Chapter 341: Summons (5)

Whoosh—!!

Northern Plateau. The second base of the Eyes of Blue, newly relocated.

Lennok murmured, gazing out the wide corridor window at the blizzard raging outside.

“The wind is cold.”

“It’s the Northern Continent, after all. And a plateau close to the polar regions.”

Grisha, standing behind Lennok, yawned as she replied. It seemed like a long time since they last met, but she and Lennok didn’t bother with any special greetings. As a long-lived race, having lived for hundreds of years, her sense of time was quite different from others.

“But this is just the process of returning to the original climate as the power covering the area weakens. The temperature has been dropping continuously for a month, so it’ll probably get even colder.”

“So that’s why you decided to move the base this way?”

Lennok’s gaze, cast out the window, stretched dozens of meters downward to the distant ground. The location of this new base, including this conference room, was dozens of meters above the ground. And the scenery of this area looked somehow familiar to Lennok.

Lapis had summoned an entire Floating Island from the Pilenom Autonomous Region to serve as the new base for the Eyes of Blue.

“But I didn’t know such a thing was possible. I thought Floating Island clusters could only exist in the ‘Sea of Understanding’.”

The updrafts rising from the strait known as the Sea of Understanding allow magical objects to float much more efficiently than in other areas.

However, Lapis had managed to ignore the special characteristics of that environment and successfully summon one of the Floating Islands from the Autonomous Region to the Northern Plateau, thousands of kilometers away.

The size of the Floating Island itself was quite small compared to the clusters Lennok had seen in the Autonomous Region, but it was large enough to accommodate about thirty Watchers.

“It’s a temporary measure, made by roughly mixing various tricks with a Lighthouse Keeper’s ability,” Grisha said with an unconcerned expression.

“To be precise, we’re only designating and summoning the framework of a Floating Island that exists in the Autonomous Region. We’re adding soil and snow procured locally to the framework, which receives power from the updrafts in the Sea of Understanding, to create another island.”

“So you’re not fully completing the summoning spell, but ambiguously maintaining its form. Who’s bearing the magic consumption for that?”

“I’m maintaining it by linking my mana to it. Can’t you tell?”

“……”

Lennok stared at the bronze-skinned sorcerer with a look of disbelief. Just maintaining a spell of this scale without fully completing it would be enough to call her a monster, but she was adding the weight of the snow and soil from this snowy field and still maintaining a normal complexion. Moreover, Grisha had even used her Domain, when she appeared to save Lapis. He knew she possessed an overwhelmingly vast amount of mana, but he hadn’t expected it to be this much.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I’m not maintaining all of this solely with my mana.”

Grisha read Lennok’s gaze and chuckled heartily.

“Sorcery, by its nature, is a technique that seeks shortcuts using all sorts of restrictions and triggers, and it’s more specialized in persistence and maintenance than creation. Because we sought a different path of attainment than magic, sorcerers like me have been able to survive all this time.”

“It’s certainly a level that can’t be explained by such words, but…”

He understood that such incredibly brute-force feats were possible for a sorcerer who had lived for over a hundred years. Grisha herself was probably acting as the engine and power source of this Floating Island, changing its direction and moving it like the captain of a ship. If so, it made sense that Lapis wasn’t by her side when she summoned Lennok.

“So you’ve been fighting the superhumans gathered in this area for a whole month for this?”

“……”

Grisha stared at Lennok’s face at his words, then grinned.

“Oh, right. Van, you weren’t told anything. You probably don’t even know we’ve been gathered for over a month doing this.”

“I know that an Ascendant who had been secluded in the innermost canyon of the snowy field moved. And that organizations have been moving one after another upon realizing that fact.”

“Oh, really?”

“However, what I don’t understand is… why no one is rashly trying to approach the inside of the snowy field. If everyone gathered here aims to meet the Ascendant, it would obviously be advantageous for whoever moves first.”

Lennok said that, then turned his gaze to Grisha.

“I suppose I’m about to hear the reason why not.”

“…Let’s discuss that in the meeting first.”

Grisha subtly avoided his gaze and put her pipe back into her pocket.

