◈ Episode 207. A Lucky Day (3)

An empire can fall at any time.

The emperor made his decisions in a moment of peace.

In the capital city of Antonium alone.

With the majority of the Empire’s territory destroyed, there will be no additional food supplies. For the time being, we can survive on the food stored in the Empire’s warehouses, but after that…….

“If you say so, then so be it.”

So said the leader of the dwarves, Chainwalker.

The Emperor was unperturbed.

He was ready for anything.

“Listen, deputies.”

The Emperor declared before his subjects.

“The glorious empire you knew has long since fallen. A war with demons, a shameful civil war. Our empire is teetering on the brink of collapse.”

“……!”

I can’t believe the Emperor himself would say such a thing.

There was no honor in being a subject.

To the bowed heads, the Emperor continued.

“And yet, why has the empire not fallen until today? To whose credit are the people of Antonium able to enjoy a brief period of peace?”

If only he had a taste for flattery.

At this point, you would have called out the Emperor’s name.

But this is a crumbling empire.

There are no flatterers left.

Someone answers.

“Thanks to a ray of light in an infinite darkness.”

The Emperor nods.

“Indeed. Thanks to you, Adventurer, Lord Lee Hoyeol.”

In the world of Adventurers, it was he who had led Sword Saint, Shegwin, and the rest of the rebel coalition to retreat from Antonium.

The Emperor’s voice grew more determined.

“He did not save me, the Emperor, or Antonium, the capital of the Empire, with special regard. He saved Dredsen, a fringe province whose name, to my shame, I did not even know. Yes, he did. The adventurer has accomplished what even I, the Emperor, could not.”

The tales of heroism spread through the survivors of Dredsen.

The Emperor learned from the experience.

“He did not back down from any of the trials. He did not yield. He did not rationalize. He did not compromise. He maintained his pride to the end.”

I am the Emperor.

I am the center of my empire, and I must never be shaken.

Unlike the man who used his position as Emperor as an excuse to run away.

But now that I realize that.

The Emperor has no intention of backing down.

Dag-dag.

The Emperor, wearing no armor and a helmet, stood in front of the horsemen.

The assembled troops numbered about five thousand.

They had been selected from among the most heroic soldiers in Antonium.

The emperor spoke unflinchingly.

“Today we will charge into the land of the dead.”

Yes, literally into the land of the dead.

A horde of elves who would kill anyone who stood in their way.

Urs, the madman who once terrorized the continent of Arcana.

And now they’re at it again.

Demons, and even more so, demons that are said to emit evil energy.

Five thousand Imperial soldiers at most on such a battlefield?

In the words of the dwarves…….

Indeed, they could be wiped out by a single elven arrow.

Still, the Emperor could not back down.

“For there are my people.”

No more turning away.

He vowed.

Our destination is Polestar, a small city near the Zero Mountains.

There are only about three thousand of them left alive.

Three thousand was not a small number.

Still, one might say.

Sometimes a small price must be paid for the greater good.

That an emperor needs to move on a small city.

I don’t blame him.

I don’t blame him, because there were times when even I thought that way.

But that is the realm of calculation.

“There is no such thing as balance in my dictionary.”

It is not pride.

“Are you afraid?”

The Emperor asks.

“No, Your Majesty-!”

Comes the proud reply.

Those who have survived as soldiers in Antonium have passed through countless life and death situations.

And now, with the Emperor at the forefront. The momentum of the soldiers on their way to the front seemed to soar.

Dag-dag.

Departure.

The Emperor leaves Antonium.

Nash William, the highest ranking mage in the Empire, braced himself.

“Your Majesty, I will join the expedition.”

Unlike his brother, he hasn’t even been admitted to the Magic Tower.

Even if he did, he wouldn’t be much help.

Still, he wanted to help.

To Nash, the emperor replied.

“Not allowed.”

“It’s ……?”

“Nash, you are the shield that protects Antonium.”

“……!”

“I have no intention of using you as a shield to protect me.”

Moving words, Nash was Nash.

Brother, is it true that I really have Your Majesty’s trust?

Could it be that I’m not good enough for him to use me?

Finally, half-heartedly, he replied.

“……Nash William, I will follow your Majesty’s orders.”

