Chapter 38
In the early morning after the party, strange, dense clouds begin to gather in the sky, covering it completely . Thanks to this, it was difficult to notice when the sun finally started to rise in the morning, and before anyone could notice, the whole area was covered by a grey shadow .
There’s a strange atmosphere around the village, and the animals are restless . When the sheep and goats come out to graze, their behavior turns odd almost immediately, and even the sheepdogs, which are trained to work under any circumstances, behave anxiously .
As he helps to gather the sheep, Belgriff begins to notice a strange sensation in his body . His heart is beating fast even if he is completely immobile, and he cannot maintain concentration every time he starts to move .
“It’s a pretty weird day… ” says Belgriff looking out over the woods . He already has an idea about the origin of the problem .
The trees that sway in the wind seem to be the same as always, but he can feel a bizarre sensation every time he looks at them . The old adventurer fears that the influence of that child has finally reached the outskirts of the forest .
The gathering of the sheep extends until almost noon, and it is until then when Belgriff can return home .
Graham has a severe hangover after drinking so much at the party, and now he’s lying in bed .
“How are you, Lord Graham?”
“… I have a headache . This never happened to me when I was younger… “
“Hahaha! That’s a little disappointing, Honorable Uncle . ”
Graham smiles bitterly at Marguerite’s words . She is smiling and active, even after drinking so much at the party .
“I can’t say anything to that . But to be in this state in a time like this… “
“Do you know what’s happening?”
Graham solemnly nods to Belgriff’s words .
“The flow of magic power in the forest has changed . I tried to be optimistic, but the fluctuation has become worse . I can’t help but think that something is happening . ”
“I see…”
“Ha~ . You must rest, Honorable Uncle . I’ll go and investigate . ” Says Marguerite as she stands up and takes her sword .
Belgriff also stands up and places his sword on his waist . “I’ll come too . ”
“I think it’ll be okay if I go alone . I’ll just go and see . ”
“I know you’ll be fine on your own, but I can’t help but have this bad feeling . ”
Right then, Duncan, who has been helping to gather the sheep, enters the house . “There’s something wrong! I can feel it in my bones . ” Duncan says as he wipes the sweat from his brow .
“Duncan, I’m going to the woods with Maggie . ”
“What? Then I’ll go too!”
“No, I want you to take care of the village . The perception of time is different inside the forest . It would be bad if a magical beast came out of the forest and attacked the village while we are not here . Besides, Lord Graham doesn’t feel so good . ”
Belgriff thought of asking Duncan to accompany Marguerite . However, Duncan is not good at dungeon exploration . Also, although Marguerite has some experience in defeating Demon Kings, she is still a budding adventurer . This leaves Belgriff somewhat uneasy .
It wouldn’t represent a problem if Graham could go with them, but right now he’s in no condition to leave, thinks Belgriff .
Graham wakes up and looks up . Then he frowned because of his headache . “I’m sorry… sorry for being a burden . “
Duncan laughs out loud . “You didn’t turn down any drinks during the party so you could break down the prejudices people have about elves! You don’t have to feel bad about that, Lord Graham . ”
During the party, Graham laughed and talked a bit with the villagers and drank all the drinks they invited him to . The villagers felt delighted because of that . The elves were not as haughty as they thought, they too could sit at a table, talk and drink like the rest of the people . Because of that, people began to feel more comfortable around the elves .
Graham knew this beforehand and that’s why he accepted all the drinks he was offered . That was his clumsy way of socializing with the villagers .
Both Belgriff and Duncan knew that and that’s why they don’t blame Graham for drinking so much . However, Marguerite finds this whole situation quite entertaining .
Duncan turns to Belgriff . “I understand . I’ll take care of protecting the village and leave this problem in your hands . ”
“Thank you, Duncan… Maggie, it’s time to go . ”
“Yes!”
Both adventurers prepare their weapons and tools and head into the forest . When they arrive at the entrance, a strong and strange feeling surrounds their bodies .
