The Eleventh Study - Inflection Point of Fate (5)
In the grand schemes of immortals, mortals were nothing more than pawns on a chessboard.
But.
Occasionally, something different happened.
A pawn would flip the board itself.
“…This is a most unusual situation.”
The Hell Monarch narrowed his eyes from his throne. Every last one of the elite forces he had painstakingly nurtured had been annihilated. Even the [Unholy Alliance]—the most critical part of his plan—had shattered. And the youngest son who had caused all this had abandoned his power and vanished without a trace.
“It appears the demons suffered catastrophic losses,” the cautious First Prince said.
“Their retaliation will begin soon.”
“While we devils fight among ourselves, those bastards in Heaven must be laughing their heads off!”
The ferocious Second Prince slammed his fist on the table in fury. Meanwhile, the cunning Third Prince crossed his arms, his thoughts spreading like a spider’s web.
“The youngest has gained an accomplice.”
“Of course he has. That coward never would have dared act alone.”
“Were there any suspicious movements recently?”
“Well…”
Lucifeles had always roamed the surface world, obsessively collecting souls. He mainly targeted tyrants hungry for power and mages driven mad by obsession.
…
However, among the mortals Lucifeles associated with, none had reached the realm of Transcendents. And even if a mortal Transcendent existed, they could not possibly incite a demon archduke to rebel against the Hell Monarch. That was common sense.
“Hmm…”
Mortals could not manipulate immortals.
Only immortals manipulated mortals.
The reverse was an exceedingly rare exception.
‘Exceptions should be examined last. Start with the most plausible possibilities. In that case, the most likely suspect is… the Sun God who rules Heaven.’
Lucifeles’s mother had been a Chosen of the Sun God. Because she had abandoned her faith, even the Sun God could not save her, but…
‘Her son is another story.’
What if they rescued the son of the abandoned saintess and, at the same time, made him betray the demon archduke and join Heaven?
‘A move that secures both practical gain and moral justification.’
The symbolic value of saving the saintess’s son.
The practical benefit of turning a demon archduke.
If it were him, he would have done exactly that.
“I have identified the mastermind behind this attack.”
“!” “It is time to deliver the appropriate retaliation.”
All the great demons gathered in the conference hall turned their eyes to the Hell Monarch at once. Especially his sons, who competed to become his successor.
“First Prince. Manifest on the surface in a human body, assume command of the Devil Cult, and rally the legions of evil to assault the Holy See!”
We shall obey!
O Great Monarch!
“Second Prince. Lead your direct forces and repel the demons’ invasion from Gehenna. From now on, the duty of guarding the gates of the Seven Hells falls to you.”
We shall obey!
O Great Warrior!
“Third Prince. Spread the greatness of Hell among the mortals. The stronger the Devil Cult grows, the more opportunities we will have to descend upon the surface!”
We shall obey!
O Great Teacher!
“My beloved daughter.”
“Command me, O kind father.”
“Our house is in crisis. Shouldn’t that worthless mortal husband of yours make some contribution?”
Of course.
What must I accomplish?
“Suppress the Sun God’s Church within the Empire.”
“…That will not be an easy task.”
“A son-in-law of Hell should be capable of at least that much.”
“…Understood, Father.”
“The meeting is over. Dismissed.”
Whoosh!
The archdevils vanished in bursts of sulfurous flame. In their place, another demon emerged from the shadows of the conference room, radiating a profoundly alien aura.
“Long time no see, ex-husband.”
“I did not invite you, whore of the Abyss.”
The new arrival was a female fallen angel with seven pairs of wings. Her appearance possessed the beauty of Heaven, yet the gaze that spilled from her carried the ugliness of her corrupted soul—crimson and dark.
“Your words are too harsh. We were married once.”
“State your business.”
“I have good news and bad news.”
The fallen angel approached softly, as if to embrace the Hell Monarch’s head, but he invoked his authority to restrain her movement.
“Do not move so freely, uninvited guest.”
“Why? Do you prefer to tie me up first?”
“How utterly vulgar… it’s difficult to even associate with you.”
“Do you still harbor feelings for your human toy?”
The fallen angel slowly withdrew from the Hell Monarch. Only then did he release his authority.
“I won’t drag this out, darling.”
“I will listen. Sovereign of the Abyss.”
“I’ll start with the good news.”
The fallen angel.
Smiled with eyes full of mischief.
“I’ll extend the alliance a little longer.”
“What is the basis for that judgment?”
“Because it looks fun.”
?
??
???
“My youngest son violated the armistice, causing your plan to collapse. The demons summoned to the surface have hurriedly returned to the Abyss.”
Naturally.
It would be correct to sever the alliance.
The damage from betrayal must have been enormous.
“And?”
“?”
“Children are born for their mother’s amusement anyway. Since they gave me pleasure by dying, they have fulfilled their purpose.”
Heh heh.
Still hard to accept?
“Then here’s the bad news.”
“I am listening. I acknowledge your intuition.”
“The mastermind behind this incident is not Heaven.”
“Then are you suspecting Paradise?”
“No. It’s definitely a mortal.”
“The Sage Council would certainly have the capability.”
She shook her head.
“Try again.”
“The High Elves’ Eternal Court.”
“Probably not.”
“Gold Dragon Aximilion.”
“Probably not.”
“The Imperial Senate.”
“…You really only suggest the most boring candidates.”
The fallen angel’s expression hardened rapidly. To think she had once married such a rigid man. Was that why her marriage had ended in failure?
“What do all the suspects you mentioned have in common?”
