Chapter 131. Kneeled Before Madness
First of all, I took Shine, whose face looked like the world had collapsed, and walked with Parun toward the inn.
‘…No wonder something felt strange.’
The Hall of Challenge… also known as the Sword God’s Tomb. From what I’ve heard, it’s a space open to all who aren’t from the Lorutel family.
Of course, they couldn’t just let in every random person, so an entrance test was required, but that was beside the point.
Anyway, when it came to infiltrating Lorutel, there wasn’t a route more convenient than that.
But then again…
‘Does it even make sense that I didn’t know about it?’
Back during my time as a Troubleshooter, I’d spent no less than three whole months undercover just to infiltrate Lorutel. It had been an important mission, one that even Dekulan heavily supported, and it had taken three months!
And there was a route like this all along?
‘If I’d known about it, it wouldn’t have taken three damn months.’
No wonder Lorutel had been on my “Top 10 Most Difficult Places to Infiltrate” list!
It all made sense now. Once we entered the lodging I’d reserved beforehand, Parun, who had been silent up to now, finally spoke.
“Looks like the plan got tangled right from the start.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“How unfortunate. Of all times, the Hall of Challenge had to close now.”
Unfortunate? Not for me.
‘It’s all because of that damned wyvern.’
The wyvern I’d eaten in a past life had followed me here, its vengeful soul steeped in resentment. Maybe, if a necromancer skilled in forbidden arts were to look, they’d see it too, the wyvern’s spirit drifting behind my back.
Anyway, enough digression…
“How much time do we have left?”
Tap, tap!
I drummed my fingers on the table as I asked.
“From Lorutel to Baidun, it’s at least two days by the fastest route. If we assume we’ll leave with some leeway…”
“Then it’s about three days.”
“Right.”
“Hm.”
Time was tight.
‘That means we have to make a decision within a day or two at most.’
Should we just storm Lorutel now, summon the Third Sword, and challenge him to a duel?
Forget about the Crow’s surveillance and whatever else, that would be the quickest method. But, somehow… I didn’t like it.
“Can’t we use the information broker?”
I turned to Parun as I asked.
In other words, I was asking if there was a way to make use of that broker who had brought us intel on the Infinite Chain. But Parun shook his head.
“Not for now. If this is a Dekulan trap, he might’ve been tailed.”
“That’s true.”
Then what do we do…?
As Parun and I fumbled around with no clear plan, Shine, who had been sulking in a corner since we arrived, suddenly lifted her head.
“…Ah! There is a way.”
“A way?”
“Yes! There’s a way to get into Lorutel without anyone knowing.”
Between her helmet’s slits, Shine’s eyes gleamed with sudden vigor.
The light in them was the same as someone who’d just grabbed a lifeline in a hopeless situation. I let out a long sigh.
“Is sneaking in what matters right now? Huh? What are you gonna do, sneak in and say, ‘I’m here for a duel!’?”
That wouldn’t work.
The Third Sword was a knight who valued chivalry above all else.
If a group of shady intruders barged in and challenged him? They’d be cut to pieces before they could even speak.
But Shine was long past the point of reason.
“Back in the day, I dug a dog hole there! No one knows about it, so it must still be there.”
She didn’t even listen to me. Her eyes sparkled.
She was insane.
‘A dog hole… in someone else’s estate?’
Apparently, she’d been on friendly terms with the 13th Head, Shamide.
But still, that wasn’t normal behavior.
Who in their right mind digs a dog hole in someone else’s property?!
Then again, Shine was never “in her right mind” to begin with.
And two hundred years ago, at that!
‘That thing’s still…’
No, no. Wait. That’s not the point.
I barely caught hold of my sanity before I could be swept up in her madness and barked back.
“No, listen. The issue isn’t sneaking in right now! We have to duel!”
“Why not? All you need to do is bring back that Infinite Chain or whatever it’s called, isn’t it? Believe in yourself! You can take them on!”
“You’re not just trying to dig up the Sword God’s Tomb, are you?”
“Bah! Dig up? Do I look like you, to go digging up graves?!”
This… was hopeless.
‘She’s gone off the deep end.’
She’d always been unstable, but this was another level.
Before, she’d been like slightly spoiled leftovers, still edible if you didn’t think too hard. Now she was just full-blown rotten garbage. At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder.
