Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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46.

***

“Oh. I can see it.”

Calisia and Ian sat side by side at the desk, frowning as they peered into the video magic tool. The fairly vivid screen showed more than a dozen orcs walking out against the backdrop of a dense green forest.

“Wait.”

Ian, who had created a deliberately serious atmosphere, raised his hand to stop the video.

“Tell me about orc behavior patterns.”

“Orcs are quite stubborn and closed-minded and collective unlike ogres… Damn it.”

Swept up by his serious expression, Calisia unconsciously recited the basic knowledge in a string. It was a moment when the Northern Knights’ efforts shone through.

“So you do study after all. That’s correct.”

Ian raised his eyebrows slightly as if truly surprised, then resumed playing the video.

-…Huh, ugh! Gasp! Shoot! Shoot them!

-Grwaaaaar!

-Over, here! Over here!

The screen that followed was literally a bloody melee. Orcs swinging clubs and iron axes relentlessly, and knights who seemed somehow flustered. Even to Calisia, who was a novice at monster subjugation, something seemed off.

“As you can see, their combat style is clearly different from ordinary orcs. Contrary to the prejudice that they’re stupid and barbaric, they’re actually quite intelligent monsters. They know how to use tactics.”

Ian said as he rewound the video. What he pointed out was the part where the orcs appeared.

-Grwaaaaar!

The green masses on screen charged while roaring from far away. They didn’t care about hitting trees or even colliding with each other.

“No beast exposes its position before hunting. Especially intelligent ones like orcs. And here.”

Ian fast-forwarded the video. This time, an orc with its throat half-severed was swinging an axe at the knights.

“Orcs have very strong competitive spirits and worship combat. It’s not strange for them to charge risking their lives. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t feel pain.”

Ian pointed at the orcs on screen with his finger. All of them showed no hesitation whatsoever in the face of large and small injuries.

“Right. With injuries like that, their movements should slow down or at least flinch, but these guys show none of that.”

“Their attack power is also abnormally high. They showed overwhelming strength even compared to ogres, which are superior entities.”

This was why the North had lifted their heavy bottoms and traveled all the way to the West. The sudden rampage of monsters.

“It first started in the Northern Snowfields.”

Ian said that one day, snow giants, which were giant-type monsters, came down to civilian settlements and harmed people. It was strange. Snow giants usually stayed holed up in the mountain ranges where snow fell year-round and rarely came out. The Northern Duke’s family immediately dispatched an experienced subjugation team, but what returned was news of total annihilation. The snow giants’ combat power was not just above normal but overwhelmingly so to an excessive degree.

“The ducal family conducted an investigation but didn’t find much. Only that the eyes of the rampaging monsters turned bright red.”

Similar incidents happened in the West around the same time, so they had stopped by Valus for investigation.

“It’s because of evil spirits.”

Calisia, who had been scrutinizing the screen, leaned back in her chair and spoke. Though not as clearly since she hadn’t seen it directly, there was definitely ghostly energy remaining in the video.

“Evil spirits?”

“Evil spirits are formed when negative energies like killing intent and desires that people emit gather and clump together into one mass. You know how toxic gas forms when there’s a fire. It’s similar to that.”

The problem was that it was very rare for so many evil spirits to move in groups like this. So rare that she hadn’t seen it once in over ten years of being a shaman.

“But this looks like someone deliberately controlled evil spirits and attached them to monsters.”

“They intentionally made monsters go berserk?”

“Yeah. Soettong. So about this matter, do you really have to do it? This is not just bad compatibility for your Ghost Gate Observation constitution, it’s the worst.”

Calisia expressed concern, saying that just this time, didn’t you come back carrying the evil spirit that was attached to the monster?

“And you’re only fourteen at most. This is something adults should handle.”

“I am the Young Duke of the North. I cannot avoid the responsibilities I should bear just because I’m young.”

Ian shook his head firmly. Though he was young, he was also the highest-level combat power the subjugation team had. He couldn’t withdraw alone using the excuse of high risk.

“Wouldn’t salt work?”

Ian showed a glimmer of hope, saying he felt the monster regain its senses momentarily when the Youngest Knight sprinkled salt.

“If that worked, would I have cut my hand? Salt alone is hard to drive out evil spirits, though it might be different if we had red beans.”

Traditionally, one of the things that drove out evil spirits was red beans. Salt mainly had the meaning of purification, like blocking bad luck or cleansing impurities. On the other hand, red beans had a strong meaning of exorcism, attacking and driving out evil spirits.

