Chapter 142. Application
Mapheltan raised Cursed Spear Turabak.
A sinister killing intent aimed at Gawain.
“Gawain, it seems I cannot join hands with you after all.”
The Cursed Spear fell toward Gawain’s head.
Just before the blade pierced him, Gawain opened his mouth.
“Apostle Beris.”
Turabak stopped in midair.
Mapheltan’s expression crumpled. His red eyes were trembling faintly.
“......What did you say?”
Gawain grinned.
“You’re shaken, unlike yourself.”
To think the name Beris would come from Gawain’s mouth.
Mapheltan had not expected it.
He withdrew the Cursed Spear and briefly sank into thought.
‘......Apostle Beris.’
Apostle Beris was a great demon who had previously been caught in Yohan’s scheme.
The bastard had a tenth of his soul torn apart by “Shaferia,” who had awakened as an angel.
His body could no longer interfere with the present world.
It would be difficult for him to have any contact with Gawain.
And yet, Gawain had clearly mentioned Beris.
Some relationship unknown to Mapheltan had formed between the two.
Another variable had appeared.
Mapheltan, who had been silent, murmured softly.
“Could it be because of the contract magic engraved into the worldline?”
Gawain let out a sound of admiration.
“Oh, my. Correct. As expected, you’re quick on the uptake.”
In the past, Beris had left a contract magic upon the worldline.
Its contents were simple.
It was to grant Yohan an end far more terrible than death.
Any covenant the bastard spoke would be realized in one way or another.
As a great demon who governed contracts, the weight carried by Beris’s words was enough to engrave an unwritten law into the world.
The aftermath of that was appearing now.
To grant Yohan a terrible end, the world had chosen Gawain.
Gawain, equipped with an ability similar to Beris’s authority, was aiming for Yohan’s life.
Mapheltan opened his mouth.
“Now I roughly understand how you came to possess the authority to break contracts.”
In this world, only Apostle Beris could interfere with every kind of contract.
Now, that was different.
From what had been confirmed through the Heart-Piercing Eyes, Gawain was also a being capable of unilaterally breaking contracts.
After forming a subordination contract with Mapheltan, the bastard would have broken the contract the moment he regained his freedom and stabbed Mapheltan in the back.
Mapheltan would surely have met a terrible end.
Gawain and Beris both would have obtained the ending they wanted.
Mapheltan let out a hollow laugh.
‘I nearly went straight to hell.’
Gawain said with a relaxed expression,
“It seems you understand everything without my needing to explain.”
“There is one thing I am curious about.”
“Ask freely. I will answer sincerely.”
The bastard’s attitude was extremely confident.
Even though his entire plan had been exposed, Gawain was not dispirited at all.
Mapheltan found that somewhat strange.
He did not bother pointing out the bastard’s attitude.
“Did you come into direct contact with Beris?”
Beris had not yet been completely extinguished. His other nine souls were still intact.
Gawain shook his head. The shackle around his neck creaked.
“Rather than that, Lord Beris’s lingering will seeped into me.”
Mapheltan slowly nodded.
“Now the situation has become clear. I nearly went through quite the ordeal.”
Without Serena, the situation truly would have become troublesome.
The Heart-Piercing Eyes were indeed a useful power.
Gawain laughed faintly.
“That woman saved your life.”
“Well, I suppose she did. It must be regrettable for you.”
“Not particularly. I didn’t expect it to succeed so easily in the first place.”
Gawain was extremely detached.
Even though his plan had been exposed and he was about to die, he maintained a leisurely attitude.
Mapheltan frowned.
“You are quite relaxed. You may die at any moment.”
Gawain grinned.
“Can you kill me, Mapheltan?”
Mapheltan swallowed a low groan.
Now that Beris was involved, it was difficult for Mapheltan to dispose of Gawain immediately.
If Gawain died, there was a chance Beris’s lingering will would move on to someone else.
A being who held a grudge against Yohan would become the second Gawain.
Count of Staviana, King Roderick, Grian Miyatro, Serena, Gaf, Shaferia...... and so on. There were quite a few people who could take on that role.
Mapheltan would have to keep worrying about being stabbed in the back.
In many ways, things would become extremely exhausting.
“Congratulations, Gawain. You got one over on me.”
From Mapheltan’s perspective, it was better for Beris’s lingering will to reside in Gawain’s body.
Gawain was completely restrained right now.
In short, he was a bomb that could be controlled.
Gawain smiled slyly.
“Let’s call it even. Mapheltan, you noticed my plan too.”
A hollow laugh slipped from Mapheltan’s mouth.
Gawain was quite talented as a demon.
He knew how to use the surrounding situation and other people’s psychology.
He was a bastard who would become rather significant.
“No matter how I think about it, you’re too valuable a card to throw away. I want to put you beneath my feet and use you.”
Gawain laughed faintly.
“Will you make a contract? If you trust me once.”
He was throwing out a pointless joke.
“Do not get above yourself. Whatever the case, I am the one holding your windpipe.”
That fact did not change.
Gawain said with a relaxed expression,
“That is not wrong. I will simply wait for your wise decision.”
Mapheltan clicked his tongue and turned around.
“Let us both take some time to think. When we meet again, I hope your desire for revenge against me has faded even a little.”
Yohan’s wish would not actually come true.
A demon was, by nature, a being moved by malice.
The driving force of the demon Gawain was revenge.
A Gawain without revenge was nothing but a corpse.
Mapheltan intended to make use of that revenge.
From now on, he would have to look for a method related to that.
