CHAPTER 83……………………
“It’s something anyone could have predicted.”
Who could have predicted that, really?
That a delicate, frail-looking woman—who looked as if she’d crumble with a touch—had single-handedly taken care of all the monsters in the royal castle!
…Who on earth would believe that?
Esther’s expression, already worn with exhaustion, cooled into something cold and hard.
“So the castle is safe now. Still, just in case—if there’s somewhere you’d like to go, I’ll go with you.”
“Ah… okay.”
Esther answered a little reluctantly.
Honestly, she preferred it when no one else was around.
If she released her magic power, no monster would be able to harm the child carrying the Demon King’s seed anyway.
‘Well… she was impressive, though.’
Should they go now?
As Esther nodded, Kaelos lifted the child into his arms.
“This way!”
Esther used him almost like a carriage.
“You want to go underground?”
“Yup!”
“Hmm, doesn’t seem like the best choice.”
“Why not?”
At her question, Kaelos’s expression turned oddly hesitant, his eyes shifting away.
“Father?”
“Hmm.”
He didn’t answer, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor.
When Esther followed his line of sight, she saw a clear trail of blood.
‘Ah….’
If Freya had killed all the monsters, then where would the corpses have gone?
‘She must’ve piled them up in the basement.’
Still, it was impressive that she’d even cleaned up the mess.
Now would be the time for a child to pretend to be brave and cheer her father up.
“It’s okay! Esther’s a genius, and Father’s here, so there’s nothing to be scared of!”
“No, that’s not the problem.”
He stared at her for a long moment, lips twitching as if trying to speak, but in the end he just pressed them shut and started walking briskly forward.
Then he stopped before a door, set Esther down, and cautiously opened it with an awkward expression.
“Well… as you can see.”
“…Ah, this side.”
She hadn’t expected this kind of problem.
The moment the door opened, the entrance was revealed—packed full with monster corpses.
Stuffed in so tightly there wasn’t the slightest gap.
‘So he didn’t think I’d be scared—he literally meant it’s blocked.’
To go underground, they’d have to descend the stairs—but the stairwell was completely jammed.
Who knew how many corpses had been stacked up from the inside.
‘Not even a crack left…’
They were stacked so perfectly it looked like an enormous wall—so tight that neither Kaelos nor even tiny Esther could slip through.
‘…Maybe there’s another way in?’
There had to be more than one entrance, surely.
But even if there were, if the other ones were blocked the same way, what would be the point?
‘…This is a mess.’
Esther scratched her cheek.
‘What a waste of time. I should’ve just slept more…’
Since the path down was blocked, they’d have to try going up instead.
‘I’ll come back later and secretly dig through it myself.’
With a sigh, Esther pointed upward with her finger.
“Then… the top?”
Thinking she’d just take a quick look around and return, she spoke lightly.
‘Anyway, demons like underground places. No way they’d draw an important seal down there.’
“A good choice,” Kaelos said with a bright expression as he lifted her again and started climbing.
Esther gave him a bland look as he strode toward the topmost tower.
When he finally opened the door at the highest spire—
“…What is this.”
She hadn’t expected anything, and yet—
In the center of the tower chamber was a massive magic circle. Every single one of her predictions had been wrong.
‘But I’m a genius…’
How could every single one of her “genius” guesses be wrong?
“There’s a lot of scribbling here. It’s filthy. Let’s go, Esther.”
Scribbling? Seriously?
Sure, it looked like scribbles, but this was clearly an ancient magic circle.
Meaning—it was quite a remarkable relic.
‘…And they just left it here like this?’
Dust was understandable—it had been ages—but what was with all the random junk piled around?
“Seems this place is being used as a storage room.”
Indeed, anyone could see that.
If not for the faint magical energy and the circle itself, even Esther might’ve thought this was just a storeroom.
‘…What kind of country is this?’
Esther thought blankly, still in Kaelos’s arms.
After careful inspection, Esther confirmed that this magic circle indeed extended across the entire kingdom, centered on the royal castle.
It was almost shocking that something so powerful had been abandoned in a—well, a glorified trash heap—and was still working.
Esther sighed deeply, her face serious.
She had no idea what to do with all the piled-up stuff.
‘What on earth…’
How was she supposed to deal with all this?
The place was crammed nearly wall to wall with junk.
‘If they were trying to hide it, I guess… points for commitment.’
As Esther snorted to herself—
“It says here these objects were placed to protect the magic circle below,” Kaelos read aloud.
Damn that Surtin!
Esther stomped her foot in frustration. How could everything keep turning out opposite of what she thought?
‘Fine. From now on, I’ll think the opposite of whatever comes to mind.’
She clenched her fists.
“There’s also some writing on the wall,” Kaelos said.
Esther looked up.
The curving script looked familiar somehow. She let out a dry laugh.
It was probably ancient demonic script, or maybe just demon language.
…At least, that’s what the old Esther would have thought. But not anymore—she wouldn’t fall for cheap tricks like that again.
“That’s nothing important,” Esther said confidently with a smug grin.
“But it is familiar,” Kaelos murmured, narrowing his eyes.
“Oh, it’s demonic. I learned a bit of that language before. Can’t read it fluently, but it seems to explain why this place was sealed like this.”
Wrong again.
Esther’s first thought had been right.
‘It is demon language!’
She clenched her fists tighter.
“……”
Damn that Surtin!
Esther trembled with barely contained rage.
‘A seal, my foot!’
It was obviously just a pile of junk!
“Is this what you were looking for, Esther?”
“…Probably, yes.”
Looking rather conflicted, Esther glanced around, then up at the writing Kaelos had been studying.
He lifted her higher so she could see better.
‘Definitely demonic language.’
As she examined the letters, a thought struck her.
“Father, can you read this?”
“Demonic language?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Only at a beginner’s level. I started learning a bit from Freya.”
He answered calmly.
“Do you know how to read it?”
“Yes, because I’m a genius.”
“Indeed—you resemble Freya more than me.”
At his earnest admission to her cheeky boast, Esther made an odd face.
“Is it okay that I don’t resemble you at all?”
“Better that than resembling me. I’ve hated this Egbert family hair more times than I can count.”
He ran his hand through his hair as he spoke.
“Then why keep it long?”
If he disliked it so much, shouldn’t he cut it short so it wouldn’t bother him?
Anyone else would’ve.
“…Well.”
“Yes?”
“Freya said… that long hair always looks right on a handsome man. Said she’d never get tired of it if I kept it that way.”
Ah. That kind of reason.
Esther gave him a look that clearly said she was already tired of it.
“This could be what saves Mother.”
“…This?”
“Yes! Somewhere there must be the artifact that serves as the source of this magic circle. If we find it, then chant the dissolution spell while destroying it, we can break the curse!”
“You seem to know quite a bit about it.”
“…That’s what the god…”
Crack.
“…told me,” she finished through clenched teeth, recalling the infuriatingly smug face of Mikael Enoch.
‘Come to think of it, I do need to see that jerk again.’
Next time she went to the temple, she’d make sure to summon him.
“But it’s already late. We should get some rest.”
“But… nooo…”
They were so close to success!
“Come now.”
Kaelos tucked her under his arm and started down the tower.
She squirmed, but he was so strong she couldn’t budge him.
Dangling helplessly, Esther was carried straight to her bedroom.
‘Ugh, come on!’
She sighed loudly and kicked at her blankets in her mind—
—though in reality, she meekly wriggled under them.
Kaelos watched her pull the covers over herself, then smiled faintly and quietly left the room.
