Book 15 Chapter 31
Prelude,
Assembly
That dark blue light was a thunderquake.
The lightning, tearing the sky and twisting even the earth's axis, easily crumbled the city walls and annihilated the defenders.
At the point when even the elite guards were all massacred in a single strike, all the lord of this pitiful fortress could do was flee.
"Hah, haah, haah…!"
The perpetrator of the massacre was some girl.
Her high-collared robe, dyed dark blue, conveyed the color of corruption.
Unlike her companions, she had her hood thrown back, clearly revealing her delicate features. Her hair, as if shocked by electricity, was frizzily curled and matted.
However, one must not be deceived by her appearance.
She was a black mage affiliated with the Black Church's Second Pillar, [Chilhun (漆昏; Those who paint darkness)]… Karlyn of the Dark Lightning (暗雷).
"Are you going to run…?"
Karlyn, with a lightning-bladed spear resting on her shoulder, spoke with tired, irritated, and sleepy eyes.
"Hmm… Unless you can run faster than electricity, don't bother running… it's troublesome."
In that instant, the girl's body shot forward like a lightning bolt.
Penetrating the lord's back and piercing through his heart was the lightning-shaped spear blade.
Over the fresh blood that soaked the blade, electricity pulsed.
"Haa…"
From the charred, blackened body (燒死體), as she pulled out the spear, the girl let out a long yawn.
"How long do I have to do this…"
This mission was a supreme order handed down from the Black Church's leader, the First Pillar, to the entire Black Church organization. The mission's objective was the complete collapse of the existing ruling hierarchy and social welfare system.
- "Anyone who commits indiscriminate slaughter, I will kill. Your goal is a reset. Return all laws and order to naught. Lay the groundwork for a lawless land where only power is everything."
The hierarchy of the First Pillar and Second Pillar should not be simply understood as being equal pillars.
The First Pillar is the Commander-in-Chief (總帥).
In other words, between the two pillars, there exists a hierarchical difference as vast as heaven and earth. Therefore, all organizations under the Black Church must unconditionally obey the Commander-in-Chief's orders.
- "If the carnage spreads, chaos will surge across the entire region, and it will become impossible for the Papacy to constantly monitor you. Exploit that opening."
Just as Karlyn was perched on the charred corpse, dozing off, footsteps were heard.
That sound also carried the presence of the abyss.
Although she wore the same robe, the only clothes she wore underneath were a sleeveless leather shirt and leather riding shorts.
"Karlyn! Today, too, you finished everything with vigor and passion in one go! Now, how about we do some stretches for your stiff body!"
On the skin thus revealed, a healthy beauty radiated intensely. Shadows formed by muscles and tendons.
She was Ava of the Iron Coffin (鐵棺).
Like Karlyn, she was a black mage belonging to [Chilhun], and also the girl's long-time partner.
"Hup! Two! Hup! Two!"
"Ugh, I don't want to…"
"If you're already this exhausted, it'll be a big problem! Lord Kishua has called an emergency meeting."
In Ava's grip, Karlyn, who had been limply swaying like a docile doll, tilted her head back slightly and looked up at Ava.
"Brother Kishua… why?"
The content of that summons was quite shocking.
[Lord Zernix has fallen from power.]
At the words of Kishua of the Black Flame (黑火), all members of [Chilhun] assembled in this four-dimensional geometric space trembled.
"Deposed?"
[He has?]
"What happened?"
A vacancy caused by a fallen warrior.
A full seven first-class black mages had gathered in one place.
In terms of combat power alone, these were beings, each individual of whom was comparable to a Glados (4-star).
[The first reason is that he loved us immensely. Fearing that we would get involved, he undertook the mission alone… and seems to have failed due to a trick.]
"Such a…!"
[The second reason is our inadequacy. If we had been a little more capable, we could have assisted him by his side… Therefore, our shortcomings also played a part in his downfall.]
It was truly an absurd statement.
If another member had made a similar statement, they would have dismissed it as a joke, but…
Kishua's loyalty towards Zernix bordered on fanaticism (狂信) even within [Chilhun].
When it came to Zernix, he never made any jokes, and would not forgive anyone who did.
Perhaps because of that, Kishua's words pressed down on them with a heavy reality that made it hard to breathe.
[Even if he used a substitute (補缺) as a vessel, for him to fail a mission…]
"Lista's party…"
[They must be opponents not to be underestimated.]
Kishua lightly raised his hand to quell the commotion.
[The First Pillar has handed over full authority for the Adrion Continent operation to those Carditpol bastards. If things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before his influence vanishes from both sides of the continent.]
