August 1616 Central Calendar
Otaheit, Kingdom of Mu
When there is light, there is shadow.
The apparently peaceful yet slightly awkward rapport between the Holy Milishial Empire and the Kingdom of Mu conceals the maneuvers of their respective intelligence communities. Both sides engage in a dance of espionage in an attempt to uncover the other’s advancements and machinations. But while the Holy Empire’s Imperial Intelligence Bureau observed no particular difficulties in conducting its operations as the “face,” Mu’s Directorate of Intelligence and Information Analysis (DRAI) whirred with a quiet desperation as one of their major missions, to peel back the layers of the Holy Empire’s secrecy and glean whatever scraps of information they could, has been completely compromised.
The disparity in technological advancement loomed large between the two countries, and the shadows cast by the so-called world’s strongest on not only Mu but other countries seemed to grow longer with each passing day. As such, on one hand the DRAI is already constantly derided as a meaningless nuisance that gathers “useless” information on weak barbarians a bit too enthusiastically and on the other hand they were under immense pressure from the government to find out what the hell is the Holy Milishial Empire up to time and time again.
For a period before the present day, the information their spies gleaned from the Holy Empire succeeded in temporarily pacifying factional squabbles within the Muish Royal Navy. This led to the development of a smaller yet qualitatively more formidable naval fleet, featuring advanced weaponry such as all-big-gun battleships and large armored cruisers intended to be a counter to the evolving threat posed by the Holy Empire’s navy. However, there remained a cautious restraint, as there was a fear of overreaching and provoking an undesirable alarm from the other side. It was something that thankfully appeased both the Navy’s Neutralist and Innovator factions, that is until new sources of contention reignited their disputes once more.
But now? The DRAI was thrown into an even worse situation than normal—they were under fire.
“…With our recent complete inability to contact the Central World Department’s field operatives anymore, I’m afraid that’s it for our spy network in Milishial. All of our contacts have gone silent across the board.”
“Every one of them?”
“…Yes, as much as it is hard to believe.”
The DRAI’s Director Maurice Lamarre’s sullen gaze was fixed on the weathered face of the visiting Admiral Jean Pierre d’Artagnan of the Navy across him. As the Navy and the DRAI are closely cooperating and helping each other, the Admiral pays visits to his office from time to time hoping to get information about Milishial. However, other than the report that the other side’s giant state-of-the-art aircraft carrier called the Orphan Wolf Legend has been sighted near the Sol Islands as part of its sea trials, not even confidential information, only dreadful news awaited d’Artagnan.
“………Are you absolutely certain about this?” the elderly gentleman said after a long pause.
There was a hint of resignation in his posture, and knowing that he firmly wished against this outcome, Lamarre hesitated a bit before answering.
“Yes. After years of struggling to establish a functional information network in Milishial’s territory, it seems that now our rival has decided to stop fooling around. From now on, the only ‘intel’ we’re going to get now is what the other side wants us to see: public pronouncements, military parades, that sort of fluff.”
“I see.”
“I’m terribly sorry, sir.”
“Hm…”
D’Artagnan’s expression strained even further, though he abstained from complaints that would change nothing. The Holy Empire’s infamy as an “impenetrable fortress” against foreign espionage was well-deserved, and Mu’s spy ring in Milishial was always a precarious affair. Their degree of information control and counter-espionage was ruthless and their methods shrouded in secrecy—there must be some magick they conjured out of their arse somewhere in there. Yet, even with all that pressure, the network had somewhat functioned in providing a trickle of information that proved invaluable in shaping Mu’s national strategy. But a complete network collapse was a different story altogether. It meant they were now flying blind, with no eyes or ears inside the Holy Empire to help the decision-makers in making a countermeasure.
D’Artagnan imagined a small country falling into this situation would be already under the August Star of Heaven’s mercy if they so wished.
However, just for the Admiral’s service branch, this meant that the flow of information he utilized so painstakingly to maintain the fragile truce between the Navy’s factions would completely cease to exist. By the time a potential threat for Mu showed itself, it would be too late. The Neutralists would scream the dangers of provoking Milishial even louder while the Innovators would be frothing at the mouth demanding a more aggressive response to counter the growing technological gap. They would be brutally tearing each other apart. Again.