‘What the hell is in that Sword God’s Tomb anyway?’
“Screeeeeech! Screeeech!”
Was it because I didn’t take her suggestion?
Shine suddenly began howling like a ghost rising from the abyss.
Thump thump thump!
“Hey! Stop that damned dog barking already!”
“You bastard! Does this sound like a dog barking to you?!”
It was a complete disaster.
The neighbor pounding the wall because of the noise. Shine shouting back without missing a beat. Amid all that chaos, only one person remained calm.
Parun sat with his arms crossed, quietly deep in thought.
And yet, why did I have a bad feeling about it?
“Hm, a dog hole, you say…”
He murmured, intrigued. I frowned and stared at him.
“You’re not… right?”
“What do you mean?”
“N-no, nothing. Anyway, did you come up with any good ideas?”
“Good ideas…”
Parun’s eyes turned toward Shine. His mouth opened right after.
“Not bad.”
“…What?”
Not bad? What the hell wasn’t bad?! No way.
‘Don’t tell me Parun’s—’
I swallowed nervously. Parun wasn’t exactly normal, but at least he wasn’t reckless.
At least, that’s what I believed.
I believed, but… That tiny bit of faith shattered to dust.
“If it gets results, some level of boldness is acceptable.”
“So you’re saying…”
“The Infinite Chain doesn’t have to be obtained through negotiation. What matters is keeping it out of Dekulan’s hands, no?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“It’s worth a try, at least. That’s my conclusion.”
“…”
I just stared at Parun in disbelief.
Thump thump thump!
Shine kept pounding the wall in rage, the neighbor pounded right back, and neither cared about anything but hitting the wall harder.
Amid that noise, I asked weakly.
“…How did it come to this?”
“…? You said it yourself. ‘Any risk is bearable as long as it gets results.’”
I remembered.
…Because I was the one who’d said that to persuade Parun and Shine just a few days ago.
‘Ah, so this is what they mean by “trapped by your own words.”’
The words I’d spoken had become shackles around my neck.
Well… I could just take them back. Some people feel ashamed about contradicting themselves, but I’m a flexible thinker. I can change my words every mealtime.
“You’re not… changing your mind, are you?”
“Is there a better plan? If so, I’m open to it.”
Yeah, no. Changing my words wouldn’t fix this.
Shine was already too far gone to be saved, and Parun, calm as he looked, had clearly been infected by the madness too.
That left me with no choice.
“Well, at this point… fine. I’ve decided. Let’s rob Lorutel.”
I kneeled before madness.
And I wasn’t ashamed.
Because I wasn’t the crazy one. They were.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment, north of the Lorutel estate, on Mount Frik. A perilous mountain range, so steep and monster-ridden that even herbalists dared not enter, yet now, a presence disturbed its silence.
Thump, thud!
Climbing a sheer cliff was a man stripped to the waist.
He looked to be in his mid to late thirties.
“Whoo, huh…”
He gasped heavily for breath, but didn’t stop climbing.
There was no hesitation.
Crack!
“Khugh…!”
Even when the rock crumbled beneath his hand and debris rained down, he silently grasped another ledge. More than once, his foot slipped in a near-fatal misstep, but he kept climbing.
One hand after another, gripping the stone. His palms tore open on the sharp rock, blood mixing with dust, but he didn’t care.
When a falling stone split his brow and blood blurred his vision, he pressed on, as if reaching the top of that cliff were his life’s sole mission.
The man’s mad ascent ended only when he finally pulled himself over the edge.
“Whoo… haa…”
The man, Zeke, collapsed flat on his back, panting heavily.
It hurt, every muscle, from his fingertips to his toes, screamed in agony.
Yet strangely… The emotion that rose on Zeke’s face wasn’t suffering.
It was pure…Joy.
Yes, joy.
The feeling of his muscles screaming, his breath burning in his lungs, sweat soaking his skin, this vivid sense of being alive!
However, his elation didn’t last long.
“So this is where you were hiding.”
“…?”
Zeke turned toward the shadow falling over him. When he recognized its owner, he sprang up straight.
“Ah, Young Master Sion. Forgive me. You’ve caught me in an unseemly state.”
“Unseemly? Hardly. But tell me, did you climb this cliff barehanded again?”
