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Episode 375: The Foundation (1)
Immediately after Ignacia left, magical power detection within the castle became normal.
Not only that, but all the walls, pillars, and decorative items such as paintings that Verden had destroyed were restored to their original state.
'Was the permanent residence itself an illusion? Or was the illusion itself transformed into reality?'
Verden thought about it carefully and analyzed it, but… …as expected, it was impossible to figure it out.
I have never seen, let alone experienced, Ignacia's magic directly.
Judging from the fact that [Einver] didn't react, there was no gain other than the fact that it was a complex mental system.
“Huh? You’re here already?”
“Welcome, Asher. Have you seen Lord Liam by any chance…?”
Kayrel and Mires emerged from their rooms, yawning or rubbing their eyes.
It seemed like he had fallen asleep after being subdued. That may be why he had no idea who had come and gone.
And Adrian was found in the basement of the castle.
Fortunately, there were no injuries.
He bowed his head as he greeted Verden with a guilty face.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t keep my promise.”
“It's not your fault.”
It was natural.
How could one stop it when it was none other than the Transcendent One who made a surprise attack without any warning?
Even if Verden had been there, it would have been impossible to protect the castle. It would have certainly been completely destroyed in the aftermath of the battle.
If the Transcendent One himself said that he was annoyed, then Adrian had fought hard enough.
But Adrian, as if he couldn't believe it, sat down on the roof of the castle and immediately fell into meditation.
Although I didn't ask, I think it's training while recalling the process of being subdued by Ignacia.
Kayrel looked at Adrian from afar.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a serious atmosphere. It used to be like that when I got beaten up in sparring with my uncle in the past.”
“If you are an old man, are you talking about a teacher?”
“Adrian has a very high self-esteem, as you know. That’s why he didn’t want to lose to his teacher, Uncle Raymond. That’s what a genius is, isn’t it?”
Keirel leaned against the windowsill, reminiscing about the past.
“Well, since we’re dealing with a transcendent being, who wouldn’t be affected… But wasn’t it supposed to be kept a secret that Ignacia came in person?”
Verden nodded.
"yes."
“But why are you telling me? Why?”
Information limitations are important.
Just as the flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause a storm, one carelessly spoken word can have unpredictable consequences.
However, the reason Verden shared the information with Cayrel is because she is Adrian's old acquaintance, long-time friend, and assistant.
What this means is that it is not a relationship of use.
“We have to move together from now on, so there’s no reason to hide it.”
“Aha… Yes? No, I’m thinking of helping, but this is the first time I’ve heard of it. When did I become a teammate with you?”
“From the moment I saw the dragon’s bones.”
“……Am I involved?”
“It got tangled up.”
"her."
Keirel, who had been recruited without even knowing it, made a bewildered expression.
But she didn't say anything like, "I don't like it," "I want to be quiet," or "I'm going to be quiet."
If you had suggested we hold hands anyway, I would have accepted.
Kayrel was heartbroken over the death of Raymond, Adrian's teacher and the man who had cared for her as she died.
Kayrel glanced at Adrian, who was lost in thought, then sighed and nodded.
“Okay. But don’t expect too much from me. I’m just an ordinary beastman who knows how to fight moderately.”
“Okay. In that sense, I have a favor to ask.”
“Already? Oh, no. Go ahead.”
“Can you spread a rumor from an unknown source? Not around here, but out in the no man’s land.”
rumor?
“If you have the money, that’s possible… but what’s the content? Is it complicated?”
“No, that’s not it. Just spread one sentence.”
Verden said.
“The upper class, Licentia, which has the dragon’s materials, is heading to Gargant……”
* * *
People instinctively fear the unknown. So they want to know their future, their prospects.
Fortune tellers make a living off of such human desires and fears.
“Hmm, let’s see…….’
The fortune teller raised his head high.
The night sky that came right after the sunset that was reflected in my field of vision disappeared.
He said, staring intently at the countless stars hidden in the moonlight.