“What can you tell about how it happened?” d’Artagnan tried to sound composed.
Lamarre shook his head grimly. “Nothing. It’s all silence. With the likelihood that all our dead drops are compromised, we can only assume the worst.”
“………”
A heavy silence descended between the two weary men. Lamarre knew the Admiral’s frustration mirrored his own. In particular, the Royal Navy was cautiously optimistic after their intel-driven modernization, but from now on, they would have to be forced to navigate in the darkness without a map. From now on, only gods know what their rival would conjure in that darkness underneath their oh-so-radiant light. At best, men like d’Artagnan would be pressed hard in their duties.
Using the rhetoric of increasing commitment to resisting the “enemy of all races,” the Ancient Sorcerous Empire that was still nowhere to be seen as an excuse, it was understood that the Holy Milishial Empire’s military might have ascended to a mythical status, possibly even stronger, enough to be used in the meantime to brutally crush some inferior who dare to stand in the way of the world’s strongest’ cutthroat economic and political maneuvers. In light of the prospect of acquiring a more advanced fighter plane through official cooperation with Milishial, it would seem that this is the real payment the other side demanded of Mu, and they have taken it by force. With the other side acting out of national interest just like anyone else, this is the Holy Milishial Empire’s signature two faces of hospitality.
“Mu’s footing in the world is ever-shaky and her ‘superpower’ designation as given by Milishial is turning out to be more of a mockery than ever, what would become of her by then?”
Lamarre looked up at d’Artagnan’s musings.
“Oh, no, forgive this old man’s ramblings, I couldn’t help but think so.”
Lamarre witnessed a corner of the admiral’s mouth quirked upward slightly and a mirthless chuckle escaped him.
“So it would seem.”
Later, this matter made its way to the central government which to no one’s surprise caused an intense consternation. The strained façade of cordial existence with the Holy Milishial Empire was compounded further by a chilling fear. Mu was never a leading one in this dance, yet it had taken a darker turn still.
With them completely unable to read their rival, some within the Kingdom of Mu are horrified. The eeriness of it all gnawed at them as a chilling premonition that the worst of everything might be yet to come.
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August 12, 1616 Central Calendar
San Redentore District, Runepolis, Holy Milishial Empire
On the morning of the Imperial Board’s exam day, the Roguerider household buzzed with activity even when the first light was barely gracing the sky. Adonis Roguerider’s apprenticeship team staying at the residence as suggested by their mentor were already awake. Despite their attempts to remain calm in the face of the upcoming first round of the examination, an awkward situation pervaded the male members as they stood huddled in the guest room.
“Good morning, young gentlemen! The big day is finally here, isn’t it?”
“Uh…”
Kaios eloquently blurted out the three boys’ entire line of thought at that moment when the door swung open, revealing their mentor’s wife and sister entering with bright smiles across their faces and trays piled with folded clothes balanced in their arms. Behind them were several maids, and following them were Elto, the girls of Robin Calvello’s team, and their mentor, their eyes glinting with barely concealed amusement.
“Alright, it’s time to ditch those plain clothes! We can’t have our future Mages looking anything less than spectacular on their exam day, can we?”
“Are you serious about this, Mrs. Roguerider?”
“You speak as if we’re going to pass this with flying colors…”
“Gee, she’s trying to encourage you, you dolt…” Ashera quipped with an eye roll.
Ignoring Irmiya’s suspicion-laden remark, Adel chuckled good-naturedly at Gabriel’s question.
“Why, of course, I have drilled this before, am I not?” she declared as she set the tray down carefully on a nearby dresser. “First impressions are everything, boys. The Imperial Board might not judge solely on appearances, but the moment you step into the venue, everything will be taken into account. Presenting yourselves with confidence and professionalism shows respect for the institution and yourselves.”
“Really? You’re not using it as an excuse to make us play dress, aren’t you?”
Adel then gestured toward Annette, Nadia, and Elto who waited at one corner of the room. They wore fancy yet practical outfits without too many embellishments.
“…Look at them, they understand the importance of presentation. Don’t they look simply splendid?”
