YM778.TV Book 2: 302
Book 2: Chapter 302
Whoosh-
In an instant, the anger that had been radiating from Lukas vanished without a trace. It was clean and quick, like a blaze that had been doused.
Snow smiled at Ivan.
“I picked him up on my way here.”
“…”
“Your eyes are burning, Ivan, are you that curious about my new subordinate?”
Only then did Ivan take his eyes off of Lukas.
And when he raised his chin slightly, a middle aged man, who had been silently standing behind him, stepped forward.
When Syris saw this man, she couldn’t help but gulp subconsciously.
‘Cairo Wilsemann…’
Each party was allowed to bring two people into the meeting.
Nevertheless, Ivan had only brought Cairo. Was it because he was confident that one person was enough?
…That wouldn’t be an incorrect judgment. After all, Cairo was capable enough to warrant such confidence.
But the truth was that Ivan brought only Cairo because he felt it would be too bothersome to bring two people.
In addition, Cairo was deeply related to what they would discuss in the meeting.
“Then let’s start the discussion.”
Cairo was Ivan’s representative in the discussion that was about to begin.
The others also had their own representatives.
Snow had Peran, and Iris had the Vampire Queen Sheryl.
The three representatives stepped forward and began sizing each other up.
Cairo’s gaze turned to Peran.
“Peran Jun, you really are improving day by day. You probably don’t understand how fortunate you are to be such a talented young man.”
“Thank you for the compliment. If you’re ever struggling with anything, I’d be happy to give you some advice.”
“…”
Sheryl held back a snicker.
Without a doubt, it was nothing but a childish exchange. However, in Sheryl’s opinion, Peran’s blow was heavier. Cairo, who had been trying to gain the upper hand by acting like an elder, became rather silent after being hit by the unexpected blow.
He was definitely embarrassed, but it was commendable that he didn’t show it on his face.
“Hoho. Thank you for your care, but I don’t think I can improve any further. I’m just envious of you, who still has an endless path ahead of you.”
Peran smiled strangely at those words.
“11th Tower Master, do you really think 9-stars is the end?”
The genial smile disappeared from Cairo’s face.
“…that’s quite the presumptuous remark. You are not yet at the level to discuss such things with me.”
“Well… I know my level best.”
If they continued this conversation, they would definitely cut into the discussion time. So Sheryl decided to end their little spat.
Clack-
With a snap of her finger, two bats appeared behind her.
Each bat was holding a corner of a roll of parchment that was much too large for them, but they flapped their wings hard and gently placed them on the table.
Swoosh-
Soon the parchment was unfurled on the table.
It was a map large enough for everyone to see everything clearly.
“We found their base.”
Peran and Cairo turned their gazes over at the same time.
“Where?”
“Here.”
Another bat appeared.
This one was much smaller than the bats that appeared before. The bat flew across the parchment before falling from the air when it reached its destination.
Spat!
The bat was crushed, causing black juices to spread, staining the map.
“The western part of the continent? I think there is a country there.”
“…Matuui.”
It was Peran who muttered softly.
“…Matuui?”
Although he was a bit narrow-minded at times, it couldn’t be denied that Cairo was much more knowledgeable than most people. And yet, he had never heard of a country called Matuui before.
“It is a very small country with a population of only about 100,000. Their warriors are known for having many unique fighting styles.”
“A land of warriors, like Silkid.”
“It’s similar but different. Matuui’s warriors are more savage and barbaric. This is because there are a lot of monsters in the region due to the tropical climate. As a result, the people became strong warriors to combat them.”
“Those that fight for survival.”
“Exactly.”
“…right. I knew there was a reason we weren’t able to find them. So they were hiding in the tropics.’
Cairo muttered in a bitter tone. Noticing the emotion in his voice, Peran couldn’t help but say something.
“Are you feeling sympathy for your old comrades after coming this far, Cairo Wilsemann?”
“…are you testing me?”
“I’m just checking. I’m sure you understand how important this operation is. Regardless of whether you’re a 9-star Wizard or not, if you don’t cooperate with everyone, then you’re just a burden.”
“That won’t happen. I still have karma to complete.”
Cairo spoke in a firm tone.
“I will personally watch Diablo’s end with my own two eyes.”
“…”
He wasn’t forcibly saying this.
It was clear that it bothered him, but he had made up his mind. So Peran had nothing more to say.
Sheryl spoke up again.
“This is the problem. It’s possible that Matuui has already fallen into Diablo’s hands.”
“Does that mean it’s already become a country of undead?”
“We’re not sure. In the past, we sent a subjugation squad into swamps surrounding Matuui at least once per week. To reduce the number of monsters as much as possible.”
