novelraw Chapter 110
Chapter 110
Episode 110
"Is that all?"
"Of course not! There's something very important left! You have to act with me!"
Flora smiled wickedly and whispered softly into Pascal's ear.
Hearing her plan, Pascal's eyes widened, then he nodded, saying it sounded fun. And so, the second play orchestrated by Flora finally began.
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The subjugation team resisted with all their might against the indiscriminate attacks while fleeing from an unseen enemy.
Finally, as dawn broke, the attacks pouring down on them ceased, and the place they arrived at was the front of a suspicious cave.
The cave entrance was large, and the inside was so filled with darkness that nothing could be seen, even though the surroundings were bright.
"Should we go inside?"
At someone's question, Duke Bellasia fell into thought.
The mysterious attack had many very suspicious aspects.
Even amidst the chaotic attacks, there was a certain pattern.
It would strike down fiercely, as if to devour people, but if it seemed like severe casualties might occur, the intensity would weaken, creating an opportunity to escape, and the attacks continued as if to encircle them, forcing them to move in only one direction.
'As if someone was guiding us here...'
The only one who could drive them through the demon forest was the demon residing in this forest.
'Was it annoyed by our posturing? If so, it could have finished us off earlier...'
But he couldn't remain lost in thought for long.
They needed to achieve results and leave this place as soon as possible, and his sharp intuition was telling him that the outcome for that purpose lay inside.
"Check if you can sense any energy from inside."
He pointed to one of the Executors who had followed him and gave the order.
The woman, who possessed power more exceptional in detection than attack, stepped forward as if she had been waiting.
As the Executor closed her eyes and stretched her hand towards the cave interior, a faint green light scattered from the bracelet on her arm and smoothly seeped into the cave.
How much time passed like that?
The commanded Executor opened her eyes, sweat dripping down her face.
"There are monsters gathered inside, packed full."
"Monsters?"
Only then did Duke Bellasia realize a fact he had overlooked.
'We haven't encountered any monsters on the way here.'
There had only been powerful attacks, but no monsters lunging at them. Having fled in chaos, he had overlooked that point.
"Yes, as if guarding something, there is one at every passage."
"Guarding something? Can you tell what it is?"
"I'm sorry. I can confirm the monsters' demonic energy, but beyond that, I have no idea what it is..."
"Is there something there?"
"I can't be sure of that either..."
At the unconfident voice, Duke Bellasia swallowed his disappointment and waved his hand dismissively, saying it was fine.
The Executor stepped back, and the leadership gathered around the Duke's serious face.
"What should we do?"
"Isn't it strange that monsters are stationed at the passages? There must definitely be something valuable or dangerous inside."
"...Perhaps it's just the monsters' den."
With answers diverging in multiple directions, Duke Bellasia let out a sigh with a worried face.
Although he knew they couldn't turn back after coming this far, the thought that the being inside was a demon made it difficult to take a step.
At that moment, Benio, who had been searching the entrance alone and was separated, approached and informed the group in conference.
"I will go in."
In his hand lay a small bracelet strung with transparent glass beads.
Benio had instantly recognized that bracelet as Flora's.
Thinking of Flora trembling in fear inside that cave, teeming with monsters, a suspicious and utterly dangerous space, his heart felt constricted and pained as if a heavy weight had dropped on his chest.
"My sister was clearly dragged in here. I must go inside."
No matter what they said, even if they objected, he would find a way to enter.
Hearing his words, spoken with that determination, Duke Bellasia, surprisingly without hesitation, nodded readily.
"Right, it seems the children are inside. That bracelet must be your sister's?"
"...Yes."
"To be dragged into a place teeming with monsters... It's clearly the work of a demon to anyone who sees it. How could we possibly retreat?"
Saying this, the Duke turned his head towards the leadership, and they had no choice but to nod vigorously at their leader's words.
"However, aren't we all tired from last night's events? We need to take proper rest. Fortunately, there have been no casualties so far, but who knows about the future?"
This time, his words were directed at Benio. There wasn't a single thing wrong with his statement, so Benio also nodded in agreement.
"Now, I know everyone is tired, but the end is near. Rest a little, align the battle ranks, and prepare your weapons."
At Duke Bellasia's command, people began to move quickly.
Benio also gathered the Lucifer knights and mercenaries, instructing them to rest to replenish their stamina. After confirming they were eating with the light food they had barely managed to bring, he stepped away for a moment.
