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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 196: Traitor (2)
[TL/N: The Lore Dump in this Chap was mind boggling]
That cruel, hellish expedition that continued for over 10 years.
Though it's been so long that I can barely remember their names now, looking back, not everyone had the same goal in mind from the beginning.
They say even in a group of five, there's bound to be at least one idiot.
And the expedition, despite consisting of those considered elites, was no exception.
Naturally, there was a braggart.
There were those who tried to form pointless cliques.
There was even one who looked for an opportunity to eliminate his rivals.
[Expedition Day 365.
'Dancing Death'. A nightmare descends upon the dream of pursuing peace.]
Such trivial thoughts were short-lived.
Count Keliaak, who appeared exactly one year after the expedition set out, changed everything.
Faced with the monstrous demons who threatened their lives right before their eyes, there was no room for any other thoughts.
[Expedition Day 823.
The endless nightmare begins.]
It wasn't that the people changed, but the circumstances did.
When faced with a situation where you either kill the enemy or get killed yourself, what other thoughts could possibly occupy your mind?
It simply created a situation where every single person's help was desperately needed.
[Expedition Day 1,517.
'Screaming Silence'.]
Of course, not everyone was like that.
There were those who still couldn't get their act together.
Those guys didn't last a few years and all died.
The minds of those who remained were focused solely on crushing the demons' skulls.
[Expedition Day 2,827.
'Silent Roar'. Bellusia Clan Head, Deceased.]
Even those unreliable Bellusia clan members eventually died while crushing demon skulls.
That's the kind of place it was, the expedition.
The scent of blood was too thick to harbor any other thoughts.
[Expedition Day 3,327.
'Pure Greed'. Ziek Clan Head, Deceased. Gaion Clan Head, Deceased. Solsar Clan Head, Deceased.]
When did it start?
Before we knew it, we often found ourselves fighting as if we could read each other's minds.
To put it simply, it felt like we could naturally entrust our backs to each other.
I was like that, Pelleer was like that, Azeta was like that, and Azka was like that.
[Expedition Day 3,628.
Hyark Clan Head, Deceased.]
It wasn't just Samael.
Everyone who remained was like that.
Comrades...
[Expedition Day 3,728.
Ardehain Clan Head, Deceased.]
Now, only four comrades remained.
[Expedition Day XX.
'Unforgettable Nightmare'.
Freed from an eternal nightmare. Seren Clan Head, Deceased. Arihama Clan Head, Deceased. Baltahar Clan Head, Alive.]
The journal entries ended there.
I closed the last page.
[Journal of the Unforgettable Dream Expedition]
A record explicitly written about the expedition.
The titles given to the high-ranking demons that appeared during the expedition.
Keliaak's title: 'Dancing Death'.
Aiosa's title: 'Screaming Silence'.
Vassago's title: 'Silent Roar'.
Anuhar's title: 'Pure Greed'.
Verkes had no title.
Because there was no one left to give him one.
'Unforgettable Nightmare' was a title I was hearing for the first time.
Fwoosh—
I manifested lightning and quietly burned the journal.
I was prepared in case a magic circle or barrier was triggered, but there was no such sign.
I sat in place and began to organize my thoughts.
The records in the journal, and memories of the past.
Cunning.
A story that couldn't be fabricated without experiencing it.
My mind was in such a mess that it was difficult to continue thinking, but...
In the end, if I put aside all the circumstances and just considered the phenomenon that occurred, there was only one answer.
A record that could only be distorted by someone who survived the expedition.
The one who could witness the last moments of that hellish journey, survive, and distort the record...
Sword Saint, Magnus Baltahar.
Guardian Saint, Galtan Arihama.
Dragon Knight, Iris Seren.
'Only those three.'
***
No one survived the expedition to the very end.
I was the last survivor of the expedition.
A contradiction.
A situation where my memory and the phenomenon that occurred were completely mismatched.
The phenomenon couldn't be wrong, so the problem was with me.
It was impossible to accept, but if I didn't accept it, I would be the one who became a fool.
Let's consider.
While fighting Verkes, my mana circle went out of control and I was driven mad...
I watched Verkes, his heart burst from the spatial explosion, fall, and then my memory was cut off.
This much is certain.
The problem was what came next.
The scenery that was revealed when I was freed from madness.
The first thing that caught my eye was the broken divine sword and Arihama's shield.
Naturally, I thought everyone was dead...
But in retrospect, I don't remember seeing the bodies of Magnus, Galtan, or Iris.
One thing I clearly remember is that Verkes, who I thought was already dead, suddenly spoke to me, so I gathered the last of my strength and...
Wait.
Suddenly, a possibility flashed through my mind.
"An illusion?"
My mana circle was already nearly destroyed by the time I was freed from the madness.
In other words, I was already weakened to the extreme.
I briefly lowered my head and glanced at my neck.
'Damn it.'
It felt like the tangled causality was unraveling like a ball of yarn, and the situation was falling into place.
If Magnus, Galtan, or Iris had used 'Magnus's illusion' in that situation, it wouldn't be strange that I didn't notice.
Then that means Verkes could have been alive too.
Why?
Why on earth?
The pungent smell of blood from that hellish expedition of the past kept wafting up.
Why?
For what reason?
It was still just a possibility, but I instinctively felt it. All the circumstances were adding up to some extent.
I was on a roll, so I followed the train of thought even deeper.
'Damn it.'
Did Pelleer notice?
Pelleer, who even in his half-dead state, poured an elixir down my throat before finally finding his rest.
What were the words he wanted to say to me at the very end?
Wasn't he trying to tell me there was a traitor?
How much must he have cursed from the afterlife, watching me wallow in self-pity in that situation?
