Chapter 105. Message from the Illusion (2)
“I have always struggled to understand that.”
The burning sky, dying warriors, Gornas clashing with Simon.
And even the Void Tree with its remaining eyes open pitch-black, though half-broken.
Everything stopped.
By the master who created this elaborate illusion.
“I have watched this scene hundreds of times to gain something from this desperate failure we experienced.”
Ulrich’s phantom, wearing a black robe stood in front of Blanc.
The phantom of the pitiful mage trapped in the time called the past.
“……What did you gain?”
Blanc lifted his red eyes and looked at Ulrich.
Blanc was cut by the thorn named Petrica in Ulrich’s illusion.
Blood flowed from the scar Blanc Scar, covered in wounds, had barely closed.
However, the only person in this world who could fully understand the wound Blanc had was also only Ulrich trapped in the past.
“…….”
Ulrich’s phantom patted Blanc’s shoulder.
Blanc knew that he in front of his eyes and everything Blanc was stepping on now were illusions, but.
Still, he could feel that the warm comfort conveyed from Ulrich’s fingertips was real.
Ulrich wrapped around Blanc’s shoulder and said pointing at the Void Tree implemented in the illusion.
“Although the Elves said no, I became convinced watching the illusion repeated countless times.”
The huge tree soaring ferociously towards the sky.
The dark blue wound splitting the world.
“So the conclusion I reached is this.”
“What conclusion did you reach?”
Ulrich’s phantom opened his tightly closed mouth and said.
“That that thing is the World Tree.”
“……!”
Ulrich looked down at Blanc making a surprised expression and said.
“The World Tree twisted and corrupted by something, that is calling the Void.”
World Tree.
One of the proofs that Goddesses exist on this land and the huge tree that is the mother of all Elves.
And the sacred existence that eventually dried up and twisted in the previous life.
Because of that, the Elves eventually had no choice but to leave their beloved hometown Elbhenin.
“Why the World Tree…….”
What Ulrich was saying now was a remark like blasphemy to Elves.
However, since not a single Elf existed here, Ulrich’s words continued unhesitatingly.
“Although Void is an existence belonging to another world, it took root in our world and contaminated reality.”
Ulrich thought that for that to be possible, some medium would be needed.
And a powerful medium capable of fully containing the thing called Void at that.
However, although Ulrich was strongly convinced, he could not perfectly prove his thought.
Because the thing called Void did not exist in the time period where Ulrich was.
“But if it is in your time period, you could prove it.”
Listening to Ulrich’s words, Blanc recalled the huge Void he saw beyond the Goddesses.
That terrible thing dyeing space pitch-black and swallowing stars.
Ulrich, trapped in the past 190 years ago, seemed to have approached the truth of Void through a method different from Blanc.
Ulrich, whose ability reached the limit of a mortal.
Standing at that end, he was looking at the dimension beyond that humans could not look at.
“If the Void Tree was made of the World Tree as I thought, it would mean it also shares the limitations it possesses.”
Blanc still could not read his intention in Ulrich’s words, but hearing his following words, he could not suppress a shudder.
“There was one existence in the old legend that burned the World Tree.”
There was a bird in the legend said to have come out from the eternally burning sun.
“It was slowly fading following its cyclical fate, but the fire was kindled again by the existence called me.”
The mage navigating the illusion caused a gentle ripple in the sea called time to reach Blanc’s feet 190 years later.
“The flame symbolizing eternal immortality can burn everything belonging to this world.”
His gentle ripple went over the wave called Void and reached Blanc.
“If the Void Tree originated from the World Tree, burning it would also be possible.”
Ulrich handed something to Blanc who was making a blank expression and said.
“Proving that was originally intended for him, but seeing that you are still alone, it seems he also failed regression like me…….”
Blanc looked at what Ulrich handed him.
It was a key shining in gold.
“Open the second account of the Iron Bank. Prove that the Void Tree originated from the World Tree with what is in there.”
“Second account…….”
What was kept in the deepest place in the vault storage of the Iron Bank, known as the deepest part before the first account was discovered, was from the 3rd account.
The first account was Blanc’s, and the second account was…….
“You prepared it for the two of us.”
Blanc could feel a little how much the mage trapped in the past struggled for them.
Ulrich said with a smile on his lips.
“Now it is yours.”
Simultaneously with those words, Ulrich took out a cloak from somewhere and wrapped it around Blanc.
A black cloak was shining in the hands of Ulrich deceiving reality, illusion, and the world.
It was a cloak shaped like a piece of the night sky taken off.
“What is this?”
Blanc asked Ulrich looking at the black cloak wrapping him.
Ulrich looked down at Petrica, his disciple and foster daughter recreated in the stopped illusion, and said.
“It is something I could make because I understood Void to some extent.”
Ulrich said looking at his disciple and foster daughter recreated in the illusion.
“That cloak is an object that emits light in the Void. It will hide you from the gaze of Void without using someone’s sacrifice as collateral.”
Ulrich tightened the string attached to the cloak and met eyes with Blanc.
His two eyes hidden in the hood seemed visible a little.
“Remember our regression plan.”
Hearing his words, Blanc nodded silently.
Seeing that appearance, a smile was drawn on Ulrich’s lips.
“Now is the time to part.”
As Ulrich stood up, the stopped illusion began to break.
It was time for the two Regressors who jumped over the time of 190 years to part.
Between the slowly disappearing Ulrich.
“Thank you for following me this far.”
The illusion he created collapsed.
***
The knights could not hide their confusion as the sun floating high in the sky.
The birds chirping on branches.
And the green grass they were stepping on all disappeared in an instant.
