Chapter 56: Witch (4)

Did you predict all of this?

How could I?

If I had, I wouldn’t have gone through all this hardship!

Would Evan have ground himself to the bone like a madman for this suffering?

It was due to a lack of information.

Absolutely not because he wanted to.

“No.”

Evan firmly denied it.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding you have…… but I never planned any of this.”

Evan was an innocent victim.

Just an ordinary noble’s son, yet receiving such a misunderstanding.

How could he live with this injustice?

“…Then, does that mean all of this was a coincidence?”

“Having multiple misfortunes overlap in life isn’t rare.”

Honestly, even to Evan, too many varied events had occurred.

But that’s just how life is.

“It was all coincidence.”

“……Coincidence.”

Felix closed his eyes tightly.

“Even if the first is coincidence…… the second becomes necessity, the third destiny. Then you…… must be able to create destiny.”

Huh?

“Even calling it coincidence, you showed me the way…… and drew in the shrine maiden Elora who killed my father. If not for that, I wouldn’t have known my father’s whereabouts or death at all.”

“I don’t think that was an illusion. Truly…… Father must be gone.”

Felix’s hand trembled.

He respected his father enough to call himself Elim’s son.

But Elim was dead.

By none other than Elora’s hand.

She bore the nickname witch rather than shrine maiden, but what did it matter?

The body was ultimately Elora’s.

Normally, he should have burned with vengeance or lost the will to move forward and broken.

So…… that’s why he appeared as an escort knight in the future.

A knight wandering without finding his path even two years later.

As befits the trait of being directionally challenged, he couldn’t even find the path he needed to take.

But the current Felix was different from the one in the game.

A slightly stronger body and a firmer realm.

No longer lingering as an intermediate knight and wandering, he had decided on the path forward.

Evan quietly asked.

“Are you dreaming of revenge?”

“…If I say I don’t hate or loathe, that would be a lie.”

But.

“Shaking off even such temptation and moving forward…… isn’t that it? They said it wasn’t even his own will.”

Felix opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.

The sky was blue.

“I won’t forgive, but I won’t hate either.”

Felix did not break.

“Now I…… think I know what path I should take.”

“I express my gratitude to you once more.”

Felix politely knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“Felix Elim, advanced knight walking the pilgrimage path…… thanks to you, I escaped this temptation…… and found my path.”

“If it’s what you desire, I will accomplish anything within my power.”

Anything?

Then?

“The achievements you’ve made are solely because of your own efforts. Don’t pass the value of effort to others.”

Evan took one step closer to him.

“To you, who possesses outstanding skill…… I have a proposal.”

“Speak.”

“I want to hire you.”

“……!”

Evan extended his hand.

“I need a sword to protect me.”

“Will you go with me?”

He didn’t know what Felix’s pilgrimage path ahead would be like, but as is usual for knights’ paths, it would be a perilous journey.

Money and influence were needed.

He could probably entice him well.

Brief silence.

Felix fell into thought.

Innocence stood back on the pilgrimage path and began moving forward normally.

Felix would keep walking until a glorious death came.

What remained was glory.

Where could he find it?

The answer was already decided.

He denied it himself, but the one who set up this entire board.

The young mastermind Evan Alkart who conceived and manipulated everything from behind.

Following him would lead to a better path.

Even if not, it didn’t matter.

He was the one who solidified the foundation of Felix, who nearly lost his way again submerged in vengeance.

“Yes.”

Kneeling on one knee, he sheathed the sword he held and placed it on Evan’s hand.

“From now on, I am your sword.”

Evan awkwardly lifted the sheathed sword and placed it on Felix’s one shoulder.

Knight’s oath.

“I will protect you henceforth.”

And one gaze watching this.

Lapis turned her head.

Far away…… a sand mountain at a considerable distance from the castle.

On it stood a shadow of a familiar figure.

***

“It seems to have ended well.”

“Somehow.”

Felix stood loyally behind Evan.

No. 5, who had been standing silently, glanced at him and approached sluggishly as if displeased.

No. 5 glaring at Felix with bulging eyes.

Innocence continued without giving either Felix or No. 5 a single glance.

“There’s still work left…… that I must resolve, but it’s good for you to know as well.”

“?”

“The one who created the missing persons is a black mage.”

“……!”

Necromancer.

His eyes widened slightly at the familiar name.

“When the brain was deteriorating and madness was gradually swallowing…… the black mage came.”

“A black mage in the Demisia kingdom?”

“They hid among the evil god worshippers, so noticing was late. Moreover, unluckily, it was when my madness was worsening…… I couldn’t even recognize properly.”

What they did was boldly extracting the ‘souls’ of countless swords dwelling in the garden of the barracks.

If they could extract the vengeful souls killed by swords and the souls of those who wielded them, it was a profitable deal.

Going beyond that, they even performed makeshift human sacrifices.

“In the process, many of my citizens were sacrificed. Foolishly, I…… knew yet didn’t know.”

As the brain deteriorated, losing some reason, unable to even distinguish friend from foe.

The black mages succeeded in tightrope walking on that strange line.

Yes. 

There was content about black mages trying to use the Demisia kingdom somehow.

The ending was them all dying to Innocence who regained sanity.

It seemed this story itself hadn’t changed.

“What was their purpose? Just obtaining one good soul and that’s it?”

“No. I heard there was clearly a greater cause. From what I heard, definitely…… yes.”

