Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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Chapter 18: Trapped in Wax (2)
"Oh, that mirror... It's enchanted."
"Enchanted?"
"Yes, with Night Vision. A spell that allows you to see clearly in the dark."
"...So it was this man."
Hamel looked at the corpse's fingers.
The blood-stopped left index finger stood out.
This must have been the person who left the advice in blood on the dressing room door.
It must have meant to find this mirror to fight the demons.
There was no need to examine the book closely now that they had found the mirror, so he quickly flipped through the pages.
A frantically scribbled page caught his eye.
Unlike the previous records, this writing was filled with raw emotion.
Fear and terror.
It was closer to a suicide note left by this mage who was being chased by something.
[That madman is close. I'm going to die soon. Beware of the shadows.]
Hamel quietly pondered the sentence.
David, who was watching him, tilted his head.
"What's wrong? Is there something strange?"
"No, nothing."
Hamel replied, shaking his head.
He looked at the safe placed behind the corpse.
"Did you check that as well?"
"Ah, yes, I did. I opened it, but there was nothing special inside."
"Is that so?"
Hamel nodded in understanding.
Then, he said calmly to the group,
"There seem to be no more clues here. Let's move on to the next room."
"Yes!"
Perhaps because they had easily obtained half of the mirror, the atmosphere of the group was much lighter.
Hamel tilted his head, looking at their backs, or more precisely, David's back as he walked ahead.
He was lying.
***
What came to Hamel's mind after reading the book was 'shadow magic'.
The unique magic that was almost synonymous with the Gilmore clan.
Of course, the only thing written in the book was the phrase "Beware of the shadows."
Even if it was shadow magic, it was too far-fetched to connect it to David.
It would be more reasonable to suspect the lord, who had caused this whole situation.
'But...'
That safe that David claimed to have opened.
It was a safe that could only be opened with the lord's signet ring that Hamel currently possessed.
There was no way David could have opened it.
He was hiding something.
'What is he hiding?'
Hamel discreetly observed David.
They had been apart for too long to trust him completely.
Meanwhile, the group arrived at the next room, the doll workshop.
"Let's go in."
Hamel grabbed the doorknob without hesitation.
Even if he had doubts, he had to show trust now.
He had to safely resolve the workshop,
And if he showed any suspicion, David would become even more cautious.
Click!
He carefully turned the doorknob, and the inside of the doll workshop was revealed.
Like the dressing room, the interior of the room was very dark.
Hamel slowly moved forward, his sword drawn.
To avoid repeating the same mistake as before, Antonio held the door wide open and waited.
Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could start to see.
As befitting the name "doll workshop," various dolls and parts were scattered everywhere.
Then, Hamel heard something.
"...Damn it. Am I going to die like this?"
Between the doll parts,
A man was sitting with his head in his hands, muttering cynically.
He seemed unaware of Hamel and his companions entering and continued to mumble to himself.
"I shouldn't have taken this mission..."
Hamel's eyes widened as he approached the man.
His appearance was familiar.
"...You are."
The man finally noticed Hamel's presence and looked up abruptly.
Then, staring at Hamel's face, he muttered in a bewildered voice,
"...Hamel?"
"Ono-nim."
Hamel nodded and called his name.
Another exorcist priest dispatched from the Order and Hamel's former colleague.
Ono Paulo.
That was his name.
He stared blankly at Hamel for a moment, then suddenly frowned.
"Because of you...!"
But only for a moment.
He paused as if noticing something and looked behind Hamel.
His expression was then filled with deep despair.
"Did the priest-nim come in too?"
"Yes."
Hamel nodded, and Ono covered his eyes with both hands.
"It's over. We can't expect any backup now."
"Ono-nim, the other exorcist priest..."
"Catherine is dead. Didn't you go to the dressing room? Well, I guess that's why you're still alive."
So she had died and turned into wax.
Hamel silently swallowed his bitterness.
Ono sneered at him and spoke,
"You've always been like this. Dragging others into danger. Blinded by revenge, you take on missions beyond your capabilities and get your colleagues killed. I guess it's my turn this time."
"Ono-nim! That's going too far..."
The head priest, who had been listening, burst into anger, but Hamel stopped him.
"It's alright."
"Still the same. Even that frustrating personality."
Seeing this, Ono muttered in disgust and turned his head. The priest looked at the two with a complicated expression, but he couldn't do anything.
Ono wasn't entirely wrong.
He may be going around on missions alone now, but it wasn't always like that.
Not long after becoming an exorcist priest, Hamel took on several reckless missions and lost most of his colleagues in the process.
He was the only one who always came back alive.
And...
Among those colleagues was Ono's mentor.
Perhaps that was why Ono didn't seem to have any intention of cooperating.
'Is it impossible to expect Ono-nim's help...?'
Just as the head priest sighed inwardly,
Hamel, who had been silently standing, suddenly spoke.
"Ono-nim, you always asked me about that day."
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Ono flinched at Hamel's words.
But there was no way he didn't understand what Hamel meant.
Ono had asked about his mentor's last moments countless times.
