Chapter 612 Rising Political Conflicts
The ashes of the battlefield continued to burn.
The process of drawing out the energies of these corpses took an entire day with over a hundred mages and ten Mage Captains working non-stop.
The imps tried to harass it, but the barricades and the blocked entrances stopped the forces from moving in.
The soldiers continued to create more barricades, and a wall stood over the largest entrance as the soldiers built a massive platform, and many archers stood over it.
But as they were constantly working, numerous torches were seen from afar.
Although the cave was already well-lit due to the luminous mana lights, the group still brought their torches to show their faces.
The faces of humans!
"Humans!" An archer exclaimed.
The cry alerted many as they all approached to see the humans that had arrived.
The Champion Knight watched and saw a familiar group.
"It's them!" The Champion exclaimed.
Since the day before, he had tried to inquire of the soldiers nearby to find out just who it was that saved them in that battle.
He found more information about the team.
Two women, a one-armed man, and three other men with weapons that the Imps used attacked the side.
Leading the way was this same group of people. Behind them, two others followed.
"Orders, sir?"
"Orders? Those people saved us in our battle! And if you try to fight them, go ahead. That alchemy weapon they used would be like taking a Champion Mages charge fireball attack!" The Champion frowned.
The soldiers lowered their weapons as the group approached.
The group that approached was obviously powerful. They had easily broken through the ranks of the imp army and caused a collapse within the defenses of the imps with their use of alchemy weapons. But they had slain several Kallikantzaros!
The team approached as many began to draw closer.
The Champion Knight, who led the entire army, had also arrived.
"Flintwick. Is it them?" The Champion asked.
"Yes, Champion Worths. It's them. Two more follow them. Based on their appearance, it looks like they could be Mage Perment."
"...This will be problematic. Our orders are to arrest them at once. However, they did save us from that battle…" Champion Worths pondered.
"We cannot treat them as criminals. But inform the Duke. Mage Perment and his group of slaves have returned!" Worths ordered a scout who quickly left and rode a horse to deliver the news.
Since yesterday, the investigation of the Champion had already led to assuming that their saviors were none other than Mage Perment. The one-armed man and the youthful team of slaves were the needed evidence.
The two Champions stood at the front.
Champion Worths was still the army leader, and Champion Flintwick was now his second in command.
"Mage Perment?" Worths asked.
"...Here. It's been a while. But the troubles of the monsters have kept us from returning." Perment smiled.
"You were inside the mines and knew you were being accused of having caused all this. We are ordered to arrest you."
"Will you?"
"We will keep you here, and we have already informed our allies. But we are not ungrateful for your support. We do have questions."
"Indeed. And we have answers. The reason I left was to gather the evidence of my captivity. No one would believe me without proof. Not I have it. That's why I have returned."
"Having no evidence is the least of your worries. You still have a lot to answer for. We, soldiers, do not harbor ill will. But our respective lords and masters want your head. The rising political conflicts that arose are great. The masses demand an answer, and you would be the scapegoat. With respect to how your men bravely saved us, I advise you to turn back."
"I assure you, Champion. They don't have a case. And we will not be the scapegoats. I am not so shortsighted to trust in mere evidence. I have all that I need to ensure my survival. And you are mistaken. This is not the first time we saved you. Who do you think forced the Imps and the Orcs to fight? Now, how about a drink?" Perment chuckled as he revealed a wine bottle.
While the team mingled with the humans, the reports quickly reached outside, and many powerful figures of kingdoms were all called into action.
Duke Ressongraze, the Duke of a fief that bore his name, sat in a large tent with large circles over his eyes. He hadn't slept well in the past weeks. Their dreams of his and his rise to power were all shattered to bits, and all his investors demanded their money.
The Duke needed a scapegoat. He needed someone to be blamed for the calamity that followed. His name wouldn't be written in history if the true cause of the curse was captured.
Perment, the eccentric mage reported to be a bad seed of one generation of mages, had numerous conflicts. He would be killed even before a trial.
"Let's go! Perment is here!" The Duke ordered.
And with him were two familiar mages. Baron Elford and Mage Captain Torman heard the news that Perment was alive!
Elford and Torman glanced at each other and nodded.
Both moved out.
"My Lord..." Elford spoke.
"I know!" Duke Ressongraze shouted irritably.
"We will first find out the complete pattern of the Energy Conversion Circle!" The Duke answered as they went on.
