'Could it be... Mephi?'
Elric's first thought was that Mephisto might have been involved in this situation.
But he quickly shook his head.
'No. Mephi doesn't have the power to do that right now. Even if he did, he has no reason to.'
It was true that Mephisto had grown far more powerful than before—anyone could sense it from his aura alone, even without using the Mind's Eye.
But that didn't mean he could immediately exercise significant physical power. Even if he could, he wasn't in a state to capture a single Banshee, let alone impose a restriction on Elric of such magnitude.
Moreover, beyond all of that, Mephisto was in a position where he needed Elric to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
In order to gain the independence Mephisto desired, and to crush Gregory, Elric's growth was crucial to him.
'So... what could it be?'
A sense of unease crept into Elric.
Someone who could impose restrictions on him without his knowing.
If such a person existed, wouldn't they have been able to take his life while he was busy with Otto Han's legacy?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
And then.
"…."
His gaze turned cold.
It seemed this was something he would need to consult his master about.
***
"Brother, what should we do?"
Lasalle, the second of the Blue Hawks, pondered for a long time over the question his sibling had posed.
They had been waiting at the entrance to the Crimson Ghost Forest, and once the Blue Horse and Blue Ram squads had joined them, they had moved out.
By then, however, the Blue Wolf had already almost reached the dungeon.
They had to hurry, with every step pressing them to catch up to the Blue Wolf as quickly as possible.
But upon arriving at the dungeon, their steps came to a sudden halt.
Signs of a fierce battle were evident at the entrance.
Icicles hung everywhere, and the frozen ground showed that Elric's magic had swept through violently.
Lasalle had already known Elric wouldn't easily expose his back, so resistance of this level wasn't unexpected.
But what shocked the Blue Hawks, as well as the Blue Horse and Blue Ram, was the aftermath.
The Blue Wolf… had been annihilated.
Some were trapped in ice, others lay with their upper and lower bodies severed. The sight was so surreal, it was hard to believe.
Most shocking was the look of terror frozen on the faces of the dead.
It was as if they had been plunged into a legendary frozen hell from ancient tales.
'Tanant... I never imagined he'd end up like this.'
Lasalle let out a bitter laugh when he realized that the Blue Wolf's leader, Tanant, was among the dead.
Tanant had been a formidable warrior, someone even Lasalle wasn't sure he could easily defeat.
And yet, here he was, dead without much of a fight. The impact was even more profound.
More unsettling still, the ghosts were still circling the dungeon entrance, brandishing their menacing scythes. They were poised to strike if anyone dared to enter.
'It's clear that Elric used these dungeon guardians to cause this, but if it wasn't him…!'
Everyone was waiting for Lasalle's command for one reason.
If the dungeon guardians had committed this massacre, then what had happened to Elric, who had entered before them?
If he was in danger, they had to save him at all costs.
That was the mission given to the Blue Hawks, the Blue Horse, and the Blue Ram.
"…We proceed," Lasalle finally decided, calculating even the slightest possibility as he made his call.
Although there was visible hesitation among the members of the Blue Horse and Blue Ram, their eyes quickly hardened. The Blue Wolf was dealt with, so their mission now shifted to taking control of the dungeon.
Keieee?
Keieeeeek!
Kyaaaaaa—
As the Blue Hawks and the others attempted to enter the dungeon, the ghosts turned their heads and let out eerie shrieks.
Their scythes gleamed with a deadly blue light.
The air turned cold once again, and tension filled the atmosphere.
The offensive-oriented Blue Ram took the lead, while the highly mobile Blue Horse split into two squads, positioning themselves on the flanks, ready to circle behind the enemy.
Just as the battle was about to begin—
"Stop."
A voice from inside the dungeon brought everything to a halt, as if time had stopped. Even the ghosts froze in place.
The Blue Hawks and the others turned their attention in that direction.
Lasalle's expression brightened. It was a familiar voice.
Thud.
Thud.
As the footsteps grew closer, the ghosts all lowered their scythes and knelt one by one, prostrating themselves as if in the presence of a king. The sight widened the eyes of everyone from the Blue Horse and Blue Ram.
Elric finally emerged fully, letting out a deep sigh.
"What would you have done if someone had gotten hurt?" he said.
He had rushed over when he saw the signal of intruders, only to be startled when he realized they were familiar faces.
It could have easily led to unnecessary casualties.
Lasalle shrugged his shoulders lightly.
"Nothing happened, did it? That's all that matters."
Elric could only offer a wry smile at the unexpectedly simple response.
***
Elric left the dungeon, having collected everything of value.
"[Close]."
