novelraw Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154 : Chapter 154
Chapter 154
People believed that every ending had a ‘condition.’
Just as
‘Conversely, if you know the conditions for a specific ending, you can avoid it.’
Just as you won't be betrayed if you don't accept the Elves, and you can prevent the distribution of Queen's Mercy if you antagonize the Empire, you can identify and change the conditions of a Bad Ending to avoid it.
In the end, this means that if the player can just find and change the ‘condition,’ they can avoid all Bad Endings.
‘Of course, that’s wrong.’
Simply changing a single ‘condition’ is meaningless.
The Elves will eventually join the monster legion, and ‘Queen’s Mercy’ released into the black market will gnaw away at the continent.
‘What the player needs to do is change the story contained within it.’
It was a prestigious Marquess family of the Empire that distributed ‘Queen’s Mercy.’
A proud noble family of the Empire that simply wanted to develop a cure that could replace divine power.
‘They surely didn’t expect that the cure they created would have terrible side effects.’
After failing to remove the drug's side effects for over a decade, the Marquess family eventually realized that human experimentation was necessary.
To the Marquess family, driven to the edge by the checks and condemnation of other great families, the Great War must have seemed like their only opportunity.
‘Ultimately, to resolve Queen’s Mercy, you have to either help the desperate Marquess family or deal with them.’
The best choice is to provide the Marquess family with information about ‘Stimpacks.’
Having obtained the ‘cure’ that was the family’s wish, the Marquess family gives up on human experimentation, and the player’s party can gain the backing of the Marquess family, who have acquired immense wealth and honor.
* * *
‘In the end, the most important thing is to understand the story behind the Bad Ending…….’
Ian turned his head to look at the dark brown wooden doll.
‘Sword Demon…….’
Although I can’t say I know the solution to every ending, I pride myself on knowing at least the rough storylines.
Except for one, the ‘Sword Demon.’
‘I only found out today that it was with the Witch.’
Even I, who scoured the continent to find information on the Witch and discovered she was a Fairy Princess, know absolutely nothing about the Sword Demon.
Neither its name, origin, nor even its race.
‘I really believed it was an artificial life form…….’
All I knew was that, as the name Sword Demon suggests, it is a being crazy about swords, and that it only appears in the very late stages of the game.
And that whenever it appeared, the characters for God Slayer were written above its head. That was all.
‘Other than that… maybe that the Tower Lord always moves when the Sword Demon appears?’
So I thought it was an artificial life form created by the Magic Tower, but the Tower Lord merely wanted to research a golem that moves without mana.
He gave up and hid himself as soon as he realized the opponent was ridiculously strong.
“Young Lord?”
“Hmm?”
“Hahaha! It seems you also find Lady Mireska’s golem fascinating!”
Of course it was fascinating.
Because the Sword Demon was special in many ways.
Although it’s a Bad Ending, it’s not like the Elves where the entire race steps up, nor do hundreds or thousands of dolls appear.
Neither does it have firepower strong enough to face several kingdoms at once like the ‘Witch of the Forest.’
The only thing that appears is a single wooden golem named ‘Doll.’
Yet, the reason the ‘Sword Demon’ occupies a spot among the Bad Endings was simple.
‘Because all heroes die to that single wooden doll.’
It’s a monster that slices up heroes with a body made of wood. How could it not be fascinating?
“Right. The more I look at it, the more amazing it is. By the way, did the Witch order this?”
“Pardon?”
Ian, who had been staring intently at the Sword Demon, turned his gaze to Jeremy.
“Was it the Witch’s order to deceive us that this is a golem?”
“Pardon? wh-what do you mean by that…….”
When Jeremy quickly averted his gaze after meeting Ian’s deeply sunken eyes, Ian called Calua, who was hiding his form with magic.
‘Calua?’
- I don't feel anything from the magician! But the only thing I feel from the wooden human is preservation magic!
‘Preservation magic?’
- Yep! It is preservation magic, but it’s not cast on the wooden human itself, but on the space above it! Cool!
Leaving behind Calua’s voice, which was full of excitement as if he had found a fun toy, Ian glanced at the Sword Demon.
‘Preservation magic…….’
- I don't know why it was used! But it’s cool! Can I do it too? Human! I want to try it too!
Taking advantage of the moment his gaze shifted, Ian received confirmation from Calua and sighed softly.
‘At least they didn’t form a contract.’
If it were the Witch, she would have formed a contract for restriction rather than giving an order.
This means hiding the Sword Demon’s identity isn’t information important enough to place a restriction on.
Or perhaps she thought it couldn't be hidden.
‘The important thing is, it’s information that’s okay to touch upon here, right?’
That was what I wanted to confirm.
Specifically, to make it clear that the Sword Demon is not a typical golem.
What is needed in battle is not the Witch’s golem, but the ‘Sword Demon’ that swept away all the heroes by itself.
‘The Sword Demon is the main player in this battle, so it’s problematic if it pretends to be a golem.’
To do that, this act needs to end now.
* * *
“Jeremy?”
“Eh, yes?!”
Startled by Ian’s sudden call, Jeremy hurriedly widened the distance.
‘Damn it! I knew this would happen!’
