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The fact that “the central mediating organization connecting spellcasters is the Spell Tower” was a well-known truth that anyone on the continent would agree with.

However, if you were to ask spellcasters whether the Spell Tower was a place that revealed their identity, many would tilt their heads and deny it. This was because the Spell Tower was, above all, a neutral trading institution that faithfully served its role in connecting spellcasters with each other or with ordinary people.

Just as the cultures across the continent showed a myriad of aspects depending on the local climate and environment, the identity of spellcasters also varied greatly depending on the region and culture.

Druids who communicated and interacted with the spirits of nature, plants, and animals, as well as the spirits of ancient heroes; alchemists who sought spiritual sublimation by unraveling the mysteries of matter; skalds who inherited ancient traditions through poetry and embodied celestial mysteries in runic letters—spellcasters with unique traditions and systems had naturally emerged in various places.

To think that such diverse spellcasters all shared a common identity was an overly unreasonable expectation. Moreover, the relationships among spellcasters were, after all, gatherings of people. It was inevitable that cultural, traditional, academic, and political positions would greatly diverge.

Thus, even among spellcasters, there were clearly visible factions and colors, and the formation of spellcaster communities that reflected these factions and colors was also inevitable.

The druid and alchemist organizations to which Setanta and Kaliastra belonged were no exception. Naturally, these druid and alchemist communities were not under the umbrella of a single organization. Across the world, communities of various sizes and colors existed freely, depending on the region or the lineage they inherited.

Among them, if we were to pick out only the larger groups, they were as follows…

Among the druid communities, there were the Fianna Éireann of Erin, the Féidh Albha of the Caledonian Highlands, the Seabh Camhra of the Cambrian region (also known as Wales), and the Chef Île de Franquia of Northern Franquia.

Among the alchemist communities, the Caduceus Academia, which influenced the Constantine Empire and its territories, the Department of Sacred Mysteries at the University of Bologna in Rotaringia, and the Occitanian Alchemical Society of Southern Franquia were representative.

In addition, in every city or in special secret realms and spiritual sites of importance, there were large and small guilds, academies, and other spellcaster communities, but the organizations mentioned above were the ones with the most prominent influence.

Although spellcaster communities existed separately depending on the region and inclination, this did not mean that the relationships between these communities were completely severed.

The communities mentioned above not only had the influence to organize and regulate smaller organizations but also established platforms for exchanging knowledge and information and influencing each other across regions and borders.

Just as there were councils in religious orders, there were also regular councils in druid and alchemist societies. The Great Spirit Festival of the druids and the Grand Assembly of the alchemists were such events.

Held periodically at regular intervals or irregularly when there were special agendas, these events not only supported spellcasters and helped develop knowledge but also served as important political grounds that allowed druid and alchemist communities to act in unison in various situations.

“The spread of the main force following the Great Demon’s declaration of war, and the subsequent strange and ominous events occurring across the continent. This should be enough of an agenda to make even the armchair spellcasters hold a ‘meeting,’ right?”

“You’re right, Setanta. But the more I think about it, the more it feels like a delayed reaction.”

Setanta tilted the glass his wife had made and spoke sarcastically, while Kaliastra chuckled and sipped her ginger cocktail, which fizzed and popped in the glass.

The glass and the cocktail inside were both handmade by Kaliastra. As one’s alchemical skills improved, it was natural to dabble in tea-making or brewing, allowing one to create such cocktails.

Setanta thought to himself that he had indeed made a good choice in marrying her.

The place where they were having this conversation was a room in an inn in the city of Nancy, located along the road stretching west from Ogma’s Forest.

After Ogma’s Oak Tree had awakened, the couple, freed from their duties, had left the forest to attend the upcoming Great Spirit Festival and Grand Assembly. Coincidentally, the timing of the two events was similar, but the distance between the two venues was quite far.

The Great Spirit Festival was to be held in the port city of Le Havre in northwestern Franquia, while the Grand Assembly was to take place in the port city of Montpellier in southern Franquia.

From Le Havre to Montpellier, or vice versa, it would take ten days by wagon, assuming eight hours of travel each day. It was practically impossible to attend one event and then travel to the other. Moreover, such gatherings usually lasted more than a day or two.

