Chapter 259: Bad News (3)
Chapter 259: Bad News (3)
Rebecca Grimfield.
Founder of the Academy, Principal, and Chairman. Companion of the first Hero, Rahim. The only Archmage of the current era.
…These titles sound incredibly impressive, but the current Rebecca is little more than a slowly rotting corpse.
That was why she was hidden away in such a secluded place, and why Iona had said it would be difficult to receive direct help from her.
To begin with, even for an Archmage, it is impossible for a human to live for over 300 years. So, how was Rebecca still alive?
The reason was simple. She was forcing herself to stay alive because of a circumstance that forbade her from dying.
To explain this, one must go back to the end of the War of the Gods, specifically to Rahim’s final battle.
Rahim, who had received the full Blessing of All Gods, hunted down the Evil Gods one by one, defeating and sealing them.
However, he struggled immensely against the final Evil God, Noble Reign.
While every Evil God was powerful enough to live up to their name, Noble Reign was on an entirely different level.
Noble Reign was the oldest among the seven Evil Gods, an ancient deity with a history of being involved in the fall of the other six.
Perhaps that was why it appeared as the final boss in H&A.
Regardless, because of its nature, the problem Rahim’s party faced wasn't just its martial prowess, but the sheer height of its existence.
Even when they managed to neutralize Noble Reign and attempted to seal it, they failed repeatedly due to the disparity in their status.
Even if they severed its limbs, decapitated it, or pierced its heart, Noble Reign would simply resurrect and continue the fight as if nothing had happened.
On the other hand, Rahim’s party—no matter how strong or blessed they were—were mortals who were bound to be worn down.
Eventually, Reinhardt, known as the Steel Knight and the one who fought at the very front, was killed in action. It was an instantaneous death that left no room for recovery.
With their vanguard gone, it was clear that the battle would only become more grueling.
At that moment, Flora, the party’s healer and the Saintess of Cyclic Life, made a decision.
She intended to use a self-sacrifice spell to temporarily neutralize Noble Reign and allow the others to escape.
She believed that as long as the Hero survived, there would always be another chance. And more than anything, she wanted to save Rahim, the man she loved.
However, the effect exceeded all expectations.
Whether it was due to the accumulated damage, the immense value of a Saintess’s soul… or perhaps the symbolic weight of sacrifice opposing the concept of Pride.
Struck directly by Flora’s self-sacrifice spell, Noble Reign collapsed, mortally wounded.
This was finally the chance to seal the last Evil God… but the problem was that the Saintess, who was supposed to perform the sealing, had vanished.
But Rahim did not give up. He decided to use the Holy Sword and his own body as a wedge to pin Noble Reign down.
Since Rahim’s body held the blessings of the gods even more than Flora’s, it wasn't impossible… but it wasn't a proper seal.
To put it bluntly, it was more like pinning a living insect to a board with a needle. If someone were to touch it and pull the needle out, Noble Reign would be resurrected.
Nevertheless, it was true that he had silenced Noble Reign, however imperfectly. Thus, he entrusted the aftermath to his last remaining companion, Rebecca.
He asked her to seal off this entire area on his behalf, as he could neither leave his post nor die due to the immense blessings within him.
And he asked her to clean up the remaining cultists so that Noble Reign could never regain its strength.
It was a choice driven by his duty as a Hero and the grief of losing his lover, but Rahim was sincere.
And that sincerity was something Rebecca, who had always loved Rahim from a distance, could never refuse.
Squeezing out her last remaining mana to seal Rahim and Noble Reign together, Rebecca announced to the world:
The Steel Knight Reinhardt had died gallantly in battle, and the Saintess Flora and the Hero Rahim had sacrificed their lives to seal the final Evil God.
However, since the remnants of the Evil God still lingered on this land, she would establish an educational institution to root out all cultists and dungeons, upholding Rahim’s legacy.
That was how the Academy was founded.
In the beginning, Rebecca traveled the continent diligently, putting all her effort into subjugating cultists. It was during that time she met Iona and scouted her as a professor.
But around the 100-year mark, Rebecca’s lifespan reached its limit.
For someone of Archmage caliber, the body is fixed at its prime, so physical aging wasn't the issue.
