< Chapter 54 - Akaiman's Secret #2 >
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“They all came.”
Cordelia opened her closed eyes and looked straight ahead at Uther’s words, who had landed as silently as the wind.
A pile of rocks piled up haphazardly.
Cordelia said with a hehehe laugh, although there was no entrance or anything in sight.
“It’s just like a game.”
“Oh, and… can you feel it?”
“Yeah, I can feel the flow of magic power, though it’s faint. It’s quite subtle, though.”
A kind of barrier.
The magical power was arranged so mysteriously that a normal magician wouldn’t have felt any discomfort, but Cordelia was different.
‘Because he’s a genius at sensing and handling magic.’
Cordelia’s innate talent, unrelated to her past life.
“But Yuder, how do you know?”
“It’s not because I’m a genius… but because my senses have become sharper as I’ve opened the five gates.”
“hmm.”
Cordelia, who was about to pull his ear and tell him not to show off when he was talking about the Heavenly Body, took her hand away, and Uther let out a small sigh of relief before speaking.
“Anyway, let’s go in.”
“Yeah, put it down.”
“Oh, I see. It was so light that I forgot I was carrying it.”
“Hey, even Abu has a limit, right?”
Cordelia spoke accusingly, but her face was still smiling.
Satisfied with that fact, Uder stepped forward and spoke.
“Then let’s go in first and check for any possible dangers.”
“Why are you going that far? Let’s go together.”
“Well, I guess so.”
In fact, it was already the entrance that Princess Darian and her party had passed through, and there were no traps or anything like that in the original work.
But still, there was always the if.
The original story was distorted due to Princess Darian’s visit.
‘A rock made of fantasy magic.’
They were piles of rocks that could be passed through as if they were fake holograms, but this alone showed how great of a wizard Arcaiman was.
It wasn’t easy to create a barrier that would last for over a hundred years.
“Anyway, I’ll go in first.”
Yuder, who spoke quickly as if he was a player, threw himself into the pile of rocks and scanned the surroundings with a sharp sense.
‘Well, I guess I was worried because I bought it.’
Feeling relieved that there was no danger, Uther relaxed his posture, and Cordelia’s voice was heard as if following him.
“Light.”
Basic magic that creates magical light.
The yellow light blooming from Cordelia’s fingertips drove away the darkness inside the dungeon, and Uther and Cordelia found themselves exclaiming in admiration.
“Wow, it’s so obvious that it’s been a while.”
“Lord Cornwell is a conservative man. He must have acted more thoroughly for the sake of Princess Darian.”
The scenery spread out before the two people.
There were traces of destruction all over the dungeon’s linear corridors, and it seemed as if they had broken every trap they could find as they advanced.
“We told you about most of the dangerous traps… but it must be Princess Darian’s power, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, in the original it was said that he had exploration abilities.”
A superpower that is innate to the children of the Seilun royal family.
It wasn’t properly depicted in the game, so it was impossible to guess what kind of ability it was, but looking at the sight before my eyes, it seemed like it would be quite a powerful ability.
‘That means you found the trap right away while moving.’
I couldn’t tell the range of the search, but I could at least guess that the duration was excellent.
‘About three hours.’
Even though I advanced by destroying each trap one by one, it only took me three hours to reach the end of the dungeon and return.
If I had used my abilities while taking breaks every day, it would have taken much longer.
‘Anyway, I guess it’s comfortable thanks to this?’
If you’ve destroyed all the traps to this extent, all you have to do is run as fast as you would on flat ground.
“Wow, that’s bold. It looks like there’s even a trap that was set to explode?”
An explosion in a narrow dungeon.
Of course, it was limited to a small scale, but it was quite surprising considering that Lord Cornwell was a ‘knight’.
“Suddenly I started liking Lord Cornwell.”
Uther narrowed his eyes at Cordelia’s words, and Cordelia laughed heartily and continued speaking.
“When you don’t know, you just have to explode, right?”
“No, you devil. That’s not true.”
Having said that, Uder grabbed Cordelia’s cheek as if this was his chance.
“Ahh?!”
“Wow, it’s so soft.”
“What is it?”
Cordelia quickly tried to step on Uther’s foot, but Uther was already prepared.
He said after retreating like the wind.
“Let’s hurry, miss. We have a long way to go. Shouldn’t we be back before sunrise?”
“I think it’s not too late to hit him a few times and leave.”
As Cordelia laughed and clenched her fists, Uther turned around with a laugh and hurried his steps as if he was running away.
