I, too, had the worst-case scenario flash through my mind, but Misha reassured us with a confident tone.
“But we can’t afford to be careless. Now that we know their goal is Aži Dahāka’s seal, we need to confirm as soon as possible whether the seal is still functioning properly.”
“And that’s why you need me?”
“Of course, we’re going too. The Kingdom Spirit Corps has requested it. And if the seal is starting to weaken, we’ll need to reinforce it.”
“The Kingdom Spirit Corps directly requested this?”
I felt relieved that I wasn’t alone in this, but at the same time, I was surprised that Professor Albert had been personally requested for this task.
“Albert’s expertise is in evil spirit studies, but he’s also deeply knowledgeable about sealing techniques. That’s why the task fell to him,”
Professor Kyle explained, which made me even more astonished. I knew he was talented, but I had no idea he was also a specialist in sealing rituals…
“Well, if there’s no issue with the seal, we’ll hand it over to the Kingdom’s Spirit Corps and be done with it. However, there’s a chance those intruders might be at the Biblia Ruined Temple. In that case, we’d need another capable fighter who can move immediately, aside from Kyle and me.”
“So that’s why I was chosen…”
“Exactly.”
I thought there were plenty of other capable individuals aside from me, but considering the defense force during the academy’s recent attack and my experience in the previous battle, it might indeed be reasonable to bring me along.
“Understood. I’ll go.”
“Thank you, Rourke-Areas. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m counting on you.”
When I agreed to take on the mission, Misha bowed her head in gratitude. As I listened, I subtly glanced at Leia, who was standing beside me.
“Lady Misha, may I also join this mission?”
“…May I ask why?”
As expected, Leia offered to accompany me to the Biblia Ruined Temple, and Misha narrowed her eyes slightly as she asked for the reason.
“…As a spirit master of the Valhart family, I can’t let this end like this.”
“…………”
Leia spoke while looking at Misha, and her words reminded me of the conversation we had after the freshman welcoming battle.
From my perspective, she fought admirably for a first-year, especially given the number of injured at the time. However, it seemed Leia herself was dissatisfied with losing to the intruders.
Personally, I didn’t think she had lost, but…
“Please! I know this is selfish of me, but… I can’t just stand by after the academy was trampled on and I couldn’t protect my classmates… I don’t want to back down like this! At least let me be of some use…!”
“…………”
Misha stared at Leia, who was bowing her head in desperation, for a moment before slowly shifting her gaze to the faculty. Professor Albert smiled, while Professor Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
After seeing their reactions, Misha finally looked at me. Understanding the meaning of her gaze, I formed a circle with my right hand to indicate it was fine.
“I understand your feelings. I’ll allow you to join.”
After confirming our team, Misha granted Leia permission to accompany us to the Biblia Ruined Temple.
“However, this mission isn’t about defeating the intruders. It’s strictly about confirming the seal. Don’t forget that, okay?”
“Yes, as a spirit master of the Eutrea Academy, I’ll fulfill my role properly.”
Leia raised her head and answered Misha’s question with a strong voice. Seeing Leia’s expression, Misha judged it was fine and smiled, saying, “Then, I’ll leave it to you.”
Beside her, I quietly felt relieved that Leia was joining.
If anything were to happen, the burden on me would be significantly reduced.
“Ms. Valhart, thank you for your cooperation.”
“Well, if that guy shows up, I’ll beat him up, so don’t stress too much.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Misha responded energetically to Professor Albert and Professor Kyle, who were smiling as they spoke.
“I’m counting on you.”
Seriously, I mean it.
“Yes, I’ll do my best to meet your expectations!”
And so, the four of us hurriedly headed to the Biblia Ruined Temple to confirm the seal of Aži Dahāka.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.PAGES.DEV
“The Biblia Ruined Temple was originally built to enshrine the spirits rooted in that land,”
Professor Albert explained in a calm, easy-to-understand voice.
“However, after the war against the evil spirits, one of the Four Fiends, Aži Dahāka, fled to this land and fought against the hero Arthur. The surrounding villages were completely destroyed, and now, as you can see, only remnants of human activity remain.”
“I see…”
After about an hour of travel using the academy’s large wind spirit, we arrived safely at the Biblia Ruined Temple.
As we surveyed the desolate land, we listened to Professor Albert’s lecture on Evil Spirits.
“The life-and-death battle between Aži Dahāka and Arthur is said to have lasted about two days. In the end, Arthur, who emerged victorious, sealed Aži Dahāka beneath the Biblia Ruined Temple, as recorded in history.”
“Couldn’t he defeat him?”
“The texts say he had a vitality so great he was called immortal. Considering even Arthur couldn’t defeat him, the claim of immortality might not be far off.”
“Legend says even after two of his three heads were cut off, he kept attacking without losing his spirit. Sounds plausible,”
Professor Kyle chimed in with a laugh, recalling the tale.
According to the stories, Aži Dahāka was skilled in spirit arts and could wield all kinds of spirit techniques,
including light-based ones, which should have been his weakness as a Evil Spirits. This alone speaks volumes about how terrifying he was.
This also applies to the other Four Fiends—their vitality was abnormally high, and even the hero Arthur struggled to defeat them, resorting to sealing them instead.
“By the way, don’t you notice something about this place?”
“Huh?”
Prompted by his question, I looked around again.
Aside from the remnants of history, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly unusual.
Leia seemed unsure what he was referring to, but after a while, I understood the intent of his question.
“There are almost no spirits here. I can’t sense even the faintest presence of micro-spirits.”
“Ah! You’re right!”
No matter the land, there should always be micro-spirits or spirits rooted in it, but this place felt completely devoid of any spiritual presence.
Even around Luna’s ruins, there were spirits.
“This is the terror of Aži Dahāka. Even sealed, his presence is so feared that the spirits have fled far away.”
With that, Professor Albert turned his gaze toward the Biblia Ruined Temple standing ahead.
The building, weathered by time, had cracks and crumbling parts, yet it still retained an air of grandeur.
“Now, what do you think would happen if that monster were to revive?”
“I’d rather not think about it.”
“…………”
Only now did I fully realize the gravity of the mission we were on. A cold sweat began to trickle down my forehead.
If, just if, the seal were broken… what would we do?
Looking back, I saw Leia staring up at the ruined temple, her face tense with nervousness.
Noticing our expressions, Professor Albert smiled wryly and said, “Sorry, I might have scared you too much.”
“Don’t worry too much. The seals on the Four Fiends are extremely robust. They’re not something that can be broken easily. It’s safe to assume all the seals are intact.”
“…What kind of seals are there?”
“We’ll talk about that inside.”
As Leia hesitantly asked about the seals, Professor Albert led the way into the Biblia Ruined Temple. We followed, stepping into the interior.
Inside, as expected, the place was in ruins. The floor was littered with debris and cracks, making it necessary to tread carefully to avoid tripping.
The walls were in a similar state, with cracks and holes, and the once-beautiful murals had faded and blackened.
As I felt a tinge of sadness at the temple’s state, Professor Albert resumed his explanation about the seals.
“The seals on the Four Fiends consist of three locks and a seal from Arthur’s contracted spirit, the Spring Spirit, totaling four seals.”
Professor Albert held up his fingers, explaining each seal in order.
“The first is the seal from Arthur’s contracted spirit. It’s powerful, but after hundreds of years, the sealing ritual occasionally weakens. That said, to some extent, the seal can repair itself.”
With that, Professor Albert folded his index finger.
There were still three seals left…
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