Chapter 952: The Prohibition (7)
Whoosh…!!
Beyond the wavering, dancing veil, a rainbow-colored radiance flashed.
The library was thick with the scent of old books. Between fallen bookshelves, waves of cold will-thought emanated.
In the private study of Olivera Ron Maize, Chairman of the Cartel, Lennok stood before her, dragging Peshia, within a Domain adjusted by an 8th-level Arch-wizard.
“Regardless of your character, I never thought you were one to take promises lightly.”
An intense gaze pierced through the veil, and Olivera’s cold voice resonated.
“To demand a higher price after just a few days… it seems I misjudged you.”
“No, you judged me correctly.”
Lennok, his hands in his coat pockets, smiled and shook his head.
“If I hadn’t intended to uphold the deal, I wouldn’t have sought you out like this after the meeting ended.”
“……”
“You must have heard that the Guido Cult moved to attack the satellite city and that Anathema degenerated into a 6th Apostle.”
Clank!!
Simultaneously unfolding his Iron-Plated Wings to block the mystic eye’s light and pushing the fallen Peshia behind him, Lennok spoke.
“If unforeseen variables, not discussed beforehand, affected the outcome, then the terms of the deal also need adjustment, don’t you agree?”
“Fuck, get out of the way!!”
Peshia, recognizing that the Iron-Plated Wings Lennok wielded belonged to Gillian, cursed and struggled, but she couldn’t overcome the power of the wings and was helplessly pushed back, tumbling across the floor.
“The wings, still… Ugh…!!”
Peshia, who had been glaring at Lennok with killing intent, couldn’t suppress her nausea and bowed her head deeply. Only bitter stomach acid, mixed with blood, streamed from her empty stomach.
Lennok glanced at her, lost in thought.
‘I expected it, but her condition is worse than I thought.’
He had saved Peshia by making her consume a horn fragment from Anathema, but that only prevented her from losing her life due to The Prohibition’s backlash. It was difficult to say that she had fully endured the damage of The Prohibition, which could kill even high-level superhumans.
Peshia’s survival was likely due to her being an exceptionally capable physical combatant, and also because the secret she had mentioned, defying The Prohibition, was Ethan’s objective, not Kaiser’s.
“Yes… I heard that Anathema finally succumbed to his greed and joined hands with the Guido Cult.”
Olivera let out a cold sneer.
“It was a story so pathetic, so sordid, it made me sigh in exasperation.”
“Is that all you have to say after hearing about the commotion last night?”
Lennok chuckled.
“I thought I might hear a more meaningful answer about the Ars Nova noble.”
“Considering that hypocrite’s nature, it’s hardly a surprising disgrace.”
Olivera snorted derisively.
“He had no interest in humans even during the civil war. He simply performed good deeds mechanically, out of obligation.”
“……”
“This was likely his last chance, so why would he be satisfied with just a brief manifestation? Furthermore, to lend a hand in such a grand endeavor as replicating The Veil – it’s impossible for someone who treasured his time so much.”
Like eyes smiling, the luminous gaze undulating through the veil curved distinctly.
“However, it’s not strange that those who stood on the same side couldn’t see it clearly. They wouldn’t possess the same eyes as me, after all.”
“So you’re saying you entrusted me with this task, knowing all that, without any explanation?”
“My explanation was insufficient? I cannot agree with that.”
Olivera tilted her head, smiling languidly.
“Causality that gained contradiction amidst the twisting of fate. If I had told a spellcaster as sensitive as you this much, you would have understood my thoughtfulness the moment you met Anathema.”
That wasn’t wrong.
For Olivera, bound by The Prohibition, to speak of Anathema’s true nature, such an explanation would have been the best she could offer. In fact, that she could explain it to Lennok at all was proof that she was benefiting from The Seven Debts Jewels Mystic Eye.
“That’s right.”
But Lennok chuckled, even knowing that fact.
“That’s why I’m saying there’s a need to change the terms of our deal.”
“……”
“My efforts became excessively great the moment I killed the fallen Apostle Anathema and recovered his corpse.”
Lennok rubbed his shoulder and tilted his head back, his eyes gleaming sharply.
