novelraw Chapter 193 : Chapter 193
Chapter 193 : Chapter 193
Chapter 193 : The World's Chaos
KABOOOOM!
The moment one side of the mansion wall blew out with an explosive sound.
“You thieving bastard……!!”
Simultaneously with that explosion, I saw demonic energy and white smoke soaring together.
Victon, with a look of dismay as expected.
It seemed like I was seeing that expression too often these days.
‘Why are you like this every time?’
That thought lasted only a moment, as a smile naturally hovered on my lips upon seeing the demonic energy chasing him.
‘6-Circle.’
Although not a Seven-Star, no, precisely because he wasn't, he was a sufficiently attractive prey.
‘Tsk.’
THUD.
In that brief moment of dashing toward the enemy.
I saw an arrow imbued with blue mana embedding itself into the robe of the magician following Victon.
THWACK.
“Kyak!?”
He was more flustered than the flustered enemy.
‘Does a high-ranking magician not even put up a shield?!’
The moment the enemy's gaze turned toward where the arrow came from.
WHOOSH.
The flames that had risen in the mansion amplified hundreds of times and struck him.
KABOOOOOOOM!
‘Ugh!’
A tremendous firepower that made even the charging Muno flinch.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.
“Ugh!”
“D-Dodge!”
The aftermath was by no means light, causing all the troops confronting them to lie flat on the ground.
After those few seconds of fiery hell passed.
“How was it, Sir Muno? I prepared properly and gave it a try this time.”
Imadi’s voice, full of pride, pierced his ears painfully.
‘Then that flame earlier was…….’
It seemed it wasn't to keep the remaining troops in check, but a preparation process for a spell.
Thanks to that, it was difficult to find even a trace of demonic energy in the space where the Spirit Arts were concentrated.
Although he calls himself a half-baked one, it is a spell unleashed by a Seven-Star Spirit Master after preparation.
There was no way a magician who didn't even put up a shield could block it, so the tension drained out of me.
“Haa…….”
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.
I couldn't say something ridiculous like ‘If there is a strong enemy, please attack gently’.
How should I speak to utilize this uselessly powerful ally well?
Just then, a dazed voice was heard from the side.
“Even for an element-specialized Spirit Master…….”
When did this guy get close to me?
‘Truly a ghost-like fellow…….’
In a way, wouldn't this guy be more suitable for assassination than Lauel?
Victon’s gaze was fixed on the ruins created by Imadi.
“……Does this make sense?”
“It does. Since he was preparing thanks to the ample time you created.”
“Is…… that so?”
Only then did Victon tilt his head and look back.
Although it was an excuse, he looked like he roughly believed it.
No matter how smart he was, it seemed hard to imagine a Seven-Star Spirit Master appearing out of nowhere.
“Did you secure the evidence?”
“Yes. In large quantities this time.”
Only then did his bulging chest catch my eye.
The excessive amount of documents made me uneasy.
“……Don't tell me we're just going to become terrorists who came here and beat the lord to death?”
“That won't happen. Because he attacked first the moment I mentioned the Evil cult.”
“Really?”
“He must have thought he could kill me with that. Magicians always underestimate Corporeal Arts users.”
For a moment, the twisted smile on that handsome face seemed to have a story behind it, but that smile disappeared quickly.
“However, there was something a bit strange…….”
“Strange?”
“No, I think this will become clear after examining the data a bit.”
“Right. But before that, what should we do about that over there?”
The place Muno pointed to.
“The Lord has been assassinated!!! Hunt down the enemy!”
There was an old knight shouting at the remaining troops with an angry face.
I don't know if the word assassination fits this loud explosion.
What was strange was that the troops were noticeably wavering at the old knight's command.
Seeing that, Victon tilted his head instead.
“Oh. He didn't kill everyone?”
……Does this human think someone is a homicidal maniac?
When I frowned, Victon smiled bitterly.
“Didn't you say the Empire is the enemy anyway?”
“That's when we are at war. No, this isn't the time for such talk, stop them already!?”
“Understood.”
Seeing the gradually approaching troops, perhaps because anger was slowly erasing fear, only then did Victon step forward.
And after some commotion, the surviving troops confirmed Victon’s identity as the Imperial Royal Inspector and obediently withdrew.
The sight of the majority of those soldiers sighing in relief stood out particularly clearly.
‘Right. We just need to filter out and crush the Evil cult like this.’
Muno just hoped Victon would find the next target as quickly as possible.
However, that night, Victon delivered unexpected news.
“……While investigating the data, there was something strange.”
Victon, who had gathered the party, hesitated for a long time after bringing up the topic.
“What is it?”
“The dead lord, I mean, the fact that Karim Alba, known as a 5-Circle, was actually a 6-Circle……. No, actually this isn't important. Haa…….”
When his gibbering appearance felt unfamiliar.
Victon sighed again and opened his mouth.
“I found this while looking for Evil cult data…….”
“So what is it?”
“……His Magic Knight, specifically the High-ranking Magic Knight Karon Acid, was secretly dispatched to the Deluna Kingdom.”
“……So, why?”
I wondered what the problem was with that.
Victon’s words didn't end there.
