Chapter 314: Abram (1)
Morning came.
After preparing his heart, Eugene opened the door to Kristina's room.
Sienna and Kristina sat opposite each other at the dining table. They were enjoying a steaming, bright red stew, or perhaps it was a soup, but they ceased their activity upon seeing Eugene.
"Are you two feeling alright?" Eugene asked after a pause.
"Hmm." Sienna set down her spoon and patted her chest while coughing. She had fallen asleep in her drunken state, not wanting to regain full consciousness. Upon waking and shaking off the intoxication, she found herself almost without a hangover.
She remembered everything that had happened at dawn. Alcohol was the enemy. After clearing her throat a few times, she looked at Eugene calmly. However, her carefully controlled breath and expression crumbled like sand as soon as her eyes met Eugene's.
Sienna opened and closed her mouth a few times like a goldfish before swiftly turning her head away. Her spoon sat innocently within her sight. She took hold of it, stirring the unfortunate stew unnecessarily harshly.
While Sienna was doing so, Kristina picked up a napkin. With graceful hand movements, she shook the napkin and gently wiped her mouth.
"Did you sleep well?" Kristina inquired before setting down the napkin and giving Eugene a warm smile. The memories of dawn were clear to her as well. Feelings of embarrassment lingered, but a much greater sense of contentment eclipsed them.
'Such a scary, formidable child….'
Sienna realized Kristina was not an opponent to be underestimated. She looked at Kristina, who was smiling as if nothing was amiss, and, grinning slightly, she pulled out the chair next to her as she addressed Eugene, "If you're hungry, why don't you eat with us?"
Although he wasn't particularly hungry, Eugene took the suggested seat — between Sienna and Kristina. As if she had been waiting, Kristina scooped some food onto a fresh plate for him.
"It'll take at least a decade, won't it?" asked Kristina.
"What will?" asked Eugene.
"To defeat the Demon King and hold a wedding,” Kristina stated casually.
Eugene nearly choked on the food he had been spooning absent-mindedly. Clutching his throat, he coughed and spluttered. Next to him, Sienna dropped her spoon on the table in shock.
"Wa-wait, a wedding?" Eugene asked, looking stunned.
"Why are you surprised? Isn't it natural that the end of a relationship is marriage?" Kristina asked calmly.
"Wa…. We…. Wedding…." All Sienna could do was stutter.
"We are not in a situation to hold a ceremony immediately, and nobody is mentally prepared yet. Sir Eugene, you, Lady Sienna, and even Lady Anise have been wishing for the death of the Demon Kings for hundreds of years. To save the world perfectly. After achieving all that, it won’t be too late to think about everything else. We can approach everything step by step,” explained Kristina.
Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of applause echoed in Kristina’s mind.
"Uh, uhm…. Uh, yes." After a moment of fluster, even Sienna nodded firmly.
It was indeed the future they had dreamed of centuries ago. After slaying all Demon Kings and saving the world, she had planned to hold a grand wedding ceremony. They would rent out an entire majestic castle, inviting every notable person from across the continent to fill the guest seats. Sienna had once dreamed of such a lavish wedding, one unparalleled in history and unlikely to be surpassed in the future. If it were possible, she was even willing to don a wedding gown alongside Anise.
‘Later, later. Not right now….’
Eugene managed to steady his trembling expression. He was relieved that it wasn't an immediate prospect. If they had insisted on a wedding ceremony right away, Eugene would have had no choice but to steadfastly refuse. However, if it was in the future, wasn’t it possible they would have had a change of heart?
"So, what should we do next?" Eugene finally asked after collecting his thoughts.
Before considering the peaceful future, he pondered the ones who needed to be vanquished immediately.
The Abyssal Princess, Iris, who had turned into a great pirate in the South, was a thorn in the side of the Sea Kingdom Shimuin. Initially, Shimuin had clandestinely supported Iris in a bid to control the southern sea. However, it was simply inconceivable for a single kingdom to control a dark elf who had been famous since the era of war centuries ago. Iris’ exploits had now expanded beyond control, and her band of frenzied pirates was not only preying on commercial ships but also military vessels.
