Volume 3 Chapter 229 The Thorned Empire Of A Thousand Years ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Linca couldn’t recover the chains of the dark spirit that had restrained her.
As soon as she was freed, the shadows around her dissolved, leaving no trace. The only item she found inside the cave was a black curved dagger used by the followers.
The dagger bore an inscription in an ancient magical script. With Kian’s grip, it activated the secret technique employed by the followers. Aside from that, it held no other power; it was a sturdy, ordinary blade that merely conveyed the technique.
”I’ll return the Misty Magic Sword to you,” Linca said.
”Thank you,” Kian replied.
”No, I should’ve returned it before we entered this cave. I’m sorry for the delayed judgment.”
”Don’t worry about it. I’d forgotten too,” Kian said.
He patted her shoulder gently. She looked genuinely downcast again, shaking her head with a serious expression.
She shouldn’t feel that way—she’d helped Kian countless times. He wanted to say so, but knowing her perfectionist streak, he held back, fearing it might only make things worse.
”Can you use the secret technique now?” she asked.
”No. I can picture it clearly in my mind, but I need practice,” Kian said.
Unlike Natra or Erynys, Kian had no natural talent for swordsmanship. It took him days to learn Pursuit of the Shadow.
”‘Thunder’ and ‘Mist Raven’ seem tough. Especially ‘Thunder’—it requires speed like Sarah’s techniques. I can’t manage that, even trying. But if I grasp the flow and release of magic for ‘Skyrend’ and ‘Mirror Moon,’ I think I can replicate them. I’ll focus on those two for now. If Mrs. Camilla finishes the teleportation circle, we’ll cut practice short and return to the real world. Sharing info with Natra and the others will improve our response more than just me getting stronger.”
”I’ll assist you!” Linca declared, placing a hand over her chest, clad in a black eastern dress.
Cold sweat glistened on her forehead, likely from the recent binding.
”I’ll act as the cut-out with Penetration!” she said.
”Then I’ll count on you,” Kian said.
”Leave it to me!” she answered cheerfully.
She spoke as if the role was significant, but her actual task was merely to use Penetration while mostly staying put. Still, not just anyone could do that.
”I’ll summon Nue!” Linca exclaimed.
”Then I’ll tie your hair for you. Leaving it loosely tied behind only gets in the way, right?” Kian asked.
”Please!” Linca replied eagerly.
She removed the Miséricorde from her hair and began styling a bun with the three ribbons she’d been given. First, she gathered her hair into a single ponytail, then split it into two sections. She braided one side and twisted the other like cotton thread. Once firm, she wrapped it around the braid’s base. Ribbons were already tied at both ends. Finally, she twisted the two sections together into a bun and secured it with a large ribbon. Kian admired her handiwork.
”Does it hurt? Depending on Mrs. Camilla’s progress, you might face a deathmatch with Erynys like this,” Kian said, concern threading his voice.
”No problem at all. Thank you. I feel more focused now,” Linca assured him, her expression steady.
”That’s good to hear,” Kian said, relieved.
Linca’s dimensional gate opened, and Nue reappeared.
Before the monstrous figure exhaling white mist from its terrifying mouth, Linca secured the Miséricorde in her chest pocket.
”Before I ride Nue, just a moment—Sir Kian, I’m truly impressed by your presence. I said I fear death, but more than that, I want to give my all for you,” Linca confessed, voice earnest.
”Life is precious,” Kian reminded her, serious.
”You say that?” Linca asked, raising an eyebrow.
She pressed her palms together in a warrior monk’s salute.
”My lord. I, Linca, will not let you die. I will protect you no matter what,” she vowed, determination shining in her eyes.
”You sound like you’re ready to die,” Kian said, frowning.
”I’ve only discarded foolish hopes,” Linca replied, softening with a smile.
She chuckled lightly.
”To help the weak and crush the strong—that’s the Tsai family motto. But under Sir Jibril, working as a mere cog, I lost sight of who I was. You showed me the way when I was lost. Watching your back rekindled my heart. As long as this fire burns, I have no fear,” Linca declared passionately.
”Hey, stop that. Don’t talk like you’re a kamikaze,” Kian said, shaking his head.
”I’m not suicidal. Sir Kian, you’re the kind who can’t even keep yourself presentable when alone. Your sense is off, you clash with those around you, and you get trapped in dead ends by yourself. You really need me,” Linca said teasingly but seriously.
