33

*

Homun looked at a sleeping woman beyond the ice.

A camp of flames that chased Moloch and his prophets.

Her body, which had created a river out of flames and dead bodies, was sleeping quietly with its soul torn apart.

Burning endlessly.

Even when put to sleep by her power, her body gave off flames.

The ice that surrounded her felt like it might break at any moment.

Even though she was only half-hearted, her flame could not be extinguished.

"Homun."

In the thick darkness, a Shinyoung appeared.

It was Erji, the head of the Empire's Dark Department.

Looking at him reflected in the ice, the great demon of darkness, Homun, opened his mouth.

"Say it."

"The Emperor has failed to arrest Bjorn."

"Failed? Even though the Sword Master was in pursuit?"

"Yes. The vice-captain of the Knights of the Holy Cross is in pursuit, but the support from the Robe Alliance appears to be stronger than expected, so it is expected to take at least ten days."

Am I lucky, or am I talented?

Homun remembered the child he had briefly seen the other day.

There was no doubt that it was a troublesome enemy in many ways.

However, no matter how much he is, he cannot lead the revolutionary faction while being pursued by the Sword Master.

Björn's departure was clearly good news for Homun.

"What are the movements of the Sword Saint?"

"Now that there is chaos due to the revolution, the Sword Saint has also declared that he will wait and see the situation with the Magic Tower lord. He is currently staying within the palace and watching the developments."

The chaos brought about by the revolutionaries was sweeping the empire.

It was much stronger and faster than when Duke von Lorraine was used.

Accordingly, Geomseong will close its doors and follow the flow of the times, just like it did 200 years ago.

Geomsung sat down in his seat.

This was also good news for Homun.

"Everything is going too smoothly."

Just when I was struggling with the sudden appearance of a saint, a favorable wind blew.

As if someone had blown it.

Homun dismissed it as an overthinking idea.

There is no chance that anyone would have discovered the plan that had been secretly prepared for over a hundred years.

"Soon, the people's anger will hit the imperial family. Don't forget that it's important to figure it out before the power tilts to one side."

"Ambu is doing his best."

The most important thing was timing.

When the imperial family and its supporters were alive.

And when the people's voice reached its peak.

At that time, the capital must be surrounded by fire.

That way, we will sit on the burned remains and the remaining people will endlessly antagonize each other.

Until Moloch comes, the Oxburg Empire will turn their swords against each other.

Complete disruption.

That may be why the Great Demon of Darkness is called that.

One thing that bothered him was the attitude of Erji, the head of the cancer department.

"When this is over, I hope you keep your promise."

"⋯⋯Too arrogant for a mere mortal subject."

When Homun stretched out his hand, Erji's neck came to mind.

Like hanging by hanging.

"How dare you suspect that I would break my promise?"

"Cough...! How could I...!"

"Be careful what you say. What you face is the owner of the power you stole."

Erji's body flew in the direction he swung his hand.

After rolling several times on the floor, Ergy finally stopped when he reached the underground waterway.

Homun moved his mouth with downcast eyes as if looking at an insect.

"As promised, once this is over, Ambu will be free. So don't doubt my words again."

However, Homun had no intention of showing mercy to the thief who had stolen his power.

When work in the capital was over, he planned to slaughter all of the ambu.

Nevertheless, he made another false promise with Erji.

"So, finally, assassinate 'him' when the time is right."

The final command given to Erji.

Erji knew who the 'he' Homun was referring to was.

Even though he knew, he could only nod his head.

Everything was for the shadow.

"⋯⋯For the first forgotten god."

Shouting out the name of a god who does not follow.

Erji hid the spirit in the darkness.

The basement was filled with only the sound of water dripping down the mossy bricks.

◈ Chapter 164 - 20-Great Labyrinth

*

The Octantium underground waterway was an anthill that even engineers expressed difficulty with.

This is because sewage systems have been installed in a haphazard manner since it was the capital of the Aryan people.

The oldest bricks used here are probably over 500 years old.

"Wow, it smells..."

"You didn't think that poop waste would be fragrant, did you?"

It's literally like a poop.

The underground waterway was filled with ammonia and gases that would have come from feces.

So much so that I couldn't bear it without mana.

Even the lukewarm temperature that I had become accustomed to with corpses seemed to be too much to bear, and I retched several times.

Asili seemed to hate being splashed with shit, so she was floating in the narrow sewer.

Barakura was also using all kinds of magic to push the water away before his feet could reach it.

"Can't you give it to everyone here?"

Runea literally glared at Barakura with a shit-chewing face.

It looked like something that looked like something washed up in the sewage had dug into the military boots, causing quite a bit of pain.

"You might not know it on yourself, but auxiliary magic cast on others is easy to detect."

"Then why are you casting a spell on Jin too?"

Jin was also protected by Barakura and was pushing away the poop before his feet could reach it.

It was enough to accept it as a ridiculous excuse.

"If you focus your mind, you can lower the risk of detection. Even if it's just one person."

"If you don't want to help, say no."

"Okay. I just don't want to give you any help."

"Once you get rid of this heretic devil, I will root you out first."

The leader of the Yeomhwagyo cult and the vice leader of the Knights of the Holy Cross.

It was a combination that couldn't get along well in the first place.

Of course, that wasn't the case if Runea was close to others.

Asili spoke in an uncertain tone, whether she was mediating between the two or teasing them.

