#201
Second Continental Summit (2)
“Let’s get straight to the point. You’re a mercenary, right? I want to request something from you in secret.”
This was the first thing the Great Mage Morgana said as she brought Harley to her dwelling and offered him a drink.
“Well, I’m open to offers as long as the conditions are right! But there’s something that’s been bugging me since a while back. Can I ask that first?”
“Hehe— Of course, go ahead.”
His gaze shifted to a young woman sitting in the corner, staring blankly in their direction.
Although she emanated a heavy muscular presence that couldn’t be ignored, it was as if she was looking through him, her gaze slightly askew.
“…What is that girl doing over there? Is she the mage who sees ghosts or something?”
“Ah— That child is my assistant. She’s just reminiscing about yesterday’s scenery. Don’t mind her. Hehe!”
“Goodness, what a mysterious fellow you are. But that’s beside the point. So, what’s behind your sudden proposal for a request?”
He straightforwardly questioned Morgana.
Since she had already recommended him and was aware of the southern situation, it felt a bit fishy to be discussing a request now.
“Hm… Being a mage, while rationality is important for wizards, emotions play a significant role for shamans.”
“Oh— So?”
“To put it simply, a shaman of my caliber can feel things better than others can understand. This includes various traces left on your body as well as abstract concepts like connection and destiny.”
Even though the discussion turned to his own body, Harley showed no particular reaction.
After all, his past was common knowledge amongst those involved due to ‘Harley’s Great Adventure’, and he had been making quite a stir recently, so there was nothing to hide now.
“It seems you already know, but recommending you to the Special Task Force was simply a process for us to meet naturally. After all, that could be declined if the concerned party didn’t want it, couldn’t it?”
“Goodness, was it really necessary to meet me like this? If I recall, you observed from afar during the first summit, didn’t you?”
“…Heh, it wasn’t such a simple situation…”
Suddenly, Morgana’s expression darkened, and she let out a bitter chuckle.
“The reason I wanted to see you was tied to that. When I heard of your deeds in the Tulk Kingdom, I had a feeling. You are the one who can solve the problems Kalcos is facing right now!”
That was merely ‘a gut instinct as a Great Mage’.
And at the moment she faced Harley, that instinct turned to certainty, and she added that she had been waiting for the right moment to make contact.
’The problem in Kalcos must refer to a coup, huh? This old lady seems to be on the opposite side of that.’
Just as he had predicted, the request was to deal with the mastermind behind a secret operation unfolding in the southern part of the continent.
The reward for this was the various shamanistic techniques Morgana could provide as a Great Mage, among other assistance.
“To capture your interest, I brought up the tale of the Dragon King. But, frankly, I wouldn’t recommend that. If one has already carved the Engraving of the Great Warrior, then they should know what conditions come with it?”
“Meaning I’d need to perform a deed of equal merit? That means defeating an ogre alone, right?”
“Hehe… An ogre, now that’s just the minimum requirement. Of course, with your current capabilities, you’d handle that easily even if it were something above that.”
Morgana chuckled softly before switching back to a serious tone.
“First. The vitality coursing through you is more than enough to carve the Engraving of the Dragon King. Honestly, even considering your lineage, it’s hard to believe… My, you’ve turned into an even greater monster than when I first saw you. What have you been eating?”
The literature Morgana encountered as a Great Mage included information on dragonkin.
According to it, they indeed possessed stronger physiques compared to humans, but that strength stemmed from innate magical talent, not the primal vitality Harley displayed.
“…Setting that aside, the strain that the recipient endures exceeds imagination. Traditionally, it has been said that the pain from carving the Engraving of the Great Warrior is a hundred times worse. Those are records left by the last Dragon King from centuries ago, so they’re quite trustworthy. Haha.”
However, upon hearing that, Harley remained unimpressed, prompting Morgana to suppress her embarrassment.
