Episode 155 The Empire's Turmoil (5)
[Oh, a wager? Hehehe— That's interesting. Let's hear it.]
The gist of what followed was…
That since he, the Saint, couldn't fully focus on the Immortal King if a large-scale war broke out through the Rohan Duchy, they should put the war aside and decide the winner in a different way.
[Ah— How boring. You didn't think I would accept such a simple offer, did you?]
The Immortal King's cold response was what everyone, who had been listening to their conversation in the midst of the battle, had expected.
The premise of this offer was that there had to be an element that would pique his interest, so if he couldn't present a solution, the conversation couldn't progress any further.
Just as Heinrich was about to speak again…
[…No, wait, it doesn't sound bad for a bit of amusement. Heh, I just had an interesting idea.]
And the interesting idea he came up with was…
A kind of board game— using the entire continent as the board.
The Immortal King would attack a specific location, and the hero would defend it.
If the defense failed, it would naturally lead to humanity's loss, and if it succeeded, they could pick off the Immortal King's forces that participated in the attack.
The hero's victory condition was to defend against the Immortal King's relentless attacks, head towards the demon king's castle, and defeat him.
Defeat, of course, meant the destruction of the continent, which had become the board.
[Of course, since I'm accepting the offer, there should also be a penalty for you, right?]
Hans chuckled sinisterly, as if he had found a loophole, and slowly added.
[First, there will be no notification about the time and place. I'm just going to destroy wherever I want, whenever I feel like it. As a Saint, you should be able to handle that much, right?]
"Ugh…!"
And about the time limit of this 'game'.
[Second, I'll entertain you for three years. I don't want to drag this boring wager on for too long! Hehehe, I'm looking forward to seeing if you can come and take my head within that time. The wait will be a different kind of amusement!]
Hans laughed, as if he was interested in the new distraction.
And so, the wager between the hero, who was trying to prevent a large-scale war and minimize casualties, and the evil Immortal King, who only pursued his own amusement, was made.
It was a condition that couldn't be worse for humanity…
…Or so everyone thought and let their guard down.
[And third…]
His next words followed—.
And his gaze, as if containing the abyss, turned to a corner of the battlefield.
____________________
When the Fifth Princess and the Crown Prince joined forces,
"It's been a while, Riley. It seems like you've been living comfortably without me. You've gained a lot of weight."
"Did you have a good trip to the summit, brother? I feel sorry for the Church. Every time you go somewhere, a disaster occurs, it's like you're cursed by the Main God."
They greeted each other with smiles and insults.
The Crown Prince didn't hesitate to use all sorts of dirty tricks to keep Fifth Princess Riley in check as she gradually grew stronger and threatened his position, and she had no choice but to become even more ruthless to counter him…
Their relationship was already beyond repair.
But they didn't openly antagonize each other because of the current situation and because neutral personnel from the capital defense force were also present.
It was the duty of royalty to consider even this situation politically.
And as they were making their way to the cathedral with an uneasy truce,
They were eventually trapped by the immortal army, which seemed to have been waiting for them…
…And that led to their encounter with the Immortal King.
'Should I have tried to escape with Riley no matter what?'
Wooong—!
Magic power surged from Isea's body.
It continued endlessly without stopping…
Crack—!
And the massive energy, woven according to a specific law, finally manifested in the world as an ultimate ice magic.
[Kraaagh! You little human, how dare you!]
Crackle!
Arch-Lich Dwell, who barely blocked the attack, cursed in frustration, his entire body covered in frost.
He had been barely avoiding direct hits, but he had already lost countless undead to her relentless magic.
And they were all useful subordinates, high-ranking undead!
'She was just struggling to buy time and being cautious when she was with Karam, but now that I'm facing her directly, it's hell!'
That Karam was currently busy blocking an old knight and couldn't afford to pay attention to anything else.
The other executives were also busy with their own tasks.
The only ones who were leisurely in this battlefield were the Immortal King and the hero, who were having a conversation.
'I have to admit it. That little girl is superior to me as a mage.'
He felt his pride crumbling, considering her young appearance, but he could at least accept it because she was a genius of the century.
And what Dwell couldn't understand the most was…
'How can a human have this much magic power! She's still full of energy after unleashing so many high-level spells!'
Her magic power, which overwhelmed even him, who had lived for a long time, was the problem.
And he was even receiving indirect support from dark magic power through his subordination to the Immortal King!
He couldn't comprehend it.
"Whew."
