Chapter 150: The Threads of Fate (1)
The scenery of the Count’s territory had completely changed.
It wasn’t a lie when the maids said it had been torn down and rebuilt—the structure itself had been altered.
By all accounts, it was almost a total reconstruction.
“How long have I been unconscious?”
“Today is the fourth day.”
Four days.
Considering the time it took to return to the Count’s territory, nearly a week had passed…
“But it changed that much?”
All in just a few days?
“Y-Yes!!”
The maids repeated in unison, their eyes shining.
“They even rebuilt our rooms!”
“It’s really, really nice!”
“There’s no draft, and it’s not cold!”
“The heat even radiates gently from the floor—I feel like my body could melt!”
“Once you lie down, you really can’t get up again.”
The maids’ eyes went slack for a moment.
It seemed it was indeed that wonderful.
“And the windows open and close automatically! When it rains or snows, they shut on their own!”
“At night, the windows emit a soft glow!”
“Really… it feels like a house made with magic.”
“But apparently no magic was used at all!”
Well, the construction skill of the Engineering Corps was well-known.
The maids’ description of the house as “magically made” wasn’t entirely wrong.
“…Arcane engineering? It’s truly amazing!”
Arcane Engineering.
A field and technology reborn by combining dwarven craftsmanship with the study of magic.
Though derived from magical studies, it evolved into a completely different technological system.
The kind of energy used was also different.
Ether.
A transformed energy of mana force.
It was slightly different from conventional mana.
“-Technically, Ether is defined as mana itself.”
Illiana explained at length.
I felt slightly guilty for tuning out.
I couldn’t use mana anyway, so I didn’t pay much attention.
Anyway.
“They said this Count’s mansion will be rebuilt to the highest standard!”
The maids were ecstatic.
…Good things were good things.
“By the way—”
I turned my gaze from the windows back inside.
“What about everyone else? Are they okay?”
“The Dwarf chieftain was seriously injured.”
Brombar, whose entire body had been shattered in the fight against the ogre.
Brombar’s ability, Iron Fortress [A+], only enhanced his physical strength and durability—it didn’t grant fast healing like Regeneration [B+].
So, it would take a long time for his broken bones and torn muscles to recover—but…
“He keeps moving, saying he has to fix something.”
“The other dwarves are trying to stop him…”
Apparently to no avail.
Who could stop Brombar’s stubbornness? Always the same, then and now—it rivaled the ogre’s.
“And Sir Kai, is he okay?”
A lunatic with Dependent Immortality [E] wouldn’t die easily. As long as Seraphia lived, Kai would not die.
“But the Count—he still…”
The maids’ joyful expressions instantly turned somber.
“The Count hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Seraphia?”
“…Yes.”
“Where is she now?”
“She’s in her bedroom.”
I moved toward Seraphia’s bedroom immediately.
Fortunately, I didn’t get lost.
With the ESP ability to read the terrain, getting lost was impossible. The Count’s mansion hadn’t been altered enough to confuse me—it matched my memory.
At Seraphia’s bedroom door, Kai was waiting.
It looked like he had been nursing her.
“Has she woken up? Is she okay?”
“As you can see. And Seraphia?”
Kai’s expression darkened.
His eyes trembled subtly.
…It didn’t look good.
When I opened the door, Seraphia was lying on the bed.
Her face was pale as death.
Her breathing was shallow and uneven.
Her fingertips trembled with subtle spasms.
“When did it start?”
“She’s been like this since she fainted.”
“…Fainted?”
“Right after Adrian collapsed, she fainted immediately.”
I had fainted first, so I hadn’t realized the situation.
Seraphia had been controlling the runaway energy from the Arcanohart.
Even my body, evolved into an ogre, couldn’t withstand the runaway energy.
Seraphia had already exceeded her limit.
And she had even been supporting my collapsing body.
“Has she improved?”
Kai shook his head gently.
By his expression, there was no sign of improvement.
“…It’s similar to when she was with the Lycanthrope.”
After the Lycanthrope incident, Seraphia had been bedridden. Her current blue lips and symptoms were clearly similar.
I used Predator Instinct [S]—
<Character Info>
Name: Seraphia Whitewolf
Classification: Mammalian humanoid
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Specialty: Power of Extreme Cold [P]
…Nothing had really changed.
It wasn’t the Power of Extreme Cold [P] causing the problem.
In other words, unlike the Lycanthrope incident, her abilities weren’t the issue this time.
I carefully examined her condition using Weak Point Detection [U].
Constricted blood vessels. Impaired circulation.
Slowed heartbeat. Limited oxygen supply.
Respiratory paralysis and nervous system damage.
“She’s not recovering slowly.”
“Then…?”
“The recovery function has completely stopped.”
Seraphia had pushed her abilities beyond their limit.
The uncontrolled cold from her powers had seeped into her body.
Every cell froze.
Her bodily tissues were completely destroyed.
The uncontrolled powers caused permanent damage to her body.
So, paradoxically, it wasn’t a problem with her powers, yet it was.
Her body was no different from a human’s.