“Oh, I guess I won’t be able to read the guest’s star.”
The young man in the robe tilted his head.
“Why? What, is there a problem?”
“That is, at some point, a strange star appeared… and its light began to obscure the surrounding stars. It became impossible to read them. Furthermore, because the light gradually expanded, the star that seemed to belong to the guest was not visible.”
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“You didn’t see things wrong, did you?”
“What kind of harsh words are those? There are things I can say and things I can’t say. Oh, really.”
The fortune teller exhaled roughly as if he was in a state of exasperation.
Whatever the case may be, the man said.
“Then let’s shuffle the cards.”
“……Okay, I understand.”
The fortune teller wanted to throw the man out right away, but he gritted his teeth and barely held himself back.
Because judging by the tone and atmosphere, it was definitely true.
Rather than arguing about this and that, it would have been better to say something that would make him feel better and then close up shop.
It was wisdom gained from experience.
The fortune teller picked up a deck of cards.
Since the outcome was already decided, I roughly shuffled the cards and drew five cards and lined them up.
The fortune teller, her lips wet with saliva, exclaimed in admiration.
“Oh!! I hear you’ll have an unexpected encounter soon!”
“Really? What kind of meeting is it?”
“I don’t know for sure, but it will definitely be a good meeting. Like meeting someone I haven’t seen in a long time… or finding someone I’ve been looking for?”
The fortune teller laughed and took back the card. Watching the man's expression, she packed the tools that were scattered around in her bag.
I must have encountered an annoying truth, I was planning to console myself with the money I earned today by staying at a nice hotel.
Then the man asked.
“Find the person you want to find. That’s good to hear. But before I go, I want to ask you one more question.”
“Ask.”
“So those fortune tellers can see into your destiny? Then you can also know what will happen to you in the future?”
“Huh? What the───uh!?”
The man grabbed the fortuneteller's face and poured the entire green potion into his mouth.
“You piece of trash that can’t even be used as experimental material dares to see my fate. But you can’t see your own future. Doesn’t that seem contradictory?”
The fortune teller, who had drunk an unidentified liquid in an instant, opened his eyes wide.
He struggled and retched as he escaped the man's grasp, but it had already been absorbed into his body.
The fortune teller's body began to melt from the inside out and in an instant, it became a handful of blood.
“Still, it was enough to kill some time.”
The man, Rayshen, lightly kicked the ground.
He covered the pool of blood with dirt and lightly lit a fire, reducing the fortuneteller's belongings to ashes.
Rayshen, who had been somewhat relieved from boredom, stretched.
As he was doing so, his immediate escort, Sarokan, approached.
“Lord Leishen, I have sent you an order from the Bohemian Tower. It is a direct message from the Tower Lord.”
“Master? Surely… it’s not something related to dragons?”
“That’s right. I want you to temporarily suspend your current mission, join up with your fourth disciple, Lady Robelin, and obtain the materials. No matter what.”
“Ah, I expected it when I saw the newspaper. Of course you wouldn’t just let it go. Right.”
Rayshen sighed and wiped his face.
People from all over would come looking for the dragon's bones, so there would definitely be chaos.
“Besides, the fact that I came to the Central Continent shouldn’t spread, right? Haa, Isabella, if only I had found that test subject earlier, it would have been stuck in the Magic Tower.”
Isabella, who ran away with the compulsory magic circle still engraved on her, was not found.
Although the direction of the magic circle engraved on the sword had moved a lot compared to before, there was still some distance.
There are three reasons why progress is slow.
First, the captain's cooldown is 5 days.
Second, Isabella is moving over long distances.
Third, the central continent is f*cking huge.
On this long and unfamiliar journey, Rayshen felt inflamed.
To be honest, I felt like throwing everything away and going back to the lab on the roof.
'But if you tell me to criticize, I'll criticize.'
It can't be helped.
The transcendent being, Balok Besias, hates having his authority undermined so much… … .
