Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Chapter 103
Preparing for the Journey (1)
How was Baal able to overturn the original story's content and already appear in this middle realm?
The doubt Rudian had felt upon first seeing that creature had now completely vanished.
"What on earth was the Information Guild doing! How could they miss the movement of an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands?"
"Princess Luciella! Give us an explanation!"
"Enough! If they used magical methods, isn't it possible they missed it?"
"No matter how magical, we're talking about hundreds of thousands! How could magic possibly hide that many!"
After the Emperor's initial measures were concluded, what followed next was condemnation of those who had failed to detect the enemy's troop movements.
"Isn't Count Boyan the director of the Intelligence Department? How will you take responsibility for this!"
The critics were mainly from the 4th Prince and 1st Princess's factions, along with the remaining nobles who had followed the 1st Prince but failed to be absorbed by the 2nd Prince.
"Didn't you see that creature's magic, disappearing like a ghost before our very eyes? Just like his words, this entire affair was thoroughly planned to strike at us!"
"Do you think that excuses you from responsibility!"
"Enough! Stop this!"
BANG, BANG, BANG!
As the debate among the nobles grew heated, the Emperor struck his throne and flew into a rage.
"With danger approaching right to our doorstep, do you intend to divide public opinion by pursuing blame! We should all join forces to deal with this crisis!"
The Emperor continued with several more words, breaking the nobles' momentum.
"We, we are sorry, Your Majesty."
"Know your shame!"
As the ministers cowered, the Emperor seized the momentum and shouted toward Count Vesta.
"Vesta Constantin!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Count Vesta Constantin, the military commander-in-chief who had once lost the Emperor's trust over the Marbas incident, bowed to the Emperor with utmost loyalty.
"How long would it take to mobilize all the regional armies from the east and south?"
Count Constantin quickly finished his calculations and answered.
"Even mobilizing as quickly as possible, it would take about a month."
"Do you think Iskar and the northeastern territories can hold out until then?"
"The north is easy to defend thanks to the extreme regions and mountain ranges located between the border areas, so Your Majesty need not worry greatly about that."
Count Constantin continued, breaking into a slight cold sweat.
"However, the problem is Iskar. Count Ricart's forces total about 50,000, but that amount would be impossible to stop Rohans' surprise attack of 200,000."
"Is there an alternative?"
The answer that came back was utterly conventional.
"Some damage to the border territories is unavoidable. We must first narrow the defensive line inward and dispatch as many mobile knights and magicians as possible to focus on defense. Especially since magicians specialize in many-against-one combat, it would be good to request combat magicians from the Magic Tower."
"Hmm, the Magic Tower..."
At the mention of the Magic Tower, the Emperor showed a reluctant expression.
Due to this incident raising the Bellatrix ducal house's prestige, he was reluctant to hastily seek help from the magicians under their influence.
However, the Emperor's eyes lit up as he eventually addressed a figure standing among the ministers.
"Count Matheus Kepler."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Matheus naturally stepped forward and bowed his head to the Emperor.
His presence here meant that Psychic Luminous's status had risen enough to participate in state affairs.
The Emperor opened his mouth toward the back of Matheus's head.
"Would it be possible to deploy Psychic Tower's ability users to the eastern region?"
Psychic Tower.
This was the new name for the psychic ability user group that the Emperor was backing to check the Four Great Magic Towers.
Matheus bowed respectfully and answered.
"Of course, Your Majesty. Our psychic ability users will always serve as Your Majesty's sword and bring the best results."
"Good. How much force could you mobilize?"
"We can dispatch about two hundred psychic ability users of regular grade - 4th grade and above."
While the Emperor was pleased with Matheus's answer, another opinion was raised.
"Your Majesty, since Iskar's Young Lord is currently in the capital, how about using him as an envoy to connect the east and center?"
Rudian's body, who had become a complete third party quietly observing, momentarily froze.
'Huh? Calline...?'
Rudian recalled the appearance of Calline, his former master, with a bitter expression.
That damned object of love and hate who was always full of baseless confidence and constantly caused trouble.
In fact, Rudian thought that by now, Calline would have already caused a major incident and been expelled from the academy...
'Will he be alright? His current state isn't normal...'
Calline, who had become Sitri's follower at the academy, had been cast out from her faction due to Rudian's loyalty.
From what Rudian had heard, the guy seemed to have been sincere about Sitri, and afterward completely fell into heartbreak and became a reclusive loner...
"Hmm, that's a good opinion. Didn't he successfully conquer the eastern region's dungeon and earn the epithet 'Knight of the Undaunted'? Command his immediate entry to the palace."
'Will he really be alright...'
If the Emperor remembered even that name, it was certainly a glorious matter...
But could Calline, with his broken mentality, properly fulfill the role of an envoy?
Now that Rudian could no longer intervene in even such decisions, he could only pray that things would work out well.
***
"You!"
As Rudian stepped outside the palace, Sonya had already followed and caught up with him.
"Leaving the palace during a meeting, you've certainly grown bold."
"You're one to talk, Lady Sonya. Is it alright for you to come out like this?"
At Rudian's counter-question, Sonya shook her head bitterly.
"Since I'm being checked quite heavily, no one particularly says anything when I leave."
"Was there no one to point out the rudeness?"
