Chapter 281: Turning Point (4)
Chapter 281: Turning Point (4)
The lineup of reinforcements that arrived was nothing short of spectacular.
Not only had they scraped together several Aura Experts of knight commander caliber and elite Aura Users, but the Magic Towers had also sent two Tower Lords—both High Mages—along with several mid-level mage executives.
It was clear that the Union of Good Gods had also gathered every able-bodied fighter they could find.
Well, it made sense. If you were planning a full-scale war against a Greenskin army that not only filled an entire city but spilled out far beyond its borders, you’d need to bring at least this much firepower.
…Though by the time they arrived, the situation wasn't just resolved; the cleanup was already nearing completion.
Having arrived with their fighting spirits high, they couldn't hide their dazed expressions at the sight of monster corpses strewn everywhere and the lingering scars left by wide-area spells.
Their faces were a mask of confusion, caught between relief and sheer absurdity.
After hearing from Albaor that things had nearly turned disastrous but that we had managed to flip the script, they began looking at me as if they were seeing a ghost.
The reaction from the mages was particularly intense.
Judging by the varying colors and patterns of their robes, they seemed to be from different Magic Towers, yet every single one of them asked the exact same question:
How on earth was I able to spam High Magic like that?
Iris, who had once been a fellow Tower Lord but was now my slave, seemed uncomfortable. She quietly slunk behind the ever-nagging Iona.
Iona simply shrugged at the mages and pointed toward me.
In the end, I told them I had received help from the Chairman, and only then did they nod as if it finally made sense.
It seems that even though he’s in semi-forced seclusion, the prestige of the Hero party’s Archmage hasn't faded one bit.
However, the mention of me receiving a staff from the Chairman drew everyone else's attention as well.
Just as a knight does not lightly hand over their sword to another, a mage does not easily lend out the staff that is most intimately connected to them—even if it’s a bound item that no one else can use.
The fact that he lent it to me meant one of two things: either the Chairman intended to make me his successor, or even if it wasn't that far, he held me in extremely high regard.
This was the move of the only remaining Archmage after the death of Theodore Lindelheit. It was only natural for them to be concerned.
Feeling the stinging gazes from all sides, I let out a silent sigh.
*
"Let's bolt."
"…Huh?"
"Darling? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Having finished another exhausting day, Carla and Elisha—who were affectionately grooming each other's hair—widened their red and blue eyes in surprise.
This time, I spoke a bit louder so that Iona, who was rolling around on the bed, and Iris, who was dozing off in a rocking chair, could hear me clearly.
"I said, let's get out of here. There are still monster corpses that haven't been processed, but other mages have arrived now. Let's take Helena, say our goodbyes to the Pope and Sir Gilbert, and then teleport out."
"I'll follow whatever you wish, Master, but…"
"Yes. I don't mind leaving immediately either. However… could you explain the reason?"
"…To be honest, it’s a huge pain."
The mages accepted the explanation of how I produced that much firepower in battle, but aside from that, they had so many questions for me that they wouldn't let me go.
How did I reach the level of a mature mid-level mage when I’d only just started learning magic? Could an outsider learn the secrets of the Lindelheit family? They’d heard I suggested an interesting perspective on the combat application of magic at the Academy recently, so why not come to their Magic Tower for a deep discussion sometime? And so on.
Even though Iona mediated to some extent, the level of interest they showed was genuinely burdensome.
"But well… I could handle that much, I guess."
The moment I finally escaped the mages, the priests of the Union of Good Gods were waiting for me.
They approached me with eyes sparkling with goodwill. Since I absolutely had to keep the Church of the Good God on my side, I couldn't just brush them off.
To make matters worse, their questions were incredibly abstract.
The correlation between faith and Holy Power, whether I had extracted a blessing or if a human body could handle divine power, and sudden proselytizing that started with, "You have a very kind face."
I could at least answer the magic questions since I knew a thing or two, but I had no answers for the priests.
It made me exhausted in a completely different way.
"So, I eventually told them I was too tired today and that we should talk next time if there's an opportunity, and I managed to slip away."
"And since everything has become a bother, you want to run away today?"