"Stop whining. There are times in people's lives when they drink shit."

"Hey, lizard. If you're one of us, you can do it too. Instead of salting, just clean up the shit under my feet."

"I'm already writing to the saint? Can't you see?"

"Dirty Shotacon bastard!"

In the end, it was only me and Runea who covered the soles of our feet with shit.

Unable to bear the injustice, I kicked the shit at Asili, but was blocked by her curtain.

For today, he had no choice but to regret his choice to become a knight.

"But if you go down, the smell will be less. It seems that the water and sewage system is in charge of the upper part."

"Then why did the Aryans build such a huge facility in a place like this?"

"It wasn't built. I also found out during my recent research that this underground facility was originally a dungeon."

"Dungeon? In the capital?"

I couldn't help but stupidly ask back.

There was a dungeon underground in this place, which had been the capital since the Aryan people.

How is that possible?

"The causality is reversed. The capital was created because there was a dungeon here."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard of the Seven Great Labyrinths?"

7 Great Labyrinths?

It was something that wasn't even in the settings book.

As if I wasn't the only one who didn't know, everyone in the group tilted their heads.

"Well, I guess not everyone knows. That concept existed hundreds of years ago. Before I explain, do you know how dungeons are created?"

"At the end of the War of the Gods, demons who could not follow Moloch to the north hid underground, perhaps?"

"Half of it is correct. The other half is that the Great Demon of Darkness, Homun, led a legion of top-level demons and teleported south of the enemy line and burrowed underground."

The purpose was probably to disperse humanity's firepower, Asili guessed.

The intention would have been to dig underground in order to minimize the impact of enemy ships, and then use the opportunity to disrupt them.

It was a dark, evil guerilla tactic.

"At that time, there were seven top-level demon legions teleported by Homun in Homeland and the continent of Esteria. People called it the Great Labyrinth. It seems there was one of them in Octantium."

"Wait, does that mean you don't know?"

If it was named the Seven Great Labyrinths, it was safe to say that there was no one among humans at the time who was unfamiliar with it.

Asili, who lived during those times, didn't even know its location until recently.

The back and forth was incoherent.

"Didn't I tell you before? I was fighting against demons in Homeland with all the saints of the past. I might have been in the Great Labyrinth in Homeland, but I didn't know if I was on the continent of Esteria while I was fighting demons on the front lines. There was no need for that. "There was nothing."

"Well, to you, the Great Labyrinth must have been a children's playground with some top-level demons running around."

Then it made sense why she didn't care about her Great Labyrinth.

Because she is one of the strongest in the world, she couldn't have afforded to get involved in something like that.

"But it's strange. If it were to be named the Great Labyrinth, it would have been quite a threat to the general public. Why was the city built here?"

"That's why Homun stopped doing stupid things like the Great Labyrinth."

In response to Mion's question, she took out a block of ice from her sleeve.

"Beings mixed with power inevitably drop a lot of by-products. Skin tissue, horns, teeth, nails, and even mana cores in the case of golems. All of these are items that any wizard would keep an eye on. This is an object built to disrupt humanity. "The Great Labyrinth ended up revitalizing the human economy."

"Well, that's an ironic story."

I've been involved in guerrilla warfare once or twice.

If an army of demons continues to appear in an area, people will notice that there is a dungeon there.

And conversely, he would have started conquering that dungeon.

Homun must have expected this as well.

They probably calculated that if they did that, the humans would disperse their firepower.

I probably didn't know that there would be crazy people who make money by exploring dungeons regardless of military service.

According to Asili, the profession of adventurer was created in order to obtain the by-products produced by demons at that time.

Wizards gathered together to quickly buy the devil's by-products from the adventurer.

All kinds of merchants gathered near the Great Labyrinth and formed a colony to suck up the money that the wizards had spread.

This is how Oxstantium, the capital of the Oxburg Empire, was born.

'Hey, fuck. If I'm going to reincarnate you, I'll give you that time.'

Great Labyrinth, Adventurer, Dungeon Attack.

This is a proper fantasy novel.

This era of iron horses is devoid of romance and fundamentals.

What kind of justice is this?

Ignoring my dissatisfied expression, Asili continued her explanation.

"The Great Labyrinth that existed on the continent was instantly dismantled by the hands of mankind before the Saint or I could intervene. After realizing that the Homun was a fool's errand, we stopped wasting the highest-level demons."

Like ants eating flesh off a bone, the dungeon called the Great Labyrinth is said to have disappeared into the back of history.

It was a cautionary tale that could only be described as a mess.

"The Great Labyrinth here would have been completely destroyed in the process. Even then, humans would have wondered how they could use this underground facility dug by the devil."

"I guess so. Because that's the shit."

"⋯⋯Fuck⋯⋯What?"

Jin tilted his head at me as if asking if he had heard correctly.

I ignored her for her efforts.

"According to records, this underground facility was originally used for religious purposes. Since the highest level of demonic forces were driven out, this facility itself must have been a piece of religious propaganda. Then, as the city grew, it was usefully used as a substitute for sewage facilities. That is how time wasted. "As the water flowed and deteriorated, the underground water broke out and it seems to have been sealed for a long time."

"It was probably forgotten by mankind."

It is said that the underground map Asili found was not used for water and sewage construction, but was an adventurer's map made at the end of the dungeon exploration in the past.

