Chapter 252 : Chapter 252
Chapter 252 : Phantom Demon, Nebria (2)
I had forgotten for a moment because my entire mind was focused on the reunion with Bolero and the Windermere siblings, and Nebria.
Shadow Village.
It was truly a marvel in itself. To think there is such a haven deep underground where sulfurous gas boils.
"Nearly twenty members of the Solari family reside here and assist with the treatment and rehabilitation of the rescued prisoners."
Nebria's face bearing a proud smile was briefly seen through the torches.
Walking side-by-side with her, I silently listened to the ensuing explanation.
"Food and supplies are also regularly provisioned. When the human sacrifice cycle approaches like this time, priests selected from the main branch are specially reinforced."
Shadow Village was on the outskirts, slightly dodging the influence of the sulfur caves. Of course, that didn't mean it was completely free from this rotten egg smell lingering at the tip of my nose.
"I realized this while falling, but it seems some incomprehensible power is acting between Grimbalt Prison and this place."
I subtly covered my nose with the back of my hand. With my weak stomach, it felt like dying.
However, Nebria was calm and composed. Watching that superhuman composure couldn't help but make my tone naturally polite.
"We also know because we heard it from the rescued people. They said they felt a bizarre floating sensation as if someone was forcibly pushing them along, rather than falling straight down."
I stared at her without a word. A thick shadow was cast over Nebria's face.
"Unfortunately, the survivors who get caught in the protective magic we set up in advance like a trap, survive, and testify like that are only an extreme fraction. Nine out of ten are discovered as miserably damaged corpses."
Nebria stopped speaking for a moment and then added with a low, sunken voice.
"The problem is the condition of those corpses. They are uniformly crushed terribly, but...... bizarrely, they are all missing their heads."
"Their heads, you say?"
"Yes. Even if we thoroughly search the surroundings to somehow hold a funeral with them in an intact state, we simply cannot find the heads at all. It's as if Demonic Beasts aimed for only those and collected them."
My glabella wrinkled. The figure of the Headless Spectral Knight suddenly came to mind, but it was impossible to pinpoint any specific connection right away.
"Still, anyway—"
My head turned again at the refreshing voice heard from the side.
Nebria was making an effort to lift the shadow from her face with a spirited smile.
"This is the first time everyone has survived like this. It is truly an unprecedented event."
There was no time to reply to anything. Nebria bowed her waist deeply.
"You proved the miracle we only hoped for with words by throwing your entire body, Sir. You have performed true salvation."
It was the moment I was turning my head, my face flushing at the Saintess's praise. Only then did I realize it.
Everyone around was looking at me before I knew it.
The priests of Solari, and Stanley and the prisoners who barely returned alive from the threshold of death, who were under their care.
The edges of their eyes were red, and something hot was lodged in their eyes looking at me.
"Burning oneself to save others. That is indeed the most ideal 'light' we pursue."
Nebria's solemn voice echoed around us.
"We all pay our respects to the light Sir Bihen has shown us today."
Nebria put her hands together in prayer and bowed her head to me. The other priests, including Bolero, also assumed the same posture in unison. Following them, the prisoners also dragged their uncomfortable bodies and bowed their heads deeply.
'.......'
I was caught off guard and had no choice but to put my hands together and bow my head in return.
***
The people incarcerated in Grimbalt Prison were not simple violent criminals.
The vast majority were political scapegoats who were purged after getting swept up in power struggles or exiled after being marked as potential threats.
The impregnable fortress originally built to block Demonic Beasts had degenerated into an inescapable prison, and soon into the worst political prison camp.
Solari knew that truth and had been continuing these dangerous rescue activities until now to save those who were falsely accused.
"Our role is to protect the rescued people until they regain complete freedom while avoiding the eyes of the world."
Nebria said. Paradoxically, to step out into the light again, they had no choice but to hide their bodies in the darkness for a moment.
The name 'Shadow Village' seemed to have been attached for that reason.
"Of course, there are those who return to the places they originally lived, but the vast majority wish to take refuge in our Solari. Because they gained a new life through Elzerus's grace, they volunteer to become the hand of salvation that performs that miracle themselves this time."
A strange lingering note remained at the end of her words. Sure enough, subtle gazes were focusing on me. They seemed to inwardly anticipate my future course of action.
Well, it's not unreasonable.
Excluding Bolero, who knows the inside story, everyone is misunderstanding me.
'An apostle of justice who threw himself into Grimbalt Prison purely out of a sense of chivalry for the sake of the weak, completely unaware of the complicated circumstances involving Adeline or the Royal Family.'
......And, their 'Holy Sword' who established Solari branches in various regions, wandered around before finally arriving here and meeting them.
This was exactly the image of me they were looking at right now.
"I have to go to the Imperial Capital. There is a fight I must end there."