“…Haha, well…”
“tsk. You’re impossible. I see being Lorutel’s Third Sword isn’t enough for you. How much higher do you plan to climb?”
Zeke smiled awkwardly.
He couldn’t deny it, scaling cliffs like this was far from normal. Even for a knight who prized physical training, suppressing both body reinforcement and ether flow while climbing was insane.
No, more precisely, only someone like Zeke, capable of suppressing both, could even attempt such a feat. This kind of madness required learning an exceptional Secret Art and talent.
Anyway, pushing aside his embarrassment, Zeke looked up at the young master with renewed curiosity.
“What brings you here, sir?”
“Does a disciple need a reason to seek his teacher?”
“Well, no, but… how did you even get here? Did you sneak out again?”
“…Hmm. Fine weather today. How about it? Shall we cross blades for old times’ sake?”
“…Haah.”
Zeke sighed deeply at Sion’s evasive attitude.
‘His probation still isn’t over…’
If the head of the family found out, there’d be hell to pay. Yet Sion looked utterly unbothered.
“Don’t worry. No one will know I’ve disappeared.”
“…Of course. You’ve always been a master at slacking off, even as a child.”
Indeed, Sion had always been that way.
He never once slacked off in sword training, but when it came to other lessons, he’d vanish whenever things didn’t suit him. And somehow, he’d never been caught.
‘He must have some kind of secret passageway…’
It was just a hunch, but Zeke was almost certain. Otherwise, how else could he slip away so mysteriously, evading even his guards?
“So, what brings you here really? Surely it’s not just to spar.”
“Must we only meet when there’s a reason? I’m hurt you’d think that.”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Zeke trailed off, and Sion chuckled heartily.
“Just joking. Actually, I heard some interesting news.”
“Interesting news, you say…?”
“The deal with Dekulan. It finally went through, didn’t it?”
“…Yes.”
Zeke’s face hardened as he nodded.
“Tch. I was against it from the start. Yet while I’m under probation, they went ahead and sealed the deal.”
“…The council’s vote prevailed.”
“Of course. Elder Pahl led the charge, didn’t he?”
“…Yes.”
At his answer, Sion smirked faintly.
“No need to look so tense. It’s not as if I can overturn things now.”
“Then…”
“I came simply because I heard something amusing. Ah, you don’t know yet, do you? Truly fascinating news.”
Zeke tilted his head, confused.
Ever since talks with Dekulan began, Sion hadn’t smiled once.
‘…Well, I suppose I can’t blame him.’
Sion’s contempt for magic, and for Dekulan in particular, ran deep. It was Dekulan, after all, that had shaped his beliefs: that only martial strength could be trusted. Even his current probation was punishment for beating a council elder bloody during an argument about that very trade.
So for him to be smiling again now…
‘Maybe he’s finally found some peace of mind…’
Zeke allowed himself a flicker of hope, but it vanished as soon as he saw the cold curve of Sion’s lips.
“Do you know why Dekulan’s been so desperate for the Infinite Chain?”
“…”
“Apparently, some lunatics stole one of Dekulan’s Secret Arts. Isn’t that hilarious? Those snake-like bastards getting robbed themselves.”
“How could you possibly know that…?”
The Third Sword’s eyes twitched. Not even he had been told that. The head had forbidden all external news during Sion’s probation.
“Don’t underestimate my eyes and ears. But more importantly…”
Sion’s eyes gleamed ominously.
“The deal with Dekulan has been finalized. Isn’t that what really matters?”
Zeke felt the blood drain from his face.
‘The hatred…’
…it deepened.
A chill ran through his body, and Sion’s voice echoed in his ear.
“I hear this whole trade might actually be a trap, meant to lure out the ones who stole their Secret Art. But that’s beside the point… How about it?”
“…What do you mean, sir?”
“I’ll yield the Infinite Chain matter to you. But in return… I want your help with something.”
“What…?”
The Third Sword felt a wave of unease as he looked into Sion’s eyes.
Sion’s turquoise pupils shimmered faintly.
Then his lips parted.
“……”
By the time the conversation ended, the Third Sword’s expression was one of pure shock.
He couldn’t speak for a long while, weighed down by his spiraling thoughts.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity…
“Think it over.”
Zeke silently watched Sion’s back as the young master disappeared down the dark mountain path.
He couldn’t utter a single word.
