novelraw Chapter 48 : Chapter 48
Chapter 48 : Chapter 48
Chapter 48. Mammon (2)
Isabel repeatedly emphasized the dangers of the ruins.
“I don’t know how much you know, but there is a dangerous demon in there.”
“I know. You must be talking about Mammon.”
Isabel flinched and trembled.
“Did you really see information about this place in another ruin?”
While I was nodding my head.
Anonymous let out a chuckle and opened her mouth.
“I haven't seen him around lately, so was he hiding in a place like this? It's the end of the world.”
“And who are you to know such a fact?”
At Charles VII's question, Anonymous smiled brightly and held my arm tightly.
“I am Sir Frank's exclusive maid.”
Charles VII looked back and forth between me and Anonymous with a dumbfounded expression.
He must have had a strange thought.
After all, Anonymous only looked like a young child of about 10.
I pushed Anonymous away and said,“She is a distant relative of mine. Due to circumstances, she is currently receiving maid training.”
“Is that so. Well, since your clan, except for you, wouldn't be nobles, it wouldn't be strange for her to work as a maid.”
“Yes. So it's not something Your Majesty needs to worry about.”
Anonymous pouted her lips with a dissatisfied expression.
It couldn't be helped.
I couldn't reveal her identity here.
Anyway, as Isabel feared, Mammon was indeed a fearsome archdemon.He was one of the Seven Deadly Sins, in charge of greed, and,‘The power he actually possesses is comparable to that of the Demon King.’
So it was best not to meet him until the latter half of the game.
But he also had one weakness.
‘He is very weak to gold coins.’
Also, demons and the Demon Tribe are different, so he doesn't lead the Demon Tribe.
If the Demon Tribe and humans were the descendants of Primus, then they were the natives who had existed in this world since time immemorial.
‘He has no followers, and his personality is that of a loner, so he’s not a big threat.’
Of course, if you fight him one-on-one, you have to be prepared to die, but he doesn't have a personality that enjoys fighting in the first place, so you don't really meet him that often.
Isabel's explanation continued.
“I’m telling you this because you seem to know Mammon well, but demons are different from the Demon Tribe. To the Goddess, they were a thorn in her side, and in the end, she drove them out.”
“Yes. Most of them disappeared, but I know that the Seven Deadly Sins, including Mammon, survived until the end and scattered.”
“That’s right. I don't know what prompted him to hide here, but the demonic energy here is so strong that we built the cathedral here to suppress his power. It's also the reason why the headquarters of the Goddess Cult is located in such a remote area.”
For some, it might be a story they've never heard before, but for a veteran player of Princess Produce like me, it was a very familiar setting.
I felt relieved that this didn't seem to have changed much even with the DLC.
However.
Isabel questioned me, asking what kind of ruin I had entered to obtain such information.
“You didn't say anything like that when you were subjugating the Demon King with me,did you? What ruin did you see this information in?”
“I deliberately didn't say anything. It was a matter that had nothing to do with subjugating the Demon King.”
“Even though you knew full well that I would be living here when I became a Saintess?”
Huh? Is that how it goes?
From Isabel's point of view, she might have thought why I didn't stop her, knowing that she was going to a dangerous place.
Showing panic here would make me an amateur.
I opened my mouth leisurely with a nonchalant expression.
“I thought it would be fine since it's sealed with powerful magic.”
“You really are, from beginning to end……”
I agree.
The person named Frank is truly a man of many sins.
For reference, even without Isabel and Anonymous, there were as many as twenty heroines that Frank could connect with.
Some had even complained that they didn't know if this was a daughter-raising game or a game where the dad dated.
Anyway, what does that matter now?
I had regained some of my power, and next to me was Anonymous, one of the strongest in the world.
‘Above all, I know more about how to deal with Mammon than anyone else.’
He was the demon of greed.
He was sensitive to money.
Without the need to fight, if I provided the right amount of gold coins, he would hand over the item I wanted on his own.
Moreover, the Bracelet of Truth was the lowest-grade item among the treasures there, so it wouldn't require that much money.
‘About a hundred gold coins should be enough, right?’
Mammon's nickname was the Demon Vending Machine.
If you gave him money corresponding to the item, he would find whatever you wanted for you.
In the case of some thoughtless users, despite the risk of their accounts being suspended.
‘They would use money cheats to easily obtain the items they wanted.’
Mammon was like a trading post owner who would hand over any item as long as the price was right.
The thought of meeting such a fellow again made a smile bloom on my lips.
I forced my lips into a straight line and spoke with a solemn face.
“In about six days, Count Bruno will bring Marquis Frank. I will definitely find the Bracelet of Truth and return before then.”
“Won't six days be too tight?”
“No problem. I'm so used to exploring ruins.”
Was it because I came out so confidently?
Charles VII and Isabel couldn't help but nod their heads despite their worried faces.
***
That night.
After confirming that my power had returned, I went with Isabel to a deep place in the basement of the cathedral.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.’
Of course, in the game, not in reality.
In the game, it was just represented as a huge door, but seeing it in person was incredibly intimidating.
The size of the door alone was well over 10 meters, and it looked artistically valuable with intricate carvings all over it.
Isabel spoke with a face that looked like she was debating whether to do this or not.