Because it was a scroll of such low importance, it seemed to have survived the process of erasing traces of the Aryan people.

"At that time, Homun must have felt sick to his stomach because his plan was used in reverse by humans. I never dreamed that we would be fooled in the same way."

Most of the cities that were created along with the Great Labyrinth were probably abandoned as they lost their vitality to run the economy.

In comparison, Octantium, which had a good surrounding environment, had been functioning as the capital of the empire until now, using the Great Labyrinth as a starting point.

This has become a huge negative factor for humanity.

Human lifespan is short.

Records left by mankind are dismissed as legends if they are more than a few hundred years old.

But prophets are different.

They don't forget

Homun also remembered the Great Labyrinth located underground in the capital.

A way to utilize it.

"Ah, there must be a passage to the Great Labyrinth around here. I hope it's not blocked."

Asili stopped in front of a place blocked by bars.

A rusty lock that I don't even know when was left unlocked without a key.

The magic was strange to look at.

"I hope we find it at once. It's late, and if I make a mistake, I could spend a day sleeping in this sewer..."

After hearing the baracura's grumbling, I looked at the clock and saw that it was roughly around 11pm.

If the search is delayed any further, we will have to sleep in this place where feces flows.

Thinking about that, Mion seemed to get chills and briefly trembled.

"Wait a minute. I think I'll have to use magic."

Placing her hands on the wall, Asili closed her eyes.

The time wasn't that long.

This is because one side of the wall 2 meters in front glowed with blue light as if reacting to her mana.

"That's the entrance."

"Now we will soon find out who Bjorn is as a shepherd boy."

The moment what I said turns out to be a lie, Runea will immediately slice my head off.

From Lunea's perspective, I hope so.

Maybe it's because they want to kill me, but maybe it's because they want me to be wrong about the hopeless predictions I guessed.

Regardless of the wind, such a thing did not happen.

"⋯⋯There is. Below here. A being similar to Antenor."

Saint Mion said so.

There was no one here who could comment on those words.

◈ Chapter 165 - 20-Great Labyrinth

There is a great evil underground in the capital.

A monster that drove humanity to hell in the past.

Those who had encountered the being even once swallowed dry saliva.

"Can you find the location?"

Stairs leading to a dark basement.

Mion's eyes seemed to see beyond.

"I can only feel that it is full of demonic energy like in the Plains of Leuctra, but I think it will be difficult to pinpoint the location of the Great Devil. Besides..."

"Huh?"

"⋯⋯No. It's still ambiguous. I'll tell you when it becomes clear."

Whenever Mion, a saint, hesitated like this, something bad always happened.

I tried to ignore the ominous feeling.

"What about the magic side? Is there really a great power that seems to have sealed the body of a god underground?"

I knew for sure from Mion that there was a great evil here.

It was a significant achievement for humanity, which was originally helpless and was ravaged by the Great Devil.

The problem is that I have one more prospect left.

Is the Great Devil really sealing Jin's body underground?

If not, you can borrow the power of the Sword Saint right away.

No matter how great the devil is, he cannot fight the Sword Saint under enemy lines.

However, if my guess is true, the Sword Saint cannot do anything.

If he makes even the slightest strange move, Homun will blow up the capital.

Mion cast his gaze far away as if assessing his enemy.

"I see a huge magic ceremony made with power from afar. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's probably just as Bjorn guessed."

"⋯⋯Fuck it."

Runea looked dizzy and leaned against the wall, muttering her curses.

My guess has now become an undeniable fact.

There is a time bomb under the capital.

If it explodes, all the imperial citizens living in Octantium will disappear.

Without a trace.

Asili closed his eyes tightly and touched his forehead, and Barakura also brushed his dry lips.

700,000 lives.

Population of the capital city.

What we carry on our shoulders are countless lives that are difficult to count.

That's all.

Now that everyone is going to extremes, if we fail here, the Oxburg Empire will be engulfed in civil war.

Each side claimed to have blown up the capital.

"What do you think? Was I right? When it comes to demons, there is no expert like me in the Empire?"

I lifted my chin towards them.

Runea glared at me with a face covered in cold sweat, as if asking me to understand the atmosphere.

"You seem to be good at making jokes in this situation."

"No, I've already known about this for a long time. You just didn't believe it until now, right?"

"Yes, that was my mistake. You! Even though you knew everything, why did you throw the empire into chaos at a time like this!"

Runea was ready to grab him by the collar at any moment.

Her tone seemed to suggest that she could have coped if it had not been for a time like this.

Her anger that had been building up for so long exploded.

I looked down at Runea.

"You probably don't know that thanks to that confusion, Asili and you were able to join here while avoiding the eyes of the shadow."

"⋯⋯Keuheuk!"

Runea was a knight equipped with gates and radish.

He would have known that fact even without me pointing it out.

It must have been frustration that pushed me.

Still, I wasn't good enough to silently accept stray anger.

"The emperor was ignorant about demons, so he focused more on war. It was during this period that the Sword Saint lost his power as a saint. That is the result."

"If you think about it that way, the reason why this difficult situation arose...!"

"Yes. It's because of me."

Jin cut off Runea as if there was nothing more to hear.

"The reason Moloch is still alive and the reason the capital is in danger are all mine."

It wasn't enough that he was deceived by Antenor's trick and let Moloch go.

The soul and body were separated and sealed for over a thousand years.

