Chapter 276 - Chapter 275: Hasty Preparations
The first day of the first week of the first month of water.
Mika had finally reached the final year of the magic academy, the second year of the upper division.
However, he had not visited the academy even once since advancing to this grade.
This was because he had been stuck on the Daburandoru Plains the whole time.
Two weeks ago, he had spoken with Warterelam, and various things had become visible.
However, there had been no time to think carefully.
This was because the crowds of the Gronoir Empire were gradually closing in, and he had to proceed with reinforcing the protective walls.
Mika had asked Warterelam to resume research and revive the [Dispel], transferring about two hundred million Rats from the bank.
He had initially intended to hand over five hundred million Rats, but he was told that accepting such a huge sum all at once would be troublesome.
So, it was decided to hand over two hundred million Rats as initial operating funds and provide further investment if needed.
As a result of discussions with Warterelam, the dispatch of adventurers to the Holy Land was temporarily shelved.
Mika felt that he had too many things to think about and wanted to be excused from taking on any more burdens.
Warterelam also noted that the main focus was the revival of [Dispel], and exploring the Holy Land was listed as the top candidate site.
However, the risk was far too great.
After all, the Holy Land was the headquarters of the "Cursed Children."
If even one "Cursed Child" remained, the adventurers dispatched would almost certainly be wiped out.
Therefore, while they wanted to investigate as soon as possible, it was decided to send an investigation team while observing the situation.
As a temporary priority, Warterelam was asked to write a letter of inquiry addressed to the Pope of the Kingdom of Ektrem.
The existence of the erased Pope and the circumstances of losing [Dispel] were likely problems that had been noticed but left unaddressed until now.
Honestly, Warterelam's theory was too radical; it would not be accepted immediately.
Kifrod and others might die of anger upon hearing Warterelam's story.
So, the strategy was to make them realize again that "there are many suspicious points," and gradually lead them to acceptance from there.
The letter of inquiry was the vanguard of this.
Mika also signed the letter, forcing the Church to respond as an organization.
Of course, the answers to all questions should be "I don't know."
Since it had been concealed, if they had known, they would not have left it unaddressed.
Therefore, the goal was to create a sentiment asking whether it was acceptable to leave the unclear points as they were.
Or rather, since Mika was signing it, from the Church's perspective, it was nothing less than a threat.
By the way, Mika had made an unreasonable request to Warterelam to "think of ninety-five questions."
Since that was impossible, he was asked to write out the five most significant problems.
And with that letter of inquiry in hand, he returned to the Royal Capital.
However, his first destination was not the Church.
It was Adelriese's magic tool shop.
"This is the highest priority order. Please make four magic tool bracelets that calm the mind. One must be done in a great hurry. The rest can be done afterward."
"Huh?"
"What is this, all of a sudden?"
Adelriese and Nozzemueller, who were drinking tea and relaxing during a break in their research, looked at Mika with dumbfounded expressions.
"I found out something bad. I don't need performance equal to my Tranquilizer, but please do it urgently."
"In that case, well... the materials can probably be managed. But what happened?"
Mika, who simply stated the business without explanation, was asked by Adelriese.
"Ah... how should I put it? I found out that magic power has a dangerous part."
"Magic power? Well, danger is danger, I suppose."
Nozzemueller muttered as if to say, "What are you saying now?"
Probably, Nozzemueller was thinking about the use of [God's Miracle].
Mika shook his head and looked at the two of them.
"It seems that magic power affects the mind. It doesn't seem to become that serious in normal cases..."
"To the mind? What do you mean?"
Adelriese wore a suspicious expression.
Mika briefly explained the effect of magic power on the mind, emphasizing that normally there was no need to worry that much.
"Perhaps there is someone in a bad state. That is why I want one made urgently."
Paraleira might be suffering strongly from the effects of magic power.
He did not mention specific names, of course.
Probably, there were mages in the past whose mental pollution had advanced due to strong emotions like this.
