BXBX NOVEL Chapter 177 – Fae World (2)
Chapter 177 – Fae World (2)
There are quite a few countries that were destroyed overnight, since creation is more difficult than destruction. But there is no precedent for a country that was constructed overnight.
Ixion.
It was not a country that was well known aside from having produced many excellent mages after the founding of a Royal Magic Academy. It was simply one of the common Eastern minor nations. Once the kingdom and city was crushed under the feet of the Colossus everyone had thought the fate of the kingdom ended there, but the city was resurrected by a wondrous power; By the power of Vestiare, the lady of Calamity, and the Colossus, which destroyed the city.
“Welcome to the brand new Ixion. In this city that has nothing old and only the new, you have nothing different from any other. Challenge. And achieve. While this city is still a no-man’s land.”
Any man or woman could see Vestiare’s gorgeous image and hear her refined voice upon entering the city. Mages who had less animosity against the Calamity were the first to enter the Ivory colored city said to have been built in a single day.
The mages who were already Followers of Calamity from before took it upon themselves to swear loyalty to Vestiare and brought more followers with them from across the lands. It was to the point where even mages of countries that weren’t destroyed by the Colossi gathered to the new frontier known as Ixion. While observing the city that was growing by the day, Vestiare was in the middle of serving a guest who hasn’t been around for a while.
Desfort. The leader of the Seven Heroes.
He was watching the new bustling magic city. Little girls that resembled Vestiare brought tea. After receiving tea, Desfort turned around and opened his mouth.
“I found White Phantom’s body.”
“He didn’t win. Though we predicted as much.”
Vestiare did not appear to be surprised.
“He had died a humiliating death.”
“How did he die?”
“He was executed like a common thief.”
“That’s unfortunate. For a man who was as proud as White Phantom to die in such a way.”
“Either way, I am now certain about one thing.”
Desfort took out a pendant from his vest. Inside the pendent was the portrait of an old man with a young adolescent. Both closely resembled Desfort. He closed the lid of the pendent by grasping it with his hands before resuming to speak.
“That we do not have to fight the Destroyer.”
“Why do you think so?”
Vestiare gave her usual indistinct stare as she threw out the question. But the tone of her voice was usually negative. To the question, Desfort flicked the steaming teacup with his finger and watched the ripple before answering slowly.
“He is like me.”
“Do you mean that he is extremely dangerous?”
“No, not that. The most dangerous man in the world is me. This fact is like an absolute never-changing rule of nature.”
“Then what do you mean by him being alike?”
Desfort flicked his finger again on the teacup that had stopped rippling to cause another round of ripples instead of answering. On the surface of the green colored tea water, a chaff rose from the depth.
“Shall I give you a different tea? Desfort nim.”
The small child who looked like Vestiare saw that and asked in her cute voice. Desfort shook his head and took out the chaff with his own fingers. Vestiare watched Desfort patiently before opening her mouth again.
“I haven’t heard an answer yet…”
“He does not look back.”
Desfort said.
“Therefore he does not attach justification or meaning behind his actions like others and so does not console himself. He is like a minecart following a set path that he has chosen.”
He said before drinking the liquid in the teacup.
Vestiare herself lifted up the teapot to refill the tea in his cup as she asked.
“The path could have been chosen by someone other than him.”
“That would be the difference between that man and I.”
Desfort looked out the window. The sky reflected in his eye was blue.
“A direct confrontation with him became difficult from the moment Sajators was killed.”
“I should have dissuaded him more.”
“I think it might actually be for the better. Even if all seven of us were together, I don’t see a way we could have won against that monster.”
“Then what are you proposing we do from now on?”
Vestiare asked with sparkling eyes. Desfort continued to stare at the sky as he answered.
“I’m sorry for my comrades who trusted me and followed me, but I think time has come for me to do that thing we weren’t able to do.”
Resolution flashed in his eyes. Vestiare watched Desfort for a while before carefully opening her mouth.
“Eckhart wouldn’t sit by and watch it happen. Like he did in the past.”
To this, Desfort laughed.
“Even God itself became eroded in endless flow of time and lost itself, nevermind that child who was the creation of that weak God. By now he would not be able to remember who or what he once was.”
Vestiare seemed unconvinced but did not let that out of her lips. Desfort finished his tea before standing up and walking forward. Along with the wind, a cold voice drifted by.
