Episode 868 To the Magic Kingdom (2)
Just as Albert Windylove had done—Vantarun Taresion, who intended to become the Master of the Diamun Magic Tower fairly and squarely by relying on a Transcendent—felt a terrible sense of despair and crisis simultaneously immediately after the World Conference ended.
‘The worst… it’s the worst.’
King Delharun’s plan to incite discord between the Ten Great Magic Towers and Eon went awry. And in a very wrong direction at that.
The first Magic Tower Master?
Who could have predicted that they would counterattack with a magic tower said to have been built over a thousand years ago? Especially when they even presented a legendary elixir as proof.
Ultimately, the Society’s activities against the Magic Tower regime ironically gained legitimacy.Furthermore, the Magic Towers, who should have been hostile to the Society, softened their animosity, seemingly moved by a few pleasant words from the Divine Being.
The protagonist of the world conference was Shinseong.
In the midst of this, Vantarun spouted nonsense, claiming that the Divine Being was too young to be the first Tower Master.Where in the world is there a Tower Master who hasn’t gone through the succession process?
As a result, Vantarun’s position as a candidate for the Tower Master became unstable.With the backing of a Transcendent, it was clear that even if not immediately, the Albert faction would soon gain dominance if things continued this way.
People naturally gather around the strong.
As defeat loomed large, Vantarun’s faction would crumble like a sandcastle. He desperately needed a chance to turn the situation around before that happened.
Gulp.
Vantarun held his breath as low as possible and fixed his gaze on the floor. The air in the audience chamber, permeated with Delharun’s characteristic bleak atmosphere, was unbearably heavy.
“…….”
The Great King of Delharun—Mauler, Gareth Cyrilliad—is seated on the throne. Without a word, occasionally tapping the armrest.
Mauler, who had to cooperate with the Luas religion due to his connection to the ‘Glory of the Dead’ raised by the Divine, naturally showed signs of displeasure… but outwardly, no particular change in emotion was noticeable.
Vantarun understood that it was the stillness before the storm.
It was then.
“A transcendent being of the magic world who awakened in his mere twenties… He really is something special.”“My expectations were completely wrong.”
A woman in uniform—Miracel, the commander of Delharun’s Royal Guard Division—opened her mouth in a reverent posture, with her hands clasped behind her back as usual.
“The hidden aspects—such as forces presumed to be on friendly terms with the Divine, its actual realm, its history, and information—were far more extensive than what has been revealed to the world. To the point where further speculation is meaningless. As of now, the subjugation of the Eastern Continent is impossible.”
Mauler asked as if bored.
“The alternative is.”“To exploit the confusion.”
Miracell envisioned a new outlook based on the world conference.
“Setting aside other matters, the veil has been lifted on the head-on confrontation between the ancient dark magic force known as the Glory of the Dead and the Ruas Church. The ultimate goal of the Glory of the Dead is the resurrection of the Old King—specifically, to seize the body parts of the Old King held by the Ruas Theocracy. Given that even the Ruas Church’s military power has failed to eradicate them for hundreds of years, I judge that the Glory of the Dead will launch a large-scale war in the near future.”
She continued speaking.
“It is impossible to gauge at this point what the aftermath of the war will be. However, global chaos is inevitable. That very moment is the opportunity to turn the tide of a relatively unfavorable situation. For it would not be surprising if anyone died on the battlefield.”
Vantarun wore a blank expression as if to say, “What am I listening to?”
Maula asked.
“That’s what they say. What do you think?”“Uh, I…”
Vantarun swallowed hard.
“Still, isn’t the risk of assassinating transcendents too great—”“Are you out of your mind?”
Bang.
Before anyone realized it, Mauler’s large hand gripped Vantarun’s forehead. Even the slightest force from his fingers would cause that fragile head to explode.
“What I want is the Eastern Continent. Killing the Holy One and the Heavenly Sword—those two are not only a hassle, but a problem that can be dealt with later. Then who on earth must I kill to shrink Eon’s territory?”“An executive of Eon, Ho, or…….”
Vantarun desperately squeezed out a voice.
“He is a powerful figure under Eon’s protection…!”“Right, just like your rival.”
Mauler leaned closer. Vantarun’s terrified face flickered in his steel-unwavering eyes.
“Aside from becoming the Master of Diamun, do you have any value?”“Uh, no…!!!”“Then get ready. Don’t make calculations on your own and end up getting disposed of.”
Mauler withdrew his hand.
“Sending this bastard back.”
Delharun’s Royal Guard Division took Vantarun out of the audience chamber. Although he claimed not to be a transcendent being, the Tower Master’s successor’s dim-witted appearance was utterly pathetic.