A warm wind blows through the trees, bringing with it a foul smell . It’s an unpleasant feeling .
“A lot has changed in a single day . That boy is showing his true colours, isn’t he?” says Marguerite with a scowl .
“I don’t know… But we have to go in anyway . We have to make sure we don’t get separated, okay?”
“Don’t treat me like a child!”
They both go into the woods . The trees twist into strange shapes, and the leaves have turned a dull purple colour . The refreshing scent of grass and leaves has disappeared, and instead, a smell of rotten meat prevails .
The roots of the trees are intertwined and stick out of the ground, breaking up the rocks and making the path difficult . It’s no longer the forest that often seemed like a quiet back garden . Belgriff looks around with mixed feelings .
“It’s terrible… it’s changed so much . ”
“The forest is not yet dead . But if we leave it like this, it will surely die . I know of a forest that died because of the Demon King . ”
Suddenly, both feel the number of creatures increasing around them and they immediately draw their swords . At the same time, many magical beasts jump out of the shadows .
In addition to low-rank magical beasts like the Greyhounds and Giant Toads, there are also high-rank magical beasts like the Chaos-Hounds .
“Damn, I think we waited too long…”
“I told you we should have investigated all this much sooner!”
As she was saying it, Marguerite slays some magical beasts with incredible precision, quickly finishing off a large number of them .
Belgriff uses his own fighting style, as always . However, his movements are more precise and his prosthetic leg seems to provide greater support when moving, making his fighting style much more effective .
After two months, Belgriff’s training with Graham and Duncan is finally paying off . The old adventurer is surprised and happy to be able to face high-rank magical beasts without much difficulty .
Even at this age, I can still grow, Belgriff thinks with a smile .
However, the number of enemies does not seem to be decreasing despite all the time that has passed . The magical beasts continue to attack one after another, jumping over the bodies of their companions and making the fight much more complicated .
So, Belgriff jumps back and sheaths his sword again . “Maggie! Get behind me!”
Without wasting a second, Belgriff takes a packet of powdered oil from the pouch on his waist and spreads it around . This powdered oil is an economical replacement for the fire stones that people use to light their fireplaces and stoves .
Seeing Belgriff’s intentions, Marguerite quickly gets behind him .
“Hey, Bel! It’s not smart to use fire in this place!”
However, Belgriff has already taken out a small magic tool and by shaking it a little, it lights a flame . The old adventurer drops the tool into the oil powder and it ignites in a matter of seconds, causing the magical beasts to get startled and stop their attack .
Immediately, Belgriff turns around and starts moving .
“Come on, Maggie!”
“What? But fire will spread to the rest of the forest!”
“Don’t worry . There is a water source near here, also the ground is covered with moss, and there is quite a lot of moisture . There are no leaves or dry grass on the ground, so the fire won’t spread too far . ”
Marguerite had not paid attention to it before, but it is true that when she takes a step, she can feel the moisture produced by the moss .
“That was amazing . So you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve . ” Marguerite says with admiration as she runs alongside Belgriff .
“All adventurers must have at least one . Be sure to remember that, it’s quite useful . ”
The two adventurers move quickly through the rugged terrain, leaving behind the magical beasts that have been stopped by fire . Belgriff occasionally looks up into the treetops to check the flow of the wind and gradually adjusts his direction into the depths of the forest .
As the adventurers go deeper and deeper into the forest, they realize that the deformation of the trees becomes more and more horrific and that the magic power becomes so harmful and heavy that it has begun to cause them physical discomfort .
“Tsk, it’s an unpleasant magic power… That’s why the Demon Kings are… ” Marguerite says with an expression of displeasure .
“…So this is because of a Demon King?”
“Hmm… the magic power is similar . However, it’s a little different from the other Demon Kings I’ve faced . ”
After walking for over an hour and defeating all the magical beasts that attacked them on the way, the adventurers finally arrive at the dome . The trees are also twisted in this place, however, some trees are unusually straight and are lined up at regular intervals, as if they were the pillars of a temple .
