Chapter 43
HEL SCANS
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While ordinary people may not be aware, there exists a magic called ‘multi-communication.’
It consumes an extraordinary amount of magical power, making it an advanced spell that can never be commercialized.
As a result, this magic is only used in very limited cases.
For gatherings of people where the time and cost of gathering in person would be far more expensive than the cost of multi-communication magic.
…For example, the Knights of the Dawn. (The Dawn Knights)
Yussi slowly opened her eyes.
The dim principal’s office faded away, replaced by a brilliantly crafted meeting room created by illusion magic, filling her vision.
…No one was here yet.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here.’
An interior filled with precious decorations.
In this space resembling the real palace meeting room, a meeting of the Dawn Knights convened by Emperor Cecilia was scheduled.
It had been a long time since Yussi retired, and she attended this meeting at the request of the Hero.
“I’d appreciate it if you could summarize the contents of tomorrow’s meeting and pass them on.”
“Why don’t you attend the meeting in person?”
“If you think about it, you probably have a good idea of the reason.”
“…Indeed.”
…The Hero’s words were accurate.
Several months ago, during the great battle, Yussi was convinced that there had been ‘betrayal among the human leadership’ on that battlefield where the fate of humanity was at stake.
‘I guess that’s why the Hero gave up everything and came to Rosenstark.’
Otherwise, the war that had been slowly winding down would not have ended so abruptly.
The information had leaked, exposing key operations and the Hero’s location.
So they suffered an unexpected attack from the Demon Lord.
‘If the Hero had fallen to the Demon Lord at that time, humanity would have perished.’
Reading the context like that, Yussi understood why the Hero kept a distance from his comrades.
Of course, the Hero’s arrival in Rosenstark wasn’t solely for that reason, but it was a reasonably accurate interpretation.
“…”
As colleagues began to appear one by one in the meeting room, Yussi’s gaze, observing their welcoming gestures, seemed less cheerful.
It was then that a man in excessively flamboyant attire spotted her and greeted Yussi with a friendly handshake.
“Hey! Yussi! The newly attached artificial limb looks quite impressive. Heard you’re attending in place of the Hero!”
“…Shut up, Dante.”
“It’s been a while, but at least act a bit glad to see me….”
With the man’s appearance as a starting point, the meeting room began to buzz.
They were all giants renowned throughout the continent.
Dante, the delusional painter who playfully incited Yussi’s anger with his outrageous language.
Felson, the head of the Dieterich family.
Varun, the lowest-ranked saint.
Guardian of the Great Forest, Iira.
The Miracle, Larze.
Survivors of the great battle, the last members of the Dawn Knights, gathered together.
They were all Heroes with immense fame across the continent. Their eyes held deep trust and affection for each other.
Yussi’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.
“Why isn’t that big guy here? Haven’t heard anything about him being dead.”
The giant, Ivar, was absent.
Despite the promised time almost being up, there was no sign of Ivar and his tremendous presence.
Other knights looked around with puzzled expressions.
The answer to the question came from the podium at that moment.
“Ivar is currently en route to Stagnum under my command.”
“…Your Majesty.”
The members of the Dawn Knights greeted the Emperor quietly, each displaying proper decorum.
Euphemia sat with crossed legs on the elevated seat, looking down at the members.
Her gaze was as sharp as the edge of a blade.
Sensing an uncomfortable atmosphere, Yussi inquired.
“Your Majesty, why is Ivar heading to Stagnum under your orders?”
Stagnum.
It was a prison where only heinous criminals with confirmed death sentences were incarcerated.
With even Black-grade dangerous inmates, it boasted the highest level of security.
Unless there was an extraordinary situation, there was no reason to send Ivar there.
In response to their puzzled expressions, the Emperor provided a brief explanation.
“Two days ago, a force suspected to be affiliated with the Demon Lord attacked Stagnum. As a result, several high-ranking Demon Lord subordinates and Red- and Green-grade prisoners successfully escaped. To prevent additional damage and as a security measure, I sent Ivar for investigation and reinforcement.”
A hushed tone permeated the meeting room.
The members of the Dawn Knights expressed various degrees of surprise.
“The Demon Lord’s followers are still active.”
