CHAPTER 096
“It can't be!”
Beryl clenched his fists and sprang up from the grass.
Unable to calm his angry heart, he even stomped his feet.
The elf, who had tried hard not to show his childish side in front of his master, was now seething with rage like a seven-year-old child.
Esperal, the elf responsible for the barrier, and his disciple Beryl were sitting on the grassy field where Arabelle was asleep, overlooking the underworld.
Esperal, who normally did not involve himself in the affairs of the human world or the mythical life world, made an exception this time.
Not only was it a matter of rescuing his disciple Arabelle, but it was also a matter of survival for both the human world and the mythical life world.
Esperal broke his own strict rule and was “spying” on the underworld.
Within the circle drawn by his staff, the odyssey of Emperor Maxwell passing through the nine gates of the underworld to find Arabelle unfolded.
The emperor's adventure through the nine gates was so thrilling that Beryl and the dozens of elves who had gathered forgot the seriousness of the matter.
The elves gasped in unison when Caligo's foreleg was bitten off, and they cheered when the emperor mercilessly cut down the Hellbound’s throats.
Whenever the emperor's clothes were torn layer by layer, revealing his angry muscles, the elves held their breath and leaned forward towards the circle.
Esperal gave up trying to scold the elves, who were now placing bets and watching with rapt attention as if they were spectating a fight.
He realized he was holding his breath and watching intently himself each time the emperor passed through another gate.
On the opposite side of the Aether River stood ancient gods, nymphs, and centaurs (with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse), among other mythical creatures.
They were standing on tiptoe and craning their necks forward to see the scene within the circle.
Unlike the elves, who could freely cross the barrier, they grumbled about their inability to cross the river and demanded that Esperal turn the circle towards them.
“The emperor has defeated all the monsters at the nine gates. This is cheating.”
“That's right. The Demon King Obeseuth broke the pact with the gods. We must protest.”
Other elves, besides Beryl, shuddered with anger.
Honestly, the elves, who protected nature and animals, did not like Emperor Maxwell of the Heltered Empire.
Although Emperor Maxwell had led the empire to its golden age, it was at the cost of damaged and destroyed nature.
The development policies of the capital and satellite cities had transformed and erased the surrounding mountains and forests.
Especially to design the interior of the city for efficient governance and utility in wartime, he uprooted inconvenient trees and flowers and filled lakes and ponds with soil.
That was why Arabelle had been puzzled when she first saw the streets of the capital, devoid of trees and flowers.
In the eyes of the elves, the emperor who had regulated even the planting of roadside flowers through the administration could not be seen favorably.
When Arabelle sacrificed herself to lift the emperor's curse, both the elves and the mythical lifeforms sighed in exasperation.
To them, who had dealt with humans for thousands of years, there was no more selfish and ungrateful creature than humans.
Emperor Maxwell believed he was the best and most superior under heaven and earth.
There was no one he wouldn't use to achieve his goals.
The emperor was devoid of the emotion called love.
When he claimed to love Arabelle, the elves had scoffed.
The elves believed Maxwell was merely deluding himself about his feelings for Arabelle.
Arabelle was the only key to breaking his curse.
Once the curse was lifted, the emperor's heart would close again.
To conquer the world under the sky, one must not have any weaknesses.
So when the emperor held the unconscious Arabelle without shedding a single tear, the elves prided themselves on being right.
Arabelle's usefulness had ended.
The emperor would soon return to his solitary life as the supreme ruler after a brief period of mourning.
Yet, the emperor descended into the underworld without hesitation.
The gate to the underworld, which had never opened since the Aether River's barrier was created, opened.
In the ancient mythology of thousands of years, only one hero had returned from the underworld.
A chieftain named Jeronance had descended into the underworld for his son, who was killed by the gods and succeeded in bringing him back.
However, he returned missing one eye, his tongue, and an arm, and soon had to return to the underworld with his son because his son had eaten the fruit of the underworld.
Descending into the underworld meant not returning alive.
Despite knowing all this, the emperor walked into the gate of the underworld.
The elves lamented when Caligo, injured, became a burden rather than a help.
They had expected the emperor to abandon the white panther.
However, the emperor carried Caligo on his shoulder and passed through the gate with his wounded body.
Both the elves and the mythical creatures across the river found themselves cheering and supporting the emperor each time he emerged from the gate.
“We must officially protest. This is a clear violation of the rules.”