The Queen of the Night Demons, Noir Giabella, was another monstrous figure. Defeating a weakened Raizakia had been quite challenging, almost impossible. However, Noir Giabella of this era was on a whole different level.
The demon race fed on human energy and souls. Among them, the Night Demons were a race specifically specialized in draining human energy and their spirit. Noir was a duke with absolute authority within Helmuth, and the two territories she governed, Giabella City and Dreamea, were particularly densely populated by humans within Helmuth.
And that wasn’t all. Under Noir’s command were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Night Demons. Moreover, the Night Demons under her rule weren’t active just in her two territories but had also spread across the continent. Whether through legal or illegal means, they sold dreams desired by humans and gathered energy, which, of course, was surrendered to Noir.
In other words, Noir had been growing stronger every single day for the past three hundred years.
A demon on par with the Demon King — Noir referred to herself as such. It was not an exaggeration. The Queen of the Night Demons, who had been surpassing her prime every day for three hundred years, had now achieved a power worthy of being called a Demon King .
The Blade of Incarceration, Gavid Lindman — Eugene was unable to accurately gauge his power. They had clashed swords in Ruhr, but Gavid had restrained his attacks then. Gavid didn't possess any territory. Although he was the commander of the Black Mist, that was strictly in the capacity of a Commander rather than having the Black Mist as his subjects.
Gavid had no subjects. Having subjects was incredibly important in increasing one's power as a demon, but Gavid was an exception. The reason was the Demonic Sword, Glory, and the Demoneye of Divine Glory. Why would he need to increase his power as a demon when he could freely use the power of the Demon King of Incarceration? If the Demon King of Incarceration had grown stronger over the last few centuries, Gavid could also revel in his master’s growth.
But there were other enemies to kill besides these three. There was an enemy Eugene needed to kill, no matter what.
“You said it was Amelia Merwin, right?” asked Sienna with a scowl. "That despicable wench, she desecrated your grave and turned your corpse into a Death Knight."
Amelia Merwin was one of the Three Mages of Incarceration, the dungeon master of the desert.
Although she was a wizard of this era, she was not to be taken lightly. Even Balzac had said so. Of the three mages, Edmond was likely the most skilled wizard, but the strongest was Amelia.
And Amelia had likely become the new master of Vladmir. She was already irritating and shady, but now, she had likely become the Staff of Incarceration after becoming the master of Vladmir.
"I don't know how powerful the wizards of this era are. Do you think they are stronger than me?" asked Sienna.
"They might be lacking in magic compared to you. However, it won't be easy to kill them either," Eugene answered honestly.
They would have to wage war against the desert kingdom of Nahama to kill Amelia. To make matters worse, all the wizards and dark wizards of the desert dungeon were claimed to be under Amelia's command.
"What about an assassination attempt?"
"We could try, but to assassinate that damned woman, we'd have to infiltrate the desert dungeon."
The desert where Amelia had established herself was famous even in Nahama. It was the Ashur Desert, the death desert, a place where not even the locals dared tread. This entire desert was Amelia's domain.
"The best option would be to lure Amelia out of the desert... but that won't be easy,” said Eugene.
"Should we strike the desert with a meteor shower?" Sienna mumbled. If they were willing to wage war, it was worth considering. "Even if they don't want to, they would have to crawl out if a meteor shower fell on them. It wouldn't matter how deep underground they were hiding. We just need to evaporate the accumulated sand, overturn the ground, and drag them out."
Sienna strongly expressed her killing intent.
The grave and the body were the things she had failed to protect from Vermouth. But then somebody, not even Vermouth, but another dark wizard, created a Death Knight from her beloved Hamel's corpse? It was unforgivable.
"It will be better to take care of Iris first," Anise spoke up. "The death of Edmund didn't prompt any reaction from the Demon King of Incarceration. But it's uncertain whether they will remain silent even after Amelia's death. Plus, there are many issues we'd have to consider before killing Amelia."
But there would be no such issues with Iris. She had lost her territory and left Helmuth. Moreover, Iris had no connections with the Demon King of Incarceration. In addition, if Eugene decided to kill Iris, Shimuin would gladly lend their power.
