Chapter 257: The End of the Crouching One
I-I cant stay here. I have to go right away.
Margareta tried to get up and throw off the blanket, but she felt a sharp pain and grimaced.
Ow!
Leobold pointed at her chest.
You must be hurting there. Your bone was broken during the rescue.
Rescue Who saved me?
Blue Dragon Zigarion. He saved your majesty. It was a lucky coincidence that he was flying nearby.
Was that true?
The princess looked at him with a doubtful gaze.
It was hard to believe that the Blue Dragon, the conspiracy, and everything else were true.
She was almost certain that he had no reason or intention to kill her.
Leobold brought a chair and sat in front of the bed.
I should tell you about the beast first. As you may have guessed, I think this was orchestrated by Councilor Dresden.
Margareta turned her head away as if she wanted to ignore it.
It made her sad that she was almost assassinated by someone who was not an enemy but a kin.
Leobold used an Imagine Record Scroll to show a picture of an ether bomb.
This was recovered from the crashed airship. Surprisingly, Elvrande can use ether stones as bombs. They made the airship lose both thrust and buoyancy and crash. Unfortunately, no one survived except for your majesty.
Why did Dresden do that?
He had a lot to gain by killing your majesty. Currently, Elvrande is united in demanding revenge for your majestys death. The atmosphere is almost like a war.
Then if I reveal that Im alive
It wont stop the war, though. Its more advantageous for Dresden to use that atmosphere to do what he wants.
For example, creating champions using Yggdrasil
He had some other ideas as well, and they made Margareta anxious.
I have to go quickly.
Your majestys survival is already known in Elvrande. They must have tried to change the guardian of Yggdrasil, but they couldnt.
Now that you mention it
She had forgotten.
The guardian of Yggdrasil could only be changed when the predecessor was dead or abnormal.
As long as Margareta was alive, no other royal could be chosen.
Elvrande decided to hold the ceremony within two months. Thats quite fast for elves. They must be in a hurry.
What are they trying to get by rushing?
I dont know, we cant find out from outside. Anyway, they must have realized their position by now. Your majesty wont be welcomed there. Dresden will likely try to harm you.
If I tell someone trustworthy
They will kill you and spread false rumors. Who would believe you if you were accused of being a traitor who hinders Elvrandes united will?
Margareta stared blankly at the air for a long time without saying anything.
This kind of dirty conspiracy was shocking for the princess to accept.
Then a rumbling sound was heard and she looked embarrassed.
She had been unconscious for at least 10 hours, so she must have been hungry.
Arma, bring some food.
Yes.
Soon Arma brought in a cart with appetizing fruits.
Leobold put a plate of fruits on the blanket.
Theres no poison, so you can eat without worry.
Margareta looked at the plate with wide eyes.
There were many exotic fruits that she had never seen even in Elvrande.
Is this a strawberry? How is it so big?
Its from the floating continent. Its not bad.
Contrary to his words, the strawberry gave her an incredible ecstasy.
The sour and sweet taste that spread in her mouth was incomparable to the strawberries from Elvrande.
And above all, this size.
A strawberry as big as a childs fist seemed endless.
She ate the fruits without shame because she was hungry.
It was a blissful time that made her cry, and soon the plate was empty.
Leobold said with a slight surprise.
You must have been very hungry.
I-Im sorry. They were so delicious that I couldnt stop
Dont be sorry. But have you sorted out your mind?
She nodded silently without saying anything.
It was sad that she couldnt return to Elvrande or her kin.
But she couldnt just cry either. She had to do something.
There were some twists and turns, but Yggdrasil didnt burn and Vandus Sebiong wasnt such a bad person after all.
She asked cautiously.
What happened to Yggdrasils branches? There cant be two here.
One was in the border area. We used magic to confuse peoples sight and took it.
It was a battlefield and humans were not sensitive to ether, so it was not impossible if they prepared in advance.
Then the other one
We brought it from the floating continent. Now they are both in the pirate army or the eastern army, I should say.
Thats strange. Yggdrasil wouldnt allow itself to be taken
What would happen if it didnt?
There was an event in Elvrande before I was born where they tried to transplant a branch. But they did it without a guardian and the ether around them became unstable. All kinds of dangerous magic attacked them.
I see, so strange phenomena occur when the ether is unstable.
