Episode 805 World Assembly (2)
As Gargant is the largest city on the continent, it naturally has the largest population. Although it varies by district, the population density is also very high.
Day as day, night as night.
Humans, beastmen, and rarely elves and dwarves roam the forest of buildings. What would be considered a festival in other cities is merely a common occurrence here.The social infrastructure of this megacity is unrivaled by any other city.
However, chaos caused by crowds is currently occurring in various places in Gargant.
As the frequency of unavoidable contact between people increased, so did the instances where arguments broke out and led to fights.One can imagine the look on the face of a nobleman who foolishly took a shortcut by driving his carriage onto a narrow road.
Despite the winter, the patrol carried out their duties while sweating profusely. However, no one rashly drew a bladed weapon out of heightened emotion.This was because a strict decree had been issued strictly prohibiting murder during the specified period.
Of course, there is no king in Gargant. There is merely an existence greater than that. The fantastic sanctuary towering over the city is the very restraint.
Gargant is a realm beyond the plane.
“Hahaha, it’s nice to be making such a fuss. This is the first time I’ve received this much attention. My auction for a dragon was just a neighborhood party, wasn’t it?”“Well, I suppose so.”
There is only one person who can obtain the dragon’s bone, and there are few formidable forces capable of challenging this head-on.There is no reason for unqualified forces or individuals to go through the trouble of seeking it out.
On the other hand, the World Conference is different.
Forces from all continents, including non-human races, gather together.
It can be a golden opportunity for those who want to somehow make connections with precious people whom they would normally not even be able to meet face-to-face, andfor those who simply came to watch, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime memory.
Just like the wizards who flocked to Virente in droves just to catch even a brief glimpse of the transcendents attending the Magic World General Assembly.
You kept your promise, just as expected.
Ignacia, who had been standing by the window, flopped down onto the sofa.Her dreamy eyes, which seemed to hold the Milky Way in the night sky, turned toward Verden, who was sitting with his legs crossed right across from her.
“The Emperor wouldn’t have been willing to give up the venue for the World Congress so easily. How did you persuade him? Did you have some kind of advanced negotiation skill?”“I made a deal.”“What was the deal?”“You will find out soon.”
Verden took a sip of the steaming tea. It was sweet. Ignacia always enjoys sweet snacks.
“You’re playing hard to get again, acting like you’re going to show me but not really. Just as I expected. That’s typical of Verden. People with loose tongues lose their appeal quickly. But then again, being too tight-lipped feels stifling and isn’t very appealing either.”
The corners of her eyes curved.
“On the other hand, forcing someone to open their mouth is quite fun. Isn’t it?”“…….”
Adrian answered with silence. He didn’t like Ignacia very much.Putting everything else aside, the main reason was their personality differences.
Regardless, Ignacia smiled brightly.
“Seeing Adrian guarding you so closely like this, is something wrong with your body? Do you think you’ll explode if I even lightly touch you?”“Does it look like it?”“Oh my, as a Transcendent, I’m your senior, you know? Don’t you know that? You’re acting incredibly menacing right now. It’s like you’ve come here to wage a world war, not a world conference.”
Ignacia vanished for a moment and reappeared behind Verden.Adrian, having been ordered before arriving here not to be on high alert, made no effort to react and simply watched her movements.
A slender finger touched the cheek.
“You were nowhere to be seen even when a plague broke out across the entire continent and the Blood Alliance attacked. Have you been doing nothing but research magic all this time? So, what kind of magic did you create? Just give me a little hint. Huh? Huh? Huh?”“I’m curious.”
Verden lightly snapped his fingers to refresh the surroundings. With that, a book was summoned from the subspace.From the title to the content, none of the characters overlapped with the continent’s common language.
Ignacia tilted his head.
“It’s not an ancient language. What is this?”“It’s a gift. Do you recognize the characters?”“Wait…”
Ignacia had been hosting large-scale auctions as a hobby for quite a long time. The expertise he had accumulated through that experience was enough to put even the most renowned appraisers to shame multiple times over. Yet,such a transcendent being was expressing considerable reluctance over a mere book.
“I have absolutely no idea. What is this? Is it an artifact from a pre-ancient era? Where on earth did you get such an antique? Did you discover some ruins?”“Something like that.”
Ignacia glared at the book, then flinched briefly before focusing on the scent. The fragrance deeply ingrained in the material itself brushed past the tip of his nose.
“The smell of sand…… sand?”
Ignacia muttered softly.
