Ch.247247. Performance Towards the Continent

The tears that fell in droplets held many meanings for me. A kind of proof that I was mourning the farewell with them that was now right before me.

Ironically.

Seeing me like this, the two of them instead smiled softly.

[Thank you.]

[Kind person.]

The Dark Spiritmaster and Stella.

Both knew how heavy that single teardrop I shed was.

And because they fully understood that those tears were mourning our parting.

The two were happy.

That I didn’t want to part with them.

If I moved according to my desires, it would be possible.

I could keep the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella as souls until the day I closed my eyes.

I could close my eyes and become a spirit myself, entering eternal rest with the two of them.

“Well then.”

Just as Findenai abandoned me, returned to the Republic, and risked her life in a bloody battle.

Just as Aria cast aside her fate as a hero and cut down a god to walk her true path.

I too.

“I’ll let you go.”

To remain as Deus Verdi, I choose to part with the two of them.

[Yes, it’s the final battle!]

[As a former Saintess, it’s time to face the gods.]

The two followed behind me with noticeably lighter steps.

* * *

“Phew.”

A thin man wearing a black robe rubs his hands together. Standing atop Greyford’s walls, being buffeted by strong winds, his name was Becklin.

He was a disease mage belonging to Dante.

“Why did I come all the way here?”

Looking down at Greyford, where white light poured down through clouds veiled by holy power, he was filled with his own sentiments.

Why am I doing this?

It was certainly humiliating to have fled from Gloria, the captain of Griffin’s royal guard, without accomplishing anything.

But as his excitement subsided, he began to think rationally, wondering if there was really any need to terrorize Greyford.

However.

Ever since seeing that woman who descended from the sky using light as her path.

Something seemed to have firmly lodged itself in his mind. He fell into a dilemma of thought that he must somehow help Luanes to annihilate the souls of the continent.

It felt like someone was holding his chin and forcibly fixing his gaze on only that.

But surprisingly, he didn’t find it too bad since he thought this might be what he truly needed to do.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

His murky gray mana gathers in both hands, transforming into magic.

“My special epidemic that begins with dizziness, vomiting, and fever.”

Gradually, hives will appear on the skin, becoming rough like stone, and finally, people will die vomiting blood from their entire bodies.

It takes only 6 hours for the disease to reach its final stage and claim lives.

Disease mage Becklin’s masterpiece.

A mass of evil he created solely for mass slaughter.

“Now! Farewell, Greyford!”

Today, no one in this land would survive.

Becklin thought he would go down in history as a mass murderer following in Heralhazad’s footsteps.

Or so he thought.

But his gray magic couldn’t extend to Greyford and instead condensed in place.

It looked as if it was being pushed back by something.

Becklin’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Heh.”

It was a light laugh close to a sneer, but the voice itself was excessively heavy.

An old man holding a staff as large as an ancient tree was looking down at Becklin from the sky while suppressing his magic.

Archmage Rockpellican.

The king’s right hand.

Archmage Rockpellican Lynus.

At that age, he should have already retired from office and be enjoying a luxurious retirement.

In fact, he was the oldest in the royal court and was gradually becoming uncomfortable with movement.

It doesn’t make sense for such an old man to enter a battlefield that was about to turn dangerous.

That is, if he weren’t a mage.

Unlike knights or other officials, it’s different.

For a mage, old age was not a flaw unless one developed dementia.

Knights are often compared to flowers.

Starting as buds, growing stems, becoming flower buds, and then blooming beautifully. But naturally, as time passes, flowers fade.

Knights too, as they pass their prime and age accumulates, gradually weaken, so knights are usually replaced by younger generations.

But mages are compared to wine.

Through time, carrying the years, they quietly mature. After decades, they transform into an enchanting nectar.

Archmage Rockpellican Lynus.

He was an old man who was more than qualified to be among the ranks of the strongest mages on the continent.

“You attempt mass slaughter.”

Compared to him, the still young disease mage Becklin felt as if his entire body was tightly bound.

His magic was sealed and couldn’t move. Sweat dripped profusely, making it difficult to speak properly.

Looking down at him, Rockpellican snorted.

“Deus said something like this. What’s about to unfold is indeed a time for the dead.”

“……”

“But that doesn’t mean the living should be harmed.”

The top priority wasn’t the rest of the dead. It was ensuring that no one dies while all this is happening.

Because Deus had declared so.

The royal forces weren’t helping Deus, but as always.

They protect the citizens.

“Regrettably, there’s no place for you on today’s stage.”

Feeling helpless multiple times, Becklin shouted in resistance.

But the old man, rooted in Greyford like an ancient tree, didn’t show the slightest tremor.

* * *

[I found Owen. I told him to go to the roof, so he’ll be there right away.]

“Got it.”

Responding to the Dark Spiritmaster’s urgent message, I opened the door to the Archmage’s laboratory.

Inside, the Archmage’s disciples were busy working on the foundation stone.

“What’s the progress on the foundation stone?”

When I asked urgently, one of them answered with a bewildered expression.

“It, it seems difficult. We were just about to start…”

There were no excuses like “the enemy’s offensive was faster than expected.” After all, it was a situation where the enemy could come at any time.

“The middle and end stones.”

At my words, he quickly brought a case similar to a jewelry box.

With a click, I opened it to find two blue mana stones with a radiant glow inside.

A truly vast amount of mana. Items that could be called the continent’s finest jewels without exaggeration.

I immediately pointed to the ceiling and said.

“Findenai, break through.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going straight to the roof.”

Understanding my words, Findenai grinned as she gripped Baekseol with both hands, which had been resting on her shoulder.

“You’re being generous today, I like it even more.”

Findenai began breaking through the ceiling, and I immediately gave instructions to the bewildered Archmage’s disciples.

“Stop making the foundation stone and move Luanes’s mana stone itself.”

The Archmage’s disciple was startled by my words. He asked with a dazed expression.

“Are, are you sure? Unlike the middle or end stones, this is the Black Mage’s mana that we haven’t properly processed on our end. I’m not sure if handling it directly is…”

Since it was Luanes’s mana, naturally, traces of him remained. They had been working on purifying those traces while transferring the mana stone.

“It’s fine.”

I calmly answered while watching Findenai smash through the ceiling.

Time was already flowing, and the situation had begun. It would be foolish to wait for everything to be perfectly prepared.

“I’ve broken through!”

A faint sunlight poured in from above the ceiling. But soon, even that would be taken away by clouds made of holy power.

“I just need you to move it.”

“Understood!”

The Archmage’s disciples immediately began preparing to move Luanes’s mana stone.

Initially, it was so dangerous that even a slight touch would cause mana to overflow, but now that mana had been extracted into the middle and end stones, it wouldn’t be a major problem even if it received some shock.

“Then I’ll…”

I was about to use wind magic to climb up through the hole Findenai had made, despite my clumsiness.

“Hold tight.”

But Findenai quickly approached me and wrapped one arm around my waist.

I wondered what was happening, but she applied quite a rough force and lifted me up.

“You need to conserve your strength, master.”

“……”

“Despite appearances, I’m a maid. I should do my best to ensure my master has a comfortable time.”

“…I really don’t like it, but I’ll leave it to you.”

She was right.

For what I needed to do next, I needed to save even the slightest bit of mana and energy.

Holding me in one arm, Findenai began leaping upward through the hole.

Despite holding Baekseol in her left hand and me in her right, her breathing didn’t become particularly rough.

“When I went to get the axe earlier, Per said the calculations are perfect.”

So he finished double-checking.

Starting with me, then Rockpellican, Erika, and finally Per.

With such capable mages all completing their verification, the calculations were perfect.

Variables might come into play in the actual situation, but if we feared that, we couldn’t do anything.

“Master, have confidence.”

“……”

It seemed like somewhat random advice, but Findenai’s voice carried sincere concern.

“You can definitely do it. Don’t be too hasty. Take it easy.”

The impression of Findenai watching me obsessively immersed in research, locked in the laboratory for over a month.

She chuckled and reached the roof.

“I’ll protect you so you don’t feel rushed.”

A strong wind blew.

The clouds of holy power had already consumed half of Greyford’s sky.

