Chapter 758 - Chapter Three: Exploring the White Island's Greatest Demon Realm ⑤
After several days of work, the stone wall surrounding the flat central area was completed. It is rectangular and completely covers the barrier in the center. One of the short sides of the rectangle is the entrance, and the other side is apparently where the magic circle will be. Half of the rectangle is the magic circle, and the other half is empty space. We scattered soil over the magic circle and reinforced it by stacking another row of stone walls. Since we filled the gaps with mortar, it won't be exposed to the wind and snow.
However, it would be pointless if there was no way to escape once you came to the fortress. The next thing we built was an underground passage extending from the remaining half to directly beneath the barrier, creating a stone basement. A [Teleport] magic circle was installed there. Its destination is the fortress at the foot of the mountain. Since it's a one-way trip, you can't go from the foot to the top of the mountain.
I thought that if the top was taken, the foot would be invaded since it's connected to the fortress below, but there was a clever trick. The moment you jump, you land at the bottom of a tank filled with holy water. If a member of the Demon Race came, for a human, it would be like being submerged in boiling water... no, boiling oil.
If you try your best to float up from the large stone tank with the [Teleport] magic circle drawn on the bottom... though, it's not that deep. Even I can kick off the bottom with a 'bang' and kick three times like a frog to get my head above the surface... the lid is a grate made of silver bars. If you touch it while trying to escape, you'll take additional damage. Moreover, that lid doesn't open. And since the tank is made of the Dwarves' [Anti-Magic Stone], it can't be destroyed.
To get out, there's a side hole near the bottom. Crawling through that hole leads to an adjacent tank. Climbing the stairs within the holy water leads to a room in the basement of the fortress. Two large barrels are placed in that room; one stores holy water. There's a large plug at the bottom, and if removed, the holy water flows into the tank. That's not all. With [Clump Water], the supply and drainage of holy water in the tank can be controlled at will. Furthermore, since a priest assigned to the fortress is always stationed there, holy water can be made at any time.
It's quite elaborate. In a sense, it's dangerous because even a human could potentially drown.
Of course, [Teleport] wouldn't be used normally. It's an escape exit for emergencies. According to Price-sama, the plan is to retreat without overextending if attacked by a high-ranking demon and lure those who can speak human tongues into the holy water trap.
Even if monsters are enemies of the Church, this is quite nasty.
"Well, they probably won't fall for it. It's obvious that it's a trap."
Looking at the corner of the wall Price-sama pointed to, there was a password written in small, scribbled-looking letters. It wasn't a fake; it was the real thing. If there's a high-ranking demon who can read and speak human language, they might try it just to see. Even if they jump half-jokingly, they'll die.
"It should at least buy some time for an escape."
Price-sama is laughing, but isn't he quite serious about this?
That Price-sama returned to the Medioland Royal Capital to participate in the Council of Lords. During that time, the construction of the fortress on the western peak continued quietly. At the start of construction, we were wary of demon attacks, but none came. We relaxed our guard, and the two Medioland bowls returned to topographical reconnaissance.
Since a base and an escape route had been established, albeit simple ones, the Henry Party disembarked from the bowl. Wilson-san and Eleanor-sama worked as a pair stacking stone walls, while Erikson-sama (who had merged with Henry-sama), Will, and Bonnie stood guard. I, merged with the Priestess, and Germana practiced magic next to the two stacking the stone walls.
Although Germana lost her power once she left the cave, it didn't mean she couldn't use magic at all. Compared to when she was in the cave, she could use mid-level magic normally. As for basic magic, she could cast many. So, pretending to be on guard, the two of us hid ourselves and secretly practiced dark magic. The spell was [Mold]. Germana and I can use it, but the Priestess cannot. It was perfect for practice.
"If possible, I'd like to see the effect directly when it's cast."
According to Germana, it's easier to grasp the image by seeing the result with your eyes rather than just casting it. That makes sense. Mary even imagines the scene before and after casting magic when she practices. If it weren't for the [Vow of Silence], I'd want her to be an instructor. No, that's going too far. She's too strict.
"Then, let's actually try it. We'll gather insects with [Attract] and kill them, right? Then, we'll turn them into [Revenant]s with [Undead]. We'll control them with [Necromancy]. And then, with this stick..."
Priestess, is that an act permitted for a cleric?
In the end, we decided to ask for Wilson-san's cooperation. Since it would be strange for me to speak, the Priestess explained and made the request.
"Ah, I don't mind that much. I myself cut my own skin or cut my colleagues to master [Mold]."
I see. If it's between [Revenant]s, there's no problem.
