Chapter 281: Chess (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 281: Chess (4)
“Checkmate.”
Vuel slid his piece across the board, his voice serving as the answer to my unspoken question.
I looked down at the chessboard.
The black army I controlled hadn’t engaged much with the white. Based on my calculations, I had prepared a move aimed solely at a checkmate, exploiting a blind spot in Vuel’s formation.
However, Vuel had danced right over my strategy, effortlessly turning the tables on me.
“You seem to already know the reason without me having to say it. How strange. Did you already guess?”
Vuel leaned back in his chair.
His hair had returned to brown, and his eyes appeared normal, but that eerie smile remained unchanged.
“I felt it was my duty to tell you this. Because soon, we will be fighting.”
“…Is that so.”
“Then, our business here is finished.”
Vuel smirked and pressed his palms together.
“Take care, Isaac.”
Vuel waved lightly, bidding me farewell.
There was nothing more to say. We had confirmed each other’s intentions. Even if I were to attack him here, Vuel wouldn’t be able to do much about it—but launching a preemptive strike was a gamble I couldn't take. If he retaliated, my life would be in genuine danger, and the journey to subjugate the Evil God might come to an abrupt end.
However, Vuel was under the firm impression that my abilities were at the [Hunter] level. He didn’t suspect, even for a moment, that the only reason I hadn’t touched him was that I couldn't win.
This is different from when I faced Alice.
Back then, there wasn’t concrete evidence that I was the Nameless Hero, and I could still use Dorothy as a deterrent against her. Now, however, my identity was firmly established, and there was no real deterrent against Vuel.
The only leverage I had was a hollow bluff: the mysterious power of the “Ice Sovereign Isaac,” Vuel’s own deep-seated caution, and his worry that I might derail his plans. Vuel didn’t go out of his way to increase the body count unless an opponent was a direct hindrance.
I have to keep this act going.
I had to keep Vuel under the illusion that I was a powerhouse with unknown, limitless strength. Otherwise, my plans would be completely derailed.
“…”
I stood up and headed toward the door. Before turning the handle to leave, I paused and spoke.
“Don’t regret this.”
With those words, I left.
Though we couldn’t read each other’s minds, it seemed we both understood exactly when the time for our final confrontation would come.
*
I instructed Hilde to inform Priestess Miya, who was waiting for me, that I would speak with her another time.
I ordered Cheshire to keep a constant watch on Vuel from a distance, emphasizing that he should focus on escaping immediately if anything felt dangerous.
As twilight began to descend, I summoned Luce, Kaya, Dorothy, and Alice to the hideout in Josena Forest. Even though I was close with all of them, the sight of the four girls gathered in one place was quite a spectacle.
It’s the first time they’ve all been together like this, isn’t it?
Each of them stood apart, clearly reluctant to be near one another. After Alice deployed a soundproof barrier around the hideout, I told them everything about my conversation with Vuel. I also informed them that Vuel possessed immortality and was a being that should not be trifled with.
“Isn’t this… dangerous?” Dorothy asked in a flustered voice, sitting in a lotus position on the sofa.
“Half of it is.”
“Half?”
“It seems Instructor Ron has judged that he still can’t defeat me,” I answered, taking a sip of tea. “I think he came to meet me for preliminary scouting. He likely wants to figure out my combat style beforehand.”
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the outcome of a hundred battles,” as the saying goes.
Although I hadn't showcased skills befitting the title of “Ice Sovereign” at the academy yet, he could still analyze my movements through various tests. Vuel would draw a dozen conclusions from every single move I made.
“He declared war to provoke me. On the other hand, it also means he doesn’t plan to kill me right away.”
“Baby.”
Sss…
Alice, resting her chin on the table, called out to me. An eerie atmosphere immediately began to emanate from the other girls.
Why are they in such a bad mood all of a sudden…
“Hmm?”
“Do you have any guesses as to why Instructor Ron wants to eliminate you? Considering your status and power, I doubt he’s unaware of how dangerous it is to target you.”
Instructor Ron—in other words, Vuel’s goal.
Should I explain it here? I might as well, since I’ll need their cooperation anyway.
I thought briefly about how to phrase it, recalling the plot of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱.
“I’ll start with this. Don’t ask how I know—just don’t. It’ll only give you a headache. Naturally, this is a secret that must be kept at all costs.”
“If Sir Isaac puts it that way, then of course. I’ll take any secret to the grave,” Kaya replied playfully, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. I nodded.
“There is only one person who had a close relationship with the Heavenly Beings. That person belonged to the Carnedas family.”
“You mean the family of Ciel Carnedas, Sir Isaac?”
“Yes. That person was tasked with bringing the Child of Light, Ian Fairytale, to the realm of the Heavenly Beings if he was ever found.”
Alice chimed in, “The scale of this is getting out of hand.”
“The ‘Heavenly Clock’ was given as a token of that promise.”
I casually flicked my fingers, letting ice mana flow. The mana formed a simple image of a pocket watch before dispersing into the air. Luce exhaled a deliberate, meaningful hum.
“The promise and the clock were passed down through the Carnedas family, eventually reaching Ciel and Abel. By the way, Abel is in the Knight Department—he’s Ciel’s younger brother.”
I adjusted my glasses.
“The Heavenly Clock chooses its own Master. That’s how Abel became the current Master of the clock.”
“The Heavenly Clock… Is that related to Instructor Ron’s goal?”
I nodded at Alice’s question.