“But?”
“We haven’t seen the subjugation squad for a month. In addition, we confirmed that most of the monsters in the area have become undead. To be precise, they mostly consist of lizardmen, basilisks, and swamp trolls. That is why we made the guess.”
Sheryl’s gaze turned to Ivan.
She could already imagine how this man would react when he heard what she said next.
But it couldn’t be helped. Sharing information was a fundamental and important step in their cooperation. If she skipped this step, it would be impossible for them to form a unified front.
“Matuui and Diablo might have made a deal.”
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence descended in the room.
Almost everyone turned to look at Ivan. They too had similar thoughts to Sheryl.
But it was Cairo who spoke up first.
“You should confirm that first.”
“And after confirming?”
And it was Sheryl who asked back.
Their eyes met.
“If they truly did make a deal with Diablo, then they should pay the appropriate price.”
The appropriate price would naturally not be light.
The current Circle, including Cairo, had the power to wipe out a country with a population of 50,000 in a single day.
“There it is again.”
A small smirk appeared on Sheryl’s lips.
This caused Cairo’s expression to harden.
“Then? Are you saying we should negotiate again? Show them that it’s wrong to join hands with the undead and forgive their sins?”
“I think that would be much more peaceful than erasing an entire country.”
“Peace, peace, peace… Stop chasing after those fancy words. You’ve lived for over a hundred years, how do you still not know the truth about reality?”
“I know. I know so well it makes my teeth chatter. That’s why I can say it now. Sometimes, the long way around is the fastest way.”
“The long way around is the long way around, it’s not a shortcut… I know what I’m suggesting is a massacre, for lack of a better term. And I know it’s not ethical. But think back to five years ago.”
“When Diablo first appeared in Silkid, what happened to the Warriors who fell for his tricks?”
“…”
“They became Death Knights with formidable power. Hundreds of those dreadful monsters appeared. It took us three years to just take care of them all. At the end, there were millions of casualties and the neighboring countries became dead wastelands.”
Cairo’s gaze turned to Peran.
“If what Peran said is true, then the skills of the warriors in Matuui wouldn’t be lacking when compared to Silkid. What if thousands of undead on the same level jumped out this time? How do you intend to deal with that?”
“It hasn’t happened yet, and if we are fast enough, we can prevent it. Depending on how we deal with it, we can end this without anyone else having to die. Like you said, five years ago, we failed. I know that. But this time, we won’t fail.”
This time, it was Cairo’s turn to laugh.
“How optimistic. I think it’s time you woke up from your dream, vamp.”
“…don’t call me that.”
Sheryl’s eyes shined with bright red light.
The aura of the two began to rise. Peran sighed.
Seeing them like this, he found it was understandable why Snow decided to separate herself from the Circle.
No. It was the same for Peran too.
He’d always dreamed of joining the Circle, but he’d long since woken from his delusion.
Creak-
Suddenly, Ivan got up from his seat.
Then he turned around and tried to leave the room without saying anything.
“G-, Grand Master…?”
Even Cairo was shocked by the sudden action, but he didn’t dare to stop him.
It was Snow who stopped Ivan’s steps.
“Where are you going, Ivan?”
The answer came back easily.
“Now that I know where Diablo is, I’m going to end this.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
“The meeting isn’t over. Sit down.”
“I’ve already achieved my goal. In the first place, I only wanted to know Diablo’s location. I never had intention of working with you lot.”
Snow chuckled.
Even though it was a laugh, it was frighteningly cold.
She was finally releasing an aura befitting of an Ice Elf.
“Is that your choice? Ruling with force? What’s the difference between you and the Demigods?”
Snow sneered.
“Ivan, have you still not gotten over your Master’s death?”
“…wh-, what…?”
Caira was greatly shocked by those words. Iris’ eyebrows twitched slightly, and Peran and Sheryl turned to look at Snow with shocked faces.
The words she’d just spoken were, without a doubt, Ivan’s reverse scale.
“…except one thing.”
Ivan slowly turned to look at Snow.
“Before coming here, I made a pact with Cairo. I told him that no matter what you said, I wouldn’t fight you. Except for one thing.”
Krrr…
An earthquake shook the building.
No, Ivan was the earthquake.
“As long as you didn’t say anything about my Master.”
Snow stood up and said.
“Peran, step back a little.”
Just as Deukid was about to slide out of its sheath…
A hand blocked its hilt.
Snow turned to look at the owner of the hand.
“Lukas?”
Lukas’ face was expressionless so Snow had no idea what he was thinking.
Then, after a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice.
“…I have something to say.”