Chapter 225 – The Wizard and the Swamp Monster

I was the first to open my mouth. I told Grendel how the Great War ended five hundred years ago.

“The demon king who caused the war, and the Asir gods of the heavens who fought against the demon king all died. The only one who survived was Baldur, the god of light. That nobleman is now serving as the god of the continents in the world.”
[You mean only Odin’s own son survived? In the end, as prophesied, the Demon King’s army was defeated. It’s a pity that I couldn’t watch Loki’s last moments.]

When I told him about Rachnarok’s end, Grendel’s expression twisted. He had a distorted face, but he could tell that he was expressing the emotion of sadness in his own way. What kind of a Loki fan club is this bastard?

‘Actually, Grandpa Odin isn’t dead.’

Contrary to the world’s perception, Odin was alive. He survived intact and handed me a magic book, and even had a drinking spree a few months ago. But there’s no need to tell Grendel what only I know, right? It seems that Odin’s old man also wants to hide that he’s alive.

[What happened to the three successors who followed Loki? They were like light and salt to the masters of our abyss. In particular, Jormungand-nim ​​was also my idol. Has he ever heard of him surviving?]

Three successors.
You’re probably referring to the three giant monsters that were active on the Demon King’s side, right? Even if it were me, I would have admired it if I had been born as a monster. What is that? King Kong and Godzilla were also romances of the people of Earth. Is not it?

“They all died too. Fenrir-nim died from a torn jaw, and Jormungand-nim ​​made friends with the hammer-wielding Thor. Because they said it was destroyed.”
[Thor… ! Did that thunder-naked bastard kill Lord Jormungand! He seems like a guy who wouldn’t be cool even if he was ripped to death!]

When the story of Thor was brought up, Grendel jumped out of his seat.

[Can you see the lightning marks on my shoulder? It was a wound that Thor, who had invaded the Great Forest, struck down with lightning. It felt like being cooked over an open fire!]

Grendel thrust out his shoulder, revealing the scar of a lightning bolt. Wow, you survived being struck by lightning by Thor? If someone else said this, he was confident that he would treat him like a bluff. But you’re really from the demon king’s army that went through a great war 500 years ago. Is this something that needs to be respected?

“Oh, that must hurt a lot.”
[The wound still burns! Even though I died and came back to life, traces of divine punishment still haunt me! Fucking Thor bastard!]

OK.
I figured out that his shoulder was a weakness.
Would it hurt more if I poked the wound?

[I’ve heard enough about the Great War. I don’t want to hear more details about the defeat. I want to know how the world is now and what organization is defending order.]

An organization that protects the order of the continent.
So, I want to know where they are taking on roles such as international police. As expected of a villain, his biggest interest was that one.

“If there is an organization worthy of attention in this era, it would be the Mage Tower. The Mage Tower uses mages to contribute to world peace. I will issue a warrant immediately.”
[Is it the Magic Tower and the Gwangmyeongseong Church? Thank you for providing useful information.]
“Okay. Now it’s your turn to answer the question. What is the Albert who resurrected you aiming for?”

The exchange of information went smoothly. Grendel answered my question without any doubt.

“Huh, huh… Am I dreaming? It’s not a dream, is it?”

Wendy, standing next to us, was dizzy, putting her hand on her forehead. Certainly, it would make me look insane for treating a hideous man-eating monster friendly. But Wendy didn’t bother to interrupt our conversation.

Yes.
I want you to stay so still.
I’ll explain everything about acting later.
Because we are having an important conversation right now.

[What Albert was aiming for…]

It was while listening to Grendel’s voice. Suddenly, Grundell turned her head and looked at Wendy, her body shaking like an aspen tree.

Swoop.

As her enchanting eyes stared at her, Wendy’s body hardened like a plaster cast.

[Wait for a sec. One more question before that. Wasn’t it your living sacrifice that was riding in her carriage? It refers to the living sacrifices brought to the Demon King for human sacrifice.]

I can roughly guess what kind of misunderstanding Grendel has with my party. I heard that in the distant past, human sacrifice was held in the demon king’s army to worship the demon king. She must have misunderstood my party as living sacrifices.

[Your attitude is very friendly, even when it comes to dealing with sacrifices. It’s like treating a family member or a lover. How can you be comfortable with the object you are supposed to sacrifice? It wouldn’t be strange if they bit each other right away.]
“…”
[Isn’t it a sacrifice? Are you saying you lied to me?]

