31. I Have a Rune Breaker

The Plague-Cursed Black Wolf. That, apparently, was the true identity of the black beast lurking in the dungeon.

『Oh, it’s all starting to come back to me now.』

For a Holy Beast like Shiroru, forming a new bond with a human was essentially the same as being reborn. It wasn't that he’d forgotten everything from his past, but his memories felt hazy, as if obscured by a thick fog.

『If I recall correctly, my previous partner—my master—must have weakened its power and sealed it away. I was the one who acted as the anchor for that seal.』

It seemed the hero the Guild Master mentioned was Shiroru’s previous partner—or rather, his master. Back then, they’d shared a standard master-servant relationship, much like any other tamed monster.

The Plague-Cursed Black Wolf was an immortal entity. even the hero of old couldn't destroy it completely, so he’d settled for sealing it away. But a seal requires a maintainer; without one, it eventually loosens and breaks. Shiroru—weakened and wounded after the battle—had volunteered to act as the seal’s anchor, falling into a long slumber to serve as its guardian.

『I don’t know how the seal got broken, but those Ludovis guys are definitely suspicious.』

Even with the seal broken, the Black Wolf hadn't recovered its original strength yet. To do so, it needed a sacrifice. In other words, Ludovis and his cronies had intended to offer me up as a meal for the beast.

"So the reason I didn't show any symptoms back then was..."

『I suspect it hadn't recovered enough power to manifest them yet,』 Shiroru replied. 『But its strength is returning now.』

The Plague-Cursed Black Wolf was gradually regaining its former might. At the moment, it could only inflict disease-like symptoms on those it wounded, but eventually, it would become a walking disaster that scattered plague wherever it went. Before it was sealed, the wolf had triggered a Great Plague that claimed countless lives. If it were allowed to recover its full power, history was doomed to repeat itself.

"According to the records, the 'Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain' was used to suppress the plague. Do you have any idea where it might be?" the Guild Master asked.

『That? Master said he was going to leave it somewhere in the dungeon, but I fell asleep before he did. I have no goal where it ended up.』

"I see..."

If we had the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain, we might be able to mitigate the damage, but we were officially out of leads. Given Shiroru’s situation, I suspected it was hidden away in a secret room or behind a concealed passage.

"I wish we had a way to find hidden rooms and passages," Rei muttered, clearly thinking along the same lines.

But if a reliable method existed, someone would have found it by now. The Guild Master’s grim expression confirmed my suspicions; there was no easy way.

"This isn't a problem that can be solved with mere skill or technique," the Guild Master said bitterly. "I’ve never heard of a magic tool capable of detecting hidden rooms. In the end, discovering one comes down to nothing more than luck."

At the mention of the word 'luck,' Rei’s eyes snapped open and he whipped his head toward me. Dolga-san also shot me a meaningful, toothy grin.

『If it’s luck you need, leave it to Tort! He’s guided by Lord Lamuyadas himself!』

Great. Shiroru just had to open his mouth.

The fate of the city was a bit too much weight for my shoulders, but if there was something I could do, I wasn't going to back down. Hunting a legendary wolf sounded impossible, but finding an item? That was right up my alley.

I took a moment to explain the situation to the Guild Master, who was looking increasingly confused, including the part about the [Destiny God's Smile]. Since I’d already managed to find Shiroru, I at least had a track record to back up my claims.

"I see... I never imagined we’d truly end up relying on luck. Very well, I’ll count on your assistance. I’ll still instruct the other adventurers to investigate, of course."

Even if he called it my "strength," it was still just a matter of luck, so it didn't really feel like I was doing much. Things would turn out however they turned out. Still, knowing we weren't the only ones searching took some of the pressure off. If the entire world were resting on my shoulders, I probably would have crumbled.

"Well, we can leave the search to Tort and the kids. The real problem is what to do about the wolf," Dolga-san said, falling into thought.

He was right. Even if we suppressed the plague, we wouldn't have a fundamental solution until the Black Wolf was dealt with. It had apparently been "slain" several times in the dungeon already, yet it always came back. It was truly immortal. Our only choice was to seal it again.

"What happened the last time?" I asked.

『Hmm? That thing is more of a curse than a monster. My master’s comrade used <Song of Soothing> to weaken it, and they placed a seal on its core during that opening.』

"Wait, is that why Ludovis silenced Halfa?" Rei muttered.

That made sense. During the chaos at the black market, Ludovis had gone out of his way to make sure Halfa didn't speak. I didn't know how he knew, but he must have realized she could use singing magic.

"Does Halfa even know the <Song of Soothing>?" I asked.

"Who knows? We’ll have to ask her later."

『Anyway, the wolf isn't that strong yet, right?』 Shiroru chimed in. 『Instead of weakening it, we should focus on a way to destroy its core.』

That was a fair point.

"The records describe the core as a cursed object that aggregates negative energy—essentially a type of magic tool," the Guild Master explained, his expression darkening. "Physical attacks and magic are useless against it, but as a magic tool, there should be a way to destroy it. However..."

The Guild Master clearly had an idea, but he looked miserable.

"The only way is to use a legendary-grade item called a 'Rune Breaker.' But such things are not easily obtained. The few individuals who possess them are—"

...Um, I actually have one.

I didn't quite have the courage to interrupt the Guild Master’s dramatic speech, but Rei was practically drilling a hole in the side of my head with a "hurry up and tell him" glare.

"Um... you mean this?"

"...Huh?"

Taking advantage of the moment the Guild Master stopped to catch his breath, I pulled the Rune Breaker out of my Storage Ring and handed it to him. He stared at me as if I were speaking a foreign language.

I couldn't blame him. If someone told me that the "unobtainable" item I was just talking about was sitting right in front of me, I wouldn't believe it either. To help things along, I handed him my Appraisal Loupe as well.

The Guild Master peered through the loupe at the Rune Breaker with an unreadable expression—and then he froze like a statue.

Actually, he was trembling. The shaking grew more violent by the second, like a volcano about to erupt. Then, suddenly, he let out a massive sigh. He took a deep breath, then another, repeating the process until he’d finally regained his composure. When he finally looked at me, it was as if he were staring at an unidentified lifeform.

"Just... what on earth are you?"

Even if he asked, it wasn't like I had an answer for him.