Chapter 224 Identification
The interior of the ruins, revealed as Suggestion, was smooth without a single rough edge.
Though old dust had settled, there wasn't the slightest sign of damage, as if it had been built only yesterday. Constantly offsetting external shocks below a certain threshold, ignoring the weathering of time.
The hallmark of architectural techniques born of the Magic Nation, utilizing magic power.
'...Quiet.'
Verden arrived at the bottom of the stairs.
A door wide open. Inside, a broad corridor could be seen. On the floor, footprints stamped not too long ago remained clearly among the dust.
The traces of Seekers.
No signs of life could be felt.
He calmly raised his gaze upward.
The symbol of the Magic Nation. The Supreme Octagram, the highest-level magic circle encompassing the fundamentals of magic circles, a mark that symbolized knowledge itself, entered his sight.
Since this was the Demon King's tomb, it wasn't an unusual decoration.
Most mages would simply nod as if it were obvious, then hurry to thrust their bodies inside the tomb without hesitation.
But Verden's keen eye caught a single question.
'The grooves carved into the walls, connected to the octagram... It doesn't seem like they were carved merely as murals.'
The depth and shape were refined enough to be used immediately.
Verden drew upon every shred of knowledge stored in his mind, interpreting its meaning.
The Supreme Octagram.
One of the highest magic circles that Verden, as he was now, could not implement on his own. That magic circle contained the power of control.
Except for magic circles of the same level, it could handle all connected circles at will, serving as a sort of control device.
Why would such an octagram be placed at the entrance?
As he pondered, a hypothesis flashed through his mind.
'Could it be some kind of switch?'
A device that let only those with qualification or permission pass through.
If that magic circle was connected to a security circle, then it could indeed be interpreted as a lock that guarded the tomb.
For example, unless that octagram was activated, the traps inside would not disappear.
Of course, there were puzzling parts.
If the hypothesis was true, then the door should have been locked. Still, if one insisted it was a lock, then a key must exist.
Verden and the Demon King's tomb.
The intersection between them lay in only one thing.
He pulled a blue sapphire from his spatial bag.
Stepping cautiously toward the entrance, Verden lifted his arm. The relic and the octagram drew close. In that moment, unprecedented magic power began to flow from the relic.
'So the guess was right.'
His belief grew stronger.
At last, he brought the relic into contact with the control device. Then, the octagram activated, magic flowing along the grooves.
Thud! Thud!
The tomb shook twice, then grew still.
The reaction differed from what he had imagined, yet it was clear something had changed.
The magic lingering in the octagram, and the blue glow now blooming on the once-dormant sapphire, were undeniable proof.
And that light was guiding Verden somewhere.
The Listener's words resurfaced.
────If you interpret this relic, the path will reveal itself.
'So this is the path.'
It seemed he had found the correct answer.
Feeling a certain satisfaction, Verden moved his steps. Following the direction intended by the relic, he passed through the door and walked the corridor.
By sensation, there was a slight incline.
Three forks appeared along the way, but the direction of the light never wavered. As expected, not a single trap was triggered.
It almost felt as though the tomb was welcoming him.
'But the Seekers' corpses are nowhere to be found.'
The countless footprints vanished at some point.
It was likely they had been taken out in another passage, but... strange that not a single scent of blood could be felt.
According to Hans testimony, it had been rather gruesome.
Meanwhile, he reached the end.
"..."
A room, large if large, small if small.
At its center lay a circle big enough to fit dozens of people.
Beside it, a device stood, with a relic identical to the one in Verden's hand embedded into it.
The difference was the presence or absence of light.
At the base of the device, other relics that had lost their glow lay scattered.
'The number is three in total.'
In other words, three challengers of the Ark had come here.
Verden followed their traces.
He pulled out the already-used relic, then slotted the blue sapphire in. It fit perfectly, without the slightest misalignment.
Wooooong.
A resonance of magic shaking the space.
The light of the relic intensified, and countless lines of magic began to form within the central circle.
Even at a glance, the complexity and intricacy could be felt — a high-grade magic circle. As it completed, its characteristic violet glow flickered.
A spatial teleportation circle.
"So the real tomb lies elsewhere."
Three had entered, and somewhere, three had not returned.
Glancing once over the previous relics, Verden stepped boldly onto the magic circle.
Sensing a human presence, the light grew stronger.
As a great volume of magic filled the surroundings, a violet flash swallowed Verden whole.
....
The magic circle and Verden vanished without a trace.
