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“You mean they found it?”

“Yes, we haven’t confirmed it yet, but we think they’ve found a promising clue related to Alaysia.”

“Where are they?”

“They’re in the conference hall.”

Vera quickened his pace.

He was anxious to hear what the explorers, who were now in the conference hall, had found.

Soon enough, he passed through the hallway quickly, arrived at the conference hall door, and abruptly opened it.

Thud—

The scenery of the conference hall came into Vera’s view.

A round table.

All of the Apostles were seated around it, excluding himself.

In the middle were three guests.

There was a blonde woman and a middle-aged man. Between them, a young man with brown hair who had no legs was sitting in a wheelchair and gazing at him.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Are these the people?”

“Yes, sit down.”

Upon Vargo’s command, Vera took his seat.

The young man with brown hair who had been silent until then, the explorer named Derek, breathed deeply.

“May I speak now?”

His tone was heavy with fatigue.

Vargo nodded, and Derek slowly began to speak.

“We were in Lake Grance. We were discussing something on the boat.”

The story began with seemingly unimportant details, but as the story progressed, the atmosphere in the conference hall started to sink heavily.

“It was undoubtedly a castle. What lay beneath the surface was a castle whose size far surpassed that of the Imperial Palace. I wanted to take a closer look, but I couldn’t. The open windows were pitch-black that I couldn’t see anything inside, and the outer walls of the castle were constructed in a shape I couldn’t understand.”

Derek’s hand trembled.

He swept his face once, and Minnie and Garrick, who were watching him from the side, put their arms around his shoulders.

“I come from the Archaeology Department of Tellon, so I could tell. The castle was built in a style that doesn’t exist in this world. No, that structure couldn’t even be called a castle.”

Derek’s expression crumpled.

He closed his eyes as if recalling that moment was horrifying, then he took a deep breath and continued.

“…Do you know what I saw at the seams of the stones surrounding the outer walls?”

Crack. Derek’s teeth ground against each other.

“It was the flesh of a living creature. I definitely saw it. That structure is alive.”

Renee shuddered.

She was not the only one to react that way.

All the Apostles around the table were equally shocked, focused on Derek’s words.

“The moment I saw it, I only had one thought… That I needed to get out of there right away. It was not something I could handle. I fell off the outer wall. And at that moment, I heard laughter.”

“Laughter?”

“Yes, laughter. A sound like a child’s giggle echoed in my ears. Isn’t that bizarre?”

Derek lifted his head.

His gaze was fixed intently on Vera.

There was horror reflected in his dark brown eyes.

What he said was something Vera hadn’t even considered.

“I was definitely underwater, but the voice reached me in a way that felt as if there was no resistance at all.”

Jenny’s shoulders shrank.

Her eyes, fixed on Derek, were filled with an indescribable tremor.

She felt a fear caused by the unexplained phenomenon.

“The moment I heard the laughter, the moment I realized something was off, I kicked my feet. I flailed my arms to get to the surface, and when I emerged in a frantic state, I realized…”

Derek’s hand gestured towards where his legs had been.

They no longer existed below the knee.

“…My legs were missing below the knees. My blood was rising to the surface of the lake. I passed out there, and I am still alive thanks to my comrades who took care of me.”

A heavy atmosphere engulfed the room.

Then, Vargo asked.

“Did something eat it?”

“I don’t know. I had no idea my legs were gone until I surfaced.”

“You didn’t feel any pain?”

“No, I don’t know whether it was phantom pain or if my leg was actually fine until then, but there is one thing that I’m certain of.”

Derek paused.

He took another deep breath before continuing.

“Whatever the case, if you’re looking for anything on this continent that could be a trace of Alaysia, the most likely thing is that castle beneath that lake.”

Derek’s story came to an end.

When no one could offer an immediate response to his words, Minnie, the blonde woman who had been patting Derek’s shoulder, stepped forward.

“We’d like to ask you for a favor.”

There was tension and resolve on her face.

“That’s the reason we came all the way here instead of the Empire with this information. I hope you understand that.”

Minnie felt the weight of the eyes of the Apostles on her.

It was natural.

These were transcendental beings who were considered demigods in this world.

They could get rid of her with a flick of a finger.

However, Minnie could not back down.

“Please heal Derek’s leg. And if there is a curse affecting Derek’s body, please remove it. We’re not asking for anything else. Please, just that.”

Minnie couldn’t bear to see her precious comrade being reduced to this state.

She bowed her head.

Following her motion, Garrick, the middle-aged man, also bowed his head.

“Please…”

The words were filled with desperation.

However, the answer that came back was devastating.

“…I’m sorry. We can’t create something that doesn’t exist. If you had the severed leg, that might be different, but in this situation, it’s impossible.”

Minnie’s expression crumbled at Renee’s response.

It might sound cruel, but there was nothing Renee could do.

The power of fate was the power of possibility.

It was the power to turn even the slightest chance into a 100% certainty.

In other words, it was a power that couldn’t help with something that had no possibility at all.

Renee knew this.

It was better to offer the harsh reality rather than false consolation.

Moreover, instead of giving up in such a situation, it was better to offer whatever help was possible.

