The Price of Arrogance

The air inside the basement was heavy. It was because the entire magical output of the mansion’s defensive barrier had been diverted to this very spot. The chains and the runes of the magic circle were vibrating violently as they gorged themselves on that mana. The head mage took a short, sharp breath. His gaze was fixed on the center of the circle. Beyond the cloth, the runes on the chains were glowing intensely, holding their ground.

“……Activate the chains.”

Lukart looked at the head mage.

“The mana lines of the mages who were supposed to share the rebound have already been severed. You cannot endure this alone, young master.”

“…….”

“Was this not prepared for the worst-case scenario? This is that moment.”

Lukart steadied his trembling legs. Clutching his head, he reached out with a shaking hand toward the chain beside him and pulled away the cloth. The runes on the black chain were glowing with a deep, ominous light. As Lukart placed his hand on the chain, mana flowed from his palm, and the chain began to rise slowly. The runes flared, and the chain swung around the center of the magic circle, crossing over toward him. It moved rapidly toward his neck. Before he could even marvel at the sight, the chain coiled around his throat.

Lukart’s breathing stabilized. It seemed the rebound had subsided. But the chain didn't stop there. A thick, black mana erupted from the links touching his skin. The chain itself became translucent, its form blurring, and that mana slowly crept into his body, traveling up his neck until it reached the core deep within his chest. It wrapped around the core once, settling into place.

'Oh, that’s fascinating.'

I reached out to touch the translucent chain. But my hand passed right through it. I tried again, but the result was the same.

'My hand passes through it. Is it because it’s made of mana?'

A heavy voice resonated inside my head.

'Huh?'

'Wow, the chain can talk too.'

'I don’t know what it wants me to do.'

The pressure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠constricting my core intensified. Mana was being pushed inward little by little. But that level of pressure was nothing. Whatever was wrapped around my core just made my chest feel a bit heavy, and the voice in my head was just a novelty. Then, suddenly, the scenery before my eyes shifted, and a familiar landscape unfolded. There wasn't a single ray of light, yet the terrain was clearly visible. In the distance, the giant World Tree stood tall in the darkness. It seemed even larger than before, its branches stretching endlessly into the void.

'……Ah, it’s that scene from before.'

But something was wrong. Black chains were slowly covering the sky. Endless, massive chains were spreading over the darkness like tentacles. Then, as one chain touched the giant World Tree, a crack appeared on its surface.

As the heavy voice echoed in my head, a wave of unpleasantness surged within me. When the darkness dispersed, I was back inside the magic circle. But the unpleasant feeling remained.

'This is annoying.'

I turned my gaze toward Lukart.

“Undo this.”

Lukart caught his breath.

“……I apologize, Divine Beast. If I undo it, the rebound will return to me.”

“…….”

“I cannot undo it now. Please, just wear it for the time being.”

Every time the voice echoed in my head, the unpleasantness deepened. I didn't want to hear it anymore. I released the mana I had gathered in my core. As the mana poured out, it collided head-on with the pressure of the chains. Heat leaked out over my skin. The air in the basement began to scorch.

“I said undo it.”

As more mana was released, it clashed with the chains again. The air grew even hotter. The outer lines of the magic circle shook violently. Just then, the stout man who had been watching the situation quietly stepped forward. As he raised his mana, a thick, heavy energy spread into the air. The air in the center of the basement began to ripple, and a section of it distorted. The rippling space split open, and a massive figure emerged from within.

It was a cyclopean giant. Its height reached the basement ceiling, and a yellow light flowed from the single eye embedded in its center. The air around the giant grew heavy.

'Beast summoning?'

“Subdue it.”

The giant reached out with one hand. Its palm fell straight toward my head, but it couldn't make contact. The mana released from my core was wrapping around my body like a membrane. When the giant’s hand touched that barrier, its palm was scorched black. The hand was knocked upward. The giant let out a short growl and stepped back. The light of mana gathered in its single eye, and a yellow beam shot out, flying straight toward me. As the beam neared the barrier, it wavered and then dissipated.

'Weak.'

I generated a gust of wind from my fingertips and sent it straight toward the giant. The wind sliced through the giant’s torso. The giant was split in two and collapsed to the side.