His heart pounded like crazy, and all sorts of thoughts raced through his head.
‘The punishment for insulting a noble is… no, I’m still a magician in name… Idiot! Do you think that demon cares about that!? Magician or whatever, he’ll probably draw his sword the moment he realizes he was deceived!’
In the end, there was only one thought.
‘Should I tell the truth even now?’
Thinking of Mr. Doll walking side by side with him, he couldn’t possibly do that.
Besides, didn’t he owe his life to Mr. Doll?
‘Damn it, damn it!’
Before he could organize the thoughts messing up his head, the Young Lord’s voice was heard.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
That cold voice brought him to his senses.
‘The opponent is a noble! There’s only one way left!’
To deceive the opponent perfectly.
Isn’t deceiving nobles to increase sales the mission and duty of a magician standing at the Magic Tower’s reception desk?
Licking his lips, Jeremy opened his mouth with a determined face.
“Yes? Hahaha! Not at all. There seems to be some misunderstanding, but Lady Mireska did not give any orders. Perhaps you mistook it because it’s a slightly special golem…….”
“So, this golem is the Witch’s golem?”
At Ian’s meaningful question, Jeremy desperately nodded and answered.
“Of course!”
I don’t know if Mr. Doll is a golem, but it’s true that Mr. Doll formed a contract with Mireska, and doesn’t he look like a golem?
‘Even the Young Lord will have no choice but to be deceived.’
What makes Mr. Doll special is his soul and body that moves without mana, not his appearance.
‘He has to be deceived! Because today, Lady Mireska specially cast preservation magic on him!’
The preservation magic barely covering the surface of the wood matched the mana waves possessed by a golem.
Even if he brought a magician sensitive to mana, they wouldn’t be able to notice the subtle difference between the internal mana flow and the preservation magic at once.
‘Good! Going with the brazen-faced strategy!’
Jeremy truly thought so.
Until he heard Ian’s next question.
“Really? So you mean Mireska can create a golem that moves without magic?”
“Yes! Of course… Yes, wait?!”
Just before Jeremy, who had stopped in his tracks, collided with Hoodwock following behind, Ian pulled Jeremy towards him and grinned.
“Really?”
Facing Ian’s grin, Jeremy realized belatedly.
‘Ah, clearly, even when I first saw him…….’
It wasn’t the Young Lord who got fleeced, but himself who was trying to fleece the Young Lord.
* * *
“Absolutely! Magically, such a thing can never happen again! Even if you spend a fortune, the impossible is impossible!”
Ian looked at Jeremy, who was speaking passionately, as if he were fascinating.
“I know.”
Dangling from one of the doll’s hands as punishment for deceiving Ian, Jeremy shouted with veins bulging on his neck.
“I know you don’t know! behind my back, you’ll make demands to Lady Mireska again! Then Lady Mireska will have no choice but to grant your request!”
“Me?”
“Yes! Because all nobles are the same! Idiots who believe everything is possible with money and power! But there are things in this world that are impossible!”
It didn’t seem like something a magician would say, but the point was clear.
That no matter what means used, creating a being like the Sword Demon, no, the Doll, is impossible.
“No one, not even a god, can put a soul into it!”
The reason Jeremy, a magician, was desperately explaining ‘why it is impossible to put a soul into an object without mana to create a golem’ while even invoking god was simple.
“Really, it’s true. Even if you do anything with Mr. Doll, you won’t get any results!”
He seemed to be throwing out whatever came to mind, like gods, ethics, and the limits of magic, but in the end, it meant not to use the golem as research material.
“Like I said, even if you gave it to me, I have no intention of using it as research or experimental material.”
Of course, I said that from the beginning.
Researching the Sword Demon that even heroes couldn’t stop? Unless I wanted a creative and proactive death, I had absolutely no intention of doing so.
“Liar! It seems you intend to request research from the Magic Tower, but even if the Central Tower Lord steps up personally, it’s impossible! Even Lady Mireska said it was impossible.”
As you can see, Jeremy didn’t listen at all.
It seems that with his ‘magician’s’ mindset, he thinks it’s natural to research using the Sword Demon.
Since he thinks that way, he assumes that if someone else discovers the Sword Demon, they will use it as research material.
‘By the way, isn’t he too close to the Witch? Since he called her by name, I thought they just had a good relationship… but isn’t that almost faith at that level?’
Maybe when a magician sees an outstanding magician like the Witch, it feels like seeing a god.
“Young Lord, are you listening? No, wait. Hey you! You say something too! At this rate, you’ll be used as firewood!”
At Jeremy’s desperate cry, the Sword Demon’s head moved slightly.
‘That side doesn’t seem to care at all.’
Perhaps unable to ignore it completely, words floated above its forehead.
- Magician, Weak, Worry.
“Huh?”
‘What does that mean? Does it mean he’s worried because Jeremy is weak?’
As if reading my thoughts, the doll slowly nodded and floated the next words.
- Strong, Worry, Eradicate .
Ian quietly turned his head to look forward.
‘As expected.’
Indeed, if you are strong, you have no worries.
Because you can just destroy everything.
Shivering at the chilling sensation, Ian murmured while looking straight ahead.
“Then, I’m counting on you.”