#215
Jeron’s Tribulation (4)
The great hall inside the Castle of the Undead.
In an oppressive atmosphere where countless Death Knights lined the left and right, a lady in a black dress was respectfully delivering her report to the one seated upon the throne.
[…As Your Majesty commanded, the plan to invade the continent is proceeding smoothly… Though the advantage of surprise is still limited due to the Saint’s foresight… This time, exploiting the gaps in their inadequate preparations, we achieved satisfactory results with overwhelming force…]
Thereafter, that semi-transparent lady, Banshee Queen Olivia, meticulously listed the achievements of the operation.
The assault forces organized under the Undead King’s command had simultaneously struck over a dozen locations, and aside from a few places—including those where the Hero’s party had intervened—all succeeded in achieving their intended objectives.
Of course, most of those undead armies were subsequently destroyed by the subjugation forces of various nations, but the common soldiers had all been expendables from the start, save for a handful of commanders, so there was hardly any real loss.
After all, undead overflowed in the vicinity of this Castle of the Undead.
[Keh— Well done, Olivia. To think they would respond so carelessly while daring to oppose this one. It seems they have grown quite contemptuous of us after being humored for a while.]
As her report concluded, Hans, seated upon a throne of skulls and bones, let out a short laugh.
And as he briefly gauged the swarming undead near the castle, he swallowed the rising regret within.
‘If the number I could move at once were greater than it is now, I could have turned the continent upside down far more efficiently. To think that after days of preparation, attacking a mere dozen locations is the limit.’
It went without saying that even if there was an overflowing supply of undead to use as troops, transporting them to the invasion points was an entirely separate problem.
Dispatching such a massive army across the entire continent was no easy feat to begin with.
‘It is only possible because it is I.’
By nature, a mage was a being who displayed the greatest efficiency only in a thoroughly prepared environment.
And even the Undead King, who could be called the pinnacle of dark mages, was no exception.
‘Using the death energy saturating the region as a catalyst, the Castle of the Undead serves as the core of a massive magic circle. And if my nearly infinite dark mana is supplied on top of that…’
What was born from that was none other than the portal established on one side of the castle, capable of large-scale transport exclusively for the undead.
It was possible because the Castle of the Undead was the ultimate magic, “Labyrinth of Eternity,” which he could manipulate entirely according to his will.
If forced to list one drawback of this portal, it was that it was fundamentally a one-way passage specialized for the sending side.
Since only a handful of commander-level individuals could return anyway, that much would be easily resolved by bringing along a few Liches.
[We are also proceeding with the investigation you previously ordered… It is with great shame that approaching key figures in the South remains stagnant… However, we have managed to grasp a certain degree of understanding regarding the Obaipo Clan situated in the East…]
He quietly fell into thought as he listened to Olivia’s additional report.
The Southern Tribal Alliance, which had cut off all external exchange—whatever scheme they were plotting.
The Obaipo of the East, seizing control of the Republic’s political situation as if following the precedent of the Kingdom of Talia.
‘It cannot be a coincidence that they all moved at once during this period.’
Additionally, the recent assassination attempt on the Imperial Princess in the Empire, and the anomalies on the Enamel Continent that Harris was fervently investigating.
Every single one of them was exceedingly suspicious.
‘Leaving them be versus eliminating them. Which side is more profitable?’
Of course, he was not simply concerned because they were causing problems.
His sole interest now was amassing enormous Karma through the “Continental Invasion Plan” he was currently conducting.
‘For now, their presence makes it easier to bring the continent to ruin. In the short term, that side might yield a greater volume of Karma… But in the long term, they inevitably become variables in my own backyard.’
The Undead King, Hannibal Strauss, who had been lost in thought for a moment, swept through the situations of his other connected Avatars and soon spat out a single line.
[Yes, I suppose it is about time I stepped out and took matters into my own hands at least once.]
A single line foreshadowing the great events to come.
***
When Stav raised the claw-shaped dagger.
‘Ah… so this is the end.’
Even at that life-or-death moment, the fear of death Riley felt was surprisingly not very great.
Rather, regret for what she had done until now and guilt over the bonds she must let go of were far greater.
‘Se-ah unni, you’ll be very sad, won’t you?’
Recalling Se-ah, with whom she had forged a closeness greater than family, made that feeling even stronger.
To part ways like this without even a proper farewell, let alone repaying her for all the efforts she had made on so many fronts.
‘I hope she doesn’t overdo it trying to get revenge and returns to Earth safely.’
The next person who came to mind was Hesperon, an Earthling like Se-ah.
