Chapter 262: What if you were the emperor? (2)

- Cale, I think we need to go in and take a look inside that hole.

The Fire of Destruction, Cheapskate was right.

"However, it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy to get in."

A glass door entered Cale's field of vision.

"As soon as I open that, the person inside will know immediately."

At that moment, Raon's voice came through.

- Human, it looks like a Dragon!

Indeed, it wasn't a person, but a Dragon.

"If it's a Dragon, we'll definitely be discovered."

As soon as even the slightest hint of the door opening is seen that Dragon will realize the intrusion of a stranger.

"Mmm."

It seemed possible to look inside the pit once inside the door.

"It's huge."

The pit was large enough to hold several houses.

Just looking inside, the pit in the opposite direction to where the Dragon was standing would be enough.

- Human!

At the sound of Raon's voice, Cale stopped.

- Someone's coming!

Just as Raon said, someone was coming down the stairs where Cale had entered.

"A mage."

He was a fairly old mage. He came in alone, and Cale could recognize him immediately.

- Human! That mage can use mana!

Of the several mages residing in Ryan's lair, only two could use mana effectively. One of them was the one he had encountered earlier while going down to the basement, so this must be the other mage.

"Hmm."

Unlike the previous mage who had been accompanied by several subordinates, this one moved unobstructed on his own.

"Oh."

The mage approached the door.

Woooshh~

Mana burst from his hand and, upon touching the glass door, a magic circle appeared. To be exact, the mage drew the magic circle with mana.

- Human! I memorized that magic circle!

As expected of the clever 7-year-old Dragon.

Of course, Cale had also memorized it.

Beep~!

The magic circle disappeared from the glass door with a slight beep sound, and only then did the mage grasp the door handle and open it.

- Human, I don't know how the magic patterns work here, but that magic circle is a device that opens the door!

Kiiik~

The door opened slowly, and the old man let go of the handle. However, the door did not stop and opened fully. Seeing this, the old mage calmly entered.

- Now's the time!

"Now!"

Cale entered through the door while listening to the 7-year-old Dragon and Cheapskate.

And he looked to where the old man was heading. He was heading towards the Dragon.

Cale headed in the opposite direction.

"I'm coming too!"

Of course, Raon, who had made Cale invisible, followed him without him having to say it.

"Human is the slowest!"

As expected, On and Hong had already entered quickly.

"I'm going to cast a soundproofing spell!"

Furthermore, the clever 7-year-old Dragon was taking precautions so that the sound of their footsteps wouldn't be noticed.

Cale felt like he was being outdone by average Ten-year-old kids.

'!'

Right at that moment...

Wooowww~

The air vibrated.

Cale directed his gaze to where the vibration started.

'This doesn't look good.'

The Dragon turned his head and looked at the old mage.

"It seems like they haven't discovered us," said Raon.

Just as Raon had said, Cale's group had not been detected.

- And Human, that Dragon is not as strong as those Ten Dragon Gods!

Raon had only met two Dragons among the Ten Dragon Gods: Kendall and Sisko. If this one was weaker than them, then they could be at ease for the moment.

- And it seems like that Dragon hasn't consumed the power of the Source of the World!

Oh.

- I can't feel it in the mana the Dragon is releasing! After facing two Dragon Gods, I can now distinguish the Source of the World! And I also have a general idea of ​​what the Source of the World is like!

As always, Raon was really good at sensing others' auras.

Hadn't he also immediately discovered the secret of Prince Alberu Crossman?

He was a Dragon who, despite seeming absent-minded, was actually quite observant.

"Greetings, Letao-nim," the old man said politely, remaining calm despite the powerful mana emanating from the Dragon.

"Tsk," the Dragon, Letao, glanced away ignoring him.

'Hmm,' Cale stopped before looking into the pit and considered eavesdropping on the conversation. If he moved now, the distance would increase, and it would be harder to hear.

'And I can't bring Raon close to them,' Cale thought.

He didn't want to put Raon at risk by sending him into the area filled with the Dragon's and the Mage's mana.

'I can't go myself either,' being too cautious wasn't a bad thing.

Then,

'There's a way,' Cale thought.

A being that wouldn't be affected by mana and could secretly listen in on conversations.

Cale took out the golden whip from his chest. For a while now, he had been feeling the presence of someone following him.

"...Freedom...!"

It was him, the Crazy Wind Elemental.

Since the area was under a soundproofing spell, Cale opened his mouth.

"Can you hear the conversation from there?" he asked.

There was nothing to be done if he couldn't.

"...Freedom...!"

The Wind Elemental remained silent as if considering the question before speaking.

"It's possible."

Eh?

Suddenly, he began to speak calmly.

"I can hear and transmit to you what they say, but that would be complicated. I'll let the wind carry their conversation to you."

Wasn't he speaking a bit too calmly?

"...Can you do it even with the Dragon nearby?" Cale asked.

He thought the Wind Elemental was a bit strange.

