We were traveling by carriage for the first time in a while.
Serein slumped deep into her seat and grumbled.
“This is so frustrating.”
“Should I open the window?”
“No, it’s not the air. It’s the speed.”
I knew exactly what she meant.
Lately, we had been moving around using Agril so often that we had just gotten used to it.
Humans really are fickle creatures.
Xenia chimed in.
“We have been pushing too hard, Atrium, the starting point, and then straight to Gabriel Territory. We need to rest a bit. Even with plenty of divine power, just eating a lot won’t fix everything.”“Xenia, I can’t believe you’re saying that…”
“Mr. Mide. I’m sorry.”
I shrugged.
“Nothing to apologize for. You’re just saying the obvious.”
Honestly, every one of our party members had played a vital role in our journey, but all of that was only possible because Agril always got us to our destinations on time.
If the timing had been off, we wouldn’t even have had the chance to shine.
‘At this point, we might as well call him the eighth party member.’
[Ahem. Isn’t that supposed to be me?]
‘Then introduce yourself properly to the team if you want the title.’
[Ah. Crap.]
‘Don’t change the subject.’
[No, I mean it. This is bad.]
Tap.
A screen appeared.
It had turned red.
That bitch Idria was watching us again.
‘So she really is alive, then.’
[Didn’t the fact that I’m alive already prove that?]
‘Yeah, yeah… anyway.’
I gave Adwin a signal.
He had done this so many times by now that he started the incantation effortlessly.
Soon, our party began having conversations that were perfectly normal on the outside, but very different on the inside.
[So Idria really is alive.]
[She is like a cursed cockroach.]
[Forget Demon King of Lies, how about Demon King of Cockroaches?]
[Ah! That explains why she is raising that cockroach Kaeld.]
I wonder if Idria has any idea just how much we are trash-talking her in secret?
A moment later.
Whoosh.
The screen turned blue again.
“It’s done.”
“That was quick this time.”
“Yeah.”
I spoke to Trail.
‘Let’s find out why she was watching us. Use the Eye of Omniscience.’
[Between Idria and who?]
‘Huh? Obviously Kaeld…. Wait, no, never mind. Kaeld just disappeared, didn’t he?’
I crossed my arms, thinking.
Even after ten minutes of thought, the answer didn’t change.
I had destroyed Idria’s core back in Gabriel.
I could only assume she was somehow revived by some unknown force… but if that was the case, it would have been barely enough to keep her alive.
‘I doubt she could have retrieved Kaeld safely in that state… but whatever. No one else comes to mind, so just set it to “secrets between Idria and Kaeld.”’
[Got it.]
<Current Eye level: 4. Accessible secret grade: A.>
<Selection: “Secret between Idria and Kaeld Wake.”>
My eyes widened at what I saw.
First Kaeld came into view.
Then I saw Idria…. perfectly fine.
‘What the hell? Why does she look so lively?’
Just to confirm, I glanced at the corner of the screen.
It was from only ten minutes ago.
Which meant, she was in perfect health right now.
[She doesn’t just look lively, she looks stronger than before.]
Yeah, no kidding.
Just then, Idria’s voice echoed.
“I encountered some strange being and regained my power. Actually, it’s beyond just recovery.”
…
The Demon King who sowed lies across the world was now talking about some “strange being”?
I wanted to laugh it off, but Idria’s expression on screen was deadly serious.
‘So someone did intervene.’
And that “someone” was probably the same person who erased the footage from Append View.
But who…?
There was no immediate answer to that question, so I focused back on the screen.
Idria was explaining a new plan.
“A speed attack.”
“A speed attack?”
“Yes. I will open portals and unleash monsters across the continent. You will take them down at just the right moment and raise your reputation.”
Monsters, huh.
That’s all she could come up with?
[Hey, that actually sounds like a solid plan.]
‘Idria’s spatial power might seem invincible, but it’s got a very clear weakness.’
[Which is?]
‘She can’t transport many beings through space at once.’
I wasn’t certain, but the upper limit was probably no more than ten.
Even if she sent ten monsters, how much fame could you realistically gain?
I started to feel a bit more relaxed.
[Huh… so there is a limit.]
‘Yeah. And you should have known that better than me, considering you have been fighting Idria forever.’
[She never had the chance to summon monsters when I fought her.]
Lucky. I’m honestly jealous.
Just then, Idria spoke again.
“First, let’s see where Mide is.”
Shhk.
She sliced through space.
Through the rift, she could see our party chatting away in the carriage.
On the surface, it was casual banter, wondering what happened to Kaeld, or what the Demon King might be planning next.
If she only knew how brutally we were roasting her inside…
“That’s a decoy conversation.”
Huh?
Kaeld asked,
“What do you mean?”
“They are probably using the necromancer in their party to speak through soul. Even my spatial power can’t eavesdrop on that.”
“…”
“Come to think of it, they probably used that very method to take down Sobius too. There’s no other explanation for how he lost so easily.”
Of course she would figure it out. She is not the Demon King for nothing.
I was surprised she figured it out already, but it didn’t really matter.
As long as she couldn’t hear our secret talk, she was powerless.
“But that raises another question. It means they knew I was watching. Otherwise, they wouldn’t time their secret conversations so perfectly.”
“…”
“Mide? No, it’s probably Bion’s doing. I didn’t think he had that kind of ability.”
He didn’t… until recently.
