A Stuffed Cheonma in my Head - Chapter 89



Only Noblemtl

Episode 089. The unexpected answer

* * *

Did I hear that correctly?

That’s a new question.

A new question that doesn’t fit into the 101 that Hans told us about.

This is the 102nd riddle.

What does that mean? It means that you don’t know the answer.

What does it mean to not know the answer? It means you’re about to get eaten by that damn S-class demon.

Is this what you mean, Bang Gun-ga?

The Sphinx licked her lips and muttered.

“It’s been so long since I’ve tasted human. Human. You don’t know how delicious you are.”

He then smiled with his teeth exposed, the corners of his mouth splitting almost all the way to his ears.

It was a smile that could not be said to be pleasant even if it was a lie.

Sling-

The knights who saw that terrible smile reflexively drew their swords.

The Sphinx’s eerie smile deepened.

“You don’t plan on keeping your promise? Alright. Hunting is fun too.”

The Sphinx rose from her seat.

“I am the guardian of the oath. I will receive the price from now on.”

Kwung―

The devil’s characteristically vicious and murderous aura spread out in a circle throughout the area.

A red aura swirled around him like a mist.

It must be the bastard’s powerful mana that took shape on its own.

I couldn’t breathe because of the pressure that seemed to be pressing down on my whole body.

A suffocating silence enveloped the area.

Reactions to it varied.

The knights knelt on one knee, looking as if they were about to suffocate.

Only Curtis tried to raise his mana to counter him, but the tip of his sword shook mercilessly.

Linda took a step back, looking frightened.

Shushuruta still stood there blankly, looking at me with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

“Ashvan… … .”

The only one smiling was Cheonma.

[Story… … .]

Cheonma was smiling with interest in my mind.

It was as if he was watching the dog next door, Minky, show off his skills.

Perhaps influenced by the attitude of the Heavenly Demon, the fear retreated far away.

I instinctively raised my energy to counter the demonic energy, then shouted in a voice mixed with internal energy.

“for a moment!”

My booming voice broke the silence brought about by the demon.

The sphinx looked at me.

He opened his eyes wide as if slightly surprised, then lowered his head toward me as if to look at me more closely.

“… … What a strange man. I can’t feel any aura from him. And yet he’s opposing my will to live.”

I screamed.

“Shut up, you ugly bastard. Are you really not going to keep your promise?”

The Sphinx tilted its head.

“What does that mean?”

“You haven’t answered yet. You’re trying to scare me and take away my chance to answer even though I haven’t answered, you shameless idiot! You’re not the only one with a brain! You’re incredibly clever.”

“Hahahaha… … .”

The Sphinx laughed loudly.

The whole island seemed to shake.

“You’re being tricky.”

thud!

Then he lay down again and gathered his strength.

“Do as you wish. You can’t leave this island without my permission anyway. I’ll give you plenty of time to think.”

The Sphinx looked at me as if she was enjoying the life that she had.

I had a brief staring contest with the Sphinx.

“omg.”

Schneider and Walpole slumped for a moment, as if their legs had given out, but then quickly got up.

Linda hiccupped and hid behind me.

Sir Curtis staggered toward me.

“… … Demon Lord. What the heck… … .”

I met eyes with Shushuruta, who was looking at me with a face that looked like it was about to burst into tears.

“Ah, Ashvan. There was no such riddle among the riddles Hans told. Really. It’s not that I forgot… … .”

“Okay, then give me the dagger.”

“Why the dagger… … .”

“Hurry up.”

At my urging, Shushuruta approached and handed me a dagger.

I took the dagger and stepped forward, saying:

“Get back. You’re going to get in the way.”

Shushuruta, who realized my intentions, opened his eyes wide.

“Ashvan! Are you planning on fighting?”

The knights looked at me with astonishment.

I answered nonchalantly.

“There’s no other way.”

That guy is the owner of this lake.

That guy is also the owner of the abnormally dense fog.

It was that guy who made us keep going around in the same place and not let us leave the lake.

