The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 219

219.

“Wrong.”

“……!”

“It’s wrong.”

“…….”

“What’s so difficult about this problem? Tell me. I can’t explain it if you don’t.”

Valensidice awkwardly teaching Obin magic every night reminded me of many things.

– You idiot! Why can’t you solve this? Even a passing camel would learn faster than you!

Occasionally, the scene of teaching Tureina 300 years ago would faintly overlap with their faces.

Hmph…….

Come to think of it, Obin looked like a younger version of Tureina. A personality that learns persistently and faithfully no matter what he hears.

“There’s nothing dangerous nearby.”

It was around that time that Miria, who had gone to scout the dark jungle, returned.

“If we move at this pace, we can arrive in two days.”

Our destination now is Vanirdo.

Geographically, it is a key point in southern Solond, and politically, it is the hometown of the deceased queen.

In other words, it’s Obin’s maternal family, ruled by the Pester family, one of the three prestigious families that have historically maintained Solond as a kingdom.

– Th, there, if you get water from Grandfather and follow the national road, you can get to Vara quickly.

Obin smiled shyly when talking about his grandparents, saying they had given him a lot of love since he was a child who was pointed fingers at by everyone.

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

“What is it?”

“With the kingdom in this state, will Vanirdo be safe? If I were Elamas, I would have razed it to the ground with the plague first. It’s Obin’s biggest support base.”

Perhaps sensing an ominous premonition, Miria fell silent for a moment. It was Obin who objected to my speculation.

“I, it won’t happen!”

Saying that, Obin, clutching Chunpasikjeok [a bamboo flute], tightly, seemed to be wishing it were so rather than being certain.

“If, if that’s not the case, I, I will make it not happen!”

No, is that so…….

This child is strong. It’s just hidden by his delicate appearance and stutter.

For a moment, I was reminded of Raida Aizen, the imperial crown prince who had deep insight at a young age.

“Sorry, I misspoke. It will be safe. Your grandparents are as strong as you are.”

I smiled sheepishly and answered, and only then did Obin smile brightly.

“Magic is good, but let’s practice pronunciation too. You don’t sound like royalty at all.”

That remark brought small laughter even in the forced march.

But.

It didn’t even take two days for that laughter to shatter.

* * *

Sun Castle, Vara.

Inner Palace Rignahaj.

A Ramasa priest had been stationed here, a place where royals worship, for three years.

“Everyone’s here.”

When Elamas lifted the silk curtain and entered, the fairy spirits sitting in their respective seats rose.

“……Have you come.”

Arha (No. 1) [First seat of the Yeodan], Sneer, who revered martial arts, was strangely meditating while holding a spear shaft without a blade with elegance.

“You come as soon as the front side comes out. Do you see? Haha, the front side! My lucky fortune has never been wrong.”

Gaha (No. 2) [Second seat of the Yeodan], Pell, who was like an incarnation of abstinence, showed Elamas the gold coins he kept flipping.

“I was worried you would keep us up all night.”

Dalta (No. 3) [Third seat of the Yeodan], the arrogant Jeniaz, yawned as if bored and reluctantly got up as if he was raising his butt.

“Hmm, so you look like you’re dissatisfied?”

When Elamas smiled, the flames illuminating the temple trembled as if shuddering.

Jeniaz, who felt an even more intense fear than that, immediately bowed his head and apologized for his reckless remarks.

These three were the core members of the Yeodan [a secret society], former powerhouses who were different from the others, all resurrected by Elamas’s necromancy.

“…….”

In contrast to them, who were in a comfortable position, there was a swordsman standing motionless on the platform as if being punished.

I don’t know why he was being punished, but to the eyes of the fairies, his very birth was a sin.

Even if he had uniquely beautiful features and was a hero of humanity, his ears did not have the mark of circumcision, a symbol of the chosen people.

“You didn’t cut the target?”

Before that word was even finished, a high and sharp cracking sound echoed through the precinct. Because Elamas’s hand sharply slapped his cheek.

“Why?”

Perhaps his mouth was torn, the swordsman said, shedding a stream of blood from his lips.

“I knew you.”

“You know me? That’s absurd. How can you when you don’t even know who you are?”

“It felt like that, so I…….”

Elamas tilted his chin as if frustrated and let out a sigh of annoyance.

“Are you going to keep doing this? Don’t tell me you have some kind of antipathy towards me, even though you’re just a doll?”

“…….”

“You should be grateful. I’m trying to bring order to the world that drove you to death at such a young age.”

Elamas grabbed the hero’s head and spun it around. So roughly that I was worried his neck bones would break.

“What we’re doing will be a gift to this world. I know very well how sad and painful it is for beings like you to be driven to death in the name of sacrifice. Because it will be a world where that doesn’t have to happen anymore. It’s the dawn of a new world.”

“…….”

“There’s only one step left. It’ll all be over if we just kill those bugs. What’s so difficult about it? You can do it next time, right?”

After a very short time, the hero answered in a voice filled with emotions that an doll could not have.

“……I’m not confident.”

Elamas clicked his tongue coldly, and the hero’s body collapsed on the spot as if crumbling.