Even if the body failed, there were many ways to survive—creating a new vessel, becoming a vampire, or periodically consuming the World Tree's First Dew.
The problem was that the limit had been reached not by Rebecca’s body, but by her soul.
Normally, she should have handed over control of the seal to a successor and prepared for the end of her long life…
But she simply could not accept death.
If she could one day root out all the cultists and restore the power of the Good Gods, wouldn't it be possible to kill Noble Reign?
Surely, five Good Gods who had regained their strength could take down one weakened Evil God.
Even if they couldn't kill it, they could at least seal it properly like the others.
…Then, she could meet Rahim again.
It was a foolish plan. Yet, it was a hope she couldn't turn away from.
Rebecca’s affection forcibly held onto a life overshadowed by death, and she had to sacrifice much in return.
First, as a side effect of forcibly extending her life, her body became extremely fragile. To protect it, she had to create a life support device, hide it in the safest place possible, and act only through clones.
While her skill as an Archmage remained, the mana in her body constantly tried to scatter, fleeing a vessel that should have been dead long ago. Thus, despite being an Archmage, she was in a state where she couldn't actually use high-tier magic.
Furthermore, simply maintaining her consciousness was a burden, so she spent most of her time asleep, waking only when necessary.
With a few exceptions, she had degenerated into an existence that was merely "alive."
She didn't even expect Rahim to look her way; she just wanted to see him one more time. That was the sole reason she had endured for 300 years.
I had a lot to say about all that… but regardless of her reasons, the only thing that mattered to me was that Rebecca was dead serious about exterminating cultists.
I had come this far trusting that part of her.
I looked at the pale orange solution filling the tank and made a polite request to the figure floating inside.
“Please lend me a Dragon Heart fragment.”
-Are you insane?
Hey, why the harsh reaction?
I told you I’d give it back after using it for a bit.
*
Rebecca’s appearance was truly bizarre.
I’m not talking about the fact that she was floating inside a cylindrical life support device.
It was the contents. The fact that her actual body looked like it was covered in digital noise was what was strange.
A "full-body mosaic human"… that sounds a bit off, but anyway, it was impossible to perceive any part of Rebecca clearly.
Based on the fact that she had one head and two of each limb, she was definitely human, and her long hair and graceful silhouette made it clear she was a woman… but beyond that, nothing could be discerned.
This was also one of the side effects of Rebecca’s forced longevity. As her soul reached its limit and began to wear away, those around her could no longer perceive her properly.
With a face whose expression was unreadable, Rebecca let out a long, deep sigh.
-A Dragon Heart fragment. Do you think such an item can be checked out so easily?
“Probably not. But you have to do it.”
-…First, let me hear your reasoning.
“You’ve heard the news that Solaris is currently surrounded by monsters, right?”
-I may be in this state, but my ears aren't blocked.
“If you lend me the Dragon Heart fragment, I’ll resolve the situation quickly and cleanly.”
-Even if your track record is excellent, this isn't a task to be entrusted to a mere student.
“But no one knows how to deal with the kin of Reckless Roar better than I do.”
-That is quite an arrogant thing to say in front of me, someone who ended the Great War… but even if that were true, it is no reason for you to step forward. If you have a good strategy, I will pass it on to the allied forces currently being organized.
“By the time the allied forces set out, it’ll be too late.”
-I heard the battle situation has stabilized. Solaris is the headquarters of the Church of Righteous Light. Furthermore, a Saintess has recently emerged there. There will be no shortage of holy power, so the only issue is food… but surely they won't run out in just a few days.
“They’ll be fine for now. But they won't last very long. The plan those bastards originally prepared wasn't just to conquer Solaris, but to make the Goddess of Righteous Light fall. Even if they can't achieve a full Fall because they’re rushing, they might be able to cut off the supply of holy power or temporarily neutralize her.”
-…Would you care to explain in detail?
Seeing that she was finally in the mood to talk, she straightened her posture. I explained the events that had occurred and my deductions, packaging them appropriately.
“And that’s how it is.”
-I see. This is indeed a matter that cannot be delayed. However, I still haven't heard what this has to do with a Dragon Heart fragment. How do you intend to use it?