“The original deal wasn’t to kill Anathema and recover his corpse, but to bring back a part of his body. Originally, you would have had to be satisfied with whatever body part I brought you.”
No matter how meticulous and precise Olivera’s plan was, she likely never imagined Lennok would kill Anathema directly and return. Therefore, at the time of the deal, she might have thought any part of his body would suffice, but the situation had changed.
From Lennok’s perspective, having obtained Anathema’s entire corpse, there was no reason to hand over the initiative of the deal to Olivera.
“Naturally, I have no intention of handing over Anathema’s entire corpse. You know that, right?”
Lennok, arms crossed, nodded slightly.
“Which body part of Anathema will be handed over was not discussed. We need to set new terms for that.”
“What an insolent fellow.”
Olivera’s gaze turned cold.
“Are you trying to play word games with me over the price of our deal right now?”
“It’s not about changing established conditions, but about adjusting parts that weren’t agreed upon.”
Even with Olivera’s stern words, Lennok remained unperturbed.
“You, too, discovered that I had business in Kundara and arbitrarily offered it as a price, didn’t you?”
“……”
The deal Olivera proposed to obtain Anathema’s causality was a result of her discerning Lennok’s objective and offering it as a condition.
Lennok had accepted that deal because the information about Kundara was crucial to him, but now that he held the initiative in the transaction, there was no reason not to address that fact.
Olivera, too, immediately read Lennok’s true intentions and let out a cold laugh.
“You never let things go smoothly. That’s why I’ve tried to avoid borrowing your talent as much as possible.”
“I have a very different opinion on that.”
Lennok smiled.
“I thought this was a very moderate solution I was proposing.”
The reason Olivera’s deal had changed from the original was due to the unprecedented situation of Anathema becoming an Apostle. Naturally, Olivera could not have known or planned for this beforehand. Since she hadn’t intentionally tried to gain an excessive advantage over Lennok, he too limited himself to merely adjusting the deal’s terms.
If Olivera had truly intended to exploit Lennok, he would have started by turning the Cartel’s headquarters into a wasteland.
“Hoho… Very well. That you would even utter such audacious words in front of me no longer truly angers me.”
Kiiing…!!
As she spoke, Olivera’s Mystic Eye blazed with an intensity incomparable to before. A quiet silence settled in the study with Olivera’s cold words.
“Nevertheless, it is a fact that you achieved victory against Anathema. In that regard, you clearly exceeded my expectations.”
Olivera, leaning back with an arm propped up behind the veil, slowly withdrew her will-thought and said,
“Considering his nature, he would have thought of retreating even before defeat was certain, so how did you manage to take his life? You truly are a master of brawling, now and always.”
“Are you actually spouting praise?”
Lennok retorted, dumbfounded, yet shook his head.
“If I hadn’t met a few specific conditions, I wouldn’t have won so cleanly. I also received help in the process of killing Anathema.”
Regardless of Anathema’s own formidable combat prowess, there was no need to explain how powerful the 6th Apostle’s Authority was, which halved damage by assimilating with the earth.
In terms of ability value alone, the damage reduction ability felt overwhelmingly superior to the Apostle spellcraft that manipulated the earth. Anathema, knowing this, might have fought without even considering his own death, let alone defeat, against 8th-level superhumans.
The decisive causes of his death were two-fold.
Firstly, that Lennok was a wizard capable of casting strategic-level destructive spellcraft even while engaging in hand-to-hand combat with an Apostle.
Secondly, that a Transcendent with the Authority of Inevitability lent a hand.
Anathema would have found it difficult to properly guess either of these factors, so his defeat was a predetermined outcome. Thus, Lennok himself didn’t feel much excitement about the battle with Anathema.
For Lennok, the truly important matter came after Anathema’s death.
“So, will you agree to adjust the terms of the deal?”
“……I’ll hear you out.”
Olivera, arms crossed, tilted her head back.
“However, you must know that it’s not out of submission to your claims, but because I highly evaluate what you accomplished at the meeting.”
“……”
“Do not forget that this was something I had already considered when borrowing your talent, so I too am accepting a loss.”
Olivera’s cold, settled words were proof that she was enduring Lennok’s demands with effort. Given her nature, she would ordinarily not even associate with someone proposing a change in their deal like this.
