Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Converging on Schwerin
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While the Tower Masters scattered to deal with the remaining stragglers, Magda and Loan immediately opened the notebook to check its contents.
There would naturally be a gap in information depending on rank, between a Commander and a regular member.
But even just listing the information most of the Union would, or should, share filled pages.
The sheer volume of it strongly conveyed the feeling that something important was unfolding.
[...]
[Faith Division, gathering intelligence on the command structure of the Six Great Graves. Currently confirmed: Maligno of Varcino, Nostra of Ferrara, Pervere of Versa. Multiple expert-level and above.]
[Following an investigation and report by the Stability Division, a sensitive issue within the Orthodox Church was resolved after the Archbishop of Sion vouched for Faith Division Runner Loan.]
[Rhodes civil war has broken out. The instigator is Duke Silas, former speaker of the Rhodes Council. Proclaimed an independent nation based on an anti-Grafton and anti-Union policy. Nation's name: Philippa. Presumed to be named after Duke Silas's deceased daughter.]
[The Practicality Division has found evidence of Le Tell's involvement, allowing Philippa to incite a civil war in such a short time. The Practicality Division has recommended to the command that Philippa be designated a criminal organization on par with the other Graves.]
[Schwerin's Towers of Phenomena, Perception, Sensation, and Conception have pledged cooperation. If this stance is maintained, it is necessary to upgrade Schwerin from a provisional and strategic ally to a friendly one.]
[The Responsibility Division, during activities in the Ferrara region, has acquired a Nostra intelligence document. Contents confirm the existence of a Grave Eastern Alliance.]
[The Grave Eastern Alliance plans to converge on the Schwerin Magic Tower. The scale is estimated to be considerable, equivalent to a surprise attack on a nation's capital.]
[Intelligence confirmed as fact. Movements detected from the Eastern Alliance's Brien, Nostra, and Pervere. Confirmed that a significant number have already infiltrated the Schwerin area and were biding their time. Expected to finish assembling near the Magic Tower around sunset.]
[Honor Division Commander, Faith Division Runner out of contact. Seems related to the disappearance of Schwerin's five Tower Masters.]
[Recognizing the absence of Schwerin's leadership and the severity of the situation, the Union is considering independent action.]
[This situation is designated as a state of war, shifting the Union to a full-response stance. All members in nearby regions are summoned to Schwerin.]
[...]
Setting aside the fact that matters decided in the Commanders' meeting were unfolding across the continent.
The amount of information related to Schwerin alone was substantial.
The shock of its contents and the urgency of the developments were equally so.
It also felt special for being slightly more detailed than a typical missive for information delivery and reporting.
It felt less like a missive and more like a report.
The first reason was that it reflected the administration's desire for each Union member to read the situation after seeing the ongoing events.
The second was a consideration for the two individuals who, though currently out of contact, were surely safe; it was to allow them to properly assess and judge the situation should they check the missive later.
Loan and Magda, of course, understood the intent. Thanks to that, they could accurately grasp what was happening.
Clearing up the misunderstanding by sending a swift reply was the priority, but Loan couldn't tear his eyes away from the sentence written at the end of the missive.
It detailed a reversal of the decision to mobilize all the fastest available members nearby, shifting instead to having only some of the closest personnel provide support, starting from the outskirts of Schwerin where civilian casualties were expected.
However, the additional missive cited as the reason was quite brief.
[Liberty Division Commander, has abruptly changed destination to Schwerin. Moving alone.]
For the first time in a while, Loan looked up at Magda.
“The Captain is coming.”
“I see.”
He was coming alone.
That was the reason a significant number of reinforcements were called off.
It meant one Captain was replacing dozens or perhaps hundreds of members, a decision only possible with the conviction that he would exert more power than all of them combined.
A faint smile formed on Loan's lips.
He didn't know why he felt such pride in the evaluation and treatment his role model was receiving.
Loan suppressed his excitement and said,
“We should hurry, too.”
Just then, the others who had finished cleaning up the area returned to Loan and Magda's side.
Magda looked at Werner and said,
“We'll have to postpone the plan the Tower Master made. It seems that, just as Loan predicted, something called the Grave Eastern Alliance is attacking the Magic Tower.”
She relayed the contents of the missive to the Tower Masters.
The words delivered in her monotone voice clearly spelled a crisis for the Magic Tower, and a crisis for Schwerin.
The Master of the Sensation Tower chimed in.
“But the Magic Tower is not a place that falls so easily. Even without the Tower Masters, if they're mounting a defensive siege...”
Loan cut her off.
“The Magic Tower itself might be safe, but it will be difficult to prevent harm to the surrounding civilians. In fact, the collateral damage is more likely to be directed at them.”
This was why the expressions of the modernist mages had darkened so considerably.
The Magic Tower, filled with high-level mages, would be relatively safe compared to the civilians.
Werner looked at Magda and asked,
“Will you help?”
Amid his incredibly somber expression, his eyes wavered strangely.
A great deal of regret and self-blame could be felt.
It meant that the leader responsible for an entire nation had failed to notice the warning signs or control the situation until it reached this point.
“What a foolish question.”
Magda shot Werner a look for no particular reason, then gently patted Loan's back.
The signal to depart.
Loan nodded and then extended a Narrow Path toward the hill he had half-destroyed.
Shwaaaa—
He sprinted up the slope, then shot forward as if sliding down the terrain that resembled a descent.
The others, who were about to follow, hesitated for a moment.
The Master of the Phenomena Tower blinked rapidly, his words trailing off.
“How is he so fast...”
