Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 40

2. The Angel’s Descent

1

Dong—! Dong! Dong!

The cathedral bell’s sound echoed far and wide.

This was the main street of Bless, the imperial capital of the Holy Artenia Empire.

The bell began to toll as a carriage bearing a large, ornate coffin appeared on the main street.

Over a hundred priests in pure white robes walked before and behind the carriage. Hundreds of holy knights with black armbands closely guarded the carriage.

Additionally, to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, Gigants [large, powerful constructs or beings] were stationed throughout the imperial capital’s streets.

“Hee hee hee!”

“How could you leave us like this…!”

As the funeral procession passed, citizens lining both sides of the street wept and scattered white flowers.

People cried sorrowfully, as if a close relative had died.

Observing this, a merchant from a neighboring country asked,

“Excuse me. Who died that they are crying so mournfully? Did a cardinal perhaps pass away?”

The person next to the merchant looked at him, dumbfounded.

“Haven’t you heard? His Holiness the Pope passed away last night.”

“What? The Pope has passed away?”

“Yes. He battled illness for over a year before finally returning to the embrace of Lord Elkasel [the supreme deity in this world].”

Pope Benedict III had been teetering between life and death for over a year.

He seemed to be dying but did not, and many people prayed for his swift recovery.

However, a miracle did not occur.

He was very old, and his health had deteriorated significantly due to the stress of selecting a successor among the cardinals, even before he fell ill.

In the end, he barely held on day by day before finally passing away.

“Then, who do you think will be elected as the next Pope?”

When the Pope dies, a conclave [a private meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope] consisting of cardinals is held in the Holy Artenia Empire.

The bishop appointed in the conclave becomes the next Pope.

The merchant was very curious about who would become the Pope. The actions of the Holy Empire could change depending on the character of the next Pope.

“Well, there are rumors that Archbishop Michael and Archbishop Constantine are the leading candidates, but I don’t know for sure.”

The person next to him shook his head. After watching the funeral procession for a while, the merchant left to attend to his business.

He went to the shantytown outside the city walls.

The merchant clicked his tongue as he observed the people suffering from hunger and various diseases.

“Tsk tsk, to think that there are so many destitute and suffering people in the heart of a place that calls itself the Holy Empire!”

The merchant was actually a spy dispatched from another country.

Before coming here, he had never imagined that there would be a slum in the Holy Artenia Empire, which was known as a paradise on earth.

Since the empire was overflowing with temples and priests everywhere, he had thought that at least minimal relief would be provided to the poor.

However, the reality was different.

Just like in most countries where only the nobles and some wealthy citizens lived well, most of the people in the Holy Empire were also poor.

Among them, some seemed to be struggling to make ends meet day by day.

“Tsk tsk, if they have money to spend on a funeral, they should use it to help these people.”

The merchant, or rather, the spy, clicked his tongue and went deeper into the shantytown. He was going to meet his colleague, whom he had arranged to meet there.

But for some reason, the poor were gathered in one place.

Curious, the man cautiously approached.

A priest was standing in front of what seemed to be the largest and cleanest of the shabby shacks. He was busy treating the patients who were flocking to him and distributing food.

“Ho, who is that?”

“That’s Father Luther.”

The man was startled by the voice that suddenly came from behind. His heart sank, wondering if his identity had been exposed, but fortunately, that was not the case.

The person who answered his question was his colleague whom he was supposed to meet today.

“Father Luther?”

“He’s a priest of the Sanctity Faction, one of the seven factions that make up the Elkasel Order.”

As the Holy Artenia Empire had a long history, there were several factions within the order.

Among them, the Sanctity Faction was the smallest in power but tried to uphold the pure faith of the early days.

They valued the relief of the poor and, conversely, sharply criticized the Elkasel Order and high-ranking clergy who were becoming worldly and corrupt.

“He’s the most priest-like person I’ve seen working here so far.”

“I see. Anyway, let’s move to the safe house for a more detailed discussion. The General is quite curious about the situation in the Holy Empire.”

The spy, who had been looking at Father Luther with interest, moved to the safe house with his colleague.

2

The funeral procession, having crossed the central square, entered the cathedral in the west of Bless.

