Chapter 199 - The Slan Gorge (3)

Chapter 199 - The Slan Gorge (3)

Upon Teleportation being used, the surroundings became silent as if nothing had ever happened.

However, even though the teleportation spell made everything disappear, it still couldn't erase the traces of the fierce magic bombardment.

The silence continued for around a minute. When it was finally deemed completely safe, several people appeared from the sky.

“It worked, right?”

“Yeah, we calculated it right.”

“What were the coordinates?”

“Somewhere in the southernmost part of the continent.”

“You’ve dropped them off at the far end of the continent, haven't you?”

“Well, this is the only way we can buy ourselves time for about ten days.”

Many people had appeared. They all wore large robes and most of them looked young. They were none other than the vice school heads of the former Magical Spire, but of course, they were now the vice school heads of the Snow Spire.

The six vice school heads landed on the ground.

In order, they were the vice school heads of the four sciences: fire, water, earth, and wind. The remaining two were the vice school heads of movement.

Igni Ramto, a fire master who specialized in fire properties, said, “I attacked him out of nowhere, but it didn’t work as well as it was supposed to. He was definitely Balak, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah. There’s no one except for the Punishment King that wears a three-horned helmet and uses a stupid weapon like that.”

“Arthus, what a wretched bastard! I didn’t expect him to send the Punishment King just to capture us!”

“But how did he know where to send him?”

“Anyway, the Archmage is truly amazing. I wonder if there's magic that lets you see into the future when you become a 7th-Circle.”

The misunderstandings kept piling up, but no matter the process, Henry’s judgment had been right.

Henry had made Hector the gatekeeper of Salgaera in case Arthus came here. However, even if this was Hector, Henry had prepared the vice school heads in advance, just in case something would go wrong. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

Henry’s planning had been perfect, saving Salgaera from the worst possible crisis.

“It’s going to take Balak at least ten days to get here, so we’ll have to get the Archmage before then.”

“Do you know where the Archmage is right now?”

“I heard that he’s in the Sore Empire right now.”

“Then I’ll go there.”

The one who offered to go there was Crab Flicker, one of the vice school heads of the movement school, majoring in movement techniques.

“Alright, then some of you should go to the gorge entrance and check the status of the checkpoint, while the rest set up a boundary line. I’ll look for Sir Hector.”

“Okay.”

“Everyone, get going!”

When everything was still peaceful, all the school heads were in competition with one another because all of them took great pride in their intelligence. However, when the empire fell and a new Archmage was born, they stopped competing and started to fully cooperate with each other, working as a group. After all, wizards were all about being efficient.

Soon, all of the six vice school heads dispersed.

There were still nine vice school heads in the Snow Spire. However, they were there just in case of an emergency to protect the young wizards in the Snow Spire.

In the absence of the leaders, those at the bottom of the ladder worked hard and efficiently to fulfill their duties.

* * *

Ptzzz!

A vortex of mana formed out of thin air, looking like a lightning bolt.

As if a bomb of light had exploded, a blinding beam of light washed over the land, and a storm of destruction swept over the peaceful mountain range of the south.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the center of the storm was but one man.

A man in red armor, wearing a helmet with three horns.

The man curled up even more tightly, trying to hold for dear life as the vortex and bombardment of magic blasted him ceaselessly.

...

He didn’t know how long this journey was going to be, but it wasn’t like he could have a chat with Balak along the way. Thus, Hector naturally had all the time in the world to sink into his thoughts.

Solitude. Meditation. Talking to himself. Loneliness.

Hector was familiar with all those things, given that they had been a big part of his years of lingering in the Underworld. Therefore, this short moment of boredom was nothing compared to what he had experienced in the past. Even so, he decided to kill time in a familiar manner.

The first thing he decided to contemplate on was his previous fight with Balak.

‘Anyway, is that morning star an artifact or something? I’ve heard of talking swords, but a weapon that returns to its owner on its own? I’d want a weapon like that if it weren’t for its shape.’

Hector was used to talking to himself.

The two warriors began their journey together, although separated from each other.

* * *

Zipan.

They were a nation of dark-haired, dark-eyed people who had come from the eastern continent a long time ago.

At first, it would seem that they were culturally similar to the Sore Empire, but in reality, the two nations had completely different cultures.

Doyle was the head of Zipan, and he was currently having tea with Henry, a guest who had politely showed up at the front door.

“I sensed that things were changing, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.”

“Zipan is the last one left. If Zipan joins the Allied Powers, all the Central Powers can come together to create one powerful alliance to fight the Aenia Empire.”

“Hmmm.”

Doyle pondered on it.

Despite nearing the age of ninety, with gray eyebrows and a bald head, Doyle had kept himself remarkably healthy.

After thinking for some time, he asked Henry, “Then what can you do for us, Archmage?”

“Do you have a specific request?”

“I do, but there’s no point in wanting something at my age.”

“I’m an Archmage, so I’ll try my very best to make it happen.”

“Try your best, huh...?”

Doyle lifted his eyelids, thin as a thread, revealing his faint pupils. His black pupils had turned cloudy.

He was blind.

However, even though he was blind, he had no trouble leading Zipan. He was said to see his opponents with his heart, not with his two worn-out eyes.

“What I want is simple. I want to go back to my homeland, a place that I’ve haven't been to in a long time,” said Doyle.

“Homeland...?”

“Yes. Out of all the people in Zipan, everyone who actually came over from the east side is dead except for me. In other words, everyone else here is from Eurasia.”

Although they had dark hair and dark eyes, they had been born in Eurasia, making it their homeland.

However, Doyle was different.

Although he had lived in the Eurasian Empire until the age of ninety, Doyle’s homeland was still on the eastern continent. He had come from there from a very distant past.

“There’s nothing I want to have, and nothing I want to eat, but in my nearly one hundred years of life, I’ve tried to cross over to the eastern continent many times, but each time I’ve failed. So, if we do decide to join the alliance, will you take me to the eastern continent?” continued Doyle.

This was the last wish of a homesick, dying man. Doyle genuinely wanted to rest in peace in the comfort of his own homeland, where he had been born and raised.

‘The eastern continent...’

Henry had conquered Eurasia in his previous life, but he had never been to the eastern continent. Rather, he had never been interested in it in the first place. However, as Doyle’s condition for joining the alliance was going back to the eastern continent, Henry became interested in it for the first time in his life.

Henry didn’t have to think for long. Taking Doyle back to the eastern continent after the war seemed possible because it would be Henry doing it, not just anybody.

“Alright. I swear on my Master’s name that I will reunite you with your homeland.”

“Very well.”

There was no need to ask the opinions of the people in Zipan. Doyle was the head of Zipan, and everyone was going to agree with his decision because they all respected him and considered him the wisest person in their nation.

‘Then it’s settled.’

With this, Zipan also joined the Allied Powers.

There still hadn’t been a definitive answer from Deucekain, but there was no need to worry about them because Terion was working on it.

‘It’s going to start soon.’

The Allied Powers were complete. Henry was finally able to take his first step toward facing the Aenia Empire.