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As Basil and his supporters prepared themselves to face the obstacles the Braxtein Kingdom and the Church prepared for them, information that had been concealed from the public, namely the incoming Outbreak of the 27th Obelisk and August\'s existence, was revealed.

The news about the Outbreak caused unease amongst the people but none of them worried about getting affected. The 27th Obelisk was closer to the Great Forest of Yitoupheo and Frachtenhein, so the risk of Braxtein getting caught up was minuscule.

What the people worry was the inevitable battle between Basil and August. When his presence was announced, many were shocked; it was really hard for them to wrap their head around the fact that Braxtein had a Ninth Circle Mage.

For the past millennium and a half, the rate at which people saw a Ninth Circle Mage was very low. Many people failed to become one and those who managed to become one preferred to live in solitude in a place that no one could ever find.

Up to the day before August showed himself, only the Emperor was known to be a Ninth Circle Mage. He was akin to a God for some people thanks to the fact that he was the sole known Ninth Circle Mage, so seeing another one pop up shook the people\'s worlds.

"Are we finally going to be undefeated?"

"Idiot, just because Duke August is the only one who has revealed himself, it doesn\'t mean that our neighbouring Kingdoms don\'t have a Ninth Circle Mage."

"That is true…."

"Isn\'t it a little bit overkill? I mean, it must have something to do with our former Golden Apple, mustn\'t it?"

"What are you talking about? He destroyed the entire Dukedom—the Dukedom that Duke August bequeathed to his descendants. How do you expect him to not explode?"

"But the reason why he showed up was that his rest was disturbed. He said it himself; you know? Yesterday, during the announcement."

"Explode, huh? I wonder if the real reason why the entire Dukedom is flat with the earth was that he got mad for being awakened."

"Shush! Don\'t blabber nonsense! You know what they do to the Golden Apple\'s avid supporter, don\'t you?"

The opinion of the entire Kingdom on the matter was split. Although those who still believed in Basil were not as many as the people who despised him, they were still two-fifth of the population.

None of them, of course, expressed their opinion openly…at least, not before the King\'s decree, which was made by Aldrich, was announced. None of the people was aware that their real King had left but they knew not to support Basil.

"That Basil Pacifer has sunk his fangs deep into our flesh. Even after all of the propaganda and my decree, there are still people who support him."

Overlooking the city of Randalvine from the balcony of his bedroom was Aldrich. Eldridge was standing on his side, listening and responding to remarks of the new but still unofficial King.

"He has made a very good impression with the people, Your Majesty. He has also done much for our Kingdom, so it is very hard for the people to believe what we have announced up to now is true."

"Have you heard of what those we have executed said before they died, Eldridge?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Basil Pacifer will make a good Sovereign!" Aldrich exclaimed with a sneer on his face. "That dirty son of a Witch has washed the people\'s brains with the beautiful illusion he presented them. I can\'t wait to make the world see the true him."

"Do you believe he is not the kind of person that he presents himself as, Your Majesty?" Eldridge asked softly. "My eyes may be old but I am confident that what I have seen up to this day is the real him."

​ Aldrich\'s eyes gleamed coldly. "Ho-oh? Pray tell, Eldridge, what kind of person do you think he is?"

"He is the kind of person who will only mind his own business and strike those who stand in his way down. He fits to be a monarch but he doesn\'t show any desire to be one because he only wants one thing: to make the people whom he care about happy."

"You have a rather high view about him, don\'t you, Eldridge?" Aldrich scoffed. "Do you happen to have a desire to change sides now?"

"I want the best for this Kingdom. Now that it has stood in his way, there is no way I will side with him, Your Majesty," Eldridge replied surely.

"Ah, good choice of words, Eldridge."

The new but still unofficial King had lost his former self. Brilliant as he thought himself was, he didn\'t realize that he was but a disposable pawn in the grand scheme of the Church.

The more experienced Royal Counsellor knew what was going on and he couldn\'t help shaking his head bitterly. The Kingdom was crumbling and he was now scolding himself for being too arrogant; he shouldn\'t have thought he would be able to somehow save it.

The ship was sailing but the captain was navigating it to the big iceberg that only his co could see.

….

On the other side of Randalvine, in the Manor that used to belong to Basil, August and Archibald, his sole vessel, were looking around. The most noticeable thing that immediately caught their attention was how empty it was.

"Speak, my vessel, what thou canst conclude from the sight thou beholdest?"

"He was prepared…."

