Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 401

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 171.
In the Name of Loyalty and Vengeance (13)
Korned turned his head.
“So you were hoping your friend would die early? Ah yes, that’s right. Among Icabon’s descendants, those who were ‘blessed by Arnim’ just like Icabon himself all died young or went mad before death, didn’t they? It’s obvious that the ancestors’ karmic debts extended to their descendants. With so many spirits harboring resentment, how could their descendants possibly prosper? That’s why they stopped calling them a blessing and started calling them ‘Demonic’ instead, isn’t it? What else would you call it?”
The fact that such words were coming from none other than Joshua’s lips was truly unbearable. Maximian’s face hardened.
“But whether this body belongs to the Demonic or not, my mind is not the Demonic’s, so you forgot that I have no reason to fear going mad and dying?”
With those words, Maximian’s plow handle flew through the air and struck Korned’s waist. Shocked by the unexpected counterattack, Korned cried out while clutching his aching side.
“You, you… did you forget this is your friend’s body?”
Maximian adjusted his grip on the plow handle and spoke.
“You’ve been spouting contradictions since earlier. When did you say you wouldn’t return that body, and now you’re talking about your friend’s body? Besides, I’ve wanted to beat that bastard senseless for ages, but I held back because I didn’t think he’d understand why I was hitting him. But this time he won’t even remember it, right? What a golden opportunity this is. Isn’t it?”
The plow handle came flying again. He dodged it once, but the second time it struck his thigh. As Korned grimaced and cried out, Kelsniti spoke.
「Rifkne, I’m afraid that if you keep striking him like that, the binding spell I placed to prevent him from using magic may break.」
Maximian lowered the plow handle but rubbed the upper part of the shaft with his palm several times as he spoke.
“Having a creature like you distort Joshua’s face makes me feel absolutely disgusted.”
“M… Mages aren’t taught how to endure pain!”
“Whether you learned it or not is none of my concern.”
Kelsniti spoke again.
「Having existed as a spirit for so long, you’ve become unable to tolerate even the slightest pain. A human body isn’t as convenient as you might think. There’s pleasure, but there’s also pain. If you had taken over an ordinary human’s body, you could have left to escape the suffering and returned later. But Joshua is different. Once you leave, Joshua will never allow your intrusion again. In a way, you’re trapped.」
“Don’t meddle… Do you think I’d give up over some word games like that?”
「That’s not all. The doll at Jade Ring Castle may be placed within the same causal chain as Joshua, but is its craftsmanship truly perfect? Moreover, the doll has a weakness—its original body. And those who created it might kill him the moment he becomes useless to them. When that happens, who will you beg to grant your wishes?」
“That… such nonsense doesn’t even deserve a response!”
「Really? Is it truly nonsense? Even if that doll doesn’t die, there’s one thing you can question. Will a new Demonic truly be born from him? Will the bloodline continue unchanged? If it doesn’t continue, you’ll be freed from the oath, but at the same time, you’ll have only one chance left. What do you think?」
“There’s no reason it wouldn’t work! Ganapoli’s puppet magic isn’t that crude!”
「If it were Ganapoli’s puppet magic, perhaps. But the one who created this doll isn’t a Ganapoli mage. I’m quite curious how that mage accomplished such a remarkable feat. To that extent, I can’t rule out the possibility that he made at least some mistake.」
“As if I’d listen to such pointless worries!”
Korned tried to hide his inner turmoil, but since this wasn’t his original body, it was difficult to conceal his expression skillfully. Therefore, those like Maximian, who knew Joshua well, easily discerned his emotional state. Maximian, who had been listening intently, suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Now that I think about it, there’s one more possibility. You must serve one of the Demonic of House Arnim as long as one of them exists, right?”
No answer came, but Maximian continued as if he had heard one.
“If that’s the case, then listen. If both Joshuas die as Kelsniti said, one would remain.”
“Remain?”
“You seem to be overlooking something. There’s one more Demonic in this world. So when that time comes, you’ll have no choice but to serve that person, won’t you? That would be quite a sight. That person will never let you, who stole Joshua’s body, go unpunished.”
Korned’s expression was genuinely blank.
“Is there… such a person?”
“He hasn’t died yet? You said he even lived at Jade Ring Castle, so you should know? Demonic Hispanie.”
This time, Korned’s expression was truly flustered.
“Hispanie? That man is alive?”
“You seem to know him quite well from the way you speak?”
“That man is…”
Korned continued after a long pause.
