Chapter 177: My Goal is the Pioneering of the Great Forest (2)
Chapter 177: My Goal is the Pioneering of the Great Forest (2)
After a polite greeting, Patrick raised his head and quickly took in the sight of those before him.
Seated at a round table were seven elderly men. Their faces were obscured by deep hoods, but their long, snow-white beards reaching down to their chests made their advanced age apparent.
So these old geezers are the Seven Sages?
Depending on the opinions of these seven, the entire course of action for the Tower of Truth—one of the three great powers of the continent—was decided. In other words, the collective authority of these seven gathered here was equal to that of the Emperor of the Empire or the Pope of the Holy Kingdom.
Patrick maintained his courtesy, speaking with a rare degree of politeness.
"First, I would like to thank you for your assistance. I survived thanks to you."
One of the Seven Sages spoke up.
"There is no need for such deep gratitude. We did not help you for free, after all."
"I understand that, of course."
From the beginning, Patrick had stated as much in his letter: if they helped him, he would help them in return. Patrick was the one who had first proposed this give-and-take relationship—though that wasn't his only objective.
The Seven Sages spoke with a subtle, pressuring tone.
"Since your life was saved thanks to us, don't you think you've incurred a rather expensive debt?"
"I won't deny it."
"Then, what price will you pay us for the value of your life?"
"The life of the Double Dragon, huh..."
"Ho-ho-ho. No matter how I look at it, this isn't a debt that can be settled for a pittance."
"I agree as well."
The Seven Sages spoke in unison, demanding payment.
How will you pay? Can you even afford the price?
Though they didn't say the words directly, the pressure they exerted was palpable. Patrick simply smirked.
"As the successor of the Schneider Viscountcy, I formally make a proposal to the Tower of Truth."
"...Speak."
"Please form an alliance with our territory."
"..."
"..."
At Patrick's words, the Seven Sages fell silent. After a long pause, one of them forced himself to speak.
"Are you insane?"
Patrick Schneider. Throughout both his past and present lives, he had been treated like a madman by many. But this time, the nuance was a bit different. Seeing the genuine doubt in their eyes regarding his mental state, Patrick replied nonchalantly.
"I am perfectly sane. And I am serious about what I said."
"An alliance... An alliance, you say..."
"How absurd."
"Listen here, Double Dragon. We told you to state what you would pay for your life."
"I heard you."
"And your response is an alliance?"
"That is correct."
"Ho-ho-ho..."
A hollow laugh rang out, laced with a faint trace of anger. And simultaneously...
Rumble, rumble.
The room began to vibrate. No, it wasn't just the room.
The entire tower is shaking.
As expected of the Seven Sages. As they released their mana simultaneously, the massive structure shook as if an earthquake had struck, unable to withstand the sheer force.
While mages were often evaluated as being weak in man-to-man combat, that didn't mean they were actually weak. Even if the nature and application of their power differed, the power itself was real. In fact, hadn't Patrick tasted the bitterness of their magic during the recent battle?
However...
So what?
Even under pressure that would make an ordinary person struggle to breathe, Patrick didn't even blink. If the pressure emitted by the Seven Sages was like a raging wave, Patrick was like a boulder standing firm against it.
Immovable Heart.
Maintaining a mental image as steady as an unshakeable giant rock, Patrick spoke with a faint smile.
"I didn't travel all this way to fight."
A subtle aura began to emanate from Patrick's body as well—to the point where the Seven Sages, who had been aggressively venting their power, were taken aback. While his words remained polite, Patrick clearly projected his presence, signaling that he had the strength to fight back.
"Let's have a conversation first."
Seeing Patrick's relaxed expression, the Seven Sages exchanged glances and withdrew their mana. Simultaneously, the Tower of Truth stopped vibrating.
The Sages then addressed Patrick.
"We understand you are not yet twenty years old. Is that correct?"
"I am nineteen."
"...You aren't even human."
The other Sages nodded in agreement.
The Sword and Magic. Even if the paths were different, they both acknowledged that the process of seeking the truth was never easy. Yet, the realm Patrick Schneider had reached was simply impossible for someone his age.
How could this be? Was this truly possible for a human? The word 'genius' felt inadequate. A monster—that was the only word that truly fit the figure before them.
