Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Third Archive: Sirius (5)
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The Blue Candle, Marcel Alius.
One of the Five Candles leading the Veil of Truth, the secret society of black mages, Marcel was currently fleeing at high speed astride a phantom steed.
He was one of the few within the Veil of Truth regarded as a true black mage.
Because he had contracted with one of the entities wandering the outer world, and could even wield magic to summon great demons from hell.
However, that didn't mean Marcel was on a level where he could squarely face off against renowned powerhouses.
There were superhumans in the world whose prowess even a 'prepared mage' couldn't feel secure against.
For example, the ferocious elf currently pursuing Marcel.
"Lord Marcel! As prepared in advance, we've instructed them to use the grimoire to bind the Sword Ghost's feet!"
Right beside Marcel, who rode his phantom steed, a black mage in a hood shouted urgently.
Sweat beaded on the reporting black mage's face, mingled with signs of tension.
The Sword Ghost Raparia—
Leader of the Eight Swords Assembly, a war mercenary said to have trained with the sword for eons.
"Raparia... That woman moved faster than expected."
Raparia, one of the Seven Pillars, was currently residing in the Great Primeval Forest with the elves.
The secret archive raid led by Marcel had accounted for her possible intervention to some degree.
"How many of the prepared sacrifices have been used?"
"It wasn't a situation where we could spare any! We've already used all the fingers we had gathered!"
Hearing the black mage's report, Marcel smacked his lips.
More sacrifices had been consumed than he anticipated.
It seemed that without obtaining the World Tree's fruit, it would deal a fatal blow to the branch.
'Indeed, being one of the Seven Pillars means a different level from imperial knights. Even with that many sacrifices, we couldn't hold her back for long.'
This operation had been prepared by Marcel Alius, mobilizing every resource of the branch.
He had even resolved to treat his subordinates like expendables.
Yet, was it because the Sword Ghost's skill exceeded Marcel's expectations?
Even after using all the prepared sacrifices, they had failed to detain her for long.
"Don't worry. We've secured all the necessary data, so there won't be any issues proceeding as planned."
One consolation was that two books were hidden in Marcel's bosom.
Thud, thud—
Seeing Marcel pat his chest, the black mage gazed at him with a face steeped in greed.
"Data related to the elves' rituals......"
"Yes. If we add Bartov's journal to this, obtaining the fruit is practically guaranteed."
Currently, Marcel's bosom held two pieces of data retrieved from the elves' secret archive.
Data on the elves' traditional rituals and harvest festival.
And even data on summoning the highest spirits, permitted only to a select few among the elves—
Essentially, he had acquired most of the information obtainable from the Great Primeval Forest.
"The elves' 'festival' wasn't for the fruit's ripening season, but a ritual to designate the location where the fruit would ripen."
"......"
"Meaning, at the latest by tomorrow, we can forcibly hold the 'festival,' recover the fruit, and leave the Great Primeval Forest."
Thus, only one task remained for Marcel.
Obtain the World Tree's fruit.
And using that fruit, forge even deeper contracts with the dangerous entities of the outer world.
A plan brimming with ambition pulsed in Marcel's chest.
"Soon, the day will come when our Veil of Truth breaks the history of persecution and is recognized as one of the continent's pillars."
Marcel Alius.
Harboring expectations for the future in his heart, he swiftly traversed the Great Primeval Forest on his phantom steed.
* * * * * *
Does a great mage create great magic?
Or does great magic choose a great mage—
The question I once faced still vividly lives within me even now.
Which side is the true answer?
I still haven't given a clear response to that.
I merely contemplate ideas for magic from time to time amid the flow of time.
"......"
Celestia, the phantasmic archive.
In the vast library housing countless spells, I was quietly reading the grimoire in my hand today as well.
Rustle, rustle—
As the pages of the grimoire in my hand turned.
One of the mages prostrated before me quietly peeked her head up.
