Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
The Main Characters of the Superhuman War (1)
Elvin Kepler's appearance was something that even Rudian hadn't expected at all.
"I can tell just by looking. You were probably showing off, trying to test your skills, and ended up taking a hit."
"...UGH!"
At Elvin's words striking the bull's eye, Karen's expression instantly distorted.
Rudian found it quite interesting to see Karen's facial muscles, which had remained unchanged until now, becoming so varied with just one remark from Elvin.
"I apologize. This one's personality is rather reckless, you see."
"I don't want to hear that from you!"
Karen lost her composure and shouted loudly.
But she quickly seemed to realize her own inappropriate behavior, as her face turned bright red and she turned her head away toward where no one was standing.
"I apologize, junior. She truly didn't mean any harm. She is the type whose face shows everything if she really has ill intentions."
He doesn't particularly look that way, but Rudian nodded anyway.
"Ah, yes..."
"My name is Elvin Kepler. I'll arrange another meeting soon. As a senior student, I'll take responsibility for what happened today."
'...Responsibility?'
Originally, Rudian had no intention of associating further with this group.
While he appreciated Luciella's kindness in trying to create connections for someone who had come up all alone, Rudian had no desire to waste time getting entangled with these people.
But if the one trying to establish contact first was a "Kepler," that was a different story.
"If Senior says so..."
"Thank you."
"W-wait, Elvin! I don't need your help!"
Karen tried to throw cold water on the atmosphere that was finally settling down, but Elvin skillfully intercepted her words and calmed her.
"Shouldn't factional or positional matters be irrelevant at a gathering to welcome new students?"
"URGH...!"
"Besides, I came here at Princess Luciella's request. We're not in a position to disregard her authority. Am I wrong?"
"......"
Karen couldn't say anything.
Rudian admired Elvin's skill in quickly sinking Karen.
'It's like an older brother handling a disobedient younger sister!'
The conversation ended there, and the meeting was resolved with Elvin's mediation.
***
Three days had passed since Rudian met the seniors from the foundation.
If someone were to ask Rudian how life at the academy was.
Rudian would be ready to say without hesitation that right now was the best.
-Master, you seem too relaxed lately.
"...I admit I'm relaxed, but honestly, it's too comfortable."
Rudian shouted happily from the bed.
Who knew that just being away from Calline would bring such happiness to life!
Those days of checking that guy's schedule as soon as he opened his eyes, devising ways to clean up after the troubles he caused, and running around the entire territory without rest, overworking both body and mind.
Compared to then, now it was heaven.
-Didn't you decide to learn about Elvin Kepler and his group today?
"Sigh... That's right."
The unfortunate incident from the meeting with Karen's group a few days ago had fizzled out with Elvin's appearance.
Adel, who had introduced Karen and the seniors, devoted himself to Rudian for several days to clear up the misunderstanding and restore their relationship.
Rudian accepted Adel's sincerity and formally introduced himself to Karen's group again, mending their relationship.
However, the connection with Elvin Kepler that Rudian had been aiming for had not yet materialized.
-I felt your agitation at the name Kepler. Is this name somehow related to you?
"Somewhat..."
Since he absolutely couldn't talk about , he had no choice but to be vague.
'Elvin Kepler, I never thought I'd hear this name here...'
The history before the original story began was not covered in , so it was purely in the realm of speculation, and even for Rudian, it was as blank as a white page.
The Elvin Kepler that Rudian knew was in his mid-30s, originally a figure who assisted the final boss of Chapter 2.
'A villain, huh...'
Chapter 2 of was the only chapter among the series that dealt with an incident arising from differences in position rather than the opposition of good and evil.
In other words, appearing as a villain doesn't necessarily mean being Rudian's "enemy."
Moreover, this was the past, before the conflict of Chapter 2 had even occurred.
The current main characters of the "Superhuman War" were mostly around their early twenties, still just heirs to their positions.
Rudian lay on the bed, lost in thought.
'Three days have already passed, but there's no word from Elvin.'
He could pretty much guess the reason.
If Rudian's predictions were correct, they would be quite busy days right about now.
'Then I'll approach them first.'
Rudian asked Diablo.
"There might be a conflict with demons. I'll ask again, are you okay with that?"
-Of course.
Diablo exclaimed in an excited voice.
-I don't know what happened to the Seven Thrones after they were sealed 10,000 years ago, but they dare plan another invasion of the middle realm without me? Preposterous!
When Diablo heard that the demons were planning to invade the middle realm again, far from being pleased, he showed an explosive reaction.
While the demon race was said to have virtually no sense of solidarity from the beginning, Diablo was in the mood to do anything just to throw ashes and make them eat shit.
His attitude was so lacking in conscience that it was sickening for Rudian to watch.
'...Are all Supreme Demon Kings like this?'
