Chapter 335 – Determination
000
Let’s look at the procedure for the complete sealing of the ruins.
As the term describes, it is an action aimed at sealing or removing all causes of abnormalities that may occur in the ruins.
Even if the seal was incomplete in the past, after decades or even hundreds of years have passed, a seal can be newly overwritten stronger through the development of various technologies.
Among them, a way is found that does not have to leave any more anxiety factors.
The place is inside the guard barracks.
Solina took out the magic tool for sealing that she had brought from the Order of the Holy Knights—more precisely, the Church of the Protection of the Holy Spirit.
It was a cube-shaped object with patterns of animals similar to dragons, birds, turtles, and tigers engraved on it, which even Layla couldn’t grasp the principle of just by looking at them.
“Such a magic tool… I’ve never seen it before.”
“Me too. It seems to be an item developed by the magic tool research team within the Order of the Holy Knights. I heard that if you place it in the north, south, east, west direction of the land to be sealed, it will develop a barrier for sealing.”
“What, I thought it was a great item, but in the end it is a barrier stone.”
At Lyla’s slightly disappointed tone of voice, Beatrix chuckled and pinched her side of her.
“It hurts!?”
Anyway, it was not something I would say in front of the person who brought the item.
“…I heard about it when I was at the academy. In countries on the eastern side of the continent, blue dragons, red birds, black tortoises, and white tigers are treated as magical animals to keep the balance of the world. “
“Huh. It’s a thing with evidence.”
If that’s what Beatrix said, Lyla responded with the same reaction, and Solina said that she only received the item, but she didn’t know about its origin. She showed a reaction.
“But what can I do with just setting up a barrier? The one sleeping inside the ruins is a guy with a fraudulent combination of a vampire and a lich?”
Wilhelmina. It’s new, but just being a true vampire is an existence that possesses abilities far superior to humans.
In addition to that, if you add the characteristics of a lich, a being that can’t be killed in general, she was a target that could be dealt with at least by bringing an army.
The hero who defeated her was, of course, an existence outside her standard her.
There was no doubt that Wilhelmina was also a difficult person to deal with, even as Lyla or Beatrix.
Even if it was sealed with a new barrier, it was far from a complete seal.
In the end, the threat that remains within it remains the same, and the barrier eventually weakens as its effectiveness increases over time.
“Of course. Setting up a barrier is the first step. This barrier does not prevent the sealed necromancer from rising, but rather acts like a net to prevent what is inside from escaping to the outside. The barrier weakens the power of the unclean. “
“In other words. Even if the necromancer wakes up, is it possible to weaken…”
“Isn’t that the story of waking up anyway?”
When Beatrix answered Lyla’s words as if she were questioning her, Lyla nodded and turned to her to explain her explanation of her.
“Didn’t I tell you? A complete seal means either completely eradicating the cause or creating a seal that will never be released.”
“Yeah… Ah, in that case—”
Beatrix also looked back at Solina as if she knew it there.
“Yes. Necromancer-It is my mission to fully awaken Wilhelmina and destroy her core so that she will no longer be revived.”
In response to Solina’s confident answer, Laila let out a sigh.
“It’s not that easy. I know I’ll have to wake her up to find her lich’s core her, but there’s no way I can win by fighting her blindly.”
It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in his abilities in her.
However, when it comes to confidence in victory, the story is different.
As a wizard, it was easy to imagine that the other person’s rank was higher than their own.
No, perhaps even compared to existing wizards, it was more likely that he was a great wizard who had reached a higher level than anyone else.
To suppress such an existence with one barrier and fight is tantamount to committing suicide.
“Don’t worry, the means I’ve prepared aren’t the only barriers.”
Saying that, Solina raised her hand and pointed to the parade ground in the barracks.
There, there was only Reese, who was vigorously swinging her sword.
“… I only have your brother.”
“That’s it!”
“It’s a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of”
“No, it’s precisely the sword that Reese is wielding…”
As Solina reacted to each and every one of Layla’s useless points her, killing her spirits her, Beatrix’s sanctions came in immediately.
Lila, who once again pinches her side her and frowns at her.
When Solina looked at Lees and waved her hand her, Lees suddenly stopped swinging her sword while looking at her.
For a brief moment, Lyla and Beatrix could see the sword in Reese’s hand her.
Although it was enchanted, it only looked like a two-handed black sword that could be found anywhere.
Although the black color was unusual.
Solina continued her explanation, as if Layla and Beatrix’s still doubts were revealed in their expressions of her.
“The material itself is also a bit peculiar… The fact that there is almost no magical power that can be felt on the outside is also the strength of that material. That sword has the property of ‘attracting’ magical power.”
Listening to Solina’s words, Layla uses her magic poetry to examine the surroundings of her sword.
Indeed, as Solina had said, the sword could be seen pulling in the magical energy around it little by little, swallowing the magical energy that touched the sword body and absorbing it into the interior.
However, the curious thing is that even if mana is absorbed like that, it should be called the total amount of power, or the increase in power that should be felt from the sword is not visible.
Like. It seemed more appropriate to say that the swallowed magic also disappeared somewhere, or that it was digested and extinguished.
However, Layla noticed Solina’s intentions of her, wondering if that was the case.
“A lich’s body is made up of magic. So, even if the core isn’t completely destroyed… It’s a calculation that if you do something with magic, you can make it incapacitated for a while.”
“That’s right! The magic-eating sword is not only that, but even if it receives magic, the sword can absorb and get rid of it. It is truly a sword that is like a natural enemy to wizards.”
“…I hate to admit it, but it seems so.”
A double weakening strategy using swords and barriers.
If it worked, it would be possible to weaken Wilhelmina’s strength her enough to deal with them on their own.
