Episode 957 Cumulonimbus (2)
A few more days have passed since Verden was transported to the Desert of Silence.
Ddd
While weapon skills involving the sword and shield are important, it is the natural order to prioritize training physical ability and the management of ki before weapon techniques.Without a proper framework, one cannot fully exert strength and will merely break. Higher levels can only be reached with a solid foundation.
Ddd
The Ruler, Rateon Offniel, placed a rock on a large, wheelless metal cart, tied the cart to his waist with a rope, and dragged it along.As he climbed the hill several times, the grass was all worn away, creating a dirt path.
“Whoa, whoosh, whoosh.”
The life of settling down as the ruler of the western, ownerless land was already a thing of the past. Thanks to the repeated focus on combat and training since entering Eon, his overall senses had become sharper than during his prime.
He even hammered a pickaxe under a dwarf to craft new war armor to replace the one shattered by Adrian in a power struggle.His muscles, which had loosened slightly, now boasted even greater elasticity than during his days as a mercenary.
From the dragon’s tail to the wings.To the left arm of the apex.From the lower phase to the higher phase.
Let’s make it big.
Rateon’s ultimate goal and the driving force of its growth was simple yet firm.
“Pfft.”
He reached the top of the hill, untied the rope, and threw it roughly. The cart slid down the slope and crashed into a tree. Under its weight, five trees were shattered in a row.
Immediately afterwards, Cain, who was performing a
“You’re working hard again today.”“What is it?”“It’s a new mission.”
Cain delivered the command’s order.
“The target is the Kingdom of Ronia.”“……!”“I authorize the execution against the violator of the commandments.”
Rateon knows better than anyone just how rotten the Kingdom of Ronia is. After all, Rateon was once a knight of the Kingdom of Ronia who fought against the Lower Beastmen tribe.
Do not undermine the dignity of the intellect.Do not restrict freedom.Recognize your responsibility.
There are more than a few people right off the top of my head who have violated the Three Divine Commandments. Including that damn King of Ronia, too.
“You must have heard the circumstances regarding the disappearance and death of many members of the Magic Tower on the unknown island due to Mauler. The Magic Towers will provide support in retaliation.”“The Magic Towers, huh? Since the Elder of the Diamun Magic Tower met the same fate, our justifications align.”
Whoosh.
The first-tier water-based magic cast by Cain washed away Lateon’s sweat.He felt refreshed as his body cooled down.
“The current Kingdom of Ronia falls within the domain of the Transcendents. What are you going to do about Mauler?”“They say it follows the basic principle that Transcendents are dealt with by Transcendents. From the start, the culmination of this plan is focused on a duel with Mauler.”“Does that mean… Adrian has made a decision?”
Cheongeom and Mauler.The friction had reached its peak. A head-on collision was a foreseen event.
“Since His Majesty’s representative has decided so, I suppose I must willingly follow.”
Rateon swept his wet hair back with a smile of ecstasy.
The opportunity came sooner than I expected.
With the backing of the Glory of the Dead gone, the Blood Alliance was seized by a broker from within, and Rateon personally stepped forward to cleanly deal with those who opposed this before they could even cross the border of Delharun.For this exploit, the reward promised by His Majesty Verden was the execution of a commandment targeting the Kingdom of Ronia.
King Ronia. I will get rid of that piglet with my own hands no matter what.
Revenge was also the primary reason for Rateon’s tenacious pursuit of success. After all, they wouldn’t entrust a task dealing with the state to a member other than the executives.
“As long as the Magic Tower is involved, they won’t attack from the front. Those guys prefer backstabbing.”“We must secure the interior before Mauler notices anything, and before the opportune moment arrives. The infiltration plan has been finalized based on the intelligence prepared by the officers. The specific routes and handling of unexpected situations depend entirely on our judgment and discretion, and this includes one individual mission that must be completed.”
Cain spoke in a serious voice.
“Assassination of Grimnax’s leadership.”“Grimnax?”
Vlad, the leader of Grimnax, the continent’s most elite assassin order, is an assassin who has reached the pinnacle of mastery. He is one of the strongest beings, second only to the Transcendents. Infact, he simply allowed the Third Aspect, Osgar Fargan, and the Seventh Aspect, Grave Ludworth, to escape even after they had passed the test.
Currently, Grimnax has joined Mauler’s ranks along with Vlad.
“Grimnax’s main base is currently in the Kingdom of Ronia instead of Delharun? Is the source a broker?”“It is a secret obtained by the Golden Sinner through the continent’s high society. I do not know the reason, but I heard that some of Grimnax’s high-ranking officials showed up. For us, it is not an opportunity we can turn down.”
He continued his explanation.
