Chapter 202: Abyss Part 3

Great Warrior Vidar.

The barbarian chieftain who wields the spear of legend usually walks around covered in blood, muscles bulging, with his hair a wild mess.

Maybe that’s why?

When he’s dressed like a proper person and his hair is neatly tied back like now, it’s hard to believe he’s the same person. Even when you know it’s him.

Well, with such a drastic transformation, it makes sense that he can roam freely in the imperial capital.

Even though a man of his size is hard to miss.

“More importantly, you said you were looking into mythology and legends? I can help with that. One of my social identities is a historian, after all.”

“Is that so?”

I’d known his cover was that of a scholar, but I didn’t realize history was his specialty.

Or maybe it’s not just that. He seems to know a bit of everything…

When we met before, he’d even recommended some books on alchemy. I guess he’s just a naturally scholarly type.

“As you know, I’m a barbarian and barbarians are bound to the past more than anyone else. The Empire erased countless histories during its wars of conquest, but I’ve made it my task to record each of those lost histories. In a way, I suppose that’s my form of resistance.”

“I can see how you’d think that.”

“So, what kind of legend are you looking for? I’ll help.”

“Then I won’t refuse. Do you mind helping for a bit?”

“Of course not.”

At some point, I’d become the kind of person who could ask dangerous individuals for favors without hesitation.

But really, so what?

It’s not like I’m doing anything shady this time.

Might as well not waste a rare opportunity like this, right?

“Do you happen to know anything about First Princess Lapis?”

“Oh, you mean that lunatic with flowers in her head?”

“Uh… yes, I suppose…”

As expected of the barbarian chieftain who fights against the Empire….his choice of words is anything but ordinary. Even though he was disguised in a calm and scholarly appearance, there was still an air of intimidation about him.

Or maybe it’s just because he’s huge?

Honestly, even if the person in front of me wasn’t the Great Warrior Vidar and was just some regular guy, his sheer size alone would still be scary.

“Is there a problem with her?”

“Well, actually…”

After I told Vidar everything I knew about Lapis,

He paused for a moment, seeming to think it over, then began to guide me somewhere.

“It was about 700 years ago.”

“So, it’s an old story.”

What happened 700 years ago again?

I’ve never been all that interested in history, so only one thing comes to mind.

A major turning point in history. Something that can never be erased, no matter how much anyone might want to.

The beginning of magic.

Roughly 700 years ago, the Great Sage succeeded in systematizing awakened abilities into what we now call magic. He turned personal power into something universal.

“Hmm…”

Maybe the existence of this other thing was overshadowed by that major event all along.

“In that era when magic first emerged, something called ‘Naraka’ appeared in a small village.”

“Naraka?”

“A being that blended into human society and could not be killed. No matter how many times it was slain. And this part is uncertain, but according to the records…”

Vidar seemed to think for a moment before adding briefly,

“There’s also a theory that it was the first lifeform born through black magic.”

***

When Melana went to see the Great Sage,

He answered her question as if it were nothing.

“The damage to your soul is simply because you couldn’t withstand the burden of the chain.”

“……”

“It’s impossible to restore the parts that are already lost, but replenishing them is possible. Of course, it won’t be easy. Extending your life means stealing life from someone else.”

“…Are you telling me to kill someone?”

“There’s no need for that. You already carry the soul of another. If you use that, it should be simple.”

Melana glanced down absentmindedly at the chain she’d once received from the Great Sage.

A power refined from a human soul.

“Are you hesitating because you think that too would be burning someone else’s soul?”

“……”

“It’s understandable. In that case, let’s do this. Return the chain to me first. Then, I’ll melt a portion of my own soul to extend your life.”

“…What’s the catch?”

Melana responded with a serious look.

To fuse part of Faust the Great Sage’s soul into her own?

Was she really worth that kind of risk?

In the end, she couldn’t help but shake her head. It didn’t make sense.

She wasn’t someone so special.

Wasn’t it her inability to handle the power of the chain that had left her like this?

So then, what was he really after?

To get the chain back?

That could easily be taken by force, so it couldn’t be his condition.

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“But…!”

“What can you even do? What do you have to offer me? Are you loyal to me? Do you believe in me enough to lay down your life? If so, then it would be best to end this relationship here.”

“But…”

“You’re misunderstanding something.”

“…What?”

“I never called upon anyone. The ones who sought me out were always, in one way or another, those who feared death.”

The Great Sage Faust never summoned anyone. People simply gathered around him on their own.

“I helped them in my own way. And in return, I asked for help that I deemed appropriate.”

“But… you… you used Yuna’s father.”

But now Melana understood.

As she slowly grew closer to Yuna, she came to know the pain Yuna had endured.

She could finally understand why Yuna had shown such visible discomfort upon their first meeting.

She now saw how much of a monster the Great Sage truly was and how he viewed people.

“Then do you think he was any different? He called out to me as well. Trapped in death, unable to enter reincarnation, drowning in fear and regret. He cried out.”

“……”

“A life full of regrets, things left undone. Souls like that are the ones who call to me. It’s instinctive, a natural reaction.”

“What are you saying…?”

“Charybdis Salos feared death. So I erased that fear from his soul. What happened at the Cradle….that too was something Charybdis himself had wished for at the time.”

Faust extended his hand equally to all who feared death.

He merely gave them help and received help in return.

If they didn’t want it, he never forced them.

Faust was not a leader but a fellow pilgrim in the journey toward immortality. Someone who made deals, not commands.

“Then why are you helping me? Just as you said, I have nothing to offer you. Please don’t say it’s out of goodwill. I’ve watched Under Chain’s journey up close….no, I’ve walked it myself.”

“It’s not goodwill. Perhaps that’s how I was in life, but the one who stands on the boundary between life and death is different.”

