"Well, since it looks like we've settled our positions…"
Whitney, who had been watching Runiel with interest, noticing the life returning to her eyes after a long time, got up from his seat and spoke in a low voice.
"Shall we move now?"
"…?"
Runiel, who had been engrossed in the tiny hope she had just found after being trapped in despair for so long, couldn't help but feel puzzled upon hearing those words.
If they had to move elsewhere, why did Whitney ask her to come here alone at dawn in secrecy?
Unless there was a hidden passage in the room, which seemed unlikely on the top floor, there seemed to be no reason for such secrecy.
"Ugh, there we go."
"…!"
But before she could dwell on her doubts, Whitney casually pushed the bookshelf behind her, quickly resolving the mystery.
— Rumble…!
The bookshelf, which had been slightly pushed, began to move slowly to the side, revealing a hidden dark passage leading downward.
"This is…"
"It's nothing special. It's just a passage to a basement prepared for emergencies. It became obsolete when the mansion was remodeled, but it turns out it's finally coming in handy."
Whitney's explanation about the clearly suspicious secret passage seemed oddly plausible.
There were quite a few eccentric nobles who were so obsessively concerned about safety that they built secret passages and traps in their mansions.
Even without such paranoia, most noble estates had at least one or two hidden escape routes for emergencies.
However, the passage, gaping open like the mouth of a beast, didn't seem to be intended for a simple escape route.
'…Is that the scent of blood?'
Otherwise, there wouldn't be a faint metallic smell seeping up from the depths of the passage.
Though it was subtle enough that an ordinary person wouldn't notice, Runiel, who had crossed the line between life and death multiple times, was certain it was the smell of blood.
"What are you doing? Are you not coming in?"
Yet, despite that, she didn't feel the urge to run away.
Instead, realizing that Whitney had not just been talking but had actually prepared something, her heart pounded even harder.
Of course, there was always the possibility that a trap awaited below, but that no longer mattered to her.
She had already been betrayed countless times by those who once reached out to her, breaking her heart beyond repair.
One more betrayal wouldn't make a difference.
In other words, she had nothing to lose.
"Alright, we've arrived… but before we go in, let me say something first."
With that in mind, she silently followed Whitney down the increasingly blood-scented passage.
"Don't be too surprised, okay?"
Yet, when Whitney casually added that remark and opened the door to the basement, Runiel couldn't help but gasp.
"This isn't some kind of dark ritual of a black magician."
The moment the underground chamber was revealed, she saw a massive hexagram covering the entire floor, reeking of blood.
°°°°°°°°°
"Hmm, this is why I asked you to prepare yourself in advance… I guess a more detailed explanation is necessary."
I felt a little sorry for Runiel, whose face had gone pale as soon as she stepped inside, but to be fair, I also had my own grievances.
Until a few days ago, I had no idea this place even existed.
When I mentioned needing a hidden location away from prying eyes, Alfred hesitated for a long time before revealing this place to me, looking ashen.
Had he not done so before retiring, I might have never discovered it.
In any case, this chamber had been left unmaintained for quite some time, and given the experiments conducted here over the past few days, even I found the atmosphere unsettling.
However, if one understood the principles behind the magic circle on the floor, there was no reason to be afraid.
"It may look gruesome, but using blood in rituals is a traditional method even within the Holy Church."
In truth, black magic and white magic share common roots, as both deal with souls, differing only in process and outcome.
Some might misunderstand this to mean that black and white magic are essentially the same, but that's not the case.
That slight difference determines whether the ritual requires a human sacrifice or not, and whether the result is a blessing or a curse.
The distinction between wicked black magic and righteous white magic is clear in that regard.
"For reference, the blood used for the magic circle is from a cow. So please, stop looking at me like that."
I did feel a little sorry for Hans, the stableman, who had been sobbing over the death of a cow he had raised for years.
But survival takes priority, doesn't it?
Besides, if Brown—the beloved cow Hans lost—could see Runiel picking up her sword again, he would surely rejoice from beyond the rainbow bridge.
"Well, if you're still uneasy about it…"
"I'm not blaming you for anything."
Just as I was about to add a few more words, sensing that Runiel still doubted me, she cut me off with a cold voice.
"If this can help me wield a sword again, I wouldn't mind drawing hundreds, no, thousands of these circles for you."
"Uh… at that rate, there won't be a single cow left in the empire…"
Sensing that she had misunderstood something, I tried to correct her, but she interrupted me once more, her voice sinking even lower.
"So, explain."