Somehow, sighs tinged with disappointment were heard from all over, but—
I resolutely continued my words.
"However, because it seems the path there won't be smooth. I am contemplating."
My gaze naturally turned to Nebria.
As if she had been waiting, she answered without a hint of hesitation.
"Then it would be best if you moved together with us when you go. You will be able to avoid any particular inspections or suspicions."
She seemed to guess that there were circumstances I couldn't speak of, but she didn't dig deeper to ask. There was only a firm look in her eyes saying she would silently push my back if it was the path I had to take.
'......It's driving me crazy.'
The more I feel her sincerity and good intentions, the heavier my heart becomes.
'Before leaving for the Imperial Capital, I must absolutely resolve the Phantom Demon coiled up inside this woman.'
The problem is separation. If I cut the Phantom Demon, the host, Nebria, also dies. This was a difficult problem.
'There's only one method.'
Making Nebria recognize her own inner self and control the 'Remnant Orb' on her own, like Karim or Zisair.
No matter how much I rack my brain and ponder, that was the sole method to cut out the Phantom Demon while keeping the Saintess completely alive.
"Have you not felt that your physical condition is different from usual lately?"
At the baseless question, Bolero, who was next to me, flinched in surprise first.
However, I don't have the knack for beating around the bush. Just by not saying, 'There's an evil spirit inside you' openly, I was acting with the utmost consideration in my own way.
"Pardon? What does that......?"
"For example, symptoms like your energy declining without reason, or your nerves becoming suddenly on edge over trivial matters."
Nebria tilted her head. Bolero, who grasped the intention of the question tactfully, played along.
"Priestess. Brother Bihen is an outstanding swordsman, but he is also a competent doctor at the same time. Earlier, he even gave me a worried hint that your complexion didn't look good."
After Bolero and I exchanged a brief glance, we nodded our heads at the same time.
Nebria stroked her cheek. Discomfiture was clearly evident, as if she was suddenly flustered.
"I-Is that so? I don't really know......, couldn't it be because I haven't been able to sleep well at all lately due to the rescue operations?"
"You haven't been able to sleep well? Did you normally get a good night's sleep before?"
Even I thought it was a forced nitpick, but right now I have to bite and hang on even like this. Because if I somehow squeeze through the gaps, the truth might come out.
"......Come to think of it, it certainly seems I've been getting forgetful more often lately."
My eyes flashed for an instant. I heard the sound of Bolero gulping down his saliva from the side.
With her head slightly tilted, Nebria furrowed her brow.
"Should I say it feels like waking up from a light sleep. I often get that feeling sometimes. I'm definitely awake, but it feels like my body isn't mine....... When I snap to my senses, a lot of time has passed."
I narrowed my eyes. I didn't even realize my mouth was open.
'So this is how she recognizes when the personality switches.'
Let's approach carefully. Because the evil spirit's personality might suddenly pop out.
It was when I was choosing my words.
"So about that, Sir Bihen. I have a separate request to ask of you. Because I feel I need to tie up the loose ends when my mind is clear."
"Pardon? What is it?"
"I wish to speak privately with you regarding the Elzerus Alliance."
My spine chilled for a moment. It's finally come.
Elzerus Alliance. The name I used without permission to keep Zisair in check.
'If you think about it, it wasn't a bad deed.'
I defended myself. Thanks to my political maneuvering, Solari was able to expand its power from the shadows into the light. No matter how noble a truth is, in the end, it is only accepted by the world when backed by power and influence.
'......At least until I saw Shadow Village.'
After seeing the hard work of the silently dedicated priests, my past actions of using their sacredness as a bargaining chip made me feel ashamed, naturally bringing about a solemn feeling.
"Let us meet at the Sanctuary down there in a moment."
The place Nebria pointed to was a corner of the area that looked like a temporary campsite with sparsely lit torches.
Stone stairs leading downwards could be seen. Since it was already a sulfur cave deep underground, it seemed there was another cave going even deeper underground.
"Then since I have things to prepare, I will go ahead first."
"Understood."
Still, I should properly apologize. Because it's true I arbitrarily attached their name, anyway.
Well, even if I get scolded.
***
As the back of Nebria heading toward the Sanctuary grew distant—
Following that, Bihen also subtly left his seat, saying he needed to check on Stanley's condition.
'Hmm.'
Left completely alone in an instant, Bolero awkwardly smacked his lips. He shrugged his shoulders once and trudged over to where the Windermere siblings were.
Anxiety and worry were definitely contagious.
The moment he lifted the tent flap where the siblings were and entered, Bolero felt his heart, which had been excited from reuniting with Bihen just a moment ago, sink limply like a lie.
"Just what kind of conversation were you having for your complexions to be in this state. You've gotten paler while I was away for a moment."
Bolero placed a water cup into each of the siblings' hands like a caregiver administering medicine to patients. If he didn't even do this much, they were the type of people who wouldn't drink a sip of water with their own hands even if their throats were burning.