"Lord Johaaan... It's haaard......"
Lua Polaris, an official mage of the Blue Tower.
The tower mage who visited the library daily was pressing her cheek against the grimoire before me, lamenting.
Because of the task I had assigned her—
The analysis of the magic tool hadn't gone well.
"I've already explained the basic principles once."
"But that's because you're... an archmage, Lord Johan, so you can solve it easily......"
Squish—
Lua's pale cheek flattened against the open page.
Sighing deeply at her clinging to the book, I felt an urge to poke her protruding cheek.
Hmmm—
Beside Lua, who emitted a tone of deep anguish, stood a towering dessert tower.
The trademark of the restaurant Lua frequented daily.
"Hmm... No matter how I look at it, I don't get it."
Swipe—
Lua's hand brought a cookie to her mouth.
Then, nibbling at it, she began intently glaring at the magic tool before her.
Munch, munch—
Before Lua, who chewed vigorously on the cookie, lay the magic tool.
It was an item Lua herself had brought into Celestia via a marker.
After contracting with the shadow beneath me, I could now bring small objects into Celestia.
Magical interference with physical objects had become possible.
"It'll soon be announced under your name. Analyze it as thoroughly as possible."
As a result, I had even modified an appropriate magic tool like the one now before me.
A product to be announced under Lua Polaris of the Blue Tower.
A new magic tool packaged as the research achievement of a genius mage.
"Will people like it if I announce something like this?"
"They'll probably have a favorable reaction. But the most important thing is distributing this item."
I quietly gazed at the magic tool before me.
At a glance, it resembled a crystal orb.
But its true nature was a magic tool allowing face-to-face conversation from afar.
In modern terms, a video call—
Tailored to the continent's era.
"It's a natural extension of the research paper you previously announced. No issues even if you claim you made it."
"......"
"Make sure to supply this item smoothly. It'll serve as my eyes looking out from within Celestia from now on."
I planned to announce this under Lua's name and spread it widely across the continent.
Since it required magic stones and was expensive, it would mainly spread among the upper class.
However, that too was part of my intent.
The magic embedded in the tool was designed for surveillance and eavesdropping from this side.
In other words, just by spreading this item, I could peer out from Celestia.
"Understood, Lua Polaris?"
Hearing my plan, Lua quietly nodded in assent.
"Yeees—"
"If you understand, focus again."
Of course, her responding voice lacked much energy.
That was the end of instructions for Lua Polaris.
"......"
After reminding Lua of the plan once more, I quietly turned my gaze to the far side of the library.
"......Austin Rainer."
In one corner of the antique library.
Far from Lua, who was focused on the magic tool, two people were conversing with serious faces.
Austin Rainer, a relatively recent addition to the library's membership.
The bumbling youth, once a holy knight of the White Church, was talking with the doctor, who wore a suspicious smile.
'Come to think of it, Austin went to assist with the doctor's experiment.'
The secret society's members moved with their own purposes even without my directives.
Of course, cases existed where several, like these two before me, divided tasks.
Still, I couldn't help but feel some concern about these two in particular.
'The doctor recently checked out a spell from the Third Archive.'
The doctor—Begerton Antares—had recently spent contribution points to check out a grimoire from the library.
It happened shortly after I changed the library's reward system.
And the grimoire he checked out was one of the more tricky spells even among those in the Third Archive, which gathered special magics.
A spell an ordinary mage wouldn't choose.
In a sense, more akin to a 'curse'—one closer to quite distasteful tastes.
A spell only someone like the doctor would select.
"......"
How would the doctor use that spell—
As I pondered while watching him, for a moment.
Rustle—
I soon averted my eyes from the doctor and returned my gaze to the grimoire before me.
'He's capable, so he'll use it well on his own.'
No need for me to worry; Begerton Antares was a highly competent researcher.
He would surely resolve it in his own way.
With such thoughts, I continued turning the pages in my hand.
