Kapitel 43: Klause’s Dilemma
After Klause's conclusion, despair filled the attendees. They were faced with the reality that they had no feasible options to take down Magitek.
Victor's attention, however, was diverted to Klause's disrespectful tone towards him in comparison to Ragnar. Gritting his teeth, Victor seethed with anger towards Klause, who showed him no respect. How dare he speak to him in that manner!
[Just you wait Klause! I don't care about your ability anymore! Let's see if you will still laugh and mock me after I'm done with you!] Victor thought to himself, his pettiness evident as hatred seethed out and was noticeable in his eyes.
Klause noticed the expression, but he could only wear a mocking smile. He knew Victor despised him, but he was indispensable to the royal court mage. Without Klause, the Royal court Mage of Tessia Kingdom would have long crumbled and been annihilated.
Whether Klause believed Victor should prioritize long-term gains as a king or he underestimated Victor's pettiness altogether, he had misjudged Victor's character. This… is a mistake on his part.
Ragnar noticed the hatred in Victor's eyes and gave him a warning. "Victor, don't do anything you'll regret later. You've already created two devils with the sole purpose of hunting you down. Don't create a third," said Ragnar in a solemn tone.
Ragnar's warning brought Victor back to his senses. He turned to Ragnar and replied, feigning subservience, "Of course, Lord Stenmark. I wouldn't do that."
Unbeknownst to Ragnar, Victor had a solution that would perfectly deal with the current situation, allowing him to get rid of Klause and solve the Magitek problem once and for all. However, he needed a bit of help from the outside.
Victor addressed the attendees in the meeting room, acknowledging their powerlessness against the Magitek.
"I propose we bring him to the negotiation table," He suggested.
"I've heard that Mr. Montgomery has come into possession of several Atlantean Artifact Weapons. I'll bid for one of them and offer it to Magitek. I'm confident he'll be grateful and forget our past grudges." Victor spoke with unwavering confidence. After all, what mage wouldn't want an Atlantean Artifact, especially one that could be used as a weapon?
However, upon hearing Victor's suggestion, Montgomery couldn't help but chuckle. The truth was that those Atlantean artifacts were made by Magitek himself.
Victor noticed Montgomery's chuckling and felt a twinge of annoyance. He thought he had come up with a perfect solution.
"Pardon my interruption, Your Majesty," Montgomery said before continuing, "but... Mr. Magitek is the one who made those artifact weapons."
Montgomery's revelation shocked everyone in the room, even Klause, who usually maintained a poker face.
"What did you just say?" Ragnar asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Did Montgomery, who valued his reputation more than anything, just reveal that the modern-day mage knows the secret of the Atlantean Artifact creation technique? Wasn't this technique lost forever since the sinking of Atlantis?
Montgomery looked at Ragnar and repeated himself.
"You heard it right, Lord Stenmark. Mr. Magitek knows how to create the Artifact using the Atlantean technique. Moreover, he was even more amazing when it came to creating Artifacts which I can't tell you more about. I don't want Wrath to come after my life," said Montgomery.
What Montgomery had held off was that Magitek had the ability to create an Artifact capable of rewriting causality, an effect that could rival legendary weapons of old such as Excalibur and Durandal.
Upon hearing that the secret was something highly valued by Wrath, Victor's countenance became solemn, and a hint of obsession tinged his eyes.
"What did you hold off on? I command you to tell me," The King demanded, trying to assert his authority.
Montgomery could only smile in response. Despite being a citizen of the Tessia Kingdom, as a member of the Hightower Council, he knew a small king such as Victor had no power over him.
"Your Majesty, I apologize for any offense, but you do not have the authority to command me. I am a member of the Hightower Council and answer to its jurisdiction," Montgomery replied calmly, emphasizing that the King had no power over him as he stood up.
Anger boiled up inside Victor's heart, What was this day!? Why does everyone want to defy him!?
"You are my citizen! I command you to speak! Or I'll…" Victor wants to use his power as a king to arrest him, he has an army of soldiers, even though they are normal people, but with sheer numbers. He believed he could take down Montgomery. After all, a bullet to the head could still kill a mage.
