Chapter 86. The Immortal Great Mage (6)
The God of Apocalypse and Destruction, Ragnad.
Since splitting from Hel, he had lain dormant in the unfathomable depths of the sea, passing countless ages in silence.
Days spent crafting souls into Sludge, indulging in his own warped amusent.
Even he couldn’t easily comprehend the situation before him now.
“Why are you back? Do you think this is a playground?”
It was strange enough that a soul had survived without being consud, but to return?
And so boldly?
Moreover, the words Evan spoke to Ragnad were even more audacious.
“I need to take one soul from here. Please.”
“…”
Ragnad stared at him, speechless.
Soone daring to make a ‘request’ of him?
This was an intriguing event, unlike anything he’d experienced before.
But that lasted only a mont.
In response to Evan’s outrageous demand, he revealed his true nature as the God of Apocalypse and Destruction.
Transforming from a figure resembling Hel into a towering being with ashen skin and glowing red eyes, he held a massive sword wreathed in flas and smoke.
“You’re insane. Don’t think I’ll spare you just because Hel favors you.”
Ragnad aid his sword at .
Flas erupting from its tip flickered as if burning the surrounding air, and the searing heat scorched my skin even now.
Sizzle.
But despite the excruciating pain, I didn’t flinch.
Even as my skin burned, I stared unflinchingly at Ragnad, refusing to step back.
With death looming, I simply walked my path.
If I couldn’t escape the Coast of the Dead, my body no longer mattered.
“Even if you don’t spare , I’ll have to take that soul.”
“Who is it? Who’s worth causing this chaos? A lover, a parent, or a child?”
“A child. But not mine.”
“So you’re doing this to take soone else’s child? Even though I’m not human, I can’t understand this.”
To Ragnad, who felt no emotions, my actions were an enigma.
He had observed and understood countless souls’ lives through their mories, but no cause-and-effect he knew could explain my reckless behavior.
“It’s to prevent this world’s apocalypse.”
I spoke to make Ragnad understand my reasoning.
“What does that an?”
“It’s about a certain mage…”
I recounted how I ca to the Coast of the Dead,
how I t Hel while trying to escape and accepted his proposal, and finally, what Ernst had been searching for during his centuries here.
“He’s been wandering the Coast, seeking his daughter’s soul, which has beco Sludge.”
Ragnad listened with initial curiosity.
But that curiosity soon turned to displeasure, his ashen eyes blazing with deep anger.
“A re human dares to touch my souls?”
His hostility shifted from to Ernst.
The flaming sword in his hand burned brighter, and the surrounding space trembled with his overwhelming presence.
“I’ll find that insolent fool and punish him myself.”
His voice was deep and sharp, resounding across the entire Coast.
Despite being overwheld by his aura, I spoke.
“But wouldn’t that an conflict with Hel? I’ll take responsibility and handle this.”
At my firm declaration, Ragnad’s eyes narrowed slightly.
ntioning Hel’s na seed to irk him.
“Arrogant fool. You think I, Ragnad, fear Hel?”
“That’s not it.”
I answered calmly.
“But isn’t it clear that Hel won’t stand idly by on this matter?”
Ragnad fell silent for a mont.
My words weren’t wrong.
Ragnad was a part of Hel.
His existence was born from Hel’s destructive nature, separated into a distinct entity.
In the end, he was Hel, and Hel was him.
Their power was equal, with no hierarchy between them.
If they turned hostile and fought, it would an mutual destruction.
Knowing this better than anyone, Ragnad gripped his flaming sword and let out a low chuckle.
“So you’re worrying about and Hel? A re human?”
“Far from it. I only wish to deal with the one disrupting the order of the Coast as soon as possible.”
“Order… You’re just parroting what Hel wants.”
Ragnad paused in thought.
“Fine. I’ll specially permit you to take the soul you want.”
“Thank—”
I bowed to express gratitude, but before I could finish, Ragnad’s flaming sword ca to my throat again.
“But bring that man to . That’s the condition. If you fail, I’ll cross this Coast and end you, even if it ans war with Hel.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ernst couldn’t leave this place unscathed anyway.
He would inevitably face Hel or Ragnad, so bringing him to Ragnad wasn’t a difficult condition.
Ragnad nodded and withdrew his sword.
“Good. I’ll send up the soul of his daughter, Veroni Romarn. Now go.”
As Ragnad raised his hand, my vision blurred montarily.
Cold water surged from all sides, and soon I was rising back to the surface of the Black Sea.
“Phew!”
As I erged, Lilith used telekinesis to pull onto the warship.
“You’re insane! Insane! What kind of place do you think that is to dive in?”
“You got out quickly this ti,” Gaiard said, looking down at , feigning indifference.
“Any results?”
“Of course. Soon, what we—and Ernst—want will appear.”
With those words, a massive whirlpool ford in the Black Sea.
Whoosh!
The whirlpool crashed against the deck, and a Sludge appeared.
“S-Sludge!”
As one mage tensed, I stopped him.
“Wait.”
