Chapter 246 : Chapter 246

Chapter 246

Divine ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Object Synchronization was released.

He ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had shown someone else memories from decades ago. Normally, it would consume no small amount of Divine Power, but the fatigue was not as great as he expected.

'It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍must be because I have grown accustomed to synchronizing Divine Objects with Lan.'

Her ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Authority that crossed Boundaries had limitless applications in itself.

And ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the moment it combined with the Authority of Time, the Boundary became an even greater power.

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was the future Claudio had envisioned, wishing to be with Tatia.

Now he was with the Saintess who had inherited her place, making the feeling particularly profound.

"You loved Lady Tatia."

Lan's eyes had darkened as she accepted the old memories.

"There are many definitions of the emotion called love."

"Are you still evading the question?"

"How could that be?"

Claudio smiled faintly.

He had long acknowledged and accepted his feelings for her.

He had merely resolved to set aside his personal feelings and place greater importance on his duty as a priest.

Otherwise, he could not have risen to his present position.

"I have no regrets. I only thought it was time to show you the memories as well."

Tatia's child had grown up and visited the Papal Office.

It was revealed that he could synchronize with Divine Objects, and he was named an Apostle by a god.

Forging both a Mana Heart and Hollyheart.

Even though he had inherited the blood of Simon Eurasia and Tatia de Veritas, it was not something easily explained.

'Unless the oracle she did not tell me about concerned Killian Eurasia.'

Lan appeared to be thinking something similar.

"Is Lady Tatia still in the Temple of Time?"

He had left three Divine Objects inside a secret chamber prepared in the Temple of Time.

Divine Objects that could synchronize with him at any time, regardless of physical distance, were isolating her from the world.

"Only her time has been stopped for decades."

"Surely... it was a formula that could only be maintained by synchronizing Divine Power?"

"Great power carries a commensurate price."

At his calm words, Lan looked shocked.

Physical and mental activity brought corresponding fatigue.

That was even more true of using mana and Divine Power.

Claudio had been doing that for decades without a moment's rest.

'No wonder he seemed to grow more exhausted as he aged.'

His recovery of Divine Power was slow, and he always looked tired.

At first, she thought it was because he had aged, and because of the weight of being Pope and his excessive workload.

It was not.

'It is like a knight swinging a sword without proper sleep, or a mage casting spells in rapid succession without recovery potions. There is no way his body can endure it.'

She worried for his health in a situation where it would not be strange for him to collapse at any moment.

This was different from when he had used future sight to draw in Killian Eurasia before.

"It is the path I chose."

"Since you say so, I will not mention it further. If you showed me the memories as well, something must have changed."

"Yes. An oracle."

Not long after he became Pope, his connection to the gods had begun weakening.

The Chief Priests and Cardinals who had received oracles, even if rarely, fell silent.

Then Killian Eurasia was designated an Apostle of a god.

His exceptional birth, connected to the oracle, made it too much to call coincidence.

"The silver-haired knight I saw in the oracle may not have been Simon Eurasia, but Killian Eurasia."

At the time, he had not had the leisure to think that far.

He had been desperate to sort out his feelings toward Tatia and Simon, throwing himself into work every day.

"I cannot help but admit that my view was narrow."

What was certain was that the silver-haired knight symbolized Eurasia.

"We cannot afford to miss either of them."

And the Holy Nation would break its long silence and leave the path of a neutral state.

"Simon Eurasia, whom I met in person, was a man like Mount Tai."

She had not forged a Mana Heart, nor had she ever met a 9-Star being.

But she could know instinctively.

"Simon Eurasia will reach 9-Star."

And Killian Eurasia was also highly likely to do so.

A kingdom possessing two 9-Star knights.

Such a thing had never existed in the continent's history.

"It is settled that we will take Eurasia's hand."

"It seems so."

Claudio responded with a strange smile.

He had avoided countless schemes through future sight and, after becoming Pope, seized real power in the Holy Nation.

He reset relations with the Empire and stopped its tyranny, but that was all.

The Empire had instead crouched down and was researching greater power.

Only then did he admit that he could not face the Empire through his strength alone.

It was time to accept Simon Eurasia, whom he had denied for so long.

'He seems to have much on his mind.'

Lan fell silent as she looked at His Holiness, whose face was complicated.

Killian Eurasia's extraordinary birth.

The relationship between Simon Eurasia and Saintess Tatia.

The questions that had long remained unsolved were answered.

'A Saintess giving birth is heresy, but even God Murus chose Killian as an Apostle.'

Lan recalled Killian, who had synchronized with Veritas's Divine Object.

'The Divine Object must have run rampant because it recognized Killian's lineage.'

But in the end, he had forged Hollyheart through a god's choice.

To priests whose connections with the gods had all but been severed, Killian was an important person.

"For the time being, I have told the king to take a defensive stance in diplomacy with the Empire."

"You intend to prepare to become a member of the new Kingdom Alliance in the meantime."

"Will you help me?"

"You know my answer, do you not?"

Lan did not consider it a great matter even though it was a decision that shook the foundation of their status as a neutral state, which had not intervened in countless wars.