Truthfully, their bond had not been very long, but perhaps because his presence had become vividly clear right before the incident, he naturally came to mind.
‘…He seems to have plenty of means to escape on his own, so why go so far…’
Amidst fighting the traitors by pulling out all sorts of bizarre items, his emotions vaguely felt through their gradually strengthening connection.
He had been continuously attempting something with a strong will to rescue her no matter what.
‘I told him to just run away on his own…’
She had shouted that inwardly several times, but he had simply remained silent, concentrating only on what he was doing.
Honestly, she had briefly held some expectations, but now that was truly the end.
Swish—!
At last, the grotesque dagger gripped in Stav’s hand was being swung toward her.
Riley could not bear to watch and squeezed her eyes shut…
At the same time, she instinctively grabbed onto something that suddenly extended from the “passage” connecting her to Hesperon.
Kuhuk—
Immediately after, feeling something familiar and opening her eyes again, the first thing to enter her vision was—
“Damn, that was close.”
A confident smile that could not be hidden even while drenched entirely in blood—one that felt almost dazzling.
And.
And…?
“Ah!”
And Riley’s eyes shot open.
A familiar ceiling she had always seen.
But now a scene that somehow felt even unfamiliar came into view at a glance.
“…Was it a dream…”
She rose up with a rustle from the bedding wrapped in soft silk, brushing her hair back.
Her glossy golden hair cascaded down, scattering the morning sunlight streaming through the window dazzlingly.
“Ah.”
That moment was still vivid.
Well, perhaps it was natural, since barely half a day had passed since then.
She glanced outside the window, then hurriedly prepared herself and went out.
Naturally, the incident involving the assault on the Imperial Princess had brought an enormous aftermath to Jeron.
When she suddenly appeared at the main gate of the Imperial Palace, embraced by some blood-soaked man, how startled the guards who had frantically rushed over at the unauthorized spatial transfer were to see that sight.
It was no wonder chaos erupted, for terrorists had struck the capital in an attempt to assassinate the current first successor to the imperial throne, who had already been designated as Crown Princess.
And to think that the culprit was none other than the Captain of the Imperial Guard, who ought to have been at the forefront of protecting the imperial family.
Thanks to that, the Imperial Guard’s operations were paralyzed by a large-scale investigation, and for that matter, the Imperial Inspectorate, the Imperial Palace Magic Tower, and even the Imperial Knights who moved solely for the Emperor had been mobilized.
Had it not been for the continuous assaults of the undead armies day after day, and had she not sent word that she was safe, Se-ah would not have stayed idle either.
Naturally, the person involved, Imperial Princess Riley, also had a packed schedule today regarding the matter, with not a moment to spare.
And the first place she headed upon waking was…
“You have come, Your Highness.”
“Was there nothing unusual during the night?”
It was the Imperial Hospital where Hesperon was admitted.
She looked at him lying in bed, sleeping like the dead, and quietly asked the hospital director standing beside her.
“He had a few bouts of high fever, but recovered quickly and has now stabilized. His body was trained to a degree hardly believable for a mage. Had that not been the case, he would not have endured long enough to make it here.”
Located on the outskirts of the Imperial Palace, this place was an ultra-luxurious hospital where the Empire’s finest medical staff were gathered, to the point of being called the very opposite of the underworld.
A pharmacist who could handle almost every medicine in the world, a surgeon capable of perfectly suturing even severed limbs through surgical procedures, an alchemist capable of artificial organ cultivation as well as potions, a high-ranking mage who had specialized solely in healing magic, and even a bishop-grade priest invited to take up residence from the Church of the Lord God.
It was a place so renowned that word had it rivaled the ward of the Roselia Grand Temple in the Holy Land where that Saintess resided, but…
“We treated him with considerable effort, so his life should not be in danger. However, you must prepare yourself for permanent disabilities going forward.”
“…Disabilities… you say, to what extent…?”
Naturally, there were things impossible even here.
To Riley’s trembling voice, the Imperial Hospital Director responded with an impassive expression.
“The right eye cannot be treated in any way, as he sacrificed it himself in exchange for power. Artifacts of that level are mostly strictly managed; I cannot fathom how he obtained one.”
If it had been damage from external trauma, they could have performed regeneration surgery or even transplanted a newly cultivated eye.
But if the loss was the price of a specific ritual, there was little they could do.
“The right hand as well… A curse mixed and corrupted by the Abyss has burrowed deep, making complete recovery seem impossible. Of course, it can be weakened to some degree, so the best course is to suppress it with a seal, preventing the curse from flaring outward as it is now.”