Marguerite smiles broadly and grabs the hilt of her sword . “This time I will not let down my guard . It’s time for my revenge . ”
“Take it easy, Maggie . You can’t go on your own, okay? For the time being, we’ll move at my discretion . ”
“Hey, I know what I’m doing too!”
The dome doesn’t have any kind of entrance . The branches are intertwined on all sides . So Belgriff wields his sword and cuts through the wooden latticework, creating an entrance .
Once inside, they encounter an atmosphere full of miasma . The trees inside the dome, which were once large and vigorous, are now grey and dying . All this is caused by the miasma .
Belgriff quickly looks around for the child, and finally finds him lying on the ground right in the middle of the dome . But the child doesn’t seem to be sleeping .
Belgriff quickly approaches the child . The kid has his eyes closed and is taking shallow breaths . The child’s body is covered with sweat and he seems unable to move .
“What’s going on?” Belgriff pulls a tissue out of his pouch and starts wiping the child’s sweat as he looks around . The miasma is getting denser and denser and makes them feel even worse .
“The Demon King is dying, but the state of the forest is getting worse . I don’t understand what’s happening…” Says Marguerite looking askance at the child .
“We don’t know if this child is the cause, Maggie . Does the magic power you feel still resemble that of a Demon King?”
Marguerite frowned and squatted to get a closer look at the child’s face . “No, it’s not . ”
“So…”
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“It doesn’t resemble it . The magic power is identical to that of a Demon King . ” Marguerite affirms as she draws her sword . “I could only feel it clearly until I was close, but this brat is the cause of it all, Bel . ”
Belgriff quickly grabs the hilt of Marguerite’s sword . “Wait, wait, that means we have to be more careful . The forest is deteriorating because this child is dying, right? That means, if this child dies, things could get a lot worse . ”
“This is simply a weasel’s last fart* . The Devil King tries to wipe out everything he can before he dies . ”
“No . This child has kept all this harmful power isolated all this time . And that could be why the child is dying now . ”
“Bel, don’t be fooled by their appearance . Will you take full responsibility if your theory is wrong and Tornela ends up destroyed?”
“Yes, I will . And if the worst happens, I’ll take care of the child myself . Besides, Lord Graham’s in the village, so if anything happens, he can help us out . ” Marguerite is taken by surprise at the unwavering determination that accompanies Belgriff’s words .
At that moment something shakes the dome sharply . The withered leaves disperse, the branches and trunks crackle as if they were carrying an enormous weight and end up breaking . The two adventurers immediately turn their gaze up .
“Ugh!” Marguerite opens her eyes in surprise and raises her sword .
A strange magical beast has broken the roof of the dome . The magical beast is black, has four legs, and is much taller than an average person . But what is incredibly disturbing is that, where its face is supposed to be, there are all the faces of the animals and magical beasts that used to inhabit the forest .
Marguerite rubs her arm nervously to calm her nerves and hide the goosebumps .
“Th-That’s disgusting! What kind of creature is that?”
“It’s like a mixture of all the animals and magical beasts of the forest…”
“H-How is that possible?”
“I’ve heard that something like that can happen in high-rank dungeons, but it’s something I’ve never seen before…”
The deformed beast roars with thunderous force and disperses all the miasma that surrounded its body . The roar makes the child begin to tremble and cry from anguish .
“Scary… scary… “
Marguerite turns to see the child and then the hideous beast . “That disgusting thing is absorbing the child’s power . That thing is the source of the problem!”
“Here it comes, Maggie!” Belgriff hugs the kid and jumps aside . Marguerite also jumps quickly in the opposite direction .
The deformed beast had already lunged at them as it roared fiercely, and just where the adventurers were a few seconds ago, the beast landed with tremendous force, causing the ground to break on impact .
“Hey, Bell! You’re not going to say that we don’t have to kill that thing either, are you?” shouts Marguerite .
