Chapter 495 – Watcher of the North (2)
For Verden, Eres was an existence shrouded in mystery.
To rule Prohas, the only kingdom in the vast North, meant not just a king but an emperor.
And to hold the captain's seat as the Watcher of the North meant he was recognized by the Ark as one who would lead humanity.
'Moreover....'
No matter how much insight he tried, it was difficult to discern the realm of Eres.
Whether it was qi or magic power.
It was similar yet different from both, so he couldn't distinguish it.
'It's definitely not divine power.'
He briefly considered the possibility that the two forces might be mixed, but soon dismissed it.
To assume so, there should have been a point of intersection with Legrit, who had mastered both qi and magic power to the extreme and fused them, but none could be identified.
Eres Aindgel Prohas.
As he appeared, he was a man overflowing with secrets, a specimen of the Ark itself.
First, Verden began with a light question.
"This false Chillstead, was it created with an artifact? Strange. For a seal, it allows entry and exit from outside quite freely."
"It is both an artifact and my power. Simply put, it reproduces the scenery reflected in ice, and switches it with reality. The process is natural, so it can imprison the opponent in an instant, but..."
Eres tilted his chin slightly.
"The moment someone, inside or outside, senses even the slightest foreignness, the closed nature of this place is damaged. Just like now. For an existence like you, intuition itself becomes a weakness."
Of course, even among transcendentals, abilities differed from person to person, so it could not be concluded that such a method was entirely useless.
"This time it is my turn to ask. The sword of the great warrior you brought into Chillstead, did you obtain it in the Ownerless Land?"
"Seeing you know its origin, you must already have guessed how I obtained it. Is there any need to ask?"
"That may be, but I need to be certain. You got it from the northern man called 'Birec', didn't you? The muscular giant, who was working under the great lord ruling the eastern part of the Ownerless Land."
Verden recalled the scene of the man once called the great warrior of the East being utterly defeated by Isabella, and answered.
"I don't know his name, but the other features match. I heard he was a criminal from the North who caused a massacre and fled."
"Then he is indeed the one I thought. After all, the only time the weapon of a great warrior has left the North is that case."
Eres gave a bitter smile.
"In truth, Birec was not a northern warrior officially appointed as a great warrior. Strictly speaking, he was a candidate."
Years ago, in the small northern village of the 'Dusky Tree' tribe, two men had been chosen as candidates for great warrior.
It was a joyous occasion.
From a group of barely 150 people, two warriors emerged to receive the honor of tradition... if even one were chosen, the tribe would walk the path of revival.
"I summoned both of them to the capital and judged them. In every respect, Birec's skills were superior. But I appointed the other as great warrior, not Birec."
"Why?"
"Because strength and character are separate things."
Though Birec's physical prowess was outstanding, Eres had seen through the innate malice hidden behind his talent.
A cruelty that would kill children and adults alike without hesitation, for mere pleasure.
A grave disqualification.
To entrust such a man with the lofty honor of great warrior of the North would mean the pure white snowfields would be stained with blood.
"Some of the tribal leaders and elders who backed Birec opposed me, but of course I did not bend my decision."
And then.
"Afterwards, while I was absent, officially for a private ancestral rite, unofficially for an Ark council... the Dusky Tree tribe suffered a massacre."
Birec, enraged that he had been rejected and that one weaker than him had been chosen as great warrior, succumbed to overwhelming humiliation.
So he killed.
By murdering the tribesman who had become great warrior, he defied the northern king head-on, and destroyed the village of his own Dusky Tree tribe to vent his rage.
"It was highly calculated. If he had done such a thing while I was present, I would have pursued and executed him personally. At any rate, Birec stole the great warrior's sword from the corpse and immediately fled. Even then, he slaughtered small villages and people who stood out, and finally escaped the North to reach the Ownerless Land."
"So you couldn't deal with him sooner."
The Ownerless Land was an artificially established region, agreed upon by external powers not to intervene directly.
What was desired was the cycle of the world through conflict, not a contest of brute force.
For that reason, many kingdoms and magic towers exercised influence through sponsorship.
"Given my position, we were not about to spend resources to eradicate Birec in the Ownerless Land."
Of course, using the Ark's power was out of the question.
"So if Birec ever left the Ownerless Land, we would always ask the Arnak Empire to handle him."
"The Empire?"
"There is one from the North in the Empire. His name is Grizzwold. One of the six Lords, the Lord of Region, called the Deviant in the Empire."
Grizzwold…
'Ah.'
Verden recalled one of the three Lords he had fought in the Black Volcano.
The giant old man.
With monstrous strength he had wielded a massive axe, with resistance beyond reason, he had faced Verden head-on. His name had been Grizzwold.
The other Lords wielding strange magics had certainly called him that.
"Grizzwold was a great warrior appointed by the previous northern king. He was exceptionally strong. Though he had been defeated in contests, he had never once fallen. And he was a man who purely and fervently sought battle."
Eres took half a glass of cool strawberry wine and continued.
