Chapter 282: Followers of the End (1)
“King of the end?”
It was a title, and Theo examined the woman’s face as he reiterated it. The woman was neat, well-cleaned and had pale white skin. Her features had a lily’s simplicity that only accentuated her beauty. Who would want to hurt this tearful and beautiful woman? Any normal male who didn’t know the situation would’ve pulled out their handkerchief.
However, Theo just looked down at her mercilessly.
.
... What, who is this woman?
He had seen many beautiful women and knew that Hipatia was very beautiful. She was an alabaster beauty comparable to Veronica, Aquilo, and Ellenoa. Nevertheless, he kept his composure. All of his senses were alert, and he wouldn’t be tempted by lust or sympathy.
Theo quickly picked up on something the woman had said, ‘Jerem, King of the End’. He had heard it once before. It took a second, but Theo finally remembered where he had heard it and his expression stiffened.
Jerem, is it related to that grimoire?
As if in response, the information window of Death’s Worship popped up in his head.
[Death’s Worship]
[This grimoire contains the soul of the legendary warlock, Jerem. As a 9th Circle necromancer who attacked mankind on the side of the demons, Jerem will steal the body of any creature who reads the grimoire and turn them into an undead. He dreams of the perfect resurrection as his soul awaits in the abyss.]
It had been several years since Theo had first obtained the grimoire. Back then, the grimoire, Death’s Worship, had taken over the body of a Meltor investigator in the Miller Barony and was now sealed in his Inventory by Gluttony. However, it was a grimoire that a 9th Circle magician dwelled in. At that time, and even today, Theo had not been able to consume Death’s Worship, so it was just something left in a corner of his Inventory.
How did this woman, Hipatia, know the name of the warlock, and why did she call Theo ‘Jerem’?
There are a few possible hypotheses, but...
It was just a hypothesis. His super sensitivity warned him that one wrong word would create an antagonistic relationship with this woman. Obviously, he couldn’t have a friendly relationship with a warlock; however, he could use this misunderstanding. Theo’s experience whispered to him. Rather than denying it, he should see what the other person was mistaking him for.
Theo decided to boldly go with the flow, “King of the end? I’m sorry, but I can’t remember.”
He waited to see whether it was the right or wrong answer. Hipatia’s eyes widened at his answer and she looked at Theo with a mournful expression.
“Ah, our king... Did you lose your memories? I am White Rider Hipatia, one of the four riders of the end! I judged that with the wonderful skills you just showed, you must’ve been secretly growing your power in the magic kingdom...”
“Too verbose. If you don’t want me to leave, you better explain right away.” Theo circulated his magic power, pretending to be angry. His seven Circles turned lightly, but his magic power made the air shiver. Most people wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure without serious skill.
However, Hipatia didn’t even tremble. She just prostrated herself again, looking up at him with soulful eyes.
This woman is the death knight’s controller.
He had roughly guessed it based on the magic power he felt, but now he was fully convinced. A necromancer who had reached at least the 7th Circle could cause a disaster in a small kingdom.
If she was hostile, he had to end her here. Additionally, if the four riders of the end were four warlocks, it meant that Hipatia’s organization possessed four masters. It was a variable that could overturn the course of this unification war.
It seemed like Death’s Worship was important to them, but Theo hadn’t admitted that he possessed it. As Theo was swallowing his dry saliva, Hipatia looked up at him again.
“... I am your subject, but I will dare to speak.” She folded her hands on her lap. “My king, we started watching you since we missed Charlotte’s Necklace at the Kargas auction house.”
Theo nodded. He had guessed their connection with the Orcus Company when the death knight appeared. No one would mobilize that kind of power if the necklace wasn’t important to them.
“Didn’t you go to the Pirate Archipelago with it? In retrospect, I don’t understand my error. Rather than following Your Majesty’s will, I hastily tried to grab your ankle...”
Theo kept his face expressionless. “What do you mean?”
“You yielded to that arrogant sea dragon, Aquilo! Since your body isn’t yet complete... And this Hipatia... I don’t doubt that the day of the end is coming.”
If a ring was attached to the ear, it was an earring. If it was attached to the nose, it was a nose ring. Hipatia kept saying things that couldn’t be understood. If Aquilo were here, she would’ve torn Hipatia apart.
But as Hipatia’s explanation continued, Theo’s expression grew more serious. Her speculation about Aquilo was completely wrong, but the reasoning afterward was plausible. From when Theo summoned the high ranking demon, Magnus, on the Sipoto Plains up until when he had taken out Death’s Worship to escape...