His torn body is threatening countless lives.

If it's Jin, it's definitely going to be painful.

"This is my sin. A curse I placed on mankind. You humans have done nothing wrong."

Untrue words.

I vaguely guessed the true intention behind it.

"I will use my remaining sparks to atone for it. To do so, I need your help."

Jin walked up to her and bowed her head.

"Runea. Please lend us your strength."

A request in an earnest tone.

The flame bent her head towards a mere mortal.

The baracura struggled around her, not knowing what to do.

The one who was more embarrassed was Runea.

"⋯⋯It is my role to fight the devil even if I don't ask for it."

If I hadn't been willing to fight the devil, I wouldn't be here in the first place.

Rune Ada must have completed her determination as Rune Ada.

From her, her true spirit was confirmed once again.

If Runea gets upset and leaves, even if it's not possible, the burden will be mine.

I knew that the reason she lowered her head was ultimately to relieve the burden on me.

"Do you think Jin values ​​you?"

"Shut up."

There's no way I'd be happy if you did something like that.

Rather, I felt bitter because I felt like I left unnecessary emotions behind for Jin.

To clear up the situation before Asili teases her further, I clear my throat.

"As you can see, it is true that we were driven out. You may want to take responsibility for that. But we did not gather here to play politics. We will do that outside after we survive."

I don't have enough time to worry about that.

Runea also turned her head away, perhaps embarrassed that she had been swept away by emotions for a moment by my words.

This is the end of this useless war of attrition.

"Our job is always the same. Fight against evil and save humanity. Let's not make it complicated for now."

Knights of the Holy Cross, Lighthouse of Humanity, Magic Tower, Yeomhwagyo. And even Samsin.

The reason people from all walks of life have each other's backs here is because they share one goal.

Drive the devil out of this place.

700,000 people, the fortune of the empire.

So who was at fault?

If you take all that into consideration, your steps become slower.

The moment you enter the basement, think only about moving forward.

I made that promise as I pushed myself into the entrance of the Great Labyrinth, which looked like it was going to crumble at any moment.

*

Unlike the Octantium sewers, the air in the Great Labyrinth was clear.

I can't say there was no dirt, but it was much better.

After finishing the short camp, the group got out of bed one by one.

"Kahat! Saint, did you sleep well? While I was on watch, you were shivering as if you had been pressed by scissors."

"It's because you were staring at me all night. It's strange that I can't sleep well."

Jin and Asili, who did not need to sleep last night, took charge of the watch.

In the meantime, Asili seems to have been sticking right next to Mion and glaring at her.

"Can you please leave?"

Mion pushed Asili's pressed face away with both her hands.

As soon as she opened her eyes, her lips were within touching distance, so I fully understood her displeasure.

"By the way, it's annoying that I can't start a fire."

When everyone woke up, Asili grumbled as she used lighting magic to light up the great labyrinth where there was not even a single daylight.

Even magic doesn't seem to be able to cope with the relief that flames provide.

"Everything else is good, but not as good as that."

She doesn't know where the explosives are hidden, and she can't let a methane explosion decimate her group before they even meet Homun.

Ah, Silly shrugged her shoulders as if she knew and prepared her meal.

His demeanor seemed quite familiar, as if he had camped in enemy territory for a long time with the saints of the past.

After making their beds, the group gathered together and ate the beef jerky and bread that Asili had prepared.

"What can I say, there is quite no sense of crisis."

Runea scratched her messy head as she dipped her bread into the soup.

Compared to what the warriors looked like before fighting the Great Evil, they looked quite worn out.

Does this panty thief know that a large part of the reason for the loss of sense of crisis lies with him?

"I guess you lost your memory of the time you tried to remove the material from your military boots and fell down?"

"Don't frame me. I am a sword master. How can I fall?"

For something like that, I fell asleep on a very grand scale.

To the point where the wall caved in in the shape of a head.

If he were an ordinary person, he would probably be out of this world.

When I pointed to the marks on her, Runea tore off her beef jerky as if turning away.

'Well, it happened anyway, but it's much better than being hurt.'

Fraud is also important in its own way.

If you get into a fight before you even fight, you won't be able to muster up the strength when the time comes.

In that respect, the people here had no worries.

Except for Barakura, these were warriors who had previously encountered the entity called the Great Devil and yet set out to fight again.

There was no need to peck.

"So, you mean down here on the right?"

When I turned my head towards the sound, I saw Barakura and Mion chatting across from Runea.

It seemed like it was probably a story about magic.

"Yes. I feel that way. Although I don't know the exact distance."

"The cavity in the bottom right of here is three places on the map..."

"It's farther than I thought."

Barracura drew our location and route on a map.

My guess is that even the most distant places could be covered in 10 days if you move quickly.

All of this is thanks to Mion, the demon detection dog.

I gazed happily at the saint who did not lose his beauty even in this sewer.

"Do you seem to be in a better mood than usual?"

Jin, who sat next to me to avoid the rising humidity, said.

She must have been with her for a long time, because she can see it right away.

"I feel like I'm finally going on a knightly adventure."

"What is that?"

Jin tilted her head as if saying something incomprehensible.

Of course she doesn't know.

My journey so far has been far from a standard fantasy novel.

What is the power in the North like in this fictional day, and what is the politics like in the Central Region?

It was a time when there was no such thing as fantasy.

Romance has finally come to me!

