Chapter 123 : Chapter 123

Chapter 123 - Not a Pushover

“Uhm, Forest Witch-nim. I've come to clean Hexa.”

“Right. And let me say it again, don't open the third drawer of the dresser on the left side of my room.”

“…You really think it's me.”

“Yes. The underwear thief.”

The Forest Witch divided her day into three parts: the Blue Volcano, Eclipse, and sleep.

While at Eclipse, Lubosch would visit and continue his cleaning as usual.

Of course, for him, the false accusation of being an underwear thief was dozens of times harder to bear than the cleaning itself.

To think that a proud agent of the family's Intelligence Department, specializing in blood relatives, was being framed as an underwear thief.

It was an outrageous matter.

“I will uncover the culprit someday.”

“Do as you please. Good work.”

The wooden doll, filled with the Forest Witch's consciousness, clattered away.

In truth, she knew as well.

‘I just forgot that I left it in Halsin’s room for a moment.’

Still, wasn't it fun?

Let's just leave it as it is.

Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, she finished her work at Hexa in the body of a wooden doll.

Now, the employees of Hexa were also doing their respective tasks, and the organization was running normally.

‘The act of teaching others. It’s quite fun.’

That Josephine from Bellir over there seemed to have found her aptitude as well.

Of course, Jubel's efforts had played a significant part in that.

Traveling all over the eastern region, he knew many people, and the acquaintances of his acquaintances were even more numerous.

Merchants knew best who had good skills and a knack for work.

The manpower gathered in this way was in the process of being reborn as new experts at the hands of specialists.

“It's about time to return to the volcano.”

It was time for the Construction General Manager to arrive, so she had to discuss the structures to be built on the Blue Volcano with him.

She heard that he was overjoyed at the news that the Land General Manager had been released.

And so, he was rushing here without any sleep.

In the current generation, all the buildings Millesdusk had erected and the land beneath them had passed through the hands of those two.

This time would be no different.

“I just have to move my mouth, so. Being an elder. It might be quite comfortable.”

Unaware that the other elders were buried under a workload that would soon lead to death by overwork.

The Forest Witch, who was inhaling a large amount of honey she was unaware of, lay down in the coffin that laid the wooden doll to rest.

It was now time to transfer her consciousness.

But she couldn't.

“…What is that.”

A sight that made her raise her waist joint was visible outside the window.

“Ghosts?”

Gray, legless ghosts.

Another commonality was that the ghosts, with their mouths grotesquely agape, were covering the night sky of Eclipse.

“This doesn't look good.”

Contrary to her words, her tone was surprisingly calm.

The Forest Witch, regardless of the sky, sat back down in the coffin.

Kwoong─!

But the cleaner burst through the door faster than that.

“F-Forest Witch-nim!”

“What is it. I have to go. Or are you after my underwear again.”

“N-no, that's not it! The, the sky! Didn't you see the sky?!”

“I saw it.”

“But…! Hoo….”

But where are you going?

The words came up to his Adam's apple, but he suppressed them and approached the coffin.

“Please help. This is clearly an invasion by the Young Ladies.”

“Didn't the Fourth Son or whatever block them well last time.”

“Last time, it was merely at the level of a poke. But this time, it's too obvious that they are serious. There are too many of them!”

As someone who had learned Spirit Sorcery, he could tell.

“Those are Gluttonous Ghouls. Their main food is magic power and yin energy. They're trying to drain the land's power as much as possible before the Young Ladies themselves enter.”

“The President must know that too.”

“…Pardon?”

The Forest Witch took off her hat and lay in the coffin, placing her hands on her stomach.

“Remember. Underwear thief.”

And she left her final words before withdrawing her consciousness.

“When the master of the house leaves the house, it's because it's well-guarded enough for them to leave. And from what I see, that includes you.”

The wooden doll's stiff hand patted the head of the still-young talent.

The one everyone calls a porter, but is not a porter.

“Good work. Underwear thief.”

The power slowly drained from the wooden doll.

