Chapter 111 – Discord

The board chairman’s office was using an entire floor of the Magic Tower.

As such, it was too spacious for an individual to use, and the center was empty without any particular structures.

It was like an open space, to the extent that it would be sufficient even if several people fought a battle.

“Just when are they coming? I’m dying of waiting. Hey, are they really coming?”

It hadn’t even been ten seconds since he had called them.

Just as he was starting to find the smirking fellow offensive,

a portal opened in the center of the board chairman’s office.

The one who appeared after opening the portal was Zodiac, as expected.

It seemed that the portal was opened by the Grand Dharma Officer who was with him.

Since Zodiac had not contracted with a demon.

[Kane.]

Zodiac’s telepathic voice reached Kane.

Unlike his delicate appearance, the telepathic voice was the somewhat heavy and dignified voice of a male.

“What? Is it that fellow?”

It was attire he had never seen in his life.

Since she wore a black bamboo hat and an ink-colored long robe.

Moreover, she was equipped with a huge greatsword, and the silhouette cast beneath the black veil of the black bamboo hat was definitely that of a woman.

“Is it a woman or what?”

The corners of the Face Changer’s mouth twisted strangely.

“A woman is even better. I handle women exceptionally well, after all.”

The Face Changer turned his attention, which had been on Kane, toward Zodiac.

“Hey. I hear you have quite a lot of mana stones, is that right?”

[What is it?]

At the following telepathic voice,

Kane also stood up from his seat and spoke.

“I ask of you. Since he is a fellow who doesn’t listen to words at all.”

Kane also unbuttoned his sleeves and lightly warmed up.

Zodiac, who understood the intent, soon exerted power.

The Face Changer’s vision went black, and soon a giant Dragon Eye was cast upon his mind.

“What! What is…”

[Kneel.]

At the command that could not be disobeyed,

the Face Changer’s knees knelt as if by magic.

Immediately after, the Face Changer’s head, having lost its reason, fell downward, and seeing this, Zodiac’s attention turned back to Kane.

[Pathetic. Did you call me for just this sort of thing?]

In fact, even to keep Zodiac in check,

he had intended to lead the Face Changer himself.

However, since he did not know that the rumored Face Changer would act so recklessly,

even Kane could do nothing about it.

“He doesn’t listen to words at all. I thought it would be fully possible for you. Since you are bossing around even the Grand Dharma Officers like minions.”

It was then.

The Face Changer regained his reason.

The one who noticed this first was Zodiac, and soon the laws of another world were applied to the entire board chairman’s office.

An independent field had been deployed.

“This is…”

Kane also noticed the existence of the independent field.

“A field.”

The boundary separating mages and archmages.

It was the presence or absence of deploying an independent field.

Originally, the world was made of a base field.

All magic was created and developed here, and everyone including mages lived in such a base field today as well.

An archmage

could construct a unique field territory within such a base field and enforce the laws they established.

‘An independent field? The saying that he was on par with an archmage was certainly not a lie.’

Among the various rumors related to the Face Changer,

there was at least one certain thing.

That his skill was on par with an archmage.

Moreover, they said his skill was overwhelming even among various archmages.

The problem was just that his personality was filthy.

“An out-of-world being. It feels like that.”

The Face Changer, who regained his reason, faced Zodiac, who was looking at him with interest.

Soon, Zodiac’s telepathic voice reached the Face Changer.

[An interesting fellow. How did you regain your senses? The power of the Dragon Eye should still be effective?]

“Your power is still effective. It is just that an unexpected fellow is bearing it instead.”

It was a statement that could not be understood immediately.

However, before they could even fathom it, the flow of surrounding mana began to fluctuate.

“Pay the price first. The master here is none other than me.”

Zodiac felt that the impression of him when first seen was somewhat different from his impression now.

Soon, the swirling energy of lightning fiercely assailed Zodiac.

Was it like being trapped inside a thundercloud?

However, Zodiac, repelling it with out-of-world power, was enveloped and protected in a black sphere.

