Chapter 280: Turning Point (3)
Chapter 280: Turning Point (3)
It was a chase with a bet on the line, but that didn't mean it was just a game.
This incident was a turning point. Today would likely mark the beginning of the cultists' full-scale activities.
In other words, all-out wars would break out frequently from now on... and in such cases, one of the most troublesome opponents would be the kin of Reckless Roar.
Every single one of them was sturdy, tireless, fearless, and incredibly strong.
They were the textbook definition of bruisers, serving as the perfect shields for the cultist forces.
In fact, the large monsters we faced while breaking through Solaris couldn't be neutralized unless they were hit directly with High Magic.
High Magic was originally intended for castle walls, not living creatures!
Anyway, being able to attack those guys unilaterally? That was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
For that reason, everyone capable of fighting rushed out to lend a hand. The results were decent, too.
The only disappointment was that the cultists, perhaps realizing that retreating to preserve their strength would be meaningless otherwise, used part of their monster army as sacrificial pawns.
They ordered some Trolls and Minotaurs—famous for their tenacity—and a large number of Orcs to stand their ground and fight us instead of fleeing.
While it's true that the believers of Righteous Light are exceptionally strong, their nature as clerics meant their breakthrough power was somewhat lacking.
They were bound to struggle against meat shields that were determined solely to hold the line.
Of course, Iris and Iona played their parts, but the enemies clung to them with obsessive persistence.
Furthermore, since we had to fight while on the move, the Chairman couldn't just spam High Magic using his staff.
As for me, I fought while hovering in the air, utilizing my increased mana manipulation to rain down wide-area magic.
After obtaining the Mana Affinity trait, I realized that while it does slightly increase the power of a single strike, it's far more helpful for casting speed and multi-casting.
Anyway, after somehow breaking through the sacrificial pawns, the main body of the enemy had vanished.
According to Solari, who investigated later, they had escaped beneath the sea using the spatial distortion of Meandering Leisure.
It felt similar to the Air Pocket magic Carla used back when we entered the submerged dungeon entrance.
Naturally, this would have required a significant expenditure of Meandering Leisure's power, so it could still be considered a satisfying outcome.
After that, we completely finished off the remaining monsters and began harvesting valuable materials from the carcasses.
There were few casualties, but that was only because we had quickly abandoned the residential areas and opted for a siege within the Grand Temple.
This meant that almost every district except for the Grand Temple had been destroyed, so rebuilding would cost a fortune.
Fortunately, we had a highly skilled mage on hand who could preserve and process the freshly harvested materials.
It was only after about three days of meticulously stripping the monster corpses that the reinforcements finally arrived.
"They sure took their sweet time."
"It can't be helped, Master. The larger the organization, the longer it takes to move."
Carla spoke while simultaneously casting preservation magic on a Troll's heart and searing an Ogre's tendon with fire.
She looked focused on her work... but she felt strangely cold. She didn't even glance in the direction the reinforcements were coming from.
"Is that from personal experience?"
"Mm. Was it that obvious?"
Carla gave a sheepish smile and finally looked toward the approaching reinforcements.
"They've come surprisingly well-prepared, haven't they?"
"It's probably the biggest incident in the last 300 years."
At my words, the bitter smile on Carla's lips deepened.
As I watched her in silence, she sidled up to me and continued her work by my side.
"Did you know? The Lindelheit family had allies... or rather, subordinate forces. Things like that."
"Well, it was a prestigious family. I'm sure plenty of people wanted to form a connection."
"Exactly. Mages are expensive, but it's also a profession that creates immense value once you reach a certain level. In other words, the crumbs falling off the table were incredible."
"Uh... I feel like I know what's coming next."
When I spoke with a reluctant voice, Carla chuckled and continued.
"It's probably exactly what you're thinking. Those people who were so desperate to cling to the Lindelheit family when we were doing well changed their attitudes in an instant."
"They were gathered there for profit in the first place. If there's no profit, it's only natural they'd distance themselves."
"Yes. I understand that much. However, I never imagined that absolutely no one would help."
"……."
Does that even make sense?
I possessed this body three years ago. Although it wasn't in the game, I saw with my own eyes the time when the Lindelheit family was still going strong.
At that time, the Lindelheit family boasted power equivalent to the king of a small nation.
While clearly inferior to the Emperor of the Levantine Empire, they were not in a position that others could easily look down upon.
Above all, weren't they known as a Famous Magic Family? Even if the family fell, their secrets would still be valuable.