“Of course not! Don’t let your guard down, Maggie!”
“That’s obvious! I’ll get rid of that thing quickly!”
Marguerite turns her body and jumps near the magical beat . The elf girl wields her sword at incredible speed, leaving behind only trails of light and severe damage to the body of the hideous creature . The beast’s front legs are destroyed and scattered across the floor .
“Ha! It’s not as strong as it looks . ” Marguerite says with joy .
But before she could boast of her absolute victory, something happens that leaves the elf girl in awe . The leg fragments change shape and become black magical beasts on their own, all while the giant beast regenerates its front legs .
Marguerite is stunned for a moment, but immediately raises her sword again and smiles broadly .
“Interesting . I’ll keep cutting up your body until you die!” Marguerite cuts off the beast’s front leg again and then destroys the little monsters that cling to her sword .
Belgriff tends to the child while keeping an eye on his surroundings . The child still seems to be suffering, but his complexion has improved a little, perhaps because the deformed beast has stopped absorbing the magic power and has concentrated on its battle with Marguerite .
“… Demon King, huh?”
Belgriff has never heard of a Demon Kins that looks like this . Originally the Demon Kings were artificial life forms created by the Great Philosopher Solomon . But for what purpose did he create them? Belgriff doesn’t know the answer, but what he does know is that he must focus on the problem at hand .
Belgriff comes out of the dome with the child in his arms and then gives him a medicine pill, although the old adventurer doesn’t know if it will be of any help . He then wraps the child in his cape and leaves him in a place where he seems to be safe .
“Don’t give up . ” Says Belgriff and then turns to the dome .
Marguerite jumps up and down with movements that seem to defy gravity as she continuously attacks the huge body of the deformed magical beast .
However, all of Marguerite’s efforts appear to be in vain, as the magical beast regenerates all damage almost instantly . It seems that the magical beast has a great advantage since it recovers its strength by absorbing the miasma and the magic power inside the dome .
However, Belgriff is sure that a magical beast like that must have a core . Because if there is no core then that whole cluster of animals and beasts could not exist .
Belgriff takes one last look at the boy, draws his sword, and enters the dome again .
“Marguerite! You mustn’t fight like that! We must find the core of that thing!”
“Core?! What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know what it looks like! But it should be hidden somewhere in his body! Follow the flow of magic in that thing so we can find it!”
“I see!”
Marguerite jumps with all her strength and, swinging her sword with both hands, cuts the neck of the magical beast . However, the head of the beast begins to regenerate almost instantly . Thanks to this attack, Marguerite realizes that the core must be inside the body of the beast .
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Marguerite’s skills and dexterity were superior to his own, so the old adventurer decides to support her by destroying the little beasts that moved around .
Marguerite continues to slice through the monster’s torso at terrifying speed, however, the creature’s regenerative ability does not lag behind . The beast squirms and growls fiercely, but Marguerite doesn’t stop and continues to search for the creature’s core .
“Yes! Here it is!”
After several minutes, Marguerite finally finds an object that is of a different color from the body of the beast . However, the body quickly begins to cover it again .
Marguerite dodges a fierce attack from the beast and then, using all the strength of her body, she stabs her sword directly into the core . The beast lets out a deafening roar and then twists in agony .
“Ha! Finally…!” Seeing the state of the beast, Marguerite lets her guard down .
But suddenly, the creature’s torso is divided into several parts . All the parts are immediately transformed into different magical beasts and surround Marguerite .
Marguerite widens her eyes in surprise and tries to retrieve her sword, but the core has melted, trapping the girl’s sword inside . The magical beasts don’t waste this opportunity and pounce on the elf girl .
“Damn!” Marguerite closes her eyes and then feels a blow that throws her to the ground . However, the elf girl does not feel any cuts or lacerations on her body .
“You idiot! You must never close your eyes on the battlefield!” shouts an angry voice .
