A Regressor's Bucket List

Chapter 251 : Floating Territory (5)

At present, there were many factors causing difficulties for the Subjugation Force, but if one had to pick the biggest among them, it would be the 'Veil of the Black Sea'.

Regardless of anything else, it was a phenomenon so rare it appeared only once every 100 years, and the variables it introduced were simply too immense.

From the perspective of an uninformed person, they might wonder what was so special about that single line drawn across the sky, but to the Order's allied Subjugation Force, the 'Veil of the Black Sea' was nothing short of poison.

The shielding of Satellite Magic.

The subsequent neutralization of divine magic.

And the cutting off of supply routes.

The supply of Mana was also cut off.

The decrease in the Subjugation Force's combat power just from the Veil of the Black Sea being spread out was significant enough to be called a 'disaster'.

It was even more dreadful because there was no way of knowing how long it would last.

Even though the fortification of the Orc Mountains was unexpected, and the strength of the Orcs, enhanced by the improved Black Olive, was in an unmeasured, unknown territory.

From the perspective of Kanna Cartier, who was leading the Subjugation Force, there was no hesitation when she weighed the two issues on a scale.

This was evident from when she had first considered 'forcing an attack'; with the allied Subjugation Force at full strength, she had anticipated an easy victory.

Even against the fortified Orc Mountains, if the Veil of the Black Sea disappeared and the force regained its original power, she believed that while an easy victory might be difficult, a hard-won victory would be possible.

…It was for that reason.

That the words 'Veil of the Black Sea' had emerged from Kanna Cartier's lips without a hint of hesitation.

“…Hmph!”

Sleuk-

At Kanna Cartier's words, Kim Satgat gently pushed aside the tent flap with the end of his staff to check the sky, then nodded his head.

“Yes. That pitch-black thing certainly looks troublesome.”

“…It's beyond troublesome. All the so-called Priests have become magically impotent.”

“……”

“If they can't use magic, people like this are useless. So frail.”

Sleuk-

Ludwig grabbed the wrist of Louis, who was next to him, and lifted it, muttering pointedly.

“Look at this. What can he do with these scrawny arms and no magic?”

“…'People like this'? Let go while I'm asking nicely, Ludwig.”

“You'd probably lose an arm-wrestling match to a soldier, wouldn't you? At this point, you're not a Priest, just walking biological waste.”

“…Step outside the barracks. I don't need magic. I don't know about arm-wrestling, but how about a light round of a life-or-death duel, something they do well in Murim…”

Watching the conversational development between the two, which was no different from a comedy routine, Kim Satgat burst into a hearty laugh.

Heoheoi-

“You two are quite amusing. I thought all Priests were just boring magic-users.”

“……”

After leaving his short assessment, Kim Satgat remained silent for a moment before scratching his head and replying.

Scratch, scratch.

“I'm sorry to say this, but.”

“……”

“No matter how great the Floating Territory is, it's fundamentally impossible to get rid of that thing.”

No one refuted Kim Satgat's words, which he spoke while shaking his head.

“…I suppose so.”

The reason was simple.

It was so obvious that it didn't even need to be said.

If such a thing were possible in the first place, the Order would have dealt with it long ago.

The existence of the Black Sea wasn't something only the allied Subjugation Force could confirm; the Order's headquarters, located in the central part of the continent, could surely confirm it as well.

Nevertheless, the fact that there was still no news meant that even if the headquarters was deliberating on it, they had no viable countermeasures other than to wait.

That was why the allied Subjugation Force was waiting anxiously with their hands tied.

Besides.

From a distance, it looked like a mere curtain, but that was only due to the sense of distance; the Veil of the Black Sea that embroidered the sky was incredibly massive and a powerful natural phenomenon in itself.

It was impossible to artificially handle the immense mana energy, which was turbulent due to the flow and twisting of magical power, and even if it were possible, no one knew what the side effects would be.

While a mere attempt wasn't impossible if they were forced to try, meddling with it without a clear understanding and countermeasures could cause it to swell up like a balloon effect, and another area might become an even more fatal factor for the Subjugation Force.

As Kim Satgat had said, cleanly removing the Veil of the Black Sea so the Subjugation Force could regain its original strength was an impossible task, not even for the Floating Territory, but for the Floating Territory's grandfather.

But why?

Beneath his bamboo hat, as he spoke of the impossibility of removing the Veil of the Black Sea, there was not an apologetic or gloomy expression, but a meaningful smile.

Did it mean he found the Subjugation Force's current predicament amusing?

Or did it mean he had come to mock them?

Or perhaps, was it that the corners of his mouth had unconsciously risen as he imagined their reactions when something everyone considered 'obvious' was shattered?

The speculations that came to mind while looking at Kim Satgat's smile were different for everyone.

But there was one thing in common.

The fact that, in that moment, they had all unconsciously shut their mouths.

