The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 110

93. Blazing Inferno King (1)

“Wow… so this is where the Red Dragon lived.”

Joy Johannsel looked around the lair like a child, his eyes wide with wonder.

His excited demeanor made it clear why he was always in charge of exploring ruins.

Even from a distance, the sight of the burning volcano was awe-inspiring, but entering the lair revealed its true scale.

After Liselotte was hunted down by Kaie Esser 250 years ago, the monsters that lived here had already been subjugated by the Empire’s soldiers.

“It feels like we’re on a sightseeing tour. The traps are disarmed, and the lair is empty. Are we supposed to find that ‘Bristle Thorn’ thing here?”

“That’s right. It’s probably inside the lair.”

Before entering the Dragon’s Lair, Khalil lightly patted the pouch containing the Bristle Thorn leaves he had secretly picked at the entrance, hidden from the other two.

The Flame Grass growing beneath the volcano looked no different from ordinary weeds, and people of this era were unaware of its properties.

‘I’ve already obtained the Dawn Detox Herb, and all you need to do is come with me to the lowest level and release Liselotte’s seal.’

Khalil smiled contentedly as he looked at Joy and Yurin.

“How do you know it’s inside the lair? Only a few of the Empire’s nobles know the interior.”

“You know that Kama of our guild was a noble of the Duchy. During the Imperial era 250 years ago, led by Kaie Esser, this place was Imperial territory, but now it belongs to the Duchy. The Duchy also has information about the Dragon’s Lair.”

“Hmm…”

Yurin still looked at him with suspicion.

Khalil spoke to him without hesitation.

“But it’s mostly thanks to Tatur’s black market. There’s a famous saying, isn’t there? If you can’t find it in the black market, even the Emperor can’t find it.”

“I see. So they buy and sell even classified information.”

Yurin Hugal, who had close ties with the Empire’s nobles, frowned at Khalil’s words, clearly displeased.

As Khalil expected, there was a high possibility that he was also a noble.

“Haha, there are always people like Kama Fobil. Well, I still like him. From my perspective, he’s one of the most capable managers.”

Without any hesitation or sign of concern in his voice, Khalil replied to Yurin.

“Anyway, there are still treasures inside the Dragon’s Lair that can help His Majesty. It may be hard to believe, but it’s worth investigating.”

“That’s why we came all the way here. But if there are no results, you’ll have to be prepared.”

Khalil simply smiled at Yurin’s threat.

‘That will never happen.’

The Dragon’s Lair was like a giant temple, with hundreds of stairs leading down to the underground.

“……”

Joy Johannsel, who had been excited when they first entered, gradually spoke less and less, now only panting as he walked in silence.

“This is… incredibly long.”

The deeper they went underground, the hotter it became, and now sweat was pouring down even when they stood still.

After descending the same distance again, Joy finally collapsed, exhausted.

“Haa…!!”

He threw off his robe, which was soaked with sweat, and shouted, his legs trembling.

“Can we rest for a bit!”

At his words, Khalil nodded and handed him a water bottle. Joy chugged the water down as if he had been waiting for it, and finally looked relieved.

“This is really huge. I feel like we’ve been going down for almost half a day…”

Joy briefly commented on the desolate lair, where only occasional wisps flew by.

“It took the Empire’s exploration team decades to investigate this place. Imagine if there were monsters all the way down as far as we’ve come.”

“…That’s horrifying.”

Joy shook his head, looking around.

The Dragon’s Lair was beyond imagination.

It wasn’t a place that could be conquered in a day or two.

If Liselotte’s dead lair was like this, conquering the lair of the existing Nardi Mauge would not be easy.

They stopped in an underground area with a large cavity. At the end of the wide space, unlike before, the entrance split into five paths.

And in front of them, ancient words were written.

Woo-oong….

When Joy Johannsel approached one of the five entrances, the monument in front of it reacted, emitting a faint light.

Startled, he hesitated, then read the words written on the monument.

“Five become one, then divide into two again?”

Yurin looked at him and asked.

“You can read it? Have you ever studied ancient languages?”

“Yes… well, a little. Most of the ruins left from the Magic Era have ancient languages. I studied a bit for exploration purposes…”

Joy looked at the monument next to it with a doubtful expression, as if he himself was unsure of his answer to Yurin.

Woo-oong….

Just like before, light shone again, and he read the sentence written on the monument.

“Four become three, then become seven.”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure either. But…”

After reading the ancient language, Joy Johannsel said with a twitching expression.

“I… I’m not usually this good at ancient languages.”

“What are you talking about?”

Yurin looked at him with a look of disbelief, but he seemed serious.

“How can I read ancient languages so well?”

“……”

Yurin looked at Joy as if he wanted to hit him, but he looked somehow serious.

“Isn’t it that Sir Joy isn’t reading the words, but hearing them? In your head… or like a feeling that’s lingering in your mouth.”

“That’s right! That’s exactly it!”

Joy Johannsel nodded vigorously at Khalil’s words and replied.