"Sigh."
I opened my closed eyes again and looked at the night sky beyond the window.
It was filled with a hazy fog, so I closed my eyes again.
"...Damn it."
No wonder those damn demons were acting so subtly in the shadows.
If Verkes wasn't dead, then the situation actually made sense.
He's the guy who got a hole punched through his heart by a spatial explosion manifested from the mana of the Yin dimension.
Even if he didn't die, he must have suffered near-fatal damage.
It would have taken a long time to regain his strength.
In the end, during that time, the traitor erased the records of the expedition, erased proper magic, and ultimately weakened humanity.
'It was 300 years ago, wasn't it?'
Why 300 years?
Was this a coincidence too?
***
"...Let's bury today's events."
I left the Magic Tower, letting Mahon Sirius's words go in one ear and out the other.
The mages were looking at me with obvious hostility, but I didn't care.
Fwoosh—
As I stepped outside, a strong wind slapped my face.
It was a cold night.
As I slowly walked towards the city, snowflakes started to fall.
I deliberately lifted my head and walked while looking at the sky.
In the end, everything was just an imagination, but usually, my imagination becomes reality. Especially the damn ominous ones.
Wheezing—
The snow gradually intensified, and the cold air, along with the strong wind, rushed in, covering my eyes, nose, and mouth.
It felt like my mind was jolted awake.
I used movement technique and started running towards the heart of Keplan.
I thought as I ran.
'...Let's not obsess over it.'
Obsessing over who betrayed us and why was meaningless.
More importantly, I need to become stronger.
I've never neglected my training, but this isn't enough.
I need to become stronger as quickly as possible.
I need to quickly advance towards the realm of my previous life, the 8th Circle of Change.
'Verkes, that bastard.'
If he really is alive, it might actually be a good thing.
Because what he feared most was the Crazy Mage, me.
No matter how cunning and insidious he is, even if he went to heaven and back, he wouldn't have imagined that I, whom he thought was dead, would reappear after 300 years.
When you reappear, I'll be there to greet you.
Surprise, motherfucker.
Wheezing—
I used spatial acceleration and movement techniques to swiftly move towards Keplan's city center.
It felt like my proficiency had already reached a certain level.
Looking up at the sky while running, I saw a magic carriage crossing the sky.
I increased my speed.
After passing by the magic carriage and running for a while, I arrived at Keplan's city center.
I immediately headed towards the 〈Attendant’s〉 residence in the northwestern part of the city center.
"Ah, you know what I got from the Level 3 demon realm this time?"
"What did you get?"
"Ahem. Buy me another bottle of alcohol and I'll tell you."
"You bastard."
As I crossed the street, the trivial chatter of drunkards gradually faded away...
I entered the Attendant’s residence at the edge of the city and checked for any letters.
"...Nothing."
There were no letters this time.
As I went back outside and walked along the quiet street, someone quickly approached me.
"Arin?"
Arin, who suddenly appeared from the alley, had an unusual expression on her face.
"How did it go?"
I looked around and replied.
"Where are the others?"
"They're probably still at the Blue Magic Tower."
"...Did you deliver the news of Karios' death?"
"I also handed over his body. The 2nd Elder received it."
"They must have been shocked."
"It was chaotic. They said they needed to see the Commander right away, but we told them we didn't know where you were. The 2nd Elder left for the Alliance immediately. Did you find anything at the White Magic Tower, Commander?"
I stared at Arin for a moment.
Had Arin ever spoken this much before?
Even after searching my memories, I couldn't recall such an instance.
"Why?"
"It's nothing. And they didn't ask where you found it?"
"We just told them we didn't know."
"Did they believe that?"
"They seemed to believe it when we said we received it from you. We told them to ask you themselves."
"Passing the buck..."
"Why?"
"It's nothing. You did well."
Come to think of it, it was troublesome to reveal the location of the Black Mountain.
If the mages of the Blue Magic Tower were to go there in a group, they might encounter No. 3.
If I helped the Blue Magic Tower kill No. 3, it could interfere with my future activities as 〈Clown〉.
"...Yes?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you alright? I mean, you've been looking strange since earlier. Why aren't you answering?"
Arin looked at me with a serious expression.
I couldn't tell her everything.
There are some things that need to be kept to oneself.
I simply answered her with these words:
"I'm fine."
"You're smiling like a fool. Are you laughing or crying? I don’t know, but I'm glad."
"Yeah."
Arin said,
"What are you going to do now?"
I shook off my thoughts and replied.
"The 2nd Elder went to the Alliance?"
"That's right."
Hmm.
Only now did the reality of Karios's death sink in.
It had all been so hectic.
Karios... in the end, he was a man who took responsibility for his words.
He was also a man who treated me sincerely.
It seemed that the guilt over the actions of the 1st Elder of the Blue Magic Tower weighed heavily on him.
He must have tenaciously tracked Parin's whereabouts and reached the 'Black Mountain,' just like Fichte did.
"I need to meet with the 2nd Elder."
The 2nd Elder was practically in charge of the Blue MagicTower now.
Even if I didn't reveal the Black Mountain, I needed to tell them about Karios.
Arin looked me up and down for a moment before asking,
"Should I go with you?"
"It's okay. Take the others and go back to the residence."
"To train?"
"You catch on quick. Get stronger."
With those words, I parted ways with Arin and headed straight for the Magic Tower Alliance.
The Alliance headquarters, towering high above the city of Keplan, behind the clock tower.
After a brief identity check on the ground, I entered the airspace and approached the main gate.
That's when I suddenly stopped.
"...What's this?"
Something felt off about the atmosphere.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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