Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Golden Lord (2)
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A colorful array of guests had arrived in the Golden City of Delutana.
The first visitors were gentlemen dressed smartly in formal attire.
They wore proper academic caps and high-end wool coats, riding their horses with refined elegance, unperturbed by the cold. Their escorts, in stark contrast, slouched along with spears and swords slung carelessly over their shoulders, hawking up phlegm and spitting it out with wet thuds. Atop the flagpole held by the lead rider fluttered a wooden emblem symbolizing the "City of Knowledge."
They were councilors from the university faction in Galentana, accompanied by a band of gladiators who had suddenly found themselves unemployed after the arena's collapse.
A crowd gathered to gawk at the unexpected guests. The citizens' reactions were sharply divided.
"What the hell? Guys from Galentana? What's their sudden business in Delutana...?"
"No way the City of Knowledge is jumping into the war now, is it?"
"Tch, as if those cowardly bookworm scholars would... They're obviously here to push for negotiations with the Empire to protect their own city somehow..."
"Nah, rumors must've spread there too about Elga's 'stars' dying. Bringing gladiators like that? They might actually be here to help us..."
Debates raged: they were here to aid in the war, or no, to urge negotiations... Two sharply opposing views clashed.
If pressed, the latter was closer to the truth. But even that prediction wasn't entirely accurate. The visitors' top priority was to meet a certain mercenary who had brought down the arena...
And the second group of guests were mages clad in robes of every color.
―――― Kuuuung- !!
A magic circle dozens of meters in diameter manifested in the air. A flash of light blazed, and beneath it, figures appeared one after another. Mages in numerous blue robes and a few in rare red ones marched forward with haughty airs.
They were councilors from the Magic Tower in Vestana.
This time, an even larger crowd gathered. The citizens' reactions were largely similar.
"Ah, no way! Aren't those all mages from the Magic Tower?"
"Heh, even blue robes mean high-class mages, and red robes are rare senior ones, or so I've heard... Why are so many of them here...?"
"Mercy, Remillion! You don't mean they teleported straight here from Vestana all at once?"
No, that wasn't it. Teleporting such a large group over that distance would tax even a grand mage. They had simply ridden to the city outskirts and managed a short-range warp into the streets.
A blatantly theatrical entrance, clearly intentional. Yet its impact was immense. Citizens who had never witnessed such grand mystery in their lives buzzed with excitement at the hope that these enigmatic figures might become allies.
Unfortunately, the citizens' hopes were misplaced. The mages' purpose was also to interrogate a certain mercenary tied to the upheaval at the Magic Tower...
The guests from Galentana and those from Vestana. Their appearances differed vastly, but their goals were the same. With grim, resolute expressions, they headed to the prearranged meeting place.
And a certain fully prepared mercenary set off alongside the conference host, a bit later than the others.
*
If the Empire's "holy war" frontline was currently the central continental borderlands,
Then today, the frontline of the alliance's "civil war" was right here, in Delutana's conference hall.
It might lack drawn blades, but the atmosphere was no different from a battlefield. The hall, divided among representatives from the Golden City Delutana, the City of Knowledge Galentana, and the City of Miracles Vestana, brimmed with imminent tension.
No one needed to say it aloud—everyone knew. From here on, each represented their city's interests as warriors; their silver tongues would be sword and shield against assaults; and the stacks of documents they brought would serve as siege rams to topple fortresses...
"We now commence the 'Grand Conference' to uphold the great Golden Lord Remillion's legacy... to strengthen the Free City Alliance's bonds and discuss our path forward."
With those words from Enrico, acting chair and host for Delutana, the conference began.
The overt agenda was support for Delutana's damages and countermeasures against the Empire's invasion.
It started with a moment of silence for the Gospel Plague victims, proceeding in a somewhat subdued mood. After all, Delutana was a pillar of the alliance. The other cities couldn't dismiss foreign aggression as someone else's problem. Formal condolences and promises of aid for Delutana were exchanged.
