My alter ego is becoming a big shot - Episode 215
#215
Jeron's Suffering (4)
A huge battle inside the Immortal Castle.
In an intimidating atmosphere with countless Death Knights lined up left and right, a lady in a black dress was politely presenting a report to the person sitting on the throne..
[···As you asked, the plan to invade the continent is progressing smoothly... Still, due to the saint's foresight, the advantage of a surprise attack is not great... This time, we took advantage of their lack of preparation and were able to achieve satisfactory results with overwhelming power.···.]
Next, the translucent lady, Banshee Queen Olivia, listed the results of this operation step by step..
The raiding force formed under the orders of the Immortal King attacked more than a dozen locations simultaneously, and succeeded in achieving its intended goal in all but a few locations, including those where the warrior party intervened..
Of course, most of the undead army was later destroyed by the punitive forces of each country, but from the beginning, all soldiers except for a few commanders were expendable, so there was no particular loss..
After all, undead were abundant around this immortality..
[Pfft—good job, Olivia. How dare you deal with this body with such a complacent attitude. I guess this guy looked really funny after playing with him for a while..]
As she finished her report, Hans, sitting on a throne made of skulls and bones, let out a small laugh..
And he took a moment to assess the undead crowding around the castle, then swallowed the regret welling up inside him..
‘If the number of people that could be moved at once was greater than now, the continent would have been turned over much more efficiently. Even after preparing for several days, attacking a dozen locations is the limit..’
Of course, even if there were an abundance of undead that could be used as troops, moving them to the invasion point was another problem..
It couldn't have been easy to dispatch such a large army across the continent in the first place, right?.
‘At least it's possible with a body as big as this one..’
Originally, wizards were at their best in an environment where they were thoroughly prepared..
And the Immortal King, the pinnacle of warlocks, was no exception..
‘Using the energy of death that fills the area as a catalyst, immortality becomes the core of a huge magic circle. In addition, if this body's near-infinite black magic power is supplied,···.’
What was born was a portal on one side of the castle that allowed large-scale transportation of only the undead..
This was possible because immortality was the ultimate magic 'Labyrinth of Eternity' that could be manipulated according to his will..
If I were to point out one drawback of this portal, it would be that it is basically a one-way system specialized for the sending side..
Since only a small number of commanders were able to return anyway, it was a problem that could be easily solved by bringing at least a few lichs with them..
[We are also carrying out the investigation you previously ordered... Unfortunately, it is still difficult to approach key figures in the South... However, I was able to gain some insight into the Obaipo clan located in the eastern part of the country.···.]
He was silently lost in thought as he listened to Olivia's further report..
The Southern Tribal Alliance has cut off all communication with the outside world, wondering what kind of trick they are trying to pull..
The Eastern Obaipo is taking control of the Republic's political situation, as if following the example of the Kingdom of Thalia..
‘It can't be a coincidence that they all moved at this time..’
Additionally, the attempted assassination of the princess in the Empire and the Enamel Continent that Harris is currently investigating..
Everything was extremely suspicious..
‘One side neglects them and the other side deals with them. Which one is more beneficial?.’
Of course he didn't just care about them causing trouble..
His only interest now was to earn a huge amount of karma through his ongoing 'continental invasion plan'..
‘Once they are there, it will be easier to destroy the continent. In the short term, the karma supply and demand will be greater... In the long run, it will inevitably become a variable in the home theater..’
Hannibal Strauss, the immortal king who was lost in thought for a moment, glanced at the situations of the other avatars connected to him and then suddenly blurted out a word..
[Yeah, I guess I need to go out in person at least once..]
A word that hints at a major event to come..
***
When Stav raised his claw-shaped dagger.
‘Ah... is this the end?.’
Even in that desperate moment, surprisingly, the fear of death that Riley felt was not that great..
Rather than that, I felt even more regret about what I had done so far and the relationship I had to let go of..
‘Se-ah, you must be very sad.?’
In particular, those feelings became stronger when I thought of Lee Se-ah, with whom I had developed a friendship that was more than family..
Instead of repaying her for all the hard work she's done for me, I can't even say goodbye to her and break up with her like this..
‘I hope you don't go out of your way to seek revenge and return to Earth safely..’
The next person who came to mind was Hesperon, an Earthling like Isea..