*

The view through the telescope.

It was as Diend had reported.

Indeed, an Imperial army, led by the Emperor himself, was headed for chaos.

So take responsibility, Grandfell.

It’s all thanks to you!

‘It’s not a plague, it’s something, really.’

It was.

Once again, pride was the problem.

I’ll be honest, I’m a proud man.

He doesn’t want to put his people in danger.

An emperor leading his own troops.

I’m impressed.

“Have you finally realized?”

……At least.

Don’t talk to the Emperor of the Empire like he’s your boss, Grandfell.

Besides, it’s not something to be flattered about, this!

Why, didn’t I tell you before?

An absolute disadvantage.

Including the most powerful military organization on the continent of Arcana.

Even the allied forces here, with all their might, are outnumbered.

Even the Empire.

Even the Knights of the Lionheart, the sword of the Emperor.

Here, in the real world.

‘I hate to say it.’

The Empire is a toothless tiger.

Piss off one of them, and they’ll kill anyone, including the Emperor.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the power was wiped out.

You did well to keep your mouth shut in this hopeless situation, Grandfell.

‘No need to worry, I’m here!’

First, let me recall the best of me.

As I said, there was no way I could enter the continent of Arcana. Unless I’d saved the effects of the [Map of All Things], which have long since been lost.

‘It’s impossible to recover it with my current level of enchantment.’

That’s true.

Unlike me, Diend can travel freely between reality and the continent of Arcana.

And the only way to do so is through Hiel.

‘Even that has its limits.’

{Unique Spirit}, Hiel.

Dark Spirit, Diend.

Two of the strongest spirits in the world.

I don’t expect them to be able to play a role in this mess.

Of course, it’s Hiel and Diend.

In many ways.

They are more than I could have ever imagined.

‘Let’s say they succeed in protecting the Empire.’

But.

The Emperor and the Empire.

And the people of Polestar, that’s not the end of the story, is it? What I want is to stop this mess before it falls through the rift into the real world.

To put a stop to it somehow.

“Diend. At your command.”

For now, joining the Empire is an unchangeable choice.

That leaves us with the Abomination, the Elves, and the Transcendents…….

At least we know who the Transcendent is.

“You are the Urs of rumors.”

『Urs of the Iron Arm』.

A figure in the book who was said to have consumed dozens of elixirs just for the sake of being known.

That bushy-haired man was Urs.

Thanks to his innate ability to consume elixirs without any adverse side effects, he became a transcendent, and lived for a long time as a truly transcendent being.

‘I can understand that reaction.’

Because you have lived for a long time, you have seen everything you can and cannot see.

Whether I show off my presence in social settings, make a fuss, whatever.

I’m sure he didn’t care.

‘Such an Urs has moved…….’

I don’t know why, but I just hope we don’t get into a fight.

Anyway, no self-awareness.

You’re all big shots, aren’t you? Small quarrels turn into big events. A [battlefield] rift is created, an emergency update is floated.

But unlike my desperation.

something else came out of my mouth.

“Maybe it’s better that way.”

…… Hey, Mr. Grandfell.

Are you trying to tell me no one is listening?

But your lofty pride will not allow you to see my eyes.

“No, you’re right, it would be better if you came to me instead of me coming to you.”

…… This guy is crazy!

Anyway, the heir of our great family has high standards of pride.

Whether you’re a Great Evil, an elf, or Urs, you’re never intimidated.

It’s always been that way.

By the way.

“……!”

Thanks to you.

Cool headed as always, even in desperate situations.

Thanks to you, I was able to recall.

Yes, a natural enemy between me and the demon.

But there’s another one that goes beyond ‘that’……!

[Hierarchy of Blessings].

Two completely different worlds.

I was bound to reality, not the continent of Arcana.

Likewise, the [Hierarchy of Blessings] may be mentioned to the real Elsidor. This means that we cannot hope for the effect of hierarchy on the elves on the Arcana continent.

But.

[Blessing of the First World Tree].

I wasn’t the only one who received that.

It was like that.

There were others who received the blessing of the World Tree and ascended to the ‘rank’.

I wasted no time.

Straight away, I called out its name.

“Hiel.”

*

The Mountains of the Beginning.

Even the Zero Mountains had disappeared from the Arcana continent.

