Chapter 39

* * *

It seemed that the time spent agonizing with Perseus until dawn was not in vain.

As soon as the sky brightened, I left the castle and came to a vast, abandoned plain nearby.

However, the fanatical gazes and expectations of the vigilantes I saw on my way out made me feel a bit uneasy.

Despite the arid landscape, the sight of the open plain also brought a sense of calm to my heart.

A chill ran through my body.

Although I hadn't undergone the transformation to resist cold or fire, I could easily draw upon divine power to counteract it.

Have you ever heard of a divine power heater?

"Back then, this entire area was farmland, you know."

Now it's a cracked plain. It seems that the original owners have all abandoned their land and left the fiefdom due to its uselessness.

What do you mean by that?

It means this entire area is ownerless land.

"Ah, I've always wanted to be a landlord. Looks like I'm going to become a major landowner."

As I laughed hollowly, Perseus gave me a look of disbelief.

-Your desires are quite unique. If your goal is to live comfortably, there's a good method called exploitation.

"I don't like that. People should live with a conscience."

At the very least, even if I can't uphold the names of the heroes who taught me, I shouldn't tarnish them.

Sooner or later, many people will know that I inherited the skills of the heroes.

The techniques of heroes not from the Tionis continent are not a big deal, but some of the heroes who taught me are from this continent.

For example, the sword god Hares von Faran is a good example.

Most importantly,

"My goal is to live a long and human life."

She fell silent, seemingly understanding the meaning of my words.

-You...

She hesitated, then asked cautiously,

-Was your previous life a short one?

"I died before I could do anything."

-A cruel life indeed.

"That's not entirely wrong. On the contrary, I lived for a very long time in the Corridor."

-But you probably didn't feel alive even while living. The life you want, as I see it, is to live among people, sharing affection and living a human life.

You hit the nail on the head more than I expected.

-If I wanted such a life, how could I not know?

Her life, which made her a focal point of war due to her origin, was not a good one. Perhaps all she wanted was to live a long life with her adoptive father, Hares.

I shook my head, feeling a bit sentimental.

"It's unknown how long it will take to find a medium using conventional methods."

This land isn't just abandoned.

Although I have considerable knowledge about curses, I know that such a curse is quite troublesome for me now.

"Even if I could manifest a sanctuary, such worries would be unnecessary..."

At least a purification spell of the 8th tier is needed, if not a sanctuary of a 9th-tier deity.

Given the level of the curse, a 5th or 6th tier spell wouldn't easily dispel it.

The problem is that the level of divine magic I can draw upon is still not at the 8th tier.

While having a lot of divine power would help, there's no way I have a divine power storage like Caldiras.

'Maybe I should ask Princess Ilena.'

Perhaps she might take the bait. She seems to have great pride in Hares' swordsmanship, so if I offer to refine it, I might borrow Caldiras...

-That's not a recommendation.

Perseus shook her head, seemingly sensing my thoughts.

-Then, why did you come to look at this place?

"I need to see the detailed information about the curse, right?"

Even if I wrote 'information check' on the ground, the only information she could confirm with her current power is that a curse is present.

So, I need to use my power to determine it.

"I was just thinking about why you haven't been using it lately."

-Complaining?

"Yes, it's like a child who threatens to scream if you don't use it."

I spoke calmly, knelt on one knee, and placed my hand on the arid ground.

Then, I closed my eyes and manifested my will.

'Use it to its fullest when you get the chance.'

Thanks to the circle that rotates through my meridians, I don't need to verbalize incantations or chants to materialize the power.

Curse Rearrangement.

-Oh? A spell I've never seen before.

Of course.

The founder of this spell, my black magic teacher [Ro Ias], is not from this continent.

Commonly known as the C language of curses!

A curse is a highly advanced magic made of numerous formulas and mana arrangements.

Thus, even black mages typically rely on various artifacts or spend considerable time when casting curses.

If I can decode and interfere with these mana arrangements and rearrange them, then?

-You might be able to determine the conditions of the curse or, if lucky, find the medium.

A curse of this level is impossible with the current knowledge of black magic on this continent.

If I had to guess, it might be a remnant from the time when Daphne and Apollo, the first saints, were alive.

