Chapter 560: Chapter 298，Part2: 2 - Prophecy

Chapter 298 Prophecy?

Part 2

I take a deep breath and flip the switch to accelerate my heartbeat a little. My heart was pulsating at a terrible pace, and my whole body became hot.

It’s not as good as Onee-sama, but it’s a pseudo 『Absolute Shadow (Zetsu Ei)』 that I’ve been practicing lately.

All my five senses were sharpened, and a sharp pain rushed to the back of my brain. Every muscle in my body was seething with the need to unleash its power. I never thought I would be unveiling it in a situation like this, but――I can’t afford to be picky about my means.

I won’t let you get away anymore. What shall I do after I catch this insolent carpet? n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If you don’t listen to Master~――I’ll turn you into a squeezing rag.” (Tino)

“Ti-Tino!? Calm down!” (Cry)

Master~ calls out my name in a panic, but it was that kind of attitude that made the carpet full of itself. If you do what you always do to Tino, you would have earned its respect, but this is just discrimination.

Either you make the carpet pass a trial or pamper me like the carpet, pick whichever you prefer, Master~!

It’s useless to use Master~ as a shield, our skill level is incomparable. A carpet that has been pampered and enjoying a debauched life (?) is no match for Tino, who has been honed through hellish trials. I’ll tear it off in an instant and engrave the hierarchy between us.

I concentrate on every single move of the carpet. Although their physical structure is different from that of a human, I should be able to predict its action as long as I can see its preliminary movements……

Today I’m in perfect condition. If I succeed in training the carpet, Tino’s reputation will go up a notch. This time, for sure, he’ll give me a reward.

I breathe thinly. Maybe because it’s under the terrifying pressure of Tino approaching like the devil, the carpet’s hand (?) twitches. Just when I was about to jump to get it――I suddenly heard a noise coming from the entrance.

In an instant, I remembered my duty as an escort and turned my attention there. It was almost at the same time that 『It』 entered and collapsed on the floor.

It was wearing an armor. It was not the kind of lightweight armor that Hunters wear, but rather the kind of elegant knightly armor that also serves as a symbol of authority. The reason he was not wearing a helmet was probably because he was in town.

It’s a man. While in the accelerated state due to the pseudo Absolute Shadows, Tino’s eyes clearly recognized the face of the man on the verge of collapsing.

Master~ who was startled by the noise, stared in wonder.

“Wh………… Who is that?” (Cry)

“………… It’s Hugh, Master~! It’s Hugh LeGrand, the one who was sent by the Zero Knight Order! He said something insolent about becoming Master’s~ disciple!” (Tino)

“Ah…… Aaaaah……” (Cry)

What a half-hearted reply. I don’t know if he is serious or joking…… I’m sure he was, probably, joking. I’m sure he wanted to make sure that Tino remembered him correctly.

I remembered because of the impact he had on me, whether it was because Onee-sama knocked him out and carried him or that he suddenly applied to become Master’s~ disciple.

Although he was an unpleasant man who somewhat reminded me of Ark, there was no doubt that he was a member of an official Knight Order which is known for being the elite. What happened to him?

Master~ takes a deep breath in his chair and mutters.

“Is he…… Dead?” (Cry)

“He’s alive, Master~. His heart is beating…… But it looks like he’s exhausted tho’……” (Tino)

I approach Hugh, who is lying on the ground, slowly and carefully.

His armor, which had been well polished when I first saw him, was blackened with soot and covered with countless scratches. He did not seem to have any noticeable injuries, but his hair was *bosabosa* shaggy and his whole body smells bad. This is――The smell of the sewer.

I *chonchon* poke Hugh a little with the tip of my shoe. However, Hugh only moans and doesn’t seem to get up.

“Master~…… What should we do? It doesn’t look like he’ll die even if we leave him alone.” (Tino)

“Uuuuun…………………… Then let’s just leave him alone then?” (Cry)

Master~ says while *chirachira* glancing at the carpet stuck to his back.

………… After all Master~, aren’t you treating carpets and people too differently?

Being an elite of the Zero Knights Order means that 9 out of 10, he is a nobleman. Wouldn’t it be a problem to leave him like that?

When I was wondering what to do, Hugh, who was lying on the ground, suddenly moved.

He seems to have regained consciousness, but although he does not seem strong enough to stand up, he moves his body with slow movements and *gorori* lies down on his back.

Just by looking at his face, I knew that he had encountered an unusual situation.

When I first saw him, his appearance gave me a fresh impression, but there was not a single trace left of it. He was knocked unconscious by Onee-sama the first time he came, but even that was nothing compared to how he is now.

