Chapter 48 – Relic (1)

At Isabel’s voice, the group’s gaze turned. The elf with smoldering eyes was walking over, holding a blood-stained sword.

Blocking Belloc’s front, Adel drew her sheathed sword once again and spoke.

“This despicable pointy-ears. Are you trying to act like the owner now?”

Isabel’s steps stopped dead. The elf’s green pupils passed by Belloc’s group and directed toward the corpse of the woman whose head had been blown off and torso cut in half. Shaking her head slightly, she spoke.

“A few months ago, a plague spread in our kingdom. Black spots, coughing, and chills were the representative symptoms. It was strange that it only spread to elves… but we tried to brush it off lightly. The infectivity and mortality rates were not that high. However, that thought was a misjudgment. The problem was that there was no cure. Even the kingdom’s prominent doctors, mages, and priests could not cure the disease. At this rate, the thousands of years of history of the Elven Kingdom was in danger of disappearing due to a single fever.”

At the situation of the Elven Kingdom located at the southern tip of the Nas Jungle, Kara showed interest, while Belloc wondered why this woman was suddenly acting like this.

It was the same for Adel as well. There was only one difference between the two. Adel spat her thoughts straight out of her mouth.

“What are you trying to say? Do you want us to feel pity for you?”

Isabel wore a self-deprecating smile.

“Failing to find a method within the kingdom, we turned our eyes outward. To the Kingdom of Adria, Arian of the east, the Holy Kingdom of the west, and even the northern barbarians’ lands. Numerous kin scattered across the regions carrying a mission. Among them were those who headed to this Flowing Forest.”

Isabel glared at the woman’s corpse with wide eyes.

“I was one of them too. I joined late due to some circumstances. Who would have thought that would save my life? I am a coward. A coward who merely waited helplessly for an opportunity and then joined the gap between foreigners to lend a hand. To not even be able to sever that enemy’s neck with my own hands…”

Leaving behind the elf’s voice mixed with emptiness and sorrow, Belloc nodded. If what she said was true, the actions she had shown so far made sense.

Having the map of the forest, and requesting to join while hiding her purpose, all of it.

‘She was a woman with more burden on her shoulders than expected. But why is she saying this now?’

“So, what is the reason you brought this up?”

Isabel, whose lips distorted at Belloc’s question, spoke in a chilling voice.

“If you would permit it, I want to tear that bitch’s corpse to shreds, chop up even her intestines, and offer them to my kin’s gravestones.”

Belloc smirked. ‘Was that all?’

“So you do not want to claim ownership of the ruins, but rather desecrate the corpse.”

Isabel nodded.

“Revealing the truth is the minimum courtesy to the heroes who avenged my kin and purified our old land, and it is also to receive the witch’s corpse. You are the ones who drove out the evil spirits from this land. Taking the spoils is the natural right of the victor.”

‘Looking at it now, she is a woman with a proper head on her shoulders.’ Staring into Isabel’s serious eyes for a moment, Belloc squatted down and searched the woman’s bosom.

Since she was cut in half, there was not that much to take, but he was able to gather the skull staff he had eyed earlier, the ring on her index finger, and a leather-bound notebook. Straightening his waist, Belloc spoke.

“This is of no use now. Do as you wish. Just as you said, it would be fine to use it to soothe the souls of the departed.”

“Thank you.”

Wearing a satisfied smile, Isabel resumed her stopped steps. ‘It won’t be a very pleasant sight to watch.’ Knowing what she would do next, Belloc tapped Kara. It was a gesture telling her to open the closed door.

Perhaps sharing the same sentiment, Kara quickly chanted a spell to release the seal on the door. As light flashed from her staff, the stone door carved with strange patterns opened with a rumble. Through the falling dirt dust and stone fragments, the scene inside gradually revealed itself.

For some reason, Belloc’s heart pounded. He could not guess what would be inside. Perhaps things exceeding the relics he knew of were sleeping there. Kara, who was a mage, also had her brown eyes shining with curiosity.

Leaving behind the elf’s curses, the sound of sword slashes, and the sound of flesh being chopped up, the group entered the room. Belloc felt his thoughts matching up.

This room was different from the other rooms they had passed through. It exuded a more suspicious and mysterious atmosphere, and there were more miscellaneous items such as books, beakers, and papers scattered on the desk.

Crucially, no more passages or doors leading elsewhere were visible inside the room. Unless there was another secret passage, the alteration stone had to be here. However, Kara, who scanned the room, clicked her tongue.

“It seems that woman already swept through this place once. She seems to have done some experiments too?”

The beaker with rising smoke and the stiff new paper that seemed to have something written on it. The dustless books clearly showed that human hands had already touched them. ‘Surely, she didn’t use the alteration stone for some experiment, did she?’ While Belloc worried, Adel asked.

“Shall we search it?”

“No.”

Belloc shook his head. He also felt anxious, but this kind of work originally had to be left to an expert.

