Ch.55The King of Chaos (3)

The situation was being resolved. The Blasphemia agents deployed to Elysion quickly eliminated the hosts infected with the Gift, and began tracking along the mana wavelengths connected to the Gift.

Soon, the other mage from Arguirion would be killed as well.

Lampades looked around.

Ortes was talking with a young female mage from the emergency response team. The CEO of Hydra Corporation appeared to be comforting Kine, who was apparently a corporate scholarship student of their company.

Once this incident was wrapped up, Lampades would likely never have a one-on-one conversation with Carisia. Keeping an eye on Ortes’s movements, Lampades strengthened his resolve.

‘If I’m going to speak, it has to be now…!’

Ortes might catch him. No, he definitely would.

But he couldn’t turn a blind eye to someone being manipulated by that faceless Ortes.

Especially if that person was becoming a second Ortes.

Taking a deep breath, Lampades walked toward Carisia.

Carisia turned her head at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Tower Master Lampades. Have you made a decision about the partnership proposal?”

“No. What I wanted to tell you is…”

Lampades looked at Kine. A corporate scholarship student of Hydra Corporation. Probably a girl who volunteered to be bait on Ortes’s orders.

‘With that level of enthusiasm, she must be one of Ortes’s followers. Deeply brainwashed, no doubt.’

Carisia understood Lampades’s gaze. The look of concern regarding Kine.

“Ah. Perhaps this is business confidential and the student shouldn’t hear it?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry, but Miss Kine. Could you excuse us for a moment?”

Kine tilted her head curiously, then walked away toward an empty area. Lampades could see Astrape approaching Kine, who was now standing alone. They looked like two Mouseion applicants wanting to chat.

Lampades felt a twinge of anxiety. Was it safe to leave Kine and Astrape together, when Kine might be Ortes’s underling?

After a moment of deliberation, he shook his head. He needed to focus on the conversation at hand.

Turning back to Carisia, Lampades noticed that everything around them had become incredibly quiet.

The noise that had been coming from all over the evaluation hall was completely blocked out. It was a high-level sound-blocking barrier. Even more surprising was that he hadn’t detected any signs of such advanced magic being cast.

‘I understand why Ortes wants to get his hands on her. She’s an incredibly powerful mage who appeared out of nowhere.’

“So, what did you want to tell me?”

As Lampades opened his mouth, tension rose within him. No matter how much he had steeled his resolve, hesitation at the moment of action was inevitable.

“Ortes is…”

He squeezed his eyes shut to ignore his fear.

***

“…not the good person you think he is.”

After all that buildup. Carisia had to suppress a hollow laugh.

Honestly, it was harder than suppressing a scream when she’d been stabbed by the Blasphemia agent.

The dark elf Tower Master’s statement, delivered with all his courage mustered, failed to create any ripples in Carisia’s heart.

No. A suspicion did bloom within Carisia.

‘Ortes, what’s really going on with your friendships?’

Not a suspicion about Ortes’s character, but about his social skills.

‘The person you proudly introduced as your friend doesn’t seem to trust you at all.’

When Carisia didn’t respond, Lampades cautiously opened his eyes.

“It’s true. If you ever get the chance, ask the problem solvers at the Extradimensional Frontline about the faceless Ortes. Ortes is…”

“I know.”

“Pardon?”

A playful smile appeared on Carisia’s lips. Lampades had said Ortes wasn’t a ‘good’ person.

But what Carisia focused on was that he might not be a good ‘person.’

The guardian of the sacred relic in Phoibos’s temple. What had Ortes declared to the soul of the ancient priest?

‘Priest. You have completed your task. The fate entrusted to you ends here, so return to your peaceful slumber.’

The ghost priest had replied: ‘Has the fate we foresaw already disappeared?’

Among humans, those who could see fate furthest would be Phoibos’s priests, the prophets.

Who could possibly discuss the end of fate with someone who had been the leader of such prophets in life?

A being who could twist the fate foreseen by mortal beings.

Among the orders of vanished gods, two titles came to mind that Blasphemia particularly guarded against. One was Pope. The other was…

Half sincere, half joking, Carisia replied.