Killing Iris first would surely provoke reactions from the others.
Amelia was aware of Eugene's intention to kill. Amelia herself also harbored the intent to kill Eugene. Noir wouldn't come to kill Eugene. She was waiting for Eugene to come and kill her. Gavid wouldn't draw his sword until Eugene came to Babel.
"Alright," Sienna nodded. It was still uncertain how much of a ripple effect Iris's death would create. Regardless, Sienna also wanted to kill Iris. She had killed and corrupted countless elves during the war, and Sienna considered her a personal enemy.
That said, they couldn't just go right away. Given how formidable Iris was, they had to make sufficient preparations.
'We have to go home and deal with Raizakia’s corpse as well.' Eugene thought.
He would need to inform Ariartel. The red dragon had been hoping for Raizakia’s death.
"Let's get moving," Sienna stood up, pulling her chair back.
Eugene stared at her with wide eyes. "Where to?"
Sienna snorted before pointing outside the window. Eugene followed her hand and gave a hollow laugh upon seeing their destination. She was pointing towards the heart of the capital, Abram, the royal castle of Aroth.
~
Trempel Vizardo was an Archwizard of the Eighth Circle and the most prominent battle mage in Aroth. In Aroth, his position was that of the commander of the court wizards, but in these peaceful times devoid of war, he had to perform more duties advising the royal family on magic than actual battle mage activities.
Like right now. Trempel scrunched up his face in displeasure, scratching his head in frustration.
It was because of yesterday’s sudden weather change. He had inspected the magic system of the floating station, but there had been no plan for snow yesterday. There was no error in the magic system either.
‘Who on earth could it be?’
The snowfall from yesterday was the work of a mysterious wizard. This unidentified wizard had breached the floating station's magic system, causing snow to fall over the entire capital.
It was truly an unbelievable thing. The floating station, which controlled the capital’s weather and even performed the role of a warp-gate, was under strict security and control. Even within the royal family, only Trempel and a handful of high-ranking court wizards had the ability to interfere with it. Moreover, the interference spell could only be executed here, in the royal castle of Abram. Additionally, the spell could not be activated without the king's approval.
The natural suspects that came to mind were the tower heads of Aroth. It was definitely possible for archwizards in the Eighth Circle to somehow interfere with the floating station. In fact, interference would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t an archwizard.
If he could narrow down the suspects to the tower masters….
Trempel squinted and turned his head.
"Why not be honest at this point?" he asked.
The White Tower Master, Melkith El-Hayah, was the only suspect among the tower masters. Why would the other tower masters do such a thing?
Of course, following a similar logic, there was no reason for Melkith to change the weather either. But Trempel knew all too well that the White Tower Master was not a person who could be understood with common sense.
"White Tower Master. You just returned to Aroth yesterday," Trempel continued with his inquiry.
"No, it wasn't me."
"Who else would do such a thing? Furthermore, the incident occurred on the very day you returned!"
"Why would I do such a thing?!" Melkith yelled out in frustration.
She had just returned the previous day from a lengthy trip. Once back at the White Tower, she had been in the middle of throwing a celebratory party with the other wizards and spirit wizards for her successful contract with Ifrit. That was when Trempel and the court wizards stormed in and arrested her, bringing her all the way here.
"I won't forget this, you old coot. I've told you countless times I'm innocent. Why won't you listen?" Melkith shouted again.
"There are no traces left of interference with the floating station. Only an Archwizard with exceptional and meticulous skills could achieve that."
"Well, I guess I ?am an Archwizard with exceptional and meticulous skills."
"Should I take that as a confession then?" Trempel asked.
He squinted at Melkith. Although he had brought her in, she was a tower master, and there wasn’t clear evidence. He couldn't use strong interrogation methods, either.
"But I didn't do it! Why would I make it snow!?"
"There's a precedent. White Tower Master, no, Melkith El-Hayah. You created thunderstorms in the past when you wanted to form a pact with the Spirit King of Lightning." Trempel tried explaining patiently.