“It is highly likely that the culprit who murdered Elder Leon of the Tower of Diamun and his escort is Vlad, the leader of Grimnax. Designating Grimnax as an intermediate target is retaliation for that.”“What is your basis for Vlad?”“If it had been Mauler, Elder Leon’s entire search party would have vanished, just like most of the missing. Although the situation was chaotic, the Sage of Wisdom said that he is the only one who possessed the power to assassinate the Tower’s Elder without any complications and dared to mess with Eon without knowing his place. Do you need any further evidence?”“No, I understand.”
Rateon narrowed his eyes.
“However, if Vlad himself is in the Kingdom of Ronia, capturing him will be extremely difficult.”“Even considering that, our forces are sufficient. That is Beta’s judgment.”
Judging by the fact that Beta asserted it, it seems he is truly determined. After all, if there are numerous national-level forces, even the formidable leader of Grimnax would be helpless.
Right, if you owe someone, it is only right to pay them back.
Lateon loosened his shoulders.
Get ready.
After more than a decade, the time came for Lateon to return home.
* * *
The elf who attended the World Conference has not yet returned to the Great Forest and is staying in the forest of the ownerless land with Verden’s permission.
Humans are bustling about.
Merquien, the Eye of the Great Forest of the Central Continent’s Four Powers, was lying sprawled on a thin branch when he suddenly let his head hang low.
“Is it really okay to just sit here? Even though Verden is absent, shouldn’t we at least join Eon’s plan?”“Do you want to help humans?”“Ugh! Never say that again. It gives me the creeps. It’s just because Verden and Isabella are our brothers, after all.”
Since Merquien is a purist, he does not avoid Verden, but he tends to dislike Isabella. After all, she is an evil sister who reminds him of a corrupted tree.Still, he likes her enough that he wouldn’t trade her for anything, even if there were hundreds of millions of humans. It means that no matter what, she is unconditionally better than a human.
Karans also helped out.
“With my current strength, I would be a sufficient force even from Eon’s perspective, Sister. Having acted alongside humans before, I am also familiar with human society.”“I understand how you both feel, but please do not worry. It would be more helpful if we remained on this ownerless land.”
Serendia, one of the guardians of the World Tree, caressed nature. With just that touch, vitality overflowed from the plants.
Destiny because it exists everywhere.
She stared directly into the darkness visible beyond the forest.
The time will soon come when you must draw out that power without reservation.
* * *
Isabella, having returned from the Silent Desert, looked down at the world from the deck of the seaplane.As Eon’s representative, she also took on the heavy responsibility of understanding the situation and leading the plans. Only the two of them could barely keep up with Verden’s activity level.
Adrian has made a bold decision, too. It seems like he is trying to fill the void left by the head of the family a bit too forcefully, but I suppose that shows just how confident he is.
The wise sage, Melad, nodded.
“For he is the Sword of Divinity. There is no sword more reliable than that.”“Well, he is certainly not the Head of the Family’s right-hand man for nothing. Then, let us leave the matter of Mauler and the World Alliance to Adrian, and if we are to focus on our own roles…”
Isabella leaned her arm against the railing.
“I heard that the Cardinal of the Ruas Church has not yet arrived in the capital of the Iderat Confederation. If he wanted to, it wouldn’t take even a day.”“It is a form of pressure. A sudden betrayal by the Confederation Leader. It is an unspoken threat to prepare a logical defense if possible, implying that if we ultimately fail to persuade the Theocracy, we will have to pay the price for the blood shed in the Holy City. If we are not careful, the Theocracy and the Confederation might clash.”
Melad took slow steps, borrowing the power of the golem’s body.
“Furthermore, I hear that the Great Beastkin Tribe has sent envoys to the Allied Nations.”“It must be because of the Luas religion.”“The Beast King is cunning, and the Luas Theocracy has lost all patience right now. The Pope and the Saintess have not even shown themselves, and the only remaining Divine Being is the Saint. If the situation escalates to the worst-case scenario… we cannot rule out the possibility that this could trigger a racial war between humans and Beastkin.”“A racial war on top of the former King. Ha, to think we have to mediate that.”
Isabella let out a deep sigh. The responsibility that the international community would be divided if not prevented was not something to be easily shouldered.
“Rather than trying to resolve the situation, I should do my utmost to stall for as much time as possible. I hope a topic comes up that can divert the world’s attention.”
Either the Master of the Lefragium Magic Tower steps forward personally to mention the former king, or some other event occurs to prevent the division.Or Isabella displays tremendous power of harmony to calm everyone’s anger.
Ah… should I go sing a song?
Isabella’s first diplomatic stage was immediately a brutal real battle.
* * *
“So… you mean the conquest of the Demon Realm… is being postponed… indefinitely…”“The conquest of the Demon Realm is a matter planned by global consensus. In a situation where international conflicts are escalating like this, it has no choice but to be put on the back burner.”“So… we can’t… explore the Demon Realm either… forever…”“Considering the progress of the exploration, the miracle of the Luas religion is indispensable, but that is impossible under these circumstances. It will also be difficult to receive international support smoothly.”“I see…”
Ma-ui-poe nodded briefly as if he understood the situation. His expression was hidden by his helmet, so it was not visible.
