Limit Breaking Genius Mage Chapter 334

Episode 334: Yeoji (2)

A corpse with skin like lead, eyes devoid of even a shred of life.

Berden, who raised his head slightly, faced the black magician hiding beyond death.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course. Isn’t he the one who killed poor Viola and Nosa, who were active in the Kingdom of Estyria?”

The corpse spoke calmly.

First, the white bone viola.

“She succeeded in murdering bishops and almost destroying dioceses, but in the end, she could not escape the lightning of gravity and was reduced to ashes.”

And labor and management.

“I summoned the Grim Reaper using the Commander’s Orb and the ritual, but I met the same ending as Viola. In the end, my body was impaled by countless ice shards, and I lost my life in agony.”

The cause of death of two black magicians.

The corpse recited its words without blinking, as if recalling their deaths.

As if I had seen it in person.

“As far as I remember, there weren’t any remnants left there.”

“Yes. As you said, no one who belonged to the glory of the corpse ever returned from the ritual alive. But death itself contains many things. Isn’t that right, Archbishop Joseph?”

“Do not ask. As an archbishop, I do not intend to leisurely answer your questions that mock the sacred death.”

Hwaaaaah!

A mighty divine power was seething.

The light that had dispelled all the darkness in the market room slowly began to fade and take shape.

A huge ring of light, the majestic light, behind Joseph.

Proof of a holy state that only a very small number of believers can reach.

“Euuuuugh……!!”

The mayor of Third Mill, who had been eating greedily, covered his face and writhed slightly.

The bowls that had been stacked high up on the floor fell to the ground, shattered into pieces as they collided with the thick elbow.

It seems that the curse engraved on his body, like Riverrun's market, reacted to divine power.

Crackling… … .

As proof, smoke began to rise faintly from the corpse's flesh.

A light that annihilates the concept of death simply by encountering it.

That was the existence of the Archbishop.

“From now on, I will ask the questions.”

“Oh, how grim.”

Only the corner of the corpse's mouth was grotesquely twisted.

It is a laughter that is not simply hiding somewhere, but is not afraid of the Luas Church itself, including the Archbishop and Paladin.

Despite that expression, Joseph asked without any reaction.

“You, who should have fled from the light, why did you dare invite us to the Third Mill?”

“First of all, I think it would be best to correct the word ‘we’. The invitation I sent you only had your name written on it. Anyway, if you ask me what I want to do, I’ll just give you a few answers myself.”

What is the answer to?

And what is that mine too?

'Whatever it is, it's clear that it suits their purpose.'

Of course, getting rid of it without even listening was not an option.

If we do that, we could end up completely losing any strong clues about the corpse's glory.

Verden carefully observed the situation.

“…….”

Joseph suppressed his divine power.

As the light that had filled the space disappeared, the corpse opened its mouth.

“As you know, I have put in a lot of effort here in Kylians. I have caused a bigger flood by inserting [Pillars of Life] into some of the subhumans, and I have also received cooperation from the mayor of Riverrun, who died from a bursting blood clot, and the mayor of Third Mill, who is having a meal here.”

Creak.

The corpse slowly rose from its seat.

“You must have been suspicious when you found out. Did the entire upper echelon of the Kylelians really fall into my hands……”

The elbow is bent.

A bloodless, clenched right hand was placed in front of the corpse.

“The answer is yes. My curse is upon all seven cities of Kylians, and upon all the mayors who rule them.”

Kylians is a special nation created by the union of independent city-states.

Although each city may have excellent self-reliance, the leadership and scale of the country itself are somewhat inferior to those of neighboring countries.

But even so, a country is a country.

It was never so fundamentally shaken that it could be swayed or controlled by a single group.

Yet there was no one here who disbelieved the corpse's words.

In fact, not only did two mayors suffer, but there was also a history of them acting without hesitation in a vast territory such as a kingdom.

And it is clear that the being controlling the corpse right now is also a very strong being even by worldly standards.

The corpse tilted its head.

“Hmm, come to think of it… Seven mayors and seven archbishops. It may be a coincidence, but isn’t it quite coincidental? I wonder if the results will be the same.”

“Shut your filthy mouth.”

Paladin, Railbur took up the hammer.

It meant that if you mock the Archbishop one more time, you will be crushed to pieces.

“You’re so sensitive, I wonder if you’re a Paladin. Alright, I don’t want this body to be ruined right now either.”

The corpse that spoke calmly moved its hand.

