Chapter 049. The Master of the Underground City (2)

An awkward silence enveloped the space. Beatrice, her face flushed, glanced at Veris with a sidelong look.

Gulp.

Just moments ago, he had been joking around, but now Veris was examining the spoils he had obtained from defeating the Death Knight.

It was a sword that seemed quite mismatched for him. How should I put it? Even Beatrice, who was utterly ignorant about swords, could tell that the sword was far too large.

Curiosity got the better of Beatrice, and she asked a question.

"Are you planning to use that sword?"

"No? I'm going to give it to someone."

So that was it.

Even to her, the size of the sword seemed awkward, and it seemed Veris thought the same.

"Who are you going to give it to?"

"Your brother."

"My brother…."

Beatrice blinked her large eyes. The brother Veris was referring to must surely be Gunther von Haruen, her only younger brother.

"I wonder if he was whining about how I never gave him anything before. So I decided to give him something useful this time."

"...I see."

Beatrice looked over the sword with newfound interest.

Death Knights typically wield exceptionally fine swords that would leave anyone in awe. It was a common understanding, almost a tradition, so this sword certainly appeared to be of high quality at first glance.

The only disappointing aspect was that the sword was covered in dust, a result of the passage of time.

"I've heard that all mages who have mastered the Circle have psychopathic personalities."

"...What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"

"It's just that when I look at you, I don't get that feeling at all."

Saying this, Veris swung the sword with one hand. He was indeed a strong person.

"Is that so?"

Regardless of Veris's comments, Beatrice's face turned red again.

Well, this was something she could somewhat acknowledge. Mages who have mastered the Circle typically devote their entire lives to the study of magic and mana, devoid of any emotions.

...Of course, Beatrice was no different before coming to the academy. Perhaps she had become more expressive of her emotions for reasons she herself could not understand.

"Perhaps... the power of the Circle is fading."

"Fading?"

At Beatrice's sudden confession, Veris tilted his head in confusion.

What on earth was she talking about? The Circle was a magical medium that mages belonging to the Magic Tower cherished throughout their lives.

If that were the case, it was a serious matter. After all, they were engaged, and if there was not even a hint of worry, it would be a lie.

"In fact, the Circle feeds not only on mana but also on human emotions."

"I know that. That's why your personality is so strange."

"...Anyway, if the owner of the Circle harbors emotions different from usual... it affects the Circle negatively."

Veris's eyes narrowed.

What she was saying was simple. She had recently felt fluctuations in her emotions, and as a result, the Circle had weakened.

Then why? The question arose naturally. Perhaps it was because she had met Gunther after a long time since coming to the academy, and meeting Veris was the cause.

"Then we should return to the Magic Tower as soon as possible."

"Th-that's fine."

"...What do you mean?"

"Um... the artifact! I came here as the person responsible for transporting the artifact."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Beatrice's answer was about the artifact. Veris, feeling a slight pang of guilt, quickly responded.

"I promise. I'll hand over the Stone of Truth as soon as we leave the dungeon."

"That can't be..."

However, it seemed Veris's answer was not the right one, as Beatrice let out a deep sigh for some unknown reason. She looked as if she was caught between two choices.

Veris could only feel puzzled.

"Does she really like me?"

"Ah, no, I don't!"

Beatrice's obvious reaction as she turned her head away made Veris chuckle.

It was clear to anyone that it was not the case.

───Boom!

While Veris and Beatrice were wasting time with pointless conversation, a loud rumble echoed from the sky.

Both of their gazes shifted upward simultaneously.

The sky was once again emitting a purplish light. But the astonishing fact was that clusters of light resembling stars were gathering in one direction like a meteor shower.

"..."

And that place was somewhere Veris was very familiar with. It was the altar where the ring, which had comforted him when he visited this city in the past, was located.

"Beatrice."

"Yes?"

"Is there a magic spell, like a large-scale teleportation spell? Something that could move an entire city, for example."

The sudden movement of the sky, accompanied by a loud rumble, was now resonating throughout the city.

In the tense atmosphere, Beatrice slowly nodded at the question.

"It's a magic that has been lost now, but there are writings in the literature that such magic certainly existed during the Age of Magic."

"Then maybe this city might actually be a prison from the Age of Magic? A prison to seal something away."

It was a difficult statement to answer outright. But Beatrice also knew that it was not entirely impossible.

After all, there were numerous skeletons existing within the 'gate.' And looking at the Death Knights that appeared at the end, along with the sky that had begun this upheaval...

"A prison..."

She had no idea whose doing it might be. But if Veris was right and this place was a prison, then it made some sense.

For instance, it could have been the case that a supreme mage from the Age of Magic sealed a horde of demon followers he fought against deep underground along with this city.

And the disappearance of the ring, which was the symbol of that seal, had caused the seal to begin to unravel rapidly.

...It was a situation that fit perfectly.