In fact, during the slave auction, Carla's price was bid on considering not just her beauty, but her magical knowledge as well.
What if someone could extract those secrets in exchange for helping the Lindelheit family? Was there really not a single person who thought that way?
There should have been at least one or two people trying to play both sides to secure their own profit.
"Is it those Boiling Silence bastards again...?"
"Pardon?"
"It could just be that the charge of being a cultist was that heavy. But Lindelheit was a family that could have gone toe-to-toe with the Empire if necessary. If you hadn't been taken hostage, your father would have done exactly that."
"Mm. Knowing Father's personality, he certainly would have."
"Would other people not have known that? If everyone truly turned their backs, is that really natural?"
"...Are you saying that isolating the Lindelheit family was also the work of the Boiling Silence cult? I suppose they could have done that if they were determined to attack."
"Ah, I'm not just focusing on the Boiling Silence cult's schemes themselves. That's their specialty, so it wouldn't be strange for them to be hiding anywhere. However, it's strange that not a single one of those many families wavered. For that to be possible..."
"It would have to be the head of the house, or someone very close to them."
"Yeah. And when I checked for spies with the Shining Lion Dagger before, I didn't filter out anyone who had reached that kind of position. If there were any, they were heads of obscure rural families or their kin. The core members of the Great Houses... were actually the ones commissioning me."
This vassal is suspicious, I want to be sure about my future daughter-in-law, he's been a servant for a long time but just in case, and so on.
For various reasons, they had come all the way to the Academy to ask me for proof.
I caught quite a few Boiling Silence spies that way. But what if they were sacrificial pawns handed over by the cult from the very beginning?
There's a possibility they handed over low-level believers and kept the real big shots perfectly intact.
No, comparing it to the list of families Lindelheit had asked for help, it's almost certain.
I had reduced the overall power of the Boiling Silence cult, but I hadn't been able to do anything about the most important individuals.
"...Well, I don't think much would have changed even if I had known back then."
"That was when you were just starting to make a name for yourself, Master."
"But it's different now."
Who am I?
Even before entering the Academy, I sent an Evil God's Bishop to his grave. During the first dungeon practice, I took out an Archbishop. After that, I revealed and filtered out spies no one knew existed. I've cleared several cult branches and dungeons. Along with Iona, I wiped out high-ranking officials, and this time, I saved the Church of Righteous Light. I am the new hero of this era!
Even without the backing of the Church of Righteous Light, I possess both influence and martial might.
And on top of that, the Saintess and the God who descended into her body are on my side?
The time has finally come.
"Let's head back as soon as we wrap things up here. Not to the Academy, but to the Imperial Palace."
"...Huh?"
Carla, her ruby eyes wide with surprise, stopped what she was doing and tugged on my sleeve.
"M-Master? Just in case, let me tell you, it'll be a disaster if you start firing off magic at the Imperial Palace! It's a place where Sword Masters reside; your head will be gone in an instant!"
"Don't worry. I'll use a sword instead of magic."
"That's the same thing! Besides, didn't you say it would be hard to identify them with the dagger now?"
"Yeah. I'm not certain, but given this much time, I have to assume they've already prepared countermeasures."
The Boiling Silence cult didn't spread across the entire continent for nothing.
"But I have another cultist detector."
"Really...?"
"Really."
This time, while extending my consciousness to the boundary between soul and body, to the place where traits are engraved, I learned something.
The Sun God's Blessing and the Blessing of All Gods are surprisingly similar in nature. The same goes for the traits I received from clearing dungeons.
It's probably because they use the same material called divine power, even if the forms are different.
However, the traits obtained through achievements... that is, the traits received purely from the System, felt completely different.
This was because I couldn't feel even a trace of divine power from them.
Even if those bastards devised a countermeasure against the Shining Lion Dagger, it would ultimately be a method of deceiving divine power.
Since there are cases of them infiltrating the Good God churches like that, it would have been easy for them to adapt to the situation.
But what if there was an ability that brought about a similar result through a completely different system?
Ding!
======================
【Trait: Cultist Hatred (A)】
Not only have you crushed several of the cultists' plans, but you have also finally slain a high-ranking official.
To anyone's eyes, you are a full-fledged cultist hater!
Of course, the cultists must hate you too.
Looking at the translucent window floating in the corner of my vision, I let a smirk pull at the corners of my mouth.
"Ugh. Master, that look just now was totally a villain's smile."
"……."
Tsk.