Victor's anger boiled up inside him. Why did everyone seem to be defying him today?
"You are my subject, and I am your king. I command you to speak! Or else!" Victor declared, trying to assert his power.
But in truth, he knew that Montgomery was more powerful than him. Still, he believed that he could send an army of normal soldiers to take him down. After all, even a mage could still be killed with a well-placed bullet.
Montgomery glared at Victor with a deadly look and challenged him.
"Or else what, Your Majesty? I suggest you think long and carefully before speaking your next words."
As the situation threatened to spiral out of control, Klause, the Director of the Royal Court Mage, stepped in to intervene. Even though he didn't like Victor, It was still his responsibility to maintain order within the mage societies of the Tessia Kingdom.
Klause cleared his throat to get the attention of both Montgomery and Victor.
"Gentlemen, we have reached a conclusion. The Royal Court Mage will attempt to contact Mr. Magitek and invite him to a negotiation at the Prosperity Hall auction house. Mr. Montgomery, can you provide us with a VIP room at your auction house?" Klause asked, directing his question towards Montgomery who was already ignoring Victor.
"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Hoffmann," Montgomery replied graciously, accepting the offer, knowing that he would receive a generous remuneration from the Royal Court Mage for his cooperation.
Despite Klause diffusing the situation for him, Victor did not feel grateful or at least indifferent. He felt ignored and treated like a clown.
This brought him a sense of shame and disgrace. Victor had led a life of smooth sailing since he was born. His father was a ruthless king who would do anything to gain an advantage. Despite his father's ruthlessness, he was able to maintain a benevolent facade and an image of a great king to the point that many blind fools became devoted fanatics of the royal family.
Although his father was not a mage and his family was oblivious to the Curtained World at the time, he was still able to maintain significant influence within the Tessia Kingdom's underworld.
His life took a drastic turn when a mage from the Hightower came to the country and struck a deal with his father.
The king agreed to send people to be used as live experiments and human sacrifices, in exchange for the mage's promise to introduce the royal family to the Curtained World and make Victor a mage.
At the time, he was only 14 years old and deemed safe to undergo the Magic Vein Opening ceremony.
Since then, Victor's status as the son of a god had been solidified, and he had become accustomed to getting whatever he wanted. No one dared to defy him, and any woman he fancied never refused him.
After reminiscing about his past, Victor realized that the current situation was unacceptable, and he needed to correct it. But first, he needed to return to his chamber, the only sanctuary where he could let his heart out.
Victor addressed everyone in the meeting room.
"We have reached a conclusion. The meeting is adjourned," he said impatiently before abruptly walking out.
The soldiers quickly formed up and played the royal fanfare that was traditionally used when the king left a room.
"His Majesty The King has ascended!" one of the high-ranking soldiers announced loudly as Victor disappeared down the hallway.
After Victor had left, the Willow Family Patriarch hastily exited the room, along with those who had committed unforgivable acts against Koyuki, also known as Wrath.
If the negotiations went poorly, they would need to relocate their base to a place where Magitek could not find them, possibly even outside of Tessia Kingdom. As a result, they needed to submit a petition to the Hightower requesting permission to relocate.
After all the people from Victor's camp had left, including the soldiers, Ragnar turned to Klause and spoke up.
"Mr. Hoffmann, you should be wary of Victor. His eyes do not look good, and I'm sure he's scheming something against you," Ragnar warned Klause.
Klause smiled wryly at Ragnar's suggestion and bowed in thanks for the concern.
"Thank you, Lord Stenmark, but I am well aware of my worth and the opportunities available to me. As for Victor, he may be ignorant and arrogant, but he knows the value of my skills. Without me, the Royal Court Mage would not survive a month, and he is aware of that fact."
Ragnar frowned, still concerned for Klause's well-being.
"If it's that bad, why don't you resign? The Hightower HQ is always looking for a mage of your caliber."
Klause remained silent and offered only a faint smile in response to Ragnar's warning.
Observing his reaction, Ragnar drew a conclusion. "Is it because of the Favor Contract?" he asked.
Klause nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I owe the royal family a favor, and I still cannot fully repay it. I must continue to serve them for another four years until my obligation is fulfilled."