”That’s true. You’re the missing piece. Without you, I’m stuck. And you catch all my dumb jokes with your tsukkomi [comic retorts]. It’s fun having you around,” Kian admitted, a smile creeping across his face.
”I’m definitely not tsukkomiing right now… okay? So I won’t die,” Linca promised, eyes sparkling.
Her heel lifted as her plump lips drew near.
She pressed her lips against his, close enough that saliva nearly touched.
When she pulled away, despite having kissed many times before, her cheeks flushed unexpectedly. Seeing that, Kian felt heat rise and looked down.
Before the battle with Oswald, they hadn’t shared such tender moments as lovers. Christy had been a nuisance, and the atmosphere never invited softness. Kian felt Linca’s warmth and thought they were like characters from a bard’s heroic ballad.
After the kiss, they hugged tightly.
It wasn’t a sexual gesture—just a wish for each other’s safety.
When it ended, they climbed onto Nue’s back.
Now they only had to sharpen themselves for the decisive fight against Erynys.
By the time they returned to the holy domain [域], half a day had passed.
According to Mrs. Camilla, building the gate to return to the real world couldn’t be done in a day or two. When Linca and Kian checked behind Erynys’s grand temple, the woman was still channeling magic power from the Spiritual Vein into the magic circle. After that came a highly complex process—calculating backwards from the spell to stop it—so it could take three or four days, if not longer, to open the gate.
Because of the time distortion in this world, even if a day passed here, barely any time passed in the real world. Erynys was probably back preparing for the resurrection of the Thorn Demon. Kian hoped she wouldn’t return mid-process—he had to believe that.
While Linca had her own concerns, Kian focused solely on mastering the followers’ Secret Technique for the upcoming battle with Erynys.
”Talia’s soul fragment hasn’t been found yet,” Mrs. Camilla said, reporting as she used a strange iron-and-glass device to measure the depth of the Spiritual Vein.
”I had Burgkain search for just over half a day, but there’s no sign anywhere inside the holy domain. It might be outside the holy domain.”
”My tanuki hasn’t found anything either,” she continued. “But would you store something precious in an area overrun by mindless monsters? I’d bury it within the protected holy domain or at least in some corner of the maze of Roses surrounding it, where intruders rarely go.”
”I agree,” Kian said. “Once we’ve searched the holy domain thoroughly, we should have them search the maze next. What a letdown. We might never find the soul fragment. Or maybe Erynys never stored it in the first place.”
”It’s because you’ll face Kharab in battle soon and get killed…” Mrs. Camilla murmured.
”In that case, without the soul, I will have to fight Erynys with only the prosthetic arm grafted with her flesh, right?” Kian asked.
Kian watched as Mrs. Camilla swiftly jotted down some measurements on a notepad. Her skin sagged as usual, but her face had firmed slightly. Though her skeletal structure still gave her a monstrous look, she was at least becoming somewhat presentable.
”That’s right,” she replied.
Her hands, wrapped in an old-fashioned white dress, waved in the air.
The space warped, and a wooden prosthetic arm appeared from nowhere.
The prosthetic looked fragile, with only a skeletal frame.
Notably, the hand had seven fingers, each inscribed with ancient characters. It was likely an old magical script.
”If I attach this, will I be able to swing a sword with my right hand?” Kian asked.
”No, it’s impossible. We can’t make something that connects to your arm nerves at such a sophisticated level. If you could reach the workshop inside my territory, we could prepare one quickly, but that area hasn’t been ‘cut out,’ has it?” Mrs. Camilla explained.
”Was the workshop located south of your villa?” Kian asked.
”Yes, inside the grounds of the Count’s Main Castle,” she confirmed.
Mrs. Camilla nodded.
Since Kharab hadn’t ‘cut’ the Labyrinth of Roses, it was reasonable to assume the workshop lay beyond its range. Kharab only cut in rectangular shapes, so this was likely correct.
”So this prosthetic arm, except for temporarily blocking the magic sword’s activation—” Kian began.
”—It’s just a toy,” she interrupted.
Kian grimaced.
”In that case, could you inscribe the magic language carved on these seven fingers directly onto my arm? I can’t fight while carrying extra weight,” he suggested.
”I oppose that for two reasons. First, if we find remnants of Talia’s soul, this prosthetic is designed to quickly house and maintain it. Without it, maintaining the soul would be difficult. Plus, grafting large amounts of Talia’s flesh causes unbearable discomfort at the attachment site,” she explained.
