Chapter 188
Chapter 188
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Sacrificial Festival
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He walked on, his gaze fixed absently on the third floor.
And then.
Swoosh?!
Loan pushed away the sword strike aimed at his neck with his Domain, then extended his Convection like a sharp thorn toward the opponent who was about to attack again.
"Gaaah!"
The impaled soldato collapsed.
Sharp swords once again vied to fill the space. When one fell, at least one more would charge in. His surroundings seemed to have no intention of leaving him be.
And yet.
He alone was serene.
Loan didn't avert his gaze even as he walked.
All his senses were already focused on a specific place, leaving him no capacity to spare them a glance.
He reflexively countered all attacks on his body, guided by the subtle flow of his Convection.
The flow of mana surrounding his body was no longer just like clothing or armor, but like the body's involuntary muscles, reacting unconsciously.
Entrusting his safety to nature—
He took one step after another toward the still-distant mansion—all while pondering the somewhat familiar sense of dissonance he felt.
*What is it?*
He had heard beforehand that the 'Black Box' had two functions: to record sound and to connect the five families of Ferrara.
He didn't know if it was two-way communication or biased in one direction.
Recording sound seemed possible if a formula was inscribed, but influencing other families from afar was a method even Loan found difficult to comprehend.
The style of magic he pursued was 'Breathing'—being connected to the world in real-time based on where he stood—so the 'concepts' of space and time still had many aspects that were hard for him to grasp.
A lack of experience.
That was why he usually dismissed such things as 'special abilities' like a carrier pigeon's, or 'authorities' like the one displayed by the Archbishop of Xiong.
But now, amidst the exchange of sword strikes.
The energy emanating from that specific space in the mansion was not something to be simply dismissed as incomprehensible.
There was a clear reason why his experience at the Magic Tower naturally came to mind.
Loan had already manifested a giant [Sphere of the Void] through the Guardian of Manifestation.
Thanks to that shared sensation, Loan had gained a slightly more familiar 'feeling' for the world on the 'other side' where the guardians resided.
In that place right now—
The mirror, called the other side of phenomena.
The chalkboard, called the reflection of perception.
The painting, called the manifestation of senses.
The hourglass, called the reversion of the mind.
And finally, the symbol of manifestation, which was the Magic Tower itself.
It meant there was something, or someone, similar to them, or capable of producing such a feeling.
Loan was certain of it and considered how to proceed.
There was a moat, and annoying things swarmed the area. The soldati strewn along the path were also a nuisance.
He gave up on entering from the outside and calmly assessed the situation, planning to break through the front with his seniors.
The area was still a chaotic melee.
His seniors were scattered around the entrance, frantically cutting down the flood of soldati.
He had wondered why there were so many of them, but looking at their faces, he saw they were young, their clothes were crisp, and for villains, they showed a certain freshness, awkwardness, and fear. Most were new recruits.
They looked like they hadn't been with the Nostra for long.
*But why...*
Thinking about it that way, something was strange.
Their numbers were large and the space was advantageous to them, but the forces Loan had brought from the Responsibility Division were equivalent to a gathering of vice-commanders from various units. They should have been no match for them...
*Ah...*
Loan finally understood.
His seniors weren't trying to break through.
While he had been lost in thought, they had been holding their position to protect him, their team leader.
That was the only conclusion he could draw from their formation and response.
His face flushed with shame.
It was his role to enable his team members to use their full strength, yet he had been so absorbed in his own task that he had completely forgotten his responsibility.
Realizing his lack of experience.
Loan sent a mental message to Sienna and the seniors of the Responsibility Division, who were entangled in the melee.
-My apologies for the delay in assessing the situation. Seniors, please open a path for me to the third floor. I don't care how you do it.
A straightforward command, almost a request.
But it was enough.
As if unleashing a sealed power all at once, the Seekers of the Responsibility Division unleashed their ultimate techniques.
KABOOM—!
The mansion's doors were utterly shattered and blown apart—
A scene of destruction where the fragments pierced the soldati's bodies like daggers.
It didn't stop there; blows powerful enough to shake the building erupted from all sides.
Even Loan was startled, and for good reason.
The Responsibility Division, along with the Practical Division, focused on field activities as a basic operational principle, but the nature of the two was quite different.
While the Practical Division blended in with the local populace to carry out its work, the Responsibility Division's main role was to rebuild what had fallen or to tear down what shouldn't remain.
Therefore.
Explosions and destruction were only natural.
"Uwaaaagh!"
A path finally opened amidst the desperate screams. It was opened wide, as if inviting him to walk comfortably.
Loan extended a Narrow Path through the way his seniors had graciously created.
He followed his seniors as they cleared the path like an escort, passing through the central courtyard behind the entrance.
Their pace quickened as more and more people fell.
For those who still stood.
"Keep going!"
Sienna charged in.
As her twin swords danced, Loan reached the third floor, where his seniors began another melee with the enemies filling the corridor.
Loan used the opportunity to kick open the door to his destination and rushed inside.
"..."
The room was empty.
It didn't seem to be a personal space; a very large, round table stood in the center, and no mana that could be considered a life force was visible anywhere in the room.
It didn't matter.
His purpose lay elsewhere.
*That's the Black Box.*
Loan approached the object that was making its presence known.
The box was placed neatly on a shelf against the back wall, behind the table.