He approached the cave entrance alone. Then he gazed into the infinitely silent cave interior.
'She must be safe.'
The fact that Basilian, who had left saying he would search for Flora first, was also missing only amplified his anxiety.
He couldn't stop worrying about whether the two were hurt or if something urgent had happened.
Benio let out a low sigh and clasped his hands together.
'If the gods are watching, please let the two children return to our side safely, without a single injury.'
Although the god who usually didn't even glance at the Lucifers was bitterly disappointing, now more than ever, he desperately needed the god's power.
His heartfelt prayer continued until the rest period ended and the reorganization was complete.
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What greeted the subjugation team upon entering was the cave's maze, tangled as intricately as an anthill.
Walking laboriously on the uneven ground, they were greeted by monsters, just as the Executor had confirmed.
Finding the path and dealing with the monsters increased the subjugation team's fatigue, but they quickly found a solution.
Paths that were blocked had no monsters stationed there, while the correct path had monsters at every passage.
Combined with the Executors' power, finding the path wasn't difficult, and since the monsters were only low to mid-level, dealing with them didn't take long.
How much time passed like that?
Resting, fighting, resting, fighting.
At the end of the endless repetition, they finally managed to arrive at their destination safely, without a single casualty.
Realizing it was the destination wasn't difficult either.
"...There's no path beyond this."
Because they had reached the end of the cave.
The huge rock blocking the only passage felt like a door.
After a discussion, they decided to try moving the rock.
But the rock wouldn't budge no matter how much force they used. It only began to move slightly when five strong men hung onto it.
After a long struggle, the rock was finally completely removed, and they couldn't hide their surprise at the revealed scene.
Unlike the natural state left outside, the inside was neatly arranged as if touched by human hands.
Stone walls and floors made of neatly stacked stones, a red carpet spread straight across that floor, and even torches flickering on the walls added to the feeling that this was someone's hidden hideout.
The interior was spacious enough for all the subjugation team members to enter, so they all proceeded inside in an orderly manner.
Walking along the quiet corridor for a while, they saw a dark light shimmering in the distance, different from the bright corridor.
Since there was no path other than going straight anyway, they advanced without hesitation. The closer they got to the light, the more they heard a droning sound, like crying.
"Doesn't that sound like a child's voice?"
Someone at the front spoke, but the comment was lightly dismissed. However, when they reached the end of the corridor, they could confirm the statement was true.
The place that greeted them was thoroughly eerie, with a circular, sky-high open ceiling, strange sculptures placed around, and dried, dark red blood splattered everywhere.
From where the subjugation team stood, the lower floor was visible at a glance, but no path leading down, blocked by a railing, could be seen.
As they looked around and lowered their gaze, they saw a huge, circular platform below, upon which children lay huddled together, unconscious.
A magic circle was drawn centered around the platform, smeared with old human bones scattered around and hardened blood, making the children placed on the platform feel like sacrifices.
"What in the world is this..."
"It looks... exactly like a place for worshipping demons."
"Or perhaps it's the demon's dining area."
Their wary words couldn't continue because of the small but resonant voice coming from below.
"Don't touch the kids!"
On the circular platform, amidst the fallen children, the only one conscious was a child shouting while looking somewhere.
"If you bully the kids, I won't let it slide!"
Where the child's gaze was directed, the rock-made monster they had faced last before arriving here was targeting the children with a threatening appearance.
"...I-I am the leader of these kids. A leader protects the kids! Even if it costs me my life!"
Holding a long sword, nicked here and there, with difficulty, and trembling unsteadily, the child's spirit remained unbroken, prompting someone to mutter in admiration without realizing it.
"What an amazing child. He must be scared himself, yet to have such a courageous attitude."
"Certainly... his dignified appearance is not childlike and seems brave."
"That's a boldness not seen among commoners. We should give him a reward after this situation is over."
Even in the midst of seriousness, they were busy evaluating the child rather than saving him. It was behavior stemming from the attitude that they would save him anyway, so it would be fine.
But one person among them couldn't just stand by and watch.
"Flora!"
Having spotted the small pink head, Benio had instantly realized the owner of the voice was Flora.
Unfortunately, since no staircase leading down was visible, he immediately put his foot on the railing blocking the front, ready to jump down.
"It's, it's dangerous, Young Duke!"
"Please find another way..."
The knights urgently stopped him, but that only made Benio's heart more frantic.