”I see,” Kian said, considering her words.
”The second reason is that when Erynys draws the magic sword, she determines its manifestation position. This technique interferes with locating that position. It’s not a spell to summon the magic sword itself. The summoning depends on ‘Talia’s’ factors—it’s a type of blood magic. Reproducing that is impossible right now,” she continued.
”Of course. If it were easy, Talia’s magic sword would have scattered everywhere when she was alive,” Kian said, shaking his head.
”Mr. Kian, the magic sword is summoned using factors in Ms. Talia’s blood, which is why it’s called blood magic. That means the flesh doll contains Ms. Talia’s blood,” she said. “Precisely, the bones. She said they extracted them after mastering the Restoration Curse perfectly.”
”Then, that means they’re still using a version of ‘Talia’s body’ over there,” Kian mused.
His words hung in the air as Camilla nodded.
”We won’t know until we try, but the plan you suggested—sending a spirit to retrieve the magic sword—probably won’t work for this reason. That flesh doll is, broadly speaking, part of Talia’s body,” she explained.
”So without you, we’d be making a terrible gamble?” Kian asked.
”That’s right. So you should thank me. When you return to the original world, make sure you protect my livelihood, okay?” Camilla said.
”Of course,” Kian replied, nodding.
Kian nodded while Linca spread her arms wide.
”I understand that the seven techniques inscribed on the prosthetic fingers interfere with the magic sword’s summoning position rather than summoning the sword itself, but why does that mean you must use the prosthetic?” Linca asked.
”Because without it, the flesh might blow apart when activating the spells,” Camilla said.
”Eh!?” Linca exclaimed, eyes wide.
Camilla began to explain to the startled Linca.
”When you try to shift the sword’s position and snatch it away, Erynys will notice and instantly reactivate her positioning spell. You’ll have to keep pouring magic power into your own spell to counter it,” she said.
”So it turns into a tug-of-war? Ah, I get it…” Linca replied.
”That’s right. You’ll be pouring magic power into the narrow circuits engraved with the spells. But Erynys is connected to the Spiritual Vein and will overpower you. No matter how skilled you are at releasing magic power, you’ll almost certainly lose,” Camilla warned.
”Don’t worry. My magic power release skills are as lousy as a virgin’s first time,” Kian joked.
”That’s no comfort! You need to practice properly! And that comparison is way too crude! Didn’t you have anything better?” Linca exclaimed, exasperated.
Camilla, unfazed, continued.
”If you lose, the spiritual connection to the magic sword will be forcibly torn. You have to pull your magic power out before that happens, or the engraved circuits will shatter your flesh along with the prosthetic,” she explained.
”That looks incredibly painful,” Kian said.
”It’s not just painful. When we argued over the magic sword’s position, we poured massive amounts of magic power into it. If you misjudge the balance, the entire flesh and the spell could explode. Of course, you suffer excruciating pain while channeling the power. Facing Erynys means risking that kind of noise. You’re better off using the prosthetic,” Camilla added, frustration threading his voice.
Kian’s voice rose in disbelief. “Isn’t it unfair that while I’m risking flesh-shredding agony, Erynys takes no risk at all?”
Camilla stopped the measuring device’s gears and lowered her large glasses to the tip of her aquiline nose. She fixed her gaze on them.
”The spirits who gifted the magic swords added a law to the world: the spells always activate in Talia’s blood’s factors,” Camilla explained, her brow furrowing with concern. “Why that means you can pull out the sword without a cost, nobody fully understands. Most spirit magic is said to be incomprehensible to our brain structures. I don’t know how things stand in the modern day.”
She glanced at Kian and Linca. “Even now, spirit magic—the kind summoned through necromancy to higher spirits—is impossible to reproduce by ourselves. The Empire of Night supposedly had that magic, but it was lost when the empire fell.”
Kian muttered, crossing his arms. “Hmm. I see.”
Linca held steady. “Thanks for explaining the prosthetic. When will the gate be ready?”
Camilla sighed, frustration sharpening her tone. “I can’t say. The spiritual vein’s flow is heavily distorted and fast. Drawing from here will be tough. We’ve hit a major hurdle at the very start.”
”Speed it up. If Erynys returns, we’re finished,” Kian urged, urgency thickening his voice.
”I’m already hurrying,” Camilla snapped, determination sharpening her features.
Linca pressed a hand to her chest.
”Is there anything I can help with?” she asked, sincerity bright in her eyes.
