Episode 939
Episode 939
"We have no intention of stopping the play."
The Death Knights spoke while flashing their eerie blue eye-lights.
Some sighed in concern, while others clamored that this was exactly how it should be.
"If we were to cancel prearranged events because of the vile schemes of wicked individuals, that would be the more humiliating outcome."
The information obtained from interrogating the evil god worshippers this time had been fragmentary.
The followers of Prahgal were targeting the palace, and one of them, Madph, had infiltrated in advance to watch for an opportunity—upon receiving a signal, he would cause a disturbance.
Even Madph himself didn't know when or how the attack would occur. The evil god worshippers, who had survived in the Empire's underworld for so long, had meticulously prepared so that none of them would know each other's plans.
'Canceling the play arbitrarily would be a problem, but if the evil god worshippers retreat, that would be an even bigger issue.'
The Death Knights intended to use this opportunity to lure out the evil god worshippers and eliminate them completely.
If the play were to stop here, these people would sense something amiss and hide again—and then there would be no telling when or where the damage would occur.
"As expected of the Duke's knights, always so warlike."
Like Lee Han, Alsicle also discerned the Death Knights' hidden intentions.
Outwardly, they claimed it was for the dignity of the play, but inwardly, their sense of responsibility to decisively capture the evil god worshippers was evident.
Truly befitting the knights of the Magic Tower.
"...Wait, what about the illusion magic we prepared?"
"We have to cancel it. Are you seriously asking that now?"
Lee Han whispered with a stern expression.
When they didn't even know when or how the evil god worshippers would enter, startling people with an impromptu play was out of the question.
At worst, they could be mistaken for accomplices of the evil god worshippers.
"But we worked so hard on it..."
Alsicle wore the expression of a penguin that had lost all the fish it had spent the day catching.
Seeing that look, Lee Han felt guilty, but there was nothing to be done.
"Let's forget about it and focus on the evil god worshippers."
"What about the escape?"
"The escape... we'll have to give up on that too."
Lee Han said after some hesitation.
The Theater Club students would be very disappointed, but under these circumstances, all plans were on hold.
With evil god worshippers lurking around, what kind of escape could they manage if they scattered?
'At least I can still get out.'
The one small consolation was that, even if the Theater Club students couldn't go out, Lee Han still could.
Given time, the Theater Club students would realize they had joined the wrong club.
"Lord Nago. Lord Pengerin."
"Yes."
"We ask the two of you to identify any suspicious individuals among the audience entering the palace."
Alsicle of the Pengerin Family was someone whose abilities the Death Knights recognized, and Stedal of the Nago Family had been the first to detect the anomaly in the soul.
If there were any additional infiltrators, these two would be able to catch them.
"Just leave it to us."
"It's an honor!"
"Lord Kulvik. Could you ask the illusion mages to strengthen the palace's magical defenses?"
"Of course, it's possible! Though the illusion mages here aren't all that exceptional. Don't expect too much from them."
"Of course. If you could just inform us of the spells you've set up, our knights will take them into account."
'How humble.'
Lee Han thought to himself.
Even with Valdororn included among the mages, they were being this modest.
"Students of Einrogard, divide your roles and respond flexibly."
"We will prepare potions in case of unforeseen circumstances."
"We will secure evacuation routes to safely escort the nobles out of the palace if anything goes wrong."
"We will create secret passages to discreetly evacuate the nobles when they need to avoid attention."
"..."
Students!
The Death Knights were deeply moved.
When had the students of Einrogard grown so much?
The sight of students—who would usually whine and complain—moving swiftly and seamlessly without wasting a single moment brought the Death Knights to an unintentional state of awe.
The students bowed their heads solemnly, even in the face of the Death Knights' admiration.
At a glance, it seemed they were deeply feeling the responsibility befitting students of the Empire's top Magic Academy.
'They probably didn't notice.'
'They definitely didn't notice. Probably.'
'Wait. The Evil God Worshippers won't mess up our escape, right? The escape is still on schedule, isn't it?'
'No. It's on hold.'
'...If they show up, I'll kill them!'
"There don't seem to be any suspicious individuals."
"That seems to be the case. I agree."
Alsicle lightly swung the pendulum adorned with an ice crystal.
Though he couldn't peer as deeply into souls as Lee Han, this frigid Divination Magic was highly sensitive in detecting malice or sinister schemes.
Lee Han, who knew well just how restrictive and finicky Divination Magic could be, asked with interest,
"Could I learn this divination technique too?"
"This? For you, it should be possible."
Alsicle, just in case, asked what kind of divination Lee Han had already learned.
Though this Wardanaz brat was undeniably a magical prodigy—practically a monster—Divination Magic was the type of sorcery that could ruin a mage faster than any other school of magic.
And the more talented the mage, the worse it was. The deeper one indulged in peering into the future, the greater the price they had to pay, and the more brutal the rebound.
Perhaps what a truly great diviner needed wasn't talent, but humility and restraint.
"I've learned things like the Crystal Top Divination, Spirit Coin, and the Five Devils."
"That should be fine then."
Alsicle nodded.
If Lee Han had safely used those divination methods, it was clear he had sufficient control.
"Wait. Doesn't the Crystal Top Divination exact a toll in mana?"
"Correct."
"...You shameless little cheat."
"!?"
Watching his junior display yet another absurd talent even in divination, Alsicle grumbled before launching into an explanation.
This pendulum divination required, as a price, a diamond cut into the shape of a water droplet.
"......"
Lee Han stared at Alsicle with a look of utter disbelief and horror. But Alsicle, oblivious, continued explaining.