The relic, its role fulfilled, sank back into darkness.
***
Estiria Royal Castle, Eznoren.
In the splendid council chamber, First Prince Valrgna and Second Prince Lotnil clashed fiercely.
"You dare to orchestrate an assassination, are you truly insane?"
"O, it's a misunderstanding, brother!"
"Silence! Will you still deny it when there are witnesses? And if you are to say such things, then at the very least, revealing Duke Devon's involvement should come first. Yet you and the duke failed to answer Duke Dosramd's rightful inquiry in time. Do you still need more words?"
"...I know nothing of it."
"In that case!"
Bang!
A fist swollen with veins struck the desk.
"Bring me the head of Duke Devon, who killed Duke Dosramd's eldest son, Nigel. Before something even greater occurs."
A chilling warning.
But such a thing could not be done.
For Duke Devon, the father of the Second Queen and the core of the Second Prince's faction, to be slain for this reason, the damage would be irreparable.
Biting his lip, Lotnil replied.
"There is insufficient evidence. How could we cut down a duke's head over the testimony of a single guard knight? The truth has yet to be proven..."
"So you say it is perjury?"
"That is not what I mean, but why would Duke Devon kill Nigel? Especially at such a time, what motive would he have to risk everything on an assassination?"
"Nigel was the confirmed heir to the next dukedom. With Duke Dosramd's life nearing its end, the influence he wielded within my faction was by no means small. Motive enough, I would say."
"That is but your thought, brother."
"Then bring me the details of that time."
"..."
"As I thought, you cannot answer."
Valrgna rose from his seat.
"Lotnil, you will soon regret today."
A voice full of rage.
His footsteps receded.
Left alone in the chamber, Lotnil sighed deeply, then hurried back to summon his inner circle.
Among them was Duke Devon himself.
"Why... why did you do it?"
"I swear, Your Highness, it was not me! No, it is true I handled the aftermath, but... Nigel was slain by someone else. Someone!"
"You don't even know who that someone is! And if you were to handle it, you should have done it cleanly! Why did you leave one of the guards alive?"
"T, that... I swear he was dead. I saw it with my own eyes, even dealt with the corpse... why is it like this..."
Duke Devon clutched his forehead.
It felt as though his skull would crack. His mind was so muddled, it seemed his vision twisted.
At the sight of the duke's despair, Lotnil felt his head reel.
At that moment, a voice was heard beside him.
"Brother Lotnil, it was most likely Eldest Brother who killed Nigel."
The Third Prince, Evers.
The youngest prince who had, not long ago, joined Lotnil's faction by his persuasion. His words stirred the air.
"Why would Brother Valrgna...."
"Isn't it obvious when you think about it? Politically cornered, the only thing the eldest brother has over you is military strength. With Vintert, that colossal underworld, at his back, he created the pretext for civil war."
"Ci, civil war? But sacrificing Nigel would have been too extreme a choice."
"You know Eldest Brother only thinks of himself. And the second son of the Dosramd Ducal House has ability, so he's a suitable alternative. In fact, for Eldest Brother's appetite, that option might suit him even better."
"..."
"Even without Nigel's guard, Eldest Brother would have brought other evidence. Whether civil war broke out, or Duke Devon was executed, he intended to use the pretext to shape the situation in his favor. Things have already come this far, so we must assume Eldest Brother has achieved his goal. Had you spoken up sooner, we could have responded far more strongly than now."
"Hmm...."
"Then what should we do?"
"Why, isn't it obvious?"
Evers showed a sinister smile.
"Strike first, before we are struck."
"What? B, but...."
"We must not, under any circumstance, allow ourselves to be dragged along by Eldest Brother. If we lose, even once, it will be the end. Do you think that arrogant eldest brother would spare us, whom he sees as a thorn in his eye? He would take our heads himself, swearing to kill us with certainty."
"That is... true."
"No matter what, we must win. His Majesty has no interest anyway, so no one will protest. Remember this, if we don't draw our blades first, we'll begin by losing our limbs one by one."
"...Yes, that must be it."
"I have a few of Eldest Brother's faction's weaknesses in my hand, let's start from there. If done well, it'll be as fatal as cutting his Achilles' heel. Such is my thought, Brother Lotnil, what do you think?"
Gulp.
Lotnil swallowed hard.
Duke Devon already looked persuaded. Perhaps he wanted to believe it wasn't his fault, but rather that he had been caught in the First Prince's trap.