Thud.

The stout man vomited a mouthful of dark red blood and fell to his knees. Lukart looked up at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me.

“……Divine Beast!”

His hand, clutching his head, was trembling.

“What are you doing! The contract is already finished, and there is no turning back!”

The voice echoed in my head again.

The chain tightened around my core again. I stared at Lukart.

“I’ll say it one more time. Undo it.”

Lukart staggered, letting out a short groan.

“How many times must I tell you that it is impossible!”

Lukart’s hands shook even more violently.

“It cannot be done. Absolutely not……!”

The chain echoed in my head again.

'That’s it…… I’ll just break it.'

I poured all the mana out of my core. As the mana collided with the chains, the air in the basement turned scorching hot all at once. The outer lines of the magic circle shook violently. Stone dust began to fall from the ceiling. Then, the chains began to crack head-on with a sharp, piercing sound. The black runes flowing along the chains shattered rapidly.

Crack-crack-crack-!

The chains scattered like dust. The voice in my head ceased. My Polymorph dissolved. The moment my human form dissipated, mana poured out all at once. The basement floor collapsed entirely, and thick cracks spread across all the walls. Before the ceiling could even fall, my wings filled the space. Blue lightning crackled and scattered from the tips of every feather. My eyes glowed in the darkness. As my wings touched the walls, the stone crumbled like powder. As the ceiling split, thick cracks extended long and high upward. Lukart froze, clutching his head. The stout man remained on his knees, his mouth hanging open.

'……Ah, that’s better.'

Lukart clutched his head in agony. The rebound that the chains had been absorbing poured back into him. This time, there was nowhere for it to escape. Lukart’s knees buckled. His eyes rolled back, losing focus. Dark red blood began to flow from his mouth, and soon, blood gushed from his ears, nose, and eyes. His fingertips split, and his veins burst all at once.

'Is that what a rebound is?'

It was a bit gruesome. Lukart collapsed right there. The mana line flickered once and then snapped.

'Oh, it snapped. Is he dead?'

I waited quietly. Since the contractor was dead, I was curious if the rebound would come to me. There was a tiny sting at the tip of my claw. It was about as much as being bitten by an ant once. Even that disappeared quickly.

'Is that it?'

I waited a moment longer, but that was all.

'Well, whatever.'

As I spread my wings, the entire basement ceiling shattered. Stone and dirt flew in all directions, and the walls began to collapse all at once along the thick cracks. Boom—! The roar shook the ground. I beat my wings hard and soared upward. I didn't bother to control my mana. As if venting my anger, the mana flowed out along my wings just as it was. Blue lightning arced into the surroundings, and the buildings above my head were swept away by the wave of mana. Multiple floors were sliced away at once, vanishing as if they had been erased.

A massive pillar of dust rose, and debris was flung into the surroundings. As I soared higher, the crumbling buildings grew distant beneath my feet. When I reached the sky, a cool breeze swept through my feathers under the clear blue expanse. The tightness in my chest unraveled, and my anger subsided. Only then did I take in my surroundings. Beneath me, the ruins of the castle were spread out widely. Beyond that, endless plains and farmland stretched out, with small villages visible as tiny dots in the distance. It wasn't a familiar landscape. It was clearly in the middle of human territory.

There was a sound from below. It must have been a loud scream to reach this height. I looked down again. Among the collapsed buildings, a few knights in black armor were struggling to crawl out from under the piles of stone. To the side, mages were trying to climb over a broken wall, only to slip. It seemed quite a few people were trapped under the debris, screaming. In the center of the wreckage, an old mage was holding up both hands, spreading a thick layer of mana. He was pulling all his mana together to wrap a round barrier around them. Inside the barrier, the unconscious mages and the stout man were huddled together. Lukart was collapsed at one end of the barrier, no longer moving.

'……Should I kill them all?'

The thought crossed my mind without much meaning. I looked down at my feet again. There was a mage struggling with all his might to pull his trapped leg free, and a knight whose hands were shaking as he tried to lift a pile of stone.

'Like bugs.'

