Chapter 215 – The Swirl of a Civil War (2)

The Lairon Religious Kingdom…

As a religious kingdom, Lairon was a kingdom built upon the foundation of a religion. It was in the middle of the Central Continent, and there was one reason why Lairon could endure having borders with four countries.

They were strong. Lairon was one of the strongest kingdoms in the central region, even if they weren't comparable to the northern powers. The source of their power which managed to counter four kingdoms was a third force, which was neither magic nor swordsmans.h.i.+p.

It was the only Sacred Order on the continent. They were a group which resolved to recover all the remains left behind of the G.o.ds from the Age of Mythology.

The king, or to be precise, Pope Benedict I, had been the first to wield a G.o.d's power by absorbing the G.o.d's remains. He then brought abundance to dry land and gave a mysterious power to those who submitted to the name of Lairon.

In the Dark Ages after the Age of Mythology, there had been a resurgence of interest in 'G.o.ds' and 'paladins.'

"In ancient records, they were praised as holy ones who healed the wounded and fought against injustice. They were adults who directly embodied righteousness." As Marquis Piris spoke, a bit of contempt filled his voice while they walked through the corridor. "It is all nonsense."

The paladins were deceitful and more eager to exploit than help people. The cardinals toured the countries once a year asking for 'donations,' and the current pope was truly arrogant. In addition to those, the church had built a facility to brainwash children, and all those who rebelled against the regime were labeled as heretics.

At their essence, they were ruthless people who pretended to be merciful.

'Their exterior appearance is duplicitous.' There was no saying more appropriate to describe the Lairon Kingdom.

Piris looked back at the party following him, and his face darkened before he added, "That isn't all. The letter was sent with Marquis Baek's son because there is an 'opportunity' that will a.s.sure the Lairon Kingdom's intervention."

"What do you mean by opportunity…?"

"I will tell you about it in the room."

After saying so, the marquis entered a secret pa.s.sage as Meltor's presence had to be hidden until the civil war began in earnest.

All of Meltor's troops were concealed in the coastal caves, and the supplies which could last 1,000 people for a month were thoroughly camouflaged. They were convinced they had the advantage as long as they weren't caught.

After a while, the marquis beckoned at the end of the secret pa.s.sage, "Come on, everyone. Five people can talk leisurely in this room."

It was as he said. After pa.s.sing the threshold of a damp cave, the four guests were greeted by warm air and antique furniture. White Tower Master Orta, the general commander of the expedition army, sat down first. Beside Orta was Theodore, Viscount Carter, and then Vince.

A light filled the eyes of the marquis when he saw this. 'Hoh?'

It was because he couldn't find any dissatisfaction on the faces of the other two, despite the second-ranked person being less than 30 years old. In other words, it was a complete acknowledgment of Theodore's status.

However, like any crafty n.o.ble, the marquis didn't reveal his inner thoughts. Instead, he boiled the tea in the kettle and thanked the party who had come this far. After that, he continued speaking about Lairon again, "Around two months ago, an emissary came from Lairon."

The emissary from the Lairon Kingdom had been a cardinal who called himself Antonio, and he had entered Prince Elsid's palace boldly. Despite the security of the knights, he had appeared before the prince.

[It is nice to meet you, Prince Elsid. I am a faithful servant of Lairon, Cardinal Antonio.]

The cardinals, along with the crusaders, were known as Lairon's spear and s.h.i.+eld. A crusader would wield the power of G.o.d with their swords and s.h.i.+elds, while the cardinals would create miracles by reciting special chants like magic.

Surprised by the visit, Elsid had asked what Antonio wanted.

[Lairon told us that you will have to serve him if you want to be successful.]

[…What are you trying to say, Cardinal Antonio?]

[It isn't a big deal, Your Highness. Just build a temple wors.h.i.+pping Lairon, then send 100 n.o.bles who will learn our teachings and preach it directly to your kingdom. If you do that, Your Highness will have no problem obtaining the crown.]