"If that's the case, one of them needs to be made stronger. It might take a little time. It seems we don't have enough materials."
"I understand. Well, I think I'll be stuck on the battlefield for a while anyway. Will it be ready by then?"
"In that case, it might be manageable... though I can't say for sure. For now, I will gather the materials."
At Nozzemueller's words, Adelriese also nodded.
The material market was calming down, but the logistics were in chaos due to the attack on the Royal Capital.
And now, fighting was happening on the battlefield again.
Predicting where and how it would affect things would be difficult.
Mika ordered a cheaper version of the Tranquilizer from Adelriese and others, placed orders for communication devices, and then went outside.
As far as Mika knew, there were three other people likely to be strongly affected by magic power.
Kistil, Nerisfeene, and Rimliche.
Especially Rimliche had shown somewhat uncharacteristic behavior during her training sparring.
However, there was no need to worry too much about these three.
If Mika told them "No magic practice" and "Keep usage to a minimum," they should follow it.
Given the personalities of the three.
Next, Mika barged into the Church.
He had thought about banging loudly on the Great Cathedral's big doors, but that might stir up trouble.
He simply headed to the Pope's office.
"Apostle! Please, wait!"
"Apostle-sama!"
"I'm interrupting!"
Shaking off the clergymen and Temple Knights trying to stop him, Mika entered the Pope's office.
Inside, Pope Blahoslav was in a meeting with several cardinals.
"Yes, here. It's not urgent, but please give an official response as the Church."
Ignoring the stunned cardinals, Mika handed the letter of inquiry to Blahoslav.
"...What is this?"
Blahoslav nodded to the clergymen who had followed Mika, indicating it was fine to leave them there.
Then he turned his gaze back to the letter of inquiry.
As he read through the letter, his expression changed to one of pain.
"There will be an attack on the Royal Capital, and fighting will happen on the battlefield soon. I fully understand you are busy, so I am not rushing you. However, I will not accept leaving things shelved."
When Mika said that, Blahoslav closed his eyes and hesitated.
Then, he let out a small sigh.
"...Understood. However, there are some things that are difficult to answer clearly. What should be done with those?"
"It is better to answer 'I don't know' for things that are unknown rather than forcing an answer to balance the books. Just stop giving false answers. Only that, absolutely."
When Mika said this with a serious expression, Blahoslav's breath caught.
Then, he nodded heavily.
"I will keep this in mind."
"I apologize for troubling you while you are busy."
Saying that, Mika turned toward the window.
Opening the window, he turned around and looked at Blahoslav.
"Next time, it will be a very severe battle. Please gather healers in the Leventein Marquisate."
"We have already dispatched quite a number. Should we send more?"
When Blahoslav asked back like that, Mika thought for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Understood. If that's the case, it should be fine. However, please do not be careless just because it is not the front line."
"Of course, we will not be careless... Also, is something happening in the Royal Capital?"
"It is not limited to the Royal Capital, but I just thought we might be focusing too much on the front line. Given past events."
Suddenly, the Royal Capital had been attacked by a Chimera.
He did not know where the next target would be, but he felt it was possible that attention would be drawn to the front line.
"Understood. However, the Apostle should also be careful."
"Me?"
When Mika looked confused, Blahoslav's expression softened slightly, as if a bit exasperated.
"You are taking on too much of everything. We are one of those burdens, aren't we?"
Saying that, he lightly waved the letter of inquiry.
"I am aware that there are many things only the Apostle can do, but please do not overexert yourself. Even if it is a small amount, let the Church [we] bear it."
When Blahoslav said that, the other cardinals also nodded.
Mika scratched his cheek.
"Thank you. Once things settle down a bit, I might take a little rest."
"I would like you to rely on us before that settling down is complete."
Hearing Mika's reply, Blahoslav gave a bitter smile.
Unable to say anything to such Blahoslav, Mika jumped out of the window as is.
Next, Mika headed to the Fifth Knights Order's office.
