Chapter 148 A Great Legacy (5)

Chapter 148 A Great Legacy (5)

A Great Legacy (5)

A Great Legacy (5)

There are days like that.

Days when a momentary whim leads to unexpected good fortune. For Amelia Rainwales, today was that kind of day.

Who would have known?

That she would meet him on top of the castle walls, where she climbed aimlessly out of frustration.

“Regal Vagos.”

A member of Orculus, who divided this cursed city...

...and the one she wanted to kill the most among them.

He’s lying unconscious on the ground.

In this remote place, with his body battered, alone.

‘...Could it be that he opened a dimensional gate and escaped? And that’s why he ended up here instead of the plaza?’

That was the first possibility that came to mind.

There’s no mage in the Dragonslayer’s team, but it’s possible if he sacrificed that poor old man he always brought along.

However...

‘What kind of enemy did he encounter...?’

Amelia dismissed the question that arose.

It doesn’t matter who put him in this state.

What’s important is that a feast has been laid out before her eyes.

She first bends down and checks his pulse.

‘He’s still alive.’

About two hours have passed since the labyrinth closed.

Judging by the circumstances, it seems like he’s been unconscious until now. It’s a time that’s hard to endure for ordinary people, but this guy is no ordinary person. And the spear embedded in his shoulder probably helped stop the bleeding.

“You...”

That’s when he opens his eyes with difficulty and looks at her.

It seems like he regained consciousness after sensing her presence.

Before he can say anything, Amelia speaks first.

“Dragonslayer, do you have any potions?”

“Waist...”

“I see.”

Amelia then unties the pocket attached to his waist and takes it.

And she asks again,

“I’m about to pour a potion on you, is it okay if I pull this out?”

“Hurry up...”

As soon as she hears his answer, she pulls out the spear, and the bleeding starts again.

If she leaves him like this, even the Dragonslayer will surely die.

Amelia just stands there and watches.

“What are you doi... pour the po... tion...”

He finally senses something strange and asks, and she replies,

“Why should I?”

“A deal... we made a de... al...?”

“Ah, you’re talking about the contract?”

Amelia chuckles involuntarily.

A long time ago, she made a contract with the lord of Noark. It’s a contract that everyone in this city knows about.

She can’t kill anyone within Noark.

It’s a contract engraved on her body, making it impossible to break.

But...

“You’re the one who asked me to pull out the spear, aren’t you?”

She just did as he asked.

Although she’s not sure since it’s her first time using this kind of loophole, if it were a violation of the contract, she wouldn’t have been able to do it in the first place.

“Damn... you...”

Amelia puts the pocket she took from him into her subspace pocket.

And she takes away the rest of his equipment.

The dagger at his waist, the ring on his finger, the bracers, the necklace, and so on.

They’re all things she’s been eyeing.

“Thank you for collapsing here. I’ll put these to good use. Ah, but who the hell did this to you?”

He doesn’t answer her mocking question.

He just glares at her with resentment.

Amelia doesn’t bother continuing the conversation and just leans against the castle wall, watching him.

She’s planning to leave after confirming his death, just in case.

But could it be that this guy’s life isn’t over yet?

Thud, thud.

She soon hears the footsteps of the castle guards patrolling from afar.

Amelia makes a quick judgment.

Everything the guards see and hear will be reported to the lord. If she’s caught, it’s over.

“You’re lucky, Dragonslayer.”

She clicks her tongue in disappointment.

If this guy died, the power of Orculus would have decreased that much.

“You, you won’t get away with this.”

He grits his teeth, realizing that he’s alive.

He’s saying he’ll hold her accountable for this.

But Amelia just shrugs and approaches him.

“It doesn’t matter. You won’t remember anything anyway.”

“...What?”

She takes out a pill.

It’s a pill called ‘Lethe’s Blessing’, developed by an alchemist from Noark.

Although it has the downside of not working on evil spirits, it’s a convenient item that erases memories.

“Damn it!! Ugh, ugh!!”

Amelia grabs his jaw and forces the pill down his throat as he struggles.

For reference, the pill she just used isn’t the standard type.

Its effectiveness decreases the higher the target’s soul rank, so she used the best one she had, just in case.

The alchemist said that it could erase the memories of ordinary people for up to a week.

‘It’s better to be safe than sorry, considering who he is.’

She doesn’t feel any regret.

It’s not an item you can easily obtain again, but it’s not a loss considering what she gained today.

And besides, the longer the memories are forgotten, the better.

He’ll think he lost it in the labyrinth, not that he was robbed in this underground city.

‘I should thank whoever it was.’

Amelia quickly leaves the castle walls, hearing the footsteps of the approaching guards.

____________________

One of the three strands of the vine ring, which prevents encounters with Regal Vagos up to three times, has been broken.

In less than 10 minutes.

‘Don’t tell me, it’s going to decrease once a day?’

I try to dismiss the anxiety that suddenly arises.

It wouldn’t be too late to complain when the time comes, and besides, I think it’s unlikely.

After all, it’s something the Goddess said.

Afterwards, we head to the temple and receive the reward. The Pope is busy, so we can’t meet him, and everything is handled through Krovitz.

I ask him to talk for a bit after telling the others to go to the bar first.