Having received permission, we were given time before the afternoon work. We flew in Eleanor-sama's bowl, but under the guise of reconnaissance, we flew into the forest and decided to do it there. Eleanor-sama probably wanted to see it too.
"I shall show you a model example."
As he spoke, without changing his expression, he cut off his own left hand with the steel knife he held in his right hand.
"Eeeh!"
Too shocking! It's a good thing I cast [Mute], otherwise mine and the Priestess's voices would have echoed through the forest. I can't believe the others didn't cry out.
"Does it not hurt?"
Will, how can you watch so calmly? Well, I haven't seen Will truly surprised since our days at the orphanage.
"It hurts a little."
It hurts? How can he keep such a straight face?
No, but I saw a [Revenant] with its head cut off near the fortress at the Primordia-Engrio border before, and it didn't say it was in pain or suffering.
"If this were silver or holy magic, it would involve extreme suffering. Though, with [Purification], it would be over in an instant."
Hmm. It's a mysterious thing.
Wilson-san returned the knife in his right hand to the sheath on his waist, then had the Priestess hold the left arm he had picked up. The Priestess, having developed some guts, accepted it without hesitation and brought the cut ends close together. Then Wilson-san cast [Mold] himself. Just like when I saw it before, tentacles came swarming out from both cut ends.
The startled Priestess almost dropped the left arm she was holding. The tips of the tentacles that had been connected momentarily separated.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Ah, it's fine. Even if you had dropped it, at this distance it wouldn't be a problem. Besides, if it fails, we can redo it."
"I see."
I'm impressed she didn't drop it.
When the Priestess brought the cut ends back together as they were, the tips of the tentacles intertwined and stuck together just like that.
Honestly, no matter when I see it, it doesn't make me feel good.
Wilson-san lightly moved his left hand and flexed his fingers as if to check, then asked the Priestess, "How is it?"
"It's amazing. Do cuts and things heal the same way?"
"That's right. It's impossible if it's turned to dust by [Purification], but otherwise, cuts and scrapes heal immediately."
"I see, thank you. I'll do my best to learn it."
"I am glad to be of help."
Hmm. Because the shock is so great, I can immediately form the image of it sticking together, but the impression is too strong and the image for the activation itself doesn't come at all.
Since then, [Mold] became the only thing the Priestess and I did. While the construction of the fortress proceeded steadily, the Priestess worked hard to form the image of [Mold]. Since she's a ghost, basic chanting shouldn't be necessary. However, it seems that for that very reason, mental concentration and a clear image are required. I know from hearing it from Fiona that it's quite difficult. It's probably much harder than a human who received a revelation learning it while thinking about the words of the chant. So, we decided to do it with the chant, just like a human. Since concentration increases during the chant, it's better for the Priestess to do it that way until she activates it once.
During breaks, Wilson-san would make a light scratch on his palm, and the Priestess would chant toward it. If it didn't go well, she would revise the wording. After four or five tries, the Priestess shook her head left and right. She probably didn't feel any response.
"Hmm. It's difficult."
The Priestess muttered as evening approached. In the end, the day ended like that. Unfortunately, the first day was a swing and a miss.
Germana also treated Wilson-san's wounds. Unlike [Heal], where the flesh at the cut swells and the wound closes, tentacles came out from the cut and joined together. Although the degree of the wound differed, it was basically the same.
By the way, while the Priestess was solidifying her image, I tried simultaneous activation of [Holy] and [Mold] with Germana's cooperation. As a result, both spells were forcibly canceled upon activation. In other words, they negated each other. One is recovery magic and the other is damage-dealing magic. Since they are opposites, they must have repelled each other.
I tried it with [Heal] too, but it was still forcibly canceled. This must have repelled because they are opposite systems of recovery.
"Hey, let's try it with [Light] too."
The Priestess suggested on the way back to the fortress. Simultaneous activation of [Light] and [Mold]. Since they are completely unrelated...
"I think it would be better to have a target."
It was Germana. Even if she says target, what is there?
"Jeanne, you exterminate rats, don't you?"
"Yes. Not just rats, though."
I'm a monster exterminator. Not a rat extermination specialist. Lately, people have been saying that rat extermination is my hobby or that I feel unwell if I can't do it, which is troubling.
"Are there no rats in the fortress?"
There probably are. I don't know if they'll let me into the basement, though.
"Let's exterminate one."
Doing something to a corpse after exterminating it is desecration.
"With the intent to exterminate, let's try the simultaneous activation of [Light] and [Mold]."
