44 - Chapter 40: The Forbidden Witch
Sirius-san "I'm shining! I'm shining!!"
Diad Kessel is a Margrave of the Kingdom of Karim who became the head of his house at a young age.
Sixteen years ago, during the war with the Leonesta Empire, the previous head and Diad's father, Arad Kessel, perished after losing a duel to Radglyph Triad. Consequently, Diad, who was ten years old at the time, ascended to this position.
The word hardship was too mild to describe the environment he faced.
Although he had received an education from a young age, he was still only ten years old back then. He was naive in how he managed his subordinates and had no way of knowing how to mediate factional disputes among his relatives. In the first place, things like managing the territory were supposed to be inherited gradually from one's parents.
Since his mother showed no interest in politics, she only demanded that he behave as a noble and that he be the kind of person who did so. He did not know why they were able to live such a wealthy life, and he thought that if income was low, they could simply raise taxes.
Subordinates who looked down on him because their master was young and refused to listen. A mother who continued to live in luxury as before, despite having lost the war. Peers who were still comfortably students in the capital.
There was not a single ally around Diad. In the midst of this, Diad had one encounter.
---The Delgamiride Cult.
They were once a branch of the current mainstream Refill Church---or more accurately, a religion that had gone underground after facing discrimination and persecution. To put it simply, they were one of the local secret sects. Diad, who had visited the region on an inspection to make internal administration more efficient, met them and, after many twists and turns, entered into a contract.
In exchange for protection within the territory, they would join his subordinates as his hands and feet.
From then on, as long as there was a contract, Diad heavily employed the believers of Delgamiride as trustworthy subordinates and set out to discipline the factions within the territory. Then, he used the ceasefire period---which was effectively the end of the war, though as a ruler, he was looking ahead to the next war---to accumulate power.
All for the sake of revenge against Triad, who killed his father.
But---.
"What...?"
In that all-or-nothing revenge battle, he was receiving an unexpected counterattack.
Hmm... Triad is stronger than I thought. At this rate, it looks like the Kessel army will be unilaterally pushed back and forced to retreat.
While Diad was stunned by the fact that thirty percent of his own army had been wiped out in the first strike, Karina, who stood beside him, was calmly observing the situation from a bird's-eye view.
This was because for her---no, for the Delgamiride Cult she belonged to, it was outside their interest regardless of who was how superior.
Originally, it was the Delgamiride Cult that had lit the fire of the previous war. Their doctrine was to expand the results of the war, increase the number of war dead, collect souls, and use them as sacrifices to resurrect the evil god of destruction, Delgamiride, who appears at the time of the end, with the goal of purifying the world.
They had been collecting the souls of the war dead across the continent for hundreds of years, and in the previous war, they were expected to almost reach the required value---but due to the early end of the war caused by the appearance of the hero Radglyph Triad, they were forced to stall for sixteen years.
According to plan, they should reach the required value this time, but it seemed their allies were pathetic and the tide of battle was poor.
It can't be helped. I'll give them a little boost.
With a sharp clink of the khakkhara in her hand, she knelt before her temporary master.
"I shall go."
"Karina!? No, but..."
"I am here for times like this, Diad-sama."
"T-that is true, but... you are..."
The words "my woman" would likely follow---but that was merely a temporary relationship. It only became so because it was easier to manipulate him, and Karina herself felt no affection for Diad.
However, it would be troublesome if he wavered halfway through, so she decided to nail things down with a smile.
"However, I might push a bit too far forward, so please do not retreat and leave me behind, alright?"
"A-as if I would! Leaving you behind...!"
"It is a joke. ---Well then, I shall go."
Placing her index finger on the lips of Diad, who was still trying to argue, she smiled faintly and headed toward the front line.
●
"---Hmm. It seems it has begun."
In the Harvest Plains, there was a cavity seventy meters deep underground. To be precise, it was created hastily using magic, and Basra, an elderly man in a red-black robe who had completed the work and was arranging the ritual, muttered while gazing at the magic circle spread in the center of the cavity, and further, the huge black-purple crystal like an obelisk seated in its center.
The Mekshuria Civilization, which existed in ancient times, possessed numerous magical technologies that far surpassed the present day, and among them were several techniques called taboos.
Chantless casting, which is still considered a taboo, is famous, but among them, necromancy is considered the foremost taboo. More accurately, it seems that all techniques related to souls were treated as taboos and were strictly managed by the national governments of the time. Detailed records have not remained, but eventually, the Mekshuria Civilization perished, and the taboo techniques spread, were buried, or were forgotten. Relatively simple things like chantless casting could still be acquired by those with talent, but they struggled with application and were treated as taboos in later civilizations as well.
In the midst of this, there was a force that accidentally dug up a buried taboo technique---necromancy. Yes, it was the Delgamiride Cult.
Originally, the cult was a branch organization of the Refill Church, but for a certain reason, they were expelled, and so they decided to break away, leading to the present.
