Chapter 276: Proxy Battle (1)

As Oren lightly tapped his foot, the pitch-black floor receded section by section, forming a large spiral staircase.

Wooooong!!

He stepped down the stairs without hesitation and began to speak.

“When the fortress was first built, suspicion and doubt never ceased.”

Even as he descended into the dark underground, where not a speck of light entered, Oren’s steps were unhesitating.

“Many people asked. Why build walls and create new streets in this area….”

“….”

“But because I believed we all remembered the reason for establishing the current order, enduring all sorts of insults and rumors—”

Oren stopped walking and murmured.

“I have fulfilled my duty until now.”

From behind him, Lennok followed the direction of Oren’s gaze.

In the dark hollow.

A single ray of sunlight, creeping through a crack in the ceiling, illuminated a space no bigger than a handful.

An old marble tombstone. A neglected space overgrown with moss and weeds.

Above it, small stone fragments and wood chips floated serenely, defying the pull of gravity.

An alien landscape, as if defying the flow of time.

Only then did Lennok realize the secret hidden in this place and gasp.

The rumor of a ‘secret place’ within the Palgung Fortress where time flowed differently.

Oren was directly showing Lennok the truth of that rumor.

“It’s an impossible miracle without separating and isolating not only time but also space. Do you recognize it?”

“….”

“The three families, including Samyeong, each manage such ‘secret places’. A spacetime anomaly that should not have existed in this world… In exchange for sharing this secret with the City Council, we gave up many things and confined ourselves to this cramped fortress.”

Did this mean that Vulcan’s City Council was already aware of what was hidden inside Palgung Fortress?

Listening to Oren, it seemed that in exchange for sharing that secret, they were allowed a very special mode of existence among The Triad.

“But now, even that is coming to an end. I had a suspicion, but I never imagined they would truly join hands with the cult….”

“I see….”

Lennok, watching Oren’s back as he murmured softly, nodded gently.

Only after seeing this ‘secret place’ did Lennok understand the message the leader of Pandemonium had left him.

The Guido Cult’s ‘secret place’. A ruin related to time magic.

He hadn’t advised Lennok to search the cult’s branches.

Pandemonium had known from the beginning that the cult was searching for these ‘secret places’.

Walter Martinez’s infiltration into this city, bearing the duty of missionary work, must have been because he was aware of the existence of these ‘secret places’ within the fortress.

In other words, it meant that by studying these ‘secret places’, one might find clues about time-based spells.

As Lennok thought so and extended his mana to observe the ruins before him.

CRACK!!

The golden wave surrounding the ruins repelled Lennok’s mana directly.

“…!!”

Lennok’s shoulders trembled slightly at the completely unexpected reaction.

It was difficult to gauge the extent of Lennok’s Magical Manipulation Theory at his current Archmage level, but even when he was at a much lower level, Lennok could manipulate particles at an Archmage’s level.

What did it mean for a mana detection, used with such control, to not only react but clearly recognize and defend against it?

At the very least, it was undoubtedly a top-grade security barrier among all the barriers Lennok had seen with his own eyes.

He turned his head towards Oren, who nodded as if it were obvious.

“It’s a space isolation barrier created by inviting the continent’s foremost Master Barrier Wizard, mediated by the City Council at the time.”

“….”

“Not long after, that barrier wizard attempted Ascension. These three barrier spells rooted in this fortress are his final works, it seems.”

“A barrier designed with skill close to Ascension, is that it….”

Was it because it was a barrier created by a monster of that caliber that even Lennok’s mana was reacted to and repelled?

Oren continued.

“Only by shedding the blood of both the family head managing the ‘secret place’ and the Fortress Head simultaneously is it possible to temporarily release the barrier and manage the ruins. And to legitimately inherit the authority of that Fortress Head is precisely… the Proxy Battle you are about to participate in.”

He turned his gaze and looked at Lennok with a calm expression.

“If you lose, you hand over the authority of the Fortress Head. We will no longer be able to control the means by which the cult can touch the ruins.”

Emotionless, pitch-black eyes transparently reflected his face.

“Do you think it’s worth risking such danger to participate in the Proxy Battle?”

“…Fortress Head of Samyeong. I believe you already know.”

Lennok smiled.

“If they truly intended to take over the position of Fortress Head through victory in the Proxy Battle, they wouldn’t have planned it so clumsily. They would have thoroughly managed the other families and proxies to leave no room for resistance.”