“The Heavenly Clock will enter its second phase when it detects a Heavenly Being in the human realm. It gives humans time to assess the situation, and when the time comes, it will unleash immense power, disrupting mana across the entire world. Instructor Ron intends to exploit that.”
Among the demons, the only one who could nullify mana was the Underground Giant. Similarly, the Abyssal Sea Monster was one of the few creatures capable of disrupting mana. But the Heavenly Clock boasted a power on a completely different scale. Its range was capable of affecting the entire world.
“That’s terrifying… It sounds incredibly dangerous. Why would the Heavenly Beings give something like that to humans?”
“Dorothy, you have a brain. I’d suggest you use it to think for once.”
“I wasn’t asking you, so would you kindly shut your mouth, Alice?”
A vein throbbed on Dorothy’s forehead, but she held back her anger for my sake, forcing a smile at Alice, who only smirked back.
“The Heavenly Beings made a treaty that forbids them from interfering in the human realm,” I explained. “The Heavenly Clock detects any Heavenly Beings who violate that treaty by descending to our world.”
The Heavenly Clock was likely detecting Vuel and his rebellious forces, which was why it was entering its second phase.
“Sir Isaac, you really know everything…”
“Not everything, but enough.”
I shook my head at Kaya’s look of admiration. I was grateful for her unwavering trust.
“In short, the Heavenly Clock is an alarm bell. When its effects spread, even the heavenly realms will notice.”
In the end, Vuel’s treacherous actions would be exposed. If we played our cards right, we could avoid the bad ending: 「Judgment of the Gods」.
“The Heavenly Clock disrupts all mana to allow humans to counter the Heavenly Beings before the forces of the heavenly realm are fully deployed. From a human perspective, it’s what makes the fight possible.”
“Are Heavenly Beings really that strong?”
“Kaya, you’ve seen how powerful Ian’s Divine Power is, right?”
“Yes, I’ve seen it. So that means…”
I spoke to Kaya, who was visibly tensing up.
“The Heavenly soldiers are veteran warriors of the light element. When they are fully armed, their elemental resistances are maximized.”
“If we have to fight them, it’s going to be a nightmare…”
I nodded.
“So, Baby, what does Instructor Ron gain if the world’s mana is disrupted?”
Before the effects of the Heavenly Clock took hold, Vuel and his subordinates would secure a specific location.
That place is…
“‘Black Stone.’ It’s called the heart of the world. That’s where his goal lies.”
Alice and Luce narrowed their eyes, while Dorothy and Kaya looked on in shock.
Black Stone.
A land surrounded by black volcanic rock. At its center sat a massive lake. If I were to use an analogy from my past life, it was like Olympus Mons on Mars—a mountain so enormous that it gave the illusion of being a flat plain. The scale of Black Stone was so vast that it took a long time to even realize you were standing on a mountain.
It was confirmed that deep within that place, an unknown natural mana was buried. In the magic world, rumors persisted that Black Stone held the ultimate mysteries of the world.
“Deep within, an unimaginable amount of natural mana has concentrated over countless years, circulating through the core of this world.”
Vuel’s goal was that vast reservoir of mana.
“If the world’s magic is disrupted, that place won’t be an exception. Instructor Ron plans to provoke the unstable mana there, causing it to erupt so he can harness it.”
He would use that natural mana to create the Spear of Longinus, a weapon capable of bringing down the Heavenly God. And with the Authority of Godslaying possessed by the Evil God, he would destroy the heavens.
In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, it was explained that Vuel planned to injure the Heavenly God to force them into a battle with the Evil God. But now that I knew the Authority of Godslaying was in the hands of the Evil God, Vuel’s true intentions were much clearer.
For a moment, silence filled the hideout.
“What I want to tell you is to carry on as usual, but be cautious while Instructor Ron is at the academy. Especially you four, since you’re closely linked to me. We don’t know how he’ll react to you. And… I’ll handle Ron.”
There were two reasons I revealed this information only to them. First, they were the comrades I trusted most. Second, I wanted to keep our movements as hidden as possible.
“I don’t understand.”
Luce, who had been silent until now, spoke up quietly. Everyone’s attention turned to her. She quickly approached and leaned in close, her cold aquamarine eyes staring directly into mine.
“Why are you taking on such a dangerous task? The Imperial Knights, the Magic Army… the Imperial family has more than enough forces to fight. Why do you have to put yourself at risk?”
“Huh?”
“Why have the Heavenly Beings started targeting you? And why do you act like it’s your duty to stop them? Is it some ridiculous sense of justice?”
Her voice, calm yet heavy, sounded almost like a reprimand. The look in her eyes was firm and clear. It was an understandable reaction. Luce had once told me that if something happened to me, her world would collapse.
“Isaac.” Luce placed her hand on my shoulder. “Even if the rest of the world dies, you can’t. So please… stay safe.”
“Sweetheart, don’t you think it’s time to stop trying to score points?”
“What?”
Alice gently approached and tapped Luce, who glared at her savagely. Alice smiled kindly and then looked at me.
“Baby, it seems the conversation is over. Wouldn’t it be best for us to disperse?”
“…Yeah.”
Thanks.
I stood up from my seat.
“That’s all I needed to say. Sorry, but I’ll be counting on you for a while. Thank you for your concern. Let’s talk again soon.”
I lightly patted Luce’s shoulder a couple of times before pushing past her. I glanced back and saw her standing still, a deep sigh escaping her as she tried to collect her emotions.
I opened the door and left the hideout.