Amid the groans of anguished Lua at the desk.
The sound of turning pages continued to echo there.
* * * * * *
The day after Austin Rainer returned from the library.
Upon entering Sirius, Austin looked at Priela, who was picking at her skewer roast just like yesterday.
Journey crossing the Great Primeval Forest.
The mercenary at the bottom of the Eight Swords Assembly walked the windy woods, tearing into the golden skewer.
Birds caught by Priela with her ceremonial sword, skewered and roasted by Austin.
"Mm... Seems nicely cooked today too."
Munch, munch—
Priela, who heartily bit into the skewer in her hand, shared her impressions of it.
Even watching the mercenary eat before him, Austin felt no hunger.
Because he had eaten gukbap and pork rice bowl at the library restaurant last night before returning.
'The food at the restaurant was all delicious, thinking back.'
Quite some time had passed since Austin lost his physical body.
Yet he still derived a certain satisfaction from the act of eating.
A sensation as if he were alive—
A process of somewhat recalling fading memories of the flesh.
"So, there's a festival to commemorate the fruit?"
As Austin immersed in such sentiments while walking, Priela, who had been nibbling her skewer, soon spoke up.
A question about the elves' festival.
Priela's gaze, posing such a question, was directed at the large-statured priest on the left of the group.
Slurp, slurp—
Cardinal Juda, devouring his skewer with gluttonous vigor, responded to Priela's question.
"You bet. Those stubborn, barbaric long-ears build altars and hold periodic festivals to harvest the fruit."
"Waa... Barbaric long-ears...?"
Stubborn and barbaric long-ears—
Shocked by the remark from the cardinal's mouth, perhaps, Priela shot him a cold glare.
However, Juda ignored it and continued his explanation with confident airs.
"Doesn't our church hold thanksgiving rites after harvests too? It's an event first started by Saint Berman, so think of it as similar."
— "......"
"Of course, it can't compare to our church's efforts to repay the Guide's grace! But in terms of history, it's a ritual far older and longer than human thanksgiving rites."
Juda, having devoured the skewer in his hand in an instant, gazed at the empty stick with lingering reluctance.
Yet, unlike his demeanor, the cardinal's words rang quite plausibly.
Even a corrupt priest couldn't ascend to cardinal without some merit, it seemed.
From the cardinal's mouth poured tales befitting an erudite cleric.
"Anyway, the sites where that altar can be built are somewhat limited. That's why I've separately listed the likely spots."
Thud, thud—
Sirius eyed such a Juda intently as he advanced with heavy footsteps.
"Of course, Sir Sirius, called the blasphemer, might dislike my words a bit... But the Guide will embrace even you, so mull it over anytime!"
He displayed his own seasoned poise, as if exploiting the cardinal position required cunning too.
World Tree's fruit.
To find the treasure appearing in the Great Primeval Forest, he had entered with his own preparations.
'More useful than expected.'
Even Austin and Priela gauging the paths through the Great Primeval Forest owed to Cardinal Juda's efforts bearing fruit.
Of course, the greed glinting in those eyes showed no sign of abating.
Thud, thud—
Step, step—
Thus, the three from different factions advanced, each with their own motives.
"Uh, uhh...!"
An exclamation of alarm escaped Cardinal Juda, who had been sticking close to Sirius.
Not just Juda reacted to the situation.
Clink—
Priela, to Sirius's right, had her hand on the ceremonial sword at her waist.
The two stared tensely into the forest darkness before them.
"A familiar face here, huh."
Where their gazes directed stood a sharp-featured youth with disheveled hair.
Brotherhood tattoo.
Two demon swords at his waist.
And red blood splattered on his cheek.
Heh—
The youth, curling his lip, addressed the cardinal beside Sirius.
"Been searching far and wide for you, old timer."
"Ah, Isaac Leoblant...!"
—Captain, Isaac Leoblant.
One of the Seven Pillars had appeared before Sirius.