“….”

Lennok continued.

“What they want is not victory, but the very existence of the Proxy Battle itself. It’s probably because they have a plan to seize the authority of the Fortress Head regardless of the outcome.”

He could roughly guess.

The event to decide the Fortress Head of the Palgung Fortress was a grand justification, sufficient to gather all residents of this district in one place.

If the influence of the cult, which discards human lives like objects, was mixed in, it was obvious what measures they would take even if they lost the Proxy Battle.

“The task is set.”

Lennok took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and murmured.

“Winning the Proxy Battle and forcibly exposing the cult’s true identity at the same time… For that, we’ll need to shake things up ourselves.”

Time flowed quickly.

As Aris Richellen’s promised vacation date drew to a close,

The general meeting where the Eight Families gathered to decide the next Fortress Head was held.

Naturally, the opinions of the Eight Families did not unite, and it fell apart.

The decision of the Fortress Head was passed on to a Proxy Battle, using representatives.

In this closed, cramped fortress, if there was one thing that operated uniquely fairly and justly, it was only the matter of deciding their next leader.

All residents living in the fortress. It was natural for everyone who considered themselves a member of Palgung Fortress to be present.

A large wooden manor built around a gigantic tree root.

The spacious manor, large enough to accommodate thousands of fortress residents, was certainly worthy of being called a stadium.

The spectator stands, overlooking a stage hundreds of meters in radius, were packed with people without an inch of empty space,

And the roars of the excited audience echoed magnificently, loud enough to burst eardrums.

WOOOOAAHHH!!!

For them, the prospect of the upcoming Proxy Battle was as exciting as who their next leader would be.

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

How many opportunities would residents of the fortress have to legally watch battles of superhumans?

Indeed, if not for that reason, they wouldn’t have been able to gather all the fortress residents just under the pretext of a Proxy Battle.

The atmosphere was closer to a festival than a meeting to decide important matters within the fortress.

The loud music echoing from all directions and the clowns merrily marching around the stage suggested that the Eight Families had intended this atmosphere from the start.

Amidst the densely packed spectator stands, there was a special section with unusually wide spacing.

Among the VIP seats, allowed only to high-ranking fortress officials, were eight seats, most elaborately decorated.

Those seats, prepared for the heads of the Eight Families, had not a single empty spot.

The leaders of the families governing the fortress had also personally brought their heavy behinds to this place for today’s event.

‘It reminds me of the executive general meeting….’

Lennok, waiting his turn in the backstage waiting area as a proxy, looked up at the spectator stands.

It was difficult for them to see him from there, but it wasn’t hard for Lennok to peek through the thick curtains at the audience.

A large-scale meeting where the Triad’s leaders gathered. A summons to decide the organization’s direction.

Hadn’t something similar happened recently with the Cartel?

But what was different from then was that, unlike when everyone in the Cartel was practically an enemy, now Lennok had allies here too.

He clearly saw Oren, the Fortress Head of Samyeong, looking down at the stage with an arrogant expression, and Soo-ryun, standing straight with a nervous face.

And even the Ibon Family Head, a senior woman with her pure white hair braided up.

The Fortress Head of the Ilwon Family, sitting right next to her, was a young boy who seemed to be struggling just to endure Ibon’s presence.

Ibon, who had been smiling and watching the lively performance below, subtly turned her head to the boy and asked,

“It seems the subordinates have prepared well, don’t you think? Even an old person like me feels a spontaneous surge of excitement.”

“Y-yes, indeed….”

“It’s certainly grand enough to be called a meeting to decide the new Fortress Head. I think it will even impress outside guests.”

Saying so, she naturally shifted her gaze.

“But I, an old person, don’t understand why two family heads didn’t bring escorts to this event, which is meant to inform everyone that Palgung Fortress is still strong.”

The sharp gaze of the Ibon Family Head did not go far.

The two family heads, receiving her piercing look, showed different reactions.

Soo-ryun slightly hunched her shoulders, while Oren, on the contrary, crossed his arms and openly closed his eyes.

“…Are you not hearing me?”

At Ibon’s chillingly changed voice, Soo-ryun replied calmly.

“The Oryun Family has been busy rebuilding recently, after experiencing a major crisis. Please understand.”

No need to ask.

She herself was the one who had condemned the previous head of the Oryun Family for his extravagance and indulgence, and had him removed.

Unable to find fault, Ibon turned her gaze to Oren.

