◈ 330. [Free Exploration] Imperial Declaration (5)
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unknown name in front of my eyes.
“uh?”
When he jumped up, he was still in District 1 dungeon [Dry Drainage]. The party members around me were looking at me with relieved faces.
“Did you forget to sleep? what?”
Unable to comprehend the situation, I looked around and asked, and Moo-myeong smiled vaguely.
“You overreacted, Ash. Are you feeling better?”
“uh? ah… .”
Then I remembered.
[Imperial Declaration] was a much more powerful skill than I thought, so I couldn’t handle the recoil and passed out when the skill ended.
“Then why are you so unwell?”
Not just normal, but much more energetic than before I lost consciousness. I feel like I drank a month’s worth of expensive restorative medicine.
Asking while looking down at their own bodies, the party members all looked in the direction of Nameless. I also looked at the nameless with trembling.
“Anonymous, did you treat it?”
“Cure… You could say it’s like that. Because of the state of depletion of mana, I took several of the items I had. It will get better.”
“Hey thank you so much. It would have been really dangerous if I hadn’t. I lived thanks to you.”
“you’re welcome. I really have to thank you. ash.”
Anonymous looked around intently.
“… Over the past long years, every inch of my kingdom has been covered in nightmare darkness, without exception.”
Her dusty fingertips slowly brushed the drainpipes around them.
“Because I didn’t have the same qualifications as the Demon King, I couldn’t drive out the darkness. All I can do is take my soul and set the piece on fire to shed some light on this place.”
“… .”
“Waiting for a qualified person to arrive and confront the demon lord and drive out the darkness. We lit the lights and cleaned up the monsters.”
Moo-myeong, who spoke her story calmly, looked at me slowly.
“… And today you have completely dispelled that darkness from this place. It’s just a small part of it, but my country is free from the demon king’s rule.”
And Anonymous slowly showed courtesy.
The right arm is attached to the body as if wrapping the front of the chest, and the left hand grabs the hem of the robe and gently tilts it to the side. At the same time, lower your back and bend your legs.
An unfamiliar way of greeting that is completely different from Everblack’s manners.
Could that be the way of greeting in the Lake Kingdom?
“Thank you Ash. My five hundred years of waiting was not in vain.”
Even though he was covered in dirt and ash, he had a strange elegance.
Moo-myeong raised his back slowly again and raised his eyes.
“Now, this place will stop functioning as a dungeon.”
At the same time as the horse fell, the light at the safety base slowly went out.
saaaa… … .
At the same time, the sticky darkness unique to the dungeon also began to scatter far away.
“The army of nightmares can no longer invade this place. That’s why fighting here is no longer necessary.”
Oh, I see.
If you take control from the monster, naturally this place will be abandoned as a ‘dungeon’.
When the sticky darkness disappeared and the light of the artificial lighting disappeared, all that remained was the peaceful night color.
And in the colors of that peaceful night… … Nameless stood holding a small piece of light. Something small but like a puzzle piece with condensed brilliant light.
I chinned.
“Is that a piece of your soul?”
“Yes.”
“Are you saying that to prevent the kingdom from being completely consumed by darkness, your soul was cut into pieces, set on fire, and sprinkled throughout the kingdom?”
“Yes.”
“so… .”
seemed to know a little bit.
“You forgot your name?”
“… .”
“You were blocking the darkness of this place by fragmenting your own existence and forgetting your name and memory.”
A bitter smile crept across the unknown’s lips.
“What use is a name to a ruined princess?”
She looked down at the piece of light in her hand with distant eyes.
“What’s the point of having a big deal with faded memories that have passed hundreds of years? If I can prolong the fate of my kingdom even a little bit with these pieces of ‘me’, then I will.”
“Because you were the princess of this kingdom? So you want to take responsibility?”
When I asked him openly, the expression on his face became a little embarrassed.
“… You can do that. It is the royal family’s fault that my kingdom has changed like this. As a royal descendant, I must also take responsibility.”
why so far?