“Anyway, since you’re here, I was planning to briefly organize the current situation and objectives. You still don’t quite know what exactly needs to be done to meet the Ascendant located in this snowy field, do you?”

When Lennok nodded, she clapped her hands expertly.

“Exactly. Lapis will explain that part well. For now, let’s go inside and think.”

Just as Grisha was about to lead Lennok into the conference room, Lennok stopped.

“Wait a minute, I’ll have just one more smoke before going in.”

“No, we just smoked together before coming in, didn’t we?”

“I won’t be able to smoke for a while once the meeting starts. I need to get my fill beforehand.”

“You talk like you’re charging a battery… Alright, just go and be quick.”

Grisha’s words weren’t wrong. In fact, the drugs Lennok inhaled through his tobacco helped his weak body function like that of a normal person. He had explored every possible method to alleviate the penalty he’d suffered in exchange for his talent, but in the end, only drugs remained. He could only hope that this opportunity would offer a new direction to break free from this tiresome cycle.

As Lennok thought so and was about to leave the mansion corridor on the Floating Island.

Bang!

He ran into Watchers opening the door and entering.

“Ah…”

Lennok instantly activated his magic sensing, scanning the Watchers in front of him. Roughly over ten people. Men and women alike, their attire varied. Each one seemed somewhat tired, as if worn out from continuous battles. Given their neat appearance compared to their expressions, they must have just finished tidying up and were returning.

Subtle gazes, a mix of goodwill and wariness. An ambiguous attitude, unsure if they were allies.

It was an awkward distance to exchange greetings.

Lennok merely gave a slight nod and passed by the group, reaching for the doorknob. These were faces he would see again in the meeting anyway. Even if they were part of the Eyes of Blue, they wouldn’t necessarily work together, so there was no need for introductions.

Just as he thought that and reached into his pocket for tobacco.

“You’re Evan, right?”

A Watcher standing at the end of the group stopped Lennok.

“Could we talk for a moment?”

“……”

Lennok, still holding the doorknob, glanced back. A man with a neat face was looking at him. The other members had also stopped, following the man’s lead. But the lack of surprise suggested that it had already been discussed beforehand.

Before replying, Lennok once again carefully observed the man who had spoken first. Even though he had heard they’d been operating in this snowy field for over a month, his attire was impeccably clean. But what caught his eye first was the solid, slowly rotating crystal of mana within him.

It was proof that the man standing before him was a 7th-level Archmage who had just completed his Hierarchy.

‘It feels fresh to see this again…’

Almost all of the 7th-level powerhouses Lennok had encountered until now were veteran strongmen who had already blossomed their talent to its limit. Weren’t the Cartel’s executives also veterans who had been 7th-level for at least 20 years? Of course, he had heard that there were newly ascended 7th-level talents among the Cartel’s high-ranking executives, but he had never actually seen one. Excluding himself, seeing a superhuman who had just completed their Hierarchy was almost a first.

“…Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

He had been lost in thought and forgotten to reply. Lennok said so, but didn’t stop reaching into his pocket. Seeing the other Watchers flinch at his simple gesture, Lennok pulled out a stick of tobacco.

“But can we talk while I smoke one first?”

A small garden located behind the mansion.

They had said they’d added flesh using soil and snow from near the snowy field, but they had even planted trees around the mansion.

Lennok let out a hollow laugh at the utterly trivial detail, put the tobacco in his mouth, and lit it.

Hiss!

“Haa…”

Behind Lennok, who was exhaling streams of smoke, a dozen or so Watchers surrounded him, waiting for him to speak. It was a situation that wouldn’t look strange if it were somewhat threatening. But it was the Watchers who stiffened their expressions with tension.

No one was foolish enough to doubt the skill of the Blaze Sorcerer who had single-handedly subjugated the Drug King of Pandemonium. The Lighthouse Keeper who had drawn them into the Eyes of Blue was still willing to take risks and keep him by her side, proving he was a person of immense importance. Everyone vaguely guessed that he wasn’t just an ordinary sorcerer.

