WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈
Chapter 29: Lucas
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Rank 7 Abyssal Palace, Faith’s Tomb.
It was a name that would make the Solari Church gnash its teeth and see red.
As if the Holy Sword had not been bad enough, even the dungeon’s name denied the faith. What more was there to say?
Branded by the Solari Church, I had been eagerly awaiting support from the Old Castle, but even after two days, there had been no news.
It made sense. Two days was only a rough estimate. In reality, it would probably take longer.
I did not know what circumstances they were dealing with over there, so all I could do was wait quietly instead of pushing them.
Of course, not wanting to meet Rose Sha also played a part. The thought that she might eat me made me uneasy.
There was still no word about a summons from the 72 Dungeons, either.
At this point, the chance of either the Extermination Command or the Solari Church invading was probably close to ten percent.
They had lost two Heroes, their ultimate weapons, in such a short time. Would they really be crazy enough to attack? Even if they did, they would come fully prepared.
So there was not much for me to do right now.
“Kirik! It’s the Great Chieftain!”
“Long live the Great Chieftain!”
“Mm. Keep up the good work.”
“Greetings to the supreme Boss. Are you out on patrol?”
“Yeah. Keep up the good work.”
I made my way through the floors, checking on the dungeon’s current state.
The Insect workers were repairing the eighth and ninth floors.
The Vampires were diligently standing guard on the first floor.
“Balutak.”
“Kiek!”
I had thought Balutak was fulfilling the duties of a Keeper, but I caught Balutak slacking off instead.
It was strange that Isabella was not beside Balutak for once. Still, she was probably doing fine somewhere.
Lastly, I silently opened the door to the Adjutant's Room and entered.
Charlotte was sitting at her desk, deeply engrossed in studying the Necronomicon.
The Adjutant's Room contained shelves full of magic books, a crystal ball the size of a face, neatly arranged fountain pens, and newspapers and documents stained with ink here and there.
There was one more thing I had not seen before.
[Charlotte, Adjutant of Rank 7 Faith’s Tomb]
A black obsidian nameplate with antique engraved lettering.
When had she made something like that?
Her expression was as impassive as ever, but inside, she seemed more excited than anyone.
“You’re working hard.”
“...Ah. You’ve arrived, Boss.”
Charlotte had been so immersed in her research that she had not even noticed me enter.
‘At this rate, she might break through to level 90 before long.’
That was not just wishful thinking. It was genuinely likely.
[Lv. 81]
Only two days had passed, yet Charlotte’s level had risen by one.
In the level-80 range, gaining a single level was an incredible leap forward.
Once again, I was glad I had given her the Necronomicon.
For reference, there were three volumes of the Necronomicon in total.
They were divided into Death, Decay, and Reversal. The one Charlotte had now was Reversal, which focused on turning beings into undead.
“You’re progressing quickly. Did you gain some insight?”
Charlotte’s magic-circle pupils widened in surprise.
After taking a sharp breath, she lowered her head.
“I’m honored that you noticed. As expected, nothing escapes your eyes, Boss.”
The magic circles in her eyes sparkled.
It was the shine of genuine admiration.
“I believe our highest priority is turning Wilhelm undead. That is why I am currently studying Dullahan.”
A Dullahan was a superior form of Death Knight.
They started at level 70, and if the target had been a Hero, surpassing level 80 was easy.
The Dullahan who served as a mid-boss in the Old Castle had also been a Hero in life and was level 88.
Of the three conditions for becoming a Dullahan, the first was that the target had to have exceeded level 70 while alive.
The second was that the corpse had to have been decapitated, while the third was that there could be no major wounds other than the missing head. The requirements were strict.
Wilhelm’s body fulfilled all three conditions, and Charlotte had frozen it solid with ice magic.
“I’ll learn from the mistake I made with Balm Monk and make sure I succeed this time.”
A Dullahan was comparable to a high-ranking Lich, so attempting it with unrefined Necromancy was difficult in itself.
Even if the conditions were met, the caster’s ability was what mattered.
Whether Wilhelm became a Dullahan depended entirely on Charlotte’s efforts.
Charlotte, a Magic Human who had studied the Necronomicon, was worth trusting.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’ll certainly meet your expectations.”
Not wanting to interrupt her any longer, I left the Adjutant's Room after that conversation.
‘So, what do I do now?’
I was about to enjoy some time alone, but this body was undead.
