CH 154

White smoke comes out of the now headless body of the enemy.

As the wind spreads this smoke, all traces of the enemy’s body vanishes.

“It disappeared… Was it something different than a monster or familiar of the shaman?”

I’ve never seen something disappear after dying like this, so I’m surprised and very curious. Roa then calls my attention to something.

“Master Rust, over there.”

I slowly walk to where she’s pointing, and see there’s a magic stone where the enemy vanished, like it’s buried into the ground.

I carefully collect it with a purified harvesting glove.

“This is rare… It’s totally round… And there’s some sort of pattern carved into it.”

It’s not like a regular rugged magic stone, but not like a chiseled and shaped magic crystal either.

I look closely at this magic stone, and Roa and the others get closer.

“Master Rust, thank you for protecting us earlier. Was that your transmuted beast? It was very strong… That pattern!”

Princess Lily’s hands stopped shaking and color returned to her face as she approached me, but it sounds like the magic stone in my hand took her breath away.

“Yes, it’s a transmuted beast named Rose. Do you know this pattern?”

I ask while thanking Rose for its hard work by patting one of its vines still coming out of a scroll.

“…Master Rust, I assume you are familiar with the 『Primordial Eight』?”

“Yes. The first eight demons that are said to have appeared in the time when the world was created. It’s said that some of them are still alive to this day.”

“Yes. Of those eight, five were defeated by dragons during the age of strife, and were replaced. But the three that remain have kept on living since the time of this world’s creation, for over two millennia. These three are the ‘The first seat of Delusion’, ‘The Third Seat of Immorality’, and ‘The Weakest Seventh Seat’. I have seen documents left to the royal family, and this is the pattern of the one called The Third Seat of Immorality.”

“So basically, that four-armed enemy may have been some sort of underling or creation of the The Third Seat of Immorality.

Princess Lily silently nods. Her face is looking pale again.

Although I feel like it may be none of my business, I take out a tonic potion from my backpack and hand it to her.

“What is this?”

“A simple potion. I think it will make you feel a little calmer.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Princess Lily accepts the potion with a smile, but doesn’t drink it.

I see. A member of royalty isn’t just going to mindlessly drink something. Of course.

As her complexion starts looking a bit better, she tells us we should go back.

“Now, let us return to the capital. I will report to all the concerned departments about the collapse of the mausoleum and how it might be related to a demon.”

“Thank you. And about the repairs to the road…”

I mention the big footsteps carved into the road when Hipopo gave it its all, but apparently Princess Lily will be taking care of that too.

I’m thankful, but I assume that’ll be a lot of trouble. Still, it would probably be rude to refuse.

And then, I ride behind Roa all the way back to the capital.