Episode 830 World Conference: The Pledge of Truth (3)
Although it is presented as a venue to resolve mutual doubts and distinguish truth from falsehood through Q&A, in reality, it is closer to a debate.
Questions are an attack, andanswers are a defense.
Even if blocked, the shock is still transmitted to some extent, and if not blocked properly, it can lead to somewhat fatal consequences depending on the weight of the truth.
In that sense, the Provider was properly attacked by Serendia. Ultimately, because he used his veto power, he could not move away from the Pledge of Truth.
[The Tenth Covenant — If, after answering one question and exercising one veto, you are unable to ask a question and are asked a new one, you are granted another opportunity to ask a question and one veto.][This is repeated until the Pledge of Truth is completed or the Eleventh Covenant is satisfied.]
[Eleventh Rule ─ Each participant may answer one question, exercise a veto once, and after asking one question, may observe the Pledge of Truth without being asked any further questions.][Additionally, if a participant answers two questions in a row, they may observe the Pledge of Truth.]
The Provider cannot deviate from the above rules until the dice roll shows 15. The participant was given another opportunity to ask the Provider a question.
But… that wasn’t important right now.
The oath-taker muttered.
“In the Demon Realm, one of the two remaining archdemons?”
Emperor Geracle spoke calmly.
That’s shocking.
The Provider did not give a definitive answer, but the very fact that he refused to answer meant that the great demon of that courtesan was hiding in the demon realm.
It might be different if it were someone else, but the source of the information is the owner of the Lefragium Magic Tower. Just because it is hard to believe, it cannot be simply ignored.
Since the Legion’s Archdemon was defeated in the First Holy War, there had rarely been instances where information about an Archdemon was mentioned in an official setting like this.In other words, it was the first time in six or seven centuries that such an event had occurred, back when the Arnach Empire and the Archon of Arkenad did not even exist.
“Ipheakarn. I’ve heard the legend that he is the most cunning of the Three Great Demons. But how did the Lefragium Magic Tower find out the whereabouts of a Great Demon that even the Ruas Theocracy does not know…?”
Even in the face of Vangelis’s question, which resonated with everyone, the Provider remained silent. Their gaze did not stop there but extended to Serendia as well.
The fact that the Great Demons of the Demon Realm and the Courtesan were specifically mentioned meant that the Elves also suspected or were aware of the Great Demons’ whereabouts.
The saint moved her lips for no reason.
She desperately wanted to ask something, but her turn to ask questions never came. No matter how hectic things were, it was not enough to ignore the 14 rules.If the process had not been conducted by oath, voices demanding an explanation would have been pouring in from all directions.
The commotion caused by a few words from Serendia did not subside easily. It was to the point where the sound of a giant die rolling could not be heard.
“…….”
The Provider and Serendia stared at each other. A cold expression and a faint smile. No one knew what the two were thinking.Amidst such confusion, Reindel, the Master of the Dark Warton Magic Tower, considered only Verden.
It seems fair to view the Elves and Verden as a community that is more than just an alliance.
It was a reasonable interpretation.
It did not make sense for an elf holding the highest position as the guardian of the World Tree to verify Verden’s trust by borrowing the power of the Pledge of Truth.
This is because elves never form an alliance with an untrustworthy being. That is the history of their race.
The Elf forced the Provider to exercise his veto power to prevent him from breaking the Pledge of Truth, andby asking a question that appeared serious on the surface but was actually simple, he induced Verden to easily break the Pledge of Truth.
Perhaps the elf participated in the Pledge of Truth purely to help Verden.
Ah, I see.
It is truly satisfying.
To Reindel, Verden is not merely a special being. Verden can lead others away from the immutable path of death.
Change that calls for change… … .
The massive deaths that recently occurred in the Desert of Silence were undoubtedly the work of Verden. There is no doubt about it. In a true sense, a new era is beginning.
For a moment, vitality flickered in Reindel’s eyes, which had lost their life long ago.
I am curious about the truths held by the Provider, but it does not matter if I do not ask. I am even less interested in things like the Archdemon of Parasitism. I do not care what kind of relationship exists between the High Elf and the Lord of the Lefragium Magic Tower.
From the beginning, Reindel had no intention of questioning others. The only reason he personally participated in the Pledge of Truth was because of Verden.
I had to see what Verden would do.
I wanted to experience that change firsthand.
Because there is no being other than Verden who can realize the unique ideal that Reindel Nexreon believed could never be achieved.
Rolling around… …
The dice’s rotation speed decreases, and it gradually tilts slowly. And as soon as the dice stops, the number on it also comes to a standstill.
“Number 7, Artisan Magic Tower Extraordinary Elder, Observation, Indren Piercia Rate. Ask questions.”
Perhaps the most conservative transcendent being here gained the right to ask a question. At that, quite burdensome stares flew in from all directions.