“Above all, the decisive factor is the condition of that deed I mentioned. Should the conditions not be met, the consequences of the Engraving of the Dragon King go beyond mere side effects. You’ll simply drop dead right there.”
“You’ve been going in circles since earlier; stop dawdling! Didn’t I mention I’m busy?”
“Ugh, you’re stealing an old lady’s joy.”
After a moment of grumbling, Morgana reluctantly continued, meeting Harley’s piercing gaze.
Of course, the task she referred to was an exceptionally challenging trial, almost bordering on impossible.
“…You’d need to personally hunt down a dragon of at least the body of a Dragon Saint! And not just join a group fight. You must deal a fatal blow and crush the last breath with your own hands!”
—That was the typical case, anyway.
“Naturally, given your status as a dragonkin and the fact that dragons are currently rare, any opponent of similar caliber would suffice…”
“Ah, well. That’s fine! So you’re saying this can be done, right?”
“…Err? Well, yes, but… As I mentioned earlier, if you fail to satisfy the conditions… No, wait.”
Morgana tilted her head in confusion at Harley’s strangely confident demeanor and suddenly fell silent.
She then fixed him with a mysterious gaze full of eerie energy…
“What is this?”
Her voice inadvertently trembled slightly.
“I figured that since you’re a dragonkin, there might be a dragon’s deed involved, but this isn’t just about a dragon—it’s about dragon-slaying, isn’t it?”
“Huh? You can tell from that?”
Could she truly be a Great Mage?
The elderly shaman who had first given him an engraving had been skeptical even after witnessing ogre remains, while Morgana seemed to determine whether he met the conditions with just a concentrated gaze.
“The dragonkin killed a dragon? At this level, then it must not just be a Dragon Saint, right? Not only did you deal a critical hit, but you also ended its life. …What in the world are you?”
Even Morgana, who had consistently appeared enlightened, now looked genuinely stunned, her eyes blinking absently.
‘So, that was how helpful that was.’
It was none other than Harley who had plunged into the heart of the bone dragon Heratos and devoured its heart and Dragon Heart.
Naturally, he had satisfied the conditions required.
“Ha-ha-ha—! Any way you look at it, that’s a good thing! Either way, it seems we both know what we want, so let’s discuss the details further!”
Just on time, he had been waiting to see how to intervene in the situation with the Alliance of the Insufficient.
Since he had been posing as a southern barbarian warrior, he was also planning to visit soon.
So, getting information from Morgana, a high-ranking official of Kalcos, to sink a karma straw in the south wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“Oh, also, old lady. You do know the advance payment is separate, right?”
Of course, he was certain to calculate before moving forward.
*
Great Mage Morgana was in a situation where she had to use such complex methods due to her limited freedom.
If she wasn’t inside the Shrine, she wouldn’t be able to do anything, as her actions were being monitored and controlled in real time.
‘The previous Chief Leader, ousted due to the dictatorship, is now swallowing the Alliance of the Insufficient? And doing so by any means necessary?’
Listening to her, the level of danger was far from ordinary.
Both hostages and weaknesses had been collected from the tribal leaders, and the situation was serious enough that mental coercion was also mobilized…
‘Even though they targeted only high-ranking individuals like the leaders, managing to control information to such a degree is certainly not ordinary.’
In the midst of this, Morgana, as a Great Mage, also found herself in a position where her family and disciples were taken hostage and she couldn’t act freely.
Moreover, the only reason she could participate as a representative of the Alliance was that she was the most compliant among the high-ranking members immune to mental coercion.
‘Her assistant was indeed placed as a watcher. But if they’re going through such lengths, it means they must have something to hide.’
The conference took place amidst the holy site of the Holy Church Order, where the saints were present, and included many who were masters in various fields.
Naturally, anyone with any issues would be hesitant to attend such an environment.
In the meantime, choosing Harley instead of the church was likely due to whatever ‘gut feeling a Great Mage has’ playing a significant role.
