Текст книги "Overlord - The Man in the Kingdom - Part 2"

Автор книги: Maruyama Kugane

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

His voice was filled with desire.

Jircniv knew very well what Fluder desired.

Fluder wanted to peer into the abyss of magic. In order to do so, he wished to seek for a master who'd be more advanced than him.

As for the ones behind, they could take the road – which in most instances, was paved by Fluder – and travel through it.

By taking the path that suits you better in a more efficient manner, one could develop their own talent without any wastage.

However, this wasn’t permitted for Fluder who walked alone at the very front. As he had to tread in the dark, he wasted too much unnecessary effort in his studies. If he could develop his talent without any waste, Fluder would be an even more powerful magic caster.

In order to do so, Fluder thirsted for someone who could guide him. There was a limit to one’s talent, he didn’t want to waste anymore effort.

Fluder nurtured his disciples in the hopes of finding someone who could surpass him, and then pull him ahead. Unfortunately, this has yet to happen.

This was the only wish Jircniv could never grant Fluder, so he changed the topic.

“Also, I want to collect information on the Adamantite adventurers that appeared in E-Rantel. Could you help me?”

“Of course, your Imperial Majesty.”

Chapter 10. The Greatest Trump Card

Translator: Nigel

Editors/Proofreaders: Ferro, TaintedDream, Namorax, Skythewood, SifaV6,

JcqC, ZackTan

 

Part 1

Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 4th Day, 22:31

High above the royal capital, a group of people flew like shooting stars through the night sky. Two of them were magic casters sustaining a flight spell, and the two others were their passengers.

One of the latter two, was a man in a suit of jet-black full plate armor, carrying two massive swords on his back, while the other was a ponytailed beauty. It went without saying that they were Ainz and Narberal.

That morning, the two of them had accepted a quest from the E-Rantel Adventurer's Guild for an unprecedented amount of money. The client was Marquis Raeven. On the surface, it appeared that the Marquis wished to hire adventurers to enhance his estate's security in the wake of the recent disturbances, whose causes were unknown.

Ainz knew that that wasn't the whole of the matter, and that he would find out more during the progress of the quest.

The reason was because they wanted to suppress the group known as the Eight Fingers, and they hoped Momon would fight alongside them, against the strongest members of the enemy, the Six Arms.

Ainz could not find any reason to reject this quest.

Normally, adventurers had an unspoken policy of staying out of national matters. In order not to drive off Ainz – or rather, Momon the Black – they had gone to the trouble of preparing a proper quest to serve as a cover, and aimed to attract him with a truly lavish reward.

After some thought, Ainz accepted the quest under a pretense of reluctance, in order not to make himself seem like a crass bargainer. The catch was that he had to make his way to the capital with all due haste.

In YGGDRASIL, there were waypoints that could be used to teleport from city to city, but in this new world, there were no such things. Teleportation magic was a 5^th tier spell, which Momon and Nabe should not be able to use, and travelling overland by horseback would take an entire day.

What was to be done, then? The answer was simple, provided by the magic casters of Marquis Raeven.

They used accelerated flight spells in combination with the ‘Floating Board’ spell, and together they took Ainz and Nabe with them to the capital at great speeds. How did they do this? The answer was very simple. Ainz and Nabe sat on the floating disk, which reduced their effective weight, so carrying the two of them would not slow them down appreciably. In this way, they had rushed straight to the capital all day long until now. However, even with this trick, time was still very tight, and they had already fallen behind schedule. Because of this, Ainz was slightly worried. If he arrived and was told he was no longer needed, what reward, if any, could he collect?

Though Ainz had been drawn by the unprecedented reward, it was doubtful that the requester would be willing to pay out to someone who had done nothing.

Ainz sighed quietly. He sounded like he was praying, like an employee with a poor performance review hoping against hope for some kind of bonus.

No matter what, he had to earn this bounty. He had already decided how he would spend it.

As these thoughts ran through his head, Ainz saw the capital for the first time from the sky at night. He regretted that he could not take his time to enjoy the view. The capital was dark, and it didn't seem like a bustling city at all. Even so, it was a fascinating experience for Ainz, whose eyes could see clearly in the darkness.

Watching quietly from above, Ainz’ eyes spotted an interesting sight; a light in the distance.

Though nothing much happened at first, when he saw the rising black flames, he realised that this was an emergency situation.

