The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 411

After that, I beheaded Bale.

I wanted to extract a bit more information if possible, but seeing Bale’s resolute expression, I judged that it was impossible to have any more conversation, and immediately ended his life.

And just like that, Bale vanished.

It was a truly anticlimactic end.

“……Mimir. What do you think?”

With Bale’s disappearance, only Mimir and I maintained our complete forms in the center of the world, which was scattering like mist.

“I don’t know. Anything…”

Mimir lowered her head with a dazed, almost resentful expression.

She seemed furious at herself for not being able to properly grasp the situation as my assistant.

That’s what her expression seemed to say.

“There’s only one thing that’s become clear.”

Mimir looked at me with a crestfallen expression.

“Everything we thought was right until now was actually wrong.”

All the information we had gathered and the hypotheses we had built based on that information had become useless.

Like a formula that was wrong from the first number entered.

Everything we had done had lost its meaning.

“I was so foolish. There was nothing certain yet. I just assumed that Father and Bale’s past was the End God.”

Mimir bit her lip.

With no concrete evidence, she had jumped to a conclusion too hastily.

She was ashamed of herself.

That’s what her expression seemed to say.

“I’m sorry. I should have thought more carefully…”

Mimir looked at me with a tearful expression.

“I… I was distracted by other things, and made such a critical mistake…”

She had been so engrossed in her research that she had neglected other things.

Research wasn’t the most important thing, she had prioritized incorrectly.

That was the meaning behind her apology.

“No. Mimir. It’s not your fault.”

But this wasn’t Mimir’s fault.

“This is my mistake.”

The responsibility for this matter lies with me.

“Everything fit together so perfectly, I was certain that this was the right answer.”

No, if I think about it calmly, it’s hard to see it as just a mistake.

That’s because the situation was too incredible.

Everything, from start to finish, seemed to confirm that our hypothesis was correct.

Anyone in our situation would have come to the same conclusion.

This incident was less of anyone’s fault and more of a natural disaster.

“No. It’s my fault. If I hadn’t left the questions raised by the Masked God unattended… If I had thought a little deeper…”

The questions that arose from the information I got while talking with Persona [Masked God].

It seems Mimir had the same questions as me.

‘Ignis, Factio. And why did various other gods transfer their power to my teacher?’

Umbra and Persona.

The questions that naturally arose while talking with the two gods.

Why did the gods transfer their power to my teacher, who is a fragment of the End God?

If we had pondered this question a little more deeply, we might have reached the truth sooner.

“Don’t blame yourself too much. Even if you had noticed it then, it would have only been a difference of two days.”

But even then, it would only have been a difference of two days.

Even if we had noticed it then, nothing would have changed.

“And… now is not the time to blame ourselves.”

What we need to do now is not blame ourselves, but be grateful that we know the truth, even now.

“From this moment on, all premises are broken. We need to establish a new plan as soon as possible.”

We need to be grateful and relieved that we were able to make up for our mistake before it became irreversible, and set a new course of action.

“…You’re right. That’s the priority.”

Mimir replied with a slightly brighter expression.

There’s no time to blame ourselves.

It seems she had changed her way of thinking.

“But… it’s embarrassing to say it myself… but it’s hard to make a plan right now. There’s too much unknown information.”

“…That’s true.”

To make a plan of action, a future plan, we need a certain amount of reliable information.

Who is the opponent, what kind of power do they have, and what is their goal?

At least without these three pieces of information, we cannot make a plan.

And now, those three pieces of information have become unknown.

‘The opponent is unidentified. Because their identity is unknown, their power is also unknown. Because their identity and power are unknown, their goal is also unknown.’

Everything has become unknown as of just now.

It’s impossible to make a plan in this situation.

“To make a plan, we need to properly figure out who the self-proclaimed Bale Stoll is, the man who is currently active outside… That’s the first thing we need to do.”

“That’s right.”

That’s the right thing to do.

The man who calls himself Bale Stoll, the unidentified man who is the End God.

Figuring out his identity is the priority.

“The problem is that we have no means of obtaining information…”

Mimir trailed off with a serious expression.

The Bale Stoll outside has already disappeared.

There is no way to get additional information now.

“One. There is one method that comes to mind.”

I don’t know if we can get information, but.

There is one method that ‘might’ be possible.

“What method is it?”

“…It’s not really a method, to be honest.”

I took out Aeth, and then took out two holy relics.

A black stone and a pure white mask.

They were the holy relics of Umbra and Persona, respectively.

“If we ask these two, I think we might get some information.”

If these two gods, who lived in the mythical era, might know something.

“Even if you want to ask them something… they haven’t responded to anything you’ve said since then, right?”

“That’s true…”

The problem is that these two haven’t shown any reaction.

“…Even so, I think they might answer this time?”

Given the situation, I think they might answer this time.

As people who harbor a grudge against the End God, they can’t just stay silent after hearing that he was defeated.

“And. Since these two were friends. They wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet each other.”

After countless long years, they have a chance to meet their friend again.

Even if it’s not about the End God, there’s enough reason for them to answer.

“…Do you think so?”

Mimir tilted her head slightly with a puzzled expression.

“Actually, I don’t know either.”

It’s just that there’s a higher chance they’ll answer now.