Ragnar felt helpless upon hearing about the Favor Contract.
In the Curtained World. The phrase "Favor For A Favor" was not just a phrase for mages, but was considered the most sacred of all contracts and was protected by Hightower Law. Anyone who broke the contract would face severe punishment.
Realizing that his authority alone couldn't help Klause in this matter, Ragnar could only sigh. The power to revoke the contract rested solely with the three Grand Councilors of the Hightower, who could exercise this right once every 100 years. It was unlikely that they would use it for Klause.
Kapitel 44: Actualizing Michaela
— Noon - Royal Palace —
Within an extravagant room, built with high-grade white marble, the furniture was adorned with gold and silver on a wooden structure made of golden wood. Everywhere in the room, there are pictures of a beautiful mixed-race girl, Koyuki, before she met with her calamity and became Wrath.
A man in a silver suit walked into the room, announcing his presence. It was Victor Justius, the current king of Tessia Kingdom.
Despite his extravagant lifestyle, this room lacked servants or slaves to cater to his whims and vanity. The only person present was a black-haired maid with pale red eyes, whose beauty was a mirror image of Koyuki. No, she has the exact same face as Koyuki.
"I'm back, Yuki," Victor sighed wearily. "Today was so messed up. No one respects me."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Your Majesty," the maid responded. "While I may not be able to offer much assistance, I can listen to your troubles. It might make you feel better." The maid spoke in a soft and gentle voice, and her words seemed to soothe Victor's mood.
Victor sank into the plush white sofa, exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders. The maid, Yuki, approached and sat beside him. He lay down and rested his head on her lap, closing his eyes and enjoying the gentle touch of her fingers running through his blond hair.
As he opened his eyes, he gazed dreamily into her pale red ones. "Your eyes are as beautiful as always," he murmured softly.
The maid blushed slightly and replied, "No, Your Majesty, this is a normal characteristic of us Homunculus. It's nothing special."
"Even so, I still like it," Victor said with a smile. He hugged the maid gently, his demeanor surprisingly different from his usual self.
"I'll not lose you... I'll not lose you to anyone, not even Magitek. Koyuki... you are my Koyuki," he repeated her name until he drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
The room served as a sanctuary where Victor could let down his guard and reveal his true self.
Koyuki, the idol, had been his first love, and still was. However, after being repeatedly rejected by her and learning that she was going to marry someone else, Victor's patience vanished along with a shred of his humanity.
In an attempt to get back at Daniel and claim Koyuki's body, Victor had taken drastic measures.
Victor had hoped that after Daniel's death and taking Koyuki's body, she would gradually warm up to him. But that hope quickly evaporated as Koyuki fought back fiercely, refusing to be tamed. In a fit of rage, Victor attacked her, but she retaliated by biting off his third leg, causing him immense pain and anger.
But the worst was yet to come. One of Victor's guards shot Koyuki in the head, killing her instantly. Victor was overcome with grief and anger, and he took matters into his own hands by killing the guard himself, driven by a desperate need for revenge.
Despite his rage, Victor couldn't bear to let go of Koyuki completely. He took some of her blood and kept it with him as a memento, before burying her remains in a remote location where no one would find her.
Victor brought Koyuki's blood to the Alchemont clan in Europe, commissioning them to create a Homunculus for him using Koyuki's genetic material.
He desired a perfect partner who would love him unconditionally, trust him completely, and be devoted to him through thick and thin. He was tired of being viewed as a source of wealth by women, and wanted someone who saw him for who he truly was.
The gentle homunculus, named after Victor's first love, was fully aware of her programming and origin. Although created to love and trust Victor unconditionally, she possessed a sharp mind and thought like a human.
She often pondered what might have happened if Koyuki had accepted Victor's love. Would he have become a great king or remained pitiful? Yet, she knew such speculation was futile.
Instead, she was grateful for Koyuki's refusal, as it had led to her creation and the opportunity to meet her originator. In her world, Victor was her one and only, and she felt a deep sense of loyalty and gratitude toward him.
