Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 231: The Forgotten’s Story IV

Magic is the act of recreating the feats of the gods.

Its power can be divided into two broad types.

The first is a power that arises intensely like flames, burning all that it touches, causing them to wane, and then sprout again.

The second is a power that flows like water, but when gathered together, becomes an unstoppable torrent.

That was what she had learned, and how she saw the world.

However, those two didn’t encompass everything in the world.

There were powers too small to be perceived as well as powers like the sun and moon that were too big to be understood. There were also powers that took root and grew quietly, like plants.

Magic was ultimately nothing more than a power that could be perceived and used by humans.

Powers of other dimensions beyond that were no more than foreign magic.

Numerous magicians had tried their hand at foreign magic, some of them going mad, some of them turning into lumps of salt, and some of them scorching cities with flames.

The great magician whispered to her in a hushed voice.

「Among my brethren is a man called 【Rob】, the great flame magician who created the True Flame and came the closest to completing the Final Flame」

That was a name she had heard several times during her wanderings.

「But this man, though he was blessed with talent, he was wasn’t so lucky with people. Have you ever heard of【Mitera, the flame hero】?」

「Mitera, the king of the dead?」

He was a terrible sinner who burned down the southern part of the center continent along with his own life, turning it into an uninhabitable land of glass and sand.

That was not the extent of the devastation as the massive number of refugees and abandoned people created by that resulted in a secondary disaster that claimed immeasurable lives.

Thus, the disparaging nickname he was given was【the king of the dead】.

「That’s the one. The man is going to spend the rest of his life cleaning up his disciple’s mess. It’s a shame to see such a rare talent go to waste because of the shackles his personality has imposed on him. It’s most regrettable」

「That’s a lot better than a teacher who framed his disciple so that he could take over the royal palace. ………………Like you did」

The charlatan known as a great magician smiled faintly.

She didn’t have any proof.

However, as she gained experience and became better at seeing people for who they were, she had realized that Garving was the worst kind of human scum.

「You’re not the kind of person who should be limited to a remote area like that. Indeed, you’ve infiltrated deep into the heart of Elysium without me having to do anything. I consider you a brilliant disciple」

「And what did you obtain from selling out such a brilliant disciple?」

「History. The lost history that Elysium has been keeping secret」

She almost burst out laughing.

「I’ve learned that history ages ago. You really are a moron」

「………………」

Sensing his unspoken annoyance, she smiled in satisfaction.

In fact, her smile was more brazen than even that of the great magician.

The screams and death throes seemed like they would continue for yet some time.

「So, why did you bring up this Rob and Mitera?」

「Mitera had a good reason for his misdeed」

「A good reason?」

The disciple of the great flame magician had brought about that terrible disaster after going insane.

That was what the rumors said. They were ultimately just rumors though.

「Mitera, or rather we, the three great magicians, had long been alarmed by the powers Elysium possessed. The roar of the aberrant【beasts】alone is enough to completely nullify magic. The beasts that Mitera sacrificed himself to burn down was an imitation made from the lump of flesh in front of us right now」

「Sacrifice? What for?」

In other words, the great magician’s disciple hadn’t lost his mind.

「We had made a terrible mistake. What was born were voracious beasts that endlessly and uncontrollably devoured everything in its path」

「What a bunch of fools」

And you claim to be great magicians, she thought.

That was folly similar to burning bees for their honey only for the fire to spread and burn down the entire forest.

「But Mitera’s magic was amazing, you know? By stepping into death, he brought forth a sliver of the Final Flame. What was more terrifying, however, were the beasts that even that flame could not kill」

The Final Flame was said to the flame that brought about both the end of the world and its creation.

It was believed that the world would one day be engulfed in flames, reduced to ashes, and then begin anew from a small flame. It was one of the ancient stories passed down among magicians.

「So, does that mean that the beasts can survive even the end of the world?」

「I’m afraid so」

That’s ridiculous, she started to say.

「But even those beasts couldn’t come out unscathed. Weakened and their numbers diminished by the Final Flame, they were sealed away in the depths of a distant land by my teacher and Wagreas. Just a small piece of the flesh has that much power. What will happen when the thing in front of us is loosed upon the world? It’s really………interesting, isn’t it? If our power is an【evil[2]】that’s a departure from god, then isn’t its power to dissipate magic and its infinite life-force that transcends death almost like the work of a real god?」

「That thing? You must be kidding」

The eternal quest of magicians was to find the real god.

The gods currently in the world were nothing more than false images born out of collective thought. As those false images won people over with their wits and glib tongues, the more talented magicians increasingly realized the truth.

『These aren’t the real deal』And there were many who, in their quest for true power, had walked down the path of ruination.

But to say that the hideous, huge lump of flesh in front of her was the real god that magicians sought? That was just too ironic and distasteful for her.

「Don’t rush to conclusions, my disciple. It’s ultimately just one possibility. But according to the history Neomia possessed, the royal family of Elysium were little more than serfs[1]. It’s said that they wiped out the old beastkin and decimated the armies of the dwarves and elves. If that isn’t a work of pure miracle, then what is?」

「Who knows? Not all of the history Neomia stole was written down. What they stole could also be as false as you are, you know?」

「A real god would forgive generously. Infinite wisdom and sins――――――」

In the middle of the question & answer session between master and disciple, the meal came to an end.

After the final death throe faded away, the space was filled with silence.

「Let’s go. Until I give you permission, you are to remain silent forever」

She showed herself……

「Your Holiness, please forgive me for bothering you this late at night」

……and knelt in front of Lyridias.

