“First question. Do you remember the day we staged that incident together, Senior?”
“I do.”
“At the time, you mentioned there was someone targeting you. Who was that?”
“Someone who tried to exploit the students’ insecurities and drag them into ruin.”
“Was that person, by any chance, a dark mage from Under Chain?”
“That’s right.”
Click.
Dietrich’s sword pressed slightly deeper into my neck.
With that, a trace had been engraved.
If Dietrich wanted, blood could start flowing endlessly from that tiny wound on my neck.
“Do you remember when we attacked Viscount Alec’s mansion?”
“I do. It’s not exactly an old memory.”
“Then, senior… the ‘actor’ you mentioned…. was she actually a real dark mage from Under Chain?”
“Yes. She was a real dark mage.”
“Is she also the same person responsible for the incident we talked about earlier?”
“That’s also correct.”
“……”
The blade dug in a little deeper.
Honestly, I could understand the suspicion. There was no excuse…I looked every bit the dangerous element.
“She already left Under Chain and has been on the run ever since. She asked for my help, so I helped her.”
“What kind of help?”
“She wanted me to save a friend. Someone whose life had been ruined because of her.”
To be honest, I hadn’t expected to help her that much either.
But what could I do?
I’d come that far… turning away would’ve felt wrong.
“…I’ll believe you for now.”
“You don’t have to believe me. It’ll probably feel better to confirm it yourself later.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
The sword that had been touching my neck pulled back slightly.
“Then, do you remember when Under Chain attacked us?”
“I do. I owe you my life for that.”
“You used a firearm back then. I didn’t question it at the time since you’re from a noble family, but thinking back now… it was unnatural.”
“You’re right. With our family’s influence, it’s actually hard to get access to firearms.”
“Then how did you manage it?”
“Let’s just say I’m an alchemist and I had an engineer nearby.”
“……”
“I know it was illegal. But I had to survive, didn’t I?”
Honestly, I wasn’t proud of it.
That much, I could admit.
Still, maybe by Dietrich’s standards, it was understandable. He didn’t bring the sword any closer.
“Third question.”
“I think I can guess what it is. Want me to answer first?”
“Go ahead.”
“I never cooperated with either Eden or Under Chain.”
Honestly, even I have to admit my explanation about Under Chain sounded weak, but I really didn’t cooperate with them…
There were three separate times I got help from Dietrich, and all of them were related to Under Chain.
Anyone not suspicious of that would look more suspicious themselves.
“Last question.”
“Not sure there’s anything left to doubt, but go ahead.”
“What did you gain from all of this?”
Even while doubting me, Dietrich kept trying to figure out my true intentions.
It was a world of difference from the time when he used to speak without any filter.
I honestly wasn’t sure whether I should congratulate Dietrich on his growth. He used to laugh cheerfully all the time, but now he was constantly steeped in a gloomy atmosphere.
“My safety and the safety of those around me. That was all I cared about.”
“…….”
To be honest, I had only wanted to look out for myself, but as life went on, I found myself taking care of the people around me too.
“I see.”
Dietrich stared at me with a cold gaze.
But I didn’t look away. There was nothing to feel guilty about. I had only told the truth.
“……You really were just as I’d seen you, senior.”
“Is that a compliment?”
At that, Dietrich quietly lowered the sword he had been pointing at me.
Then he responded with a faint smile, just enough to remind me of how he used to be.
“Yes.”
Luckily, it seemed I had passed whatever criteria he was judging me by.
***
Dietrich had lived a life not much different from that of a puppet.
Everything he did had been under the control of Kult, and whether he liked it or not, his actions often ended up supporting Eden’s operations.
Looking back on his past, Dietrich had probably come to loathe himself.
“I realized I knew nothing about Kult.”
“Well, I doubt it was really ‘nothing’. Not everything you saw could’ve been fake.”
“What do you mean?”
“No, I mean, you at least know what kind of food he likes, right?”
