Chapter 217. The Goblet (1)
The Archbishop and the tower master had left the capital.
Immediately after, Verden was harassed for a while by the people of the Marquisate.
What in the world had happened in the audience chamber.
Why was the Archbishop in such a state, what had he said to the tower master, had he lost his mind—questions and scoldings, especially from Marquis Esperanza, poured down on him.
There was nothing in particular to hide.
He briefly summarized the situation.
"Wh, what did you say you did with the tower master?"
"...Did I hear that wrong?"
Verden shook his head.
At that, Marquis Esperanza, Calia, and Melzard all turned pale. They gaped like fish, then all at once sighed and covered their faces with their hands.
Edmon even broke out in a cold sweat midway and collapsed to the floor.
The mansion fell into chaos.
'This feels familiar.'
Ah, yes.
Last winter, in the Principality of Riviant.
When they annihilated Marquis Gardran's house that had joined with Gluttony, together with the ark, Count Rodenmeyer's reaction had been the exact same.
He understood, but the deed was already done.
It wasn't as if it would cause any real problem, so there was no need to smooth things over. Besides, Verden had something else to do at the moment.
"I will excuse myself first."
He brushed it off casually and headed for his chamber.
A challenge against a transcendent.
To confirm the changes in his body through it.
***
Night deepened over the capital.
The chamber was thoroughly sealed with magic circles.
In that safe place, Verden contemplated his body, quietly examining his condition for a while. He could feel the magic power flowing along the mana circuits.
At length, Verden gathered mana at his fingertips. A far greater amount of mana than before converged there.
Until recently, Verden's level had been mid-5th tier.
After reaching the 5th tier through the Elder Lich, it was the realm he had attained by ceaseless effort, during his spar with Karans.
No matter what anyone said, it was obvious that this was an achievement far surpassing the normal pace of growth.
"And yet, upper 5th tier already."
Even he was taken aback.
No matter how prepared he thought himself, who would expect to climb yet another step so soon after the last.
Could opposing a transcendent's mana have been that great an experience.
More than anything, despite such a sudden transformation, his mana circuits were not only intact but in perfect condition. His mana reserves had also increased.
'This is a change that should be impossible.'
It had to be related to the heart, the source of mana.
The reason was simple.
The only reason he could withstand the transcendent's mana was because of this mysterious mana.
But...the anomaly did not end there.
Verden turned his head.
His robe and equipment had already been set aside.
In the full-length mirror, his bare upper body was revealed. A body trained hard enough that one would never think him a mage.
Upon it, Verden's masterpiece was fully exposed.
The Defying the Heavens magic circle, carved into him at the magic tower by slicing his own skin and tearing his muscles, etched deep so it could never be erased.
Ordinarily, the marks should have remained as scars.
"What in the world...."
Mana was flowing along the paths of the magic circle.
As if tattooed in mana, a faint blue light shimmered in the darkness. When he brushed it lightly with his fingertip, the mana beneath his skin stimulated his touch.
'What is happening to my body?'
He had lived as an experimental subject, had all manner of knowledge forcibly implanted into him.
And yet, there were so many things here he could not understand.
'No, perhaps it isn't strange.'
The Defying the Heavens that Verden had accomplished was a magical phenomenon that had never once existed in the history of the magical world. That the knowledge so far could not explain it, perhaps, was only natural.
But surely, there had to be a reason.
Some magical logic yet to be uncovered.
The Defying the Heavens magic circle Verden had created.
And the power source of the magic tower he had sacrificed as the price for Defying the Heavens.
'Which of the two is the cause?'
He considered, but could not tell.
There wasn't even a plausible clue, so how could there be an answer.
'If I were to activate Defying the Heavens, perhaps I could know....'
Defying the Heavens, Body Unseal.
A forbidden magic circle that forcibly expands the mana circuits, raising one's tier beyond its limit for ten minutes.
'Madness.'
The thought crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.
When the duration ended, the mana circuits would collapse, the body would crumble, and his lifespan would be cut short. A mage's life would end in an instant.
Of course, Verden now was not the same as back then.
Perhaps he could withstand the side effects...but attempting something so close to suicide without certainty was nothing but foolish and idiotic.
