The people gathered in the meeting offered various opinions. They devised many strategies, and on the spot, they rejected or discarded some, while accepting and refining others.
Four mayors, the chief administrators of Tirna, had gathered. Considering that another mayor was a traitor who had fled, this gathering could practically be considered the entirety of the city.
"More importantly, do we know where Solenon has fled to?"
Aspirex asked. What mattered now was Solenon's whereabouts.
Deliphiros pondered for a moment before answering.
"It won't be Tirna. After suffering such humiliation, remaining in this city would be foolish. That means he crossed the border at the very least and went somewhere else, and there is a place I suspect."
Deliphiros let out a small laugh. It was a smile that seemed somewhat troubled at a glance.
"The Kingdom of Baienrus."
As that name was mentioned, sighs flowed from the mayors' mouths. The reactions of the others were not much different. Only Osian, who knew nothing about history, looked puzzled as to why they were reacting that way.
Loraine tactfully explained and Osian nodded, going "Ah," understanding.
Mayor Mowen added to the explanation.
"It's laughable to say they don't have good relations. They're practically a mortal enemy nation to us."
After hearing the explanation that followed, Osian could understand why the mayors had reacted that way.
The Kingdom of Baienrus, once an empire but now reduced to a kingdom as its power waned, was a hostile nation that had been obstructing Tirna for a long time.
The war that occurred decades ago. The nation that led that war, which brought terrible trench warfare and inflicted massive damage on Tirna, was none other than the Kingdom of Baienrus. Considering that the Eternal Church had hidden and grown its power during that war, it was inevitable that the mayors would hate them.
This was especially true for Mowen, Aspirex, and Rumpelstiltskin, who had held mayoral positions even back then.
"Honestly, I didn't want to believe it either, but as a result of secretly tracking the movements and funds of those Solenon had been dealing with, I discovered that flow heading toward Baienrus. Seeing that it's been continuing from long ago......"
"Even that war back then might have had his influence on it."
At Rumpelstiltskin's words, Deliphiros nodded.
There was no telling how long Solenon had been doing these things. That name, which could only be seen in history books, had continued into the modern era. That span of time was so long that an ordinary person couldn't even dream of it. And Solenon, said to possess the greatest wisdom of his time, would do anything to survive.
He didn't act recklessly. If he did something, he did it thoroughly. Based on his brilliant mind, he laid a solid foundation and prepared several backup plans in case things went wrong.
There was no way his reach had remained only in Tirna. That was too optimistic a hope.
"It might not be just Baienrus. Perhaps even other nations......"
Tirna already didn't have good relations with neighboring nations. They had thought there were good reasons for that until now, but thinking that Solenon's influence had been involved made their spines run cold.
"What matters most would be the Kingdom of Baienrus. A nation ruled by a foolish king who still calls himself emperor. Since Solenon has hidden there, it's quite understandable. Should I say he went to a perfectly fitting place?"
"The problem is that Solenon has joined hands with the Outer Gods. And the fact that he left for the Kingdom of Baienrus means......"
"The king of Baienrus. The Oppressor, Josef Joachim has also joined hands with them."
This wasn't Tirna's problem. It was a matter of humanity's extinction. Yet here they were about to be tied down by international politics.
"First, we need to send letters to other countries as quickly as possible."
"We need to quickly settle Tirna's internal problems too. Since we can't do everything, we should put out the most urgent fire first."
Not much time had passed since the attack by Wilde Jagd. The mayors' expressions grew heavy when they thought of the world's destruction. They had never not felt the weight of pressure since taking the position of mayor. But this matter was different.
Naturally, their gazes turned toward Osian. A knight who had come from the distant past. Because there might be some answer within him.
Everyone gathered there, including the mayors, looked at Osian.
"......"
Osian remained expressionless as always. It was hard to tell whether he had been listening to the conversation or not. But with this much attention focused on him, he too would have to speak.
"What must be done doesn't change."
Osian raised his sword.
"When enemies come, I cut them down. That's all."
It was a simple and even clear answer. Naturally, reactions were divided. The minority of knights present at the gathering, including Asmer, were impressed by Osian's words. On the other hand, the rest looked at him as if asking whether he was serious.
"Do you think international politics is a joke?"
One of the mayor's guards, unable to hold back, stepped forward and spoke. He was part of the elf division led by Mowen.
"Then let me ask you. Do you think the world's destruction is a joke?"
"Wh-what?"
"Solenon made a deal, and what's approaching this world is a monster that will devour the entire world. The Primordial Void, a being that exists to extinguish all light in the universe. When such a thing is coming, what does international politics matter?"
The elf man's lips moved as if trying to retort, but he couldn't get the words out. Osian was right. International politics was important. In modern times, it was an absolutely essential element.
But could that be compared to the world's destruction? If the world perished, humanity would disappear. The brilliant civilization they created and the nations they built would all collapse.
The history that existed in the past, the lives that currently exist and even the future filled with possibilities, everything would be annihilated.
"I am here to fight. You say it's the world's destruction? Then I will become its destruction. Killing it and protecting the world from destruction once again is my calling."
Osian's voice was calm. It was so emotionally restrained that it was hard to believe the world stood on the brink of destruction. Perhaps that's why it resonated more deeply in their hearts.
Everyone nodded with firm expressions.
At this moment everyone's hearts became one.
The mayors left. The aides and guards who were there to protect the mayors did the same. However, there were still people who hadn't completely left.
