Chapter 90 The Power To Overturn Fate
In Isaac's office.
After Eva had stormed out, leaving behind a remark that was almost an insult.
So, from here on, this is a story that even Eva doesn't know.
"Did you really think it was okay to not explain anything, sir?"
A different door from the adjacent room opened, and an elderly man entered the office.
He was not just old, but had a straight back, not a single wrinkle, and wore a tailored suit that exuded professionalism. His hair was perfectly set, and his shoes were polished to a shine. He was an elderly man with no flaws in his attire, from head to toe.
His name was Stewart.
He was the butler of the Kirke household.
"Hmph, it wouldn't make a difference even if I explained. Without the power of the house, Eva can't do anything. Just leave her be."
"But, Miss Eva is a candidate to be the next head of the household, isn't she? Shouldn't we start telling her about the family's affairs soon?"
"She's still just a candidate. And...if she lets emotions get in the way, it's uncertain whether she can become the head. ...For now, let's keep Garon close by and observe the situation."
Isaac answered Stewart's question with a bad tone, while opening a drawer in his desk.
"I understand. But, what do you plan to do from now on?"
"That's right. First..."
Isaac took out several items from the drawer and lined them up on the desk.
One was a hand mirror. Another was a decorative bottle containing a transparent green potion. And the last one was a cotton swab.
"......"
Isaac skillfully poured the potion from the bottle onto the cotton swab, then used the hand mirror to check the roots of his hair, gently tapping the area with the cotton swab and carefully applying the potion to his scalp.
Tap, tap, tap...
"......"
Stewart watched this scene in silence, with a gaze that was as distant as looking at a stone by the roadside. After about a minute, he finally spoke up.
"I apologize. My previous question was insufficient. I meant to ask what you plan to do from now on, after disbanding the clan."
"Ah, that's what you meant..."
After a while, Stewart continued to respond to the master above.
"By the way, milord. I've forgotten how many times I've said it, but applying a healing potion to the scalp won't make hair grow... That's just an old wives' tale. In reality, it has no such effect."
"I've lost count of how many times I've answered, but I'll say it again, Stewart."
Isaac said, tapping his scalp with his fingers.
"Continuing this kind of care will eventually give you the power to overturn your fate."
The master, who considered his scalp-related genetic condition to be his fate, was quite amusing. However, it was only amusing the first time. "Is that so?" Stewart replied in a dry tone, waiting for the master to finish his antics.
After a few minutes, the master finally finished his useless scalp care and turned to face Stewart.
"So, it was after the clan was disbanded?"
"Yes. In reality, this time's 'Chronosphere' hasn't stopped its activities yet. Thanks to the efforts of the Labyrinth Conquest Team, we've dealt some damage, but it's still far from destruction. As the young lady said, it's impossible for the knights to reach the deepest floor of the labyrinth, and it's not like we can have the clan members conquer the labyrinth and secure the deepest layer for us. Isn't that the closest way to destroy Chronosphere?"
"That may be true, but we can't try 'Caduceus' as a criminal. Just like in the past, we need to resolve it through the [Four Great Families of the Seals] this time as well."
If Eva were here, she would be shocked by the 2 men's conversation.
Isaac and Stewart.
Even Kirke, who was part of this small group, knew about the secret society Chronosphere and the fact that this Chronosphere was created by Caduceus.
It was a secret history known only to the heads of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] and their trusted few.
No, the fact that the seal on [God's Remains] was broken in a room that only the head of [Seal Temple] can enter is a blatant lie.
In reality, it's obvious which family's [Seal Key] was used to break the seal. For the heads of the 3 families, including Kirke, it's common knowledge that the Caduceus family is behind the scenes.
Still, the reason they formed the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫ and attacked Chronosphere is because, to the 3 families, Chronosphere is an enemy that must be defeated.
However, the fact that the Caduceus family was behind the scenes must not be made public. If they succeed in destroying the organization, they'll set up a suitable scapegoat and cover up the truth.
Those who participated in the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫ might suspect that one of the 4 families wasn't behind the scenes, but without evidence, it's meaningless.
Currently, Necronia's city government is officially run by the [Council], but the [Four Great Families of the Seals] are the oldest and most influential families in the world, and they're still the true rulers of Necronia. Most of the [Council] seats are occupied by people connected to the 4 families.
In the past, there were cases where outsiders discovered Chronosphere's true identity and even obtained evidence, but they were able to cover it up without any issues.
However, there's something different about this Chronosphere compared to the ones in the past.
Stewart asked his master about that point.
"However, it's a fact that the knight order's military strength can't compare to theirs. Although we've confirmed multiple times that the limbs of [God's Remains] were taken out from [Seal Coffin], there's never been a case where someone with golden eyes like a human modification or a monster like this Unique Individual was created. Compared to the past Chronosphere, their military strength is clearly on a different level. It's worth considering relying on external powerful individuals."