Isea sighed lightly, ignoring Dwell's thoughts, and raised the magic power that was starting to replenish in her body.
Actually, there was no special secret to her endless magic power.
It was just the effect of her unique skill, "Infinite Energy".
Thanks to that skill, which explosively increased the amount of energy she could handle, the amount of magic power she could use was practically infinite.
And since she was an Archmage, output wasn't a problem either, so if she was given enough time, she could unleash high-level magic nonstop.
'But since I invested most of my Karma in that stat to learn magic, the enhancement level of my unique skill isn't that high.'
But even at this level, she could have combat endurance that ordinary mages couldn't even dream of.
Of course, such an advantage was meaningless against someone like the Immortal King, but…
She turned her head to grasp the situation while preparing new magic, not forgetting to bombard him with what she had already prepared.
[KuoOoooooh—!]
[Kyaaaaaah—!]
Boom!
Rumble!
The first thing she saw was two Bone Dragons pounding on the imperial palace's barrier in the distance and the magic circle trying to intercept them.
She thought Marquis Lawrence's magic support had been cut off, but judging by the barrier's faint radiance, it seemed like he had pushed himself to the limit and couldn't provide any more support.
[Ignoring me…!]
She ignored the Arch-Lich in front of her, who was cursing, and turned her gaze to the other battlefields.
Slash—!
Clang!
[Kraaagh!]
"Ugh! You Ghoul!"
On one side of the battlefield, Conwell, the captain of the Royal Knights, was pushing back the Death Knight Lord who had been giving her a hard time, and on the other side, the captain of the Imperial Guard was facing the Ghoul Lord, who was charging at him with its massive, gaping maw.
"Hahaha! Be destroyed!"
And a giant figure, covered in dark red scales, was spinning like a top with an undead in each hand, wreaking havoc on the enemy ranks…
Whoosh— Boom!
[Reaching your limit—? I can feel your fear—!]
"Bullshit!"
Isea quietly nodded, seemingly relieved after confirming Count Garfield, who was resisting the giant Dread Phantom.
The battles between the Empire's knight orders and the immortal army were also generally going in a similar direction, so there didn't seem to be anything to worry about.
'There's no place where we're being significantly pushed back, perhaps because the Immortal King isn't involved. That side is a bit unsettling, though.'
Her gaze turned back to where Count Garfield was.
He was visibly exhausted, as the continuous battles were taking their toll, since he didn't have any skill or stat buffs.
It was only natural, considering he had been pouring out his magic power with her to buy time against the Death Knight Lord, a formidable opponent.
But the important thing right now wasn't those battlefields.
Isea turned her head towards the most important space in this area.
Where Immortal King Hans and Saint Heinrich were.
Their conversation, which had been going on for a while, was nearing its end.
[…I'm looking forward to seeing if you can come. The wait will be a different kind of amusement!]
With an unexpected development that she… no, no one could have predicted.
'…What is that? Is he really crazy? …No, he's definitely crazy.'
The Immortal King, who was willing to use the continent as a chessboard just for fun, and the Saint, who accepted it to prevent greater damage.
'No, wait, was it the Saint who suggested it first? Anyway, that's a relief. Things seem to be working out because he's a madman. …But they wouldn't just finish each other off here after having that kind of conversation, would they?'
She felt relieved that she hadn't acted rashly.
If she had left the battlefield with Riley, as she had initially planned, when the situation became a bit difficult, the Fifth Princess's political standing would have been significantly weakened.
'Actually, I couldn't do it because it would have been even more dangerous to be caught by the undead executives while separated from the guards. But it's a good thing the situation is ending well… Huh?'
Just as she was letting her guard down,
[And third…]
Immortal King Hans spoke softly,
And turned his head towards her.
A gaze that seemed to contain the abyss, freezing her soul just by meeting it.
And the thought that the mask fragment on his skull definitely looked like a part of a Hahoe mask wasn't important right now.
Rumble—!
Crackle!
She was just a little late in noticing because she had been distracted, but…
Dozens of abyssal snakes erupted from all directions in that instant, and countless sword lights blocked them all, and even a giant sword of light slashed at the Immortal King's barrier, all happening simultaneously.
"Hannibal!"
[Ah— Calm down. It's just a necessary procedure.]
A massive shockwave swept the surroundings as the Immortal King and the hero suddenly clashed, and everyone raised their tension, preparing for any contingency.
But there was someone who was already too late to respond…
"Gah!"
Count Garfield, who had been struggling to keep the Dread Phantom in check despite his exhaustion, coughed up black blood.