Under their gazes of admiration, shock, and wariness, Patrick opened his mouth.
"What you likely desire is my secret technique. For example, something like this."
A faint red energy gathered in Patrick's hand, and a handful of flames bloomed.
Whoosh.
Scorching Yang Energy.
A technique from the Martial World that involves changing the property of Qi into Yang to emit heat.
The Seven Sages nearly jumped out of their seats at the sight. But that wasn't all.
Crack.
This time, a pure white frost gathered, and a thin crystal of ice formed in Patrick's palm.
Cold Yin Energy.
Similarly, he had changed the property of his Qi into Yin.
Patrick decided to show a few more things while he was at it. He reached out toward a candle holder on the wall; the candle flickered before being pulled directly into his hand.
Having demonstrated Void Manipulation, Patrick concluded by speaking to the Seven Sages.
[How is it? This seems to be what you want. Am I right?]
Patrick's words sounded as if they were being whispered directly into the Sages' ears.
Sound Transmission.
A technique often called the most useful trick in the Martial World.
The expressions of the Seven Sages, having witnessed all of this, turned grave.
I'd heard the rumors, but...
This is even more than the reports suggested.
Is he really a swordsman? Are we sure he's not a mage?
What kind of training allows one to do this with Aura? Just how?
The Seven Sages, known as the wisest beings on the continent, were now filled with shock and curiosity. What Patrick had just shown transcended their common sense.
Creating fire and ice from his hands, moving objects through the air, and transmitting his voice secretly—these were impossible feats for swordsmen who trained with Aura. They were closer to the domain of mages.
Yet, no matter how they looked at him, the Double Dragon was not a mage. Mages of the Seven Sages' caliber could not possibly fail to recognize a fellow mage casting a spell right in front of them.
That meant this man had achieved these feats purely by manipulating Aura...
How is that possible?
By what means...
It's impossible. He's shaking the very foundation of the definition of Aura.
Mages were the type of people who would sell their own families for the sake of exploring the unknown. What more could be said for the Seven Sages who stood at their pinnacle?
Blatant greed flickered in their eyes. Honestly, they wanted to neutralize Patrick, lock him up, and meticulously investigate him from head to toe. If it were possible, they might have actually done it. However...
A powerhouse estimated to be at least in the 8-Star Realm...
It would be difficult. Very difficult.
Even if we mobilized the full power of the Tower, how many sacrifices would it take...
No, is it even possible? We might just suffer massive losses and let him escape.
No matter how they thought about it, it was unreasonable. The probability of successfully suppressing this monster by force was far too low.
It was only natural for the Tower of Truth to evaluate Patrick so highly. Even when Patrick won at Arcana, he had already become a titan. Defeating the Sword Saint's grandson and winning Arcana; reaching the 7-Star Realm at the youngest age in history; the future's strongest on the continent. His reputation was already brilliant.
Could a young man not yet twenty possibly carve his name into an even higher position?
Surprisingly, he could. The events Patrick had caused during his Knight Training had made it possible.
In the Decatur Kingdom, he had already fought two 7-Star Knights and won decisively. That alone was shocking, but he had caused an even greater stir in the Caesar Kingdom afterward. He had overwhelmingly defeated Count Calvin Spike and then waged a one-man war against the regular army of the Caesar Kingdom.
And he had actually won.
A monster who had triumphed over a force of ten thousand, including four 7-Star Knights. He was no longer someone to be discussed in terms of "future potential."
The Tower of Truth, which had accessed information on Patrick faster than anyone else, currently estimated his strength to be at least 8-Star. And that was a minimum; some even evaluated him as potentially rivaling the Empire's Sword Saint.
Because of that...
"First, calm yourself, Double Dragon."
"We do not desire a fight either."
"What profit would we gain from fighting you here?"
Ultimately, even the Seven Sages of the Tower of Truth could not bring themselves to blindly oppress Patrick. He was a powerhouse who had reached a position where such things were no longer possible.
As they took a step back, Patrick smiled and spoke.
"I agree, of course. That is why I proposed an alliance."
One of the Seven Sages replied.
"We recognize that you are an extraordinary individual."
"Thank you."
"But even so, don't you think pushing for an alliance between the Tower of Truth and a mere viscountcy like the Schneider territory is a bit unbalanced?"
