Chapter 572 - Companion (3)
A relic passed down from an era so distant that its time of origin is unknowable───an ancient artifact on which the entire continent was recorded, [Marterias].
The three-dimensional depiction of the world's geography was divided broadly into the Eastern Continent, Western Continent, and Central Continent, and more narrowly into the frigid North, volcanic zones, great forests, demon realms, the Desert of Silence, and more.
In astonishing detail, not only the human nations and magic towers were marked, but also the dominions of the transcendent beings known to the world, as well as even the territories of each beastman tribe.
This had been appended through Balrog's direct manipulation of [Marterias].
At the grand sight, Sandir, showing curiosity, stepped closer.
"Huh... this is the first time I've seen a map so intricate in my life. Surely, this isn't a typical artifact, but one of the ancient artifacts... What are these markings?"
Special symbols distributed here and there across the map, they floated precisely above the heads of each power.
Balrog answered.
"Targets."
"Targets?"
Sandir, unskilled in matters of emotional change, mulled over the words carefully, then was genuinely taken aback. It was simply too absurd.
"...Even if you used that Coercion, at best you could capture the leadership of a minor nation, like those unofficial test subjects. But to aim for a country of greater magnitude? Not only that empire, but even transcendent beings? There must be a limit to overreaching greed."
"The moment a transcendent already fell into my hands, it could no longer be dismissed as greed."
"At that time, my body's homeostasis was broken, I was decaying toward death. Subduing me would have been easier than twisting a child's wrist. Yet, even then, you could not overcome my mind, and in the end succeeded in brainwashing only through a bargain. I ask just in case, but you are not presuming others will meekly accept domination as I did, are you?"
What drew the world's attention to transcendent beings was not merely their strength.
It was also the fact that, as absolute focal points, if they sought to found a new collective, the outcome would be uncontrollable.
Of course, whether they formed factions depended on each one's disposition, and so did the scale of any organized force.
Looking at the long history, at most, they usually built independent territories no larger than a metropolis.
Cases like the Sword of Arnak, who was directly tied to a nation, or like Sandir Paen, who neither belonged to anyone nor made anyone belong, were in fact rarer.
In other words, extending one's grasp toward another transcendent meant sparking conflict between collectives... and could also be interpreted as rejecting the centuries-old discipline upheld for the sake of the continent's stability.
That was on a dimension of scale and meaning entirely different from the war with Black Hour.
"I've never attended a meeting of the transcendent council, but I can say with certainty that the harshest of sanctions will be dealt. Even as master of Bohemirn Magic Tower, you'd face immediate execution."
"Nor would living transcendent beings ever yield to me of their own will, and, with the current strength of Bohemirn Magic Tower, it would be hard to handle more than two at once. But then, what if I were to devour them one by one."
"...Devour?"
Whooong.
Above Balrog's hand, a magic circle shimmered in blue light.
A special form of Coercion, created through studying the transplantation techniques of Gluttony and other cases, overcoming several flaws of conventional forced magic circles.
"Belatedly, I offer you thanks, Sandir Paen. By accepting the bargain and yielding to brainwashing, I could study the process in depth, and thus gained the means to seize even a transcendent's mind."
It could now be engraved without external detection, even upon transcendent beings.
At last, the essence of the Coercion he had conceived had been realized.
"...So even though elders and disciples fell to Black Hour, you remained secluded in your private laboratory instead of acting directly. Have you decided who will be the first to be brainwashed with that?"
"Yes."
Balrog withdrew his mana.
"The long-standing enmity with Black Hour will soon come to an end."
"...!"
"And it will not simply be the war that ends. If I succeed in utterly defeating and subjugating Dahit, I will seize the entire Black Hour, including the Grand Hall. A collective built around a single ruler tends to be so."
In that case, the transcendent count would be three, with only Balrog controlling the other two. Who could stand against such colossal might?
Frankly speaking, unless transcendent beings united or the Church of Luas intervened, none could oppose it.
Sandir folded his arms.
"The leader of Black Hour, is it. Suppose you truly did come to dominate that Dark Moon's mind, however it was achieved. Even so, if the three of you moved to subdue another transcendent, wouldn't it be discovered before long? As ever, there are countless eyes watching."
"That is why I shall seep into the continent slowly, and deeply."
His pitch-black pupils gazed down at the panorama of [Marterias].
"First, you and the other brainwashing test subjects will be dispatched to the factions classified as 'minor states', where these markers are inscribed. You will approach the key figures of each nation set as targets, and secretly engrave the forced magic circle upon them."
Since Coercion was the highest-order magic circle, among the tower's internal members, only an extreme few could wield it.
Naturally, there was no way unofficial test subjects could cast it intact, but a countermeasure had already been perfected.
A magic circle inscribed remotely.
As with the [Final Flame] given to Rovellin, the limits of distance had been considerably overcome.
In the field, brainwashed test subjects would act directly, while in the rear, elders and other authorities would stand by to command, and simultaneously implement the forced magic circles.
In short, it was a puppet show.
Bohemirn Magic Tower could manipulate puppets without exposing its identity, all the while increasing the number of other puppets to control.
"In other words, you mean to start from minor nations, and, step by step, extend domination until even the transcendent factions, strengthening your power while making the eyes of the world your own. I understand the gist. But to recklessly bloat your force that way, what is it that you ultimately seek to achieve───"
Suddenly, a recent conversation flashed through Sandir's mind.
