Chapter 745: Low-Altitude Flight (13)

The forms of the two men were forcibly ejected, shattering the entire Domain the Clown had deployed.

Their presence, soaring out of the fortress in an instant, rapidly faded away at an incredible speed.

Not only was he astonished by the grotesque idea of using one’s own Mind Imprint as a tool, but also by the sheer madness of wielding the Domain’s recoil itself as a means of escape.

Blankly chasing after their tails in that absurd, unrealistic, and one-sided contest lasted only for a moment.

Realizing he had been completely outmaneuvered, Naiyab let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.

“They’ve escaped. Their traces are already cut off. It has truly been a long time since I was so thoroughly outmaneuvered.”

“Their presence hasn’t completely vanished yet.”

Gillian muttered, irritably tearing apart the bundles of mana threads spread around him.

“Gather the troops immediately and begin the pursuit. All knights, re-arm and assemble in front of the fortress gate—”

“No, it would be useless.”

At that moment, a calm female voice echoed from behind Gillian.

A woman, eyes closed, walked towards them, leaning on a staff.

Accompanied by only a few attendants assisting her, the woman, still with closed eyes, turned her gaze towards the sky.

“What Artren Kizard used was a forced ejection from a specific space by exploiting the Domain’s penalty. He’s an Apostle who abuses the distortions of Geas, but if it was a gamble thrown by an Illusionist of that caliber, his calculations would already be complete.”

“……”

“It’s highly probable they already escaped the mountain range, and even if we start pursuit now, we’d have to move without rest all the way to the border region for it to be meaningful. It’s virtually impossible.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Marisa Pesfield.”

Leaning on her staff with one hand, she bowed her head and spoke.

“I was once a ruin explorer, and now I am a surveyor who has accepted the calling of an Observer from the Eyes of Blue.”

“A surveyor……”

“My apologies for the late introduction; I am in the midst of calibrating to draw upon the Lighthouse’s authority. I had originally intended to commence barrier repair work to imprison them, but……”

“Enough. The barrier placed on the fortress wasn’t even a security measure I had decided upon of my own volition in the first place.”

Gillian mumbled, yet his thoughts were more on those who had just vanished than on Marisa.

The Manipulation Wizard called Victor. And the Illusionist who called himself the Clown.

Their temperaments and abilities were distinctly different, yet their skill alone was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

Their combat prowess, toying with the knights of Kabahim who were thoroughly trained in superhuman combat, and their unique, lethal spellcraft that far surpassed it.

Even their judgment, instantly combining their available means and hand to coordinate and extract the best results on the spot.

Hadn’t even the Archduke himself, despite giving his all, been suppressed by their combined assault and had his blood stolen in an instant?

Although Gillian had been tied down for a long time in the ruins of the Colossus Brigade, it was an undeniable fact that the series of battles themselves had been thoroughly in their favor.

Given that such monsters were forming a team and operating within Pandemonium, it meant they were confident they could escape at any time, no matter what happened.

Considering that, pursuing Pandemonium now would likely result in a waste of time.

“Hah, damn it…… this has become troublesome. At this rate, I’m going to get an earful from my brother again.”

Quickly accepting reality, Gillian scratched his head vigorously, dispelled his giant form, and stepped down.

He irritably gazed at the spot where Lennok had vanished, then slowly turned his gaze towards the back.

“Alright, so those are the guests who came to find me this time?”

In the center of the Giant’s Fortress ruins, Marisa and the Observers stood confronting the spellcasters assisting Naiyab of the Order Alliance.

The distance between the Eyes of Blue and the Order Alliance, who had tacitly tolerated each other’s presence during the battle, rapidly widened.

Everyone was aware that with Lennok’s escape, the two factions had once again reverted to being competitors.

The Giant’s Fortress, dominated by Gillian. A bidding competition to use this strategic stronghold as a forward base.

Although things had gotten complicated due to the massive variable that had shaken the entire board, the real objective was still here.

The Order Alliance was the first to step forward.

One of the hooded spellcasters, dragging her thoroughly battered body, stood with difficulty before Gillian.

