Genius Warlock-Episode 681
681. nuns (2)
“Are you here??”
The huge Seonghwangcheong building.
As we entered the large room on one side, Kevin greeted us..
His disciple with black hair and red skin.
Merlin, who had just come out of the basement of Seonghwangcheong, pretended to be okay..
“Okay, seeing you greet me so well, I was wondering if you had something to report..”
“yes.”
Kevin, who never smiles, did not laugh at Merlin's joke this time, but answered briefly and clearly..
For some reason, all of his students seemed far from smiling..
Maybe this too is fate or karma.
“Wow, you keep tormenting the poor old man... Tell me”
Merlin sat on the chair, pretending to be tired and groaning..
It was true that I was actually tired, but I had to pretend to be even more tired. That way it will look okay.
Kevin answered Merlin's questions as usual..
“First of all, as Yareli said, we left for Landa..”
“Right.”
Merlin responded calmly..
After hearing the news of the great damage to Maptop and Landa from Puppet, Yareli had already expressed her intention to return to Landa, so there was nothing to react to. There was nothing for Merlin to do right now..
“take this.”
Despite Merlin's indifferent response, Kevin handed over a stack of papers in the same manner as before..
“This is the damage report from the Magic Tower..”
fluttering. fluttering. fluttering. Merlin looked at the paper..
As Kevin said, the damage to the magic tower was recorded on the paper..
That's pretty detailed too.
“Regardless of school, all wizards and students belonging to the Magic Tower suffered significant damage. In particular, the leadership, One Master and Grand Master..”
Merlin nodded..
As Kevin said, the damage to the Magic Tower was severe, and the leaders, the Grand Master and One Master, suffered almost half of the damage..
Moreover, given Puppet's strategy, it was obvious that he would have hit those who actively counterattacked first, so it was clear that the actual damage was greater than that..
Damage on a scale unprecedented in the history of the Magic Tower..
And Kevin secured a report of this magnitude amid the damage and handed it over to Merlin..
“did you ask for it?”
“Yes, I sold some of Master's name..”
“That's great.”
Merlin commented. Sincerely, not sarcastically.
He took advantage of the time when he was preoccupied with Oliver's work and filled in the gap brilliantly..
Selling his name might have been a problem, but it was Merlin who taught him how to handle things in the first place, so there was no need for that..
Because in a chaotic world, small lies were a virtue..
Above all, if Kevin, a red man, had not sold the name of the archive, we would not have been able to secure this much information..
It could be said that it was a great skill..
In reality, Kevin just continued his report in silence..
“Again, the damage to the Magic Tower is extreme. The entire organization. As for the military, it wouldn't be surprising if it collapsed..”
“Yes, it seems. In particular, a leadership vacuum is fatal. If you do it wrong, the school could collapse..”
“One Master Tilda must have been concerned, so he called an emergency meeting and decided to supplement manpower from outside..”
“If it's an emergency meeting······?”
“In the event of a major crisis in the Mage Tower, this is a meeting where members from the original master level to the grand master level gather to quickly make decisions on the Mage Tower scale. That's the case right now..”
Kevin, who knows all the rules of the Magic Tower, answered..
“It was originally a dead rule, but it could be activated due to the lack of leadership..”
“I understand... By any chance, are the outsiders who decided to supplement the kingdom's army war magicians??”
“yes.”
Currently, a large number of kingdom troops are stationed in Landa..
Under the pretext of not knowing when the army of the dead, who had fled underground due to the appearance of the kingdom's army, would come back up..
Of course, there were war wizards in that army..
When Mage Tower had a leadership vacuum and recruited personnel from outside, they were the only ones suitable..
Kevin reported, explaining the whole situation..
“As a result, not only Landa but also the Magic Tower came under the influence of the royal family..”
“What a suspicious nuance..”
“Because it's actually suspicious..”
Kevin spoke in his characteristic stern tone, and Merlin agreed..
The vacuum in the leadership of the Magic Tower created by the Puppet attack..
The kingdom's army appeared just in time and drove them out without difficulty..
Tilda took advantage of this opportunity to recruit a large number of magicians from the kingdom's army..
I felt like it was too tight..
It's as if someone drew a situation like this.
It wasn't that important right now.
Still, Merlin decided to take advantage of the short break to hear his student's thoughts..
Kevin answered. an unexpected answer.
“I'm not really interested.”
“······is it?”
“Yes, it's suspicious and there are a few speculative theories, but that doesn't really interest me at the moment. Even though I'm a professor at the Magic Tower, I don't have any affection for the Magic Tower..”
“······.”
“Also, compared to the situation in front of us now, the Magic Tower is just a minor thing..”
Kevin accurately assessed the priorities of the current situation..
It was truly an objective evaluation. Like a wizard who came to Oliver's quarter staff.
Normally, what was happening at the Magic Tower would have been a big deal, but not now..
None of that was insignificant compared to the current situation..
“I'm asking in that sense, the conversation with Zeno... Was it okay??”
Kevin, who always spoke clearly and confidently with correct pronunciation, rarely slurred his words..
