Chapter 277 - Episode Twenty-Four - Rupel of Wisdom (1)
“I-Is he dead ……?”
Peter muttered after the collapse of the wall had settled.
Rupel and Darras were buried alive in the rubble.
I don’t think they could have survived.
It may be an accident, but it was started by my careless actions.
If I had hit another wall, as Peter had said, none of this would have happened.
Even though we were enemies, crushing them with rubble was not something I felt good about.
But then again, I hadn’t expected the wall that kept the rules of the trial in place to collapse so easily.
It’s their decision. What in the world is one supposed to measure with such a thing that can be broken down by force?
I’m sure there was some shallow thinking on my part, but I’d say it’s about ten percent Priest Johanan’s fault.
“Ugh ……”
The rubble stirs, and a dying Darras staggers out of it.
Rupel also emerges from the rubble, protected by Darras.
“Oh …… you’re alive.”
Peter mutters.
I’m relieved.
I’ve been involved in a number of incidents up to this point, but I’ve never killed anyone, and I don’t intend to in the future.
Apparently, Darras had strengthened his body with “Gouma” and used it as a shield for Rupel, catching the debris.
However, it seemed that Darras had reached his limit, and when Rupel broke free from the rubble, he fell to his knees.
“I’m sorry. I’m done here ……”
With that, Darras collapsed.
Rupel coughed and looked at Darras, who had collapsed beside him, then at the wall behind him, and finally at me.
No, I don’t think he’s looking at me, I think he’s looking at the wand I was holding.
I quickly lifted my wand to test it.
Then I lower it diagonally backwards. Rupel’s gaze was following me closely.
“Now you’ve done it …… Well, as I suspected, I was right. The Wand of Destruction was hidden in this cathedral, wasn’t it? I guess I made a mistake by going in first and not looking for the wand. The main reason is that I didn’t have time to search for something that I didn’t even know was there or not.”
“Hmm?”
That Rupel-san, I think he’s making some kind of endless mistake.
He is staring at my wand with bloodshot eyes.
“I thought it would be more ostentatious, but it’s quite simple in appearance. And it looks so new, even for the mythical age. In a way, this is a testament to the strength of the magic formula and magic power contained in the wand ……”
What is that guy saying with a serious face?
“So the correct route was to find the Wand of Destruction and destroy the wall, huh. No wonder he asked me to do such an impossible task! I should have questioned the whole trial.”
Rupel, still staring at my wand, wiped his bloodied chin with the palm of his hand.
I’m not sure if you’re referring to my homemade wand as the wand of destruction.
This is a wand that I made as a bonus from the scrap wood after making the World Tree Ortem.
“You see, there’s a misunderstanding ……”
“So there was a secret route to avoid the statue of Kudor and a room where the Wand of Destruction was kept. I had been taking the test too foolishly. After all, you were one step ahead of me in solving the priest’s words and the mysteries of the cathedral, Peltaire!”
Rupel shouted, pointing his fingertip at Peter.
Peter checked behind him for a moment as he moved his finger.
Then he turned back to Rupel, cleared his throat, and crossed his arms.
“It’s the age difference, Rupel-chan. I’m glad you went ahead and kept an eye on things.”
What do you mean?
Myunhi looked puzzled, looking this way and that.
When our eyes met, I nodded my head. For some reason, she bowed her head.
While I was wondering, Rupel’s eyes widened in surprise and he bit his lip.
“…… So he staged his defeat to bait us into advancing first. Cunning…! How far does he plan on mocking us! The wand of destruction that you found, you thought that if you took it yourself, you would risk being exposed when you confronted me, so you gave it to the sorcerer of the Marren tribe, huh”
Was that so?
Peter-san, when I found him, he looked as if it was the end of the world and hung down limp, but is it possible that everything was calculated?
When Peter heard Ruppel’s words, his lips twisted in confusion for a moment, and I saw him look at Myunhi.
It seems he was just being honest.
“So I’ve been underestimating the shadow ruler of Dinrat Kingdom …… the half-immortal monster Peltaire. I’m sorry, Darras. …… I didn’t realize that Peltaire had taken me for a ride with his scheming, and that he had been bothering me with his faking in the trials without realizing it. It is inexcusably my fault that I was pushed to this point.”
Rupel seemed to be convinced all by himself, but I had no idea what was going on.
Rupel seems to call Peter the shadow ruler of the Dinrat Kingdom, but to me he seems to be nothing more than an amiable old fart.
I wonder if he’s that great.
Also, there seems to be a discrepancy in perception regarding the wand of destruction.
Peter had said that he had come to the ancient cathedral to dispose of the wand of destruction so that it would not fall into the hands of outsiders.
But Rupel said that the Wand of Destruction was a bonus, and that he was here for something else.
“As long as you understand. I’ll give you ten seconds, Rupel-chan. Take that large package and disappear.”
Peter indicated Darras with his chin.
“Peter-sama …… if you are too irreverent, you will displease that thing, won’t you?”
Myunhi whispered to Peter and glanced at me.
“I was wondering if I should do the same at first, but then I realized that there was no point in worrying about the details, so I decided to just open up.”
“Peter-sama!?”
Myunhi, who had been told something by Peter, had a shocked expression on her face with her eyebrows raised.
She was whispering, so I couldn’t make out much of what she said.
“Run, you say. That’s very kind of you, Peltaire. It’s true that I lost Darras and I’m wounded. The key item, the wand of destruction, is also held by you …… I see, it is you who have the advantage.”
Rupel sits down and opens the grimoire in his hand.
The pages of the grimoire are spinning wildly by themselves.
“But the Wand of Destruction is within my reach. All I have to do is kill you all and take the Wand of destruction.”
“What!? After all the things that I said, you still to go!?”
Peter bounced his shoulders in surprise at Rupel’s declaration of war.
Immediately, Peter came around to my side.
“Peter-san ……?”
“Oh, I’ll leave the rest to you, Abel-chan.”