Chapter 135: Ruins (3)
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
“What is this shaking? It’s been ringing for some time now.”
“It’s not a good sign. Let’s go up.”
Farrells, who was carrying Gellerd, and Russell and his party quickly returned the way they had come. They found a clean and spacious room, entered it, and laid Gellerd down on the bed.
Gellerd, who was lying in bed, was thin and haggard. He had a fever, and his forehead and face were covered in cold sweat. He looked as if something was wrong with his body, whether due to mental shock or something else.
Farrell looked at Gellerd’s condition and turned to Russell.
“What should we do?”
“Wait a moment.”
Russell pushed Farrell aside and placed a hand on his forehead. Then, he drew out his magic power into a thin, long thread and injected it into Gellerd’s body.
‘Hmm.’
It was not as good as it looked. His heart was beating faintly, as if it would stop at any moment, and his muscles were weak, as if he had not used them for a long time.
He couldn’t tell what was wrong with his internal organs or nerves, as he wasn’t well-versed in those areas. He decided to try healing magic, recalling his past memories.
He did not know the incantation, spell, or trigger words, but he had not forgotten the arrangement of magic power after Evelyn had shown him once before.
A white light flashed and disappeared. However, Gellerd’s condition remained the same. It was because it was not a problem with external injuries or because there was a point that could not be overcome with the help of magic power alone.
However, he had a colleague who was proficient in other spells.
“Calia.”
At Russell’s call, Calia, who had been resting in his shadow, rose smoothly. It was as if the shadow itself had taken on a form and risen, turning into a human figure, and the black surface disappeared like a soap bubble, revealing Calia’s form.
Farrell still had an expression that showed he was not yet used to her appearance.
Aellasis held Calia’s hand, and Irrucil glanced at her briefly before saying nothing.
“Do you know the situation?”
“Hmm. I know roughly.”
“This man is the lord, but there seems to be something wrong with him inside. Can you take a look?”
“Ahem. It’s your request, of course I will. Move aside.”
Calia, who had coughed awkwardly, placed her hand on Gellerd’s chest. As her palm glowed, a red light shone from Gellerd’s rib-lined chest. It was as if a light was burning directly inside his chest, and the bluish outlines of his lungs, heart, and ribs were visible.
“Oh. . .”
As with those who had seen the miraculous magic, Russell and his party watched Calia’s magic with their mouths shut. Calia seemed to be aware of their reactions, her mouth closed and her focus unwavering.
The light that had been shining inside his chest gradually spread throughout his body and then suddenly dispersed. After a while, when Calia removed her hand, Gellerd’s breathing was more relaxed than before.
His breath, which had been gasping as if he were about to die, had stabilized, and the cold sweat that had been pouring out of his whole body had stopped.
Russell checked the heart rate and condition, which were more stable than before, with his magic eyes, but he asked Calia.
“What’s the status?”
Calia, who had removed her hand and stood up, shrugged her shoulders.
“He’s stable now. I shared some of my vitality. He didn’t lose much blood, but he hasn’t been eating properly for a long time, so his internal organs are not functioning well. He’ll feel better if he starts with a light meal.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Calia.”
Farrells nodded to Calia and looked at Gellerd’s details. Then Gellerd’s eyebrows twitched, and he opened his eyes.
“. . .Where is this?”
“Brother! Are you conscious?”
Gellerd slowly managed to raise his body, although he groaned. He sat up in bed and calmly looked at the faces of the people around him.
The man, who had been terrified and convulsing in the prison he had seen earlier, was nowhere to be seen. The man who had regained his composure and calmness, though dirty and smelly, showed the true face of a lord who ruled a city.
He nodded.
“Thank you for saving me. Are you my brother’s colleagues?”
“Yes. Are you Lord Gellerd?”
“Ha, Lord? How absurd. How can someone who has fallen into the trap of a wizard and lost his strength and freedom be called a lord. .?”
Gellerd’s lamenting voice sank low, scratching his vocal cords. Farrells, who was kneeling on one knee, spoke to Gellerd.
“Brother. Please explain what happened.”
Gellerd looked into Farrell’s blue eyes and nodded slightly.
“The wizard, Deckers, came to our city about two months ago.”
Gellerd’s story was not long. Two months ago, Gellerd had embarked on the excavation of the ruins that had been passed down from his father, his father’s father, and his father’s father before him.
However, what set him apart from his father, grandfather, and ancestors was that he abandoned the closed city policy and actively promoted trade with other cities and territories, while at the same time accelerating the excavation speed of the ruins.
Hedilund had rapidly prospered, gathering the city’s wealth that its ancestors had collected or squandered for generations, and using it to promote development.
And the excavation of the ruins, which had been left to adventurers and travelers, was also accelerated by inviting experts.
Whether Gellerd’s efforts had paid off, the development of the city was accompanied by the ruins buried deep underground, and they began to yield treasures that had never been seen before.
After excavating the treasures and exploring the labyrinthine structures, Gellerd succeeded in excavating what could be called the discovery of the century.
It was a golem. A golem was so old that it was impossible to tell whether it was hundreds or thousands of years old. However, it was not the space where the golem was kept that was old, but the golem itself was in a clean and intact form.
body that reflected a black sheen, as if made of some kind of material. It was also very strong, and even a steel sword did not leave a scratch.
The current golem magic was limited to gathering and clumping only natural elements.
magic that requires a lot of time and magic power, rare metals found in grass that eat magic power or special terrain, and a lot of effort to create and maintain.
Compared to the effort and resources put in, there were limitations to what could be done, and even then, it was difficult for anyone other than an excellent wizard to perform human-like actions.