“That’s amazing. What does it say… Can you read the others too?”

“I will.”

At Khalil’s words, Joy hurriedly activated the monuments at the remaining entrances.

‘It’s natural that you can read them. Because you are a priest. One of the seals that Liselotte created is to react to divine power in that monument.’

Thanks to his great curiosity, things were going more smoothly than expected.

“Hoo…, I’ve read them all.”

“What do they say?”

“Seven are added to ten again, but originally one.”

Joy recited the contents of the monuments one by one.

“Of the seventeen, five are vacant, but two will never change.”

“If there is one who looks up, there is also one who looks down.”

Yurin read the contents of the last monument.

He shrugged lightly and nodded to Joy Johannsel.

“It’s just as you said. Even I, who haven’t learned ancient languages, can read the contents of this monument.”
Yurin, who did not know that it was possible because he was also a priest with divine power, spoke with a face full of questions.

“This is a story of gods.”

“Yes?”

“Joy, remember the first verse of the doctrine. There was a primordial god, and that god had four children.”

“Ah…! Those four competed over dimensions, and one of them disappeared, and two of the three met and a new child was born. And…”

Yurin nodded at Joy’s words.

“Yes, the gods in mythology are not much different from humans. Yula, whom we serve, is one of the last seventeen surviving gods. Five are vacant, and two will never change. This must refer to the five who disappeared among the last seventeen gods.”

“And the two must refer to the two gods who gave birth to the seventeen gods.”

“That’s right.”

Khalil listened to the conversation between the two and thought.

‘It’s terrifying to think that there are many gods besides Yula. I have to get rid of all those guys.’

Gritting his teeth-

He gnashed his teeth without realizing it.

He was the one who knew the most about gods.

“But anyway, the other gods are just in books. Yula is the only god who governs the continent.”

Joy said, making the sign of the cross.

‘That’s what everyone believed.’

The oracle that will be given after the Imperial War.

It was not Yula who summoned Pharel, the giant tower that spewed out the monster called Corruption in the Oracle War, where humanity was on the verge of destruction.

‘And even the demons and devils… I don’t want to admit it, but all of that is the creation of the gods.’

Maybe….

Liselotte, who died 250 years ago, may have foreseen the Oracle War.

‘The existence of dragons themselves may have known that the other gods certainly exist.’

I don’t want to think about it, but if so, Nardi Mauge, who is also a dragon, may also know this.

‘I’ll know when I meet him anyway.’

Khalil shook his head violently as if trying to shake off his doubts.

“Ancient languages ringing in my head… Does that mean the lair’s magic is still activated? But why is the doctrine of the Order written in the Dragon’s Lair?”

“Dragons existed long before the Magic Era, so maybe that’s why.”

“You can say that because you haven’t seen a dragon. They are so proud that they would laugh at nobles. They think they are the best.”

Yurin’s words were correct.

It was strange that they would engrave the story of another being in their space.

‘But it can’t be helped. Because what’s inside here is not only related to dragons but also to gods.’

The greatest treasure found in the Dragon’s Lair was not the item inside the lair.

The sword known to be made of Liselotte’s bones, Eternal Flame.

This sword, personally forged by Kaie Esser, was not made of Blue Phosphorus, but it was more valuable than the relics of the Magic Era.

‘One of the few treasures that are superior to the weapons left by the Blader organization.’

Khalil recalled that the sword looked similar to the Liberated Flame that Randal used.

‘Kaie Esser may have created it based on that sword.’

Perhaps Kaie Esser was also a Blader.

‘Or someone who carries on their legacy….’

But that was not important now.

‘I’m interested in the Bladers, but what’s important now is to obtain the essence of the Fire Dragon.’

After the oracle was given.

One of the treasures that Nardi Mauge released the seal of the lair and offered to Oliven.

Ein Trigger.

“But where do we go now?”

Joy watched the five monuments emit light and disappear, then looked at Khalil with a troubled face, not knowing which of the entrances to choose.

They would not know that they had released the first of Liselotte’s seals.

And after the seal was released.

‘Until now, the exploration teams would have just gone down the five entrances.’

Going down the stairs is a trap.

There would only be an empty lot.

There was only a warehouse with weapons made of Orichalcum [a legendary metal] in one of the five entrances, but even that had a magic formula engraved on it, and it would take years to break the barrier.

‘It will take time for the court magician, Kadin Ruer, to decipher the barrier anyway, so I can just have people come and move the weapons before that.’

Khalil approached one of the monuments that was standing.

[If there is one who looks up, there is also one who looks down.]

‘There are no more entrances. Because this is where Liselotte’s seal is located.’

He slowly raised his magic power.

Then, among the phrases written on the monument that reacted to Khalil’s Dragon Magic, the two words meaning ‘up’ and ‘down’ began to turn red.

[Retreat.]

It was then.

Not a human voice, but an indescribable echo heard in his head.

Khalil slowly placed his hand on the Ice Claw and shone his eyes.

‘Here it comes.’