Chapter 25: The Debut of the Headless Horseman
At the town gate, numerous adventurers stared in horror at the eerie figure in the distance, causing them to involuntarily swallow nervously.
"How is this possible?! It's...!"
"The Headless Horseman?! Why is it here?!"
"There were rumors of the Headless Horseman appearing in the southern regions; is this actually true?!"
Amidst the chaos of voices, Zat and others mixed in the crowd began reciting their lines according to the script they had memorized long ago, well aware that Durin was still filming despite the circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Headless Horseman on horseback cleared his throat slightly. It was his first performance, and there was no room for mistakes. With a hint of nervousness, he quickly spoke, "I am the Headless Horseman who recently moved to the nearby castle!"
"It truly is the Headless Horseman!"
"What should we do? This is my first time encountering the undead!"
"We don't have a church in the southern regions; what are we supposed to do?!"
In contrast to Durin and others who knew this was all part of the act, the rest of the adventurers present showed expressions of despair. After all, the Headless Horseman, a legendary creature like this, was at least a super Tier 6 monster, making them, mostly Tier 1 or 2 adventurers, like lambs to the slaughter.
Seemingly startled by the tense atmosphere, the Headless Horseman hesitated for a moment before hastily continuing with the rehearsed actions, "Every day, every day~~!!! Every single day, someone recklessly casts explosion magic near my castle! Who's the idiot with a brain disease?!!!"
With a burst of special effects lightning flashing behind him, the people at the town gate fell into stunned silence, followed by an uproar.
What happened next unfolded almost exactly as Durin had designed. The "extras," although looking bewildered, were led by Beldia to identify the only person capable of casting explosion magic—Megumin.
Though inwardly anxious, Megumin, accustomed to putting on a brave front, engaged in a subtle verbal duel with the Headless Horseman.
Ultimately, successfully intimidated by the Headless Horseman, who revealed both surprise and disdain, he declared, "Fine, do whatever you want. I didn't come here to play with you little minions. I'll be staying at that castle for a while longer, so no more explosion magic near me, understood?"
The so-called castle was indeed real; it was a rundown castle Durin had purchased with the remaining assets of his family, solely for the purpose of shooting the scene involving the continuous casting of explosion magic. Ultimately, these were expenses that couldn't be avoided, no matter how much he wanted to save.
In this moment, Durin had truly staked the fate of the Edward family on this filming. If any problems arose during the production that couldn't be rectified, the Edward family would likely face bankruptcy.
At the scene, in response to the Headless Horseman's threat, Megumin, with an indifferent expression, calmly stated, "I can't do that. We crimson demons must use explosion magic every day, or else we'll die."
"Huh? I've never heard of such a thing! Don't make things up!"
"It's true! If we don't cast explosion magic, my entire body will itch with magical energy, and then I'll eventually die in agony!"
Though Megumin was simply bluffing, the Headless Horseman, unaware of this, was momentarily stunned and then reluctantly said, "Although I am loyal to the Demon King, I was originally a knight and don't want to bully the weak. But since you're being so pushy..."
In an instant, before anyone, including Megumin, could react, a dark aura began to gather in the hands of the Headless Horseman.
Witnessing this, some of the more "knowledgeable" adventurers among the group exclaimed in astonishment, "Death's decree?! The death proclamation only usable by top-tier undead?!"
"Isn't that a high-tier spell?! Why can a death knight, who isn't a mage, use it?"
"Perhaps it's because of the overwhelming aura of death, allowing him to naturally comprehend such a terrifying ability."
"Indeed, it's no wonder he's a centuries-old undead monster..."
Faced with the adventurers' insightful analysis and shocked expressions, Durin, secretly filming in the corner, couldn't help but wonder what expressions they would show if he told them that it was merely a regular curse spell, causing the cursed individual to have a string of bad luck for a day, like slipping on a banana peel or finding glass in their food.
Regardless, as the Headless Horseman was about to unleash such a powerful spell, some of the adventurers present couldn't contain themselves anymore. However, before they could react, the Headless Horseman's finger swiftly pointed downward.
"I hereby decree your death! You will die one week from now!"
As the stunned Megumin had yet to react, Darkness dashed to her side, intercepting such a terrifying blow on her behalf. The visible dark aura not only made the surrounding adventurers freeze in their tracks but also caused Darkness, now under the curse, to show an expression of unbearable pain.
Perched atop a small mound, the Headless Horseman spoke nonchalantly, "Your high-mindedness as adventurers will only bring you more pain. Listen well, this female knight will die one week from now. Heh, you'll watch as your important comrade is tormented by the fear of death, scared out of her wits!"
The words of the Headless Horseman caused a pallor to wash over Megumin's face. However, in contrast, Darkness wore a completely different expression, as if unaffected by the curse. She spoke, "H-How could this happen?! So you're saying, you've cursed me to death, and to lift the curse, I must obey your commands! Is that what you mean?!"
"Eh?"
Suddenly, the Headless Horseman, utterly perplexed by Darkness's words, displayed a subtle expression, but Darkness's tirade wasn't over yet.
"Tsk...! A mere curse won't make me yield...! I won't yield...! What do I do, Kazuma?! Look, the lecherous gaze beneath the Headless Horseman's helmet! It's as if he's planning to take me back to the castle like this, demanding obedience and unimaginable perverted acts with that twisted look in his eyes!"
In front of everyone, the poor Headless Horseman, now suddenly labeled a pervert, stood dumbfounded, muttering, "...Eh?"
"Even if you have free reign over my body, don't think you can trap my heart! Being imprisoned in the castle, commanded by the Demon King's lackeys with unreasonable demands! Ahh, what do I do, Kazuma?! This unexpected situation! I don't want to go, though I don't want to, I can't refuse! I'll resist as much as I can, so don't interfere with me! I'm going!"
"Eh eh eh?! Stop, don't go! Everyone will be troubled by the undead!"
Watching the fully immersed Darkness, Durin, standing in the distance, couldn't help but wipe his brow with cold sweat, wondering if he had overdone the suggestive magic. How else could it explain that the quiet and graceful girl he interviewed had suddenly transformed into this?