At the playful question, Sonya snorted.
"Hmph, it doesn't matter. No one would want to make an enemy of me."
Indeed, who could handle Sonya's temperament when she would directly defy even the Emperor's orders depending on the situation?
"I felt the power of a mighty Word of Power from that agreement. Was he also a Demon King? And one of very high rank at that."
"That's right. He's one who calls himself a lord of the demon realm."
"Having made an agreement with such a being, you truly can no longer interfere in this war..."
Of course, there was no regret in Sonya's expression.
Even though they had suffered a preemptive surprise attack, Sonya, who had been overwhelmed by Baal's rank, didn't think this agreement was a loss at all.
No matter how much they were attacked by the combined forces of two kingdoms, as long as the demon race didn't participate, the Morian Empire's national power was more than sufficient to shake them off.
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
Rudian answered that question calmly.
"Since things have come to this, I'm thinking of leaving the Empire."
GASP!
"Leave the Empire... And do what?"
"There's much to do."
In fact, he had already gathered enough power to settle in one place and train.
Precisely, it had been since clearing the Tower of Trials, but now that all three Demon Kings were dead, there was no longer any reason to remain here.
"While traveling, I'll simultaneously eliminate all the evil organizations scattered everywhere, make allies to stand with humanity, gain experience while building my capabilities... There's much to do. Ultimately, I plan to gather all seven colored worlds and win the bet against Baal."
"What exactly are these seven colored worlds? My knowledge is by no means shallow, but this is the first time I've heard such a term."
Rudian gave a condensed explanation of the seven colored worlds' true nature.
After hearing the explanation of the seven colored worlds, Sonya trailed off in a tone of disbelief.
"To think that mere tools could change the fate of the world... It's hard to believe..."
"Is that so?"
"But I can't disbelieve it either. All my common sense was shattered in the last battle, so if I don't reset my standards, I'll be left behind in an instant."
Sonya looked up at the sky with a hollow laugh.
After briefly steadying her wavering heart, she asked Rudian.
"Well then, is there anything I can help you with?"
Something to help with?
In fact, having escaped financial problems, Rudian didn't particularly feel the need for others' help.
'If I had to need something, it would be a capable assistant to handle various odd jobs during travel.'
He had already chosen someone for physical labor.
What remained was someone who could use magic well and was also capable in miscellaneous tasks...
Someone who could make the journey itself comfortable would be really nice.
"You, your expression seems a bit...?"
"Duke Sonya Bluephil Bellatrix."
"Why are you ominously calling my full name?"
Rudian wore a bright smile on his face as he gently grasped both of Sonya's hands.
Toward Sonya, who flinched momentarily, Rudian made the most earnest expression possible and said:
"Could you lend me Gray?"
"Gr-Gray... You mean?"
Sonya wasn't one to miss the context of his words.
"That child is Bellatrix's successor. Even knowing that, you..."
"Of course I do."
In fact, Rudian had already chosen Gray as his travel companion, but if Sonya opposed it, everything would be pointless from the start.
"Gray's talent is beyond doubt. But wouldn't that talent bloom even more brilliantly if he played in bigger waters?"
"That may be so, but even without pushing that child into dangerous battlefields, with his talent, he'll surpass me in 10 years."
"Would merely surpassing be enough?"
Rudian gave a bitter smile as he cast a provocative gaze at Sonya.
"What?"
"With Gray's talent, he could lead Bellatrix while eventually breaking through the 9th Class wall, couldn't he?"
"You know well."
"But would you be satisfied with merely 9th Class? The end of magic isn't 9th Class."
"......!"
In the original work, the end of magic that the author set through Gray was 11th Class.
10th Class, Chaos.
11th Class, Genesis.
Upon surpassing 9th Class to reach 10th Class, one gains divinity and achieves the rank of demigod, and upon reaching 11th Class, one becomes a true god.
Gray's epithet 'God of Magic' wasn't a simple metaphorical designation.
"Even if you leave Gray as he is, the Bellatrix school will earn the name of being the continent's best."
"......"
"But to earn the modifier 'greatest of all time,' Gray's active growth is essential."
"Gr-greatest of all time...!"
Sonya's eyes shook mercilessly.
No matter how much he was the continent's current greatest magician, the modifier of all-time greatest, number one of all time, wouldn't come lightly.
"Lichmond School, Rune Expert School, Celestial School... How good would it feel to have the name Bellatrix carved above them all? And in Lady Sonya's era, no less."
Rudian's bewitching tongue mercilessly stimulated Sonya's desire for honor.
"St-still, the path you'll walk ahead is surely hell. I can't drive our Gray into such an abyss...!"
"Lady Sonya, where do you think the artifacts I sold to the Bellatrix house came from?"
"......!"
"Surely the seven colored worlds I'm seeking are classified as mythic grade. But in the journey to find those mythic grade artifacts, do you think legendary grade scraps will come out, or not?"
"Le-legendary grade!"
Legendary grade artifacts numbered only two in the Bellatrix house, which had collected countless magical tools over hundreds of years, and even those required the consent of elder-level family core members to use.
Rudian whispered the devil's temptation into Sonya's ear.
"I guarantee at least 10 legendary grade artifacts."
Those words were the deciding blow.
"Please... Take good care of my son."
It was too sweet a temptation to refuse.