Fort Helm

Avala and Pernok formed a temporary agreement.

They promised two things in the meaning of building mutual trust.

One, rights to the ruins belong to Pernok’s side.

Two, as compensation for support, hand over Dragon Jade and special relics to Avala.

Special relics were words Pernok made up.

Victor didn’t entirely trust Pernok’s words.

But after entering the tomb, grasping true intentions would already be too late.

They who fell into the trap would be removed at once.

“Holy land excavation needs many people. Send as many skilled people from Avala as possible.”

“How many?”

“It’s Banteras’ holy land that disappeared from history. Now after long years passed, I can’t even guess how much the terrain changed.”

“So how many do you need?”

“The more the better, but at minimum over 200. And the more veterans the better. Since I don’t know what will happen, even more preferable if they’re combat personnel.”

“What else do you need?”

“Materials needed for excavation. I’ll request additionally needed things while excavating.”

“Fine. Use all the forces here as you wish.”

“Even the mages?”

“I’ll give you the knight order too. Because you might need to find relics buried in ground or break rock walls and such to open paths.”

“You said you also investigated Banteras?”

“It was tightly hidden so we couldn’t obtain great gains. We only identified several places based on records passed down to our clan.”

“Hand over those minor records together too.”

“I’ll prepare everything by tomorrow. And.”

Victor handed a pair of black bracelets to Pernok.

“Wear them.”

“…”

“They suppress mana, and if you activate magic, the bracelets transform into thorns and pierce your arms. Then bones and flesh will be gnawed and you’ll die not lasting even 10 seconds.”

The bracelets were solid, seeming they’d need mana drawn out to break.

“I have nowhere to flee now anyway.”

“It’s a sign of trust. If we safely find the holy land and confirm Dragon Jade’s existence, I’ll release them immediately.”

Pernok smirked and wore the bracelets.

A chilly sensation seemed to climb along his wrist up to his heart.

‘A type that reacts to mana. Using Mana Reinforcement is impossible, but what if I utilize Ataka alone?’

Power inherent to the body, not mana.

Ataka that drew potential to the extreme seemed like it could easily cast off the bracelets.

‘A world that determines all threats by mana.’

Pernok smiled recalling the tomb.

‘I’m curious. When mana hits a wall, how much can you bastards struggle?’

He’d already finished calculating Fort Helm’s approximate location.

What remained was just finding the tomb’s entrance buried around Fort Helm.

* * *

The next day, Avala forces that encircled Pernok were deployed at the relic excavation site. Following that, Victor deployed additional personnel.

When low-level mages were reinforced, Pernok’s work became much easier.

“There’s a relic here!”

“It’s a relic called tactical weapon just as the investigation leader said!”

Pernok deliberately didn’t head straight to Fort Helm.

He had them excavate relics to raise Victor’s expectations and induce more of Avala’s executives to join here.

As a result, faces never seen before joined the investigation team in less than a week.

“These guys’ influence is truly frightening. How even nobles…”

It was natural for Kelt’s words to be blocked.

Though not high rank, those active in each stratum were visible.

They greatly cheered at relics Pernok excavated.

Forces greatly swelled, soon exceeding several hundred.

Battle strength enough to wage war with a castle, yet each castle they passed didn’t stop them.

They left numerous forces to pass through castles.

All that capability originated from Victor.

One day when Pernok was diligently excavating relics, Victor called him atop a hill.

“Were you really not Banteras’ descendant?”

“Tiring even saying it several times. It’s already past. Think as you please.”

“Well, there couldn’t be descendants who sell ancestors’ legacy.”

“No time, so just speak the main point briefly.”

Victor turned his head to Pernok.

“Why are you taking a detour?”

“What?”

“Seems you already found Fort Helm’s location?”

Victor’s pupils narrowed thinly as if to see through Pernok.

Pernok obediently nodded.

“I’m guessing to some degree.”

“Then why waste time on relic excavation and such?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I just want to have confidence in my speculation. As you know, long years passed, right? I have no choice but to specify location as much as possible while excavating relics.”

“You’re not harboring other thoughts?”

“No matter how I struggle, what can I do here?”

Pernok shrugged but Victor didn’t erase his suspicious gaze.

