Chapter 279 – Reunion.
“Cardinal?”
Diana’s steps stopped at the highest place in the Holy Land. It was a room located on the top, overlooking the vast holy land at a glance. As she knocked on the door and entered, sunlight streamed in from all sides of her. When she closed and opened her eyes, which had been dimmed by the light for a moment, she looked in front of her and saw the back of a knight wearing a red cloak at the end of a balcony that was open on all sides of her.
“You were here too.”
Just next to him lay a pitch-black pile. No, as she approached, what she thought was a large pile was the corpse of a black dragon. There are traces of his pitch-black scales being cut, but there are no signs of a strangely metallic smell or wet floor. When Diana glanced around, she saw a balcony with one side collapsed, but that was all.
“Did the dragons invade this far? As expected, the dragons that invaded this time must have been evil dragons.”
Diana had already reported that the dragons that attacked this time showed different behavior from the dragons that attacked normally. Did the residents suffer because of it? It was a good thing though. It was the first time that the four dragons saw her, who became her saintess, but the record about him was already recorded in her holy land.
“You must have heard it too, right?”
“Yes, the inhabitants of the underground are coming up, right?”
“Yes, remember our duty, Cardinals.”
“Does it have to be like this?”
At his question, Diana stopped her steps in her turn and raised the corners of her mouth.
“Yes, if not, have you changed your mind now?”
After she said that, she left her room and he looked down at the dragon’s corpse.
“…Are you saying I can’t replace Master?”
A pale beam of light emanated from his clenched fist.
“What do you mean?”
Usher couldn’t believe he had to fight the paladins. Who were the Paladins? I’ve rarely seen them in person, but they only use magic, but they protect people from monsters no different from other knights. Although they took Belka away, the memory of the woman named Rachel comforting him made him hopeful that meeting the girl again might not be difficult.
“The Holy Land is originally a place like this. When those in the underground rise to the surface, the Paladins stop them.”
The roaring noise stopped, and the empty seat was filled with the sound of the wheels rolling as the gurgling self-supporting motor was guided along the open door.
“Why are you blocking it? Even if the people of the underground did something wrong…”
“I told you. Before Bargazzet reigned, the holy land’s owner changed frequently.”
Looking back, it was definitely a strange thing. No matter how much the Holy Land is a place where many magic tools that have been handed down since the era of the Daemado are dormant, the owner of the Holy Land has changed too quickly. Then Usher realized when he saw the shield in his hand. Even if he couldn’t know the details, he could tell that this wasn’t an ordinary item. Maybe the fact that he became the owner of the Holy Land every time.
“Could it be that they came up from below?”
“Because it’s a place with a structure that has no choice but to do that.”
Those who became paladins had a duty. Since they are also knights, they are generally no different from the oaths of other knights, but they have one distinct duty.
“Paladins have a duty to kill those who come up from the underground.”
“Nonsense! Why would you do that!”
They were just people living underground. Usher was not a resident of the area, but he spent a few days discovering that the people underground had their own way. But why should they die just for the fact that they come up to earth?
“Because that’s the rule.”
As if they had been waiting, the Primal Sector’s voice interrupted.
“Rules? Are people supposed to die because of the rules?!”
Usher seemed to be really fed up with the word rules. Why do those damn rules always clamp people down in weird ways everywhere they go? Without teaching the reasons for the rules or the reasons to follow them. Then the Primal Sector, who was staring at him, glanced at Krikaliev.
“You must be saying something like you.”
“Yeah? Mister…?”
When Usher turned to Krikaliev, his hand covered his head before he did.
“Don’t talk nonsense to the kid. The past remains as it was, and it’s important to do what you’re doing now.”
And the voice of Krikaliev comes.
“I understand your heart, but don’t try to deny the rules themselves. They exist for a reason.”
“But no matter what, these things!”
“Yes, it’s wrong. But we have to figure out the fundamental problem of why the rule was created and come up with a better rule. That’s the duty of those who want to get rid of the original rule.”
Always doubting yourself and thinking about what you’ve decided to do is what you can call that person’s justice.
“This is this and that is that, and what is more insignificant than a person who says he is right unconditionally?”
Eventually, Usher shut his mouth.
“But this is not your duty now. Shouldn’t you go see the little girl?”
“Then I’d like to ask you again.”
Then the Primal Sector asked Krikaliev.
“Do you still want to destroy the Holy Land?”
Usher looked up in amazement, but he couldn’t see anything because his hand was still covering his head.
“Yes, this time I will destroy the Holy Land.”
Only Krikaliev’s voice told the truth, and the hand that covered his head also let Usher go. At the same time, what he encounters is the gray color of the girl who was looking at him.
“…Let’s go find Belka quickly.”
Only then did Erica’s smiling face tap his chest.
“Come on. Let’s get out of this damn place quickly.”
The Primal Sector spoke behind them as they advanced through the open door.
“As expected, you are the owner of the spear.”
“I don’t need it, man.”
When Usher looked back at the voice of the Primal Sector, who hadn’t followed, for some reason, he could see that he was still behind the door, accompanied by an old-looking self-supporting power generator. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about him, but Usher continued to follow Krikaliev and hold Erica’s hand. And what appeared in front of them were stairs.
“Now go upstairs and the Paladins will start attacking.”