Understandably, the prince had gotten furious.

[How ridiculous! How dare you make fun of me with that crafty tongue?! Lairon is your G.o.d, not the Soldun Kingdom's G.o.d! If you are going to speak like that, go away!]

The cardinals were famous for their fanaticism which wouldn't tolerate any insults, but Antion's response had been calm. He had smiled nastily and disappeared from Elsid's presence just as suddenly as he had appeared. His expression had shown that Elsid would regret that day's decision.

The marquis explained up to there and sighed with a tired face. Anger boiled inside him as he thought about it again. Antonio had snuck into the palace and then threatened the prince. The Lairon Kingdom might be strong, but Soldun wasn't a weak kingdom. Antonio's words weren't a proposal or advice but an insult.

"Still," Orta muttered after listening to the story. "It is unprecedented. If we refuse the impossible conditions, they will go to the other side. We are heretics who rejected G.o.d's grace."

"…Is that a justification for war?" Theodore asked.

Orta nodded while sipping his tea. "It might not be normal, but this time there is a power in the kingdom that agrees with them. The n.o.bles have probably accepted Antonio's proposal."

"Then won't it just end up being a tributary of the Lairon Kingdom?"

"They would rather be a snake's head than a dragon's tail. That is the case with Duke Cornwall."

Were Orta's words wrong? The marquis sighed heavily. "That is accurate. Duke Cornwall is from a family that has been doing independent work since the past. He is a person who wants to surpa.s.s the t.i.tle of duke."

A n.o.bleman who wanted to be king, even if it was only in name, and a kingdom that wanted a puppet who would follow their will…

The interests of these two forces added up.

Duke Cornwall was the head of the faction opposing Prince Elsid, so a direct or indirect purge couldn't be helped after obtaining the kings.h.i.+p. The duke thought this was a great opportunity for a revolution, even if it dragged the Lairon Kingdom into it.

However, Theodore had one more question. "That reminds me, where is Lord Baek? I heard he became a marquis…"

"Oh, he is—no, wait a minute." After that, Marquis Piris got up and pulled down a map hanging on the back wall.

It was a strategic map detailing every estate and troop in the Soldun Kingdom. The map was spread wide open, as if all the details had already been completed.

Then he pointed to a part on the open map. "Marquis Baek has received the Atron Estate. It is necessary to have his force at the border of the area containing the n.o.bles faction. His main family remains in Piris, but the main troops have moved to Atron with Marquis Baek."

Orta was looking at the map when he suddenly reached out and pointed to a red part. "What is this estate in red on the map?"

"It is Marquis Fergana. Ah, do you know about Marquis Fergana?"

"Of course."

Not just Orta but Theodore, Viscount Carter, and Vince had also heard the name. It was the name of one of the the Soldun Kingdom's two masters—7th Circle magician, Marquis Fergana. Vince snapped out angrily, "Does this mean that a 7th Circle magician has gone against his country and joined the n.o.bles? I can't understand it."

"Marquis Fergana's only daughter has married Duke Cornwall."

"Ah."

It couldn't be helped if it involved blood relations.h.i.+ps. Vince was convinced by this and stepped back.

However, Carter came forward this time. "What about Earl Mersen? If Soldun's other master has joined the n.o.bles, then this fight will be difficult."

"Ah, Earl Mersen has declared neutrality."

"Neutrality?"

Did it make sense to stay neutral in a civil war which would decide the future of the kingdom? The group of people gazed at Marquis Piris with confusion. However, he just shrugged. "He doesn't have time to worry about the regime change. He can't leave his territory because he is defending against raids from the southern barbarians."

If this was true, it could be either luck or misfortune. With Marquis Fergana and the unknown crusader, the enemies had two masters. If Earl Mersen had joined them, there would be three. On the prince's side, there was only one master available, so there would have been no hope of winning if reinforcements hadn't come.