"......A dream."
Isaac muttered softly. Bolero asked back.
"Pardon?"
"......Lately, I've been suffering from nightmares every night. We were just talking about that."
Isaac stroked down his parched cheek with his hand. A haggard sigh flowed through his fingers.
"Eyeballs densely filling the empty air are looking down at me. As if there are mouths attached to every eyeball, they keep whispering something to me......"
Isaac suddenly curled his body. His hands covering both ears trembled as if he was hearing auditory hallucinations.
"Struggling while trapped in those gazes, yet unable to let out even a scream...... it's that kind of terrible dream."
"Young Master, please calm down."
"......But, Roxy is supposedly having the same dream."
Bolero's eyes slightly widened. He stiffly turned his head and looked at Roxy.
"It's fascinating, right? To think we're having the exact same dream."
Roxy smiled weakly like a person who had resigned herself.
"It seems the two of us committed a great sin against the family, so we are being punished side-by-side."
Watching Roxy speak like that, Isaac bit his lip.
The guilt lodged in his heart had grown so bloated that it now seemed ready to swallow his entire soul whole.
Watching such an Isaac, Bolero immediately shook his head.
"Please do not say such things. It is my fault for bringing the two of you to such a perilous place. We must quickly return to the Imperial Capital and—"
It was then.
A loud roar echoed from outside. It was the sound of a pile of rocks bouncing up.
"It's an attack—!"
At the ensuing shouts of the priests, Isaac and Roxy also jumped up from their seats.
"W-What's going on, Bolero?!"
Bolero, who had only stuck his head out to check outside the tent, spoke with an urgent voice.
"It seems a pack of Demonic Beasts has crawled in."
"......Demonic Beasts?"
"Yes. Unlike the Demonic Beasts of the Demonic Realm, the Demonic Beasts that inhabit the sulfur caves tend to be docile, so they don't attack first, but it seems something has gotten tangled up. For now, we must go out and escort Lady Roxy to a safe place."
The three people hurriedly left the tent.
The outside was already a mess.
"The defense line is being breached!"
"Over here! We need Holy Magic!"
"Priest Bolero has arrived!"
The momentum closing in from all directions was unusual. Beyond the thick shadows surrounding Shadow Village, demonic energy like a pitch-black heat haze flickered.
'What, is this?'
Bolero repeatedly clenched and opened his fists, silently astonished.
The Demonic Beasts wriggling and crawling out of the darkness were not entities that inhabited the sulfur caves.
Squelch, squelch.
Bodies covered in slime wriggled. They were reminiscent of giant centipedes. Those hideous bodies were densely packed with numerous large and small eyeballs.
"Ha, Hah......!"
Suppressed moans burst out from Isaac and Roxy's mouths. Roxy grabbed her brother's hem with a deadly pale face.
They were those eyeballs from the nightmare that had tormented the two people every night recently.
SCREEECH, SCREEECH!
The eyeballs that had been restlessly looking around in all directions stopped rotating simultaneously.
The numerous pupils, embedded tightly together like frog eggs, all stared at the siblings in unison, as if they were a single target.
***
RUUUMBLE.
Another loud roar echoed beyond the massive bedrock.
I glanced up at the ceiling again. A noise that sounded like something collapsing, or perhaps a scream, was intermittently continuing.
'It's bothersome.'
This 'Sanctuary' here was a space completely isolated from the Shadow Village above.
Even though I had only come down a few stairs, it felt as if I was in a completely remote place.
There was no artificial interference of mana. The giant natural rock wall and the layers of sedimentary deposits were simply serving as natural soundproof walls.
'Well, anyway......'
I, who turned my head again, narrowed my glabella. Because I completely couldn't understand the situation unfolding before my eyes.
What I faced as soon as I entered the Sanctuary was.......
Nebria with her four limbs spread wide open and chained. Meaning, this woman was waiting for me while bound by her own hands.
"P-Please don't look at me like that. It's embarrassing."
"......."
Then how should I look?
I asked again. It was probably the third same question.
"Do you really have to stay in such an uncomfortable position?"
Nebria also gave the exact same answer.
"Because I feel I have to do this."
"......."
"While my reason still remains at least a little, please......"
Screeeech, Screeeeech—
A sound similar to a rupture was heard from behind my back.
I reflexively twisted my body.
The darkness laid out near the entrance of the Sanctuary I had come down from wriggled like a living creature. Black heat haze akin to slime tangled together, before soon taking on density and slowly hardening into a single human figure.
"It's been a while, Bihen Benkou."
Both the bastard and I, one corner of our mouths curled up.
The Lust Demon bastard has walked into his own grave on his own two feet.
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If you were referring to the most recently translated chapter (Chapter 252), here are the notable new terms and elements introduced that weren't caught in the previous list: