Ch.124124. Leap and Preparation (1)

Three days before the attack. The observation room of the Magic Tower.

“So, imagine a massive mountain falling from the sky. Honestly, I can’t even estimate the damage from the impact. The moment it hits, not just the Kingdom of Kairos, but the entire continent as we know it will disappear.”

On the blackboard was something that looked like a lumpy rock. Nella tapped the board with her pointer.

“Comets are known to be made of ice… but this is a calamity, so we have no idea what’s inside it. We only know its approximate size. We’ll only be able to confirm what it really is when we face it directly.”

Ilroy seemed to be listening to Nella’s words while simultaneously thinking about something else. Nella glared at him with narrowed eyes. He was the one who had requested the explanation, yet now it felt like she was holding the hero captive for a lecture.

“Are you listening? Your expression suggests you’re completely lost in thought.”

“I’m listening carefully. Should I repeat everything back to you?”

“…No, that’s fine. I’ll just continue.”

Right. She was only fulfilling his request; what he gained from it was entirely up to the hero. Nella suppressed her rising irritation and picked up her pointer again.

“Even if we gathered every magician in the world to destroy it, we couldn’t completely prevent the damage. We’d just end up with hundreds of comet fragments the size of small hills raining down. The continent would still be devastated. The only difference would be whether we take one big hit or multiple smaller ones.”

Nella’s report was bleak even by her own assessment. But Ilroy’s expression showed no sign of concern. Had she ever been able to read his thoughts anyway?

“So, we discussed several options. From altering the comet’s trajectory to completely pulverizing it in space… Most were far-fetched ideas, of course. Above all, this isn’t an ordinary celestial body—it’s a creation of the evil god.”

Nella sighed.

“It’s completely different in nature. Don’t think of it as being in the same category as stars in the sky. What I described earlier was assuming the comet was simply a mountain-sized chunk of ice.”

As Ilroy nodded, Nella put down her pointer.

“Well, that’s the end of my explanation. Whether you understood it or not, I really don’t care. Though I don’t know why you needed this information.”

“I need to know my enemy better. That way I can devise better strategies to deal with it, right?”

Ilroy said this as he stood up, his expression quite solemn.

“…Do as you please.”

The conversation wasn’t over. Ilroy looked at Nella as if he still had something to say.

“What is it?”

“Thank you.”

At the hero’s sincere gratitude, so unlike his usual playful tone, Nella’s cheeks flushed. She tried hard not to bring her hand to her burning cheeks. Thankfully, the backlight hid her reaction. She had actually liked him quite a bit when they were in the same party.

“Save that kind of thanks for when everything is over. It’s embarrassing.”

Nella’s irritation sounded more like cute sulking. She couldn’t understand how he could say such things so casually. Then Ilroy walked away. That was probably the last time Nella saw him smile.

==

“Your Majesty, where is the hero now? The people’s discontent is growing.”

While those who had tried to slander the hero had largely been removed from government positions, not everyone remaining in the palace was blindly supportive of him. Agnes concealed her troubled thoughts as she looked at the minister who had raised the question. Though she hesitated to entrust him with important matters, he was a good minister who never withheld honest criticism for the sake of the nation. His criticisms and questions were all reasonable.

“I understand. However, even I cannot tell you where the hero is right now.”

Agnes had no choice but to answer this way. She had no intention of becoming a tyrant, but now was the time to play the role of someone who knew nothing. The ministers’ expressions hardened as they watched Agnes shake her head. How long had it been since they had reported on the Sixth Calamity and discussed what harm it might bring?

“What do you mean you cannot tell us?”

“Focus all your efforts on quelling the false rumors spreading among the people. How can those responsible for governing the nation waste time in confusion and indecision? Instead of relying solely on the hero, shouldn’t you be finding what you yourselves can do?”

The hero’s existence had been taken for granted. Agnes frowned. As the hero had won victory after victory, his success had become expected, and defeat was never even considered. Too much rested on the shoulders of one who silently walked the right path. And no one was willing to look at that burden.

“Devote all resources to restoring the Magic Tower. Although observations are being conducted from towers outside the capital, without the capital’s tower functioning, research will continue in a disorganized manner without a central focus.”

Agnes calmly suggested countermeasures. Seeing the queen’s composure without a trace of anxiety, the worried ministers gradually regained their composure. The voices calling for the hero diminished, and they began discussing ways to replace the functions of the capital’s Magic Tower. Agnes found a glimmer of hope in their ongoing discussions.

“…Who will fill the hero’s place, Your Majesty?”

Of course, even she could only sigh at this question.

“I firmly believe the hero will return. However, if you are truly anxious, there are others who could take his place in addressing these troubled times.”

The ministers looked puzzled. It took quite some time before Agnes spoke again. She took a small, unnoticeable breath before opening her mouth.

“I will temporarily assume his role—the role of the hero Ilroy.”

The atmosphere in the throne room grew heavy at the queen’s declaration. Ministers who tried to dissuade her quickly closed their mouths again upon seeing the queen’s resolute gaze.

“But, Your Majesty… how can you, the ruler of a nation, say such a thing?”

