Ch. 71 Munchkin – Chapter 71
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 71
The third basement level of Cryfel Castle.
It was just an empty space.
Aside from thirteen large pillars, there was nothing.
“What is this…?”
People murmured.
“There don’t seem to be any monsters here…”
“This place feels… strange.”
“What are these pillars…?”
Zeke looked at Brian.
“We should turn back. Since there are no monsters here, let’s head back up…”
Suddenly, Zeke stopped speaking.
The staircase they had just descended was gone.
“Huh?”
“The staircase… it’s gone?”
“The staircase we just came down…!”
Where the staircase had been, there was now a smooth wall.
“I-I’ll check if there’s some kind of magical mechanism.”
A mage tried to channel mana and touched the wall.
But soon, he shook his head with a grim expression.
“…No. Mana is still sealed here.”
Just then.
Someone began to laugh slowly.
“Hehehe…”
The source of the voice was Cecilia.
“Finally… all the sacrifices for the ritual have gathered…”
“?”
Everyone looked bewildered.
Cecilia walked over and gently touched the pillars.
“Finally, thirteen humans are prepared…”
“Cecilia, what are you talking about?”
Zeke asked, but Cecilia didn’t answer.
She just muttered darkly to herself.
“Three hundred years ago, one of them escaped, and the ritual failed… But this time will be different… No one can escape…”
Cecilia’s face twisted.
Her smooth skin melted, and her hair turned white.
The face of a young woman instantly transformed into that of an old crone.
“This time, the ritual will succeed…”
“No way.”
Zeke looked at Cecilia in shock.
“C-Cryfel…?”
“Kahaha!”
A mad laugh burst from her lips.
“Yes, I am Cryfel! For three hundred years, I’ve waited for this moment!”
A dark red energy began to emanate from the pillars.
The energy wrapped around the people like chains.
“Gah!”
They tried to resist, but it was useless.
Mana was sealed here, and physical attacks had no effect on the dark red energy.
“Ugh!”
One by one, they were dragged toward the pillars and immobilized.
But one person remained standing, unharmed.
“…?”
Cryfel tilted her head, staring at the one who remained unaffected.
“You… what are you?”
It was Lucy.
The dark red energy couldn’t touch Lucy.
It was because of her skill.
Shadow Shield.
A shadow flowing from Lucy’s body blocked the dark red energy.
Cryfel’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“A… a witch…?”
The shadow protecting Lucy was clearly dark magic.
Using dark magic meant she was a witch.
“B-but even a witch shouldn’t be able to use magic here…? This is His domain… Humans can’t possibly…”
Just then.
Rumble!
The ground shook, and the space trembled.
The dark red light emanating from the pillars grew brighter.
“Ah…!”
Cryfel cried out in a trembling voice.
“H-He’s coming…! He’s…!”
A magic circle appeared on the floor, and black smoke began to rise, forming a shape.
Cryfel’s body trembled.
“H-He’s…!”
Soon, something emerged from the magic circle.
A massive body, glossy black scales, sharp claws.
Wings sprouted from its back, and three pairs of horns grew from its head.
It was a demon.
“Y-you’ve come…?”
Cryfel prostrated herself on the ground.
The demon slowly turned its head and looked at Lucy.
“…Interesting. A human who resists my energy.”
The demon walked toward Lucy, step by step.
“You, what are you? How can a mere human resist my energy?”
Lucy didn’t answer.
She just stared at the demon and quietly activated a skill.
[Devil Vision]
A skill that allowed her to see a demon’s information.
Lucy’s eyes turned black.
Information about the demon in front of her flowed into her mind.
Lucy spoke softly.
“Agrevan.”
“!”
The demon’s eyes widened, and it stepped back.
“H-how do you know my name…?”
Agrevan, a demon who made contracts with humans in exchange for “eternal life”.
A high-ranking demon, at the same rank as Amon but one level higher. To make a contract with him, the hearts of thirteen humans were required.
Those who made a contract with Agrevan could live eternally in their youthful form, but they would be forced to obey his commands and eventually have their souls taken.
Three hundred years ago, Cryfel attempted to make a contract with Agrevan by sacrificing thirteen humans to gain eternal life.
But one human escaped, and the ritual failed.
As a result, Cryfel gained eternal life but not eternal youth.
Her body continued to age, and at some point, she could no longer survive without maintaining her form with magic.
To make another contract with Agrevan, she had to wait three hundred years.
Cryfel waited, and finally, this moment had arrived.
“Speak now!”
Agrevan shouted.
“How do you know my name!”
“I don’t just know your name.”
Lucy continued in a calm tone.
“I also know that you demand human hearts. And…”
The corner of Lucy’s mouth twitched slightly.
“I know you can’t actually eat human hearts.”
“W-what?”
“You pretend to enjoy eating human hearts, but in reality, you can’t stand the sight of them.”
“…!!”
