Chapter 298 - Chapter 297: The End of the War
First Month of Water, Fifth Week, Day of the Sun.
About four days had passed since the Royal Capital suffered catastrophic damage.
The fires that had broken out throughout the Royal Capital were extinguished by the "Miracle of the Apostle."
People were encouraged by the return of the "Day of Light," and the victims cooperated with one another.
Considering the scale of the damage, people were surprisingly positive, facing this hardship head-on.
The upper floors of the Great Cathedral in the Royal Capital were blown away, and people trembled at the ominous nature of that calamity.
However, miraculously, the Pope was unharmed, so people shed tears and gave thanks to the gods.
It was likely one reason the victims did not fall into despair that the Pope himself took the lead in encouraging the people.
The thing that brought calamity to the Royal Capital.
The eerie object floating above the Royal Castle had been witnessed by many.
That eerie object was the true identity of the one who had manipulated the Empire's Pope and ruled the Empire.
From the time the Pope began issuing oracles, he had been ruling the Empire.
This fact was announced as an official statement by both the nation and the church.
The one who brought that calamity was exorcised by the Apostle.
This fact was also conveyed to the people through announcements from the nation and the church.
And Mika flew around the Royal Capital, rescuing the people of the Royal Capital once again.
When he helped one person with magic, a huge amount of "Will [Voluntas]" returned from the people watching.
Every time this power, different from mana, was absorbed by Mika, the amount of mana he could handle increased.
Over these few days, Mika rapidly memorized the characteristics of this newly discovered power called "Will [Voluntas]."
District 2, near the West Main Street square.
Mika went to the place where the students of the Magic Academy were applying "Heal," and looked around.
Like during the attack by the Chimera, the Magic Academy had assigned its students to rescue victims using "Heal" and other means.
The Magic Academy itself had suffered damage, with the forest area within its grounds completely burned down.
However, it seemed there was no damage to the school buildings, dormitories, or academy facilities.
Therefore, it seemed that almost no restoration work for the academy itself was necessary.
Mika found the person he was looking for and walked straight toward them.
Sitting on the rubble, slumping, Mika spoke to the person.
"It's unexpected. I thought you wouldn't be interested in something like this."
When Mika said that, Paraleira wrinkled her face.
Paraleira looked quite exhausted, but even so, she was helping with the rescue of the victims.
She seemed to be sitting down now, taking a break.
"........................."
Paraleira glanced at Mika but ignored him immediately.
Her expression was worn out by fatigue, but it was not the hatred she had held before.
Mika casually checked the bracelet peeking out from Paraleira's cuff.
It seemed she had put on the bracelet he had given her.
It had only been a few days, but it seemed to have been effective.
Given Paraleira's personality, it wouldn't be strange if she had thrown away something forced upon her like that.
The fact that she continued to wear it might mean that even she felt a sense of incongruity about her own changes.
"Hibujiza is dead. ............ I killed him."
When Mika said that, Paraleira's eyes widened for a moment.
But she closed them immediately.
Paraleira did not lose her composure.
As expected, that abnormal hatred must have been influenced by the mana pollution.
There is no need to completely discard hatred.
However, having caught a glimpse of where the mana pollution leads, Mika was truly relieved that Paraleira had stopped here.
"If you are interested in the dangers of mana, why not try researching it? I intend to work with the higher-ups to protect the students and mages myself."
Paraleira did not lift her head, staring steadily at the ground.
Mika did not know what Paraleira would do in the future.
Even so, it was unlikely that this person would withdraw from research.
Whether she continues research on science, starts investigating mana, or moves in another direction.
He did not know the path she would take, but he was sure she would find her own way again and push forward.
Mika had conveyed what he needed to say, so he turned on his heel and left.
Paraleira silently watched Mika's back as he departed.
When Mika visited the Royal Castle, the Royal Guard knights saluted and welcomed him.
"Where is His Majesty?"
"He is stationed in the countermeasures room."
On that day when the Royal Capital suffered catastrophic damage.
As soon as Cranzard was allowed into the Royal Castle, he confirmed the death of the former King [Kernils] with his own eyes.
And there, he declared his accession to the throne.
