Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Third Archive: Sirius (1)
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Black magic was knowledge tantamount to taboo for all who lived on the continent.
And Marcel was a black mage who had immersed himself in the secret society "Veil of Truth," where those who lusted after such taboos gathered.
—Blue Candle, Marcel.
One of the five candles that moved the secret society hidden in the shadows.
As an executive of the secret society that the continent feared, he was currently passing through the entrance to the Great Forest alongside his subordinates.
"Lord Marcel, no matter how you look at it, it seems clear that Lord Lionel succeeded in the ritual."
Clack, clack—.
As the carriage carrying Marcel passed through the entrance to the Great Forest,
one of his subordinates, who had received a messenger bird made of bones, began his report toward Marcel seated in the carriage.
Black Candle, Lionel.
It was a story about the black mage who had been subjugated by the Empire's magic soldier unit.
"If the ritual succeeded, he must have seen something. What on earth did that fool encounter?"
"We're... not entirely sure yet. All we know is that an extraordinarily high-ranking being from the outer world appeared..."
Tsk—.
Marcel clicked his tongue as he listened to his subordinate's report.
Marcel himself knew well that Lionel was an exceptionally skilled black mage.
Even against the Empire's magic soldiers, it was strange that Lionel had died without lifting a finger.
Marcel suspected the cause lay in the secretive ritual that had taken place on-site.
"And the most critical issue... since that day, 'Adroin's Eight Fingers' seems to have stopped functioning properly."
"Stopped functioning? What do you mean by that? Is it possible Lionel's direct disciples botched the ritual?"
"It doesn't appear to be the case. All those who participated in the ritual are said to have died from the backlash."
Moreover, the subordinate's follow-up report was more than enough to complicate Marcel's mind.
One of the precious black magics held by the "Veil of Truth" had become meaningless.
The implications of that fact were far from trivial.
"It seems the outer world being is refusing contracts with us."
"......"
"We should consider the pathway Lord Lionel used as completely sealed off."
The secretive ritual conducted by Black Candle Lionel.
And the outer world being that had begun refusing contracts after that ritual was halted.
Confronting these facts, Marcel raked a hand through his hair with a troubled expression.
"That idiot Lionel. Because of him, we have one more new pathway to find."
"......Lord Marcel."
A rival who had obstructed him his entire life was now, even in death, a stumbling block for the organization.
Hoo—.
A heavy sigh escaped Marcel's lips.
The silver lining, if any, was that Marcel's plan held the potential to resolve this issue.
Raking back his hair, he shook his head lightly and lifted it with an air of supreme arrogance.
"But don't worry. Once this matter is concluded, we'll be able to contract with a being on an entirely different level."
Marcel's plan.
It was a journey to find a "valuable offering" to newly present to an otherworldly existence.
Talk of his plan flowed from Marcel's mouth.
"The fruit of the World Tree, which blooms only once every few centuries... If we offer that as payment, even an outer world being would have no choice but to grant our request."
"......"
"It would be on a different level from mere soul-pledge contracts. Who knows—my name might even rise to one of the heptagonal seats."
Heh—.
Greed colored Marcel's lips.
Toward such a Marcel, a hooded subordinate bowed his head and spoke.
"And shouldn't we also acquire the high elemental summoning magic said to be in the depths of the Great Forest?"
High elementals, which only high elves could command—
It was a phrase that set the desires of mages ablaze.
Of course, it was naturally a treasure that Blue Candle Marcel rightfully deserved to claim.
"Naturally. Did you secure Bartov's journal properly? Losing it would make things far less smooth."
"No need to worry. I still have it safely in my possession."
Swish—.
In response to Marcel, the black mage revealed the journal from within his robes.
Seeing this, Marcel relaxed and placed a cigar between his lips.
Whoosh—.
A black flame blossomed on Marcel's cigar.
"The treasure that Pilgrim Bartov coveted so desperately... Shall we go claim it?"
Behind the carriage crossing the entrance to the Great Forest.
Acrid tobacco smoke began to spread into the forest, fragrant with the scent of grass.
* * * * * *
Austin Rainer was someone who had kept his distance from treasure his entire life.
It wasn't due to some noble reason like suppressing material desires in accordance with scriptural teachings.
Simply put, no opportunity to even touch treasure had ever come his way.
"Hah..."