On the way, he stopped by the Information Broker Guild counter and asked them to call Lebrantes.
He also spoke to Yaroibarov, telling him to gather at the Fifth Knights Order.
"Yo."
When Mika landed on the office ground, Ozendorwa was just training.
Around Ozendorwa, six knights lay collapsed.
Ozendorwa seemed to be in top form today as well.
"Ah, welcome. What's wrong today?"
"I have something urgent to convey. I have also spoken to Yaroibarov-san and Lebrantes-san."
And so, a little small talk in the Commander's room.
"How is the wall extension? I heard they are saying to double the height of the protective wall or something."
He said it with an expression of being dumbfounded by Mika's unreasonable behavior as always.
"It's not doubling the height of the protective wall. We are just building a new wall that is twice as high. Do not misunderstand."
"...Either way, there isn't much difference, is it? It's still unreasonable."
While having such small talk, the members gathered.
Mika looked around at the members' faces and conveyed the reason he had gathered them.
"It seems the enemy are the 'Cursed Children.'"
"Oh, I thought so."
"I figured as much."
Yaroibarov and Lebrantes nodded.
"You knew!?"
"No, I didn't. What is 'Impdeka-chan'?"
At Yaroibarov's words, Mika was stunned.
T-these guys...
Mika twisted his face and made his clenched fist tremble.
Seeing the three of them, Ozendorwa gave a bitter smile.
"Now, now, Mika-kun. Will you explain from the beginning?"
With Ozendorwa's help, Mika briefly explained the story of the "Cursed Children" he had heard from Warterelam.
"...They were a group of unknowns, but now they have become even more unknown. What are they?"
"They can't die even when killed, and they took over the Church since ancient times? I really don't get it."
Yaroibarov and Lebrantes grimaced.
Ozendorwa crossed his arms and thought, but when he looked at Mika, he nodded slightly.
"Though I shouldn't say this, there are people who actually demonstrated taking over the Church. It is not impossible. Concealing and falsifying history would not be impossible if the Pope used his power."
They had taken it over just recently.
If it was just taking over, it would not take a thousand years.
Since it was just a matter of taking over the Pope's body, it must have been an easy job.
"This is my personal opinion, but I think the Popes who committed suicide or died of madness were Popes taken over by the 'Cursed Children.' And they carried out various schemes. At that time, they might have used somewhat forceful means. And when things got a bit bad..."
"They die and run away? Their methods are utterly unreasonable."
At Mika's prediction, Yaroibarov said with an exasperated look.
"However, why choose the Church as the takeover target? Changing the contents of the scriptures is indeed convenient for the Church, but if they want to wage war, isn't it faster to take over the Royal Family instead of the Church?"
At Yaroibarov's question, Ozendorwa realized something.
He uncrossed his arms and clenched his fist.
"...Actually, wasn't there such a king?"
At that mutter, Mika involuntarily closed his eyes.
"There might have been kings taken over as needed. They just haven't been found out."
"...Really?"
Lebrantes groaned.
There was no way to confirm, but it would not be strange if such a king existed.
Yaroibarov tilted his head and cracked his knuckles.
...Isn't that breaking?
"Even if a certain Royal Family became a sacrifice, there is no way to probe it anymore. ...Hey, is our current kingdom okay?"
There was no one present who could answer that question.
Mika sighed.
"I don't want to think about it, but I will check. ...What if it's black?"
The King... no, currently the Regent Cranzard holds the actual power, so he would need to check if Cranzard has been taken over.
However, if he had been taken over, would he kill him?
He did not think they would submit to Dispelling quietly, but to people who did not know the circumstances, it would just be treason.
Yaroibarov looked at Mika with a very nice smile.
"Good luck, monk. I hope your splendid actions are evaluated someday."
"We will remember the purity of the 'Dispeller.' ...Though we can't tell anyone. It would be conspiracy charges."
"Hey! Don't kill him on your own!"
Yaroibarov and Lebrantes looked at Mika with warm eyes as if seeing someone off to death.