Inside the cathedral, dozens of high-ranking priests, including cardinals, and the leaders of the holy knight order were already waiting.

These were the influential figures who moved the Holy Artenia Empire. More of them were calculating and worrying about how the political situation would unfold than mourning the Pope’s death.

“Oh, Holy Father in Heaven. We have gathered here today to mourn the passing of our beloved brother and respected leader, Benedict III…”

Archbishop Michael, who was to preside over the Pope’s funeral mass, smiled inwardly as he recited the prayer.

This was because he had recently defeated Archbishop Constantine, who had fiercely competed with him for the position of the next Pope.

Of course, the formal procedure of the conclave remained, but it was practically a foregone conclusion that the position of the next Pope would go to him.

As if to symbolize this, many bishops and high-ranking priests had visited him since morning to offer bribes, and even during the Pope’s funeral, they would occasionally approach him to flatter him.

‘Heh heh heh, as soon as the month-long national mourning is over, I should immediately convene the conclave. And while I’m at it, I should get rid of the opposing factions that are an eyesore.’

Although he had secured the approval, he needed to eliminate the opposing factions, including Archbishop Constantine, to establish absolute power.

Just as Archbishop Michael was thinking about how to depose and eliminate them, the people inside the cathedral suddenly began to murmur.

Awakened from his thoughts by the noise, he frowned and opened his mouth.

“Ahem, who is causing a disturbance during this solemn and sacred funeral mass?”

At Michael’s rebuke, one of the bishops sitting in the front pointed upwards with his fingertip. The bishop’s face was quite flushed as he looked at something.

“L-look over there!”

“What on earth is there…!?”

Michael, grumbling, raised his head, and his eyes widened.

Just below the ceiling where the holy painting of Lord Elkasel and the Earth Goddess Belise holding hands was depicted, a sphere emitting a brilliant light was floating.

“W-what on earth is that?”

“Could it possibly be….”

The sphere, which was initially the size of a fist, gradually grew larger and then suddenly exploded, scattering pure white light.

Fwaaah—!

“Oooooh!”

Although there was a dazzling flash of light, no one turned away or closed their eyes.

And everyone saw it clearly.

In the place where the sphere had disappeared, a silver-haired woman with wings of light enveloping her body was standing.

The wings of light that had covered the silver-haired woman’s body soon disappeared. Instead, a very majestic and sacred aura flowed from the woman’s body, whose eyes were closed.

At the sight of this, the young priests and holy knights murmured in surprise.

“A-an angel! It’s definitely an angel!”

“Ooooh, an angel!”

As the woman slowly descended, the young priests and holy knights knelt down and began to pray.

Some of them were so moved that they shed tears as if they had directly encountered a god.

Perhaps swept away by the atmosphere, some of the high-ranking priests also bowed their heads without realizing it.

Archbishop Michael could not hide his bewilderment at the sudden commotion.

‘W-what on earth is going on! An angel? Is that woman really an angel?’

Even though he tried to deny it, he had no choice but to accept it when he saw the pure and sacred aura emanating from the woman.

It seemed so divine that it could not be compared to the divine power of high-ranking priests who were called saints or holy women.

‘But there hasn’t even been a divine revelation in our order for the past 300 years!’

And suddenly an angel descends? Especially at this time when he was designated as the next Pope?

Michael shook his head vehemently.

‘This is not right, this is not right at all!’

Originally, in the Elkasel Order, the Pope was appointed by divine revelation, not by the conclave. When a divine revelation did not come, the conclave was used instead.

Feeling a sense of crisis that he might lose his position, Michael secretly called his henchmen and tried to order them to capture the woman.

However, he had already been preempted.

“Oooooh, the Lord has sent an angel to be the new Pope!”

A shout, like a roar, suddenly echoed throughout the cathedral.

The owner of the shout was none other than Constantine, his rival who had competed for the position of Pope until the end.

At his shout, not only the young priests who had already knelt down but also the older high-ranking priests looked surprised.

“Lord Elkasel sent an angel to be the next Pope…?”

“But is it okay to appoint an angel as Pope?”

“There’s no reason why not. It is said that Lamael, the founder of our order, was also an angel.”

“I guess so.”

The public opinion quickly shifted to the idea that the angel (?) should be appointed as the next Pope.

