Belsack Blackmore

'--brush!!'

Chapter 113 Belsack Brakmoya

—Whoosh!!

It only took a single glance.

Before him, the cold axe blade, carrying terrifying force, swung down directly towards Rovey without warning, emitting a piercing sound as it cut through the air.

The moment Rovey finished speaking, the old Gravekeeper in front of him made his move. He gripped the huge one-handed axe in his hand and swung it at the Magus knew too many secrets, intending to first incapacitate him so that he could then capture him and interrogate him to find out what was going on.

"Um..."

However, the young man standing in front of him seemed to have been prepared all along. When facing the huge axe blade that the old Gravekeeper swung down, Rovey only smiled slightly. His expression did not show any panic. He calmly watched the sudden change and then quickly reached out his fingers to peel off the thermos hanging on his waist just before the axe was about to hit.

"—Fervor mei sanguis (Boiling, my blood)."

The next moment.

A short, familiar incantation was calmly uttered. Then, to the old Gravekeeper's astonishment, a silver light shot out from the thermos like a bolt of lightning, slicing straight through the dark night sky and reaching the very edge of his vision.

"What?!"

The sudden turn of events left the old Gravekeeper wide-eyed, but all he heard was...

--puff!!

It was the sound of a sharp object piercing flesh, followed by the sound of blood dripping continuously, "Drip, drip..."

Bang!

The intense pain from the Volumen Hydrargyrum piercing his arm caused the massive axe, about to be swung down, to involuntarily fall to the ground. The old Gravekeeper had been launching his attack mid-air, was forced to halt. He could only clutch his pierced right arm while watching with apprehension the young Magus who had successfully anticipated his attack and launched a swift counterattack.

"Um... you guessed it all along and took precautions?" he asked.

"Well, more or less. After all, if you really wanted to send me away, you wouldn't have let Gray leave, would you?"

Rovey nodded, then calmly stated his opinion. "Old man, you just didn't want Gray to be exposed to too many horrific images, so you made her leave, right? Like, images of my limbs being cut off?"

"The reason it wasn't a kill is because your axe wasn't aimed at my head, but at my arm. Otherwise, the Volumen Hydrargyrum's autonomous counterattack wouldn't have only pierced your arm; it might have been your chest, or even your heart. After all, my armor has crisis judgment and self-identification functions. So, what you just did actually saved your own life, old man."

"You bastard..."

Hearing Rovey's unhurried, even composed, narration, the old Gravekeeper's eyes, hidden beneath his robes, suddenly narrowed, and his previously serious and earnest expression was shattered.

He suddenly realized that he had greatly underestimated the young man before him. He had thought he was just another arrogant Magus like those others, but the young man's counterattack, awareness, and strange attire had precisely caused him to suffer a great loss. After all, he had just launched a surprise attack using multiple Reinforcement Magecraft, but even so, he was the one who suffered the most.

"Snort."

With a cold snort, he tore off a piece of cloth from his body and wrapped it around his wound to stop the bleeding caused by the Moon Spirit Marrow piercing through. Then, he switched hands and picked up the single-handed axe that had fallen to the ground. The old Gravekeeper stared coldly at Rovey in front of him, and at the silver Volumen Hydrargyrum. His eyes were full of fear.

"You're no ordinary Magus... Who are you really? What's your purpose here? What do you know?!"

"Hmm, finally you're willing to listen to people properly, old man?"

"My purpose? That's a difficult question to answer, but there's no need to explain it much. You just need to know that I won't hurt you. I'm here today to find one, well... three people, and to find one item. As for what I know... that's even harder to answer."

"Because I know everything about your secrets."

Rovey spoke casually, his expression remaining unchanged even as he noticed several crows suddenly attacking from behind him.

The next moment, the Volumen Hydrargyrum stored in the thermos shot out like lightning, knocking the black bird down from mid-air. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the old man standing before him launched a new attack. However, this time, his attack was not a physical one, but a very special kind of Magecraft.

As the magic flowed, the deep blue Magic Circuits beneath his black robe began to shimmer, faintly revealing a special kind of magic.

He had only picked up the axe to mislead Rovey, making him believe that he would still use close-range attacks. The raven familiar's attack was to draw his attention and prevent the silver liquid Mystic Code from interrupting his Magecraft before he could make a move. It could even be said that he was extremely thorough in his considerations during the battle.

Similarly, as descendants of the Gravekeeper have protected this land for thousands of years, and as a race arranged and controlled by the Witch, they are certainly not as simple as they appear on the surface. Otherwise, how could they have lived for thousands of years in this land with abundant Ley Line energy?

The next moment, as the old Gravekeeper performed a strange ritual resembling the activation of Magecraft, the ground beneath their feet in the cemetery began to shake violently. Countless eerie blue flames rose continuously from the ancient tombstones, and several barriers suddenly rose into the air beneath their feet, enveloping Rovey and him in the center.