And now, for the first time in his life, Austin faced something that could truly be called treasure right before his eyes.
The treasure vault of the Phantasm Archive Celestia.
Beyond the translucent wall created by magic, items of all sorts were on display.
Squish—.
With his face pressed against the translucent wall, Austin's cheeks squished flat.
His eyes fixed on a single beautiful sword beyond the wall.
"......"
A dark blade.
A blade engraved with constellation patterns.
Even the red cord wrapped around its hilt.
The sword reflecting in Austin's eyes possessed an exquisitely beautiful appearance.
Moreover, the sword's true value lay in its performance.
—Demonic Sword, Regulus.
A blade already difficult to appraise had been reborn in an even more refined form by a transcendent being.
"How much... does something like that even cost...?"
Though gold jewelry and magic stone-encrusted ornaments surrounded the demonic sword, Austin's gaze was fixed solely on it.
His eyes, pressed tight against the magic barrier, avidly drank in the demonic sword's form.
An evil demonic sword was something a holy knight must never touch, but now that he had apostatized, it felt like he could swing it freely.
He imagined himself wielding the demonic sword.
From behind the envisioning Austin, a familiar voice began to echo.
"Well, at the very least, wouldn't it buy a small castle?"
"A—a castle...?!"
Swish—.
Hearing the familiar voice, Austin quickly pulled his head back and retreated.
Right behind where Austin stood.
There was a familiar researcher wearing a monocle.
"Lately, the great one has taken a hobby in refining the magics on these treasures. Since they were already priceless to begin with, after passing through his hands, a small castle seems a fair valuation."
"No way... is a sword really worth that much...?"
"My, my, it seems Sir Austin was unaware. These treasures are worth whatever price is called. Especially the holy swords from the Holy City—they command even higher sums."
The doctor approached the flustered Austin.
Whisper, whisper—.
He murmured a suspicious price into Austin's ear.
"What? Is that for real?"
"The leader once became so obsessed with holy swords that he had no choice but to steal one. The bounty on his head at the time was around that amount."
"......"
"In the end, he returned it to the Church's pursuit unit and got off the wanted list, though."
Austin's mouth fell open at the doctor's tale.
The story was so absurd.
Hah—.
A short sigh burst from Austin's lips.
But upon second thought, it seemed plausible enough.
The leader of the Extreme Arcane Research Society, Pilgrim Bartov.
If one of the heptad had moved, such an event wouldn't be surprising.
"Do you perhaps know where Pilgrim Bartov's other treasures are hidden?"
It wouldn't be odd if he had hidden something even greater than a holy sword.
A faint curiosity stirred in Austin's chest.
Nod—.
The doctor nodded in agreement to Austin's question.
"Ah, of course. A few of them are right here."
Austin asked with a puzzled expression.
"Why are they here...?"
The doctor's reply came.
"My contribution points were a bit short, so I stole some suitable items and offered them as tribute."
"What?"
"That one, that one, and that one over there."
Swish, slide—.
Austin's gaze shifted to the items flanking the demonic sword.
Then back to the doctor.
"......Is this okay?"
"Well, thanks to it, the treasure vault looks much nicer, doesn't it?"
Kekekeke—.
The doctor's eerie laughter echoed.
"What can the leader do if he finds out? He's off on pilgrimage and won't return anyway."
Only then did Austin understand why the treasure vault, recently established, was so abundantly stocked.
Over half of it consisted of the pilgrim's treasures that the doctor had brought and offered as tribute.
It was the kind of idea no sane person would conceive.
Even the obvious thought that he shouldn't get too close to the doctor began to surface in his chest.
Swish—.
Of course, oblivious to Austin's thoughts, the doctor simply draped a friendly arm over his shoulder.
"Sir Austin, I heard you're entering the Great Forest this time."
Austin awkwardly bore the burdensome arm and continued the conversation with a troubled face.
"Didn't you say last time that you needed the 'World Tree fruit'? So I decided to go fetch it."
"Indeed. The World Tree fruit can only be harvested through a complex ritual performed by elves."
"......"
"It's an incredibly sweet fruit, so when it ripens, all sorts of insects swarm in drawn by the scent. It probably won't be much different this time."
World Tree fruit.
It was Austin Rainer's new goal.
As the doctor spoke of it, his voice turned unusually serious, unlike moments before.