Becoming impatient, Michael raised his voice and began to object.

“What is the meaning of this, Archbishop Constantine! How can you be so sure that that woman is an angel? And how can you utter such blasphemous words that the Lord has sent a new Pope!”

“Hmph, can’t you feel the sacred divine power emanating from her body, and the will of the Lord?!”

At Constantine’s rebuttal, Michael hesitated for a moment before answering.

“O-of course, I do feel it. But can we call everyone with strong divine power an angel?”

“Then, if she’s not an angel, how could that woman have appeared by breaking through the cathedral’s ironclad security? Besides, didn’t you see the wings made of light just now! She is definitely an angel sent by Lord Elkasel to revive our order.”

Constantine pointed to the place where the woman had fallen and raised his voice again.

“And look at that sight! That is proof that that woman is a being who has come with the will of God!”

“Aaaah!”

Michael and everyone else were shocked.

Numerous flowers were blooming around the woman, and wheat and barley were growing abundantly. And butterflies and small birds, from who knows where, were fluttering around her.

Some of the priests, recalling the contents of the first part of the order’s code, began to recite it.

“On the cold and silent earth, the Mother Goddess sprouted the sapling of a giant tree on a stone….”

“She made flowers bloom on the marble floor. Then this is…!”

That miracle was decisive.

As his shout solidified the trend, Constantine immediately approached the woman, knelt down, and shouted.

“Angel! Please become the new Pope and lead our order and this empire!”

At this point, she should respond or say something like a revelation.

As Constantine thought this, he saw the woman slowly opening her eyes and getting up.

The woman, who had been staring at Constantine, grinned broadly.

“Who is grandpa? And who am I?”

‘Huh?’

Startled, Constantine looked at the woman again. Then, he began to notice things that he had not noticed before.

There was no intelligence in her eyes at all.

She was as blank as a simpleton. With a bright smile on her lips, she looked like an innocent child.

“Hehe, this house is really big. And there are so many people.”

After looking around, she suddenly made a sullen face and rubbed her belly. Then, she grabbed Constantine’s collar and whined.

“Grandpa, I’m hungry. Give me food~!”

“Well, th-that is….”

In an instant, the solemn and sacred funeral hall descended into chaos.

The miracle of the angel’s descent caused an unexpected shock, shaking the Holy Empire to its core.

3

Demon King Seymon.

Hero Rakan.

These are the names always invoked when discussing the two strongest figures in human history.

Perhaps, even if all the other races were combined, they would still be among the most powerful.

Arsen, now with these two, who had awakened to their full power, as his guardians, felt his confidence soar, as if his shoulders could touch the sky.

“Erenes… You… Before… I… was… alone… so… I… was… defeated… but… now… it’s… your… turn… to… suffer.”

Previously, Arsen had attacked the Dark Moon Magic Tower and suffered an unexpected blow from the high elf Erenes, losing half of his body.

Although it was just a shell of a body, he could not forgive Erenes for wasting his time on recovery.

If he knew the location of his hideout, he would have stormed it immediately.

Unfortunately, Arsen did not know his base.

So, he thought of the Dark Moon Magic Tower.

He decided to find them to finish what he had not finished before and to discover Erenes’ whereabouts.

“Heh heh heh, those… black… mages… If… I… beat… them… up… Erenes… will… show… up… Wait… I… will… give… you… the… most… cruel… death!”

When Erenes appeared, he would not kill him easily. He would capture him and inflict pain and humiliation worse than death.

Arsen, with a sinister smile, imagining the ruin of the pure soul and noble body of the high elf, quickened his pace.

And a few days later, he and his two guardians arrived at the Dark Moon Magic Tower, crossing a vast desert.

As soon as they arrived, Arsen gave orders to his guardians.

“Now, my… loyal… servants… destroy… that… tower… without… leaving… a… single… stone… Wait?”

Arsen stopped speaking mid-command. The atmosphere of the tower, faintly visible in the moonlight, was strange.

The building had been completely restored, but the fires were out, and there was no sign of life.

“Did… these… guys… know… I… was… coming… back… and… hide?”

If they were hiding, he would find them and drag them out.

Arsen used flight magic to enter the tower and searched every corner of the building with Mana Scan magic.

