94 – 41. Living as a Hero (1)
“When did I become able to use the sword… No, how did I lift the curse?”
Inside the rattling carriage, Hailey was deeply immersed in contemplation.
Although she was in the unfortunate situation of working over the weekend, participating in the pre-training area reconnaissance, at least for her, it wasn’t a bad thing.
After all, the only thing she could do while stuck at home was dealing with matters coming in from the Milers family.
Rather than getting lost in contemplation while handling piled-up documents, it was much better to go to work on the weekend.
That was also the reason.
“When on earth…”
Unlike others who were sleeping to conserve energy, Hailey couldn’t rest because of the thoughts constantly swirling in her mind.
I still vividly remember Ian fainting in the enemy’s stronghold.
“How did he manage to break through the sealed entrance, not to mention avoiding our sight… But that’s not important right now.”
I was also worried about the silent figure walking towards us in blood-stained armor, but the real concern was the sword he held in his hand.
“The curse of the Blade Hatred, which burns the hand of anyone who wields the sword… At first, it may only result in a simple burn, but if one continues to hold the sword, their hand will turn to ashes, and in the end, their whole body will be engulfed in flames.”
Among the possessions of the Miles family, renowned for their sorcery, this curse was not only one of the most difficult to cast, but there was currently no known way to break it.
In other words, it was impossible for Ian to wield the sword while under the curse.
“Of course, I was also searching for a way to break the curse of the Blade Hatred…”
I was genuinely furious at the thought that my former disciple, who had been raised with great care, had turned against us and sided with the demons by striking his sister, a warrior, on the back of her head.
But as Ian’s appearance gradually changed, I began to suspect that I had misunderstood something.
And when Ian started to defeat the demon kings, Hailey realized that she had been wrong.
“I know that I almost ruined the future of my former disciple by casting the curse…”
In her heart, she wanted to apologize to him and admit that it was wrong to cast a curse instead of trusting her disciple, even though she was his master.
“I searched through the documents to find a way to break the curse because of that.”
However, when Hailey thought about it, she realized that it was more important to lift the curse from him first before apologizing.
That was why she made up her mind.
“Now that I’ve started to find some clues…”
She decided to lift the curse first and then deliver a sincere apology.
Of course, since there was no record of how to break the curse, she had to figure it out herself, as befitting a renowned expert in curse magic. But she had made some progress in finding a solution.
If only a little more time were given… I am certain that I would be able to break the curse that plagues Ian.
However, by the time she found a solution… it was already too late.
“Using the sword must mean that the curse has been lifted…”
Now, Ian no longer needs her help.
In a situation where she couldn’t offer any assistance, Ian would somehow rely on Hailey’s help… but there was no reason for him to meet her in his current state.
“So, what should I do… Even if I apologize, will Ian agree to meet me?”
Now that he no longer needs her help, perhaps she is telling him not to be noticeable.
It was a moment when she imagined a bleak future and felt trapped.
Thud! Creak!
“Ah… Suddenly, what’s happening?”
The moment the carriage was moving smoothly, it abruptly jerked and came to a stop.
She couldn’t hide her bewilderment in the lightning-like situation. She immediately assessed the situation and drew her sword.
The carriage that was moving smoothly would not stop suddenly. If there were any issues with the horse or something else, the coachman would have given a warning beforehand.
“And… even if there were really a problem, it wouldn’t come to a sudden stop in such a violent manner.”
Even someone who has no experience in the coachman’s work would know that it is not logical for someone entrusted with the task of transporting the important figures of the Empire, such as the instructors of Arc, to be a novice.
“What’s going on?”
Having come to that conclusion, Hailey prepared to go outside with her sword, but…
“Stay seated. I will go out and see.”
“Captain of the 3rd Platoon…”
Regrettably, Caien took the lead.
It seemed as though he had been in a deep sleep, but his eyes were now clear and sharp.
The moment the carriage came to a stop, he must have awakened, sensing an emergency.
Of course, considering his experience, it would be more appropriate for the relatively young Hailey to take charge.
“I understand. I’ll check on the others.”
“Please do.”
Dealing with emergencies was Kaien’s forte, given his extensive experience. It made sense for him to handle it.
