Episode 205
Chapter 67: The Witch Helluram’s Legacy (Part 1)
Southern Shucheron, Vanessa’s home.
It was the very same rural village that had long ago been reduced to ashes by the fire dragon’s assault.
The land, now so scorched it was useless even for slash-and-burn farming, had long been abandoned by the Kingdom of Shucheron. In the vast expanse of empty earth, only Vanessa’s house stood alone, silent and solitary.
“It’s been a while since I’ve managed to surprise you, Lord,” Vanessa said as she opened the weathered wooden door. “Not only did you send a letter recently, but now you come all the way here without so much as a word?”
That was because Sir Shiron was seated in the small room’s center. Vanessa shrugged and took a seat opposite him.
“You’ve surprised me plenty in your prime days,” Shiron replied.
On the table sat a freshly boiled teapot. With a soft clink, Shiron tilted it and poured tea into Vanessa’s cup.
“Lord Khan must be having a hard time. I can tell you brewed this tea quietly and slipped away. Why not make your own tea next time?”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Well, that friend of yours does brew a fine cup.”
They both sipped, savoring the aroma for a moment.
‘He looks just like a proud father bragging about his child,’ Vanessa thought.
Though nearly half a century had passed since she became Shiron’s knight, this was the first time she’d seen him like this.
“So, how’s the youngest one?”
“First impressions were good. Among the comrades, there seem to be many capable individuals.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Vanessa knew exactly what Shiron meant—whether the boy could hold his own in a duel. She deliberately dodged the question.
“Heh, seems you’ve aged a bit, Lord. You’re quite anxious.”
“That might be true.”
“Jin Runkandel is more than enough. He could easily hold his own against you.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Shiron’s mouth.
“So, you handed over the map.”
“I didn’t expect you to give it away so easily.”
“Are you getting sly? I think you knew this would happen all along.”
Instead of answering, Shiron burst into a hearty laugh.
“If you still had feelings for Luna, that boy wouldn’t have received the map.”
Vanessa’s lips curved into a bitter smile.
The map given to Jin was originally made for Luna.
When Shiron discovered that monster while charting the entire Black Sea, he had kept the map, intending to gift it to Luna someday.
“There was a time when not only you but all of us Black Knights pinned our hopes on that child. If only we had paid a little more attention, she wouldn’t have given up. By now, she would have claimed all of Runkandel. We could have focused solely on our duties.”
“Are you blaming me, Vanessa?”
“No, I blame myself and my comrades. Of all the missions the Black Knights failed, the only true failure was not properly watching over Luna.”
“How could that be your fault? It’s mine and Rosa’s.”
“Then, to make sure Jin doesn’t end up like Luna, I intend to keep an eye on him. Joshua—he’s quite the troublemaker—seems to be watching Jin closely and preparing for something.”
Shiron shook his head.
“If he needed care, I wouldn’t have paid him any mind from the start. We don’t offer direct help; we only observe. If a family can’t even stabilize itself alone, dreaming of fighting enemies is pointless.”
“…What if he ends up like Luna anyway? Do you think he can handle Joshua’s influence when he returns home? I doubt he’ll even make it back safely.”
“That’s why you gave him the map, isn’t it?”
Vanessa chuckled softly, mulling over Shiron’s words.
It was the part about not giving ‘direct’ help that made her smile.
“I understand your intent. Since you’re here, why not have a drink? Tuvin’s nearby and staying for a while—I’ll contact him.”
“Tuvin, huh? It’s been years since I last saw him.”
Jin and his comrades sat in the meeting room, unfolding the map Vanessa had given them.
“…So it really was possible to map the Black Sea. I heard monsters pour out like water, and most areas are filled with poison gas, so no one’s ever tried before.”
As Kashimir said, no nation or organization had ever attempted to chart the Black Sea. Even Zipple had never dared. At least, that’s what the public believed.
So the comrades couldn’t help but gape at the map before them. What everyone thought impossible, Runkandel had already accomplished.
It was possible to navigate the Black Sea without a map. From the entrance to the central region, there were ‘paths’—natural routes formed by Shiron’s travels back and forth.
So long as one could fight off the relentless monsters, anyone could reach the Black Sea’s center.
“This map is soaked with the blood, sweat, and years of the previous Black Knights. It was likely made in utmost secrecy within the family, my lord. As far as I know, the current generation of guardians has rarely been assigned missions in the Black Sea.”
“That’s right, Gilly. Only my father, the previous Black Knights, my mother, and a few elders knew about those missions. Even the riders weren’t given that information.”
“Hmm, so that’s why the little one’s father was always in the Black Sea. And the monsters raised by Helluram, no less.”
Helluram.
She was a sorceress, once the consort of the Beast King Orgal, known among mages as the ‘Matriarch of Dark Magic’ or simply ‘the Witch.’
