A Miracle Too Good to Be True
"What do you think?"
"It reeks of a con artist. Stinkily so. Didn't something feel off when you first saw him?"
Karin Samakal had secretly summoned Adel to her private chambers. She was curious about his take on the matter ahead. Truth be told, she was a bit surprised with herself. To think she'd commit to carrying out the plans of someone she'd only met once.
"...It was weird, yeah. This guy shows up out of nowhere, claiming he's received a revelation and come at the call of the ancients. I nearly took his head right then."
She bowed her head in embarrassment as she spoke.
"Why didn't you just chop it off?"
That would have spared all the future victims, after all.
'Well, I can handle it myself now, so whatever...'
Adel was intrigued. No one was born perfect—not geniuses, not swindlers. No matter how masterful Makullan Hun might become in the distant future, could he already be flawless enough to fool the Lady of the Ice Palace at birth?
"I've told Mother and Daran a dozen times that we're being duped by him."
"But since she's still heading out to hunt the mamant, looks like you failed to convince the Lady."
Karin let out a low sigh at Adel's words.
"He showed us."
"Showed you what?"
"A miracle."
"Your voice is shaking."
The tremor in her voice meant she didn't fully believe it, at least not without a sliver of doubt creeping in.
[Then it wasn't a miracle.]
Was it because he was a god himself that talk of miracles bruised Kalderet's pride? He spoke with an offended expression.
"What kind of miracle?"
"He showed us Kiransha, the high god of winter. Just for a moment, but it was definitely her."
[Kiransha?]
Kalderet sounded startled at her words.
"Gods returning to the North Sea, blessings of the aurora raining down—that was Mother's deepest wish. It's no wonder she fell for him."
[Nonsense. Without a sacred vessel, no god can descend to the human realm.]
Kalderet snapped sharply, but Karin, unable to hear him, just continued with a grave look.
"Was it really Kiransha for sure?"
"Yes. Just a glimpse, but unmistakable. I was there. And it wasn't just me—plenty of people in the Ice Palace saw it."
She went on.
"Up until then, I called him a fraud... but after that, even I couldn't say another word."
"What exactly happened?"
"The aurora—unseen in the North Sea for decades—appeared over the Ice Palace."
"Kiransha's blessing..."
She nodded at Adel's murmur.
"But even so, there's still that nagging doubt in your heart, right? Isn't there?"
"I have no doubt about the aurora, but the three offerings he demands? I still can't wrap my head around them."
"What else besides the mamant corpse?"
"The 【Millennium Crystal】 from the Ice Palace treasury, plus a hundred North Sea folk as living sacrifices."
"A hundred lives?"
"Yeah. Kiransha isn't some man-eating evil god—why would she need sacrifices?"
"The mamant makes sense to take down the little palace lord, but... a hundred sacrifices does seem off."
Adel nodded at her words.
"Mother's been agonizing over it too. Even for a divine descent, selecting people to offer up alive isn't easy."
"No kidding."
"Prey can always be hunted. That's actually why the ritual's been delayed this long."
"Dragging out time... perfect."
Adel's voice sharpened in that moment.
'One of his signature tricks. Dangle something impossible, then scheme behind the scenes while they stall.'
Reviving Kiransha was a lie from the start, so Adel wondered what Makullan's real aim was.
"No word from Dhran? The mid god of winter. Kiransha's gone, but Dhran should still be in the North Sea."
"...He's a silent god. Ever since he decreed that gods don't meddle in human affairs, he hasn't spoken to us."
She continued.
"Since the aurora, the Church of Dale is spreading like wildfire up here. People are even building temples."
Adel now had the full picture.
If the cult of the Forgotten Ones was fanatical, the Church of Dale was a straight-up scam.
'At least the Forgotten Ones worship a god. The Dale Church ends up deifying their bishop, Makullan Hun, down the line.'
Adel formed a plan. He had to nip this in the bud before Makullan turned the North Sea into a mess.
'Replicating the North Sea aurora, huh? Clever little ploy.'
[You know the trick?]
'Yeah. One of his favorites. He fools people into thinking he wields divine power later on with it.'
[How?]
'Exactly what it sounds like. He "shows a god" by mimicking their signature traits.'
[But the aurora's her unique power.]
'Just smoke and mirrors. The winter blessing within the aurora is uniquely hers, sure—but he only showed the light show, not the blessing.'
[Hmm... an illusion, then.]
Kalderet eyed Adel, not quite grasping it.
'No idea what artifact he used, but stuff with those effects isn't rare. The hundred sacrifices buy time, sure, but also stir up chaos for his escape.'
Adel explained.
'Picking living people as offerings is never easy. Even in the North Sea, there'll be backlash.'
[Clever indeed...]
'Nine times out of ten, his real target's the 【Millennium Crystal】. One of the ancient mana crystals.'
[Why that?]
'Obvious. Ivory Tower lab's not far. He'll fence it to them.'
[They don't even know how to refine mana crystals. Touching that would be disastrous...]
Kalderet sighed at Adel's words.
[And the Millennium Crystal isn't your average mana crystal. It's pure mana incarnate.]
'Maybe that's what caused the lab explosion back then.'
It all clicked like puzzle pieces.
'Pretty sure I know how he fooled the Lady now. He's a loose-lipped con, but also a damn good relic hunter.'
[Used ancient relics, huh.]