Her tone was calm, yet her eyes burned intensely in the darkness, sharper than ever before.
"What must I do here to wield my sword again?"
What mattered most was her determination.
Now that I had confirmed it, there was no need for further explanation.
"Well, it's nothing too complicated. I've already finished all the preparations."
With that, I pointed to the center of the magic circle, my voice soft but firm.
"All you have to do is walk to the center of the circle and stand there. I'll handle the rest."
Though I made it sound simple, today's ritual was anything but easy.
If I weren't a die-hard fan who had memorized the entire game compendium featuring obscure and forgotten magic formulas and rituals, and if I hadn't learned how to handle souls for the sake of my family's white magic studies, it would have been impossible to recreate this ritual devised by the emperor himself.
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Even for the emperor, it had taken multiple attempts before succeeding, making the ritual incredibly straightforward compared to its high level of difficulty in design.
And the method?
It involved engraving a refined mark onto Runiel's soul to replace the mana circuits that had already burned out within her body.
Simply put, it was like slicing open one's flesh to carve out blood vessels.
In short, it was madness.
'But it works.'
Do you know how an undead—specifically a lich—manages to use magic?
No matter how much mana their phylactery contains, a lifeless body cannot conduct mana.
However, in order to use magic, there must be a circulatory system that allows internal mana to be projected externally when needed.
Since a lich has only bones left and cannot use a mana circuit, they resolve this by engraving spells onto their soul.
In other words, by embedding mana directly into their soul, they can use magic without needing mana to flow through their body.
Of course, such an act is likely to cause immense damage to the soul and involves excruciating pain akin to having one's entire body torn apart.
Since this pain is not physical but directed at the soul, even liches can feel it fully.
However, being steeped in black magic, they develop a high resistance to soul-related pain, and since they are already dead, they do not have to worry about dying from shock.
Still, even some liches cannot withstand the torment inflicted upon their soul and end up crumbling apart.
If an ordinary person were to attempt such a reckless act, they would either lose their sanity before the ritual was complete or have their soul shattered entirely.
Therefore, for Runiel, who is still categorized as human, this ritual was designed to gradually engrave the spell over multiple stages to prevent excessive strain on her soul.
Even though the pain itself cannot be reduced, sequentially inscribing the spell through multiple steps can significantly improve stability.
Even so, not even the emperor who devised this ritual was certain of its success.
Despite finally uncovering the long-hidden secret of how liches use mana, she remained skeptical about applying the same method to a living human's soul.
'But Runiel will pull it off.'
I know this for a fact because I've read her past story in detail from the game's supplementary lore book, where she was an immensely popular character.
The emperor, who explained all of this to Runiel just as I've organized it in my head, gave her a choice.
And Runiel, upon hearing that she could wield a sword again, chose to engrave the spell without a moment's hesitation.
Even though the process was divided into stages, she endured the agonizing pain that even liches failed to withstand and ultimately succeeded.
However, perhaps due to the sheer severity of the pain, the remnants of her emotions—already faint—were completely extinguished, and she became nothing more than the emperor's killing machine.
But this time, things might be a little different.
I've spent the past few days refining the ritual, and I have something in mind.
"So, you're saying that if I endure extreme pain in exchange for my soul, I will be able to wield a sword again?"
"Hmm, it's slightly different, but… let's just say yes."
Since it was about time to proceed with the ritual, I gave Runiel a brief explanation of the process, but it seemed she still didn't fully grasp it.
Well, considering she had spent her whole life focusing solely on the sword, understanding complex magical systems might be difficult for her.
Still, at least she understood the most important part—that she must endure the pain.
That's what matters most in this ritual—her willpower.
"Let me know when you're ready. This will be an extremely painful experience, so take your time to mentally prepare—"
"I've been ready for a while."
Yet, as the moment of the ritual approached, I felt as if I was more nervous than Runiel, who had already steeled herself.
Did I really manage to reproduce the emperor's ritual correctly?
Will the 'contingency plan' I prepared work?
"Well then, let's begin."
Countless worries rushed through my mind in an instant, but after taking a deep breath, I silently infused mana into the magic circle on the floor.
— Ziiiiing…
In that fleeting moment, a blinding red light erupted, followed by a thick, acrid smoke filling the dark basement.
"Ugh!?"
The next instant, Runiel's expression twisted in agony.
"Kh… Ugh…!"
"Hmm."
By now, she was probably experiencing the sensation of her nerves and organs being shredded apart by sharp blades.