My guess is that it probably uses the fog to suck the life out of those who enter the lake.

So, the person I saw earlier is now just a skeleton.

You can’t get the sword or leave the island unless you kill that guy.

Frontal assault.

No matter how much I think about it, this is the only way.

I can’t be stuck here forever.

I am a body that has a place to return to.

Honestly… I think I can handle a B-class demon. I’m confident that I can beat up an A-class demon somehow.

But it’s S-class?

This is totally out of the norm.

It is a monster that rivals the Knight of the Cold.

But… what can I do about the situation that can’t be helped? Right?

Thump. Thump.

I think I became weird after falling off the cliff. I was already weird, but I think I became even more twisted.

Why does this damn heart get excited in times of crisis like this? Why does it rejoice? Why does it feel glad?

I guess I’m crazy.

“Hehehe.”

A smile appeared on my lips, perhaps because my heart was pounding or something.

The knights who saw it flinched and took a few steps back.

Curtis swallowed hard and stood next to me as he spoke.

“Your Majesty, I may not be able to help, but I will. If you put your life on the line, I can at least create a small opening.”

Shushurutado stood next to me and said.

“I, I’ll help too. I’ll get your attention. You can attack during that gap.”

Linda, who was hiding behind me, also grabbed the hem of my clothes.

“Devil! It’s scary, but… I’ll help you too. How about putting some poison on the sword?”

Walpole and Schneider joined later.

“Vice-captain. Let’s go together.”

“That gap. Let’s widen it a little bit.”

The Sphinx looked down at us with an expression of interest.

“Are you planning on being a jerk? That’s not a bad thing.”

But I said with a frown. I’m not playing the hero.

“I told you to step down.”

“Ha, but.”

“Devil!”

I glared at the guys as if I was going to kill them.

“Get out because you’re bothering me. Do you want to start looking after yourselves right now?”

“Uh… … .”

As he said that, raising his dagger, the guys backed away in confusion.

“Don’t interfere with my fight.”

“… … .”

Half of what I said was out of genuine anger.

“Just sit back and watch quietly.”

Sling-

I walked towards the Sphinx with my sword drawn.

In his left hand he holds the dagger of Ophiuchus. In his right hand he holds the longsword he received from the Count.

I looked up at the Sphinx, holding a pair of swords in each hand.

This is the double-edged sword that follows the pure sword and reverse sword.

“Ready.”

The Sphinx smiled, baring her teeth.

Then he asked another riddle.

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

“hmm?”

I hesitated as I raised my sword.

Because I somehow felt like I knew the answer.

A word was flashing in my head.

“… … Easy?”

“What?”

“The answer is human. Isn’t it?”

「… … !」

The Sphinx’s eyes opened wide.

“Oh, how… ”

“Is this correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The Sphinx stuttered.

“Oh, how can a human being give the right answer…! It was the best riddle I’ve ever come up with after worrying and worrying for decades!”

The Sphinx scratched my face as if it was in pain.

His face was scratched by the claws and blood was dripping down.

“This, this can’t be happening. This can’t be happening! How can a human be… …! A mere human be!”

The sphinx, who had been scratching my face in agony, ran away somewhere, crying tears of blood.

“Eww! Eww!”

“……what?”

I looked back and saw the Sphinx disappearing into the fog.

They also stared blankly at the place where the Sphinx had disappeared with bewildered faces, then turned their gaze to me.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment at this absurd turn of events.

The tragedy that had been floating around had disappeared without a trace.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“Ashvan.”

“huh.”

“How did you know the answer?”

“I just thought I understood when I heard it.”

“… … .”

“Your Majesty.”

“huh.”

“Why is the answer human?”

“It’s simple. When you first start a fight, you walk on two legs, but after you get beaten, you crawl on four legs, and when you leave, you walk on three legs with a cane because one of your legs is broken.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Shushuruta sighed.

“I don’t think that’s the solution… … Anyway, I guess it’s okay since I got it right.”

