Chapter 451 - 335: Decision

Chapter 451: Chapter 335: Decision

’They’ve... rebelled?’

Isaac stared at the report in his hands, blinking. He was a bit stunned. ’They’ve rebelled? Just like that? So suddenly? So decisively?’

But after a closer look, Isaac understood. It seemed they’d had no choice but to rebel.

The House of Solomon was part of the Border Nobility, with more than half its territory carved out from the Endless Wilderness. Naturally, most of their neighbors were also pioneering nobles; only a few were old-line families who had inherited their lands from their ancestors.

Most of them were minor nobility—Viscounts and Barons. The Solomons had once been at that level, but they had since been promoted. Now, there were three Counts in the region. Of the other two, one was also a pioneering border noble, while the other was from an old-line family. Like the Solomons, they had also chosen to declare independence.

With them declaring independence, the House of Solomon naturally had to follow suit. The alternative was to remain an exclave of the Empire, left alone to face the combined assault of two Kingdoms and the Demons of the Wilderness.

Interestingly, these two Counts had chosen independence for much the same reason as the Solomons. Between their lands and the Empire proper stood a duchy—one on very poor terms with the Royal Family, whose own secession was all but certain.

So, they too had no choice but to declare independence. At the same time, the three newly-formed Kingdoms had established a simple pact for mutual offense and defense.

Looking at the bigger picture and subtracting the territories of the two great Dukes, Isaac realized the Empire was left with only its northern third...

And half of *that* was another duchy...

The Terra Empire...

It was finished.

From now on, it would probably be known as the Terra Kingdom.

The other empires, however, hadn’t experienced such a dramatic shift. At least, not yet. Any changes they underwent in the near future wouldn’t be as stark as the Terra Empire’s collapse.

Even so, the Terra Kingdom’s strength was not to be underestimated. Though it had lost the majority of its territory, its forces were now more concentrated. While those forces had been far from sufficient to protect an empire, they were more than enough to defend a large kingdom.

An aggressive monarch could even use them to expand.

Of course, the remnants of the Terra Royal Family surely lacked that kind of ambition. If they could just hunker down and produce a second Demigod, the Terra Empire might have a chance to reclaim its former glory. But if not...

Staring at the report, Isaac tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, his expression hesitant. ’It’s time to make a choice.’

What choice?

Whether or not to return home, of course.

The Earl’s Domain of Solomon couldn’t support another Baron, especially not a Baron *Solomon*, but the Kingdom of Solomon was a different story. If Isaac went back now, his reception would be guaranteed. He’d receive the same treatment as his eldest sister, if not better.

As for the risks associated with his identity as a Mad Witch...

’When you’ve already committed treason and seceded, are you really going to sweat the small stuff?’

Still, Isaac needed to think carefully about whether or not to return. To be honest, even as a kingdom, it was hard to say how much the House of Solomon could truly benefit him now...

It was hard to say.

But it wasn’t just a matter of calculation. There was the bond of blood, and over a decade of being raised by the family. The House of Solomon hadn’t treated him poorly; they had given him both familial affection and material benefits. Well, except for that animal of a second brother.

But that animal wasn’t with the House of Solomon anymore.

Still...

Joining the Solomon Kingdom would inevitably demand his time and energy...

As Isaac hesitated, a Magic Book and a sheet of Parchment materialized from the Void, floating silently before him. Startled, Isaac reached out and took them. His brow suddenly furrowed.

’These two things...’

Isaac took the Parchment in hand, and his already furrowed brow tightened further. The Parchment was from the Emperor...

The message on it was simple, consisting of two parts. The first was an invitation for Isaac to become Princess Philo’s tutor. He was to teach her the true Path of the Mad Witch and help her develop her own unique Mad Witch Traits. In return, the Terra Kingdom would fully fund his research, helping him advance to Tier Five, or even Tier Six.

The second part was a gift, which Isaac would receive whether he accepted Philo as his student or not. The gift was a Divinity—the True Divine Format of a Tier Six Deity!

The Emperor had placed it within a Little World, which Isaac could access and retrieve at any time.

It was an undeniably immense gift.

In truth, this wasn’t the gift the Emperor had originally intended. His initial thought was, ’Since I’m going to die anyway, I might as well take out a few more Outer Gods on Isaac’s behalf before I go.’ That way, when Isaac eventually advanced to Tier Five, there would be fewer Outer Gods coming to cause him trouble, increasing his chances of survival.

But what the Emperor hadn’t expected was...

Isaac had offended far too many Outer Gods. The Emperor couldn’t draw all their aggro, and even if he could, he wasn’t confident he could win...

So, after careful reconsideration, he had swapped the plan for a Divinity. As a gift, it was more than sufficient.

After all, even gaining another True God wouldn’t significantly alter the Empire’s current predicament. Deities had too little influence on the Real World. As a Demigod himself, he didn’t hold the same reverence for Divine Power as others did.

The gift might seem excessively valuable to give to Isaac, but with the Empire in its current state, it was a gamble worth taking. For a Mad Witch like Isaac, once he cleared that one great hurdle, reaching Tier Seven was practically a certainty.

And precisely because the gift was so valuable, it would make it awkward for Isaac to act against the Empire in the future, even if he didn’t side with them. After all, there wasn’t any major enmity between them. Of course, having him on their side would be the best outcome.

Seeing this, Isaac’s first reaction was: ’That bastard Emperor probably isn’t all the way dead!’

Only then did he frown and begin to weigh the implications. It wasn’t particularly surprising that the Emperor could be resurrected; as a Demigod, such a feat wasn’t out of the question. Besides, it wasn’t his problem to worry about. There was a long line of people who wanted to see the Emperor stay dead far more than he did.

What Isaac needed to consider was whether to take Philo on as his student.

This wasn’t just a question of personal gain; it concerned his own path. After all, only he knew that he very likely hadn’t awakened these so-called Mad Witch Traits at all.

He needed to use Philo to figure out what Mad Witch Traits actually were, and whether they would impact his own path beyond Tier Five...

On the other hand, taking Philo as a student had plenty of downsides. First and foremost, it would put him in direct opposition to Angel. Second, he would automatically be aligned with the Terra Kingdom, instantly multiplying his number of enemies.

’Is it worth it?’

Isaac’s brow was knitted in a tight frown. After a moment, he shook his head. Magic Power surged from his hand, and the faintly glowing Parchment disintegrated into ash. ’It’s not necessary,’ he thought. ’If I want to study Mad Witch Traits, I can just go through the Mad Witch Association. There are plenty of Mad Witches there. No need to take such a risk.’

Of course, that was just one reason. The other was that his impression of Philo wasn’t very good. She was unworthy of being his student.

Once the Parchment had turned to ash, Isaac picked up the Magic Book.

The Magic Book was similar to the one he’d received from the Mad Witch Association; it had automatically appeared before him once he met certain conditions. The difference was that the Association’s book had a recruitment aspect, whereas this one seemed intended purely to disseminate information.

Looking at the Magic Book in his hands, Isaac recalled a cryptic topic Olisti had once spoken of in the Wilderness Dungeon. ’Could this be related to where the experts above Tier Four go?’

With a flicker of anticipation, Isaac opened the Magic Book.

A moment later, Isaac closed the Magic Book, a look of realization dawning in his eyes. ’So that’s how it is.’ No wonder he’d so rarely seen any of the numerous experts above Tier Four who supposedly existed in the Real World.

It turned out that the world he and everyone else lived in had another name: Paradise!