Innocence closed and opened his eyes.

A strange gleam emanated from his eyes and vanished.

“They’re looking for a vessel to contain the rotten god…… I heard.”

Rotten god……..

He vaguely remembered.

One of the threats lurking on the continent before the demon’s advent.

An ugly god rotten and decayed, dwelling in the extinction tree.

Actually, calling it an ugly god was ambiguous.

It was merely one who failed to ascend to the 9th hierarchy called ascension.

“…Hmm, this feels bad. Evan. You’re not planning to do it, right……?”

Lapis asked cautiously.

Evan stroked her head.

“Of course not. It’s not my job.”

“This is my matter to handle.”

Innocence’s eyes shone.

“The matter I neglected due to my oversight…… from today, I plan to issue an extermination order on the black mages.”

Evan inwardly wished them good luck.

Extermination order.

It meant kill on sight without question.

The black mages probably wouldn’t see the sun on land much longer.

At least, not in this country.

“Everyone be careful.”

Finishing his words, Innocence took out a key from his pocket.

“Then, shall we go receive the reward.”

Jingle the golden key.

It looked precious at a glance, and even with analysis eye, it couldn’t be properly grasped.

Probably processed to prevent arbitrary copying.

Exciting.

What could be inside?

***

“Wow.”

“It’s a warehouse.”

“Have you perhaps not managed it for a year, uncle?”

“Something like that.”

The treasure warehouse of the Demisia kingdom.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t flashy or grand.

The size was smaller than thought, cobwebs everywhere, dust piled up.

The preservation of each item was questionable.

“Hmm, it’s fine?”

But it seemed different in Aegis’s eyes.

She had awakened earlier than Innocence but had fatigue in her eyes from researching the alchemy books Evan brought out.

Aegis rubbed her eyes and yawned greatly.

“Each item has preservation magic. To prevent any damage, it’s just the outside…… yawn…… wrapped in form……”

“Like wrapping paper?”

“Yeah, right. These things forming this space, the strength is no joke. How much metal is mixed? Even with alchemy, [understanding] doesn’t work.”

“It’s a warehouse passed down through generations. Small in size, but its sturdiness is comparable to the empire’s vault.”

“They say there were more alchemists in the past than now…….”

Aegis showed interest even with a tired face, as if curiosity about the past arose.

It seems particularly well-defended against alchemy.

The basis of alchemy is [understanding]. If you can’t understand what mineral or ore it is, you can’t use the ability.

As if showing that, Aegis just said all sorts of ores were mixed.

Did alchemists frequently attempt theft, so they changed it like this?

A reasonable guess.

In the old days, well.

They said alchemists overflowed.

“Preservation magic is applied separately to everything, so look comfortably.”

“Preservation magic? Applied to each one?”

“It’s automatically applied to items brought into the space. There’s the point of needing prior registration, but that’s why this warehouse lasts long.”

Where to look…….

Evan first rummaged through the warehouse corner to corner.

Hoping for something useful.

If possible, something unique like elixir manufacturing or spatial grass would be good.

Mostly abilities eaten by main allies.

Even those would help somehow?

Then it was.

Evan’s eyes caught an item stuck in the corner.

……What’s that?

Chessboard?

Evan lifted the chessboard.

Made of quite luxurious wood.

The unique point was that constellations were sparsely drawn on the chessboard.

When he lightly infused mana, white and black pieces appeared on the chessboard.

…….This is a divine artifact?

Not an ordinary item.

Should it be called heavenly energy?

A unique energy rippled over the chessboard.

He could feel it when using mana.

As if purified, a clean energy without any foreign sensation manifested in words.

Presumably, it would suit celestial magic well.

Or someone with divine power like a saintess.

This…… I can’t use properly.

But not bad.

The shrine maiden would like it.

Actually, chess or baduk isn’t the shrine maiden’s style.

Not criticism, but it’s a bit old-fashioned.

The performance is good, so she’ll use it herself?

If not, oh well.

After packing the chessboard, he rummaged through other items.

Even mobilizing No. 2 hidden in the shadow, the result.

Found one somewhat usable item.

“I’ll take this.”

“That is…….”

Shield.

Innocence’s eyes lit up with interest seeing the uniquely shaped shield engraved with various patterns.

“It’s a floating shield. An item that automatically protects near the user…… why that?”

“I’m going to try making it into a golem.”

Golem armor is all good, but the disadvantage is that attacks come close to the skin.

Wouldn’t this block it?

If I learn magic, I could even make a golem that circles nearby and bombs instead of me.

“Yes. Take it. But what’s that? Chessboard?”

“Ah, yes. I packed it thinking the shrine maiden could use it well.”

The shrine maiden’s mind seems a bit off.

But if I give a gift and take care of her, at least she won’t kill me!

It was a gift with such high-level calculation.

But Innocence seemed to think differently, gazing at me with somewhat touched eyes.

“Even here, you don’t forget a gift for her.”

Does he not see this in my hand?

Maybe when fixed, not nerves but something wrong with eyesight?

Evan seriously pondered for a moment, but Innocence’s gaze was too sincere.

Yes! Good is good.

“Evan. Evan!”

Then it was.

Lapis beside him jumped up and down.

“I found where the shrine maiden is!”

“Oh. Well done.”

“Hehe. But Evan.”

“?”

“Is there no gift for me?”