With the addition of Theodore and Orta, Prince Elsid's side now had three masters, putting Duke Cornwall at a disadvantage. At that moment, Theodore felt Orta's gaze on him.

'…Hah, I see.'

Theodore immediately recognized the meaning of Orta's gaze and paused his thoughts momentarily. Meltor had two masters present on their side… Should this information be disclosed to Marquis Piris?

Orta left it up to the person involved to decide if the information should be revealed. Theodore thought about it before shaking his head slightly. 'I will hide it for now.'

No matter how thorough Marquis Piris was, there was no certainty that the enemy's eyes couldn't reach them.

Wasn't there a saying that if we wanted to fool the enemy, we should first fool our friends? Therefore, Theodore decided to hide his combat power. Orta and Baek Jongmyung could equal the two masters on the other side, so it was more efficient for Theodore to move separately.

Orta nodded, then he turned back to Marquis Piris and said, "At this point, the explanation is enough."

They had heard everything they needed to know. Orta then placed several models on the map. There were different models based on infantry, cavalry, and magicians. Each of them was of a different size which represented the number of troops, and Orta placed the models down based on the explanation he had just heard.

"From now on, let us discuss the movement of the troops."

It was the start of the strategic meeting.

*     *     *

In conclusion, Theodore's role was no different from what had been discussed before leaving Meltor. He would move separately from the regular troops. After consuming the Aiolos Pouch, Theodore had become better at using s.p.a.ce magic. It might not be as fast as Orta, but Theodore could still move at an amazing speed.

He also had more firepower than Orta. As Theodore combined both firepower and mobility, he was closer to an army than an individual. When it came to war, he was many times stronger than other 7th Circle magicians or sword masters.

The problem was that he had to go 'alone' in order to exert his power.

"Theo," Sylvia called out. She was the first person to understand this problem. "We can't help you?"

"Sylvia."

"I'm not making a fuss. Tell me honestly. At the moment, we will just be a burden to Theo if we move together, right?"

It was a cool reflection. Theodore looked into Sylvia's blue eyes instead of denying her words.

After all, it was just as she had said. As a 7th Circle master who had awakened his Sorcery and pioneered a new territory, Theodore could tell that the rest of the unit would just be a burden in a fight between masters. They would be even more of a burden when it came to a guerrilla war.

The amount of magic power consumed for s.p.a.ce movement would increase, and the time needed for the hit and run would increase greatly as well.

"…I see." Sylvia looked down at the unspoken agreement. "But those people would be able to keep up with you."

'Those people?' Theodore tilted his head to one side, but Sylvia didn't explain it. No, she didn't want to explain it. She didn't want to show him her jealous self.

She realized she needed more power to be on par with her rivals who had red and blue hair. Ripples started to form inside the quiet Sylvia. She struggled with the emotions boiling inside her before barely managing to speak.

"It is just this time. Next time, I won't let you go alone."

Current schedule: 6 chapters a week to match the author's release rate.

Chapter 216 – The Swirl of a Civil War (3)

As Theodore watched Sylvia's eyes flash with determined resolve, he replied, "Yes, I'll be expecting it."

Nevertheless, it wouldn't be easy. Theodore supported Sylvia's determination, but he also looked at her with the sober eyes of a magician.

Considering her age, she was a genius for having reached the 6th Circle without a cheat like Gluttony. That talent was a blessing which made Blundell Adruncus welcome her as a daughter, and also made her treasured by the blue tower.

However, the wall of the 7th Circle was solid and thick.

Unlike the previous circles, the 7th Circle was the path to leave the realm of 'humanity.' As Gluttony had said before, it was building up dharma and throwing off the restraints of karma. A mortal who relied only on their innate talent would come to a standstill.

It was up to Sylvia's mind and luck to see if she could cross the wall.

"Ah, I truly don't have any face. I'm just listening to my juniors talk like this…" At first glance, William was speaking to Theodore, but he was actually blaming himself.