As Beryl spoke, panting with anger, Esperal shook his head once left and right.
"Obeseuth did not break the promise. The monsters guarding the nine rooms are under her authority. It is up to her to decide which monsters to use against the emperor."
"This is too unfair and cowardly. How could she be so cruel?"
The pink-haired elf sitting next to Beryl burst into tears.
"Can't we object to changing Arabelle's appearance? As far as I remember, the demon king cannot arbitrarily change the appearance of the monsters guarding the gates or augment their powers. If that were allowed, the trials to pass through the gates would be completely unfair."
An older-looking elf asked Esperal, who shook his head again.
"To be precise... Arabelle's appearance in the underworld is just light. Her body is here. The demon king can freely transform her appearance because she holds the light of Arabelle's soul in her hands."
At Esperal's response, everyone fell silent, looking at the emperor and Arabelle in the circle with sorrowful eyes.
The emperor's sharp sword was pointed at Arabelle, trapped in the form of a grotesque monster.
***
"Arabelle... Arabelle is not a monster!"
Ermire's horrified voice scattered below without reaching the rock above.
Every time the princess shouted towards the emperor, a fierce wind swallowed her voice.
It was Obeseuth's doing.
Ermire tried to get up, but her weakened legs wouldn't move.
"What do you mean, Princess?"
Caligo, who had supported her back when she fell, asked.
Ermire looked at Caligo with wide eyes.
"The leopard is talking...? I thought I could no longer speak with animals."
Caligo's heart ached at Ermire's surprised expression as if seeing him for the first time.
The princess had lost all her memories except for the one she loved.
Caligo's glassy eyes shimmered with moisture.
A small hand was placed on Caligo's back, unable to speak due to the lump in his throat.
"You are with him, right? Help him. The monster he is pointing his sword at is not a monster but a human. A kind and beautiful girl named Arabelle."
Caligo, shaken by Ermire's urgent voice, looked up at the rock and spoke.
"Arabelle is right there beside the monster. Don't worry. The emperor will surely defeat the monster and save Arabelle."
"No, no!"
Ermire shook her head and shouted.
"The real Arabelle is inside the monster. That Arabelle over there is a fake. Another girl is inside. Can't you see?"
Caligo's eyes widened at Ermire's words, looking up at the emperor, Arabelle, and the monster on the rock.
He couldn't see anything Ermire described.
He could only see Arabelle, held by the grotesque monster with snakes for hair, and the emperor glaring at the monster, aiming his sword.
Caligo, speechless and confused, looked at Ermire, struggling to stand.
Wondering if the princess was hallucinating due to Obeseuth's tricks.
"It seems my cries can't reach him. I must go and tell him."
In Caligo's eyes, Princess Ermire looked weak and almost devoid of light.
She seemed too frail to walk to the rock, let alone climb it.
Caligo hobbled on his front legs and blocked Ermire's path.
He stretched out his front legs and bent his hind legs, lowering his back.
"Please, ride on my back. I will take you."
"It's alright. Your legs seem badly injured."
"I can climb the rock just fine. It would be better if you spoke to him. I still don't understand what is happening..."
When Caligo shook his head, Ermire knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his front leg, as if remembering something.
"I can't fully heal you due to time constraints, but I can ease your pain a bit."
Caligo flinched at the cool touch of her hands.
Yet, feeling Ermire's touch, which he had longed for, made his eyes tremble.
Even if it was an illusion created by Obeseuth, it didn't matter.
"Strange... the wounds aren't healing at all... what should I do..."
Seeing that her healing power had no effect on Caligo, unlike other animals, Ermire was flustered and at a loss.
"I'm really fine. We don't have much time, so please get on my back. Heal me once we get there."
Caligo spoke in a halting voice, as his throat was blocked with emotion.
The white leopard knew Ermire could not heal his wounds. He was still a living creature despite being a monster.
The princess no longer had the power to heal life from the human world.
The animals she healed here were fueled by Obeseuth's energy.
Thus, Obeseuth absorbed the princess's light and distributed it to the monsters.
"Then please, take me."
Ermire climbed onto Caligo's back, and he slowly stood up on his legs.
Even knowing her appearance, warmth, and touch were fake...
I am filled with joy to serve the princess in this moment.
Caligo climbed the rock with all his might.
"Kiaaaaa!"
Suddenly, the terrifying scream of the monster pierced their ears from above.
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