Chapter 82 - The Sage Who Chose Eternity Over Eternal Rest (2)

Marquis Montpellier asked in a heavily stiffened voice.

『Was there such an eminent person in the kingdom?』

The marquis expressed his concern, stating that if a talent capable of solely handling the design and maintenance of a Magic Tower were to suddenly step forward, it could serve as circumstantial evidence that the kingdom had violated the treaty and secretly trained Mages.

His words sounded plausible, but in the end, since he was the one who had been monitoring the kingdom all this time, it was merely an expression of worry that he might be reprimanded by the empire for something he had missed.

"An Elf."

I gave the marquis a suitable excuse.

"My fiancée is a Mage counted among the best even within her tribe."

I never imagined I would end up mentioning that lunatic Elf like this out of my own mouth. I felt completely awful.

But for this once, I decided to close my eyes and put forward my public relationship with Sigrun.

In reality, Sigrun was closer to a Magic Swordsman than a Mage, and Elves, who had independently mastered a way to approach the world's mysteries, had nothing to do with a Magic Tower, but none of that mattered in the slightest.

What mattered right now wasn't the truth anyway, but how it appeared in the eyes of others.

In fact, the marquis did not raise any objections to the excuse I provided.

He simply brought up another immediate issue.

More realistic and direct problems.

The kingdom's finances were a problem, and the stubborn King was also a problem.

Setting aside whether the kingdom's finances were abundant enough to build a Magic Tower, the King would never want a Magic Tower to be built in the distant North, where his influence could not reach.

Nine times out of ten, he would stubbornly insist on building the Magic Tower near The Capital.

And I could guarantee that if a Magic Tower was built near The Capital, not a single Mage would be dispatched to the North.

That was absolutely not what I wanted.

Just as the King did not want a Magic Tower beyond his influence, I also had no intention of sharing the Magic Tower with the kingdom.

What I wanted was for a Magic Tower completely my own, untainted by anyone's influence, to be built in the North.

『Even if it's only 3-story, a Magic Tower is a Magic Tower. Even if the Northern lords pool their resources to cover the costs, I doubt how much of a help it would be.』

"Where would the Northern lords get the money? They're already tight on funds just recovering from the damages with the war reparations from the Central region."

『I am saying this just in case, but the construction cost of a Magic Tower is not something I can handle.』

The marquis spoke firmly.

He seemed preemptively terrified that I might extort a fortune out of him.

"Do you really think I'd make you bear that massive sum all on your own?"

Who does he take me for?

"Get it from the nobles."

There are so many bastards to wring money out of.

『Surely you don't mean...』

"What are you going to do with those weaknesses you've secured otherwise?"

The voice coming from beyond the crystal ball abruptly cut off.

I could clearly picture the marquis's dumbfounded face on the other side.

He likely never imagined that I would order a noble of another country to blackmail the nobles of my own country to cover the funds.

But from the start, I never considered the nobles whose weaknesses were held by the marquis to be nobles of the kingdom.

They were snake-like scum who would even sell out their own country if necessary, and their treasuries would only be used for their own selfish desires.

I didn't have even the slightest shred of obligation to look after them.

『There will be great resentment.』

"Deal with it."

『Your Highness?』

"You weren't planning to use my name, were you?"

The marquis did not answer.

It was clear that he had planned to at least drag in the North's name, even if not mine.

Indeed, since he could both extort money and sow discord within the kingdom, it would be killing two birds with one stone from the perspective of an imperial ambassador.

"Let me give you a piece of advice."

『I am listening.』

"If you've decided to be a dog, be a dog to the bone."

No answer came from beyond the crystal ball.

"Because if you just clumsily fake it, you might end up abandoned by both your new master and your former master at the same time."

『... I will keep that in mind.』

"And I'm saying this just in case, but I won't stop you from secretly pocketing your own share."

Hearing the marquis's heavily suppressed voice, I added one more thing.

"However, if you're going to do it, be thorough about it. If you clumsily get caught by my eyes..."

I didn't go so far as to childishly spell out what would happen if he got caught.

I simply breathed a portion of my Grade into my words.

I couldn't know if my aura would reach beyond the crystal ball.

『I will keep that in mind.』

Hearing the marquis's violently trembling voice, it seemed it had been conveyed properly.

"Good. Very good."

Having thus resolved the matter regarding the Magic Tower, I smiled in satisfaction.

* * *

The turbulent mana gradually settled. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.

"It's not easy."

My face contorted into a frown without me realizing it.

Through the battle with the Warlord, I had obtained the [Heroic Poem] I so desired, and achieved a growth of my soul fitting for it.

It had already been three months since I transcended even the extraordinary and reached the Heroic Grade.

However, the exponential growth I expected did not happen.

This damn body was the problem.

The Scoundrel's lowly talent was holding me back.

Up until now, I had opened my soul whenever necessary and mobilized the power of the Poem of Martial Deeds to endure as much as possible, but even that had its limits.

