Episode 209 For Worse (1)
The Roselia Cathedral, located in the heart of the holy land, was the center of the Main God Church, the largest religion in Auterica. It boasted a vast scale, incomparable to other cathedrals in other regions.
Not only did many high-ranking officials, including the Pope and the Saintess, reside here, but the political, administrative, and intelligence work they handled was also continental in scope, so it was only natural.
And most of the headquarters of the holy knight orders and the Heresy Inquisitors, who were dispatched to other regions, were also located here.
And on one side of the vast grounds, there were many lodging buildings prepared for distinguished guests visiting from outside…
"Whew— I'm exhausted."
In one of them, the lodging for the Azeria Empire's delegation,
Princess Riley, who had just returned from the meeting, collapsed onto the sofa in her office, groaning.
Her entire body was aching because the meeting, which had started around lunchtime, had only ended late at night, but it couldn't be helped because the agenda item that had suddenly come up was urgent.
"…Princess Riley? Please maintain your composure. This isn't the imperial palace."
"Huh? Ah, come on, it doesn't matter. We're the only ones here. Let's just relax, I'm tired, Sister Seah."
Isea frowned at her behavior, but Riley just lay down on the sofa.
The Church had provided each delegation with a separate lodging building, so they could relax more comfortably without worrying about the other factions.
And they had dismissed all their attendants as soon as they arrived at the lodging.
So there was no problem, as only those Riley was comfortable with were left.
"…But it's not good to be so sloppy in front of Heron…"
"Hmm? Me? Ah, Master. What's the big deal? We've already seen each other at our best and worst while we were stuck in the Immortal Fortress. This is nothing!"
Hesperon, who had followed them to the office, immediately chimed in when he heard his name.
He had been acting a bit dazed since earlier, but it seemed like he wasn't completely out of it.
"Oh—? What kind of relationship is that?"
Of course, Isea's eyes narrowed at his careless remark.
"No… wait, Heron! What do you mean 'at our worst'? It wasn't that bad, was it? It was just an unavoidable problem because of the harsh environment! …A-and the situation we were in!"
Riley jumped up from the sofa, her face flushed, and protested, but…
The brief commotion didn't last long and quickly subsided.
They had been chatting casually to take a break, but they couldn't afford to worry about such trivial matters because the reality before them was too daunting.
"A large-scale attack by the Immortal Army… What do you think, sister?"
"…Honestly, it's already a close call. The monsters rampaging everywhere, the White Giants suddenly appearing, and the Immortal Army's periodic attacks. And now those attacks are going to intensify…"
They had been doing relatively well so far, considering that the Immortal King had descended upon them.
The casualties weren't insignificant, but at least the other countries, except for the Rohan Duchy, hadn't suffered enough damage to threaten their existence.
But as Saint Heinrich had said, if large-scale attacks began, most countries would face great difficulties in maintaining their current societies.
Some might even collapse like the Rohan Duchy.
'Of course, excluding the Talia Kingdom, whose regime has already been replaced.'
Hesperon, who had been listening to their conversation blankly, nodded silently.
He had always been a bit clueless, but it was especially bad today.
It was because of the heated debate going on in his mind.
-Hannibal Strauss: The preparations are almost complete. When should we attack? I will not accept any objections.
The one who started it was the cause of all this,
Immortal King Hannibal Strauss.
-Heinz the Second: I disagree, but if we must attack, it would be best to do it after the summit. If things happen too quickly, it'll disrupt our plans.
-Heinrich: No, we should stop him now. Hans is moving too recklessly. We still have a lot of time, there's no need to rush!
-Harley: I'm hungry, let's eat! We should add ten servings of meat to tonight's snack!
-Hubert: Tsk, he's definitely going to do it, isn't he? Then we should use this opportunity to eliminate that annoying merchant alliance. It'll be efficient.
-Harris: Ah… this is annoying… Should we just quit everything…?
-Howard: Ugh, that stubborn bastard! Is he really going to do it? Then at least don't cause any trouble near Tarak! I'm at a crucial moment right now. Something I've been working on for a long time is about to be completed!
-Hugo: Ugh, this is crazy. Hans, please!
…As expected, they all had distinct personalities and were showing various reactions.
Some of the avatars were even suggesting compromises, as if they had given up on stopping him.
It was a very 'Han Seong-hyeon'-like sight, selfish and self-centered.
'If my main body was awake, I wouldn't need this process, we would just move as one… This is a bit difficult.'
It felt like he was staggering even just by walking because he was trying to move with only his limbs, his brain asleep.
They all wanted to go in the same direction, but their strides and centers of gravity were all different, making it a headache.
-Hesperon: Can't we just not do it…? Sigh, whatever. Let's just be moderate.
He also added his timid opinion and then turned his attention back to the women.
His internal meeting was dragging on, but it had a minimal impact on the real world, so they were still continuing their previous conversation.
"The Saint said he can foresee the Immortal King's attacks. All we can do is work harder. We need to quickly check our forces…"
"…Riley, are you sure it's okay for me to leave? What if something dangerous happens while I'm gone?"
"I'll be fine. Actually, I'm more worried about you, Sister Seah. I'll just be stuck in the imperial palace and protected, what could be dangerous?"
