Chapter 97: Great Stone Mountain, Mogron (7)

Silence flowed.

A deep, heavy, such silence.

However, the silence was truly like a fleeting moment, to the point I wondered if feeling the world had stopped was just an illusion.

Nevertheless, the reason I knew it wasn’t a simple illusion was that it was clear enough for everyone present to feel that something had drastically changed, starting from that moment.

“……Eum.”

Edric let out a low groan for a moment and looked at Albino’s back with a stiffly hardened expression.

It seemed Edric, too, had vaguely sensed the phenomenon that had just occurred here.

A demon had descended upon this place.

The absurd thing was that, excluding the contractor Albino, no one else could directly feel or perceive the demon’s existence.

They had only awkwardly noticed the time lag created after the demon’s descent and the remaining aftereffect.

“……White hair?”

Belatedly, Conlan, unable to hide his troubled look, carefully called out to Albino, but no reply came.

At that moment.

-Geuuuuuuuu!

Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, which had been standing still until now, began to move once again.

The effect of Eldran’s magic, which was already weakening, had completely ended.

Kung!

Kuung──!!

A massive vibration that changed the terrain just by moving, shook the place.

“Hey, Captain! It’s moving again!”

“Stay still.”

“Are you crazy? Are you saying we should all die here together?”

“That’s not it. Look over there.”

“What do you mean…….”

Edric did not act rashly.

That was probably because not only I, but Edric too, was unconsciously feeling it.

That Albino was going to do something.

And, as if he had been waiting, Albino, who had been standing still until now, slowly extended his hand towards Great Stone Mountain, Mogron.

“Go back.”

With the words that flowed from Albino’s moving lips, light that poured from Albino’s palm began to head towards Great Stone Mountain, Mogron.

The light that poured from Albino’s palm was brilliant, as if my vision would stop the moment I looked at it.

Yes, just like Eldran’s.

As soon as the pouring light wrapped around Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, its movements began to slowly stop.

The existence that had presented a disaster to its surroundings just by living and moving, had come to a halt.

-Geuuuuu…….

I knew what magic Albino had deployed.

The Magic of Pain.

Deceptive Welcome.

Just as its name implied, it was a magic that deceived all of an object’s senses, including sight, to show it a false illusion.

As if to prove the effect of such magic, Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, soon began to turn its massive body.

Gugugugugugu───!!!

Just by turning its body, an energy wave raged in the surroundings, and accordingly, the Orb of Water, sensing the threat to its wielder, deployed its autonomous defense.

[The ‘Orb of Water’ protects its wielder.]

[The ‘Orb of Water’ deploys ‘Rotating Shield of Water’.]

The waves deployed by the Orb of Water surged, and water spray splashed in all directions.

The scattering water droplets in all directions cleared, and the result revealed afterward was extremely clear.

-Geooooo…….

Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, which had been trying to trample everything in the area just a moment ago, began to return.

To the place it had come from.

To the deep-seated place of the Demonic Realm.

In that scenery, the most dazed one was, as expected, probably Conlan, who had usually stayed closest to Albino.

“Did he do it? Really? The magic that white-haired bastard possessed was on that level?”

It wasn’t unreasonable for Conlan to feel that way.

The magic Albino had deployed just now was on a completely different level from the light magic Albino usually used.

“He really did it.”

“……Amazing.”

Edric and Alicia also stared at the back of Great Stone Mountain, Mogron, with their mouths slightly open.

No one had expected Albino to deploy magic of that level.

‘However…….’

Great magic comes with a great price.

This meant that it wasn’t for nothing that I had always avoided contracts with demons, leaving aside the easy way.

“Damn it! That white-haired bastard, he could do it if he tried! And he was just playing it cool.”

Conlan, who didn’t know that fact, chuckled and approached Albino, who was standing still.

“Why are you standing there so stupidly—”

Conlan’s expression, as he grabbed Albino’s shoulder, stiffened.

“What? What’s wrong with this bastard?”

Albino’s eyes, soon revealed, were empty.

Not just his eyes, but the person Albino himself was as if he had become an empty-inside doll; Albino didn’t show the slightest movement.

“Hey, you! Snap out of it! Damn it! Vell! Why is this bastard in this state?”

So it ended up like this.

Unlike Eldran, who had his own understanding of contracts and prices and had prepared for a long time, Albino had deployed high-level magic by force, without being prepared for anything.

That was why, unlike Eldran, Albino had to receive the price for the magic entirely with his whole body.

As proof of that, when Eldran had used the magic, he had suffered, pouring blood from every orifice of his body, but from Albino now, no change whatsoever was visible on the outside.

At a glance, the price Albino was paying seemed much smaller, but I knew.

‘He made a contract with the demon of pain, and if that price is one that isn’t visible on the outside…….’

That Albino was now paying a massive price that couldn’t even be compared to the price Eldran had paid.

“Conlan! First, lay Albino down. How is his breathing, for now?”

Edric was the first to move.

“His breathing…… Ah, I think he’s breathing.”

“That’s a relief, at least.”

“A relief! Damn it, Captain. What happened? Why did this bastard end up like this?”

“It’s the price of the magic. Didn’t you see the magic Albino used just a moment ago?”

