Chapter 710

– Crack.

The first apostle of the god of chaos, Alfodr, Peirus, suddenly felt a strange sensation and paused, lifting his head. A sensation as if his fingernails were cracking apart stimulated his mind. A feeling all too familiar to a magician—the sensation of his magical formula being dismantled.

‘Has the soul barrier been broken…?’

The perception-hindering magic he had planted throughout the underground waterways to prevent the Empire from discovering Nidhogg’s corpse. Thanks to using human souls as a mana source, the magic should have lasted for decades without his direct maintenance. Yet, the spells were being shattered one after another.

‘Did Elpinel’s proxy cast a Blessing of Purification across the entire waterway…? Even so, they shouldn’t be able to destroy the formula itself. At best, they could only weaken the perception-hindering effect temporarily…’

Peirus furrowed his brow. While he pondered what was happening, the soul barrier continued to crumble. The speed was alarmingly fast, as if someone knew exactly where his spells were hidden.

‘…This is troublesome. At this rate, it won’t take long before they discover it.’

It was indeed a troublesome situation. Although he had already extracted Nidhogg’s soul, the insect-dragon’s body still lay dormant at the bottom of the underground waterway. A body composed of billions of insects, reproducing and fusing, in the process of reconstruction.

If the Empire witnessed this, they would immediately attempt to destroy the insect-dragon’s body. In its current state, with its consciousness suppressed and all its energy focused on reconstructing its body, resistance would be impossible.

‘…Should I wake it?’

Peirus rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. Awakening the insect-dragon wasn’t particularly difficult. Even though it was a soulless body, a degraded version of the original, a dragon was still a dragon. He had planted a spirit inside its skull to control it for combat purposes.

Originally, Peirus had planned to awaken the insect-dragon only after the war between the Empire and Ka`har had concluded. He wanted the “variable” that had defeated Or-han to return to the capital instead of marching toward the Great Plains with their momentum of victory.

That was also why he had told the Third Apostle to remain calm. If the insect-dragon began rampaging near the capital, the Empire’s Greatest Sword, Werner Valenstein, would have no choice but to abandon the eastern expedition and return to the capital.

Although the Third Apostle had acted independently, losing the Eighth Apostle and causing trouble with Dane, Peirus had no intention of cutting ties with her. Losing her would mean losing all influence and information from the Great Plains.

However, his plans were disrupted by the dismantling of the soul barrier.

‘To think I’d have to awaken it this early…’

Peirus sighed. It was far too soon. The insect-dragon’s body needed at least several more days to complete its reconstruction. The war between the Empire and Ka`har wasn’t even over yet, and now he was forced to awaken an incomplete insect-dragon. It was enough to make anyone sigh.

‘There’s no other choice.’

If he didn’t awaken the insect-dragon now, he would lose the dragon’s body he had worked so hard to obtain. There was no other way.

‘Before that, I should contact Eleonora…’

Just before awakening the spirit embedded in the insect-dragon’s brain, Peirus picked up a communication artifact to inform the Seventh Apostle in the capital of the dragon’s emergence.

– Hummm…

The crystal sphere in his hand vibrated softly, emitting a faint magical light. For a long while.

‘…No response. It seems communication is impossible.’

But no reply came from the Seventh Apostle. It was as if she couldn’t receive the message.

‘She has guards, so her safety shouldn’t be an issue… Perhaps the Radiant Emperor has visited her.’

He could guess why there was no reply. After Eleonora returned to the capital, Emperor Leopold often secretly visited her for brief conversations. According to Eleonora, he was trying to relieve the mental fatigue of governance by chatting with his younger sister.

A pitiful man, even in Peirus’s eyes. Born with impeccable lineage and talent, he could have been praised as a wise ruler in peaceful times. Instead, he was swept up in an era of chaos, worn down by responsibility.

Having lost his mother to Isabella’s schemes, enduring assassination threats since childhood, and now, as emperor, burdened by the belief that he must take responsibility for all citizens, he lived a life filled with endless political duties…

‘…A pitiful man.’

