Translator: AkazaTL
Pr/Ed: Sol IX
***
Chapter 108 : The Person Who Does Not Dream Nightmares
‘Marbada’ is a legendary beast created by a mad magic scholar of the past mythic age.
The heart of a newborn baby.
The skin of a boy who burned to death.
The hair of a girl who withered away after staying up for 999 consecutive nights with nightmares.
Marbada, the Beast of Nightmares born into the world by eating these three ingredients and the deaths of countless people, raised its notoriety high by dyeing the nights of countless people with nightmares.
Fortunately, a mage with deep will and wisdom barely succeeded in sealing this beast.
However, the evil deeds of this beast that shook the world remained as a notorious reputation and were still wandering this world even today.
And the curse used to create this final gateway was precisely the curse utilizing that notorious reputation of Marbada.
“When Marbada swallowed people's dreams, it used a thod of stiffening its tongue and shoving it into their heads alive.”
“…….”
Hearing the explanation from , Sherazade's body flinched for a mont.
“The na of this curse was also made after its tongue. With this, you can probably understand how great the pain the person entering that stone chamber will suffer.”
“…….”
Turning my gaze away from Sherazade who still couldn't answer, I bit my lip.
If I could undergo the trial twice myself, there would have been no backing down in the middle.
But what had to be placed on the scale now was not just one person's life, but two.
Since this was a matter regarding the choice of him who decided to live a life as a ‘Just Avenger’-
I couldn't accept Sherazade's childishness.
“Master, there are many things I don't know about Master's past. But…….”
However, it was the sa for Sherazade not backing down.
“Master doesn't know everything about my past either, right? When I saw my mom and dad for the last ti, I swore. That I wouldn't live as a coward anymore. And the Master is a precious person to .”
Sherazade's eyes shook violently.
“So I won't run away anymore!”
“No one thinks of you as a coward just because you back down here. If swearing not to run away is your conviction, there will be other opportunities to prove that.”
Soon she regained the determination from a mont ago, but,
“Bet your conviction on your own affairs. This is my affair, and here is not the stage for your conviction to be judged.”
However, I was an iron fortress that didn't know how to back down at all.
“Master, please. I can't do it if it's not this ti!”
“……!”
Eventually, Sherazade knelt in front of .
“I know that if the Master uses Geas here, there's no opportunity for choice. But I'm begging you. Please!”
I couldn't know what on earth happened in the past for her to act to this extent.
But the clear fact was that since she ca out this far, if I didn't accept her will…….
‘The conviction inside this girl will break.’
I was lost in thought.
Trusting Sherazade's resolve and placing her on the scale, versus ignoring her will here, grabbing her neck, and going back the way we ca.
I couldn't easily decide the answer to which choice would indeed beco a bigger wound.
“The type and number of monsters appearing in the subspace are not fixed. That crystal feeds on the fear of the person who fell into the trial and grows its power. In other words, the greater the fear the person entering the trial feels, the stronger the monsters appearing in the subspace will beco.”
Eventually, I had no choice but to finish the explanation I couldn't fully give with a sunken voice.
“In other words, the more scared you are, the longer the ti for you to escape will beco.”
“…….”
“Are you confident you won't regret it even then?”
Sherazade nodded with a firm expression instead of answering.
“Haa…….”
I had no choice but to raise my hand to cover my eyes and let out a sigh.
***
“In the end, everything you see inside there is an illusion. You must not forget this.”
“Yeah!”
“If you just endure well, I can clear up the situation within 10 minutes. So with the thought of enduring for just 10 minutes, don't think about anything and just count numbers. Understood?”
“Yeah.”
Looking at Sherazade who finished preparing to enter the right stone chamber, I put strength into both hands.
And to be able to use the most powerful magic I could use at any ti, I accelerated the circulation of my mana ring to the maximum speed.
‘5 minutes. I'll finish it within 5 minutes.’
Snap.
And I broke off a blue crystal piece located at the bottom of the crystal ball and handed it to her.
“If you feel like you really can't endure it, break this.”
“What happens if I break that?”
“From that mont, the trial ends.”
“Then what happens to the sword and sword technique secret art Master needs?”
“We'll have to see about that then.”
I spoke as if I didn't know the exact result, but in fact, I knew what would happen if the trial was given up in the middle.
‘The sword will break and the secret sword technique will be burned.’
The reason the Falber Knight Order had to create such a vicious gateway was ultimately to protect their legacy more perfectly.
But if the trial goes wrong in the middle and the protection of the legacy is no longer perfect?
They would have rather taken asures so that no one could have the legacy.
“I'll try to endure as much as possible, Master.”
“Don't talk nonsense and give up imdiately if it seems dangerous.”
“But if the things absolutely necessary for Master beco useless…….”
“Whatever is there, your value is a little higher than the things over there.”
I implored Sherazade, who was solidifying her resolve with a determined expression, again and again.
“You rember promising to show the spirits, right?”
“Yeah!”
With these words as the last, I stood in front of the left stone chamber.
And the mont the two people stepped inside the stone chambers.
Wooooong-
The test of the two people's trust began.
***
-One who desires the legacy, proves the depth of firm trust…….
“Cut the bullshit and co out quickly.”
A heavy low voice was heard as soon as I entered the subspace.
After shooting back a retort, I imdiately entered battle preparation.
Fwoosh-
Cr-crackle!
Blue Blade Aura on two swords.
Multiple magic circles behind my back.
My appearance, with all kinds of lightning and flas dancing wildly, seed to be lightning and storm itself rather than a mage.
Grrrr!
What showed its appearance in the subspace first was a group of Minotaurs.
