Wintersheld Magic Academy (3)
Selena Servich could not hide her confusion.
'What... is this...?'
Initially, she had planned to start the conversation over a warm cup of tea.
She would express her gratitude to Gaon for the Earth Wyrm subjugation, then engage in an academic discussion regarding the cultivation of Labyrinth Village's specialty goods.
Then, she would naturally transition to the topic of the Shadow Society, revealing her identity as the Blood Empress.
After apologizing for having him followed and presenting the gift she had prepared, they would resume their conversation in a much more relaxed atmosphere.
Yes. That was Selena Servich's plan.
Unfortunately, the meeting did not go as she had anticipated.
The moment Gaon abruptly demanded the position of leader of the Shadow Society, all her plans went up in smoke.
'...Damn it.'
She swallowed hard.
A suffocating tension hung over the table, which had suddenly turned into a negotiation battleground.
It felt as though she were sitting on a time bomb that could detonate at any second.
And the reason Selena felt so utterly helpless in this meeting with Gaon was simple.
'I know absolutely nothing about Gaon.'
The thirteenth Sword Master, born for the first time in hundreds of years.
Gathering information on him was practically impossible.
After all, it had only been a few days since Gaon had ascended as a seeker of the sword.
She had tried to have him tailed through Isaac Berylof, but that operation had failed spectacularly.
'On the other hand, he...'
For some reason, he knew far too much about the Shadow Society.
The society's ultimate goal, and even the immediate crisis they faced.
Information she had no idea how he could have obtained flowed effortlessly from his mouth.
"..."
Selena bit the inside of her lip.
She couldn't help but bite her lip in frustration.
This situation was deeply unpleasant. She felt stripped bare in front of a complete stranger.
But above all, what confused her the most was...
'Why can't I bring myself to believe him?'
...the simple fact that Gaon looked incredibly weak.
Every Sword Master she had encountered in the past exuded an unmistakable aura of martial prowess and presence.
Just being near them made it difficult to breathe, and there were times she had been so crushed by their overwhelming pressure that she couldn't even move a finger.
Yet, she felt absolutely no such pressure from this man.
Though she had observed him closely throughout the meeting, to the eyes of a 9th-circle mage like Selena, Gaon looked like nothing more than an ordinary adventurer.
And yet, this man was confidently boasting that he would kill the Transgressor. Naturally, she had to doubt his true intentions.
Especially when he was shamelessly demanding the leadership of the Shadow Society as his price.
"Empress,"
But at that moment.
"If it were anyone else, I would doubt it. But if it is Lord Gaon, it is entirely possible."
"...?"
The words that came from Isaac Berylof's mouth shattered all her doubts in an instant.
Gaon's track record was just that shocking.
He had instantly seen through Isaac Berylof, who was wearing Tristan's Cloak.
He had easily subdued Doricco Shiro, one of the Five Nightmares.
He had slain a corrupted Divine Beast with a single strike.
And above all...
"Lord Gaon is said to have slain Camilo von Taribas."
"W-what did you say?"
Selena Servich's heart sank.
She responded in a voice filled with utter disbelief.
"Camilo von Taribas? He killed one of the Five Nightmares?"
Camilo von Taribas.
For the past several centuries, no one had succeeded in destroying that immortal lich.
Even the twelve Sword Masters who had reached the pinnacle of the sword could not find a way to kill him, ultimately leaving the lich's atrocities unchecked.
Yet, he had slain a being that had achieved immortality?
'If that's true...'
The dream she had deemed impossible suddenly felt within reach.
It meant his claim of being able to kill the Transgressor might not be a mere bluff.
The monster that had devoured the Shadow Society for decades and twisted their true purpose... The being capable of eliminating the Transgressor was sitting right in front of her.
"Whew."
Selena Servich took a deep breath.
Calming her racing heart, she looked at Gaon with a much more composed expression.
"Very well. I understand that you are capable of killing the Transgressor. Berylof would have no reason to lie to me."
"..."
"But regardless of that, I must know why you are demanding the leadership of the Shadow Society."
Hearing her question, Gaon answered without a moment's hesitation.
"To kill the Transgressor, the Seal is absolutely necessary."
"...The Seal?"
Selena Servich narrowed her eyes.
The Seal of the Shadow Society.
It was a token granted only to the current leader.
It was not a mere symbol, but a spell imbued with immense authority, serving to amplify the leader's power and jurisdiction.
'Once the Seal is transferred, it can never be reclaimed.'
This was an immutable law passed down since the founding of the Shadow Society. It was not a mere custom, but a rule born from the magical properties bound to the Seal itself.
'In other words, handing over the Seal means permanently relinquishing the position of leader of the Shadow Society...'
While Selena was locked in these thoughts.
"There is no need to worry."
Gaon continued.
"After the Transgressor is dealt with, I will return the 'practical' control of the Shadow Society to you."
"Practical control...?"
"I will rarely interfere with the society. I only intend to keep the Seal and the nominal title of leader."
