41. To Seize Victory

(Why? Why isn’t it working...?)

In the oppressive gloom of the dungeon, Ludovis brooded in silence.

(According to Lord Garnalava’s guidance, everything was proceeding perfectly right up until the release of the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf.)

The Evil Curse God Garnalava—a bringer of ruin, an enemy of the world. Ludovis was a devotee of the wicked cult that worshipped him.

He had received an oracle from the Evil Curse God: unleash the Plague Curse sealed within the dungeon of Cygnil. Hiding his identity as a cultist, Ludovis had operated as an adventurer, eventually persuading his companions to head to Cygnil, where he successfully broke the seal on the Black Wolf.

While his companions weren't followers of Garnalava, they were outlaws of a feather—delinquent adventurers who felt no remorse for backstabbing their colleagues in the depths of a dungeon. Once Ludovis enticed them with the promise that the Black Wolf would make killing their rivals easier than ever, securing their cooperation had been effortless.

They had purchased an illegal slave to serve as a sacrifice. That plan, too, had been progressing smoothly until it hit a snag: they let a single child escape.

The boy was supposed to be unremarkable, just an ordinary kid. His escape had been a fluke, the result of him accidentally triggering a teleportation trap. While Ludovis regretted losing the sacrifice, it shouldn't have been a major problem.

Or so it was meant to be.

Instead, that child was now obstructing Ludovis’s plans at every turn. He had rescued the Maiden of the Destiny God, bonded with a Holy Beast, and made off with the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain. It was as if he were being guided by fate itself.

(Could he be an Apostle of the Destiny God? No, that’s impossible. I checked his status myself when I bought him.)

If that wasn't it, then why?

As if to interrupt his spiraling thoughts, a groan echoed through the chamber.

"Lud... ovis... you... why...?"

"...Still clinging to life, I see."

The source of the groan was Baldog, Ludovis’s former companion—and now, a sacrifice for the Black Wolf.

"Black Wolf."

The beast didn't howl. Following a curt command, it simply tore into Baldog’s back. The Black Wolf stood silently amidst a pool of blood from three different men.

"Is it still not enough?"

Driven to desperation after the Maiden’s escape and the loss of the Prayer Stone, Ludovis had offered up his own party members as sacrifices. Even so, with only three of them, the Plague-Cursed Black Wolf had yet to fully regain its power.

"It cannot be helped. Black Wolf, devour my flesh. Assimilate with my soul. Everything follows the guidance of Lord Garnalava."

As he was eaten alive by the beast, Ludovis began to laugh like a madman.

"I see. That’s how it works! If I had only done this from the beginning—"

Those were the final words of the cultist Ludovis.

『Hey, Tort! How long are you going to sit there spacing out? Pull yourself together!』

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, I realized Shiroru was calling my name. Nearby, Halfa was watching me with a worried expression.

Wait, what’s going on?

"Huh...? I'm back in my room."

I had moved without realizing it; I was in my room at the Wildcat Inn. I remembered treating Rei’s Plague Curse with the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain, but my memory of what happened afterward was a total blur.

『I was worried because you’ve been in a daze this whole time.』

"Do you remember going to the Adventurer's Guild to report in?" Halfa asked.

Hmm?

Now that she mentioned it, I had a dim memory of meeting the Guild Master. I’m pretty sure I handed over the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain... right? I feel like there was a conversation about rewards, too, but I couldn't quite grasp the details.

"I think I remember it, maybe...?"

『I knew it,』 Shiroru huffed. 『You were acting weird. I figured as much!』

"You were responding when we spoke to you, but your mind was totally elsewhere," Halfa added.

So that was it. This whole incident had given me a lot to process. It seems my thoughts had been so scattered that I’d just been going through the motions.

"I think I was being a bit naive..."

I had assumed that as long as I entrusted the Rune Breaker to the authorities, capable veteran adventurers would handle the problem. I figured our role ended with finding the Prayer Stone of Benevolent Rain, and that someone else would deal with the Black Wolf. I never expected that we’d end up in a life-or-death struggle against Ludovis and his group.

It seemed Ludovis’s goal was to restore the Black Wolf’s power, and he might target Halfa again to achieve that. If I kept relying on others to solve our problems, I wouldn't be able to protect her when it mattered most. I had to find a way to deal with these threats using our own strength.

"—or at least, that’s what I’m thinking."

『Exactly! The Guild Master even mentioned he’d consider letting us keep the Rune Breaker!』

Oh, did he? Well, I definitely wanted to keep it close. I couldn't say for sure that the Rune Breaker would allow us to win, but it was undoubtedly a vital trump card.

"And I’m going to master the Song of Soothing!" Halfa declared.

She was right; if Halfa could use that song, she could weaken the Black Wolf. That would give us a fighting chance. Of course, since Ludovis and his crew were far more experienced adventurers, it only meant we’d have a sliver of a chance, but it was a start.

To grow that seed of hope into a victory, I needed a strategy.

For instance, how could I leverage my Luck?

In terms of raw Luck, I should be miles ahead of Ludovis and the others. However, since Luck isn't exactly an active power I can trigger at will, it was hard to factor into a solid plan.

In that case, I should focus on the items I had collected. My Storage Ring was packed with various things; if I combined them effectively, we might be able to hold our own. There were several items whose full effects I still needed to test. I should probably try them out later to see how they worked. If I experimented properly, I might find an unexpected use for them.

『Oh, that’s right. Tort, you still have those Pandora Gifts, don’t you? Why don’t you open one?』

"Ah, good point."

I still had two unopened Pandora Gifts left. Now was the perfect time to use them! I decided I’d open one today and save the other for tomorrow.

I pulled a Pandora Box from my Storage Ring and popped it open. Out came a small pouch filled with a mysterious powder. When I checked it with my Appraisal Loupe, I realized it was an item with a very specific, niche use.

"Wait, could this be...?"