But I didn’t focus on that. Rather than such divine mischief, my gaze was inevitably drawn to the woman embracing me.

We had been close on occasion, but had I ever looked at her this long?

Expressing a slight regret, Findenai released me.

“After this is over, let’s have a drink.”

“…Alright.”

With a meaningful smile, Findenai looked up at the approaching clouds of holy power.

I passed by her and headed towards the piano on the roof.

Owen had already arrived and was preparing, and beside him, King Orpheus was frowning as he looked at the clouds.

“Is it beginning?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As I bowed my head in respect, he gave a bitter smile.

“It’s fortunate Elenoa isn’t here.”

“……”

“Do you know what expression you’re making right now?”

Wondering what he meant, I checked my face reflected in the piano. I saw Deus’s expressionless face, not much different from usual.

But Owen, sitting at the piano, was also fidgeting nervously.

Orpheus didn’t bother to explain to me, who didn’t understand.

Instead, he patted my shoulder and gave me a warm embrace.

“This isn’t as a king, nor considering your position as a spiritmaster.”

“……”

“As Orpheus, your friend, I believe you’ll resolve this crisis splendidly and survive.”

Unexpected comfort.

Both Findenai and King Orpheus.

Why were they saying such things to me?

Though I had questions.

“You don’t need to worry.”

I calmly answered and turned my gaze towards Luanes’s mana stone, which the Archmage’s disciples had brought.

The mana stone floated up and settled right next to the piano. The seething magical power contained within was so vast that it was hard to believe more than a third had been extracted.

“Stella, what do you think about those clouds?”

As preparations proceeded steadily, I needed to check on the concerning clouds of holy power.

I wondered if, like with Romuleus, they contained power to transform humans into tentacles or divine minions.

[It’s ordinary… holy power like what Lucia or I used to handle.]

The holy power falling like drizzle on Greyford was indeed showering down on humans like a blessing.

Despite the knights’ regulations, citizens who didn’t fully understand the situation were climbing onto rooftops to receive it.

The amount falling was too small to physically affect them, but it was at least elevating their mood.

[What do you think they’re planning?]

To the Dark Spiritmaster’s question, I voiced the one possibility I had considered on the way up.

“Holy power is a blessing for humans. It heals wounds, clears the mind, and infuses the body with vitality.”

But conversely.

“It’s extremely fatal to souls.”

It’s deadly poison to demons and souls.

In fact, at the moment Stella died at Elia Convent, holy power immediately tried to burn her away.

When facing the great demons, when Stella used the Holy Grail, she tried to prevent holy power from reaching them by borrowing my mana.

Thus.

“They’re planning to prevent souls from gathering.”

To create the afterlife named the Land of Rest, souls must ultimately come.

But by dissolving all souls approaching Greyford, they would create a result similar to the annihilation Luanes had attempted.

“Crude but truly effective.”

Probably the moment it completely envelops Greyford’s sky, it will stop moving.

And then it will mercilessly annihilate souls flocking from across the continent.

It’s truly a remarkable method, but.

Sorry, but we also had women who were not significantly inferior in handling holy power.

“Deus!”

A voice from the roof entrance.

Saintess Lucia, whom I had asked to come when the situation unfolded, had arrived.

“Stella will explain the situation.”

There’s no need to completely drive it away, but it would certainly be better if possible.

But it won’t be as easy as with Romuleus. After all, the source of holy power is on their side.

“I’m counting on you.”

But I believed in the two women.

“Understood, don’t worry.”

[I’ll do my best.]

Lucia and Stella immediately moved towards the railing where the clouds were.

Then now we.

Woong!

The rough mana contained in Luanes’s mana stone begins to resonate and respond to me.

As the massive mana poured out, there was a momentary shock that felt like the blood vessels in my hands might burst.

But gritting my teeth and enduring, I converted that mana into magic.

A blue magic circle illuminating the entire roof.

From its center, I look at the piano and the boy.

“Owen, I’m counting on you.”

Though it would take quite some time, Owen nodded with a resolute expression.

Dong!

A prelude to the long day ahead.

Like appropriate background music for a game.

The performance for the continent began.