Inside the thick thundercloud,

the shape of a long dragon repeatedly loomed behind Zodiac and disappeared.

Seeing this, the Face Changer narrowed his eyes.

‘What is it? What did I just see?’

That was not all.

‘I don’t understand.’

This was the independent field he had deployed.

Here, all magic that he did not permit was bound to be rendered useless.

Yet, that person was drawing out and freely handling a power he didn’t even know.

‘What on earth is it?’

It was not a shield made of mana, nor was it anything like a barrier.

Zodiac was protecting himself with something else.

‘…It is not the power of this place.’

Just as the conclusion was made,

Zodiac managed his internal energy and clad his body in mind armor.

The Vajra Heart Armor.

Here, Kane remained still, unable to intervene.

‘Damn… it’s an independent field.’

In a place that was not the base field, his alchemy lost its meaning.

Thus, Kane, who had no choice but to watch, cheered for Zodiac inwardly.

“What on earth is that power?”

The Face Changer, who had become polite unlike before, asked.

“It doesn’t seem to be magic.”

If it were magic, since he had not permitted it, there was no way he—or she—could handle it.

Zodiac used his sword instead of answering, targeting the Face Changer like lightning.

A momentary sword strike severed the space and the Face Changer, but he had already evaded the spot via light-speed teleportation.

“Well, if you want a physical conversation.”

He had no memory of losing in an independent field.

Because this was a world he created.

Soon, the Face Changer held a staff that tore through space.

The mana condensed at the tip of the staff exploded and scattered into hundreds of magic bullets.

The scattered magic bullets assailed Zodiac as if intercepting the opponent.

However, Zodiac, who was protected by the Vajra Heart Armor, was perfectly fine without a single scratch, and soon drew out his internal energy to coat his sword.

As if mocking the pouring magic bullets,

countless sword strikes scattered and began to rush through the space.

The magic bullets were intercepted instead, and subsequently, Zodiac’s pursuit began.

The Face Changer, who usually only targeted enemies fleeing from here, couldn’t help but be puzzled.

Because this was the first time he faced an enemy who couldn’t be intercepted by magic bullets at all.

Moreover, the opponent was targeting him in turn.

The conclusion that there was no chance of winning was made quickly.

The independent field cleared, and the Face Changer vanished in an instant.

He fled.

Zodiac, who neutralized the surrounding field space through air pressure, put the drawn sword back into its scabbard.

Coinciding with the clearing field, Kane frowned.

“He had skill. If only I could have printed gold without issue…”

Kane, swallowing his regret, spoke.

“I didn’t expect you to let him get away. You, who are leading two Grand Dharma Officers.”

[Are those words to be spoken?]

Zodiac passed him and stood in front of the glass wall overlooking the panoramic view of the Imperial Capital.

The world was quiet and beautiful, but

in Zodiac’s eyes, a devastated world was unfolding.

[He was an interesting fellow. To escape the domination of the Dragon Eye.]

A mere creature could not be free from the dragon’s gaze.

This was the same for the world he lived in and this place.

Zodiac raised his head and looked up at the sky.

What was reflected in his eyes was not the blue sky, but the world above it, the exterior heavens.

[Kane. This seat is not that generous. If you keep disappointing me in this manner, I will have no choice but to part ways with you.]

“To say such words over just this sort of thing. There is no problem with the plan. I will perform an equivalent exchange on all the people of this world, and you will summon the out-of-world Evil God here.”

Face Changer.

Since things turned out this way, he became an opponent that had to be given up on.

The problem was entirely that inquisitor who spread the rumors about gold alchemy.

“There is a fellow I must target. I was going to just leave him alone, but he is just too annoying to be left alone.”

Zodiac frowned.

[Do you plan to keep relying on me?]

“They said he also has the Immortal Heart that you want. It will be good for both of us.”

He did not answer, but Zodiac was permitting it.

Since he regarded the Dharma Mage Division under his command as consumables to be used and thrown away anyway.

[Use as many personnel as you like. More than that, when is your plan starting?]

