Chapter 171

Eye of the Typhoon (1)

Title: Anyone want to see Flying Wonmo?

Wild Grylls

(Video of Wonmo flailing around while flying)

(Video of Wonmo adapting and flying around)

(Video of Wonmo flying in the Superman pose)

(Video of Wonmo curling into a ball and rolling through the air)

Here you go.

And—

(Video of Kkobong flailing around in a panic)

(Video of Kkobong clinging to the fireplace)

(Video of Kkobong wedged into a corner)

I also have videos of Kkobong struggling for dear life.

└ Heavenly Demon: I could not stop smiling the entire time I watched them.

└ SwordMaster: Every household urgently needs its own Wonmo.

└ Wouldn’t that bankrupt your family? You good with that?

└ SwordMaster: I’m rich, so I’ll be fine. Haha.

└ A rich unemployed bum. Damn.

└ That’s the most enviable profession in the world.

└ Are you richer than that flying dark elf?

└ SwordMaster: Not that rich;;

└ Is that what sky-whale ambergris does?

└ Apparently, he turned the ambergris into incense. And we don’t even know if that’s its only effect.

└ Who knows? Maybe if you bury it in the ground, the entire surrounding area will float into the sky. Haha.

└ Damn, that sounds like it’d be fun. Hahaha.

’They’re certainly having fun.’

The Hero, Asella, smiled warmly as she read Grylls’s post.

The posts appearing in the gallery recently could hardly be described as pleasant.

There had been political posts concerning El Dorado, followed by the Blood Cult and even an offline confrontation.

She was already on the run, so dealing with one incident after another had been quite exhausting.

To make matters worse, even the assistant moderator, the Heavenly Demon, had become entangled in the offline confrontation, making it impossible to expect her to manage the gallery properly.

’I wish people would post things like this every day.’

Although the gallery was steeped in human desire, heartwarming posts occasionally appeared as well.

Pictures and videos of people’s pets. Children growing up healthy and strong. All sorts of uplifting stories.

They felt like flowers blooming in a garbage dump, which made them seem all the more precious.

’I hope the situation in El Dorado can be resolved peacefully too...’

Asella turned her gaze toward her hand.

She was holding a newspaper.

[Protests Becoming Increasingly Violent—What Is the Pope’s Position?]

[Papal Office Claims Footage Was Fabricated by the Mage King, Kadir...]

[Citizens Reject Explanation and Demand Pope’s Resignation...]

The newspaper contained reports about the incident that had recently shaken not only El Dorado but the entire world.

It was also the reason Asella had been finding it difficult to fulfill her duties as the head moderator lately.

She stared at the newspaper, troubled.

’Why would they ever say something like that...?’

The comment from the papal faction referring to the people as "dogs and pigs" had come as a shock to Asella.

It wasn’t merely a rumor that had originated in the gallery. The Mage King, Kadir, had personally exposed it.

The papal faction claimed the footage had been fabricated, but was Kadir really the sort of person who would do that?

Not at all.

He might be rumored to be eccentric, but he wasn’t a fool who would do such a thing for no reason.

’The Goddess asked us to create a better world before she departed. So why has it come to this...?’

Being the Goddess’s representative wasn’t merely a prestigious title.

Likewise, the Hero was the Goddess’s sword—not a blade forged to harm the innocent.

But the current Pope had forgotten his role and was failing to fulfill it properly.

Then, as the Goddess’s sword, what was Asella supposed to do in a situation like this?

Should she follow the will of the people and point her sword at the Pope?

Or should she remain still and wait for him to come to his senses on his own?

’I... don’t know about that.’

Pointing her sword at the Pope would mean rebellion.

Nothing like that had ever occurred throughout El Dorado’s history.

Conversely, however, the fact that people were considering an unprecedented rebellion meant that those at the top had become thoroughly rotten.

Rot had to be cut away.

And cutting it away required a sharp sword.

A sword sharper than anything else.

’...But that sword doesn’t necessarily have to be me.’

Asella tried to ignore the thought. She had already been branded a turncoat.

Would it truly be wise for her to step forward under these circumstances?

She didn’t think so.

Just a little longer.

She would wait a little longer.

If she kept waiting, an opportunity would eventually arrive.

A hopeful opportunity to set everything right.

"Excuse me."

Hearing a voice, Asella turned her head.