“······Are you worried??”
“I'm worried in many ways. Master's condition doesn't look good..”
“······I'm not in a good state.”
Merlin answered slowly, pointing to his bandaged body and one eye that was crushed and covered with an eyepatch..
It was a wound sustained while blocking Oliver, and could not be healed even by holy methods..
“Still not bad. Because you care about me... Speaking of which, could you get me some of the bandages from that drawer??”
At Merlin's request, Kevin silently brought a large amount of bandages and balm to mask the smell..
This was one serving.
“I need to change some bandages. Could you please leave for a moment? I'm so shy that I'm embarrassed to show my skin..”
“do you need any help?”
Merlin paused for a moment..
“······Sorry, but I am a moral person. I can't have that kind of relationship with my student..”
“Are you crazy??”
Kevin responded to Merlin's joke..
At that reaction, Merlin felt satisfied for the first time in a long time and giggled in a way that was not appropriate for his age, and Kevin tried to leave the room..
Kevin grabs the door handle.
At that time, Merlin took off the bandage and asked without realizing it..
“······Do you still hate me??”
Stop.
Kevin stopped at those words. Like the air inside.
As the air stopped, an awkward silence filled the room, and a belated regret bloomed in Merlin's heart..
Why on earth did you ask such a foolish and selfish question?.
Cheolpuk-!
Probably, it was because of the wounds hidden under countless layers of bandages..
Skin broken like glass and a collapsed body. Blood flowing slowly between the cracks.
Along with this blood, Merlin's mental strength and patience would also flow out of his body. Or maybe it's just time to die.
‘Not yet······.’
Merlin thought as he looked at his body. Then she tried to fix her own mistakes..
“I'm sorry. I'm speechless. Don't worry, stop-”
“-Of course I hate it.”
“······.”
“I'll hate you for the rest of my life.”
Kevin spoke sternly, cutting Merlin off. Without leaving any room.
“Right.”
To that, Merlin only responded like that..
‘Instead of adding negative comments like ‘it’s natural’ or ‘it’s a shame’. Because he didn't even deserve it.
“Even if I stop going out-”
-Knock. Knock.
While Merlin was speaking, and just as Kevin was about to say something. someone knocked on the door.
At that sound, Merlin and Kevin turned to the door and asked who it was..
A familiar voice was heard beyond the door..
“Armand. I came here because I have a story to share with the archive..”
***
Cardinal Armand.
He was a rare Holy Knight among the cardinal priests, one of the leaders of the moderate faction, and a prominent figure who was also the chancellor of Gallos..
Of course, he started out as a paladin and became a cardinal priest, the highest rank among priests..
Thanks to this, he was also acquainted with the archive, Merlin..
There was a moment of conflict, but.
‘red peacock.’
‘Long time no see. archive.’
Right after the Pied Piper died, when they came to capture Oliver..
However, ironically, the archives, Merlin and Armand, established a cooperative relationship here at the Seonghwangcheong, the center of Paterism..
To protect Oliver. The reason is that.
“This is because I agree to some extent with the meaning of the archive..”
The room where Kevin left.
When the two of them were left alone, the Chugi priest spoke frankly..
“Dave, Zenon, and Oliver decided it would be better not to harm him anyway..”
It was like that. Armand, who maintained a cautious attitude toward the apocalypse, had no intention of harming Oliver other than arresting him. It was believed that it would lead to worse results for humanity..
“For that I am always grateful to you, Your Majesty..”
Merlin, who hastily bandaged and applied balm, answered. Of course, I also added an afterword..
“It would have been better if we hadn't captured him at all..”
“Don't talk nonsense. Don't you know that's impossible? How many people have seen what he did? If he had failed to capture him, great chaos would have occurred, not to mention the prestige of the Church of Pater. I'm still confused enough..”
Armand put emotion into his last words..
In fact, much of the current administrative power of the Church of Pater was being used to suppress rumors about Oliver..
The problem was that the effect was minimal compared to the effort put in..
“Above all, don't you know that he came here voluntarily? If it wasn't for that in the first place, it wouldn't have been possible to capture it..”
Armand recognized it. It's not that Oliver was caught, but the fact that he was caught..
As one of the best paladins on active duty, he knew that Oliver would be dangerous if he tried to run away or harm them..
That was also the reason why he tried to protect Oliver..
“But this too has its limits..”
Armand slowly got to the point..
“As you may know, the cardinal priests are increasingly inclined to kill him. I know it's a foolish choice, but it's also unavoidable. My fear and anxiety about him are increasing... You'll soon find out how to put a wedge in there too..”
“what is that?”
As soon as I asked, Armand took out a map..
On the map of the selected country, there were two lines drawn there..
Two lines start from the center of the continent and reach the end of the continent..
Merlin seemed to know what that line meant..
“I heard that the Pied Piper died and turned to dust. Is this true? With a single finger he.”
“exactly.”
“Now, something like this has happened, transcending countries and ethnic groups. People within this line.”
Armand pointed to two lines marked on the map. Two long lines starting from the center of the continent and reaching the tip of the continent..