“…Do they have the capability to attack stagnum?”
“We thought they scattered after the death of their leader…”
Among them, Yussi’s expression was the most serious.
She gritted her teeth, the veins in her neck standing out.
The abruptly severed section of her limb appeared to twitch.
The Emperor continued her explanation, and the solemn tone filled the meeting room.
Demonism, the literal worship, and exaltation of demons as gods, was a tumor that had plagued the Empire since time immemorial.
The atrocities they practiced in the name of their doctrine were so horrific that every few years, direct decrees of extermination were issued by the Emperor.
It is also different from the so-called ‘traitors.’
The worst of all, who has completely cut off contact with human society.
The emperor waved her hand towards the noisy people.
“…Anyway, since the issue has been delegated to the Intelligence Unit and Ivar, you don’t need to worry too much. I called you here for a different matter.”
The members waited silently for her next words.
“…,”
The Emperor remained silent for a moment, tapping the armrest of her chair with her fingers.
The tapping’s intensity and frequency rapidly increased and decreased.
In the climax of this rhythmic pattern, the Emperor spoke as if spitting out the words.
“It’s a stake. The demons are laying their claim.”
The Emperor’s nostrils flared like a hunting dog catching the scent of a rabbit.
* * *
“Look.”
At the Emperor’s gesture, a large map of the continent appeared before the members.
Like a malignant skin disease, red spots dotted various parts of the map.
“This is the recently updated ‘Stake Distribution’ that the Intelligence Unit renewed yesterday. As you can see, the number has increased dramatically recently.”
Numerous eyes scanned the map.
“At present, they’re indiscriminately planting stakes wherever there’s empty land. I believe you, as Knights, can guess the reason behind it.”
The heads of the members nodded in unison.
There was only one reason why demons planted stakes.
To expand the territory where demonic energy was produced.
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In other words, to obtain more demonic energy.
When Yussi, who had been listening, slightly furrowed her brow, it was at that moment.
‘…Even though the war has reached a complete ceasefire, why do they need more demonic energy? The quantity generated from the East should be sufficient.’
Planting stakes was not a free endeavor.
Only high-ranking demons could cast the spell, and it required a significant amount of sacrifices and intricate procedures.
If they haphazardly planted stakes and the stakes were eradicated before they could recover the investment, it would be a loss for the demon side.
‘Why are they in such a rush to procure demonic energy? What on earth…’
What could be the reason?
Oh.
Yussi had an epiphany and raised her head.
The exact answer she had come up with was voiced by the Emperor at that moment.
“Yes, it seems the damage Ted inflicted on the Demon Lord during the Great Battle is more severe than anticipated.”
The faces of the members of the Dawn Knights brightened.
It was expected since most demonic energy was being used for the Demon Lord’s recovery.
Consequently, the restoration of lower-ranking entities who suffered losses during the previous war would be delayed.
In other words, peace would likely persist for a while.
“…As expected of the Hero!”
Yussi was sharing the joy when she noticed a fleeting trace of bitterness on the Emperor’s face for a brief moment.
However, she quickly returned to her usual expression and continued speaking.
“Now is the opportune time. If the eradication of stakes is delayed, the demon’s demonic energy supply will grow rapidly, potentially returning as a much stronger force in the end. However…”
Clack!
The Emperor’s hand dug into the armrest of her chair.
“If we can eradicate the stakes faster than the demons anticipate!”
She looked at each of them with an intense gaze.
“…They will suffer a devastating blow. Perhaps, for the first time since the beginning of the Second Era, human forces may cross the Great Mountain Range to counterattack.”
The members silently listened to the Emperor’s words.
“Therefore, it’s an all-out war. As soon as the meeting concludes, the Intelligence Unit will provide each of you with the ‘Detailed Subjugation Plan,’ so act accordingly.”
The responses echoed in unison.
“We will follow your orders.”
“Understood.”
“We will comply.”
Everyone was silently preparing themselves at that moment.
As everyone silently steeled themselves for what lay ahead, the elderly woman, Varun, known as the ‘Lowest Saint,’ spoke up for the first time since entering the meeting room.
Her voice, sharp and resonant, echoed through the chamber.
