Chapter 61. The Fla that Opens the Future (2)
The fortress was larger than expected.
Enoch, descending through the darkness-engulfed fortress with Sirocco, glanced around briefly.
Befitting a past defensive facility, the fortress interior was filled with complex passages and secret rooms.
‘A landscape clearly full of collectibles.’
It surely would have been in the original work.
His seasoned player instincts were stimulated, making his mouth water. But it wasn't ti for pleasant farming yet.
Midnight had already passed.
According to the experint journal, the experint targeting the entire Beast-kin village was scheduled for today.
‘Ti is of the essence.’
Since the situation had turned out like this, he first needed to find out about Vendetta’s experint as quickly as possible.
And to find that out, he first had to ask the guys who occupied this fortress.
If they were cooperating with Vendetta, they likely knew sothing about their objectives.
“…Hey.”
Just then, a young voice ca from beside him.
“You. What was that earlier?”
Turning his head, Sirocco beside him was staring intently this way.
“What was what?”
“Earlier, your movents in the fortress.”
Sirocco asked quietly.
“No matter how much physical enhancent magic our tribe warriors use, none can keep up with . But you were different.”
Sirocco bent her fluffy tail slightly like a question mark, then looked intently this way and said.
“In the fortress, you moved as fast as , and didn’t fall behind Leontos at all, right?”
Enoch t Sirocco’s gaze for a mont.
“So?”
Setting aside the movents Sirocco ntioned, since she saw him fight Leontos earlier, she must have seen him use the sword too.
If so, her next reaction could be predicted.
Sirocco, who had been walking and staring intently at Enoch for a while, eventually spoke in a low voice.
“It was unexpected. To think you…”
Instantly, the wolf ears atop her head, reaching Enoch’s chest level, twitched once.
“That you were a strong mage using physical enhancent magic like !”
Sirocco leaned her body close to Enoch playfully, grinned, and poked his side with her elbow.
“I slled you were quite strong from the first eting, but I didn’t know it was to that extent!”
“I’ll take that as a complint.”
“Huhu, you can be happier! Even among our tribe mbers, people who use physical enhancent magic like are rare. The Chieftain’s heir acknowledged you, you know?”
She said so, wagging her tail.
In fact, she mistook him for using the sa magic as her, but Sirocco smiled brightly, seemingly happy about it.
Enoch casually averted his gaze.
‘Sirocco’s reaction is as expected.’
「Modern Beast-kin have survived for a long ti in regions virtually isolated from the Empire.」
The magic of the Beast-kin, struggling daily against Magical Beasts in the wilderness, lagged overwhelmingly behind that of the modern Empire in terms of developnt.
Especially proper magical theory education and such certainly wouldn't occur like the structured curriculum within the Empire.
Naturally, the sa applied to Sirocco.
‘There’s no way she could accurately distinguish between physical enhancent type magic and swordsmanship at a glance.’
Precisely why he thought he could reveal his sword without reservation when alone with Sirocco.
Those judgnts turned out to be exactly right.
“Hey, you know.”
“……?”
Just then, Sirocco spoke in a quiet tone. Enoch briefly looked sideways.
Before he knew it, she had stopped walking.
“And… I still have sothing left to say to you.”
“What is it?”
Sirocco spoke cautiously in a downcast voice.
“Sorry.”
She avoided Enoch’s gaze and spoke quietly.
“When you fought Leontos, I froze, didn’t I.”
Co to think of it, Sirocco had stopped moving earlier before Leontos, who appeared on the upper floor of the fortress.
She clenched both fists tightly and said.
“If I hadn’t foolishly stopped then, and attacked him together with you, we could have caught him……”
Droop.
Sirocco’s perked ears and tail drooped powerlessly as she apologized sincerely.
“I’m really sorry.”
She lowered her head.
‘Co to think of it, didn't they say Beast-kin can't hide their emotions and true feelings in their ears and tail?’