I see. Even if you shine [Light] on a rat, it only makes its fur fall out. It'll grow back later anyway, so it's fine.
"Does the fur fall out?"
"Yes, [Light] is only a deterrent to monsters. The fur just falls out. They hate it because it's bright and run away, but I couldn't subdue or defeat them with it."
"Is that so? Then, let's pull out some fur."
It's the first time my goal has been to pull out fur.
When I returned to the fortress and told the garrison commander I wanted to do some rat extermination, he said, "I understand."
No matter how you look at it, I'm being misunderstood, but I can't tell him everything. I can't lie either. I could only say, "Thank you."
If the entire Henry Party participated, it would become a big deal. I just said that we'd do it on our own with a team of the three of us plus Eleanor-sama. Thanks to the Eleanor-sama effect, permission was easily granted, and the commander himself guided us to where the stairs to the basement were. Then, he handed us the key to the door.
As expected, the fortress has a basement. The basement here isn't a drainage ditch but apparently doubles as a shelter. Since the river is close, sewage apparently flows from the pipes into the river. So it's not dirty.
We descended the stairs, illuminated by the pale blue flame of the merged Priestess. When we opened the basement door and cast [Sense Living], there was a reaction. I had placed some chicken carcasses I'd gotten beforehand in a spot where rats were likely to appear. There were nearly ten of them there. Just as planned.
"Okay, Germana, let's do it."
"Understood. The output should be the same as before, right?"
We activate at the Priestess's signal. The target is the swarm of rats illuminated in pale blue. Perhaps because a ghost and a spirit... and one of the five greats at that... are present, the rats are quite wary. More than half are in a half-turned posture, so they probably intend to flee immediately.
"Three, two, one, now!"
"[Mold]!"
"[Light]!"
Germana cast [Mold], and I cast [Light]. The light of [Light] illuminated the swarm of rats.
The rats that had charged in Engrio are now standing still. They aren't even closing their eyes. They aren't squeaking. Their fur isn't falling out.
"What on earth is happening?"
Even Eleanor-sama doesn't seem to understand. The rats are looking this way without moving a muscle.
"Jeanne, did you see? That rat in the very front—far from its fur falling out, its injured parts are healing."
"Eh?"
I had completely missed it. Looking at the rat Eleanor-sama pointed out, tentacles are growing in the area where the fur was missing near its right front leg. That wasn't there before we shone the light.
"[Light] is reinforcing [Mold]."
Germana says something far too unexpected.
To think [Mold] is being reinforced by [Light]...
"[Light] is a spell that has the effect of reinforcing [Mold]."
This is what you call a shocking fact.
Actually, it seems [Light] reinforces both [Heal] and [Mold]. Apparently [Dark] also has the effect of reinforcing [Mold], but that was easy to guess since they are both darkness.
The relationship between [Light] and [Mold] was honestly unexpected, but Germana knew. She was originally a priestess and a user of dark magic. And the activation of [Testament] wasn't done alone. In other words, she was with a user of light magic, so she had already experienced the experiment of simultaneous activation of [Light] and [Mold] four thousand years ago.
"I couldn't tell you everything. I was waiting for you to notice on your own."
It seems there are things even one of the five greats cannot say. Is it like a [Vow of Silence] for humans?
"In other words, does this mean that some light and dark spells are not opposing magics?"
Eleanor-sama presses. Otherwise, there's no way to explain light magic reinforcing dark magic.
"That is correct. [Light] and [Dark] have opposite properties. However, as you know, they fuse. And as we experimented on the mountain, there are spells that repel each other and are canceled."
Apparently [Light] supplements [Mold]. Even Germana doesn't know why.
"Is there an inverse relationship? An example of dark magic reinforcing light magic?"
"Not as far as I know. And even when light magic reinforces dark magic, it's only [Light] and [Mold]."
I thought light and darkness were polar opposites.
"That is true. However, there is a middle ground between light and darkness, and some spells belong to that middle ground."
This is starting to sound like the talk of the three realms.
I don't really understand the relationship between light and dark magic, but I've learned that [Mold] can be reinforced with [Light]. According to Germana, it's fine as long as you don't cast [Light] first. Well, that makes sense. If you cast only [Light] at a rat, its fur falls out and it runs away. That would be mean... no, I have no intention of actively healing a rat's injuries. If I were to do that, I'd rather defeat it in one go.
"Does that effect work with scrolls too?"
Eleanor-sama, the rat lover, is asking.
"Yes, it's like casting [Holy] on elemental magic to reinforce it."
"I see. Thank you very much."
She looks quite happy. I wonder if one of the rats she keeps is injured.