Thus, Setanta and Kaliastra had no choice but to act separately for the time being to fulfill their respective duties. Spending their last night together in Nancy, the first city where the roads diverged in both directions, the couple held a modest drinking session to console each other for the long separation ahead.

Although the candlestick burning the rare candle was not particularly luxurious, the lamp on the stand burned clean oil, producing almost no soot. The furnishings and bedding in the inn room were also quite tidy, considering that this was not a high-end inn.

It was said that this policy had been passed down as a family precept from the grandfather who had handed down the inn. Thanks to this, Setanta and Kaliastra, who had lived a secluded life in the forest at a young age, were able to enjoy such a good lodging, which was indeed fortunate for the couple.

Clink.

The glasses clinked, and the two sipped their cocktails again, swirling the liquid in their mouths.

“Mumble mumble, hmm. Sigh, it’s going to be hard to see each other for a while.”

“True. We’ll both be busy, so it can’t be helped. By the way, the city air is quite refreshing. When we entered the forest, I never thought so much time would pass.”

Setanta sighed, feeling a sudden pang of melancholy at the relentless passage of time. The youthful days of his youth were now gone, and he was already approaching middle age with a grown child. The intense period of burning dreams and passion that should have been spent living fiercely in the “now” had been pushed aside by the static life in the forest, now lying behind him like a shed skin.

Seeing Setanta like this, Kaliastra’s eyes narrowed playfully.

“Hmm? So, are you saying the time spent with me was meaningless?”

“No, why are you steering the conversation that way!? You know that’s not what I meant, right?”

Startled by his wife’s remark, Setanta grumbled. Kaliastra looked at him affectionately and playfully pinched his nose.

“Ah, don’t pinch my nose. If wrinkles form on this proud nose, will you take responsibility?”

“Eh, it’s fine, Setanta. You’re handsome enough even with a wrinkled nose.”

“What…!?”

Caught off guard by Kaliastra’s sudden attack, Setanta was momentarily speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Seeing her husband blush and look embarrassed, Kaliastra enjoyed the moment with a sly smile.

After some bickering, the two exchanged various trivial topics about the past and soon found themselves smiling bitterly. They had recalled the moment when they awakened Ogma’s Oak Tree, the reason they had been able to leave Ogma’s Forest.

“Honestly, who would have thought that sleepy oak tree could be awakened so easily? What have we been doing all this time?”

Setanta spoke, swallowing a bit of the lingering disappointment. Kaliastra also showed a hint of disappointment and bitterness as she replied.

“True. I never thought we’d see such a materialized divinity on earth.”

“By the way, can’t alchemy recreate that?”

“Haha, if there were an alchemist who could do that, wouldn’t they have been revered as the second Grand Maestro since the founder?”

Kaliastra scolded Setanta for his naive question. Setanta, who had unwittingly revealed his curiosity, frowned and grumbled.

“Ugh, it’s natural to be curious if you don’t know, why the scolding…?”

“Well, you should be curious about things that make sense, this is common sense.”

However, his timid protest didn’t sway Kaliastra. Alchemists were a breed that never compromised on the theoretical aspects of matter. Although she usually indulged her husband’s whims, this did not extend to her stance as an alchemist.

Faced with Kaliastra’s strict, solemn, and serious attitude, Setanta had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.

“Ah, I get it. I was wrong. Anyway, about that time. Did you figure out how you did it?”

“Even if you ask if I figured it out… Honestly, that’s not something you can just do by figuring it out, right?”

“Well, that’s true. From both a druid and an alchemist’s perspective, it’s a difficult technique to approach, isn’t it…?”

As they conversed, Setanta and Kaliastra recalled the memory of awakening Ogma’s Oak Tree, where Sophia had been sleeping.

The sleeping sacred tree. The nun knight standing before it. The sudden surge of sword-like energy. The divine light, resembling liquid, materialized in some way.

“I get that it connected consciousness directly. It’s definitely not a chemical spell.”

“Isn’t it similar to the animal, plant, or spirit communication techniques druids use?”

