Chapter 337 - Cooperation (1)
The situation had changed from the original plan, but anyway, Verden's party arrived in the Beldirn Republic.
Of course it was an illegal entry, but they didn't care.
From the start they weren't the type to worry about such things, and the owner of the airship that crossed the border at will was Archbishop Joseph.
The Luas Church is a world religion that spans the entire continent.
Its Doctrine of Light comes before any laws a nation handles.
Given the gravity of the matter, even if they broke laws deemed unnecessary, no one could hold them accountable.
Naturally, the law is not equal.
Rules made by humans are also decided by the logic of power.
Well, anyway.
"Do we have a designated base, Archbishop?"
Glory of the Dead is a powerful group composed of dark mages.
As with Kailiens, they control and exploit people with curses and dark magic circles.
Even for the Luas Church, waging an information war or facing them one by one was disadvantageous in many ways.
Thus it would be reasonable to seize an important place, one they wouldn't dare to encroach upon, and confront them there.
At Verden's question, Archbishop Joseph readily answered.
"We're currently using one of the Republic's great cities, Quorail, as our central base."
"You mean the entire city?"
Leira, who was beside them, tilted her head.
"Mm, being a great city has its advantages, but isn't it too wide, wouldn't that be a disadvantage instead, if those dark mages hide among the crowds, it'll be hard to root them out."
"A valid point. Of course we chose our base with that in mind. For example, we can name the dedicated airship dock installed within the city, where the Lustrous can land safely."
And.
"We're also closely connected to a High Councillor. As it happens, information about the Republic has come in, I'll share it with you here."
They hadn't landed since leaving near Surdmil, yet there was new information.
'So they did have a means of long-distance communication.'
Like the Lustrous, perhaps one of the Archbishop's privileges.
There seemed to be constraints, but the ability to disregard distance to some extent, that alone is invaluable.
Joseph spoke.
"As the Luas Papal State tracked Glory of the Dead, we kept a close watch on Kailiens and the Beldirn Republic."
Given the nature of using high-level dark magic, they had expected them to target those in power.
"Regrettably, Kailiens was already too late, but the Republic at that time was not. We took one of the High Councillors as a collaborator, and prepared for their moves."
But it was impossible to predict every possibility.
There are five High Councillors, and if you include the councillors below them, there are dozens.
Even so, they couldn't split the number of paladins.
If they did, they might be struck instead. It was a response balancing safety and vigilance.
"Even so, we checked from time to time for traces of dark magic. And, as you all know, not long ago one of the High Councillors was killed. The cause, they say, was an unexplained explosion in the special council chamber."
It wasn't dismissed as an accident.
There were two grounds.
One, there was no reason for an explosion to occur inside the building, the other, the state of the High Councillor's corpse.
His upper body had vanished entirely, only the barely recognizable head and lower body were left strewn about the scene.
Which is to say, the explosion itself had occurred inside the High Councillor's clothes, or inside his body.
Verden asked.
"What about the other High Councillors?"
"One near the deceased High Councillor suffered severe injuries from the shockwave and bone fragments, and the rest escaped with only minor wounds."
The special council chamber, into which only High Councillors may enter, was, literally, a wreck.
"Seizing on the chaos, paladins disguised as the guard detachment broke in. They came face-to-face with the dark mages belonging to Glory of the Dead, and battle broke out at once."
Of course they didn't overextend.
Securing the High Councillors took priority over subjugating the enemies before their eyes.
"As a result, we rescued two High Councillors, including the Luas Church's collaborator."
"Then the remaining two are…."
"Two, including the one who was seriously wounded, were taken away by their respective guard detachments."
Joseph knit his brows.
"After that, the two High Councillors, on the grounds that they would protect themselves… their whereabouts have become unclear."
Were they taken by Glory of the Dead.
That would be the usual assumption, but Verden saw it differently.
'There's a possibility a High Councillor joined hands with Glory of the Dead.'
Not being cursed doesn't automatically make them allies of the Luas Church, that's a biased thought.
