Chapter 145
"I have some research to do in France, so I'm quite busy..."
"Okay, we understand. We won't bother you any longer, Lady Makiri."
The old Hunters wasn't saying this intentionally; everyone knew that the Paracelsus affair would backfire, so how could he not understand Makiri's difficulties and pain? In fact, Makiri's behavior was quite normal.
But since he had come, he must have expected it. Moreover, he was actually prepared, namely, by meeting Robin Hood's "Nameless King".
Earlier, in the Scotland Highlands.
"I'm going to London. You can discuss who the new leader should be later."
The old Hunters took out his ancestral defensive armor, the 'Nameless King,' and placed it on the table. By now, he understood that the item no longer had the same effect as before, but even so, it remained a treasure that the Hunters' Organization was proud of.
"Are you going to rescue Paracelsus?"
When the young Hunters asked the question, the old Hunters did not lie, but firmly replied:
"That's right."
A gust of wind blew through the small campsite nestled in the dense forest, its sound echoing through the air.
"Boss, are you getting old and stupid? That's an order from the Clock Tower, how could it possibly succeed?"
In terms of sheer size, it is the world's largest Magecraft organization, and its status in the Magecraft World is self-evident, not to mention in the secular world.
"I know."
The old Hunters certainly knew, or rather, he was quite aware that going there was no different from sending himself to his death.
"But I have no children, no family to raise me, so it doesn't matter. Besides, there are people there I want to save."
For countless years, countless Robin Hood have become Nameless heroes for the sake of people's wishes, not to save people from suffering, but because they could not ignore those suffering in pain.
For the old Hunters, as Hunters and as one of the Robin Hood, it was absolutely unbearable to stand by and watch his benefactor suffer. Even if he, an ordinary person, could not become the legendary 'Robin Hood,' it didn't matter; he simply wanted to do this.
Being Robin Hood is painful. The old Hunters who knows this honor passed Inheritance knows it, especially since he has a choice and understands what he represents and what he bears. The reason why countless people choose to take on this role is because people's wishes have transformed them into Nameless heroes, not to save people from suffering, but because they cannot ignore those who are suffering.
The old Hunters felt from the bottom of his heart that it was a meaningful thing to do so so that more people besides himself could be happy.
Ordinary people who are born without any mysterious powers cannot do this.
"Boss, wait, I want to go too."
"Yeah, what a load of bull! The Britain Mage's Association, I've been fed up with them for ages."
"I'd like to see whether their Magecraft is stronger or our Bow and Arrow are stronger."
"Wherever the boss goes, I'll go."
As the old Hunters was about to step out the door, the many Hunters who had been standing still followed him. When the old Hunters made his decision, weren't they doing the same thing? After all, they were also 'Robin Hood'.
Then, whether by miracle or by Inheritance, the 'Nameless King,' which had been lying on the table and lost its color, suddenly shattered into countless tiny fragments that danced across the world and landed on the Hunters.
The Hunters exchanged glances, momentarily unsure what had happened, but quickly forgot about it.
The original 'Robin Hood' could be considered a villain, after all, from another perspective, what he did was no different from robbery, not a profession that could bring him into the world. And once a person decides to completely hide his appearance, he will generally become skilled at it very quickly.
No longer will they be hated, no longer will they be coveted, and of course, no longer will they be trusted or loved.
When a person finds this way of life easy, it means they have distanced themselves from normal human life.
Is it possible to obtain more?
Unfortunately, no.
Beings without form naturally no longer have the eyes to appreciate things, and possess nothing at all.
Even so, it was still a choice, a choice made in the honor of being 'Robin Hood'.
The 'Nameless King,' whose power is restored through his choice, is Magecraft item used as 'Inherited Defense.' Its effect is complete transparency, meaning it blends into the background. It is an item with the same effect as the Assassin's 'Presence Concealment' skill in the Heroic Spirit Class.
Although the power was dispersed in many parts, it was probably not something an ordinary Magecraft could discover.
Back to the present, watching the Hunters' departing figures, the old Hunters's words made Makiri's face grow even paler.
It was probably caused by humiliation, and he also understood that it was his own choice.
"Are they all so fearless...?"
The green-haired youth murmured, then turned around and looked towards the harbor.
The scent of the ocean was incredibly strong, and white waves rolled and churned under the dazzling sunlight.
The sea remained as normal as ever, showing no sign of being affected by the events between the Magecraft, or rather, compared to their future Fate, it seemed to be mocking them.