"I am a higher-level Elemental. Freedom. My name is a way to show my rank. I am a great wind elemental who received a name from the Wind Elemental King. Don't worry."

"Ah, ah. Sure. Then please do."

...Hadn't Cale been using the Elemental King's name to intimidate others recently? Would it be alright?

At that moment, he heard a calm voice.

"The scent of the Wind Elemental King is on you. Your request will be my top priority."

Hmm. Was it because he had been near Tasha?

Thinking of the Dark Elf Tasha, Cale decided not to worry about it.

"Ah. Thank you."

Whispering~

Several strands of red hair brushing against Cale's cheek fluttered.

A very fine breeze passed by Cale.

The Wind Elemental must have set off.

'It seems the Elemental guarding the door before was strong. But this other one dragged him away immediately.'

Although he was formidable, the Elemental, Freedom, was a bit crazy.

Cale, after entrusting him with the task, headed straight for the pit.

- Human, have you figured it out?

"Ah."

- But are you okay?

Cale could clearly feel what Raon meant. Cale touched the back of his hand. The goosebumps were still there.

It felt a lot like the Black Despair. The closer he got to the pit, the more his skin tingled and the worse he felt. It was as if an immense weight was pressing down on his entire body.

'So that's why they say it's going to explode,' Cale thought.

It's not that he couldn't bear this pressure and would collapse. On the contrary, it was as if he couldn't bear the pressure and would explode. Like a volcano about to erupt.

'A volcano...?'

At that moment, Cale came to a sudden stop as he had a sudden idea.

- I want to burn it...!

Cheapskate's voice resonated.

"Calm down."

Cale calmed Cheapskate down and spoke to Raon, who was invisible thanks to magic.

"Raon, if you're feeling unwell, stay there. On, Hong. You too."

"Human, I'm fine!"

"Nyaaa!"

"I'm fine."

The quiet response came from the average Ten-year-old kids.

Swoosh.

Cale felt a touch on his back.

"I'm really okay!"

Raon clung to Cale's back.

"Hehe."

And laughed.

'Heh~.'

Cale couldn't help but laugh inwardly at seeing Raon pouting like a child.

'It seems like he's really okay.'

"Nyaaa!"

Hong came over and rubbed against Cale's leg, and Cale awkwardly reached down to pet his back.

'Is he really, okay?'

Hong was fine too. He reached out to touch Cale's other foot, and it felt normal.

'...Am I the only one like this?'

Thinking about it, Cale was the only one who reacted upon entering this place.

To be exact, the Fire of Destruction too.

The average Ten-year-old kids and the Wind Elemental were calm.

"Let's go."

Cale thought if the average Ten-year-old children were okay, then there was no problem, and began to walk. The goosebumps on the back of his hand had also disappeared.

Of course, the oppressive feeling hadn't disappeared, but Cale, unaware that the eerie feeling had lessened, walked quite fast feeling the warmth of the average Ten-year-old children.

"As expected, the Human is slow!"

Ignoring Raon's evaluation.

Whoosh-

At that moment, a small breeze brushed past his ear.

"Freedom!"

The Elemental's shout was followed by the sound of conversation.

"Isn't it too early to come here?"

The cold voice of Dragon Letao sounded like a whisper right next to Cale.

"I've come to see you today because I have something to tell you."

The old man's voice was soft. However, somehow, there was a disgusting softness in his tone that couldn't be compared to Ron.

The Dragon's voice continued.

"...Has the final execution date been set?"

His voice was considerably low.

"Yes. It has been set for a week from now."

The last execution in a week. The conversation began to be engraved in Cale's mind.

"..."

The Dragon didn't say anything, but the mage continued.

"Thanks to the mana provided by Letao-nim, we have been able to complete the previous executions smoothly. Finally, we can reach the final stage."

Cale quickly looked in that direction. The Dragon and the Mage were staring at each other, and the scene was still gruesome, with mana swirling around them.

"Human, that Dragon could easily defeat the mage, but he's not doing anything!"

Indeed.

To anyone, it was evident that the Dragon was looking after the mage. No, he couldn't touch him. As if knowing this, the mage's mouth corner lifted in a sly tone.

"In the next execution, we plan to mobilize all the remaining Beast People."

Cale stopped his steps for a moment. It should be noted that this conversation only reached Cale. He started walking again, feeling On and Hong's touch.

The well was not far now.

"... I heard Ryan will be in charge of the final execution, right?"

"That's correct. However, Ryan-nim requested that Letao-nim also be present."

The Dragon fell silent.

"... I will refuse."

And he finally uttered the words of refusal.

"Are you sure about that?"

On the other hand, the old Mage asked without hesitation.

"What does that mean?"

Uhmm~

The mana grew a little denser.

"Ryan-nim said that in the next execution, he will come with your daughter."

Kwung!

The air vibrated and space shook.

"Human, that Dragon is furious!"

Cale looked at the Dragon who was on the other side of the well, in the distance.

