Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 79: In the Night

Marco looked away as if he were embarrassed to be the youngest. Though, truth be told, the one-year difference between them wasn’t that big of a deal. Even so, it unsettled Mitsuki, who squirmed in place in embarrassment, chewing his meat as if it were somehow his fault.

’I can’t believe someone younger than me gave me an anxiety attack! How pathetic am I?! God! Just swallow me up already!’

He covered his face with both hands to hide his shame, but Azel and Monar smiled when they saw him. Marco, on the other hand, chose not to get too involved in the conversation. He kept eating in silence without intervening while those two took it upon themselves to overwhelm the porter.

"Anyway, age isn’t an obstacle when it comes to making friends," said the dark elf. His words clearly referred to what he had told Mitsuki earlier that afternoon. "Nor is race... nor status..."

"That’s the spirit, old elf," Azel added, gazing at the stars. "The real treasure is the friends we make along the way."

’Friends, huh... Where have I heard that before?’ he thought. The campfire in front of him seemed to want to give him the answer, but his mind refused to remember. ’Either way, I’d already decided that’s not something very important anymore.’

Marco started organizing a few things, making a bit of noise. He placed a stack of bowls next to the backpack Mitsuki always carried. Taking advantage of having everyone’s attention, he said:

"It’s time to sleep. We’ll reach the next town by midday tomorrow. We’ll be closer to the capital, so it’s best to be ready for any dangerous enemies."

"Sure. I’m tired of killing rabbits. Good night," Azel said. He closed his eyes and immediately fell asleep.

The others watched him for a second, surprised by how easily the man could fall asleep. I mean, he was sitting, arms crossed, back leaning against a tree trunk. He didn’t even use a blanket to cover himself.

’This guy is quite the character...’

Monar put away his staff and lay down in his sleeping bag. Marco followed suit, doing the same and resting around the campfire as usual. Mitsuki took his time, since he had to pull out his blanket from the backpack. Once he did, he sat near the fire alongside the others.

Monar and Marco looked at him, confused. They thought Mitsuki was the type to always keep his distance, but...

’I’m only staying close because I’m weaker and they could kill me... If anything, I could use the two of them as shields.’

He chose to maintain his skeptical mindset when it came to camaraderie and slept peacefully that night.

***

The dark midnight clouds cast the silvery light of the full moon in faint rays that illuminated the gloomy scene before these two women. Massive gray stone walls rose toward the sky, forming the fortress that had once been impenetrable, but was now nothing more than a shadow of its former self.

They advanced in silence across this ashen land, passing through the entrance to the decaying kingdom where it had all begun. Soon, they reached the most desolate and silent areas anyone could ever witness. Hundreds of ruined, empty houses stretched toward the visible horizon, where the king’s great castle stood imposingly with its towering, shadowy spires.

Despite the magnificence of the structures, there was nothing but loneliness and a sepulchral silence so profound that you could hear your own breathing and the beating of your heart.

They continued along the wide streets, taking in the scene.

"There’s nothing..." Jeanne said.

"Not a soul..." Ellegaard added.

That was what both of them feared: that what the Heralds of Shadow had said was true. Ellegaard tightened her grip on her staff, raising it high. Then she sharpened her gaze and whispered a few words in her native tongue. In the next instant, a vast wave of prana surged from her position, spreading throughout the entire capital.

Shaking her head, the elf sighed.

"Yes. There’s nothing and no one. The Ashen Curse has been released and has spread in every direction across the rest of the kingdom."

"That... is very bad."

"No. It’s still not enough proof. Let’s keep going."

"If you say so."

They both continued toward the castle. Before long, they reached the stairs Mitsuki had fled through the first time he had been there. From there, they pressed on, entering the castle through the massive double doors, which stood open—its imposing wooden panels broken and consumed by ash.

The long corridors that followed also showed faint signs of the Ashen Curse’s presence, something that made Ellegaard frown. The great white walls, decorated with decaying chandeliers and rusted armor, carried that same bleak hue of decay.

"This is supposed to be where it all began," Ellegaard murmured. "But it’s the place with the least presence of the curse. That’s strange..."

Suddenly, the creaking of ancient metal echoed. Ellegaard turned toward the source of the noise and saw Jeanne slipping one of the swords from a display armor set into her spatial bag.

The princess noticed her glance.

"What? You don’t visit a place with guaranteed life-threatening danger every day. Let me keep a few souvenirs from our fantastic expedition."

The elf sighed.

"Do whatever you want, but don’t take more than you can carry. And keep your eyes open, just in case."

Then they continued toward the most important place in any castle—the throne room. The corridor leading there was the most ominous of all. Ash spread across the walls like hands rising from hell, forming grotesque roots that burrowed into the stone.

The doors to the hall were even more ravaged by ash than the ones outside, which already said a lot about what awaited them inside.

They stepped in, finally witnessing the origin of one of the Great Ancient Mysteries.

"Amazing..." Ellegaard whispered. For her, mystery was what gave meaning to her life and to Arcane Magic, so seeing such a legendary, mysterious, and dangerous place for the first time filled her with a faint sense of joy. "What the hell could have caused all of this?"

She walked among piles of ash resting beside the great columns that supported the ceiling. The beautiful stained-glass windows cast their figures across the marble of the shattered throne, illuminated by moonlight filtering through the cracked panes.

"This is history, right? You look pretty happy to be here."

Ellegaard cleared her throat. Her face was slightly flushed at Jeanne’s remark.

"Well, any arcane mage would be interested in uncovering the mystery behind an ancient cataclysm. Just be quiet and let’s keep investigating."

"You do that. I’m not good with ancient curses and stuff like that."

"You would be if you had paid attention in my classes instead of being a spoiled, bratty child."

Jeanne ignored that and continued toward the far walls. Meanwhile, Ellegaard shook her head in resignation and began her investigation of the throne room.