"Wait! Look! There's a glow of spellcasting, over there!"

"Indeed... it does look like... some kind of magic..."

The magic caster that had followed the pointing of Ainz’ finger didn't seem to think much of it. A normal person would have had trouble making out the glow through the darkness and the distance, much less analyze it.

"What's wrong? Is this sort of thing commonplace in the capital? Or are these fireworks to welcome me?"

The magic caster didn't laugh at the joke. Indeed, the expression on his face was very serious.

"That was one of the eight locations we were supposed to attack—"

"I see. I thought we'd arrived too late, but it looks like we'll be doing some work after all."

"Understood, we will head towards that location."

"Stop. It looks like there's a pretty high-level magic caster present. If you're pulled into this, don't you think you might lose your life?"

Then what are we supposed to do? Ainz looked away from the magic caster's conflicted expression and turned to Narberal.

"Nabe, use ‘Fly’ and take me in closer to there. On my mark, drop me right on top of them."

"Certainly."

♦ ♦ ♦

Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 4th Day, 22:33

To Evileye, who was on the brink of life and death, the black warrior’s question seemed utterly ridiculous. However, she immediately changed her mind. When you thought about it, both of them seemed very suspicious. After all, it was a confrontation between two masked figures and it wasn't unthinkable that they might be seen as conspirators fighting among themselves.

Then, hoping that she'd correctly deduced the identity of the black warrior, Evileye cried out.

"Dark hero! I am Evileye of Blue Rose, and I appeal to you as a fellow adamantite ranked adventurer! Please, aid me!"

The moment she made her plea, Evileye realized that she had made a mistake.

That was the difference in the fighting strength between herself and the enemy. Even with the help of Momon the Black, a fellow adamantite ranked adventurer, what could they do? The demon facing Evileye was one she could not hope to defeat, even with his help. It would be like going from a scrap of paper to two– either way, they would both be scattered by the raging storm before them.

If he accepted Evileye's request, she would be directly responsible for his death. What she should have done was to tell him to flee, and if possible, take the bodies of her comrades with him.

But—

"—I understand".

The man stood before the demon, hiding Evileye behind his back.

Evileye held her breath.

In the moment that he stood before her, she mistook him for a massive, sturdy wall, the kind that would defend a city. A sense of security and relief filled her to the depths of her heart.

And the demon confronting them actually bowed his head, as though he were a commoner showing due deference to a nobleman. It couldn't possibly be respect, he must have been mocking him. Was the demon merely playing games?

"My, my, such an honor you pay us this night. Might I inquire as to your noble name? This one is known as Jaldabaoth."

Jaldabaoth? She heard the surprised voice of the man underneath the jet-black helm, followed by the mumbled "weird name".

She didn't think it was weird. In fact, Evileye had no idea what to think of it. She knew quite a bit about the lore of demons and other infernal beings, but next to nothing about this name.

"Jaldabaoth, is it? I understand. My name is Momon, and like she said, I am an adamantite ranked adventurer."

Though bathed in Jaldabaoth's demoralizing presence, the warrior of darkness Momon carried on as though he hadn't noticed it at all.

So that’s what he’s doing, Evileye thought with approval. In order to draw his opponent out and learn from him, Momon exercised his iron discipline and kept his emotions from showing. It was clear why the man called Momon was recognized as a first-rate adventurer.

Evileye, who was ashamed of how easily her emotions had taken control of her, moved into the shadow of Momon's crimson cape in order not to distract the two of them from their exchange of words.

Even though Momon seemed willing enough to assist, she had the feeling that she would be getting in the way.

Momon and Jaldabaoth didn't bother acknowledging Evileye's presence. In the moment that she moved, they began a duel of wits, each seeking the secrets of the other.

"Ah, I see. May I then inquire as to the reason you have graced us with your presence this evening?"

"It's for a quest. A certain noble hired us to defend his estate... but when I passed by and saw this battle, I thought it was an emergency, and naturally I jumped in."

Said noble was Marquis Raeven, who had requested the presence of adamantite ranked adventurers in the capital, heedless to the risk of running afoul of the unwritten adventurer's policy of not getting involved in politics. One could tell he was desperately in need of the manpower to deal with the Eight Fingers.

"And what's your objective?"

"A mighty item capable of beckoning us to this plane has found its way to this city. We are here in order to retrieve it, of course."

