Chapter 151
The ground that had turned black.
The figure sitting on the throne there radiated golden light from his eyes.
"So he finally found it."
The one he spoke of was Titeo.
The Sorrowful Fallen.
This place was the Fallen Land.
Or the Forgotten Continent.
"He's a disgrace to us all."
One of those standing beside the throne, a figure with the appearance of a beast, shouted.
Then the man next to him with abnormally long arms and black skin answered.
"He was originally a half-wit who received 'His' grace. There's no reason to call a fellow who didn't even have the will to fight alone a devil in the first place."
His.
The one sitting on the throne also trembled as he recalled Him.
"However... even so, he was a Fallen."
"He was the number of the end and the beginning."
666. Since that was broken.
"According to His prophecy. It is also time for us to head toward a new beginning."
"Then..."
"First, bring the Sorrowful Fallen."
Of course.
"And that guy recognized by him as well."
The new 666 must be that guy.
"Who shall we send?"
"There's that guy. 'The Undying Fallen'. Wouldn't he be sufficient? 'Golden Fallen'."
Golden Fallen.
The number engraved on his helmet, 555, glowed faintly with golden light.
"Ah, right. If it's that guy..."
"He's a fellow desperate to die. He used to say habitually that if it's Titeo's sword that raises the dead, it might kill him. He'll go willingly."
Instead.
"If he's disappointed that he can't die, we'll kill that guy too."
* * *
"Are you really going?"
Philo, holding a spear between his crossed arms, asked Callias.
In some forest outside the Holy Land.
Callias was continuously stroking Vivi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
After half a year, Vivi's body had grown a bit larger and more majestic.
Instead, he looked a bit thinner, so he looked a bit more fierce.
Probably because of the Lightning Sword he held in his mouth, he couldn't eat well, or even when hunting, he didn't eat much.
Callias took the Lightning Sword away from the creature who was rubbing his head and acting cute, stuck it in the ground, and force-fed him.
His eyes frequently went to the Lightning Sword, but since Callias was holding it, he wasn't that anxious.
Only after watching Vivi eat for a while did Callias answer Philo's question.
"Yeah."
Going to the Empire.
There is no change in that fact.
It was originally planned content.
Weakening the Empire before the war was the most important thing.
"Why? Even if we've gotten stronger, it's too much to covet the Empire."
Even if Callias became a Master and obtained the Iron Lord, the Empire is difficult.
The Empire has more than twelve Masters. It's a place with such abundant national power.
Even if Callias's Ashen Legion has been strengthened, if they set their minds on killing him, he would have no choice but to be in danger.
'Since Luteon left the Holy Land...'
It's right to judge that information about him has already spread.
However, the reason he still goes to the Empire.
Callias spread his fingers.
"First is for revenge."
"Revenge?"
"Quite a while ago. The Empire attacked the cultivation area of Balterus's Tears, the holy fire essential for Carpe's holy water production. Because of that, Carpe lost its holy water."
It was quite a famous incident.
That incident was the reason Carpe's national power was greatly weakened.
"You're thinking of eliminating the Empire's holy water."
"Right."
Before the war, he plans to remove the holy water and its ingredient, Lactus's Tears.
Current Carpe, no matter how hard it tries, has no choice but to lose a war against the Empire.
It was absolutely necessary to delay the start of the war even a little and increase the probability.
"You're crazy to die."
"I do it because I can. I won't force you. If you want to run, go. Cutting your tail is your specialty, isn't it?"
"I died back then. I have power, and I have enemies to avenge my clan, so why should I cut my tail?"
"I remember you were cutting and selling tails just a few days ago."
"Hey! That was ages ago! Besides, that's a completely different concept."
It's already been more than half a year since the days of cutting and selling tails.
When Callias brought it up, Philo raised his voice as if feeling embarrassed.
When he raised his voice, Vivi growled threateningly.
"Damn it, I'm the one who's been feeding you all this time!"
While Callias was carving wooden swords in the tower, Philo would occasionally feed Vivi.
But to growl at his owner just for raising his voice a bit was quite disappointing.
"The second reason is the dragon bone the Empire possesses."
"Dragon bone?"
Dragon bones.
Or hearts, the Empire still possesses them. One of the reasons they became prosperous was because they had more byproducts from the Dragon-Ma War than other countries.
It was quite close to the Holy Land, so it was hit hard, but also took many benefits, which is the current Empire.
Callias needs to absorb the dragon power contained in the dragon bone.
That was the second reason for heading to the Empire.
"Anyway, I'm going to the Empire."
"Well, do as you please."
"Are you following?"
"I have to follow. Serena and Aldu will follow you anyway."
"That won't be bad for them either."
Harming the Empire itself is a welcome story for minorities and small nations living on the continent.
Moreover, if they're dwarves and elves, it's even more so.
Whether elves or dwarves.
There are many hostages captured and sold by the Empire or used like livestock.
"Rescuing our kin along the way sits well with me, but what can I do!"