Originally in , demons invaded the middle realm to abandon the barren lands of the demon realm and migrate, but some absolute beings like Diablo tended to view the invasion of the middle realm as an "achievement."
It was like the mindset of 'How dare you try to steal my achievement?'
Diablo really thought that he didn't care if all other demon kings died.
"Alright, then let's take a tour of the institution tonight. If we encounter demons or minions, I might need to borrow your power, Diablo."
-KEKEKE, most welcome.
"Of course, the best scenario would be to meet them without any conflict."
That's an obvious statement, but there's no certainty.
However, by recalling the storyline of and inferring the past, he could roughly guess what their activities might be like.
-You seem quite concerned about them.
"Yes, if possible, I want to make them allies. They'll definitely be a great help."
The Elvin Kepler that Rudian remembered was certainly not a knight.
But in the current era, Elvin Kepler was active as a promising knight sponsored by the Delphione Foundation, and Rudian, knowing the truth, could easily guess that there were circumstances behind this.
-What are they that makes you act this way?
While in Diablo's eyes, this guy or that guy probably all looked the same, to Rudian, the name "Kepler" evoked a special nostalgia.
To Diablo's question, Rudian answered with a hint of excitement.
"Psychics."
Elvin Kepler was not a swordsman but a psychic.
And he was an incredibly powerful psychic at that.
In , where the power balance had gone to Andromeda, all sorts of extraordinary abilities and munchkins appeared, of course.
After the demons who had swept across the continent disappeared, all kinds of powerful beings who had been sleeping beneath the surface awoke, and psychics, magicians, humans, and different species began to wage internal wars, leading to a miserable conflict where they tore at each other.
They had built their own forces underground and were aiming for world hegemony.
The point where their conflicts erupted most severely was precisely the second chapter of , "Superhuman War."
Elvin Kepler was a character who proudly made it as a supporting role even in that Superhuman War.
He might not be now, but by the time the original Chapter 1 begins, he would surely have become an incredibly powerful figure.
"I plan to involve the psychics in the war against the demons."
-If these psychics have as much power as you say, Master, they would certainly be a great help.
-KUKUK, I quite like this method of drawing in others to use as shields.
Diablo smiled with satisfaction.
-But I doubt that someone of your current status or skill can draw in anyone.
"Power isn't really an issue when it comes to bringing people in."
Of course, the greater the status of the negotiating party, the more important impact it has on decision-making, but negotiation weapons don't necessarily have to be power.
"The secret organization of psychics. They are probably now actively expanding their influence beneath the surface of the institution."
-What is the name of this secret organization?
To Adi's question, Rudian promptly answered.
"Psychic Empire."
***
Psychic Empire.
The empire of psychics.
"Most of their forces have taken root in this land as nobles of the empire, but their history has existed for much longer. It's said that in the past, there were beings who could even toy with 9th class arch-mages."
And such beings were set to be born in the future, too.
-Extremely high-level telekinetics are extremely rare, but they do exist.
-Hmph, I remember there were a couple of such insolent humans during the great war as well. If they had encountered me, they wouldn't have even left bones behind.
In this world where magic reigns as the mainstream ability, psychic powers, which lack a properly established theory, were objects of ridicule and contempt for magicians.
But that was a great arrogance on the part of magicians.
Psychic power is an ability rooted in the green world, one of the seven colored worlds, a major setting of .
It's an ability that is more influenced by innate "talent" than magic, making it extremely difficult to enter, but in terms of raw power, psychic ability could demonstrate destructive force beyond magic.
Moreover, the Psychic Empire that Rudian just mentioned were actually the instigators of the Superhuman War.
If it were now, he could prevent the blood they would shed and turn things in a better direction.
From Rudian's standpoint, there was reason to intervene somehow.
"If we can get them to participate in the war against demons, we can reduce the enormous sacrifices that will unfold in the future."
Second Heaven-Demon Great War that opens .
The reason why psychics hesitated to participate in a war that would determine the existence of humanity was simple.
They disliked the magicians and authorities who had suppressed them even more than the demons.
In the original story, they were planning to let the magician forces be damaged or weakened by the demons and then step in to handle the demons themselves and gain fame.
But by the time they decided to intervene, Second Heaven-Demon Great War had already ended thanks to the protagonist Abel and his companions.
Thus, the psychics' plan ended in failure, and they abandoned Plan A and proceeded to Plan B.
'And the result of that Plan B was the Superhuman War...'
There was a description that if the psychics had participated in Second Heaven-Demon Great War from the beginning, the damage suffered by humanity would have been reduced by an order of magnitude.
Currently, Rudian has devised a plan to make that description a reality.
'If you have a card that satisfies the opponent, the difficulty of any deal becomes minimal.'
And as an avid reader of , Rudian knew countless pieces of information that could serve as such cards.