Actually, I didn't have a very long relationship with him, but I naturally associated with him because I was clearly aware of his presence right before the incident happened..
‘···It seems like I have the means to get out on my own, but why?.’
While fighting against traitors using all kinds of strange objects, his emotions were vaguely felt through the connection that gradually became stronger..
He kept trying something with a strong will to somehow save her..
‘Just run away alone···.’
I shouted that to myself several times earlier, but he just remained silent and focused on what he was doing..
To be honest, it was true that I was looking forward to it for a while, but that was really over now..
whirring—!
Finally, the strange dagger in Stav's hand was swinging towards him..
Riley couldn't bear to see it and closed her eyes tightly.···.
At the same time, I instinctively and strongly grabbed something that was momentarily stretched out in the 'passage' with Hesperon..
Cough—
Immediately after that, she felt something familiar and when she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was.
“Wow, that was close..”
It was a confident smile that could not be hidden even though it was covered in blood—it was even dazzling..
and.
and···?
“ah!”
And then Riley opened her eyes..
The familiar ceiling I've always seen.
But now, I can see at a glance a landscape that feels somehow unfamiliar..
“···Is it a dream?···.”
She lifted her upper body from the soft silk-covered bedding and stroked her hair..
Her glossy blonde hair was flowing, dazzlingly scattering the morning sunlight coming through the window..
“ah.”
That time was still vivid in my mind..
Well, at that point, only a day and a half had passed, so it might be natural..
She glanced out the window and quickly got ready and went outside..
Of course, the princess attack incident had enormous repercussions for Jeron..
When she suddenly appeared at the main gate of the imperial palace, being held by a man covered in blood, how surprised were the guards who came running to see her without permission to move through space?.
It was strange that there was no uproar as a terrorist attack was carried out in the capital to assassinate the current heir to the throne, who had already been designated as crown princess..
Isn't that evil beast the leader of the imperial guard who must take the lead more than anyone else in protecting the people of the imperial family??
Thanks to this, the Imperial Guard's work was paralyzed in order to carry out a large-scale investigation, and not only the Imperial Inspection Department and the Imperial Palace Magic Tower, but even the Royal Guard Knights, who only worked for the Emperor, came forward to do the work..
If it weren't for the continuous attacks of the immortal army every day, and if she hadn't sent a message that she was safe, Ise-ah wouldn't have stayed still..
Of course, Princess Riley, who was involved, also had an incredibly busy schedule today..
As soon as she woke up, the first place she went to was···.
“Are you here, princess?.”
“Did anything special happen last night??”
It was the imperial hospital where Hesperon was hospitalized..
She looked at him, who was lying on the bed, sleeping as if he were dead, and quietly asked the hospital director next to him..
“Although he had a high fever a few times, he recovered quickly and is now stable. His body was so disciplined that it was hard to believe he was a wizard. In fact, he wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for that..”
This place, located on the outskirts of the imperial palace, was a luxurious hospital with the best medical staff in the empire, so much so that it was called the antithesis of the afterlife..
A pharmacist who can handle almost all medicines in the world, a doctor who can perfectly suture even a body cut during surgical procedures, an alchemist who can make potions and even cultivate artificial organs, a high-ranking wizard who specializes in healing magic, and even invited by the main church. Even resident bishop-level priests.
It was a place so famous that it was even said that it was on par with the ward of the Roselia Shrine in the sacred place where the saint was located.···.
“The treatment was done with great care, so it is unlikely to be life-threatening. However, you must be prepared to suffer permanent disability in the future..”
“···Disability... to what extent?···?”
Of course, there were things that were impossible here too..
The director of the Imperial Hospital calmly responded to Riley's trembling voice with a grave expression..
“There is no way to do anything about his right eye because he sacrificed himself and turned it into power. Most magic tools of that level would be strictly controlled, but I don't know how they got them..”
At the very least, if the damage was just due to trauma, they would have had to do regenerative surgery or transplant a newly cultured eye..
If the loss was the price of a particular ritual, there was little they could do..
“As for the right hand... it seems impossible to completely cure it because the curse that has been mixed with the abyss and deteriorated has burrowed deep into it. Of course, it can be weakened to some extent, so the best thing to do now is to suppress it with a seal to prevent it from coming out..”