But moments later, the mood shattered with the entry of a key figure.
"The savior of Delutana, Great Warrior Kadim enters! All rise to greet him!"
"......"
Kadim entered the hall with a stoic expression.
His bronze-cast giant frame, grotesque tattoos, brutal muscles, and suffocating presence... His mere existence shifted the air in the room. He exuded no overt hostility, yet everyone briefly sensed a threat to their very lives.
Once they regained their composure, Delutana's councilors rose as one, applauding. But the others from different cities stiffened, unmoving.
The real agenda of this conference was to hold that barbaric mercenary, the "Demon Slayer," accountable.
The speakers tried framing it as questions and clarifications. Kadim, however, tossed out a greeting bordering on provocation.
"Quite the swarm you've gathered, buzzing like flies. Get to the point, short and sweet."
The Galentana councilors gnashed their teeth and launched their assault.
"We'll skip the pleasantries, Demon Slayer... Last year, you fought as a gladiator in Agon for about a month. Yet there are highly suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of your patron, Arena King Yubik Agrámendus, and the arena's collapse..."
"...Look here! Records show you fought your last match right before the arena fell. And these are gladiators who were there at the time..."
Vestana's councilor-mages joined the attack.
"Demon Slayer... Do you remember Elder Oklamud of the 'Black Inferno' and Elder Coltran Spellasion of the 'Frozen Heart'? Surely you won't claim ignorance?"
"...Behold, magic proving you entered the Magic Tower's deepest level! And curiously, the tracking artifact for the Tower Lord's whereabouts also points to the deepest level..."
Witnesses galore, mountains of documents, detection spells, and artifacts... Evidence meticulously prepared over sleepless nights poured forth like a flood, cornering him without escape for what felt like hours.
Growing annoyed, Kadim muttered lowly.
"What a waste of time. I said keep it short."
The councilors flinched in unison.
It was barely perceptible killing intent, trivial really. Yet chills ran down spines, legs went weak. They desperately suppressed the urge to turn and flee as they pressed on.
"Demon Slayer... Did you kill Arena King Yubik and destroy Agon's arena?"
"Did you murder our two elders and harm the Tower Lord?"
Compared to the buildup, his answer was simple.
"Yes."
"“......”"
Silence so deep even breaths vanished.
In case anyone missed it, Kadim kindly repeated himself.
"Smashing the arena, butchering that fat plutocrat, killing the Tower Lord and old mages—all me."
"“......”"
A few days prior, those words had made Enrico Turis feel his soul drain away.
Now, the others shared that sensation. Faces paled to blue, to white, then froze earthy. In the stifling silence of the hall, the assembly drowned in apocalyptic shock, cycling through vivid hues of dismay.
Moments later, a few regained their wits.
Councilors often carried occupational habits: not taking words at face value, inferring true intent from context, tone, expressions, gestures—the myriad nonverbal cues.
Yes, that outrageous declaration might be sophisticated political maneuvering. Perhaps to gloss over greater undetected crimes, cover for the true culprit, or inflate reputation through superhuman villainy...
But the admitted crimes alone warranted execution a hundred times over; evidence was too clear for another perpetrator; and he already enjoyed infamous renown, no need to boost it. Unable to fathom his intent, they stared blankly at his impassive bronze face...
Then, a scant few grasped the truth.
This... wasn't some scheme.
It meant exactly what it said. He was straightforwardly owning his deeds. Not confessing, repenting, or despairing—but exuding absolute, unshakeable confidence. In crude terms, his mindset boiled down to:
What will you do about it?
Even if I admit it all, what can you do?
"G-Good heavens, Remillion..."
"Mercy, Remillion..."
The audacity beyond law, wieldable only by one untouchable by any power. Those who pierced the truth plunged into horrified chaos. Lips trembled dumbly as if skulls had shattered, until finally, they leaped up roaring.