Though dark magic has since been lost and forbidden, descriptions of her spells are still found in historical texts.
Historians, however, labeled Helluram as ‘the Great Calamity.’ Every record about her is filled with destruction and slaughter.
Whenever she appeared, great tragedies followed.
From the mysterious plague called the ‘Madness Disease’ that devastated the Western Continent 1,500 years ago, to the Demon God’s Descent 1,200 years ago, the Great Explosion in the Northern Continent 1,000 years ago, and the Sasanah Incident 700 years ago.
The disasters attributed to Helluram were countless. Many doubted whether a human could intentionally cause such catastrophes.
But 500 years ago, during the Holy Kingdom’s defense war, when Helluram summoned demon lords before everyone’s eyes, no one questioned it anymore.
Instead, a new debate arose in academia: was ‘Helluram’ a single person, or a title used by multiple sorceresses?
Most scholars argued the latter, given her supposed activity spanned over 1,500 years.
“Are we sure we want to mess with her? I don’t want to get on her bad side,” Quikantel said.
Everyone except Murakan’s eyes widened in surprise. First, because they’d never imagined Quikantel expressing fear of retaliation. Second, because he spoke as if Helluram were a single individual.
“Is the Witch Helluram a person, not a group?” Enya asked.
Quikantel nodded.
“Yes, one person. She’s a half-demon, looks almost human, but her lifespan matches that of demons.”
Jin already knew this. Her previous life’s mentor, Valeria, had met Helluram and shared some truths with Jin.
“Besides, she’s a curse incarnate. The only being loved by all kinds of demon and evil gods. Even the gods avoid seeking contracts when she’s awake. When the Beast King Orgal endured her curse and lived with her, even dragons praised him.”
“My goodness, so all those great disasters I read about in textbooks were real?”
Enya covered her mouth in shock at Quikantel’s explanation.
“Yeah, it’s true, fan girl. The dragons know the truth. Hmm, monsters… monsters raised by Helluram, huh? Quikantel, does that ring any bells?”
“You’re seriously sending Jin there? He might get tangled up with Helluram.”
“Ha ha, Nana and the kid are immune to curses, so it’s fine if they get involved. And according to what humans call the terror of the Ante Mountains, those monsters are managed by Runkandel. Since no one’s searching for them, they’re probably dead.”
“The last activity was over 300 years ago, but I doubt they’re truly dead.”
Quikantel kept trying to dissuade Murakan, clearly uneasy.
Naturally, Jin agreed with Murakan. He couldn’t just ignore the map Vanessa called ‘another test and reward.’
“This is a gift from my father. If I refuse, I don’t know what he might take from me.”
“I agree with you, my lord. It’s unthinkable to neglect or refuse what the head of the family has bestowed.”
Kashimir, Alisa, and Zett nodded, leaving Quikantel with no choice but to relent.
“Then it can’t be helped. But Murakan and I will accompany you to where the monsters are. Beyond that, the poison gas makes it impossible to proceed, so at least we’ll escort you that far. That’ll ease my mind a bit.”
“Bring Mimul too, Quikantel. Someone has to prepare the meals.”
“…I was still a prince once, you know.”
“Can’t you cook?”
“Nope.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to bring Zett instead.”
“I, Zett, shall cook a meal once again!”
“They want to take a weakling like that to the Black Sea? No way. Just take Kashimir. Or maybe Latri would be better? She’s good at cooking, after all.”
“I’ve been so busy with the tea shop lately, and without me, Yuria’s in danger… But I can pack plenty of those fresh, crisp cookies for the trip.”
Bang!
Suddenly, Kashimir slammed his palm down on the table.
“Ah! You scared me. Are you crazy?”
“Don’t underestimate me! I’m a swordsman known throughout the world as the ‘Noble Blade’ and the leader of the Seven-Colored Birds! I won’t stoop to running errands on a journey—that’s beneath my pride!”
“Sweetheart, just go quietly. Latri’s a dragon and runs a tea shop too.”
“Are you really going to treat me like this? I’m Kashimir. Kashimir Alfrion, the Noble Blade.”
I can just prepare the meals myself, it’s fine. So everyone, please stop getting worked up over nothing…
Just as Jin was about to say this, Murakan shook his head with a helpless sigh.
“Then we’ll take both the little critter and Jet. Jet can handle the meals and all the chores, and the critter can take care of the monsters.”
“If that’s the arrangement, I can accept it.”
At that moment, Jin was left speechless.
Jin, Murakan, Quikantel, Kashimir, and Jet—the five of them were set to depart for the Black Sea.
For some reason, Jin felt sorry for Kashimir, but the man’s expression was far too satisfied to offer any comfort.