Chapter 256

Episode 256 Open World (5)

The signature flame magic of the destroyer was as bad as his notoriety.

Even with the countless manpower gathered from all over the city, all that was needed was to keep the flames from spreading further.

In the end, the fire was extinguished only after the masters of seven schools worked together to spread magic.

Shaaaaaaa-!

Rain pouring like a hole in the sky.

“Waaaaaaa!”

Seeing the flames lose their power and go out, some cheered, some quietly relieved, and some sat down on the floor as if they had no energy to shout.

For reference, I was in the latter case.

“……Nimiral.”

It’s finally over.

The hot body quickly cools down and the tension is released.

I collapsed and lay down on the floor.

And immediately regretted it.

“under.”

The lukewarm ground.

The ash that had been scattered all night mixed with the rainwater and became sticky.

An environment in which it is difficult for humans not to feel unpleasant.

It was just annoying to get up again.

How long have you been with your eyes closed?

“Oh, surprise! I thought you were hurt!”

When I open my eyes, I see Raven above.

“…But you’re not really hurt, are you?”

“I’m just resting from exhaustion, so don’t talk to me.”

“If you’re going to rest, I’d rather go back and wash properly—”

“Come on later.”

“Yes. Because I worked hard……”

After lying down for a few more minutes, he got up.

Well, the water was up to my ears before I knew it.

Drainage is not good here.

“…… You’re also not good at talking.”

“Isn’t that what Mr. Yandel said?”

We made our way, dark and lye-flowing, toward an unharmed city block.

People were seen everywhere.

Some desperately searched for someone who had been lost, while others rummaged through the rubble to see if there were any survivors.

They were all like us.

“What time is it, anyway?”

“It’s noon soon.”

It’s noon on the 2nd of June……

It’s a little funny.

Originally, only explorers were doing something like this at this time of day.

“The rain has stopped.”

The dark clouds that had filled the sky dissipated and warm rays of light began to leak out, as if the wizards had lifted the magic.

Also at the same time.

“Bjorn!!”

I saw Misha from afar.

Einar and Erwen were also by his side.

I heard the news in the middle of the night and they were there too.

Seeing that they look no different from us, it seems that they also struggled to turn off the lights all night.

“……Are you uninjured anywhere?”

I was worried that I would be nagged, but surprisingly, Misha didn’t say much.

It was because of the people next to me.

“Hey, Baron Yandel…!”

The few survivors rescued by me last night.

Well, I couldn’t ask why I did that in front of them.

“Why are you still around here? Not going to rest.”

When I said I didn’t understand, the survivors hesitantly thanked me.

And left.

What did you really wait all this time to say?

‘If that’s the case, don’t be afraid of nobles.’

I smiled and continued walking.

Before long, an intact eastern section appeared that had not been consumed by the fire.

Once I got a lodging nearby.

You can’t go home in a carriage like this, can you?

In the first place, it will take a few more hours to get home, but I want to rest right now.

‘How much does Karnon cost per night…….’

Since the name is Yellow, it is expected that it will be much more expensive than Commelby in the commercial district, but today I did not know the price.

it was free

“The manager has instructed me not to accept money from anyone today.”

All nearby lodgings were offering rooms without charge for the townsfolk and explorers who had flown in to keep the fire at bay.

“Before you go up, you have to make a list here first… Baroness Bjorn Yandel…?!”

“however.”

“I’ve heard a lot. You worked harder today than anyone else……. I would like to thank you on behalf of this city.”

I don’t know if it’s because of the nobility or the reputation.

However, the staff at the counter assigned me the widest room among the remaining rooms.

On the other hand, 15 people used one?

There were three rooms and two bathrooms in one living room, so it was not enough for the five of us to share one room.

“For now, Bjorn will use one bathroom. We’ll take turns using the rest.”

“thanks.”

I went into the bathroom and washed my body without hesitation from the team members. Even though I washed it as quickly as I could, it took about an hour.

‘I’m going to wash the equipment I borrowed and return it later……’

I gathered the equipment I took off in a corner of the room and put it away, then lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.

A bed as comfortable as a room in Karnon’s room.

Fatigue set in at once.