Knock knock knock.

With a sound of bones cracking, three fingers, excluding the thumb and little finger, were spread out and clearly visible.

“To continue, by now you probably have three similar questions in your heads.”

The corpse took a step forward.

At the same time, the index finger was bent in order.

first.

“Where are the countless corpses of subhumans that have been transported through the city and the Adventurer’s Guild for months?”

Second.

“Where are the bodies of the dead people hidden inside that corpse?”

Third.

“Where am I?”

All fingers are folded.

Immediately afterwards, the faint sound of footsteps stopped.

In the cold silence that flowed for a moment, the dead man looked at the map of Kylians placed in the market room.

A gaze from top to bottom.

The line of sight literally cut across the center of the city union, past the city, through the third mill, and even to places not included on the map.

The southernmost part of the Kylians.

Are there any regions or countries beyond that?

'no way…….'

Verden frowned.

Joseph, Adrian, and Railver immediately understood the meaning.

And the corpse answered.

“We are in the Republic of Beldirn.”

* * *

Naturally, Verden did not take the corpse's words at face value.

It was impossible for him to trust a group of black magicians who did not hesitate to commit mass slaughter.

Rather, it was based on the situation.

'The corpses of the Ainz and humans that Adrian witnessed were being transported on a ship.'

Why did they use water instead of land?

It may have been chosen because it can carry a greater amount than a carriage without having to think too hard about it.

So where is the destination?

The river Hein that runs through the center of the city, Riverrun.

The river, which rarely freezes even in midwinter, is also a resource for other cities in the Kingdom of Caylians.

'Like the third mill here.'

And at the end of the stretched out Hein River, it is located exactly in the territory of the Republic of Beldirn.

Of course, this alone is not enough to have faith.

At best, the Republic of Beldirn will be included among the many candidates.

There was another reason why Verden had at least some confidence.

“It’s not the Republic of Kylians, it’s the Republic of Beldirn. Why did they readily reveal their location?”

Joseph added his question without showing any expression.

The voice is clear and the gaze is straight.

The strong will of an archbishop who is not swayed by whatever others say.

'But just now… … .'

Joseph's hazel eyes, seen in passing, were not directed at the corpse.

What was in the field of vision slightly above that was nothing but empty space.

As if my consciousness had drifted off somewhere for a moment.

You didn't see things wrong.

Rather, it was a fleeting moment that was difficult for anyone to notice, so suspicion arose.

Crucially.

“The reason is that it doesn’t really matter to you, Archbishop. Since I am in the Republic, you must come to the Republic. Unless you are going to watch death from afar.”

Joseph asked the corpse why he was being led to the Republic, but he said nothing about their purpose.

That means there's no need to do that.

So, to summarize.

'The Luas Church is aware of what the Glory of the Corpse ultimately aims to achieve, and they suspect that they are active not only in Kylians but also in the Republic of Beldirn?'

Although this is a conclusion based solely on circumstantial evidence, the context is more or less correct.

It has become clearer that the glory of the corpse lies in the Republic of Beldirn.

Then the corpse spoke.

“That’s all I can think of to answer. You can come to the Republic yourself to find out if it’s true or not. If you don’t believe it, that’s not a bad thing either.”

Both of their business is coming to an end.

But Verden still had business to attend to.

Since the Republic of Beldirn was mentioned, I couldn't just ignore it.

“Let me ask you something.”

Then the corpse slowly turned its head.

“Didn’t you hear that I have no intention of answering any more questions, Asher?”

“A high councilor was recently murdered in the Republic of Beldirn. Was it you?”

Verden ignored him and urged him to answer.

The corpse, which had been silent for a moment with its mouth tightly shut, began to speak.

"then?"

“What is the reason?”

“Well, I wonder why…….”

The body of the corpse was tilted forward.

“My answer is the same as before.”

The one with its weight on its front legs suddenly kicked away.

The corpse jumped up from the table in front and ran towards the four people.

At the same time Adrian moved.

Wild dance.

The skills pouring out from the magic sword mercilessly tore through flesh and bones.

A corpse that could not withstand the countless sword strikes and was turned into pieces in the blink of an eye.

Railbur then charged forward, raising his massive shield imbued with divine power.

Kwaang───Chaaaaaaah!

A bright red trail continued in a straight line, created by the thrown debris.

The floor, ceiling, and walls were stained with blood and flesh.

The bastard was torn to pieces.