I wanted to use a pain relief spell, but since it was her soul being torn rather than her body, it would have been useless.
At this point, all I could do was trust in Runiel's obsession with the sword and the transcendent willpower that stemmed from it.
"Th-This… is nothing…!"
But despite my expectations, though she initially stumbled as if regaining her balance, her legs eventually gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground.
"This is unfortunate."
Seeing this, I couldn't help but frown and mutter to myself.
"…This is far below expectations."
I had worked hard to replicate the ritual, but it seemed that the quality of my magic circle was significantly inferior to the one created by the emperor, who had access to limitless resources and manpower.
Thankfully, the ritual itself was proceeding correctly, but the problem was time.
Not only was the pain far more intense due to the lower-quality magic circle, but the process was taking longer than usual.
At this rate, even someone like Runiel couldn't be guaranteed success.
"There's no other choice."
Of course, I had no intention of just sitting back and watching this situation unfold.
I had anticipated this outcome from the start, and if I hadn't prepared a countermeasure, I wouldn't deserve to call myself human.
Alright. Time to use my contingency plan.
"Not… yet…!"
"Whoa—"
As I took a step toward the magic circle, preparing to intervene, Runiel's piercing voice suddenly rang through my ears.
"I can… still endure! Just a little more time…!"
Collapsing from pain, struggling on the floor, she lifted her head with sheer effort and desperately pleaded.
"I… I will meet your expectations…!"
"No, that's enough. You've done plenty."
Her willpower was truly admirable, but forcing herself to endure more pain in her current state was nearly impossible.
Even with the emperor's superior ritual, her emotions were erased in the process—if she continued enduring my inferior version, it wouldn't just erase her emotions, it might take her life.
That's why I needed to implement my contingency plan immediately.
"I-I'll do anything. If my soul alone isn't enough—"
"…What?"
"Then I will offer this world to you…!"
That's why I ignored her words and stepped into the magic circle, but suddenly, her voice, now trembling in fear, became even more urgent.
"P-Please… just one more chance…"
What in the world is she talking about?
I'm not some demon lord planning to claim the world.
I have no intention of giving something and then cruelly taking it away.
"I am only trying to assist with your ritual—"
"Ah…"
I scratched my head, feeling like I needed to clarify things, but—
— Drip…
"…Oh dear."
Despite holding out until the very end, clenching her teeth and enduring the pain as her blood vessels burst in her eyes, Runiel ultimately lost consciousness, a trickle of blood leaking from her nose.
'She's truly remarkable.'
Her clothes were already soaked in cold sweat, and her entire body was still twitching and convulsing from the lingering pain.
Even so, she never uttered a word of surrender until the very end.
Truly, she was relentless.
However, no matter how tenacious she was, any further strain on her soul would be dangerous.
Even now, while unconscious, her soul was undoubtedly still in torment.
So, it was finally time to execute my contingency plan.
"Hoo…"
But now that the moment had arrived, I couldn't help but feel my heart pounding like crazy.
After all, the plan I had come up with was just as crude and reckless as the ritual itself—if not even more dangerous.
"I never thought I'd actually have to do this."
The method was simple yet extreme: using a hidden spell embedded in the magic circle beforehand, I would transfer the pain inflicted on Runiel's soul to myself.
It was a technique inspired by the paladins, the pillars of the Holy Knights, who redirected curses and damage from their allies onto themselves while distributing the blessings they received to their comrades.
With this, I could stabilize Runiel's ritual for certain.
Of course, there was the minor issue that until the ritual was complete, I would have to endure the full brunt of pain, as if my own flesh were being torn apart.
'But I've been through worse in my past life.'
Not that I wanted to remember it, but pain was something I had grown used to from countless experiences in my previous existence.
Besides, I was never the type to make someone else endure suffering on my behalf.
If I did, it would probably haunt my dreams until the day I died.
This was the right choice, even if it was troublesome.
Honestly, though, a part of me just wanted to live a peaceful life.
Why was I putting myself through this kind of suffering?
'But if I can get Runiel on my side, my future will be smooth sailing. This is definitely worth the investment.'
She had already bought me enough time, so I just had to endure the rest of the process.
And besides, what was the point of regaining her sword if she lost all her emotions in the process?
I wasn't sure if this would work, but at the very least, I hoped she wouldn't lose her ability to feel joy.
— Ziiiiing…!
On a side note, people often forget this, but—
A leader must bear the weight of responsibility.
"Ugh…!"
Then again, now that I think about it…
Maybe this responsibility is a bit too much?