Book 6 Chapter 10

Episode 134

In the Holy Human Empire, there were five families that practically governed each region.

Durren of the North.

Tisria of the East.

Arhen of the South.

Aejin of the West.

Sion of the Center.

These five families were the only ones who held the status of ducal sovereigns in the Empire, and they were more frequently called Electors because they possessed the right to vote for the emperor and the right to be elected emperor.

"Among these Electors, the Aejin Ducal House is currently elected as emperor. The West, which they govern, is a forest region where half of the continent is covered in forests."

The foremost magic university, <Delheiten>.

To create true intellectuals, <Delheiten> taught not only magic but also history and geography as general education subjects.

"There are many trees, aren't there? One might think they'd make a fortune selling all this timber, but perhaps due to nature's whims, that's not actually the case."

In a classroom at that university, Crista Warden's eyes were fixed blankly on her notebook.

Her quill, though seemingly moving busily, was in fact only drawing meaningless squiggles on the notebook; she wasn't taking notes.

Was it because Crista, as a scion of a magic noble family, had mastered all these topics since childhood, that she didn't need to focus in class?

'That's not it……'

Gertrude Fenton, who was glancing at Crista from the next seat, let out a soft sigh.

Has it been over 100 days already?

It seems she's lost all motivation since Rein Ludwig disappeared… Could it be because the wall she had to overcome suddenly vanished?

"Why is that, exactly? Hmm, Crista Warden, who seems to be distracted right now, would you like to answer?"

Crista Warden flinched, trembled, and then unsteadily stood up, opening her mouth.

"It's because the cold, dry winds of the Eleanor air mass from the North, the hot, humid winds of the Red Mountains air mass from the South, and the cold, humid winds of the Atlantic air mass mix together, causing the West to have perpetually damp, even soggy, winds all year round."

A perfect answer that made one wonder if she hadn't just memorized the entire textbook… even the professor was astounded.

"That's right. Timber grown in such land naturally tends to be of poor quality, so the Aejin family was bound to be the poorest Elector in the Empire."

That is, if geographical features were all there was to it. Instead, the western part of the Empire was closest to Trident Point, a pilgrimage site for first-class adventurers.

"Figure out what this means, study it on your own, and submit a detailed report. This will be an assignment for performance evaluation and will affect your grade."

Ignoring the students' groans and grimaces, the old professor distributed handouts through his assistant and then left the classroom.

"It's nothing, really. My lady and I don't even need to study separately! An S grade is practically guaranteed, isn't it?"

Gertrude smiled brightly to lighten the mood and started talking, but Crista merely offered a hollow smile in return.

He's gone.

He just disappeared.

The wall I had resolved to overcome my entire life, gone overnight… Could this unbearable emptiness really only stem from that feeling?

- Aren't you at a level where you can fully enjoy magic and then some?

"They're talking nonsense, nonsense…" Crista gritted her teeth and began writing on the handout with trembling hands.

Being geographically close to Trident Point meant that it was the land where first-class adventurers stayed the most.

The great city representing the West, <ForestHarbor>, flourished brilliantly amidst these characteristics.

Merchants specializing in buying and processing ancient artifacts and ruins brought from Trident Point, entertainers providing amusements for adventurers, and artisans selling and repairing equipment.

Since Trident Point was a land accessible only to first-class adventurers, it was natural for money from all over the Empire and people from all walks of life to gather in the city.

For that reason, the Aejin Imperial family, which boasted wealth enviable by other Electors—

As she silently fiddled with her pen like someone lost in thought, someone suddenly grabbed Crista's wrist. It was Gertrude.

"You already secured the top spot in the midterm exam three weeks ago, so how about visiting the Ludwig family for a condolence call during next week's holiday?"

"What?"

"It seems you're acting this way because you can't internally accept that Young Master Rein has died… Why don't you pay your condolences, strengthen your ties with the Ludwig family, and compose yourself?"

Condolence call?

A condolence call…?

Oh, right. They said he died, not just disappeared somewhere…

* * *

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

The main castle of the Aejin Imperial family, <Woodencross>.

While the Emperor was discussing the future of the Empire with his ministers at the Imperial Council, a young civil official urgently rushed in.

"What is the matter?"

As the Emperor asked, restraining a guard who had placed a hand on his sword hilt, the civil official bowed once and urgently presented a scroll.

"A rebellion has broken out at the Wall, and beastmen have crossed it!"