I wanted to ask more, but Moo-myeong blocked my words and slowly held out her hand.
“And rewarding adventurers who have contributed to the kingdom is also a responsibility as a royal descendant.”
There was a piece of that light in her hand that was reaching out to me.
“I will give you this piece.”
“what? But this is your soul… … .”
“ash.”
Anonymous nodded heavily.
“You need this.”
“… ?”
“I felt it while treating you a while ago. Currently, your soul is extremely unstable. It wouldn’t be strange if it was torn apart at any time. You can trust it because it is the words of someone who has already ripped it up and scattered it.”
“No, even if you throw in a self-harming gag… .”
To be honest, I can’t understand the soul or anything… … ?
“Your soul is too old to be believed to be of a mortal. And it’s been very poorly maintained. As an analogy, it is a state in which already broken pottery is wrapped in a thin cotton cloth. It manages to keep its shape, but you never know when it will shatter.”
I couldn’t understand everything the princess of the ancient magic kingdom said, but I could intuit one thing.
That my being possessed by this body and that horse had something to do with it.
“Magic depletion can be cured with elixirs or potions, but the wounds in your soul are permanent. It is not something that can be cured.”
Anonymous pushed out a piece of light again.
“So, lend me a piece of me. your soul… … No, it will help maintain the veil that wraps the soul.”
Immediately after, a smile crossed her lips.
“do not worry. interest free Don’t even set a period.”
Not in the darkness of a nightmare, but just in the light of a calm night. that smile.
“I am a merchant, not a moneylender.”
It seemed surprisingly peaceful.
Maybe her smile was originally like that.
When I accepted the piece of light that Nameless gave me, the piece of light burrowed into my chest in an instant and disappeared.
I don’t know.
The inside of my chest felt warm and I could breathe a little easier.
“Today, I gave you this and that item, and I also put a piece of my soul in it. The next time you use that power, it will be better than this time.”
If it’s that power, you’re talking about the [Imperial Declaration].
Are you saying there won’t be any fainting like this in the future?
“But don’t overdo it. That power is the authority of the opponent. If you use it too often, your unstable soul may not be able to withstand it.”
“I will continue to use it as long as my body can stand it. Wouldn’t that be enough to drive all this darkness out of your kingdom?”
He shrugged his shoulders and spoke carefreely, and Moo-myeong smiled faintly.
“… It’s a pity that I don’t have the means to repay your goodwill.”
“No, I think I’ve already repaid you enough… .”
The nameless approached me silently, took my hand, and gently lowered her head.
Her cold, dry lips touched the back of my hand and then fell.
My eyes blinked in surprise, but Moo-myeong smiled and turned around.
“Then next time.”
The hem of the robe fluttered, and Nameless drifted away.
After blankly looking there, I turned to the party members. Everyone is just blinking like an idiot.
“so.”
I pointed my hand at my stomach.
“What item did he feed me to heal my mana depletion?”
You need to know what you have received so that you can repay it properly next time. I was asking to find out.
For some reason, Junior, whose complexion had turned white from earlier, stuttered and answered.
“de… .”
“de?”
“Dragon Heart… !”
“… ?”
What are you… … ?!
There are also several dragon monsters in the Lake Kingdom dungeon.
Among them, the supreme magic core that only comes from a few of the best named. In fact, this view of the world, which is said to be able to operate an empty ship with only one, is the final king among magical cores.
That’s Dragon Heart.
In the game, it was called the SSSR Triple Sr as a joke because of its performance on a different level from other SSR-grade magic cores.
“You ate it? To me?!”
Everyone nodded fiercely. I looked down at my body in bewilderment.
“No, that’s the heart, not the heart, it’s the mana core. like a jewel… … How did you feed them?”
“I don’t know. It’s an ancient magic I’ve never seen before… … Crush it into small pieces and let it be absorbed throughout the body… … .”
