#260
Hide and Seek (2)
Oath of Reversal.
The feud with them traces back to the very first day Hans set foot in Auterica.
Of all the villages he could have visited, it just had to be their secret hideout.
And it was right when they were amidst the operation to mature the ‘Fragment of the Undead King.’
‘Of course, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me.’
Even after their first encounter, Hans continuously clashed with those Oath of Reversal guys due to various incidents.
From the elf Cecily rescue in the Northern Mountain Range to the recent incident involving the Obaifo Clan in the Republic.
‘I handled most of it, but… it wasn’t easy uprooting the connected ones since they were a well-organized underground coalition.’
Hans gazed at the small metallic piece that appeared in front of him, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
This was a small clue discovered at the scene of the Abyss Gate opening, one of their biggest projects.
It was presumed to be part of a slender chain used as a necklace.
Kuruh— Yeah, the name was something like Termal Gardias.
The one who sacrificed everything to open the Abyss and became the host of madness.
Naturally, his background check had long been completed.
After obtaining information through Chief Leader Balteon, the one behind the incident in the south, he quickly mobilized the intelligence organization.
‘It’s unfortunate, but…’
Through that intel, he could roughly guess why he had opened the Abyss Gate and plotted the continent’s destruction.
There are so many people out there who, after losing something precious due to some incident, resent the world, aren’t there?
The only difference was that he had the ability to threaten the world, and he actually executed it.
‘A victim who became an offender? Thinking back, I wonder if the tragedy he faced was also orchestrated by the Oath of Reversal.’
After pushing a capable person into a pit of despair, approaching and corrupting them had been the signature move of evil forces.
Of course, reviewing it now was just meaningless speculation since it was all in the past.
‘Anyway, what’s crucial right now—’
He became the host of madness, and that host was taken away by a revolutionary, which meant Hans could figure out the host’s location through the medium.
He had been tracking for an extended period, but he couldn’t find a trace of that revolutionary.
Wuung—
As Hans stared at the vibrating metallic piece, he packed it away and headed out of the lab.
With all preliminary preparations complete, he planned to start the ritual to track that guy as quickly as possible without rushing and messing things up, ensuring he could hunt him down properly.
That annoying guy could have set up who-knows-what schemes.
[Have you come out… my King… girl, Olivia… I now bow to the great Undead King…]
As he stepped outside, Banshee Queen Olivia appeared gracefully and knelt before him.
It seemed she detected the anomaly of the Undying Castle and rushed over, leaving everything behind.
Her actions truly matched her role as his right hand.
[Right. You came at just the right time, Olivia.]
[Whatever your command, I shall execute it with my life…]
Thinking about it, it had been an unexpectedly long time.
Leading multiple intelligence organizations and being able to get an overview of the world’s information, he never thought it would take this long to find that guy.
‘I have to admit it. No doubt, he is that kind of guy.’
But in this world, there is no endless game of tag.
It was getting tiresome; it was time to wrap things up.
[Gather all the executives.]
Of course, for him, there was no declaration of defeat like “I can’t find him.”
This was not hide and seek; it was a game of tag that would only end when one side was dead.
Hans was turning a genre of play enjoyed by children across dimensions into a brutal death match without hesitation.
*
The Azerion Empire royal court finally issued an official announcement.
What most people had expected and awaited.
It was the news that Simon’s substitute, Riley, was to be appointed as the Crown Princess.
“Hm… Sure, it’s about time the royal family made that decision. With everything turned upside down like this, they can’t keep waiting for Prince Simon forever.”
“Ha Ha Ha! Long live Crown Princess Riley Carte Azerion!”
“In reality, we can say the succession battle is over. It’s hard to decide whether to call it unexpected or as predicted.”
Since the tide had changed long ago, there wasn’t a significant backlash.
Above all, the Duke Hermanhart family, Simon’s strongest ally and the mastermind behind Riley’s attack, had been too preoccupied responding to her counterattacks.
Although a full-blown war hadn’t happened, power struggles had been constantly ongoing, leaving them too busy to focus on preserving their family.
“I want to give a gift to Isea Pristine, but how should I go about it? She’s currently on a special task force, so… should I send it to the mansion in the capital for now?”
“No matter how I think about it, reaching out through Count Pristine seems like the best option. …Hmm? Wait, how about approaching the Crown Princess’s lover in the imperial palace instead…?”
Additionally, Isea had been promoted from a duke to a count, but other nobles took that in stride.
In fact, Riley had only remained a duke because of her lack of influence in the past, but everyone knew she wouldn’t stay in that position forever.
And she likely wouldn’t stop at count.
If she safely returned from her final battle with the Undead King, she would gain a status that would outstrip even that of a marquis, and after Crown Princess Riley ascended the throne, she would likely smoothly rise to duke.
It was only natural for the nobles to scramble to establish connections with her.
Though this all depended on whether she would remain in this world and not return to Earth.
And.
Amidst the turmoil, while the empire’s political landscape was shifting drastically.
Another massive faction, the Holy Church Order, faced even more intense changes.
“…Saint Liesta, are you okay?”
“Ah… um… yes.”
Concerned, Heinrich cautiously called out to Saint Liesta, but she only gave a vague response as if her mind was elsewhere.
Her once lively face was now pale, and her lips and eyelids trembled repeatedly.
“We’re about to arrive at the shrine. I’ve requested the gate to be prepared beforehand, so we should be able to move right away.”
“…But is it really okay for us to leave like this…?”
