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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 184: Distortion (1)
It was a new feeling.
It felt like I had finally taken the first step towards my goal.
After staring at the ranking board for a while, I suddenly looked at one spot and tilted my head.
'……They changed their name.'
After a moment of contemplation, I approached a man who appeared to be in charge among the White Magic Tower staff working and asked,
“Is it possible to change the name registered in the entry list for the Demon Realm?”
“Unless it's a case that could cause misunderstanding, it's possible.”
“Let's go with this.”
When I wrote it down on paper and handed it over, the person in charge nodded.
“That's possible. Please wait a moment.”
After a while, when I heard that the application had been processed by the person in charge, I checked the ranking board again.
[5th Place: Hyark Clan, Contribution Points: Private]
[4th Place: Samael Clan, Contribution Points: 4,313,462 points]
[3rd Place: Private]
[2nd Place: Private]
[1st Place: Private]
“Oh? Our ranking went up?”
At Zion's words, Arin looked at me with a strange expression.
“It seems like the points were combined.”
Taylor had changed the name registered on the list from White Horse Knights to Samael Clan.
When I also removed the name Crazy Mage Squad and registered as Samael Clan, the points were combined, and our ranking rose by one step.
“We beat the vassal clan!”
“Sob……”
Anyway, the Crazy Mage Squad didn't seem to be calming down.
I didn't know why Palge kept crying, but no one asked him why.
I didn't feel like asking either.
“Let's go back, you fools.”
I quickly left the Alliance with the increasingly rowdy Crazy Mage Squad.
There was no time to hesitate.
As soon as we returned to our temporary lodging, I gave some instructions to my subordinates.
“Let's find a new place to stay. Look for something in the south. Somewhere good for training. Palge and Arin will take charge of this. Find a place discreetly.”
Although our current location wasn't bad for training, there were some limitations.
The desolate southern part of Keplan, where there were few people, was the perfect place for proper training.
“Also, get some masks and wear them. There will be a lot of people recognizing us now.”
“Masks?”
I nodded.
“There are a lot of people wearing masks in Keplan. I've noticed that not wearing a mask is a disadvantage. Especially for you, Arin.”
“I'll get a red one then.”
“Okay. Everyone, focus on your training. The 5th Circle is just the beginning.”
I gave Zion a few more instructions.
“Zion, keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals. Don't overdo it, just rely on rumors. After what happened in the Demon Realm, there's bound to be some strange activity. If you notice anything unusual, send a message to Fichte and Karius immediately, even if I'm not around.”
“Should we inform the main clan?”
I was about to shake my head, but then I remembered what the elders had said and nodded.
“Inform the main clan too.”
“Got it. What are you going to do, Commander?”
“I'm going to visit the White Magic Tower.”
***
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, I headed towards western Keplan.
While exiting our temporary lodging, I paused for a moment and looked around.
“It snowed a lot.”
The whole world was white.
The snow that had fallen since last night had piled up to the point of covering the tops of my feet.
I didn't travel by carriage today.
I decided to use this opportunity to train, so I ran west, utilizing the Crazy Mage Movement Technique for the first time in a while.
Despite traversing at tremendous speed, there wasn't even the slightest sound.
It felt as if the wind pressure concentrated on the tips of my feet was moving my body freely.
Even in my past life, I placed great importance on running, but this was a technique I didn't possess back then.
As I continued running, I briefly looked back.
There wasn't a single trace of footprints left in the thick snow.
“The Grass Serpent have improved once again.”
To have reached the level where even stepping on snow leaves no trace……
I inwardly named the movement technique and continued running west.
Upon reaching the barrier at the westernmost point of Keplan and moving further west along it, the color of the barrier gradually deepened, and even the sky darkened.
Then, a white skyscraper of overwhelming height appeared, dominating my vision.
When I turned my head towards the barrier, I could see the entrance to the Demon Realm, a long vertical tear in the thick darkness.
'……The Restricted Demon Realm.'
The only Demon Realm that remained unconquered and restricted.
I didn't think much of it before, but now it was different.
The Myriad Demon Assembly.
The half-masked man might have had a hand in that place as well.
We must even consider the worst-case scenario—the possibility of a demon of the highest rank appearing.
I needed to be fully prepared before entering.
The Alliance Head said he would send a message to the Divine Clan, so there should be news soon.
“It sure is tall.”
Saaa—
Standing on the first floor of the White Magic Tower and looking up, I couldn't even see the top.
The top floor seemed to pierce through the clouds, its height unimaginable.
As soon as I entered, I felt the pressure of the enormous magic circle.
“How can I help you?”
The wide-open view and the incredibly high ceiling.
A mage, who had been reading a thick book on one side, approached and asked.
Although the space appeared peaceful at first glance, it was completely different from when I visited the Blue Magic Tower.
I could feel the magic circle, which had scanned my body as I passed through the entrance, thoroughly examining the Mana Core I possessed.
“Are you here to visit the library?”
I replied to the man, presumed to be a mage,
“Yes.”
“This way, please.”
I followed the man who was walking with a calm gait.
The tower was so quiet that only the sound of my and the man's footsteps echoed within.
By the way, there was a reason why I assumed this man was a mage.
It was the same with Mahon and the Alliance Head.
Although he was incomparable to them, I could sense a somewhat ambiguous aura from this man as well.
I couldn't sense the flow of mana like a mage, but it felt strangely familiar.
While following behind the man, I suddenly turned my head and looked to the left.
In an open space, several people presumed to be mages were gathered, exchanging opinions about something or looking through books.
It looked like they were studying in a library.
They all had calm expressions.
A typical bookworm-like feeling.
When we reached a wall engraved with a magic circle, the man stopped walking.
