Chapter 83

Chapter 83 - Path of the Castellan (2)

Eugene and Valda placed their palms on the stone wall.

"As Lady Valda expressed, this castle is like one giant fish."

The two magicians could feel the energy of the other world flowing like blood beneath the skin-like stone. Valda looked around with a wondrous face.

"A living castle, you say."

"It's not particularly strange. Think of holy relics."

The artifacts possessed by saints who performed great miracles in their lifetime also hold intense mysteries.

"A saint is ultimately just a single human being. Yet they can transform a mere tool into a holy relic."

Eugene looked at the ceiling, or rather the sky that would be beyond it.

"Then how massive a mystery could reside in a castle that directly voyaged to the other side of the world where ascetics receive the power of miracles and returned?"

"Do not say that in front of priests. They will definitely be displeased."

Eugene's hypothesis started from a witch's knowledge. Furthermore, it was the type that blasphemed the sanctity of faith.

Faithless magicians might accept it out of academic interest, but priests would erupt like an active volcano upon hearing it.

"But it is a sufficiently reasonable hypothesis. The principle shouldn't be any different. However, thinking like that, it's really regrettable."

"What is?"

"If it had to go, it would have been better if it had gone to a place like heaven. Then it might have returned having become an existence that would be a blessing to the whole world."

"..."

The words Valda said with a bitter smile were too heavy to just pass off as a joke.

Thump!

At that moment, the castle's pulsation that entered through Eugene's palm connected with his heart.

The two assimilated as one without any dissonance. As if a disconnected circuit was finally bound together.

Is it because Eugene is an existence that wields the power of the other world more intensely than anyone else?

Just as Marbas was drawn to the Moving Castle as if bewitched, this castle was also craving Eugene.

"Let's get moving soon. It's time to set out to find the one who dragged us here arbitrarily and argue with them."

"Will you be able to find the way?"

"No problem."

With just a little concentration, he could trace the source of the mystery flowing through the castle. Following that path is an easy task.

"If it called us in, letting us out should also be possible. It seems to be an existence capable of communication, so I will settle the matter."

"The opponent is an existence of massive mystery residing in a castle of this scale. Yet you don't seem afraid at all."

"What use is weighing whether to be afraid or not regarding work that must be done absolutely?"

Charging into necessary work. Confronting the fear of death experienced in the midst of it.

That was a field Eugene had been trained in his entire life across two lifetimes.

Eugene grabbed the opening/closing device next to the stone door. Since there is no particular reason to hide it from the inside, the device is openly revealed.

Clack.

Pulling the device, the corridor was revealed along with a small sound unbefitting the massive stone door.

Schwing.

Eugene, who drew Final Autumn, and Homi, holding a military hammer, took the vanguard.

Eugene, standing at the forefront, moved his steps without hesitation. Everything felt familiar as if he had lived here for decades.

Placing his hand on the castle wall, he could sense things in the nearby space as if he had become part of the castle.

"This way."

Thanks to that, they could take the best path avoiding potential enemies roaming inside.

Of course, no matter how well they planned the route, it was impossible to move without a single battle.

Keureuk-!

Kyareureu-.

The enemies they encountered like that were not the types of monsters that could be seen on the surface. They were much more evil existences than the undead like the Living Armors they fought when they first arrived.

They walk bipedally in a size similar to a human, but have no body hair. Horns sprouted on their foreheads and heads, and their skin was dry like a mummy.

It's better to compare their faces to a skeleton. Their sunken eyes gleamed with pure evil. Their dozens of disorderly teeth were each like a wolf's fang.

"Demons."

Valda said with a trembling voice.

No matter how dangerous and evil monsters like Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, and Ogres are, they are strictly creatures of the present world.

Existences that take charge of the world's darkness but do not reject the order of nature.

On the other hand, demons born and thriving in the other world reject even the natural order. Enemies of all who belong to the present world. The pure crystallization of malice.