The black liquid enveloping the Sludge slowly dripped away.
When it fully dissipated, a woman’s form erged.
“Where am I…?”
She appeared older than .
Her head swiveled, but her eyes lacked any spark of life.
She seed unaware of what was happening to her.
“Veroni Romarn, are you Ernst Romarn’s daughter?”
“Yes?”
She was the key to preventing this world’s apocalypse,
the daughter’s soul Ernst had desperately sought.
“Where is this?”
“This is the Coast of the Dead, where the deceased co.”
“I was supposed to go through the Reincarnation Gate…”
Gaiard interjected, his voice cold and flat as a blade.
“Because you sinned. Sinners don’t qualify for the Reincarnation Gate. Instead, they’re trapped below, becoming Sludge as punishnt.”
Veroni remained silent.
Her lifeless eyes showed no surprise or panic.
She definitely committed so sin.
Finding out what she did was crucial.
That information was essential for persuading and using Ernst.
“If you don’t tell the truth, you might return to where you ca from. Why did you beco Sludge?”
Veroni slightly raised her head, her lips moving.
Then, with a leisurely smile, she answered.
“Because I killed people.”
Her voice was calm, as if recounting sothing trivial.
“And a lot of them.”
Veroni spoke with a hint of pride.
I felt a montary shock at her deanor but continued calmly.
“Was there a reason for the killings?”
From this point, I naturally dropped formalities.
I judged she wasn’t soone deserving of respect.
And I was right.
“Why? There was no reason.”
Veroni was soone who took innocent lives purely for pleasure.
I fully understood why she couldn’t pass through the Reincarnation Gate and fell into the Black Sea.
***
After a brief interrogation, I left Veroni in the cabin.
As a soul, she had no ans of escaping, so she complied with orders without resistance.
Afterward, we took a mont to rest, waiting for Ernst.
I leaned against the railing, staring blankly at the sea.
Ron approached .
“Have sothing to say? Did you find Ernst?”
“No… I have sothing else to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about Ernst and Gaiard.”
“If it’s about that, talk to him directly. No need to tell .”
“I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Just hear out and decide.”
Ron began speaking about Ernst.
“You know Ernst and Gaiard were close friends, right?”
“Yes. That’s why he felt so betrayed.”
“Of course. Ernst actually refused the king’s order. But he had no choice but to comply. Because of his daughter.”
“You ntioned that last ti. Though I only just learned she was a murderer.”
Having no blood family, I found it hard to understand such reasoning.
“Yes, Veroni was at risk of execution for serial killings, but thanks to Ernst, she was only imprisoned.”
“Did they threaten to execute her if he disobeyed the king’s order?”
“Yes. So Ernst had no choice but to follow.”
A plea bargain.
This was common even in the Empire.
“But she still died, didn’t she?”
“From what I know, she brought it upon herself. I heard she caused a riot in prison and died.”
Considering the Veroni I saw earlier, that was entirely plausible.
“Does Gaiard know about this family matter?”
“Probably not. Veroni was imprisoned before the war, and her death happened after the war, after Gaiard was sealed.”
I still found it hard to accept.
“Why was Ernst so desperate to protect his daughter? She’s worse than a beast.”
“Maybe because he’s a parent? I don’t know exactly.”
Then Ron brought up sothing intriguing.
“The strange thing is, she was a kind child when young. I don’t know why she turned out like that…”
Even Ron didn’t understand how Veroni beca such a monster.
“Anyway, you can tell Gaiard or not. I just thought you should know.”
“I’ll tell him. There’s no reason for to keep it to myself.”
I relayed Ron’s story to Gaiard.
He responded with an indifferent attitude.
“So what?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t care about his circumstances. He betrayed , and that’s enough for to tear him apart.”
Was it consistency?
Or a lack of humanity?
“Fine, it’s not my place to ddle in your affairs.”
As I left, Gaiard lay down, staring at the ceiling with a complex expression.
“Idiot…”
I couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.
***
Since Ernst’s daughter boarded the ship, there were no notable changes.
Despite her soul’s presence, there were no outward signs.
The mages made a suggestion.
“He doesn’t seem to sense his daughter’s soul. Should we make a bigger commotion?”
I nodded at Lilith’s proposal.
“If you have a good idea, go for it.”
“Wait and see. I’ll show you sothing fun.”
Lilith chanted a spell.
“Luximara!”
Instantly, silver dust stread from her fingertips, staining the sky.
The dust coalesced into a massive sentence.
[Veroni Romarn is with us.]
The words shone so brightly they could be seen clearly even from the distant Citadel.
“Let’s see if he can ignore this.”
Lilith said with a satisfied expression.
Splash.
About five minutes later, sothing faintly shimred on the southeast sea.
At first, I thought it was a wave’s distortion, but it grew clearer.
As the transparent ripple faded, the outline of a massive warship erged.
“Finally.”
I whispered softly, keeping my eyes on the ship without relaxing.
On its deck, standing with imposing authority, was none other than the Great Mage Ernst.
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