However, the golem discovered in the ruins of Hedilund was closer to a completed doll. All that was missing was one thing: the magic stone to operate the golem. That too, one that required a lot of magic power.
However, the golem, which had a structure and joints similar to a human’s and long, slender limbs, was an irresistible temptation for Lord Gellerd. It was definitely an artifact made in the days when ancient civilizations were built.
And that was when someone approached Gellerd. Deckers was a wizard who introduced himself as a golemist.
He wasn’t sure if something was wrong, but Gellerd didn’t think much of it. He showed the golem he had excavated from the ruins to him. He thought that if a wizard introduced himself as a golemist, he might know something about it.
Indeed, Deckers recognized the value of the golem excavated from the ruins at a glance. And as he began to join them, the excavation of the ruins accelerated even further, eventually leading to the discovery of a huge cavity.
“What was there. . . were countless soldiers. Waiting for the orders of their new master.”
They were dolls with more delicate and sleek bodies than the golems found above. Dolls are so advanced that it would be disrespectful to simply call them golems.
It was not known which king, monarch, or ruler had left them behind, but they were soldiers. They had been waiting in one place for a long time.
There was a problem. It was the power source. The exterior had not decayed over time, but the power to move was extremely insufficient. No, it was not there at all.
There was a magic stone in the heart, but it would have taken a month to draw a magic accumulation circle and fill it with magic power.
And Gellerd had no intention of using the golems. The city already had enough soldiers. In addition, there were many people around who would pick a fight or even go to war if rumors spread that the lord had ancient artifacts.
At this moment, when the succession dispute of the royal family was intensifying and the power of the central royal family reaching each region was weakening, Gellerd did not want to be the first to light the fuse of a potentially explosive civil war.
He might have been born with a slightly stronger heart than his grandfather and father, but in the end, he couldn’t completely escape the chain of genes that sought safety.
“But that’s when Deckers came up with a different idea. . .”
And the situation that followed was as Russell had guessed. There are hundreds of golems and ancient artifacts. Deckers, whose eyes were fixed on the golems that were more advanced than the current golem magic, began to use them.
He began to eliminate the lord’s closest figures and eventually replaced the lord himself with a golem discovered in the ruins. In the process, the lord realized that Deckers was deeply involved in black magic as well.
He showed him the sight of extracting a person’s heart and taking their life force while alive, using black magic right before his eyes. It was even more strange if he did not know.
“It’s all my fault. . . It’s all my fault.”
After finishing his story, Gellerd covered his face with both hands and bowed his head. Farrells remained silent, and the other party members looked at each other.
Russell, who had been staring in one direction throughout the story, nodded to the lord when he seemed to have finished speaking. His purple eyes glowed faintly with magic power.
“Stop blaming yourself. Get up. You are the Lord. It is your responsibility to protect this city. Get up and give orders to your soldiers.”
“. . .What do you mean?”
“To protect this city.”
Only then did Gellerd look straight at Russell. His eyes met Russell’s purple eyes. Then, the expression on Gellerd’s face, which had been filled with disappointment, discouragement, and frustration, gradually began to change.
“. . .Yes. That’s what I should do.”
Farrells, who had been watching Gellerd and Russell alternately, stood up and said.
“Russell, just now. . .”
“I used a little bit of power. I’m sorry for not consulting you, but the situation is urgent.”
Thud, the vibration that had been ringing intermittently since earlier rang out once more. Farrell stared at Russell for a moment and nodded.
“. . .I understand.”
Russell, who nodded in response, said.
“Farrells, you help the Lord. Get the soldiers out of the outpost and instruct the citizens to get as far away from the ruins as possible. Aella, Calia, help Farrells. My sister and I will go together.”
Russell, who quickly gave instructions, immediately left the inner wall and got on Kry, who was tied up in the stable. Russell, who confirmed that Irrucil, who had followed him, had gotten on her horse, kicked Kry’s side.
Neign! Kry cried and galloped along the long road of the inner wall. Coming out of the inner wall, he looked down at the city from the high ground where the inner wall was built.
Russell’s eyes, which were glowing with magic power, observed the scene he wanted to see beyond the distant distance. His field of vision stretched out as if a line had been drawn, and at the same time as piercing through buildings and buildings, it crossed the wall that separated the ruins from the city.
The ruins, where darkness and strange mana flowed in a whirlpool, had countless things flickering with red eyes in the hole in the middle.
Russell, who immediately made Kry run again, plunged into the center of the city.
“Whoa!”
“What the hell!”
People passing by were startled and dodged or shouted abuse as the horse ran regardless of the wide and narrow roads. However, Kry leisurely jumped over the countless obstacles on the road, such as stalls and stacked boxes, or changed direction without slowing down and ran down the road.
Russell, who soon stopped in front of the ruins, calmed Kry, who was neighing loudly, and looked ahead.
The vibration had stopped since before. There were no people around. It seemed as if they had quickly left, having already sensed something was amiss.
“Is it the type that takes a little time to warm up?”
Irrucil approached Russell, who was muttering to himself.
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s waiting for us.”
“I didn’t know you were so confident.”
“He’s a wizard.”
“Hmm.”
Russell extended his magic power and shot it into the ruins. Magic power, comparable in speed to an arrow, swept through the ruins, conveying information about its terrain and path to his mind.
“. . .They’re coming up. Be prepared.”
Cuckoo-guk-guk━
As if it had stopped at some point, the vibration of the ruins began again.
━Are you here, trash?
The familiar wizard’s voice rang in Russell’s and Irrucil’s ears.
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