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Chapter 288: The Primordial Evil (3)

There was one week left until the expedition members from the Church and the Heavenly Sword Clan were to gather.

Oscar went to seek advice from Edna.

‘If anyone would know something about Belpher, it’d be her.’

Following the trail of mana, he arrived at the library.

Edna was there, reading through a mountain of books stacked beside her.

Her body still that of a child, her legs dangled off the chair, not touching the floor.

“Long time no see, Edna.”

“……”

He sat across from her, but there was no reply.

It was dawn, so the library was empty.

To get her attention, Oscar tapped lightly on the desk.

“Edna?”

“I hear you.”

“I thought you were too focused to notice. What’s with the early morning reading?”

“I’m catching up on the information I’ve missed over the past twenty-one years.”

“……You mean all day long?”

Oscar didn’t realize it, but Edna had already become a legend of the White Tower—

the cute girl who read dozens of books a day, twenty-four hours straight.

Every mage in the tower was curious about her.

“You sure you’re fine without sleeping?”

“I’ve slept more than enough for a lifetime already. Now state your business.”

Her tone was oddly cold.

Oscar scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“You’re… not mad at me, are you?”

“I am not. More importantly, I am a dragon. I can perfectly control my emotions.”

Whish! Whish!

Yet the sound of her turning pages was violent enough to contradict that claim.

“……You’re sure you’re not mad?”

“I already said I am not.”

Since she insisted, pressing further would be weird.

Oscar nodded casually and continued.

“All right. The truth is, I’m forming an expedition, and its goal is—”

“The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems.”

Thud!

Edna slammed her book shut and finally looked up.

Her eyes were burning with unmistakable fury.

“You said you were too busy last time but promised it wouldn’t happen again, didn’t you?”

“Uh, yeah…”

But he hadn’t exactly neglected her since then.

In a careful tone, Oscar asked,

“Did something happen? Before I left for the Black Tower, I asked Sasha and Lloyd to look after you.”

“Oscar, are you an idiot!?”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Edna pounded the desk with her palm, then quickly hid her hand underneath and rubbed it in pain.

“I’ve known them since they were babies. There’s no way I could make personal requests of them!”

“Well, I thought as a long-lived dragon, you wouldn’t care much. Humans must all look like children to you.”

“Of course not!”

Edna sighed deeply.

“With you, it’s different. You were already an adult when we met, and we became friends, so I can speak freely. But asking a human I’ve known since they were infants for a personal favor now… th-that’s honestly embarrassing.”

“……”

Didn’t she just say dragons perfectly control their emotions?

‘That control doesn’t seem to be working at all…’

Oscar wisely kept that thought to himself.

“So what kind of favor couldn’t you ask them?”

“……The mages.”

“The mages?”

“I just want to read quietly, but they keep coming to bother me—squealing that I’m cute and even asking if they can pat my head!”

Oscar could imagine the situation.

“Wouldn’t that be something Sasha or Lloyd could easily handle?”

“……And what if they start treating me like a child too?”

“Fair point.”

Her body might be small, but her pride as a noble dragon was intact.

She wanted to preserve her dignity.

Oscar nodded.

“All right. I’ll take care of it.”

“Especially the ones asking to pat my head—absolutely forbidden.”

“I’ll put up a sign at the library entrance if I have to.”

“Good.”

At last, her expression softened.

Oscar smiled slightly.

“But you know, even if you did ask them, they wouldn’t treat you like a child.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because they really respect you. They call you Miss Edna and treat you properly. They know you’re not just anyone—you’re their master’s friend. They’d never be careless with you.”

“……”

After a moment’s thought, she nodded slightly.

“I understand.”

“Then we’re good now, right?”

“Of course. Controlling emotions like this is nothing for a dragon.”

“……”

Oscar swallowed the words he wanted to say and asked instead,

“Late question, but… how’s your body?”

“Not bad. Peaceful.”

“And your mana recovery?”

“Smoothly. I’ve recovered about seven percent so far.”

“Only seven? Isn’t that a bit slow?”

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At his concern, she tilted her head.

“I am a dragon. My mana storage capacity is incomparable to a human’s. Even seven percent surpasses Sasha’s total mana.”

“Fair enough.”

As expected of a dragon.

Edna pushed the books aside with effort.

“Now then, tell me more about this expedition.”