“It is a mage’s room. There is nothing good about us touching it when we know nothing. I leave it to Kara.”

Kara smiled slightly.

“It is sad when the heritage left by an ancient mage is damaged. I was about to ask you for this. Thank you for understanding.”

Twisting her hair and tightly holding her staff, Kara’s eyes sparkled.

“You two rest. If I find the alteration stone or something special, I will tell you right away.”

“Please do.”

As Belloc nodded and sat down on the floor, Adel also sat beside him. Then, she took off her helmet and began to brush her sweat-soaked hair. Her gaze shifted from Kara, who was rummaging through the room, to the side. Adel spoke.

“Lord Belloc.”

“Yes?”

“Could I ask you one thing?”

Belloc turned his head. With her droopy short hair, Adel was staring at him with wide, round eyes.

In her own way, she was wearing a gentle expression, but due to her slanted eyes, she merely looked like a woman with a strong temper. However, to Belloc, it was now a familiar sight, like family. Belloc smiled softly.

“Anything.”

“You said earlier in Oker Territory, didn’t you? That you would make me stronger, and that there was a way. This ruin was originally that goal, was it not?”

It was what he told her when Adel was swept by a sense of helplessness due to the gap between her and the demons.

Belloc nodded readily.

“That is right. Because if you obtain a rune sword and rune armor, you too will be able to do your part sufficiently.”

“Refining that alteration stone is there really that much here?”

“I know that the amount is sufficient for the two of us to use.”

Since Kara was a mage skilled enough to even enchant, all they had to do was get her help to embed one in the armor and one in the weapon. While Belloc was thinking this, Adel also contemplated for a moment. Then, as if making up her mind, she spoke.

“I have already received the Goddess’s holy power. Please use all of them yourself, Lord Belloc.”

“Even if there is enough for two people?”

“It does not matter. Is it not possible that it might be needed to prepare for the future?”

“Are you still dwelling on what happened in Hameln?”

“That is…”

As Adel trailed off, Belloc smirked. She was growing stronger while handling the Goddess’s holy power more freely.

Not only when the demon attacked, but did she not also take down a Dullahan by herself just now? Adel becoming a paladin was the right choice. Just as Belloc was about to tell her not to have useless thoughts, Kara’s voice was heard.

“There is one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Not only because of the content of her words, but also because her expression was serious, the two turned their gazes.

‘A choice between two options, not good.’ Belloc, who could not shake off his commoner attitude in these matters, spoke.

“I will hear the bad news first.”

“The relics, including the alteration stone you spoke of, are not here. To be precise, we must assume they have disappeared.”

Just as Isabel was cursing outside, Belloc also cursed inwardly. ‘Do we seriously have to search for another space like a secret room again? If not, did that witch who was shouting about experiments earlier do something?’ Setting aside his doubts, Belloc asked.

“What is the good news?”

Kara’s stiffened face softened slightly. Her voice also relaxed gently.

“I found something far more valuable than the rune armor or rune sword you targeted.”

‘She really knows how to startle people.’ Belloc let out a sigh and asked.

“What on earth is it?”

“Now. Look at this.”

Kara handed over a sheet of paper. Belloc examined it. Adel, who was next to him, also rolled her eyes. Strange patterns they had never seen before were drawn on the paper. Beside them, unrecognizable writing resembling earthworms was written. Adel, who did not know rune language, frowned.

“What on earth am I supposed to look at? Are you bragging about being a mage right now?”

Clearing her throat, Kara slightly pulled back the paper. Then, pointing at the drawing with her finger, she spoke.

“Sorry. So this is a manual to make armor of spell warding. In other words… a great magic shield.”

“A barrier? Just from the name, it sounds like something incredible has come out?”

At Belloc’s question, the tone of Kara’s voice rose, and her brown eyes flashed with desire. She felt as if she had made the discovery of the century right now.

“Simply put, it means you can engrave a barrier spell onto armor. Can you guess how amazing this is? You can become a knight who does not fear spells.”

A legendary armor said to block most sorcery, excluding a few exceptionally powerful spells. A blueprint capable of making a treasure that only appeared in storybooks had now entered her hands. The excited Kara continued speaking.

“That woman who invaded this ruin first must have also discovered that blueprint. It looks like she conducted experiments first using the alteration stones or relics that were in the room. In fact, it worked out well. Thanks to that, the materials are ready, so all we have to do is apply it.”

When Kara spoke to this extent, Belloc and Adel could not help but be shaken. Why would lords with some power and authority keep mages by their side?

It was entirely because they feared the bizarre power they possessed. Since extraordinary spells existed in the world, the danger was also immense. But to be able to block all of them?

His eyes flashing, Belloc asked.

“Can you start right away?”

“Of course.”

Kara nodded immediately. In this room, everything was equipped, including the tools needed to draw a magic circle, as well as various elixirs and catalysts. It was as if only the original owner of the room had disappeared.

“However, there is one problem.”

“What is it?”

Looking at the two, Kara opened her mouth in an apologetic tone.