novelraw Chapter 122 : For Whom the Bell Tolls (3)
Chapter 122 : For Whom the Bell Tolls (3)
Chapter 122: For Whom the Bell Tolls (3)
As scheduled, we departed precisely at noon and managed to arrive at Mallet before four.
Woo―woo―
Watching the attendants rush out to pull the carriages toward the relay station, I murmured with my arms crossed.
“…Quite a sight, actually.”
Since nearly seventy percent of the supplies collected from Karbenna and the Special Task Force had already been brought here, the volume was considerable.
As I watched the line of carriages entering the interior, a familiar face appeared in the distance.
It was Agent Meriel.
“Did you… come alone?”
“Yeah.”
Leaving behind her puzzled expression, I quickened my pace.
“Let’s hurry.”
Then suddenly, I turned back and saw Meriel still hesitating in place.
“Wondering why I came alone?”
“…I’m sure you have your reasons, so I won’t ask.”
She hesitated, glancing sideways at me as she replied.
“I just thought… you’ve been speaking quite bluntly lately.”
Ah.
Come to think of it, she used to speak formally.
When did I start speaking casually to her?
Well, since I already dropped formalities with Gustav, it would look strange if I suddenly started being polite only with her.
So I tilted my head nonchalantly.
“Is that a problem?”
“…….”
“Meriel?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Then she started walking ahead first.
I smirked at the sight and followed after her.
Without a moment’s rest, we headed straight to the Master of the Magic Tower’s office and immediately gathered the personnel.
A total of fifteen people.
Gustav looked quite restless, clearly uneasy about the fact that I came alone.
Seeing the so-called Master of the Magic Tower pacing around in his own office and groaning—it was hard not to get annoyed.
I placed both hands on the large wooden table made for wargaming and shouted.
“Hey, freaking out won’t make extra people appear, you know? Stop fussing and get over here already!”
“I didn’t hear we’d have to hold out alone for a whole day! Damn it, with these idiots we won’t last six hours!”
“You’re the leader of those idiots.”
“That’s exactly why I’m saying it’s impossible!”
At least he’s self-aware.
“Enough nonsense and get over here. I’ll make those six hours feel like twenty-four.”
Unable to watch any longer, Meriel and her subordinates finally dragged Gustav to the table.
A three-dimensional map of Mallet was projected above it.
Interception turrets lined the outer walls, defending the tower from outside.
Beneath the inner parks and walkways were large magic circles, with automated defense turrets flanking both sides.
And at the gates, an invisible barrier stood tall.
“If we activate the entire defense system using the resources you provided, it will look like this.”
As Meriel explained, she drew a long, thin stick and pointed below.
Black chess pieces stood facing Mallet head-on.
Amid the dark pawns, two queens stood out distinctly.
The red queen was the Executor of Blood, Karen Rosefield.
The green queen was the Executor of Earth, Betty Scarletwood.
“I left out the Executor of Light since you said we didn’t need to consider her, but… should I include her after all?”
“…No. You did well.”
There was a faint chance that the other two Executors might appear early in battle.
But the Executor of Light? Her involvement was as good as nonexistent.
‘If she were joining, I’d have had to consider a completely different plan.’
Fighting two was already tough enough—facing three Executors at once would be suicide.
Only one force in the entire Empire could manage that.
Anyway, I began explaining while pointing at the enemy pieces.
“As you might expect, the enemy will first aim to neutralize the interception turrets.”
The turrets excelled at long-range combat but were weak in close-quarters.
On the other hand, the enemy’s main tactics focused heavily on melee.
Most holy magic revolved around purifying or strengthening the body, and the fanatics of Dellowell used the same power.
Once they broke through the long-range suppression and entered within the blind zone, the turrets would become nothing more than useless ornaments.
“So our focus is to prevent them from ever getting within that range.”
At that moment—
One of the members, who had been quietly listening, cautiously raised a hand.
“If we also need to protect the inner automated turrets, won’t our manpower be too spread out…? What should we do about that?”
Once one person voiced it, the rest began nodding in agreement.
As if waiting for the question, I answered curtly.
“We’ll use golems.”
Golems—massive creatures molded from stone and clay.
While common in other fantasy worlds and games, golem magic in MAGA was practically a forbidden art.
To animate the inanimate like a living being, a core was required—and to create that core, a soul was needed.
In this world, there weren’t many living beings whose souls could be extracted.
Some attempted to separate a fragment of a human soul to use as a core, but soul extraction was strictly prohibited under international law.
Thus, there were only two usable options:
A spirit—or an evil spirit.
One of the two had to be used entirely as the core.
The seventeen golems possessed by Duel—Mallet all fell into the latter category.
As soon as the word “golem” left my mouth, Gustav slammed the table.
“So you’re saying we should just throw all rules out the window now, huh?!”
“What about it?”
“You do know golem use is strictly forbidden in all magic towers under Duel jurisdiction, right?”
“Of course I do.”
“And you’re still—!”
“Do you have a better way to stop Dellowell’s elites without golems?”