"Indeed! That lad was prepared. You bunch of fopdoodles have been played since the beginning. How amusing, how amusing!"

"…."

August was very interested in Basil ever since said Pacifer managed to deceive him. He couldn\'t stop thinking how a mere Sixth Circle Mage managed to deceive him, a Ninth Circle Mage.

His sense as a Ninth Circle Mage was incredibly sharp; for Basil to be able to do something so sneaky, he must find his weakness first, which was something that only his peers could do. He was aware of how fearsome the Pacifer was but he still found it absurd.

He came to the Manor Basil had previously owned in hope that he could find some clue about to what extent Basil\'s prowess was. He knew nothing of what Basil was planning—even if he was stronger, he still didn\'t want to look down on Basil.

Arrogance was poisonous. It would kill oneself at a rate that one could never measure or predict.

"Fie! Frustrating." August turned to Archibald and put his hand on Archibald\'s shoulder. "My vessel, it has been a long time since the last time this one is surrounded by fizgigs[1]. Bring me to a place full of fandangles[2] and I shall be fain[3]."

"… What are you talking about, Master?"

"Gadzooks! I am talking about a brothel—a high-class one. Bring me there!"

"Why don\'t you just talk normally? I am having a hard time understanding you," Archibald said exasperatedly.

"Thou thinkest this one is faking his way of speech? Dalcop[4] I shall clepe[5] thee hereupon!"

"I won\'t feel offended even if you say that. I don\'t understand!" Archibald retorted.

If it was a week ago, Archibald wouldn\'t dare to talk back to August. Upon knowing August closer, however, he figured out that August was just an eccentric old man who cherished his family member whom he deemed useful—like him.

Although he became August\'s vessel, which was a very unfortunate fate for a Seventh Circle Mage and a Duke, he didn\'t mind in the slightest. He was being treated the way he had treated his grandsons, so it had been fun hanging around August.

"Grandsons, huh...?" Archibald muttered, causing his eyes to well up.

"Hearken[6], those who have left are not meant to be cried over. They didn\'t leave because they wanted to, hence, crying over them will only further overwhelm them with sorrow. Smile, Archibald. Know that he who killed them will perish soon."

His family was in the Dukedom when Basil detonated it. Since they were spending their time in the outer part of the Dukedom, however, none of them was affected when half of the Dukedom became flat with the earth.

The reason why they died was that August deemed them useless. August had killed them in cold blood and he couldn\'t tell it to August for fear of ruining their relationship.

Now that he thought about it, he wondered whom he should hate. He hated Basil for what he had done to Rancuser Dukedom but, logically, he should have hated August more for killing his family, which he didn\'t.

\'Everything is within the Gods\' plan…I shouldn\'t muse too much about it.\'

Fanaticism: an illness that brought one power and also destruction. Because of it, in the end, even the family man, Archibald threw his family away.

….

In another part of the world, underground, in one of the rooms that existed in a certain Dungeon, a burly elderly man knelt before an otherworldly handsome young man who had a glowing Seal on his forehead.

The elderly man closed his eyes in comfort as the golden light that came out of the young man\'s palm enveloped him.

When the light dissipated, the young man let go of his hold on the elderly man\'s head before retracting it. The elderly man opened his eyes and then stood up as he gazed at the young man\'s visage reverently.

"My Lord. Thank you for opening my eyes. I can now see the blade in my heart again; had you not convinced me, I would have died vainly," the elderly man said gratefully.

"\'Twas unfortunate, yet, some of thy fellows have chosen wrong, Cyrus. They have failed to see the blade that they themselves buried in their hearts, hence, I honour their wish."

The young man and the elderly man were, respectively, Basil Pacifer and Cyrus Sideris; the new Lord of the Pacifer and the former Centurion of the Army that The Lord had led.

Two weeks had passed—the day they returned to the surface was getting close but, out of 78 Warriors, they had only managed to gather 49 of them. 56 Dungeons had been visited but 7 Warriors had refused to fight.

All of them had lost the gleam that living people had in their eyes. They had already died but their bodies were still moving. When Basil met one, he knew whom he could save and whom he couldn\'t. For those whom he couldn\'t save…he took their souls out of their bodies, literally.

———

[1] Fizgig: a silly or flirtatious young women

[2] Fandangle: a useless, ornamental thing

[3] Fain: pleased.

[4] Dalcop: a stupid person.

[5] Clepe: to call, to name.

[6] Hearken: listen (as in, "Listen, plebeians!).