A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special - Chapter 67

Episode 67. The Grand Conference (3)

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Security at the Phreletha Royal Palace was tighter than usual. The number of stationed knights was considerable, and their individual caliber equally impressive.
This was a natural consequence when one considered who was gathering for the meeting.
The five kings of the Western Kingdom Alliance would be present, along with Jord, the Master of the Magic Tower, and the heads of various influential organizations from all quarters.
Given their social standing, such security measures were hardly excessive.
Dezir Armang followed Jord into the conference chamber.
The interior was a spacious circular room, with a central platform and seats arranged in radial formation around it.
When Dezir entered, many were already seated. They wore elegant attire without exception and were accompanied by personal attendants and aides.
Each person’s seat had been predetermined. Dezir made his way to the place assigned to the Magic Tower and sat.
“It’s been quite some time since we’ve met in person, hasn’t it?”
Priscilla addressed Jord. As it happened, the seat assigned to the Magic Tower sat directly adjacent to that of the Artemis Church.
Jord replied without concern.
“Four years, six months, seventeen days, and three hours, twelve minutes.”
“That wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for.”
Five minutes before the conference began, Greed, the King of Phreletha and chairman for this year’s Grand Conference, entered the hall.
Greed was small and portly. The belt adorned with a dolphin that he wore was buried within his belly fat, and his face was puffy, as though he had been submerged in water for an extended time.
“We shall now commence the Grand Conference.”
With Greed’s opening remarks, the conference finally proceeded.
The structure of the conference was such that once the chairman presented an agenda, each nation voiced its position, and then a vote for and against would determine the direction forward.
There were occasional disagreements, but Greed, as chairman, deftly navigated the consensus and moved matters along.
The conference agenda was remarkably diverse. Because the Western Kingdom Alliance was formed by five united nations, the interconnected issues between them were substantial, spanning trade, military affairs, technology, and social matters.
In truth, they were discussing every aspect of the Western Kingdom Alliance’s business across all domains.
Dezir found himself somewhat bored as even trivial matters were debated, but for him, this session was an invaluable opportunity to understand the dynamics of the Western Kingdom Alliance, so he strove not to miss a single detail.
After the conference had gone on for a considerable time and discussion of inter-state issues had largely concluded, finally the matter of the Shadow World was brought up.
The Shadow World was by far the continent’s greatest concern, and in the Grand Conference of the Western Kingdom Alliance, it was effectively the main agenda.
On the central panel, information was displayed regarding the achievements of the Avalon Brigade, which the Western Kingdom Alliance operated; the current difficulty of the Shadow World; the subjugation rate; and the quantity of Mana Stones secured through Shadow World conquest.
Revenue earned from Shadow World conquest was distributed to each nation according to their contribution degree, and this constituted a massive financial lifeline for the nations.
“This year, the subjugation of the Shadow World has proceeded quite smoothly. However, there is one matter of concern—and that is the Outer.”
As Greed spoke, the panel displayed a greatly enlarged map of a mountainous region within the Phreletha Kingdom.
“The location marked on this map is where a 3-Level Shadow World appeared this time. However, we failed to detect the emergence of a Shadow World there at the time, and only after a month had passed did we discover this—by which point it had already been fully subjugated.”
Those gathered in the conference chamber began to murmur among themselves.
“This presents a considerable threat to us, because we failed to even detect the existence of the Shadow World that emerged here. This suggests that the Outer may possess the technology to block our Detection Technology, and moreover, it means they may possess capabilities superior to ours in locating Shadow Worlds.”
Dezir leaned forward, listening intently.
The Outer. They are a decidedly troublesome presence.
The Shadow World is divided and managed between the Hebrion Empire and the Western Kingdom Alliance. This was partly because neither had sufficient resources to mount an effective conquest without the other.
But the Outer possessed considerable military strength, and they frequently beat others to the punch by subjugating smaller Shadow Worlds first.
Furthermore, they had raided the Hebrion Empire, the Western Kingdom Alliance, the Magic Tower, and other places holding Mana Stones, stealing the stones themselves.
Yet their activities occurred within a low profile, and for that reason, concrete information regarding them remained unclear even now.
Greed gestured toward Jord and spoke.
“…Regarding this matter, Jord Exarion, Master of the Magic Tower, who has grasped the situation, will provide more detailed explanation.”
Dezir’s eyes shifted to Jord.
‘He’s analyzed this situation? Intelligence on the Outer?’
Jord rose from his seat, leaned on his Blackwood Staff, and walked toward the platform.
“Greetings, everyone. I am Jord Exarion, who leads the Magic Tower.”
Jord cleared his throat, then gestured to the empty air.
The panel’s display shifted. It now showed the Aureli Branch and a single Mana Stone.
“Two months ago, the Outer launched an attack on our Magic Tower. What they were after was the 2-Level Mana Stone we possess—Lygenelle’s Tears.”
A 2-Level Mana Stone.
In an age when 3-Level represented the maximum difficulty Shadow World, it was among the finest Mana Stones to be found.
“Fortunately, we obtained advance intelligence from someone, allowing us to prevent the assault. We were even able to capture what appeared to be a senior member of the Outer. Our Magic Tower interrogated this individual and obtained considerable information regarding the Outer.”
Jord cleared his throat and continued his account.
“Thanks to this, we were able to preempt several of their planned operations and identify numerous spies who had infiltrated our ranks. Their numbers were greater than we anticipated, and they had embedded themselves in remarkably subtle ways. There may still be unidentified operatives remaining within the Magic Tower, and it’s possible some have even infiltrated the ranks of the Western Kingdom Alliance itself.”
An uncomfortable cough echoed through the conference chamber at Jord’s words.
“Without a clear understanding of the Outer’s true purpose, this situation poses a grave threat to us all. The Magic Tower has reached the conclusion that we can no longer ignore them. We intend to share all our intelligence with the Western Kingdom Alliance, and I would urge all of you gathered here to join us in actively moving against the Outer.”
At that moment, someone cautiously raised their hand.
“May I have the floor for a moment, Jord?”
“Of course, Your Majesty Kolora Valdersh.”
“Thank you.”
Kolora Valdersh, king of Divide, rose from his seat in an elegant black suit.
“While I deeply regret that the Magic Tower has suffered an attack from the Outer, I must point out that the premise itself is flawed. First and foremost, I find it unreasonable to believe that the Outer could evade our Detection Technology and successfully conquer a 3-Level Shadow World before us. Mere criminals simply could not possess such technological capability.”
Several people nodded in agreement at Kolora’s words.
“The Western Kingdom Alliance’s Detection Technology is state-of-the-art, perfected over two decades. Such criminals could never access it.”
“But the current situation suggests otherwise.”
“I propose a far more convincing possibility. A force with such technological power—isn’t there a more obvious candidate?”
Kolora paused briefly, glancing around the room before speaking with absolute certainty.
“The Hebrion Empire.”
The conference chamber erupted in murmurs once more.
Indeed, the Hebrion Empire was the only nation whose technological advancement rivaled that of the Western Kingdom Alliance.
‘He’s framing them.’
Dezir nearly shot to his feet in that instant, barely restraining himself.
“The Hebrion Empire orchestrated this to claim the rewards of the 3-Level Shadow World. A 3-Level world would certainly whet their appetite. They took measures to avoid our detection, and why shouldn’t they? They are our enemies, after all.”
He continued speaking, arguing that the Hebrion Empire was indeed the adversary of the Western Kingdom Alliance and that a thorough investigation should be demanded with that fact in mind.
Many present seemed to align with his view.
“Certainly, no one but the Empire could attempt such a thing.”
“I share that opinion. Though I wonder if the Empire would really risk such provocation……”
As one by one the assembled delegates voiced their opinions, the chamber grew chaotic.
“Please, everyone, calm yourselves.”
Greed, the presiding officer, attempted to restore order, but the murmuring showed no sign of subsiding.
Dezir exhaled a long, weary sigh.

