NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
An exceptionally capable fool has become my subordinate!
I hid my joy as I extracted the mana from the magic stone that Lucius brought.
Saaah.
Mana gushed out from the magic stone and seeped into my body like mist.
The mana began to flow through my pale skin like blood, and naturally, my complexion started to improve.
The mana extracted from the magic stone is now my vitality.
Rather than vitality, it’s like I’ve allowed mana to flow through the water that flows inside me, but considering it’s the essence of this body’s life, it shouldn’t make much difference.
My lifespan has been extended ever so slightly.
A few magic stones won’t even make a dent, but hey, it’s better than nothing.
‘From now on, I need to gather a lot of magic stones.’
So now, what should I do?
‘I have no idea.’
First and foremost, my goal is to kill Zephar, the Necromancer and Lich.
Zephar has used my seal as his group’s insignia, so if I can find traces of the Demon King’s Army from 500 years ago, I’m sure I can track him down and kill him.
My other goal is to gather as much mana as possible for that purpose.
I know how to return to the Demon Realm.
A demon summoned to the Intermediate Realm has two options: kill the summoner or simply escape through a portal to the Demon Realm.
In other words, I could kill Zephar and return to the Demon Realm, or I could hoard a massive amount of mana and head to the Demon Realm.
‘That’s absolutely not going to work.’
I can’t just go.
I need to boil some bone soup with the Lich Zephar and leave feeling satisfied.
Otherwise, I’d be so resentful and bitter that I wouldn’t be able to sleep for at least a hundred years.
Yeah, just like how I was wronged by the Hero back then.
‘I need to be careful; there are many things to watch out for.’
For my revenge, there’s more than one thing I need to be cautious about.
No matter how strong I was in the Intermediate Realm, I am just a being barely stronger than a slime, at risk of being overpowered by a mere Lich.
There are numerous threats to consider.
The body of a woman that stirs up murky desires.
Yet, there’s a clear ‘function’ remaining, making it optimal for those who can, while those who perceive souls will say, ‘That energy within that Undead isn’t ordinary!’ and will try to purify it.
Those who see my soul and recognize me will declare, ‘It’s the soul of Bel Pegor!’ and attempt to annihilate me down to my very essence.
For example, what if the Dragon Lord I bothered 500 years ago saw me?
-Revenge!
The sins committed 500 years ago might come back to haunt me.
And the most threatening of all is none other than the ‘Hero of the Holy Sword.’
I don’t really think he’s still alive, but if the ‘will’ of those who defeated me 500 years ago remains somewhere on the continent…
“Hey, Lucius. What village is this?”
“It’s the Hero’s Village. It’s also known as the Village of the Holy Sword.”
“…What the hell.”
It’s still there.
I thought it was just a shabby village, but turns out it’s the Hero’s Village.
“Why is it called the Village of the Holy Sword?”
“Because the Holy Sword is embedded in the village plaza.”
“Really?”
Should I run away?
“Yes. It’s said to be the sword of the Hero who defeated the Demon King 500 years ago. No one has been able to pull it out until now.”
“What? Then it’s a scam.”
Whether it’s 50 years or 500 years, no one has managed to pull it out; surely it’s just a sword stuck there for the sake of the village’s history.
“The sword hasn’t rusted for 500 years; that’s amazing.”
“The surface has rusted, though.”
“Then isn’t it a scam? The Village Chief’s family probably changes it out for a rusty sword every 30 years.”
“Until now, no one has succeeded in pulling it out. The most recent one… the Mercenary King couldn’t pull it out either!”
“I don’t know that guy.”
I’ve been sealed away (in the Demon Realm) for 500 years.
The Mercenary King? Back in my day, anyone calling themselves a mercenary lived for their own benefit as loafers.
They weren’t lords of any kingdom, just people who would do anything for money; how could they call themselves kings? Being a king of the Demon Race is a huge humiliation.
“Isn’t there some strong curse on the sword?”
“Curses? It’s simply that those unworthy cannot pull it out.”
That’s a curse. The Village Chief’s family must have it rough. They probably couldn’t leave the village for 500 years because of the Holy Sword and were treated like frauds. Well, it’s lucky if they can scam a bit and make some money as a tourist attraction.
“How about the Witch check it out once?”
Oh.
Did I provoke them too much?
Lucius pointed toward the village with a somewhat displeased expression.
“Since you met the Hero 500 years ago, you should be able to discern if it’s the real Holy Sword or not.”
“…That’s true.”
I met him and got killed.
My heart was pierced by the Holy Sword, so there’s no way I wouldn’t know it.
