Chapter 272 |
As Oren lightly tapped his foot, the pitch-black floor sank down step by step, forming a large spiral staircase.
Wooong!!
Without hesitation, he stepped toward the lower part of the staircase and opened his mouth.
"Even when the citadel was first built, doubts and deceptions never ceased."
His steps were unhesitating as he headed into the dark underground, where not a single ray of light penetrated.
"Many people asked why we had to build walls and create a new district in this area..."
"..."
"But I believed that we all remembered the reason we endured all sorts of insults and rumors to establish the current order—"
Oren stopped walking and murmured.
Renok followed Oren's gaze from behind him.
In the dark cavern.
A single ray of sunlight sneaked in through a crack in the ceiling and illuminated a space no larger than a handful.
A tombstone made of weathered marble. An abandoned area overgrown with moss and grass.
Above it, small stone fragments and wood chips floated leisurely, defying the pull of gravity.
A bizarre landscape that seemed to defy the flow of time.
Only then did Renok realize the secret hidden in this place and swallow hard.
Rumors of a hidden sanctum that existed inside the citadel where time flowed differently.
Oren directly showed Renok the truth of that rumor.
"It's a miracle that's impossible without dividing and isolating space as well as time. Do you understand?"
"..."
"The three families, including Samyeong, each managed such hidden sanctums. Anomalies in spacetime that should never have existed in this world... In exchange for sharing this secret with the city council, we gave up much and confined ourselves to this cramped citadel."
From Oren's words, it seemed the city council of Balkan had already known what was hidden inside the Eightfold Star Citadel.
The triad had been granted an extremely special form of continued existence as compensation for sharing that secret.
"But now that's coming to an end. I had my suspicions, but I never imagined they would truly join hands with the Gido Cult..."
"I see..."
Renok nodded slowly, gazing at Oren's back as he murmured softly.
Only after seeing this hidden sanctum did Renok understand the message left for him by the leader of the Pandemonium Front.
The Gido Cult's hidden sanctum. A relic site related to time magic.
He had not been advising Renok to search the cult's branches.
The Pandemonium Front had known from the beginning that the cult searched for such hidden sanctums.
Walter's infiltration of the city to take on the role of missionary was likely because he had recognized the existence of these hidden sanctums within the citadel.
In other words, researching these hidden sanctums could lead to clues about time-series incantations.
The moment Renok extended his mana to observe the relic site before him, thinking this.
Clang!!
A golden wave that surrounded the relic site repelled Renok's mana outright.
"......!!"
Renok's shoulders trembled faintly at the completely unexpected reaction.
It was hard to gauge how far Renok's mana manipulation ability reached now that he had attained the saint realm, but even when his level was much lower, Renok had been capable of archmage-level particle manipulation.
For it to react to mana detection used with such manipulation ability, and not just react but clearly recognize and defend against it—what did that mean?
At the very least, among the barriers Renok had seen with his own eyes, this was undoubtedly a top-tier security barrier.
When Renok turned his head toward Oren, he nodded as if it were natural.
"It's a space isolation binding created by inviting the continent's foremost barrier master through the city council's mediation at the time."
"..."
"Not long after, that barrier master challenged ascension. These three binding barriers rooted in the citadel are, in a sense, his final works."
"A barrier designed by someone on the verge of ascension... so that's it..."
Because it was a barrier created by a monster who had reached such a realm, it could repel even Renok's mana.
Oren continued.
"To temporarily lift the barrier and manage the relic site, the blood of both the family head and the citadel lord must be shed simultaneously. And the proxy battle you're participating in... that's precisely to legitimately inherit the citadel lord's authority."
He turned his gaze and looked at Renok with a composed expression.
"If you lose, you'll hand over the citadel lord's authority. We won't be able to prevent the cult from accessing the relic site."
His pitch-black eyes, unreadable with emotion, clearly illuminated his face.
"Do you think it's worth risking such danger to participate in the proxy battle?"
"...Samyeong family head. I thought you knew this already."
Renok smiled.
