Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Empire's Turmoil (5)
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[Hoh, a bet, you say? Heh heh heh—that does sound intriguing. Very well, let's hear it.]
The gist of what followed was this...
If a massive war broke out via the Rohan Principality, even a saint like him couldn't focus solely on the Immortal King. So, set the war aside for now and settle things another way.
[Ahh—such a dull proposition. You didn't seriously think I'd accept something so simplistic, did you?]
The Immortal King's cold response was exactly what everyone else—overhearing their conversation amid the battle—had expected.
The proposal's prerequisite was something that piqued his interest. Without that, talks couldn't progress.
As Heinrich opened his mouth to speak again...
[...No, wait. A brief diversion might not be so bad. Heh heh, and I've just had a most amusing idea.]
And that amusing idea he pulled out was...
A sort of board game, with the entire continent as the board.
When the Immortal King attacks a specific spot, the Hero defends it.
Failure means direct losses for humanity; success allows counterattacking and picking off the Immortal King's isolated forces.
The Hero's victory condition: Withstand the Immortal King's relentless assaults and march on the Demon King's castle to defeat him.
Defeat, naturally, is the continent's annihilation.
[Of course, since I'm entertaining your proposal, there should be penalties for your side as well, no?]
Not stopping there, Hans let out a sinister chuckle, as if he'd spotted an opening, and slowly added more.
[First: No advance notice on time or place. I'll simply destroy whatever takes my fancy, whenever I fancy it. A saint should handle that much on his own, right?]
"Ugh...!"
He even set a time limit for this "game."
[Second: I'll play along for three years at most. I have no desire to drag out a boring bet! Heh heh heh, I'm quite looking forward to seeing if you can take my head in that time. The wait itself will be a novel pleasure!]
Hans burst into laughter, clearly hooked on this new diversion.
And so, a bet was struck between the Hero, desperate to avert all-out war and minimize casualties, and the wicked Immortal King, pursuing only his own amusement.
For humanity, it was hardly a bad deal anyway.
...Or so everyone thought, lowering their guards for a moment.
[And third...]
His words trailed on—as his gaze, deep as the abyss, turned to one corner of the battlefield.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ When the Fifth Princess and Crown Prince joined forces...
"Long time no see, Riley. Looks like you've been living it up without me. You've put on quite a bit of weight, in more ways than one."
"I could say the same, Brother. How was the meeting? The church folk must be so sorry they went. Everywhere you go, disaster follows. Makes me think the Main God cursed you."
They traded barbs with smiling faces the moment they met.
The Crown Prince had pulled every dirty trick to check the Fifth Princess Riley, who was steadily growing and threatening his position. She, in turn, had no choice but to respond even more ruthlessly...
Their relationship was beyond repair.
But with the dire situation at hand—and neutral Capital Defense Force personnel present—they refrained from open hostility.
Such were the burdens of royalty: even now, politics demanded consideration.
Their uneasy alliance toward the grand temple didn't last long.
Soon, the pursuing undead horde pinned them down.
...Leading straight to a confrontation with the Immortal King.
'Should I have grabbed Riley and bolted back then, somehow?'
Bzzz—!
Mana surged from Isea's body like an overflowing boil.
It never paused, ceaselessly building...
Crack—!
The massive energy, woven by specific laws, finally manifested as the miracle of absolute ice, sweeping through space.
[Grah! You insolent human whelp!]
Krunch!
Archlich Dwell barely blocked it, frost coating his body as he gnashed his teeth in rage.
Even dodging direct hits, her nonstop spells had permanently destroyed countless undead underlings.
All of them valuable high-grade minions!
'When she was with Karam, she just stalled and watched us warily. Facing her head-on like this is pure agony!'
That Karam was too busy blocking some old knight to help elsewhere.
The other executives were equally occupied.
On this battlefield, only the Immortal King and Hero chatted idly.
'Gotta admit it: As a mage, the brat outclasses me.'
Her youthful looks stung his pride, but he could chalk it up to her being a once-in-a-century genius.
What Dwell couldn't fathom was...
'How does a human have that much mana? She's spammed high-tier spells nonstop, yet she's still fresh as ever!'
Her mana reserves overwhelmed even him, with his long years.
And he drew indirect black mana support from his pact with the Immortal King!
This, he simply couldn't accept.
"Hoo."
Whatever thoughts brewed in Dwell's mind, Isea exhaled lightly and drew up the mana refilling her body.
Truth be told, her endless mana held no special secret.
It was merely the effect of her unique skill, Infinite Power.
That skill exponentially amplified the energy she could wield, making her effective mana pool near-limitless.
As a grand magus with top-tier output, give her a moment's breather, and she could unleash high-tier spells indefinitely.
'I poured most Karma into magic stats, so my unique skill's level isn't that high.'
Even so, her combat endurance far surpassed any ordinary mage.
Of course, against the Immortal King, such edges meant little.
Preparing her next spell, she scanned the battlefield.
[Groooar—!]
[Kyaaaa—!]
Boom!
First in view: Two bone dragons battering the palace barrier from afar, intercepted by magic arrays.
Marquis Lawrence's support had apparently cut off; the barrier's glow dimmed, suggesting he'd pushed too far to aid further.
[Ignoring me...!]
Ignoring the Archlich's rant, she shifted gaze to the surrounding field.
Of course, not forgetting to unleash her prepared spell on him.
Slash—!
Clang!
[Grraa!]
"Tch! A mere ghoul!"
On one flank, Guard Captain Conwell pressed the Death Knight Lord that had troubled her.
On another, the Imperial Guard Commander faced a Ghoul Lord charging with its cavernous maw.
"Kahahaha! Shatter!"
There too, a massive figure covered in dark-red scales grabbed undead in each hand, spinning them like tops to wreak havoc...
