Chapter 284

The black mages lay listlessly on the ground like laundry, only blinking their eyes.

─ ……Is it a mirage?

─ Fool, how could there be a mirage inside the Bell of Eternity?

─ Then what is that?

─ ……Ro, Roan Darc!

The one approaching steadily with leisurely steps was none other than the culprit who had trapped them here, Roan Darc!

The black mages had developed the confidence to recognize Roan’s gloomy face no matter how bright the light or how dark the darkness.

Oslo’s gang had now completely lost the will to oppose Roan, gathering together and beginning to tremble violently.

How on earth was he still perfectly fine when he had also spent several days in this hellish place!

However, Roan’s face as he gradually drew closer to them looked slightly strange.

Smile─

Roan was wearing a gentle smile, as if he were a sage who had realized something after long training.

It was a tranquility unbelievable for someone who had stayed in the Bell of Eternity for a week.

Roan narrowed the distance with the black mages sufficiently and spoke:

“Have you all been doing well?”

─ Hieeeeek───!!!!!

─ Th-This is definitely a demon! A demon is trying to test us!

─ ……We are black mages, so isn’t that a good thing?

─ Uh?

The black mages had completely lost their minds, beginning to babble nonsense.

Nevertheless, they all seemed to agree that the Roan in front of them was not the real Roan, but some sort of illusion.

“You all must have suffered a lot here, but you will be going out soon. I hope you do well on the outside.”

Ssaaaa──

However, the moment Roan spoke his next words, the atmosphere of the black mages chilled instantly.

─ Even if it’s an illusion, aren’t those words too harsh?

─ Yeah, in any case, once we go out, it will be the interrogation room of the demon inquisitor.

─ Ah, I know! We are already dead and seeing things. We escaped from the Bell of Eternity early on, but we just don’t remember!

─ Wow, you are smarter than you look?

The black mages, as if they had wasted energy on an illusion, grumbled and chose to sleep instead.

‘These bastards, even when I speak nicely to them……!’

The mood of Roan, which had been great after achieving all his goals of the Black Mark and the Void, plunged vertically.

Roan’s complexion turned icy cold.

─ Uh? He seems like the real Roan Darc now?

─ Giggle, the illusion is quite realistic.

‘Void’s Distortion.’

─ Keuheeek…….

─ Th-That guy, casting punitive holy magic?

─ What kind of punitive holy magic is this cruel?!

Roan shot a curse magic using the Void at one of the black mages who was still joking about him.

Void’s Distortion was a derivative of the paralysis spell, possessing the terrifying effects of agonizing pain, incapacitation, and even a partial decrease in the base strength stat unless one possessed a certain level of curse resistance.

The black mage struck by the curse magic drooled and twisted his entire body.

“Just rot here for the rest of your lives then.”

─ Hieeeeek──!!! It was the real Roan Darc?!!!?!

Only then did the black mages, realizing that the Roan in front of them was real, turn pale with fright.

Roan considered shooting a few more Void’s Distortions, but decided to hold back as their haggard appearances from being tormented by the Bell of Eternity made him feel pity.

Wooong─

If you were going to do that, you should have left that guy alone too.

‘He became even more pitiful, so it is a good thing. He got what he deserved.’

Tremble─

The False Divinity daily shuddered at its master’s true black mage-like nature.

And Roan:

Shoooo─!

exited the Bell of Eternity, marking the end of the one-week period.

─ Huh?

─ Roan Darc disappeared!

─ To think he would shoot punitive holy magic so recklessly despite being a human, what a cruel bastard…….

The black mages wept sorrowfully while hugging their companion who had been hit by Roan’s punitive holy magic (?).

Just then, the older of the Pickaxe Brothers spoke to Oslo, who was beside him.

─ Hey, Boss.

“Why do you keep calling me, you pathetic fools.”

─ Doesn’t it seem like the first time we’ve seen Darc use holy arts?

“…….”

