Ch.24Ep.24: Living Flame

When Zeke used his search magic to detect Radios and his group.

Arsia was able to learn one fact while exchanging telepathy with him.

“That Zeke… he doesn’t see Brina’s horns.”

“What?”

“If he saw the horns, he would normally ask if she’s a goblin, but he only asked who that girl is… isn’t that strange?”

Arsia’s suspicion was valid.

Since it had already been proven that Brina’s horns couldn’t be seen by bad people.

The fact that Zeke couldn’t see Brina’s horns meant that he was a bad person.

Then what could be inferred was indeed.

“Brina has the power to distinguish between otherworlders and traitors!”

“This confirms he’s a traitor. But… that guy…”

Arsia’s expression darkened at the fact of Zeke’s betrayal.

It was understandable, as he was one of the people with whom Arsia had many conversations.

The Legion Commander values physical strength, while the Vice Commander values strategy.

The Guardian Spirit, consisting of the 1st through 5th Legions, was created through the collaboration of powerful swords and high intelligence.

Among them, if one were to name the Vice Commander with the highest intelligence, it would naturally be Zeke.

They thought that with such intelligence, he would have avoided the otherworlders until now.

But no. He had been communicating with the otherworlders and deliberately keeping the 3rd Legion alive.

“That bastard… he’ll summon Cthugha when we arrive?”

“We need to be careful from the moment we enter. We don’t know when it might explode.”

“I have a way to deal with it, but the aftermath is the problem.”

Let’s say we somehow manage to prevent Cthugha’s explosion.

Cthugha would already be summoned, and could they stop him with his power that was on a completely different level from Patrick?

Radios thought he had become strong enough during the three months of training.

But he didn’t think this alone would be enough to face Cthugha, an executive-level Great Old One.

According to Hades, Cthugha’s power was comparable to that of high-ranking goblins.

Not only that. All of Radios’s firepower was of the fire attribute.

Jade Flame Tsunami, Jade Flame Sphere. These were all skills derived from Fire Dance, a basic skill of the Tulcha Order.

These skills were not suitable for facing Cthugha, who was called the Living Flame.

They would only strengthen him instead.

“For now… we wait for the right moment. We kill him with one strike without giving him a chance to escape.”

“No. We can’t do that.”

Arsia shook her head, objecting to Radios’s assertion.

According to her explanation that followed.

Even though Brina’s horns had confirmed that Zeke was a traitor.

They had no way of knowing how many more traitors were in the 3rd Legion.

If they killed Zeke and someone else summoned Cthugha… it would be over.

“We need to approach this carefully. First, we should start with a conversation with Zeke.”

“Do we need to talk to a traitor?”

“It’s called a conversation, but we’re actually trying to extract information. Zeke doesn’t know about your ‘Sword of Judgment’ yet, right?”

“That’s right.”

Yes.

There were two things that gave Radios confidence that he could prevent Cthugha’s explosion.

First, the Sword of Judgment.

It summons the Underworld and transforms the surrounding area into the Underworld.

Naturally, what happens inside the Underworld has no effect on the outside.

Next, the reason Radios could withstand the explosion was.

He could simply transform his body into a goblin using the goblin mask.

There would be tremendous damage accumulated, but it was a hundred or thousand times better than trying to block it improperly and suffering an accident.

Also, when activating the Sword of Judgment, it would cover the surrounding area and allow him to determine who could enter or exit.

Radios planned to banish everyone except himself and Cthugha outside the Underworld.

In other words, the only ones to fight Cthugha would be him and the skeleton army rising from the Underworld.

“We need to watch for an opportunity. We should corner him as a traitor and lead Zeke to summon Cthugha there.”

“But as I said, I’m not confident I can defeat Cthugha alone.”

“…What about calling the goblins?”

Through their deal, Radios had gained the opportunity to receive help from the goblins.

Of course, separately from this, there was goodwill with Kraud, and Brina was following him as well.

Perhaps he could receive even more help.

However, human affairs are unpredictable.

Radios didn’t want to waste the goblin card in a place like this.

“…It’s a gamble, but I think I might be able to manage somehow without the goblins.”

“Somehow? If you’re not confident, you shouldn’t rush in!”

“What color is your Near-Sight showing?”

“Green, of course! To see that kind of future would require omniscience—”

Arsia stopped mid-sentence and pressed her lips together as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

She must have seen the future with her Near-Sight, and the color was certainly not safe.

Radios could tell this much from her expression, having seen it many times before.

But there was one thing he had to ask.

“Is it black, or dark red?”

“Dark red… a signal that life is in danger…”

“That’s fine then. As long as it’s not black.”

Arsia wanted to scold him for making such an easy decision.

But she held back. Who could have known the situation would come to this?

In the end, Arsia respected his will.

