NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 76
Akasha leaves behind a spiritual object upon her ascension, with the probability determined by the understanding between us, which in my experience is nearly 10%.
Clatter, clatter.
Unconsciously, my gaze turned towards the sarcophagus.
A gold bracelet adorned with jewels was shifting.
Then, it was drawn towards me like a magnet and suddenly touched my feet.
That which emanated a marvelous spirit was the farewell gift Akasha had given me.
Honestly, it felt a little burdensome, but I couldn’t ignore the sentiment.
I held the bracelet in my hand and bowed my head in silence before the sarcophagus.
After sincerely wishing her peace, I raised my head.
My view filled with notification windows surrounding the bracelet.
[Gold Bracelet imbued with the Blessing of Guardian Spirit Akasha (S+)]
[Enhancement Success Rate: 2%]
[※ Caution! If enhancement fails, it will be automatically destroyed!]
[If enhancement fails, cooldown will reset.]
[Would you like to enhance the Gold Bracelet imbued with the Blessing of Guardian Spirit Akasha (S+)?]
[YES/NO]
The bracelet of Guardian Spirit Akasha nullifies all curses and debuffs regardless of its grade.
This rendered the previously limited-grade Pendant of the Lionheart King useless.
I should pass the pendant onto one of them.
As I thought this and turned my body, I flinched momentarily.
“….”
Why are both of you looking at me like that?
The look in my mother’s eyes when I first joined the army was just like that.
This atmosphere was, how should I put it, quite uncomfortable.
“Ahem.”
After a deliberate cough, the two returned to their original state.
“Play rock-paper-scissors.”
“…What?”
“…Huh?”
“Rock-paper-scissors.”
I’ll give the pendant to the winner.
They both looked bewildered but eventually moved their fists up and down.
And it was decided in the first round.
Cecilia chose scissors, Charlotte chose cloth.
I took off the pendant around my neck and handed it to Cecilia.
Even during this moment, Cecilia stared at me intently.
“This is a gift. Take it.”
“….”
Cecilia continued to gaze at me blankly.
Helplessly, I put the pendant around her neck.
“Oh.”
“…?”
The string got accidentally caught on her nose.
Having a nose that silly was a bit much.
I carefully straightened the string and placed it properly around her neck.
“It suits you well.”
It felt as though time had stopped, for Cecilia remained utterly still.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp killing intent from the side.
Charlotte was glaring daggers at Cecilia with sidelong glances.
It was so intense that even I felt a chill down my spine.
“Charlotte.”
“….”
“Charlotte.”
“Oh, yes.”
“Don’t be heartbroken. I’ll give you one next time.”
“…Thank you.”
She didn’t say anything about declining.
Meanwhile, Cecilia continued to stare at me without moving.
‘Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?’
I knew her personality, but it was frustrating at this moment.
As I tried to leave the crypt, she finally started to move along with me.
If she hadn’t, I would have left her behind as it was!
***
Only the sound of footsteps echoed quietly in the corridor.
The three of us walked in silence for a while, and our breaths became shallow, enveloped by a suffocating stillness.
“….”
Cecilia was observing Barugore’s back as he led the way.
Since the beginning, her gaze had been fixed solely on him.
‘I had so many things I wanted to achieve. Desires and ambitions, which left me with regrets and longing in life.’
His voice echoed in my mind like a haunting refrain.
Though it was true back then, even now that remorseful tone pricked at my heart.
Cecilia believed that her mentor had almost lost all his memories.
But he vividly remembered only the regrets and longings.
At the end of consciousness, Cecilia stopped abruptly.
“Master.”
Barugore’s steps halted as well.
There were many questions she wanted to ask him, but it would be rude to ask them too eagerly.
Cecilia opened her mouth with curiosity that had nothing to do with her feelings.
“How did you know? That we could let her ascend through the requiem.”
“…I could see the girl’s pain. Probably because she was in a similar situation to mine.”
In a similar situation to mine.
Cecilia saw her story in the words engraved on the walls.
A queen who had been executed unjustly and tragically, despite her efforts for the world.
Cecilia saw her and her master’s figure overlap.
Naturally, a question arose in her mind.
Did her master also feel solidarity with her, as I did?
Was that why he sought to soothe her soul through the requiem?
In reality, to Cecilia, he was a man worthy of pity.
The one who should be comforted was none other than her mentor.
“You said you lost your memories of me.”
Cecilia caused him to lose his most precious memory through her sword strike.
The relationship with his disciple would indeed be a cherished memory for him.
He might reflect on the rest of his memories as intact, thinking that he only lost his memories of her.
But Cecilia thought differently.
Perhaps all his memories were not intact at all.
“Is that really true?”
A brief silence reigned.
He finally opened his mouth with great difficulty.
“I only remember a portion of my life before death. I do not have any memories of you.”
“….”
Her mentor had forgotten all the happy and cherished memories.