In any case, with communication to the Seventh Apostle impossible, Peirus had no other options. He had to trust that the guards by her side would keep her safe and proceed with his plans.

『Awaken.』

‘―Surgit.’

Peirus commanded the spirit embedded in the insect-dragon’s brain. To rise from its long and deep slumber, spread its wings, and take to the skies.

-Grrrrrrrrr….

Deep within the capital, at the bottom of the underground waterway, the insect-dragon, composed of countless insects, finally stirred.

—

‘What is this…?!’

The first to sense the anomaly was Ophelia Sigmilus, leading the investigation team toward where the insect-dragon lay dormant. Her multicolored eyes widened as she looked down at the ground dozens of meters below.

A massive—no, a word like “massive” couldn’t even begin to describe it—an overwhelming surge of dark magical energy. A literal tidal wave of dark magic was rising from the depths like lava.

‘This dark magic…! Could it be… the dragon?!’

Ophelia’s face turned deathly pale. The insect-dragon Nidhogg, a calamity in itself. There was no other explanation for the dark magic she was sensing.

“Everyone, run! Now!!”

Ophelia shouted urgently, turning to look back. The mages from the Mage Tower who had followed her were also pale, having sensed the dark magic rising beneath their feet.

“Si, Sigmilus-sama. This dark magic… could it be…?”

Ophelia gritted her teeth and replied.

“Yes, we need to report this immediately. The dragon, Nidhogg, is about to emerge…!”

A calamity that would sweep through the capital was upon them.

—

Ophelia and the search team members ran as if their lives depended on it, escaping the waterway and emerging above ground.

“Why is everyone suddenly…? Did something happen in the waterway, Sigmilus-sama?”

“Yes, it’s an emergency!”

Upon reaching the surface, Ophelia, her face pale, informed the bewildered guards of the dragon’s resurrection.

“By Elpinel’s mercy…! Is this true?!”

The guards jumped in shock, their faces no less horrified than the mages. No, they were even more shocked. While the investigation team had been briefed about the possibility of a dragon’s remains being buried underground, the guards were mere soldiers tasked with managing the waterway’s access.

“I don’t have time to argue with you! Go to the imperial palace, the church, and the Mage Tower immediately! Report that a dragon infused with dark magic is about to emerge and that they need to prepare countermeasures!”

“Yes, yes!”

The dignified demeanor of a former countess and high-level mage was nowhere to be seen. Instead, her voice was sharp and urgent, filled with anxiety and impatience. Sensing the gravity of the situation, the guards quickly mounted horses and rushed to the imperial palace, the cathedral, and the Mage Tower.

“Ah, damn it. Of all times, why now when Ha-shal-leur isn’t here…!”

Watching the horses gallop away, Ophelia bit her lip. Ha-shal-leur, Frederick, even the Third Legion—all were absent. The awakening of the dragon was the worst possible scenario. She even considered abandoning the capital and fleeing with Claire.

“Sigmilus-sama, what should we do…?”

The mages who had followed her out asked cautiously. Ophelia turned sharply and snapped at them.

“You’re from the Mage Tower, aren’t you? What are you standing around for? Run or fly back to the Mage Tower! Staying here will only get you killed!”

“And you, Sigmilus-sama—”

“I’m going back to the mansion. I need to gather our forces. I don’t know how much help we’ll be without Ha-shal-leur, but…”

After speaking, Ophelia levitated into the air, heading toward the mansion of the Heaven’s Sword Order, Ha-shal-leur’s personal knights.

Levitation magic, which manipulated air currents to fly. It was an unstable spell that could lead to a crash with the slightest loss of control, requiring immense practice to fly freely. But flying in a straight line wasn’t particularly difficult for Ophelia.

‘Who’s at the mansion right now? Damien and Milia. And those two drunk fairies, right?’

…There wasn’t a single reliable force left.

In Ophelia’s eyes, those who hadn’t participated in the eastern war were either lacking in skill or character. Herself included.