「You?!」

When she saw the look on Lyridias’ face, the thought, “Thank goodness,” came from her heart. There was shame in Lyridias’ expression.

A beast would never be ashamed of itself. Lyridias was human.

Trusting the other with all her heart, she spun her words.

「I understand how you must feel. The one behind me is the renowned great magician, Garving. I had kept this from you, but I’m his disciple. Your Holiness, I implore you to command me. I can be your strength」

「My strength?」

She had forsaken the sacrifices to prove that she could be trusted.

It was to show that she wouldn’t stand in Lyridias’ way.

It was sometimes necessary to forsake those who could be saved in the moment. As one taught by Garving, she didn’t hold any cheap notions of justice.

「Yes, Your Holiness, your strength. We’re the finest minds in the ways of magic. We possess the wisdom and knowledge of the world that no man has ever known」

「………………You, what are you talking about?」

「Your Holiness, wouldn’t you like to restore the king to his original form?」

「His original form?」

She could tell from Lyridias’ face that she was wavering.

There was no doubt.

Lyridias had accepted the current situation because she had no other choice. She was seeking salvation.

「Yes, the king is diseased. And if it’s a disease, then it can be cured」

「Do you know how many people have raked their brains over this so far?」

「No, I have no idea. However, this great magician and I were not among them. Your Holiness, I’ll be honest with you. Right now, I know not of any method that can cure the king. The same goes for the great magician there. But we do know where there are wisdoms hidden from the world. If you want to obtain them all, we can obtain them for you. ………That’s the answer」

「You’re talking up your abilities too much. Such a thing is hardly possible」

「No, I’m sure of it. Your Holiness, please give me the opportunity. I’ll stake my life, no, I’ll stake the lives of all the great magicians on this」

With unwavering confidence, she fixed her gaze on Lyridias.

For a long moment of silence, Lyridias stared back with a chilling look on her face.

With a single word from Lyridias, both Garving and her could become food for the lump of flesh.

Magicians were creatures that schemed in the shadows and unleashed miracles from the back. Even the great magicians had little experience in stepping up to the fore.

She could hear Garving’s nervous breathing.

But she remained silent, her heartbeat and expression as cool as a breeze.

After a quick glance at the writhing, creepy lump of flesh, Lyridias spoke with the expression of a saint.

「Ri Lyridias Kerustain Duin Oruosuouru commands you. Travel the world to find the wisdom needed to cure the king’s disease and curse. If what you said about staking all those lives is a lie, then all of Elysium will be your enemy」

「I have received your command, Your Holiness」

Lyridias drew close to her.

「I shall lend you my name. I shall lend you a knight. I shall lend you my son. In my holy name, accomplish what you must. If any were to probe into you, answer them all with silence, the other Duin. O Lyridias, may the journey you are about to undertake be marked with good adventures」

And so,

From the dimly-lit basement, the adventures of those who would later become known as Vindoobunikuru began.

Whether it was friendship, a thirst for uncovering the unknown, or a dark flame that no one knew the name of that sparked the journey, that was the only thing she was not sure of.

[1] I’m explaining this because the nuance of this is important.

While slaves are owned by a person, serfs are tied to the land and its lord. In order words, if the land changes hands, all the serfs would then belong to the new lord of the land. Without the lord’s permission, they couldn’t permanently leave the land, marry, or change occupations. They also had to feed and clothe themselves based on what they produced, the majority of which was owed to the lord. And any children they had would be serfs as well. Yeah, they may not technically be slaves and may be a bit better off, but they’re under indentured servitude all the same.

[2] Garving is using just the “魔” of “魔法(magic)” here, which can mean demon, devil, evil, evil influence, and so on. Garving really likes to play with this word, huh? After all, his “future” nickname Houma(法魔) is the reverse of “魔法”.

Yup, “she” is another Lyridias, another Duin, and the one who actually went around the world trying to find a way to cure the curse of the abominable blood while the “real Lyridias” stayed in Elysium. That solves the biggest contradiction in the stories/rumors/theories of St. Lyridias, which stated that she was responsible for building Elysium into the largest country while also having spent a very long time exploring dungeons. One person hardly has the time to do both, and as it turns out, it was actually two!

And did you catch what looked to be the beginnings, the base, of some parts of a certain god’s vows? “Accomplish what you must”, huh? “Answer them all with silence”, huh? And all that talk of flames…and the dark flame at the end…which reminds me, that certain god’s nickname is “the dark fire”, isn’t it?

Those beasts that Mitera had to sacrifice himself to weaken were the precursor to the Abaddon which were then developed into the Horns, weren’t they? So they were based off the curse of abominable blood too, huh? That could explain why Souya took to the power of the Horns so easily.

By the way, Garving is extremely shifty and evasive in the way he speaks, so the contents of what he’s saying isn’t always the clearest as he leaves out a lot of facts when speaking. The implication in his story is that the three great magicians were experimenting with replicating Elysium’s beasts when that disaster happened, resulting in Mitera’s heroic sacrifice. And the part about their power being an “evil” that’s a departure from god, what he’s saying is that their magic is a power from the false gods(since magic is done by offering prayers to those false gods), and not from the real god, and hence not of(a departure from) the real god. Yeah, he speaks in a way that’s really roundabout and makes the reader have to fill in a lot of blanks.

Lastly, Garving is sure turning out to be a really sinister person, huh? I can’t help worrying about what the Faceless King said to Souya. New arc next time tho, so stay tuned!