Chapter 705
Chapter 705
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 705
Chapter Title: A Fragment of Ice
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That evening.
The third-year students of Leo's party, having returned to the dormitory, were gathered in a room within the Clock Tower Dormitory.
“What in the world was that blizzard?”
Karl, with a pen resting on his philtrum and arms crossed, wore a puzzled expression.
Having returned after completing their requested mission, the third-years of Leo's party were currently writing their mission reports.
Despite the sudden blizzard, the orc colony had been completely subjugated.
“And on top of that, a mana-freezing phenomenon.”
Iliana twirled a pen between her fingers, her expression one of disbelief.
The mana freezing was also a phenomenon experienced only by Leo and Chloe.
“You really couldn't use any of your abilities?”
At Karl's question, Chloe nodded.
“Yeah. It felt like my power was sealed.”
“Leo, you too?”
Leo answered with a nod.
“What is even going on?”
Karl, who knew Leo's true identity, looked bewildered.
Meanwhile, Leo, having finished his report, stood up from his seat.
“You guys finish up quickly and get some rest.”
Originally, they had planned to spend the entire weekend subjugating the orc colony.
The idea was to give the first and second-years some practical experience.
However, due to the unexpected situation, the third-years had to participate actively, and the orc subjugation ended a day earlier than planned.
As a result, Leo's party could now enjoy a free day tomorrow, one of the two weekend days.
A moment after Leo left.
Chloe also put down her pen and submitted her report.
“I'm heading out first.”
“Huh? Already?”
“Yeah. I have to go back to my dorm room.”
“Hey! What are you talking about! This is a rare opportunity! We should have some fun!”
At Iliana's words, Chloe looked incredulous.
“It's past curfew.”
Once it's past curfew, you can't leave the dormitory.
It was a strict rule at Lumerne.
At Chloe's words, Iliana gave her a meaningful look.
“That's what makes it fun! We're out and about when we're not supposed to be!”
At Iliana's words, Chloe looked at her as if she were pathetic.
“Besides, all the amenities are closed by now.”
“Hey! Just wandering around is the fun part!”
“I'm going to head in early.”
Seeing Chloe's uninterested expression, Iliana's eyes darted around.
If Chloe went back, the dormitory proctors would be notified.
Leo, using a private building, was free from the proctors' gazes, but the regular students were not.
The permission given to the third-years right now was only for writing their reports.
Once they finished, they had to return.
Iliana's plan was to use that short window of time to explore the dormitory at night.
It was obvious that if they didn't return to their rooms soon after Chloe left, the proctors would come looking for them.
‘The Clock Tower Dormitory holds many secrets.’
The Clock Tower Dormitory boasted an incredibly large scale.
But despite its size, the areas accessible to students were limited.
The professors never said anything, but it was clear that secrets were hidden within.
‘There might even be a treasure chest hidden in a secret room!’
The Clock Tower Dormitory itself stimulated the students' desire for a challenge.
That's why there were quite a few students who returned to the dormitory during their free time to explore the clock tower.
But there was no opportunity to do so at night.
And now, such an opportunity had finally presented itself.
Of course, unfortunately, Chloe had little interest in such things.
To be precise, her desire to follow the rules was stronger than her curiosity about the clock tower's secrets.
To her, an honor student, the school rules were something to be followed unconditionally.
Iliana was also well aware of Chloe's disposition.
Her eyes darting around, Iliana spoke.
“Chloe! Have you heard the rumor? The one about a forbidden archive in the dormitory library!”
At those words, Chloe stopped in her tracks.
“They say it's filled with forbidden grimoires unknown to the world!”
Chloe looked at Iliana.
‘Yes! She took the bait!’
Iliana cheered inwardly.
Chloe, who had been looking at Iliana's face, turned to Karl.
“Is that true?”
“There is a rumor like that.”
“And its credibility?”
“Close to zero.”
Seeing Karl shrug, Chloe left the room, looking uninterested.
If Karl, the school's information broker, said that, it was safe to assume there was no such thing as a forbidden archive.
“You were supposed to say it was credible!”
“The reason I became Lumerne's info broker is because of my reliability. How can I say something exists when it doesn't? Besides, Chloe would find out if she looked into it.”
At Karl's words, Iliana clicked her tongue.
“And how much exploring can you really do at night? The professors will be on patrol.”
“Honestly! You have no sense of adventure! None at all!”
***
Returning to his room, Leo pressed his forehead at the sight before him.
“Oh, sofa. I envy you. You get to serve Lord Leo every single day, don't you? Ahh! I want to be Lord Leo's sofa too. If only this insignificant body of mine could offer Lord Leo comfort, that would be wonderful.”
He had discovered Rian pressed up against the sofa Leo often sat on, rubbing her face against it.
“Hey. Want to switch with me? I'll be Lord Leo's sofa. You can be the administrator of the Hero Record. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Hmm?”
‘No matter how many times I see it, I can't get used to that sight.’
The fact that she was not just mad, but filthily mad, was certainly befitting of a god.
As someone who had lived through the Age of Gods and the Age of Calamity.
He knew more about gods than anyone in this era, but he could not understand them.
No, perhaps even in the Age of Gods, there was no one who could understand the gods.
