How a Reincarnated Warlock Lives – Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Trap (5)

“……Say it again. What on earth does that mean?”

King Bier II spoke with a trembling voice. I faced the king and spoke in an unwavering tone.

“What Your Majesty is experiencing now is not a common ailment, but a deliberate curse.”

At my words, the king’s face turned pale. An expression that he couldn’t easily believe my words. His cloudy eyes, tormented by a long-lasting illness, weren’t much different from those of a dying man.

I looked at the king and continued slowly.

“And the person who inflicted that curse is Prince Arsen.”

“……!”

The king’s eyes widened. A face that didn’t know how to react. There was a mixture of shock and anger.

A direct statement with no courtesy or embellishment, saying that the prince is trying to kill you.

Perhaps if an ordinary knight had said the same thing instead of me, he might have been immediately dragged out. Because my words were no different from shattering the future of the kingdom.

“……”

But even the same words can change depending on who speaks them. The words of an Inquisitor speaking about heresy were not something that could be easily dismissed.

Moreover, it wasn’t a vague expression that there might be a possibility, but the most resolute words of someone who had already made up their mind.

“That’s such…… nonsense……”

As if looking for someone to deny my words, the king looked around.

But right now, in this audience chamber, there was only me, King Bier II, and the old knight, Bazenhar.

“……Can you prove it?”

Bazenhar’s words.

Of course, he already knew that the prince was the culprit. In the first place, he had asked the Inquisition for help with that fact in mind.

Therefore, his words now meant, could you show definitive proof and convince the king?

“Don’t you already know the answer?”

Hearing my words, the old knight Bazenhar slowly lowered his head.

“But.”

I looked at him and the king and continued slowly.

“Proving the prince’s guilt is not that difficult.”

What I took out of my pocket was an ancient artifact with a special power, the Knot Unraveling.

“But before that.”

Wooong.

As my will was imbued into the bone ornament I held in my hand, a strange energy began to flow out. The mystical power that unravels the knots of curses was directed towards none other than King Bier II.

Hwaak!

The bone ornament, engraved with the ancient language of the earth that is no longer used, vibrated and instantly eradicated the Catacomb’s curse that was dwelling within King Bier II’s body.

“Huh……!”

“Your Majesty!”

At the same time, the king’s groan erupted. Bazenhar, who was rushing towards him, stopped in his tracks with an expression of disbelief.

“……!”

The king’s eyes, gasping for breath as if he had been submerged in deep water and then surfaced, were shining with a completely different clarity than before.

“Now. Then.”

I muttered to the king, who had washed away the shadow of death from his face.

“It’s time to shed light on the shadows of heresy.”

🔹🔹🔹

Wriggling letters and geometric shapes engraved all over the old walls. The shadows created by the torches lit in the dark cavity were flickering.

Somewhere underground in the capital.

In this secret and ancient place, known only to a very few, a voice that didn’t belong there was heard.

“The, they? Haven’t they arrived yet?”

The owner of the anxious voice was Prince Arsen, the heir to the throne. His appearance, with his disheveled hair and hollow eyes, didn’t look very noble as he asked the question.

“We received a definite reply, so they should be arriving soon.”

Knight Hallen said, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes. From the moment they used their power to kill the prince and queen, they were already in the same boat, but Hallen’s face was somewhat wary as he waited for the black mages.

The devil worshippers of the Catacombs were far more dangerous than ordinary black mages. They were not people you could ever trust and turn your back on.

“Ho, hopefully they’re not not coming? That would be ba, bad. If I sleep, the pain will─”

The moment the prince was rambling, touching his chest with a haggard face.

Hook!

A cool breeze from somewhere blew out the flickering torches. The cavity was instantly enveloped in darkness.

“……!”

At the same time, giggling laughter was heard from somewhere.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t need our help anymore, noble prince?”

A strange voice with a snake-like hiss was heard in the darkness.

Chiik!

The knights standing behind Hallen hurriedly struck flints to create makeshift torches.

Hwaruk. The flames that were rekindled illuminated the dark cavity.

“Greetings.”

On the opposite side of the cavity. In front of the pillars and walls filled with ominous letters and shapes, there were three or four figures that weren’t there before.

Black mages of the Catacombs.

Step. Hallen, who stepped forward on behalf of Prince Arsen, who was not in a state to have a proper conversation, opened his mouth.

“There’s been a problem. We need your help.”

Swoosh. At his words, an ominous sound flowed from where the men were standing.

The black mage, who slowly walked down from the small, platform-like rock that was slightly elevated, tilted his head at him.

“A problem.”

The black mage’s yellow eyes blinked menacingly.

“The real problem is that you haven’t yet secured the throne after receiving that much help. Are you saying you need additional support?”

Hallen tried to ignore the chilly sensation he felt down his spine and opened his mouth.