Once the endocrine system that secretes hormones is damaged, it cannot recover.
“So the same treatment as last time—?”
“It won’t work.”
Illiana’s previous treatments were ineffective.
This was now an issue of tissue destruction, not just damage.
“Did you try a recovery potion?”
Kai nodded slightly.
Yet there was no improvement.
This meant the tissue wasn’t just damaged—it was destroyed.
Perhaps…
‘Could Leon be right? Is the power of annihilation involved?’
If so, it was cellular annihilation.
A simple recovery potion wouldn’t suffice.
At minimum, my Regeneration [B+] was needed. Perhaps even Super Regeneration [A].
But Super Regeneration [A] required 3,200 Sanity points.
And I couldn’t heal anyone else.
Kai’s face was full of despair—but…
“Don’t worry. There’s a way to treat her.”
It wasn’t impossible.
In fact, it was relatively easy.
There existed a ridiculous power in this continent that could regenerate others.
Ultimate Aura, Divine Power.
Divine Power, the manifestation of godly presence, made even impossible things possible.
From healing, purification, blessing, prophecy—even resurrection.
All of it came from the power of a god.
As part of collective belief, Seraphia could benefit from Divine Power without issue.
…but the problem was serious enough that I needed a high-ranking priest.
So I thought of Isolde.
‘But contacting Isolde personally is…’
Saint Isolde, revered and idolized by all.
It would be a problem for someone like me to contact her directly.
Also, countless letters already reached the Papal Office daily.
Divine Power had sculpted Isolde into the perfect human form—so beautiful that even non-believers would feel faith.
Half of the Holy Kingdom’s knights joined because of Isolde.
So any personal contact attempt would likely never reach her—it would just become part of the Papal Office’s workload.
‘An archbishop should suffice.’
Calling an archbishop wasn’t easy, but feasible.
‘I can ask Leon.’
If I invoked the royal name, the Papal Office would act immediately.
But the reason for the request needed to be plausible.
If I told Leon Seraphia was sick, he’d drop everything and rush over. Predicting his actions was impossible.
So I needed a pretext.
I considered a severe injury needing healing in the Count’s territory.
‘Plague might be too much.’
Exaggeration could cause complications.
Something like “a seriously injured person needing healing” would be too weak.
If I said a mysterious curse or mana contamination occurred in the Count’s territory…
‘That should be enough.’
Even Leon, with his current perception, wouldn’t detect anything.
Garden of Divine Brilliance.
This sanctuary, built atop the Papal Office mountain, was a sacred training ground.
Typically, priests train through meditation and prayer rather than physical exercise.
Divine Power depends on faith in the god, not physical movement.
However, the Garden of Divine Brilliance taught differently.
Founded by Lumentius, 27th Saint and founder of Divine Martial Arts, it emphasized practicing power in the body, not just holding the light.
Here, holy knights trained their Divine Power physically.
Saints also studied here in solitude, refining their martial arts and understanding divine teachings.
This tradition had continued for over 213 generations.
“Your Grace, will you not train today?”
“No, not today.”
Isolde’s brief reply shocked Erdan.
She had never skipped training. Meditation and prayer were her routine.
But today, she sat quietly on the stone floor bathed in light.
The silence was unfamiliar.
“Are you unwell?”
“No, it’s just—”
She slowly lifted her gaze to the clouds drifting in the sky.
“I feel like I haven’t done my homework.”
“Homework?”
She said no more. Her topaz-like eyes only followed the clouds.
Erdan remained silent.
The wind rustled through the trees.
…Isolde had changed.
Flawless demeanor, serene mind.
Her sitting posture resembled a sacred painting.
Always noble, yet now with subtle shifts. A hint of emotion in her voice. A faint smile occasionally.
Softer. More human.
Still noble, yet distinctly different.
Then, a priest approached.
“Your Grace, this has arrived via the Pilgrim’s Eye.”
He held a sealed letter.
“Prince Leon of the Vattenberg Kingdom urgently sends this to you.”
The Vattenberg Kingdom had been in turmoil recently due to rebellion.
Isolde knew of the news. The priest knelt and handed the letter. She opened it carefully.
[Urgent Letter to Cardinal Isolde]
▶Royal Seal of the Vattenberg Kingdom
▶[Urgent Letter] —Sealed: Top-Level
The Crown Princess is gravely ill. Considering the severity, we request Cardinal Isolde’s intervention—
Crown Princess?
…Leon married? That didn’t seem right.
If it were a royal wedding, the news would have been public.
So there must be another hidden reason.
The “Crown Princess” was likely a surface-level deception.
“…If Your Grace acts swiftly, the Vattenberg Kingdom pledges eternal friendship to the Holy Kingdom. They promise to comply with any requests, under the honor of the royal house, and provide resources and support as needed.”
The letter practically demanded unconditional surrender.
“…?”
The handwriting grew shaky, as if the writer’s hand trembled.
Especially the last line—smeared ink.
“…I humbly and desperately beg… please save the Crown Princess…”
“…????”
Isolde’s eyes were filled with complete confusion.
