The Emergency Council (4)
The moment Professor Biorf finished speaking, the meeting room fell into a dead silence.
The atmosphere had completely shifted in his favor. Seizing the momentum, Biorf pressed on.
"Unlike you all, I was directly involved in this incident. I fought head-on with that monster that had been hiding underground for hundreds of years."
His voice, echoing through the chamber, trembled slightly.
"And let me tell you this. Even if the entire faculty of the Wintersheld Magic Academy had thrown themselves into the fray, they wouldn't have been able to handle that monster, the Defier of Heaven."
"..."
"He wasn't just some immortal; he was a monster standing at the very pinnacle of magic. If we had gone in alone, half of the faculty sitting here wouldn't be alive today."
Biorf looked at Tordam, who was sitting in the chancellor's seat.
"So, rather than reprimanding the Sword Master, it is only right that we express our gratitude first. Isn't that just common sense?"
"...Common sense?"
Tordam furrowed his brow.
"Be reasonable. How can expressing gratitude to someone who broke the treaty be 'common sense'—"
Slam!
Biorf suddenly leaped to his feet, slammed his hand down on the round table, and growled in a low voice.
"You."
Tordam's face turned stark white.
He looked far more shaken now than when I had drawn the Feather Sword.
"Did you forget what I'm like, you son of a bitch?"
The room instantly fell into a stir.
No matter how famous Professor Biorf was for his fiery temper, no one had expected him to spit out such vulgarities in a formal council meeting.
"S-Senior."
Tordam immediately shifted his stance.
"P-Please, this is an official meeting. You must maintain your dignity..."
"Dignity? You dare talk to me about dignity? And senior? Since when was I your senior, you bastard!"
Professor Biorf bellowed, completely discarding any semblance of grace.
"Stop playing pathetic games. Do you think I don't know you're trying to use this opportunity to exploit the Sword Master?"
"B-But..."
"Shut up! Such underhanded schemes are a disgrace to all mages! Stop this nonsense this instant!"
The authority of the elder mage silenced all arguments.
Unable to offer any rebuttal, Tordam shut his mouth and slowly sank back into his seat.
"..."
Thud.
Indeed. The reason Tordam had risen to the position of Chancellor wasn't simply because of his outstanding administrative abilities.
The position of Chancellor was a role burdened with endless duties and responsibilities.
Because of this, Biorf and several other elder professors had intentionally dumped that burden onto their junior.
In short, he got stuck with the dirty work.
Therefore, no matter how high the Chancellor's authority was, he couldn't possibly stand up to a senior who had graduated from the academy over a century before him.
Seeing Chancellor Tordam back down, Biorf let out a deep sigh and spoke in a much calmer tone.
"Whew. Let's hear what Sir Gaon has to say first. I'm sure he had a good reason for acting so urgently to eliminate the Defier of Heaven, even if it meant violating the treaty."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere in the room had completely shifted.
The mages who had been eager to tear me apart just minutes ago couldn't even squeak.
I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the absurdity of it all.
Hey, Selena.
Why on earth did you drag me all the way to this meeting? If you wanted to whip them into shape, Biorf alone would have been more than enough.
This is completely unexpected.
I had anticipated Professor Biorf defending me, but I never imagined he would go this far.
Was his trauma regarding Sword Masters deeper than I thought?
Or perhaps he had developed a sense of trust in me while we fought the Defier of Heaven together.
Well, whatever the reason, it doesn't matter.
The results were undeniable. The atmosphere of the meeting room had completely flipped after Professor Biorf's sudden outburst.
The mages no longer dared to reprimand me. The initiative Biorf had seized was now handed over to me.
Now, it's time to play my final card.
There was no better timing than this to reveal my true purpose for attending this emergency council.
Sheeeath.
I sheathed the Feather Sword and placed my hands on the round table.
It was finally time to set the first stone.
A brief lull fell over the chamber. With everyone's eyes fixed on the Sword Master, Gaon spoke in a calm, measured voice.
"First, let me make one thing clear: I have never broken the treaty."
"...?"
"There is a single exception in the treaty. For the execution of heretics, entry into the inner towers of Wintersheld is permitted."
Tordam's eyes narrowed.
"What nonsense is this... Are you claiming there are heretics inside the Magic Academy?"
"Yes."
Gaon nodded.
"Those who worshiped the monster hidden underground, the Defier of Heaven, as a god are hiding throughout this academy. Even among the professors."
The room began to stir once more.
Several professors exchanged meaningful glances, while others showed signs of rising in anger.
Tordam's expression hardened.
"Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?"
Gaon answered without a moment's hesitation.
"Who do you think built the underground facilities and the altar of this academy? And the passage connecting to the Abyss?"
"..."
"..."
Everyone fell silent at his words.
The professors had already inspected the underground facilities before the emergency council began.
The scale of it was far too massive to have been built by outsiders.
Moreover, maintaining such a facility in secret for hundreds of years was impossible.
Unless, as Gaon said, there were informants hidden inside the academy.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Tension hung heavy in the air.
Several professors exchanged anxious glances.
Watching them, Gaon slowly continued.