Rayshen was terribly afraid that the anger would be directed at him.
Resignation was not an option.
“……Let’s go now. So where is Robelin waiting?”
“I will guide you.”
* * *
A large building located in the center of a city, its luxurious stage.
The audience seats are packed with hundreds of people.
The members were diverse, regardless of status or occupation, including nobles, merchants, citizens, adventurers, mercenaries, and magicians.
There was a chance that friction would arise between them and the atmosphere would become a mess, but for now, it was just quiet.
Everyone's eyes were focused on one place.
At the center of the stage that captured people's consciousness was a woman.
The protagonist has beautiful dark green hair.
She was a singer as well as a performer, and a musician who had more control than an orchestra on her own.
Today's instrument was the lute.
───! ─! ──!
The sound that resonates every time the pure white fingers pluck the strings…
That alone was breathtaking, but when the clear singing voice, like rolling jade beads, was added to it, it was indescribable.
A perfect harmony indeed.
"ah……."
The lady holding the fan shed tears without realizing it. Her makeup was about to smudge, but she didn't have time to wipe it off with a handkerchief.
The lady couldn't take her eyes off the woman on stage all day long.
It touches my heart.
When I saw the stage, those were the only words that came to mind.
The whole audience was like that.
When the performance finally ended.
In the silence that followed, the woman stood up from her chair.
The audience did not cheer, but just held their breath and looked at him with anticipation.
“…….”
The woman took out an unusual gold coin.
It was not a commonly used currency.
It was a golden coin with her face engraved on it.
Teeing.
A woman who had been quietly staring at the audience threw a gold coin with all her might into the sky.
It hit several stage devices installed on the ceiling and fell down, bouncing irregularly.
A gold coin fell into the hand of the noblewoman who was soon shedding tears.
The woman smiled and blessed him.
“Good luck to you.”
The most notable genius musician in the current music industry.
Because her name is shrouded in mystery, people call her the 'Lucky Melody Maker'.
The nickname came from his unique behavior of occasionally throwing golden coins after a performance to pray for good luck.
At the same time, the audience began to clap their hands. The thunderous applause shook the entire building.
It was a tribute to a performance that could not be expressed in words, and a congratulation to the lucky audience member who was shown with their whole body.
The noble lady who was lucky enough to receive the coin was so moved that she cried and clapped her hands.
Although her thick makeup had been removed and her face was a mess, the lady showed no sign of embarrassment.
The woman who had finished her performance walked away from the stage.
Without even a moment to rest, he boarded a large carriage waiting outside the building.
“Let’s go.”
The coachman pulled down the reins.
Two muscular horses moved forward.
After a while, we started to run away from the city.
The evening glow disappeared below the horizon and a star-filled darkness fell.
Naturally, the carriage slowed down.
The woman looked out the window at the dark natural landscape.
Just then, something appeared to be blocking the road.
There was an expensive-looking carriage, surrounded by armed men.
The coachman asked.
“What's going on?”
“I have business to attend to with the lucky melody singer inside. I won’t harm you, so stay still.”
It wasn't just a bunch of bandits.
The moment the coachman, with his gaze down, was about to respond, the woman opened the door on her own and came out.
“You have something to do with me?”
A beauty I have never seen in my life.
There was no time to worry about things like informality. The man held his breath as he heard the voice tickling his ear.
“It may be sudden, but our master would like to invite you to dinner. There is a villa not far from here. There is a small lake next to it, and the scenery is beautiful.”
The woman shifted her gaze slightly.
A middle-aged man with his head sticking out from inside a carriage blocking the road was licking his lips as he looked at her.
It was a gaze full of lust.
The woman crossed her arms.
“If you are the owner, what is your noble family name?”
“Haha, you’ll find out when you talk to the owner. Now, follow me. I’m sure you won’t regret it.”
The man reached out to grab the woman's shoulder.
A chill came over her gaze.
“How dare you.”
At that moment, magical power exploded out from the woman.