In that strange atmosphere, a moment of silence flowed as if by agreement.

Kim Satgat's upturned lips twitched as he uttered incomprehensible words.

“Instead, there is a part I can solve.”

“……?”

“I will supply my magical power.”

* * *

To supply magical power.

The superficial meaning of the sentence itself was not difficult to understand.

But strangely, everyone in the barracks, except for U-jin, furrowed their brows deeply at his words.

The reason was simple.

“…What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?”

Because it was not something that was possible according to common sense.

“…You can't be ignorant of the magic drive system.”

“Of course, I know. If I didn't, how could I even say such a thing?”

The detailed specifications of the divine magic drive system used by the Order were, of course, classified, but understanding its basic operational framework was not that difficult.

Even if one wasn't a Priest who used magic directly, anyone with enough experience in the Upper Plane could understand it without difficulty.

That was understandable, as the name 'Satellite Magic' itself suggested, the Order's magic system followed a kind of satellite system.

‘…….’

The explanation of Satellite Magic provided to Hero candidates who first came up from the Gateway Zone was that it was a system established by the Order to maintain trust between the Hero and the Constellation, ensuring that the Hero's quest-performing process was always within the cognitive range of the Constellation governing that area.

However, that was only a part of the explanation for the function of the Order's Satellite Magic.

In fact, Satellite Magic played such a pivotal role that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was the entirety of the magic system the Order had built.

Naturally, the way divine magic was driven also operated through the medium of that Satellite Magic.

To be more precise.

“The Order's central Satellite Magic device, location unknown. Isn't that the core of it?”

“……”

The central Satellite Magic device.

Although it was called a device, no one had ever witnessed its actual form to this day.

And for a good reason.

Because even with the information access authority of Leonardo Louis Button and Ludwig Allegro, who could be said to be at the highest level of the Order, they could not confirm information about it.

The only thing they could confirm about the central Satellite Magic device was the fact that it was 'a magical power source of unknown location that has never once broken down to this day'.

All they knew was that the Messiah had personally installed and hidden it in ancient times, and it had been managed by successive Popes ever since, but no one other than the Pope could confirm any additional information about the central Satellite Magic device.

…Well.

In truth, it had been operating properly without a single breakdown until now, and since it was likely impossible for anyone other than the Messiah to recreate it even if they knew how, there wasn't really a need to know.

“In the current situation where communication with the central Satellite Magic device is impossible, receiving a supply of magical power is an impossible task.”

Although he said he would 'supply magical power', that was a different story from simply providing a power source.

If what was provided by the central Satellite Magic device was only Mana (Mana), then it might have been a roughly similar story.

If that were the case, there would have been no reason to go out of his way to use the word Magical Power.

To supply Magical Power meant not just providing the mana used as a power source, but also enabling the entire process of sending coordinates and information inputted through a Magic Circle to the central Satellite Magic device and having the magic activate accordingly.

Simply put, it meant he would perform the role of the 'central Satellite Magic device'.

Therefore, from the perspective of Ludwig, Louis, and Kanna, they couldn't take Kim Satgat's words at face value.

To supply magical power when the Veil of the Black Sea was blocking the connection to the central Satellite Magic device was, in itself, a nonsensical story.

While it wasn't a perfect analogy, a Magic Circle was a form of 'input', and the central Satellite Magic device was the 'drive system, including the engine'.

Specifying coordinates and setting the task to be performed made the Magic Circle an indispensable part of the magic system, but it was a fact that no matter how brilliantly the Priests drew a Magic Circle, if it couldn't be inputted, it was nothing more than a combination of strokes.

The Veil of the Black Sea was obstructing the very process of reverse-calculating the various coded pieces of information recorded in the Magic Circle to supply mana and execute the spell, so how on earth could he supply 'magical power'?

It was an unacceptable story.

…However.

Kim Satgat's next words were shocking.

“Well, to be precise, you couldn't call it 'magical power'. That's a term that refers to a system based on magic.”

It couldn't be called magical power.

As people tilted their heads at his words, which they couldn't immediately understand, Kim Satgat lifted his bamboo hat slightly and added an intuitive explanation.

Pfft-

“That Floating Territory up in the sky—how do you think it has stayed afloat for hundreds of years? It doesn't have wings, nor any particular physical devices.”

Come to think of it, that was a part that hadn't been explained yet.

In a situation where the Veil of the Black Sea was present and shielding magic, just how was that giant chunk of rock floating in the sky?

The details were difficult to understand without an explanation.

But one thing was certain: as Kim Satgat said, it was neither due to the magic system connected to the 'central Satellite Magic device', nor was it by any physical means.

“The Floating Territory uses its own unique mana utilization system. It's a bit different from magical power, but the fundamental nature isn't all that different.”

“……!”

“That is what I mean to provide.”

Silence descended upon the surroundings.