“Red beans?”

“Remember when we fled from Tiger Disaster Village after going to Mugwort Field? The porridge we ate that evening. That was made with red beans. I even gave you chopsticks telling you to eat quietly, don’t you remember?”

“…I remember.”

Ian recalled Calisia hurriedly stuffing red bean porridge until her cheeks puffed out.

“What’s with that disgusted expression?”

“I’m not making any expression. Someone must be feeling guilty.”

Ian said while smoothly relaxing his furrowed brow.

“So roughly think of salt as a shield and red beans as a sword.”

“Is there really no other way? The subjugation teams are struggling because of the rampaging monsters.”

“You’re not asking about ways to protect your body right now, are you? You’re asking about ways to remove the swarm of evil spirits attached to monsters. Hey. Who’s worrying about whom here? You should worry about your own body! And how are we supposed to get red beans here right now…”

[Method]

Just then, something sparkled and revealed its presence in mid-air. Round letters. It was the Vision she had seen before being sucked into Tiger Disaster Village.

“What! General!”

Calisia looked up.

“You haven’t shown your nose all this time! This gentleman can come back again!”

Trembling with a sense of betrayal, she pointed accusingly at the sky.

“General! Our home! How do we get home! Home!”

Calisia poured out her words in a rush, fearing the Vision might disappear. It seemed there were conditions or cycles for when the General could appear.

[Red Beans]

Along with the Vision, an old book appeared wrapped in light.

“Not red beans, home! Home!”

Whirrr-

[Tales of Hungry Ghosts]

Calisia’s desperate cry was drowned out by the sound of pages turning.

“Home…! Oh well, fine. Fine. Anyway, this is the problem with spirits. They’re all completely uncommunicative. Uncommunicative.”

Calisia clicked her tongue while looking at the blue whirlpool that was just beginning to form.

“But do you really have to do this performance? You could just give it normally. Since you’re giving it anyway, use your power more nicely… Ah, ahh!”

Before she could finish speaking, a fierce whirlpool swallowed Calisia’s body.

Thud!

In her wildly shaking vision, Calisia barely managed to stretch out her arm. Then thin fabric caught between her fingers. It was Ian. Having been completely swallowed by the whirlpool, she burst into a satisfied laugh. There was no need to suffer alone.

***

“Ugh, ahh! Can’t you put us down gently! Why do you always have to drop us from the sky!”

Calisia, who had fallen on her bottom, grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into the air. If it was always like this, her precious tailbone wouldn’t survive.

“Another mountain.”

Ian, who had landed gracefully using falling technique, looked around. It was a place with particularly lush and dense green forest that immediately caught the eye. The green was so vivid that it seemed to emit a refreshing scent from somewhere. Ian reached out to touch the dew-covered leaves and soft soil. Having experienced this once before, he seemed quite relaxed.

“Unlike the mountain in Tiger Disaster Village, this one is full of life. This is my first time seeing such fertile land.”

Ian’s eyes gleamed with interest. Even in the Eastern Region, which was said to have the most fertile land in the Empire, such places were rare.

“The mountain god who settled here must be quite powerful.”

Calisia, who had gotten up while holding her waist, breathed in the clear air that filled the mountain.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this much life force. At this rate, even the trees might start walking around. Did some dragon god settle here?”

Calisia walked around the area with her hands behind her back, exclaiming in admiration.

“Valus.”

Ian called out to Calisia, who was strolling among the greenery.

“What?”

“About those red beans. How about using them instead of magic bullets?”

“Magic bullets?”

Calisia, who had been smelling the grass, frowned as if asking what kind of random nonsense that was.

“Magic bullet guns. Shooting red beans would be more efficient than sprinkling them.”

“What nonsense are you talking about now. Hey! Soeddongi, worry about yourself. Yourself!”

Even after coming this far, Calisia burst out in anger at Ian who was still only thinking about subjugation.

“The regular subjugation forces permanently stationed in each region of the Northern Region aren’t as skilled as the subjugation forces dispatched and managed by the Ducal House. If we can use red beans instead of magic bullets to suppress the monsters’ rampage, it would be a great help.”

“That’s something Duke Rakies should do, not you. You’re a young duke, not the Duke. You should know your own rank properly first.”

Calisia continued speaking point by point while clearly showing her displeasure, saying that what he was trying to do was nothing but bravado. Ian also stubbornly maintained his position without backing down.

“Shh! Shhhh! You there! Please be quiet!”

Just then, a small but desperate voice flew toward the two of them.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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