“Desert?”“This is an interpretation that maps the characters of the desert language to the characters of the continent’s common language. If you refer to it, you should be able to read that book as well.”
The interpretation of the text was entrusted to Arion. This was the gift for Ignacia that had been asked of Isabella before the closure.Her expression changed moment by moment before returning to its original state.
“Desert language, desert language. So you’re saying there is a civilization in the desert?”“If you’re curious, read a book.”“This push-and-pull is really…… Ahahahahaha.”
A sweet laugh echoed around, then suddenly stopped.
“What do you want?”“I said a gift.”“Okay, thanks for the gift. But this is just bait to provoke me. I’m having so much fun right now, you know? So I think I’ll grant pretty much anything you ask, so don’t hide it and just tell me. Before it’s too late.”
Ignacia has a strong tendency to prioritize interest over reason. As far as Verden knows, there is no transcendent being who prioritizes desire more than she does as a hedonist.
Verden said.
Let’s do business together.
* * *
Verden put down the teacup.
“First, I plan to procure a large quantity of Mithril. A Mithril mine would be ideal.”“Just Mithril? Isn’t Eon enough for that?”“It’s not just that scale. Realistically, we lack the capacity on our own. I’d prefer to avoid drawing too much attention from the early stages if possible.”
Ignacia chuckled.
“Well, Eon has a lot of enemies, after all.”
At the General Assembly of the Magic World, the Ten Great Magic Towers were pressured using the Bohemian Magic Tower’s human experiments as a pretext, and the Undead forces and the Blood Alliance also coveted the ownerless land.This means that there are forces, or factions, capable of baring their fangs at Eon on the stage.
In the midst of this, if rumors spread that Mithril is being procured in excess, subtle interference will emerge, teetering on the edge of crossing the line.It is highly likely that factions not in direct conflict with Eon will also join in. After all, it is only natural that they cannot stand to see anyone prosper.
Crunch.
Ignacia asked while munching on a soft, sweet, high-quality cookie.
“Anyway, what kind of business is this that requires so much Mithril? What is it that you ultimately aim to achieve through this business? It can’t be just for the trivial money.”“The magic system will change as a result.”“What?”
Verden nonchalantly uttered a declaration that, as a wizard, he could not possibly ignore. Hecontinued speaking to her, who wore a blank expression.
“I have obtained a clue to incantation magic lost in ancient times. And I plan to use Mithril as a tool for this.”
Spellite.
This was none other than a material made by processing Mithril using a special method, a metal that Telor himself had explained at the first magic tower.
A staff crafted from Spelllight allows one to make stronger requests to this world, causing a phenomenon where the power of incantation magic increases.
Of course, we need to fully revive incantation magic before that, but since we have established at least the basic foundation and magical principles, it is ultimately just a matter of time.
All that remains is practical research.
Verden intended to preempt the magic system that was to be revamped to suit the modern era. He had already finished formulating his plan in his mind.
“Incantation magic out of the blue… Starting with artificial golems, you’re reviving every single lost ancient magic technique. At this rate, are you going to make scrolls too?”“…….”
Ignacia asks.
“How is Mithril used to become a catalyst for incantation magic?”“If you secure a certain amount of Mithril, I will show you the results. I will share the incantation magic as soon as the necessary research is finished. If there is anything else you want, it would be best to discuss it later when we sign the contract.”“So you really have your hands on incantation magic… But why me? There are other factions, aren’t there?”“Because we are accomplices.”
Ignacia sided with Dahit and spread the hierarchy breakthrough phenomenon across the entire continent, and Verden escaped sanctions even after eliminating the Black Hour and the leadership of the Bohemirn Magic Tower.In effect, these two are the main culprits who have thrown the current magic world into chaos.
Sharing secretsthat would be troublesome if discovered actually fosters trust.Verden and Ignacia’s personal relationship remains equal.
Ignacia quietly covered the corners of her mouth and shrugged her shoulders slightly.
“That’s interesting. It looks like it will be fun. If the incantation magic is perfected, it seems like it will really cause a cataclysm in the magical world. Then there will be far more interesting incidents, won’t there?”“What is your answer?”“Alright, I accept.”
Ignacia became a business partner.
“But even in Gargant, the amount of Mithril we can secure while avoiding attracting outside attention won’t be very much. So shouldn’t we find other sources?”“I have already secured them. You aren’t the only accomplice.”
There are forces aligned with Verden even outside of Eon’s territory. These include the Bohemirn Magic Tower led by Lobelin and the Ostea Magic Tower commanded by Medrant.
