Grave of Death ⑨ – Prayer of Liberation.
Five minutes is surprisingly long.
It hadn’t passed yet.
Me, with purple hair and eyes.
Juicy-san, with white hair, white wolf ears, and a white tail.
It was certainly a look you could accept if someone called it a makeover.
Still, I couldn’t help but give a wry smile that Agaro-san’s first words were about a makeover.
He seemed to have forgotten who had the biggest makeover.
And there were things I needed to ask him, too.
“Naaa~~”
Before that, an exhausted Dagaa weakly returned to his original form.
So, I entrusted him to Juicy-san.
“Um, um, ah, Dagaa-chan. Are you alright?”
“He’s fine. He just seems tired, so please hold him just like that.”
“Um, um, woof. Yes. Leave it to me.”
It was perfect for stopping Juicy-san’s excessive physical contact.
I felt bad for using Dagaa like this.
Later, well, once we get outside, I’ll feed him lots of something.
“Ahhh… well, about that…”
As he spoke, Agaro-san took out his Gourd Flask and took a drink.
For this man, alcohol truly is the best of all medicines.
I think it was called hannya-tō, wasn’t it? A blessed medicine indeed. Though I’ll pass.
“Um, um, ah, Agaro-san. Was that Amaltheia?”
“Ah, yeah, it was.”
“Um, um, you’re not supposed to drink that, right? I know.”
“Well, yeah.”
Even possessing it is forbidden. I asked with narrowed eyes.
“Are you going to be okay, drinking something like that?”
“The head-splitting pain, like a hangover, is rough.”
Agaro-san replied jokingly.
I told him firmly.
“I saw with my own eyes the fate of a Faun who drank that before.”
“Is that so. Did the guy die?”
“Yes. He died.”
Strictly speaking, I delivered the finishing blow before it was too late.
Agaro-san tilted back his Gourd Flask.
“Phew, well, that stuff, you see. It’s my trump card. Same for you guys, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Um, um, woof. Wawan. This [Fenrir] is my ace in the hole.”
“…R-Right. Yeah. So, well, that’s that. Let’s just agree that nobody saw anything here.”
I figured it would come to this.
I agreed with that. Juicy-san nodded too.
“Understood. I didn’t see anything.”
“Um, um, me neither.”
“Alright. The Witch too— The Witch?”
That’s when we noticed. The Witch wasn’t here.
I instinctively looked towards the church. Probably. She must have gone there.
“Getting a head start, huh? Just like The Witch.”
Agaro-san grumbled. She probably woke up while we were fighting and went over.
Or perhaps she wasn’t unconscious from the start. With The Witch, that was possible.
“Um, um, woof! Let’s follow her!”
Juicy-san had returned to normal. It would take me a little longer.
No, wait, I just need to release it. I reverted from [Generous].
My Gauntlet also changed back from the [Gauntlet of Still God] to the [Gauntlet of Still Saint].
And so, we crossed the bridge towards the church on the hill. It wasn’t that far.
Agaro-san spoke while drinking.
“That’s weird. The Dungeon hasn’t been liberated yet.”
“Is that so?”
“The Dungeon’s collapse hasn’t started.”
“Um, um, if the Dungeon is liberated, what happens to us?”
Come to think of it, yeah.
Getting back on our own before it collapses might be impossible.
“Oh. No problem. A while after the collapse starts, Teleportation Arrays appear nearby. Step into one, and you’re back on the surface. There’s some logic to it, but I don’t remember it anymore.”
“But that collapse hasn’t started. Even though we defeated Hargan?”
“The answer to that is probably over there.”
And so, we arrived at the church. We pushed the door open.
Wooden pews lined the room at regular intervals, and beautiful stained-glass windows adorned both sides.
The layout and arrangement were just like the chapel of the church on the surface.
However, while that one was covered in dust, rusted, and dirty, this place, like its exterior, was brand new.
It was unnaturally spotless.
Well, it’s the Innermost Area of a Dungeon, so being unnatural is probably natural.
At the front was a red altar, and The Witch was there.
Behind the altar, a statue of the Goddess Holy Mother was enshrined… wait, something’s different.
“Well, well, welcome. I bid you welcome.”
The Witch was sitting on the red altar, legs crossed, saying boss-like things with a smile.
