Chapter: 179
It could be said that it was a kind of instinct honed over the years spent as a soldier on the battlefield.
Ivan glanced at Elpheira, who was aghast at the snow falling from the sky, instinctively assessing the situation.
First, one.
Snow is falling from the sky. This could be considered an ordinary natural phenomenon in midwinter, but this place is Kalion. Therefore, this is clearly an example of abnormal climate.
Next, one.
The manipulation of Kalion’s climate belongs to the power of the Milestones.
Again, one.
Each island in Kalion has a Milestone embedded in it, and all the Milestones are interconnected organically to form a kind of large-scale magic circle.
Finally, one.
The purpose of the Milestones is to create an environment beneficial to Elves. In other words, it pertains to climate and vegetation in a narrow sense, and it is said to even touch upon mana and destiny in a broader sense.
In other words, if there is an anomaly with the Milestone, it may also cause problems with the mana of the Elves.
Up to this point, 0.23 seconds had passed.
As the first snowflake scattered before reaching the sea, Ivan’s thoughts accelerated within the fragmented time.
His gaze turned cold and settled. The world felt eerily still, as if at a standstill. The distant horizon resembled a still life.
The puzzle fell into place. Fragmented information was connecting into solid lines.
On a dark night, from the monochromatic gray surface divided in black and white, Ivan slowly began to calm the acceleration. The wind blew. Time began to flow again.
“There’s no problem with the mana.”
The acceleration of relative time, referred to as the realm of a superhuman. This phenomenon was a side effect of enhancing the nervous system with mana. In other words, the mana flowing through his body was no different from usual.
“Elpheira.”
“Yes? Yes?”
“Try using magic.”
“Eh? Magic?”
“Anything. As quickly as you can.”
At Ivan’s words, Elpheira quickly waved her hands. Purple mana lingered at her fingertips before bursting forth with a bang.
“Uh…? What?!”
“Is there any other problem besides the magic?”
“Breathing… feels a bit difficult, but… I still don’t know well. What… what is going on?”
Ivan looked up at the sky without answering. Snow was falling. The mana was diminishing. The magic was scattering.
The Milestones were,
Or rather, the blessings of the Milestones were being lifted.
The mythical artifact symbolizing the era of the Elves was fading away.
Up to this point, confirmed information.
“The Council of Advisors has been personally exploiting the Milestones.”
“Pardon?”
“And the Queen requested that they provoke the Council of Advisors with the destination of Veolgrin Grykencos as a bargaining chip.”
“…His Majesty knew that the Council of Advisors was tampering with the Milestones.”
“And Veolgrin, your father, would never leak his plans to the enemy.”
“If Her Majesty the Queen had not colluded with my father, there would be no way to ascertain my father’s whereabouts in the first place.”
Elpheira’s response was instantaneous. Her eyes were ablaze. A mage of the Hero Party should remain calmer in moments of crisis.
“The one who taught the Council of Advisors the ‘other uses’ of the Milestones—.”
“My father. Veolgrin Grykencos.”
“The Queen and Veolgrin colluded to stir the Council of Advisors. And at the point we arrived, they turned the attention of the Council towards me.”
“Just for a brief moment, to divert their interest toward the Queen and ‘the unruly human’…”
“Elpheira.”
Ivan’s words made Elpheira nod firmly.
“Let’s change course to Idrenhill.”
“There is no lack of mana in the air. What could be the reason for not being able to use magic?”
Elpheira furrowed her brow for a moment as if weighing something in her mind. She soon bit her lip and replied.
“The concentration has changed. In a manner that’s difficult for us to adjust to. If I had to express it… it’s like releasing tropical marine species into cold freshwater. From the basics of mana… So, they’ve twisted the assembly process right from the start.”
“What’s the solution?”
“Time. I can’t say how long it’ll take. But I will definitely make it happen.”
Without answering, Ivan nodded and headed towards the wheelhouse. It was a trust that didn’t need elaboration. She was a mage of the Hero Party after all.
When encountering a magical incident, there was no one else he could trust besides her.
In this Kalion.
“Has the Milestone stopped functioning?”
“That… I can’t be sure. We need to check, but it’s a bit strange.”
Elpheira hesitated for a moment. She scanned the mana in the air and shook her head.
“It’s more accurate to say that the directionality has changed. The mana concentration remains the same, but it feels like the water quality has altered. Yes, that’s about the extent of it.”
Upon hearing Elpheira’s words, Ivan tightly shut his eyes.
“It could be the worst-case scenario.”
“It might just be a simple functional error… right?”
“Impossible.”
