episode_0095

“When you increase stability, the distance shortens, but if you try to extend the distance, stability decreases… It’s a real headache.”

“Take it slow, Yeongam. We still have plenty of time left. No need to rush.”

“Ah, Belldeom and Louis keep pushing me. Do they think I want to hurry?”

It had been two weeks since developing the rocket with Stroheim.

At the heart of the nation, the rocket aimed at striking the Daesinjeon was rapidly taking shape.

Due to the sudden request, it was expected to take a while.

In this world where magic and science coexisted, anything was possible with enough resources.

Utilizing the accumulated technological prowess with a few of his kin, Stroheim swiftly crafted the rocket.

Within this short span of two weeks, two types of rockets were produced.

One pursued extreme stability, sacrificing distance, while the other sacrificed stability for increased power and range.

Why wasn’t there something in between?

Curious, I asked Yeongam, who explained that creating something moderate was actually more challenging.

He mentioned needing a bit more time to create such a thing, but time was all we had now, right?

So, I reassured him that it was okay to take it easy and proceed slowly.

“What’s this…?”

Taking a break and entering my room, I couldn’t help but rethink things upon finding a package on my table.

Familiar wrapping.

And the familiar message “Sender Unknown” and “Burn immediately upon receipt.”

I tilted my head at the package, most likely sent by the Emperor.

Hadn’t I received enough information from the Empire before? There didn’t seem to be any additional information needed.

Despite these thoughts, I tore open the wrapping. They wouldn’t mistakenly send a pile of sensitive information, right?

Upon revealing the contents, I understood why the Emperor had sent this package.

“…The situation in the Empire changed so drastically in just two weeks?”

The documents contained information starkly different from what I had previously reviewed.

Although in decline due to prolonged peace, the Empire still possessed considerable strength.

The superpower was rapidly crumbling due to the invasion by the Southern Great Forest Elves.

Though not yet conquered due to its vast landmass, it seemed like holding out would last at most a month.

A difficult cascade of information to process.

Why would the Emperor send such news? While pondering this, I also questioned.

Were the Southern Great Forest Elves always this reckless? Even though they were formidable, they rarely left their home ground unless absolutely necessary.

My pursuit was a unique case.

There were only rare instances of three top-tier racehorses appearing in centuries, making it plausible for them to leave their home ground and pursue me.

However, attacking the Empire out of the blue was incomprehensible.

The true terror of the Southern Great Forest Elves lay in the significant advantages they held on their home ground.

If those advantages were nullified, facing the Empire’s forces would become challenging, leading to greater losses. So why attack?

“…Could it be Lorien up to something?”

Suddenly, the image of the insane Beobimma I had sent off with the Erophs to the Southern Great Forest resurfaced.

Back then, I had a mindset that it didn’t matter who got screwed over…

But what if, just what if.

If Lorien managed to conquer all the elves, and some malevolent force empowered Lorien…

“It’s possible. No, it’s probably certain.”

Otherwise, the conservative elves wouldn’t venture beyond the Great Forest.

“My head hurts.”

Time, why have you never been on my side even once?

Can’t you just be on my side for once?

I wanted to be fully prepared, but that would lead to the destruction of Gyoguk before I even got there.

It’s only natural that if Gyoguk is destroyed, we won’t be able to hear the solution from the goddess.

With a disappointed heart, I bowed deeply and started walking straight towards the Hall of Inspiration.

Congratulations, Inspiration.

There’s no need to hesitate anymore.

—–

“Ah… This refreshing and clear feeling, it’s been a long time!”

In front of the pure white fortress.

A woman dressed in drab clothes to the point where she could no longer be called a priestess smiled as she blocked my path, looking at the troops guarding the heart of Gyoguk, the holy land.

Despite the fierce aura emanating from them, Lorian showed no signs of tension.

She simply stood there, licking her lips lightly.

“Oh, the male-to-female ratio is 7:3… What a pity! If I had known this would happen, I would have suggested a female quota!”

Lorian expressed regret at the low proportion of women among Gyoguk’s elites.

There’s not much to eat, and there’s nothing as delicious as breaking a strong woman.