Still, fortunately, I understood…
You didn’t understand at all.
Salber Wendisir, the head of the Adventurer’s Guild, stopped him with his hand.
“If you try to control it by force, the situation could worsen. It is irreversible.”“If the discord between the Theocracy, the Alliance, and the Beastmen is the problem…”
The terror of the demon rose to his feet.
“I…… will mediate…….”“No.”
Bang!
The demonic terror burst through the walls of the Strategist Guild branch established on the central continent. The impact was so great that the surrounding area shook violently.Outside the utterly shattered branch, a sky as deep as blue was visible.
The obsession with the Demon Realm has intensified since the conquest was officially approved. Even Thearel has headed into the deep sea, and who knows when he will return.
Salbert calmly scratched his head and spoke to the dazed branch manager.
“Branch Manager, deliver this to the Adventurer’s Guilds across the continent in my name.”“Huh? Uh, which one…”“Stand by.”
If we join forces, we will live.If we are scattered, we will die.
Adventurers complement each other’s weaknesses by forming a party.
“Order all adventurers to reside in cities of medium size or larger, regardless of rank.”
* * *
Adrian picked up an artifact from the Golden Vigo as a gift and headed up the mountain path. Enette followed in his footsteps.Only the two of them climbed the silent mountain, where white mist had settled.
“You just need to go up a little further from here.””Hmm.”
Enette volunteered to be a porter, hugging a sword wrapped in cloth, and guided Adrian to the place that was practically his home in the past.
Temple
She is forbidden from entering because she was banished after her faith was completely shattered upon encountering a mysterious old fanatic in Gargant. However,the situation was different now, as she was entering not as a former disciple, but as a member of Eon. I am not sure how the Temple’s disciples will interpret this, though.
The security is tight.
Adrian stopped walking.
“To think the Master of the Temple would greet me right at the entrance.”“I was just warming up.”
Master—Vendier Caenar and his disciples blocked the way.It was a reunion following the resurrection of the ancient king.
“What brings you here? You haven’t even fully recovered from your physical and mental injuries… and on top of that, you’ve brought a disciple of Temple with you.”
Bendie’s gaze was calm, but the disciples’ eyes were sharp.Adrian grabbed Enette’s wrist, who had instinctively flinched at the fact that she was an exiled disciple, and shielded her behind his back.
Bendie opened his eyes wide, looking slightly surprised.Temple’s disciples also looked visibly shocked.
Adrian said.
I’ll get straight to the point.
Instead of his voice continuing, the transcendental being’s intent crossed.
I intend to form an all-continental alliance to defeat the old king.
───The Alliance… …?
───Let’s form an alliance between Eon and Temple.
Bendie asks again.
───Why did you decide to make us your allies? Even going so far as to come find us in person in your current condition.
Because you are the right person for the job.
Throughout the world, there are followers of fate mixed in like the leader of the Iderat Alliance, so even with insight, one cannot distinguish friend from foe.
However, transcendent beings are an exception.
My Lord said… The modern Transcendents designed by the First Demon King do not yield to external pressure because they possess a unique ideal to advance toward.Therefore, they are incompatible with fate, which binds all causality. Transcendents are beings who are inevitably bound to resist.
Whether you can entrust your back to other transcendents is a separate matter, but at least you won’t get stabbed in the back by those who follow fate.
In many respects, Vendy was second to none as the first transcendent of the alliance. To form an ideal continental confederation, it was absolutely necessary to join hands with her.
“…….”
Bendie stared intently at Adrian and Enette as if deep in thought, then turned his back.
Come in. The conversation might take a while.
* * *
The niche of the world.
Leaving behind the thought of whether Adrian and Isabella were doing well, Verden once again focused on the new inner strength.
He put his hands together.
A light that felt like magic, yet was fundamentally different from magic, bloomed in my hand. The demons filling the surroundings gleamed with eyes as if entranced.
Hadras, the commander of the Archdemon Legion, asked cautiously with respect.
[Has there been… … any progress?]
“I cannot yet manifest miracles or any special powers with this, but the emission of power has become natural. It is a strange sensation. It feels like I understand something, yet at the same time, it feels vague…”
Verden, having encountered that mystery, continued to observe the divine power intently. His blue eyes seemed to shine dazzlingly brightly.
He is truly a being of a star class.He is indeed the savior we have been waiting for.
Hadras did not fully understand what the true divine process was, but he did understand that Verden, having stepped into a different realm, had an overwhelmingly fast adaptability.
A smile spreads across my face before I know it. I wonderhow long it has been since I laughed so genuinely.
[It’s a relief… … Oh, our God.]
* * *
29 steps.
