「It seems some of you know about the ageing spell. I used to think that the kingdom folks were stupid people beyond help who forgot about their history, ignoring the spell that built the foundation of the world. They regulated sorcery, burned precious grimoires, and chose a monkey as sage. But it turns out some of you are rather knowledgeable.」
The golden apple and the skull then left the strange woman’s hands.
The two objects were floating in the air.
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As she clapped her hands, she looked at Kreuz with her wrinkled left eye and smooth right eye.
And yet, her face was as expressionless as ever.
「My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Thulenigo Reynoal. I’m the only one left of the Reynoal family. Although the ancestors of the Reynoal family were feared for their wisdom, their sorcery has been lost for more than two hundred years. That sorcery was the way to know God, and it was said to be able to protect the world when it was in peril. And yet, those foolish sorcerers from the church set fire to our house.」
The woman named Thulenigo spread her arms as she started reciting long passages of story in front of Lambert and Co.
Faced with an opponent so full of openings, Kreuz and Co. didn’t move at all.
The reason for this was that Lambert, who stood in front of them as the vanguard, had yet to make his move.
And the second reason was that they were filled with dread when looking at the tragic corpses of the children behind Thulenigo.
The black light from a while ago was most likely aging magic.
They instinctively knew that they would age like the children behind Thulenigo if they were hit by that black light.
「Its spread in the past was also handled really carefully with a gag order since it was extremely dangerous sorcery. Yes, just like what that man with a mithril helmet just said, this sorcery was researched by Regios Kingdom during the final stages of the Eight Countries Unification War. In the end, it never saw the light of day. No one knows the reason. Maybe they did that to keep face or simply because the war had ended before the research reached its completion.」
Again, Thulenigo picked up the golden apple and the skull floating in the air.
「Well, it turns out one of those savage swordsmen is quite well versed in the study of sorcery. Good job on realizing that this sorcery of mine is the legacy of the Eight Countries Unification War. Shall I overlook that man with a mithril helmet? I hate to do this, but I guess I have to keep you around for a while longer.」
「Don’t screw with me!」
Kreuz unsheathed his rapier and then pulled his arm backwards.
「…My bad, don’t you know that you’re too weak to the point that you can’t even negotiate with me? Despite how I look, after our leader and vice-leader, I’m the third strongest in 『Angel of Death』. The reason why I stood before you guys was to act as the gatekeeper. It’s disappointing, but it seems the other sorcerers have suffered defeat at your hands. Even the vice-leader is wary.」
Thulenigo then pointed her finger at Lambert and Co.
That movement alone was enough to force Kreuz and Co. to take a step back.
But Lambert was the only one who didn’t even flinch from the very beginning.
「Humph,」 Thulenigo muttered, blinking upon seeing Lambert’s state.
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「Although it seems like this is a fight of one versus many in a narrow passage, all of you are nothing more than specimens to me. You might think that you can run, but you won’t be able to escape from my sorcery.」
With the same tone as before, Thulenigo delivered a death sentence to Lambert and Co.
Kreuz and Co. gasped upon hearing that.
In fact, if not for the protection of Lambert, they knew that more than half of them might have perished due to the black light from before.
「…The ageing curse is the research of Belfis Kingdom, one of the eight kingdoms during the unification war. It’s not from Regios Kingdom.」
Lambert, who kept his silence until now, had finally muttered something.
Even the expressionless Thulenigo had her right eyelid twitch upon hearing that.
「Hmph, don’t you know that it’s actually a proposal to research a minor topic? But it’s also a fact that the proposal got approved. And the one that gave birth to this sorcery is a small research institution in a certain backwater territory in Regios Kingdom. This is also the truth. In the first place, I have already perfected this sorcery with my own hand…」
Thulenigo shut her eyes as she started to play with the golden apple in her right hand.
「Wrong. Aging sorcery is the research theme of a Belfis Kingdom alchemist named Ponigus. His research institute and his book should’ve been burned to ashes. His staff members were supposed to be imprisoned too, but… it seems some managed to slip out. However, I have no idea how that curse was transmitted from inside the prison in Regios Kingdom to outside. In any case, it’s a fact—THAT CURSE didn’t ORIGINATE from Regios Kingdom.」
Lambert spoke with a rather melancholic voice.
Although the peaceful era came after the unification war, the rapid progress during the war era gave birth to deadly sorceries that killed many innocents in the peaceful era. This fact had been haunting Regios Kingdom for a really long time.
And the members of 『Devil’s Piper』 were the main culprits behind most of the incidents.
「…Hehe, interesting. This is the first time I heard about this. But too much information control limited the number of sorceries. Although such possibilities exist, everything that pointed to that evidence has already been burned to ashes. On top of that, the gag order has made this matter vaguer and vaguer. I don’t know what’s the basis for your assumption, but you’re truly well-informed. What a fruitful conversation. Maybe I shall allow you to live for that.」
With her eyes wide open, Thulenigo revealed an ominous smile.
「I guess the previous person will die alongside the others.」
「Nope, you’re the only one who is gonna die.」
The right side of Thulenigo’s lips formed a smile upon hearing Lambert’s reply.
That exchange became the signal for the fight.
Lambert moved forward with his greatsword at the ready.
Thulenigo didn’t lose her composure. Even in that situation, she kept talking with an ominous smile on her face.
「Unfortunately, you have no right to choose. You suddenly piqued my interest. We need to talk about what you know. It doesn’t really matter whether it takes a thousand days, a hundred days, or just a single day. You might’ve guessed this already, but I’m an expert on torture. That’s why you better act like a good child.」
Thulenigo jumped backwards, and her figure was soon devoured by the darkness in the passage again.
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