The sound of the waves rose again and again.
Sometimes near, sometimes far; sometimes near, sometimes far.
For some reason, Makiri suddenly remembered his answer to Favia that day—
"It shouldn't be like this."
To this day, he still doesn't understand what Favia meant that day. He only occasionally finds himself gazing at the various products made and used by the mortal world while conducting his Magecraft research, and he is puzzled as to why Favia said that the poor people he wanted to help were the ones who would shoulder the burden of this world.
But at this moment, as Makiri recalled her thoughts, she suddenly had some reflections—
Everyone makes mistakes. As long as one's conscience is not clouded, the awareness of making a mistake will surely bring them pain.
"Yes... No matter how evil the act, it will inevitably be stopped by the good... Oh well, so be it... I've accomplished nothing anyway... My life is worthless... Death is a relief..."
Thus, Makiri, turning her head towards the Hunters, embarked on a path she could never have persevered on.
These must have been the golden years he would cherish deeply in the days to come.
Subsequently, led by Makiri, the Hunters possessing the 'Nameless King' successfully met Bawan Shi. The two sides hit it off immediately and quickly decided on a date to rescue Paracelsus.
As they exchanged information, Makiri realized that she was the only one who seemed to have done nothing. The Hunters had the 'Nameless King' who could conceal his presence, while Bawan Shi had Magecraft as an inside agent to capture and guard Paracelsus, seemingly unable to bear seeing the Magecraft die like this... one could only say that he still had a conscience.
In conclusion, with mutual assistance, the rescue of Paracelsus went smoothly. After all, Paracelsus was just a Magecraft of some renown, and not a designated 'Grand Order', so even in the Spirit Tomb, the defenses were not too tight.
Bavan Shi and Makiri, who had arrived safely at the place where Paracelsus was imprisoned, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they opened the door and saw Paracelsus.
Right then—
The flow of Od suddenly changed.
The path that originated from fantasy itself was suddenly severed.
"I thought there were only a few traitors, but it turns out there are Fairy too?"
The sudden sound was like a death sentence.
"But ultimately, it's also one of our duties; whether it's punishment or killing, it must be done with elegance and a pleasant attitude."
The emotionless voice echoed all around. Bawan Shi did not fully understand the meaning of the words, but when the voice rang out, it was as if a scene she had never seen before appeared before her eyes, accompanied by a deafening sound.
"The source of this Od... could it be—"
Makiri raised her voice and shouted, as if trying to carry her voice to the other side of the Spirit Tomb.
"Barthomeloi!"
His shouts pierced through the air more powerfully and forcefully than the clamorous surge of Od.
Next—
The middle-aged man, whose power was in a certain sense, stood naturally before Paracelsus.
"... How rude! To actually presume to save a sinner from the Clock Tower's punishment."
A hint of displeasure appeared on his face, but the middle-aged man still walked forward gracefully step by step. The power released by the Fairy was shattered with a light tap of his wrist.
Although the Department of Law and Politics was separated from the Department of Law and Politics as an administrative agency several years ago and is no longer regarded as a discipline, its current official name is the First Principle Enforcement Bureau. In other words, it is a department that strictly adheres to the Clock Tower's first principle of 'mystery should be hidden'.
Moreover, simply abolishing the monarchy did not damage the prestige of the Barthomeloi. After the previous Lord passed away, the current Lord, this middle-aged man, immediately appeared. After all, every generation of the Barthomeloi was Perfection, and the head of the family would only appear in public after becoming a formal Magecraft. Before that, they could only stay in the Barthomeloi Manor for closed education.
Therefore, once they join the Mage's Association, they can immediately become the leader of a certain department. For their clan, only the resounding title "Barthomeloi" can be considered their true name.
Under Barthomeloi's leadership, the independent Department of Law and Politics uses the Clock Tower's Magecraft and power to intervene in real society or adjust the Clock Tower's internal balance. It is an extremely vulgar yet indispensable group.
It is divided into three domains: 'the existence that Protection the Magecraft world,' 'the existence that oversees Magecraft,' and 'the existence that contributes to human society.' From this perspective, by taking advantage of being suppressed by El-Melloi, it successfully transformed and established its own position.
"The Magecraft Who Commands Magecraft".
"I feel Shame for El-Melloi. Such a Fairy of fantasy lurked within the Clock Tower, yet he failed to discover it."
In fact, even if the opponent belonged to the realm of fantasy, it wouldn't be enough to make Barthomeloi panic; he was well aware of the Fairy's strength.