Although it was not formal, he clarified his position, and those around him recognized it, thereby seizing actual power.
He postponed the accession ceremony and coronation, prioritizing the containment of the situation.
Dedoderic was reappointed as Prime Minister, and the ministers remained in their posts.
Only one person, the Minister of Military Affairs, was dismissed.
The dismissed Minister of Military Affairs was not Tsudazen.
It was the person who had been promoted from the Vice-Minister after Tsudazen.
This former Vice-Minister was unfortunate enough to be dismissed not even after three days, but in just one day.
Well, that one day of rule was, in reality, a rule he couldn't even establish.
Because Tsudazen still controlled the headquarters of the Kingdom Army even after being dismissed.
He was a pitiful person who was a minister in name only, and even that name was taken away in a single day.
But this person was not at fault.
And so, Tsudazen returned as the Minister of Military Affairs.
When Mika entered the conference room, Cranzard was signing a mountain of documents.
Around him, officials from the Ministry of Military Affairs, the Kingdom Army, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Royal Palace were busy running around, assisting him.
"Your Majesty. I will leave the Royal Capital for a moment."
"Wait, wait, wait. Just wait a moment. What is this, all of a sudden?"
Cranzard did not stop his hand writing on the documents as he asked Mika.
He lifted his face after finishing the signature.
He had scruffy facial hair and severe dark circles under his eyes.
Just as the Royal Capital was finally recovering from the attack by the Chimera, an even worse calamity had struck.
Moreover, Wyedges, the second largest city in the country, had also suffered catastrophic damage.
He had to deal with both of these situations.
Sarbengeal, the third largest city in the country, had seen a decline in urban functions and economic activity due to the war since last year and the evacuation of citizens.
With the three major cities paralyzed, it was a state that could be said to be a crisis of national survival.
Moreover, the fact that the former King [Kernils] had been imprisoned during his lifetime was known only to the ministers and a very small number of people.
Now that this has come to light, it seems some nobles are showing movements to "not recognize Cranzard."
Well, the ministers Cranzard had on his side were, in other words, powerful nobles.
It seems the persuasion of these powerful nobles to "fix the Royal Capital and Wyedges first" is currently working.
Therefore, it seems the situation is not yet that serious.
Mika stood before Cranzard, placing one hand on his hip.
"I will disperse the crowd behind the protective wall. I don't know how long they can maintain their supply, but I think that crowd cannot leave of their own will."
"Of their own will...? Mi... Apostle-sama, do you know something?"
Mika explained to Cranzard that a weak curse had been placed on the crowd.
"I don't think it is something that controls them as they please. It is not that strong a curse. Probably, it binds or guides their will to some extent."
Mika himself had experienced a part of that.
At first, he had no sense of incongruity while talking with Aquu.
That seemed to be something different from a curse, but by blocking his perception, Mika couldn't even recognize the pain caused by the backlash.
It seems they are still having some kind of influence on the crowd.
"If I break the curse, I think they will eventually disperse on their own."
"I would be grateful if they would. We do not have the luxury of stationing troops in the Leventein Marquisate. It would be a help if you could manage it."
"Well, I'll manage it somehow."
Originally, the plan was to just break the curse and leave it alone, but should I scatter them a bit more?
Resentment might build up, and they might end up staying put instead.
"Also, Your Majesty. I have one thing to confirm."
"What is it?"
Cranzard replied while rubbing around his eyes.
"What about the counter-invasion of the Gronoir Empire?"
When Mika asked that, Cranzard made a disgusted face.
"At least, not for ten years. First priority is the domestic situation. ...Personally, I don't want to get involved again. I do have the feeling of wanting to crush them into a mess with my own hands."
He let out a large sigh there.
"But, all of this comes after fixing the domestic situation first."
Hearing that, Mika frowned slightly between his eyebrows.
Mika understood Cranzard's feelings.
But there must be times when that causes trouble...
(Well, that's not something I need to worry about.)
After confirming Cranzard's intentions for the time being, Mika flew to the border's protective wall.
Standing on the stone wall, he looked at the crowd about one kilometer away.
It seemed that soup kitchens and food distribution were still continuing, and it didn't look like the crowd was starving to death.
