บท 305: Vacation
"Who is there?" screamed the Witch Queen.
"It's me," replied Edward as he appeared in her throne room.
"What do you want?" she asked with disgust. She hated men–especially that man since her divination was useless against him. Not to mention how powerful he was, yet was cursed: that man was the epitome of imperfection.
"I'm no longer curse, so you better watch your tone."
She looked at him for a moment before asking again: "What do you want?" This time, with a softer tone. She remembered the mighty magic power he released the first time they met. Back then, she knew she might have suffered terribly.
"I need you to find a devil named Zagrid for me."
After pondering for a moment, the Witch Queen waved her hand, and the crystal orb floating in the distance flew in front of her. Then, she stared intently at it for a few seconds.
A frown appeared on her face.
"I can't find him."
"Any information at all?" asked Edward.
"No, he seems to be using some magic to hide very well."
Edward nodded as he somewhat expected this outcome. Many events have deviated from the original timeline even though everything looked the same on the surface.
Additionally, before coming here, he used [Future Sight] to search for Zangred but could not find anything. Over the years, Edward's knowledge of Chronomancy has exponentially increased because of Astaroth's Grimoire.
The Time Devil has spent his long life span developing time magic to a truly high level, creating countless spells. The only downside to his Time Magic is that stored time is still needed as a price to cast.
Regarding this issue, Edward hunted countless magic beasts to steal their time, using his status as Wizard King. At some point, his hunting began to affect the balance in the Clover Kingdom's ecosystem, so he had to stop as he felt the intervention of the Universe Will.
So, he created a secret laboratory to create clones of these animals and steal their time. Albeit not as much as regular animals, they made up for it in quantity. In conclusion, he had plenty of time to cast Time Spells.
Edward pondered for a moment; he could use drastic measures to find Zangred or lure him out. After thinking about it for a moment, he decided on the method with less risk: luring him out.
"In that case, can you find the location of Moris Libardit?"
"The mad scholar from the Diamond Kingdom?"
"Yes."
"Shouldn't he be in the Diamond Kingdom?" asked the Witch Queen somewhat sarcastically, but Edward ignored her.
"The one there is nothing but a clone. A few weeks ago, I received the information that one of the Dark Triads personally went to see him. After checking, I learned that a clone replaced him."
She nodded her head before using the crystal for another divination. This time, she saw something before showing it to Edward. In the orb, he saw two people talking in front of a black inverted tree that grew in the ground.
"How is it going?" asked Lucius Zogratis, who once fought against Edward for the position of Wizard King.
"I told you many times that it is beyond my capability to create an artificial Tree of Qliphoth," replied Moris. "If you want to succeed, it's best to capture the Golden Dawn Captain and the Black Bulls' Captain."
"Then, tell me, how do I do this in front of that monster, Wizard King?" replied Lucius. "Especially now there are rumors that he broke his curse. Since you're so intelligent, why don't you tell me?"
Moris did not say anything else. "In that case, I need more knowledge if we want a chance at success."
Then, the divination ended as the Witch Queen could not see anything further.
"The Dark Triad wants to open the gate to the underworld and bring the devils into our world?" she asked, but Edward did not answer her as he was in thought.
In the manga, Lucifero was the final boss. However, Adrammelech took his heart after his defeat before giving it to Astaroth. Based on this fact, Edward speculated that the latter wanted to take the power of Lucifero and Bulzeebub, the other two ruling devils of the underworld.
By then, he will have complete control of Time, Space, and Gravity, reaching an unimaginable height of power. But with his presence, things have become more difficult since they require both Captain Vengeance and Yami to create the Tree of Qliphoth and open the gate to the underworld.
'The only way Moris can find so much knowledge is from the Heart Kingdom. I can use this to my advantage.'
He needed Moris' Modification Magic for one of his plans. But, that magic must also be boosted by the devil's power to reach the height necessary for his requirements. So, he was not in a hurry.
