#183
Demon King’s Castle Escape Operation (5)
Olivia’s involvement during the princess and Hesperon’s escape was not part of the original plan.
I never thought she would realize the minor commotion in Siana’s jurisdiction and come right away.
Indeed, it was meticulous handling befitting the chief manager of the Undying Castle.
‘Of course, she must be the busiest in the Undying Castle, yet she manages to take care of such trivial matters. She’s exceptionally talented.’
Now that everything is going smoothly, I can say this comfortably, but honestly, I was quite flustered when she first appeared.
Thanks to setting the operation’s start date for when ‘Hans’ was visiting, I avoided a complete reshuffle of plans.
‘Fortunately, I used that situation to maintain a better flow than initially expected.’
The dramatic effect highlighted the seriousness of the situation, and the sudden crisis deepened the bond with Riley.
‘Reproducing the ability I used in front of the princess afterward will be difficult… Well, I could just say I exhibited superhuman strength in a crisis then.’
Naturally, it was Undead King Hans who secretly intervened to block Olivia’s meddling and move them away.
As the master of this ‘Eternal Labyrinth,’ he could manipulate the internal space with his will alone, so it wasn’t very difficult.
‘Hesperon will grow stronger quickly too. Eventually, he will exhibit similar abilities on his own.’
Moving forward, he would have the full support of the Fifth Princess and grow in a comfortable environment.
With the added karma that inevitably comes along, this was a satisfactory development in many ways.
[Welcome, Undead King! We have been waiting for you!]
Now, Hans was facing Archlich Dwell in the Undead production workshop within the Undying Castle.
The preliminary work on ‘Salma,’ which had been waited for a long time, had finally finished.
‘Well, it’s only been about a week in Earth time.’
Moreover, it was originally a process that required about a year of aging after cramming all sorts of rare materials, but thanks to actively utilizing the energy of the Abyss and death, similar effects could be achieved in just a little over two months.
[Kheh-heh—] “You’ve done well, Dwell. It must have been quite a hassle.”
[You flatter me! This Dwell McKane will ensure that the processing of the other subjects is completed satisfactorily!]
Leaving the deeply moved Dwell on the floor, Hans quietly observed the figure calmly floating in the incubator filled with the Abyss’s essence.
The body of Salma, the first transcendent Awakened One he obtained.
Even though it was still incomplete, it already exuded an unusual presence.
‘A body from an Awakened One of Earth, turned into an Undead using the essence of the Abyss. I can’t help but be curious about the results.’
Since its underlying existence was special, considerable effort was devoted to its Undead transformation.
This was not just an ordinary entity that had existed in the world so far; rather, he had created an entirely new process.
With the support of the ‘Heart of the Undying,’ he laid the groundwork through ‘Forbidden Knowledge’ and tuned it again with ‘Evil Wisdom’ and ‘Path of Sorcery.’
Then, he refined the passage for the Abyss using the ‘Eye of the Abyss’ and optimized the spells with ‘Magic Domination,’ utilizing all his skills, and what he got was this.
Hans’ original Undead that had never existed in the world, tentatively named ‘Abyss Revenant.’
[Then I’ll handle the rest myself. Make sure the remaining subjects are done like this.]
[Yes! Leave it to me!]
With that, Hans collected Salma, who had only the final processing left, checked everything done here once more, and quietly crossed over to Earth.
To become Hahoe Mask once more, not ‘Undead King.’
*
Just after escaping the Undying Castle.
Riley was on the move south, keeping an eye on her surroundings while carrying Hesperon on her back.
She still didn’t know the exact location of this place, but the number of wandering monsters made it clear it wasn’t a safe area, making her unable to let her guard down for even a moment.
“Hoo— hoo—”
“…Riley? I’m fine now. I can walk on my own…”
“Ah, be quiet. How long has it been that you’re already okay? Don’t push yourself and just stay still! Hoo—”
After a few hours of moving.
Even though she had used magic, she was already dead tired, barely managing to take a step.
‘Well, I guess holding out this long is impressive for me.’
No matter how much enhancement magic she used, it didn’t solve everything.