For a moment, she wondered whether her pursuers had caught up with her, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

A pursuit squad would have openly worn armor, whereas the person before her was wrapped in a robe.

Asella’s confusion lasted only a moment. Without lowering her guard, she spoke.

She also made sure to identify an escape route.

"What do you want?"

"I heard a rumor that the traitorous Hero was here."

Asella’s eyes narrowed.

This person was definitely one of her pursuers.

Asella’s appearance was so distinctive that even a robe couldn’t fully conceal it.

Setting aside her already suspicious clothing, her hair was an exceedingly rare shade of orange that almost no one else in the world possessed.

The fact that the Hero had orange hair was widely known, making her relatively easy to track.

In particular, the scabbard of her holy sword, Revolution, looked far too ornate for her otherwise shabby appearance.

For those reasons, rumors of Asella’s presence quickly began circulating no matter how hard she tried to hide herself.

’The pursuit squad has already made it this far... Then again, I managed to evade them for a long time.’

The turmoil in El Dorado had reduced the intensity of the pursuit, but it appeared that the reprieve hadn’t lasted long.

Asella subtly shifted backward, preparing to flee at once.

Upon seeing her reaction, the robed figure spoke with certainty.

"So it really is you, Asella."

"...?"

Asella tilted her head.

She had heard that voice somewhere before.

It was a woman’s voice, husky and strangely alluring.

Flutter!

The unfamiliar woman swept off her robe, fully revealing her appearance.

Asella’s eyes widened when she saw the woman’s uncovered face.

She had short brown hair and eyes that curved slightly upward like a cat’s.

Her features gave off a cynical impression, but even that couldn’t conceal her distinctive beauty.

"S-Sis Lace?"

"Yeah, you little punk. It’s your big sister. Have you been doing well?"

She was someone Asella had been personally close to before her banishment.

To Asella, who had no family, Lace had been practically a real older sister.

Asella greeted the familiar face with a radiant smile, but it wasn’t long before a question occurred to her.

"H-How did you know where I was?"

"I tracked the paladins who were pursuing you. Right now, I’m ahead of them."

"Then that means..."

"They’re currently in this city."

That was hardly good news.

She needed to leave this place immediately.

"Then shouldn’t we hurry and run?"

"Exactly. Do you have somewhere in mind?"

"Yes. Let’s head there first and figure out the rest along the way."

Asella and Lace decided that their first priority was to shake off their pursuers.

As they traveled, they didn’t forget to tell each other everything that had happened in the meantime.

What had happened to Ludwig? Did Asella know about the situation in El Dorado? How was the Pope responding?

"That damned Pope still refuses to step down, even after things have gotten this bad. He says he can’t surrender a position bestowed upon him by the Goddess or some such nonsense."

"..."

"He even purged our teacher and now does whatever he pleases. If this ends up causing bloodshed..."

The situation in El Dorado seemed even more serious than Asella had thought.

She pondered the matter.

Countless people were protesting, but there was no central figure to unite them.

If only they had such a figurehead, they might be able to drive the Pope from power.

"...ella."

"..."

"Asella!"

"Eek?! Huh?! What?"

Lost in thought, Asella jolted in surprise.

She turned her head with a dazed expression and found Lace staring at her.

"What are you thinking about? You didn’t even respond when I called you."

"Oh... Nothing. I’m just tired..."

"You’re tired? Ah, I suppose that’s understandable. Let’s find somewhere suitable and rest for a while."

"Okay..."

Asella answered quietly while gazing at Lace’s face.

Apparently unable to wash properly for some time, Lace’s face was filthy as well.

For someone being pursued, taking a bath was the height of luxury.

’Why does Sis have to suffer too?’

If it hadn’t been for Ludwig’s sacrifice, Lace would undoubtedly have been sent into the Forest of Four Seasons as well.

Ludwig had somehow managed to survive, but Lace must have suffered greatly.

’This... can’t continue.’

No more innocent people could be allowed to suffer.

The Pope did not genuinely serve the Goddess. He merely coveted power while relying on the blessings she had bestowed upon him.

As Asella’s feelings gradually began to change—

Shimmer—

The holy sword, Revolution, also began to emit a faint light.

***

"Hmm-hmm-hmm~ Hmm-hmm~"

All-Father Kadir had been in an exceptionally good mood lately.

