Ch.249Chapter 249 – A Voice I Didn’t Want to Hear (1)

It was late at night.

While everyone had gone to bed after making their final preparations for tomorrow’s battle, Sera was quietly working in the laboratory.

The reason she chose the laboratory was largely because it was the place she had borrowed for several days to research pseudo-divine power, providing the environment needed for her tools.

The laboratory was quiet since the dwarves who had been assisting with the research had all gone to rest after the important research was completed.

Amidst this silence, Sera was crafting something while having placed something on the desk behind her.

“…Good, this should…”

“What effect does it have?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Sera quickly grabbed her staff and looked behind her.

But she soon realized she had overreacted.

“I didn’t know you were here.”

“You were that focused. If anything, I should apologize for disturbing you.”

Eve gently sat down beside Sera.

Then, looking at what Sera was combining, she quietly asked.

“What’s this?”

“…It’s a tool for contingencies. I thought of it during my research but didn’t have time to put it together until now.”

Eve fell into thought for a moment as she looked at the faintly glowing object.

“…Is there a reason you’re preparing this?”

“I still can’t feel at ease. There’s still someone targeting Kay.”

Sera said as she carefully transferred some powder-like substance into a vial.

“Besides, the golem I summoned from Albheim can’t be used right now.”

“You mean that giant tree giant?”

“Yes. I’ve been charging it with magic whenever I had time… but it still lacks energy and probably won’t be ready in time.”

It was short not only on magical energy but also on life force, another type of energy.

It had been her trump card, but she wouldn’t be able to use it this time.

Feeling slightly bitter about this, Sera soon refocused and finished putting the powders into the vial.

Then, with a small smile, she said:

“This completes it.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“No.”

Sera grinned at Eve’s question.

“I’ve been making preparations since we were at Rubrum’s lair, so there’s nothing you need to help with. This is something I just thought of here, so I made it on the spot.”

“Is that thing in the back also something you prepared from the lair?”

“Yes. I asked Perry to prepare it for me.”

Sera spoke while briefly looking at the object placed behind her.

“But I set it aside for a moment because the magical adjustment doesn’t seem perfect.”

“Aren’t you going to call Beatrice or Asam?”

“I can handle it alone. They should rest for tomorrow’s task. Beatrice has been hiding her fatigue anyway.”

“…Because of the two days of continuous interrogation, I suppose.”

Eve had heard some of the results after the meeting ended.

Sera, who had heard them too, spoke with a slightly dark expression.

“We agreed to discuss the details after this matter is resolved.”

“Yes. Both are important issues, but one is more urgent than the other.”

Sera nodded lightly at Eve’s words.

“…Kay. This time, he won’t push himself too hard, right?”

“I pray that’s the case.”

With Beatrice and Mask’s help, it had been decided that Kay would minimize his involvement.

Moreover, Beatrice had subtly paired Eve and Sera with Kay, partly intending for them to keep an eye on him to ensure he wouldn’t overexert himself.

Sera soon tapped her cheek lightly and said:

“Well then. To prevent him from overexerting himself, I should prepare more tools.”

“You shouldn’t overdo it either. You need proper sleep to avoid becoming a liability.”

“Of course.”

Eve and Sera looked at each other and smiled for a moment.

“By the way, Eve, I don’t think you came just to talk about that.”

“Actually, I wanted to tell Seraphina something.”

Eve smiled at Sera.

“What did you want to say?”

“It’s nothing major. After this is over, I was thinking of suggesting we spend a day at the hot springs, and I wanted to ask for your help.”

Sera nodded at Eve’s words.

“The hot springs were quite famous, according to pre-isolation records.”

“They’re still famous now. There are just hardly any tourists since the isolation.”

Eve said with a smile.

“Since it’s not a place we can visit often, I thought it would be nice to rest there for a day after all this is over.”

“Will we have time?”

“I plan to make time, even if it’s a bit of a stretch. It will be after an intense battle, after all.”

Eve’s determination seemed firm.

Since there was no particular reason to object, Sera nodded and said:

“…Then I should prepare some medicinal herbs for the bath.”

If she mixed them into the hot spring water, it would be even more beneficial for Kay.

Sera quietly nodded, thinking she should check her stock of herbs later.

And watching her, Eve quietly said:

“Seraphina.”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember what we talked about in Albheim, and at the lair?”

At Eve’s words, Sera briefly searched her memories.

Soon recalling the content, her face darkened slightly.

The truth was, while it was good news for her, not everything about it was positive.

“I… remember.”

“Do you understand why I brought up the hot springs to you?”

Sera looked at Eve with a “surely not” expression.

And Eve quietly said:

“For now, let’s leave it at that since this battle is important.”

“Eve.”

“If you’re going to give up, please tell me in advance?”

Eve said with a smile as she stood up.

Looking at her, Sera made a slightly displeased face and said:

“Who looks like they’re going to give up?”

“Hmm.”

“You should be the one to tell me if you’re going to give up.”

At Sera’s words, Eve smiled with satisfaction.

And she quietly said:

“Who looks like they’re going to give up?”

The two women stared at each other.

For a moment, they both wore cold expressions.

But soon, their expressions softened as they spoke:

“…This only matters if we get through tomorrow’s battle.”

“That’s right.”

“For Kay’s sake. Let’s do our best together.”

Sera extended her hand first.

And Eve took it with a smile.

“Do your best. And don’t stay up too late.”

“Yes.”

Though they usually kept each other in check and competed with one another.

They were two people who could join forces for the sake of the person they cared about.

+

The next morning.

After eating just the right amount of food for our stomachs, we soon divided into two groups.

“About an hour left until the operation begins.”

