Episode 1009 The Fourth Guest of Honor (2)
Naturally, an intellectual should devote their whole heart to uncovering the unknown. Arcadium is such a place. Any intellectual, provided they are prepared, is given the opportunity to obtain the knowledge they desire.
However, intellectuals are far from reckless.
Because even if I throw myself into a challenge with a slim chance of success, I strictly draw boundaries and restrain my greed regarding things I consider impossible.
This is precisely the difference between an intelligent being and an intellectual.
The third guest of honor avoided a head-on confrontation.
Why is the guest of honor selected by the host shunned in Arcadium?It is because they possess an intelligence of a different dimension.
Of the distinguished guests who were active during the era when the first and second guests attended, only two remain now, and their stories are passed down like myths… … .I saw with my own eyes just how great an intellectual the third guest was. There are ten distinguished guests alone who challenged him and had all their knowledge stripped away, turning into ghosts.
Separately, the third guest of honor’s meal was very brief, and since his meal took place in a private room, no intellectuals witnessed the scene.
A noble gourmet.
It is an alias referring to the third guest of honor. Since such an intellectual had stepped down, it was clear what action those inferior to him should take.
Rumble rumble rumble.
With the exception of the butlers, the attendees hurriedly followed the third guest of honor. Even the dignified upper-class dignitaries quietly joined the procession.It was just as the bustling banquet hall had become empty in the blink of an eye.
Click.
The sharp sound of high heels irritating the ears.
[Hahahahaha, indeed, indeed. So, even Magion is curling up his tail.]
A woman in a red dress approaches with a captivating nasal voice.
Verden’s gaze grew higher and higher.
“… … He’s incredibly tall.”
He is taller than Mauler.
Verden’s eye level was at the solar plexus of the Red Woman, and since her body proportions were nearly perfect for a woman, the sense of disconnect was actually severe.
[You are superior as a species. Then again, if it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have even thought of destroying the wheel of destiny that ‘you’ have dreamed of.]
The woman mentioned ‘you’ nonchalantly and brought her masked face close.A loose dress.Her figure, which no mere human dared to approach, swayed heavily.
Alpha and Beta stared up at the woman blankly like dolls, and the expressionless Thearel paused as if somewhat mentally shocked.
Verden asked.
Is this the first VIP?
[I use the alias Bloodia in the Arcadium. I was annoyed by that octopus head over there, but thanks to you, I feel better.]
Octopus head?
Seeing that he uses a derogatory term for the host without any hesitation, he must not be of ordinary status.There are few beings on the same level as a host.
“……apostle.”
[Well, I wonder. I should avoid sharing knowledge here for no price. I’d love to just kill everyone and do as I please, but I suppose territory must be respected. Still, a mere battle of knowledge… Ah, this is why I didn’t want to come.]
If you’re not going to take on the challenge, move on.
[Kuh-huh-ha-ha.]
Bloodia slightly lifted her red mask. Sharply protruding fangs cast a shadow over Verden’s vision along with a violent laugh.She did not even glance at anyone other than Verden.
[I won’t wait in the last game.]
The door closed.
Bloodyia moved on, and the mansion’s butlers also disappeared somewhere. Now, only Verden’s party and the host remained in the banquet hall.
[Bloodya. Danger.]
[It is very violent.]
Even though Bloodia did not display any particular intimidation, Alpha and Beta showed extreme wariness. They sensed the cruelty inherent in her very existence.
To think I would encounter another Apostle of Destiny…
One worshipped by all in the desert → God of the Desert.Monarch sitting atop a mountain of corpses → Ancient King.Giant humans → Giants.Humanity gathered around the light → The First Apostle.A humble king kneeling toward the sky and offering his crown → The First King of the Human Realm.Raging sea → Host.
Verden had been trying to figure out what the future murals of Molgarn meant all this time. There was an Apostle whose identity had not yet been revealed, but he had roughly figured out what kind of being it was.
Except for just one.
Dragons exhaling towards the earth.
… … If Bloodia is an Apostle of Destiny, then she must be a dragon.
* * *
Even Verden knows nothing about the ecology of dragons.Although there were various books about dragons in the First Magic Tower, most of them provided only macroscopic descriptions and lacked any information that could be considered in-depth.
If it is granted the title of Apostle, it is highly likely to be a dragon that has reached the pinnacle.
Red Dragon, Giant Dragon, Blue Dragon, Fierce Dragon.
The Four Great Elder Dragons.
