Chapter 254

Chapter 255. Sephira Poisons the Royal Palace (5)

Bounty: 72,000 gold, Dark Mage Ayrus.

Ayrus, who carried out a bomb terror in Eslow’s direct territory where the Southern Sword Tournament was held, attempted to assassinate the Southern Lord using the forbidden Dark Document. This was the information known to the public about Ayrus.

According to Keter, he had stolen the Dark Document stored in Eslow’s Palace, and Eslow was in pursuit of Ayrus.

No ordinary person, but a Lord. Even if Ayrus was a necromancer and possessed the Dark Document, which was akin to a holy text for dark mages, it was nearly impossible to shake off the pursuit of a Lord, who was close to an 8-star Irregular beyond Prime. The only way out was to flee to the Demon Realm or cross over to the Empire.

But unexpectedly, Ayrus was wandering deep within the Kingdom’s Royal Palace, where he should have been fleeing immediately.

Moreover, it wasn’t Keter who found Ayrus. It was Ayrus who came to Keter.

However, it didn’t seem like a planned meeting, as Ayrus’s expression upon seeing Keter was enigmatic.

“It’s hard to say this, but Keter. You always appear before me at the most crucial moments, don’t you?”

There was no malice in his voice. If anything, there was even a hint of joy.

Keter examined Ayrus’s whole body and was intrigued by the fact that he was spotless, without a single injury.

“Where there’s trouble, there’s a Solver. Isn’t that obvious?”

“You’re always at the scene because you cause the trouble yourself.”

“So, care to tell me why you’re shaking off Eslow’s pursuit and wandering through the Royal Palace’s maze?”

“Interesting. It almost sounds like you’re offering to help me.”

“Meeting in a place like this isn’t just a coincidence.”

“Haha, Keter. You’re not the type to show pity or goodwill. The fact that you’re wandering through this maze means you have your own purpose in the Royal Palace.”

“Why so talkative? Is the great villain who’s going to destroy the world afraid of a mere troublemaker like me?”

“…Once I complete the Dark Book, the first person I’ll come for is you, Keter.”

“I can guess that you came to the Royal Palace to find the Dark Document, but three things are strange.”

Keter, holding up three fingers, folded his index finger first.

“First. How did you shake off Eslow’s pursuit?”

Then he folded his ring finger.

“Second. Even if you have the Dark Document, infiltrating the Royal Palace should have been impossible.”

And finally, the middle finger.

But this time, instead of folding it, he pointed it at Ayrus.

“Third. Who told you the Dark Document is in the Royal Palace?”

Although he asked, Keter had already somewhat solved the mystery through his own questioning.

Eslow is a wolf. He never lets go of his prey once he bites. But Ayrus is freely roaming around? That’s absurd.

Of course, an external force could have helped Ayrus. Ayrus’s backer is none other than the Grand Duke of Ruquer.

But Eslow isn’t the type to give up just because the Grand Duke is protecting him. Besides, the Grand Duke is extremely busy with affairs in Ruquer.

In other words, Ayrus didn’t shake off the pursuit. Eslow didn’t pursue him. That was Keter’s judgment.

Then the second mystery naturally connects. The secret to entering the Royal Palace without a sound. It’s possible if the Lord, Eslow, helps.

The third mystery is the same. If Eslow told Ayrus that the Dark Document is in the Royal Palace, it all falls into place.

‘Why Eslow is cooperating in creating the Dark Book, that’s another mystery.’

The Dark Book. It’s a forbidden text that must never be completed, even as a joke.

Even possessing just a part of its documents can easily tear apart a 5-Star Master and enable mass slaughter.

Not just that. If the documents are gathered to complete the entire ‘Book,’ even a 7-Star Prime can’t stop it.

But what’s most terrifying is that even this Dark Book is merely a material for some ‘Grimoire.’

The Necronomicon.

A grimoire that even kills death. If a grimoire that even gods feared and sealed is completed, what will happen to this world?

‘What will really happen? Rumors say the world will end or an external god will descend. Huh, I can’t resist this curiosity.’

If it were only easier to find, Keter would have tried to create the Necronomicon. Just to see what happens.

“Ayrus. Is the Grand Duke’s goal to create the Necronomicon? Is that why he ordered you to create the Dark Book?”

In Keter’s estimation, Ayrus had the guts to create the Dark Book but not the Necronomicon.

But the Grand Duke is a different story. He is someone who could aim for the ‘Necronomicon.’

Ayrus, who had been silent in response to Keter’s barrage of questions, let out a deep sigh.

“Hoo, I wonder if it’s strange that you ask such things so casually, or if it’s strange that I find it strange… Sometimes I get confused.”

“It’s strange because you think you shouldn’t be strange. If you’re strange, live strangely.”

“Shall I? Your guess is correct. Eslow made a deal with me. Sneaking me into the Royal Palace, telling me the Dark Document is here, it’s all Eslow. Does the Grand Duke want the Necronomicon? Maybe. But I have no intention of giving the Dark Book to the Grand Duke. Is that answer enough?”

“Leaving out the core and pretending to answer smoothly.”

“You’re the one picking out my secrets. So why are you freely wandering the Royal Palace’s maze? Your steps don’t feel like someone lost in a maze.”

“I came in thinking the Royal Palace was too quiet and needed some noise. So, I think we can work together.”

Tap tap.

Keter nudged Ayrus’s side with his elbow.

“Just tell me where you’re headed. I’ll find it for you.”

