Chapter 227 – Administrator
At last, the festering pus of the Kingdom of Estiria burst.
In the north, a full-scale conflict began between the First Prince and the Second Prince. The ground was stained with blood from swords, arrows, and magic.
Neutral nobles focused on protecting their own territories. They were terrified that their choice might turn out to be wrong.
If the civil war spread, if the prince they supported so firmly were defeated, then there would be no turning back.
Of course, not all nobles were like that.
There were those, like the Marquisate of Esperanza and its vassal houses, who held a skeptical loyalty to the royal family. As always, they placed their subjects above all else.
Perhaps because of that, there were not a few people who secretly wished the Marquis of Esperanza would rise in rebellion and create more cities like Rines, where life was good.
Countless thoughts tangled together.
In many ways, this year was the worst the Kingdom had seen since the past wars.
Amid the stiffened atmosphere of the city, in a corner of an old tavern, patrons murmured in hushed voices. In their hands were newspapers published just days before.
"A war for succession? No, what era do you think this is, and yet they're having a civil war… does this even make sense? And wasn't the Kingdom always a primogeniture system?"
"Anyone can see that His Highness the Second Prince is rebelling. Look here, it says the eldest son of Duke Dosramd has gone missing, doesn't it? I heard a rumor that the Second Prince's faction secretly assassinated him. He was competent, and well trusted by His Highness the First Prince, so of course he would have been an eyesore."
"Man, they say there's no end to human greed, and this is exactly it. If such a frightening man becomes king… ugh, just the thought of it gives me chills. His Highness the First Prince must win."
And so, public opinion among the citizens leaned heavily toward the First Prince, Valrgna.
This was by no means a coincidence. It was the handiwork of the secret social hall, moving in the shadows of the First Prince.
The madman Tolav funneled drugs into the Second Prince's camp.
The magnate Dario provided funds to the First Prince.
The schemer Nelita used the newspapers of each city to spread infamy about the Second Prince.
The mercenary commander Geul intimidated other mercenaries and was himself hired into the civil war, providing real military force.
The dark merchant Cland covered the secret social hall's tracks and thoroughly concealed the truth.
A lie, when repeated often enough, feels like truth.
The soldiers of the Second Prince's faction had their morale worn down by endless misfortune. Their falling spirit showed no sign of recovery.
Even with strict discipline, there was never a day without deserters. The hanging corpses only made the atmosphere more ominous.
It was a chaotic turmoil.
And in the middle of it all, there was a man who had suddenly lost his work.
The butcher, Galliark.
Kwaang!
The beer mug smashed against the table.
At the sound, other patrons shrank in their seats, their shoulders trembling. This was far from the first time, yet no one dared stop him.
The muscular giant and his savage axe blade made the tavern workers tremble.
Galliark, however, hid none of his emotions.
"Damn it, what rotten luck."
After his adventurer qualifications were suspended for a year, he had crossed into the Kingdom of Estiria to pick up requests from Gray.
Until recently, things had gone quite smoothly.
He had made money through requests, bought Hwihwol at a black market auction with that money, participated in an Undead subjugation, and earned a hefty reward.
Of course, seeking growth through bloody battles was only natural.
'But now, because of the civil war, there's no work to be had.'
It felt just like when a Marquisate in the duchy was annihilated, and the aftermath left him with nothing to vent his anger on—a frustrating situation with no outlet.
Lost in thought, Galliark twitched his eyebrows.
'Wait a minute, this isn't related to Asher again, is it?'
He had no proof, only suspicion.
That gray-haired Mage was even crazier than he was. Otherwise, how could someone stir up such incidents in the duchy, and in only a single year, reach the Fifth Tier?
Who knew what he was up to now.
"Damn it, can't exactly smash everything up, can I."
Though in his heart, he wanted to.
Whether the First Prince or the Second Prince, he wanted to kill one of them and end the civil war himself. But it was only a thought. No matter how much of a battle maniac Galliark was, he had no intention of joining the war.
Being hunted by the royal family was out of the question.
Galliark clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Maybe I should leave the Kingdom. Still time left before my adventurer qualification is restored. And I still need to get a meal off that bastard Asher… hey, don't just stare, bring me another beer."
"Y-yes, right away!"
The worker immediately brought him more alcohol.
Just as Galliark was reaching for the mug—
"Q-quickly… hiiiik!"
Men radiating a murderous aura entered the tavern.
