Chapter 8 Part 13
Translator : PolterGlast
In a council meeting
in deciding the future direction of Arcazam, neither the chairman, Haibao Foka,
nor the council members raised their voices in a loud manner, and they
proceeded with their agenda in a very calm and composed manner.
The council chambers
in Arcazam are arranged in a circular configuration, with the chairman seated
at the far end of the center, the secretary and other administrative staff
below the chairman, and the council members' seats facing the center of the
chamber.
In addition, the seats
for the audience were arranged to surround the seats of the council members,
and in one of the audience seats, there was Victor.
Now Victor is not even
an advisor but in the position of an audience member.
Originally, Victor
himself did not have the authority to give his opinion to this assembly, nor
did he have the privilege of voicing his opinion.
Only the council
members who participate in the council could decide where Arcazam will go.
However, Victor's
presence was still significant, and even as the agenda proceeded smoothly, some
council members still glanced at Victor.
"Then, the
distribution of accommodation in each country is the same as in previous years.
Next up is ......."
The current agenda is
still a matter related to the opening festival. However, since the opening
festival itself has already been held nearly ten times, the agenda is almost
the same as in past years.
Of course, there are
other matters on the agenda as well, but almost none of them are particularly
urgent.
The main reason for
this council was that the intelligence agents hiding in Arcazam had been
captured by the "Starlight" team led by Jihad.
The agenda proceeded
as usual. However, the calm was broken by a sudden intrusion into the meeting
hall.
"Excuse my
intrusion."
The person who
suddenly barged in was a large man, nearly two meters tall, dressed in a black
attire reminiscent of a military uniform.
The wrinkles on his
face indicated that he was in his mid-forties.
The council members
all looked surprised when they saw him.
Egrod Fabran. He is
one of the most prestigious nobles in the country of Forsina.
His physique, which
had reached the age of maturity, was even larger than Jihad's, and his piercing
eyes reminded him of those of a soldier.
"May I join you
in this discussion?"
"Egrod-dono, so
you've arrived.'
"Yes, just in
time. So, Mr. Chairman, may I sit here and listen?"
"Yes, of
course."
"Thank you."
Egrod politely bowed
to the Chairman and sat down at a seat reserved for the audience in one corner
of the chamber.
His sudden visit
caused a slight commotion in the meeting hall.
Some of the council
members looked at Egrod, who was sitting at the end of the hall, with a dubious
expression on their faces, but Egrod himself kept his eyes fixed on one point.
"............"
"............"
At the end of Egrod's
gaze was Victor, his country's great nobleman and political opponent.
They were both silent,
and only their crossed glances were creating silent sparks.
On the other hand, the
chairman of the meeting, Haibao, did not pay any heed to the quiet clash
between the two noblemen, and proceeded with the agenda in a casual manner.
"I will now begin
the rest of the agenda. Item 32, progress report on the Abyss Grief and
parasitic organism Investigation."
The next item on the
agenda was an exception to the regular agenda.
Abyss Grief.
An unidentified demon
beast that was discovered in this city about a few months ago.
There were several
sightings of this being ten years ago, and it was believed that it may have had
something to do with that great invasion.
At that time, the
Abyss Grief that was discovered had already been defeated, and its corpse was
recovered and investigated by the Gloaurum Institute, a research institute in
Arcazam.
However, about two
months ago, the Abyss Greif, which was supposed to have died, suddenly
resurrected during the experiment. It destroyed a whole laboratory, wounded a
military police officer who was on guard, and attempted to escape.
The incident was
quickly resolved after Jihad Raundel, who was leading the guard, defeated the
resurrected Abyss Grief, but the Abyssal Grief later resurfaced as a parasite
in the body of the injured military police officer.
It was eventually
assimilated into a student of Solminati Academy, Ken Notice, but was defeated
again and annihilated.
Although this incident
was treated as an assault by a student, it had various effects on various
places afterwards.
At one point, the
issue of the restructuring of Arcazam came to the surface, but the situation
has been calmed by the disclosure of all the information regarding Abyss Grief,
the capture of the spies, and Victor's intervention.
However, opinions on
this matter were divided between the elimination group and the sealing group
regarding the recovered specimens, and opinions are still being exchanged among
the council members.
"This matter will
be explained directly by the person in charge. Mr. Torgrein, please."
"Yes, I
understand."
In response to the
chairperson's voice, a gentleman wearing glasses stepped forward. Torgrein is a
teacher at Soluminati Academy and an excellent alchemist who also conducts
research at Gloaurum Institution.
"Regarding the information
about Abyss Grief that is currently known through the investigation, we have
already found out that the elements possessed by Abyss Grief have already
affected the bodies of the two subjects. However, there is a clear difference
between the two."