Then what would appear at the end of this flow?

Beatrice took in the clusters of light pouring from the sky. The violet light was entirely different from the golden mana used by the priests of the Holy Kingdom or the densely compressed white mana, and it was directed toward that high altar.

"It feels like something is being released."

Whether Veris was aware of Beatrice's concerns or not, he was expressing peaceful thoughts.

The fact that a city from the Age of Magic was located in an underground dungeon, coupled with the emergence of an unknown enemy, was indeed intriguing to Veris.

"That..."

──Boom!

Beatrice let out a dazed voice. The clusters of light that had been gathering at the altar began to diminish and soon transformed into a human figure.

To evaluate it coldly, it was not the appearance of an ordinary person.

Compared to humans, it was larger, and most of its bulk was covered by a large black robe. The only reason she could confirm its existence was that the white skeletal form occasionally peeked out from beneath the robe.

"The calamity of the Age of Magic..."

Beatrice knew that existence very well.

She was responsible for the research of the Age of Magic. Therefore, she was already aware of that horrific disaster that led countless people to death and then resurrected them as false lives to control them.

"Lich..."

The purpose of this city and facility had now become clear. This was not just a city built by a person with nothing to do in the past.

...It was merely a facility created to confine a dangerous being deep underground. Or perhaps the entire city had been transferred underground through a great spell.

"This is interesting. Very interesting."

Whether Veris understood the gravity of the situation or not, he muttered with a voice full of curiosity.

At that moment, a Lich appeared at the top of the tower. Not only that, but figures resembling the Death Knights Veris had previously defeated were also emerging throughout the city, and yet he was reacting like this!

"W-what should we do? We're now...!"

In truth, there had been a way to survive until just a moment ago. But now that the Lich had been released from its seal and countless Death Knights under its command were appearing, Veris and Beatrice could be considered as good as dead.

"What do you mean, what should we do?"

"...Huh?"

"We have to fight. From what I see, that seems to be the only way to survive."

"..."

Beatrice sent another dazed look toward Veris.

The opponent was a Lich. Of course, it was a specter from a very long time ago, so she had no certainty. But given the circumstances, it was a fact that such a monster had not even crossed her mind.

Not to mention? There were more than ten Death Knights glowing with blue eyes surrounding them.

'Fight...'

Beatrice raised her hand and placed it over her chest.

Even now, she could feel the symbol of the archmage belonging to the Magic Tower, the Circle, revolving near her heart.

But... even for Beatrice, the archmage of the later generations, the presence of the Lich was enough to instill fear.

How could the accounts of the Lich, which had been cut off hundreds of years ago, still remain!

Swish! Thud!

[ Hehehe. ]

The dark entity that floated down from the tower slowly landed on the ground and faced Veris.

It laughed with a voice that sounded like metal scraping. Unlike the Death Knights, who could not even speak properly due to their lack of vocal cords, the Lich, a symbol of darkness, was speaking clearly.

[ Thank you. Thanks to you, I have finally been freed. The unsealing of the first stage was just recently, and you have hastened the unsealing of the third stage! ]

Beatrice's body trembled like a reed as she faced it. Just being in its presence made her feel an overwhelming mana and power.

The dark entity. The most notorious being recorded in history had revealed itself in the underground of the academy.

"Hey, skeleton."

"?"

Beatrice doubted her ears for a moment.

It was thanks to Veris, who seemed to be deliberately provoking the enemy with his words directed at the Lich.

"How the hell does a skinny skeleton like you even talk?"

[ Oh, my goodness. A young child is so fearless. ]

The skull hidden beneath the robe grinned grotesquely.

[ Now that the seal has been lifted, I feel good, so I will specially make you a Death Knight. I am the foremost necromancer of the cult. ]

"Then let me ask one more thing before I become a Death Knight."

[ ...What is it? ]

"This city, we concluded that it is a facility that sealed you. Is that true?"

[ Hehehe! You're smarter than I expected. That's right. It was created by the human archmage Heimdall. How pitifully, he must have thought of returning the undead to humans, so he sealed us instead of killing us. Hehe. ]

It seemed that the statement about feeling good was not an exaggeration, as the overly friendly response from the Lich made Veris nod.

He had roughly grasped the situation. The purpose of this city, which was located in the underground dungeon of the academy for unknown reasons, was 'sealing.'

Charming as it was, Veris had taken the ring, the medium of the seal, and broken the seal created by the archmage Heimdall.

It was a situation that could have led to something horrific, to say the least. The Lich was a well-known disaster, even to Veris.

Could it be... that the dungeon guiding Veris back here and the strong pull he felt were actually signs that he needed to clean up the mess he had made?

"This is a murder trap."

Swish!

Throwing the great sword aside, Veris drew his weapon.

The dead do not speak.

He had to ensure that this undead with a loose tongue would not go around boasting that it was Veris who had kindly released it from its seal.