“Perhaps Ortes isn’t the kind of person I think he is. But.”

Whatever his true identity, Carisia’s choice remained unchanged.

“He’s the one I’ve chosen.”

Ortes had chosen Carisia, and Carisia had chosen Ortes.

***

After finishing my conversation with Niobe, I turned to see Lampades walking beside Carisia with a confused expression.

Had he heard the business partnership terms and signed some fraudulent contract?

Lampades isn’t that stupid, but I know all too well about Carisia’s chilling business acumen. Still, as his friend, I have enough loyalty to plead with the CEO if Lampades had been duped.

As I approached Lampades to hear what happened, he flinched and shrank back.

“Ortes?”

“Yes. What were you discussing with Carisia?”

“Well, that’s…”

He was stammering, unable to speak. Did he really sign a bad contract?

“If there’s something troubling you that you can’t talk about, please tell me. If it’s related to the CEO, I could somehow—”

“He told me you’re a sinister person.”

Carisia walked over, her brilliant white hair fluttering. I laughed off Carisia’s joke.

“Sinister? I’m always doing my best for the CEO.”

“I heard you were quite wild at the Extradimensional Frontline.”

So that’s why he couldn’t look me in the eye properly. They were talking about my past.

Carisia doesn’t know everything about my time at the Extradimensional Frontline, so it’s natural she’d be curious.

I didn’t tell Carisia everything about that somewhat reckless period of my life. Did she use the contract terms as bait to learn about my past?

I glanced at Lampades and shook my head.

“The stories you’ve heard probably contain some exaggerations, CEO. That’s how it is with friends’ stories, isn’t it?”

Just as I made a light joke to downplay my past, crackling static echoed throughout Elysion.

***

The explosion sounds coming through the loudspeaker were evidence of battle. Amid the roaring noise of clashing magic, human shouts could be heard.

“Drop the magic engraving drive and shut down the enchantware!”

“Ha. Foolish ones. The brainwashing of the Ten Towers blinds your eyes.”

The battle seemed to intensify as the static interference on the loudspeaker worsened. Increasingly labored breathing could be heard. The Arguirion mage appeared to be on the defensive.

“I’ve done enough. Khuhuhu…”

The sound of the mage taking a deep breath came through.

“Ten Towers! We of Arguirion have already sown the seeds of blessing we spread in Elysion throughout the world! Anyone who desires new eyes and ears, seek the Gift and find the truth!”

“The broadcast line…?! Cut the transmission immediately!”

“For truth and justice!”

An intense explosion unlike any before. Not a sound transmitted through the loudspeaker. A deafening roar spread throughout Elysion, threatening to rupture eardrums.

Along with flames engulfing an entire building in the Elysion cityscape.

***

The final death cry of the Arguirion mage was eerily similar to Ortes’s prophecy.

Kine observed Ortes’s expression. Still smiling.

That is, completely unchanged from his normal expression. This immutability was proof that Ortes wasn’t feeling any particular emotion like joy.

Whether he truly saw the future or made a logical deduction, shouldn’t he feel some satisfaction at such an accurate prediction?

That cool detachment, as if “what was meant to happen simply happened.”

In that chilling calmness, Kine recalled her conversation with Carisia before being asked to leave by Lampades.

‘Do artifacts that show the future really exist?’

‘Did Ortes mention that? There are many ears listening, so don’t speak specifically about it here.’

Kine looked up at Carisia with an expression demanding an answer. Carisia nodded.

‘I have one.’

That meant Ortes hadn’t even used the power of a sacred relic when he prophesied to the priest of Enyalios.

‘How did you get it?’

‘By proving my qualification at the place where it had been kept since ancient times?’

‘…Who was qualified?’

‘Ortes, of course.’

So, to summarize the situation.

The person who proved his qualification at Phoibos’s temple and became the rightful owner of the sacred relic.

Who accurately prophesied the future exactly as it would unfold.

Claims he’s not a prophet?

“This is absolute nonsense…”

If he’s not a prophet, then what the hell is he?