Roar—Boom!
[Reaching your limit...? I sense your fear—!]
"Shut up!"
Isea nodded in quiet relief upon spotting Count Garfield resisting a colossal Dread Phantom.
Imperial knights versus undead legions played out similarly everywhere—no major worries.
'Without the Immortal King, we're holding everywhere. That spot's a bit shaky, though.'
Her eyes returned to Count Garfield.
Lacking skill or stat buffs, fatigue from back-to-back fights showed plainly on him.
Facing a monstrous Death Knight Lord to buy time, he'd squeezed every drop alongside her—natural, really.
But the priority now lay elsewhere.
Isea turned to the most critical spot.
Where Immortal King Hans and Saint Heinrich stood.
Their ongoing talk neared its end.
[...I'm quite looking forward to seeing if you can make it. The wait itself will be a novel pleasure!]
An unexpected turn no one—not even her—could have foreseen.
'...What the hell? Is he insane? ...Yeah, probably.'
The Immortal King, treating the continent as his game board for fun; the Saint accepting to avert greater losses.
'Wait, didn't the Saint propose first? Anyway, good thing. The madman's helping things resolve nicely. ...Surely they won't fight to the death after that chat?'
She felt glad for not forcing an escape earlier.
Had she grabbed Riley and fled amid tough odds, the Fifth Princess's political standing would have tanked.
'Truthfully, separated from guards and chased by undead execs, it was too risky anyway. Glad it ended well... Huh?'
As she eased up just a fraction...
[And third...]
Immortal King Hans murmured low, turning his head their way.
A gaze like peering into the abyss—enough to freeze souls on contact.
And that skull mask fragment resembling a hahoe mask? Not important now.
Crackle—!
Krunch!
A split-second lapse from lowered guard.
Dozens of abyssal tendrils lashed from all sides; equal sword flashes cleaved them; a massive light blade slashed the Immortal King's barrier—all simultaneous.
"Hannibal!"
[Ahh—calm yourself. Just a necessary step.]
The sudden clash birthed a shockwave sweeping the area; all tensed for the worst.
But some were far too late to react...
"Gahk!"
Weary Count Garfield, still checking the Dread Phantom, spewed black blood.
Several abyssal serpents had erupted from the ground, piercing his body, coiling tight, fangs sunk into his nape.
"Count Garfield!"
"What is this!"
Horrified Crown Prince and knights bellowed; Heinrich grimaced, raising his holy sword anew.
But then.
Fwoosh—!
Immortal King Hans unleashed a colossal aura, engulfing everything.
As if child's play till now, his horrific presence ballooned.
Not mere black mana, but death-laden abyssal energy eroded the capital's barrier, blanketing surroundings in darkness.
Crackle—!
Sparks flew at the energy frontiers.
Even undead in range shed the barrier's influence, growing stronger.
Heinrich's holy aura shielded the living from the curse's worst.
But as he briefly fixated on the Immortal King's pressure...
[A proper bet needs stakes, of course.]
"Guh—Guhk!"
By the time all recovered from the shift, the Crown Prince—whom the doomed Count had guarded— was in the Immortal King's grasp.
"Your Highness!"
"You bastard, Immortal King!"
Enraged knights clashed with blocking undead; chaos erupted.
But Isea had no attention for that.
Not due to her usual disdain for the Crown Prince.
The Immortal King Hans's unfathomable gaze fixed on her; meeting those abyssal sockets sent chills racing her spine.
'...Riley!'
Crisis snapped her mind into overdrive, thoughts accelerating.
In slowed time, her head turned slowly toward the princess—while mana flooded her, instantly forming the desired spell.
'It's fine. Prepped a barrier around Riley before battle, and her artifacts can buy time if I...'
Swift assessment, countermeasures, spell near-complete.
In that instant, she resolved: Extract Riley, even at great cost.
But.
As her head fully turned...
[Ufufu... What a lovely young lady... Reminds me of my girlhood...]
"Huh?"
Banshee Queen Olivia had appeared without a sound, embracing Princess Riley from behind.
"...No!"
Mana surged wildly.
She wrenched the near-complete structure, forcing a new purpose.
"Kuhk—!"
Blood refluxed from Isea's nose and mouth.
But it was fine—no issue casting now.
A magic circle bloomed around her to wrest Riley from the ghost—
[Grrrh—! How long will you ignore me, human child—!]
Crackle!
Black mana interference shattered it.
"Ah?"
Her mana control slipped for a heartbeat—but enough for Olivia to whisk the princess to the Immortal King.
"Ngh!"
[My king... I present her...]
[Hm—yes, two is better than one.]
As Olivia delivered the princess, Hans—having clashed again with Heinrich—nodded, retreating slowly.
Crown Prince Simon and Fifth Princess Riley: captives of the Immortal King.
Isea glared at Dwell with a demonic scowl, words failing in rage-trembling fury.
Her body, fueled by ceaseless Infinite Power, poured out vast mana.
Pale as an undead, briefly glaring at Dwell before fixating on Riley—blood trickling from nose and mouth from overtaxed mana.
Yet she held back reckless charge: ironclad reason, honed to grand magus level.
Even amid boiling rage and dizzying chaos, one mind corner coldly assessed, controlling her body.
Rushing in blind wouldn't help.
"No! Conwell! Conwell Duc! Save me now! No! I-I'm to be this empire's emperor... Mmph!"
"Hoo, hoo—."
Flailing Simon, mouth muffled; Riley, calmly deep-breathing for composure.
[For now, these will do. Do your best. I'll keep them alive... but how long their frail bodies last? No guarantees. Heh heh heh—.]
And so, the empire's top two succession candidates—
Fell into Immortal King Hans's clutches.