Ozendorwa held back laughter, making a sound in his throat.
For now, information sharing was complete, so they dispersed with the understanding that this was strictly confidential.
Ah, before dispersing, I shook hands with everyone.
Everyone had somewhat complicated expressions.
And so, the next destination was the Royal Castle.
Mika descended to the balcony of the room of Crown Prince... Regent Cranzard, the entrance reserved for Mika.
"Your Highness~. Where are you~."
Releasing a full-force pun, he left the room of Crown Prince Cranzard.
The guard knights on duty had their hands on their swords.
"Where is Prince Cranzard?"
However, he did not care at all and asked for Cranzard's location.
"Apostle-sama..."
"Listen, about this kind of thing..."
The guard knights were dumbfounded, with blue veins bulging on their foreheads.
"The Regent's office? Where was it, the third floor?"
He had been there once, but he had just followed the guide.
He vaguely remembered the area, but had forgotten the floor number.
Well, he would find out if he went there.
Mika's attitude was the epitome of arrogance, but the guard knights did not pursue him further.
This was because Cranzard had ordered that if anything happened regarding Mika, they should go through Cranzard first.
"...I will guide you. Please wait a moment."
The guard knight called to the waiting room and placed replacement guards.
Then, guided by two guard knights, he went to the office.
It was indeed the third floor.
"Hm? Were you not going to the Leventein Marquisate?"
Cranzard was at his desk, struggling with a mountain of documents.
His dark circles under his eyes were severe.
He did not seem to have slept properly.
"I have something urgent to convey. Dismiss the others."
Saying that, he casually used [Heal].
It would not cure the lack of sleep, but recovering physical strength would be better than nothing.
Then, Mika sat on the chair placed in front of the desk.
Actually, Fee was sitting on Mika's left shoulder.
Mika had told Fee to inform him if anyone was harboring a curse.
The fact that there was no reaction meant Cranzard was not a "Cursed Child."
And if Cranzard had not been taken over, he decided to convey the information about the suspicious group he had only talked to Yaroibarov and Ozendorwa about so far.
If they did not know the enemy commander in advance, they would not be able to make the correct judgment when the time came.
"So, what is the matter?"
"I have... found out the enemy's true identity."
Adding that at the end, Cranzard slumped his head.
"Regarding the enemy's true identity, our enemy is the Gronoir Empire and the Gronoir Pope, right? Well, he seems to be the Emperor now as well."
"About the Pope's true identity."
When Mika said the Pope's true identity, Cranzard blinked.
"The Pope's... true identity? Is there something?"
"I have not seen concrete evidence myself..."
After making that preamble, Mika began to speak.
The existence of those who had taken over or tried to take over the Church for a thousand years.
The existence buried in the darkness of history, called the "Cursed Children."
Mika said he had not seen evidence, but of course, he had been shown pieces of parchment at Warterelam's place.
However, Mika could not understand what was written on them even if he looked.
So, verification would inevitably be postponed, but it had to be conveyed urgently.
"I have not told the Church yet. Honestly, it is content that cannot be accepted immediately. I intend to have them accept it carefully, bit by bit."
"Indeed, it would be hard for the Church to accept. That what they thought was a myth is actually someone's fabrication."
Well, myths are basically like that in essence.
Mika cleared his throat.
"What is important here is that to truly defeat them, Dispelling is necessary."
"Well... if someone is taking over another's body, then what you say is correct."
Cranzard looked up and rubbed his eyes.
He really looked exhausted.
"However, do such people really exist? It is hard to believe at first glance."
"I have not seen the scene of such people myself, but there are... things that come to mind."
"Hmm..."
Cranzard crossed his arms and thought.
"So, what do you intend to do? Do you want me to do something?"
At Cranzard's words, Mika shook his head.
"For now, I thought it was necessary for you to know the enemy's true identity, so I conveyed it. However, if this story is made public, the whole kingdom might panic. Please keep it only to Your Highness. If it spreads, it will cause troublesome problems for governance."