“Why is Samyeong not answering?”

“An answer….”

Oren slowly opened his eyes and met the gaze of the Ibon Family Head.

“Since when have you been so interested in my escorts?”

“….”

“An old woman who never cared about other families even when the Fortress Head was alive, now trying to lecture me… Time really is fleeting.”

At Oren’s indifferent murmur, Ibon gritted her teeth.

“Fortress Head of Samyeong. Given the timing, wouldn’t such remarks be very dangerous? It wouldn’t do any good to spoil the atmosphere on a day like today.”

Ibon’s hand naturally went to the shoulder of the boy serving as the Ilwon Family Head.

“Isn’t that right?”

Squeeze.

“This old one would like to hear the Ilwon Family Head’s opinion as well.”

A natural attitude that showed no concern for the opinions of other families.

But no one dared to object to her overbearing remarks.

While Palgung Fortress was led by the Eight Families, everyone acknowledged that the influence of three families among them was distinctly different.

Even after the death of the Fortress Head, who was from the Ilwon Family, that fact remained unchanged.

The boy, contorting his face in pain, managed a nod.

“….”

Oren watched him with a faint gaze of pity, then turned his head.

Amidst the sharp tension flowing between the heads of the Eight Families, the booming voice of the announcer filled the hall and echoed.

[Now, we will begin the Proxy Battle that will determine the master of Palgung Fortress!!]

“Then, I will explain the rules of the Proxy Battle to the proxy representatives here.”

A middle-aged man dressed in a robe of unknown origin pulled out a long scroll in front of Lennok and the other four.

“Having confirmed that the family head meeting failed to reach a consensus on deciding the next Fortress Head, according to the fortress’s tradition and rules, the right to decide will be transferred through a Proxy Battle between the families.”

“….”

“Given that the opinions of the Eight Families, centered around Ilwon and Samyeong, were divided, it was deemed meaningless to score victories and defeats. Therefore, it will proceed as a Commander Battle.”

It was not an incomprehensible statement.

With four proxies on each side, the possibility of a 2-2 tie could not be ruled out.

A method where one commander is designated, and mutual 1-on-1 duels continue until that commander falls.

“Before the battle, all proxy representatives, please wear these bracelets.”

The man took out bracelets from his pocket and distributed them to Lennok and the other proxies.

It was a bracelet made of eight large rings. Only one of the eight chain links glowed faintly.

“This is a catalyst that proves the proxy’s qualification and mediates the ritual for transferring authority based on victory or defeat. It will activate simultaneously with the start of the Proxy Battle ritual, and the ritual will conclude when consciousness imbues all eight chain links.”

[Heavier than I thought.]

The man continued, ignoring Manson’s grumbling.

“Should the bracelet be damaged through breakage, occupation, or transfer, the battle will end at that point. Authority will be transferred. Considering the safety of the spectators, the bracelet will easily break if a certain level of mana or more is projected into it, so please be careful.”

“What is that standard?”

“…We did not consider the participation of combatants with strength equal to the family heads.”

In short, did this mean that recklessly using Archmage-level mana could lead to disqualification?

Even if there were skilled warriors among their opponents’ proxies, this was clearly a disadvantage for their side.

It was as good as saying they would eliminate any possibility of Lennok, a wizard, overwhelming opponents with sheer firepower.

Chen bristled and was about to retort, but Manson grabbed his shoulder.

“Chen. Leave it.”

Lennok also replied with a calm expression.

“They used safety as a pretext, so it’s difficult to find fault with it here.”

It wasn’t incomprehensible.

The Proxy Battle to decide the Fortress Head of Palgung Fortress. If there were no upper limit on the proxies’ strength, external intruders that the fortress couldn’t handle would disrupt everything.

Furthermore, considering the safety of the fortress residents densely packed around the manor was not entirely wrong either.

If the battles of superhumans intensified, the repercussions would become uncontrollable.

“Damn it, but this is…”

“I know. But it’s bearable.”

However, this kind of overt mana restriction was surely a ploy to keep only Lennok in check.

Some of the mediators of this ritual must have already been aligned with the Alliance.

“It’s rather surprising that it ended with just this.”

“….”

It seemed they wanted to weaken Lennok’s power, but there were countless ways to circumvent this kind of penalty.

The man’s brow twitched faintly at Lennok’s relaxed words as he put the bracelet on his right wrist.

Lennok didn’t miss that faint crack in his expression.