No matter how much the religion serves humanity, that does not become a reason for every human to worship the goddess.
Desires and values differ by individual.
Each has their own rationale, myriad and varied, and thus irrational.
"We understand the Republic's current situation. So, Your Excellency, what do you plan to do next."
"I haven't decided for certain yet. With the information now, we can't move boldly… however, a decision will come soon."
Joseph smiled.
"Our 'helper' who tracked Glory of the Dead should be returning with strong leads."
'The one he mentioned before, then.'
Not merely assisting, but entrusting so important a task to an outsider, instead of a paladin or other high-level force.
It was clear this was no ordinary person. Whatever they were, they'd know once the person arrived.
The Lustrous raced through the sky,toward Quorail, the great city where their collaborator, the High Councillor, resided.
***
Somewhere in the Beldirn Republic.
Though the sun stood at its zenith, an eerie chill pervaded the deep mountains, and a pursuit was underway.
The target, a single man.
One pursuer thrust an arm forward and computed dark magic.
Wavering darkness struck a tree.
A dreadful sound that shook not only the flesh but the soul echoed in all directions.
The frozen snow heaped upon the treetops cascaded down, forming a snowstorm that covered the target precisely.
Boooom!
Exploding ice.
The view was blocked by tiny shards scattered to pieces, but that wasn't a problem.
The opponent's feet would be bound for a moment.
As if on cue, the pursuers halted and poured powerful magic toward the front.
Kwhuuuum! Wham! Crrrack——
A magical bombardment of dark magic and the elements.
Trees, unable to withstand the shock, laid their bodies on the ground, and pits opened here and there across the earth.
A brief stillness drifted over the area, scorched to a wasteland in the blink of an eye.
In that moment, a cold voice was heard.
"I was going to just let you go if possible, but you hasten your own death, Glory of the Dead."
"…!"
The voice rang from all directions.
They could not fix its position.
Even sensing by life force or magic power, they couldn't gauge it at all.
Then, from the darkness spread over the ground, grotesque chains surged up.
"Guhk?!"
Shrrrrrrk!
In an instant, they pierced a pursuer's chest, then reeled back, swallowing their prey into the shadow.
Blood spread, dyeing the earth.
An unidentifiable magic, in other words, it was part of Mado.
Given the opponent, charging in head-on was disadvantageous.
In any case, their goal was to buy time until the follow-up unit arrived.
The dark mage leading the pursuers gave a light jerk of his chin.
All who understood the signal shot straight into the sky, only for something to block the heavens.
"...!"
Suddenly, a red mist appeared, descending rapidly. Exposed without a chance to defend, they inhaled it.
A curse seeping into the respiratory tract.
There was no pain, yet veins swelled on the pursuers' skin.
Right after, a man revealed himself, and stabbed one in the throat with a dagger.
Then twisted the blade.
One person's death spread in all directions.
Those who shared the same curse had wounds split open on their necks, as if pierced by a dagger, and fountains of blood gushed forth.
Only one resisted, barely, the dark mage leading the pursuit unit.
Yet even he could not escape death.
The man had already closed in, snatching the dark mage by the neck.
It wasn't just brute strength, it felt as if his soul itself was seized. The sharp fingertips of a metal gauntlet dug in, tearing the skin.
"Ghhhk…!!!"
"Your resistance to curses is decent enough. But did you think you, who haven't even achieved Mado, could do anything to me?"
An overwhelming gulf in dark magic.
Even without the man saying so, the dark mage knew it.
But that didn't matter.
"Traitors… who compromised with the Luas Church…!"
Traitor, or betrayer.
Glory of the Dead, that is what they called the group the man belonged to.
"You weren't even alive back then, merely indoctrinated with ancient ideas, and yet you dare prattle about traitors. Laughable."
The man opened his Mado.
"Just die."
Life was transmuted into a separate power.
Blood evaporated in an instant.
Skin clinging to bone turned gray.
At last, the flesh completely crumbled to dust, vanishing.