She toyed with a Chalice. It was pure white with a gold rim, looking expensive.
But it looked familiar somehow.
Agaro-san tilted his Gourd Flask and said.
“You’re not actually the mastermind, are you?”
“Um, um, Majo-sama is the enemy?!”
“Don’t tell me, Witch…”
As we took a step back, The Witch panicked.
“No, no. Of course not. It’s true I got a head start, but I had my reasons.”
“Witch. That Chalice?”
“Um, um, I can tell. It looks expensive. Is it treasure?”
“Yes, yes. In a sense, it is.”
“More importantly, the Grave of Death hasn’t collapsed. What’s going on?”
“That’s because, because Hargan hasn’t been completely defeated yet.”
The Witch said it as if it were nothing.
“Eh, but we defeated him. We destroyed his Core this time.”
“Um, um, we definitely shot through it and shattered it.”
“Even so, even so, he hasn’t been completely defeated.”
“Does that mean he’ll revive again?”
“Yes, yes. Not immediately, but I believe he’s regenerating even now.”
“Hey, hey. How are we supposed to beat something like that?”
Regenerating even after destroying the Core… he can’t really be immortal.
The Witch skillfully spun the Chalice with one hand.
“That, that is simple. You just need to destroy this Chalice.”
“Ah, could that be…”
I remembered. It looked exactly like the Chalice in that Abandoned Village.
“Um, um, Majo-sama. What do you mean?”
“Yes, yes. This is the very defense mechanism old man Abramelin used. The souls of the victims of this Grave of Death were gathered in this Chalice as energy and supplied to Hargan. That’s why Hargan achieved pseudo-immortality.”
“But I don’t hear any sound.”
The overlapping screams and resentment had sounded like a whistle.
“That, that, well, you could actually hear it until just a little while ago. It probably ran empty. Look.”
The Witch showed us the inside of the Chalice. It was indeed empty.
“Then hurry up and break it already!”
“Um, um, Majo-sama. Woof. Was there something making you hesitate?”
“Hmm, hmm. At first, I realized the mechanism and tried to destroy it, but… Wof-shounen, how did you destroy the other one?”
“I didn’t destroy it. I purified it.”
“Oh. So that story was true. Well, with that power, I guess it makes sense.”
“Um, um, woof. Wawan. As expected, Wof-sama is amazing! Wonderful!”
“No, I didn’t really…”
Back then, I lost.
No, fighting Hargan made me realize.
It wasn’t even about winning or losing.
The Black Knight, Arthur-san, wasn’t fighting me seriously.
I don’t know why. But maybe, just maybe, he wanted to be liberated.
Because I heard his words of gratitude.
“I see, I see. Purification, hmm?”
The Witch took out a small bottle from her bosom—why from there?
She stood up, placed the Chalice on the altar, and dripped the contents of the bottle into the Chalice.
A viscous, sparkling liquid entered the Chalice.
Isn’t that Elixir?
I gave her one vial, and she used it on Hargan, right?
Why does she have a second one?
Well, she’s The Witch, so I guess it’s fine.
The Chalice filled with Elixir dissolved into glittering particles of light and vanished.
“Um, um, ah, that’s so beautiful.”
“It is.”
“Makes for a nice side dish with my drink.”
No, you’re drinking even without it.
Immediately after, an earth tremor occurred. Proof that Hargan was completely defeated.
“With this, with this, the Grave of Death will be liberated. May they rest in peace.”
The Witch whispered softly. It sounded like a prayer.
I prayed too. Juicy-san was also observing a moment of silence.
I hope that light brings peace to their souls.
“Um, um, ah, Majo-sama. Isn’t there any treasure here?”
Juicy-san asked once the moment of silence ended.
Even though she’s a marquis’s daughter, she sure loves treasure. Is it because she’s a dog?
“Ah, seems like there might be something.”
“Witch. Did you find anything?”
“Yes, yes, indeed. There were various things in the Storage Cellar that served as the entrance to Death. There’s still time, so if you want to rummage, now’s your chance.”
“Juicy-san. Let’s go check.”
“Um, um, woof. Yes. Wof-sama!”
Entering the Storage Cellar, there were shelves, and indeed, various things were placed on them.
Burlap sacks filled with grain were also stacked up. What is this? It’s just a normal Storage Cellar.
