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Chapter 346. The Unquenchable Flame

『It’s glowing—?!』

Barbara shouted in a rather silly voice. Being undead herself, it must have been a shock for her.

『…Huh? When did another cute girl show up? Did you also get killed by this guy?』

『Not directly, but well, something like that.』

“I sincerely apologize for that…”

I shrank back. It’s a bit late for me to feel embarrassed now.

Yet, it seems he doesn’t recognize Barbara.

“Have you been sleeping the whole time?”

『Yeah, probably. I was basically in a daze… I feel like I dreamt about storming some castle, fighting a scary sword saint, battling incredible monsters, and killing night elves…』

Stifling a yawn, the older soldier replied and began to look around the small private room in the inn.

『This… doesn’t really have the vibe of a Demon Lord’s Castle…』

Hmm. It seems he vaguely perceived what was happening around him… However, he doesn’t seem to be aware that “sword saint” refers to Barbara.

“Actually, we’re in Todomarl, the capital of the Tritus Principality right now.”

『Huh? Did it fall?』

His sleepiness seemed to vanish completely, and the older soldier became serious. …It’s hard to say “older soldier.” I might need to think of a nickname.

“No, that’s not the case, so don’t worry. I killed my brother, the 4th Demon Lord’s Prince Emelgias, and now I’m being exiled from the alliance zone for the crime of fratricide—”

I began to explain the situation. It’s been about a year since I called this man out. A lot has happened since then…

『Ohhh…』

The older soldier, who initially crossed his arms and listened with interest, gradually began to blink sleepily.

『…Sorry. For some reason, I’m just really sleepy.』

He said while patting his translucent cheeks.

Sleepy… even though he’s undead?

『I don’t know why—I’ve slept deeply, and my head is clearer than before, but if I let my guard down… I feel like I’ll just lose consciousness… Huh!』

After slapping his cheeks a bit harder, the older soldier’s silver glow intensified.

As if he himself were a torch.

『If I get fired up, I might be able to wake up a bit. But this is tiring too. I really don’t understand what’s happening to me…』

“Don’t push yourself.”

I felt a strange sense of crisis watching the older soldier think while shining brightly.

Something seems off with him and Barbara. While the older soldier exudes an unexpectedly strong presence for a spiritual body, there’s an ominous quality as if his own substance is gradually wearing away.

『Well, I’m just glad to hear the latest news, Alex. You seem to be doing well too. It’s great to hear you’ve taken down a Demon Lord’s Prince… That said, you called me out; did you have some business?』

“It’s about your colleague, Kaito.”

I decided to quickly get to the point.

“I found his wife and daughter. We provided them with various support for their living, but unfortunately, they were nearly killed by night elf spies.”

『What?! That dream back there… was about that!』

“Exactly. I passed along some of Kaito’s remains as mementos to his wife, and apparently, it released holy energy along with Kaito’s voice, protecting the two of them.”

『Wow, that’s amazing. Did he become a hero after he died or something?』

Oh, come on, he doesn’t really understand what’s going on.

“Honestly, it seems miraculous. I thought Kaito’s soul had already dissipated… Could he be sleeping together with them?”

『Hmm… I don’t know. Why not try calling? Everyone else seemed to be fighting together in dreams or something.』

“Alright…【Awaken, Kaito】.”

I tried calling out to the remains, but there was no response.

“【Awaken, warriors I have slain】.”

…Still nothing.

『Hmm, so it’s just me, huh? Well, even if the souls aren’t there, I hope they’re watching from the underworld.』

The older soldier yawned and began to dim his glow, his presence fading away.

『I’ll… be cheering for you from the shadows. If something big happens again… let me know.』

And just like that, he was sucked back into the remains.

“…”

The rest of us exchanged glances.

“In the end, we just have more questions now…”

“Well, not exactly.”

Lying down and running his fingers through his hair, Anté said.

“It’s interesting how despite being dead, he seemed so sleepy.”

『I thought the same. Since I died, I’ve never felt the slightest bit sleepy.』

Barbara agreed. That was indeed strange…

“Considering the behavior of the holy energy, I can make one hypothesis.”