“… … You’ve become absolutely hell-bent.”
Indren let out a sigh inwardly.
Designating the Provider or the Elf as the subject of questions here would be like pouring fuel on the fire. The atmosphere could go beyond overheating and burst into flames.
I think I need to let it cool down first.
I had a personal question to ask a certain Transcendent, but unfortunately, now does not seem to be the time. I must return to the original topic.If the focus shifts to the Archdemon, my previous questions will eventually fade away.
After a moment of contemplation, Indren slowly gazed at a transcendent being. His judgment was made with the entire world in mind.
“Ersetia.”
A saint was chosen.It was a predetermined course of events.
“To summarize King Suwang’s words… it seems he is saying that there is a force called ‘Glory of the Dead’ that caused the Blood-Crying Plague and the large-scale undead outbreak, and that the Theocracy of Luas knew about it all along. Is this true?”
Eventually, the Ruas Church came under fire.
* * *
Mirror of Evil.Archdemon of Parasites.Provider.Serendia.
Verden leaned back in his chair, organizing his thoughts.
I wasn’t shocked, as I had expected a Great Demon to be in the Demon Realm for quite some time. After all, I had met an associate of the Dark Great Demon Noxias in the Demon’s Sanctuary of Rivereas and had even received help from them.
I never imagined Serendia would help me like this, though.
He perfectly understood her intention in asking such a question to Verden himself and the Provider. It was a trick befitting the guardian of the World Tree.Thanks to this, it became easier for Verden to fasten the remaining buttons.
It was surprising to see that Serendia and the Provider seemed to know each other, but upon reflection, it might be only natural.
The Provider has a deep connection with the first Demon King.Serendia is the guardian of the World Tree.
Given the close relationship between the World Tree and the first Demon King, it was quite likely that there was a point of contact between Serendia and the Provider.
I can solve that clue later.
Verden focused on the Pledge of Truth again.
“Anyway, that’s a typical Indren question.”
As if to prove that he is a transcendent being seeking stability, he changed the subject back to the original. The Water King is enjoying the wine annoyingly, as if he is having fun.
What decision will the saint make?
“…….”
The saint squeezed her eyes shut.
I had already finished discussing it with the Pope, the Saint, and the Cardinal and Archbishop in charge of the escort. I had reached a conclusion. Accordingly, I had braced myself… but whenthe whereabouts of the unexpected Great Demon of the Prostitute were practically revealed, my mind was thrown into disarray.
Oh, Luas.
The saint offered a devout prayer in her heart and lifted her eyelids.
“Yes, that is true. We, the Luas religion, have recognized the glory of the dead since ancient times. And we concealed it so that the world would not know.”
The eyes of the vow shine.
truth.
Indren asks.
“Why?”“For the well-being and peace of the world.”
Even though the saint had already finished answering, she did not stop and continued her explanation.
“……I suppose everyone knows that the War of the Transcendents broke out about eight centuries ago. However, there is an inside story behind it that has not been revealed to the public.”“An inside story, you say?”“That War of the Transcendents was, after all, merely the starting point and the background.”
The Ruas religion spent a long time manipulating history for the sake of oblivion, but ultimately failed. Therefore, at least some general information must be released.If the suspicions are not resolved here, the situation will certainly worsen.
“In the midst of a war that ended only after half the continent was engulfed in flames and numerous transcendent beings, including the gods of the Luas religion, had died, stood a nation called the ‘Xerion Empire.’”
Xerion?
It was an unfamiliar country name that even a transcendent being well-versed in history had never heard of.
The being who ruled that empire was known by various epithets. Emperor Xerion, the Human Born with Transcendence, the Strategist of Catastrophe, the Worst Tyrant on Earth, the Conqueror Who Burned Half the Continent, the Lord of Death. This is how we, the Theocracy of Luas, collectively refer to such a being.
The saint finally uttered that name.
“An old king.”
* * *
[The Transcendents formed a temporary alliance, shattering the precarious power structure, and this served as the catalyst for the Transcendents’ War.]
[In the west, the Ruas Theocracy and magic towers seeking to restore peace were formed; in the center, a self-centered group that only a single Transcendent Being wished to leave behind was formed; and in the east, a force of Transcendent Beings seeking to create a world solely for the Transcendent Being was formed.]
[The Kingdom of Xerion was there.]
[And there was Akand Linigea Tain Xerion, the First Prince of Xerion. A hero of the kingdom and a cunning being who had concealed his true power since birth. For he was a seed of disaster wearing a human shell.]
[Arkhand, who ascended to the throne as Emperor as the Kingdom of Xerion became the Empire of Xerion, declared.]
[“I will start the war.”]
[Arkhand personally went to the Transcendent’s domain and swung his sword three times. In an instant, the inexperienced martial arts Transcendent was killed. The dead Transcendent turned into a corpse doll and became his puppet.]
