When he opened his eyes again, the first thing Rosenta felt was the shape of a face.
He wasn't surprised.
Enoch was the only one who would hug him like this.
It seemed that Enoch had held him tightly while using magic to safely land on the ground.
"Enoch, let go."
He pushed Enoch away like he was a clingy puppy.
"It's really dark.”
It was too dark to see anything, but he kept looking around for no reason.
He didn't feel any sign of anything. They were the only two there.
Enoch seemed to feel the same.
"Now it's just the two of us."
"Yes."
He immediately felt relief.
From now on, he could comfortably give orders to Enoch.
"Enoch, I wish I had a torch or something.”
There was no hesitation in Enoch's actions. As if he’d been waiting for Rosenta to speak, he proceeded step by step.
Through the darkness, he got a wooden stick from somewhere.
Without saying an incantation, he cast a spell. A small fire caught on the stick.
The torch was completed in an instant.
Only then did the surroundings brighten up. The identity of what Enoch brought seemed to be a torch that was on the wall.
Enoch cast magic again. This time all the torches on the wall began to catch fire.
In an instant, beyond their immediate surroundings, the whole place became brighter.
Even Enoch, who did not often express his emotions, was surprised to see this place in its entirety.
"It’s really a grave."
"Yes. It is really a grave."
White bones were everywhere. Rosenta could even see a mountain of white bones.
It felt like watching a scene from a horror movie. Even though he was a necromancer, he’d never seen so many white bones.
His brows wrinkled automatically.
However, Enoch's words soon changed his mind.
"It's a great place for you. There are a lot of ingredients...….”
He didn't like the word ingredients, but it was indeed a good place for him.
There were even the bones of ancient people. Those who were said to have great power.
Enoch whispered as if he had read his mind.
"Do you need help?"
***
With Enoch's help, Rosenta was able to safely put the last bone in his magic space.
This time, Enoch's help was great.
"Enoch."
At his call Enoch looked at him as if he knew what he would say.
Those eyes, which could only express pleasure at first, could now muster up feelings of expectation.
A strange sensation of pleasure swept over Rosenta.
"When we get back to Estella Castle, I'll give you a reward."
A deep smile was drawn around Enoch's mouth. It was a very naughty grin.
As always, he licked his lower lip with his bright red tongue.
"That so...… I'm looking forward to it."
Rosenta almost swallowed his saliva without realizing it. He didn't like that fact, so he turned his head around.
Without facing Enoch, he answered as if he were muttering.
"Nonsense."
He could hear Enoch's light laughter, but he didn’t care.
He took a good look around.
The dust remained the same, but just removing the white bone had the effect of making it look clean.
As a result, his eyes naturally turned to the wall of the tunnel.
“……I didn't see it earlier."
He felt like he could see something blurry. He gradually approached the wall.
The murals that he hadn’t properly seen when they first arrived, he finally saw them.
"It's subtle, but I can make out the glyphs. Above all, this is...….”
He stroked the pattern as if he were being guided. It was a familiar picture.
No, it was a pattern he’d already seen. It was also at the Estella Duchy.
An inverted pitch-black flash.
He’d seen it countless times in his father's secret room.
As he was looking at it, Enoch, who approached him, said, "It depicts a confrontation."
It was exactly as he said.
This one holding the inverted black flash, and the person holding the flash, symbolizing the god, Luz, were confronting each other.
Starting with that picture, it was arranged like a story.
Curiosity arose.
"Enoch."
"Yes?"
"I'll have to walk along the entirety of this painting to its very end."
"As the duke wishes."
Enoch took a step ahead of him, as though he’d light the way for him.
Rosenta walked and walked.
Most of the paintings after that depicted fighting. Scenes where progressive damage and harm were done to both sides.
The one who stood on the final mountain of corpses was the one holding the flash, Luz.
"Luz…….”
‘What do these pictures mean?’
Rosenta had all sorts of thoughts. It was the sound of Enoch's words that re-focused his complicated mind.
"Duke."
He blinked slowly and looked at Enoch.
Enoch was pointing to the far corner of a wall.
