Episode 13.14

"Zepus..."

Prado Goncourt the present master's voice was filled with bitterness.

Lecan swept off the blood on his blade, put it back in its sheath and turned toward Prado.

Kanner the butler released a stern aura as he attentively observes Lecan's moves.

(If I made an attempt at Prado's life.)

(He'd retaliate no matter how pointless that is.)

(In order to prolong his master's life even a bit more.)

(These kinds of guy.)

(Tend to bring about unpredictable affairs.)

Lecan takes a step forward toward Prado.

Kanner unleashes his bloodlust.

(Nice bloodlust.)

Kanner's carriage of body is unlike an assassin.

It's actually more like a swordsman.

And he may not have a sword, but he's got a hidden dagger on him.

Lecan has grasped the shape and location of that dagger with his <3D Perception>.

"<Appraisal>"

Kanner was taken aback.

Lecan originally thought he wouldn't be able to appraise Kanner's hidden dagger, turned out he could.

"Doesn't look like it's got curse or poison."

Even if it were, it most definitely wouldn't work on Lecan with the <Guardian Jewel of Zana>, <Dagger of Harut> and the silver ring on.

Lecan threw a glance at Kanner's face once again.

Lecan doesn't believe that this man had absolutely no knowledge about the abduction.

There's no way he wouldn't know about Zepus sending out his subordinates in a carriage.

This man said that those subordinates had already gone by the time he realized Lecan's identity as a dungeon conqueror.

That could be deciphered as him saying that he wouldn't have let those subordinates go had he known about Lecan being a dungeon conqueror beforehand.

Or in other word, he wouldn't care at all what happened to Eda if Lecan wasn't such a powerful foe.

Moreover, he naturally would be aware that Eda was unconscious when she was brought in here, and that it was against her will.

This man will never admit that. Probably for the sake of protecting his master.

Conversely speaking, however, it also means that they have no intention to oppose Lecan now that they're aware of his identity.

"Prado."

Called by Lecan, Prado took his eyes off his grandchild's body toward Lecan.

"Get rid of Norma's observers."

Prado looked at his butler.

"Lecan-sama. That shall be taken care of. However, first we will have to check who is in charge of that matter."

Kanner looked at the hole on the ceiling.

He must believe that the assassin who was there was also Norma's observer.

"If I see someone still monitoring Norma, I will kill you and Prado."

Which means, he won't do that now.

That was seemingly transmitted to Kanner, his eyes were wide open before he put his hand on his chest and bowed deeply.

"Thank you very much."

"Prado. Make an oath to the god you believe, swear that you will never mess with Eda ever again."

Prado pondered for a bit before sighing deeply, then he raised his right hand to shoulder length, with five fingers standing upright, and palm facing forward. He put his left hand on his chest where his heart is.

"O god of judgment Erekus, father of austere impartiality, he who sits in the highest heavens. I, Prado Goncourt, swear before thou. I, as well as, my family shall never deprive adventurer Eda of her freedom, nor do anything in defiance of her will. Were this oath ever be broken, my soul shall be broken into thirteen pieces and thrown into the conflagration of hell. Yale."

<Yale> means <Yes>, and <Understood>, but it also carries the meaning of, <I proclaim that I have ascertained the meaning behind those words>. This is the first time Lecan bears witness to an oath in this world, apparently it can be done even without a priest.

Right when he thought their business is over, he recalled something.

"I want to see the tool used to knock Eda out."

"Wha? Yes. Just a moment."

Kanner issued an order to his subordinate who hurriedly left.

Smell of Zepus's blood hangs in the room.

"Lecan. Mind if I use <Recovery> on that person?"

Eda is referring to Arios.

"There's no point. He's dead."

"Un. That's what I thought too. But can I give it a try?"

Lecan was astonished.

For that Eda to first ask Lecan if she could do something before running off on her own to act on it. That Eda.

"Go ahead."

He tried to sound as gentle as he could, but what came out sounded very curt indeed.

Outside the room, the walls and the floors are no longer on fire.

This mansion's employees are quite capable as expected of Kanner's subordinates.

Eda went around to avoid the blood and knelt down beside Arios who was lying face up.

Lecan noticed that Arios's red dot hasn't disappeared in <Life Detection>.

(He's barely survived huh?)

(Lucky guy.)

(But there's no way to save him with that wound.)

(Definitely.)

<God Cures> could perhaps heal someone on the verge of death. And it's said that the effects of superlative <Purification> equal that of a <God Cure>. However, there's just no way Eda, who hasn't even formally cast <Purification> yet, is capable of rekindling the light of Arios's life.

"<Recovery>."

(Was Eda's voice this clear before?)

Lecan nonchalantly invoked <Mana Detection>. In order to observe how Eda's magic works in detail.

(What?)

(Just what's going on here?)

Eda cast her spell using her slim whitish wand.

Eda's mana flows like a torrent of water gushing out the wand toward Arios.

But that's not all.

Thin, thin threads of mana stretch out of Eda's body, connecting to Arios's body here and there. The mana flowing from those innumerable threads soak into Arios's body.

An incessant downpour of mana pours down on Arios, like rain moistening garden's vegetation, washing off all dirt, bringing the light of life anew.

Lecan is incapable such a feat of mana control. He can't even imagine the first step to it.

Eda's <Recovery> is an entirely different thing than Lecan's.

(Hum?)

There's something weird going on.

The mana circling in Arios's body is converging around his chest area before circulating faster all over his body.

Looking closer with <3D Perception>, he found a small jewel-like item embedded in it.

Lecan decides to appraise that thing.

"<Appraisal>"

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

<Name: Drop of Life>

<Type: Jewel>

<Grace: Life Force Keeper, Recovery Booster>

※ Mana passing through user's chest circulates in the body

※ Save a minimum amount of life force when user receives fatal damage

※ Amplifies recovery effects when life force has decreased

(What the heck is that?)

(<Drop of Life>?)

(Are you telling me dungeons in this world hold such items inside?!)

"U-uu"

Arios let out a groan.

He's been revived.

Eda kept casting <Recovery> for a while.

Lecan took a medium blue potion and shoved it in Eda's mouth.

Eda drank it up and continued on.

Arios's wound eventually closed up, his complexion regained its color back, and his breathing stabilized.

Lecan took Arios's sword out of <Storage> and left it somewhere bloodless.

Had Arios died, his sword would be Lecan's loot.

But if he survived, Lecan had to return it to him.

That's how things work for Lecan.

"...Overlord and Holy Woman."

Someone murmured that.

Lecan looked at the one who said that.

"Hiiiiiiii"

The male employee went pale faced before screaming out.

"Lecan-sama. This is the tool."

Kanner the butler held out a silver-colored short cylinder.

Lecan was lost for a moment, but then he recalled they were talking about the tool that reaped Eda's consciousness.

"<Appraisal>"

<Name: Yacklubend's Stun Stick>

<Type: Magic Tool>

<Effect: Stun>

<Remaining Magic Stone: Little>

<Endurance: Excellent>

"Yacklubend's Stun Stick?"

Lecan felt like he had heard the name 'Yacklubend' before, but he couldn't recall where.

"This will knock someone out if you put a magic stone inside, push this protuberance in, and touch the slim tip part on the target."

"Hou."

"The bigger magic stone the more frequent you can use this tool."

"What a shady magic tool."

Lecan handed the stun stick back to Kanner.

Kanner looked a bit perplexed as he took it. He must have never thought Lecan would return it.

But it's not like Lecan wanted the magic tool. He simply wishes to know the kinds of magic tools and Grace items that exist in this world.

Lecan's encounter with the creator of this shady magic tool would come way later.