Agrevan’s face stiffened.
“You even get dizzy at the sight of blood…”
“Shut up!”
Agrevan stammered, clearly flustered.
“N-nonsense! I love human hearts! I could eat them all day, every day…”
“And this form of yours is fake too.”
Shadow extended from Lucy’s hand and wrapped around Agrevan’s body.
“Ah! What are you doing?!”
Agrevan struggled, but he couldn’t break free from Lucy’s bindings.
“C-Cryfel! What are you doing?! Stop this girl…!”
Just then.
Crack!
Agrevan’s body began to crumble.
The black scales, sharp claws, and three pairs of horns all shattered and scattered like ash.
What was revealed was a small figure.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Blonde hair and red eyes.
A youthful, androgynous face.
Except for the small horns on his head, he looked like an adorable child.
This was Agrevan’s true form.
“H-how…?”
Agrevan asked in a trembling voice.
“How did you know…?”
“Just a hunch.”
Lucy smiled faintly.
“I had a feeling.”
“…”
Agrevan hung his head low.
Everything Lucy said was true.
Agrevan couldn’t eat human hearts, and he got dizzy at the sight of blood.
For a demon, he was surprisingly timid.
He demanded human hearts during contracts to avoid being mocked by other demons.
Pretending to eat human hearts made him seem more terrifying.
In truth, Agrevan only needed human souls—he had no use for hearts.
“And…”
Lucy spoke again.
“I also know you secretly collect dolls…”
“I said shut up!”
Agrevan’s face turned red as he glared at her.
“I won’t let this slide! You insolent brat!”
Despite his appearance, Agrevan was still a high-ranking demon.
A powerful being who wielded the flames of hell.
“I’ll burn you to ashes!”
Crimson flames shot from Agrevan’s hands.
The ground around them melted, and the air grew scorching hot.
Whoosh!
The fierce flames engulfed Lucy.
But Lucy remained unfazed.
Once again, shadows protected her body.
“It’s useless.”
Lucy slowly approached Agrevan.
“You can’t beat me.”
“…”
Agrevan trembled and stepped back.
Then, he tripped and fell, tears welling up in his eyes.
“P-please spare me… I-I’m not… hiccup!”
Lucy looked down at him coldly.
“You want me to spare you?”
“Hiccup… P-please spare me. I’m not that bad of a demon.”
Agrevan clasped his hands together, pleading like he was praying.
“Please, I still have so much I want to do. I need to collect more dolls, and…”
“I’ll spare you.”
Lucy narrowed her eyes.
“But on one condition.”
“A-anything! I’ll do anything!”
“Break your contract with Cryfel.”
“Okay!”
“N-no, you can’t!”
Cryfel shouted in panic.
“I gathered thirteen humans…! I waited three hundred years…!”
“Shut up!”
Agrevan waved his hand, and Cryfel’s body began to melt, losing its form.
“Gah!”
Cryfel, who had endured for three hundred years with a rotting body in pursuit of eternal life.
Her end was somewhat anticlimactic.
“N-no…! I must live… forever…”
Cryfel’s cries grew faint, and soon her body completely melted away, turning into black smoke and dispersing.
“Hehe.”
Agrevan glanced up at Lucy.
“Is that it?”
“Release the people tied to the pillars.”
“Okay!”
Agrevan snapped his fingers.
Snap!
The dark red energy binding the people disappeared.
“Ugh…”
“W-we’re alive…”
The people freed from the pillars staggered.
Lucy crossed her arms and looked down at Agrevan.
“And one last thing.”
Agrevan, who had been trying to crawl away, froze.
“W-what else is there?”
“Don’t make contracts with humans anymore.”
“But…”
Agrevan made a troubled expression.
“I can’t do that… If I don’t make contracts with humans, I can’t get souls.”
“You don’t necessarily need souls. I know a demon who’s perfectly happy with just heads.”
Agrevan’s eyes grew moist again.
“B-but I need souls so other demons won’t look down on me… So I need as many as possible…”
“Even so, you can’t get souls by sacrificing humans. If you really need souls, there’s another way.”
“Another way…?”
Lucy smiled slightly.
“I’ll summon you next time. You’ll definitely get plenty of human souls then.”
Among Lucy’s summoning skills, Agrevan was naturally included.
She had never summoned a high-ranking demon before because it felt too burdensome, but now that she had gotten to know Agrevan, she thought it might be worth summoning him next time to put him to work.
“So for now, go back.”
Lucy gently patted Agrevan’s head.
Agrevan slowly nodded.
“O-okay… I’ll be waiting.”
Agrevan’s body began to fade.
He was returning to hell.
“And…”
Agrevan said in a small voice.
“I… really like dolls…”
With those words, Agrevan completely disappeared.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
It’s been a while…
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
The author is a very respectable individual!Either way, she got a great deal! Got to live for 300 years and didn’t even get her soul taken away in the end, what a bargain!
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