“It has already started. The construction of the Magic Tower for the configuration of the Grand Transmutation Circle began a few days ago. Since we poured in astronomical funds, the completion won’t be that delayed. Once it is completed, the empty land you want will be created.”

The empty land.

Zodiac needed that.

* * *

Rashid had a meeting with Luna, whom Karl had brought.

Rashid’s voice reached Luna, who was looking around the quite tidy office.

“I heard you were looking for me?”

“Ah, that is… yes…”

“What is the reason? Has your mind changed in the meantime?”

Luna, who was adjusting the teacup in front of her and choosing her words, opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Because I felt we shouldn’t leave the Professor like this. So… could you stop him, Inquisitor? I also helped you in the past.”

“Stop him…”

Regrettably, Kane was not someone who could be persuaded.

In fact, the Blood Empress was also someone who could not be persuaded.

She only did crazy things because of Kaiser.

‘From now on, there are no exceptions for these fellows. I must kill them all without fail.’

Kane and Zodiac.

Both were ones who were impossible to reform.

Because their goals were just that firm.

“For some reason, the meaning of ‘stopping’ him sounds like you want to keep him alive?”

“Yes, he is a person I am truly grateful to. You are strong, Inquisitor. Can’t you go and dissuade the Professor?”

“Hmm…”

Rashid furrowed his brows in thought.

Although he didn’t show it when he heard the truth about her from Kaiser, it was somewhat shocking.

‘She is not a child, so it wouldn’t matter if I tell her, but.’

Even so, she would receive a great shock.

‘To think this child was a homunculus made by Kane.’

Sophia Lazaro.

Luna was a human made by replicating his late lover exactly.

Although she was genetically completely identical, another her,

Kane viewed her as a failure.

Because even if she was similar to her, she was not her itself.

“Is your advocacy for that professor because he sponsored you?”

“Pardon? How did you know that…”

“I did an investigation on you. Kane has been sponsoring you continuously.”

Luna became downcast.

“Yes…”

“Is it simply for that reason? Before that, have you not thought about the fact that you were used by that professor?”

“Pardon? The Professor used me?”

The Kane that Rashid knew

was an extreme misanthrope.

He despised and disliked all humans, and it was actually impossible for him to sponsor someone out of a good heart.

“If he truly cherished and loved you, he wouldn’t have included you in such a crazy plan.”

“But he can be stopped, can’t he? I believe that the Professor can definitely be stopped.”

Rashid shook his head pointedly.

“No, he cannot be stopped. Do you know what he wants?”

“What the Professor wants?”

“Haven’t you even read the articles? It must have been clearly stated what he wants through that plan?”

“That… approaching the truth?”

“Right. Have you even thought about why he wants to approach that truth?”

Luna reflected on Professor Kane.

He was someone who was abnormally obsessed when it came to Source Alchemy, if nothing else.

There were many times when he showed more than madness, which was insufficient to describe as crazy.

“It seems you don’t know the answer. Then I will tell you. It is to revive his deceased former lover. Sophia Lazaro. Like him, she was a significant authority in Source Alchemy. And she was the only opponent Kane acknowledged, and the only woman he loved.”

Luna recalled a certain woman in the desk frame that was always turned face down.

Although it was something she felt as she grew up,

why was it that the person in the photo felt similar to herself without glasses?

“Was that… the reason the Professor set up such a ridiculous plan?”

“He isn’t trying to make something similar to that woman. He wants to revive that woman herself altogether. And this is not an area that can be reached simply by knowledge. It is only possible by reaching a truth that almost rivals God.”

Luna fell silent.

To think the professor held such thoughts.

“In that plan, you are naturally included, and so am I. Because he firmly believes that only by performing that level of equivalent exchange can he obtain the truth that rivals God.”

“…”

“You came to the wrong place. Just as he cannot be stopped.”

Rashid showed a firm will.

“Because I cannot stop him either. I have absolutely no intention of overlooking his crazy plan. He won’t stop. In that case, I will have to put an end to his life.”