Chapter 354: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It was a Mistake.
Chapter 354
Raven suppressed the desire to vomit what was inside and opened her mouth.
"What is this now......"
"Father always searched for the singularity. Since then, it became impossible to read the future through the Akashic Record. And he determined that the singularity was Caesar."
Although Raven had not received a proper explanation about the singularity, she could understand what it was.
"......So you're saying Caesar is the one who damaged the Akashic Record?"
"Yes. When Caesar was isolated on the ship or unconscious, the Akashic Record could write a little further into the future. That's how he realized Caesar was the singularity."
"Then, what do you plan to do with Caesar?"
"After the birth of the singularity, it became impossible to predict the future. I didn't know how to secure magic stones and repeatedly failed. It's clear that those magic stones coming from Vexilla now won't reach Sapientia."
Raven's head was so dizzy that it was difficult to even ask questions. She barely endured and just listened to Noah's words.
"I had two options. Either trust Caesar or find another solution. Father decided to trust Caesar. At first, I also decided to trust Caesar. So I tried to establish a diplomatic relationship with the Demon King to receive a stable supply of magic stones. But as Niflheim revealed its true colors too quickly, there was a disruption in the magic stone supply."
Raven had something on her mind.
-That's not Caesar's fault!
-It's not Caesar's fault!
-How is that Caesar's fault. That is Niflheim's fault.
-That's not Caesar's fault!
-Caesar did his best! It's not Caesar's fault!
Numerous voices of Raven pierced her ears. These were all the responses Raven would have given.
Raven's mouth opened unconsciously.
"That...... Isn't Caesar's fault, is it?"
『Raven Gale, tried to deviate from the confirmed record but could not.』
"But it is also not wrong that Caesar hastened the destruction of the world."
Raven didn't want to speak. She didn't know who it was, but she strongly felt as if someone was forcing her to have this conversation.
But Raven's mouth opened by itself. Like a music box producing sounds according to predetermined notes and rhythms, Raven was powerless.
"Hastening...... The destruction of the world. What do you mean by that......?"
"He broke the Holy Grail and dismantled the Royder Order."
Noah turned a poker into a staff.
"My ancestors, my father, and I already knew that Gloria would be the last Saint. Because it was already written that way before the Akashic Record was damaged. But we couldn't predict what would happen if she didn't become the Saint."
"The Royder Order, having lost its Saint, collapsed too quickly. The cardinals began to struggle for power, and the Holy Grail Knights lost their purpose and wandered. The believers had their lives denied, and those with severe illnesses who depended on holy water all fell into despair."
Raven's head was so dizzy that she could no longer endure. She wanted to escape from the gallery, but her head hurt too much to use any intricate magic techniques.
"The continent quickly became chaotic, and Niflheim, which loves chaos, revealed its true colors even faster. And they decided to put all their effort into invading Homigraph and Sapientia. Despite not being ready to face Niflheim, we had to withstand their attack, and that's how this calamity unfolded."
"Although it's chaotic, we can sufficiently fend off Niflheim."
"I know. We can certainly fend them off. If the magicians gather in Sapientia and start a siege, we can easily hold out for years. Since we already have food and various necessities stored in Sapientia for more than 10 years."
"Then why......"
"But that's not what I want."
Noah waved his staff.
The fireplace sank into the ground, and an elevator appeared. Noah used telekinetic magic to lift the exhausted Raven and put her in the elevator. Noah also got in the elevator. As the elevator descended, Noah opened his mouth.
"The reason the Arch family has been collecting magic stones for 230 years is to launch the Ark."
Raven's head felt like it was about to split. Although it was dark inside the elevator, she glimpsed the underground filled with magic stones.
"From the 1st Duke Prime Arch to the 37th Duke Arch, me, we worked to complete the ark without wasting a single minute or second. Initially, it was to evacuate from Niflheim's continent conquest, but as generations passed, the Ark itself became the purpose of life."
A brilliant teal light poured through the elevator's iron bars. Although it was Raven's first time seeing it, it was a very familiar sight.
"Try to imagine. If this great work, prepared over 37 generations, couldn't be completed at the end, how do you think it would feel?"
Fiercely burning despair wrapped around Noah's body.
"......I don't know."
"Yes. You can't know. How could you possibly empathize with my anxiety and pain?"
As the elevator arrived, Noah walked forward, leaning on his staff.
"Let me say it again, all of this was caused by Caesar. If that doppelganger had kept his promise to me and my father, there would have been no reason for me to make this decision."
"......What do you intend to do with Caesar?"
"Since he couldn't keep his promise, he must pay the appropriate price."
Click!
Noah locked Raven in and closed the elevator door.
"I've agreed to receive magic stones in exchange for handing over Caesar to the devils."
"...Are you serious?!"
"I am serious. Just as I was serious when I trusted Caesar."
Raven grabbed the door to get out of the elevator.
But the door was locked and she couldn't get out. When she tried to escape using spatial movement magic, she felt dizzy and all her magical formulas collapsed. This was because Noah had thrown a piece of anti-magic stone at Raven from inside his coat.
"Why are you giving your heart to a doppelganger? Raven."
The Blue Star magicians grabbed Raven's wrists and put handcuffs on her. Thanks to that, the strange vibrations shaking her head and the confusing spells blurring her vision disappeared, but she couldn't use magic.
The handcuffs were undoubtedly mixed with anti-wizard material.
"That one is a demon race. Someone who pledges loyalty to the new Demon King. He's fundamentally different from you."
"Caesar is different!"
"It seems you've been with that guy for so long that you can't see the objective reality."
Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring!
Noah's pocket watch rang.
"It's time."
Noah took a letter out from inside his coat.
"Stay here quietly until everything is over. It would be too wasteful to kill someone with your talent."
