◈ Episode 395. Library of War Records (1)
Magic.
The barriers erected with modern civilization were meaningless before the Magic Tower. The suspects of the incident, dragged to the Magic Tower by senior mages, were confined in the Obsidian Hall.
"What the…?"
A prison of obsidian, the Obsidian Hall.
To ordinary people who were not Players, the only thing they could feel upon seeing the Obsidian Hall was its beauty. Ignorance is bliss. Surely, that was the saying for this exact situation.
Bensy, Senior of the School of Flame Magic, scoffed.
"Hah. As if those ignoramuses could know the pressure of obsidian. I, Bensy William, only learned of the Obsidian Hall's existence after becoming a senior mage!"
Even the vast majority of mages in the Magic Tower did not know of this space.
It was only natural.
Because what happened here was never revealed to the outside.
Due to the special properties of obsidian.
Fwoosh.
Bensy lightly flickered flames.
The strict discipline of the Magic Tower.
The manifestation of combat magic within the Magic Tower was forbidden, and yet—
In the Obsidian Hall, it was an exception.
Banggeurit, Senior of the School of Pure Magic, cautiously opened his mouth.
"Obsidian has the property of absorbing and digesting mana. So I had heard rumors that it was refined and made into equipment to oppose mages like us, but…."
The Magic Tower had long researched the weaknesses of magic. For there must be no blind spots before truth. Thanks to that, the Magic Tower had perfectly grasped the properties of obsidian and was even utilizing them.
Bensy's shoulders gave an excited shrug.
"Oh dear, Senior Banggeurit, is this your first time in the Obsidian Hall? Compared to me, you are but a fledgling senior. Ahem. Allow me to kindly instruct you through demonstration. Now, watch. Let's start with something fiery…."
Fwooom.
Flames blazed even more fiercely from Bensy's fingers. Those dragged into the Obsidian Hall were in agony. Someone muttered in alarm.
"Is this black place an incineration room? Are those monsters trying to burn us to nothing with magic?! If not, why else would they do this to weak civilians like us...!"
Without paying heed to the screams, Bensy took a step.
"Obsidian absorbs magic, but it does not absorb the pain caused by magic. It can be used in various ways, but its clearest use is none other than interrogation, is it not? In that regard, it is I, Bensy William's, turn to step forth."
The Flame Emperor (Yandi) of House William.
"The scorching agony grants the greatest of pains, after all."
Bensy gazed at the flames surging between his scattering golden locks. Senior Mage of the Magic Tower. A position only those who had marched toward magic, toward truth, could seize.
Indeed.
In this moment.
Bensy was not looking at the faces trembling in fear.
"This is the vision of House William."
He gazed only at his own flickering flames.
Unfortunately, however, Bensy could not unleash his arcane magic.
Because a voice was heard.
Or to be precise, footsteps had come one step faster.
Clip—clop. "...!!!"
Including Bensy.
It was as if exclamation marks appeared on the faces of everyone present.
Especially those who had been trembling before the terrifying flames, who opened their mouths at once.
"What in the world is the meaning of this, Player Lee Hoyeol!"
"Wh-what have we done wrong to deserve this...!"
"We will officially file a protest with the Korean government and the AAU...!!"
The reason they could spout such words.
Was largely due to the attitude Lee Hoyeol had shown until now.
Players were superhumans.
A dangerous factor.
Analyzing their personalities and actions had been the homework of the ruling classes of each nation.
An attitude that valued decorum, a prickly tone of speech, a fastidious personality.
But the emotion that stood above all those.
Lee Hoyeol was merciful.
It was a natural assumption. Had Lee Hoyeol, who grasped immense power, been unmerciful, the world would have been far more chaotic than it was now. But it was a clear delusion.
"Senior Bensy William."
"...Yes, sir!"
"Your judgment to manifest flame magic was correct."
Demons.
Or before those no different from demons.
Lee Hoyeol was never merciful.
