Chapter 145: 131

From a deep, sound sleep, I was kicked awake.

「The princess will be seeing you now. As quickly as possible, get yourself ready and do your best to make your appearance as presentable as you can」

「………………Got it」

I pulled the covers back over Maria and got out of the bed.

We had separated from each other in our sleep. Somehow, I had the feeling that this was what it was like to raise a child.

I took another bath and prepared myself the best I could. That said, there wasn't really anything out of the ordinary that I could do.

I put on the change of clothes that had been left for me in the bathroom.

The clothes looked like old-fashioned western clothing. They consisted of a pair of faded red pants, a belt with many clasps, a subdued black shirt, and a leather vest that had seen better days. However, the inside of the vest was lined with thin plates of metal. It was also made to accommodate a sheath on the back. There were other small defensive measures that had been incorporated in ways that wouldn't impede movement as well.

「This is how the adventurers of Neomia dress. After the dungeon was sealed, the adventurers all went to Rossian, and I have no idea where they went after it perished」

Toto showed up with my cloak in hand.

For the record, she hadn't knocked.

「I was thinking of mending it, but I found that it had already mended itself. What a creepy cloak」

「It's been covered in dragon blood, you see?」

「I see. But please don't ever bring that up in front of the princess. You'll get yourself beheaded」

Does the lady have some kind of connection to dragons? For now……

「Understood」

……I'll just leave it at that.

When I took the cloak from Toto, I noticed that clasps had been added to the inside of it. I used them to affix the cloak to the shoulder of my vest. When I tried moving my arm around a little, the cloak fluttered wildly as it followed the motion of my arm.

I see, the clasps are for more than simply securing it in place. They are also a mechanism to hide the path of my sword.

The movements of the shoulder are crucial in any sword fight. Whether or not one hides them from view makes a huge difference in a fight against human opponents. If I use the fluttering of the cloak to hide my movements, my opponents will have a hard time discerning my attacks from my feints. This is a very handy mechanism for a swordsman like me who relies on cheap tricks.

「I'll keep your swords until the audience is over. I'll also wrap that moving magic sword up in chains」

I handed my katana, sword, and magic sword to Toto. Together, they weighed quite a bit, but she carried them easily in one hand.

Just the karambit alone, I slid unseen into my vest.

「Your lantern seems to be broken, so should I get you a new one? In the first place, how do you put the ore or fire in this one?」

Toto poked Yukikaze, which was dangling from her hand.

「Give it back. It's something very important to me」

「To find a broken tool important, what a hard life you must have led」

I snatched the mini-pod back and checked it. I signaled it by tapping it with my finger, but there was no response. I turned my back to Toto and tried talking to it, but there was still no response.

All its moving parts had locked in place and wouldn't budge. There was no sign of any damage on its exterior.

Does this mean that the aqueous brain has gotten damaged from being frozen? As a layman, it's hard for me to say. There's a chance that anything I try could make things worse, so I have no choice but to preserve it in its current state and show it to Makina later.

I'll leave Yukikaze with Maria, but for the other thing………………

「Excuse me, Toto-san. Where’s the rest of my stuff?」

「Everything that I found in your clothes is in that basket over there」

The basket she was pointing to was about half the size of a basketball. It definitely wasn't big enough to hold that.

「Is that all of it?」

「Yes, that’s all of it」

「Was there a bow?」

「A bow? I didn't see anything like that on you when you appeared all of a sudden」

I don't remember using it when I fought the wolves.

It didn't seem like the women who had saved me had retrieved it.

So it must be buried somewhere in that field of snow. In the end, what's the deal with that bow, I wonder?

「And don't forget this」

Toto pulled out a black top hat. It was clean, but had also seen better days.

「The princess seems to dislike your eyes. So make sure you hide them」

I have the same golden eyes as the lady.

Wait a minute………………something's not right.

『Golden-eyed beast. That’s the general term for the annihilated heroes who wiped out the vampires that emerged from Neomia, the capital of ice in the north of the continent』

I tried desperately to recall what the Demon Lord had said to me in the past.