On Elamas’s palm, an ominous dark blue flame flickered. It is the power to control Neigalas’s evil thoughts.

If he regains his memories and becomes unstable, he can just burn those memories completely and raise him again.

“A conclusion was reached at today’s state affairs meeting. The Taeseongjin [Great Holy Barrier] will be activated exactly ten days later, at the same time as the princess’s ceremony ends.”

Without the power of Solond’s royal blood, the barrier of the royal castle built on the old primitive kingdom cannot be completely removed.

The reason why even a scarecrow is set up as a princess, the reason why he has been coaxing the insignificant retainers for a long time instead of killing them.

All of that is to successfully remove the barrier of the first Archmage Rigwind.

“……Survivors from all over the country are already rioting and heading towards the royal castle.”

Arha (No. 1) [First seat of the Yeodan], Sneer said, and Gaha (No. 2) [Second seat of the Yeodan], Pell flipped the gold coins again.

“If all the survivors gather here, no one will be able to stop it once the magic circle is activated. Everything is according to the Apostle’s plan. The gold coin came up heads again.”

Elamas nodded as if satisfied, but also as if not pleased.

“I don’t know what those lowly things are up to, but you must never let them interfere with this ceremony. I won’t tolerate failure from anyone.”

The arrogant Jeniaz paused for a moment before opening his mouth with a cautious look.

“May I ask what the real purpose is?”

“The real purpose?”

“I don’t think someone of your stature would have made such a big deal just to turn the humans into the dead.”

Elamas stroked his chin with his finger for a moment, then gave a seductive smile.

“Well, now that things have come this far, it’s okay to explain it to you guys now.”

* * *

The northern part of the Adrion continent was famous for its tropical climate, and the Kingdom of Solond also belonged to that climate zone.

‘The Akrad continent people also call this climate a cursed climate.’

It is a region with almost no distinction between the four seasons, dividing the year only into dry and rainy seasons.

Even during the dry season when it doesn’t rain, it was humid and hot. It was a tiring and listless heat. It didn’t even cool down at night.

Keys used to call this heat ‘unpleasant heat.’

“But the bananas are delicious, right?”

“Aruu!”

Setsnen, who was munching on a banana that Rain had peeled, shook his arms with all his might.

“Leave some for Aki unni [term of endearment for older sister] too.”

“Gueeek.”

“Kkeua, don’t spit out what you were eating! You weren’t going to give it to her, were you?”

If Aki seemed too pure and foolish, Setsnen was somehow clumsy and quirky…….

‘How can they be so different when they’re the same dragon?’

Rain sighed and scanned the surrounding scenery again.

The southern part of the Kingdom of Solond was a tropical rainforest area, with banana and cacao plantations visible everywhere, but no farmers cultivating them were to be seen anywhere.

“This is strangely creepy…….”

Miria wiped the sweat forming on her forehead as if she was disgusted.

“Was it always like this?”

The rainforest was also excessively green, but the form of growth was strangely wicked.

The roots of the trees protruded above the ground and wriggled like snakes, and unknown poisonous mushrooms and poisonous plants bloomed in abundance, luring creatures to their deaths.

“The influence of the Abyss has begun to affect plants and animals as well.”

“The influence of the Abyss?”

“The Abyss affects nature as well as humans. In a few months, this rainforest will turn into a complete swamp.”

Miria and Obin were embarrassed by these changes, but Rain had already seen even more spectacular scenes 300 years ago…….

“The forests are already starting to turn into swamps. Ah, predators like crocodiles are also becoming violent…… We have to leave quickly.”

There was not a single sign of life in Dorona Village.

After stopping by an empty castle, Miria, Valensidice, and Obin found clothes that were well-ventilated and moisture-wicking.

They also found something suitable for Setsnen to wear. It must have been what the lord’s child used to wear.

‘Where did that child go…….’

As ominous expectations gradually rose, they were able to reach Vanirdo around the third day of their journey.

“There, I can see the outline of the castle walls!”

“Is that Vanirdo, the key point in the south?”

“No, everyone wait. Something seems a little strange no matter how I look at it.”

There were signs of life beyond the city walls, but it wasn’t the voices or laughter of people.

The sound of hungry monsters sobbing.

Above all, the fact that the gate was smashed was the most suspicious. No, it made the ominous inside story recognizable at a glance.

“Uh…….”

Perhaps because his hope was shattered, Obin, who was speechless, only moved his lips blankly.

“If you go in and out of goblin caves a few times, you can tell whether the cave entrance is dangerous or not just by looking at it. That place is dangerous. It smells like a scary energy.”

“Aruu…….”

“It might be wise to just pass through the city as it is.”

None of us immediately agreed with Valensidice’s realistic judgment.

“That young man’s judgment is correct. You must not enter that city no matter what.”

The voice was strangely like scraping steel with a saw, and Setsnen, who had a rejection reaction, showed his fangs.

It was a natural reaction for a dragon.

The old man who appeared in front of them…… was being eroded by the Abyss.

“I’m sorry if you had business in Vanirdo. The city has already been devoured by the plague.”

