Episode 942 Aftermath (3)
The dawn of the day the unknown island was destroyed.
“Despite pushing ourselves so hard, the Sixth Apostle could not fully resurrect.”“But he has resurrected. That seal will be broken before long. The fate that was ultimately shattered will be rebuilt beautifully.”
As Teriwen, the leader of the Iderat Federation, let out a deep groan, Lennon Bernard, a world-renowned appraiser, encouraged him not to worry.
“However, it seems Lord Dantel will not be able to avoid severe disciplinary action from the higher ups. He is set to become the next Apostle, so his position might be shaken a little by this failure.”“Still, he will rise to the position of Apostle.”
Terrywen said.
“Because he is a transcendent being born of ‘Fate.’ Only the higher ups know exactly what that means, though.”“Well, followers like us just follow orders from above, so we don’t need to know the details, do we? That is precisely the mission and role given to us.”
Lennon Bernard acted as a puppet despite having a sense of self.
“In the end, we will be able to enjoy eternity.”“Indeed, that is certainly true.”
Terrywen was also like that.
“If I only follow ‘your’ will, I could repeat the best life forever.”
* * *
As dawn broke and news of the events unfolding in the world spread, the joint lecture on breaking through the hierarchy between the Divine and the Provider was postponed indefinitely. The same was true for the announcement of new magical techniques at the Artisan Magic Tower.The latter half of the Magic Festival, held normally for the first time in eight years, came to a close without being beautifully decorated.
The Theocracy of Luas was attacked by the First Servant, who seized the body of the Old King.The Second Servant was stationed on an island that rose in the Hiaremar Inland Sea.The Dragon Sword Magras was real.The Old King mentioned at the World Council was resurrected.
It was a major disaster.
Had the good news not spread that the Master of the Lefragium Magic Tower had stepped forward to confront the former king, the international community, which is sensitive and even fragile, would have found it difficult to maintain composure, even outwardly.
The ancient king released from his seal has still not revealed himself, and nothing could have happenedto the Lord of the Lefragium Magic Tower, the pinnacle of the current magical world. Furthermore, there is even information that the leader of the Glory of the Dead was slain by Verden of Eon after a bloody battle with numerous Transcendents.
Although the Lefragium Magic Tower has not yet announced what became of the former king after the island’s destruction, the immediate atmosphere has calmed down thanks to it.The officials decided to believe that the worst had surely been avoided.
but.
The aftermath was also a problem.
The advance expedition to explore the Hiaremar Inland Sea, commanded by Elder Schant, was annihilated.
Gentir Tower Master—Sigril Lavinia—crumpled the report.It was a report written by the remaining personnel of the exploration team dispatched from the Gentir Tower to the island who stayed on the ground to manage supplies and airships.
“……Are you saying the culprit is Mauler, Gareth Cyrilliard?”“There is no physical evidence, but rumors are circulating quietly that it is. The circumstances also seem to support it.”
I examined the list of missing and deceased people handed to me by the elder.
When combining not only the Zentir Magic Tower but also other magic towers and forces other than magic towers, quite a few people met their demise on the unknown island.
There is almost nothing in common among these forces. Most of them are indiscriminate. Although the number of Alien Species that appeared in the labyrinth was large, they were not powerful, so it is unlikely that a state-level military force would be defeated without even being able to escape. There are few artificial means capable of casually wiping out a force of this magnitude in just a few days.
Digging traps to launch surprise attacks, or deploying excess power that makes traps unnecessary… … .
The labyrinth was an unfamiliar environment to all factions, and given that its scale was said to be immeasurable, I can guarantee that the former is not the case.Who would set a trap and wait without hesitation when there is almost no chance of even encountering them?
Therefore, the answer is the latter, and there were many powerful beings falling into this category underground.I am talking about the transcendents who violated the exploration treaty.
The Control and the Master are not the type to commit massacres without reason, nor is there any reason for them to kill us no matter how you look at it. The same goes for Eon. From the very beginning, the Divine Being was so focused on the glory of the dead that they pursued the servant who stained the sanctuary with blood, from the continent to the island. The Heavenly Sword is a transcendent being who follows the will of the Divine Being.
According to the released information, the Glory of the Dead did not even have the capacity to allocate separate strength to other exploration teams because it was busy keeping an eye on the Transcendents.
