Ch.6666. Contrived

Gloria Grace.

While described as a powerful being, she doesn’t actually oppose the protagonist in the game.

Rather, she takes the position of an ally who lends her strength when tackling a specific boss.

But as with any game, when an enemy becomes an ally, they suddenly become much weaker.

And when an ally suddenly becomes an enemy, they become so strong you wonder where they were hiding such power.

Currently, it was the latter.

Gloria Grace was emitting ominous red mana as if what I had seen in the game was just three drops of blood.

“Has the Grand Mage betrayed us?”

“Ahem.”

And when her eyes fell on Rockpellican, the Grand Mage awkwardly scratched his neck and shook his head.

“That’s not the case. I too would gladly take Deus’s head if His Majesty wished it.”

At this, Deia and Darius jumped in surprise and immediately assumed combat stances.

But Rockpellican crossed his arms in confusion and asked.

“But did His Majesty truly decide on Deus’s execution? No, even if that were the case, did he really give such orders to you all?”

“Yes, I received the order directly from His Majesty.”

“Hmm…”

Rockpellican’s reaction showed he couldn’t understand. He knew that even if Orpheus had decided to eliminate me, he wouldn’t have borrowed someone else’s hands in this manner.

Rather, if he could have disposed of me so easily, he wouldn’t have been agonizing over it all this time.

“Deus, what do you think?”

Rockpellican asked for my opinion. Meeting Gloria’s direct gaze, I shifted only my eyes as I answered.

“His Majesty has been possessed by an evil spirit. One like a serpent that has slithered through the long history of the Griffin dynasty.”

“…”

Rockpellican listened to my words solemnly, then glanced toward Gloria.

The only reason Gloria’s knights hadn’t moved yet was simple.

It was because this old man, Rockpellican’s position had not yet been determined.

He met my eyes again and tapped the floor with his staff before answering.

“Well, I owe you a debt, so I’ll trust you this once.”

“…”

“However, if this turns out to be false, before I present my head to His Majesty, I will take yours first.”

“Do as you please.”

The violent mana of Rockpellican standing beside me surged. Gloria’s mana, as she bit her lip, felt trivial in comparison.

“I never imagined you would become a traitor, Grand Mage.”

“Gloria. Remember that all my actions stem from loyalty and affection.”

The ground began to shake. The Grand Mage’s mana started seeping in all directions, and then—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thick, massive tree roots burst forth from all around, attacking the knights.

The armored knights were slow to react, but they didn’t suffer much damage.

At most, a few were knocked unconscious after taking direct hits to the head.

Gloria swung her sword quickly and shouted.

“Fall back! If the Grand Mage has turned against us, fighting underground puts us at a disadvantage!”

The royal guards retreated like arrows. It was truly a delightful sight, but it was also a sound strategy.

We had no choice but to leave this place. The underground prison had only one passage.

I could already imagine the royal knights densely surrounding us once we got outside.

“Do we have a plan?”

Our steps toward the outside were heavy indeed. I kept my mouth shut at Rockpellican’s question before finally admitting honestly.

“My power won’t be of much use here.”

[There are too few souls here.]

The Dark Spiritmaster added with concern from behind.

Since Griffin’s ancestors were Black Mages, there were few remaining souls in the royal palace. Especially now, it seemed the evil spirit possessing King Orpheus had done something.

‘There aren’t even spirits simply resting in peace.’

When people die, they close their eyes and fall into sleep. That is their peace.

But here, even the number of spirits at rest was very small. I considered using Lemegeton to wake them, but with so few, it would be like borrowing a cat’s paw—barely useful.

‘Did it completely annihilate the souls? Or absorb them like bone insects?’

According to the Dark Spiritmaster’s testimony that it looked similar to a demon, that possibility was quite likely.

In the end, even with Lemegeton, the stone of necromancy, it would be useless if there were no souls to borrow power from or manipulate.

“Hmm, Tyren the Judge will probably be outside too. Can’t you handle him? Didn’t you overwhelmingly defeat him once?”

I had already noticed the heavy, dull mana outside belonged to Tyren.

I answered honestly.

“It’s not impossible. But I can’t overwhelm him like before. That was only possible thanks to the souls sleeping at the execution grounds.”

“I see.”

Rockpellican nodded in understanding and turned to Darius.

“What about the Count of Norsweden?”

“…”

Darius awkwardly turned his head away. Even as a count guarding the border, he couldn’t face the Captain of the Royal Guard or the Magic Judge.

“Then what about you…”

Rockpellican turned to ask Deia. She pulled out her magic gun from her waist and shrugged.

“I’ve added magic to this Republic product. But it probably won’t even tickle the people outside.”

The three junk dealers behind us weren’t even worth mentioning.

“…Sigh.”

These were the elite of the elite in the kingdom. We were currently in a situation akin to being caught in the strongest molar of a tiger’s mouth.