The court officials, who had been composed, began to murmur in shock and dismay. Someone asked:

"Is that true? How, exactly? What's the scale?"

"There are said to be as many as two hundred thousand of them."

"That's preposterous."

"They are currently crossing Trident Point, so they should be able to enter the western part of the Empire in one or two months."

While the civil official explained the situation to the ministers, Emperor Aejin, who was personally reading a scroll from the backbone of <Snowy Great Wall>, opened his mouth.

"It's a rebellion. The Minister of War shall immediately mobilize the Imperial Army."

The Emperor was the supreme commander of the elite standing army known as the Imperial Army.

As the Imperial Army was formed by collecting military funds from all families for the unified order of the Empire, its scale and prestige were entirely different from the private armies of other families.

It was not an opponent that the guards of ordinary families could dare to confront.

"I obey, Your Highness. To whom do you wish to entrust the command of the army?"

The Emperor stroked his chin for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, then his cool gaze turned towards the throne below the imperial seat.

To where Lyda Aejin, sixteen years old this year, Crown Prince of the Aejin family and simultaneously the Crown Prince of the Empire, was seated.

Although a sudden chaotic political situation had begun, the Crown Prince's expression was as calm as a summer lake.

"I wish to entrust the resolution of this matter to the Crown Prince; what are your thoughts, my lords?"

This was an opportunity to widely showcase the Crown Prince's capabilities, which were recognized by all westerners.

Suppressing the beastmen's invasion—if done well, it would be no problem for the Aejin Imperial family to retain the throne for consecutive terms.

Waiting for the murmurs of deep admiration from the court officials for the Emperor's sagacity to subside, the Emperor added:

"However, I am concerned for the Crown Prince's safety, so I wish to assign the Stars as his guard."

The court officials all fell silent at once, caught between perplexity and awe.

For when one spoke of the Stars, there were none other than 'them'. The four warriors who currently wielded brilliant renown like stars in the Empire.

And only the Emperor could freely summon and command such individuals. Wasn't their official title indicative of that? The Four Martial Stars Under the Emperor.

"Your Majesty's will is righteous, but I worry that they might be too conspicuous and overshadow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's brilliance."

"Hmm…"

"Therefore, please summon the Bow Star and the Magic Star. Given the characteristics of archers and mages, they will perfectly assist His Royal Highness from behind without overshadowing his light."

The Bow Star and the Magic Star… Emperor Gregon Aejin finally nodded in satisfaction.

"The Grand Scribe shall immediately issue my proclamation to the Magic Star Seigan Wolf Blado and the Bow Star Leoren."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Crown Prince, lead the Imperial Army across the sea and annihilate those cursed beings before they set foot on my land. Can you do it?"

Crown Prince Lyda, who had matured even more since serving as a judge for <Delheiten>'s final exam, made a courtly bow with resolutely shining eyes.

"Entrust it to your humble servant."

* * *

"Currently, the adventurer groups making a name for themselves at Trident Point are the seven guilds known as the Seven Weapons (칠기종)."

Eldwich raised two fingers. He added that the one to watch out for the most was the Moby Dick Adventurer Group, led by the 3rd-ranked Platinum-grade adventurer.

"Moby Dick?"

At that name, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow for a moment.

Where did I hear that before?

I don't have much interest in adventurers, so unless it was something extraordinary, an adventurer group's name shouldn't linger in my memory.

Wait a minute.

Moby Dick, you say?

- The Moby Dick Adventurer Group nominated us. It's a group ranked as high as 3rd among adventurer groups.

Bart, who had a more fearsome impression than most monsters but was gentle enough to remind one of Rista, and Rem, whose face was full of playful smiles, suddenly flashed through my mind.

Are those guys still alive?

Are they still affiliated there?

It would be good if I could meet them this time… Just thinking about it brought a smile to my lips.

"You don't know Moby Dick? It's the invincible adventurer group led by Blake Blackheart! The current Emperor tried to select him as a Sword Saint, but he refused! Said he preferred freedom or something?"

"Oh, really…"

"I don't know how these guys, who even refused the Emperor's request, will react to this situation. There's a high possibility they haven't come out of the depths."

"What's the other one?"

"8th-ranked Platinum, the Ku-Bille Adventurer Group led by Lorenz Walschwitz. There's no need to worry about them."

"Ku-Bille? That's the beastmen's adventurer group, right?! But why?"

