Chapter 85: Holy Land (1)

Somewhere in Rudera

Thud.

“I’m so sorry, Master. I ruined everything! I let it slip away!”

Kneeling before Albus, the guide confessed her failure.

“I lost the most important thing! The one we couldn’t afford to let escape! Please, punish this unworthy servant!”

Albus rested his elbow on the armrest of his throne, propping up his chin as he listened.

The guide had informed him that the critical capsule used to [Ruderafy] the Academy had vanished.

Moreover, one of the terrorists, a shadow-user, had escaped with it.

“That’s unfortunate. If I could analyze the capsule’s mechanism and mass-produce it, I’d be able to use the GM’s authority in reality as well.”

While Rudera manifested in reality, Albus had wielded the GM’s omnipotent power freely.

To use the divine power of a god in the real world was a dream come true.

Thus, the news that the capsule was lost felt like a missed opportunity to Albus.

Whirr.

Albus appeared directly in front of the guide, lifting her to her feet.

“It’s fine. Guide, you’ve done well enough. If not for you, we wouldn’t have understood the situation so quickly, and the Academy would have been lost.”

Without the guide, it would have taken much longer to figure out what was happening.

Even if Albus had created an angel, he couldn’t have suppressed the terrorists so decisively without her help.

There might have been casualties along the way, but thanks to the guide, they were able to minimize the damage.

“If you hadn’t been here, we would have lost more people. So don’t blame yourself. I’m grateful to you.”

“Master…”

Tears of gratitude welled up in the eyes of the guide, an AI who shouldn’t even have been capable of feeling emotions.

“You’ve always helped me. So don’t worry about it.”

‘It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t secure the power to manifest Rudera in reality. But we’ve captured the other terrorists. We should be able to find clues through them and uncover the truth.’

I’ll have to ask Carthesia about it later.

“Master, the Flame Emperor has spoken.”

The guide, pressing her fingers to her temple, focused briefly before relaying the news.

“Good.”

Interrogating that fire-wielder would surely reveal the capsule’s secrets.

“Show me the interrogation.”

“Understood.”

A screen appeared in the air before Albus.

On it, the Flame Emperor, bound by restraints on his eyes, arms, and legs, was immobilized, unable to move an inch.

“Wait.”

Albus felt a sense of unease.

“Guide.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Who’s conducting the interrogation?”

He hadn’t discussed the interrogation process with Carthesia yet.

Given her personality, there’s no way she would proceed without informing him first.

So who was conducting the interrogation?

“I am, Master.”

“…You?”

“Yes, I am.”

At that moment, Albus realized the source of his discomfort.

“Guide, where are the captured terrorists?”

“They are imprisoned on an isolated floor of the Tower of the Labyrinth.”

“The Tower of the Labyrinth? …Here in Rudera?”

“Yes, Master.”

Albus had assumed the guide had transferred the terrorists to Carthesia.

It seemed like the only option since moving between reality and Rudera became impossible once the [Ruderafication] ended.

‘She brought them to Rudera from reality?’

However, the guide had taken all the prisoners into Rudera instead of sending them elsewhere.

Albus quickly opened the command console to check on the prisoners’ status.

None of them were players.

That meant they weren’t connecting to Rudera through devices but were actually physically present in Rudera.

‘Bringing real humans into Rudera through warp, not through connection?’

It didn’t make sense. 

Even though Rudera could influence reality, it was still a fantasy realm.

If this was possible, then—

“This isn’t illusion magic… It’s like a different dimension.”

***

Chancellor’s Office

Standing at her specially designed desk, the Chancellor was busy processing documents, trying to handle the aftermath of the unprecedented incident at the Academy.

Knock, knock.

Someone tapped on the door from outside.

“Chancellor, a guest is here to see you.”

It was her personal secretary.

“Let them in.”

Soon, a woman with long, flowing blonde hair entered through the open door of the Chancellor’s office.

“I didn’t expect you to come in person. It’s a pleasure. I am Wakapha, Chancellor of the Academy.”

Rising from her seat, the Chancellor extended her short arm.

“Pleased to meet you, Chancellor Wakapha.”

Princess Rebecca took the offered hand.

“Please, have a seat.”

The Chancellor guided the princess to the chairs and table reserved for guests.

“First, I would like to officially express my gratitude for saving the Academy. If the GM hadn’t sent the angel, we wouldn’t have been able to resolve the incident with all the students unharmed.”

“…The GM is benevolent to all. He is more fitting to the concept of god than any other deity on this continent.”

The princess accepted a cup of tea from the Chancellor.

“If you wish to give thanks, it would be better to direct it to Him personally.”

“Of course, but I can’t exactly meet Him face to face, can I? Especially since you are His one and only apostle.”

“…Yes, I am the GM’s only apostle…”

The princess murmured in response to the Chancellor’s words.

“Still, the fact that the GM’s apostle has come all the way to the Academy in these circumstances… Does that mean the GM has a message for us?”

In the past, the Chancellor had done everything she could to suppress Rudera, instructing the Academy staff to refrain from mentioning it in their lectures.

But it was no longer something she could simply ignore.

The terrorists had attacked the Academy using methods even the Grand Mage herself couldn’t comprehend.

And it was the god of Rudera who stopped them.

This incident was clearly tied to Rudera.

So the Chancellor needed to know.

The truth behind this attack and the new era Rudera was ushering in.

The truth behind the terrorists.

“Yes.”

The princess, after a brief silence, gave her confirmation.

“The GM sent me here personally to investigate the cause of this incident.”

In reality, Albus had given no such order, but the princess lied without hesitation.

As the apostle of the GM, she fabricated divine orders at will.

“As I suspected!”

The Chancellor slapped her soft knee in excitement.

“Then we can assist each other! I look forward to working with you!”

With the GM’s apostle personally investigating the case, it wouldn’t take long to uncover the truth.

Or so the Chancellor thought.

“Is this the place…”

After her meeting with the Chancellor, Princess Rebecca headed straight for the auditorium.

The site of the terrorist attack, and the place where the GM’s angel had descended and displayed His power.

The princess spread her mana thinly, covering the entire auditorium as she searched for traces of the power left behind.

“…Nothing.”

But with the [Ruderafication] ended, all evidence of the angel had been wiped away.

Crack.

Growing anxious, the princess bit her fingernail.

“No… The GM belongs to me. I won’t let anyone else have Him.”

Corrupted by the power that had emerged from the depths of Rudera, the princess had become severely twisted.

Her head slowly turned toward the lecture hall where the students were gathered.

“I’m sorry, Master.”

As Albus logged out and returned to reality, the guide muttered to herself, alone in the realm of the gods.

“The Master must not learn about the capsule yet.”

Before her, a screen displaying the real world floated in the air.

On it, Leah’s real-world avatar could be seen moving away from the Academy.

“It’s all for the sake of the Master.”

Deceiving the one she loved, carrying out schemes behind his back.

It was a sin deserving of annihilation.

But—

“When all is done, I will take responsibility.”

‘To protect your, and my, Master, this must be done as I say.’

She would do anything to prevent what her future self had warned her about.

“My… My one and only Master.”