A cursed body that could not eat or sleep.
Hmm.
Maybe I should learn magic like Charlotte while I was at it. Learning swordsmanship would not be bad either.
Putting Advanced Swordsmanship aside, my EX-grade Bound item was a sword too.
* * *
Solariyon, the city ruled by the Holy See in the Empire’s south.
It was technically within the Empire’s territory, but the Pope held independent governing authority.
Even the city itself was divided into archdioceses and dioceses, with cardinals and archbishops managing each one like lords. It would not have been wrong to consider it a kind of independent state.
If the Empire had its capital, Solariyon had its Holy Land.
At the Holy See in the Holy Land, the Solari Church’s headquarters, the cardinals and archbishops responsible for each diocese had gathered in one place.
There was only one reason for the meeting: Wilhelm’s death.
“Your Holiness. This is an opportunity.”
A cardinal openly revealed their true intentions.
An opportunity. Yes, in a way, this was an opportunity.
Wilhelm belonged to the Empire, but if one looked more closely, he was a Hero directly under the Solari Church.
He had died under the Extermination Command’s orders, and his awakened Holy Sword had even been stolen.
Using this failure as leverage, the Holy See could hold the Command and the imperial family accountable and demand compensation.
Even that was only the tip of the iceberg.
For those who wished for Solariyon to become an independent city-state, this was an opportunity.
“Not a nominal independent state like now. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to have our city-state officially recognized?”
The Empire’s stance toward the Holy See had always been indecisive.
It recognized their autonomy in ordinary times, but would interfere whenever it felt like it.
Wilhelm’s dispatch had also been more or less forced because of pressure from the imperial family.
The Holy See’s leadership had ground their teeth over that attitude for years. They had longed to become a city-state as soon as possible.
Now was the time.
The Extermination Command was one of the Empire’s core institutions. It was the old military force whose fame from the unification war had continued to the present, and the imperial family actively supported it.
If such a Command suffered a major blow and had also inflicted an irreparable loss on the Holy See, there was no need to say more.
“Your Eminence, that cannot be done.”
The cardinal frowned at the archbishop’s words.
“What? If not now, then when exactly are we supposed to become independent?”
“At this time, it would result in nothing but division, not independence. Your Holiness, may I speak?”
The Pope, who had been silently sitting at the head of the room, nodded.
“The Empire is wavering right now. As everyone knows, the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss is the cause. Everyone in the Empire is trembling like helpless sheep. What will happen if we declare independence in the face of such a calamity?”
It was obvious that independence during a crisis would be seen as a division of humanity.
“We should unite with the Empire instead. We could seize on their mistake and seek independence now, but the imperial family might also officially recognize us after acknowledging the Solari Church’s contributions.”
“That is correct.”
The Pope had already thought the same.
“Everyone. We all act for humanity. Therefore, our independence must also be for humanity.”
At that point, the Pope made the matter clear.
“The Holy Sword of the late Sir Wilhelm. Retrieving it should be our highest priority for now.”
Faith’s Tomb was one of the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss.
The Solari Church’s strength alone was far from enough.
“We must join hands with the Empire and bring this matter to an end.”
Silence settled over the room. It was silence that signified agreement.
There was no apostate who would object to the Pope’s conviction in the first place.
It seemed the meeting would end with that conclusion.
“But an undead wielding a Holy Sword...”
One archbishop spoke for everyone.
The Holy Sword had passed from Wilhelm’s hand to an undead.
That undead was the Boss of one of the New Seven Palaces of the Abyss.
Not one but dozens of members of the Holy Knight Order, which served directly under the Solari Church, had said the same thing. How could they believe it was a lie?
“That undead may be Lucas.”
Sighs escaped from all around the room.
Lucas Diontri. The former Solari Hero, a man who had held the most brilliant light.
The words of a knight who had returned from the Seven Palaces of the Abyss had been supported by the other knights.
“The Holy Sword’s holy power was more brilliant than even the captain’s! Just like that person ten years ago!”
Throughout the Holy Sword’s history, its most dazzling radiance had shone from only one man’s hand.
Lucas. His awakened Holy Sword had shone with a brilliance greater than the sun.
“I think so as well. It was not just a Holy Sword, but an awakened Holy Sword. Only three Heroes in history have awakened a Holy Sword, have they not?”
According to the knights, the Holy Sword had flown from Wilhelm’s hand into the Death Knight’s.