However, all that remained in the tower were junk items. There was not a single person, not even a lab rat.

It seemed they had not hidden but had fled.

It had been quite some time since they had abandoned the tower, as dust had accumulated, and there was no trace to follow.

“Grrr… Aaaack! These… bastards!”

Arsen, enraged by the thought of being mocked by such insignificant beings, went on a rampage, firing black magic in all directions.

Kuaaaang! Kwaang!

Thud—!

The Dark Moon Magic Tower, which had been restored, collapsed again under his tantrum.

The guardians, who had been faithfully following Arsen, silently watched the scene.

After venting his anger by smashing the empty building for a while, Arsen gritted his teeth.

“Tch!… A… setback!… This… is… truly… a… setback!”

Due to being treated as enemies of the continent, black mages were experts in hiding.

If he had not been tracking those who stole the new hero-class Gigant [A large, powerful magical construct] blueprints from the Veritas Magic Tower, he would not have known that the remnants of the Darkness Magic Tower, which he had destroyed 500 years ago, had gathered to create a new tower.

But now, it had all gone back to square one!

“Grrr… You… hide… like… rats… Do… you… think… I… won’t… find… you!… I… will… find… you… and… utterly… destroy… you!”

It might take some time, but with Arsen’s abilities, who had mastered black and white magic to the extreme, he would be able to find them.

And he had the Veritas Magic Tower.

He was confident that the informants in the towers across the continent would be able to find the Dark Moon guys.

The only thing that bothered him was that it had become troublesome.

However, Arsen decided to endure that much trouble for revenge and retribution.

Having barely calmed his anger, he thought about where they might have fled.

‘They are likely scattered. They probably went to areas where the Elcasel Order’s power is weak, like this place….’

Arsen was reviewing several areas considered remote on the continent when suddenly, the crystal ball in his pocket vibrated, indicating an incoming magic communication.

“What… is… it?”

The magic communication was from Albert, whom he had parted with not long ago.

Albert, who had left the desert hideout and returned to the Veritas Magic Tower, spoke with a desperate face.

– A big problem has occurred, Ancestor! Just now, four of the top ten magic towers have accused our tower of practicing black magic to the Magic Alliance!

“What!”

Arsen looked surprised.

Including himself, there were no more than five people in the Veritas Magic Tower who were practicing black magic.

There were less than ten people who knew the secret that the tower’s leadership was secretly practicing black magic, so how did other towers find out?

However, there was no time to think about that for long. The current situation seemed very urgent.

– The Magic Alliance is moving very quickly. They seem ready to dispatch an investigation team immediately. What should we do?

No matter how successful the Veritas Magic Tower was, becoming an enemy of the magic world would be a huge blow.

In the worst case, they might even be destroyed.

If only one or two of the top ten towers had accused them, they would have somehow blocked it.

However, if four towers had participated in the accusation, it meant that they were determined to destroy the Veritas Magic Tower.

He had no idea. This incident was the result of Yohas spreading rumors to the top ten towers before moving his base and leaking credible evidence.

The four towers, which had been dissatisfied with the Veritas Magic Tower’s success, saw this as an opportunity and rose up all at once.

“Heh heh heh, these… guys… are… asking… for… death… I… will… handle… this… so… don’t… worry… and… play… dumb… while… keeping… the… house… in… order.”

– What are you going to do?

Albert asked, swallowing hard. The ancestor’s eyes, reflected in the crystal ball, were gleaming with immense murderous intent and madness.

“Heh!… If… they… are… so… eager… to… die… shouldn’t… I… grant… them… their… wish?”

Arsen had been planning to gradually reveal the power he had cultivated in the shadows for the past 500 years.

The downfall of four of the top ten towers would be a perfect signal flare.

In his hollow eyes, staring at the south where the top ten towers were located, a thick flame of conspiracy ignited.

4

Lamulen, a commercial city in the southern Castia Kingdom of the continent.

There, the headquarters of the Lokid Magic Tower, one of the top ten towers, was located.

The Lokid Magic Tower, boasting a history of 300 years, was a tower with its own history and tradition, although it was not among the top five Gigant manufacturers on the continent.

