Chapter 174
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: I Am Generous.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Actually, even the same precognitive ability could manifest in wildly different ways depending on the underlying mystery it drew from.
Magic glimpsed at the fate of the world.
Skills listened to the prophecies cradled by the stars.
Psionics read the future through raw sensation.
Thus, if magic was vague yet all-encompassing, skills were limited but straightforward, and psionics subjective yet direct—each with their strengths and weaknesses.
In truth, psionic precognition was the least versatile of them all.
Its sensory nature made it ideal for combat or dodging crises, but peering into others' futures or gleaning information was a struggle.
Yet there was one reason the White Dragon Princess had always been hailed as the greatest oracle of her time.
She possessed precognitive prowess that transcended even those limitations.
And at this very moment...
Ainsa was channeling every ounce of her precognitive power to divine futures tied to the violin of abyssal darkness.
An■. A ■■■■-wielding ol■, ■■ is a ■ny, ornate ■pa■, ■ldom, ■, ■shi■, stained ■■ with ■lo■ds, mask■-donned ■■...
'...What a mess.'
Ainsa stared blankly at the fleeting fragments of futures that flashed and vanished in an instant.
In all her years of foresight, she'd never seen the future like this before.
It was different from Rimon's case.
If his future was unreadable because he severed it himself, the futures linked to this violin were simply too shrouded in darkness to discern clearly.
Like peering into a video where patches had been smeared pitch-black in the gloom.
'No ordinary magic artifact, that's for sure. Even by divine relic standards, this is abnormal.'
As the supreme oracle who'd handled countless divine relics, Ainsa could sense it.
This violin was off.
Undeniably a magic artifact, yet something beyond mere magical aura was blocking her foresight, preventing her from reading the future.
Rrrrrumble.
The vibration from her psionics clashing with the violin's aura shook the air, sending sweat trickling down Ainsa's impassive cheek.
Forcing her way through the veiling power to glimpse the future was draining an immense amount of mental energy.
But Ainsa didn't give up.
Instead, she ramped up her psionics even further, focusing solely on piecing together the fragmented futures.
And as the aura's tremors peaked, clear shards suddenly emerged amid the all-consuming blackness—
Ainsa collapsed with a thud.
Thud.
"What are you pushing yourself so hard for? If it's not working, it's not working."
"It's not pushing. I just gave it my all to do what I could, until my head throbbed and sweat poured."
"...That's what pushing yourself means, you foolish princess."
Rimon caught her head just before it smacked the table, clicking his tongue lightly.
One look at her sweat-drenched face told him how desperately she'd strained to read the violin's future.
For Rimon, who viewed precognitive intel-gathering as a "do it if it works" affair, this was utterly unexpected dedication.
Including the blunt words she'd spat out.
"Anyway, I found out."
"Found out what?"
Ainsa slowly lifted her head.
Resting her chin on the hand Rimon had used to support her, she looked up at him with only her eyes, her face expressionless as she spoke.
"Where Rimon needs to go to find the Seven Arcs."
"...You saw where another Seven Arc is?"
"Not quite that far. But I did see a future where Rimon tracks a Seven Arc from there."
"Hmm, I see."
Rimon nodded thoughtfully.
He wouldn't be blindly searching random spots for a Seven Arc without reason.
That meant it was likely an action taken after securing another lead on the Seven Arcs.
It was something that would happen anyway, but knowing the search location in advance was a huge advantage.
"So, where is it?"
"A place shrouded in mist."
"That supposed to narrow it down?"
"Lots of towers, too. And European-style buildings."
"Hm, Europe, then? Narrows it a bit..."
'Hold on—Europe, full of towers and buildings, and misty?'
Rimon furrowed his brow absentmindedly.
Before the Demon God War, maybe, but post-war Europe was mostly reduced to rubble, with few intact spots left.
Paris, the primary descent site of the Demon Gods, was a total wasteland of ashes even now.
So cities boasting abundant towers and buildings were few, and among them, one misty standout came to mind immediately.
As Rimon thought, No way, Ainsa delivered the clincher.
"Palaces and a massive museum, too."
"Why didn't you lead with that, you foolish princess."
At this point, it was too obvious to mistake.
Should he be glad the risk of wandering pointlessly had dropped, or lament that of all places, a Seven Arc was there?
Caught in that bittersweet tangle, Rimon sighed.
But Ainsa didn't care.
She just gazed at him with half-lidded eyes before blurting out.
"And I saw women."
"What women?"
"One with dark red curly hair. Big chest. She looked very close to Rimon."
"..."
"Familiar hair, too. Vivid blue. Seems close to her as well."
"..."
"It's fine. I am generous. I can tolerate one or two lovers. But I get married first. Don't forget."
