714
Chapter 714
THUD!
The grand conference room of Pannotia Academy opened, and behind it entered Hades with a sour expression, Arina with a smile, and Feinan with a dignified aura.
Several people were already seated in the conference room, including Richmond.
Nigel sat at the head position with Nabu beside her. Also present were Yelin, the representative of Ishtar;Zeros, the representative of Nirvana; Boris, the security director of the Midland Federation; Simon, the prime minister of the Cusco Kingdom; Kei, the leader of the Hunter Guild Alliance; and Daria, the executor representing the Rom Empire and the emperor's messenger.
It was remarkable that such powerful figures who moved the continent had gathered in one place, but those assembled didn't seem to care about that.
After Hades, Arina, and Feinan entered the conference room and took their seats, Nigel, who had called the meeting, slowly began to speak.
"A few people couldn't make it, but it seems everyone who could come is here."
Nigel gave Nabu a look, and she snapped her fingers.
Then, a mechanical device with complex circuits exposed appeared on the conference table.
Nigel looked at it and said,
"You probably know what this is."
Kei, startled at what appeared on the table, exclaimed,
"That's our item received from Gelion Workshop, isn't it?"
What Nabu had brought out was none other than a hyper-vibration arrow multi-launcher developed as a hunter weapon specifically against Nephilim.
It was a weapon developed from spear throwers directly throwing spears, improved to directly fire hyper-vibration arrows to inflict damage on Nephilim.
Feinan also nodded in recognition of the weapon.
"Yes, it's a new product with integrated circuits made by our company, commissioned to our subsidiary Gelion Workshop for production and delivered to the Hunter Alliance. It hasn't been on the market long... but it looks a bit strange. Is it broken?"
Hades, who had been leaning back on his chair disinterestedly, finally looked over and then shouted, jumping up and down.
"Damn it! Do you know how hard I worked to engrave that integrated circuit, and someone used it like this?! Bring me the name of the bastard who broke it! I'm not selling anything to that guy anymore!"
The great dragon who laid the foundation for pioneering the new field of magical engineering showed no dignified appearance befitting his status.
Nigel shook his head at the furious Hades and then addressed the gathered people again.
"We all agreed to production and participated as investors because magical engineering allows anyone to handle magical weapons efficiently. But as I said then, there are major concerns about the misuse of these weapons."
To that, Feinan said to Nigel,
"Yes. You were worried that these weapons would evolve into war weapons rather than being used against magical beasts or Nephilim."
Then Hades, sitting nearby with his pipe, put his feet up on the conference table and said,
"Always so suspicious. As I said back then, you can't make war weapons with that. I put a lock on the integrated circuit so it can't be modified at all."
Nigel stared at Hades in response.
Facing Nigel's silent gaze, Hades thrust out his belly and said,
"What, what?! I stake my heart on this, that thing can't be modified..."
At that moment, Nabu displayed a video on the conference room wall.
Surprisingly, it showed the new weapons that Hades had confidently claimed couldn't be modified being blatantly altered and used as weapons of mass destruction.
"AAAARGGH!"
"Help me!"
In the video, masses of hyper-vibration arrows and bombs were sweeping through hunters inside a dungeon.
"...I can't be absolutely certain. Magic isn't 100% guaranteed after all."
Hades immediately changed his tune when the evidence appeared.
Nigel sighed softly and said while looking at the screen,
"This is footage found at the site of a collapse accident in the Argos Mountains recently. It was reported as a simple collapse accident, but the reality was different. There was a one-sided massacre."
Turning away from the screen, Nigel continued,
"To be frank, the emergence of weapons of mass destruction is as dangerous as the Celestial War. Metatron tried to bring the world to an instant end with Ragnarok, and these weapons of mass destruction would lead all races to a painful end over a long period of time."
Kei responded to her words with confusion,
"W-wait a minute, Nigel. It's hard to deny that modified hunter weapons are dangerous, but isn't it going too far to talk about the end of the world?"
Simon also nodded in agreement with Kei.
"I also agree with Kei. While there are certainly dangerous aspects, these weapons produced through magical engineering have made it easier to defend our borders from magical beasts. We can now handle tasks much more simply and cheaply that previously required hiring expensive magicians."
The Cusco Kingdom, located in the southern continent surrounded by jungle areas, has been a region with high frequency of artifact usage since the days when cartels dominated.
The cartel bosses would often purchase the latest magical weapons no matter how expensive they were.
Thanks to this unofficial tradition that continued from that time, the Cusco Kingdom was the place that most actively utilized magical engineering products in daily life and applied them to national security.
The southern continent was developing rapidly while also connecting with the cities of the Nagas, with machines that applied magical engineering helping greatly to replace the shortage of manpower.
Then Boris, who had been grooming his nails with a dagger while sitting opposite, opened his mouth.
"I have a different opinion."
Everyone in the conference room focused on Boris at his words.
As the attention turned to him, Boris put away his knife, straightened his posture, and continued.
"I think I understand what aspect Lord Nigel is worried about. Who do you think will covet such weapons first?"
Daria frowned at Boris's words.
"...It would be the former Central Kingdom region. Those anti-establishment bastards hiding there will be the first to try to get their hands on those weapons. No, they might already be using them to target hunters."
The first thing that disappeared when the Midlands became a federal republic was none other than the Draker family.
Kali changed her surname to Prana, dismantled the Four Seasons Castle which was like a symbol of the Draker family, and forcibly disbanded the Draker family as well.