"If I truly intended to inherit the citadel lord's position through victory in the proxy battle, I wouldn't have planned so sloppily. To leave no room for resistance, I would have thoroughly managed the other families and their proxies."
"..."
Renok continued.
"What they want isn't victory—it's the existence of the proxy battle itself. Probably because they have a plan to seize the citadel lord's authority regardless of win or loss."
He could guess to some extent.
The event to decide the citadel lord was a grand pretext sufficient to gather all residents of the district in one place.
If the cult, which treated human lives like disposable objects, got involved, it was obvious they would try something even after losing the proxy battle.
"What needs to be done is clear."
Renok murmured as he took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
"Winning the proxy battle while forcibly exposing the Gido Cult's true nature... For that, we may need to shake the board ourselves."
*
Time flowed quickly.
As the vacation date promised by Aris raced toward its end,
The general assembly where the eight families gathered to decide the next citadel lord was held.
As expected, the opinions of the eight families did not align, resulting in a deadlock.
The decision of the citadel lord was passed to a proxy battle with representatives from each family.
In this closed and cramped citadel, if there was one thing that operated uniquely fairly and justly, it was the process of selecting their next leader.
For all residents of the citadel—everyone who considered themselves part of the Eightfold Star Citadel—to gather there was only natural.
A massive wooden arena built around gigantic tree roots.
The vast arena, large enough to accommodate thousands of citadel residents, was worthy of being called a stadium.
The spectator seats overlooking the stage, which spanned hundreds of meters in radius, were packed without a single gap,
And the excited shouts of the audience echoed grandly enough to burst eardrums.
Waaaaaaaaa!!!!
For them, the upcoming proxy battle was as thrilling as who the next leader would be.
It was not hard to understand.
How often did the citadel residents get a legal chance to watch superhumans fight like this?
If not for that reason, they would not have been able to gather all the citadel residents under the pretext of a proxy battle alone.
The atmosphere was closer to a festival than a venue for deciding major citadel affairs.
The boisterous music that resounded from all directions and the clowns who marched merrily around the stage suggested from the start that the eight families had intended this vibe.
In the midst of the densely packed spectator seats, a special section with notably wide spacing.
Among the premium seats reserved only for high-ranking citadel officials, the eight seats most meticulously prepared.
The seats prepared for the heads of the eight families had not a single empty spot.
The leaders of the families guiding the citadel had personally dragged their heavy frames there for this occasion.
'It reminds me of executive meetings...'
Renok, sitting in the waiting area behind the stage as a proxy, looked up at the spectator seats while waiting his turn.
It was hard to see from there, but peeking at the spectator seats through the thick curtains was not difficult for Renok.
A large-scale meeting of the triad's leadership. A mobilization order to decide the organization's direction.
Had not something similar happened recently with the cartel?
But the difference was that, unlike then when the entire cartel was the enemy, allies existed here now.
The head of Samyeong, gazing down at the stage with an arrogant expression, and Suryeon, sitting straight-backed with a tense face, came into view.
And even the elderly woman with her snow-white hair braided up, from the Ibon family.
The young boy serving as the head of the Ilwon family, sitting right beside her, looked strained just enduring her presence.
Ibon's head, who had been watching the lively performance below with a smiling face, turned her head slightly toward the boy and asked.
"The young ones seem to have prepared well, don't they? Even this old woman feels the excitement rising."
"Y-Yes..."
"It's more than sufficient as a venue to decide the new citadel lord. This should be presentable enough to the outside guests."
As she said that, she naturally shifted her gaze.
"But at this gathering meant to proclaim the Eightfold Star Citadel's enduring strength to the world, why didn't the two family heads bring even attendants? This old woman can't understand it."
The sharp gaze of Ibon's head was directed not far away.
The two family heads receiving her piercing look showed different reactions.
While Suryeon slightly hunched her shoulders, Oren crossed his arms and openly closed his eyes.
"...Didn't you hear me?"
At Ibon's voice, which had turned chilling, Suryeon replied with a composed face.
"The Oryun family is currently busy with reconstruction after a major crisis. Please understand."
There was no need to ask.
