A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 88



Only Noblemtl

Episode 088. Unexpected Boat Ride

* * *

Squeak… … Squeak… … .

A small boat that looked like it might leak water at any moment was moving through the dark fog.

The moon had not yet risen, so the only source of light was a beam of light from the dagger.

The boat moved forward with a rippling sound every time the oars were rowed.

It was impossible to tell where we were headed because of the thick fog that surrounded us on all sides.

It was barely possible to recognize the faces of those on the same ship as us prisoners.

The fog soaked in darkness swayed as if it had a shape.

It was still chilly when the sun rose, but it got quite chilly at night.

As I repeatedly swept my forearm, Linda saw it and asked.

“Devil, are you cold?”

“little.”

“Should I hug you?”

“go away.”

“Ugh… … .”

Curtis asked, pulling a small water bottle out of his bosom.

“Would you like a sip?”

“What is this?”

“If you take a sip, you will feel a little feverish.”

“Oh.”

Curtis’s description made it easy to guess what was inside.

I gladly accepted his hospitality.

“Sir Curtis. He is thorough. He has no flaws. He is truly a knight among knights. He is the epitome of the Knights of Starvanger. He has a painful history of being kidnapped by the madman Linda, but what does that matter? He must have learned something from that, so he has grown a lot. A knight who knows not only honor but also other things. That is Sir Curtis.”

“You are too kind.”

I opened the small, flat, rectangular bottle Curtis had handed me and sniffed at its fragrance.

“hmm.”

He was quite a strong guy.

I took a sip of the liquor and handed it back to Curtis.

It felt like a hot furnace was going down my esophagus.

“nice……!”

“How are you?”

“I feel hot all over my body. It’s a little chilly, so let’s all have a sip.”

Curtis also poured drinks for Walpole and Schneider, who were rowing.

After drinking a sip of the encouraging drink from the vice-captain, the two knights rowed even more enthusiastically.

Curtis also offered it to Shushuruta, but Shushuruta refused.

Alcohol impairs memory or something.

Curtis paused for a moment, then offered the canteen to Linda as well.

“… … Would you like a sip?”

“Yeah! Thank you!”

Linda accepted it without hesitation.

He took a sip of the drink Curtis offered him and frowned.

“Ugh. It tastes bad.”

What a strange guy.

Even poison that tastes as bad as dog poison tastes good.

Curtis, who saw that, smiled slightly and quietly poured the returned drink.

Squeak… … Squeak… … .

It was quiet.

The creaking sound of old boats and the sound of water splashing.

Other than that, no other sound was heard.

The whole world was plunged into an eerie silence.

It was as if the fog had swallowed up all the noise in the world.

After being deprived of the noise, I realized anew how colorful it was.

We moved forward, shrouded in fog and silence.

How much further do we have to go?

As the alcohol gradually took effect, a warm feeling spread throughout my body.

The seemingly gloomy, dark fog that filled all directions also felt quite romantic.

I suddenly felt like reciting a poem.

Could it be because I was drunk? Maybe not. What does it matter? I’m a self-willed man.

I spoke to Shushuruta, who was holding a dagger and shining a light on the bow.

“Hey, Shushuruta.”

“Something.”

“Shall I recite a poem?”

“no.”

“When I was young, I was called the poet of the back alleys.”

“The poet will freeze to death.”

The more I hear this, the stranger it gets.

Who is it that you are influenced by?

“Poetry is a talent. Listen carefully.”

“… … If that’s the case, why did you ask?”

Shushuruta grumbled, but I was still excited and recited the poem.

My heart is a lake.

Oh, you are so kind.

If you don’t come, I will smash your boat to pieces.

“… … .”

“how is it.”

“Ashvan.”

“huh.”

“Your talent seems to be focused on fighting.”

I looked at three articles.

“And you knights?”

“Ahem.”

“Ahem.”

The three knights avoided my gaze and stared intently into the empty fog.

“Master?”

[Haam… … . What did you say?]

“… … .”

Only the crazy Linda gave him any compliments.

“Wow! Devil! This is so touching! I’m almost in tears.”

“okay?”

“Yeah! Can I bite your ear?”

“no.”

At that moment, a rumbling sound was heard from the side, and something hit the boat gently.

Schneider shouted, his eyes glaring intently into the darkness.

“I want another one!”

Sling-

As the three knights drew their swords and tried to stand up at the same time, the boat began to shake violently as if it was going to capsize, and they had to quickly lower their stances.

Shushuruta calmed them down.

“Calm down! It’s just a drifting ship.”

“… … A drifting ship?”

As the three knights stood guard with their swords drawn, there was no response from the ship that suddenly appeared from the side.

The three knights quickly exchanged glances.

As Curtis and Walpole stood ready with their swords drawn, ready to launch, Schneider carefully turned the bow of the strange ship with his oars.

Shushuruta suddenly approached and shone the light of his dagger.

Then, we were able to confirm the identity of the guy who had fearlessly crashed into our ship.