Several abyssal snakes that had surged from the ground had pierced his body, wrapped themselves around him, and were sucking his blood from his neck.
"Count Garfield!"
"What's this?!"
The Crown Prince and the imperial knights roared in shock, and Heinrich also twisted his face and raised his holy sword again.
But at that moment,
Whoosh—!
An overwhelming energy erupted from Immortal King Hans's body and enveloped the surroundings.
A terrifying presence that rapidly grew in strength, as if everything before had been just a joke.
Thick, abyssal energy, containing death, not ordinary dark magic power… started to consume the capital's barrier and dye the surroundings with darkness.
Crackle—!
Sparks flew from the boundary between the two energies as they clashed.
Even the undead within that range were freed from the barrier's influence, and their presence started to grow stronger.
Fortunately, the cursed energy didn't have much effect on the humans thanks to Heinrich, who was spreading his holy aura and protecting them.
But while he was distracted by the Immortal King's presence and couldn't pay attention to everything,
[There should be a prize for the wager.]
"Gah— Gah!"
By the time everyone came to their senses from the sudden change, the Crown Prince, who had been protected by the deceased Count Garfield, was already in the Immortal King's hands.
"Your Highness!"
"You bastard, Immortal King!"
The place instantly became chaotic as the enraged imperial knights and the undead blocking their path clashed, but…
Isea couldn't afford to pay attention to that.
It wasn't because she disliked the Crown Prince.
The Immortal King, Hans, whose gaze was unfocused, turned his head towards her, and their eyes met.
A chilling shiver ran down her spine as she met his abyssal eye sockets.
'…Riley!'
Her thoughts accelerated as her mental strength surged the moment she sensed danger.
In slow motion, her head slowly turned towards Riley, who was next to her, and the magic power filling her body moved like a torrent, instantly forming the magic she desired.
'It's okay. I set up a barrier around Riley before the battle, and I also have a magic tool with me, so if I can just buy some time…'
Quick situation assessment, devising countermeasures, and a spell on the verge of completion.
She made up her mind in an instant.
To get Riley out of here, even if she had to push herself.
But…
When her head completely turned,
[Uhuhu… What a beautiful young lady… It reminds me of my younger days…]
"Gasp?"
Banshee Queen Olivia, who had appeared without a trace, was already hugging Princess Riley from behind.
"…No!"
Her magic power went out of control.
She forcibly twisted the structure of the spell that was almost complete in her body and changed its purpose.
"Ugh—!"
Blood flowed back from Isea's nose and mouth.
But this was fine. She could still use magic.
And so, a magic circle to rescue Riley from the ghost was instantly deployed around her—.
[Ugh—! How long are you going to ignore me, little human—!]
Crackle!
But it momentarily malfunctioned because of the sudden interference of dark magic power.
"Ah?"
She only lost control of her magic power for a brief moment, but that short time was enough for Olivia to move to the Immortal King's side with the princess.
"Ugh!"
[Your Majesty… I have brought her…]
[Hmm— Yes, two is better than one.]
While Olivia was bringing the princess, Hans, who had clashed with Heinrich again, slowly stepped back and nodded.
Crown Prince Simon and Fifth Princess Riley, the two most likely candidates for the next emperor, had become the Immortal King's captives.
Isea, who was looking at them with a bewildered expression, turned her gaze, twisted with rage, towards Dwell.
"You, you… you—!"
Her body trembled with anger, and "Infinite Energy" activated endlessly, causing a massive amount of magic power to flow out.
She glared at Dwell for a moment and then turned her head to look at the princess, her face so pale that she almost looked like an undead.
Blood was even trickling down from her nose and mouth due to the aftereffects of her excessive magic power manipulation…
But the only reason she wasn't acting recklessly was because of her strong rationality, honed to the level of an Archmage.
Even though she was enraged and dizzy with confusion, a part of her mind was calmly assessing the situation and controlling her body.
She knew that recklessly charging in wouldn't help.
"No! Duke Conwell! Conwell! Save me! No! I'm… I'm going to be the Emperor of this Empire… Ugh!"
"Whew, whew—"
Simon struggled and then had his mouth covered, while Riley calmly tried to maintain her composure by taking deep breaths.
[I'll be content with these for now. Try your best. I'll let you live for now, but I can't guarantee how long you'll last with those human bodies. Hehehe—.]
And so, the two most likely candidates for the next emperor—.
Fell into the hands of Immortal King Hans.