Removing her thick robe, she revealed herself to be a young woman, appearing younger than Marisa.

With a smiling face, she bowed respectfully and spoke.

“Uncle. Have you been well?”

“Ah…… so you were my brother’s daughter?”

Gillian asked with an uncertain look, seeing the princess, and she nodded.

“Fourth Princess Jusa Kabahim. Today, I offer my belated greetings to the Archduke here.”

“My brother has so many children, it’s hard to remember their faces. When did you join the Order Alliance?”

“His Majesty has always generously permitted us to experience various things in the world.”

The Fourth Princess, seeing Gillian’s indifferent attitude, replied with a smile, without showing any sign of displeasure.

“I happened to connect with the Alliance and gained a position, and since then, I’ve been working here with the Sixth Prince. My visit here today is for a similar reason.”

Only then did Gillian turn to Naiyab with an annoyed expression and muttered.

“I wondered why you were still here. So, you redirected the summoning ritual to the princess. You took out some unnecessary insurance, I see.”

It would have been difficult for the Order Alliance spellcasters alone to maintain Naiyab’s summoning, so this was the reason Naiyab remained even after the Sixth Prince’s death.

The Archduke’s attitude seemed more interested in the reason Naiyab remained than in the princess’s appearance.

But the Fourth Princess steadfastly continued speaking in front of Gillian, who was picking at his ear.

“The Alliance never treats one ungenerously in matters of favors and dealings. In exchange for borrowing your fortress, we can promise you more than you can imagine.”

“What she says is not wrong, Gillian.”

Naiyab, naturally taking over from the Fourth Princess’s words, stepped forward.

He, still remaining there in the form of a flickering flame image, looked at Gillian and offered a friendly smile.

“Would you not lend us your fortress for approximately half a year? This strategic stronghold will be a great asset to the Alliance in the coming war.”

“War? Who are you fighting a war with?”

As Gillian asked with a bewildered expression, Marisa approached and explained.

“The Order Alliance is currently facing a major war with the Guido Cult. For that, they wish to consolidate their front lines and organize their forces.”

“Observer. It would be best not to meddle in the affairs of the Alliance.”

Naiyab pressured Marisa with a sharp, intimidating aura.

In his hand, a red orb rotated once more, and he began to surge towards the Observers, keeping them within his line of sight.

“I hope you understand that gaining an advantage in competition isn’t always achieved solely through legitimate bidding and transactions.”

A calm murder threat, as if he would kill Marisa and the other Observers at any moment.

But Marisa, knowing this, calmly retorted to him.

“Are you saying you will kill us right here, in front of Lord Gillian?”

“Perhaps you don’t know, but Gillian was a comrade who joined me in the Unification War a very long time ago.”

Naiyab said with a smiling expression.

“Splashing the blood of the foolish at the negotiating table—such a minor discourtesy won’t bother him much, will it? Isn’t that right?”

“Hah, a guy who had no contact whatsoever after the job was done, now acting friendly……”

Gillian snorted with laughter but seemed to have no intention of stopping Naiyab.

Whether it was the Eyes of Blue or the Order Alliance, if he had been interested, he would have discussed it with them long ago.

Nominally, he had received the title of Observer, but it was a mere honorary position that would not have existed without his connection to Kaiser.

Now, it didn’t matter to him even if the two factions fought to determine superiority.

If he was an Archduke who had spent his entire life rolling around on battlefields, he might even be more accustomed to this method.

Naiyab, noticing this, quickly moved to pressure the Eyes of Blue first, initiating a show of force.

But Marisa, too, clearly read Naiyab’s ulterior motives and did not back down.

“One can only truly know who is foolish by testing our strength. If you intend to waste your strength before the war with the Cult, I too will not stop you.”

Simultaneously with her words, the crumbling inner stone wall of the fortress behind Marisa burst open as if exploding.

Kwaaang!!

The figure of a young man emerged, casually smashing through the ramparts.

But astonishingly, his mana and presence were mighty enough to rival Gillian’s in that very spot.

Kugwagwagwa!!!

