Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Celestial (2)
Heidi was truly flustered, seemingly having had no idea that the situation would turn out this way.
"Archbishop! Where are you, Archbishop! Didn't you say the cult would actively step forward when I was in crisis?"
"That Archbishop has long since become snake stew, so be quiet and get captured."
Gray arrogantly berated Heidi.
The knights around Heidi acknowledged that resistance itself was impossible and surrendered, laying down their swords.
"You despicable things without any loyalty!"
"We apologize, my lady, but we've had many complaints about your actions in normal times."
"What, what!"
Naturally, the knights around Heidi knew all about her evil deeds.
Unless they ran a separate organization, the knights were the only ones with enough force to kidnap adventurers, so it was only natural.
'However, I have no intention of leaving you alone either.'
Those knights were clear collaborators, not mere bystanders.
No matter how much they didn't resist, it wouldn't end with just a simple cancellation of their vassal contracts.
The knights of Southwood complied with their arrest without knowing what fate awaited them.
Just as Red Falcon was about to restrain the knights and then Heidi herself.
"Who's there?"
"……?"
"What's going on?"
Everyone's gaze suddenly focused on Rudian.
Instead of answering, Rudian gripped Diablo and launched an aura blade toward one side of Heidi's office.
CLANG!
Since it clearly flew toward the wall, there should have been the sound of something being cut or destroyed.
But what came back was a sound like metal being deflected.
"Magic neutralization…?"
Gray's eyes widened as Gray grasped the exact cause of what had just happened.
"Not just magic, but neutralized aura?"
The aura blade emitted by a Sword Master-level knight is evaluated as having destructive power on the cutting surface equivalent to 8th-class anti-personnel magic.
To neutralize this rather than block it with defensive magic meant the opponent had capabilities of at least a Great Magician or higher.
Even Gray wouldn't dare attempt such an outrageous feat.
"Come out."
Rudian coldly commanded, looking in the direction where Rudian's aura had disappeared.
And as those words ended, one wall rippled and suddenly a strange figure in a black robe appeared.
Despite taking the aura head-on, the strange figure didn't even have any particular wounds on the body.
Rather, the figure dusted off both hands and even complained to Rudian.
"…That hurt."
"That was the point. Were you planning to spirit away the Countess while hiding like a rat?"
At the strange figure's appearance, everyone except Rudian was shocked and took combat stances.
No one except Rudian had noticed the strange figure's concealment.
"Hmm, that's correct, but… Since you've come, there's no longer any need to do so."
"What do you mean?"
"Before that…."
The strange figure tilted the head, showing curiosity.
"How did you notice me? Even if you're a Sword Master, you shouldn't be able to catch me with senses alone, right?"
"Are you curious about that?"
"Yes, very much. Magicians are creatures who live and die by curiosity."
The figure made no attempt to hide being a magician.
Looking at such confidence, the figure certainly seemed to have confidence in the abilities, but….
"It's a type of secret technique. There's no reason to say more."
No matter what, you can't fool Adi's eyes.
"A secret technique…?"
"Are there any idiots who would reveal their trump cards straight up?"
At Rudian's mockery, the strange figure shrugged and accepted it.
"Well, fine. I'm satisfied just knowing it's not within a knight's domain."
"So, what did you mean earlier about there being no need?"
The strange figure readily answered that question.
"Exactly as I said. I was planning to extract the Countess from those Apophis bastards when the guard became appropriately lax, but now there's no need for that."
Naturally thinking the strange figure was a remnant of the cult, the figure spread both palms in a gesture of surrender.
"I have no intention of being hostile to you. 'We' respect the legitimate state power of the Morian Empire."
"You… What's your identity?"
To Rudian's question, the figure answered thus:
"It's a secret."
"……."
Looking at the active gesture of putting a finger to the lips, the figure's personality seemed quite light.
But the abilities were not light at all.
'Considerable… No, tremendous skill.'
Even though the figure was ambushed while concealed without time to form hand seals, the figure very easily deflected the aura.
In other words, contrary to the seemingly light attitude, the figure was experienced in combat and likely older than expected.
But organizations that employ magicians of that level as spies are not common.
Even organizations with overwhelming force would have them serve as advisors or staff, not send them out like this.
'If I had to look for them at this point in time, there are two places.'
If I could see the face, I'd know for sure….
Rudian contemplated whether to make a move here to remove the figure's hood.
Then the figure suddenly spoke.
"Well, though the organization's name is secret, I can give the Countess some hints."
"Hints?"
"Since things have come to this, we're planning to launch a surprise attack on the cult's main base. How about you observe as well?"
"……!"
"Of course, you can lend a hand, or just watch. How about witnessing us punish those who disturb the Empire's order and understanding our sincerity?"
"……."
Rudian remained silent without answering.
If they were who Rudian thought they were, they certainly had the strength to annihilate the Apophis cult.
'Is this also a butterfly effect?'
Those who should have been active long after the original story began were already starting to show their heads one by one.
Though Rudian had prepared for this after already expelling the demons within the Empire….
"Fine."
The dice had already been cast and the arrow shot.
If Rudian created a mental escape by thinking it was still before the original story began, there was no telling when Rudian might be backstabbed.
