Into the Creations 655

## Chapter 655 – 655. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family

655. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated into the Baek Family

I crossed the border and entered the Balt Kingdom.

It wasn’t difficult since the entire border wasn’t under surveillance. As soon as we entered the Balt Kingdom, we reduced our scale and disguised ourselves as merchants.

It was a sensitive time, with war on the horizon. If my identity were to be revealed, it could trigger a war, so caution was necessary.

‘The Mirror Tunnel is really useful.’

Through the Mirror Tunnel, I could send or bring back the knight and maids.

We reduced the size of our group.

There were two carriages. One was for me and the maids, and the other was a cargo carriage filled with goods to make us look like merchants. Jerdin and Berol were secretly riding in the cargo carriage. Berol had expelled the poison a few days ago, but he hadn’t fully recovered yet. As a loyal knight, he didn’t know that his fellow knights had been killed by Jerdin.

My Gold Rose Knights had all returned to the territory except for five. The remaining five, including Floy, disguised themselves as mercenaries. They took off their shiny armor and put on the leather armor that mercenaries usually wore.

“To have to play the role of a mercenary… I don’t like this mission very much.”

Floy grumbled quietly. That was all.

The maids and I dressed as merchants. There was nothing special about the merchant’s attire. It was just slightly more extravagant than the clothes of ordinary commoners.

The carriage headed towards the Nellooman territory, and we arrived at our destination without any incidents.

Jerdin, who had been hiding in the cargo carriage, no longer hid himself and proudly revealed his appearance. Thanks to that, we were able to easily enter the Nellooman barony. However, things didn’t go as smoothly as we had expected.

Baron Nellooman was sick and lying in bed. His complexion was dark, and his body was trembling like a patient with epilepsy. Blue spots were appearing on his skin.

“Nellooman! What has happened to you…! Nellooman…!”

Jerdin staggered towards Nellooman and then collapsed onto the floor. It was strange, as if his legs had given out.

‘This bastard… he’s watching my reaction? He’s acting right now.’

The reason he wasn’t approaching his cousin Nellooman seemed to be because he was afraid of catching the disease.

“Jer… din…”

Nellooman’s dry and blackened lips moved. The voice that leaked out between his lips was very small.

“Nellooman!”

Jerdin jumped up from his spot and moved closer to the bed. He didn’t grab Nellooman’s hand or anything.

“Jerdin… help… help me… Jerdin…”

“Help you? What can I do? Nellooman?!”

“……Butler… to the butler…”

Nellooman closed his eyes after saying those words. He wasn’t dead, just asleep.

Immediately after, a middle-aged butler strode towards Jerdin.

“The lord has fallen asleep. He probably won’t wake up until tomorrow. I will guide you to the reception room.”

It was Bilmad, the head butler of the Nellooman barony. We followed the butler into the reception room.

“……Head Butler. Why did Nellooman become like this? Tell me in detail. Nellooman’s current symptoms… are the same as my father’s.”

“The lord is cursed.”

The head butler said with a deep sigh. Jerdin’s face contorted in shock.

“Not a disease, but a curse…?!”

His eyes trembled, unable to hide his agitation. Nellooman’s symptoms were the same as his father’s. In other words, Jerdin’s father was also cursed.

“That! Are you sure? Head Butler!”

“I am sure. It is the judgment of the mages from the Magic Tower who were invited for treatment. There were even high-ranking mages among them.”

“A curse. Who on earth… No, there’s no one else but that bitch. Diona…!”

Jerdin said, trembling. At first glance, he seemed to be angry, but he couldn’t fool my eyes. He was feeling fear.

“Head Butler… Nellooman asked me for help. But I don’t know anything about curses. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“The mages told us how to lift the curse before they left.”

“……What is the method?”

“Deep in the Hasreng Mountains, there is a white leaf that washes away impurities. They said that the curse can be lifted with that white leaf.”

“Even though you know the method, why is Nellooman still lying there?”

Jerdin’s voice was irritable. He was scolding the head butler in front of him. The head butler said with a darkened complexion.

“The mages were terrified and gave up on this matter. It was because the level of the curse was so high that it exceeded their common sense. Even 1 billion ner couldn’t hold onto the mages.”

“Damn those bastards. Mages are always the kind of people who care so much about their own safety.”

“…We hired adventurers and mercenaries and sent them to the Harleng Mountains, but there has been no news for over ten days. We are trying to hire other adventurers and mercenaries, but… word has spread, and no one is willing to take the request.”

“……The soldiers? Didn’t you send knights and soldiers?”

“We have to protect the territory. The situation on the continent has recently begun to change rapidly, and public order has become unstable, so we cannot send knights and soldiers.”

“……What Nellooman meant by asking me for help… was to go directly to the Harleng Mountains and bring back the white leaf.”

“I know it’s shameless. But there is no one but you, Jerdin. I beg you. Please help our lord.”

Jerdin sighed.

He came to receive help, but now he was in a position to give it. He couldn’t ignore it. He needed Nellooman’s help right now.

Jerdin couldn’t make a decision. He wasn’t in a position to make a decision. He quietly looked at my reaction and said to the head butler.

“Head Butler. I need time to think. Please leave for a moment.”

“Yes. I will wait outside. Please call me when you have made up your mind.”

The head butler left. I sat arrogantly on the chair. Jerdin, who had experienced me over the past few days, didn’t dare to make eye contact with me.

“Yuria. Can you lift that curse?”

“It is not possible right now.”

Knowing Yuria’s skills, I was surprised. She was an Arch Mage. I didn’t expect to hear such a negative answer from her, who could be called the best mage on the continent.