Lennok roughly guessed the Watchers’ thoughts and chuckled. He had wondered if the newly joined Watchers were trying to assert dominance, but it seemed Lapis had managed to filter out the foolish ones. Lennok swept his gaze around, then carefully observed a man with a rough face staring blankly at him. Confirming that the man’s gaze was directed precisely at the tobacco in Lennok’s mouth, Lennok rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a new stick of tobacco.

“Would you like one?”

“…I wouldn’t decline.”

“Gerik!!”

A sharp-featured woman tried to stop him, but the man, called Gerik, quickly accepted the tobacco Lennok offered and put it in his mouth.

“Oh…!”

“How does it taste?”

“…It tastes like home. Perfectly stable.”

“……”

To speak of ‘the taste of home’ for a special product Lennok himself had crafted. As if sensing Lennok’s thought, the 7th-level young man, who had been deep in thought until now, spoke instead.

“Gerik is a werewolf. It seems one of the herbs grown in his village is mixed in among the ingredients of the tobacco you smoke.”

Herbs, huh… Had some type of medicinal herb cultivated in Gerik’s village been mixed into the various ingredients he experimented with while producing the tobacco through alchemy? But instead of showing his thoughts, Lennok turned his gaze to the young man.

“I take it you’ve sorted out your thoughts?”

The young man didn’t reply to Lennok’s words. Instead, he just stepped forward and extended a hand towards Lennok.

“Lens Avilon. A 7th-level curse sorcerer. I used to belong to Legios, and now I work for the Eyes of Blue.”

“Legios? I’ve heard of it.”

Lennok roughly shook his hand and replied. “They say it’s one of the strongest sorcerer organizations on the Central Front. It’s impressive you decided to leave there even after completing your Hierarchy.”

“I decided to leave precisely because I completed it.”

Lens gave a wry smile.

“That was the turning point when I realized that the path Legios was taking wasn’t what I desired.”

“……”

“Chasing the glory of Ars Nova is not the answer I want. I came here hoping for a more realistic alternative.”

Saying that, Lens raised his head and met Lennok’s gaze.

“It’s not just me. All the Watchers gathered here have agreed with Lapis-nim’s opinion and decided to stake their remaining time on that path.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I wanted to state our position to you beforehand.”

“Position?”

“I acknowledge your achievements and skill in single-handedly subduing the Drug King. And that thanks to you, we learned about the existence of the Eyes of Blue and came this far. However, I hope you won’t try to control us with that prestige and time.”

Lens’s eyes shone with resolute determination.

“Lapis-nim’s trust in you is natural. But I hope you won’t interfere with her thoughts based on that trust.”

Lennok chuckled with an incredulous expression.

“You speak as if I’m going to manipulate Lapis from behind the scenes.”

“I know you’re not that kind of person. But an Archmage, especially one as strong and opinionated as you, influences those around them in some way. Am I wrong?”

“……”

“Divine Bow, Evelyn Marcia. She’s strong and wise. Once you know why such a strong person decided to join, I can’t help but be wary of you.”

Lens nodded slightly, looking at Lennok’s expressionless face. As if he was relieved by Lennok’s reaction so far.

“I just hope this organization doesn’t turn into an organization for you, instead of for Lapis-nim. That’s all I want to say.”

“A pointless request.”

The sarcastic reply made the other Watchers flinch, but Lennok saw through their reaction and grinned.

“But it’s far more logical than arrogant fools. I roughly understand what you mean.”

“……”

“Let’s discuss the rest in the meeting room.”

Lennok’s surprisingly gentle reply caused the other Watchers’ expressions to relax slightly. While Lens’s words had some persuasive power, what superhuman would like being asked to be cautious about exerting influence in this powerful organization? Considering Evan’s rumored skill and character, his attitude was much more compliant than expected. Was he simply disinterested in others, or was he the type who wouldn’t react unless provoked?

At the very least, it seemed clear that he held a certain respect for his fellow Watchers.

Just as Lennok was about to walk into the mansion, absently fiddling with the burnt filter tip of his tobacco.

The werewolf, Gerik, who had been quietly focusing on smoking his tobacco until now, spoke.