So in the end, there was only one way to find out.
'Through growth of tier itself.'
It was clear that as Verden's realm rose, these anomalies were occurring. The unknown was gradually being revealed.
If it continued this way, when he reached the 6th tier someday, his body would transform again.
It would require even greater endurance than now.
To shorten that time, he would need an opportunity for growth. And fortunately, there was already an event awaiting Verden that could serve as that stepping stone.
Verden opened his spatial bag.
An oval sapphire-blue gem.
He held in his hand the Demon King's relic, entrusted to him by the ark.
'...The trial.'
The ark's proposal, the Listener's words came back to him.
By next spring, he was to find and overcome the ancient trial, the Demon King's Tomb, and attend the ark's council. Now, not even half a year remained.
Still, he had little concern.
The exploration report of the relic expedition corps, the Seekers.
According to it, they were exploring the Eastern Marshlands, the final location beyond the Teinche Hills and the Arregon Mountains.
It was one of the kingdom's two great forbidden zones, vast and perilous, but with a 5th-tier mage and other experts among them, annihilation was unlikely.
'Before long, they will bring back the result I want.'
That much, he could wait for.
With expectation in his chest, Verden put away the relic.
He donned his equipment, including the Mage's Regret, and wrapped the Robe of the Wanderer over it. Once he dispelled the magic circle, he felt a presence nearby.
Knock, knock.
Right after, a knocking sound came.
When he allowed entry, a woman with crimson hair stepped in.
It was Calia.
"Forgive me for disturbing your rest at such a late hour, Asher."
"It is fine. But what brings you here, Lady Calia."
"Th, there was something I wished to talk about."
Something to talk about?
Was this the matter she had mentioned before.
"Please, go ahead."
"Mm, I would like to, but...not here. So, what I mean is."
Calia tilted her head toward the outside.
"Why don't we go out for a drink."
***
The capital's night was brimming with life.
Magic stone lamps hanging here and there lit up the darkness, and beneath their glow, citizens enjoyed the night culture. Patrol soldiers roamed the streets while enjoying street food.
They had not brought escorts.
From the start, who in the streets could possibly threaten the two of them. The knights had no choice but to keep silent.
Calia and Verden walked side by side.
"Where are we going?"
"To the oldest tavern in the capital. It has kept its old appearance, a place with atmosphere. It has been quite some time since I last came to the capital, so I do not know if it is still in business... fortunately, it seems unchanged."
Following Calia's gaze, Verden looked to the side.
There stood an old, massive, three-storied tavern.
Through the window, he stole a glance inside.
Many patrons were chattering boisterously. And perhaps to preserve its old appearance, the interior was lit not with magic stone lamps, but with candles and firepits instead.
It was as if they were looking at an era before magic had become commonplace.
"Let's go in."
He entered the tavern with Calia.
Waitresses in matching uniforms carried food and drinks. The sound of glasses clinking rang constantly in his ears.
But what caught the eye most was the tavern's center.
"Fight! Fight!"
"To the victor, I'll buy a bottle of ale!"
"I'll put up a turkey leg!"
Amid the cheers of spectators, two men were exchanging blows.
No weapons, no killing intent, only bare fists. Raw violence, and precisely because of that, everyone was ecstatic.
Verden watched for a moment.
A flurry of reckless strikes. Looking closely, the two men were deliberately avoiding vital spots as they struck each other.
"They are brawlers. Hired by the tavern keeper to provide spectacle. They fight grandly, yet are trained not to cause serious injuries. Their bodies are their fortune, after all."
A fight closer to theater.
Seen in that light, it did feel different.
"Well then, let's take a seat..."
Thud!
Just then, one of the brawlers, struck by a front kick, stumbled back.
Perhaps he had misstepped, for he lost balance. And fell exactly toward where Verden and Calia were.
Verden lightly stirred his mana.
A wall of wind, formed through alteration of properties, caught the brawler.
The man scrambled up at once, scratching his head, bowing.
"Ah, I slipped, I'm so sorry..."
The brawler froze.
