Chapter 1336: Designed Transcendence (14)

“Before the final battle of the Subjugation Operation ended, I was able to glimpse his memories there.”

Lennok said, walking down the darkened corridor.

“Looking back at the Timeline Loops he had experienced, I could roughly understand what causality was intertwined with this city.”

“……”

“According to his memories, in this Timeline Loop… in the current timeline, the one he returned to last, Ars Nova had only directly interacted with Vulcan a few times.”

Lennok glanced at Jenny, who was walking beside him, and spoke.

“The memory of the day Left Prime Minister Yuseong came to meet Kaiser. The transaction that occurred then was one of the exchanges between the Central City and the Mega-city.”

“……”

“Then, the Ascension Relic, said to have been prepared for Kaiser at the Imperial Palace, is proof of the transaction they had. In other words—”

“Are you saying it might be the very ‘catalyst’ that could have led to the Central City’s destruction due to the project’s failure?”

“…To sum it up, yes.”

Lennok paused for a moment, then chuckled, looking at Peshia, who stood right behind Jenny.

“You’ve become a different person since I last saw you. Did you always know how to say such smart things?”

“Shut up, Adamant Thunder.”

Peshia, gripping her blood-red spearhead tightly, glared with gleaming eyes.

“If it weren’t for Jenicia’s request, I wouldn’t be doing this kind of thing with you again.”

Two eyes gleaming like a madman’s and a dense killing intent. The scent of blood wafted, merely from her pulling forth mana.

But Peshia’s appearance was dramatically different from when the Subjugation Operation had just ended.

Her disheveled, wild hair was cut short and neatly combed into a bob.

A clean appearance, wearing a dark coat instead of rags soaked in blood and dust.

Was this what it felt like when a wild person living in a cave began to enjoy the benefits of civilization?

“I’m sorry she keeps being noisy, Van.”

Jenny, walking beside Lennok, gave a wry smile.

“I thought it would be good to bring someone who knows a lot about the project or the Vulcan civil war for this task. After all, the Ascension Relic was discovered decades ago.”

“……”

“The Demoness’s combat power is one thing, but as someone from Deadrise, I thought I could get advice on such matters. Now, it feels like I might have misjudged a little already…”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter what Peshia babbles about.”

Lennok said nonchalantly, walking down the seemingly endless corridor.

“More than that, I’m more surprised you managed to make that murderer so presentable. Did you send her to some criminal rehabilitation program since I last saw her?”

“After the Subjugation Operation ended, I’ve been personally managing the Demoness’s affairs. For now, I’m focusing on her basic needs.”

Jenny said, turning to Peshia with an awkward expression.

“It was hard to force her, so I just gave her essential supplies and asked her to manage a minimal schedule… but she’s been following my instructions surprisingly well.”

“She’s a killer who even pointed her spear at the Legion to side with you.”

Lennok chuckled.

“So, it’s not strange for her to grant even such bothersome requests if they come from you.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!”

Peshia, foaming at the mouth, swung her spear and yelled.

“You’re the one who asked me to side with Jenicia in the first place!! Don’t dump everything on me!!”

“You’re still getting agitated over meaningless things… Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Lennok abruptly turned his steps.

“You seem to have let go of a lot after the Subjugation Operation. If your intelligence has risen as a rebound, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. At least it’ll be less annoying to talk to you.”

“This bastard, really, just because I’ve been enduring it, does he think I’m some kind of dog…!”

“I’ll make sure the Demoness’s presence doesn’t unnecessarily hinder or bother you.”

Jenny quietly said, ignoring Peshia’s growling beside her.

“However, now that we’re the only ones who remember what happened then, I wanted to at least take care of someone who fought for me.”

“As I said, you can do as you wish. Peshia, after all…”

Though noisy in words, she was, in a way, the most convenient pawn for Lennok to exploit.

However, instead of voicing that thought, Lennok shook his head and swallowed his words.

As long as Peshia follows Jenny and Jenny respects Peshia, there’s no need to interfere.

“Anyway, the important thing is that the Ascension Relic Dadam mentioned might be related to that person, right?”

Jenny, also noticing Lennok’s reaction, subtly changed the subject.

“I know you might need my help with this, but… where are we going right now? Have you already found the relic’s location?”

“This city is too vast to conduct a search using only the keyword ‘Ascension Relic’.”

Lennok replied.

“We could narrow down the candidates through inference and elimination, but if that were the case, there’d be no need for us to do it ourselves.”

“Does that mean you’ve already found someone who can narrow down the candidates?”

“Something similar. We’re going to find a relevant contact who might know the relic’s location.”

“Someone who knows the location of the Ascension Relic…?”

Yet, the corridor Lennok and Jenny were walking through was incredibly dark, vast, and even had a sense of distorted perception.

An absurdly harsh environment for people to live in. A space as if designed to imprison or punish someone, isolating them.

Before Jenny could ask anything about it, someone appeared from the far end of the darkened corridor.

A blond middle-aged man in a blue suit stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Van.”

“…Senator Haven?”

Conrad Haven, Senator of the City Government’s Central Council. Beside him stood a benevolent-looking old man.