After all… given the presence of shamans, the Holy Church Order wouldn’t have much influence in the south either. And now, in a situation where the continent was on the brink of destruction, aid would be hard to come by.
‘In that respect, that old lady did indeed bring the right person for the job.’
With the help of an insider resolving the information issue, there was nothing more for her to hesitate about.
It was a secret she had never shared with anyone, but… she was quite adept at smashing the board that others had set up, wasn’t she?
‘Former Chief Leader Balteon. Like he’s been waiting, he’s been engaging in filthy schemes and fueling ambitions amidst the chaos. The smell is rather blatant.’
…Whether that’s what Harley was moving toward or not.
‘By the way, Siana had mentioned that an executive hiding in the south opened the Abyssal Gate.’
And just then, by circumstance, and very coincidentally— even the Undead King moved directly.
‘Gotcha, you punk.’
A sharp grin pulled at the edges of Harley’s mouth, revealing his teeth menacingly.
*
Murmur—
In the vast conference hall, people gathered in groups, chatting quietly among themselves.
Some approached others in a friendly manner, while some guardedly avoided interaction. Others, hiding their true intentions, laughed while searching for weakness or inflated themselves with bravado.
It was a scene where the incredibly complicated current world situation was on full display.
And at that moment…
Clunk—
The large door opened, and another group of people emerged into the meeting room.
Those dressed in luxurious yet flamboyant attire.
Leading them was a beautiful woman with radiant golden hair, seemingly spun from gold, and jewel-like shimmering turquoise eyes.
“Ah, you’ve arrived? Your Highness. Good morning.”
“Truly, you look beautiful even today! I can barely look at you without being blinded! Haha!”
As she appeared, the nearby attendees began to gently shift toward her.
Though they had been building rapport over the past few days, that was merely a mutual acknowledgment as they recognized they were in similar positions.
In such a situation, it was crucial to appear ‘closer to the strong’ more than anyone else, so this was an entirely natural occurrence.
She was none other than Riley Carte Azerion, the first in line for the throne of the Azerion Empire, the strongest nation on the continent.
“It’s nice to see everyone. I hear we may need to discuss much, and it’ll take longer than expected. I wonder how well everyone slept last night.”
“Haha! Of course! I’m quite confident in my stamina.”
“Your Highness, are you alright? If you end up tired, I could request a break from the church side.”
Some slipped next to her, repeating pleasant words.
Since each of them was among the highest ranks in their own territories, they didn’t outright bow, but the title of the next emperor was sufficient to bring them down a notch.
Riley maintained a smile while dealing with them formally yet not too coldly.
Winning over opportunists to strengthen her position was something she had been doing almost instinctively for years.
Dealing with foreigners wasn’t much different.
As warm conversations exchanged amidst the conference hall, filled with concealed plots…
Clunk—
Once again, the sound of a door opening echoed.
“Huh?”
“Who are they…?”
And at that sound, those who turned toward the door fell silent, their expressions stiffening.
In an instant, the previously pleasant atmosphere vanished, replaced by a chilling silence that swept over the conference hall.
Thump, thump—
Within that silence, the sound of footsteps entering through the door resonated softly.
Clad in dark clothing, leading the group was a strikingly beautiful man with raven-black hair and blood-red eyes, radiating an overwhelming presence.
Swallow—
“….”
“Ah, indeed…”
The unusual atmosphere surrounding those following him was equally exceptional.
With each step they took, an inexplicable chill and a faint scent of blood wafted through the air.
‘So, it’s them.’
Riley, at the center of attention, cast her gaze upon them, her eyes quietly sparkling.
Yes, they were the ones who would serve as one of the pillars of forthcoming change—.
The delegation from the Talia Kingdom and the Vampire Clan Alliance, the Hybrids of Vampires.
The ones who had hidden in the shadows finally revealed themselves within the heart of the Holy Church Order, a symbol of light.