On the high palace of the Zarefard kingdom, above the lofty towers that were erected over the mountain, was the Supreme Throne.
A lofty name for a lofty kingdom that built its place among the stones to challenge the heavens.
Their kingdom was the strongest Kingdom among the soil. But they were simply not a match against the Flying Kingdoms that were seated above the floating continents.
The news was quickly delivered. From the mines, the message rang out and reached the king.
King Vergos stood up. His expression and features were as bad as that of Duke Ressongraze. His kingdom, which would have ascended higher than the floating continents, was now plummeting and had to pay what they had promised after enjoying the benefits they had reaped on the initial deals.
"Summon the court! And bring that stupid mage here!" The king howled.
The messenger nodded and left.
"...Call them. Inform them that we have the culprit!" The King ordered.
Word of Perment's surfacing had spread. The angry nobles quickly gathered to see the execution of the one who brought the calamity to their land.
As all the nobles moved, the mines were unusually quiet.
The two Champions had not allowed anyone else moving in the mines to speak with Perment.
They were having a drink.
The two champions marveled at the tale that they had heard.
"So that thing...?" Champion Flintwick turned to the unusual creature that was among the corpses that they brought in their wagon.
"Is Mage Rorcast. They were opening the portal to another world. You've seen it, haven't you? Races that are not native to our planet. This place did not simply open up and reveal a secret underground world. There are portals connected to it. And the longer we wait, the more of those things come in. Do you think the Demon Imp is the strongest one? More will come soon. As the path of the portal widens and the power it allows increases. Commanders and Cardinals of the Imps, orcs, goblins, and lizardmen. All will come in soon." Perment laughed as he drank his bottle.
"Impossible!"
"We have proof. The books and diaries of two of these former mages we fell. Rorcast and another called Vivindel."
"Vivindel!" Champion Flintwick exclaimed.
"I know of him! He was a notorious mage who vanished!"
"Four of them are here. Outcasts of different kingdoms. We met so long ago. They have spoken of a power they discovered here before the monsters appeared. I was found numerous exits and very few beasts. He did not make any further examinations to protect the investment and the assurance of his power. But here is the truth. There invited. But soon, my studies led me to assume that a dark danger was appearing here. I was too late. The seal was already opened when the Day of the Monster Passing began. We fell for the claims of the Duke."
"...In an attempt to protect the mine. He gave a false report."
"Yes. Then, he must have noticed and scouted the area and found this beast. He also found numerous exits and very few beasts. He did not make any further examinations to protect the investment and the assurance of his power. But here is the truth. There is no Day of the Monster Passing. There is only a Day when the Portal opens. And now, four doors to four races are opened."
"...Will there be more?" Champion Worths asked.
"No. Four Portals are Four Seals that were opened by Four Mages. My friends, this isn't a coincidence. A mysterious power is at work that brought four mages here, and not a fifth or a trio. Four was necessary."
The two Champions were lost in thoughts. They could not believe what they had heard. But they had no choice but to believe it, for they had seen the horrors before their eyes.
"Master Mage Perment. You best leave this place. I can help you escape unnoticed." Champion Worths decided.
"General!" Champion Flintwick exclaimed.
"The leaders and rulers will not believe you. Nor will they listen. Your death and the death of your allies have been decided. The kingdom will not claim fault for this. They will claim that you are the cause."
"Be it as it may… I have to go and meet them." Perment smiled.
"Don't you understand? You will die?"
"I will not. And I will not die." Perment smiled back.
Champion Worths saw that he could not persuade the Mage.
"Then I bid you luck that whatever you plan will work." The Champion answered.
"It will," Perment asked as he drank the bottle empty.
On another tent, Emeros and the rest were resting.
"Are you sure about this?" Vivindel asked as his vine body rose next to Emeros.
"It's the fastest way. I need to enter a very prestigious mage school. My body can grow fast as long as there are monsters to kill. But my magic and knowledge will soon grow stagnant." Emeros nodded.
"It's quite a daring plan. Even I dreamed of going to that school long ago. And even now, elder mages of our land have dreamed of studying in the mage towers that hover over this place."
"And that is where I need to go. Our time is short. We have to take risks." Emeros answered.
"You are… quite a person, Master Emeros. No mortal would risk their lives just like this."
"I have to. And you as well. We cannot remain normal mortals." Emeros watched in the distance waiting for the kingdom to arrive and arrest them.
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