”Not yet. Focus on preparing to defeat Erynys,” Camilla said, warmth creeping into her voice.
Kian and Linca nodded and left the temple’s rear.
Though the lady might betray them, here they had no choice but to trust her. If she did betray them, Kian and Linca would blame everything on her and slip past Erynys’s suspicious gaze playing a happy couple. At best, they’d return to the starting line in a slightly worse position.
”Linca, keep the pass open. Secret Techniques need steady energy,” Kian ordered firmly.
”Understood. I’ll keep the pass active during the fight with Erynys,” Linca agreed, conviction ringing in her voice.
”Depends on the situation. If we take down Erynys together, that’s fine. But if the Thorn Demon revived, you’ll be apart from me, firing large magic at it. That wastes power. Always cut the pass then,” Kian explained, serious.
”The demon launches thorns to make allies,” Linca muttered.
”If we don’t kill them early, a monster horde could form—one that makes the Bloodsucking Kind’s stampede look tame,” she added, brow furrowed.
”If we can leap kill Erynys, we can leave it be for now. But that won’t stop the thorns from spawning minions and launching surprise attacks. Then Linca will have to retreat for a wide-area purge.”
Linca sighed. “Erynys reacts so fast, even a two-person leap kill is impossible. If the demon revived, we’ll need to reassign roles.”
She frowned.
”The gate’s construction just started after half a day,” Linca said. “By the time we jump to the real world, it wouldn’t surprise me if Erynys revived the demon.”
”Right,” Kian replied. “The chance of facing Erynys and the Thorn Demon at once is growing. I hope Erynys stays still during our prep.”
They stepped into the temple square.
Kian and Linca split into two groups along the cobblestones and stretched.
They began practicing their Secret Techniques immediately.
”First is ‘Mirror Moon,’ which reflects powerful enemy magic,” Linca instructed. “If we don’t master this, during the scramble for the fifth magic sword, ‘Rend Tear [Hizakari],’ Kian will be wiped out instantly.”
”Next, ‘Skyrend,’” he added. “Without it, if we face the sixth magic sword, ‘Mistcloud [Kasumigumo],’ and it spawns clones, we won’t be able to take them all down at once.”
One likely battle scenario mirrored their last fight: Erynys unleashes the sixth magic sword, ‘Mistcloud,’ and the seventh, ‘Water Moon [Mizuki].’ Kian sweeps away clones with ‘Skyrend.’ Erynys counters with ‘Water Moon.’ Kian reflects it with ‘Mirror Moon.’ The cycle repeats.
”In short,” Linca concluded, “mastering ‘Skyrend’ and ‘Mirror Moon’ is our best shot.”
”Then Linca will finish Erynys with her Miséricorde pact—an unblockable counter magic shot,” Kian said, confidence edging his tone.
”Let’s start with ‘Mirror Moon.’ Focus on lowering power and firing an appropriate magic or ‘Shot [射]’ technique,” Kian instructed.
”Understood,” Linca replied.
She nodded and began gathering energy slowly in her palm, timing it so Kian could respond precisely.
* * *
From there, the process became a repetitive cycle.
Linca unleashed a Shot.
Kian countered with a return shot.
Despite failures, they pressed on.
Occasionally, Kian recalled memories of his mentor or asked Linca to demonstrate.
Once the brief lecture ended, he resumed firing incomplete counter Shots (射) that resembled a failed Mirror Moon.
Though weaker, each of Linca’s Shots struck with sharp pain. Yet Kian remained absorbed in mastering the Secret Technique and barely noticed.
He repeated the motions.
Kept repeating them.
It was like the days spent tracing basic forms wrapped in impact.
Most would find such monotony unbearable and crave change, but Kian found comfort in this steady rhythm.
Linca, too, continued with quiet diligence.
He had expected her to complain about boredom any moment, yet she methodically fired Shots. Occasionally, she demonstrated before resuming.
The cycle never broke.
Teaching demands skill, yes, but more so patience—to endure a student’s repeated failures without complaint.
In that, Linca was an exceptional instructor.
She executed the moves with precision and steadiness.
Simple, yet not everyone could match her consistency.
She persisted without losing interest.
Her occasional display of snake-like tenacity and clinginess made such coaching possible.
For learning from the basics, no better teacher existed than her.
”Sir Kian, once you master Skyrend, please help me learn Heavenfall,” Linca said.
”Got it. Let’s learn it together,” Kian replied.