Marguerite opens her eyes and is surprised to see Belgriff stopping the attacks of some beasts with his sword while he drives the others away with strong and precise blows .
“Bel…”
“Don’t get distracted! This isn’t over yet!” Belgriff pulls a dagger from his pouch and throws it away, burying it right between the eyes of the beast that was trying to attack Marguerite from behind . The monster gives a sad whimper and falls on its back .
Marguerite bites her lip and stands up with new determination . Then she grabs the hilt of her sword again and shakes it violently until it is free of the core .
“Damn it!”
Marguerite kicks the ground and pounces on the magical beasts, defeating a large number of them in an instant . Each of the girl’s attacks is filled with her resentment of her own inexperience .
She had dropped her guard once more and she was about to suffer the consequences again .
After several minutes of fierce fighting, Marguerite and Belgriff manage to finish off the last magical beast and can finally breathe a sigh of relief .
“Are you okay, Maggie?”
“Damn it . I said I wouldn’t let my guard down, but I… ”
“You can learn from this experience . Besides, I’m the one who told you to destroy that core . I’m sorry . ” Belgriff says softly as he sits down and takes a bandage from his pouch .
Marguerite looks at the old adventurer and notices that there’s blood running down Belgriff’s left arm . “Bel, you’re hurt…”
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious . ” Says Belgriff with a smile . Then he rolls up his sleeves and applies a balm to the wound in his shoulder .
“Sorry to ask you this, but could you bandage me up?”
“…Yes . ” Marguerite slowly approaches Belgriff and takes the bandage .
Marguerite scowls at the sight of the wound left by one of those hideous magical beasts . “This happened when you protected me, right? ”
“I told you not to worry, it’s nothing serious . Besides, it’s my fault for not blocking the attack properly . ”
Marguerite knows that wasn’t true . She put them both in a perilous position by letting down her guard .
Marguerite immediately looks down as she notices some tears threatening to escape her eyes . Once again, she caused trouble for others and can’t help but feel like an idiot .
A few minutes of silence pass by, but…
Suddenly, the flow of magical power changes again inside the dome . Belgriff and Marguerite look up in surprise and see another black magical beast regenerating around the core . The slimy body twists and changes shape constantly reflecting the faces of various magical beasts and animals .
“So you want to fight again! All right, this time…!”
Belgriff rushes to stop Marguerite, who is already up and preparing her sword .
“There’s no end to this, we have to get out of here . Besides, I’m worried about the child . ”
“But… ”
The magical beast begins to rebuild its body even faster . Belgriff isn’t sure they can escape before the beast finishes recovering .
Marguerite, on the other hand, grips the hilt of her sword tightly, if she had to fight, this time she would be sure to finish the job . However, at that moment, a grey cloak appears in the girl’s field of vision .
“Honorable Uncle!” says Marguerite in surprise .
“You’ve done well, Maggie,” Graham replies with a smile, then the old elf turns to Belgriff . “I’m sorry, Bel . I’ve made things difficult . ”
“How long have we been here?” asks Belgriff with a smile .
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“It’s about to get dark . ”
“How are you?”
“A little better . ”
Graham unsheathes the broadsword in his back . The sword immediately emits a strange roar and begins to glow .
Then, the old hero transfers an enormous amount of magical power to his sword and raises it above his head . Then the old elf steps forward and wields his sword down . Immediately afterward, a huge shock wave is exuded from his sword and annihilates the deformed magic beast .
Not only that, Graham’s magical power completely disperses the miasma and the distorted magical power within the dome . Even the air, which was once polluted, is now fresh, like a spring breeze .
That sword is certainly worthy of being acknowledged as a Legendary Sword, and is the only weapon appropriate for the great hero known as the ‘Elf Paladin’, Belgriff thinks with admiration .
Graham takes a deep breath and places his sword back on his back . That attack has left him exhausted, as Belgriff can see the drops of sweat that the old elf has on his forehead .