With a simple incantation, the dungeon began to shake violently. The entrance collapsed, and the entire dungeon sank deep into the earth, vanishing completely.
"Is it okay to just destroy it like this?"
Lasalle's eyes widened.
Even to his untrained eyes, the dungeon seemed incredibly valuable, perhaps even astronomically so. He wondered if it was really okay to bury it so easily.
Elric chuckled softly.
"I'm not completely destroying it. I'm just burying it again so that no one else can find it."
"Bury it?"
"Yes. It was originally a subterranean dungeon, after all."
The dungeon, which had remained hidden for over a thousand years, had only been discovered by Sophia's group because Elric had awakened Otto Han's legacy and undone the seal.
Now that he had retrieved everything he needed, he simply reactivated the sealing magic.
He could always unseal it again if needed.
In fact, he planned to keep it as a sanctuary and safe house for his family.
'It's all thanks to this.'
The Magical Amulet.
Elric now fully understood the true nature of this necklace, passed down through his family.
It was a key.
A master key that could unlock and lock all the secrets the family had kept.
"But aren't you going to miss the guardians? They seemed pretty useful outside," Lasalle said.
He figured that unleashing the ghosts that had even made the Blue Horse and Blue Ram nervous would make for an incredibly powerful force.
Normally, dungeon guardians were like components of the dungeon, difficult to extract, and even harder to control if brought outside...!
"Of course, I'm taking them."
"Huh?"
Lasalle's eyes widened at Elric's nonchalant response.
At that moment.
"[Claim]."
As Elric spoke the second incantation, a massive tremor shook the ground where the dungeon had been. Gray shadows burst out in droves, rushing toward Elric.
Kieaaaa!
Tsutsutsu!
As nearly a hundred ghosts swarmed around Elric, a distinct sound of something locking into place came from within him.
Click.
Click.
The binding seal that had anchored the ghosts to the dungeon transferred to Elric, fully linking them to him.
"Ha!"
Lasalle let out a hollow laugh.
'He's become even more of a monster.'
Elric, whom he had seen growing rapidly in the Black Snowfield, was now so powerful that it was hard to comprehend.
And with each step of his growth, Lasalle and the Blue Hawks felt a growing fire within them.
'He truly is…!'
'The one who will avenge our grievances.'
'He is more than worthy to be my nephew-in-law.'
It was now common knowledge that the Imperial Court had issued orders for troops to be sent out. This meant Elric would soon be heading to the Wynz Territory.
And if Elric, with his overwhelming cold and an army of ghosts, unleashed all his power there… the results would be unimaginable.
The thought alone made Lasalle's shoulders twitch with excitement.
'But we'll have to be careful.'
Still, some caution would be necessary.
Ghosts were often associated with black magic.
Depending on how deeply Elric delved into that field, things could take an unexpected turn. After all, in the public eye, it was still seen that way.
And since the Magic Tower, which held dominance over magic studies, shunned black magic, it was best to avoid stirring any concerns.
'I'll have to make sure the Blue Horse and Blue Ram keep their mouths shut.'
While Elric could certainly take care of himself, Lasalle felt it necessary to offer some assistance.
Meanwhile,
『Otto Hahn really handed over something ridiculous.』
Mephisto let out a dry laugh as he watched the dungeon guardians fully attach themselves to Elric.
Just thinking about what would happen when the Northern Wind swept through and those things appeared made him chuckle bitterly.
Elric, however, couldn't help but feel curious.
[Isn't this a bit much?]
While he recognized the power of the dungeon guardians, he didn't think it was enough to warrant Mephisto's concern.
He had simply thought it would make things a bit easier in future battles without vassals or soldiers.
But from Mephisto's attitude, it seemed there was more to it than that.
『You don't understand. You've never seen the level of Otto Han's Ghost Army when he wielded "Winter."』
Mephisto folded his arms and even snorted in derision.
『Otto Han was a master of necromancy and spirit descent ( A spell that invokes a specific spirit to possess the body, drawing out transcendent power). The ghosts you've just acquired… Never mind, you'll see.』
Elric's eyes gleamed slightly.
He was beginning to understand Mephisto's point.
'So, the ghosts Otto Han left behind were all great individuals in their lifetimes, huh?'
If Mephisto spoke this highly of them.
And if Otto Han, who had led the Melvinger family through its golden age, had chosen these individuals, then they could rightly be called heroes.
Depending on how Elric used them, the possibilities seemed endless.
At any rate.
He had now fully inherited all of Otto Han's legacy.
Now, there was only one thing left to do.
To let the world know that "Winter" had returned after a thousand years.
And that the Melvinger family was ready to rise again.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]