"However, even in the Obsidian Hall, pain remains in the minds of the subjects. At the power of arcane magic, it would not have been strange for them to become invalids from extreme agony."
They interjected with heated vigor.
"Wh-what?!"
"Did you intend to do such evil to us?!"
Perhaps they thought that Lee Hoyeol had spoken those words out of concern for their safety.
They seemed to believe he had uttered such words for their welfare.
But as I had said, it was a delusion.
"They still have their uses."
"...?"
"Restrain your magic until the very end."
"Yes! I shall engrave the Chief's advice into my heart!"
Bensy bowed his head, and only then did the captives grasp the situation.
Indeed.
Lee Hoyeol was not thinking of their lives.
"I have heard everything. Every one of your evil deeds."
They sensed it from those cold words.
Someone had spat out the truth first.
Lee Hoyeol continued chillingly.
"I told you clearly."
"Wh-what are you talking about...?"
"That glory and splendor are but fleeting bubbles."...
The Obsidian Hall served a similar role to Avici.
Still, those in the Obsidian Hall could be said to have it good. I myself could not feel it due to that bastard's composure, but Avici seemed to be more terrible than one could imagine.
-"Senior Matisse, your efforts have been great."
-"Not at all, Tower Master."
Matisse Dean Karl, Senior of the School of Dark Magic.
He was one who had been evaluated as equal to Marcelo in ability.
Considering the nature of dark magic, in which the caster must not be easily shaken... aside from me, Matisse was likely the mage who could be most free in Avici within the Magic Tower.
-"...However, my dizziness does not go away."
To the point that even such a Matisse staggered.
What of the Japanese government official interrogated by Matisse in Avici?
Needless to say.
He had probably become an invalid, unable to live the rest of his life as before.
You ask if it's cruel?
No, even that was a light punishment.
"To commit atrocities merely chasing after material things."
To the point that Marcelo bit his lip.
Simply put, they had provided information to Raymond Sean.
Through the AAU, they had conveyed the levels of Players' stats, skills, and items.
From that, conjecture became certainty.
'Even Raymond Sean could not perfectly control the System.'
That my embarrassing full name, which had been blared about in all directions through system messages all this time, was not the deed of Raymond Sean?
'In the old days, I might have shown leniency in their punishment.'
But the current me could not afford to be generous.
'That the regular updates had felt unreasonable was a planned thing.'
I look back on the past regular update records.
Why, the true beginning had been when Count Askyura's vampire citadel rift appeared in Russia. At that point, not to mention me, the majority of Players lacked the ability to slay Count Askyura.
My gaze turns toward the government officials in the Obsidian Hall.
'These bastards knew that and still cooperated with Raymond Sean.'
Through his transactions with them, he had perfectly grasped the players' levels and released regular updates at a difficulty they could not handle. That bastard, Raymond Sean.
'In that sense, was I a thorn in his eye?'
My level was unknown.
My information was unknown.
I had popped out of nowhere and killed every demon in sight. It must have been quite a headache. He must have strived tirelessly to uncover my information.
But could he?
The Korean branch chief of the AAU.
Park Minjae's mad-dog-like personality aside, I was far more prickly back then than I am now. These days, everyone at least observes decorum and exchanges words before me, but back then, truly.
-"There was no decorum to be found."
-"I will not entertain questions."
-"Do not dare block my path."...
I had been terribly ill-fated.
But these are all stories of the past.
Raymond Sean, to humanity and the Players—
this means the extent of your negative influence ends here.
I opened my mouth.
"Limbs of Raymond Sean."
"...!"
At my assertive words, despair rose on the faces of those present.
As expected, was it because they were people who had dirtily clawed their way through society?
At least their intuition is quick.
They seemed to realize that someone had spat out the truth first.
Of course, I paid no heed and continued speaking.
"I shall sever those limbs."
Fwooom.
At those words, Bensy manifested flame magic. He must have shown it to read the room. But unfortunately, now is not the time to step forth, Bensy William.
"Therefore, struggle from now on."
"...Struggle? What do you mean?"
