Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Great Magic: Celestia (2)
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The Holy City—Partia.
In the conference room of the White Palace, where the Saintess, the religious leader of the Order of the White, resided, numerous priests were currently gathered, holding a meeting with complicated expressions on their faces.
The anomaly that had occurred in the Alperatz Marquisate.
It was because Saintess Arianne had urgently convened this meeting regarding the incident that had sent ripples across the entire continent.
The Saintess herself, who had called the emergency meeting, watched the proceedings with a blank expression.
From the mouths of the high-ranking priests in attendance came all sorts of worrisome tales.
“The contents of the revelation seem certain. There are testimonies of the marquisate’s skies being shrouded in darkness and a demon of fire descending to the earth.”
“I heard it felled one of the Seven Corners, the Castle Lord, in an instant. It’s proof that the demon from the revelation is far more powerful than we imagined.”
The first topics to emerge concerned the events that had unfolded in the Alperatz Marquisate.
The skies over the marquisate blanketed in darkness.
The demon of fire that had descended to the ground and brought down the mobile fortress.
These ominous stories filled the table, injecting tension into the conference room.
“But I heard the phenomenon didn’t last long. Maintaining the summoning of such a being for an extended period must be no easy task, right?”
“Probably, it’ll take quite some time before the next summoning. We must exterminate them as thoroughly as possible in the meantime.”
“The most important thing isn’t who’s behind this incident? We can’t declare a holy war without a target.”
“I heard from the Empire’s Magic Engine Corps that a doctor from the Radical Magic Research Society—Begerton Antares—is rumored to be involved.”
Fragments of information poured onto the table one by one.
Cardinal Mathias, watching the scene, scanned the faces of the priests with a troubled expression.
Though a flood of information was coming in, less than half of it was likely verified.
However, the situation was too urgent to postpone discussions.
‘My head’s already aching from the blasphemers, and now this revelation-related mess erupts.’
Cardinal Mathias, pressing his brow with his fingertips, looked toward the Saintess seated at the head of the table.
Agendas related to holy war had come up in discussions multiple times before, but they had continually been shelved due to that irresponsible Saintess.
The one who had called the meeting seemed intent on just watching the situation again, hugging her knees.
Meanwhile, the priests’ discussions continued unabated.
“If it’s the Radical Magic Research Society, aren’t they that heretical group from the Empire? The humiliation we suffered from them at Seterglu is still hard to forget.”
A priest ground his teeth at the mention of the Magic Research Society.
The Seterglu raid.
It was because it recalled the bitter damage the Order had suffered long ago.
“Those guys are a real headache, that’s for sure. At least things have improved lately with the pilgrims quieting down.”
“So, you’re saying the Radical Magic Research Society is behind this? Does Archbishop Rottenford believe we should declare a holy war against the Magic Research Society?”
“Wouldn’t we have to? Everyone knows they’ve always had strong heretical tendencies.”
Led by that priest, similar opinions began to emerge in agreement.
The gathering of mad wizards, the Radical Magic Research Society.
Calls were rising to investigate them, one of the Empire’s secret societies.
‘No need to provoke the pilgrims now.’
But to Cardinal Mathias, it didn’t seem like a particularly meaningful discussion.
Hadn’t Pilgrim Bartov, the leader of the pilgrims, already withdrawn from worldly affairs some time ago?
In that context, it didn’t seem likely they’d suddenly engage in organized summoning of dangerous entities.
Thus, the cardinal judged it closer to an individual doctor’s deviation.
The true culprits behind this were probably more secretive and dangerous than the Magic Research Society—
Tracing those tracks was the role of him and the Order, or so Mathias believed.
“Wouldn’t it be better to first hear from the Alperatz Marquis proxy?”
“Why bring up the marquis proxy all of a sudden?”
“He was the one who witnessed the incident firsthand, wasn’t he? If he doesn’t want to bear the brand of heresy, he should actively assist the investigation himself.”
Of course, rendering Cardinal Mathias’s efforts pointless, the meeting continued veering off in strange directions.
This time, the target was Feria Alperatz, the de facto powerholder of the Alperatz Marquisate.
‘Now they’re even targeting the Empire’s nobles. At this rate, no nobles will remain to sponsor a holy war.’
Oh, Guide—
At the talk of stirring up the Empire’s nobles ahead of a holy war, a prayer burst forth from Cardinal Mathias’s heart.
How on earth was he supposed to handle these fools?
Suppressing his frustration, just as Cardinal Mathias was about to sternly rebuke the conference room.
“Hmm, alright. Shall we end this pointless meeting here?”
Swish—
Suddenly, an unexpected voice emerged from someone who had been silently observing the meeting.