"Well then, I'm counting on you."
When Mika said that, Mika's body glowed for a moment.
Then, as the light subsided, Mika's figure also disappeared.
"W-whoa!?"
"What the heck!?"
Soldiers watching the Apostle's movements nearby raised surprised voices at Mika who had vanished.
"Is he really gone?"
When Mika asked that, the soldiers were even more surprised.
"Yes! The Apostle-sama's figure has disappeared!"
"As expected of the Apostle-sama!"
It seems the stealth camouflage is working well.
"Well then, I'll go for a bit."
Mika jumped up from the stone wall while remaining invisible.
Stealth camouflage.
A technique to hide one's figure by allowing light to pass through or bypassing it.
It is a familiar trick in SF, but I thought, "Maybe Fee, who manipulates light, can do this?"
When Fee was a lump of light, something like this was not necessary.
He just had to suppress the light to disappear.
But now that Fee resides in Mika's body, he cannot disappear that way.
When Mika explained the method of light transmission and bypassing, Fee seemed to have searched Mika's memories as well.
Fee understood the image immediately and granted it quite easily.
With stealth camouflage and "Tiptoe," one might be able to do whatever they wanted.
Fee was thoroughly dumbfounded by Mika's delusions like that.
(Well then, let's dispel the curses all at once.)
Coming close to the crowd, Mika tightened his resolve a little.
One of the changes that occurred when Mika became a "High-Energy Thought Form" and acquired a massive amount of "Will [Voluntas]" was the handling of magic.
To put it simply, it was functionally expanded.
Taking "Dispel" as an example, multitasking became easier.
And there was no longer a need to touch them directly with hands.
These expansion functions require a large amount of "Will [Voluntas]," but Mika currently possesses a ridiculous amount of "Will [Voluntas]."
The "Imprecated Children [Imprecatorio]" seemed unsatisfied with this amount, but for normal use, it has become incredibly convenient.
(If I expand mana over thirty meters and dispel the people who enter it with "Auto-Dispel"...)
Flying at low altitude, he dispels as if painting over everything evenly.
If he repeats this a few times, there will be almost no oversights.
Well, sorry for those who slipped through.
Mika is only helping people who can be helped with good intentions.
It is not something he should be complained about just because they weren't helped.
These people are also victims, but even so, he would be troubled if they complained.
Mika used "Low Gravity" to fly around the crowd at a relatively low speed of about fifty to sixty kilometers per hour.
The curses placed on each person were weak, so they could be dispelled in an instant.
Even so, doing this one by one would take an enormous amount of time.
After all, there are still estimated to be nearly twenty million people.
Even if he dispelled one person per second, it would take more than six months.
Without any rest or breaks at all.
Definitely, an epidemic would spread halfway through and wipe them all out.
(I hope they just go home after this.)
From what he heard, it was a country where eighty percent of the citizens originally supported the invasion of the Kingdom of Ektrem.
Even if the curse is broken, there is a possibility they will continue to stay put.
(Well, if that happens, I'll carpet bomb them and scatter them.)
Thinking such things, Mika flew over the crowd about three times and ended the dispelling for the day.
■■■■■■
First Month of Water, Fifth Week, Day of the Moon.
Mika looked down at the crowd from above the protective wall.
"It's true. The number has decreased a bit. I can see people leaving the crowd."
"Indeed, the number has decreased."
In the morning, a message came from the communication command room.
A soldier on duty at the stone wall reported that when he saw the crowd at dawn, the number seemed to have decreased slightly.
It is not yet that many, but people have definitely started to leave.
No, strictly speaking, the total number is not that significant, but probably more than a million people have left the crowd.
"So, they couldn't leave because of the curse. Their will to retreat was bound, and they were trapped in the thought 'Just aim for Ektrem'."
"In that case, with this..."
"Yes. Surely this means the war is over."
When Mika said that, the soldier in charge of communication let out a large sigh.
It felt as if all his thoughts were contained in that heavy, wordless sigh.
"We still cannot let our guard down. There will be stubborn ones, and because comrades started retreating, there might be those who come at us recklessly."
"Yes, that is true. But..."
There, the soldier cut off his words.
He could hear him taking a deep breath.
