NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“Lord Halsenberg! Lord Halsenberg, are you there!”
KWAANG! I burst into the audience chamber as if I were about to break the door down.
Turning my gaze toward the chair where Lord Halsenberg had been sitting, there he was, blinking in surprise. It seemed that he had still been in the process of countering the curse.
Thank goodness. After lifting the woman I was carrying into a better position, I immediately rushed to Lord Halsenberg and knelt before him, bowing my head.
“I see you again after just two hours. What sudden business do you bring, Master Jung Yong?”
“Lord Halsenberg, you are a wizard, right?”
“Um… yes?”
“Can you perform healing magic?”
My abrupt question made Lord Halsenberg’s eyes widen further.
However, he quickly regained his composure and nodded slightly.
“Well, I do know how to perform it. It’s the basic foundation of water magic.”
“Can you heal this person for me?”
Upon hearing his reply, I immediately laid the woman I had been carrying on my back down in front of him.
Only then did Lord Halsenberg turn his gaze onto the woman I had carried in, and his expression instantly became grave as he looked at her condition.
“Her breath is on the verge of fading away. No, normally she should already have passed away.”
“What does that mean?”
“I sense some sort of magic I’ve never encountered before holding onto her life. It’s different from necromancy or curses. Rather, it’s more akin to a blessing… but sustaining her in this state isn’t truly a blessing.”
Lord Halsenberg clicked his tongue, gazing pityingly down at the woman.
His gaze then moved to me again, his eyes filled with reproach and inquiry.
“How did she end up in such a state? And who exactly is this woman?”
“To be honest, I don’t even know who she is. Actually…”
I recounted everything that had happened in the sewers, including all the details of what Leira was doing down there. I left nothing out, detailing all the pain and fear I experienced. I wasn’t about to feel bad about it—this was all about survival.
“Hmm. I suspected as much, but…”
Lord Halsenberg didn’t react much as I described the part about Leira and Guin and what happened to the heroes. Clearly, he already knew about it.
But when I mentioned that Leira had kept this woman imprisoned for three years, his expression grew terribly grave.
“Leira! You insolent girl! To perform such heinous acts, without even a hint of empathy…!”
CRRACK. Lord Halsenberg’s fingers clenched the throne so tightly that they dug into the iron chair.
The killing intent radiating from him made it hard for me to breathe.
“… Ah, I’ve overreacted.”
He finally noticed me and the baroness, who were both in distress, and pulled himself back.
I suspect it was the baroness’s discomfort that had a greater impact on him. Truly, heart-wrenching.
Lord Halsenberg then sighed and rose from his seat. He slowly approached me and extended his hand toward the woman.
“Anyway, what’s most important now is to save this woman. We’ll deal with the rest later.”
“Ah, yes! Please, I entrust her to you.”
“In this case, instead of healing her wounds, first, I need to infuse vitality: Ether Heal.”
As Lord Halsenberg whispered the incantation, a bright blue energy coalesced in his hand and gradually seeped into the woman. Some color started returning to her pale face.
After finishing the healing, Lord Halsenberg repeated the spell several times. His hands, glowing repeatedly, were fervently drained by the woman.
How many times did he repeat it?
“Ah… Aaah?”
The woman, her complexion gradually returning to normal, opened her eyes.
With a raspy voice, she gasped, and I let out a sigh of relief.
She looked around with a confused expression, trying to grasp her surroundings. Finally, she asked, her voice trembling.
“Wh… Where am I… Ah…”
And then, she fainted again.
Startled, I looked at Lord Halsenberg, but he was wiping sweat from his brow and breathing heavily.
“Don’t worry. Her body just regained stability, but now exhaustion hits. I’ve done everything I can.”
“Ah, I… I see.”
“Her internal mana has returned to normal. As long as she eats regularly and rests peacefully, she should regain her strength soon.”
Lord Halsenberg said this with a gentle smile.