“Right.”

When Oscar explained, she closed her eyes briefly.

“Hmm… Demon King Belpher… Demon King Belpher…”

Then she opened them again.

“I remember now. He was born 873 years ago, and by the end of his life, he had reached what would now be considered level nine.”

“No more details?”

“He isn’t well-documented. All that’s recorded is that he wielded a sword and used a distinctively evil power.”

“Hmm. Are we sure he’s dead?”

“According to the dragon who observed the event: after being pierced through the heart by the holy sword, he raged for seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds, killed every human present, and then his life signs ceased entirely. The dragons continued to check his body every ten years, and it remained dead each time.”

“……Completely insane.”

To rampage for seventeen minutes with a holy sword through his heart—

but thankfully, he was definitely dead.

Even the ten-year confirmations made the record credible.

“So retrieving the holy sword from that island shouldn’t be too dangerous, right?”

“No. Records say no living presence has ever been detected around the island.”

“And the aura of death? Still safe to approach?”

“At the time, approaching it would cause your flesh to rot, but that miasma has weakened over the centuries. With the Church’s holy magic, it’s entirely manageable now.”

Relieved by her assurance, Oscar finally relaxed.

“As expected of you, Edna. Always have the answers.”

“……Please don’t describe me like some magical device.”

They spent the rest of the time chatting.

* * *

A week later.

“Welcome.”

“Hmph……”

Knights of the Heavenly Sword Clan arrived at the base of the White Tower.

The Heavenly Sword himself looked up at the tower with a displeased frown.

“Just looking at it makes my neck hurt. Needlessly tall.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“……You really only hear what you want to hear.”

While the Heavenly Sword shook his head, Oscar exchanged glances with the Young Sword Lord behind him.

In just a week, the man looked noticeably healthier and more muscular.

Then, another group arrived—one perfectly matching the tower’s solemn air.

“El Sia! Seems we timed our arrival perfectly.”

“Archbishop Baldwin?”

Oscar’s eyes widened in surprise.

He hadn’t expected the Archbishop—who should be busy with church politics—to join in person.

As if reading his thoughts, Baldwin leaned close and whispered,

“I did some checking. There’s no real danger in this expedition. Wouldn’t it make a fine spectacle if the Archbishop personally reclaimed a sacred relic? Besides, it’ll boost my support rate.”

“Truly impressive, Your Grace.”

A priest obsessed with politics—truly terrifying.

Oscar glanced at both groups.

“Let’s go up. The Tower Master is waiting.”

Only a few key representatives entered the meeting room,

from the Heavenly Sword Clan, the Heavenly Sword himself and the Young Sword Lord;

from the Church, Archbishop Baldwin and a young, nameless paladin.

“Welcome to the White Tower.”

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

“……”

The ones greeting them were Sasha, the Tower Master; Hamel, the Deputy Master; and Lloyd.

The Heavenly Sword smirked, while Baldwin simply smiled in silence.

‘Two level-eights, huh. Still green, but impressive.’

‘No wonder the White Tower’s reputation has skyrocketed lately.’

Even the mages they’d passed on the way up were powerful.

With high-tier spells recently unsealed, the tower’s mages were learning like mad,

and their collective skill was soaring.

Still, both visitors shared one unspoken question,

‘Why is he here?’

‘Hmm, perhaps Oscar’s wealth and influence have made him indispensable.’

Oscar stood with the others as an equal.

“Haha, I’ve heard the White Tower’s fame is sky-high these days—and now I see why.”

“You flatter us, Your Grace. We’re simply grateful for your kind words.”

With Baldwin’s smooth diplomacy, the meeting went well.

The usual point of contention in such gatherings—division of spoils—was already neatly resolved.

“To summarize: all rewards from the expedition, except the holy sword itself, will be divided between the White Tower and the Heavenly Sword Clan at a 9:1 ratio. The Church will handle all official announcements, and the retrieved holy sword Itaca will be loaned to the Heavenly Sword Clan for thirty years free of charge. Correct?”

The Heavenly Sword and Baldwin both nodded.

“No objections.”

“A most elegant arrangement.”

“Then this concludes the meeting. Departure is set for tomorrow morning at exactly seven. Everyone, assemble on the 53rd floor before then.”

Sixteen hours remained until the launch of the Third Labyrinth Expedition.

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