Chapter 215. The Calm Before the Storm (4)
'Hooh....'
Surprise flickered in Archbishop Joseph's eyes as he looked at Verden.
The subjugator of the black mage who had defeated multiple bishops.
And the mage Asher, who single-handedly annihilated the Grim Reaper that had overwhelmed Gloss, the Captain of the Paladins. It was hard enough to believe he had such power at a young age, but to think even his appearance was outstanding.
There is such a thing as balance in this world.
Where there is strength, there must also be weakness. That one cannot have everything is what people call fairness.
But, very occasionally, there appear those who are unfairly gifted.
A blessed human, born with several gifts that ordinary people could never attain, even with a lifetime of effort.
They could even be called an existence touched by the light of the goddess Luas.
The Saintess of the Church of Luas.
She was the prime example.
'Of course, no human can be the same as the Saintess... but that mage named Asher is certainly a very special human being.'
His first impression was very favorable.
If even Archbishop Joseph thought so, how much more would the tower master of DarkWarton?
Even if it was black magic, of a completely different lineage from elemental magic, in the end a mage is a mage. Surely, the tower master's response would also be extremely positive.
"Nice to meet you, Mage Asher. I am Joseph, serving as Archbishop of the Church of Luas. And this is the tower mas... huh?"
Joseph blinked as he turned his head.
The sight of the tower master was strange.
His usually expressionless eyes were stretched wide, and his mouth, which normally never even showed teeth, hung agape.
The Necromancer, the one who understands death.
Never once had Joseph seen him wear such a horrified expression.
For a moment, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. He rubbed them.
But it was the same. The half-eaten cookie that had fallen onto the desk reminded him that this was reality.
Joseph steadied himself, then cautiously asked.
"Tower master, are you unwell...."
"Life, by nature."
In an instant, silence descended.
Everyone in the reception room was compelled to listen to the tower master's words.
"Always walks with death. No matter for what purpose life is born, no matter what meaning it leaves upon the world, in the end it invariably concludes in death. And I am the one who pioneered the mado known as
Human race, demi-humans, abnormal species.
Regardless of race, if it was a living being, he could glimpse, faintly or clearly, its inevitable end. On very rare occasions, he could even sense an existence that would bring about countless ends.
"And yet, there are only a handful of beings my mado cannot pierce. Either transcendent beings who have stepped beyond the framework of life, or those who stand close to such heights. Ever since I obtained my mado, there has never once been an exception. It was so in the past, and I believed it would remain so in the future... until just now."
The Necromancer fixed his gaze upon Verden.
"Mage Asher, are you a transcendent?"
The sudden question came out of nowhere.
Verden instinctively shook his head.
"I am not."
"Then, just who are you."
A set of clear mana circuits.
"Who are you, to possess such pure mana circuits."
Eyes the color of the sea.
"Who are you, to hold mana more pristine than nature itself."
The blue abyss lurking in their depths.
"Who are you, to contain mana so vast that even I cannot fathom it."
Why. How.
Just who are you.
"Why is it that death cannot be seen upon you."
The Necromancer spoke of death.
And yet, paradoxically, the tower master's voice brimmed with vitality.
***
'...What is going on here?'
Verden's expression wavered faintly.
The basic outline was to face the Archbishop and the tower master, explain the situation, and receive a reward. A secondary goal was to confront a transcendent, and catch a glimpse of the gap between himself and such a being.
That had been the plan.
'But then he suddenly asks who I am.'
Not only Verden, but even Archbishop Joseph seemed stunned.
This was clearly an improvised situation, not something prearranged. Verden spun his thoughts at maximum speed.
He focused on grasping the meaning behind the tower master's questions.
Clear mana circuits.
Mana more pristine than nature.
A quantity of mana so vast even a transcendent struggled to measure.
There was no mistaking it, all of them pointed to Verden's magical capability.
'To have seen through it in just that brief moment?'
A level of insight befitting a transcendent.
Even if Verden's realm was high, the gap between himself and the tower master was evident. To deny it would be stubborn foolishness.
It was only natural, an expected result.
'But what does it mean that death cannot be seen?'
No matter how he thought on it, he couldn't understand.
It seemed the tower master had perceived something only he could sense, and was shocked by it... but there was nothing clear to pin down.
If he had to connect it, however────
'Could it be the magic circle of Defying the Heavens?'
The masterpiece born of a powerless experimental subject.
The very creation that overturned a life of nothing but exploitation, reconstructed his useless body, and granted him the talent he now possessed, the symbol of defying fate.
It was a secret only Verden held.
