The next day after returning to the city.
Arriving at the lord’s manor in the early dawn, Kyler let out a heavy sigh in front of the family head’s office.
How… am I supposed to tell him this?
The weight of the truth she now had to deliver to her family pressed down on her entire body.
Her brother was already burdened by the responsibility of being the Grand Lord.
How was she supposed to tell someone like him that a catastrophe was about to strike at any moment?
“Damn it.”
But in the end, it was something she had to do.
She lifted her heavy arm, opened the door, and stepped inside.
There, as always, was her blood relative sitting at his desk at this early hour.
“Kyler. What were you thinking about so deeply that you were pacing in front of the door like that?”
“…….”
“Hmm. Your expression is heavy. Did things not go as planned?”
“That’s… not it.”
“Then what?”
“…….”
She couldn’t think of a single way to begin.
As she stood there silently, Camillo rose from his seat first.
“Hah. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this. Not since the time you said you wanted to give up the position of family head and become an adventurer.”
“…What? Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
“When Father suddenly passed away and the successor seat opened up, countless retainers circled us like hyenas, eyeing our position. Do you remember?”
“…Yeah.”
“You saw through their schemes before I did and declared you would give up the position of family head. Then you left for Blackout with nothing but a sword. You have no idea what I felt back then.”
“Haha… right. That did happen.”
It was a time when everything felt pitch-black before her eyes.
Perhaps she had simply run away.
And because of that, she had pushed herself harder than anyone to succeed as an adventurer and climb her way to where she stood now.
“You and I have both done our best in our own roles. That’s the only reason we’ve made it this far.”
“…Yeah.”
“So be honest. What did you see out there that has you shaking in fear…just like when we heard about Father’s death?”
“…It’s something serious.”
“I assumed as much.”
With that, Kyler began explaining everything she had learned, one truth at a time.
“A coming catastrophe… Is it something like a Dimension Reverse?”
“That’s… something you’ll have to see for yourself.”
“See for myself?”
At Camillo’s question, Kyler placed the purple sphere she had received from Jun on top of the desk.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a vision the leader of the White Whale Mercenaries witnessed while speaking with the ancient spirit inside the monument. He said he stored part of that memory in here.”
“Magic like this exists…?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never heard of anything like it.”
“Hmm. What a remarkable mage.”
The method of use was simple.
Place your hand on the sphere and supply it with mana.
“Kyler. Watch it with me.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“…Alright.”
The two of them placed their hands on top of the purple sphere.
And the moment Camillo infused it with mana, a scene began to project before their eyes.
It was a moment from the great catastrophe once experienced by the beastkin race somewhere in the world.
***
“By now, they should be watching it.”
Rubbing the corner of his eye, Jun muttered to himself.
“I hope Count Camillo takes it seriously.”
Kyler’s troubled expression as she left resurfaced in his mind.
Still, I did everything I could.
He had even borrowed the power of dreams to project the scene he saw in Maya’s dream into the memory crystal.
Considering how lazy the creature was, coaxing it into helping had been no easy task.
There’s no way he’ll just sit still after seeing that. And if he ends up thinking I’m a scammer… well, that can’t be helped.
And if the count refused to accept it…
Then, ultimately, there’s nothing I can do.
But perhaps his worries were unnecessary.
Jun was summoned by Count Camillo that evening.
“Welcome. So you’re the mercenary leader I’ve heard so much about.”
Fortunately, the count’s first impression wasn’t a bad one.
A man who had ascended to the rank of count at a relatively young age, now reigning as the lord of the North.
He received Jun with courtesy.
“Thank you for the warm welcome.”
“No need to stand on ceremony. Given our current situation, there’s no place for formalities.”
He was clearly saying they should get straight to the point.
Then, Count Camillo gestured to the purple memory crystal placed on the table.
“If this is true… then we can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
“Exactly. The damage will be catastrophic.”
“But even I found it hard to believe what I saw. The other northern lords are unlikely to move so easily.”
“……”
“Though our house is called the ruler of the North, this is the reality we face. Even when it comes to repelling the annual monster waves, many vassals are uncooperative.”
How did things fall into such decline?
It would be hard to claim that it was all because the seal had gone missing.
“Can you tell me why?”
“Hmm. There are some internal matters within our house, but the bigger problem lies in the East.”
“You mean… the East?”
“Yowan in the East. The land war that started there isn’t showing any signs of ending. On the contrary, it’s only escalating with time.”
“The real issue is that the situation there is having a negative influence on many northern lords.”
With Kyler’s added explanation, Jun was starting to get a clearer picture.
“Are you saying the other northern lords are harboring foolish ambitions?”
“That’s exactly it. The Empire’s political landscape has been shifting in many ways lately.”
It all began about fifty years ago.
With the fall of Merdein, the heart of the South.
That collapse forced the entire world to suffer an economic blow.
The land war in the East stemmed directly from that event.
And the northern lords had been watching that situation very closely.
“But… if we don’t deliver this information, the consequences will only grow worse later.”
“I understand. That’s why what I need is certainty….certainty that this disaster will come.”
“……”
“My position isn’t so light that I can act without solid proof. So, can you prove it to me?”
“You want me to put something on the line as well.”
“Exactly.”
It was far too much to act on the word of a single mage alone.
“Understood. I’ll request the help of the Gillen Merchant Guild.”
