Chapter 129. Orb of the Undead (2)
"...Are you serious?"
"I am serious."
Verden nodded.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation on his face.
That confident response made Calia hesitate.
'Is it because he doesn't know what sort of place the Forbidden Land is?'
It could be.
For ignorance, at times, leads to recklessness and arrogance.
Calia suddenly asked herself.
Is the mage before her the type to put on such hollow bravado...? She considered the answer, but she couldn't say yes.
They had only met recently, yet there was something—an impression.
Not someone who flaunts worthless skills as if they were great, nor someone who exaggerates themselves,
not one of those who, like foolishly brave boars, try to draw her attention with reckless courage.
He was completely different.
After a moment's thought, Calia spoke quietly.
"You must want something from me."
Verden had no reason to pledge his loyalty to Calia, not to the point of offering his life.
That much, Calia also knew. If that were the case, he would already be groveling at her feet, flattering her.
Silence returned.
But it didn't last long. He had already decided what he wanted.
Something that could sweep away the current dilemma in an instant.
"I want to have your credit, Lady Calia."
"Credit?"
It wouldn't be something abstract.
Without a doubt, it was trust that could be proven materially.
And there are many occasions where such is needed. Considering the most common case in the world...
"Don't tell me, you intend to borrow something under my name?"
In other words, asking her to stand as guarantor.
Verden did not deny it.
"Huh...."
Vespa, who had been listening from behind, wore a blank expression.
To think he would ask a noble for a guarantee. Well, it wasn't entirely unheard of if one searched history, but it was by no means common.
It was so absurd that she didn't even have the chance to get angry.
Even Calia blinked in surprise.
Verden added.
"I need funds to use at an underworld auction."
There was no need to hide the reason.
He would have to reveal it anyway. Attending an auction was no crime.
'This is the best way.'
With requests scarce, there was no other way to raise money.
It wasn't as if he could ask Calia for over a billion in advance payment. She would of course refuse.
The only option left was a loan.
But neither Magnus Bank nor Dyna Bank would lend a single coin without reliable credit.
Especially not to mercenaries or adventurers, who risked their lives for a living.
To borrow sums in the hundreds of millions, one had to be a person recognized by society. Otherwise, it was impossible.
'That's why I need Calia's credit.'
Banks cared only for the repayment of principal and interest. As long as there was someone who could guarantee it, a loan was possible.
'There's the moneylender Bartol, but that alone won't suffice.'
Not the minimum, but the expected value.
To prepare more than that, it was necessary.
Verden was prepared to gather even his soul for his goal.
"An auction, hm... so it's already that season. I can understand why you'd want my credit. But I never imagined you'd make such a request to my face so suddenly."
"I apologize."
"Apologize for what? When I think about it, it isn't such an unreasonable reward."
"Is it possible, then?"
"There's no reason it wouldn't be."
Retrieving the Orb of the Undead from the Cave without Light.
That was no easy task. Most of those who had entered with boldness had never come back alive.
In other words, the payment for this request was nothing short of the price of one's life.
"My credit, after all, is the credit of House Esperanza itself. It's not something anyone can receive simply by pledging their life. But, as you know, the current situation is quite unusual."
Glory of the Dead, Orb of the Undead, the third prince.
No one could say how enormous the shadow they would cast over the kingdom. But preventing it in advance was certainly the top priority.
"So, bring me the Orb of the Undead, and I will give you what you want."
"Thank you."
He had received a firm answer.
"But, for you to need even my credit... is there something you actually want to acquire at the auction?"
"I don't know. But, wouldn't the odds of obtaining something increase if I had more funds at hand?"
The auction's list.
Verden feigned ignorance.
"That's true. Well, whatever you're seeking isn't my concern. I've never set foot anywhere near the underworld anyway."
Never been to the underworld?
But even the mere existence of auctions was something nobles couldn't help but pay attention to.
To that doubt, Calia answered.
"It's simple. Our Esperanza Marquisate and the underworld's Roafra... more precisely, its ruling faction, Vintert, have a non-aggression pact, agreeing not to infringe upon each other's domain."
Well, in any case.
"That's not what matters right now, so let's return to the main topic. As I said, there are countless entrances to the Cave without Light. They differ in size and location. However, there is information about the one at the center of Zion Forest, the one Warrens spoke of. It's one of the few places that adventurers have explored."
With a flick of Calia's hand, Vespa brought out a clean sheet of parchment.
Calia scribbled a few lines, stamped it with her seal, and handed it to Verden.
"Show this to the Adventurers' Guild, and you'll be able to access the information. You don't need to use it, but it's better than going in blind."
"I'll make good use of it."
"Good. I'll prepare your payment in advance, so return safely after fulfilling the request."
Of course he would.
Right now, it was the most critical of all requests. Failing was out of the question, and dying was not even to be considered.
"And before you go."
Calia tossed a public notice at Verden.
It was stiff, likely just issued.
"Count Plishr has been imprisoned by the royal family. As a result, the flight ban he had declared has now been lifted. Effective immediately."
Flight permitted.
No longer would there be a need to rent horses, nor to tediously follow the roads.
'That means I've gained a few more days.'
A favorable situation.
Verden bowed his head slightly to Calia.
"Then, I'll be off."