Until now, it wasn't a problem.
The military strength of Chronosphere up until now was only at a level that could be destroyed by the 4 knight orders of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], and most of the time, they could handle it internally.
However, this time it's different.
They've become even stronger, with more cunning movements.
It was before the Stampede occurred, but Isaac and the others also monitored the Caduceus house and launched a surprise attack on what was believed to be Chronosphere's base with the knight order. At that time, Chronosphere's movements were still active, and it was relatively easy to catch them off guard.
The knights who participated in the attack were only those who knew the "circumstances" and were sent by the 4 families, but although they were few, they were elite.
They were lent precious magical tools and ancient artifacts by the 4 families, and they should have had enough power to take down even Ignitor.
However, the attack failed.
The knights who returned using teleportation magic tools for reporting purposes, except for one person, Garon Gasterk, all died. They were counterattacked.
That was an unprecedented level of military strength for the past Chronosphere, and that's why they decided to take a risk and rely on external powerful individuals. If not, they wouldn't have established the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫.
And because the ≪Labyrinth Conquest Team≫'s military strength was unexpectedly high, it led to the dissolution of the clan.
In the first place, they never thought that there was a possibility of truly conquering the labyrinth.
Even if they have the power to hide the truth, it's still a problem if many people witness the unsealing of [God's Remains] at the deepest floor of [God's Remains Labyrinth].
Those witnesses will become strong enough to be difficult to assassinate, making it even more troublesome.
In other words, it's a hassle if they really conquer the labyrinth. If they can lure Chronosphere and reduce its war potential to a certain extent, that would be enough. They didn't wish for anything more than that.
However, Stewart proposes to the master.
"Is there someone who can deal massive damage to Chronosphere, even if it's just one person? Can we persuade that person to join our side?"
Normally, one wouldn't think that having just one person on their side would make a difference in war potential.
But Stewart's words immediately bring one person to Isaac's mind.
Logan Abrams was an extraordinary powerhouse, but this person surpasses even that.
"Aaron Gale... the ≪Extreme Sword≫..."
A man who's recently been called the ≪Extreme Sword≫, rumored to be the real deal.
And if Eva's report yesterday was true, then he's indeed the genuine ≪Extreme Sword≫.
There's no doubt about his abilities. Leaving aside the incident in the Helheim Wilderness, there are many eyewitnesses to his battles in the labyrinth, against Ignitor, and during the "Great Outbreak" and the unique individual subjugation.
Just hearing about it is intimidating. There are more than enough eyewitness accounts and battle reports, making it hard to believe.
Stewart affirms Isaac's murmur.
"Yes. If it's him, he'd be worthy of being the successor to the Sword Saint's throne. If he accepts the contract magic, I believe it would be unmatched war potential. And didn't he have a connection to the ≪Extreme Sword≫, having received the 'Gravity Elemental Treant's core wood'?"
The 'Gravity Elemental Treant's core wood' is an extremely valuable material.
The reason is not just because it's extinct on the surface or because it can't be obtained in the [God's Remains Labyrinth] right now.
It's not just the 'Gravity Elemental Treant's Core Wood', but also materials that can grant gravity attributes, ancient artifacts, recreated artifacts, and magic tools that can produce Gravity magic. The [Four Great Families of the Seals] have been actively buying them up, recovering them, sealing them, and disposing of them.
Why did they do that? It's because the gravity attribute is the only one, aside from Space attributes, that can counter or nullify Space magic.
Except for the materials and artifacts that the 4 families have secured as a precaution, the remaining 'Gravity Elemental Treant's Core Wood' and its processed products, as well as ancient artifacts related to gravity attributes, are scarce, with only a handful left in the entire world.
Originally, it would be impossible to hand them over as a favor for a small request.
However, it ended up in Aaron's hands because Isaac had it passed to him through Eva.
Why was that?
Isaac answers.
"I didn't give it to him to bring him into the ≪Extreme Sword≫. That's... an insurance policy for a rainy day."
"What do you mean?"
"It's impolite to say it out loud, but maybe, just maybe, we'll need to eliminate him someday. That's when we'll use him."
Who is it that needs to be eliminated?
Isaac didn't dare to mention the name, but the moment he said "eliminate", it was clear to both of them.
"...Do you think it's possible with the Gravity Elemental Treant's sword and ≪Extreme Sword≫'s arm?"
"I don't know if it'll go that smoothly. However, if we get the help of the 4 families' bloodline, there's a possibility. So, it's better to secure a countermeasure."
The 4 families' bloodline――in other words, the Space magicians.
"But explaining the situation to ≪Extreme Sword≫ would be a bad move."
"Does that mean ≪Extreme Sword≫ won't cooperate?"
"I've looked into Aaron Gale. Apparently, he lost 3 friends in the previous Stampede."
