Chapter 481 - Great Hall (1)
Looking back, it had been blatant.
The gaze of the Shadow Demon.
The high demon, Geras, who claimed to guide Libereas in Cayman's stead.
That sudden act of goodwill...
It was practically asking to be noticed, how could one not be suspicious?
At this point, it was confirmed.
'The demons are deeply interested in my existence.'
And very much so.
As Verden removed the hood of his robe, he simultaneously dispelled
Tremble.
Geras instinctively shuddered violently, yet... he neither attempted to flee nor shrank back much.
Still, he stared directly at Verden, with the eyeball embedded in the middle of his throat.
A clash of gazes.
Only then did Verden faintly sense someone else connected through Geras.
"...Indeed, even without being Cayman's contracted demon, there are almost none who could release his soul at will, or bestow power without any price."
[...]
"Am I wrong, Archdemon, Noxias."
Geras did not answer.
Yet a portion of that overwhelming presence was clearly perceived through insight.
Silence was affirmation.
Verden confirmed that the being beyond Geras's eyeball, the one gazing at him, was Noxias, and continued.
"Cayman may not have wanted outsiders interfering in his pact with a demon, but that doesn't mean I'll simply look the other way."
Before Cayman staked even his soul to aid Verden's group, he was a long-time friend of Harkan and Melard.
Helping was only natural.
That was the duty of one in a cooperative bond.
"But, disregarding Cayman's resolve and choices, I cannot impose my own will. So, when you demons attempt to fully seize Cayman Vermont's soul, I too will be there. At that time, I will ask Cayman again for his will."
By granting Cayman the right to decide for himself and respecting his will, he also used it as a pretext to secure a future meeting with Noxias.
It was the best demand Verden could make.
Without moving his eyelids once, Geras sent forth a mental wave.
[As you wish.]
At that moment, the pact between Cayman and the demon, which had endured for decades, was half undone.
With this, his obligation as ally was fulfilled.
'Then...'
Verden gathered all the questions he had accumulated. He judged there was no meaning in hiding information in case of unforeseen incidents.
He had to be bold.
At the very least, bait of this degree had to be thrown if he was to draw any bite.
Verden began his next inquiry.
"I know that the World Tree and the first Demon King are connected in some way."
A sudden opening.
At the same time, the pupils reflecting Verden within Geras darkened further.
"And this place, Libereas... once I saw its structure, severed from the world, that link revealed the involvement of demons as well. So, I ask."
Blue eyes glimmered coldly.
"What are you hiding?"
Verden pressed further.
"Do not speak of choices or fate, the World Tree already mentioned that. What I want is the detailed truth. Noxias, what meaning does my existence hold?"
The World Tree had spoken.
───That day, you made a choice that did not exist, that never should have existed. Thus, none could foresee it. Because of that, fate was denied, and the flow of the world, which had only just begun to converge into one, was thrown into disarray.
The choice spoken of was not merely the reconstruction of his body.
If that were the case, then even Isabella, who had achieved partial Defying the Heavens, would have been treated the same as Verden.
The intervention of the World Tree.
The favor of demons.
All of it had begun with Defying the Heavens through the power source of the Bohemirn magic tower.
The high demon's eyeball trembled greatly, as if an earthquake had struck.
The flesh of his throat writhed.
And when his eyelids opened and closed once, stability returned in an instant.
[The demon that cursed the face of the acquaintance you asked me to investigate last time. That demon is likely at least of the highest rank or above.]
Geras took two steps back.
[It will take time to discover him, and to find a way to lift the curse. I do not know how much time will be consumed, but... when 'that time' comes, we will seek you first. Please, wait.]
Geras—or rather, Noxias—evaded a direct answer.
Was it that he did not want to speak, or that he could not?
It seemed to be the latter.
Drip, drip drip... drip...
Scarlet liquid streamed down Geras's cheeks.
Bloody tears seeped from his sewn-shut eyes, pooling at the corners, and fell ceaselessly.
A pitiful sight.
Yet in stark contrast, the eyeball at the center of his throat was filled with hope.
'It is not yet the time...'
Verden mulled over the words of the demon, that they would come first once prepared.
It seemed unlikely he would hear more during this first visit to Libereas.
It could not be helped.
Extraction of information ended here.
He had to cut it off at a reasonable line.
He could not spare more time and spirit.
Uncovering the link the Archdemon was concealing would have to wait.
'For now, vengeance comes first.'
Before moving beyond, he would seize Black Hour and annihilate the Bohemirn magic tower.
Verden did not forget his priorities.
***
The spring before last, the fate 'you' created was denied.
And several months ago, the cogwheels of fate that were nearing completion came to a halt.
In a world where choices were forced, one who made a choice appeared.
I thought it was a delusion.
To believe that a miracle would come in crisis is a foolish thing.
[...But it was real.]
Right now, within Libereas, the sole existence dwells. No matter how many times it was checked, the result never changed.
Indeed.
Among humans, those who read fortunes with stars or cards could no longer glimpse even fragments of the future.
Because that being had twisted all predetermined fates.
