Chapter 502

Recently, there have been several news items that shook the continent.

Most of them were related to the Dark Cult. The fearsome might of the evil deity, breaking centuries of silence and revealing its claws, could not be ignored, and traitors were lurking among the leadership of the countries on the continent.

Even Mages and the followers of the evil deity appeared one after another.

There was no doubt that the long-standing peace had crumbled.

The Dark Cult led by Delphrium had returned. And this meant that a war concerning the fate of humanity was imminent.

It was an inevitable conclusion that would cast a shadow over the faces of the common people. Nevertheless, the reason that chaos was kept to a minimum was that troubled times had called forth heroes.

Stars led by “Ian Fercurus.”

Their feats swelled and refined, intertwining with the wishes of the people yearning for hope. Even somewhat embarrassing praises were mere compliments when directed at them.

The legendary tale that could be said to be at the pinnacle was the “Mountain Court.”

The bloody duel of a knight to save an innocent lover is a common theme in epics. Along with the saint’s strength that could smash mountains in one blow, and the story of the Lady Virgin Saint proving the existence of the Heavenly Deity with her own body, this brought deep emotional impact to many believers.

The hero who fought against the evil deity protects us.

The Heavenly Deity has not forsaken humanity yet.

There was no need to discuss how great a comfort these two facts were.

The gossips of the continent predicted that for a while, the Mountain Court would be the only topic of conversation. It was a major event that, under normal circumstances, would be recounted for years.

In fact, creations depicting the aftermath of Ian and the Lady Saint were circulating in the market, imagining their stories.

However, the flowing stream of the times had begun, and it would no longer stop.

When yet another rumor circulated, the continent fell into silence beyond mere commotion.

All eyes across the continent were fixed on the movements of a particular individual. Among countless notable figures, there were only a handful capable of wielding such influence.

A singular existence could determine the fate of an entire nation.

One of only three Masters was making his heavy steps.

“It’s a warm day today.”

With a puff of smoke, he spoke out.

The bored tone reflected the mood of the woman nearby. She appeared to be a girl in her mid-teens, but the way she puffed on the pipe showed she wasn’t inexperienced.

Her luminescent green eyes, as if infused with starlight, were tinged with heavy fatigue. Even her gait was so leisurely that there seemed to be a mismatch between her appearance and behavior.

She certainly did not exhibit the aspects of a child.

Rather, she exuded the aura of a world-weary cynic.

Around the girl, several dozen people had gathered. Yet none of them dared to respond to her solitary musing.

They were all dressed in dignified attire. Despite their clear noble lineage, there was an air of hesitation about approaching the girl to speak.

It was understandable.

The girl’s true identity was of a status too high to be treated lightly.

The Great Witch of the Southern Kingdoms.

One of only three Masters on the continent, and known as the matriarch of the Southern Kingdom.

“It’s warm? Are you out of your mind, Elder? The Empire is in chaos due to the abnormal climate!”

Of course, there was at least one person among them who didn’t hesitate to read the room.

A grumbling middle-aged man with graying hair spoke. Regardless of his robust physique, he appeared older than the Great Witch and was a swordsman.

Yet he still addressed her with honorifics.

A knight from the Empire.

He was also a powerful individual who had reached the status of Master, but he knew how to show respect to his elders.

There existed an age gap of several hundred years between the Great Witch and the Knight. Even the swordsman, once called the Empire’s mad dog, could not forgo matters of etiquette due to their age difference.

The Great Witch, however, seemed indifferent to the knight’s attitude.

“Hmph, ‘Elder’… your jaw’s still sharp. Just the other day you were rampaging all over the continent like a reckless child.”

“That was decades ago…”

“I still remember that day clearly. You came to the Great Forest wielding just a sword, and I wondered what sort of miracle you expected. But then you wanted to fight? Ha, so ignorant of your own limits.”

The swordsman let out a grunt, crossing his arms as if pained.

Though he said it was decades past, it seemed that day’s events were still fresh in his mind as well. The one who sensed the strange atmosphere next to the swordsman was an elderly man walking alongside him.

“So what happened?”

“Ah.”

The swordsman slightly lowered his tone in response to the elder’s question.

However, both the Great Witch and the elder didn’t seem to care. Rather, the Great Witch bore a faint smile that suggested she found it amusing.

“Of course, I was left in tatters and chased away. No matter how much I maintain a fighting stance, there’s no way I’d lose to a mere child who isn’t even a Master.”

“Hahaha! It seems even you had such days, Uncle.”

The knight wore a somewhat aggrieved expression, but soon swallowed his irritation and raised his hands in resignation.

It was a friendly atmosphere.

Yet, the reason the procession felt stilted was that everyone except the trio engaged in conversation was moving with rigid tension.

After all, the three of them were beings from another realm.

The Great Witch, the knight, and, among them, the youngest was even the Emperor of the Empire.

No one dared to add a word.

Ultimately, it was the knight who brought up the next topic.

“…So, what brings you here?”

A silence settled in which even breathing could hardly be heard.

In response to the swordsman’s single inquiry, dozens of people held their breaths and listened closely.

The Great Witch, however, merely exhaled a puff of smoke.

“What do you mean?”

“There must be a reason you suddenly left the Great Forest. I haven’t seen you step away from the barrier in hundreds of years unless there’s been a major incident in the Southern Kingdom…”

“Don’t worry too much.”