Even just walking towards them with large strides, bare-handed, an aura of dominance that crushed all surrounding scenery could be felt.

Not merely a powerful and outstanding superhuman, but an overwhelming presence that clearly transcended a hierarchy.

The Fourth Princess’s complexion hardened, and even Gillian turned his gaze towards him for a moment, as if surprised.

Gillian, who had been observing the young man’s face with a furrowed brow, belatedly realized his identity and asked with interest.

“You…… are you those twins from earlier?”

“Order Alliance. If you’re thinking of a fight, let’s start.”

The young man swept his hair back, glared at Naiyab with a fierce grin, and said.

“We said we’d fight here to decide who would deal with Gillian, right? I’m ready.”

“Hooo, Observer. That spellcraft is……”

Naiyab, too, finally realized that the presence emanating from the young man belonged to two individuals and his eyes gleamed.

The Dual-Resonance Composite Mindscape of Transformation and Synchronization spellcraft, Super-Fusion.

Gooohhh……!!!

Merely by standing there, an illusion arose as if the entire surrounding space twisted and coiled.

The Fourth Princess, with a tense expression, began raising her mana, and the other spellcasters were also preparing for the unfinished battle, when suddenly.

“Good. I’ve decided.”

Gillian, who had been yawning with his hands on his hips, nodded.

“Marisa, was it? Contact Kaiser’s granddaughter.”

“Yes? Then……”

“The Sixth Lighthouse. I’ll listen to that proposal in detail first, then decide.”

“Uncle?!”

“Gillian. What in the world are you thinking?”

The Fourth Princess called out to Gillian with a bewildered expression, and Naiyab turned his gaze with a hardened face, but he paid them no heed.

“No, it’s not like I have any particular thoughts. I just saw that the Observers were much more helpful when fighting that spellcaster earlier.”

“That’s because the Alliance spellcasters didn’t want to recklessly use their power without your permission, Uncle—!!”

“Besides, a representative from the Eyes of Blue came directly. On the other hand, Naiyab. What in the world is your state right now?”

“……”

Gillian grinned, looking at the silent Naiyab.

“If you wanted to babble about old ties and comrades-in-arms, you should have at least shown your face in person. When I thought about it, that talk rubbed me the wrong way.”

“Just, for such a trivial reason, a decision that could influence the central continental dynamics……”

The Fourth Princess muttered with a dumbfounded expression, but Marisa, on the contrary, only then understood what kind of person Gillian was after hearing his words.

Born of the noble bloodline of Kabahim, possessing an outstanding and chosen talent sufficient to reach Level 8, yet.

His true temperament was no different from that of a mercenary living hand-to-mouth.

The very thought of taking the side of the Eyes of Blue instead of his blood relative, the Fourth Princess, was a distinctly impulsive decision, dependent on the immediate situation and his memories.

And that was only possible because Fio and Geo’s fusion satisfied Gillian’s minimum criteria.

A type of person who, while understanding the standards of good and evil, right and wrong, makes decisions based solely on immediate thoughts and judgments.

Strictly speaking, he was certainly not a good or benevolent person.

But Marisa, knowing this, willingly and respectfully bowed her head.

“I humbly express my gratitude for the Archduke’s decision. I will immediately provide guidance on the relevant matters.”

Because the moment the young Lighthouse Keeper she served stepped forward, declaring she would save the world, the Eyes of Blue had to become a standard that transcended good and evil.

Alliance. Warlords. Demon Warband. Magic Towers……. And countless Transcendants and long-lived species yearning for salvation and destruction across the world.

The big shots currently galloping across the Central Continent are not those who fail to do what needs to be done by being buried in notions of right and wrong.

Only madmen who trample and sweep away everything in their surroundings, advancing forward in accordance with their own goals and standards.

For themselves, as latecomers, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, they had to be able to embrace and handle even gray figures who were endlessly close to villains.

Recruiting Yanikus Barbaria of JeByeok as an Observer was precisely such a declaration of intent and a manifestation of their resolve.

And Marisa was prepared to follow Lapis’s decision to the very end.