“I leave that child to you. And please tie up that monster’s feet for as long as you can manage.”
Vestiare bowed towards him and answered.
“I understand.”
After a strong gust of wind, Desfort disappeared. Vestiare who was left alone gracefully walked to the window and gazed up at the sky as she whispered.
“I shall buy as much time as possible. Desfort. Only for you.”
Vestiare thought about what she had and the enemy that would soon come for her. She also thought about what was the best way to delay her enemy’s footstep as effectively as possible. Several ideas appeared one after another and disappeared. The analysis on the enemy was already done.
The reason why he was trying to face the calamity, what had happened to him, she had heard enough information about him through the mouths of the Followers of Calamity who were her loyal servants. Vestiare was confident. That she had a way to stop the man called the Enemy of the World.
“You’re right. Destroyer is different from you. Desfort. Unlike you he is too humane.”
Vestiare gave a faint smile as she watched the city she had made. Countless Magicians and laborers were erecting a large dome shaped edifice at the city center which was under the shadow of the Colossus.
One Colossus was headed towards a beach in the Eastern regions. On top of the Colossus was standing Desfort, the leader of the Seven Heroes. When he reached the coastline of the Eastern regions, he had the Colossus follow along the coast until it reached a shallow point and pushed the Colossus into the ocean.
The Colossus waded through the endless expanse of water as it walked towards the horizon. It was roughly after three days and nights of walking passed.
Desfort saw something appear before his eyes. It was a mountain peak reaching into the heavens. A deserted island in the middle of an endless expanse of ocean. But on that island was not one blade of grass or a single tree. It gave the impression that the place was isolated on its own even within the ocean full of life.
A faint smile appeared on Desfort’s face. He had the Colossus continue to walk forward. Then the surface of the blue ocean seemed to shimmer for a moment before several thousand scaled monsters appeared.
It was the Merfolk.
In another era, they had been one of the Calamities who brought fear to the people. This ancient race of people gathered enmasse and appeared before Desfort. Among the chattering Merfolk a giant pillar of water burst up. There was something in the water.
A being large enough to rival the size of the Colossus. It was a jellyfish shaped monster whose skin appeared to be made of skin and draped over itself. This unearthly rotting monstrocity raised its tentacle glowing red towards Desfort.
“Your position has changed, Desfort. For you who once fought the calamity to reappear as one. How is the Oom Bruuk you have stolen from us?”
It spoke with a rumbling voice that seemed to be a simultaneous screams of a thousand monsters. It had such a bizarre tone of voice that it could cause some to pass out and lose their minds. But Desfort’s expression did not change one bit in spite of the monster.
“Open the way, Servant of the ancient god.”
“Why are you attacking us first? Isn’t it the humans who betrayed you that should be the target of your vengeance?”
The large monster asked.
To this, Desfort nodded.
“I have come here to do just that.”
“No humans live in this ocean.”
The ancient monstrocity answered.
To this, Desfort raised his finger and pointed at the sharp peak of the mountain he was eyeing. The ancient monster who saw this became startled and began to tremble its giant body.
“What are you thinking? Hero of the past era.”
Desfort answered with a hollow voice that contained no emotions.
“I will change the color of the sky.”
The ancient monster became still for a moment after hearing that, before lashing out with tens of thousands of tentacles against the ocean and becoming enraged.
“They will not forgive such an action.”
“That is exactly what I want.”
Desfort drew his sword. The hero’s sword that contained brilliant glorious light.
Seven Hero Desfort:
Of all the heroes raised by the world to combat the calamities, he was the most perfect hero.
His virtue as a human being, his prowess as a warrior, excellent intelligence, as well as patience to command even assholes like Sajators…
His biggest virtue was that he was dedicated to himself. He had never broken a promise with himself. With the one exception when he despaired upon meeting an insurmountable enemy.
But everyone has a flaw. Even the man who once was hailed as the paragon of heroes.
His small flaw surfaced during his campaign deep into the Demon World when the heroes stopped to play a card game to cope with hopelessness. But no one caught onto his flaws at that time. When the rules of the game are designed to be unfavorable, some react by giving up, some by begging the lost money to be returned, or some by condemning the person responsible for making the rules unfair. Desfort showed a different reaction from ordinary people.
He is as strict to others as to himself, as well as to the world around him. Therefore when he is faced with an unfair game he cannot win, he flips the board itself.
Even if that thing is the world itself.