"Is he trying to threaten me now, using my daughter?"

"He wouldn't. I'm just conveying Ryan-nim's will."

It was obvious. Cale could understand the approximate situation.

'That Dragon is following Ryan's orders because of his daughter's life.'

The conversation continued.

"So, we'll see you at the final execution in a week. It seems there's much to prepare. It will be a grand event."

Watching the old Mage smile gently, Letao sighed and then turned his gaze back to the well.

"That's right. We'll see what happens then."

There was a deep despair in his voice.

"These hands are already dirty. There won't be any difference if they get a little dirtier."

"It's not about getting dirty. Letao-nim, this is a great discovery. The world will advance even further."

There was a moment of longing in the old Mage's voice.

"Don't look."

Cale overlapped in front of the average Ten-year-old children.

"Hey, human! I want to see too!"

"But I want to see."

Although Raon and Hong protested.

"No."

Cale's voice was firmer than usual. Then he added.

"On?"

"...I saw a little."

"Don't look anymore."

"Understood."

It felt like On retreated without saying a word backward.

"Everyone, come here."

Listening to On calling Raon and Hong, Cale approached the well.

Then he stood at the edge of the well and looked down.

Although the well was huge in its perimeter, the depth was unfathomable.

"Ugh..."

Cale sighed.

"...Anger! Anger! Anger!"

Although the voice of anger from the Wind Elemental echoed, Cale heard nothing at all.

- Cale, it's horrible.

It was as horrible as Super Rock said.

"Damn."

The well was filled with black water at the bottom. It definitely looked like some sort of Black Despair. Surely, it was made of dead mana. And in that black water, or rather, in the swamp, there were statues that didn't sink but hardened.

'No, they're not statues.'

Beings hardened like stone.

They were Beast People.

The Beast People were dead and petrified.

Glub, glub.

And those petrified Beast People had expressions of despair and terror, extending their hands as if trying to escape from the well at all costs.

Some were even dead, stuck to the well wall.

All of them had turned black, like statues.

A stranger would have mistaken them for statues, but Cale knew they were really dead.

Realizing this, the average Ten-year-old children stepped back.

"Damn bastards."

The countless bones he had found in the Tower of Alchemy, the capital of the Mogoru Empire. Although that was also horrifying to see. Seeing these dead, who had died in agony and despair, was a desolate sight beyond words.

It seemed they died burned.

Blackened corpses.

That black swamp was slowly absorbing those corpses.

- It's impossible to count how many Beast People died.

At Super Rock's words, Cale said nothing and recorded everything he saw.

And his gaze finally settled on the center of the black swamp.

- Cale.

The Sound of the Wind. The Thief spoke.

- ...That's a divine artifact.

Cale could see an altar rising above the black swamp.

A pair of gloves rested on the altar.

- It's a divine artifact that smells like beast.

The white gloves were turning black.

The "Howl of the Sunset," the divine artifact of the forgotten God "Blue Wolf" that the Source of the World had told him about.

The gloves were gradually turning black in the center of the black swamp.

- More than a third have turned black.

- It smells disgusting.

- It's as if the divine artifact is rotting.

Cale finally realized.

"It seems the divine artifact is corrupted."

As soon as The Sound of the Wind's voice finished speaking, Cale let out a word.

"This is the fault of the divine artifact."

The First Star Dragon, Ryan.

This guy had taken the divine artifact of the Blue Wolf and was doing something with it.

It seemed he was trying to do something by staining the divine artifact with the black water made of dead Beast People.

Whoosh~

At that moment, the wind whispered in his ears again.

He heard a conversation.

"It will be a glorious sight. To summon a fallen God."

Said the old Mage.

"Letao-nim made a brilliant decision. Ryan-nim will swallow that god and become a God."

"...Will the Dragon Lord just stand by when he learns about this?"

"Haha. I think he'll want to see his daughter."

Heh~.

Cale smiled, which was like a sigh, and raised his head. And he looked across. In the distance, he saw a Dragon and a Mage conversing unaware of him.

The First Star Dragon, Ryan.

He understood the schemes involving this subordinate of the Dragon Lord.

"...Summon the corrupted Blue Wolf, devour it, and become a God..."

And the final execution is in a week?

Is that possible?

'It's definitely not possible.'

Raon's voice echoed.

"Human, why that expression? It seems like you want to destroy everything! I don't know what's going on, but I agree!"

"That's the face you make when you want to cause trouble!"

"...I wonder what you plan to destroy."

The average Ten-year-old children who were chatting paused.

Of course, Cale nodded when they expected to be ignored.

Raon, unknowingly, felt embarrassed and said it aloud.

"M-Maybe you really will destroy everything...!"

Nyaaa!

"It's something worth doing."

Hong let out a surprised Nyaa, while On responded calmly.

And Cale was calm...

- Hoo.

Listening to Cheapskate's exclamation, which strangely suppressed his anger.

* * *

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]