Chapter: 467
The skeleton that had been sprawled on the floor stumbled to its feet when it saw us.
“…Who the hell are you?”
“Can’t you tell it’s the great wizard? Or has your empty skull made your wisdom disappear? Or maybe the scene from a moment ago was too stimulating for the sympathetic wizard?”
The skeleton opened its mouth to shout something back but then gripped its staff tightly instead.
Maybe it thought continuing the conversation would just annoy itself, so it planned to cut us off.
Is this wisdom befitting a great wizard? Or is it just stupidity reacting as expected when teased?
Seeing the magic gathering at the tip of the staff, I chuckled and shrugged, holding out my mace.
Then the skeleton stopped forming a spell and stared blankly at the end of my mace.
“…What is that?”
“Even without eyes, you can recognize your companion, huh? That’s a bit too commendable for friendship. Perhaps it’s an unspoken love?”
[Lucy. Don't cross the line.]
“Could you for once just shut up?”
After hearing comments from both the grandma and the skeleton, I shrugged and kept my mouth shut.
After all, I came to seek advice from that skeleton, so there’s no need to overstep the line entirely.
Though I feel like I might have gone a bit far already. But it should be fine, right? As I closed my mouth, the skeleton, having calmed its anger, examined us slowly.
“The lady standing in the back is loved by Lord Jushin. I have never seen anyone this devout in a land where His glory has dimmed.”
“Thank you for your compliments, Lord Erginius. However, there is someone more devout than I in this land.”
“I know, but I appreciate your understanding that I don’t want to acknowledge it.”
Upon seeing Phoebe chuckle lightly, the skeleton sighed and shifted its gaze to the side.
“The man next to you is a descendant of that Soladin fellow, huh?”
“The Third Prince of the Kingdom. I am Arthur Soladin. Please speak comfortably.”
“I’ll graciously accept your consideration. So, how did it go? Did Soladin capture the opportunity that came to him?”
“The glory the kingdom possesses now is largely due to him. Soladin certainly did not miss his chance.”
“I see. That’s a good thing. And the other young ladies beside you?”
“The eldest daughter of Ducal Lord Partlan. Joy Partlan.”
“I’m Frey Kent.”
“And…”
The skeleton turned its head back toward me and sighed dramatically while holding onto its staff tightly.
“You, who hold two weapons of my friend, what do you do?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? Or do you want to hear how dumb I am? If it’s the latter, I can readily provide that for you.”
“…Hah. How could you be chosen by Lord Jushin?”
The moment the skeleton tapped its forehead with its bony hand, Phoebe, who had been behind me, made a move to jump forward.
If Joy hadn’t grabbed her shoulder beforehand, she would have surely said something.
“Right. You’re the little one receiving Jushin’s love and grabbing the attention of countless gods. What are you doing right now?”
“I wanted to ask the now outdated skeleton wizard something.”
“That’s not what I asked. I want to know what you’re doing.”
The skeleton pointed to the ceiling, which was clearly wide open.
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“Are you being serious right now?”
“Why? Are you annoyed because things aren’t going your way? Upset? Well, you could have built a sturdier dungeon. If you did, this wouldn’t have happened.”
To actually come here, one had to go through several bothersome processes.
Since Erginius was the one who created a dungeon similar to this, he must have put much more effort into his fake dungeon.
The hardships endured in this dungeon, which is impractical even in the games, meant it was not favored by players.
Until it was revealed that you could break the ceiling by combining specific scrolls and bombs, that is.
“That ceiling was sturdy enough. It had never broken even once.”
“How dumb and incompetent were the past shoddy ones that they couldn’t break it?”
“What trickery did you use?”
“Are you curious? If you really want to know that badly, I’d be more than happy to tell you.”
“…”
The skeleton glared at me, rattling, but couldn’t deny my words.
It was probably eager to know how I broke something it painstakingly crafted.
Even if it’s a fake with the memory of a great wizard, it is still a wizard.
The skeleton, which valued curiosity more than its pride, certainly couldn’t refuse my offer.
“Or we could negotiate. If you, the crazy outdated wizard, give me some advice, I’ll gladly tell you where your work failed.”
As I thought I made an offer it couldn’t refuse and stared at the skeleton, it chuckled in disbelief.
“Coming in and breaking the ceiling, then demanding what you want?”
“Don’t like it? Then too bad. You can ponder it with your empty brain for the rest of your life.”
“At the very least, show some sincerity to pass the trial I present. Kid.”
“Second tree from the center, the fruit. Left eye of the devil image.”
As I listed the answers to the trial prepared by Erginius, the skeleton visibly looked flustered. I grinned mischievously at its shoddy expression.