‘By the way, what happened to the labyrinth? Will the army win? I’m curious about that too…….’

Well, you can figure it out tomorrow.

That thought finally came to Suma, and when I woke up the next morning.

“…It’s the army!!”

The army of the royal family who went underground has returned.

Thanks to you, my mind was complicated.

‘What the hell happened down there?’

Even after washing their eyes, they could not find any traces of battle as they headed towards the palace on the road overlooking the window.

***

A dark basement where no light penetrates.

Thousands of people are walking one after another, relying on torches.

All from Noark…

“This way.”

At the forefront, a mysterious old man is leading the way, and Seongju, the ruler of the city, is following the old man right behind him.

“He’s someone who doesn’t even know the identity of the lord of the castle. We should head somewhere else right now…”

“Be careful with your words. The only thing we can trust right now is the author.”

“But you know of these byways that we don’t know about? It’s too suspicious. Maybe it’s a royal trick—”

“Stop it.”

Seongju sternly cut off the servant’s words.

I understand being suspicious of the elderly.

The same goes for expressing strong anxiety.

But playing tricks in the royal family?

This is too much of a leap.

If it wasn’t for that old man, they would have already disappeared along with the city of Noark.

“There is no choice. Trust me.”

Seongju muttered in a helpless voice, recalling what had happened earlier.

[The lord of the castle has invaded!]

It was just past midnight when the troops attacked.

Just when all the power in the city went into the labyrinth.

The army of the royal family began to advance, destroying the barriers that had been protecting the city.

[Take all the city residents and head for the shelter.]

At that moment, the head went blank, but the castle lord led all the people left in the city and hid under the fortress.

It was built by the royal family in the distant past as a refuge that could accommodate up to thousands of people.

Fortress Noark once functioned as a royal castle.

Around the time when the witch’s curse destroyed the world.

Humans gathered from all over the continent built cities under the ground and continued their history there for a long time before expanding the protective barrier and going out to the surface.

That’s why the labyrinth portal exists.

[Yes, they camped in the square and are not moving. It seems they are waiting for the portal to open.]

Fortunately, the royal family did not show much interest in them hiding in the shelter.

It was a very reasonable reason.

When the portal opens, explorers will come out.

First of all, the royal family’s priority is to defeat the explorers.

It’s a shelter, there’ll be no problem destroying it later.

[Send contact to the ground.]

In the end, Seongju asked for support from the ground, and the ruin scholar drew attention by burning the ecliptic.

But…

[Dirty bastards.]

The army never returned to the city.

Even the ruin scholar, who was the last hope, lost contact at some point.

Time continues to flow like that……

[11:41] The

time when 20 minutes are left until the portal opens and the power that each spent their time in the labyrinth returns.

[Listen, gentlemen.]

Seongju gave instructions to the remaining troops with the feeling of a person driven to a dead end.

At least it was the best he could do at the time.

I don’t know how many people will die, but it’s the only way to survive.

[Open the gate!!]

Just before the hour hand pointed to noon, Seongju led the rest of the troops out of the shelter. Then, desperately breaking through the troops waiting in front of them, they headed towards the plaza.

Seeing the scene in person made me even more desperate.

[…]

Thousands of knights and more soldiers.

Wizards and priests were also placed everywhere.

But it’s already too late to go back.

[The portal opens!!]

[Prepare!!]

Soon, a blue light gathered in the center of the plaza, the portal opened, and the explorers started pouring out.

[What is it!!]

[Wanga! It’s the royal army!]

[Damn it! Somehow, no one was inside!]

As soon as the explorers returned to the city, they were taken aback by the army welcoming them, but they quickly understood how different they felt in the labyrinth.

[What are you doing! Are you going to die like this?]

[Get out your sword, you bastard!]

The explorers immediately drew out their weapons and prepared to fight, and the lord of the castle also led his troops to draw as much attention as possible from the outskirts.

At the same time, there was only one order.

[Run away! To the ground!]

The best plan he chose.

each one’s life.

To survive even a little and plan the future.

But did it stand out?

[I wonder if the head of the reckless treason had a face like this. I was surprised that he was finer than I thought.]