"One day, after I became the northern king as the previous stepped down, Grizzwold came to me. He wanted to face the strong of the world, and asked me to send him to the Arnak Empire. I gladly agreed. Others opposed, but they all shut their mouths after being struck a few times by Grizzwold."
Thus, leaving the North, Grizzwold proved his overwhelming might and became a Lord of the Arnak Empire.
With the emperor's permission, he freely lived, facing new strong foes who came to the Empire.
At times, he also executed criminals who had fled the North.
"Occasionally he visits me, and we talk at length. And he takes away baskets of Prohas mountain strawberries."
"...You seem close."
"Of course. Grizzwold is my childhood teacher and like a father to me. Now that I mention it, I wonder what he's doing. It's about time he showed his face in the North again."
"..."
Verden, who had beaten and knocked unconscious Grizzwold in the volcanic zone, quietly sipped his wine.
***
Verden had no particular problem with revealing what happened in the volcanic region, but in the end it would only stir trouble, so he kept silent.
Eres shrugged.
"In any case. Since you have answered how you obtained the great warrior's sword, the turn for questions passes. Then... ah, would you like another glass of wine?"
"My thanks."
The two glasses were once again filled with sweet and sour liquor.
Verden asked.
"Why did you pursue us?"
It was both to steer the conversation, and to raise an important point in the current situation.
"Since you met the Ark candidate, Terat, you must already know variables arose in the trial. I was investigating the cause. Ensuring the candidate can undergo the trial safely is a common duty borne by the Ark's captain."
"And in the midst of that, you detected the spatial waves I caused."
"It was a coincidence. But for us, it could not be ignored."
Eres expressed relief that the misunderstanding was finally cleared, and sincerely apologized for pressuring Adrian.
It was the second apology, after the one he had given Adrian directly in the square.
"There's no need to apologize to me. The matter has already been resolved between the parties concerned."
"Thank you."
"More importantly, I heard the trials have been deviating, are the errors serious?"
"At first it was just a puzzlement, but the deviation grew. By now, the trial's occurrence points have shifted by months and even national scales. This concerns you greatly, Asher."
"Me?"
"In the city of Sacrid, in the Beldirn Republic, appeared Septa Horn. Originally, that monster should have emerged in the Kailiens City Alliance."
Septa Horn, a special gnoll variant with seven horns sprouting from its head.
At the time, Verden had not seen it directly as he was facing Glory of the Dead alongside Adrian, but he had heard about it.
It was the mighty demi-human that wreaked havoc on Sacrid, triggering a stampede of demi-humans and magical beasts.
Driven out of the city by the assault of Haldirn, heir of the DarkWarton Magic Tower, and Leira wielding demonic power, it was finally impaled by the claw of the suddenly appearing Bone-Relic Dragon and met its end.
───Asher, don't you wonder? Why we used Kailiens, of all places, and why we bothered to control demi-humans.
In his mind surfaced the words exchanged with the fourth servant of Glory of the Dead, Kessilus.
───The demi-human outbreak in Kailiens wasn't caused by us. It started even before we used the [Pillar of Life]. And the corpse transportation you thought a clue, that was only an incidental factor.
───...What?
───The rampage of demi-humans was a purely natural phenomenon. What we aimed for was the core that triggered that phenomenon. Well, discovering it was only by chance.
Kessilus's eyes had gleamed.
───That 'monster' contained a power even I could not withstand. Even with a scroll storing 7th-tier black magic, I could not dominate its mind, only suppress its instincts.
Could it be, that the Septa Horn he had spoken of, naturally born, was part of the trial the Ark had foreseen?
And by discovering it, Glory of the Dead had turned it into a variable.
Verden asked.
"Do you know who moved Septa Horn to the Beldirn Republic?"
"The black magus group, Glory of the Dead. But isn't it my turn to ask a question?"
"Let us keep the format free. If I have more questions later, I will ask them in succession."
"Very well."
Eres, saying that would actually be more comfortable, nodded readily.
And he answered.
"As you know, the Ark hardly ever interferes with the affairs of the world. So we had no interest in Glory of the Dead either. They are not a group that originated from the Ark like Gluttony, and besides, the global order known as the Luas Church, their natural enemy, keeps its eyes wide open."
"But that is no longer the case?"
"Even if it falls short of a living dragon, the fact that they artificially created a transcendent species like the Bone-Relic Dragon cannot be taken lightly."
Eres narrowed his eyes.
"Above all, because of Glory of the Dead, the trials have been greatly distorted, so the Ark has no choice but to take interest. Of course, that does not mean direct action. To be precise, we moved from indifference to the stage of observing from afar."
"I see."
"This is all I have to say regarding Glory of the Dead. It is not that I am hiding much. Outside of the North, I do not know well. Since I have answered you, I will also ask."
What would he ask?
'Most likely, it will be about the process of becoming a transcendental, or about the circumstances that brought me to the North.'
So Verden thought, and prepared his answer, but... the question Eres posed was wholly unexpected.
And yet, in some sense, it was only natural.