Currently, my talent regarding mana sensitivity was, at best, only on the level of an ordinary knight. Since this was all I could achieve even after forcibly cultivating the body's talent through the Poem of Martial Deeds, I could only sigh once again at what a dullard the Scoundrel had been.

Because of these circumstances, I couldn't advance a single step in front of the wall of a Sword Master.

It was only natural.

Becoming a Sword Master wasn't achieved simply by accumulating a lot of mana, nor was it a stage that could be reached simply by gaining enlightenment.

Sword Master was a stage one could only challenge when the body, the soul, and the aura all reached perfection and achieved harmony.

And among what I currently possessed, the only thing that met the conditions for a Sword Master was my soul.

Both the mana within my body and my innate physical form were nothing but mediocre.

In other words, the vessel was so small that it couldn't even properly contain the contents I held in my hands.

There was only one way to solve this in a short period of time.

Reconstructing the body. The problem was the fact that even this was only possible if supported by talent and rank.

To reach Sword Master, I needed to reconstruct my body, and to reconstruct my body, I needed to reach Sword Master.

It was truly a shitty situation.

At this rate, Adelia was going to reach Sword Master before me.

Unlike me, her soul was unable to keep up with the talent of her physical body. However, she possessed an overwhelming talent that could overcome that disharmony and incomplete state.

If my guess was correct, it wouldn't be long before she reached the stage of a Sword Master, even if only a half-formed one.

It wasn't just her.

Having gone through repeated real combat, Arwen had also woven another ring, becoming a Triple Chain knight. Even at this moment, she had volunteered for mountain patrols and was growing rapidly through actual combat.

It even made me think that perhaps the first to reach the stage of a Sword Master wouldn't be Adelia, but Arwen.

People always went on about rings, and I finally realized with painful clarity why they obsessed so much over the mana of the rings.

I had acted completely full of myself, but at this rate, I was going to be the one falling furthest behind, so it would actually be stranger if I didn't feel anxious.

Still, since I had achieved the most difficult growth of Grade, I believed that everything would naturally resolve itself as time passed.

I could only hope that time would come early.

Before that lunatic Elf, who was like an avatar of ruin, revealed her true colors,

Before the greedy empire noticed what I had prepared,

Before the garbage nobles and the incompetent King of this rotten country completely ruined the nation.

I was simply waiting for the moment when I could reach the place I desired.

Of course, just sitting still and waiting wouldn't accomplish anything, so I made effort after effort to reach perfection with this mediocre body, while on the other hand, I tackled the things I needed to handle one by one.

I had the Silver Foxes bring the kingdom's secret knights, whose whereabouts we had recently succeeded in tracking down, to Winter Castle. I instructed them to persuade them first, but if they refused, to drag them here even if it meant resorting to somewhat drastic measures.

And through Antoine, I was able to hear that most of the knights whose whereabouts were confirmed were currently on their way to Winter Castle.

Of course, I didn't know what thoughts they were having as they came here.

Whether they were coming harboring blades in their hearts, or if they were being dragged along by the Silver Foxes with empty minds, there was no way for me to know.

Besides them, there were far too many other things to take care of.

To strengthen Winter Castle's forces, I had to tour the barracks and single out those with talent, forming separate units to train them individually. I also placed the Senior Mercenaries of the Silver Fox Mercenaries with them, making them start over from the beginning.

As the instructor for the training, I appointed Bernardo Eli.

Bernardo was a strict instructor and at the same time a thoughtful commander, and he personally proved with his skills that my selection was not mistaken.

He was a natural-born instructor who knew exactly how to distinguish between when to squeeze the soldiers and when to give them slack.

I watched that sight with satisfaction.

From the moment I saw him at that ridiculous social club, I could tell that, unlike the other degenerates, Bernardo Eli was not a true scoundrel.

Because the status window I saw for him was an excellent one that a scoundrel who had fallen onto the wrong path out of despair over his ruined family's situation could never possess.

Quite some time after the war had ended, I had a conversation with Bernardo.

"What was the reason you told me to seek you out before I was dragged away to the trial?"

"Because I wanted to hear it. Why you held onto the secret technique that ruined your family until the very end."

"The men of the Eli family are originally famous for being stubborn. My grandfather, my father, and I, too, simply wanted to prove the fact that the Eli family was not wrong."

Through the conversation that day, I learned the fact that the Eli family still believed in the Mana Heart and the Poem of Martial Deeds, and that they had made countless attempts to overcome the mana of the rings.

Even though all of those ended in failure, those attempts served as excellent nourishment for the man named Bernardo, and that nourishment now provided superb soil for the rookie knight candidates of Winter Castle to grow in.

"Why did you go out of your way to act like a scoundrel?"

"Because I needed money to rebuild a family that was completely broke."

"So you were fleecing suckers."

"There is a more elegant word called 'financial backers'."

"Was I a financial backer too?"

"You were an excellent financial backer."

I simply ended up laughing at Bernardo's response, as he always became exceptionally flippant when dealing with me.

