Chapter 448
Chapter 448
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 448
>Chapter Title: Born Rotten to the Core
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Sanctuary's defense system consists of five levels in total.
Black-White-Red-Blue-Green.
This defense system, which rises toward black and falls toward green, can be distinguished by the color of the magic circle.
And the current level is...
'...White.'
In other words, level 4.
That was precisely why the grand archmages had left the reception room.
If the situation resolved at level 4, there wouldn't be any major issues, but if it escalated to level 5 black...
'Even they couldn't guarantee their own safety.'
Why would they?
Already at level 4, Parapus, Count Taurus, and Keyston had been neutralized.
They were pretending to be fine now, but if it reached level 5, no one knew what would happen to them either.
'Ah, it might resolve at level 5 too...'
But that wouldn't be pleasant.
No one knew the extent of the black level, but it could easily mean entrusting their lives to someone else's hands.
That aside, though.
Aster quietly took in the sight of Pahren walking far ahead.
Honestly, Pahren's actions were hard to understand.
'...Why?'
If he was going to step up, he could have done so sooner.
No matter how he thought about it, Pahren in the reception room had seemed like he was just buying time with trivial maneuvers.
It could be a simple misjudgment. But if Pahren was indeed stalling, what on earth could be the reason?
As various suspicions chained together one after another.
"...A fork in the road."
At Kahazar's voice, Aster gathered his thoughts.
Just as he said, a fork awaited them.
Left, right.
Two paths.
"It might be best to split into groups of two or three."
Kahazar suggested, but no one responded.
Their goal was the same, but the trust between them was too shallow to rely on each other. The first to move was Pahren.
"Pahren... left. Patriarch Demeia. Which way will you go?"
“...”
Demeia glanced at Kahazar once before stepping forward without a word. The path he chose was right.
"And the Judge of Zamal?"
"Do not concern yourself with my choice."
In other words, mind your own business.
"...Hm."
Kahazar looked at the Judge of Zamal with dissatisfaction before nodding shortly after.
He didn't ask Aster.
"Then, I'll take left. Tower Lord, you go right. It seems best if you part ways with Pahren."
It was consideration, of sorts.
Aster didn't refuse.
'So... it's all set then.'
Left: Pahren and Kahazar.
Right: Himself, the Judge of Zamal, and Demeia.
Not a bad combination.
Going the same way as Pahren didn't seem like it would lead to anything good.
'Not that I'm scared, absolutely not.'
Anyway.
After they had walked for a while.
Demeia, walking ahead, stopped at a corner.
“...?”
"Blood scent."
Aster glanced at the Judge of Zamal and approached Demeia. Sure enough, it was as he said.
Beyond the corner, the scene was a sea of blood.
They were Hermits, and not just one or two.
Just as he grasped that much, Demeia's voice came.
"Black magic power."
“...”
It seemed they had been tracking the beast's traces... Aster soon found the traces of black magic power as well.
However.
"Hm."
"One alone."
The Judge of Zamal murmured softly, having reached the same conclusion as Aster.
Yes.
There was only one beast.
So, let's think about it.
"Hermits, at least..."
"Over ten, but not reaching twenty."
He recalled the Golden Horse Masters they had faced so far.
Could those guys really slaughter over ten Hermits so mercilessly?
They kept a low profile and erased their presence, but each Hermit was a mage of considerable caliber.
Naturally, the answer was...
'...Impossible.'
He hadn't confirmed every Golden Horse Master, so it might be premature, but Aster was certain.
The beast wasn't a Golden Horse Master.
The caliber was different.
In that case, only one being came to mind immediately.
"...4th Elder."
Yes, that one.
* * *
Whether the intruder in Sanctuary was truly the 4th Elder was unknown. But it was clear it wasn't an ordinary Golden Horse Master.
'...Not great.'
There was no need to be pessimistic... but the current situation required some deeper thought.
First, there were several reasons he judged it as 'not good.'
One.
'The magic circle's suppression is stronger than expected.'
Currently, white magic circle.
Even without reaching the 5th level black, three out of the seven observers had been neutralized.
And it wasn't just them.
Demeia walking ahead now might look fine on the outside, but who knew what was really going on inside.
Anyway, the first reason was the magic circle's suppression... and the second was none other than.
'Will Sanctuary's magic circle even work on forbidden magic?'
Most mana suppression spells act directly on the core. The reason Aster could move relatively freely under mana suppression restraints or circles was exactly that...
'But the Golden Horse Masters too?'
An average Golden Horse Master wouldn't warrant such worry, but the opponent wasn't average.
There were other minor concerns, but summing it up, it boiled down to this.
'This isn't going to screw us over?'
It might be fine now.
But if it reached level 4...
He thought that far.
“...?”
Aster tilted his head. Demeia ahead had stopped, his gaze fixed on the end of the corridor.
The corridor was bright.