They must be existences that free-rode on the Moving Castle's long journey that pierced even through hell.

"Are they more dangerous bastards than Wendigos?"

"That is not it. The concentration of evil is purer and denser, but their combat power doesn't even reach a Wendigo's feet."

"That's good then."

Eugene kicked off the ground and charged.

Rapid Strike!

As the aetherium blade of Final Autumn drew a silver arc, the neck of the demon at the forefront flew off and black blood geysered out.

Jumping over the corpse of its kin slowly kneeling and falling, another demon lunged.

Puuk!

The tip of the sword Eugene thrust pierced straight through the demon's forehead.

Kicking the belly of the instantly killed demon, the corpse flew off with a sound of the abdomen bursting, collided with another demon, and tumbled over.

Kareureureu-!

Even in the face of the violence of overwhelming destruction, the demons did not cower in the slightest.

To the living, death and the afterlife waiting beyond it are the ultimate terror. But to demons, both were familiar like their hometown.

Fortunately, Eugene's party was a team equipped with the capability to counter such reckless attacks.

Bbaak!

A demon with its skull smashed by the military hammer Homi swung collapsed.

In physical strength, even if not to Eugene's extent, she fell sufficiently enough into the post-human category, so even a venomous demon had no knack to endure it.

Furthermore, Valda also functioned as a combatant this time, not a target of protection.

"There is no need to protect me. I too will stand side-by-side with you and fight."

She drew the wooden sword she wore at her waist.

It might look funny trying to fight demons with a wooden sword, but its true nature is an extremely fearsome weapon.

Valda's wooden sword was entangled with dozens of small thorny vines.

"To those who do not fear death, pain greater than death!"

When Valda thrust her wooden sword, one of the entwined thorny vines rapidly grew and shot out like a net.

The demon that was just about to lunge toward Homi was tightly bound all over its body by the unexpected surprise attack.

The result was gruesome.

Kyaaaaaa-!

At the pain of its entire body being torn by the thorn-covered net, even the demon let out a terrible scream.

Meanwhile, Eugene charged into the middle and ran wild, whipping up a storm of blood in all directions.

Homi and Valda stood shoulder to shoulder and dealt with the small number of demons that splintered off.

Perhaps she had received orthodox swordsmanship education, but Valda's footwork or posture was excellent.

Naturally, she could not compare to real knights, but she didn't need to directly strike the opponent's body with the sword.

Grab!

A demon snatched the wooden sword Valda swung.

The bastard who was laughing ferociously thinking it had neutralized the weapon immediately began to scream.

Because the thorny vines wrapping the wooden sword crawled up the demon's arm like a snake and covered its body.

The demon tore off a few vines with leopard-like grips, but its own hands also became a mess by that much.

Crack!

While tumbling with the thorns like that, the bastard's jaw shattered and its neck snapped from Homi's kicks, killing it.

Valda stuck the seeds she took out from her embrace onto the wooden sword as if reloading and chanted a spell. Then new thorny vines grew and covered the sword.

At that sight, even the demons who should not know fear halted momentarily.

Pain.

The single rule that applies universally transcending all races and dimensions. Even demons who treat death and fear as a joke could not slight that alone.

"Excellent."

The demons that stopped charging were sliced off by Eugene's sword which approached in an instant.

* * *

After the battle ended, the elegant corridor had become a mess.

To the point where even the magical lamps had their lighting blurred fully splattered with demons' blood.

When there were no more approaching presences, Eugene led the party to a room far away and locked the door.

"Is everyone unhurt?"

"Both Homi and I are fine. You are the one who overexerted."

Eugene plumped down and caught his breath.

Demons possess the cunning and sturdiness of monsters, and the recklessness of the undead disregarding life and death. They are enemies equipped with these two things simultaneously.

While attacking starved for slaughter based on solid muscles and bones, they don't lose spirit or run away in front of a stronger person either.