“Then what is it?”

“This is responsibility.”

Faust lives to erase death from this world.

He forges chains out of the souls of the dead, linking them together and binding them to himself.

Like a prisoner, he carries the weight of all of them.

“I was once the one who created magic.”

A pioneer in his field.

Faust was once praised as the Great Sage for his contributions to the world.

He created magic, advanced the world, and offered wisdom to countless people through his vast knowledge.

“And I…”

But Faust was not a perfect man.

He was someone who made mistakes many times over and failed repeatedly.

And yet, the reason he could still be called the Great Sage was simple.

“The first.”

Because he knew how to face his mistakes.

Because through repeated failures, he could lead others closer to the right path.

This journey too has been the same.

“The one who ‘discovered’ dark magic and released it into the world.”

He intended to keep walking the path he believed in, with unwavering conviction. But if he couldn’t reach the end of that path, he was at least prepared to take responsibility.

“All the dark magic in this world was brought in by me, so it’s only right that I bear all the pain it has caused.”

***

Unfortunately, there were no existing books about the mysterious creature known as “Naraka” which Vidar had described.

To be more precise, it seems the Empire erased them. Given how sinful the Empire has always been, it’s hardly surprising anymore.

Something about it must have rubbed them the wrong way.

Good thing Vidar himself is a historian erased by the Empire.

If I’d tried to investigate alone, I probably wouldn’t have found a single clue.

Is it okay for things to go this smoothly?

No, of course not.

Now I have to find the answer to a new problem I’ve just come up against.

“So why have you come to see me? I doubt it was just to say hello.”

The great warrior Vidar was a sharp man.

There’s no way he went through the trouble of sneaking into the Imperial Academy just to conduct a bit of research. He’d watched my movements before, so he must’ve known I’d be here today.

He’s even planted spies in our territory, from what I can tell.

“As expected of you, Johan. I do appreciate how quickly you get to the point. Yes, I came because I have something to tell you.”

A chilling smile.

For the briefest moment, beneath the guise of a scholar, I saw the killer who had slaughtered countless people.

Flinch!

As if sensing the threat, the Babel Gear embedded in my right arm began to squirm on its own.

Thump!

And, with his sharp instincts, Vidar didn’t miss it.

The great warrior grabbed my arm in one swift motion. At that, the Babel Gear embedded in it began to thrash wildly…

“You’re carrying something quite interesting there.”

The moment Vidar applied just a bit of pressure, the Babel Gear went still.

My twisted, distorted arm gradually began to return to its original shape.

What was that? What did he do?

Was it brute force? Or did he suppress the Babel Gear with sheer presence?

“Wait a second…”

Cold sweat ran down my face.

What if he saw this as a challenge?

No….this is the heart of the Empire, and I’m in disguise. He probably won’t try anything rash.

“Let go of Johan.”

“Hmm?”

Just my luck.

Apparently noticing that Vidar was gripping my arm, Emily was now aiming the muzzle of a gun at his back.

The situation was deteriorating by the second.

Why is it that everyone around me always draws a weapon first?

Dialogue and compromise….such beautiful words!

Why must threats and intimidation come first when these options exist?

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not a suspicious person.”

Vidar once again pulled the mask of a scholar over himself, hiding the barbarian’s grin beneath a pleasant friendly smile.

The barbarian acting more rational than the people around me.

“I said, let go.”

A small knife slipped out from Emily’s coat sleeve.

Above me, a quiet yet fierce blue energy whether it was sword energy or something else, I couldn’t tell….but it swirled in the air.

That too was probably one of the mechanical devices Emily had invented.

And since it was made by Emily, a high-ranking member of Ex Machina, it was likely quite powerful, despite its small size.

“Hmm… This is troublesome. Haha. This isn’t what I had in mind.”

Vidar smiled slightly and let go of the hand he was holding.

Thankfully, it seemed that the barbarian was more rational than Emily, a member of Ex Machina.

But just as I let out a sigh of relief—

“………!”

Vidar’s rough hand spread open, as if to grab Emily’s face.

But that wasn’t what shocked me. It wasn’t Vidar’s sudden move.

“It’s not like I have any reason to back down.”

“E-Emily…?”

It was because Emily, without a hint of hesitation, drove the knife she was holding straight toward Vidar’s heart.

However, the knife didn’t pierce him.

Even a weapon made with Ex Machina’s technology couldn’t leave a scratch on the body of a great warrior.

“As expected of Ex Machina.”

A voice laced with killing intent echoed through the air.

And in that instant, it felt as if I had been plunged underwater. I could hardly breathe.

“Did you know that some researchers from Ex Machina once conducted human experiments to see just how different a barbarian’s body is from that of an Imperial?”

“……”

“When they smashed their skulls and crushed their bones?”

Despite the murderous aura he gave off, no one around seemed to notice. That showed just how controlled his energy was.

It was proof that this monster wasn’t simply someone who’d blindly trained his strength. He was far more calculated than that.

“We have nothing to do with them.”

“I know.”

“Then leave the girl alone. She only acted out of concern.”

“Haha, don’t worry. Do you really think I’d take such a reckless risk?”

Vidar smiled warmly as he withdrew the hand that had been cupping Emily’s face.

And once that rough hand pulled away, the expression that flickered across Emily’s face was one of fear. It was an unfamiliar emotion for her.

“I just wanted you to understand. I’m a rational man but the Great Warrior Vidar is an emotional one. So don’t provoke me. The human skin I’m wearing is thinner and easier to tear than you think.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Then shall we get to the main topic?”

With that, Vidar turned his head and declared,

“This year, in the coldest season, a chill snowflower will sweep down from the north and blanket the heart of the Empire.”

It was a declaration of war against the Empire.