Lacius straightened Apollonius and lifted it up. Now that he had decided to strike, the power of the Sun God radiated strongly from him.
“If you kill me, number 1092 under my control will not remain unscathed.”
The white bird mask waved the bell rapidly, and a collective glow erupted from the painting wizards. Lacius did not flinch at the threat. The energy exploding from his entire body dominated the space, shattering the protective shield around the white mask as if it never existed. The heavy blade soon began tearing through the enemy’s body.
As the bell clattered to the ground, my body also regained its freedom. Cat immediately ran over and ripped off the crazy guy’s white bird mask. The face underneath was the same as the one that had been previously scratched by the Great Master Roach.
“… … They can’t be twins; so it’s really just painting magic. How did you know?”
“I didn’t hear a heartbeat.”
“… … huh?”
Can you usually hear that?
I stared wide-eyed at Lacius.
“The fake Kun Geisha you created had a heartbeat, which is why I didn’t expect he was a painting, but none of these had a heartbeat.”
“Wow… … .”
Such incredible hearing, really.
I decided not to ask further and helped 782, who had fallen and was clutching her arms in pain.
“We have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
“Hmph, traitor! Let go of me!”
However, number 782 got very angry and refused to receive help from me. From her perspective, I was a detestable traitor, so I couldn’t blame her. Though it felt a bit unfair from my standpoint.
“Shay, look at this. They left an invitation?”
The fake Gaisha carefully picked up the bell, making sure it didn’t make a sound. After receiving it and examining it, I noticed an embossed dragon on the bottom of the handle. This design was likely…
“Dragonas of the Desert?”
“It seems so.”
Lacius nodded briefly. It appeared to be an item from Dragonas, but why it was in the hands of Fata-Morgana was a matter for later investigation.
“Now let’s get out of here.”
It was finally time to get out of this damn place.
* * *
“Are you out of your mind? How could you leave Dragona’s treasure like that?”
A place far away from the temple of the Demon of Scale.
People who were watching the scene reflected in the huge chalice made of opal were outraged. Their anger and frustration were directed at the one seated in the highest position, a figure with long, dark purple hair and an opaque veil covering their face.
“Those livestock won’t listen to you without it!”
“That’s right. How are you going to control them now?”
“God, for your entertainment alone, we have lost a treasure and dozens of low-level livestock! Please give us an explanation!”
The people, scowling, voiced their discontent in unison. The one called ‘God’ gently raised his hand to silence them.
“You talk too much for a little fun.”
As soon as God’s divine voice sounded, everyone fell silent. Although there are still complaints, the ‘new god’ is the one they, the members of Fata-Morgana, worship and serve; their very existence as a nation had been founded on the worship of the New God, and they could not deny that foundation. No matter how dissatisfied they were, there was no one else who could replace the ‘New God.’
The one who could wield the dragon’s treasure. The two items they had painstakingly obtained over a long period: the Bell of Dragonas and the Chalice of Krazen. These were not items just anyone could use. Only a special individual could awaken the power of these treasures, and that was why God had become ‘God.’
“I left the bell behind for a reason.”
“… … Ah, I see.”
Someone responded sarcastically to God’s words.
None of those gathered in this circular conference room served God with a sincere heart. They were former merchants, thieves, ruffians, and scoundrels, united under the name Fata-Morgana for greater wealth and power. The faceless man who wanted to play God was just their marionette.
Whether he knew it or not, God spoke sternly.
“The bell will be in our hands again. Number 1092 will bring it herself.”
“Are you saying we should be fully prepared at that time and then catch her?”
“That’s right. We need Number 1092, and without that special child, it will be difficult for us to conquer other nations in the future.”
“… … Since God said so, I understand for now. But what about the lost livestock?”
Though displeased, they had already lost possession of the bell. Now, they had no choice but to wait for Number 1092 to come here and bring it back.
The only thing that was regrettable was the loss of a herd of painting wizards they had raised. Of course, the ones they sent this time only have a few years left in their lifespan, but still. They could have squeezed more use out of them, it was such a waste to throw them away just like that.
“Don’t worry about that. They were cards to be discarded soon enough, anyway.”
“That’s true.”
Tsk. Someone clicked their tongue in annoyance. However, this is also something that cannot be helped. Complaining was useless.
“But what are you going to do about them? You have plan, don’t you?”
“Indeed, the person who brutally cut down God’s clone was the Archduke of Terran. We can’t sneak up on him and disguise it as an accident.”
“The Terran imperial family is relentless. It would be foolish to confront them directly; evasion is our best strategy.”
The Empire of Terran is a powerful nation with an enormous army. People like them are only interested in wanting to live well, eat well, and be well off by manipulating small countries like the Kingdom of Edmund. They had no desire to provoke the sleeping tiger, risking their necks on the gallows for no reason.
“We must do our best to maintain the notoriety of ‘Fata-Morgana’ and never reveal who our members are, where they come from, or what they look like.”
“That’s right. The reason we are strong is because no one knows who we are.”
“I agree.”
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