So that ant she was genuinely sorry.
Because her ears and tail beca so limp like that.
To Sirocco’s heartfelt apology, Enoch simply shook his head.
“It’s not just your fault.”
He too had been forced to hurry due to the unexpected variable of the World of Impermanence suddenly activating.
Besides, Sirocco was the one who opened the fortress entrance alone and quickly cleared the path to the top floor. Blaming her didn't add up.
But apart from that, there was just one thing he wanted to ask Sirocco.
“By the way, it was sowhat unexpected.”
“Huh?”
Enoch turned to her and asked.
“You were fine when facing the fortress enemies earlier. But why did you suddenly freeze in front of Leontos?”
Actually, he had been curious about that from the start.
Why Sirocco froze up so badly after facing Leontos in the fortress earlier.
As far as Enoch knew, it was completely unlike Sirocco. That's why he wanted to ask.
“……Ah, you an that.”
anwhile, Sirocco lowered her head briefly at the question. Then she quietly opened her small lips and replied.
“It was because of his eyes.”
“Eyes?”
“Mhm… Hard to explain, but.”
Sirocco slightly flattened the wolf ears atop her head. Enoch watched her for a mont, then said.
“You don’t seem like the type to flinch no matter who the opponent is.”
Swish.
At those words, Sirocco turned her head briefly. Then she glanced sideways at Enoch and asked.
“Hmmm, strange~?”
“What is?”
“You. How do you know so well?”
Sirocco asked with a knowing expression, her eyes narrowing slightly. Enoch, feeling slightly caught, replied evasively.
“……Just know by looking, roughly.”
“Hmm~ Well, the village elders always tease saying I’m easy to read too. Am I that easy to read?”
But Sirocco seed sowhat convinced, nodding slowly and replying.
“Right. I’ve caught much bigger and stronger Magical Beasts than Leontos alone many tis. But…”
She lowered her head briefly and added.
“Kidnapping innocent people and doing that to them, then boldly shouting it was for our tribe’s future… those eyes… were scary.”
For a mont, Sirocco’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Sohow, he felt he could understand a little.
Instantly, Enoch recalled when he entered the fortress earlier. Among the people seen in the fortress test tubes was a Beast-kin child even younger than Sirocco.
Sirocco had clearly seen that sight too.
Perhaps she too was recalling that now.
“I don’t know much about the Magical Beastification experint.”
Sirocco quietly opened her mouth.
“But I know it’s not the right way.”
She turned her head sharply. Sirocco’s ruby-red eyes looked straight at Enoch.
“So. Next ti, I’ll face him!”
Enoch smiled slightly and asked back.
“Weren’t you scared earlier? Weren’t you chickening out?”
“Hmph! Who stays scared? Besides, thinking about not being able to move then is super embarrassing! Even if I look like this, I’m the strongest in the tribe!”
Sirocco wagged her tail vigorously as if just thinking about it made her furious, then crossed her arms, seemingly sulking, and turned her head sharply away.
Then she added in a slightly lower voice.
“And, I’m the heir of the Chieftain who leads the tribe.”
Her ruby-like eyes, saying so, shone clearly with intense determination, receiving the moonlight.
“Not the way of those exiles. I must open a path for our tribe in my own way.”
Enoch glanced at her briefly and replied curtly.
“…I hope so.”
***
Outside the fortress, the night was deep.
In the large front yard, Elsyde mages dressed in black operation robes gathered quietly.
Among them, holding long staffs slanted, soone noticed the approaching Enoch and greeted him first.
“Lord Enoch, you’ve arrived.”
Askel, directing the cleanup after the engagent.
He greeted Enoch, bowing his head.
“The fortress was successfully secured as planned. How about you, Lord Enoch? Are you injured anywhere?”
“No. However, during the engagent with Leontos, he self-destructed the fortress and escaped through a secret passage.”
Askel nodded as if it were fine.