Gillen.
Already a big name even in Blackout, and even more influential on the surface.
“Gillen Jake, the Golden Hand. If he moves, the story changes entirely.”
“I’m not sure he will. But his granddaughter, Chloe, will.”
“She’s been making quite a name for herself in the industry lately. I heard she’s widely considered the most likely successor.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then that should suffice.”
That level of name value was more than enough.
Now, all that remained was to bring results.
That’s what he meant.
So our name doesn’t carry that much weight yet.
It made sense, really.
The White Whale Mercenaries had recently grown in reputation within the industry, but that didn’t make them powerful enough to sway the lord of the North.
“I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
With those final words, Jun exited the lord’s office.
“I’m sorry. I tried to convince him as much as I could, but that was the best I could do.”
That was Kyler’s comment as she followed him out.
But Jun wasn’t disappointed at all.
“No, I actually think it’s fortunate he accepted it at all under the circumstances. In truth, the count does believe the disaster is coming, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, that’s true. After seeing that…”
Kyler frowned, likely recalling the contents of the memory crystal Jun had shown him.
“He probably just needed a safety net in place. I can understand that.”
“So… what will you do now?”
“As I said, I’ll need to raise the stakes by putting someone else’s name on the line.”
The first person who came to mind was Chloe just as he had told the count.
Naturally, to Chloe, this would come as a complete shock.
– What? What did you say? A disaster? A Disaaaster?!
Where do I even begin explaining all this…
His head was already starting to ache.
***
Should I really be calling this a relief?
Since meeting Jun, Chloe had been shocked like this more times than she could count.
And by now, she knew well. Jun didn’t lie about things like this.
On top of that… in talking to Chloe, he had to share things he hadn’t even told the people of the Ron family.
[So… you’re saying this is the work of the Heavenly Church too?]
“That’s right.”
Chloe’s voice through the communication tool conveyed a level of disbelief that was almost beyond words.
Still, Jun calmly explained everything he knew.
[So, to sum it up… the Heavenly Church is trying to use the god of death to influence the surface world, and that just happens to be in the North?]
“Exactly.”
[Haah. And now a disaster is going to happen in the North… and the lord there wants to borrow our name.]
“He said just my name alone isn’t enough to move things.”
[I think I get what he means. Then I guess I’ll need to do some scouting on my end too…]
“What are you planning?”
[Honestly, what does the name of our merchant guild even matter? We’re just a guild, after all.]
“True.”
[What he wants is probably someone who can actually act under our name.]
“Like the Imperial Family, maybe?”
Support from the Imperial Family…
That would certainly be reassuring. But unfortunately, Chloe’s response quickly dashed that hope.
[The Imperial Family won’t act so easily. Especially not when it comes to matters in the territories. You know how things are in the East right now.]
“Yeah, that’s true.”
[Leave this side to me. For now, just keep a close eye on what’s happening over there.]
And once again, Chloe didn’t let Jun down.
The very next day, she showed up with a powerful ally by her side.
[The Master of the Laness Magic Tower has agreed to move.]
“What?”
[Ah….let me rephrase that. The Laness Magic Tower is moving.]
***
“The Laness Magic Tower…?”
The count, having no knowledge of Jun’s connection to the Laness Magic Tower, tilted his head at the sudden mention of the name.
“Yes. The Master of the Laness Magic Tower has agreed to act personally.”
“Hoh… That person…”
Laness.
Even Camilo, hailed as the overlord of the North, dared not speak lightly of them.
Though they usually remained cloistered within Blackout, the mages of the tower would descend to the battlefield whenever a proper request was made.
“They’re really going to move?”
“Yes.”
“How long until they arrive?”
“They said it should take about fifteen days from now.”
“Fifteen days…”
No one could be sure how much time was left before the disaster struck, but regardless, reinforcements were something to welcome.
“Then… I suppose it’s my turn to respond. I’ll send letters to my vassals today.”
“Let’s hope as many come as possible.”
“I’m hoping for the same. But…”
The count’s expression darkened slightly.
How many of his vassals would actually answer his call?
He didn’t expect even half of them would.
“Still, we must do all we can. Good work. Also… Kyler told me you’re currently trying to calculate how much time is left before this so-called disaster arrives?”
“That’s correct.”
“How far along are you?”
“We should be able to finish by tonight.”
“That’s… good news.”
“I’ll inform you the moment we know.”
“Very well.”
With that, Jun left the lord’s manor and night fell.
Camilo finished writing all the letters to be sent to his vassals and began thinking over what still needed to be done.
If there’s one relief, it’s that the people from the West still have some time before they arrive.
Currently making their way by ship, their arrival was expected to be delayed due to worsening weather conditions.
If the disaster were to strike while they were already here, that would pose a whole new problem of its own.
Hoping to shake off the fatigue that had piled up over the day, he stepped out onto the terrace.
The cold northern air whipped around him fiercely. But to him, even that was something he had long grown used to.
“……”
And then, as if by instinct, his gaze turned toward the direction of the ominous monument.
Camilo’s expression stiffened.
Why?
Why did the sky look like it had a faint crack running through it?
Even after rubbing his eyes, the scar in the sky remained.
And with that, he was forced to face the truth once again.
The disaster was coming to the North.
And it wouldn’t be long now.
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