Yes.
He had already heard what Balrog's ultimate aim was.
"You, surely. You mean to target the Magic Tower of Lepraegium..."
"I need a horde. A horde stronger than any before."
Balrog declared with finality.
"Only that would suffice to endure the very pinnacle of the magic tower."
***
Since the hierarchy among the magic towers was established, the ranks of the nine towers had fluctuated back and forth countless times, yet one alone... the pinnacle, remained unchanged.
Ranked first in military power and first overall in the hierarchy, the Lepraegium Magic Tower, where an 8th-rank transcendent reigns as its master.
Even as ages passed since the establishment of the current magical order, though they so brazenly continued to exist, their inner history remained nearly unknown.
Sandir scratched his chin with the left arm he had received through transplantation from a dead warrior.
"The hierarchy, you say... I've heard the Bohemirn Magic Tower currently stands at 4th overall. Then, wouldn't the proper step be to first trample upon the towers ranked 2nd and 3rd before reaching for the Lepraegium Magic Tower?"
"Artison Tower pours all its efforts into magical technology, and apart from Indren, the honorary elder, their actual might is feeble. The Dark Warton tower master has no interest in rankings. Overtaking those two is merely a matter of time."
Of course, that assumption held true only so long as a tower's power source remained intact... but once the plan reached a certain stage, that problem would vanish.
Once another tower master's mind was subjugated, its power source would be as good as belonging to Bohemirn Magic Tower.
"However... I cannot even imagine surpassing the Lepraegium Tower. They exist, yet at the same time, it is as though they do not exist. Their 'location' is one such example."
"Location?"
"The rumor that the Lepraegium Tower resides atop the tallest mountain of the entire continent, is in fact something the Lepraegium tower master himself once declared. And yet, the mystery remains completely unsolved. The reason is simple."
Kuung!
Balrog pressed down heavily upon [Marterias] with both hands. A metallic reverberation filled the silence.
"Because not a soul has ever uncovered where exactly the tallest mountain on the continent is."
Countless mages had tried to unearth the secrets of Lepraegium Tower. But none had succeeded.
All that was learned was this: within the bounds of human reach, the highest mountains were the Azure Ranges in the central continent... and there, no Lepraegium Tower was to be found.
Thus, the Azure Ranges were the second tallest mountains of the continent.
Despite pouring time, effort, and wealth into the search, they had gained nearly nothing. Even the most stubborn of mages eventually wearied and gave up.
"I too scoured the continent with [Marterias] for a long time, yet still failed. In the end, only uninhabitable regions remained as candidates... but no matter how I thought of it, I could not believe Lepraegium Tower's seat lay in an untamed wilderness."
The Great Forest was the elves' domain, and within the Desert of Silence, neither flight nor spatial teleportation was possible.
By elimination, only the demon realm was left, but there was no conclusive evidence, no solid clue.
Whether Lepraegium Tower was tied to the demon realm, or not... neither could be asserted.
"Then, one day, a new hypothesis struck me. What if, the Lepraegium Tower is not upon this continent at all?"
Lepraegium Tower exists in another world.
This was not wordplay, not a riddle, nor talk of phantoms or mirages.
What Balrog Bessias proposed was spatial separation───that they had claimed a corner of the earth, severed it wholly from the continent, and thus forged a unique domain.
"Hmmm."
Though ignorant in magic, Sandir could barely follow the explanation, but, well, he understood the general drift.
"If that hypothesis is true, then how do you plan to locate a Lepraegium Tower that does not exist in this world? And should you find it, do you truly mean to wage war?"
"To answer the first question, the preparation is nearly complete."
Two materials were needed to find Lepraegium Tower's stronghold.
One was Balrog's superlative magic, and the other, the criminal with latent peculiar traits whom Sandir himself had brought from Kernadel.
The experiment with the latter was already over eighty percent complete.
"And as for war, you say? If matters descend to the worst, then yes. That is why I seek to dominate transcendent beings and their factions, to bind them into one under my lead."
It would take multiple 7th-rank transcendent beings together to oppose a single 8th-rank transcendent. This was no naïve optimism, but an objective judgment.
"...To realize my 'ideal', conflict with the Lepraegium Tower is inevitable. Yet, even when the strength is gathered, I will not rush recklessly. To bare fangs while knowing nothing, is but folly."
Balrog lifted his gaze upward.
"That is why I will seek to know."
The mystery Lepraegium Tower concealed, the secret it held.
***
Formed of mana, geometrical formulas drawn in the air, and computation so convoluted it seemed chaotic, flashed intermittently.
As though multiplying, they rapidly filled the space, and the phenomenon continued for hours, then days, until at last, when weeks had passed, it ceased.
The winter of the new year gradually lost its strength, and the sprouts of warm spring began to stir.
Kuung!
From the deep research chamber of the Grand Hall, Verden emerged outside. Then he activated the communication device and spoke with firm clarity.
"Reproduction of the teleportation circle connected to the Bohemirn tower master's private laboratory has succeeded."
The research into the magic circle extracted from Enette's memory had been completed.
"Unia."
───Unia, awaiting orders!
"Contact the individuals I name now, and summon them all to the Grand Hall."
At last, the time had come to uncover what Balrog ultimately sought to achieve.