After a moment of contemplation, I bowed deeply to him—an expression of pure gratitude.
“Thank you, Lord Halsenberg. Ah… I have nothing I can do immediately, but I will repay this favor in the ledger. Please keep it in that regard.”
“Ha ha. You’re truly an interesting fellow.”
… Could this person truly be helping me so well simply because they have an ulterior motive?
These thoughts bubbled up as I received so much help from him again. Feeling conflicted, I scratched the back of my head.
Lord Halsenberg silently stared at me for a while before asking.
“You said you knew this woman, but you claim she’s just a stranger to you, correct?”
“That’s… true. But let me…”
“Why would you fight Leira, who bore you ill will, for a complete stranger, and then prostrate yourself before me in the dead of night? Why is that?”
I was about to vaguely excuse myself by saying, “Because my burning sense of justice wouldn’t allow me to look away.”
However, Lord Halsenberg’s expression was so serious, piercing me with intensity, that I closed my mouth without speaking.
Chewing on the inside of my mouth, I decided to lay it all on the table.
Since I was receiving help, I decided to avoid any deceit.
“I heard from Leira. Didn’t you also suffer greatly because of those heroes, Lord Halsenberg?”
“Ah… hmm. Well, the phrasing was a bit harsh, but fundamentally it’s true. So?”
“So in simpler terms, I can’t trust anyone anymore. I thought I might need someone completely on my side in this castle.”
At my words, Lord Halsenberg’s eyes lit up. I calmly met that gaze.
“A complete ally of yours, huh.”
“Yes. Frankly, I can’t trust you, nor can I trust Leira obviously. But a life-saver, even if slightly distrustful, wouldn’t stab me in the back at least. That’s why I asked.”
Lord Halsenberg’s eyes momentarily sharpened.
His next question confirmed that my impression wasn’t mistaken.
“Your implication is that even I could stab you in the back, is that it?”
“Yes. Frankly, if I were in your position, I’d probably have done it already. I’m a small-minded person who holds grudges.”
My comment left Lord Halsenberg silent.
Struggling with the silence, I finally added one more thing.
“Ah, well, honestly, I initially attacked Leira with this in mind, but when I saw her actual condition, it was a mess. She seemed on the verge of death, so I rushed here regardless of appearances. Guess even I can’t be that cold-blooded.”
“Ho ho ho!”
As I sighed, scratching my head while feeling utterly defeated, laughter erupted.
It was Lord Halsenberg’s. With a cheerful face, he extended his hand toward me—an invitation to shake hands.
“You’re wonderfully frank. Looking at you reminds me of the first time I met Guin long ago.”
“Is… is that a compliment?”
“It’s the best compliment I can give. Be flattered.”
“In that case, I’ll gladly accept it.”
I smiled back and lightly shook his outstretched hand. Following his lead, I stood up. Then I picked up the woman and started walking toward the door.
Just before stepping outside, Lord Halsenberg quietly called out from behind me.
“Are you here to save this chaotic world—Halssenberg—from the heroes?”
A deeply meaningful question.
It made sense, I guessed. A generic question aimed at someone who’d been summoned as a hero, but still.
Since I had already chosen to be honest, I decided to remain truthful until the end.
“No, I’m just some lackey who got dragged here by accident.”
“Good. That’s acceptable.”
Lord Halsenberg nodded with satisfaction at my reply, then spoke to me with increased trust in his voice.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin the demon hunting expeditions. I leave it in your capable hands, Master Jung Yong.”
“… Yes, and I thank you.”
In any case, he’s an eccentric person. This gentleman is no different.
Thinking this to myself, I closed the doors of the audience chamber.
—
So, then, what was the demon hunting that started the next day like?
One word would suffice.
Hell.
Yeah, it was sheer, unadulterated hell.
KGGAK! GGGAG! KGGAG!
EIEIEIEIEIK! EIIIEIEK!