“Your Majesty, won’t we need the Hero for this subjugation?”
Silence pervaded the room as everyone listened. It was a question lingering unspoken but looming in the minds of all present.
The Emperor’s calm gaze shifted to the elderly woman.
‘I knew this question would come.’
She continued, opening her mouth deliberately.
“Ted will cooperate to some extent, but the detailed direction will remain highly confidential for now.”
“Highly confidential…?”
“Yes, even for all of you.”
The Emperor, after a deliberate scan of the room, calmly added,
“You will understand, I believe.”
The atmosphere in the room grew tense.
The members were no fools.
The Hero’s abrupt journey to Rosenstark, declared as a break and rest, may have been publicly known, but nobody here was too dull to guess that there was more to it.
A crack in trust.
With the Emperor openly acknowledging what everyone had been wondering about, the members had complex emotions written on their faces.
Only Yussi, with her cold gaze, silently observed their reactions.
With composure, the Emperor added, “There’s no need to worry too much about his absence. You all know him best, don’t you?”
“…”
“Ted Redymer. Whether he is here or somewhere else, at any moment, he remains the person who makes the best choices for humanity.”
“…”
“Um, yes. That’s right.”
As the representative, Saint Varun nodded her head.
The wrinkles on her tired face briefly turned towards the Emperor before lowering again.
Then, her two hands, which had earned her the title of the continent’s finest healer, came together politely.
“There’s always a proper reason for his whereabouts… and his actions. I spoke in haste due to impatience. Please forgive me.”
“It’s okay.”
The Emperor made a light gesture.
“Well then, let’s conclude the meeting around here. The subjugation plan I mentioned earlier will be delivered shortly. I trust you will execute it well.”
“Yes, understood.”
With a gesture of approval, the members of the Dawn Knights retreated, showing their respect.
All except one.
“What’s this?”
One of the members, who had remained silent until the end, spoke up.
The Emperor looked at the elderly mage with silver hair, who stood quietly.
A face that surpassed the beauty of human standards, an unreal appearance.
Eyes that seemed crafted by a master artist blinked, scanning the surroundings.
The continent’s only ‘Beyond’ ranking mage, the Miracle, Larzé Gion.
She responded, bending her knee slightly.
“No, Your Majesty. I just caught a strange scent, and my steps paused for a moment.”
“Nonsense.”
“Well then, Your Majesty, may you be blessed. Until we meet again.”
As Larzé left, the meeting room fell into complete silence.
The Emperor, who had been holding back a sigh, finally exhaled.
“Well, well. This must be the first time I’ve ever seen them all at once.”
Immediately after, a shadow emerged from the back.
Manipulating the multiple communication channels as the host, the Emperor made a slight adjustment, essentially making the presence of one participant disappear.
Even though the Dawn Knights were skilled, here they were merely projections, easily deceived.
Leaning casually against the wall, the Hero responded to the Emperor’s question.
“If identifying the traitor at a glance were possible, our grand deception wouldn’t have even begun.”
“I didn’t expect that to be possible. I just wanted to see if there were any small clues.”
“Well, personally talking to each one might give us a lead.”
The Emperor opened and closed her eyes thoughtfully.
“It’ll happen soon. We might have slipped through the cracks today, but some hot-headed members might come looking for you within a few months.”
“I might go looking for them before that.”
Euphemia gazed at the leisurely smiling ‘fake.’
His acting, mature from the start, had now reached an exceptional level.
“…Even such a small smile looks identical. Truly, everyone could be easily deceived without any suspicions.”
It was truly fascinating.
This moment made her realize how much humans rely on visual cues, even someone who knew all the facts like her found it confusing to watch him like this.
The Emperor turned her gaze towards the empty meeting room and murmured. “It’s like a darkened stage.”
A swift response came.
“Excuse me?”
“I mean this place.”
The Hero followed the Emperor’s gaze and soon understood the meaning, smiling wryly.
“We’ll be actors doing our best to deceive the audience.”
The Emperor chuckled.
It was quite a witty response.
“I hope the curtain call goes smoothly.”
“We’ll strive to make that happen.”
“I look forward to it.”
‘Multi-Communication’ is over.
HEL SCANS
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