༺ S2. Resentment Grazing The Stars – 2 ༻
In the secret hideout, there wasn’t a single proper piece of furniture. The only tool for a comfortable life was an old mattress to lie on. Aside from that, the space was neatly organized with items necessary for work and survival.
A week’s worth of food, mostly canned goods. Two pistols and five bullets. A large map of the city hung on the wall. A necklace with a strange pattern. And various seditious books and documents.
“It really feels like a base prepared solely for investigation. I didn’t expect that there wouldn’t even be a chair.”
“It signifies that much attention was paid to the mission.”
Tara looked around, before discovering a pistol; she seemed very interested in the lethality of the small weapon.
“Is this the thing that pierced Bennett’s shoulder a little while ago?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Niolle, luckily, there is a whiteboard here. It is smaller than the one you used to carry around, but…….”
Bennett handed over the whiteboard found in the hideout to Niolle. As soon as Niolle took the whiteboard with both hands, she began to scribble something on it.
“There is no need to apologize. Don’t waste the ink.”
[……Yes.]
She stopped her hand at Bennett’s interjection.
Bennett lightly tapped the outer wall to get their attention and summarized the situation. Two pairs of eyes were fixed on him.
“First, let us finish investigating the hideout. We might find additional information about the Order of the Silver Twilight. After that, we will discuss our course of action and move forward.”
[Yes, I understand, Bennett. I’ll work hard. I’ll be of help this time.]
“It doesn’t seem like there’s much here…… Can I take this gun?”
“The one lacking in lethality is Niolle, though……..”
Bennett recalled Niolle’s previous condition, intending to arm her with the pistol. Then, he thought of the ominous spell she used in the fight against the fanatics. A gigantic pillar with thousands of mouths.
He frowned and addressed Niolle.
“Niolle. I think we need an explanation.”
[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]
“It looked like the same type of spell used by the fanatics. The cost of the spell was extremely high. I need to know how you came to know it and what was consumed for the spell.”
[Isaac gave this to me.]
“……Abraham’s daughter?”
Niolle took out a grimoire from her bosom. Just by looking at its cover, it was clear that it wasn’t a normal nor proper item. It was ominous and repulsive.
[It’s hard to understand the content and it takes time, but it’s a beneficial book that can grant a lot of wisdom.]
“It doesn’t look beneficial at all. From what I can see, it’s an artifact no different from a Demonic Sword. It’s an item that harms the user. It would be better not to u………”
Niolle hugged the grimoire to her chest and shook her head, almost like a child being told to hand over their cherished toy. Then, she hurriedly made excuses.
[It will be helpful!]
“Just like a Demonic Sword, evil artifacts ultimately lead the user to ruin. You are already helpful enough without using it. I’ll seal it, so hand it over obediently.”
“…………Euh, woo.”
Niolle shook her head frantically, looking up at Bennett and started to sob. After all, she wanted to make up for her mistake. If she could have dealt with the fanatic in one blow, maybe it wouldn’t have been too late.
Bennett was about to forcibly take the grimoire from her, believing it had brainwashing capabilities, when Tara, who was loading her pistol with bullets, intervened.
“Just leave it be, why don’t you? Bennett.”
“What?”
“We do need power, right? The Order of the Silver Twilight is still thriving and there are many we need to kill. We need magic capable of mass destruction.”
“So you’re saying to just let it be? Abnormal strength comes with a price just as it al──.”
Click. The sound of the mechanism clicking into place and a bullet being loaded interrupted Bennett’s words. Tara, looking at the pistol, then raised her head to meet Bennett’s gaze.
“It’s not you who pays that price. Isn’t that right?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
[I’m prepared. It’s my decision, Bennett. I don’t want to have any regrets.]
Bennett realized he himself wasn’t in a position to lecture Niolle. Furthermore, according to Tara, it was none of his concern. Having a comrade willing to take such risks could actually be a benefit.