Just like the varied reactions of the trio of girls who preened under the spotlight, the boys for their part were a symphony of flustered reactions. Kaios with his wide innocent eyes gaped openly for a moment before a nudge from both Gabriel and Irmiya flanking him quickly snapped him back to reality. The two on the other hand offered the girl courteous smiles, Irmiya’s more on the cheeky side.
“Nice.”
At that moment, Adel loudly clapped her hands, bringing back their attention.
“Alright, now feast your eyes!” she declared, gesturing them towards the tray. “Hey, Kaios, what do you think about the color black? I think this one looks good on you.”
“Um, I don’t really think too much about it… so I don’t really know.”
While the three boys gravitated toward the tray and began checking the outfits at Adel’s insistence, Walman, already in a well-tailored uniform as well, entered the room to the sight of the boys being pestered by the two ladies and their maids.
Noticing that he was alone, Nadia called out. “Meteos?”
“Oh, his brothers dragged him somewhere, pre-exam pep talk or something. He says it will be long so he told me to come here ahead of him.”
“Ah.”
“Pep talk, huh…” Ashera muttered, listening to the exchange with an unchanging countenance.
Certainly whatever her brothers had told him had some effect, as when Meteos emerged from Adonis’ study, his eyes glinted with… something.
❖⟐❖⟐❖
08:30
Imperial Board of Magical Arts Supervision Examination Hall 1
Bright magical lighting shone on rows upon rows of desks where around five hundred hopefuls filled the venue, Kaios among them. Taking in the sheer scale of the undertaking, his gaze darted around while his hand clutched his writing supplies like a lifeline as Kaios settled into his assigned seat, #201. This place was just one of three halls used by the Imperial Board to conduct the examination today; the sheer scale of it all made him shrink even further into his seat.
Everywhere he looked, the desks were filled with strangers of a wide variety of ages whose faces ranged from stoic concentration to nervous fidgeting. Earlier, at the entrance, the staff had ushered the members of the same apprenticeship team into four separate lines to be given participant numbers, pulling him away from his friends in the crush of examinees. He knew they’d all been destined for Hall 1, but the sheer number of hopefuls made it feel like a needle in a haystack. It would have been reassuring to see a friendly face.
Later, when he started an internal tirade to encourage himself, the Parpaldian boy didn’t register that a seat to his left was still empty until a shuffling noise from that direction drew his attention. Swiveling his head to peer over at the newcomer, Kaios’ eyes widened.
“Hey.”
A silver-haired teenager. Me—
“Annette!?”
Oh.
“Looks like we’re sitting next to each other by sheer coincidence, huh?”
Showing a card with #200 on it in Kaios’ direction, the younger Pendragon giggled before she tucked her bag underneath the table and pulled her own set of writing tools. Hearing Kaios suddenly shouting, several examinees looked their way and clamored upon realizing who it was. Those were background noises for the two at the moment, however.
“Thank the Heavens you’re here…” Kaios breathed, shoulders slumping in relief.
“Hm? Delighted to see a familiar face?” Annette teased.
“Yes, I do—wait, I mean, uh…”
“Calm down,” she cut through his flustered explanation. “Everyone here is nervous, but yours are showing on your face. That won’t do.”
“Right…”
Kaios took a deep breath and let the cool air fill his lungs. Annette was right. Freaking out wouldn’t help. When he opened his eyes again, his slouch slowly turned into a more composed pose.
“Thanks. I’ll do my best.”
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“For your sake, you better do.”
The Imperial Board’s examination participants were required to be present fifteen minutes before the exam began at the latest. Having arrived earlier than that, there was still half an hour before the test began. Feeling a surge of newfound confidence, Kaios decided to have a small talk.
“Um… Speaking of which…” he leaned to the side and lowered his tone of voice. “Does Meteos ever get nervous? He always seems so… collected.”
Annette tilted her head in thought, tapping her chin with a finger. “Ah? Well, honestly, I don’t know. Maybe? But if he does, he’s really good at hiding it. That Mr. Cool…”
“I see. I wish I had even half of his composure in times like this,” Kaios sighed.
