Chapter 249
A space decorated with colorful, geometric patterned tiles.
Waterways ran throughout, and in the center was a fountain from which water trickled.
<A garden?>
In truth, there were no flowers or trees at all. Sanarak’s soil had the property of killing life, not nurturing it, so not even a single cactus could survive.
Nevertheless, it looked like a small flower garden, just as Agnes had said.
Flowers and trees made of jewels glittered, diffusely reflecting the light of the nightglow stones.
Petals struck by water droplets emitted a clear sound, like the music of a glass harp.
As if facing an exotic garden built in an oasis, I was almost enchanted by the light and sound.
“Honestly, it’s a magnificent place.”
<I hate to admit it, but it’s true.>
The baked clay tiles, in particular, caught my eye.
Unlike the stained glass of the Pontifical Palace, its opaque splendor was mysterious and beautiful. [The Architect of the Skyscraper of Trials explains it’s in Arabesque style.] I walked across the garden path at a moderate pace, neither fast nor slow.
At the center of this lifeless flower garden was a beautiful pavilion.
The roof, perforated with patterns, was charming. To cross to the other side of the path, I had to pass through here.
It was when I was about to step into the shadowed area cast by the roof.
<Aillet.>
It wasn’t a casual tone. The low call pierced my ears as an effective warning.
Someone is here.
I took half a step back, my nerves on edge, tensing up.
Step, step…
Leisurely footsteps approached.
Just as I felt the opponent had deliberately made their presence known, a figure appeared from the blind spot behind a pillar.
The silhouette that emerged from the darkness took on color and form under the light of the nightglow stones.
My eyes widened beyond measure at the familiar sight.
The other person opened their mouth.
“Aiy.”
“……”
It was as if a white moon had risen in the night oasis.
Pure silver hair, as if spun from moonlight. Eyes like the color of oasis water.
Even a pure white paladin uniform befitting piety and benevolence.
“……”
Tesillid Argent was now before my eyes, like a dream.
‘How?’
Even while receiving my questioning gaze fully, Tesillid in front of me merely smiled like a masterpiece.
A moment later, he spoke again, his voice like a string instrument.
“You’ve finally come, Aiy.”
Welcoming my presence, he closed the distance. I silently watched his approach.
Three steps, two steps, one step.
When he was half a step closer, he gently extended his right hand towards me.
His incomparably attractive face drew closer, and his hand reached to cup one of my cheeks.
At that moment.
“No ring, no cufflinks.”
“……”
“Isn’t that a bit half-hearted?”
“…Oh.”
A plain remark escaped him like an exclamation. His feigned embarrassment didn’t quite land.
He didn’t retreat.
Maintaining the close proximity where their breaths could mix, he spoke as if it were his turn this time.
“I wondered how far you’d let me go.”
“……”
“With this face, you don’t feel repulsed even at this distance?”
“What answer do you want?”
Their gazes met sharply.
With this, the confirmation was complete. They called each other simultaneously.
“Reed.”
“Aillet Rodelain.”
Only then did the attractive handsome man’s face move away. With a smile, he casually quipped.
“Why didn’t you stop me a little later?”
“……”
Was his regret genuine, or was it mockery?
I didn’t reply to his words, whose intent was unknown.
More importantly, a more pressing issue was before my eyes at the moment. [The Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World is startled.]
[The Heavens’ Secret Overseer is flustered.]
[The Scales that Judge Souls are confused.] I was equally surprised.
Because what was before my eyes was a pure handsome man with silver hair and sea-colored eyes.
<How…? How can the corrupted Reed look like this? He’s the owner of the Holy-Demonic Sword, isn’t he? The Holy-Demonic Sword… it shouldn’t be unbound unless he dies, right? But this appearance… did he change it with magic…?>
Agnes’s words, expressing her confusion, grew longer. A confused mind tends to chase its own thoughts.
During that time, I observed Reed carefully.
He was just staring at me, not even glancing at my necklace.
“……”
It was here that I realized.
Ah, Reed.
‘You can’t hear me.’
Another piece of evidence accumulated in my hand.
If I didn’t grasp it and left it alone, would it just slip away? I had a fleeting thought, then inwardly scoffed.
…Of course, this wasn’t the time to be lost in such idle thoughts.
I collected myself and voiced my question.
“How did you get that appearance?”
“It’s my original appearance.”
“That’s not something the owner of the Holy-Demonic Sword should say.”
The Holy-Demonic Sword’s power to mutate its host’s appearance is absolute. It surpassed the efficacy of any magic or artifact.
Reed smiled, pulling the corners of his mouth.
“So there’s something you don’t know.”
“……”
“It seems I’m doing well.”
