episode_0500

“Do you know why those called black magicians are so obsessed with Europe?”

It was while on the move that such a question came out of Helena’s mouth.

“Well, ”

“I’m definitely curious. If I had wanted to set up somewhere else, I think I could have done it.”

“Isn’t it because there are a lot of wizards in Europe?”

And those were the answers the three of us gave to Helena’s questions.

Actually, I didn’t have much doubt about that until now.

As Cheongpung said, after receiving such a question from Helena, I became curious about the reason.

So when Hayoung said, ‘Isn’t that because there are the most magicians in Europe?’ I thought it was quite plausible.

Of course, didn’t Helena explain it with her own words the other day?

The warlocks are always longing for sacrifices to offer to the demons they have contracted with, and the most valuable sacrifices for such warlocks are none other than the spirit creatures born from ordinary animals learning spirituality through some opportunity. .

However, spirit creatures are extremely rare beings, and it is not only warlocks who covet the existence of spirit creatures, so the wizards who have succeeded in forming a circle in the heart are the ones who draw attention as if they are chickens instead of pheasants.

In other words, what about the land of Europe where there is always a magic tower wherever you go?

This meant that it was a place where offerings that would make one stronger could be refilled indefinitely.

‘Of course, that’s only when the Magic Tower Alliance doesn’t catch us…’

Anyway, to black magicians, wizards are an extremely hateful group of people who try to beat up innocent(?) people on sight, and at the same time, they are valuable sacrifices that will make them stronger, so I thought that Hayoung’s opinion might be the right answer. .

“Well… the fact that Europe is overflowing with beings that can be used as sacrifices may have some influence… but the real reason is different.”

The real reason is different.

So what is the real reason?

“What is that?”

It seems I wasn’t the only one who had doubts about that, as Cheongpung, who was following behind with caution, shed the taciturn image he had maintained and asked Helena that question.

“Warlocks, unlike ordinary wizards, are people who receive their power through a contract with the devil.”

“I already know that.”

“To that extent, we must continue to pay the ‘price’ to the devil.”

“You’re in debt. Debt collector.”

“Then what is the way to satisfy the devil the most?”

When I see Helena’s eyes turning towards me, I wonder if she is asking a question to me.

It seemed like that, so after a moment of deliberation, I opened my mouth.

“Isn’t this granting what the devil truly wishes?”

The answer that came to mind was that it was a precious sacrifice that could not be compared to anything else, but that was my choice.

That’s because if demons were beings that could be satisfied with sacrifices, there would be no way that warlocks would have been pushed aside in the war to gain hegemony in Europe.

So, after saying that, how close was it to the correct answer?

Helena, who had been walking diligently but not resting her mouth, slowly curled the corners of her mouth.

“Then what do the devils want?”

“It feels like nodding twenty times.”

“The correct answer is… ‘body’.”

“Your body?”

“Yes, to be exact, that is their true identity.”

And what followed that explanation?

It was an unexpected name.

“Do you know the story of King Solomon?”

“Are you saying that he saw two women fighting over a baby and decided to split the baby in half, thereby finding out who the real mother was?”

“There is that too… but what I am talking about is the legend related to his ring.”

King Solomon’s Ring…?

Was there such a story?

It seems I wasn’t the only one who found those words unfamiliar, and Hayoung’s expression wasn’t much different from mine.

Cheongpung also seemed to be thinking about something with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if it was his first time hearing such a story.

Did he even feel the same reaction from the three of us?

Helena’s voice broke through the sound of shoe heels hitting the terminal floor.

“According to legend, the souls of 72 demons are said to have been sealed in the ring worn by King Solomon.”

“Are you the devil…?”

“Yes.”

72 demons sealed in a ring.

By any chance, bringing up such a story at this time means that the being we just dealt with is related to it.

“What is noteworthy here is that the only thing sealed inside the ring is the devil’s soul.”

“Ah…!”

“So what happened to the bodies of demons whose souls escaped and were reduced to empty shells?”

“Is it really in Europe?”

Was that really the answer she wanted?

Helena nodded coolly.

“To be exact… it’s in the UK. In fact, they are words, but in reality they are close to cultural assets.”

“Wait a minute, it can’t be… Among the cultural assets that Britain plundered from places like colonies…”

“The Magic Tower Alliance believes that there is a high probability that the true bodies of demons are mixed within it. Well… it’s literally just an empty shell, so the alliance hasn’t yet discovered which item is the true identity of which devil.”

“Then, if you just pick out all the suspicious things and destroy them…”

Doesn’t it work?

“It’s not like the Union side hasn’t thought about that, too. In fact, there was a time when a plan related to warlocks was competing for European leadership.”

However, Helena explained that the plan was ultimately aborted just before implementation due to the strong opposition from the British side and the Tower of Life, which had succeeded in taking over Britain.

“The justification they gave was that they could not sacrifice precious cultural assets containing the history of their country for such unclear reasons…”

“The actual reason is different?”

“That’s right.”

Well… even if I were on the British side, I don’t think I would have made concessions easily.

After all, didn’t Helena say that the devil is magic itself?

But what a devil’s body.

If it is even called a ‘true body’, it would mean that it is a fairly important item even from the devil’s point of view. If you take something like that and study it, the results you can get from it will not be small.

“The problem is that we cannot argue with the UK over that matter. Since the Magic Tower of Life’s position within the alliance is so large…”

“It means that it is a difficult situation for the coalition to do this or that.”

“That’s right. Thanks to this, the Alliance had to constantly suffer from attacks from warlocks.”

I thought I was just longing for Europe because it felt like home, but there was a clearer reason than that…

“It was definitely like that until now…”

“···?”

“If it is clearly revealed which artifact is the true form of the devil, they will no longer be able to be deterred, right?”

···wait for a sec.

I can’t believe why I took the pitch-black piece that came from defeating the monster wearing the girl’s mask earlier…

I went towards the place where the piece in question fell, picked it up, and stuffed it into my sleeve, so my unique research disease was activated again.

It wasn’t for research, it was for intimidation…?

A strange shiver ran down my spine at the truth I had just realized, but I decided not to delve any further.

To be honest, I think I did enough to act as a volunteer who did not sit idly by and watch the crisis in the Magic Tower Alliance, but I did not want to get involved in matters that made my bones ache just by hearing about them, such as political issues within the alliance.

What’s the problem with that?

My honest feelings and position were that what I experienced in reality was enough.

“Well, anyway… that’s what’s important.”

“Hmm?”

“Someone is manipulating the devil, and that someone may be holding the ring of King Solomon, whose whereabouts are known to be unknown.”

“Wait a minute, that means…”

“I just took care of one, and there’s one more where I’m headed… so after taking care of that, there will be 70 left.”

As soon as I heard that, I felt it right away.

Contrary to the initial expectation that it would be resolved easily once the 1st Magic Army was safely brought to Europe, this matter was not going to end easily.

‘There may still be close to 70 of them that are the same or stronger than the ones we just saw…’

I think it’s premature, but this…