I Became a Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 49



48 – Gabi Merchant Guild (3)

‘Childhood’, and ‘the same curse’. Kriel was once again convinced that the hero had intervened in the Gabi family’s tragedy.

‘The members of the three heroes who defeated Valor were a wizard, a warrior, and an archer.’

Mazhar Gabi had survived despite being cursed. In other words, the hero at that time must have somehow lifted the curse placed on Mazhar. If so.

“Was the hero you met a wizard?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you try the method the hero used to lift the curse on your father?”

“Strictly speaking, I am already trying that method.”

Kriel was filled with questions. Was he saying that despite trying the curse-lifting method found by the hero, Tushkin Gabi’s curse had not been lifted?

If so, it meant that there was virtually no way to lift Tushkin Gabi’s curse. The only remaining option was to find and kill the person who cast the curse, hoping that the curse would be lifted with their death.

“If things have reached that point, it seems meaningless to mobilize the Abyssal Prevention Society.”

“…Strictly speaking, the help the hero gave me was also a symptomatic treatment. He could not find the exact method to lift the curse.”

Mazhar Gabi spoke about his experience with the curse. On the day the hero cast the healing spell, his condition improved, but the next day, the boils would reappear, and he would be on the brink of death with a fever.

“The hero healed me with consistent patience. After about a month, I woke up and realized that I no longer felt pain when I breathed.”

Kriel frowned. If the Abyssal Seed was indeed involved in the Gabi family’s downfall, it meant that the hero had outlasted the Abyssal Seed in a battle of patience. It was a story of using healing magic persistently until the Abyssal Seed stopped cursing.

Mazhar Gabi was also keeping Tushkin alive with the healing magic of a hired wizard and various elixirs.

“So, how long has your father been ill?”

“…It has been well over a year. I have used every possible means to restore his vitality, but he has not been able to get up. My siblings are only interested in taking over the Gabi Merchant Guild in his absence.”

Kriel nodded. He smelled the scent of the Abyss.

“Have you ever told your family that this is a curse?”

“How could I not have hope in my family? I have repeatedly insisted that this is an Abyssal trap and that we must overcome it together, but I was utterly ignored. They only laughed at me, saying it was absurd to talk about the Abyss now that the Demon King has been dead for years.”

Listening to the story, it was clear that the Abyssal Seed, which had failed to bring down the Gabi family in the past, had returned.

The problem was.

‘Why have you returned only now?’

Kriel thought of the sword hanging on his right hip. The seven demon swords, which had been missing for a long time, began to stir again, and the fall of the Gabi family, which should have been accomplished during the Demon King War, was attempted once more.

Kriel scratched his head. Such troublesome stories were not his specialty.

Fortunately, he had good friends.

“Mazar Gabi. As a knight, I intend to help you.”

“Hmm?”

“Morgina, who fought me in the trial by combat, is the saint of Eve Kaha, and I am the great warrior of Eve Kaha. All the pantheons gathered under the radiance of the six providences regard the abyss as their lifelong enemy. If Morgina hears your story, she will join the fight as well.”

Kriel did not know much about troublesome stories, but he had confidence that if he got close to the abyss, he could find and destroy it.

And Morgina was a saint. Although Eve Kaha was more famous for destruction than healing, as a saint, she could approach Tushkin Gabi under the pretext of examining a patient.

‘If I get close to the cursed person, something will come out.’

Kriel alone might not be enough, but with Morgina, they could easily find one or two pieces of evidence of the abyss’s involvement.

“I will return after talking with the party. Other employees of the Gabi merchant group are also in the temple infirmary, so if you can move, you should talk to them.”

Kriel stood up and tried to walk out without hesitation. As Morgina herself said in the trial by combat, Kriel owed her as much as his armor.

It pricked his conscience to ask for help without giving anything in return. It wasn’t that it violated chivalry, but it felt awkward to rely on a friend without giving anything back.

He was about to go to the duchy bakery to buy some snacks that Morgina would like.

“Wait.”

“Hmm?”

“…So, you’re saying you’ll help me? For free?”

