Chapter 377 - Foundation Stone (3)
The wanderer introduced himself as 'Heras'.
His role was the herald of the Society.
He was tasked with guiding Verden to the headquarters of the Society, under orders received from the upper ranks once they confirmed the activation of the mark.
It was, truly, a simple explanation.
Preparations for travel… well, since all belongings were stored in subspace, there was nothing special to prepare, but once he finished his packing, Verden asked.
"I heard there would be complicated procedures. Is there nothing in particular I should keep in mind?"
"Normally, there should be. Such as storing away all weapons and magical equipment, or using special magical devices to obscure part of the senses…"
Heras, standing upright like a trained soldier, continued.
"But the upper ranks have commanded us to treat you with the utmost courtesy, Excellency, so we have decided to omit the procedure. Thus, there will be nothing troublesome."
Was it a kind of consideration?
It might appear so on the surface, but in truth it was nothing more than a veneer.
'The Society must have already investigated my past conduct in detail.'
At the same time, they would have assessed to some extent the tendencies revealed by his actions.
And as a result, they must have concluded that he would never readily surrender his equipment or voluntarily allow himself to be disarmed just because they asked.
That they could not force the procedure by strength alone.
It was an accurate judgment.
Indeed, Verden had no such intention.
How could one possibly hand over artifacts and magical items of immeasurable value into the hands of strangers?
That was only possible with those Verden trusted.
'And yet, the fact that they invited me to their stronghold means they believe they can manage me.'
From that, he could faintly gauge the power of the Society.
Having finished his thoughts, Verden spoke.
"What is the method of traveling to headquarters?"
"Forgive me, but according to the rules of the Society, I cannot disclose such things outside. May I tell you once we enter the region where the norms apply?"
Heras' solemn expression evoked the image of a cold iron wall.
Even if captured by the enemy of the Society and subjected to brutal torture, there was a firmness in him that no information would ever be revealed.
'Impressive loyalty.'
What kind of place was this Society, to have such men under it?
Verden, inwardly curious, readily nodded.
"So be it."
"Thank you, Excellency. I will guide you at once."
***
Leaving the city of Dallehin behind, the journey toward the Society began.
Both of them were capable of using the 3rd-tier
However, since Heras overall magical capacity was that of the 5th-tier, they had to adjust their speed somewhat and take rests.
Of course, if they used a special method like a flying carriage powered by
As expected, Heras was not moving alone.
'Eight Mages are following, maintaining distance.'
There was no sign of an ambush, yet they had positioned themselves like a perimeter, vigilant of their surroundings. They must undoubtedly be members of the Society.
If any problematic variable arose, it was to eliminate it, and also to confirm that Verden had no companions of his own.
'In other words, an escort that doubles as surveillance.'
Most Mages would never notice pursuit from such a far distance.
And they were skilled at concealing their magic power and presence.
Of course, they could not evade Verden's large-scale mana detection, amplified by
'Perhaps even the rule about needing to go to a region where the norms apply is a lie.'
To be sure Verden was alone, they would likely need to watch him for at least several days.
It was an almost certain suspicion, yet Verden did not bother to point it out.
To be frank, he was not displeased at all.
Rather, he rated the Society higher for their caution.
Had they been careless, they would long since have been erased by the magic towers.
At last, they arrived at the destination Heras had been leading them to.
A mountain peak devoid of people.
A spring forest, just after winter had passed, the kind that could be seen anywhere.
At that moment, Heras produced four scrolls made from some unknown leather and held them in his hands.
A peculiar magic that prickled at the nerves… and on the surface were magical symbols Verden had never seen before.
What could it be?
As he watched, Verden's eyes widened.
"That… could it be, a Scroll?"
Scrolls, records of magic.
Artifacts that could store magic and allow 'anyone' to use it, one-time consumables.
At first glance, they resembled Dexar's Jewel, but scrolls were clearly superior.
Fundamentally, the performance of a scroll varied greatly depending on the materials used, but regardless, they were exceedingly rare.
For the simple reason that, like artificial golems, most of the ancient magical manufacturing techniques had long been lost in modern times.
Intact scrolls were only ever found in ancient ruins and the like.
Toward the questioning Verden, Heras replied.
"As you have perceived, Excellency, these are scrolls, but they are not genuine. To quote the words of the 'Sage of Wisdom' verbatim, 'These are imitations that, by using Mado, special materials, and ancient techniques, reproduce and replicate a fraction of the power of a scroll'. Their performance is inferior, and there are numerous limitations."
However—
"Provided certain conditions are met, they can enable travel to a specific space."
Space holds powers that humans cannot endure, and harnessing it requires astronomical costs.
Thus, any faction capable of actually handling spatial attributes was, without exception, among the very highest in the world.
To Verden's knowledge, the Ark, which drew power from the vast floating islands, was the most representative.
'The secrets of the Society cannot compare to those hidden by the Ark.'
Even so, it was no less astonishing.
There was no room for doubt.
It was more than enough value to warrant forging ties. Verden's anticipation turned into conviction.
"For the scroll to take effect, one must inevitably be in contact with the caster. Would you place your hand on my shoulder?"
Verden nodded, placing his hand upon Heras left shoulder.
"Then, I shall read it."
Heras untied the cord that bound the scroll.
Stretching his arms up and down, he unfurled it, and the magical characters engraved within reacted, bursting into a fierce radiance.
"───"
The herald of the Society quietly read the verses one after another.
