Episode 845 The Outcast (2)
The medicine finger.
The finger was clean, except for being cold, as if it had been severed just a few hours ago. There were no visible signs of resistance on the cut surface either.
“Who is the master?”“The leader of the Magic Autonomous Regiment. The Magic Master, Celester Raven.”
He was one of the House attendees who had also attended the General Assembly of the Magic World. Although he had never really exchanged private words with Verden, he was someone they were acquainted with.
Isabella furrowed her brow.
“So… was the Magic Lord a minion of Mauler?”“He intended to profit by exploiting the controversy within the Society. For a Magic Lord who always has to look up to the Magic Tower, it must have been the perfect opportunity. If he could cause a crack in the Magic Tower system, starting with the Ostea Magic Tower, it would open up the possibility of filling that void. It was a scenario where Mauler would raise a controversy, and the Magic Lord would escalate the situation.”
The scene of the start of the second grand assembly of the World Congress came to mind.
───Wait, so you mean the Society tried to collapse the Ten Great Magic Towers system from within under Eon’s orders… …?
Upon reflection, the Magic Master had subtly provoked the Tower Masters.
“By the way, the moment the First Magic Tower appeared, the Magic Lord’s face was quite a sight to behold. You must have worked hard preparing how to heat up the atmosphere, hohoho.”
Adrian showed murderous intent.
“Looks like I’ve added another guy to the list of those I’ll have to kill later.”“I don’t really care if you kill me, but I brought this specifically so you wouldn’t have to. What do you think? Would this be enough for a casual chat?”
Feldianne smiles slyly.
Even though he was a man, he was styled in a flashy, androgynous way like a woman, yet there was no sense of incongruity in his appearance.
As Verden continued his lunch, he asked in a low voice.
“Did you have a grudge against the Magic Master?”“The Magic Master is far too inferior in stature for me to hold a grudge. The Magic Master is certainly skilled, but individual power isn’t everything, is it?”“Then are you saying you cut off the Magic Master’s finger simply because he picked a fight with Eon?”“I merely tried to persuade him.”
Feldianne twirled the glass with her arms crossed.
“This ring finger is a token of apology offered by the Magic Master to Lord Verden. Whether or not you accept it depends entirely on Lord Verden’s will.”“My will, huh?”
Verden wiped the corners of his mouth with the napkin Alpha handed him and looked into Feldianne’s eyes.
“Why go to such lengths? The Artisan Magic Tower could easily build a friendship with Eon in many different ways.”“Because I want to. Lord Verden, and Eon in particular, are fun to watch. People call this desire anticipation. It’s like a gut feeling that if I just add a touch of seasoning right by their side, it would become a delicacy of the world. Ah, that expression was a bit blunt. I apologize. Anyway, that is how I feel.”
Feldianne, smiling while enjoying a warm cup of coffee with her frozen fingers in front of her, was clearly not the type of person to be a criminal.
“However, our ancestor is reportedly displeased with my personal views. To think that our personalities are so different despite sharing the same blood… isn’t that a pity?”“Does Indren know you are here?”“Our ancestor said he had many things to sort out and went straight into meditation. I would have liked to ask for permission if possible, but as a deeply filial descendant, I cannot possibly disturb him.”
For some reason, it felt as though I could hear Indren’s sigh.
“……The Artisan Tower must be tired, too.”“Being full of curiosity is the greatest virtue of the Master of the Artisan Tower. I hope the Second Master of the First Tower will look upon this favorably. If you invite me to the First Tower, there would be no greater honor.”“I’ll just keep it in mind.”“It is truly a relief that you are at least thinking of it. So, what are you going to do?”
Feldianne looked down at the solitary finger of the magician.
“Will you forgive him?”
Even though Celester Leven had joined Mauler, she actually had no particular feelings toward Verden. This was because the Magic Autonomous Regiment could not serve as a pivot in the balance of power.
If someone loses their mind and bares their teeth, all you have to do is pull them out. But as you can see, Feldianne has already taken care of that.
widely.
Verden put down the coffee cup.
“Since the state of preservation is almost perfect, if we ask the Luas Church, they should be able to reattach it properly.”
[Scan complete. 99.7% chance of bonding.]
Feldianne nodded.
“Understood. I will pack it nicely and deliver it as is. You are very generous.”“Because it has no particular use.”“That is true. We can’t even use it as an alchemical ingredient. It’s not like we are some evil black magicians. Right? Well then.”
Ss
Feldianne took out a pen and wrote letters and numbers on the tablecloth. It was none other than an address pointing somewhere in Gargant.
