The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 125

125.

“A deal?”

That question, coming from inside Frithia’s helmet, was modulated into a sterile, mechanical tone.

Fortunately, she seemed intrigued, as she wasn’t exuding the same murderous intent as before.

I cautiously sidled over to the control panel. And, with a sigh of relief, I held up my Black Sheep Ring.

“This is the divine treasure that the Black Sun, Karenden, gave to the descendants of Emit.”

“Is that so?”

“I only knew it as a magic tool that restores mana… but couldn’t it also be used as an energy core for this battleship base? There’s even a perfectly fitting slot here.”

This wasn’t an opponent to deceive or scheme against. There wasn’t even time for that.

Frithia, as if confident she could evade any attack of mine, approached without hesitation and looked down at the spot I indicated.

And for a moment, her movements ceased. Because there… was a small slot, just right for the Black Sheep Ring.

“If the battleship base becomes operational, I believe there will be changes to the research you haven’t been able to complete… what do you think?”

“……”

“Help us. Then, we’ll lend you this Black Sheep Ring. Until your research is finished.”

Frithia slowly alternated her gaze between the Black Sheep Ring and the slot, as if calculating something.

After a moment of silence that weighed heavily on my shoulders, a chilling laugh suddenly leaked from the gaps in her helmet. “Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh heh… I didn’t expect things to get this interesting.”

“……?”

“Originally, I was going to move the beastmen beyond the barrier in exchange for wings from Alakish, but, heh, this changes things.”

The bait was taken….

A fist was carefully clenched.

Since it was a loan, not a gift, it was a deal that had to rely on Frithia’s conscience.

“The Black Sheep Ring, to think it was an energy core. Heh heh, fine, lend it to me. Until my research progresses. About 10 years should do.”

“10 years… you mean 10 years?”

I almost asked if it was *only* 10 years, but I was so taken aback that the words came out that way. I thought she would ask for several decades.

“Heh heh heh, isn’t 10 years cheap considering I’ll defeat the undead until the beastmen safely pass through the barrier and even fight alongside the ancient being who killed Alakish?”

“Even so, 10 years seems too long. Let’s make it 3 years.”

“Is that a request to have my neck snapped? Heh, 5 years. No more compromises.”

It would be a lie to say that personal regret didn’t arise.

The supernatural power of the Black Sheep Ring had already provided meaningful help several times—in magic volleyball, and when wandering through Harbadonia….

But what I could clearly feel from the recent battle was that Frithia was an overwhelmingly skilled master. Her affiliated adventurers must also possess tremendous abilities.

“Rain…?!”

Casena exclaimed in dismay as I removed the Black Sheep Ring’s chain from my neck.

“We can only overcome this desperate situation by receiving help from Frithia. 5 years is long, but isn’t it a small price compared to the value of our lives?”

And even if I didn’t hand it over, there was no way to stop Frithia if she tried to forcibly take it. Agreeing to the deal was the best option now.

In the midst of deep personal regret, just as I was about to hand over the Black Sheep Ring flickering in my hand, a clear, tinkling sound was heard from the side, and Casena reached out to Frithia.

“No, then I’ll lend you mine!”

Beneath her tightly clenched fist, the Black Sheep Ring hanging from the chain could be seen swinging like a pendulum.

What……?

As I blankly watched, Frithia grabbed the Black Sheep Ring, but Casena didn’t release her grip on the chain holding it.

“You’ll keep your promise of 5 years, right? No extensions!”

“Of course, our Aine [Frithia’s title] does everything after perfect calculation.”

Frithia affirmed, then took off her helmet and handed the piece of metal hanging around her neck to Casena.

“If you can’t trust me, take this as insurance. Heh, an exchange in exactly 5 years.”

It was an adventurer’s identification tag, with Frithia’s name engraved in mechanical script on pure platinum.

For high-ranking adventurers, that identification tag was a symbol of identity and honor, and with just that, they could borrow an enormous amount of money from the Alliance or a bank.

Frithia was ranked 1st in platinum rank, and the value of that identification tag was beyond calculation.

But no matter what, it was trivial compared to the value of the Black Sun’s treasure, the Black Sheep Ring…….

“Milady, what…… that’s a treasure of your family! It’s absurd for you not to have the Black Sheep Ring!”

