#50. 13. King’s Order
A month has passed since the encounter with the unidentified entity, Tesranak.
In the meantime, Karnak attempted to enter the Void twice more, repeating the process of creating and floating the Eye of Darkness.
It took two weeks to make one, so two was the limit.
But nothing was salvaged.
At least the first time I met him, I was able to get close. But the second time, I couldn’t even get close, and the third time, I couldn’t even figure out his location.
It clearly meant that someone was wary of his approach and was blocking it.
“So we decided not to explore any further.”
After calling Baros and Serati, Karnak explained the situation.
“If I do this any further, I feel like my location will be identified. It’s too dangerous.”
It is foolish to continue to pass on information without even knowing the identity of the other party. We need to exercise self-restraint within an appropriate range.
Baros asked.
“Then you have found out nothing, Your Majesty?”
“It’s not like there isn’t anything at all.”
Have you not discovered that there is some being with a will, exerting influence over the ancient powers of Karnak?
“We need to figure out what that is first. Only then can we solve the problem of the darkness of the apocalypse.”
“First of all, it is certain that it is related to the Black God Cult.”
“That’s right. Because you mentioned Teslanak and all.”
The question is what position the Black God Church has in this situation.
“Haven’t I told you before, Baros?”
The current situation can be likened to the situation where Karnak scattered a pile of gold coins and the dogs and cows picked them up.
“But then I found out that there was a separate tree that grew gold coins. An incredibly tall and huge gold coin tree that was invisible to ordinary people.”
“So?”
“What if someone can see the tree? What if that person is hitting the tree hard with a pole, knocking out the gold coins? What if, in the meantime, another guy approaches the gold tree and starts swinging his pole and making a fuss, telling him to get out?”
The question is whether the Black God’s cult is a bunch of gold-pickers or pole-swingers.
If they’re just guys who pick up falling gold coins without thinking about it, then it’s no big deal. But what if they’re guys who swing poles?
“Things are getting serious.”
Serati blinked.
“… …Is that such a serious problem?”
“It doesn’t seem to make sense when you compare it to a pole, Serati. It means that the power reaches across time and space.”
“What Karnak did was also sending power to the other side of time and space, right?”
“It’s completely different.”
Karnak’s method is simply to use the Eye of Darkness to look into the void. It has no particular influence.
“There is as much difference between observing something ten kilometers away from a distance and moving something ten kilometers away from a distance.”
Extend the realm of power to the other side of time and space?
This is something that even Karnak, who became Astra Schnap, could barely do after decades of failure. That’s because it’s the magic of space-time regression.
“This is why I said it could never happen.”
To reach out to the ancient power of Karnak that exists beyond time and space, one must possess absolute power that transcends even the Karnak of the time of the Lord of the Dead.
“If you really have that much power, there’s no need to just drop the gold coins. You can just uproot the tree.”
“Maybe they’re leaving it alone on purpose because they want to keep making gold coins?”
“I meant it as a metaphor, but it’s not like the darkness of the apocalypse is really going to continue to open?”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand the current situation.
“It makes no sense to send influence beyond the Void from this world. If you have that much power, there’s no need to do something like that. But if that’s the case, then there’s a guy named Tesranak who exists in the Void. Where on earth did that guy suddenly pop up from?”
Serati, who had been watching Karnak muttering, carefully opened her mouth.
“Hey, how about something like this?”
She was a person who loved legends and heroic tales. Since she knew almost nothing about magic, she was able to imagine things that even a magician would not be able to imagine.
“What if Karnak’s power itself had become a kind of self-aware entity?”
Baros snorted.
“Does that make sense? Then Serati’s Auror will also wander around as a separate ghost? If you talk to him, he’ll answer.”
Karnak, on the other hand, did not laugh.
“Of course it’s nonsense, but the situation itself is so absurd that I can’t ignore it.”
Putting aside common sense in magic, it is a hypothesis that seems quite plausible when looking at the phenomenon alone.
If there is no one swinging a pole, but the tree itself is shedding the darkness of the apocalypse and swinging its branches to block approaching men, then the order of things makes sense.
Baros frowned.
“Don’t you think that’s too much to ask?”
So, does that spirit tree call itself Tesranak? Is it of its own volition to give power to the Black God’s cult and act as the god of death?
From what was merely energy, the self was born spontaneously, from nothing, something was born?
“Wouldn’t that mean the master created a god? Hey, no matter how great the master is, at this point, it’s excessive self-consciousness… … .”
Karnak protested, his face reddening.
“Who created God? He can do nothing but turn things around.”
Yeah, that’s the problem, after all.
That I don’t know anything.
“There’s nothing we can do right now. Until we find out more about that guy named Tesranak.”
And there was only one way to learn about Tesranak in this world.
“I guess I should investigate the Black God’s cult… … .”
In all their lives, past and present, only they have spoken that name.
Karnak frowned.
“… … How should I investigate those guys now?”
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***
A time of confusion.
As necromancers were rampant throughout the continent, the Seven Goddesses responded by reviving the inquisitor system and reorganizing the system.
These specially trained inquisitors, along with several collaborators, hunted down and judged the necromancers, and these collaborators came to be known as Dark Hunters.
But there were situations that could not be dealt with with this alone.
It was the Black God Cult, a cult that had influence throughout the continent.
In the beginning, the kingdoms of the world did not particularly care about the Black God’s cult.
When the world becomes chaotic, it is inevitable that all sorts of cults will run rampant. They too thought it was just another common occurrence.
