HBWnovel Chapter 112: Archwizard (4)
Chapter 112: Archwizard (4)
Amon’s explanation about the Demon Cult didn’t take long since he omitted most of the details. However, his short explanation was enough to scare Johann into silence. Even the usually playful Johann Amaris couldn’t help but drop his jaw at the revelation of the Demon Cult.
"Such a thing... I can’t believe that an organisation like that existed!"
"I know it’s hard to believe, but Yue and I have encountered them before."
"No, I don’t doubt you." Johann waved his hand, showing complete confidence in Amon’s claims. "The Amaris House had noticed some irregularities, too. The number of Demon sightings has steadily risen over the past few years, and the missing people reports have nearly tripled! We’d initially believed that the missing people were eaten or killed by the increased number of Demons, but never in our wildest of dreams would we have thought that someone was using human sacrifices to summon them!"
The Demon Cult’s actions wouldn’t go unnoticed forever. At some point, people would start connecting the dots and realise that there was a supernatural reason for the immense increase in Demon sightings.
Amon and Yue’s actions only sped up the process.
"If that’s the case, could we ask you for a favour?"
"No, you don’t have to tell me. I will deploy the resources of the Amaris House to investigate further."
There was no need for Amon to get into detail. Johann was well aware of what he was tasked to do.
"You may not know it, but the Amaris House has the most experience with hunting Liches."
"Isn’t that because the Amaris House has created more Liches than anyone else?"
A glossy voice interrupted the three men, prompting all of them to turn their heads to the cabin door. There, two women stood idly by. Or, more precisely, one heavenly beauty lay on the pillar while the other watched nervously from behind.
"H-Haha, Elune Princess! Always a pleasure to see you!"
"Amaris Prince, it’s been a while."
The cordial tone with which the two addressed each other concealed a thousand knives. Yue smiled brightly, but her ruby eyes showed signs of disdain. Meanwhile, Johann showed signs of fearful defiance, like a cornered rabbit ready to fight for its life against a snake.
"W-Would you mind clarifying what you meant?"
"Oya? Am I wrong? Didn’t the previous Lich come from the Amaris House as well? Come to think of it; the Amaris House has produced more Liches than it did Archwizards in recent years, right? Should we send the Holy Church to investigate if it’s dabbling in necromancy?"
"D-Don’t lie! Only three Liches in history have come from us! A-And the Amaris House would never do that! If anything, it would be the Elune House who plays with Spirits that..."
"Play with Spirits, you say? Then would you like to try ’playing’ with one of mine?"
Yue gestured with her hands as if ready to trigger a summoning. When Johann saw that move, the colour drained from his face as he unconsciously moved behind Amon and used him as a human shield.
"I-I’ll pass," Johann let out a dry laugh as some traumas came rushing into his mind.
Seeing the future Archwizard who would join the Hero party in this state, Amon couldn’t help but sigh and sent a telepathic message to Yue.
’Shouldn’t you go easy on him?’
"Hmmm, you’re defending him?"
’Well...’
Yue and Johann were destined to clash from the start. The Elune and Amaris Houses stood as two towering pillars of the magical community, their philosophies worlds apart. The Elune House devoted itself to summoning nature’s Spirits to amplify their powers, while the Amaris House delved into the unbounded arcane possibilities of magic itself.
While the Amaris House was considered a tier above the Elune House, they were still close enough to become rivals.
That rivalry was further amplified in their current generation of geniuses.
Johann Amaris was widely considered the most prodigal talent of the Amaris House in a hundred years. His ability to grasp arcane concepts that would baffle some more incredible mages was a treat. Plus, he condensed his fourth circle before turning twenty, an impressive feat that hadn’t been seen in generations.
But alas, he was fated to be number two in his generation.
Vekka didn’t stop his wrath and continued to spit venom. Though he feared his actions might harm the woman, he stopped making significant movements.
"Mirka, let go of me!"
"Believe me, Vekka. I feel the same way as you. But you have to calm down! Causing trouble won’t do anything! Law enforcement is in bed with them, too!"
"Then what? Are we going to let another orphanage disappear?!"
"It’s not just orphanages..."
At this point, another voice interjected with a serious tone. A teenage boy, barely old enough to handle a pint of beer, reported while saying grimly: "They’ve been kidnapping people from the slums too. Beggars, the homeless... even just regular folk. They weren’t so bold before."
"Jacek..."
"What changed? Why did they become so brazen?"
"Maybe... it’s retribution for when Kaya stole the Warden’s documents?"
"..."
Those words silenced the room. Although they couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, the law of causality states that it was often interrelated if one thing happened next to the other. Of course, the increased number of missing persons was the Demon Cult’s influence, and Kaya’s little stunt had little to no effect on it. But they didn’t know that.
"Don’t tell Kaya. We don’t want to burden her with that."
"Naturally."
Mirka warned Jacek, to which he promptly agreed. Little did they know that a young girl with reddish hair had already eavesdropped in their entire conversation.
"So what comes next? We can’t go to the authorities as the Governor controls them. And even if we did, who would believe a few slum dwellers? Some undesirables have gone missing, so please help us look for them."
"Most people would say good riddance."
"We could try throwing pamphlets or drawing graffiti? Even if law enforcement is covering it up, if more people are aware of the predicament, they might join our cause!"
"We don’t have the resources to do that. And even if we did, the Iron Count himself would lead a task force into the slums and wipe us out."
Several other resistance members continued the discussion, highlighting their uphill battle. After calming down enough, Vekka finally made a firm decision.
"I will send a runner to Zephys, the Capital. I have a friend there who may listen to my ramblings. It may not be enough to change our situation, but if we could raise awareness outside of Alverton..."
"And what? We’re just going to watch as dozens are being picked off the street every day?"
"That’s our best shot, Jacek."
"... No, I heard rumours that the Solaris House’s Hero is visiting Alverton."
"... what?"
The mention of the Solaris House brought the rebel council to heel. Their faces brightened like thirsty wanderers in a desert who finally found water. The Solaris House was the guardian of humanity, and their name carried enormous weight, even for people who lived far away from Solfea. Also, the news of a Hero being born this generation sent shockwaves throughout the Republic.
For the vagabonds of Alverton... this was their final hope.
"Is it true?"
"We don’t know; there have only been rumours. But even if they were here, they would keep their visit a secret. The Governor will keep all of their details a secret. How they look like, where they’re staying... everything!"
"..."
The discussions continued as the resistance members were blissfully unaware that their treasured orphan had slipped away in the dark and escaped from the slums.