He had been a prodigy since childhood, and his confidence had grown greater as he showed his skills in the white tower. William wasn't a master yet, but it was very rare for someone to become a master in their early 30s. He thought that he could achieve it in the next 5~10 years and become the next White Tower Master.

Yet Theodore wasn't even 30, and he had already surpa.s.sed William.

'It is too unsightly,' William thought. He had been idle for too long. Although he spent 10 hours a day practicing magic, the fierceness of his apprentices.h.i.+p days had been forgotten. William needed to work hard from now on. His vision was no longer cloudy as he decided this.

Only Paragranum was consistent with her usual att.i.tude.

Rattle.

She glanced over at William and Sylvia with a frown. Then once they left, she smiled brightly. Theodore felt the usual chill down his spine as she stepped closer. Para exclaimed, "You are finally alone!"

Theodore was surprised by her hasty approach and asked carefully, "Y-Yes, why?"

"I told you. I would explain once we were alone!"

"Ah."

Was it when he asked if something good had happened? Theodore belatedly remembered and gazed carefully at Paragranum, who didn't look like her usual self. Her outward appearance was a cute girl in her late teens, but her essence was something which transcended humanity.

'Sigh, I need to be prepared.'

The relatively moderate Gluttony had no hesitation in recommending 'human sacrifices.' He couldn't imagine what a grimoire who repeatedly did human experiments was like. Theodore sighed tiredly and kept his eyes warily on Paragranum. It was creepy just looking at her flushed face.

"You will definitely like this!" Paragranum cried out as she touched a bracelet on her right wrist. It was similar to the bracelet which was used to call the living armor. Unsurprisingly, a summoning spell was used, "Summon Automaton!"

Simultaneously, there was a flash from the bracelet. Normal people couldn't see through the magic light, but Theodore gradually perceived a moving shape. 

'A human?' It wasn't a coincidence that Theodore thought this.

The object Paragranum had summoned had an appearance no different from that of a human male. It had skin, physique, hair, and weight like that of a human. Dressed in gorgeous armor, the object was like a knight from a storybook.

Then Theodore flinched as the light faded away. "Lloyd Pollan?!"

The hair wasn't the only thing which gave it a shallow resemblance. Lloyd Pollan was fully armed and looked just like when he had tried to invade Paracelsus' laboratory. It was because Theodore didn't feel any sensation coming from the body that he didn't take knee-jerk actions.

Theodore grasped the ident.i.ty of the uncomfortable feeling he had and muttered, "Corpse…?"

"No way!" Paragranum, however, denied it with a loud voice. "Have you already forgotten? There was the golem that you gave to me from the laboratory.”

"…Come to think of it."

It was a model of a knight in full body armor. Theodore remembered the same and looked at Paragranum. That hadn't just been an empty armor. It consisted of metal parts and artifacts. In that case, how could the model have recreated Lloyd Pollan's appearance?

"Magicians of this era don't know about automatons." Paragranum noticed Theodore's doubts and banged on the automaton's face. It was a signal to appraise it. Theodore didn't have any other way, so he complied.

'Appraisal.'

The slippery tongue touched the automaton's cheek. Theodore frowned at the sight of the tongue licking the cheek, but it didn't last long. That was natural.

[Automaton – Sword Master 'Lloyd']

[The apex of the automatons: the earliest form was the 'android' which the dwarves, who were familiar with mechanics and ancient civilizations, created. The Earl of Saint Germain, the late alchemist of the Age of Mythology, tried to make an artificial G.o.d in the final form of an automaton. However, it was said that he failed the experiment and lost his life. This automaton contains the soul and central nervous system of the sword master, Lloyd Pollan.

* This automaton is rated 'Treasure.'

* It isn't possible to use predation on this automaton.

* This automaton currently doesn't have an owner.

* The automaton has limited autonomy in 'battle' and can't make decisions on its own without the owner's instructions.

* The Aura Ability, 'Pathfinder,' can be used in a limited manner.]