“Then, shall we move to another location immediately for the explanation?”

Even if that resolve extended in a direction different from the outcome she envisioned.

At the edge of the mountain range where the Giant’s Fortress stood.

The landscape of dense vegetation faded, replaced by a worn road beside a wide grassland.

Beneath the grassy field, something stirred and writhed as if pulsating.

It thrashed for a long time as if trying to break through the ground, finally tearing through the roots of the bush and gasping for breath.

“Puhah!!”

A young man, his makeup half-peeled off and covered in dirt, poked his head out.

The Clown, looking around, found Lennok sitting perfectly fine right next to him and laughed emptily.

“Seriously, if you were watching, why didn’t you help me?”

“Didn’t you spearhead the escape with your ability? If anything, I should have received the consideration.”

Lennok replied, tapping his temple inside the mask.

“I never imagined you’d pull out such an insane Domain. If the sequence had been even slightly off, you wouldn’t be here.”

A mad method of spinning a roulette wheel to determine an ability by luck, with nine Domains and dozens of duds.

You couldn’t directly choose the desired Domain, nor could you freely pick the manifested ability.

The Clown’s Domain, full of only risks and gambles, where even the manifested Domain might only come with penalties.

Was it not truly a power only possible for a madman who staked his fate on the variable of luck?

However, the Clown, surprisingly, readily agreed with Lennok’s words.

“Yeah, well, that’s true. I actually don’t think you’re wrong.”

The Clown grinned slyly, with only his neck poked out of the ground.

“But isn’t it enough if it’s fun?”

“……”

Lennok scoffed at the remark but didn’t bother to refute the Clown’s answer.

Because he knew that precisely by embracing various disadvantages and risks, that roulette actually possessed enormous potential.

Despite the disturbing low-quality options, risks, and all sorts of penalties.

What did it mean that one could use multiple Domains based on the roulette’s outcome?

Lennok had already recognized that it had similarities to his own Kaleidoscope.

Of course, the Clown’s Domain couldn’t choose the desired branching points or possibilities himself, unlike Lennok.

The ninth section was the worst outcome, instantly killing the caster, and a dud meant a loss greater than simply using the Domain.

It was merely an ability thoroughly dependent on luck and chance, with no guarantee that spinning the roulette would yield the desired power.

But despite that, the very fact that he was dividing his Mind Imprint into several and using abilities without pre-determining them.

It unequivocally revealed how special and unique a talent the Clown possessed as an Illusionist.

The Pirate Roulette he used to escape the fortress, and its principle of having no active ability, only penalties, were likewise true.

A Level 4 Domain that should not have existed. Thus, its composition, landscape, and abilities were infinitely crude, yet.

The very fact that he could use a Domain, normally allowed for Level 7, at a Level 4 standard allowed one to guess the potential his Domain held.

Truly a wildcard-like power that, if used well, could produce more anomalous results than anyone else in this pandemonium.

“Illusionists, those kinds of people, can’t stand accepting things as they are. That kind of contrary mindset can sometimes manifest like this.”

“Well. I think that has more to do with your overuse of Geas than with illusion magic.”

Lennok snorted.

“Isn’t it that your Mind Imprint has become uncontrollable as a recoil from tampering with hierarchies?”

During the Well of the Codex, Lennok had learned how the Clown managed to handle his illusions without going mad.

A trick to deceive his own hierarchy, play tricks with illusions, and deliberately lower his rank to distance himself from the recoil of madness.

“Heh heh, that’s why I hate quick-witted spellcasters.”

The Clown chuckled towards Lennok as he spoke.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have ripped your mouth off long ago. Secrets are life to an Illusionist, you know.”

“That’s none of my business.”

The moment Lennok said that, brushed off the dirt from his robe, and stood up.

“Oh? Then, may I confess something I’ve found out this time?”

“What more nonsense are you—”

“No, Victor, you’ll find this interesting too. I actually overheard the conversation you had with the Observers earlier.”

Quietly observing the cold obsidian mask, the Clown whispered.

“I, well, I think I’m starting to figure out who you really are.”