“It doesn’t matter. Thanks to Lord Enoch striking their leader alone, the enemy command structure collapsed, allowing us to subdue them without friendly casualties.”
Askel looked around the secured fortress with calm eyes and said.
“Besides, even if the exiles’ leader escaped alone, having lost all his comrades, he won’t be able to recover as before.”
But Enoch shook his head.
“He’s not the main body. Just Vendetta’s limb.”
“Eh?”
“Vendetta was planning a ‘large-scale experint’ targeting the entire Beast-kin village. Leontos was rely a pawn cooperating with that plan.”
Askel stared blankly at Enoch for a mont.
“…Did you say large-scale experint?”
He repeated quietly at the shocking fact.
“But how exactly?”
Askel asked, looking slightly bewildered.
“No matter how powerful Vendetta is, human experints targeting the entire Beast-kin village. To make such a thing possible, what ans could they possibly…”
“Don’t know.”
Enoch answered, walking past him.
“So, I intend to ask them directly now.”
The front yard of the fortress.
There, subdued Beast-kin exiles, looking wretched, were bound and kneeling.
Beside them, several healer-mages from the Order accompanying the fortress assault operation were using healing magic on the captured individuals.
“All captured alive.”
Beside them, another family mage who participated in the operation quietly approached and reported the situation.
“Only those capable of interrogation were brought here; the rest are receiving ergency treatnt elsewhere and being put to sleep with ‘Subdual Magic’.”
Instantly, Sirocco beside him tilted her head and repeated.
“Huh? ‘Subdual Magic’?”
She looked up at Enoch and asked.
“Subdual Magic, what’s that?”
Enoch gestured with his eyes towards Askel following behind.
He reluctantly answered Sirocco briefly.
“It’s magic that knocks out the target it hits.”
“Woah, really? Does such magic really exist?”
“Yes. Of course, even for a small-scale spell knocking out just one person, the casting ti is too long, and it’s only effective at very close range, so it absolutely cannot be used during combat…”
Askel looked around at the mages and said.
“Nevertheless, if combat-proficient mages are simply captured and bound, who knows when they might suddenly use magic to counterattack.”
anwhile, Enoch approached the bound prisoners.
The kneeling Beast-kin exiles sensed his presence and lifted their heads with eyes full of anger.
Askel, realizing this belatedly after explaining Subdual Magic, urgently reached out his arm and shouted.
“L-Lord Enoch! It might be dangerous. Better keep so distance…”
Step.
But Enoch approached the guy without hesitation, looking down at him coldly with dark blue eyes.
The kneeling Beast-kin exile also responded, lifting his head towards Enoch, glaring, and opening his mouth.
“……Got guts, direct descendant of Elsyde.”
The Beast-kin exile spoke, baring his fangs as if growling.
“Why keep us alive? What do you want from us.”
“Simple. All information about the large-scale experint Vendetta is conducting in the Beast-kin village.”
At Enoch’s words, the Beast-kin spoke mockingly.
“Think we’ll talk?”
“Of course.”
Enoch tilted his head slightly and answered.
“Weren’t planning on hiding it anyway, right?”
Enoch took out a docunt from his pocket.
The 「Vendetta Experint Journal」 obtained from On previously.
The Beast-kin’s eyes widened slightly upon seeing it.
“You were already preparing for a large-scale experint targeting the Beast-kin village.”
Enoch continued coolly.
“Yet you provoked Elsyde’s mages, inducing an Allied Mission. Isn’t the intention too obvious?”
Naturally, the actions didn't add up.
If they had even the slightest intention of hiding the upcoming large-scale experint, they wouldn't have done sothing stupid like provoking the Main House and drawing them into the experint.
“Seems you wanted to advertise the experint to Elsyde anyway, let’s stop wasting each other’s ti.”
Enoch looked down at the guy and said calmly.
“Speak. I’ll listen.”
“Kekeke…”
The Beast-kin let out a low laugh.