But still, it left an all too bitter taste in his mouth.
Bennett backed off. The three of them investigated the items in the secret hideout in silence. The necklace of the Order of the Silver Twilight seemed like it could be used to disguise their identity. Perhaps they could even sneak into the order’s building.
Within the various seditious books and documents, they could gauge the size of the Order of the Silver Twilight. The number of official followers alone amounted to about a hundred. Including unofficial members, the number could double, even triple.
A frontal assault was out of the question. Numbers were power, and it was even more so for those willing to sacrifice their lives to cast bizarre spells. A direct confrontation would lead to a war of attrition and, inevitably, death.
Additionally, they were able to understand the purpose of the Order of the Silver Twilight; quite a significant find.
Among the materials, there seemed to be confidential information the investigator stole from inside the order. It was wrapped in blasphemous names of gods and twisted metaphors, but Niolle was able to interpret it.
She wrote down the characters with a somewhat dazed expression.
[They are trying to summon a god.]
“……God? Like the Goddess?”
[I do not know. But it’s certain that it’s a very huge and…….powerful being. Such an entity is called the Viceroy, ranking second in this universe, and possesses the authority and capability to control time and space.]
“So, the spells of those fanatic bastards are borrowed from that….. being’s power.”
[That being is coming here from a far-off universe. Originally, it’s an existence that mere mortals cannot summon, but since it’s getting closer, the Order of the Silver Twilight believes they have a chance to summon at least a part of it.]
Summoning.
Niolle’s explanation was somewhat carried away, as if floating off somewhere in the distance, and wasn’t intuitive either, so Bennett quickly organized the information in his mind. And then, he verbalized it.
1. An Evil God called the Viceroy possessed the power to manipulate time and space. Thus, the fanatics of the Order of the Silver Twilight, borrowing power from the god they worshiped, also wielded time and space.
2. The difficulty and mana consumption of Summoning Magic decreased as the distance to the target shortened and the target’s location was more accurately known. Conveniently, the Evil God was moving closer to this world. Over time, the success rate of summoning the Evil God would increase.
When hearing this, what came to mind was Abraham’s research. He had said that a massive energy, invisible to the human eye…….was crossing the universe. If this lump of energy was named the Viceroy, then the story fit perfectly.
Abraham had already predicted what would happen if it were summoned. The death of everything. Entire planets would disintegrate and disappear. This was a massive suicidal ritual by the Order of the Silver Twilight.
Then, why did the Order of the Silver Twilight hinder Abraham’s research?
What role could the old man’s modest research play in the grand scale story of the Evil God’s descent? Why go as far as to hinder the research, kill the old man, and erase the mansion?
Bennett, who had a broad but shallow knowledge of magic, knew a bit about Summoning Spells. If a Summoning Spell was reversed, it became a Reverse-Summoning Spell. Like two sides of a coin, Summoning and Reverse-Summoning were inseparable.
That meant if summoning was possible, then sending it back was also feasible.
α value.
The calculated acceleration of the approaching energy mass. And the vast amount of observational data of the universe that Abraham had accumulated. If these were available…
It would be possible to know which part of the universe the Viceroy was passing through── In other words, its location could be pinpointed. Then, it would be possible to cast a Reverse-Summoning Spell. Though, of course, a spell that could send back a divine being would require immense power.
Whether it was possible or not would depend on the availability of the α value.
Perhaps, Abraham’s research could── save humanity.
“……Abraham’s research was not in vain, it seems. So, it was a threat. To them.”
[Then, we must hurry to the Forbidden Stacks to find the α value and save the wor…….]
“Wait. There is a risk. After all, if there are coordinates, it makes the summoning easier as well.”
If the α value fell into the hands of the Order of the Silver Twilight, they would be able to summon the Evil God far too easily. It was a double-edged sword.
Tara’s opinion was clear.
“If it’s something that can screw over the Order of the Silver Twilight, I’m all for it. If it was their goal even to the extent of needing to kill Abraham, I’ll crush it with my own hands along with their skulls.”