Even if the blessings of the Milestone were still in effect, if only the atmospheric environment had changed.
Assuming that the purpose of this ancient artifact, which grants ‘the perfect conditions for Elves,’ had merely shifted its object…
“It’s not an environment that suits me.”
While it’s not overtly hostile, an environment where the mana circulation and climate are not ideal for humans raises the question: for whom would this be the ‘optimal condition’?
The illusions that had been conducting the meeting all abruptly extinguished.
Islif frowned as he looked around the empty round table.
“Is there no one there? It seems like there’s a problem with the power supply of the projection device!”
“Y-Your Royal Highness! You should come out for a moment!”
With a heavy sigh, he rose from his seat. It seemed there weren’t any decent young Elves these days. If the Council was halted over such trivial matters, how would his authority fare in future meetings?
He frowned and opened the door. Then he froze in place.
“What the hell is all this ruckus…?”
“The mana… The mana is not flowing!”
Islif was not surprised. He was an Elf who had lived too long to be shocked by such occurrences. He calmly looked around.
The lights in his castle had gone out. Including all the corridors and rooms, the castle was shrouded in darkness.
All the mana lamps had gone dead. He could see flustered servants running around, trying to light candles. Even the lowest order spell generating light was not being created.
“Terror…? Who would dare attack my castle?”
The only ones capable of causing such disturbances in this nation were all present in the conference room. If it weren’t those individuals, then there was no one in Kalion who could dare to terrorize the castle of the Council Head.
He hurriedly dashed out to the terrace.
“H…”
Due to being carved into the mountainside, his castle allowed one to see his fief in one glance from any given terrace.
Whoosh, a cold wind rushed in. The painfully cold breeze caused him to instinctively pull his collar tighter.
His territory was engulfed in darkness.
The massive military port overseeing the eastern waters of Kalion seemed to be submerged beneath the night sea. Only sporadically did he see workers running about, holding flickering lanterns under the thick dark clouds where not even a star was visible.
The mana lamps that once illuminated the streets, as well as the government buildings, military ports, docks, and warehouses, were all extinguished.
“Milestone…?”
He instinctively recalled the last topic under discussion at the council.
Heremon struggled to regulate his ragged breathing as he ran toward the palace.
The city was engulfed in chaos. Everyone, including Elves and laborers, poured into the streets carrying lamps and candles, clamoring about.
Magic had been severed. A terror attack had occurred.
Such murmurs were intermittently heard. Yet, Heremon paid no mind.
If this truly was someone’s terror, then that ‘someone’ could be deemed a god.
Unlike the other Elves, he could read the stars. As the high astronomer of the Eternal Palace, he had witnessed the ominous sign covering the sky.
Which terrorist would cast ominous signs over an entire race while shattering the powerful blessings of the Milestone?
“…Milestone…?”
Finally reaching this realization, Heremon turned pale and fell to the ground.
The Milestone has stopped?
He crawled on the ground, moving his steps. At any moment, the high astronomer had the authority to bypass protocols and communicate directly with the king.
Though it was an old law that no one cared for anymore, at least at this moment, he should be grateful that the astronomer had once been an advisor to the king.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty—!!”
When Heremon finally reached the royal audience, shouting at the guards, he found the queen enjoying tea.
“Your Majesty!! The Milestone— huff, huff!! The Milestone must be checked!!”
“Catch your breath.”
“The situation is urgent…! Now, right this moment—!”
“Ah, well.”
The queen smiled warmly. In the dimly-lit royal chamber, under a small candle held by a trembling attendant.
With an expression unchanged from usual, she enjoyed refreshments as she always did.
“Your Majesty…?”
“Did you say there’s something wrong with the Milestone?”
“Yes…? Yes!! I can’t think of any other reason. The sky is full of ominous signs! Snow is falling, and winter has come! Magic has stopped, and mana is scattering!”
“How is that possible?”
“Yes?? But Your Majesty, the current situation—.”
“Let me ask again. How is that possible?”
The queen quietly set down her teacup and continued.
“The great blessing of the Milestone surely provides us with the most beneficial environment at all times. Is that correct?”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And by distorting the flow of this world, it grants, at least within Kalion, favorable destinies to all Elves. Is that so?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The sky of Kalion should always be auspicious for the Elves. But now, the sky is completely—.”
“Stop. Think carefully. Isn’t this odd?”
“Yes…?”
The queen smiled gently.
“The warm temperatures, clear skies, and abundant mana that the blessing of the Milestone brings are merely byproducts. The Milestone was created with only one purpose.”
Something wrapped in the queen’s shell spoke joyfully.
“To prosper forever.”
