Salvation Through Delusion C57

Chapter 57

“…What do we do?”

“What else can we do?”

Haas and Enya had been repeating the same exchange for quite some time. There was simply no way to enter the flickering manor before them. It was as if an invisible wall repelled anyone who tried. Haas had already exhausted every spell he knew, but none of them had the slightest effect.

“This isn’t any kind of magical force I know… Wait—what are you doing?”

“I’m going to keep hitting it until it breaks.”

“Don’t!”

Haas grabbed Enya’s arm in alarm, but she shook him off.

“We need to know what’s happening inside before we can even report to the Duke.”

“Maybe you should listen to your partner.”

A sudden voice interrupted them. Both turned sharply, startled, and when they saw who it was, Enya instantly raised her sword.

The newcomer was Solongo, the personal aide of the Adeye family head. She skipped introductions and went straight to warning them.

“The manor’s barrier has been activated. Long ago, one of the guardian spirits of the Ewik family granted its protection to this house.”

“Barrier? Protection?” Haas and Enya didn’t lower their guard but waited for her to go on.

“It’s designed so that when danger arises, the barrier will form and kill everyone inside. No one can leave alive.”

Haas shuddered, while Enya tightened her grip on her sword.

“Aren’t you here to find Adeye Rue? This isn’t the time for a lecture—you’re the one who should be breaking in!”

“You’re right. I have to go in—if someone can just break the barrier open.”

A barrier that ignored both magic and physical strength—who in the world could break that?

As their incredulous gazes fixed on her, Solongo turned away in silence instead of answering. The reason for her appearance became clear a moment later.

A ripple formed in the air—an unseen portal opening—and through it stepped Koon Tyroc. Solongo bowed deeply the moment she saw him.

“I beseech you, Grand Duke of Koon—blessed by the Divine Beast and master of the sword’s highest realm. Please, help us break the barrier of the Ewik estate.”

Her tone was respectful, but every word was heavy with urgency. Tyroc, however, did not even glance at her. Instead, Haas and Enya were the ones to react.

“The Adeye family is asking us for help now?”

“Seriously. They must be insane to make such a request of our Duke.”

Their derision rolled off Solongo like water. She simply stepped closer to Tyroc and bowed again.

“If you rescue Lord Rue, the Adeye family will forever remember this grace.”

“Grace? You should start by apologizing for everything you’ve done to the Koon family!” Enya snapped.

“Unbelievable,” Haas added beside her. “Why should our Duke risk his life to save Adeye Rue? Try saying something that actually makes sense.”

Their scorn faded when they realized Tyroc was walking toward the barrier.

“No, my lord! It could be a trap! After all the things the Adeye family has done, you can’t possibly trust them. Even if your power can pierce part of the barrier, it might unleash something worse!” Haas protested.

“Exactly! Not even for all their wealth!” Enya shouted.

Solongo ignored them both, her eyes fixed solely on Tyroc.

“The Adeye head said if you desire their entire fortune, they’ll surrender all of it.”

Enya and Haas froze, eyes wide. The sound of them swallowing filled the silence that followed.

Tyroc said nothing—he simply studied the shimmering barrier that enclosed the house.

“Adeye Rue is inside?” he finally asked.

“Yes.”

At her answer, Solongo gestured behind her. Two Adeye mercenaries dragged a man forward.

“This man is Torida’s chief servant. He witnessed the abduction of Lord Rue.”

One mercenary shoved the trembling servant to his knees.

“Y-yes! Lord Torida drugged Adeye Rue and kidnapped him! Locked him in the basement prison—then took him to a room—but after striking him unconscious, he was thrown back into the cell—Agh!”

A razor-thin blade hissed past the man’s nose, silencing him mid-word.

“He’s alive?” Tyroc asked coolly.

“Y-yes, yes—Adeye Rue is alive!” the servant stammered.

The instant the words left his mouth, Tyroc unsheathed his sword and brought it down on the barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

—

Ottmar struck the wall again and again, each blow ringing through the chamber, but no matter how hard she hit, the surface remained unscarred.

“Damn it!”

She cursed, panting. The wall remained utterly unyielding—only the people inside had changed.

Everyone else in the room had vanished without a trace, leaving only herself and one other.

The rest had been standing near the walls when they were suddenly absorbed into them, as if the house itself had devoured them whole.

“Hah… hah…”

Ottmar glared at the immovable wall before turning to face the trembling figure behind her—Torida, curled up like a frightened child. She seized him by the collar and hauled him upright.

“How do we get out of here?”

“There’s no way… We’re going to die here…”

“You must’ve heard something from Baron Ewik! Think!”

“We tampered with the spirit’s blessing. Now we’re trapped—we’ll die here, alive.”

He kept muttering about death, his reason completely gone. Ottmar shoved him away and scoured the walls once more.

Even if she wasn’t a Swordmaster, she was still a sword expert—her senses far sharper than most.

There had to be a way out.

She inhaled deeply and sharpened every sense. And then—she heard it.

Crack.

A faint sound, imperceptible to ordinary ears, but unmistakable to hers. The sound of stone fracturing.

Somewhere, somehow, the cursed barrier was breaking. Whoever or whatever was responsible didn’t matter. Even if it were a monster, she’d welcome it.

Focusing on the sound’s direction, she swung her blade. A faint aura flickered at the sword’s edge as it struck the wall—once, twice, three times…

No effect. She gritted her teeth and narrowed the focus, channeling all her strength. On the ninth strike, her arm finally stopped midair.

“Hah… hah…”

Her breathing was ragged, but a fierce smile tugged at her lips. The wall before her was different—where the others had remained smooth, this one bore a visible crack.

She delivered the finishing blow.

Crack—crumble—

Bricks tumbled free, opening a small hole—too narrow to escape through. She pushed herself to exhaustion, muscles trembling as she tried to widen it.

Damn it. At this rate, I’ll never break more than a single wall.

Despair welled up—but fortune, at last, favored her. She squeezed through into the next room, only to freeze in horror.

“What in the world…”

Bodies were embedded in the walls and ceiling—her missing subordinates. Near the corner, another gap gaped open, large enough for a person to walk through.

“Who could’ve…? A Swordmaster?”

The name slipped out before she could stop herself. There were only three Swordmasters on the continent, and only one could plausibly appear here—Koon Tyroc.

But what would he be doing in this place? Whoever it was, she would find out.

Gripping her sword, Ottmar darted toward the corner opening. She had to see with her own eyes who possessed such overwhelming power.

After crossing several more rooms, she finally reached a dead end—a final chamber. Inside stood a single figure.

And not at all who she expected.

“…Adeye Rue?”

—

The last stop was another prison. No—perhaps not the one I had been locked in before, but it looked every bit like one.

Stone walls sealed every side; there were no windows, no doors—only emptiness.

If I hadn’t smashed through the wall myself, there would have been no way to even discover this place existed.

Even the dullest person would realize something was off.

“So this is the secret room.”