Chapter 1356: Designed Transcendence (34)
“Long time no see, Adamant Thunder.”
Deep within the grand banquet hall, renovated from the VIP Exchange in District 49.
In a spacious reception room bathed in brilliant light, a woman sat barefoot on a plush sofa, waving at Lennok.
She wore a loose, blue robe that seemed ill-fitting for her body, and her face, strangely youthful, didn’t match her apparent age.
The Fairy Sorcerer spoke.
“Is this our first meeting since the Kundara incident? That was fun.”
“I don’t know what grand memories you have to say such a thing.”
Lennok, accompanied by Jenny and Felix, replied as he entered the reception room.
“Wasn’t there nothing special, except for a brief discussion about the Arch-Mage’s proposal?”
“Aw, don’t say that. We weren’t such bad friends, were we, apart from the matter with the Subjugation Sorcerer?”
The Fairy Sorcerer said, reaching out a hand to her side.
“This time, to impress you, I even brought a sorcerer who was with us in Kundara. Ta-da!”
“O-oh, h-hello…”
A pale-faced woman sitting next to the Fairy Sorcerer stammered.
“Th-that, I, I showed a shameful side last time, do you r-remember—”
“…Corpse Spirit Sorcerer?”
Her strange stammering habit and timid demeanor. Her fearful, shrinking posture, as if the reception room’s lighting was too dazzling.
Lennok’s expression subtly changed as he instantly recalled the characteristics of the sorcerer he had encountered on the way to Kundara.
“I succeeded in recovering the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer who went missing from the Western Front. Didn’t I tell you last time?”
The Fairy Sorcerer patted the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer’s shoulder.
“You’re already acquainted, so I brought her as an escort this time. Good job, right?”
“F-Fairy Sorcerer… y-you, you dragged m-me here by force…”
The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer, her face pale, stammered a refutation.
“I, I didn’t want to come. It’s t-too bright and noisy here, and too many p-people…”
“Hey, I saved you when you were stuck pitifully between the Western Front’s ground fissures. Can’t you even do this much for me?”
The Fairy Sorcerer placed a hand on her hip, sounding exasperated.
“We’re here for something important today, so I brought a face Adamant Thunder knows. If you’ve been relaxing and living off me all this time, get to work.”
“It’s s-so unfair…”
“I don’t know what you think you’ve done so well, bringing a necromancer to a place like this.”
Lennok, sitting on the sofa opposite the Fairy Sorcerer, replied indifferently.
“You’re not planning to turn everyone in the banquet hall into ghouls, are you?”
“…Ghouls? Is this woman also a sorcerer who handles corpses?”
Jenny, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, looked displeased, and the Fairy Sorcerer waved her hand.
“Don’t worry. She’s not so lacking in common sense as to cause a ruckus in a place like this. Right?”
“B-bright and noisy… I-I want to go home…”
“…”
Given that her eyes were already spinning from the overwhelming atmosphere of the banquet hall, she was clearly not a person of common sense in many ways.
Her pathetic appearance even made Jenny, who had been wary, sigh in disbelief.
Lennok, staring intently at the smiling Fairy Sorcerer, leaned back and asked.
“Let’s get to the point. Are you here simply to congratulate me?”
“Congratulate? Oh, that’s right.”
As if just remembering, the Fairy Sorcerer clapped her hands awkwardly.
“It’s late, but congratulations on your victory in the Subjugation War. I heard you completely crushed the legions?”
“The timing for congratulations on that matter is far too late.”
“Wow, it’s so refreshing to hear that all those arrogant guys from the parade are dead. My long-distance cheering paid off.”
“Were you stuck on some deserted island for months or something?”
“Well, I’ve been to similar places a few times.”
The Fairy Sorcerer stuck out her tongue, leaned back on the sofa, and slowly swayed her feet.
“I also heard about Dadam. You must have had a hard time dealing with the Ascendant’s unreasonableness.”
“…”
“To act immediately after the collapse of the Four-Heavenly-Flower Demonic Realm… you really can’t just ignore those old folks in the backrooms.”
The sorcerer picked up a glass of wine from the table and took a sip, smiling leisurely.
“It’s hard to guess the behavior patterns of Ascendants, no matter how much you talk to them. It’s difficult to deal with them in many ways, so the conclusion is usually to avoid contact as much as possible.”
“You wouldn’t have come to the banquet just to badmouth Ascendants.”
The fact that she visited the banquet under the name of the Order Alliance meant that they, too, intended to adhere to the formalities of the occasion.
It implied that she wanted to save Adamant Thunder’s face while naturally creating a setting for a private conversation.
She must have come with a clear and definite purpose, not just for such idle chitchat.
And Lennok already had an inkling of that purpose.
“Well, you know, right? It’s an extension of the proposal I made last time.”
The Fairy Sorcerer said.
“The Arch-Mage has made a move. The restoration of the Great Connection will begin soon.”
