I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 65

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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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The Brave One Who Became a Hero by Laying Flowers in the Road — Chapter 065
Moments earlier.
“Fireball!”
Bang! Crash!
Alex unleashed the Fireball—now his primary spell—and watched as Klaus Brodell and the Knight moved toward Domeric Brodell.
[They mean to handle him directly, then.]
The sharp blade in Klaus Brodell’s grip made that intention clear.
—!
Yet even after Klaus Brodell’s attack, Domeric Brodell’s magical aura remained vivid and intact.
In the Future, too, it had been the same: a Dark Mage wielding Ibek’s Bones possessed a tenacity of life that was difficult to break.
His greenish-black aura trembled violently. The Skeleton Mage did likewise.
[It looks like they mean to obliterate the entire Underground Space.]
[If this goes on, we’ll all die!]
Alex shared that same thought.
So he immediately activated Body Enhancement and hurled himself forward.
Slice—!
Through the blade, he felt flesh and bone give way beneath the edge.
“…Ack! Ugh—!!”
As he watched Domeric Brodell die, Alex hesitated without thinking. The sensation was nothing like striking down a monster or skeleton.
‘…’
Looking at Domeric Brodell, now drained of his aura, then at his own blade, and finally at his own hand stained with crimson blood, he felt something turn uneasily in his stomach.
[Alex?]
[What’s wrong?]
Ibek, sensing something amiss in Alex’s sudden hesitation, called out to him.
Sigh—
Alex exhaled as though steadying himself, withdrawing his blade from Domeric Brodell’s throat as he spoke.
“Dark Mages do not die easily. One must not let down their guard.”
[Besides, my bones are involved too!]
At those words, Klaus Brodell’s eyes wavered as he spotted the bones of both Domeric Brodell and the Skeleton Mage behind him, then he spoke as though releasing a held breath.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Hearing Klaus Brodell’s words of gratitude, Alex plucked a bone—pristine white—from where it had lodged in the left cheek of the dead Domeric Brodell.
[My bones!!]
[Oh, you must have suffered so much!]
With that, the face and upper body of Domeric Brodell, which had been covered in black tumors, slowly returned to their original form.
The greenish-black aura that dwelt within Domeric Brodell’s body was wholly absorbed into Ibek’s Bones and vanished without a trace.
Yet the Dark Magic inscribed within his mind remained active.
[This won’t absorb.]
Looking at the faint magical aura lingering in the bones that had become Skeletons, it seemed the aura used in Dark Magic could not be absorbed.
Meanwhile.
At the sight of Domeric Brodell restored to wholeness, Klaus Brodell’s eyes grew brighter still with a deepened gratitude mixed with astonishment.
He had worried how he would show his grandfather what his brother looked like, covered as he was in black tumors. Fortunately, that nightmare was spared.
Of course, he would have to properly explain what his brother had done.
Still, one person bearing the burden of that ugliness was enough.
“Oh…”
Dein and the others had clearly seen the black tumors vanish at Alex’s touch. All of them stared at him with faces full of wonder.
But Alex had no mind for their gazes.
The Dark Magic inscribed in Domeric Brodell’s mind had been triggered.
[At this level of completion, it feels like a Fifth Circle Dark Mage cast it.]
[But what kind of spell activates after death…? Oh, I see.]
Alex had already guessed. He had seen such things often in the Future.
‘I’ll need to deal with that later.’
As Alex stepped back, Dein, who had been looking around curiously, opened his mouth.
“How did you just now… no, never mind.”
Dein, who suspected Alex was the pupil of some reclusive sage, thought there must be reasons and held his tongue.
“Is it all over?”
“Yes. Let’s go now.”
“We’re not cleaning this up?”
At Dein’s words, they all looked around.
The blood and Mana Stone Dust that had served as ingredients for the Skeleton Raise spell had vanished, but the bones—jumbled beyond recognition as to whose they were—along with Domeric Brodell’s corpse, a suspicious Grimoire, and a Magic Circle, all remained.
“Better not to touch any of it.”
Everyone stared at Alex in bewilderment.
“I think it would be best to seal off this underground space and inform the Holy Nation through the temple immediately.”
“The Holy Nation, you say?”
Klaus Brodell, whose gaze had been fixed on his dead brother’s corpse with conflicted emotion, posed the question, and Alex nodded in affirmation.
“Yes. The moment you mention Dark Magic, they’ll come running.”
‘Dark Magic?! How does he know that word?!’ They would have rushed over at once. It had been hidden that carefully, after all.