"What about the information I asked you regarding Gods?" asked Edward.
"I did not find anything," replied the Witch Queen. Through her Ki, Edward knew she told the truth, so he just nodded. Over the years, he has investigated whether Gods exist in this world, and so far, his research has yielded no result.
In the church, he could not find any evidence of God. In fact, the sisters did not worship anyone specifically; they worshiped the concept of powerful and benevolent beings that they call God.
Edward then searched in the Underwater Temple in search of the Sea Goddess. Although he could not visit there himself because it was outside of the Clover Kingdom territory, he still sent people to see and secretly investigate.
Unfortunately, he found nothing as well. The people in the temple did not know whether their Sea Goddess was an actual deity or once a powerful mage. They all know that worshiping her is part of their culture.
So, after not finding anything from the Witch Queen, he left.
The next day, Yami sat in the middle of the dining room, reading a newspaper. All the members of the Black Bulls were doing their own things, being as rambunctious as always.
He raised one hand to catch Asta by his head.
"Kid, you're famous all over the kingdom now."
"What?"
Yami then hands him a section of the newspaper. While Asta read the title, Vanessa, Luck, and Magna also appeared next to him:
"A Devil Protector?: The Story of Asta."
Most of the newspaper is about Asta's life and his contract with a devil.
"It seems that the Wizard King is protecting you," said Vanessa.
"Huh, How come?" asked Asta in a puzzled manner.
"Devils are not accepted in the kingdom because of their cruel nature. Most mages related to using their powers are often arrested. Although that has changed in the past few years because knowledge of the Devil Binding Ceremony has become widespread, many nobles still do not trust Devil Host."
"But I'm not evil," said Asta.
"They would not care," replied Vanessa. "However, with this newspaper portraying you in a positive light and with Edward's protection, you don't have to worry about the Magic Parliament trying to deal with you."
"Captain, what are you reading with so much focus?" asked Luck, who saw Yami's serious face.
"See for yourself."
After they took the other part of the newspaper, they saw a moving photo of the Purple Orca's Captain in chains, and the article referred to all his corruption.
"A Captain was arrested for corruption?" yelled Magna aloud, getting the attention of the other members who came to see the newspaper. However, Yami looked at Finral.
"There is a captain meeting, so bring me there."
Finral wanted to read the newspaper, but Yami did not give him any choice. By now, he was used to being a transportation service.
Wizard King's Castle:
All nine captains sat at a rectangular table with one seat missing. Everyone looked at Zora while talking about how he got another big fish this time.
Not long after, Edward entered the room accompanied by his aid, Marx, whose hair looked like a mushroom. Everyone stood up and only sat down once he sat.
"There are two main topics on the agenda. The first, as expected, is to elect a new captain for the Purple Orca Squad." He looked at the representative of the Purple Orca Squad.
"Do you have any idea?"
"The team has elected me to take this position," replied Kaiser Granvorka, an older man with a handlebar mustache.
"That's fine. Marx will fill out the official paperwork," said Edward. "The second thing on the agenda is that I'm going on a vacation. I will not be available for contact during this time, so you guys are in charge of protecting the kingdom."
The room became quiet as no one knew how to respond to this situation.
"Sir, will you leave a clone to do your work?" asked Marx,
"No. I will go completely off the map."
All the captains suddenly felt a little anxiety. They all are used to Edward's presence and knew that as long as this man was present, nothing truly major would happen to this kingdom–especially now that he was free.
But that same person said that he was leaving.
"Are you coming back?" asked Charlotte, Captain of the Blue Rose Squad.
"Of course, this is just a vacation."
"For how long?" asked Fugeleon, Captain of the Vermilion Squad.
"I don't know either."
"Okay, what are you planning?" asked Yami, who felt that things were not simple on the surface.
"'I'm not planning anything. I've been stuck in this kingdom for decades, unable to explore the world. So, I will do that now; plus, I have some things to investigate."