Kaeld muttered,
“Either way, this is bad. It means we can’t gain anything from spying on them anymore.”
“No. I didn’t use my authority to spy. Let’s see… if they are currently here…”
She waved toward the rift.
Our carriage appeared as a tiny dot.
She was observing the landscape from high above the clouds.
‘Can’t you do that too?’
[Excuse me? I can show you the whole continent, thank you very much.]
‘Yeah, yeah. I was joking.’
Then Idria said,
“Next, go to Feck territory.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the farthest from where Mide’s group is right now.”
That’s odd.
She can only send about ten monsters. Does she really think that’s enough to make Kaeld into a hero?
[Maybe she’s planning to send really strong ones?]
‘If she’s going that far, she might as well send her Fingers instead.’
[True.]
I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I was sure it wasn’t a serious threat.
Until.
Idria said something that made my ears ring.
“Let’s start by sending… about ten thousand.”
……
What did she just say?
Tap.
Idria rose from her seat.
Then she walked out of the cave.
The screen followed as Kaeld trailed behind her, shuffling along.
Even after stepping outside, they walked a good distance further until they stood before a deep ravine.
“From there…”
Idria pointed to the top of the ravine.
Then, dragging her finger downward toward where she stood, she continued.
“…to here.”
In the next instant.
A crack began to form at the spot she had pointed to.
It slowly widened, until it became a massive rift large enough to swallow the entire ravine.
My jaw dropped.
‘She can create a space that huge?!’
[Even seeing it, I can’t believe it.]
‘Could she do that even before the regression?’
No. No way.
That was when Trail was already dead.
I was just another party member back then, unable to threaten Idria like I can now.
There was no one who could stop her if she set her mind to something.
She must have thrown everything she had into her plan to create the fake world.
And yet, the fact that I never saw a rift of this scale before the regression meant that, back then, Idria didn’t have the power to pull this off.
And sure enough, she muttered:
“This is far easier than I imagined.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like I said earlier, I don’t remember ever being this strong. At this point, even sending ten thousand monsters isn’t much of a burden.”
“…”
“Consider it an honor. You’re the first person to witness this with your own eyes.”
With that, Idria began to create monsters.
She raised her palm to the sky.
Then.
Fwooo.
She blew a breath onto it.
From that empty palm, thick black smoke began to billow upward.
Before long, it was dense with dark fog, which slowly drifted on the wind and began to fill the rift.
[What… is that?]
‘She is making monsters.’
This just keeps getting worse.
“With that second finger, I will be able to handle all ten thousand?”
“Yes. You can ask them for the details.”
“Phew… fine. But why wait five days? Can’t you send me now?”
“The smoke takes that long to fully turn into monsters.”
Kaeld nodded in understanding.
By now, all the smoke had disappeared through the rift.
As she closed the rift, she said,
“You will have to repeat this dozens more times from now on.”
“…”
“And after dozens of repetitions, the people of the continent will forget Mide’s name. Only Kaeld Wake, the hero who saved them from monster invasions, will remain.”
Kaeld grinned.
“Heheh. I like that.”
Click.
The screen cut off there.
I turned quickly to Trail.
‘Sorry to do this back to back, but show me one more “The secret between Idria and Velosian.”’
[I have a bad feeling about this…]
‘No, you can do it. I believe in you.’
[…Ahem. Thanks.]
Tap.
The screen appeared again.
But…
<Error. The secret “between Idria and Velosian” is classified S-grade.>
<Eye of Omniscience must be at least Level 5 to view it.>
‘Knew it.’
[You said you believed in me!]
‘Still, we gained something.’
If the Eye of Omniscience doesn’t find a secret, it simply says none exists.
The fact that it did find one, and it’s S-rank, practically confirms that Velosian was the one who saved Idria from the brink of death.
[They must have had quite the secret conversation.]
‘Or… maybe just the existence of Velosian at that scene is already an S-rank secret.’
I crossed my arms, thinking it over.
Then I noticed my companions staring at me.
“What?”
“You always make that face right before telling us where we are heading next.”
“Neril, you have a gift for saying the simplest things in such a charming way.”
“I only do it for you.”
Serein and Lisel whispered among themselves after overhearing us.
“Ugh. They have been like this constantly since last time.”
“Why? I think it’s cute. Reminds me of the good old days.”
“Yeah, but they are just dripping with sweetness now.”
“Hmm. Oh. Could it be you never had…”
“Don’t finish that sentence.”
Wait.
Could one of my party members have been a lifelong single?
[You also betrayed the single squad.]
Anyway, not important.
I filled the group in on what I had just seen through the Eye of Omniscience.
Including the name of the one likely backing Idria, Velosian.
Neril frowned deeply.
“Velosian? That’s the guy who gave Grade the underground vault of the imperial palace. You are saying he is the one who erased my Append View?”
“It’s just a theory.”
“And your theories are always spot-on.”
I let out a quiet laugh and changed the subject.
“Xenia.”
“Yes?”
“I know I just said we should let Agril rest, but… I’m going to have to take that back. We need to win this speed war.”
“I will talk to him. He’s got a good heart, he will understand.”
“Thanks. Tell him I’m really grateful.”
“I will. He will be happy to hear it.”
I looked around the group and added,
“There’s one more thing.”
“What is it?”
I almost sighed, but held it in.
“This time… we will probably meet the second finger.”
TL : Thanks to Cuertu for leaving a review.
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