“I don’t know… Kult eats everything without being picky.”
“Then you do know he’s not a picky eater.”
“Really?!”
The kid had changed in many ways, but at his core, he was still the same.
He no longer spoke with the same mental filter as before, but that slightly airheaded side of him….it was probably just part of his nature.
“So, what do you plan to do now, senior?”
“I’m going to stop Kult. What about you?”
“I… I’m not sure yet.”
“Yeah? Well, take your time and think it over. Thanks for the help.”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t force him.
This had to be the most confusing time for Dietrich.
Even if things were urgent, forcing him wasn’t the right move.
Once he figured things out, he would act on his own. There was no need to rush him.
“Then, I’ll see you again.”
“……”
Without hesitation, we left the Marquisate, leaving Dietrich behind.
Now, this was where it truly began.
We’d broken free from Kult’s awareness. Now we could become a variable.
However…
“By the way, Johan, where do you think Kult went? Do you have any guesses?”
“None. He’s still wary of the Oracle, so he wouldn’t head somewhere easy to predict.”
Though ironically, the Oracle had completely fallen for Kult’s trap.
“You got what I meant, right?”
“You mean we should split up again from here. Understood.”
Since Kult would continue to be on guard against the Oracle, it was better for us to stay apart.
And one more thing.
“I’ll draw Kult’s attention.”
That was the only way to draw Kult’s attention in one direction.
“I’ll begin by searching for Kult’s location.”
The reason Kult and the Oracle were so wary of each other was because both of them could see the future.
Of course, they each had their limitations.
Basically, seeing the future took a toll on them, so they couldn’t do it repeatedly.
However, there was a difference in how the two viewed the future.
While Kult could see the future of targets he was aware of, the Oracle could see everything.
That made the Oracle’s ability sound superior, but once the details became clear, that wasn’t exactly the case.
Because the Oracle saw so much at once, it required far greater effort to find what she actually wanted.
“Ugh!”
In short, it just wasn’t efficient.
“I saw a streak of light crossing the night sky in the eastern district. I’m not completely certain, but it looked to be about 500 meters from the Imperial Palace.”
“Alright, then you head out first. We’ll get ready to strike from behind.”
“…You really don’t seem the least bit worried about me. You’re like someone who sheds no blood or tears.”
“You know people are dying even as we speak, right?”
“I’m going.”
Crash!
Grumbling under her breath, the Oracle left the scene.
Her ability was bizarre no matter how many times I saw it.
Since the ability to see the future wasn’t related to awakened abilities, that must have been the Oracle’s unique talent.
Could it be a space-travel type of ability?
“Well then, Yuna?”
“Mhmm!”
“Let’s head for the eastern district too, as discreetly as we can… Oh, hold on? Stan just contacted me.”
Naturally, all of this had been shared with Lobelia’s group.
While this side was making its own moves, Lobelia and her team had also made plans to prepare for Kult in their own way.
“Is it Stan?”
– Yes.
They could have used the silver mirror for communication, but Emily’s device felt much more convenient.
After all, the silver mirror was expensive and could only be linked to one person.
– We’ve identified the location of Kult Hereticus.
“Really? We’ve just about pinned down his location on our side too.”
– That’s unexpected. He was moving quite discreetly, so I didn’t think you’d be able to track him down.
“Still, we don’t know the exact location yet. Where is he now?”
– Six blocks west, then two blocks north from there.
“…West? Not east?”
– Yes.
I was certain of it now.
Something had gone wrong.
***
Lobelia’s group was tailing someone who had quietly slipped out of the Hereticus Marquisate.
“Looks like Kult is finally starting to make his move.”
“Should we strike now?”
“No, better to keep watching a bit longer. We still don’t have enough justification.”
Kult’s movements were cautious.
If it had been anyone else, they might not have even noticed him leaving the building.
Of course, Lobelia hadn’t assumed from the start that the person was Kult.
“Even with his face completely covered, he wouldn’t have imagined there were eyes that could see through all that.”
