Chapter 36
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: One-Eyed Village (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Then dealing with that bastard first should be our top priority, right?"
Someone spoke up, and Ard fell deep into thought.
This was different from before, when they'd casually proceeded according to plan without a care.
And for good reason—if a transcendent of unknown true rank was truly targeting Evanveil, it would throw their entire scheme into disarray.
"If that guy somehow got wind of the info ahead of time and started blabbing... the northern factions might have caught on already."
The one who said that was a member of the Rangin tribe from Palewood.
"Are there really guys out there who haven't figured out we're coming by now?"
"That's not it... We talked about the exact date of the ritual back then."
"... "
Such a thing had happened, huh.
That was news to me.
Anonymous (1) had been hiding their identity and watching from afar, so they wouldn't have caught the specifics.
But mentioning the precise date? That was worlds apart from just vaguely knowing. If the northern factions weren't idiots, they'd be preparing thoroughly.
Ard stayed silent for a long while before lifting his head and glaring straight at Philip.
"Everything you've said so far... Is it all true?"
There was no reason for Philip to feel pressured from across the screen.
Philip nodded.
The people gathered here already knew.
Philip's castle had been utterly demolished.
Philip was a transcendent for whom his castle was more important than life itself.
The idea that he'd demolish it himself for some self-staged drama didn't add up.
And on top of that, he'd come back looking like a total wreck.
The circumstantial evidence lined up in a way that was impossible not to believe, even if you wanted to.
Of course, that was partly because I'd woven in some truths amid the lies.
"We'll have to... postpone the plan."
Ard's voice was low, but raw anger simmered beneath it.
The other races felt the same.
From what I'd read in the diary, they'd been eagerly anticipating this plan.
"Damn it!"
"What a mess because of one guy."
"You idiots should've been more careful."
In an instant, sharp glares turned toward the Pale Water Tribe and the Rangin tribe.
"What did I do?!"
"Did we think someone was eavesdropping?"
"This is why we shouldn't deal with outsiders beyond the perimeter."
"... What did you just say?"
Ard stepped in to defuse the increasingly hostile atmosphere.
"Enough."
The uproar died down in a flash, like cold water dousing flames.
Ard closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, then spoke again.
"I'll... tell Him myself."
His voice, having suppressed the initial rage, was calmer now, but the killing intent lurking within hadn't faded.
"Who'll handle the one stirring up trouble at the entrance?"
"I'll do it."
The one who stepped forward was a minority race rooted in Duskwill.
His face resembled a sharply hooked eagle's beak, yet his body was humanoid. Massive black wings were folded against his back.
Gremlin.
He was at least transcendent-rank. The fact that he'd volunteered was proof enough.
Watching him, I was struck anew by just how vast their forces were.
If he was transcendent-rank... that put him around mid-tier among transcendents.
And Ard seemed even stronger than the rest.
No wonder they'd been so boldly talking about devouring the north.
That "Him" they revered was intriguing too.
What kind of monster was the being they called "Him" and gathered under?
Ard looked strong, but he seemed more like their leader—no one bowed to him or anything.
I watched the scene unfold from afar via the screen, slowly packing up my belongings nearby.
With Gremlin handling it personally, I needed to leave the mountains fast.
I'd have to erase my tracks too, so best to start now.
Even after exiting the mountains, I planned to keep my identity hidden for a while.
Philip's mask had served as a shield, but now that they were onto me, I wouldn't show my face.
Until then...
'I'll have to live as Cedric.'
"We'll reconvene the regular assembly in a week. You can handle it by then, right?"
"Obviously."
Gremlin nodded confidently.
"Appearance matches Philip Deran. You pass it on. ... Dismissed."
As Ard finished speaking, even those grinding their teeth in frustration stood and left.
Their tempers were foul, but they obeyed Ard well.
A force brimming with both fury and caution.
Philip Deran's diary had called this group the Moonshadow Assembly.
If they'd ambushed without warning, it really would've been dangerous.
I fed Gremlin a rough description of my appearance through Philip. All made up, of course.
A grotesquely ugly face, lightly fluttering about with a torso the size of a giant's.
After parting with Gremlin, I waited until all the other races had left.
I planned to stash Philip in some secluded spot nearby.
It'd be nice to summon him separately for a more refined overhaul, but there wasn't time.
Philip had two weeks left. The limit for stabilizing primal mana in a lesser vessel.
Let him attend the final regular assembly, then go into hiding... I'd retrieve him someday.
I could grab the black grimoire he'd received then too.
'What can I do in that week?'
For now, hide as Cedric and gather more detailed intel if possible.
I'd noted the specific appearances of the races at the assembly, so maybe I could make new clones.
Plus, the friction today suggested I could sow discord among them.
I considered asking Anonymous (1) to take out Gremlin in a deal, but I had nothing to offer them now.
Just begging for help didn't fit the "0" persona at all.