“A damaged Demonic. He was never a medium. After Icabon’s descendants went to Periwinkle, he was the first Demonic to return to Jade Ring Castle in hundreds of years. But he didn’t recognize us at all. Do you have any idea how disappointed I was at that moment?”
Kelsniti’s voice rang out again.
「He isn’t damaged. Because he couldn’t see spirits, he became the only Demonic who lived for a long time.」
“That’s exactly the proof he isn’t a proper Demonic!”
Maximian struck the back of Korned’s head this time.
“This bastard keeps saying he heard, he heard. If you’re going to speak, speak properly. That old man was the only truly proper Demonic. I think in the long term, Joshua should become that way too.”
Kelsniti continued.
「In any case, that means Demonic Hispanie cannot grant your wishes. Because he isn’t a medium. But he is a Demonic. Then it would be the worst situation for you. You’d be bound by oath to serve him as Duke, but he wouldn’t even be able to converse with you.」
Maximian smirked.
“And if that old geezer hears what you did to Joshua, even if you’re a spirit, he’ll make sure to kill you one more time?”
Korned no longer tried to hide his bewilderment. As if imagining the worst situation approaching, he kept his mouth shut and stared holes into the ground.
Riche stirred slightly. She drew her arms together and hunched her body as she spoke.
“Hearing all this, I’m dying of curiosity.”
Riche turned her head in a circle as if searching for Kelsniti.
“What exactly is this ‘wish’ you keep talking about?”
The answer didn’t come quickly. Maximian was also thinking it was time to ask. After all, it seemed like all the problems stemmed from differing opinions surrounding this ‘wish’.
He understood that only Joshua, the medium, could grant wishes. But hadn’t one of the spirits that swarmed when they launched the ship in front of Juspian’s House said, ‘You don’t have the ability to grant wishes’? If so, did that mean it wasn’t something Joshua could accomplish through his will or ability?
The answer came from an unexpected direction.
「This wish is…」
Though invisible, it wasn’t Kelsniti’s voice. The owner of the voice was slowly descending the slope.
「It’s returning to our homeland. The door to our eternal homeland, our place of rest. Standing before that door, we will sing the song of our homeland.」
7. The Beginning and End of the Oath-Bound
The afterlife is far longer than life, so there’s no need to struggle to extend life.
When a long course meal is obviously coming, you don’t need to beg for more appetizers.
The moment Riche heard another spirit’s voice, her body, which she thought had grown somewhat accustomed to Kelsniti, froze solid again.
“W-who are you?”
「Neither friend nor foe. So you shouldn’t worry, nor should you feel relieved. But what I said—doesn’t it sound incredibly plausible? As dawn breaks, only spirits wander the Deserted Island Beach. Korned, it looks quite natural. How’s the Duke’s body? Surely it’s magnificent, right?」
Riche couldn’t bring herself to continue speaking. Then the voice came again.
「Hey, miss. Don’t be so scared. I didn’t want to jump out and startle you like this. I was trying to listen quietly like the others. But hearing that bastard insult our Priest, I couldn’t help myself.」
From the way he spoke, he seemed friendly. Riche recalled what had been said about the People of Promise not all sharing the same opinion and cried out.
“Are you one of the People of Promise?”
「Since I’m just one person, I can’t be ‘people.’」
She heard him chuckling to himself after answering. Riche met Maximian’s eyes. The sea was already stained red, and dawn sparkled on the White Sand Beach. But according to what the spirit said, there weren’t just one or two spirits—far more were swarming, just like when they first boarded the Beauty’s Pinnacle, and they might be sitting in a circle around them like an audience, listening intently. After imagining such a thing, the breaking dawn provided no comfort whatsoever.
Maximian seemed to have the same thought. He hesitated, then looked around and shouted.
“Hey, if you’re all out there, why don’t you clap? If you’re watching for free, at least pay your respects.”
If applause had sounded, he would have fainted outright, but in any case, no sound came. Riche tried to press her back against Maximian’s and asked the invisible voice.
“Where did Kelsniti go? Why won’t he answer directly?”
「Well, that’s… yes, Korned, why don’t you answer? You should know by now, right?」
Korned didn’t answer. He had been staring downward with a bewildered expression the whole time. He seemed to have frozen in that state. Then suddenly he raised his hand to cover his mouth. Like someone forcibly suppressing a churning stomach.
The voice chuckled to itself and spoke.
「Doesn’t seem like he’s in a position to answer.」
Riche asked again.
“Where did Kelce go?”
“He dove. Into the Duke’s body.”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Published by: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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