I don’t know if these two will actually answer or not.

“There’s no harm in trying. Let’s try it.”

If they react, that’s good, and if they don’t, there’s nothing we can do.

“I guess.”

Mimir nodded slightly.

I took my eyes off Mimir and looked at the two holy relics in turn.

“You two. You heard everything, right?”

I asked, pouring mana steadily into the two holy relics.

“This is roughly the situation. What do you think?”

The two holy relics were connected to my mana like a bridge.

“If you are willing to talk to me, please emit mana.”

There was a moment of silence.

Both holy relics were silent.

They didn’t emit mana, not even a single tremor could be found.

‘……They’re still not reacting?’

Does this mean that the two of them are refusing to talk to me of their own will?

That possibility is quite plausible.

They might be asleep after transferring their power to me.

Or maybe the connection is temporarily severed.

“I guess it’s not working.”

Whatever it is, it seems like a conversation is impossible.

I was about to withdraw the mana I was pouring into the holy relics.

No, I was about to withdraw it.

“…Ugh.”

Stagger.

I would have done so if I hadn’t suddenly felt dizzy.

Along with the dizziness, my vision began to darken.

“…Seriously. You won’t even let me sleep properly.”

Beyond my darkening vision, a familiar voice could be heard.

A seductive voice, like a shadow whispering.

“You know what? None of the people who have disturbed my sleep have ever walked away with all their limbs intact.”

The vision that had been consumed by darkness slowly began to recover.

“Hmm. Was that so?”

Beyond my blurry vision, I could see two silhouettes.

“It was. Why, don’t you remember? Back then. There was a piece of trash who called himself a commander. The guy who had both his arms cut off by me.”

“…Was there such a person?”

One woman and one man.

Two people with faces as familiar as their voices.

“There was. Why can’t you remember?”

“I tend to forget useless things quickly.”

Umbra and Persona.

The two were talking to each other, looking at each other.

“Oh my. That easygoing personality of yours is still the same. At this rate, you might have even forgotten my name?”

Umbra was smiling.

It wasn’t a full smile, but she was definitely smiling.

“I remember it.”

Persona maintained his usual expressionless face.

As befitting the God of Masks, he wore a solid mask called an expressionless face.

“Really? That’s unexpected. Especially since it’s you. I thought you would have forgotten everything after all this time.”

“The only things I don’t remember are useless things. I never forget important things.”

But it’s only his expression that doesn’t show any emotion.

A clear change in emotion could be felt in his voice.

“It’s been a while, Umbra.”

Longing. Joy.

“My old friend.”

And sadness.

Persona’s voice was trembling with various emotions.

“Oh my. You’re really… Aren’t you embarrassed when you say that?”

Umbra chuckled and replied.

“Why would I be embarrassed?”

“You’re supposed to be embarrassed.”

“Really?”

He stared intently at Persona’s face and gave a faint smile.

“You’re really… always the same.”

“You too, Umbra.”

They were rejoicing in their reunion with their old friend in their own ways.

“What, why? Did something interesting happen?”

Umbra seemed to have noticed my gaze and glared at me.

“You know what? Among the people who have looked at me like that, there are none who are still alive.”

Among the people who did something, there are none who are still alive.

I think I’ve heard that line three times already.

Is it a habit?

“…Was that so?”

Before I could answer, Persona answered first.

“You only say that, but I think you let most of them live…”

“Persona. Be quiet.”

Umbra glared at Persona. It was a very scary smile.

“Ahem. Anyway. Be careful. I’m a very scary goddess.”

“…Ah, yes.”

She clearly had a scary expression and a scary smile.

But somehow, it wasn’t scary at all.

How should I put it?

It looked like a pushover was trying to make a scary face.

“But well, I’ll let it slide this time. Since you’ve prepared such a nice place for us.”

Umbra crossed her arms and raised her head arrogantly, saying ‘ahem’.

…She looks even more like a pushover.

“So. What’s the matter?”

Umbra and Persona simultaneously focused their gaze on me.

Both of them had expressions that said they didn’t know anything.

“…Didn’t you see it?”

“See what?”

“What just happened.”

“I didn’t see it.”

“I didn’t see it.”

Umbra and Persona answered at the same time.

“We’ve been asleep since we transferred our power to you.”

Umbra spoke on behalf of both of them, and Persona nodded as if to say he was the same.

“Why? Did something happen?”

Umbra asked with a serious expression.

“If you called both of us at the same time, something must have happened… Is it serious?”

“Yes. It’s serious.”

Umbra’s expression hardened even more at my sharp reply.

“Just by looking at your expression, it seems serious.”

Umbra paused for a moment and then spoke again.

“Tell me. What happened?”

“Do you happen to know about a being called a Human God?”

“…Human God?”

Umbra turned her gaze towards Persona.

It was as if she was asking with her eyes, ‘Do you know?’

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Persona shook his head and replied.

“…Me neither. I’ve never heard of the name Human God.”

Umbra also replied that she didn’t know.

“You’ve never heard of the name Human God… Then, of course, you wouldn’t know that the Human God succeeded in killing the End God.”

“…What?”

Umbra’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“Who killed who?”

Even Persona seemed genuinely surprised this time, and the iron fortress of his expression cracked.