However, the privileged members of the Draker family, who had held the strongest power on the continent, were not willing to give up their former glory.
While most of the Draker knights changed their affiliation to the Midland Federal Knights, there were also those who did not.
They opposed the federal republic system and hid in the former Central Kingdom region, creating their own hegemony by joining with the Rom Empire rebels and race discriminators.
Afterwards, these people set their goal as dismantling the Midland Federation and returning the Peace Maintenance Alliance to square one, while concealing their identities beneath the surface.
Various ideological claims were attached to this, but in the end, their desire was to revive the Draker as a powerful authority.
Boris frowned and said.
"If those damned anti-establishment bastards start using that in earnest, terrible things will happen."
At the mention of anti-establishment groups, Kei also wore a serious expression.
This was because Kei also knew well how persistent and cruel they were.
If weapons of mass destruction were to fall into their hands, the continent could be engulfed in the flames of war again.
As the atmosphere in the conference room became serious, Hades jumped up from his seat and shouted.
"Agh, why so serious?! If that's the problem, we can just stop making more integrated circuits and dispose of the existing ones!"
At Hades' words, Feinan beside him shook his head.
"Great One, it's not such a simple matter. The Cusco Kingdom and the neutral or developing countries on the continent are currently increasing productivity with machines that incorporate integrated circuits. Without integrated circuits, they would have to acquire expensive magicians and mana stones, which they cannot afford."
At Feinan's words, Hades frowned and put his pipe back in his mouth.
"Complicated, complicated. Everything about you humans is always complicated."
Yelin, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, opened her mouth.
"What if we put more thorough security on the integrated circuits? If that problem is solved, they wouldn't be able to make weapons of mass destruction."
Nabu responded to Yelin's words.
"Hmm, I've thought about that too, but honestly, that's the part I don't understand in the current situation."
Nabu snapped his fingers again to display a video.
Then a video showing the integrated circuit inside the modified weapon in detail appeared.
Pointing at the integrated circuit in the video, Nabu said.
"I'm not an expert in magic, but even with a rough look, I can tell this isn't something that could be modified by amateur tampering."
Zeros, sitting opposite, nodded in agreement with Nabu's words.
"The Hermit is correct. I've also been wondering about this point while listening to the conversation. The security measures that Lord Hades put in place are not something that human magicians could tamper with. To be honest... I can't guarantee that even if all the mages of Nirvana were gathered to attempt it, they could modify this device."
At Zeros' words, Kei made a confused expression.
"Then who on earth modified this? You're saying even the mages of Nirvana, a transcendent family, couldn't do it."
Hades, who had been smoking his pipe, thought deeply with a grave expression, then slowly opened his mouth.
"Damn... I hope what I'm thinking isn't right?"
“SIGH!”
He glanced at Nigel.
Hades stared at her expressionless face for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
"There's one bastard who can modify that. No, can I even call it a bastard..."
Hades continued with a grimace.
"Among those damn demons, there's one that can break through my security and modify the integrated circuits."
Zeros was shocked by his words and asked.
"What? You're saying there's someone who can break through the security you created, Lord Hades, even if they're a demon?"
Hades replied with a displeased expression.
"Damn it. I don't want to admit it either, but I heard from Elizabeth before. She said there's a demon capable of doing such things."
Kei shouted, trembling.
"Who on earth is this demon? I need to tell Duke Arataso immediately and request the demon realm to put out a warrant!"
Hades exhaled smoke and slowly opened his mouth.
"The bastard's name is Astaroth. Unusually for a demon, he's deeply versed in natural science, engineering, and magic."
It meant that purely with knowledge he had accumulated himself, not demonic powers, he could break through Hades' security.
At that moment, Arina, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"You all know how demons have been illegally entering the physical realm these days."
Everyone's expression turned serious at Arina's words.
After seeing demons who blatantly descended to the physical realm get immediately slaughtered and annihilated by transcendents, they found more secretive ways to infiltrate.
One of those methods was to dwell in the body of a human sacrifice and be reborn as a baby.
This method was impossible when karma sanctions were in place, but after the Celestial War, it became possible if various conditions were met.
Arina, without her usual smile, scanned the people and opened her mouth.
"After hearing the situation from Lady Nigel, I also suspected that the malicious demon Astaroth might be the cause of the problem. So I tracked his movements."
Arina glanced at Nigel and continued.
"Astaroth has been hiding in the human world, having been reborn as a human early on to avoid the guardians' eyes. And now he's starting to become active."
Astaroth was a demon strong enough to threaten the position of the six grand dukes who once ruled the demon realm.
Such a demon with caution was no easy catch.
But Arina's next words were even more shocking.
"The problem is... intelligence has come in that Astaroth's reincarnation is currently a student at this Pannotia Academy."
Everyone gathered in the conference room couldn't help but be bewildered by Arina's words.
The news that a great demon had been reborn as a human and enrolled in Pannotia Academy, which could be considered the guardians' stronghold, was shocking even to the heroes of the Celestial War.
"Professor Richmond."
She called Richmond, smiling again unlike just a moment ago.
Richmond instinctively sensed fear and answered with a trembling voice.
"Yes? Yes, Principal."
Everyone in the conference room, including Arina, focused on Richmond.
"Professor Richmond, please find the reincarnation of the great demon Astaroth who has secretly infiltrated the academy. I'm counting on you."
The ominous feeling was not wrong.
Richmond realized that he was screwed.