Finally, there was one crucial part in Hipatia’s understanding.
“By the way, did Your Majesty make that?by yourself?”
“... That?”
“The death knight with the Aura Ability! Without any traces of necromancy, you pioneered the study of death knights to an unprecedented level... This Hipatia once again realized that the king has truly returned!”
Theo belatedly realized what she was referring to.
Don’t tell me she mistook Gladio as a death knight?
It was an exquisite coincidence. Necromancers, as those who made a mockery of life, were bound to be more sensitive to life force than anyone else. Hipatia would naturally understand that the automaton wasn’t alive when she looked at it.
But she also saw that it contained a sword soul. The automaton was a by-product of a time when magic engineering was common. It was natural that she would mistake the automaton for a death knight variant.
... Then again, wouldn’t I be mistaken if I was in the same position?
- I agree.
It wasn’t just one or two coincidences that had brought Hipatia to her conclusion. Gluttony seemed amused as Theo racked his brain. How could Theo use this misunderstanding?
Should he shake hands or create a hostile relationship with the four horsemen? Meltor couldn’t afford to deal with a warlock organization with four masters when they were already exhausted from fighting with their old enemy Andras. However, if they could engineer the opposite, Meltor might be able to overwhelm the battlefield.
Let the “barbarians fight among themselves”... is it?
In other words, he could force the four horsemen to collide with the Andras Empire and destroy them. It might be beneficial, but it was hard to conspire with warlocks who could threaten a kingdom. But Andras wouldn’t be able to avoid a catastrophic disaster.
“Okay, I’ll believe your words this once. That... Hipatia?”
“Yes. I will do anything, my king.”
Hipatia didn’t care about her white clothes being stained as she kneeled. Her eyes were filled with devotion and affection. Theo’s conscience was throbbing. She might be a warlock, but was it okay to take advantage of such a pure emotion? Thus, Theo couldn’t help asking Hipatia.
“Call it a test, but I want to ask you one more question.”
He wanted to know if one could coexist with warlocks.
“What is the ultimate goal of the four horsemen?”
“Huhu, you are asking something so obvious,” Hipatia broke into a sweet laugh as she rose to her feet and threw her arms wide, exclaiming, “We haven’t forgotten our promise even after thousands of years of waiting, my king!”
Under the night sky, where the enduring darkness was only broken by starlight, a beautiful woman dressed in white called out in a bell-like voice. There was an emptiness in her eyes as she looked into the distance.
“It is our mission to put an end to this world.”
Madness had its own purity in her eyes.
“The purpose of the four horsemen is to destroy this ugly civilization and the entire human race.”
“... I see.” Theo realized. “I understand.”
They could never tolerate each other.
***
Step, step.
Footsteps echoed in the tunnel. The elementals had made the tunnels, but they couldn’t pave the ground. Theo was careful to step carefully and avoid turning his ankle as he hurried. It would take him ten more minutes to rejoin his unit.
Theo seemed rather uncomfortable, eventually pulling it out from inside his robes.
“... Damn, warlocks are famous for their bad taste.”
It was a small crafted skull. Hipatia had explained in a cheerful voice that he could use the artifact to talk to her at any time. She said that it shouldn’t be put in a separate space, but he couldn’t withstand the physiological discomfort for more than thirty minutes and just threw the dark red skull into the Inventory.
He washed his hands a few times with water magic and called a companion to make him feel better.
“Gluttony.”
Gluttony responded immediately.
- What is it, User?
“Did you hear the whole story with Hipatia?”
- Of course. It seems warlocks are the same in every age. The followers of the end... Those who believe that death is superior to life are everywhere.
Warlocks naturally worshiped death. Life was only a moment when they weren’t dead, and it was believed that true life existed just before birth and after death. They considered the lives of others as worthless based on their view and thought that they should slaughter people to return them to the right path. The essence of a black magician was the fanaticism of the Lairon Church without any morality or conscience.
In the end, the four horsemen were nothing more than an organization aiming to destroy the world. It was a very ordinary warlock organization.
“Know the enemy or you will be burned...”
It was forbidden knowledge, but Theo now had a close association with the four horsemen and couldn’t ignore it any longer. He took a deep breath and told Gluttony.
“Gluttony, I want to hear about black magic.”
- Hrmm.
It was silent for a moment.
- Okay. Let’s talk about the past.
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