[Side Story – Reversal [1]]
[38]
Delun stepped forward.
He couldn’t feel the heat of the magma beneath his feet.
Delun didn’t know if this phenomenon was merely an illusion or the result of some incomprehensible force at work.
His mind felt hazy, as though he were dreaming.
A powerful impulse emanating from the blacksmith’s sword was leading Delun onto the gambling table.
Now, Delun had to place his bet.
Even without extraordinary talent or the ability to shake the world, he had to indulge in greed, relying on a vague delusion that miraculous luck might come.
Delun reached out toward the blacksmith’s sword, fully aware that the baseless ‘certainty’ in his heart could be false.
As Delun extended his hand, the corners of his mouth trembled faintly.
KWAH!!
Delun’s grip firmly grasped the blacksmith’s sword.
At that moment, a rough and heavy laughter violently echoed in Delun’s ears.
The cheerful laughter of gamblers who had wagered their race’s fate without hesitation, only to meet their downfall, shook through Delun’s consciousness.
In the midst of that fervor, Delun also found himself grinning widely.
Beyond the pleasant laughter, a being from beyond the starlight joined in with its own raucous guffaws.
“…!!”
Delun couldn’t fully grasp the wild laughter emitted by the entity from beyond the starlight.
Human senses were incapable of properly understanding the emotions and intentions expressed by such a being from beyond the stars.
Still, Delun vaguely comprehended the pleasure and anticipation embedded within the laughter.
A massive game of chance was about to begin.
Not just for this continent, but encompassing the fates across dimensions.
This colossal game of chance officially commenced right at this moment.
*
“…”
Luna slowly narrowed her eyes.
Though she hadn’t left the Imperial Capital, Luna could sense the ‘change’ occurring in Nord.
One of the transcendent beings that had lost its influence in the distant past was now extending its reach back into this continent.
“…”
This wasn’t good news for Luna.
While it might not seem urgent now, eventually all the entities beyond the starlight would turn against Luna.
To them, Luna was a pathogen that must ultimately be eradicated.
Thus, guiding another transcendent entity to intervene in the material plane seemed like an inexplicable decision from an outside perspective.
It appeared irrational unless Luna was truly backed into a corner.
And so, if one were to consider the opposite…
It was possible that Luna had placed this gamble precisely because she was driven into a corner.
Despite accepting long-term disadvantages, Luna was still attempting to ally herself with a new transcendent entity, which indicated how precarious her situation truly was.
“…”
El-Lam and the evil spirits conspired to exclude Luna, even enduring losses while influencing the material dimension.
However, their alliance was far from solid.
They never trusted each other. Thus, even as they continued their conspiracy, they constantly doubted and restrained one another.
And yet, amidst this fragile state, Luna placed her gambit.
She subtly hinted to those beyond the starlight that she was currently backed into a corner.
Luna’s hint could either be true or false.
But if it turned out to be true…
Then the ‘danger’ posed by Luna would be judged much less severe than previously estimated by the entities beyond the starlight.
“…”
The perceived danger of Luna had been overestimated.
The moment this possibility arose, the fragile alliance among the entities beyond the starlight was bound to crack.
Their initial cooperation was solely based on the ‘common threat’ represented by Luna.
If this ‘common threat’ was exaggerated?
The moment any one of these allied entities judged the situation this way, the ‘collapse’ would inevitably begin.
“…”
Of course, even if the danger was exaggerated…
For the entities beyond the starlight, Luna would still remain a pathogen that must be eradicated.
However, the ‘priority’ could shift.
There would be entities that prioritize betraying the alliance for personal gain over quickly excluding Luna.
That small possibility…
Would inevitably weaken the alliance of the entities beyond the starlight, forcing them to allocate more resources to mutually restraining each other.
This was exactly what Luna aimed to achieve in this operation.
Inducing political strife among the entities beyond the starlight to buy time.
That was the original purpose from the start.
Cooperation with the forgotten transcendent entity? Strengthening Delun’s capabilities? Using Speira as bait?
All of these were secondary objectives or mere disguises to conceal the main goal.
“…Delun.”
With a cold expression, Luna uttered Delun’s name.
The purpose of the transcendent entity using Delun to exert influence on the continent was obvious.
It was likely aiming to disrupt El-Lam and the evil spirits’ plans, forcing them into greater long-term losses.
As worthy admirers of the entity once revered by a race of gamblers, it recognized the opportunity and intervened in the game.