“Oh. I forgot to mention that.”

Kriel nodded.

“My fee is just one coin, but Morgina’s fee should be decided through direct consultation. As far as I know, Morgina is not one to care much about fees, but you never know.”

Then he turned and left.

*

“Hey, Kriel──!!”

Morgina forced open the door that had been locked. It didn’t mean she destroyed it. Since she was a saint, she had an obligation not to undermine the prestige of the Eve Kaha sect.

She applied Eve Kaha’s unique holy technique, blood manipulation. Instead of solidifying blood into the shape of a weapon, she inserted it in liquid form into the lock to unlock it.

Although the momentum of opening the door was quite fierce, the secret to the lock remaining undamaged lay here.

Morgina, who had almost burst through the door, looked around. Kriel was not there.

“Huh?”

“Damn it, who──”

A wizard with long pink hair trailing behind crawled out from beyond the room. It was Armed Ket, currently engaged to Kriel.

“…Ah, it’s the Saint of Eve Kaha. What brings you here?”

“I believe I should be asking that. I came to retrieve the energy of the sword I bestowed upon Sir Kriel. But where is he?”

‘Oh, shh.’

Orisin, who was inspecting the blade meticulously, clicked his tongue. No popcorn for such an entertaining moment.

Even if there was, it would be a hassle to eat it, but still, it was a shame. After all, the most entertaining spectacle is a fight. Especially when it’s a lovers’ quarrel.

Both of them seemed to have feelings for Kriel, but neither would explicitly say so due to their temperaments. However, Orisin could roughly sense the shape of their feelings seeping out.

‘If Kriel doesn’t show up, they’ll bicker a bit and then go their separate ways. But if Kriel does show up─’

The fight would either fizzle out or ignite into a full-blown blaze.

For the sake of entertainment, Orisin hoped for the latter, but he had experienced the tempers of both Morgina and Armed fairly.

‘Hmm. This could be dangerous?’

Orisin suddenly felt a wave of anxiety.

“Morgina?”

A familiar voice calling the gangster saint. Orisin sighed inwardly.

‘Oh, dear.’

“What is it, Kriel? Where have you been?”

“Kriel went to meet Mazar Gabi.”

Before Kriel could answer, Armed cut in. A peculiar smile played on her lips.

“Hmm…. Why. Did it seem like the abyss had visited his house?”

“Exactly.”

“What?”

Both of them were taken aback. Kriel shrugged.

“Seems like no one has heard yet. Mazar Gabi was almost assassinated just now. The building of the Gabi trading company was nearly burned down. I managed to get there in time to save him.”

“What about the people? Are there any who need the miracle of healing?”

“I left them at the nearby temple. Everyone is stable except for the deceased.”

Morgina held her head. Anger at the abyss, and disappointment in herself. If she had been there, she could have saved at least one more person.

Kriel naturally patted Morgina’s shoulder.

“The outcome wouldn’t have changed with your presence. Everyone except those who died instantly in the initial explosion was saved.”

It was a chronic issue among priests. They always blamed themselves for deaths related to the abyss. While all priests shared this tendency to some extent, it was particularly strong in Morgina.

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Kriel removed the hand that had been tapping his shoulder and continued speaking.

“It seems Tushkin Gabi has been cursed by the Abyss. Can you help?”

“My grandmother originally sent me here to find the Abyss. Of course, I have to go catch it.”

The conversation ended in an instant. Armed hadn’t even processed the news that Mazar Gabi had been attacked.

“Armed. I’m sorry, but─”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?”

“Gabi is my business partner. I can’t just stand by when the boss there has collapsed.”

Kriel, who had been contemplating, nodded. The perspectives of a wizard and a priest are similar yet different. They could complement each other’s viewpoints.

“I have something important to tell both of you.”

Morgina, with her arms crossed, and Armed, who had paused packing his staff, looked back at Kriel.

“The reward must be discussed with Mazar Gabi.”

[…You idiot!]

Suddenly, the flat of a horned sword struck the back of Kriel’s head.