Episode 825 World Conference (9)
Emperor Jeracle rose to his feet as if he had been waiting solely for this Grand Council. The eyes of the assembly gathered around him. It was a familiar sight for the ruler of a great empire.
“One day, a red dragon suddenly flew in, and millions of casualties occurred in just a few days. To be precise, that is what is known. To me, a mere human, it is merely a record of history. However, among the attendees gathered here today, there must be those who lived through that era and witnessed the horrors with their own eyes.”
When a transcendent being’s lifespan comes to an end, they either announce their own death or choose to disappear without a trace by going to a place unknown to anyone.
It is difficult to see both.
This is because the number of transcendent beings is extremely small, and on average, the time a transcendent being is active in the world currently far exceeds 100 years.
At this point, the Dark Warton Tower Master, the Master, the Artisan Tower Extraordinary Elder, the Seven Great Demon Kings, the Sword of Arnark, and the Keeper are representative examples.They had actually seen the traces of destruction left behind by the Red Dragon.
The pledgee is also approaching 100 years of activity.
No one knew the age of the Lord of the Lefragium Magic Tower or the Executor, nor was it known when they became transcendent beings, but it was about 150 years ago that the two officially appeared in the magical world.
A time when the power source of the magic tower was in full swing.An era when magic was commercialized.
The speculation that the Provider and the Agent might have lived for well over 200 years was somewhat dominant in the magical world.
… … Crunch.
Obsidian-ranked adventurer, Demonic Fear clenched his fist as if to shatter everything.Although he was not displaying his presence with superhuman patience, if you were to lift his helmet, his face would be contorted with extreme rage.
The Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters Chief and Heukhae glanced over their shoulders at the adventurer and listened to Emperor Zeracl once again.
“Humanity was helpless while a mighty dragon burned the city. The hastily assembled punitive expedition was brutal and thoroughly ravaged, and by the time proper countermeasures were finally put in place, the dragon was already gone. It is doubtful whether those countermeasures would have worked in the first place. Thus, a society built over the ages was trampled by the laws of nature that have always existed.”“…….”“Was it merely a disaster? Was it a calamity to be accepted as inevitable, like a natural disaster such as a flood, earthquake, drought, or tsunami? If someone were to ask me that, I would answer like this: There is no such thing as a natural disaster against which humanity cannot resist.”
Emperor Geracle abruptly cut off the conversation.
The faces of the transcendents turned quite serious.Even Mauler did.
If there were any non-transcendent humans who could acknowledge a transcendent being as a truly extraordinary existence, Emperor Zeracl was one of them.Emperor Arnak’s throne is no different from the pinnacle of national rulers.
Floods can be evaporated, earthquakes can be neutralized by neutralizing the vibrations themselves, droughts can be brought down by rain, and approaching tsunamis can simply be destroyed along with the waves. This matter is no different.
Deep navy blue eyes scanned the world.
“Just because the Red Dragon is mighty, are you going to tremble in fear? Will you resign yourself to it and submit if the Red Dragon attacks again someday and dares to burn down our world? I am sorry, but I have absolutely no intention of doing so.”
Even attendees who did not know much about Emperor Geracle began to get a vague sense, directly or indirectly, of his way of thinking.
“Because the Arnak Empire never taught me defeatism.”
It is an extremely arrogant look.
To Emperor Xeracle, the word “submission” does not exist. It is to make anyone who demands submission kneel by any means necessary.
That was the spirit of the Arnark Empire people.
“Opportunity does not come only to those who wait. It also comes to those who approach first, just as I did. Therefore, I make this proposal here.”
He extended his right hand forward.
“The subjugation of the Red Dragon, Sarkandra.”
Emperor Geracle clenched his fist tightly and bent his elbow vertically.
The conquest of the Demon Realm.
* * *
Mauler made a bewildered expression.
Are you crazy?
Although they did not voice their opinions as bluntly as Mauler, the thoughts of the other attendees were not much different.
The Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters Chief asked.
“Does that mean… you intend to pioneer the Demon Realm?”“What I mean is ‘conquest.’ Pioneering comes later.”“Whichever it is, the fact remains that we must enter the Demon Realm.”“Your Majesty.”
The Black Sea could not remain idle either.
“You know what the Demon Realm is, right?”“Of course.”