"When you sublimate this with frost and offer it as a sacrifice, it temporarily creates this pendulum made of ice crystal, which then takes on the risk of glimpsing the future... What's wrong?"
"I was just shocked by how absurd the price is."
"What are you talking about? You should be grateful. It's not like you're sacrificing a hand or a foot."
Alsicle looked baffled instead.
Among Divination Magic, there were far more sinister and costly spells—so offering a gem was practically a bargain.
'No wonder he's always short on research funds.'
Lee Han thought rudely to himself.
Meanwhile, the two had finished checking everyone inside.
No one had triggered any unease in their souls or caused the pendulum to sway.
"Seems like there's no one else. Then again, I doubt they'd infiltrate multiple Evil God Worshippers."
"Then let's move to the upper level."
The upper level would make it easier to monitor the surroundings or respond to any incidents during the play.
Alsicle asked, reluctance lingering in his voice,
"Won't we get to use the Illusion Magic you prepared?"
"No. Take it home with you."
"And what am I supposed to do with this at home?! Kids would faint from fright."
As they walked, Lee Han spotted Valdororn groaning and straining near the palace stairs.
"Elastic Labyrinth Magic?"
"Yes. It's about halfway done."
Both Alsicle and Lee Han immediately recognized what spell he was preparing.
The 3rd-Circle Magic <Elastic Labyrinth Summon> conjured an illusory labyrinth specialized in physical defense, trapping any intruders inside.
It wasn't an easy spell, but neither was it so difficult that the two couldn't manage it. Alsicle asked, puzzled,
"Why is he groaning over that?"
"He's probably agonizing because the spell is cliché and mediocre. But if he tries to cast a higher-circle spell alone, it'll throw off the balance and deplete his reagents."
Lee Han nodded as if it made perfect sense.
Since this wasn't a solo endeavor, even if he disliked the spell, he couldn't just change it on a whim.
"It's about maintaining balance with the other mages."
Valdororn was clearly trying to find a better solution even within those constraints.
"Let's go. No point in disturbing them needlessly."
"Right."
As the two swiftly departed without stopping, Valdororn grumbled inwardly. 'If they're such great mages, they could at least offer some help...!' He'd heard both were exceptional mages, yet they left without giving a single piece of advice for the part he was stuck on.
Since they were all preparing the palace's defenses together, wouldn't it have been reasonable to offer a struggling junior mage at least a word of advice?
Truly, all the greatest mages were unbearably eccentric.
"Something feels off."
"What do you mean?"
"Hasn't the palace's atmosphere grown sharper?"
"Perhaps. But nothing has changed."
The priest with a beetle emblem engraved on his forehead muttered.
The thought processes of Evil God Worshippers were fundamentally twisted and tainted by madness.
While ordinary believers or collaborators could still function somewhat normally, priests—though human in appearance—were practically alien beings from another dimension in terms of their inner workings.
Beings whose thoughts were impossible to predict through ordinary reasoning.
The priest with the beetle emblem on his forehead was one such being. Everything, including his name, had long been offered to the Evil God, leaving only the engraved emblem behind.
The same went for the priest with the tree emblem and the priest with the sun emblem.
"The Profaner descends, and Prahgal will rejoice."
"The Profaner descends, and Prahgal will rejoice!"
With eerie incantations, the priests' forms began to shrink.
Even after becoming smaller than a child, the shrinking didn't stop. Soon, the priests turned into small lumps of flesh before vanishing entirely.
No one noticed this quiet ritual taking place on a distant hill far from the palace.
But the void above the palace did. The entity from the Undead Realm, having received its offering, began joyfully fulfilling the contract.
-What?!
-How?!
The Death Knights reacted immediately.
They had been considering how to approach the palace, but a summoning from the void? 'This is absurd! Without any approach or preparation, they're summoning someone this powerful?!' Even as they moved to counter it, the Death Knights were bewildered.
Given their master's nature, these knights were also quite proficient in magic.
Magic was by no means an omnipotent skill—it was a ruthless discipline that demanded payment under strict laws.
The energy now emanating from the void belonged to a formidable being.
How could such a powerful entity be summoned without any approach or ritual?
-They couldn't have offered themselves as sacrifices, could they? That's their specialty!
-That's impossible. Even with human sacrifices, this level would require multiple high-ranking priests...
The Death Knight trailed off.
By normal logic, sacrificing multiple high-ranking priests just to attack a palace hosting a theatrical performance was sheer madness.
But Evil God Worshippers were far from ordinary in their thinking, devoted to grand plans only they understood.
They might genuinely sacrifice high-ranking priests for some greater scheme.
-For what? For what purpose?!
-I couldn't care less about the deranged thoughts of that damned Evil God! Prepare for battle! Evacuate those below!
The Death Knight clicked his tongue.
They had anticipated an attack from somewhere, but this was just crude terrorism.
All their meticulous preparations—evacuation was the real answer.
Crackle—!
Chains infused with dark energy coiled around the portal, and the siege weapons the Death Knights had brought began their assault.
A furious barrage poured through the portal opened in the void.
Yet the undead summoning didn't stop. The Death Knights cursed at the foul stench.
-It's the Profaner! And of course, it's a sturdy one!
-Buy time! If that thing takes interest in what's below, things will get messy!
Heh, heh, heh!
As the undead being, leading an army of decay and corruption, finally began to crawl out, the Death Knights tensed.
Just then, a massive Dragon shot out from the palace below.
—!!!?!
A... Dragon?!
Even the Profaner, startled, hastily retreated.