Kian might lack the magical technique power to master Heavenfall, but Linca had the skill and had already learned needle shooting—a lesser form of Heavenfall.
If anyone could grasp Heavenfall quickly, it was her.
If she succeeded, they’d gain a crucial tool to counter the enemy’s Heavenbreaker (Tenkaibaraki).
The question was whether Kian could convey the believers’ records clearly to Linca.
Having little experience talking with others, Kian struggled to teach.
Even if he spent hours explaining, there was a chance she’d grasp nothing.
He hoped Linca understood his clumsy explanations.
Linca was a stronger communicator.
She could do it—he wanted to believe.
”Sir Kian, you’re doing great! Don’t give up—try again! Yes!” she cheered.
Her lively voice filled the air.
Kian expanded his circular energy, denting the center.
He received stop, absorbed the energy, created a vortex, changed its course, and bounced it back.
Linca’s shot, propelled through Kian’s whirlpool, shifted direction and sped back.
Smiling, Linca pierced it with penetration and grinned.
”That’s the spirit! Come on, one more time!”
* * *
The defense line southwest of Ramsey fell with alarming ease.
Though Natra stayed behind, if they took her down, the Erynys forces would quickly cross the Snow Past of the Giant and invade Izerland’s territory.
Sarah had retreated to the village of Cockley Clay, on the southern side of the Snow Past of the Giant—the Izerland side.
All villagers had evacuated; only Sarah, Rufna, Serena, Aerial, and a hundred regular troops urgently dispatched from the Izerland fortress remained.
”I feel this tingling, frustrating sensation… but I can move,” Sarah said, glancing at her hands.
Seated on the bed, she watched her fingertips twitch and nodded vigorously.
She staggered rising, lightheaded from low blood.
Reaching for her blood booster, she realized her belt had been cut.
The blonde girl had done that earlier.
Without it, there was nothing to be done.
She had to face the final battle as she was.
Searching the cupboard of the village head’s home, Sarah found strong alcohol.
She took a swig and left.
Outside, a hundred Izerland reinforcements assembled ballistae and catapults in fields north of the village.
Compared to the decimated forces of the Order of the Divine and Renaud’s legions, these troops looked inferior.
Kian’s loss weighed heavily on Sarah, deepening her despair.
She felt unsteady, unsure of her footing.
No more reinforcements were expected.
Even if any arrived, it would be tomorrow at the earliest.
The witches of Izerland were fortifying the great Wall of Izerland, their last hope.
Meanwhile, armies of neighboring countries would gather after leaders’ meetings, calling farmers and mercenaries before moving out.
All Sarah could do was pray that Priscilla from Châtillon would defy both the opposition and her status to bring her forces here.
They should have retreated entirely by now.
But with Izerland behind them, there was nowhere else to go.
”Milady Sarah.”
”Your Excellency Maribel,” Sarah replied, eyes widening as the blonde princess appeared with Rufna and Aerial.
Maribel wore light riding gear, gripping her staff tightly.
”Ms. Sarah, I appoint you temporary Defense Minister,” Maribel declared.
”What?!” Sarah exclaimed.
Maribel’s voice cracked, eyes red from crying.
”I delegate full authority over our forces to you. Please, save Izerland from the brink of destruction.”
Even as temporary Defense Minister, Sarah wondered what she could do.
Was she meant to abandon this place and retreat to the Izerland fortress to rally troops and plan?
Confused, Sarah looked at the scroll and seal Maribel handed her, struggling to understand.
”In accordance with our pact with the lords, I will fight here to protect Izerland. You must also fight to your last breath.”
”What?!” Sarah echoed.
”What will you do, my lady?” Rufna asked.
”…”
If she accepted, she’d die. Rufna and Serena would die too.
But if she abandoned them, the people here would suffer.
Izerland would be destroyed.
Sarah took a deep breath and shook her head.
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Camilla – A woman; the subject of the chapter; her body was used to seal Erynys’ soul.
• Nue – A Shikigami summoned by Linca. It has the appearance of a monster with a tiger’s limbs and a monkey’s head. Nue is a powerful but dangerous creature that requires a skilled magician to control.
• Kharab – The enemy who stole Talia’s soul and possessed her body; referred to by the Black Onyx Spirit; defeated by Kian.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Aerial – Female. A modern-looking young woman with short brown hair, revealing clothes, and gaudy accessories. She specializes in healing and basic magic but is cold and unsociable. She has a sad backstory related to losing her ability to sing magic.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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