“Alright, if the commander has a plan, I should follow as your subordinate, shouldn’t I?”

“I always feel awkward saying this, but thank you.”

“But remember. If I think it’s dangerous, I’ll call the goblins without hesitation.”

“That’s exactly what I want to ask of you. If it really looks bad, call them.”

And not long after, Radios and his group declared the activation of the Guardian Spirit.

***

“I heard you called for me, Commander?”

“Come here and sit down, Zeke.”

Zeke casually sat down as instructed by Radios.

However, he began to assess the atmosphere.

He started calculating that something unusual was about to happen.

‘What is this? The air is cold. Even the Legion Commander has such a face…’

His brain began to work quickly.

Where did things go wrong?

He hadn’t done anything that could be caught, so had they really discovered his betrayal? As he was thinking this.

Radios went straight to the point without beating around the bush.

“As the commander of the Guardian Spirit, I will enforce the principle of following orders. Any objections?”

“None.”

“Why did you betray us?”

“..!”

Gooooooo.

Radios’s materialized killing intent shot toward Zeke.

Zeke had only been using his head, but when he received this terrible energy, goosebumps instantly covered his entire body.

“What… do you mean by that?”

First, he denies it.

There’s no evidence, and they know best how dedicated Zeke has been to the Guardian Spirit.

But Radios continued, as if telling him not to make excuses.

“Don’t talk nonsense. You are indeed a traitor. If you have no reaction to seeing that child.”

“That child… is there some problem—”

“I’m talking about the goblin.”

“..!”

Zeke looked at Brina again with a shocked face.

However, she had no horns or anything else that would suggest she was a goblin.

“A goblin? Commander, are you perhaps—”

“That child has the ability to distinguish otherworlders. Specifically, otherworlders and traitors who side with them cannot see her horns.”

“That’s absurd!”

“Don’t get excited, Zeke. Your excitement makes me want to snap your neck right now.”

Crack.

Radios twisted his wrist with an expression of murderous intent.

Yes. Radios was genuinely angry right now.

Even if they had once been comrades working toward the same goal.

He was showing his unwavering resolve against traitors.

Finally, Zeke abandoned the idea of denying it.

“Yes… I betrayed you. So what? Why is betrayal not allowed?”

“Is that what you should be saying right now?”

“Yes. I’m about to lose everything. You, no, Radios, you have nothing to lose.”

He hadn’t been a traitor from the beginning.

Zeke too had the noble intention of protecting Kadinant, befitting the name of the Guardian Spirit.

But that ideology eventually collapsed.

The vicious otherworlders took all of Zeke’s relatives hostage, leaving none.

They forced him to betray.

Weighing between the Guardian Spirit and the otherworlders, he finally completely betrayed them when Radios announced the disbandment.

That’s how he had been passing information to the otherworlders for a long time while hiding himself.

Did he feel no guilt?

How could he not? After being together for so long.

If one doesn’t feel guilt about stabbing those they served.

Then they should rightfully be called a demon, not a human.

But even if Zeke wanted to hang himself with guilt or reveal the fact of his betrayal.

They were always on his mind.

“You’re just an orphan with no family! But! But I!!”

He had lived with many expectations and love since childhood.

Zeke was raised by righteous parents and grew up to be a person with righteous ideals.

That’s why he was at the forefront when the Guardian Spirit was established.

But the driving force that had brought Zeke to that position was now in the hands of the otherworlders.

“Those people are more important to me than anyone else! Guardian Spirit? Kadinant? Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll do anything as long as those people can live!!”

He defied orders with bloodshot eyes.

Radios had never seen Zeke shouting like this before.

But that was one thing, and this was another.

“Is that why you betrayed all of us?”

“Yes! I—”

“If they were really taken hostage, you should have told us first.”

“What nonsense!”

“Did we seem like such heartless people to you, Zeke?”

“..!”

At Radios’s cold gaze, Zeke was naturally silenced.

Yes. If he had really told the Guardian Spirit that his family was being held hostage.

They would have done their best to save his family by any means necessary.

Even if it meant sacrificing the Guardian Spirit’s forces.

“…”

Zeke, who knew this fact well, felt so sorry for them.

Because he only now realized how small his vessel had been.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, everyone…”

“Zeke…”

“I’m really… sorry…”

Just as Zeke was about to burst into tears.

Radios felt an eerie sensation and turned his head toward the outside.

[Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n’gha-ghaa naf’lthagn Ia! Ia! Cthugha!]

[Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n’gha-ghaa naf’lthagn Ia! Ia! Cthugha!]

[Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut n’gha-ghaa naf’lthagn Ia! Ia! Cthugha!]

Simultaneously with the summoning spell to call Cthugha.

KWAAAAAAANG!!

A massive explosion occurred that would devour Noslet.