His cheeks were hollow and dark circles were sticking out under his eyes. His chin was covered with a little beard and his skin was dry. He looked as if he had been in distress for days, but his eyes, peering through his slightly open lids, were shining brightly.

When Hugh saw Tino’s face, he smiled as if he was slightly relieved, lifted his arms as if he was squeezing out the last of his strength, and held out the object he was holding with great care.

“Give… This……… To… “Master (Shi)”………… Please…………” (Hugh)

“!?” (Tino)

It was just a reflex. A Thief’s job is to keep the Party out of danger by searching and spotting traps. It is too late to move after seeing and understanding what happened.

I step back and only after a few seconds do I realize that I have retreated. I realized that I forgot to breathe because I was choking and struggling to breathe.

My danger detection ability cultivated from all my hunts so far alerts me of its danger.

That Mimik-kun was a fearsome Relic, but it didn’t have a presence. But this is probably a threat that even untrained civilians can sense at a single glance.

What Hugh held out was――A small wooden box. It was beautifully designed, but it was just a box, not a Relics or something similar.

However, the miasma coming out of it was extraordinary.

I felt a chill attacking my gut. A negative presence far stronger than any Phantoms I’ve encountered so far. Alarm bells are ringing in my brain more intensely than ever before. I wonder how I didn’t notice this until Hugh held it out.

I don’t know what is inside, but I do know one thing.

This is――Beyond human control.

Wh-What did you brin――No, don’t tell me, this is――.

Hugh must have clearly understood the horror of this box. No ordinary person would even think of approaching it, let alone touching it.

It seemed like a miracle that he made it this far with the box. With a miasma this thick, just touching it must have been enough to cut into his psyche. Even if there was no physical pain――The mind affects the body.

The arm holding the box *yurayura* shakes unsteadily. Hugh says in a hoarse voice.

“I did… It. Tell……………… Kuh, Cuh――.” (Hugh)

“You did…… It? Tell…… T-Tell, what ? Cuh? What are you trying to say!?” (Tino)

There were so many questions I wanted to ask. Where did you find this? What is this? Why did you bring it here? This is clearly something that should be sealed up tight in the “Light Spirit (Korei)” Church.

But I didn’t have the time to do that. Hugh is at his limit, and once he loses consciousness, he won’t be back for a while. I need as many clues as possible.

At last, he lost all his strength, and the arm that was holding the box fell to the floor with a thud. The box he was holding in his hand slid heavily on the floor and stopped when hit the wall.? The light fades from Hugh’s gaze.

Then, Hugh said his last words with a huffy look in his eyes.

“Cur…… Se………… No… W.” (Hugh)

“!?” (Tino)

As if the thread of consciousness had been cut off, Hugh’s strength left his body with a *gakuri* jerk.

I forced my squeaky body to move and looked at Master~. Master~ while frequently worrying about Car-kun, who clung (?) to him more firmly than before, as if he could sense this threat even its the body was a Relic, said in his usual tensionless voice.

“Eh…… I don’t want it.” (Cry)

Aaah, I get it. I get it. The Infinite Trials aren’t over, right.

……………… No, no, no, no, I can’t handle something like that, Master~! Absolutely impossible! ………… Huh? Could that be because of that ring!

Up until now, Master~ has put the Clan Members through various trials, and although there have been some seriously injured, there have been barely――Really barely any deaths. It is a miracle achieved through Master’s~ exceptional foresight and divine strategies.

However, the box I saw just now was different. That’ll kill me. It’s unclear what’s in it, but even Tino who is enhanced with Mana Materials wouldn’t be able to get away with it. We are playing in a different league. Did you learn about Tino’s growth, so you raise the difficulty of the trial?

If possible, I’d like the “Light Spirit (Korei)” Church to take it while having the box still closed――Can the “Light Spirit (Korei)” Church even handle it?

Fear and confusion ran through me. Moreover, I can’t move my body because I feel guilty that this might be happening because of the ring I found.

We have to run away. That is beyond the reach of a Hunter. Master~, run away, and contact the “Light Spirit (Kourei)” Church――I’ll take care of this place!

Neither my mouth nor my tongue could move. I managed to move only my face slightly and appealed with my eyes, believing that my message would be conveyed.

Master~ *unun* nodded, walked past the frozen Tino, picked up the box near the wall as if he didn’t notice the miasma, and as if I was in a nightmare, he easily opened the lid.

TL notes:

Thanks for reading!

This chapter can be resumed in 2 sentence

Tino: That box will kill us all, it must be sealed!

Cry: Okay (Open the box)

Sasuga Cry, he never disappoints us!

Tchao à plus!