Episode 846 The Outcast (3)
Magnus Bank – Gargant Branch.
Wendell Magnus, who attended the World Conference as a representative of the continent’s three major banks, held a private meeting with Bank President Anonium and Bank President Dyna.Wendell, having relieved some of his fatigue by sleeping soundly all morning, took his seat.
Bank President Dyna asked.
“How was the World Conference?”“It was not something an ordinary human like me could handle. If it weren’t for the power of the transcendents, I would have lost consciousness halfway through. Phew.”“You had a tough time.”
Bank President Anonium encouraged him with both hands on his staff.
“So, were you able to reach a conclusion?”“……I had no choice but to.”
Wendell lowered his voice.
“You all surely remember what the Founder said not long ago: ‘The Golden Sinner has awakened in the bosom of Eon.’”“Of course I remember.”“Hahaha.”
Bank President Anonium laughed heartily.
“No matter how old I am, my memory has not yet faded. I also know that as the chaos deepens, the moment the Founder feared is drawing near.”“From today, the chaos will only intensify.”
Wendell shared all the information he had seen and heard at the World Conference with the two bank presidents.Since he could not take any risks, he did not know what was discussed during the Pledge of Truth, but even without knowing that, there was an abundance of information to serve as the basis for his actions.
“The time has come for us to make our final preparations as bank presidents.”“Ah, finally.”
Founder of the three major banks.A man of death.Junk dealer, Reginalf.
The bank’s dominance of the continent’s business world is the result of its founder.
The third-generation bank president has been fulfilling the duties assigned by the founder for generations, hundreds of years ago, without even knowing what preparations they are making.
Bank President Anonium slowly raised his head and closed his eyes.
“To think the moment would come to open the ‘Golden Treasury’ in my generation… I am overwhelmed with emotion. It was a wish I wanted to fulfill before I died.”
Bank President Dyna raised the corners of his mouth.
“Your hard work paid off. Still, the official opening isn’t complete yet, so don’t die too soon. It is all too common for people to meet a sudden, violent death in their old age, so take good care of your health.”“Surely, with my final duty right before my eyes, would I die in vain? Even if I do die, I will find a way to return alive, so don’t worry.”
Even though they knew that unimaginable danger was approaching, not a trace of anxiety was visible among the bank presidents.They simply wanted to see the end of a mission that had continued for hundreds of years.
“I have dispersed and secured funds across the entire continent, so now all I have to do is buy them up. The market might sense a disconnect, but tracking them will be impossible.”“If you have more than enough money, you can do pretty much anything.”“Hahaha, isn’t that the power of capital?”
Bank President Magnus, Wendell Magnus, stood up vigorously. The other two bank presidents also stood up and straightened their clothes.
Alright then, let’s get to work.
* * *
Immediately after the World Conference closed, the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters Guild Master and Heukhae returned to the Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters under escort by Iniktor the Indomitable and others.
The other Obsidian-ranked adventurers scattered as they pleased.That is the nature of adventurers.They were hunters who could enjoy freedom as long as they fulfilled the minimum obligations.
“…….”
An Obsidian-ranked adventurer—the ‘Perfect Adventurer’ who has completed the most subjugation quests in the present era—is leaning against the base of a tree.The nature spread out below the cliff and the scenery of the massive city in the distance were quite a magnificent sight.
“I heard that towards the end of the World Conference, an aide from the Kingdom of Ronia was possessed by a ghost and killed by the Divine. To think the Second Servant would act so blatantly. It seems there is no point in hoping that ominous premonitions are wrong.”
The perfect adventurer put the back of his head against the tree.
“I haven’t even said anything yet. Where did you hear that?”“There are eyes and ears everywhere.”
Reginalf, the sinner of death, walked out of the forest with his hands clasped behind his back. Standing beside a tree, he gazed at the world alongside the perfect adventurer.
“As an adventurer, were you pleased with the results of the World Conference?”“From an adventurer’s perspective… it’s not bad. Especially since slaying the monsters of the Demon Realm is a dream for adventurers. I heard that the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters is about to hold a meeting regarding the exploration of the Demon Realm.”“That’s the conduct of a group specializing in monster extermination. By the way, I heard there was an adventurer who stormed out when the conquest of the Demon Realm was initially rejected.”“Ah.”
The perfect adventurer chuckled.
“When I conveyed the news that the conquest of the Demon Realm had been re-proposed and passed, he left immediately. He appeared quite emotionally charged. He is usually the most taciturn man.”
The terror of demons.