“This is truly dire.”

Yet Rockpellican didn’t loosen his grip on his staff.

The stairs leading outside were now visible before us.

“This old man will have to use his strength.”

Rockpellican exhaled. It was somewhat pitiful to see him pretending to be calm when his own disciples would be outside.

If all else failed, there was one last resort. But that was truly a fortress to be saved for the absolute final moment.

So I gripped Lemegeton tightly and said to the Dark Spiritmaster.

“We don’t know what might happen. Stay close to me.”

[Understood.]

“Huh?”

Unexpectedly, a response came from behind the Dark Spiritmaster. As the Dark Spiritmaster fluttered and clung to my back, Deia, who had been hidden behind, came into view.

Since Deia couldn’t see the Dark Spiritmaster, she must have thought I was talking to her.

“Seriously.”

Deia turned her face away in annoyance but subtly took a step closer to me.

Well, that worked out better.

It was safer for Deia to be near me in case she might lose her life.

“Sniff, how touching.”

At the sentimental crying from behind, Deia and I turned around simultaneously.

There stood Darius, swallowing tears as he looked at us with emotion.

“Yes, this is what family is. This is what being a Verdi means. Even if our house ends today, in this place, I have no regrets. My siblings, in the end, we have become one.”

“I’ve never been one with you.”

“Stop making a scene, it’s embarrassing. And we’re not going to die.”

Despite Deia and I denying it simultaneously, Darius still couldn’t hide his emotion and came between us, sniffling.

Then he put his arms around our shoulders, and his strength was so good that it wasn’t easy to shake him off.

“Don’t be shy! That’s right! What is there to fear when we three siblings join forces!”

“Haah.”

“Stop it, you bastard.”

I couldn’t help but sigh, and Deia kept hitting Darius’s side, but he didn’t budge.

“We weren’t born on the same day, but we’ll die on the same day. How wonderful is that? I feel like reciting a poem.”

“Talking nonsense. What poem would you know when you never read a book?”

“I’m impressed that you even know the concept of poetry.”

Despite Deia’s and my words, Darius recited a shabby self-composed poem, lost in sentiment. Deia hung her head in embarrassment, and I decided to just stop saying anything.

The weight and warmth on my shoulders.

This was my first time experiencing such a situation, and while it was annoying…

Honestly, a part of me felt like I had one more clear reason to live.

Bickering, fighting, saying we dislike each other but ultimately caring for one another.

Is this what family is?

It wasn’t so bad.

Coming outside, the dawn moon hanging brightly was refreshingly beautiful.

If not for the red-armored knights and golden-robed judges lined up beneath it, I would have enjoyed a drink with the moonlight as a side dish.

“Be on guard. The opponent is the Grand Mage.”

“I never thought we’d fight again so soon, Deus.”

The Knight Captain Gloria and Magic Judge Tyren stepped forward to greet us.

Their fighting spirit was extraordinary, and just standing there created an unbearably uncomfortable situation.

Deia staggered slightly, unable to withstand the killing intent, so I held her up from the side.

“Put strength in your legs. You don’t need to face them head-on.”

“Mmm.”

Deia, clearly struggling, obediently listened. I stood in front of her and steadied my breath.

I thought it wouldn’t end easily, but actually seeing them before my eyes, I knew it would be arduous.

“I can handle one of them. What do you think? Can you three siblings handle one?”

Rockpellican stroked his beard and asked, glancing at me. I sighed and nodded.

“I can handle it alone.”

The plan is to modify.

Just as I brought Lemegeton near my heart, intending to give it my all from the start—

Boom!

Something fell from the sky.

Thick dust obscured our vision, but Tyren, thinking it was our trick, immediately dispersed his mana.

Similarly, Gloria swung her massive greatsword to push away the dust.

As visibility cleared, two people appeared proudly between us and them.

The protagonist of this world, Aria Rius, with her flowing long black hair, smiled at me.

“Professor! We just arrived!”

“Aria…”

The moment I saw her face, I felt relief without realizing it. I was about to express my gratitude honestly, but—

Findenai, dressed as a maid with a cigarette in her mouth, interrupted as she exhaled smoke.

“That’s bullshit. She kept waiting to make a dramatic entrance during the master’s crisis to make him fall for her.”

Thanks to that, my words of gratitude went back into my mouth.

“Hey! Fi! We agreed not to mention that! I even gave you the strawberry from my cake!”

“Did you? I thought you didn’t like strawberries.”

Listening to their conversation, I stepped forward slightly.

“So you two were leisurely enjoying cake, I see.”

As I glared at them sharply, Aria and Findenai simultaneously turned toward the enemy.

“We just need to take care of those guys, right?!”

“Slaughter maid Findenai, ready for the master! This is going to be fun!”

Aria drew her sword, and Findenai shouldered her axe.

“Haah.”

And I could only sigh.