Before long, a knight arrived in front of him.

The dazzling aura on the knight’s sword was telling him who it was.

[Knight of Light…!]

Jerome St. Red, the 1st Commander of the Royal Knights.

A powerful person with great meaning in this kingdom, to the extent that he has another nickname of the guardian of the royal family.

[Don’t worry. Because you won’t die here. In case you don’t know, I’ll cut off the limbs first and then save them and bring them back.]

The Knight of Light swung his sword.

At most, the lord of the castle, who had lived as an explorer for several years in his twenties and climbed to the fifth floor, could not even see it.

Whoa-!

Flashes of light followed the sword’s trajectory, staining my eyes white.

But…

flash-!

When the momentary flash died down and I opened my eyes.

“……?”

Nothing happened to the lord.

Her arms moved and her legs on the ground were fine.

How the hell did this happen?

The time when I had such a question.

[You still have work to do.]

The old man appeared from several tens of meters in the sky.

At some point, the battle around them stopped.

It was not voluntary.

Just as the Knight of Light pointed his sword at the neck of the castle lord and his wrists trembled, no one here could do anything to harm others.

As if it became the rule of this space.

[Then, everyone must have gathered. Let’s go.]

Soon after, the old man beckoned, and a huge magic circle began to emit light on the city floor.

For the first time in my life, I felt the majestic magical power.

[Fortunately, this is still working well.]

Along with the old man’s muttering, his eyes widened.

And…

flash-!

When he came to his senses, the castle owner was in a dark underground passage.

It wasn’t just the lord.

Everyone on Noark’s side who was there was together…

[What did you do!]

[Multi-teleportation? No, it can’t be possible to move so many people…]

Although there were very few, there were also articles that came with it.

[There must have been a bit of an error since I moved so many things at once. Oh, I didn’t bring you on purpose, so don’t worry about me and kill me.]

Like a possessed person, the castle lord gave the old man’s instructions and killed the knights. Then, when asked where this place was, he smiled meaningfully and walked along with the old man who started walking.

So time has passed now.

“Are you sure he’s the one I think he is?”

Seongju woke up from his thoughts at the voice of a man.

Surprisingly, the leader of Orculis was talking to the old man using his honorific title first.

“Well, if there are no questions, there are no answers.” S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“It means think for yourself. I see.”

The leader, who divided Noark’s forces and confronted them in many areas, meekly bowed his head and withdrew.

On the other hand, the appearance is heterogeneous.

Seongju further raised his doubts about the old man.

‘Who is the replacement interest?’

I wanted to go and ask the captain.

Isn’t that why he gave instructions to the members to stay still and not act rashly as soon as they teleported?

It was clear that he knew something.

But…

‘There’s no way the author would tell me that.’

Instead of asking the leader about his identity, Seongju approached the old man. And I actively tried to have a conversation that I hadn’t been able to share before for some reason.

Surprisingly, the old man was very kind.

“Ah, that teleportation? It’s just borrowing the power of the ancient magic circle in the city, so don’t take it too seriously. It’s the same as being able to temporarily stop the battle. That’s why Noark is a well-designed city.”

“I didn’t even know there was such a thing…”

“It’s strange to know that, so don’t be discouraged. So, is that all you’re curious about?”

Seongju asked the old man a lot of questions, and the old man answered well except for the question of where he was going.

How long has it been like that?

“Well, you’ve arrived.”

The narrow aisle gradually widened and a sloping road appeared.

And…

“Here’s what the heck…….”

Climbing up the hill came out.

Seongju could say with certainty that this was the first sight he had ever seen.

Earthworms squirm on the moist ground in the sunlight forest, flowing streams and chirping birds.

And above all…

“There are no walls…?”

No matter where you look, there are no walls that should be seen.

Simply put, it means that it is not inside Lapdonia, which is called the last stronghold.

“W Where is this place…?”

Seongju muttered blankly and went back to the old man. Through the chin exposed under the hood, I could see the old man smiling.

“Congratulations. You will now be recorded as the first people out of the city in thousands of years.”

June 2, 154, Gaebyeok.

It was the day when the era that had been blocked by the city wall finally came to an end and a new world opened.