I quickly regained my senses and tried to hand over my Black Sheep Ring instead, but Casena grabbed my arm and shook her head.

“Rain can’t. He’s an incredibly skilled magician, so he needs the Black Sheep Ring.”

“No, even so……!”

“I’ll probably be a magician who needs the Black Sheep Ring in 5 years. So it’s okay!”

My stomach churned. I didn’t have the words in my dictionary to describe this warm ache rising in my chest.

As Frithia immediately inserted the Black Sheep Ring she received from Casena into the slot, the red emergency lights that dimly illuminated the base changed to a dazzling white light.

Frithia nodded in satisfaction at the uniform regularity.

“[Celestial core linked, charging astrogation power… This celestial core can only supply 4% of the power to this ship.]”

Without even listening to the end of that sentence, Frithia turned the gears of her mechanical armor and passed us, heading towards the entrance.

Wondering what she was going to do next, I stared blankly, and Frithia pointed to the spear floating above the dissection table.

The moment my gaze turned there, my heart leaped. Already, a fierce battle was unfolding in the blizzard that had engulfed the rear ranks of the beastmen.

“Take that Black Sheep Ring from the slot, bring it, and follow me.”

“?”

“Isn’t the ultimate goal to defeat the ancient being? To do that, you guys need to be at least a little useful, heh. If you’re scared, you can stay here and watch if I’m fulfilling the terms of the deal.”

“……!”

“But to find Alakish, wouldn’t it be better to fight directly and end this commotion quickly?”

Then, Casena stared blankly at Frithia before asking in a trembling voice.

“You said Alakish was dead?!”

“It hasn’t been definitively confirmed. More than anything, there’s no way a true dragon would die that easily.”

“Then why did you say that?”

“Heh heh heh, it was just part of a means to break your will to fight and kill you easily and surely. Originally, I use every method I can when hunting someone.”

When I heard that explanation that almost made me collapse, I had three convictions.

A conviction that this Aine didn’t reach the pinnacle of platinum rank by luck, and a conviction that, like Valensidice, she was a professional of slaughter and hunting.

And a conviction that I would never become close to this Aine, no matter how much time passed…….

“Let’s go fight together. But if you fight half-heartedly, this deal is off.”

Frithia tilted her chin as if my warning was laughable.

“Heh, who do you think I am? I’m a lady who always keeps her promises.”

* * *

When I ran out of the battleship base, the mournful sound of a horn immediately conveyed the seriousness of the situation.

Boo, booooo booooooo…….

Beastmen gripped by fear screamed and ran south, and a few warriors hurriedly grabbed torches and headed to the rear ranks.

“Milady.”

The commotion reflected in the snowy night was so severe that I had to make a megaphone with my hand and shout to have a conversation.

Before getting on the saddle, I handed the dragon egg basket I had been carrying on my back to Casena.

Casena didn’t ask the meaning of that action and just understood… she bit her lip weakly and muttered something.

“……Don’t.”

“What did you say?”

“I won’t forgive you if you die!”

Unable to promise anything, I smiled weakly, then got on the saddle and urged the pony.

The closer I got to the source of the commotion, the more extreme the cold became, and urgent shouts and desperate screams intersected from everywhere.

In the blizzard where I couldn’t see an inch ahead, only distant, swirling screams echoed in my ears.

“Don’t let a single one escape!”

“Good heavens, they keep coming endlessly!”

“S-spider, it’s a spider!”

With the single thought of rectifying this chaotic situation, I jumped off the horse.

The form of the magic circle to construct was a triple triangle, and the runes to engrave were Array, Sustain, Closure.

I granted the Array (列; widely spreading), Sustain (持; long-lasting), and Closure (闋; closing the door) properties to a 3-star single fire attribute magic.

Chaaaaaeng─── Hwaruruk!

Following the clear sound of shattering as I grabbed and broke the magic circle that floated above my palm, a clear mirage of flames was cast over the distant horizon.

As if dawn was shining into the darkness, the blizzard was blocked by the swaying curtain of fire, and the view opened wide and brightly.

At the same time, all around, the undead engulfed in flames screamed hideously and fell onto the snowfield one after another.

“Rain, Rain, Rain.”

Perhaps she recognized the mana, and a clear flapping sound was heard from somewhere, and soon a warm creature landed on my snow-covered crown.

“Peach, you’re safe.”

