The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

153 – 153. The Cursed Ones (2)

As I watched my son’s back as he set off on an adventure with his companions, I had no doubt he would return in glory.

Because he is my son.

The son and beloved disciple that I, Querysa Nesserhane, raised like a precious jewel.

Though our bond was forged through adoption, there was no discord in our harmonious mother-son relationship. Thus, Querysa wholeheartedly supported her son, who had been bestowed the title of Sage, believing he would vanquish the Demon King of Death and elevate the Tower’s reputation.

But—.

A mother’s benevolent expectations spiraled into tragedy.

“Ah, my son…!”

I called out to my son with a trembling voice.

But what returned was a blazing fire of chilling blue.

“Master of the Tower!”

“You must not lose your composure!”

Was it because I witnessed the pitiful form of my son, now fallen into a cursed existence? Facing a panic that bordered on hysteria, Querisa stood frozen, unable to react even as the flames engulfed the air around her.

The icy flames surged forth.

The archmages of the tower, who had been guarding the Master, extended their staffs and deployed a defensive barrier.

Kwah-kwah-kwah-.

The clash between the flames and the barrier erupted in a devastating roar that spread through the air.

“C-Crazy! What overwhelming firepower!”

“The barrier is collapsing! We need a new defensive spell…!”

The Sage.

A title bestowed upon a prodigy who has achieved the pinnacle of magic.

Now reduced to a cursed being, a servant of death, the Sage boasted an immense magical power that could easily encompass the archmages of the tower. As if to prove this, the defensive spells deployed by the archmages swayed precariously, as if they would shatter at any moment.

Clatter-.

The Lich moved its jawbone.

It was a vicious gesture, signaling the intent to unleash a barrage of new spells.

“M-Master of the Tower!!”

The archmages screamed.

As the air shimmered with magical energy, countless gravity orbs were unleashed.

A total of nearly one thousand in number.

True to the monstrous nature of one who had reached the realm of the Sage, it conjured a grand spell without any preparatory movements.

– Protecting Beatrice… is my mission.

A bluish light shone from the Lich’s skull.

Even with my beloved mother right before me, only hostility filled its gaze.

“Madvey!”

A beautiful woman with flowing emerald hair extended her arms, taking a stance. With a posture that seemed to grasp something tightly, Querisa glared at her son, now reduced to an undead, with trembling eyes.

Kwah-dak-.

She reached out with both hands, like a conductor leading an orchestra.

In that moment, crimson flames surged around the master of the magic tower.

“Are you so mad for a woman that you would aim magic at your one and only mother? Have you ever seen such a disloyal son!”

Unleashing flames on the eternal frost was an act of self-restraint.

The cold suppressed the heat.

Snow and ice began to hinder the ignition.

Yet still, the crimson flames blazed, forming pillars of fire as if to boast of their fierce power. The snow and ice that had been obstructing the ignition melted away in the rising heat.

-…Punish them.

“Punish them!”

The cursed undead and the master of the magic tower chanted the same incantation as they pulled the trigger of the grand spell.

Gravity bombs and flames.

The grand magic, representing the pinnacle of sorcery, collided with each other.

* * *

As the full-scale confrontation between the master of the magic tower and the sage spread, a fierce backlash surged forth. The overwhelming force of the gravity bombs and flames was enough to overturn the demon king’s castle, surrounded by rugged mountains.

However, the red dragon and the white dragon faced the spirit knight, continuing their battle as if ignoring the feast of destruction.

– I will not let you go…!

“The mercenary king, who boasted of his unmatched strength, has fallen to the specter of disaster… How unfortunate.”

The descendant of the Duchy of Savoy, the mercenary king who recorded countless tales of valor.

Felix Pavan Savoy.

Even after falling to the undead, he exuded an overwhelming presence, proving he was indeed the mercenary of unmatched strength.

b*stard sword.

Polearm.

The spirit knight, wielding heavy weaponry in both hands, displayed the skill to counter both the flames of tyranny and the lightning of famine, blocking Rudmila and Jeblinne.

“Is, is that a person…? Well, they are undead, but…!”

“He is a hero who commanded all the mercenary bands of the continent. Truly, a formidable foe.”

Step by step.

The undead, armed with numerous weapons, slowly closed the distance.

Despite the raging flames of disaster and the torrents of lightning, they did not halt their advance.

Overwhelming power.

The seasoned strength that had led countless battles to victory.