Annette scoffed. “Don’t you get starry-eyed just yet. Just you wait until he’s anywhere near the little ones and watch him gushing like an idiot…”
“Give him some credit, his baby siblings are adorable.”
The two erupted into mild laughter, releasing tension amidst the nervous energy of the hall. It felt good for both of them to share a laugh with a familiar face. But then, a furrow appeared on Kaios’ brow. This lighthearted conversation suddenly reminded him of that boy.
“By the way… have you seen him anywhere?”
“Don’t you remember? Finding him is easy. It’s in the hair, you know,” Annette raised her dainty hand to brush her silver locks with a flourish. Oh, of course, Kaios smacked his head inwardly. The people of the Middle Lands have a bigger variety of hair colors, even ones extremely rarely spotted such as green… but people with natural silvery-white hair seemed to be the rarest among them all.
The young noblewoman stood up to get a better view, craning her neck to scan the rows around them. It didn’t take long for her sharp eyes to locate another mop of silver hair, sitting a few rows ahead on the right side of the hall. However, her gaze lingered for only a moment before her expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief. Kaios, observing Annette’s reaction, waited expectantly for her to share her findings. But before he could inquire, she let out a scandalized shriek.
“Aaah!? What are they doing!? Hey! Stay away from him, you ignorant cretin!”
“Huh…?”
Ignoring the sudden attention, Annette quickly sat back down, her cheeks flushed red.
“W-what’s wrong?” Kaios asked in alarm.
Annette’s frustration bubbled over as she muttered to herself, oblivious to Kaios addressing her. “How dare those vultures disrupt Nadia’s happiness… he’s already taken… why can’t people just leave him alone? Go find another eye candy to bother…”
Puzzled by her sudden outburst, a concerned Kaios leaned in closer. “What’s wrong? Who are you talking about?”
“Kaios…”
There was something in her tone that caused Kaios to swallow his saliva.
“Y-yes?”
“I think Meteos is not hiding nervousness. He’s hiding his stress.”
“Uh… I’m not sure—”
“If it’s not stress from the exam, it’s from having to deal with fangirls.”
Kaios facepalmed. But at the same time, he felt an inexplicable fear toward this noblewoman.
There was a certain topic of gossip for generations among the Runepolian populace that the Ministry of Ancient Sorcerous Empire Countermeasures was actually a den filled with gorgeous men. Considering Meteos Roguerider’s affiliation as an engineer there, it seemed that this rumor, instead of evaporating anytime soon, would pass on to the next generation.
…………
Fast forward to 9 o’clock when the exam commenced after the proctors streamed in, gave some words, and the assistants began distributing thick envelopes emblazoned with the Holy Empire’s seal, three per seat. Kaios felt a jolt of anticipation as one stack landed on his desk with a soft thud.
This Imperial Board of Magical Arts Supervision’s grueling examination served as the sole gateway to becoming a licensed magical arts practitioner within the Holy Empire in the modern era, often referred to by its rank, “Mage.” Divided into three distinct phases, it tested not only a candidate’s knowledge but also their temperament, resourcefulness, and ability to operate effectively under pressure. Phase One, or the Qualification Phase as it was commonly called, was the entrants’ major hurdle. This written test spanned three hours, demanding a general but myriad understanding of the science of magick that Kaios and his friends had crammed tirelessly since the beginning of their studies in this country.
Each envelope, as the chief proctor had explained, contained 30 essay questions, for a total of 90. It was said that generally the questions were related to magical theory and history, general applications, and military applications, though they were spread randomly across the envelopes. A quick glance revealed densely packed paragraphs, each posing a question that demanded in-depth knowledge and critical thinking. Some even demanded ethical judgments on hypothetical scenarios involving powerful magic. Are these spells even real!?
“These questions seem hard… is there not a secret test where we are expected to cheat or something…?” Kaios muttered to himself as he scanned the first envelope’s sheets. Remembering Adonis’ words that internationally this exam was considered a substitute for war, the boy had thought that situations like these might be a setup to see how the participants would be able to gather intel without being detected. However, that was just wishful thinking.
There is no turning back. In the first place, he wasn’t expected to ace it or even breeze through the exam on the first try, and if he failed, he wouldn’t be judged. Kaios just hoped that Meteos would be able to go far into the exam so that he wouldn’t feel too bad envying someone without skill.