No one knows his name except for the Head of the Adventurer’s Guild and the Black Sea. His appearance beneath the armor has never been revealed.All that is known is that he possesses immense power that even a transcendent being cannot treat lightly, and that he roams the Demon Realm alone.
As one builds their own adventurer’s career, they are bound to become interested in the horrors of evil, but the Perfect Adventurer drew a line at curiosity.After all, this life was not meant to be wasted on such things.
Take responsibility!!!!!!!!!!
Thump.
The perfect adventurer placed one hand on his armor. He could feel the energy of the ancient artifact embedded in the center of his chest moving ceaselessly.
“Are you still wailing deeply?”“It is alright. It is a sin I bear.”“The day of reckoning will come before long. The day we so earnestly longed for, and the day we desperately wished would never come…”
Silence passed by.
“So, what was it like seeing the Divine in person?”“I understand why the First Necromancer chose that Transcendent being as an ally. Certainly, there was no one more suitable than the Divine at the World Council.”“I knew it. Since you will soon face me as a sinner, make sure you organize your memories of the past well. So that the explanation doesn’t become boring.”“I will do my best.”
The perfect adventurer changed the subject.
“More importantly, the Iderat Alliance said that the Dragon Sword, Magras, would appear in the Hiaremar Inland Sea. Lennon Bernard cited a prophecy as the basis for this. Do you have any idea what might be going on?”“I have heard of Baaren Moru, who is said to have written that prophecy, but the mention of the Dragon Sword is completely new to me. My intelligence network has never detected that the Iderat Alliance possessed such a thing.”“Given the circumstances, it doesn’t seem like the work of the Glory of the Dead.”“I think so, too. However, as I carefully observe the flow of events, I cannot help but consider other possibilities.”
The perfect adventurer raised his gaze.
“Which…?”“The worst-case scenario is that some kind of force is aiding the Glory of the Dead.”
Otherwise, there was no way the Glory of the Corpse could have so swiftly gathered the bodies of the ancient kings located in a place unknown even to the Ruas Theocracy.Unless it was a case of luck compounding coincidence.
I suddenly felt a chill.
If they possess information unknown to the Luas religion and the sinners, and claim to be the backdrop for the glory of the corpses… what a formidable force they must be.Furthermore, the fact that there wasn’t even a single rumor about them weighed heavily on the mind of Reginalf, who had been active on the continent for hundreds of years.
“Of course, for now, it is merely a possibility. I hope it is just a baseless fear. For now, I will look into this further, so please do not worry too much. Anyway.”
Reginalf continued speaking.
“I am on my way back from visiting Lord Andes. He told me that as indescribable death draws near, the Golden Sinner will gradually regain his memories. Indeed, the actions of the Glory of the Corpse have become increasingly violent.”“……It must be painful.”“It is a decision the Golden Sinner has resolved to make. He is well capable of enduring such agony. We just need to wait for our reunion as usual.”
Snow is falling.
A tiny ice crystal, small enough not to be surprising if it melted at body temperature, settled on his skin. However, Reginalf’s body had already been cold for a long time.
“Do you really think we can stop it in the end? The resurrection of the ancient king?”“We must stop it at all costs. But, to be honest.”
The perfect adventurer’s fingers dug into the hard earth. A scene of hell from eight centuries ago unfolded before his eyes through his memories.
The terror of the absolute ruler who reigned over the mountain of corpses, holding a massive sword.
“I cannot imagine the former king… Brother Akhand disappearing forever. Not yet.”
The perfect adventurer───the sinner of a fallen kingdom, Prince Castian Linigea Tain Xerion 2, still could not escape from his nightmare.
* * *
“I didn’t expect so many people to come, so my preparations are—my preparations are inadequate. I apologize. Um, about the drinks…”“I just had one on my way back. Don’t worry about it.”
Verden and Tilber sat facing each other with a small table in the center. Alpha took a seat right in the middle of the table as if to show off.
The house was quite messy.
There were traces of research on golems or magical techniques everywhere, but Tilber did not seem to have the habit of organizing his research every time.
anyway.
Since there was nowhere else to sit, Adrian and Isabella sat side by side on the back of the enlarged frame of Beta.For reference, the door was fixed somehow.
“Oh, waaaah…….”
Tilber hugged the tightly rolled-up blanket while observing Alpha and Beta alternately. They were anxious, yet they did not turn their eyes away from their desires.Indeed, just as Feldianne had said, they appeared to be obsessed with Golem technology.
“You are pure. Moreover, contrary to your appearance, your magical level is quite high.”
It was a judgment that gained insight into Tilber’s inner self.
Verden said.