He naturally stroked the head where the stiff sensation had touched.

“…I told you I'm not a thief.”

He put down the mop he had brought.

It seemed he would have to do his real job today.

***

The Forest Witch, having regained her consciousness, returned to the Blue Volcano.

As soon as she did, she looked for the President, but all she could see at the site was the merchant.

“The President is.”

“He was taken away and has not yet returned. It seems the conversation is taking quite a while.”

“Hmm.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“The Second and Third Daughters have invaded Eclipse.”

Jubel's actions paused.

His eyes, which had been looking at payment documents as always, turned to the Forest Witch.

“Is it a dangerous level?”

“They seem serious.”

Jubel rested his chin on his hand.

“They must have predicted that the Son-nim would receive a great punishment and struck the now-empty Eclipse.”

But his worries were brief; he quickly figured out what he had to do.

“I should not get ahead of myself.”

“Right. I suppose so.”

This was a family business site, and the one attacked was the direct blood relative, the Fifth Son.

Regardless of what happened to the person in charge, the business had to continue.

So, in the extremely mundane and normal situation of a blood relative being attacked by another blood relative.

There was no need for the underlings to get ahead of themselves and run wild.

That would be an act of overstepping their authority.

Officially, no one here was the Fifth Son's subordinate, so there was no justification to act beyond the scope of the business.

“The Construction General Manager-nim should have arrived in Mariella by now. Please go and meet him.”

“I will.”

“Since the Forest Witch-nim has laid out the entire framework of the building. The work will proceed quickly.”

So, all that was needed was for the Youngest Son to return quickly.

But the two of them did not know.

The attacking Young Ladies did not know either.

That the master of the house, the Youngest Son, was intentionally being late.

***

The Head Maid and the Butler.

The managers of Eclipse looked up at the sky from the summit.

The Head Maid, too, knew of the dozens of big-mouthed ghosts floating in the sky.

“They are Gluttonous Ghouls. They suck up yin energy and magic power.”

“Ehh. It seems so. They're munching away quite well.”

But the amount was not large.

To be precise, the amount of yin energy accumulated in Eclipse was astronomically large.

The years accumulated here were too great to be intimidated by a few dozen.

The yin energy was safe, but the Gluttonous Ghouls, as if they already knew, targeted the supply.

“Over there. The lights lit by magitech are slowly going out.”

“Hmm! At this rate, the walls will be a problem too.”

“The Gluttonous Ghouls must have been a magitech defensive countermeasure. A smart idea.”

“Are the humans who came last time planning to appear when the stage is set?”

“Yes. Until then, it seems they intend to settle things with the Gluttonous Ghouls and… that.”

Another ghost in a uniform descended among the spirits.

Unlike the rabble flying about chaotically, it seemed full of reason.

I knew its identity.

“…Ghost Butler Whisper.”

“Head Maid-nim, do you know him?”

“He is a famous person. A man who died of his own accord to prove his loyalty to his master and offered even his soul.”

They say he was almost recommended as an elder before he died, but.

“What a madman!”

A loyalty that gave even his soul was, literally, not normal.

The ghost butler, who had been defined in a single phrase, shouted down to the ground.

─Resistance means only death. You who desire life. Leave this place at once.

Drrrrrrk.

A translucent, grayish-blue chain flowed down from the ghost's back.

Soon, the end of the chain swelled, stretched, and grew, repeating the process until it gradually took the form of a ghost.

The spirit wielded by a spirit, the spirit connected by a chain, numbered five, each holding their own weapon.

War hammers, greatscythes, greatswords, double-bladed axes─all looked vicious.

But this boy here.

[Intruder.]

Came from a far more vicious place.

[Do not speak lightly of life after stepping into the demonic realm of your own accord.]

Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaa─

A dark purple flame shot up along the walls in succession.

The barrier of hellfire heated the air but lowered the temperature, and while lowering body heat, it burned the ghost.

[You motley crew with one foot in death. To think you'd swagger around with things that can't even be used as toothpicks.]

