Chapter 146 : Chapter 146
Chapter 146. Teleportation
“Now, follow me. If you and I are together, Beris is already as good as captured.”
Mapheltan’s enormous wings spread to the left and right.
A pitch-black curtain covered the prayer room.
Red eyes were rolling wildly on the ceiling.
Just as Mapheltan was about to cross through the air, Shaferia shouted.
“Wait! Wait a moment!”
Mapheltan frowned.
“I thought you had resolved yourself to take my hand. Do you still have something to say?”
Shaferia spoke with an expression of sheer disbelief.
“I should know at least part of your plan. Where the destination is, what we’re going to do from now on, and what method we’ll use to kill Beris.”
Mapheltan clicked his tongue.
Until now, he had rarely shared plans or information with his companions.
Ilea, Gaf, Raguel, the Count of Staviana, Serena Marcano, and so on. To everyone who had worked with him, he had simply demanded blind obedience.
They had followed Mapheltan’s instructions without much complaint.
They had not particularly picked apart his reasons or the situation.
Shaferia was different.
She wanted every plan to be shared with her.
Mapheltan swallowed a low groan.
“It is troublesome to explain every little thing. You simply need to follow me.”
Shaferia’s expression twisted.
“White Horn, I’ll tell you this in advance. I am not your scarecrow. You won’t be able to handle me however you please.”
Unlike the others, Shaferia had no weakness caught in Mapheltan’s grasp.
She had no reason to submit to Mapheltan’s instructions.
The two of them were merely bound by equal interests.
After thinking for a moment, Mapheltan said,
“You are being rather difficult. Well, fine. I will tell you roughly what we need to do.”
Shaferia’s expression turned firm.
“Not roughly. Explain it in detail.”
Mapheltan let out a short sigh.
‘How annoying.’
He opened his mouth.
“From now on, we will go to Sector Two of the Abyss. That is because the method to gather the torn soul fragments of Apostle Beris in one place is in Sector Two.”
Apostle Beris’s soul had been divided into ten parts.
One of them had been destroyed by Shaferia.
Now, nine souls remained.
Only when all nine soul fragments were gathered could the true Beris manifest.
Mapheltan intended to summon Beris in his complete state, then subjugate him.
That was because only when Beris vanished would Third Prince Gawain’s contract-severing authority disappear as well.
Once Beris alone was killed, Mapheltan would be able to get his hands on the enormous power known as “Demon Gawain.”
Shaferia muttered with a somewhat flustered face.
“……Sector Two of the Abyss.”
Mapheltan nodded.
“That is our final destination. Though there is one thing we must do beforehand.”
“What is it?”
“We must obtain a Land Dragon’s egg.”
Shaferia narrowed her brow.
“A Land Dragon, all of a sudden?”
“The story gets complicated from here. Listen carefully. I will not explain it twice.”
Mapheltan calmly began speaking about Apostle Beris.
***
The underground people. They were one of the forgotten ancient races, intelligent beings who lived deep beneath the earth.
No, calling them intelligent beings was a stretch, because the underground people were stupid.
Their intelligence was markedly low.
They were foolish and dull, so they could not establish a proper civilization.
They had merely buried themselves underground and continued a primitive life for several thousand years.
No matter how much time passed, the underground people could not develop.
That was how things were until six hundred years ago.
An anomaly occurred.
Six hundred years before the present, one underground person met an ancient Land Dragon beneath the earth.
As was usually the case with the race known as dragons, the Land Dragon was also a divine beast with intelligence that transcended comprehension.
The Land Dragon took pity on the underground people and transmitted knowledge to them.
It supplemented their inferior intellect with magic and even taught them the miracle known as magic itself.
As a result, the underground person “Beris,” who happened to meet the Land Dragon, became the most superior being among his entire race.
Before long, he was worshiped as a god.
Beris, who had become a god, transmitted the knowledge he had received from the Land Dragon back to his race and revived the underground people.
All the underground people began to possess intellect.
They built an advanced civilization underground and stretched both hands toward the surface.
The source of calamity was conceived there.
The inhabitants of the surface regarded the underground people as inferior beings.
They did not permit them to dare ascend to the surface.
For the likes of the underground people to bask in sunlight and moonlight.
There was no greater blasphemy.
Great Saint Marziel mobilized all his might and drove the underground people back underground.
As if expulsion were not enough, the moon even placed a curse upon them.
Due to the moon’s wrath, the entire race became demons.
“Beris,” who had been the god of the underground people, lost his divine throne and fell.
Even his soul was torn into ten pieces.
Beris had no choice but to hate humans and the moon.
All the apostles were the same.
They lived only for revenge against humanity.
***
After hearing the entire hidden story, Shaferia trembled all over.
For her, Mapheltan’s story was difficult to accept.
If his words were true, then the Great Saint was no different from a demon.
Shaferia shook her head.
“Lies…… It’s all the whispering of a demon!”
Mapheltan shrugged.
“It truly does not matter whether you believe it or not. The point is ultimately one thing. We must use the Land Dragon to call Beris forth. That is the only proposition you need to remember.”
In Sector Two of the Abyss, there was an altar to honor the Land Dragon.
The moment the Land Dragon’s egg was placed upon it, Beris would manifest.
Mapheltan only had to subjugate the summoned Beris.
That was the plan Mapheltan had shared with Shaferia so far.
Shaferia gripped the hilt of her sword tightly.