“Who are you?”“Huh? Ah! I, I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Tilver Spengear—”“I am asking not just your name, but what kind of person you are. An Alpha needs to know who you are to decide whether or not to take you as a disciple.”
[Preparation for screening complete.]
Pop!
Alpha’s single eye gleamed like an interviewer.
Actually, far from being intimidating, he was just cute, but the star of the show today was not Verden, but Alpha.
Except for Alpha, Verden’s party watched the examination with amusement.
[Self-introduction. Start.]
“Ah, uh, so, I mean.”
Tilber was flustered. As soon as he realized he was standing right in front of someone, cold sweat poured down his face. He wanted to pull a blanket over himself and hide.
Still, I made an effort to speak.
Because he had finally met the two artificial golems he had only heard about in rumors. At least today, his thirst for knowledge overcame his mental illness.
Tilber was a fifth-rank middle wizard.Tilber was also a wizard.
“I am Tilber Spangear,” he said.
Tilber mustered up a little more courage.
As you can see, I have dwarfism.
* * *
Tilver Spangear’s life was tragic from birth through his growth years. This was because, no matter how much he ate, his body did not grow normally.
It is extremely rare in the world for a person to have this deformity known as short stature.
An incurable disease that cannot be cured by the generally accepted miracles of the Luas religion.
Before the Age of Magic began, the fate of those suffering from dwarfism was generally similar:clowns or peculiar slaves.Typically, their appearance was ridiculous and repulsive to ordinary people. An adult as small as a child?
With the global abolition of slavery in modern times, such an atmosphere has somewhat subsided, but the fact that they remain objects of loathing, avoidance, and ridicule has not changed.In particular, dwarf humans born into impoverished families were nothing more than a nuisance.
A pitiful life , beaten by his father day after day,despised by his mother,and finally abandoned on the roadside at a very young age for being a mere waste of food, forced to endure the harsh stares and torment of the world all alone.
That was Tilber’s distant past.
“Still, thanks to the help of the war mage who happened to save me—I-I helped—I was able to become a mage. Ah, that was already decades ago.”
[Master?]
“He told me not to call him Master because he only helped me build the basics of magic out of a sense of wasteful talent, but to me, he is my Master. Thanks to him, I was able to become active in the magical world starting in my teens. That was when I first encountered knowledge about golems, and as I saved up some money, I attempted my own independent research. This background is what led Pe—Feldianne—to recruit me into the Artisan Magic Tower.”
Tilber clapped his little fingers together and explained what he had done in the magical world.He must have suffered injustices in that harsh magical realm. Otherwise, his social phobia wouldn’t have become that severe.
However, he minimized his unfortunate past and passionately told a story focusing solely on his career.
Although he could not make proper eye contact, as he became immersed in his own memories, the hesitation in his speech gradually disappeared.
‘A little wizard with a deformity that inevitably led to his alienation from the world, yet whose magical talent blossomed thanks to the goodwill of a certain war mage… … Impressive.’
To Verden, who had personally experienced just how exclusive wizards could be, Tilber’s background had a tendency to draw him in on a human level.Enough to understand, in his own way, why Feldianne was caring so much about him.
This is the Tilber Span Gear.
Tilber finally lifted his head.
Everyone, including Verden and Alpha, was staring at him silently. Gasp. Tilber, whose anxiety symptoms had flared up without him realizing it, flinched.
“I, I’m sorry. I organized my thoughts in my head over and over again just in case I made a mistake, but my explanation ended up being unnecessarily long…”
[question.]
Alpha raised one hand.
[What is your dream?]
“A dream…?”
[dream.]
Tilber fidgeted with his hands.
“Dream, dream, wait a moment, my dream is.”
Tilber jumped off the chair and rummaged through the bundles of papers scattered on the floor. He then brought out materials that looked as if they had been drawn in detail himself and laid them out in front of Alpha.
“This is a golem I designed. I would like to try making something like this someday.”
The data contained a colossal golem approaching the height of Gargant’s building. It was more than twice the size of Beta’s maximum frame.
Alpha asked again.
[If you produce it?]
“I made it…….”
Tilber glanced at Verden shyly and showed him the materials behind him. It was a section of a world newspaper related to the Beldirn Republic.The image of Verden, who had defeated the Bone Dragon and was not a transcendent being at the time, was reflected in his eyes.
Someday, I want to catch a dragon too.
No matter how preposterous, reckless, or absurd the dream may be, giving up is not the attitude a wizard should have.Especially when a great wizard who made the impossible possible is right before your eyes.
Just like Mr. Verden.
Nova
Like many others in the magical world, Verden was a star and a dream to Tilber.
