Ch.183Chapter 183 – The End of the Labyrinth (2)

Christina closed her eyes as she felt the golden divine power entering her body.

‘…This is.’

Unlike the first time she absorbed divine power, this time she didn’t lose consciousness.

She wasn’t sure whether to consider it fortunate or unfortunate that she hadn’t been called into that mysterious space again.

‘I won’t be able to see Kara’s face this time.’

Though Kara had said she would be watching over her from within, Christina thought she wouldn’t be able to meet her since her consciousness hadn’t traveled there this time.

While feeling a bit disappointed, Christina continued to accept the divine power.

‘…Knowledge is flowing in.’

She could feel various memories and information flowing into her mind.

And Christina tried to read the memories she had received, but…

‘It seems I can’t read them yet.’

The fact that she hadn’t experienced them directly might have played a role, but the memories themselves were hazy, as if covered in fog.

But one thing was certain.

‘The holy ground was sealed to prepare something while hiding from someone’s eyes.’

She didn’t know who that someone was.

She also couldn’t tell what was being prepared.

It felt like something meant to be hidden until the very end.

At the same time, Christina gained a certainty.

‘If I continue absorbing her divine power, I’ll be able to read them.’

She was convinced that these memories were structured that way from the beginning.

There was no other way except to continue absorbing divine power and gaining memories.

She realized that this inflexible structure was also designed to prevent discovery by someone.

Realizing there was nothing more to gain from examining the memories further, Christina soon decided to focus on other knowledge.

‘…Divine arts.’

Several techniques she could use even with her current divine power.

Unfortunately, some would be difficult to use immediately due to issues of proficiency or practice, or they might not suit her, but…

‘They’ll be helpful right away.’

Christina was happy about that fact.

‘I can be of help to my benefactor.’

Christina smiled softly.

Perhaps because she had spoken her mind so freely earlier, she nodded slightly as if making a small resolution.

‘Courage…’

With courage, she would try to make the request she had been holding in her heart.

Even though she had merely made up her mind, she felt her body becoming greatly excited as she continued to accept the divine power and memories.

“…This power is for my benefactor…”

The girl continued to absorb the golden divine power while making a small pledge.

+

The golden divine power that had been overflowing around them flowed into Christina.

At the same time, a tremendous flash of light engulfed the room, and I raised my arm to block it for several minutes.

By the time the light finally receded—after what felt like an indeterminate amount of time, as even my sense of time had been swallowed by the light—I could see Christina sitting quietly.

“Christina?”

As I approached quietly and called her name, Christina let out a small sigh and opened her eyes.

“It’s done.”

“That’s good.”

Christina nodded and smiled at my words.

“You fainted last time, so what’s the difference this time?”

“Well, last time was about completely changing the foundation of my divine power, while this time was more like adding to my storage capacity…”

Christina thought for a moment before speaking again.

“It’s like last time was emptying a bucket of water and filling it a little, and this time was adding more water to that same bucket.”

“I see.”

In any case, Christina seemed to be in good physical condition.

“Is there anything else we need to get here?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so.”

I nodded at Christina’s words.

Just as I was about to say we should leave, Christina suddenly made a sound.

“Oh?”

“What’s wrong?”

Christina looked slightly surprised and began searching through her clothes.

Soon, she pulled out something that looked like a large fruit from the sleeve of her worn nun’s habit.

“…When did you pick that up?”

“Well, I suddenly felt some weight earlier.”

Christina looked at the fruit-like object with confused eyes, then widened her eyes slightly and said:

“It seems there was some divine art cast on it to preserve the object…”

“Really?”

“Yes. Not magic, but divine art.”

Christina tilted her head as she looked at the fruit.

“Who would have…”

“Let’s think of it simply. As a gift left by the goddess Evgenia.”

“I’ll do that.”

Christina smiled happily at my response and began putting the fruit-like object into her backpack.

“Let’s ask about this fruit when we get back.”

“Good idea. We have plenty of people to ask.”

We could ask Sera or Fine, or even that lich if necessary.

Any of those three, especially the knowledgeable lich, would surely know what this fruit-like thing was.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

I headed toward where Beatrice and Fine had gone up earlier, then added Christina’s luggage to mine and carried her on my back.

“I’ll climb up now.”

“Yes.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t ascend by kicking off the walls like Fine, so I started climbing slowly.

Fortunately, there were plenty of handholds, so climbing wasn’t a problem.

As I continued to focus on climbing, Christina spoke to me.

“Oh, by the way, my benefactor.”

“Yes?”

“Um, there’s something I’d like to ask…”

As I continued climbing the wall, I nodded to indicate she should continue.

Soon, Christina spoke quickly in a slightly louder voice, as if she had made a big decision.

“…May I call you by your name?”

‘Was that all she was worried about?’

Perhaps I’m more difficult to approach than I appear.

I felt a bit sorry for making her uncomfortable.

“If that’s what Christina wants, by all means.”

“Then…”

I could feel Christina’s arms tightening around me as she rode on my back.

“…Sir Kay.”

“Yes.”

“May I ask one more favor?”

“Go ahead.”

After waiting quietly, Christina paused briefly before continuing.

“Could you call me Chris?”

“Chris?”

“Or Tina is fine too, if you prefer. Close people usually call me one of those.”

In essence, just as I called Seraphina “Sera,” she wanted me to address her more casually as well.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that favor?”

“Will you do it?”

“It would be my honor.”

We’ve known each other for quite some time now.

I’ve received a lot of help from Christina, so there was no reason to maintain formality.

If she wanted me to address her more familiarly, I was all for it.

As soon as I finished speaking, I could feel Christina’s—no, Chris’s—arms tightening a bit more.