Even back then, the cult worshipped Delgamiride, the husband god of the goddess Refill, and believed that his descent was the means to purify the world.
However, at that time, no one knew how to bring about the descent of a god.
A vast amount of magical power would naturally be necessary. A suitable vessel might also be needed. Could they really call a god whose existence they didn't even know for sure---and so on, problems were piled high.
In the midst of this, necromancy was found. Among its techniques was one that used the souls of this world as nourishment to draw in a higher existence, fix it to the world, and manifest it.
After several experiments, it was indeed possible to call the intended object from another world. However, for the summoning of a god, an unbelievably vast amount of souls would be required.
How could such a thing be obtained? If they simply went around killing, the Delgamiride Cult itself would eventually become a target for subjugation.
Then, the leader of the time thought of creating the sparks of war. For the past few hundred years, the cult had always been involved behind the scenes of interstate wars on the Lagfade Continent.
Sometimes they became merchants to bring anxiety through the economy, sometimes they became government officials to coordinate interests in various places and guide them toward war, and sometimes they became bandits to cause trouble at the border and act as a detonator.
In this way, they started wars and collected souls in secret---and as a result, they had reached the point where only one last push was needed.
Around the magic circle, one thousand believers of the cult had begun chanting the summoning spell. The final activation spell of this ensemble magic was entrusted to Basra, and he was still watching the progress.
"Is it my imagination that the collection rate is somewhat poor?"
When that black-purple crystal is dyed completely black, all preparations will be complete---but he felt that the transition was slower than expected.
"Well, it doesn't matter. Karina will do something about it. After all, she is the Forbidden Witch."
But the war had begun.
From here on, many will die, and if it is not enough, Karina, their compatriot, will kill them. In terms of magical combat, she is one of the top one or two even within the cult. Even if she dies, it would be her wish. The same went for the believers here and Basra.
Because the Delgamiride Cult is a gathering of those who have despaired of this world.
"A little more, just a little more..."
Looking at the obelisk whose color was beginning to change little by little, Basra spoke to his god.
"Please devour our souls and destroy this worthless world... Delgamiride-sama."
Just a little more until the resurrection of the evil god.
●
The Second Knight Order of the Triad army, deployed on the left wing of the Harvest Plains, was fighting hard against the remaining monster army and the Kessel army.
Although their master's family had blown away most of them, enemies still remained. In terms of numbers, they were finally equal. This was the critical moment---and then, there was a movement in the enemy army.
"---Hm...?"
"What is it? The coordination is strangely..."
To be precise, it was the monster army.
The monsters, who had simply repeated charges, suddenly formed orderly lines and opened a path.
And the one who stepped forward from the center was---.
"A woman...?"
It was a woman of mature age, her brown skin covered by a black robe, carrying a khakkhara with a large green jewel embedded in it. Letting her long silver hair play in the wind of war, she walked leisurely toward the front line.
It was behavior entirely unlike a mage. Mages are those who use magic as a weapon. Therefore, they inevitably keep their distance to cover the massive opening that is chanting. To head to the front line---and moreover, to the very front row, was an act of insanity.
Either a complete fool or an overconfident person---or otherwise, a vessel of a hero like the lord's family.
It was the moment that possibility occurred to them.
A black wind raced randomly across the battlefield, and the heads of half of the Second Knight Order, who were supporting the front line, flew off.
"---Huh?"
The field commander could not comprehend the situation. He understood that something like magic had been exercised. He saw the flow of magical power and the wind that accompanied a physical reality. But who, when, and how.
No. No. If it was a mage, was she not right before his eyes?
"Chantless...?"
"Impossible! Chantless casting cannot exist!"
The field commander was pulled back to reality by the words of his surviving subordinates and denied it. However, the female mage before him---Karina, smiled softly and with an incongruously elegant giggle.
"Oh, what are you so surprised about? As a technique, it has existed since a long time ago, you know? ---Like this, for example?"
And behind her, several hundred black winds shaped like scythes appeared. The fourth magic formula of the wind attribute---Black Calamity Wind. Its power was not great. If it were magic resistance or the Earth Dragon armor they were equipped with, it would be repelled. However, that was not the case for gaps such as joints.
"Kuh! Even without chanting, magical power is not infinite! Attack relentlessly!"
Therefore, the field commander immediately made the decision to annihilate her. The surviving subordinates rushed forward to attack Karina, who had come to the front row, but---.
"Yes, yes, that is true. No matter how much of a mage I am, there is a limit to my magical power. I am well aware of that. If it is to be a weakness, then that is the place. ---That is why I use monsters as pawns."
A single monster snuggled up to her---and Karina <
"What...!"
The monster vanished, but in that instant, Karina's magical power increased, and the number of Black Calamity Winds doubled.
"By the way, I have not introduced myself yet. I am Karina Rembrandt. Among my comrades---"
The user of chantless casting, who licked the monster's blood from her hand, narrowed her eyes slightly---.
"---I am called the Forbidden Witch."
The witch's storm raged across the battlefield.
Next time, tomorrow.