within moments of being overwhelmed by a mystery he had never seen before, Russell clenched his fists.
With such a mystery, it wouldn’t be strange even if the dragon was actually hiding.
Russell took a step, feeling something that he couldn’t tell whether it was his heart or the circle’s magic beating with strange anticipation.
“Let’s go. execution.”
I passed the tourist town prepared in front of me and stretched my feet towards the red canyon.
dragon-swallowed wizard
