Chapter 659: Dawn

The welfare center located in the W-District of Randa was run by the Brotherhood of the Poor.

Like other organizations and institutions in Randa recently, it was extremely busy.

The reason was none other than the Pied Piper.

Unbelievable as it may seem, the Pied Piper single-handedly invaded Randa, causing unprecedented damage in the city’s history in less than an hour.

The city was overrun by hordes of rats and zombies, with countless casualties and displaced residents, regardless of their status.

The welfare centers supported by the City had a duty to manage such crises, and the Brotherhood of the Poor was no exception, requiring them to work late nights and overnights.

(This was why they continued to stay at their posts until dawn.)

As a result, the staff of the center became so exhausted that they barely spoke unless necessary.

Weary silence pervaded the atmosphere.

Suddenly, that silence was broken.

“Did a wizard from the Tower of Magic really come here?”

“You fool, it’s not just any wizard.”

“Then who is it?”

Despite being busy with work, they suddenly stopped what they were doing and started chatting among themselves.

Even the mid-level supervisors, who should have been motivating the workers with a whip, joined in.

At first, it seemed as if they had gone mad from all the night shifts, but a closer look revealed that wasn’t the case because—

“—It’s not just any wizard from the Tower of Magic. It’s Archive, Archive! The Great Mage Archive!!”

Archive had arrived.

The pinnacle of wizards, the only one called a Great Mage, recognized for his authority and respected by kings and the Pater Church alike. He was the most famed wizard but also the most secretive.

This was the very wizard who had come to directly visit the Brotherhood of the Poor.

So it was understandable that the staff had stopped working and were causing a commotion loud enough to be heard in the director’s office.

Of course, the head of the welfare center should have apologized for the noise.

“I apologize for the disturbance. Archive… Grand Master?”

Against the backdrop of faint murmuring coming through the door, Kent apologized to the guest. He hesitated, unsure of how to properly address him.

The guest responded.

“No. It is I who came here unannounced… Just call me Merlin.”

“Is that really alright?”

“Certainly. In return, may I call you Mr. Kent?”

“Of course, it would be an honor.”

Cant accepted.

For Archive was that type of person. He didn’t actively intervene much, but still, he was a global power beyond just Randa…

Correction:

Beyond just the city of Randa, he was a global power by his very presence.

Cant dealt primarily with underground information, but even he couldn’t grasp the full extent.

The only thing Kent knew was that it was likely the (previous) Archive who practically established the Tower of Magic, and perhaps even influenced the founding of Randa.

Like many urban legends scattered throughout the underworld.

However, unlike other rumors, the difference was that this legend seemed quite plausible.

In any case, what Kent wanted to say was that it was no ordinary thing for Archive to directly visit and kindly offer to be addressed by name.

Therefore, Kent was worried. If this wasn’t an ordinary situation, it meant something major was happening.

Whether it was good or bad, it was something someone like Kent would struggle to handle all the same.

Cant promptly needed clarification.

“Mr. Merlin, may I ask you a straightforward question?”

Merlin, sipping his coffee, nodded.

“Did you come here because of my investigation into the district closures?”

Instead of hiding any wrongdoing, Kent decided to show his cards first.

It was a decision based on the understanding that Archive’s intelligence and network far surpassed his own.

Nothing is more dangerous than half-baked scheming, so it was better to be upfront.

At the very least, it would help mitigate any damage.

Merlin spoke.

“No, that’s not why I came.”

“So, you were already aware.”

Cant inferred information from Merlin’s remarks, like filling in the missing pieces of a puzzle.

“I found out naturally, in the course of my work. Personally, I don’t consider it a bad thing. Preparing for danger is a personal right.”

Even though Kent didn’t possess the Warlock’s Eye to see through emotions, he could tell Merlin was being sincere.

If Merlin were here to question him or to issue a warning, he wouldn’t be showing such consideration. In fact, he wouldn’t have made a formal visit at all—he would have come in secret, which would have been more convenient with no eyes on them.

So only one reason remained.

“Do you have something you’d like to ask me?”

The question was posed as though on a whim, but Merlin’s silence was an answer in itself.

“Is it about Xenon?”

Xenon—more accurately, Xenon Bright—was the name Oliver was currently using at the Tower of Magic.

“How did you know?”

“There’s nothing else someone of Archive’s stature would ask me about.”

“You’re right. May I ask?”

“If it’s something I can answer… In return, may I ask Archive a question as well?”

“Why don’t we take turns asking questions?”

Merlin readily agreed, but he claimed the first question.

“Could you tell me how you first met that boy Xenon?”

Cant calmly answered Merlin’s question without any surprise.

It was when he first saw Oliver captured by thugs in the X-District.

Cant had chased those thugs away and taken Oliver into his gang of beggars.

“Could you tell me why you helped him?”