Lie.
Grendel turned her head and narrowed her brow, and she looked at me.
She was embarrassed to be honest.
Because the monster who had regarded me as a compatriot until now had his first doubts. Even the sacrifice was just a rough match to what he said, right? I didn’t expect you to suddenly make a logical point.

“Oh, um…”

I put Grendel in front and spun her brain at super speed. It is absolutely not possible to reveal the truth that it is not a sacrifice. Once you’ve been caught lying, your trust will soon be destroyed. You have to somehow make it plausible by attaching a hastily made lie to it.

Full brain operation!

“What lies? All the women on the carriage are my sacrifices. The reason I can be friendly with them is because I’m an incubus. Don’t you know that the dreamer clan has a knack for bewitching women?”
[Can you show proof of being possessed? These are women who look too normal for having been subjected to mental manipulation.]
“Okay! Watch carefully.”

I spoke to Wendy, who was still in her corner.

“Mr. Wendy.”
“Huh?! Yes!”

Wendy was startled, like an audience member who was suddenly struck by an actor on stage. Her skillful acting is important here, but she needed Wendy’s cooperation.

I look forward to!
Give up your human dignity for a moment!

“Squat down and bark like a dog.”
“What, what?”
“Quickly! It’s an order!”

Should I be called the receptionist of the fast-paced adventurer’s guild? Wendy immediately squatted down and started barking like a dog.

“…I understand! Master Luke! King!”

It was a picture of a dark-haired beauty pretending to be a dog in front of a young man. She must have felt ashamed, and Wendy’s cheeks turned red. Apologize later Wendy’s sacrifice was meaningful enough. As Grendel watched Wendy cry, she nodded.

[I believe. It is true that you possessed that woman.]
“Isn’t it? Who would pretend to be a dog in front of a young guy with his sober mind? The red-haired girl, the blonde nun, and the long-haired sister were all bewitched.”
[Still, aren’t you being too gentle with the possessed? If you are going to use it as a living sacrifice, wouldn’t it be the right law to wear her leash?]
“The meta of sacrificial offerings has changed these days. It’s been a while since I woke up so I don’t know. They say that caring for sacrifices rather than abusing them increases the quality of human sacrifice.”
[Has the meta changed?]
“Yes. It’s the same as slaughtering a cow. A cow raised with love and without stress produces better quality meat. That meat quality principle is applied to human sacrifice.”
[Ho-oh-!!]

When I said something that seemed plausible, Grendel couldn’t come to his senses. Originally, a lie should be mixed with a proper name and metaphor to make it stickier.

[Sorry for doubting you. These days, it seems that they are putting a lot of effort into the sacrifices used for human sacrifice. For me, instilling fear was my top priority…]
“If you don’t know, learn.”
[I get it. Let me answer the question you asked earlier. Did you say you were curious about Albert’s purpose?]

Grendel cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

[What Albert wants is immortality. He was researching eternal life, the ultimate goal of alchemy. They say they’re stealing to collect research materials.]

Are you researching immortality?
It was a grandiose goal, but in another world, it is not necessarily impossible. A lich who turned his body into an undead, or a vampire who prolongs his lifespan by blood-sucking. It was possible to achieve immortality by taking the illegal route.

But, as it turns out, Albert didn’t just want to live a long life.

[Albert didn’t just want to extend his lifespan. He was seeking to become an ‘immortal’ by endowing himself with a transcendent destiny. It refers to the stage of avoiding the concept of death.]
“Immortal?”
[Eternal life doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t die. The risk of being physically killed is always there. Those who remove even such danger are called immortals.]

Eliminating ‘death’ from a person’s life. Is that an achievement possible with alchemy? The level of immortality Grendel spoke of was a feat that even the Asir gods could not achieve. It just felt absurd that a mere dreamer would study immortality.

If that’s possible, it makes no sense.
Throw away rune magic and I’ll learn alchemy too.

“Is it possible to interfere with fate with alchemy?”
[I don’t know. But a man named Albert firmly believed that it was possible. It is said that he even achieved minor achievements in the course of his research. Thanks to you, I also got a new life.]

Grendel pulled out a bright red stone from his chest. It is a stone that glows red as if blood has been coagulated.
I looked at the stone lying in Grendel’s thick palm.

[It is a thing called Talisman. It is said to be an alchemist’s treasure that constantly delivers vitality to its owner. It was thanks to Talisman that I, who had died once, came back to life. Holding this will stop the disintegration of the body.]

An alchemist’s treasure that resurrected an ancient creature.
The treasure was glowing red in front of his eyes.

Gulp.

The moment I saw Talisman, I swallowed.

“Awesome.”

Suddenly, this thought popped into my head.

What if I steal that?