novelraw Chapter 109 : The Land of the Pilgrims (2)
Chapter 109 : The Land of the Pilgrims (2)
Chapter 109: The Land of the Pilgrims (2)
After saying everything he wanted and heading toward Marthus Land, I couldn’t help but feel a certain admiration toward Torquemada.
‘As expected, people who have nothing to lose are the scariest.’
There were a few additional things I had learned through the faces shown during the conscription decree.
The most important was the operation date.
If it was this coming Friday, that meant only six days remained.
And the number of soldiers mobilized for it—two thousand.
That must mean Dellowell’s available forces numbered roughly that much.
If they wrung out every last bit, they might manage a few more, but it wouldn’t make much difference.
The average number of members per Magic Tower, excluding Duel Headquarters, was just over three thousand, but Mallet’s situation was a little different.
Since their resources had been siphoned elsewhere for decades, they probably didn’t even have a thousand now.
‘And among those, not even thirty percent could stand against Dellowell.’
Two thousand elite fanatics armed with holy magic against a squad of three hundred elite magicians.
I quietly weighed the odds.
It didn’t take long to reach a conclusion.
…Naturally, there was no chance of victory on this side.
— Then isn’t that a problem? You must’ve set out to lift the curse in order to increase your odds, even a little.
‘There was never a chance of victory to begin with. The only force in the Empire capable of countering Dellowell’s elite unit is the Special Task Force.’
The Imperial Regular Army was tied up dealing with the beast incidents, and public opinion made it impossible to involve them in something like this.
The Bernhardt Mercenary Corps could be considered, but they had even less justification than the regular army—no reason to join the fight at all.
— Then why go this far for an unwinnable battle?
‘We might not be able to win, but we can at least avoid losing.’
The countermeasures I’d asked Gustav and Michel to prepare were all along those same lines.
If we could just hold out long enough to stall the battle, it would be easier to stir up public opposition later.
‘There’s one more thing I have in mind…’
But the risk of relying on that was far too high.
No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t predict when that moment would arrive.
So for now, just as I told Clina, I had to focus on a fight we wouldn’t lose.
That aside—
The most encouraging thing for us was that the Executors of Light wouldn’t be participating in this battle.
That meant Dellowell wasn’t deploying its full strength.
Each Executor was formidable on their own, but their true power only manifested when the three of them acted together as one.
The mere fact that it wouldn’t happen this time was already a significant advantage for us.
While I was caught up in such thoughts, Torquemada had already reached the entrance to Marthus Land.
“I’m sorry, but if you don’t state your purpose of visit and the time, no one is allowed entry. That’s one of Marthus Land’s rules.”
“Hey, guard. I’ll only say this once, so don’t panic and listen carefully. There are forces within Dellowell colluding with black magicians.”
“B–Black magicians?!”
“Hey, keep your voice down.”
Startled, the guard stumbled backward, but Torquemada stepped close and continued firmly.
“I don’t know how far their influence has spread. So for now, I’ve decided not to trust anyone.”
“I–I see.”
“If records remain, it’ll only raise suspicion. That’s why I don’t want to leave any trace. Got it?”
“…Understood.”
“Good. Then open up quickly. I don’t have time to waste.”
“Ah… understood!”
After smoothly talking the guard into submission, Torquemada stepped into the catacombs.
Drip, drip, drip.
The sound of moisture gathering on the walls and falling to the ground echoed sharply.
‘What a strange feeling.’
One of the typical characteristics of Shadow Intrusion was an increased sensitivity to sensations close to the ground.
While I quietly marveled at that sensation, the owner of the shadow continued forward swiftly.
After striding forward without a hint of hesitation for a while, Torquemada finally slowed his pace by half after about twenty minutes.
At times, he would stop and run his hand over the skeletal walls on either side, trying to gauge his current position.
It was only natural. This “Land of the Pilgrims” was the second largest underground labyrinth in the world.
There were still vast areas unexplored, and it was easy to lose one’s way.
Even I, who had explored Marthus Land more than five hundred times, occasionally got lost and had to hit the restart button.
‘I don’t know how he’s managing to navigate through this…’
Either way, Torquemada was proceeding smoothly toward his destination.
After venturing deeper, he reached a pitch-black section where not even a glimmer of light could be seen.
“……”
Drawing his wand and twirling it once overhead, a faint glow began to spread over his body.
Step, step.
His movements slowed to several times what they were before as he advanced cautiously.
After about an hour of this painstaking journey—
We finally stopped in front of our destination.
First, he aimed his wand at the barrier wall and began reciting a lengthy incantation.
As soon as the chanting ended, the wall of bones vanished, and a thick partition appeared in its place.
“Phew…”
Rolling up his sleeves, he pressed his forearm against the wall. Faint green light seeped out, and the barrier slowly split open.
At the end of the newly formed passage stood an iron gate, humming faintly with magical current.
“They really went overboard with all these precautions.”
Torquemada took out a key from his robes and began wrapping it tightly with protective shields.