— Noon - Daniel Safehouse —
Within the safe house filled with various strange contraptions and equipment of the Artificer. Daniel stood before what could only be described as a clearing in the room. A one-meter circle amidst the cluttered mess of items and machinery.
As Daniel gazed upon the sparse clearing for the last time, his mind entered into his mindscape.
In the mindscape, before him, appeared the image of a card that he had acquired on his first visit to the Miracle Card Shop: "Michaela - The Defender of the Faith." The card, with its intricate design and powerful abilities, had been a prized possession of his ever since.
He checked the mana accumulation within his mindscape and saw that the mana he gained from converting the mana from the assailant he killed last night was considered the mana generated by the real world and could be used to actualize the sentient creature.
Daniel's excitement skyrocketed as he started to actualize Michaela.
Suddenly, a flurry of holy light particles began to emerge from thin air, gradually gathering and intensifying in the clearing. The purity of the holy elements caused a figure of a woman with three pairs of angelic wings to take shape.
As the process reached its final step, the concentration of holy elements grew so dense that it caused a powerful explosion, sending ripples of angelic and holy atmosphere throughout the area, which could be felt by anyone nearby, including the priests in the city.
— Meanwhile - Vatican - Vatican Grand Cathedral —
Within the room in the Grand Cathedral, that is enveloped in a sense of grandeur and magnificence where the pope resides.
As the Pope was in the middle of his meditation, his eyes shot open wide as he felt the impact of a high condensation of holy elements descending to the world below.
The pure and condensed holy element was far beyond the holy element found within the Vatican Grand Cathedral. If the Grand Cathedral had a condensation as deep as the sea, then the condensation he had felt on the other side of the world was as deep as the Mariana Trench.
The Pope's curiosity was piqued by the unusual occurrence and he couldn't help but wonder about its origin. Based on the intensity of the sensation he had just experienced, he surmised that it must have originated from the Southeast Asia region.
As the Pope rose from his seat, his eyes fell upon the vintage telephone nearby. He strode over and deftly dialed a number, waiting patiently for the connection to be made.
"Hello, it's me. Did you feel it as well?" he inquired, his tone urgent. "I need you to send someone to investigate the Southeast Asia region."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line as the Pope listened intently.
"Yes, send a Grandmaster Paladin at least. We cannot risk any meddling by Those mage heretics" he instructed, a hint of animosity creeping into his voice.
It was common knowledge that the Mage and Priest factions had a long-standing animosity toward each other. While they could maintain a veneer of civility in each other's presence, given the opportunity, they would not hesitate to turn on each other.
After issuing instructions to his subordinate, the Pope returned to his meditation, deep in thought about what they might discover regarding the sudden appearance of the pure holy element in the Southeast Asian region.
The grandeur of the Vatican Cathedral's interior seemed to fade away as he focused on the task at hand, his mind consumed with questions and possibilities. What could this mean for the Church and its followers?
What secrets lay hidden in the depths of the holy element? The Pope knew that he had to wait patiently for answers, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation.
—
As Daniel waded through the cluttered mess of his safe house, he realized that it had become overwhelming again, nearly burying him in its chaotic heap.
Thankfully, he had released his metal scarab to help clear the piles, or else he might have been trapped beneath it all.
As dust and ash from the mess invaded his throat, he couldn't help but cough a few times.
"Are you alright, my lord?" A melodious female voice called out, capturing his attention and drawing his gaze toward its source.
Before him stood a woman of unparalleled beauty, with silvery hair and clear golden eyes that seemed to peer deep into one's soul. Her silver-white plate armor boasted intricate designs that only served to enhance her feminine charm, as if she were a living embodiment of a holy maiden.
In her presence, Daniel couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and reverence, as if he were in the presence of a divine being. No… she is an actual divine being.
"Michaela?" Asked Daniel.
"Michaela?" Daniel asked, uncertainty lacing his tone.
The archangel tilted her head in confusion, wondering why her lord would question her identity after summoning her. Had he perhaps summoned the wrong angel?
"Yes, my lord, I am Michaela," she replied, her three pairs of wings wilting slightly as she demonstrated her status as an archangel and her potential usefulness to her lord in terms of strength.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
200+ Power-
Rangliste 
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