Episode 859 Rapid Progress (5)
As the master of the Arcadium passed by, Shelbron began to tremble.
“Host. Th-this is…….”
{fizzle.}
The host extended his index finger, which was more than twice as long and slender as that of an ordinary human. Shelbron’s mouth was forcibly closed, and his upper and lower lips stiffened.
For a long time, the hostess was practically a non-existent class. However, now that the fourth hostess has appeared, as an intellectual and distinguished guest of Arcadium, one cannot help but feel intellectual curiosity.
As soon as Verden withdrew his magic, Luzak immediately stood up and stepped aside. Host moved and took the seat where Luzak had just been sitting.
That is curiosity.
Verden looked at the host.
So you knew what the situation was.
The host’s eyes were pure white, without any distinction between the whites and the blacks.
There is almost nothing I don’t know.
“But why was it neglected?”
“Just because I know something doesn’t mean I should act on it. Ultimately, the one who bears responsibility is the agent, the individual themselves. This is especially true now, as even the threads of fate are rapidly snapping. However, as the one who invited you, I do have a duty to sort out the situation.”
The host crossed his legs and put his hands together.
{I only instructed that the guest of honor’s party be guided to the Arcadium upon their arrival. That is why I did not reveal the name. As for the reason why [Gring Arcanum] provoked the passage opening time early despite being aware of this, I will give you time to explain.}
Shelbron’s mouth opened.
“I…!!”“I will not make excuses. I simply prioritized my curiosity.”
Luzak gave up the opportunity to defend himself. Naturally, the opportunity for Shelbron, who was merely one of the butlers, also vanished.
How will you take responsibility?
I will invoke the VIP immunity.
{Impossible.}
The tentacles attached to the host’s somewhat thin octopus head twitched.
Immunity alone is not enough. To bear the ‘intellectual boundary’.
“……To think the price for meeting the guest of honor first would be so heavy. Indeed, this is treatment befitting one of the four most venerable since the birth of Arcadium.”
Luzak headed to the hallway.
“I will bear the burden and return.”“Lord Luzak, I!!”
I do not know what the intellectual boundary was, but the receding figure of Ruzak was resolute, as if he were prepared for death.Even in the midst of this, Ruzak paid not the slightest attention to Shelbron.
Beta asked.
[Is that the end?]
{That is not the case. This is merely the price for the offense committed against the guest of honor. Reparations for you will be carried out after Luzak’s punishment. With Luzak’s property.}
The host turned his head slightly.
Shelbronn, how would you compensate the guest of honor?
Shelbron knelt.
“Host! Please understand my situation! I merely followed Lord Luzak’s orders. As the butler of Arcadium, it is my duty to serve a distinguished guest…!”
{If you hadn’t taken that into account from the start, you would have already been reduced to a ‘landfill of knowledge’.}
Shelbron froze.
The host shrugged his shoulders toward Verden.
As such, the guest of honor occupies an unfamiliar position. Even if one knows it intellectually, one habitually fails to regard them as anything more than a VIP. Perhaps it is the limitation of our meager intellect.
He said calmly.
{Shelbron, the 27th butler of Arcadium. The guest of honor is waiting, so I will defer your treatment for the time being.}
“Oh, Host—”
Before anyone realized it, Shelbron had vanished without a trace. Only barnacle fragments remained where Shelbron had been.
Other distinguished guests and attendees are also interested in you, Asher, and in you all. There are even some, like Luzak, who claim to be intellectuals and are willing to take risks. You won’t be bored once the true Arcadium begins.
You’d be included in that group of intellectuals, too.
I told you. You are lacking as both a delicacy and a participant. Of course, for now, I will treat you strictly as a guest. So, feel free to ask if you have any questions.
Surprisingly, I had time to easily ask a question.
Of course, the topic will be limited to this place, Arcadium.
I did not refuse the host’s invitation because there were more than a few things I was curious about, such as the game of Verdendo Arcadium and the mansion deep in the ocean where no light reaches.
The same was true for Alpha.
[question.]
Alpha pointed at the host.
[Octopus head. Really?]
{… … .}
The host remained silent for a moment, then moved his tentacles slightly as if letting out a sigh.