“Not all Watchers think alike.”

“……”

“While there are certainly those who view what you’ve accomplished favorably, there are also people who are more wary of you than they are of us.”

Gerik’s honest eyes calmly met Lennok’s gaze.

“It will probably be decided in this meeting, but I’ll support you.”

“Gerik, seriously, you…”

“Are you going to keep doing this on your own?”

Despite the other Watchers’ reproaches, Gerik said in a blunt tone.

“He gave me good tobacco to smoke, so he’s trustworthy. Worth working with at least once.”

“Damn it, this is why you can’t reason with these beasts…”

“Someone should stock up on tobacco for this guy so he doesn’t talk nonsense again.”

Lennok watched the Watchers bickering among themselves as they headed for the conference room, then smiled and turned to leave. Such conversations could only arise because they considered each other comrades fighting under the same banner. In that regard, the new Eyes of Blue created by Lapis didn’t seem to be a flimsy organization.

The upcoming meeting would be the time to meet and evaluate the true strength of the Eyes of Blue and the rest of the Watchers.

“So, come out now, no hiding.”

“…You knew?”

Lennok snorted, seeing Evelyn emerge from behind a tree with an awkward smile.

“I know what you’re thinking, but if you’d interfered there, the situation would have gotten weirder. You know that, right?”

“Of course, of course. It’s hard to say there’s no factional fighting even in the Agents.”

Evelyn, subtly following behind Lennok, replied nonchalantly.

“I was just wondering if your joining the Eyes of Blue might cause trouble for you… That’s all.”

“Trouble?”

“Yeah. Not all Watchers responded to this summons, but I can’t say there aren’t any strange ones among them.”

Evelyn vaguely brushed it off, then immediately pulled Lennok by the sleeve.

“You’ll find out the details in the meeting. Let’s go in for now.”

“Ah, right. I almost forgot to give you this.”

Saying that, Lennok pulled out a miniaturized case from his pocket and offered it to Evelyn. Vegetables purchased from the market. A gift, cut into bite-sized pieces and processed.

“…What is this?”

“I bought it at the market. It’s probably not as good as the crops you grow yourself.”

As Lennok said that and subtly turned his head, Evelyn finally realized the nature of the gift and smiled gently.

“What, I didn’t know you’d take care of things like this?”

“Being in a snowy field for a month, it must have been hard to get vegetables.”

“……”

“I consider your condition an important factor in the operation.”

It wasn’t a lie. He knew that Evelyn’s decision to join the Eyes of Blue was, to some extent, influenced by him. If Van hadn’t confessed that he and Evan were the same person on the way back from the Blaiver Tower’s Western Continent branch, would Evelyn be here now? Knowing this to some extent, Lennok couldn’t shake the feeling of being indebted to her. This gift was merely a small repayment for her goodwill. Even knowing it was an unresolvable debt, Lennok wanted to do what he could for her.

Evelyn, who had been looking down at the vegetable container Lennok had given her for a while, slowly raised her head.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing-”

Just as Lennok turned his head to say that, Evelyn suddenly held something out in front of his eyes.

“What is this?”

“Since I received a gift, I wanted to give one too.”

“…A gift?”

“As you said, it was hard to get vegetables in the Northern Continent, so I’ve been picking and eating plants that grow in the snowy field, one by one. I’ve been collecting and storing only the edible ones separately.”

“Hmm…”

Usually, if you can’t get vegetables, wouldn’t you just settle for instant food or meat? How many people would pull up weeds growing on the ground to eat because they couldn’t have vegetables? He hadn’t even imagined that she had been eating tough weeds growing all over the snowy field this whole time.

Evelyn said cheerily, as if handing over a precious treasure.

“I carefully selected the ones that taste good for you. Try one.”

This wasn’t the reaction he had originally expected… Lennok tilted his head, but obediently chewed on the plant leaf she offered. Evelyn, clutching the case Lennok had given her with both hands, asked with an eager expression.

“How is it?”

“……”

Lennok realized for the first time that he might lose his composure just because of his sense of taste.