Dungeon structures are copies of real buildings, so they probably remain as they are.
But this is the Innermost Area of the Dungeon of Death… Is this really it?
Juicy-san looked around, slightly bewildered. Yeah, I get it.
I also took a look at the shelves just in case.
Nothing particularly unusual. Just junk.
I was hoping maybe there’d be a knife or something, and there was. Just a normal one.
In the corner of a shelf lay a short blade. A knife.
It had a rounded wooden handle. No sword guard. When drawn, it was single-edged.
The pattern on the blade was rough and wavy.
“…”
It didn’t look expensive, nor did it feel special. Just an ordinary knife.
It really must be just an ordinary knife.
“Um, um, ah, Wof-sama. Is that what you want?”
“I was thinking maybe it’s okay to take this much.”
It just looks like a perfectly ordinary Storage Cellar.
So taking something from it without saying anything feels kind of like stealing.
“Um, um, I think it’s fine! It’ll be a memento!”
“Alright then, I’ll take it.”
A memento, huh. I put the knife away.
And so, the Grave of Death Dungeon was cleared, and That Forest finally became just a normal forest.
I’m tired.
A few days later. The Hydrangea Slums.
Partway down an alley. Somewhere on the right side.
Suddenly, there’s a gaping staircase leading underground.
Go down those stairs and turn slightly, and there’s a red, semi-circular arched door.
Opening the door revealed a space like a concert hall.
Lined up inside were well over several dozen bookshelves, even at a glance.
The bookshelves were packed tightly with books, leaving no gaps.
It wasn’t just the bookshelves. The surrounding furnishings were also magnificent.
“If you’re going to come, please contact me beforehand.”
A gentle-looking man with gray hair and brown skin gave a wry smile.
He wore glasses and had a book tucked under his arm.
A white shirt and black trousers. Ordinary clothes.
However, his eyes were purple.
Those purple eyes stared, looking somewhat troubled.
Between the bookshelves, a white table and chairs were placed.
Their presence here was far too abrupt and unnatural.
Seated at the table was a girl dressed entirely in white.
Her round hat adorned with a white rose, her long hair, her eyes, her skin, her cape, her dress—everything was pure white.
The girl moved her pure white lips slightly.
“Darkness of Death. The Wind of Death has vanished.”
“I’d prefer you call me Ambrosius. Ambrosius Mernuris. Light of Death.”
“I am Shiro. Shiro=White=Weiss=Blanche=Album=Sephide.”
“…”
“…”
The King who governs the Light of Death and the King who governs the Darkness of Death fell silent for a moment.
The first to speak was the King who governs the Darkness of Death. It was Ambrosius.
“Still so long-winded, Shiro. The Wind of Death, that would be Hargan, right? Vanishing just days after being revived… pitiful, really. Either way, he probably couldn’t have accomplished much. He wasn’t fit to be a King. Just a village chief, at best. A small-fry, and a truly foolish man.”
“You knew him?”
“Because, truth be told, I was the one who made that man the King of the Wind of Death. I granted his wish and made him the King of the Wind of Death. He even used a large-scale subjugation to offer up his own villagers and family as sacrifices, you know. How foolish and ugly, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Indeed.”
“And what’s more, afterwards, he was sealed away by Abramelin and the others with some kind of defense mechanism, unable to do anything. Then, just when you think he’s finally revived recently, he vanishes again. Truly like the wind, wasn’t he?”
“…I see.”
Shiro didn’t seem particularly bothered by Ambrosius’s sarcasm.
She brought the pure white teacup to her lips.
Its contents were milk.
“Shiro. Did you come all the way to Hydrangea just to tell me something so trivial?”
“Yes, that’s right. Sharing information about the Kings of Death is my role.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, that was your duty, wasn’t it? Thank you for your trouble.”
“You’re welcome. However, my real business is something else.”
“Oh? I’m not interested, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Ambrosius. I want to buy a book.”
“You? A book? What kind of book are you planning to buy?”
“Romance.”
“…………..You?”
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“Well, fine, but do you have any specific requests? I have a decent selection of romance titles.”
“If I had to say… perhaps pure love?”
“………………You?”
“What is it you wish to imply?”
“No, well, I have several, so feel free to choose.”
“Yes. I shall do that.”
Shiro gave a curt nod and drained the milk from her white teacup.
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