Ch.104Celebration (2)

# In a Village at the Border of the Empire

-Caw!

Ravens took flight with ominous cries.

In the center of the village, six people sat together.

Each wore a robe, and not a hint of vitality could be felt from any of them.

They were known as the Seven Deadly Sins.

The leaders of the Black Mages had all gathered here.

“This regular meeting is excessively shabby. At this hour, those false magicians would be filling their bellies with oil.”

Envy revealed his inferiority complex as he spoke.

“How much do you plan to waste just for a simple conversation? Sitting on bare ground is sufficient. Anything more would be wasteful.”

Greed narrowed his brows in reproach.

“But isn’t it nice that we can talk face to face like this? Usually, we communicate through snakes or turtles, don’t we? I’ve been meaning to say this, but that’s really unpleasant.”

Lust spoke with a sultry laugh.

“I heard a feast was prepared and had high expectations. It’s tasteless.”

Gluttony licked his lips.

“How’s the barrier coming along?”

Kairon, the only one wearing armor, asked Gluttony.

Gluttony shook his head.

“It’s solid.”

“Heck, a barrier made by a mere 12-year-old is that strong?”

“Is it completely impossible?”

Kairon simply ignored Lust’s words.

“It needs decryption.”

“Decryption?”

“By simple calculation, it would take 900 years.”

Lust scratched his head.

“So this century is a lost cause?”

“No.”

Kairon denied it.

Black smoke seeped out from between the robes.

“This time, we will definitely resurrect Him.”

“Is that possible?”

“If we can’t enter the barrier, we’ll just lure them out. For example, like the celebration that’s about to take place.”

“Haha. Funny joke. We can’t even break through the Academy’s barrier, but we can break the Imperial barrier?”

“Still, without the Teuton Knights, it will be much easier to operate.”

“They were all killed at Winter, right?”

“Windsor.”

“Such gracious lords.”

“Gracious?”

Wrath trembled with anger.

“Because of that Windsor, Pride and Sloth died, and you call them gracious?”

“What does it matter? Thanks to them…”

Lust smirked and looked down at what he was sitting on.

It was a person. A corpse with empty pupils, eyes wide open.

“We’ve been able to prepare more thoroughly.”

“Thorough preparation?”

Wrath spoke with a fierce expression.

“Is consuming the vitality of these insignificant beings considered thorough preparation?”

“That’s not what I meant. Think about it. Sloth died and kindly informed us, didn’t he? That there’s someone in this empire we shouldn’t mess with.”

“Irene Windsor.”

The words were filled with obvious anger.

“No.”

Lust smiled brightly.

“It’s Ruide Christopher. The person we shouldn’t touch.”

“False magicians cannot defeat us.”

Envy revealed his jealousy.

But Lust agreed.

“Well, no matter how strong a magician is, I don’t think they’d lose in an unprepared space. But that’s not what’s important. If we touch that kid, all of Windsor will come after us.”

Gluttony chimed in.

“It’s best not to even look at Ruide Christopher.”

“Right? Gluttony thinks so too. Kairon, what do you think?”

“…As long as Ruide Christopher doesn’t interfere with His resurrection, I share the same opinion.”

There was no need to disturb a hornet’s nest unnecessarily.

That was Kairon’s opinion.

“However, Pride and Sloth were the weakest. There’s no need to be passive. The only thing that bothers me is the barrier.”

“Eh? I don’t know about Pride, but Sloth should have been quite strong.”

“If he were truly strong, he wouldn’t have died in a single blow.”

‘The Sin of Sloth’ was annihilated by Irene Windsor in a single strike.

That’s why Kairon thought Sloth wasn’t strong.

“Hmm, come to think of it, shouldn’t we recruit new members? We’re short two people. What do you think, Kairon?”

“I have candidates.”

“Oh! Sloth? Pride?”

“I’m against reckless recruitment.”

Greed disapproved.

“It’s Pride. I’ve already called him, so see for yourself.”

As soon as Kairon finished speaking.

Creak, creak.

Someone approached, making an uncomfortable sound.

It was an emaciated old man.

“He looks weak.”

“He doesn’t look tasty.”

“I agree. With someone like him, my position won’t be threatened.”

They each spat out a comment toward the old man. Only Greed and Envy welcomed him.

The old man approached them and gave a twisted smile.

“Kuhehe. If you knew what I’ve brought, you wouldn’t treat me like this.”

“What is it? What is it?”

“Before that, make it clear. If this pleases you all, can I become Pride?”

Lust spoke arbitrarily.

“Of course.”

The old man spread his hands wide as if unwrapping a gift.

A dense net appeared between them.

“A fragment of the Imperial barrier. Specifically, a fragment from the banquet hall where the celebration will be held. It’s only for a short time, but with this, we can disable the barrier.”

The Imperial palace has multiple layers of powerful magic circles.

Among them, the most troublesome barrier was the ‘Black Mage Exclusive Magic Circle.’

A powerful magic circle that doesn’t allow approach unless one is alive.

“This is an excellent opportunity.”

Kairon said impassively.

Lust sighed.

“It could be a trap. Isn’t it strange? Why specifically that part? At this time when a grand lords’ banquet is being held. Specifically only the banquet hall part. And moreover, at a celebration honoring ‘Ruide Christopher’s’ achievements.”

“Is the Emperor playing a trick?”

Wrath ground his molars, crunch.

“But you know.”

Lust flashed a seductive smile.

“Even if we know it’s a trap, it’s too tempting to resist.”

**

Ruide was, unusually, sitting at a desk.

He was diligently scribbling something with a pen.

Ruide was in the midst of research.

Purely for his personal desire.

The so-called ‘Living as a 12-year-old for Life’ strategy.

Ruide prompted Ella for an answer.

