Chapter 167 – The Witch and the Black Knight (44)

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“If you break the seal, the most beautiful treasure in the sea will awaken.”

Ophé swallowed a bitter sigh as he recalled the words of the girl he had met at the docks.

He hadn’t taken her words at face value, of course…

But who could have guessed that instead of treasure, a monster would emerge?

Admittedly, it was his own fault for not suspecting that sweet-faced girl of lying…

Well, it wasn’t like Ophé had been entirely honest with her either when she asked about the way to the elves’ forest.

Neither could blame the other—they had both played each other.

“Still, what should I do now…?”

Ophé grimaced as he recalled the monstrous figure that had vanished after demanding gold and jewels in exchange for granting wishes.

At first glance, shrouded in darkness, he had assumed it was a siren.

But—

Pale, corpse-like skin.

Muscles writhing grotesquely beneath patches of missing scales.

A gaping void where its left eye should have been.

It was so hideous that he wondered if someone had captured a siren and tortured it beyond recognition.

Could this thing really be a siren?

There was no trace of the mesmerizing voice sirens were known for—only a scream like an ogre’s death throes. No, monster was the only fitting word.

Even someone as money-crazed as Ophé couldn’t ignore the suffocating curse radiating from it. For the first time, it dawned on him that he might have unleashed something that should never have been freed.

‘What are you talking about? You’re Lazuli, aren’t you? My love…’

Right now, the monster’s misunderstanding was the only thing keeping him alive… but he had no idea how long that would last.

No matter how greedy Ophé was, his life was still more valuable than gold.

…But he still needed that gold. So he had to find a way to grab the treasure and escape before the monster realized the truth.

[Only the truth can free her from the curse of lost love. Otherwise, the same tragedy shall repeat.]

He recalled the inscription that had appeared when he pieced together the shattered seal fragments.

Given his years of exploring ruins, he was certain the message was tied to the monster.

But the inscription alone wasn’t enough to decipher the situation.

The only other clue was this Lazuli… but for now, he had no choice but to play along while searching for an escape.

Just then, the eerily calm waves began to churn—just like when the monster had vanished. Ophé steadied himself.

“Estelle, is this the place?”

“We’re here. Look.”

A refined, almost regal woman’s voice and a deep, gravelly man’s voice echoed through the underwater cavern, followed by a soft pink light illuminating the darkness.

“Humans? How did they…?”

Ophé exhaled in relief that it wasn’t the monster—but immediately tensed again.

This was the deep sea.

A realm impossible to traverse without a spirit’s aid.

There was no way human voices should reach here.

And he sensed no spirits either. To speak underwater without one’s help… these intruders might be even more dangerous than the Kraken or the monster he had just unleashed.

Perhaps a witch, a dragon, or even the ruins’ guardian…

“Found you.”

With those words, the two figures appeared.

A towering man, his body covered in scars, loomed with crimson eyes and a physique that screamed violence.

Beside him stood a woman clad in scandalous pink attire—the kind seen in pleasure districts. Her voluptuous figure, exaggerated even by high elf standards, strained against the flimsy fabric, stealing Ophé’s attention in another kind of intimidation.

The way they held hands suggested they weren’t mere acquaintances, so Ophé quickly averted his gaze.

“You are…?”

Perhaps they were the ruins’ guardians, here to judge him for breaking the seal.

If so, good.

If they were sentient, he could play the victim—claim he never intended to steal anything—and then ask for a way back to the surface.

This was where his centuries of ruin-hunting experience would shine.

Ophé’s assumption was half-right and half-wrong.

Because—

“Alright, Edel! You ready? Didn’t forget anything, did you?”

“Ahem! Quit nagging. I’ll show you my skills.”

The man coughed awkwardly under the woman’s scolding and stepped forward.

Skills?

Was he planning to skip persuasion and go straight to force?

Ophé gulped as he took in the man’s massive arms—each thicker than both of Ophé’s combined.

“Listen well, pointy-eared bastard. Tell Lapis the truth. If you don’t, you too will be swallowed by the witch’s curse.”

“What do you…?”

Contrary to Ophé’s fears, no violence followed.

Instead, the man elaborated further—echoing the words from the inscription.

Lazuli. Truth. Witch’s curse.

No doubt about it. These were the ruins’ guardians.

Ophé internally sighed in relief.

“If Lapis offers to grant a wish, refuse. She will take far more than she gives. And, uh…”

The man faltered mid-sentence, glancing at the woman, who quickly whispered:

“The treasure!”

“Ahem. Right. Gold and jewels mean nothing if you’re dead. If you truly care for the elves, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Have I made myself clear?”

“Good job, Edel! You messed up once, but you passed!”

The woman grabbed the man’s rough hands and swung them excitedly.

“Heh. What did I tell you, Estelle? I don’t fail.”

The man’s usually stoic face cracked into a smug grin.

‘If they’re not guardians… then what are they?’

Ophé was the only one left bewildered, unable to keep up with the situation.

They didn’t look like typical ruin guardians.

But if their information was true… he might just survive this yet.

“Hey, how’d you even find this place? Shouldn’t you have been lost longer?”

The woman—Estelle—frowned as she stepped closer.

Strangely, she seemed to know about him.

It almost felt like she was testing him, seeing if he would lie despite already knowing the answer.

Best to stick to the truth.

Ophé steeled himself.

“About a month ago, in Versha, I met a woman named Josie who told me about the ruins…”

Just as Estelle suspected, Ophé had no leads before meeting Josie.

Left to his own devices, he might have spent a century searching.

Even knowing the locations of the ten seal fragments, it had taken him a month.

“Josie told you? How… Oh. Right. She must’ve read the books. Didn’t think of that… Did I send her out for nothing? The southern continent’s crawling with dangers—what if she went and poked something she shouldn’t have…?”

Estelle shuddered and muttered to herself upon hearing Josie’s name.

“You know Josie?”

“Of course. She’s my daughter.”

Daughter?

[Thanks for the loot! ♡ –Estelle]

Estelle.

That name had sounded familiar.

It matched the signature on the note.

And when he had asked Josie about it, she had dodged the question…

The scattered pieces in Ophé’s mind snapped together.

Ah. So they’re not guardians.

They were just like him—fellow treasure hunters looking to loot the ruins.

Which meant the man’s earlier warnings were all… a setup to steal the treasure out from under him.

Josie must have been part of the scheme too.

No wonder Estelle seemed to know about him.

‘Planning to use me as a distraction while you snatch the treasure?’

The audacity of these short-lived humans, trying to deceive an elf.

Ophé maintained his cheerful smile, but inside, he was seething.

With 300 years of ruin-hunting under his belt, he wouldn’t let them take what was his.

“What did you ask Lapis for? Money, right?”

“Well… yes. I requested gold and jewels.”

“Don’t take it. And tell her: ‘I am not Lazuli. Lazuli is already dead. Wake up and face the truth. Only then can you—and the southern continent—be saved. Lapis has that much power.’”

Ophé nodded obediently, separating truth from lies in Estelle’s words.

The part about speaking the truth was likely a trap, but the monster’s terrifying power was undoubtedly real.

“But of course. I value my life too, you know. No need to worry.”

He chose his words carefully, aiming to reassure her.

There was no way he was giving up the treasure.

He needed that fortune to buy a dragon’s heart.

And Estelle, standing in his way, was nothing but a nuisance.

Don’t make a wish?

Tell the truth?

Be swallowed by the curse?

What a joke.

‘Let’s see who outsmarts who.’

A cold smirk curled beneath the elf’s polite facade.