Episode 59: The Approaching Inferno
Cracks spread through the glacier buried deep underground.
In the next moment, the ice, boasting strength comparable to steel, was blown apart from within.
“…………”
Emerging quietly from the ice was a girl whose head was concealed by a helmet. In her hand, she held a sword imbued with dark magic, exuding a sinister chill distinct from the ice conjured by Alfred or Noel.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
Lucille stepped out from within the ice, pressing a wound on her shoulder. Each step she took crunched on the ice shards, producing an eerie sound that echoed through the dim, dank underground space. It was as if a demon were humming a tune.
“Tch… They got away.”
Next to emerge from the ice was Morgan. His dull eyes scanned the now-empty basement. Anger flashed for a moment at the realization they had escaped, but his face soon twisted into a grotesque grin.
“They ran. They ran away. They ran away like cowards. Ha! Serves them right! Now they’re the ones running in disgrace!”
Morgan’s thoughts were likely filled with memories of being thwarted by Alfred and Noel in the forest.
(To be humiliated by children… His pride is really something else, isn’t it? So ridiculous.)
Morgan was currently intoxicated by the power he had gained.
It’s understandable for a man who was once powerless to revel in the newfound strength for revenge… but that’s too simplistic an explanation.
(But… it’s so boring. That’s not the kind of revenge I want to see.)
Lucille’s current interest lay in [revenge].
Judging by that standard, Morgan’s performance was disappointing.
(The meticulous preparation and petty scheming are just so dull… If it were Leo…)
Lucille’s mind drifted to Leo.
The heavy responsibilities imposed on the future king, the talents that didn’t match those duties, his struggles, and finally, his rash decision to challenge his brother to a duel.
Leo had provided considerable entertainment, making Morgan’s dullness stand out even more.
(I don’t like forcibly correcting things… It seems better to replace the actor here.)
She had already marked her new target.
Encountering Morgan here after leaking information to Machina was an unexpected incident for Lucille, but it had yielded unforeseen results.
(Nenel, wasn’t it?)
The scene recreated by illusion, where her parents were killed by a [land god].
The power she sensed from Nenel as she witnessed that scene.
(I didn’t expect to find such a gem here.)
Lucille smiled to herself in the darkness.
It was a smile far from angelic or sunny, but one of a being enshrouded in darkness.
“Well then, let’s hunt them down quickly.”
Morgan, seemingly savoring his joy, summoned a pack of black wolves from the miasma he had released.
“There’s no need for that.”
“But they’re exhausted. This is our chance.”
“We’re also exhausted, and if they’ve reached the surface, we’ve lost one of our advantages… Moreover, that [Ascension] magic ring is troublesome. If we charge in recklessly, we might get hurt.”
Truthfully, it’s unlikely they could use such powerful magic indefinitely. Judging by Alfred’s condition, he must be nearing his limit. While pursuing them would still favor us, it would be problematic if they were to fall now.
“Rest assured. As long as the goal is to purify the [land god], their actions are predictable. They’ll come to us if we wait. More importantly, you should revise your plan involving the [fake copy-cursed magic rings].”
Morgan’s plan was to link pathways using mass-produced [cursed magic rings]—[fake-cursed magic rings]—to reduce restrictions.
Now that this plan was known, countermeasures would likely be taken.
“So, what do we do? The restriction of the [black wolf pack] in the [cursed magic ring] you gave me requires feeding these wolves a lot of magic. My magic capacity isn’t enough…”
“It’s okay. You don’t need to connect with many. If we have one exceptional individual to take over, that restriction can be resolved.”
“Who would that be…?”
“There’s a promising child you once had your eye on.”
Morgan seemed to realize something from those words.
“We can use Nenel.”
Lucille’s devilish whisper came with an angelic smile.
Her mind had already shifted to the next plan, and to actions likely being carried out elsewhere.
(Well… They should be done over there by now.)
☆
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“…………What’s this?”
Following the map I received from Loretta, I descended the stairs into the underground chamber and proceeded through the door. The room I found myself in was a strange, empty space.
“Nothing here… completely empty?”
I had imagined suspicious devices or something being manufactured in this underground facility, but there was nothing of the sort. It was just an empty underground space.
“They didn’t flee in fear of the great Luce, did they?”
I briefly considered the possibility of magic explosives being planted, but there was no sign of that either.
Proceeding cautiously to the far end of the room, I found nothing.
“…………”
I conjured a small fireball in my palm for light and carefully observed the underground space.
The illuminated areas revealed faint traces. Seeing these, I was convinced.
“The way the dust has settled… something was definitely here. But it’s been moved somewhere else?”
Rather than describing this place as empty, it would be more accurate to say it was “stripped bare.”
“…And who might you be, sneaking around behind me? If you want an autograph, I’ll be happy to sign.”
I called out to the presence behind me. The person, seemingly resigned, slowly emerged from the darkness. The light from my fireball illuminated their face—
“—You…!”
A moment of shock. In that instant, I let my guard down fatally.
Before I could react,
I was struck by a blade of magic and slammed against the wall.
“Ugh… gah…!”
Warm liquid surged from my mouth, spilling out as I tried to process what had just happened.
I had been caught off guard. There wasn’t even time to activate my [Royal Cross Ring]. The attack was so swift, honed by years of training.
It wasn’t just fast. The attacker knew my tempo perfectly, disrupting my ability to react.
(This… I can’t let my fans see me like this…)
But I could still move. I could still fight.
I knew why the person before me was here… No. I refused to accept it, but my sharp mind quickly understood.
Yet, before I could question them, they scattered cylindrical objects around the room and swiftly left.
In the dim light, the cylinders blinked with a red glow—
“Seriously… give me a break.”
The space filled with a blinding flash, and the ensuing explosion surged towards me like a raging torrent.
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