The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

48 – EP4: Crossroads of Life and Death

The Empire is relentless. It’s safe to say it’s downright ruthless.

For some reason, there’s no measure one can take to evade the Empire’s pursuit that provides any peace of mind.

Peria knew this fact well, and Angel was no different.

Even as they rode in the carriage, they remained on edge.

And then, the riders on horseback began to appear.

Once again, knights whose affiliations were not readily apparent, but with one crucial difference – they exuded an unmistakable air of hostility.

Angel threw a fireball at them the moment they came into view.

Not to hit them directly, but to obstruct their path.

However, the riders leaped over the wall of flames without hesitation.

“…These are quite tough individuals,” Angel remarked, drawing his bow.

Peria began to chant a spell.

Soon, a wall of earth blocked the path of the riders, and as they circled around it, Angel shot an arrow at their throats.

“Ugh!”

One of them fell.

Angel estimated the number of enemies. There were roughly six left.

How to deal with them all at once…

Angel conjured an ice wall. It was thin, so the knights easily shattered it with their swords, but as soon as they did, it turned into water.

“What….”

And in that moment, Angel unleashed lightning at the enemies.

The moisture floating in the air instantly spread lightning around, and soon all the knights were electrocuted.

“Oh, did you apply magic with alcohol? Impressive.”

Peria chuckled and patted his back. Peria had hoped to teach Angel how to improve his magic using alcohol.

However, even though the dust settled, the knights remained unharmed. The reason was simple. The armor they were wearing was made of material that didn’t conduct electricity.

“Well, this is quite perplexing.”

But the words were cut off. It was because their saddles were filled and there were iron fragments on their reins and the like.

“Now, this is the real deal.”

Those knights had strengthened their own bodies enough to not fall behind the horses. They had only been riding horses for the sake of stamina, and now that options disappeared, it was certain that they would chase after Angel and Peria in the carriage with even greater force.

The knights started to charge.

They gradually closed in on the carriage, moving faster than the carriage itself, and no matter how much Angel shot arrows, they easily dodged them.

“This is frustrating!”

Peria hurled magic at them. It was not elemental magic like fire or lightning. It was just magic meant to deliver pure shock, and the knights stumbled as they rushed forward.

However, they quickly got back up and resumed their charge.

Angel thought of a way to stop them.

Angel bit his lips and began casting magic.

A sandstorm began to blow.

The sandstorm scattered sand dust onto their armor, and they felt sand getting stuck in the joints of their armor, furrowing their brows inside their helmets.

Angel felt his own magical power almost running out.

And when Peria pitched in, the burden lessened.

The sandstorm grew fiercer and heavier.

Angel felt his magical power running out and withdrew the magic.

“Alright, since I’ll send the sandstorm, you keep them in check!”

Peria shouted, and Angel shot arrows at the knights as she said.

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The knights rolled their bodies to avoid the arrows. It was evidence that their bodies had become dull.

And as the rolling knights’ armor was penetrated by more sand, it began to weigh them down.

They felt their bodies growing heavier.

And to make up for it, they had to use more magical power, and when they came to their senses, they realized that their magical power was already running out.

And when their magical power ran out, they could no longer move.

Ainzel smiled.

“Alright, just keep running like this.”

Finally, they left the capital.

The place they went to was a canyon known for having many monsters. Sepil Canyon was difficult for humans to approach due to the numerous monsters and harsh environment, so they judged it to be a suitable hiding place for them.

Peria dug a cave and set up a workshop. Since she used magic, the process of setting up the workshop ended quickly. And as soon as Peria finished setting up the workshop, she started investigating the ring she possessed.

“Did you find anything?”

Ainzel asked Peria.

Peria shook her head.

“No matter how much I investigate, I find nothing about the ring engraved with a phoenix.”

Peria closed the research books. No matter how much she searched, it was just a story she already knew, and nothing new came up.

“…Is there any way to investigate what this is using magic?”

“Well… like emotion magic?”

Emotion magic was a type of magic that examined the magic power contained in an object to find out about the object, but it did not reveal the history of the object.

“It would be nice if there was magic that revealed the history of an object.”

When Ainzel spoke, Peria began to look through her master’s research records.

And she took out a certain parchment, causing her body to tremble.

“Jackpot.”

At the sound that came out of Peria’s mouth, Ainzel raised her eyebrows.

“What is it?”

When Ainzel examined it, Peria handed her the parchment.

Ainzel furrowed her brow.

“…What is this?”

Ainzel still didn’t have the ability to decipher magic through research journals.

Peria sighed and opened her mouth.

“Ugh, you are useless even after I teach you. This is the deciphering magic.”

Ainzel shrugged her shoulders. Then Peria began to explain.

“It’s a magic that reveals hidden records inside an object.”

Ainzel understood why Peria was surprised upon hearing those words.

“What if there are no hidden records inside the object?”

“Well, if there are no hidden records inside the object, is there really a need to aim for it? And at least it’s worth a try, right?”

Peria began to recite the incantation.

The ruby eyes of the Phoenix started to shine.

Peria smiled faintly and finished reciting the incantation in a low voice. The characters began to appear from the Phoenix’s eyes.

To the young Phoenix, infinite glory. To the young Phoenix, the blessings of the future. To the young Phoenix, the will of the heavens. From the summit of Tekamuel.

“It’s here!”

Peria hastily transcribed the characters onto a piece of paper, and they vanished shortly thereafter.

Having written down the characters, Peria tilted her head in confusion.

“Young Phoenix? Tekamuel?”

Ironically, she had found a clue but had no idea of its significance. Even the Angel was in the same predicament.

Understanding the concept of the young Phoenix was manageable, considering that it was likely connected to the motto of the ancient empire. But Tekamuel? It was an unfamiliar name.

Grumbling, Peria once again delved into her research books, searching for information on Tekamuel.

However, she couldn’t find any clues, and a whole month passed.

The Angel gazed down into the gorge.

Without any leads, he felt regret for just hiding and sensed the vitality of the swaying grass in the wind, lamenting his own inaction.

He bit his lip.

Monsters came charging as usual today, and he effortlessly dealt with them, as if it were second nature. But the tightness in his chest remained.

Was it right to keep wasting time like this? That thought gnawed at his mind.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to suggest returning to the capital.

He didn’t want to let go of this rare moment of peace. He wasn’t afraid of death, but losing himself scared him.

He still didn’t want to let go of himself while feeling that he shouldn’t waste any more time.

The Angel finally made up his mind.

It wouldn’t make sense not to do what he wanted to do.

So, he decided to bring up the idea of returning to the capital to rescue Peria once more.

As they entered the cave, Peria approached the Angel and said, “We should go back to the capital.”

The Angel was taken aback. Not only had she beaten him to the punch, but he also couldn’t fathom the reason behind her sudden proposal.

“Why?”

Angel asked.

“Because we can’t find out anything this way.”

Peria took a deep breath.

“I was foolish. I believed that I could find a way to avoid immediate threats from such a remote place. You, you said you have the ability to go back to the past if you die, right?”

Angel nodded.

“Well then, you should know too. The answer is always hidden within danger. That’s why the battle between the Lich King and Grandis happened, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“So, that’s why. That’s why I am facing the threat directly. I know it’s dangerous… but there’s no other way. You said you would help me even if it means dying?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. There’s just no safe way for me to find the solution. I need to pass on the threat to you in order to find the answer. You already killed knights to help me, and you might have a high chance of dying too. But if you can really save me… help me. Fight with me.”

Angel smiled.

“Yeah.”