Excluding the Great Forest inhabited by elves, there are two unexplored territories across the entire continent that humanity has not dared to conquer.
Desert of Silence
Magyeong.
Among them, the Demon Realm can be considered a completely different world. This is because nothing about it, from its bizarre indigenous creatures to its natural environment, is ordinary.
The desert of silence dries up the body and mind with endless dryness, but the demonic realm instills fear with everything incomprehensible.
Is it called the Realm of Evil for nothing?
Even high-ranking adventurers who had achieved a certain level of fame burned with an indomitable spirit of challenge, vowing to catch up with the first adventurer, but most of them never returned.Only those who faced a crisis at the very beginning barely managed to survive.
It was proven that there is no way with prime numbers.
Then what about the majority?
There were several attempts at settlement before the Demon Realm was classified as an uncharted territory. Nations took action. Nations formed alliances.Vast resources and powerful manpower were invested to secure a land full of the unknown.
The result was failure, failure, failure, and more failure.
The Demon Realm mercilessly devoured humanity’s efforts.
The fact that more than half of the pioneering force was annihilated was enough to break the will to pioneer, but what had an even greater impact was the reaction of the survivors.
A survivor who was parasitized by something laughed and died in front of everyone as his head and limbs turned 180 degrees.
One survivor, who emerged with a shattered mind, passed away with his hair turned white, unable to recover for the rest of his life despite having received a high-level miracle from the Luas religion.
A pioneer of national-level strength who escaped the Demon Realm with his arm bitten off by a monstrous creature received treatment safely but committed suicide a few days later.
There are many such cases.
Only a very small number of pioneers were able to emerge from the Demon Realm with their minds intact. It was there that they obtained the information regarding the existing Demon Realm.This included the existence of a region deep within the Demon Realm from which there is no return, later named the Sea of Demons.
Over the course of hundreds of years, humanity has officially attempted to explore the fourth Demon Realm, excluding individual exploration, but all such attempts ended in failure.
And, classifying it as uncharted territory, he advised future generations not to set foot there.
That was also the reason they ultimately failed to pursue the Red Dragon, Sarkandra. Because if they entered the Demon Realm and were annihilated, it would truly be irreversible.
Even now, with the era rapidly advancing through magic, the exploration of the Demon Realm is not even discussed.
King Su shrugged his shoulders.
“Hahaha, indeed. Conquering the Demon Realm… You didn’t just get the Emperor’s throne for nothing. There are beast-like individuals even among pure humans.”“The Demon Realm is connected to southern Delharun. But you’re bringing that up as an agenda item without my permission? Are you out of your mind?”“Mauler.”
Grand Duke Rivandale crossed his arms and spoke forcefully.
“Watch your words.”“Are you threatening me? A watchdog of the Empire.”“Oh, they’re fighting.”
thud.
The Provider stopped the friction between the two Transcendents with just a single gesture.Ignatia whined that it was a waste.
The first general assembly has not ended yet.
“I understand the world’s fear of the Demon Realm. However, the era and the talent are different now compared to when the last pioneering attempt was made. I will appoint a witness.”
The ally supporting Emperor Zeracl’s claims was none other than the reckless intellectual, Queron Reklos.He was the very person who single-handedly crossed the Demon Realm and into the Demon Sea to retrieve the Red Dragon’s tail scales, returned, and revealed them at the General Assembly of the Magic World.
Queron, having finished a brief self-introduction in his usual clumsy manner, cleared his throat a few times and immediately got to the point.
“Well, to put it bluntly… if we can just build the military strength to subdue the Red Dragon, there is a possibility that we can conquer the Demon Realm. At the very least, it is much, much higher than before.”
The oath-taker stroked his chin.
“What is your basis?”“I barely managed to reach the Demon Sea a while ago, but failed to explore it as originally planned. Didn’t I nearly die while trying to escape the Demon Realm immediately afterward? So, I took this opportunity to comprehensively organize the information about the Demon Realm that I have gathered so far, and in doing so, I created a ‘map.’”
… … Map of the Demon Realm?
“Ah, of course, it’s not a complete map. I just drew it based on the routes I usually take. And I didn’t make it all by myself, either. My lifesaver, Oldin, gave me a lot of help in many ways, hahaha.”
At the look asking if that was true, Keeper just nodded silently.
Queron took a book out of his bosom.It was quite thick.