“Can you promise to keep everything I’m about to say a secret?”

“You can speak freely. As long as it doesn’t go against God’s will, I swear I won’t tell anyone what my benefactor said.”

Although the part about not going against God’s will is a bit unsettling, I take out the Akro longsword and show it to him without hesitation.

“...It’s the Dragonslayer’s sword.”

“When we try to use it, there’s a rejection reaction. Do you know the reason? If it’s because of a curse, I’d like to ask you to lift it.”

“The power imbued in that item is not a curse.”

Krovitz seems to know about this sword, as he continues explaining without hesitation.

It’s a long story, but the gist is simple.

The original name of this sword was Dragonsword.

It was only after Regal Vagos killed the guardian dragon and escaped that it became known as Dragonslayer.

“Since ancient times, only Dragonkin have been able to use and wield this sword. The guardian dragon passed it down through generations, enjoying a near-immortal life.”

“But he couldn’t use this sword properly.”

“Ah, that’s because of the dragon’s curse.”

The guardian dragon left a curse before it died.

Because of that, Regal Vagos became a Dragonkin who wasn’t a Dragonkin. His dragon scales were burned off, and even his heart, the source of his power, became closer to a human’s.

He committed the sin of betraying his clan to obtain the sword, but he can’t even use it.

“I know he’s been searching for a way to lift the curse for a long time. But from what you said, Mr. Yandel, it seems like there was no way to completely overcome the curse.”

“So you’re saying that it’s not the sword that’s cursed, but him.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Afterwards, I ask what he thinks we should do with this sword that we can’t even use, and Krovitz answers briefly,

“I believe the wisest course of action would be to return the sword to the Dragonkin and receive appropriate compensation.”

Right, that’s the only way.

It would be difficult to sell it as stolen goods since only Dragonkin can use it.

I decide to think about this later.

“I see. Thanks for the advice.”

“You’re welcome. You’re a benefactor of our church. Please visit us anytime if you need my help.”

“Ah, then does that mean I can get blessings for free from now on?”

“Haha, that’s a bit...”

I asked just in case, but Krovitz laughs awkwardly and draws a clear line.

It seems like he wants to do it for me, but there was another oracle this morning.

“The star of twilight said that everything will unfold according to fate, and that we shouldn’t try to go against her will by misinterpreting it.”

It feels like the Goddess is saying this to me.

That she’s repaid her debt by giving me one sacred relic, so I shouldn’t try to get anything more.

“But I can always listen to your concerns, so please come visit when you’re free.”

I leave the temple after Krovitz’s clergyman-like words.

And I head towards the bar we agreed on.

“Ah, you’re here? Have a seat.”

All three of them are already drinking.

However, the atmosphere is completely different from when we usually finish an expedition.

They’re just silently drinking, without any laughter or chatter.

I realize once again...

...that although we made a lot of money this time, we also lost a lot.

‘The window seat is empty.’

That table at the bar where the five of us used to gather.

But the empty chair will never be filled again.

However, we don’t mention it and just have a conversation about reality.

“Let’s split the reward and the remaining money equally among the four of us.”

“Alright.”

Even the dwarf, who initially suggested donating Dwarkey’s share to the orphanage, just nods.

It was somewhat expected.

In the first place, he made that suggestion to respect Dwarkey’s will.

If he wanted us to use his precious inheritance, we’ll just follow his wish.

Everyone quietly commemorates Dwarkey and drinks.

So I also spend my time like that.

“He... wasn’t the type to go like that...”

The dwarf, who was chugging his drinks, is the first to bury his head on the table. Rotmiller then leaves, saying he’ll take him home, and Misha and I are left alone.

“Bjorn, let’s go back too...”

As always, we walk to the inn together. Misha staggers from the alcohol.

“Lean on me.”

“Ah, thank you.”

It’s still a bright afternoon.

We walk through the crowded streets, reeking of alcohol.

As usual, my accommodation is closer, and it’s time to part ways. However, we just stand there in front of the door, looking at each other.

“.......”

“.......”

Maybe it’s because of the alcohol, but the atmosphere is strangely heated.

Right, that’s what I would have thought normally.

Because that’s easier.

Because that’s what’s appropriate for me.

I would have pretended not to notice and brushed it off like a clueless barbarian.

But...

“Ah... I, I’ll be going now. Rest—”

“Misha Kaltstein.”

I grab her wrist as she turns away, avoiding my gaze.

Because I made a promise to him.

[You’re... perceptive. Please don’t ignore it anymore.]

He told me not to ignore it.

He left those words for me during that precious time when he could have confessed his feelings to Misha.

And I answered that I understood.

So...

“Huh?”

It’s time to confront it.

Misha, whose wrist is in my grasp, looks at me with a questioning gaze.

I take a deep breath and sober up a bit.

And I ask directly,

“Do you... like me as a man?”

It wasn’t a romantic line, and the atmosphere wasn’t romantic either.

It was just a blunt question, as befits a barbarian.

But Misha didn’t get angry.

She didn’t laugh it off, saying, ‘what are you talking about?’

She flinched for a moment and then looked down at the ground, avoiding my gaze. However, after shuffling her feet for a while, Misha raised her head and looked up at me.

And she answered quietly,

“...Yes. I like you. As a man.”