“Not really. The ‘communication spells’ we use are just a transmission method using main strength as a medium. Whether it’s transmitted from here to there or from there to here, it’s just a processed signal manipulated by main strength, not a raw form of communication. Well, this applies to any communication method that exists in reality.”

Setanta’s explanation was as follows. Naturally, the less interference in communication, the less distortion or alteration there would be between the sender and receiver. Rumors lose their original form as they pass through more people, and there’s a noticeable difference between hearing someone’s voice directly and through a phone or speaker.

The same goes for the power of communication.

Listening to a religious sermon or a demagogue’s speech through a medium is not as effective as experiencing it live, and persuasion between people must inevitably happen face-to-face, eye-to-eye.

Similarly, waking someone up by shaking them is more effective than a loud alarm clock.

“Directly connecting consciousness means being able to communicate in the purest and most powerful way among all existing communication methods. The purity of intent and the influence it can have on the other party would be incomparably stronger than conventional linguistic means. Hmm, if I had to compare, it’s close to the way spirits, summoned spirits, and holy spirits communicate.”

Kaliastra nodded in agreement with Setanta’s words.

Alchemists pursued the transformation of matter, but they were also interested in observing the higher-order changes that accompanied the transformation of matter.

Although their methods of observing material changes and inferring higher-order changes were not intuitive and were somewhat esoteric, their theoretical understanding was highly systematic.

Thus, she could theoretically understand Setanta’s explanation.

“I see. So, it’s similar to when you mimicked the technique our son showed before?”

“Exactly. It was the same situation back then. Conra used consciousness? Will? Anyway, something like that to precede the world’s providence, and I inserted main strength in between to mimic it. That’s the feeling.”

As he answered, Setanta couldn’t help but marvel at his son’s growth.

Despite being born with a genius talent, the scruffy-haired child who had grown up in the remote forest had returned as a remarkably skilled warrior after just over a year. As parents, the emotions they felt were beyond words.

“Shazel is truly an amazing person. It was truly a stroke of luck that Conra could become her disciple.”

“Can’t deny that. At the time, I was a bit worried about sending a young child out suddenly, but looking back, it was clearly the right choice.”

“Right? Moreover, Conra didn’t just grow stronger as a warrior. Honestly, who would have thought that little brat would return as a grown man? It’s outrageous, really.”

What made Setanta and Kaliastra even happier was not just Conra’s growth as a warrior. What struck them more was something more ordinary yet special.

It was none other than the girl Maria, whom Conra had brought back as his younger sister.

“The girl he brought back is flawless, isn’t she? Smart, yet strong. And most importantly, she seems kind?”

Like her husband Setanta, Kaliastra also couldn’t help but smile warmly and mutter. Their son had brought back a girl who might one day become their daughter-in-law. As parents, it was impossible not to be interested.

Although it was too early to talk about marriage, considering that the two of them had met when they were only a few years older than Conra and Maria now, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for them to get excited. However…

“However, there’s a slight flaw…”

“It’s not exactly a flaw, but Conra might have a bit of a tough road ahead…”

Although they were pleased with every aspect of Maria, there was one element that worried them.

Suddenly, among the laws representing the Iron Age of the present world, there was one called “Royal Destiny.”

This law stated that rulers of a region or group, their legitimate successors, bloodlines, or those with political legitimacy were endowed with a unique main strength, like a fingerprint.

In a kingdom, it was given to the king and his bloodline according to the order of succession; in a republic, it was temporarily given to the dictator or president, the cabinet members in order of rank, and candidates running for election.

Maria had manifested such a special main strength, which was usually only seen in those of noble status.

Setanta, being a member of the royal family of the small kingdom of Ulaidh-Úlster in Erin, could recognize this secret and unique proof of status. Although she herself seemed unaware, Setanta was certain that Maria was the legitimate successor of some kingdom.

Kaliastra had also sensed this.

“Conra and Maria probably haven’t noticed, but Shazel must know.”

Alexandra di Kaliastra, who also had a noble background as the niece of a small republic’s apprentice in Rotaringia, was not entirely unfamiliar with the noble main strength emanating from Maria.

