“Oh. Could it be me?”
Urania playfully asked once again. However, the playful nature of her power as a priestess of Elimon was something that should be called seduction rather than just a joke.
“No, it’s not.”
But Utis’s answer to Urania showed no sign of agitation or emotion. It was almost as if his debate with Hyacinth felt more sincere.
The scales leaned again toward Utis’s hair. The moment the scales stopped moving, the lightning scales sparked and eventually scattered like particles of light and disappeared.
Hyacinth contemplated Utis’s ‘single lie.’
“Of all questions, you choose to lie about that? Even when everyone knows it’s a lie about Philoxenon’s holy nature?”
The question of whether he had someone he liked was also about whether he could love another. If Utis were a being who felt no attachment to anything in the world, the priests’ wariness would have increased several times over.
But it seemed that the absurd exchange had considerably diluted their caution.
“If he has a motive, it must be around this point…”
Was it really necessary to prove his humanity in such a manner?
While Hyacinth struggled to guess Utis’s intentions, Philoxenon, having withdrawn the holy power, spoke again.
“You have been invited to the gathering of our Divine Cult by Demus, representative of the Enyalius Cult. Having proven your own abilities and sincerity, now speak what you wish to say.”
*
According to plan, no priest had proven my prophecy to be false. Although the scales tipping on the question of whom I liked was somewhat questionable.
“A lie would be saying there’s no one I admire as a human, not in a romantic sense. Maybe that’s how it was judged a lie from that perspective?”
Aside from the question, what remained was a mixture of half joy and half bitterness. While I was glad about the success of the plan, the Mage King remained a problem.
“If it turned out that what I said was a lie, it might have been easier for my future plans.”
I planned to retire and live a carefree life as soon as I achieved the complete and safe destruction of the White Light, the goal of Carisia. Assuming I succeeded in destroying the White Light while the Ten Towers and the Mage King clashed, the most dangerous variable was indeed the Mage King.
What if he found a way to ascend even in a situation where one of the Ten Commandments had been obliterated?
In the original story, after Carisia and Baekmuhmyeong destroyed the White Light, the aftermath spread the extra-dimensional cracks worldwide in the first part, ending in despair.
However, there was no guarantee that the result would be different if the Mage King attempted an incomplete ascension. Ascension ultimately leads to the extra-dimensional, and as a result, holes would form in the world’s walls.
As long as the Mage King desired ascension, the possibility of an extra-dimensional flood was always open.
“I wish that my actions had completely eliminated the chance of the Mage King’s resurrection.”
But it couldn’t be helped. Right now, I had to think of ways to take full advantage of the situation.
Surely, the first reason I came here was to make the Divine Cult keep Argyrion in check. Judging by Demus’s words, if left unaddressed, it seemed likely to start favoring Argyrion.
However, having revealed the card of the Mage King’s return, I had to gain even more. Let’s choose my words carefully.
*
“Then shall we return to the issue of Argyrion?”
Hyacinth could not understand Utis’s attitude of discussing such trivial matters after throwing down apocalyptic prophecies like the return of the Mage King.
“Let’s discuss based solely on the revelations thus far. The ten mages with the Ten Commandments…”
Orthes’s thoughts became complicated. Judging by the previous attitude, it seemed that even the Divine Cult was unaware of the betrayal inflicted by the Mage King’s disciple.
“They had reached such a height that they could contribute to the ascension ritual. Even considering them the second strongest mages after their master would not be an exaggeration. The wisdom accumulated over generations from the first disciples has made the Ten Commandments even stronger. The Ten Towers are indeed the only force that can oppose the Mage King.”
“Then there’s a flaw in that story. Why would the Ten Towers fight the Mage King? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for them to worship him instead?”
A high-pitched voice. It was the same voice that had inquired about the previous Blasphemia interview. Orthes turned his head toward her. Although her face was hidden by a robe, it was easy to guess her identity.
‘A bird on her shoulder is an owl. The owl is the emblem of Glaucus.’
Another war god, the goddess of strategy and tactics, Glaucus’s priestess.