“But if there is a curse, we can help you with that. We can also alleviate the pain in your leg. If the wound festers, it will rot, so let me treat that part.”

Derek’s head lifted.

While the expressions of the other two weren’t particularly good, Derek had a bright expression.

Why not? One of the things tormenting him the most right now was the pain.

To him, Renee’s words were the happiest news.

“Th-thank you…”

Derek’s expression relaxed, appearing as if a weight had been lifted.

Seeing this, Vargo spoke.

“Don’t worry about the curse. There isn’t one.”

“What?”

“I don’t see anything attached to you. I am able to see those things.”

Vargo tapped his eye with his finger when he spoke.

Derek blinked for a while, then finally realized what he meant and smiled even brighter.

It was one of Vargo’s well-known abilities, God’s Eye.

It proved that he was safe.

But Vargo was not finished speaking.

“Furthermore, whether or not that castle is a clue about Alaysia, there will be a reward in Elia. If your story is true, that castle will undoubtedly be a threat to the continent.”

Despite the increasing gravity of the conversation, a small smile appeared on his lips.

“You all are heroes. You didn’t back down in the face of danger, and you came here to share this information. I will send you my heartfelt praise.”

Drrrk—

Vargo rose from his seat and approached Derek.

The odd sight of a frail young man sitting in a wheelchair and an old giant towering over two meters tall unfolded.

Reaching out, Vargo placed his hand on Derek’s forehead.

“May the blessing of the Lord be with you.”

A crimson divinity flared up.

It seeped into Derek’s head.

Derek felt warmth enveloping his body. As the strange energy receded once again, he tilted his head.

“This is…”

“You are able to bring out this divinity just once, when you find yourself in great danger. It has the power to fend off any moderately skilled persecutors. Think of it as an extra life.”

Vargo chuckled.

Then, he turned around.

“Well, I’ll be going then. Elia is a quiet place, so it should be a good spot for your recovery. Take some rest.”

As Vargo left the room, the Apostles began to stand up one by one.

They were heading back to their tasks to quickly analyze and disseminate the information they had just heard.

Among them, only Renee remained seated. Then, she turned to the three adventurers and spoke.

“Shall we start your treatment, then?”

A gentle smile adorned the face of the extraordinarily beautiful woman.

The three adventurers blushed at her stunning beauty.

It was a dizzying beauty that evoked more awe rather than a favorable impression toward the opposite sex.

It would have been strange for anyone to have any other reaction.

***

“I never knew you had a talent for business.”

In the hallways of the Grand Temple, Vera spoke as he walked with Vargo.

Then, Vargo snorted and answered.

“Do you see it as business? That’s your problem. You look at everything calculatively.”

“Isn’t that what you intended?”

“Sly one, aren’t you?”

Vargo chuckled.

Then, he added in a slower tone.

“The impression a nation gives is important, especially to the commoners who aren’t leaders. If you ever have to attend an official event, remember what happened today. Those who live in the name of God should exude righteousness.”

“You’re not one to talk about righteousness.”

“You always have a retort, don’t you? Clearly, you need more spanking.”

A stifled laugh escaped Vera’s lips.

“That aside, what will we do about the war?”

“Now, you’re changing the topic… For now, we need to request support from the Empire. We must finalize the exact cause and effect. If it turns out to be traces of Alaysia, then…”

His voice trailed off.

Vargo looked into the distance before continuing.

“…We’ll have to mobilize all the Apostles.”

An intense look appeared in Vargo’s eyes.

There was a clear sign of hostility and anger.

A pure killing intent seemed to be aimed at some far-off place, making Vera feel as if the hairs on his body were standing on end.

But it also instilled a sense of confidence in him, causing Vera to look forward to Vargo’s exploit, and he smiled.

“Isn’t this the first time we’ll be fighting together?”

“Don’t fall behind.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

In the Grand Temple’s underground laboratory, Trevor looked bitterly at Jenny and Annalise, who was in her arms.

“Master…”

[Stop the chit-chat and just do as I say. You can’t even go to Lake Granice if you’re tied to the evil-sealing circle, can you?]

“True, but even so, this is…”

[Why are you making it so complicated? You know very well that the farther an artificial body is from the main body, the harder it gets to manifest spells. This is a matter of ’efficiency.’ You seem to have forgotten everything you’ve learned from me.]

He hadn’t forgotten.

Annalise’s teachings were the soil that formed the present Trevor. They were his roots.

How could he forget them?

Still, there was one reason Trevor looked so bitter right now.

“Do you really have no ulterior motives?”

Trevor’s gaze shifted toward the small doll Jenny held out with great anticipation.

It was a custom-made rag doll made by Norn.

The doll that would serve as Trevor’s artificial body for the upcoming war was unmistakably a ’young boy.’

In other words, it was meant to pair with the doll currently containing Annalise.

[…It’s for efficiency.]

Annalise’s head wobbled in the air.

Trevor glared at her for a moment, then sighed deeply before answering.

“…I guess there’s no other way.”

[A smart guy like you shouldn’t be complaining.]

Annalise snorted.

Jenny was simply delighted that she could now control Trevor. Because of that, Trevor felt a shiver run down his spine.

And so, preparations for the war were slowly taking shape.