Niolle did not hesitate either.
[If that being is summoned, swallowed souls will suffer endlessly. In a time that is infinitely stretched. Preventing the entire world from turning into hell is something we must stop.]
But Bennett hesitated.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Bennett had no choice but to ponder once again. Was there a reason for this? The group’s purpose, no. His purpose was to acquire the Shining Trapezohedron. Even if this world was swallowed up by the Evil God and turned into mere dust and shadows, it didn’t matter to him.
Even if Abraham’s research vanished without leaving anything behind and not a single person remembered it, it didn’t matter.
The only goal was to save his sister, so ignoring this entire situation might even be better. Yet, a nagging discomfort lingered in his mind.
As such, Bennett quickly racked his brain for a reason.
“……It could also be used as a bargaining chip.”
“Bargaining?”
“That’s right. The chance that the Order of the Silver Twilight possesses the Shining Trapezohedron has increased. We could negotiate its handover in exchange for the α value and…….”
“You never change, do you, Bennett?”
Bennett averted his gaze and shifted the conversation.
“We have at least agreed on acquiring the research materials. Our next destination is……. The Forbidden Stacks of the Miskatonic University Library.”
The plan was set.
===============================================================
Day 6. The clock tattoo on their wrists was nearing 0.
Everyone agreed there was ‘no time’. Even if time ran out and they had to return midway, they decided it was crucial to obtain Abraham’s research as soon as possible.
However, after continuous battles and tense encounters, the group was in a significantly depleted state. As such…
[Even if we leave right now……]
“Let’s rest for an hour before we go.”
“3 hours.”
At Bennett’s declaration, Tara and Niolle expressed their dissatisfaction and anxiety.
“Isn’t that resting a bit too much? 2 hours.”
[Shouldn’t we hurry, hurry? I think resting for just an hour would be enough……]
“3 hours. No objections are allowed. Just try to get some shut-eye.”
Bennett crossed his arms and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. Adequate rest was not a choice but a necessity and the group had been up all night. Given that, even 3 hours was a fairly tight schedule for rest.
Tara grumbled but soon fell asleep. And within a few minutes, she was snoring softly, occasionally munching on hair that got into her mouth, perhaps dreaming of a pleasant meal with her family.
Niolle glanced around to make sure no one was watching, before opening the grimoire as she was unable to sleep. If this book contained numerous spells borrowing the Evil God’s power, then it might also have a Reverse-Summoning Spell. She had to find the magic, save the world and give meaning to Abraham’s dea…….
Reading the grimoire made her brain itch. Although the brain had no pain receptors, it felt as if ants were crawling deep inside, tickling a spot that couldn’t possibly be scratched.
She endured and endured. And If it became unbearable, she’d bang her forehead against the wall or pull her hair out. That was how she continued to read the grimoire. She had to be useful. Because of her, Bennett had been shot. She could make amends. No, she absolutely had to make amends……
And as for Bennett, he did not dream.
===============================================================
In a white, empty space, Bennett opened his eyes.
In front of him stood a girl with distinctive pink-tinted yet purple eyes. Her blonde hair tied in pigtails quietly swayed. The girl looked both incredibly anxious and desperate.
It was muddled, as if in a stupor. Was this…a dream?
“Listen, Bennett. I have a favor to ask. It’s really important……!”
How important could it possibly be?
“It’s about saving one person.”
That doesn’t sound all that important, though.
“That’s not true. It’s important for your future too, you know? The lectures will become extremely difficult, and next time, you might be sent to a worse hell than Cthulhu.”
I don’t understand what you’re saying.
“I’ll explain the details outside, so…… Just remember this. If you expel the Viceroy, everything will turn out well. Got it?”
After uttering those strange words, the girl disappeared. Bennett looked around in a state where reality and illusion blurred. Then, like a candle being snuffed out, he, too, vanished.