“…”
“Originally, it should have been faster, but one Grand Sorcerer died in the Four-Heavenly-Flower Demonic Realm, creating a void that needed to be filled. Especially since he died just a few months after succeeding Chapman.”
“The death of a Grand Sorcerer…”
As Lennok replied, Jenny and Felix’s gazes quickly exchanged.
Perhaps the Fairy Sorcerer’s attitude, casually revealing the alliance’s weakness in this setting, felt peculiar.
But the sorcerer, aware of the atmosphere, merely chuckled, unconcerned.
“Don’t worry. It’s also tied to the cult, so it will all be revealed soon enough. It’s easier if you know in advance, right?”
“…”
“Anyway, the deceased Grand Sorcerer was a very senior elder with a long career within the alliance, so there’s a lot of debate about choosing a successor. Especially since he was Chapman’s successor, the qualifications are scrutinized even more strictly, and there aren’t that many suitable candidates within the alliance.”
The Fairy Sorcerer’s words were blunt, but there was nothing inherently strange about their content.
If there were abundant qualified candidates to succeed a Grand Sorcerer, it would be odd.
No matter how powerful the Order Alliance boasts its prosperity, it’s unlikely to have many veteran transcendents like the Linked Sorcerer.
“If only the Stasis Sorcerer hadn’t been a Grand Sorcerer, we wouldn’t have to worry about this. That Cheon-beon is truly problematic. He’s probably the only person in this world who can kill two Grand Sorcerers and still walk around freely.”
“U-um… C-can you really s-say something l-like that…?”
The Fairy Sorcerer’s words were so unreserved that the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer, who had been blankly staring at the ceiling, gasped in horror.
Even Jenny and Felix, next to Lennok, were listening to her words with visibly surprised expressions.
But Lennok, not reacting at all to the Fairy Sorcerer’s words, propped his chin and said.
“I understand that there’s severe infighting within the alliance. Did you come here to tell me that?”
“Exactly. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
“…”
Lennok silently replayed the Fairy Sorcerer’s words, lost in thought.
The meaning of specifically mentioning the Four-Heavenly-Flower Demonic Realm incident and revealing the Grand Sorcerer’s death. The reason for mentioning that the succession process wasn’t smooth.
“Not only are the alliance factions divided, but there’s also infighting among the Grand Sorcerers. The restoration of the Great Connection won’t be smooth. So you came to me?”
“Perfect.”
Although they were talking about the restoration of the Great Connection, the deal the Arch-Mage proposed to Lennok wasn’t to help with the restoration itself.
More precisely, it was closer to asking him to help the Arch-Mage hunt the 2nd Apostle, who would obstruct the process.
The Fairy Sorcerer saying now that the restoration of the Great Connection would not be smooth was an admission that the alliance’s position was slightly less advantageous than before.
And the reason for saying it indirectly like this, in this setting, was perhaps because she didn’t want to reveal the specific details of the deal to Jenny and Felix.
Clapping her hands as if satisfied with Lennok’s answer, the Fairy Sorcerer said with a smile.
“As you might have guessed after hearing all this, the alliance is willing to raise the conditions to maintain the existing deal. Today, I brought a gift to pay that price in advance.”
“A gift?”
“It’s outside the banquet hall. May I bring it in?”
“…Do as you please.”
The Fairy Sorcerer, barefoot, walked out of the banquet hall, leaving the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer alone in the reception room.
The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer was hunched over, almost buried in the sofa, muttering something incomprehensible with a pale expression.
As she received the gazes of the three, her eyes spun, looking unhinged, and Jenny whispered.
“Isn’t she still dangerous?”
“The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer?”
“Yeah. I didn’t expect a necromancer to be part of the alliance’s delegation.”
Jenny’s expression had turned slightly serious.
“There was that incident at Gagameon’s Ark. Was it Yoran? What if she has a similar disposition to that necromancer—”
“I-I’m not a necromancer.”
The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer, who had been cowering, was now peeking at them.
“I-I don’t use such c-crude spells…”
“What?”
“My C-Corpse Spirit Spells have excellent efficacy in preserving and drawing out the abilities of corpses. In terms of fully drawing out the potential a deceased person possessed in life, it cannot be compared to necromancy, which merely uses corpses as catalysts and discards them.”
“…”
“That, that Yoran woman seems to have visited Vulcan recently, but my Corpse Spirit Spells are far more useful than that nasty woman’s. I don’t know what she’s been saying, but I’m definitely better in every field.”
“R-right. That’s amazing. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Excuse me, but I wouldn’t even use crude trash spells like necromancy if they were given to me for free. Anyway, that woman always laughed at me when we were in the alliance, but I always produced better research results. I-I’d be troubled if I was treated the same.”
“…Sorry. I misjudged. I’ll take it back.”
“Ahem.”
Jenny, who hastily ended the conversation after seeing the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer straighten up and act high and mighty, whispered to Lennok.
“Hey, isn’t she really weird? Are you sure you know her?”
“…It’s true that she’s a sorcerer I met in Kundara. She was a bit eccentric back then too.”