Because there were no preliminary symptoms or singularity they touched.
“It was clearly here just now…….”
Unlike Franz who was bewildered by the suddenly changed surrounding scenery, the knights flashed their eyes and guarded the surroundings to cope with the suddenly changed situation.
However, they soon had no choice but to turn their heads and look at their lord.
Because brilliant golden light was spreading from the hand Blanc was holding.
That light was dyeing the dark space where the illusion disappeared with brilliant golden color.
“Baron…….”
There was a man standing up holding that brilliant golden light.
Only the golden light Blanc emitted was illuminating the knights in the dark cave.
In that light, Blanc recalled Ulrich’s message.
-Remember our regression plan.
Blanc opened his eyes chewing over Ulrich’s words.
To confront the huge flow called Void, he also had to create a huge flow no less than that.
However, to create that flow, the influence Blanc currently possessed and the title of Baron were insufficient.
He needed a bigger vessel to contain himself.
Blanc seemed to see the new goal he had to move towards in front of his eyes.
“Let’s go back.”
The knights looked at the back of Blanc turning around.
The cloak Blanc wore was fluttering.
It was a cloak dark but shining as if stars were embedded like a piece of night sky taken off.
Only then did the knights realize.
That it was their lord who broke the illusion surrounding them just now.
And that he found what he wanted here.
A thin light was shining into Blanc’s eyes going up to the ground along the dark passage.
Blanc walked out following that light.
Like that, the Black Wolf escaped from the dark narrow world and took a step towards the world.
***
Dark night.
There was a man running panting along the shadow created by torches into the camp where soldiers were gathered.
It was a man with a fat body in wealthy attire.
He looked like a noble, but judging only by his urgently moving appearance, he looked like he had thrown away the dignity noble ones should possess.
“Prince!”
Baron Kamora entered pushing through the entrance of the tent as if rolling.
He, whose whereabouts were unknown after the great defeat in the Norington battle, appeared here now.
Following the order of his lord, Prince Aleid.
Sweat was pouring down like rain on Baron Kamora’s face, showing how urgently he entered.
“I, I have completed the Prince’s order and returned.”
Baron Kamora immediately took out a small wooden box from his bosom and held it out towards the Prince.
His two hands holding the box were trembling.
“…….”
A young man looking at the map placed on the desk.
Unlike his crimson hair color that seemed to burn, his eyes were cold to the extreme.
“Completed the order and returned, you say…….”
Prince Aleid repeated Baron Kamora’s words and ended up laughing.
“Right, right. It is true that I gave the order.”
When Aleid gestured, Baron Kamora quickly approached his side like a dog listening to its master’s command.
“Give it here.”
Baron Kamora put down the box he brought following Aleid’s words.
In an instant, Aleid’s red eyes flashed.
BANG-!
“Aaaargh!”
Prince Aleid struck down on Baron Kamora’s hand with the dagger he had in his bosom.
Red blood flowed endlessly from the Baron’s hand stuck to the desk.
“But when did I order you to ruin 4,000 troops?”
Baron Kamora felt the illusion that a beast was growling right next to him.
The anger flowing out without filtration from inside Prince Aleid’s eyes made that possible.
“I am sorry…… I am sorry!”
Although the dagger Prince Aleid held was slowly turning, Baron Kamora could only chatter words of apology repeatedly without daring to even moan.
“Incompetent fellow. Even though I told you to be so careful.”
Aleid unsparingly poured out his ferocity, which he usually hid, on Baron Kamora.
“Consider yourself lucky to be alive because I have to lead the soldiers and march out tomorrow.”
Simultaneously with those words, Aleid pulled out his dagger.
Baron Kamora’s blood starting from his dagger splattered here and there.
“Heuuuk!”
Nasgoer, who was standing next to him, dragged Baron Kamora, who was at a loss holding his hand flowing with blood, out of the tent.
Silence engulfed Aleid’s tent.
“Still, fortunately, Baron Cadmus solved the failure in Norington instead.”
There was a man who appeared quietly in the tent where only Aleid was thought to be.
It was a middle-aged man with half-white hair neatly swept back.
“No mistake this time, right?”
Although there was anger left in Aleid’s eyes that he had not fully poured out, the middle-aged man receiving that gaze answered with a relaxed smile.
“Since we are handling something outside the standard, I cannot guarantee, but still, it will be different this time from Norington.”
Previous life.
The Void starting from the first Void Tree left an irreversible huge scar on Gartaria, which was struggling with the Prince’s Rebellion.
And that was not what Aleid, who planted the first Void Tree, intended.
The cosmic existence called Void surpassed Aleid’s intention and expectation, eventually driving humanity to the edge of destruction.
However, in this life, before humanity fell into irreversible despair, the Regressor named Blanc cut down the malice called Void at the highest place of Norington, so.
The huge flow that was flowing was greatly twisted by Blanc.
“This time, it will move according to our intention.”
The flow of fate twisted by the pitiful Regressor confronting the huge flow.
That flow ended up creating another starting point for Prince Aleid as well.
“…….”
Prince Aleid lowered his gaze and looked down at the map he was looking at.
The blood Baron Kamora poured out was gradually staining the map red.
The red blood spreading like that eventually dyed the entire Gartaria shown on the map red.
“For now, it must be this way.”
The shadow of the candle shaking violently by the wind was dyeing Prince Aleid’s face black.
“Run wild to your heart’s content until then. Black Wolf.”
Prince Aleid’s eyes shone ferociously on the map of Gartaria dyed red with blood.
In the newly twisted flow of fate.
The Black Wolf and the red beast were holding their respective flags and standing up.