“The remaining places can handle things on their own, even without us. It’s been a while since giants have appeared as well. If they do show up, we can just leave right then, can’t we?”
“Th-That’s true… Yes…”
Her absent-minded answer was unlike her usual decisive self.
Heinrich, quietly leading the group across the city, glanced at her.
To be honest, seeing her so flustered was a first for him and felt somewhat strange.
Even when involved with the Undead King, she never reacted like this…
‘Well, I suppose it makes sense given the situation.’
He nodded recalling the warning they had received from the church while out in the field.
Given the weight of the message contained, her reaction was completely understandable.
After all, the message was that—
Pope Hatyanus II’s death was near.
‘There must have already been several signs of this… He probably asked not to inform anyone deliberately.’
Worried about unnecessary anxiety for those out in the field.
So, it must’ve been at the very last moment that the Pope’s aides contacted them.
“I’ve been waiting. Please, this way.”
“I’ll activate the gate immediately.”
For Liesta, everyone in the shrine was like family, but, having been adopted by the current Pope at a young age, Heinrich held a particularly significant meaning.
She was the first true family she had in her life, growing up in an orphanage.
“Welcome, Saint, Sacred One. His Holiness has been waiting for you.”
“Please, your companions follow this way. I’ll guide you to a resting area.”
Heinrich knew that even amidst her busy schedule, she would visit the Pope every day while at Rosellia Temple.
She would give up even her favorite garden visits, but never miss that routine for even a single day.
‘Unlike me, who only checks in now and then. Speaking of which, it feels like it’s been a long time since I last saw him; was it during the normal meeting?’
Of course, he had the excuse of being busy running around as a hero, but he couldn’t shake off a slight guilt.
“Grandfather!”
“Hah hah hah, what’s so important that you rushed in like this? I thought you’d be getting married by now, but you’re still just a child.”
“Grandfather…”
Liesta rushed up to the Pope, who had propped himself up in bed, and embraced him tightly.
Heinrich, having greeted him, quietly stood back and waited.
To be honest, he wanted to leave them alone while they reminisced, but for some reason, the Pope had asked him to wait for a bit.
And only after Liesta had calmed down could the real conversation begin.
“Ah hem, excuse me for occupying the Sacred One’s time.”
“It’s fine. I see it as an honor to witness the bond that has built up over the years between the two of you.”
“Hah hah hah, thank you for saying that.”
He looked surprisingly healthy for someone who supposedly had little time left, but Heinrich could certainly feel it.
The last remnants of the Pope’s life force were burning bright.
Liesta seemed to notice it too, as her hand tightly gripped the Pope’s hand which quivered slightly.
“The reason I called the Sacred One here is that I have something important to convey.”
“Something to convey…?”
At that, Heinrich’s expression grew serious.
In this moment, there was no need to ask who the subject was regarding.
The Pope nodded gravely and slowly opened his mouth.
*
Thump— thump—
A rough heartbeat echoed in the boundary where chaos and emptiness intertwined in the Abyss.
Of course, the sound soon dissolved into the spatial distortions that scattered in all directions, but its presence still lingered, slowly encroaching on the surroundings.
“Ah— my Lord.”
A weak voice that seemed like it could extinguish at any moment drifted from the center.
It was distorted and fragmented to the point that one would doubt whether it belonged to a human, but the madness and fanaticism contained within was so profound it could drive one insane just by hearing it.
‘My death is approaching.’
The being that perked up its ears to eavesdrop on the world murmured in lament.
There wasn’t much time left.
The cause of the inevitable choice it had to make tightened its grip around it.
‘But I cannot end it here.’
Even if it were to perish here… it had the duty to plant the seeds for the next generation of ‘me.’
Thanks to the apostle of that being, it was able to proceed smoothly, inheriting the will of its predecessor.
‘It’s regretful to not accomplish this myself, but it can’t be helped. I’ll gladly become fertilizer for the next generation to sprout properly.’
Twitch— twitch—
Its body, now one with the Seed of Madness, trembled incessantly.
The new flesh had yet to stabilize, causing these symptoms.
It sensed death approaching and hurried, but it was still in such a state.
‘Faster. Properly. For sure.’
As the obsession overtook it, it struggled to control its body.
Splash—
Something from the Abyss rose up and collided with its body.
[———!]
As it slowly turned its gaze, it saw something.
A human-like figure with a white body standing at a height of up to its chest, which it had encountered repeatedly.
“Ah, this time you’ve come a bit late. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Its face lit up as it extended both hands to hold onto its shoulders.
And then—
“Now, under His grace… you will become one with me.”
Chomp— Crunch!
In an instant, it opened its enormous mouth and engulfed its head whole.
A tragedy unfolded in the blink of an eye.
But it diligently chewed and swallowed down the remaining remnants left behind.
By the time the entire process concluded.
It had grown a finger’s breadth larger, and its unstable physique was now significantly closer to completion.
Thump— thump—
And once again, the rough heartbeat echoed throughout the vicinity.
“…How regrettable. Now that it has reached this point, I wish I had started earlier so I wouldn’t be pressed for time. If only the plans had proceeded smoothly….”
It let out a light sigh, gazing down at its writhing body.
Unlike the impure beings of the ground, its pristine, smooth white form was astonishingly beautiful.
Indeed, this form embodied the ultimate human, the new humanity itself.
‘It’s all done now…’
Thus, the former revolutionary, the founder of the Oath of Reversal.
The now-current ‘King of Madness’ was nearing the final stages of awakening to step into the world.