"Your oracle will come to pass, Your Holiness."

Claudio looked satisfied at her following him without the slightest doubt.

"Once his preparations are complete, the emperor will try to bring down the Boundary."

Whether to wholly covet the power of gods and Grotesquery, or because he wished to destroy the world with his own hands.

The future Claudio saw in the oracle would come to pass.

It was different from ordinary future sight.

He was given no choices.

'It is only a pity that I did not see the result.'

Tatia de Veritas had never told him about the oracle until the end.

'Tatia, did you see that result?'

Though she could not answer.

Time would continue to flow.

***

The White Duke's laboratory was on the highest floor of the Magic Tower.

It was a space thoroughly cut off from the outside, which only the White Duke could enter.

When the door opened, a cold, faint light streamed out, while softly glowing white mana floated through the air and enfolded the laboratory.

The inside of the laboratory was remarkably tidy, owing to his compulsive need for order.

The shelves filling the walls held every sort of grimoire and ancient research material in neat order. The books' covers were mostly worn, but their contents were perfectly stored in the White Duke's memory.

And at the laboratory's center sat a large experiment table.

Mana Stones and experimental materials of many sizes lay on the table, while at its center rested a transparent crystal sphere that emitted an unusual aura.

Within the sphere, white energy pulsating as though alive drew in surrounding mana, leaving strange traces.

The complex magic circle inscribed on the ceiling—

WHIIIIINE—

Continually emitted faint light as it operated.

It stabilized the flow of mana in the laboratory and completely blocked outside interference.

The floor, too, was inscribed with ancient writing and geometric patterns. They were devices that transformed the laboratory into a massive magical barrier.

Along one wall stood a huge alchemical apparatus designed by the White Duke himself.

Liquids and powders of unknown identity mixed and flowed through small tubes, their product emitting clear light inside a giant flask.

There was also an old wooden desk in one corner of the laboratory. Several pens and thick magical theses lay open on it, and complex formulas and magical diagrams densely filled the paper.

The conspicuous black candlestick beside the desk had been placed there to hold special candles the White Duke used during deep meditation or precise magical work.

More than anything, the most striking feature of the orderly laboratory was its cold atmosphere.

A space that excluded all vitality.

It was an environment the White Duke had deliberately created so he would not be disturbed in his research.

"......"

After returning to the White Magic Tower, the White Duke had shut himself in his laboratory and immersed himself in experiments.

Originally, he had meant to seize Sharle's spiritual body and use her as a medium to harness the Violet Magic Tower's power.

He thought it would not be a difficult task if he used the Magic God Stone and Black Magic Tower, the results of the Black Duke's research, together with the White Magic Tower and his own magic.

Yet he had failed again.

"Killian Eurasia. When that man is involved, plans go awry."

Perhaps he was one born with such a destiny.

When one became involved with people born with destiny, the world flowed around them.

"That makes two already, after Simon Eurasia."

But the Empire possessed someone with a destiny stronger than anyone's.

9-Star knight Pergius Heinrich.

9-Star mage Crusty Heinrich.

The current emperor, who had experienced every body that reached the summit of mana through sword and magic.

Before the destiny he possessed, even the destiny in Eurasia's bloodline would be insignificant.

'For now, producing results comes first.'

He had failed the mission the emperor directly assigned.

If he reported it as it was, even he would not escape censure.

Fortunately, it was not as though he had no results at all.

Just before his spiritual body was destroyed, he copied the structure of the Violet Magic Tower and sent it to the White Magic Tower.

It would be a great help in building the Red Magic Tower.

That was not the only result he had prepared.

"You are wearing a disgusting smile."

"......"

At the sudden voice, the White Duke turned his head.

Isaac stood atop a magic circle.

He was the only other person permitted to move into the laboratory.

"If it looked that way, I apologize."

"White Duke, seeing you now, you do not seem different from the Black Duke."

"...?"

"The Black Magic Tower has a power that makes people sinister. If you use that power poorly, even the owner of the White Magic Tower will not be able to avoid being consumed."

"It sounds like experience. What of you, Your Highness?"

Isaac Heinrich.

A genius whom the Black Duke had created by any means necessary.

The imperial direct descendant who had now become his own test subject.

Knowing his position well, Isaac gave a bitter smile.

"I abandoned myself long ago for the Empire's great cause."

"I am the same. I will take Your Highness's words as praise."

"Mages truly will not yield even a word."

SWISH.

Isaac took off his top and climbed onto the experiment table of his own accord.

"Stop talking nonsense and begin the experiment. I may change my mind at any time."

The White Duke placed the Magic God Stone in his hand.

"You have resistance to the power of Grotesquery. If you obtain Divine Power as well, you will possess power like His Majesty the Emperor."

Then, power like the Empire's Sun.

"The name Moon of the Empire will not be insufficient for you."

"You must keep those words."

The White Duke raised a blade over Isaac, who had closed his eyes.

And then—

"For the Empire's great glory."

CRUNCH.

The blade once called a Divine Artifact shattered the Superhuman's heart.