Nodding at Hailey’s words, Kaien promptly opened the carriage door and descended. He began to quickly assess the situation outside.
‘It doesn’t seem like the path is blocked by obstacles… and it doesn’t look like a band of thieves.’
His forehead furrowed as he considered the usual scenarios for a carriage coming to a halt.
Even if they were inexperienced thieves, the thought of targeting a carriage marked with Ark’s insignia was unlikely.
One who has nothing to lose fears nothing, and he knew this better than anyone.
Therefore, he entertained the thought but couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t thieves.
‘Even if thieves attack, the servants would show signs of resistance.’
The surroundings were unusually quiet.
Not even a scream or any sound of the servants resisting could be heard when the carriage stopped.
In other words, it likely meant that they hadn’t encountered violent thieves.
He had considered the possibility, but no matter how he looked at it, they didn’t seem like thieves.
‘There should be signs of the servants resisting if thieves ambushed them.’
It was a moment when he carefully surveyed the surroundings, considering all possible scenarios.
“Cough, cough! What in the world…?”
‘It seems this is not a simple matter, like an attack by a band of thieves.’
Pale-faced, Kyen immediately charged at the sight of Mabu, spitting saliva as he clutched his own neck.
“Cough… Cough!”
“Look here! Pull yourself together!”
“Cou, cough-hack!”
Whether he was trying to tear something off strangling his neck or grabbing his neck with his hands, Mabu, with bloodshot eyes, flipped around before collapsing, spewing blood from his mouth.
It wasn’t just Mabu.
“Hiiing!”
Thump!
“Even the horses… What in the world is happening.”
Even the horses pulling the carriage showed the same symptoms, rolling on the ground.
Kyen’s body froze at the inexplicable phenomenon, but… he couldn’t just stand still.
The problem wasn’t confined to the carriage he was on.
What was more troubling was that it wasn’t just happening to the carriage he was riding.
“K-Kyen-nim… What on earth is happening…”
“Evan… Is it the same on your side too?”
“Yes! I checked the others… it was the same.”
The carriages of Ark’s executives were under attack by an unknown force. Kyen was convinced of that.
It was then, as he began to use mana to prepare for a countermeasure.
Shiiing!
“Magic? Damn it! Evan, get down!”
“Ah….”
The moment when the conglomeration of magic approached at an unimaginable speed, beyond the reach of the eyes.
Magi, who had come close to the front of the carriage in no time, began to expand rapidly.
“…I might be a step too late.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Bam!
The sphere that seemed to burst began to explode with a thunderous sound.
It was that moment.
“Ughhh!”
“Evan! Snap out of it and look below!”
“Yes, I understand!”
The explosion that instantly shattered Kaien’s magical barrier, pushing the carriage carrying the professors off the cliff, was the moment of imminent crisis.
In the moment of plummeting towards the cliff… Kaien lowered his gaze for the landing and could see.
“That guy is….”
A presence emitting an endlessly dark and unpleasant aura, waiting for those who were falling with a raised corner of its mouth.
‘Why the hell is he here!’
It wasn’t a mistake.
Kaien had never once forgotten the identity of that guy.
‘Satan? Why on earth is he here!’
The leader of the mines that had taken away precious people from him. One of the seven demon lords, enemies of humanity.
Satan, the Demon Lord of Wrath. It was the moment when he revealed himself.
“…As expected.”
Satan revealed his sharp fangs as he watched those falling below the cliff.
Watching that scene, memories of conversations shared with Lucifer in Astelgia began to resurface.
“I’ll take care of the humans…. Is all that’s left for Lucifer to wait for Azidahaka to be killed?”
Fortunately, the plan was progressing smoothly, but in reality, things were not so favorable for Lucifer and Satan.
Thanks to Leviathan’s antics, the demonic sword Revlyon had fallen into the hands of Ian Volkano, and even the key to the god left by Florian, who was supposed to resolve its seal, had not been taken.
“Considering how quickly Ian Volkano has grown beyond my calculations…. I thought about diverting the target to others, but….”
Continuing to target Ian might turn out to be a bad move.
With such thoughts, Satan deviated from the plan and decided to kill Ariel, the warrior who was originally their desire.
“The risk was considerable…. but if successful, the rewards would have been greater than anticipated.”