‘Actually, Cordelia’s words are somewhat true.’
If you don’t know the trap well, just explode it.
When time was short, it was actually the best option. In fact, Uder had made similar choices many times.
“Hey! If I catch you······.”
“This way!”
At the fork in the road, Yuder quickly shouted and jumped onto the right path, and Cordelia followed him absentmindedly.
There are numerous forks in the road, various traps, and even hidden paths that deceive the eyes of visitors.
It was a dungeon in Arkay that would take 24 hours a day to explore properly, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that Uder knew the entire terrain.
Moreover, since Princess Darian and her party had already destroyed all the traps, they could just run and reach their destination in less than half an hour, let alone an hour.
“You arrived quickly.”
As Yuder, who arrived first, spoke leisurely, Cordelia, who arrived a step later, gasped and hit Yuder on the back several times.
“Haa, haa. It’s hard.”
“But thanks to that, we arrived early, right?”
“If you can’t even speak.”
Cordelia hit Uther on the back again, raised her upper body, and looked around the last room – the Chimera’s dwelling.
“It’s just like a game.”
“Yeah, and there’s a hole in the ceiling too.”
The entrance through which the Chimera exits to absorb solar energy.
It was a special passageway that only chimeras could enter, as it was a place with a special space jumping magic.
“It’s kind of scary because there’s such a big hole in the cave ceiling.”
Cordelia let out a short sound as if shaking off her fear, and forced her eyes away from the pitch-black hole and looked straight ahead.
The plantation of the seven-colored grasses beyond the chimera’s seat was visible at a glance.
“There are only real sprouts.”
“Because it takes a long time for the rainbow grass to grow. And… because of this arrangement, it’s easy to think that the treasure of the dungeon guarded by the chimera is the rainbow grass.”
In fact, the seven-colored herb also has quite good medicinal properties.
If we were to compare it to an item, it was a herb that could easily be obtained at rank A.
‘The problem is that I’ve already consumed a lot of S-rank elixirs.’
From the Sunflower and the Essence of the Blue Moon to the Orb of Life.
To Yuder now, the Seven Colors Grass didn’t really have much meaning.
Just as you don’t gain much experience points from hunting low-level monsters when you reach a high level, the current Yuder doesn’t receive any potions unless they are at least S-rank potions.
“Anyway, let’s go. First, let’s get the hidden treasure chest.”
“Oh, I’ll do the left one.”
“Then I’m on the right.”
There was a hidden treasure chest at each corner of the altar where the chimera usually lay down.
“As expected, I can take care of reality.”
In the original, it was processed as a background and could not be collected.
Cordelia, who had gathered the magic balls that could be considered a kind of magic battery, smiled brightly, and Uther also gathered the jewels with a satisfied expression.
“Okay, next is the real exhaust.”
Cordelia, who had filled the pockets she had prepared, ran quickly and stood in front of the wall.
It had an intricate design drawn in blue paint that was reminiscent of a magic circle, and this design could be said to be the real treasure that the chimera was guarding.
“cryptogram.”
A sort of guideline left by Akeima, explaining the path to obtaining Akeima’s secret treasure.
However, neither Uther nor Cordelia had any intention of deciphering the code in the blueprint, since they already knew the answer.
“It’s a new story, but I really don’t like your personality.”
“That’s right.”
In order to obtain Akeima’s secret, you had to find and decipher seven codes that were similar to the diagram in front of you, and when you finally deciphered them all, you got the following answer.
‘Go back to the first dungeon.’
Because the secret is hidden beyond the wall where the first design was drawn.
This was a series of quests that clearly showed what kind of author Arkman was, with the meaning being, “How does it feel to run around excitedly without knowing that the treasure is right in front of you?”
“In the original, I had to go back even though I already knew the answer······.”
Now it was reality.
I could dismantle the wall in front of me without even having to activate the trigger.
“Then it’s an explosion?”
“Do you have to collapse the entire cave? Stay back. I’ll take care of it here.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Cordelia, who had just stepped back, squatting down and watching, became Person A, and Uder used the Sun Strike once again.
‘It’s not a single point hit. It spreads the impact widely and collapses the wall.’
The time spent concentrating was about 3 minutes.
Judging that he had gathered enough energy, Yuder extended his sword instead of his fist.
Black dragon emerges.
As the black dragon’s energy spread out from zero distance and dug into the wall, hundreds of cracks appeared as if it were a lie.
And a few seconds.
As soon as Yuder withdrew his palm, the crack collapsed with a cracking sound as if it was a signal. It shattered into a large hole.