At first glance, it looked like a magical tool imbued with mana, but as expected, it was no ordinary magical tool.
If he had to pick something similar, it felt like the other side of phenomena—the mirror.
The commotion outside continued.
It seemed the Nostra who had failed to defend this place were now trying to retake it.
Loan paid no mind to what was happening behind him and reached for the box.
Vwooom—
A light resistance pushed back against Loan's Convection.
He didn't know the principle, but he could tell a magic circle was active.
There was no need to panic.
Deconstructing magic was something he had been doing on his own since his first day at the academy.
As if trying to grasp the box's abilities with his palm—much like how Lazaros had once tapped his own—Loan dispersed his Convection into fine threads, wrapping them around the box and tapping it.
Touch became sound, and within Loan's sight, mana clashed with mana in a chaotic tangle.
Amidst the chaos, Loan found the grain of the magic protecting the box and guided it in the way he desired.
He had hoped the box might open, but that didn't happen.
But there was no need for disappointment.
Something even more peculiar occurred.
*Will this work?*
As Loan straightened the 'grain' that opposed his will, something the box had been condensing was released, and a light storm of mana erupted simultaneously.
Shwoooooosh—
It was a strange experience.
Loan watched for a moment as the mana spread out, affecting his Convection, then turned his head at a sound that reached his heart like a mental message.
-What do you mean...
An unexpected scene was unfolding.
The table was situated within a whirlwind of mana.
Where there had been no one before, figures now sat.
There were two of them, shapes that could be called human, and yet not.
The figure at the head of the table swayed from side to side, trembling, and a voice continued.
-Have I already become the chairman?
-With our support, of course. It will happen without a hitch. So please, don't worry about that part.
Loan tilted his head as he watched them.
*An illusion...?*
It could be. Or.
He might have entered the 'other side of phenomena' or a subspace through the box's special ability, or perhaps his synesthesia was causing him to mistake a mental image triggered by the sound for reality.
But what was certain was that the sound the box had begun to emit had created a mana whirlwind, and this was the result.
It was possible that their forms and voices were a recording of what had happened here.
Loan watched intently as the blurry figures conversed.
-Hahaha, thank you for this. Me, the chairman of Ferrara, haha.
-Of course, it will require a commensurate level of responsibility.
-Ah, of course. I've had a few things in mind for a while now.
-I'm curious as to what that might be.
-The political situation is chaotic, and the people are suffering. So they can forget their sorrows, even for a moment. If I become chairman, I'd like to hold a fine event.
-Interesting. A fine event, you say. Do you have something specific in mind, Lord Basini?
Lord Basini.
That was the name for the figure sitting at the head of the table.
*As I thought,* Loan mused, focusing his senses.
-It's nothing grand. I just want to feed the people until they're full. If the body is at ease, won't the mind be at ease as well? It was just a thought like that.
-Not at all. That's excellent. In fact, the most obvious things are often the hardest. Please, continue.
-It would be difficult to cover everything with my own fortune, but with all of you helping like this, I have hope that it might be possible someday. Well, I'll leave it at that for now. It feels like I'm getting ahead of myself.
-No, no. There's no need to be so passive. With us together, it's possible right now.
-Really?
-Of course, it will require sacrifice, but isn't that the way of the world?
At the word "sacrifice," one of Loan's eyebrows rose slightly.
Basini's figure also wavered.
-When you say sacrifice, what do you mean...
-As they say, you give the flesh to take the bone. We will hold a festival of sacrifice for a greater gain.
-A festival of sacrifice?
-It's nothing extravagant. We'll simply create a small altar of sorts, offer a sacrifice, and obtain a greater benefit. As for the sacrifice, the world is overflowing with useless humans, so it won't be difficult.
-Mmm...
-We'll have your back, so be bold and push forward with it. We will also raise it as an agenda item in our Grave Union and actively support you.
-Oh!
Just as Basini's figure seemed surprised, Loan, too, felt a chill run down his spine.
The Grave Union.
This meant the person talking was an official from the Grave Union, speaking with Basini.
But the dissonant part was the phrase 'agenda item'.
Wasn't that something raised in the assembly? Did he mean an agenda item for the Grave Union?
The voice continued.
-Oh... really? It's reassuring to have the Union's backing.
-Proceed with confidence. Ah, while we're on the subject, why not carry out the plan on the day of the new assembly's inauguration?
-What?
-You'll surely become the chairman, but it's a position that comes with trouble. Don't be satisfied with just that. I suggest you unify your power at this assembly by using the heads of the other families as sacrifices.
-Ah... I wonder if that's possible.
-We'll help you, so let's be bold. The festival begins at this Pelsina Provisional Assembly.
-Haha. To unify my power... It's like a dream.
-You said you wanted to feed the people until they were full, so since we're talking about it, 'Carnival' would be a good name for the festival. Let's feed the people by sacrificing the nobles who are trying to climb one rung higher.
-Wonderful. It sounds good just hearing it. Hahahaha...
The laughter echoed within the whirlwind, and the conversation went no further.
Loan's heart was pounding harder than ever before.
*Everyone was mistaken.*
The 'agenda item' referred to an internal meeting of the Grave Union.
Starting the Carnival meant they were going to sacrifice the nobles in Pelsina on the day of the chairman's election.
At this rate, this place wasn't the problem.
*Senior Richa...*
Pelsina, where the assembly will be held, is in danger.