Exploring a dungeon called the Great Labyrinth.

The one at the end is the Great Devil.

The party and Sukyoung left their backs.

Even a bloody fight with the devil.

This is fantasy, this is romance.

As I looked ahead to that, I couldn't help but feel good.

Faster than I thought, that romance appeared before my eyes.

I think I walked for about two hours after eating.

I finally faced the devil.

"It's an icicle dog."

It was a fairly familiar golem.

◈ Chapter 166 - 20-Great Labyrinth

It was a fairly familiar golem.

The lowest level of familiars controlled by the Great Evil of Creation.

In addition to being a sword user, it is a being that can catch and kill any number of sword users, and is too low to be called a devil.

A group of icicle dogs were patrolling the Great Labyrinth.

"Hey, it's nice to see you after a long time."

I definitely fought this guy in the cave where Jin was sealed.

At that time, I had only encountered demons in books, so I poured out my mana in a way that was not appropriate.

As I was lost in memories for a moment, Asili stopped me from pulling out my sword and trying to hunt.

"Please do not leave the corpse."

"Poetry, corpse?"

"Okay. Don't worry. There is no one here weaker than you."

"Excuse me?!"

Without missing the opportunity, Runea deeply scratched her insides.

I looked around and thought that there was no one weaker than me, but that wasn't true.

And then I realized it.

Not to mention Jin and Asili, Barakura and Runea are also the strongest in the world.

Mion, too, has already risen to the rank of sword expert after realizing that he is a saint.

Then, without a doubt, I, the bouncer, am ranked last in combat here.

If this novel was a party banishment, I would be first on the list.

"My nickname is the genius of the century... I drank the northern part, and befriended the Geomseong... I was the great devil of revenge..."

"What is he muttering to himself?"

Just look around before the devil appears in the dungeon.

What is my romance?

When I looked at Jin with a face full of dissatisfaction, Jin had an expression of no understanding.

"It was just yesterday that I fainted and collapsed. Don't put forth any effort and focus on getting your body back on track."

I wanted to make a fuss about just a few icicle dogs, but since my life wasn't the only thing at stake here, I huddled in the corner with a straight face.

Until the very end, it seems like this novel doesn't go the way I want.

Whether I sulked or not, the group was hiding from the icicle dog and keeping an eye on the situation.

Asili closed her eyes for a moment and moved her mana towards the icicle dog, then opened her mouth as if she had realized something.

"Indeed. As expected, an alarm system has been set up. If you kill a demon carelessly here, an alarm will be sent to Homun right away."

"So you're saying I have to avoid it?"

"I don't know how many demons like this there will be in the future, but that's impossible. There's a way."

When Asili drew her hand in the air, a white line appeared, like her chalk on a blackboard.

"Look, the alarm system is probably like this."

She drew several circles and connected them with a line.

Maybe it means the devil.

"The Great Labyrinth is large. It takes a lot of work to cast a spell on the entire place. Of course, if you are a great devil, you could use your power to spread an intruder warning spell throughout this space."

I know a similar technique.

A spell that Asili spread throughout the capital city of Octantium.

The detection system was so tight that it restricted the devil from operating on earth.

The reason Homun went underground was because of that technique.

If Asili can do that, Homun can do the same.

"But if you do that, the risk of being discovered by the saint will also increase."

Asili nodded her head as I added her words.

"That's right. This great labyrinth has already been filled with a huge spell that sealed the bodies of the Great Demon and Jin. If you add power here, there is a possibility that it will be detected even on the ground. So it seems that Homun used a different method."

Asili put an x ​​in the circle in front of her.

Then the blue wave followed the line toward the end.

"If something happens to the devil and the signal is cut off, a system is built in which the devil behind it receives it and relays it to the center. It's a simple, but effective technique that uses less power."

"The downside is that you can track the magic back and find out the wizard's location, but it doesn't really matter because the moment the signal is cut off, you just explode the detonator and blow up the capital."

I nodded as if I understood Barakura's additional explanation.

To be honest, I was completely blind to magic.

"Then how to deceive this technique?"

"It's simple. Just create a golem to replace the signal and set it up."

A piece of blue ice once again appeared in Asili's arms.

It seemed like they had prepared in advance for this kind of situation.

Barracura pointed out her plan.

"Wait a minute, isn't this a simple task? Even if we replace it with a golem, we first need to analyze the signal system and analyze the mana waves. And before engaging in combat, we need to use a spell to block the icicle dog's waves and emit a deceptive signal. ."

"It must be difficult for you. Who do you think I am? Don't forget that most of the magic you learned came from my head. I can do it in a much more sophisticated way than the method you suggested. Like..."

⋯⋯What on earth are you saying?

I felt like I was caught in the conversation of an otaku talking about his minor hobbies.

If I left it alone, it seemed like they would talk endlessly about things only they knew, so I ended the conversation appropriately.

"So you're saying you can kill that icicle dog anyway?"

"...Chet, this is why they are ignorant knights. That's right. That's right."

It was probably the professor's way of looking at stupid undergraduate students.

I think it would feel refreshing if I squeezed one.

I could barely suppress my bubbling stomach.

Asili unfolded her magic.

The icicle dog barked at the sudden flow of mana.

Unlike the icicle dogs in the dungeon that lost their owners and wandered around, these dogs moved with a clear sense of purpose.

However, no matter how much you bark, you will not be able to recognize the owner.

