Chapter 180: The Inverted City
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 180: The Inverted City
"I see. It seems this old man was being meddlesome after all."
Archbishop Canterbury sat back down on his stone chair, wearing a benevolent smile that betrayed not a hint of anger or frustration.
"Then, let us return to the main topic, Your Majesty."
He turned to look at the indolent Emperor upon the throne. A sharp glint flickered in his narrowed eyes as he asked the question Celicia had been dying to ask as well:
"Why exactly have you gathered all of us here?"
As his voice fell, the great hall—filled with a grim, cruel aesthetic—instantly fell silent. The distinguished guests invited to the right side of the round table all turned their gazes toward Audrich III.
They couldn't help but be bewildered. Once the brief sense of novelty had passed, they realized with a shock...
Seated around this table were more than ten Crowned-level powerhouses, representatives and even leaders of various major factions, and... the very cornerstones of the Empire.
It was a lineup so extravagant it was terrifying. This was likely the first time a meeting of this caliber had occurred since the founding of the Leopold Empire.
Had the Pope or the rulers of the other great nations been invited, this gathering might have been enough to influence the very course of the world.
"If everyone here were wiped out in one go, I'm afraid Leopold would face immediate national collapse."
"No, what we should be worried about is that if the Demon Race attacked right now, they’d probably only need to send one Demon Grand Duke to conquer Belland."
"Heh, then we’d better pray that Duke Campbell doesn't drop the ball at the border."
After these casual, jesting remarks, the expressions of the crowd grew increasingly solemn.
Audrich III remained silent, a silence that felt like the calm before a storm.
"As I thought... none of you noticed?"
After a long silence, Audrich III let out a soft sigh.
He looked first at Archbishop Canterbury and asked quietly, "Archbishop Canterbury, has the Holy City said anything to you recently?"
"The Holy City? Naturally, the Holy City is currently busy preparing for that matter with full alertness..."
As he spoke, the Archbishop glanced behind Audrich III, his words trailing off.
Audrich III waved a hand, signaling him to continue.
"It matters not. Although that matter is still a secret among the Empire's upper echelons, the secrecy level has been lowered to the point where a Covenant of Silence is no longer required. Furthermore, this hall has long been sealed by a Forbidden Spell. You may speak its name without concern."
"In that case, I shall speak plainly."
Archbishop Canterbury scanned the room before continuing.
"I believe it is not just the Church; the attention of every major power and the high-ranking officials of every nation is currently fixed upon that event..."
Canterbury clenched his fist and slammed it onto the table. Though he looked like a withered old man, his tone was now incredibly powerful and resonant.
"—The Divine War between the Withered King and the Silent Moon!"
At the round table, everyone’s expression remained unchanged, except for Celicia, whose heart was surging with turbulent waves.
Within certain circles, this had long been an open secret. In fact, most of their work recently had been dedicated to preparing for the unknown consequences of the impending Divine War.
"Therefore, I find Your Majesty's actions quite baffling. At a time like this, the safest course of action should be to watch and wait. Yet, gathering us all here makes me feel..."
Archbishop Canterbury narrowed his eyes, choosing his words carefully.
"As if you intend to drag us into the heavens to pick a fight with those two Evil Gods."
"..."
The atmosphere froze. Audrich III silently locked eyes with Archbishop Canterbury.
An eerie silence descended upon the hall.
"Haha, the Archbishop certainly knows how to joke..."
Adolf Lovis, the socially adept Branch President of the Adventurer's Association, stood up to ease the tension. He laughed, "No matter how you look at it, His Majesty wouldn't do something so unrealistic. Fighting an Evil God? That’s no different from an ordinary person trying to interfere in a duel between lions. I believe His Majesty simply... Hm? Your Majesty?"
Adolf realized something was wrong, and his smile gradually stiffened.
He suddenly noticed that on the other side of the round table, the heads and representatives of the various departments—the cornerstones of the Empire—all looked solemn and incredibly grave.
They looked like parents attending a parent-teacher meeting after their child had ranked dead last—there wasn't a hint of a smile on their faces. Instead, they seemed filled with a sense of helpless misery.
But fighting an Evil God... wasn't that the funniest joke in the world?
Wait.
He couldn't actually be serious, could he?
"As I thought."
The gray mist churned, mirroring the dark clouds looming over everyone's hearts. Audrich III lowered his eyes, a mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"The Holy City's gaze is still fixed too high."
"What do you mean by that?" Archbishop Canterbury’s smile remained, but a flicker of displeasure appeared in his aged eyes. Even for an Emperor, to disparage the Holy City was...
"Then just watch in silence."
Audrich III tapped the round table. "Hathaway."
"Present."
"You are responsible for explaining it to them."
"Yes."
Hathaway, dressed in a professional suit with a short skirt and black stockings, stood up. Her mature aura instantly drew everyone's gaze.
"I have already introduced myself, so I will not repeat it," Hathaway said briskly.
"First, let me ask you all a question. Where... do you think we are right now?"
"That is an interesting question indeed."
Adrian, the Alchemy Grandmaster of the Stone Cauldron Association, sneered. "Weren't we invited here by you?"
Before coming here, they had each received a personal invitation from Audrich III and a precious scroll inscribed with a spatial teleportation spell.
Upon using the scroll, they had been transported to this unfamiliar space. So, by all rights, they should have been the ones asking that question.
"It should be a special space," Dodge, the Truth-Tier Grand Magister, said as he looked up at the magnificent hall. In his eyes, no flow of mana could hide its tracks, yet here, he felt only a profound silence.
"And the structure seems very similar to the Throne Hall in the Imperial Palace," Archbishop Canterbury added. "The details differ, but that underlying framework cannot be hidden."
"Furthermore, our senses cannot extend outward."
Adolf was already starting to feel restless. "It’s as if we are being suppressed by something."
Then, everyone's gaze settled on Hathaway.
Dragging out the suspense for too long would only lead to impatience; it was time to reveal the answer.
"Correct. Strictly speaking, this is the Throne Hall, but it is not the Throne Hall you know," Hathaway replied.
"To help you understand as quickly as possible, it is best that you see for yourselves."
She raised a delicate hand above her head and gave a light wave, as if brushing dust off a pane of glass.
The gray mist shrouding the ceiling began to churn, driven by some unseen force, receding like a tide.
But what was revealed was not the dome of the Throne Hall they were familiar with. Instead, it was... a city!
Above the hazy gray mist, beneath a sky as silent and deep as lake water, a magnificent and colossal city hung inverted before their horrified eyes, its presence overwhelming!