They had found undeniable proof. Something that couldn’t be hidden no matter how hard he tried.
The Eden symbol engraved in his eyes.
If Johan hadn’t described the features in advance, they wouldn’t have known.
But a prophet was different.
That uniqueness was what drew followers to him. And that same uniqueness was what gave him away.
“Ariel, what do you think?”
“Considering the prophet’s past actions, even this very moment might have been part of the plan.”
“That’s certainly hard to deny.”
Setting aside the fact that they had someone as capable as Stan, his actions were simply too blatant.
Even without solid proof that he was with Kult, his actions were clearly suspicious.
“By the way, Ariel. Aren’t you worried about Johan? We haven’t heard anything from him since he entered the Marquisate.”
“He’s fine.”
Ariel answered calmly.
Lobelia was, in turn, surprised by Ariel’s composure.
When Johan had said he’d infiltrate the Hereticus Marquisate to feel out Kult, Ariel had clung to his pant leg, begging him not to go. But now, she seemed far too calm.
“I placed a tracking spell on Johan, and it’s still active.”
“…You put a tracking spell on him?”
“Of course.”
“Is that really something to say ‘of course’ about…?”
“Yes. We’re basically engaged.”
Lobelia couldn’t help but tilt her head at Ariel’s nonchalant response.
Was a tracking spell really something you could cast without the person’s consent unless they were a criminal?
Probably not.
“Anyway, Ariel, it looks like your hunch was right.”
“Seems like it.”
Changing the subject, Lobelia let out a sigh.
The person moving through the shadows of the buildings had suddenly stopped and was now staring directly at where Lobelia was.
Could it really be…
A power that simply couldn’t be hidden.
Even beneath the hood obscured by shadow, the Eden symbol engraved in his eyes was visible. And seeing it alone was enough to inspire awe.
People began to gather on the otherwise deserted street.
“With eyes that pretty, you should’ve shown them off sooner.”
“……”
They had been lured in.
Lobelia quietly assessed the situation and started scanning the people who had begun appearing between the buildings.
Ten in armor, twenty priests, and thirty others.
Not a small number. Numbers aren’t everything, but…
Fighting against Eden’s followers, who have high battle endurance, is a hassle.
Paladins charging in with healing and protection spells were practically walking tanks.
Chances were high this would become quite troublesome.
Of course…
“Ariel, how many minutes do you think it’ll take?”
“Minutes? Not seconds?”
Their mage was powerful enough to overturn even such unfavorable matchups.
If the enemy had numbers, she could just wipe them all out at once.
“What if we include Kult?”
“Hard to say. I’ll have to see… But judging by the fact he only brought this many, it probably means he’s confident.”
“True enough.”
Lobelia looked at the person staring intently at her and thought.
And at that moment—
Booooooooom!!
A blinding light like the sun itself burst forth and pierced through the dark night and shot up into the sky.
***
Around the same time.
The Oracle arrived in the eastern district, using the future she had seen as her guide.
Was I… too early?
She broke through space itself and appeared, glancing around before concealing her presence and waiting for Kult to show up.
Not long after, she spotted a boy with his hood pulled low over his face.
“Well, were you waiting for me to appear too?”
“……”
Then, she locked eyes with the symbol of Eden, just barely visible beneath his hood.
Even from a distance, the way he turned his head as if he’d known she’d be here made the Oracle tense.
Like the Prophet, she could see the future, but when it came to fighting power, she was far outmatched.
How long can I stall him?
The Oracle began preparing her spell.
And in that very moment—
Booooooooom!!
A blinding light like the sun itself burst forth and pierced through the dark night.
***
A radiance soared into the sky, as if tearing through the night.
A manifestation of the Prophet’s overwhelming power.
“This is…”
For a moment, I was left stunned by that crushing force—
But then, I noticed something.
“This makes no sense.”
That light had shot up from both the east and the west….at the same time.
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