Chapter 139: I'll Find You a Companion
Kraft's internal struggle finally subsided, replaced by a heavy resolve. He had accepted this cruel mission, for Eirik's sake, and to honor his promise.
Rhodes felt a sense of relief, but he knew that Kraft, as he was now, was probably not strong enough. For that matter, he himself, without Org, was not strong enough either. Not unless he had the time to set up a massive magic circle and just nuke the Demon King's castle, which was a possibility. But that was assuming the demons were blind.
But, fortunately, he had already prepared for this. He reached into a nearby pack and took out a rather unremarkable object. It was a small, palm-sized disk, inscribed with complex runes, a dwarven-made magical item.
"Take this, Kraft," he said, handing it to him.
"What is it?" he asked, examining the intricate runes.
"A magical item, you could say. But be careful with it; it's very fragile," he said, and then stressed, "Keep it safe. And when you're at the Demon King's castle, or standing before Eirik, infuse it with your mana to activate it."
"And what will happen when I activate it? What does it do?"
A mysterious smile played on Rhodes's lips. "That... is a secret for now. You'll know when the time comes. Just think of it as my... backup plan, to make sure everything goes smoothly."
"A secret again?" a cool voice said, tinged with a clear annoyance. Serie had come over, and was now looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze. She stepped in front of him and, though she had to look up, her presence was no less imposing. "You were like this before the final battle, with all your secrets. And now, you're doing it again, with Kraft. What is that thing? I want to know."
He looked at her, at her 'angry kitten' face, and then at Kraft's equally questioning gaze, and he felt a headache coming on. "Alright, alright. The elven miss has spoken. I wouldn't dare to disobey," he said, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "It's... just a teleportation circle."
"A teleportation circle?" Kraft looked at the disk in his hand in surprise. When did dwarven technology get so advanced? And didn't such a thing require a massive amount of mana? This palm-sized disk... it just didn't seem possible. "Is it really a teleportation device?"
"Yes," he nodded. "I just compressed a teleportation spell into this device. You could call it a magical item, I suppose. But it's very unstable, so don't drop it."
"Eh," Kraft's hand froze. "And what if I accidentally activate it?"
"Oh, don't worry about that. Even if you do, all it will do is teleport me to you."
"I see." Kraft was relieved. No wonder he had been so insistent that he only use it when he was in front of the Demon King.
"Just a teleportation? Is that all it does?" Serie asked, her doubts not completely dispelled.
"In theory, yes," he said vaguely. "It's just that I... well, I combined a few special techniques to make it. And, of course, it can only be used once. So it has to be at the most critical moment."
"So that's what you meant when you said you would strike the final blow," Kraft said, a new understanding dawning on him.
"That's right," he said with a nod. "I have to be the one to strike the final blow. It's... a final promise between him and me."
"I understand."
Serie stared at him for a few seconds, as if trying to judge the truth of his words. She had a feeling he was still hiding something, but she wasn't sure. In the end, she just huffed, a tacit acceptance of his explanation.
"Will my elven miss be joining us?" he asked with a grin.
"No," she said, without even noticing his use of the phrase 'my elven miss'.
"Alright. Looks like it'll just be me, then," he said with a secret sigh of relief. He had managed to fool her. He had, of course, left out one crucial detail: when the teleportation circle was activated, he might not be the only one to be teleported. To be precise, it would teleport both him and a certain someone with whom he had a life-binding contract, and the area around them, as well. And that certain someone was currently recuperating in the Heavenly Kingdom. And then, the Heavenly Kingdom would descend upon the Demon King's castle. But it was too early to tell them that.
Kraft carefully put the disk in his pocket and then looked at him with a serious expression. "Rhodes, I'd like to know what you have in mind for Eirik's final moments. But there's another, more critical issue. The Demon King's castle is the gathering place for all the remaining demons and magical beasts. It's filled with powerful demons. For me to get to the Demon King on my own... it will be difficult."
"I've already thought of that," he said with a 'I've-got-it-all-figured-out' expression. "You won't be alone. I've already found a companion for you. A powerful priest. The two of you will go together, and you will become the heroes who save the world."
"A priest?"
Serie immediately thought of a certain white-winged figure. "Olivia? Does she also know about Eirik?" If Olivia were to go with him, she would be a powerful ally.
But he just shook his head. "Not Olivia. She has fulfilled her mission. It's someone else. Another member of the Council of Thirteen, in fact. A powerful priest, and one who has a strong counter to the dark power of the demons."
"A member of the Council of Thirteen?" Serie looked at him, confused. She had thought Olivia was the only one left. Where had another one come from?
(End of chapter)
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