-Suddenly.

In this place where it was difficult to find light, a blade flashed.

The auror that clings perfectly to the sword is that of a sword master that every knight dreams of.

The body of the icicle dog was split in half as if the tofu was melting.

After that, several demons appeared before us.

At first, it was mainly a group of icicle dogs, but as the days passed and the deeper you entered the Great Labyrinth, the demons became stronger.

"Hey, all the devils written in the Human Lighthouse textbook appear."

From intermediate levels such as wraith, yeti, naga, and gorgon.

From lichs, frost golems, and even high-level demons to slads.

There were a lot of demons that you would probably leave this world with if you saw them even once in your life.

"Icicles will be widely scattered on the far side of the Great Labyrinth so that they can be detected using the signal system, and as they get closer to the center, monsters that can cause disturbance will be placed in consideration of disrupting the signal system to determine if the enemy is intruding."

"Well, since it's a horde, I expected it to some extent. I added more techniques to prevent it, so don't worry."

The Homun's defense system was efficiently constructed while reducing the risk of detection with a minimum of power.

Runea and Asili saw the enemy getting stronger as they got closer to the center and read the Homun's thoughts contained therein.

So a question arose.

"Why didn't such smart people know about the traitor inside?"

"Keuuu!"

As we got closer to the center where the magic was performed, there were not only demons.

There seemed to be a secret entrance close to the ground, and a few dark men, Knights of the Holy Cross, and wizards came and went.

Even though it was a dark spot with a weak spot, the Knights of the Holy Cross and wizards who came here were definitely demon cultists who did not make a contract.

"I regret not being able to kill him with my own hands."

"You made a contract with the devil because you were blind to the truth. I can't forgive you."

A demon could be replaced with a golem from Asili, but a scarecrow could not be erected if a human was killed.

Lunea briefly lamented that she had no choice but to send them away.

"You both know that superiors must pay for the crimes committed by their subordinates, right?"

"Don't say too much. Still, if it weren't for Runea and the Tower Lord, we wouldn't have been able to come this far."

Mion embraced Runea and Asili with her gentle nature.

The usefulness of the 10th Circle Archmage was incomparable.

If the magic tower lord had been stranded for failing to cause chaos in the capital, this journey would have ended the moment he encountered his first demon.

In addition, Runea, who was considered to be the next sword saint, had the power to slaughter even the highest level demon one-on-one.

Due to the connection between the two, the demons living in the Great Labyrinth died without even being able to fight properly.

That means, to put it another way, that there is no crisis of any kind.

Despite its name, the Great Labyrinth, the process of heading to the center was leisurely.

So my last journey was like a trip.

A tasteless meal and the same endless scenery.

In this, small talk inevitably arises.

"Lunea, you will soon reach the next level, right?"

Mion, who was ahead, asked Runea who was standing next to him.

"Achievement is not something to be passed over, saint."

"Hmm, I still have a question. If Runea reaches the next level, will she become as strong as the current Sword Saint?"

Lunea shook her head at the question.

"Even if I step on to the next level, the Sword Saint is above me. He is not someone I would dare compare to."

That is only half true.

It is true that the Sword Saint is one level higher than Runea in terms of achievement, but he abandoned that realization on his own.

So, if Runea reaches the next level, he will become as strong as the now aged Sword Saint.

If you're below the enemy line, you can take a lot of damage and defeat at least one archdemon.

'I wonder if Runea will reach the next level.'

In the biography of Esteria, Runea did not show any significant growth.

He only acts as Mion's teacher.

At least from what I read, she was a sword master.

Instead, she later remembers that she had a significant rise in her status.

It is unclear whether that will be the case here as well.

"⋯⋯What's so good about a woman like that?"

Runea tilted her head at the incomprehensible sound.

Perhaps, in this world I have created, I will never know Runea.

I'm sorry about that, but it's not my business.

Chat, thoughts, and the occasional battle.

In this dark great labyrinth, the flow of time is so easily distorted.

Being selfish, I used the Great Devil as an excuse to stop caring about earthly affairs.

Because I wanted to savor the last journey left to me.

Chew some beef jerky.

Walk leisurely with your arms crossed above your head.

Sometimes I laugh at nonsense.

Sometimes they look at each other and growl, then turn her head.

Then, when the devil appears, they join forces.

At those times, my eyes mostly turned to Jin.

Jin, who made eye contact with me, pulled her eyebrows together as if I had no idea what she was thinking.

These were moments that would be etched into my memory like a stigma.

Know.

Flying high only to fall painfully.

Still, can't we try reaching out to the sun?

Even if it doesn't reach you.

"⋯⋯Everyone. I have something to tell you."

The moment she found that her first cavity was empty, Mion revealed the secret she had been holding to herself.

"There is one more great devil in this great labyrinth besides Homun."

It was the worst and most unexpected bad news in history.

◈ Chapter 167 - 21-Birth Movement

*

Huwon can be reached by walking for a long time from the main building of the Glass Palace.

There is an outbuilding there that is said to have been built by the previous emperor for his concubine.

Until the last moment of his life, the previous emperor is said to have stayed here with his concubine, who would later be called a wicked woman.

Since the current emperor came to the throne, this place has been avoided due to its bloody smell.

Eileen, lord of Haenlelle and mother of the current Marquis of Djeviets, was currently stranded there.

