Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 126: Traveling by Night
After all these years, Myss once again felt the thrill of a tense battle. Only this time, his enemy wasn’t Salaar. It was everyone except Salaar.
There were too many people around, so Myss dispersed his magic into an invisible mist and worked to alter everyone’s perception, making them hear his voice as a woman’s.
Myss was accustomed to crushing opponents with annihilation magic. This was the first time he had ever needed to control his power so precisely and maintain it for an extended period.
The Archdemon focused with all his might, carefully honing the technique. Even if this was only a little vacation-like adventure, he refused to embarrass himself in front of Salaar.
At the entrance to the inn, Salaar faced the Secret Garden clergy without changing expression.
“…I see. My beloved and I were chosen together.”
“Exactly.” The young priest extended a hand toward them. “My name is Garnet. I’m responsible for guiding the two of you through the ceremony.”
Salaar: “Heavens, we were really chosen! What an honor. We should go back to our room and prepare…”
No matter what, he had to buy some time to communicate with the priest.
Myss hid partly behind Salaar, letting the Hero serve as a shield on the front lines while also reducing how often he had to speak.
Garnet merely assumed that “Miss Myss” had a cold personality and offered a friendly smile.
“The Root Church will provide everything you need. The ritual lasts only one day. Once the Eye-Opening Ceremony is complete, the two of you will be honored guests of the Crimson Marsh.”
Priest Garnet’s tone remained cordial, but he shifted slightly and blocked the route they would have to take to enter the inn.
It seemed returning to the room was impossible.
Myss and Salaar exchanged a glance.
“I understand,” Myss said, unusually cooperative.
At this point, Brief and Bedsheet Archdemon would have to remain inside the book in their room and entertain themselves.
As for the investigation ahead, they would have to find another way.
At the same time, Salaar’s gaze moved toward Father Kalen, who was also standing near the entrance.
“Kalen, it seems we’ll have to separate for a while. At least we brought the pocket watch, so we won’t lose track of the time.”
The Dragon Fae chose a blind spot outside the priests’ field of vision. Half of his body poked out from Myss’s braid as he pointed emphatically at himself.
Father Kalen immediately understood. Salaar meant to take the Dragon Fae with them directly.
“…Without the two of us beside you, you’ll have to rely on your own abilities if you want to observe the Eye-Opening Ceremony carefully.”
Salaar meaningfully rubbed the fingers of his right hand, corresponding to the priest’s concealment ring, which could let him “hide within the shadows.”
Father Kalen’s tone became serious.
“Understood. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Even as he said that, he couldn’t help turning toward the inn, despite knowing he couldn’t see Earl from this angle.
In a moment, he would conceal his presence and follow them into the church.
He would only be gone for a day. Mr. Earl probably wouldn’t become suspicious…
As Kalen struggled to think of an excuse, the boy who had gone inside with Earl earlier emerged alone.
“Egan,” Garnet greeted him.
The boy walked past Kalen without looking sideways.
“That gentleman has already gone to sleep.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
Priest Garnet nodded.
The priest watched as the group surrounded Salaar and Myss and escorted them away.
He was about to find a corner and slip into the darkness when the boy called Egan suddenly turned around and looked at him.
Kalen had no choice but to pretend nothing was wrong and move a little closer to the wall.
At that exact moment, a small dark-brown mouse scurried along the base of the wall. An idea sparked in Kalen’s mind.
……
Perhaps for the sake of appearances, Salaar kept Myss’s hand firmly clasped in his own the entire time, as though they truly were a nervous and excited couple.
“I’ve heard of the Blind God’s Blessing! Thank goodness the two of us were chosen. If they’d selected me and some other woman, I wouldn’t have known how to explain it to my darling.”
Salaar chattered endlessly, his eyes looking even more innocent than those of a sheltered young mage from an ivory tower.
At the word “darling,” Myss shuddered from head to toe, every hair standing on end. He tightened his grip around Salaar’s hand with vicious force.
Salaar’s expression didn’t change. He squeezed back, and the two of them crushed each other’s bones until they creaked.
Seeing Salaar’s “enthusiastic attitude,” Garnet’s tone became even gentler.
“Don’t worry. Lord Blind God is very considerate. He never chooses young people who already have lovers or spouses.”
Salaar: “…”
For one brief instant, the Hero looked deeply aggrieved. He deliberately tilted his head, presenting Myss with the most pitiful angle possible.
Myss frowned and instinctively wanted to contradict Priest Garnet. Then he suddenly remembered that although Salaar did indeed like him, the two of them genuinely weren’t lovers, nor did they have any kind of engagement.
The thought irritated him slightly, like a nut he had already caught slipping through his fingers.
“With Lord Blind God’s blessing, you and your beloved will surely live in happiness and harmony until your hair turns gray,” the priest announced at the perfect moment.
Myss huffed, uncertain whether he should be angry at that statement.
It had to be because maintaining his control magic was too exhausting. To rid himself of these chaotic thoughts, Myss shifted his attention to the streets on both sides.
Although numerous refuge towers stood across the land of Mondicia, the Crimson Marsh had once been an ancient city-state. There were few tall buildings inside the city itself.
The procession of priests surrounded the two of them and led them toward the most brightly illuminated center of the city.
The stars were brilliant overhead. Bonfires shaped like flower buds burned on the ground, and Myss could smell a mixture of roasted bread, grilled meat, and boiled fruit.
Faint music drifted from not far away.