“That’s not it. His Highness has already become the heir to the throne. However……”

Hallen, clutching the hilt of his sword, began to explain the prince’s situation. The detailed symptoms and current condition. And even the healer’s words that it could be a curse.

“……A curse?”

Interest appeared on the face of the black mage, who had been listening to his words without blinking. It seemed like something he hadn’t expected at all.

The black mages standing behind him added a few words each as they looked at the prince muttering to himself with a haggard face.

“I don’t feel any particular energy.”

“Are you making up a ridiculous excuse because you don’t want to admit your incompetence?”

The black mages didn’t take Hallen’s words at face value. Although curses weren’t exclusive to black mages, this place, the Pain Kingdom, was within the domain of their Modesta Catacomb.

In the land where the Serpent King slumbered, there were no fools daring enough to steal their prey. At least, that’s what they thought.

“……”

The black mage with the pale face and slender limbs, who seemed to be the leader of the group, approached the prince.

At the same time, the startled knights placed their hands on their weapons, but the black mage ignored them and closely examined the prince who was muttering to himself.

He definitely didn’t look normal. Because they had judged him to be ambitious and prudent, and thus worth using, there was a good chance that the knight’s words weren’t just nonsense.

“It’s a bit ironic, considering he didn’t even bat an eye after killing his brother and parents. Oh, his father is still alive, isn’t he?”

At the black mage’s nonchalant and sarcastic words, Hallen and the knights made indignant expressions.

Swipe. The black mage, as if he didn’t care about them at all, raised his pale, long finger and brought his hand to the prince’s body.

While the knights nervously placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

“……!”

The black mage, as if he had been burned, quickly pulled his hand away from the prince’s body.

An unmistakable shock appeared on his face, which had shown no change in expression until now.

There was something there, definitely.

Although it was a faint energy that was difficult to detect easily, there was a curse that was so delicately and secretly woven that he couldn’t even dare to imitate it.

“Who in the world……?”

Who in the world and why would they do such a thing in their domain? A puzzled question escaped the black mage’s lips.

“The wicked servants of heresy are all gathered here.”

“……!”

A sudden voice. Everyone was startled and their eyes turned towards the direction of the sound.

A man walking into the faint light of the cavity from the darkness. The black cloak he wore was clearly embroidered with the intimidating symbol of the Inquisition: a crossed sword and the flames of a pyre.

Behind him stood King Bier II, with a look of astonishment, and Knight Bazenhar, gazing into the cavity.

“Don’t repent and die. It won’t do much good anyway.”

The Inquisitor’s voice, slowly walking towards them, was laced with a hint of laughter.

🔹🔹🔹

“Inquisitor!”

A roar filled with hatred and rage filled the not-so-spacious cavity.

“You useless things. You brought a tail!”

“Bu, but surely……”

“You idiots……!”

Voices erupted from all directions at the same time. Quite an immediate reaction.

I looked at them and briefly waved my hand.

Whoosh. At the same time, a sticky wind swept through the room and extinguished all the flames inside.

Deep in the night, in the pitch-black darkness. It was the time of the black mages and the Inquisitor.

“Kuhuk……!”

Screams were heard instantly. In an environment where they couldn’t even see their own bodies, the knights’ power was practically useless.

If they were masters of the sword who had reached the level of imbuing their weapons with mana from their bodies, they might be able to counterattack, but there was no way that these mediocre knights of a small kingdom possessed such skills.

Of course, if someone knew how to handle magic to some extent, they could use special spells to see through the darkness. The black mages hurriedly looked in my direction and prepared to counterattack.

But there was another fact they didn’t know.

Slice!

A shadow that flew from the darkness cleanly sliced through the neck of the black mage preparing the spell.

“……!”

While the black mage, flustered by the sudden death of his comrade, hurriedly looked around, a red mist that flew from the air bisected his body vertically.

Puk!

Red blood spurted out instantly. I could almost hear Marchena’s grumbling from somewhere, cursing the black mages’ filthy blood.

“Wh, what in the world……!”

The black mages, who hadn’t anticipated a fight, were seen collapsing one by one in the darkness, caught off guard by the sudden ambush.

“Th, this……!”

The black mage, who seemed to be their leader, was seen reaching into his pocket with a face full of rage.

I could see scales starting to sprout on his body as he hastily swallowed a small, wriggling, pitch-black something.

But before he could fully transform.

My sword, which had reached the black mage with incredible speed, was instantly drawn.

“Tell your High Priest.”

Hwaak. The light that clearly flowed from my hand permeated the holy silver-plated sword. I whispered to the mage, who was looking at me with a shocked expression.

“That I’m coming to Harnhell.”

“Wh, who in the world─!”

Crack. The sword, shining brightly in the darkness, cleanly sliced through the black mage’s neck.

I slowly looked at the gruesome corpse of the collapsing black mage and muttered softly.

“Ah, he won’t be able to.”

As soon as I finished speaking, torches began to light up one by one near the entrance of the cavity.

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