Without realizing it, Cecilia placed her fist on her chest.
It was I who had taken them all away.
Like then, a painful breath escaped her heart.
“Then, Master, do you only have bad memories left?”
Because once you lose cherished memories, only the bad ones remain.
Regrets and longings. How he died. What mindset he had to die in.
In speaking with the spirit, he had revealed all his inner thoughts.
The only recollections he could cherish were those of sorrow.
“Most of them.”
Cecilia had to tightly grip the drifting consciousness.
That voice from earlier echoed vividly in her ears.
‘Why did I do that? Why was I generous to myself and strict with others in life? Should I not have loved others more? I wanted to be a better person, but by then, I was already like this. After dying, all that remained was regret and longing.’
True to his heroic nature, as expected of Lucas, it was a typical lament.
Despite having lost both his name and title, how could he still possess such feelings?
Though he always thought of others, why did he regret not doing more? Cecilia could not comprehend that sentiment.
He had lost only his cherished memories.
All that remained to him were sorrowful remembrances and regret to wallow in.
The only way to recall himself was to be buried in anguish. Cecilia found that reality too pitiable and lamentable.
Regrettably, he could not even harbor a sense of vengeance.
He undoubtedly cursed and hated humanity, yet his sorrow turned into regret over time until only regrets and longings remained.
In life and now, he simply let sorrow kill him.
“I’m sorry.”
I felt endless guilt for leaving him with only painful memories.
If it weren’t for me, he might have had happy memories.
“Master, I feel so sorry for you.”
Those words slipped out of her mouth unbidden.
Her steps were getting closer to him.
Just as she was about to wrap him in an embrace, her nape was pulled back.
Cecilia fumbled, extending only her arms toward him.
After a moment of that, she glared at Charlotte behind her.
“What are you doing?”
“Do not touch Our Lord. How many times must I say this?”
“…What does a witch know?”
The emotions that had been immersed were ignited by a mere witch.
Should I really kill her?
A chilling air washed over both of them at that moment.
Barugore exhaled a sigh that resembled a cold breath, turning away from the two and walking ahead.
The two, moments away from a showdown, quickly followed him as if nothing had happened.
Ah right. Cecilia, who had been muttering to herself, tightened her grip on the pendant in her hand.
Then, with a purposeful glance towards Charlotte, she said,
“Thank you for the gift, Master. I will cherish it.”
You don’t have something like this, right? Jealous?
Despite her blatant behavior, Charlotte bit her lip in frustration.
Just then, a thought flickered in her mind, prompting her to let out a derisive laugh.
‘Please take care to treasure it.’
If she had her way, she’d unbutton her top and show off the relic far beyond mere comparison.
Charlotte barely suppressed her impulse and straightened the bones hidden in her collar.
Go ahead and keep it forever. That pendant of the Lionheart King is nothing compared to this.
Charlotte scoffed, relishing her superiority.
***
The final boss of the Dragon King’s Tomb was the Bond Dragon.
However, it wasn’t the true master of the dungeon but merely a loyal follower.
On the other hand, the true final boss here was the anti-mage Benedict, the dungeon’s actual master.
Judging solely by the level of challenge, this place was far more difficult.
‘My method is certainly not orthodox.’
Yet, I didn’t plan to soothe his spirit like before.
In fact, I couldn’t be sure if this method would even work.
If all else fails, I guess I’ll just have to tackle it the traditional way.
With the three of us, while it might be tough, I believe victory is still possible.
We had now arrived at the anti-mage’s crypt.
The iron gate was decorated with all sorts of geometric patterns and bizarre depictions.
“Master, how did you know this place?”
“I don’t know the details either. It just happened to be in my memories.”
I had benefited immensely from having the undead around.
Even if I just glossed over things, others would simply accept it.
Of course, the fact that both of them had max affinity with me played a part in that too.
“Charlotte, channel your magical energy into this door. One element at a time.”
No sooner had I spoken than Charlotte placed her hand on the door.
Zzzzt!
As if reacting to the magical energy, sparks flew from the door.
While there was an anti-magic barrier commensurate with the magical energy, paradoxically, elemental magic served as the key.
Charlotte shot me a slightly bewildered glance.
I nodded affirmatively to suggest she should proceed.
Reluctantly, Charlotte began to condense magical energy in her fingertips.
Elemental magic, ice magic, lightning magic, dark magic.
Finally, it was the moment I brought forth the holy power from my sacred sword.
Kuguguugugu─
The iron gate began to open with a grand noise.
Startled, Charlotte took a step back.
Beyond this revealed space was a crypt steeped in darkness and spiritual energy.
Akasha’s crypt had felt ominous, but this place was on an entirely different level.
“Let’s go in.”
As I stepped inside first, they followed closely behind me.
‘Let’s end this amicably…’
I wanted to negotiate delicately so I could acquire mana eaters.
I sincerely hoped they would have a fruitful negotiation.