Chapter 292

Seonghyun briefly debated whether he should say it or not.

That those grains were not the souls of her ancestors, but that the souls of her ancestors were right behind her now.

However, he didn't say anything and remained quiet.

He had to have a conversation first, didn't he?

As Seonghyun remained silent.

The old woman looked at Seonghyun, nodded as if in understanding, and spoke.

“It is a humble place, but please, sit.”

“...Yes.”

Seonghyun replied and sat across from the old woman.

The old woman observed Seonghyun carefully.

While Seonghyun was surprised by the souls of the ancestors, the old woman was just as surprised to see Seonghyun.

She had felt that he was a monarch long ago.

But seeing him in person like this, she was amazed by the mysterious power she felt.

A feeling that she would be drawn to Seonghyun for some reason?

Naturally, it was because the old woman's time of death was approaching, and her soul was slightly detached from her body, which made her feel that way towards Seonghyun.

But she had no way of knowing that.

‘Truly a marvelous person.’

In any case, the old woman had no choice but to acknowledge Seonghyun because of the mysterious power she felt, separate from the power of a monarch.

On the other hand, Seonghyun.

[‘You have shown an ability beyond your current stats through an ‘Unknown Power’.]

[Wisdom+5 and Intelligence+5 permanently increase.]

[‘You have shown an ability beyond your current stats through an ‘Unknown Power’.]

[Wisdom+7 and Intelligence+3 permanently increase.]

[‘You have shown an ability beyond your current stats through an ‘Unknown Power’.]

[Wisdom+3 and Intelligence+7 permanently increase.]

‘Oh. As expected of former great shamans.’

He was absorbing the memories and experiences of the ancestors, and thanks to that, he was able to find out a lot of information.

The situation they were currently in.

The things they needed most.

And everything about the demon tribe.

As Seonghyun felt that he now knew everything.

The old woman looked at Seonghyun and spoke.

“Kekeke, you must have many questions for us.”

As she said that, he was about to listen quietly.

The ancestral souls behind the old woman chattered away.

-Aigoo! I hate seeing her pretend to know everything, so annoying.

-Noble person, just tell her you know everything!

-Oh, it hurts my eyes to have to watch this.

Since they were saying all that.

Seonghyun nodded as if he understood and said.

“No, the souls of your ancestors have told me everything.”

“...What did you say???”

At Seonghyun's words, the old woman looked at him, somewhat bewildered.

And soon, she frowned, a little displeased.

She wondered if he was just saying sweet words because she was a shaman.

Even though she felt the power of a monarch and a mysterious force.

In the end, wasn't he an outsider?

But the souls of the ancestors told him?

Even she herself couldn't understand what the souls of the ancestors were saying.

If you're going to lie, you should at least make it believable.

Why doesn't he know that this will only fuel her discontent.

‘Hmph, you have to hide the lie within the truth.’

The old woman looked at Seonghyun with displeasure.

Thinking she should tease him a bit.

She would test him to see how much he knew.

The moment she was about to speak with that intention.

“I already heard from Taukhan that your village was completely taken by the demon tribe. You'd probably be skeptical even if I said the ancestors told me. As for how you came to this shantytown, after the first attack, the great shaman managed to bind the demon tribe with the power of nature, and you barely escaped.”

“...???”

How does he know that?

The old woman was so momentarily bewildered that she couldn't say anything, her mouth just hung open.

And looking at the old woman, Seonghyun continued.

“To tell you a little more, when the previous great shaman inherited the position, she cried her eyes out saying she didn't want to and that she wanted to get marri...”

“S-stop! I, I believe you!!!”

“Ah?”

“I, I really believe you. I'm afraid someone else will hear, so p-please stop.”

Even as she said that, there was still a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

“Shall I also tell you what the great shaman before that one answered?”

“...W-what was it?”

“With your face, marriage is...”

“S-stop! I-I get it. I believe you.”

As Seonghyun spoke without missing a single word.

The old woman raised both hands and feet in surrender.

No, how could this be.

At first, she was embarrassed and startled.

“Hooo. To think you can hear the stories of the ancestral souls...”

Now she muttered as if she truly couldn't believe it.

She wanted to somehow hear the stories from the ancestral souls and wisely perform her shamanism based on those stories.

To think this outsider monarch could do what she could not achieve.

She was a bit jealous.

But more than that, she looked at Seonghyun with a bit of fear for his great power.

On the other hand, Seonghyun.

After talking with the great shaman like that.

[You have cleared the scenario quest, 『The Village of the Natives』.]

[You acquire the rewards.]

[The scenario quest, 『The Shantytown of Heptarion』 is generated.]

He checked the new quest and was satisfied.

The more the quests continued, the higher the probability of reaching the demon tribe.

Now that today was over, two days had passed.

Time was getting more pressing, but Seonghyun looked completely at ease.

If he had found the natives.

The story was as good as done.

If the natives hadn't all disappeared.

The demon tribe would need the natives to procure materials.

Which means.

‘The culprit always reveals themselves again.’

A demon was sure to come here.

And that demon was probably.

‘The demon working at the magic tower.’

Then the tail would be caught.

Seonghyun thought so and smiled.

This seemed like it would be easier to set a trap than he thought.

7.

Heptarion at midnight.

The inside of the city, where knights roamed the streets checking for suspicious individuals, had a rather tense atmosphere.

