Crimson Eternal - Book 6 - Chapter 27 (Patreon)

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Table of Contents

Click the following link for the 1386 word chapter 27:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AvlNNFnW73HvBfjFSDZ3yMVaec1lPds743v4mNayvJE/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can read the unformatted version below:

Aria

I can’t help but frown when I arrive at my next destination. One that I decided on just to walk down memory lane.

The Southern Pass of the Arran continent of the planet Vortel, where I went with my team all those years ago to infiltrate Albaria. But what has me frowning are the random signs and the enormous amounts of people here treating the Southern Pass as a tourist attraction.

It’s kind of ridiculous to watch.

There are even signs pointing out cliffs that I climbed for the infiltration, and more signs pointing out places I ended up going splat when I fell down the cliff onto the ground below. With numerous tourists walking around taking pictures of the spots and even themselves standing next to the spots.

I don’t really know why, but I just kind of felt like going back here.

Of course, I’m watching this from underneath a rather large and triangular barrier that blocks all sight and is a pain to move around. Which attracts quite a bit of attention from those around the area. But it’s fine.

It’s the only way for me to hide my identity here. Since my death energy is too great nowadays to completely conceal from everyone, my hair can’t be dyed, and contact lenses are destroyed by the energy emitted by my eyes.

There are plenty of people ignoring me, though. So it’s fine.

I can’t help but wonder who set up this tourist attraction, but even that’s fine. It at least makes it easier to remember where exactly things happened.

More importantly, how did they know all of this? Even I don’t remember the exact spots I fell down while learning to climb…

The only people who should know that are members of my old team. Or maybe people with the ability to see the past.

Did someone from my old team tell whoever set up this tourist attraction about it? Or did they just have someone look at the past around here?

It makes me more than a little curious.

I continue walking around the tourist site while wearing a regular hoodie and shots, with my hands in my hoodie pocket as I remember everything. Including the path heading towards the portal deep within the mountains, which is an incredibly popular location. Seeing as it’s in a beautiful mountain range.

After looking at everything in the mountains and the Southern Pass, I head up to the Northern Pass. Where I find the abandoned town my team and I cleared of bandits all those years ago. With the two looking identical to what it looked like before.

Although the area around the town looks nothing like it used to, since there’s a large city built around the preserved town.

Which, again, is ridiculous.

I let out a sigh at the sight before heading to my old home. The place I was raised as a kid with the clones of my parents.

And what I find is the house completely restored to what it used to be. With numerous Crimson Empire knights stationed around it to stop the tourists from getting close.

It looks like my parents are keeping this place safe.

That’s nice to know.

I enter the mansion while dispelling the barrier around me. Because it’s just too large, and with the knights here, I don’t have to worry about anyone trying to walk up to me.

Of course, my doing that ends up creating a commotion amongst the people watching from a distance. But I ignore them as I walk around the mansion.

While walking through the place, I even manage to find a few things that bring back memories of the past. Like some marks on the wall at one spot where Mom would mark my growing height. Although there aren’t that many marks since the clones of my family were killed when I was so young.

There are also some toys that I used to play with when I was four or five years old.

I can’t help but smile at the sight of them, but I don’t take them with me. I just leave them where they are to preserve the memories.

Then I continue moving through the mansion until I explore all of it again, following which I head over to my favorite café on Vortel. Completely ignoring the crowds of people following me to watch now that I’m not using my barrier anymore.

The thing is too inconvenient to use in the city, and I can’t exactly use it in the café even if I tried.

It’s all fine since the people don’t actually go up to bother me with the knights walking alongside me.

I enter the café before moving to my usual spot.

Unlike the rest of Vortel, I still come here from time to time. So this isn’t as much of a walk through memory lane.

But if I’m here going through memories anyway, I might as well visit the café.

I enjoy some wine at the café before looking out at the snow falling outside for a while. Then I finally begin heading back to Eternus to check on the mercenary company headquarters out of curiosity.

Only to find a rather… unexpected surprise the moment I leave the planet.

Huh.

Why are there so many Pestilence Spirits fighting everywhere?

Whether it’s the space further away from Vortel, or Eternus itself when I arrive, there are Pestilence Spirits with Gates to the Plane of Pestilence open everywhere. With the spirits fighting against mercenaries and soldiers all over the place.

Is Pestilence at war with the universe now? Or are the Pestilence Spirits acting on their own again?

I know the pestilence spreading through the universe before wasn’t Pestilence’s doing. It was the doing of his Grand Spirits, and the rest of the Pestilence Spirits.

Are they doing this now, since they couldn’t do what they did before? And they seem to be avoiding my planets, and my territory in general judging by how there are no Pestilence Spirits attacking the buildings I own.

I open up some security footage of several of the planets I own, but none of them have any Pestilence Spirits on them either.

Hmm.

Looks like the Pestilence Spirits really are just avoiding my property to not piss me off again.

Well, that’s not bad.

I nod my head at this thought before going to my café on Eternus to find it filled to the brim with people. Far more than ever before.

And the line outside of the café stretches on for a very long way, with the Pestilence Spirits surprisingly ignoring the line. As if they’re going out of their way to avoid targeting my customers.

Huh. These people are totally taking advantage of the Pestilence Spirits avoiding my property to claim their own safety.

Then again, I’m not complaining.

It means a lot more people can enjoy my cafés. Since this isn’t likely the only café of mine across the universe in a situation like this.

These Pestilence Spirits sure are going out of their way to avoid getting on my nerves.

I smile at that thought before going to my private room inside of the café and beginning to drink some more of the special wine I got from Pestilence’s stores. And after drinking my fill, I proceed to walk outside and pass right through a Gate to the Plane of Pestilence. Where I find fighting currently ongoing between the Grand Pestilence Spirits, the Pharaoh of the Rex Dynasty of the Dead, and, surprisingly enough, the Grand Spirits of a few other types of spirits. Like the Grand Fire Spirits, Grand Water Spirits, and more.

Although Pestilence himself isn’t anywhere nearby, and Spirits can’t actually die. So this battle is going to rage on until the energy in the Plane of Pestilence runs out.

So, without further ado, I set up my usual chair and begin watching the battle while drinking my wine.

Of course, I begin establishing my Death’s Court here too. Because I don’t want to miss it if Pestilence actually dies here.

Even if the spirits don’t give me any progress.

I take another sip of my wine while letting out a sigh and sitting back to watch the spectacle.