Nevertheless…
Eventually, all the entities beyond the starlight would seek to exclude Luna.
Delun, having grasped the power of the transcendent entity, would naturally fall under its desires.
Therefore, whether he wished it or not, Delun would one day have no choice but to draw his blade against Luna.
When that moment came…
If Luna failed to successfully suppress and seal him…
He would need to be eliminated.
“…”
A discard card, a scapegoat.
Perhaps this was the destiny awaiting Delun.
Luna had already issued a brief and ambiguous warning to Delun.
Yet, despite her warning, Delun willingly accepted his role.
“…”
Luna remained silent for a long moment before slowly looking toward the south.
Now, Johanna needed to fulfill her role.
To ensure Delun’s sacrifice was not meaningless, she must reveal Speira’s true form to everyone.
*
Around the same time as Luna.
Speira furrowed her brows.
She too immediately sensed the ‘change’ occurring in Nord.
Frankly, Speira was indifferent to whether the ‘lesser losers’ extended their hands back into the continent again.
No matter how many times they reached out with their diminished powers, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Speira.
However, the entities beyond the starlight who blessed Speira seemed to find the current situation quite bothersome.
A new variable had emerged on the continent, causing cracks in the alliance between El-Lam and the evil spirits.
El-Lam appeared highly incensed that a mere mortal had managed to manipulate the situation politically.
Sensing the transmitted emotions, Speira smirked and clicked her tongue.
“We should use whatever we can.”
The Empire claimed to punish heresy while occupying parts of Nord, but they hypocritically seized the forbidden power themselves.
If only there was a way to indirectly expose the fact that an imperial figure had acquired the power of heresy, it would completely destroy the already tattered justification and symbolism of the Empire.
“Let’s see…”
Speira pondered briefly.
Considering the possibility that this entire series of events could be a trap set by the Empire, she had no intention of going to Nord herself.
Even without her presence, sending others would suffice to destabilize the Empire.
After making her decision, Speira immediately summoned the high-ranking officials of the Sacred Country and declared that the Empire had committed a grave transgression.
Such a sudden and seemingly baseless declaration was hard to accept at face value.
However, no one dared to question the ‘oracle’ delivered by Speira, the agent of El-Lam, directly.
“Move swiftly before the Empire neutralizes Nord’s Warp Gate.”
Speira ordered the connection of the Sacred Country’s Warp Gate to Nord and immediate deployment of troops.
Due to its recent completion, the limited performance of the Sacred Country’s Warp Gate restricted it to transporting only small numbers of elite forces.
Thus, Speira quickly assembled a unit composed primarily of zealous heretic hunters and instructed them to act as agents of El-Lam’s will.
“Uncover and judge the heretics who have violated sacred laws.”
Smiling as she deployed the hastily gathered troops, Speira cared little about whether they achieved results in Nord or fell into a trap and perished.
If the dispatched forces were annihilated, she could simply continue her propaganda using that very fact.
While fabricating something entirely false might be difficult, the Empire had indeed broken sacred laws.
Soon, public opinion across the continent would turn against the Empire. That was Speira’s plan.
“Well… let’s see what else you’ve prepared.”
Speira smiled, curious to see how the Empire would respond.
Due to Speira’s authoritative push for troop deployment, the capital of the Sacred Country, Kailum, experienced a brief period of confusion.
Despite the chaos, Speira’s orders were carried out meticulously, and soon the Warp Gate was activated.
After confirming its proper operation, Speira turned around to return to her throne.
“…”
On her way back to the throne, in the sacred corridor where even high-ranking officials of the Sacred Country required permission to enter,
Speira briefly encountered a young child.
The child appeared to be trying to maintain composure but couldn’t hide signs of unease due to the chaotic atmosphere in Kailum.
Speira smiled gently, attempting to reassure the child.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Everything is fine.”
She extended her hand and softly patted the child’s head.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
*
Some of the elite forces guarding Kailum moved due to the sudden deployment order.
The resulting confusion and temporary manpower shortage created a gap in Kailum’s defenses.
Now, it was Johanna’s turn to complete her mission.
Johanna gripped her sword upon receiving the report of Kailum’s situation.
After glancing at the Empire’s operatives who had been hiding with her, she whispered:
“…We shall unmask the traitors who deceive the continent.”
Her determined gaze shone eerily in the darkness.