“Also, I compiled this ‘Encyclopedia of Creatures of the Demon Realm’ with the advice of an Obsidian-ranked adventurer who possesses even more experience exploring the Demon Realm than I do. It includes even the monstrous creatures I am unaware of. Since the ecosystem of the Demon Realm is so complex, it certainly cannot be called complete, but it should be sufficient to grasp the atmosphere there. To some extent, at least. It will significantly reduce instances of falling victim to things you didn’t know you were doing.”
Queron slowly turned around and, as if to show off, quickly flipped the pages with the tip of his thumb.Swoosh.Very delicate illustrations and densely packed text flashed by one after another. Immediately after the last page turned, attention was drawn elsewhere.
“…….”
The Demonic Terror, serving as the escort for the Adventurer’s Guild, stood firm. The obsidian plate hanging around his neck reflected the light.He showed no particular reaction, but at least the direction of his head followed Queron Reklos to the very end.
The Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters Chief, Black Sea, and other Obsidian-grade adventurers questioned with their eyes when on earth he had met Queron and created such a thing, but as you can see, the demonic terror did not even flinch.
“H-the Demonic Realm…….”“I have a question.”
Unlike the stunned Indren, Master Artisan of the Magic Tower, wearing a smile full of curiosity, asked.
“I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard that the environment of the Demon Realm changes physically. Is it possible to find your way properly?”“There are patterns to those changes. Although there are many variations, once you adapt, you won’t perceive the Demon Realm as a maze.”“Can a novice distinguish that?” “Ah, that’s not a problem either.”
Queron smiled brightly.
I will take charge of the guide.
* * *
How many people in the world could possibly be so happy while declaring they would lead the way into a demonic realm with such meager strength?I had thought this before, but he was indeed not a reckless intellectual for nothing.
‘… … Demonic Realm.’
Verden, having conquered the Desert of Silence, ruminated on the name given to that vast and dangerous uncharted territory he had not yet conquered.
Emperor Zeracl’s declaration to conquer the Demon Realm was, frankly speaking, surprising. It was not the mere occurrence of an intention to conquer the Demon Realm that was surprising, but rather the fact that it partially aligned with Verden’s objectives, even if the intentions differed.
Pioneering the DemonRealm. Exterminating the Red Dragon.
Rather, it was what Verden wanted.
The House of Representatives is apprehensive, but the Senate seems to find it interesting. That’s not bad. Even if it doesn’t go as far as a conquest, the very fact that we can explore the Demon Realm in earnest is significant in itself.
Above all, this is a matter in which the Demonic Terror and the Keeper—that is, the Slayer of Calamity and the Regulator of Balance—are directly involved.Furthermore, on the side of the Arnak Empire, there is Regrit, the Unknown Seeker. Although her face was hidden by a helmet, it was obvious at a glance that she was agitated.
It seemed to be a personal decision rather than an order from the Ark, but since the three captains of the Ark were included, the conquest of the Demon Realm couldn’t have been entirely absurd.
“I’ve heard that the Demon Realm is a region beyond description, and I am curious to know what it is like. The North isn’t exactly free from that dragon’s threat either.”
Correction.
Just now, the captain of the Ark was added as Eres, the King of the North and the Watcher of the North, made a positive remark.This left a deep impression on Verden.
Verden had intended to agree from the start,too. After all, he had made a deal with the Emperor.In that case, it amounts to five captains of the Ark participating. Their individual statuses and military power alone are more than enough to shake the entire continent.
“The Emperor is more enterprising than I thought.”“That is fitting for an Emperor.”
After talking with Adrian, Verden had already decided what to do.
Then, Emperor Jeracle spoke.
“Of course, I do not mean that I intend to conquer the Demon Realm right now. My plan is to proceed cautiously with exploration first. To maximize the success rate.”“…….”“There is no need to worry. Whether it is exploration or conquest, the Empire will always take the lead.”
The power and fame of the Empire were so great that they even erased some of the fear of the Demon Realm. The weight of Emperor Zeracl’s words strongly stirred the hearts of others.
The Provider asks.
“At the last General Assembly of the Magic World, Queron Rekclos discovered not only dragon tail scales but also the shredded corpses of demons near the boundary of the Demon Realm and traces of a certain demon heading toward it. Is this also included in the conquest of the Demon Realm?”“If it were not, it would not have been submitted to the World Council. This is not just an issue for the Empire, but for humanity and the world. And with humanity stepping forward, how could the Luas religion be excluded?”“…….”
