C532
"Wow~! She was your daughter? Hahaha!"
Pale burst into laughter, slapping Lucas' back so hard it almost knocked him over.
"I told you to tell me earlier!"
"You didn't even give me the chance!"
"And besides, adopted! I thought... Hehehe."
"......"
Is it okay because she's an adopted daughter?
Lucas suppressed an inner growl. If he had known this was going to happen, he would have been honest from the beginning. He began to understand Residue's irritation.
[...It's not because of that. Idiot. You're wrong again.]
Residue muttered again, but Lucas ignored the complaint and turned to Pale.
"...Anyway, I've explained my situation and my request to you. Can you help me?"
"Hmmmmm."
Pale changed her expression and she delved into her thoughts. She played with her fishing rod for a while before responding.
"I could help you, but that means I'll have to part with Lucas for a while, right?"
"That's right."
"Hmmmmm."
Her face wrinkled in a look of disgust.
"And what are you going to do in the meantime, Lucas?"
"I'm going to Magic Planet."
He couldn't keep postponing things. He had a feeling that if he delayed any longer, whether it was to go with Sedi or to resolve any other matter, he wouldn't uncover the Beginning Wizard's secret in this lifetime.
However, that wasn't the answer Pale was expecting. Her expression slightly darkened.
"Why are you going there?"
"I have to meet the Beginning Wizard. His identity concerns me."
"Just for that?"
"It's an important matter to me."
Lucas looked at her and then asked:
"Do you know anything about him?"
Being the Blue Knight, Pale probably had a deeper knowledge of the Twelve Void Lords.
She glanced away towards the stream and responded casually:
"The most arrogant Wizard, a being against whom even the Knights cannot guarantee victory under certain conditions and circumstances, and the leader of the Twelve Void Lords."
"The leader of the Twelve Void Lords?"
"Yes, the Beginning Wizard is the one who oversees the Void Meets that are occasionally held."
That wasn't the first time Lucas had heard about it.
─It's a special meeting attended by the Twelve Void Lords, the 4 Knights, and even the Void King. It's uncertain if they'll all attend, but the scale itself is unprecedented, isn't it?
The voice echoing in his memory was Sedi's. Indeed, she had provided him with some data about the Beginning Wizard at that time. Lucas recalled those memories one by one.
"Isn't his existence too prominent even among the Twelve Void Lords? He leads a meeting attended by the 4 Knights and the Void King, and to some extent can control the independent Twelve Void Lords without having his own territory. That's..."
"It seems beyond the authority a single Void Lord should have, isn't it?"
Lucas nodded.
Pale's expression also became slightly more serious.
"I'm just saying what I've heard."
Her face, looking towards the stream, clouded for a moment. Pale spoke with a melancholic tone.
"The Void King said it. The Beginning Wizard is a being who has existed since the creation of this place. It's also said that he owns the largest Library that exists in this land."
"...Library."
In that instant, the image of the Void Records flashed through Lucas' mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It would be too improbable a connection. A being from the Void World couldn't access the Void Records.
And Pale remained silent for a moment.
Lucas looked at the motionless fishing rod. The moment she came to the conclusion that there were no fish in this place, Pale opened her mouth.
"To be honest, I want to stop you from going. It's too dangerous to go alone to Magic Planet."
"Do you mean I can't face the Beginning Wizard alone?"
"That's true, but it's a little more complicated than that. It's not as simple as you being weak or anything like that. The important things are these two: 'alone' and 'to Magic Planet'."
"...?"
It was a statement he didn't fully understand.
"Against the Beginning Wizard, you need someone trustworthy by your side. That's one of the safest ways to avoid the 'situations' he designs."
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"In simple terms, in Magic Planet, in a 'one-on-one' situation, the Beginning Wizard is invincible."
Lucas was shocked. Not the strongest, but invincible. In other words, the Blue Knight Pale was saying that the Beginning Wizard had no rival.
"...How is that possible?"
"Well, it's easier to understand it as a law. If you delve too deep, it'll just give you a headache."
"......"
Pale knew this, which is why she had advised him to always be accompanied by at least one trusted being.
'It wasn't because of the White Knight.'
Pale muttered with a sigh.
"It would be safer if the two of us went together, but... hmm..."
"Should I wait until you return from Demoncio?"
"That would be the best option, is that okay with you? It will take some time."
"How much time?"
"Hmm. Maybe about a hundred times the sky changes color? Or even more."
It was a much longer time than Lucas had expected.
"It seems getting rid of a Ruler isn't an easy task..."
"Eh? No, that's not the problem. It's because of Elle that it's taking time."
"The Red Knight?"
"Yes. She's a difficult person to deal with in many ways..." (Note: It's now known that the Red Knight is a woman)
Pale cut off the sentence and changed the subject.
"Anyway, if we don't have time to waste, we'll have to act separately."
"Do you accept my request?"
"I told you from the beginning."
Lucas smiled weakly seeing her smiling face.
"Thank you. You've lifted a weight off my shoulders."
"No problem~ No problem~ I also have something to gain."
"Gain something?"
Of course, if there was something he could give Pale, he would, but right now he had nothing.
Pale didn't respond and chuckled discreetly.
"Promise me one thing. That you'll never go alone to Magic Planet."
"I promise."
"Alright. Then..."
She rose from her seat and began to stretch as if she were releasing her stiff body.
"What are you doing?"