“The Holy Nation will handle Domeric Brodell’s corpse, the bones here, and the Magic Circle all on their own.”
They would purify not only the magical aura lingering in the guards’ skulls and in Domeric Brodell’s mind, but also the faint traces of mana clinging to the bones that had become Skeletons.
“…I see.”
Klaus Brodell, who had been planning a small private funeral for the family, found himself forced to abandon that plan.
He had also intended to request a memorial service for the masterless bones at the temple, but since they would handle it themselves, he decided he would entrust them with it and make a donation instead.
“We’ll just take that book. We can deliver it along with our report to the temple. Dein, do you have a bag or pouch we could use to hold it?”
“Here.”
‘Why does he even carry something like this.’
Dein pulled a rough cloth pouch from a guild member’s small pack and handed it over.
Alex placed the Dark Grimoire, from which he could still feel a blue-green magical aura, inside it, drew the opening tight, and secured it with cord.
It was a simple motion, but watching Alex do it somehow felt like he was performing a careful seal.
“Just carry it in this state as much as possible.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Klaus Brodell accepted the pouch containing the Dark Grimoire with care and nodded.
“When the Holy Nation arrives, House Brodell will face considerable — no, a great deal of — scrutiny.”
‘A great deal, he says.’
Ibek chuckled quietly.
“Just answer their questions honestly and do as you’re told, and you needn’t worry.”
Hearing that only made him more afraid.
“…Understood. Thank you for letting us know.”
Klaus Brodell answered with a bitter smile.
Think of it as penance for failing to manage his brother.
“So we can just leave as is?”
“Yes. Though you may need to give testimony later when the Holy Nation arrives.”
That was a concern for another time.
Reassured by Alex’s words, they confirmed they hadn’t forgotten anything and emerged into the outer space.
“Looking around, those skeletons were carrying House Brodell weapons. Looks like the second son smuggled them out.”
At Dein’s words, Klaus Brodell and the Knight wore expressions of bitter resignation. They had just discovered the same thing. They would definitely need to speak with the weapons master when they returned home.
The sound of their conversation gradually faded as they moved away.
The underground space, lit only by a few magic lamps.
The space reeking of bone, magical tools, and blood fell silent.
Then.
Something black writhed and emerged from inside the ear of the dead Domeric Brodell.
Like an insect, it sprouted transparent insectile wings on its back and rose soundlessly into the air—
Bang!
—only to be struck directly by the Fireball hurtling toward it and burst into flame.
“I knew it would be something like this.”
At the entrance stood Alex.
* * *
Moments before.
The party emerged through the door first, and Alex was the last to exit.
Then he quietly gestured for everyone to be silent. They all reflexively closed their mouths and held their breath.
Alex activated Mana Sensing.
He felt the Dark Magic embedded in Domeric Brodell’s mind activating and emerging from his body.
‘Now!’
In that same instant, Alex stepped back inside and called out,
“Fireball!”
He released the attack spell.
The insect let out a high-pitched shriek and was incinerated in the flames.
“I knew something like this would happen. They sometimes plant these kinds of things.”
‘So that’s what it was!’
‘A spell that alerts the Mage when the target dies!’
“Right. It was probably set by whoever’s behind him.”
Looking at how the blue-green magical aura infused with Dark Magic in Domeric Brodell’s and the guards’ minds was flawlessly executed, and how the seal in the glass bottle had been perfect, whoever was behind this clearly knew how to use Ibek’s mana well and had already conducted numerous experiments with Ibek’s Bones.
Poor, wretched bones of mine! Miserable creature that I am!
I was a test subject while alive, and now, even as a Lich, my very bones are subjected to experimentation!
That was certainly pitiable.
Vengeance!
I shall destroy them!
I shall show them the true skill of a practiced avenger!
Listening to Ibek’s voice burning with the desire for revenge, Alex swept the surroundings one final time with Mana Sensing to ensure nothing had been overlooked, then stepped out of the room.
“Alex, is it finished?”
“Yes.”
“What was in there?”
Alex answered the curious party members.
“Among Dark Magic spells, there exists one that transmits information about a dead target back to the caster. I detected such a spell on Domeric Brodell’s corpse and removed it.”
The party members’ eyes widened in surprise—none of them had ever heard of such a sinister magic.
“So… our information almost fell into the enemy’s hands?”
“Exactly.”
A long exhale.
Soft gasps of relief escaped from various mouths.
“Good thing you handled it.”
“Indeed.”
With relief flooding through them, the party and Alex turned their steps back toward the exit.