“Everyone within the range of this line turned to dust and died..”
“······Do you mean everything??”
“Yes, men, women, children, the elderly, rich, poor, civilians, and criminals. People from cities and villages who witnessed this strange phenomenon reported it to the temple and found out about it. Of course, there are some villages that have not been reported..”
“Why didn't you report it??”
“It's because everyone in the village turns to dust and disappears..”
Merlin was speechless for a moment..
“I sent someone to find out. I'm within range of the line, but I'm not hearing anything. When our group went there, the entire village was empty. Things like buildings and trees are fine. It means that only people have disappeared..”
Armand looked nervous as if he was afraid even as he spoke, and Merlin also felt afraid..
They do not destroy buildings or natural objects, but only destroy people..
I felt an unimaginable malice..
“It may not seem like a big deal when it is displayed as a line like this on a map, but it is not at all like that when compared to reality. It is impossible to calculate the amount of damage right now... I don't even dare to imagine if this line had changed direction just a little and passed through the capital of Gallos or a large city like Landa..”
agreed.
If Oliver's finger had pointed to a city with a large population, the damage would have been on a scale that would be a crime just to imagine..
And if the cardinal priests found out about this, their anxiety and fear would reach its peak..
In an extreme form, they fear that they will die if they don't kill Oliver..
“When did you find out this fact??”
“This morning after completing the investigation.”
“When are you going to let me know??”
“You can't hide it for very long. As I said before, many people have turned to dust and are disappearing, so they are asking questions at the temple. Each country is also investigating this, and the media has also caught wind of it. The cardinal priests who are currently distracted by him will soon find out..”
Merlin understood what Armand was trying to say..
He wants to help the archives, but he must reveal himself first to maintain his credibility among the cardinal priests..
understood.
It was not a fact that could be hidden until the end, and if it was hidden, it was obvious that Armand's reputation among the cardinal priests would be completely shattered and his influence would be lost..
Rather, that is the worst situation. So, the idea was to bring a solution to Merlin first. While she keeps her mouth shut.
The problem was that even Merlin had no idea what to do..
A single gesture has caused casualties across the continent, so what can one individual do??
“I'll say it again, the moment this fact becomes known, the cardinal priests who are already very anxious will fall into a state of fear that they will no longer be able to control. Some of them, who cannot be stopped by anyone's authority, will try to kill them without going through due process, even by sending assassins personally..”
“Do you really think you can kill me??”
Merlin asked without realizing it. No, I asked what I wanted to ask before..
Will the cardinal priests be able to kill Oliver because he doesn't do anything?.
Armand smiled bitterly..
“Even from a rational approach, this is an absurd act. The situation of the end itself is beyond reason. The same goes for people who are afraid. They have no choice but to decide that it is better than staying still... Are you okay??”
Armand asked.
I feel uncomfortable with the foolish reaction that is not typical of an archive..
Merlin seems to have recognized his abnormality and has taken care of it..
“sorry. I guess I'm tired.”
“Well, I went underground and met him... What progress has been made? in conversation with him?”
Armand glowed with subtle anticipation..
As the prime minister of a country, he was a man who did not rely solely on luck, but he also harbored a sense of just-in-case..
Because humans tend to develop such feelings the more they encounter things that are out of their control..
That question reminded Merlin of his conversation with Oliver..
‘I can still see it with my eyes. I can see the sins of everyone, including the elderly, in my eyes. As vividly as if it was happening right now.’
‘I am······. I can't do it.’
Oliver expressed his refusal.
Merlin's request for mercy and forgiveness.
It wasn't that I didn't understand. We can see the sins of all humans, but is there anyone who can show mercy and forgiveness??
It would have been difficult even for God to dare to guess..
It was not a matter of simply having power..
No, maybe I didn't know forgiveness, but I was showing mercy right now..
It could be said that one is showing mercy by not punishing people right away and just being patient with them..
But funny enough, right above, there were countless calls to kill Oliver..
The ones who prevented this were, contradictorily, Armand and Roderick, representing the two camps: Merlin, the archive, and Cardinal Priest..
“hmm?”
“why are you like that?”
“For some reason, it seems like one less person came... Where has your highness Roderick gone??”
“He left to do some business. People who watched for a long time showed a reaction, and I don't know what it was.-”
-Ugh. Ugh.
While Armand was answering, a very subtle vibration was heard..
The average person cannot notice.
However, Cardinal Priest Armand and Archivist Merlin were able to sense the vibration..
The place where the vibration is felt is in Armand’s arms..
Armand took out a secret communication device hidden in his chest..
It was a familiar object. That's because it was given to me by Merlin..
It was given out because we thought it would be a good idea to share a communication device while working together on Oliver.
That meant something pretty serious might have happened now..
Could it be that someone has already sent an assassin to Oliver? Or the cardinal priests colluded?
A lot of guesses quickly formed in Merlin's mind..
Surprisingly, the communication device came out with shocking news that blew away all the speculation..
[Prince Armand. Please quietly bring the paladins and provide support. I found traces of devil worship in the convent..]
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