"Transcendental, Asher. In the ideal you dream of, does humanity have a place?"
Eres stared directly at Verden.
***
A transcendental, born with innate talent and effort, and chosen by the heavens, carried their own will, and that will often did not shy from extreme thought for the sake of their dream.
In truth, Ignacia's theory of transcendental madness, though unpleasant to some lofty transcendental, was hard to refute.
And now, Eres was asking Verden about the direction of his madness.
'Indeed, considering the very meaning of the Ark's existence, it is a natural question.'
If a transcendental Ark candidate were to sacrifice humanity for their own purpose, it could not be overlooked.
Verden answered at once.
"Yes."
There was no need to hesitate.
From the beginning, humanity had been included in the ideal he sought.
"That is fortunate."
The Watcher of the North smiled.
It was a smile of relief.
Had Verden spoken lies, or voiced an idea threatening to humanity, the relationship with the Ark might have collapsed here and now.
Eres did not ask further about ideals, but moved on.
The heavy air lightened, as though it had never been.
"Then what brings you to the North?"
"An accident of sorts. During spatial teleportation, the coordinates went wrong. I cannot give details."
"There is no need. We never promised beforehand to answer every question. I will take it only as meaning that some great incident occurred, enough to cause heavy damage to a transcendental's body."
"You noticed?"
"Ahaha, my senses are keen. Then I will continue my questions."
Eres asked more, but none of them were important.
They were all trivial compared to ideals, such as detailed accounts of his official activities after the Beldirn Republic, or about his recuperation life in the North.
Before long, the turn passed back to Verden.
A weighty topic was posed.
"After this year's Ark Exchange, I asked Legrit this: why is there not a single trace of the Luas Church in the Ark... and he said, because gods are not human."
This time, Verden's gaze was the first to turn to Eres.
"Does that mean, by the Ark's standard, transcendental are human? If so, why was Leira, cursed by a demon, able to become an Ark candidate?"
"I know little of demons, so it is difficult to answer. Better ask that later to the 'Balancer of Equilibrium'. He is known as the scholar among captains."
And then.
"Likewise, I know little of the Luas Church, but... I have heard it is a rule inherited from the Ark's birth."
Eres tapped slowly on the glass in his hand with his finger.
"Since ancient times, the Ark has wondered. Why is it that the creed of the god of light defines humanity, what is a god in the first place, and is it truly right to divide humanity solely by whether divine power, and its beneficial effects, apply or not?"
"..."
"Of course, I do not deny that the divine power of the Luas Church is clearly beneficial to humans... but its origin is unclear, isn't it? Until that origin is revealed, the Ark will not accept the Luas Church. Not ever."
Even if it claimed to serve humanity, if it came from a god known not to be human, it was too ambiguous to be trusted.
"And you also asked about transcendental. Well, this... rather than saying it here, it would be better to change location. There is something I want to show you."
...Something he wanted to show?
While Verden inwardly tilted his head, Eres pulled an old robe from the spatial bag behind his waist and draped it over his body.
"Will you trust me, and follow? Ah, of course, the two outside, and the being hiding inside that robe may also accompany us."
A twitch from [Ainber].
From Verden's nape, Alpha squirmed out, its single eye gleaming.
[Exposed.]
"It was a high-level
Eres looked at Alpha with genuine surprise, but that was all.
Indeed, for one who was captain of the Ark, encountering mysteries was common, so it would be stranger if he fell over in shock at a golem with intellect.
More than that.
"Is it alright, to reveal the Ark to outsiders?"
"Of course it is not alright. But just as when you eradicated the Doctor and the Fangs of Gluttony in the Riviant Principality, exceptions exist. But first, I must ask."
Eres spoke in a serious tone.
"Do you, trust those by your side? Enough that they could bear the penalty for your mistakes?"
"Yes."
Trust.
A word that had not existed for Verden as recently as two years ago, was conveyed to Eres.
"It is a fine thing. To believe in one another, to trust and bear responsibility. Personally, I think that is the essence of humanity."
Eres gestured.
At once, the world cracked with countless fractures like ice struck, and shattered.
The stillness vanished.
"Gahaha! I win! Bring me two more bottles of the same drink here!"
"Damn, how can a bastard with only seven fingers throw dice so well...!"
"What should we eat with it?"
"They say roast duck is popular these days. Pricey, but let's order that."
"Anyone who wants to hear tales of the northern great warrior lopping heads off demi-humans and otherkin, gather round! First come, first served!"
The boisterous noise filled the tavern and spilled outside.
Seats were packed with people that had not been there before.
'Eres dispelled the seal, and returned us to the real world.'
Yet the citizens of Chillstead, oblivious to the sudden appearance of Eres and Verden, naturally ate and drank as before.
Creak.
Eres rose.
"Shall we go then?"
Verden drained the remaining strawberry wine and stood.
"Where are we headed?"
"To the end of the North."
Eres turned his body toward the tavern's entrance.
"I will show you, why I am the Watcher of the North."
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