"It means prove to me the value of your hands and feet."
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
For I intended to repay in kind.
If that bastard Raymond Sean deceived humanity through these wretches.
Then I too shall deceive you, Raymond Sean, through these wretches.
"Relay to Raymond Sean immediately."
To do that, I would need information that could cause him confusion. Just as humanity had fallen into despair at the shock of the regular update contents.
'Even you who call yourself the creator of the Arcana continent.'
I shall tell you information you do not know.
It went without saying, but Grandfel's temperament could not leak false information. I had to leak one moderately shocking truth among the truths I was hiding.
Yes, a truth that could shock even Raymond Sean.
'Damn.'
Thinking that made my head complicated.
That was because there was so much I was hiding...!
Starting from the fact that I am the last survivor of Akshan.
To my damnable full name.
In a fleeting moment, I, who had been agonizing, opened my mouth.
Raymond Sean cannot oversee a Player's every move, both in reality and on the Arcana continent. He merely interprets certain situations or results on his own; it means he cannot grasp the cause.
In that sense.
I shall unravel one truth you are most frustrated about.
"The one holding the Calamity's breath is none other than I."
No, to be precise.
It is our Akshan seniors who are inside the Calamity's belly, but anyway.
You do not know the reason the Calamity cannot move from the southern sea, do you?
Such lofty aesthetic sense.
Honestly, a Calamity that is merely a lump of tentacles.
It is Grandfel, who would not care if it were thrown to dogs.
So if you cooperate?
I can readily say that I will return it.
Of course.
'You can try to reach an agreement yourself with our seniors inside its belly.'
*The Emperor could not overlook the report.
"You must rule strictly, Your Majesty!"
The name of the Imperial Family, Seric Rose, is not something to be spoken carelessly. A foreigner would know even less of that name. Yet it was said the man had abruptly spoken the Imperial Family's name.
And not only that.
'Claudi.'
The Emperor knew Lee Hoyeol, the savior of the empire.
He knew his other name.
'Grandfel Claudi Arpeus Romeo.'
That was why he could not ignore it.
"I shall grant an audience."
The Emperor had harbored doubts about Seric Rose's prestige.
A puppet emperor established by the agreement of the Four Great Houses.
That was the truth of House Seric Rose. Yet Claudi had subdued the Four Great Houses, the true owners of the empire. No force had been necessary in that process.
Merely by revealing the name of Claudi.
The Four Great Houses had knelt before Claudi.
The Emperor had agonized.
Just what was Claudi? What was the identity of the Black Dark Dragon?
To the point that he wanted to ask the Library of War Records beneath the imperial palace about the truth of Claudi.
It was amid such times.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty's mercy."
They said it was the symbol of Claudi.
A man with silver hair identical to Hoyeol's had come to Antonium. The Emperor looked at the man's face. How could flesh and blood of similar age be so different?
If from Lee Hoyeol's every action flowed lofty decorum and dignity... from the man who claimed to be the bastard of Claudi flowed an uncontrollably decadent aura.
'Whatever he says, I cannot believe it.'
The Emperor made his decision from that impression.
But unexpected words jumped from the man's mouth.
Not only the name of Seric Rose, but an extreme secret of the Imperial Family.
"Much conversation is unnecessary between us."
"Watch your tongue before His Majesty...!!"
"The truth lies in the Library of War Records, young Seric Rose."
The existence of the Library of War Records had been brought up.
The Emperor's eyes narrowed.
How did he know of the Library of War Records? The reason was unknown, but merely knowing of it made the man a certain danger to the empire.
However, the man continued speaking.
And the Emperor's thoughts came to a halt.
Telepathy whispered secretly, imbued with mana.
Only the Emperor heard that truth.
"Emperor, do you know why Seric Rose participated in the annihilation of Claudi? That reason is recorded in the Library of War Records. Foolish Seric Rose, ignorant of everything."
"...!"
The empire, Seric Rose, participated in the destruction of Claudi...?