According to Jihad's
report, the parasitized military police officer had his physical strength
enhanced to an unbelievable degree, but his ego had completely destroyed and
his instincts had been laid bare like a beast.
On the other hand, Ken
Notice had undergone an extraordinary transformation, not that his body had
been enhanced, but that he had developed a barrier to absorb his opponents at
the soul level and regenerated himself even after his upper body had been cut
in two.
Furthermore, in Ken's
case, it had been reported that he had temporarily regained his ego during the
fight. Compared to the previous subject, his transformation was clearly
different.
"We have compared
the physical strength of the two transformed individuals, and Ken Notice is far
stronger than the former. The question is, how did such a difference arise when
they were both parasitized by the same organism?"
"And what is your
take on this, Mr. Torgrein?"
"Both subjects
are young men, with no congenital diseases. And considering that Abyss Grief
has a characteristic similar to that of a spirit, we surmise that it is
probably not only physical factors that determine the difference."
"So what does
that mean?"
"The quality of
the parasitized person's soul, or more precisely, the mental state of the
subject, is thought to greatly affect the parasite itself."
In investigating the
effects of Abyss Grief parasitism, Torgrein has, of course, also conducted a
personal investigation of the two parasitized individuals.
And from the
investigation so far, it has been found that Abyss Grief has a nature similar
to that of a spirit.
"Spirits are
strongly affected by the mind, the magic, and the elements. Abyss Grief chose
him as its host because Ken Notice's state of mind, which had been cornered by
his situation, made it convenient for the parasite to take over his body."
"As a result, he
had his mind exploited by the demon beast and was mutated into a
monster..."
Torgrein nodded his
head in agreement with Haibao's words.
Cornered by Nozomu
Bountis, which he himself had framed, and having his mental gap exposed, Ken's
soul and even his body were assimilated with Abyss Grief, and as a result, he
ceased to be a human being.
A non-human. There may
be no better word to describe Ken's current state.
"But Abyss Grief
is a physical being. Even if it is a parasite and causes mutation, it is hard
to believe that the mental state of the subject is the only factor......"
"We made a
possible discovery regarding this matter. We examined Ken Notice's body and found
traces of an "inscription" so small that it could not be seen."
"An
inscription?"
"Yes. The details
are still under investigation, but it is believed that a very different
inscription from existing techniques has been carved into various parts of Ken
Notice's body, in such fine detail and so intricately that it cannot be seen
with the naked eye. It can be inferred that this inscription probably reaches
within the body as well. On the other hand, the corpse of the military police
officer who had been reduced to ashes was completely destroyed, and the
inscription could not be confirmed. According to our hypothesis, the body
itself could not withstand this "cursed engraving" ... "
"If that's the
case, does it mean that only those strong enough to withstand the cursed
engravings can awaken as the Abyss Grief?..."
That would explain why
very little Abyss Grief was found at the time of the Great Invasion.
Because only those
above a certain level of strength could withstand the changes, otherwise, they
would perish.
"What about the
countermeasures?"
"There are a few
things I can think of. The first one is to remove the inscription itself with a
powerful spell. The second is to cut off the affected part of the body before
it becomes fully transformed."
The problem lies in
the fact that it is unclear how much magic power is needed to remove the inscription.
Furthermore, when Ken
Notice was transformed, the parasite took the form of something that was able
to burrow directly into the body.
According to
Torgrein's explanation, the troublesome point was that it would be difficult to
either eliminate or remove the Abyss Grief itself, which was the one who
engraved the inscription, if the Abyss Grief itself were to burrow into the
victim's body.
Nevertheless, if the
cause could be identified, there would be a way to deal with it and avoid
unnecessary disturbances.
For Jihad, it would be
a blessing just to know the cause of the problem.
"Okay. So, what
is the current condition of Ken Notice?"
"Currently, we
are isolating and physically sealing Ken Notice in the lowest level of the
Gloaurum Institute to prevent it from being affected by magic power. There has
been no noticeable change so far."
"I see. Then, I
would like to hear the council members' opinion on whether or not to proceed
with the investigation of this matter."
Haibao urged the
council members to vote on the matter.
The first to raise his
voice was a member of the rejectionist faction. He slammed the table hard with
a loud *bang!*. He slammed the table hard and shouted loudly as he sat up from
his chair
"I am against it.
There is no guarantee that it will not be resurrected again. We must get rid of
it as soon as possible!"
As if in agreement
with his strong opinion, the other members of the rejectionist faction voiced
their agreement.
"He is absolutely
right. The previous incident could still be settled peacefully, but if the same
thing were to happen again and the people were to suffer greatly, this time it
would be irreversible."
