I play a Evil God in Otome Game

Chapter 92: Chapter 91:The Holy Grail

Duke Alfred moved forward, destroying and vanquishing dozens of Shovays, alchemical creations that appeared in his path. As Galentine hummed with a loud noise, nothing could stop the Duke.

Virgo walked calmly behind him, and they had descended even further. The dungeon seemed endless, always going downward. Interestingly, the alchemical creatures, constantly growing stronger, created an unsettling feeling. How much further down could this dungeon go? It was unexpected.

"This dungeon's creatures seem infinite," Alfred snapped his fingers and, with a single blow of his sword, cut down a Shovay that lunged at him, raising its own sword. Virgo smiled wisely. "Patience, patience, my Lord. There's a saying: 'To the patient, the Goddess's doors open.' Do you know it?"

An intriguing smile appeared on Duke Alfred's lips. It was a light, mischievous smile. "If it's the door to the bedroom, I am willing to wait."

Virgo sighed and smiled faintly. "As amusing as you are, it would not be wise for us to anger the Goddess."

The Duke mocked her and cleaved through the Shovays in front of him. "I'm not afraid of the Goddess. If she's brave enough, let her come against me."

With a cold expression, the Duke swiftly decapitated the knight before him. Virgo stroked his beard. "There's a difference between bravery and foolishness, my Lord."

The Duke grumbled but said nothing. If anyone else had spoken those words, he might have been angered, but Virgo had been his long-time friend, and they shared a master-student relationship.

"Fools are simple," the Duke said calmly. His eyes shifted to Virgo. "They are the ones who flatter every woman they see, trying to mimic bravery despite being nothing but cowards."

The Duke then cut down the last Shovay and sighed. He gently massaged his shoulders. "But the brave are different. They aren't brave for money, power, or love. They are brave for their families. This is the difference between foolishness and bravery, Virgo."

Virgo's eyes sparkled, then he smiled slightly. "Very good. But remember, every cut should have its limit. After all, one day we might all die, or we might encounter someone stronger than us."

The Duke's eyes grew serious as he looked at Virgo. There was a warning in his gaze. "Virgo, you're forgetting something. In this world, no one can threaten me or Thornvile. If someone does, then..."

Alfred sheathed his sword with a sharp gleam and regained his composure. "They better be ready to face my sword."

Virgo followed the Duke as he turned and walked away. He looked at him thoughtfully, wanting to say something but staying silent. He could only curse his old student's stubbornness.

As Duke Alfred and Virgo moved forward, the strength of the dungeon's creatures, monsters, and other things increased, and surprisingly, their numbers decreased.

"Their numbers are thinning. Is this a good thing?"

"Maybe, but I don't think so," Virgo said calmly. His gaze swept through the dungeon. "Creating numerous simple creatures is easy, but creating powerful ones is much harder. We will probably encounter bigger and stronger creatures."

"Interesting," Duke Alfred said calmly. "I wonder what kind of creatures we'll face."

"Based on the quality of this alchemy, we can tell it's from King Arthur's time. Very high quality," Virgo remarked with a slight hint of sarcasm. The Duke's gaze shifted to him. "If this alchemy still exists here, why aren't they recreating it?"

Virgo's eyes grew serious, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"In King Arthur's days, the world was much broader and filled with darker secrets than we could imagine," Virgo said softly as he stroked his beard. "Back then, alchemy was not just a science, it was an art. Their goal was not just wealth, but to uncover the secrets of life. Some succeeded... others paid the price."

Virgo then quoted from a book: "One night, under the moonlight, I saw an alchemist give birth to a creature. A Chimera! The courage of a lion, the will of a goat, and the deadly poison of a serpent combined in one body. But when I looked into the creature's eyes, I saw only the punishment of human pride. The Chimera broke its chains and set the laboratory it was created in ablaze."

"This quote is from Sir Kay's account of King Arthur's adventures," Virgo said, then thoughtfully turned his gaze. "Alchemy was very powerful back then. People had grown strong enough to create creatures."

"A Chimera? Aren't those just fairy tale creatures?" Duke Alfred frowned. Virgo shook his head in rejection. "The Chimera's location is unknown, but some say Sir Kay killed it, while others claim it was tamed by Vortigern."

"What about dragons?" Duke Alfred asked with curiosity. "Can a dragon be created with alchemy?"

"Oh, no... Dragons are incredibly powerful and cannot be recreated. You can create a half-dragon, but not a full dragon." Hearing this, Duke Alfred sighed. The idea of building an army of dragons had been on his mind, but this news extinguished it.

"There was a fine line between the power of alchemy and the dangers of magic. People crossed that line... and paid the price." Virgo explained calmly, glancing at Duke Alfred from the side. "Remember this lesson, Alfred. Never cross that line."

Seeing Virgo's serious gaze, Alfred nodded. Then, in silence, they descended further into the dungeon. Soon, they passed through a corridor.

At the end of the corridor was a large, grand door. It had a beautiful design and usually featured white, grey, and colorful hues within its ornamentation.