“This is it. Please fill out the register in front and enter. Up to the third floor is open to the public. If you wish to go higher, you'll need Contribution Points.”
As soon as I wrote my name in the register, an expression of admiration appeared on the man's previously calm face for the first time.
“Oh my. Mr. Ruin, could you be… Mr. Ruin of Samael?”
“Indeed.”
I suddenly felt that the man's exclamation was somewhat strange.
It didn't seem like an exclamation simply due to high Contribution Points or a rise in status within the Demon Realm.
When I stared at him intently, the man quickly composed his expression.
“I apologize for my outburst. Please wait a moment.”
The man, who had disappeared somewhere for a moment, reappeared.
“You are granted access to all floors, including the restricted area up to the 5th floor.”
“Can I just go in? Is there no need for a qualification badge or something?”
“You don't need to worry about that.”
It sounded like there was another magic circle inside.
At the same time, the blocked wall split to the left and right, and a fragrant woody scent wafted in, followed by a view of bookshelves of tremendous height, packed with books.
“I heard that Samael also uses incantations.”
The man beside me suddenly spoke cautiously.
It sounded like he had been contemplating for a while before speaking.
“I am a mage, Delial. Incantation magic has been a long-standing interest of our scholars. Samael has also been a hot topic among us lately. Combat using incantations… If there's an opportunity next time, I would like to arrange a discussion.”
No wonder I thought the man's exclamation earlier was a bit strange.
Now I could see that it wasn't an exaggeration when they said mages were very interested in incantations.
“I've been rambling. Please feel free to look around.”
As soon as I stepped inside, the library door slowly began to close.
As I turned around and watched the man named Delial walk away, a familiar face caught my eye.
“Bao?”
The new recruit from the regular branch office.
I unexpectedly spotted Bao walking somewhere through the closing door.
He said he wanted to become a scholar, so was he trying to make connections at the White Magic Tower?
Thud—
Meanwhile, the door closed completely, and I first took a quick tour of the library.
Bookshelves so high that they obscured my vision were densely placed like a maze.
When I climbed the stairs next to the entrance and looked around, the enormous scale of the library was revealed.
'It's almost as big as our estate.'
I couldn't quite grasp its size.
At a glance, it was as large as the main clan's estate.
Moreover, the library I saw in front of me didn't seem to be the entirety of the first floor.
It was newly impressive to me that Kazen had found the expedition records in this vast place.
Not only was it a testament to his dedication, but it was also something that would be impossible without intelligence.
“Hmm?”
Creak—
I tilted my head at the sudden noise and went down the stairs.
The entrance to the library slowly opened.
'Has someone else come to visit?'
However, when the door opened and our eyes met, the man was a face I already knew.
"We meet again, Crazy Mage Commander."
"Did you come looking for me?"
"Indeed."
"You've got me under strict surveillance."
"Surveillance? That's a hurtful thing to say to someone who came to see you because he missed you. I came straight here without even informing my adjutant. Don't we have things to discuss?"
Mahon Sirius, one of the 13 floor heads of the White Magic Tower.
He was looking at me with an intrigued expression.
"I never thought you'd actually accumulate enough Contribution Points to come here. Is there something you're looking for in the library?"
"I came to take a look around."
Mahon nodded and said,
"Looking around the library will take quite a while. If you don't mind, how about we have a brief conversation before that?"
Our eyes met.
After staring intently at each other for a moment, I nodded.
I also had some questions for this man.
"Alright."
Mahon gave a gentle smile.
"Let's go to the reception room."
* * *
Reception room of the White Magic Tower.
While following Mahon to the reception room on the 5th floor, we encountered several mages, but they all simply bowed their heads to Mahon as a greeting.
None of them made a fuss even when facing the Head of their own Magic Tower.
It didn't seem like they were doing it on purpose.
They all seemed to have calm natures.
While I was sitting in a plush chair, Mahon brewed a cup of tea and sat across from me.
"Crazy Mage Commander, I've really been wanting to have a conversation with you."
I looked at Mahon and asked,
"You want to talk about incantation magic?"
"I truly do. You may not know this, but it's not very often that I leave the upper floors."
I responded, speculating on why Mahon had asked to see me.
"I don't understand what you're so curious about. Is it strange that I use incantations?"
Mahon shook his head and looked at me.
I stared right back at him.
I'd felt it since the first time I saw him, but this old man was very difficult to read.
At least with the Alliance Head, I could see a sense of responsibility for leading the Alliance, but this old man was hard to understand, as if he were harboring dozens of snakes within him.
Mahon smiled faintly.
"Not at all."
"Then?"
I anticipated Mahon's answer and prepared my next move.
However, Mahon's following response was completely unexpected.
"Of course it's not strange. I'm well aware that Samael has been using incantation magic since long ago."
"What?"
"I'm delighted that Samael's incantation magic has reappeared."
"You know that Samael used incantations?"
"Of course. I presume there's a long-standing tradition."
Mahon suddenly turned his gaze serious.
"But before that, there's something I want to ask. This is related to incantation magic, and it's also the most serious issue I've been facing lately."
I continued to look into Mahon's eyes, but it was difficult to discern his intentions.
In times like these, I had to respond in kind.
I couldn't let him underestimate me.
"Are you going to talk about the demons?"
Mahon let out a low exclamation.
"Exactly. What I want to ask is, how much do you, no, the Samael Clan, know about the demons?"
"More than you think."
"Then I'll ask you directly."
Mahon looked straight at me.
"The Final Expedition."
"What?"
My heart skipped a beat.
I tried to maintain a calm composure while looking at Mahon, but the sound of my heart pounding in my ears was louder than thunder.
"Do you know that Samael also participated in it?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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