"... Interesting. Just as I expected, over the course of 1,500 years, this complex mausoleum and land have become closely connected with the Leyline, bringing everything together to form a huge Magic Crest. It's truly a masterpiece of unparalleled skill."

"This technique is a hundred times more sophisticated than the Magic Crest that are popular today. Did Morgan le Fay teach you to make it? Well, that's all there is to it. But I can see that you only have a certain degree of control, not complete mastery. Am I right?"

Looking at the Gravekeeper in front of him, who was on the verge of attacking and had even used a trump card, Rovey showed no fear and asked calmly.

"..."

However, the old man in front of him continued to operate the barrier without answering him.

"So... you're going to use this to kill me now?"

"... No, I will not kill you, because you know too many secrets. I must uncover the truth, Magus."

Finally, under immense pressure and threat, the old Gravekeeper still chose to strike first, using the accumulated Leyline magic to control Rovey.

And things are progressing very smoothly.

As the present-day workshop of the Witch of the Age of Gods, it has been designed since 1,500 years ago. The number of dead souls and the accumulated Leyline magic within it are even larger than the Greater Grail of Fuyuki City. It would be an easy task to restrain a Magus.

This is also a major reason why their Gravekeeper have been able to remain here for so long, and why even the Lord of the Clock Tower is unwilling to easily offend them. As long as one is on this land, to be an enemy of them is to be an enemy of all the spirits who died on this land and the entire Leyline. The scale and magic of this kind are something that even Lord would find difficult to contend with.

However...

Despite facing the eerie blue ghost fire surrounding him and the cage formed by a barrier, Rovey's expression remained largely unchanged.

Even though he had witnessed Rovey trapped inside, the old Gravekeeper's face remained uneasy, his restless heart still churning with unease, as if something was about to happen.

"It's an interesting tactic, but unfortunately, you can't unleash its full potential, after all, you're not Morgan."

"What... does this mean?"

"I'm sorry, old man. It was indeed rude of me to come uninvited and trespass into your forbidden area. However, I meant no harm and did not expect that a simple conversation would frighten you like this."

Rovey said calmly, not noticing the old man's increasingly solemn gaze.

"Hmph! You cunning Magus, you didn't arrive by chance. You not only know of Gray's existence, but you also know the Gravekeeper's destiny. Do you think I'd believe you?"

The old Gravekeeper merely snorted at Rovey's words, refusing to believe Rovey under any circumstances. He was convinced that Rovey must have some ulterior motive for infiltrating this place.

As the new generation of Gravekeeper have protected this land, he will not allow this outsider Magus to disturb the peace of this land, no matter what.

"... It still doesn't work."

Seeing this, Rovey shook his head and couldn't help but sigh.

Then, he turned his gaze and carefully examined the barrier in front of him and the transformed land beneath his feet. Then, under the old man's astonished gaze, he made a move.

However, this time, he did not use Volumen Hydrargyrum, but his true methods.

With a flick of his wrist, a golden cup appeared steadily in his hand. In that brief instant, a vast magical power enveloped the entire area, causing the flickering will-o'-the-wisps to intensify even further.

"What... is that?!"

The old Gravekeeper stared in astonishment at the Holy Grail in Rovey's hand.

That was the main body of the Holy Grail he had deliberately preserved after the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. However, because of the wish he had made, only a small portion of its magical energy remained. Seeing the old Gravekeeper using most of the Leyline magic here, Rovey suddenly had a bold idea. His own family's Ley Line were used to nurture angels and couldn't be used elsewhere. He had been thinking about finding a suitable source of magical energy to replenish it, but now it seemed this place was perfect.

It has accumulated 1,500 years of Leyline and a mysterious Magic Workshop.

Although there are no Servant souls to offer as sacrifices for the Holy Grail, the sheer number and mystery of the dead souls on this land mean that the accumulated magical power is in no way inferior to that of Servants. Isn't this an excellent place to replenish his power? Not only can it weaken Morgan, but it can also charge his own Holy Grail, and all he has to do is cast the Holy Grail into the Leyline to absorb the energy.

"You bastard... you're not going to wait, wait a minute!!"

Rovey's crazy actions startled the old Gravekeeper, who hurriedly tried to stop him. However, Rovey had already raised a bright red berserk True Magic circle under his feet, and then, completely ignoring the old Gravekeeper's obstruction, gently placed the Holy Grail on it.

Buzzing—!

Accompanied by an eerie sound, the Holy Grail was placed into the True Magic circle, establishing a connection with the Leyline the instant it was connected.

The Greater Grail, which was originally lacking in magical energy, was like a traveler who had been thirsty in the desert for days and suddenly saw water. It began to greedily absorb the magical energy of the Leyline.

In an instant, the once stable barrier and the entire land began to tremble violently. Countless rising souls let out sharp roars and wails, the piercing sounds prompting the old Gravekeeper to hurriedly stop his despicable act.

"Stop right there!!"