It felt like she was trying to press herself closer against my back.

“Then… Sir Kay.”

“What is it, Chris?”

Chris was silent for a moment.

Then she spoke again with a hint of joy in her voice.

“Sir Kay.”

“Yes, Chris?”

I heard Chris chuckle softly.

“…It feels a bit strange.”

“You’ll get used to it if we keep using them.”

“True.”

Chris said with a laugh.

“It’s an interesting feeling.”

Even though only our forms of address had changed, Chris seemed pleased.

A moment later, Chris spoke again with a voice full of happiness.

“Sir Kay.”

“What is it, Chris?”

After a brief pause, Chris said quietly:

“Let’s do our best, both of us.”

“Yes.”

I smiled at her words, though she couldn’t see it through my helmet.

With the certainty that she was smiling too, I continued climbing up the tree trunk.

As I kept climbing, I suddenly noticed the air changing and continued upward.

“…Next time, with even more courage…”

Chris’s voice came softly from behind me.

+

Somewhere in Alfheim.

Baphomet sat in a small cabin in the forest.

“…Of all things, that lich had to be here.”

She could feel something searching for them extensively.

No doubt it was trying to assess their scale.

Additionally, news had arrived that the elves were not just raising the security level of the World Tree and their capital by several degrees, but actually gathering troops.

“Have we… failed again?”

The succubus asked fearfully.

“We tried changing our approach and greatly increased the number of familiars for information gathering, but with that lich there…”

The succubus’s voice trailed off.

Her eyes darted around nervously, apparently quite afraid of the lich.

‘Can’t blame her.’

She had often encountered the lich directly when they had been collecting artifacts together, just the two of them.

After they succeeded in summoning the other legion commanders, she was moved to the rear, but the imprinted fear was not easily forgotten.

Baphomet gently stroked her head and said:

“Calm down, Cusia. This is the last dangerous bridge we have to cross.”

“Commander…”

The succubus looked at her with teary eyes, seemingly touched that she cared.

Seeing this, Baphomet chuckled.

‘…Is this how I looked to him?’

Baphomet smiled slightly, thinking of the current Demon King who had always taken care of her when she was anxious.

Footsteps sounded behind her.

“My, my~ Meri, you’ve gotten better at handling your subordinates~.”

“Shut up.”

Baphomet frowned slightly as she looked back.

She spoke quietly to the shadow approaching from behind her.

“The plan is perfect, right? Vanilla.”

“What do you take my perfect plan for, goat?”

As the figure approached, a woman’s form appeared in the lamplight.

What was visible were long ears.

Dark black skin.

She was of the race known as Dark Elves.

“Says the shorty.”

“Shut up.”

The Dark Elf before them had none of the typical characteristics one might associate with elves, like tall stature or voluptuous figure.

She looked like nothing more than a child to anyone who saw her.

That was precisely the feature Baphomet was attacking, and naturally, the Dark Elf looked at Baphomet with an annoyed expression.

“You stupid charge-happy goat.”

“Stunted log.”

As they glared at each other, another voice was heard.

“What are you two, children?”

“Hearing that from you is a bit funny.”

“I agree. Judging by appearance, you look the youngest.”

When they both teased the boy who emerged from the shadows, he frowned.

Being a demon, he had horns protruding from both sides of his head.

“You think I chose to look like this?”

“Um, commanders, teasing each other too much is…”

As the succubus tried to mediate with a strained smile, the three demons nodded appropriately.

“…So, what’s the Duke doing?”

“Sleeping in his coffin. Says he wants to avoid the sun.”

Looking at the place the boy pointed to, indeed, a huge coffin lay abandoned on the floor.

However, if one listened carefully, snoring could be heard coming from the coffin.

Hearing this, Baphomet wore an expression of impending headache and said:

“That lazy old man always uses the sun as an excuse…”

“On that point, at least, I completely agree with you.”

As the two expressed their annoyance, the temperature in the room dropped slightly.

The somewhat relaxed atmosphere from earlier disappeared, and Baphomet, the Dark Elf, and the boy immediately sharpened their expressions and looked in one direction.

[How carefree you all are.]

“If you’re here to give unnecessary criticism, I’ll pass, you bat demon with bad taste.”

Baphomet quietly growled at the massive black cloak with glowing blue eyes visible from within its hood.

The individual responded with a mocking sound.

[Youngsters.]

The friendly atmosphere from earlier was completely gone, with only coldness flowing between them.

[Recite the plan, Dark Elf.]

“Fine.”

The Dark Elf, who had been glaring at the black cloak that appeared last, opened her mouth.

“First, with the humans who follow us, the summoned magical beasts and demons, and including ourselves…”

Various details came from the Dark Elf’s mouth.

Occasionally, Baphomet and the boy asked questions, and the succubus also chimed in slightly to confirm the plan’s details.

Ignoring the one who continued to look at them with disapproval, the briefing of the operation ended, and Baphomet quietly said:

“This should work.”

“We don’t have any better options.”

The Dark Elf said with difficulty.

“The execution date?”

“The night of the full moon, when our magical power is strongest.”

The Dark Elf pointed to something similar to a calendar used by humans.

Baphomet nodded quietly at her gesture.

“By then, everything will be over.”

Baphomet said, clenching her fist.

“Everyone, listen well.”

At her words, the eyes of everyone in the room fixed on her.

“We will definitely succeed in summoning the Demon King.”

Baphomet spoke with obvious resolve.

The Dark Elf and the boy responded with smirks.

“Of course.”

“That goes without saying.”

They confirmed each other’s determination, strengthening their resolve.

And watching them, the demon in the black cloak looked on with displeasure.