Chapter 1467

The cause of World War I, the most brutal war on Earth, was none other than the assassination of an archduke in Sarajevo. Of course, the world didn’t plunge into war simply because an archduke was assassinated.

There were other factors at play. One was the intense power struggle between nations that scrambled to form alliances with one another. Another was that the world had yet to truly experience the horrors of advanced warfare.

Fortunately, the International Federation of Tionis was in a better situation than Earth.

Of course, there was one person who found it far from satisfactory.

Gargantia Netzach. The adopted son of the First Lich Nyx was a deranged kinslayer, someone even Nyx had deemed so dangerous that he imprisoned him with the seal of annihilation.

He was subtly manipulating the situation behind the scenes. While he wasn't personally attending the federation meetings, it was clear that some of the attendees were under his influence.

Sullivan agreed with Perserque's plan.

‘I have to find his trail before this situation takes another turn for the worse.’

He knew that revealing the young lords and ladies were alive wouldn't solve the underlying problem.

‘The saving grace is that we can subdue him if he starts to rampage, but...’

Even for the emperor of a great empire, playing hardball in that kind of situation was undeniably foolish. He needed to be meticulous and maintain a delicate balance. He'd act as though he had everything under control, keeping the situation from spiraling out of hand even when cornered. He'd mediate the conflict and gradually let tensions die down.

It made it impossible to see what lay ahead, and his bold behavior could even plunge the continent into war, but he had been left with no other choice.

‘Well, this is only possible because if worse comes to worst I can just announce their survival to cool things off.’

His opponent was a hardcore hedonist. By his nature, he definitely wouldn't handle things slowly and methodically.

Therefore, Sullivan pointed out the unusual circumstances surrounding the incident and strongly appealed that it wasn't simply an internal conflict within the Pallan Empire.

Just as he desperately tried to improve the situation through constant teeter-tottering, someone requested to speak in the meeting.

‘So it begins...’

“Please speak, King of Vardok.”

Muttering with eyes that looked utterly exhausted, the king brought up the one thing everyone was avoiding and trying to keep quiet. “I couldn’t help but wonder why, in the midst of all this, there has been no further talk of the sole survivor.”

‘So far, so good.’

Sullivan quieted the hall, which had begun to murmur, then said, “Do you care to elaborate?”

“Everyone seemed to have died in this great catastrophe. But yet, there was a survivor.”

The word survivor caused a stir.

“Princess Evangeline O'Rowane. Only the Princess of Heins survived. Why are there no statements about this?”

Some who hadn’t been affected by Gargantia spoke up in defense, arguing, “Isn't Heins also a victim?”

“It's hard to tell,” the man replied. “Maybe they received information beforehand...”

A few kingdoms friendly with Heins frowned and pressed the King of Vardok.

“Watch your words! Can you take responsibility for that statement right now?”

“Take responsibility, you ask? You speak as if Davey O’Rowane is the ruler of Tionis. I'm merely trying to be clear about who's responsible.”

“Responsibility, you say? Didn't Pallan state that the perpetrator was a terrorist? Furthermore, the Grand Duchess of Heins was caught up in this incident. Do you think the Grand Duke of Heins would simply overlook her death?”

The King of Vardok shrugged his shoulders and gave a strange smile. “It's hard to say. The Grand Duke of Heins's love for the Grand Duchess is well-known, but isn’t it strange?”

He stood up and pointed to an empty seat before continuing, “The Grand Duchess he loved so much has died. But how is he remaining so silent? Has everyone forgotten what he did in the recent war?”

The crowd was greatly stirred at his words.

‘So this is how he’s going to play it.’

Sullivan had already expected him to target the Rowane Kingdom’s absence.

His intention was obvious. To plant the seeds of suspicion against Heins and Pallan with his statement. That much would be enough for him. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Of course, the Vardok Kingdom might turn into a sea of fire because of his actions, but from Gargantia's perspective, that wasn’t an issue.

“Come to think of it, that really is quite strange... Why is he acting that way?”

Just as Sullivan was contemplating how to appropriately move past the situation, the Celestial Maiden of the Great Empire of Ming said, “The Grand Duke of Heins is a clever person. If this incident was truly caused by a terrorist, the Grand Duke I know would be desperately searching for that terrorist instead of wasting time by coming here.”

“Of course, that seems plausible. That indeed could be the case. However, I have a different thought,” the man argued. “I have a feeling that Heins is deeply involved in this terror incident.”

The entire hall gasped at those words.

“The Grand Duke of Heins caused some kind of trouble in Pallan, which resulted in a large number of casualties. Naturally, the Grand Duke, who may very well be the mastermind behind this incident, is using the supposed terrorist as a cover to keep the truth hidden, while Pallan is helping him cover it up.”

“How absurd of you to say such a thing!”

“Otherwise, none of this makes any sense. Of course, it's just a theory.”

The truth didn't matter. He had merely offered an opinion. With that alone, the King of Vardok had achieved his goal. He had planted the seeds of mutual suspicion.