The blue curtain that had covered the owner and the men passed by without giving them time to dodge.
“Huh? What is this───”
Immediately afterwards, the man closest to the woman felt dizzy and fell to his knees.
Huh? The embarrassed man raised his head.
There was a beauty there, but something else caught my eye before that.
The man's left arm.
The thing that was reaching out to the woman was completely dried up and twisted like a corpse in the desert.
This is out of control.
The man, whose body had lost all moisture, collapsed limply.
The others behind him were the same.
All the blood in the body is sucked out and vaporized, ignoring resistance.
Even the carriage began to lose its shape and disintegrate into small particles.
Blood-red fog, and dozens of mummies created beneath it.
It was so instantaneous that there was no scream. As soon as the woman made a slight gesture, a strong wind blew, and all traces were turned to dust and completely disappeared.
“…….”
The woman's magic subsided.
And as planned, the hateful magic circle engraved within his body reacted.
She fell to her knees on the floor, coughing up blood.
Cheeeeek.
Blood flowing from his mouth melted part of the ground.
The groom approached.
“Do you really have to go that far with these scumbags?”
“Haa, haa…… Don’t say that again. It’s not the first or second time. You have to get used to it somehow.”
The woman's voice was full of impatience as she did not say why.
“I told you last time, if you keep complaining, you can leave. You’ve been good enough so far.”
“Ha, you saved my wife and children, and now you’re in so much pain, and you’re telling me to abandon them? You shouldn’t say something like that.”
The coachman sighed.
“Even after all these years, I still don’t know your name. And since you won’t tell me anything, I don’t know what’s chasing you. But I know it’s something very scary.”
“…….”
“You might as well run away.”
“I’ve been running away until now, and now you want me to do it again?”
“If you keep running away, there will be no way to survive someday.”
To be continued… … .
The woman, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, smiled weakly.
'I'm too tired for that.'
The woman stood up with difficulty.
He refused the coachman's help and staggered into the carriage.
She said, taking a sharp breath.
“We’ll be going to Gargant soon. Just know this in advance.”
“A huge city? Why is it suddenly…….”
“I heard that Licentia is going there. She’ll definitely be using Ignacia’s scales, so we should be in charge of the opening performance.”
“Ah, Dragon’s Bones. I see. I definitely understand. Well, with your skills, you’ll be able to get hired by even the Transcendent. This will be a stage that will go down in history.”
The coachman nodded and drove the carriage.
The woman, looking at the moving scenery outside again, became lost in thought.
'Is this the last performance?'
I didn't tell my coachman, but the stage at Gargant will most likely be my retirement ceremony soon.
There must be someone there chasing the Bohemian Tower and the magic circle forcibly carved into her body… … .
Could it be Croden, the first disciple of the Bohemian Tower?
It would be great if it were like that, but it doesn't matter if they are other disciples.
'I'll kill anyone who comes.'
certainly.
I will drag you into a trap you cannot escape from and end up taking your own life.
Cruel and painful.
Just as his family was trampled and his younger siblings and family members were brutally murdered.
So let out all your resentment for what you have lost so far.
I would gladly face death if only I could leave an indelible scar on the Bohemian Tower.
The woman, Isabella, laughed silently.
In her heart, only resignation and revenge remained.
* * *
Verden's main goal at present is to build up power.
We need a group that can stand up to the power of the Bohemian Tower without betraying each other.
'It's an extremely difficult task.'
Same motive as Verden and Adrian.
How many people would harbor hostility toward the Bohemian Tower and show it through their actions?
It may be possible to search all over the world to find a few people, but it is difficult to fill dozens or hundreds of people.
However, after the fight with the Bone Dragon, Verden's perspective changed slightly and he changed his standards.
So before Ignacia opens the auction, she plans to meet with groups that she originally deemed unsuitable as a base.
'I wonder what it will be like.'
Verden lowered his head.
The Society's symbol on his palm was reflected on the wall.