"Let's go," Duke Alfred said calmly, not wanting to wait any longer. As he easily opened the large door, he found himself in a grand room, almost like a throne room.

As soon as the Duke entered, he was surprised to see an elderly woman waiting for him. His gaze fell on the bowl in her hands, and he furrowed his brow in curiosity.

Unlike Duke Alfred, Virgo narrowed his eyes but said nothing. The elderly woman looked almost decayed. When she opened her eyes, the Duke had already drawn Galentine and pressed it against her throat.

Duke Alfred, eyes narrowed and gazing at the elderly woman threateningly, stood cautiously. "Who are you?"

The elderly woman's red, emotionless eyes turned to Duke Alfred. Her red eyes gleamed. "Who I am is of no importance, my son..."

Though the woman was old, her voice was smooth and calm. The strange crackling sound showed that she was likely a product of alchemy.

"One who is worthy will take one of the seven pieces of the Holy Chalice. That is the rule. I hope you understand, my son." The elderly woman said calmly, with an emotionless tone. As soon as Duke Alfred heard about the Holy Chalice, he froze. "The Holy Chalice?"

The elderly woman nodded. She then slowly raised the bowl in her hands into the air. "Whoever unites the seven pieces of the Holy Chalice scattered across Aure will have their wish come true."

"The all-powerful chalice?"

If Duke Alfred claimed he wasn't surprised, he would be lying. Furrowing his brow in astonishment, he froze. "Is this piece of the Holy Chalice King Arthur's Sorrow?"

The elderly woman shook her head. "Yes, after Galahad's death, King Arthur hid this last piece of the Holy Chalice, the final legacy from Galahad, here."

Duke Alfred's eyes gleamed with understanding. It was interesting that this was the famous legendary artifact. "But tell me, how does Ardun Castle have such a powerful Anti-Magic defense?"

The Duke, who had lowered Galentine, asked more calmly than before. The old woman's eyes glowed red for a moment before she continued. "The Holy Grail gives me infinite Mana. That's why the Castle's defenses are so strong. I constantly send Mana to the Castle."

"With this power, you could do incredible things in Aure. Why do you live here in solitude?" The Duke asked, slightly surprised. The old woman smiled faintly. "The Holy Grail causes the curse of depriving those unworthy of it of all their happiness and love, my Lord."

"Then why did you hold on to the Holy Grail and agree to stay here forever?" The Duke said, softening his voice. His respect for this woman had grown. After all, she had been looking at a piece of the Holy Grail for centuries. This was not easy.

"I accepted my fate, my Lord," the old woman said seriously. Duke Alfred frowned. As someone who did not believe in fate, this seemed like a foolish reason to him. "I don't understand. Did you agree to be trapped here just because of this?"

"Just as you accepted being led by your fate, I too accepted being led by mine, and thus agreed to be trapped here." Upon hearing the old woman's answer, Duke Alfred fell silent. Not wanting to discuss the matter further, he decided to test whether he was worthy.

"I want to try," Lord Alfred said seriously. He truly wanted the Grail. The old woman smiled and extended the Grail towards him for him to touch.

"Touch it and let fate guide you..." the old woman said solemnly. Duke Alfred cautiously reached out and gently held the Grail with both hands. As soon as he took the Grail, a power that shook the entire dungeon manifested everywhere.

"Hii!!" Duke Alfred shuddered as the sudden power entered his body. It wasn't just Duke Alfred; the entire dungeon, even the entire region, trembled.

"Th-this power!" Virgo even stopped as he felt the sudden shaking force. Who could have known that the Holy Grail was this powerful? Even a piece of it had such a huge impact.

"Haa!!" Duke Alfred shouted in anger and began to lift the Grail. The Mana emanating from the Grail was already shaking the entire dungeon.

Seeing that the Holy Grail was still trying to pressure him, Alfred began to push back with his own Mana. As his Mana rapidly dwindled, the Duke was covered in a cold sweat.

"Huh?" When the Holy Grail suddenly stopped releasing Mana, the Duke knelt and breathed heavily. Under the pressure, he was almost collapsing, but he had successfully taken the Grail.

Meanwhile, with the dungeon no longer being supported by Mana, it was on the verge of collapsing. The Duke gathered himself and stood up, looking at the old woman. "Does this mean I am worthy?"

The Duke, holding the Grail gently, said. The old woman nodded with appreciation. Slowly, her body began to age further as she gazed into the Duke's eyes. "My Lord, remember. The greatest enemies are always those closest to us. Be careful, that man—"

Before the old woman could finish her sentence, Virgo stepped forward and looked at Alfred. "This woman is talking nonsense. Let's go before it collapses."

The old woman smiled when she saw Virgo and a glint appeared in her eyes. Then, with one final smile, her body turned to dust and vanished.

"The dungeon is about to collapse, let's go," Virgo said quickly. But when he saw that the Duke still looked thoughtful, he frowned. "That woman's words are meaningless, Alfred. Come, let's go and talk later."

The Duke turned to Virgo and nodded. Now was not the time for thinking. They then withdrew and began running quickly.