'Bingo. Question is, where'd he dig them up...'
Adel pondered.
'Only one person comes to mind who might've helped him.'
Daran Samakal.
'Gotta confirm it.'
Shwaaah—
It was then.
Wind spirits slipped through the window cracks, whispering secrets to him.
Makullan's location.
* * *
"Heh, heh heh..."
A chuckle echoed from a quiet alley beyond the Ice Palace.
It was Makullan, fresh from his meeting with the Lady.
He grinned ear to ear at the pouch overflowing with gold coins in his hands.
"North Sea living up to the hype. Money everywhere. Who's dumb enough to call this place cold? It's toasty warm."
He slipped into a house at the alley's end, descended to the basement, then opened yet another hidden warehouse door.
"Haa..."
A bloom of joy spread across his face.
The warehouse brimmed with gold coins. He dumped his fresh pouch on top.
Clink, clatter...!!
"Ooh..."
The coins chimed as they collided, and Makullan shivered with excitement, letting out a weird moan.
"Quite the haul you've got. Keep this up, and the Lady's whole fortune ends up in your pocket, Makullan."
"...!!"
A voice from what should have been his secret, solitary warehouse—he whipped around in shock.
"Wh-who's there!!!"
"What good's knowing?"
"Gah!!"
Makullan couldn't resist Adel's grip as he seized his collar and dragged him along.
"D-did the little palace lord send you?"
"And if she did?"
"I kept you out of jail, and this is how you repay me—tailing me? This is my space, approved by the Lady herself. You think she'll let an intruder slide?!"
The quick-witted swindler rattled off excuses nonstop.
"This gold? All gifts from the Lady. For the ritual! Go ahead, try something. Her sword'll be at your neck before you blink."
Makullan bellowed defiantly.
"You sure talk a lot."
Thwack—!!
But Adel's merciless fist sent him tumbling backward.
"Guhk!!"
p>"Try something?"
Thwack-! Thwack-! Bam—!!
Adel stomped relentlessly on the fallen Makullan.
"St-stop... d-don't do whatever you want! Please... m-master—no, teacher! B-bro!"
How long did that go on? With his face a battered mess, Makullan clutched Adel's pant leg and screamed.
"If you're gonna beg, drop the poison dagger hidden in your robe first."
"..."
One of Makullan's arms had already slipped inside his robe.
His face froze at Adel's words.
Thwack-! Thwack-! Bam—!!
That split-second hesitation earned him another barrage of punches.
"W-wait...!! I must've lost my mind. Forgive me!!!"
Makullan tossed the dagger aside. Without prompting, he offered up the poison needle in his shoe and the sleeve dart too.
"Now you're ready to talk."
"Wh-what choice do I have?"
"Why impersonate someone who can summon Kiransha?"
"...Huh?"
Makullan responded with utter calm, no hint of hesitation.
"Impersonate? I'm the chosen guide, chosen by revelation!! She told me clear as day—I would bring the winter god down here."
"Hilarious. You, without even a sacred vessel for Kiransha, dare claim you can summon her?"
Adel replied coldly.
"Look close. I'm not from the little palace lord."
With that, Adel pulled out the 【North Sea Ice Crystal】 from his bosom and showed it to him.
"...!!"
Vmmm...
The heavenly ice stone in the crystal shifted color.
'Wh-what? How's he got that?! Does Kiransha already have a follower here? Not the Lady?!'
"Sp-spare me!!!"
Makullan's face drained of color the instant he saw it, and he begged Adel desperately.
"I can hear those gears grinding from here."
"N-no... just surprised, that's all."
Adel stared down at Makullan.
"Show this to the Lady, and your life ends. That's not the point."
Gulp—
Makullan swallowed dryly without thinking.
"What'd you plan with the Lady? You didn't go through all this just to grift some coin."
"It was..."
He spoke in a trembling voice.
"R-real. I got the revelation. She told me to prepare the ritual for Kiransha's revival here."
"Ah, yeah? Got the revelation, huh?"
Thwack-! Thwack—!! Bam—!!
Adel nodded and stomped him several more times.
"Worse than Mahal. Still lying after all this?"
Thwack-! Thwack—!! Bam—!!
"Revelation my ass. Yeah, you always spout that crap. Leave you be, you'll be the scam of the century."
Thwack-! Thwack—!! Bam—!!
"And folks'll die believing your bullshit."
Adel's kicks didn't stop.
"It-it's true!! Really!! Oh, I get it now!! Meeting you like this is the revelation's start!"
"What?"
But even bloodied and broken, Makullan refused to recant.
Adel was dumbfounded, yet something felt off.
'More than enough to break by now.'
Adel gazed at him steadily.
The Makullan he knew betrayed and conned as easily as breathing—mouthy as they came. He wouldn't hide anything this stubbornly with lies.
"Fine. Who gave you this grand revelation?"
Time to probe.
Grip—
Makullan suddenly seized Adel's arm.
"The... third ancient god..."
Adel let out an incredulous chuckle.
He, a contractor of an ancient god, had never heard of it, nor had history in either life mentioned a third ancient god.
Lie, confirmed.
"You bastard. To the bitter end..."
He grabbed the collar again and raised his fist.
"H-heek!!"
Makullan squeezed his eyes shut.
[Wait.]
It was then.
Unexpected.
Kalderet was stopping him.