Finally, silence fell over the hall once more. Perugius slowly turned his head, fixing his gaze directly in my direction... specifically, on the woman clinging to my arm.
"And now... you," he said, his eyes piercing into Roxy.
I felt her body tense. Even so, after a brief hesitation, she let go of my arm and took a step forward. She looked up to face Perugius, refusing to be intimidated by his aura.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Perugius," she said with a steady voice, though I could perceive a slight tremor. "I am Roxy Migurdia, a King-tier Water Mage... and Arthur's partner."
He observed her in silence, as if trying to analyze the depth of her words. Finally, he let out a weary sigh.
"Yes... yes... he has already told me quite enough about you..." Perugius continued, resting his cheek on his hand with a gesture of annoyance. "I only hope you do not stay long. Your presence is... utterly irritating to me."
Those words made me bristle instantly, but before I could intervene, Roxy spoke with astonishing calm.
"Forgive me if I disturb you, Lord Perugius. I only wanted to meet... Arthur's grandfather."
Perugius fell silent, processing the naturalness with which she called him "grandfather." Finally, he made a vague gesture with his hand.
"Whatever. Just do not bother me, and I shall be able to tolerate your presence."
Ending his conversation with Roxy, he directed his attention to the rest of the group.
"And well... what is it that you want to ask of me?"
"I also wish to learn about Summoning Magic," Rudeus spoke first, stepping forward.
"Very well. The arrangements will be made later with Nanahoshi." Perugius scanned the room. "Who else?"
Zanoba stood up immediately.
"Who are you?" asked the Dragon King.
"My apologies. I am the third prince of the Kingdom of Shirone, Zanoba Shirone."
"A prince? Do not tell me you also want my support to take the throne."
"No. That does not interest me in the slightest."
With that said, Zanoba pulled out a small notebook where he had drawn a crest. It was the same one I had seen in his workshop next to a doll.
"Ah!" Zanoba exclaimed, pointing to one of the decorations in the hall. "This crest looks very similar to that of Lord Maxwell, the Dark Dragon King, and to Lord Perugius's. Furthermore, it seems to be the same as the crest on that wall. Are you familiar with it?"
I followed Zanoba's gaze toward the emblems hanging on the walls.
"I know it," Perugius replied. "That belongs to Chaos, the Mad Dragon King."
"Ohhh! T-then, where is Lord Chaos currently?" Zanoba took a step forward, unable to contain his excitement.
However, Perugius shook his head coldly.
"Dead. He died several decades ago. I have no idea if he has a successor."
The notebook slipped from Zanoba's hands. His arms hung lifelessly at his sides, and in an instant, he seemed to age five years from the disappointment.
"So he is gone..."
"Tell me, how did you find this crest?" Perugius asked, showing a trace of curiosity at seeing Zanoba's state.
"In my master's house," he replied, still dejected. "It was drawn on an automated doll in an abandoned house in the Magic City of Sharia."
"I see. An automated doll... Is it truly such a wonderful thing?"
"Of course it is! Such intricate craftsmanship is fascinating! It fully conveys the maker's love toward dolls. As an enthusiastic admirer of dolls, I truly admire his philosophy!"
Hearing that, Perugius narrowed his eyes and let out a joyful laugh.
"You look like someone who appreciates art. Fine. In the treasure room of this castle, I have several fine works by Chaos. I will show them to you later."
"It will be a great honor," Zanoba said, smiling brightly. *It seems the old man got into a good mood thanks to my friend's fetish.*
Then, Sylphy raised her hand timidly, bowing stiffly.
"I... there is something I would like to ask."
"And who are you?"
"I am an escort for Princess Ariel and the wife of Rudeus Greyrat... Sylphiette Greyrat."
At that moment, Sylvaril approached Perugius and whispered something in his ear. Perugius grumbled, annoyed by the secret, but then looked at Rudeus and Sylphy with interest.
"So, husband and wife... do you two have a child?"
"Eh? No, only a daughter for now," Sylphy replied, surprised.
"I see... if you ever have a son, bring him to me; I shall grant him a name myself."
"Oh... alright," Sylphy said, while the old man sketched a faint smile.
Afterward, she asked him about the Displacement Incident, but Perugius was blunt: it was not something man-made, but a mere whim of fate.