Mask said, looking around at us.

As she said, only an hour remained.

In an hour, the Dwarf Knights would attack one of the gathering points.

And our plan was to split into two teams and simultaneously strike the other two locations.

“As I’ve already mentioned, the soul crystals are important to the demons too. So they’ve undoubtedly concentrated maximum forces at each gathering point.”

Mask soon looked at each member of the group and said:

“It will certainly be dangerous. I hope everyone returns safely, but if unlucky, some might get hurt.”

Mask then looked at me and said:

“Are you ready to walk into danger?”

“Of course.”

I nodded lightly to Mask as I answered.

And then, looking at her quietly, I said:

“I’m also determined that we all return safely together.”

“Kay.”

“Kay.”

I smiled quietly at Eve and Sera, who were looking at me with worried eyes, then turned back to Mask.

And Mask quietly asked me:

“Can you guarantee that everyone will return safely?”

“I know. Honestly, it might be foolish to dream of returning safely when we’re heading into danger.”

I looked back at Mask and said:

“But isn’t it better to think about all of us returning safely together rather than assuming from the start that someone will get hurt?”

I quietly added that I thought that was how we could all return safely together.

And after thinking for a moment, Mask soon smiled and said:

“You’re quite positive.”

“Better than being negative.”

“True. Then I’ll change my words too.”

Mask spoke in a seemingly brighter voice.

“Let’s all make sure to return safely together.”

“Well, I’ll try my best.”

Beatrice said, shrugging her shoulders as if she had no choice.

And soon the hatchlings opened the warp gate.

“Everyone.”

“Helmet. I’m going.”

“Yeah.”

“Take good care of the merchant lady and Sera.”

“Sure.”

“And listen to them well. Take care of yourself.”

“Are you my mother?”

When I asked Beatrice incredulously, she smiled.

And as she was about to say something, she paused briefly, then spoke again:

“Be careful, Helmet.”

“I will.”

Beatrice said as she walked toward the warp gate.

And from her back, her voice was heard:

“I wish you luck.”

“Be careful.”

With those final words, Beatrice’s team disappeared through the warp gate.

“…Could this be.”

“…No, not yet.”

Sera and Eve were looking at each other and muttering something.

And Mask, scratching her cheek slightly, said:

“…Shall we depart?”

“Yes.”

I walked toward the warp gate.

“Let’s go.”

With those words, we crossed the gate one by one.

And the moment I stepped through the gate, I felt hot air.

It resembled the hot air I had felt in Rubrum’s lair.

‘A volcano?’

And beyond that hot air, I saw a red, swirling cloud.

A whirlwind that gave anyone who saw it an ominous feeling.

“The gathering point must be over there.”

“Yes.”

Though still at a distance, we had arrived at the right place.

And although not clearly identifiable, something could be seen constantly writhing and lurking around the gathering point.

Seeing this, Mask frowned deeply and said:

“…What a sick taste.”

“Sick taste?”

“You’ll see.”

Saying that, Mask took the lead without another word.

I followed her toward the gathering point.

And soon I understood what she meant by “sick taste.”

“…Kay.”

“A familiar creature.”

I frowned as I looked ahead.

Along with a smell I had once encountered in the ossuary, the identity of the writhing things before us was revealed.

Rorona frowned deeply as she spoke:

“They’re golems.”

The identity of the things writhing in front was indeed golems.

However, their material was not stone or anything like it.

-Keeeeaaaaaahhh!!!!!

“Golems made from dwarf corpses.”

Lirina’s words as she stepped back, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

And Mask, who had been glaring at the corpse golems for a while, quietly asked me:

“For some reason, you seem calm.”

“…Because I’ve seen them before.”

I quietly answered Mask’s question.

“Was it the work of the Emiris Cult?”

“Emiris Cult?”

Mask looked at me strangely, as if an unexpected name had come up.

“The ones we crushed before were from that cult. Why are they being mentioned?”

“When I saw these monsters before, I saw a purple gemstone.”

I quietly explained to Mask.

And Sera looked at me and said:

“According to what the Magic Tower told us, it was definitely a gemstone created by mixing black magic, necromancy… and divine power.”

The Masters of the Magic Tower had clearly explained it that way.

Mask looked at me even more strangely and said:

“…Black magic, necromancy, divine power…?”

“Its main effect is to attract monsters.”

At Eve’s explanation, Mask’s demeanor changed briefly.

And soon she looked at me and said:

“What’s the connection between the gemstone’s effect and those golems?”

“Those golems have that gemstone inside them.”

I spoke quietly, recalling what had happened in the ossuary.

“…At that time, an acquaintance I first met in the ossuary spoke as if the power controlling the golems came from that gemstone.”

Of course, the acquaintance was Lumen.

At the time, he was just an unnamed lich.

“So it attracts monsters and can create and control such abominations.”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Lirina’s words.

And Mask was quietly muttering something.

“…Was there a connection between the cult and the demon worshippers…?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

Mask shook her head as if telling me to forget it.

“…Should we try to go around them?”

“That seems difficult.”

Mask quietly answered Eve’s question.

“It seems they were monitoring us.”

As soon as Mask finished speaking, the wandering golems could be seen stopping all at once.

Though we were clearly outside the golems’ detection range, they seemed to have sensed us and were now swarming in our direction.

“There must have been scouts.”

“Or magical surveillance.”

Lirina and Rorona quietly said.

And Mask, drawing her greatsword, said:

“…Whatever it is, we don’t have the luxury to think about it.”

“That’s right.”

I answered as I picked up my halberd.

And the next moment.

-“Kyaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”

With a terrible scream.

The golems began charging at us.