Forty-five minutes later, he and everyone else would scream internally in sheer shock and admiration.
…………
The man assigned as the chief proctor was surveying the hall from a podium with a measuring gaze when a flicker of silver at the edge of his vision caught his attention. Participant #169, stood out not just for his striking silver hair but also for the unusual calmness he exuded amidst the nervous energy, rose from his desk and approached the proctor’s podium without making a noise.
“Excuse me,” he spoke politely.
Having followed his movement, the chief proctor raised an eyebrow when the young man finally stood in front of him. “Participant #169. Is there a problem, son?”
“Finished, sir,” he stated simply.
Now, both of the chief proctor’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Glancing up at the large crystalline display, it was only 45 minutes since the proctors had finished distributing the exam packets. Three hours was the standard allotted time, and rarely did anyone finish much earlier, especially not under one hour. Though considering his reputation, the chief proctor wondered why he should even be surprised by this young man and his folks at this point.
“Really?” he asked, more formality than anything else. “Are you certain, Participant #169? You understand that once submitted, you are not allowed to retract your work?”
“I am.”
“……Alright, then. You are free to leave once you have submitted your work and are not allowed to return to the exam hall.”
With a small nod, Participant #169 placed the three packages neatly into the designated space.
“Thank you, sir, have a good day.”
“On you as well. Thank you for your time.”
The young man bowed before turning and walking out of the hall. A collective gasp rippled through the front rows, quickly muffled by coughs and nervous shuffles. The audacity, some thought, while others simply gaped in stunned admiration. The chief proctor watched him go before snapping to quiet the noise. If aspirant Mages are already intimidated just by this act, then they are not cut out to be one.
❖⟐❖⟐❖
09:50
Adonis’ pale green car pulled up to the parking lot where Meteos was waiting. When the rear window slid down, it revealed Robin’s grinning mug.
“Forty-five minutes?”
“Forty-five minutes.”
“Rookie numbers, Adonis aced it in forty-one and Ace in forty-two. You’re this close to setting a new record! But anyway, now that the side show is over, get in so that we can start talking real business.”
Meteos snorted, tossing his backpack into the back seat before climbing in next to Robin. After that, the car pulled away from the curb and headed into the Roguerider Foundation’s Headquarters.
…………
San Redentore District, Runepolis
Being the second to last to enter Roderick’s office where his father and older siblings were already gathered, Meteos found an empty spot on the couch between Ace and Cyrus. Knowing that the meeting would be no simple affair, he grabbed a sandwich to stuff himself along the way.
“Pardon my intrusion,” after Meteos, Robin sheepishly announced her presence with her hand still holding the doorknob.
“Hello, Robin, thank you for your hard work. Please, have a seat.”
“Everyone.”
After exchanging greetings and gesturing Meteos and his mentor to take the seats, a crease formed between Roderick’s brow as his gaze landed on the fifth son’s subdued expression.
“Meteos?”
“Oh. Worry not, Dad. Let’s just focus on the matter at hand.”
“Very well. If you say so, then let’s.”
As if reading Roderick’s mind, Meteos offered him a reassuring smile while gesturing towards his siblings. In response to his statement, the others gave him a mix of nods and shrugs. Biting back a wince from his straightforwardness, Roderick exhaled and went along with the discussion, listening to Meteos’ words.
“Continuing from last night, as you heard, word came out from the Seventy that the Annonrial Empire seems to be considering a plan involving the Second Civilization Area, which from my future memories’ perspective makes the Southern World doing anything that could significantly affect the known world to be decades too early. Currently their plans are still taking phase, but the sheer fact they originate directly from the mouth of Zarathostra of the Messiah himself means there’s a high chance they’ll see it through… at least in some form. I have already outlined the worst-case scenario I can envision, but it’s just one of many possibilities. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
It was agreed that the other potential scenarios, which would likely involve manipulation, could be easily handled by the White Lotus, hence they didn’t dwell on them for long. However, the worst-case scenario in which Meteos imagined that the Annonrial Empire decides to exploit the known world’s ignorance and skip subtle tactics to go straight using brute force and launch a surprise attack on Mu before shifting the blame on the Holy Empire and watch as chaos unfolds is the one most difficult to counter in many aspects. Firstly, in order for the Holy Empire to move, the Emperor as the state’s ultimate authority must be convinced. And even if achievable, the outcome depended on the time available for the Holy Empire to prepare itself, ranging from a Battle of Baltica but worse to an outright defeat.