'Wherever I go, my situation is similar.'

Eileen complained as she watched the ash fall outside her window.

On the day the ball was held, the emperor attempted to purge the revolutionaries.

Those who were in the palace as Bjern's base were able to safely evacuate out of the palace.

Originally, Eileen should have been among them.

However, she and her Count Soran remained in the palace as hostages themselves.

This was to express the North's intention to have nothing to do with this incident, and at the same time, to buy time politically.

The Emperor ordered the captured Aileen.

Strip Bjern of his position as commander of the Human Lighthouse, who conspired with the Lobe Alliance.

Eileen answered.

Since that authority is not within my jurisdiction, I need to be restrained by the Marquis.

So Count Sorang headed north with the emperor's letter.

The day after the parade through the streets of the Magic Tower ended, several of the apprentices and rioters were hanged.

Eileen's role is a scarecrow.

The essence was the same here and in the north.

Until Bjern returns, we must prevent the Human Lighthouse in the capital from falling into the Emperor's hands.

'Well, it won't be easy.'

The contract has already been finalized.

As long as the money comes to the De Jeevitz Foundation, the Lighthouse of Humanity will become the emperor's.

Failing to do so and putting pressure on the North means that money is running dry.

The Emperor will not be able to take control of the Lighthouse of Humanity, at least not until the revolution is over.

Of course, the emperor was also moving to change the trend of the times.

Eileen pointed at the gazette scattered on the table.

The headline, "A place for class integration opened for the first time in 10 years," caught her eye.

"His Majesty has urgently convened a meeting of the Estates General. It looks like the meeting will be held starting today."

Eileen moved her turquoise pupils in the direction of the sound.

There, sitting there, was an old woman with eyes the same color as her.

She was Chief Heidal Mons, who led the Aryan Dominion.

"You can speak comfortably, old man."

"No. How could you do that to a royal family?"

Eileen knew the words omitted before the royal family.

Betrayer.

A family that, despite being a collateral branch of the royal family that led the Aryan people, ignored the people who suffered under the Rodal people.

It was a tragic dynasty that, unable to overcome its guilt, borrowed power from the devil, and was virtually wiped out by the hands of Björn.

Eileen found it difficult to raise her head before Chief Haydal Mons, whose descendants must have gone through hardships.

"But no matter how much your majesty, it will be difficult to achieve the desired results with the Estates General."

It was difficult for Eileen to understand her intentions.

Although he appears decrepit, he has leisure.

He is definitely not an easy opponent.

Even though he was a complete outsider, the proof was that he knew how things were going at a glance.

"⋯⋯I guess so."

Reluctantly, Eileen nodded her head at the old man's words.

Even if she takes money from the merchant.

Thus, even if she obtains something as great as humanity.

The spark of revolution that has spread to the capital cannot be extinguished.

It was burning so fiercely that even Bjorn was worried whether he would be able to hold the reins.

Eileen sipped her tea, perhaps forgetting that she had almost been assassinated.

"Then, Chief. May I ask why you came to me?"

"Since the capital is in turmoil and I can't return to the Dominion, I need a companion to kill time."

The old man jokingly said that he easily gets lonely when he gets old.

It is a heavy political responsibility to bear to visit Eileen just for that reason.

Eileen was not naive enough to take the words literally.

As Eileen expected, Chief Heydalmons drank tea and tried to think about Eileen's intentions.

"I heard about the former Count Haenrel. It is truly a pity."

What is so sad about it?

Opening your hands to the devil?

Or did you still fail?

Eileen furrowed her brows at the ambiguous words.

"Oops, I guess I made a mistake with my words. My true intention was that I made a bitter choice under the pressure of my responsibilities as a royal."

"It's already in the past."

From what she heard, the Aryans living in the Aryan Dominion hate the Haenrel family, calling them cowards.

It was only natural that all the descendants of the royal family who led them died fighting the Rodal tribe at the forefront.

It is said that many people shed tears over recent events in the north.

Our king didn't abandon us.

'What a futile thing to do.'

Eileen, who knew the full story of the incident, could not forgive her father.

To take revenge on the Rodal people by using her daughter and her grandson, and dedicating the entire northern part of her country to the devil.

So, what on earth is left other than talking about it?

Eileen shook her head at the stench as she revealed the family's shame.

She was a noblewoman who was thirsty for her power, but she only did it for the sake of her children, and at least she was not a villain.

If Chief Hey Dal Mons' favor towards her was to come from that, Eileen was her specification.

However, Chief Heydalmons reacted differently than she expected.

"Still, I wanted to say this. Thank you. For saving that little one. It must have been painful until the last moment."

The chief bowed his head and expressed his gratitude to Eileen.

Come to think of it, I heard that her father visited Dominion several times when she was young.

It seemed like he had a secret conversation with the chief at that time.

"It was none other than all of us who pushed that child away. We must have suffered for the rest of her life because we placed something on her shoulders that she could not carry. You chose well."

"⋯⋯I will also tell this to Bjern."

Externally, she is said to have been Eileen who snitched on Count Haenrel.

But the reality was closer to what Björn revealed.

Eileen turned and she revealed where the ball was.

After taking another sip of tea, Chief Heydalmons entered the main ceremony.

"There are a growing number of people within the Aryan tribe who are talking about joining forces with the North."

Although not on his paternal line, the current Marquis de Jevietz, who is praised as the King of the North, is also half Aryan.