Ignoring the worker who had collapsed, they surrounded Galliark's table in a circle.
One of them dragged over a chair and sat down.
Galliark tilted his head, sneering.
"And who the hell are you lot?"
"Vintert."
It was a name he knew.
The ones who ruled the underworld of Roafra.
"Don't think I've crossed you before. Oh, wait, is this payback for when I pulled those guys out of Roafra?"
"We come bearing His Majesty's command."
"His Majesty's command? What command?"
"Where is Asher?"
"Asher…?"
Galliark blinked.
"Why the hell would you look for that bastard through me?"
"Because he's your comrade."
"Why am I his comrade?"
"Don't play games."
Cold blades pointed at Galliark.
Every one of them carried the killing intent of men well accustomed to blood. Crack! One of them slammed a dagger into the table.
"Galliark, I'll give you a choice. Cooperate quietly and keep your life, or be tortured until you spill everything you know. Personally, I recommend the latter. That massive body of yours looks perfect for some fun."
It was a blatant threat.
Galliark wore a blank expression for a moment, then nodded as if he understood.
"Aha, so the king of the underworld, for some damned reason, is after Asher, and since he doesn't know where the bastard is, he's come looking for me… that it?"
"Watch your mouth."
"Mind your own. So, why are you after him?"
"You don't need to know."
Galliark lowered his head.
He sighed deeply, his shoulders shaking.
"Kekeke, damn it, I'm really tangled up now. Guess a free meal from that bastard isn't nearly enough payment."
"Stop muttering and answer."
"You're pushy, aren't you. Fine, I'll choose."
Gulp, gulp!
He downed the entire mug in one go, then raised three fingers.
"Third option. I kill all you bastards, and slit the throat of the underworld's king. Satisfied now?"
"How dare you────"
Thunk!
The flying mug smashed against the man's head.
Of course, it did little damage. The man only lifted his head for a moment, his gaze falling forward again.
With a vicious grin, Galliark stood.
In his hands, two axes had appeared.
"Squeaking like sewer rats from the underground, huh? Stop flapping your mouths and come at me, you bastards."
"…Cut off his arms and legs."
The man was one of the officers of Vintert's assassination branch.
At his order, his assassins rushed forward. At the same time, Galliark's fierce aura burst forth as he spun his body.
Kwaang!
With an explosion, the wall of the tavern shattered outward.
***
The true essence of the Defying the Heavens magic circle created by Verden was bodily transformation.
In the magical world, it was called suicide—forcefully expanding one's existing mana circuits to raise one's tier, a forbidden method.
And at the end of it lay the ultimate: "Reconstruction of the flesh".
A miracle that could never be achieved otherwise.
If there is infinite magic power, then it becomes possible.
Convinced of this, Verden delved into the techniques in order to use the power source of the magic tower.
The composition of the power source, the magic circles that carried magic power throughout the tower, and more.
Even Verden could not fully understand it. Yet, even that much was enough to solve the problem at hand.
The First Power Chamber was but a degraded version of the magic tower.
Repairing the damaged parts was within Verden's ability.
[First Power Chamber restoration complete. Overall power 37% recovered. Thank you, Your Majesty the Demon King.]
He had succeeded, proudly.
The remaining magic power in the laboratory flowed along the restored channels. As heat arose, the bitter cold slowly faded away.
'Now only the door remains.'
The door of the Second Power Chamber was different from that of the first.
The reason it did not open was a lack of power. Thus, the magic circle had to be modified, twisting part of the power meant for the chamber and connecting it directly to the door.
It was the task that Kalad, mage of the Ark, had failed.
But Verden was different.
A time of silence and endurance passed. He wiped the sweat from his chin with the back of his hand.
"Nothing seems wrong… Alpha, is this enough?"
[Scanning… Minimum magic power confirmed. Deploying repair golem.]
The repair golem went to work.
Because the structure was different, it took longer. After charging the golem with magic, the sound of grinding and scraping continued endlessly, and Verden allowed himself a brief rest.
It was to recover from mental exhaustion.
Kkigigigigik.
After some time, a crack appeared.
When Verden opened his eyes, the golem had stopped, drained of magic.
[Door opening successful. One facility issue remaining. Proceeding to the Second Power Chamber.]
"The repair golem?"
[Repair golem unnecessary. Neither the Second Power Chamber nor the Administrator's Chamber possess devices to forcibly open or close their doors.]