“This is the residence where my friend Tilver is staying. I have already contacted him, so if you mention Artisan Magic Tower, he should open the door. However, sometimes when his social phobia is severe, his mental state is quite erratic, but since it is not a common occurrence, you do not need to worry too much. Probably.”
[maybe?]
“After all, minds change in an instant. I have finished my meal, so I will be leaving now.”
Feldianne stood up from her seat and roughly patted her robewhile gathering the Magic Lord’s finger.
“Thank you for letting me stay the night. It was an enjoyable and delicious lunch.”“I should at least keep in touch next time.”“I’ll think about it.”
Feldianne turned her back to the living room and stopped for a moment, half-hiding herself.
“Oh, by the way, the large-scale airship ordered by Lord Verden is about 60% complete. You are likely aware of the progress on the intercontinental spatial teleportation circle, so I don’t think I need to mention it… Anyway, there is one last thing I am curious about.”“What is it?”“You killed the body possessed by that second servant. The way it looks to me, it seems to have some ulterior motive. As expected, Lord Verden’s magic seems to transcend the physical realm.”“…….”“Did the second servant die?”
Verden’s magical ability evolves one level after activating
The destructive power of destruction that instantly killed the second servant’s possessed body a few hours ago is at a level exceeding that of killing the clone sent by Gluttony’s leader.
The blow that pierced the possessed body likely delivered a shock comparable to piercing the second servant’s main body almost directly.Had he been defenseless, it would not be surprising if he had suffered a fatal injury or died on the spot.
However, the servants of the Glory of the Dead were all tenacious. The second servant, a transcendent being from eight centuries ago, would surely be even more so, if not no less.
It was highly likely that physical damage was prevented by some means.
“If they were going to die that easily, there is no way the Luas Cult would have failed to subjugate them by now.”“That is true, hoho. It was a pointless question.”
Feldianne’s face was exquisitely obscured by the wall and could not be seen.
“Next time, I will visit the ownerless land in person. I want to see the Memory Golem and various other golems with my own two eyes. Since there are more than enough reasons to meet anyway, I am sure we will be able to see each other again soon.”
The hand coming out from behind the wall wavered.
May you be at peace until then.
[hi.]
[good bye.]
“Oh, it feels good to hear Alpha and Beta say hello. Thanks for the coffee, hohoho.”
The front door opens, and Feldianne’s presence slowly fades away. That of the high-ranking mages assigned to escort Master Artisan.
Isabella touched the corner of her mouth.
“This is the first time I’ve properly observed Master Artisan of the Magic Tower… and something feels off. It’s hard to put into words, but I’d say it’s bizarre. What about the Head of the House? And Adrian?”“True to Master Artisan’s nature, his observational skills are sharp.”“He is a direct descendant of a Transcendent. It wouldn’t be strange if there were some oddities.”
Although she said that, everyone knows that what you see on the surface is not everything about Feldianne.
The owner of the Magic Tower, ranked 2nd overall.
Although overshadowed by Indren, if one considers only the hierarchy of the Magic Tower, Feldianne’s position is immediately below that Provider.She is a giant among giants who should not be treated lightly just because she appears to act lightly.
“Well, let’s talk about Feldianne later. I’m heading to where Tilber lives right now; are you coming with me?”“Of course.”“Since you are controlling your powers, My Lord, please leave the escort duties to me.”
[depart.]
[I will get ready to depart.]
The Eon leadership prepared.
Verden looked at the Alpha sitting on his shoulder and asked.
“You’re going to meet someone who might become your disciple. How do you feel?”
Alpha’s single eye gleamed.
[expectation.]
* * *
I didn’t intend to draw too much attention this time, so I moved moderately. Dreadmere was displeased, but it couldn’t be helped.That man Tilber would be very uncomfortable with so much attention focused on him.
[An ordinary house.]
The northeastern outermost edge of Gargant.
Verden and his party arrived in front of a rather inconspicuous building. However, contrary to its appearance, it was equipped with various advanced magical devices.
Beta finished the scan.
[Upon unauthorized intrusion, a Tier 6 lower-level mental magic circle activates along with a protective shield, and Tier 5 lightning magic is triggered upon forced opening of the entrance. A device for voice communication with the interior is installed next to the doorbell, which is powered by a high-grade magic stone.]
“Rank 6? It seems Master Artisan really cares about this person. Just selling the magic items here would easily buy a mansion and still have money left over. Master, shall we press it?”“Sure.”