Sullivan silently observed the situation, pretending to listen. Even that interruption was unfolding exactly as Perserque had predicted. Cold sweat ran down his back. It was frightening how she could have known that. It almost seemed like she knew how to look into the future.

Vardok was merely a pawn, anyway. The original plan would’ve been to suspect him and push him out to worsen the situation. However, Perserque added one fact there.

- I judge Gargantia to be an extreme hedonist. I can only see him being in the hall when the meeting happens. If we can figure out who he's disguised himself as, we'll gain a major advantage.

With the situation unfolding as she had said, Sullivan regained his composure and spoke up to say, “That's possible. The situation is certainly suspicious.”

The warning not to be swayed meant he was nothing more than a disposable pawn. There was no point in suspecting him or backing him into a corner. Instead, they needed to use something the enemy didn't know about to catch him off guard.

“Please take a look at this.”

‘As long as the enemy doesn’t know that the young lords and ladies are still alive, the enemy will think they hold an unbeatable trump card. So I have no choice but to take a huge risk and raise the stakes.’

He activated the artifact he had prepared beforehand. “I swear by Goddess Freyja. I declare that this has not been tampered with.”

Of course, it might’ve been manipulated, but that didn't matter. As soon as the video was activated, a massive dragon appeared. Then, Illyna de Pallan appeared, silencing the dragon.

“T-that’s?!”

“Hmm...”

Most of them were shocked, while some watched with suspicion. It was only natural. The recording showed Illyna displaying an unbelievable level of swordsmanship as she cut down the dragon.

“The terrorists who infiltrated the banquet hall somehow managed to take control of people within Pallan as well. They then used those people to set up a special barrier around the banquet hall. The enemy already had numerous forces under his command and abducted all the young lords and ladies, and even Pallan's renowned Mage Corps couldn't have dealt with the dragon. During the incident, the Princess of Heins managed to rescue them and bring them back alive. However, the leader of the terrorists...”

Sullivan paused briefly and swept his gaze over the room before continuing, “A battle with an unknown dragon broke out. Afterward, Grand Duchess Illyna arrived after receiving her signal and took him down.”

The unbelievable scene incited suspicion. Sullivan had thus been reluctant to reveal the video, but Perserque had insisted on the advantage of revealing it.

One king chuckled out of disbelief and said, “Do you really expect us to believe that absurd video? I have heard through the grapevine that Grand Duchess Illyna is the continent's greatest genius, but what the video is showing is far beyond the realm of any Swordmaster! Do you truly think a mere human can accomplish such a ridiculous feat?”

The other kings nodded at the statement.

Sullivan responded, “Believe it or not, Pallan speaks only the truth. The important thing now is not to fight among ourselves. The dragon that Grand Duchess Illyna cut down is a creature with immortality, one that cannot be killed even by that extreme level of attack. That creature must be somewhere even now, preparing its next plan.”

It was hard to believe, but they had no other proof to shoot down the claim. The fundamental problem wasn’t yet solved, and many nations were still suspicious, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that the powder keg on the verge of exploding was beginning to stabilize, even if only slightly.

If Perserque was right, the hedonist would definitely launch another terrorist attack to escalate the situation if things went sideways here.

That was when it happened.

A chancellor of a certain nation, who had been silent the entire meeting, muttered in an uncharacteristic tone, “Aaah. This is no fun...”

“Pardon?”

“Back in the old days, all it took was a little push for humans to start tearing each other apart and fighting to the death. For both powerful and weak nations to be this cautious now... I guess the world really has changed.”

An unexpected situation had occurred.

‘What?’

It was a deviation from what Perserque had mentioned.

He was a hedonist, but he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't do anything reckless enough to turn the entire situation against him at once.

‘But yet he’s revealing himself here? What does he want? What does he hope to gain?!’

The question of who was responsible for the deaths of the young lords and ladies still remained, giving him room to carry out his plan. Yet, he was revealing himself and announcing himself as the sole mastermind.

Sullivan glared at the chancellor.

‘Is he planning to use him as a scapegoat while keeping the King of Vardok out of it? All to start a war? Or what else does he have in mind?’

He was confused, unable to comprehend the current situation.

Sullivan sprang up from his seat, shouting, “High Priest! Perform a detailed examination on that man! The possibility of him being undead is high!”

“What kind of...”

“Hurry!”

At Sullivan's shout, the High Priest of the Holy Empire reached out toward the man.

At the same time, holy power spread out, soon seeping into the chancellor.

The high priest exclaimed in astonishment, “T-that's impossible! An undead was right beside us, and we didn't even notice!”

No longer had a reason to hide, the chancellor slowly shrugged his shoulders. “I admit it. I originally planned to give you horne a few gentle pokes, hoping to stir up enough chaos to make you go to war with each other.”

“You truly survived. Just what is your goal? And how did you turn the chancellor into an undead?”

“Are you curious?”

At that moment, the conference hall door burst open, and a number of knights pointed their swords at his neck.

“Speak, monster,” the Crown Prince of Lyndis said, glaring at him coldly.

The chancellor began to chuckle and laugh. “It's nothing special! I just killed him and resurrected him with devil magic.”