“Proceed with the World Conference agenda as scheduled. Be moderate and avoid causing too much trouble.”“Yes, I will observe the situation as much as possible.”“As an exception, I will allocate some additional force to the Hiaremar Inland Sea exploration team. I need to see with my own eyes what kind of object that Dragon Sword is.”“Understood.”
Miracel remembered the order exactly as it was and spoke again.
“Since forces without Transcendents are participating in the exploration of the Hiaremar Inland Sea, it is highly likely that a clause will be added prohibiting Transcendents from intervening in the exploration team.”“Officially, that would be the case, as it would be difficult to resolve any friction that arises.”“However, unofficially, that clause will likely not be observed.”
If a transcendent being attempts to hide effectively using various means, it is nearly impossible for non-transcendent beings to identify him.This is because even if they were discovered, they would be killed before they could react.
“It is actually what I hope for.”
Mauler stepped back onto the throne and smiled a smile full of vitality.
“If the Transcendentalist dies unofficially, no one will be able to present a justification.”
What kind of transcendents will infiltrate the search for Hiaremar?
Mauler personally wanted Eon’s Heavenly Sword to intervene.Adrian Chambers.I mean that arrogant bastard Transcendent.
* * *
Verden’s magic
First, continuous destruction.
The longer one is exposed to the dark red magic, the more the physical form is destroyed and disappears.Considering its power to destroy the essence beyond the physical level, theoretically, there is no physical form that Verden cannot eliminate in the long term.
However, this method of application is not suitable for urgent battles, as the opponent is highly unlikely to remain idle. The next approach is to compensate for this aspect.
Second, instantaneous destruction.
Verden combined magic and lightning attributes to maximize the conductivity of
What must be done to refine this?
To master the concept of destruction, Verden first approached it materially.Material damage.For the essence of destruction is destruction in the first place.
Crackle crackle!
The black lightning glowed and extended outward. As the magical power was withdrawn, the destructive current that had instantly pierced the metal alloy sphere vanished.
Gharun stroked his beard.
“There is no damage. It easily withstands this much. Now, try applying continuous magic.”“Very well.”
Boom!
Verden extended the duration of the lightning strike he had dropped on the sphere. As his magical power and concentration increased, the surroundings were dyed in a dark crimson hue.Gharun took roughly two steps back, yet he did not take his eyes off the sphere.
“……stop!”
Verden immediately scattered the thunderbolts.
“I suppose this is the limit to how long it can withstand damage. Structurally, its resistance and dispersion are maximized to make it formidable against instantaneous impacts, but there is a time limit due to the inherent limitations of the material itself. To create something that can withstand the long term, a material superior to the highest-tier metal alloys would be required.”“For example?”“At the very least, you would need a dragon skull. Or perhaps use dragon material with exceptional resistance. Realistically, that’s a difficult task.”
A dragon’s skull is one of the materials used in the creation of [Interis]. In other words, it meant that unless it was an object of that caliber, it could not withstand destruction for a long time.
Whoosh.
Gharun lightly tossed the metal sphere toward Verden.
“Still, that should be enough to test the instantaneous output. If that magic called ‘Hyeon-rae’ damages the sphere in an instant, it would be safe to say it has grown a step further.”“I like that it’s simple.”“That was the request, wasn’t it?”
Gharun seemed somewhat satisfied with the result, so he took out a cold drink and gulped it down. Verden, who had been examining the metal sphere this way and that, asked.
“What is the name of this?”“I haven’t decided yet. Well, there’s no need to make it complicated. [Tallagium]. That is the name.”
Tallagium.
It was a compound word formed by combining the ancient words for ‘god’ and ‘shield’ in their original order. The shield of the god and destruction. Thinking about it that way, it seemed to have some kind of history.
“Thanks always, Gharun. I’ll ask you again if I have a favor to commission later.”“Hmph, for the sudden greeting.”
Gharun snorted once and took another deep gulp of alcohol. He wiped the alcohol that had soaked his beard and the corners of his mouth with his forearm.
“What are you going to do now? Are you going to take that and lock yourself in a back room to meditate?”“I do intend to include that in my daily routine, but of course, I won’t be fully devoted to it. Simply pouring time into it won’t elevate my level. Besides, the invitation from the Akenad Magic Kingdom is just around the corner.”
Verden shrugged his shoulders.
So, I should finish my work before I leave.
* * *
Tilber Spangear, who had visited Arrain Fortress, scratched his head.
“So… you are saying that we should calculate it like this here to derive the magic power value required for the Golem’s actual movement?”