“In the future I saw, the Mage King sought to reclaim his power, the Ten Commandments. Will the Ten Towers easily abandon them?”
“Ten Commandments?”
The priestess of Glaucus fell into contemplation. The future shown by Phoibos could sometimes be so bright that even deep wisdom struggled to comprehend it fully.
It was impossible to understand immediately for what reason the Mage King was targeting the Ten Commandments. But if we considered the assumption that all prophecies were true…
A war between the Mage King, who targets the Ten Commandments, and the Ten Towers.
The strength of the Mage King equated to the strength of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments represented the Mage King’s wisdom. If all ten mages with the Commandments fought against the Mage King, it seemed clear that neither side could emerge unscathed.
“From the perspective of the Divine Cult, this is why we must reject Argyrion. Assume that Argyrion has sufficiently grown its influence to become a direct adversary of the Ten Towers.”
The likelihood was slim, but not impossible. The most malignant aspect of the extra-dimensional beings was their contagious nature. Given enough time to repeatedly defeat the Ten Towers’ forces and recruit them to their side, a possible future could emerge.
The probability that Argyrion’s power would expand to match one of the Ten Towers was highly likely.
“If Argyrion and the Ten Towers are at war while the Mage King descends to reclaim the Ten Commandments, can the Ten Towers withstand that dual front? Even if all ten joined forces, it would still be insufficient!”
The malignant aspect of the Mage King turning against the Ten Towers was also in line with the extra-dimensional context.
If Argyrion accepted the defeated mages into their ranks as members of the extra-dimensional contaminants, the Mage King could wield even greater power by securing the Ten Commandments.
“Even if Argyrion’s expansion proceeds smoothly, replacing one or two of the Ten Towers would be the limit. However, the Mage King could easily engage all the Ten Towers at once.”
Hyacinth shuddered.
That person was advising the founder of the Mage World and the Mage World itself to mutually annihilate each other.
“The truth of the prophecy remains unverified. Yet…”
The level of thinking was different. I had to acknowledge that it was an idea I had not even dared to consider.
“If we are pursuing the future of the Cult, supporting something like Argyrion is trivial. We should aim for a colossal clash of forces that could shake the very foundations of the Mage Era.”
Orthes felt the wavering atmosphere. He sensed that the priests were gradually paying more attention to his words.
“The advantage for the Divine Cult right now is that Argyrion’s dedicated department is Blasphemia. Actively provide information about Argyrion, but mix in falsehoods. It doesn’t matter if eight out of ten pieces of information are false.”
“What’s the point of that?”
“There must be limits to Blasphemia’s personnel, right?”
Utis’s question held much meaning. If the reports to Blasphemia were purely false, they would hardly move. However, if the reports contained a mixture of truth, Blasphemia would have a hard time ignoring them.
Excessive reports meant excessive labor. As Blasphemia spent more time and resources responding to Argyrion, the surveillance network directed at the Cult would inevitably weaken.
Utis scanned the table, seemingly evaluating whether they understood the implications he hinted at. The priests held their breath, waiting for the next words.
Satisfied with their understanding, Utis spoke again.
“Then it’s time for liberation. When we reclaim the numerous temples and relics sealed away by the Mage King and the Ten Towers and Blasphemia.”
By steadily cutting down Argyrion’s forces, we divert Blasphemia’s gaze, restoring the broken past.
The Divine Cult was solely focused on ‘weakening the enemy’s power’ through Argyrion. However, Utis proposed an additional method to ‘strengthen our own forces.’
“As you might have heard from Demus, I am well-versed in the internal news of Blasphemia. If you let me know the locations of the relics or temples you wish to unseal, I can relay the deployment information of Blasphemia’s agents in the vicinity.”
It was an exceedingly perfect proposal.
“Do you not wish to reclaim the old times?”
*
The first to inform me of the existence of the Divine Cult was a certain figure. I recalled Sikton, the bishop of Bacchus’s Cult, who had been injected with silver threads leading to delusions.
Sikton had clearly cried out, saying, “The Divine Cult is trying to abandon the gods.” How much of truth might be in his insane cries? That question would serve as a measure.
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