“To open this door, we have to insert the key I have and the key His Majesty gave at the same time and turn them.”
“No problem.”
We simultaneously took out the keys made of gold from our bosoms and showed them to each other.
One was a key that only the Saintess could have.
The other was a key that only the King of the Benedict Kingdom could possess for generations.
This was also the reason I had obtained Charles VII's permission before coming here.
Isabel asked again if it would really be okay.
“Once you go in, the door will never open until you meet Mammon. Are you still going to go in?”
“Of course. I'll be back soon, so don't worry too much.”
Isabel let out a deep sigh as if the ground would collapse and nodded her head.
“Haa. Seeing you now, it doesn't seem like you'll listen to anything I say. I understand. We'll open it on the count of one, two, three.”
Following her signal, I inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it to the right.
Creeak.
With a heavy metallic sound, a gap barely wide enough for one adult to enter opened.
“Safety first. And safety second. You understand?”
I smiled brightly and entered without a word.
Anonymous stuck her tongue out at Isabel and quickly followed me.
How on earth did her character change like this?
Before she became a slave, she was the king of kings, but now she really feels like a 10-year-old kid.
“Light, shine before me!”
Anonymous illuminated the surroundings with light magic.
A huge cavern revealed itself, and a corridor with no visible end greeted us.
Anonymous was slightly excited and cheerful.
“It's been a really long time since I've fought an ancient demon.”
“Did you fight a lot in the past?”
“It couldn't be helped. Before the Goddess intervened in this world, the natives of this world were only our dragon race and the demons. We used to fight bloody battles at the drop of a hat.”
“So in the end, the Goddess turned the world upside down.”
Anonymous nodded her head and expressed her agreement with my opinion.
“The appearance of Primus was the turning point. Because as he created humans and the Demon Tribe from his ribs, the dragons and demons were forcibly robbed of their homes.”
“Then the dragons weren't the creations of the Goddess?”
“We were born from chaos. The demons were born from darkness. Who on earth said such nonsense?”
I see.
I thought the dragons were also creations of the Goddess.
I thought that was why they couldn't lay a hand on the Saintess and other Children of God, but it seems there were other circumstances.
I casually asked about Primus.
“I fully understand that Primus is strong. But what on earth did he do to make you so wary?”
“Oh my. Don’t even mention it. There was even a time like this, you know?”
Anonymous said that there was a huge lake in the center of the continent, and the one who made it was none other than Primus.
“Are you talking about Lake Kalle?”
“That’s right. Even if you dropped the Benedict Kingdom into Lake Kalle, it would only be a part of it. Do you know how he made it?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s the trace of Primus blasting it with magic.”
“With magic?”
“Yes. It’s the result of him ravaging the land with 10th-tier magic that only a god can use.”
Whoa. He can use 10th-tier magic.
Then doesn't that mean he's an opponent we can never win against at that point?
10th-tier magic was a realm of the gods that I had never learned even while seeing numerous endings.
Fortunately, that was before he created humans and the Demon Tribe.
That is, she said he created it when he had his original power.
“The reason he made Lake Kalle is even funnier. Do you want to hear it?”
“I'm listening.”
“He said he made it for fun because it looked like humans and the Demon Tribe didn't have enough places to drink water. Crazy. What kind of lake is that? It's just an ocean. Truly, there is no more dangerous being on this land than him. He should have just slept quietly, why wake up now of all times.”
“……”
If Primus can still use 10th-tier magic now, it might be best not to face him at all.
‘The moment we meet, it would be game over.’
Now I feel like I understand a little why the function to skip the initial five-year process was added.
Otherwise, there would be no way to resolve this power inflation.
Anyway, for now, it would be best to focus on the enemy I'm about to meet.
“There's no need to fight Mammon.”
“Whaat? Why?”
“Even without that, he will hand over the things we need on his own.”
I glanced down at the bundle of gold coins stored in my bosom and slowly moved my feet.
We walked like that for about 15 minutes?
Suddenly, the scenery changed and a cliff with no visible end appeared.
There was a path again on the opposite side, and a narrow single path connected them,but instead of crossing the path, I started to feel the left wall.
“What are you doing, Master.”
“It should be somewhere around here.”
As I continued to feel the wall, I felt a brick that was indented.
When I pushed the brick hard,
Rumble.
A secret passage appeared out of nowhere.
Anonymous shouted with a surprised face.
“Wh-what is this?”
“Follow me. There's no need to waste our strength unnecessarily.”
“Have you been here before?”
“No. It's my first time.”
“Then how did you know this path?”
Didn't I tell you?
I am a veteran player of this game.
This much of a secret passage is nothing.
Of course, I couldn't say that, so I made a rough excuse.
“I saw a map of this place while breaking through another ancient ruin.”
“Wow. As expected of you, Master!”
Anonymous suddenly threw herself into my arms.
I pushed her away like a pesky insect and continued down the stairs.
After repeating the process of going down through the side paths like that.
We finally arrived at the lowest floor where Mammon was waiting.
Swoosh.
As the secret door opened, my eyes met with a huge demon in front of me.
The creature blinked its large eyes and managed to open its mouth.
“Who, who’re you?”
“……”
Unlike a demon, a somewhat rustic word came out.