"Elle is in the Snowy Earth, right? I'd like to do some stretching before we leave."
Lucas was surprised.
"Are you leaving right now?"
"You're in a hurry, aren't you?"
Pale smiled and descended from the rock.
Lucas once again felt grateful, but since he had already thanked her a moment ago, he held back.
"...Be careful."
"You too, Lucas. Oh, I almost forgot."
Pale, who was about to leave, turned her head with a smile and waved her hand. It seemed like she had something to say. Lucas approached her by descending from the rock, and in an instant, Pale's face came close quickly.
"!"
At a distance where even her whispers could be heard clearly,
Pale smiled where her breath touched him.
"Can you guess why I was upset earlier?"
Is she referring to when I hid the Sedi thing?
"For trying to deceive you?"
"Hahaha. Look. I thought you wouldn't notice. As always, Lucas is a bit dull."
Pale chuckled discreetly.
"You're clumsy in unexpected places and have a clumsy side. That's also attractive, but I don't like it when you misinterpret my intentions. I..."
I don't know what she means.
As if reading Lucas's thoughts, Pale said with a clear voice:
"I was jealous."
Lucas was shocked.
"Of a woman with the last name Traumen, whom you called a loved one, I was troubled by the thought that maybe that person was the one you loved the most. It made me anxious and angry."
Pale's voice gradually calmed down.
"I, until now, have lived eating whatever I wanted."
Her blue eyes showed. A deeper smile was also seen. She not only smiled, but her white teeth became visible in a radiant smile.
"─So I don't feel satisfied."
What happened next happened in an instant. There was no time to react. It was the sharpest surprise attack Lucas had experienced.
"──."
Pale, who had suddenly approached, slowly withdrew as she retreated.
However, it wasn't just her face that came close and then moved away.
"......"
Lucas was paralyzed by the moist sensation on his skin. Literally, his whole body froze. Even his brain, which never stopped thinking in any situation, stopped functioning.
And Pale, a few steps away, licked her lips and smiled like a little devil.
"I'll take this as payment for the errand."
"......"
"Ah! I feel full of energy. I feel full of determination! I feel like I can do anything right now!"
"......"
"Then I'll go first! See you later, Lucas!"
Instantly changing her atmosphere to cheerful, laughing like a mischievous child, and even imitating the way of speaking she probably learned from the Miglings,
Pale left Mount Hua lightly.
And Lucas...
"......"
He stood there stunned, then collapsed in place as if crumbling. Still dazed and not understanding the situation, his hands moved instinctively to cover his face.
[Yes. She has chosen the most effective strategy for a wooden guy like you. Caballero Azul, you're definitely someone to watch out for.]
A mocking laughter echoed in his mind
"......"
[Are you overwhelmed? Poor bastard.]
Residue burst into laughter.
----------------------------
Anyway, to go to Magic Planet, one more condition was added to the previous one.
Finding a trusted being.
Lucas was in a place to achieve his goal.
"......"
The Floating Cloud Pavilion, located at the peak of Mount Hua, quickly regained its original appearance.
Thanks to the strong insistence of the experts on Mount Hua, this place was rebuilt before any other.
Dozens of experts from the Mount Hua Sect hurried to the top of the restored mountain, and the Floating Cloud Pavilion was built in just half a day. The rebuilt buildings looked even larger than before.
Lucas was there waiting for Yang In-hyun. His purpose, of course, was to propose to him to accompany him to Magic Planet.
However, even at this point, Lucas was still hesitating.
Was it really the best choice to go with Yang In-hyun?
[There shouldn't be a more suitable candidate than the Everlasting Plum Sword. Among the people you can call right now, there's no one stronger than him, right?]
"Yes, there is."
[Who?]
"Lucid."
Residue fell silent for a moment and then nodded.
[You mean the Black Knight. But he should be with Diablo.]
"Now I know Diablo's goal. I've understood Lucid's modus operandi, so convincing him shouldn't be difficult."
[Hmm. Certainly... If you can attract the Black Knight, it would be an even greater force than the Everlasting Plum Sword.]
Although the power of the Black Knight Lucid is slightly inferior to that of the other Four Knights, he is still stronger than most of the Twelve Void Lords. Furthermore, at this moment, he was a much more reliable being than Yang In-hyun.
'The problem is we don't exactly know where he is right now.'
It seemed that after a while he would appear at the "Dump Site" where they once met, but Lucas didn't feel like going there right now.
Corpse Ghost's face, rotten after Pale's (more than a threat) threat, was still vividly engraved in his mind.
Then...
"Sorry for being late."
Yang In-hyun appeared. He had a slightly perplexed expression.
"Don't worry. It's okay. But what happened?"
"...Hmm. An unexpected guest came."
"An unexpected guest?"
In that case, it would be polite to postpone his matter.
Lucas stood up from his seat.
"Call me when you're done. I'll be downstairs."
"No, it's not necessary. In fact, I should be the one to give up the place."
"What do you mean?"
At that moment, a voice was heard.
"My business is with you, not with Yang In-hyun."
Lucas shuddered. He hadn't sensed any signal. It was a familiar voice, it wasn't difficult to know whose it was.
"Beginning Wizard."
Suddenly, like mist, he appeared behind Yang In-hyun.
A low laugh came from behind the distorted mask.
"Greetings, Lucas Traumen. I have come to know you."
Tags:
TGMRA (Novel)