[Vol. 7] Chapter 114: No.13
"Priscilla? Why are you here? What... what’s going on?"
Sophie scratched her head as she walked forward with her older brother. A series of shocking events had happened one after another, and it seemed like her brain was completely fried. If emotions could be visualized, her light green eyes would probably be spinning like a mosquito coil by now.
[Tree Bow] turned to her and chuckled, ruffling his little sister’s hair.
"Silly girl, since we realized there was a traitor among us, do you think Miss Violet and I wouldn’t take precautions? Before we even reached the estate, we secretly contacted Qionghua and had her use [Starlink Summon], a special ability she can only activate in crucial moments, to reach out to Priscilla in the coastal city. We asked her to immediately head to the main city nearby and gather reinforcements."
"If [Tree Branch] hadn’t betrayed us and had properly sent out the distress message, Priscilla would have joined in and helped resolve the situation faster. But if he really was scheming in the shadows…"
As he spoke, Enrique turned back to the red-haired woman who had arrived with the reinforcements. She was Qionghua’s mentor, a powerful figure with close ties to [Tree] team. What she was about to say next would determine whether [Tree Branch] had truly betrayed them.
Priscilla, however, only gave a small smile before shaking her head slightly.
"When I arrived, the city had received no message at all. I had to personally vouch for the situation as the Vice President of the World Magic Association and a research lecturer at Sainz Academy to get the army to mobilize."
“……”
It was just a simple statement, but the implications were crystal clear.
Seeing the adventurers fall silent, unsure of how to react, the woman, who seemed to hold quite a few prestigious titles, brushed aside her fiery red bangs and added softly,
"When the army arrived, he was just standing at the entrance you cleared. He didn’t go anywhere, nor did he try to harm or take Qionghua hostage to protect himself. For now, we’ve taken him into custody. But in my opinion, this is something you all should decide how to handle."
"...Dionysis, why did you do it…?"
Enrique patted his sister’s shoulder, trying to comfort her as she looked down, clearly upset. His own expression wasn’t much better. A betrayal from such an important member was a heavy blow to their [Tree] team squad.
But as the leader, he knew he had to step up. No matter how hard it was, he had to be the pillar of support for everyone.
"We'll have a chance to ask him, but for now, let's focus on cleaning up this mess. I… really don’t want any more innocent people to get hurt because of this case."
……………………………………
At the edge of [Eternal Night Forest], in the vast, endless sea of trees…
A card engraved with the symbol of [Gate] floated in midair once again. From the portal it projected, a peculiar man in a black magician’s outfit, wearing a top hat, stepped out gracefully, landing lightly on the ground.
“That old hag vampire has quite the temper. I only pulled a little trick on her, just a harmless prank. It’s not like she could actually do anything to me. Why is she so mad?”
“Looks like I really pissed her off this time. I should probably hide for a while.”
Just then, a shadow slowly took form in front of him, shaping into a vague, indistinct figure floating in the air.
The man, Timos Young, immediately cut off his meaningless rambling. Putting on a show of concern, he removed his magician’s hat, placed it over his chest, and bowed slightly.
“Oh, if it isn’t His Divineness Exmont! That battle between you and that deity was truly a spectacle to behold… Ahem, I mean, Is Your Divineness’ body okay?”
Despite being the High Priest of the Church of Truth, this so-called Immortal Magician didn’t seem to have much genuine faith in the god his church worshipped. He didn’t even bother hiding it. His words of concern felt more like the shallow pleasantries of a business partner than true respect. His display of reverence was purely superficial, completely insincere.
The shadow, representing the will of the God of Subversion and Paradox, hovered before him. Though its form had no discernible features, it was clear that this entity was watching from across the worlds and communicating with him.
It showed no interest in Timos’ disrespect, responding in a completely indifferent tone.
[No need to worry. Just minor injuries, not enough to be a real issue. Compared to the other god that fought Her, this level of damage is well within acceptable limits.]
“Oh? Then does Your Divineness already know the true identity of that light… that deity?”
[Hmph, of course. Her appearance makes perfect sense, yet it’s strangely suspicious. Both I and the Council need to uncover the truth behind this as soon as possible. Go, use every means at your disposal. That young dragon is the key breakthrough.]
The Immortal Magician quickly lowered his head again in a show of obedience, though there was something subtly off about the way he spoke.
"Oh~ Great God of Subversion and Paradox, it is my greatest honor to serve Your Divineness. However, as You have seen, the recent commotion has drawn quite a bit of attention to me. Right now, many eyes are watching my every move. Under such circumstances, I fear my hands are tied..."
Before Timos Young could continue his audacious attempt to bargain with a god, the God of Subversion and Paradox cut him off with an indifferent tone.
[Cooperation is about mutual benefit. You won't suffer any loss. Though a portion of the materials from the last experiment was lost due to the divine battle, and the ritual did not fully succeed, enough remains to proceed with deploying certain elements to the Origin Realm. The assistance and compensation you require will arrive soon. Do what you must, human.]
With such a clear guarantee, the magician finally lifted his head, and the fake smile on his face instantly became genuine.
"Oh my, His Divineness Exmont is as generous and benevolent as ever. Since that’s the case, I have nothing more to say. Rest assured, as Your envoy in the Council, I, Timos Young, will give my all, for the Council and for my God!"
[…I will be watching.]
With those final, succinct words, the ever-shifting shadow slowly receded, dissolving back into the air. The divine will had once again withdrawn beyond the world.
"......"
Timos gave a final bow to the now-empty space in front of him. As he straightened and placed his hat back on his head, the eager, servile smile on his face vanished without a trace. In its place was an expression of rare depth and contemplation.
"Such a grand move… The last time something like this happened was over three centuries ago… No, perhaps even further back. Looks like the Council is finally serious this time. Haha… A storm is coming."
From his sleeve, a series of strange, exquisitely crafted cards floated out, swirling around his figure like a halo, transforming into a mesmerizing, unpredictable ritual.
There were exactly thirteen cards. Each bore a completely unique illustration.
At the border of the [Eternal Night Forest], standing between the rising sun on one side and the endless darkness on the other, the cards slowly stacked upon each other, forming a deck in the magician’s outstretched palm.
With a nonchalant gesture, Timos casually flipped over the top card.
It depicted a magician standing on a grand stage, arms outstretched toward the audience, an enigmatic smile on his lips. Timos and the magician had the same mysterious smile.
"The show… is about to begin~"