Anté raised his finger. Hoh, looks like his age gives him wisdom, and it’s reliable.

“Can you enlighten us, O Great Demon God?”

“Very well. To put it simply, I believe his soul is gradually disappearing. This is due to the reinforcement from the holy silver curse and the toll it takes on his essence.”

………

“The holy silver curse enhances humanity and burns human foes. Since Alex would be burned if he were in demon form but would incur no damage in human form, it’s clear that there are separate judgments for body and soul. And likely, this applies to the undead as well.”

Anté glanced over at Barbara and the remains.

“I haven’t seen it directly, but isn’t it true that skeletons and zombies turn to ash from the holy silver curse?”

“Yeah…”

I’ve burned them a few times in my previous life. In hindsight, they were low-tier undead, not combatants of the Demon Lord’s Army, but labor slaves…

“Basically, undead are made from human corpses. This means their bodies are originally human. So, being burned means the soul itself received a ‘human enemy’ judgment. Then, what differentiates the soldiers from the skeletons and zombies…?”

…Ah. I understand now.

“How much that soul has changed since their living days…?”

And that’s likely something that applies to me as well—

“Exactly. Unlike the undead, whose selfhood has mostly been stripped and turned into puppets, the soldiers’ and Barbara’s souls remain unaltered. Thus, they are still judged as ‘human’ and can benefit from the holy silver curse…”

Undead who have turned into monsters and attack the living are undoubtedly the enemies of humanity.

But then what about the warriors who returned from the underworld to protect their loved ones?

—It’s obvious. They can’t be “enemies”…!

“However, the holy silver curse likely doesn’t assume it would strengthen the undead. Therefore, from here, it gets speculative—but—”

『…What do you mean?』

Barbara was unusually serious.

“Undead will inevitably face transformation sooner or later. Being a being that can’t generate magic like the living, they must constantly replenish magic that is completely different in nature from others or ley lines. No matter how cautious they are, their selfhood will transform under the influence of their surroundings—this ‘self’ doesn’t just mean personality or belief but the very components of their soul, i.e., the core of their soul. Riches like Enma retain a self that bears nearness to their living days, but in this regard, they too are proper monstrosities.”

“…So by that logic, my soul is also falling apart, and I’m becoming something entirely different by accepting your magic?”

And demons are beings that can be burned by the holy silver curse. Why am I not scorched even after receiving such power?

“Your ‘core’ has not changed since you were alive. The ‘core’ s that is the source of generating magic and will. However, an undead’s core is losing its heat and transforming. The holy silver curse seemingly tries to prevent that, thus strengthening reason and soul, striving to regain the lost warmth. However, fighting outright against the world’s truth when doing so, there will never be enough magic to compensate.”

Anté directed a look filled with pity towards the remains, his hair obscuring his face so as not to show that expression to Barbara—

“As a result, what happened…? The holy silver curse began to burn the core of the soul. It’s trying to reconcile the lack of heat with the magic it has.”

—Barbara instinctively placed her hand over her heart.

“But that will further the transformation of the soul. In order to prevent transformation, further strengthening becomes necessary. And that repeats. The reason why your magic had a disproportionately high impact on the presence of the remains was because of this.”

Now that it’s been mentioned—compared to Barbara, the older soldier’s presence was strong.

But that wasn’t just due to being reinforced by the holy silver curse—

“The soul’s core is being fed to the firewood. It’s a time-limited super-enhancement of the soul through the holy silver curse. With that strength of self, it’s likely that it wouldn’t accept half-baked curses, and the benefits of the holy silver curse would also be distinctly reflected. Ironically, it seems the holy silver curse cannot help but burn the undead. Even if it’s to grant them power and not pain…”

“…Then what about the drowsiness he felt?”

What’s the connection there?

“Sleep is like a temporary death. So, what does ‘death’ mean for a soul? It is disappearance.”

Anté answered as if it was nothing.