"Finally, we can see the end."
"Yes, I think that is certain. Report to command. If necessary, you can hit them a little with threats."
If he uses "Implosion" nearby, there is a high possibility they will be scared by the blast wind and run away.
There might be some foolish ones with spirit, but they would be a very small minority.
It is within the range that a normal border defense system can handle.
"Just to be safe, I'll go around once more and dispel again. When I'm done, I'll contact you, so don't come out until then."
"Understood. Be careful."
After such exchanges, Mika put the communication device into the Magic Bag.
"...Just a little more."
The "Imprecated Children [Imprecatorio]" who wished for blood to flow on the continent were gone.
If the crowd here can be dispersed, the immediate biggest problem will be resolved.
Well, there are a mountain of cleanup tasks, but that is not something Mika should do.
That is the burden of Cranzard, who ascended the throne, and the Pope, Blahoslav.
It is fine to lend a hand, but there is no responsibility.
"...I have things I want to do, so let's finish this quickly."
Mika told Fee to enter stealth mode and went around dispelling again, just like yesterday.
■■■■■■
First Month of Water, Fifth Week, Day of the Wind. Evening.
Mika was walking through the dim back alleys of Shaksara.
"...Is this it."
On the tavern sign, the characters "The Hanged Man [Hanged Man]".
The shop Aquu had mentioned.
Before coming here, Mika once returned to the Royal Capital and borrowed a bracelet from Rimliche.
It was a heavily reinforced bracelet.
He couldn't take Aquu's words at face value, but he was interested in the knowledge they had left behind.
Since there was a possibility of a trap, he came to receive it with maximum caution.
When Mika pulled the wooden door, it made an unpleasant sound: Kii...
He activated "Physical Enhancement" forty times and stepped into the shop with caution.
He quickly scanned his vision and roughly grasped the situation inside the store.
The shop was narrow.
A tavern with only counter seats.
Five stools and two stools were lined up at the L-shaped counter.
Mika turned his eyes to the middle-aged man who seemed to be the master, writing in a ledger on the five stools lined up.
"...It's not open yet."
The master spoke without even looking at Mika.
"I heard from Aquu."
Mika said that and presented his Guild Card so it could be seen.
The master turned his face slightly and glanced sideways at Mika's face and the Guild Card.
He had a unique, murky eye of someone living in a very deep place on the reverse side.
"............It's quite different from what I heard."
"How did you hear it?"
He asked that, but the master did not answer.
He let out a large sigh and put down the pen.
"Wait a moment."
Saying only that, the master went inside the counter.
Then he went through the door inside the counter.
When the master returned, he was holding five Magic Bags.
He placed the Magic Bags on the counter and began pouring alcohol into a glass inside the counter.
It seemed to be a distilled liquor with an amber color.
"What happened to the boss [Aquu]?"
When the master said that, he drank the glass in one gulp.
He hesitated for a moment on how to answer, but decided to answer as is.
He must have had an idea.
"He's dead."
When Mika said that, the master exhaled hot breath.
Without saying anything else, he indicated the Magic Bags to Mika with his eyes.
Mika reached out and carefully put his hand inside the bag.
But it wouldn't go in.
The master muttered softly.
"It's registered with mana."
I see.
If it is not someone who can perform "Salvage," it means nothing to get it.
It seems Aquu did not trust that master that much to entrust it to him.
"Can I check it here? I don't want to come back again."
When Mika asked that, the master indicated the counter on the two-stool side with his eyes.
Mika took the Magic Bag and sat on the stool.
It's nice that I don't have to stretch my height or jump around.
He was moved a little by such a trivial thing.
And so, he replaced the mana registration.
It was indeed Aquu's data.
One of the five Magic Bags contained a large number of books.
The remaining four contained things like parchment that could be considered original texts, various tools, and things that seemed to be research results.
Probably, the things contained in these four Magic Bags were the original materials and the like.
The large number of books were modern translations, then?
Mika placed five gold coins on the counter.
"I have certainly received them."
Saying only that, Mika left the shop.
Once outside the shop, the dim alley became even darker.
"Well, what shall I do...."
Mika muttered to himself and hurriedly walked away.