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Yellow Ocean Tournament Grounds.
The sound of cheers, the clash of combat, and the roar of mages locked in battle filled the arena.

Burst Claw.

A 2-Circle spell.
As Romantica unleashed the magic, a fierce wind tore along the trajectory she had set, shredding everything in its path.
Shriek!
The wind blade hurtled toward her opponent, leaving a long, straight gash across the marble floor.
The opposing mage responded in kind, unleashing her own spell.

Ground Wave.

The arena floor rippled once. The earth undulated.

Material Burst.

The rising earth and the wind’s trajectory collided, detonating in a violent explosion. Both magics canceled each other out.
Scattered earth fragments began to cluster in midair.

Rock Guillotine.

A 2-Circle spell.
An enormous lance of stone materialized and shot toward Romantica.
Boom!
Yet absurdly, the lance streaked past Romantica and impaled the ground behind her. She had adjusted the trajectory mid-flight, redirecting the projectile’s path.
She swept her hair back and spoke.
“Unfortunately, bullet-type magic doesn’t work on me.”
A sequence of magical formulae aligned before Romantica.
“As far as you’re concerned, I’ve already surpassed anyone you can follow.”
Two 3-Circle spells unfold simultaneously.
Romantica gestured, and one of the projectiles launched.
Boom!
Not content with piercing through the opponent mage’s hastily erected defensive spell, the marble floor erupted and caved inward under the impact.
The sheer force left the opposing mage’s jaw hanging open.
Romantica’s magic drove down like a hammer upon his stunned form.
The direct hit sent the enemy mage flying clear out of the arena, where he collapsed into unconsciousness before he’d even landed.
Referees and medical staff came rushing over in a flurry.
Romantica claimed victory with ease and returned to the waiting room.

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