Chapter 159:The Scale (4)
“Damn it.”
A reaction that slipped out instinctively, without any forethought.
The “world-building” of the novel — for instance, the detailed structure of the Ten Towers or the pitiful state of the Divine Cult — fit this era perfectly. But when it came to the Mage King himself, something felt off. Maybe this was why.
I could now understand why the Mage King’s resurrection had been described so ambiguously. It was because it lay beyond the scope of what could be known through prophecy.
‘No. That’s not the real problem.’
The title of the novel was The Mage King Who Returned in 2077. I didn’t remember it perfectly, but I was certain about the “2077” part.
But now, I had to question whether it was even true that the Mage King would return in 2077.
Hadn’t the Mage King already been revived?
Was Hydra Corporation, like the Divine Cult, also scheming to dry up and wither away something over the course of millennia?
One doubt led to another, a chain of questions. Just as I was about to squeeze my eyes shut, I caught a glimpse of Carisia’s white hair.
‘…Alright.’
I took a deep breath. Organized my thoughts. I drew out evidence from my mind to test my hypothesis.
First question.
Is the Mage King alive right now?
No.
The Mage King wouldn’t suddenly appear, saying, “Actually, I never died.” The very existence of the Ten Towers was proof of that, wasn’t it?
The golem Adoosiam that I excavated from the Temple of Pluton, or the parasitic mental entity that nearly decided to kill itself after sensing the absence of its creator and a few persuasive words from me—these, too, were undeniable evidence.
And since Carisia had blown up that parasitic entity, any progress toward revival through it would have been significantly delayed.
Above all, if the Mage King were alive, he would have already made a move to claim the “Commandments.” Just as Argyrion was now mobilized to attack the Ten Towers, but in a more direct, unmistakable manner.
‘Argyrion spoke of truth and righteousness.’
I had a rough idea of what “truth” meant — it likely referred to the murder of the Mage King by the Ten Towers. Similarly, the “righteous cause” they were trying to bring forth was probably none other than the Mage King himself.
‘The Mage King still has no physical body.’
After re-confirming the key premise of this plan, I felt a sense of stability return. I raised my head again to look at the Thunder Giant.
“If one were to attempt to predict a god through prophecy, what kind of result would they get?”
「Cannot. Be. Known.」
“Not even an educated guess? This is important.”
「If divinity were to sense an attempt to perceive it, it would only reveal the image it wished to show, much like how Phoibos bestows prophecies upon his followers.」
I nearly swore aloud. So the history I thought I was reading might actually be ancient pseudo-historical nonsense fabricated by the Mage King?
I was about to vent my frustration when the Thunder Giant spoke again.
「However, if the divinity fails to detect the act of prophecy, or if multiple divinities observe each other and attempt to interfere with one another’s prophecies…」
“And if that happens?”
「The prophecy would manifest as something akin to a ‘most likely future,’ based on the observer’s perspective and the prophet’s personal bias.」
What a maddeningly ambiguous condition.
Did the Mage King not know he was being prophesied about? Or was there another force on par with the Mage King that obscured him from view?
I had no way of knowing. The only thing I could rely on was the present.
Another “divinity.”
I thought of Carisia as I gazed at her.
White No Name.
She was the only one in the original story to stand against the Mage King and thwart his will.
The origin of White No Name wasn’t explained in much detail in the story.
But I knew about Carisia. I knew that she was originally born from White Light of the Ten Commandments.
If the Commandments were fragments that carried part of the Mage King’s divinity, then Carisia, too, might have inherited some of that divinity.
But whether a fragment like that could interfere with the Mage King was questionable. Even sacred relics imbued with divinity didn’t disrupt prophecies—
‘Hm?’
“…Do sacred relics not interfere with prophecy?”
「Divinity and divine power are concepts from different dimensions.」
The Thunder Giant added a few more words. He compared it to how mages distinguish between “mana” and “magic power.”
Just as mana is transformed to suit the individual form of each wizard, divine power is an interpretation of divine essence tailored to each priest.
Even divine artifacts created directly by gods — like Aegio’s Scale, which I possessed — may carry divinity, but they could not interfere with prophecies.
For a divinity to interfere with prophecy, two conditions had to be met:
The divinity had to be aware of the act of prophecy.
The divinity had to have the will to obstruct the prophecy.
Divine artifacts might hold divinity, but they lacked the will to interfere with prophecies.
This, at least, was hopeful news.
The Commandments were practically divine artifacts that directly inherited the Mage King’s divinity. And the Masters of the Ten Towers, who possessed these Commandments, were always the Mage King’s enemies — and they had no awareness of prophecies.
While information about the Mage King himself might be beyond the reach of the old priests’ abilities, it could at least serve as a reference.
“…Wait. Are you saying that Aegio’s Scale and the other relics I’ve been collecting are classified as divine artifacts?”
「To preserve one’s soul over millennia, it is necessary to draw upon the power of divine artifacts.」
There was someone besides me collecting these divine artifacts. The one that an ancient priest of Estia had warned me about.
Judging by how they had free rein to use artifacts excavated from the Temple of Pluton, it was likely someone with high status within the Divine Cult.
Probably the Pope.
“What can you accomplish by sacrificing divine artifacts and the souls of ancient priests?”
「—Ah.」
The Thunder Giant let out a strange sound of awe.
「It is the flaw I sought to warn you about. But my soul fragment vanished along with it.」
Damn it.
I clutched my head in frustration.
「I have lingered beyond the time allotted to mortals, and my soul is no longer whole. My time is running out.」
The light from the Thunder Giant’s limbs was gradually fading. I could only sigh in resignation.
“You have fulfilled your duty. It seems I won’t be using the Scale anytime soon.”
After a brief pause, the Thunder Giant, no longer a thunderous presence, replied in the voice of a tired old man.
“…I hope so.”
***
Orthes rose from his seat.
‘Has Carisia woken up?’
On the surface, she still lay in bed. He turned his gaze from Carisia to the Scale, which was propped up on the desk like an ornament.
He stared at the Scale for a long while, as if having a staring contest.
One had no eyes, and the other had half-closed eyes, so it was hard to tell who won.
Then, Orthes muttered to himself.
“Should I get rid of it…?”
“Don’t.”
Before he knew it, Carisia was standing behind him. Orthes replied, not particularly startled.
“That’s an easy way out. One day, you might find yourself in a situation where you need it to solve everything.”
“Which is why you should preserve it. You’re basically saying that there’s a chance we’ll need it, right?”
Orthes sighed. The idea of using the Scale to defeat the Mage King or, failing that, banish him from this world gave him a bad feeling.
“I won’t use it, so I’ll take it to the boss’s office.”
Carisia nodded.
“Then go back to sleep. It’s still dawn.”
As Carisia returned to bed, Orthes closed his eyes.
A gentle voice broke the silence.
“People wouldn’t even know if your eyes are open or closed, you know?”
She was right.
“Not you, though, Boss.”
Just as she suspected, Orthes was wide awake.