The Knight-class Gigant Raptor, which they had recently produced, was receiving rave reviews in various countries and was a huge hit.

Accordingly, they were gradually increasing the scale of their production workshops and recruiting mages and engineers, preparing for a leap to aim for the top ranks among the top ten towers.

It was a month ago that the secret of the Veritas Magic Tower was revealed to them.

The letter, delivered through a secret route, contained a rather surprising story.

It stated that the leaders of the Veritas Magic Tower were secretly practicing black magic, along with some circumstantial evidence.

Deep within the Lokid Magic Tower was a conference room.

The core leadership, including the tower’s Meister [Master or head of a guild or organization] and elders, were gathered, engaged in a discussion.

“I wonder if we have started something unnecessary.”

At the words of an elder with a round face, an elder with a sharp impression immediately responded.

“Unnecessary? Practicing black magic is the same as becoming an enemy of the continent. And that the leaders of the Veritas Magic Tower, who should be setting an example, were secretly practicing black magic… This is an unforgivable act.”

“But isn’t there a lack of conclusive evidence?”

“That will come out soon when the investigation team is dispatched. There is no reason for smoke to rise from a chimney without a fire, is there?”

At the words of the sharp-looking elder, the round-faced elder countered.

“But what if they don’t find anything? The Veritas Magic Tower won’t stay still, you know?”

“Won’t stay still? Are they going to start a war with us?”

“Who said anything about starting a war? Just by mobilizing their connections to cut off our tower’s funding or put pressure on us….”

As the two elders’ argument was about to escalate, the Meister, who was sitting at the head of the table, banged on the table.

“Both of you, calm down.”

Having calmed them down, he looked at the round-faced elder and said,

“I understand Elder Jeron’s concerns. But the die has already been cast. And even if the leaders of the Veritas Magic Tower have not practiced black magic, the Veritas Magic Tower will suffer a great blow to its image because of this incident.”

Since the continent was turned upside down by the Demon King Seymon 500 years ago, the hatred of the privileged class for the black mages, who formed one axis of the Demon King’s army, had deepened.

If there was even a rumor that someone was practicing black magic somewhere, the magic and religious circles, as well as the high-ranking nobles of each country, would take the lead in capturing or subjugating the black mages.

That atmosphere was still continuing, so what if a rumor spread that the Veritas Magic Tower was associated with black magic?

Until the truth was revealed, the Veritas Magic Tower would undoubtedly be subjected to enormous criticism and harassment.

Mages and engineers would leave the tower for fear of being affected, and even the imperial family of the Baroque Empire would look at them with suspicion.

And even if it turned out not to be true, it did not matter. It would take a considerable amount of time to restore the once-fallen image.

“But the power of the Veritas Magic Tower is considerable. I am worried that they might try to retaliate against our tower later because of this.”

Elder Jeron had studied at the Veritas Magic Tower when he was young.

Therefore, he knew the atmosphere and power of the Veritas Magic Tower better than anyone else, so he was worried about the aftermath of this incident.

Of course, the Meister of the Lokid Magic Tower had also considered that.

That was why he did not accuse the Veritas Magic Tower alone but coordinated with three other towers among the top ten that were aiming for the Veritas Magic Tower’s position.

“Even if the Veritas Magic Tower is one of the top one or two on the continent, it will not be able to turn four of the top ten towers into enemies at the same time.”

At the Meister’s explanation, some of the elders, who had been looking slightly uneasy, let out a sigh of relief.

“Now, now, everyone, put your worries aside and just watch how the Veritas Magic Tower is affected….”

It was when the Meister was smiling and trying to calm the atmosphere.

Bang!

Suddenly, the ceiling of the conference room shattered and collapsed.

“Wh-what is it!”

“Why did the ceiling suddenly…!”

The Meister and the elders were startled and retreated in confusion.

As the dust settled, three people revealed themselves.

A mysterious man in a gray robe, a knight in golden armor, and a middle-aged mage with a stitched scar on his neck.

The one in the gray robe glared at the elders with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Heh heh heh, the… rat… bastards… of… Lokid… were… gathered… in… one… place… plotting… a… conspiracy.”

They were none other than Arsen and his two guardians.

However, the leaders of the Lokid Magic Tower, unaware of this fact, shouted.