The sound of giggling tickled my ears.
“Wow, look at you plotting behind the scenes. You are beyond insidious. Murdering Dahit Wesroel in the shadows, killing Balok Besias and his followers, unifying ownerless lands to arbitrarily declare them your territory, and trampling the underworld so it cannot even raise its head under the pretext of the Third Commandment—shall I say you are truly a Transcendent being?”“Anyone hearing this would think you are a formidable villain.”“To the ones you wronged, you are a magnificent villain.”
Ignatius picked up the book.
“Anyway. Apart from business, since you gave me a gift like this, I suppose I should reciprocate, right? I’m going to announce it on the day of the World Conference, but I’ll tell you now.”“I’m listening.”“The northern part of the Eastern Continent. Delharun has been unified by the forces of the Transcendents.”
Verden narrowed his eyebrows.
“……And the leader?”“You’ve probably heard of him, too. He’s called ‘Mauler.’”
Ignacia crossed her legs.
“He contacted me a while ago saying he would attend the World Conference. So I sent the guys to check it out in detail. It looks like he really ground himself in anger during his time away; his forces are quite formidable.”“And.”“Mauler wants the Eastern Continent. He said so himself. So there’s a high chance he’ll hold you back at the World Conference, you know? Judging by your reaction, it seems you suspected it, though.”
The smile vanished in an instant.
“Just because he was defeated by the Beast King, you’d better not underestimate him. They say the Beast King of this era is revered as the greatest creature in the history of the Beastkin. Seeing him bounce back like this after facing a fellow like that, his level must have risen since then. Well, anyway!”
Ignacia rested his chin on his hand.
“An interesting sight. I can look forward to it, right?”“Go ahead.”
Verden answered calmly and immediately stood up from his seat.
“The Elf will arrive on the same day. I’m done with my business, so I’ll be going now.”“Right… Oh, right. I heard that incredibly rare jewelry is being sold in Eon recently. Could you get me one of the highest grade?”
The Golden Sinner spread rumors upon rumors even as the world was in chaos due to the epidemic. The ancient jewelry was already attracting the attention of high society.
I’ll make a reservation.
And so, Verden and Adrian left the Sanctuary of Illusion. From the top of the building, the pitch-black carriage was clearly visible receding into the distance.
How will the world conference proceed?Will it turn into a complete mess?Or will it go in a different direction?
Ignacia found it hard to bear. It was just a pity that the date could not be moved up. It was right then, while she was immersed in such anticipation, that it happened.
Whoosh.
Ignacia turned her head. The Transcendent’s senses were heightened. Her eyes, gazing somewhere in Gargant, flickered intensely.
“Oh my… what could this be?”
* * *
A symbol modeled after a sharp shield.
A procession of carriages from the Kingdom of Estiria is passing through the streets of Gargant.Inside were not only Calia and her escorts Cain and Enette, but also Duke Esperensa and Silis herself, known as the Doll Princess.
Originally, Silis was ruling the kingdom by using the first prince, Valugna, as a puppet, but she could not stage a puppet show at the World Council. Shewould be discovered immediately.She did not possess the arrogant confidence that she could deceive the transcendents.
Silis quietly took a deep breath.
I consulted with Lord Verden, so I’m not worried… but I’m still nervous.
This is the first time I have come out into the world in person like this.
It would have been impossible if the Kingdom of Estiria had not been designated as part of Eon’s territory, and without the solid support of Verden.
There will be some commotion ahead, but it won’t be that difficult to resolve.
The Dream of the Dark Moon… to be precise, because she experienced the extraterrestrial magic mixed within it, and thanks to the Ark’s Regulator, her ancient bloodline magic adapted to it, becoming much stronger than before.
If things go according to plan, there won’t be any problems—
That’s strange. It’s definitely a face I’ve never seen before.
A strange voice was heard from beside me.
‘……uh?’
Gasp.My breathing is twisted.
Even the Duke of Esperensa sitting opposite him dared not react. He could not even place his hand on his sword and just stared with wide eyes.
Cold sweat is pouring down.My whole body started trembling without me realizing it.
W-what on earth?
As Silis slowly turned his head… a beautiful woman, looking as if she had stepped out of a dream, was standing with her arm around Silis’s shoulder, her eyes shining.
Ignacia, the transcendent being of fantasy, whispers.
“Why can I feel my power coming from you? Can you explain it to me in detail? So that I can understand.”
The witch faced the outside world.
