C205 - The Legacy of Witch Heluram (1)
Vanessa's house, south of Sucheron.
This is the same rural village that was devastated by the attack of the Fire Dragon long ago. Since then, this land has been completely abandoned by the Kingdom of Sucheron, and only Vanessa's house remains in the middle of an extensive plain.
"What a surprise to see you here, Family Head! It hasn't been long since you sent me a letter, and now you come to visit without notice," Vanessa said as she opened the old wooden door.
Cyron was sitting in the center of the narrow room, and Vanessa sat down in front of him with a shrug.
"Have you only come to surprise me like before?"
A freshly boiled teapot was on the table, and Cyron poured tea into Vanessa's cup with a "chrrrr" sound.
"Khan has been working hard. He could have even boiled this and disappeared silently. How about making some tea for yourself?"
"I'll consider it."
"Well, I can't deny that Khan is very good at making tea either."
Sipping their tea, the two enjoyed the aroma for a moment.
"It's as if he's a proud father showing off his son, isn't it?" Vanessa thought to herself as she looked at Cyron.
Although nearly half a century had passed since she became Cyron's knight, Vanessa had never seen him like this.
"Well, how is the younger one doing?"
"He made a good first impression, and it seems he has a lot of useful people among his companions."
"That's not what I asked."
He wanted to know if it was possible for Jin to compete against him, but Vanessa evasively responded despite knowing it.
"Jojo, it seems you're already growing old. Are you really that desperate?"
"Well, it might seem that way."
"Jin Runcandel, that boy is very talented. It seems he could not only compete against you but also surprise you."
Subtly, the corner of Cyron's mouth lifted.
"That's why I gave him the map."
"I didn't expect you to give it away."
"You're becoming more eloquent, sure, you knew this would happen."
Cyron let out a brief chuckle in response.
"If you still had feelings for Luna, you probably wouldn't have given away that map."
Then, a bitter smile crossed Vanessa's lips.
The map she had given to Gene was originally meant for Luna.
The map she gave to Jin was originally created for Luna. When they accidentally discovered the demonic creature while mapping the Black Sea, Cyron kept it with the intention of giving it to Luna someday.
"There was a time when all the Black Knights, including you and me, had hope in that girl. If we had paid a little more attention, she wouldn't have given up. Now, she probably would have conquered all of Runcandel. We could have focused on our own tasks."
"You want to blame me, Vanessa."
"No, you want to reprimand me and my comrades. Back then, the only failure among the many missions of the Black Knights was simply that we didn't properly examine Luna."
"How can that be your fault? It was my fault and Rosa's."
"Well, to prevent Jin from becoming another Luna, I'm going to keep an eye on him. Joshua is quite troublesome too. He seems to be preparing for something while cautiously watching over Jin."
Cyron shook his head.
"If he needed attention, I wouldn't have bothered. We should only watch without providing direct assistance. If he can't handle Joshua on his own, then he won't be able to fight against the family's enemies."
"And what if he becomes another Luna? What will you do then? Do you think you can handle Joshua's influence when Jin returns to the main house? No, it's even doubtful that he'll return safely."
"Isn't that why you gave him the map?"
Vanessa chuckled ironically as she thought about the part regarding not providing "direct" assistance.
"I understand what you mean. We should have some alcohol while you're here. Tuben is nearby, so I'll call him."
"Tuben, I haven't seen him in years."
Jin and his colleagues were sitting in the meeting room, looking at the map Vanessa had given him.
"...So it's possible to map the Black Sea. I heard it's impossible because demons flow like water, and most areas are filled with poison. No one has attempted it before," Kashimir said.
Kashimir was right; mapping the Black Sea had never been attempted by any country or organization. It was a task that even Zipple didn't dare to try.
Or so everyone believed. However, Runcandel had already made a map.
It was possible to navigate the Black Sea without a map. From the entrance of the Black Sea to the center, there was something that could be called a "path," something that had naturally formed as Cyron traveled through the Black Sea.
Therefore, if one could relentlessly fight against the approaching demons, anyone could reach the center of the Black Sea.
"The sweat, blood, and years of the ancient Black Knights have turned into this map. It's also highly likely that it was produced confidentially within the clan. At least, there are hardly any records of the current Guardian Knights being sent to the Black Sea," Gilly said.
"That's true, Gilly. Only my father, the ancient Black Knights, and a few elders knew about this mission. It's information that even the Standard-Bearers were denied," Jin responded.
"Hmm, is that why the brat's father is always in the Black Sea? Moreover, it's a demonic creature that Heluram raised."
Heluram.
She was a sorceress who had been the lover of the Demon King Orgal, and she was known among mages as the "Great Mother of Dark Magic" or the "Witch."