Edward then discussed how to maintain the kingdom's security before dismissing everybody besides Nozel Silva.
บท 306: Clue
Edward waved his hand, and a portal appeared next to him and a few seconds later, a young girl with silver hair appeared in the room. A smile appeared on her face when she saw him.
"Uncle Edw…Wizard King," she changed her word when she saw someone else in the room. "Nozel-niisama," she saluted.
"Don't mind him," said Edward as he stood up from his seat to caress the little girl's head.
"I did not see you at the Black Bulls' party last night."
"I was not feeling well, so I went to bed early," replied Noelle.
Edward sighed as he looked at her; she resembled Acier too much.
"I'm sorry I could not spend more time with you over the years," he said.
"I understand," she replied while lowering her head. Her childhood was not very pleasant. However, one thing she always looked forward to was meeting her uncle.
He would appear in her dream to tell her stories before bed, or strange faces would appear in random objects in the house to talk to her; it was like a fun adventure for her, constantly guessing when and how her uncle would show up.
Not to mention that he was one of the few friends she had in the palace.
Edward looked at Nozel.
"I told your mother I would take care of all of you. Unfortunately, your other two siblings are too stupid and a waste of my time. Their heads are full of noble superiority nonsense. And a lot of this results from how you raise them."
Nozel lowered his head with a somber face.
"This is your chance to clarify things with your little sister and tell her the truth."
"But, what about…."
"You don't have to worry about Megicula's Curse."
After hesitating for a while, Nozel told Noelle the truth about their mother; she did not die because of giving birth to her. She died because of a devil called Megicula.
Because of Edward, the curse that prevented Nozel from speaking about this event was blocked, so nothing happened during the process. So, after hearing this, tears fell from Noelle's eyes.
"I have a way to revive your mother, but I will need your help," said Edward.
"Really?"
"Of course. But your current self is too weak. Train hard to control your magic and become more powerful. Also, don't forget to make friends. All the members of the Black Bulls are great individuals, so you should form bonds with them–just like your mother did with her squad."
Nozel opened his mouth to say something but closed it in the end. The only reason he lied and alienated his sister was to prevent her from stepping into the battlefield; he wanted to protect her so that she did not suffer like their mother.
However, he now realizes he may have approached the situation terribly. After crying for a few minutes, Nozel talked to his little sister for a while before Edward sent her back.
"Are you telling the truth? About reviving our mother?"
"Yes, but I don't need her help. I just wanted to use this situation to motivate her."
'Reversing life and death? If the Wizard King, this kind of taboo magic should be possible,' thought Nozel before saluting and departing. Meanwhile, Edward sat on his throne and waited for a few minutes.
Then, a screen appeared before him, showing a young woman on a throne, with a giant woman wearing a dress made out of water.
"Queen Lolopechka, Undine; it's a pleasure to see all of you again. It's been quite a while."
The last time he met her was right after her coronation; she was so innocent back then. Majesty and nobility oozed out of her.
"It is my honor to meet the only Divine Stage Mage in the world," replied the Queen.
"Divine Stage?" Edward was genuinely confused.
"Yes. This is a new classification above the Saint Stage recently created just for you. The Divine Stage: a mage capable of defeating a Highest-ranking Devil on its own."
Devils were classified into low, middle, high, and highest, with the three rulers being the most powerful of all the highest-ranked devils.
Edward was in deep thought after hearing Lolopechka's words as he found another change to this timeline. In the main timeline, Undine did not tell Lolopechka the information about the Saint Stage.
As a person bound to a Spirit, and with her magical talent, she should be able to enter that stage, but she did not. And the reason for that was because she was too kind.
To enter the Saint Stage, spirit users have to develop attack spells, and Lolochpka was too kind for that, so Undine did not tell her about the Saint Stage and the requirement to protect her innocence.
However, it appeared that things were different now.