Although the Fairy has its own strengths, it is far inferior to him, and the mediocre one in front of him does not make him feel uneasy at all.
If anything angered Barthomeloi, it was simply that he hadn't anticipated the presence of Bavan Shi in addition to Makiri's group.
"Never mind, it's nothing. After all, you're all Fate to meet your end together." Barthomeloi's lips curled into a slight, pleased smirk. "--You should thank yourself for not running away from me, you Fairy."
"Please let her and them go; it's all my fault..."
Makiri called out, his expression filled with tension.
Although he may have foreseen a similar development before things came to this point, he did not anticipate Barthomeloi's appearance.
"Shut up, you're not even a Color person. If you want to bark, at least have some basic manners."
The highest position on the Clock Tower is the Color," followed by the "Pride." In reality, it represents an astonishing achievement, a realm that typically requires generations of accumulation and corresponding talent to reach.
After he finished speaking, Barthomeloi moved, the whip in his hand surging with unparalleled Od.
That was like lightning in the dark.
The defensive Magecraft carefully set up by those present was shattered more easily than tearing paper; the air boiled from the bottom of the Spirit Tomb upwards, wrapping around everyone at an extremely high speed.
"Oh? You're willing to give up one hand to resist?"
After a moment's delay, Barthomeloi realized that a gem surrounding him had begun to react and was gradually absorbing his Od.
He then glanced behind him, where Paracelsus covered his face with his bloodied right hand and shouted:
The Philosopher's Stone!
"Ha ha ha ha."
Barthomeloi laughed, and for some reason, it was the purest kind of laughter.
In a split second, he acquiesced to the Magecraft's outburst.
Despite being on the verge of death, he was still a so-called genius, possessing a certain amount of explosive power.
"Not bad, not bad at all! A truly excellent design! You're a brilliant Magecraft!" He brandished his whip again. "But how can an unfinished product absorb all my Od!"
As Barthomeloi spoke, the Od within him surged with the whip, unleashing a destructive force that swept across the battlefield with effortless abandon, akin to slaughter.
Without the protection of Paracelsus's Philosopher's Stone, Bavan Shi and the others would likely be severely injured by now, but even a mere residual wave is like a violent impact hitting their bodies.
The Philosopher's Stone can analyze the nature of the Od released by an adversary, erode it, and transform it into its own.
It stores Od at high density, but that's a side effect. The real power lies in fully realizing and perfecting it, using photon crystals—rumored to exist on Earth but not even here—as Spiritron Calculator.
It also represents an extremely large-scale parallel computational capability, in other words, the mysterious and instantaneous execution of a large-scale Ritual Magecraft.
Unfortunately, Paracelsus could not achieve complete perfection, even after becoming Heroic Spirit.
One possibility is that of Sion, the Bird of the Underworld "Osiris's Sand" who inherited the position of Tatari. The Philosopher's Stone she mass-produced were used as batteries to cure Dead Apostle, and she planned to preserve all of humanity as specimens.
The Philosopher's Stone of Paracelsus, which became Heroic Spirit, can be used to grant Pseudo-Immortality, neutralize the seal on the Great Temple of Ozymandias, and turn corpses into Zombie.
"I'm the only one who broke the rules. It would be too ugly to punish everyone else as well, as Lord."
"... Ugly?"
Barthomeloi raised his chin, letting out a low chuckle, but his face remained expressionless as he narrowed his eyes.
"Ugly, ugly? You say it's ugly? Just for that reason?"
He let out a sneer.
"Never mind, you're all going to die anyway, it's just a matter of time. I need you to cause trouble for El-Melloi and his gang, otherwise I wouldn't need to keep an eye on you. You rude thing."
What followed, those two short seconds, felt like Tokiomi of torture to Paracelsus. His face was completely soaked in blood, his expression filled with extreme pain and sorrow, yet he smiled as if he had finally found his purpose.
"Only two seconds? That's too short... Sorry."
"That's enough. You can be proud of yourself for being able to hold Barthomeloi off for two seconds."
Then, Barthomeloi, having broken through the Philosopher's Stone, stood before Paracelsus and smiled again before turning to look at Bavan Shi.
"However, they are members of the Clock Tower and should be dealt with according to the rules, while you are not subject to this rule."
Barthomeloi brandished his whip, his lips twisting slightly with a smile that seemed even more pleased than before, while a sinister, cold flame burned in his piercing emerald eyes.