Just like a creation of Oldark, he says rude things so casually.
* * *
The Host accurately saw through the origins of Alpha and Beta at a glance. Furthermore, he was aware of the threads of fate.His claim that there was almost nothing he didn’t know was by no means an exaggeration.
“……Are you acquainted with the first Demon King?”
{It existed even before he was later called the Last Resistor. Though of different kinds, both pursued their own knowledge.}
In other words, it means that ‘you’ had a connection with the first Demon King even before you created your destiny.From what era exactly is the Host?
and.
“If things go as expected, the Host is one of the Apostles of Destiny, the Raging Sea. After all, he should be an enemy of the First Demon King… Why doesn’t he harbor any hostility?”
It is not being perfected as destiny like Ishur, who became the god of the desert.Nor is it sealed away like ancient kings or giants.As you can see, it is not as if its true identity remains completely hidden, like humanity gathered around the light or the king who offered a crown to the heavens.
The host was more like a dragon.
Just as the Red Dragon Sarkandra had made its nest in none other than the Sea of Demons… the Host had made the depths of the sea his sanctuary.
Many questions cross paths.
Verden gathered his thoughts and, with Alpha and Beta by his side, askedsequentially, as if climbing stairs.
People around me, with whom I have nothing in common, told me that I smell like the sea. Not everyone, but only some. I’m curious about the principle behind that.
{The [Gring Arcanum] you possess is literally directly connected to the sea. Where a passage is connected, the scent of the sea is bound to emanate. However, in this case, because Ruzak and Shelbron stimulated the [Gring Arcanum], the scent was transmitted indiscriminately first. It is a mere coincidence.}
It seems that it is not just a specific individual who can sense the smell of the sea. I cannot see into the host’s inner self, so I do not know if it is a lie.
{Asher, Alpha, Beta. You have set foot here because I invited you. However, the reason the passage opened earlier than scheduled is because you threatened the [Gring Arcanum] in the process. Luzak and Shelbron may think they opened it themselves, but since the two of us actually caused the problem, it wouldn’t make any difference even if we credited the latter.}
“What does that mean?”
[The Gring Arcanum] is not a mere book. Rather, it is like a living creature. Since you are its master, I hope you will be careful in the future.
Verden became aware of the World Forbidden Book he had placed in his bosom, rather than in the subspace. To thinkit was alive.Although he could sense no trace of life, he kept the host’s advice in mind for now.
“If there were no unfortunate incidents like today, I wouldn’t treat anyone so carelessly.”
He turned the topic back to the Q&A.
“But what is the case here where it senses the sea even though [Gring Arcanum] wasn’t even stimulated?”
It can be seen as extremely sensitive to the sea.
The figure Verden alluded to was Thearel, the Black Sea of the Adventurer’s Guild.Indeed, she possesses an extraordinary sense befitting someone called the Transcendent of the Sea. The reason she harbors such strong interest in the sea, while simultaneously remaining wary of it, may indeed be directly related to the host standing before her.
It was then.
{It’s a horrific battlefield.}
The host lowered his gaze and took in the scene of the intellectual clash game. Luzak’s camp was effectively completely dysfunctional.
Alpha pointed to the magical absolute artifact.
[Alpha. Victory.]
{It is a natural result, given that he is a being who has inherited a portion of the highest intellect. After all, the ability to calculate moves yet to be made plays a significant role in the outcome of intellectual clashes.}
[Host. I would like to ask what this board game is.]
Beta mentioned the suspicion that Verden was about to ask on his behalf. Once again, the host was willing to answer without hesitation.
Intellectual conflict is a simple game based on past facts.
The host extended his long fingers and moved Luzak’s pieces directly.Two of them, in fact.Passing through the Ancient Knowledge tile and three Absolute tiles, they began to transform into Absolutes according to the rules of the game.
A total of three Absolute pieces were placed on the board, including the one summoned by Alpha.
The setting is the ‘War of Destiny’ that broke out long after the Great Divergence, where the ancient gods suffered a crushing defeat and ultimately fell in the Desert of Silence.
“……!”
{Creators of Fate, Resistors of Fate. At that time, there were two factions, and three of the most powerful primordial beings.}
Tap… … Tap… … Tap.