“It is precisely because I am the ruler of this country that I say this. Well then, do you think there is someone more suitable than me? If there is someone in this country who wields a sword better than I do, I will accept it. If there is someone who can bear that weight better than I can, I will also accept it.”

The ministers were sweating nervously.

“A monarch should not venture far from the palace, Your Majesty. Please withdraw your words. We could instead send a letter to the Grand Duke of the North, Quenore Strope, inviting him to the capital. He could certainly fill the hero’s position. His martial prowess is not at all inferior to the hero’s.”

“I was indeed planning to call upon those from the North. However, I will only summon them when the situation truly becomes dire. I have no intention of officially announcing that the hero’s position is vacant.”

Agnes’s resolve was firm. The ministers could only vaguely speculate what secret the hero and queen might be sharing. Had the hero truly died? Or had he gone into hiding after suffering a serious injury? Or had he abandoned his position as hero and left for somewhere else?

“Hasty speculation is forbidden. Do not try to see what cannot be seen.”

Agnes’s stern voice admonished the ministers. Words alone might not quell their anxiety.

“The hero will definitely return. So instead of listening to rumors in the marketplace, approach your duties with the mindset of resolving that anxiety itself.”

“Yes, we understand.”

The throne room became busy as she ordered them to disperse. Agnes exhaled deeply, picturing Ilroy’s face.

==

“I thought this vacation was lasting a bit too long.”

George frowned deeply as he put down the letter. Marianne curiously peeked over from beside him. George shook his head and handed the letter to her.

“Here, read it yourself. I was wondering why we were gathered here without Ilroy.”

Marianne began reading the letter with a puzzled expression, which gradually hardened. Eventually, she put down the letter with exactly the same expression as George.

“Daphne. What exactly happened?”

Daphne, who had delivered the letter from across the table, shrugged slightly.

“Literally, evil god worshippers crippled the Magic Tower. It wasn’t an attack from outside; insiders carried out a disruption operation. Most of the professors recorded as missing were people who had fallen into apocalyptic worship. They say the smarter someone is, the easier they fall for strange things.”

Daphne shook her head. Her expression wasn’t particularly pleasant either.

“Is he alright? This reminds me of the fog incident.”

“Please be patient. It seems like an important time. No one except the Saint is allowed to enter there.”

Daphne shook her head.

“He’s definitely not dead, right? I can never trust what that guy says with peace of mind.”

“Yes. He always gives people a scare.”

Daphne pouted. At that moment, the image of a blood-covered Ilroy smiling in the burning Magic Tower kept flashing in Daphne’s mind.

‘Ilroy!’

‘Don’t shout. I’m still alive.’

Even as he said that, blood was continuously flowing from Ilroy’s abdomen. His voice, showing a grimacing expression to Daphne, didn’t seem particularly pained. But Daphne knew well that he meant for her not to worry.

‘How did this happen?’

‘When I open the second stage, it’s hard to control my power. At that moment, I thought I might not only take out Natalie but blow up the entire Magic Tower.’

Daphne tore her collar and wrapped it around Ilroy’s wound, applying pressure. Ilroy’s handsome face was contorted in pain.

‘…You’re bleeding a lot. We need to move you outside quickly. That child…’

Where Daphne turned her eyes, Natalie lay with her limbs severed. With injuries that severe, she should have lost consciousness or died, but she was wide awake, staring at Ilroy.

‘Make sure to restrain her and move her with us. So she can’t resist. She’s a monster outside normal parameters, so she won’t die easily. A guest will be arriving outside soon.’

‘A guest?’

‘You’ll see when we go out.’

And the guest Daphne went out to meet was none other than Isis. Isis frowned as she looked at the two half-dead people being carried out.

‘…So this is what you meant by pretending to be dead?’

Instead of answering verbally, Ilroy nodded with a smile.

“So, why is he suddenly pretending to be dead and staying in seclusion? Is it really just a decoy operation to draw out the remaining evil god worshippers?”

At George’s dissatisfied voice, Daphne secretly shook her head. The gazes of Marianne and George simultaneously fixed on Daphne.

==

“Even I think it’s creative, but it was a foolish method.”

I tilted my head from side to side, looking into “her” red eyes. Though she was shaking her head in disapproval, her voice suggested she didn’t think it was such a bad idea. This time, her silver hair, tied back in a ponytail, swayed with each movement of her head.

“I needed time to train. If I stayed in reality, I thought there would be too many distractions. I need to quietly reach the level I want while no one is bothering me.”

“Even though time flows more slowly in the mental world, there are limits. You can’t stay here forever. It’s not good for you to remain here too long either.”

The Holy Sword exhaled briefly. I stood across from her, holding two swords in my hands. The Holy Sword looked at me intently before speaking.

“The sword that cuts stars, you mean.”

I nodded.

“I need it to defeat this calamity.”

The Holy Sword smiled slightly and waved her hand. Instantly, we began floating in empty space. Suddenly, beneath our feet, an unidentified planet appeared. The Holy Sword raised her sword slightly and looked at me.

“Watch carefully.”

The sword falls.

I watched intently, determined not to miss a single movement, breath, or muscle twitch as she held the sword. The Holy Sword’s blade descended so gently it seemed incapable of cutting even a feather.

And before my eyes, the seemingly weightless sword of the Holy Sword cleaved the star in two.