“Why are you sighing?”

“It’s nothing.”

“… … .”

After a brief staring contest with Shushuruta, I walked towards the entrance to the Tomb of Ophiuchus, which was blocked by a sphinx.

“… … Ugh.”

Why do I feel a strange sense of regret?

It felt like my boiling blood had cooled down.

[… … Ugh.]

Cheonma was licking his lips as if he felt regret, as if he had the same feelings as me.

* * *

The passage led underground.

It wasn’t too dark because the crystals embedded in the slanted ceiling were shining brightly.

It felt like I was exploring an ancient, uninhabited site for the first time.

I asked Shushuruta as I went down the stairs.

“Then there will be no more trials or anything like that?”

Shushuruta nodded.

“That’s what I heard from Hans.”

“I see.”

“But as before, Hans isn’t always right, so we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

Then he passed me by and took the lead, saying:

“I’ll take the lead in case there’s a trap.”

“Okay.”

We slowly went down the stairs, following Shushuruta as he carefully took each step, looking around.

Although we will soon be able to meet the legacy of Oposis, the excitement that was once shattered has not gone away.

I brought this on myself, so I can’t hold anyone else responsible.

“Ugh… … I shouldn’t have just guessed the answer.”

“what?”

Shushuruta looked back.

“It’s nothing. I’m just talking to myself.”

“… … .”

Shushuruta glared at me for a moment and then slowly walked ahead.

“Ashvan. Cherish your life.”

“So what? If I die, no one will worry.”

The image of the mercenary guys worrying about me never crossed my mind.

I don’t think you’ll care.

‘… … Wait. You little shits. You know I’m gone, right?’

Suddenly, a bitter feeling came over me.

Even if I go back, I think I’ll hear things like, ‘Oh, I thought you were defeated. You’re not dead. What happened?’

‘… … Is this going to work?’

No, it’s right to go back.

I can’t stand it without kicking these little bastards’ butts.

As I was making that determination, Shushuruta suddenly glared at me.

“Why isn’t anyone worried?”

“huh?”

“When you were lying down for a week, do you know how worried Hans, Julia, and Joy were? Do you know how much they cared for you?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. And I.”

“What are you.”

“Am I not your colleague? I am worried about you just as you are worried about me.”

“What are you talking about? When did I ever worry about you?”

Shushuruta opened her mouth and turned her head away.

“Okay! What am I going to say? It’s like talking to a window.”

“… …Why are you so angry?”

“Be quiet! Watch your step carefully before you go down. Don’t trip and fall for no reason.”

Shushuruta went down the stairs ahead of me, grumbling.

I said to Sir Curtis, who was standing next to me.

“He’s a really strange guy, isn’t he?”

Curtis looked at me blankly.

“What. Why.”

“……no.”

Linda, who was on the other side, grabbed my arm.

“Devil! I think I would be sad too if the devil died.”

“You keep your mouth shut.”

“Ugh… … .”

After that, everything went smoothly. There were no particular hardships or crises.

… … Unfortunately.

Shushuruta, who had been walking carefully ahead, nodded and gestured.

“There is no trap. Come down.”

I muttered as I walked down the stairs.

“Where does another demon come from? It doesn’t have to be S-class. It can be A-class.”

“There is no such thing as a devil, so come down quickly.”

“Tch.”

We came all the way down the stairs. Looking back up at the entrance, it was a long time ago because we had come down so far.

The tomb was located quite deep.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I came across a large hallway, the entrance to which was also blocked by a large door.

The door was engraved with unknown, antique patterns.

Shushuruta pointed to a place.

“Just stick the dagger in here.”

“Is this a keyhole?”

“Yes.”

It was too narrow to be called a keyhole.

At first glance, it looked like a gap where someone had stuck a knife.

“The dagger was the real key.”

I put the key into the keyhole.

Woof-

The dagger vibrated.

At the same time, a strange squeaking sound was heard from the other side.

Kkugugu! Kkugugu!

The door began to open slowly.