Saintess Arianne.
The Saintess, whom everyone thought would remain silent as usual, had preemptively halted the discussion this time.
“Ahem, hmm…….”
“…….”
At the Saintess’s demeanor, the priests fell silent in unison.
Cardinal Mathias also closed his mouth, quietly gazing at the Saintess with eyes alight with interest.
Hmmm—
Propping one cheek on her hand, Saintess Arianne wore a faint smile as she soon opened her mouth.
“Cardinal Mathias. You’ve been active in the Empire for quite some time, so dealing with the Empire side should be easier for you than for others.”
Saintess Arianne’s finger pointed at Mathias.
Cardinal Mathias bowed his head in response to her summons.
“Saintess Arianne—”
“Since you handled the last investigation, it’d be best for you to lead the one in the Alperatz Marquisate this time as well.”
“……The Alperatz Marquisate is in the Empire’s western region. It’s not under our diocese’s jurisdiction.”
“No need to worry about that. The Magic Engine Corps owes us from last time, so they’ll show some cooperation in this matter.”
The personnel for the investigation team dispatched to the Alperatz Marquisate.
She had appointed Cardinal Mathias as the person in charge.
“With someone of your stature personally involved in the investigation, the Empire won’t be able to conclude it absurdly like last time.”
Stunned by the unexpected order, he blankly stared at the Saintess.
However, words continued to flow from Saintess Arianne’s mouth.
“And Archbishop Rottenford. I’m ordering you to reinforce Partia’s sacred barrier.”
“Saintess, as I mentioned before, the barrier repairs are already underway, but—”
Archbishop Rottenford.
The highest-ranking priest residing in the Holy City Partia showed signs of attempting to protest to the Saintess.
However, the archbishop’s words didn’t last long.
“I’ll allocate additional budget under my authority. Raise the defensive capabilities to a level that can hold out for a while even after the Sword Saint departs.”
It was because Saintess Arianne’s directive cut him off.
“And it’d be wise not to tamper with the budget this time. If you’re short on high priests to inscribe the holy texts, I’ll lend a hand myself.”
“…….”
“With a holy war breaking out, Sir Leon will have to leave the Holy City often. At the very least, I’d prefer we avoid having the barrier breached helplessly like last time.”
Archbishop Rottenford fell silent.
Watching him, a glint entered Mathias’s eyes.
Arianne, the religious leader of the Order of the White.
The Saintess, who had professed laissez-faire, was now beginning to move in earnest.
‘I wonder if I’m seeing things—’
It seemed the Order’s long-dormant guardian, the Sword Saint, would also start acting in earnest from now on.
What results this change would bring to the Order.
Cardinal Mathias couldn’t predict the new future dawning on the Order in the slightest.
* * * * * *
Corios Vaclier—the master of the mobile fortress that had shaken the continent, hailed as one of the Seven Corners, the Castle Lord.
Once active under that name, the archmage now wandered a vast library.
Acheronar, the exile of the Great Forest.
The elf with long black hair made awkward steps through the library’s corridors.
“Ah—.”
Gazing at the library’s scenery, a sigh of admiration mixed with myriad emotions escaped Acheronar’s lips.
The magical library of illusions, filled with countless books.
The spiral staircase wrapping around the levels felt like beholding a masterpiece crafted by a great artist.
However, what truly astonished about this library wasn’t its beautiful scenery, but something else.
The countless tomes densely lining the shelves.
Every one of them was a precious resource brimming with magical knowledge.
“All the materials here… without exception, grimoires……?”
Even an elf granted a lifespan surpassing humans understood the value of knowledge accumulated over vast spans of time.
Just as she had built the Doll Fortress over endless years, someone had created this library for magic.
Yet, the mage who built this library was far more obsessive than she, who made dolls.
How much time and effort must have gone into crafting such a sight.
Perhaps even longer than Acheronar’s own lifetime had been spent here.
“This seems like more than even the materials stored in the Magic Tower.”
Swish—
Acheronar, gazing at the shelves of the Phantasmal Archive Celestia, soon quietly pulled out a nearby book.
To examine the grimoires stored in the library.
Having drawn the book, she immediately flipped through the pages to briefly check its contents.
Flutterflutter—
Acheronar’s eyes swiftly scanned the grimoire’s contents.
“This is…….”
Looking at the spells in the grimoire in her hand, Acheronar’s mouth fell open.
Was this what a grimoire looked like if written by a mage with extreme OCD?
The grimoire she held revealed all sorts of idiosyncrasies.
The spell styles seemed somehow familiar, stirring vague memories in her mind.
“……Lua Polaris.”
Lua Polaris, the genius mage of the Blue Tower.