"Exactly! Can't we just make up an excuse about an urgent matter?"
Carla looked at me with a subtle expression, Elisha let out a deep sigh, and Iona burst out laughing. I hurriedly continued.
"Actually, there is an urgent matter!"
"What is it, what is it? I heard we were heading straight for the Imperial Palace instead of the Academy… Is this urgent matter a rebellion while the troops are away? That’ll be tough with the Sword Master uncle around, you know?"
"It’s nothing like that…."
Iona laughed for a long time, seemingly finding her own dangerous words hilarious.
For the record, Iris was fast asleep despite the noise. She was even drooling.
Did she like that rocking chair that much…?
After wiping her mouth and closing her hanging jaw, I finally got to the point.
"Of course, it’s true that we need to get to the Imperial Palace quickly. If we suddenly pop up there, even the Imperial Consort—who has access to all the information in the Levantine Empire—will be caught off guard."
"…Wait, wait. Why is Her Highness the Imperial Consort coming up?"
"Because she’s a cultist."
"……."
"Specifically, she’s a Cardinal of the Boiling Silence. Even without the Sword Master there, taking her out quietly would be difficult."
Though it was a sect with lower direct combat capabilities, a Cardinal-level member was still strong enough to trade blows with a High Mage or an Aura Expert.
The gap in raw power wasn't that large, and on top of that, they were experts in stealth and infiltration. It would be much better to break through the front at an unexpected timing.
The advantage of being the Imperial Consort was that she could know everything in the Levantine Empire from where she sat, but the disadvantage was that she couldn't move from that spot.
In other words, she could neither hide nor run. I intended to exploit that.
"I just came up with the plan, so I’ve only given Carla a slight hint; I haven't told the others yet. As for Iris… well, I can explain it when she wakes up."
When I lightly touched her soft lips with my finger, Iris instinctively began to suck on it.
Without pulling my finger away, I briefly explained the plan for the Imperial Consort raid.
Everyone seemed to accept it, thinking it was a sound idea, but as we exchanged opinions to refine the details, I belatedly informed them of something I’d forgotten in the heat of the conversation.
"Oh, there's a place I need to stop by before we go to the Imperial Palace."
"Oh? Didn't you say it was urgent, darling?"
"It is, but… it’s on the route we’re taking via teleport anyway. It probably won't take long. If it looks like it will, I’ll just postpone it."
"Heh, heh. I don't know where Student Yandel is planning to stop, but I guess it’s more important than this operation?"
"Maybe."
I gave a light shrug, and Carla tentatively raised her hand to ask.
"I'm… curious. Where exactly are you planning to go, Master?"
"Have either of you heard of Fafnir?"
"Of course. I read about it in fairy tales as a child. Fafnir the Greedy Dragon, with those cute illustrations… Wa-wait a minute. Don't tell me?"
"Yeah. We're going to Fafnir's Lair."
"A Dragon Lair…!"
Startled, Carla shouted despite herself. The others expressed it differently, but they were equally shocked.
"Don't get your hopes up too much. It’s been picked clean since Fafnir died, so there’s nothing left. However… there’s something I absolutely have to do there."
"…It must be something important to you, Master."
"Yeah."
The notification about fulfilling a special condition that had popped up when I obtained the Mana Affinity trait.
That wasn't a message that appeared easily. Most of the time, the rewards were incredibly useful.
I didn't know why it was telling me to go to Fafnir's Lair, but if there was something to be gained there, it was better to get it before moving on.
The Imperial Consort… no, Fiona, the Cardinal of the Silent Sect acting in the shadows, wouldn't just offer her neck simply because her identity was exposed.
Even if the plan went perfectly, there would be a battle, and if the plan failed, a battle would break out regardless.
If things went well, I could expect help from the Sword Master… but the opponent was a Cardinal of the Boiling Silence, a master of assassination and infiltration.
I could be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. So, it was best to pack whatever strength I could.
As I nodded to myself, the women were whispering among themselves after hearing my story.
"This is definitely that, right?"
"Yes. Probably."
"Student Yandel's hometown…."
Hmm. Right, I did have that backstory, didn't I?