She was the one who had severed the previous head of Oryun's neck over his extravagance and indulgence.
Unable to nitpick further, Ibon turned her gaze to Oren.
"Why no answer from Samyeong?"
"An answer..."
Oren slowly opened his eyes and met the gaze of Ibon's head.
"Since when have you been so interested in my attendants?"
"..."
"Even when the citadel lord was alive, you showed no interest in other families, old hag. Are you trying to lecture me now? Time is truly impermanent."
Ibon ground her teeth at Oren's indifferent murmur.
"Samyeong family head. Given the times, such remarks could be quite dangerous. Ruining the atmosphere on a day like today won't lead to anything good."
Ibon's hand naturally moved to the shoulder of the boy acting as Ilwon's head.
"Isn't that right?"
Squeeze.
"This old woman would like to hear the opinion of the Ilwon family head as well."
A natural attitude that disregarded opinions from other families.
Yet no one rebelled against her overbearing statement.
The eight families that had led the Eightfold Star Citadel. But among them, it was acknowledged that three families clearly held superior prestige.
That fact had not changed even after the death of the citadel lord from the Ilwon family.
The boy, grimacing in pain, barely nodded.
"..."
Oren turned his head away, looking at the scene with faint pity in his eyes.
As sharp tension flowed between the heads of the eight families, the emcee's booming voice filled the venue and echoed.
[Now, we will begin the proxy battle to decide the master of the Eightfold Star Citadel!!]
*
"Then, I will explain the rules of the proxy battle to the representatives on this side as well."
A middle-aged man in robes of unknown origin pulled out a long scroll in front of Renok and the other four.
"Since opinions could not align in the family heads' meeting to decide the next citadel lord, in accordance with the citadel's traditions and rules, the decision rights will be delegated to proxies from each family."
"..."
"With opinions divided among the eight families centered on Ilwon and Samyeong, judging victory by points would be meaningless, so we will proceed with a captain battle."
It was not hard to understand.
With four proxies divided on each side now, a 2-2 split in wins and losses could not be ruled out.
A format where one captain was decided, and 1-on-1 duels continued between opponents until that captain fell.
"Before the main battle, all representatives, please equip these bracelets."
The man took bracelets from his bosom and distributed them to Renok and the other proxies.
Bracelets made of eight large rings. Among the eight chain rings, only one emitted a faint light.
"They prove the representative's qualification and serve as a catalyst to mediate the ritual of transferring authority based on victory or defeat. They activate as the proxy battle ritual begins, and the ritual ends when will resides in all eight chain rings."
[Heavier than expected.]
Ignoring Manson's grumbling, the man continued.
"If the bracelet is damaged, seized, or transferred in any way, the main battle ends at that point, and authority is transferred. Considering spectator safety, projecting mana beyond a certain level will easily break it, so please be careful."
"What level is that?"
"...We did not consider the participation of powerhouses on par with the family heads."
In short, recklessly using saint-realm mana could lead to disqualification due to breakage.
There might be seasoned warriors among the opponents' proxies, but this was clearly disadvantageous for this side.
For a mage like Renok, it was tantamount to saying there would be no leeway to crush opponents with firepower.
Chen bristled as if to retort, but Manson grabbed his shoulder.
"Chen. Let it go."
Renok also replied with a composed expression.
"They cited safety as the reason, so it's hard to nitpick here."
It made sense.
In a proxy battle to decide the Eightfold Star Citadel's citadel lord, without an upper limit on proxy strength, external powerhouses could disrupt things.
Moreover, considering the safety of the citadel residents densely packed around the arena was not entirely wrong.
Superhuman battles could become intense, with uncontrollable aftermath.
"Damn it, but this is..."
"I know. But it's bearable."
This blatant mana restriction was clearly aimed at restraining only Renok.
Some of the mediators for this ritual must have already aligned with the alliance side.
"It's surprising it ended at just this level."
"..."
They seemed eager to weaken Renok's full power even a little, but ways to circumvent such penalties abounded.
As Renok fitted the bracelet on his right wrist with leisure, the man faintly twitched his brow.