Soon, Lotnil made his decision.
"...Fine. Evers, I leave it to you."
That answer heralded the beginning of civil war.
"Yes, brother."
Evers smiled with confidence.
His eyes were hazy, as though dreaming.
***
The deepest place in the royal castle.
Upon a throne from decades past, sat an old man. Protruding cheekbones and ribs, his decayed health barely propped up with magic items and medicines.
Before him, the Court Mage Division Commander, Leonil, bowed.
"Your Majesty, the First Prince Valrgna and the Second Prince Lotnil are pointing blades at one another. At this rate, the kingdom will suffer great damage, what will you do?"
"Damage...?"
The King of Estiria slowly opened his eyes.
A flash of madness, filled with murder and obstinacy.
"What does it matter who tries to seize the throne? It is I who rules Estiria! Leonil, do you think this is the time to be worrying about such things!!"
"My apologies, Your Majesty."
"Just focus on your experiments! Yes, how is that experiment going? How much longer must I wait, how much longer! How long must I remain a mere king of this small territory!"
The king raved.
Leonil remained unmoving, answering calmly.
"All that remains is to obtain one with a special trait. It seems the King of the Underworld has identified such a subject."
"Hmm? That piece of trash from the gutter, you say?"
"It is said to be a mage named Asher, who visited the capital not long ago. Once we secure him, you will be able to become the king you so ardently yearn to be."
"Really? Really? Then why haven't you brought him here already!"
"We need funds for the King of the Underworld, but since it involves handling the treasury..."
"Funds? We have more than enough rotting away, use them at once! It will be refilled quickly enough with taxes! Who dares to protest when I say I'll use my kingdom as I please! Hahahahaha!"
The King of Estiria clenched his fist.
The laughter of a madman, drunk on ecstasy, rang out.
"So it is time. Time to reclaim my glory...! As the great Conqueror King, whose name will remain forever in the kingdom's history!"
Once, a common king with nothing exceptional.
His incompetence was widely known to other nations, and high nobles subtly looked down on him. It was humiliating.
But he had changed.
During the war with the Republic of Beldirn, with the help of Gluttony, he glimpsed the seat of a true ruler. The nobles he despised bowed their heads, other nations cowered in fear.
A superiority he had never once felt before.
That intoxicating victory... something he could never forget for the rest of his life. As a result, the ordinary king became an incarnation of madness.
The obsession of an incompetent who had tasted power, if only for a moment.
Utterly pathetic.
No matter what, he was still a powerless king.
'And now, he has even become dull-witted.'
Still, he had value.
Because of him, the stature of a transcendent could be seized.
Leonil twisted the corner of his lips.
"Surely, it will be as you desire."
No subject was spoken.
***
Fwaaah!
Verden, having teleported, immediately sharpened his senses.
His entire mana circuits were activated, his body ready to respond to every danger. From the Orient crystal flowed a golden radiance.
'So no traps...?'
Verden cautiously turned his head.
The light of magic stone lamps embedded in the ceiling brightly illuminated the darkness. Beyond that, there was nothing, only a passage leading somewhere.
At that moment, sounds came from the passage.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The clatter of metal.
Judging by the spacing, they were footsteps.
And soon, its identity appeared.
"...A golem?"
A golem, literally.
It was small, barely reaching Verden's waist, a strange body of a straight cylinder with arms and legs attached.
By no means naturally formed.
The golem scurried toward Verden.
From the part that seemed to be its head, a blue ring of light shone.
'So that functions as an eye?'
There was only one eye.
Verden, in his mind, named it the One-eyed Golem.
From the golem's eye flowed magic power, scanning Verden.
He flinched for a moment, but forced himself not to resist. The magic was far too weak to pose any danger.
Enough only to use a 1st-tier spell.
Then it happened.
[Race. Unidentifiable. Appearance does not match registry.]
"...?!"
A voice came from the golem.
Sentences and words with clear meaning, almost like a human voice.
He had never seen anything like it.
As Verden reeled in shock, the One-eyed Golem continued unfazed.
[Acceptable variable. Checking next variable... Beep! Error detected!]
The golem's eye turned red.
[Unable to measure magic power level.]
[Unable to determine magic properties.]
[Unable to measure tier limit.]
[Variable matches registrant. Important variable confirmed. No error. Variable check complete.]
[Beep. Identification confirmed.]
The red eye changed this time to green.
The golem leaned its body back, staring directly at Verden.
[Welcome, Your Majesty the Demon King.]