Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Calcos Tribal Alliance (1)
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“Hmm, your prognosis is excellent. Your body is quite well-trained, so I expected as much to some degree, but your recovery speed is beyond even what I anticipated. Any other discomforts?”
“Hm... No. Everything else is fine. If anything, I feel more energetic than before? Hahaha!”
In the imperial hospital located on the outskirts of the Azerion Empire's imperial palace.
An elderly gentleman in a white coat, the director of the imperial hospital, nodded as he examined a tablet-shaped magical device displaying a jumble of erratic numbers.
“It's not just your imagination. We used all sorts of rare materials like manticore venom glands and infisylen flowers, so this is the natural result.”
“Oh, I see. That's something to be grateful for! So, when can I be discharged?”
“Hmm— For now, it would be best to monitor your eyes and arm for a few more days. It's stable at the moment, but issues could arise later.”
The director answered matter-of-factly, asked a few more questions, then pocketed the magical device and bowed lightly before withdrawing.
“That should be enough for today. There's a nurse waiting outside, so call her if you need anything. I'll take my leave.”
After the director left with his greeting, Hesperon, left alone, scanned the lavish hospital room before glancing down at his right arm.
“The treatment's a bit overwhelming... but I suppose it's warranted.”
Bandages wrapped from his fingertips to mid-bicep, inscribed with all manner of runes.
This was the price of overusing Hans's special black magic tool.
The curse spreading through his body had been purged somehow, but his right arm was mutated down to the cellular level by the vicious curse. The diagnosis: amputation was the only option.
Lest the curse backflow and resume corroding him.
'No need to go that far, though.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Acquired skill 「Curse Resistance」. Just two days prior, shortly after regaining consciousness from the princess assassination attempt—about three days after the incident—he had faced a limit-breaking curse and overcome it, acquiring a related skill in the process.
Of course, relying solely on a single resistance skill could still lead to disaster, but with the seal from these bandages added, there shouldn't be any issues.
'The vision loss in one eye is a bit frustrating, though. A normal transplant won't cut it. I wondered if Hans might have a way...'
He stroked the black eyepatch embroidered with gold thread covering his right eye socket and sighed.
'...What a mess.'
He had been dumbfounded upon first waking and grasping the situation, and even now upon double-checking, he felt the same bewilderment.
'Harris and Hari going off the rails is one thing, but Hans is the real problem. I get the intent, more or less...'
Seizing the board set by the Oath of Reverse Heaven would be ideal; failing that, disrupting them while siphoning maximum karma, and providing the hero party—including Hari—with justification to intervene in the south.
A brilliantly rational move.
The problem was how distasteful the process felt.
“Ah! Whatever! It'll work out somehow.”
In the end, Hesperon gave up deep contemplation and sank into the plush bed.
No point agonizing over it when he couldn't significantly influence his distant avatars anyway.
'They're all strong personalities to begin with. The most I can do right now is...'
Lying in bed, his gaze drifted to the antique tomes on the bedside table.
<Magical Treatise on the Composition of Beings and Interactions Between Objects>
<Definitions of Summoning & Contracts via the Topitel Theorem>
<...>
Gifts prepared for his boring hospital stay.
Without exception, these were magic books from the imperial palace's mage tower—accessible only to affiliated mages and not even permitted for removal.
They had no business being here, but the one who brought them...
Knock knock—
“Pardon the intrusion, Lord Hesperon. Princess Riley Carte Azerion has come to visit.”
It was Princess Riley, who made sure to visit once a day despite her busy schedule.
Right after the nurse knocked from outside, she entered the room with careful steps, beaming at Hesperon.
In her arms, another stack of new books.
“Heron, how are you feeling today? I heard recovery is going smoothly.”
Having her attendants wait outside, she closed the door, set the magic books on the table, and asked after his well-being.
“Nothing left to recover from! I could discharge right now, but they're holding me for caution's sake.”
“Still, follow the director's advice. He's the continent's top expert in this field.”
“Eh, a few days won't kill me.”
He shrugged lightly, sorted the already-read books, then picked one up and shook it as a sudden thought struck him, turning the question back to her.
“By the way, Riley. Is it really okay to bring these magic books so freely? I'm grateful, but the mages might not like it. Won't it cause issues?”
Mages—especially imperial ones—weren't the type to take lightly.
Clashing with them while solidifying her successor position wouldn't help her.
“Oh, that's fine. Especially now. The tower lord has already approved, of course.”
She spoke with a gentle smile, but her words carried a chilling undertone.
Among those targeting Riley were mages from the imperial mage tower.
It was obvious a significant faction sympathetic to them remained within.
Amid her furious purge unleashing a storm of blood, who would dare object to the princess borrowing books for her lifesaver?
Unless they were forbidden tomes, these were just standard texts any tower affiliate could access.
'Hm... She's smart, so she'll handle it fine.'
Hesperon simply nodded in acceptance.
If she said it was okay, it was.