He gave that warning.
Mika wanted to avoid witch hunts at all costs.
He looked at Cranzard with a serious eye.
"Please do not become suspicious. A ruler with a weak mental state who falls into suspicion over such things is not suitable for a great nation like Ektrem, you know?"
A king must have the eye power to clearly see the character of his subjects.
A king who becomes suspicious and drives away capable subjects has no qualification to be a king.
It was a rude way of speaking, but Cranzard did not seem to mind it much.
"Hmph, unnecessary concern. Use them if they are useful. Discard them if they are not. The fact that I have not discarded you is the best proof, isn't it?"
"...What do you mean?"
Mika glared, but Cranzard just smiled broadly.
However, he quickly tightened his expression.
"I thank you for the valuable information. I had wondered why the Empire's people were dying for no reason, and now I know one of the reasons."
"One of the reasons?"
"Yes."
Cranzard leaned back against the chair's backrest and let out a deep breath.
"They probably do not care about the lives of their people. It is not an action understandable as a ruler, but if they are madmen, it can be understood. In short, they may speak human words, but their insides are like wild dogs or monsters. There is no meaning in considering each of their actions from our perspective."
At those words, Mika also nodded.
"I do not know if their purpose is just to shed blood or if there are other purposes, but what I do will not change."
Saying that, Cranzard looked straight at Mika.
"To reduce even a single drop of blood shed by the kingdom's people. If I cannot do that, there is no point in becoming Regent."
The fighting on the battlefield had not yet begun, but Cranzard's war had long since started.
The eyes looking at Mika were like those of a person standing on a battlefield.
Accepting that gaze, Mika thought.
(Not bad...)
His political skills in peacetime are unknown, but at least he seems to have the qualities of a hero in chaotic times.
Whether he can do this even in a desperate situation is unknown.
Mika stood up and saluted.
"Then, I will do what I can."
"Yes, please do so. I am counting on your power."
When Mika left the Royal Castle guided by the guard knights, he headed for the academy.
He called Rimliche from the girls' dormitory and ordered her to stop practicing magic.
Thus, after finishing everything that needed to be done in the Royal Capital, he flew toward the Leventein Marquisate.
He could tell Kistil and Nerisfeene via communication device during tonight's scheduled contact.
■■■■■■
And so, diligently working on the protective wall reinforcement.
Once the wall was finished, the next step was creating stairs.
The spacing was about one every four to five hundred meters in high-traffic areas, and about one every seven to eight hundred meters in areas on the edges that did not seem likely to be attacked.
Stairs to climb the protective wall were arranged like that.
When climbing onto the protective wall, there were also stairs leading up to the stone walls Mika had built nearby.
And since there was still time left, he also built larger stone walls to prevent enemy arrows and thrown stones.
It was a stone wall five meters high with many protrusions.
It was at least seventy centimeters high, and the highest parts exceeded one hundred centimeters.
It was not a stone wall that would move easily, but since it was just placed there, he had told them not to lean on it.
The laying of antennas for communication was also finished, and training using communication devices was conducted.
Assuming several locations were destroyed one after another, reports came in from various parts of the protective wall to the communication command room.
These were conveyed to the strategy room, which considered the order of repair and issued instructions.
The communication command room then conveyed those instructions to Mika.
When training, various things became visible if reports from the protective wall were inappropriate or if the judgment in the strategy room was inappropriate.
By eliminating such problems, instructions for efficient repairs began to be issued little by little.
As Mika trained in this manner, he could see various units training on the protective walls and stone walls.
Archers ran on top of the protective walls, training to deploy urgently on the stone walls.
The mage team hid behind walls blocking arrows, and at the commander's signal, they released [Explosive Flame] all at once.
Already assuming actual combat, they were training while actually releasing [Explosive Flame] not every time, but frequently.
With the battle approaching closely, the tension on the front line was rising whether they liked it or not.