"But I can't just send a friend I cherish into such a place, can I?"
Friend—.
Hearing the unexpected word, Austin gave a hollow smile, but the doctor continued his advice to him.
"Fortunately, I scraped together contribution points just in time and checked out one of the magic tomes from the Third Archive. Quite lucky, really."
"......A magic tome from the Third Archive?"
"It's a tome the great one considers particularly special. Using it for an experiment... yielded some interesting results."
Keke—.
The doctor's eerie voice echoed once more.
Realizing the doctor's words were no joke, Austin looked at his face with serious eyes.
The monocled researcher stared back at Austin from very close range.
"Surely, many things will happen in the Great Forest. Perhaps even events Sir Austin can't handle."
"......"
"So, when things get most dire, call for me—with killing intent."
"You want me to... call your name in the Great Forest right now?"
"Well, calling me 'Doctor' like usual works too. The activation condition is simple enough."
The doctor's monocle reflected the earnest young man's face.
Gulp—.
Austin swallowed hard as he met his gaze.
"If it's such an amazing spell... couldn't you just accompany me and use it yourself?"
A natural question slipped from Austin's mouth.
And the doctor's response was straightforward.
"Ah, this... it's a spell that kills you outright if used in a human body. Even if I came along, I couldn't use it directly."
"What?"
"It's fundamentally a forbidden magic. No helping it."
A spell that kills upon single use.
A spell even the library's transcendent called special.
What on earth was it for—.
Before Austin could voice the question, words first flowed from the smiling doctor's lips.
"You'll need it. Definitely."
Austin Rainer shut his mouth.
Unfortunately, he lacked the eloquence to argue with the doctor.
* * * * * *
In the heart of the Great Forest, thick with underbrush.
There, Cardinal Yuda Callios, proudly displaying his bulging belly, rode onward.
Clack, clack—.
Behind the mounted Cardinal Yuda trailed a host of paladins following him.
Those shadowing the portly-faced cardinal were all from the Pardhan Diocese he led.
Among the dioceses under the White Church, it was the independent diocese granted the greatest autonomy.
That was the Pardhan Diocese.
"Your Eminence, have you heard the rumor?"
"What rumor?"
And the cardinal of that Pardhan Diocese, Yuda Callios, was currently tearing into jerky with a face full of greed.
Chew, chew—.
As Yuda chewed the jerky and glanced at the paladin trailing him, the man opened his mouth in a casual tone, as if sharing trivial gossip.
"I hear there's a madman smashing martyr tombs in the northern Empire. The Church has apparently put him on the wanted list as 'Blasphemer Sirius.'"
"Blasphemer Sirius... A lunatic. Do we know which faction he's with?"
"Not yet revealed."
—Blasphemer Sirius.
Mulling over the unfamiliar heretic's name, Yuda clicked his tongue regretfully and gripped his horse's reins.
"Nowadays, the continent is full of truly wicked heretics."
"As Your Eminence says. There are too many heretics who need our correction."
"Well, true... Even the pointy-eared ones we're going to punish this time are such scum. And smiting them is our role, isn't it?"
Tsk tsk—.
The sound of his tongue clicking emanated from his greasy, glistening face.
That voice was far from the fervent zeal of a cleric intent on punishing heretics.
Rather, only greed-filled talk continued to pour from Cardinal Yuda's mouth.
"Still, with a devout cleric like me around, our Church endures."
"As expected of Your Eminence. You are a model for all clerics."
"Heh heh, hearing it so openly is a bit embarrassing."
Yuda waved off the paladin's flattery.
Yet, contrary to his demeanor, a satisfied smile played on his lips.
"Reclaiming the treasures of wicked heretics will serve the Church in the long run."
"Precisely. Heretics' treasures belong in the hands of one who accomplishes great deeds like Your Eminence."
"They say eating the fruit lets you live as long as those pointy-eared folk... I'm starting to worry I might return to the Savior too late!"
Frivolous jest spilled from Cardinal Yuda's mouth.
Even amid talk bordering on blasphemy, no one dared contradict him.
The paladins simply kept their mouths shut, quietly listening to Yuda.
Because in the Pardhan Diocese, none could defy its absolute ruler.
Cardinal Yuda.
"Living that long... I might end up as the next saintess's guardian! Kahaha—."
In the verdant forest, only Yuda's greedy voice continued to echo.