Chapter 203: Abyss Part 4

Vidar’s declaration of war had come far too suddenly.

The timing was one thing, but the fact that he told me such a serious matter in the first place…it was hard not to feel uneasy.

“Why are you telling me this?”

What’s with this guy?

Could it be… because of that rumor about me dating Lobelia that blew up the other day?

“Did you perhaps forget?”

“…No?”

Forget what?

I answered no for now, but honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about.

Did I say something dumb like I’d support the barbarians under pressure or something?

“I’m talking about our contract. The one where you promised to make Ariel Ether an archmage and set her up as my rival.”

“There’s still time left on that, isn’t there?”

“There is. But that grace period was merely until Ariel Ether becomes an Archmage. It didn’t mean I would halt the war itself.”

“What kind of twisted logic is that?”

“Then should I ignore the will of my entire tribe just to honor a mere contract with you?”

“Well… no, I guess not…”

Honestly, that would be a bit much.

It’s not like I want that much influence over them anyway.

“Even recently, Eden and Lemegeton have both fallen. Two organizations that were stirring chaos within the Empire are gone now. I’m sure you know that well.”

“……”

Yeah. I’m the one who took both of them down.

Wait a minute. Saying it like that makes it sound like I proactively took down those two organizations.

Well, I can’t say I had zero involvement, though.

“Right now, things are chaotic with all the aftermath, but it won’t last long. Once the Empire regains its composure, it’ll be obvious where their sword will point. A clear and undeniable enemy….us barbarians.”

That’s true.

Ex Machina was a decentralized group, and no one even knew who led them.

As for Under Chain, their Great Sage figurehead was known, but the group’s scale and base of operations were shrouded in mystery.

But the barbarians? They’re different.

They’ve openly drawn attention to themselves, and their key figures are well-documented.

So if the Empire wanted to take the initiative and crack down on so-called terrorist groups…

The obvious target would be the Speartip of Snow Blossoms.

Though it’s hard to say for sure, considering they’ve left Tillis alone so far…

Still, trying to convince the whole barbarian faction to stand down based on such shaky logic would be impossible.

“Our only chance at victory lies in this time of chaos. That’s why we’ll go all in. We’ll burn everything we have.”

“……”

“I know you were involved in what happened with Eden and Lemegeton. But you can’t claim that voids our contract. Johan Damus, this is a contract I’m breaking unilaterally, so you don’t need to feel responsible.”

“Wait, are you saying…?”

“That we won’t use the contract as an excuse to attack House Damus. I just thought you deserved to hear it directly.”

Thud.

The Great Warrior Vidar’s huge hand came down on my shoulder.

The weight. The pressure.

It felt like I could sense the weight of this man’s entire life pressing down on me.

“If Ariel Ether still dreams of becoming the hero of the beastkin, tell her to come stop me.”

Honestly, I didn’t want to say anything.

Wouldn’t that just be throwing Ariel into the jaws of death?

What stood before me, no matter how many flowery words one might try to dress it up with, was a bloodthirsty murderer who had slaughtered countless people.

His brutality went without saying, and his violent nature was certainly worthy of condemnation.

However, as one human to another—

Great Warrior Vidar had upheld his end of our contract with integrity.

So, it was only right that I do the same. At the very least, I owed him that.

And this wasn’t a contract that concerned only me; Ariel had a right to know as well.

“I will.”

And so, after a moment of hesitation, I managed to nod.

Vidar smiled gently.

“Then let’s meet in the capital.”

“Will you even be able to make it to the capital? Honestly, what if I take everything you told me today and hand it over to the imperial family?”

“Do you really think I didn’t consider that? That’s why I didn’t tell you the exact time or place.”

The coldest season. The north.

Thinking back, that was true. Vidar had only given me vague hints and never anything specific.

I’d assumed it was just the usual way barbarians spoke, but he was nothing if not cunning.

“And I’ll say this clearly. Unless the Emperor himself steps in, no one will be able to stop my advance.”

Even as he turned to leave, the Great Warrior Vidar exuded unwavering confidence.

And honestly, he had every reason to.

As things stood, just as he said, there was no one other than the Emperor Abraham who could stop him.

***

The Great Warrior Vidar left quietly.

But the presence he left behind was greater than I had expected.

“Haa…”

Had I really not noticed how suffocating it had been until now?

I let out a long, slow breath.

Thud.

Emily was no different.

Maybe because she’d been exposed to a direct threat, her legs gave out beneath her and she collapsed onto the floor.

Only then did the people around us start glancing over, as if finally noticing something was off.

That must have meant Vidar had been hiding his presence that well.

“You okay?”

“M-Mhmm… Ah, no. I don’t think I am…”

She even changed her answer mid-sentence, clearly dazed.

This might’ve been the first time Emily showed her emotions this openly since what happened with Coran Lekias.

That just went to show how overwhelming the Great Warrior Vidar’s presence had been.

I understood.

I’d been just as overwhelmed when I stood face-to-face with the awakenings of Kult and Tillis.

“Big brother Johan.”

“Huh? Oh, right. Are you okay? Emily, can you stand?”

“……”

Emily silently held out both arms. The meaning behind the gesture was obvious.

“No, absolutely not.”

If I help her up with a hug right now, I’m dead.

Physically or socially.

One way or another, I die.

“……”

“I said no. You can’t.”

This is bad. Seriously.

You want to watch me dig my own grave?

“……”

“You know, I do have two fiancées…”

What the hell am I supposed to do here?

Still, she did step in to protect me.

And just leaving her collapsed like this would look bad, too.

I had no choice.