“I’m going to use it as the core power source for a high-tier magic circle. Even a small fragment of a Dragon Heart contains an enormous amount of mana. It’ll allow us to spam high-tier magic without rest for about half a day.”
Iris, who was most proficient in magical knowledge, would operate the magic circle, while Carla and Elisha protected her.
Once we carved a path through the monster horde surrounding Solaris with concentrated instantaneous firepower, Iona and I would infiltrate the interior.
If we could kill the cultists who were undoubtedly preparing something in time, their schemes against Righteous Light would turn to dust.
Then the Church would be able to hold out easily until reinforcements arrived.
“I’m not trying to deal with all the monsters. I just intend to stop the Fall or any related rituals and leave the rest to others.”
-…Not a bad plan.
Rebecca hesitated for a moment, as if debating something, before speaking.
-Yandel. What is your goal? Why do you throw yourself into battle like this?
“The extermination of all Evil Gods. The happy ending that follows is my only goal. Well, besides that, one of my lovers is in Solaris.”
It can’t be a happy ending if even one person is missing.
As I shrugged and said that, Rebecca gasped and froze.
Soon, she let out an even deeper sigh and asked.
-Everything sounds fine, but there is one problem.
“What is it?”
-Yandel. I know you possess combat power that cannot be categorized as that of an ordinary intermediate mage. But are you on par with a Cardinal-level threat?
“That… I am not. Are you assuming the cultists sent a Cardinal-level because they’ve started something this big? If that’s the case, Professor Iona…”
-Iona is strong. But depending on the situation, there may be times when you have to handle things alone. Do you have a plan for that?
“Uh…”
If I had to say, it would be "run away as fast as possible," but that doesn't really count as a plan.
-You don't. In that case, I will give you the Dragon Heart fragment, so eat it.
“B-but if we waste time, it’ll get more danger—wait, what?”
-I said I would give it to you, so eat it. If your mana capacity reaches the level of a high-tier mage, you should at least be able to protect yourself for a while. More importantly.
“More importantly?”
-Even if it is a Dragon Heart, a fragmented piece cannot withstand that kind of output. By the time you come to return it, it will have suffered permanent damage. If you’re going to return it broken, it’s better to just use it properly.
“Ahaha…”
Caught. I was planning to milk it for all it was worth, even if it became unusable.
Rebecca shook her head as she watched me laugh awkwardly.
-I will lend you a separate item to serve as the power source. And you’ve accumulated quite a few points; I’ll hand over the Dragon Heart fragment as a sort of advance on those.
“That would be great for me. But are you sure you’re okay with this?”
-The Dragon Heart fragment and the item I’m lending you are both my personal property. The point system? I can just push that through with my authority as Chairman.
Her voice was flat, but the terms were so radical that it was hard to stay calm while listening.
I wondered for a moment why she was suddenly being so generous. As if sensing my thoughts, Rebecca added:
-Do you know something?
“Know what?”
-Since you arrived here, you haven't been surprised even once. Not when you were suddenly brought here, nor when you saw my current state. You remained perfectly calm.
“Ah.”
-And yet, you stood boldly before me and spoke of the extermination of the Evil Gods.
“…….”
-You don't have to keep your mouth shut like that. I won't ask for details. It simply means there is someone else besides me who has prepared for the future.
As she spoke in a strangely wistful voice, Rebecca’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Is she laughing…?
While I was feeling awkward, Rebecca seemed to have reached some conclusion on her own. She nodded and waved her hand.
-Take them.
A box the size of a fist and a lavishly decorated staff flew toward me and stopped in front of me.
Both items radiated an aura that was clearly extraordinary.
-The box contains the Dragon Heart fragment, and that is the staff I used to use. With that, you should have more than enough power.
“…Is it really okay for you to give me something like this?”
-I am lending it to you. Bring the staff back later.
Rebecca spoke in a stern voice and then curled her body into a ball.
-Now, I will send you back. I would like to talk more, but as I said at the beginning, neither I nor you have much time, so let us skip the pleasantries.
I had to finish my preparations to save Helena quickly, and Rebecca’s time to remain awake was running out.
The moment Rebecca completely buried her face in her knees, I heard a small whisper.
-Good luck in battle.
And with that, I returned to the surface.