“Oh, right! When I told Sea sis you woke up, she asked me to pass on her regards. She wanted to come herself since she couldn't during the incident, but circumstances won't allow it now. She's sorry.”
Relaying the message with a pouty, regretful expression like a sulking child.
Outside this room, she was the iron-blooded princess whipping up blizzards, but here, she was just an adorable girl her age.
'...Yeah, I can guess why.'
But he couldn't meet her eyes and averted his gaze slyly.
After all, he ran with the very crew responsible for most of Isea's packed schedule.
Hans, Heinrich, and Hari.
She was just one victim swept up in their chaotic rampage.
Along with the rest of the hero party that had just crossed the desert into the southern tribal alliance.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Haa, how did it come to this again.”
Isea sighed as she surveyed the vast wasteland.
With the major incident in the empire, she had hoped to squeeze in a quick imperial palace visit, but this sudden development ruined that.
When Hari first acted impulsively, she thought it mere happenstance, but Heinrich's 'foresight' followed, turning it into an inescapable crisis.
'The tribal alliance's great chieftain, a minion of the Immortal King, brainwashing other chieftains to prepare for war against the continent...?'
The abrupt declaration of severed ties had seemed suspicious.
The southern rep at the council showed no such signs, and discussions concluded rationally.
To think this was the truth behind it...
'For things to progress this far means it's more dangerous than imagined.'
She had grown wary of the south's movements but dismissed war as unlikely in their consensus-driven federation, especially now.
No discordant noises leaked during deliberations either.
'But if the Immortal King intervened, it makes sense. Who'd guess he'd distract the continent with undead and giants while preparing war from the south?'
This violated no bet with the Saintess.
Whatever schemes from the shadows, the war's instigator would be the human Calcos Tribal Alliance.
'Wait, the republic's been chaotic lately too. No way the Immortal King's involved there as well?'
Now everything seemed suspicious.
Even the recent princess assassination attempt felt like part of the plot.
'...It can't be, right?'
Thus, the hero party—having relayed the 'foresight' to the main temple and urged war preparations—rushed south.
Leaving contingencies to others, they handled what only they could.
Preemptively eliminating the black curtain behind it all, preventing war from breaking out.
'Just us six, huh.'
She glanced at her companions.
“The continental alliance will prepare, but if it really happens, it'll be disastrous. We have to somehow...”
“Don't worry. The Main God will light our path. For now...”
Saintess Riesta and Saint Heinrich conversed gravely.
“The Immortal King is here...”
Lance Knight Gios glared across the wasteland with burning eyes.
“Such barren land is new to me—fascinating. Not my favorite environment personally, but it strengthens my main force, the fire spirits, so it won't be bad in battle.”
High Elf Lydia took deep breaths, curiously surveying around.
“Hoo—? So this is the south.”
And Barbarian Warrior Hari's eyes sparkled at the distant desert.
'They're all worth a hundred men each... but the foe's the Immortal King and a nation's ruler.'
A sigh escaped involuntarily, but traditionally, hero parties excelled not at frontline warfare but infiltration like this.
They'd forgotten their roots amid frenzied undead invasions.
Rear infiltration, key assassinations, sabotaging supply/production sites and strongholds...
Their predecessors—the anti-Immortal King special strike force—had done the same. No room for complaints now.
“Uahaha! I was gonna charge across the desert, but this is comfy! Magic's amazing! Ahhm!”
As she pondered countermeasures with a groan.
Unlike her worry, the party's barbarian burst into hearty laughter, utterly carefree.
“Haa, Hari. This isn't the time for easy laughs. We're in the south now, but the real work starts here.”
They crossed via known southern coordinates, but Calcos was insular with frequent tribal migrations, making precise targeting hard.
Dawdling would alert the great chieftain via intel, derailing quick-elimination plans.
'Worst case, we fight the entire alliance without seeing him.'
If he just evaded while cycling tribes, they'd exhaust themselves in futile battles.
“Huh? What's the problem? Simple.”
Though imagining that iron-tower of a man collapsing from fatigue was impossible.
Isea eyed Hari's nonchalant attitude, wondering at some clever ploy...
“Storm their base! Fight whoever blocks the way! Smash all obstacles! Then kill the great chieftain! Easy as that. Wahahat!”
“Ah... yeah... sure...”
Hopes dashed, as expected. No real disappointment since she hadn't truly expected more.
“Don't worry. We already know where to go.”
Then the party leader, the hero, approached with his usual reliable demeanor.
Gazing in one desert direction with a sunken tone, he spat it out.
“The desert city in that direction, Beorsen—that's our target.”
“...The great chieftain's there?”
“Yes, and also...”
Heinrich's face was rigid.
The paused words resumed slowly.
“Immortal King Han...nibal Strauss as well.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Beorsen, the stronghold city of Great Chieftain Balteon.
[...They come after all. Yes, that won't be bad either. Kekekeke—.] In the largest building at its heart, an entity shrouded in endless darkness gazed one way and let out a low chuckle.
Anticipating a reunion after so long.