ISEKAI? More like I See Crap!
Chapter 301: The Curse and the Cursed ( 301 )

Chapter 301: The Curse and the Cursed ( 301 )

Meanwhile.

In the Dwarven Capital City — Royal Palace

The heavy air inside the palace chamber was thick with incense and worry. Outside the royal chamber, several priests stood in silent rows — robes of gold, green, and silver marking their origin. Some were from the Human Kingdom. Others from the Elven tribes. A few bore the rare sigils of faraway mountain temples.

Inside the room, the Dwarven Chieftain sat beside the large stone-framed bed, his thick fingers clenched tightly around his daughter’s pale hand. She lay there motionless, her breathing shallow, her skin marked faintly by ominous curse veins glowing beneath the surface.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes red and wet — but no tears fell.

The girl who once ran the palace halls with joy now looked like a sleeping shadow of herself.

Behind him, a high priest bowed his head.

"We’re sorry, Chieftain. Our combined purify and cleanse rituals can only hold the curse at bay. It slows... but it does not leave."

The Dwarven Chieftain nodded slowly, his deep voice low. "I know. But if this gives us time... just enough time for the elixir to be made... that’s all I ask."

His trusted advisor stepped forward, voice careful but firm. "Chieftain. The request has been posted to every guild hall across the kingdom for over a month now. No one has accepted."

A heavy silence followed.

The chieftain’s shoulders slumped just slightly.

"I know," he muttered. "I just... hoped someone would take it. Even a fool. Even a greedy adventurer who just wants the reward... anyone."

His daughter stirred weakly. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Just the soft breath of someone too tired to speak.

The chieftain reached out and gently brushed her hair away from her face.

"Hold on, my daughter," he whispered. "Just a little longer..."

The Dwarven Chieftain’s voice cut through the silence, heavy with restrained frustration.

"...How is the progress of our summoned heroes?"

His advisor bowed slightly. "They are advancing, Chieftain. As of the last report, all three have reached level 31. One among them has touched level 32."

The chieftain leaned back against the stone chair, fingers tapping slowly against the carved armrest.

"Good... and their skill? Their divine blessings? Are they capable of accepting the quest yet?"

There was a pause before the advisor replied. "Regretfully... I do not believe so, Chieftain."

The advisor cast a glance toward the priests outside the door before continuing.

"We have tested them. Sent them to train in known unstable zones, ones where gravity fluctuates and magic flow distorts spell formations — though still lesser than the seven places tied to the special herb."

The chieftain’s brow furrowed.

"And?"

"They failed to adapt. Their chanting collapsed. The mage among them lost control of his spell. The knight’s footing faltered. Even with blessings from the summoning altar, their coordination broke under pressure."

The room fell into a heavy silence again.

A faint cough escaped from the bed. The chieftain looked toward his daughter, but her eyes were still closed. The curse remained, faintly pulsing across her arms like threads of dying magic.

"They are still young," the advisor added carefully. "We can train them further."

"Train them faster," the chieftain muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Time is a luxury we no longer have."

The advisor gave a slight bow. "Chieftain. One of the guildmasters from a small dwarven town — Stonebed. He leads the adventurer guild there. He has come requesting audience."

The chieftain’s expression shifted subtly. "Oh? What matter brings him so far from his post?"

The advisor glanced at his notes. "He mentioned... the special quest."

The chieftain sat forward, eyes narrowing. "The herb gathering?"

"Yes, Chieftain."

A flicker of surprise crossed the old dwarf’s face, quickly replaced by a hardened look of cautious hope.

"Then don’t waste time. Send him in immediately."

He turned to a nearby servant with a nod. "Prepare the table. Food and drink. If he came all the way from Stonebed, he’ll be tired. Let’s not treat a potential bearer of good news poorly."

The servant bowed and rushed off.

The chieftain adjusted his posture, casting one last glance at his daughter lying silently upon the bed before letting out a long breath.

"Let’s hear what this guildmaster has to say."

The dwarf guildmaster from Stonebed stepped forward, giving a deep bow with the weight of respect and urgency.

"Chieftain..." he began.

The chieftain, sitting upright by his daughter’s bedside, quickly waved his hand. "Go on."

"We’ve acquired one of the herbs from the request, Chieftain. Two chusi flowers have been successfully retrieved."

The chieftain’s eyes widened. He leaned forward in disbelief, hope flickering in his aging gaze. "Someone took the quest!?"

"Yes, Chieftain. A black-haired human accepted the request personally at our guild. From the reports of the town guard and a few of our watchers, he completed the first task alone and returned with the herb unharmed. After submitting it, he immediately departed for the next location."

"The next one...?" The chieftain’s voice trembled slightly. "Who escorts him?"

The guildmaster nodded. "A senior coachman—Old Girem.’"

The chieftain’s mouth slowly parted. "For real...?"

"Yes, Chieftain. And from what we’ve seen, the herb is real. Our town’s apothecary has already confirmed its authenticity. Grown in the depths of the poison swamp."

The chamber fell silent for a moment, the weight of those words settling in.

The chieftain clenched the arms of his seat. "But the chusi flower... that place... Even Rank A adventurers avoid it without a full team. The swamp pool melts mithril, and the miasma kills in minutes..."

The guildmaster gave a small nod. "That’s what makes this news so baffling. He walked in alone... and walked out alive. With two flowers."

The chieftain leaned forward, his brow furrowed deeply.

"So this human adventurer... what is his name? And his rank?"

The guildmaster placed a hand over his chest respectfully. "Hazekaya Hazuki. Rank B+ adventurer. According to the guild network system, he’s officially registered under that name. Origin: Unknown. Affiliation: None."

The chieftain narrowed his eyes. "Hazekaya... Hazuki?"

The guildmaster continued, "He was the one who handled the rift monster outbreak in Macia Town. Alone. Both at the east and west gates."

The chamber went silent.

"Alone?" The chieftain’s voice dropped in disbelief. "You’re talking about a full-scale rift outbreak. Even elite squads fail to cover both sides."

"Yes, Chieftain. That was confirmed by the Macia Guildmaster himself. During the last guild summit, he submitted a formal proposal to promote Hazuki to Rank A, citing the rift events and multiple solo high-tier subjugations."

"Then why is he still B+?"

The guildmaster sighed. "Majority of the attending Guildmasters disagreed. Most claimed it was too risky to allow a free-acting solo adventurer that much privilege and power without oversight. No noble house backing. No allegiance."

The chieftain clenched his jaw. "So they let pride and politics interfere... again."

The guildmaster lowered his head. "I cannot deny that, Chieftain."

The old dwarf king exhaled, his hand slowly returning to rest atop his daughter’s frail hand.

"This Hazuki... What kind of man walks into poison swamps and walks out alone with chusi flowers?"

He paused, staring toward the flickering lantern light of the chamber.

"Send word to every guild in our kingdom. If this Hazuki submits another herb... I want a full report sent to me instantly."

"Yes, Chieftain!"

( End Of Chapter )