The presence of the black magician controlling the corpse was no longer felt.

This was the end of the unexpected encounter.

However… … the conversation is not over yet.

“I didn’t expect him to leave like that. He really was a terrible writer. Isn’t that the case for everyone?”

The mayor of Third Mill said with a smile.

* * *

Pieces of broken dishes are scattered under the table.

All that's in front of the market now is a bowl and a piece of cold steak on top of it.

And all there was was red wine, halfway filling the glass.

“An empty ship bound for the Republic of Beldirn has already been prepared.”

I moved the food I was holding.

He stabbed the last dish with his fork and put his weight on his thick fingertips to cut the meat into large pieces with his knife.

Just that alone was physically taxing and made breathing difficult.

“Of course…… phew…… I’ve already taken measures, so no one will be able to block my way out. I can board regardless of whether there’s a warrant for my arrest or not. I heard that they stole a ship from Riverrun, so there’s no need for a separate helmsman.”

I took two bites of the sliced meat.

I leaned back on the chair, savoring the taste of the meat filling my mouth.

Somewhere… … he looked carefree yet resigned.

Joseph faced the market.

And asked.

“Was the one who prepared that ship the one who put the curse on you?”

“If not, how could I have lived until now? My role is to guide the great archbishop to his destination.”

What happens when that role ends?

Everyone knew without even asking. Even the mayor himself.

“Mayor Third Mill, you have already accepted your own death. So why do you continue to follow the orders of the evil one until the end?”

“Is it a threat or a compromise? If you ask me which one it is… it is a threat and a compromise with myself.”

The market put down its fork.

He picked up a piece of steak with his own hands and swallowed it whole.

Now there is only one piece of meat left.

“Looking back, my life wasn’t so easy. Especially as someone who came from a merchant background, pushing out many nobles and being elected as the mayor of Third Mill was extremely difficult……. But in the end, I accomplished it.”

Knock knock.

The market pounded the ships full of fat.

“I’m in this state now, but back then, I lived diligently in my own way. I devoted my life to developing the city financially by utilizing my experience and specialty as a merchant. And I’ve come this far.”

After a while, I threw in the remaining meat and chewed it.

There is no meat.

The bowl was empty.

“Third Mill is my pride.”

“…….”

“But a few months ago, he came and killed the guardian of Sudmill without batting an eye, and then asked me to choose between Sudmill and the Republic of Veldirn.”

The mayor's hands trembled slightly.

“I chose Third Mill without hesitation. This city and its citizens were much more important than the neighboring countries. I helped him very hard in case he changed his mind.”

Under the pretext of a meeting, he called together other mayors and made them curse him.

Not only that, he loaded the corpses from the Third Mill onto ships and helped send all ships departing from Kylians back to the Republic.

He was both a victim and an accomplice.

“If you were great people like you, you would have resisted… but I couldn’t. I’m weak. Sacrificing others to protect this city was all I could do.”

The market laughed heartily.

“I don’t know what he’s up to in the Republic of Beldirn. I don’t even dare to think about it because I feel guilty or something, and I’m afraid. That’s why I just focused on eating. When I eat, other things seem to fade away… Phew, I’m finally free from this fat shackle. I’ve even protected the city so far.”

I reached out with difficulty.

He took hold of the glass and brought it towards himself, exhaling sharply.

“Archbishop Joseph Galaxy.”

The end is coming.

The emotions that I had been holding back were stirred up.

“But please don’t curse me too much. It’s just that the darkness that has come upon me is deeper than the light of the goddess……”

Gulp gulp.

I drank the remaining wine in one gulp.

The glass fell from his hand and crashed down, shattering.

The market sighed.

He swallowed once and spoke softly.

“I had no choice.”

The eyelids open and close.

Tears of blood poured out from his tearful eyes.

“It’s fortunate that I don’t have a family…….”

───Kuung.

The market collapsed on the table.

Blood began to pool in the bowl beneath his face.

“…….”

The archbishop looked at him silently.

He did not gather divine power to create a miracle of light.

Even before I came here… … no, even long before that, there was no way to save me.

If the poison had been ingested immediately, it could have been detoxified.

One day before, he had been addicted and his organs had slowly begun to melt away… … Now, even if he was the Archbishop, his body, which had lost its original form, could not be restored.

Immediately afterwards, my breathing stopped completely.

A curse was triggered, recognizing the death of the market.

Debris flying with the explosion.

Blood spread.