"If that were to
happen, our dismissal would be inevitable. All of us here will be sent back to
our home countries and we will be held accountable. And above all, it will be
questionable whether this Arcazam could even survive."
While the members of
the rejectionist faction raised their voices, the members of the approving
faction also put their own opinions against the rejectionist faction.
"But it is also
true that thanks to this specimen, the research regarding Abyss Grief is
progressing. I think it wouldn't be a good idea to get rid of it too
soon..."
"The existence of
Ken Notice, who lives in perfect symbiosis with the Abyss Grief, is especially
valuable. Hopefully, we can find a way to control this beast.
"In the first
place, it is a being that can be resurrected from the ashes, isn't it? What do
you intend to do when you say dispose of it?"
"Guh~ ... But you
never know what will happen. If the beast were to resurrect again, what makes
you certain that we would be able to finish it off again?"
"T-, that's
..."
The approving faction
began to be suppressed by the rejectionist faction.
"Torgrein-dono,
what about that particular matter? Is there any chance that the Abyss Grief
could be revived through Ken Notice's body?"
"I can't say for
sure. However, the fact that Abyss Glyph was revived in the previous experiment
probably has something to do with this inscription. I think it is unlikely that
it would be able to be revived by the corpse of the military police officer,
whose inscription seems to have been completely destroyed. As for Ken Notice,
now that his magic power has been completely drained and he is physically
sealed, it is highly unlikely that it will be able to resurrect through him as
well. The cause of the previous resurrection was the direct injection of magic
power into the corpse, which still had the inscription on it, which caused the
remaining inscription on the corpse to react. As a result, the survival
instinct of the Abyss Grief was stimulated."
"Fumu……"
"I believe that
countermeasures against this existence are necessary, but the danger must be
kept to a minimum. Then, we have no choice but to continue our research with
the highest level of containment as before, keeping contact with the subject to
a very minimum, don't you think?"
Although a number of
opinions were voiced in the following discussion, none were deemed useful.
In the end, a decision
was made to maintain the status quo and see how things go.
"So, regarding
agenda item 32, we will maintain the status quo. Thank you very much, Mr.
Torgrein. Now, on to the next matter......."
Once one matter was
settled, it was time to move on to the next one.
Arcazam had many
problems to deal with.
The Chairman, Haibao,
proceeded with the agenda in a matter-of-fact manner.
===========================
"Wait,
"opportunist"."
The meeting was coming
to a close and Victor was walking down the hallway of the chamber when he
stopped at the sound of a hoarse voice.
When he turned around,
he saw the person who had interrupted the meeting before.
"What can I do
for you, Mr. "thick-armed man"? I have a busy day ahead of me."
'What, you have time
for a little chit-chat with your "classmates" from the same school,
don't you? Or are you busy because you're behind on your "debt
payments"?"
Viktor and Egrod began
voicing their sarcasm right from the start.
The atmosphere on both
sides was bad.
It was like a scene at
a dinner party where they smiling on the surface but kicking each other under
the table.
"Debts?
Unfortunately, my household is large enough to handle some minor debts, and I
am on track to pay my own personal debts, no?"
"You have not paid
a single coin in three hundred years and you said that you're still on track?
How could some chickens be so lazy?"
Three hundred years.
Hearing these words, Victor's eyebrows twitched.
Although it was
covered with sarcastic words so that a third party could not easily understand
it if they heard it, it clearly meant the secret agreement with the Household
of Waziart.
Victor, on the other
hand, frowned slightly but did not lose his nonchalant tone, and quietly
launched a counterattack.
"You have done a very
foolish thing to come to Arcazam with your own knights, haven't you? It seems
that your thoughtless behavior of spreading the seeds of unnecessary
disturbances has not changed since you were a student."
"You mean the
Iron Corpse Knight Order? They're merely my bodyguards. But then again, this
city assembly isn't very meaningful either. They are too far behind in
practically everything, even regarding that demon beast thing."
The Iron Corpse Knight
Order is an order of knights in the service of the Fabran household, and
although not large in size, it is a fairly elite order of knights and an
impressive military force.
Of course, it alone is
not a force that can start a war against Arcazam or other countries and win,
but in Arcazam, where the forces of each country are in rivalry with each
other, it could be a factor in stimulating many other forces.
"You're still the
same vicious little brat that keeps adding fuel to the fire. No wonder Firana
never looked at you."
"What are you
saying? You're just a Pied Piper who deceives people with sweet talk and drives
them to their deaths. Do you know how many people suffered ten years ago
because of you?"
Ten years ago, a great
invasion took place. At that time, Victor was among the first to send
reinforcements, but naturally, there was opposition from both inside and
outside the country.
When the troops of a
country crossed another country's border. Whether in times of peace or in times
of emergency, such an action would surely be taken as a declaration of war.
