Chapter 146 - Transference

“Now, follow me. With the two of us together, Beris is as good as captured.”

Maphel’tan spread his enormous wings. A pitch-black curtain shrouded the prayer hall, and red eyes gleamed near the ceiling.

Just as he was about to soar away, Shaperia shouted, “Wait! Hold on a moment!”

Maphel’tan frowned. “I thought you had resolved to take my hand. Is there something more you wish to say?”

Shaperia looked incredulous. “Where we’re going, what we’re about to do, how we’re going to kill Beris... I should know at least something of your plan.”

Maphel’tan clicked his tongue. Until now, he had rarely shared plans or information with his companions. Ilea, Gaf, Raguel, Count Staviana, Serena Marcano—the list went on. He had demanded nothing but blind obedience from everyone he worked with.

They had followed his orders without much complaint, never prying into his reasons or the circumstances.

Shaperia was different. She wanted to be told the entire plan.

Maphel’tan suppressed a groan. “Explaining every little detail is a bother. All you need to do is follow me.”

Shaperia’s face twisted. “Let me make this clear, White Horn. I am not your puppet. You won’t get to do whatever you please with me.”

Unlike the others, Shaperia had no weakness Maphel’tan could exploit. She had no reason to obey his orders. The two were merely equals united by a common interest.

After a moment’s consideration, Maphel’tan said, “You’re rather demanding. Very well. I’ll give you a rough outline of what we must do.”

Shaperia’s expression was firm. “Not a rough outline. Explain it in detail.”

Maphel’tan let out a short sigh.

'What a bother.'

He began to speak. “We are going to the Second Region of the Abyss. There, we can find a way to gather the torn fragments of the Apostle Beris’s soul in one place.”

The Apostle Beris’s soul had been divided into ten parts. Shaperia had destroyed one, leaving nine. All nine soul fragments had to be gathered before the true Beris could manifest.

Maphel’tan intended to summon Beris in his complete form, then slay him. Only Beris’s annihilation would strip the Third Prince, Gawain, of his contract-breaking power. Once Beris was dead, Maphel’tan would be able to claim the enormous power of Gawain the Demon for himself.

Looking somewhat taken aback, Shaperia murmured, “... The Second Region of the Abyss.”

Maphel’tan nodded. “That is our final destination. Though there is one thing we must do beforehand.”

“What is it?”

“We must obtain an earth dragon’s egg.”

Shaperia furrowed her brow. “An earth dragon? Where did that come from?”

“This is where it gets complicated. Listen carefully. I will not explain it twice.”

Maphel’tan calmly began to tell her about the Apostle Beris.

* * *

The underdwellers. One of the forgotten ancient races, they were intelligent beings who lived deep beneath the earth.

No, the underdwellers were too dim-witted to be called intelligent. Their intellect was severely lacking. Stupid and dull, they had never built a proper civilization, merely remaining buried underground, living primitively for thousands of years.

No matter how much time passed, the underdwellers could not advance. That had been true until six hundred years ago.

Then something extraordinary happened. Six hundred years ago, an underdweller encountered an ancient earth dragon underground.

Like dragons in general, the earth dragon was a divine beast possessed of an intelligence far beyond ordinary comprehension. Taking pity on the underdweller, it imparted its knowledge. It used magic to compensate for his deficient intellect and even taught him the miracle of magic itself.

As a result, Beris—the underdweller who had chanced upon the earth dragon—became the greatest being among his entire race. Before long, he was revered as a god.

Once a god, Beris passed the knowledge he had received from the earth dragon on to his people, ushering in an age of prosperity. All the underdwellers began to acquire intelligence. They built an advanced civilization underground and reached both hands toward the surface.

That was where the seeds of disaster were sown.

The surface dwellers considered the underdwellers inferior beings. They would not permit them to dare come aboveground. Mere underdwellers, basking in sunlight and moonlight? There could be no greater blasphemy.

The Great Saint Marziel mobilized every available force to drive them back underground. As though banishment were not enough, the moon laid a curse upon them. Its wrath transformed the entire race into Demons.

Beris, god of the underdwellers, lost his divine throne and fell into corruption. Even his soul was torn into ten pieces.

Beris could only hate humanity and the moon. The same was true of every Apostle. They lived for nothing but vengeance against humankind.

* * *

After hearing the whole hidden history, Shaperia trembled all over. She found Maphel’tan’s account difficult to accept. If he was telling the truth, the Great Saint was no different from a Demon.

She shook her head. “Lies... Nothing but a Demon’s whispers!”

Maphel’tan shrugged. “It makes no difference whether you believe me. There is only one point that matters: we must use an earth dragon to summon Beris. That is all you need to remember.”

In the Second Region of the Abyss stood an altar honoring the earth dragon. The moment an earth dragon’s egg was placed upon it, Beris would manifest. Maphel’tan would then simply have to slay the summoned Beris. That was the extent of the plan he shared with Shaperia.