“That’s what the support from Karbenna and the Special Task Force was for! It’s not too late—call them back now! We’re running out of time!”
“That’s not an option.”
As I continued to maintain a calm, firm stance, Gustav clutched at his chest in sheer frustration.
“No, then what do you want us to do!”
“I told you already. Let’s use golems.”
“……”
“Sorry, but we don’t have any other option. Even with this plan, our odds aren’t exactly great.”
I gathered the white pieces that represented our forces and placed them inside Mallet.
“As long as the automatic defense system is running, we can’t just send troops in recklessly. That’s basic common sense.”
Unfortunately, the turrets couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe.
Even so, since we still had to stop the enemy’s advance, our available options for troop deployment were limited.
At least the golems, awakened with evil spirits as their cores, would keep functioning until those cores were destroyed.
“Haa….”
Gustav’s expression softened a little at my explanation, though the unease on his face didn’t fade.
“So, what you’re saying is… we block the main gate with golems, and we focus our manpower on defending the outer turrets to hold out for a full day?”
“Yeah.”
“And once the turrets are destroyed, we throw in every remaining unit we’ve got?”
“Exactly.”
“…Unbelievable. So you’re saying Mallet has to shoulder this whole mess alone.”
“It might look that way for now, but who knows.”
To put it bluntly, the main actors in this battle were Mallet and Dellowell.
The Archbishop’s slip of the tongue had dragged Karbenna into this, and the Special Task Force had only sided with us to play the bigger game.
Even now, Gustav’s worries were probably about his own safety—whether he’d lose his position as Master of the Magic Tower over this.
But even if this hadn’t happened, I already had plenty of evidence that could bring him down.
And he knew that perfectly well.
So even knowing this was a desperate measure, he had no choice but to comply.
After grumbling a few more times, Gustav looked around at his subordinates.
“…Fine. I’ll take responsibility. Let’s do it.”
The determined smile he forced out was almost theatrical.
“……”
You were whining like a child a moment ago—acting all resolute now doesn’t exactly sell it, you know.
Instead of saying that aloud, I simply raised an eyebrow.
Still—
Even though his bravado was transparent, it seemed to inspire his subordinates.
Seeing everyone, including Meriel, straighten their resolve, I nodded.
“Then we’re settled.”
I gestured for her to pull out the deployment chart.
“We’re short on time. Let’s just review our roles and move straight into preparations. No objections?”
That evening.
The large grandfather clock at the center of the library rang briefly.
The hour hand, which had been resting in the south, slowly tilted toward the north.
Rubia and Francia wiped the sweat from their foreheads at the same time and let out sighs of relief.
“Phew… Somehow, we managed.”
“…Professor, weren’t you originally from Mallet?”
“I’m still half-affiliated with it, technically.”
“Then why are we sneaking in like this…?”
“Because Eugene mustn’t know that I came here.”
As Rubia quickly flipped through the books, Francia asked again.
“…Why not?”
“If I became a hindrance to Eugene too, that wouldn’t be right, would it?”
“……”
Rubia replied with a smile, but inside, her heart felt heavy.
She had successfully stowed away in a supply carriage and reached Mallet safely, but she had no plan beyond that.
It was thanks to Miss Francia’s advice, her own lingering doubts, and a few words from Eugene that she’d ended up coming to the Magic Tower on impulse.
She hadn’t prepared for how to enter—or what kind of fallout her actions might cause afterward.
‘It’s a miracle things worked out this far….’
Fortunately, the one overseeing the supply transport had been her direct disciple, Novice Graham, and all personnel unfit for combat had already been evacuated to nearby shelters. Thanks to that, the two of them had managed to slip into Mallet without much interference.
Since most of the remaining personnel were busy holding their assigned positions ahead of the impending war, the library—which normally would have dozens of residents—was completely empty.
The two of them immersed themselves in collecting data.
Two hours passed that way.
Unfortunately, their results weren’t great.
Before long, the two sat leaning back-to-back against the bookshelves.
“…Miss Francia, what were you looking for?”
“I combed through everything about Aura Blade, but there’s nothing useful. It’s all about history and symbolism.”
She closed the book and asked Rubia in return.
“What about you, Professor?”
“I was looking into deification… but I’m still one step short.”
She had found a lead.
But with the information from the books alone, it was too unstable to be certain.
Even if it was only an illusion, even if it was an unreachable future—if she could just experience it once….
“…So in the end, it’s a gamble?”
Deification—a miracle that grants divinity to its subject.
It manifests upon unwavering faith, and the being elevated to divinity can bestow power upon others.
In other words, if Eugene Carter became a divine being—
Then Rubia Magnus could become his successor.
That was why this question was directed inward.
Do you truly believe in him?
And—
There was only one gamble she could take to find her answer.
Putting the books back on the shelves one by one, Rubia began to walk away.
Francia stood and offered her encouragement.
“I wish you the best of luck, Professor.”
Rubia responded with a determined smile, clenching her fist.
“I’ll be right back, Miss Francia!”
Without looking back, she dashed out of the library and ran up the stairs.
Her destination was the twenty-first floor of the tower.