Chapter 30

The man who was called “The Great Sage”

The Dark Hero .

I’ve heard of that name recently .

[If I’m remember it right—]

The goddess had mentioned him when Yasu was appraised .

[Yes... There used to be someone with the same reaction . It was the same reaction as the strongest man who was called the Dark Hero... . ]

So he was disposed into this place too .

The goddess, at that time, said that with a strangely disgusted tone .

You could even say that she’s unhappy just by mentioning his name .

I look at the face of the skeleton .

Did he go against her?

Or is his existence not convenient anymore for the goddess?

Was he judged as a threat?

So, he was disposed by the goddess...?

The man who was said to be the strongest, “The Dark Hero”

I thought he was an evil hero from the impression I got from what he is called .

And that is why that goddess had given that bitter reaction when she mentioned his name .

However, now it seems like what I perceived at that time was wrong .

What could be the reason he was called “Dark”?

It may be possible that he have the unique skill of darkness, the ability to manipulate darkness .

[But with this... the reason of why people were “disposed” will change...]

Some of them really might have been heinous criminals .

The goddess had said so .

But the reason they become criminals, did they really even do anything “wicked”?

For example, a person that is deemed “inconvenient” by either the goddess or the Allion Kingdom .

That doesn’t change that they’re sending “criminals”, right?

I’m going to read what’s written next .

“I was forcibly sent here by the goddess Vysis . With this, I was no longer the unnecessary and annoying person for the goddess, because she can stop caring about my existence altogether . ”

...like I thought .

“My remaining ink is low . The amount of what I could write is limited . So, I won’t go into the details of what happened when I were sent here . The only thing I want to convey is that if there is someone here who is willing to leave this ruins alive, then I want to entrust you what I had desperately brought here with me . I don’t mind you taking away my luggage . Well, I suppose this where I’ll...”

The letter have stopped being eligible here .

The ink have been getting blurry halfway .

It seems that the ink had completely run out at the last part of the letter . n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I could see some traces of the pen being used to forcibly make some kind of groove in the parchment .

However, it seems those grooves stopped halfway .

Did he think what he’s doing is absurd?

Or is it that he doesn’t have any strength anymore?

I tightly grasp the edge of the parchment .

[That sh*tty goddess...]

The goddess called that Demon Emperor, the evil boss .

As his name suggests, it may be possible that the Demon Emperor really may really be evil .

But isn’t that goddess just as evil too?

[I don’t want to save this world from that Demon Empire . All I want was to get my revenge against that f**king goddess— even if it means I’m on the side of evil . ]

Evil VS Evil VS Evil .

A three-way battle of evil .

It’s not a 2 v 1 composition .

If the so-called “hero” is the person who saves the world from evil .

[Then, I’m disqualified from the title of a hero . ]

I’m a failure of a hero who doesn’t wield my sword for valor, but just to survive and to achieve revenge .

While I’m self-deprecating, I began to check the Sage’s luggage .

The relic of the Great Sage .

“Those who are willing to leave this ruins alive . ”

I have the intention to go to the grounds above .

I think I have the qualifications to take them with me... right?

A hemp bag was set beside the skeleton .

There was already a hole in the bag .

I guess it’s not suitable to use as another container of my luggage .

I look inside the bag .

[This is...]

It seems that it’s an old book . |

I take out the book from the bag .

The size and weight of this book is almost the same as an encyclopedia .

The binding used in this book is large and firm .

I glance at the front and read out the title written .

“Prohibited Encyclopedia”

[Prohibited?]

I flip over towards a random page .

It seems that the letters can still be read .

I can read it but... understanding what is written is another thing .

I feel like this would be a bit difficult .

I guess I should read this some more .

And so, I tried to persevere in reading this a bit more .

[Fumu...]

I think I could somehow understand it as I look through the book with my eyes .