"I've already paid for that! The royal family of Aroth confiscated all my wealth at the time! Do you know how miserable and hard it was for me? I was penniless and even had to sell my mansion! I was living in the White Tower!" Melkith sounded indignant.
Furthermore, this had happened decades ago. Melkith shivered when she recalled the unpleasant memory.
She wished she could summon the Spirit Kings and raise a storm, but it was impossible to cast even the simplest magic in Abram. The only ones who could use magic in this white palace were the royal family and the court magicians who had sworn loyalty to the royal family.
"And! The thunderstorm I conjured! I conjured it such that it only covered my mansion, didn’t I?"
"I don't understand why you are upset. Of course, the thunderstorm only occurred over your property. But didn't dozens of lightning bolts scatter in all directions?" Trempel asked after a pause.
"There were no casualties!" Melkith argued back.
"That was a divine providence. If there were any casualties, not only would your assets have been confiscated, but you would also have been on the gallows!"
"Hmm... let's not talk about the past. I was immature… and... in the end, didn't my pact with the Spirit King of Lightning significantly raise the prestige of the Magic Kingdom of Aroth? I did it for Aroth!" Melkith proclaimed while puffing up her chest.
Trempel gritted his teeth, feeling his fist clenching. He had to take a deep breath to collect himself.
"Fortunately, no accidents occurred due to yesterday's snow. There were no casualties. It wasn't as dangerous as lightning. If you admit your crime now, I will ensure that it ends with a fine, not the confiscation of all your assets. What do you say?"
"Ah, no, I didn't do it. Why won't you listen to me? Why would I make it snow, huh?" said Melkith, exasperated.
"You might have made it snow to contract with the Spirit King of Snow."
"That’s... hmm, I'll try that somewhere other than Aroth in the future. Anyway, I didn't do it." Melkith crossed her arms and cocked her head. "I admit. I do look suspicious. But I really didn't do it, okay? And it wasn't just me who returned to Aroth yesterday. What about the Red Tower Master! Lovellian Sophis! Why didn't you arrest that guy?"
"The Red Tower Master would not do such a thing," Trempel stated flatly.
"That's what you call prejudice! Why do you think I would do it and the Red Tower Master wouldn't? He may have been building his image to take advantage of such a crucial moment!"
"Nonsense…."
"Or Balzac Ludbeth! That bastard is super suspicious. He hasn’t returned to Aroth yet, has he? It could all be a show! He may be sneaking around plotting something."
"Are you implying Balzac is your accomplice?"
"Look, Trempel, you seem to have no talent for leading an investigation," Melkith declared.
Trempel scowled even more and checked the system of the floating station.
"Or... it could be the work of a spy from another country who has infiltrated Aroth. Yesterday's snow could have been a test for a larger terrorist attack...! Trempel! We don't have time for you to detain me and talk nonsense. Someone might be planning a catastrophic attack on the capital or a coup against the royal family!"
Normally, Trempel would dismiss such words as nonsense, but he could not afford to right now. In the first place, he had detained Melkith because he had similar suspicions.
Interfering with the magic system of the floating station meant being able to create meteorological changes in the capital at will. Normally, the floating station was sure to prevent weather disasters, but what if someone could freely unlock the limits? And if, by chance, they could interfere with the warp-gate, it could truly result in a catastrophic loss of life.
"....We’re already investigating that. You are the likeliest of the suspects, which is why I'm interrogating you myself."
“Don’t you have any video records?”
“If we had such things, I would not be questioning you right now. The culprit left no traces. Not even a shadow.”
“Fine. I’ll cooperate. We’ll catch the culprit together. We don’t have time! A devastating plan that threatens Aroth might be closing in! Even Abram might be under direct—”
Rumbleeee!
Before she could finish, the ground began to shake under their feet.
Trempel jumped up from his seat and glared at Melkith.
“Melkith El-Haya! You are under arrest for treason against the royal family!”
“Y-you’ve already arrested me, so what are you saying!? Y-you, you do not think that an accomplice is here to rescue me or something, right?”
Even Melkith had to admit that the timing had been immaculate.