[Even though the World Tree, meant to remain forever as a defeated bystander, stepped forth, it did not pay the price of breaking a 'taboo'. For to regenerate a halted world's flow is the bystander's role. From there, branches diverged. In the end, we are back at the beginning.]
An opportunity had arisen.
Thus, a choice must be made.
Even now, will 'you' submit, accept the eternal shackle, and be trapped in the cycle of fate?
Or, will you side with the once leader of all, now mad, the Resistor───Demon King, Oldarc Ruin Arkenad, to restore the arrow of time?
If not, will you step onto a third path where all is uncertain...?
In truth, the judgment had already been made.
Step, step.
From the lowest level of Noxias's temple, within the deepest darkness, footsteps resounded.
Soon, a boy of about ten years appeared.
As he lifted his head, missing his right hand, three high demons knelt on one knee, lowering their heads in loyalty.
[If it is a human whose face bears the curse of a demon, surely it must be deeply connected to the Archdemon of Parasites, Ipea Karn.]
The boy, Noxias, commanded.
[Then go, and find the clue.]
At this, a demon with three pairs of wings cautiously asked.
[Should we not tell that being? If I were to offer my life, even if it were 'your' taboo, perhaps three sentences could be spoken...]
[No.]
The Archdemon growled.
[I will not lose you for the price of a few words.]
Rumble, rumble rumble...!
It had been more than six hundred years since Libereas was created.
The strength consumed in the process had yet to be fully recovered, yet the aura overflowing was that of a being born with transcendence itself.
[And the moment we are discovered, Libereas is finished. It must not happen yet. Hide your breath and wait. Do not interfere. Vanish from the path altogether.]
Noxias whispered firmly.
[Until the moment comes when we are truly needed.]
In the meantime, they would prepare.
Waiting was familiar to demons.
***
In their dwelling within Libereas, Verden's group focused on memorizing and mastering the essential information Cayman had prepared regarding the Great Hall.
The unique codes for forcibly opening the two deep gates.
The locations and types of security magic circles and magical guardians placed throughout the depths.
The know-how of the original members for more effectively manipulating the Myriad Ring that stored the [Hourglass of Perpetuity], and more...
[Question to Isabella. When finished?]
"Almost done memorizing, so stop nagging...!"
[Tick-tock.]
Verden, in just two hours, and Alpha, in roughly three, had already committed all of Cayman's teachings to memory.
Then they completed demonstrations using the makeshift testing device Cayman had prepared.
For Isabella, it took about seventeen hours, learning one-on-one from Verden where parts were too difficult to interpret alone, just to memorize.
It had not been a long time at all.
To instantly understand and apply principles from such high-level material was nearly impossible.
To memorize even a fragment of the highly advanced magical concepts, the very backbone of the Great Hall, within a single day, was an achievement of talent.
For an ordinary mage, even several months would not suffice.
Fwoooosh.
At last, Isabella succeeded in handling the makeshift testing device, proving she had mastered the knowledge, and collapsed onto the desk.
"Sorry for taking so long..."
"You did well."
[Confirmed.]
Verden and Alpha, who had been reviewing the demon-made map replicating the Great Hall in miniature, encouraged Isabella while planning.
Cayman, now demonized, cleared his throat to redirect attention.
[Hm, hm, there is no need to be disheartened. At this level, you learned several times faster than I had expected.]
"Your consolation just makes it more miserable."
Isabella muttered.
If her memory had not drastically improved upon becoming a Transformed, her head might have exploded already.
There were so many variables... without Verden's role as teacher, it might have taken weeks.
"Hnnn."
Stretching with a long yawn, Isabella moved toward the Great Hall's map.
After a short rest, she immersed herself in chasing the meticulously written plans of Verden and Alpha, absorbing them into her mind.
A Transcendent, who instantly grasped the roots of the Great Hall's security, devised by the first members who had joined heads.
A small artificial golem, with magical comprehension nearly rivaling that man.
And a woman, though far less gifted, stubbornly keeping pace.
[...Far better than us.]
Cayman recalled when he and seven others had created Black Hour.
One mage who had once experienced the magical world smiled faintly.
***
Whoooom, whooom, whoooom.
The well-seasoned staff cleaved the air without pause.
Weight shifted, feints taken, and
And then.
Kwooooooooom!
Gravity's flame concentrated at the staff's tip shattered a massive nearby boulder.
Fragments scattered, sending ripples across the lake.
Through supreme mana control, he stepped onto the surface without
"Huuu..."
His body showed no notable issues.
He withstood the backlash of imbuement magic to a degree, and his skill in handling magic, sorcery, and mana had sharpened beyond before.
All that remained was real combat.
"Sage, we confirmed the target has entered the stronghold."
A fully armed magus arrived to fetch the Sage.
Not far from here, the Society's mages were sensed, waiting in formation.
"These communication devices are most useful. To relay messages instantly even at this distance. To commit a mistake under such advantage would be disgraceful."
The Sage walked across the lake, raising his aura higher.
"Do not let a single one escape. Especially the executives of Black Hour."
The Sage of Power, Osgar.
One of the founders of the Society, once the former War Lord of the Arnak Empire, now marched.
The plan to infiltrate Black Hour's Great Hall had begun.
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