"And what if we gave it to you? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"Unfortunately, that would be impossible. There can only ever be hostility between us."

"What kind of conclusion is that? De– Jaldabaoth, must we be enemies?"

"That is precisely so."

Evileye tilted her head at the surreal sight before her. Rather than a battle of wits, they were just sharing information. How did that even make sense?

"Well, I understand, for the most part. In that case... you do realize that I will defeat you here?"

Momon spread both his hands, and the greatswords which were like an extension of his arms seemed to shine.

"That... would be inconvenient. Do permit me to put up a bit of resistance."

"Then– here I come."

He stepped– no, that wasn't right. The Momon standing in front of her had vanished. He was engaged in an intense melee with Jaldabaoth.

It had developed into a struggle that Evileye could not describe with words.

The after-images of countless swords, parried and countered by the extended claws of Jaldabaoth.

"Incredible..."

There were many ways to render praise, but at this moment, Evileye, who was entranced by the dazzling swordplay before her, could only offer up that single word. It exceeded the blows of all the swordsmen in her memory. It seemed as though he would slice through the night and evil in one blow.

She felt like the princess in the songs of the bards. And the dark warrior before her seemed like a knight come to her rescue.

An electric current ran up her spine from between her legs, and Evileye's petite frame shuddered.

The heart of hers that had been still for over 150 years seemed to beat quickly once more.

Placing her hands on her breast, she found that of course there was no movement there. Even so, it felt real enough to her.

"...Please win, Momon-sama."

Evileye clasped her hands together in fervent prayer, hoping that her knight would triumph over the fearsome devil before her.

Whoosh! Jaldabaoth was blown a good distance away, with a sound that didn't seem like it could have come from a body of flesh and blood. Though he remained on his feet, he was still skidding over the cobblestoned floor at a rate that would swiftly wear out the soles of his shoes. After several dozen meters, he finally came to a halt, and dusted himself off.

"Truly spectacular. Crossing blows with a genius warrior like yourself might have been a mistake on my part."

With a great wham, Momon stabbed his sword deep into the stone beneath him, and used his free hand to pluck a chunk of stone from his head, before answering plainly.

"Enough with the pleasantries. You're hiding your power too, aren't you?"

It seemed almost unbelievable that neither party was going all-out despite the scope of this battle.

“Could he be a God-kin?”

The offspring of the beings known as "Players" were people who might awaken incredible power from within themselves. The Slane Theocracy called these people demigods. Or, more precisely, they were the ones who carried the bloodline of the Six Gods within their veins. If they had the blood of others, they would be termed differently.

It seemed very likely that this Momon was of the bloodline of a “Player”. Or rather, it would be better to say that no human could have possessed such power.

"My my, it seems I couldn’t hide it from you after all. As expected of the one called Momon."

"Indeed, Jaldabaoth, my name is Momon after all."

"Very well, then. Here I come. 「Aspect of the Devil: Tentacle Wings」."

Wings sprouted from Jaldabaoth's back, but the feathers covering them were abnormally long, evoking the appearance of tentacles. He spoke evenly to Momon, who remained on his guard.

"You are strong. There is no doubt that your might exceeds my own. Though it is not exactly to my tastes, permit me the use of this method. While your own defense is formidable, can the same be said of the small fry behind you? How will you deal with that, then? Perhaps you should focus on defending her, no?"

With that, he cast forth a hail of feathers. Their tips were razor-sharp, capable of slicing cleanly through muscle and bone.

Evileye was defenseless in the face of this onslaught. She had no more mana to cast ‘Crystal Wall’. All she could do was wait and hope for a miracle.

But as it turned out, Evileye had been underestimating the dark warrior.

As the sound of metal rang out, Evileye looked up, and saw a stout shield standing before her.

The shattered remains of the feathers were scattered everywhere. Even though they were capable of shredding a human being to pieces, it was still a beautiful sight.

"It's good that you're all right."

That man's calm voice. His arm, swinging his sword at incredible speed. His breathing was measured and his tone was calm, even as he furiously deflected the feathers coming at them.

"Ah... ah... Ah! Your shoulder! Are you okay?"

Momon's pauldron had a feather stuck in it. Because it had been cloven in half mid-flight, it had lost its penetrating power. It looked like a decoration on his armor.