We had marched out of the castle with Lord Halsenberg barely ten minutes ago when all sorts of undead—white skeletons, zombies, ghouls, wraiths, and more—descended upon us in numbers that easily exceeded a couple hundred.
A horde enough to cram a regular schoolyard surrounded us instantly, and the shock of that scene still hasn’t faded away.
“Then follows what I had previously indicated. I leave this burden in your capable hands, and stay closely behind me.”
“Yes, yes! Definitely! Of course!”
Despite the overwhelming numbers, Lord Halsenberg didn’t flinch and effortlessly delegated the task to me, taking a step forward.
In one hand, he held a longsword; in the other, a staff with a bright red jewel embedded.
Lord Halsenberg closed his eyes momentarily to concentrate, then he swung the staff forward.
“Avalanche.”
The moment the short incantation ended, a thunderous roar tore through the sky.
Following immediately, hailstones the size of fists came crashing down at an impossible speed, blotting out the sky in a violent avalanche of snow. It felt like a snowstorm descending from the sky.
EIIIIEIIIIEK!
GEEEIEEK!
Roughly 100 undead were instantly annihilated in one massive sweep. I gaped, dumbfounded by the display.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Quickly, he turned his staff to the right and began his incantation.
“Storm Roller.”
A sharp gust of wind spiraled violently, creating a massive tornado that swallowed up everything in its path.
In its wake, only the scattered remnants of whatever undead it encountered were left.
Then, Lord Halsenberg swung the staff behind him.
“Ether Volcano.”
The ground ruptured, and rivers of molten lava surged upward. The lava chased down the undead, consuming them into ash. The undead didn’t even have time to scream as they turned into nothing but a handful of embers.
Finally, he swung the staff to the left.
“Cataclysm.”
The ground heaved, then tore apart with massive cracks.
The earth swallowed up countless undead, rising and contracting in what resembled a violent dance, destroying countless undead in the process.
“Hmph. That should be enough.”
After that, Lord Halsenberg casually dropped the staff to the ground. After I picked it up, I noticed he switched his left-hand sword to a stronger two-handed grip.
“Now’s the time to clean up any stragglers. Come on, Master Jung Yong!”
“Ah, y-yes!”
“Haaaaaa!”
Why does he even bother saying such things?
Because he just charges ahead like a bullet to perform an unstoppable sweep alone, anyway.
And so, with my shield of safety now gone, I became prime prey for the undead that had survived his magic.
KYYYYYYYYYA!
EIIIIIEIK!
A few surviving undead surrounded me.
Panicking, I looked toward Lord Halsenberg, but in vain—he was completely absorbed in his battle, mercilessly cutting down undead like it was child’s play.
“Crap… there’s nothing I can do about this! I’ll just have to hold on until Lord Halsenberg comes!”
I drew Vestark.
As if reading my intention, all the undead around me immediately charged from every direction.
“Ugh…!”
I wanted to call for a timeout, but they wouldn’t give me that luxury.
“Damn it all! Suck on it—Fire, Water, Air, Earth! ALL ABSORB!”
Gritting my teeth, fighting back the urge to cry, I inhaled like a possessed maniac.
Cycling through colors like a traffic light—red, green, yellow—I emitted a brilliant glow and charged headlong into the fray.
“Ugh-aaa! SPARTAAAAAA!!!”
… And so, that was daily life for two whole weeks.
I can’t believe I’m still stuck in my 21st reincarnation. Honestly, I can’t help but wonder if I’m even alive anymore. Maybe I actually died without realizing it, losing memory along the way. Such thoughts never stopped flooding me.
Seriously. That’s why the first thing I do these days when I wake up is check the Box of the Dead.
If there’s no reaction, I reassure myself, “Ah, I woke up just fine today” and wallow in momentary relief.
“Yet again… survived… huh, hehehe…”
Muttering this, I return to the castle and collapse like a dead man.
The next day, I repeat the whole process.
… And that’s how, over time, my life has turned out this way.