That meant the Death Knight’s authority over the Holy Sword was even greater.
“Even so, how could a Hero...”
“Isn’t that the most plausible explanation? A mere Death Knight is the Boss of an Abyssal Palace. It is impossible to understand, but if it was a Hero, that changes things.”
If that Death Knight was a Hero, it immediately made sense that it was a Boss of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss.
For someone to naturally be reborn as undead without a caster, one premise was needed.
A clear hatred for humanity.
Even an Abyssal Palace’s Dungeon Core could not act as a caster. Therefore, becoming undead through a Dungeon Core also had to be rooted in hatred.
Only one Hero had died hating humanity.
Lucas.
“This is tragic.”
“In the end, the Witches are the problem again. If not for them, Lucas would never have died.”
“That’s right. Those wicked women, tsk!”
Once the Witches were mentioned, everyone added a word or two.
Lucas had been executed ten years ago.
The Witch Massacre that had swept across the Empire had also happened ten years ago.
Ten years earlier, there had been a Witch village in a forest on the northern frontier.
It had been a small village where Witches gathered and lived in hiding.
But no secret lasted forever.
The moment its location was discovered, the imperial family mobilized a Hero and a knight order and ordered the extermination of the Witches.
“Archbishop Kellen. Weren’t you dispatched with Lucas ten years ago?”
“Yes. I also had a deep connection with Lucas.”
Archbishop Kellen closed his eyes as he recalled that day.
A burning forest, a knight order trying to wipe out the Witches, and Lucas standing before the knights with the Witches at his back.
Standing before the Witches, Lucas sheathed his sword and protected them.
When the knights came, he gripped his sword again and faced them.
A Hero who was supposed to massacre the Witches for the Empire had instead opposed the Empire to protect them.
“Lucas... He was a truly pitiful man.”
A Hero would not lose to a knight order.
If Lucas had been in perfect condition, it would have been easy for him to subdue every knight, evacuate the Witches safely, and escape.
Yet the Hero had been defeated and captured by the knights.
“I still remember it. A young Witch’s Mana Rampage at the scene turned the forest into a wasteland. It was so fierce that even the knight order could not bring themselves to approach. I could not either.”
The only person who approached the young Witch was Lucas.
Without hesitation, Lucas threw himself into the blazing fire.
He eventually stopped the rampage, but the price of saving the young Witch was losing both his eyes.
That opening allowed the knight order to split up, pursue the Witches, and successfully subdue the blinded Hero.
“If not for that young Witch, things might have been different. Lucas may have survived and lived in hiding until now.”
“What a foolish man. He saved a Witch, only to die because of a Witch. Didn’t they say he even lost his eyes protecting some little wench? So why did he still defend the Witches?”
“It was not even a sacrifice. It was a pointless death.”
The Witch Massacre had been at its height.
Lucas’s execution had been an inevitable result of his crime of defending the Witches and turning his back on the Empire.
Archbishop Kellen could not understand Lucas’s heart, yet he pitied him.
Even now, Kellen could not forget Lucas’s last words at the execution platform.
“I thought Witches were monsters, but they were not.”
“Witches were humans too. Humans with families, humans who felt pain.”
“Is there any reason for humans to kill other humans? Is there any reason for humans not to protect other humans?”
At Lucas’s words, the enraged Emperor ordered, “Bring the Witches here at once.”
The Emperor ordered the execution of the Witches he had imprisoned to be carried out before Lucas.
The slender necks of women were cut one after another. Their heads rolled away, then were put on display.
The citizens watching the executions dipped bread in Witch blood and devoured it.
Men, women, and children alike threw stones at the displayed heads of the Witches.
The blinded Hero could not see any of it, but the clear death cries and thick scent of blood made him feel all that pain through his entire body even without sight. Tears of blood ran from Lucas’s eyes.
The words that left his mouth before his own execution were neither a wail nor a scream, but a curse.
“You are not human. You are the children of the Abyss. God will punish you, punish humanity.”
Archbishop Kellen shook his head, trying to cast off the memory.
To think that Lucas, who had said those words, had returned as a monster of an Abyssal Palace.
...No way.
The awakened Holy Sword. A revelation from God. It had fallen into the hands of Lucas, now undead.
No. It could not be.
Doubt sprouted within everyone’s faith, but it lasted only a moment.
God always watched over humanity.
Footnotes:
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