The couple intuitively sensed that Sophia also knew the status of her second disciple. Considering that the nun knight had specifically avoided mentioning the Hiberia region when entrusting them with the spellcaster societies of the western and southern continents, they thought that Maria might be closely related to the plans for that region.

“Well, it’s still a logical leap.”

“Regardless, Conra’s status is indeed a bit lacking compared to hers. Judging by the aura I sensed, she would at least have to be the High King of Erin.”

Looking at the marriage customs of the continent’s royal families and nobility, there was a concept of “noble marriage.” In short, royalty married royalty, and nobility married nobility.

While noble families occasionally intermarried with commoners who were exceptional, such as those managing large estates or enterprises, or knights with recognized military achievements and honors, royal families were relatively strict about noble marriages.

Royalty married royalty, or at best, collateral royalty within four to six degrees of relation. This concept was a dominant marriage norm across Europa.

Setanta’s mother was Deichtire, the half-sister of Conchobar mac Nessa, the king of the small kingdom of Ulaidh. However, his father, Sualtam, was merely one of the many chieftains of Ulaidh. Although he was treated as royalty due to the strong matrilineal influence in Erin, his status was somewhat ambiguous under continental law.

Kaliastra’s situation was similar. Unlike kingdoms where sovereignty was inherited through bloodlines, republics were structures where sovereignty and political legitimacy were proven through elections. Moreover, Kaliastra was not the biological child of the apprentice but merely a niece and adopted daughter.

While her bloodline was not particularly humble, it was still a bit questionable for her to marry into a legitimate royal family, making the couple’s concern for their son’s future more than justified.

“The kid has started a difficult love.”

Setanta, somewhat familiar with the atmosphere of royalty, smiled wryly. The unique main strength, also known as “royal command,” was not only about legitimacy in power relations but also connected to the destiny one carried. Even if Maria’s bloodline did not match their predictions now, it did not mean it would remain so in the future.

Yet, in the next moment, the couple’s voices overlapped.

“But that’s why it burns even brighter, right?”

They believed not in inherited bloodlines but in their own talents and accumulated efforts. And they believed in the qualities of their son Conra, who had inherited everything from them, and the heroic destiny he would soon shoulder.

“A man of Erin must leap over any wall before him and face any trial head-on to achieve his desires.”

“A son of Rotaringia must chase dreams over reality and love over surrender.”

Wise parents would naturally guide their son to make a smart choice by understanding reality. However, neither Setanta nor Kaliastra were particularly wise themselves…

After all, they themselves had chased the starlight of dreams and romance over reality, so it was not their place to give their son presumptuous advice about facing reality.

And if Conra were to achieve a love that transcended status, how would the continent’s direction shift?

“Our son, I’m really looking forward to it.”

“This is really making my heart race.”

In an inn in Nancy, on a certain night, the glasses clinked again, blessing a future yet to come.

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In the lightless abyss, the lowest yet highest place in the world, the darkest yet where all forms were vividly clear, there was an altar.

The adopted daughter of the Great Demon, the shrine maiden of the altar, leaned against a large pillar on one side of the altar and quietly swallowed a sigh.

{Arioch is dead, and Coronzon barely escaped with her life…}

Arioch was a warrior who stood at the pinnacle of pure martial power among those demons who longed for destiny. Although he knew no strange sorcery and had no notable skills in wielding demonic powers, the strength and swordsmanship he had honed were undoubtedly at a level where even the greatest human swordsmen would be overwhelmed.

With the charisma to command countless lesser demons as a legion commander, he was expected to achieve great feats in the upcoming war… The utterly futile exit of such a promising figure was enough to tighten the shrine maiden’s heartstrings.

{At the very least, I had hoped Coronzon would retrieve Arioch’s body. I was a fool to trust her.}

Why had Coronzon, skilled in illusions, curses, and sorcery, been sent in the first place? Wasn’t it to ensure Arioch’s safe retreat in case of emergency? Yet Arioch was brutally killed on the spot, and Coronzon cowardly fled with only her life.

Feeling a thousand fires burning in her stomach, the shrine maiden

 

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