Such supplementary magic increased in effectiveness the higher the original physical ability, but since she had never engaged in physical labor, she didn’t have a great compatibility with it.
Naturally, to boost the effect, she was forced to manipulate her magic over limit, causing her to tire even faster due to the leaking magic from her not-so-high realm.
Moreover, there were other factors hindering their movement…
“…Riley, another one is coming.”
“Ugh! How many times has it been now? This can’t still be inside the Northern Mountain Range, right?”
While breathing hard and hastily moving her feet, Riley complained softly about Hesperon’s whisper behind her and quickly hid her body within the bushes.
Then, a small barrier activated around them, isolating the space.
Shortly after—
“Kreek— khuhk—!”
“Kheh-heh!”
A group of monsters rushed by in a stampede.
Fortunately, perhaps thanks to the detection-blocking magical equipment that had been activated during their movement, it seemed they were not monsters that had noticed their presence.
“…Did they pass?”
“Yeah, they seemed to be just passing through.”
“Hoo— In just two hours, we encountered nearly twenty of them. No matter how hard I look, this doesn’t seem like the interior of the Northern Mountain Range. Please don’t tell me this is how it is everywhere outside the city?”
“Ah? I wouldn’t know since this is my first time outside…”
“I know, I was just saying that… If that’s the case, then there’s only one candidate left. Well, I guess that’s obvious.”
To the south of the location occupied by the Undead King Hans, adjacent to the Northern Mountain Range.
At the same time, a territory that had recently fallen due to a breached defense line and was now occupied by monsters.
“The Rohan Principality. It was a small country north of the Empire… I’m not sure what’s happening now. The only information I have is from before I was captured.”
While they set up camp for a bit and shared what they knew, Riley took the opportunity to explain the situation to Hesperon, who was unfamiliar with the area.
In reality, surviving in such an environment as a low-level wizard, especially with a pampered princess and an ailing patient, was nearly impossible.
“Here, drink this.”
“Thanks, Hesperon. This menu is something I’ve never seen before!”
The supply from her so-called ‘Unique Skill,’ 【Avatar Cloud】, was more than enough to resolve all those issues.
Including food, drink, clothes, sleeping bags, and camping gear…
“Kuh-huh—!”
“Woof woof!”
Thud thud thud—
“Ah, another one is passing by. Is this a regular route for them?”
“It is indeed a remarkable ability. You can’t easily acquire magical equipment of this caliber even if you have money.”
“Well, it’s not free, of course. It’s not a power I can use indefinitely.”
“Of course? I heard you can’t use spatial movement for some time due to overexerting yourself.”
Completing protective measures with detection-blocking and surrounding sensing magical equipment.
As long as big problems were avoided, moving while hiding wasn’t that difficult.
“Shall we move on now?”
“Yeah, we’ve rested enough. Come on! Get on my back, Hesperon!”
“Seriously, I can walk at least. I’ll tell you if I get tired later, but let’s start first.”
“Geez— you worry too much.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
Sure, as long as there weren’t ‘big problems.’
But this was already the domain of the fallen Rohan Principality.
Having been consumed by madness and lost all but the capital to monsters, they were only barely holding on with the help of the Holy Church Order and the Empire’s troops.
However, there was no way an entire nation could crumble solely at the hands of numerous low-level monsters.
Naturally, there were countless monsters roaming the area that could take on a detachment alone.
And, as expected…
Whooosh— whoosh—!
The senses of top-tier monsters were shockingly broad, surpassing what one would consider normal.
“…Ah, damn.”
“Hesperon? What’s with you all of a sudden…?”
The movement was overwhelmingly beyond the perception of an ordinary person.
Shwaaa—!
Just as they were about to remove the barrier and start moving.
When the sound of the violently rushing wind reached Hesperon’s ears, ‘that presence’ had already lunged at them from close range.
Danger!
The sense of impending doom accelerated his thoughts, and time around them gradually slowed.
In an instant, his superhuman mental capacity analyzed the situation while amplifying, and he swiftly moved his body with utmost rationality.