However, he soon added that if he uses too much power, there is a risk that the curse sealed in his right hand will run rampant again..
No matter how much his status was strengthened, Hesperon was only a wizard who had barely made it out of the low class..
Not only did he face off against numerous high-ranking knights, but he was even able to grab the ankles of a knight who was at his peak, so there was no way that such an excessive exercise of power would come without any consequences..
If it weren't for Heinrich's divine power, I wouldn't be alive today..
“Oh, there's also a way to amputate the arm and transplant a new arm. Rehabilitation takes a considerable amount of time and you may not be able to exert as much strength as before due to side effects, but if you want to live as a wizard from now on, that is not a bad idea..”
The choice is either to live with a dangerous seal for the rest of your life and maintain your previous strength, or to cut the root of the problem in the bud instead of attaching a new arm that is weaker than before..
Riley quietly looked down at Hesperon, who was fast asleep, with trembling eyes..
It wasn't something he could decide for himself..
When he wakes up... he'll have to choose for himself..
Knowing this man's overflowing talent, she couldn't help but feel guilty about the current situation..
“Hmm, I'm sorry that I sound so incompetent. Still, the energy and vitality damaged by excessive use of black magic tools was somehow able to be restored to its original state. A lot of precious materials were used in the process, but since it was the princess's lifesaver, it's worth it..”
This was followed by additional emotionless words from the hospital director, but Riley did not react in any way and just stood quietly looking down at Hesperon..
Then the hospital director stopped what he was saying, carefully bowed his head towards her, and quietly walked out of the room..
His motto was to keep his cool in any situation, but that didn't mean he was lacking in tact..
Sigh—
Right after the hospital director left.
Standing motionless, she slowly stretched out one hand and quietly stroked his right arm, which was wrapped in a bandage with dense runes engraved on it..
And the hand slowly moved upward, towards the corner of his right eye, which appeared to be asleep..
“···Also, I'm in debt.”
I haven't even repaid all my previous debts yet..
Even though he could have run away alone, he used dangerous items to save himself..
As a user, you probably expected this to happen to some extent..
‘···Like a fool’
Nevertheless, he chose that path without any hesitation..
He smiled without regret, as if he wasn't even thinking about what would happen next, as if he was satisfied with saving her..
I'm crying—
Riley was suddenly overcome with emotions, so she hurriedly took her hand away from him and took a breath..
She looked at him for a moment, then took another deep breath, turned around, and walked out of the hospital room..
“I'll come back later.”
Because she still had a lot of work left to do..
As she left the hospital room, her expression gradually froze, and when she finally left the hospital room, she began to feel chills just by looking at her..
“···what happened?”
“Sir Stav, who escaped, is currently being tracked, but is expected to be caught soon as he is not in good condition..”
“All of those who were left behind have already been arrested, and interrogation has begun to identify additional collaborators..”
“We are already compiling a list of those who showed abnormal behavior before the incident occurred. I will report it and post it today..”
In response to her softly mumbling words, one by one, the attendants who were clinging to her behind like shadows each added a few words..
“It's a special express. Definitely behind the scenes. You know.?”
“Yes, I will pass it on to everyone..”
“I will do my best.”
The iron-blooded princess, highly poisoned by the preemptive attack, bared her teeth for revenge..
By bringing together the power of the forces we have gathered so far and the cooperation of the empire,.
***
Enamel Continent, Elven Kingdom's frontier area.
It's been four days since I started searching, following an unknown intuition..
Harris was eventually able to discover a group of people that were believed to be the cause..
‘Ah... what is that again?···.’
Walking on two legs and with the heads of beasts, they looked similar to beastmen, but had a completely different energy. They were a race he had never encountered before..
They are ostracized to the extent that they are similar to vampires, and an instinctive feeling of reluctance is felt from the moment they are seen... Werewolves, lycanthropes..
However, apart from the feeling I felt when I saw them, their presence was so vague that I couldn't feel it just by feeling unless I looked directly at them, wondering what kind of strategy they had used..
That's why he had a hard time finding them..
If I hadn't decided on the approximate location based on feeling, I probably wouldn't have found it this early..
But even that important fact wasn't that important right now..
‘Why is the crack in the abyss here?···?’
Compared to the beautiful black hole in front of them that even absorbs light,.
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