“Who are you to dare cause trouble in this Lokid Magic Tower!”

“If you don’t get out of here right now, you’ll taste something hot….”

But their shouts were cut short. The knight in golden armor stepped forward and swung his sword greatly.

Kwaaaang—!

The moment golden aura burst from the knight’s sword, one wall of the conference room building was blown away.

“Kuaaack!”

“Keek!”

The elders of the Lokid Magic Tower quickly activated defensive magic the moment the golden knight drew his sword.

They had not won their elder positions through card games, so their awareness and actions were quick.

However, the barrier they had created with 6th and 7th circle magic was easily torn apart like paper the moment it touched the golden aura.

Those who were swept away by the golden aura, except for those who quickly deployed blink magic, disappeared without a trace.

Like butterflies swallowed by flames.

“Good heavens!”

The Meister, who had barely avoided the attack, was shocked.

The elders of the Lokid Magic Tower were, at the very least, 6th circle mages. There were five 7th circle mages, and he himself was an 8th circle user.

But for nearly half of the Lokid Magic Tower’s leadership to be killed by a single attack from the golden knight was unbelievable.

“Unbelievable. With the skills of our tower’s elders, they wouldn’t lose even if they fought the Undead Legion….”

“Hah. Hah. Hah, are you talking about the Holy Knights of the Divine Artenia Empire, the so-called strongest knight order on the continent? Comparing those guys to my guardian? If Rakan from my past life heard that, he’d be furious.”

“Ra, Rakan?”

The Meister’s face was puzzled.

Why would the name of the legendary hero Rakan suddenly come up?

The gray-robed figure, or rather, Arsen, revealed a piece of the truth with a triumphant look.

“Hah. Hah. Hah, even though he’s a corpse that was resurrected a long time ago, his skills are not far off from when he was alive.”

As soon as Arsen finished speaking, the mask covering the golden knight’s face opened, revealing the pale face of a middle-aged man.

The mages of the Lokid Magic Tower were shocked.

Even though he was pale, the golden knight’s face looked exactly like the portrait of the hero Rakan.

‘Could it be that he used plastic surgery magic…?’

The Meister of the Lokid Magic Tower checked to see if it was intentionally altered, but there was no unnatural flow of mana that would appear after plastic surgery magic.

But there was an even more shocking fact.

“That aura… no, could it be a Death Knight!”

A Death Knight, one of the strongest monsters in the demon realm, along with liches.

Long ago, after the magical civilization that briefly flourished after the Avalon Empire collapsed, and the continent was plunged into chaos, the demons launched a massive invasion.

The vanguard of the demon realm at that time, who was notorious, was none other than the Death Knight.

They barely managed to defeat the demons at that time, but the demons’ method of creating Death Knights was transmitted to the black mages.

It is said that Death Knights can be created by resurrecting a knight with at least Sword Master level skills, who died with a grudge, using cursed black magic.

However, it requires at least a 9th circle black mage to create one, and it was difficult to secure the corpse that would be the material.

In addition, it took a long time to prepare other materials or perform the black magic ritual to create a Death Knight.

For these reasons, there have been only a handful of proper Death Knights appearing since the demon invasion.

Although the exact reason is unknown, it is speculated that even the Demon King Seimon, who was the most powerful black mage about 500 years ago, gave up on creating a Death Knight and made a battle golem instead.

In any case, the Death Knight has never appeared on the stage of continental history in the past 500 years.

That a Death Knight would appear like this!

“Wh, who the hell are you…?!”

The Meister’s voice trembled.

He thought that the gray-robed mage might be a demon king or a top-tier demon from the demon realm.

But that expectation was shattered so easily.

“Me? A little while ago, you guys were talking about destroying the magic tower. I’m from that magic tower.”

“Wh, what? Then you are from the Veritas Magic Tower…”

Arsen revealed his identity, seemingly pleased with the Meister’s pale face.

“Yes, I am the great mage Arsen, who ushered in the golden age of the Veritas Magic Tower 500 years ago.”

Thud—!

A shock, like a huge magic bomb had dropped, spread throughout the hall.

As if they couldn’t believe it, the mages of Lokid burst into screams and protests.

“Don’t lie! That can’t be!”