“…We have already explained to the opposing proxy representatives, and a commander has been set.”

After explaining the remaining rules, the man continued with an expressionless face.

“If the Samyeong representatives also decide your battle order, we will start the Proxy Battle immediately.”

Instead of responding, Lennok turned his head and looked at the person sitting furthest to his right.

More precisely, the Samyeong proxy whom Oren had personally designated and brought to this place.

“Oh, what do I do. What do I do….”

“….”

“I don’t want to fight, what do I do… What should I do?”

Hollow eyes and a gaunt body.

A young man profusely sweating and biting his nails.

Far from looking like a warrior, this man, who didn’t even seem to be in fighting condition, was Samyeong’s proxy.

Lennok silently let out a deep sigh.

Of course, this was something agreed upon with Oren in advance, but seeing him in person, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“Was it Asui?”

“Va-Van-nim. Please save me. My uncle’s words made me c-come out here, but I’ve never actually fought even once!!”

At Asui’s exaggerated sobs and tears, the expressions of Manson and Chen, who were watching nearby, subtly changed.

They knew he wouldn’t be helpful in this Proxy Battle from the start, but they hadn’t imagined he would be so utterly spineless.

But Asui, ignoring such gazes, knelt on the spot, clutched Lennok’s coat hem, and began to tremble violently.

“N-no, I clearly thought he asked me to read books and do research in the back room, why am I doing this… why am I doing thiisss!!”

Watching Asui’s desperate wailing, like a protagonist of a tragic drama, almost made one wonder if it wasn’t that scary after all.

But instead of sharply cutting off his theatrics, Lennok sighed softly and began to coax him appropriately.

“Asui. Calm down. You must have already heard some things from Oren?”

“B-but… I heard about the plan, but… I didn’t know about the Proxy Battle. I truly didn’t know I’d have to stand out there!!”

“Hmm.”

He generally knew Oren was an insensitive person, but he never imagined he wouldn’t have given any explanation to the person serving as the family’s proxy.

Manson and Chen, who were watching from behind with crossed arms, shook their heads.

“Yes. This is the typical reaction of ordinary spellcasters. I also momentarily forgot, having seen Van too often.”

[Right, right. How many guys haven’t even stood in the rear, let alone had any real combat experience in their lives? You’re the strange one.]

“…”

It wasn’t wrong.

Even Lennok, who had spent a considerable amount of time in this field, had never seen cases like himself who didn’t distinguish between front and rear with magic alone.

Perhaps Parden McQueen, whom he fought in the previous battle with the Cartel, was a similar case, but wasn’t he also a skilled warrior who practiced ancient martial arts?

Asui, a descendant of the Samyeong Family’s collateral branch and inheritor of shadow spellcasting, might be an excellent spellcaster, but he was by no means an outstanding warrior.

It was natural for him to lose his composure if he, who had never fought anyone or felt his life threatened, was suddenly thrown into a life-or-death battle.

“There is not much time.”

The middle-aged man continued in a calm tone.

“Please decide the order quickly.”

“….”

He didn’t show any outward expression, but he seemed to roughly guess where the victory or defeat of this Proxy Battle was heading.

Lennok sighed softly and immediately assigned the order.

Lennok as Commander. Manson in the Rear. Chen as Middle-guard.

And Asui as Vanguard.

“Hwaaaaghh!!”

Asui, upon seeing his name written in black ink on the wooden board, frothed at the mouth and fainted.

“Hmm….”

[This idiot is really Samyeong’s proxy?]

Manson shook his head, a red warning light flashing on his robot head.

“Oren is an eccentric who maintains both a high reputation and a secretive private life within the fortress. I don’t know what Van discussed with him, but this is….”

Chen mumbled with a serious face, but Lennok shook his head.

“Asui is the next most skilled shadow sorcerer in Samyeong after Oren. His power is absolutely necessary for this task.”

“That….”

[Isn’t that a problem for after this guy survives as vanguard in the Proxy Battle?]

One of the rules of the Proxy Battle. Forfeiting is only possible after 5 minutes have passed since the battle began.

Could Asui truly endure 5 minutes against the first proxy who would appear from the other side?

But Lennok nodded without hesitation.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“…Wait, Van. Don’t tell me?”

Chen, sensing ominousness in Lennok’s words, asked, but it was already too late.

“It might even be better for him to be unconscious.”

Mana strings extending from Lennok’s five fingers effortlessly wrapped around Asui’s limp limbs.