Chapter 94

The third volume of this comic, drawn by Mr. Hanjiro Abe, will be released on March 27th, the day after tomorrow!

The town on the hilltop – Verm.

From this Verm, I felt an indescribable eeriness.

I myself am used to scary places.

I have explored ruins and abandoned merchant houses in Alus and fought many undead.

However, this time is different.

That town is somehow off.

First, the defensive walls are abnormal.

The sturdy walls were as clean as if they were still being maintained. There were hardly any damaged sections.

The buildings in the town, as far as I could see from the outside, were not collapsed.

And the countless magic energies present throughout the town.

They were all small and round, but none of them moved at all.

The final oddity was the faint smoke rising from various parts of the town.

I stopped and said,

"Everyone... I'm sorry to say something that will make you uneasy."

Before I finished, everyone nodded.

"Sir Alec, I understand. That town is somehow off."

When Elysia said this, Yurii also looked at the road and said,

"...Why is the road so clean? Someone must be maintaining it, right?"

"But there are no signs or smells of any living beings. What could this be?"

Rahn also said with a puzzled look.

In the midst of this, Selena also spoke solemnly.

"This town feels both alive and dead. It might be a city of ghosts."

"Don't say such scary things!"

Yurii, who was trembling, but Selena was being very serious.

She wasn't joking; from her long experience as a spectral knight, she must have sensed something.

"There might be not only undead but also some kind of trap laid out...," Elysia said.

As Elysia said, it was clearly different from the ruins we had seen before.

"Should we turn back... but if there is an owner, we need to talk to them."

"This is Sir Alec's territory, after all."

"I don't intend to act like a lord, but since we live nearby, we need to have some mutual understanding. They might want to be left alone."

As I muttered this, Yurii's face turned pale.

"A ghost lord... that's scary..."

"We don't know if we can talk to them... but let's go in for now?"

I nodded in response to Rahn's question.

"Let's do that. If anything strange happens, we'll retreat immediately."

Everyone nodded in agreement, Yurii a bit more hesitantly.

In any case, we started walking towards Verm again.

We walked boldly without using any teleportation, to make our presence known.

When we finally reached the city gate, I realized that the odd feeling I had from a distance was not mistaken.

The area was swept clean, with no signs of garbage or cobwebs. The city gate alone was clearly well-maintained.

The source of the magic energy I had seen earlier was also revealed.

"Those silver ones are coins, right?"

Yurii said this, pointing to the magic energy I had been looking at.

There were not just one but several scattered around. The magic energy in the town was also in the same shape, so they were probably coins.

"I can sense magic... Yurii. Are these mithril?"

"Yes, the luster is almost certainly mithril. Moreover, they are of very high purity."

Yurii peered at the coin hesitantly and then, after counting the other coins, her eyes sparkled.

"Wow, they're scattered throughout the town... even though mithril is something we're used to seeing now, to have so many. You could become a billionaire just by picking them up for a day."

"If there are this many, their value would decrease, but it would still be enough money to last a lifetime."

The fact that such valuable items were left untouched suggests that humans haven't come to this town for a long time.

Then, who lives in this town?

Rahn seemed to notice something as he looked at the coins.

"But, what era are these coins from? Hmm? There are some writings on them."

I also looked at another coin and saw that there were indeed some writings. And a profile of a person was engraved.

"This is the style of the ancient empire. It might be the face of an emperor from that time. But there are quite a few different types."

I checked a few coins, and each had a different face and writing.

However, they were all the same size.

When the coins were issued, the rulers might have changed frequently.

"Selena, were there so many different types of coins in the past? ...Selena?"

I noticed that Selena's face had turned pale as she looked at the coins.

Selena squeezed her eyes shut in frustration and then turned to me after a moment.

"Sir Alec... the writing on these coins is names. Each coin has a different name. Not of emperors or lords, but of common people."

"Huh? So, these faces are also..."

Selena nodded deeply in response to Yurii's words.

"Probably the faces of the people whose names are on them. In other words..."

"Wow. Did people in the past make commemorative coins for themselves? That's a novel idea..."

"I don't know of such a trend... what I'm trying to say is..."

Elysia said to Selena, who had a troubled look on her face.

"...Selena's soul was bound to the armor. It's not impossible for others to be sealed in coins."

"No way... then these coins are – ah!"

Yurii hid behind Rahn, her shoulders shaking.

I took over and concluded the nature of the coins.

"The souls of people are sealed in them, then."

Rahn tilted his head.

"But why in coins..."

"There were probably many mithril coins. Tialus was rich in magical minerals."

"I see. But why were they sealed? Selena, you could move because you were in armor. They can't move, right?"

Selena answered Rahn's new question.

"Generally, undead prefer dark places or night. For example, they might only be able to move as undead at night."

"Perhaps they move at night and keep the city clean. Out of lingering attachment to the world?"

I said this, but considering Selena's example, it seemed unlikely.

– They were probably commanded to do so.

The one who commanded them was the one who sealed the souls in the coins.

The black-cloaked woman Selena mentioned.

Then, is this city under the control of the black-cloaked woman?

If so, we have a problem.

Even though the dynasty has changed, I am a prince of the empire.

There is a possibility that she might attack Alus.

But if she is in control, it's not unlikely that she already knows I have liberated Alus...

In any case, we can't leave this as it is.

"Let's investigate the town further. Selena, you can go back if you want. But please tell us where the town hall is roughly located."

"Don't worry, Sir Alec. I will accompany you. I am not boasting, but I have led a regiment and have faced death many times."

"Alright. Then, please guide us."

"Yes, leave it to me!"

Selena nodded firmly and looked at the road beyond the city gate.

"Since it's a town on a hill, the town hall is probably in the highest place. If we follow the main street from this gate, we should reach it."

Elysia looked around and said,

"We could be attacked at any time. Let's be cautious. Yurii, it's okay if you want to go back."

"No way. I've come this far, I don't want to stay behind. I don't want to lose to Selena."

Selena smiled at Yurii's words.

"Good, Yurii! Then let's race to the top!"

"Wait, didn't Elysia say to be cautious? Hey, a bit..."

Selena fearlessly passed through the gate of Verm.

We followed her, heading for the center of Verm.

The third volume of this comic, drawn by Mr. Hanjiro Abe, will be released on March 27th, the day after tomorrow!

This volume is packed with charm, including extras that can only be found in the single-volume edition.

I hope you will read it!

Here is the cover image!

Product information! (KADOKAWA official site)

https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/product/322312000757/