At Krikaliev’s words, Usher swallowed nervously. Except for paladins, wizards and witches, they were the only ones who were said to be able to use magic. I broke into a cold sweat at the fact that each and every one had to fight directly with those who were said to be equal to the strength of the Knights.
“You don’t have to be too nervous. If it’s a paladin, I can deal with it.”
“But how can you not be nervous when you fight dragons and fight people who win?”
He knew that Krikaliev was strong, but that made him even more nervous. Because he knew he too was a paladin. Then, I suddenly remembered what happened in Parz. Come to think of it, he said he knew the paladin he met then.
“Are you going to have to fight that sister too?”
“If need be.”
It was a bit like being able to fight with her who had comforted her, but she couldn’t help it. Nothing was more important to her than saving Belka.
“Huh? Is it normally this dark here?”
Like Erica said, what greeted them as they climbed the stairs was pitch-black darkness.
“Mister, this is…”
“Ummm, the original sunlight needs to come in.”
When he looked around, all he could see was a faint light leaking from downstairs. Surprised to see if he had used magic, he turned around to see Krikaliev, who had taken off his mask and revealed a single, glowing yellow eye. It wasn’t that bright, but it wasn’t difficult to find the road ahead.
“…Was that what it was for?”
“I didn’t know I’d be able to use it like this.”
After somehow finding the way, I could see that the place they were in was similar to a huge hall instead of a hallway. There was nothing like a door in the wall we encountered. But as I walked along the wall, I soon found a door.
“Hmm, this is quite a hair loss.”
“Yes? Why?”
“This door has to be opened in several places at the same time.”
When Usher looked at the door, he could see that there were gears and other devices around it, unlike ordinary doors. As if to prove his words, when Krikaliev grabs the circular handle at the center of the door and turns it, the cogwheels around it seem to start turning, but the door doesn’t move with a clanking sound as if it’s locked.
“What if this happens?”
“I think there are about three such doors. I think we should turn them together in several places.
The light from Krikaliev’s yellow eyes saw Erica holding Usher’s hand.
“Leaving the little girl alone is too dangerous.”
By all accounts, the risk was too great for a tender girl to open such a door by herself. Watching them worry, Erica puffed out her cheeks.
“Boo, I can even open the door.”
“It’s not like that.”
What would you do if there was a paladin attacking you as soon as you opened the door? That could kill her, so Usher tried to placate Erica, but she spoke faster than he did.
“With Usher, we can open at least one door here.”
Come to think of it, Erica was a witch. She didn’t know if there was such a thing in magic, but she thought it would be a good thing if possible, but she asked Krikaliev.
“Wait a minute. Do you really have to be with the kid?”
Usher looks at Erica and she nods her head.
“Yeah, originally it’s hard to interfere like that, but with Usher, even if the wedge is far away, I can do my best to some extent.”
“Can’t you open both at the same time?”
Erica listened to Krikaliev, she seemed to ponder, then shook her head.
“Umm, that’s impossible. Moving one is also possible with Usher, and you have to sacrifice a wedge to barely interfere.”
“Tsk, does that mean I have to stay away from you after all?”
Usher looked at him and saw the shield he was holding.
“Mister, can you come back soon?”
“Are you thinking of doing it?”
“There is no other way.”
Still, the risk was too great to send Erica alone. She’d rather be with Usher, using her magic as she says.
“Because I’ll protect Erica somehow. If she’s a little bit, she’ll be able to hold on.”
Usher didn’t think he could beat a paladin who could beat a dragon. However, even if it is unknown how it was made, this shield that shines as clear as a mirror will not break easily. Also, he had been taught how to fight by Krikaliev while he was here.
“Wasn’t it the old man who said it became useful?”
It wasn’t something I could avoid just because I didn’t want to do it. It was something he had to do.
“So please come and get me quickly.”
Because I had to save Belka. Watching him say that, the first thing Krikaliev did was to put a bean balm on his forehead.
“Oops! Why are you hitting me this time?!”
“You’re not supposed to protect the little girls. What’s the use if you can’t protect yourself too? You’re not going to make the little girls sad, are you?”
“Ugh, that’s…”
“That’s right! It means nothing if Usher gets hurt!”
He wanted to make an excuse, but he couldn’t help it as Erica hugged him and spoke dissatisfiedly.
“Well, that’s not too bad.”
Still, Krikaliev nodded his head.
“Once I start to open it, you should be able to hear the sound from this side because of the structure. Then you can turn the knob at the right timing.”
“All right.”
“Huh!”
After that, the sound of Krikaliev running away is heard. His eyes, which had been shining the light, disappeared and the surroundings became dark again, but there was no problem because he had held the doorknob beforehand. He was afraid of being left alone in the dark, but he knew he wasn’t alone because he felt the warmth of the girl hugging him from behind. How long has it been like that?
-Deaf Deuk
“Erika.”
“Huh.”
Soon, a sound from the door signaled the time, and Usher turned the knob. Erica also seems to be using magic, and her grip on his clothes becomes stronger and she makes a sound like she is in pain. Soon the door opened with a rattling sound. The joy of being able to finally go to rescue Belka was short-lived.
“You’re lucky.”
Usher’s face stiffened at the unfamiliar man’s voice.