Because of the rapid draining of a second, massive amount of magic power—besides that of the workshop—the entire hill where the cemetery was situated began to shake violently. Realizing the land's magic was being relentlessly drained and sensing the agonizing cries of the surrounding spirits, the old Gravekeeper hurriedly dispelled his Magecraft, attempting to restore peace to the land. However—

It's too late.

With a loud 'bang!', the entire barrier became extremely fragile due to the extraction, and Rovey took the opportunity to raise the hand wearing the Ring of Solomon and clench it without hesitation, striking directly at the barrier.

Angel's Blessing, Rune, the blessing of Avalon, and the amplification of the Ring of Solomon—

Under the combined effect of multiple buffs.

The barrier, already shattered by the extraction of the Holy Grail, was smashed like glass by Rovey's punch. Countless fragments of magic flew out, startling the old Gravekeeper standing directly in front of it.

Because Rovey's actions were too sudden, the situation was too unpredictable, and the fragments were too fast and too numerous. The flying attacks were difficult for him to defend against and even more difficult to dodge. In just the blink of an eye, large parts of his body began to bleed bright red blood.

Then, a chilling sensation suddenly rose from below, coiling around his ankles and emanating a cold aura, sending a chill down the old Gravekeeper's spine. He looked down sharply and saw that the venomous snake formed from the Volumen Hydrargyrum had somehow crept up from the ground to his feet and coiled around his anklet. Now, if he dared to make any rash move, this cold, silver venomous snake would not hesitate to bite off his feet.

Meanwhile, Rovey was at the forefront holding the Holy Grail, was approaching him. Several Ruby that shot out transformed into scorching magic bullets at that moment, instantly deflecting the weapon in his hand.

The outcome is now clear.

"..."

Faced with the venomous snake on his foot and the mysterious young man approaching him, the old Gravekeeper could only helplessly raise his hands, indicating that he was willing to give up the fight.

Rovey simply smiled slightly upon seeing this.

"Don't worry, old man. I've already realized that the Leyline of this land are too deeply bound to the undead. If we forcibly extract their magic, it will undoubtedly damage and harm them, so I won't continue."

He looked at the tense old Gravekeeper and slowly said, "Now, as the victor, may I ask you to sit down and have a proper talk with me, sir Gravekeeper? Perhaps we didn't need to fight at all, did we?"

"... Do I have any other options?"

What do you think?

Rovey smiled slightly, the meaning in his eyes already self-evident.

The Gravekeeper: "..."

In the darkness, on the grass in the center of the cemetery, two figures sat.

"So... that's roughly the situation."

"My purpose in coming here is to find my friend who might come here to steal... cough cough, I should say, to do archaeology."

"So... you two bastards really did come here to rob tombs?!"

Listening to Rovey's explanation, the old Gravekeeper's brows furrowed tightly. Although his body was under control, his gloomy eyes did not leave Rovey for even a moment.

To tell a Gravekeeper that you're conducting archaeological excavations beneath his village is tantamount to openly defying him, a death wish. If circumstances allowed, and if he weren't outmatched by Rovey, he would definitely teach him and his so-called friend a lesson in respecting the dead.

What worries him even more now is Rovey's so-called friend. He hasn't noticed anyone entering the Gravekeeper's village at all, and he doesn't know where the person is hiding.

This was my own oversight.

He hadn't realized how the other party had managed to evade the village's protective barrier.

Moreover, the thought that a Magus might be hiding right under his feet, relentlessly digging an archaeological hole, filled the old Gravekeeper with barely suppressed rage.

"Calm down, old man, don't get agitated, don't get too excited... We can't be sure what Lev is doing right now, can we? Maybe he's just here for a stroll and hasn't done anything wrong."

Noticing the old gravedigger's face, which was almost as gloomy as the night, Rovey awkwardly defended Lev.

However, all he got in return was a strange look from the old Gravekeeper: "Do you even believe what you're saying?"

As for whether Rovey believes it or not?

As a result, of course, they didn't believe it.

After all, if he were Lev, before being caught by Morgan and the Gravekeeper, he would also have become a gold miner under their feet and started digging for treasure.

However, it's not acceptable to say such things nowadays.

"By the way, sir, my name is Rovey Crowley, Magus from the Clock Tower. May I ask your name?"

Noticing the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Rovey finally took the initiative to introduce himself, trying to ease the strange tension.

"So you're all Magus from the Clock Tower after all... Hmph! You bunch of disrespectful bastards will be punished sooner or later!"

The old man remained angry.

Seeing the Volumen Hydrargyrum re-emerging in Rovey's thermos, he realized that the situation was now beyond his control. This young man was completely different from the Magus he had encountered before; if things went wrong, the entire village of the Gravekeeper could be wiped out.

Although he was not afraid of death, when he thought of this land, the whole village, and his apprentice Gray, the old Gravekeeper finally dared not provoke or anger Rovey too much, and instead answered his question.

"I am the Gravekeeper, Belsack Brakmoya."