“It’s a skeleton?”

There was a literal skeleton sitting on a small wooden boat.

I couldn’t guess how old it was.

Shushuruta said as she returned to her seat. Even though she jumped around on the boat, the boat did not rock at all.

“This lake is engulfed in an unknown magic. Is this strangely thick fog normal? Without the dagger, we too will be swallowed up by this lake and will wander around the same place forever. Look at this.”

As he said that, Shushuruta took out a compass and threw it at me.

The compass was spinning around, losing its bearings.

The knights also gasped at the sight of the spinning compass.

“There is a long way to go. Hurry up and row.”

We pushed away the fearless skeletons that had attacked us with our oars and headed back towards the beam of light.

Shushuruta explained.

“According to Hans, there are three trials on the way to the legacy of Oposis.”

Since we had nothing to do anyway, we quietly listened to Shushuruta’s explanation.

“The first ordeal is the ordeal of getting here. Avoid the demons who are after the dagger, find out the code related to the dagger, and get here.”

“hmm.”

When I think about it, I think that might have been the most difficult ordeal.

Literally all kinds of devils came rushing in.

Come to think of it, the only people who didn’t covet the dagger were Bok-sil and Linda.

When I looked at Linda with new eyes, Linda stared at me intently.

“Can I bite your ear?”

“No. What’s the second one?”

Shushuruta continued.

“The second trial is the trial of the foggy lake. It is a trial that only those with the dagger can pass. If you enter the lake without the dagger’s guiding light, you will be stuck wandering here for the rest of your life.”

I looked at the skeleton that had disappeared into the thick fog and asked.

“The third one?”

“He is the guardian of the legacy.”

“tutelar?”

“When you reach the island in the middle of the lake, there is a passage leading to the Tomb of Ophiosis. It is said that a guardian is guarding in front of it.”

Guardian.

How long has it been since Ophiuchus died?

I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s been at least 40 to 50 years.

And yet you keep protecting it?

He doesn’t seem like an ordinary guardian.

“The third and final ordeal is one that only those who have fully inherited the will of Ophiuchus can pass. Ophiuchus usually liked riddles and often gave riddles to his disciples. Thanks to this, his disciples, whether they liked it or not, are said to have memorized them on their own.”

“hmm.”

“The Guardian gives those who enter the island a riddle made by Oposus, and if they can’t answer it, he eats them.”

“… … ? You’re going to eat it?”

The knights also looked at Shushuruta with bewildered faces.

“It’s called a Sphinx. It’s said to have the body of a lioness, the head of a human woman, the wings of a bird, and the tail of a snake.”

[Devil?]

Cheonma, who had been yawning at the word “Masoo,” responded.

I was surprised and asked.

“What? Why is a demon here all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know about that. I think it’s probably something that has been living in the lake for a long time.”

I summarized her words.

“So, that demon poses a riddle. If you can’t solve it, it eats you?”

“Yes.”

The expressions of the knights, including me, turned serious.

‘That means… a demon that can speak human language… … .’

The stronger the demon, the smarter and more clever it becomes. Its rank also goes up accordingly.

A demon that can speak human language. Such demons are extremely rare. It means that they are quite strong and smart.

‘That means there’s a high probability that it’s an S-class demon.’

Cheonma muttered as if he found it interesting.

[Hoo… … It’s a S-class demon. Is it any different from the lowly stray dog ​​I saw last time?]

“That’s because it was a D-class.”

What is a S-class demon?

They are terrifying monsters that are not a natural disaster.

The demons are divided into grades from S to F, and if we roughly compare them to the mercenary grades, they are as follows.

Silver rank refers to someone who can defeat a C rank beast alone. Several Silver ranks can fight a B rank beast together.

Gold rank refers to someone who can defeat a B-rank demon alone. Likewise, multiple Gold ranks can fight an A-rank demon.

And then there’s the platinum level… … .

From here on out, it’s a world of monsters.

Platinum rank refers to someone who can defeat an A-rank demon single-handedly. They can fight an S-rank demon with several people.

There is one more level above platinum, but that’s not important right now, so let’s skip it.

In short, an S-class demon is a monster among monsters that can only be dealt with by several platinum-class demons.

A B-class demon can burn down a village, and an A-class demon can destroy a city.

It’s not a very strict standard, but that’s roughly how the grades are divided.

S-class demons are… … known to have the power to destroy a country.

If I had to compare, I think it would be in a similar position to the Palgeomju.

So, he is the Eight Sword Master of the Demon Realm.

Cheonma asked a question.

[Isn’t that an exaggeration? I don’t know about villages, but destroying cities and countries?]

“I told you that it wasn’t a very strict standard.”

I don’t know the details either.

I’ve only seen a few A-class demons, let alone an S-class one.

I’ve only heard rumors.

S-class demons are almost like legendary monsters from fairy tales.

I heard that these guys are smart and don’t kill blindly like other demons.

Occasionally, there are legends that are hard to believe, such as stories of people being helped or saved from other demons.