“Ah! Lord Leo! From now on, I have decided to take the sofa's place! Please, sit on me!”
Rian pushed Leo's sofa aside and then crouched down in its place.
“Though this body is insignificant, I will do my utmost to provide you with comfort, Lord Leo!”
At her words, Leo approached Rian.
And sat on the guest sofa next to her.
Rian's expression turned sad.
“Ahh! I am an existence worth less than a sofa!”
Just as Rian slumped, thinking she had lost to a sofa.
“Why are you comparing yourself to a mere sofa? You're far more amazing than a sofa.”
“Huh?”
“Managing the Hero Record is something only you can do. It's an incredibly important job.”
At those words, Rian looked deeply moved.
“Are you saying I'm a more necessary existence than the sofa?”
“Yes.”
At the fact that she had won against the sofa, Rian smiled a genuinely happy smile.
‘If you're worth less than a sofa, are you even human? Ah, right, she's a god.’
To quote Luna, a god who's lost their marbles is worth less than a roadside weed.
As Leo shook his head.
Rian returned the sofa to its original position, then knelt and sat across from Leo.
And she clasped her hands together as if praying to a god.
The sight was reminiscent of a pious and devout believer.
He clicked his tongue, looking at Rian's posture, which at a glance even seemed sacred.
He had told her to stop countless times, but this was the one thing she wouldn't listen to.
So, Leo had given up.
A moment later, Leo asked Rian, who had opened her eyes.
“I called you because I have something to ask.”
“Your command, Lord Leo.”
“Can Erebos use powers of other attributes?”
“Other attributes, you say?”
“Can he use attributes other than flame? For instance, an ice ability.”
“That is impossible.”
Rian shook her head and added an explanation.
“For that abomination, the Primordial Evil, the Unextinguishable Flame is the very symbol that represents it.”
“The symbol itself?”
“Yes. The sight of the world burning to ashes and disappearing. That is the abomination's fervent wish. The ability befitting that wish is the Unextinguishable Flame. In the end, the creature's very essence is the black flame itself.”
If that were the case, using an ice ability made no sense.
Hearing Rian's explanation, Leo's expression grew serious.
“Why do you ask that?”
Leo recounted what had happened on the mountain.
“Unmelting ice and a power that freezes mana.”
Rian's face turned grave.
“It wasn't magic. It must have been an Authority.”
Magic, after all, is a power that exists within the laws of the world.
And that which transcends those laws is called a miracle.
The unique Authorities of the Legion Commanders fall into that category of miracles.
The Necro King possesses a fragment of Erebos.
If he could use it, it wouldn't be impossible for him to bestow an Authority upon a new Legion Commander.
‘Or perhaps it's an ability gained through the World of the Legion.’
At Leo's words, Rian began to speak.
“Even if the Necro King used a fragment of the abomination to wield power, bestowing an Authority like ‘Unmelting Ice’ would be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Unmelting Ice. It is the same concept as the Unextinguishable Flame. In other words, it is a concept on par with Erebos itself.”
“The same concept?”
“Yes. Miracles also have tiers, you see. Explaining in detail would be complicated, so to put it simply… it would be easiest to understand if you think of Unmelting Ice as a miracle of the highest concept.”
“Hmm.”
Leo nodded.
“But you said Erebos doesn't use any powers other than flame, right?”
At that, Rian thought for a moment before speaking.
“What I am about to say is purely my own speculation.”
A being close to omniscient and omnipotent.
At the words 'a god's speculation,' Leo nodded.
“Even we gods do not know the origin of the Primordial Evil. The abomination simply came into existence at some point and has wished for the world's destruction ever since.”
“So?”
“The abomination possesses many Authorities. But among them, the most powerful is the Unextinguishable Flame.”
An Authority that could be called Erebos itself.
“But it was strange. Unextinguishable means it burns continuously. In other words, as time passes, Erebos's flame grows stronger. However, while the gods remained on the surface and suppressed Erebos for ages, Erebos had nothing to burn.”
Until the gods' power weakened.
Erebos had spent its time burning itself.
No matter how unextinguishable a flame, if it has no fuel, it will eventually disappear.
In other words, Erebos had been burning only its own body for ages.
But in the end, Erebos did not burn itself to ashes.
“It might have possessed a power to suppress its own flame?”
“Yes.”
Rian nodded.
“Among the gods, there were those who speculated that Erebos might have achieved its current form by devouring other evil gods of a similar nature. They said it was the only way to explain the diverse Authorities it possessed.”
Having heard that much, Leo also grasped the hypothesis Rian was thinking of.
“Are you saying it might have devoured an evil god with an opposing attribute long ago?”
“Yes. Could it have been controlling its own firepower with the power of ice?”
Hearing Rian's words, Leo stroked his chin.
“Right now, Erebos is in six pieces.”
In the final battle, Leo had cut it into six pieces and sealed them.
If so, there was one deduction that could be made from this.
“One of those six pieces, the one with the power of ice, has awakened?”
“According to my humble prediction, yes. However, there is also a high possibility that it is an Authority bestowed upon a Legion Commander by the Necro King, just as you predicted, Lord Leo.”
Listening to Rian, Leo felt a chill.
‘If it’s a fragment of Erebos, just as Rian suspects… this has become a real headache.’