Chapter 42
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Aftermath
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I figured Philip's lifeline wouldn't last much longer.
Since it was the end, I'd tried throwing everything at the wall, but there was always the chance it'd end pathetically with my head flying off before I could even get a word out.
But maybe it was because of the Life Vessel.
Or perhaps my act of playing crazy had worked. I'd talked so much midway through that it overloaded the voice function, but even that seemed to come off as part of the performance.
Or maybe it was effective that I'd voiced my suspicions first and taken the initiative.
One thing was clear: to Ad, someone like Philip wasn't a threat at all.
That fundamental perception meant he didn't care much about my nonsense.
I'd already read the mood properly at the last regular assembly.
So before this assembly, I'd been agonizing over it constantly.
What was the best I could do with my remaining lifeline?
The conclusion was Ad.
Lure Ad away from the group.
Ad, the link to the one they called "That One" and the leader of the forces of evil—if he got separated from the herd, their forces would be thrown into disarray just from that.
The enemy forces were a mishmash of races, but even they only had one or two Transcendents per group.
And even those were tied up at the regular assembly, far from their territories.
On the flip side, the elves had multiple Transcendents gathered in one place.
I figured isolating Ad alone would have a definite effect.
The downside... if the battle swung in the elves' favor, we might lose him.
But dragging him in to strike first carried too much risk if I failed.
In the end, it all hinged on how cautiously Ad responded and how skilled the elves really were.
Before the assembly started, a message arrived from Anonymous (2).
All preparations complete.
I immediately sent back that we could launch the surprise attack anytime—but exclude Evanveil from the first wave.
There was a reason for that.
At the previous regular meeting, I'd spooked them by saying some mysterious Transcendent was targeting Evanveil.
They'd surely beefed up their defenses.
Hell, even the gremlin's Transcendent hadn't been dealt with.
All those factors lining up perfectly—I figured that's where I'd draw Ad out.
The plan I'd hatched before the regular assembly even began had, fortunately, gone off without a hitch.
One screen showed Philip's view as he headed to Evanveil with Ad.
The other had updates trickling in from Anonymous (2).
I alternated between the two, tracking the situation.
Ad's flight speed was beyond imagination.
I'd thought it'd take over a day to reach Evanveil, but they arrived in just a few hours.
Once Ad and Philip neared Evanveil, they circled in the sky, waiting for the enemy to show.
Just separating him this far already meant my plan was a success.
Ad relentlessly grilled me on the enemy's appearance, and I brushed it off vaguely.
Appearance? Whatever... like I'd told that Transcendent named Garon, just make something up.
"They burst from the ground... suddenly... so be careful. Even I... wouldn't have noticed... if not for the traps around the castle..."
Even as I spat out the lies, Ad's gaze pierced Philip like a blade.
Doubt and killing intent intertwined, as if he'd sever his head right there.
We waited a good while longer after that, but no shadows appeared.
'Hmm... what excuse now?'
No more handy pretexts came to mind.
But I'd bought enough time already.
Anonymous (2) had already reported wiping out all of Palewood's followers. A territory with followers but no master would be helpless against a group of elves with Transcendents.
Then.
Evanveil's Transcendent burst up through the earth.
"Big trouble."
"What is it?"
"While we were at the assembly... Palewood got hit with a surprise attack. The other Transcendents are all heading there now, so we should hurry too..."
Ad's gaze slowly turned to Philip.
"What happened?"
What happened? He got hooked.
I'd considered playing dumb till the end, but Ad didn't seem to have the patience for that.
Ad immediately raised his hand.
Dark energy condensed in his palm, swirling into tangible black slime. It unmistakably resembled what they called essence.
Ad gripped it.
"..."
But nothing happened.
I, preparing to sever the Life Vessel link, and even Ad himself seemed taken aback.
What the hell was that supposed to be?
One thing was sure: he'd tried to kill Philip.
Ad swung his other hand, and in that instant—whether hit by something or not, I couldn't even confirm before the feed cut out.
To block any potential tracking, I'd rigged it to sever the mana flow the moment an attack hit.
Even so, I'd been staring wide-eyed at the screen till the end and hadn't seen what attacked.
Magic?
Magic that fast to manifest?
Maybe some new power from that "That One" entity they'd mentioned.
'Then what was Ad about to do before that?'
That hand clutching the black essence.
He'd definitely been trying something.
'What was he planning with the essence?'
The essence they fed to forces of evil to grant new power.
What if it wasn't just a mark, but a leash they could yank?
The plan had succeeded, but lingering questions nagged.
'Still, the functions were too limited.'
I could only peek through the screen; no real sense of presence.
I couldn't feel the mana flow or Ad's killing intent pressing on Philip.
Anyway, I was blind to their side now.
All I could do was wait for Anonymous (2)'s update.
'For now, steer clear of the north.'
No telling how the Transcendent clash would play out.
For safety, better to leave the north entirely.
Regret lingered like an echo.