“He might instinctively understand that the stronger he maintains his self, the closer the death of his personality and the disappearance of his core draws near. Thus, by rendering his soul inactive, he’s attempting to prolong his existence… As long as he’s sleeping within the remains, the transformation of his soul and the burning of the core can be drastically suppressed, allowing him to continue supporting you.”

………. I wonder if I did the right thing by bestowing him with a silver flame.

If this were an enhancement magic for allies, then if I stopped providing magic, the holy attribute would naturally fade away.

However, how do I extinguish the silver flames that continue burning away from my hand—the cursed flames rooted in the soul?

I had no idea.

“It was definitely worth it.”

As if reading my inner thoughts, Anté continued.

“Remember, right after you summoned them. Before touching the holy silver curse, they were merely vague existences. I doubt you could have restored their selfhood suddenly without the holy silver curse. The fact that their core is burning is clear, but it’s also a fact that their selfhood has been restored to a dimension close to their living days.”

…After that, I’ve been consistently aided by the animated remains.

If it weren’t for their cooperation, I might have lost my head at Evaroti when Barbara could have decapitated me…

『I’m glad— I definitely didn’t take the holy silver curse lightly…』

The one who actually said so seemed relieved, patting their chest.

『—The strengthening of the holy attribute can disappear, and that’s just a backup plan when it absolutely has to!』

However, those eyes were unsettlingly fixed on me. Like a finely crafted rapier, they were sharp and strong, capturing me firmly.

『Under normal circumstances, when someone dies, that’s the end. But here he is, clinging on just to burn his own soul. Isn’t that how it goes?』

—So there’s no basis for pity.

A wicked smile seemed to say that.

“…That indeed makes sense.”

I tried to think from my own perspective.

What if burning one’s soul and disappearing meant being able to strike back against the Demon Lord?

—Yeah, that would be fulfilling. No regrets!!

Naturally, the corners of my mouth lifted up.

“…So what exactly was Kaito-san in the end?”

Reila, who had been quietly listening, murmured that question.

“I cannot answer that either.”

Scratching his belly nonchalantly, Anté replied.

“Perhaps his soul didn’t actually vanish before; maybe it secretly resided within the remains. And in order to protect Isabella and the others, he expended all his strength…”

Or perhaps—

“Kaito was watching the realm from the underworld. Yet, I have no idea how he managed to break through the barrier between worlds. If his soul’s core had truly vanished, then wouldn’t that mean he couldn’t reach the underworld…? Or maybe it was his love for his family that resided within the remains… I don’t know. I don’t know anything. However, what did happen, might just be a true ‘miracle’…”

…A miracle, huh.

I wonder if the underworld really does exist.

Are Mom and Dad still watching over me now…?

†††

—After that, we went to sleep.

Today was really exhausting after everything…

It’s great that it’s been revealed that the holy attribute could be applied to necromancy, but… supernatural enhancement by burning the soul feels increasingly like a forbidden art.

Wrapped in curses effective against the denizens of darkness, receiving support from heroes and priests, having high magic resistance and basic abilities, and being a high-efficiency undead soldier, albeit time-limited — that might be impressive.

But it’s “all or nothing.” I probably wouldn’t be able to fight at full strength multiple times.

Expendable forces that will vanish once they’ve given their all.

Using them will be a challenge. Truly…

“It’s the break of dawn!”

While I was turning over those thoughts, I realized I had inadvertently fallen asleep. I likely would have overslept if it weren’t for an awake Anté and Barbara beside me.

Although the innkeeper had not yet risen, it was fine since I had paid in advance.

Hastily packing my things, I left the room just before dawn, almost escaping.

The city wall’s gate would be on high alert, restricting passage, but with the title of “Hero,” I should be able to leave without issue.

I’d search for an inconspicuous grove on the outskirts and have Leila release my human transformation, allowing us to escape from the Tritus Principality—

“Hey, Alex. You’re pretty early.”

Only a few steps outside the inn, I was greeted.

“How rude, to leave silently like that…”

A man wearing priestly robes and sporting a gentle smile was there.

High Priest Edgar Waconnan stood before me.

 

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