* * *

Ayrus stared intently at Keter’s face.

“Last time, you hindered me to no end, and now you’re offering to help? Even with finding the Dark Document?”

He had even threatened to come for Keter first once the Dark Book was completed. Yet, Keter was offering to help.

‘What kind of person are you, Keter?’

In Ruquer, Keter was alone. Being alone meant he had nothing to lose. Strictly speaking, there was Maknun, but Maknun was just one person.

But what about Keter now? He has a family and even a lineage. Not just any lineage, but a prestigious one. A prestigious lineage responsible for thousands of lives.

‘The fear of losing all that. Do you not have it? Or do you believe I won’t do it?’

Ayrus felt no need to voice that question. Even if he asked Keter, he wouldn’t get a straight answer, and even if he did, it wouldn’t be believable.

‘That’s why I like you and want to kill you. Humans always show their true selves in the face of death.’

Shaking his head to dispel the distracting thoughts, Ayrus placed a hand on his waist.

“It’s reassuring to have a Solver offering help. Do you know where the Dark Document is?”

“I don’t. But you must have gotten a hint from Eslow. You wouldn’t have entered this maze without a plan.”

Even if he seemed crazy, Keter was smart. Especially in deductive reasoning, he was so accurate it was like peeking into the past, making Ayrus and others feel at a disadvantage every time they conversed.

“The Royal Palace’s underground library. He said to find the blind librarian to find the Dark Document.”

“That riddle. I wondered why it didn’t come out.”

“Do you know where it is?”

Keter pointed to the ground with his finger and spoke seriously.

“Since it’s the underground library, it must be underground.”

“…It’s not that I don’t know that. I’m asking if you know the stairs or passageways leading underground.”

Ayrus had been wandering this maze for a full month. Being an undead who didn’t need to eat or sleep made it possible; a normal human would have starved.

“There are stairs in every corridor, but it rarely feels like you’re going down. Even if you go up, the floor number doesn’t change. Don’t suggest digging a hole in the ground. Any shock would alert the guards.”

“Whoever made this maze is a pervert who wouldn’t let it be easily broken. Even I wouldn’t let anyone who thinks of breaking through the maze pass. Hmm, how was this maze made?”

“Save the admiration for later. If you don’t know how to get to the underground library, we’ll have to kidnap a guide.”

“Every guide knows different locations, so it’s pointless. And more importantly, even if I don’t know where the underground library is, I think I know how to get underground.”

Keter started walking ahead. Ayrus followed beside him and said,

“Keter. You act like you’ve been to this Royal Palace before. You seem to know the way well.”

“Don’t make me talk. I’m moving on instinct right now.”

When at a disadvantage, keep your mouth shut. Keter cut off Ayrus and ‘pretended’ to focus all his attention on finding the way.

Finally, they arrived at a dead end with stairs. Ayrus’s eyes widened.

“Amazing. This was definitely a corridor I’ve passed through before. Dozens, no, hundreds of times. So why is the result different? This is definitely a new place.”

But there wasn’t just one staircase leading down. There were four.

In the Royal Palace’s maze, there’s no concept of ‘going back.’ If you think this isn’t the right path and turn back, you’ll end up on a completely different path. So, you have to choose carefully each time.

Knowing this, Ayrus carefully examined which staircase was the right one, but Keter headed for a completely unexpected one.

“Keter, what are you doing? That’s an ascending staircase.”

Among the staircases, two led upwards, and Keter stepped onto the one on the right.

“It’s a shift in perspective. Using the common sense that you have to go down to reach the underground in reverse. In reality, you have to go up to reach the underground.”

“What? Is such high-dimensional spatial magic applied to this maze?”

“Why not? This Kingdom has a spacetime mage.”

Keter knew this because of his past life experience of roaming the Royal Palace. Without that experience, he would never have known.

But that’s as far as it goes. At the boundary between the staircase and the corridor, Keter stopped and turned back.

“From here on is underground, and beyond that, I don’t know.”

Keter didn’t need to say it; it was clear that this was the boundary between underground and above ground.

The corridor without windows was pitch black. There seemed to be a faint light source, but it was impossible to tell what caused the light in the corridor.

But darkness is the domain of a dark mage. Even without help, finding the way shouldn’t be difficult.

Ayrus wasn’t disappointed. In fact, he would have dissuaded Keter if he had insisted on staying until the end.

“Finding in an hour what I couldn’t in a month… As expected of a Solver. What do you want in return?”

For a mage, equivalent exchange is an indispensable element. No matter how trivial, accepting something for free undermines the foundation of magic. Especially when the other party is Keter.

Keter grinned and said,

“I’ll take care of that myself.”

Whoosh!

Keter’s hand moved swiftly.

Ayrus momentarily thought Keter was attacking him and took a defensive stance, but that response was half right and half wrong.

Keter did attack. He created and threw an Aura Arrow.

But the target wasn’t Ayrus.

Thud!

The arrow stuck into a random wall. It was an Aura Laser arrow that could cut through Orichalcon, but the wall didn’t even get a scratch.

Instead, the entire corridor on both sides turned red.

Ayrus momentarily didn’t understand why Keter attacked the wall, then suddenly remembered. Keter’s purpose for entering the Royal Palace.

“I came in thinking the Royal Palace was too quiet and needed some noise.”

At that moment, Keter turned Ayrus’s suspicion into certainty.

“Dark Mage! A Dark Mage has appeared!”