[The true war of the transcendents has begun.]
──Excerpt from *The Old King*.
* * *
“The former king stained the entire continent with blood through overwhelming military force, and the glory of his knight order, the Xerion, built an army of death using powerful dark magic. In response, all Transcendents organized the World Alliance and confronted them head-on.”“…….”“As a result, the World Alliance forces were driven to the brink of annihilation; however, since the former king at that time was merely a ‘human’ born with transcendence and lacked stability, he was forced to retreat while severely wounded.”
Having lost its center of gravity, the Xerion Empire was pushed back again and again, unable to withstand even the heavily damaged World Alliance forces.
The death of the old king was imminent.
However, Xerion did not give up on his glory and prepared a dark magic ritual for the former king. He intended to eliminate his only weakness by completing his body through the immortal traits.
The remaining transcendents visited the ritual grounds and waged the final battle. However, the ancient king’s body had already overcome death, so nothing could be done.
So the Pope weakened the aura of death with the Bible, the first Necromancer forcibly opened the weakened rift, and the Saint severed the Old King’s body with the Holy Sword.
Head, left arm, right arm, torso, right leg. Left leg.
If I cannot kill, I shall seal it.
Thus, thanks to the sacrifice of the Pope and the Saint, the Old King was torn into six pieces. As soon as the Commander and Vice-Commander of Xerion’s Glory admitted that their plan had failed, they took advantage of the moment of instability to escape. Although they were ultimately not captured, the World Alliance was victorious.
The undead army fell.
With this, the Cresion Empire collapsed.
“Afterward, the World Alliance cleaned up the aftermath of the True War of the Transcendents, and the Theocracy of Luas sealed away every part of the Old King’s body. They didn’t just use a miracle; they induced the world to forget it… Yes, by manipulating actual history.”
The Saint recited the records that the Luas religion had concealed as truthfully as possible. The eyes of the vow still shone with the truth.
It was almost no different from what Verden had heard from the first Necromancer.Except for just one thing.
“Dragon Sword, are you not planning to mention Magras?”
The legendary sword that was the weapon of an ancient king, and whose material the leader of the Iderat Alliance seems to have found.
The Ruas Theocracy seemed to have judged that revealing even that would likely cause a tremendous uproar later on.
Verden also agreed.
After all, honesty doesn’t necessarily guarantee the best outcome.
“──However, the gods of the previous generation overlooked one fact.”
The saint lowered her gaze.
“That oblivion cannot last forever unless the Glory of Xerion is eradicated. Though, surely no one could have predicted that the remnants of the Old King would survive for a staggering 800 years.”“…….”“And now, the Glory of Xerion, under the name of the Glory of the Corpse, seeks to find the remains of the Old King scattered across the continent. The Bloodcry Plague and the massive undead outbreak were a ploy to disperse the power of our Luas Cult.”
The saint glanced at Verden.
“The Bone Dragon incident that occurred in the Republic of Beldirn on the Eastern Continent the year before last was also part of that.”“Ha.”
The oath-taker smiled coldly.
“There were already warning signs. But are you saying you concealed them until things reached this point?”“It was for the sake of the world and humanity. If information about the ancient king had spread, the situation would have been even worse than it is now.”“That is undeniably a failure, too. It would have been different if we had exposed them long ago and devised countermeasures together. Instead of keeping silent for the sake of oblivion.”“The seal created by oblivion was maintained for 800 years.”“And it was broken. The way I see it, the situation has gone as far as it could go. Considering that a history hidden for 800 years has been revealed here. The Theocracy of Luas will have to ponder how to rectify this failure.”
The oath taker turned their head.
“By the way, King Su, how did you know about the glory of the dead? Who told you?”“Ask when it’s your turn.”“Hey.”
The oath taker’s voice was strong.
Stop messing around, Antias.
King Su mocked.
“Beg the dice, Yurion.”
The Oath-taker glared at the Water King as if he were about to beat him to death right then and there. He seemed to have judged that the glory of the corpse posed a definite threat to his family and the nation.Indren had witnessed the Oath-taker’s madness firsthand in the past.
Once it explodes, it’s unstoppable.
It seems the Provider has no intention of intervening. At this rate, I have no choice but to hastily pass the turn. Right, I suppose I’ll have to clean this up.
Indren rolled the dice while thinking about the force known as the Glory of the Dead. It was a choice made to lighten the tense atmosphere and stabilize the situation.
Indren shook off a sigh and took a sip of wine to soothe his troubled mind.
“Number 4, Master, Vendie Kaenar. Ask a question.”“Verden.”
The master asked calmly.
“How many transcendent beings have you killed so far?”
Verden considered only beings with power that could be called transcendent, and answered without the slightest hesitation.
“five.”
Truth.
Indren spat out the wine.