Almost as soon as I let out a sigh of relief, Barujen ran from the direction Peach flew from. Warriors from the Durankus tribe were also with him.

“Rain!”

“Barujen, go to the west gate of the barrier right now. They’ve agreed to open the gate!”

“The fake wolves listened to you?”

Barujen, blinking in considerable surprise, stretched the wolf’s snout wide and grinned.

“Did you hear that, you useless bastards! My friend made them open the barrier gate!”

The warriors led by the chieftains of each tribe joined us one by one.

One-Eyed White Bear Opus was also vaguely visible, but it was Griffin, the eagle beastman, who commanded the largest number of warriors.

“The barrier gate is opening?”

“Yes, and Frithia’s adventure party will protect you. So move quickly!”

The warriors exchanged blank glances as if they couldn’t believe it, but soon their eyes shone with resolute determination.

The fire called hope made the blood flow vigorously through their bodies.

At that moment, Frithia, who had followed behind with a dozen subordinates, making a nervous gear sound, let out a sinister laugh.

“No, those who remain here have no choice but to survive or die. Heh heh heh.”

There was no reason to ask why.

There was no need to wonder about the reason for the fear that spread across the faces of the warriors turning to the east.

I was unconsciously muttering like this.

“It’s coming…….”

In primal fear, cold sweat dripped from my forehead, and my breathing became automatically rapid.

The curtain of fire that illuminated the world and blocked the power of darkness fluttered wildly as if screaming, then began to fade weakly.

The fiercely howling blizzard was like the sound of a flute playing the melody of the universe… and the ancient beings dancing ridiculously in that pure white tone and extreme cold…….

In the midst of those beings without the warmth of life, without the soul to return to light, without mercy for the living, Bai Dao Ling, Sharr’kas, appeared.

Was it because they didn’t want to succumb to fear, or was it because their wild instincts whispered that it was dangerous if they didn’t deal with the being in front of them?

“An──”

A dozen beastman warriors who were closest, in the east, rushed towards Sharr’kas in a swarm.

Before the voice of desperate dissuasion could even vibrate their vocal cords, their limbs were butchered by the spiderwebs that swept like blades severing dimensions… and red bloodstains were etched on the snowfield.

A vague and eerie vision of death swept past the warriors’ eyes like that. Surely, that was what would have actually happened.

“……?!”

“……?!”

“……?!”

If those spiderwebs hadn’t been burned by the pillars of fire that surged violently from the ground at that very moment, emitting pure white smoke.

“Fall back! He’s not an existence you can face! That guy is Bai Dao Ling, Sharr’kas! One of the five lords of the Spider Lord!”

Was it the reverberation of the instantaneous calculation of 4-star magic? Rain Ludwig clutched his forehead with a headache, gasped for breath, and shouted like that.

“Bai Dao Ling……?”

“Sharr’kas……?”

“Rain, is what you just said true?”

At that moment when everyone turned to look at the boy with bewildered eyes, Bai Dao Ling Sharr’kas also raised his eyebrows as if interested.

「Rain, you say? Rain Ludwig?」

The fear of that moment was so intense that my breathing was disrupted uncontrollably.

What.

How does that guy know my name?

「This is surprising. I thought you had quickly escaped beyond the barrier. Is this also the King’s grace?」

「Is it true that the Queen of Time was looking for you? That Karenden sent you here too?」

I stared blankly at Sharr’kas. The questions amplified even more, and now my head was a mess due to hyperventilation.

The only person I said that to was Alakish.

Could he read minds? If so, isn’t he like a natural enemy of magicians?

“How did you……?”

At that moment, Casena shouted in a frail voice.

Filtering the abyss with mana, she didn’t spit out blood and collapse like last time, but her complexion was more pale than ever.

When Sharr’kas didn’t even show any reaction to that question, she clenched her fist tightly and shouted again.

“What did you do to Alakish……!”

Sharr’kas tilted his head for a moment, and the next moment, an innocent yet wicked smile formed on his face.

「Ah, there was that.」

When Sharr’kas snapped his fingers, ‘that’ walked out from within that thick and distant blizzard, shaking the earth.

The moment we saw the appearance of ‘that’ that appeared behind Sharr’kas, none of us dared to open our mouths.

My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would explode, as if everything was about to end…….

「Say hello to old friends, Bardumkus.」