“It seems the Imperial House was involved in Deluna's civil war. It appears they supported one faction, and it seems many Evil cultists were included among the dispatched troops.”
Victon’s face, which seemed to have vomited out the long words he had held back in one breath, was completely distorted.
“I wanted to dismiss it as just a coincidence, but other absurd information came in through the communication sphere.”
“……What is it?”
“News that civil wars, assassinations of kings, or popular uprisings are continuing in six countries adjacent to our Empire, shaking the national systems.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, the Iron Kingdom is not included, but no matter how much I think about it, I keep thinking this cannot be a coincidence……. What do you all think?”
In that brief moment, Victon’s face felt like it had aged several years.
His silver hair, which was pure white but shone with vitality, seemed to have withered in that short time, and his brightly shining red eyes looked only dark.
But this wasn't a situation to argue about the circumstances.
Disasters occurring simultaneously in the Empire's neighboring countries.
If that's not a coincidence…….
“Don't tell me…….”
“What about the movement of the Imperial Army?”
As if thinking the same thing, Imadi asked first.
Victon answered with a sigh.
“There is none. It is certain. The Imperial Army is guarding the borders. That makes it more confusing.”
As he said, it was a strange situation.
If the Empire caused or helped the disasters in neighboring countries, what would be the purpose?
Only a simple answer that even a child could think of came to mind.
War.
‘But the army isn't moving?’
Then all that chaos is really just a coincidence?
Whatever I just heard sounded like nonsense and I couldn't believe it.
Victon lowered his head with an even heavier face.
“……However, an Imperial order was in the safe. It instructed to support the 2nd Prince's side in the Deluna civil war. Even if we assume the participation of the Evil cult's forces was Karim Alba's arbitrary decision, that order is real.”
At that pained expression, I remembered what he said a while ago.
- The current Emperor is not someone who would do that.
- He wishes to maintain this era of peace…….
When I questioned if the Imperial House might be behind the Evil cult, he dismissed it with anger.
That expression of his back then seemed truly sincere.
“Perhaps, the reason the seniors didn't move is also because he really…….”
Victon, who began to mutter with a dark face, looked like he would dig into the ground any moment.
Just when I felt I should say some words of comfort, Imadi stepped forward before that.
“Let's refrain from speculation for now. If the Empire really intended to start a war of conquest, there's no way the army wouldn't move, right?”
“……That is true.”
“As far as I know, there are nine countries bordering the Empire, and three of them are fine, right?”
“……That is correct.”
Every time Imadi said a word, Victon’s expression brightened little by little.
“Let's just watch while doing our job for now. To think I would end up comforting a person from the Mage Empire.”
“Th…… Thank you.”
It seemed this ghost-like guy also had a simple side.
Seeing his expression change so quickly made me laugh for some reason.
Of course, I couldn't just keep laughing though.
Thinking about it, Iron almost faced a big trouble a while ago too.
Being fine right now is just the result of stopping that.
‘This can't be a coincidence. Everyone knows, right?’
When I looked around and met their eyes, both Lauel and Imadi nodded with heavy eyes.
Even that Victon, who was comforted by Imadi’s words, is probably suspecting it.
‘Just what are they plotting.’
The disaster of a legendary-grade demonic beast occurring in Iron, called the Empire's main enemy.
The chaos in neighboring countries that occurred shortly after that.
The probability of all this being a coincidence would be lower than winning the lottery.
If there was even an Imperial order to support one faction in Deluna's civil war, the suspicion was solid.
However.
‘Even so, the Imperial Army didn't move.’
That one last fact overturns all premises.
‘……I can't figure it out.’
I have absolutely no idea what the Empire is up to.
“Or is there some serious problem with the Imperial military?”
Victon immediately refuted the words that slipped out inadvertently.
“The Empire's elites follow the Emperor's will entirely. Magicians might be controlled by the Magic Towers, but even excluding them, the Imperial Army is the strongest in the world. Once a war breaks out, the Four Directional Kings responsible for local administration won't be able to refuse supplies, and…….”
That can't be.
Victon’s explanation continued on and on.
Then Muno cut him off and made a firm conclusion.
“Then, as Imadi said, let's do what we need to do first. Starting with crushing the Evil cult bastards.”
“……We should do that.”
Victon’s face became lighter at those words, but Muno was speaking different words inwardly.
‘You know this is nonsense, right?’
I don't know if that look was fully conveyed to Victon.
Victon changed the subject with a sigh.
“Starting with the Evil cult. That is my mission.”
“So, what's the next target?”
“I found one, but there is a problem.”
“Problem?”
“First, there is news that the Northern King’s envoy is striking another place. No matter how messed up the information line is, the Evil cult bastards will know the situation through rumors by now.”
“Then…….”
“They must have fled or destroyed all evidence. We could try to link them somehow even with insufficient evidence, but if they fled, we would need to mobilize quite a lot of personnel for tracking. But the current situation is…….”
With chaos everywhere, I felt like I knew the Imperial Army would be on high alert without needing to hear it.
However.
“If it's nearby, it's possible.”
“What?”
“If it hasn't been long since they disappeared, I can track them. So let's go.”
Muno had absolutely no intention of giving up.