『In the ancient words, the warriors of the end, the Endguard, followers of the moon of misfortune』

Did the Demon Lord also get fooled by the information that Barfuru spread? No, wait, there's something more important.

Golden eyes.

Why didn't I notice it until now?

That bastard Barfuru has gray eyes. Not golden eyes. The Demon Lord is a discerning person. She's not the kind of person who would share lies and misinformation with others. So, was she duped into believing false information too?

I don't know.

There are too many things that I don't know.

When I fought Elysium's beast, I had felt the power of the Lycans through the bow. If it weren't for Misuranika-sama's power, I might have turned into a half-beast.

Barfuru had mentioned before that Lycan armaments were crafted from Lycan bodies.

But when he speaks of Lycans, is he referring to the white wolves? Assuming that to be the case, there's one thing that doesn't make sense.

The power of the Lycans was clearly hostile towards the beasts of abominable blood. The same as the lady.

Why? How did the wolves of Endguard even know about Elysium? What happened between the princess of Neomia and Elysium? There are so many things that I can't find answers to just from what Barfuru told me.

「What is it?」

A pair of red eyes peered at me.

The lady's attendants all have red eyes, which I suppose is very vampire-like.

I'm feeling so confused.

「No, it's just……I'm just a little overwhelmed by the whole situation」

「Well, from our perspective, you're the one who’s enigmatic and hard to understand though」

「That's true」

I put on the top hat. Does it look good on me, I wondered.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I saw a vampire who had seen better days.

「Well, it's passable, I suppose. I can't do much more with the limitations of what I have to work with」

「Indeed」

Lastly, I hung the containers of the regeneration point around my neck. There were red and blue liquid floating in the containers. That meant that there were Shogaku stones or some other similar substance in this place.

Toto and I left the bathroom and checked on Maria. She seemed to be fast asleep.

She'll probably feel lonely when she wakes up and finds herself all alone. However, I have no choice but to leave her here for the time being.

「Are you ready?」

「Let’s go」

As an adventurer should, I plunged into the unknown.

After leaving the room, Toto and I walked down a long, cold corridor.

Through the windows, I saw that the snowstorm was still going on outside.

There was not a single soul in sight.

This place doesn’t have a lived-in feel. Or maybe it's more appropriate to say that it's devoid of life. I feel as if I’m in a castle where only the people have suddenly disappeared. My footsteps seem to echo endlessly into the distance.

There’s one thing that bothers me.

Toto's room is on the second floor of the castle, and for some reason, we're currently heading downwards.

Normally, audience rooms are located at the top of castles.

My bad feeling turned into apprehension when we stopped in front of stairs leading underground.

「Go ahead」

Toto took out a lantern and urged me to go ahead of her.

The stairs looked familiar to me.

They were the wide stairs that led down into dungeons. They closely resembled the ones in the catacombs and the Odoriji spire.

We descended into the depths of darkness.

From diagonally behind me, Toto illuminated the steps near my feet.

「Could it be that this place is some sort of dungeon?」

「That's right, this castle was built on top of a dungeon. In Neomia, being an adventurer was a noble calling, something that honored their lineage. The clothes I lent you were originally adorned with jewelry. I removed them because they don't suit you though」

「I won't deny that」

That sounds quite different from the adventurers I know.

After descending the long, long set of stairs, I found myself in a passageway with no discernible end. Large reliefs adorned the floor here and there.

「Is it alright to step on these?」

They were chipped and damaged in some spots, but the reliefs were intricately carved likenesses of people.

Do they have some sort of cultural significance, I wonder? Will they get upset if I damage them?

「Do as you like. I step on them all the time」

Toto held up the lantern and went on ahead.

I stepped unceremoniously on the reliefs. They were all people I didn't know, so stepping on them didn't bother me. Besides, it was dark at the edges of the passageway and I didn't want to risk tripping over something.

The first eight reliefs were all of men.