I rested my hand on my chin while reflecting.
"If you ask me, I'd say it's the fault of whoever summoned Nanahoshi, or perhaps whoever was summoned. Causing the distortion that brought Nanahoshi and Rudeus here... but what about me?"
That idea confused me. I came from a world where this was a work of fiction. "Does that also make me a failure of the summoning?"
"What do you say, Great Sage?"
`Let us say there is a five percent probability in your hypothesis. There is a possibility that you were summoned by a different entity or as a collateral effect of the same distortion. However, I lack the data to reach a definitive result.`
I decided to set that thought aside. Knowing who sent me here wasn't relevant at the moment.
The audience ended, and Perugius gave the signal for the guests to enjoy the castle. Sylvaril began to lead the group toward the guest area, but before leaving, she shot me a meaningful look.
"It seems she already told him about Hitogami," I thought and nodded slightly.
"Roxy, catch up with them. I need to talk to the old man for a moment," I whispered to her.
She seemed to understand the importance of the matter and joined the others. As the doors closed, the hall fell into silence. Only Perugius, his eleven spirits... and I remained.
Perugius slowly turned his face toward me.
"Sylvaril informed me," he said, "about your encounter with him."
He frowned, visibly bothered.
"Yes," I replied bluntly. "In fact, he wants to kill me, just like my important people... and I don't intend to let that happen. Before that occurs, I will kill him."
Perugius narrowed his eyes, weighing my words.
"So that is the true reason why you train with such intensity every day..."
He leaned back in his throne and sighed heavily.
"But if you intend to kill him now, you are not capable of it. You need even more power than you imagine."
I grit my teeth in frustration, but I didn't interrupt. I knew he was right.
"And even if, by some absurd reason, you managed to stand before him... you could not kill him," he continued. "Doing so would cause the total collapse of this world."
I felt a knot form in my throat. "The world... collapsing?" I swallowed hard. The faces of everyone I loved and knew flashed through my mind: Roxy, Aisha, Norn... Sylphy, Rudeus... they could all disappear in a heartbeat if I made a mistake.
"If I can't kill him, there must be another way."
"Then..." I said, regaining my composure, "what about sealing him?"
Perugius brought a hand to his chin, pensive.
"Sealing him..." he murmured. "Hmm."
The silence stretched for a few seconds, broken only by the echo of the water.
"It could work," he finally admitted. "But the necessary seal would have to be extremely powerful... and complex. Something that transcends conventional magic."
He fixed his silver eyes on me.
"Do you have something like that?"
I shook my head, being honest.
"Not yet... but I could create it. With the right knowledge, I will."
Perugius let out a short nasal laugh, almost a show of respect.
"I have no doubt you could... being a descendant of mine, I could expect no less."
"Is he actually complimenting himself right now?" I thought, a twitch developing in my eye.
What he said next restored the gravity of the conversation.
"I would help you, but there is another problem: I do not know how to enter the Void World where Hitogami dwells. No one knows."
"So he doesn't know... it makes sense. If he knew, he would have done something to maintain the balance of this world," I thought. "Surely Orsted will have some clue."
"The only thing I can do for you for now," Perugius continued, "is give you access to all the spells and records in my library. You may research whatever you wish. But I shall remain on the sidelines of your direct conflict. I do not want that bastard to start bothering me."
"I understand."
I turned around and walked toward the great door. Just before leaving, I stopped and, with my back to him, said in a low voice but clearly enough for him to hear:
"I only hope you will help me when I truly need you..."
"I told you I would stay on the sidelines for the time being, did I not?" he replied with that tone of superiority that characterized him so much. "Besides... you cannot die before fulfilling the promise you made to me."
A small smile formed on my face. Although he wouldn't openly admit it, I think that, in his own way, he likes me. I stepped out of the hall and the doors closed behind me.
.....
As I walked through the wide corridors toward the guest area, I couldn't help but lose myself in my own thoughts. I needed to seriously consider what steps to take to stop whatever Hitogami was planning.
"First is mobility," I analyzed. If I wanted to move against the apostles wherever they might be, I needed a way to travel faster over long distances, and not just by myself, but in a group.