‘He’s very suspicious. It’ll be troublesome if the plan goes wrong like this.’

Until now, each time a relic was discovered, Victor questioned Pernok about this and that.

The reason he’s certain Pernok knows Fort Helm’s location was also because such suspicions piled up.

It would be troublesome if he, Avala’s head, backed out saying he won’t directly enter the tomb.

Pernok didn’t want to bury Victor and Avala’s main forces, leaving future troubles.

“Plus I discovered something interesting in this recently obtained relic.”

“You said it was a place heading to the next relic?”

“Content more interesting than that.”

“You didn’t say such words?”

“Because I confirmed just now.”

Pernok took out neatly rolled paper from his bosom.

“I was continuing to organize it to give tomorrow afternoon.”

Victor spread the paper wide.

Written there was new information Victor couldn’t guess based on relics excavated until now.

Fort Helm was merely Banteras’ capital, that place wasn’t the holy land.

The true holy land, Banteras descendants recorded in the form called ‘Den.’

Especially, tactical weapons discovered in this investigation were scheduled to enter the ‘Den.’

The possibility was high Banteras stored the nation’s treasure in the Den before perishing, and high possibility ‘Dragon Jade’ slept together there.

A report written by appropriately making up words on relics excavated until now.

But Victor couldn’t properly grasp this information’s authenticity.

Because scholars sent from Avala’s side judged Pernok’s excavation had close connection with that claim.

In a situation deeply empathizing with the single keyword of tactical weapon, suspecting false reporting using that wasn’t easy.

“Fort Helm isn’t the holy land we’re looking for?”

“This tactical weapon had an emblem carved heading to another place. That place is precisely the Den.”

“Den…”

“I view it as ruins located underground or Banteras’ treasure vault. In records I obtained from the stone tablet, it was short one-line content so I didn’t pay much attention, but now everything fits.”

“What content?”

“In deep darkness brilliant glory dwells, so never wander.”

“You’re saying that’s words indicating the Den?”

“Just speculation. But now won’t results come out?”

Pernok spoke firmly with a calm expression.

“One week later, we’ll enter the place where Fort Helm existed. And there we’ll specify the ‘Den’s’ location. Hold your mind firmly. If you carelessly collapse, you’ll suffer the curse for life.”

Victor’s eyes grew cold but Pernok smiled and turned his body.

Victor didn’t grab Pernok.

Meaning he acknowledged his words to some degree.

‘The desperate one finds the well.’

He understood why Victor so urgently raised forces without caring about others’ eyes to this extent.

He also seemed to know why from company heads to nobles, those seeming unrelated were together with Victor.

‘Cursed bastards.’

Avala’s descendants were cursed by the Knight King to not raise evil arts.

Made a result degraded to those unable to use any special power until later generations.

If the curse is just solved, they too would obtain special power like mages!

Victor firmly believed.

‘They too would dream like mages.’

Those who sympathize with Victor were the same.

They weren’t cursed.

But the means called artifacts granted them special power.

All of them believed artifacts sleeping at the holy land would bring specialness.

‘Bastards unsatisfied with what’s given are the same regardless of era.’

Stimulating humans’ primitive desire, stronger bonds than anyone formed.

Victor knew how to use that power and now tried to prove with results.

‘Power comes with a price.’

And Victor absolutely couldn’t handle that price.

“What did you go discuss?”

When Kelt asked at the lodging, Pernok smirked and answered.

“He suspected me. So I threw him a fake and came.”

“Phew, makes me shiver. Wouldn’t be strange if that fellow suddenly slays us one day.”

“That won’t happen. Because Fort Helm is before our eyes.”

Kelt looked at Pernok with eyes complexly entangled with tension and expectation.

“Is there really nothing at Fort Helm?”

“Nothing. Cleanly erased.”

“That’s… a sad matter.”

“But the ‘tomb’ remains. With just that, you can grope back the history you want.”

Kelt nodded with a heavy expression.

“However, remember. The tomb never forgives those whose desire is terrible.”

“Even you?”

“It’s dangerous. That’s why I prepared.”

Pernok examined forces wandering outside the barracks.

“As many as 554 sacrifices.”