The succession to the throne was already in its final stages.
Her political rivals were starting to back down, and the neutral faction, led by Marquis Lawrence, the head of the imperial palace's magic tower, had already decided to support her.
Her safety was practically guaranteed, at least within the imperial palace.
"And Heron is here too, so it'll be fine. He said he can't teleport yet because of what happened before, but… he's an ability user who escaped from the Immortal King, after all."
"Huh? Ahaha… You're putting a lot of pressure on me."
Hesperon chuckled awkwardly as Riley glanced at him.
Isea sighed deeply and shook her head at him.
"Sigh— I still have so much to teach Heron. To think he would think it's not dangerous after just a few days of being in the expedition…"
Not only the White Giant incident, but now the Immortal Army season 2.
And it was obvious that this situation would continue until they properly defeated the Immortal King.
"…It won't get any worse, right?"
Isea chuckled wryly.
It was just a casual remark, a worry just in case, but surprisingly, it hit the nail on the head.
'Famous last words' existed for a reason.
Three days passed.
The last day of the second Continental Summit was approaching.
______________
The World Tree, towering high into the sky.
This massive tree, the symbol of the Elves' faith, was so large that it could be seen from anywhere in the Enamel Continent.
Naturally, it was an object of awe for other races.
The non-human races of the Enamel Continent hadn't rejected each other's faiths and even had regular exchanges, so they were relatively close.
Unlike the Ion Continent, where humans were the majority, this was a paradise for non-humans, where various races gathered and formed their own countries and societies.
But not all races were welcomed here—.
And one of the most ostracized races was the vampires.
They were a race that most intelligent beings, not just humans, avoided because of their unusual nature of preying on the blood of others.
So most of the vampires chose to stay in the Ion Continent during the Great Migration.
Humans were much more appealing prey than non-humans, as they had no choice but to live hidden and parasitic on other races.
And the race that was ostracized as much as vampires was…
Lycanthropes, the so-called werewolves.
"Hehehe~! It's starting. My children! Heh!"
On a night with a full moon,
A frivolous voice echoed from a mountain where the World Tree looked quite large, as if it was nearby, and at the same time,
Growl—
Grrr! Woof—!
Blood-red ghost fires started to glow one by one around him, accompanied by the chilling howls of beasts consumed by their primal instincts.
"Then~ shall we begin the clown show? Hehehehehe—!"
And his voice, which had been high-pitched, gradually deepened as he spoke, eventually turning into the growl of a beast.
They were similar to beastmen at first glance, but they were fundamentally different.
Lycanthropes were a race whose potential grew by devouring the hearts of their prey, and they were inherently born with dark magic power… They were practically monsters.
They were also a race that wasn't welcomed anywhere because of their ferocity, targeting the hearts of not only monsters, but even other intelligent beings.
If Hans hadn't discovered Heaven's Turn Society's 'Complete Evolution Project' on Earth, Harley might have ended up like them.
"Hahaha—! Now then, let's go rip open the bellies of those pigs steeped in peace!"
And countless black shadows followed the grotesque laughter of the monster leading them,
Sneaking through the mountains of the Enamel Continent under the cover of darkness.
______________
The eastern part of the Ion Continent, the Zepia Republic.
"Are the preparations… complete…?"
"Yes, Lord. We can begin whenever you command."
A cracked old man's voice and a seductive woman's voice exchanged words in a vast cavern filled with darkness.
"How… were you able to… make it in time…?"
"It's all thanks to your presence, Lord. It would have been impossible otherwise…"
The woman's silhouette bowed before the small old man's shadow in the darkness.
"You know… the situation… right…?"
"Yes, Ufersh and Brokoslack joined forces and are swallowing up the lower clans. I didn't expect them to go that far, but they'll regret their choice."
The woman answered confidently to the old man's slow question.
It couldn't be helped, as they had invested a very long… an incredibly long time in this.
Their lord hadn't even hesitated to join forces with those pests from Heaven's Turn Society.
"I don't know what he was thinking, making such a reckless move, but it's absurd to think he can forcibly merge all those bloodlines and rule them all. The Vampire Clan Alliance Hybrid, that fool must think he's the King of Vampires."
The woman mocked, her voice filled with scorn.
The small old man looked down at her, then slowly opened his mouth.
"Then… begin immediately…"
"Your will be done."
And with those words,
The legend that had been dormant in the eastern region of the continent for a long time, the Obaifo Clan, started to move.
And the suspicious movements didn't stop there.
"Hurry up, you idiots!"
"Ugh! Y-yes, High Chieftain!"
"Damn it, if it hadn't been for that Revolutionary bastard, we could have finished this sooner!"
Not only in the Tribal Federation in the southern part of the continent,
"Are the preparations complete?"
"Yes, everything is done as you commanded. But Duke, are you sure it's okay to proceed like this…?"
"Hehe, it's all for the sake of our Empire. We need to buy time until His Highness the Crown Prince returns. Don't tell me you think that lowly bloodline is worthy of the throne?"
"T-that's absurd!"
But also in Jeron, the capital of the Azeria Empire.
The seeds of chaos, which had been dormant in every corner of Auterica, started to sprout all at once.