“Head spins fast for a brat, direct descendant.”
He rolled his gleaming eyes upwards and said.
“It’s just as you said. We need you bastards for this experint.”
“Reason.”
“Reason? That’s simple.”
Instantly, the exile glared at him with eyes shining brightly in the darkness and shouted, laughing as if his mouth would tear.
“Because what happens here from now on will spread throughout the Empire through you!”
The mont he heard those words, Enoch’s eyes narrowed.
So that was it.
Enoch recalled the official history of the original work.
「Ultimately, Tantalus’s large-scale experint succeeds.」
「The village Beast-kin, transford into powerful Magical Beasts, engage in battle with the Elsyde family mages.」
「Eventually, the Magical Beastified Beast-kin are annihilated by Elsyde, eting a miserable end.」
‘This is the future predetermined for the Beast-kin.’
And with this incident as the trigger, Vendetta, succeeding in dealing a blow to Elsyde, widely spreads their na throughout the Empire.
That must be the reason the exile ntioned earlier, why Vendetta drew Elsyde into this experint.
-Elsyde’s failure is Vendetta’s success.
The fact that the Main House called the pillar of the Empire failed to stop their plan. That alone would bring enormous benefits, including the all-important ‘reputation’ in the Empire.
Enoch asked quietly.
“That experint. How do you plan to proceed?”
What happens in the future due to the experint.
What kind of ending awaits.
He knew it all.
- However, ‘how’ they would conduct the experint targeting the village this ti, he didn't know.
That much wasn't depicted in the original work. Therefore, he needed to find out the thod directly.
Only then could he change the future.
“…If you wish, I’ll tell you, direct descendant.”
Grin.
anwhile, at Enoch’s question, the exile grinned chillingly, as if stretching his mouth wide. Then he threw his head back and shouted.
“Anyway, can’t hide it any longer!”
-Wheeeing!
And at that mont, a communication magic circle quickly rotated and appeared beside Askel’s ear.
“…Communication active.”
Askel’s expression flickered briefly upon seeing it.
“Ergency communication from the Elsyde personnel waiting in the village.”
Ergency communication.
The surrounding atmosphere stiffened at those words.
Ominous premonitions swept through the mages.
“Connecting to all audio.”
But as soon as he connected the magic circle to broadcast to everyone, an urgent voice echoed like a speaker.
[Village standby team reporting! Currently, all Beast-kin in the tribe village have fallen unconscious simultaneously!]
- All village Beast-kin unconscious.
At the unbelievable news, the surrounding reactions instantly froze cold.
First, Askel, handling the communication, maintained utmost composure and asked back.
“…Cause?”
[It’s a subdual magic circle!]
Just then, at the magic na explained monts ago, Sirocco shouted with a bewildered expression.
“S-Subdual Magic, you an that knockout thing earlier?”
Askel spoke as calmly as possible.
“Subdual Magic, are you certain?”
An urgent voice was received over the communication magic.
[Just monts ago, visually confird the light of a large-scale magic circle leaking from underground!]
“Large-scale magic circle?”
[Yes! Judged that ‘Subdual Magic’ was activated via a large-scale magic circle covering the entire village!]
A flicker of agitation crossed the faces of the Elsyde personnel listening intently to the communication content.
“Strange.”
Beside him, one family-affiliated combat mage spoke calmly to Askel.
“Subdual Magic is intricate magic requiring a long ti even to cast on a scale knocking out just one person. To activate it on a village-wide scale would require at least several months of preparation ti.”
“aning they prepared sothing in the village beforehand?”
“Highly probable.”
“Said earlier that light leaked from underground. Seems those guys prepared sothing underground.”
Saying so, Askel turned back to Enoch.
“If underground, only one place cos to mind imdiately.”
Enoch quietly nodded at those words.
“…The sealed underground residential area.”
That was the only possibility that ca to mind right away.
The underground area sealed due to past population decline. aning, they prepared and activated the magic from beneath the village surface.