* * *

After a month’s time passed, Pernok arrived before a huge lake.

“If my prediction is right, this lake would be where Fort Helm’s inner castle was.”

The lake was deep, not even showing the bottom.

To Victor who was pondering, Pernok pointed to the mountain range.

“What we want would be in one of those mountain ranges.”

“Not this lake?”

“Banteras left only ash. The calamity washed that ash with water. What was made that way is precisely this lake. I won’t stop you if you want to grope Banteras’ old glory returned to dust.”

“Hmm…”

Victor, who alternately looked at the lake and mountain range, nodded.

“Do you know where the Den is too?”

“It’s a Den made preparing for possible situations. Treasure or material transport should occur quickly. Certainly, near here. It’s along the mountain range, but without searching there’s no answer.”

“How long for this wide place?”

“There’s one thing I guess. Stand two knights before me.”

When Victor gestured, two Blue Cross Knights approached.

“Try clashing by opening artifacts to the maximum.”

“What?”

“Don’t make me say twice. Clash with full power.”

The two knights turned gazes to Victor with dumbfounded expressions.

When Victor nodded, the two knights clicked tongues and opened artifacts.

Bang!

Two flows collided and spewed wavelengths to the degree the mountain shook.

Pernok confirmed with the Observation Eye which direction of the mountain range the wavelength flowed.

“Clash just two more times.”

“Again?”

When Pernok didn’t answer and hardened his expression, the two knights sighed and clashed artifacts.

When collision sounds came in succession, everyone’s gaze concentrated here.

Pernok, who received countless attention in one body, finally precisely captured the wavelength’s flow.

‘As expected.’

The Knight King’s artifact was a flow that reigned over all artifacts.

Reacting to wavelengths emitted by the same artifacts was natural.

The method to confirm that wavelength was impossible even for mages, but Pernok had the Observation Eye.

Separately distinguishing flows separate from mana covering this mountain range was simple.

“Artifacts have power pulling each other. And just now while opening artifacts, seems the mountain range’s northern vicinity caused a reaction.”

“…!”

Those listening made surprised expressions.

They seemed to receive words that artifacts exist more attractively than confirming the Den’s existence.

“Let’s release all forces to search northern vicinity.”

“Everyone move!”

As if Victor waited, he dispatched organized forces to the mountain range’s northern vicinity.

Pernok moved together with Kelt while tied under Blue Cross Knights’ surveillance.

‘The flow certainly headed this way.’

To open the Knight King’s tomb, a special device must be operated.

Only closest aides know the place where the device is.

Now the possibility was high even that place was buried somewhere with terrain changed, but a method to specify that location existed.

Bang bang bang bang!

Roaring of artifacts clashing echoed from all directions.

The moment mana shook and the artifact’s unique flow covered the mountain range, the Observation Eye grasped the peculiar place where flows gathered.

‘Here.’

Metal that stores artifact wavelengths as energy source.

Pernok discovered a plain mass hidden in undergrowth.

Though color faded with passing years, that was certainly a device opening the tomb’s entrance.

‘Energy is sufficient.’

Energy contained in the device condenses inside until consumed.

Can be used total twice, and was used once to enshrine the Knight King.

And the remaining once awakened responding to the flow artifacts now emit.

“Wait, draw people’s gazes.”

“Huh?”

Kelt’s puzzlement was brief.

Soon he began shouting like a person who seemed to roll down from wrongly stepping on a branch.

“Oh my, I’m dying! I’m dyiiing!”

The moment all gazes concentrated on Kelt, Pernok touched the device recalling the Knight King’s memories.

‘Total two entrances heading to the tomb.’

One, a safe entrance moving the king’s belongings to the tomb.

The other, a fake entrance to handle those disturbing rest.

‘Let’s play messily.’

Pernok opened the fake entrance’s door.

Krrrrrrrk!

The entire mountain range began trembling as if an earthquake occurred.

Eventually someone’s shout came.

“H-here! There’s something!”

“An entrance! Banteras’ emblem is carved!”

Victor and Avala’s executives.

All those examining the mountain range’s northern vicinity ran there.

The moment hell’s gate opened, Pernok secretly opened the real entrance’s door.