Noah looked down from the Ark.
"Only those chosen by me can board the Ark. Especially you, you must board the ark no matter what."
"...I won't get on."
"That's not something you can choose."
As Noah waved his staff, the letter moved.
"Then let's begin."
"Yes!"
Some Blue Star magicians disappeared through spatial movement, while others began to operate the ark.
Boom!
The magic stones laid at the bottom of the Ark emitted brilliant light.
"Are you trying to launch the Ark now?!"
"The current Sapientia is too heavy. We need to get rid of unnecessary things."
Boom! Bang!
The ceiling shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
***
The drawbridge connecting Sapientia and Homigraph suddenly began to move.
"Huh?! What are they doing?!"
"There are still people who haven't crossed over!"
People who tried to hold onto the drawbridge either threw themselves into the river or backed away.
"Aren't they going to lower the bridge again?! What are they trying to do!"
"There are devils outside right now! If we stay here, we'll all die!"
People burst out in anger, but the control room that opened and closed the drawbridge was in Sapientia, so their voices merely echoed and scattered.
Jerry shouted while holding onto the communication orb.
"All soldiers currently in Sapientia, listen up! I am Jerry, the Chief of Staff at headquarters! Lower the drawbridge immediately! Right now...!"
At that moment, Blue Star magicians appeared in front of Jerry through spatial movement magic.
"...Was it you? Did you order the drawbridge to be lowered?!"
"We are merely carrying out orders, Chief of Staff Jerry."
"Orders?! Whose orders?!"
"Duke Noah Arch's."
Jerry was speechless, as if he had been hit on the back of the head.
"Why did Arch Duke order the drawbridge to be closed? We should be establishing a new front line in Sapientia and preparing for the devils' invasion!"
"Too many people have crowded into Sapientia, causing an overload. Except for magicians, no more people are allowed to enter Sapientia."
"At the very least, we should accept refugees! Are you saying all the people here should die at the hands of devils?!"
"Devils won't be coming to Homigraph for a while."
"What? What does that mean?"
The Blue Star magicians pointed to the west.
"All the devils have left Homigraph. So establish a new defensive front line here to prepare for the devils' reinvasion."
"What are you saying? Establishing a new front line here where refugees are mixed in..."
Swoosh!
With those final words, the Blue Star magicians disappeared through spatial movement magic.
Jerry reflexively tried to grab them, but they had already vanished, and he couldn't even catch their collars.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on?!"
Boom! Boom!
Just then, explosions erupted from various parts of Sapientia. The explosions were so powerful that piles of stones flew into the Eileen River.
Rumble! Bang! Boom!
The tall buildings in Sapientia collapsed and fell like dominoes.
Aaaaaaahhhh! Run away!
As buildings collapsed in succession, people in Sapientia threw themselves toward the Eileen riverbank.
"Save the people first!"
"Bring boats! Boats!"
"Damn it, there are no boats!"
Jerry stared blankly at Sapientia and the people throwing themselves into the river. He couldn't understand what was happening at all.
***
The ship loaded with magic stones quickly headed east.
Not only was the wind blowing well, but the sea dragons tied to the ship were also leading the way.
Caesar stood at the front with his eyes closed, concentrating on his hearing. Caesar's ears twitched.
Bang! Bang!
The faint sounds of exploding shells and collapsing buildings could be heard from a distance.
Caesar looked up at the sky. Acrid smoke was rising from the direction of Homigraph.
Had a rebellion suddenly broken out in Homigraph?
That didn't seem to be the case.
Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
The devil's call hanging around Caesar's neck had been ringing continuously for a while.
'Somehow I wanted to come quickly.'
When Marbas and Denver appeared there, he had roughly anticipated it, but it looks like Bassago got beat up badly .
So the Denver guy who's really pissed off doesn't hit the Homigraph .
'......There's not a single person to trust in this world.'
Caesar rose from his seat. It seems wrong to go leisurely anyway.
Tick! Tock!
Along with the pendulum sound, purple light surrounded Caesar's body. It's Marbas' ability. The sea dragon stopped, and Atan came out of the water.
"Caesar, be careful!"
A large frog-like creature jumped up from under the river and rushed toward Caesar.
Without even looking, Caesar immediately threw Thunder. The frog Caesar saw doesn't seem to be just an ordinary frog.
When the frog waved its hand, an ice barrier formed in the air.
Crack,crack,crack,crack!
However, the ice barrier wasn't strong enough to withstand Caesar's Thunder. Thunder broke through the ice barrier and lodged into the creature's abdomen. The guy flipped over and fell like a frog hit by a stone.
"......What is that?"
It came flying so openly that I thought it was something great, but it just seemed like an X-god.
"It's not over! Caesar!"
Dozens of frogs flew toward Caesar afterward. But by then, the mer people were already preparing their spears, and......
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The frogs hit by the mer peoples' spears all fell.
Caesar saw the frogs floating and wriggling on the water. Their faces resembled humans, and each had a horn on their head.
"......Devil Frog?"
One of the devils mass-produced in the devil's nest, with a habit of jumping and ambushing enemies when encountered like now.
Why are these guys here?
Could it be that Sapientia and Homigraph have been occupied?
At that moment, the dead frogs began to revive. Not simply coming back to life, but as if time was rewinding, the spears thrown by the mer people returned in reverse, and Thunder Caesar had thrown also returned to its original state.
"Huh?! They're coming back!"
The mer people were surprised when their thrown spears returned to normal and hid under the water.
Caesar caught Thunder that flew back to him.
Then, Marbas appeared from under the water. Marbas was standing on the shoulders and heads of the devil Frogs.
"We meet again, Caesar."
Judging by his posture and the swords in both hands, he looked completely different from the slow-witted appearance seen before.