After layering about forty barriers, he used his wand to levitate the key and carefully insert it into the lock.
Clack, clack.
Boom!
As the lock released, the crackling current vanished at once.
Rushing inside, his eyes finally fell upon it—
The key that would completely free me from the Incurable Curse.
The Reincarnation Stone.
‘Seeing it again like this… damn, I’ve missed it.’
Slightly larger than a thumb, it glowed with its signature reddish-orange light.
Just looking at it radiated an ominous aura.
Perhaps disgusted by simply holding it, Torquemada quickly took out a small cloth pouch and tucked the stone inside.
Now that his objective was achieved, there was no reason to linger.
As soon as he left, the entire area returned to its previous state as if nothing had happened.
Safely exiting Marthus Land, he quickened his pace toward the carriage he’d left behind.
And just as he reached the small station inside—
We came face-to-face with someone we hadn’t expected at all.
“Where are you hurrying off to?”
Karen Rosefield, fully armored in golden plate and wielding an oversized halberd, was glaring at us with suspicion written all over her face.
‘…Didn’t see this coming.’
— Isn’t this a crisis?
‘Yeah. Stay hidden for now—just in case.’
— Understood.
Even if my presence, seeping into the shadow through the Book of Bright Shadows, was to be sensed, it would be almost impossible for anyone to notice it from the outside.
If it were an Executor of Light, maybe—maybe—they could, but dull-headed Karen? Not a chance.
‘So that means her suspicion is entirely directed toward Torquemada himself?’
Or perhaps she’d been instructed by the Archbishop.
Something like, “Keep an eye on him for a while—something feels off.”
In any case, it was clear that something unusual was happening beyond ordinary duties.
“I wasn’t hurrying anywhere. I simply walk fast, as usual.”
Though Torquemada’s expression betrayed a brief moment of surprise, he soon regained his composure.
“If you’ve nothing more to say, I’ll be on my way.”
But she wasn’t the kind of person to let go of her doubts that easily.
“Would you roll up your sleeves, Sir Torquemada?”
“And why should I do that?”
“There’s something I need to confirm.”
“Haa…”
With a sharp frown, he pulled up both sleeves at once.
“I don’t know what it is you’re trying to check, but… satisfied?”
He had done as she asked, but Karen’s eyes were still filled with suspicion.
“…Have you, by any chance, come into contact with outsiders before entering Dellowell?”
“What are you implying?”
“I sense a foul energy surrounding you, Sir Torquemada. I simply wish to understand its origin.”
“So that’s what this is about…”
Torquemada rested a hand on his waist and continued.
“During this round of inspection, I visited all sorts of places. I’m sure some contamination occurred along the way, but because of the emergency summons, I didn’t have time to complete the purification process. That’s why I’m in a hurry.”
“……”
“So I ask for your understanding, Executor. I still have more external contacts to make. It’s unpleasant, yes—but unavoidable, isn’t it?”
“Well… if the corruption is strong enough to radiate this kind of malevolent aura, then surely you would’ve noticed it yourself.”
“I swear upon my god, there’s been nothing of the sort. You must be overreacting.”
“No. I need firmer proof. If I ask the Archbishop, I’m sure—”
Just as the tension was about to explode—
An unexpected variable appeared.
“Ah, here you are.”
One of the three Apostolos, Bover of Cycal, stepped between them, playing the role of mediator.
“Lord Bover.”
“My apologies for interrupting, Executor. But the Archbishop is urgently looking for you.”
“For… me?”
“Yes. You should hurry and see him. Hmm? You’re still here, Torquemada?”
“Ah, the Executor suddenly stopped me, you see.”
“If you’re both headed to the Archbishop, why not go together? I’ll escort you.”
“No, I don’t have time for that.”
Surprisingly, it was Bover—not Karen—who stopped her from dragging Torquemada along.
“There seems to have been an intruder in Marthus Land.”
“…What?”
That statement shocked Karen, Torquemada, and even me.
Yet the one who’d dropped that bomb, Bover, wore an expression of complete calm.
“So, hurry along. We’ll join you soon.”
Even someone like Karen Rosefield had no choice but to step back in such a situation.
“…I’ll be waiting.”
As she dashed off toward the opposite corridor, Bover shook his head.
“Such arrogance—it pierces the heavens.”
The gentle smile he’d worn moments ago was gone, replaced by eyes filled with pure contempt.
“For a mere second-in-command of a single diocese to dare order around an Apostolos… don’t you agree, Torquemada?”
“…I do.”
Bover gave a casual shrug and patted Torquemada lightly on the back.
“Go on, whatever business you’ve got—get to it. I’ll handle the rest.”
“…My thanks, Bover.”
“Don’t mention it. If anything, I should thank you.”
After some twists and turns, we finally managed to leave the Velut Fortress unharmed.
The carriage sped along swiftly, and before long, we had reached the vicinity of the main gate.
Deng― Deng― Deng― Deng― Deng―
At that exact moment, the five tolls of the bells rang out from Flavia Cathedral.