The High Priest shouted in protest, “Nonsense! Undead are bound to have differences from the living, but the chancellor was clearly a normal human!”

He scoffed. “Are you judging magic with the meager knowledge of a horne?”

“You bastard!”

“Don't get so worked up. Well, Emperor of Pallan, I have to give you credit. I applaud you for setting a trap to catch me, but I'm sorry to tell you it's become completely useless.”

Sullivan had never had any intention of capturing him there. He had been waiting for him to take another risk to throw the continent into chaos. That would be his opportunity to locate Gargantia’s hideout and silence him for good.

However, now that the creature had revealed himself, the plan had become more complicated.

Sullivan internally groaned.

“Don't worry. This farce is no longer my concern. If you want to catch me, go ahead and try.”

“This farce is no longer your concern? You caused a massive incident with terror attacks, and now it's no longer your concern?!”

“You heard me right. I originally planned to give you horne a gentle push and enjoy watching you make fools of yourselves by starting a war, but now I've found something far more exciting,” he said, completely unconcerned by the swords pointed at him. “I've never felt such a powerful stimulus ever since I opened my eyes.”

Nobody knew what to say.

“And, now that I've found the one who gave me that excitement, this farce is meaningless to me. I couldn't care less.”

“Just who gave you that stimulus?”

At that question, the chancellor, possessed by Gargantia, dropped a bombshell with a calm face. “For thousands of years, I have existed as an absolute immortal who cannot die.”

His statement amplified the murmuring.

“Nothing could ever stimulate me. But, for the first time in thousands of years, a being has appeared who gave me the tremendous stimulus of fear and pain.” He continued with a face full of madness, “Now, nothing else matters to me. She is the only thing I care about. So, bring her to me. If you don't, I will let loose the undead I command all across the continent.”

Watching him throw his entire plan aside and start acting recklessly made Sullivan clutch his head.

He had heard that the madman was crazy, but clearly logic meant nothing to him. No one had expected him to abandon a plan he'd spent so long preparing and switch to a completely different objective on a whim.

‘No. Is this why Perserque told me never to let my guard down?’

He didn't know the specifics, but him being an extreme hedonist seemed accurate.

“Just who are you talking about?!”

The possibility of the Pallan incident happening in other nations couldn't be taken lightly. Those who had been suspicious of one another instantly united and glared at the chancellor.

“Who else? It’s the same one who first brought me the fear of death. The beautiful woman with blonde hair. I believe her name is... Illyna?” He suddenly swept his hand through his hair and gave a grotesque smile. “I think I've fallen for her. As long as I get her, nothing else matters. You petty leaders of the horne... if you want to save the people you intend to protect, bring her before me. She alone...”

The madness in his eyes was horribly dark and obsessive as he continued, “Can satisfy what I am missing.”

The dragon, awakened from its seal, still didn't know much about the world and was equally fearless.

“Only she is qualified to be my mate.”

“You bastard!” Sullivan sprang up from his seat, ready to conjure mana and attack. He was furious that the creature was after Illyna. However, considering how he usually treated her, acting on that anger now was incredibly foolish.

A noble who had followed Sullivan to assist him quickly restrained him, pleading, “Your Majesty! Compose yourself!”

Gritting his teeth, he glared at Gargantia, who went on to say, “I'll give you time. Yes, let’s make it one week. I don't have a long fuse, but I've already waited a long time for something like this, so I can wait that much longer.”

With those words, a black mist began to escape from the chancellor. The mages hurriedly tried to capture him, but Gargantia’s magic was far beyond anything ordinary mages could handle.

“Ah, but just in case, I did set up a little insurance for myself,” he announced.

“Insurance?”

“The young lords and ladies caught up in the attack. Surely, you didn't think I wouldn't know they were alive?”

Sullivan's eyes widened at his words.

“You were quite clever. If I hadn't known they were alive, I might’ve been caught off guard. Though it doesn't matter now.”

“Is that significant to you?”

“It is. I embedded a special warp magic on some of them. You probably didn't know about this, did you?”

He disappeared after intensely craving pleasure, and the chancellor suddenly looked as if he had aged several decades and immediately collapsed.

Sullivan slammed the table hard. “That damned monster!”

In the midst of the chaos, everyone was silent.

Suddenly, a crystal ball began to hum, and he realized it was a communication from his close confidante, the royal attendant.

Sullivan ended the meeting and quickly stormed out of the hall.

Even though the damage would be less severe now that Gargantia had shifted his target from dividing the continent to focusing solely on Illyna, his anger only grew.

- Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Some of the young lords and ladies have been affected by forced warp magic...

“How about Grand Duchess Perserque?!”

- We apologize, Your Majesty. The Grand Duchess tried to forcefully cancel the magic, but couldn't save everyone...

Feeling extreme anger, Sullivan pulled out a crystal ball. It was the one he had used for direct talks with Davey in the past. He mumbled, “I really didn't want to go this far.”

He started to contact the one being Gargantia still didn't know about—the most dangerous being on the continent.

When Gargantia failed, there would be one reason alone.

It was a complete miscalculation of what the opponent was capable of.

That was all.