The Wandering Priest in Dark Fantasy

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]

Chapter 66: Ancient Dungeon (2)

An ancient dungeon.

Dungeons were mysterious spaces that had existed since time immemorial.

They were presumed to be places for safekeeping or sealing something, but no one knew who made them or why.

However, there were spaces very similar to dungeons even in the present world: the workshops of mages.

"...That makes me not want to go in."

Ono and Daniel openly expressed their displeasure.

They were surely recalling Heidern's mansion.

Hamel continued calmly,

"It could be even more dangerous than that."

"...More than Heidern's?"

Daniel's expression hardened.

Hamel shrugged.

Some said that mages' workshops were imitations of ancient dungeons.

Others said that dungeons were centuries-old mages' workshops.

It was now impossible to determine which was true.

But one thing was certain...

"Whether it's the former or the latter, wouldn't this be more dangerous?"

"..."

"Because it means this space has been functioning for hundreds of years."

At Hamel's words, everyone fell silent.

Now, not only Daniel, but everyone had uneasy expressions.

Hamel calmly spoke,

"But there is one positive factor..."

He pointed to the bloodstains leading from the door.

"At least the man who took his own life earlier came out of this place alive."

"..."

Looking at the blackened bloodstains, everyone's expressions became complicated.

As if they didn't know whether to be glad or not.

It was true that they had found the right place, but...

'That means he went in there and died...'

While everyone remained silent, unable to put their thoughts into words, only Ono frowned and asked,

"...Was that supposed to be encouraging?"

"Yes. Was it not enough?"

"Just shut up and let's go."

"...?"

Hamel tilted his head and slowly took the lead.

The half-open door was easily pushed open.

Creak!

The bloodstains continued inside.

Hamel moved slowly and cautiously.

After a short while, he stopped.

At the end of the sloping passage, the first open space appeared.

And there...

"...Corpses."

Bodies lay collapsed as if asleep.

Six in total.

They immediately surveyed their surroundings, but found no particular threat.

"Please wait a moment."

"Alright. I'll keep watch."

Daniel stood guard while the others carefully examined the fallen bodies.

Hamel touched the blood on the corpses.

It hadn't clotted.

There was still body heat.

These were not long-dead bodies.

'The cause of death...'

Hamel examined the stab wounds on the bodies.

And he was slightly impressed.

Excellent skill.

Hamel finally understood why the bodies seemed to have died in their sleep.

'They couldn't even put up a proper resistance.'

A dagger had pierced the back of each neck precisely.

Hamel realized why the bodies were still warm.

'They severed only the spinal cord in the spine.'

Because they were stabbed with a dagger in a vital point, there was little blood loss.

This was a technique that those who didn't want to leave a trace would use.

It was far from the work of demons.

This was...

"This is the work of humans."

Probably assassins, or something similar.

"...!"

Hamel's words caused a ripple of unease among the group.

If these people weren't killed by the dungeon's traps, it meant there were others lurking within.

But that was a minor issue compared to what he said next.

"And all of these people..."

Hamel pulled back the collars of the corpses' clothing.

Black tattoos hidden underneath were revealed.

Beast-shaped marks.

"...Those are?"

"Yes, they're probably the ones we've been chasing."

They were undoubtedly the same people who had caused trouble in Heidern, the Colorless Magic Tower, and Lonely Ridge.

'The marks are appearing more frequently.'

This meant that Hamel was on the right track.

He had a feeling.

He was close.

"Let's keep going."

Hamel stood up.

He didn't know what was happening deeper inside, but the presence of the unknown assailants who had attacked these men worried him.

However, Hamel had to stop after a short distance.

A tightly closed stone door blocked their way.

"It's really similar to a mage's workshop."

Ono frowned.

Runes were inscribed beside the stone door.

[Only the source of life shall open the door.]

"The source of life...?"

"What's that?"

Daniel and Rupert tilted their heads, clueless.

On the other hand, Ono, Lena, and Hamel almost reflexively deduced the answer.

"Water."

"Or maybe blood."

"Perhaps even a heart."

Hamel shook his head at Lena's guess.

"It's not a heart. Look there."

A brass cup was placed beneath the door. Below it, holes on both sides connected to a channel carved into the bottom of the stone door.

It was clear that the answer, some kind of liquid, had to be poured into the brass cup.

Ono, without hesitation, opened his water bottle and poured it into the cup.

Glug glug!

The water poured into the cup and flowed down the channel, disappearing into the floor.

"...It seems like it's not water."

"I'll try."

Hamel stepped forward and cut his finger.

Blood dripped down.

As Hamel's blood flowed into the cup and through the holes into the channel...

Whoosh!

As if gravity were reversed, the blood climbed up the intaglio carving on the stone door.

"This... it's not just a decoration, it's a circuit."

The geometrically shaped, deeply carved intaglio was a magical circuit.

Presumably, the door would open when it was activated.

However, the blood that filled the circuit stopped before it even reached the ankle.

There wasn't enough blood.

Hamel looked down at his arm for a moment.