“Wow, that’s great?”
The wall itself was intact, but a two-meter-diameter hole had appeared, as if it had been cut through.
It was a much more difficult task than simply knocking down an entire wall.
When Cordelia clapped her hands, Uder saluted like a magician on stage and pointed inward.
“Please eat.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Cordelia jumped up from her seat and illuminated the hole with her light magic, and the two smiled happily at the sight that was revealed.
“Arcae’s secret treasure.”
“Number five among them.”
“Earrings of Amplification.”
It was an artifact with a simple name and simple effects, but it was a powerful artifact.
‘The simpler the explanation, the more powerful the law is.’
The effect of the Amplifying Earrings was simple.
Amplifies the wearer’s magical effects.
Any magic that uses magical power.
Although the amount of magic power consumed was also greatly increased, being able to unleash a more powerful attack was a huge advantage in battle.
Especially for a firepower nerd like Cordelia.
“Ah, it’s so good. I’m going crazy with it.”
Cordelia, who spoke with sparkling eyes, ran straight to the earrings – or rather, to the small platform where the earrings were placed.
“Ha, it’s pretty. It’s pretty and has good performance.”
Moreover, the fact that it was an earring was important.
Cordelia already wears bracelets, rings, and necklaces, so if it were another piece of jewelry other than earrings, she would have had to give up one of them because of the multiple pieces.
‘It’s not something that’s burdensome to wear around like a tiara.’
Uther smiled and approached Cordelia, and Cordelia, who was now wearing the amplification earrings, turned towards Uther with a big smile.
“How is it? Does it suit you?”
When I asked shyly, like when I was wearing a tiara, Yuder quickly nodded.
“You look great together. You are truly an angel.”
“Hehe, you’re being so flattering.”
Cordelia was in a good mood, but judging by the corners of her lips that went up, she seemed to be in a very good mood.
“Ah, this is exciting. If I use this to amplify my magic power and use the echo of the spell and double casting······.”
It was a huge explosion.
A magnificent, splendid, and powerful explosion that no one could have ever dared imagine before!
“It’s thrilling just to imagine.”
Cordelia’s rapturous expression was truly a sight to behold, but the content was the problem.
A huge explosion that cannot be compared to anything before.
For a moment, the sight of the royal capital and the collapsing Endymion overlapped in front of Uther, but he quickly shook his head.
‘That’s ridiculous, that’s ridiculous.’
There’s no way something like that could happen.
“Yuderya?”
“No, we just suit each other.”
“Hehehe.”
Cordelia smiled again, bit her lip slightly, then approached Uther stealthily and spoke.
“But Yuder. No, our prince.”
Yuder felt himself melting for a moment at the voice full of aegyo, but soon pulled himself together.
Because it was a truly suspicious sight.
“why?”
I tried to speak a little bluntly on purpose, but Cordelia continued to speak coquettishly.
“Cordelia has something she wants.”
“What? Could it be a bomb?”
“No, no. It’s not a bomb······.”
Cordelia, her voice trailing off, pointed to her waist, and only then did Uther realize.
Cordelia had almost used up the detonation line I had given her last time.
“You’ll make it again, right? Yes?”
It was cute. It was so cute that I wanted to say yes no matter what.
But Uder didn’t miss anything important.
“Hey, miss, isn’t a dopoksen a type of bomb?”
“Don’t be so lethal. Okay?”
“Because I saw what you were doing.”
Actually, I already had a few more sets made, but it was a matter of grabbing the opportunity when it came.
“Should we go back and talk? Maybe he noticed we were gone.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Cordelia, who answered nicely, perhaps for the sake of the blast, was immediately carried on Uther’s back.
“How nice it would be if you could always listen to me like this.”
“Are you usually a good listener? No, I mean, you’re a good listener?”
“Yes, yes. I guess so.”
Uther, who had been snickering, picked up Cordelia and then performed the Whirlwind Twenty-Four Steps.
&
“Sister! Brother!”
1st floor of the village inn.
Despite the late hour, Princess Darian and the knights were all seated on the first floor.
It seemed that he had already noticed that Uther and Cordelia were missing.
“At first I thought you had gone out for a night walk, but I got worried because you never came no matter how long I waited.”
Judging from the luggage in the room, they probably weren’t the only ones who left, but they never came back.
“Still, I’m glad you came back.”
Princess Darian smiled broadly, satisfied that both of them had returned safely, but Lord Cornwell did not. He looked at Uther and Cordelia with a somewhat suspicious expression and asked.