Agentress pursed her lips.

“I didn’t want to see this.”

Agentress looked at his compatriots.

Those who unfortunately lost their mother’s blessing.

They no longer lived to see another day.

Every day brought them closer to death.

An elf spoke to Agentress.

“I apologize, Lord. I missed it.”

The impure gaze felt from above─

That ugly hunk of scrap metal must have belonged to the dwarves.

I’ve ordered an arrow to pierce its tiny body.

At best, an arrow would miss at this distance.

‘This cannot be but a stroke of luck.’

But Agentress said.

“It’s not your fault.”

Yes, all the blame, Mother.

For stealing our blessings from us, you dumb old Mother of the World.

Because it must be what you have.

Jabbering-

“How did you end your troubles?”

Agentress looked at the being that had approached him.

It was unmistakably human in appearance.

But the reason he called it a being was simple.

The foul stench that emanated from it with every breath.

It wasn’t human.

“What are you staring at? What you want is simple, Eternal Life, I’ve set the table neatly over there. All you have to do is be honest with your raging appetite.”

Agentress and the elves had encountered many demons on their journey from Sisley to the continent of Arcana.

But there was something different about the demon in front of them.

Neither human nor demon.

A third party.

From the elf’s point of view.

‘Different.’

Agentress thought of the demons he had slaughtered on the continent.

Every single one of them had been stupid and mean.

Demons were more ignorant than humans.

Why?

-“Please, please spare my life……!!!”

Humans begged for their lives.

-“An elf? Not a bad body.”

The demons didn’t even know what to say.

In that sense, the demon in front of me was different.

It could use its head.

-“They say all demons are not the same. I’m a different kind of demon, and I know what you’re feeling better than anyone.”

-“?”

-“I’ve been around for eons. I’m a complicated creature.”

The Seven Deadly Sins.

That’s how the demon introduced himself.

Then it shrugged.

-“I’ll spare you the introductions, because I’m sure you don’t care which of the Seven Deadly Sins I am, and I’m offering you one. I’m just introducing you to an option.”

And now.

“It’s simple, isn’t it? If you are corrupted, you can regain eternal life.”

Agentress couldn’t ignore the story.

As an elf himself, he was an eternal being.

He could sense that the other man was indeed an eternal being.

kuleung!

Agentress looked up at the thunderstormy sky.

It’s as if you’re rebuking me, foolish mother.

He muttered softly.

“But the wrong choice is…….”

Agentress’s eyes flashed.

“Did you not make it first?”

I look at the body losing its vitality.

Ever since I heard the offer from the Seven Deadly Sins.

The decision I had made had not changed for a single moment.

I will eat.

“Good, I hope you all like the meal I’ve prepared.”

The Seven Deadly Sins said and pointed somewhere.

“The menu is called ‘Polestar’. Please enjoy it.”

Ding, ding, ding.

Agentress and the elves were in no hurry.

It was an unassuming human town.

Even if they had gotten the hint and fled now, it would have been pointless.

The Seven Deadly Sins continued.

“By the way, it looks like an unexpected appetizer has arrived……. I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t think our guests will be able to take more than a bite.”

Dag-dag-

The sound of horses’ hooves.

Agentress opened her mouth.

“Gluttony is a sin. What overflows must be thrown away.”

Corruption?

Make no mistake.

We are merely harnessing the power of the demon.

The Seven Deadly Sins’ faces twisted at the words, but only for a moment.

“I will make up for my previous mistakes.”

Crackle─!

The elf immediately pulled the bowstring.

Indeed, there was a reason they called thousands of soldiers a bite away.

The magic that emanated from the arrowhead was uncontrollable.

However.

“……?”

The bowstring would not let go.

Elves and Polestar’s Imperial Army.

Something small and insignificant stood between them.

It was exquisite.

‘Spirit King… … . No, more than that.’

So much so that even Agentress was mistaken.

A spirit with an elegant appearance.

Soon, the spirit spoke.

“I, Hiel, give orders according to the command of my lord.”

In an extremely cold voice, as if it were ‘someone’.

“In accordance with the Hierarchy of Blessings.”

“……?”

“Stop.”

“……!!!”

Then Agentress and the hundred elves stopped.