Aldu appeared, carrying a huge hammer on his shoulder.
"We're colleagues now, right?"
Callias also smirked at Aldu's appearance showing his yellow teeth.
"Weakening the Empire is something we all wish for. Plus, if we can save the captured elves, I have no reason to refuse."
Thud.
Serena, the elf who had climbed up a tree, landed softly and spoke.
"But... the Empire's holy water cultivation area is the greatest secret of all secrets. Many small nations and minorities have struggled to find its location, but in the end, no one has found it. It will take quite some time to find it."
Or they might not find it at all.
The Empire's hundreds of years of history.
In that history, the cultivation area of Lactus's Tears has been shrouded in secrecy.
No one at all.
Knows where that place is.
"Rumor has it that only the Emperor and the Saintess know where Lactus's Tears are."
"Really? I don't know about the Emperor, but the Saintess too? The Saintess hasn't been in office for long."
"That means she's trusted that much by the Emperor. Her martial prowess is widely rumored."
The Empire's Saintess.
A woman who single-handedly brought down a small nation's castle overnight.
Her spear is said to be high enough to surpass the Empire's spears.
Callias's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Is she also a variable?'
Originally, it takes quite some time for the Empire's Saintess to appear.
It's the story of a child born as an orphan in the outskirts of the Empire becoming a saintess after a proper main quest erupts.
Of course, it's like a hidden NPC that appears when the Empire is weakened by players.
'But she already existed years ago.'
Because of that, the North or Carpe's royal castle was attacked faster than scheduled.
Thinking about it, could the reason for creating that variable be the Saintess?
It was a rather natural conclusion.
But Aldu and the others also know about the Saintess's power as much as it's known.
Probably the current Saintess is much stronger than Callias.
Since she surpasses the Empire's spears, she would be a Tower Master of Agathod.
She might have a good match with Orbire.
'It's better to avoid her for now.'
Thanks to Orbire, he supplemented the weakness of Re-Yuhwa, but Callias has only been a Master for half a year.
The Sim-gi-che that broke through the wall is still insufficient to face transcendents who have trained for a long time.
So step by step.
"We'll have to approach carefully."
"To where?"
"The Empire's lungs."
Voltan, called the Empire's lungs!
"Wow, that place with lots of people?"
"I heard it's a city of entertainment."
"Right."
The Empire's lungs.
That place has many various entertainments.
If compared to Carpe, it could be said to be a place like Trista.
Naturally, it has dozens of times the area of Trista.
"Why that place of all places? There are colosseums, gambling, masquerade balls, and auction houses there, so security will be tight."
It's better than the Empire's imperial palace, but it's still one of the top five places with the tightest security in the Empire.
He said to approach carefully just now, but to go to Voltan, it was absurd. Just as Philo was about to say something.
"Under Voltan's colosseum. It's there."
"Hmm?"
"Lactus's Tears, I mean."
The secret known only to the Emperor and the Saintess in this world.
The secret the Emperors of the Empire have kept for hundreds of years, Callias knew it.
That secret too.
Was just one of the things he created.
"Then let's depart."
* * *
A certain border.
Pieces of flesh buried in a pit.
Flesh pieces that looked torn in all directions and burned were twitching.
Above it.
Caw-
A crow circled in the sky and landed in a gap in the pit.
The crow's eyes were unusually red.
It didn't look like an ordinary crow.
-Even though you know you won't die anyway, why aren't you regenerating? Get up, you fool. Get up quickly and obey His command!
As if to prove that fact, the crow suddenly spoke and yelled at the flesh pieces in the pit.
Then the pieces of flesh stopped twitching and became still.
It seemed like an attitude of indifference.
Seeing that, the crow sighed and continued speaking.
-The one who might kill you has appeared.
Twitch.
-The Sorrowful Fallen recognized him. He's a Fallen who became a sword himself. It was you who said that if it's the one who raises the dead, he might rather kill you.
At that moment.
Ssslurp.
The pieces of flesh moved quickly and began to gather into one.
It was quite a gruesome sight, so the crow vomited without realizing.
It seemed to have a weak stomach.
[Is that true? That Titeo?]
-Yes, after a thousand years, he finally found a successor. Six-Zero-Zero (600). Undying Fallen. I deliver the Golden command to you.
The Sorrowful Fallen.
That guy and the guy recognized by him.
-Bring both before the Golden. He has quite an interest in that guy.
Sschlk.
Soon the crow's eyes changed.
It had the aura of an ordinary crow.
600. The Undying Fallen suddenly grabbed the crow's neck.
Caw! Caw-!
Then brought the crow to his mouth, chewed and swallowed it whole, and came out of the pit.
[Will I be able to die this time.]
I don't know.
Since when he couldn't die.
He had forgotten that long ago too.
[But where is the Empire?]
In the eyes of the Undying Fallen looking at the distant sky, he saw a giant bird crossing the sky.
[Not a bird, but a baby dragon?]
However, as if he had no interest, he trudged along the forest path.