He was one of the City Council members in the Senate favorable to Lennok, along with Meyer, and one of the Council-side contacts he had known for a long time.

As Jenny recognized him and stopped with a flustered expression, Conrad glanced at her.

“The Tower’s Administrator has come along as well. Is this the first time we’ve met in such a setting?”

“……”

“Senator Conrad is one of the contacts who knows the dark side of the city government best.”

Lennok calmly said, observing Jenny’s reluctant reaction.

“Many politicians and powerful figures who have fallen from grace, or much information controlled by the City Council, pass through his hands. He’s the right person to discuss this kind of agenda.”

Lennok first came to know Conrad when discussing the predicted terrorist attack at the exhibition during his second thesis presentation.

Even when Senator Leisen was ousted and Lennok heard about the fragments of the Extinct Eye, Conrad had guided him.

As he had offered Lennok advice during the hearing and warned him of war just before the Subjugation Operation, it wasn’t difficult to guess which fields he oversaw.

“Jenicia, I’ve heard much about you. It’s an honor to meet you like this.”

Conrad, beaming, extended his hand.

“I hear you’re the most capable administrator among the talents by Adamant Thunder’s side. Word is, Van trusts you completely as his partner.”

“……”

“Your work ethic is notorious… ahem, renowned for its thoroughness, so your name is well-known even within the City Council. I often hear suggestions in the city government that we should scout you.”

“…I understand very well what kind of talk goes on within the city government.”

Jenny, chuckling at Conrad clearing his throat, shook his hand briefly and stepped back.

“However, let’s discuss matters concerning District 49 later. We didn’t come here today for that.”

“Quite. I don’t intend to discuss work even in a setting like this. After all, I merely made time today at Van’s request.”

Saying so, Conrad turned his gaze to the old man standing beside him.

“Before we proceed, may I introduce this gentleman first? This is Lutchman-nim. He’s a member of the Elder Council who will assist us with this matter.”

“It’s an honor to meet Vulcan’s Tower Lord, of whom I’ve only heard rumors.”

The old man, called Lutchman, offered a benevolent smile.

“I’ve deactivated all administrative authority over the Barrier Wall so that the Tower Lord can pass through, so please feel at ease as you proceed with your task.”

“……”

Before Lennok could reply, the old man’s figure disappeared beyond the shadow of the Barrier Wall.

A strange presence, so hollow and empty it felt like a ghost or a phantasm. As expected of someone from the Elder Council, he wasn’t an ordinary human.

“Lutchman-nim is a former official who served as Chairman of the Central Council and is also the administrator of the Forbidden Zone overseen by the Elder Council.”

Conrad explained as if he had read Lennok’s thoughts.

“Aside from the guide I’ve arranged, he’s the only other person who knows about this matter, so you can rest assured.”

“A guide… I didn’t realize there would be someone else to meet. Isn’t Senator Haven going to guide us himself?”

“Beyond the Barrier Wall where we stand, lies a restricted area that the Elder Council designated as a Forbidden Zone and prohibited entry to in the past.”

Conrad said nonchalantly in response to Jenny’s calm question.

“It’s an outlying area far from Vulcan, and it’s dangerous enough that it was never even included in the city proper. It’s not a place an ordinary City Council member like me can guide.”

“……”

“I barely made time due to my duties with the Countermeasures Committee, so I’ve secured a much more suitable guide than myself. Rest assured.”

As they walked down the dark corridor, a deep and wide colossal Barrier Wall unfolded before their eyes.

A hollow space, as if a boundless natural environment had been artificially blocked off by a massive barrier.

Screech!!

As they stopped walking, the sound of wheels was heard, and a motorcycle slid in from the opposite direction.

A lean figure in a rider’s jacket. Pointed ears emerged simultaneously as she flung off her helmet.

As she walked out from beyond the Barrier Wall’s shadow, her gaze met Lennok’s and stopped dead.

Lennok, confirming her flinching, fearful face, slowly tilted his head and uttered a name.

“Rage Mistral.”

Rage Mistral, a member of Systema Aurum and an 8-level Acceleration Ability User.

A participant in the summit held in the satellite city, and a criminal who was escorted away for siding with Anathema.

Later used as a tool by the Elder Council with her movements restricted, and having appeared at the previous Victory Ceremony—

“A high-level Transcendent from the same species as Ascendant Dadam. A contact who can freely come and go from the Elder Council’s Forbidden Zone, and who knows about the Vulcan civil war and the project.”

Conrad, arms crossed, smiled.

“I believe there’s no one more suitable than her to serve as a guide for this task.”

“I heard about this matter from Conrad Haven.”

Conrad, busy with the Countermeasures Committee, departed, leaving an awkward silence before the cold Barrier Wall.

Rage Mistral, perched awkwardly on her motorcycle, glanced at Lennok and spoke, subtly gauging his reaction.

“Dadam-nim said she was looking for you and asked if I intended to help you with this matter.”

“……”

“…So, I said yes.”

Mistral’s appearance, subtly flinching and glancing at Lennok as if gauging his mood.

But Lennok didn’t respond to her words, instead observing Mistral intently.