Renok did not miss that subtle crack in his expression.
"...The representatives on the other side have already been briefed, and the captain has been decided."
After finishing the remaining rules, the man continued with an expressionless face.
"If the Samyeong representatives also decide the order of combat, we will begin the proxy battle immediately."
Instead of responding, Renok turned his head to look at the person sitting farthest right.
More precisely, the Samyeong proxy whom Oren had personally designated and brought here.
"Wh-what do I do? What should I do..."
"..."
"I don't want to fight... What should I do?"
Sunken eyes and a gaunt frame.
The young man biting his nails while sweating profusely.
This man, who did not look like a warrior and seemed far from battle-ready, was Samyeong's proxy.
Renok let out a silent sigh.
Of course, this was agreed upon with Oren in advance, but seeing him made it impossible to hold back the sigh.
"Asui, was it?"
"P-please, save me, Ban-nim. I came here because of my uncle's words, but I've never fought even once!!"
At Asui's frantic outburst and breakdown into tears, Manson and Chen's expressions beside him turned peculiar.
They had known from the start that this ally would not be helpful in the proxy battle, but they had not expected someone this spineless.
But Asui ignored such gazes and knelt right there, clutching Renok's coat hem and trembling.
"N-no, I thought you asked me to read books and do research in the back room, so why am I doing this... Why this!!"
Watching Asui wail desperately like the tragic protagonist of a play, one might even doubt if it was really that scary.
But instead of sharply cutting off his fuss, Renok let out a small sigh and began to soothe him appropriately.
"Asui. Calm down. You've heard some from Oren already, right?"
"B-but... I heard about the plan, but... I didn't know about the proxy battle. I really didn't know I'd have to stand there!!"
"Hmm."
He knew Oren was indifferent, but he had not expected him to give no explanation at all to the proxy representing the family.
Manson and Chen, watching from behind with arms crossed, shook their heads.
"Yeah, this is the typical reaction of sorcerers. I forgot for a moment because I see Ban so often."
[Exactly. How many never see frontline action in their lives, let alone rear guard? You're the unusual one.]
"..."
It was not wrong.
Even after spending considerable time in this world, Renok had not seen many cases like himself, where a mage ignored front and rear lines with magic alone.
Parden MacQueen, whom he fought in the cartel skirmish, was somewhat similar, but he too was a high-level warrior versed in arcane martial arts.
Asui, a collateral descendant of Samyeong who inherited shadow incantations, might be an excellent sorcerer, but he was no outstanding warrior.
For someone who had never quarreled or faced life-threatening danger, being suddenly thrown into a kill-or-be-killed battle, losing rationality was natural.
"We don't have much time."
The middle-aged man continued in a flat tone.
"Please decide the order quickly."
"..."
Outwardly showing no sign, he seemed to already guess where the proxy battle's victory would lean.
Renok let out a small sigh and immediately assigned the order.
Renok as captain. Manson in the rear. Chen in the middle.
And Asui as vanguard.
"Hiaaaaaak!!"
Seeing his name scrawled on the wooden board, Asui foamed at the mouth and fainted.
"Ugh..."
[This idiot is really Samyeong's proxy?]
Manson shook his robot head, red warning lights flashing.
"Oren is an eccentric who maintains high reputation and secretive private life even inside the citadel. I don't know what Ban discussed with him, but this is..."
Chen murmured gravely, but Renok shook his head.
"Asui is the second-best shadow sorcerer in Samyeong after Oren. We absolutely need his power for this."
"But..."
[Isn't surviving the proxy battle as vanguard the issue first?]
One of the proxy battle rules. Forfeits were only allowed after 5 minutes post-main battle.
Could Asui really hold out for 5 minutes against the opponent's first proxy?
But Renok nodded without hesitation.
"Don't worry about that."
"...Wait, Ban. You don't mean?"
Chen asked, sensing ominous intent in Renok's words, but it was too late.
"For him, it might even be better without consciousness."
Mana threads extended from his five fingers and unbound Asui's limp limbs without mercy.