***
Verden soared through the high skies, gazing down below.
The dense forest filled his entire view, just looking at it was enough to feel the vast vitality overflowing within.
'The center should be about here.'
Lowering his altitude, he spread out mana detection.
Countless presences of plants and animals, along with the terrain, brushed against his senses. As he continued to send out waves of mana at intervals, he soon found his destination.
A small cliff along the way.
The cave lay hidden beneath it.
This was the only one in the center of Zion Forest.
There were no other gaps large enough to hold the orb. Which meant, this was indeed where Warrens had thrown the orb.
Landing on the ground, Verden lifted his head.
The entrance gaped wide before him, larger than a decent-sized building.
'As Calia said, the slope is steep right from the entrance.'
One misstep, and he would roll straight down.
Even when he spread mana broadly, he could not gauge the depth.
'And the paths split off in many directions along the way.'
If he wasn't careful, it would take far longer than expected.
So, there was no time to leisurely explore the cave.
Verden strengthened his body with imbued magic.
Holding the Oculus in one hand, he stepped into the cave's darkness.
Orb of the Undead, search begun.
***
At the same time Verden began his search, three dark mages gathered before another entrance of the Cave without Light.
Glory of the Dead, the pursuers of the master.
Kunel, the ugly one who led them, examined the ground. Closing his eyes, he focused on the voices of the dead, and his eyelids twitched.
"...Yes, here. It's here, without a doubt."
Kunel nodded.
Beside him, a dark mage named Daniel asked cautiously.
"Um, Lord Kunel, this doesn't seem like the path the traitor took..."
There were no signs of people nearby.
It was clear no human had set foot here for years. Naturally, the traitor Warrens they pursued hadn't either.
Kunel's eyes snapped open.
"What is our purpose?"
"To track the traitor and find the Orb of the Undead..."
"Yes, that's right! Our goal is not to punish the traitor, but to find the Orb of the Undead! That is the master's command as well!"
Kunel's hands were filled with soil.
The countless deaths that overflow in this world, the corpses that naturally sink into the ground. That was how he knew—the piercing screams of the dead.
"The dead twist their bodies and cry out. Beneath this cave lies an incredibly strong presence of death. And..."
Kunel sniffed the air.
"Don't you feel it? The death energy overflowing from within, the malice that stimulates the soul! Mm!"
"..."
"..."
Daniel and Karzan answered with silence.
Dark mage Kunel was a peculiar trait-holder, one deeply connected to the dead. A being outside the bounds of normal standards.
So they could only follow. Any negative answer here, and his madness might turn on them.
But still, something had to be said.
"But didn't the master instruct us to contact Lady Viola if we confirmed the orb's location? I'm not sure if we should act on our own."
"Viola?"
Kunel's face, which had been savoring the scent of death, turned cold.
"I don't need that woman's help. A woman who cannot even sense death like I do, who is only strong, what is she worth!"
Kunel revealed his deep hatred.
The reason was simple. Viola had always scorned him, mocking his ugliness.
"My level may not match Viola's, but I will win in a magical duel. My understanding of dark magic is different, of course! Yes, of course!"
He was utterly convinced, but the other two thought differently.
'Wouldn't Lady Viola crush him instead?'
'If he landed even a scratch, that would be an achievement.'
That was the perspective of a third party, and the truth.
But of course, they did not voice it.
Neither of them could handle the madness of the dark mage before them.
Then, Kunel spoke in a serious tone.
"And we must act quickly. For the Glory of the Dead, and for the master as well, but also because the danger it may bring cannot be underestimated."
A collection of death and mana.
If planted in fertile soil, it would turn the land into a realm of death within days, and simply carrying it could turn the living into the dead.
But the greatest danger was this.
"If it were to fall into the hands of a high-level Undead, unless the master himself stepped in, the cost would be catastrophic."
If a death knight were to seize the Orb of the Undead, it would grow even stronger.
Subjugating it or controlling it, even for a dark mage as proud as Kunel, would be impossible.
They would be lucky to survive.
"Therefore, we must recover the Orb of the Undead before that happens. Do you need any further reason?"
There was no answer.
Kunel turned his head, tapping his skull-topped staff as he stepped into the Cave without Light.
Karzan and Daniel followed behind.
Soon, their figures disappeared into the darkness.
But they did not know.
That beneath this cave, there was already a gray mage.
Another danger, with the same goal as theirs, lurked within.
***
The Orb of the Undead.
It tumbled down, scattering death around it.
Rolling past a steep slope, it reached slanted ground.
Creatures dwelling in the cave reached out to its sound and aura, but none could withstand it.
They either died, or transformed into something close to death.
Bouncing away, the orb left the passage and fell down a sheer cliff.
How much time passed?
Through swarms of countless insects, it descended into the darkness.
No one could tell how deep.
But one thing was certain—it was not a place human hands could reach.
At last, the Orb of the Undead rolled to a stop.
A dim purple light flickered in the pitch-black darkness.
A shadow stretched across it.
A bony finger carefully picked up the Orb of the Undead.
And still, he did not die.
Because he was already dead.
A suffocating aura of death enveloped his entire body.
Inside the empty skull, a purple glow flickered.
And then, a voice resounded.
[Esti... ria... Kingdom...]
The voice was filled with deep hatred.