“Is that enough? The crazy skeleton lord won’t even make it through this silly trial just like that flimsy ceiling. So just give me an answer.”
“You’re quite shameless.”
“I can be. Because I’m cute and pretty enough to charm even the shoddy Jushin.”
“Hah. Sorry, but kids like you are far from my taste. No matter how decent you look, you’re still just a kid.”
Seeing the skeleton scoff, I suddenly lost the words I wanted to say.
Yeah! This is a normal reaction!
It’s right to think that just because I’m begging for attention, it doesn’t make me any less of a kid!
Just like our hero! Unlike the beasts around me, he has normal tastes! Truly impressive!
As a gift for you, I offer this handsome sloppy fox!
“To show such a thing to that ugly hole!”
The sloppy fox that had been resting on my shoulder grumbled in distaste, but didn’t step back.
I had made a deal before coming here.
If it did its job properly, it would get to be my chair for about an hour.
I don’t know what’s good about that, but it seemed eager enough to do its best for the reward.
The moment the sloppy fox jumped off my shoulder, smoke billowed up, and within it, a human figure emerged.
The woman, possessing an appearance that could ensnare anyone without distinction, crossed her arms below her chest and smiled softly.
“You called me a kid. And what about this lady?”
If she was using her powers, the sloppy fox appeared even more charming than usual.
If I hadn’t known her true form, I might have been captivated myself.
“Are you not going to answer?”
As the skeleton fell silent, the sloppy fox stepped forward, tilting its head.
The skeleton, standing dazed, finally composed itself and took a step back, hunching over.
“Wait. Please hold on a moment. I need some time to prepare my heart.”
“Hah! Preparing your heart? That sounds quite childish. Not suited for a skeleton like you.”
“W-wait!”
As it stepped back and bumped into the wall, the skeleton looked like a thug meeting a thief in an alley.
[KHaha! Erginius! You didn’t instill any tricks into your doll!]
‘…Was the great wizard always this shy?’
[That’s an understatement! The one who fainted upon a princess holding his hand was him! He is much improved now! In the early travels, he would have already passed out!]
‘Oh my.’
That’s beyond just being shy; it seems like a whole different level of extraordinary.
What an impressive figure that great wizard is, in another sense.
“Hey! Kid! Don’t just stand there! Do something about this beast woman!”
“Why should I? I want to watch the sympathetic wizard squirm!”
“We can negotiate! Just please!”
“Yeeees~”
*
After the brief commotion settled down, Joy stood before the skeleton, her eyes filled with suspicion as she looked at him.
It wasn’t about doubting Lucy’s assurance.
But the moment I witnessed earlier was very different from the Erginius I’d seen in storybooks.
The Erginius I knew was the wizard among wizards and a noble among nobles, yet this gentleman, who just flustered in front of Lina, was merely a shy man.
Even now. His hesitant glances towards Lina showed nothing but disdain.
Could this skeleton really provide us with credible advice?
“Cough.”
The skeleton, seemingly hurt by Joy’s sharp gaze, cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders.
“Are you the wizard seeking my advice?”
“Yes, that’s correct, Lord Erginius.”
“Show me your magic.”
Suppressing her doubts, Joy called forth the magic within her.
Up until today, she had been discussing the materialization of magic with her friends, repeatedly modifying it.
Now, having formed a somewhat decent shape compared to the initial version, Joy completed a magic circle she believed at least carried some basic structure and awaited the skeleton’s words.
However, the skeleton did not open its mouth for several seconds.
Was it contemplating what this magic circle was?
Is this skeleton really Erginius?
Did Lucy misunderstand something?
Maybe it was just the embarrassing display from earlier that made Joy’s suspicion grow until—
The skeleton murmured slowly, “So this is what magic looks like two hundred years later. Not much progress has been made.”
At that moment, a chill ran down Joy’s spine.
This person has been stuck in the knowledge of two hundred years ago?
And just in a few seconds, he bridged the gap of years?
No, that can’t be.
No matter how transcendent the great wizard Erginius is, such a thing should be impossible.
“Wizard.”
“Yes? Yes!”
“Is this magic of yours made to combat the Power of Void?”
“…Yes.”
“Your idea isn’t bad, but your ability to manifest it is somewhat lacking. If you want to create magic in your own way, it’s better to do it this way.”
The moment the skeleton’s words finished, the magic circle began moving on its own, beyond Joy’s control.
Did it just steal her magic? She didn’t feel a single premonition before it happened!
“Isn’t that right?”
As her eyes blinked, Joy, realizing what was happening with the circle in front of her, froze in shock.
The magic circle, now beautifully manipulated by the great wizard’s hands, was breathtaking enough for any magician to feel moved.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.