Eldwich, as if Cassena's question was absurd, pointed to the ID tag of Frisvia that Cassena was holding.

"What beastman would dare draw a sword on the Princess?"

"Princess?"

At that, I couldn't help but blink my eyes along with Cassena.

A princess?

Frisvia, that one?

In the western part of the continent, the large Kinderlands Island that rose prominently above the Atlantic Ocean was divided and ruled by three beastmen kingdoms. The world called them the Three Kingdoms.

"I can't tell you the details, but anyway, there's no need to worry about Lorenz. She's not one to follow human commands in the first place."

"But it's strange. I thought all the famous adventurers would be here."

"That's all an old story now. Nowadays, they're spread out in various places, like exploring the 'Flowing Desert' in the Antarctic or the 'Steel Continent' in the Far East."

The next one mentioned was an adventurer group called Akilhong (Crimson Sun). Cassena's eyes sparkled more brightly than ever.

"Akilhong! They're ranked 4th among Gold-grade adventurer groups! Their name has a sad origin!"

"What's the origin?"

"In their early days, when they were beginners, their leader died protecting the members, and all the members carry a flower that bloomed from his grave!"

As Cassena explained with a very excited expression, waving her hands, Rein, who had been nodding with interest, suddenly pointed over Cassena's shoulder.

"Like that?"

In that instant, an inexplicable tension spread throughout Cassena's body.

Without time to turn around, a beam of light, swirling with fierce heat, flew directly in front of their eyes, exploded, and dyed their vision stark white.

A deafening explosion, and from within the smoke, someone appeared.

"Mmm~ A very good sound. The sound of flesh exploding. And fragrant. The smell of scorched flesh."

It was a man with a face powdered white, who lowered his harp and made a dramatic bow with exaggerated gestures.

"Hey, you idiot, what'll we do if you burn them like this? How are we supposed to collect the bounty the Imperial family put out?"

"They'll have ID tags. That's enough."

"How do you prove whether these guys are rebels or not with just that?!"

The man and woman who appeared behind him were holding a scimitar and a spear respectively, and all three had red flowers poignantly attached to their lapels.

Akilhong.

Those three weren't all; two more appeared from the opposite side. From the moment they spotted their targets, they had silently moved to surround them, then seized an opening to attack.

"Dooms."

The brawny man with a heavy mace slung over his back said that. He couldn't say any other word besides his name, Dooms.

"Don't get complacent. There was also a guy wearing something like mechanical armor. This couldn't be the end."

All of them had red and white flower petals attached to their lapels, and the adventurer ID tags clinking at their waists were pure gold.

4th-ranked among Gold-grade adventurer groups.

It was an adventurer group comprised of top-ranked individuals even among Gold-grade adventurers, where only true experts gathered.

"Attacking us first like this means you guys are the bad guys, right?"

"Bad, bad, bad."

The moment that voice was heard, the smoke was instantly sucked into a rift, as if a dimension had split open.

It wasn't a rift.

It was merely a pair of eyes.

A silvery-white flower with seven petals elegantly blooming atop a red-burning circle… Bell Quirius.

"What…?!"

"Not a single scratch…?!"

Under an unknown, absolute pressure that seemed to crush the very air, the Akilhong members took a step back, unaware even that the cold sweat on their foreheads was trickling down.

They had no way of knowing that the lingering scent of the ultimate life form, the True Dragon, remained in the boy's soul…

Just then, someone with a certain magical skill cautiously whispered.

"Could that be… a Ludwig bloodline limit?"

"Impossible? Which Ludwig would possibly be in this land?"

"But look! That black hair and red eyes… It's just like Skalji, that old man."

As the Akilhong members murmured in confusion, the battle situation became clear to Cassena, who had retreated behind Rein.

'Five in total…'

All of them were holding their respective weapons… The number of people, their appearances, and their weapons were exactly as she had seen in books.

Cheongun (Blue Cloud), Fren.

Ganiaksa (Singing Clay Musician), Villid.

Ranked 3rd and 14th among Gold-grade respectively, and Dooms, Mornark, and the sole woman, Skael… It really was Akilhong.

The famous adventurers she had read about in books were surrounding them, ready to fight, and Rein raised one finger at them.

"7 seconds."

"?"

"The time it takes for that troublesome thing to cry when Aki is forcibly separated from my body. I'll finish all five of you within that time."