So it was.
Following Alpha, he walked down the corridor.
The Second Power Chamber.
Before Verden appeared a door the size of a great city gate. At the center of the chamber was a sphere of flickering, unstable magic power.
The grooves extending outward carried magic to the rest of the laboratory—clearly, this was its power source.
'A type of small-scale power source.'
Its capacity was low, and it was unstable.
A glance showed marks of having been struck by magic. Judging by the direction, the attack had come from the Administrator's Chamber…
[Due to external impact, most of the power source's magic has been lost. Solution: Your Majesty the Demon King's magic power is required.]
Replenishing the missing magic power.
Among the problems so far, this was the simplest to solve. Placing his hand upon the power source, Verden activated his mana circuits.
[Monitoring power source in real time. 37%… 44%… 51%…]
The power surged back rapidly.
It consumed as much magic as several Fifth-Tier Mages combined, yet Verden's heartbeat did not weaken in the least.
'If anything, I feel stronger.'
It was too strange to dismiss as illusion.
He could sense the light flowing through the Defying the Heavens magic circle growing brighter. Following that flow, Verden released his magic even more forcefully.
Then suddenly, the power source pulsed violently.
[Power source fully restored to 100%. All three facility issues resolved. Laboratory operational.]
Alpha confirmed.
The restoration was complete.
It had taken time, but it was valuable time. He had been able to unleash all of the magical knowledge he had accumulated in a lifetime, along with his innate magical comprehension.
Alpha spoke.
[Scanning Administrator's Chamber… No issues detected. Would you like to meet the Administrator?]
"I would."
[Your Majesty the Demon King's command confirmed. Opening Administrator's Chamber.]
Alpha manipulated the power source.
On the surface of the door, ten magic circles lit up one after another. Rings of magic from above and below aligned, and soon became one.
Kugugugugugu…!
The gate moved.
The laboratory of the Demon King.
At last, its deepest chamber was revealed.
Now, it was time to meet the Administrator.
***
Verden stepped into the Administrator's Chamber with Alpha.
A lightless abyss greeted them. Even though he was using
At most, he could see only twenty meters ahead.
'Is some kind of magic interfering? This is a first.'
He could not rely on vision.
Focusing on his other senses, Verden gauged the chamber. He discerned that it was wider than either the First or Second Power Chamber.
Four massive pillars held up the ceiling. Beyond that, there was nothing to be sensed. A lonely, desolate place.
Alpha's eyes shone.
[Chief Overseer, designation Alpha. His Majesty the Demon King has returned. Administrator, respond.]
…There was no answer.
Was there some other problem?
Even Alpha looked about in confusion.
Then it came.
An eerie surge of magic beneath their feet.
Verden's gaze snapped downward. A vast magic circle suddenly manifested, enclosing both him and Alpha.
That distinct violet glow.
"Spatial magic circle…?!"
He immediately pushed his magic to the limit.
It was resistance against forced spatial teleportation.
[Unverified magic circle detected. Administrator, explanation requir──]
Fwoooosh!
The teleportation activated.
A flash of violet light, and Alpha vanished. Verden was left alone. Kwaang! With a roar, the doors of the chamber slammed shut.
'…A trap?'
He could not be certain.
Judging by Alpha's reaction, it had something to do with the Administrator. In any case, it was clearly an unexpected development.
Facing reality, Verden instantly assumed battle stance. The suffocating darkness pressed in, yet he did not falter.
At that moment, a voice rang out.
"To think an intruder would dare pose as the Demon King. Such a thing is a first. Never did I imagine one could deceive Alpha's recognition."
"…!"
The Administrator's Chamber lit up.
His pupils shrank from the sudden brightness. As his vision adjusted, Verden turned toward the source of the voice.
At the far end of the chamber.
There were ten steps, and upon them a throne of ash, and upon that throne sat an old man clad in white.
From the white staff in his left hand, light flickered. Compared to the tower master, compared to any he had ever met, this was an existence truly worthy of the word "great".
And then—
'That appearance… could it be…'
Verden's eyes sharpened.
The past rose unbidden in his mind. He recalled the portrait he had once seen in historical records. His voice escaped in shock.
"The Demon King…!"
The Demon King, Oldarc Ruin Arkenad.
The old man replied.
"I am glad you recognized me at once. You are the fourth 'intruder' to set foot in this place."