"That's nothing. Attacks of this level aren't even worthy of consideration. Rather, I am glad that you're all right."

He chuckled.

Evileye felt her heart lurch with a badump. Her face was hot under her mask, which felt like it was going to scald her.

"Marvellous! For defending her without letting her sustain so much as a scratch, I, Jaldabaoth, offer you my heartiest congratulations. Truly, a marvellous display."

"Like I said, enough with the pleasantries. Tell me, Jaldabaoth, why are you pulling away?"

With that, Momon scooped up Evileye in one arm and hugged her close to him.

"!"

Her unmoving heart felt like it was going to burst from her mouth. In her mind, the stupid stories of the stupid bards kept pounding through her brain, over and over again. Especially the ones where the knight carried the princess while doing battle. Any sensible person would realize that carrying a burden while fighting a strong enemy was nothing but foolishness.

But—

Evileye's heart fell. She imagined she was a princess being carried aloft, but the truth was...

"This is..."

She was being carried like a sack of potatoes under his arm. Although, that was actually the best way to do it. Compared to a mature adult woman, Evileye was small and light. In order to maintain his center of gravity, it made perfect sense for Momon to carry her like this.

She knew she had no grounds to complain, and her heart still burned with the anger of seeing her companions murdered. She knew full well this wasn't the time for such foolishness. Even so, there was no way to fully quell the unhappiness inside her heart.

Maybe if she had hugged him of her own accord, it might have made things easier for him. But she wasn't confident she could hang on to him by herself if he chose to fight at those breakneck speeds again, so she kept quiet.

Evileye once again watched the battle unfolding between Momon and Jaldabaoth. The distance between the two of them had widened further than before, but for the top-class warrior and the super-class demon, it seemed little more than an extra step for both of them.

"Then, shall we continue?"

"No, I believe that will be all for now. Like I said earlier, my objective is not to defeat you. Now, we will turn part of the capital into a purgatory. Once we have established the breach, rest assured that I shall certainly send you to the underworld atop a pyre of infernal flame."

With that, Jaldabaoth turned and vanished. His movements didn’t seem hurried, but in moments the distance between them had lengthened, and he faded into the night.

"No. No, this is not good, Momon-sama, if we don't pursue him—"

As Jaldabaoth vanished from sight, Evileye was starting to panic, but Momon shook his head.

"I can't do that. He was retreating in order to carry out his plan. If I pursued him, he would fight with his full power. And if he did that..."

Momon didn't have to finish the sentence for Evileye to understand.

If he gets serious, you'll get caught in his attacks and die. Something to that effect. But even if they stayed put, that despicable fiend would surely use attacks that would hit Evileye anyway.

The fact that Momon was defending Evileye proved that Evileye had value as a hostage.

She hated herself, who couldn’t assist Momon, who was protecting her, and the fact that she was nothing but a burden to him. To think she'd said such high-sounding things to Climb.

"Then, Nabe. What do you think we should do?"

In response, a woman descended slowly from the sky. The dark hero Momon's team included the magic caster known as the Beautiful Princess. At the time, Evileye had laughed at the vanity of such a nickname, but now, with the real person in front of her, she found herself holding her breath.

She was too beautiful. A foreigner... with looks like that, she must have come from the south. Evileye kept watching her, unable to look away.

"Momon-sa– san. Why don't we head to the residence of the nobleman who hired us, as originally planned?"

"Should we ignore Jaldabaoth? Isn't stopping that fellow's plans the whole reason why I'm here?"

"Perhaps, but we should still obtain the permission of the client. That seems most important."

"—That is true."

"In light of that, I suggest tossing that oversized mosquito aside."

"Hm? Ah, forgive me, I was worried you might have been hit by that attack just now."

Momon slowly lowered Evileye to the ground.

"No– please, don't mind me. I understood your intentions."

Evileye bowed deeply to Momon.

"Thank you very much for all your help. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Evileye, of the adamantite ranked adventuring party Blue Rose."

"No need to be so formal, I am Momon, an adamantite-ranked adventurer like yourself. The magic caster here is my companion, Nabe. So what will you do after this? Are those two your companions? If you need someone to carry them for you, it shouldn't be a problem."

He pointed to Gagaran and Tia.

"I am deeply grateful for your offer, but there is no need. Our colleagues should be arriving soon. Perhaps they can cast the resurrection spell upon them here.