"Within the Magic Academy, there exists a secret society that worshiped the Defier of Heaven and built and maintained those underground facilities. They are known as the Shadow Society."
The moment the name was uttered, the atmosphere in the room froze instantly.
The faces of several professors turned pale, while others wore expressions of disbelief. Even Professor Biorf looked shocked.
Isaac Berylof stared at the floor, completely motionless. Selena Servich stared at Gaon, her expression demanding to know what he was planning.
Gaon's gaze swept over the mages seated at the round table one by one, before finally landing on Tordam.
"Why are you playing dumb with that innocent look on your face?"
"..."
"When you, the very man sitting in the chancellor's seat, are a member of the Shadow Society."
Tordam's face contorted.
"What ridiculous slander is this—!"
"Chancellor Tordam."
Gaon cut him off.
Then, he commanded in a voice as cold as ice.
"Slam your head onto the table, and keep your mouth shut until I give you permission to speak."
CRASH!
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Tordam's upper body bent forward, and his head slammed against the round table. He moved in a bizarre, unnatural way, like a puppet controlled by invisible strings.
A thin trickle of blood began to flow from his forehead, staining the table.
Gaon slowly stood up. His face was devoid of any emotion. As he moved with mechanical coldness, the tension in the room reached its absolute peak.
Step. Step.
Gaon began to walk along the edge of the round table.
Only the sound of his footsteps echoed through the silent chamber.
As Gaon drew closer, Tordam's body grew even stiffer, his face still pressed hard against the table.
As I walked, hushed whispers broke out across the silent room.
"W-What on earth is..."
"W-What's happening? Did he use a Word of Command?"
Most of them were junior professors.
They stood there with blank expressions, completely unable to comprehend what had just transpired.
On the other hand, the more experienced professors—specifically, the mages belonging to the Shadow Society—stared at me with eyes filled with sheer terror.
They knew exactly what had just happened to Chancellor Tordam.
*Hummmm—!*
A faint light leaked from the seal engraved on my chest.
Under the influence of the absolute command, Chancellor Tordam had obeyed my words without a single squeak.
The moment they realized I had become the new leader of the Shadow Society, the mages affiliated with the organization began to look at me in utter shock.
"Wintersheld Magic Academy. The continent's premier academic institution and the center of magical research. Externally, it claims to faithfully follow the teachings of the 'Lord of Mana and Mystery,' but..."
I paused, stopping right in front of Tordam.
"Wintersheld was infiltrated by the Shadow Society long ago. The fact that even the Chancellor is a member is proof enough."
I slowly raised my head and continued.
"However, I have no intention of punishing the Shadow Society. There is nothing wrong with attempting to achieve transcendence and godhood through magic. In fact, it is a worthy pursuit for anyone walking the path of magic."
"..."
"The Shadow Society is not a cult of heretics. They merely sought to approach the Great Ones in a different way. Though that process birthed a tragedy like the Defier of Heaven, we now face a far greater threat."
No one dared to speak.
They looked as though they couldn't believe such words were coming from a Sword Master.
After all, a Sword Master was supposed to be a mere tool that faithfully executed the commands of the Great Ones.
They were not in a position to discuss political interests or alliances between factions.
But...
...I am different.
Didn't I say it earlier?
I am no ordinary Sword Master.
In that sense, I was fully prepared to take a path entirely different from the previous twelve Sword Masters.
If it meant survival.
And if it meant saving this world.
I would gladly plunge into a world of politics, schemes, and underhanded tactics.
"The apocalypse is drawing near."
With that single sentence, the air in the room froze.
"To prevent the impending disaster, Wintersheld, Midtemple, and the Shadow Society must join forces. Even the Ruins Merchant Group. Only when all the factions of the continent unite will we stand a sliver of a chance."
Everyone wore expressions of utter bewilderment at my words.
Of course they would be confused.
A seeker of truth who valued the holy will of the Elder was talking about forming an alliance with factions that were practically the axis of evil.
But we couldn't afford to divide ourselves by good and evil.
To stop the crisis that would soon descend upon this world, humanity—and indeed, all races—had no choice but to unite.
Of course...
"I know. As long as the traditionalists exist in Midtemple, they will never tolerate the existence of the Shadow Society. Nor will they ever allow any interaction with the Ruins Merchant Group."
...The process would not be easy. There were too many obstacles blocking my path.
But it didn't matter.
The knowledge of a player who had completed 200 playthroughs slept within me.
This was something only I, who saw through all the secrets of this world, could achieve.
Having finished my thoughts, I spoke once more.
"My name is Gaon."
The grand speech I had delivered to seize control of the Shadow Society, Wintersheld Magic Academy, and the mages belonging to both was finally drawing to a close.
At last, the real game had begun.
Toward a true ending of Lost Elder that no one had ever witnessed, I would forge the path myself.
From now on, I would set the rules and set the board. I would no longer be bound by the constraints of the game.
As if engraving this vow into my heart, I declared before everyone.
"Before the apocalypse arrives, I will personally unite all the major powers of this world."
"..."
"Even if it means wiping out the traditionalists of Midtemple with my own hands."