“… .”
oh i know this
It’s like the story of the martial arts, isn’t it? A development in which a hermit person cooks and feeds wild ginseng or naedan? Is that so?
“Oooh! Somehow, it feels like energy is boiling in your whole body?! Am I joining the lineup of the world’s strongest players now?!”
“… According to him, the ability of the Dragon Heart was limited and dosed so that it would only react when the skill was used. The risk of that technology is so great that the highest efficiency comes out only when Dragon Heart supports it.”
“… .”
I awkwardly lowered my raised arms.
heck, whatever… … Anyway, I’m not saying there won’t be such a thing as this time when you use a skill and stretch it out. It’s unfortunate that I can’t make it to the top of the line, but good things are good things.
“Anyway, guys. This is a secret from Dusk Bringer… … ?”
Dusk Bringer, our diners, is a half-man, half-dragon.
You can’t say that I ate the hearts of your fellow countrymen as a nourishing tonic because I was weak! You don’t know what you’ll hear if you get caught!
“Anyway, everyone worked hard. I’ve been through so many things… … .”
Looking back at the embarrassed party members, I smirked.
“Let’s go back and rest!”
***
[End of Free Exploration!]
[Level Up Character]
> Main Party
– Ash (EX) Lv.51 (↑1)
– Lucas (SSR) Lv.53 (↑1)
– Evangeline (SSR) Lv.53 ( ↑1)
– Damian (EX) Lv.53 (↑1)
– Jupiter Jr. (SSR) Lv.59 (↑1)
[Dead and Injured Characters]
– None
[Acquired Monsters]
– Lv.45 Hawkbear Assassin (SR) )
[Acquisition item]
– Harpy Legion Manastone: 52
– Hawkbear Corps Manastone: 27
– Succubus Legion Essence: 12
– Harpy Coloratura Magic Core (SSR): 1
[Liberated Area]
– 1st Zone: Withered Drainage
> Can produce new resources in the area.
***
After returning to Crossroads, I ate dinner with the party members.
It was difficult because everyone was constantly worried and tried to take care of me, as if I was really close to dying.
Evangeline sliced the dish for me, Damian used a spoon instead of me to put soup into my mouth, and Junior put his hand on my back while eating and checked my body’s magic state.
Do it in moderation! Prince is very strong! Now that you’ve eaten dragon hearts, you’re called Magical King? Actually, I don’t feel good!
“… .”
Lucas, who had taken off his tin helmet while eating, sat at a distance and just watched us.
I’m thankful that he’s not particularly offended, but it’s rather awkward because he’s not particularly out of character… … .
After the meal, Damian and Junior were returned to their respective temples and inns.
Lucas I thought about having a tea time before bed with Evangeline, but Lucas declined.
“I’m sorry, lord. I have somewhere to go today.”
“uh? Where are you going?”
“It’s not a big deal. I will report back later.”
“okay… .”
I tried to talk a little bit frankly about this and that. It was Lucas who left saying he had business to do.
After nodding at me, Lucas stepped out of the mansion and spoke in a low voice.
“Lord.”
“huh?”
“… Please don’t go too far.”
Then he bowed his head.
“then.”
I strode away… … .
“… No, isn’t it your side going far?”
Even now, while going out at will.
How should I say, I feel like my cousin, whom I followed well when I was young, has grown a bit older and has grown farther away.
I feel such a subtle sense of distance between Lucas and myself.
‘What should I do when I get close to my distant cousin again? Should I give her pocket money?’
At that time, Evangeline was standing next to me and watching Lucas walking away, she gave a serious grunt and said:
“Seniors. I’ve been thinking about it.”
“huh?”
“I mean Uncle Lucas, by any chance… .”
Evangeline was worried with a serious face, so I was nervous without realizing it. What is Lucas up to?
Immediately after, Evangeline spat out the pot.
“Isn’t it possible that you have reached puberty?!”
“… .”
“Why is it that these days are just like that?
I looked down at Evangeline with my mouth wide open.
no.
You can’t say things like that… … ?