“In such a situation, the best the Holy Empire can do to clear their name… would be to somehow make an appearance and surprise attack the raiding Annonrial forces from behind while they are engaged in attacking Mu. But winning or losing aside, a move equivalent to sacrificing Mu like that defeats the very purpose of the countermeasure against the enemy and comes with its own laundry list of complications involving both internal and external problems. If the Second Civilization Area ended up descending into chaos regardless, it ultimately plays into Annonrial’s primary objective this time.”
“Then, the most ideal outcome would come from disrupting their plan before they manage to get anywhere close to the Second Civilization Area and without anyone in the known world being sacrificed, correct?”
Legiel was the first to respond, prompting the others to glance at his spot at the corner of the office, separated from everyone else in the room. Even though the tone of his delivery was that of concern, the barely noticeable emphasis on a certain word was clear enough for Meteos that Pestilence was mocking him. It was harmless provocation for fun, so he let it slide like a civilized man.
“But any form of internal sabotage is impossible because of manpower hurdles, what else can we do in the meantime?” Legiel asked again.
Robin piped up with a frown. “Openly exposing the enemy for who they are will mean we will take the initial brunt of their retaliation, and if the Holy Empire were to directly confront them too soon, we can’t win a head-on clash. So we ought to rule them out.”
“As Robin said, as long as our country is the one inferior, we could never resort to such bold options,” Adonis agreed. “The best way to do it is indeed in secrecy.”
“And then, with the White Lotus’ oversight, information can be passed to other countries so that we can proceed further with the world’s defensive line plan without the enemy knowing,” Ashera supplied further.
“Seems like we have no other choice but to hasten in exposing the enemy and pass it to other countries. That way, it will make things clear between everyone,” Meteos concluded.
“What prevents you from doing it sooner, Son?”
“Initially, I want the White Lotus to have a more established network across the known world, with members reaching positions as far as the ruling government or even the leaders themselves. In addition, it’s not even half a year since we first acquired information directly from Annonrial. I want to make sure that if I were to fabricate ‘evidence’ based on my future memory, there wouldn’t be too many changes within Annonrial itself.”
Roderick nodded and pondered aloud, “I see, but unfortunately the situation has clearly changed.”
“Yes. It is a mistake if we think that everything else will stay the same.”
“Still, Fifth Brother will need to exert more strenuous effort, but that’s true.”
Having promised to Princess Lugiel about this matter, Meteos spent the previous night contemplating it. Since the disparity in mana was too huge between Meteos and the Emperor to simply make him see the Temple of Heaven, providing him intel about Annonrial’s true nature and possibly persuading him to agree mobilize forces for interception demands creativity on the White Lotus’ part.
Regrettably, the winged people are such a reclusive group of people that most of those in the known world only see them in the open outside Bushpaka Latan either during the Eleven Countries Leadership Conference where they appear with their dinky ship or in the Gynamo Kingdom as the sole foreign country that they directly traded with. Despite the Holy Empire proposing to Annonrial to establish a trading post in either Cartalpas or Runepolis during the last conference, which will greatly help in easing Meteos’ difficulty level in recruiting them, the response from Annonrial was merely a lip service statement suggesting they would consider it, neither a definitive “Yes” nor “No.”
“So, what’s your call, White Lotus Leader?”
Meteos scoffed. “It’s really hopeless to get those ghosts ‘out of their shell’ through official means, huh? Still, it is possible for the White Lotus to reveal Annonrial’s real face to His Majesty and other higher-ups in secret. However, as this would involve some sort of ‘defection plot,’ I would need one or maybe a number of the Seventy to physically appear in Runepolis or Cartalpas. Preferably a ship full of Annonrials appearing on the harbor, but having one smuggled from the Gynamo Kingdom will do. The White Lotus can manipulate their processing so no harm will come to them, and they don’t even need to bring anything from Annonrial since I can use my Overhaul spell based on the information to fabricate ‘evidence.’ It will only need to be convincing enough.”