The Faith Division, by the nature of its unit, prioritizes speed.
Loan was exceptional even among them, though he himself believed it was all thanks to Sienna.
He wasn't wrong.
After all, he had drawn great inspiration from Sienna, who was considered top-tier within the entire Union when it came to movement arts alone.
The distance between him and the others widened quickly.
It was only natural for a gap to form with those who had secluded themselves in the Magic Tower and felt no need for movement arts or teleportation magic.
However, Werner and Magda alone unleashed an explosive burst of overwhelming mana and stuck close behind Loan.
Leaping from the branch of a conifer, Loan sent a mental message to Magda.
-Commander, what do you think is the reason the Grave Alliance invaded Schwerin?
The Magic Tower's defensive capabilities had been all but proven by withstanding a thousand years.
It was, as the Tower Masters had boasted, no different from a fortress.
It was an act that required considerable resolve from the attackers. So why, despite that, had they orchestrated such a thing?
Magda's mental message returned.
-Schwerin's mages possess great power, but compared to other nations, they were insular and relatively uncooperative with the Union. From the enemy's perspective, they might be easier to deal with.
-According to the missive, they've fortunately shifted to a friendly alliance.
-That's thanks to you.
-Yes...
His face felt hot.
Fortunately, the rushing wind cooled Loan's flushed cheeks.
-I suspect there's another reason they're after it. The advantages to be gained from conquering Schwerin are greater than anything else.
-The mana stones, you mean.
-Yes. Just as they placed a vortex of magical power at the tower's bridge, one can use the mana from the stones to construct various magic circles, create magical tools that enhance the destructive power of spells, or forge weapons capable of magical attacks. It would be quite a headache if they fell into enemy hands.
As Magda's mental message flowed, the surrounding scenery also changed rapidly.
As they emerged from the forest of old trees that had obscured the sky, an area with a neatly flowing stream was revealed, soon followed by cliffs that blocked their view, jutting out from all sides.
But all of it was dark.
Werner momentarily shot past the two of them, taking it upon himself to lead the way.
-About time.
Magda's mental message continued.
-Anyway... I believe that using mana stones as tools is only half their potential. The best way to utilize them is through enchanting.
-I think so too.
-In terms of potential, we have the upper hand.
-I see.
-This, too, is about your contribution. It's thanks to you awakening to enchanting.
-...
Loan quickly added his own thoughts to hide his embarrassment.
-But I think there might be one more reason for this invasion.
-What is it?
-I was wondering if there was a reason for the Grave to form an alliance and attack Schwerin so systematically, if it wasn't too reckless, and it reminded me of Libertha, which has now been annihilated.
-You mean the free mercenaries of Varcino.
-Yes. Isn't it similar to the situation where their leader, Franco, recklessly waged an all-out war with Varcino?
-A demon had possessed him, hadn't it? He said he would find a way to open a gate to the demon world in the secret arts of the Varcino families.
-Yes. Since the Magic Tower is a repository of all sorts of magic books and secret arts, I wondered if that might be the case.
-There's a possibility. The quantity and quality of the Magic Tower's collection are often compared to that of the Grafton royal family.
-Yes. If they manage to seize control of both Schwerin's archives and the royal archives...
-Assuming they're right, it wouldn't take them long to find the method. In the end, we can't help but suspect the influence of Le Tell, who is at the forefront of the demons' and their followers' advent.
Loan didn't answer.
It had already been revealed that the Crown Prince was involved in this attack on Schwerin.
The weight of the situation suddenly felt immense as he considered the possibility of a collusion between the Grafton Kingdom and the Grave.
The great annihilation he had seen in the vision, the one he prayed every day would not come to pass—the one that might be approaching.
Amid the uneasy speculation that its prelude had finally begun, at last.
The seemingly endless dark forest came to an end, and a wide landscape unfolded—autumn paddies and fields under the relatively bright moonlight, dotted with farmhouses, a bitter harmony of rising black smoke.
The three of them stood on a high, rocky hill, confirming the majestic sight of the Magic Tower in the distance, beneath the edge of the moonlight.
-We split up. The Masters of the Phenomena and Perception Towers will take the west gate. The Masters of the Sensation and Conception Towers will take the east gate. I'll take the south gate. Commander Magda and Loan will...
-I'll take the west. Loan will join the east gate.
Werner's and Magda's mental messages reached the others, who were some distance away.
Werner gazed at Magda.
A somewhat subdued, yet strangely warm tone was conveyed in his actual voice.
“Let's meet again with a smile.”
“It's been ages. I can't recall that face of yours ever smiling.”
And yet, she let out a small smirk, the corner of her mouth lifting.
Magda quickly turned her head and looked at Loan.
“Take care of yourself.”
“You too, Commander. I'll see you at the Magic Tower.”
The moment the words were spoken, the three mages leaped in different directions.
Loan didn't wait for the two Tower Masters who would follow him.
To him, the most important thing was the safety of ordinary people.
He fully deployed his barrier of perception.
And swiftly extended a Narrow Path toward a place where he sensed something alien.
He was passing through an open area where the mana concentration was thin, but he didn't feel any lack of mana to draw upon.
His two Circles spun that much more powerfully, and the reinforced necklace faithfully did its part.
Thanks to that, it wasn't long before—
He encountered them from the side, a group of men riding horses toward a cluster of houses.
They were dressed in black suits, as if they were shadows of the night.
The Nostra raid party, on an expedition from Ferrara.
The moment they all turned to look at Loan.
Twelve Shevilles, glinting in the moonlight, pierced their necks.