Slaying the majority of such monsters at the vanguard was quite a tiring task even for Eugene.

"Have you ever learned swordsmanship? Your posture was proper."

"I only learned it at the level of refinement."

In Roman's case, there are not a few noble ladies who choose the path of a knight.

Thanks to that, it wasn't a strange thing for noble ladies to learn and train in swordsmanship instead of embroidery as part of their refinement.

"It is not at a level to engage in real sword bouts in actual combat. Since I also don't have the resolve to dig into the opponent's flesh."

In actual combat, strength and skill as well as resolve for murder were necessary.

One of the reasons warriors with good souls die and get injured in their first actual combat is the lack of resolve.

Surprised by the sensation of their sword piercing the opponent's body, they hesitate and lose their lives. That was a more common occurrence than expected.

"It seemed Lady Valda wouldn't necessarily need to engage in real sword bouts anyway."

Eugene recalled the thorny vines that displayed bloody might in the fight against the demons.

By thrusting the sword, she could shoot them from a distance, and in close-combat situations, it is also impossible for the opponent to clash weapons.

"I hated the perception that forest magicians couldn't do anything in close combat. Some actually aimed for that point. I needed a means to protect myself in emergencies."

"Is it magic you developed yourself?"

"The thorny vines themselves are magic passed down from the past. Loading them onto a weapon and rapidly manifesting them like this is something I devised, though."

Valda paused her speech for a moment and studied Eugene.

"It's too cruel a method, so I wanted to avoid using it if possible. But this is not the time to have such weak thoughts."

"Far from being cruel, it was only cool."

Homi beside him also nodded her head earnestly.

Both knight and squire were thoroughly pragmatic people. If they felt anything, it was awe at Valda's technique; there was absolutely nothing to be disappointed about.

"Thank you both for saying so."

Valda patted Homi's head and smiled.

"How about occasionally sparring in swordsmanship with me from now on?"

"You will teach me yourself?"

"For exercise. Wouldn't it be quite interesting to research together a dedicated swordsmanship that maximizes the utilization of thorny vines?"

"Certainly, a special swordsmanship fitting for it would definitely be more efficient than ordinary swordsmanship."

Valda happily accepted Eugene's proposal.

They are still in a crisis situation trapped in the Moving Castle. But conversing about the future like this did not feel vain at all.

There was a strong belief that if the three of them were together, they could overcome any crisis.

After taking a sufficient rest, Eugene's party advanced again.

After fighting a few simpler battles than earlier, they finally reached their destination.

"I know this place."

Eugene stopped in front of a place he had seen once in his dream. The largest and most ornately decorated door among those they had seen so far.

"Lady Valda saved me when I almost got bound after entering inside this in the dream, didn't you?"

"The room you mentioned with the wide hall and radiant throne?"

"Yes."

The source of the mystery flowing in the castle was beyond this.

As Eugene, gripping his sword tightly, looked at Valda and Homi, they also nodded.

Pushing the door, it opened without a sound.

The wide hall revealed like that, the throne at its end, and the numerous skulls rolling on the floor were all identical to the dream.

And the moment he stepped into the hall, Eugene could immediately realize. Why this castle so desperately craved him.

[Flesh requires a soul.]

The throne whispered to Eugene.

The Moving Castle transformed into a single living entity at the end of a journey transcending even time and space.

However, flesh and blood were filled into the castle, but it could not possess a soul alone.

That is why it was craving an owner who went through the exact same experiences as itself.

[I am filled with flesh but hollow.]

The words the castle offered were not the will of an existence with a soul.

Merely a lump of flesh. The resonance of instinct originating from a soulless body that merely pulsated.

Like stomach growling when hungry, getting an erection from sexual stimulation, or getting goosebumps on the skin when cold.

[Pulsating but growing cold.]

The castle wanted a soul of equal standing that broke through hell just like itself.

To finally become a complete existence possessing both body and soul by welcoming such an owner.

That was what the Moving Castle desired.