The Pope and the Saint were silent. They were pondering how to approach the conquest of the Mirror World.
I knew that many of the demons who vanished from the world after the First Great Crusade, which annihilated the Legion’s Archdemon Molgarn, had headed to the Demon Realm.I had also long suspected that other Archdemons were included among them.
However, they could not rashly start the Second Great Crusade.
The Demon Realm is an enormous obstacle. If they recklessly proceeded with the subjugation and fell victim to the environment of the Demon Realm and the schemes of the Great Demon, the damage would be immense.
Therefore, the Ruas Theocracy focused on isolating demons rather than completely exterminating them, ultimately to ensure they would never appear before humanity again.
Because the Ruas Theocracy was like that, it could not immediately prepare to answer the Emperor. As a world religion, there were more than a few factors to consider.
“Exploring the Demon Realm is a matter of personal freedom, but conquering it carries a high potential to escalate into a global issue. If this proposal is rejected in the representative vote, the conquest of the Demon Realm will be strictly prohibited until it is reintroduced and passed at the next World Conference. Will you accept this?”“I will accept.”“Understood.”
The Provider tapped the table.
“Regarding the scales of the Red Dragon, Sarkandra, Emperor Xeracle Dian Sereanor Arnach proposed the conquest of the Demon Realm. Raise your hand if you have any other proposals.”
Since Emperor Zeracl had struck at the heart of the matter, there were no other proposers. After all, even the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters and the Keeper were involved.
Will we leave the Red Dragon alone as we did before?Or will we launch a preemptive strike this time?
Ultimately, the first general assembly will reach a conclusion of one of two options.
As no additional agenda items were raised, I will adopt the conquest of the Demon Realm as a detailed representative agenda. The witnesses are requested to leave, and all attendees are to decide on their course of action after careful consideration.
The Provider gave each faction time to discuss freely. Given the nature of the matter, even that time was not limited.Moreover, since it was a public vote, anonymity was not guaranteed.
Verden calmly observed the attendees and predicted the outcome.
The chances of the proposal passing are probably 50/50.
It was the result of considering the influence of the Arnak Empire and the macroscopic validity of the conquest of the Demon Realm.Unless the Four Great Gods of the Ruas Theocracy proposed it themselves, it would have been rejected immediately if another force had brought up this proposal.
Verden was also curious about how things would turn out, so he waited calmly with anticipation. The Provider and Emperor Zeracl also quietly waited for the time of the vote.
Eventually, about two hours passed.
The Provider, judging that all attendees had decided for or against, resumed the meeting.
“I will now begin the first representative vote of the World Congress.”
This time, there were no partitions, no ballot boxes, no ballot papers, and no stamps.
If you raise your right hand, you are in favor.If you stay still, you are against.
It was then.
“Wait. May I add a few more words before the vote?”“Keep it brief.”
Emperor Jeracle, having been granted a brief moment to speak, rose to his feet. Then, looking solemnly at all the attendees, he gazed at them.
“The conquest of the Demon Realm is a goal and a long-cherished aspiration that the world must undertake as one. The resolve to cast your vote cautiously, gauging the atmosphere, is insufficient. Therefore, please make your decision with conviction.”“…….”“In that sense, I would like to ask the first participant to express their approval to show everyone their ‘unwavering sincerity.’”
Emperor Geracle raised his voice firmly.
“Even if the conquest of the Demon Realm is rejected, the one who will explore the Demon Realm together with the Arnak Empire, the one who will willingly invest massive resources in exploring the Demon Realm, and the one who will never give up on conquering the Demon Realm, no matter when it comes!”
Silence fell.
“Only those with the same resolve as the Empire shall raise their hands with me.”
Emperor Zeracl began to raise his right hand very slowly.
“If no attendees respond to this, I will ‘judge that no one agrees’ and discard the proposal myself.”“……?”
The Arnach Empire proposes a single agenda item at the World Conference, and Eon unconditionally ‘approves’ it without asking for the reason—that was the very content of the deal between Verden and Emperor Zeracl.
Verden and Adrian blinked and looked at Emperor Jeracle.
This Emperor bastard… …?