Eldin, who had come along with Mowen, was one of them.
"Do you have business with me?"
"The sword. Show it to me."
Osian glanced at Eldin. Asking a knight for his sword was a very rude remark. However, Eldin was the blacksmith who had made Osian's sword so he immediately handed over the sword.
Eldin, who drew the blade from its sheath, carefully examined the blade.
"Amazing. You used it so roughly, yet there's surprisingly no damage to the sword. And rather, it seems to have become stronger by absorbing purer energy than before."
"Is that a good thing?"
"It's a good thing. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to work on. Give me 3 days. No, just give me exactly 2 days. Then I'll properly complete this sword."
To complete the sword. The weight of those words was by no means light.
In the case of a craftsman like Eldin, they especially didn't use the word "complete." No matter how much heart and soul they poured into making something, there would inevitably be flaws, however minor.
And yet Eldin had spoken the word "complete."
Eldin never spoke carelessly, which meant she had clearly seen that possibility.
The longsword that had grown stronger by absorbing the energy of the sun, moon, and stars. The time had come to put the finishing touch on this sword, which had now become more powerful than any supreme divine sword.
"......Can you do it?"
"The years I've lived as a craftsman might be for this very moment. I'm not joking. It's not a question of whether I can or can't do it, but something I absolutely must do."
Eldin's expression was as resolute as a soldier before going to war. Osian knew well the faces of people who looked like that.
"Will 2 days be enough?"
It meant he could extend the time if it wasn't enough. Eldin shook her head. This was also a matter of a craftsman's pride.
"The promised time is 2 days. I don't want more than that either."
Osian nodded in understanding. Eldin said she couldn't delay even an hour, left a greeting with Osian, and quickly departed with the sword.
Osian felt strangely empty, but he wasn't anxious about it.
"Truly remarkable."
This time, it was Cromwell who approached Osian. While the mayors were gathered here, Cromwell had been quietly waiting in a guest room on the second floor. Since he was officially a criminal, it would have been quite awkward for him to face them.
"What business do you have now?"
"Remember the promise I made last time? That I'd extract the energy from that ruin you came from and give it to you."
"Ah. Right. That was a thing."
The recent events had been so extraordinary that he had momentarily forgotten.
"It's finally ready."
Cromwell handed Osian a small box. It was a size that could be held in one hand. When Osian checked the contents, there was a large pearl inside.
No. It wasn't a pearl.
"This is......"
"I scraped together all the energy remaining in the place where you awakened and stored it here."
This was probably an ordinary stone originally. The energy Osian possessed had infused it, transforming it to its current state. Just like the moonstone the Goldiron family possessed that day.
Osian carefully held the stone in his hand. Though it looked like a pearl, iridescent colors were rippling across its surface in real time. The moment he gazed at it intently, the light from the stone began to intensify.
The flowing light spread like a heat haze and was absorbed into Osian's body. The power dwelling in the stone was the same. The more it seeped into Osian's body through the palm gripping it tightly, the more the stone was returning to its original, ordinary appearance.
Cromwell and the other Violet Fox members watched the scene while holding their breath.
The stone, which had lost its light and color, fell from Osian's hand. Having finally absorbed all the power, Osian closed his eyes and savored it.
The amount of power wasn't that tremendous. Compared to the power he possessed, what had just been filled was merely like adding one ladle to a vast lake.
But that one ladle became the last piece of a puzzle that hadn't fit together.
The power wasn't simply energy. Within it were memories he had forgotten all this time.
Those memories were the same as what he had known during his gaming days. What monsters he had defeated, what fields he had crossed, what adventures he had experienced.
However, if there was a difference. This memory wasn't simply viewing a world beyond a computer monitor.
'This is experience. The experience of me directly walking, moving, and swinging a sword.'
As if he had experienced it himself, the situations from that time came back clearly. No. Not "as if." He had actually had those experiences.
He defeated all the beings threatening the world, and in the end, even defeated the god that had been oppressing this world.
At the end of that, he possessed the qualification of an Ascendant and ascended to the heavens.
He would have become one of the star barriers, just as the ancestors who possessed the qualification of ascension in the distant past had done but Osian didn't do that.
'I've remembered everything.'
Why didn't he ascend? Why did he give up becoming part of the star curtain and fall to the earth? It was all because it was futile.
'Ascendants become the star curtain. The star curtain prevents beings from outside from invading this world. In a way, even after ascending to the heavens, Ascendants repeat an endless fight to protect the world once again.'
The Nord people of the north had a similar tale. Warriors who experienced an honorable death are reborn in the eternal land and continue an endless war. And that this is incomparable and pure glory to them.
That was true. The star curtain was such a thing. However, Osian, who was about to ascend at the time, clearly recognized that limitation.
'The star curtain alone ultimately cannot stop the enemy's invasion.'
The world changes. As civilization developed, the light it created penetrated through the star curtain and extended to the distant universe. The beings attracted to it would continue to increase, and eventually the star curtain would be torn.
No. Cracks had already formed. Due to the decreased number of Ascendants, the star curtain had weakened, and as the light of civilization grew stronger, the thickness of the curtain had thinned.
And now a being that even the curtain couldn't handle was approaching.
The Osian of that time knew such a future. The star curtain was ultimately just a stopgap measure, not a fundamental solution.
So he fell and scattered light upon the earth.
That wasn't because he failed to ascend, but rather a quite intentional act. The light he scattered wasn't a loss of power.
He had sown seeds in the world.