Did that not happen at all?
Leobold didnt answer but fell into thought.
If he assumed that the prophet created Yggdrasil, then the probability was high that he was considered to have the same qualification as Margareta since he absorbed the relic.
He recognized the relic as a key when he absorbed it.
It wasnt an actual key, but it looked like one.
He opened Noxs warp gate with it. He also unlocked Yggdrasils lock. Maybe it means he can open anything
In a way, that key might open the future that leads to the prophet.
There was nothing. And I have some questions for you.
I guess I have no choice but to answer your questions obediently since I cant get out of here.
You dont have to answer if you dont want to. But in that case, we cant treat your majesty as important either. Well just let you rest and go. I dont know if the elves will accept you, though.
She couldnt do that.
She had to do something after coming this far.
Even if it meant betraying the current Elvrande.
Margareta made up her mind.
Okay. But I can only answer a limited number of questions.
I have three things I want to ask. This notebook and
As Leobold took out the notebook, Margareta snatched it hastily.
Where did you get this?
I found it while saving you. Arma did the search, so you dont have to worry. What Im curious about is how much of this notebook is true.
This notebook is extracted from a document in the Infinite Library. If you can trust that, you can trust the notebook too.
There are many interesting things written from the elves perspective. For example, when humans ruled the continent hundreds of years ago
Thats what I was most curious about. The elves didnt seem to suffer so much when humans ruled the continent, but the Council says otherwise.
By the way, Zigarion also gave the same testimony. Hes over 700 years old.
It seemed that the elves sense of victimhood was exaggerated in many parts.
Where is the blue dragon? Is he your companion?
Hes very shy, so hes somewhere else for now. But I see some blanks here and there.
Oh, thats because I erased them with magic. Theyll reappear like this.
As her slender finger passed over the paper, surprisingly, letters appeared.
Leobold turned the pages slowly and clearly so that Arma could record them.
Only the sound of pages turning was heard in the room until the notebook was closed.
The content was too much and chaotic to do anything with it right away.
Arma will figure it out.
Now he had to find out about Rasa and the Infinite Circuit.
Good. You said that mentioning Rasas existence was blasphemy, why is that?
Thats because she is a god who still exists.
She? Have you seen her in person?
I only heard her voice. There is a labyrinth under the Grand Shrine where only the royal family can enter, and there is an artifact containing Rasas power there.
An artifact of Rasa must be very powerful What kind is it?
Its a normal crystal, but I dont know much about it. When I touched it, a voice that I guessed was Rasa came out. I couldnt understand what she was saying, though.
I see
It seemed difficult to tear apart the labyrinth without fully understanding ether and magic.
He wouldnt go anywhere, so he had to approach it slowly.
And since it was about the prophet, he didnt want to rush things and mess up.
Margareta suddenly remembered something and said.
Oh, by the way, there was a map on the wall there.
A map of Astera?
Actually, Im not sure if its a map. There were only glowing dots.
A star chart.
It was a map for navigating this ether space.
Leobold was moved by confirming that there was a prophet somewhere.
His purpose of coming here was to meet the prophet, not an exaggeration.
Compared to that, unifying and developing Astera was secondary.
On the other hand, Margareta wondered why Leobolds face was filled with joy when he had been indifferent to any information.
What kind of relationship did he have with Rasa, the creator god?
Leobold hid his joy and asked about the Infinite Circuit.
You are connected to Yggdrasil, so you must know well about the Infinite Circuit.
I know a little more than others.
Is it true that you can become a god by refining your soul in the Infinite Circuit?
Her face darkened for a moment.
Yes Thats what we elves are doing with Rasas gift. For the sake of preparing for the future.
Is there any other function? It doesnt matter if its information about Yggdrasil instead of the Infinite Circuit.
Leobold asked this to approach the essence of ether.
According to Armas analysis, ether was an energy that showed various changes in phase, but he couldnt find its subject.
That is, there had to be something else in between for ether to be used in all kinds of magic and interfere with consciousness.
The wavelength emitted by the fusion reactor and Yggdrasil are almost identical. So they can be seen as a kind of relay. They probably change the phase and wavelength of ether from ether sun and send it out as a completely different energy. Thats likely their main function.