The Cult of the Black God was different from any other cult I had seen before.
This cult, which worshipped the god of death called Tesranak, was expanding its power at a truly astonishing rate.
The speed was so terrifying that it soon spread throughout the continent, and it gradually became a threat that not only the Seven Goddesses but even the powerful people of the secular world could not ignore.
The Black God’s cult included high-ranking nobles, even royalty and great lords.
It is unclear why these people, who had such a comfortable position, indulged in such socializing, but the important thing was that they were high-ranking officials from each country.
The authority to simply hunt individual necromancers can be granted to the Seven Goddesses. This is the realm of ‘security’.
However, if the powerful and high-ranking people get involved, it becomes an area of ‘politics’ or ‘treason.’ If the Seven Goddesses are to manage this, their authority must increase accordingly.
High-ranking nobles, even royalty, must be punished at will in order to be dealt with effectively, which would be a serious situation in which secular power was encroaching on ecclesiastical power.
So the Seven Kingdoms Alliance established a separate, dedicated agency. They gave non-priests direct authority to act as inspectors and deal with heretics.
It was the King’s Order, a special agency directly under the royal family that hunted only the Cult of the Black God.
***
Karnak asked, his mouth agape.
“If we’re going to investigate Tesranak, we’ll probably need to catch at least a high-ranking member of the cult, right?”
Baros answered, nodding.
“Because it is impossible for individual believers to know such important information.”
Karnak continued speaking, savoring the rich flavor of sesame seeds filling his mouth.
“It would be really hard for us to hold onto a high-ranking position on our own.”
Baros nodded, licking the sweet sugar cream with his tongue.
“They’re guys who hide without anyone knowing, so it’s impossible to hope to catch them by chance while hunting for neighborhood shamans like we’re doing now. At best, you’ll catch a private.”
With a serious expression, Karnak swallowed the contents of his mouth.
“Should I join King’s Order?”
Baros also responded seriously, wiping the sugar stain from the corner of his mouth.
“I guess so?”
“I understand that you two are having a very important conversation… … .”
Serati, who was watching from the side, asked as if she couldn’t understand.
“How can you put candy in your mouth in this serious situation?”
The two men protested vehemently.
“Of course you can go in!”
“Of course! I even turned back time to eat this!”
“Ah, it’s still delicious no matter how many times I eat it.”
“That’s right.”
Yes, that’s right.
No matter how the fate of the world shakes and the end approaches, we cannot give up on important tasks.
It’s time for an afternoon snack.
“… … .”
Serati simply remained silent.
Watching two grown men squabbling over a bowl of cookies like little girls, I felt at a loss for words.
‘It seems like there’s a surprisingly pitiful side to it?’
Karnak looked like he didn’t understand her.
“Serati doesn’t eat sweets?”
“I don’t like sweets.”
For a moment, both of them were deeply shocked.
“omg!”
“oh my god!”
“How can you not like something sweet?”
“You’ve given up half of life’s happiness.”
Sighing, Serati cleared the tray of cookies.
“Once you’ve finished eating, let’s finish discussing it.”
Even so, judging by the fact that each person was grabbing a handful of the remaining snacks, it seemed like they had absolutely no intention of leaving any behind.
Karnak looked serious, holding the cookies in his hand carefully.
“Okay, then let’s think about how to join King’s Order.”
The Kingdom of Yustil had also been hunting the Cult of the Black God, also known as the Dark Cult, after establishing the King’s Order. Karnak had heard rumors about this as well.
Likewise, Baros, who was holding a colorful candy on his palm the size of a pot lid, had a worried expression on his face.
“I heard that the wall is not that high, but it’s not that high.”
The powers granted to the King’s Order are enormous, as this is not a simple necromancer hunt.
Even if the opponent is a noble or royal family member, they can immediately arrest and interrogate them, and they even have the power to execute them immediately if the evidence is clear.
Without this level of authority, it would be impossible to deal with the secretly operating dark cult.
The selection criteria for the King’s Order are extremely strict and demanding, as it would naturally cause great chaos if abused.
It requires loyalty to the royal family, devout faith in the Seven Goddesses, outstanding military force and fighting prowess, and abundant experience in dealing with necromancy.
“We have gained some fame as dark hunters in Delath City, but is this really enough to qualify for admission?”
“The issue isn’t whether the conditions are right or not.”
Before that, there was no way to even cross the threshold of the King’s Order right away.
King’s Order is strictly based on recommendations, as simply having high skills is not everything.
Of course, Karnak also has connections to the Seven Goddesses Church, such as Alius… … .
“The King’s Order is, after all, a direct agency of the royal family.”
Karnak, who was merely a local noble, had no royal connections.
“If we just select people based on their skills, things will work out somehow… … .”
“That’s right. It’s not like there’s a public entrance exam or anything… … .”
“Have you been living in the countryside for too long, huh?”
“I can’t help it. Did you know something like this would happen, where?”
“What should I do? Why don’t I just go to the capital and find King’s Order headquarters?”
“Isn’t that too reckless?”
“There’s no other way, now.”
Karnak and Baros looked troubled with serious faces.
Of course, even in the midst of all that, I was still munching on the snacks and candies I had in my hand.
Serati, who had been listening quietly, opened her mouth.
“So, Lord Karnak, your goal now is to become King’s Order?”
“Why? Do you have any connections?”
“It’s not that I don’t have it. If you want, you can apply for admission right away.”
“Huh?”
“Us?”