The New Heaven Carditpol Knights.
Although Kishua spoke carelessly (of them), they were famous for each and every member being comparable to a Pillar.
Similar to how [Chilhun] had the moniker of the elite black mage organization directly under the Second Pillar, Carditpol had the moniker of the Black Church's strongest organization, directly under the First Pillar.
[Therefore, it is time for us, his tools, to act. I will release the concealment barrier, dominate the entire Hosen Kingdom, and lure the hero's party. All of you, rally to my location from your respective posts.]
Silence ran through the members of [Chilhun]. They needed time to accurately assess what Kishua's recent statement meant.
[Hmm~ our general assembly is one thing, but if the First Pillar comes to know that we're dominating the entire kingdom… won't we be completely unable to handle the repercussions? Didn't even he (Zernix) avoid directly defying the First Pillar's will?]
As the Black Mage of Earth (地) spoke cautiously, Kishua dismissed his concern with a cold and authoritative gesture.
[If this operation succeeds, there will be no problem. I will take all responsibility. It is now our mission to annihilate those bastards, avenge his honor, and restore him to power. Any who oppose my will, I will personally expel, judging them to have no love for him, so be aware of that.]
* * *
"Lin, say hello. This is Kees. We were originally scheduled to meet at the Papacy, but somehow he knew we were in danger and rushed over."
Finally, the time had come to reveal the truth about Kees, who would be recorded as the Great Archer (大弓聖) even to distant future generations.
Was Kees truly taciturn?
Well, it's true that the expression "taciturn" fits since he couldn't speak, but this mad drunkard had other means of communication.
[(ㅇㅅㅇ)?]
That was pictogram using the White Spear Bow Serwebon. It was also called an emoticon.
Could that really be called writing?
Originally, if he just made expressions with his own face, everyone would understand. Why did he do such troublesome things?
"Hmph, you're the [Strongest Archer]? I'm an aspiring [Strongest Mage]. Don't underestimate me just because I'm young."
It seemed I had been attacked by the Old One (옛것) and passed out.
When I came to my senses, the situation was all sorted out, and the Special Affairs Department and interrogators were bustling about for follow-up measures.
I was greatly disappointed.
I wanted to fight the Old One, I should have fought and achieved my [Strongest Mage bucket list]…!
To have been knocked out in one blow while ambitiously trying to act like the [Strongest Mage], I felt that I was still too lacking.
Introducing myself to Kees, whom Lista introduced, as an aspiring [Strongest Mage] was perhaps a rebuke for that inadequacy.
[(ㅋ.ㅋ)]
But Kees's reaction was extremely rude, and Friede was also bursting into laughter from a distance. Only Lista seemed to be trying to hold back her laughter, looking at the distant mountains and whistling.
"Why are you laughing? Are you making fun of me, asking what kind of strongest mage I am, when I just got knocked out in one hit by the Old One?"
[(ㄴ.ㄴ)~]
"I'll use a fireball?"
[(ㅇ.ㅇ)~]
"Ugh, that expression really pisses people off!"
The reason Kees made people angry was, right before answering, he would put strength into his eyes, overwhelming the other person as if he were about to say something serious, and then use such an expression with a snorted sneer. Aside from that, his expression was always earnest.
[*(^^)*]
This was the only time in my entire life I had ever been so enraged, with the exception of Ken Serman.
"Lin, hold on! Fellow comrades shouldn't fight!"
Just as I was about to use magic, Lista, who had rushed over without me noticing, grabbed both my arms from behind and held them.
As I flailed helplessly in the air, Friede, who had her hand on Kees's shoulder, glanced mischievously at me and exchanged an incomprehensible smile and nod with Kees.
Damn it all… I thought I was close to being the [Strongest], but am I just an ordinary person who becomes a laughingstock among the true [Strongest]?
"Lin is a baby, Pipi will protect."
What was even more humiliating was that even Pipi, as if my head was some giant egg, settled down as if incubating an egg and humiliated me.
"Gyootgyootgyootgyootgyootgyoot……"
Sbal was chuckling next to Lista. I will never forget the humiliation of this day.
The day I truly become the [Strongest], I will destroy every single one of them from this world, leaving none behind.
I made that vow amidst shame so intense my face felt like it was burning… and truly, until the moment of my death, I never forgot the scene of that day.
"Let go of me! Let go──!"
Yes… How could I forget this.
How, exactly…
Immersed in the faint radiance of memory…
"──Because I'm going to blow you all awayyyy!"
Fragments of the memory of that day when the hero's party, that is, 'we', first gathered in one place….