Now, dark magic had been lost and forbidden, but it was easy to find descriptions of the magic she used in history books.
On the other hand, historians referred to Heluram as "The Great Catastrophe." All historical records about her were filled with destruction and massacre.
Every time she appeared, the world was destined to suffer a great tragedy.
1500 years ago, starting with the unknown illness called the "mad plague" that spread across the western continent, followed by the descent of demons 1000 years ago, the great fire in the north of the continent 700 years ago, the crisis of the undead, and so on.
These are just some of the catastrophes believed to have been caused by Heluram, although many have wondered if they are of a level that humans can intentionally provoke.
500 years ago, during the Empire's Protective War, when Heluram summoned the Demon Kings in front of everyone, there wasn't even any controversy about whether she was responsible.
Instead, a new debate arose in the academic community. Was Heluram really a single person, or several mages using the same name?
Of course, most scholars claimed the latter. It was an obvious matter, considering Heluram's estimated period of activity easily exceeded 1500 years.
"Don't you worry that she will retaliate if you bother her? It's a bit concerning," Quikantel said, causing everyone else except Murakan to widen their eyes. It was the first time they imagined Quikantel talking about topics like fear of retaliation.
The second reason was that she had spoken of Heluram as if she were a person.
"Does that mean the Witch Heluram is one person, not a group?"
Enya asked, and Quikantel nodded.
"Yes, she is a single person. She is a half-demon, having an appearance almost human-like, but her longevity is equal to that of demons."
Jin already knew this fact. His past life's Master, Valeria, had encountered Heluram and told him some details about her.
"Furthermore, her very existence is a curse. She is the only being who receives the love of all kinds of Gods and Demons, and not even the Gods seek a contractor when Heluram is awake. When Demon King Orgal could endure her curse and live with her, even the Dragons praised him."
"Wow, so all those cataclysms I read about in textbooks that supposedly Heluram caused were true?"
Enya covered her mouth, astonished by Quikantel's new explanation.
"It's true, fan girl. The Dragons know it. Hmm, Demons. That Demon Heluram raised... Quikantel, don't you have any idea?"
"Do you really want to send Jin there? He might be involved with Heluram."
"Kahaha, me and the kid are immune to the curse, so it wouldn't matter if we get involved with her, and according to the Human who calls himself the Terror of the Ant Mountain, the creature is controlled by Runcandel. But if no one is looking for it, it's probably dead."
"Its last activity was over three hundred years ago, but it's probably not dead."
Quikantel kept interrupting Murakan as if she were worried.
Of course, Jin agreed with Murakan. He couldn't simply let go of the map mentioned by Vanessa as "another proof and reward" dictated by his father.
"It's a reward given to me by my father. I don't know what he'll take away from me if I refuse."
"I also think Young Master's opinion is correct. We can't disregard what the Family Chief has ordered us to do."
Kashimir, Alisa, and Jet also nodded, so Quikantel couldn't stop them.
"Then we have no choice. However, Murakan and I will go together to where the creature is. We can't go further because of the poison, but at least we can take you there, and that will make me feel a little more at ease."
"Let's bring the bug (Kashimir) with us too, Quikantel. We need someone to take care of the meals."
"...I used to be a prince, sir."
"Aren't you good at cooking?"
"No, I'm not."
"Then I'll have to bring Jet instead of you."
"Jet is another troublesome cook!"
"Bringing a weakling like him to the Black Sea? No, it's better to bring Kashimir. Or maybe Latry is better? He cooks well."
"Lately, I'm very busy with the tea shop, and if I'm not there, Euria could be in danger... But I can prepare some fresh and crispy cookies to take along."
Bam!
Suddenly, Kashimir slammed the table with his palm.
"Damn it, isn't there anyone for this?"
"Anyway, I'm also a warrior known as the Ghost Sword in the world, and the Leader of the Seven-Colored Peacocks! My pride won't allow me to accompany you on a journey just to do household chores!"
"Sweetie, just go quietly. Latry is a Dragon, but he also runs a tea shop."
"Are you saying that too? I'm Kashimir, the Warrior Kashimir Alfrion, the Ghost Sword."
"Well, if you don't mind, I can prepare the food myself. So please, don't worry unnecessarily..."
As Jin was speaking, Murakan shook his head as if he couldn't help it.
"Then we can take the bug and Jet with us. Jet can take care of the meals and other tasks, and the bug can fight off the demons."
"Under those conditions, count me in."
At that moment, Jin forgot what he was going to say.
That's how it was decided that Jin, Murakan, Quikantel, Kashimir, and Jet would embark together to the Black Sea.
Somehow, Jin felt sorry for Kashimir, but he seemed too pleased to be comforted.