Her appearance, wearing a leather jacket and holding a motorcycle helmet. A free demeanor, as if her movements weren’t restrained.

“It seems you haven’t been treated too harshly since the summit ended. Have you only been used as a tool for the Elder Council’s work?”

“You beat me senseless in the satellite city, yet you seem to know almost nothing about what happened afterward.”

Mistral shook her head in exasperation.

“The Elder Council isn’t a guardian of Vulcan’s rules. They didn’t take Slain and me to reprimand or punish us for the summit.”

“……”

“If they could just use anyone as an excuse for the summit’s issues, it probably didn’t matter, did it? Even that was just a means to smoothly operate their ‘scenario’.”

“For someone who says that, you seem to have been quite docilely held by the Elder Council for a long time.”

The summit between high-level ability users, initiated by the Phantom Beast species Slain, held in the satellite city.

Even Armas von Anathema’s defection and death, who resurrected there and immediately went on a rampage as the Sixth Apostle.

It had been quite some time since Mistral and Slain were escorted away by the Elder Council to be held accountable for the incident.

Before the Victory Ceremony, he hadn’t even known that the two of them were still held by the Elder Council.

But Mistral hesitated, unable to speak frankly about it.

Biting her lip, she looked at Lennok and answered with difficulty.

“It was… because of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because I didn’t know what you thought of us after the summit. I thought it might be safer to be tied down by the Elder Council than to face you.”

“……”

“Even after killing Anathema, you went on a rampage as you pleased. Smashing this city to pieces. I have no desire to make an enemy of such a wizard twice.”

Mistral, glancing between Lennok and Jenny with a strange expression, shrugged.

“Though I only found out you were ‘still’ okay after being dragged to the Victory Ceremony.”

“Watch your mouth, Elf.”

At that moment, Jenny, sitting beside Lennok, scowled fiercely.

“You’re here because of what you did at the summit, and you talk about Van like that?”

“…Sorry, my bad.”

Mistral flinched, then gave a wry smile and bowed her head.

“What I’m trying to say is… I really don’t want to be at odds with you anymore. That’s why I’m here today.”

“……”

“But, even if others are like that, what exactly about me does she dislike so much?”

Mistral, seeing Peshia glaring with a twisted expression beside Jenny, asked with a reluctant tone.

“We’ve had no contact besides running into each other a few times during the civil war. I’ve barely fought against the Legion’s side. Aren’t you mistaking me for someone else?”

“…No.”

Peshia sneered, her face deeply contorted.

“I just don’t like how you look, like a beaten dog by that Adamant Thunder bastard.”

“What?”

“It’s like self-loathing, so don’t mind her and just leave her be.”

Lennok said blandly, propping his chin with his hand.

“It seems she saw someone reflected in your wretched demeanor and suddenly became displeased. She’s always like that, so ignore her.”

“Shut up, shut up!! This bastard, what nonsense has he been spouting since earlier…!!”

“Rage Mistral. I roughly understand your situation, so let’s get to the point. I understand you’re taking on the role of guide for this task.”

Ignoring Peshia, who was flailing as if a button had been pushed, Lennok turned his gaze to Mistral.

“As someone from the same non-human race, you must know Dadam-nim well. Is there a way to find the Ascension Relic she mentioned?”

“…Perhaps. I can’t be certain, but there are a few highly probable candidates. Especially if Dadam-nim moved personally.”

Mistral slowly nodded.

“Since she became more like a plant, she rarely makes meaningless choices or actions. Even if she isn’t consciously aware, the mere fact that she set foot in the undeveloped zone likely means the relic site is on the outskirts of Vulcan.”

“……”

“It’s even more so if no trace or hint of it could be detected both inside and outside the city after the Prohibition was lifted. A remote, forbidden sanctuary, connected to the civil war, yet difficult for any related parties to detect abnormalities…”

Mistral slowly rose from her spot and approached the Barrier Wall’s entrance, speaking.

“One of those was this Forbidden Zone, managed by the Elder Council, located outside Vulcan.”

Rumble…!!!

As the Barrier Wall opened, a salty scent of the sea wafted from far away.

Beyond the faint sound of waves, a vast, empty sandy beach unfolded, with not a soul in sight.

A coastline so immense it was impossible to imagine it existed beyond this dark, cramped prison and Barrier Wall.

On that coastline, an Ark, larger than any airship Lennok had ever seen, lay half-destroyed.

Thump!!!!!

“…This is.”

This wasn’t just a broken ship abandoned on the coast.

It was, quite literally, a half-destroyed battleship of an enormous size, seemingly covering the entire vast coastline.

Its visible length alone stretched thousands of meters, far surpassing the standards of any ship or flagship.

An Ark of an absurd scale, boasting a size comparable to an entire mountain range, appeared to have been washed ashore on the coastline.

Gurgle, gurgle…

From the side of the half-destroyed, damaged flagship, riddled with holes, red blood oozed out sluggishly, like from a wound.

“The fiercest battlefield during the civil war, and the final battleground where the outcome of the war was decided.”

Mistral said calmly.

“It’s where Gagameon, once called Vulcan’s strongest adversary, was defeated and died.”