It was just a hypothesis, but if this was correct, Arma would be able to get closer to the essence of ether.
Margareta said cautiously.
There is such a legend about Rasa, the creator god. She gave magic to Ains and Beastmen who were suffering from monsters.
So there was no ether in ancient times.
Yes. She created Ether Origin, which is the source of everything, and Yggdrasil allows us to use magic.
I see.
There are several types of ether that Yggdrasil produces, and they can be distinguished as ether of space, ether of mind, ether of power, and so on.
Margareta spoke of the essence of ether that even Zigarion or Steffina didnt know.
She seemed to like that Leobold was focused on her words and told him various things.
Arma was able to get closer to the essence of ether.
Yggdrasil and the fusion reactor change the phase and wavelength of the received ether and send it out as a completely different ether. Amazing.
It seemed to be a great discovery.
She also said that she could conduct more daring research based on this information and the previous giant ether stone research.
Maybe I can make a fusion reactor based on this information and the previous giant ether stone research. Its just a possibility, though.
If he could make an ether fusion reactor, it would be a tremendous breakthrough.
The various technologies on the Settler were enough to produce a battleship-class spaceship, but the fusion reactor was impossible.
It was worth saving the princess.
He was satisfied enough with the information about the prophet.
Leobold slowly got up.
Ive heard enough. Ive put too much burden on you, the patient.
What should I do?
You cant go back for a while, so relax. Ill allow you to wander around Rozelon with your ears covered by magic. But you have to be accompanied by Arma.
You mean I can walk around Rozelon?
Yes.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
She seemed happier to have some freedom than sad that her own people tried to kill her.
Rozelon was not as big as the cities of Elvrande, but it had a lot of sights and vitality.
Most importantly, there was no one who treated her excessively politely because she was a princess.
She had to be careful about food and such, but she wouldnt be too uncomfortable.
What about next?
It would depend on the international situation, but Leobold thought she wouldnt be able to return to Elvrande.
The current rulers didnt want her to return.
The only way for her to return was for Leobold to force his way in.
And it was not long before it happened.
***
Master, Tiren has escaped.
I thought he would cause trouble sooner or later. The death of the princess must have been the trigger. So what happened?
It seems that many of the key figures in Elvrande have been killed. At least dozens of people have died in the Council as well.
Thats a good result.
Leobold had several opportunities to kill Tiren in the border battle.
No, it was not an exaggeration to say that Tirens death was decided from the moment he met him.
But Leobold decided to use him as a pawn to bring chaos to Elvrande instead of killing him.
And this was the result.
The capital Medea was in a mess, as if a terrorist attack had occurred.
Countless elves screamed and ran around the streets, and fires broke out everywhere.
He did quite a lot for one person. So did you figure out what his divinity is?
It is likely a new divinity created by the Infinite Circuit. Judging by the violent waves it emits, it is not a self-aware one, but more like a bomb.
An ether bomb Is that the same thing that was attached to the airship that the princess boarded?
Yes. According to Delphinas conversation, it seems that Tiren tried to resonate his ether heart with the core of Titan and detonate it as a divinity.
It was evident that the elves ether engineering had reached an amazing level.
Leobold wished they had found a more peaceful way to use that energy, just like humans did not use nuclear power only for bombs, but for development.
But the elves did not seem to have any intention of doing so.
How powerful is it?
It seems that it will vaporize everything within a radius of 5km.
Thats stronger than a nuclear warhead, isnt it?
Even a megaton-class nuclear warhead could not vaporize nearby buildings cleanly.
But the ether bomb that would be triggered by Tiren boasted an enormous power.
Leobold and Nabal would die instantly if they were swept away by it.
Does he not know that?
Apparently He seems to be trying to steal one of Goliaths units with the sole intention of killing you, Master. This is an enhanced version of Belial. He risked exploding the core and increased the output recklessly.
He doesnt care about anything else as long as he kills me. How long will it take him to get here?
It should be enough in two weeks.
Crossing the continent in two weeks He has gotten stronger indeed.
Tiren looked like a madman when he ran.
But even if he arrived, he would not be able to kill Leobold.
Because the princess was alive.
However, Arma wanted to get some data from his battle, so he had to play along with him for a bit.
When do you think we can finish collecting data related to ether?
Tiren is the end. After that, modeling will start and analysis will be done in a few weeks.
