──Ermes continued to think.
……The matter of Nina had been a shock, but as she herself said, it wasn't the sort of situation where he could afford to dwell on that alone. He would of course keep that matter in his thoughts as well, but he couldn't neglect everything else either.
With that resolve, Ermes first took stock of his own mind, organizing the current state of affairs.
The northern rebellion had come to an end.
On top of the soldiers from the Harvest territory, the northern rebellion had also joined the Third Princess's faction. A massive number of soldiers, military strength in sheer numbers, and a base from which they could set up shop. And on top of that, they had secured the aid of that extraordinary hero Lucius, making their increase in military power immeasurable.
The morale of the soldiers under their command was excellent as well. The northern soldiers, who had long been the ones forced into unreasonable circumstances, often found themselves sympathetic to Liliana's proclaimed ideal of "equal access to magic's blessings and opportunities for growth for all people."
Furthermore, by demonstrating Ermes's abilities through Lucius's courtesy, the loyalty of those soldiers—and of Liliana who led them—had risen to an unquestionable level.
……Of course, not everyone was on board.
The roots of this country's values ran deep, and there were no shortage of those who dismissed Ermes's unreasonable strength as some kind of trick, or who had gleefully participated in the northern rebellion to reap its benefits. ……Among them, it was said, were those who had previously tried to use their protected status as an excuse to assault Nina.
However, one might call it a blessing in disguise—through the northern rebellion, the true nature of those soldiers had been laid bare for all to see, and from here on out, Lucius intended to ruthlessly reform or purge such individuals. His skill as the Captain of the Knights was well-established, so leaving it in his hands would undoubtedly result in a just and formidable army being forged anew.
As for the myriad procedures and negotiations that inevitably increased with the larger number of people, Yurugen was said to be handling them all with astonishing efficiency. ……This, too, was a reminder of his brilliance as the head of a ducal household. He never stood out, but he was undoubtedly the linchpin of this entire "army," and there was no looking down on him.
So, in summary.
Everything the Third Princess's faction had wanted to gain from this northern rebellion, they had obtained in forms that exceeded all expectations.
Without question, it was a monumental success. One could say they had made a tremendous leap from rock bottom—just six people—to a major power.
(……But)
However.
Naturally, that wasn't all there was to it.
First, they were still only halfway there. They must not forget that the road to reclaiming the Royal Capital remained steep, with many great walls still standing in their way.
And on top of that……the northern rebellion had also given rise to new mysteries.
First, regarding the church. In the end, we couldn't determine exactly how Archbishop Johan had set this northern rebellion in motion.
We could ask Johan himself, but he was still unconscious — and besides, even if he were awake, it was hard to imagine he'd answer questions quietly. So the mystery remained.
Including its connection to the organization Laplace belonged to, there were still far too many unknowns about the church.
What kind of organization was it? What sort of structure did it have?
And above all... what exactly was that unfathomable power it occasionally displayed?
The most prominent example at present was—
(...that,
Ancient magical tool
)
Nina had guided them to it, and Ermes and the others had witnessed that very
Ancient magical tool
— Skaldrogia. He recalled it now.
...The moment he laid eyes on it, he knew it was something terrifying.
He couldn't touch it carelessly; he was certain it shouldn't be touched. It was something entirely beyond comprehension — an unidentified, off-the-scale magical tool whose full nature even Ermes couldn't begin to grasp.
Since it was clearly dangerous, they had kept their distance and simply monitored it for the time being. That judgment was almost certainly correct.
But someday. He would need to unravel its mysteries.
What was that magical tool, why did it possess such power, where had it come from, and what was its purpose?
First — why was it in the form of a magical tool? No, before even that—
(That's right.)
Before he could even begin to think about those things.
Ermes arrived at it. A fundamental question he had never thought deeply about — partly because it had always been taken for granted, and partly because it wasn't his field of expertise.
That question was—
(——
In the first place,
what even
is a
"Magical tool"
?
)
...Without a doubt.
At the very moment Ermes arrived at this question — one that cut to the very foundations of this kingdom and of magic itself—
—Knock, knock.
With a polite knock, the door opened.
Having heard the reply and entered was...
"Your Grace."
"I'm sorry to bother you while you're recovering."
Yurugen von Trakia.
His usual gentle expression had... shifted to something slightly sterner.
"An urgent matter has come up that I need to tell you about, so please listen carefully. I've already informed Katya and the others — everyone is waiting in the conference room."
With that ominous preamble, he delivered his news.
Just a little while ago, a messenger arrived — not from the Archbishop's office, but from somewhere even higher up in the Church. This is what they told me.
"!"
In that instant, Ermes felt it — just as his premonition had warned.
Yurugen declared with solemn gravity.
"There is a matter to discuss regarding Archbishop Johan. The Third Princess's faction is to visit Church
Headquarters
at once — that is what they said."
The next destination for Ermes and his companions.
And perhaps — their next battlefield. In this moment, it was decided.
Alright, so with that said!
Starting next time, the Second Episode of the Third Chapter — the "Church Arc" — begins!
As I've mentioned a few times, this will be an arc that pushes deep into the mysteries of the kingdom and magic,
and the story is going to move forward with a real bang!
We'll be seeing plenty of new characters as well as returning ones!
Of course, the story will race ahead without sacrificing any of the excitement or entertainment,
so I'd be truly grateful if you continue reading from here on out!
And now, two announcements!
First, I've posted the store-exclusive bonuses for Volume 1 of the "Creation Magic" light novel on my activity report!
The bonus short stories were all fun to write, and at some stores
there's also collaborative bonus information tied to Volume 2, so please do check them out!
And one more thing — a major project announcement!
With the book release now less than a week away...
Starting today through the 25th, the release date — I'm resuming daily updates!!
Since the plot is already locked in, I'll write the church arc opening all at once—
That's what I'm planning to do...!
The church arc prologue is set to be even more exciting than before, so I hope you'll enjoy it with the daily updates!
With that said, the next update will be tomorrow, February 20th!
Thank you for your continued support of "Creation Magic"!
[If you'd be so kind, I have one more request]
If you found this interesting, are curious about what comes next, or want to show your support, please give it a star rating or bookmark at the bottom of the page!
The rating especially makes a big difference. If you could spare just one click, it would mean the world to me...!!