All that remains is Mauler and the unofficial transcendent being who suddenly appeared and attacked the divinity… … .
Sigril closed his eyes.
While we cannot rule out the possibility that the culprit is that unknown transcendent being, it doesn’t add up in many ways to claim they revealed their existence solely to deal with a portion, at best, of the exploration team, rather than the entire one. Since they sought to aid the glory of the corpse, it is reasonable to assume they are in league with the servants. Furthermore, there is an associate of Eon among the recent casualties. Mauler is on a relationship tantamount to hostility with Eon.
The scales tilt to one side.
Looking at Mauler’s past actions, he is indeed the kind of person capable of such an act. After all,he is a cunning and violent individual. It would not be surprising if he massacred every expedition he encountered to conceal the fact that he had entered the island.
Crunch.
I was furious.
Aside from the personal relationship built with Elder Schiant, an Elder-level mage is a highly valuable asset.Whether trained directly within the Tower or recruited from the outside, it requires an investment of immense cost and time just to produce a single Elder capable of supporting the Tower.Furthermore, the fact that the Zentir Tower has lost a national-level military force is not the whole story.
The status of the Magic Tower has hit rock bottom.
Transcendents are fearsome beings. We must not confront the forces of the Transcendents as much as possible. The losses resulting from a conflict would be astronomical… However, that does not mean we can bow down to a Transcendent who arbitrarily killed members of the Magic Tower. Nor can we turn a blind eye to that act.
Even if one is a transcendent being, one cannot disregard the ten greatest magic towers of the magical world as if they were mere insects.As a Tower Master,one must demand a fitting price for the tower’s lofty authority and dominance.
“Elder Saren, please go to the Masterless Land yourself and schedule an appointment with Eon. I have something urgent to discuss with Eon’s leadership.”“When should we set the date?”
Sigril shattered the document frozen by the cold of the demonic path. The anger lingering on her face was reflected in the opaque ice shards.
Tomorrow would be nice, but today would be even better, so do it as quickly as possible.
* * *
Teriwen, the leader of the Iderat Alliance, who had visited the sanctuary of the Ruas Theocracy to commemorate the Magic Festival, vanished without a trace.Neither his body nor his remains were found.His whereabouts were searched, but no trace of Teriwen could be found in the Theocracy.
Except for certain rumors.
“……The Alliance Leader colluded with the Glory of the Dead to attack the Luas Church?”
Braonic Strom, the top diplomat of the multi-racial Confederation and a member of the Magic World General Assembly, stood up, slamming his hand on the desk.
“What kind of nonsense is that!!!! Who would say such rubbish!!”“C-I don’t know the source either.”
A diplomat from the Allied nation spoke the information he had barely managed to grasp while sweating profusely.
The unidentified figures who indiscriminately killed people in the crowd the moment the first servant appeared were Teriwen’s subordinates.Numerous civilian casualties occurred.As a result, the defense system of the Ruas Theocracy was thrown into disarray, leading to the unfortunate incident of allowing the first servant to intrude into the sanctuary.
“However, the Federation President’s disappearance is fueling this conclusion based on ridiculous rumors…….”“That conclusion is fundamentally flawed!”
Braonic denied reality.
“The Alliance Leader—how could he commit such a crazy act, considering what kind of person Teriwen is! He is a friend who agonizes over even what to do with a single small animal!”
There is no one who loves peace more than Teriwen; he is a man who has spent his entire life pursuing a world where all human species live together in harmony.
But a massacre? A massacre??
Braonic had no doubt that there must be some fatal mistake. He thought that some wretched entity had framed Teriwen.
However… there was one stone weighing on my mind.
At the World Conference, Teriwen succeeded in locating the Dragon Sword Magras by enlisting the help of the world-renowned appraiser, Lennon Bernard. Itwas entirely due to the Book of Prophecy possessed by the Alliance that attention was drawn to the Hiaremar Inland Sea before the island rose.And the island became the cornerstone for the Glory of the Dead to resurrect the ancient king.
There is a deep connection.
It is not that Teriwen betrayed them.
If Teriwen really did grasp the hand of the Glory of the Dead, there is a part that cannot be logically explained. Braonic still trusted Teriwen.
“Does the Theocracy of Luas know about it, too? About that rumor?”“I haven’t been able to ascertain the details that far, but… I assume they are already aware.”“It’s only natural, given their extraordinary intelligence capabilities. After all, they are directly involved.”