In an utterly relaxed voice, the Great Witch summarized the swordsman’s question.

“That mere barrier will hold fine for several years even if I step away. More importantly, selecting a disciple is what matters.”

“‘Disciple’…”

Swallowing an amused breath, the swordsman shook his head.

He had already heard the circumstances.

However, the part the swordsman truly wondered about lay elsewhere.

“So, why suddenly decide to recruit a disciple from the Academy? Didn’t you usually just tangled with those children holed up in the Great Forest?”

“…Hmph, that’s my decision.”

As she spoke, the Great Witch playfully bit her tongue.

With her eyes closed, her teasing demeanor resembled that of a childish girl. The swordsman felt he had no choice but to grumble internally at this old person for not acting her age.

The one who next spoke was the Emperor.

“Is the rumor true?”

“What rumor? Did the Imperial Family receive training to use ellipses when asking questions?”

“That there’s news you’ll be passing on a ‘vision’ to a new disciple.”

Once again, silence fell.

Now it was even possible to hear the sound of dry swallows.

A ‘vision’ was the most critical skill possessed by various organizations or warriors. What kind of power would a vision delivered by a Master, of whom there were only three on the continent, possess?

Depending on one’s efforts, it wouldn’t be surprising to reach the realm of a High Expert in an instant.

The Great Witch, pretending to be distracted as she turned her gaze to the side, opened her mouth long afterwards.

“…Yes, that’s true.”

Instantly, the atmosphere among the group heated up.

Everyone tried to maintain their silence, but their excitement was apparent. Although they were already too old to enroll in the Academy, some of their acquaintances or family members were attending.

What if they could become the Great Witch’s disciple?

It would be a glorious honor for their family, and moreover, they might share in the Great Witch’s vision.

Even the Emperor revealed a glimmer of hope.

“Hahaha! I’m looking forward to it. I’m glad I decided to follow you all the way to the Academy.”

“Hm, that is true. But why exactly are you going to the Academy?”

In response to the Great Witch’s question, the Emperor merely smiled enigmatically.

“By coincidence, my daughter is studying there. She’s a child who carries the blood of a dragon… perhaps she might become a disciple.”

“Oh, ‘blood of a dragon.’”

Rarely, an unusual glint sparkled in the Great Witch’s eyes.

It expressed interest. The Emperor, perhaps pleased by her attention, wore a warm smile.

“Two of my children have already gone to the Academy. ‘Bulteon’ and ‘Iris’… both want Shi-en to become their disciple and share in her vision.”

“Very blatant. Not even attempting to hide it now.”

With a sneer, the Great Witch took another puff of smoke.

Despite her words, she showed no signs of displeasure. After all, it was a common enough story.

If the Empire gathered the Great Witch’s vision, it would grow even stronger.

Perhaps they could even have two Masters.

It was a situation all leaders dreamed of. Moreover, those two vying for the next imperial throne would surely want to achieve great things to catch their father’s attention.

What a chaotic scene.

To think such a fuss could erupt from a brief outing caused the Great Witch to click her tongue, expressing her bland sentiments.

“That ‘Shi-en’ child is going to have a tough time.”

Caught between the contest for the imperial lineage.

Even after hundreds of years, the Great Witch felt a twinge of sympathy.

But the Emperor had one more purpose to achieve.

“And also, there’s another young knight I need to meet…”

“Elder, have you heard of ‘Ian Fercurus’?”

The person who audaciously interjected and cut off the Emperor’s words was none other than the knight.

Such insolence was unimaginable even for noble or royal circles, yet the Emperor merely smiled wryly as he shook his head.

Who could dare oppose the knight’s words?

In fact, a certain excitement could be sensed in the knight’s voice.

“He’s recently been making waves among young knights, haha… it’s not bragging, but he seems to consider himself the future of the Empire. He even landed one—no, two blows on that old man from the Holy Kingdom…!”

“…I see.”

However, at that next moment.

The knight’s excited monologue abruptly fell silent.

With a puff of smoke, the Great Witch’s expression was anything but ordinary.

On the lips of the woman, who had appeared so calm until then, a chilling smile formed.

“I have heard of ‘Ian Fercurus’… indeed, I received a call from the heavenly warrior of the Holy Kingdom not long ago.”

“The heavenly warrior of the Holy Kingdom.”

Though it was a derogatory term, the three Masters who ruled as the lofty powers on the continent ironically maintained frequent communication. They often used such dismissive phrases as nicknames.

It referred to the title of ‘Saint.’

However, the reason the knight remained hesitant to speak was that he couldn’t think of any reason the Saint would bother reaching out to the Great Witch.

Just as the knight stood there in silence, an unexpected question was thrown his way.

“Have you ever passed on a vision?”

“No, well… a few promising candidates have appeared, but I am still considering my options.”

“So am I.”

In response to the knight’s somewhat dumbfounded reply, the Great Witch displayed an even more sinister smile.

“But if a vision that I’ve never passed on has started to circulate, what will you do about it?”

“Of course, I’ll… ahem, have to look into it.”

“Exactly.”

With a puff, the smoke coiled and swirled in the air.

It was a statement that none except the Great Witch would comprehend. Even so, she alone wore a grim smile.

“So that’s why I’ve come.”

All the way to this place.

At the end of a journey that could be considered short or long.

The blurred outlines of buildings began to reflect in the Great Witch’s green eyes.

It was the Academy.