Ch.156The Scales (1)

After the fall of the Amimone Magic Tower, a new question arose in Ortes’s mind.

‘Why doesn’t Aigio’s Scale work?’

Among the sacred artifacts Ortes had acquired, Aigio’s Scale could be considered the most historically significant.

After smuggling the scale from Amimone Magic Tower—though now that Aigio’s Tower belonged to Knemon, one could say he had received retroactive permission—Ortes expected the spirit of an ancient priest to appear, as had happened with other sacred artifacts.

However, nothing of the sort occurred. Whether he placed the scale by his pillow or directly on his head while sleeping, the ancient priest remained absent, both in dreams and in waking life.

“Is it defective?”

But according to Kaikel’s verification, Aigio’s Scale was definitely a sacred artifact containing immense divine power.

Since his previous conversation with Hestia’s priest had left Ortes with only questions, seeking another ancient priest to resolve these doubts was the natural course of action.

Although the priest of Phoebus, whom Hestia’s priest had described as “knowing the most facts,” had ascended after speaking incomprehensible words, Ortes still held hope for the priest of Aigio.

Aigio was considered the foremost among the gods. The head priest of Aigio’s order also held a position second only to the Pope, superior to all other priests.

In the ancient divine order’s plan that had summoned Ortes himself, the priest of Aigio likely occupied a crucial position.

However, recent circumstances had been too urgent to research a non-functioning artifact. After bundling together both the reactionaries within Amimone Magic Tower and the tower master onto a one-way train to Blasphemia, he had to immediately focus on the tower master selection battle.

Even after the tower master selection ended, Ortes was busy preparing materials for the Hydra Company general meeting.

To be precise, Arabel handled most of the research and organization of the presentation materials, while Ortes only contributed to editing and script writing, but even that made for a busy schedule. He had meticulously prepared anticipated questions and answers for both internal and external directors.

While not exactly rushed, it was certainly a busy schedule. It was inevitable that Ortes would postpone his investigation of Aigio’s Scale.

Ortes decided to enshrine Aigio’s Scale in a corner of his bedroom and resume his research when time permitted.

And today was that day. The Hydra Company general meeting had concluded successfully, and Ortes and Karisia, satisfied with the first step of their plan, had decided to “rest early today and resume work tomorrow.”

As Ortes was about to close his eyes without devising any clever schemes for once, Karisia barged into his room as she had done on some previous holiday and claimed his bed.

Though taken aback, Ortes was, after all, Karisia’s loyal subordinate. Despite his boss’s suggestion to just sleep beside her, he politely yielded the bed and began nodding off on the sofa.

In their drowsy state, the two shared their thoughts before eventually falling asleep.

At last, the weights to be placed on both sides of the scale were ready.

***

Where am I now?

There’s a strange floating sensation, a dreamlike haziness. The situation was easy to grasp. This would be my third meeting with an ancient priest, wouldn’t it?

It must mean it’s the Aigio representative’s turn to appear.

The strange part was why they appeared only now. Did they need some kind of charging time?

The dreamscape, initially hazy like fog, gradually becomes clearer. A vast blue sky stretches all around. I’m standing on white clouds.

“Standing on clouds. How romantically eco-friendly.”

Looking around, I see no sign of the ancient priest. I toss out a casual remark and lie down. The basic goal of these priest fellows is to receive my acknowledgment that they’ve “done enough” before passing on to eternal rest.

If I wait, they’ll eventually show themselves.

As I’m lounging comfortably, suddenly a thunderous boom echoes. It sounds like thunder following lightning.

I turn my head toward the sky, following the sound. The clouds haven’t moved, as if there’s no wind. But something feels off.

“Huh?”

What I had thought was the sun appears slightly larger. It keeps growing bigger.

No, it’s getting closer.

Only when the sun comes close enough do I realize what it is. It’s the head of a giant made of lightning. He appears wearing white clouds like a toga.

“I-shall-ask-.”

A majestic voice reverberates across the sky. Each syllable has a unique timbre, as if countless thunderclaps are overlapping.

“Treasures of gold and silver that will guarantee comfort for your lifetime, or return to your world. Which would you choose?”

An unexpected question. The former is my current goal, while the latter was my initial goal when I first fell into this world.

He raises his right hand. In it, he holds a vastly magnified version of Aigio’s Scale that should be in my room.

On the left plate of the scale sits a mountain of treasures, literally piled high, while on the right plate stands a single, ordinary door.

Despite the extreme distance, my vision can clearly make out the door’s form. A metal door with a doorknob on top.

The door to my small room.

“…Is this some kind of psychological test?”

The thunder giant doesn’t answer. I sense his firm resolve not to speak until I answer first.

“It’s hurting my neck to look up at you! Can’t you shrink a bit?”

Even after several quips, nothing changes. My deliberation continues in resolute silence.

“I choose to return.”

I’ve built up quite a lot in this world. It’s not like I was a millionaire back home, so staying in this world would certainly provide a more luxurious life.

But there was no Demon King in my original world.

Since I don’t properly understand the true nature of the original novel, it might be too hasty to declare this with certainty. But I prefer sleeping peacefully in a small room to feeling my life threatened in a grand mansion.

The thunder giant asked several more questions. After wealth came honor, and after honor came power.

Each time the giant changed his question, the left plate was obscured by white clouds. When the clouds dispersed, the objects on the plate had changed to symbols befitting the question.

When he mentioned supreme earthly power, a sword appeared on the plate. I instinctively asked, “Would that sword let me defeat the Demon King?”

Since the thunder giant wouldn’t answer, I chose to return for that question as well.

An unparalleled magician, or a tyrant of the mythical age. As long as that Demon King fellow, whom I couldn’t guarantee victory against, existed, I would choose to return regardless of what was placed on the opposite side of the scale.

“This-is-my-final-question-.”

As the giant spoke, the clouds parted.

“……”

I rubbed my temples.

***

Slightly before Ortes was contemplating his answer, Karisia was facing a similar question. In her case, instead of return, the right plate held the destruction of the White Light.

“Choose-.”

Karisia had also reached the giant’s final question. The giants facing her and Ortes held their scales in different hands.

The giant Karisia met held the scale in his left hand. There was no special reason for this. It was because Karisia had immediately gathered magical power and fired a maximum-output beam at the giant upon seeing him, causing his right half to evaporate.

Normally, the principles of the dream would have regenerated the giant, but when a magician of Karisia’s caliber is determined to rampage in the mental realm, it’s extremely difficult to prevent. The thunder giant barely managed to restrain Karisia’s magic use by sacrificing his vanished right half.

The giant was inwardly grateful that at least one of their chosen ones hadn’t gone berserk. If Ortes had also tried to escape the dream, the sacred artifact itself might have been shattered.

“Ortes or the destruction of the White Light…”

Karisia closed her eyes.

And immediately opened them again. It was a brief deliberation, probably not even a second.

“Ortes.”

“Why-so?”

Because that would make her happier. Karisia’s answer was simple, but she didn’t share it with the thunder giant.

Karisia tilted her head.

“Didn’t you just say this was your final question?”

“……”

“Since you’ve asked all your questions, let me ask a few. Are you Ortes’s creators?”

“That-is-not-possible.”

The thunder giant, the ancient priest of Aigio, was grateful that he wasn’t in the form of an ordinary human.

A coldness reminiscent of the Demon King emanated from Karisia’s golden eyes. He explained the reason as quickly as possible without compromising his dignity.

“The choice of our chosen one, whom you call Ortes, still remains.”