"Well, it is my honor to have a stage created especially for me," said Edward with a smile despite not really caring.
"So, to what do I owe this call?"
"First, I need to ensure that our previous agreement for an exchange is still valid?"
"Of course, since the previous Queen accepted your request, I shall honor the agreement. When do you want to send people for the exchange?"
Edward agreed with the former Queen for their kingdom to exchange magic knowledge. He will teach them the techniques of Liquid Mana and Crystalize Mana, and in exchange, the Heart Kingdom will teach him Mana Method and True Magic.
The agreement was that each kingdom would choose a few talented mages to send to the other in an exchange program. Unfortunately, because of the curse, Edward had to delay this agreement until now.
"I have a few things to deal with first, so it should take some time," replied Edward.
"That's fine as well."
"The second task is a piece of information I have concerning your kingdom."
"Oh, and what would that be?"
"The Dark Triads and Lucius are after the Inherited Knowledge of your kingdom."
When she heard these words, Lolopechka could no longer remain calm and composed. One of the advantages of the Heart Kingdom's Queen is that she can inherit all the knowledge and experiences of past queens and use them for her benefit.
As such, she has access to a vast amount of knowledge and secrets.
"What do you want?" suddenly asked the quiet Undine.
"Whatever do you mean?" replied Edward calmly. Undine squinted her eyes at him. Their kingdom was almost brought to its knees by one member of the Dark Triad: Vanica Zogratis.
After attacking them, she injured many of their Spirit Guardians and even cursed Lolopechka. So, if all of them attacked at once, the Heart Kingdom would not survive.
"Don't beat around the bush."
"Alright, I won't play politics anymore. I want all the knowledge from your inheritance. I will block the Dark Triad for you and remove Megicula's curse."
Lolopechka looked at Undine for a moment as they communicated through psychic links. A few minutes later, she said: "Deal."
"Excellent. If you do not mind, I want to get things done as soon as possible."
After receiving their agreements, Edward opened a portal directly to the Throne Room of the Heart Kingdom, shocking both Lolopechka and Undine. The defense of their kingdom seemed a joke to him as he just teleported directly inside.
"Don't mind the small stuff," said Edward.
"How is that small stuff?" retorted Undine.
"Well, I brought a gift," said Edward before taking a pair of glasses from a small portal and changing the topic.
"I know you constantly break your glasses and have to replace them. So I made a magical one that is unbreakable. Plus, if you misplace it, you just have to use a code, and they will fly to your hands."
"Really?" said Lolopechka with excitement. Meanwhile, Undine could only shake his head at how easily trusting this little girl was. So, after a few pleasant chats, Edward got down to business.
He used a Memory Spell to access Lolopechka's Inherited Knowledge. Soon, he found himself in a place similar to his Mind Palace; numerous books lay on bookshelves.
In the past, Edward asked Undine if she knew of the existence of God since she has lived a very long time as a spirit. However, she received a negative answer. So, Edward asked the former Queen.
However, she was not an easily trusting woman, so she said no despite the fact they were in an alliance; she even denied the existence of the Inherited Knowledge when Edward brought it up.
Without wasting time, Edward read all of the books, memories, and experiences in this Mind Palace. After a few hours, he opened his eyes to the real world.
'Finally found it."
He found two clues: one of them was a sentence written in an old and most ruined journal.
"After the Devil-Angel War, civilization started all over."
Although only a short sentence, Edward confirmed the possible existence of creatures like Angels which never showed up in the main timeline. He also learned of a possible catastrophic event that altered the civilization of this entire universe.
The second clue he got was the mention of a place called Elysium, the dwelling of God.
With these two hints, plus the knowledge he learned from this inheritance, Edward already had an idea of how he could find the existence of God and maybe finally uncover many mysteries regarding this world–especially regarding Grimoires.
Then, he looked at Undine with shining eyes. He also discovered another extremely beneficial fact to him and the Empire.
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