Episode 64: The Rejoicing One
“Damn it… damn it! How dare that accursed child do this to me…!”
In the dungeon beneath the Garland estate, the former lord, Simion, cursed Alfred and the others with venomous hatred.
He refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing on his part. The very thought that he might be at fault was entirely absent from Simion’s mind.
In the underground cell where Simion was confined, rhythmic footsteps echoed.
Seeing the figure that appeared with precise, unwavering steps, Simion’s curses halted abruptly, and a twisted grin spread across his face.
“Oh… you’ve come. Finally, you’ve come.”
Seeing the person who had entered the dungeon, Simion felt assured that his contingency plan had worked.
“Hahaha! That accursed child thinks he’s captured me! Just wait, I’ll make him regret his foolishness!”
Simion quickly began plotting how to bring Alfred down.
But as the cell door opened with a creak, he was snapped back to reality.
“Oh, yes. First, I need to get out of here. Quickly, remove these barbaric manacles.”
He extended his hands towards the person who had come to rescue him,
waiting for the disrespectful restraints placed by the knights to be removed—
“……?”
His vision flickered. Simion couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
Before he realized it, his body had been slammed against the hard stone wall, warm crimson liquid flowing and pooling on the floor.
“…ah…eh…?”
Gradually, his senses became clearer.
Pain. Agony. Pain. Intense pain. Pain. Pain. Intense pain. Pain. Intense pain. Intense pain. It was as if his whole body was consumed by the sensation of pain, tightening around his neck like a silk noose. He finally realized that deep, gaping wounds had been carved into his body as if sliced by a sharp blade. There was no need to consult a doctor. Even a child could tell at a glance that he wouldn’t survive.
“Ka…ah…!”
He tried to speak, but his mouth only spewed thick, sticky red. Blood. His own blood. The essence of his life was spilling out in torrents.
The shackles were indeed cut. A swift slash, faster than the eye could see. The blade of magic had severed them—and Simion’s body along with them.
“Wh…why…?”
The person who had entered the cell didn’t answer. They only watched Simion’s trembling, outstretched hand with a sneer.
“Plea…se…sav…e…me…”
The smile on the person’s face wasn’t one of mockery.
The emotion that painted their features was—joy.
It wasn’t mockery. Nor was it hatred. It was pure, unadulterated joy.
Why. Why. Why. Such questions floated in Simion’s mind.
He couldn’t understand the person before him at all. Why could they be so purely, innocently joyful like a child?
“Ahhh…!”
A blade stabbed into Simion’s body. Then it was pulled out, only to be driven in again. Over and over, it stabbed, pierced, thrust, and impaled—
“Guh…gah…!”
Stabbed. Pierced. Thrust. Impaled. Stabbed, gouged, and stabbed again.
By the time the person’s body was entirely drenched in blood, Simion had long since ceased to breathe.
The end of the man who believed himself special was cold and sudden, like a stone by the roadside.
The eyes reflecting Simion’s lifeless body—those perfectly sculpted features were painted with the pure joy of a child.
☆
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Beyond the town, past a single hill. From a distance, it looked like a black cocoon, but upon setting foot there, one would realize it was due to a black mist—an abundance of miasma.
What lay within the mist was an ancient ruin. It was identical to the vision shown by the hallucinations in that basement.
Seeing it in person made it clear how similar it was to the ruins in the forest where Nenel was rescued. The degree of decay and damage was similar, suggesting they were from the same era.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on ancient ruins.
A black mist hovered around. It wasn’t dense enough to obscure vision, but if left alone, it would surely give birth to a multitude of [Ragments].
“Charl, are you ready?”
“…Yes, I am.”
The ring on Charl’s finger began to shine, a purification ring made by Eline specifically for this day. As a [Legendary Goldsmith Artisan], Eline’s creations were several levels above the norm.
“[Miasma Purification]!”
Light spread from Charl, radiating outwards in waves.
In an instant, the black mist was replaced by a purifying light, and all traces of evil presence vanished.
“Oh, what incredible purification power…!”
“To think it could cleanse such an area in one go…”
The knights accompanying the mission murmured in awe.
I was surprised by Charl’s purification when we tested it beforehand. The range and output were impressive.
Given Charl’s lower magical purity compared to royalty, I had expected a power down from the usual [Miasma Purification], but this was a pleasant surprise.
Charl’s particular strength was in her vast mana reserves. The original plan was to use that to purify the area around the [Land God] gradually. Even if we aimed directly for the [Land God], poor visibility due to the miasma and the risk of [Ragment] attacks posed a threat. Fighting while on guard would lead to mental fatigue, increasing the risk of failure.
However, with Lucille’s machinations, the illusionist with the helmet, and Morgan, the [Forbidden Curse Ring] holder, the enemy’s strength far exceeded our initial estimates.
“Alright. The entrance is cleared. We’ll split into two groups from here.”
We had modified the original plan and come up with a new strategy.
First, we divided our forces.
One group would act as a diversion, drawing Lucille and the others’ attention, while the other group would purify the [Land God]. A straightforward strategy.
The diversion would be me, Noel, and Makina. The purification would be Charl and—
“Please guide us, Loretta.”
“Leave it to me, Sharlotte. I’ll make sure to get you to the [Land God] using the secret passages of this ruin.”
Loretta, who had knowledge of the land, would accompany Charl.
The [Land God] was in the deepest part of the ruins. The route there was mostly a single path, but there were secret passages known only to a few. However, the path was complicated and narrow. Since we needed to move swiftly, only Charl and Loretta would proceed.
This allowed us to allocate more soldiers to the diversion, but it also meant Charl’s side had limited protection.
This was a gamble. If the diversion failed, the enemy’s forces would converge on Charl. But it wasn’t entirely unfavorable. Charl’s purification role was part of the official duty and also for building a track record. However, such considerations were no longer a priority.
Noel, who also possessed the [Fifth Attribute], was with us, capable of purifying the miasma.
If the enemy’s forces concentrated on Charl, we could rush to the [Land God] and have Noel perform the purification.
In terms of purification experience, combat ability, and magical purity, Noel was formidable.
Moreover…
(I’ve given Charl a trump card.)
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