Graham smiles and turns to Belgriff . “I think I’m too old now . I’m out of breath after one blow . ”
“And yet, it was an impressive blow… Thank you, Lord Graham . You’ve been very helpful . ” Belgriff gets up and pats Graham on the shoulder . “Now, we have to see how the child is doing . ” Belgriff quickly heads back to where he’d left the child .
The child is lying exactly where Belgriff left him . His eyes are closed and he’s stopped shaking . Belgriff places his hand in front of the child’s mouth very carefully .
“Asleep…” Belgriff sighs with relief as he notices the child’s gentle breathing and lifts him off the floor . The child mutters in his sleep and rests his head on the old adventurer’s chest .
The trees sway quietly in the wind, and the twisted branches slowly return to their original position . At the same time, the forest is sunk in the darkness of the night, and the star-filled sky can be seen through the tree branches . It seems that the distortion of time within the forest has also disappeared .
“This is a theory, but the distorted magical power may have created a spontaneous mutation instead of affecting creatures gradually as it commonly would . I have no other explanation for that mutated magical beast . ”
“I see… And what about the child?”
“The child’s body and organs are practically human, but the magical power that resides within them is something completely different . It’s almost identical to the magical power of a Demon King . I’m almost certain that the people who ‘created’ the child used nearly all the magical power within him, leaving almost nothing behind . I don’t think he poses any danger . ”
“It’s amazing how much you know, Honorable Uncle . I still don’t know many things . ”
“Looks like you still need more training, Marguerite . ”
“Ugh… I’ll do my best . ”
“Anyway, this is still a bit complicated . I never believed that a Demon King could appear in the guise of a human being . I’ve never seen anything like it before . ”
“But what was that strange monster? And why did it try to kill this child?”
“This is also a theory, but the magic power of the Demon King and the magic power of humans are completely different . I think that when the physical body was rebuilt into something close to humans, a kind of disruption was created . Which eventually caused the magic power to be expelled until it was almost depleted . At this point, the magical beasts began to merge because of this power and the resulting creature tried to absorb all the remaining magic power . Losing all that magic power caused the child to lose his life force as well . ”
“Heh! But still, that filthy creature didn’t have a chance to defeat you, Honorable Uncle!”
“I’m so envious! I would have loved to have watched Lord Graham’s mighty attack closely!”
“Haha, sorry, Duncan . ” Belgriff says with a smile “But I’m glad you protected the town… Oh, hey, come on, that’s not food . ”
Belgriff rushes to pick up the child who was nibbling on the wood near the fireplace . The child stares at Belgriff with his dark eyes .
It has been a day since the dome incident and the weather has improved considerably .
The sheep and dogs, which had been nervous the day before, have recovered their composure and now graze peacefully in the nearby meadows . Sightings of magical beasts have also decreased and the forest is slowly regaining its usual appearance .
The quiet routine is gradually returning to Tornela .
The child has completely lost his magic power and has no idea of his own identity . But it seems that the child has become attached to Belgriff and follows him everywhere . No Devil King has anything that could be called home, so it was decided that the child should stay with Belgriff .
Marguerite watches the child as Belgriff gives him something to eat and says, “What do you intend to do with that child?”
“It’s not like I can throw him out on the street, right? I think I should raise him . ”
“Raise him? Tha child is a Demon King, you know? Are you okay with that?”
“But he has almost no magic power anymore, right?”
“Well, yes…”
The child sneaks up to Belgriff’s back and put his little arms around his neck, then the child starts pulling the old adventurer’s beard with a curious look .
Belgriff laughs out loud at the child’s behavior . “I don’t think this little guy is dangerous . ”
“Well, this is Bel’s home . So it’s up to him to decide,” says Graham .
Marguerite simply shrugs her shoulders . Duncan and Graham don’t seem to have any objections either .
My family has grown yet again . But I don’t think it’s a bad thing . How is Angeline going to react, I wonder? Belgriff thinks cheerfully .
“In the end, things are the way they are…” No one hears the words Belgriff whispers .