Shaperia gripped her sword hilt tightly. “If there is even the slightest lie in what you just said, White Horn, I swear I will tear you limb from limb.”

Both her hands trembled intermittently.

Maphel’tan chuckled. “Very well. But what if everything I said is true? What will you do then, Shaperia?”

For an instant, her gaze wavered. She immediately composed herself and said, “That is impossible. Even entertaining the thought is utter blasphemy.”

Maphel’tan’s lips stretched into a broad smile. “I can hardly wait. What expression will you wear when your faith crumbles and your convictions lie in ruins?”

Shaperia glared at him as though ready to spring. “Keep talking. I’ll slice that glib tongue of yours into little pieces.”

Maphel’tan replied with mock innocence, “I’m too frightened to utter another word. Let us end this conversation here. It’s time we left.”

The earth dragon’s habitat lay in the kingdom’s east, on the border between the kingdom and the Empire. It was a considerable distance away. Even riding day and night, reaching it would take several weeks.

Shaperia did not know that. Earth dragons themselves were unfamiliar to her.

“Traveling with you would make my flesh rot. We’ll go separately. Just tell me where the earth dragon is.”

“The eastern borderlands between the kingdom and the Empire.”

Shaperia started walking. “We’ll meet again in three weeks.”

That should be more than enough time to get there. Just as she was about to leave the church, Maphel’tan spoke.

“Your lord may not survive three weeks, you know.”

Beris’s contract spell was steadily dragging Yohan into a mire of misery. That was what Shaperia believed.

Her face crumpled. “It takes at least two weeks to reach the border. There is no other way.”

Maphel’tan shook his head. “I can reach our destination in under ten minutes.”

His expression was calm, without his usual playfulness.

Shaperia sounded incredulous. “Are you saying you can manipulate time and space?”

“Well, something like that.”

There was really nothing surprising about it. After all, the being before her was an Apostle of the End. Whatever miracles he performed, they would hardly be strange.

Shaperia said, “Then let’s get going. If I have to talk to you any longer, my ears will rot.”

Maphel’tan chuckled. “Even I find that a little hurtful. Here, take hold of this.”

A long strand of demonic energy descended from his body like a rope. After a moment’s hesitation, Shaperia gripped it.

At once, Maphel’tan headed straight for a church window. A pane of glass had been propped against it: the original of Chapter 13 of the Book of Doom, The Book of Deception and Chaos.

“W-wait!”

Ignoring Shaperia, Maphel’tan plunged into the Book of Doom. The pane did not shatter. Instead, it rippled like a lake and swallowed them both. They passed straight into the world within the mirrors.

* * *

“Remarkable. Never in all my years did I imagine I would witness such a miracle.”

Count Staviana looked around in genuine wonder. He had entered the world within the mirrors. Mirrors of every kind filled his entire field of vision.

Ilea smiled gently. “So even you can be surprised, Father.”

The count gave a wry laugh. “I am human too. A miracle that transcends time and space cannot help but humble me.”

This mirror magic could take him anywhere in the world. Wherever there was a mirror, the count would no longer be bound by time and space. The potential gains were truly astronomical.

Ilea’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “I’m sure you’ll put this miracle to good use, Father. I imagine Yohan thinks so too.”

It was only with Yohan’s permission that the count had been granted access to the world within the mirrors. Yohan trusted his abilities. No one would make better use of the power they were given than the count.

With a somewhat detached expression, the count said, “Good grief. To think that at my age, I would find myself having to live up to someone else’s expectations. My whole body aches already.”

Ilea shook her head. “You’re still in excellent health, Father. There is so much you must help Yohan accomplish. I’m counting on you for this matter too.”

The count had to persuade Wolfgang Eisenfeld. Wolfgang’s strength was essential to slaying an Apostle. The count would surely be able to win him over.

He replied calmly, “Don’t worry. My father-in-law will volunteer even if I say nothing.”

Wolfgang would never stay out of anything involving an Apostle. That battle maniac would surely give Yohan his full support.

Ilea smiled. “I hope everything goes smoothly.”

“As do I. The greater the Watcher of the Abyss’s standing, the sooner Yeriyan can be resurrected.”

All the credit for slaying the Apostle would go to Yohan. Even the Empire would probably commend him. His progress toward the title of sovereign duke could only accelerate. Everyone stood to gain from this endeavor.

As they exchanged pleasantries, one of the mirrors overhead began to convulse. A pitch-black shadow spread like paint across the original of Chapter 13 of the Book of Doom. Red eyes flashed, and Maphel’tan emerged.

Shaperia was dragged out after him. She was utterly stunned. Everything around her was alien.

“W-what is this...?”

Maphel’tan’s lips stretched into a broad smile. “It’s too early to be surprised. Now, let’s head east.”

He headed straight for a mirror on the opposite side. Before Shaperia could even voice her impressions, she was transported once more, this time to the eastern borderlands. The east’s hot, dry winds greeted them.