Myss rose onto his toes and stretched his neck, spotting an enormous circular plaza.
The plaza was covered in dizzyingly complicated alchemical symbols. The formation resembled the ancient alchemical arrays Salaar used, but it was countless times more complex.
Because it had fallen into disrepair, cracks and missing pieces covered the stone paving. It was difficult to say whether the thing could still operate at all.
People danced and sang beneath the stars, trampling across the riddles of the past as they celebrated under the silver moonlight. Bright fruit peels and flower petals were scattered over the gray-white stones, burying ancient glory beneath colorful dust.
The moment Salaar saw one corner of the formation, his steps paused slightly, and the smile he wore for the performance faded.
“That is the Crimson Marsh’s greatest ruin, the Eye Plaza. It is one of the eyes Lord Blind God left upon this land. It sees through darkness and drives away the ill omens hidden in the night…”
Both of them unconsciously drifted toward the plaza.
Priest Garnet assumed they simply enjoyed lively scenes. He shook his head with a smile and extended an arm.
“Unfortunately, that’s not our destination. This way, please.”
He pointed toward a dilapidated ruin beside the Eye Plaza. Only two rows of crumbling round stone pillars remained.
The pillars had been carved from pure white marble. The normally dim moonlight flowed over them, making them strangely dazzling.
Long shadows stretched across the ground, lying diagonally over the gray-white surface in sharp contrast.
Myss followed the procession between the two rows of pillars.
Garnet extended both hands and began reciting an obscure incantation.
In an instant, the shadows between the stone pillars began rotating and splitting on their own.
Alternating strips of light and darkness interlocked, transforming into a staircase leading downward.
Myss hurriedly maintained his control spell while dilating his pupils to observe the unusual new magic. Dividing his attention so many ways made him stagger from side to side. He nearly tripped on flat ground directly in front of Salaar.
Salaar grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him upright. The young priests around them interpreted it as lovers flirting and laughed good-naturedly.
Only one person didn’t join in.
Salaar glanced from the corner of his eye and saw a familiar face.
It was the boy named Egan, the one who had escorted Earl back to his room. A perfectly measured, polite smile rested on his face. His steady gaze remained fixed on Salaar and Myss without the slightest ripple.
The look wasn’t sharp, yet it made the back of Salaar’s neck tighten.
Salaar observed him for a moment but found nothing visibly wrong, so he calmly withdrew his gaze. He had a vague feeling that a storm was approaching.
He wondered whether Father Kalen had followed them.
Salaar stepped onto the staircase formed from bars of light and shadow without looking back again.
Myss finally finished analyzing the spell, and another fine layer of sweat covered his forehead. Maintaining control magic while casting other spells felt like dancing with two hundred kilograms strapped to his back.
Still, the experience was wonderfully novel. Given enough time, he would certainly grow accustomed to it. He could almost imagine the delightful scene.
Once he returned to the darkness and fought Salaar again, his terrifying magic combined with these new techniques would surely let him toy with Salaar until…
Snap. His imagination suddenly plunged into darkness.
A cold fact struck him.
If they both returned to their original bodies, Salaar would die immediately.
Salaar’s original body was far too old and damaged. Even though the Hero was so skilled in healing magic, he had ultimately been unable to save himself.
When that day came, Myss would never have another chance to fight him.
His new knowledge, his new techniques, his brilliant inventions would forever lose their one and only worthy opponent.
The joy he had felt moments ago, like sharpening a blade, instantly became hollow and tasteless.
Myss couldn’t help looking at Salaar again. At some point, the future he looked forward to had stopped being one of total silence. Salaar had to remain alive in the darkness Myss would personally create. Preferably alive with a defiant, irascible spirit.
That way, they could fight every so often just as they had before. Myss would beat Salaar until he was thoroughly convinced of his superiority.
It could continue like that until Myss finally lost all interest in him.
When was the last time he had eagerly imagined this man’s death?
The realization came so late that it stunned Myss. He didn’t even notice when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Only when Salaar poked him did Myss return to his senses.
A tall stone door covered in relief carvings stood before them.
Like the paving stones in the plaza, much of the relief had flaked away. Only crowded human figures and alchemical symbols mixed among them remained visible. Lamps filled with aromatic wood oil burned in the passage, their smell somewhat choking.
Under the bright firelight, Salaar silently looked up at the relief.
Behind them, the staircase of light and shadow had disappeared at some point, leaving only a sealed stone wall.
Priest Garnet stopped at the center of the great door and turned around with a solemn ceremony.
“Next, the two of you need only bathe, change clothes, and offer prayers to the Blind God. You may leave at daybreak. Once you are ready, I will personally escort you to the Chamber of Penance.”
“The Chamber of Penance?” Myss immediately caught a term he disliked.
“Please don’t be frightened by the name. We would never ask our honored guests to confess,” Priest Garnet hurriedly explained. “Once everything is complete, the Root Church will provide you with generous compensation in gold.”
Is that so? Myss remained doubtful.
If they weren’t required to confess, why call it a Chamber of Penance?
Prayer room or preparation room would both sound better.
At the rear of the procession, “Egan” stared intensely at the two of them. Suddenly, his eyes shifted toward a small mouse running past his feet.
Egan lowered his head. Within the shadows, he finally revealed a genuinely pleased smile.
The author has something to say:
Myss: What do I do now that I’m finding it harder and harder to let go of my favorite cushion? [cat paw]
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