“It is a curse that is different from the curses I know. In order to fully analyze and lift the curse, I need at least a week of research time.”

“A curse that is different? It’s not a magical curse?”

“There were no traces of magic.”

It meant that the curse wasn’t manifested by magic. It was puzzling. Was it possible to cast a curse in this world in a way other than magic?

After a moment of thought, the answer came.

‘If it’s an ancient artifact, it’s possible.’

The single phrase ‘ancient artifact’ could explain everything. It was an all-purpose phrase.

‘There are two options. Either have Yuria research the curse or go to the Harleng Mountains and find the white leaf.’

I felt a question.

“Does that white leaf really exist?”

“I think they are referring to the Elst leaf.”

“There is such a thing?”

“It is a leaf that has absorbed moonlight. It has the effect of washing away impurities, so it is very effective against curses.”

It meant that it actually existed.

‘It’s annoying. Should I just ignore Nellooman and go to the Hisfield Gate?’

Jerdin came into view. It would be better for him to have Nellooman’s support in order to successfully take the position of head of the family. If he didn’t have any support base, the Hisfield family itself could turn away from Jerdin.

‘If I can’t find it after searching the Harleng Mountains, it would be better to give up on Nellooman and go to the Hisfield Gate. Either way, I had to pass through the Harleng Mountains.’

The Harleng Mountains were a mountain range to the left of the Hisfield Gate.

“Let’s try to find that white leaf for now.”

I had an elixir that could eliminate status ailments, but it was too precious to use on Baron Nellooman.

•••

We walked through the mountain range. The trees were so dense that we couldn’t ride in the carriage. We had to walk on foot. It wasn’t difficult. My body wasn’t so weak that it would be difficult at this level.

When monsters appeared, Floy took care of them. There were no monsters in the Harleng Mountains that could stop her, who was a top-tier aura expert.

“Huff. Huff…. Huff!”

Jerdin was panting. He walked through the mountain range with Berol’s help. I didn’t show him any consideration. If it weren’t for Berol, Jerdin would have been left behind.

‘Useless bastard.’

We moved in the direction that Yuria pointed. Yuria moved to find a place where the moonlight was pouring down.

“I found it.”

And we were able to find the pure white leaf in about 12 hours.

The white leaf, precariously hanging on a small branch, looked mysterious. When I touched it, it was harder than other ordinary leaves. And I could feel a pure energy coming from the leaf.

“We found it easier than I thought. Let’s find one more and go back.”

The other one was a leaf to use on Jerdin’s father, Count Hisfield. After two hours, we were able to find one more.

“Let’s go back now.”

On the way back, someone blocked our path.

It was a person wearing a dark robe.

But I tilted my head. Even though he was right in front of me, I couldn’t feel any presence at all. I focused my mana on my eyes and looked inside his robe. Something like a shadow was wriggling.

“Floy.”

“Understood.”

Floy drew her sword and rushed towards the enemy. The sword only cut down the innocent trees. It was because the enemy had soared into the sky.

“Not yet.”

Floy swung her sword. The sword aura flew towards the enemy. The enemy dodged all the attacks, floating in the sky as if mocking Floy.

It was a ranged attack, but he dodged all of Floy’s attacks. He was no ordinary foe.

‘Can he dodge this too? Lightning.’

Lightning struck. The enemy even dodged the lightning and flew towards me.

“Disturbers. Writhe in pain and die.”

With a chilling voice, he appeared in front of me in an instant. At the same time, Yuria moved. A refined black aura blade from the dagger in her hand cut through the enemy’s body. Black smoke poured out from the cut robe and enveloped my body.

“Master!”

Yuria reached out her hand towards me. I raised my hand to stop her. It was better for me to take the hit than to get her involved. I had complete recovery, after all.

“Kuhahahahaha.”

The black smoke seeped into my body and disappeared.

My head was spinning. It was a nasty sensation. And I realized what the enemy’s identity was.

‘I felt impure mana. At first, I thought it was a ghost-type monster… but it was a demon.’

My body trembled. The chills wouldn’t stop. On the back of my hand, which I had inadvertently looked at, blue spots rose like a rash.

It was the same as Baron Nellooman’s symptoms.

‘I’m cursed. A curse with no traces of magic… It was a curse imbued with the power of a demon.’

I couldn’t feel any strength in my body. But by using mana, I was able to resist the curse to some extent. Perhaps the curse would eat away at my mental strength and stamina over time.

“M, Master! Are you okay?!”

“Baron! Your complexion is not good! And those symptoms… C, could it be a curse…!”

Floy and Jerdin came to me and made a fuss.

“I’m fine, so calm down. Jerdin. I told you not to stick to me last time.”

“Hic. I, I’m sorry!”

Jerdin stepped back. Floy touched my body. I could allow Floy to touch my body as much as she wanted.

I turned my head to the side and looked at Yuria. She was strangely quiet. She was the one who would have checked my body before Floy.

Yuria was agitated. Her blue eyes were shaking. Her lips were tightly closed, and the hand holding the dagger was trembling.

‘……Is she angry?’

I knew Yuria well, as we had been living together for a long time. She was angry right now. It wasn’t anger towards me. It was anger towards herself, towards the demon. The reason for her anger must be because she couldn’t protect me.

‘Yuria knows about my complete recovery skill.’

Thinking calmly, it wasn’t something for Yuria to be angry about. Even if she was angry, she was a woman who would thoroughly hide her emotions. But she couldn’t hide her anger.

I felt good. Because the reason she was so angry was because of me.

I smiled faintly, put my arm around her shoulder, and brought my face closer to hers. I could hear her breathing.

“Yuria. Are you angry?”