Pausing, Meteos scanned the faces of his family and Robin.
“That’s what I’m thinking. Got anything to say about it?”
Legiel grinned in an instant. “Overhaul, huh… Well, if Little Brother can even create something like pedanium, I believe it’s feasible to fabricate a copy of Annonrial’s technology.”
“Lil’ Bro’s magick when combined with his future visions is one hell of an overpowered spell. He can do this.”
Ace spoke curtly. “I have to admit, considering the circumstances, it might be our best shot.”
Roderick, however, stroked his chin thoughtfully. “There’s no denying of your skill, Son. But the strain it will put on you…”
“I know, but unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of time.”
Nodding solemnly, Meteos looked at his hand.
“I, too, wished to use Overhaul to expedite Cauldron Laguz’s upgrade and establish the most advanced production line in the world, but with this new threat, I’m afraid it’ll have to take a backseat for now.”
“I understand,” Roderick said in resignation. “Devising countermeasures against the immediate enemy is our top priority now. I understand completely.”
“As of now, we are the weaklings, forced to fight with scraps of information and borrowed time. But weaklings have their ways of fighting too. And don’t forget, within my hands is a miracle that I can and will use to set things right. Once again, I’ll need your help. I dare to ask your assistance…”
Considering that now the White Lotus are forced to respond to Annonrial’s shenanigans, maybe it’s time to conclude this arc and move to a new one; maybe he should call it a War of Secrets? Bore betide anyone who craved for killing and more killing, for it seemed that the Civilization Annihilation Game’s regular audience would be denied once again. Seeing how the protagonist of his story trying to encourage his closest allies, Legiel Roguerider quietly laughed to himself.
But this kid used to have the option to sacrifice Mu in his plans, with them being sent to this planet not even as part of the Game’s official plan at first, rather a result of Shamash wanting to curry favor with Pestilence. In other words, their incompatible existence to Ars Goetia was part of Shamash’s dick move.
Instead, now he made excuses to ensure their continued survival. He’s so naïve it’s disgusting.
“What is he achieving? Mutual prosperity? Bah… Eldest Brother, Astarte, and Amatsu-Mikaboshi are giving that brat a bad influence. Now he’s too kind……”
Their gods sold this world to oblivion in exchange for drugs. For want of divinity, a mortal tried to play god in their absence. Despite holding his idealism in contempt, Pestilence liked that kind of unflinching determination to rebel against fate, and now he was content in seeing how this one mortal’s selfishness would either end up making its mark on the world or destroying himself.
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August 17, 1616 Central Calendar
Area 191 – Shet Jamu Vault
Northwestern Vallarge Province, Holy Milishial Empire
Days of sweat and grease had culminated in this moment. The excavation crew has spent several days setting cables and connecting the vault to the generator trucks. As the facility whirred to life, the ancient constellations etched into the ceiling, dated possibly back to the early Second Epoch tens of thousands of years ago, blazed with light.
However, the true prize was a large projection of a holographic sphere materializing from the center of the dome-shaped vault.
“What is this supposed to be…?”
The supervisor and those not yet affiliated with the White Lotus wondered aloud at the projection.
“A spherical map—a globe of the world as seen by the Ancient Sorcerous Empire?” Lugiel offered as she circled the room, following the sphere’s rotation and scrutinizing it closely.
The familiar landmasses of the known world could be seen occupying a section on its top half—the northern hemisphere, with what seemed to be the Annonrial Empire straddling the equator beneath the Central Continent. And separated by an ocean further south, was the mountain range that divides the world in two.
“Goodness… then these unfamiliar shapes might be landmasses beyond our known world!”
“Hm, that should be right. Now I get the gist of what this place might be. Interesting…”
Princess Lugiel felt a sense of satisfaction beyond words. It wasn’t just the treasure that awaited them within, though the sight of the golden lines pulsing with mana was undeniably thrilling. This was a victory for her crew.
Worth it. Absolutely worth it.