"Crazy!" Theodore cried out. "This is no different from a necromancer's undead!"

Using the body as material, it was like creating undead from corpses. This was black magic which was taboo on the entire continent.

However, Paragranum smiled and shook her head in denial of Theodore's words. "You fool! How can you compare the nasty undead to an automaton, when their compositions are completely different? Do you treat goblins and ogres as the same species because they both have two legs?"

"Please explain it properly. What is different?"

"The automaton isn't vulnerable to divine power like the undead, and it can function semi-permanently as long as magic power is supplied. The later automaton models can fuse the egos. But this is an early type, so it isn't possible."

Anyway, Para didn't care since it was an enemy, so she kicked the s.h.i.+n of the automaton. Was it due to her enmity toward Lloyd?

Theodore's thoughts were complicated. According to Paragranum, this automaton wasn't an undead. However, it was clearly an existence which was very similar to the undead. This was a combat weapon made from a body, and it was absolutely obedient to its master's will.

Theodore knew the cause of his reluctance. 'Isn't it outside humane standards?'

When it came to one's purpose of existence, grimoires and humans were different. In the past, Theodore had received a deadline, but he hadn't hesitated to refuse human sacrifices. It might be Paragranum's work, but wouldn't Theodore be complicit if he took advantage of her creation? This question troubled his conscience.

"So? Will you accept my gift?" Despite knowing Theodore's anguish, Paragranum pressed him for an answer with an innocent expression. To the grimoire who longed to create a human, the automaton was just a piece of data.

Theodore didn't take long to make a decision. "…I will accept."

"Hoh, is it okay? You look quite worried."

"Strength is power. The problem is how to utilize it. If I can use it in the right direction, I will have created a means."

"I've seen many hypocrites make up excuses. What about you?" Para's red eyes looked Theodore up and down with devilish interest. Theodore got a chill down his spine as she took the bracelet off her wrist and threw it at him.

"Pour in your magic power and state your name. Then give that guy a name. That will make the automaton move like a puppet according to your commands."

As such, Theodore injected magic power into the bracelet.

Wuuuong…

There was intense magic resonance, and Theodore could sense the automaton before him. It was similar to back when he made the contract with Mitra and Hugin.

'Connecting the souls.'

The moment he was convinced the string of the contract was established, Theodore opened his mouth, "Theodore Miller."

Then the automaton's information window was updated.

[* The automaton is currently owned by 'Theodore Miller.']

A strong demand was pa.s.sed down through the contract link. The automaton was like a doll which had lost all freedom, but it wanted a name. Theodore didn't sympathize with Lloyd. Lloyd was an enemy and had lost his life. He had come to a one-sided end by messing with a grimoire.

So, Theodore would give the automaton a new name. After receiving the name, Lloyd would be Theodore's puppet, losing his name and status.

"Gladio."

It was just 'sword.'

Kiiing-

The eyes of the automaton lit up in response to the word. A deep aura flowed from the still body, and it regained its vitality. The pressure filling the surroundings was the remnant of Lloyd Pollan, one of the empire's Seven Swords.

However, Theodore watched it with an expressionless face.

'The sword master called Lloyd Pollan no longer exists.'

It was a relations.h.i.+p where the soul was subjugated. Lloyd’s ego had already been scattered as dust, and now the automaton with a mechanical will would execute Theodore's commands. This was the moment when Lloyd Pollan died and the battle weapon, automaton 'Gladio,' was born.

Kiik, kik, kkiiik.

Gladio was stiff in the beginning, but it eventually moved in front of Theodore. Then it naturally flowed into the proper etiquette, which was evidence of the great loyalty Lloyd had to the emperor of Andras during his life.

Then a voice came from their soul connection, [Gla—dio sees mas—ter.]

Theodore looked at the knight kneeling before him and eventually nodded. It was a power he had chosen and a responsibility he had to bear.

Current schedule: 6 chapters a week to match the author's release rate.