Chapter 1836: The Holy War
Chapter 1836: The Holy War
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“Here it is, what you asked for, dear…” sighed her father. “Are you sure this is really what you want to do though, Olivia? You know that the Holy War is…”
“I know very well what it is, father,” Olivia replied with a sigh, offering him a gentle smile. “But you yourself told me that our family has practiced this tradition for centuries. It feels strange that you suddenly don’t want to continue after all this time—even when it cost us so much to obtain the fragment of the Crown of Gilgamesh.”
“Hmm, well, so many things are happening around the world,” her father sighed. As the current appointed director of the Clock Tower Magus Academy, he was a tall, handsome older man with short gray hair, a neatly trimmed gray beard, and sharp blue eyes. “I once had the ambition of obtaining the Holy Grail and making a wish powerful enough to rewrite reality—ensuring the stability and safety of the Clock Tower and our family for generations. But now… well, it all feels a little stupid. With everything going on, shouldn’t we focus our resources elsewhere? Especially when our family usually ends up losing the war anyway.”
“I know…” Olivia looked down, sighing softly. “But… there’s a girl… that I want to help.”
“…Don’t you think you’ve done more than enough, Olivia? Let them spend the next three years here, graduate, and then they can fend for themselves. Why are you so obsessed with raising these girls? Listen, I know they belonged to one of your friends but—”
“Father, this is exactly why the Magus Society is in such deep decline,” Olivia said firmly. “We forget that we are all human. If the child of my friend needs my help, I will give it. If that child is crying, I will use my magic to bring her a smile. I didn’t become a Magus to flaunt my power and mock the weak. There is no purpose in such an empty existence. Magic was discovered and developed for a reason—to help humanity.”
“Olivia, I know what you mean but…” Her father searched for a counterargument but found none.
In this world, Magus families possessed immense wealth and power, yet what did they truly accomplish with it? Before the First Contact, aside from hunting Hollows, their lives consisted mainly of inter-family disputes and occasional clashes with criminal organizations.
Did they improve society in any meaningful way?
No.
Did they use their magic to aid even a single soul?
Not at all.
So what was the point of so much power, so much wealth, so much of everything?
Disputes, battles, competition, all for more wealth, more power.
Olivia was a rare Magus who had grown genuinely weary of it all. She refused to let magic remain a secret guarded by society’s elite.
She dreamed of magic becoming widespread, a tool for humanity’s survival and progress, lifting them from stagnation.
Now that the First Contact had brought an invasion of otherworldly beings, her philosophy felt more urgent than ever.
It was now or never, yet most of the Magus Association’s Grand Masters and Elders refused to engage with public affairs.
The entire world could be wiped out, and the Magus Society might simply carry on with their selfish lives.
It was an unhealthy, deeply corrupt existence—one that revealed the rot within the country and its families.
Thus, Olivia had begun her quiet rebellion: by taking in those girls and offering them a second chance when no one else would dare.
“Yeah, I guessed as much. You cannot refute me,” Olivia said, standing up. “The Coyett Family will win the Holy War.”
“…!” Her father looked slightly agitated. “Wait, you’re going already?” he asked, noticing her pick up the small box containing the crown fragment.
“I will be leaving with my students,” she replied. “I heard that winners have the chance to transfer to another branch for the rest of the year.” She smiled warmly. “The girls unfortunately made no friends here, and Elena has a family she wants to meet in Japan, so I’m bringing them along.”
“I see…” her father sighed. “Then good luck, dear. If you ever need help, call me. You’re representing the family after all. I won’t hesitate to bring you back if things go wrong, though—and don’t hesitate yourself to run if you must. Some Magus who participate will try to kill other Magus instead of their Heroic Spirits. Of course, the Vatican will supervise the Holy War as usual, but even then…”
“Thank you, father,” Olivia said with a smile. “I will go tell the good news to the girls. We’ll be moving next week. I already made reservations for our flight and spoke with the Clock Tower Branch in Japan. We will be welcomed by the Amaterasu Clan.”
“…?!” Her father looked genuinely surprised. “You’re going there? I guess… that will be a safe place. I’ve heard they maintain close ties with the Gods within their Divine Realms.”
“Yes. While the alliance is decently strong, the Japan branches practice a very different type of Magecraft—one that seems to suit my students far better,” Olivia explained. “I’ve also heard they have much more open minds. Several of their students possess demi-human traits. Even the Werewolf and Vampire families that settled there centuries ago are cooperating with the Amaterasu Clan nowadays. I want the girls to meet some promising new friends so they can relax… and perhaps enjoy their childhood a little.”
“Hmm, the Werewolf Clan from Japan? Wait—you mean the Golden Fangs, descendants of Fenrir?” her father asked, rubbing his short beard. “I see…! But whose Vampires are there? I’ve only heard a few things. Are they not affiliated with the Vlad Family? They’re enemies of humanity…”
“They’re a branch that separated long ago—one of the few benevolent Vampire families in the world that actively work with humanity to protect them from the Supernatural World,” Olivia explained, readjusting her hat. “The Matriarch is Clementine Blood Moon. Does that ring any bells?”
“…!” Her father gasped. “Wait, what? The holder of the Demon Eyes of Petrification and… the owner of the Indestructible Diamond Body, Adamas?! She’s… the most gifted Vampiress who caused great chaos four centuries ago. It took the Vlad Family to exile her. She’s a prodigy—not converted, but born from two Vampire parents.”
“Indeed! I’ve heard her dear daughter will be joining this year. I would love if Elena and her friends could become close with her and the young daughter of the Golden Fangs’ Clan Leader,” Olivia said.
Her father’s expression grew worried. He sighed. “Olivia… you don’t plan on using those girls to build connections with these prestigious families, do you?”
Olivia chuckled. Her long red hair fell across half her face, her eyes gleaming sharply. “Oh father, why would you ever think that? But… some of them may join the Holy War. I would like to gain a few allies at the very least.”
“…I see,” her father said, smiling proudly. “Hah… well, I don’t have to worry about anything then. I suppose my daughter is as sharp as her mother. Take care, dear.”
“I will, father. I shall return with the Holy Grail,” Olivia replied with quiet confidence and a clear path ahead.
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