It seems like this book doesn’t describe any of those attack magic and sorcery . (T/N: magic/majutsu, sorcery/youjutsu)

Speaking of what kind of abilities this book describes, let’s see— for example, this gives me an impression closer to that of alchemy .

There are recipes written here for creating medicines and magic tools .

...............

This may be useful for something .

I put aside the “The Prohibited Encyclopedia” for now and look at the other things in the hemp bag .

Next of the things I found were... some kind of broken down tools .

I think I’ll leave these things in here .

[Next up is... a map?]

It’s a rolled-up parchment tied with a thin string .

There are three of these .

These looks like these three were quite old .

Untying one of them, I spread the parchment wide .

[...I can’t read this . ]

It wasn’t a map .

There’s some kind of letter written in here .

But, I can’t read it .

[Even if I’m a hero, I still can’t read all kinds of letters, huh...]

Can this book only be read by someone who knows these ancient-looking characters?

For now, I’ll try checking out all three of the parchments .

The letters from these three parchments looks like they’re the same .

Obviously, I can’t read the other parchments too .

I feel like the things written in these three parchments were really important...

haraaa~

[Hmm?]

Some kind of paper fell down from the parchments .

I picked it up and checked what’s in it .

I could read the letters written on this one .

“The Forbidden Archives of Spells and Curses”

[Curses?]

Should I use something like forbidden curses?

Are the things written here curses?

The word “curse” kinda gives off a terrible impression...

Inadvertently putting my hand over my mouth, I began to arrange my thoughts .

[If I can bring someone who can read this to be my ally... this might become a trump card for me when I would fight with that goddess...]

I still remember that time when I’m about to be transferred .

My abnormal state skill didn’t work on that goddess .

It’s probably because of that ability of hers .

I was convinced that my skill was a failure because of that time .

However, it’s possible that my skill won’t work only towards that goddess .

[This means...]

I need another source of strength so that I could fight that goddess .

[Forbidden curses, huh...]

If I can make a Forbidden Curse-user my ally, I may be able to fight back against that goddess .

This was something that the Great Sage, who was called the strongest man, had purposely hid .

This must be some kind of powerful spell .

I hurriedly stashed the forbidden archives into my leather bag .

Now, there was nothing else to worry about .

I also decided to take the robe of the Great Sage .

The black cloak that I had first acquired is now quite damaged .

I don’t know if it’s because the original fabric is good, but it seems that the Great Sage’s robe seems to be quite durable .

As expected of the Dark Hero, his robe is also colored in black .

This would be perfect so that I could blend in the darkness .

I have finished wearing the Great Sage’s robe .

The black cloak I used to wear was now worn my the skeleton of the Great Sage .

It’s just that... I felt bad just taking everything away and leaving him laid bare in here .

[I know it’s a bad exchange but... please forgive me . ]

I picked up the “Prohibited Encyclopedia” and stood up .

The Great Sage Angrin .

He was also called the “Dark Hero” .

The goddess had said that he was the strongest man .

I have one question that arose from here though .

Why is that he didn’t go to the grounds above by himself?

What could have possibly prevented the man who was called the strongest, to go out of this ruins by himself?

I look up towards the ceiling .

Was there something up there?

I look at the Great Sage’s corpse once again .

[Dead men tell no tales, huh...]

Before I left the room, I was about to put the “Prohibited Encyclopedia” into the leather bag .

It was at that time .

I have noticed that the last page of the book is dirty .

I could feel that the page was kind of sodden .

The thing that I’ve noticed about this though is the uncomfortable feeling I get when I look at its color—

[What is this...?]

The moment I went to the page in question, I could feel shivers in my spine .

The letters were scrawled out .

Was the writer distracted when he wrote this?

The letters were really messy .

It was not the calm way of writing like the ones on the parchment written by him .

The Great Sage had written before that the ink he’s using was about to run out .

And so, he substituted it with another one instead .

It’s probably— blood .

Letters written by blood .

“Beware of the soul eater!

Every one of us were killed by him!?”

[...............]