It was true. Even if Patrick was incredible, it didn't mean the evaluation of the Schneider territory rose to the same level. Or rather, it did rise, but there was a limit.
The Tower of Truth, the headquarters of mages and one of the three great powers of the continent, versus the Schneider territory, located on the eastern fringes of the weak Atronia Kingdom. Honestly, to anyone's eyes, it was an uneven match. However...
I'm very used to this kind of situation.
The Twin Dragon Sect. Before the emergence of the great hero Jincheon, the Radiant Dragon, 99.9% of the people in the Martial World didn't even know such a sect existed. As the Great Disciple of that Twin Dragon Sect, Patrick had negotiated with countless massive sects and held his own against high-ranking government officials.
The experience from those days was shining now.
"Our Schneider territory is indeed just a small, insignificant place."
Patrick first acknowledged the reality.
"Bordering the Great Forest, we haven't been able to develop due to constant monster attacks, and the territory's output is meager. Of course, we've recently increased our military strength and created local specialties, making the situation better than before, but compared to the Tower of Truth, the difference is like a full moon versus a firefly."
The Seven Sages nodded as if it were obvious. Since everything he said was true, a sense of consensus was naturally formed.
And as if he had been waiting for that moment, Patrick spoke.
"But how long do you think that will last?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Schneider territory is currently in the middle of rapid development. There is already a military force within the territory that I have personally raised. You all must have already investigated this."
"Mmm..."
The 300 squires Patrick Schneider had personally trained. And the Orcs of the Red Rock Tribe. Currently, the military power of the Schneider territory far exceeded the level of a typical viscountcy. Furthermore...
"Crucially, you have me. Do you think the value of a territory where the future's strongest man on the continent resides will remain the same forever?"
"Hrrrrm..."
"Ahem..."
The Seven Sages couldn't help but be swayed. Patrick Schneider—a powerhouse who had reached at least the 8-Star Realm before even turning twenty. What would the future of such a monster look like? And what would the future of the Schneider territory, which shared that future, look like?
Would they still be able to say the alliance was unbalanced then?
As the Sages' hearts wavered, Patrick spoke.
"Do you know how to hit the jackpot with an investment?"
"Why are you suddenly talking about investments?"
"It's a metaphor. Anyway, do you know?"
"...I'm not sure."
The Tower of Truth was the place that earned the most money on the entire continent, but the Seven Sages themselves were indifferent to wealth. Why?
Because they're filthy rich.
Indeed, the Tower of Truth was one of the wealthiest entities on the continent. They held a near-monopoly on the production of magical tools, and simply dispatching lower-level mages to the outside world brought in massive amounts of gold. Having never worried about money in their lives, why would they be interested in it?
Their only interests were the pursuit of the unknown and reaching higher realms as mages. Money held no value beyond being research funding.
To these novices, Patrick said:
"To hit the jackpot with an investment, you have to look at the future and invest while the value is still low."
"..."
"Buy low, sell high. That's how you strike it big."
"..."
It was enticing. It was a phrase that made even the Seven Sages, who were illiterate in financial matters, lean in. Patrick continued.
"If you form an alliance and join us now, the Tower of Truth will be able to share in the achievements we accomplish. If you wait and regret it later, it'll be too late. Do you understand?"
"Mmm... well..."
"What is there to think about? It's now. Right now, the opportunity of a lifetime has arrived for you. It's right in front of your eyes."
"No, wait, wait a moment..."
"No, that's a bit of a leap."
"Let's just calm down for a second."
Listening to him, it sounded so obvious that investing now was the only choice, and that not doing so would be a disaster.
At that moment, someone who realized they shouldn't be swept away any further spoke up.
"It sounds very plausible. However, a crucial point is missing."
"What is it?"
"After forming an alliance with us, what do you intend to do? What kind of achievement are you envisioning that you would say such things to us?"
Exactly. Patrick had not yet clearly revealed his plans and objectives. Without knowing this, talk of investments and alliances was useless.
Patrick looked around at the Seven Sages once more and spoke.
"The pioneering of the Great Forest."
"...What?"
"My goal is the pioneering of the Great Forest."
It was the moment Patrick's objective was voiced to the world for the first time.