Then we can start the real conquest war from then on.
He did not need to use Goliath for that war.
Leobold had used Goliath so far only to collect data.
After that, he would produce more practical weapons.
Meanwhile, there was a mood around him that he had to take some action because he did not show much reaction despite repeated criticism about the death of the princess.
The Republic of Imir contacted him right away.
I thought you were a reasonable person, but I guess not. If it is true that you killed the princess of Elvrande, we will have to reconsider our cooperation with you.
It was a very high-level criticism without diplomatic courtesy.
Leobold casually informed him of the design of the ether bomb obtained by Arma.
It seems that the beast used it to blow up the airship. We couldnt analyze it with our technology, so we want you to take it and study it.
How did you get that?
We got it from the wreckage of the airship. It seems that it was a spare in case it did not explode.
An ether bomb It certainly sounds like a weapon that those elves would come up with. So you want to claim that you killed her because she was an eyesore to the Council?
It is up to you whether you believe it or not.
I can tell by your silence that you dont want it to be known.
He was quick-witted as expected of someone who had been in diplomacy for a long time.
Skadi wanted to end this situation by analyzing the design of the ether bomb and sharing it.
The dwarves managed to get over it in this way, but Zaium was in a complete uproar.
To be precise, the faction of Prince Barak tried to downplay the situation, while the Grand Duke Pangral and the Northwind Noble Alliance kept criticizing him.
Their argument was this.
How can you kill a royal who came to make friends, not to fight on the front line?
Even if they are enemies, there is a minimum line that must be respected. Count Vandus crossed it.
The elves eyes might go crazy because of this and activate the Meteor Strike. We have nothing to say if that happens. Does Count Vandus want to bring the end of the world sooner?
Its not too late yet. If Count Vandus takes responsibility, we might be able to cover it up. So come to Zaium and explain yourself.
They planned to use this incident to increase their influence and restrain Leobold.
They thought he had no choice but to accept this proposal.
Because the situation in Bagran was so bad.
The Blue Dragon appeared and turned the west into a wasteland. The Count must be out of his mind too.
It will take years to clean up that mess, so we can quickly push our demands while he is busy.
But I heard the Blue Dragon said something strange He criticized slavery and defended Bagran, but I dont know if thats true.
Why would he do that If he wants to join hands with humans, he should go to Zaium, not Bagran.
Galistos judgment was that Bagran was in a lot of trouble right now.
They also thought they had to do something before Black Knight was fully operational.
The Black Knight introduced by Zaium is a real monster. If it is deployed, we will be dead without a chance.
The only fortunate thing is that the output and responsiveness are too high, so the knights are having trouble adapting.
We dont have much time. In a few months, we wont be able to make a sound. We have to do something before that.
This argument reached Zaium and Grand Duke Pangral stepped forward.
He was also very wary of Leobold and Black Knight, so he wanted to take this opportunity to pressure him and get something out of him.
Count Vandus of Bagran, listen. The matter of killing the princess of Elvrande cannot be overlooked. I will give you a chance to explain yourself. Come to my territory immediately.
Galistos diplomat read the document directly in front of Leobold.
This is the order of His Excellency Grand Duke Pangral. The deadline is before the end of June 1038 by continental calendar, thats all.
Leobold tilted his head and asked.
Why is Galistos diplomat delivering this?
His Excellency ordered me to do so. I hope you wont refuse.
The diplomats confident attitude showed his arrogance that he could do whatever he wanted with me.
Well, the name of Grand Duke Pangral of Zaium was not a joke.
He had such a power behind him, so he expected me to bow down.
But there was one thing they misunderstood.
Leobold had established Bagran as his base and found the traces of the prophet, so he did not have to care about anyone anymore.
He would be able to decipher the power of the gods once the ether analysis was done, so he had no reason to cower.
He wanted to tear that bastard apart and called Valgard, who had an expression of wanting to do so.
What did you do when you went to war in the old days?
We usually cut off their arms. Sometimes we took out one eye or cut off their ears for fun.
Treat him like that.
Ive been waiting for this.
As Valgard approached with his greatsword, Galistos diplomat was terrified.
W-wait You cant treat a diplomat like that
I love breaking taboos.
With a short scream, his arm was cut off cleanly.
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