[Accuracy. Now put to use.]
“Yes, I, I will try.”
Tilber clutched a quill pen tightly in his small hand and solved the problem Alpha had given him. It was a simple task to calculate the power required for an artificial golem to move, based on its size, weight, structure, etc.
Alpha stared intently at Tilber’s calculation and his single eye gleamed.
[Tsk. Again.]
For reference, the statement that the problem was simple was based on Alpha and Beta standards. Tilber blinked, not knowing what on earth was wrong.
“Ah… Ah! So this is how you calculate it!”
[Tsk.]
Alpha imparted his teachings with cold reason rather than sweet words. It was only natural. After all, the person Alpha had watched and learned from all this time was Verden.
Meanwhile, in another room… Beta inspected the Golem unit responsible for maintaining order, while Verden focused on the reports flying in at all hours.
“Vantarun Taresion won’t sit idly by after suffering such humiliation at the World Council. To be precise, Mauler, who is behind him, will. So, slowly put pressure on Vantarun. So that you can respond immediately to whatever he does.”
Haha, tormenting those bastards in the Magic Tower is my specialty. Don’t worry about here.
I will make thorough preparations for assassination.
The matter of the Diamun Mage Tower has been entrusted to O’sgar and Grave.Since additional high mages skilled in combat and scouting have been dispatched, there will be no major problem even if the leader of Grimnax returns.
As Verden operated the communication device, he connected with another person.
───Holy, the current supply of Mithril has reached the first target. The amount delivered by Ignatia was much greater than expected. I will send it to the Great Hall immediately and hand it over to Olnord.
Medrant Keden, the Master of the Ostea Magic Tower and the Guardian Sage, was in charge of supplying Mithril. Mithril is the raw material for Spelllite, a metal specialized for incantation magic.
“I have secured sufficient funds, including the special research grant from the Ostea Magic Tower, so please take them from Robert. Then, I’ll leave the second objective to you as well.”
Knock knock, knock.
Verden finished the communication and opened the office with
“The foundation construction for the intercontinental spatial teleportation tunnel at the Artisan Magic Tower in Arrein is nearly complete.”“The same goes for the Underworld of Roaf.”“Here are the plans for the city expansion in the Ownerless Land, Lord Verden.”
Verden quickly scanned the plan and handed them the document on the desk.
“This is the unique blueprint for the intercontinental spatial teleportation tunnel I devised. Complete it only up to the preparation stage. I will finish the finishing touches. Liam, please make sure there is no shortage of construction materials.”“Yes, understood.”“Also, work in coordination with Dumal to support the establishment of Dalehin’s heteromorphic habitat district. Dumal will take the lead, so there shouldn’t be any difficulties.”
The three men, having answered in unison, left the private office at Arrain Castle. Even after that, Verden did not stop moving his eyes and hands for a single moment.
Organization of the Hiaremar Inland Sea exploration team.Dispatch of representatives to discuss the exploration of the Demon Realm.Intercontinental trade consultations.… … .
Verden continued to ponder how to dispatch Eon’s talented individuals to the right places.Amidst this, he also devoted time to theories regarding the Great Magic, which would become Eon’s unique method of mana utilization, and the incantation magic obtained from the First Magic Tower.
Of course, external activities were not neglected either.
Whoa?!
Yunia, having spun repeatedly, lost her center of gravity due to a sudden change in gravity and fell over. Lying on the ground, she gasped for breath.Cain was already lying face down beside her.
“Your movements have become much smoother. Your improvisation isn’t bad either.”“Haa, haa… Was teaching you worth it?”“Well, not yet.”“That’s so mean!”
Yunia let out a playful scream and sprang up, lifting only her upper body. Gulp. She gulped down a large amount of water, looking exhausted.Just as the short training session for the genius twins was coming to an end, a message arrived.
───My Lord, I have arrived in the Kingdom of Akhenad.
“Who came?”
───Jeren Chadwill. I am the Director of the Investigation Bureau.
“Director of the Investigation Bureau…… That’s an unusual selection. Understood.”
Verden created a spatial teleportation circle while maintaining the communication device. A distinctive purple hue enveloped Verden, Junia, and Cain.
Verden connected the communication device to another person inside the Great Hall.
“I am leaving for the Kingdom of Magic soon. Get ready.”
The answer came back.
───Understood, Head of the House.
Isabella Deiros.
She was included in the key personnel selection heading to the Akenad Magic Kingdom.The reason was simple.Isabella’s family was originally a prestigious one in the Magic Kingdom, and… there were records in the Magic Kingdom regarding the special entity that had fused with Isabella’s body.