The mana swirling within him enhanced his physical abilities, solidifying his body even more…
“Ugh?!”
He then swung around, hugging Riley and throwing himself backward with full strength.
Using one hand to activate the barrier magic that would conceal them.
Right after—
KABOOM—!
A powerful shockwave erupted from the spot they were standing, sending a thick cloud of dust exploding upward.
And…
“KIEEEE—!”
Whoosh—!
Amidst the earth-shattering roar, mighty wings furiously flapped, dispersing the surrounding dust in an instant.
What was revealed was a colossal body resembling a lion with the head and wings of an eagle.
With blood-red pupils burning with madness, it searched the surroundings anxiously for something with drool dripping from its beak.
“…Griffon.”
While lying on the ground and fixing her gaze upon its overwhelming might, Riley muttered lowly.
‘I’m sure I checked and removed the barrier properly!’
Had it not been for Hesperon’s quick response, they would have been done in by that first assault.
‘No, the situation right now isn’t exactly great either.’
Though they had temporarily lost track of them due to the sudden activation of the barrier, Griffons were top-tier predators capable of facing Ogres.
Considering it was a flying monster, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was even more troublesome.
‘Once it starts looking for us seriously, this barrier won’t hold long. I need to come up with a countermeasure before that happens.’
In other words, it also meant they were equally in imminent danger, ready to plunge into catastrophe at any moment.
“Hoo, still, Hesperon is amazing. I owe you another one. But the situation right now… huh? Hesperon? Wait, are you okay?”
In anxiety, Riley spoke as quietly as possible but suddenly halted, reaching out carefully to Hesperon, who was clutching her.
Slip—
“Ah?”
Something slippery and unpleasant touched her hand.
With a bad premonition, she hurriedly got up and cautiously checked his body, biting her lips tightly in alarm.
Fresh blood flowed from a long gash on his back, a result of the sudden assault she realized he hadn’t fully evaded.
Moreover, perhaps due to the shock, he wasn’t regaining consciousness.
“…I had potions, potions were with me.”
Riley quickly tore open the emergency potions Hesperon had prepared and poured them onto his back.
But this was just a makeshift measure; proper treatment would require more specialized care.
“What now…?”
Yet the situation continued to worsen.
With a sudden, ominous presence glancing over, she turned her head cautiously…
“KIEEK?”
“…!!!”
She was instantly frozen, locking eyes with a pair of red eyes that had come within an arm’s length.
The Griffon, now so close, had lowered its head to gaze intently at her, penetrating the barrier.
In the thickness of the suffocating tension, a brief silence fell.
“KIEEEE—!”
“Ah, damn.”
The maddened roar mixed with her unintended exclamation at the same time.
‘Just when I thought I’d escaped the Undead King’s grasp!’
Shoving those grievances aside, Riley tightly hugged the fallen Hesperon and squeezed her eyes shut.
At this moment, it no longer mattered; it was just an instinctual reaction.
But because of that, she couldn’t see.
That he was struggling to keep one eye open while quietly staring at the Griffon.
Just after—
BAM—!
“KIEEK?!”
Like dawn breaking through the dark, a brilliant light burst forth.
With a gigantic sword of light suddenly leaping from it and slashing through the world.
“Huff—!”
Shchaka—!
FWOOOOSH—!
With the Griffon directly at the center, it unleashed an overwhelming amount of concentrated holy power, honed to the limit like a sharpened blade.
Even a top-tier monster enhanced by madness had no chance against such a surprise attack.
“Kik— Kie— HACK!”
THUD!
The enormous frame of the Griffon stumbled and fell, crashing heavily to the ground.
Though its exit contrasted sharply with its grand entrance, this was hardly unusual considering the opponent it faced.
“Ah… um? …Wait, could it be? Is it the Saint?*”
“It’s been a while, Your Highness. I had a feeling I might meet you here. Truly the guidance of the Holy God.”
With a radiant aura of light encompassing his entire being, he gently looked down at the disheveled Princess Riley with a warm smile.
He was none other than the Saint of the Holy Church Order, a hero destined to save the world.
Heinrich Saint Landgard.
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