It wasn’t until it was shown that there was a certain degree of odds that Layla looked at Solina as if she was relieved.
“I guess it wasn’t like I didn’t have any thoughts.”
“Because acting without thinking puts other people’s lives at risk.”
Solina smiled bitterly, as if she had learned something from what happened right before she left her village three years ago.
“I guess I learned something from the Holy Knights? A place like that suits my constitution.”
Beatrix said that with pure intentions without sacrilege, and Solina nodded her head.
At the same time, he quietly asked the two of them.
“…Everyone, what are you going to do?”
“…What?”
Lila, knowing to some extent the intent of her question her, deliberately pretended not to know, and she asked her a question once.
It was also a confirmation that she was prepared to ask the question.
For a moment, thinking that there was silence between the three of them-
“…After Illenu dies. What will you do after that?”
“…”
Lyla and Beatrix listened to her, and simply shut her mouth.
Layla spared her words because the question was exactly what she expected, and Beatrix felt once again that the reality of Illenu’s death was approaching, so she just kept her mouth shut in sorrow.
“…If you don’t have anything in mind, why don’t you go to the royal capital with me?”
“Are you crazy? I’m being chased.”
Hearing Solina’s proposal, Layla spoke to her in a slightly bruised manner.
It was also because she could only feel that she was talking thoughtlessly.
“I know. …The Academy’s enforcement… Is tracking Mr. Layla, right?”
Upon hearing the name, Lyla and Beatrix opened their eyes wide in surprise.
Originally, the Enforcement Division was like a shadow of the academy, unknown to outsiders and even to the students of the academy.
It was an unexpected situation for both of them that the name came out of Solina.
“How far do you know the Holy Knights?”
“Even in the Holy Knights, there is an organization for collecting information. Those people told me that the one who is chasing Layla is an unofficial group called the ‘Enforcement Division’, a group that has problems even in the academy… I think I caught…”
At those words, Beatrix jumped up from her seat.
…Because Beatrix, too, belonged to the Enforcement Division at the academy.
Of course, it was half of my will and half of someone else’s compulsion.
“The Enforcement Division is with the devil…?”
“Yes. In fact- the capital is under threat from a large number of demons. A group of demons called ‘Astarothe’ has suddenly emerged and taken control of the back alleys of the capital, creating devil worshipers all over the continent.. .The fact that the Order of the Holy Knights have recently focused on increasing their power, and the fact that they made something like a sword that absorbs mana. All of them are by-products of research and effort to deal with demons.”
“Why is the Enforcement Division involved…?”
In response to Beatrix’s question, Solina told what she knew.
“…The information we have is that the Enforcement Division is working with Astarothe to summon one of the five great demons called ‘Demiurge’.”
“Demiurge?”
Lyla heard the story and frowned.
As far as she knew, it was a collective name for the demons who appeared in legends and ruled mankind in the past.
Layla didn’t know what the Enforcement Division was trying to do with such nonsense.
However, Beatrix clasped his hand her and spoke while looking at Solina.
“…If the Enforcement Division is really doing that. We have to stop it.”
“Of course. However, the Academy does not officially acknowledge the existence of the Enforcement Division, and it is not responding to our request for cooperation in the investigation. …Maybe a big fight may break out between the Academy and the Church. .”
Beatrix’s expression her grew darker, but Layla seemed rather interested in hearing the story.
“That’s right. The Senate are people who can forsake any morality for their own purposes. The story flows in an interesting way. The Church vs. The Academy. The Kingdom, of course-“
“…Yes, of course, the kingdom is with the church. The church must be able to stop the demonic threat approaching the capital.”
However, since a large number of children of aristocrats were enrolled in the academy, it was undeniable that the students could become hostages.
It would be a realistic story that the kingdom does not openly support the church, but helps the church behind the scenes while taking a neutral stance.
Even so, it was the church rather than the academy that could directly stop the demonic threat.
It was inevitable that the kingdom’s heart would turn toward it.
“We need more strength in the fight against demons and the academy. Even if you are not a priest, the Holy Knights are preparing a plan to foster a mage unit. For the two of you, you came to the Holy Knights unit and join us. I want you to help me in the fight to drive the demons out of the continent.”
This story, to the end, was also the story of Solina’s personal wishes for her.
Solina’s question, asking if she would join the fight to protect the world.
If only Cleon had been here- Thought the same, Lyla and Beatrix for a while.
“…I don’t care. It’s a good opportunity to get rid of the Academy’s Council of Elders. Now that it’s like this, I’ll open an all-out war.”
When Lyla said that, Beatrix nodded as if she had made up her mind and replied.
“…If I say that the Enforcement Division has gone as far as corruption… As the head of the Enforcement Division, I must have a duty to prevent that situation.”
Beatrix spoke to Solina as if she had made up her mind her.
“—Thank you! Both of you…!”
Solina repeatedly bowed her head to those two and expressed her gratitude.
Of course, personal reasons preceded the simple noble will to protect the world.
Even so, it was reassuring to see two powerful wizards lending their strength.
“But, that’s the story after surviving the battle with the lich. You know that, right?”
Layla puts the brakes on Solina, who seems too excited.
Solina, who suddenly regained her senses, nodded her head with a ‘yes, yes!’ As she, too, set her mind on fighting the lich.
And- executing the complete sealing of the ruins, Reese gets used to the new weapon and Layla and Beatrix. It was decided that the night after 3 days would be the end of both preparations.
But no one in town knew.
The three days after the sealing is-
Lyla, Beatrix, and Solina shared joy and resolution while talking about the future.
Not only the three of them, but the fate of everyone in the village is fixed and unchanging.
That it would be the worst, the lowest day.
Despair and death, burying everything, were approaching everyone.