The Blue Dragon became an undead and transformed into a malevolent dragon, and currently belongs to the forces of the Old King. Furthermore, the Blue Dragon appeared to have a deep friendship with the Gray Dragon, who sided with the resistors.
If we exclude the Blue Dragon from the candidates, would the Red Dragon that killed the Blue Dragon be an Apostle? Red. It is the same color that Bloodia wore in the first place.
Of course, making assumptions is forbidden.
We must not rule out the possibility that Bloodia is deliberately distorting information to deceive Verden. The Great Dragon or the Fierce Dragon could be an Apostle of Destiny.
At worst, it could be all four remaining Great Elder Dragons.
It could be a different dragon.
Since a primordial dragon completely unknown to the world actually exists, a dragon comparable to the Four Great Ancient Dragons might exist somewhere.
But… why did another Apostle attend the Arcadium?
Verden faced the biggest question that he simply could not ignore.Why were there two Apostles here?
The truth is always simple yet complex.
The host pulled the doorknob himself.
{Will the nineteenth VIP, ‘Terrin’, take on the challenge? Or will he move on to the main stage?}
Terrine was Tearel’s alias.It was a nickname from his childhood.
The game of Arcadium is an individual competition. There are no parties. Even if they are a group, Verden and Tearel must operate as separate participants.
Fate, Fate Destroyer, Apostle, External Enemy.
The hem of the deep sea flutters.
“Asher, it doesn’t matter what secret you are chasing, or what secret you are hiding. As long as I can get a little closer to my ideals, I don’t care.”
Even though Tearel encountered many unfamiliar words, he did not ask for their meanings. As a transcendent being, he focused solely on his ideals.
Verden nodded.
“Remember that if you lose the game, you have to give up your knowledge.”“I admit you are smarter than me.”
She looked back at Verden.
But I can do the basics, you know.
One cannot reach the level of a transcendent being in the magical world simply by being full of talent. Commensurate effort is required. Tearel, who has lived as an adventurer for decades, also possesses his own unique knowledge.
[Praying for Victory.]
“huh.”
Cheered on by Alpha, Tearel moved beyond the wooden door. The mansion surrounding the remaining people suddenly felt incredibly desolate, as if it were empty.
[As there are no more challengers, the opening ceremony of the game concludes here. As a reward for successfully completing the opening, the fourth guest of honor gains the right to spectate the first game and immediately participate in the second game.]
Is not playing games a reward?
{This first game is a elimination match where indiscriminate individual combat is set to unfold. You will face a higher-ranked intellectual who is somewhat exhausted after having rested and are in peak condition. For the act of fully exercising one’s intellect consumes physical strength far more than moving the body to its limits.}
The host smacked his lips.
{You probably won’t be particularly affected by this topic, though.}
[He/She seems disappointed.]
I have no interest in a predetermined ending.
The host expected a more exciting and close game progression. In other words, he was not pleased that the theme of the first game was a problem of magical understanding that favored Verden.
[Nasty octopus head.]
{You’ve been learning bad words since before. A creature of Oldark.}
While Alpha was staring intently at the host, Verden sorted out his thoughts. He had decided how to use the questioning rights obtained through the tenth VIP.
I will use my right to ask a lower-level question here.
{I will not answer any questions unbefitting of a lower rank, so please be careful.}
What is the time scale between the Arcadium and the continent?
When I entered the space of the First Apostle on the island of the Hiaremar Inland Sea.When I moved to the prison of defeated soldiers where the Primordial Dragon was imprisoned.When I stayed in the rift between the inner world and the world.
Time is absolute, but the flow of time as perceived by Verden was relative. Sometimes it passed quickly, and sometimes it flowed slowly.
War is right around the corner.
Just as you were held back by the first apostle while trying to prevent the resurrection of the ancient king, you must be careful of time in another person’s space.If you let time slip away in vain at this point, you will miss more than one thing.
Experience is excellent and important knowledge.
The host answered with satisfaction.
Exactly 3.76 : 1. In other words, one second of this Arcadium is equal to 3.76 seconds of the continent.
Unlike the last time I visited, there was a difference in the time scale. Verden fell silent. I would have been in big trouble if I hadn’t known.
It’s a relief that you found out.
At least for now, the host was neither on ‘your’ side nor on the side of the resistor.That was how it appeared from Verden’s perspective.Since the host was not on Verden’s side either, he had to carefully judge what actions and words the guy took while at the banquet.
anyway.