His whole body was turning into a primitive man, but the only thing that was still intact was half of his face.

When the erosion is complete, even the skeleton of the skull that he is now covering with rags will turn into a lizard.

I wondered why I hadn’t noticed the Abyss reaction sooner, but the old man’s life force was extremely weak. He is dying.

“What happened there?”

“Our city has been fighting against the plague and the dead for two years. Supplies did not come from the capital, and we gradually became isolated. Eventually, the gate was breached…… The result is as you see.”

“……!”

“I’m here so that no one, out of curiosity, recklessness, or greed, enters the city and gets caught up in unnecessary emotions, with a life that will soon end.”

I was just thinking that the archaic vocabulary that could not be called an ordinary old man was strange.

“Obin…….”

Miria comforted the young prince, who was still blankly staring at his grandfather’s city, by placing her hand on his shoulder.

“Obin, is it?”

The old man reacted sensitively to that name. It was a name that should naturally be treated with caution in front of Solond citizens.

As soon as he heard the name, the old man approached Obin as if possessed.

Miria seemed about to stop him by placing her hand on the Demon Sword, but the old man did not go closer than 2 meters. As if he shouldn’t be infected with the plague.

“Prince, are you the prince?”

As soon as Obin turned around, it was as if the two people’s time had stopped there. First, the old man’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Oh gods, thank you…… You’re safe. To see the prince’s face again like this before I die, the prayers I offered to the gods were not in vain…….”

As the three were trying to figure out what was going on, Obin’s lips trembled faintly.

“G, grandfather……?”

Grandfather?

Then is this old man the great lord of the south, Arif Pester?

Arif was embarrassed that Obin made a sound, but he was even more embarrassed that Obin was coming closer.

“How can you treat your precious body so carelessly? Don’t come closer! If I pass this plague on to you, I won’t even be able to close my eyes in peace.”

“……!”

“It is enough to see the prince again. I have no regrets in life now, so the prince should cherish his jade body more.”

In the meantime, a long, tearing cry was heard from the gate.

As if resonating with it, screams gradually spread, and soon, with a chilling ground tremor, primitive men began to pour out of the gate.

The dead of the Abyss are drawn to the warmth of life…… In a way, it was a natural course.

“It’s going to be like this after all.”

As soon as the five layers of magic circles shattered in Rain’s palm, chains of fire blocked passage to the gate.

Then the primitive men began to climb over the walls on all fours and run towards this side.

It was a truly spine-chilling sight, and Arif hurriedly shouted at Obin.

“Prince, get out of here quickly! They won’t hurt me! Because I’ve already become half of their kind.”

“B, but!”

“You are the kingdom! The kingdom ends the moment you end! Why are you hesitating, go quickly!”

Valensidice took out Kashasur.

When Miria knocked down the first primitive man who rushed in, Valensidice swung Kashasur to create a barrier of waves.

And he shouted at Obin, who was panting, not knowing what to do.

“It’s Chunpasikjeok [bamboo flute], Obin!”

“……!”

“Blow it and turn your grandfather back into a human. Not only your grandfather, but everyone in that city too!”

Obin took out the bamboo flute he had been cherishing in his arms.

The instrument emits a mysterious clear fragrance. That instrument that contains the voices of the gods, from the age of the gods.

In the midst of the chaos filling his ears with the screams, shouts, and ground tremors of the primitive men, Obin put the flute to his lips, but no sound came out.

“It’s okay. You can do it. Remember what I taught you!”

He certainly taught the theory.

The magic theory for blowing that flute was nothing to Valensidice, who had mastered all magic to be able to infiltrate anywhere.

“What are you talking about? Where do you have time to play the flute!”

When the primitive men bypassed Valensidice’s barrier and jumped into the forest.

“Prince!”

When the primitive threat climbed over the giant trees and stomped through the swamp with both hands and feet, tightening their breath from all sides.

“I told you to leave quickly, quickly!”

Meanwhile, no matter how much he blew, and blew again, until he ran out of breath, Chunpasikjeok [bamboo flute] could not make a sound.

Is there nothing he can do?

If he still can’t play this flute that he obtained in exchange for the lives of many soldiers, does that mean their lives ended meaninglessly?

Then that journey, where is the meaning in that arduous journey…….

“Hmm, I know what the problem is.”

The moment tears of despair fell from Obin’s eyes, a huge flame rose with that voice, blocking the approach of the primitive men.

“I’m not your disciple, so I have no obligation to teach you…… But this time, it’s a special service.”

Rain, who approached Obin, gently placed his hand on the hand holding the flute.

“That’s not how you use magic.”

Just like the headmaster of Atlante used to do for the orphan boy 300 years ago.

“Magic is about putting your heart into it.”

And just like the teachings that teacher gave to his incompetent disciple 300 years ago.

“There’s no need to rush.”

According to his wish that magic would become someone who could share light with someone without cost.

“Slowly, calmly, put your heart into that magic.”

Today, the old Archmage taught someone the fragments of truth that he had received.

“Then magic will answer your heart.”

Smiling exactly like that person who came as light into his life, which was only darkness.

“Now, shall we try again?”