He moved his feet.
Gawain’s voice came from behind him.
“I will try my best. Mapheltan, I look forward to the day we meet again.”
Mapheltan left the Forbidden Archive at once.
***
All kinds of thoughts filled Mapheltan’s head.
For the first time in quite a while, he was staying up through the night in the underground study.
Before going up to the royal capital, this study had been Mapheltan’s only place of rest.
Whenever he had worries, he would always sink into thought here.
If he agonized alone while muttering to himself, a solution always came.
Today was the same.
Zal’karin, who had been listening to Mapheltan’s murmurs, carefully shouted,
“Gr-great End! May this lowly evil demon offer a word?”
Everyone’s eyes gathered on Zal’karin.
Raguel let out a sigh.
“You idiot, learn when to butt in and when not to.”
Sword Demon Hakain tapped the ash out of his pipe and said,
“Here he goes again.”
Zal’karin tended to spout a great deal of nonsense on ordinary days.
Unexpectedly, Ilea showed interest.
“Let’s hear him out. They do say even dog shit can be used as medicine sometimes.”
Zal’karin’s face flushed red and blue.
“Wh-what?! How dare you say that to the Fire of the Abyss!”
Mapheltan raised his hand and stopped him.
“Enough. You’re noisy.”
Zal’karin lowered his head deeply.
“I-I have shown an unsightly display.”
“Never mind that. Speak. You said you had an opinion?”
Zal’karin looked at Mapheltan with a trembling gaze.
“Th-that is......”
“Do not drag it out.”
Mapheltan hated things that were frustrating.
Zal’karin knew his personality well.
After coughing pointlessly, the bastard shouted,
“I will state the conclusion first! If we slaughter Apostle Beris of the End, would that not naturally solve every problem troubling you?!”
No sooner had Zal’karin finished speaking than the underground study fell into silence.
Mapheltan’s expression hardened stiffly.
Raguel’s eyes went wide.
Hakain let out a languid sound of admiration.
“......Oho, well now.”
Ilea smiled faintly, as if she found it interesting.
“That’s amusing.”
Zal’karin glanced at everyone’s reactions, then bowed his head to Mapheltan.
“Gr-great End. It is merely the foolish babbling of an ignorant one, so please let it go in one ear and out the other.”
His voice was shrinking away.
Mapheltan let out a hollow laugh.
That small laugh grew louder and louder.
At last, roaring laughter echoed.
“That is indeed a certain solution. Why did I not think of it? Zal’karin, for the first time in your life, you were useful. You helped.”
If Beris was completely extinguished, naturally, his lingering will would vanish too.
The authority to break contracts that Gawain had borrowed from Beris would also disappear without a trace.
For Gawain, that meant he would no longer be able to break the kinship contract.
If only that authority was gone, Mapheltan could sufficiently turn Gawain into a slave.
Mapheltan raised the corners of his mouth into a long smile.
He was quite pleased.
Ilea smiled with her eyes.
“A change in perspective. Zal’karin, you did very well.”
Hakain nodded.
“You struck the blind spot. Exactly.”
Zal’karin looked over their reactions, then shouted loudly,
“Haha! This is none other than I, the Fire of the Abyss and strategist of the Thirteenth End!”
Raguel looked extremely uneasy.
“Y-you’re going to kill an apostle? How on earth......?”
Ilea smiled softly and said,
“Beris is not in a complete state. With the connections and power Mapheltan possesses now, he can take down Beris well enough.”
Mapheltan, no, Yohan, was a powerful figure who had seized control of the royal capital.
With his influence, he could sufficiently make use of the kingdom’s power.
In addition, Yohan had connections with several monsters.
The genius knight Shaferia, the guardian of the north Wolfgang Eisenpelt, the archmage Lumina, the witch Ilea, and more. They would surely become a great strength for Yohan.
Subjugating an apostle was not a dream.
Especially if that apostle was in an incomplete state.
Mapheltan opened his mouth.
“What we must do has been decided.”
Ilea said,
“Shall I send word to Shaferia?”
She was currently patrolling the Miyatro territory as Yohan’s knight.
Just how much stronger had she become?
Since she was a genius who had bloomed Aura in a single day, she must surely be growing day by day.
She would certainly be a great help in this matter.
Mapheltan shook his head.
“I will bring Shaferia myself. You meet Count of Staviana.”
Ilea said,
“You plan to make use of Wolfgang?”
Wolfgang was the count’s father-in-law.
If the count asked, Wolfgang would certainly not refuse.
In the first place, this was a matter of subjugating an apostle, so there was a high chance Wolfgang would participate voluntarily instead.
From Mapheltan’s perspective, he only needed to properly prepare the justification and circumstances.
He was confident he could fabricate the incident perfectly.
Mapheltan said,
“I plan to use the kingdom’s military strength, including Wolfgang.”
“Beris has no choice but to be extinguished.”
“That may be so, but we must not be careless.”
Ilea smiled with her eyes.
“Of course. I’ll leave at once.”
Now, through the mirror, they could travel between the royal capital and the south in real time.
The progress of affairs had become much faster.
Mapheltan found the situation welcome in many ways.
He spread his enormous wings left and right.
“I will see you in the royal capital. I will go to Shaferia.”
If there was just one concern, it was Shaferia.
Even Mapheltan did not know how stiff-necked Shaferia would accept mirror magic and the fact that Yohan was a half-demon.
‘I’ll think about it on the way.’
Mapheltan flew up for now.
He headed straight for the borderlands of the Miyatro territory.
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