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[Translator - Prøks]
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Chapter 240: Divine Clan Assmebly
Shwaaaaaaah—!
At some point, the rain had started pouring again.
While Taylor and the White Horse Knights, who appeared subsequently, handled the situation, I stared blankly up at the rain-drenched sky.
Even as I was carried away on someone's back, completely exhausted, I found Hector's words incredibly hard to believe.
It wasn't until Wolf, having recovered from his internal injuries, came to visit that I learned Hector hadn't been lying.
"Did that person perhaps ever teach our Brotherhood?"
"What are you talking about, Uncle Wolf?"
"The Atark mana training manual."
"What about it?"
"The mage, Crimson Flame. The way he manifested mana was identical."
Hector Kart.
And the mana training manual of the Atark Clan.
Something clicked into place.
Why I had never heard of a clan named Atark, how a mana training manual of that caliber could have possibly flowed into an underground auction house – I finally understood.
Since Wolf, who had personally taught the members using the Atark mana training manual, stated it so firmly, there was no room for error.
Ultimately, it meant Hector himself had put his own mana training manual into Leon's auction house.
"...Where is Hector now?"
"I haven't seen him since that day."
I immediately made inquiries into Hector's whereabouts, but no one seemed to know for sure.
No one had seen Hector since the day Asura was killed.
It was only after Taylor came by that I could deduce Hector's location.
"Master must have returned to the Magic Tower."
"Magic Tower??"
"He's probably training again."
Suddenly, I recalled what Hector had said.
His question about whether a mana core could surpass mana circles.
Perhaps Hector was still searching for that answer.
"Are you feeling alright, Ruin?"
"No problems here."
"That's a relief."
"And the Clan Head?"
"He is preparing."
My body had actually recovered fully quite some time ago.
Although I'd been driven to the brink of death fighting Asura, my mana circles weren't actually destroyed, nor had I suffered severe internal injuries.
It was purely exhaustion.
Moreover, Elder Norman and the other elders had brought numerous elixirs, so my body now felt lighter than ever.
However, I had deliberately kept the fact that I was fully recovered a secret. I was staying cooped up inside, partly to monitor the situation outside.
It was then that the door to the temporary barracks opened, and Lihan appeared.
"Young Lord. The Military Commander from Ardehain has arrived."
"Let him in."
As soon as Fichte entered, I asked him directly.
"How is Lady Loren doing?"
"Fortunately, she is past the critical stage."
"Hoo."
It was the Ardehain Clan that had taken the biggest hit in that battle.
Loren's injuries were also extremely severe.
Having already reached her limit, she had directly withstood the Giant God's explosion; there was no way she could be fine.
"Is there any other news from Hyark?"
"It seems the Red Tyrant King is still unconscious."
"Any movement from the Divine Clan?"
Fichte shook his head.
"It's the calm before the storm."
We weren't the only ones who had narrowly escaped death that day.
All of Hyark's forces dispatched to other strongpoints had been annihilated; only the Red Tyrant King barely made it back alive.
The fact that the Gaion, Solsar, and Ziek Clans suffered almost no troop losses added certainty to my previous suspicions.
Just as I thought – it was the work of the Myriad Demon Assembly.
Even if it meant overextending themselves, they had tried to take one step ahead and eliminate all variables, including myself.
Because that plan failed, they too must have suffered considerable damage.
Furthermore, now everyone on the continent knew exactly what was happening in the Far North.
It starts now.
However, the true mastermind behind the Myriad Demon Assembly, the most crucial part, remains completely unknown.
The real fight begins now.
They could make their move as early as tomorrow.
Arihama's main force, having already joined forces in the Far North, had also taken up position right before Baltahar.
There was no telling when or how the situation might spiral uncontrollably.
Suddenly, Fichte looked at me with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Lord Ruin. Do you truly believe the Seren Clan will make a move?"
"If they remember the ancient pact."
The remnants of the Giant God, which I had passed to Julius, the Sword Duke.
Julius had immediately convened the Divine Clan Assmebly.
The justification was sufficient.
If they remembered the Divine Clan's pact, forged when they fought off the Giant Gods and Demon Dragon of old, then the Seren Clan would surely appear.
This was also my hidden move, one the Myriad Demon Assembly could not predict.
When the three Clan Heads gather, I must confirm it.
***
From the temporary barracks, I continued to closely monitor the situation in the Far North while exchanging information with Fichte.
Although 〈Asura〉 was dead, there was still no significant movement.
The Far North was quiet, and no more Giants appeared.
The calm before the storm.
That phrase fit perfectly.
From the moment it was revealed that Maohe had colluded with demons, the knights of Baltahar and Arihama didn't even acknowledge each other.
Whenever they happened to cross paths, murderous auras palpable even from my temporary barracks would emanate from them.
I couldn't help but wonder.
The Northern Commander, responsible for the Land of Death, and a Guardian Knight of Arihama.
...Could the Arihama Clan truly have been unaware?
Could they really not have harbored even a shred of suspicion that the commander responsible for the North was colluding with demons?
Was that even possible?
I couldn't be certain yet, but the weight of suspicion inevitably tipped further towards Arihama.
"Finally, the Guardian Flag has arrived too."
Opposite Baltahar, Arihama's main force hoisted their Guardian Flag.
The current head of the Arihama Clan.
Guardian Star, Markutan Arihama.
He too had joined the forces in the Far North.
Gradually, all the renowned clans and mercenaries of the continent were converging on the 'Land of Death'.