My brow furrowed upon confirming the third horn sprouting in the middle of their foreheads.
‘Already enhanced mutant species…….’
The high danger level of the appearing monsters ans the mana generation amount of the crystal ball is high.
This ant the fear Sherazade was feeling was that great.
Crash-!
As I extended my hand, a lightning storm stream stretched out and covered the Minotaur group.
The guys directly hit by the storm beca black ash and scattered in an instant.
As soon as I defeated one group of monsters, I imdiately turned my gaze upward.
Screech-!
In the empty air, a group of Wyverns that had revealed themselves before I knew it were flashing their teeth and aiming for .
Vroom-!
As if trying to resolve the stifling feeling in my chest, I shot Blade Aura toward them without delay.
***
Bang!
“……!”
If those who knew well saw my appearance right now, they would be startled.
Because I was soone who never showed a flustered appearance at all.
Sherazade was burying her head while hugging both knees, as if a scolded child had cried herself to sleep.
“……Can you hear my voice?”
I carefully held her shoulders, which looked even more fragile today.
My touch examining her body condition, as she looked like she had lost consciousness, was extrely careful.
“Sherazade?”
“Master…….”
Fortunately, Sherazade soon regained consciousness and looked up at .
Her eyes, which were always overflowing with vitality, shook while losing focus.
“Is it…… over?”
Tear tracks clearly ford on her cheeks.
Clatter.
The crystal I had placed in her hand before entering the stone chamber left her hand and fell to the floor.
The crystal was fine.
However, her hand, which had been grasping the crystal with all her might, had turned white without a single drop of blood.
Because she clenched her fist so tight to endure without breaking the crystal, her strength had drained away.
“Master, can you hold a bit?”
Perhaps because strength didn't enter her legs, Sherazade, who was raising her body, stumbled continuously.
And the mont I supported her body,
“Ugh…… Waaaaah!”
The ti it took for to clear up the situation was 12 minutes.
Even though I exerted my full power, it took over ten minutes.
Just how great a fear did she face during that ti?
“Dad…… Mom…….”
Amidst the sobbing Sherazade vomited out, I was just stroking her blue hair that had an exceptionally fine texture.
***
“……Master. How long will it take for to clear up the situation?”
“Since it took about 10 minutes, it will take you about two hours.”
Hearing my answer, Sherazade turned completely pale.
Even though it was so hard for her to endure a ti slightly over 10 minutes.
I have to suffer that several tis longer?
“Master…… Shall we just give up around here?”
“Stop with the unfunny jokes.”
After refusing Sherazade's suggestion, I stood in front of the stone chamber.
Sherazade to the subspace, I to the place of trial.
Now the positions of the two people had swapped.
“Master, you absolutely must not be stubborn!”
Sherazade looked at the blue crystal held in my hand with an anxious expression.
“Why don't you worry about your own body rather than ? Because the guys coming out from there are tougher than you think.”
However, showing a nonsensically calm expression,
“Then, let's et again with smiling faces.”
I just entered the stone chamber just like that.
‘Master will be safer only if I finish even 1 minute faster!’
Sherazade also jumped into the subspace with her lips tightly bitten.
“What…… is this?”
However, the spectacle that unfolded before her eyes was absurd enough to make her resolve colorless.
“……Sli?”
Waiting for her was just one green-colored sli, that was all.
Fwoosh!
Sherazade reflexively extended her staff and fired a fla spell toward the sli.
The sli directly hit by the spell hid its traces leaving behind acrid smoke.
Cr-crackle!
“Oh my!”
In a situation she couldn't understand at all, Sherazade unwittingly burst into admiration.
The subspace disappeared and the door of the stone chamber that had closed a mont ago opened again.
Wondering what was going on, Sherazade carefully looked around, but.
No matter how she looked, it seed the trial was over, so she carefully ca out of the stone chamber.
“You're late.”
What first entered her vision as she ca out of the stone chamber was Hein Reichart with a nonchalant expression.
“Master, why are you here? What about the trial?”
At Sherazade's question, instead of answering, I extended my hand and pointed behind my back.
Wooooong-
The altar revealing its appearance while emitting brilliant light was telling that all trials were over.
‘This stone chamber spits out monsters into the subspace using the fear of the opponent inside the place of trial as nourishnt. But all I t was a sli, then…….’
Soon reaching a conclusion that truly made no sense, Sherazade approached my side and clasped my hand.
“Master…… You are human, right?”
“Probably.”
Ultimately, there was only one hypothesis that could explain the current situation.
I entered the room of trial and was swallowed by the Tongue of Marbada.
However,
‘He didn't feel fear at all?’
Witnessing a miracle-like event right before her eyes that couldn't be explained by the level of ‘ntal strength is strong’, Sherazade couldn't close her open mouth for a while.
Barely regaining her senses, she asked with a serious expression.
“Master, do you really not have the emotion called fear?”
Actually, I also didn't predict it would end this easily.
“No way. I'm human too, so is it possible that I can't feel fear? However…….”
At Sherazade's question, I shook my head.
And turning my gaze toward the Falber Knight Order Commander's sword and secret sword technique revealing themselves on the altar, I spoke.
“After seeing hell a few tis, I stopped dreaming nightmares from then on.”
“Wow, really, the Master isn't even human!”
Outwardly, she seed to be teasing my nonsensical ntal system, but Sherazade's eyes, which had beco teary before I knew it, were smiling.
“Anyway, good work. Thanks to you, I was able to achieve the purpose of coming here.”
I placed my hand lightly on her shoulder and pointed at the altar.
“Shall we go? Since we suffered, we should go receive the prize.”
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