'Naturally, there's no way the tower master could know about Defying the Heavens.'
Nor could he possibly sense it.
Then what was the intent behind his question?
"..."
Verden met the tower master's eyes.
In them, strangely, there was a vitality that clashed with his otherwise expressionless appearance.
It was not hostility, nor negative suspicion.
Perhaps others wouldn't know it, but to Verden, the gaze was familiar.
The root and nature of a mage, curiosity.
The master of one of the top three magic towers had taken an interest in Verden. A very deep interest.
Which meant those questions had been born of pure wonder.
'This is troublesome.'
Quite so.
Verden's strength was abnormal.
It did not match the mage's typical concept of growth, which increases with age.
He had thought the tower master might react to that.
But never had he imagined it would be like this.
'And who am I, he asks....'
How should he answer.
After a moment of thought, he made his decision.
"I am a mage."
"That answer does not suffice. I will ask again. How is it that you, not a transcendent, have stepped beyond the laws of life."
"I do not know."
It was no lie.
The inner reserves of mana that awoke as his tier rose were changes even Verden had not foreseen. Surely, the death the tower master spoke of was the same.
After all, what Defying the Heavens had aimed to achieve was to break through the limits of tier.
To a transcendent, a petty lie would never pass.
So Verden answered with truth, cutting off any path for the tower master to pry further.
"..."
"..."
Silence hung between them.
Verden held his gaze firmly.
Then, the tower master's lips curved into a smile.
Even without receiving a clear answer... no, rather, at hearing that he did not know, his curiosity only seemed to burn brighter.
Just as his gaze was about to deepen, Joseph interjected.
"Ahem, I may not understand what is passing between you two, but I believe we should first converse in line with the purpose of this meeting. Tower master, if you have more to say, perhaps later..."
"I have heard the answer. So now, fulfill your role."
At some point, the tower master's expression had returned to nothing.
"Is that so? Ah, yes, understood."
Joseph blinked, then nodded.
Though it left him somewhat unsatisfied, since the tower master said so... he turned his head toward Verden.
"My apologies for making you stand so long, Asher. Please, have a seat."
"Yes."
Verden sat down.
At last, the three-way audience began.
***
Verden's testimony was nearly identical to Calia's.
The only difference being that, as he had directly taken part in the subjugation, his explanation contained more details. Nothing particularly noteworthy.
Joseph smiled kindly.
"Thank you for your explanation, Asher. You have accomplished something truly remarkable."
"It was nothing."
"There is no need for modesty. Thanks to you, many lives were saved, and those evil ones were dealt with, preventing future calamity. Such deeds deserve praise. Do they not, tower master?"
The tower master still fixed his gaze upon Verden, but gave a small nod.
Verden had earned a debt not only from the Church of Luas, but also from the magic tower.
First, the subjugation of Glory of the Dead.
DarkWarton was built for black mages.
So that ordinary black mages may walk the world with dignity. The primary duty of such a magic tower is the exclusion of evil black mages.
In other words, Verden had done the tower's duty in its stead.
And the second, was the survival of Warrens.
It would surely take much time and effort for his shattered mind to recover, but that was a cost worth bearing.
Though Warrens was only a 3rd-tier lower black mage, he possessed infiltration skills, acting ability, loyalty that would not break even under torture, and endurance.
Such a talent was considered precious even within the tower.
Joseph spoke.
"You are well deserving of a reward for your service. Naturally, this will proceed separately from the Esperanza family. So, do not trouble yourself, and tell us what you would ask of our Church of Luas and the tower master."
The Archbishop and the tower master.
It was already something the two had agreed upon.
"Then..."
Verden trailed off, as though deep in thought.
Of course, it was only an act.
He had expected such words from the Church and the tower. What he wanted was already decided.
After a brief pause, Verden spoke quietly.
"Archbishop Joseph, and tower master of DarkWarton, I have a request for both of you. And to the tower master, I wish to propose a transaction."
...!
A bold answer.
He showed no sign of intimidation. And yet, he was facing two figures before whom even royalty and nobility would bow their heads.
The tower master sipped his tea.
Expectation glimmered faintly in his eyes.
"Haha, a request and a transaction. It has been quite some time since I've heard such a proposal. That makes me all the more curious. Tower master, if you don't mind, may I begin?"
"Very well."
The order was set.
Verden reached into his spatial bag.
From it emerged a golden femur, sealed with the energy of the undead. The ominous aura spreading through the chamber drew every eye.
"This is one of the spoils taken from the black mage of Glory of the Dead. From the faint mana it exudes, I believe it to be a type of magical item."