I've heard that black mages attempted to overthrow the continent, leading to a significant conflict.

This curse spread across the Haines fiefdom is likely a landmine-type curse.

Ro Ias created this spell to decode and dispel particularly nasty curses, so it's not entirely wrong to use it for this purpose.

As the servile mana around me began to surge and emit its power, a massive force began to resonate.

This is why I hesitated to use it even after coming here.

It's at the level of a 5th circle black magic.

The servile mana I possess is a bit eccentric, with a great pride in itself.

Anyone who can use or sense mana would immediately notice the cold and dark mana when I use the Refix Curse.

That's why I came to this empty plain alone.

High-level black magic is the most difficult power to use among what I've learned.

Woo...

Soon, a black and white magic circle began to spread from my hand.

Since the structure of the curse is the same, there's no need to find another sample.

The size of the widely spread magic circle is about 3 to 4 meters.

Soon, it began to change, outputting strange characters densely, like inscriptions on a giant stone slab.

Like C language being output on a computer.

The content, like a code, was a pattern that no one could understand, but to me, it was familiar.

"Hmm?"

As I decoded the curse's arrangement, a doubt arose in my eyes.

"Perseus."

-Did you find something?

"Is this really a curse?"

Her eyes showed confusion at my words.

"This seems more like an automatic greenhouse."

It felt like the most accurate description.

* * *

Among black magic, the curse system is known for its complexity, akin to a sophisticated program.

A magic maintained by the intricate arrangement of servile mana.

Thus, the Refix Curse is the only black magic that can work on it.

Although [Ro Ias] is not from the Tionis continent, the foundation of using servile mana is the same, so the magic's efficiency is visible.

Choosing the Refix Curse to investigate the unknown phenomenon called a curse was a good decision.

Even though the traces of black magic are severe, making it hard to use, it doesn't matter if I'm in a dead land with no one around.

"..."

Perseus, seeing me deep in thought, pulled my hair in frustration.

"Why don't you tell the original me? She can't decode this code."

It took me 30 years to learn and apply the method to decode this code.

I'm now at a level where I can quickly decode it, but Perseus is not.

No matter how talented, it's not easy to immediately understand an unknown script.

To put it simply, the code in front of me is similar to a computer language.

-So, it's not a curse?

"Strictly speaking, it is a curse. The purpose is extremely malicious. But from another perspective, it's ambiguous."

As I said this, I lightly twisted the hand that was touching the ground.

Woo!

At the same time, the black and white output window disappeared, and the remaining light began to form a large arrow.

"Since there seems to be one nearby, let's check the medium directly."

The inner castle is located in the eastern part of the vast Haines fiefdom.

Thus, I chose the medium that is likely to be positioned closest to me in the east.

'No wonder the boundary of the fiefdom was so clear. The mediums are arranged to encircle the Haines fiefdom.'

There are a total of seven locations where the mediums are likely to be found.

East, west, south, north, southwest, northwest, and southeast.

All are positioned precariously along the boundary of the fiefdom.

For a curse spread over such a vast area, having more than seven mediums is not unusual.

On the contrary, it's a well-considered and efficient arrangement based on the terrain.

What about the other locations?

I thought about mobilizing the vigilantes to check each one, but I couldn't send them recklessly, as there might be some tricks to protect the mediums.

If something goes wrong, it could lead to a disaster.

'That's absolutely not acceptable.'

It might be impossible, but if, by some small chance, I meet the heroes of the Corridor again.

I want to be able to say that this is how their disciple lived.

A life where I can proudly talk about my deeds while raising a glass with the heroes.

I have no intention of sacrificing those who follow me for my goals.

-There might be some precautions, so I recommend being more prepared.

"It should be fine," I said.

If things go wrong, I'll have to use my hidden ace.

* * *

Following the arrow that guided me like a navigation system, I headed to a rocky area in the eastern part of the fiefdom.

The dry rocks had a structure that was oddly unsuitable for quarrying.

The only thing worth seeing was its beauty, which could be called a scenic view.

It would be a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic while admiring the scenery from a high place.

But since I wasn't there for a leisurely visit, I jumped into the rocky area without hesitation.