After a moment, he ran and looked intently at the place where Enoch had pointed.
It was such a small picture.
Therefore, it was more difficult to find.
"This is another picture."
The figure was kneeling with something like a leash hanging on him. He was hugging the broken black flash.
Behind him were images of those wearing crowns, who held his leash.
The moment Rosenta saw it, he felt extremely complicated feelings.
"Enoch, what do you think this means?"
"It's obvious."
He looked back at Enoch.
Enoch said to him, as he pretended to cut his own throat, "It means that the one who lost the fight died or became a slave. Is there any other meaning?"
It was in line with Rosenta’s interpretation.
Only then did he have no choice but to admit it.
Maybe this painting was an engraving by his ancestors. A leash would mean they are tethered to them.
Of course, them being...….
"Is it the imperial family?"
He closed his eyes tightly and put the pieces together one by one with what he’d learned.
Everyone knows the history of the Estella family. He’d also heard it many times when he lived as a commoner.
It was a family with a history of treason.
"Do you regret coming here?”
Slowly he opened his eyes at Enoch's question.
The answer to that question was very easy. Because there was only one answer he could give.
"No."
A peek at a page from the past. He didn't regret that even one percent.
This was just the past anyway.
Past.
His friend Theodore didn't do anything to him.
Above all, he had no affection for the Estella family.
There was only one reason why he was worried.
These stories didn't appear in the novel. Would this really affect the contents of the original story?
So...….
"There's no way I'd regret it.”
Enoch's expression became strange when he heard that. Not smiling, not angry, but literally a strange expression.
Enoch came up to him. Rosenta looked at him quietly.
"Duke, you know what?"
It's not like he was a mind reader. If you ask him if he knew something, how could he know?
He looked up at Enoch as if he was about to say something and shook his head firmly.
At his response, one corner of Enoch’s mouth slanted upward.
"I'm terribly jealous right now."
He put his arms around Rosenta’s shoulders and naturally buried his face in his left shoulder.
Rosenta didn't bother to push him away.
Because he heard Enoch's voice, which was unusually low.
"Why is it that I have not had a longer relationship with the duke? I’m envious to the point of being angry."
His hot breath touched the nape of Rosenta’s neck, and his neck shrank away reflexively.
Enoch did not raise his face at that flinch. Rather, he buried his face even deeper.
"But it's all right."
“……What?"
"Because I’ll be the one who will be with the duke for a long time from now on."
***
It'd been hours since they left.
It was morning when they started their journey, but the sun was beginning to set.
Aphra waited for them leisurely, but not Theodore.
Anyone could see that he was pacing around with a lot of anxiety.
Then he turned sharply toward Aphra.
"Prince, is there any way to get in there? There must be another entrance besides this hole."
"Uh…….”
Aphra's eyes kept darting around. He looked like he was thinking hard.
Soon after, Aphra shook his head violently from side to side.
"None. As far as I'm aware, this is the only entrance."
"Shit!"
Aphra shuddered at Theodore's swearing. He went deeper into the arms of the plants surrounding him.
While looking at the young Theodore's state, he spoke carefully to him.
"He'll come back safe and sound. We can't go in anyway because of that curse...….”
This backfired against Aphra's intentions. After hearing that, Theodore's fury deepened.
Then, realizing his mistake, Aphra pressed his hands over his mouth.
But it was unfair.
‘I didn't put a curse on you. Why do I feel like I'm being scolded?’
Come to think of it...… They hadn’t heard how to come out and go in.
He swallowed that last thought and kept it in his heart.
As soon as he said that Theodore was sure to jump in there, regardless of the curse.
"I can't."
Did he hear Aphra’s murmur?
Theodore's keen eyes turned to Aphra.
"What did you say?”
"Oh, I didn't say anything!"
Theodore was not very interested. He turned his eyes away from him at once.
Theodore resumed staring at the pit again, waiting for Rosenta, whom he did not know when he would come out.
Aphra put his hands together in the vines and prayed.
'Please let the duke come out as soon as possible. Of course, without a scratch!'