"There is indeed a heavy energy of the undead upon it. May I examine it?"
Naturally, he allowed it.
Holy power rose from Joseph's hand.
A gentle radiance wrapped around the golden bone, lifting it into the air. It was almost like telekinesis. To think an archbishop could wield holy power in such a way.
"Hmm, there is no curse upon it..."
A divine glow lit Joseph's eyes.
He examined the bone in detail. After some time, he nodded.
"I understand your request. You wish for me to lift the seal upon this bone, do you not?"
"That is correct."
"It is not difficult. But there is one condition. If this is in truth a magical item, it will react to Appraise. Should it prove to be extremely dangerous, I will, by my authority, confiscate it."
As expected.
"I understand."
"Good. Then I shall begin the purification at once."
Joseph drew a deep breath.
Immediately, holy power flared, flooding the entire reception room.
A light so intense it nearly blinded.
The ominous aura flowing from the bone was extinguished at once, and the gathered holy power condensed at the Archbishop's fingertips.
Solemn holy energy poured into the bone.
The foul energy of the undead, once so tightly wound, could not even resist as it was slowly consumed, purified, and erased from the world.
Simple, if simple, and yet an astonishing ability.
Immediately after, Joseph produced a monocle.
An appraisal item crafted by Artison Magic Tower, inscribed with vast magical knowledge. Its value was said to reach into the billions.
The Archbishop's eye moved slowly.
Through the mana-infused lens, the inner qualities of the bone were read. At last, he succeeded in fully appraising it, and let out a small chuckle.
"Ha, it has been quite some time since I've seen such a thing."
What could it be?
"May I attempt an Appraise as well?"
"Oh? At your age you have already mastered appraisal magic? Your knowledge is as rich as that of a renowned mage. Very well, go ahead."
Verden accepted the femur.
He focused mana into his eyes and completed the calculation.
The analysis ended swiftly.
But what he read was entirely unexpected.
Instead of the functions of a magical item, only a few phrases appeared.
[Skull. Ribcage. Femur]
[To the one who gathers the three golden bones, the path of gold shall open]
'...?'
A form of magical item he had never seen before.
As Verden tilted his head in puzzlement, Joseph stroked his chin knowingly.
"Your reaction reminds me of the past. I, too, looked just the same when I first encountered such an item."
"Then, Archbishop, you know what this is?"
Joseph smiled.
"That is an ancient relic."
***
Since time immemorial, humans have sought to leave behind their mark.
Some left great legacies, others massive tombs, others their achievements. They hoped that even in death, their works would linger in the world.
So that they would not vanish into the oblivion of long memory.
Thus they left behind riddles.
Nonsensical phrases, seals, ancient tales, meant to pique the curiosity of men. To tempt them with the promise that solving the mystery would yield everything.
But most were false legends.
For anyone could leave behind a tale. A vague inscription on a stone tablet, and after hundreds of years, it would seem grand.
From ancient times to the present.
Only the smallest fraction withstood the erosion of time. Artifacts were such examples. And Archbishop Joseph knew this well.
"Then, it could be a fake?"
"The chances are high. Even if it was sealed by the energy of the undead, it bore no curse. Such phenomena may occur naturally with very low probability, but it is not impossible."
However.
"There is also a far slimmer chance that it is real. But that would only be known by gathering the three bones mentioned. And, frankly, that is near impossible. If even one is buried somewhere underground, there would be no means of finding it."
"In other words..."
"Yes."
Joseph nodded.
"For now, I see no danger, so you may keep it."
"..."
Verden felt disheartened.
Even borrowing the Archbishop's holy power to purify it, it might still be a fake. To confirm its authenticity, the other two bones would have to be found. No gain at all.
It was disappointing.
As he tried to compose himself, the silent tower master finally spoke.
"Joseph, you have said all you wished?"
"Yes, tower master."
"Then it is my turn."
A heavy voice resounded.
"Mage Asher."
"Yes, tower master."
"What is this request you wish of me."
The tower master's eyes widened.
It was not a glare of arrogance, but a gaze filled with curiosity and expectation. The transcendent before him was gazing at Verden himself.
'...This is burdensome.'
It felt as though he must not make some shallow request.
But he had no intention of voicing hollow bravado. He would only reach for what he truly needed, what he truly desired.
At last, Verden declared.
"I wish to withstand the mana of a transcendent."
He wished to experience the power of a mage who had reached the summit. To thereby feel a broader world, a higher realm.
It was a brazen request, filled with that meaning.
The world has another name for it.
A challenge.