If there were 7 women and 3 men, we would have enjoyed it without any complaints.

Lorian clicked her tongue and slowly walked towards the pure white fortress.

Then, with a compassionate smile like a saint, she signaled surrender.

Of course, she added words that no one in their right mind would want to surrender.

“Siblings? If you surrender now, I’ll be as gentle as possible!”

“If you don’t surrender, I’ll be merciless. Can you see the high priest tied to the cross right now?”

“If you don’t want to be treated so cruelly, it’s better to surrender now. It’s the last mercy we can offer as sisters who once trusted the same person.”

Oh…?! Oh♡

Although the fortress trembled momentarily at the sight of the high priest being cursed while tied to the cross, the confusion quickly subsided with the appearance of an old man in a white robe.

The person closest to Aegathon, along with the saintess.

The Pope, Azewus Prime Seikreed.

Seeing him revealed on the fortress, Lorian raised her eyebrows and saluted him.

“Wow! You’ve risen from your sickbed, Your Holiness? How urgent must it have been for you to bring that frail body to the battlefield?”

“Heh, lying down for so long has made me quite underestimated. Even with this body, I can still hold my own against you.”

“Oh my, is that so? But why do you appear to me as just a pitiful old man, Your Holiness?”

“Haha, if you’re so sure, why don’t you try teasing me a bit? If I like it, I might kill you painlessly.”

“Too bad. I can’t do anything to you, Your Holiness, even if I win.”

Well, he’s a man after all, isn’t it strange to show kindness to a being you can’t devour? Don’t you think so?

At Lorian’s absurd joke, the Pope chuckled and summoned a massive sacred hammer, dropping it above Lorian’s head.

The huge hammer fell with a fierce momentum as if to crush Lorian, but suddenly –

Bang!

A grayish energy gathered, and a large shield appeared to block the hammer.

In response, the Pope tried to break the shield by striking it several times with the hammer.

However, despite the Pope’s efforts, the shield remained intact.

To make matters worse,

“Cough…!”

Due to his weakened body and overexertion, the Pope even coughed up blood, and upon seeing this, Lorian crossed her arms and began to mock the Pope.

“Tsk, if you had spent the rest of your life in bed, you might have lived a little longer. Why bother coming to the battlefield and shortening your life? Oh, how pitiful.”

“…I thought I could maintain it, but I couldn’t even do that. Truly a matter of astonishment.”

“So, are you going to surrender? If you surrender now, I’ll let you spend the rest of your remaining days in peace.”

A sweet proposal akin to the succubus’s temptation.

However, the Pope, with a hearty laugh, instead elevated his sanctity.

“There isn’t much time left, but how peaceful can one live even if they live comfortably? And I don’t want to be remembered in history as a feeble old man who cowered and yielded.”

“Damn it, you old man. Just because I didn’t help you once?”

Faced with the Pope’s sinister determination to kill himself even at the cost of his own life, Lorian could only retreat with a bitter tongue.

The power obtained by sacrificing a pitiful life would surely fade away in a day or two.

As Lorian gradually distanced himself, the Pope momentarily regained his strength, then collapsed weakly to the ground, blood spilling out.

Thud –

“Are you alright! Your Holiness!”

The priests rushed to check on the Pope’s well-being, but they realized something.

That the time left for the old man was almost up.

This was a fact well known to the Pope himself, who slowly opened his mouth to leave his final words.

“The divine revelation… has come.”

As his trembling voice echoed, the once bustling castle fell silent in an instant.

“The Goddess has spoken… that the Black Witch and her companions will save the Church. Why… the witch is saving the Church… I cannot comprehend with this foolish mind…”

Struggling to keep the dwindling flame of life alive, the Pope calmly continued.

“At least… unless they attack first, do not treat them as enemies. Unless you plan to make the time I sacrificed my life for meaningless.”

Having finished speaking, the Pope squeezed out his last strength to create a sturdy sacred barrier that would hold up for a few more days, and as he drifted away in consciousness, he softly smiled and thought.

Unless she’s completely out of her mind, she won’t attack first.

Surely, she wouldn’t attack first.

He quietly, peacefully closed his eyes, unaware of the tumultuous events that lay ahead.