Even if things got out of hand beyond control, Rudian could just clean them all up.
"Bro, why are you accepting such a suspicious proposal? Let's just beat up that guy here and investigate!"
Gray's suggestion was quite reasonable, but it ignored the opponent's capabilities.
"No, this is something I need to accept for your sake too."
"For my sake…? What do you mean by that?"
"If you want to become a truly great magician, you need to realize the capabilities of your biggest obstacle…."
"What…?"
"Oho?"
Gray seemed not to understand Rudian's words, but the strange figure raised the voice quite interestedly.
"Rudian, it seems you've figured out our identity?"
"Roughly. If you take off that robe and show your face, I might know more precisely."
"Ha, haha…."
Those words were the decisive blow.
"Hahahaha! Well, well! I only leaked one piece of evidence that I'm a magician, but how can you figure it out so accurately? There are other guys besides us though."
"There's only one place that would use a Great Magician who appears to be at least 8th-class level in this manner."
At the near-certain statement, the figure seemed to understand roughly.
"Still, without basic information, even reasoning would be impossible. Indeed, the Demon King slayer…. Indeed 'Adora'. I was half-doubtful at first, but you truly are this continent's greatest mystery. Just where did you emerge from?"
"You don't need to know."
Rudian answered calmly, but was actually quite troubled inside.
'Just how far has that name spread?'
-Masterrrr… Just how far have the Creators' names…!
'Hey, I'm frustrated too!'
The only ones who knew that name were the closest people around me, or the demons who had sold the name as bragging….
'They must have spread it everywhere before they died, right? Those damn bastards…!'
No matter how much Rudian thought about it, the only source for the leak was the demons.
"Very interesting. Personally, I'd like to follow you around and observe…."
"I won't stop you if you want to take a sword with your eyes open."
"That would probably be impossible."
The figure quickly changed the subject.
"Then I'll report this fact to the boss. Ah, let me tell you about their main base."
CRACKLE! CRACK! CRACK!
Suddenly, electric current flowed from the figure's five fingers.
That current slowly began drawing straight lines and curves, starting to form a sentence.
'Tremendous magic control…!'
Controlling elemental magic rather than pure magic power without spells or incantations was not easy.
The figure was truly a fearsome expert.
"Do you understand?"
"Nice handwriting."
"Thank you for the compliment."
The electric letters carved in the air indicated some location.
It was not far from here, a place that could be reached in two days.
"Then we'll wait for your visit. Well then, farewell."
The figure who had informed them of the Apophis cult's main base disappeared as if the business was done.
***
Work continued even after the figure disappeared.
Heidi Southwood was arrested and transported directly to the capital.
"What kind of tyranny is this now!"
The elders and retainers of Southwood emitted killing intent toward the suddenly appeared central knights, resisting.
No matter how displeased they were, Heidi was the head of the Southwood family.
"Gasp! Wh-what is that thing?"
"A, a monster!"
But when the Archbishop's massive corpse pulled up from underground was revealed to the world, no one could defend Heidi.
"Aaaaah! Archbishop! Archbishooooop!"
At least not all of Southwood was cooperating with the cult.
The Apophis cult had promised Heidi two things.
First was eternal youth.
Second was making her child emperor.
This was what came from just a little searching of the Countess office, but if detailed evidence was found, Heidi would probably not escape death.
The knights who thoroughly ransacked Heidi's office obtained a list of southern nobles cooperating with the Apophis cult.
"There are quite a few collaborators."
"What shall we do?"
Red Falcon asked Rudian with the momentum to immediately eliminate the nobles on the list.
But Rudian shook his head.
"These will be punished collectively after the war ends. Let's leave them alone for now."
As expected, the Apophis cult would soon be annihilated.
When that happened, these nobles would naturally have no choice but to remain silent.
There was no reason to stir up rat holes that would obviously cause strong backlash when the war was starting.
"Bro, that guy earlier… What exactly was his identity?"
As soon as the Southwood matter was roughly finished and there was leisure, Gray came over asking interrogatively.
"That guy was a much higher-level expert than me. What you said about at least 8th-class wasn't empty talk. Just where did such guys come from?"
"……."
Bellatrix.
The Empire's greatest school and family led by Sonya Bluephil, the continent's foremost Great Magician.
But that reputation only held true in visible places, and wasn't a name that carried much weight in an era when the real monsters of were running wild.
"Gray."
"Yeah."
"Do you know the name Celestial?"
At Rudian's question, Gray nodded as if it were obvious.
"Of course I know it. Though it was destroyed 800 years ago, it was called the strongest mystical magic school in history at the time. According to legend, they committed forbidden acts that should never be done and were destroyed by divine punishment…."
"What if that legend were true? And if they've survived and maintained their lineage until now?"
"……."
Gray's expression gradually hardened.
'Due to my intervention, it seems the time for those hiding in the shadows to emerge has accelerated.'
Then the acceleration of that power inflation would become even more severe as time passed.
'I need to decide before it's too late.'
Gray, and Luciella.
Rudian was planning to show the sky to those who had been frogs in a well until now.
And the first batter would be you, Gray.