Well, who would pay attention to what's beneath their feet?
The abandoned and sealed underground area must have been the perfect place to secretly prepare large-scale magic.
But Sirocco denied it with a trembling voice, seemingly unable to believe it.
“No! Our village security is tight! To protect the tribe mbers from Magical Beasts, warriors are always…”
“Security is aningless.”
Just then, a woman’s neat voice cut in sharply.
Turning towards it, a female mage dressed in the black Nesis uniform was visible.
It was Teano.
She walked over with the Nesis knights, her long hair flowing beneath her formal cap.
“The enemy is the dark mage organization Vendetta.”
Teano spoke, her deep violet eyes shining darkly beneath the shadow of her deeply pressed formal cap.
“Dark mages are skilled at moving subtly without being detected. Because they are bastards who have survived that way.”
She added calmly.
“They likely infiltrated the village much earlier. The exiles cooperating with Vendetta probably told them the village layout.”
Thus, Teano approached the communication magic circle Askel was deploying and spoke towards the other side.
“This is Teano. Village standby team, report. Current village situation?”
[This is Team 1, as soon as activation of the subdual magic circle was confird, several mbers cast defensive magic. All family personnel are currently safe!]
[Team 3, combat personnel currently dispersed, continuing engagent! Order healer-mages and non-combat personnel are attempting to rescue Beast-kin!]
Enoch, listening to the communication, was inwardly sowhat impressed.
To react instantly to magic activated from underground without warning, defend, and imdiately launch a counter-response.
They certainly weren't Elsyde mages for nothing.
─But, only up to that point.
No matter how capable Elsyde was, protecting all the unconscious village Beast-kin while simultaneously engaging Vendetta would likely be impossible.
As if confirming Enoch’s concerns.
Kwaaaaang!
Along with a deafening explosion, another urgent voice channel was relayed through the communication magic.
[Reporting! Team 3, currently isolated by nurous unidentified mages approaching near the village!]
Amidst urgent battle sounds, the desperate voice of a family mage echoed through the communication.
[Their target seems to be securing the village Beast-kin affected by the subdual magic! Holding out, but at this rate, cannot protect all the unconscious Beast-kin─!]
─Thump
And just then, the communication magic circle lost its light.
For so reason, the connection on the other side seed severed. The situation was undoubtedly extrely urgent.
“Damn it, must be Vendetta! We need to return to the village imdiately and support the standby personnel…!”
Teano shook her head at Askel’s words.
“Rushing risks friendly casualties.”
She continued calmly.
“They likely attacked the village knowing we moved to the fortress. There’s a possibility of ambush waiting on the way back.”
Teano looked back at her subordinates and said.
“Nesis will first conduct rapid reconnaissance to secure the route to the village.”
Other family mages seed to agree with her words, slowly nodding.
“Understood.”
“The rest will regroup and move while we conduct reconnaissance. Prepare.”
Teano gave a short command to the remaining mages and turned away.
The Nesis knights followed her.
Watching the black uniforms disappear beyond the night, Enoch slowly turned towards the fortress.
‘Perfect timing. Good.’
He too still had unfinished business.
“Then I’ll explore the fortress interior further alone.”
Enoch looked up at the massive fortress.
Traces of the distant past, asleep in the darkness.
Eventually, he took a step towards that place.
To Enoch walking towards the fortress in the complete opposite direction from Nesis, Askel shouted from behind.
“Young Master Enoch? But, you just finished engaging! Better take at least so rest…”
“Who here isn’t tired? Besides.”
Enoch looked up at the fortress and said.
“There might still be more information left in this fortress.”
Yes.
There might be more.
‘The remaining ‘information about the Sword Saint’.’
Around the ti he finally stepped into the silent fortress.
Enoch confird the ssage floating up in his vision, which had already begun to waver, and smiled faintly.
? World of Impermanence: Restarting… 20%
Reviews
All reviews (0)