[For example?]

For example, it is like this.

A man was being chased by demons and reached a dead end.

I closed my eyes tightly, thinking, ‘Ah, this is the end,’ but then I heard a low whistle and a mysterious animal I had never seen before suddenly appeared and blocked my path.

The demons who saw the unidentified animal fled in fear, while the man was wondering if this was a dream or reality.

The thing that chased away the demons simply glanced at the man and disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

[Hoo… … .]

Of course, there is also the opposite story.

One late night, a merchant who hired mercenaries was passing through the mountains carrying his goods.

A terrible cry was heard from somewhere, and then a long-necked demon appeared, tearing everyone to pieces in the blink of an eye.

Somehow, somehow, the merchant managed to escape.

As I was running away like that, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze and looked back.

He said that in the distance, between the trees, a long head was sticking out, staring at him intently.

[Oh… … .]

If you think about it, the dead don’t speak. Stories belong to the living.

There must have been more horrible things. No, that would have been the majority. It’s just that there was no time to tell the story.

So, nothing is certain about the S-class demons, and they are all just rumors.

But why on earth would such a monster be living on an island in the middle of a lake?

When I thought about it that way, I wondered if this unusually thick fog was also part of the devil’s ability.

Shushuruta spoke in a light tone, as if reassuring us.

“But don’t worry. I’ve memorized all the questions and answers.”

“really?”

Shushuruta nodded confidently.

“Yes. Hans told me. I memorized all 101 questions and answers from the Sphinx. Just trust me.”

We exchanged glances, and nodded, not really having anything to say.

Even if a S-class demon suddenly appears, the things that need to be done don’t change.

Are you planning on going back after coming all this way? That can’t be happening.

When Shushuruta speaks so confidently, I have no choice but to believe him.

The ship slowly advanced through the fog and the waves.

“… … .”

I was lost in thought, listening to the sound of the water rippling.

A demon who can speak. When I hear that, a guy comes to mind.

The guy seemed like he’d be napping in the sunny window of our dorm whether I left or not.

Something disgusting. Something bad.

Worrying won’t change anything.

He who enjoys every moment is the winner of life.

As I became stronger, I also became more relaxed. I never thought I would be this big of a man.

My stomach was too rocking to eat breakfast, so I decided to enjoy the boat ride while reciting poetry. I was in a good mood.

I also snatched a few more sips of Sir Curtis’s drink.

“My heart is a lake. Come and fly with your black spirit.”

“… … .”

With no one to accept it, my poem blended in with the fog over the lake.

Cheonma also yawned repeatedly as if he was bored, and Linda was already fast asleep with her head resting on my shoulder.

How far have we progressed?

The fog seemed to be gradually clearing, and we finally reached land.

I pulled the raft up onto the land to keep it from drifting away, then followed the light of the dagger.

A dark fog still surrounded us, but it was not as thick as on the lake.

I looked up at the sky and saw a hazy moon shining through the fog.

The fog was so thick over the lake that it seemed impossible to see anything.

The inspectors, including me, walked forward, looking around with one hand on the hilt of our swords.

For a while, they walked with Shushuruta leading the way with a dagger in hand.

At one moment, the fog completely cleared and a large demon appeared before my eyes.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, human.”

The guy greeted us while lying face down, and even in that position he was large enough to look down at us.

As Shushuruta described, it had a human face, a lioness’s torso, bird’s wings, and a snake’s tail.

I felt like it was fairly evenly mixed.

They say that demons are originally self-centered, but this is the first time I’ve seen something like this.

It was still interesting even though I had heard the explanation in advance.

[It really is a beast talking like a human.]

The horse kept exclaiming in wonder as if it was a miracle. It was as if he was seeing an animal for the first time, with a natural attitude.

The sphinx with a human face spoke.

“Have you come in search of the legacy of Oposis?”

The demon’s voice was so loud that it seemed as if the island itself was resonating.

Shushuruta met my eyes, then took a step forward and answered.

“Yes.”

The Sphinx stared intently at Shushuruta, who answered confidently.

“The dagger of Oposis. Has the time finally come?”

The Sphinx grinned and shook its snake tail.

“You know the deal. I’ll ask you a riddle, and you’ll answer it. If you answer it correctly, I’ll get out of the way, as per the oath. If you don’t, I’ll eat you.”

Shushuruta nodded.

The Sphinx licked her lips with her tongue, tasting them, then smiled meaningfully.

And then, out of the blue, he asked a riddle.

“Who is he who has one voice, but walks first on two legs, then on four, and finally on three?”

We all looked at the back of Shushuruta’s head.

But Shushuruta did not answer right away.

The back of her round head suddenly froze and did not move, as if she had become a statue.

‘What? Why aren’t you answering?’

As I was looking at Shushuruta with that thought in mind, Shushuruta turned her head and looked at me.

She was crying.

“Ashvan… … .”

“What? Why? I thought you memorized it all.”

“It’s a new question.”

“… … !”