"Not even as a joke—don't say that."
Rimon gently lowered Ainsa's chin from his hand.
Then he clutched his forehead, deep in thought.
How the hell could he alter the future where he ended up in that damned magic city?
"London it is, huh."
"..."
"Why the long face?"
"Precognition just sours your mood whether it's right or wrong."
He'd just stepped out after racking his brains over Ainsa's vision.
Li Chingwei gave a wry smile at Rimon's sigh upon hearing "magic city" again so soon.
She'd been booted for "disrupting concentration," but Rimon had already filled her in on the prophecy.
"Don't take it too hard. At least now we know the trigger for Geomgong heading to London."
"Yeah, that's a silver lining. No more blind searches now that we know the trail leads there."
Rimon nodded.
The reason Li Chingwei brought up London now?
Claire, who'd flown to Europe, had been confirmed arriving in London after hopping several countries.
A Liberation Brigade executive heading to London was suspicious enough; paired with Ainsa's vision, there was no more debating it.
Whether to nab the Liberation Brigade...
Or hunt the Seven Arcs...
London was non-negotiable.
So Rimon's furrowed brow now wasn't about going or not.
"...The issue is how to get there, and what to do once we are."
"Yeah, fair point."
"What do you think, princess? If I announce I'm coming, will they grant entry?"
"Hard to say. Honestly, if Geomgong shows up openly as himself, the odds of smooth entry are low."
Li Chingwei smiled wryly.
Love him or hate him, he was the Sword Master.
Fallen now, but once humanity's absolute weapon.
Plus, his solo rampage through the Blue House was just months ago—any normal nation would balk at letting him in.
The Seven Dragon Society could bulldoze most countries, but Great Britain was the exception.
"It's the Blue Dragon Clan's turf, after all."
"Not just them. Finding a European spot beyond their reach is the real challenge."
"Barring places like the Free City Alliance?"
"That's barely Europe anymore. My target is their heartland."
Rimon clicked his tongue.
The Seven Dragon Society dominated global wealth, but each clan's influence in their homeland was beyond imagination.
On home turf, they matched or exceeded even the era's top ten guilds.
Thus, entering London without Blue Dragon Clan approval was impossible.
"Explain the situation and ask for their cooperation?"
"Forget it. That Blue Dragon Clan won't play nice. It'd just complicate things."
"True, that Blue Dragon Clan."
Li Chingwei nodded readily.
"Sneaking in it is, then."
"Yep. Operating openly will be tricky, but that's manageable."
Rimon crossed his arms.
Dodging Blue Dragon Clan eyes in London to chase the Liberation Brigade and snag a Seven Arc.
Others might surrender before starting, but hurdles like this were routine for him.
Knowing that, Li Chingwei didn't worry.
She just felt regretful.
"Wish I could come along."
"Don't strain yourself. You've got a clan to run."
"That's the regret. If the Liberation Brigade cleanup was done, I could've tagged along somehow."
Li Chingwei sighed softly.
It had been mere weeks since dealing with the Brigade's remnants.
Her clan's domestic subsidiaries were still reeling, piling work on her plate.
Jetting off to Great Britain meant sidelining it all—too much strain.
The elders' betrayal aftermath rearing its head.
"And Ainsa? Heading home as planned?"
"Yeah, she's got her own messes. Said she'd wrap up fast and return, but not in days."
"Makes sense."
Ainsa was swamped too.
She'd buried it under princess authority, but Tata's rebellion and the casualties...
Plus her out-of-left-field deal proposing shares in Leviathan and Tiamat—Ainsa's workload rivaled hers.
Tata's absence was due to handling the fallout in the Holy Alliance.
That was Li Chingwei's small comfort.
"Geomgong can handle it solo, but... still, going alone worries me a bit."
"No worries. I wasn't planning to."
Rimon chuckled.
He could brute-force it alone, but this hinged on tracking and intel. Needed bodies for that.
Fortunately, he now had ample resources to deploy.
"Oh, princess—one more thing."
"What is it?"
"That scrap you mentioned researching before. Mind if I borrow it this time?"
"Scrap—you mean the remnant from the wraith we found?"
"Yeah. Feels like I'll need it to track the Seven Arcs."
"I get it, but... it's truly just junk now. Won't help much."
"Don't sweat it."
Rimon cut her off firmly.
Then he voiced the reason he least wanted to go to London—yet the other imperative pulling him there.
"London didn't earn its 'magic city' moniker for nothing."
The Sword Master who led the Heroes' Age had faded into history's shadows, while the Seven Dragon Society—Bronze Age overlords—now wore corporate suits in this era.
The world's most mysterious city, brimming with Silver Age legacies untouched.
Recalling memories of London, Rimon could only sigh.