“By the way, what is Dark Magic anyway? And those skull-like monsters—or aren’t they monsters? What were those things? And what are Magic Circles used for?”
At Dein’s questions, the others grew curious as well. These were things none of them had ever encountered before.
“Well. It’s better not to know. Could we hide this from the Holy Nation?”
At that, everyone shook their heads vigorously.
Rumor had it that the Holy Nation possessed instruments capable of distinguishing truth from falsehood.
“That would be difficult.”
Even Dein, skilled as he was in deception, backed away from the prospect.
“Just think of it as something you must never, under any circumstances, touch—something extraordinarily dangerous.”
“Understood.”
“And if you can keep it hidden, also hide the fact that I possess this knowledge.”
Right.
A common mercenary mage who knows far too much about Dark Magic would be far too suspicious.
At Alex’s words, everyone nodded with a grave expression. Seeing how seriously they took it—as if their very lives hung in the balance—Alex hastened to speak again.
“If you keep asking, I can just tell you. I have ways to handle it.”
“Right. Okay. I understand.”
Ways to handle it?
Well.
There were ways to evade questions about Dark Magic, but there was no way to evade the existence of an otherworldly Lich dwelling within his body.
He’d simply have to run if it came to that. What else could he do?
* * *
Shortly after.
The party emerged to the surface without incident and heaved sighs of relief.
Still dark.
Though much time seemed to have passed, the sky remained dark, with three moons shining brightly overhead.
“The horse is perfectly fine.”
Max was unharmed too! Looks like he ate his fill of grass!
Alex and the others hastily concealed the temporary passage Alex had created with surrounding branches and dirt, then each mounted their respective horses.
Atin rode alongside the Knight.
Clop-clop-clop-
They all galloped quietly toward the Lordship Castle.
“Young Count?!”
The guards were startled when Klaus Brodell, who should have been at the Count’s Manor, suddenly appeared outside the Lordship Castle gates.
Moreover, he and his companions looked battered and exhausted—something had clearly happened.
“It’s nothing. Don’t report this to anyone inside.”
Klaus Brodell, his face worn with fatigue, waved his hand and ordered the gate opened.
The small castle gate swung open, and Alex and the party rode through.
“Phew!”
Upon entering the Lordship Castle, the tension drained from them. Everyone exhaled the breath they’d been holding quietly, now releasing it fully.
“Thank you so much for today.”
Klaus Brodell, breathing out a sigh of relief, addressed Alex and Dein’s party.
“If not for all of you, something far worse might have come to pass.”
Klaus Brodell bowed with genuine gratitude in his expression.
“On the honor of House Brodell, I swear I shall repay this debt.”
The Knight and Atin lowered their heads as well.
“Would you not consider coming to the manor for proper treatment?”
“That won’t be necessary.”
[Home is best!]
At Alex and Dein’s refusal, Klaus Brodell departed with visible reluctance.
“Alex, where are you headed? Jake’s place? Or the inn?”
At Dein’s question, Alex glanced up at the sky.
Still dark overhead.
By now, Leo would certainly be asleep, along with Jake and Milo.
Milo had given him a house key and told him to come whenever he wished, but entering now might wake them.
“The inn will be closed at this hour anyway. What about sleeping at my tavern?”
Alex agreed readily.
At this awkward hour before dawn, both the inn and the stables would be shut.
Upon arriving at Dein’s tavern, Alex was met by Crow Information Guild members who were startled to see him and Dein’s group battered and exhausted.
“Wait, weren’t we just supposed to search for information?”
“What on earth happened! I’ll fetch the medical supplies at once!”
Thanks to their help, Max was led to the stables and received basic treatment as well.
“You can use the room you had yesterday.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Think nothing of it. Rest well.”
Dein flashed a grin and departed.
Alex entered the room he’d occupied the night before and closed the door.
Then, as tension drained from him, he slid down with his back against the door, collapsing onto the floor. A tremor ran through both his hands as strength seemed to pour out of his body.
[What’s this? What’s wrong with me?]
[My stomach feels a bit unsettled. My hands are shaking. My heart’s racing…]
Ibek, sharing his senses, felt the disturbance too.
In silence, Alex drew a deep breath to calm the turmoil rising in his chest. Then he clasped his trembling hands together and hung his head low.
Ibek recognized this sensation—he’d felt something like it before.
Back when he’d killed Domeric Brodell.
[Alex, you….]
Ibek’s normally light voice grew quiet.
[Is this the first time you’ve ever killed a human?]
In the room, upon the table,
a single wavering candle burned, casting Alex’s hunched figure by the door in shadow.

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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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