"...?"
Selena Servich retorted, dumbfounded.
"Then how is that any different from our current situation? I lead the society under the name of the Blood Empress, but in reality, I am nothing but the Transgressor's puppet. Isn't your proposal just replacing one master with another?"
"No."
Gaon slowly shook his head.
"At the very least, I will not demand those horrific human sacrifices."
"...!"
"The periodic rituals. Being liberated from the gruesome obligation of sacrificing dozens of lives is surely worth it, is it not?"
"..."
"I will set this society straight. I will not squander the Seal for any other purpose. I swear this upon the names of the Great Ones."
Selena Servich's face stiffened.
The original purpose of the Shadow Society was the pursuit of knowledge and transcendence.
But what had it become now?
It had degenerated into a slaughterhouse to feed the insatiable hunger of the Transgressor. Every month, they performed horrific rituals, sacrificing countless innocent lives.
No matter how she rationalized it, this was not the path the Shadow Society was meant to walk.
In that sense, if the Transgressor could be defeated, handing over the Seal in exchange was a trade well worth considering.
Even if she lost the title and power of the leader she had held for so long, it didn't matter as long as the society could return to its original purpose.
Of course.
Even so, Selena Servich could not accept his terms immediately.
"I need time to think."
"..."
"I want to know your true intentions behind making such a proposal."
After all, this was the first time Selena Servich had ever met Gaon.
Obediently following his demands without knowing his goals, values, or inner thoughts made no sense.
"Blood Empress."
At that moment, Gaon spoke in a low, quiet voice.
"To be officially recognized as a Sword Master, one must forge a Sacred Covenant before the councilors of Midtemple. You must know this well."
Slide.
Gaon stood up and began to walk slowly toward her.
A mage should instinctively be on guard when an opponent closed the distance.
Yet, Selena Servich simply watched Gaon approach. She felt no bloodlust, no threatening aura whatsoever from him.
Perhaps it was a form of pride.
Servich was confident in her power as a 9th-circle mage. Even if a Sword Master were to launch a surprise attack, she was confident she could defend against it at least once.
But more than that, it was her determination not to lose the battle of wills.
Showing fear or taking a defensive stance in front of a Sword Master would be tantamount to admitting defeat.
Therefore, Selena Servich deliberately refrained from taking a defensive posture. She believed that was the only way to maintain her dignity as the Blood Empress.
"The covenant I forged with the Great Ones."
"..."
"It dictates... that all my actions are predicated on saving the world from destruction."
But at that very moment.
The instant Gaon finished speaking...
Rumble!
...the world began to turn upside down.
"...!"
A resonance that felt as if space itself were tearing apart.
At the same time, an astronomical wave of bloodlust erupted from Gaon's body.
All the strength drained from her body. Her muscles locked up, stiffening completely. She couldn't even move a single finger.
Like someone thrown into freezing water and drowning, she gasped frantically for oxygen. But no matter how hard she tried to inhale, the air would not reach her lungs.
This was no mere fear or terror. It was a panic where her very existence felt like it was fading away. A sensation of her ego and consciousness plummeting into an endless abyss.
Whoosh!
The pressure Gaon exuded vanished in an instant, like a mirage.
But in that brief, fleeting moment...
Selena Servich had experienced a gruesome death.
The pride of a 9th-circle mage who had pursued the limits of magic for so long had crumbled in a single second.
"Haah, haah...!"
Driven by pure instinct, Selena Servich began to pant heavily, overwhelmed by extreme terror.
"W-what... what is this..."
"Listen carefully."
Gaon's dry, emotionless voice drifted into her ears.
Trembling uncontrollably, Selena Servich looked up at him.
Gaon's face remained expressionless.
Though he had exuded a terrifying bloodlust just moments ago, he simply continued speaking in a flat, detached tone.
"If I had any impure intentions."
"..."
"If I had even the slightest desire to harm you."
Gaon concluded in a low voice.
"Your society would have ceased to exist long ago."
"...!"
*Thump, thump.*
Selena Servich's heart pounded frantically.
Having tasted the terror of death under that brief flash of bloodlust, she realized one truth all too late.
'Ah...'
Indeed.
The reason she had felt nothing from Gaon was not proof of weakness, but quite the opposite.
Gaon had deliberately and completely concealed his power.
If he had shown this kind of bloodlust from the start, no conversation or negotiation could have ever taken place.
"So, I will say this one last time."
"..."
"Hand over the leadership of the Shadow Society to me."
In the deepest depths of the abyss.
In the pitch-black darkness where no light could reach, something slowly raised its head.
A monster that bore the shape of a human, but could never be called one.
Its entire body was rotting away, and bloody steam seeped through the deep cracks in its flesh.
Rumble...
A heavy, oppressive energy hung around it, as if weighed down by something.
An illusion as if time and space were warping.
An incongruity, as if its very existence defied the laws of the world.
"Hmm...?"
Then, the corners of the strange figure's mouth slowly curled upward.