Oslo found the subordinate in front of him so utterly pathetic that he even forgot his usual catchphrases like ‘pathetic’ and ‘fools.’

Whack─!

He was so frustrated that he squeezed out every ounce of his remaining strength to hit the guy’s head with his staff!

─ Ack! Why are you hitting me, Boss!

“He is an Akerandir student, so of course he uses holy arts! Would he use black magic then? You parasite! Also, did you not see me get hit by a hammer?”

……In truth, he did use black magic.

Because the hammer that struck Oslo was also black magic!

─ I wouldn’t complain if he at least fed us……. No, but it felt strangely different from last time for some reason…….

“This bastard still hasn’t learned his lesson!”

─ A-Alright, Boss!

However, completely unaware of that fact, the older of the Pickaxe Brothers clutched his head that had been struck by the staff and slowly crawled away to avoid Oslo.

Crawling all the way to his younger brother, the older brother recalled Roan’s appearance earlier and asked quietly.

─ By the way, what was that on his chest earlier, little brother?

The younger brother made a similar expression as Oslo and asked back:

─ If I knew that, would I be one of the Pickaxe Brothers?

─ ……You just keep lying down.

* * *

Shoooong─

“I’m back……”

Meanwhile, Roan, who had returned to the Forbidden Library, was about to greet Ludiac but ended up opening his mouth slightly at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

“Euaaaa~ where on earth did these snakes pop out from? They’re so gross!!!”

Ludiac was running and flying around frantically.

In his hand, he held a thick book, which at first glance seemed to be intended for catching the golden snakes crawling all over the Forbidden Library.

Suddenly─

“Ack! Scary!”

……However, seeing as he threw the book away and fled whenever a snake actually popped out, there seemed to be no chance of him catching them.

Roan called Ludiac in an extremely awkward voice.

“Uh, Lord Ludiac.”

“Euaaang~ Master! Save me!!”

Slap─

Only then realizing Roan had appeared, Ludiac flew like an arrow and clung to Roan’s back, screaming.

As Roan grabbed Ludiac’s arms and shook his body a few times, Ludiac fluttered away like a sheet of paper and fell off.

Whether it was the ancestor or the descendant, their flexible and frail nature was identical.

‘……It would have been great if only that were identical.’

Even that, since he was a holy spirit, he seemed to have even less strength than a human.

In any case, Roan also observed the golden snakes that roamed the Forbidden Library as if it were their own home.

“Those seem somewhat……”

Wooong─

A bit familiar?

Just by observing for a short moment, Roan and the False Divinity could recognize the identity of the golden snakes.

“It seems a few escaped when they were released from the heart.”

Yes.

Although Roan and the False Divinity did not know it yet, the golden snakes were the same ones that had appeared in Harden’s secret warehouse.

Since the manager of the Forbidden Library had been engraved on his heart, this place was also affected by it.

Step─ Step─

As Roan walked forward step by step, the golden snakes nearby quickly crawled to him as if recognizing their master.

“Kyaaaaak──! The master is being eaten by snakes!”

Naturally, nothing like Ludiac’s scream occurred.

Flash─ Flash─!

The reason was that as soon as they touched Roan’s body, the snakes turned into golden powder and were absorbed into him.

Roan disposed of even the last snake remaining in the Forbidden Library in an instant.

“A-Amazing!”

Ludiac let out an exclamation to Roan with eyes as if he were looking at a savior.

“Why are you reacting like that to such cute little things?”

“……Cute?”

At Roan’s question, Ludiac asked back as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

Was it roughly this kind of feeling when they said even a hedgehog thinks its own babies are soft and sleek?

“Isn’t that because you, Master, always see kids like Sil-sil-ie, Eong-eongi, and Hector outside? Ugh, I cover my eyes every time I see them~”

‘Why Hector……?’

It seemed a slightly strange guy was mixed in, but Roan nodded, thinking that could be the case.