"We demand the Golden City's council immediately arrest and punish this vile wretch! The casualties and damages he's caused us are incalculable, reaching to the heavens!"
"The Magic Tower concurs! The wisdom and mysteries held by our Tower Lord and elders were more precious than all Delutana's citizens combined! Fail to punish him, and we deem Delutana complicit in their deaths!"
"N-Now, calm down, councilors! Th-there seems to be some grave misunderstanding..."
The hall erupted into pandemonium: Galentana and Vestana unleashing volleys of blame, Delutana scrambling to contain it. The Atalan instigator watched calmly, as if enjoying a fire across the river.
In truth, the situation proved his confidence right. No one dared risk confronting such a monstrous force directly, so the other cities sought to pin responsibility indirectly through his hosts.
"To think the 'Golden City' is a den of such shameless fiends! Surely Remillion laments from the heavens!"
"As long as that wicked thug lives, expect no aid for damages or military cooperation! Nay, we sever ties with Delutana permanently!"
"Hah, better to ally with the Empire and raze this city than deal with hero-worshippers of that heinous criminal..."
But as the tide turned, Kadim no longer sat idle.
"Cowards who cower before true foes but grow bold against easy allies."
"...What?"
"...Huh?"
"I know well you're all craven scum fit for hells of defeat and submission. So stop badgering clueless Delutana—from now on, question me, the man himself."
His voice chilled spines to the bone.
The pressure intensified. Councilors, their shallow schemes exposed, grimaced and bit lips. Yet a few, where fury overrode fear, directly ordered him to submit to punishment.
Kadim's reply was plain.
"I refuse."
"What!? Refuse!? Such insolence..."
"Everything I did was justified. I smashed that den of corruption insulting true struggle; killed those two old mages and the Tower Lord because they deserved it. Instead, I wonder if it was right to gamble lives for sport and profit, or grind humans into mana stone fodder."
"“......!!”"
Galentana and Vestana reps froze. Called out on the arena's ills and mana stone secrets, they were speechless. The warrior's sharp recitation pressed on relentlessly.
"And none here have the standing to condemn me. Every alliance member owes me a massive debt."
All assumed the debt was "defeating Decagram."
The other cities' councilors stirred uniformly. They firmly believed rumors of him slaying the Empire's asymmetric force and saving Delutana were nonsense. They pulled out prepared documents, racking brains to rebut his claim.
However.
Their predictions missed entirely.
"I saved Remillion, founder of the alliance."
"“......”"
Silence returned, breaths erased once more.
*
Today's guests to Delutana weren't limited to reps from other cities.
The final guest was a man in resplendent golden armor.
Fuu – woong, clack!
Unlike the others, this visitor infiltrated the city swiftly and discreetly. Few witnessed him, but those who did were utterly baffled.
Not through gates or magic circles—he simply dropped from the sky.
"Wh-what!? You... just came down from the sky?"
"......"
The man folded leathery wings against his back. He surveyed the unfamiliar scene, inhaled deeply through his nose with eyes closed. Like a prodigal son returning home after long wandering.
"...No one would recognize without being told. This is the Golden City Delutana, right?"
"Y-yeah, it is... Bu-but who are you? From the Magic Tower too?"
"Haha, no... Funny misunderstanding. That aside, do you know where Duncan Wheeled is?"
"Duncan Wheeled...? Oh, the 'Savior of Untana'? His mansion's that way—from the square, Remillion's statue, right, straight on..."
"Ah, that's my statue over there?"
"...Huh?"
"Hmm, doesn't look much like me... Anyway, thanks. May gold-like blessings light your path."
The man turned. His golden armor gleamed dazzlingly; from beneath the helmet's slit, scales faintly glinted. Each majestic step radiated an eerily inhuman presence.
Even after the mysterious man left, the citizen who guided him stood frozen, soul-struck.
"My statue...? 'My statue'...?"
...Had he known the man's identity, he wouldn't have just blanked out—he'd have fainted dead away.