Unless they completely modified its shape randomly.
“Alright, let’s go check it out. I’ll expose the reality of this village.”
Logically speaking, there’s no way a sword that countless people have grasped for 500 years could be the Holy Sword.
“Look, Witch. That’s the Holy Sword.”
“…….”
As soon as I saw it, my chest began to tighten unexpectedly.
I don’t even have a heart, but it started aching.
Phantom pain.
The pain that tormented me for a hundred years and that I’d tried to forget for nearly 400 years washed over me upon seeing the rusted sword.
“Witch…?”
“Wow, damn.”
It was the Holy Sword.
For real.
*
The Village Chief of the Hero’s Village was diligently sweeping the altar where the Holy Sword was embedded with a broom as usual.
“Huh? Is that Lucius?”
Then he spotted a blonde young man staring at the Holy Sword from a distance.
“Why is that guy in the village…? Huh?”
And the Village Chief noticed.
“Oh my, damn.”
Just looking at her, one could feel her enchanting, otherworldly charm.
With skin so pale it looked like her life could fade at any moment.
But even from afar, those burning red eyes shone with strong determination.
She was a woman whose doll-like beauty couldn’t be explained through the usual phrasing.
An unknown magical aura lingered around her, and the Village Chief found himself approaching her before he even realized it.
“Uh-uh, Lucius. It’s been a while.”
“Oh, Village Chief.”
Lucius still treated the Village Chief awkwardly.
Though the Chief felt a twinge of guilt from his demeanor, he tried to show himself as kind, noticing Lucius being somewhat familiar with the woman.
“Well then, what brings you to the village?”
“That is…”
“Are you the Village Chief of this village?”
Wow?
She has such short sentences.
But she’s so pretty that it makes up for it.
If a woman like this spoke formally, it might feel awkward, and being informal could feel more natural.
“Ha ha, yes. I am the Village Chief of this village.”
But even if she looked young enough to be a child, he couldn’t just speak informally to her.
Even if the other party turned out to be thousands of years old due to polymorphing, at this moment, he certainly held a higher status.
“Who are you?”
If you’re unhappy, reveal your identity.
If she’s a dragon, I’d be confident bowing my head to the ground.
Otherwise, I’ll keep speaking informally. The Village Chief gave a kind smile, continuing to glance over the woman.
“…….”
The woman looked at the Village Chief with contempt.
Though she didn’t show it, her eyes narrowed slightly.
Having experienced disdain from numerous women, the Village Chief quickly realized that the woman was looking down on him as well.
“This lady is, uh, hmm….”
‘Lady.’ Lucius addressed her with honorifics.
However, Lucius hesitated to give a detailed explanation.
Why on earth?
“I am a traveler. A Sorceress. I came to investigate the Holy Sword.”
“Oh, I see. Go ahead and take a look.”
The Village Chief stepped aside, guiding the two toward the direction of the Holy Sword.
And from behind, he observed, admiring the woman.
“……Hmm.”
Her long, red hair cascading down to her waist.
It looked like she borrowed the clothes from Lucius’ house, and they hung loosely as if she had struggled to fit in.
‘What a pity.’
The Village Chief licked his lips.
If only she had worn clothes that fit her a little better…
In that moment.
Fshhh.
A sudden strong wind began to blow, and the Chief watched as the wind caused the woman’s clothes to cling tightly to her body.
“…Oh my, damn.”
The Village Chief couldn’t help but curse.
“……Are you a scholar?”
Though she claimed to be a Sorceress, he couldn’t feel any mana from her.
Still, that didn’t matter as she was beautiful enough.
If only he were ten years younger, he would have liked to take her to the village’s only mill for a secluded moment over chrysanthemum tea.
In contrast…
“Oh dear, it’s raining! It’s raining!”
“Oh, dear, tsk tsk….”
An old woman bent over with a hunch, lacking any beauty, ranting nonsensically.
A woman who was lost in her mind to the point where her own husband wouldn’t recognize her was the Village Chief’s wife.
“The rain of blood will fall like rain!”
“The sky is clear with not a cloud in sight!”
“The time for the Holy Sword’s seal to be lifted has come!”
She continued to rave madly.
“It’s a sacrifice! Offer a sacrifice! Offer the blood of a pure red-headed witch! Then the Holy Sword shall awaken once more!”
“Is there even such a red-headed witch….”
In that moment.
“…Huh, huh?”
The Village Chief stroked his chin as thoughts fired through his mind.
“My son! Come here!”
“The blood of the red-headed witch! Gyaaa!!”