And in that dark city, a shadow moved swiftly across the rooftops, as if grumbling.

‘If it weren't for the Sword Saint's wanted notice, I could have moved more easily.’

The being darting across the rooftops was none other than the demon who had infiltrated the city.

The other guys had to work, so they were very busy right now.

So it was only natural that he, who was undercover in the city, had to do this job, but it was quite annoying.

No matter if they were humans, they were knights of the Rieskan Kingdom.

Each one was quite skilled, so the demon also had to be more careful, as he could be spotted if he roamed around carelessly.

The reason the demon was moving around was simple.

‘I heard that native bastards are roaming around the city.’

The story that there were such guys.

If he captured them and made them spill everything, he would be able to find out where the remaining natives were hiding.

That's why he was moving around like a shadow.

However, few humans knew where the natives who had come to live in the city were gathered.

But didn't he already have an idea?

‘They're just pathetic humans, yet they discriminate against each other. They must be living in that garbage dump-like place.’

Since they were natives who were discriminated against.

He judged that they must be living in the shantytown and headed there first.

While heading towards the shantytown.

The demon felt something was off and turned his head.

“...?”

There, a sword strike flew towards the demon.

The demon couldn't help but be startled by the slash, which seemed to contain the universe itself, full of stars.

‘What is this...!?’

His stealth and infiltration were perfect.

A sword aura flying at him so suddenly.

Had he been discovered by a knight?

With that thought, he raised his hand to block it.

But he quickly deflected the sword aura with the energy that seemed to burn his hand like the universe.

Chiiiiiii——!!!

The sword aura that soared into the sky disappeared into thin air, and in that moment, someone rushed towards the demon who had turned into a shadow.

A single knight, wearing the armband of the magic tower, came running.

It was a face the demon knew well.

And seeing that knight, the demon gnashed his teeth.

‘How on earth did he find me!?’

Unless he knew in advance that he would appear here, it wouldn't have been easy to find him.

But feeling the elemental energy from the guy that was his polar opposite.

‘He is my perfect counter.’

A knight with an extreme elemental advantage against demonic energy.

He thought that might be how he knew.

Also, it was clear that if he stayed like this, he would be attacked.

What should I do?

Should I run away?

But the Sword Saint is coming the day after tomorrow.

‘I-I need to gather the materials.’

While he was unable to do either because of that thought, in that moment, the knight rushed in, leaving a long tail in the air like a comet's tail.

Seeing that, the demon gnashed his teeth and thought to himself.

‘Damn it. First, I have to take care of that guy.’

He was sure to be the biggest obstacle in gathering the materials.

However, it wasn't easy to stop him here.

If there was even a little commotion, other knights would surely rush in, and they would definitely side with the knight who had revealed his identity.

That absolutely could not happen.

With that thought, the demon quickly enveloped himself in demonic energy and tried to use teleportation to disappear from the spot.

He had to retreat for now.

But in that moment.

A light like starlight that flashed and rose was shot to a single point.

The demon's shoulder was pierced by the sword in that instant.

Puuuuk——!!!

“Kuaaaak!!!”

He screamed in agony.

It's alright.

The teleportation was complete, and the demon disappeared from the spot in an instant.

And Seonghyun, who had missed the demon, smiled and looked at the spot.

A place where ashen blood, not red blood, was dripping.

Looking at it, he muttered as if he knew this would happen.

“I knew you'd come.”

He had thought that the date the Sword Saint was supposed to come wasn't just a limit for Seonghyun.

And he was right.

-With this, we can know for sure.

“Yeah. This has gotten interesting.”

While Seonghyun and Helena were talking like that on the roof.

The demon, who had moved to the magic tower, gnashed his teeth and treated his bloody wound in his research lab.

‘That new escort knight bastard…’

Normally, he would have just left him alone, worried that it would be strange if a new recruit suddenly disappeared.

But he had to kill him somehow.

The demon gnashed his teeth and waited for tomorrow to come.

I'll kill you no matter what.

However.

‘I can't do it alone.’

He thought he had to take him to where his comrades were.

8.

The next day.

Just like any other day, Seonghyun went to work at the magic tower.

However, if there was one thing different from usual.

“Hey Yoosung, the captain is looking for you.”

“Yes, I understand.”

He was summoned as soon as he arrived at work.

Such a thing hadn't happened for a few days, but Seonghyun didn't think much of it.

No, rather.

‘As expected.’

Wondering what it would be like, Seonghyun headed to the captain's office as soon as he arrived at work, in response to the escort knight captain's summons.

When he arrived at the captain's office.

Surprisingly, there was no one in the captain's office other than the captain himself.

Isn't this what he expected?

As Seonghyun thought that and looked at the captain.

The captain looked at Seonghyun and said.

“Ah, it's nothing much, just that there's an escort mission today as well.”

“Is that so?”

As expected.

Seonghyun thought so and nodded as if he understood.

Then the captain looked at Seonghyun and said.

“Today's person is a bit strict, so you'll have to serve him well.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The moment Seonghyun replied.

The door to the captain's office opened and the captain introduced the person who entered.

“This is Mage Edian.”

A man named Edian, who gave off a gloomy atmosphere.

And Seonghyun looked at him and greeted him.

“I'll be in your care.”

And looking at Edian, Seonghyun thought.

‘Found you.’