I, Reincarnate as the Leader of the Villainous Knight Order - Chapter 149: The Last of the Four Heavenly Kings

Chapter 149: The Last of the Four Heavenly Kings

“So there was an entrance here all along? No one would’ve ever found it!”

The entrance, which Jeanne had revealed by manipulating the tree roots earlier, was now exposed. Simon spoke into the dark passage, seemingly enjoying the echo. Jeanne led the way. And after tying a red cloth to a nearby tree as a marker, I followed her underground. I was secretly concerned about potential cave-ins.

“This structure is similar to the ruins in the eastern forests of the Taleraan Margrave. It seems to have been built in the same period.”

“Now that you mention it—yeah! Even the pillars look the same. There’s not going to be another stampede caused by a fragment of an Evil God here, is there?”

“Relax. This place doesn’t contain a mere fragment but the actual entity.”

“That doesn’t reassure me at all!”

Trying to downplay the ominous atmosphere, I joked with Simon as he cast a spell to illuminate our path. We followed a winding slope and stairway, which eventually opened into a massive cavern. It was large enough to fit an entire schoolyard. Roots protruded from the ceiling and rocky walls.

“Whoa, it’s huge! Is that a castle? And the water—it’s beautiful!”

Jest exclaimed in awe, his voice echoing through the cavern. The carvings on the rock walls resembled scenes from ancient myths, giving the ruins the appearance of an ancient castle or temple. In the middle of a bluish underground lake, a pathway extended toward the far side.

“That appears to be the temple that seals the Evil God. Though it’s hard to say how old it is, preservation magic seems to have kept it intact. And… enough lazing around! Your son is here to see you!”

To our surprise, Jeanne suddenly yelled this last part at the underground lake. Her voice created ripples across the water. But the lake remained silent and still.

“Keh keh keh… it’s useless. The life force of the ancient dragon now sustains our Evil God. How delightful—just as the full resurrection nears, pesky intruders appear.”

“Is that you, Trent!?”

Standing in the passageway across the lake was a figure eerily similar to the nobleman Ernest had once warned me about with those mysterious ornaments. He looked like a typical country noble. But the moment Jeanne exposed his identity, his appearance began to waver.

“This rotten dragon ……. How dare you reveal your true identity! I am the faithful one of the Evil God! Ever since the Evil God was sealed, I have been offering sacrifices for the day of his resurrection! Do not interfere!”

With that outburst, Trent’s form was no longer human. He now resembled an ancient, gnarled tree draped in a tattered robe. A hollow in the “face” of the tree added to its eerie appearance. Apparently, he’d been using illusion magic when he made contact with High Priest and Ernest.

“Ugh… that’s just gross…”

I couldn’t agree more with Simon’s reaction. I glanced over to check on Jest, expecting him to be frightened. But to my surprise, he was visibly furious.

“Give back my father!”

With a shout, Jest muttered a spell to transform into dragon form, and Jeanne did the same. Both were preparing to unleash a breath attack on Trent.

“Simon! Fall back! If things get rough, use your cloak as cover!”

“Uh, got it!”

Even though the cave was spacious, there was no place for the heat to escape. I could only hope that the temperature-regulating magic on our equipment would be strong enough. As the glow of the breath attack illuminated the cave, Simon and I dove back into the passageway, hiding under our cloaks.

The ground quaked violently, as if the entire cavern were on the verge of collapse. When the light faded, I peeked out to survey the damage. The roots jutting from the cavern walls were charred, crumbling into the nearly evaporated lake below. Trent’s control over the roots, even greater than Jeanne’s earlier display, was certainly a testament to his power as a wood creature.

“Did we get him!?”

Simon, don’t say that—such words are always a jinx. Although the steam rising from the lake obstructed our view, we could hear a voice coming from where Trent had stood.

“Oh, so scary, so scary. That dragon breath is hot enough to scorch. But this forest is full of sturdy trees over a thousand years old. Those around here have been reinforced by our Evil God’s influence!”

Trent, sounding smug, went out of his way to explain the situation to us. I see—so that’s why Jeanne’s breath attacks, which should have set everything ablaze, had only left scorched patches without spreading flames. But thanks to our familiar bond, I could sense that Jeanne wasn’t feeling angry or desperate.

‘Just a little more to go.’ 

Jeanne prepared to unleash another breath attack.

“Hah! It’s useless, no matter how many times you try!!” 

Trent scoffed, but there was a glint of certainty in Jeanne’s movements. This time, her breath attack didn’t reach Trent. It was stopped again by those resilient tree roots. But it evaporated the lake entirely.

“No… it can’t be… your target was the sealing water?!”

The moment the underground lake was emptied, Trent’s composure faltered.

“The sealing water? What’s that?” 

Simon asked, scratching his head. It was new to me as well.

‘That guy told me about it! There’s a lake that weakens everything near the Evil God’s sealed location!’

“That guy” must refer to Jest’s father. As an ancient dragon, he seemed to know quite a bit. Judging from Jest and Jeanne’s reactions, Jest’s father might be below the underground lake, immobilized by the lake’s effect.

But… if that’s the case, wouldn’t the Evil God’s seal also weaken? Feeling a pang of unease, I glanced over at Jeanne. But despite sensing my gaze, she never once looked my way.