“By the way, where have you two been?”
At first, I asked without thinking much about it, but in an instant, a sharp look appeared in Lord Cornwell’s eyes.
Because I saw the earring hanging from Cordelia’s ear.
It wasn’t cold until the daytime.
Where did it come from?
And what were those two doing in the middle of the night that left them gone for hours?
It wasn’t that strange that Cordelia had regained her eyesight. It was a temporary injury caused by excessive magical power consumption, and since it had been hours since she had fought the chimera, it would have been possible for her to recover if she had used medicine or magic to recover.
But even so, an injury is an injury.
But why don’t you just go on a night hike without resting?
Was there any reason why it had to be that way?
In fact, it wasn’t a question asked with any specific suspicion.
This was also a kind of occupational disease. As the commander of the knights responsible for the safety of the Spencer Dukes, he had developed a habit of being suspicious of everything.
However, Cordelia flinched for a moment at Lord Cornwell’s sharp question, and Princess Darian and the knights widened their eyes at her bewildered appearance.
Why is that?
Why was Miss Cordelia so flustered when asked where she had been?
And that was the moment.
“For a moment… I wanted to have some time alone. Just the two of us.”
At Yuder’s words, Princess Darian and the knights blinked, and soon, one by one, they began to show signs of understanding.
“Oh, my goodness.”
In particular, Princess Darian blushed and twisted her body as if she was delusional about something.
“Ahem, that could be possible, since they are both in their prime.”
Hunt spoke obliviously, and the knights nodded, each coughing in vain.
‘What the heck, why are they like that? What are they imagining?’
Instead of answering Cordelia’s question with his eyes, Uther looked at Lord Cornwell, because his eyes were still fixed on Cordelia’s earrings.
“And… I confessed once again, even though it was a bit sudden.”
“A, a confession?”
When Princess Darian asked with sparkling eyes, Uther nodded, and Cordelia quickly lowered her head to hide her bewilderment, but to others it looked as if she was embarrassed.
“Yes, confession. I confessed my love for Miss Cordelia once again… and as a token of my love, I gave her earrings.”
Princess Darian, who was amazed by Uther’s clever acting, looked at Cordelia’s ears, and so did the knights.
A pair of small, pretty gold earrings encasing a sparkling red gem.
“Oh my, that’s such a wonderful story.”
Although they are already engaged, they confess their love for each other once again and exchange tokens of their love.
Isn’t this a scene that would come straight out of a love story?
Princess Darian kept exclaiming with a face that looked like it might melt at any moment, and the knights also smiled as if they were seeing something so cute.
Lord Cornwell too.
‘Okay, okay. Problem solved.’
When Uther winked at Cordelia as if to ask her how she was doing, Princess Darian opened her mouth before Cordelia did.
“Hey, sis. So what about you? What did you do?”
A response to Uder’s confession.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on Cordelia again, and she answered with a face that looked shy to others – and that made her feel as if she was dying of embarrassment.
“Oh, of course I accepted.”
“Aww, I’m so jealous.”
Princess Darian shivered, covering her cheeks, and the knights all smiled warmly.
Although no one was speaking, everyone’s faces seemed to be contemplating something similar to a blessing.
“Ahem, then can I go up now?”
“Yes? Yes, of course. Come on up.”
“then······.”
Uther turned to Cordelia, and Cordelia reflexively reached out her hand to Uther.
Now, it was Yuder’s escort that had become so familiar.
“I’ll go up first. Good night.”
“Good night, Princess.”
As Cordelia bowed, Uther began to climb the stairs, and Princess Darian and the knights looked at the two with happy, strange, and warm expressions, as if they were seeing off a newlywed couple leaving for their honeymoon.
Without even imagining what kind of eye contact the two people were having.
&
The next morning.
Uther and Cordelia left the village with Princess Darian and her party heading to the royal capital – or more precisely, the Spencer Duke’s residence.
Since they were already in the center and the Knights were with them, the possibility of the Devil’s Hand attacking them in the middle was virtually nil.
‘The fighting will probably start after we arrive at the royal capital.’
After all, the devil’s hand was behind this Wangdo incident.
After the Devil’s Eye, it was time to fight the Devil’s Hand.
‘The royal road.’
To save the royal family, including Princess Daphne and Prince Dion.
Yuder, who was sitting in the rattling carriage and quietly looking at Princess Cordelia and Darian sitting across from him, turned his gaze out the window.
A faint ray of sunlight was shining through the cold winter wind.
&
< Chapter 54 - Akeima's Secret #2 > End