It had to be.
The magic circles filling the floor, ceiling, and walls to the brim were emitting light.
Yet, why?
The end of the corridor was dark.
Darkness that was anything but natural.
He didn't know what the darkness was, but the energy it contained was clear.
'...Black magic power.'
The moment he confronted that black magic power, Aster realized.
His ominous premonition had hit the mark.
'This... feels like we're the ones screwed.'
And understandably so—the presence felt beyond that darkness was far too intact.
No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem affected by the magic circle.
Squirm, gurgle.
The darkness approached slowly. Then it stopped at a certain distance, and a voice came from beyond.
[The Patriarch of Dinai, the Judge of Zamal, and... the Tower Lord?]
“...”
Demeia didn't answer. Neither did the Judge of Zamal.
They didn't see the point in responding, but Aster alone asked while facing the presence.
"Who are you?"
[An Elder.]
"Which number."
[Nine.]
...Nine.
"And the 4th Elder?"
[I have a proposal.]
“...Proposal?”
The darkness rippled at Aster's question. The voice followed right after.
[Turn back.]
"Turn back?"
Aster let out a scoff.
"What... you mean you'll spare our lives if we leave now?"
[To avoid unnecessary conflict.]
"Ah, so you're begging us to let you live?"
[......]
The darkness fell silent.
Aster stared challengingly at the darkness.
The voice from the darkness came soon after.
[Yes, if you ask so earnestly, will you withdraw?]
“...”
This time, Aster was silent.
It was incomprehensible.
"Why?"
[To avoid unnecessary conflict.]
“...”
The same answer as before.
Aster realized further conversation was pointless.
That was all the 9th Elder wanted to say, and now it was their turn to respond.
'Maybe... he's scared?'
Yes, it was possible.
No matter how weakened their side was, who could handle three grand archmages alone?
...That thought lasted only a moment.
[What will you do?]
"Hm."
Hearing the 9th Elder's calm voice, Aster realized.
'To avoid unnecessary conflict.' There wasn't a shred of falsehood in those words.
He wasn't afraid.
But.
'...Why really?'
Wasn't this their laid-out game?
So why go to such lengths?
There had to be some reason...
The 9th Elder's voice rang in his ears once more.
[We cannot coexist, but there's no need for mutual destruction.]
In other words, just because they couldn't live together didn't mean they had to fight to the death and perish together.
Silence fell again.
The 9th Elder's words were reasonable.
Fighting over something they couldn't coexist on wouldn't benefit anyone.
The Judge of Zamal, and even Demeia, would agree.
Even if the Emperor had declared Salvatium's extermination and issued extermination orders to all noble houses, how would he know what happened here?
But.
"Yeah, I've decided."
Aster said that and looked at the 9th Elder. The 9th Elder's voice resounded.
[Will you turn back?]
"No."
[......A foolish choice. Patriarch of Dinai, Judge of Zamal, do you think the same?]
The 9th Elder said that, looking at Demeia and the Judge of Zamal. Hidden by darkness, but the gaze was certainly felt.
At that gaze, the Judge of Zamal closed his eyes gently instead of replying. As if it wasn't worth engaging.
And Demeia was the same.
So, in the end...
[You won't withdraw.]
The darkness rippled as if truly regretting it.
[What a pity.]
"Me too."
But what could he do.
It was because his nature was rotten to the core.
'...Don't tell me not to, and I want to even more.'
Honestly, he was curious.
What scheme had brought these heavy-assed guys creeping in here.
...Anyway.
[Don't regret it.]
A low voice shook the silence—
Kwarungungungung...!
And the darkness swallowed the space.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time.
Sanctuary's lowest level.
The 4th Elder was heading toward the control room to activate the black magic circle, the fifth of the black-white-red-blue-green levels.
'Nine... has three.'
From the consciousness shared by the 9th Elder, his opponents were the Tower Lord, Dinai Patriarch, and Judge of Zamal.
That meant the 11th Elder had Pahren...
Thinking that far, the 4th Elder glanced back.
Swish, swish—!
Presences clinging to his back like shadows.
Hermits.
'Persistent bastards...'
No matter how many he killed, they never ended.
Dealing with them one by one was an issue because the grand archmages had moved sooner than expected.
But what bothered him most was...
'...This gaze.'
The 4th Elder stopped in place. He shook off the Hermits and looked around.
Nothing was visible. But... the gaze fixed on him never strayed.
He didn't know the source of the gaze, but he could guess what it belonged to.
Mystery.
Something beyond modern common sense... even the 4th Elder's common sense—something that couldn't be explained or theorized.
A being belonging to that.
He had come here in his true form precisely because he sensed this presence, but facing it now was no small ordeal.
Fortunately, it hadn't intervened yet...
'...I need to hurry.'
Anyway, once he activated the black magic circle, it would all be over.
The 4th Elder's form crossed the space.