Conlan’s forehead wrinkled.

“No matter how much it’s magic, you’re saying a person ends up like this?”

“That is the price the contractor must pay. Regardless of whether the contracted partner is a demon or some other existence.”

Just like Conlan, those in this world who don’t know much about magic think of it as some kind of miracle.

However, magic is no miracle.

Powerful magic requires a fitting price.

This was the single absolute truth that held sway in this world.

“Damn it. Then what happens to the white-haired bastard now?”

“He’ll die if we leave him like this.”

At Edric’s words, Conlan’s and Alicia’s expressions stiffened.

“Is there no way?”

“Not for me. I don’t know much about magic in the first place.”

“If it’s someone who knows magic well…….”

Everyone’s gaze turned towards me.

“Is there a way?”

“Well.”

“An ambiguous answer. It’s a relief, if anything, that it sounds hopeful in this situation.”

“Don’t expect too much.”

“Hm, that’s problematic. I’m always expecting things from you, you see.”

“Sigh.”

Edric had placed a heavy burden on my shoulders, but even I couldn’t be sure whether I could return Albino to how he was.

‘Judging by Albino’s state, he must have had most of his senses themselves taken by the demon of pain as a price.’

That was why Albino was now in a state where he couldn’t feel or react to anything.

In short, a living prison.

Even though he must have known he would end up like this, I couldn’t understand why he had made such a choice.

At least, the Albino I knew was not a person who would ever choose to sacrifice himself.

‘Does this mean he changed?’

It was definitely not that a sense of responsibility as a soldier of Winter Castle Kreutz had formed in Albino.

If so, why?

That Albino made this choice.

‘I don’t know.’

I still couldn’t understand why Albino had made such a choice.

However, I thought I knew what I had to do now.

‘It will be too late after returning to Winter Castle.’

Even now, Albino’s vital activities were slowly stopping.

Because the creature called human is not a sturdy creature that can stay alive just by breathing.

Furthermore, it was even more so in the current situation where I couldn’t know what Albino had offered as a price.

It meant that if I were to save Albino, I had to do something right here, right now.

‘Albino is currently in a state of having been deprived of most of his senses as a price to the demon of pain.’

‘Given the nature of the demon of pain, if it’s me, I might be able to save Albino without a great price.’

‘If I weigh losing Albino forever against me taking a small risk…….’

The deliberation was not very long.

“Tsk.”

Perhaps, it wasn’t just Albino who had changed.

Seeing as I was about to make such a stupid choice.

I took out the Fang of Blazing Fire and slit my palm with it.

Chwak!

With the hot heat felt from my palm, blood flowed out as if it were leaking, due to Haima’s Curse.

Normally, the Orb of Water would have autonomously healed my body, but that didn’t happen because I had intentionally blocked the Orb of Water’s power.

“Hm. You…….”

Edric, seeing that, realized what I was about to do and let out a small groan.

“Will you be alright?”

“I have to be.”

“Don’t overdo it. I said I was expecting things from you, but I, too, know well that it’s a difficult task.”

“I’m glad you know.”

Conlan also looked at me and spoke.

“Hey, Vell. Can that white-haired bastard really return to how he was?”

“I have to make it so.”

“I’m asking you. He’s a good-for-nothing bastard, but we’ve eaten from the same pot, haven’t we.”

“I was going to do it even if you didn’t.”

Following the streams of blood that flowed down, a hexagram began to be drawn on the ground.

The preparations to call a demon were complete.

“Vell.”

When I had finally finished all preparations, Alicia looked at me with an unreadable expression.

“……Even so, isn’t there another way?”

I also knew why Alicia was saying such a thing.

But now was the time it had to be done.

“Well. Maybe so, but at least I don’t know it.”

If there had been another way, I would have done it long ago.

I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks either.

“But still……”

“Don’t worry, if I think it’s not right, I’ll bolt immediately. And more than anything.”

I smiled and added.

“That bastard Albino, I don’t know about a colleague, but he’s at least a comrade-in-arms we’ve fought with until now, isn’t he? If it weren’t for that bastard just a moment ago, we all would have died.”

Strictly speaking, before that, I would have declared the contract with the demon of pain instead of Albino.

And I would have paid the price in place of the one Albino paid.

That was why, for me, this current resolve was just a change in order; it was something I would have done anyway.

“……I can’t stop you.”

Alicia said in a voice that couldn’t hide her bitterness.

“Be careful.”

“It won’t take long.”

No, in this place’s time, it would probably be over in an instant.

‘That bastard Albino, what on earth…….’

In this world where I thought I was alone, another person had bet their life for me and for others.

Albino had said it.

That we were no longer alone.

Now was the time for me to deliver my answer to Albino’s words.

That was probably enough of a reason for me to move right now.

Drip, drip…….

Blood drops continued to fall from my palm.

At their end was the hexagram drawn with blood.

As long as Albino’s breath was still attached, it was no different from the demon still being here.

Because a demon always exists simultaneously where its contractor is.

That was why I looked at the hexagram drawn with blood and declared lowly.

“Contract declaration.”

Exactly, a contract with the demon.

“Ten Thousand Pains.”

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