“Hey, scholar over there…!”

Time to call someone over.

There were plenty of people around who could help.

“Uh.”

“……”

But just as I turned to call someone—

Emily climbed onto my back.

Ah, that’s not what I meant when she held out her arms… Still, telling her to get down now would feel a bit off.

“Emily, you might not know this, but you shouldn’t just go getting carried around or clinging to guys. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good. I knew you’d get it. You’re smart.”

“Yes.”

Ugh, I seriously don’t get this…

I have a hunch, but I’m not sure, so I can’t say anything for certain.

***

For now, I hoisted Emily up and headed toward the café inside the academy.

Quickly and efficiently.

Being from the Cradle, this kind of move was nothing for me.

“Thank you, big brother Johan.”

When we arrived at the café and I gently set her down in a chair, Emily bowed her head politely.

So composed. Maybe that weird feeling I got earlier was just in my head.

If it were Yuna, she’d still be clinging to me, throwing out all kinds of excuses.

But Emily is different.

She might be a little close physically, but things between us are still so straightforward.

Maybe I was just overthinking things.

Man… I really need to get a grip on myself.

“What do you want to drink? It’s on me.”

“…Then, an espresso, please.”

“Alright, just a moment.”

I came here today to try and cheer Emily up, but now I’ve ended up in this mess because of that whole great warrior business.

Came to get rid of a lump, ended up with another one instead.

Somehow, every time I try to solve a problem, a new one pops up.

Guess that’s just my fate.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

After our coffee time, I checked on Emily’s condition once more.

She gave a silent nod. Her expression had returned to its usual near-blank state, so I figured she was probably fine.

“I’ll head home for today.”

Or not?

Maybe her face had gone pale and I just didn’t notice.

Then again, her skin’s naturally so fair I wouldn’t have known anyway.

“I’ll walk you back.”

“It’s okay. I can go on my own.”

“No, but still…”

“Really.”

“…Alright.”

If she’s putting up this much of a wall, there’s no forcing it.

But more than that… something feels off. A bit cold.

Is she upset with me or something?

Well, of course she is. Our little outing turned into a mess, after all.

I’ll have to make it up to her next time.

“……”

With those thoughts, I stood there watching Emily walk away alone.

…Come to think of it, I still haven’t learned how to detach the Babel Gear.

Like I could bring it up in that mood.

Guess I’ll have to wait for another chance. One will come again.

If not, I’ll just have to ask her to hang out myself.

***

– What a fucking disaster.

That was the response I got when I explained today’s events to the Scriptwriter.

I mean, honestly, who could I even talk to about Emily being upset?

Stan?

I’m not trying to get myself killed.

Lobelia or the other girls? Same deal.

Yuna? Not a chance.

As for the rest of the Mifits? No way I can trust them either.

They’d 100% turn me into some kind of social trash!

– By social standards, you are trash.

“Do you even care about that?”

– I don’t.

“That’s why I’m telling you.”

– Fair enough. Makes sense.

Honestly, this still kind of feels like talking to a brick wall…

Not that I sought out the Scriptwriter in the first place.

He contacted me first. He was probably eavesdropping.

Most likely planted something in the Babel Gear.

Maybe every Ex Machina emblem comes with a listening device.

– Still, it’s pretty strange. How did that great warrior guy manage to shut down the Babel Gear?

“Intimidation, maybe?”

– What, you think just glaring at a phone makes it stop working?

“……”

– The Babel Gear may be made of flesh, but it’s still a finely tuned mechanical device. It has no life….only function.

“Well, that’s actually good to hear.”

If that grotesque bio-thing had a will of its own, I’d seriously lose it.

I mean it….I’d be too scared to handle it.

– I’m curious. Really curious. I’ve never had any reason to get involved with the Barbarians before! How on earth did he do it? Was it magic? No, it doesn’t look like magic.

“If you’re that curious, why not retrieve it and study it yourself? Better yet, just take it with you. At the very least, I wish someone would explain how to detach it.”

– Still greedy as ever. Even if you say that, I can’t give you another Gear. It’s something beyond your station.

“Come on, I’ve already told you I’m not even interested in a leadership position!”

– Hahaha! So you’re after my position now? I have to admire the ambition.

“You’re impossible to talk to.”

Does this guy not even know the meaning of humility?

It’s infuriating how convinced he is that I’m after something better than the Babel Gear.

His thinking is completely irrational.

– If you thought gaining my position would give you access to all the Gears, you’re sorely mistaken.

“That’s actually a huge relief. Because I’m not mistaken about anything!”

Listen to me, will you?

– Let’s end this conversation here. It’s still too soon for you.

“No, I just want to know how to detach it…”

– Emily should be fine. She’s a sharp one, after all.

“Could you please just—!”

– Oh dear, am I overstepping now? I’ll stop here then.

Don’t call it overstepping after you’ve already meddled. That’s what’s really pissing me off.

“Scriptwriter.”

Let’s sort things out first.

“Scriptwriter?”

Wait, did he already leave?

Did he seriously just say what he wanted and bounce?

“I’m so stressed I could die, seriously.”

***

A bright full moon lit up the night sky.

The Archmage stood with her snow-white hair flowing down, gazing into the air.

“Johan…”

Ever since she began training under Tronius Ether, Ariel no longer found herself overwhelmed by her abilities.

She was steadily approaching mastery.

And with that, her mental state had become clearer as well.

“I hope you’re doing okay.”

Ariel smiled softly.

She was completely unaware of what her fiancé was up to.

“I’ll come see you soon.”

She dreamed of a romantic reunion.