“There’s no particular reason. Just call it meddling. Isn’t it strange to need a reason to help a child in distress?”

“Indeed, that’s true… It would be odd to have a reason.”

“But in the end, we were the ones who benefited.”

Cant recalled the shocking moment when Oliver first used Dark Magic in the sewers and later returned after defeating the Dark Sorcerer Puppeteer alone.

A truly shocking sight. But the most shocking thing of all were Oliver’s final words.

‘I want to see what you’ll do with that money, Mr. Kent. So, please just take it.’

Cant remembered the time when Oliver had handed him money.

He wondered what would have happened if he had spent it on selfish desires… Would that boy have still smiled at him?

“May I ask my question now?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can you tell me why some areas in Randa are being sealed off right now? Is it due to the plague and zombies?”

“No.”

Cant flinched.

When Merlin shook his head decisively, Kent couldn’t help but react with a start.

Although it was the answer he expected, the fact that it came from someone like Merlin made him react more seriously than he realized.

“Then…”

“An abnormal phenomenon that even the Tower of Magic cannot identify has been observed.”

“An abnormal phenomenon?”

“Yes. A phenomenon so powerful that even the strongest wizards can’t withstand it. The ground and buildings are cracking, and some unknown force is leaking from the cracks, contaminating the surroundings. This is why the Holy Knights have been deployed.”

Cant was about to ask what that unknown force was, but Merlin quickly asked another question.

Since it was Merlin’s turn, Kent didn’t have any complaints, but the content of the question was troubling.

More troubling and suspicious than the phenomenon in the city—at least to Kent.

“What do you think of that boy Xenon?”

“…?!”

Cant was left speechless.

What did he think of Oliver? It wasn’t an easy question to answer, and more importantly, Kent was suspicious of the question’s true intent.

So Kent disregarded the rules and voiced his honest thoughts.

“Why do you ask such a question, Mr. Merlin?”

“…I’m asking to answer a question in return. Mr. Kent, what do you think of Xenon?”

A short question that carried a lot of meaning.

Hearing that question, Kent recalled the time when he was nearly killed by a Druid who severed one of his arms.

Blood gushing everywhere, his ribs broken. In that desperate moment, a stranger had appeared and said to him:

‘Didn’t I tell you earlier? He might be the one who will save the world. That’s why I saved you this time.’

Even now, those words remained a mystery, but paradoxically, Kent felt he knew exactly who the stranger had been referring to.

Oliver.

A gut feeling, beyond reason or logic, pointed to that boy.

Cant finally spoke.

“He may seem naive, but he’s the smartest person I know. He appears fragile, but he’s the strongest individual; cold on the surface, but the kindest person. He always tries to go the right way… That’s the kind of boy he is.”

“Is that all?”

Merlin asked, as if seeing right through him. Kent hadn’t actually shared all of his thoughts.

“There’s more, but it’s presumptuous of me, so I won’t say it.”

“…”

“Now it’s your turn, Mr. Merlin. Why did you ask that question?”

Unconsciously, Kent gripped his quarterstaff tightly.

“Why are you asking what I think of Xenon?”

“Hmm… Before I answer, may I discuss something else first?”

Cant looked at Merlin. Could he be trying to avoid answering… It didn’t seem like that.

Given the insight he’d honed during his time in Randa’s underworld and as a fixer during the real estate boom, he believed Merlin was being truthful. Even if he wasn’t, there was nothing Kent could do. So Kent told Merlin to go ahead.

“What is it?”

“About what was found in the cracks in the city.”

“? … Wasn’t that something even the Tower of Magic couldn’t explain?”

“That’s what they said, but not me.”

“Ah.”

Cant uttered a small sound of surprise. It was a sort of wordplay. However, it wasn’t incorrect, so he didn’t argue.

No, there was something more important than arguing.

“What was found in the cracks?”

The answer blew his mind.

“Hell.”

“…Hell?”

“Or, you could call it the remnants of the cataclysm. The great disaster that occurred before the current city of Randa was established.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I am Archive. The Archive before me was the one who eradicated that disaster and laid the foundation for Randa. I carry his memories.”

Cant had heard about this before.

There were legends that although many politicians, capitalists, and wizards had cooperated in the founding of Randa, a specific key figure must have been at the center of it all.

It wasn’t strange. Such grand projects are often surrounded by various rumors.

And it’s more likely that a colossal project to erase traces of a cataclysm and build a new city would be centered around an individual, rather than a group.

The dangerous and reckless path is one that one walks alone.

For instance, just like when the first Dark Magic Faction was established in the Tower of Magic.

Cant didn’t know how to react to this mind-blowing story. It was too astonishing, causing him to become rather calm.

But doing absolutely nothing wasn’t an option either.

Cant asked the most fundamental question.

“Why did the previous Archive purify the land and establish the city of Randa despite the damage caused by the cataclysm?”