I came upon one final relief with a smashed face. I could tell from the breasts that it was a woman, but why only this one?

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The light suddenly went out and I couldn't see anything.

「………Toto-san?」

I was used to being in the dark.

Instead of moving blindly, I waited for my eyes to adjust.

I felt presences lurking in the darkness.

They didn't seem hostile, but I couldn't grasp their exact numbers.

Vaguely, I started to make out the outlines of two people standing in front of me. At the same time……

「Adventurer from a foreign land. Name yourself」

……a coquettish voice rang out.

「I'm Souya of Lemuria」

It's probably best not to use my borrowed name here.

「I’m a descendant of Rossian's Fon the blue throne, daughter of Ryubel the half-dragon. And I'm the consort of Neomia's last king, Nerapthis・Bau・Mitera・Neomia.

My enemies call me the goddess of the moon of misfortune.

My people call me the apostle of the moon of misfortune.

I have no words to describe myself. Therefore, I shall not speak my true name. Princess, lady, noble of ice, forgotten one. Call me whatever you wish. And the only ones who bring me solace are the vampires who have been sanctified through holy communion」

Toto lit a candle on a candlestick.

The light it provided was much weaker than that of the lantern. I wondered if there was some sort of ceremonial meaning behind it. In that light, I could only see the faces of the two of them.

「Souya, if you wish to show your respect to me, you must first kneel」

I obeyed and knelt down.

I debated over whether or not I should take off the top hat, but I was told that she disliked my eyes, so I decided not to.

「Very good. In the passageway that led to this place, you stepped on the princes of Elysium without any hesitation. For now, that clears my suspicions」

Oh, so those were treading pictures[1], huh?

「Souya, you're aware of how rude it is for you to drop in unannounced, I presume?」

「Yes, please allow me to express my heartfelt apologies for my rudeness」

「I forgive you. I have no intention of prolonging this conversation over trivial matters. So, let's get to the point」

「I came to this land of Neomia because of the machinations of a man named Barfuru. His goal is the elimination of all vampires. My lady, you and all your attendants are in grave danger」

I came here expecting to slay vampires, but here I am, warning them instead.

How ironic.

「We're aware of the beast-headed man lurking in the city. He can't be up to any good」

Now, onto the meat of the matter.

「If you would allow me to use the great bell tower, the means by which I came to this land, I can return to Rossian and then come back with powerful allies」

「………Hmmm, I see」

The only thing I care about right now is escaping from Neomia.

All I need to do is report Barfuru's misdeeds to King Lemuria, get compensation for damages, and have him exiled from the country.

I can investigate his motives and the secrets of this place at my leisure once we're all safe.

「Souya, there's a shady undertone to your words」

I sensed some light behind me. Someone was approaching from the passageway I had come from.

I could hear the sound of chains.

「Also, that's no good, Toto. If you're going to have a pet, you have to make sure it’s properly collared」

A butler appeared holding a leash.

The one in a collar and being pulled forward was Maria. She was blindfolded and gagged with straps of leather, and her hands were bound behind her back. Perhaps she had fallen, but her knees were bloody.

「………My princess, this is――」

Toto's voice quivered.

Without letting anyone see, I pulled out my karambit.

「I would have forgiven you if you'd just told me. It's a shame」

More vampires emerged from the darkness. They restrained Toto and forced her to her knees.

The swords that she had been carrying clattered across the floor.

One of them pulled Toto's hair aside, exposing her neck.

Another brandished a great axe meant for beheading.

「I hate secrets. Especially those kept by the people I love」

The lady snapped her fingers.

The beheading axe fell.

If I go for Maria first, I won't make it.

「Agathion! Stop it!」

Despite being wrapped up in chains, Agathion sent the vampire with the axe flying.

The distance between us was eight meters.

I closed that in the blink of an eye.

Quickly, I picked up Zamonglass' sword. The magic sword had returned to my hand, but the chains around it were preventing me from using its edge.

「Don’t move」

The vampire holding Maria held his fangs to her neck in warning.