"Resurrection spells... you can use them?"

"Ah... ah, yes. Our team leader Lakyus can bring the dead back to life."

"Is that so? Then... if I may ask, from how far away can one cast a resurrection spell?"

"What do you mean?"

"That is to say, let’s say you wanted to resurrect these two. Assuming you cast your spell in the Empire, where would they resurrect? In the Empire, or where their bodies lie?"

Why? Why was he so interested in resurrection magic? Curiosity, perhaps. People who could use the 5^th tier of divine magic were very rare, so it wasn’t unusual to be interested in this topic. Or perhaps someone important to him had died. In that case, Evileye’s reply would be cruel to him. She could only pray that was not the case.

“I’m not too clear on the details, but I heard Lakyus needs to be very close by in order to cast the resurrection spell. So, with regard to Momon-sama’s question, it would be impossible to cast the spell from the Empire.”

“Mmm. Then, another question; after resurrection, would the two of them be able to fight immediately?”

“It would be impossible,” Evileye replied.

The spell Lakyus cast was the 5^th-tier magic ‘Raise Dead’. The raising would drain tremendous amounts of life force. Without exception, adventurers ranked iron and lower would be reduced to ash if it was cast on them. Adamantite ranked adventurers could be revived without a problem, but the resurrection would drain so much life energy from them that they would not be able to move, and recovering this life energy would take a long time.

If Jaldabaoth was right, not only were they still in danger, but they would also be deprived of a great amount of fighting strength.

...no, under these conditions, nobody can fight Jaldabaoth besides the great man in front of me. Resurrecting the two of them would do nothing to alter the circumstances. It would be wiser for them to focus on recovery after their revival.

“I see… I think I have the general idea now. If possible, I think I would like to meet Lady Lakyus. Would it be possible for me to wait here with you?”

"Wha! W-w-w-why do you want to see Lakyus?!"

Before she could recover her composure, Evileye’s words had already left her mouth. She didn't understand the reason why herself. In the instant she heard Momon saying that he wanted to see Lakyus, her heart was filled with resentment. It even shocked herself, and her outburst had alarmed Momon too.

Within her mask, her face began reddening with shame, and she was glad that the cloak covered up the tips of her ears which were also turning red.

"I... I was hoping to ask about revival magic, and also to meet with the leader of Blue Rose, who are fellow adventurers of the same rank as myself, and who are my seniors besides. That, and Jaldabaoth might be gone, but there's no guarantee he will not return. Is that so displeasing?"

"N-no, it's not like that... ah, I'm sorry I shouted at you."

The resentment in her chest vanished the moment she heard Jaldabaoth's name; she knew they had to be on guard against him.

Thinking carefully on what had already been said... I should have seen that coming. As for looking out for Jaldabaoth's return... That implies he wants to protect me? Fufu...

"Then, while we wait, do you mind if I ask about what happened before?"

"Before that, I need to take care of my comrades' bodies. I can't just leave them here. There's no problem with moving them, is there?"

Of course there was no problem. With that, Evileye went over to the bodies.

She'd thought they would have been burned beyond recognition, but it seemed that the devil's flames had only burned the soul rather than the flesh. The corpses were immaculate. After closing their eyes and crossing their arms over their chests, Evileye withdrew a ‘Shroud of Sleep’ from her pack, and began wrapping Tia up in it.

"What is this?"

"This is a magic item that stops the decay and rigor mortis of a body when wrapped around it. It's very useful for those who use resurrection spells."

While this was so, Momon noticed during Evileye's reply that she was struggling to wrap up Gagaran's bulky frame, so he decided to lend a hand by lifting up her body with his incredible arm strength. When the bodies were wrapped up, Evileye solemnly clasped her palms together, praying for the souls of the dead and for Lakyus to revive them.

"Thank you for your help."

"Think nothing of it. As I was asking earlier, could you tell me what exactly happened here?"

Evileye nodded, and began recounting the events that had come to pass. What she knew, what they'd planned to do, and the story of their encounter with the insect maid and the battle where Jaldabaoth had made his entrance.

As she spoke of how she had nearly finished off the insect maid, a change came over Momon and Nabe, who had been quietly listening to her story up until now.

"Then, did you kill her?"

His words were neutral, but the anger behind them was unmistakable.

