Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 66

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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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66.

“Neuri-ya- Neuri-yaa- Neuri-rota-.”

“How does Soul Song become ‘Neuri-ya-‘? Failed.”

Calisia and Ian raised their arms to form an X. At least they should pronounce it somewhat similarly, shouldn’t they?

“Neogi-ya-neogi-ya-neogi-rota.”

“This one’s reciting classical poetry. Reciting poetry. We’re selecting a ‘minstrel’ poet, not just any poet! Failed!”

Calisia and Ian simultaneously pressed their foreheads. The knight order had tone-deaf members of all kinds. Can’t hit high notes, can’t hit low notes, can’t sing at all. On top of that, some were even off-beat—it was truly fantastic.

“Neo-heo-eo-gi-ya-hella-aa- Neo-heo-eo-eo-o-hella-.”

“Am I the only one hearing a Hella religious hymn right now? Why are you arranging it however you want? Failed!”

Calisia and Ian blinked their eyes. It was so absurd that they couldn’t even scoff. What was this about proselytizing when you came for an interview?

***

Four days later—.

The ritual day had dawned. Calisia and Ian visited the Batar Quarters from the crack of dawn. It was to confirm what they had instructed Pail to prepare in advance.

“You’ve arrived.”

Pail, with a tired expression, opened the door as if he had been waiting.

“As you instructed, I’ve gathered all the blacksmiths affected by the plague, including my father, in one place.”

He hurried his steps, saying the rooms and reception areas were too small, so they used the Blacksmiths’ Dining Hall. In the space where all the original tables had been cleared away, seven beds were placed. Occupying them were blacksmiths with their limbs tightly bound.

“The chicken blood?”

“I’ve prepared it over here.”

Pail brought out a bowl with red liquid sloshing inside. Calisia, rolling up her sleeves, dipped her finger deep into the chicken blood.

“Just in case, you two hold him down here.”

Climbing onto Talaph’s chest, she gestured toward Ian and Pail. The two men standing on either side of the bed firmly pressed down on his protruding shoulder blades.

“When the Dragon King grows angry, the waves rise high. When the current surges once, you can’t see an inch ahead. When the current surges twice, this body cannot maintain its balance—.”

Calisia began writing something on Talaph’s forehead with her finger. This was to block the Water Murder Spirits’ escape route before the Soul Calling.

(Mi – to be lost)

It was a Chinese character meaning to lose one’s way. This would temporarily blind the Water Murder Spirits. Calisia wrote the character ‘Mi’ in chicken blood on every blacksmith’s forehead.

“Pail. When we leave, block all doors in the dining hall with salt. Don’t forget the window frames either.”

She urged him to sprinkle an excessive amount of salt, saying there shouldn’t be even an inch of gap.

“Today, the Batar Quarters are closed. Don’t let anyone in until I return. Ignore whatever sounds you hear from inside.”

Calisia repeatedly gave warnings upon warnings as if Pail were a child left by the water’s edge.

***

Calisia and Ian appeared in front of the sewer entrance. The Northern Knights who had arrived early to wait for them welcomed them. A total of five people had passed the recruitment notice. In fact, this was already a number reached through compromise upon compromise upon compromise.

“Young Master! Young Miss!”

The knights rushed over with highly excited faces. They said they had something to show and gathered in a circle.

“Soul—.”

“Soul—.”

The knights, each covering one ear, began making different sounds. It was truly an unexpected performance. Calisia and Ian watched their antics with disgusted expressions.

—Soul Song!

As the different notes layered one by one, quite a beautiful harmony unfolded.

“How is it?”

The knights’ eyes showed undeniable pride. It was skill that showed how much blood-like effort they must have put in during this time.

“Melodious.”

But why did they have to… Swallowing her unspoken words, Calisia half-heartedly went along with the knights’ performance. Anyway, once they faced the Water Murder Spirits, harmony and all that would become unnecessary. Well, if they were confident, they could try melodiously exorcising spirits.

“If you had practiced swordsmanship that much, you would have become Sword Masters long ago.”

Ian sent applause without any expression. Who were these people? They were the ones who would complain even if training time was extended just a little.