Furthermore, the cost
of organizing, sending, maintaining, and rewarding the troops would be
enormous.
Victor eliminated
these oppositions by all possible means.
He was able to
eliminate the opposition by persuading them with righteousness and reason, by misleading
them with sweet words, by bribing them with promises, and sometimes by
blackmailing them.
Opportunist and Pied
Piper. These were derogatory names given to Victor by those who continued to
oppose him as he tried to persuade the opposition.
"Even though you
refused to move when it matters the most. 'Bronze Statue' sure can use its
mouth."
"Ten years ago, I
was unable to move because my foolish father was the head of the household. If
it were now it would be different. I will not let your sweet words tilt the
country ever again."
Ten years ago, the
head of the Fabran household, Egrod's father, assisted in the formation of the
expeditionary force proposed by the Francilt household, providing troops,
supplies, and funds.
As the result of the
Fabran household as well as other households eventually cooperating in the
formation of this expeditionary force, the Kingdom of Forsina was among the
first to rush to the battlefields invaded by demonic beasts, and its reputation
grew, but at the same time it also incurred great debt and economic losses.
These losses were not
small, and even now they remained a source of concern for the Forsina Kingdom.
"Master, the
carriage is ready."
At that moment,
Victor's maid, Mena, interrupted their conversation.
It was a rude act for
a maid to interrupt the conversation of a high-ranking nobleman. However,
Egrod, who saw Mena, did not seem to blame her.
"Mena, it's been
a long time."
"It's been a long
time. Fabran-sama."
There could only one
reason why he did not blame her. Because these two, like Victor, were
classmates at the aristocratic school and old acquaintances.
"Are you still
serving this 'opportunist'? A knight of your caliber could be very successful
in our Knight Order. It would not be impossible for you to be knighted again,
would it?"
Although Egrod held
feelings that went beyond dislike to hatred toward Victor, Egrod's feelings
toward Mena were not bad at all.
Eglode was very fond
of this maid called Mena, who was also a skilled knight and a very reasonable
person. The only problem he had with her was that she was serving his sworn
enemy.
"I am sorry, but
with my old wounds, I don't think I can be of much help. Besides, I am now
Victor-sama's maid, nothing more, nothing less..."
"... Tch~, those
old bastards."
Although Egrod had
been turned down by Mena without hesitation, he was not particularly
displeased.
What he was angry
about was not his old friend's rejection of his offer, but the nobles who had
humiliated her.
However, the nobles he
was angry about had long since fallen, and who knows what they have become now?
"Is the pupil to
whom you gave the sword in good health? Rumor has it that she has grown
considerably."
"If what you mean
is Irisidna-ojousama, she is still studying with her schoolmates. It was no
longer possible for me to reach her level."
"I see. That's
wonderful. I heard that your pupil is obsessed with a guy. I believe his name
is ...... Nozomu Bountis or something like that?"
Egrod turned his gaze
from Mena back to Viktor.
Victor's expression
did not twitch even under his penetrating, testing gaze.
Egrod continued to
speak further while looking at Victor's expressionless face.
"A brilliant
underdog under the guidance of Shino Mikagura... A very unusual man. Of course,
that doesn't seem to be all..."
"What the-. You
have so much free time on your hands that you can worry about one student
now?"
"I heard he was
there at the time of the magic tool accident that happened in your
mansion."
"Hah~... you
busybodies. My daughter and he are friends. It's nothing strange to be invited
to the mansion, is it? I'm sorry, but unlike you, I'm busy. I'll take my
leave."
Viktor let out a sigh
of exasperation and turned on his heel to start walking.
Mena, by Victor's
side, bowed to Egrod and followed him.
"Wait,
'opportunist'."
Egrod tried to stop
Victor as he was about to leave.
Victor continued to
walk away as if to say it was not worth listening to, but Egurodo continued to
speak.
"You called me a
bronze statue, but who are you to say so?"
His tone was as if he
was questioning. There was a glimpse of a negative emotion that was even
stronger than before.
"You sweet-talked
and moved others to do the same, but in the end you let Firana die."
You let Firana die.
Hearing these words,
Victor's feet stopped for a moment.
"If it had been
me, I would not have let her die, even if it meant killing her baby."
"That may be so.
But that's why she didn't choose you."
As he turned around,
Viktor only struck a glance at him.
Victor and Egrod. The
two were rivals in every sense of the word.
Whether as household
members, political rivals, or in romance.
Oddly enough, the
woman they were truly drawn to in their lifetime was the same person. However,
the woman chose Victor.
Although connected by
a deep-rooted fate, the two, who were as opposed to each other as water and
oil, eventually turned their backs and began to walk away from each other.