The familiar name surfaced in Acheronar’s mind.
No wonder it felt mismatched with the age; it must have been magic stored in this library.
Perhaps Lua Polaris herself existed somewhere in this library even now.
“…….”
Acheronar’s hands, filled with curiosity, checked a few more grimoires.
Flutterflutter—
Her gaze rapidly skimmed the books, grasping the structure of the inscribed spells.
They attempted to unravel various phenomena in an exceedingly neat manner.
A foundation for erecting something massive—
That’s how the grimoires felt in Acheronar’s eyes.
“I was going to fight a mage like this head-on.”
Soon, a voice tinged with bitterness escaped Acheronar’s lips.
Of course, Acheronar knew full well.
That this library’s master wasn’t an ordinary human mage.
The mobile fortress had plummeted to the earth, and she had already lost the qualification to challenge the skies.
The battle’s outcome had been decided from the start.
“That doctor guy is impressive too. To summon such an opponent to the earth, even if just briefly.”
Acheronar, head bowed toward the floor, began moving again.
Clack, clack—
Lost in thought, her footsteps slowly traversed the vast library.
The echoing click of heels.
The elf’s steps, black hair swaying, followed the walls of bookshelves deeper into the depths.
“Ah…….”
Thus wandering aimlessly through the unfamiliar scenery for a moment.
Soon, Acheronar’s steps halted upon spotting someone.
Hah, ha—
For an instant, a suffocating sensation flooded Acheronar’s mind.
And rightly so, for a familiar young man’s face appeared before her.
“Celestia seems to suit your tastes quite well.”
“…….”
Black hair like solidified darkness.
And obsidian eyes, sharp and profound, drawing one in.
Leaning against a bookshelf, reading a book, was the very person who had brought down Acheronar’s mobile fortress.
Rustle, rustle—
The youth’s hand turned the pages of a thick grimoire.
“You…….”
Facing the youth, crimson scenes of the fortress ablaze revived in Acheronar’s mind.
Scorching flames and divine fire burning the skies.
From the mage before her, Acheronar’s fortress had crumbled to ashes.
And now, Acheronar vaguely grasped his identity.
The uncharted realm she had once strived for but ultimately failed to reach.
One of the great laws existing from before the world’s birth, from the cosmos’s edge.
“The inscrutable unknown——.”
A conceptual existence beyond comprehension.
A transcendent being that even mortals weren’t permitted to understand or confront—that was Johan’s true nature.
The opponent was a transcendent like the World Tree she feared.
On a different level from a mage born to mortal fate.
Even the memory of groveling on the ground, begging pathetically for her life, felt somewhat justifiable now.
“So that’s what the earth’s mages called types like me.”
“…….”
“Perhaps it fits well. I myself don’t fully know what I am.”
Of course, the person in question seemed unconcerned.
Far from anger or contempt, he showed no great interest in Acheronar herself.
As Acheronar quietly watched Johan for a moment.
Rustle, rustle—
Watching him peruse the grimoire, a cautious voice toward the mage before her emerged from Acheronar’s lips.
“You…….”
Her trembling voice halted abruptly, unable to form words.
It was due to the fear swelling in her chest.
But Johan, unperturbed even by that, spoke to her without lifting his eyes from the book.
“You must have heard the details from Austin. Is there something you’re curious about?”
“You… even a mage like you… needs to read books in this library?”
Suppressing her fear, Acheronar’s question toward Johan barely spilled out.
The reason the mage before her read books.
Why a transcendent beyond humans revisited grimoires long obtained.
At that, a faint smile curved Johan’s lips.
“You can ask more confidently. I don’t dislike capable mages.”
A kind reply returned from Johan.
“To answer your question, it’s about filling oneself to reach great magic.”
“Ah…….”
—Great magic.
At the words from the youth’s lips, Acheronar’s face went blank for a moment.
Even this great mage before her hadn’t yet attained the great magic?
Such doubt began spreading in Acheronar’s heart.
“To you… what is great magic?”
The elf’s words questioned the archmage’s ideal.
The answer was simple.
“—Magic that kills gods.”
The great vow a transcendent reached for.
Hearing it, Acheronar once more realized who stood before her.
Perhaps her own wish had never been far away to begin with.
Such thoughts arose.
“Do you have a wish you want to fulfill, elf mage?”
The youth’s eyes turned to her.
Meeting them, Acheronar swallowed.
Gulp—
Perhaps fleeing her whole life wasn’t the answer.
Only after reaching the most despairing moment had this opportunity finally arrived.
Bearing the sticky emotions etched in her heart, the branded elf voiced her wish.
“I want to kill the World Tree.”
Acheronar, the exile.
Her wish was to sever the heavenly punishment.