「Don't you move either」

With my body as the bow and my arm as the string, I threw Zamonglass' sword at him.

The famed sword plunged into the vampire's forehead.

Maria's body trembled with fear.

I placed the blade of the karambit to the lady's neck.

「Nobody move」

I drew the blade across the skin lightly and a bead of blood trickled down her pale neck.

「Toto, undo Maria's restraints. And, if you could, show us the way out」

「What do you think, my princess?」

「Not bad. I would have preferred if he had used a smarter method though」

The lady seemed unperturbed even though there was a blade to her neck.

And for some reason, Toto seemed unperturbed as well.

「You pass, Souya. I'll listen to what you have to say」

「………………What the heck?」

I deflated at the lady's words.

In other words……

「If you're the kind of man who would abandon a woman in front of you, then there's no need for me to even listen to you. Well, you were rough and there was no beauty in your actions, but you do seem to have some guts」

「Thank you」

……this was just a test.

I found myself feeling intensely displeased. I especially didn’t like the way they used Maria.

The vampire who was pierced through the forehead turned into mist and stood behind Maria once more. This time, he grabbed her around the neck.

After exchanging stares with him, I removed the karambit from the lady's neck.

At the same time, he released the hand around Maria's neck. He then took Maria with him and left. Seeing as he didn't let her go at this juncture, that meant that she was a hostage after all.

「I'll place half my trust in you. The other half, along with that little girl, I'll hold onto」

She was ruthless, as they said she would be.

「Well then, everyone, let's head back up. If we stay here too long, we might wake “him” up」

Him? Who is she talking about?

「Wh……」

I got goosebumps.

I hadn't noticed it until that very moment. There were bells all around me. The countless bells were lined up in almost identical fashion to those in the catacombs.

Behind the lady,

In other words, right beside me, was a large bell……

「Tch!」

…….and a sleeping dragon that was hugging it.

Glowing with a bluish tint, even in the darkness, were the scales of Lord Blue-Scale, Ultrop・Oru・Rossian.

[1] A treading picture, or fumi-e (踏み絵, "stepping-on"+"picture") was a likeness of Jesus or Mary that the religious authorities of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan would make suspected Christians step on to prove that they were not members of that outlawed religion. Such a practice began with the persecution of Christians in Nagasaki in 1629. Their use was officially abandoned when ports opened to foreigners on 13 April 1856, but still remained in use until Christian teaching was placed under formal protection during the Meiji period.

Drat, so that’s where the “warriors of the end” phrase had come from…I had translated it as “guardians of the end” as that made more sense back then, so that’s why I didn’t notice the phrase had been said by the Demon King…Anyway, I’ve revised it…

Another important note, the “delusion” in the title “The Neomia Of Delusion” can also mean “obsession”, which I’m sure you remember is a huge theme of this story. Just keep that in mind. You’ll find out why I chose delusion over obsession before this volume ends, but ultimately, both meanings apply.

By the way, Souya’s thought about how it was like raising a child is surprisingly deep. Before you know it, they’re all grown up and leaving the nest...

And yes, Barfuru is not a Lycan at all. Souya points out every single person who has golden eyes, but the one guy who really should have them, he didn’t note anything. This is probably why there are zero illustrations of Barfuru. And when the manga came out, I was so looking forward to seeing what the artist would do about this.

Eight men and one woman. Knowing that the men are the eight princes, you can guess who the defaced woman is, right? Also, the lady is the goddess of the moon of misfortune! And one of the names she suggested is “forgotten one”, or in the ancient words, “Misuranika”…… By the way, Fon, Ryubel, and Mitera are all names that have appeared not too long ago and I’ve even made a passing comment about how one of them is really interesting……You really can’t skip the small details with this author, you know? Finally, we may have become acclimatized to it as games often re-use assets and not think much of it as a result, but logically speaking, 3 dungeons in 3 different places having very similar construction is really weird, is it?

I think you can see where this is going. More secrets will be revealed in the next chapter! Stay tuned!

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