{The primordial wizard, the primordial dragon, and ‘you,’ whose name and alias cannot even be spoken now.}
[Your Majesty the Demon King.]
A magical artifact of an absolute ruler holding a staff.An artifact of a giant dragon characterized by its gray color.An artifact of a woman praying with her hands clasped together, her face covered by a robe.
They were lined up in a row, facing the front of Verden.
{Asher, this will be familiar to you. You have already encountered it in different ways.}
It was recently that Verden encountered the Gray Dragon in the defeated soldiers’ prison. Due to a possible taboo, he did not reveal the information to anyone.Not to Adrian, not to Isabella, not to Alpha, not to Beta.
[The Primordial Dragon?]
Verden pulled his lips away a little late.
“……I met him when I was testing summoning magic. I couldn’t tell you because it involved things that violated taboos. It might be dangerous.”
A loose mouth invites disaster.
The host stood up from his seat.
{We will finish the remaining Q&A as we move to another location. The reason I invited you is to explain the Arcadium.}
[Please pause.]
All eyes turned to Beta.
[What happens if absolute objects collide with each other in intellectual conflict?]
What would happen if both sides summoned pieces that were practically the victory condition?It was Beta’s innocent question.
The results that can be expressed with this board are limited.
The host struck the magical Absolute piece against ‘your’ piece.At that moment, light and waves engulfed the board.
Boom!
The board was destroyed.
Alpha’s and Luzak’s objects were swept away by the aftermath, shattering into pieces, vanishing, or being blown far away.
The world where intellectual conflicts take place has collapsed.
I hope this was helpful.
“Host.”
Verden raised his gaze.
“How much do you know?”
The host leaned forward with his hands behind his back, as if it were a habit. Their gazes crossed at a slightly closer distance.
{At least all the answers you want.}
* * *
Helion Magic Tower, one of the two magic towers located in the southern part of the Western Continent, was conducting a grand ceremony for the first time in quite some time.Numerous mages lined up in the grounds of Helion Magic Tower welcomed the tower’s distinguished guest.
“Although it has not been long since the World Conference adjourned, it is truly a moving experience to see you again here, none other than the Helion Magic Tower, Your Majesty Emperor Xeracle Dian Sereanor Arnak.”
Triton Martus, the Master of the Hellion Magic Tower, politely took Emperor Jeracle’s hand, his massive muscles twitching prominently through his robe.True to his moniker of “Frontline War,” scars scattered all over his body spoke volumes about his life.
Emperor Zeracl nodded.
“I share your sentiments. I sincerely hope that today’s conversation leads to the advancement of the relationship between the great Arnak Empire and the wise Helion Magic Tower.”“Hahaha! Wise? I am overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s words.”
Triton laughed heartily.
“Then I will personally guide the two of you through the Helion Magic Tower. I have also specially opened up parts of the research labs on the middle and upper floors for His Imperial Majesty, so you may look forward to it.”
Imperial officials, including Emperor Zeracl and Grand Duke Rivandale, entered the Magic Tower following Triton. As they walked down the corridor, they exchanged various stories, but as expected, contrary to his appearance, Triton was no pushover.
Seemingly simple yet cunning in dealing with people.
Triton Martus was accustomed to war, so he was actually skilled at deception.
“I will finalize the contract with the Empire no matter what.”
Various agenda items for the World Conference and contracts at the Tower level depend on this meeting. As the Master of the Tower, Triton steeled himself inwardly.
And so the sound of their footsteps faded away.
[… … Did they go?]
A faint voice echoed in the empty hallway.There was no response at all.
[You’re gone!]
Talk.
The Sky Dragon Aerodon, which had been clinging to the hallway ceiling, landed on the floor. Its presence is faint. And a powerful magical energy is being felt from very high above.
The long-awaited moment has finally arrived.The Magic Tower’s power source is right in front of me!
[Hahahahaha! You scoundrel Oldarc! You underestimated this Sky Dragon. To think you left such a threat by not killing my soul back then.]
The guy bared his teeth.
[In return, I will dig up every last bit of your secrets.]
Successful infiltration of the Hellion Magic Tower.
The mini dragon—Aerodon—ran toward the secret of the first Demon King of the Magic Tower.