This was what it meant to sit out the fight.
Safety assured, but the frustration of just waiting for results.
If real combat had broken out during that mission with Parovian, I'd have been negligible firepower anyway.
'Gotta learn some combat spells.'
Perfect motivation, too.
I needed to train in manifest realm magic to reach the origin anyway.
#
The final message from Anonymous (2) arrived.
They'd crushed the forces of evil's Transcendents with ridiculous ease.
Complete with thanks.
'Hmm...'
I'd expected the elves, with their gathered Transcendents, to be strong—but this easy?
Of course, I'd thought they could wipe them out in one go.
At least, the northern evil forces I'd glimpsed through Philip seemed like a ragtag bunch.
But I chalked it up to seeing only fragments.
Their real terror lay in raw power, after all.
'No mention of "That One," huh.'
Anonymous (2) wouldn't hide it on purpose.
'Didn't show?'
Seemed uninvolved in the fight entirely.
What about Ad?
Had they taken him down?
No word on that either.
None of the defeated Transcendents matched Ad's description.
He hadn't shown up either.
'Bolted right away?'
He'd seemed eager to execute plans immediately—abandon comrades and bail solo?
Anonymous (2) thought the plan flawless, but I still felt an odd unease.
Reflecting on the shortcomings.
This time, the situation escalated too fast, and being new, it was sloppy.
Just six months ago, I hadn't cared about Transcendents.
If something similar hit later, I'd prepare more thoroughly.
Ad must've sensed something off. He'd get more cautious, so I'd have to match that.
'Remember, I'm just a 6th-circle mage, not a real Transcendent.'
In terms of force, an undeniable weakling.
Anyway, immediate issues resolved.
The elves could no longer dodge the pact's pressure.
Others might pounce now.
Who'd lead? Human Transcendents?
'Joart?'
Thinking it over, wasn't Joart sucking honey a bit too much?
Joart's goal from the start: lure in evil forces to create intervention pretext.
They hadn't budged until a concrete date for claiming the north.
Yeah, maybe that's what they wanted.
Let other northern Transcendents duke it out; just secure the excuse.
The elves' unity solved it for them.
Joart picked his nose without lifting a finger.
What was this twisted gut feeling?
Annoyance?
Anyway, sparking this birthed a mountain of new concerns.
'Why am I taking this so seriously?'
I'd gotten hopelessly entangled.
Dire threats had lessened, but with Ad alive, not fully safe.
Of course, with their org shattered, no point chasing a non-Transcendent like me.
Till Anonymous (2) confirmed cleanup, best to train quietly.
"Joart."
As the blond man slowly looked up, a woman with blue hair cascading like waves stood where his gaze landed.
Her hair fell in soft curves to her waist.
Snow-white skin, a smooth jawline.
Her small, refined face formed a beauty both icy cold and impossible to look away from.
"War broke out in the north."
Joart responded flatly to her words.
"Finally started, huh."
"No..."
But her expression held unease.
It clearly deviated from their script.
"The elves moved first."
"Elves?"
Only then did a flicker of agitation cross Joart's impassive face.
"No way."
"It is. High Elves ambushed the Moonshadow Assembly first. I saw High Elf magic traces for the first time this round."
"...Impossible..."
Joart speechless like this was rare, even if blank-faced often.
But she understood.
"It's already over, even. Elves took Palewood, Duskwill, Evanveil... all three territories. You know what that means?"
"World Tree's orders?"
"Probably. Anyway, to us, elves might as well be evil forces now. Double the headaches."
Joart wasn't really listening anymore.
"Has the World Tree ever issued such radical commands?"
"Ugh, stop questioning and plan countermeasures. Can't let those lands fall fully to elves. We're out in the open now—no more hiding like before."
The blue-haired woman ruffled her hair, realizing how tangled it was getting.
"This is... as tricky as the evil forces."
Then, the silent Joart spoke.
"Might not be the World Tree."
"Hey, were you even listening?"
"The Transcendent who killed Philip Deran. Dig anything on him?"
She glared irritably before answering.
"No clue. Nothing."
"Showed in this fight?"
"Don't know."
"Something's up. New... faction? How'd they convince the elves?"
Joart sank back into his thoughts.
"No, what now..."
"Oh, right."
Joart looked up again soon after.
"That thing I proposed—thought about it?"
"Which?"
"Mage you're interested in. Pull him in once he Transcends."
"Teach him magic?"
The blue-haired mage shook her head in disgust.
"Said no. Won't do it now after skipping normies before. Hassle. And Transcendent after teaching now? He's only 5th circle."
"Thought it'd suit you."
"Look, even when I begged to teach a once-in-a-century genius, you wouldn't glance. This kid's different?"
"Not that vibe."
"Hah, just fancy him."
"Just figured it'd help. Oh yeah... told him to come find you?"
Joart decided.
"We'll go together."
"..."
She was speechless for a bit.
Joart's matter-of-fact declaration left her staring in sheer exasperation.