I don’t have as much time as I thought, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely short on time.
If Arcadium closes early, I can attend the summit as scheduled. Information. To get everything I want, I have no choice but to cut down on time as much as possible.
“You also said that in the Arcadium, Alpha and Beta are not individual intellectuals but belong to me. Then, can they each participate in the game? Acting on my behalf?”
[Since you are asking about the rules, I will answer. That is correct. However, if Alpha and Beta lose the duel, you must bear the full cost.]
I see.
Verden shrugged his shoulders.
“What about yourself?”
[Confidence. Buffer.]
[I will prove my intelligence.]
Alpha and Beta declared their participation in the Arcadium as if they had been waiting for this moment.Convinced that defeat was impossible.And rightly so, as they had inherited some intelligence from the Creator. If there were any intellectuals comparable to Verden, Alpha and Beta were the ones.
“I won’t use spectator privileges. I won’t participate in the first game.”
Verden advanced.
There is no need to hold back, so win at all costs.
All intellectuals encountered randomly, whether VIPs or guests, are eliminated. If the number of attendees decreases rapidly, the time for the remaining games is drastically shortened.
[check.]
[Confirmed.]
Alpha, Beta, and finally Verden passed through the door in turn. They each landed on the first stage, which was themed around magical understanding problems.
* * *
Boom.
As even the fourth guest of honor passed by, the firmly closed door soon disappeared.
{A lucky Alpha, huh. In a world without fate, what exactly is luck? Is it coincidence, or inevitability? Whatever it is, it must ultimately be the causality of choices. Anyway… … .}
The host muttered and twitched the tentacles attached to his jaw.
It must have calmed down by now.
The octopus’s head curved its eyes.
* * *
A humble country swordsman.The commander leading the Glory of Xerion, the imperial guard of the Xerion Empire.The first servant of the Glory of the Dead.
Draven LeMarque.
I resurrected His Majesty… and… was killed by Verden.
Draven composed himself as he looked back on the beginning and end of his life. As he reminisced over and over again, his emotions gradually calmed down.
The pain of his entire body being destroyed by the massive dark red lightning spear came vividly to mind, but Draben laughed instead, even while sweating profusely.
“we.”
The Great Corpse has been released from its seal.The most powerful transcendent being in history has returned to the continent.
We won.
Having devoted approximately eight centuries to achieve their goal, Draven has ultimately triumphed.It was worth the sacrifice.For His Majesty Xerion, together with Lunesika, will surely fulfill the ideals Draven could not complete!
I laughed, and laughed again.
Although it is a pity that I could not see the new world firsthand, it was still an ending that I could accept and be satisfied with as a transcendent being.
{It seems you are satisfied with the death you chose.}
Draven turned his head sharply.
A study where the ceiling is not visible.
Before I knew it, the host was sitting sternly in an antique chair placed in front of the fireplace, like a rigid counselor.
“Host.”
Unlike at the banquet hall, Draven, who was not agitated, parted his lips. He had heard about what an Arcadium was and the name “Host” while in his soul form, but that was not what he wanted to know.
“What is their real identity?”
I am the operator of the Arcadium and ‘your’ third apostle.
“……what?”
Not understanding this sentence means your ignorance.
The host pointed forward.
Sit down.
Draven hesitated for a moment but soon took a seat opposite the host. He needed information. Why he, who should have died, was here, and why Verden was in Arcadium.
widely.
The host placed a board game on the table. Skillfully setting up the board, he arranged the pieces to prepare for the game.
{This is a board game called ‘Intellectual Conflict’. It is similar to chess, but much more complex. There are many rules, but you will be able to pick them up quickly.}
Are you kidding me?
{In the Arcadium, if you want to unilaterally impart knowledge, you need a valid reason. Games are a good basis. So, it is best to focus.}
Draven was baffled.A game out of the blue?He couldn’t fathom at all what the octopus head in front of him intended.
It seems you lack motivation.
The host leaned back against the chair.
{Draven Lemarque, are you sure the old king will fulfill the ideal you so ardently desired?}
Draven flinched but answered immediately.
“Of course…….”
How pitiful.
The host asserted.
{If you truly believe that, your utopia will never be realized. On the contrary, it is the exact opposite. If you desired an ideal, you should not have resurrected the ancient king.}
“……what?”
{Are you curious about the reason? The hidden backstory?}
The host gestured toward the board game with his chin.
{In that case, accept the game.}