However, Ian’s venom was more intense than Satan had imagined.
Determined to protect his brother at all costs, Ian wielded his sword tirelessly for 12 hours. In the end, he succeeded in saving the warrior.
At that moment, Satan felt a sense of being cornered.
“Even those I used as bait have all been dealt with by the imperial knights…. and now, there are hardly any remaining forces.”
The price of defeat is bitter.
Not only did he lose most of his followers due to a reckless plan, but he also couldn’t prevent the growth of Ian Volkano.
That was the reason.
“Lucifer…. It seems we need to advance the timing of the plan.”
“…What does that mean?”
As expected, it was the death of Masin that was brought forward.
Lucifer couldn’t hide his confusion at Satan’s words, but it was an inevitable decision.
“Our original plan was simple. Kill or seriously injure Ian Volkano, the main character of the Hero Party, to buy time. It was about gaining the advantage in numbers.”
“Yeah. While those numbers buy us time, our goal was to kill Azidahaka and obtain Masin’s power.”
But didn’t they realize that the plan was unfeasible?
No matter how much they inflated their numbers, they were outnumbered against Ian and the heroes.
In the end, Satan had a hunch that he had to step forward himself.
“Yeah. So, I’ll personally take care of it.”
“…You personally?”
“Planning to kill Ian or the heroes is a pointless endeavor. It’s better to delay them even for a little while.”
The plan was simple.
While Lucifer faced Azidahaka alone, Satan would descend to the middle realm and buy time.
Of course, it didn’t mean that he would confront Ian and Ariel.
The targets Satan aimed for were different individuals.
“It might take a while, but killing a weakened Masin is something you can do on your own. Killing Ian or Ariel…you can do that after you ascend to Masin’s position and obtain the power.”
“That’s true… But how do we buy time?”
“You mentioned it before. Once you obtain the power, the Hero Party will resume their activities and gather, and at the same time, humans will target us.”
If Lucifer kills Masin and starts gaining power, it will be impossible for Eris, no matter who she is, to stay asleep.
She will once again issue a decree, and those who believe in faith will gather to march towards Astelgia.
Those to be dealt with by Satan were none other than them.
“Afterwards, those who hinder and annoy us, as well as formidable opponents outside the standards of Ian, warriors, and the Hero Party… I intend to target them.”
“Dealing with formidable foes outside the Hero Party… that’s the plan.”
Of course, finding a way to deal with both rabbits at the same time wasn’t easy.
But there happened to be a perfect solution.
“According to the remaining investigator’s intelligence… the professors of Arc are soon to go on an off-site investigation for a preliminary study.”
The training ground that nurtures those who will become pillars of the empire… and Arc, where those highly regarded in the continent gather.
If all the professors there were swept away… it would be possible to inflict considerable harm on the human side.
“…No way… it can’t be what I’m thinking.”
“Yeah, right. We’re going to wipe out all the professors at Arc. So during the time you buy, aim for Azidahakka.”
The end of humans was not far away… the thought filled Satan with exhilaration.
Did i hear she cast a curse to her student WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO DISPEL THEM?!
Even a poison master make an antidote for every poison they make JUST IN CASE something goes wrong.
Its a punishment. Its like a death penalty, theres no “accident” once casted, theres no turning back. Ian’s case is like an innocent man getting a death penalty, theres no do over.
And it seems that she did it while in a fit of rage, so she probably didnt think too much about it. Anyway, she is a b*tchau! And, sadly, as Ian is now a different person, he doesnt hold any resentment against all the people who wronged him in the past. He doesnt have any real intention to befriend them, apart for those who can be useful for his plans, but he also doesnt make them pay for their misdeeds. I find this quite disappointing in this novel. I wish he could be more vengeful towards these people.
She is a fiery redhead in armor who reacts instead of investigating. She deemed it her right as Ian was her student to seal his sword abilities for betraying humanity’s ideals. Ian should have allowed Ariel to recklessly charge in and be killed rather than dare hinder the glory of a Hero of the Light Element. Highly likely Ian knocked Ariel out and retreated from the Demon King stronghold. I doubt the Hero’s Party told the kingdom that the Demon King of Sloth himself would allow passage if one person sacrificed themselves and stayed behind.