Braonic clutched his forehead.
My head hurts.
He agonized over how to explain the situation and prove the innocence of Teriwen and the Alliance.He pointed to the door and gave instructions.
“Tell Barigant to find Teriwen, even if it means committing the entire power of this Alliance. Even if it means finding a corpse or whatever! No matter what happens! I will handle the diplomacy—”
Bang!
The door to the chief diplomat’s office opened.
“Your Excellency Braonic……! I have something urgent to deliver right now……!”
The old diplomat squeezed out a voice without even catching his breath.
“Breaking news: The Cardinal of the Ruas Theocracy is currently on his way to the Alliance……!!”“The Cardinal of the Three Courts?”
How can the Ruas Theocracy be heading toward the Confederate States without even an agreement or contact, or even proper notification?
This is not the time to quibble over diplomatic discourtesy.
This is the first time this has happened.
An unbearable anger was felt from the heavy silence of the Ruas Theocracy. And that emotion was directed precisely at the Confederate States.
“Damn it!”
Boom!
Braonic smashed the thick desk with a fist loaded with lightning.
There is no time.We must come up with a countermeasure.
There is a risk that world religions might become hostile to the Iderat Confederation.
* * *
The political situation became turbulent during the few days Adrian was unconscious.
In addition to the Zentir Magic Tower and the Iderat Alliance, virtually all forces and nations faced chaos unlike anything seen before.
How would my lord have tried to resolve this?
As he had done before, Adrian struggled to think like Verden, deliberating on how to handle the scattered issues.Although his physical injuries had not yet healed, he could not afford to be complacent.
“For now, I’ll handle Eon’s pending matters.”
The request for a private audience from the Zentir Magic Tower.The Golden Sinner.The capture of Grimmel Gromfar. Thecapture of Lunesica Anternoa by the Arnach Empire.These and other matters related to Eon.
Adrian and Isabella… … one of the two, who holds authority immediately after Verden, must make a judgment and decide on the action.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay in that condition?”“Nothing will change even if you just sit still.”
Adrian sat on the edge of the bed.
“Leave this to me, and you hurry and escort the Lord to Nuhara.”“Alright… I understand. I’ll entrust the Head to the Administrator and return. He might know the Head’s condition. It shouldn’t take long.”
Isabella extended her arm.
“It’s fine to push yourself, but do it in moderation.”“It’s the same for both of us.”
Isabella lightly bumped fists with Adrian and stepped out into the hallway of the grand hall.
A short while later, Beta came to find Adrian.
[It is presumed that the mini-golem imbued with Alpha’s consciousness is currently being kept in His Majesty Verden’s subspace. While it is possible to awaken Alpha’s main body, we have determined that there is no need to force it at this moment.]
Beta’s single eye gleamed.
[Beta will assist Adrian.]
I’m counting on you.
Adrian nodded.
You are much smarter than me.
[Objectively speaking, it is not that it is much better, but that it is incomparable.]
“…….”
* * *
Tuhar, the only nation in the silent desert.
In Nuhara, the capital of Tuhar established by Verden and the Administrator, the First Magic Tower stretches straight toward the sky, and the Great Tree of Life stands there.
The magical power of nature emanating from the Great Tree of Life settled in the desert where the source of magic had been depleted, reviving the nature lost in the mythical age.In the meadows that bloomed in the desolate desert, the unstable spatial coordinates characteristic of the Silent Desert were stabilized, making spatial movement possible.
Paaaaat!
The teleportation circle created by Eon’s wizards in the Black Hour Grand Hall connected to Nuhara.
Hehehe.
The carriage pulled alone by Dreadmere stepped onto the desert meadow. Isabella, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked around and soon moved the reins.
“Hello, Manager. I apologize for showing up so suddenly, but I need help right away.”“There is no need to apologize for visiting anytime, Isabella.”
The manager stroked Dreadmere’s head and narrowed his eyes.
“It seems there has been a change in Verden.”“I heard the Head ascended to the 8th level…….”“Has he already mastered the concept of destruction? However, it seems that ascending the rank isn’t the whole story. I suppose I’ll need to observe it firsthand to find the answer.”
The manager took the lead.
“Let’s go to the Great Tree of Life. It will be more comfortable for Verden there than at the First Magic Tower.”