Isabella pressed the doorbell.Magical power moves.No sound was heard, but a signal was detected inside.
“…….”
It is quiet.
Since it was an area far from the city center, silence hung over the surroundings. Even after waiting for a while, nothing changed.
Click.
I rang the doorbell again.
Excuse me, I came here through the referral of Master Artisan. Could you please open the door?
Isabella spoke as softly as possible. She didn’t sound like an uninvited guest at all. Indeed, it was a beautiful voice, free of any embellishments.
“…….”
They are still silent.
Even when she mentioned Eon, or even when Verden came in person, no answer came back. Unable to bear it any longer, Adrian placed his hand on the doorbell.
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
Adrian, who had been pressing the doorbell as if to break it, spoke in a low voice.
“If you don’t come out by the count of three, I’ll force you in───”
It was then.
Thump.
The magical power was severed. The signals coming from the inside were completely blocked. It was an expulsion order that needed no further explanation.
“This bastard?”
Verden shook his head.
“It seems your social phobia is quite severe. Come back later. It won’t be too late to meet after you return from the Academy.”“My Lord, you have come all this way in vain…….”
Adrian caught his breath and took a step back.
“I would rather have dirt in my eyes than do that.”
A front kick landed.
Crackle!
As his foot touched the door, the security magic circle activated. Electricity flashed, but naturally, it did not cause the slightest harm to Adrian’s body.Even the door’s protective shield shattered, and the door panel was crumpled and torn off in its entirety.
Isabella entered the building first.
“I agree with Adrian. If he didn’t want to meet, he should have at least said something. What kind of situation is it to block the voice completely? It’s infuriating. No matter how severe his social phobia is, this isn’t right.”
[I admit it.]
Beta voted in favor of that opinion.
I have nothing to say.
Verden felt as though he saw himself in the two men’s bold actions. After all, there were many similarities whether in the ownerless land or the silent desert.
[Adrian and Isabella. His Majesty Verden. Identical copies.]
Alpha seems to be like that as well.
Crackle crackle.
Isabella walked through the dark, narrow corridor and grabbed the doorknob inside, twisting it.The magic circle shattered.The metal also lost its original form and bent, damaging the lock. She simply pushed it with her finger, revealing a space bearing traces of human presence.
“H-Heeek!”
A sound came from the corner.I turned on the light.Someone was trembling with the blanket pulled over their head.
“Someone is coming, someone is coming, help me, Feldianne, please help me, please help me……!”
Verden recognized the man’s figure.
Judging by the fact that he covered his ears and even closed his eyes, he was terrified. Upon realizing what the deformity Feldianne had mentioned was, it became clear where the man’s severe social phobia stemmed from.Adrian and Isabella, realizing this as well, paused.
[It’s my turn.]
Alpha jumped down from Verden’s shoulder and approached. As he slightly lifted the blanket, the man screamed.
“Don’t hit me! Mother, I’m sorry! Don’t hit me! Father! Please, stop…!”
[Tilber?]
“Feldianne, help… huh?”
The mechanical voice, unlike a human’s, was enough to awaken the man from his nightmare. The man’s tearful gaze met Alpha’s single blue eye.
[Tilber. Confirmed?]
sudden.
The man threw off the blanket and very carefully lifted Alpha’s body.
“Go, go, go, golem?”
[hi.]
A technician and wizard in charge of recreating Golem technology at the Artisan Magic Tower… …and a man who, despite being an adult, is shorter than a dwarf.
Tilber span gear.
This was the first meeting between the alien and the artificial golem.
“This form… H-Ho, perhaps Alpha? W-If so, those people are, h-h
Tilber was startled and hurriedly ran over on his short legs.
“M-Lord Verden, Lord Beta, and, Lord Adrian, and Lady Isabella? I-I heard about you from Feldianne. I-I saw it in the newspaper, too. I-I have committed a breach of etiquette on our first meeting.”
As Verden knelt on one knee, Tilber reflexively stepped back.
“Are you okay?”“I, I’m sure you heard. Sometimes, my social phobia gets really severe. My mental state is, well, unstable. Excuse me. I should have opened the door for you right away, but I, I just couldn’t help but cut off the conversation…”“You don’t care. Right?”
When Verden asked that, Adrian and Isabella quietly slipped outside.
Beta asked.
[Where are you going?]
To fix the door.
Even putting Isabella aside, Adrian couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable seeing Tilber apologize citing his mental illness.This was especially true since it was right after he had smashed up Tilber’s sanctuary.
“……Beta, can you help me out?”
[Confirmed.]