"Yes. That's why he must have a grudge against Chronosphere. If we use that to our advantage, it'll be easy to draw him to our side."
"No, if he finds out about Chronosphere's past, he'll learn that it wasn't founded by Caduceus, and that hatred might be directed towards us."
This time, it's the Caduceus family who's behind Chronosphere.
But in the past, Chronosphere... [Dawn Star Brigade] was backed by the Aron family, [Evil God Cult] by the Gridavor family, and [Ragnarok Order] by the Kirke family.
Each era's Chronosphere, which secretly operates to obtain [God's Remains], is organized by one of the [Four Great Families of the Seals].
This fact is a hidden history that the [Four Great Families of the Seals] can never reveal.
"That's true, but do we need to explain that much? The current head of the Caduceus family is the one who caused the Stampede. The truth is no more than that, and we can't afford to lack even one of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] to maintain the seal of [God's Remains]. Can't you understand that?"
It's better to reveal only part of the information and manipulate it to their advantage. As Stewart said that, Isaac told him about the new facts he'd discovered through his recent investigation into Aaron Gale.
"After he started being called the ≪Extreme Sword≫, I looked into his background and history in more detail. And what I found out was... the ≪Extreme Sword≫ isn't just an orphaned explorer as I thought, but it's a bit different from that."
"...Did you find out something from before the Slum era?"
"Yeah. After contacting the director of the orphanage where he was picked up and hearing the story, I found out something else. It seems he was in the Lorentz region of the Empire before he became a vagrant. That's about 17 to 18 years ago."
"17 to 18 years ago in the Lorentz region... That means the Stampede of the Ancient Dragon Urpustra, right?"
――The Stampede of the Ancient Dragon Urpustra.
It's a phenomenon where a group of orcs that underwent abnormal evolution and proliferation after devouring the corpse of the Ancient Dragon caused a massive stampede.
Many Imperial citizens who lost their homes due to this incident became refugees and flowed into neighboring countries and Necronia.
Aaron Gale was also one of those refugees, it seems.
In other words, he's someone who has lost loved ones twice due to the Stampede.
"Maybe his hatred towards the Stampede as the ≪Extreme Sword≫ is stronger than we think. If that's the case, even if we restrict the information, Caduceus might not be safe... It could get brutal, and I don't even want to imagine it turning against the entire [Four Great Families of the Seals]. We should handle him with care."
"...I see. I understand. He's indeed a terrifying existence to bring into our group."
On one hand, Isaac wanted to keep him as a last resort, but on the other hand, he wanted to keep him away from the Chronosphere incident. That was Isaac's true intention.
He's just too strong.
While using the ≪Extreme Sword≫ might solve the problems that plague their minds, it could also turn into a deadly poison that destroys them.
If the ≪Extreme Sword≫ were to seriously oppose the 4 families, even mobilizing the entire knight order of the 4 families might not be enough to take him down. That was the report from Garon.
Isaac let out a deep, deep sigh.
"It's unfortunate that Chronosphere resumed its activities during my time, but it's also unfortunate that an existence like the ≪Extreme Sword≫ has appeared..."
"Well, for a ruler, an individual with overwhelming military power is nothing but a nuisance, after all."
Stewart said with a bitter smile.
It's a stupid worry that doesn't even need to be thought about. There's no way a single person can take down the ruler and their system on their own. It's just not something that happens normally.
Anyway, let's get back on track.
"So, against Chronosphere, we have no choice but to use the knights, right?"
"No, we have a pawn left by Mr. Jilva."
"Ah... but that person..."
"I know. They're bound by a contract and can't move freely. But..."
Isaac said.
"There's a loophole in the Testament (Contract before God). In fact, Aron and Gridavor have already made contact, haven't they?"
"That's..."
"...and Logan's in on it too."
Isaac smiled wryly.
"What's with that. You were able to stay with Hermit, weren't you? It's a feat only Hermit can accomplish, getting the Sword Saint involved."
When it comes to sharing the secrets of the [Four Great Families of the Seals], one either have to be bound by a contract before talking or be bound by a contract after talking. There's no option to just share the secret without any restrictions, and that's too risky.
Either way, the contract magic restricts one's actions, and if they think about the worst-case scenario, they need to use contract magic before talking.
In other words, they're unilaterally restricted in their words and actions without knowing anything.
To accept that, they need a trust relationship stronger than any benefit or harm.
Unfortunately, even though they had Logan on their side, there wasn't that kind of trust between Logan and Kirke. So Isaac and the others couldn't reveal the secret to Logan.
However, Ail, who had a long history with them, made it possible. Although it meant joining Chronosphere...
"Ah, but thanks to that, we might have a usable hand now."
But that also meant that some of the restrictions on Isaac's words and actions were lifted when it came to Logan.
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