Merlin raised two fingers, his index and middle finger.

“First, the land wasn’t purified. It was merely covered up.”

“Covered up?”

“Second, the reason for covering up the cataclysm and building Randa was to create a stage.”

“A stage? What do you mean? Whose stage?”

“Oliver. His stage.”

***

As the morning sun banished the darkness and illuminated the world, armies began gathering around a small city in the Kingdom of Aizen.

These armies differed in flags and uniforms, suggesting they were part of a coalition from multiple nations. The larger the gathering, the more chaotic the atmosphere.

To be more precise, the leaders—the kings, princes, or royals—who led these armies were chaotic.

Those who claimed to possess noble blood were in such disarray because the original plan had gone significantly awry.

Initially, they had planned to subjugate the Pied Piper… Or more accurately, they intended to just take the credit without fighting him.

The reason for this failure was none other than the disappearance of Randa’s hero, the most crucial figure in the plan.

The hero of Randa, who was supposed to defeat the Pied Piper on their behalf, had vanished.

The Holy Knights said he left to investigate something, despite being summoned by the Archpriest and the king.

And so, the kings, princes, and other royalty from the coalition, who had come boasting that they would defeat the Pied Piper, were gathered in a cramped space like caged crows.

They were demanding answers from Archpriest Roderick, the originator of this plan.

“Archpriest, what do you plan to do now? You’re the one who told us to bring our armies!”

“Indeed. We can’t just leave the army idle… What if the Pied Piper reappears?”

“We must act quickly.”

These elderly men clung to Archpriest Roderick, whining like children.

It wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

The kings of these small kingdoms had suffered the shattering of their authority for centuries due to the Pied Piper. If they returned without doing anything or encountered the Pied Piper again, their already diminished status would sink even lower.

The Pater Church was barely keeping their kingdoms afloat.

If the worst happened, they might not even be able to maintain their kingdoms with the Pater Church’s support.

In other words, despite the seemingly peaceful morning sunlight outside, many small royal families in the Central Continent were facing a life-or-death situation.

It was unfair. They had simply followed the advice of the Archpriest and the Sisterhood.

But the fact that the Archpriest who had led the plan remained silent.

Someone finally couldn’t bear it and shouted the question.

“Are you sure he’s going to return?”

At last, Roderick, who had been silently listening, opened his mouth.

“He will return. I can’t say exactly when, though.”

“Probably? You said, probably?!”

The royalty who had brought their armies became indignant, shouting in anger.

Even in decline, a king was still a king. They weren’t accustomed to this kind of treatment.

At that moment, a nun in a black habit, who had been standing behind Archpriest Roderick, intervened.

“He will definitely return.”

The atmosphere, which had been boiling over with tension, suddenly calmed.

“…Really?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Such was the influence the Sisterhood held in the Central Continent.

They were responsible for the wellbeing of the people in the kingdom where they couldn’t, and secretly healed royals and nobles afflicted by mysterious ailments through prayer.

As the intervention of the Sister brought the kings back to their senses, an opportunistic-looking man spoke up. It was King Beller of the Kingdom of Aizen.

His tone was like someone settling for second-best.

“For now, let’s execute the Dark Sorcerers.”

“Dark Sorcerers?”

“Yes. Archpriest, the Dark Sorcerers… those prisoners we captured.”

The captured Dark Sorcerers.

They were none other than the refugee Dark Sorcerers who had surrendered because of Oliver’s persuasion and his army of Creatures.

During the midst of suffering heavy losses from Roderick and the Holy Knights, Oliver had intervened and advised them to surrender. Following Oliver’s will, all of those sorcerers had disarmed and were now isolated.

“First, let’s kill them all with the gathered armies. Wasn’t that the original plan?”

It was true, and to be more honest, it was an annual event.

A unique annual tradition of the Central Continent, where they would execute other Dark Sorcerers to bolster the crumbling authority of their kingdoms caused by the Pied Piper.

Roderick had faithfully upheld this tradition, but this time, his reaction was different.

“That won’t be possible.”

“Why?”

“Because those Dark Sorcerers have a true master.”

“…That Dark Sorcerer?”

“Yes, your highness. It’s something already promised to him. Killing them now at our discretion would cause problems.”

Roderick calmly addressed the many kings before him. However, they didn’t seem willing to comply.

“It doesn’t matter! They’re nothing but filthy Dark Sorcerers… Daring to keep the kings waiting, if anything—”

—Screeeeeeeeeeech!!

In the middle of the king’s words, a massive sound that shook the entire building echoed from the sky above. It was a sound that seemed almost otherworldly.

Every animal in the city screamed, and even the haughty kings stood up from their chairs and ran to the windows.

Thanks to that, they could see it. The shadow cast over the entire city. The giant beast that cast the shadow.

“A… dragon?”

Oliver had returned to the city, riding a crimson dragon.