A black something that had appeared at the top of Eclipse at some point.

Its large goat horns soared even higher towards the sky, and its once fluffy hair fell in long strands.

Its skin, as hard and rough as stone, was as massive as its body.

A voice echoing from the other side of hell resounded through the sky.

[Welcome to hell.]

Kuuuwoooong─!!

Demon Amon soared into the air.

The Head Maid, left alone, turned away from the clash of monsters and went down to the main gate.

The Gatekeeper, wrapping his hands in bandages, glanced at her.

“Are you planning to fight too?”

“The Head Maid is not a combatant.”

“That porter fellow was leading the dolls and finding his position.”

“Because he is ‘multi-purpose.’”

“……”

The Gatekeeper shook his head and changed the question.

“Let me ask just one thing. Does the Fifth Son know of this situation? No, is he even coming back?”

“Act according to your own judgment.”

“…What did you say.”

“If you think he will return, draw your sword and lead the Royal Guard. If you think he will not, then flee.”

“……”

The Head Maid left the silent Gatekeeper and turned away.

“I will go and do my duty.”

“…Where are you going.”

“What can a Head Maid do? I must brew some tea that the Son-nim can enjoy when he returns.”

“……”

“Well then.”

The two parted ways.

Clang─

The Gatekeeper drew his single-edged greatsword.

Perhaps because it was a new bandage, it fit perfectly with the hilt, and the grip felt superb.

Moreover, this sword was not ordinary.

The blade, forged by a demon, could cut not only flesh but also those translucent things.

“I’ve cut down those who wield ghosts, but this is my first time cutting down a ghost itself.”

Then isn't this an opportunity?

Whether that guy returns or not, the chance to slice up a ghost might be the last one I get.

“I can't miss that.”

He spread his membranous wings to the left and right.

The target was the other spirits that were now stealthily lowering their toes below the clouds.

They weren't as strong as that Ghost Butler, but they were still powerful spirits.

“I heard the Second and Third Daughter-nims only use ghosts instead of people. Was that true?”

In the past, the two Young Ladies had attracted a great deal of attention, as was usual for blood relatives.

They were those who wanted to stand in the Young Ladies' camp, vowing to offer themselves.

And the Second and Third Daughters did not stop such people.

However, they did not let them breathe either.

They turn them into their own spirits, bind them to their souls, and make them their servants.

“Is that what happens if I lose?”

It was not a very appealing end.

To avoid that end, he chose to draw his sword instead of fleeing.

In the first place, the option to flee did not exist.

That cunning woman knew that and had deliberately thrown out such an option.

“If there's something blocking your path, it's better to go around than to flee, and better to break it than to go around.”

The Gatekeeper's creed was as firm as ever today.

Whoosh─!

Another demon soared into the sky.

He went with the thought of leaving the ground to the multi-purpose one.

Thududududududung─

The ninety-nine Royal Guards leaped through the dark purple flames and joined him on the left and right.

The Captain of the Royal Guard commanded.

“Limitless Sword Formation. Deploy.”

The 99 demons were made of yin energy.

Like clay, it was up to him how much to take and how much to make.

Of course, since that clay was yin energy, even if a demon granted the authority, there were limits for a human.

There certainly should have been.

“If you can see a sword, handle it yourself.”

He moved his wings with words uttered out of habit.

100 swordsmen swing their swords once for 100 slashes.

They swing their swords twice for 200 slashes.

This, which had turned the Limitless Sword into a formation, was like a group curse sorcery used by dozens of sorcerers gathered together.

If sorcerers could do it, couldn't a Cursed Knight do it too?

The knight, who had practically lived on the front lines, thought so, and his thoughts became reality.

And that was once again realized today with the demon's sword.

Swishswishswishswishswish─!!

A hundred blades that could even cut down ghosts chaotically embroidered the sky.

But it was then that he felt something was wrong.

─Bind. Scatter. ‘Soul Shackles.’

The ghosts, which had been cut to pieces and were falling, shone with a blue light.

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