Chapter 161

✠

As if waiting for it, countless skeletons surrounded us from all directions.

Innumerous red lights flashed in pairs from the eyesockets. To exaggerate a bit, those lights seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon.

Truly an army of undead.

In response, our paladins hurriedly formed a circle and expressed their confusion.

“No, why are there so many? Wasn’t this a place where the subjugation force passed by twice?”

“Hmm, that’s right. Did they breed in a short period of time?”

“Hey, Ephael. How the hell does a skeleton breed?”

That’s right, Aster and Bellos from the Dungeon Farm have no kids either!

Fortunately, there was someone who was composed. Thesilid grabbed a handful of dirt on the ground, examined it, and said.

“There’s bone dust mixed in this soil. It looks like the magic army sabotaged us when they passed by first.”

“Ah, come to think of it…….”

The condition of the skeletons in front was a bit strange. This was because the body kept flowing down as if it were made of sand, not bone.

I noticed it thanks to the poor-looking appearance of the undead.

“They increased the number of undead by scattering whole sacks of bone powder.”

This cemetery was an undead incubator of sorts, any scattered bone or bone powder would absorb a lot of necromantic power and would soon spawn as a skeleton.

“Their durability seems weak, brother, sister.”

“Still, there are too many and a war of attrition is inevitable.”

“Yes, Ephael. If you understand, go to the vanguard. The youngest and I will stay behind.”

Everyone prepared for battle as Ephael loaded aura on his sword, he turned to me.

“Captain, which direction should we cut through?”

“Over there, northeast.”

“Okay. I’ll fire a powerful shot here so we can break through with a sprint……what?”

Ephael stopped talking. This is because the undead who were expected to surround and attack were slowly retreating.

As I left the paladin’s circle and walked away, the undead retreated as much as I advanced. It was because of the effect of the passive skill, ‘Notoriety that Resonates in the Underworld’, I had.

I looked back and said.

“Let’s break through. Afoot.”

“……Uh, y-yes, Captain.”

As I took the lead, the undead split to the left and right, clearing the way. The members were thrilled by the sight, which resembled a scene from a miracle in the Bible.

“She wasn’t a Saint for nothing.”

“This is a cakewalk. It’s really comfortable.”

“Sister, you are amazing.”

In the meantime, I spoke to Thesillid, who was the only one silent.

“It reminds me of the old days.”

“Old days?”

“Don’t you remember? When we were playing tag in Toy’s Mansion, the Pierrot Dolls were attacking, and you used me as a human shield?”

“……”

Surprisingly, he seemed to vividly remember events from long ago and turned his gaze to the side in embarrassment.

We passed the cemetery and reached the valley. This was the gateway to the next area, the Monster Swamp.

As we walked along a narrow path with cliffs on both sides, we were confronted with another one of the Republic’s tricks.

“Hey, look at this, they’ve blocked the path with ice this time.”

“If it’s this level of magic, it must be the work of Morifis.”

“Oh, Brother Thesilid. Are you comfortable talking to me now?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Somehow, Thesilid’s formal speech seems to be gradually breaking down.

Needless to say, we easily broke through the valley.

There was no need for me to step forward as Thesilid melted the ice with the Blue Torch and the road was soon opened.

Even in the Monster Swamp, we encountered several obstacles that seemed to be Morifis’s sabotage efforts.

“Wow, this is petty. There used to be a bridge across the swamp here, but they blew it up? We’re going to have to turn around. Everybody, come here.”

“What the hell, was that illusion magic? Even a succubus could dress better than that. Who gets caught up in this shitty honey trap these days……Hey, Ephael, are you out of your mind?!”

“Ash, I don’t have a good feeling about this. Go check the valley up ahead for traps.”

And so on.

[‘The World-building God’ criticizes those who lock themselves away in a tower only for research to end up with many problems with character.]

[‘The Troubled Architect of the Tower of Trials’ complains in a small voice that the tower is innocent.]

Ephael stroked his bangs in annoyance. He scratched his handsome forehead, revealing the bump he’d gotten earlier from my beating.