'Minority race... Time to snag a corpse.'
The assembly attendees were representatives of each race.
So, servants of evil.
Not all followers were transcendents, so corpses should be procurable.
Especially in the back alleys rife with black market deals.
I headed to a city in the north.
If safety was my only concern, leaving the region entirely might've been wiser.
But nowhere was better suited for acquiring minority race corpses.
With time pressing, it was unavoidable.
I donned a black mask covering my entire face again, along with a long black coat.
And made straight for the back alleys.
The capital's broker, Jenjen, didn't operate here, so I needed a new connection.
I wandered the damp stone paths shrouded in gray mist, scanning people's faces.
Looking for anyone advertising "ask me for info" on their forehead... when a cautious voice called from behind.
"Uh... excuse me."
I spun around reflexively, hand reaching for the brooch.
In truth, now that my hierarchy had risen, I could forge patterns to cast spells.
I could even use wind-element magic directly.
Up to rank 3, that is.
I'd only mastered chill-attribute magic to rank 4; no way I'd learned others.
The academy had mandated rank 3 wind magic as essential anyway.
I used it effectively enough, no complaints.
Still, I carried the brooch for chantless casting—or at least, the appearance of it.
Chantless required honing your unique mana trait to rank 7. Even then, many mages couldn't.
So it was great for intimidating folks subtly.
"Who're you?"
"D-don't you remember me?"
An unfamiliar man approached.
I was disguised as Cedric now.
This was only my second time walking these streets in this form.
Very few would recognize me.
He must've clocked the outfit.
"The attendant from the capital?"
"You remember."
I gave a small nod.
Honestly, I didn't recall his face at all. Just the familiar garb.
"What do you want?"
"I never expected to run into someone I know here out of the blue..."
"Someone you know?"
As I snapped irritably, he hurriedly continued.
"Actually... the young lady asked if she could see you once."
The young lady—probably that woman with her black hair tied back.
Lina, was it?
Some big shot in the underworld.
"And?"
"If you're staying in town, could you wait just one day? She's really eager to meet you, mentioned it several times..."
"Why should I?"
"Sh-she said she has a gift as thanks."
"Don't need it."
I didn't have time to leisurely wait for her.
Rude, sure, but it fit Cedric's persona.
The attendant hesitated, then ventured cautiously.
"If you need anything done here, the young lady could handle it for you."
"... "
She could handle it?
Thinking it over, it was odd for someone who should be in the capital to be all the way out here.
Did her influence really extend this far?
"Hmm... Can you procure other races' corpses?"
No need to hide my goal while disguised as Cedric.
Unlike my true self, fewer restrictions on actions—definitely convenient.
"Th-that kind of thing? We're experts!"
He blurted it out without thinking...
Catching my skeptical look, he waved his hands in explanation.
"It's true! Our faction controls this city tight."
From the capital to a northern city... how far was that?
And they gripped that distance firmly?
"Actually, the capital's under the family head's influence, not the young lady's."
"The north is her turf?"
"Yes. Precisely this city."
I nodded.
"One day enough?"
"Yes, the young lady's not far."
"I mean for the corpse."
"... Pardon?"
"You get two days."
A brief silence fell.
The man bowed slightly, as if resigned.
"... I'll pass it along."
"Nice to see you again. Told you we'd meet soon."
She smiled brightly, her long black hair still tied in a ponytail.
We met in a tavern.
It had been packed moments ago, but everyone cleared out like a receding wave the instant she entered.
Now it was just her, me, and a few attendants lurking like shadows behind.
"Why'd you want to meet?"
The attendant had said it was for a thank-you gift, but that couldn't be the real reason.
She'd clearly wanted to ask me for a favor back then.
If my guess was right, her true intentions would come out now.
But she just signaled an attendant, who brought a box.
A familiar box.
The very one that had held the ancient hero's artifact.
Lina plunked it on the table and smirked with one corner of her mouth.
"A gift."
I didn't touch it right away, crossing my arms instead.
Staring her down, she grinned wider and pulled the box back toward herself.
"But first, grant me one favor?"
I shot up from my seat in response, as if it wasn't worth hearing.
She spoke up.
"Fine, fine. Geez, you're a tough one. Here, for real."
She slid the box toward me without hesitation.
"An artifact. Thanks for tipping me off it was fake. Saved me from a huge mess."
"... "
"Not curious what's inside?"
"What is it?"
"If I'd missed the fake in my collection, people would've laughed their asses off. Total embarrassment."
"I see."
I replied half-heartedly.
I wasn't particularly interested.
My eyes were already on the box's contents.
A tiny iron plate fragment.
Didn't look swapped out at first glance.
... Wait.
I narrowed my eyes for a closer look, then froze.
Inside that small iron plate, something I'd never noticed before appeared.
Very faint... but radiant light.
No one here had spotted it—no, even I hadn't before.
Primal mana.
That power swirled silently within the fragment.