What he saw were Verden and Calia, whose appearances clearly marked them apart from common folk. A presence that screamed, I am a noble, to anyone who looked.
In the capital, noble authority was especially absolute.
Discourtesy meant punishment.
And the brawler had just committed discourtesy.
"Pl, please forgive me!"
He dropped to his knees at once, pressing his head to the ground.
At his action, the tavern instantly fell silent. Amid the stillness and stares, Verden let out a sigh inwardly.
'This place is ruined.'
The tavern keeper hurriedly rushed out.
Just as Verden was about to suggest leaving before things grew worse, Calia stepped forward. When the tavern keeper saw her signature crimson hair, his lips trembled.
"Y, y, you wouldn't be from House Esperanza...."
"I am Calia de Esperanza. Against my intent, I seem to have spoiled the merriment."
"N, no! How could we...!"
"Even so, this should be enough."
Calia's hand brushed past.
In the tavern keeper's hand appeared two bills worth one million Elk each.
"One for the patrons here, the other to be given to the winner of the fight."
"Ah...."
The tavern keeper blinked blankly.
Then, realizing what he had to do, he nodded vigorously. And shouted loudly.
He praised House Esperanza and Calia's name, and declared that tonight, drinks and food would be served free.
The mood shifted instantly.
"House Esperanza! Hurrah!"
"We shall drink gratefully!"
"To think that I, a commoner... would be treated to a drink by Lady White Steel Calia herself...! Wh, what an honor!"
"One million Elk for the winner! Hey! Fight like you mean it!"
The tavern brimmed with even greater excitement than before.
Calia shrugged her shoulders, smiling faintly.
"With this, no need to move elsewhere."
"You are quite adept."
"This much is only basic."
The tavern keeper himself led them to a seat.
On the third floor, the highest and coziest table, they settled and ordered food.
In less than a few minutes, the tavern's finest distilled liquor and a platter of tender roast chicken were laid out.
"I'll carve it."
He lifted the chicken with telekinesis.
With delicate wind blades, he sliced it neatly by each part. To carve a chicken with magic. The luxurious precision earned a small applause from Calia.
"Alteration of mana properties, is it. I overheard before, old Edmon was whining to Father that you had stolen his way of magic. So this is what he meant."
"I didn't steal, only imitated a part of it."
"To the one it was taken from, that's the same thing."
True enough.
Verden and Calia clinked their glasses.
They downed the strong liquor in a single gulp, then skewered chicken with forks and ate. The subtly seasoned skin was savory and salty, the boneless meat moist and tender.
The cooking was impressive.
Its flavor matched the mood.
The second glass was emptied.
As Verden refilled Calia's goblet, he asked quietly.
"Is it not time to reveal your purpose now."
"It isn't important enough to put on airs. If it were, I would have spoken at the mansion, not here. My purpose... is just to ask you something."
"Please, go ahead."
"Since you left Rines, I've often visited Samwell's tavern. The cocktails you learned in Roafra suited my taste quite well. Through that, I grew familiar with the siblings Charlotte and Aiden... and learned what led them to settle in Rines. And through that, how important a role you played."
It couldn't be about Aiden's peculiar trait.
He had warned them not to mention it to anyone. With Aiden's life at stake, the three of them had no reason to break that promise.
Even if they had grown close.
'So, it must be about something else.'
Then, Calia asked.
"Asher, why did you save Aiden and Charlotte?"
...Why did he save them.
Verden tilted his head.
"I do not understand the intent of your question."
"It is a simple doubt, nothing deeper. After all... is it not so? To save those siblings, once illegal slaves, you destroyed one of Roafra's organizations, and even came into conflict with Vintert. I want to know, what meaning they held to you, that you would bear such risk and extend your hand to them so readily."
Verden slowly mulled over her words.
He had a rough idea of her purpose in arranging this meeting.
"It is not difficult to answer."
"Then."
"But before that, I wish to hear why you came to hold such a doubt, Lady Calia."
"...A reason, you say."
Tap, tap.
Calia drummed her fingertips on the table.
Then, as if deciding, she threw back the distilled liquor in one gulp, and slammed the glass down hard.
"It's closer to a lament... but if that is fine with you."