It wasn't impossible to squeeze out more blood from his own wound, but it would take too much of a toll on his stamina.

Just then, Rupert, who had been watching from the side, spoke with a determined expression.

"If... if you need blood, then take mine...!"

"No, it's alright."

Hamel immediately shook his head.

He then stood up and walked back the way they had come.

Daniel silently followed behind him.

"...?"

Why were they suddenly going back?

Rupert tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

He soon found the answer.

"...That's."

Rupert trailed off and closed his mouth.

His gaze was filled with a mixture of discomfort and disapproval, even though he didn't say anything.

Hamel didn't offer any excuses.

Thud!

He simply put down what he had brought back.

It was the corpses from the entrance of the dungeon.

Hamel and Daniel just calmly did what they had to do.

They cut the flesh of the corpses and let the blood flow into the cup.

This was putting it mildly.

Even if the bleeding was minimal, extracting blood from corpses wasn't a pleasant task.

For a while, a gruesome yet monotonous silence filled the air.

"...Ugh."

Rupert involuntarily turned his head away.

No matter how evil the people were, the sight of human bodies being butchered wasn't something anyone would want to see.

He hesitated, then asked,

"...Doesn't this bother you?"

"It's not exactly pleasant."

Hamel replied as he continued to squeeze out the blood.

The extracted blood steadily collected in the cup, gradually filling the blood groove on the door.

He then turned to look at Rupert.

"It seems I've disappointed you."

"..."

Rupert didn't say anything.

But he couldn't hide the emotions showing on his face.

This side of Hamel was clearly different from the image he admired.

Hamel continued calmly,

"I've been undeservedly called a Saint, but I'm not a saint or a gentleman."

Hamel looked down at his bloodstained hands.

Just how much blood had he shed with these hands?

And how much more would he have to shed?

He couldn't even begin to imagine.

It was probably no small amount.

Even so, there wasn't much he could protect with these hands.

That was all.

What he could hold in his small hands.

"If necessary, I'll do even worse things. If that's what it takes to uphold the beliefs I've chosen."

"...Beliefs."

Rupert muttered under his breath.

Then he cautiously asked,

"What are beliefs?"

"That's not something I can tell you."

Hamel said, shaking his head.

"That's something you have to figure out for yourself."

What kind of person do you want to be?

What do you want?

To find out, he had to ask himself deep down.

"I'm still learning too."

Until just a year ago, Hamel had lived solely for revenge.

Of course, that goal hadn't changed.

But something else had changed.

He now had people he wanted to protect.

He had beliefs he wanted to uphold.

To be honest, all of this felt a bit heavy.

As if it would all vanish like a bubble if he let go.

But...

"I enjoy the process. That's how I feel."

Hamel smiled faintly and looked at Rupert.

Rupert stared back at him with a dazed expression.

"What is it that you truly desire?"

"I..."

Rupert couldn't readily answer.

Just then...

Click!

The door, its blood groove completely filled, began to open.

With a heavy sound, the thick door slid open.

"You can take your time to think about it. It's not urgent."

What he needed was experience and time to build himself up.

Hamel, hoping that Rupert would find his own beliefs, walked towards the door.

"Let's do our best together."

***

Inside the door, a large chamber unfolded.

There were only two things in the empty chamber.

A giant door.

And a suspicious-looking wooden box placed in the middle of the chamber.

Hamel first approached the door, avoiding the box.

Once again, there was a sentence carved in runes beside the door.

[Show your weakest self and overcome it. Then the door will open.]

This was also a rather vague phrase.

He didn't understand what it meant to show his weakest self, but it was surely related to the suspicious-looking box.

But Hamel couldn't readily step forward.

The words "show your weakest self" bothered him.

'If it goes as expected...'

While everyone hesitated, Lena stepped forward and said,

"I'll open it."

"...Be careful."

Lena nodded lightly at Hamel's concern and grabbed the lid of the box.

Then, she lifted it in one go.

The next moment...

Thick gray fog billowed out, and something seemed to be standing within it.

As the fog dispersed, a figure appeared.

Hamel could easily recall that face.

The student he met at the magic tower, the one who had tricked Lena.

"Melina."

Lena muttered as she looked at the figure.

As if in response, Melina opened her mouth.

"Lena. What are you doing there? Did you find the Blue Moon Flowers?"

"Moon Flowers?"

Lena tilted her head.

Seeing that, Melina sighed as if she was exasperated.

"Lena, you're so slow-witted. Do you think that's cute and do it on purpose?"

"..."

"You're silent again. Hello? Are you listening, Lena?"

"Yes. I can hear you."

Lena nodded and answered.

Melina's lips curled into a sly smile.

"Yes. You should have answered like that from the..."

But she couldn't finish her sentence.

Because...

Crack!

Lena, with an indifferent expression, punched Melina in the face.

"Ugh...!"

Melina, bleeding and thrown back, vanished into smoke.

"..."

A brief silence fell over the chamber.

Clap, clap, clap!

"It's a masterpiece even when you see it again."

Only Ono clapped his hands, seemingly amused.

[Translator - Peptobismal]

[Proofreader - Max]