Only the mage's clothes and staff remained, falling to the ground.
"..."
The man concentrated the stolen life force into his hand.
Through Mado it mingled with mana, taking on a pitch-black darkness.
Then he turned his head back.
The follow-up unit, chasing after the pursuers' trail, glared with murderous eyes.
And it wasn't only dark mages.
[Grrrhhhhh…]
Three demi-human beasts with five horns each.
Creatures with dark magic circles engraved on their foreheads bared their fangs and claws, growling low.
"You've brought annoying things with you."
The man clicked his tongue and glanced at his wrist.
On it, clashing with his dark-colored gear, a bracelet marked with a cross shone golden.
'Archbishop Joseph.'
It meant he had come to the Republic.
Judging from the light growing stronger, he was surely heading toward Quorail.
And just now, he had acquired valuable information to use on them.
"I don't like cooperating with the Luas Church… tch, but if I don't want to be late, I'll have to hurry."
The man focused his will.
With demi-humans in the mix, shaking off pursuit would be difficult.
So he would annihilate them here.
The man moved.
At the same time, the follow-up unit charged.
In the forest, shockwaves, thunderous roars, and screams rang out.
***
The Lustrous arrived safely at Quorail, and landed.
Guided by the faithful who were waiting, they boarded prepared carriages, crossing through the streets of the Republic's city.
Adrian looked out the window.
"More than Kailiens, it resembles the cityscapes we saw on the central continent."
The eastern continent's current heartland is divided into four nations.
The newborn Duchy of Riviant.
The Kingdom of Estiria, which governs the largest land.
The City League of Kailiens, comprised of seven city-states.
And finally, the Beldirn Republic.
Among them, the Beldirn Republic had once been nothing more than an ordinary country, but after an intercontinental spatial teleportation circle was established within its territory, it underwent the most dazzling transformation.
They carried out large-scale trade with the central continent, actively absorbing their culture.
Thus, among the eastern continent's nations, in some respects, the Republic could be called the most advanced.
'He doesn't say it, but he must have missed home quite a lot.'
Adrian busied his eyes, savoring the city's scenery while recalling the past.
Beside him, Verden, who was also watching outside, soon drew back his gaze.
There was one thing he was curious about.
"Why are you leaving a seat empty?"
In the carriage sat Verden, Leira, Adrian, Railver, and Joseph, five in total.
Yet for some reason, Joseph had left the seat beside him vacant.
Just enough space for exactly one person.
"Because someone is about to arrive."
Joseph rolled up his sleeve.
The bracelet that had been hidden was glowing.
More strongly by the moment.
"...!"
At that moment, mana was felt from afar.
From overhead.
By the feel of it… it was dark magic.
'An ambush?'
Just as they moved to respond at once, Joseph smiled and stopped them.
"There's no need to worry. That, is the helper I mentioned."
A helper who wielded dark magic.
And someone, or some group, trusted by the Luas Church.
There was only one that belonged in that intersection.
The presence closed in rapidly.
Then the carriage was engulfed in shadow, and when the darkness cleared, a man was there.
A strange figure, his face concealed beneath a pitch-black robe, parts of his body clad in heavy armor.
"You're a bit later than expected."
"I'm not late. I came at the exact time."
A manner utterly unreserved toward the Archbishop.
And yet the paladins did not intervene.
As the unknown man looked around inside the carriage, his gaze stopped upon Verden.
"Ash-grey hair, blue eyes…."
"Yes, that's Asher."
"I see. So he's the one Master spoke of."
The man stroked his chin.
Still keeping his eyes fixed there.
In the sudden silence, Joseph cleared his throat.
"Khmm, my apologies for the late introduction. This is Haldirn Deiras."
Joseph spoke quietly.
"The next successor of DarkWarton Magic Tower."
The helper's identity, a successor of the magic tower.
The disciple of a Transcendent, one called the Understander of Death.
You can read more chapters in organised way on my website:- https://revengernovel.com