“They all possess both motive and power to interfere with Hell.”
“No. The common point is that they are all plausible candidates.”
“Hmm…”
The Sage Council.
The Eternal Court.
The Gold Dragon.
The Imperial Senate.
Mortals who had stepped into the realm of Transcendents.
“But they all have clear limitations. Just as we know them, they know us. And you never lose when you fight an enemy you understand, do you?”
The Devil Monarch’s greatest strength was his meticulous planning, born from near-obsessive suspicion. In matters that could be calculated rationally, he never failed.
“The suspects you thought of cannot change the board so dramatically. You must understand that.”
In other words.
“An unknown someone is altering fate.”
“…”
“Some insolent mortal is seeing right through transcendent beings like us and thwarting our schemes one after another! Doesn’t that excite you?!”
The Queen of the Abyss.
Wore an electrifying expression.
“Who could it possibly be?!”
“…”
“It must be an extremely cautious fellow. A mortal whose name hasn’t become known despite their importance.”
She giggled.
“So put aside your obsession with the Sun God and start checking the candidates you consider least likely. That’s how you’ll find the true mastermind who turned your youngest son.”
The Hell Monarch pondered.
He completed all calculations in an instant.
“That makes sense.”
Devils were extremely vulnerable to unpredictable variables. Even he, their king, was no exception. Therefore, in this [exceptional situation], it was correct to follow the demon’s opinion.
“Upon deeper reflection, I can see the mindset of those spell-casters. The arrogant thought of mere chess pieces wanting to shake the board…”
Therefore.
“I will redirect my target to the Sage Council. After all, they are the leaders of those spell-casters.”
The Queen of the Abyss let out a deep sigh.
“Darling. The tactic of persuading the Hell Monarch’s youngest son to strike at the devils’ blind spot is incredibly fresh and creative. Those old fossils waiting to die could never come up with such an idea.”
To this.
The King of Devils countered.
“It must be the idea of one of the younger spell-casters in the Sage Council. That is the rational deduction.”
For a mortal to interact with a great demon on equal footing required tremendous mental strength and intellect. Only Archmages who had surpassed mortal limits could manage it.
“Therefore, if the premise that Lucifeles betrayed us with mortal assistance is correct, that assistant must be an Archmage. And since every Archmage belongs to the Sage Council, we should look for the suspect there.”
…The mother of demons let out another deep sigh.
Boring.
So very, very boring.
“I’m leaving.”
“If you are dissatisfied with my measures, then conduct your own search.”
“Too much trouble.”
Searching wasn’t fun.
Insulting, torturing, and killing—that was fun.
“Anyway, I’ll have to stay cooped up in my harem for a while. Too many children died this time, so I need to replenish them. If you have any decent stallions on your side, send them over.”
Yawn.
The fallen angel stretched languidly.
“Well then, goodbye! Ex-husband who only enjoys playing soldier!”
Swish!
She vanished in a swirl of smoke.
“…”
Even after the mother of demons left, the Hell Monarch continued pondering. He meticulously reviewed whether he had overlooked anything… and reviewed it again.
‘My judgment is perfectly rational.’
One should choose the 50% possibility over the 1% possibility. Even if the outcome temporarily appears to contradict it, persisting with the higher-probability direction ultimately leads to victory. That was a universal truth.
‘However, it may be worth paying attention to the Abyss’s advice.’
So.
He calculated the probabilities from the rear as well.
[Azarael.]
[Speak, my lord.]
[Have you found the youngest’s friend?]
[He is known as the Ashen Sage.]
[What is the probability that he instigated the youngest’s treason?]
[It is not zero.]
However.
It is less than 1%.
[On what basis?]
[Insufficient capability.]
[Hmm?]
[He is not an Archmage.]
[Then return.]
[However, there are still undisclosed details. If you grant me sufficient time, I will obtain an official identity and investigate those details as well.]
Hmm.
Hmmm…
Was it reasonable to deploy the captain of the royal guard for a possibility of less than 1%?
‘It is not a rational measure.’
But.
It wouldn’t hurt to take one irrational measure.
[I approve your plan.]
[I shall obey your command, my lord.]
After finishing all arrangements and preparing to leave the conference hall, his eyes fell on the chair assigned to his youngest son. Frowning, he released his magic power and erased the chair from existence.
“!”
However.
When the chair was destroyed,
A mana crystal hidden inside was revealed.
“You insolent—!”
It was a communication device.
The connected location was the Material Realm where mortals lived!
Inflection Point of Fate
📍 Insight: Seeing further than the Transcendents!
🎁 Research Clues: 5/5
📈 Experience +30
📈 Legacy Points +3
📊 Progress to Level 32: 80/100
📊 Legacy Points: 31
Future Sight (Personal Trait, Mythic)
You possess the insight to foresee the future. This ability goes beyond simple prediction and includes understanding how specific actions will change the future.
◆ Effects
- When selecting [Choices], you can [Foresight] the results.
- Gain [Advantage] on all dice rolls.
“You insolent bastard! A mere insignificant mortal dares eavesdrop on the conversations of transcendent beings and attempt to manipulate them?! I swear in the name of the Seven Hells—I will make you pay the price for your arrogance!”
Crack!
The conference hall was destroyed by the Hell Monarch’s rage!
“Balor, Great Demon of Destruction!”
“You called, my lord!”
“Immediately lead the vanguard of Hell and descend in your true form into the Material Realm! Find the spell-caster who has disgraced me, destroy every being connected to him, and bring the wretch back alive! This is the decree of the Hell Monarch!”
The entire hall trembled with murderous intent.