“If even a single inch of what you just said is a lie, White Horn, I will tear you to pieces no matter what.”
Her two hands trembled intermittently.
Mapheltan snorted.
“Well, fine. But what if everything I said is true? Shaferia, what will you do then?”
Shaferia’s gaze shook for an instant.
She immediately composed her expression and said,
“That is impossible. Even imagining it is utterly blasphemous.”
Mapheltan drew the corners of his mouth into a long grin.
“I am very much looking forward to it. When your faith collapses and your convictions break, what sort of expression will you be wearing?”
Shaferia glared at Mapheltan as though she would charge at him at any moment.
“Keep wagging your tongue. I’ll slice that three-inch tongue of yours into pieces.”
Mapheltan said glibly,
“I am so frightened I cannot even open my mouth. Let us end the conversation here. It is about time we departed.”
The Land Dragon’s habitat was located in the eastern part of the kingdom, at the border between the empire and the kingdom.
It was quite far away.
Even if they rode horses day and night, it would easily take several weeks to arrive.
Shaferia did not know that fact very well.
To begin with, the existence known as a Land Dragon was unfamiliar to her.
“If I move together with you, I feel as though this body of mine will rot away. Let’s go separately. Just tell me the Land Dragon’s location.”
“The eastern border region between the kingdom and the empire.”
Shaferia moved her feet.
“Let’s meet again in three weeks.”
Giving themselves ample time, it would take about that long.
Just as she was about to leave the church, Mapheltan opened his mouth.
“What if your lord cannot last three weeks?”
Beris’s contract magic was continuously hauling Yohan into a swamp of misfortune.
That was what Shaferia believed.
Her expression crumpled.
“It takes at least two weeks to reach the border region. There is no other way.”
Mapheltan shook his head.
“If it were me, I could reach the destination within ten minutes.”
His expression was calm.
There was none of his usual playfulness.
Shaferia said in an incredulous tone,
“Are you saying you can manipulate space-time or something?”
“Well, it is somewhat similar.”
There was nothing particularly surprising about it.
No matter what, the being before her eyes was an Apostle of the End.
It would not be strange for him to perform any kind of miracle.
Shaferia said,
“Then let’s leave quickly. If I talk to you any longer, my ears feel as though they’ll rot.”
Mapheltan snorted.
“Even for me, that rather hurts. Hold this.”
A long strand of Miasma descended from Mapheltan’s body like a rope.
After hesitating for a moment, Shaferia seized the strand of Miasma.
At the same time, Mapheltan headed straight for the church window.
There was a glass panel hanging on the window.
It was Cursed Scripture Chapter 13, the original Book of Deceit and Chaos.
“W-Wait a moment!”
Ignoring Shaferia, Mapheltan plunged his body into the Cursed Scripture.
The glass panel did not shatter.
Instead, it rippled like a lake and swallowed Mapheltan and Shaferia.
The two immediately headed toward the Mirror World.
***
“How fascinating. To think I would live long enough to witness a miracle like this.”
The Count of Staviana looked around in every direction and let out a sincere sound of admiration.
He had entered the Mirror World.
All kinds of mirrors were occupying his entire field of vision.
Ilea smiled gently.
“So there are times when even you’re surprised, Father.”
The count let out a wry laugh.
“I am human as well. Before a miracle that transcends space and time, I can only become solemn.”
Through this mirror magic, one could go anywhere in the world.
As long as there was a mirror, from now on, the count would not be constrained by space and time.
The benefits that would arise from this were truly astronomical.
Ilea smiled with her eyes.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to make good use of this miracle, Father. Yohan likely thinks the same as I do.”
To begin with, because Yohan had permitted it, the count had become a member of the Mirror World.
Yohan trusted his abilities.
The count would use the power he had been given more perfectly than anyone else.
With a somewhat detached face, the count said,
“Good grief. To think I would live a life where I must repay another person’s expectations at this old age. My whole body already aches.”
Ilea shook her head.
“You’re still hale, Father. You need to help Yohan and plan many things. I’ll be counting on you for this matter too.”
The count had to persuade Wolfgang Eisenpelt.
To subjugate the apostle, Wolfgang’s strength was absolutely necessary.
If it was the count, he would surely be able to coax Wolfgang well.
The count said with a composed expression,
“Do not worry. Even if I say nothing, my father-in-law will step forward on his own.”
There was no way Wolfgang would stay out of a matter related to an apostle.
That battle maniac would surely devote all his strength to helping Yohan.
Ilea smiled brightly.
“I hope everything goes well.”
“I agree. The more the Watcher of the Abyss gains stature, the sooner Eriyan’s resurrection will come as well.”
All credit for subjugating the apostle would go to Yohan.
The empire would probably commend Yohan as well.
Yohan’s steps toward the title of Public King would have no choice but to accelerate further.
This matter benefited everyone.
Just as they were exchanging private conversation, one of the mirrors on the ceiling began to convulse.
Over the original Cursed Scripture Chapter 13, a pitch-black shadow spread like paint.
A red eye flashed.
Mapheltan revealed himself.
Soon, Shaferia was dragged out as well.
She was greatly shocked.
Every sight around her was alien.
“W-What is this……?”
Mapheltan drew the corners of his mouth into a long grin.
“It is still too early to be surprised. Now, let us go east.”
He immediately headed straight toward the mirror on the opposite side.
Before Shaferia could even voice an impression, she was teleported again to the eastern border region.
The dry hot wind of the east was welcoming them.