“I thought she had social phobia, but she suddenly stopped stammering. Is it just an act?”
“Hmm, it seems she’s the type whose speech becomes fluent in areas she’s confident in. We have friends among the mercenaries with similar dispositions.”
Felix’s dry remark seemed to be the closest to the truth among them.
“There were rumors that Yoran the Soul Necromancer was from the Order Alliance. It seems she and this woman didn’t get along well.”
“Not just ‘didn’t get along,’ it’s like you hit a trigger. It’s probably best to be careful what you say around her.”
“Uh, ahh…”
The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer, realizing what she had just said and falling into a panic, and Jenny and Felix, who realized she was no ordinary madwoman and fell silent.
As the silence stretched, and the atmosphere instantly grew awkward, just as the Corpse Spirit Sorcerer squirmed as if trying to dig into the ground.
Bang!!
The reception room door burst open, and someone walked in without hesitation.
The Corpse Spirit Sorcerer turned around, relieved, but her expression went blank.
Several people in pure white sacred robes, instead of the Fairy Sorcerer, were walking inside.
“S-Sorcerer… who are you…?”
“Tower Lord. We first apologize for our sudden visit.”
The middle-aged woman at the front respectfully clasped her hands together and bowed slightly.
“It seems your conversation with the alliance has concluded, so we’ve taken the liberty of intruding.”
“It’s a Bishop of the cult. Did the High Priestess send you?”
Lennok asked with an impassive face.
“I believe I told you I would meet the Order Alliance first.”
The Guido Cult’s delegation arrived at the banquet hall almost at the same time as the Order Alliance.
Did they judge that the conversation was over as soon as the Fairy Sorcerer left, and then entered the reception room?
But even to Lennok’s question, the Bishop of the cult maintained her respectful attitude and calmly replied.
“As I said, we have nothing to say about violating the order. However…”
“However?”
“Our cult’s High Priestess will soon be going to sleep, so she wished to greet you before then.”
“…What did you say?”
“Allow me to introduce you.”
The Bishop stepped aside and offered a prayer.
“The High Priestess of our cult, blessed with the grace of the Pantheon, has arrived.”
At the same time, a girl in pure white sacred robes walked out from behind the priests.
She looked no older than ten. Her expression was blank, as if she were drowsy.
But Lennok realized he had seen that face somewhere before and held his breath.
Military City Yorta. The cult’s 10th High Priestess, whom he had accompanied under the alias Victor.
Remarkably similar to Seina Nadiri—
“…”
The girl, looking at Lennok with sleepy eyes, and Lennok, staring intently at the girl’s face without a word.
In that unreadable silence, Jenny and Felix’s expressions hardened, sensing that Lennok’s reaction was unusual.
“What? Did the cult arrive already?”
The Fairy Sorcerer’s exasperated voice came from behind the group.
Clutching a pure white bundle in her arms, the sorcerer looked at the priests in disbelief.
“You guys, as always, for people who believe in God, you have no patience. You couldn’t wait just that little bit and came in here?”
“…Our High Priestess wished to meet the Tower Lord, so we ask for your generous understanding.”
The Bishop replied in a stiff tone, then carefully knelt beside the High Priestess.
“High Priestess. It is time for you to retire. We will handle the rest.”
“…Okay.”
The girl, turning to the Bishop with sleepy eyes, spoke for the first time.
“I want to sleep. Can I go back to the Pontiff now?”
“Yes. He will be waiting for you in the dream world.”
The strict-looking middle-aged woman’s face held a benevolent smile.
“We have arranged accommodation nearby. Let’s go.”
“Excuse me, but could you leave quickly? We still have things to do.”
“…I thought I said okay.”
The Bishop, who had a brief war of nerves with the Fairy Sorcerer, stood up, holding the High Priestess’s hand.
As the priests slowly passed the sorcerer and tried to exit the reception room through the opposite door.
The Bishop’s footsteps, walking hand-in-hand with the High Priestess, halted right in the middle of the reception room.
“…High Priestess?”
The girl, who had been walking and rubbing her sleepy eyes, was tightly gripping Lennok’s lapel.
The Bishop, looking at the High Priestess with a terrifyingly stiff face, spoke with difficulty.
“High Priestess. You must go. He will be waiting for you.”
“What are you talking about, Tilen?”
The girl asked with a blank expression.
“Pontiff. He’s here.”
“…Excuse me?”
Saying that, the girl stumbled drowsily and flopped onto the sofa.
The High Priestess, taking the seat next to Lennok as if it were natural, muttered blankly.
“I… I’ll sleep next to the Pontiff. I’m sleepy…”
“…”
The High Priestess, grabbing Lennok’s shirt sleeve, closed her eyes and began to doze off.
Jenny’s face was rigid, and the Fairy Sorcerer stared, mouth agape, watching the scene.
Even the cult priests, whose faces had turned pale, stared intently at Lennok.
The air in the room froze as if time had stopped.