And understandably so, for he had obtained something to research—something that might appear only once in a lifetime, if ever.

"Truly... what a beautiful sight."

He murmured as he gazed at the golden stone preserved inside a translucent barrier.

The golden stone was none other than the sky-whale poop Grylls had gifted him for research purposes.

The very existence of the sky whale would have been enough to turn the academic world upside down.

And this was a substance excreted by that creature.

Ordinary ambergris was already quite a rare commodity, but this was ambergris from a sky whale.

It was a material so rare that assigning it a monetary value would be impossible.

’This ambergris can make living creatures float into the sky. It doesn’t even have to be consumed. Simply burning it as incense is enough.’

These were facts he had learned by chance through Grylls and Praise the Sun.

Using sky-whale ambergris as mere fishing bait or incense...

Truthfully, as a researcher, Kadir found such behavior rather displeasing.

The danger was one thing, but more importantly, it was an appalling waste.

Still, it had yielded valuable information, so he could overlook it.

’The secret of the sky whale must be hidden within this ambergris.’

The sky whale was a truly mythical creature that casually disregarded the established laws of biology.

A creature without wings—one that should only be capable of living in the sea—flew through the sky?

It made far less sense than the giraffe Grylls had mentioned.

’I’d like to ask Grylls for more samples, but...’

The piece of ambergris Kadir had received was approximately the size of an adult man’s fist.

That was already quite large, but human greed knew no bounds.

From Kadir’s perspective as a researcher, it was still a somewhat disappointing amount.

’Still, I should be grateful to have this much. Grylls even said he would give me the rest if he decided he didn’t need it.’

The ambergris undoubtedly possessed tremendous value.

But if someone asked whether it was useful for survival, the answer would be debatable.

Flight was certainly a valuable ability, but the process of obtaining it was rather problematic.

Knowing Grylls’s personality, Kadir doubted he would abandon his dignity as a human being and eat feces, no matter how useful it might be.

Knock, knock.

"Mr. Kadir, the meeting concerning the sky whale will begin shortly."

Kadir had been contemplating what experiments he should conduct with the ambergris when a mage called to him from outside.

The discovery of the sky whale had sent shock waves through the academic community.

And because the Mage Tower was overflowing with eccentrics, interest in the sky whale was more fervent there than anywhere else.

"I’ll be there shortly."

Kadir felt the same way.

Reluctantly setting aside his research, he began preparing for the meeting.

He intended to conceal the fact that he possessed the ambergris, but the meeting might still provide him with new experimental ideas.

He gazed wistfully at the ambergris one last time before leaving the laboratory.

Clunk—

A profound silence settled over the laboratory.

It was filled with all manner of experimental equipment and research materials.

Yet the ambergris stood out among everything else.

Enclosed within the translucent barrier like a precious treasure Kadir cherished dearly, it suddenly—

Flash!

—began to glow, as though something had been activated.

One might wonder what was so remarkable about a glowing stone.

But what happened next went far beyond anything that could merely be called remarkable.

Ruuuuuumble!

An earthquake shook the entire Mage Tower.

Everyone inside was naturally bewildered by the sudden tremors.

Kadir was no exception. Despite having lived in the Mage Tower his entire life, he had never experienced an actual earthquake.

Occasionally, experiments had caused artificial tremors, but this was on an entirely different scale.

"W-What is happening?!"

"Is this an earthquake?"

The people outside the Mage Tower were equally confused.

They panicked as the earthquake spread outward from the tower.

But then something far more astonishing occurred.

Ruuuuumble!

"Th-Th-Th-There!"

"W-Whaaaaaat?!"

One person pointed toward the Mage Tower, prompting everyone else to turn their heads.

What they saw was truly astonishing—no, horrifying.

The Mage Tower was famous for being a structure that soared high into the sky.

But now it was gradually rising even higher than its original height.

As though the entire region of land beneath it were ascending into the heavens, it rose slowly but unmistakably.

"Th-The Mage Tower...!"

"The Mage Tower is flying...?!"

"B-By Aragon..."

The Mage Tower had begun floating into the sky.

***

"Wow, this is fun. Wonmo, want to fly one more time?"

"Kyu!"

"Okay, okay. Just one more time."

"I don’t want to!"

"Nobody asked for your opinion."

Once you got used to it, this was actually quite fun.