Now that the empire is in turmoil, it seems that there are people within the Aryan Autonomous Territory who want to join forces with the north to fight against the empire.

It was good news to hear, but Eileen shook her head.

"The North has no intention of rebelling against the Empire. Neither has it in the past nor will it in the future."

Clearly, if she accepts the chief's offer, Eileen's power will increase.

Maybe he can use this opportunity as a springboard to escape from Björn's clutches.

But that would be splitting the empire in half.

Eileen, who felt the threat of the devil right around the corner, could not possibly accept the offer.

"Is that Eileen's will? Or is it Bjorn's will?"

Eileen realized what Chief Heydalmons had come here for.

It seems he was curious about whose hands the power in the North lies in.

I seemed to have figured out the answer from several conversations.

It was a story that didn't really matter to Eileen.

"It means the North."

"I see. I understand."

Even though the answer was ambiguous, Chief Heydalmons looked satisfied.

"As expected... If it's that child, maybe he can show me a new path."

Words that are truncated at the beginning and end, and whose English is unintelligible.

It was so subtly annoying that it was hard to dismiss it as just nonsense muttered by an old man.

"If Bjorn comes back alive, will you tell him? There's something you're looking for in the southwest."

"What are you looking for?"

What is Björn looking for?

This too was unintelligible.

Heedless of Eileen's expression demanding an explanation, Chief Heydalmons stood up as if he had finished his work.

"Wow, it looks like you wasted too much time. Isn't Eileen somewhere you need to go?"

"⋯⋯How did you know that?"

The blue-green pupils, which seemed to be looking straight into the inside, were particularly cold.

"As you get older, invisible things become visible."

Eileen felt like she was sitting across from a fortune teller.

She looked back at the departing Chief Haydalmons and wondered what on earth had happened to her.

No matter how much she ruminated in her carriage on the way to Bettieux Prison, Eileen could not know her answer.

*

Outside the capital.

There was a prison notorious for housing political prisoners and violent criminals.

The name of the prison, so famous that people were said to walk in and leave lying in a coffin, was Bettieux.

Eileen's carriage stopped at the prison's main gate.

-Kkii Iik.

A strange sound, like the laughter of the devil, was heard from the rusty hinges of the iron door.

The corrections officer who came to meet Eileen welcomed her.

"Marquis Haenrel. This way."

Eileen followed him into the prison facility.

The prisoners, who did not have the strength to chase away flies, only rolled their empty pupils as they took charge for the first time in a long time.

Between her life and death, a subtle stench pierced her nose.

I didn't know that Eileen's eyebrows would straighten.

Inside, inside.

How deep did we go into the maze-like prison facility?

The correctional officer stopped in a basement where sunlight did not reach.

Eileen knew what this space was for without even needing an explanation.

The wall was filled with iron skewers and whips.

All the tools here were sharp and cold.

She came once yesterday, but Eileen couldn't get used to it.

"It's in there."

Since she had come this far, Eileen also knew where she was.

The reason I didn't stop walking was because the scenery I saw yesterday was so vivid.

Eileen closed her eyes tightly as if resolving her resolve and moved her body.

"Huh... Hwaaaaa...

A woman was tied up inside her iron bars.

With her head down.

Her nearly gray-blonde hair was caked with sweat and an unknown liquid.

Eileen knew very well who that woman was.

It was Ember Cutter, the operational staff of the Human Lighthouse Corps.

"Sir Cutter. Sir Cutter!"

"Hmm..."

Despite Eileen's calls, she continued to moan inexplicably.

Her fingernails and toenails had already been pulled out.

The tattered clothes were all torn and barely covered the important parts.

In order to find out information about Björn, the civil servant would have used any means possible.

Even if you think about it that way, the situation was worse than I thought.

Eileen was able to deduce the cause very easily.

"Interrogator! Did you really use drugs?!"

Eileen has never heard of torture, using a combination of powerful drugs to force her opponents into submission in order to obtain her testimony.

The pot-bellied interrogator shrugged her shoulders as if it were the correct answer.

"Then what are you telling me to do? The Count told me not to use any sexual torture or anything that could leave permanent aftereffects."

"Hey! How dare you!"

Eileen's hand rose high.

But she couldn't bring herself to hit the interrogator.

If the interrogator's mood was upset, it was Amber who had to deal with it.

The interrogator smiled crookedly, as if he was amused by the sight of her trembling and lowering her hand.

"⋯⋯Please, protect the knight's honor."

All Eileen could do was make an earnest request.

The interrogator said, scanning Eileen with her lust-filled gaze.

Haha! It's a request from such a beautiful count, so of course I have to listen!"

The Knight of the Lighthouse Corps of Humanity, who remained here to watch over the civil servant, also turned his head as if swallowing his anger at that attitude.

"Lord Cutter, just hang on a little longer. You'll be out soon."

Amber is so drugged she probably doesn't even remember Eileen coming or going.

Still, she had no choice but to shout out to her Amber.

Originally, it was according to Björn's orders, but it was heartbreaking to see someone whose face I knew being brutally tortured.

'Barton, we don't have time.'

The emperor wants to catch Bjern as soon as possible, and Ember will never reveal anything.

The torture will become more severe day by day.

No matter how much she intervened, there were limits.

Eileen could only pray.

I hope that the person named Barton Wigner can overcome this difficulty.