The approaching undead, exuding a quietly restrained aura, resembled a statue of fear. Rudmila, who had once matched the spirit knight in combat, prepared to counterattack, her sharp blade poised.

“Hero, the mercenary king who led the charge alongside the Sword Saint… I never imagined he would be this formidable. Even after launching a joint attack with the First Saint, he remains unscathed.”

The Saint Party was an expeditionary force composed of the strongest heroes.

Hero Maximilian.

Sword Saint Regnas.

Mercenary King Felix.

They had no shortage of confidence in their might.

Among the members of the expedition, three of them were indeed monsters who had risen to the ranks of the Seven Greats of the Nation.

The sage Madbay was no exception.

Had it not been for Querisa, the tower master and his foster mother, Madbay would surely have joined his comrades in being named among the Seven Greats.

Facing the Saint Party, composed of the continent’s strongest, meant certain defeat. Even the ruler of the demon realm, who had driven the Empire and the Holy Kingdom to the brink of destruction, ultimately lost his life to them.

The worst enemy was right before them.

Rudmila wielded the imperial sword, while Zebrinne grasped the scepter of the Black Night, confronting the Mercenary King.

* * *

Who are you?

At Edanant’s question, a woman with flowing white hair smiled brightly.

“Who am I? How mischievous of you, Edan. Surely you haven’t forgotten me?”

Her face, as white as porcelain, and her soft voice unmistakably belonged to Beatrice.

Though tainted by the essence of death, the divine presence of the Earth Mother flowing through her body confirmed that the woman before him was indeed Beatrice.

However,

Something was different.

This was not Beatrice, nor was it the essence of death; it was an alien presence.

The terror of dissonance pierced through his heart like a sharp needle.

Accepting the denial that his instincts urged him to acknowledge, Edanant immediately manifested the essence of war. Countless muskets unfolded, targeting the monster that had seized Beatrice’s body.

“No… you are not Beatrice.”

“Why do you deny me? The woman you loved for the first time… why do you treat me so coldly?”

It was a question that could only come from Beatrice.

Yet still, Edanant could not shake his doubts.

“How dare you deceive anyone?”

He drew his pistol from Holsther.

At the same time, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet flying toward the woman with flowing white hair.

“……!”

The air, as if even the soul were frozen, settled down even colder.

The bullet of the cursed attack fell to the ground, frozen solid.

“You’re not Beatrice, after all. Who exactly are you to impersonate Beatrice? I wish you would reveal your true identity soon. You’re neither the saint of the One God nor the cursed death, but a mere aberration.”

Aberration.

At the contemptuous title from Edanant, the monster disguised as Beatrice twisted its beautiful face.

“I am Beatrice…! I am Beatrice!! The Beatrice you loved, the Beatrice who was loved by all!!”

A scream filled with madness erupted.

In response to such fury, the icy winds of the cursed attack swirled and swept through the interior of the Demon Lord’s castle.

Crackling—.

The flags of the Demon Lord that adorned the castle flew away.

Even the decorations and furniture were swept up in the whirlwind, shattering into pieces.

“Edanant! Edanant, Edanant!! Edanant──!!”

“…This is dangerous.”

It was like setting fire to a powder keg.

From the sight of the monster, clutching its head and endlessly screaming, a profoundly twisted hatred was palpable.

‘Damn it, if I had known this would happen, I should have unleashed my full power from the start…! To make such a foolish mistake at the most critical moment, one that even the Ruinous wouldn’t commit.’

I might have been wrong.

There was also the possibility that Beatrice had been tainted by the influence of the cursed attack.

In the face of impending conflict, I had harbored doubts about myself and did not mobilize the muskets. I even aimed for the shoulder instead of the head, worried that Beatrice might get hurt.

The result of distrust was fatal.

As I watched the rampaging monster, roaring while engulfed in a blizzard, I clicked my tongue.

“…I will kill you.”

The cold intent to kill resonated softly.

The overwhelming noise that erupted from the whirlwind created a dizzying situation, but the monster’s chilling warning pierced through my mind like an arrow.

“If you deny me, Edanant… I won’t even need you. I will kill you too.”

“Stop your nonsense and hand over Beatrice. What I want is not you.”

It was neither a trick nor a lie.

The monster before my eyes genuinely believed it was Beatrice.

Delusion. Hallucination.

It was a typical symptom of an imperfect mental entity.

I frowned at the monster that displayed pure murderous intent.