But she, too, had things she had done to Lennok in this deal, so there was a part of her that felt it couldn’t be helped.
“The first condition concerns Peshia Grisbern’s custody.”
Lennok replied, turning his gaze to the side. Peshia was kneeling, chains on both arms, vomiting.
“I fed her Anathema’s horn fragment, so she can no longer be used for your experiments. Anathema’s causality will no longer save her life.”
“……”
“Therefore, I intend to take back her custody.”
“You intend to take back Peshia Grisbern’s custody…”
Olivera sharply tilted her head sideways. A subtle mocking smile was in her gaze as she looked at Lennok.
“It seems you’ve grown rather fond of that mad dog. Surely you’re not thinking of using the mad dog to guard your house now?”
“Though her hierarchical status is ruined and she’s a half-wit, she still has her uses.”
Lennok chuckled, patting his shoulder as Peshia convulsively twisted her body.
“I never expected it, but she can be reasoned with to some extent.”
“Well. As for me, I have no intention of making her custody so easy or comfortable for you.”
Olivera’s Mystic Eye gleamed eerily as she looked down at Peshia.
“That woman is a renegade who betrayed Kaiser and fled to the Central Front. As much as she insults and belittles others, the karma she has brought upon herself is a heavy sin.”
“……”
“Even if it’s not about circumventing The Prohibition using Anathema’s causality, there are plenty of ways I can use her in my experiments.”
“Ha! Go ahead and try.”
Peshia, as if not to be outdone, gritted her teeth and sharply lifted her gaze.
“Do you think I’m scared if you try to scare me like that? Kill me if you want. What kind of pathetic threat is this…!!”
“It’s not a threat, Grisbern.”
Lennok said with an impassive face.
“Olivera will dispose of you once her experiment is over. She never intended to keep you alive for long once she took custody of you.”
“What?”
“The moment you were sent to the meeting, exposure to the outside was inevitable. The generals of Deadrise must have noticed your survival.”
Peshia flinched momentarily under Lennok’s cold gaze.
“Naturally, wouldn’t they want to kill you before the Legion moves, to eliminate any troublesome loose ends?”
“……”
“But if your custody is handed over to me, it’s a different story. Legion Command will want to confirm if you’ve joined hands with me.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way Command would hesitate its judgment because of something like that…!!”
“Oh really? Is that so?”
Lennok chuckled.
“At least the commanders I’ve met weren’t superhumans free from personal feelings.”
“……”
“……You.”
Olivera remained silent, and Peshia gritted her teeth.
“Anyway, this is the condition I want to propose. I have the capability to put a leash on this murderer, and I have a more convenient purpose for her.”
Ignoring Peshia’s words, Lennok turned his gaze to Olivera.
“A high-level superhuman who can literally be thrown away as a consumable, with no burden, can also become a valuable asset. Do you agree?”
“Not particularly.”
Olivera replied indifferently.
“But I understand that you’re not taking her to cherish her. That’s enough.”
“Then—”
“I’ll hear the other condition. However, this must be the last.”
Interrupting Lennok, Olivera leaned back leisurely and said,
“If her matter isn’t that important to you, then this must be the reason you demanded a change in the deal. What do you want from me?”
“……As I said, I don’t ask for much in return.”
Lennok smiled.
“However, to ensure you can uphold the terms of this deal more reliably, I have just one more request.”
“Are you talking about cooperation regarding the Kundara matter?”
Olivera sneered.
“I admit it was my mistake to exploit the secret I discerned, but I have no intention of cheating you out of your due after getting what I wanted.”
“……”
“You are not one to overlook such indiscretion either, so why do you seek a definitive answer from me now?”
“Because heading to the Outer Tribulation City might be that important.”
Lennok replied, stroking his chin.
“Regardless, I need certainty. Especially if entering Kundara requires several complicated procedures.”
“Certainty, you say. Very well, speak your mind.”
Olivera snorted derisively.
“What must I give to provide you with that certainty?”
“It’s simple. It won’t be difficult for you either.”
Lennok smiled faintly. The wizard’s raised hand pointed directly at the wavering silhouette beyond the veil.
“You just need to accompany me to the Outer Tribulation City.”
“……What did you say?”