I was reminded of ants whose nest had been destroyed. They, too, struggled like that to escape the wreckage. And if someone stepped on them, they simply vanished.

'Well, whatever.'

I didn't want to pay any more attention to the bugs. I looked around.

'……Where should I go?'

I spread my senses quietly. Very far away, I could faintly detect the mana I had left behind in the World Tree region. It was the direction of my nest.

'That way, then.'

I set my course and was about to fly off when I hesitated. The distance was too great. It would easily take several days. 'That’s a bit far.' I was getting hungry. It was because I had poured out all my mana while soaring from the building.

'Let’s eat something on the way.'

A mountain range stretched out long beneath my feet. Since it was a place where humans didn't live, there were likely beasts there.

'What would the beasts here taste like?'

They would be different from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beasts around the World Tree. I wondered if there might even be species I had never seen before. I turned my direction toward the mountain range.

At sunset that day, in a small conference room at the Waldenfelt mansion. Walter von Waldenfelt sat across the desk. Opposite him, the head of the intelligence department was kneeling. His unmarked black leather clothing was revealed beneath a deep hood.

“Report.”

“……A moment ago, the Rosenberg main estate partially collapsed.”

Walter’s gaze shifted to the head of intelligence.

“……Partially?”

“Yes. The basement and one side of the main building collapsed, and the family head, Ditmar von Rosenberg, was found with serious injuries. His own contracted beast has died, and his son, Lukart von Rosenberg, has been confirmed dead. Some of the mages under the family’s command have also perished.”

The report the intelligence department had submitted a few days ago flashed through his mind. The intelligence that Ditmar had obtained holy water from the Temple of Space in the Theorgas Holy Kingdom. The intelligence that he had separately received additional Life Water from the Imperial family. Even the intelligence that the family mages had deactivated the mansion’s defensive barrier and were diverting that mana toward a ritual. It was clear they were gathering various catalysts, but to think they would actually attempt to summon a Divine Beast.

The family had attempted additional measures to intervene, but the Rosenbergs’ vigilance had become stronger than usual. Further access by the intelligence department was blocked, and the family had threatened that they would not stand idly by if there was any more interference. The situation had deteriorated to the point of potential conflict between families, so the Imperial family had intervened directly to mediate. Based on the judgment that the summoning of a Divine Beast was nearly impossible, both families had agreed to take a step back and watch. That was only a few days ago. To think the summoning would actually succeed—neither Walter nor Albern had anticipated this.

“……The cause.”

“According to the intelligence report, witnesses observed a crow so massive it covered the sky rising above ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the main estate at the time of the incident. Based on its appearance, it is presumed to be the Divine Beast of the World Tree that the delegation encountered. There are no traces of damage outside the main estate area.”

Walter lowered his gaze quietly. The heavy flow of mana he had briefly sensed in the delegation’s carriage came back to him. He had known his intuition was rarely wrong, but he had hoped it was just a groundless fear. It wasn't.

'……Is it Lord Nox?'

The fact that there was no damage outside the main estate meant that Lord Nox hadn't even bothered to show much irritation.

'It’s fortunate, at least, that the anger didn't spread throughout the entire Empire.'

Walter rose from his seat.

“Good work. You may leave.”

“I shall obey.”

The head of intelligence bowed slightly and rose. The conference room door closed. Walter took a communication orb from his desk drawer and channeled mana into his palm, causing the orb to glow with a deep light.

[What is it?]

Albern’s voice echoed from the orb. It was the tone of a private setting.

“There’s an urgent matter. It’s about the Rosenberg affair.”

[……Did it finally happen?]

Albern’s tone sank deeply.

“Yes. The main estate has effectively collapsed. The cause is…….”

Walter paused for a moment.

“……Presumed to be Lord Nox.”

A short silence hung on the other side of the orb.

[……It was truly summoned?]

“Yes.”

[…………]

Albern’s silence was long.

[Let’s meet in person to discuss the details.]

“Understood.”

The communication cut off. Walter placed the orb on the desk and sat down. He looked at the ceiling once. He remembered Lord Nox’s face when he had returned from the delegation. That face, which had seemed so simple and indifferent.

'……How on earth am I supposed to resolve this?'