Evileye was alarmed. Why would he be upset about killing Jaldabaoth’s maid? But she decided to finish telling the story.

"No, we didn't kill her. Jaldabaoth appeared before we could do that.”

"...Is that so? I see, I see."

The anger vanished, and Evileye wondered if he had even been angry in the first place. But, the silent Nabe's hard eyes were still filled with simmering wrath. It was difficult to tell if she disdained everyone in this way.

Momon coughed, and asked, "Then... if you hadn't tried to kill the insect maid, do you think Jaldabaoth would have attacked you?"

Evileye instantly realized why Momon had been angry. The insect maid had been neutral, and for all she knew, the two of them attacking her might have been the trigger for the current events.

It was only natural for adventurers to avoid unnecessary battles. If a group of high level adventurers didn't know this, it would disgrace the name of adamantite-ranked adventurers, and even Momon himself. That should be the reason why he was upset. Even so, Evileye couldn't fully agree with that line of reasoning.

"Jaldabaoth said that he would turn the capital into an inferno. A maid following someone like that couldn't possibly be a normal person. I believe the decision my colleagues made to fight her was the correct course of action."

That was the one thing she couldn't compromise on. That maid had been stronger than Gagaran and Tia. Knowing this, they had still fought on– there had to be a reason for that. She had to believe that her comrades had had a good reason for what they did.

The defensive Evileye and the silent Momon looked at each other, as though peering through her mask and his helmet. Although neither could see each other's face, Evileye was certain that she was staring into Momon's eyes.

In the end, Momon was the first to give in.

"Mmm. Ah. I see. You were right. I apologize."

He lowered his head to her. That shocked Evileye. Even though her belief in her comrades was firm, she still couldn't make her savior humble himself like that.

"Ah! Please, raise your head! Such a wonderful person like you should... Ueeeeee?"

As she realised what she had just said, Evileye let out a pathetic yelp.

While it was true that Momon was an outstanding individual, when you thought about it, using the word "wonderful" to describe him was...

Evileye squealed in her heart.

Aaaaah! I can't help it, he's too damn cool! Is it wrong for me to feel like a girl again, just once in hundreds of years? After all, he's a mighty warrior who's stronger than me...

Given the way Evileye was looking at Momon like a lovestruck schoolgirl, if he felt embarrassed and said so, that meant she still had a chance. If not, her chances would be miniscule.

Evileye's body had stopped developing at the age of twelve. As such, she possessed none of the parts that men wanted to see. Whether it came to inducing the fires of lust in others, or satisfying said lust, it would have been very difficult for her. Of course, a certain subset of men would have been very attracted to her, but they were a minority. With a beauty like Nabe nearby, her chances seemed even slimmer.

As Evileye gathered her courage to look at him, she found that Momon and Nabe were looking at the night sky instead.

She didn't quite know what they were doing at first, but when she remembered how she had wailed just now, it came to her. The two of them had taken her cry as a warning.

No, it's not~

With nothing to say, the feeling drove her to the brink of tears.

"...maybe you were mistaken? There's nothing there," Momon said as he scanned the surrounding sky.

"M-mistake, it was a mistake. I'm truly sorry."

"Ah, think nothing of it. It's better to be mistaken than ambushed."

Nabe returned her sword to her back, as Momon replied to Evileye with one sword in hand.

His gentleness left Evileye speechless. In that moment, the edge of her vision lit up. The color wasn't the pure white of magic, but a malevolent red, the color of a roaring blaze.

"Momon-san, look over there."

As Nabe said this, the two of them turned to look at the crimson radiance. Evileye's eyes widened, for she knew what had caused the fire.

"What? That's..."

The crimson fire spat tongues of flame toward the sky, as though it aimed to burn down the heavens. It was easily more than thirty meters high, and she could hardly imagine how wide it was– several hundred meters, maybe more.

The wall of flame swayed like a veil, and encircled the city like a girdle.

Evileye, who had been shocked senseless by the sight, heard a soft male voice in her ear.

"‘Flames of Gehenna’?"

As though her neck was on springs, she snapped her head to the side to face Momon.

"That, that, what, what is that? Momon, do you know what that huge wall of flame is?"

Momon's shoulders trembled slightly as he replied, with an uncharacteristic lack of confidence.

"Eh? Ah... no, no, I can't be very sure about that. Can I tell you again after I confirm the details?"