Hamel had always simply apologized.
"I met someone from that village recently."
"That village...?"
"Yes, Dekaria Village, where the special-grade demon appeared."
The place where Ono's mentor died.
The place where Hamel first encountered a special-grade demon.
And...
"Dekaria is Deacon Antonio's hometown."
It was the village where Hamel had saved the people after a fierce battle.
Antonio, who had made eye contact with them, tilted his head, seemingly unable to hear their conversation well.
Looking at Antonio, Hamel continued,
"I thought I had forgotten the memories of that day, but ever since I met the deacon, I've been remembering things."
"...And?"
"I remembered. His last moments."
"..."
Ono looked at Hamel expectantly. Hamel continued calmly,
"He was smiling. He charged at the demon with his mace in hand."
"...Is that all?"
"Yes."
After that, he was turned to black ash by the demon's flames.
"He went out in a way befitting him."
"Yes. He was the same as always."
It was a meaningless death.
But a valiant end.
Looking back, that man, Ono's mentor and Hamel's colleague, had always been the same.
He never backed down from any enemy and faced them with a smile.
Perhaps he was more suited to being a barbarian than a priest.
Hamel smiled faintly as he remembered him.
Ono's eyes widened at the unexpected sight of his smile.
After a moment,
Ono clicked his tongue and took something out of his pocket, offering it to Hamel.
"Take it. You'll need it."
"This is..."
It was the other half of the broken hand mirror. Hamel took out the hand mirror from his pocket and put them together. The mirror pieces glowed and fused into one.
"What? Did you already have the other half?"
"Yes, somehow."
Ono cleared his throat and advised Hamel,
"If you're going to the dressing room, keep this in mind. There are two types of demons there. They are..."
"A Light Eater and a Speculoculus. We've already been there."
"...?"
Ono looked surprised, then abruptly turned his head.
"You should have said so if you've already been there. Tsk, I wasted my concern."
"I apologize."
Hamel apologized half-heartedly and prepared to leave.
They had gathered the mirrors faster than expected.
Now all that remained was to catch the demons in the dressing room and go up to the third floor.
Things were going smoothly.
Perhaps they could really save Daniel.
Just as he was thinking that,
Antonio suddenly called out to him in an urgent voice.
"Hamel-nim!"
He had a bad feeling.
"What is it?"
Hamel hurriedly approached the entrance.
Ugh…!
The monster was approaching them.
It had emerged from the dressing room and was heading towards the study at an alarming speed.
At this rate, they would be caught by it in the dressing room.
If such a thing interfered while they were fighting the Speculoculus, they would surely be wiped out.
"Did you bring that monster with you? This is truly the end."
Ono trembled, seemingly recognizing the approaching monster.
"Ono-nim, do you know what that is?"
"I don't know exactly. But... one thing's for sure, it doesn't die."
"You've fought it?"
Ono gritted his teeth and nodded at Hamel's question.
"Catherine and I were chased by that thing to the second floor, and this is what happened."
Catherine, the other exorcist priest, had died in the dressing room, and Ono himself had barely survived by hiding among the dolls.
Just as Hamel fell into thought,
"Go on, brother."
"Brother?"
David, who had been silent until now, said with a smile,
"I'll buy you some time here. Catch the demons and go up to the third floor to end this workshop."
"But..."
As Hamel hesitated, Ono, frowning, added,
"Whoever you are, it's impossible to stall that thing."
"You don't know that."
"No, even with dozens of skilled knights, it's impossible..."
"Then..."
David interrupted Ono.
The staff in his hand swayed erratically.
Blue mana spread out and seeped into his shadow. Then, it instantly spread throughout the doll workshop.
And then,
Click, click!
All the dolls in the workshop started to rise.
"What if there were hundreds?"
The unique magic of the Gilmore clan, which used shadows as a medium. Shadow Manipulation Magic.
"Marionette."
Hundreds of black shadows stretched out like strings, dancing at David's fingertips.
"..."
Not only Ono, but also the priest and Antonio were speechless.
Clank, clank, clank!
Hundreds of dolls armed with spears and swords lined up in perfect formation.
They were as elite as the Order's knights.
Only Hamel wasn't surprised.
'This doll workshop was originally created for my brother.'
Their father's shadow magic was closer to a direct attack rather than manipulating opponents.
On the other hand, his brother, David, was skilled in manipulating things with shadows.
This doll workshop was where David used to work when he was still part of the family.
That's why he could do this.
All these dolls must have his inscription engraved on them.
David and the dolls here were one and the same.
"Trust me."
"...Yes."
He couldn't doubt his brother in this situation.
Hamel nodded briefly.
For now, he had no choice but to trust David.
"Don't worry about the monster and run to the dressing room."
The monster wouldn't be able to harm them until it passed through the doll workshop anyway.
At Hamel's words, Antonio, the head priest, and even Ono, who was caught up in the situation, made their preparations.
"...We're ready!"
Hamel gave them one piece of advice.
"Don't fall behind."
Once they started running, they couldn't stop.
If they stopped, they would either finish everything or all die.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Max]
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