Using the same principle of the gravity spell the old man uses to move this fortress would serve as a base. But I needed something more versatile. To carry more people... yes, a ship. It would be the first Flying Ship of this world.
The next thing, and the most crucial, was that seal. An eternal prison that wouldn't require the target's death, so as not to destabilize the world.
"And finally... contacting Orsted," I thought with a hint of frustration.
The Dragon God hadn't deigned to appear yet. I looked down at the ring Nanahoshi had given me, that object that was supposedly meant to call him in case of extreme need. I turned it between my fingers.
"Will this thing really work?" I sighed to myself.
Looking up, the first person I saw was Roxy. She was there, leaning against the frame of the guest area entrance, watching me with concern.
"Did something happen?" she asked softly.
Surely my face of frustration had given me away completely. I tried to force a light smile to downplay it, but she didn't move.
"Well... a couple of things..." I began to say, scratching the back of my neck.
Roxy took a step toward me, crossing her arms. Her eyes searched mine, filled with a gravity she rarely showed.
"Arthur... do you not trust me?"
The question hit me head-on. I was speechless for a second as she continued, her voice dropping a tone, becoming more intimate and somewhat hurt.
"I thought that after all this time... you would trust me and tell me what has you so worried. I see you go out to train as if the world were going to end tomorrow, you speak with Rudeus about secrets you don't share, and now you stand there staring at that ring as if it were your only hope."
I approached her and took her hands.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Roxy," I told her sincerely. "It's just that there are things that... are difficult to explain without making it seem like I've gone mad."
"I am a King-tier Mage, Arthur," she reminded me, squeezing my hands firmly. "I have been an adventurer for a long time and I have seen things that could be considered miracles or impossible... like the things you have done."
Roxy held my gaze without looking away. There was no reproach in her eyes, as if she were waiting for me to take the step I had been avoiding for too long.
I exhaled slowly.
"You're right," I admitted, bowing my head for a moment. "I've been hiding too much from you. Do you remember what Sylvaril mentioned at the entrance? That name... Hitogami."
Roxy nodded slowly, narrowing her eyes.
"So... that name has something to do with you."
I nodded.
"What exactly is it?" she asked.
"He calls himself the Human God," I explained. "He does not live in this world. He watches from a place known as the Void World. And what he does... is manipulate people."
Roxy frowned slightly.
"Manipulate... how?"
"By giving advice," I replied. "Showing visions. Making promises. He appears in dreams or states close to them... and he also has the ability to see the future. Those he accepts, he calls apostles."
I felt Roxy's fingers tighten around mine.
"And you...?" she asked in a low voice. "Where do you fit into all of this?"
I couldn't tell her the whole truth. I couldn't tell her that she was also in his sights.
"I..." I said after a brief pause, "I am a threat to him. Something he cannot foresee or control. That's why he wants to erase me... or use me."
Roxy remained silent, taking in my words. Then she let go of my hands and wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her forehead against my chest.
"You dummy..." she murmured. "Why do you carry everything all by yourself?"
Her words hit me harder than any reproach.
"I just..."
In that instant, I realized something. All this time... I had been doing everything alone. I had always thought it was fine. That it was the right thing to do. After all, I knew things others didn't. I had information no one else possessed.
But...
Even though Rudeus already knew I planned to contact Orsted... I hadn't told him anything else. I hadn't asked for help. I hadn't shared the burden.
But feeling Roxy's warmth, I realized my own arrogance. I was treating the people I love as if they were pieces to protect, instead of comrades to fight alongside. Even if there wasn't much they could do.
"I just..." I began, but my voice broke slightly. "I thought it was for the best."
"Well, you're wrong," she said, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes with that teacher-like determination. "You are strong, Arthur, but even a Dragon King has his generals."
Her hands slowly slid up to my cheeks, forcing me to hold her gaze.
"I am not asking you to tell me every detail or to put me in unnecessary danger," she continued softly. "But do not decide on your own when I should stay on the sidelines. Do not take away my right to choose to fight by your side."
I opened my mouth to respond... but no words came out. Because she was right.
"I didn't want to involve her or the others..."
"Maybe it wasn't because I didn't trust them..."
"But because I was afraid of dragging them down with me..."
End of Chapter