“Lord Arsen is the founder of magical engineering! How dare you try to tarnish his name by pretending to be him!”

Although he was the founder of a rival magic tower, the mages of Lokid respected Arsen’s achievements in participating in the war against the Demon King Seimon and laying the foundation for magical engineering.

That was the case not only for them but also for most of the mages on the continent, so it was understandable that they couldn’t believe Arsen’s words.

However, Elder Jeron was different.

‘Come to think of it, according to the rumors I heard when I was studying abroad at the Veritas Magic Tower…’

The great mage Arsen.

In terms of the magic tower lineage, he is only the 17th Meister of Veritas.

However, he was the one who transformed Veritas, which was previously just a mid-sized magic tower in a kingdom, into one of the leading magic towers on the continent based on magical engineering. He was practically revered as the founder.

According to rumors, he loved the magic tower he had raised so much that he dabbled in forbidden magic in his later years.

Of course, it was a story that was not easily mentioned even within the Veritas Magic Tower, but Jeron had accidentally overheard someone spreading the rumor.

At the time, he dismissed it as a false rumor fabricated by those who were jealous of the great mage Arsen, but…

But now it seems that was not the case.

“Li, Lich!!”

Jeron unknowingly blurted out a part of the rumor he had heard back then.

Then, Arsen looked at him and curled up his half-rotted mouth into a grin.

“Hah? I didn’t know there would be someone here who knew my secret.”

Arsen readily admitted his secret.

There was a reason why he was doing this.

Arsen had no intention of letting anyone here live. Since they were all going to die anyway, what did it matter if his identity was revealed now?

Jeron, realizing the hidden meaning, shouted involuntarily.

“E, everyone run away! The opponent is a 9th circle lich!”

Jeron’s estimation of Arsen’s skills was wrong, but his cry had a great effect.

The mages who learned of Arsen’s secret began to flee.

There was no chance of winning against a 9th circle lich anyway.

Besides, he also had a Death Knight made from the hero Rakan.

It was important to have even one person survive and inform the outside world of this fact.

Everyone judged that way, and they ran in different directions.

However…

“Kuh!”

“Cough!”

“Th, this can’t be!”

The mages who tried to jump into secret passages to escape or use teleportation fell to the floor, vomiting blood, without even taking a few steps.

“Th, this is a mana field!”

“When did he set this up…?!”

A mana field that distorts the flow of mana.

That powerful and deadly barrier had already been deployed. Even without a sign.

Arsen gave a bitter smile as he watched the mages fall helplessly.

“Did you think you could escape from me?”

“Kuhhh!”

The mana field was created by another guardian, the middle-aged mage Seimon, while the mages’ attention was focused on Arsen and Rakan.

In their haste, the mages, not realizing that the barrier had been deployed, activated magic such as quick or teleportation for escape, causing their mana circles to twist, forcing them to vomit blood or collapse.

“Hah hah hah, then, shall we finish this off?”

At Arsen’s gesture, Rakan once again unleashed a golden aura towards the mages.

The leaders of the Lokid Magic Tower, one of the top 10 magic towers on the continent, met their end like that.

The next day, the tragedy of the Lokid Magic Tower spread throughout the magic world. They were shocked by the fact that the leaders of the magic tower had all died in an explosion of the building.

However, the cause of the explosion was not accurately known.

There were only rumors, such as that it was the work of an opposition faction within the magic tower, or that they were caught in an explosion while conducting secret experiments.

Of course, among those rumors, there was also speculation that it was the work of the Veritas Magic Tower, which had been accused of black magic. This was because the incident occurred at a very coincidental time.

“Could it be that the Veritas Magic Tower is really researching black magic?”

“No way, why would they do such a thing?”

“Don’t you know that the rich are more likely to do it?”

“But there’s no evidence.”

“Well, we’ll find out if we investigate.”

However, the Magic Federation’s inspection of the Veritas Magic Tower was sluggish.

First of all, the Veritas Magic Tower was refusing to comply with the unfair inspection, and they were also refuting the circumstantial evidence of black magic.

As a result, unlike the initial hardline stance, factions within the Magic Federation began to appear that supported the Veritas Magic Tower.

There were also claims that these supporting factions had received bribes from the Veritas Magic Tower, but it was not certain.