"I don't understand why you, of all people, acted like a scoundrel, Your Highness."

When I just kept laughing instead of answering, he let out a grumble.

"Anyway, because Your Highness caused such a scene, I was the only innocent one who caught the brunt of it. The fortune I had barely scraped together was entirely confiscated on the grounds that it was gathered through improper means. The losses are immense."

So take responsibility. Bernardo babbled such impudent words.

"The years of endurance the Eli family has spent will all be rewarded."

To those impudent words, I told him that I would gladly take responsibility.

It was my own kind of goodwill toward a knightly family that had steadfastly held its ground until the very end, even when everyone else had given up the arduous path to Transcendence.

Because the Bernardo I saw was a man just as splendid as the men of Winter Castle.

Though the sight of him trailing after Arwen, who wouldn't even give him a glance, was a bit unsightly.

In any case, while solidifying our internal stability like that, on the outside, I had the members of the Northern families serve as officers at Winter Castle for a limited period.

It was because I wanted to stand them before the bitter cold, so that they would never forget the winter again.

The descendants of the Blood Lions were also growing rapidly, and everything was smooth sailing.

I prepared to leave Winter Castle without any lingering regrets.

Accompanied only by three Rangers serving as guides, Arwen, Adelia, and Boris.

And then, we went deep, deep into the mountains.

Crossing the mountains that the people of Winter Castle called the Blade Mountains, we finally arrived.

At the land where the most primordial winter dwelled, the Frost Mountains.

"From here on out, it is a territory that even we do not know."

The Rangers bowed their heads to me, saying that it would be difficult to guide the way any further.

I commended the Rangers for their efforts in steadfastly guiding the way through the harsh cold without even possessing mana, and ordered them to return now.

On the way back, I planned to entrust the guiding to Boris.

That was also why I had brought her along.

"Hmm."

Boris glanced at me.

She seemed quite bothered by the fact that only women were left here now.

Or perhaps she was bothered by my reputation of being lecherous.

Unlike usual, Arwen and Adelia also seemed puzzled by my actions of only bringing women along. They didn't ask out loud, but their gazes were demanding an explanation from me.

I explained to them why I had specifically come all the way to these deep mountains beyond the Blade Mountains.

Upon hearing my explanation, their expressions instantly hardened.

Not to mention the timid Adelia, but even Arwen and Boris were pale and drained of color.

It was only natural.

The entity I was seeking was someone who would make anyone, not just them, make such an expression.

"For now, keep what I said in mind, and even if things go wrong, follow my plan as much as possible."

I called their attention and headed deep into the Frost Mountains.

"Your Highness. How can you walk so unhesitatingly?"

Boris asked me.

It sounded as if she was asking what I would do if we got lost by walking so recklessly.

"Don't worry."

Looking at her, I turned my gaze forward.

"Because it's a place I know."

Was it merely just 'knowing' it?

Hundreds of years of time had passed. And that much time had settled down.

But despite that, the rugged snowy mountains unfolding before my eyes were all too familiar to me.

This was the path where Leonberk's army had marched in the past to fight a decisive battle against the Mad Dragon.

I had fought the Mad Dragon's army continuously for several months here.

And what I was seeking now was the treasure of a certain entity that had stood in my way here at that time.

"Stop for a moment."

Upon reaching the front of a large cave and looking around for a moment, I ended up laughing without realizing it.

"I found the right place."

Familiar terrain, and a familiar sense of disharmony. Breaking through that disharmony, I stepped inside.

"I'll go in alone, so wait here."

Leaving them behind, I entered the cave.

And after tracing my memories and pushing through the darkness for a long while, I finally found what I was looking for.

"Ugh!"

The women, seeing me emerge from the cave, grimaced heavily.

No, to be precise, they made faces as if they were going to vomit upon seeing the object grasped in my hand.

THROB, THROB.

The squishy object grasped in my hand pulsated.

That grotesque object, with dark energy constantly flowing in and out of it, was a heart faded to a black hue.

"It certainly gives off an ominous energy, just as Your Highness said."

Arwen said with a face drained of color.

Her eyes were full of vigilance as she looked at the heart that surged and spewed out dark energy.

She couldn't help it.

Because this heart was not merely a bizarre object.

The last piece of flesh left in this world by a Mage who chose eternal pursuit over eternal rest, a token of promise guaranteeing an imperfect eternity, an amalgamation of demonic energy that would kill an ordinary person just by them touching it.

This was the Life Vessel of a thousand-year-old High Lich.

I squeezed the heart tightly.

Putting in strength, very hard. As if I was going to burst it right then and there.

[Guaaaaaaah!]

And not long after, an echo like the wailing of a ghost resounded throughout the entire mountain range.

[Whooooo...]

[Dares...]

Dark energy gathered up in the sky.

It was a sight as if night had suddenly fallen in the middle of a sunny day.

[Was it yooouuu...]

The 「Night」 gathered in the middle of the blue sky lunged at me.

"It's been a while."