Indeed, Reed was cunning. He caught me off guard while simultaneously changing the subject.
However, his next words were a bit significant.
“Try to guess. You’re smart, so you’ll figure it out before I die.”
“……”
“I wonder what kind of look you’ll give me then.”
“……”
Was it just my imagination? For someone who avoided answering before, he seemed to want me to know the correct answer.
It was difficult to guess what he intended or what he expected.
I realized anew that he had become a blind spot in the original story.
At that moment, Reed, with a playful tone, disrupted my thoughts.
“Aillet Rodelain, why don’t you just come to me?”
“What?”
“Then I’ll treat you like a queen.”
I almost blurted out that it was nonsense.
I spoke, my guard up, ignoring his absurd suggestion and bringing up another topic.
“So why have you shown yourself to me? You should have learned last time that we don’t get along when we meet, right?”
“Don’t get along, huh… In the current situation, that’s a contradictory statement.”
Reed gazed intently at my face.
When my eyes showed I didn’t understand what he meant, he chuckled like a sigh and turned his gaze away from me.
“You’re on your way to the Chaos Altar, aren’t you?”
“As expected, everything is part of your plan.”
“Follow me. I’ll guide you.”
Reed immediately turned and led the way. I watched his slowly receding back and thought.
His back seemed to intentionally show me that he had no intention of fighting.
If so, is this time a reprieve from catastrophe?
After a moment of contemplation, I silently turned on my heel and caught up to his steps.
It was a companionship where our shoulders walked side-by-side, yet somehow felt like parallel lines with no point of contact.
Shhhk.
Reed’s appearance shed its deception. His silver hair instantly grew long and turned black, and the clear sea in his eyes became polluted with blood.
He tore off the paladin uniform he was wearing and burned it away.
The demonic energy and prestige returned, befitting a reverted Chaos Evil.
Thanks to Reed quickly tidying himself, I was able to resume stable breathing almost immediately.
“This way.”
The place Reed led me to was a dead end.
This time, there was no bronze relief of a riddle-posing cat. Instead, as soon as I stood at the end, a grated iron cage descended.
Clank!
“……!”
Suddenly, I found myself trapped in a narrow cage with Reed.
As I flinched, the space confining us separated from the hallway.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…!
The vertical force decreased, and the floor slowly began to descend. Through the iron bars, the various floors rapidly flashed past.
‘So there was an elevator.’
My location on the map rapidly changed vertically.
It was while I was looking straight ahead, waiting for our arrival. A melodious low voice echoed in my ears.
“By the way, do you know?”
“What?”
“Last time, I met that guy in the magic tower.”
That guy. The vague phrase clearly referred to one person.
“You met Terry?”
I reacted immediately. When I turned my head, I met two eyes that seemed to have been watching me for a while.
“Yes. I was going to kill him, but he escaped into the dungeon as it was closing.”
I recalled the written conversation I’d had with Tesillid earlier: -I fell into the Demon Realm’s junkyard. I entered and exited a dungeon called the ‘Library of Ten Thousand Ages’ to find out where you were, but I ran into a bit of a problem. I’ll tell you the details when we meet later.
‘Was the “bit of a problem” meeting Reed?’
I was quite shocked and bewildered by this belated revelation.
However, the next moment, the topic Reed brought up threw cold water on my mind.
“That guy became an Aura Master.”
“……”
“Isn’t that interesting?”
“……”
“Your expression seems to have frozen.”
I didn’t like having information unilaterally taken from me. I needed to gain something too.
“What did you two talk about in the magic tower?”
“It’ll be more fun to hear it directly from him.”
“Do you realize it’s funny that you’re dividing yourselves into ‘self’ and ‘other’ when you’re the same person?”
“No need to find it funny. We’ve already completely split, so we should be considered different. Honestly, I’m better too.”
“……”
“Well, if I had to tell you one thing…”
Thud!
The inter-floor transport device stopped.
The grated iron cage opened, revealing a passage. Reed extended his long leg into it and casually spoke.
“That guy isn’t as green as you think; he’s not a fresh 17th iteration.”
I know.
I replied inwardly and followed Reed. [
The deepest part consisted of a complex labyrinth.
Walls rose to a ceiling so high you had to crane your neck to see it, making the view feel suffocating.
It felt like I had entered the labyrinth from myths, said to imprison a half-human, half-bull monster.
Then perhaps there’s a monster they want to imprison here too?
Instead of the question that popped into my head, I asked something else.
“Do you know the way?”
“Of course.”
I thought it would be impossible for even Reed to memorize this path, but his answer was confident.
However, Reed immediately made a remark that undermined his reliability as a guide.
“With you, getting lost together wouldn’t be so bad, though.”
Privilege for Possessors