However, he added that if he overexerted his strength, the sealed curse in his right hand might run rampant again.
No matter how much his stats had been strengthened, Hesperon was merely a mage who had only just surpassed the lower ranks.
For such a person to have fought numerous high-ranking knights and even managed to hinder a knight who had reached the pinnacle—there was no way such excessive exertion of power would come without a price.
If not for Heinrich’s divine power, he likely would not even be alive right now.
“Ah, there is also the option of amputating and transplanting a new arm. It would take considerable time for rehabilitation, and due to side effects, he would not be able to exert strength as before, but if he intends to live solely as a mage from now on, it is not a bad method.”
Living his whole life with a dangerous seal while maintaining his former strength, or attaching a weaker new arm instead and cutting off the root of the calamity entirely—a binary choice.
Riley quietly looked down at Hesperon, who had fallen into a deep sleep, with trembling eyes.
That was not for her to decide.
When he awoke… he would have to choose for himself.
Knowing this man’s overflowing talent, she could not help but feel terribly guilty about the current situation.
“Hmm, I seem to have spoken too much of my incompetence, which is humiliating. Still, the vitality and life force damaged by excessive use of a dark magic artifact have been restored somehow. We used a considerable number of precious materials in the process, but since he is the savior of Your Highness’s life, that much is only proper.”
The director’s emotionless words continued after that, but Riley made no reaction whatsoever, simply standing quietly and gazing down at Hesperon.
Then the director stopped speaking, cautiously bowed his head toward her, and quietly exited the ward with soft steps.
Maintaining composure in any situation was his creed, but that did not mean he lacked tact.
Swoosh—
Immediately after the director left.
She, who had stood motionless, slowly reached out one hand and quietly caressed his right arm wrapped in bandages densely inscribed with runic letters.
And that hand slowly moved upward, toward his right eye, which appeared merely closed in sleep.
“…I’ve incurred another debt.”
And she had not even repaid the debt she already owed.
He could have fled on his own, and yet he had pushed himself to pull out and use dangerous items to save her.
He himself, as their user, must have had some idea that this would happen.
‘…Like an idiot.’
Even so, he had chosen that path without the slightest hesitation.
As if he had no thought for what came after, as if saving her was enough, he had smiled without regret.
A surge—
Suddenly overcome by emotion, Riley hurriedly pulled her hand away from him and steadied her breathing.
Even then, she looked at him for a moment longer before finally taking in a deep breath, turning, and stepping out of the hospital room.
“I’ll come again later.”
Because there was still so much she had left to do.
As she stepped out of the hospital room, her expression slowly froze over, and by the time she had fully left the ward, she was exuding an aura so chilling that merely looking at her was enough to send a shiver down one’s spine.
“…What happened?”
“Sir Stav, who fled, is currently being tracked. However, as his physical condition is far from sound, we expect he will be caught soon.”
“All those who were left behind have already been detained, and interrogations have begun to identify any additional collaborators.”
“We are already compiling a list of those who showed suspicious behavior before the incident occurred. We will submit the report within the day.”
At her low murmur, the attendants who had, at some point, gathered behind her one by one like shadows each added a few words.
“Make it top priority. All the way to whoever is behind this. Understood?”
“Yes. I will relay it to all personnel.”
“We will devote our full strength to it.”
The Iron-Blooded Princess, thoroughly enraged after being struck first, bared her fangs for retaliation.
Drawing together the power of the forces she had gathered until now, along with the cooperation of the Empire.
***
A remote region of the Elven Kingdom on the Enamel Continent.
It had been four days since Harris had set out on a search, following an inexplicable intuition.
At last, he was able to discover a group that seemed to be the cause.
‘Ah… What the hell are those now…?’
They walked on two legs and had the heads of beasts. Though they resembled beastmen, the energy they possessed was completely different; they were a race he had never once encountered before.
Shunned to a degree comparable to vampires, beings that stirred an instinctive sense of revulsion the moment one laid eyes on them… werewolves, lycanthropes.
But apart from that feeling he had upon seeing them, he had no idea what method they had used, but their presence was so faint that unless he looked directly at them, he could barely sense them through his perception alone.
Because of that, even he had gone through considerable trouble to discover them.
If he had not come after roughly determining their location by following that feeling, even he likely would not have found them this quickly.
However, even that significant fact was not what mattered most right now.
‘Why is an Abyssal Rift here…?’
Not compared to the existence of the pitch-black hole opened so neatly in front of them, swallowing even light itself.