“My growth will be slow? Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes. The reason exceptional magicians live longer is because mana directly and indirectly affects lifespan. With your magical power, I estimate you’ll remain in that appearance for about 20 years.”

In short, people born with high magical power age more slowly.

’20 years is enough time, but…’

Ruide had already seen a shocking future.

A cruel dystopia without dreams or hope.

Ruide didn’t want to become an adult.

‘Should I take it easy from now on?’

Since Ella had completed the theory, all that remained was for him to prove it through experimentation.

“What do you think about immortality, Ella?”

“Immortality?”

“If you could live forever, would you?”

Ruide spread out a map of the empire.

He mentally checked several locations.

They were the positions of the three Holy Relics.

“…First of all, I think immortality is impossible. But if I were to answer under the premise that it’s possible…”

Ruide imagined a clichéd answer like ‘Wouldn’t it be sad? As people you know die one by one, and you end up alone.’

But Ella’s answer was completely different.

“Humanity would perish.”

“W-what?”

It was such an extreme answer that Ruide was taken aback.

“Why?”

Ruide took his eyes off the map and looked up at Ella. Ella spoke with a serious face.

“If one human can live forever, it means other humans can enjoy it too. Even if not eternally, the average lifespan would increase.”

“Right.”

“An increase in human average lifespan means an increase in world population. As the population grows, limited resources will eventually become scarce. Among them, the biggest problem is food shortage.”

“…So you think something like a world war would happen.”

“Even without a war. I think this world is very delicately structured. The moment the number of humans exceeds the limit that nature can embrace, I dare not predict what problems might arise.”

‘…Are you Einstein?’

Ruide swallowed hard.

Not being from an apocalyptic world, he wasn’t sure, but what Ella described were problems happening in real-time in the modern era.

“But there’s one thing wrong in what you said. That immortality is impossible.”

Ruide looked at the map again and circled a specific area with his pen.

“In the first place, isn’t it too negative for you to make such an amazing discovery?”

“…Theory and proof are different. The more difficult the theory, the higher the probability of unexpected problems.”

“Then we just solve those problems too.”

“I see the possibility in my theory, but the proof is so difficult that I can’t even attempt it. It’s impossible to implement with current magical technology.”

The more Ruide talked with Ella, the more he felt a strange emotion.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

Something that made his chest tight and his motivation boil.

‘A sense of challenge? Competitiveness?’

Even Ruide himself couldn’t define what this emotion was.

“Ella.”

“Yes.”

Ella answered modestly.

Her face was somewhat flushed.

‘It’s enjoyable.’

She found the conversation with Ruide immensely enjoyable.

It was the first time she had spoken her thoughts so openly.

Ruide took something out from his spatial storage.

It was a half-broken chalice.

“This is a Holy Relic.”

“Holy Relic…?”

Ella’s eyes widened.

“But it’s broken.”

“A-a Holy Relic is broken? Why?”

“Someone broke it by mistake.”

Ruide’s eyes clouded.

Ella stood up in shock.

“That’s impossible! Was it a human? How dare they break a Holy Relic.”

“……”

“My goodness, how could such a shameless human exist! I don’t know who it is, but they must be an extremely selfish person.”

‘That’s me.’

Ruide couldn’t bring himself to say it.

That he was the one who broke it.

“Anyway, this is the power this Holy Relic originally possessed.”

Ruide pulled out a paper from under the map.

It was a magic circle he had been working on.

Specifically, a magic circle that contained the function of this ‘Chalice of Mana.’

Ella quickly took the magic circle and scanned it. Her eyes moved rapidly.

“T-this is…”

Ella gulped.

“It’s infinite power.”

“Yes.”

‘As expected, she recognizes it right away.’

Infinite power.

In the modern world, it had already been deemed physically impossible.

But in this world, it was possible under the setting of a ‘Holy Relic bestowed by God.’

And that was one of the three essential ingredients for the magic called ‘immortality’ that Ruide was thinking of.

“I’m going to fix this now.”

“What?”

“Ahem.”

Ruide cleared his throat and cautiously asked.

“Ella, do you think magic that turns back time is possible?”

This Holy Relic was ultimately needed for the grand magic called ‘immortality.’

But apart from that, Ruide wanted to show her.

That magic is about making the impossible possible.

**

On the day of Ruide’s celebration.

Hersy and Amelia were waiting for a carriage at the Academy.

“Don’t you think it would be better to invite Ruide after all?”

Hersy asked, glancing at the main building where Ruide would be.

Amelia slowly shook her head.

“No. He seems to be working hard on something these days.”

Her brother always used to just sleep.

But recently, he had been moving quite enthusiastically.

At the mansion, he was practically buried in books, and she had seen him several times grabbing his head and shouting, “This isn’t it!”

“This is a first. Him working so hard.”

It was the first time she had seen Ruide passionately devoted to something while using his emotions.

So, even if Ruide wanted to go to the banquet hall, Amelia didn’t want to suggest it.

“As his sister, I should support him. I’ll have to explain about this banquet somehow.”

“I-I’ll help you too!”

Hersy clenched her fist firmly.

“After all, I’m attending as the representative of the Minerva family this time.”

Amelia answered with a gentle smile.

“That’s reassuring.”

Just then, a carriage stopped in front of them.

Before boarding the carriage, Hersy glanced once more toward the Academy.

‘Damon, you’re not doing anything strange, are you…?’

Damon, who had said something strange and disappeared last time.

She hadn’t seen him since then.

She knew he was plotting something, but she didn’t know exactly what it was.

After hearing Amelia’s words, she was worried he might bother Ruide.

‘Should I tell her? No, I don’t want to cause unnecessary worry.’

“Hersy?”

When Amelia asked curiously, Hersy boarded the carriage and said,

“Oh, it’s nothing.”