“Ha, if this is an ally troop, there is no need for enemies.”

“Wizards are like that, Brother Ephael.”

“That’s true. But aside from the Magic Army, what did the Kingdom Army do without stopping them?”

“Who can stop Morifis, brother? He’s not commonly known as the Mad Wizard for nothing.”

“What? Is he that crazy?”

“Yes.”

At this point, Ash showed off unexpected knowledge.

“It’s hard to be sane when you’ve lived for over two hundred years and done nothing but research. From what I heard, he is also rumored to conduct experiments on humans. Oh, and since brothers are Stigmata he might covet you as a test subject, so be careful.”

“That’s right, Hestio. Since you are the weakest, he might come for you. Be careful.”

“Hey, this guy.”

While they were bickering, a curious voice came from the necklace.

Thesilid spoke for Agnes.

“Morifis is known to use forbidden magic to extend lifespan. He is a person who could easily be judged for heresy if persecuted by the Vatican, but his family’s power and magical prowess make him untouchable.”

“Morifis family is Marcellion. It’s the same family as Princess Odellit, who led the 1st Magic Army in the last battle to subdue Hellkaion.”

“Human experiments are a rumor. Morifis may be a misanthrope, but he only uses animals as test subjects, and even then, only dead ones.”

As soon as Thesilid finished speaking. Ash nodded eagerly with a slightly touched face and said.

“I see. Thank you for explaining it to me, Brother Thesilid.”

“……”

As long as he was using polite speech, misunderstandings like this were inevitable.

When we were almost at the end of the valley leading to the next area.

Suddenly, the roar of a beast echoed in the valley.

“This is……”

If this was a normal situation, we would have assumed that there was a ferocious beast ahead. However, the emotions contained in the sound gnawed at our nerves.

Emotions that were transmitted across species differences. It was anger and sadness.

At the place where we walked, there was a wolf as big as a carriage, tied to an iron leash.

I guessed its identity after seeing its fur, which was half-dyed black but glistened with a blue-silver hue.

“It looks like a fallen forest spirit.”

Looking at the leash and chains, it appears that it was subjugated by Anaxia and was acting as a watchman.

Judging from the fact that the black parts of the body were rapidly increasing, it seemed that the corruption was progressing rapidly due to something.

The wolf shed blood tears from its bright red eyes scattering bloodlust everywhere. It was struggling furiously and desperately to break free of its leash.

We quickly realized why the wolf was doing this.

“Sister, in front of the wolf……”

“……”

In the position where the wolf’s front paws are just barely out of reach because of the chain, there were five or six slaughtered wolf pups piled up.

[‘The Eyes that Watch Over the Chaos of All Things’ close his eyes from the cruelty.]

The wounds on the wolf cubs’ bodies were clearly sword marks.

Thesilid spoke in a low voice.

“They drove the mother crazy.”

They were small cubs, the size of puppies at most. Ephael’s usually smiling face hardened, and Hestio gritted his teeth.

“I don’t think the pups are even corrupted yet.”

“They had to do something like this to make them attack us? They are complete bastards.”

Leaving behind my angry companions, I went to the place where the corpses of the young forest spirits were piled up. That place was also right in front of the mother wolf’s snout.

The fallen wolf roared again and poured out her murderous energy towards me.

Without hesitation, I lowered my posture and touched the bodies of the puppies.

White light poured out of my hand. At this, the mother wolf howled even more frantically and struggled.

Thud!

As her massive body stamped its front feet in front of me, the earth shook so much to the point where my head felt numb.

I remained silent and continued what I was doing and after a while.

“One survived.”

A wolf cub, unable to even open its eyes, returned to its mother with precarious steps.

The madness was erased from the mother’s eyes as she realized that at least one of her pups was alive.

It seemed like the mother wolf’s condition had calmed down a bit, but this did not last long.

Suddenly, the mother wolf was in pain, scratching her chest with her front paws. I could see a blackened spot where her heart would have been.

“You…… refused Anaxia’s orders.”

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