The air quivered as though shaken by an earthquake, until even the surrounding space began to ripple like waves.
Each time the inscribed letters were completed through his voice, the scroll left behind its ritual and vanished one by one.
In the same way, the remaining three scrolls scattered and disappeared without a trace.
One after another, the rituals of mana rearranged themselves into the fabric of space.
From within, a violet wave burst forth and engulfed the two.
***
An Elf named Merquien, was dashing through a world filled with green vegetation.
On her back hung a bow crafted from the branches of the World Tree, and at her waist rested two daggers forged from its roots.
Her speed was so fast it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.
Then, from a very distant forest, she sensed a strange disturbance.
Halting abruptly, Merquien tilted her head as she looked toward the northeast.
"Hm? What was that just now? Prima, didn't you feel anything?"
At the call of the great Elf who was her contractor, a dark green spirit slowly emerged into form from the empty air.
Unlike spirits that usually existed as clusters of light, this one had a shape resembling an Elf.
Its size was small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
The spirit, called Prima, stared ahead, then shook its head firmly.
"You say you felt nothing but mana? Hmm, did humans move through space? If they're going to leave, they should go quietly, instead of making a nuisance."
Clicking her tongue, Merquien soon dismissed the abnormality.
There was something much more important.
"Prima, how much farther? Ah, you say we're almost there? Sooner than expected. I suppose all this effort has been worth it."
She smiled, stretching her body as she basked in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
"To think the Elf race as a whole would invite a human… truly, one lives long enough to see everything."
Merquien recalled an event from several months prior.
News had come of the return of her kin who had vanished long ago, the Guardian Elf, Karans.
Realizing his disappearance was the work of humans, the Elves had been furious, ready to tear the Kingdom of Estiria apart.
But they could not.
Because Karans himself, the one directly involved, had pleaded and argued against it.
At first, they thought it nonsense, but only after the high Elves, including Merquien, confirmed his memories under the supervision of the World Tree's caretaker, did they understand.
A benefactor who had rescued Karans when he was on the verge of death from a horrific experiment, healed him, and allowed him to return to the Great Forest.
A human who had personally executed the filth that had abducted and murdered countless Elves.
'Asher.'
Elves spurn humans, yet they do not forget debts, whether of kindness or of hatred.
And so, after much deliberation, they decided to invite Asher into the Great Forest.
Of course, it was not simply because he had aided Karans.
'A human possessing mana as pure as that of the World Tree.'
Such a thing was unprecedented in Elven history.
It was only natural to be curious and intrigued.
Why would a mere human bear such a blessing?
"Until now, I've never met a decent human, but perhaps this is the first time I'll meet one worth anything. It's a strange feeling."
For Merquien and Prima to set foot beyond the Great Forest had always been only to hunt down humans who harmed the forest and the Elves.
Never before had she left her homeland to meet someone, especially a human.
Perhaps that was why.
There was a sense of something unfamiliar, something different.
"Prima, you're looking forward to it too, aren't you?"
Prima raised one tiny hand, nodding its small head up and down.
Merquien patted the spirit's head.
Then she once more kicked off the branches and cut across the forest.
Just one Elf and one spirit.
By number, insignificant, but the influence they carried upon the continent was impossible to ignore.
The Elves, a race that usually never left the Great Forest, living in seclusion.
And yet, her name alone was known widely throughout the world.
As the fearful warden and hunter whom no human should ever face.
One of the Central Continent's four strongest.
The Eye of the Great Forest, Merquien, was heading toward the Ownerless Land.
The strong, draw in the strong.
***
On all sides, a deep blue sea stretched to the horizon. Broken sunlight reflected off its surface, sparkling beautifully all day long.
It was the first time seeing the ocean since the coastal city of Acrien, which he had visited with Karans, Blue, and Edmon to search for Leonil's laboratory.
"..."
Verden turned his head the other way. In his sight came a primal, massive island.
Jagged cliffs meeting the deep sea, clad in thick greenery.
Inside the island were towering and rolling mountains, dense forests, and rivers of clear water flowing between them.
'That's not all.'
Everywhere, traces of ancient ruins stood out.
Strange buildings scattered about, collapsed statues… and incongruously, at the island's center, stood a silver magic citadel, infused with modern technology.
Moreover, from the island itself emanated waves of unknown mana.
Everywhere, one could feel the weight of ages and the touch of the unknown.
Even more, in one place, an enormous skeleton was embedded into the island itself.
The remains of a creature large enough to swallow a castle in one bite…
Verden could say with certainty it was beyond the knowledge he had accumulated.
A mystery.
If one were to summarize the island in a single word, it would be that.
Verden spoke.
"This island in the middle of the boundless sea, is it the headquarters of the Society?"
"This is the Society itself."
The source of those who would raise rebellion against the current order of the magical world.
How had they discovered this place, and how had they made it their base?
With such thoughts, Verden gazed upon the scenery of the island.
Just then, two figures descended from the sky, landing directly before Verden and Heras.
A man with narrow eyes.
A young-looking woman.
Ethan and Rebecca.
"Ah, welcome."
"It's a relief to see you healthy, Sir Asher."
The two, greeting him with an awkward yet natural bow, pointed toward the silver citadel.
"Our master, the Sage of Wisdom, is waiting for you."
A Sage, surely one of the leadership of the Society.
Would they draw out cooperation, or walk a different path?
The time had come for Verden to prove not magic, but the pure human strength he possessed.
You can read more chapters in organised way on my website:- https://revengernovel.com