“Stop the useless antics and check the luggage.”

Ian threw the luggage needed for the ritual to the knights. Shortly after, the ritual expedition team that had finished preparations entered the sewers. Calisia shuddered once. Perhaps because it was a place where several people had died, the air was chilly even in broad daylight.

Step— Step—

Only the sound of flowing water continued in the deep darkness. Had they walked for about thirty minutes? Calisia suddenly stopped.

“…”

Ian, noticing something strange, looked at Calisia. Her lips were pale white without a trace of blood, and her fingertips trembled finely. Her gaze was not with them.

“Calisia.”

A gentle but firm voice penetrated Calisia’s ears.

“Calisia.”

Large hands cupped both of Calisia’s cheeks. Then, life began to return to her vacant eyes.

“…”

Calisia, with a strange expression, looked up at the boy in front of her. Why did the touch on her cheeks feel so warm? His body temperature couldn’t be called warm even as a courtesy.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling very unwell, Valus?”

Calisia breathed heavily while feeling the hand gently stroking her cheek. As a child, she had been an ominous child, and as an adult, she was one of the powerful exorcists leading the Holy Water Office.

Displeasure, fear, disgust, sense of responsibility, respect, jealousy, admiration…

People’s emotions toward her were generally around this range. Among them, worry was quite an unfamiliar word. It was also why Ian’s attitude of relying on her felt unfamiliar.

“…This is it. Where the Water Murder Spirits—no, where the victims were killed.”

Calisia carefully removed Ian’s hands. Then she wiped her stiff eyes. Instead of the tired-looking her, Ian gestured to the knights. The knights who received the signal moved in unison. They placed lanterns here and there for visibility and unpacked the luggage they brought for easy access.

“Let’s do the purification ritual first.”

Calisia, having regained her composure, picked up an armful of mugwort. Then she created a small flame at her fingertip.

Whoosh—!

Blue flames transferred to the mugwort. Soon, acrid smoke and a distinctive strong fragrance filled the sewers. Having finished the purification ritual, Calisia placed a brass bowl on the floor.

Rattle rattle rattle—

Then she poured raw rice over the brass bowl. Now what remained were the ritual effigies to trap the Water Murder Spirits. Cloth dolls containing the blacksmiths’ hair were placed on the bowl one by one.

***

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Calisia threw the brass bowl wrapped in white cloth into the sewers. Having raised her divine power to maximum, she pursed her red lips.

Whiiiii—

A clear whistling sound rode the wind and echoed through the sewers.

Swoooosh—

As if responding to it, something alien-sounding came toward the sewers. Haze-like ripples formed beneath the black water surface. The prey had taken the bait.

“Soul Song, Soul Song, it is a soul. Deep in Nokyang Mountain, separated from spirits, it is a soul without essence.”

A mournful melody flowed from Calisia’s mouth. Following her lead, the Northern Knights also began raising their prepared singing voices.

Saaaa—

One, two, three, four…

And shortly after, seven heads emerged above the water’s surface.

“From now on, absolutely do not look toward the water.”

Calisia, drawing upon the General Spirit’s energy, pressed her hands together and warned them.

Bloated skin with flesh dripping down, a fishy stench so revolting it turned one’s stomach inside out. Eye sockets sunken deep without eyeballs. The Water Murder Spirits, with their heads half-emerged above the water, stared ahead without the slightest movement.

-Those things are calling us keeek keek they’re calling us to play together hik hik tender flesh keek keek shall we drag them into the water hik hik and tear them apart rot and rot and rot again keek keek

Snapping their necks upward in unison, they muttered together in chorus. Every time they spoke, black pus and flesh mixed together and spread across the water’s surface.

“Soul Song, Soul Song, it is the Soul Song!”

The Northern Knights, eyes squeezed tightly shut, raised their voices as if screaming in agony. Instinctive revulsion and terror crept up from their toes.

“…Ugh, hgh.”

Just then, a faint groan was heard between the song verses. One brown-haired knight gradually began stepping forward. His body sagged as if it would collapse forward at any moment. It was because his entire body had become heavy as if soaked with water.

“…I have, to go.”

The knight suddenly reached his hand toward the water.

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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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