Although the Giants, having lost their leader, hadn't appeared once since that day, the sky over the 'Land of Death' beyond Ragnarok remained dark.
I could sense intuitively that the day of the decisive battle was drawing near.
"Commander, how long do we have to keep doing this?"
"I'm getting antsy."
"Meditate."
I pushed my subordinates hard.
Although most of the members had reached the pinnacle of the 6th circle during the battle with the Giants.
Six circles wouldn't be enough to guarantee their lives in the coming fight.
To set an example for my subordinates, I began meditating myself.
Anytime, anywhere.
Even on the dirt floor.
Even on a makeshift table.
I am precisely the kind of man who can meditate whenever there's a spare moment.
Truthfully, having reached the point where I could perfectly wield the 7th Circle of Change, I had already nearly caught up to the level of my past companions.
The stage of the Reverse Incantation, capable of controlling space.
Having broken through to the Reverse Incantation stage once, I would likely achieve the 8th Circle of Change soon enough.
That is the advantage of mana from the Yin dimension.
Yet, what I considered truly important right now wasn't the mana of the Yin dimension.
8th Circle, Unique Mindscape.
Although I had already reached the pinnacle of the 7th circle by manifesting Volcanic, I had absolutely no clue how to proceed to the next stage.
Creating one more circle could likely be done using the same methods as before.
The problem is that the 8th circle lacks any kind of standardized incantation.
In other words, the 7th circle is the limit for incantations that can be manifested through conventional mana circles and incantations.
In the past, no mage besides Pelleer had ever achieved the 8th circle.
Furthermore, Pelleer's Unique Mindscape was on a completely different track from existing Samael magic.
If I had to make an analogy, should it be considered mental-type magic?
Even that isn't a perfect comparison.
I don't know what form his mindscape manifested as, but what's certain is that all mental-type techniques employed by demons were useless before Pelleer.
He could nullify an opponent's technique, even one he was seeing for the first time, as if he had predicted it.
He even instantly saw through bizarre demons like the Thousand-Faced Fox, who had 'detached' its consciousness at the last moment to transfer into a subordinate's body.
Unique Mindscape.
What kind of Unique Mindscape could I possess?
If I could find even a hint of that 8th circle, it was obvious I could deal with the Myriad Demon Assembly far more easily, but alas, no clue readily presented itself.
As I continued meditating, lost in thought for a while, I suddenly snapped my eyes open and stared at the ceiling of the barracks.
Saaaaa—
High above, something was approaching.
"Ruin."
Simultaneously, the door to the temporary barracks opened, and Black appeared.
The moment our eyes met, he gave a sharp nod.
"They're here."
I nodded back.
"The timing?"
"This evening."
"Meaning, it's starting immediately."
I slowly walked out of the temporary barracks.
Saaaaa—!
A wave of gold shimmered high in the sky.
Numerous people had come out of their barracks and were staring up, mesmerized.
"Wh-What is that?"
"Looks like a snake?"
"No. That's not a snake, it's..."
The golden wave snaking across the sky gradually descended closer to the ground, coalescing into a distinct shape.
The form of a dragon.
Paaaaaaaaang—!
In an instant, a tremendous gale swept across the land.
Kwajik—!
With an overwhelming presence, a flag depicting a golden dragon slammed precisely into the center of the territory divided between Arihama and Baltahar.
The symbol of the Seren Clan, the Gold Dragon Flag.
And immediately following.
As if descending from the heavens, about thirty men and women slowly landed on the ground.
Dragon scales covered their entire faces, crowns sat upon their heads.
In their right arms, they held golden longspears.
They were the Dragon Knights of the Seren Clan.
***
"Are you really going, sir?"
Fichte asked in a low voice.
"Of course. And you must come too."
This time, Fichte looked towards Kazen.
"Clan Head, do you share the same thought?"
"My thoughts are the same as Ruin's."
I had already explained all my suspicions to Kazen.
Kazen himself also felt strongly that he absolutely had to go.
Fichte spoke with concern.
"Lord Ruin. The Divine Clan Assmebly is different from the Vassal Clan Banquet. They will never tolerate it."
"I know. That's the Divine Clans for you."
"Wouldn't it be better to wait and perhaps visit them individually later?"
"We might not get the chance. We have to face this now."
I looked Fichte straight in the eye.
"Didn't you tell me? If there's a traitor in the expeditionary force..."
"..."
"It's one of the three. If not now, we might never be able to confirm it."
"...Understood."
"Besides, we also have the authority."
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
"I mean don't worry."
I looked at Kazen.
Our eyes met for a moment, and Kazen nodded as if he'd been waiting.
"Let's go, Ruin."
He raised the Black Scale Flag.
Together with Kazen and Fichte, I left the temporary barracks.
It was a dark night, devoid of moonlight.
Before us, a massive crowd was gathered like a cloud.
And beyond them, hundreds of steps encased in a golden barrier, and at the very top, a huge, circular military encampment.
Baltahar's Heavenly Swordmasters.
Arihama's Guardian Knights.
Seren's Dragon Knights.
The elite units symbolizing the three Divine Clans guarded three respective directions.
I strode forward, taking the lead towards them.
The Council of Elders, the Crazy Mage Squad, and the White Horse Knights followed behind Kazen and me.
One step.
Another step.
The gathered crowd parted left and right.
Through the gap, I met the eyes of the Guardian Knights directly ahead.
"What business do you have?"
One step.
Another step forward.
At the moment we were close enough to feel each other's breath.
I opened my mouth.
"I will participate in the Divine Clan Assmebly."
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[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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