However, many of them were mages who had studied abroad at the Veritas Magic Tower in the past, or magic towers that had frequent exchanges with the Veritas Magic Tower.

In the midst of this, another incident occurred.

Meister Garond, the owner of the Altica Magic Tower, one of the top 5 Gigant [large humanoid war machines] manufacturers on the continent, and a member of the Magic Federation, went missing.

He was on his way to acquire a small and medium-sized magic tower with his disciples and attendants, but his whereabouts and traces were completely unknown.

The problem was that there was a branch of the Modern Magic Tower near the area where he went missing.

The Modern Magic Tower, which had secured a place as one of the top 10 magic towers and one of the top 5 Gigant manufacturers on the continent with its production capacity rather than quality, had a very bad relationship with the Altica Magic Tower.

This was because the Altica Magic Tower often criticized the flaws of the Modern Magic Tower’s Gigants.

In addition, the small and medium-sized magic tower that the Altica Magic Tower was trying to acquire was a place that the Modern Magic Tower had been aiming for.

Naturally, the Altica Magic Tower claimed that it was the work of the Modern Magic Tower, and the Modern Magic Tower denied it.

While the claims of the two magic towers were fiercely opposed, another story about this incident was circulating in some parts of the magic world.

“Could this also be the work of the Veritas Magic Tower?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“The Altica Magic Tower filed a lawsuit against the Veritas Magic Tower along with Lokid. In addition, the Veritas Magic Tower has suffered quite a bit of damage recently due to the Modern Magic Tower’s aggressive sales tactics.”

“Well, aren’t you thinking too much?”

After that, unexplained accidents and murders occurred in several magic towers.

Coincidentally, the Veritas Magic Tower was involved in these incidents, whether big or small.

“Could it be that the Veritas Magic Tower is really plotting something?”

“That’s all because the Veritas Magic Tower has a high status and influence in the magic world.”

“But it’s too coincidental.”

“That’s what they call a conspiracy theory in professional terms.”

“What? Are you siding with the guys who researched black magic now?”

“Do you have any evidence? If you do, tell me!”

“Looking at it now, you’re a lackey of Veritas.”

“What did you say? I’ve been holding back, but you’re really…”

Whenever mages gathered, the story of the Veritas Magic Tower came up, and they often split into factions and fought.

This situation spread throughout the magic world, and eventually, a great division occurred.

“Lokid and Altica Magic Towers have withdrawn from the Magic Federation!”

“Really?”

“They were very dissatisfied with the fact that they had not properly responded to the inspection of the Veritas Magic Tower and the recent incidents.”

The magic towers that withdrew from the Magic Federation did not end with those two magic towers.

The Fiore Magic Tower and the Terra Magic Tower, which had filed a lawsuit against the Veritas Magic Tower along with them, soon declared their withdrawal, and small and medium-sized magic towers that sympathized with them followed suit.

The Magic Federation strongly criticized the withdrawing magic towers and the mages belonging to them. They declared that they would be permanently expelled from the magic world and that their research, production, and academic activities would be prohibited.

However, the departure that had begun did not end easily.

“I heard that the withdrawing magic towers have formed a group?”

“They call it the ‘Magic Federation Reform General Assembly.’ They are called the Reformists for short.”

“Are they really going to fight against the Magic Federation?”

The existing Magic Federation, centered around the Veritas Magic Tower, defined these Reformists as ‘heretics.’

They began to impose various regulations and suppress them, and in the process, it was not the central forces of the Reformists but the powerless small and medium-sized magic towers that suffered.

The Reformists also began to check the Magic Federation by mobilizing money and connections with the powerful.

Similarly, only the small and medium-sized magic towers that served as branches of the Magic Federation were harmed.

The only ones who could avoid this situation, where the orcs were getting crushed in this dragon fight, were the magic towers belonging to the national government, such as the Holy Empire’s Imperial Magic Tower, or private magic towers supported by nobles.

Many people expressed concern about the division and conflict in the magic world.

However, they did not think that the two forces would clash head-on with force.

This was because, unlike the devout priests, mages had rational and calculating minds.

They knew that a head-on collision would not benefit either side, and they thought that they would compromise after some time had passed.