‘If Hector had heard that, he would have been quite sad.’

In any case, Ludiac asked in a highly expectant tone.

“Then, tell me, tell me~ did you master the Black Mark and the Void that you took?”

Roan nodded.

“Yes, well.”

And he returned the books.

Ludiac, who accepted the books Roan handed over, answered with wide eyes.

“Wow! You were really an amazing black mage?”

“……Then what did you think I was?”

“Just a black mage!”

‘Ah, I keep acting seriously toward Demona and Ludiac. I need to get it together. Is it an occupational disease?’

Roan nodded with an expression of immense realization.

“Aha, I see.”

“……Don’t make that face. It looks like you’ve given up on everything.”

“What are you talking about. It’s not like that.”

In truth it was, but Roan said no out of politeness.

Ludiac stood with a downcast expression for a moment before returning to his seat.

‘Was it that hurtful?’

Seeing him like that, Roan felt a bit sorry.

“Then, I’ll be off─.”

So he was going to at least leave a greeting before departing.

“O Hiloa……”

“?!”

But as a rather grand name came out of Ludiac’s mouth, he could not do so.

‘Surely Hiloa hasn’t ever struck someone down with divine punishment just because they were a bit impolite to a holy spirit, right?’

Roan asked the False Divinity.

At least in his memory, there was no such occurrence.

……If so, then it simply didn’t exist.

The False Divinity also roughly agreed.

Wooong─

I don’t know for sure, but it is fine to be a bit impolite to a guy like that.

Indeed, as expected of his own Authority, it was very understanding.

Roan carefully asked Ludiac.

“Lord Ludiac, what did you pray for?”

“Huh?”

Ludiac tilted his head as if asking why he was asking something so obvious.

And Roan could also soon tell the reason.

Kugugu─

He had recovered his black mana inside the Forbidden Library where holy power and mana could not be used.

He must have prayed to allow Roan to cast black magic for a moment, just like last time.

‘Surprisingly, Hiloa answers prayers quite well.’

Roan found that rather unexpected.

Since Hiloa was a chief god who rarely revealed his appearance, let alone his will.

‘……No, since he is a benevolent chief god, he probably loves a holy spirit like that even more.’

Why, isn’t there an ancient saying about giving an extra rice cake to the child you dislike?

Unaware of Roan’s thoughts, Ludiac smiled brightly and shouted at Roan.

“Now, cast some black magic!”

The way he wore a childlike smile suggested he was incredibly interested in black magic.

Roan recalled a Void black magic suitable to use in the Forbidden Library.

“Then, I will try casting the Void’s Vain Vessel.”

For some reason, it sounded like something that would come out of an audition program on Earth.

At any rate, this black magic was an intermediate movement and defense spell.

Most magic, holy arts, and simple obstacles would pass right through the caster’s body.

It was a tricky black magic where damage would only be properly dealt if struck by someone of significantly superior skill or with specialized holy arts or magic.

Since he was not yet fully accustomed to the intermediate level, Roan could only cast it by activating the Black Mark.

As Roan drew the magic circle and manipulated the Void black mana.

Seeee─

A holy and sacred golden light began to envelop Roan’s body.

While that alone was enough to draw anyone’s gaze, the most eye-catching thing was actually elsewhere.

Fpaaaat─!!!

Suddenly, a noticeably brilliant golden beam leaked from the location of Roan’s heart.

‘Although because of this, I’ll have to hold back a bit on casting intermediate magic for the time being.’

Strictly speaking, he could just cast it and insist it was the Sign of Light, proof of intermediate holy arts, but he did not want to take such a risk.

Roan had also never heard of a Sign of Light that emitted light from the heart.

Thus, unless it was absolutely urgent, he had to refrain as much as possible from casting intermediate magic in plain sight of others.

After completing the spell, Roan passed through a couple of bookshelves in the Forbidden Library to properly test the effect.

Swish─ Swish─